BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//InvisionCommunity Events 5.0.18//EN METHOD:PUBLISH CALSCALE:GREGORIAN REFRESH-INTERVAL:PT15M X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT15M X-WR-CALNAME:All Calendars - African American Literature Book Club NAME:All Calendars - African American Literature Book Club BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT 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X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20190331T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20191027T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20140330T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20141026T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20200329T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD 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TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20170326T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20171029T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20130331T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20131027T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London TZURL:https://tzurl.org/zoneinfo/Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20160327T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=-1SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20161030T020000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=-1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:A Trajectory of U.S. Immigration at the Intersection of Immi gration Policy and Rule of Law\, hosted by Joyce Williams of Armooh Wlliam s PLC DTSTAMP:20260415T212844Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:717-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:A Trajectory of U.S. Immigration at the Intersection of Immi gration Policy and Rule of Law\, hosted by Joyce Williams of Armooh Wlliam s PLCIn this episode of Brief Encounters\, host Joyce Williams is joined b y former Appellate Immigration Judge Andrea Sáenz and former Immigration Judge Anam Rahman Petit for a timely conversation on U.S. immigration law at the intersection of policy and the rule of law. Together\, they unpack judicial independence\, detention and adjudication\, and the shifting boun daries of asylum—offering an insider’s view of how these legal framewo rks shape due process\, access to protection\, and the future of the immig ration system.IN AMENDMENTTwo immigration judges were recently fired after dismissing deportation cases involving pro-Palestinian student advocates( https://lnkd.in/esQRdniJ) —part of a broader pattern raising questions a bout judicial independence in immigration courts.\n🎙️ In Brief Encoun ters\, Joyce Williams speaks with former judges Andrea Sáenz and Anam Rah man Petit about asylum\, detention\, and due process—and how policy pres sures shape outcomes.\n🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.(https:/ /lnkd.in/exBPN2G4) \nAndrea Sáenz + Anam Rahman Petit \n#ImmigrationLaw # RuleOfLaw #PublicPolicy\n\nAUDIO\nhttps://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile /dcbar/episodes/A-Trajectory-of-U-S--Immigration-at-the-Intersection-of-Im migration-Policy-and-Rule-of-Law-e3hljof/a-acj4jor\n\nLinked Referral\nhtt ps://www.linkedin.com/posts/joyce-williams071381_immigrationlaw-ruleoflaw- publicpolicy-activity-7450175380742811648-zckk?utm_source=share&\;utm_m edium=member_desktop&\;rcm=ACoAAC9jwHcBhMdyfurNH2JmdlAPjJgXHivmWR8EMBED <\;iframe src=\"https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/dcbar/embed/epi sodes/A-Trajectory-of-U-S--Immigration-at-the-Intersection-of-Immigration- Policy-and-Rule-of-Law-e3hljof/a-acj4jor\" height=\"102px\" width=\"400px\ " frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\">\;<\;/iframe>\; DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260415 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Inspired by Doja cat’s song - Ninetenh$e DTSTAMP:20260409T230935Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:716-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Inspired by Doja cat’s song - Ninetenh$e\n\n from @wert ys-art \n\n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities /black-artist-on-tjambler/post/812824821179318272?source=share\n\n #blacka rtistoftumblr #wertys-art \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260402T224900Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Tapas why DTSTAMP:20260409T230838Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:715-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Tapas why\n\n from @lutea-arts \n\n in blackartistoftumb lr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/81 2096181725429760?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #lutea-arts \n\n\n \n  \n\n DTSTART:20260325T214700Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Hello!\, names Mcneveroli\, you can call me Mc! DTSTAMP:20260409T230704Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:714-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Hello!\, names Mcneveroli\, you can call me Mc!\n\n from @mcneveroli \n\n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/commun ities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/811950895186198528/hello-names-mcnever oli-you-can-call-me-mc-and?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #mcnevero li \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260324T071800Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Cozmik Art 2015 DTSTAMP:20260409T230609Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:713-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Cozmik Art 2015\n\n from @cozmikbeats \n\n in blackartis toftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/ post/811700729944358912/cozmik-art-2015-oldie-but-goodies-cozmikbeats?sour ce=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #cozmikbeats \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260321T130200Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:\"Hot For Teacher\" DTSTAMP:20260409T230521Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:712-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \"Hot For Teacher\"\n\n from @noway78 \n\n in blackartis toftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/ post/811649619010387968?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #noway78 \n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260320T232900Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Val design update ! I DTSTAMP:20260409T230430Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:711-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Val design update ! I\n\n from @servaaal51 \n\n in black artistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjam bler/post/810854442425630720/what-do-we-think-new-is-on-the-right?source=s hare\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #servaaal51 \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260312T045000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Character sprite art for a game team I'm a part of. We don't have a name yet we're still working on it. DTSTAMP:20260409T230349Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:710-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Character sprite art for a game team I'm a part of. We do n't have a name yet we're still working on it.\n\n from @jollofmunchrr \n \n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-art ist-on-tjambler/post/812632483652878336?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftum blr #jollofmunchrr \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260331T195200Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:java DTSTAMP:20260409T225433Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:709-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n java\n\n from @rainbowmedleyarts \n\n in blackartistoftu mblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/ 812246915211214848/java?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #rainbowmedl eyarts \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260327T134300Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:an old newspaper comic i did awhile back called \"Les Sex\" DTSTAMP:20260409T225250Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:708-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n an old newspaper comic i did awhile back called \"Les Sex \"\n\n from @qtcomicsblog \n\n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tum blr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/810269140766097408/an-ol d-newspaper-comic-i-did-awhile-back-called?source=share\n\n #blackartistof tumblr #qtcomicsblog \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260305T174700Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Made a book cover for a story im writing plan on doing a red o sometime in the future  DTSTAMP:20260409T225107Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:707-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Made a book cover for a story im writing plan on doing a redo sometime in the future \n\n from @peachyblkdemonslayer \n\n in blac kartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tja mbler/post/811757391434629120/made-a-book-cover-for-a-story-im-writing-pla n-on?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #peachyblkdemonslayer \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260322T040200Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CULTURES OF THE DAY: cape verde  DTSTAMP:20260409T224914Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:706-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CULTURES OF THE DAY: cape verde \n\n from @banzaboiieats kilishi\n\n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/ black-artist-on-tjambler/post/811603146690510848?source=share\n\n #blackar tistoftumblr #banzaboiieatskilishi\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260320T111100Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:TRIBE OF THE DAY : Igbomina DTSTAMP:20260409T224538Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:705-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n TRIBE OF THE DAY : Igbomina\n\n from @banzaboiieatskilish i\n\n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black- artist-on-tjambler/post/813423551385403392?source=share\n\n #blackartistof tumblr #banzaboiieatskilishi\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260409T132500Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:  Let the fun begin! DTSTAMP:20260409T224359Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:704-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n   Let the fun begin!\n\n from @mcneveroli\n\n in blackar tistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambl er/post/813361338302775297/let-the-fun-begin?source=share\n\n #blackartist oftumblr #mcneveroli\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260408T205600Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:TRIBE OF THE DAY : atyap DTSTAMP:20260409T224216Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:703-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n TRIBE OF THE DAY : atyap\n\n from @banzaboiieatskilishi\n \n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-art ist-on-tjambler/post/813333880191008768?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftum blr #banzaboiieatskilishi\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260408T134000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:ayo's moi moi DTSTAMP:20260409T224059Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:702-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ayo's moi moi\n\n from @banzaboiieatskilishi\n\n in black artistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjam bler/post/813244344790335488?source=share\n\n #blackartistoftumblr #banzab oiieatskilishi\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260407T135700Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Suit Up! Pin ups Wheelie\, Ribbella\, and Elastica  DTSTAMP:20260409T223917Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:701-9-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Suit Up! Pin ups Wheelie\, Ribbella\, and Elastica \n\n from @qtcomicsblog\n\n in midnighthour\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communit ies/midnight-hour/post/813278531387883520/suit-up-pin-ups-wheelie-ribbella -and-elastica?source=share\n\n #midnighthour #qtcomicsblog\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260407T230000Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Life lately been well less than ideal. DTSTAMP:20260409T203543Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:700-8-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Life lately been well less than ideal. \n\n from @noway7 8\n\n in blackartistoftumblr\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black- artist-on-tjambler/post/813169091677421568?source=share\n\n #blackartistof tumblr #noway78\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART:20260406T040100Z RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Immigration laws of the future DTSTAMP:20260406T043350Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:699-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n URL Source\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12623-immig ration-laws-of-the-future/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 04/06/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n richardmurray\n\n\n\n Boycott am*zon\n\n\n\n  4.5k\n\n\n\n Posted Marc h 24\n\n\n\n Let's imagine you are the president of the USA in the future and the congress has made a law concerning immigration\, that you want to sign immediately after you see it. \n\n\n\n What will that law be? \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  7.3k\n\n\n\n LocationWashington DC area\n\n\n\n Posted March 26\n\n\n\n The law I sign would allow anyone to immigrate into the country providing they can produ ce (work) &\;/or contribute (money) to it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n No welfar e or charity immigrants. They can stay in their *home* countries &\; run that program.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In fact\, I might even propose that f or every 1 immigrant allowed into this country\, I'd like to send 10 dead- weight citizens to any country that will take them.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n Loc ationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted March 26\n\n\n\n \n\n That Ideal law?\n\n \n \n 1. Except for very special cases (limiting the number to under 1000 per year) ALL immigration would stop for 10 years\, giving the immigrants cur rently in America a chance to properly assimilate\n\n \n\n 2. The 14th Ame ndment is modified to NOT include the children of people in the nation ill egally.\n\n \n\n 3. Most immigrants who are in the country illegally as we ll as their progeny will have their status reviewed case by case and there will be a decision as to whether or not they will be allowed to stay or s ent back to either THEIR home countries or the countries their parents wer e born in.\n\n \n\n 4. As an immigrant\, all of the money you make IN Ame rica STAYS in America.  No more wiring money you made in America all over the world to bolster the economy of nations.\n\n \n\n 5. 10 years later w hen we start letting more immigrants back in the nation in mass numbers\, there will be a  more RACIALLY BALANCED policy that allows a proper and f air balance of Black immigrants compared to White\, Asian\, and Central Am erican immigrants.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pass!   -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n richardmurray\n\n\n\n Boycott am*zon\n\n\n\n  4. 5k\n\n\n\n Author\n\n\n\n Posted March 27\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n thank you \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n thank you\n\n\n\n any potential laws @frankster @aka Contrarian @admin?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n \n Unread replies\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted March 28\n\n\n\n richardmurray\n\n \n\n Well......\n\n That was an uncharacteristically short response...lol.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pass!  -Professor G riff\n\n\n\n frankster\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  1.4k\n\n\n\n Posted Mond ay at 10:17 PM\n\n\n\n Abolish the need for Visas to cross International B orders.....Advocate for the Right To freely Travel the Globe as a Basic an d Foundamental Human Right.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Travel is Education\n\n\n\n ProfD and aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n  2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Aid is Imperialism.\n\n\n\n All that is necessary for evil to t riumph\, is for good to do nothing.\n\n\n\n Legalize weed\n\n\n\n The trut h is incontrovertible\, malice may attack it\, ignorance may deride it\, b ut in the end\; there it is.\n\n\n\n The 3 stages of Truth\, 1st\, it is r idiculed. 2nd it is violently opposed. 3rd\, it is accepted as being self- evident.\n\n\n\n \"Religion is regarded by the common people as true\, by the wise as false\, and by rulers as useful\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Membe rs\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted Tuesday at 05: 12 PM\n\n\n\n   On 3/30/2026 at 10:17 PM\, frankster said:\n\n\n\n Abo lish the need for Visas to cross International Borders.....Advocate for th e Right To freely Travel the Globe as a Basic and Foundamental Human Right .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n What?????\n\n \n\n See\, that's why YOU don't ha ve your own country...lol.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pa ss!  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  7.3k\n\n\n \n LocationWashington DC area\n\n\n\n Posted Tuesday at 06:34 PM\n\n\n\n   On 3/31/2026 at 5:12 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n What?????\n\n \n\n See\, that's why YOU don't have your own country...lol.\n\n\n\n No visa f reedom of travel means you would not have to fill out a bunch of paperwork to kick it with beautiful Black women in other places.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMi chigan\n\n\n\n Posted Tuesday at 07:18 PM\n\n\n\n   On 3/31/2026 at 6:3 4 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n No visa freedom of travel means you would not have to fill out a bunch of paperwork to kick it with beautiful Black wom en in other places.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Neither would the White and Arab me n who seek them for human trafficking.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go g et a late pass!  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Members \n\n\n\n  1.1k\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 10:45 AM\n\n\n\n I've never g iven the immigration issue a whole lot of thought probably because it has never directly impacted on my life.\n\n\n\n But I do agree that criminal i llegal  immigrants should be deported back to where they came from. And - that anyone born in this country is automatically an American citizen.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I'm not a particularly patriotic person\, and I'm alway s amused at how black people can chronically complain about racism\, and e xpress so little regard for their white countrymen yet so resolutely decla re their love for this country.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As somebody famous\, Wi nston Churchill(?)\, once said: \"America is the worst\, most flawed count ry in the world... except for all the others.\"\n\n\n\n  That sentiment k inda resonated with me.\n\n\n\n You\n\n\n\n  1\n\n\n\n ×\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Quote\n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  7.3k\n\n\n\n LocationWas hington DC area\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 12:08 PM\n\n\n\n   On 4/3/2 026 at 10:45 AM\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n But I do agree that crimi nal illegal  immigrants should be deported back to where they came from. And - that anyone born in this country is automatically an American citi zen.\n\n\n\n Same here.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 4/3/2026 at 10:45 AM\,  aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n I'm not a particularly patriotic person\, an d I'm always amused at how black people can chronically complain about rac ism\, and express so little regard for their white countrymen yet so resol utely declare their love for this country.\n\n\n\n I'm not patriotic in th e sense of wearing flags &\;/or putting them on my property.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n However\, in the same way that I didn't get to choose my parents\ , I didn't have a choice of where I was born. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The USA with all of its warts is my birthplace.  It is my *home* country.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n I do not believe there is another country on this planet t hat is as diverse &\; with more opportunities than the USA.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n For that reason\, I feel that gives me even more *right* to call out racism white supremacy &\; every other form of BS from the USA &am p\; its citizens. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Reaching that stage in life of bein g able to call balls &\; strikes without giving a d8mn is a perk too.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 06:15 PM\n\n\n\n I believe millions of immigrants BOT H legal and illegal should be deported AND there should be an immediate HO LD on all immigration for a period of time until the millions of immigrant s already in the nation are properly assimilated and to be sure we have EN OUGH RESOURCES to bring more in without being a burden on the system.\n\n  \n\n\n\n How are you going to adopt MORE children when you aren't even t aking care of your own little rug-rats who are running around the neighbor hood eating out of garbage cans???\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Cynique\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I'm not a particularly patriotic person\, and I'm always amused at how black people can chronically complain about raci sm\, and express so little regard for their white countrymen yet so resolu tely declare their love for this country.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Because it's OUR country.\n\n Just because you have racists and no good people IN the c ountry\, doesn't mean the country itself is terrible.\n\n\n\n If you have roaches or termites in your house\, do you condemn the house and leave it and let the roaches and termites take over?\n\n Or do you treat the proble m as best you can and continue to dwell in the house you built or paid for ?\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n  \n\ n\n\n   On 4/3/2026 at 12:08 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The USA with all of its warts is my birthplace.  It is my *home* country.\n\n\n\n I do not believe there is another country on this planet that is as diverse &a mp\; with more opportunities than the USA.\n\n\n\n \n\n That's RIGHT.\n\n You tell her!\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pas s!  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  7.3k\n\n\n\ n LocationWashington DC area\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 06:28 PM\n\n\n\n   On 4/3/2026 at 6:15 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n  \n\n\ n\n   On 4/3/2026 at 12:08 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The USA with all o f its warts is my birthplace.  It is my *home* country.\n\n\n\n I do n ot believe there is another country on this planet that is as diverse & \; with more opportunities than the USA.\n\n\n\n \n\n That's RIGHT.\n\n Yo u tell her!\n\n\n\n Nah bro...my post was not directed at our beloved @ak a Contrarian. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Actually\, her post provided a jump-off to address the type of sentiment brotha  @richardmurray might express in one of his corners about martians\, er\, statians.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 06:52 PM\n\n\n\n   On 4/3/ 2026 at 6:28 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Nah bro...my post was not directed at our beloved @aka Contrarian. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Actually\, her post provided a jump-off to address the type of sentiment brotha  @richardmu rray might express in one of his corners about martians\, er\, statians.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Well the TRUTH is the TRUTH\, regardless as to who it is directed towards.\n\n Unless it's ABOUT them personally\, the truth itself doesn't cease to be or change depending on who is being told it... .lol.\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pass !  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  1.1 k\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 07:51 PM\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1stfu. You're the one\, blubbering about acquiring your own private island off the coast of Africa. You'd be right at home there in your natural habitat\, a jungle fu ll of snakes and hyenas and insects. \n\n\n\n America would never miss yo u.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13. 2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 08:02 PM\n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n \n\n Somebody needs to tell YOUR beloved Cynique....that if she doesn't like America....nobody is making her stay here.\n\n \n\n Somebody needs to tell her that if this nation is so terrible\, she can sign her s ocial security checks over to AALBC Inc.\, pack her bags\, and search for the promise land....lol.\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect... .go get a late pass!  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Me mbers\n\n\n\n  1.1k\n\n\n\n Posted yesterday at 08:31 PM\n\n\n\n A lot o f BS coming from Pioneer who\, I repeat\, recently expressed a desire to g o settle in a promised land on his own private Island off the coast of Afr ica\, (where he would undoubtedly be in his natural element among the snak es and hyenas and pesky insects.)\n\n\n\n And\, of course\, in full blown strawman mode\, he presents an inaccurate  impression of my sentiments si nce I\, myself\, never said I thought America was\"so terrible\".\n\n\n\n When it comes to America\, I am actually indifferent\, preferring to take its imperfections in my stride\, unlike him who would be mute if he didnt have this country to constantly criticize\, while yearning to replace whi te supremacy with his tiresome claims of black supremacy. \n\n\n\n I don' t know why any intelligent person would take a phony windbag like him seri ously.\n\n\n\n Somebody needs to tell him to stfu.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quot e\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichiga n\n\n\n\n Posted 14 hours ago\n\n\n\n   On 4/3/2026 at 8:31 PM\, aka C ontrarian said:\n\n\n\n  Pioneer who\, I repeat\, recently expressed a d esire to go settle in a promised land on his own private Island off the co ast of Africa\, (where he would undoubtedly be in his natural element amon g the snakes and hyenas and pesky insects.)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n What a n ignorant and racist opinion and depiction of Africa.\n\n \n\n You've pro bably never set food on the continent\, but want to call it a land of snak es and insects.\n\n An image you've undoubtedly gotten from your slave mas ters...lol.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pass!  -Profess or Griff\n\n\n\n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  1.1k\n\n\n\n Pos ted 11 hours ago\n\n\n\n No telling what's on a deserted island off the coast of Africa. \n\n\n\n \"Ignorant\" and \"racist\" are actually terms more befitting someone like you who constantly disparages anyone who's not in his tribe.\n\n\n\n Just for good measure I'll add the word \"obnoxious \" to characterize you.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMichigan\n\n\n\n Posted 10 hours ago\n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n No telling w hat's on a deserted island off the coast of Africa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n If there's no telling....then why are YOU telling it?\n\n \n\n Leave the guess work and speculation alone.\n\n You should focus only on what yo u actually KNOW.\n\n \n\n But then again....lol...we'd probably only hear from you once a week.\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Armageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pass!  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  1.1k\n\n\n\n Posted 10 hours ago\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1  said:\n\n\n\n \n\n If there's no telling....then why are YOU telling it? \n\n \n\n Leave the guess work and speculation alone.\n\n You should focus only on what you actually KNOW.\n\n \n\n But then again....lol...we'd pro bably only hear from you once a week.\n\n  \n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Tak e your advice and shove it. If I ever followed anything you suggested. I'd be as deluded and irrelevant as you are. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n Pioneer1\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  13.2k\n\n\n\n LocationMic higan\n\n\n\n Posted 10 hours ago\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, aka Contra rian said:\n\n\n\n Take your advice and shove it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n ......if I did\, would you like to know exactly WHERE I'd shove it?\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n A rmageddon BEEN in effect....go get a late pass!  -Professor Griff\n\n\n\ n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  1.1k\n\n\n\n Posted 10 hours a go\n\n\n\n I'm not interested in hearing what a great contortionist you ar e when it comes to being full of yourself.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\ n richardmurray\n\n\n\n Boycott am*zon\n\n\n\n  4.5k\n\n\n\n Author\n\n\n \n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @frankster\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 3/30/2026 at 10:17 PM\, frankster said:\n\n\n\n Abolish the need for Visas to cro ss International Borders.....Advocate for the Right To freely Travel the G lobe as a Basic and Foundamental Human Right.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Travel is Education\n\n\n\n thank you... That is very radical for modernity. I admi t I wasn't expecting a reply like this... The kind of travel you refer to was how it was in ancient times. In ancient times\, only fortified places had walls\, people could travel right outside walled areas and towns witho ut walls would exist aside of major roads. Bandits and raiders existed but the level of traffic\, fiscal traffic in the past\, shows most people tra veled wise enough to not be bothered by bandits or raiders. Now some peopl e travel riskily and well...  The fear of the stranger\, the other\, is h igh in humanity \, and not for nothing\, for an honest reason. White europ eans in their global conquests taught most of humanity to fear the strange r \, fear the other\, fear variances because if you don't fear and you tru st\, you end up like the rest of humanity not white european that at one t ime not to  long ago was completely enslaved to white europeans in some f orm or fashion.  So\, the question is\, how do you get a majority in huma nity to trust in strange humans or have faith in a general goodness in hum anity? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   On 4/3/ 2026 at 10:45 AM\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n I've never given the imm igration issue a whole lot of thought probably because it has never direct ly impacted on my life.\n\n\n\n But I do agree that criminal illegal  imm igrants should be deported back to where they came from. And - that anyone  born in this country is automatically an American citizen.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n I'm not a particularly patriotic person\, and I'm always amused at how black people can chronically complain about racism\, and express so li ttle regard for their white countrymen yet so resolutely declare their lov e for this country.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As somebody famous\, Winston Church ill(?)\, once said: \"America is the worst\, most flawed country in the wo rld... except for all the others.\"\n\n\n\n  That sentiment kinda resonat ed with me.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n thank you. The usa is the only gover nment in humanity that allows citizenship just because you are born in it. May I ask what is your reasoning for that immigration legal position? doe s it have legal precedent or is it a heritage aspect\, or a culture you fe el warranted? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Your second point is arguably the great challenge of Black Descended of Enslaved people in any country in the ame rican continent\, barring haiti. You know like me \, and anybody else comm enting in this post that our forebears were enslaved in every country in t he american continent\, and forms of enslavement existed like jim crow in each country in the american continent\, and msot of our forebears had a w ell earned dislike... hatred or whites or these lands for the misery of th e black collective in any of them...but\, as humans are human\, over time black DOSers in the american continent want like all humans a home. Most h ad no money or resources to leave wherever they were in the american conti nent\, so that grew the uncommon but honest\, hateful citizenship you ment ion. \n\n\n\n Black DOSers will never be able to honestly say as a group \, barring haiti\, any country in the american continent has  ever been a place where most black people in it were happy. To reword for Black DOSer s unhappiness side citizenship are hand in hand in most governments in the usa\, a warranted reality. \n\n\n\n I get your amusement\, how can a per son say they love a place that they clearly don't love\, but fate has put Black DOSers in that position to be able to say that.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n frankster\n\n\n\ n Members\n\n\n\n  1.4k\n\n\n\n Posted 1 hour ago\n\n\n\n   2 hours a go\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n @frankster\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n thank you ... That is very radical for modernity. I admit I wasn't expecting a reply like this... The kind of travel you refer to was how it was in ancient ti mes. In ancient times\, only fortified places had walls\, people could tra vel right outside walled areas and towns without walls would exist aside o f major roads. Bandits and raiders existed but the level of traffic\, fisc al traffic in the past\, shows most people traveled wise enough to not be bothered by bandits or raiders. Now some people travel riskily and well... \n\n\n\n There is nothing more educational than travel....You see the comm onalities and ordinariness of Human Beings as they secure a living from th eir environment.\n\n\n\n We all are seeking basically the same thing.....h ow we achieve that thing is often where our differences show - from those differences we can learn and grow.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, r ichardmurray said:\n\n\n\n The fear of the stranger\, the other\, is high in humanity \, and not for nothing\, for an honest reason. White european s in their global conquests taught most of humanity to fear the stranger \ , fear the other\, fear variances because if you don't fear and you trust\ , you end up like the rest of humanity not white european that at one time not to  long ago was completely enslaved to white europeans in some form or fashion.\n\n\n\n A socalled Civilization based on War Culture - is not a civilization but a Barbarization...in which all manner of Plunder Cruel ty Pain and Suffering is seen as normal.\n\n\n\n The European has used and taught that War is Civilization...\n\n\n\n In a War Culture .....The bett er you are at War is the more intelligent and civilize you are - as you ar e able to take the best from all and claim it as your own.\n\n\n\n War is like fast food it is quick looks smell and taste good....but it also makes your life one of  sickness pain bloated discomfort and you die younger.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n So\, th e question is\, how do you get a majority in humanity to trust in strange humans or have faith in a general goodness in humanity? \n\n\n\n To do so One will have to become Vulnerable....\n\n\n\n Trust is based on Mutual R espect Honest Open Communication and most of all Integrity.\n\n\n\n This T rust was almost Universal among Humans....and to some extent still is - it is the basis of nearly all Spirituality.\n\n\n\n Remove Politics from rel igion...whats left is Spirituality and Science.\n\n\n\n Spirituality and S cience are very Uniting Natural Force Within every Human Being\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Those in Control of European Global Hegemony use and have used the se qualities to usurp and undermine the sovereignty of many peoples over t hemself and their property.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ai d is Imperialism.\n\n\n\n All that is necessary for evil to triumph\, is f or good to do nothing.\n\n\n\n Legalize weed\n\n\n\n The truth is incontro vertible\, malice may attack it\, ignorance may deride it\, but in the end \; there it is.\n\n\n\n The 3 stages of Truth\, 1st\, it is ridiculed. 2nd it is violently opposed. 3rd\, it is accepted as being self-evident.\n\n\ n\n \"Religion is regarded by the common people as true\, by the wise as f alse\, and by rulers as useful\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 04062026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  1.1k\n\n\n\n Posted 1 hour a go\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayin answer to your question asking  why I think a nyone born in America is automatically a citizen\, I tend to think in the abstract when it comes to land ownership\, maps\, boundaries\,territories\ ,etc.\n\n\n\n The Earth is ground under our feet and doesn't belong to any body!  All claims to it\, like treaties and deeds are man made agreements \; just pieces of paper.\n\n\n\n So\, technically\, wherever you were born \, is your birthplace and that qualifies you to claim citizenship in the p lace where you came to life. It's that simple to me. All the rest is super ficial. \n\n\n\n I neither love nor hate my birthplace. It is what it is. and I take that in my stride.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n\n\n richardmur ray\n\n\n\n Boycott am*zon\n\n\n\n  4.5k\n\n\n\n Author\n\n\n\n Posted j ust now\n\n\n\n @frankster thank you\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian thank you\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quote\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260406 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Simple Inclinometer DTSTAMP:20260406T042814Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:698-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Simple Inclinometer\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hd deviant/art/Simple-Inclinometer-1318253262\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\ n\n Images supporting the craft \, Tree Measurer\n\n\n\n The CRAFT MATERIA LS + CRAFT INSTRUCTIONS + USING THE CRAFT are in the challenge in @CRArtis anCrafts\n\n\n\n ?LINK\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I will add an image for the tree later. I tested the device and formula\, the approximation seemed good to go. I was frightened to take my tablet out in the rain so I will add an i mage of the tree later.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Craft Content\n\n\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/99919228/craft-content\n\n\n\n Photogr aphs\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/90185091/photogr aphs\n\n\n\n Tip Jar\, if you like my craft\, tis always the season to tip \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-90 2770076\n\n\n\n \n\n #earthday #clinometer #hddeviant #richardmurray #rich ardmurrayhumblr #craft #crartisancrafts #tree #treemeasure\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260405 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:WATN Galaxy Quest stamp DTSTAMP:20260403T200903Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:697-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n WATN Galaxy Quest stamp\n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/hddeviant/art/WATN-Galaxy-Quest-stamp-1317325537\n\n\n\n ima ge\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n example\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/events/event/694-gq-ff-31415-tud-episode-01/\n\n\n\n challenge\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/693-lost-episodes-of-galaxy-quest/\n\n\n \n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260403 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:From the Easter Tree Hollow DTSTAMP:20260403T195539Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:695-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n From the Easter Tree Hollow\n\n\n\n image\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/From-the-Easter-Tree-Hollow-1317120200\n \n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Stamp\n\n\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Easter-Eggs-Stamp-1317323586\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBE D CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n Challenge\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/69 6-easter-eggs-color-me-club/\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ journal/EASTER-EGGS-Color-Me-Club-1317038393\n\n\n\n Content\n\n\n\n Title : From the Easter Tree Hollow\n\n\n\n Example for the EASTER EGGS - Color Me Club challenge\n\n\n\n EASTER EGGS - Color Me Club\n\n\n\n 27 mins ago\ n\n\n\n 🌅 Easter Eggs: April 2026 Contest 🌅 Brought to you\n\n\n\n T he levels\n\n\n\n Infinity of Eggs with an open \"Faberge\" Egg\n\n\n\n A \"Faberge\" Easter Egg with Edubrer Rabbit holding a \"Faberge\" egg telli ng something to two kid rabbits\n\n\n\n Edubrer Rabbit holding a \"Faberge \" egg telling something to two kid rabbits in front of the Easter Tree\n\ n\n\n Edubrer Rabbit holding a \"Faberge\" egg telling something to two ki d rabbits in from of the Easter Tree in the hollow of an Easter Tree\n\n\n \n I think this coloring page will allow people to have fun with some eggs while also having egg designs.\n\n\n\n I thought to myself what of an inv ersion of scale. So\, the dimensions are referenced larger with the smalle r scales.\n\n\n\n With Matryoshka dolls\, or any stacking or nesting dolls \, the inner is like the outer\, and is multilayered. With \"mise en abyme \"\, placed in abyss\, you have a picture in a picture usually representin g the same\, but in earlier versions it is an expansion. In mine\, each le vel to the interior has an expanded geography \, so the most external leve l is cellular.\n\n\n\n Coloring page commission\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/commission/Single-Coloring-Page-1732448\n\n\n\n Color M e Club challenge examples\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gal lery/100584681/colormeclub-challenge-examples\n\n\n\n Coloring Pages\n\n\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/47013691/comic-coloring-pa ges\n\n\n\n Tip Jar\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip- Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n\n\n #egginvers #eastertreehollow\n\n\n\n #t ctbc #colormeclub #tocolorortobecolored #hddeviant #eastereggs #easter #eg gs\n\n\n\n #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr #richardmur ray #kobo #kwl\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260403 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:EASTER EGGS - Color Me Club DTSTAMP:20260403T195633Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:696-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n EASTER EGGS - Color Me Club\n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/EASTER-EGGS-Color-Me-Club-1317038393\n \n\n\n Example\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/695-from-the-east er-tree-hollow/\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/From-the- Easter-Tree-Hollow-1317120200\n\n\n\n Stamp\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart .com/hddeviant/art/Easter-Eggs-Stamp-1317323586\n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n 🌅 Easter Eggs: April 2026 Contest 🌅\n\n\n\n Brought to you by:\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Join @color-me-club in coloring or creatin g coloring pages about themes that enliven our spirits. Coloring can be me ditative fun or a communal activity\, open to anyone at any skill level. M aking a coloring page is like making a ticket for another's imagination in to a place they have never been. Get inspired to color a world you have ne ver seen but isn't complete without your prismatic touch!\n\n\n\n 🎯 THE CHALLENGE\n\n\n\n 1. For the Line Art Creators: Nativity\, Nationalism\, what do those words bring to your mind? Many things as they should\, for b oth words are rooted in the word to be born. Like every idea born in your mind\, no matter it's quality\, it had to come from you. As April is the m onth of Easter\, named after the spirit of Spring\, nothing encapsulates s omething being born more than the egg. Create a line art of a EASTER EGG S— more than one but the exact number is up to you.\n\n\n\n Line Art Fol der [ https://www.deviantart.com/color-me-club/gallery/100581380/april-202 6-easter-eggs ]\n\n\n\n \n\n 2. For the Colorists: Once the line art phase is over\, you can color any of the contest entries (including my example image below) to complete these worlds with your prismatic touch!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you need more inspiration for your imagination I provide some more tools at the bottom of this post\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DO THE COLORING CHALLENGE\n\n\n\n After the Coloring pag e challenge is finished\, see below for times\, you will be able to use an y of the entries of the coloring page challenge plus my example image to c olor a Wishing Well.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DO BOTH CHAL LENGES\n\n\n\n Please go for it! But you must note the times for each.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n 📅 DATES &\; SUBMISSION\n\n\n\n Line Art (Submit to C ontest Folder)\n\n\n\n Starts: April 3rd\, 2026 | Ends: April 22nd \, 2026 \n\n\n\n Coloring (Submit to Contest Folder)\n\n\n\n Starts: April 23rd\, 2026 | Ends: April 30th \, 2026\n\n\n\n 👨‍⚖️ Winners selected at the sole discretion of @color-me-club group administrators\; all decisions are final and non-negotiable\n\n\n\n You can also share your creations in the comments below to get feedback form other group members or just start a conversation about your art\n\n\n\n 🏆 PRIZES &\; REWARDS\n\n\n\n All prizes courtesy of @Community and @color-me-club Ambassadors \n\n \n\n 🖋️ Line Art Category\n\n\n\n 🏅 Winner: 1\,000 pts + Hype\n\n\n \n 🥈 Honorable Mention I: 500 pts + Hype\n\n\n\n 🥉 Honorable Mention II: 500 pts + Hype\n\n\n\n 🎨 Coloring Category\n\n\n\n 🏅 Winner: 50 0 pts + Hype\n\n\n\n 🥈 Honorable Mention I: 250 pts + Quartz\n\n\n\n 🥉 Honorable Mention II: 250 pts + Quartz\n\n\n\n 📋 RULES &\; GUI DELINES\n\n\n\n ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Human illustration only. No AI-generated entries will be accepted. Visit @DeviantAI for AI contests.\n\n\n\n Origi nality &\; Copyright: The line art must be your own work. Ripped or \"s ampled\" line art will be disqualified\, this includes tracing. This doesn 't include referenced images. You may use images for reference\, as long a s you don't trace it directly and provide credit in the artist's comments section of your entry.\n\n\n\n Requirements: Min. 1200px / 300 dpi. Tradit ional art must be clean and scanned.Need help? Use this website to check t he pixel size and dpi of your image.]\n\n\n\n Traditional drawings must be cleanly scanned\, in focus\, adjusted to predominately black and white\, and on plain white paper. [Need help? Check out this excellent tutorial by @BeckyKidus: How to digitally edit traditional line art.]\n\n\n\n Origina lity: Must be your own work created after March 31st\, 2026. No tracing.\n \n\n\n All entries must abide by the DeviantArt Terms of Service\, Fair Us e rules for submissions\n\n\n\n Accessibility: Line art must be free to do wnload.\n\n\n\n Membership: Join @color-me-club to be eligible! That's fre e too\n\n\n\n 📚 INSPIRATION\n\n\n\n Need more help? View on...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Read On...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For the eggs consider Matryoshka dolls or the visual effect called Mise en abyme.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I can't wait to see all the EASTER EGGS you create or col or!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #tctbc #colormeclub # tocolorortobecolored #hddeviant #eastereggs #easter #eggs\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Ask yourself to Color or to be colored!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n New Horizons \n\n\n\n Jan 8\, 2026\n\n\n\n February contest: heart of love\n\n\n\n Feb 1\, 2026\n\n\n\n Wishing Wells\n\n\n\n Mar 1\, 2026\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260403 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Lost Episodes of Galaxy Quest DTSTAMP:20260403T194639Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:693-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Lost Episodes of Galaxy Quest\n\n\n\n Deviation URL\n\n\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Lost-Episodes-of-Galaxy-Qu est-1286894190\n\n\n\n Example\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/art/GQ-FF-3-1415-TUD-episode-01-1316533222\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ events/event/694-gq-ff-31415-tud-episode-01/\n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n Human writing only please - No AI generated entries in this group.\n\n\n\n Chec k out @DeviantAI for AI specific contests. Thanks!\n\n\n\n In some parts o f the universe\, the first of April is a day of acceptable foolishness\, a day for fools to be embraced. But the intrepid crew of the Not The Enterp rise 3120 captained by Jason Nesmith has never found a world with such an April. I know this not from the only known source of information about thi s ship\, a ninety two part video log dated from some species yearly date s ystem as 1979 to 1982\, but from a lost episode I found among my travels. Crossing the Sahara finding oases never before seen\, the Himalayas mappin g passes never before used\, the Mariana Trench discovering caves never be fore considered\, the am*zon using non human activity never before heard\, I found nothing to advance the knowledge of NTE 3120. But\, in Jackie Rob inson park bordering Harlem in Manhattan\, on a wet Wednesday afternoon\, I saw a box of soggy New York City legal code books. Maybe out of frustrat ion or foolishness I peeked inside and a lost tape was found.\n\n\n\n Here is what I had a ghost writer transcribe.\n\n\n\n Story deviation\n\n\n\n Screenplay deviation is coming\n\n\n\n G\n\n\n\n Literature\n\n\n\n GQ FF 3.1415TUD episode 01\n\n\n\n GALAXY QUEST   FARTHEST FRONTIER 3.1415  TH E\n\n\n\n GALLERY OFLOST EPISODES\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/crlit erature/gallery/100568755/lost-episodes-of-galaxy-quest\n\n\n\n Your chall enge is to find a lost episode of Galaxy Quest\, in whatever video format \, and present a transcription of it. Because the condition of videos can be very poor\, we comprehend you may have to imagine whatever is missing a nd we at CRliterature will accept that need and place your transcription i n our collection. Remember....\n\n\n\n And if you can't find someone to tr anscript the video\, we trust your skills archivist. All of us at @CRLiter ature hope you always believe in yourself. But \, if you will not listen t o us\, please listen to the creations deep deep inside yourself\, pleading with you\, to make them whole\, make them known\, keep them alive against the nothingness of ignorance.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Writer!\n\n\n\n Why don' t you do what you dream writer?!\n\n\n\n [insert your doubts]\n\n\n\n WRIT E MY LIFE!\n\n\n\n Writer! ....PLEASE!\n\n\n\n MAKE! US!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n And you...\n\n\n\n CHALLENGE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Make a PDF Deviation in the format of a story or screenplay on your profile in 2000-2500 words\, d escribing a Lost Episode of Galaxy Quest. Once published\, place the URL i n a comment to this post. Here’s the rules and rewards for this @CRLiter ature activity: :\n\n\n\n ✅ All entries must abide by the DeviantArt Ter ms of Service\, Fair Use rules for submissions\, and the group rules for C RLiterature\; off topic or inappropriate entries will be removed. \n\n\n\ n 🙂 Submit your entry as a PDF deviation displaying a story or screenpl ay of 2000-2500 words from your profile that is linked into a comment to t his journal for reward considerations.  \n\n\n\n 🙏 Some non-negotiable items:\n\n\n\n All entries must be original concepts and 100% human-writt en. AI-assisted entries are NOT allowed and will be removed.   \n\n\n\n Only live submissions\, no stash or hidden deviations.\n\n\n\n You must be a member of @CRLiterature for rewards consideration. Joining the group is fast and free from the group homepage.\n\n\n\n 🗓️ Make a comment wit h a link to a PDF deviation in the form of a story or screenplay from your profile by the end of the day on April 30th 2026\, for rewards considerat ion for this activity. \n\n\n\n 🏆 Winners selected at the sole discret ion of CRLiterature group admin\; all decisions are final and non-negotiab le:\n\n\n\n First Prize wins 4000 points\n\n\n\n Two runners up earn 500 p oints each\n\n\n\n First Prize winner + both the runners up get a hype bad ge on their literature deviation.\n\n\n\n World\, Hello to your story!\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n #LEGQ #lostepisodes #galaxyquest #crlit erature #hddeviant #richardmurray #richardmurrayhumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES\n\n\n\n Sahara is the largest sand desert. Himalayas is the largest mountain range on land. Mariana Trench is the deepest oceanic trench\, the deepest depression is inside said trench \, called the Challenger deep. . The am*zon is the largest rainforest.\n\n\n\n FOR MORE INSPIRATION\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Galaxy Quest SCreenplay\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/g alaxy-quest-1999-undated-unspecified/mode/2up\n\n\n\n PDF\n\n\n\n https:// scriptstreams.com/api/files?id=379&\;expires=1775027929&\;sig=821cf0 b392a1bb1778f3ec38761ec647ddaddb0aa9144ce25d63a1573fd95bf9\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n NTE-3120\, NSEA-Protector (National Space Exploration Administration)\ n\n\n\n https://galaxyquest.fandom.com/wiki/Protector\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n E missary\, episode 1 of deep space nine audiobook\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/ sEvndJPfOaU?si=oMz8_4HK_-UjCflM\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Emissary Scene explaine d\n\n\n\n https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Emissary_(episode)\n\n\n\n Screenplays\n\n\n\n Those living in space\n\n\n\n Star Trek: The Motion Pi cture (1978-07 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by Gene Roddenberry\,Harold Livingst on\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Trek-The-Motion-Picture.html\n\n \n\n 2001: A Space Odyssey (1989-02 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by Stanley Kubr ick\,Arhur C. Clarke\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/2001-A-Space-Odysse y.html\n\n\n\n Star Wars: A New Hope (1976-01 Fourth Draft)\n\n\n\n Writte n by George Lucas\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/Star-Wars-A-New-Hope.h tml\n\n\n\n Alien (1978-06 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by Walter Hill\,David Gi ler\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/Alien.html\n\n\n\n Pitch Black (1998 -03 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by David Twohy\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/script s/Pitch-Black.html\n\n\n\n Fifth Element\, The (1995-08 Draft)\n\n\n\n Wri tten by Luc Besson\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/Fifth-Element\,-The.h tml\n\n\n\n Those fleeing to space\n\n\n\n The Nyotenda\n\n\n\n Written by Richard Murray @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-nyotenda \n\n\n\n Blade Runner (1981-02 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by Hampton Fancher\, David Peoples\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/Blade-Runner.html\n\n\n\n Gattaca (Undated Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by Andrew Niccol\n\n\n\n https://i msdb.com/scripts/Gattaca.html\n\n\n\n Those landing from space\n\n\n\n Thi ng\, The (1981-03 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by John W. Campbell Jr.\,Bill Lan caster\n\n\n\n https://imsdb.com/scripts/Thing\,-The.html\n\n\n\n Predator (1987-01 Draft)\n\n\n\n Written by Jim Thomas\,John Thomas\n\n\n\n https: //imsdb.com/scripts/Predator.html\n\n\n\n If you can find it\n\n\n\n They live\n\n\n\n Written by Frank Armitage\n\n\n\n ART\n\n\n\n K\n\n\n\n Liter ature\n\n\n\n KH: Galaxy Quest Episode 5\n\n\n\n At the base of the 13th O rganization\, somewhere at\n\n\n\n S\n\n\n\n Literature\n\n\n\n S02E05 - G alaxy Quest\n\n\n\n While taking out the trash Mockingbird finds a\n\n\n\n G\n\n\n\n Literature\n\n\n\n Galaxy Quest: chapter 8\n\n\n\n \"You know w hat I like to do in a situation\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Where Are They Now: Ela ine - Ghostbusters 2\n\n\n\n Jun 12\, 2025\n\n\n\n Where Are They Now: Sal vadore - Jaws\n\n\n\n Jul 4\, 2025\n\n\n\n Where Are They Now: Farmer Ted - Sixteen Candles\n\n\n\n Aug 1\, 2025\n\n\n\n Where Are They Now: Norma R ae - Norma Rae\n\n\n\n Sep 1\, 2025\n\n\n\n Where Are They Now: Ione Sykes - The Grave\n\n\n\n Sep 17\, 2025\n\n\n\n WATN: Zero - A Nightmare Before Christmas\n\n\n\n Oct 8\, 2025\n\n\n\n WATN: Duckie - Pretty In Pink\n\n\ n\n Nov 6\, 2025\n\n\n\n WATN: The Unknown - Over The Garden Wall\n\n\n\n Dec 10\, 2025\n\n\n\n WATN: Charlie Brown\n\n\n\n Jan 8\, 2026\n\n\n\n WAT N: Danny and Sandy : Grease\n\n\n\n Feb 2\, 2026\n\n\n\n WATN: Wall-E\n\n\ n\n Mar 5\, 2026\n\n\n\n #lostepisodes #galaxyquest #watn #wherearetheynow #crliterature #hddeviant #richardmurray #richardmurrayhumblr\n\n\n\n  \n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:GQ FF 3.1415 TUD episode 01 DTSTAMP:20260403T194704Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:694-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n GQ FF 3.1415 TUD episode 01\n\n\n\n Deviation URL\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/GQ-FF-3-1415-TUD-episode-01-1316 533222\n\n\n\n Challenge\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/jour nal/Lost-Episodes-of-Galaxy-Quest-1286894190\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ events/event/693-lost-episodes-of-galaxy-quest/\n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n GA LAXY QUEST  \n\n\n\n FARTHEST FRONTIER 3.1415 \n\n\n\n THE ULTIMATE DESC ENDENTS \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The Chosen \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n from Rich ard Murray / @HDdeviant  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Somewhere in the galaxy mu ltiple laser blast\, torpedoes\, or more weapons worthy of space's dangers are targeted to a pinkish figure. Many fragments of ships in the fleet of the National Space Exploration Administration (NSEA) crackle or spark aro und the Kuu ship\, a massive lumpy unevenly shaped pinkish vessel spitting out laser blasts\, absorbing anything in particular like stretched bubble gum twirled back into the mouth to be chewed. Demarco-Taggart jr. stand i n this lethal blob somewhere\, unrecognizable while surrounded in Kuu tech \, appearing like a pink sand statue in a tide\, an eye peering from his e nraptured soul to the carnage he is guiding to his former fellow NSEA offi cers after being abducted.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n In a fragment of an NSE A ship\, in a hall with flashing red light pulsing in eminent darkness\, a Lieutenant run past crew folk\, telling them to get to the escape pods. T he Lieutenant gets to her room and the door opens and she cries out at the sight\, pushed back by the heat\; her son and husband are in hot metal ru bble\; she is able to reach her son and fortunately a crew man arrives\; s he tells them to get her son\, Scorpius\, to an escape pod. The crew man g ives Scorpius to another and advises the Lieutenant to leave. The Lieutena nt exclaims without question she can't leave with her husband\, Clay\, who is motionless under burning rubble. The Lieutenant burns her hands\, repe atedly trying to get through rubble to Clay aided by the crew man while pl eading for the crew man to help. The crew man uses a communicator and asse sses Clay's spirit has flown. The Lieutenant is inconsolable\, and the cre w man grabs her and pulls her away to an escape pod. In a minute later\, w hile embracing a deadly calm\, the Lieutenant sits next to her sleeping so n\, watching the fragment of ship Clay's dead body lay in explode\, like t he last firecracker giving out hope.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n ...Three year s later\, Scorpius is happily sculpting a fish\, while a box shaped device with a button and red light is next to his work \,in the rec room of a sh ip\, the ceiling of the rec room plays soundscape music while it appears l ike a morning sky on Earth. Scorpius's mother enters smiling\, calmly walk ing to her son.  \n\n\n\n \"Hey Scorpius\" \n\n\n\n \"Hey Mom\" \n\n\n\ n They hug and she kisses his forehead.  \n\n\n\n \"Ready to go\" \n\n\n \n \"yeah\" \n\n\n\n Scorpius taps a button on the little box\, and a lig ht goes from red to green\, and the sculpture disintegrates on the table. The parent and child exit\, with the Commander pressing a button revealing a window to space where the ceiling was\, showing a part of a space stati on\, like a giant red crystal floating in space. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Th e space station was Man Klar designed\, by the reflective skinned Fulesian s\, as a guard tower over Miensa. For hundreds of years the Fulesians occu pied Miensa and used the\, three skinned\, Miensans \, Miensa\, or the Gat eway\, however they saw fit. This red quartz like space station became a c onstant reminder of the blood shed by Miensans until the NSEA Fulesian war \; said war led to a peace deal where Fulesa left Miensa. Now months after \, Man Klar is Farthest Frontier 3.1415\, a space station controlled by Mi ensa which will be used to NSEA in process of Miensa becoming a member.   \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n But Miensa has no fleet or natural resources of gala ctic worth. A fiscally unimpressive planet with an ancient while non-utili tarian gateway\, and an old space station going through an exodus. And in its promenade\, Major Koshi\, of Miensa security formerly of Miensa resist ance\, is trying to fix a fractured section of a wall. The frustration of trying to place many little pieces properly is overwhelming. A cat calling whistling sound is made on Koshi's chest communicator. She is notified th at officers of NSEA have arrived. She leaves for the docks. At the docking bay\, Tech Sergeant Bebre waddles into Farthest Frontier 3.1415 complaini ng of the docking bay clamps and the condition of the hull she saw from th e outside\, being held by Doctor Rama who signs the Sergeant how happy he is to be in this location\, with its ancient history and the historic mome nt. Koshi greets them\; eyes widened at the sight of Bebre. Koshi admits s he never saw a Sleen before. Bebre informs Koshi this is her forty fifth p regnancy\, being an officer in the NSEA can be quite eventful. Bebre signs the Doctor to go on to the infirmary with the Major\; she has to look aro und in her big baby\, and she has her communicator if need be.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Koshi walks with Rama to the infirmary\, and he ask her\, do es she have any idea what the gateway will be? Koshi reply\, she doesn't k now but the gateway has never brought anything good to her life. Koshi lea ves Rama inspecting the medical ward\, which has NSEA components lodged in to the Fulesian structure.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Commence Station Log. F arthest Frontier 3.1415\, Commander Ethel Twta \, Me and Scorpius have ent ered a new chapter in our lives. This station is at a pivotal moment\, and I have little time to prepare or manage or guide\, but if a team can be f ound among the NSEA and Miensa officers\, the best chance possible for suc cess will happen.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Commander Ethel Twta enters Fart hest Frontier 3.1415 smiling with her son\, the duo hugging as they walk t o their quarters. On the way she reminds him to have patience with this ne w home alongside himself. He admits he misses Miensa's calm country but co nfirms he will do as she guides. They enter their quarters and Ethel says gently\, get yourself comfortable and we will have dinner together later\, remember me and your father love you\, are proud of you. Scorpius smiles and Commander Twta leaves.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Commander Twta \, headi ng to the operation deck\, is assessing the station and its inhabitants fi rsthand\, when Koshi exasperated greets her. \"Hello Major\" smiles Twta\, but Koshi is wary and say\, the gateway will take another shape soon and for the first time in hundreds of years Miensa could have benefited from i t if possible\, but the provisional government rejected that to hand it to NSEA. Twta reaffirms that NSEA is only interested in guiding Miensa. Befo re Koshi can reply\, a cat calling whistling sound comes from Koshi's ches t communicator. \n\n\n\n \"What is it Eyea?\" \n\n\n\n \"Pro-blem-in-pro -me-nade\" \n\n\n\n Koshi turn from Twta and say \"we will talk again\"  \n\n\n\n Koshi goes to the promenade and Twta follows.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n \n\n In the promenade three figures are held still by Energy beams emitted from\, Security Chief Eyea\, a Dedom2\, an ancient race of sentient elect ronic drones. Of the held\, one is a child\, the other two are adults. Kos hi arrive and speak straight to the Ataut child\, his completely red eyes untelling.  \n\n\n\n \"What are you doing Pee?\" \n\n\n\n the child repl ies: \"just a small training exercise Major\" \n\n\n\n Eyea interject: \" found-caught-re-veal\" \n\n\n\n Eyea use a beam and reveal an empty space where a wall appeared to be. Pea shrink and Koshi smile: \"Well well\, li ttle fight clubber\, Eyea take them to the brig\" \n\n\n\n \"Woo wowowo w oo wait a minute\": loudly proclaim an Ataut adult\,: \"my family 's fight here is done\"  \n\n\n\n Twta loo on as Koshi reply: \"No Been\, your co usin broke the law\, you know the Miensa government doesn't allow fight ri ngs\"  \n\n\n\n Been look about and notice Twta and say: \"But I believe this station is a cooperative between NSEA and Miensa \, and we all know N SEA loves being cooperative\" \n\n\n\n Twta tells Eyea to continue their operation\, and Eyea escorts Pea to the brig. Twta's chest communicator sa ys in a male sexy voice: \"How! Does! It! Feel!\"  \n\n\n\n Twta gets a m essage from an officer. The NTE-3120 has arrived. Twta gives confirmation and tells Koshi: \"We must prepare the station for the celebrations of the gateway. I will be back shortly\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n In the meeting r oom of the NTE-3120 Commander Peter Demarco-Taggart jr. sits calmly as Com mander Ethel Twta enter\, her anger evident on first glance by Taggart jr. But Taggart jr. offer a handshake\, happily saying Commander\, and Twta s lowly accept saying Commander with a bitterness. Taggart Jr. is confused. \"Have we met?\" Twta reply: \"only in battle\" Taggart jr. comprehend ins tantly. A silence exist in the room. Taggart jr. look away\, offer no word s. After a time\, as Twta stand patient\, Taggart jr. say: \"I came to off er assistance\" Twta reply: \"No thank you\, we will do fine on our own\, and if I am not up to the task I will resign\"  \n\n\n\n Taggart jr. gest ure to say something but dismisses it. Twta ask: \"is that all Commander\" Taggart jr. shake his head and Twta say: \"I will never give up... never surrender\" and exit the rec room of the NTE-3120. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n In the office of Eyea\, Been is waiting for Twta while Eyea handle informa tion managing its own floppy disk drives. Twta enter the office and Been e agerly approach stating: \"His uncle's son will be out of the station's ha ir as soon as they leave and they are already packed\" \n\n\n\n Twta repl ies\, \"I want to discuss your future plans\" and continues \"If everyone leaves the station\, it will become a dead zone which will hurt Miensa. I need you Been\, to stay\" Been reply :\"The Fulesians allowed the fighting pits which fit me and my cousins way of life\, while the Fulesians achiev ed profit from the gamblers who came from every sector of the quadrant... but without the pits how do me and my cousin live as Atauts? Without the f ighting pits\, where is the money? \" \n\n\n\n Twta reply: \"The Miensa g overnment opposes fighting pits but if I can get a tax on the activity\, w ith the promise\, the guarantee of no deaths\, will you take on the fight and stay?\" \n\n\n\n Been reply: \"If I say no\, will my cousin be free\"  \n\n\n\n Twta reply: \"Ask Eyea\, he has the jurisdiction\" \n\n\n\n E yea rotate a cylindrical section like a negative shake of the head. Twta b egin to exit and say:\"It is your choice Been\, if you choose to accept\, the festival for the gateway is needed and I want this station to have a f estival. you can organize it\, and your cousin can help... if you accept\" .  \n\n\n\n Twta exit and enter her and Scorpius's quarters\, where she f inds her son laying on a couch and she sighs.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n In t he NTE-3120 \, sixty-five-year-old Lieutenant Laredo is in the digital con veyor room side his wife Alinta\, their bags prepared. Commander Taggart j r.\, Lieutenant Laliari\, Dr. Lazarus\, Tech Sergeant Chen with his cane\, Security Chief Ingersol in his exoskeleton look on lovingly. Laredo speak : \"I started in this ship as a pilot\, became a science officer under the best teacher\, met my wife\, raised two children and became a grandfather multiple times. It has been an honor\" \n\n\n\n Taggart jr.:\"thanks tea ch\" \n\n\n\n Chen side Laliari present Laredo side Alinta a cake. Ingers ol smile and point a finger: \"ready when you are\"  \n\n\n\n Dr. Lazarus is saddened\"... By Grabthar's Hammer\, by the Suns or Warven\, you shall be blessed\"  \n\n\n\n Laredo and Lazarus give the Mak'Tar salute. Alint a say: \".. don't worry\, we will take care of each other\" and she smiles . Laredo finalize: \"good luck on your mission guys\, too bad you can't st ay for the gateway opening\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n In a dock of Farthest Frontier 3.1415 Alinta tell Laredo: \"I will go to our room\, and prepare\ , you know Ananda's kids will be here soon. But you need to get acquainted with this crew\" \n\n\n\n \"Thank you wife\": and Laredo kiss Alinta \n \n\n\n \"Thank you husband\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Lieutenant Laredo sees the festival on the promenade. Mostly Miensans but other life forms as we ll are celebrating the return of the Gateway. Laredo see Commander Twta\, Scorpius\, Major Koshi\, Eyea\, Bebre\, Rama\, aside Miensa clerics on the observation deck while Been has customers in his fight pit and his cousin Pea is calling out the activities of the festival. Laredo taps Twta on th e back and Twta smiles: \"hey teach\" \n\n\n\n Scorpius hugs Laredo. Twta says: \"everyone meet Lieutenant Laredo\, my teacher in the academy when he took a hiatus from galivanting about the stars.\" \n\n\n\n Everyone gr eets each other. Koshia says: \"You got Been to stay\" \n\n\n\n Twta repl y: \"I am here to help\, and I will prove it to you one day with actions\"  \n\n\n\n Koshi smile. Bebre say: \"This will definitely help the baby an d the babies to come\"  \n\n\n\n Rama ponder: \"What will the Gateway loo k like this time... a little research and it seems to change and where it will go is really in the air\" \n\n\n\n A female Miensa cleric look to Tw ta and speak \"with the Chosen here\, the Gateway will do as destiny wrote and heal Miensa an beyond\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Suddenly\, brightness as if from a star appear. The light grows and grows until it forces all to squint\, and then the light ebbs to reveal a door. The people int eh prom enade cheer. Bebre say: \"the composition is not indicative of any known p rior form of the Gateway\"  \n\n\n\n Laredo say:\"the ship's telemetry sa ys it goes to the Nu Quadrant\" \n\n\n\n Koshi is in shock. Rama is excit ed. Eyea say \"Nu\"  \n\n\n\n The female Miensa cleric look to Twta:\"You are the Chosen\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n NEXT TIME on \n\n\n\n GALAXY QU EST \n\n\n\n Farthest Frontier 3.1415 \n\n\n\n The Ultimate Descendents  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Koshi say to Twta:\"If you are the chosen\, then y ou have to do this\" \n\n\n\n Eyea says:\"I-need-this\" \n\n\n\n A Fules ian captain say:\"we claim this Gateway\" \n\n\n\n Bebre is in a utility shaft while the ship is being attacked. \n\n\n\n The female Miensa Cleric touches Twta's ear: \"you are the chosen\" \n\n\n\n Laredo in a magical light \"Where is this?\" \n\n\n\n Scorpius say:\"Hi I am Scorpius\" \n\n \n\n Clay speaking in a magical light: \"You are chosen\" \n\n\n\n   \n \n\n\n 2\,278 words 12\,895 characters \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n NOTES \n\n\ n\n Kuu- an alien race that absorbs other species or objects\, adds to une venly shaped lumpy vessel like bubble gum \n\n\n\n Taggart jr.- Peter Dem arco-Taggart jr.\, looks like a baby from Commander Taggart and Lieutenant Demarco  \n\n\n\n Scorpius Twta - son of Commander Ethel Twta \n\n\n\n Man Klar- Fulesian name of Farthest Frontier 3.1415 \n\n\n\n Fulesian- re flective skinned species\, glass skinned\, a silver shine [Fule is glass i n Oromo] \n\n\n\n Fulesa - planet of Fulesians \n\n\n\n Miensa- planet o f the Miensans. [Mmiensa is three in Twi]  \n\n\n\n Miensans- Three skinn ed people\, two straight lines\, one from the top of the head to the anus and another from the left side of the eye to the top of the head and botto m of the head and from left side of the neck down to the feet. From right to left of a viewer\, the right side has skin variant as humans as the maj or half\; center to near left side has ridges like tracks of a truck in th e center colored like the right side\, and then a copper skin to the far l eft side.  \n\n\n\n Major Koshi Yuzi- Miensa resistance fighter \n\n\n\n Tech Sergeant Ohoah Bebre - a sleen [ Sleen are a humanoid species that p erform parthenogenesis based on experiences\, who also regenerate when the y give birth\, so having eventful lives is part of their way of life] [ Be bre means many in Twi] \n\n\n\n Doctor Rama- happy young doctor\, mute\, uses sign language \n\n\n\n Commander Ethel Twta- Commander of Farthest F rontier 3.1415 \, mother of Scorpius. She wears an NSEA uniform but wears a short wrap skirt around her waist.  \n\n\n\n Security Chief Eyea- a Ded om2\, electronic sentient drone like beings who are technologically old fa shioned \n\n\n\n Pea- an Ataut. \n\n\n\n Ataut-  a species whose cultur e is all around learning/profiting from dueling with fists or weapons. \; their eyes are monochrome red\, with fiery blond hair\, and are naturally short.  \n\n\n\n Been- Cousin of Pea. \n\n\n\n Lieutenant Laredo - scien ce officer\, former pilot of the NTE-3120\, sixty five\, grandfather\, mar ried to Alinta. Was a teacher to Twta . \n\n\n\n Alinta- wife to Laredo\, descended from Australian Aborigines\, her name means fire in Ngarrindjer i \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Edition 69 from Nada S. Q. Earl DTSTAMP:20260403T193756Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:691-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Deviation URL\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/art/Edition-69-from-Nada-S-Q-Earl-1310598324\n\n\n\n Challenge\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Whimsy-Unlocked-April-Profile- Badge-2026-1310600179\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/692-whimsy -unlocked-april-profile-badge-2026/\n\n\n\n Content\n\n\n\n \"How Much Woo d Would A Woodchuck Chuck If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?\"\n\n\n\n from Nada S. Q. Earl\n\n\n\n Edition 69\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prologue\n\n\n\n fro m Richard Murray @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n Two climb a world tree\; their space s uits are reflecting the brightness from the curved like ribbon flowing at the boundary of the solar system.\n\n\n\n \"Come on Bosede!\" : communicat es the one nearest the top of the world tree.\n\n\n\n \"I am coming !\"\n\ n\n\n Bosede reach the top of the tree aside her friend\, who is still not paying her any mind.\n\n\n\n \"Are you alright?... Scorpius?!\" : Bosede shake her friend and notice his eyes. She turn and let her friend go calml y. And both of the residents of a world tree watch a new visitor come into the forest\, and it speaks to them. They both utter something repeatedly looking straight into the brightness at the visitor .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n T he Song of Trees\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n May all of the shining forest trees be blessed\n\n\n\n May the tree be blessed maintaining life unto itself\n\n\ n\n May the life unto the tree shepherd prosperity\n\n\n\n May the prosper ity be sweet\, succulent\, savory\n\n\n\n May I never live absent the tree s\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Heliosphere and the Interstellar Medium\n\n\n\n h ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere#/media/File:Interstellar_medium_a nnotated.jpg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Kuiper Belt Objects\n\n\n\n https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt#/media/File:Kuiper-belt-top-side-view.svg\n\n\ n\n The Heliopause\n\n\n\n https://scitechdaily.com/boundary-between-our-s olar-system-and-interstellar-space-mapped-for-the-first-time/\n\n\n\n http s://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w__vzNXSFoI\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Whimsy Unlocked -April Profile Badge 2026 DTSTAMP:20260403T193955Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:692-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Deviation URL\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/journal/Whimsy-Unlocked-April-Profile-Badge-2026-1310600179\n\n\n\n EXAM PLE\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/691-edition-69-from-nada-s-q -earl/\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Edition-69-from-Na da-S-Q-Earl-1310598324\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n Human writing on ly please - No AI generated entries in this group.\n\n\n\n Check out @Devi antAI for AI specific contests. Thanks!\n\n\n\n Join @CRLiterature and the other Community Affiliated Groups as part of the community in Deviantart celebrating Whimsy &\; Play for April.\n\n\n\n Here are the prior month s in @CRLiterature\n\n\n\n Earn a Badge for Your Fresh Start Writing\n\n\n \n Feb 4\, 2026\n\n\n\n Love of Art - February Profile Badge 2026\n\n\n\n Feb 9\, 2026\n\n\n\n Earn a Badge for Your Words In Motion\n\n\n\n Mar 16\ , 2026\n\n\n\n How does one be whimsy and play in literature? I honestly w ouldn't know. But\, I do know that everyone who is alive today plus old en ough to read knows of the work titled\n\n\n\n \"How Much Wood Would A Wood chuck Chuck If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?\"\n\n\n\n from Nada S. Q. Ear l\n\n\n\n The two hundred and twenty three thousand one hundred and thirty seven [ 223\,137 ] magnum opus published 1964 by Planning Parrot \, avail able in every language. We all know the publication of the book has two un common factors.\n\n\n\n 1) The author made every printing a new edition.\n \n\n\n 2) The author didn't make a prologue to any edition.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Your task to unlock whimsy is to take your edition of How~ and make t he prologue. Remember each edition is unique so no copying\, we will check .\n\n\n\n What is a Prologue?\n\n\n\n A prologue \, before the writing\, h as the same function or placement as a : forward\, before the wind or turn \; preface\, before the speech\; introduction\, thing to the lead. Each i s meant to be before the main content. While no strict correct or incorrec t quality in content exist for any of the four\, for the sake of this crea tive challenge\, we will set the following variances.\n\n\n\n A Preface is about the author written by the author as the author.\n\n\n\n A Forward c overs the topic of the main content\, not written by the author.\n\n\n\n A n Introduction is the beginning of the main content of the book.\n\n\n\n A Prologue is content to comprehend the main content written by the author as unnarrated content like maps/lists or prose from a character related to the story/main content.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n define a preface as we will we will make specifications\n\n\n\n Prologue Examples\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n K\n \n\n\n Literature\n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR P 1\n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR\n\n\n\n P\n\n\n\n Literature\n\n\n\n Prologue (for a Tails-Bot story)\n\n\n\n How did we ge t here in the first place? Well. It all started with a scientist who made special kinds of hypnosis sessions for mobians suffering from any kind of anxiety or just want to experience it. These kind of sessions can turn the m into robots...somehow. Though the effect is temporary sinve the scientis t doesn't actually want to enslave them. He called it \"droning\" Some kep t coming back for more. Amy Rose was one of them. She got droned so many t imes\, she's practically convinced that she's a tobot by default. Thieves suvh as Rouge tried to get their hands on such techniques. Only for them t o get droned temporarily before being released with no memory of what happ ened. But all hell broke loose when Eggman got his hands on this technique . Using it to create his Egg-drones. These drones have no will\, no person ality\, no thoughts\, just to obey their egg emporer. Ever sinve\, the sci entist had gone missing and never came back.\n\n\n\n The Annals of Aetheri a Prologue\n\n\n\n Dec 31\, 2025\n\n\n\n Prolouge I. The Echo of the Unspo ken Before the\n\n\n\n New Prologue and Character Profile\n\n\n\n Feb 22\, 2026\n\n\n\n Dear Friends\,   I'm sure you are all aware of the\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CHALLENGE TO EARN THE BADGE\n\n\n\n In a literature deviation make the prologue for your edition of \"How Much Wood Would A Woodchuck Ch uck If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?\" \, from Nada S. Q. Earl . Use the e xample below as a reference: State the Edition number and make your prolog ue\, sixty nine words or less. Remember\, no assistance of AI or similar m achine learning tools. We have examples of various prologues in english ab ove to aid you comprehending more plainly if the definition we elect for p rologue confuses.\n\n\n\n REMINDER TO GET THE BADGE\n\n\n\n Make sure to a dd the hashtag #whimsyunlocked in the literature deviation you make\, refe rred to at the beginning of this paragraph\, to get the badge.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Remember you can be patient or impatient\, the key is to have fun\ , be whimsy my friends\, may you unlock an age of giddiness.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n It will be kind to place your deviation in the monthly challenge gal lery in Crliterature\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/crliterature/galle ry/100000320/monthly-badges\n\n\n\n EXAMPLE OF PROLOGUE FOR #WhimsyUnlocke d\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"How Much Wood Would A Woodchuck Chuck If A Woodchuc k Could Chuck Wood?\"\n\n\n\n from Nada S. Q. Earl\n\n\n\n Edition 69\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n E\n\n\n\n Literature\n\n\n\n Edition 69 from Nada S. Q. Ear l\n\n\n\n \"How Much Wood Would A Woodchuck Chuck If A\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #WhimsyUnlocked #hddeviant #crliterature\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR INDEX DTSTAMP:20260329T165315Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:686-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR INDEX\n\n\ n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING- JALI-VINDICADOR-1315296783\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n present link\n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR P1\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart. com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-VINDICADOR-P1-13095397 68\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/678-kassa-or-the-nomadic-endl ing-jali-vindicador-p1/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR PS01\n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADO R PS01 by HDdeviant on DeviantArt\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ events/event/689-kassa-or-the-nomadic-endling-jali-vindicador-ps01/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR S01\n\n\n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-V INDICADOR-S01-1315101294\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/690-kas sa-or-the-nomadic-endling-jali-vindicador-s01/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260329 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR S01 DTSTAMP:20260403T193347Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:690-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR S01\n\n\n\ n Deviantart\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE -NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-VINDICADOR-S01-1315101294\n\n\n\n Content\n\n\n\n TI TLE: THE SILVER BUFFALO\n\n\n\n from Richard Murray aka @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR P1\n\n\n\n KA SSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR PS01\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A rar e breed of buffalo \n\n\n\n Once lived among its kin \n\n\n\n And then c ame the frenchman \n\n\n\n Killing the Silver Buffalo \n\n\n\n The last ran into the woods \n\n\n\n Eating any for its goods \n\n\n\n In the Swe etbush live the... Silver Buffalo \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The rains pour\, beginning days ago\, morphing this part of the Llanos from dry plateau to drop-zone for millions of free-flying drops of water\, instantly becoming lines of sleepwalkers to the Orinoco River. A man on a lemon-skin horse ri de to a posada \, just north of a stretch of Orinoco\; he get off the hors e carrying his tuned Winchester 1895 and don't turn to look at Cerro Negro \, the highest point for a distance\; he pass five healthy horses and stan d still as the front door of the posada\, echoes from a happy gathering in a corner\, greet him\; he enter and only receive quick or unbothered glan ces\, from any one\, and he calmly walk to the bar in the light from the f ront door.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"A cucui coming up\": say the woman be hind the bar. The sound of raindrops peer into the posada. The man sit on a stool and gather his drink: \"Thank you\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"Your Portuguese is still poor\": smile the bartender. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \" I need more sessions with you\": and the man turn to a trio chatting to th emselves.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"The silver vest is Pierre\, the one-ey e vaquero is Julio\, the sombrero is Steinberg\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Th e man hold his rifle across his chest and play its butt embedded mbira\, t o the gambling table. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"Hello... Mr. Kassa\": say P ierre\, on arrival of the mbira player.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"You know me?\": query Kassa. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"No\, but your rifle has been whispered about\": answer Pierre\, shuffling while Steinberg drink or Jul io stare through his one eye. Kassa calmly continue playing. Kassa sit con tinuing to play\, and ask:\"will you play truco?\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"I wiped them clean already \": answer Pierre and continue: \"but I will give eight reales for a story if you know one\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Kas sa look to his rifle and gesture to Pierre positively. Pierre throw coins to Kassa\, on the table\, like a bid in a card game. Kassa look to the bar tender and the bartender come\, and arrive.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"Porr idge\": and Kassa hand the bartender a reales and ask to Steinberg\, Julio \, plus Pierre: \"do you want to eat while you listen?\" \n\n\n\n   \n\ n\n\n Pierre quickly reply: \"of course\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Steinberg continue to drink. Julio hesitate and gesture confirmation to the barkeep . Kassa lean back\, plucking the mbira in the butt\, and begin... \n\n\n\ n   \n\n\n\n I will tell you a story of Yaha and Nili Accita\, the wolf and the moon's blanket. A couple made from two lives forged in dripping bl ood. The last of their kin\, out only for revenge... \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\ n This story began with a legend\, laid in the Inoka's land\, what gringos call Illinois Country\, between Mine la Motte\, Missouri\, plus St. Phili ppe\, Illinois. A treasure of silver\, Monsieur Cadillac\, found after kil ling a people now only two knew. The legend said the map to the treasure w as about the town of Argentia\, Missouri\, now only an inn in the Sweetbus hes.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The barkeep settle bowls of porrid ge on the table and Kassa\, Pierre\, or Julio grab and take a spoonful. Ka ssa stop and before he can continue the tale\, Steinberg stop drinking and look to him. And Kassa gesture to the bartender. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \ "You are kind\": say Pierre \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"A meal and a story is a beautiful thing\": reply Kassa. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"I don't recall the bartender being so attentive\": question Julio\, as he eat.  \n\n\n\ n   \n\n\n\n \"Maybe I will learn her name later\": and Kassa continue. .. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n In the inn where Argentia once was\, a female ba rtender was in charge too. She was blond haired with dark eyes and porcela in skin. A one eyed old black man was her servant. They both sat at the ba r as a guerilla\, called a bushwhacker up north\, exit. He didn't wear blu e or grey\, just tattered brown leather from ankle to hat but his leather boots while muddy were mighty fine. The guerilla paused standing outside t he door but stepped sideways facing someone and then the leatherman's foot steps went from strong to faint to gone as another entered the inn. The ot her wore all black like an undertaker\, except for a red band around his h at\, very sharp. He stood at the door\, bright morning light illuminated h is shadow\, but kept it open and asked: \"Is this Annie's inn?\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The inn owner standing at the bar answered: \"Yes I am Annie \" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Immediately cutting off Annie\, the man at the d oor continued:\"Was the town of Argentia here?\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n An nie paused and slowly answered: \"yes\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The man at the door remained still and slowly continued: \"Where is the map?\" \n\n\ n\n   \n\n\n\n Annie giggled and replied: \"Stranger\, me and Old Tom us ed to get at least one\, morning\, noon\, and night\, daily\, askin that\, and none were ever happy at our answer.... the last old Indian around her e said the Silver Buffalo makes honey tracks\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The man at the door didn't reply\, and Annie said\, facing Old Tom: \"Don't I always tell them the truth\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Old Tom confirmed with a head nod sideways while proclaimed in a high pitch tone:\"mmmm hmmm\, M iss Annie\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Annie was about to continue speaking wh en the man at the door turned sharply plus uncaringly and exited the inn l ooking about. The Sweetbushes gave a blend of apple\, lemon\, black locus\ , wisteria and more in a sweet collage\, unique or undeniable to a passerb y or any within. The man who looked like an undertaker searched\, whiffing \, for a honied scent\; he slowly got off the stand of the inn and faced a section of the sweet lush trees surrounding the inn\; he peered into the green and walked with confidence forward\; minutes went by\, and in the fo rest he stopped under a tree\, and the arbor smelled of honey with yellow petals\; he smelled more and searched through the sweet collage\; honeysuc kle after honeysuckle he found and trekked onward\, hoping at the end is a silver treasure unlike any other in sweet dense mountainous bush\; on and on he went as the light changed that peered onto the wood from the sky \, growing a darkness that would not hide the scents while opened the danger in a land of independent warfare\; suddenly\, while dusk light allowed on ly the top of the Sweetbush to be seen\, he whiffed a foul odor\, made fro m the undeniable purity of dead or decaying flesh from slaughter. The goss ip said: in the Sweetbush live the... Silver Buffalo.  The man in black u sed eagerness: to tear past sharp thorns\, to trip over uneven muddy crevi ces\; he breathed harder and harder\, breathed in the dead of the Silver B uffalo close to where it rest\, drowned out anything sweet except the imag e of a silver lair sparkling superior to any other before or since\; final ly he arrived\, to a small clearing at the base of a low but wide mountain \, at the front of a dark cave\, illuminated by the dusk light surrounded by arborean darkness\; the man was ready\, his Holland &\; Holland doub le rifle had rounds able to kill an elephant with no question\; he asked: where is it\, where is the Silver Buffalo\; he was falling\, suddenly\; hi s body felt hit by a bullet\, and again\; from where\, he didn't hear a gu nshot\, didn't see a sign of smoke\, and he finally fell face up to the sk y\; the blood leakage\, the shock\, his consciousness was all he could mus ter and while a darkness was enveloping his vision\, he saw light\; he tho ugh: Christ\, no\, the moon is still in the sky\, a lamp\; he thought he s aw a black man speaking\, but the blood was too wild or flooding to have h eard properly\; movement\, the smell of his own blood blocked the smell of dead flesh\, if that was the smell of where he was brought to\; And\, the n he saw it\, silver light\, the lair of the Silver Buffalo it must be\; h e had a dying comfort until his head settled at mighty fine leather shoes while the lamp became distant and two figures became present\; his failing cognizance may had seen a lamp holder and a rifle wielder\, an air-gun\; his final thoughts were ponderances: why\, who murdered him in the sweetbu shes of the Illinois county in 1860.  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n ... Kassa fin ish plucking the mbira settled in the butt of his rifle and ask: \"Did I e arn my reales Pierre?\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Pierre shuffling say:\"I ca n't deny I like silver but it lacked the amount of action I prefer\, what was the moral of this story\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Julio chime in while Steinberg drink: \"Greed will bring you down\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \"No \": sharply reply Kassa:\"... the search for the unknown provides unknown dangers\" \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Kassa rise and head to the exit and the t hree former listeners continue their leisure\, and start another game of c ards. Eventually\, Pierre\, Steinberg\, or Julio finish\, and Julio\, Stei nberg\, and Pierre left. With only one to never be seen again. Who knows w hy? \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR PS01 DTSTAMP:20260403T193113Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:689-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR PS01\n\n\n \n Deviantart\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-TH E-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-VINDICADOR-PS01-1315101251\n\n\n\n Content\n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR\n\n\n\n from Richard Murray aka @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prologue 01\n\n\n\n https://www.deviant art.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-VINDICADOR-P1-1309 539768\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prologue Supplemental 01\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Verb al List\n\n\n\n Cucui- a spelling of cocuy\, an indios/first peoples of no rtheastern south America alcoholic drink\n\n\n\n Posada- Inn in Spanish\n\ n\n\n Sombrero- hat for Mexican charro/cowboys\n\n\n\n Mbira- in English c alled a thumb piano\, plucked musical instrument \, tinges or metal tongue s over a wooden soundboard.\n\n\n\n Truco- a Venezuelan card game\n\n\n\n Reales- Spanish currency\n\n\n\n Gringo - means foreigner in Spanish\, in latin America used for someone from anglo-america [usa especially]\n\n\n\n Porridge - leek broth\, variation of pottage\, made in a pot.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Information List\n\n\n\n Winchester Model 1895\n\n\n\n https://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1895\n\n\n\n Llanos- a plateau region in northern south America\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanos\n\n \n\n Monagas (Cerro Negro is in the region) - a state in Venezuela\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monagas\n\n\n\n Orinoco- a river\; name mea ns a place to paddle in the language of the Warao\n\n\n\n https://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/Orinoco\n\n\n\n Freeflying- a form of skydiving\n\n\n\n http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeflying\n\n\n\n Cocuy- indigenous drink of no rth eastern south America\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocuy\n\n\ n\n Truco Venezolano\n\n\n\n https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truco_venezolan o\n\n\n\n example of being played\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/NJDQgZ7mWPQ?si= MitRHUhrY_d_c6vp\n\n\n\n currency of Venezuela\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Currency_of_Venezuela\n\n\n\n St. Phillipe Illinois\n\n\n\n htt ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Philippe\,_Illinois\n\n\n\n map\n\n\n\n htt ps://mapper.acme.com/?ll=38.105318\,-90.180287&\;z=12&\;t=M&\;mar ker0=38.105318\,-90.180287\,St. Philippe%2C Illinois\n\n\n\n Mine la Motte - north of Fredericktown\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_La_Mot te\,_Missouri\n\n\n\n map\n\n\n\n https://mapper.acme.com/?ll=37.614444\,- 90.294444&\;z=12&\;t=M&\;marker0=37.614444\,-90.294444\,Mine La M otte%2C Missouri\n\n\n\n Missouri lead district\n\n\n\n https://en.wikiped ia.org/wiki/Southeast_Missouri_Lead_District\n\n\n\n Mark Twain Forest\, a bout Mine La Motte in modernity\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark _Twain_National_Forest\n\n\n\n Missouri in the war between the states\n\n\ n\n https://stateoftheconfederacy.sites.gettysburg.edu/confederatemonument maps/missouri/\n\n\n\n more information 1\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Trans-Mississippi_theater_of_the_American_Civil_War\n\n\n\n more inf ormation 2\n\n\n\n https://www.legendsofamerica.com/missouri-civil-war/\n\ n\n\n Bushwacker\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushwhacker\n\n\n\n Quantrill's raiders\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantrill's_Rai ders\n\n\n\n Girardoni air rifle\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gir ardoni_air_rifle\n\n\n\n Repeating Rifle\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Repeating_rifle\n\n\n\n viewing example\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=n2W7KAdCMeU\n\n\n\n .500/450 Nitro Express\n\n\n\n https://en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/.500/450_Nitro_Express\n\n\n\n Elephant Gun\n\n\n\n http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_gun\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE N OMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR S01\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdde viant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-VINDICADOR-S01-1315101294\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:International Mens Day DTSTAMP:20260331T212625Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:688-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Note to self: share favorite art of sexy women on this da y:)\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260225 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AN IDEA FOR BLACK PARTY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN MEMBERS DTSTAMP:20260330T161124Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:687-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\ n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   On 3/28/2026 at 12:26 PM\, Pioneer1 said :\n\n\n\n We need more Black people....especially AfroAmericans....in lead ership positions in the military.\n\n \n\n If this is OUR country....and i t is @richardmurray.....then we need to be in leadership positions in all relevant branches of it.\n\n \n\n Unlike many Black nationalists and Pan- Africanists\, I ENCOURAGE Black people to not only join law enforcement b ut the military also.\n\n Every branch.\n\n Rise as high as you can rise.\ n\n The more power and rank we have in it\, the more influence we have.\n\ n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n I will start with the honey and then the pot....\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Honey\n\n\n\n Well done\, well done\, I like when bl ack people anywhere in humanity\, think of new things\, that is a form of nationalism. NAtionalism means a system of creation\, making new. Pan -Afr icanism\, which is about geography\, not phenotype\, which means it includ es non black africans in that all encompassing view\, for example mandela embraccing quadaffi as a fellow african liberator. quadaffi is not black\, he is mulatto. but quadaffi is african. So\,\n\n\n\n I haven't read anyoo ne else suggest that in this forum\, and neither did I. I think becoming t he majority leadership in the usa military all branches is a decent goal f or Black DOSers in the USA. Why? Black DOSers in the usa have a financial problem\, they will never have the fiscal background to compete with non b lacks\, especially whites\, in the usa. Enslavement matters\, financially\ , inheritance is not the primary way of gaining fiscal wealth for nothing. Our forebears who were enslaved and then handed freedom by whites\, didn' t have any fiscal inheritance to give nor had any uneven financial opportu nities\, as MLK jr said\, so... this means\, Black DOSers are simply finan cially slower than all others\,because all others\, even Black Immigrants have an external financial source\, in the country they came from which is a huge advantage. you see this with any number\, puerto ricans/jamaicans/ nigerians/japanese/brasilians/// it doesn't matter\, having a country outs ide the usa allows all other groups in the usa except the first peoples/na tive american to have a way to financially support themselves or manipulat e their wealth safely frm the usa. the irish did with with ireland\, the i talians did it so famously with italy\, it is a movie trope. Black DOSers don't have an external country. Most white americans are german americans\ , germany is a rich country which has a lot of financial possibilities to help them. Russia for russian americans. china for chinese americans... So \, the government becomes very important for Black DOSers as a tool\, hist ory proves this. If it wasn't for the federal government\, black people wo uld be in the same fiscal situation we were in before the 1960s which was mostly enslaved to whites\, through sharecropping with terrible contracts or imprisonment on multiple charges of light crimes. So...  I even argue where are the Black members of the Party of Abraham Lincoln? This should b e there platform? But\, good idea. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Pot\n\n\n\n fi rst\,while an idea with a goal not done is a new thing\, a nationalism\, t he us military is not something black nationalist can say is born from bla cks\, and is clearly not pan african. So you need to separate the goal fro m those two philosophies. I consider your idea integratory. It isn't natio nalistic or pan african but that of an integrationist\, which makes sense cause the usa has always been integrationist. Why? the usa has always been about some abusing others\, to abuse another they have to be integrated t o you.  BUT to help another also requires integration.  \n\n\n\n The go od news is that outside your rhetoric around this issue\, which needs poli shing\, the idea itself is a sound goal. The question is getting to that g oal. Just on a leisure glance\, one step to that process can be converting a historical black college into a military school. I can't recall any his torical black college that is a military school. Why do you need military schools. Military schools serve an important function in making officers. Enlisted men take too long. HAving someone start off at the bottom of the officer core is essential in making their path higher easier.  So\, more will be needed\, nothing is impossible\, go for it. My strategic contribut ions are\n\n\n\n 1) get the Black Elephants/Party of Abraham Lincolm behin d this. I think it fits them better than the Black Donkeys/PArty of Andrew Jackson. \n\n\n\n 2) convert a historical black college into a military school for officers \, that is mandatory to grow an officer class that can achieve filling the top ranks of all branches of the usa military. You ca n not achieve your goal absent military schools\, enlisted men no matter h ow many can not manifest the goal. The officers corp of most militaries wi ll always be a club\, it isn't a place you can run by earning your way in\ , you need to be a member from day one. \n\n\n\n In aMendment\n\n\n\n thi s will take time for your tribe in the village \, but I Think your idea ha s legs. It will take time\, but it is doable\, and most importantly\, has high functionality with the reality of black dosers. And... being even min ded\, even if the movement fails\, it will create a stronger tribe of blac k people who fit your viewpoints : not entertainers\, all have taken a pub lic oath to the usa\, though the military school enforces booker t washing ton's functional skills focus not scholarly focus of others\, which is mor e hands on. \n\n\n\n DO IT!\n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /topic/12630-fired-former-pentagon-joint-chiefs-of-staff-new-job/#findComm ent-81018\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260330 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:April Fools Day story   DTSTAMP:20250330T063453Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:226-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n April Fools Day\, once a new year begin\, story  - only a fool knows its origins\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n http://houyhnhnm.github.io/april fool/index.html  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Serious Surpris e\n\n Raye 21st century symphony Ice Cream Man \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n excerpt of Ice Cream Man- initial referral\n\n\n\n https://x.com/raye/s tatus/1742589954629198018/\n\n\n\n My 21st Century Symphony (Live at the R oyal Albert Hall) - first live album by English singer-songwriter Raye bas ed on her album 21st century blues\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_21 st_Century_Symphony_(Live_at_the_Royal_Albert_Hall)\n\n 21st century blues from Raye\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_21st_Century_Blues\n\n Ori ginal Version\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n [Intro: Spoken]\n\n Do you know what\, when I sing this song\, it's deep\ , yeah?\n\n When I heard the statistic\, I actually fucking broke down in tears\n\n Because the stat is that one in four men\, men and women\n\n Wil l experience this in their lifetime\n\n And in a beautiful sold-out Royal Albert Hall\n\n There's a quarter of you here tonight\n\n So I know I'm no t alone when I sing this\, and yeah\n\n If you can relate to this\, I'm so fucking sorry from the bottom of my heart\n\n And I'ma sing for you right now with my whole heart\n\n With my belly out and everything\n\n And I wa nted to do it like this bеcause that’s how it fucking feels when I sing it\n\n I feel naked as fuck\n\n Alright\, Tom\, I'm rеady\, mmh\n\n\n\n [Verse 1]\n\n So\, this producer hit me up on the DM\n\n He told me\, \"He y\, I really like what you are doing\"\n\n He told me\, \"Come 'round to t he studio\, let's cook it\"\n\n He told me\, \"Come to catch a vibe\, we'l l make some music\"\n\n But when I got there\, should've heard what he was saying\n\n Tryna touch me\, tryna fuck me\, I'm not playing\n\n I should have left that place as soon as I walked in it\n\n How Goddamn dare you do that to me\, really?\n\n\n\n [Pre-Chorus]\n\n Coming like the ice cream m an\n\n Till I felt his ice-cold hands\n\n And how I pay the price now\, da mn\n\n Goddamn\, no\, what the? Goddamn\n\n Everything you did\, it left m e in a ruin\n\n And no\, I didn't say a word\, I guess that proves it\n\n I'm a woman\, mhh\, yes\n\n [Chorus]\n\n 'Cause I'm a woman\n\n A very fuc king brave\, strong woman\n\n And I'll be damned if I let a man ruin\n\n H ow I walk\, how I talk\, how I do it\n\n Man\, I've been broken for a mome nt\n\n I've been through it\, no\n\n It's even harder to be brave alone\n\ n I was a girl\, now I'm grown\, I'm a woman\n\n A very fucking strong wom an\n\n\n\n [Verse 2]\n\n And I was seven\n\n Was twenty one\, was seventee n and was eleven\n\n It took a while to understand what my consent means\n \n If I was ruthless\, they'd be in the penitentiary\n\n But all the stres s of being honest wouldn't help me\n\n I pushed it down\, but it was livin ' in me rent-free\n\n And then I fell into some things that were unhealthy \n\n A place where no one heard me asking them to help me\n\n But I needed help\, I did\n\n\n\n [Pre-Chorus]\n\n Coming like the ice cream man\n\n T ill I felt his ice-cold hands\n\n And how I pay the price now\, damn\n\n G oddamn\n\n Everything you did\, it left me in a ruin\n\n And no\, I didn't say a word\, I guess that proves it\n\n I'm a woman\n\n [Chorus]\n\n 'Cau se I'm a woman\n\n A very fucking brave\, strong woman\n\n And I'll be dam ned if I let a man ruin\n\n How I walk\, how I talk\, how I do it\n\n Man\ , I've been broken for a moment\n\n I've been through it\, no\n\n It's eve n harder to be brave alone\n\n I was a girl\, now I'm grown\, I'm a woman\ n\n\n\n [Bridge]\n\n I wish I could say how I feel\, how I felt\n\n And ex plain why I'm silently blaming myself\n\n 'Cause I put on these faces\, pr etending I'm fine\n\n Then I go to the bathroom and I press rewind in my h ead\n\n Always going round and round in my head\n\n Your fingerprints stuc k a stain on my skin\n\n You made me frame myself for your sin\n\n You pat hetic\, dead excuse of a man\n\n\n\n [Outro]\n\n You see\, I'm a brave\, f ucking strong woman\n\n Oh\, yeah\, yeah\, oh\, oh\, oh\n\n I sometimes ne ed to remind myself\, I am\n\n You see\n\n And I'll be damned if I let a m en ruin\, oh\n\n I'm a very fucking brave\, strong woman\, thank you\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Songwriters\n\n\n\n Rachel Agatha Keen\n\n\n\n Instrumental\ n\n\n\n Michael Tucker\, Rachel Agatha Keen\, Michael Harris Sabath.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Book Review: HAMILTON HEIGHTS and SUGAR HILL: Alexander Hami lton's Old Harlem Neighborhood Through the Centuries by Davida Siwisa Jame s DTSTAMP:20250825T232834Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:475-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n HAMILTON HEIGHTS and SUGAR HILL: Alexander Hamilton's Old Harlem Neighborhood Through the Centuries\n\n by Davida Siwisa James  @D eeSiwisa\n\n Fordham University Press: Empire State Editions\n\n Nonfictio n\; 432 pages\; 126 illustrations: PUBLICATION DATE: April 2\, 2024\n\n IS BN-13:   978-1531506148\n\n\n\n BUYING PAGE\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/boo ks/hamilton-heights-and-sugar-hill-9781531506148\n\n REFERRAL IN AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/10792-hamilton-heights-and-sugar-hill-book-rev iew-request/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \" Indeed\, the average Harlemite's impression of white folk\, democracy and life in general is rather bad. Naturally if you live on nice\, tree line d\, quiet convent avenue\, even though you are colored\, it would never occur to you to riot or break windows.\" Langston Hughes\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Davida Siwisa James unbiased\, temporally complete history book achieve s three goals of equal value. One\, to be as definitive a history book t o the Hamilton Heights or Sugar Hill sections of Harlem. No single book h as the length to cover the complete history of Harlem\, that will demand an encyclopedia which reading this book proves. Two\, to explain through the history of said regions in Harlem how Harlem has heritages of blemish ed grandeurs that includes all people from the Native American populace be fore European colonies to the time of this prose in the Gregorian year tw o thousand and twenty-four. Said heritages warrant preservation that can b ecome a living example of multiracial coexistence in the USA if implement ed equal to all. Three\, to explain how the negativities: negative biases from whites to non-whites\, negative biases from the financially wealthy of any phenotype to the financially poor of any phenotype\, negative bia s from New York City in ruling/governing/administering Harlem\, created a constancy of: lies\, malfunctions\, pains that have always hindered the r each of grandeurs born in Harlem but have not stymied the potential of Ha rlem. Said potential of Harlem is to be the truest example of peaceful po sitive productive life for pan-individuals in the declaration that many i n humanity cling to as a hope. Siwisa\, a Harlemite\, achieves all three intricate\, modernly purposeful\, goals.\n\n\n\n She uses a straightforwa rd temporal sequence\, as chapters\, from the time of the Lenape\, long go ne outside name places\, to the time of New York City's first Black Mayor\ , Harlemite David Dinkins. Unlike most historians\, who try to provide a history to a place from its past to modernity\, she was able to communic ate with residents long gone or residents relatively new\, while includin g her own life\, to support the temporal width of her work. Reading this book\, you can tell Siwisa loves Harlem but isn't willing to accept a grea t memory. She wants to fight against the literary plus nonliterary challe nges the region has to live with. \n\n\n\n I\, a Harlemite\, was unaware that Harlem was to be named Lancaster by the British empire on winning N ew Amsterdam and turning it into New York. But from the time of New Amste rdam onward\, which the book conveys through Harlemites  named Hamilton/ Jumel/Deforest/Hughes/Williams/Powell jr./Spollen\, the region has constan tly been a chess piece for New York City and a harbor for the heart of Ne w York City's culture of integration. If you don't know about Harlem\, t his book is a great starting point for it will create a proper framework to comprehending the region which has\, sadly\, a heritage of being mislab eled or mis-defined or misrepresented\, even when mostly white before the New Negro Movement. If you know about Harlem\, you already know Harlem has a vast history\, that involves the entire racial landscape of the USA . But you will learn many new things about Harlem through the Hamilton He ights or Sugar Hill regions\, which are the main subject of the book. \n\ n\n\n The entire history in the book is supported evenly by photographic o r illustrative evidence\, which is mandatory in modern times while also s erving as undeniable proof for naysayers to Harlem's various periods of g randeur in its history. Harlem's history is as bright as the light off th e skyscrapers to its south\, while the perception of it is plagued by a s hadow that was and is constructed or maintained by those in or out of Har lem. Let this book take down the blinds page by page. \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250402 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 39 03/24/2026 DTSTAMP:20260325T002458Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:682-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n THIS IS MY INITIAL REACTION TO A MULTILOG\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n First to delete false claims. Television + Univision are not latin american owned\, in the same BET which is owned by Skydance is not Black american owned. I could ask why a black person in modern tim es\, seeks to create a false impotency in speaking on the black populace i n the usa compared to other non white european populaces. but i will not. The USA is white european owned circa ninety percent. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In February 2020\, Searchlight Capital Partners and ForgeLight acquired a 64% majority stake in Univision\, with Televisa keeping their 36% minor ity stake.\n\n\n\n Searchlight was founded by Eric Zinterhofer \, Oliver Haarmann \, Erol Uzumeri \n\n\n\n Forgelight I don't know who they are\, but they do not sound latin american.\n\n\n\n NBCUniversal owns Telemundo completely\, NBCUniversal is not latino. \n\n\n\n So your decision to kn ock down the black populace using another non white european populace is f alse.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n OWN \, the oprah winfrey network is not black owned. \n\n\n\n Warner Bros. Discovery Global Linear Networ ks (95%)\n\n Harpo Productions (5%)\n\n\n\n Skydance owns Warner Bros. \ , Skydance is not black. Oprah WInfrey owns five percent of the OWN Networ k.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Bounce TV is owned by the Scripps Network\, Scripps is white. Jonathan KAtz founded Bounce\, he is white. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I knew Magic Johnson didn't own magic johnson theaters anymore\, why didn 't you profd? \n\n\n\n While the chain still bears Johnson's name\, he is no longer actively involved in the management committee\, strategic plann ing\, operations\, or public relations.\n\n\n\n It is part of the Lows cin eplex entertainment company. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now TVOne is black owned \, from a black woman in the washington DC area I think.\n\n\n\n Originall y launched as a joint venture with Comcast\, Urban One would acquire the former's stake in 2015. So it started as a joint venture like OWN but is c ompletely black owned now. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SO\, of the media enterpri ses mentioned in this post only one is black owned. only one is not white european owned. \n\n\n\n Now\, can TV One do better?  all firms can\, fr om a raw accounting perspective. But\, TV One is doing great in my view. C onsidering the entertainment industry in the USA is very conglomerated now . The existence of TV One is really against the grain. That is why magic j ohnson \, oprah and others all sold their shares to big firms gobbling. \ n\n\n\n As I said\, Netflix was given a favor by Skydance\, who now owns p aramount + warner bros + discovery and whatever else those firms gobbled b efore. \n\n\n\n NEtflix wanted globally known intellectual properties\, b ut I argue adding all that debt would had been a mistake and skydance will have a lot of internal manipulation with all they own now. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n @admin \n\n\n\n so many people are tired of commercials\, but here is the big problem\, subscription is a terrible business model for public ly traded entertainment firms. the problem with subscription as nassr al k haleefi\, ceo of beinsports said\, I paraphrase\, the only way to make con tinual monetary growth  is to add on subscribers but the global economy h as a limit on how much growth can exist in that way\, while a free app wit h commercials\, the same like network television but with apps\, can grow continually because with quality content you can raise the advertising fee s overtime. But trying to do both is going to lose out over time\, no one wants to pay for a service with commercials. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-segregation-in-e ntertainment/#findComment-80870\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/676-economic- corner-38-03102026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n ?\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n COMMENTARY\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n I comprehend your frustratio n\, like james Forten 250 years ago\, you have embraced the usa and both o f you show a desire to compete side the other people in the usa financiall y\, while in the legal confines. Thus your desire to suggest impotency \, not to stymie but to inspire through negative critique. I get it. but be e asy. patience is a virtue. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03242026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-segregation-in-entertai nment/#findComment-80874\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n I have never underestimated\, you said and I quote \n\n\n\n   On 3/23/2 026 at 6:02 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n if Magic Johnson is still in that b usiness. \n\n\n\n you used the word IF right\, that means you don't know or are unsure... that isn't me underestimating and I think anyone would ev enly ask\, why didn't you know. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pr ofD said:\n\n\n\n The point I was making is that Black folks do have outl ets &\;/or some level of influence over them.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I didn 't refute that point\, which also was pioneer's point\, but I cleared up t he falsities that either one of you alluded. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, P rofD said:\n\n\n\n There's nothing to prevent Black folks from investing in more platforms if there is a real desire to do so.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n T here's nothing\, that isn't true. Most black people in the usa are still n ear the financial level their enslaved forebears were\, which is by design by whites\, not an accident by white planning and an honest financial pos ition not an excuse. White people didn't get rich absent criminal activiti es\, so it is a financial insult to suggest black people can blossom in ma jority with less opportunity and yes\, taking land and enslaving other and cheating others are financial opportunities that matter. \n\n\n\n Fiscal poverty is powerful. What does desire have to do with anything? \n\n\n\n I go back to James Forten\, again\, black man\, living at the time of geo rge washington\, business owner. \n\n\n\n Yes\, Profd\, business owner\, white people certified. But\, the larger black populace\, has always been a different financia reality than the blacks with money. And as this commu nity has already made established\, blacks with money couldn't even push t o make sure they only sent people to historical black colleges so... \n\n \n\n are blacks with money not investing in the black populace to their ut most? yes. \n\n\n\n But\, the gap between the black 1% and the black 99% has always been the widest fiscal gap of any populace in the usa. \n\n\n\ n to restate\, the gap between the nonblack 1%(whether female/latino/chris tian / other) and the non black 99% is smaller than the gap between the bl ack 1% and the black 99%. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n TV One is but one an example. Tyler Perry owns a whole movie production s et-up in Georgia.\n\n\n\n yes and he sold his prior studio to a white lati no. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I'm never going to be defeated into believing Black folks cannot afford to establish anything of benefit &\;/or importance to us.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I am g lad\, in my own mind\, I am not trying to bring down any black person's ho pe BUT when it comes to money \, when it comes to the USA \, the reality i s\, we blacks have a lying problem. this very post started with a false fi nancial evaluation pioneer\, which you didn't even point out. \n\n\n\n Ar e black people in the usa today\, circa 2026\, financially  better than a nytime in the past\, on average or the whole? the answer is yes. \n\n\n\n But\, black people have always been limited to legal civil financial grow th by the non blacks. Again NYC\, irish/italians/white jews/chinese/white latinos all to this day each not only commit more financial crimes  than black people but have protection from law enforcement for said crimes.  B lack people are the penultimate\, nearest above the least\,  criminal plu s least illegal actors in the usa\, the first is the native american whose financial position is the worst of any group in the usa. \n\n\n\n White jews and italians burned down the entire bronx\, to get insurance money an d yet\, to this day\, you still have black people talking about how\, blac k people can't  Where was the cops while the bronx was burning? oh right\ , the cops are the cousins to the italian and white jewish landowners. \n \n\n\n the biggest financial crime black people had was the numbers and we had to give the italian mob a cut of that. \n\n\n\n the italian mob whic h financed the golden gate bridge\, through the bank of america\, formerly the bank of italy\, was able to earn financial fortunes over crimes cover ing the entire shipping industry/construction industry/gambling industry.. .  the irish/ the white jews/the white latino/ the white asian  ala chin ese all did and do likewise. \n\n\n\n I never see the NYPD who always see m interested in hording around congregations of unarmed black children fin d their way to stopping any crimes from the non black so... that is how no nblack populaces financially grow. \n\n\n\n They don't admit it. But it i s the truth\, it is the truth to how the usa works. \n\n\n\n Black people will never get law enforcement in the usa which is not black and moreover has tons of self hating blacks in it in modernity \, to cover for any fin ancial crimes. That cover is how others have afforded the ability to truly grow financially. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black development in any industry is a  matter of desire &\; will. The resou rces exist.\n\n\n\n no profd\, in the usa \, white development in any indu stry has always been a matter of financial growth through criminal means. White people didnt just desire and will\, they were allowed to act crimina lly\, which is a big deal in a country that purports to be against illegal activity.  \n\n\n\n Black people can't will or desire through phenotypi cal bias. That is the point of phenotypical bias. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 032 52026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-segregation -in-entertainment/#findComment-80884\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Prof D \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n FBA/AfroAmericans hav e come a long way between slavery &\; the present. Especially compared to Black folks who have lived in their own countries over the same period of time.\n\n\n\n That is a large suggestion... I don't know... 100% your c orrect that the condition of 99% of black people in the usa 1865 who were completely enslaved\, which means financially whites made sure said black percentage had\, no money\, no bank account\, no inheritance\, no knowledg e of fiscal concerns like a contract or ledger \; educationally means [not through laziness but white power]\, no ability to read\, no ability to wr ite\, no knowledge of their forebears\, no knowledge of their populaces in tricacies[enslaved black people were born enslaved\, they didn't know abou t haiti a land made by DOSers\, abyssinia the only part of africa not a eu ropean colony\, the larger DOS populaces in south america\, knowledge of m onrovia or freetown\, in modernity yes\, a black person can say what we kn ow but 1865 most black people in the usa didn't have any knowledge of blac k people outside of their slave quarter\, they didn't know of the gens de colour of new orleans unless they were actually from new orleans which was n't most black people by a large distance in the usa] \; Culturally\, what we grow or are growing to\,  means [ through white power again]: no dire ction[and this is huge\, again in modernity black people talk about americ an alot\, but in 1865 our forebears weren't american. they wanted to be fr ee yes\, but they didn't associate freedom with the usa. this is something we tend to miss today. Our forebears in 1865 didn't want to be president\ , didn't want fight with whites\, didn't want to live with whites\, so the fact that a majority of us in the usa do now\, means black people made ch oices BUT they made choices absent all the things in this paragraph i wrot e\, which are influential. Hell\, I argue\, most black people at the end o f the war between the states\, when the usa's modern midwestern/western st ates were all still territories should had moved en mass to canada. And I know that Frederick Douglass opposed Harriet Tubman because tubman wanted black people to go all the way up north to canada but frederick douglass\, very statian\, was looking to his individual benefit and knew that whites in the usa have always disliked the idea of Black DOSers leaving this cou ntry with hateful hearts in mass for obvious reasons. But Tubman was corre ct\, the better culture for black people circa 1865 was in canada rather t han the usa\, canada 1865 isn't the canada of today. Canada in 1865 is ver y much a country place\, hard to live but a place black dosers from the us a could had made a home\, yes nothing is easy\, but it was the better choi ce and absent all the things mentioned we were able to be manipulated by b lack individuals or the white populist to make foolish/dysfunctional choic es]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, yes\, the Black DOS populace today has definit ely grown from the conditions of 1865\, look at this very forum. Modern Bl ack people are like Common's character in the movie Alice and Alice in the film Alice is like black people of 1865. They would be shocked at us on a lot of levels based on their life experiences. \n\n\n\n BUT\, the way or style of growth of DOSers has a lot of negative aspects that don't come fr om DOSers but the environment. \n\n\n\n I argue\, that black DOSers lost more than we ever gained from 1865 to today. Rosewood the black financial capitol of florida\, white people commited crimes\, no one white to jail o r a court room\, black people in florida have never recovered. Greenwood\, the black financial capitol of oklahoma\, white people committed crimes\, no one white to jail or a court room\, black people in oklahoma never rec overed. Faubourg treme\, an educational capitol of black people in the usa \, was assaulted by whites cut up\, burned down\, never recovered. Madame CJ Walker yes\, fiscally wealthy but NYC did everything in its power to d iminish black financial growth \, including burning harlem\, driving black people into prison with made up charges... I think black people today lov e to look on the bright side but the honest side is the better place. This goes back to frederick douglass side harriet tubman. Douglass felt that g oing through all these hurdles was a positive and Tubman was correct\, let s get away from this place\, so we can live in peace. from 1865 to 2026 we as a people have daily\, not yearly or monthly but daily had to deal with white abuse\, what is so valuable about that? \n\n\n\n That white abuse. .. the white men who killed malcolm's father never went to jail\, no one k nows who they are... going through these white hurdles from 1865 in the us a makes Black DOSers fools. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So... yes Black DOSers ha ve come a long way\, but was it a wise way\, was it an honest way\, was it a black way... or was it a liars way\, was it a fool's way\, was it the w hite mans chosen way for us?\n\n\n\n And is the path the white man laid fo r us better in comparison to a path we laid for ourselves. \n\n\n\n Many black people will argue that the immigration to the usa is a sign of usa g reatness\, but I always counter with a simple truth\, the usa makes the re st of the world poor. \n\n\n\n The usa had stolen/kidnapped/murdered many leaders of haiti from toussaint louverture to a recent president\, acts t hat the usa would call an act of war but somehow when the usa does it\, it isn't an act of war... stole haiti's gold which again\, the usa would cal l an act of war but... the hit list of countries the usa has done similar too: killed/stole/destroyed is very long\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mexico/Nicarag ua/China/Japan/Vietnam/Korea/Afghanistan/Libya/Iraq/Iran/Congo/Germany/Arg entina/Brasil/Chile/Phillipines/Cuba/The palestinean protectorate of the b ritish empire/Uganda/Ghana/Canada\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Building from the gro und up is easy when you have land you can steal like First peoples of the american continet\, when you have enslaved other human beings\, like Black DOSer forebears... when you have the country who destroyed yours complete ly\, provide the rich people who led the wars against said country so that you and the rest of the poor don't oppose said country\, like Germany/Jap an/France/Italy.....I can't think of any government in modern human histor y that actually built from the ground up and became a world leader or fisc ally potent. \n\n\n\n USA had stolen land and enslaved labor\, the best o f everything to grow. \n\n\n\n China got the entire global manufacturing industry as a gift by the usa to separate them from russia in the cold war \n\n\n\n Russia as the Union of Soviet Socialist republics used the end of the second european imperial war to grow their influence and control\, th e usa had aided them at he begining of said war cause the usa couldn't bea t germany+ japan alone. And the USSR was trying to reclaim the lands of th e russian empire which were larger. \n\n\n\n Japan made to rubble by the usa was given a legendary welfare check by the usa so they wouldn't join t he ussr. \n\n\n\n Germany\,made to rubble by the usa completely\,  in it s west side\, was given a legendary welfare check by the usa so they would n't join the ussr. \n\n\n\n France made to rubble by war\, all sides\, wa s given a legendary welfare check by the usa so they wouldn't join the uss r. \n\n\n\n India was given money by the usa + ussr to picka side \, in t he end\, india didn't pick either and still hasn't\, and still does busine ss with both. thus india didn't get what china got from the usa for distan cing from russia but still gets some with russia+ china as neighbors and t he usa afraid of having three public opponents of the usa representing hal f of humanities populace together as neighbors. \n\n\n\n Brasil like the usa had stolen land + enslaved labor\, the best of everything to grow and did all the immigration patterns of the usa as well. \n\n\n\n England... do I have to say this was the country that once boasted the sun never set on its empire\, extracting all sorts of wealth from everywhere. \n\n\n\n ISrael\, stole the land from england lived in by the palestinean\, the pal estinean protectore\, but were financed militarilly and governmentally by the usa in perpetuity. \n\n\n\n Not one government mentioned above built from the ground up on their own\, with no massive criminal activity. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, yeah \, Nigeria/Haiti/Jamaica/Guyana/Ghana/Ethiopia/ Sri lanka/ Madagascar many countries full of black people immigrate to the usa but the usa has committed successful acts of war against those countr ies... What would the usa be if its leaders were constantly removed/killed \, it resources constantly ripped\, if other countries were vulturing. \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So Black DOSers whose forebears were literally enslaved to the whites of the european colonies and then the usa made from them\,  are living in the country as allies to the whites who have literally unde rmined every single black country in humanity... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So.. . I don't know. I think hundreds of years from now\, someone will be able to look back and truly compare black populaces around the world and see wh o has grown more or less. But currently\, Brasil/USA/South Africa/India/Ni geria all have black one percents\, very wealthy\, all have a majority fis cally poor black 99%. All have been enslaved in one form or another to whi tes in said country. The only variance I can think of is that in the USA's /Brasil's/India's of the world \, unlike the Nigeria's/HAiti's/South Afric a's the black populaces have hurt themselves to settle non blacks in usa/b rasil/india are all the same\, have been terrible to black people but blac ks in each country has made a choice to coexist to whites who to be blunt\ , have never stopped terrorizing them... who is the fool\, the terrorist o r the one who keeps living next to the terrorist?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 6 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The fact that Tyler Perry  who wasn't born wealthy has been able to amass a fortune significant enough to buy s tudios is an accomplishment.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I concur\, it is a financi al accomplishment\, For the record I never said he didn't accomplish\, i s tated to whom he sold his prior stuido\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ag o\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I'm glad so many FBA/AfroAmericans who were not born wealthy have been able to make a lot of money here in the USA.\n\n\n\ n yeah me too\, could had been way better... what would greenville in tuls a be\, rosewood in florida be\, and so many other places if white people d idn't burn whole black communities down to the ground and kill black peopl e who had committed no crime whatsoever. \n\n\n\n Black people are always free to let the revenge go... BUT financially\, the past can not be let g o because financially\, the past matters. \n\n\n\n When whites like the n ypd round up black people inequally per the law\, that is a financial atta ck on the black populace. \n\n\n\n Let's be blunt\, a show once existed a bout a white woman selling marijuana in some town outside a city\, commonl y called a suburb \, more correctly an exourb. it is n't under but outside .. Anyway\, while in nyc the nypd is rounding up marijuana dealers while n ever seeming able to find cocaine dealers\, the nypd finds cocaine but no cocaine dealers.  These are financial attacks. Black people talk about mo ney so much but don't calculate the financial loss/hit/negative black peop le go through with white interactions. \n\n\n\n When white states in the south placed trash bin areas next to black towns making black people sick with its fumes\, that is a financial cost. Not just healthcost. \n\n\n\n I am happy for black folk who financially get through white terror\, but w hite terror is still here and it has a huge financial cost that we blacks need to start admitting.\n\n\n\n 03/26/2026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/12614-netflix-the-new-segregation-in-entertainment/#findComment-80907 \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, Pro fD said:\n\n\n\n FBA/ADO/AfroAmericans do not have an ancestral homeland to which we can return. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FBA/ADO/AfroAmericans were b orn here in the USA. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Over 400 years\, FBA/ADO/AfroAm ericans have made the *best of* a bad situation\, America's original si n *slavery* .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In the present\, when FBA/ADO/AfroAmer icans look back over the past couple hundred years\, we have made progres s in our homeland\, the country that enslaved our forebearers.\n\n\n\n Ex pand  \n\n\n\n what determines an ancestral homeland? \n\n\n\n I am not saying your wrong\, or I am not saying a black person whose forebears were enslaved from africa by whites can't say a locale whites shipped them to can't be considered a homeland if they choose\, but the choices are still open\n\n\n\n I give three examples\n\n\n\n 1) all black peoples enslaved f rom africa whether they went to the american continent or the asian contin ent or the european continent have one thing in common\, their african anc estry is continental. I have said in this forum before\, if anywhere in af rica is my hmeland it is the literal continent itself because my forebears who were enslaved come from all over. Often when people immigrate freely\ , they may call themselves\, european/asian/african/south american\, but i n truth they mean a specific local in a continent. right? but fr DOSers we have to mean\, by way of how enslavement worked\, the continent of africa itself and considering descended of enslaved people were sent everywhere outside africa\, not merely the american continent\, a continental ancestr y suits all of us whatever countries our forebears were enslaved in.  Bla ck People like you or me exist in brasil in india \, what shared history h eritage/what we carry do we have? that our forebears were all enslaved fro m africa by whites/ various whites. so I think a continental ancestry \, n ot a local in a continent is historically unquestionable\, even if it is a lso unique among human groups. But\, that is fate for you\n\n\n\n 2)I do t hink the seas itself is a valid homeland in its own way. the one thing tha t unites all descneded of enslaved people from africa is that most of our forebears died on the ships to wherever\, again not just the usa but all t he places\, so the sea is where most of our forebears... or at least where most of mine are buried. You have said in the past that because those who died on the boat didn't have issue they are not but I oppose that view. b ecause many black dos lineages have died through the centuries because of white terror anywhere\, it is uneven to not include all the people enslave d on the boat \, some of whom were definitely genetically related to those who survived. Again\, not an common place but the DOS experience is not c ommon . Yes\, slavery is throughout all human history\, but the mechanics of pan white enslavement to pan blacks in the period of the continental sl ave trades had unique forms. that were never seen before or since. \n\n\n \n 3) this is two queries to your position.\n\n\n\n I)I want clarification to where you stand to places outside the usa that have black dosers. Bras il has to be first on the list as no place in the american continent has m ore black DOSers than brasil. Brasil had dosers before the usa\, so what y ou are saying is black dosers in brasil's homeland is brasil? what about b lack dosers in india\, india had DOSers before Brasil did by white muslims \, so what you are saying is black dosers in india's homeland is india? \ n\n\n\n II) concerning the time\, you mention the centuries black dosers h ave been in a country\, in this case usa\,  as  warranting its labeling as a homeland\, but is your position that it applies to all DOSers in a pa rticular country whether they view it or not  or is it optional? For me\, and many other dosers\, i want to be the first in my bloodline to choose a homeland\, i think that had value. I don't care how long my bloodline ha s been in the usa\, this for me is not my choice or the choice of my foreb ears. I think having the choice of making a homeland for yourself is one o f the gifts DOS forebears gave all DOSers \, we don't have to have any all egiance to any of these countries: usa/brasil/india because our forebears never did. It is the freedom to choose. As long as me or any in my bloodli ne is in the usa\, it is a continuation of white peoples desires\, not the desires of my own people. I can't call my homeland on what whites desired . And no\, I don't think the fiscal reality or impotency of my forebears i n not being able to go wherever they want should be held against them. \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So I conclude with I think your position is true but as an optional. not a definitive. and that is key.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Still\, that should not prevent people f rom staying in their home countries &\; rebuilding it.  Giving up & \; running to the colonizers house doesn't make sense either.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n  based on that logic didn't white europeans themselves do that ? i t wasn't like ireland was rich\, or itlay when the italian hordes came in was rich. And the english who came were from the poor parts of england\, t hey weren't the relatives of the queen fand kings of england. so... outsid e the native american\, who was murdered by immigrants\, all other peoples in the usa are immigrants\, but only DOSers are immigrants who were force d here\, all other immigrants ran from poverty \, did they not? You say gi ving up and running to the colonizers house but lets be more pure\, giving up and running away in general \, does that make sense? \n\n\n\n cause t he original white european immigrants ran away from their poverty in europ e and didn't choose to make any european country better...\n\n\n\n The who le usa outside two peoples is built on people who were fiscally poor and r an away from it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n \n Where else can or should FBA/ADO/AfroAmericans go to live if the USA is their birthplace?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I have said it before\, DOSers anywh ere are free to choose. that is the gift\, we are not bound\, until we cho ose to be and present that truth to the next generation\, each has to make their choice a heritage\,  And I feel most black DOSers have never done that\, and it isn't up to black dosers to apply our desires to each other\ , i argue\, we should honor each other by leaving it open. \n\n\n\n But\, to DOSers born in the USA\, specifically\, the only place I can think of that we all should consider based on heritage\, our history\, is Monrovia\ , not liberia\, but monrovia.  yes\, black DOSers born in the usa settled in many places outside the usa\, black dosers leave the usa every year\, for many other lands\, to become their homelands\,  even though we don't seem to know that as a people. But\, I think we have a responsibility to M onrovia \, as it was started by Black DOSers specifically from the USA. No w can all black dosers born in the usa move to monrovia:) no\, but i do th ink we owe it to ourselves to do better there in some fashion. \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n IMO\, it does not take that lon g.  We can see the progress or lack thereof around the planet.  We know the reasons for it too. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Those who are willing to go t o war\; kill &\; destroy ultimately enjoy the rewards of it.\n\n\n\n ev en enough\, for me it isn't about wealth or wars\, but the condition of fr eedom. Black groups in every country in humanity have a fiscally wealthy p erson\, but that isn't enough for me to rank or relate the various black g roups\, the condition of freedom is what i am looking for and i see little variance in that in any country. I can't think of any black populace in a country that isn't a wealthy black 1% aside a fiscally poor black 99%\, u sa/brasil/india/south africa/jamaica\, what differs the black populaces in any of the countries. in terms of collective freedom. I say nothing.  bu t in the future\, will be seen.\n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n\n There's a difference between bringing a terrorist into one's countr y &\; becoming a subject versus being born in the same country with t he terrorist.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I am a little confused by the part\, brin ging a terrorist into one's country \, we are talking about DOSers\, and i n india/brasil/usa and many other countries\, like a jamaica DOSers have b een born side the terrorist whites. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago \, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n oney comes &\; goes. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Even the most honest\, astute\, savvy\, intelligent investors have amassed &am p\; lost &\; regained fortunes. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Most successful pe ople fail a lot before they strike it big.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The way on e chooses to rebound from loss or failure makes a difference.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Sitting on the bench crying\, grumbling &\; complaining won't le ad to success.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n I only have one question\, are bl ack people in general allowed to admit we have been financially abused? \ n\n\n\n If I have a house and white terror has taken the house\, in your o pinion\, am I allowed to mention it or is mentioning that financial truth crying? \n\n\n\n If I have a parent sent to jail falsely or unevenly by w hites\, in your opinion\, am I allowed to mention it or is mentioning that financial truth grumbling? \n\n\n\n I do believe in creating\, in nation alism\, I like doing\, but I like telling the truth and unfortunately\, tr uths for black DOSers tend to be negative\, I will apologize for fate\, bu t that is the truth. Our personal histories tend to face financial obstacl es\, which I feel need to be said \, I argue we DOSers have spent far too long being quiet. \n\n\n\n Again\, Pioneer talks about the law alot\, but lets call it like it is\, the quantity of financial crimes against black people that has gne to court int he usa is less than one percent per year\ , that is a lot money taken from us. Maybe you will call that complaining but.. I rather it said than not. \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n Many Black folks have figured out how to navigate white terror i n order to win.  Easy...no.  Doable...absolutely.\n\n\n\n You are 100% c orrect\, but the absolute truth requires an addition \, winning is based o n how they define winning and black DOSers don't define winning the same w ay. I shouldn't have to go into history for you to know this. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n @admin\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, admin said:\n\n\n\n You can al so raise the subscription price.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you know already that raising the price of a good already diminishes those who can afford it\, a nd like the ferrari brand or apple brand shows in the automotive or electr onics industries\, the higher priced items do have markets but they always lose volume. and reach a volume wall\,which is a point of stagnation whic h the publicly traded environment hates. cause speculation/things to look at that don't have a constant increaseable factor lose their market viabil ity. \n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, admin said:\n\n\n\n Period\, 'nuff said .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So you and profd believe a homeless black man can get a house based on will and desire... hmmmm ok\, \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 03272026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-se gregation-in-entertainment/#findComment-80931\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\ n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n 'm sure you und erstand the context.   But\, I'll indulge...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n By every means necessary\, the colonizers left Europe and *built* countries like the USA &\; Australia. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That's very different from leaving an *under-developed* home country  to struggle in another coun try. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Especially running to a predominantly *white* co untry that is keeping a boot on the neck of one's *homeland*\n\n\n\n Expa nd  \n\n\n\n well... I see\, \n\n\n\n When you speak about leaving an un der developed home country to struggle in another country\, i think of the conquistador i think of the white european imperial era through france/sp ain/portugal/netherlands\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Of the european powers\, the o nly one that built countries as you said were the english\, it wasn't real ly the common way. all the others only wanted to extract resources and lea ve a set of mixed breeds to manage things to funnel money into whatever eu ropean center country. Spain and france and portugal famously had to pay w hite women to go while the english... was able to et whole communities to go. \n\n\n\n In the end of the day\, the english didn't do it for the bui lding of countries. The english pushed their colonies to be pan white\, mu ltiwhite\, individualist\, not to become the usa or canada or austrailia o ne day\, but to be a haven to make money. Remember the english colonies we re not profitable in the international market compared to any of the other s. the money in the english colonies was actually in the english colonies spending money. \n\n\n\n BEcause the english colonies actually invited ho rdes of white europeans they were given a financial status\, that the non white european majority populaces in the non english colonies couldn't get \, so the first industry of the usa was as a market place\, not because it was special but because it became the first true white european country o utsdie europe. Essentailly english goods had a controlled marketplace for tea/furniture and other english content. That was the financial purpose of the usa. its external traffic was not its main finanial agenda. for engla nd. \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n What is preventing B lack folks from either building up their home countries &\;/or taking o ver other lands?\n\n\n\n well first\, for DOSers if you don't view a count ry as your home country then their is nothing to build up. Again some blac ks liek james forten\, start business fight and die \, having chose the us a as ther home but then they ask questions like you to other black people who havent decided the usa is their home. \n\n\n\n You use the word preve ntion but you have to first view the usa as your home\, brasil as you rhom e\, india as your home... before you can act like it is . \n\n\n\n Black pople are descended of enslaved folk\, i argue in our heart\, we aren't in terested in being black versions of white europeans.  yes\, cases exist b ut on average\, we have a vengeanful desire but not a enslavement desire.\ n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Jamaica was Black before w hite folks showed up &\; colonized it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n yes the carib s are black native americans\, like the negrito black asians.\n\n\n\n    5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n What are Black folks willing to do the se things other than cry\, grumble &\; complain?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As a very young person\, I was taught that as a male being weak (cry\, gru mble\, complain\, lack of self-defense\, etc.) doesn't solve anything.  B eing able to take action &\; handle bizness is everything.  It works .\n\n\n\n Non verbal action always speaks louder than words. But I get the logic\, if you focus on building no matter how many times another burns y our house down\, you may never realize that you need to stop building wher e you are cause the place you are is crap. \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, P rofD said:\n\n\n\n No need to go into a history lesson.  We know what pr oduces winners &\; losers.  The question is what is one willing to d o in order to *win*.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n no the first question s what is the definition of winning because the definition of winning dictates what is needed to win\, and not all definitions of winning are the same\, espec ially for DOSer.  One black person can say they have won and mean nothing to another black person cause they dont share the same meaning of winning . \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n This Black man was a d rug addict &\; homeless at one point in his life.  He's rich now.  An ything is possible.\n\n\n\n I didn't question possibility\, i said the pwo er of will and desire\, this one instance doesnt prove will and desire\, i t proves circumstance\, \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   18 minutes ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Do you suggest that we compete with others\, illeg ally?\n\n\n\n I suggest we\, meaning black people anywhere on earth\, each discover or learn who we are as individuals and who we want to be as part of black groups and then relate that to wherever we live. Yes\, it isn't as simple as all others in humanity\, but it gives us a freedom of identit y. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black DOSers who embrace the usa as their home. ne ed to accept the truth of fiscal capitalism when it comes to legal or ille gal financial activity. The great fort nes in fiscal capitalism come in m ajority through criminal activity.whether that criminal activity is legall y noted or not.   Second to comprehend the financial limits of being in a multiracial scoiety where all races are free to grow\, it means financia l control over others is always going to be limited long term\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n 03272026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-s egregation-in-entertainment/#findComment-80941\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n \n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   27 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I'm sure you can see the difference between leaving one's home country &\; squat ting in another country\; to produce nothing &\; make zero contribution to it.  What is the accomplishment?\n\n\n\n I remember listening to an i mmigrant to the usa\, who is homeless\, a mexican or mesitzo from somewher e in latin america. He flat out said\, his goal was to get in the usa... s o for many immigrants\, not all\, but many they win by merely being in the usa\, as the accomplishment\, even if they are only squatting. And that i s their choice but there you have it\, to answer the question of accomplis hment. \n\n\n\n This is why comparing wins is hard\, because one person's win is not another person's win. \n\n\n\n   27 minutes ago\, ProfD s aid:\n\n\n\n Right. Those individuals need to find a country that will acc ept them &\; to which they can relocate to produce &\; contribute to building &\; making it better.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Yes... with the addi tion that again\, some people leave with no need to make the destination c ountry better\, as muc has the destination country has what they are looki ng for. When you look at israel\, many jews go to israel to simply be amon g jews\, it is not to be rich or produce as you say or \"make it better\" as much as the environment is satisfactory for them\, the win is the move \, but moving takes time\, it isn't magic. And you can't force it through hard work. my forebears worked very hard and often got nothing of what the y wanted because hard work still requires opportunity and if you don't opp ortunity\, you don't. and without violence\, peace blockades some forms of opportunity. \n\n\n\n   27 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n There's no shortage of successful Black people who have overcome seemingly insurm ountable hurdles in order to *win*.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n yes with the addit ion that the quantity of black people getting what they want\, I will call that successful\, is far less based on non black potency because blacks a re abused at no fault of their own by whites. When competition isn't even\ , when it has criminal actions that is highly manipulative\, especially in the financial realm. \n\n\n\n I know you see the USA as a place that all ows any individual to succeed but I don't think that is financially true. To rephrase\, negative unmerited blockades or abuses are applied to people in the usa which means individuals don't have the ability to succeed. Ath letes are the best examples. A black baseball played \, playing today admi tted in the players journal\, if it wasn't for my community in some area o f florida\, placing themselves in debt he wouldn't had made it as a baseba ll player. That is not an environment for all to succeed\, that is called an environment of failure. \n\n\n\n   27 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\ n\n\n Not sure what that has to do with putting in the effort to *win*.  It has been done several times over already past to present.\n\n\n\n and this is the key variance\, in your mind\, effort overcomes environment. Th e numbers show\, effort never overcomes environment. A negative financial environment  defined as an environment designed to hinder financial posit ive movement\, succeeds in majority in the usa historically\, all phenotyp es. IT isn't that effort overcame environment as much as environment\, whi ch in the financial sense is a human construct can not be designed perfect ly/a complete work\, and the environment ALLOWS a percentage of those in i t to succeed which happens. You and others think it is effort overcoming t he negativities of the environment when in truth it is the system merely a llowing success for a minority. Which is the USA way. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0327/2026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-segreg ation-in-entertainment/#findComment-80943\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   44 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Those types of i mmigrants are making it worse for others as these white folks are trying t o kick them out of the USA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n but the issue we are discus sing is what people deem as wins\, what is accomplishment? is accomplishme nt what you say it \, what i say it is? I argue the definition to wins or accomplishments changes twixt individuals or groups and so it is challengi ng to apply standards of wins/accomplishment between individuals or groups . \n\n\n\n and to the point you raised\, not all white folks are trying t o kick them out... this goes back to Monrovia ... many whites did support blacks leaving but most supported blacks staying in the usa in perpetuity as enslaved\, so much so making the happy slave myth to make themselves fe el better\n\n\n\n   44 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Seems selfish to go somewhere else &\; offer nothing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In the sa me way that you do not like liars\, I'm not fond of *takers* i.e. peop le who do not add &\;/or offer nothing to the situation &\;/or envir onment.\n\n\n\n even point. I comprehend your viewpoint 100% the problem f or the usa is it was founded by takers\, if you consider the native americ an heritages and cultures\, the usa was founded by takers\, who adding not hing positive to what was in existence.. so the usa has a heritage of will ing immigrants mostly adding nothing except negativities\, with only a min ority adding positives to the current situation. Chaos starters\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n   44 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I doubt those people m erely show up to drain the resources &\; live off the sweat equity of o thers.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n if you look at the settlers in palestinean lands \, that is all they do... they don't grow anything\, they definitely don't add to peace so... \n\n\n\n When israel first started it had a huge zion ist movement\, but I argue\, that the majority of white jews or even jews in humanity where anti zionist from a personal level\, meaning they suppor t the existence of israel but never want to live there. I shared in this f orum somewhere the reform jewish numbers. most jews are not orthodox are n ot looking to go to israel. but many give money/ support to keep it afloat . so... the people who tend to go there ... are a rarer type. \n\n\n\n Is rael has many issues but again\, it was started chaotically\, so I don't s ee why it having  a chaotic life isn't expected. \n\n\n\n   44 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Anything can be accomplished through desire & amp\; will &\; effort.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n nature says nothing is ever t otally true\n\n\n\n   44 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Clearly\, w e live in different parts of the USA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n true and to that end\, that is also the problem \, the usa isn't a small town\, it is a cou ntry of three hundred and fifty million people who are in dissimilar envir onments. \n\n\n\n A solid thirty percent of black people in the usa and I argue fifty percent of Black DOSers live in small black towns where their financial life is very challenging from non black influences. I don't liv e in that exact environment and yet their are the financially affluent bla ck regions of Los Angeles or NYC or Atlanta where everyone black is millio naire or better. so... yes\, the us has different places \, different fina ncial environments \, always has\, and they don't relate. \n\n\n\n So whe n the usa is spoken of in one way\, because a person lives in one particul ar place is that reflective of the usa? no\, it is reflective of a particu lar place in the usa. That is not the same.\n\n\n\n   44 minutes ago\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Many of us taught to accept the fact that life is no t fair.  However\, despite the negative obstacles that life will put in y our way\, do not allow it to impede the effort of pressing towards the m ark of the high calling. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Again\, I do not see anythin g positive coming out of those who cry/grumble/complain about how life is not fair in one way or several. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n These conditions exis ted before we were born. Especially for those of you who believe in procre ation regardless of the circumstances. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, here we a re born into an unfair existence &\; left to figure this sh8t out durin g our time on the planet. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Some people find a way to  *win* while others wallow in pond of misery or despair or hopelessness.\n \n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Ahh yes and that is a very statian turn of phrase . \n\n\n\n you see\, life is even\, life is beautiful. nature is even\, n ature is beautiful. \n\n\n\n And\, life isn't fair/white nor is it schart z/black\, nature as well isn't fair or schwartz. \n\n\n\n Human beings ma nipulate life into uneveness. manipulate life into being fair or schwartz.  \n\n\n\n IT isn't life that brings negative or positive obstacles in hum ans lives\, it is other humans. \n\n\n\n Those who confuse human actions as life is the great dysfunction\, this goes back to NAt Turner\, Jean JAc ques Dessalines\, the IRA\, what they are saying is Blacks folks problems aren't life but whites or Irish peoples problems aren't life but English.  \n\n\n\n Kill the whites\, kill the english and life becomes its natural neutral state. \n\n\n\n The problem is humans are not fools inside\, the y can tell themselves that life isn't even\, but they know the truth is li fe is even\, it is other humans making their lives uneven that they need t o change and the best way to do that isn't to play games with the humans t hat are making their lives uneven but to kill those humans making their li ves uneven \, and in face with that truth\, many humans lament\, the lie t hey were raised with. \n\n\n\n I have seen this \, as a tutor\, I have se en black parents say such things with my own eyes and I have refuted them to black children in their presence. \n\n\n\n It isn't life that is hard\ , your not broke/you don't have opportunities or resources because nature/ earth/life used ocean water and made a huge tide and grabbed our forebears off the land and carried our forebears in a bubble to other lands. Your c hallenges are white made\, not life made. \n\n\n\n Existence is always ev en\, always beautiful and never white/fair nor black/schwartz \n\n\n\n So admit the humans that are truly behind your woes which your parents know is true\, but are lying to you because they themselves have never faced th e true source of their own woes\, which is whites.\n\n\n\n And I will defe nd the pond of helplessness. It is no accident that the IRA was only three hundred people \, it is no accident that Black DOSers in what became Hait i alone made a country for DOSers in the American continent. \n\n\n\n The helpness comes because of another truth\, all humans know humans are the ones that make life imabalnced\, it is never life itself\, life is always trying to reach balance. Life is never trying to be white or black or unev en in any way. So that means some humans have to be taken out but most don 't have the courage for that. And this is what Zen meant. People think Zen means the person who does nothing amidst the chaos but misses that isn't Zen\, what Zen says is that any action is acceptible in nature. What this means isn't that one must exist within chaos\, what it means is any action \, no matter how violent isn't a sin\, isn't a negative\, isn't anything t o be afraid of. \n\n\n\n And that wisdom is what most parents\,\,\, sadfu lly\, don't convey to their children or are too afraid to face themselves.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03272026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-ne tflix-the-new-segregation-in-entertainment/#findComment-80945\n\n\n\n oste d just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Do you believe the takers improved the country or merely lived off that which was already developed? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The USA has undergone a major transformation over these past several hundred years &\; countin g.\n\n\n\n based on the first peoples heritage\, lifestyle \, the answer i s no. but white europeans publicly admitted they came to destroy the nativ e american no to improve anything concerning the native american so... lif e is balance\,  a country started by takers is itself took. \n\n\n\n Whi te immigration is older than the usa\, like so many things about the usa \ , the usa's birth didn't start any oof it. that immigration heritage didn' t start in 1776 but started in 1492. The blood feud between whites and bla cks didn't start in 1776 but started in 1492. \n\n\n\n Yes the usa has te chnology had many eras from 1776 to 2026. But\, in terms of the people\, t he heritage\, the culture\, the usa is in my mind\, only a little differen t than the white european colonies. Again JAmes Forten was a black man who owned a business in the english colonies and afterward with the creation of the usa but the black 1% has always existed. So... the meat and potatoe s of the usa are older than the usa.\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n All types of buildings &\; businesses will spring up once th e investors get a foothold.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n a foothold\, what stopped t hem these past fifty odd years\, what defines a foothold? \n\n\n\n and wh o are these investors exactly? \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n\n what are you going to about it?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n How are you goin g to deal with the humans responsible for the unfair conditions?\n\n\n\n w ell\, did one white man enslave black people or did white people enslave b lack people. \n\n\n\n From my reading of history this was group activitie s not singular individuals so... The question is what are blacks going to do and if very few blacks are willing to come together and do then their r esides the reason for the \, pool or negativity. Not all problems are indi vidual based. One person can't handle the humans responsible. \n\n\n\n An d for the record\, just to make sure in case any read this\, i never said my plans to the future include mass genocide. My point is that many black people want that\, but they don't have the courage for that. And I will no t criminalize them because many people don't have the stomach for killing. And soldiers will tell you\, with all the training and sergeants yelling and speeches\, many soldiers are cowards. In movie land\, every soldier is looking to fight but anyone who knows anything about war knows all armies are full of cowards\, masquerading behind a gun. So\, I will not chagrin unarmed black people from not having the courage to be violent\, again the ira was only 300 people in an island with millions of irish\, i am not ex pecting a mass violent uprising from black dosers in the usa\, nor do I pl an for that\, but I am also honest enogh to admit many black people quietl y\, hate whites and this country \, and it is a strong heritage\, which le ads to a desire to not involve in this country or with its whites. And sad ly\, it also leads to a potent place of despair. \n\n\n\n   4 hours ag o\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Exactly.  What is the alternative if one is too cowardly to take out the enemy?\n\n\n\n many alternatives or other paths\ , as DOSers are the proof\n\n\n\n 1) Not all DOSers view whites of the usa as the enemy\, again James forten. So your question misses the blacks who don't view whites as the enemy in the first place\, and infinite paths co me from this. \n\n\n\n 2) To those too cowardly\, for whatever reason [an d many reasons exists for not killing\, not merely fear of killing] infini te paths exist\, the following are some. \n\n\n\n I) live peacefully with the enemy. and this takes many forms\, as DOSers show. \n\n\n\n II) find a land absent the enemy\, and this can take you anywhere\, as DOSers show . \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n As humans\, parents do whatever it take to shield/protect their children from the realities of t his existence while also encouraging them to overcome it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Humans have been dancing this tango for thousands of years.  Nothing n ew under the sun.\n\n\n\n Well \, some parents care for their children wis ely\, not all. and some parents don't care for their children wisely. As a n artists\, someone in an art community one said that Disney is needed for kids to have something positive. We were discussing the lack of complex r elations in disney stories. and\, thinking on a thought i had communicatin g with you about the USA having only two aspects of itself 1) splitting fr om the english empire 2) the perception of usa eternity. I realize thinkin g on parents in the usa\, I was incorrect. 2 ) is media weapons. The USA h as a level of media unlike any country. The declaration of independence is an advertisement to a fake product. But when I extend beyond that I see\, the firms or peoples of the USA are also heavy media folk. \n\n\n\n The daughters of the american revolution worked to get a fals emedia narrative as truth\, to this day\, many people of all phenotypes still adhere to th e pfaux history that the daughters of the american revolution created. But it extends to many. \n\n\n\n Immigrant parents. How many immigrant paren ts have i heard say\, they love the usa. A lie. They don't love the usa\, they were desperate for financial betterment and went to the best place to get it with the least effort. \n\n\n\n Black DOSers\, if I hear one more black doser talk about forebears wanting to be Statian of the usa\, i wil l eat my own gizzard. Another lie. And the funny thing is \, any research into black art 1865 proves black people were very anti usa + white . but h eaded by the damn black church\, this myth of desired americanism came abo ut so much so that most black people in the usa today\, act in concert to that lie. \n\n\n\n And thus to Disney\, Disney comprehended the majority of people in the usa\, the customers\,  like to lie and lie to others and be lied to\, and the internet proves this. the internet as it is today is a usa creation and it proves the character of the majority in the usa gar dless of phenotype/gender or any racial category. \n\n\n\n The fables tha t disney took came from germany\, a country that has its many biases but t ends to actually be more honest. From martin luther who couldn't stand the commercialization of the medici popes\, the nazis who never said they wer e interested in world peace or making peace\, the nazis for all of their v iolence or criminal behavior never lied about their intentions to others. they lied to themselves about their own infallicy\, and it is interesting how the whites of the usa was the nazis primary mimick of style\, learn li es from the biggest liar\, but the nazi's still retained a level of german honesty. \n\n\n\n So yeah\, thank you profd\, the usa has two elements f rom itself\n\n\n\n 1) breaking away from england \n\n\n\n 2) media weapon ry culture\n\n\n\n but the individualism/fiscal capitalism/multiracialism/ immigration/regional infighting heritages or cultures were actually starte d by the english in the colonial era\, not of the usa. and I argue haven't changed much since then. \n\n\n\n Technology changing is a human thing\, that has nothing to do with any country\, that is human. \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n 03/29/2026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12614-netflix-the-new-s egregation-in-entertainment/#findComment-81010\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n \n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 3/27/2026 at 8:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n As it relates to Palestine &\; more specifically the Gaza Strip\, I bel ieve it will look like Dubai in the future. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The archi tects have already drawn up the blueprints.  Investors are lining up to g et a piece of the action. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The USA &\; Israel are w orking out the deals.\n\n\n\n Well... in the future if you go far ahead en ough all places have another golden time plus a feces time\, that is why o f life. \n\n\n\n If you mean within fifty years \, I don't think so. \n\ n\n\n But I am glad you have this insider information that seems to be unk nown to many people black or non black\, so use it to gain fiscal wealth.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 3/27/2026 at 8:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n i j ust don't see too much energy poured into mission either in action or rhet oric. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There have been a few instances where groups of Black folks have attacked white folks but historically\, past to present\ , far more Black folks have been killed by white folks than vice versa.\n\ n\n\n well yes\, especially in the last five hundred years\, again\, human ity has been around a while\, so I resist speaking on all of human history \, i prefer some temporal domains on any issue\n\n\n\n   On 3/27/2026 at 8:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n White people do.  They are human killing machines directly &\; indirectly.  History proves it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Right now\, the USA &\; Israel are dropping bombs on Iran.  What i s the death toll?\n\n\n\n in my read of history most whites don't either. most humans simply do not\,at least in my read of human history. \n\n\n\n I don't know the number of iranians murdered by usa +israel  in the last two years\, i know it is high\, and i know that the seeds of great negati vity are being born of it that will become something one day\n\n\n\n   O n 3/27/2026 at 8:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black people can buy weapon s &\; learn how to use them if they have the desire &\; will to do s o.\n\n\n\n i repeat many soldiers on battlefields\, with the most deadly w eapons\, trained every day\, being shot at\, are unable to use weapons\, t he presence of a weapon in your hands plus daily training plus your person al life threatened still doesn't equal automatic will to use weapons.\n\n\ n\n   On 3/27/2026 at 8:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Similar to the per son in an abusive relationship.  They *h8te* being mistreated but won't f ight back or kill the abuser.  They stick around for 1) any benefits & \; 2) hoping &\; praying the abuse will stop.\n\n\n\n the biggest probl em in your allusion is the dysfunctional relationship between individuals and groups. \n\n\n\n The individual in an abusive relationship side anoth er individual has a great difference between a group in an abusive relatio nship side another group. \n\n\n\n When George Stinney was unevenly incar cerated by white law enforcers\, chaoticly and violently mobbed by white c itizens\, George Stinney's parents couldn't simply raise an army from the black populace. \n\n\n\n The black populace as a group isn't getting bene fits\, nor is the black populace as a group hoping and praying the abuse w ill stop\, the black populace as a group doesn't have a group mechanism.  \n\n\n\n A woman running from a man is not the same as a group of people r unning from another. Remember\, in any two groups interaction you have ind ividual interactions in all ways. During the time of George Stinney some b lack killed whites. It is about the mechanics of the group. \n\n\n\n And to that end\, the black populace of the usa has had various internal mecha nics\, but at the moment\, the black populace of the usa has arguably the weakest internal mechanics\, but based on black individuals who have chose n to influence the larger group that way.\n\n\n\n And the non black\, spec ifically old white populace has the same problem today. The reality is\, i n the 1900s the white populace in the usa became internally multiracial\, like the black. So the 2026 white populace has a more complex internal mec hanics than in 1960s\, or mid nineteen hundreds or earlier and many whites in the usa\, especially the old whites\, are having problems comprehendin g the change in internal mechanics of the white populace\, cause it was ne ver like this before. \n\n\n\n   On 3/27/2026 at 8:03 PM\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n Over the past 200 years  counting\, the USA has produced the mo st innovation &\; technological changes that have been replicated aroun d the planet.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the usa produced the most innovation \, I don't know about that. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the first satellite was russi an/soviet\n\n\n\n the first system to have a human being in space was russ ian soviet\n\n\n\n the first integrated computer was english\n\n\n\n the f astest submarine is russian/soviet \, using liquid metal heated by the eng ine\n\n\n\n the fastest torpedo is soviet using supercavitation\n\n\n\n th e only domestic use of nuclear power engines is russian/soviet- these are ships that break ice circa north pole\n\n\n\n the first rockets or jet fig hters are german\n\n\n\n the earliest airships or dirigibles are french/ge rman\n\n\n\n the best dam building is from russia/soviets\n\n\n\n the mapp ing of the genome was an international effort\, it wasn't one country\n\n\ n\n first printed circuit boards  were german\n\n\n\n first electronic wa tch was swiss\n\n\n\n the first electronic watch with peizoelectric was ni ppon/japan\n\n\n\n we all know about benz from germany and the single stro ke engine\, his poor wife.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Everyone knows the usa never produced better weapons than germany during the second white european imp erial war\, but the usa \, like china  which is interesting historically \, are both big copiers and mass producers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Innovatio n\, new things\, the usa isn't a big new things country.Other countries te nd to do that more during the usa's two hundred and fifty years.  Most te chnologies their source isn't the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The usa did ma ke the television. But the one innovation the usa did make that truly war rants note\, through ford\, was the assembly line.  And it is interesting cause the concept of the assembly line is about the goal of mass producti on. An assembly line can have a bunch of human beings with torches\, but t he key to technological changes\, polishings\, is the assembly line pushes mass production which is truly usa and something that china has grabbed o nto as a concept in light of the usa. Crafting from ancient times was neve r a mass produced idea\, the idea is to make something efficient\, long la sting\, but the assembly line idea busted through that concept.   In par allel\, when I look at soviet russia\, arguably the problem with soviet ru ssia is that it truly adopted the german technological heritage from the w eimar district of efficient innovation\, the ancient human heritage of qua lity craft. The usa created the modern culture of hype schools\, the ivy l eagues. In the usa you say you go to a school or work for a firm and the h ype of that is superior to the quality of a place. In germany \, demerit i s real\, failure leads to demerit. but in the usa\, one can exist above de merit. You see this with Schrumpft\, he epitomizes that statian heritage i n government. Wheras in germany in weimar\, the idea was effectiveness. As I said to you before\, the usa's greatest two aspects is : one break away from the british and two\, the culture of advertisement from the declarat ion of independence through the radio\, the usa didn't create radio\, thro ugh television\, through the internet [the usa did create the protocols us ed by most today\, but not the internet itself\, the internet is really a web of webs of various protocols made by various groups or organizations\, the usa through its advertising skill got most to fall in line to it]  t he usa is a master of selling ideas\, not the truth\, but selling ideas\, getting people to buy into them\, prosyletization [ which I can't stand bu t there you have it] .  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you look deep alot of tec hnologies were not from the usa but the usa mass manufactured\, that fisca l capitalistic power made sure the usa profited financially from it\, but that ins't innovation. Just because someone makes money off a thing doesn' t mean they thought of it. \n\n\n\n And to black folks\, people will say george washington carver was american but Percy Julian proves black engine ers in days past didn't see themselves as american\, not honestly. You say things in public\, but do you really believe. As james baldwin said\, ver y honestly\, which is rare for most in the public eye\, I paraphrase\, his father never hurt whites one bit\, but his father hated whites to the pit of his soul. \n\n\n\n We talk about black parenting and why it was so ha rsh but black parents weren't happy. I think we as descendents of black pa rents of mid to late eighteen hundreds to mid nineteen hundreds \, as per the usa's influence\, have created an advertisement campaign to ourselves\ , lying about our forebears to make our choices seem better. \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   On 3/28/2026 at 11:19 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\ n\n\n\n Hmmmm.......\n\n Interesting exchange between you two.\n\n \n\n So metimes it's pleasant to just sit back and READ the points of view of othe rs.\n\n\n\n glad you are enjoying yourself\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Mel Hopkins \n\n\n\n   On 3/28/2026 at 11:44 AM\, Mel Hopkins said:\n\n\n\n We  h ave black owned radio stations  and cathy hughes' urbanone network. Bette r for the imagine. Bump the boob tube! \n\n\n\n   On 3/23/2026 at 4:56 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n It's getting to the point that every time I see an article about a new Black television show\, I start skimming over t he words until I see \"Netflix\" in the article because I know that's wher e I'll have to go if I want to see it.\n\n\n\n Also you can stream TubiTV.   A lot of our creative work\, films\, tv series\,  documentaries are ai rlng on Tubi and the creators also get paid. (I don't know how much though ) you don't need to sign in either all you need is a browser and internet connection. BUT Tubi is owned by Rupert Murdoch.  \n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n \n\n have you seen this? I am going to apply\, working on my screenplay   will you take part?\n\n\n\n if not at least share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/668-tubi-x-blacklist-horror-init iative-2026-challenge-final-day/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n    On 3/28/2026 at 12:11 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n My greater point is... ......\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We can EXPAND our options without CANCELLING som e of them out.\n\n We should be on the internet and social media...no doub t.\n\n But we should STILL keep and have our news papers\, radio shows\, a nd broadcast television stations to reach that older or less tech savy aud ience.\n\n\n\n yeah \, good financial pint\, but financially\, you have to embrace the truth that no poor peoples ever did anything in the usa. \n\ n\n\n here is the problem\, from 1865 to 1980 the Jim crow era\, you had a change in the culture of the wealthy\, the gilded age was late 1800s \, a nd i argue for blacks the gilded age was early 1900s with madame cj walker \, what do most fiscally wealthy people have in common from late 1800s to 1920s... by the time of the first white european imperial war the body of wealthy people in the usa went through a huge change.  alot of the fiscal ly poor people\, black or non black or other \, in the late 1800s actually grew up fiscally poor\, so when they chose to help they were serious beca use they were actually poor at one time in their life\, but their children and grandchildren weren't them. and after what carnegie did\, many of the children of the gilded\, engineered wealth and money making to be a very inherited things. If you look at most wealthy people today in the black po pulace for example\, it is like whites\, mostly inheritors. In the 1960s b lack people with money were mostly people born financially poor who made i t rich but now\, inheritors is ninety percent like with all demographics o r peoples in the usa\, \n\n\n\n What is my point? \n\n\n\n The people wi th money in a community are always the financial leaders and in absence it is tough. \n\n\n\n I can take nyc\, the financial center of white jews/i rish/italians and all three have their mobs to thank for everything. what are mobs ? financially wealthy organizations involved in illegal activitie s\, run by people mostly grew up poor. When the italians/white jews/irish folk wanted to go legal they still used illegal money to make it happen.  \n\n\n\n So\, you need the big money folk. To that end\, everyday I see bl ack millionaires and billionaires investing in white enterprises. they are not blind\, they know the black populace has needs\, so if they are unwil ling to use their money to support he black populace\, then they simply ar e. \n\n\n\n Again\, how many black people from the 1960s to today paid fo r a black person to go to a non historical black college? \n\n\n\n that i s arguably billions of dollars mostly given to non black colleges? black c olleges are arguably the oldest non religious /secular black organizations in the united states of america\, so... no excuse for lack of heritage.  \n\n\n\n I comprehend your greater point but you need to really eye the bl ack fiscal wealthy for that lacking. And if for no other reason\, fiscal h onesty. \n\n\n\n that jewish art gallery\, where you get your money from\ , the loans\, the local bank? feces\,you had some rich white jew help you\ , through the synagoge. \n\n\n\n that italian construction company\, wher e you get the commissions? on merit\, feces\, you had connections with you r cousin in the mob. \n\n\n\n I don't think any shame exist getting help\ , but for some reason\, maybe @ProfD can answer\, people in the usa have a huge problem being honest when it comes to who helped them out financia lly. They seem ashamed to say it is a mob or a financial friend in some fo rm? why be ashamed? the usa has never been place where the public way lead s to anything. \n\n\n\n Women in the usa who have big houses and sent all their kids to school talk about how they worked hard... you got a financi al stipend from a man who abused you worth millions of dollars. You marrie d a billionaire forty years your senior. I am not criminalizing\, but too many in the usa who have wealth are very ashamed of their history of finan cial transactions. \n\n\n\n How many black people started businesses with fbi/cia money? when they gave them cash to sell out black people and they used that to start businesses\, support their kids? why can't they say? w hat are they ashamed of? \n\n\n\n whites in the usa who got money from th eir great uncle who runs a private prison which has been in operation sinc e the late 1800s\, a family treasure. not paying encarcerated people while they took all the money and skimmed for road building. \n\n\n\n If more people in the usa would admit the truth of their financial transactions es pecially in financing\, that would push people to embrace fiscally wealthy people being responsible for not investing in things. Stop telling fiscal ly poor people about their pennies. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Mel Hopkins \n\ n\n\n   On 3/28/2026 at 12:15 PM\, Mel Hopkins said:\n\n\n\n We can to o! That is still our medium. But I get your point\, we don't have the othe r media.  Heck we barely have newspapers!\n\n\n\n every group barely has newspapers\, should black people be that financially other? again\, in NYC \, i see lot of newspaper gravesites.  is it up to blacks to go against f inancial trends in a country where we are not the majority populace?\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   On 3/28/2026 at 12:20 PM\, Pioneer1  said:\n\n\n\n Which is crazy because back in the 50s and 60s not only did every Black community have it's own paper but nearly every Black highschoo l had it's own Black newspaper.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You didn't need a Scrip ts Howard back then.\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black students were learning journalis m (among other skills and trades) BEFORE they graduated from Highschool.\n \n  \n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n It isn't crazy\, why do you say it is craz y? \n\n\n\n every fiscal firm has numerical realities. paper cost money\, reporters cost money [cost of living/extra wage/competitive wage influenc e]\, shipping newspapers cost money. Can you get advertising for your news paper? the village voice is gone\, that was a public newspaper\, the reaso n was simple\, it was unaffordable\, even with adveritisng the adult /erot ic/similar stuff\, they couldn't afford their cost of operation. \n\n\n\n Your saying its crazy black people don't have newspapers like clearly if I started a newspaper right now in debt\, the debt would be covered in a m onth. \n\n\n\n I think newspapers are a negative business. \n\n\n\n Firs t\,the two methods of getting money are thin now: subscriptions + advertis ements. \n\n\n\n Subscriptions are tough cause across the demographic boa rd in the usa\, so not just black people\, people don't read long form. or paper based communication. many newspapers have tried online but again\, a website isn't free to host\, a website cost money to maintain and overti me only increase. \n\n\n\n Advertising is tough cause advertisers have me trics\, in the past or today\, they know what people aren't viewing/being influenced by\, so why should a firm advertise. \n\n\n\n Look at the amst erdam news in NYC. it is fortunate. It has a black wealthy populace in NYC \, specifically manhattan that is old\, has a heritage of support for the amsterdam news. Most black newspapers don't have a fiscally wealthy black minority in the black populace of the city they are in like the Amsterdam News. \n\n\n\n And I know you well enough that you always want to fall on the fiscally poor only using black newspapers to keep them alive but... I can't tell what would reading the amsterdam news really give back to the fiscal black poor of nyc if they were to each invest per month or two week s into the amsterdam news. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260324 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Synthography Conversations 2025 DTSTAMP:20260326T222340Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:685-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My 2025 synthographic journey around Deviantart through c omments\n\n\n\n Prompt + Art available for tip jar givers\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/SynthographyConversations-2025 -1314168979\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260326 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nationalism of Christ and Colorism between Colors 03/25/2026 DTSTAMP:20260325T210510Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:684-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n NATIONALISM OF CHRIST\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n\n\n Posted  just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 3/22/2026 at 9:20 PM\, ProfD sa id:\n\n\n\n I doubt liberal white folks will allow the Chrsitian Nationali sts to take over the country &\; force everyone to adopt it.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Well\, the issue isn't allowing the issue is who can stop this fr om going to war. The USA has a long history of internal military conflicts . The secession from the english empire was mostly fought between peoples who were of the english colonies and other european colonies. it wasn't co lonists vs the english\, it was colonist vs colonist.  one side of coloni st had aid from the french military and spanis military\, the other side o f colonist had aid from the english military. In the war of 1812\, it was the same\, many people in the usa fought with the english to reclaim the u sa. new england/virginia/carolinas/kansas all had regional wars between wh ites. and then came the war between the states. The creation of the federa l bureau of investigation was first for the original klu klux klan whose m ission it was to become the largest subcommunity in the white populace and thus take over the usa\, the fbi\, through all sorts of means undid the o riginal klu klux klan\, which i argue prevented armed conflict from a larg er scale occuring in the white populace in the usa. Then the fbi and other agencies did similar into all organizations in the usa to make sure none ... led to anything\, so to speak. \n\n\n\n The nation of islam\, the son s of odin\, the tong\, every organization in the usa i hear has a three le tter agent and their sole role has to be quelling any organizations abilit y to start a massive armed conflict in the usa\, which will lead to larger ones as in the past. \n\n\n\n This the 1950s 1960s 1970s where many peop le in the usa were... taken out of commission in various ways. \n\n\n\n N ow in modernity\, I argue\, the military + three letter organizations are the ones keeping this piece\, not so called liberal whites or so called co nservative whites.  it is the military industrial complex keeping the pea ce. I don't have proof. But their goal isnt preventing any from taking ove r the country as you say\, their goal in my mind\, is keeping a peace\, be cause the usa is demographically very weak. You can't get ten people in th e usa in any city to explain what unites people in the usa outside of lies /commercial statements/ or honest I don't knows. All ten will not say the simple truth\, individual greed. The problem with that truth is\, individu al greed doesn't lend to working with others\, by default.  If you can't get people in the usa to comprehend why they should be aligned casually\, if they start thinking the walls will get higher. \n\n\n\n The question i s one of arms. Schrumpft is president now. The states are already showing at least two camps on alot of issues\, but they haven't armed themselves. The good news for the military is the post lincoln federalism has successf ully defanged all states in the union. None of them can survive a month wi thout the federal welfare check. Circa 1865 most states in the union had t otally internal economies\, they battled each other for trade let alone pl aces outside the usa. so\, the key is the states\,will the schrumpf era le ad to states developing themselves to be self sufficient as in the past? i f so \, that will lead to war eventually \n\n\n\n Another potential is a fissure in the military which would quicken the pace\, but it seems the mi litary hasn't fissured but it has happened in the past and will happen aga in eventually.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   22 hours ag o\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n Why? Because they promote a lot of issu es that Blacks go along with: They are against abortion\, believing that l ife begins at conception\, they are homophobic and anti LGBQT\, they advoc ate prayer in public schools\, and are not sympathetic about Hispanicl imm igrants.\n\n\n\n The views Blacks have in common with these hypocritical\, racist\, super patriotic fascistic\, fanatical conspiracy theorists make them and Evangelical Nationals strange bedfellows...\n\n\n\n And to be blu nt\, the challenge is on our particular tribe. Black DOSers are in a moder nity where the usa it is fifty years\, a half century\,  since the sixtie s and black dosers as individuals have achieved a lot\, more than any othe r group arguably\, but as a populace\, are even farther from being a poten t community. and so i think many DOSers are in the resent phase when plans don't go as some preached or some prayed for or some guaranteed. How many black parents told black children what to do and it turned out hogwash? d on't break the law\, go to ivy league\, be a proud american\, embrace the other as a human being\, hasn't led to much of anything for a lot of black people\, and definitely hasnt led to the black populace being a black com munity. so\, blame game for many\, lets blame the immigrant\, lets blame m uslims. even black immigrants or black muslims are under attack. \n\n\n\n Not strange bedfellows. many white german jewish organizations were in fu ll support of the nazis with the nazi's yelling death to all jews. it isn' t strange. \n\n\n\n all populaces of people are broken up into tribes in truth because how people see the world\, themselves\, their future\, is ra rely the same. \n\n\n\n These blacks are frightened of white power\, are making a gambit that allegiance with them will save them from violence\, f rom harm\, they don't care for the multiracial USA that was probably promi sed by their parents and elders growing up as a positive when that was an over simplification. The black church... whom I have so much to say on\, m isguided the black populace in all earnest\, in times past and has been fo rever regretful that it fucked up\, blaming all but itself for its modern condition. \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12612-christian-nationalis m-on-the-rise-in-usa/#findComment-80887\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COLORISM BETWEE N COLORS\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n \n\n\n what do you want exactly? I am a little confused. \n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Also\, it subconsciously promotes the idea that the \"Black children\" that result from such hook-ups would be the \"ideal\" or \"designer\" children in our community.\n\n \n\n Infact\, the light skinned children of Kanye West and Jay Z and how they're being promoted are yet another example of how light skinned individuals are bein g promoted as the ideal representatives of our community.\n\n \n\n At the rate things are going with lighter and lighter skinned people being promot ed as \"Black\"....who's to say that a couple of generations from now ACTU AL WHITE people will not only be accepted as but even promoted as the idea l \"Black\" people?\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n You know that Black owned me dia exists and black owned media emphasizes black love between black peopl e who are not yella/light skin/ideal mulatto/ or similar. \n\n\n\n you kn ow black people have access to black owned media in the usa. \n\n\n\n So when I see your complaint\, it seems to me\, what you really want is for n on black owned media to present black people a certain way. Am I right? \ n\n\n\n My problem with your desire is\, how can that happen in the USA? i s not the usa a multiracial country? \n\n\n\n Many people talk about whit e jews but many websites in the usa\, many groups in the usa are publicly anti jewish\, no matter a jews phenotype. \n\n\n\n All the American civil liberties unions and Defamation Leagues don't stop said anti jewish organ izations from posting whole movies online stating the jewish populace\, an y phenotype\, has to be... removed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So what do you want exactly? \n\n\n\n so yeah.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12624-exam ples-of-colorism-in-the-media-the-need-to-reverse-the-hypnois/#findComment -80886\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03262026\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12612-christian-nationalism-on-the-rise-in-usa/#fi ndComment-80910\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n \n   23 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The great experiment that is t he United States of America (USA) even in its relative youth as a 250-year old nation has studied the history of empires...their rise &\; fall.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The *smartest* thing the USA did was allowing people from all of the planet to come &\; live in this country. \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Though its institutions\, the USA has tapped into the best &\;   brightest minds from around the world. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Through its power of money &\; influence &\; military strength\, the USA has be come the leading super power in the world. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There is n o other country on the planet to which more people immigrate.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n I don't believe the USA will implode or self-destruct under the wei ght of its own largesse. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Nor will disputes &\; bic kering among disparate groups of people (tribes) derail the USA either.   \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I believe it will take an act of of the universe i.e . series of natural disasters to dismantle &\;/or destroy the USA. \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There's always the remote possibility that white people w ill get fed up with each other &\; start firing off those nuclear bombs . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Of course\, going nuclear means game over for human ity as we know.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Well one big correction\, the he ritage of pan immigration wasn't statian\, or of the usa that was actually the english empires doing. The english  empire was the one who started t he pan immigration starting with pan white europeans\, the english didn't have to but the english saw a chance to make money.\n\n\n\n You suggest th e best and the brightest... I don't know about that\, but the truth is the usa unlike other countries is willing to grab individuals from the larges t labor pool\, gardless of their quality. \n\n\n\n Add enslavement + Geno cide to the list of factors on the path of super powedom\, it is interesti ng people mention money and military strength\, but never genocide\, never enslavement\, why? why can't they be mentioned along side the others\, th ey are equal or more important in the path to the super powerdom. \n\n\n\ n Very true\, but again when the usa was english colonies that was the beg inning of the immigration heritage of the usa. The problem with the usa is that the white power/white terror/pan immigration/multiracial peace/indiv idualism that the usa touts as elements of itself were not started in 1776 but before\, the only thing the usa did was take what the english colonie s was doing and separate it from england. But all the factors you speak of were english colonial factos \, started then by england\, not the colonis t. \n\n\n\n Your adding alot of commercial statements to your prose here . \n\n\n\n I As for the future\, I don't know. You are certain\, which i think is foolish\, to me nothing is more foolish than those who know the f uture. \n\n\n\n And I am in error\, the usa actually created two things\ , \n\n\n\n 1) the seperation from england\,\n\n\n\n 2) the invincibility heritage\, I do realize the usa when it was founded had doubts to its life \, from its very white european  founders\, but over the years i do reali ze a usa eternalism was born and it seems to have adherents in all races. Thank you for helping me take time to think on that. You are not the first to say the usa will be in perpetuity in my earshot offline or online. But \, thinking on it\, somewhere in the history of the usa\, the doubt the fo unders had was replaced by an eternal certainty that by my ears extends to all races. I wonder when it started. \n\n\n\n but\, the individualism/im migration/multiracial peace/pan white power/pan white terror all stemmed f rom the english empire's administration of the colonies that would become the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\,  aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n Many think that the ultimate goal of Proje ct 2025 which is the manifesto of the ultra conservative American Heritage Foundation\, is to turn this country into a fascistic theocracy. \n\n\n \n if you look at the history of the usa\, it is a country used to interna l wars. \n\n\n\n I will list them. \n\n\n\n war of secession from the br itish empire was mostly fought by people who lived in what would become th e usa. \n\n\n\n war of 1812 was the same\, fought mostly by those who liv ed in what would become the usa\n\n\n\n Seminole wars\, between first peop les side blacks against whites\n\n\n\n war between the states\, fought bet ween whites with various non white european allies\n\n\n\n In between the wars above or just before the first one mentioned are the new england wars \, the kansas wars\, the carolina wars\, virginia wars. \n\n\n\n The usa has a vibrant heritage of internal violence. \n\n\n\n Even white people a dmit more black people died after the war between the states then before\, now no one calls it the black white war rather jim crow or the nadir of a merican race relations but in my view it was in the era of jim crow\, 1865 to 1980\, the black white war which ended in 1965 with white victory but a law by whites to reduce white violence. \n\n\n\n What is my point? The usa will split is the most probably outcome\, in some form or fashion\, ba sed on how people in the usa act and its historical commonalities. \n\n\n \n The usa has never had a we in itself\, it uses that word a lot but the usa has never been a we and with such a multiracial populace\, not being a we lends to fractures. \n\n\n\n in that environment\, the key is where y ou live when it fractures\, don't be on the fracture line and hopefully be in the section that you are accepted in. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1  \n\n\n\n   45 minutes ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I don't know if it was the \"smartest\".\n\n Actually giving us Reparations would be MUCH sma rter....lol.\n\n But I understand your point and believe that it's VERY sm art for America to bring in people...especially skilled and educated peopl e...from around the globe to come and help build up the nation's economy.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It's called \"brain drain\" and the West has been doing it for decades.\n\n\n\n The funny thing is white peoples statistics show\ , the majority of the people who come in aren't skilled or educated. It is a simple truth. Yes\, a minority and large when you consider the populati on growth of the usa\, but the ovrwhelming majority of immigrants to the u sa in every year has always been unskilled or uneducated people. I don't k now where people get this\, idea that usa gets the most skilled people. I don't know where that comes from \, cause whites admit it isn't true\, so it must be some wild myth.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260325 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Immigrant Laws of the Future - a query DTSTAMP:20260325T003547Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:683-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n Let's imagine you are the president of th e USA in the future and the congress has made a law concerning immigration \, that you want to sign immediately after you see it. \n\n\n\n What will that law be? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n\n COMMENTS\n\n\n\n  \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260324 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 38 03/10/2026 DTSTAMP:20260311T034432Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:676-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n Community Service Labor - a friend of mine sta ted the following idea:  Mayor Mamdani can use community service to get p eople to shovel the snow instead of hiring people for twenty eight dollars an hour. I [them not richard murray] argue it can be used for many things \, to bring forth community. \n\n In Amendment- I searched to see what ca n be used for community service in NYC\, how many acquire community servic e in NYC and realized it is many. It is an idea that can work. The problem is that\, this cuts against the revenue earning philosophy of labor. To b e blunt\, the problem is\, the USA has a heritage of individuals abusing l abor from other individuals to make fiscal fortunes while it has a heritag e of laborers upholding a fantasy of merited labor as the basis of labor i n the usa. Said two heritages have mutated to become an inability of peopl e in the usa to accept that their labor doesn't warrant financial return n o matter what it is\, while the wealthy want to use tools to make a perman ent fiscal underclass which temporally will never occur. Wisdom which is s omething only experience or natural inclination can generate in humans pro ve that all things end and all things include the use of any tool or the e xistence of any government. When? who knows outside nature\, but it will h appen.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n INFORMATION I FOUND\n\n\n\n New York City commun ity service\n\n ->\;\n\n HOW DO I KNOW IF I CAN DO COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR MY VIOLATION?:\n\n You will be allowed to do community service\, instead of paying a fine\, only if your summons is on this list [ LOOK BELOW] and if:\n\n You admit to the charge that is listed on the summons on or before the hearing date that is printed on your summons\; or\n\n After your OATH hearing\, you receive a decision where the Hearing Officer says that you have the option to perform community service.\n\n COMMUNITY SERVICE OPTION S:\n\n If any one of the above items is true and you would like to do comm unity service\, then you can choose one of the following options to satisf y your summons' community service requirement:\n\n If this list shows that you can do either one or two hours of community service\, then you can ei ther:\n\n complete an online educational course\; or\n\n complete the comm unity service over the phone.\n\n If this list shows that you can do three hours of community service\, then you can complete the community service by webcam\; or\n\n You can complete the community service in person\, in o ur Help Center office.\n\n website\n\n https://www.nyc.gov/site/oath/help- center/oath-community-service.page\n\n\n\n List of New York City penalties you can get community service for. \n\n https://www.nyc.gov/assets/oath/ downloads/pdf/CJRA-Penalty-Chart-effective.pdf\n\n\n\n New York State comm unity service standard\n\n https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/opca/communi tyservicestandards.htm\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n Do you believe in first come first serve in hiring?\n\n\n\n Would you implement community service to expand the labor force?\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/125 84-do-you-believe-in-first-come-first-serve-in-hiring/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITI ON\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/675-economic-corner-37-031020 26/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/682-eco nomic-corner-39-03242026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03 152026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12584-do-you-believe-in-first-co me-first-serve-in-hiring/#findComment-80714\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\ n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n I have relatives who were alive during that time\, m ost of those jobs went to whites though blacks did get some and considerin g black hiring in the private sector which was corretly 99% white didn't h ire blacks\, that action from FDR was huge for black people in the arena o f labor.\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   8 hours ago\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n Sure\, i believe in 1st come 1st served in hiring as long as fo lks are *qualified* to do the *work*.\n\n\n\n hmmm\, qualification stan dards in labor in the united states of america has two historic problems\, which are still relevant in modernity.\n\n\n\n 1) qualifications being me t rarely equate to the quality of performance by one in a job. for example \, many lawyers or engineers exists in the usa \, to fit in any demographi c category\, and yet\, the judgable performance of lawyers/elected officia ls who are mostly lawyers/corporate executive officiers who are mostly law yers/engineers/the ceos who are engineers  through private practices\, la ws made in government\, publicly traded firms products or operations are v ery poor in the united states of america. The proof that qualifications be ing met don't relate to quality in the job is throughout the usa in many e xamples. \n\n\n\n 2)qualifications rarely matter to the acquisition of a job. I don't need to remind anybody not white or male that only from 1980 onward has a majority of jobs in the usa been remotely possible for someon e not white male christian to acquire. I can tell you from my own parents how many jobs they were denied for being black. They fit all of those stat ed qualifications and it didn't mean a damn thing cause the person in char ge of hiring\, whether they admitted it or not\, was looking for someone w hite\, and probably a friend or relative\, in opposition to caring about s tated qualifications for whatever labor they offer. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S o I comprehend your desire to have first come first serve attached to some qualification\, assuming the qualification can be made even which... is d oubtful. But\, qualifications to be blunt\, is another form of gatekeeping on job opportunities\, which straightly impedes the goal of getting jobs moving. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now maybe you are arguing that the qualificat ions set for most jobs in the usa are erroneous or negative or imbalanced to the jobs in question. But that goes back to the lack of quality to whom ever is in charge or the labor opportunities. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Meeting halfway\, I think a better thing isn't to have qualifications \, but to h ave more well defined probationary periods\, not one period but periods. M Eaning most jobs have an unwritten probationary period or a probationary p eriod that is unchallenging. I argue\, all jobs expose what you know or do n't know\, what skills you have or don't have \,  to perform the task any job need. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For example\, a brain surgeon\,  instead of a degree or doctor of philosophy from the massachuestts institute of te chnology\, what if a first probationary period determing whether you are a decent doctor is key? do you know how to fill out forms\, handle cuts bru ises\, handle emergency situations with many injured\, speak to the ill pl us their loving ones. if you show you do then you go to the next tier. in the next tier\, can you stitch a stomach wound\, scan perform an invasive procedure in the arm. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03162026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/topic/12584-do-you-believe-in-first-come-first-serve-in-hiring/#fin dComment-80731\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   18 hou rs ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I would prefer that a brain surgeon be *qua lified* to perform that work.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Nobody wants their head c ut open &\; brain exposed by someone who watched a few Youtube videos & amp\; think they got it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I would prefer too\, all would and will prefer\, but the question is what determines qualification? the key is the question of how is qualifications determined?\n\n\n\n When rela tives of mine have been malpracticed on by doctors\, what was the penalty to said doctors\, who are supposedly qualified because of pieces of paper from columbia and MIT and Johns Hopkins? the answer is nothing. So\,  you r correct\, all people want the best healthcare BUT what determines the pe rson who is the best? pieces of paper. \n\n\n\n Again\, the united states of america is a case study on the lack of quality. \n\n\n\n The Newspape rs reporters or owners are clearly lacking in quality because\n\n\n\n Hosp itals have daily malpractice suits\, from supposed qualified folk \, suppo sedly trained to be the best doctors \n\n\n\n Law Enforcement agencies ha ve mounds of domestic violence or domestic abuse claims unattended from su pposedly qualified folk\, supposedly trained to be the best law enforcers. \n\n\n\n Billion Dollar firms in the usa continually are bankrupt and need saving administered by supposedly qualified folk\, supposedly trained to be the best business operators or lawyers.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Newspape rs will put on page one when a black child steals an apple or a black adul t holds a knife.\n\n\n\n But medical malpractice in the united states of a merica has always been rampant\, and always protected from negative public opinion by media. And medical malpractice occurs from those supposedly qu alified so... where is their demerit? how are they then unqualified? Don't tell me a doctor that has medical malpractice is still qualified. And for anyone who feels doctors have earned the right of mistake\, well I want y ou to lose someone you love right now and then tell me how you feel. \n\n \n\n Law Enforcement costs the usa billions in civil court because of law enforcers committing crimes. PEople talk about city budget but the NYPD ha s cost NYC since the 1970s billions of dollars in civil court. And\, lets not go into the fact that the NYPD alone has a much longer history of crim inal activity that it was completely protected from. So \, do their badges burn when their fail in quality? How do they remain qualified ? \n\n\n\n When the entire banking industry went bankrupt in the united states of am erica filled with massachusetts of institute of technology graduates\, doe sn't that mean MIT's teaching qualifications or Goldman Sach's and simila firms accounting qualifications are proven false? Don't tell me it was the ir plan to go bankrupt and beg for money worse than any black woman on wel fare ever did\, or as well as white women on welfare have. \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Yes\, people learning online may be no better as doctors or law enfo rcers or corporate executive officers but if they are learning from what i s given in a short time\, how is that worse than people supposedly trained to be the best whom have already shown a lack of quality and lost any adm ission of qualification if honest? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't sense pena lty in the usa for those who are supposedly qualified to do anything\, whe ther it is failing elected officials\, failing corporate executive officer s\, failing doctors \, failing law enforcers all of whom are plenty in mod ern day \, 2026 \, usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So maybe first come first ser ve as a penalty for proving oneself unqualified is the answer.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n 03172026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12584-do-you-believe-i n-first-come-first-serve-in-hiring/#findComment-80737\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Qual ifications are determined &\; taught by subject matter experts in a giv en field.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n who or what determines who is a subject matte r expert?  better questions... who does profd rely on to determine who is a subject matter expect? how does profd determine who is a subject matter expert?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I will speak for myself and say\, pieces of pa per mean nothing to me in determining if someone is an expert\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Reads like your relatives didn't hire the *right* lawyers.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n let's jump beyond my r elatives\, all the black people in the usa who deal with tons of abuses\, sometimes leading to death\, daily\, from law enforcers\, from banks\, fro m hospitals. I assume you feel the answer to these abusers is in the court room? So these abusers outside of being penalized after someone takes the m to court or just free to continue?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\ , ProfD said:\n\n\n\n any people &\;/or their families have won medic al malpractice lawsuits.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Doctors with a track record of failure lose their medical licenses. \n\n\n\n not most people win medica l malpractice lawsuits let alone as you asserted earlier\, most people pro vide a lawsuit from this little unimportant thing to you called fiscal pov erty.\n\n\n\n why does a track record have to occur? how many errors on a record warrant demeriting? Funny\, when a black child steals an apple\, bl ack people have no mercy in claiming that child did a wrong above wrongs b ut a white man with a piece of paper\, needs how many strikes before he is outcase as a doctor? what number is it exactly? Or is it a random number?  \n\n\n\n Gardless\, most doctors with a track record of failure don't lo se their license\, and more importantly \, in the usa at least\, most doct ors are allowed at least one failure which goes to my point. qualification s mean nothing when no penalty exist.\n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD s aid:\n\n\n\n ll jurisdictions put a certain amount aside for civil litigat ion. \n\n\n\n Are you suggesting the city of new york has a surplus of ca sh left from its reservoir of losing lawsuit money. You do realize what yo ur saying? I hope you do. \n\n\n\n Your telling me NYC had 1.5 billion do llars prepared for 2024 for civil litigation\, who gave them this money? t he federal government has never done anything like that. NYC gets money fr om new york state which it has to beg for every year\, without new york st ate money new york city is collapsed with no question. Your telling me NY state gave ny city 1.5 billion dollars in preparation:) come on! but ok\, if that is your position\, just give me a yes or no and be gone\n\n\n\n ht tps://comptroller.nyc.gov/newsroom/city-paid-1-45b-in-settlements-last-fis cal-year-nyc-comptroller-finds-in-fy-2023-claims-report/\n\n\n\n   19 ho urs ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Some law enforcement officers have been st ripped of their badges or fired or imprisoned for committing crimes. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n not most\, this goes back to the jim crow era\, the black populace in the usa from 1865 to 1980 had millions of cases that never wen t to court based on white terrorism. Millions of cases. I am 100% certain less than one percent of the law enforcers who abused black people at any given year from 1865 to 2026\, any year\, not one percent of the combined years\, less than one percent of any given year.  And I extend that to al l fiedls. to restate\, less than one percent of the incidents of law enfor cers who serve white no matter their phenotype\, doctors who serve white n o matter their phenotype\, white owned firms  abusing/terrorizing/harming black people were taken to court in any given year from 1865 to 2026. So then from the less than one percent of court cases that even were started by black people against their white abusers in whatever form\,  then you have the rate of success of court cases which means ten percent of cases h ad success. Cause white law enforcement/ white medical services /white fis cal firms usually win ninety percent of the time. So\, ten percent of less than one percent which is VALUE: \n\n\n\n if WhiteTerror ~ to millions o f incidents of terror by white to blacks per year\n\n\n\n VLAUE= (WhiteTer ror/.99/10)\n\n\n\n Your correct\, it is some\, the question then is\, to any black person\, is that some something you respect or view positively o r not. I view it as feces\, you view it as something to be noted. ok\, eve n enough\n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Failure of banki ng systems is a function of greed fueled by risky &\; bad investments.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The qualified people know exactly what they're doing ev en if it means running a business into the ground. \n\n\n\n A logic peopl e like you keep saying makes no sense to people like me\, you keep touting greed as a negative element in fiscal capitalsim\, when by default greed is inherent. \n\n\n\n Greed has nothing to do with it. The fiscally succe ssful business is greedy. The fiscally ruinous business is greedy. It is q uality and the point is\, a failing business is not a sign of positive qua lity. \n\n\n\n By your words\, a firm failing or succeeding is not a meas ure of quality. Because someone you deem qualified no matter what results you can't delete your deeming\, cause you consider the results of their ac tions  never warranting declassficiation or dequalification. \n\n\n\n Th at is dysfunctional to me\, but ok. \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD s aid:\n\n\n\n Experience &\; track record among other factors separates the amateurs &\; pros.\n\n\n\n Are you saying that those you label amat eur are not qualified and those you label pros are qualified? the issue he re is qualification . You have now added two terms that in my mind have no thing to do with qualification. \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n There are penalties for failure.  We don't always hear about it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Qualifications do not equal perfection. Humans are fla wed. They will make mistakes too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n However\, I believe l egitimate doctors save more lives than they lose.\n\n\n\n I don't know eve rything that happens in humanity\, your right. I can only guess everything that happens in humanity. But I can tell you from all that I have heard\, less than one percent of those deemed qualified gets penalty for harming black people in the usa. \n\n\n\n I promised the following beforehand \, I hope everyone in your family get sick in hospitals\, hurt by law enforce ment and cheated by firms and then tell me about mistakes. \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n That is third term you have added\, to me\,  legitimate/amateur/pro s are unrelated terms to qualified or qualification. Legitimate means of t he law. The law can't qualify anything outside the law. Quality is a measu re of oneself. A law's quality is in the law itself\, its results. A docto rs quality is in the doctors results. a law enforcers quality is in how th ey enforce the law. a fiscal firms quality is in their ability to make mon ey/fiscus. Amateur/lover + professional/pros/one who does a thing are misu sed words in modernity that have nothing to do with their literal intent\, it is another linguistic statianism. But one deemed an amateur in moderni ty is differenced by one deemed a professional in modernity by revenue to labor or scale to profit. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But as for the gathering of doctors in the usa\, do I think they heal[not just save lives] more than they harm[not just murder]? that is a great question you pose. sadfully\, I don't know.  I can't give a weight to either side. I know doctors in th e usa have harmed and are harming\, while also healed and are healing.  B elief in this case will require me to give benefit of doubt to the usa or its people and i never have and never will\, the majority of people in the usa will always be scum for me. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03172026\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12584-do-you-believe-in-first-come-first-serve-in- hiring/#findComment-80740\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\ n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Herein lies your issue.  It is w ith the system of racism white supremacy.  Please share your idea(s) of h ow to dismantle it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well\, I treat each government in h umanity individually. China isn't the usa\, the usa isn't nigeria\,  nige ria isn't bolivia. governments have alliances or agreements but those ties can be changed or manipulated... I don't have an issue with any system in the usa because in my view\, the usa is what it always was starting from european colonies and always will be\, a country composed of various peopl es who are dysfunctional as groups with nothing in common in an integrated chaos led by individuals continually funneled in by immigration from vari ous peoples outside the usa who keep it afloat with their individuality in various arenas from government to finance. To rephase\, a potent shithole of individuals. Benjamin Franklin who published join or die begged englan d to bend a little to keep the colonies in the english empire. Thomas Jeff erson alone wrote the declaration while he and all of his peers in private showed total disbelief to everything he wrote. George Wahsington went aga inst nearly all his peers and stepped down voluntarily. James Forten \, a black man\, was a business owner literally fighting aside white men who fe lt the 95% of black people enslaved to whites had to stay in that conditio n. All these show the actions of individuals. If Franklin acted as the gro up he was apart of he wouldn't had made the newspaper snake\, if jefferson acted as the group he was apart of he would never had written the declara tion as is\, if washington acted as the group he was apart of he would had been kind\, if forten acted as the group he was apart of he would have fo ught against the creation of the usa 100%. But\, all of them are individua ls. That is the usa system. Faux Community. And you see this consistently all the time in the usa. Individuals using groups \, screwing over groups\ , lying about their intent being best for groups. \n\n\n\n I only have on e issue with the usa or its people and it is in the very declaration of in dependence\, it is lies. I don't like liars \, I never have\, and I never try to lie. but the usa's individualism loves to lie\, breeds liars all ov er\, and that does get to me\, admittedly. \n\n\n\n Outside of that\, i a m merely speaking the truth to the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Not sure of why you would hope that everyone in my family suffers misfortune. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n However\, I can assure you that being keenly aware of the ups &\; downs of life & amp\; ultimately human mortality\, I've never been adversely affected emot ionally by it including my own family members\, friends &\; associates.   Such is a part of life.\n\n\n\n To answer why I said the following prio r\, I despise quoting myself\, but ...  \n\n\n\n   22 hours ago\, ric hardmurray said:\n\n\n\n And for anyone who feels doctors have earned the right of mistake\, well I want you to lose someone you love right now and then tell me how you feel. \n\n\n\n in the following comment\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12584-do-you-believe-in-first-come-first-serve-in- hiring/#findComment-80731\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I'm not surprised.  it comes through in your posts.\ n\n\n\n yes\, even as a kid\, and while I can tell personal events in my l ife or sad history before my life\, if I am blunt\, I just don't care for the USA. In my mind I think\, it makes sense that some black descneded of enslaved will not like the usa in their blood. Absent proof\, even spiritu al proof\, it makes sense a little bit. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260310 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:National Black Bookstore Day DTSTAMP:20260324T021050Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:681-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n DIRECTORY OF BOOKSTORES\n\n\n\n https://www.nab2.org/dire ctory\n\n\n\n ADD YOUR LOCAL BLACK BOOKSTORE\n\n\n\n https://nab2.app.neon crm.com/forms/bookstore-directory\n\n\n\n BEST BOOKSELLERS\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/blackbestsellers/ADULT_FICTION_(Hardcover)_2026-02\n\n\n\n UPCO MING RELEASES\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/books/comingsoon.php\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n April 7th is National Black Bookstore Day - Culture\, Race &\; Ec onomy - African American Literature Book Club\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260407 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Vernal Rose 03/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20250324T083245Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:222-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Vernal Rose\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n poetry- an acrostic po em\, i tried to get it like a plant growing out of a vase\, take a look\, tell me how i did?\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/THE-VERNAL -ROSE-1174651850\n\n\n\n TITLE: THE VERNAL ROSE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Jump\, eVade\, agains\n\n\n\n Snapping little WintEr Snappers\n\n\n\n All soRoR s pring\n\n\n\n ToN lO!\n\n\n\n H'lAsS\n\n\n\n EuL bE\n\n\n\n from Hddeviant / Richard Murray\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES:\n\n\n\n H' - hi (Greeting)\n\n\ n\n Lass- young woman\n\n\n\n Lo - surprise\n\n\n\n Ton- musical pitch/sin ging\n\n\n\n Eul- good\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ink colored/ink coloring page/co lored pencil/graphite\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/TheVern alRose-multiimage-1174650684\n\n\n\n \n\n the ink colored is the one below the coloring page\, or colored pencil or graphite you have to see clickin g the link above\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Synthography \n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/art/TheVernalRose-synth-1174649966\n\n\n\n \n\n the one t o the right is the one most closest\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n \n\n\n Fabric Map Of Africa\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/nanaluvb ug/777657799468564481\n\n\n\n\n referral: https://www.tumblr.com/nanaluvbu g/777657799468564481?source=share\n\n You can read about it here: https:// minds-africa.org/fabric-map-of-africa-the-art-of-storytelling/\n\n or buy copies of the map here: https://www.miakora.com/product-page/fabric-map-of -africa\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250323 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nat King Cole born 1919 DTSTAMP:20250416T184432Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:249-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n These are all the songs in the Nat King Cole Trio recordi ngs that were composed by black writers. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Easy Listening Blues\n\n composed by Nadine Robinson [ nat king cole's first wife\; they met on tour with the play \"Shuffle Along\"  [[ https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Shuffle_Along ]] ]\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws1igAr1pY4\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This way out \n\n composed by Nat King Cole [ the first song he recorded that he composed]\n\n https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=S_l3oDI3e7E\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Honeysuckle Rose\n \n written + composed by Fats Waller + Andy Razaf (Andriamanantena Paul Ra zafinkarefo) [for the off broadway play [[\"Load of Coal\"]] at Connie's I nn]\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Xcyvd5hpU\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\ n\n\n Lyrics\n\n\n\n Every honey bee fills with jealousy\,<\;br>\;\n when they see you out with me.<\;br>\;\n Goodness knows<\;br>\;\n You're my Honeysuckle Rose<\;br>\;\n When you're passin' by flowers dr oop and sigh\,<\;br>\;\n and I know the reason why.<\;br>\;\n Good ness knows<\;br>\;\n You're my Honeysuckle Rose<\;br>\;\n Don't bu y sugar\,<\;br>\;\n You just have to touch my cup.<\;br>\;\n You'r e my sugar.<\;br>\;\n It's sweeter when you stir it up.<\;br>\;\n When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips<\;br>\;\n seems the honey fa irly drips.<\;br>\;\n Goodness knows<\;br>\;\n You're my Honeysuck le Rose<\;br>\;\n Guitar solo<\;br>\;\n Goodness knows<\;br>\; \n You're my Honeysuckle Rose<\;br>\;\n Don't buy sugar\,<\;br>\;\ n You just have to touch my cup.<\;br>\;\n You're my sugar.<\;br>\ ;\n It's sweeter when you stir it up.<\;br>\;\n When I'm taking sips f rom your tasty lips<\;br>\;\n seems the honey fairly drips.<\;br>\ ;\n Goodness knows<\;br>\;\n You're my Honeysuckle Rose\n\n\n\n\n Wall er + Razaff also did \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Aint Misbehavin lyrics + compositi on from Razaf + waller\n\n for a musical revue \"Hot Chocolates\" ... fina nced by dutch schultz\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8fWP6a3Q4\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n <\;p>\;\n AINT MISBEHAVIN<\;br>\;\n No one to talk with<\;br>\;\n All by myself<\;br>\;\n No one to walk wit h<\;br>\;\n But I'm happy<\;br>\;\n On the shelf<\;br>\;\n Ain 't misbehavin'<\;br>\;\n I'm savin' my love for you\n<\;/p>\;\n\n& lt\;p>\;\n I know for certain<\;br>\;\n The one I love<\;br>\;\n I'm through with flirtin'<\;br>\;\n It's you that I'm thinkin' of<\ ;br>\;\n Ain't misbehavin'<\;br>\;\n I'm savin' my love for you\n< \;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n Like Jack Horner<\;br>\;\n In the corner< \;br>\;\n Don't go nowhere<\;br>\;\n What do I care?<\;br>\;\n Y our kisses<\;br>\;\n Are worth waitin' for<\;br>\;\n Believe me\n& lt\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n I don't stay out late<\;br>\;\n Don't car e to go<\;br>\;\n I'm home about eight<\;br>\;\n Just me and my ra dio<\;br>\;\n Ain't misbehavin'<\;br>\;\n I'm savin' my love for y ou<\;br>\;\n Ain't misbehavin'<\;br>\;\n I'm savin' my love for yo u\n<\;/p>\;\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Razaf wrote this classic\, originally for the musical revue \"Hot chocolates\" with music by fats wa ller\n\n \"(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue\"\n\n https://www.youtu be.com/watch?v=WHCPM7K0evc\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n Col d empty bed\, springs hurt my head<\;br>\;\n Feels like ole ned\, wish ed I was dead<\;br>\;\n What did I do to be so black and blue<\;br&g t\;\n Even the mouse ran from my house<\;br>\;\n They laugh at you and all that you do<\;br>\;\n What did I do to be so black and blue<\;b r>\;\n I'm white inside but\, that don't help my case<\;br>\;\n ThIs life can't hide what is in my face<\;br>\;\n How would it end ain't g ot a friend<\;br>\;\n My only sin is in my skin<\;br>\;\n What did I do to be so black and blue<\;br>\;\n How would it end I ain't got a friend<\;br>\;\n My only sin is in my skin<\;br>\;\n What did I d o to be so black and blue\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES to black and blue\n\n He demanded a comedy song for a lady who says how tough it is to be black ...He literally put a gun to Andy's head and told him that if he didn't wr ite it he would never write again. The opening-night response to the song was silence -people were stunned. Then they went crazy. Andy hadn't writte n the comedy song Schultz wanted\, but because it was a hit\, Schultz left him alone.\n\n — Barry Singer\, author of \"Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf \n\n [Holden\, Stephen (8 February 1989). \"A Lo t of Hit Songs from an Unsung Lyricist\". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 May 2024. \; https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/08/arts/a-lot-of-hit-songs-f rom-an-unsung-lyricist.html ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And Edgar Sampson wrote Stompin at the Savoy \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Straighten up and fly right\n\n written by Nat King Cole + Irving Mills\n\n Composed by Nat King Cole \n\ n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-4VTlQlros\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n A buzzard took a monkey for a ride in the air<\;br>\;\ n The monkey thought that everything was on the square<\;br>\;\n The b uzzard tried to throw the monkey off his back<\;br>\;\n But the monkey grabbed his neck and said\, \"Now listen\, Jack\"<\;br>\;\n Straighte n up and fly right<\;br>\;\n Straighten up and stay right<\;br>\;\ n Straighten up and fly right<\;br>\;\n Cool down\, papa\, don't you b low your top<\;br>\;\n Ain't no use in divin'<\;br>\;\n What's the use in jivin'?<\;br>\;\n Straighten up and fly right<\;br>\;\n Co ol down\, papa\, don't you blow your top<\;br>\;\n The buzzard told th e monkey<\;br>\;\n You are chokin' me<\;br>\;\n Release your hold and I'll set you free<\;br>\;\n The monkey looked the buzzard right< \;br>\;\n Dead in the eye and said<\;br>\;\n \"Your story's so touch ing\, but it sounds<\;br>\;\n Just like a lie\"<\;br>\;\n Straight en up and fly right<\;br>\;\n Straighten up and stay right<\;br>\; \n Straighten up and fly right<\;br>\;\n Cool down\, papa\, don't you blow your top<\;br>\;\n Straighten up and fly right<\;br>\;\n Stra ighten up and stay right<\;br>\;\n Straighten up and fly right<\;br& gt\;\n Cool down\, papa\, don't you blow your top<\;br>\;\n Fly right\ n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I Love You ( For sentimental reasons )\n\n written by Ivory \"Deek\" Watson of the Ink Spots  + William \"Pat\" Best of the Fo ur Tunes\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUnguqPxzNU\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n I love you<\;br>\;\n For sentimental reason s<\;br>\;\n I hope you do believe me<\;br>\;\n I'll give you my he art<\;br>\;\n I love you<\;br>\;\n And you alone were meant for me <\;br>\;\n Please give your loving heart to me<\;br>\;\n And say w e'll never part<\;br>\;\n I think of you every morning<\;br>\;\n D ream of you every night<\;br>\;\n Darling I'm never lonely<\;br>\; \n Whenever you are in sight<\;br>\;\n I love you for sentimental reas ons<\;br>\;\n I hope you do believe me<\;br>\;\n I've given you my heart<\;br>\;\n I love you for sentimental reasons<\;br>\;\n I ho pe you do believe me<\;br>\;\n I've given you my heart\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n YOu know the Ink Spots\n\n\n\n \"Memories of You\" written by Razaf an d Eubie blake [ The song was introduced by singer Minto Cato in the Broadw ay show Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1930. ]\n\n https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=pg5Dv_QYwJI\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Memories of You from Andy Ra zaf<\;br>\;\n VERSE 1\n<\;br>\;<\;br>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n Why c an't I forget like I should?<\;br>\;\n Heaven knows I would if I could <\;br>\;\n But I just can't keep you off my mind.<\;br>\;\n Though you're gone and love was in vain\,<\;br>\;\n All around me you still remain.<\;br>\;\n Wonder why fate should be so unkind.\n<\;/p>\;\n \n<\;p>\;\n REFRAIN\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n Waking skies<\;br >\;\n At sunrise\,<\;br>\;\n Ev'ry sunset\, too\,<\;br>\;\n Seem s to be<\;br>\;\n Bringing me<\;br>\;\n Memories of you.<\;br> \;\n Here and there\,<\;br>\;\n Ev'rywhere\,<\;br>\;\n Scenes that we once knew\,<\;br>\;\n And they all<\;br>\;\n Just recall<\;b r>\;\n Memories of you.<\;br>\;\n How I wish I could forget those< \;br>\;\n Happy yesteryears<\;br>\;\n That have left a rosary of tea rs.<\;br>\;\n Your face beams<\;br>\;\n In my dreams\,<\;br>\; \n 'Spite of all I do\,<\;br>\;\n Ev'rything<\;br>\;\n Seems to br ing<\;br>\;\n Memories of you.\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n VERSE 2\ n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n Though for years we've been apart\,<\;br& gt\;\n Time heals ev'rything but my heart<\;br>\;\n That still aches f or you the same old way.<\;br>\;\n Seems I can't escape from the past\ ,<\;br>\;\n And your spell keeps holding me fast\,<\;br>\;\n Each tomorrow is like yesterday.\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n REPEAT REFRAIN\ n<\;/p>\;\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Memories of YOu  from Thelonius Monk\n \n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhxIIhA_JVk\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n From Eubie Blake\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw9KzKJJjPs\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n You know the Four Tunes\n\n \"I Understand (J ust How You Feel)\" written by Pat Best\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=achpJtgdDNk\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n I understand jus t how you feel<\;br>\;\n Your love for me\, why not be mine?<\;br> \;\n It's over now but it was grand<\;br>\;\n I understand\, I underst and<\;br>\;\n If you ever change your mind<\;br>\;\n Come back to me and you will find<\;br>\;\n Me waiting there\, at your command<\; br>\;\n I understand\, I understand<\;br>\;\n I miss you so\, please believe me when I tell you<\;br>\;\n I just can't stand to see you go <\;br>\;\n You know<\;br>\;\n If you ever change your mind<\;br& gt\;\n Come back to me and you will find<\;br>\;\n Me waiting there at your command<\;br>\;\n I understand\, I understand<\;br>\;\n Plea se understand just how I feel<\;br>\;\n Your love for me why not revea l<\;br>\;\n And we will know this time it's real<\;br>\;\n We'll u nderstand\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You Are My Love (1955 song) written by Jimm ie Nabbie\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTqBYz5Rouo\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n <\;p>\;\n You are my love\, (you are my love)&l t\;br>\;\n My one and only!<\;br>\;\n When you're not near\, (when y ou're not near)<\;br>\;\n I'm oh\, so lonely!\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p& gt\;\n You are my love\, (you are my love)<\;br>\;\n And please believ e me\,<\;br>\;\n There's not another\,<\;br>\;\n There'll be no ot her one for me!#\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n I sigh and cry<\;br>\; \n And long for you\, (and long for you)<\;br>\;\n Oh my darling\, my dear one\,<\;br>\;\n Oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh!\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n You are my love\, (you are my love)<\;br>\;\n And please believe me\,& lt\;br>\;\n There's not another\,<\;br>\;\n There'll be no other one for me!\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n I sigh and cry<\;br>\;\n And l ong for you\,<\;br>\;\n Oh my darling\, my dear one\,<\;br>\;\n Oo oh-ooh-ooh-ooh!\n<\;/p>\;\n\n<\;p>\;\n You are my love\, (you are my love)<\;br>\;\n And please believe me\,<\;br>\;\n There's not a nother\,<\;br>\;\n There'll be no other one for me!<\;br>\;\n (you are my love) are my love!\n<\;/p>\;\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Those who kn ow me know I love Nat King Cole \, and I can place all the music he made\, remember\, the song is a collaborative project\, you can write a song\, b ut can you sing it? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Portrait of Jenny\n\n lyrics J. Russel Robinson\, Gordon Burdge\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLT PhJMddxc\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS so  lovely i can't resist< \;br>\;\n A Portrait of Jennie<\;br>\;\n More precious to me<\;br& gt\;\n Than a masterpiece<\;br>\;\n How ever famous it be<\;br>\;\ n The portrait of Jennie<\;br>\;\n Is etched on my heart<\;br>\;\n Where her features have been<\;br>\;\n Sketched from the start<\;br >\;\n Ah\, the color and beauty of life<\;br>\;\n And the glow of he r spirit divine<\;br>\;\n All cast in heaven's own design<\;br>\;\ n With a portrait of Jennie<\;br>\;\n I never will part<\;br>\;\n For there isn't any portrait of Jennie<\;br>\;\n Except in my heart< \;br>\;\n For there isn't any portrait of Jennie<\;br>\;\n Except in my heart\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Fly Me To The Moon ( In Other Words ) \n\n lyrics+composition from George Shearing\, Nat King Cole\n\n https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=rABO0_pvims\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS<\;br& gt\;\n Poets often use many words to say a simple thing<\;br>\;\n It t akes thought and time and rhyme<\;br>\;\n To make a poem sing<\;br&g t\;\n With music and words I've been playing<\;br>\;\n For you\, I hav e written a song<\;br>\;\n To be sure that you'll know what I'm saying <\;br>\;\n I'll translate as I go along<\;br>\;\n Fly me to the mo on<\;br>\;\n And let me play among the stars<\;br>\;\n Let me see what spring is like<\;br>\;\n On Jupiter and Mars<\;br>\;\n In oth er words\, hold my hand<\;br>\;\n In other words\, darling kiss me<\ ;br>\;\n Fill my heart with song<\;br>\;\n And let me sing forever m ore<\;br>\;\n You are all I long for<\;br>\;\n All I worship and a dore<\;br>\;\n In other words\, please be true<\;br>\;\n In other words\, I love you<\;br>\;\n Fill my heart with song<\;br>\;\n And let me sing forever more<\;br>\;\n You are all I long for<\;br>\; \n All I worship and adore<\;br>\;\n In other words\, please be true&l t\;br>\;\n In other words\, I love you\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COM MENTARIES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03192026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1 2600-happy-birthday-nat-king-cole/#findComment-80772\n\n\n\n osted just n ow\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 3/18/2026 at 2:19 PM\, ProfD said:\n\ n\n\n The late\, great Nat King Cole was a real troubadour &\; excellen t musician.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Colorism goes way back.  They did this to Nat King Cole for a TV appearance:\n\n\n\n I know\, but I look at it a nother way. Black people like Nat King Cole\, like Frederick Douglass\, ML K jr\, James Forten\, Michelle side Barrack Obama have always existed in t he usa or the white european colonies/dominions that proceded it. \n\n\n\ n Black people like Nat King Cole say to non blacks\, non black dosers\, t hat I will treat you with respect\, with civility \, even if you don't tre at me the same. And not because I want to be humiliated or insulted or bec ause I am weak\, but because I treasure peace even amongst you... especial ly amongst you. I don't want to live my life fighting whites every day. Th at to me is what Nat King Cole\, Billy Eckstine (that whites treated sinfu lly) Nichelle Nichols (who suffered a lot of crow for the idea of Uhura wh o lives among the non black humans in the future:) far far future in peace \, sorry non humans still a way to go for that) and other entertainers are saying. They fully know the Nat turners\, the Jean Jacques Dessalines\, t he Quilombos are in the community\, black people who don't trust the non b lack\, don't want to live civilly among the nonblack\, are willing to be a rmed and violent to uphold the way of life they want to have. But\, Nat Ki ng Cole and other blacks like him\, are willing to trust\, live civilly wi th\, willing to be unprotected around the non black\, not naively or stupi dly but with hope. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That is the real point. Frederick Douglass's composite nation speech isn't suggesting the enslaver becomes t he friend easily or overnight or simply. The enslaver becomes the abuser\, the abuser becomes the trickster\, the trickster becomes the dour\, the d our may one day become the kin\, the kin becomes the ally\, the ally becom es the friend\, the friend becomes the lover.  Cause all awhile from ensl aver to lover\, the other was always the neighbor\, no segregation ever ex isted\, it was always integrated \,in various forms. So\, if the black is to embrace civility living aside the non black in various forms\, it is a process\, part of that process is being told to where white face paint and giving in sometimes and not giving in other times.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0322026 \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12600-happy-birthday-nat-kin g-cole/#findComment-80826\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian  \n\n\n\n is unforgettable your favrite nat king cole rendition?\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n a certain level of respect and admiration\, interesting w ords you chose to describe levels that didn't include respect or admiratio n to nat king cole in his life from his enemies. \n\n\n\n again\, the iss ue isn't about black enemies\, it is about black people gardless of their personal talents who are willing to live peacefully to the non black \, it is that simple. \n\n\n\n St patrick's day passed and I do like the film michael collins . Him and a few others in irish leadership really led to t he movement that made a part of ireland free from england after 700 years\ , but the key moment was when he realized that the freedom the irish wante d the happiness the irish wanted as a people\, not individuals\,  wasn't going to come through business ownership\, marching\, peitions\, governmen t engagement\, they did all of that for centuries and it led to nothing. T he only way ireland was going to be free\, which is why irish in most of i reland today are truly free\, is by killing english....\n\n\n\n Agan\, Jam es Forten to NAt King Cole to various black folk today\, live their lives to happiness in spite of the communities oppression. That to me is what wa rrants respect or admiration that is what nonblacks don't respect or admir e. being entertaining doesn't grant you respect or admiration from the bul ly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0322026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12600- happy-birthday-nat-king-cole/#findComment-80834\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\ n\n\n @aka Contrarian Well from my assessment of history Douglass never l eft his black wife for his white mistress\, whom if I am correct\, killed herself...I checked\, frederick douglass first wife died before he married his second wife. as for nat king cole\, I knew he had cheated on his wife \,but I have never seen whom or any photos or anything. His wife I recall in some interview said he cheated and she went on tour in europe and came back and they continued their lives\, he didn't have cancer when she came back but it started soon enough after. So in both cases\, i wouldn't say as a male\, they left their wives. Both men were always married to their b lack wives while having a white mistress.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \ n\n\n\n yes\, your correct\, financial revenue\, financial value for most \, 99% \, black folk in any industry in the usa historically is based on w hite dollars in the usa\, always has been \, i argue always will be based on the demographic reality. but financial revenue isn't respect or admirat ion. it is earned value labor something whites historically never want to give black people\, and for the financial record\, Nat King Cole was cheat ed money by whites. so earning money clearly doesn't yield respect or admi ration\, but if it is evenly done\, it does pay the bills\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250317 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Fulgurantess 03/18/2025 DTSTAMP:20250318T211416Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:220-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Fulgurantess 03/18/2025\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n te en superhero aid to a Black Lightning in some DC Universe- coloring page a vailable \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1172385423\n\n Bla ck Lightning from one of the DC alternative worlds\n\n https://www.deviant art.com/hddeviant/art/Female-Black-Lightning-selection-AI-1057351079\n\n \ n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Female-Black-L ightning-selection-AI-1057349022\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/portraitsofafrica/161515846498\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250318 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Huria search engine DTSTAMP:20260316T034423Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:680-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n search engine tool\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/huria-search /#gsc.tab=0\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral page\n\n\n\n Your Obligation To AA LBC - Culture\, Race &\; Economy - African American Literature Book Clu b\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n for example\, i searched cars and found the following website\n\n\n\n African American Golfer's Digest\n\n\n\n https://africana mericangolfersdigest.com/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and has alist of black golf c lubs\n\n\n\n https://africanamericangolfersdigest.com/african-american-gol f-clubs/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 03162026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12590-your-obligation-to -aalbc/#findComment-80732\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Troy \n\n\n\ n   9 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n I literarily brought it back yest erday.  It was down for several years\, but as I'm revamping the site I'm bringing back features that I abandoned -- even if a few people will use and benefit from it.  It took me all of 5 minutes to bring it back.  AI made this possible.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When you say AI made this possible\ , what do you mean? \n\n\n\n Didn't you have the code? why was AI needed? I imagine all you needed to do was load the frontal code into an aalbc pa ge post and return the backcode onto the server\, godaddy. \n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n AI is reminiscent of the early days of t he web.  This time around fewer people will take advantage of it and the benefit to individuals will not be very long.\n\n\n\n well\, we will see w hat happens. You offer the question. What advantages does modern computing power you plus others label artificial intelligence offer? Are any fiscal ? \n\n\n\n NYC just finally admitted a quarter of its populace is hungry\ , circa two million and five hundred thousand people are hungry. Don't tel l me they all are lazy. The internet whom you say more took advantage of\, at the end of the day has three primary industries: sex/retail shopping/i nfluencers \, not all people can offer sex or have anything to sell or wis h to evangelize themselves enough to be sponsored. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ht tps://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/11/1-8-nyc-public-school-kids-was -homeless-last-school-year/401093/\n\n\n\n November 18\, 2024\n\n\n\n The number of students who experienced homelessness in New York City last scho ol year could fill Yankee Stadium nearly three times over. That’s accord ing to a new report [ https://advocatesforchildren.org/policy-resource/s tudent-homelessness-data-2024/ ] released Monday from Advocates for Child ren of New York\, which found over 146\,000 public school children – or 1 in every 8 – didn’t have a permanent place to call home during the 2 022-2023 school year.\n\n\n\n Of the over 146\,000 students impacted last year\, 41% spent time living in city shelters\, 54% were doubled up with o ther families\, and 5% were unsheltered or living in cars or hotels\, acco rding to the nonprofit’s annual report on New York State Education Depar tment records. That’s a 23% increase from the 2022-2023 school year\, spurred in large part by an uptick of students living in shelters.\n\n\n\n https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/special-reports/in-the-dark-new-yor ks-child-welfare-deaths\n\n\n\n 26% \n\n\n\n https://nypost.com/2026/03/1 6/us-news/nyc-spent-roughly-81k-per-person-on-homeless-services-last-year- comptroller/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03172026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topi c/12590-your-obligation-to-aalbc/#findComment-80739\n\n\n\n osted just no w\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   20 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Again\ , I'll restate some people need to stop procreating.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Th ey're not too lazy to stop f8cking but cannot afford their offspring. Make s zero sense. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   20 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\ n It is selfish for people to bring children into the world &\; not be able to provide shelter\, food &\; clothing for them.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Broke men &\; women should get themselves fixed. That way\, they can f8ck from sun up to sun down &\; not have to worry about bringing someo ne else into poverty &\; homelessness.\n\n\n\n Yeah\, black people been mostly\, over 95%\, fiscally poor their entire history in the usa or the european colonies that preceded\, based on the logic you just used\, ninet y five percent of black people in 1865 should had never had a child. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Time is relevant\, fiscal poverty doesn't have a time limi t in being true so...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you agree you shouldn't had been born\, because if you are a black descended of enslaved\, then your forebe ars fit the exact category of people whom you say should get themselves fi xed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @admin\n\n\n\n   17 hours ago\, admin said:\n\ n\n\n 146\,000\, i’m surprised it’s not more. I would be willing to be t that it is. New York is Hard and unforgiving if you don’t have any mon ey.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don’t know why people have children they can’ t afford. it’s probably the programmed primal instinct to procreate. \n \n\n\n i am 100% sure the real numbers are worse. ahhh NYC isn't hard and unforgiving\, why do people in usa keep trying to soften the ineptitude of the country. NYC isn't hard and unforgiving\, it simply is mismanaged in government while infested with charlatan cheater fiscal operators for hund reds of years\, longer than the usa was in existence. \n\n\n\n   17 hou rs ago\, admin said:\n\n\n\n Well\, Richard is not that simple. If it wa s\, I would’ve done it already.The calculus completely changed in an AI world. I’m now doing things that I would not have considered doing becau se it required effort\, time\, intellect and money that I did not have.\n\ n\n\n please help me to comprehend.\n\n\n\n If the code is already present and placing the code in your server was easily doable\, then you must hav e needed to add something to the code and placing it in the server is most convenient with modern computing power.\n\n\n\n If the code was not alrea dy present or the code being placed in wasn't easily doable\, then modern computing power allowed you to generate the code needed or place it in the server satisfactory to whatever conventions. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0317202 6\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12590-your-obligation-to-aalbc/#findC omment-80742\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   9 minute s ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Would like be any worse if they chose not to procreate?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n did you mean to ask the following: \n\n\n\ n Would life be any worse if they chose not to procreate?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n   9 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Fiscal poverty has always exi sted.  Many people have found a way out of it too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I a pologize\, I realized late\, I meant to type\, time is irrelevant. But\, t he question isn't the existence of the fiscal poor\, the question is\, bas ed on your publicly stated position\, that fiscal poor should not procreat e. so if true\, then no one fiscal poor throughout human history should pr ocreate\, which means you are definitely not born?\n\n\n\n   9 minutes a go\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n If my forebearers had chosen not to procreate t hat would have been perfectly fine with me. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ahh  I like my personal life. Always been loved\, always been supported. and all by my own kin. I don't mind coming from the enslaved/fiscal poor/bereft of hope... I rather honor a set /a selection of my forebears. ... just to ex plain\, like all DOSers i have some white european forebears\, so I can't look to honor all my forebears. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03172026\n\n\n\n http s://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12590-your-obligation-to-aalbc/#findComment-80747\n \n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   10 minutes ago\, ProfD  said:\n\n\n\n Would life be any worse if they chose not to procreate?\n\ n\n\n My parents always said that having children is a joy unlike any othe r... they both helped many children\, not their own by blood... I can't an swer your question. I think for some no\, for some yes.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03182026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12590-your-obligation-to-aalb c/#findComment-80758\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I would hope that all parents feel simi larly &\; they would do whatever it took to keep their offspring from b eing hungry &\;/or homeless.\n\n\n\n all parents don't cause all parent s are human\, humanity means various positions not just one \, and my pare nts never said they would do whatever it took\, they spoke the truth\, the y tried their best. My parents never suggested parental success is some ma ndatory\, the key is to try\, but failure is an option\, a failing parent doesn't mean a malintentioned one. again\, my enslaved forebears who were born and died enslaved to some white person weren't malintentioned because they had children. Their descendents first not legally enslaved while in jim crow were not malintentioned by having children absent any financial o pportunity.\n\n\n\n The one thing I don't know is where do black folk like you get the \"don't warrant having children\" philosophy from? I have rea d many things of black people in the 1800s\, I don't recall any thing like that. The only people saying black people shouldn't have kids in the usa in the 1800s is whites who didn't want black people to have kids cause the y dislike /hate/some negative black people. \n\n\n\n Who was the earliest black leader to push the narrative you and quite a few other blacks I hav e heard offline or online say?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03192026\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/topic/12590-your-obligation-to-aalbc/#findComment-80771\n\n\ n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n Irresponsible is the more appropriate word for people bringing ch ildren into the world &\; unable to provide for &\; protect them. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well fiscally poor people are not irresponsible for bri nging children in this world\, the simple truth is some fiscally poor peop le never have the ability to raise their children\, no matter how hard the y try. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n There is no \"don't warrant having children\" philosophy or movement. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Maybe there isn't but I have doubts\, too many black people I have heard offline speak of fiscally poor people\, especially black people ... being irresponsible having children... One day when I get time I will research and find the source in the usa \, cause most of the black people I can think of in the past who said the point in question\,  were black church folk or old black money in the usa\, black people who were rich fro m the 1800s \, and the rest is trickling from either source.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 03192026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12590-your-obligation-to -aalbc/#findComment-80775\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n contraception comes in many forms and the only free contraception i know of is abstinence\, which has always existed\, but again\, if humanity abid ed by your stated action then humanity wouldn't exist today. A species mur dering themselves is the most unnatural thing for any species to do. To re phrase\, all children of earth procreate\, trees make babies in trashheaps \, fish make babies in dirty streams\, birds make babies under toxic air. humans like all other children of earth make babies under all sorts of cir cumstances and are not irresponsible for failing as a parent. PArt of matu rity of any living being is comprehending this anceint truth and to think opposite is foolish.\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260315 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Saint Patrick's Day - Good News Calendar DTSTAMP:20250302T180532Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:217-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Read a story from my good news calendar\n\n\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-good-news-blog-stories-through-a-year/?tab=com ments#comment-889\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n OR read it in here\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A little boy in the house with his father side mother\, come into the stu dy of his father. He hold a coloring page.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Hey Papa\ , my school wanted me to color this shamrock image any color I wanted and share it online\" \n\n The father look on and say: \"Nice choice of green son\"\n\n \"What do you know about Saint Patrick's Day Papa\": inquire th e son. The father nip his son. His son rub the nipped spot and give a litt le smile\, in a face of confusion. \n\n The father open his arms and the son sit on his lap\, coloring page in hand: \"Your grandmere nipped me if I didn't wear green on Saint Patrick's day\, but beyond a little\, I do no t know much. We are not Irish. But I know someone who knows far far more\" \n\n \"Oh yeah\, who dad\"\n\n \"Well\, where do I begin...\"\n\n Many yea rs in the past\, the father\, a younger man\, unmarried unparent\, stand i n front of a bar downtown Manhattan. A poster is in their window\, and the day is Saint Patrick's day.\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n He goes insi de and take a seat side friends. A waitress come by and ask what they will drink. R and LD\, or D and A want Guinnesses. The father to be\, alone\, choose the same. A waitress come by with a drink.\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n He takes his sip and all five enjoy the day. As the sun is soon to sleep\, the two couples go to their homes and the husband to be is alone\, walkin g to fifty ninth street. He could had gone into the train station to get o n the A train back home to Harlem\, before the Blacks were pushed out. But \, he chose to take a seat on a park bench and think of a lady on the othe r side of a southern sea.  He walk about a bench when he gets a nip. He l ift his foot up and he can not believe it. A little man is looking up at h im.\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n \"Amadán mór thú!\" : yell the little man and he continue: \"Ní thuigeann tú mé ... ahhh watch were ya going you fat hach seacláide!\" \n\n The father to be look to the street. \n\n \"Iont ach!\, what do you think you are doing\, dreaming\, or drunk\"\n\n The hus band to be squat and speak to the little man:\"maybe I am\"\n\n The little man howl a laugh: \"I once out drank Fionn mac Cumhaill who as a boy was better than most men\, when he last saw his wife\, before he ventured away I challenged him to a contest of wine made in the deepest cave in Tir na nog by the loveliest tuathe de women... ahhh now we were truly drunk\, you are merely a weak bellied\"\n\n The father to be rise: \"well\, I apologi ze\, happy saint paddy day\"\n\n \"AHHHH!!!\": the little man yell out:\"Y ou dhaoine associate the shamrock with that blue scarved baiste\, that is not the truth\". The husband to be\, sit on a park bench. The little man s it next to him\, and he look out.\n\n \"Don't worry\, none can see me\": a nd the little man continue to shine a shoe\, a pendant made for a bigger n eck rolled up at his side\, and he continue as the father to be smile at h im: \"the truth is\, saint patrick was a good man\, but he never wanted al l this philandering and ag ol. He wanted calm\, serenity\, for when the re al magic happens\"\n\n \"Real magic?\": query the husband to be.\n\n \"Yes \, like when someone like you step on an old shoe shiner like me\": the li ttle man hold the medallion and continue: \"You need to be transported to a church for that old saint Patrick\, the banshee will be there\"\n\n The husband to be startle: \"banshee\"\n\n The little man laugh:\" calm down\, a banshee isn't like in your te-le-vi-sion stories\, banshees are helpful \, very helpful... they tell you who will pass away soon\, sometimes appea ring as loving ones\". The little man throw the medallion to the husband t o be and snap his fingers. Suddenly\, the father to be is in a church. \n \n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n eemingly empty\, the father to be hear names in the w ind. He walk down the isle of the church looking for the speaker. \n\n He opines to the calm air in the church:\"Ms or MRS Banshee\"\n\n He hears n ames over and over\, whispered. The air begin to mist and the voices get l ouder. He feels a cool behind him and sees a female emanation\, that look like a stranger\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n She wails out names\, and turns into a younger girl\, and then a man\, and then an e lder. The husband to be do not comprehend why so many\, who is going to be gone. The father to be then realize the truth. The medallion shine in his hand\, and he snap from the church to the bench. \n\n The father to be l ook incredulous at the little man:\" I don't get it\"\n\n \"The lesson is for you to figure out\, that is what your kin never comprehend\, the world you call magic is safe\, so are old folk like from it\, but your lives ar e mortal\, are fragile\, but your spirits are eternal\, their magic is why we can speak to you sometimes\, try to guide you\, though...\" : and the little man disappear from sight\, the medallion leave the hand of the fath er to be\, and the voice of the little man continue:\"... we usually fail\ "\n\n The father to be rock in the park bench and get up\, shaking his hea d\, before the trek into the subway. \n\n Back in the present\, his son a sk a question. \n\n \"Did you remember the names you heard\, ever see tha t little man again?\"\n\n The father hold the son tight: \"no\, I can not recall any name\, but today I realize\, the lesson\"\n\n The son ask wonde ring: \"what lesson\"\n\n \"The kin of each person is each other person\"\ n\n \"Ceia is ready!\": a female voice call out. \n\n The son run out of the room\, the father smile behind him\, and exit his chair. The father ge t to the door and he hear the sound of a tiny cobbler\, and smile without turning back\, to get his supper.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE END\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n I only had one work of art in my deviantart gallery that returned so mething visual from green/luck/rainbow \, but i found numerous in my favor ites\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/March-on-Green-F eature-expose-1168543402\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you like my story consider reading the following\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sunset-chil dren-stories\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The irish song I like the most is one I fi rst heard in a movie called the Nephew\, in english \, from 1998. \n\n\n\ n LYRICS referrals\n\n\n\n https://lyricstranslate.com/en/fill-fill-run-re turn-return-my-love.html\n\n\n\n https://genius.com/Anuna-fill-fill-a-run- lyrics\n\n\n\n Lyrics in irish\n\n\n\n Fill\, fill a rún\n\n[Verse 1]\nÓ crá ort\, a shagairt Uí Domhnaill\nNach dona go deo mar a d'imigh tú\ nÓ léigh sé an tAifreann Dé Domhnaigh\n's bhí sé maidin Dé Luan ina mhinistir\n\n[Chorus]\nÓ fill\, ó fill a rún ó\nFill a rún ó\nIs ná h’imigh uaim\nÓ Fill orm a chuisle ‘s a stóirín\nÓ is gheo-g haidh tú an ghlóir má fhillean tú\n\n[Verse 2]\nDá bheic-feadh sibh Neilí Dé Dómhaigh\n'S a gúna bhán go sala uirthi\nBúclai buí in a bróga\n's í á tarraingt sa ród mar phúca\n\n[Chorus]\nÓ fill\, ó f ill a rún ó\nFill a rún ó\nIs ná h’imigh uaim\nÓ Fill orm a chui sle ‘s a stóirín\nÓ is gheo-ghaidh tú an ghlóir má fhillean tú\n\ n[Verse 3]\nTá malacht na sagart 's na mbráithre leat\nI do mhála ag im eacht duit\n'S nach measa duit malacht do mháthartha\nNá á bhaca tú a Iríamh den bhunadh sin\n\n[Chorus]\nÓ fill\, ó fill a rún ó\nFill a rún ó\nIs ná h’imigh uaim\nÓ Fill orm a chuisle ‘s a stóirín\n Ó is gheo-ghaidh tú an ghlóir má fhillean tú\n\nVerse 4\nÓ thréigh tú Peadar is Pól\, agus\nThréigh tú Eoin is an bhunadh sin\nÓ thré igh tú an Mhaighdeán ’s an ghlóir\, is\nNach dona go deo mar a d'imi gh tú\n\n[Chorus]\nÓ fill\, ó fill a rún ó\nFill a rún ó\nIs ná h’imigh uaim\nÓ Fill orm a chuisle ‘s a stóirín\nÓ is gheo-ghaidh tú an ghlóir má fhillean tú\n\n\n\n Lyrics in english\n\n\n\n Return\ , Return my Love\n\nOh woe unto you\, oh1 priest Ó Domhnaill\nDon't ever be so wretched as when you left\nOh he performed the mass on Sunday\nAnd w as a minister2 on Monday morning\n\nOh return\, oh return\, my love\, oh\n Return\, my love\, oh\, don't leave my side\nOh return\, my beloved3 and m y darling oh\nAnd you'll receive the glory if you do return\n\nIf you coul d see Neilí on Sunday\nAnd her white dress with heels on her\nYellow buck les on the shoes\nShe is being dragged in the street like a puck4\n\nOh re turn\, oh return\, my love\, oh\nReturn\, my love\, oh\, don't leave my si de\nOh return\, my beloved3 and my darling oh\nAnd you'll receive the glor y if you do return\n\nThe curse of the priests and the brothers5\nYou carr y with you in your leaving bag\nAnd worse for you your maternal6 curse\nDo n't ever block yourself from that heritage\n\nOh return\, oh return\, my l ove\, oh\nReturn\, my love\, oh\, don't leave my side\nOh return\, my belo ved3 and my darling oh\nAnd you'll receive the glory if you do return\n\nO h\, you forsook Peter and Paul\nAnd you forsook John and this heritage\nOh you forsook the Maiden and her glory\, and\nDon't ever be as wretched as when you left\n\nOh return\, oh return\, my love\, oh\nReturn\, my love\, oh\, don't leave my side\nOh return\, my beloved3 and my darling oh\nAnd y ou'll receive the glory if you do return\n\n1. vocative particle can be tr anslated as oh or sometimes as my\n2. i.e. he changed sides from Catholic to Protestant\n3. a. b. c. d. literally: pulse\n4. Irish mythical beings c onsidered to be bringers both of good and bad fortune\n5.religious brother s\n6.or your mother's curse\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://youtu. be/FjGSsBmZtOY?t=619\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250317 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bobby McFerrin born 1950 DTSTAMP:20250331T014439Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:227-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Bobby McFerrin born 1950\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Voice\n\n e lement BlackBirds from The Beatles\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n Listing\n\n https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=7v8uzMFb74M&\;list=PLEoabs3UwVngSd0VH63dpetZKmsW 1u6lc\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Opening Credits to Season 4 of the Cosby show\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Spontaneous Inventions\n\n element thinkin g about your body\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n full show\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n THINKING AB OUT YOUR BODY\n\n\n\n Oh baby I'm thinkin' about your body\n\n Oh baby I'm thinkin' about your face\n\n Oh baby I'm thinkin' about your body\n\n thi nkin' about your face\n\n\n\n Oh baby I'm thinkin' about your body\n\n Oh baby I'm thinkin' about your face\n\n Oh baby I'm thinkin' about your body \n\n thinkin' about your face\n\n\n\n Songwriters: Robert Mcferrin Jr..\n\ n\n\n List\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywmiopWzdH4&\;list=OLAK5 uy_lM8Gs1m8fp6goa8AcJqVJvBNGCx11dwJE&\;index=2\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Simple Pleasures album\n\n element Don't Worry Be Happy\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n Listing just in case\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFDOSq6Wxa0&\;list=PL tFFA8euM8uxTMn0_8GhVLIz1txCvJfjc\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DONT WORRY BE HAPY\n\n \n\n Here's a little song I wrote\n\n You might want to sing it note for n ote\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n In every life we have some trouble\n\n Bu t when you worry you make it double\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n Don't wor ry be happy now\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo-ooh hoo-hoo-ooh-ooh ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Woo ooh-woo-ooh-woo-ooh-ooh\n\n Be happy\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh \n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n Ooh-ooh hoo-hoo-ooh hoo-hoo-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh\ n\n Don't worry\n\n Woo ooh-woo-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Be happy\n\n Woo-ooh-w oo-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n\n\n Ain't got no place to lay your head somebody came and took your bed\n\n\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n The landlord say your rent is late he may have to litigate\n\n Don't worry\n\ n Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha\n\n Be happy\n\n Look at me I'm happy\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh- hoo-hoo-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-oo h-ooh-ooh-ooh...\n\n Be happy\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Here I'll give y ou my phone number\n\n When you're worried call me I'll make you happy\n\n \n\n Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n W oo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Be happy\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n\n\n Ai n't got no cash ain't got no style\n\n Ain't got no gal to make you smile\ n\n But don't worry be happy\n\n 'Cause when you're worried your face will frown\n\n And that will bring everybody down\n\n So don't worry be happy\ n\n Don't worry be happy now\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh-hoo-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh o oh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Be happy\n\ n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-hoo-ooh-o oh\n\n Be happy\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n\n\n N ow there is this song I wrote\n\n I hope you learned it note for note like good little children\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n Listen to a what I say in your life expect some trouble\n\n When you worry you make it double\n\n Don't worry be happy be happy now\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh -ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Be ha ppy\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-o oh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-hoo -ooh-ooh\n\n Be happy\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n \n\n Ooh-ooh-hoo-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry (Don' t worry\, don't do it)\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Be happy\n\n Wo o ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n (Put a smile on your face\, don't bring everybody do wn like this)\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-hoo-ooh-ooh\n\n It will soon pass\, whatev er it is\n\n Woo ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n Don't worry be happy\n\n\n\n Ooh-ooh- ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh ooh-ooh-ooh\n\n I'm not worried\n\n\n\n Songwr iters: Robert Mcferrin Jr.. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Medic ine Man\n\n Medicine Man element\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz2f2yy9fHw&\;list=PLn8WMQrzp79hN8iGifZLkacJs6 NEPKlvn\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MEDICINE MAN\n\n\n\n I am a medicine man\, I do a medicine dance\n\n I am a medicine man\, I sing a medicine chant\n\n I am a medicine man\, I have a medicine tale\n\n I am a medicine man\, I wal k a medicine trail\n\n I got potions thatll heal your wounds\n\n And the r hythms that I drum will soothe\,\n\n I got harmonies to give you hope\n\n Im a medicine man\n\n Healins my plan\n\n I am a medicine man.(chorus)\n\n \n\n I got melodies to take you home\n\n And my dance will help your blood to flow\n\n I got words to make the devil go\n\n Im a medicine man\, heal ins my plan\n\n Solo\n\n Whatever could be ailin you\n\n I got music to di spel your blue\n\n There is nothing that I cannot do\n\n Im a medicine man \n\n Healins my plan\n\n\n\n Songwriters: Robert Jr. Mcferrin\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Vocabularies Album\n\n entry Say LAdeo \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn-8OHKkU1mc_hsx_Yvob qLjQlZNqF64W\n\n SAY LADEO lyrics\n\n\n\n Hey\, hey\, say Ladeo\n\n Time f or taking words away\n\n The melody will tell the story\n\n As we go along \n\n Riding a wave of a thousand stories\n\n Starlit journeys of morning g lories\n\n Where your long lost dreams are suddenly awake\n\n Summoning a prayer\, didn't even know was there\n\n Say Ladeo\n\n A song becomes a tho usand songs\n\n Hey\, hey\, say Ladeo\n\n Time we took the words away\n\n We're getting to somewhere closer\n\n That's hidden inside\n\n Words only take you so far and leave you\n\n Wondering just what it was you meant to\ n\n Say what you would say if your heart led the way\n\n Take away the wor ds\, letting all the sounds just play\n\n Say Ladeo\n\n A song becomes a t housand songs\n\n And each and every heart\n\n Brings life and times and r hymes along\n\n All the dreams you never knew were there\n\n Sound and fee ling\, melody and prayer\n\n Say Ladeo\n\n Words only take you so far and leave you\n\n Wondering what it was you meant to\n\n Say what you would\, say what you would\n\n Say if you could let your heart just lead the way\n \n Say Ladeo\n\n A song becomes a thousand songs\n\n A prayer becomes a so ng\n\n So sing out loud or whisper low\n\n Songwriters: Donald B. Rosler\, Roger Cary Treece\, Robert Jr. Mcferrin\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For his vocal style McFerrin was inspired by Keith Jarrett [ a white European descended man]\n\n The Köln Concert \n\n It is a totally improvised concert.\n\n M cferrin wanted to do something similar vocally.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03152026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/topic/12585-what-are-your-thoughts-to-the-music-of-bobby-mcferrin/# findComment-80717\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Chevdove\n\n\n\n he has spent his five minutes of fame money well. He is in the education circuit . from dont' worry be happy to now. Not disppeared at all\, i have seen hi m in various scholastic settings. when one is in the entertainment world b ut doesn't act to be clicked... the newspaper and media outlets show their poor quality. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n yeah\, everybody loves his style:)\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250311 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:\"Within Our Gates 1920\" review + Thoughts to Oscar Micheau x from Movies That Move We DTSTAMP:20260311T022118Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:674-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n OSCAR MICHEAUX THEATER\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/event s/event/677-oscar-devereaux-micheaux-books-plus-films/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Within Our Gates\" from OScar Micheaux\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Still from Within Our Gates\, portraying the ly nching of Jasper Landry (William Stark) and his wife (Mattie Edwards)\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Still from the 1920 Oscar Micheaux film Within Our Gates featuring Grant Gorman and Evelyn Preer\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Tit le\nWithin our gates\nSummary\nSylvia Landry\, a young black woman\, is vi siting her cousin\, Alma Prichard\, in the North. After Alma uses her wick ed step-brother Larry to break Sylvia's engagement\, Sylvia returns to the South. She meets Rev. Jacobs\, a minister who runs a school for black chi ldren\, which is facing closure. Sylvia volunteers to go to Boston to atte mpt to raise funds. Upon arriving\, her purse is stolen\, but a local man\ , Dr. Vivian\, manages to get it back for her. Dr. Vivian falls in love wi th Sylvia\, and gradually learns of her tragic past: her adoptive mother a nd father were both the victims of lynching and she was the victim of atte mpted rape\, after a meeting between her adoptive father\, sharecropper Ja sper Landry\, and the plantation owner\, Philip Girdlestone\, ends with Gi rdlestone dead. Meanwhile\, despite setbacks\, Sylvia has managed to raise $50\,000 for the school from a generous philanthropist. After a second di fficult encounter with Larry\, Sylvia and Dr. Vivian are happily reunited. \nNames\nMicheaux\, Oscar\, 1884-1951\, film director\, film producer\, sc reenwriter\, actor\nPreer\, Evelyn\, actor\nClements\, Flo\, actor\nLucas\ , Charles D.\, actor\nRuffin\, James D.\, actor\nChenault\, Jack\, actor\n Jacks\, S. T. (Samuel True)\, 1887-1955\, actor\nStarks\, William\, 1879-1 937\, actor\nEdwards\, Mattie\, 1866-1944\, actor\nMicheaux Film Corporati on\, production company\nCreated / Published\n1993.\nHeadings\n- African American educators\n- African American schools\n- African American physi cians\n- Hoodlums--United States\n- Educational benefactors--United Stat es\n- Race relations\n- Racism--United States\n- Lynching--United State s\nGenre\nRace films\nSocial problem films\nSilent films\nFeature films\nF iction films\nNotes\n- Originally released in the U.S. in 1920 by the Mic heaux Book and Film Co. and Quality Amusement Corporation\, both under the states rights system.\n- At approximately 46 minutes into the film\, Osc ar Micheaux appears in a cameo as a criminal doing business with the gambl er\, Larry Prichard\, who is Alma's step-brother.\n- LC also holds the Sp anish language version\, entitled La Negra in the AFI/Filmoteca Española Collection and a 1/2 in. viewing copy entitled The African American cinema I : Oscar Micheaux's Within our gates in the LC Collection.\n- Sources u sed: Eagan\, D. America's film legacy\, p. 64-68\; AFI catalog online\, vi ewed March 22\, 2024\; Internet movie database\, March 22\, 2024\; San Fra ncisco Silent Flm Festival WWW site viewed March 22\, 2024 (Within our gat es essay).\n- Evelyn Preer\, Flo Clements\, Charles D. Lucas\, James D. R uffin\, Jack Chenault\, S.T. Jacks\, Mrs. Evelyn\, William Stark\, Mattie Edwards\, Ralph Johnson\, Grant Gorman\, E.G. Tatum\, Grant Edwards\, Jimm ie Cook\, William Smith\, Bernice Ladd\, Oscar Micheaux.\n- Reconstructed in 1993 from a nitrate print of La Negra\, a version with Spanish languag e intertitles. The new English language intertitles are a translation from the Spanish back into English\, with English diction\, slang\, and syntax drawn whenever possible from Oscar Micheaux's novels or from his 1925 fil m\, Body and soul.\n- This film was selected for the National Film Regist ry.\nMedium\n1 video file (digital) (78 min.) : si.\, b&\;w.\nSource Co llection\nAFI/Filmoteca Española Collection (Library of Congress)\nDigita l Id\nhttps://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/ntscrm.00046435\nLibrary of Congress Control Number\n2024600507\nOnline Format\nimage\nvideo\nLCCN Permalink\nh ttps://lccn.loc.gov/2024600507\nAdditional Metadata Formats\nMARCXML Recor d\nMODS Record\nDublin Core Record\n\nCITATION\n\nChicago citation style:\ nMicheaux\, Oscar\, Film Director\, Film Producer\, Screenwriter\, Actor\, Evelyn Preer\, Flo Clements\, Charles D Lucas\, James D Ruffin\, Jack Che nault\, S. T Jacks\, William Starks\, and Mattie Edwards. Within Our Gates . produceds by Micheaux Film Corporationuction Company 1993. Video. https: //www.loc.gov/item/2024600507/.\n\nAPA citation style:\nMicheaux\, O.\, Pr eer\, E.\, Clements\, F.\, Lucas\, C. D.\, Ruffin\, J. D.\, Chenault\, J. [...] Edwards\, M. (1993) Within Our Gates. Micheaux Film Corporationuctio n Company\, prod [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress\, https:// www.loc.gov/item/2024600507/.\n\nMLA citation style:\nMicheaux\, Oscar\, F ilm Director\, Film Producer\, Screenwriter\, Actor\, et al. Within Our Ga tes. prod by Micheaux Film Corporationuction Company 1993. Video. Retrieve d from the Library of Congress\, <\;www.loc.gov/item/2024600507/>\;.\n \nFormat\nFilm\, Video\nContributor\nChenault\, Jack\nClements\, Flo\nEdwa rds\, Mattie\nJacks\, S. T. (Samuel True)\nLucas\, Charles D.\nMicheaux Fi lm Corporation\nMicheaux\, Oscar\nPreer\, Evelyn\nRuffin\, James D.\nStark s\, William\nDates\n1993\nLocation\nUnited States\nLanguage\nNo Linguistic Content\nNot Applicable\nSubject\nAfrican American Educators\nAfrican Ame rican Physicians\nAfrican American Schools\nEducational Benefactors\nFeatu re Films\nFiction Films\nHoodlums\nLynching\nRace Films\nRace Relations\nR acism\nSilent Films\nSocial Problem Films\nUnited States\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \"Within Our Gates 1920\" review from Movies That Move We\n\n Video li nk\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pDDAem6CS8\n\n Embed video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 0:1717 secondsHey\,\n0:3333 secondsWhat does it mean to tell you r own story when the world has decided it doesn't want to hear it?\n0:4141 secondsWhat does it cost personally\,\n0:4444 secondsfinancially\, spirit ually to force truth onto a screen that which\n0:5151 secondsthe entire in dustry was built to suppress? That question is at the center of what we'll be discussing today. And I\n0:5858 secondsthink the question makes Oscar Marco one of the most important figures in American film history\, not jus t black\n1:061 minute\, 6 secondsfilm history\, American history. Welcome back to Movies That Move We. I'm Nay and\n1:121 minute\, 12 secondstoday w e're going to deep dive into one silent film from 1920 that was nearly los t forever. abandon multiple cities\n1:221 minute\, 22 secondsand directly challenge the most successful films of the area the era.\n1:271 minute\, 2 7 secondsToday we're talking about within our gates by Oscar Mo.\n1:321 mi nute\, 32 secondsNow if you watched the episode last month we covered Marc o Marco's background in depth. So we're not going\n1:401 minute\, 40 secon dsto repeat that today. But there are two things that you need to keep on the sticky side of your brain before we can\n1:471 minute\, 47 secondstalk about this film. first Lincoln Motion Picture Company. They wanted to\n1: 541 minute\, 54 secondsadapt Mo's novel\, The Homesteader\, but they told him he couldn't direct it himself. So\, he started his own company.\n2:032 minutes\, 3 secondsJust like that\, he started the MO film and Book Compa ny in 1918.\n2:092 minutes\, 9 secondsHe raised the money by selling share s directly to black farmers and community members. That independence is ev erything and that's why this film exists at all.\n2:222 minutes\, 22 secon dsSecond\, and this is important\, you cannot understand within our gates without understanding what it was\n2:292 minutes\, 29 secondsresponding to . Birth of a nation by WD Griffith\, which came out in 2000\, I'm sorry\, 1915.\n2:382 minutes\, 38 secondsI'll make it plain. technically innovativ e\, cinematically influential\,\n2:442 minutes\, 44 secondsand deeply deva statingly racist. It glorifies the KKK as heroes and portrays black men as animalistic and predatory.\n2:542 minutes\, 54 secondsPresident Woodro Wi lson screened this at the White House. The NAACP tried to have\n3:013 minu tes\, 1 secondit banned and failed. It became the highest grossing film of its era and was used as a clan recruitment tool.\n3:113 minutes\, 11 seco ndsHistorians have linked it directly to the resurgence of clan membership in the years that followed.\n3:183 minutes\, 18 secondsThis is what Oscar Mako was working against.\n3:233 minutes\, 23 secondsNot just the images on a screen\, but real world violence that those images enabled.\n3:313 mi nutes\, 31 secondsThen comes 1919\,\n3:343 minutes\, 34 secondsthe Red Sum mer. Race massacres across the country. White mobs attacking black neighbo rhoods. Hundreds of Africanameans\n3:433 minutes\, 43 secondskilled. The c ountry was burning. Within our gates is released January 1920.\n3:513 minu tes\, 51 secondsIt is a direct answer and it doesn't flinch.\n3:573 minute s\, 57 secondsThe version that we have today is incomplete.\n4:034 minutes \, 3 secondsThe film was believed to be entirely lost until 1993 when a pr int was discovered in a Spanish\n4:114 minutes\, 11 secondsarchive in Madr id. It was cataloged under its Spanish title\, Lanra.\n4:184 minutes\, 18 secondsWhat we have runs about 79 minutes\, more than likely shorter than the original.\n4:264 minutes\, 26 secondsand some of the intertitles have been reconstructed from the Spanish translation.\n4:324 minutes\, 32 secon dsSo\, we're working with an important but still extraordinary artifact.\n 4:384 minutes\, 38 secondsThe central character in this film is Sylvia Lan dry\, played by Evelyn Prayer.\n4:454 minutes\, 45 secondsIf you don't kno w that name\, we need to take a moment because she's one of the most impor tant figures in this entire era of black film cinema.\n4:564 minutes\, 56 secondsSome film historians credit her as the first black movie star in th e modern sense. Someone with\n5:055 minutes\, 5 secondsgenuine screen pres ence\, a recognizable name\, and an audience that specifically\n5:125 minu tes\, 12 secondswanted to see her. She Marco had one of the great professi onal partnerships of American film history. She was his\n5:215 minutes\, 2 1 secondsleading lady across multiple films. She was his instrument for sh owing the world what black women on screen could look\n5:305 minutes\, 30 secondslike when somebody actually cared about their interiority.\n5:355 m inutes\, 35 secondsTragically\, she died in 1932 at just 36 years old due to complications following childbirth. Her daughter Eva survived\,\n5:475 minutes\, 47 secondsbut black cinema lost one of its brightest lights far too soon. When you watch this film\, know that you're\n5:545 minutes\, 54 secondswatching someone at the height of her powers. Give her the attentio n she deserved.\n6:026 minutes\, 2 secondsNow\, back to the character that she played\, Sylvia. She's educated\,\n6:086 minutes\, 8 secondsdignified \, she's complex. She's exactly the kind of black protagonist that Hollywo od simply was not putting on the\n6:166 minutes\, 16 secondsscreen. The st ory opens up with Sylvia in the north caught in a messy romantic situation with a man named Conrad.\n6:276 minutes\, 27 secondsHe's engaged to someo ne else. A jealous woman\, specifically her cousin named Elma\,\n6:346 min utes\, 34 secondsemploys a petty criminal to interfere in Sylvia's life.\n 6:406 minutes\, 40 secondsSylvia travels back to the south to raise money for a school\, the Pineywood School\, which was serving black and poor\n6: 496 minutes\, 49 secondschildren in the rural South. The school is actuall y based on a real institution\,\n6:546 minutes\, 54 secondsthe Pineywoods Country Life School in Mississippi.\n7:007 minutesShe believes deeply in e ducation as uplift.\n7:057 minutes\, 5 secondsShe secures a donation for t he school from a white northern philanthropist named Alina Warick.\n7:137 minutes\, 13 secondsBut the film's most devastating sequence comes through flashback. Sylvia's adoptive father\, Jasper Land Lands\n7:227 minutes\, 22 secondsLandry\, I'mma get this out. Is a sharecropper falsely accused o f murdering his white land owner\,\n7:317 minutes\, 31 secondsGriddlestone . In reality\, in reality\,\n7:347 minutes\, 34 secondsGriddle Stone was k illed by his white neighbor.\n7:397 minutes\, 39 secondsBut in this Americ a\, a black man accused is a black man hunted. What follows is a lynching sequence.\n7:497 minutes\, 49 secondsJasper and his wife are killed by a w hite mob. And in the flashback\, a young Sylvia is attacked by Griddleston e\n7:567 minutes\, 56 secondshimself. It's clearly framed as an attempted sexual assault. And then in a\n8:038 minutes\, 3 secondsgeniusly stunning narrative turn\, he stops because he recognizes by a scar on\n8:108 minute s\, 10 secondsher chest that she's his biological daughter.\n8:158 minutes \, 15 secondsThe woman he sees as less than human is his own child. The fi lm ends with Sylvia\n8:248 minutes\, 24 secondsback in the north. She's be en shot. She recovers. And a doctor named Viven who\n8:328 minutes\, 32 se condsloves her is at her side. And they're united.\n8:378 minutes\, 37 sec ondsIt's more than a hopeful ending. More It's a more hopeful ending than the film's brutality might suggest\,\n8:468 minutes\, 46 secondsthough. Th at hope feels hard. One earned through an unflinching look at what black l ife in America actually look like.\n8:578 minutes\, 57 secondsMy co was wo rking with real formal craft. This is not a rough or primitive\n9:049 minu tes\, 4 secondsfilm even by 1920s standards. He uses close-ups\, especiall y on Preer's face to\n9:139 minutes\, 13 secondscapture that emotion for a character that Hollywood typically keeps flat. The\n9:219 minutes\, 21 se condsparallel ending during the lynching sequence mirrors a technique Grif fith used in Birth of a Nation. Cutting between locations to build tension .\n9:339 minutes\, 33 secondsThat segment is in fact very intense.\n9:389 minutes\, 38 secondsBut my co completely flips the moral framework where G riffith was using that\n9:449 minutes\, 44 secondstechnique to frame white women as needing protection and rescue from black men. My co uses it to i ndict white\n9:559 minutes\, 55 secondsviolence against black people. He's using the master's tools deliberately.\n10:0410 minutes\, 4 secondsThere are a number of themes to look at here. The first would be the counter nar narrative as a political act. My co-\n10:1410 minutes\, 14 secondsunderst ood something that we now take for granted in media criticism.\n10:2010 mi nutes\, 20 secondsRepresentation is never neutral.\n10:2410 minutes\, 24 s econdsImages teach people who is human and who's not considered\n10:3110 m inutes\, 31 secondshuman. They shape how communities see themselves and ho w they're seen by others. Birth of a Nation was actively\n10:4010 minutes\ , 40 secondsharming black Americans\, not just offending them. The images in that that film gave psychological permission for violence.\n10:5110 min utes\, 51 secondsThey confirmed a worldview that said black people were da ngerous and subhuman.\n10:5810 minutes\, 58 secondsMy co on the other hand responds by creating images that insist on black humanity in all of its c omplexity.\n11:0711 minutes\, 7 secondsSylvia is not a saint. She's naviga ting a messy romantic situation at the film's\n11:1311 minutes\, 13 second sopening. She's made compromises. She's fully human and that full humanity is a\n11:2111 minutes\, 21 secondspolitical statement. The second theme i s the in intracial\n11:2811 minutes\, 28 secondsdebate. Here's something t o miss on a casual watch. My co is\n11:3611 minutes\, 36 secondsalso engag ing with a major intracial debate happening in real time.\n11:4311 minutes \, 43 secondsThis is the era of doce versus Booker T.\n11:4711 minutes\, 4 7 secondsWashington. Do is arguing for full civil rights and higher educat ion.\n11:5311 minutes\, 53 secondsWashington\, on the other hand\, is argu ing for industrial education and accommodation within white power\n12:0012 minutesstructures. The film has characters who represent different positi ons. There's a\n12:0612 minutes\, 6 secondspreacher named Old Ned who is s ickant towards white patrons. He\n12:1312 minutes\, 13 secondsperforms the version of himself they want to see. And my co treats that attitude with real contempt.\n12:2212 minutes\, 22 secondsThen there's Sylvia. She's com mitted to education and uplift\,\n12:2812 minutes\, 28 secondsbut she has to navigate white patronage to do it. When she secures a donation\n12:3412 minutes\, 34 secondsfrom Elena Warwick\, the film doesn't present it simp ly. Where does the money come from? Who does it ultimately serve?\n12:4412 minutes\, 44 secondsWhat are the unspoken terms? My code doesn't give you easy answers.\n12:5112 minutes\, 51 secondsThis film is an active convers ation with black intellectual tradition.\n12:5912 minutes\, 59 secondsThe third theme\, womanhood and sexual violence. Let's make it plain.\n13:0613 minutes\, 6 secondsOne of the things within our gates does that is genuin ely radical for 1920\n13:1213 minutes\, 12 secondsor frankly for any era i s to put the sexual violence against black women on\n13:1913 minutes\, 19 secondsthe screen as historical and present reality.\n13:2513 minutes\, 25 secondsThe griddlestone assault on Sylvia is not ambiguous. It's the real ization that\n13:3113 minutes\, 31 secondshe is her biological father. a p roduct of an earlier assault on her black\n13:3813 minutes\, 38 secondsmot her. It collapses the central mythology white southerners used to justify lynching.\n13:4713 minutes\, 47 secondsThe narrative was always we're prot ecting white women from black men.\n13:5413 minutes\, 54 secondsMy co on t he other hand says look at what's actually happening. Look at who's actual ly assaulting whom. Look at the\n14:0314 minutes\, 3 secondschildren that violence is producing because how much more evidence do you need?\n14:1014 minutes\, 10 secondsIda B. Wells has been documenting this or had been do cumenting this in her journalism for decades.\n14:1814 minutes\, 18 second sMy co put the argument on film and notably Sylvia survives.\n14:2414 minu tes\, 24 secondsShe endures. She carries this history in her body and she continues. and how much\n14:3114 minutes\, 31 secondsof that is just what black women do even now.\n14:3814 minutes\, 38 secondsThere is something d eeply important in that refusal to let her be defined only by what was don e to her.\n14:4814 minutes\, 48 secondsThe fourth theme is censorship.\n14 :5214 minutes\, 52 secondsChicago sensors initially refused to allow the f ilm\, citing concerns that the\n15:0015 minuteslynching sequence would pro voke racial unrest. Think about that for just a\n15:0515 minutes\, 5 secon dsmoment. A film depicting racial violence was rejected because it might u pset\n15:1415 minutes\, 14 secondspeople who saw the depictions of racial violence.\n15:1915 minutes\, 19 secondsThe concern wasn't for black audien ces processing their trauma on the screen.\n15:2615 minutes\, 26 secondsTh e concern was for white comfort.\n15:3015 minutes\, 30 secondsMy co fought back. The man was tenacious. He negotiated.\n15:3615 minutes\, 36 seconds He may have made some cuts. We don't know exactly what changed because we don't have the original print of the\n15:4315 minutes\, 43 secondsfilm. Bu t the film got shown. It played to black audiences across the country.\n15 :5015 minutes\, 50 secondsThe Chicago Defender\, the Pittsburgh Cur Courie r\, they covered this film seriously.\n15:5815 minutes\, 58 secondsSo\, th is is a film that we nearly lost.\n16:0416 minutes\, 4 secondsOf the rough ly 44 films that Michael made\, we have 12. And I don't think I\n16:1216 m inutes\, 12 secondshave my Yes\, I do. We have 12. The rest are lost becau se the films deteriorated.\n16:2116 minutes\, 21 secondsNo one with instit utional power. And this is the entire collection here. No one with institu tional power saw fit to\n16:2916 minutes\, 29 secondspreserve them. Nitrat e film which was used at the time is fragile and race\n16:3616 minutes\, 3 6 secondsfilms were not prioritized. They weren't considered worthy of arc hiving.\n16:4216 minutes\, 42 secondswithin our gates survived because a S panish archive preserved a print under a different name.\n16:5216 minutes\ , 52 secondsHad someone not cataloged it correctly\,\n16:5516 minutes\, 55 secondswe may have never known that this film existed.\n16:5916 minutes\, 59 secondsThe film preservation was not a neutral act. What gets saves te lls you what a\n17:0617 minutes\, 6 secondsculture values and what it's wi lling to let disappear. It's it goes back to that\n17:1417 minutes\, 14 se condsthing we've repeatedly said here\, that thing that Walter Mosley says about\n17:2017 minutes\, 20 secondsbooks\, which is if you're not in the the story\, you're not in the culture. And\n17:2917 minutes\, 29 secondsth e fact that we were able to find this film\, find 12 of the 44 films\, it puts\n17:3817 minutes\, 38 secondsus back into the silent film movie era e ra and it solidifies us within the\n17:4617 minutes\, 46 secondsAmerican c ulture of that time as something other than slaves and in servitude to any body else.\n17:5617 minutes\, 56 secondsThe Library of Congress added with in our gates to the National Film Registry in 1993.\n18:0418 minutes\, 4 s econdsIt's now recognized as one of the most significant American films ev er made.\n18:1118 minutes\, 11 secondsThink about my co's lineage. What di d he get started here?\n18:1818 minutes\, 18 secondsYou have my co to the LA Rebellion filmmakers to Spike Lee to Julie Dash to Ryan Cougler to Ava Duivere.\n18:3118 minutes\, 31 secondsIt's a whole line. The insistence on determination\,\n18:3618 minutes\, 36 secondsthe refusal to wait for Holl ywood to tell your story accurately\, the willingness to go directly to yo ur audience and say this is for us.\n18:4818 minutes\, 48 secondsMy co was doing what black filmmakers are still doing today\, fighting for the righ t to depict black life in its full complexity. We're not a monolith.\n19:0 219 minutes\, 2 secondsHe just had to do it with far fewer resources in a far more hostile environment. Remember we talked about this last month. Yo u had\, you know\,\n19:1419 minutes\, 14 secondsWarner Brothers\, Fox\, Pa ramount. They were fighting each other to get started.\n19:2019 minutes\, 20 secondsBut at a certain point\, they fought so that they could get the resources\, the films\, the cameras\, everything\, and\n19:2719 minutes\, 27 secondsfocus on building their empires. And at a certain point their in fighting became\n19:3419 minutes\, 34 secondshealthy competition. But even in that even when they were at war with each other and fighting for posit ion to be\n19:4319 minutes\, 43 secondsthe Hollywood studio collectively t hey were not including black people.\n19:5319 minutes\, 53 secondsWhat doe s this film demand of us now? When you watch Within Our Gates today\,\n20: 0120 minutes\, 1 secondyou can and you can um it's in the public domain. T his is more than a hundred This film is more than a hundred years old.\n20 :1020 minutes\, 10 secondsUm and I'll make sure that I post the links for you. It demands something from you. The lynching sequence is hard to\n20:1 920 minutes\, 19 secondswatch and you know it it's not filmed like it woul d be today where you know\n20:2820 minutes\, 28 secondsyou get visuals and closeups of of what's happening. But the pace of the\n20:3620 minutes\, 3 6 secondsfilm at that point makes it hard to watch and you find yourself t ensing up.\n20:4220 minutes\, 42 secondsI know I did. Even though I could see in the filming that maybe they had someone standing on a stool at a ce rtain point\,\n20:5220 minutes\, 52 secondsit was no less impactful.\n20:5 420 minutes\, 54 secondsHe wasn't making art for comfort. He was making ar t as testimony.\n21:0121 minutes\, 1 secondBut what I found most powerful is not the horror.\n21:0621 minutes\, 6 secondsIt's Evelyn Prair's face. t he moments where his camera simply rests on her\,\n21:1521 minutes\, 15 se condslets her think\, lets her feel. Even though there are no audible word s in\n21:2221 minutes\, 22 secondsthis film\, the actors emoted wonderfull y.\n21:2721 minutes\, 27 secondsThose moments are as radical as anything e lse in the film. He's saying her inner\n21:3421 minutes\, 34 secondslife m atters. her character is worth your attention in 1920\n21:4121 minutes\, 4 1 secondson screen. And when you really think about it\, that in itself is a revolutionary act.\n21:4921 minutes\, 49 secondsAnd knowing what we kno w now\, knowing that she would be gone just 12 years later at 36 years old \, there's something\n21:5721 minutes\, 57 secondsvery precious about ever y single film that she's in. Watch her closely.\n22:0522 minutes\, 5 secon dsSo\, that's all I have for you today. Um\, the film was banned\, nearly erased\,\n22:1422 minutes\, 14 secondsrediscovered in a foreign archive\, and is now exactly where it belongs\, at the\n22:2122 minutes\, 21 seconds center of conversation about what American cinema is to be and what it ref used to be. Oscar Mako didn't ask\n22:2922 minutes\, 29 secondspermission. He raised money from his community. He built his own infrastructure and h e made the films he believed needed to exist.\n22:4222 minutes\, 42 second sI think I said this in the last episode. He was ahead of his time. And be cause he was and because he did\,\n22:5122 minutes\, 51 secondswe have a 7 9 minute survival. This piece of testimony that is still speaking a 100 pl us years later.\n23:0223 minutes\, 2 secondsIf you watch one film after th is\, make sure it's within our gates. It's on YouTube. It's in the Library of Congress. It's on MGM.\n23:1423 minutes\, 14 secondsYou can get it fro m your local library.\n23:1623 minutes\, 16 secondsYou can find this film for free. Give Evelyn Prayer your full attention.\n23:2423 minutes\, 24 se condsGive M give Oscar my co the engagement that he was fighting for. real ly study his study his film\, study him.\n23:3723 minutes\, 37 secondsYou know\, as I watched the film\, I thought about what he had to do to be a f ilmmaker.\n23:4423 minutes\, 44 secondsHe was a key figure in building the black film industry. Not the only\, but the well-known figure.\n23:5623 m inutes\, 56 secondsI wondered what would he think of the black film indust ry today.\n24:0324 minutes\, 3 secondsAll right. Well\, that's it. Thanks for spending your time with me. Like and follow our Facebook and YouTube p age\,\n24:1224 minutes\, 12 secondsMovies That Move Wee\, and share this i f it meant something to you. If you got anything out of it\, go ahead and share\n24:2024 minutes\, 20 secondsit with someone you know. Until next ti me. Bye.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n What does it mean to tell your own story when others with more power decide they don't want to see it?\n\n W hat does it mean to tell stories that the larger industry was designed to oppress?\n\n 1919 The red summer\, was the USA burning or was the black po pulace in the usa being burned?\n\n 4:22 the Spanish title is La Negra\, t he black... Within Our Gates Spanish title is \, the black. \n\n 5:41 I d idn't know Evelyn Preer died in child birth\n\n The funny thing is Micheau x's stories had more complex characters than white financed films for deca des after.\n\n 6:50 Piney Woods Country Life School https://en.wikipedia.o rg/wiki/Piney_Woods_Country_Life_School\n\n The largest boarding school fo r black descended of enslaved\, one of four Black DOS boarding schools. \ n\n https://www.pineywoods.org/\n\n 9:59 well said\, Michaeux reverses the roles from \"birth of a nation\"\n\n 10:30 good point\, representation is never neutral. \n\n 11:05 Also\, shows the power of white violence\, but also treats whites with a humanity\, that his white peers do not do for b lacks.\n\n 11:59 hmmmm well WEB Dubois/ Booker T Washington/ Marcus Garvey / Frederick Douglass are all at the same time. \n\n They all advocate for the rights of Black individuals or groups. They all advocate for learning \, greater learning among black individuals or groups. \n\n I think their variance is in the response to white violence and sequent actions or goal s to black people. \n\n Dubois heading the white jewish financed National association for the advancement of colored people don't take even one per cent of the crimes against black people by whites to court\, while he supp orts a phenotypically integrated workplace.  I argue\, Dubois wants civil rights but can only demand it as a public request to whites\, alongside a request to allow blacks in white owned labor environments based on merit. But paid labor is rarely based on merit. \n\n Washington wants Black peo ple who at that time for ninety percent in the former confederacy states\, to remain in the south and uphold a less intertwined form of integration. Washington doesn't want segregation but he wants to comfort whites by sta ying out of their towns/schools/business areas and getting black people to focus on building their own. \n\n The variance between Dubois side Washi ngton is in their end goals. Dubois end goal is to have communities/workpl aces/schools where whites side blacks are one people. With that kind of go al\, you can't have historic black colleges side historic white colleges. You can't have blacks towns side white towns. Government for Dubois is a t ool to force total/holistic integration. This suited the white jew financi ers for Dubois whose strategy was to guide blacks to have a holistic integ ration to get whites who are not jewish to embrace the white phenotypical populace with no boundaries in gender/religion/language/geographic ancestr y. Looking at the future the White jews got what they wanted as the modern white populace at the time of this writing doesn't have any of the intern al blockades to whites who are not male/Christian/European descent as in t he eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds.  Washington's end goal i s to have black communities/black schools/black businesses that only relat e to whites financially\, and stay out of government. The whites who finan ced Washington didn't have any allegiance to poor whites in the south and saw the black populace of the south as a potential offset to the poor whit e populace of the south. The Jim crow laws in many ways were pushed by fin ancially poor whites who realized the black southern populace if not kept in an extremely negative financial state using the governments of the sout hern states\, would be a rival and upend their position in bargaining with rich whites. Looking at today and the southern states\, and how the white southern populace is the base for the anti immigrant position\, it shows truth. The white southern populace didn't mind immigrants as long as they were hindering black financial growth by being cheaper labor or blockaded from bettering poor whites by their illegal status or extended jim crow la ws. \n\n Marcus Garvey though supported black rights plus education. The problem is Garvey didn't believe anywhere in the American continent was pl ausible for black rights to be upheld or for black education to lead to op portunity. And it is truthful\, if you look at Mexico\, brazil\, the usa\, even Haiti after henri Christophe died\, the entire American continent\, canada to argentina\, before jean Jacques Dessalines or after henri Christ ophe in Haiti\, was an anti black place. yes\, examples throughout the Ame rican continent existed for black individual examples\, going through many white walls. But\, what is the point of life? is the point of life to str uggle? I argue no. I argue the point of life is to have it good\, have it easy\, have it fun and ninety nine percent of black people in the entire A merican continent \, canada to argentina\, late eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds\, didn't have anything good or easy or fun. So leave th e American continent. The tragedy is the same whites from Canada to Argent ina who preached dislike of blacks hated the idea of black people leaving. Why? because white unity was only based on the presence of black people \ , in the entire American continent. The native American\, indios had alrea dy been decimated in populace in such a way\, they will never have the num bers to threaten\, thus whites can't unify around an empty threat. \n\n A s for Frederick Douglass\, he was older but his point wasn't to support du bois/washington/garvey but to state his belief\, that the usa warrants sur viving. Douglass point is the usa can become something no other government can and if black people leave en masse or don't seek complete integration \, the usa can never become what he dreamed it become\, a country of human s.\n\n On one side note\, Booker T Washington's wife was a white Asian and it is interesting that when you look at white Asians as a populace in the usa\, they act the way booker t Washington wanted black descended of ensl aved to act. Don't get involved in government\, focus on your own everythi ng. Not criminalizing integration but make everything a financial position first or foremost. In cheap retrospect\, the one thing Washington didn't comprehend\, and this connects to Haiti. Black DOSers relationship to the usa isn't fiscal\, it isn't fiscal capitalistic. Black DOSers are not in t he united states of America to make money. Black DOSers are in the usa bec ause whites wanted it. Black DOSers can not find any reason to support the usa based on enslaved forebears. Ala\, the often said while very erroneou s\, our forebears helped build the usa line. It is the great Black DOSer s in saying that line. My forebears were enslaved\, but for anyone to sugges t they cared one bit about anything in the usa\, is an ugly lie. And this is the fundamental problem with said four leaders\, each was bound to fail . WEB Dubois was being used to make unify white groups. Booker T Washingto n couldn't protect black people from fiscally poor whites violence. Garvey didn't believe in the usa or the American continent as a good place for b lacks and whites in majority wanted blacks to change their minds\, to anyt hing but anti America. Frederick Douglass felt the Black DOS populace shou ld fight through anything to remain in the usa for a greater human achieve ment that wouldn't benefit blacks in any of the ways they wanted but would support humanity in a way he felt it needed.\n\n 13:07 very true\, i can' t think of any other film showing white violence to black women that stron gly\, made in the usa. \n\n 14:19 i wonder your thought to passing?\n\n 1 5:18 good point\, white comfort\, this goes back to gone with the wind\, a song of the south\, birth of a nation\, even king kong\, make white peopl e feel good about themselves\, by not showing white people in any negative light. \n\n 16:37 yes\, what gets saved isn't neutral and is also expens ive. You have to say\, what were black wealthy people doing? they could ha d saved.\n\n 17:21 good quote from mosely\, if you are not in the story\, you are not in the culture. \n\n 18:29 thank you for mentioning Julie Das h\n\n 20:00 What does watching the film demand today?\n\n 21:27 yes\, love ly emotion from the thespians.\n\n 22:13 great show\n\n\n\n Oscar Micheaux biography from Movies That Move We\n\n https://youtu.be/1C5hxGrohps?si=hn AH78ulXh4-pyMg\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n What are your thoughts to the film p assing?\n\n Thanks for mentioning Julie Dash.\n\n Great review... Oscar Mi cheaux in many ways incorporated WEB Dubois's philosophies aside Booker T Washington's philosophies in the production of this film.\n\n I even wonde r how many non blacks saw his films and were inspired by his work.\n\n Gre at question\, what would he think of the black film industry today? What w ould he think of the Black film industry in or out of the USA? Black ident ity today is global but is of many parts. Each part has its own environmen t. What would he think of Nollywood? What would he think of the Black film industry in the USA which monetarily is based on a handful of black produ cers: blacks with money or who can access money to make films? \n\n That is such an engaging question you ask at the end. I wish he was alive to an swer.  I wish he had a journal. I wish I had all his screenplays. I know he wrote books alongside the films but it seems many are lost. \n\n\n\n P rofile of OScar Micheaux\n\n video link\n\n https://youtu.be/1C5hxGrohps?s i=LKAo5vDY1-rQksl9\n\n\n\n Embed video\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0:2929 secondsHey\,\n0:3131 secondsHey everyone\, welcome back to another edition of Movies That Move We.\n0:3737 secondsThis is the place where fil m isn't just entertainment. It's history\, it's culture\, it's memory.\n0: 4545 secondsSome episodes that we do are about the movies\, you know\, com mentary\, ratings\,\n0:5252 secondsall of that stuff. But but today\, this is just about one man. This month we're\n0:5959 secondsfocusing on black film history and today we're going to be profiling Oscar Mako.\n1:081 minu te\, 8 secondsWhy is this episode different?\n1:111 minute\, 11 secondsThi s is different like I said because there's no reviews\, no ranking. We're doing a profile of someone who is very important in black film history.\n1 :211 minute\, 21 secondsWe're talking about how film history gets made and who gets left out of it.\n1:291 minute\, 29 secondsYou know\, while Holly wood was being built\, Oscar MO was already working.\n1:371 minute\, 37 se condsExcuse me. He was a writer\, director\, producer\, distributor\,\n1:4 61 minute\, 46 secondspromoter. He was independent before independence was ever really a category.\n1:551 minute\, 55 secondsNow\, one of the movies that I mentioned um that we should watch and it brings context to this co nversation is Titans:\n2:062 minutes\, 6 secondsThe Rise of Hollywood\, wh ich you can find on Netflix.\n2:112 minutes\, 11 secondsSo\, let's talk ab out it. You know\, the start of the American film industry was early 1900s .\n2:192 minutes\, 19 secondsUm that was the period of the short film.\n2: 252 minutes\, 25 secondsUm the industry itself was very tight and what I m ean by that is there were a few men controlling the whole industry.\n2:382 minutes\, 38 secondsIt started in New York. It was in cities like New Yor k and Chicago. And in these\n2:452 minutes\, 45 secondscities there were a group of people who you had to go to for everything for the\n2:522 minute s\, 52 secondsfilm for camera set for everything. You could only use certa in actors and you couldn't use anybody else's actor or producer.\n3:043 mi nutes\, 4 secondsIt was giving very what some might call moblike.\n3:103 m inutes\, 10 secondsThis group that ran everything was called the trust.\n3 :173 minutes\, 17 secondsAnd this particular group consider included excus e me included Thomas Edison.\n3:283 minutes\, 28 secondsMhm. That one that Thomas Edison he controlled production and distribution.\n3:363 minutes\, 36 secondsum at the time he in America he was the one who was making came ras. That was the only person that you could go to.\n3:443 minutes\, 44 se condsSo it made it very difficult for people to be filmmakers. But they di d it.\n3:543 minutes\, 54 secondsAnd at the point that we have three early titans come up\, the film industry is shifting from novelty to industry.\ n4:054 minutes\, 5 secondsPower consolidated very quickly.\n4:094 minutes\ , 9 secondsSo again\, the early Titans\, Thomas Edison\, he controlled the patents. He controlled who could legally make a\n4:164 minutes\, 16 secon dsfilm. And then you have these three players who enter who their their wo rk still stands today.\n4:264 minutes\, 26 secondsThese companies still ex ist. You have Adolf Zukor.\n4:324 minutes\, 32 secondsHe created Paramount . Um he was the first one to go with feature length films\, meaning\n4:404 minutes\, 40 secondsearly films were only a few minutes long and they wer e silent.\n4:464 minutes\, 46 secondsAll you had to read was body language and dramatic gestures. That's what early films were. Um he created the fe ature\n4:554 minutes\, 55 secondslen length film which was 30 minutes an h our long. He created the star system.\n5:015 minutes\, 1 secondSo all of a sudden we have people who are marketed and promoted as this is who\n5:085 minutes\, 8 secondsyou want to be. Is very New York centered early on. Mo re about him later.\n5:165 minutes\, 16 secondsUm Car Carl Lamel he opened a theater making movies accessible to the general public. Um\n5:255 minut es\, 25 secondsagain films at this time were a luxury item novelty. You go t dressed up. It was like going to the theater you know and\n5:345 minutes \, 34 secondsonly certain people could afford that luxury.\n5:395 minutes\ , 39 secondsBut he brought it to the people and he was one who fought Edis on and one of the\n5:475 minutes\, 47 secondspeople in the industry who wa s the first to move to California and build Universal City that was around 1915.\n5:595 minutes\, 59 secondsWilliam Fox that Fox brought vertical in tegration\,\n6:056 minutes\, 5 secondsmeaning he brought the production\, the distribution\, and the theaters to the\n6:116 minutes\, 11 secondssyst em. For him that was ideal because he did it all\, including creating a pl ace to show his films exclusively\,\n6:226 minutes\, 22 secondswhereas eve rybody else was shopping around to see who would be willing to present the ir films.\n6:316 minutes\, 31 secondsLewis B. mayor\, one-third of the MGM uh film company. He brought brought to\n6:406 minutes\, 40 secondsthe uh the industry the prestige\, the glamour. Again\, going off of uh what\n6:4 76 minutes\, 47 secondsLamel also brought to it all the glitz and the bran ding power and the razledazzle\n6:546 minutes\, 54 secondsthat um comes wi th Hollywood that we know of uh in Hollywood.\n7:027 minutes\, 2 secondsan other person that um she isn't mentioned as one of the big three but\n7:08 7 minutes\, 8 secondsshe was still influential and that's Mary Pigford. Sh e was an actress\n7:157 minutes\, 15 secondsum and she brought her writing skills as well as her acting talents to the industry.\n7:247 minutes\, 24 secondsSo important clarification that I want to make here is that it was n't one man that moved Hollywood west.\n7:357 minutes\, 35 secondsZukor wa sn't the one who led the move to the west coast. He followed\n7:427 minute s\, 42 secondsLamel and Fox were the first two to move to California.\n7:4 97 minutes\, 49 secondsWhy California?\n7:517 minutes\, 51 secondsIt was i deal because it offered an escape from Thomas Edison.\n7:577 minutes\, 57 secondsThe weather was ideal. They could film outdoors. They had plenty of of landscape to choose from. They had the\n8:058 minutes\, 5 secondsspace . And most importantly\, they had control. They didn't have to answer to\n 8:138 minutes\, 13 secondsthe trust. they could do their own thing\, set t heir own rules\, and they did.\n8:218 minutes\, 21 secondsHollywood was bu ilt with capital\, land\, and legal protection.\n8:298 minutes\, 29 second sOkay? In short\, infrastructure equals power. And in the film industry\,\ n8:378 minutes\, 37 secondsthey became the power.\n8:408 minutes\, 40 seco ndsJust consider for a moment how quickly the industry grew. In just 20 ye ars\, it\n8:488 minutes\, 48 secondswent from those short five minute sile nt reels to featurelength productions with\n8:558 minutes\, 55 secondsdial ogue and razledazzle and music and fanfare. Um\,\n9:039 minutes\, 3 second sit it moved very quickly.\n9:079 minutes\, 7 secondsOne important truth\, something to keep in mind is Hollywood wasn't neutral. It was white\,\n9: 169 minutes\, 16 secondsit was male\, and it was capital backed.\n9:239 mi nutes\, 23 secondsBlack presence in the industry was visible\,\n9:289 minu tes\, 28 secondsbut it was limited. So you saw um the servant\, the butler or on the other end\n9:389 minutes\, 38 secondsof the spectrum people who were involved in crime and immorality\, the stereotypes.\n9:459 minutes\, 45 secondsUm black people weren't missing necessarily\, but they were loc ked out of\n9:539 minutes\, 53 secondsthe system. We'll talk a little bit more about that later. In contrast\, you have Oscar Mako.\n10:0210 minutes \, 2 secondsHe had no studio lot. He had no patents.\n10:0710 minutes\, 7 secondsHe had no theater chains. And he didn't have any legal protection. Let me tell you a little bit about him.\n10:1510 minutes\, 15 secondsHe wa s born in 1884. His parents were former slaves. They moved as a part of\n1 0:2110 minutes\, 21 secondsthe great migration from Kentucky to the Chicag o area\, Illinois. Um his mom was a\n10:3310 minutes\, 33 secondsbig fan o f um Booker T. Washington\, you know\, and she w she was in full agreement with what he\n10:4210 minutes\, 42 secondssaid about being educated. And of course\, this is what she taught her son Oscar about. And so you'll see that in\n10:5110 minutes\, 51 secondshis films where you have the the edu cated\, you have the class differences. You'll see all of that\n10:5910 mi nutes\, 59 secondsstuff in his films. Again\, more about that later. Um he was one of the early\n11:0711 minutes\, 7 secondshomesteaders when the go vernment was giving away land out left out west. He went ahead and he put in his bid and he got himself a plot of land in Oklahoma.\n11:1911 minutes \, 19 secondsand he worked the land and he proved to his neighbors because this was a community. Homesteading was a community\,\n11:2711 minutes\, 2 7 secondsnot just something you did independently. He proved to his white neighbors around him that he could do this. He did it well. Now\, during o ne hard winter where he couldn't harvest\,\n11:4011 minutes\, 40 secondsco uldn't bring in crops or anything like that\, and again\, that's something everyone in that area was going through at the time\, not just him. He sa t down\n11:4811 minutes\, 48 secondsand he wrote his first novel called Ho mesteader. It's not an autobiography\,\n11:5511 minutes\, 55 secondsbut it is based on his experience. Um\,\n12:0012 minutesand he he went ahead and he self-published that\, you know\, he went door todo with it. Um\, same thing\n12:0912 minutes\, 9 secondsapplied with his films. He wrote his scr ipts and he self- financed those films. Okay.\n12:1712 minutes\, 17 second sUm\, Lamel escaped Edison. Mo escaped Hollywood.\n12:2612 minutes\, 26 se condsHe didn't have to avoid it. He didn't have to engage with it either.\ n12:3112 minutes\, 31 secondsWhat did he put on screen? He talked about\, as I was mentioning earlier\,\n12:3812 minutes\, 38 secondsall of the topi cs that were important to the black community at the time\, um\, like colo rism\,\n12:4712 minutes\, 47 secondspassing\, tension between the classes\ , sexual violence\, religious hypocrisy\,\n12:5612 minutes\, 56 secondsum\ , migration\, ambition\, and moral compromise.\n13:0213 minutes\, 2 second sSomething important to note\, his work was not uplift only. It wasn't\n13 :0813 minutes\, 8 secondsconsidered safe or sanitized. He was telling comp lex stories and censoring\n13:1513 minutes\, 15 secondsAfrican-American pe ople in these stories. He wasn't trying to comfort uh\n13:2213 minutes\, 2 2 secondswhite people or um play what do you call it? Respectability polit ics with black\n13:2913 minutes\, 29 secondspeople. He was telling plain t ruth. This is what life looked like from the black perspective.\n13:3913 m inutes\, 39 secondsHe wasn't alone in this pocket of independent uh film i ndustry.\n13:4713 minutes\, 47 secondsThe system for black filmmakers was fragile.\n13:5113 minutes\, 51 secondsAnd so you had people out there who were trying to show films\, who were making films. Their work\, unfortunat ely\, was not preserved.\n14:0314 minutes\, 3 secondsNot all of Oscar MO's work was preserved\, but we have more of his films available than we do s ome of the other players in the industry.\n14:1314 minutes\, 13 secondsSom e of those folks were William D. Foster.\n14:1714 minutes\, 17 secondsHe w as a black film producer\, um\, owner of Lincoln Mo Motion Picture Company .\n14:2414 minutes\, 24 secondsUh\, Sherman H. Dudley is another. He start ed the black theater circuit and\n14:3114 minutes\, 31 secondsthe black va udeville circuit which later became the theater owners booking association \n14:3914 minutes\, 39 secondsalso known as Toba. Um he was key in distrib ution and getting these things\n14:4714 minutes\, 47 secondsinto uh certai n spaces in black spaces. Um\,\n14:5414 minutes\, 54 secondsOscar Mako's f ilms were they were played in black theaters\,\n15:0015 minutesblackowned theaters. There weren't a lot of them\, but they were played in blackowned theaters. They were played in segregated theaters. He had the support of churches\,\n15:1115 minutes\, 11 secondslodges\, community halls\, and and road showings\, um\, screenings\, excuse me.\n15:1915 minutes\, 19 second sUm\, another way that his films made it into the community were uh Midnig ht\n15:2615 minutes\, 26 secondsRambles\, which were usually white owned t heaters that would show black films after midnight so that the\n15:3615 mi nutes\, 36 secondsblack and white patrons would never meet and they didn't have to worry about hearing complaints from white patrons\n15:4415 minute s\, 44 secondsabout\, oh my gosh\, what why are these people even in this building. So those\n15:5015 minutes\, 50 secondsthings were were how his f ilms made it to to the masses. Um key cities\,\n15:5915 minutes\, 59 secon dsyou hear people talk a lot about uh the Chitlin Circuit. Well\,\n16:0716 minutes\, 7 secondsthey focused on\, and when I say they\,\n16:0916 minut es\, 9 secondsI'm talking about um oh gosh\, I just lost the name. um Fost er and Dudley and\n16:1816 minutes\, 18 secondsOscar Mako and other filmma kers of the time\, you know\, they focused on\n16:2516 minutes\, 25 second sdistributing their films in places like Chicago\, Harlem\, New York City\ , Philadelphia\, Baltimore\, Kansas City\,\n16:3416 minutes\, 34 secondsth e great migration cities because that's where we were coming from. That's where we were going to when we were\n16:4216 minutes\, 42 secondsmoving fr om the south. There were some spaces where they did show films\, these bla ck films in the south\, but of course they had to be very careful about th at.\n16:5516 minutes\, 55 secondsHollywood asks\, \"How do we control the market?\" Oscar Mo asks\, \"Who already has\n17:0117 minutes\, 1 seconda s creen actors and impact?\"\n17:0917 minutes\, 9 secondsyou know\, he start ed a lot of careers and I wish I wrote down the names of uh\n17:1617 minut es\, 16 secondssome of them\, but one of the most notable\, most recognize d is Paul Robson.\n17:2317 minutes\, 23 secondsUm Paul Robson\, he was a f ootball player\, of course\, if you've ever heard of him\, he had a magnif icent singing\n17:3117 minutes\, 31 secondsvoice. He acted in Oscar Mico's film Body and Soul 1925.\n17:4017 minutes\, 40 secondsIt was a dual role. So he played both a preacher and a con man in this film about moral compl exity.\n17:5117 minutes\, 51 secondsDoes that sound familiar? Sinners. Any body? Yeah. He did it first before Michael B.\n17:5917 minutes\, 59 second sJordan. Why does this matter? Again\, this story challenged stereotypes.\ n18:0718 minutes\, 7 secondsIt addressed themes of race\, morality\,\n18:1 118 minutes\, 11 secondsstruggles of the black community\, and of course\, it did it from the black perspective\,\n18:1918 minutes\, 19 secondsblack audience. What What did he make possible with this? Why did this film mat ter so much? because his films and he\n18:2818 minutes\, 28 secondsdid ove r 40 in his career trained the expectations of the black\n18:3518 minutes\ , 35 secondscommunity. What they should expect from black stardom. It norm alized seeing black people on film. And again\,\n18:4518 minutes\, 45 seco ndsnot being the stereotype\, but being professionals\,\n18:5118 minutes\, 51 secondsnot living in a shack somewhere\, but living in the big city an d having careers and things like that. Um\, think\n19:0019 minutesabout ac tors and actresses like Lena Horn\,\n19:0519 minutes\, 5 secondsDorothy Da ndridge\, and Harab Bella Fonte. They were some of the the the\n19:1219 mi nutes\, 12 secondsfolks that took on complex roles laid complex roles late r on in in black film history. He didn't launch their careers\,\n19:2319 m inutes\, 23 secondsbut he did make them possible by laying the groundwork. \n19:3119 minutes\, 31 secondsHow many films are left? A lot of his films are lost. Um\, like I mentioned\, he\n19:3919 minutes\, 39 secondsI think he did 44 films in his career.\n19:4619 minutes\, 46 secondsAnd this right here is what's left of his film collection. I believe this is 15\n19:5519 minutes\, 55 secondsof his films. Um\, Within Our Gates is one. I did wat ch that one. It's actually\n20:0220 minutes\, 2 secondsvery good. Um\, thi s was done in 1920 and it's 73 minutes long\, but that one again covers th ose themes of migration. Um\,\n20:1520 minutes\, 15 secondsand actually on e of the things that he focused on in that film was a woman's ability to c hoose and move freely. Um\,\n20:2520 minutes\, 25 secondsso if you haven't get this collection\, check that film out. But again\,\n20:3320 minutes\, 33 secondshis films really spoke to the community. Okay? And\n20:4020 min utes\, 40 secondswhen you think about how come so many of his films were l ost\, how come we don't have any of Dudley or Fosters's work\,\n20:4820 mi nutes\, 48 secondsit's not because they didn't matter.\n20:5220 minutes\, 52 secondsIt's because preservation follows power.\n20:5820 minutes\, 58 s econdsThink of it this way. How many how many films can you think of that are when\n21:0421 minutes\, 4 secondstheir their titles are called it's li ke oh yes this is pinnacle great film th\n21:1221 minutes\, 12 secondsthis goes down in film history this is a must-see film this is you know\n21:18 21 minutes\, 18 secondsdefinitely something that framed or shaped culture um those films are\n21:2721 minutes\, 27 secondsprotected and I'm pretty s ure if you start running them back in your mind.\n21:3121 minutes\, 31 sec ondsWhen I when I hear it\, I think of um like the Woody Allen films\, Mar tin Scorsesei films. People will hold those\n21:3821 minutes\, 38 secondsi n high standards. Those films by those uh writer\, directors\, producers w ill be\n21:4621 minutes\, 46 secondsupheld and preserved. We'll have them forever.\n21:5121 minutes\, 51 secondsUm they're protected\,\n21:5521 minu tes\, 55 secondsthey're preserved\, and they're celebrated. Film history i sn't neutral\,\n22:0222 minutes\, 2 secondsit's curated.\n22:0522 minutes\ , 5 secondsJust kind of let that sit with you for a minute.\n22:1122 minut es\, 11 secondsEven though Oscar Mako doesn't get mentioned at as much in film conversations\,\n22:1822 minutes\, 18 secondsthere are many beneficia ries of the road that he built. Um\, again\, think about Ava Duivere\,\n22 :2722 minutes\, 27 secondsIssa Ray\, Jordan Peele. Um\, they all have owne rship archives of their own\n22:3522 minutes\, 35 secondswork. Um they've done things like they build on smaller platforms first and\n22:4222 minute s\, 42 secondsthen present like it's you know she started with um Awkward Black Girl and\n22:5022 minutes\, 50 secondsrolled that into a television series eventually. And you have Jordan Peele um\n22:5622 minutes\, 56 seco ndswho he has narrative control over his work. he can decide these themes and even if people don't get it\, he's not\n23:0523 minutes\, 5 secondsloc ked in again to being a stereotypical um filmmaker where he can only focus on the hardships\n23:1423 minutes\, 14 secondsof black life. No\, he gets into some real cerebral stuff. Okay. Um and and\n23:2323 minutes\, 23 sec ondsthis isn't important. He he didn't choose he didn't chase Hollywood. H e he was well aware that\n23:3123 minutes\, 31 secondsthey're not going to let me into those gates.\n23:3523 minutes\, 35 secondsI have to create my own path. He built endurance.\n23:4223 minutes\, 42 secondsSo with that i n mind\, and you can share your thoughts on this down in the comments\,\n2 3:4923 minutes\, 49 secondswhat does it mean to create when the system isn 't built for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. What\n23:5823 mi nutes\, 58 secondsdoes it mean to create when the system isn't built for y ou?\n24:0324 minutes\, 3 secondsOscar Mako in film history is not a footno te. He is the foundation\n24:1024 minutes\, 10 secondsfor what we know as the black film industry now.\n24:1624 minutes\, 16 secondsSo tell me again \, share your thoughts on this one. If Oscar Mah were alive today\,\n24:24 24 minutes\, 24 secondswould he join Hollywood or do you think he would st ill continue to build something of his own? Let me know what you think.\n2 4:3424 minutes\, 34 secondsOkay.\n24:3624 minutes\, 36 secondsOne of the t hings that I keep coming back to with Oscar Mako is that he didn't want to be validated.\n24:4224 minutes\, 42 secondsHe wasn't worried about being on um the Paramount Star system. He wasn't\n24:5024 minutes\, 50 secondslo oking for the the the awards. He wanted to talk to his people and he did t hat. He didn't wait for permission. He\n24:5824 minutes\, 58 secondsdidn't wait for the resources. He didn't wait for history to catch up. He just c reated.\n25:0725 minutes\, 7 secondsAnd that's what we do here at Movies T hat Move We. That's what we're really about. The stories that move us beca use they remind us of what is possible.\n25:2025 minutes\, 20 secondsSo\, thank you for joining me and spending time with me today. Um\, if this epi sode moved you\, share it with someone who loves film history. And\, you k now\,\n25:3225 minutes\, 32 secondsdon't forget to share\, follow\, subscr ibe to our pages on YouTube and Facebook.\n25:3825 minutes\, 38 secondsYou can find us at Movies That Move Wee.\n25:4325 minutes\, 43 secondsI'm Nay . This has been Movies That Move Wee\, and we'll see you next time. Bye.\n \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n 2:44 thank you for saying it started in New York city\, many don't know that. \n\n 5:23 I wonder what zukor will think to paramount today\n\n 5:58 Lamel made\, Universal city\, so in the end\, the movie industry moved west to get as far from Edison or New York City as p ossible.\n\n 6:37 Fox created the proper business model\, you need to own theaters to make money.\n\n 6:55 Mayer supported the star system.\n\n 7:07 Mary Pickford was connected. \n\n 8:37  good point on infrastructure.  \n\n 10:46 thanks for informing about his mom who was a philosophical adhe rent of booker t Washington\, thus he supported black strength in his film s\, but it wasn't anti white as much as anti \"negative behavior\"\n\n 12: 27 I knew Micheaux self published\, in Japan called Doujinshi\, but I love hearing it. \n\n 13:17 good point\, like booker t Washington\, he wasn't trying to comfort whites or blacks\, but telling the truth while supporti ng black empowerment.\n\n 14:17 William d foster [ https://en.wikipedia.or g/wiki/William_D._Foster ] \, Sherman h Dudley\, theater owners booking as sociation toba [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_H._Dudley ] \n\n 1 7:23 thank you for mentioning PAul Robeson started with an OScar Micheaux film. \n\n 18:49 and also integrated. The key is not merely showing Black positive lives\, but showing black positive lives while in the environmen t of the USA. \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n thank you for mentioning PAul Robes on started with an OScar Micheaux film. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo dy_and_Soul_(1925_film) ] \n\n hahaha Sinners! well done. \n\n and spenc er williams [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blood_of_Jesus ] \n\n Thi nking on Nollywood\, I wonder. As a Booker T Washington philosophical adhe rent\, he would be pro USA. But\, when you look at Nollywood\, to be blunt \, it is the biggest Black film industry in humanity. Bigger than the blac k film industry in south america/north america/southern asia.\n\n Posse/Da ughters of the Dust/Within Our Gates/ Emitai/ Ceddo are the first films th at come to my mind with your question of films that need to be preserved.  Now I want to say I am lucky\, I remember seeing Within Our Gates when i t was first refurbished. A black film organization exist in harlem that sh ared it. and I will tell you that most of the people in that showing were black. They existed in the Adam Clayton Powell state office building.\n\n What does it mean to create when the system/environment is opposed to you as a creator or anything you create?\n\n hmmmm\,I always say the following \, growing up as a kid\, I recall so many books about black fantasy\, not just history. Many black people... descended of enslaved or not\,  can re call biographies. And nothing is wrong with biographies. But I recall as a very little boy\, thick books on black dos mythology\, Haitian mythology\ , African myths\, fables. I didn't just grow up learning about Madame CJ W alker side Malcolm side KWame Nkrumah side Ida B Wells...I learned about H igh John\, The Devils Daughter\, John Henry\, Brer Rabbit. My point being\ , creating is a way to continue your heritage\, what you carry side who yo u are. And if you don't create\, you risk your heritage dying and future c ultures\, what people grow\, being absent. \n\n Creating is everything wh en it comes to artistic expression of self. \n\n When you create in an en vironment opposed to you creating\, it is more than just an artistic chall enge. Creating in an environment supporting you creating is a blissful thi ng. Underrated often in how valuable it is\, how emboldening it is. When y ou look at white film makers you see this. Whites could present their fals e narratives of the south \, as supported creators. But when you are not s upported in the environment you live in\, you are making a specific statem ent. Said specific statement is\, even though you are against me.. you hav e more power than me...  I exist and I will not cower or delete my identi ty because I have impotencies. \n\n It is interesting\, because someone l ike Marcus Garvey will say it is better to find a supportive environment t han create in an unsupportive one. and I concur to garvey\, he is correct. It is unwise to create ... exist\, in an environment opposed to you. \n\ n But what Micheaux displays\, what all black filmmakers in the USA displa y\, is what W.E.B. Dubois/ Booker T Washington/ Frederick Douglass all emb odied or worked for. That even though a passion/suffering will happen when one creates in an environment opposed to one self\, it is more valuable t o create in an environment opposed to you creating to define not only your self but to make a call\, legally or militaristically impotent as it may b e\, to demand change to the environment that opposes.  And that call has a power/value that can reach to a future with greater impotency than milit aries or laws. \n\n If Oscar Micheaux were alive today would he join Holl ywood or would he do his own?\n\n Micheaux would be independent. He would be an independent creator. I think he would also embrace internationalism in all earnest. I think he would learn languages to be into the film indus tries that don't speak English. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12582-have-you-seen-within-our-gates-from-oscar -micheaux/#findComment-80617\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrari an Micheaux never did mammy figures or tragic mulattoes or righteous reve rend figures\, in any of his films i saw. he did evil tricksters\, but the y were rarely pantomime and he did romantic leads\, but they were human me n. \n\n\n\n Check out within our gates in the main post\, it is free to v iew \, you will see\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12582-ha ve-you-seen-within-our-gates-from-oscar-micheaux/#findComment-80622\n\n\n\ n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n well you know that mos t of Marcheaux's films \, over ninety percent \, have never been seen by a nyone alive.  So unfortunately\, we only have a small section of films to view\, and of the ones that are around today don't show those characteriz ations. I am not even certain all of Marcheaux's films are known. MAny hav e cited a list but ... unfortunately\, absent a time machine\, marcheaux's work like black descended of enslaved history from the early nineteen hun dreds to fourteen ninety two is eternally incomplete. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Yes\, all the black pantomime characters come from white theater. Jim Cro w itself is a pantomime character. Before movies\, theater plays plus reco rded music was the prime media tools and were very commercial. Race music was huge\, al jolsten was a white jew but the larger industry of race musi c/race theater\, which had black writers like joplin\, was huge in the uni ted states of america. Such that when films come about they took the panto mime black characters from stage and music of the late eighteen hundreds\, and put them on screen.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The interesting historical pro cess for me is the analogous existence of Black fictional slave works\, li ke clotel linked below\, alongside the black pantomime. \n\n\n\n The blac k late 1800s fiction is of fictional slave narratives. High John was still popular as a fable\, and high john's nemesis is literally Massa\, a white man with bone white skin with bone white clothes. Clotel to me is a ficti onal account but a pure indictment on the white populace of the usa. To re state\, black late eighteen hundreds fiction arguably makes pantomime whit e villains/criminals/baddies. Oscar Micheaux emitted the vibe of the black written fictional slave narratives.\n\n\n\n The white late 1800s fiction is of fictional slaver narratives. The films birth of a nation\, gone with the wind\, song of the south all reflect late eighteen hundreds white fic tional slaver fiction literally made as a reply to black late 1800s fictio nal slave narratives. \n\n\n\n And yes\, in modernity\, both late 1800s g enres are no longer highly read or known or ... majority popular.\n\n\n\n Both fictions were highly popular among the phenotypical groups they were made for with some crossover fans but blacks seemed to dislike the black f ictional slave narratives as a genre. Whites slowly lost taste with the wh ite fictional slaver narrative. \n\n\n\n The question is why did Blacks d islike the black fictional slave narrative genre. Arguably the first fisca lly successful genre in the usa.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/ 496-clotel-or-the-presidents-daughter-a-narrative-of-slave-life-in-the-uni ted-states-by-william-well-brown/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ blogs/entry/495-le-mulâtre-from-victor-séjour-two-versions-split-by-an-e ssay/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12582-have- you-seen-within-our-gates-from-oscar-micheaux/#findComment-80636\n\n\n\n o sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\ n\n\n Films depicting slavery aren't going to be very popular.  Mainly be cause it des not make people feel better about themselves. \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Entertainment is a form of escapism not intended to cause depression .\n\n\n\n You sound like a very good friend of mine\, a director\, he alwa ys says\, entertainment is to escape and I always tell him hogwash. I have never felt that way with entertainment\, especially growing up. I have ne ver wanted to be anyone but me\, I like myself. II have never wanted to li ve anywhere than the harlem of yore that is now long gone.  Now I admit\, maybe having a loving home with both my parents in a small section of har lem that was happy/peaceful/black empowered meant I didn't feel bad about my home or the local area I live in the world. and thus no need to escape. As a brother of mine said\, to a parent\, maybe he is happy at home. \n\ n\n\n It took me years to comprehend how fortunate I was. If anything the fact that so many people in the usa\, a country whose majority populace in modernity is descended on uninvited or unwanted people from the first peo ples who came to this country to be happy as they were unhappy wherever th ey were from\, find escapism through entertainment says alot about the abi lity of immigrants to find happiness in the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When I first saw within our gates I wasn't depressed\, I was interested. When I read poetry or stories in my contest/ challenges I am not looking to esc ape or be made to smile\, I want to comprehend what the artists is saying. When I look at music\, I never forget\, mahalia jackson saying she would rather sing gospel than the blues cause she would rather be uplifted than sad and ... I call feces on that. I love black music\, all of it\, from va rious corners of the world and all the genres born in the land that is tod ay the united states of america. Not all blues is sad. And mahalia should had known that. But\, to your point Profd\, mahalia jackson was making the same case \, saying blues music is the same as fictional slave narratives \, too sad\, too negative\, thus the need to escape\, the truth\, escape t he things people don't want to hear or read or see because they remind the m of reality that they don't want to deal with. Better to sing gospel\, an d not see the truth of the usa or your peoples place in it. Better to see the huxtable clan whom have none of the problems ninety percent of black p eople have than to see sanford and son. Even though as red fox said correc tly\, all black shows are dishonest\, including sanford. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n But then\, we have in the same black populace\, black people saying ho w black people need to want to be president and ceo and all of this stuff. I think the entertainment black people like over the years is telling to our mental states as a collective. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thank you for your answer\, I think \, your 100% correct. I didn't want to face the answer i s as simple as dismissal of certain aspects in the arts... maybe my varian ce is i look at things as the arts not exactly entertainment\, if somethin g I find funny happens I will laugh but I don't need to laugh de facto ... anyway\, I think its interesting. \n\n\n\n PRofd\, isn't it a thoughtful dichotomy. Black people in majority have never been happy in the usa or t he european colonies that preceded it \, at any time including modernity\, and yet\, blacks went from enjoying fictional slave narratives as the mos t popular black fiction\, to now in modernity not wanting any mention of e nslavement in any fiction. The same black people who will say love the usa and their forebears died for them to be president\, will then dismiss see ing enslaved to whites\, black children tortured by whites in media. To me \, that says they are lying to themselves. I start with myself\, if I didn 't know any black history as a child\, my parents for whatever reason didn 't tell me the truth\, provide me books with the truth \, and I was just p resented escapisms\, I imagine my whole stance toward the usa would be dif ferent today than what it is. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As a tutor I always tol d the children the truth\, about everything. And this post has made me thi nk about some of the other adults one time. I didn't think on it then but now I see why they looked at me a certain way... Thank you again. .. I rea lize now how many black people don't get black truth in their fiction\, in their learning. It seems like many black adults want black children to be adults\, circa twenty\, before black truth is given... and this isn't som ething derived from whites\, this is a black heritage. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n I must admit \, this topic has aided me in something\, hmm thank you\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Well\, the archaeo logists had to dig up Within Our Gates from a Spanish copy of the film.   They had to edit to clean up/fix &\; translate it back to English.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Do you know the spanish subtitle for Within our gates is La Negra\, the black woman. It is so basic\, and a little crude and yet telling. Though I must admit the real story is how a copy of the film fou nd its way to somewhere in spain. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n @richardm urray: this same TV channel that I mentioned watching (back in the 1960's) showed old black movies from the past that did feature the stereo-typical black characters I mentioned. That's how l became aware of them. And they were \"talkie\" movies\, not pantomimed\,  filmed during the late 1920s and early 1930s by black movie producers\, lesser known than Oscar Marchea ux.\n\n\n\n Incidentally\, the acting was very amateurish and stilted\, th e sound and camera work of poor quality. Even so\, they were treasures whi ch I hope are stored away in vaults somewhere. \n\n\n\n well yes I know w hat you speak. That is why i mentioned scott joplin\, i love his rag works \, but he did race music and it was very financially profitable for him. M y point being... The hsitory of black comedians of the usa warrants a whol e history section in the history of entertainment.  You have whites who h istorically are most entertained by blacks or whites mocking blacks... imm itation/bufoonery/jestering... the cakewalk started on plantations with bl ack people mocking whites for a piece of cake. So whites historically love to be entertained\, ala\, made to laugh by blacks in the usa. Then you ha ve especailly in the jim crow era\, 1865 to 1980\, blacks who increasingly want to escape as Profd said correctly. This leads to black entertainers developing to serve both audiences an interesting style. magical bufoonery . But yes\, Michaeux was an outlier\, but he also owned his own more than most black entertainers/filmmakers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @admin \n\n\n\n please share what you think after you view it\, I want to know.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n URL- only an excerpt\n\n\n\n 'Within Our Gates': The only copy of the oldest African-American film was hidden in Spain as 'La negra' | Cult ure | EL PAÍS\n\n\n\n https://elpais.com/cultura/2021-11-09/la-unica-copi a-de-la-pelicula-afroamericana-mas-antigua-se-encontraba-en-espana-escondi da-como-la-negra.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Wayback machine full version\n\n\ n\n https://web.archive.org/web/20211109050628/https://elpais.com/cultura/ 2021-11-09/la-unica-copia-de-la-pelicula-afroamericana-mas-antigua-se-enco ntraba-en-espana-escondida-como-la-negra.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The only copy of the oldest African-American film was hidden in Spain as 'La negra' \n\n\n\n 'Within Our Gates'\, the original title of Oscar Micheaux's film released in 1920\, was kept at the Filmoteca\, where it will be screened t omorrow\, Wednesday\, and was returned to the United States in the ninetie s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n A moment from the film 'La negra'\, directed by Oscar M icheaux and released in 1920.\n\n\n\n Elsa Fernández-Santos\n\n\n\n Madri d - 08 Nov 2021 - 03:53 CET\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In a letter dated July 23\, 1979\, one of the highest authorities on African-American cinema\, T homas Cripps\, expressed his enthusiasm to one of the heads of the Spanish Film Archive\, Catherine Gautier\, for what seemed to be the discovery of a lost relic of the history of cinema. Gautier\, a legendary programmer f or more than four decades\, had shown him the copy weeks earlier in Madrid and Cripps had come to the conclusion that the material could correspond to Within Our Gates\, by the pioneering black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. The film had been born as a response to the racism of D. W. Griffith's T he Birth of a Nation\, but neither whites nor blacks liked it. After its premiere in Chicago\, it began to be censored or ignored until its only fo ur copies were lost. One of them\, however\, travelled to Spain in the fif ties where it was preserved under the title La negra or La negressa.\n\ n\n\n After traveling to Madrid and seeing the material in a moviola\, Cri pps informed Gautier that it could be three different titles by Micheaux i n which actors\, \"a black informant\" and the obsession with the culture of lynching\, something recurrent in his films since he himself had witnes sed a famous case as a child\, that of Leo Frank\, a young Jew who was the victim of a human pack that accused him of the murder of a minor whom he never killed.\n\n\n\n The three films were The Gunsaulus Mystery\, from 1921\, Lem Hawkins' Confession\, from 1935 or\, the one that finally was \, the oldest of all\, Within Our Gates\, released on January 12\, 1920. Considered a National Asset\, the film rescued in Spain is available on the internet\, and can be seen tomorrow Wednesday as part of a cycle organ ized by the Filmoteca and the Reina Sofía entitled\, Black Films Matter . After a long process\, La negra passed into the hands of the American Film Institute. In 1993\, it was restored by the Library of Congress\, re turning the intertitles from Spanish to English and\, with the help of som e of Micheaux's books\, reinterpreting the dialogues in slang. \"We did an exchange for Sierra de Teruel [by André Malraux\, with a screenplay by Max Aub]\,\" recalls Catherine Gautier. \"I was in charge of relations wi th the other film libraries\, where we looked for materials that we didn't have by Buñuel. We sent the first positive test to the United States in 1988. The internegative\, a year later. They were excited\, the film becam e a success.\"\n\n\n\n Micheaux was attracted to interracial conflicts and used to reverse roles in his films. In Within Our Gates\, it is a gossip y servant who causes the misunderstanding that ends with an older and inno cent marriage on the gallows. They are the adoptive parents of the protago nist of the film\, a mulatto\, the black woman of the title\, played by Ev elyn Peers. The young woman has had the privilege of studying and in the f irst shot of the film\, she appears dressed in white and reading in a flir tatious living room in a city in the north of the United States. She is a black woman with privileges\, who defends the right to education and the v ote of her own but who hides a traumatic past. The entire final part of th e film is a long and dramatic flashback in the Mississippi Delta. There\ , on the plantation where their adoptive parents lived\, the protagonist h elps them add and subtract their savings so that they can collect from the boss without being deceived.\n\n\n\n From the beginning of the footage\, Micheaux refers to lynchings\, from which he does not even save the abolit ionist North. The owner of the plantation is presented as a tyrant\, hated by whites and blacks\, to whom his slanderous and drunken servant goes wi th stories of the other blacks who aspire to have an education. In the fil m they try to lynch four people\, the only one who escapes death is a chil d\, the protagonist's younger brother\, who manages to flee. The noose aro und the neck is only explicitly seen in a dream of the gossipy servant\, w ho also ends up beaten by the mob. The terrible sequence of the old couple executed closes with an ellipsis in which we only see how the rope on whi ch they have been hanged is cut. To top off the horror\, there is also an attempted rape\, of such realism that actress Evelyn Peers remembered the sequence years later as the best and most brutal of her career. It is in t his attempted rape that the origins of the character will be clarified\, w ho her real father was and why she\, unlike others\, had agreed to an educ ation.\n\n\n\n Churches and film clubs\n\n\n\n Within Our Gates was relea sed in Chicago and Detroit in 1920\, but the screenings began to be increa singly conflicting and the film stopped circulating in the main market to move only in churches and film clubs. Micheaux's style\, who went on to sh oot 40 more films always on the margins of the industry\, is intense and a t the same time sloppy\, a disjointed editing that for some analysts respo nds to the style of improvised jazz. In any case\, the film we know today is incomplete. The nitrate copy that arrived in Spain in 1956 was sold to the Filmoteca in a lot that includes titles such as La cabrita tira al mo nte\, Pilar Guerra or a short film by Félix el Gato. Its price was 4\,00 0 pesetas. \"The Filmoteca bought the nitrate copy from Manuel Rabanal Tay lor\, who was national head of the SEU film clubs\,\" explains Laura Carri llo Caminal\, head of the Documentation and Cataloguing Service. \"Subsequ ently\, in 1961\, the Arroyo laboratories were commissioned to produce a n egative duplicate and a new 35 mm copy on acetate support\, which was a no n-flammable support and therefore safer. These commissions to the laborato ry were\, and are\, common in the Filmoteca as part of its conservation po licy. The original copy is not preserved\, it would probably be lost becau se it is in poor condition.\"\n\n\n\n Writer\, director\, producer and dis tributor\, the figure of Micheaux has not ceased to gain relevance in rece nt times. The recently opened Academy Museum in Hollywood\, in Los Angele s\, has made questionable museological decisions by minimizing the figure of the great patriarch of cinema\, D. W. Griffith\, for the Southern exalt ation of The Birth of a Nation. While tiptoeing around the man who accord ing to Eisenstein taught everything \"to everyone\"\, author of Broken Li lies or Intolerance\, the focus is on Micheaux's work and his cinema th rough extensive documentation that situates the context in which Within O ur Gates was shot and released and why it is considered a response to rac ism in The Birth of a Nation\, whose premiere in 1915 provoked protests from the African-American community.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Micheau x's importance as the first great African-American filmmaker cannot be und erestimated\,\" explains Zoran Sinobad\, curator and head of film at the L ibrary of Congress. \"Not only was he the first African-American to direct feature films\, but he was also the first whose films were screened in wh ite theaters. This is especially important in the context of his work's co mmitment to racial injustice\, a theme that was virtually non-existent on American screens in the 1920s. Micheaux was a groundbreaking filmmaker who se films challenged the stereotypical representations of black men and wom en that were prevalent in Hollywood at the time and provided a uniquely bl ack perspective on race and life in the United States.\"\n\n\n\n The Blac k Films Matter cycle that La Filmoteca and the Museo Reina Sofía presen t this month and which will last through December and January\, aims to \" give voice and space\" to a series of filmmakers whose works have hardly b een seen in Spain or Europe. [ https://www.museoreinasofia.es/actividad/b lack-films-matter  ] The films of \"pioneers such as Micheaux and Zora Ne ale Hurston\; champions of race films such as Spencer Williams\; revolut ionaries such as Melvin van Peebles\, Charles Burnett or Cheryl Dunye\". A ll of them\, fundamental names in the construction of an identity whose st ruggle to break with stereotypes was born in a film that chance brought to Spain.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Museo reina sofia of spain Black Films MAtter\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BLACK FILMS MATTER (1920-2020)\nDate and time\nHeld on 1 0 Nov 2021\nYes\, black film matters. From the oldest surviving feature fi lm directed by a black filmmaker\, Within Our Gates (1920) by Oscar Michea ux\, to the frenetic contemporary proposals of Arthur Jafa in the Trump er a\, this cycle proposes a journey through the American independent black f ilm and does so in an anthological retrospective organized by the Reina So fía Museum and the Spanish Film Archive that\, For the first time\, it br ings together a century of films directed solely by African-American filmm akers.\n\nWith this essential condition\, the cycle seeks to avoid the rac ial stereotypes in representation that characterized\, in the past\, the w ork of legendary black actors and actresses. Some thirty sessions – duri ng two months of programming – claim and tell another great story of thi s medium in the United States\, which places at the center the subaltern a nd resistant gaze of the black minority. A story that obeys one of the mos t urgent and necessary desires throughout an entire century: that of the s truggle for life. As filmmaker Arthur Jafa and philosopher Fred Moten remi nd us\, it is possible to make film noir with the same power\, beauty and alienation of black music. Both have a common aspect: not obeying rules bu t undoing them and recombining them in an improvisatory logic that animate s blues\, jazz\, hip-hop or house\, but also the images and sounds of blac k film. \n\nThe route cannot\, therefore\, be traced chronologically and linearly\, but in a spiral and with leaps back and forth\, in a syncopated composition that governs the dialogues between the projections of both ve nues. The programming\, far from the canon or the emblem\, proposes a stor y based on film manifestations that do not deal externally or observationa lly with the black population\, but are made by this same community that s hows their way of life and unique experience. BLACK FILMS MATTER (1920-202 0) is\, therefore\, a cycle of singular films with resonances and confluen ces between them\, rather than a theoretical program. It consists of vario us sessions that\, as units of meaning\, give underlying shape to this bea t of films. In this way\, archaeology is made of the pioneers of cinema\, including the films of the first African-American directors in history\, O scar Michaux and Zora Neale Hurston. These are the so-called race films of the early twentieth century\, an alternative industry that developed in t he silent period and that still remains unknown due to its enormous potent ial for destabilization. In this way\, Oscar Micheaux's Within Our Gates i s an anti-racist response to the aberrant xenophobic monumentality of D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915)\, a milestone in the orthodox his tories of cinema.\n\nAfter this period\, we connect with the emergence of black consciousness and the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s\ , characterized by the insurgency of the Black Power movement and the LA R ebellion\, collectives where film giants such as Charles Burnett\, Melvin van Peebles or Billy Woodberry stand out. In turn\, the politics of differ ence unite feminism\, blackness\, and queer identities in the work of Juli e Dash\, Cheryl Dunye\, and Cauleen Smith.\n\nThere is also room for a pop ular street cinema in the cycle\, which addresses the neighborhood as terr itory and battlefield\, as is the case with the films of Spike Lee\, Gordo n Parks\, Michael Schulz or John Singleton\, aimed at a new specifically b lack mass audience\, a \"counter-audience\" that transforms American enter tainment cinema.\n\nThe sessions by contemporary artists\, which feature K evin Jerome Everson\, Arthur Jafa and Kara Walker\, function as counterpoi nts – regardless of a chronology – that return to foundational moments of black film\, such as the origins of the pioneers or the revolts of the 1960s and 1970s.\n\nThe program seeks to reintegrate these historical gen ealogies into a contemporary Black consciousness that incorporates the pas t while being able to manifest today\, in unison with one of the great soc ial movements and hopes of our time\, Black Lives Matter\, that Black live s (and the cinema that inhabits them) matter.\n\nProgram\nWednesday\, Nove mber 10\, 2021 - 9:00 p.m. / Second pass: session 30. Screening and closin g concert with The Silent Entertainers Band. Thursday\, January 20 and Sat urday\, January 22\, 2022 / Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 1. Pioneers I\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThursday\, November 11\, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. / Sec ond screening: Wednesday\, December 29\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Spanish Film A rchive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini B uilding\, Auditorium\n\nSession 2. Pioneers II\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFrid ay\, November 12\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Second screening: Saturday\, Decembe r 18\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website / Museo Re ina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 3. Kara Walker\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSaturday \, November 13\, 2021 - 9:00 p.m. / Second screening: Friday\, December 17 \, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second screeni ng: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nSession 4. Mel vin Van Peebles\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, November 14\, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. / Second screening: Wednesday\, December 15\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Spanish Film Archi ve\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Build ing\, Auditorium\n\nSession 5. L.A. Rebellion I. Don Amis and Charles Burn ett\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMonday\, November 15\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Second screen ing: Sunday\, December 5\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Español a website / Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second s creening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 6. Julie Dash\n\n\n\ n\nTuesday\, November 16\, 2021 - 9:00 p.m. / Second screening: Monday\, D ecember 27\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Seco nd screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nSess ion 7. Pioneers III\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWednesday\, November 17\, 2021 - 6:00 p .m. / Second screening: Friday\, December 3\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website / Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Au ditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 8 . Kevin Jerome Everson\n\n\n\n\n\nThursday\, November 18\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m . / Second screening: Tuesday\, December 7\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website / Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Aud itorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 9. Pioneers IV\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFriday\, November 19\, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. / Second screening: Thursday\, December 23\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive \, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Buildin g\, Auditorium\n\nSession 10. Pioneers V\n\n\n\n\nSaturday\, November 20\, 2021 - 9:00 p.m. / Second screening: Friday\, December 10\, 2021 - 6:00 p .m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía M useum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nSession 11. Gordon Parks\n\n\n\n \nSunday\, November 21\, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. / Second screening: Sunday\, Nov ember 28\, 2021 - 12:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nSession 12. Michael Schultz\n\n\n\n\nMonday\, November 22\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Se cond screening: Thursday\, December 9\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmo teca Española website Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 13. Pione ers VI\n\n\n\n\nTuesday\, November 23\, 2021 - 9:00 p.m. / Second screenin g: Sunday\, December 5\, 2021 - 12:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Ci nema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditor ium\n\nSession 14. Pioneers VII\n\n\n\n\nWednesday\, November 24\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Second screening: Saturday\, December 4\, 2021 - check schedul e on the Filmoteca Española website Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Buildin g\, Auditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSes sion 15. Bill Gunn\n\n\n\n\nThursday\, November 25\, 2021 - 7:30 p.m. / Se cond screening: Monday\, December 13\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archi ve\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Build ing\, Auditorium\n\nSession 16. Ivan Dixon\n\n\n\n\nSaturday\, November 27 \, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Second screening: Thursday\, December 23\, 2021 - ch eck schedule on the website of the Spanish Film Archive Reina Sofía Museu m\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Spanish Film Archiv e\, Doré Cinema\n\nSession 17. Larry Bullard and Carolyn Y. Johnson\n\n\n \n\nSaturday\, November 27\, 2021 - 9:00 p.m. / Second screening: Wednesda y\, December 22\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / S econd screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nS ession 18. Spike Lee\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, November 28\, 2021 - 5:00 p.m. / Se cond screening: Sunday\, December 19\, 2021 - 12:00 p.m. Spanish Film Arch ive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Buil ding\, Auditorium\n\nSession 19. John Singleton\n\n\n\n\nMonday\, November 29\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Second screening: Saturday\, December 11\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website Museo Reina Sofía\, Sa batini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cin e Doré\n\nSession 20. Stephen Winter\n\n\n\n\nTuesday\, November 30\, 202 1 - 9:00 p.m. / Second screening: Wednesday\, December 8\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m . Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Mus eum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nSession 21. Cheryl Dunye\n\n\n\n\n \n\nThursday\, December 2\, 2021 – 6:00 p.m. / Second screening: Sunday\ , December 26\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website M useo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Fil moteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 22. L.A. Rebellion II. Haile Geri ma\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFriday\, December 3\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. / Second screen ing: Tuesday\, December 28\, 2021 - check schedule on the website of the S panish Film Archive Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema\n\nSession 23. L.A. Rebellion III. Larry Clark\n\n\n\n\n\nMonday\, December 6\, 2021 - 6:00 p .m. / Second screening: Friday\, December 10\, 2021 - check schedule on th e website of Filmoteca Española Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 24. Cauleen Smith\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTuesday\, December 21\, 2021 - check sched ule on the Spanish Film Archive website / Second screening: Friday\, Janua ry 14\, 2022 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second scre ening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\nSession 25. Feminist Short Films\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWednesday\, December 1\, 20 21 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website / Second screening: Saturday\, December 11\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Cine Dor é / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditoriu m\n\nSession 26. Arthur Jafa\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTuesday\, December 14\, 2021 - check schedule on the Spanish Film Archive website / Second screening: Sa turday\, January 15\, 2022 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\ n\nSession 27. Kathleen Collins\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, December 12\, 2021 - 12: 00 / Second screening: Wednesday\, December 22\, 2021 - check schedule on the Filmoteca Española website Museo Reina Sofía\, Sabatini Building\, A uditorium / Second screening: Filmoteca Española\, Cine Doré\n\nSession 28. L.A. Rebellion IV. Billy Woodberry\n\n\n\n\n\nSunday\, December 19\, 2 021 - check schedule on the Spanish Film Archive website / Second screenin g: Monday\, December 20\, 2021 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Ci nema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditor ium\n\nSession 29. Gordon Parks\n\n\n\n\nThursday\, January 20\, 2022 - ch eck schedule on the Spanish Film Archive website / Second screening: Satur day\, January 22\, 2022 - 6:00 p.m. Spanish Film Archive\, Doré Cinema / Second screening: Reina Sofía Museum\, Sabatini Building\, Auditorium\n\n Session 30. Screening and closing concert with The Silent Entertainers Ban d\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://vimeo.com/640315746?fl=pl&\;fe=sh\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03142026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /topic/12582-have-you-seen-within-our-gates-from-oscar-micheaux/#findComme nt-80649\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   14 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayI watched  \"Wit hin Our Gates\" and fully  appreciated it for what it was. In fact\, it i nspired me to do some research on Oscar Micheaux because I was both curio us and confused about him\, even misspelling his name. I was\, however\, v aguely familiar with him which was why I was of the opinion that it must'v e been his movies that I was seeing quite a while back on a local TV chann el that did not run them in prime time but instead put them on during the early afternoon\, almost as if to fill in empty air space like the wrestli ng matches and The Liberace Show did back during the early days of TV.\n\n \n\n This would mean that my seeing  these old films must've been back in the 1950s.\n\n\n\n Anyway\, I learned\, to my surprise\, that Oscar Miche aux was born in 1884 in Metropolis\, Illinois\, a town I know of because I had friends from there\, and that he died in 1951\, so he was alive duri ng my life time.\n\n\n\n I watched a couple of short YouTube videos about him and have concluded that at least some of those sound movies I was watc hing back then were ones \n\n\n\n produced by him later in his career.\n\ n\n\n Finally\, imo\, some of the stereotypes I previously mentioned did a ppear in Micheaux's \"Beyond the Gates\". Certainly Sylvia Landry\, the lo velorn heroine of  \"Within Our Gates\, was a \"tragic mulatto\" whose re al father was white and whose black adoptive parents were lynched\, her ad optive and nurturing mother\, Mattie\, being a \"Mammy\" figure\, and the wicked Larry\, brother-in-law of Sylvia's cousin\, being a villainous \"Tr ickster\"\, while the tattle tale Ephraim\, was the \"Coon\" figure.  The minister Jacobs\, who ran a school for black children\, represented  the \"Righteous Reverend\"and Dr. Vivian\, who falls in love with Sylvia\, re presented the \"romantic hero\". \n\n\n\n These personifications\, rather than being pantomimed degrading figures\, were transformed in \"Within Ou r Gates\"\, and I suspect the improved versions\, like the film itself\, w ere used to counteract the negative caricatures that \"The Birth of a Nati on\" depicted.\n\n\n\n My introduction to Micheaux was probably about 70 y ears ago and I'm curious if those films I remember seeing were lost and no longer exist since the claim is being made that this movie is the last of its kind in existence. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Btw\, I also beg to disagree with your classifying the Cakewalk as a form of buffoon mockery. It was ac tually an elegant\, joyful\, high-stepping  dance where couples competed against each other\, with the winner being awarded the prize of a cake!\n\ n\n\n Nor were minstrel shows totally without merit. They show cased sly h umor\, buck dancing and banjo artistry among other things.\n\n\n\n I menti on this because there was a time when black Masons would stage their own m instrel shows and\, having seen one put on by my father's lodge when I was a young girl in the 1940s\, I remember being rather proud that my dad\, w as a member of a barbershop quartet that performed in a show his Masonic l odge staged.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Just some thoughts...\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lovely thoughts\, thank you for sharing them:)\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Well use of the word personifications\, in that true persons chan ge are not pantomime. \n\n\n\n Sylvia a true mulatto\, definitely goes th rough trials or tribulations but she isn't tragic cause she wins in the en d. She isn't clotel. \n\n\n\n Mattie is motherly\, in the same way Mammy' s are\, but Mattie is a black woman married to a black man raising a black child... when a black maid is motherly to a white child that is the mammy figure\, it isn't a black woman being motherly to a black child\, that is expected? right? The landrys are both hanged and burned alive for a crime they didn't commit. \n\n\n\n hahaha LArry is the trickster\, I admit he doesn't change. If anything he is the one true caricature. and Micheaux be ing like Pioneer:) one of these law abiding blacks\, criminalizes black st reet people. All of larry's crimes are financial\, none are violent. but y eah\, larry is the pantomime black trickster\, but knowing what I know of micheaux that makes sense. I as a writer don't view black hustlers negativ ely so... \n\n\n\n Efram wasn't the coon for one reason\, in the film\, h e recants his actions in a confession to the audience so to speak. yes\, h e is the prototypical coon figure gestures\, talk and all\, BUT unlike mos t coon figures\, he gets killed by whites\, which is a very rare touch. ev en among black writers\, they rarely give \"black traitors\" aka coons the death that micheax gave efram. \n\n\n\n People remember samuel l jackson 's characters death in django\, but he is murdered by a black man\, django \, Oscar micheaux murders his coon\, efram through the true subjects white s\, displaying the simple truth that whites are the enemy of blacks folks\ , whether the honorable\, loving\, law abiding Landry's or the lying\, sel f hating scheming eframs. But the key is that efram confesses he hates him self\, confesses he is wrong which is very rare in film\, even black writt en films. \n\n\n\n And your correct\, the Rev is the \"righteous reverend \" and Dr..\"good hero\" But at least with the rev. he is actually challen ged. when sylvia rebukes his offer of marriage\, that is a real test that again\, so few righteous reverends have in many stories. to be challenged is key to testing the identity.  but the doctor is an evergood hero:) whi ch ok:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I wish I could see a complete version of symbol fo the unconquered. The partial I placed below. I think it is a response to birth of a nation\, not within our gates. Why do I say this? In a gener al sense\, because all of Micheaux's work involve the south plus black peo ple and they are not like in griffith's film\, they are all partially a re sponse to birth of a nation\, on a mere stylistic point. But in terms of a grarian fantasies\, i argue\, symbol of the unconquered is more of an agra rian fantasy which is what birth of a nation is\, than within our gates.  \n\n\n\n Birth of the nation is dismissive of the usa outside of the south \, in birth of a nation the usa outside of the south\, doesn't functionall y exist. In that way\, within our gates isn't a reply. Within our gates is very much holistic. It is showing black unity between blacks outside the south and to the south. Sylvia makes it where the black school in the sout h will thrive/survive/live but she lives in the north\, has found love in the north\, fled the south because of white terror\, but doesn't ask other black people to leave the south. Within our gates i argue is more holisti c to the usa. that complete nature is absent in birth of a nation. \n\n\n \n But symbol of the unconquered is all about black homesteaders. It is fo cused on a specific area in the usa like birth of a nation. And like birth of a nation has straight messages about certain persons or groups. Wherea s the KKK is heroic supporting the traditions of the south in birth of a n ation\, the kkk is a terrorist illegal operating organization in symbol of the unconquered. whereas \"birth's\" female lead is so negatively biased she can jump off of a cliff to her death rather than be violated. the fema le lead in \"symbol\"fights through wind and rain and storms\, to get her land. can be frightened but will never go to her death from fear. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n yeah\, well \, even though I don't pref er comedy usually\, i think comedy is the art form most in need in the usa at all times\, this countries history doesn't yield to seriousness well.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n lovely thought\, thank you for sharing them\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03152026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12582-have-you-see n-within-our-gates-from-oscar-micheaux/#findComment-80716\n\n\n\n osted j ust now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 my pleasure\, check out more films and content\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/677-oscar-devereaux-micheaux-boo ks-plus-films/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Troy ah cool:) \n\n\n\n some of the e lements of within our gates are still rare to see. a black character who i s publicly antiblack and confesses to it with shame before being killed by nonblacks\, very rare to see //read/hear today in anything with a budget and getting paid to be made\, even among black produced/financed work.\n\n \n\n the relationship between north and south black regions in the usa\, t he lead female character does not like the south for multiple reasons  an d yet still helps the black populace in the south \, I recall I  mentione d in the past how many fiscally wealthy blacks who live outside the former confederacy have never paid for one person to go to one historical black college or universtiy (HBCU) even demanded all the people they have paid c ollege for get money only if they go to a hbcu. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260310 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Jesse Jackson Junior's Eulogy to Jesse Jackson DTSTAMP:20260309T051005Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:673-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Introduction to Jesse JAckson Juniors Eulogy\n\n\n\n Yest erday I listened for several hours of three United States presidents who d o not know Jesse Jackson\,... He maintained a tense relationship with the political order\, not because the presidents were White or Black\, but the demands of our message\, the demands of speaking for the least of these — those who are disinherited\, the damned\, the dispossessed\, the disr espected — demanded not Democratic or Republican solutions\, but demande d a consistent\, prophetic voice that at no point in time sold us out as a people.”\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n Who is Jesse Jackson ?\ n\n\n\n In cheap hindsight\, Jesse Jackson is one of the Black Leaders\, a nother is Shirley Chisholm \,  whose rise was in the last decade of the J im Crow era\, 1865 to 1980[eighteen sixty five to nineteen eighty \, the p eriod after the enslavement era from 1492 fourteen ninety two to 1865 eigh teen sixty five]\, in the 1970s\, nineteen seventies. \n\n\n\n What happe ned in the the 1970s? \n\n\n\n China + Japan \, two white asian countries \, each began a fiscal push\, that in twenty twenty six have become pillar s of modern fiscal activity\, deleting the edge in engineering the usa had from the end of commonly called world war two. \n\n\n\n the USA installe d the lickspittle puppet\, the Shah of Iran in the nineteen fifties becaus e the elected prime minister of iran\, Mohammad Mosaddegh\, wasn't a licks pittle and was stopping the uneven oil business. I restate\, Mosaddegh wan ted to sell Iranian oil to iran's favor at market value\, both things\, an d that is what led to United States of America plus the United Kingdom of England plus Israel overthrowing the government of iran and installing the shah as a monarchy. yes\, the usa plus uk plus israel installed a monarch y to get what they each wanted financially. But that action led to the Mu slim Revolution of Iran overthrowing the shah in the 1970s and publicly st ating two countries who had a hand in overthrowing the elected government of Mosaddegh\, \, USA+Israel are correctly enemies of Iran. \n\n\n\n The inevitable failure of the civil rights laws in the private financial secto r showed their reality. As Black populaces in white cities had a growing c lass of workers for city governments\, aided with publicly funded schools\ , but the white flight was about to allow white cities to undercut staffin g and undercut funding which ultimately derailed many black populaces in c ities. \n\n\n\n What was Jesse Jackson's plan?\n\n\n\n Jesse Jackson real ized the heritage of unpaid unelected advocacy in the Black descended of e nslaved populace\, whose members were continually murdered through the who le jim crow period needed to survive in the future\; said heritage was abo ut advocacy\, working for something\, that returns nothing to oneself. MEd gar evers/Fanni lou hamer/James Baldwin/Malcolm/ MLK jr/ Billie Holiday/ M ary Lou Williams all died through murder or poor condition of life\, finan cially broke. None of them had money. They all had funerals paid for by ot hers\, had their childrens opportunities financed by others. Jesse Jackson 's idea was\, lets place Fannie Lou Hamer + Malcolm in the elected officia l class. Why? I argue Jesse Jackson saw with Jim Crow ending\, the USA is going into a phase where individuals from many communities in the usa will be able to financially achieve great heights\, unbounded\, but they will be communally abvocates. Not advocates\, those who work toward\, but abvoc ates\, those who work against. So\, while financially a Black one percent will grow and those not of white european descent in a rainbow coalition\, which came from Fred Hampton in chicago\, will achieve financial wealth\, the black fiscal poor as part of the greater fiscal poor of the united st ates of america will need an elected class who are not just filled with vi ctors who own spoils abvocating to the districts that elected them\, but c ommunal advocates who have the same energy plus vibe that Jesse Jackson sa w in the jim crow era before it was murdered by non blacks aside their bla ck agents. \n\n\n\n Did Jesse Jackson succeed? \n\n\n\n No\, To the vict or goes the spoils is the oldest heritage for elected officials in the uni ted states of america. It is a strong heritage because in a land where gov ernment post tend to not be inherited\, the only fiscal profit in governme nt is in extracting what you can in the short term. Supporting the short t erm fiscal value of elected positions in government is the rarity of advoc ates of highest quality that surrounded Jesse Jackson in the nineteen sixt ies. Being an abvocate \, working against\, to the people is easy \, natur al in the united states of america. Being an advocate to the people \, and better yet one who is making no fiscal revenue\, is a rare way of life in the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Jesse Jackson tried to create a culture of advocacy for all people within the elected class of government officials i n the united states of america\, who could make money and take money while being effective legislators or executives who forced profit to be made on mountains of unprofitable caring to prevent crimes in the future or the p otency of crimes in any past. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n \n\n 0:00\nYesterday\n0:07\nI listened\n0:10\nfor several hours of three\n 0:14\n[clears throat]\n0:15\nUnited States presidents\n0:18\nwho do not kn ow Jesse Jackson.\n0:26\nHe maintained a tense relationship\n0:30\nwith th e political order. Not because\n0:34\nthe presidents were white or black\, \n0:38\nbut the demands of our message.\n0:40\nYes.\n0:41\nThe demands of speaking for the least of\n0:43\nthese\, those who were disinherited\, the \n0:45\ndamned\, the dispossessed\, the\n0:48\ndisrespected.\n0:50\nYes\, sir.\n0:51\ndemanded not Democratic or Republican\n0:54\nsolutions\, but d emanded\n0:57\na consistent\n1:00\nprophetic\n1:02\nvoice\n1:03\nthat at n o point in time ever sold us\n1:06\nout as a people.\n1:10\nAnd it speaks volumes about who the\n1:13\nReverend Jesse Jackson\n1:16\nwas. Our messag e has already been\n1:20\ndelivered today. I can see it all over\n1:23\nmy mother's face.\n1:26\nRise\, Jesse\, rise. Give Jonathan Jackson\n1:30\na nother great round of applause for\n1:33\ndelivering our family message to the\n1:37\nworld.\n1:42\nLet's hear it for the congressman.\n1:50\n[appla use]\n1:52\nThere'll be no different message that\n1:55\nleaves this servi ce than the one that\n1:56\nJonathan Jackson has blessed us with.\n2:02\nI want to thank my sister Ashley and on\n2:05\nbehalf of all of our sibling s\,\n2:08\nthere is something about the blood of\n2:11\nservice that Jesse Jackson has given to\n2:15\nall of us.\n2:17\nAshley is an extraordinary individual\, a\n2:21\nvery\, very talented young lady\, and I am\n2:24\nso grateful. We're all so grateful to\n2:27\ncall her our sister. Thank you\ , Ashley.\n2:32\n[applause]\n2:37\n[applause]\n2:41\na gift to us from our father.\n2:48\nAmen.\n2:50\nto my sister Santita\n2:53\nwhose talents are so extraordinary that\n2:57\nI've always wondered why they're so\n2:59\nc ontained.\n3:02\nWe're so grateful for her scholarship\,\n3:06\nher input\ , her thinking\,\n3:09\nher being our oldest\n3:11\nsibling.\n3:14\nShe do esn't like oldest. She likes\n3:16\neldest sibling.\n3:20\nWe want to than k Cintita in a very\n3:21\nspecial way for her leadership. Give\n3:24\nCen ta a great round of applause.\n3:25\n[applause]\n3:27\nLet's hear it for C enta.\n3:33\n[applause]\n3:38\nAnd if we can listen once again to four\n3: 40\npresidents yesterday\, three of whom\n3:43\nhappened to be US presiden ts\n3:46\nwho did not know my father\, we can\n3:48\ncertainly listen to J qualine Jackson.\n3:52\nWe can listen to Jqualine Jackson who\n3:54\ncared for my father. Give her the round\n3:57\nof applause that she deserves.\n 4:03\n[applause]\n4:13\nAnd last but not least\,\n4:18\nfor 64 years befor e we heard of\n4:22\nprogressive nuclear pausy or Parkinson's\n4:25\ndisea se\,\n4:28\nmy father at North Carolina ENTT said\n4:30\nthat he was stand ing\n4:32\nat the cafeteria when he saw a young\n4:34\nfresh woman\n4:37\n walking across\n4:39\nthe campus.\n4:41\nThat's right.\n4:44\nAnd mommy\, at least as the story was\n4:46\nconveyed to me\, he said something to the \n4:48\neffect that you're going to be my wife\n4:51\none day.\n4:54\nAnd mama said to him\, \"You going to have\n4:56\nto work hard to make that th e case\, my\n4:58\nbrother.\n5:04\nfor 64 years with a particular emphasis \n5:07\nsince Reverend's diagnosis\n5:10\nof initially Parkinson's disease but a\n5:13\nfurther diagnosis that revealed\n5:16\npseudonuclear Pauly\n 5:19\nwhether the weather was rain or whether\n5:21\nthe weather was cold\ n5:23\nwhether things were going well or things\n5:25\nwere not going well .\n5:28\nthe mountain tops that marriages reach\n5:30\nas well as the vall ey that they reach.\n5:32\nJqualine Jackson has been the enduring\n5:35\nf orce in the ministry of the Reverend\n5:38\nJesse Jackson and she lent him to the\n5:43\nworld. Give Mrs. Jackson the honor that\n5:47\nshe deserves .\n5:51\n[applause]\n5:55\n[applause]\n6:00\nI want to remind everybody\n6 :03\nYes.\n6:07\nthat we are burying our father today.\n6:17\nI was so gra teful that he gave me his\n6:18\nname.\n6:22\nWhen he first gave it to me\ , it was a\n6:23\ngood name\,\n6:26\nJesse Jackson.\n6:28\nBorn March 11th \, just a few short days\n6:31\nfrom now.\n6:34\nHe had traveled from Chic ago Theological\n6:36\nSeminary to Selma\, Alabama.\n6:41\nHe sent my moth er to Greenville\, South\n6:43\nCarolina.\n6:49\nbecause he wanted his fir stborn son to\n6:51\nbe born where he was born.\n6:56\nWhen I was born\, t he Selma to Montgomery\n6:58\nMarch was entering a new phase. And mama\n7: 02\ncalled Selma to find out what\n7:06\nor to share with my father that h is\n7:07\nfirstborn son had been born. And\n7:11\nhe was so overwhelmed by the moment that\n7:13\nhe almost named me Selma.\n7:21\nBut thank God for mama's better\n7:23\njudgment.\n7:29\nAnd my father had a lot of jokes.\n 7:32\nYes\, sir.\n7:33\nMy father was a funny man.\n7:36\nThose of you who knew my father knew\n7:38\nthat he was an enjoyable man. Whatever\n7:42\n the media has to say about him\, it has\n7:45\nnothing to do with what eac h and every\n7:48\none of us knows about who Jesse Jackson\n7:52\nwas and is in our thinking.\n8:06\nbeing Jesse is not easy.\n8:09\nAnd so\, Dad an d I had worked out some\n8:12\nunderstanding of why he would do this\n8:14 \nand why I would do that. And a symbiosis\n8:17\noccurred in our personal ity because what\n8:20\nhe did affected me one way and what I\n8:23\ndid a ffected him the other way. But such\n8:26\nwas the name Jesse Jackson.\n8: 30\nAnd I remember when I was in prison.\n8:40\n[applause]\n8:43\nAnd I wo uld think about the man\n8:46\nwho brought Robert Goodman home.\n8:48\nYes \, sir.\n8:50\nYes\, sir.\n8:51\nWho called the Ayatollah in Iran and\n8:5 5\nasked him to release the Americans. And\n8:58\nwhen he wouldn't\, he sa id\, \"At least\n9:00\nrelease the black ones because America\,\n9:03\ndon 't use them as a human shield.\n9:05\nAmerica don't care.\"\n9:09\nAnd Aya tollah heard Reverend Jackson's\n9:12\nvoice and released the black prison ers.\n9:20\n[applause]\n9:21\nJonathan and I were in Cuba when dad\n9:23\n brought\, I believe\, the Mario prisoners\n9:26\nhome.\n9:28\nI think Yous ef and Jonathan were in Iraq\n9:32\nwhen they met with Saddam Hussein\n9:3 5\n[snorts] and brought a 747\n9:38\nof filled with human shields home.\n9 :44\n[applause]\n9:49\nAnd I remember mama when daddy would\n9:51\ncome vi sit me in prison\n9:53\nand I would think about\n9:56\nall of the people m y daddy could save.\n10:07\nHe came to visit me one day and I said\,\n10:0 8\n\"Daddy\,\n10:11\ndo you think you can get me out of\n10:12\nhere?\"\n1 0:18\n[applause]\n10:23\n[applause]\n10:25\nHe said\, \"I'm trying\, son\, \n10:28\nbut don't give up.\" Yes\, sir.\n10:31\nHold your head high.\n10: 33\nStick your chest out.\n10:35\nYou can make it.\n10:38\nAnd so\, yester day\, I began a little\n10:41\nstatement\, and this ain't going to last\n1 0:43\nbut about four more minutes cuz I\n10:46\nhaven't had a chance to de velop it.\n10:48\n[snorts]\n10:50\nHoward Thurman\n10:54\nbecause the mess age has already been\n10:57\ndelivered. Rise\, Jesse\, rise. I'm\n11:00\ns pecifically hanging around Howard\n11:03\nThurman yesterday because I don' t want\n11:06\nthe media to step on rise\, Jesse\, rise\n11:10\nin tomorro w's story.\n11:14\nIt's a calculation.\n11:16\nYes\, sir. We Jackson have to think about\n11:19\nwhat we say so we don't have too many\n11:22\nmessa ges emanating from the same\n11:25\nhousehold. We think about it.\n11:32\n Howard Thurman his family grew up as a\n11:34\nsharecropping family and he had\n11:36\nexperienced some of the horrific\n11:38\ntreatment of African -Americans in the\n11:40\nSouth\, not unlike my father. and his\n11:43\nfa mily decided they didn't want young\n11:45\nHoward to be a sharecropper. S o\, they\n11:47\nput together all of their pennies and\n11:50\nquarters an d nickels\, and they came up\n11:53\nwith just enough money to make sure\n 11:55\nHoward Thurman could afford a ticket to\n11:58\ngo to college.\n12: 03\nAnd in the book\, which Bill Clinton\n12:05\nreferenced yesterday with Head and\n12:07\nHeart\, he dedicates the book\n12:11\nto this story.\n12 :14\nWhen he went to get his ticket\, the\n12:17\nbroken pieces of his lif e were in a\n12:20\ntrunk that his family had given to him\n12:23\nwith no handles. And he had tied the\n12:25\ntrunk up with ropes.\n12:28\nYes\, s ir.\n12:29\nYes\, sir. And the conductor said\, \"You\n12:32\ncan get on t he train\, but your baggage\n12:33\ncan't.\"\n12:35\nHe said\, \"In that t runk was all of the\n12:37\nbroken pieces of his life\, his pictures\,\n12 :40\nhis his clothes\, all of his memories\,\n12:43\nand\n12:46\nhe wasn't leaving his broken pieces\n12:49\nbehind.\"\n12:52\nSo he went over in th e corner of the\n12:54\ntrain station and he began crying\n12:58\nbecause his dreams and his hopes had\n13:01\nbeen thwarted about whether or not he \n13:04\ncould go to college.\n13:07\nAnd crying and tears and mucus all l ay\n13:11\nin a pile when he wiped his eyes and he\n13:12\nlooked up mama and he saw a pair of old\n13:16\nrustic boots.\n13:20\nHe continued to loo k up and he saw a man\n13:23\nin some overalls and he saw an old black\n13 :26\nman wearing a straw hat and he said\,\n13:28\n\"Boy\,\n13:30\nwhat yo u crying for?\" And Howard said\,\n13:33\n\"Because I can't take my luggag e with me\n13:38\non the train. I've decided not to go to\n13:41\ncollege. \" And the old man reached in his\n13:44\npocket and he grabbed a little l eather\n13:45\nsack and pulled out a few coins and\n13:48\nbought a ticket for Howard Thurman's\n13:51\nluggage.\n13:54\nAnd Howard Thurman says he never got the\n13:57\nman's name.\n14:00\nYes\, sir. Yes\, sir. And all he remembers\n14:04\nwas his train was going in one direction\n14:07\nand he saw the old man walking down the\n14:10\ntrain tracks until he faded away .\n14:14\nHe dedicates his autobiography\n14:18\nto the stranger\n14:23\nw ho restored his hope.\n14:26\nYes\, sir.\n14:27\nAnd sent him to college. Thank you\,\n14:30\nJesus.\n14:31\nI just want two more minutes to tell yo u\n14:34\nabout who my daddy was.\n14:38\n[applause]\n14:39\nYou see\, whe n I was in prison\,\n14:41\nYes\, sir.\n14:42\nI had to ask my daddy if he was\n14:44\ndisappointed in me.\n14:45\nYes\, sir. Come on. Come on.\n14: 48\n[snorts]\n14:49\nI announced this little old campaign for\n14:51\nCong ress on his birthday\, October 8th\,\n14:56\n2025\, because I wanted to re member his\n14:59\nbirthday as long as I live.\n15:02\nYes\, sir.\n15:05\n Help.\n15:06\nYou see\, when I was in the hole\n15:10\nand I looked up and saw the ceiling\,\n15:14\nI thought about the stranger.\n15:19\nAnd I sai d to myself\, \"My dad is the\n15:23\nstranger.\"\n15:26\nYou see\, he's t he man who can save\n15:28\npeople from prison and save people and\n15:31\ nbring them from foreign leadership. He's\n15:33\nthe man who can go aroun d the world and\n15:36\nchange it for everybody.\n15:39\nHe's the man who spoke in the high\n15:41\nschools and told young people to stop\n15:44\nco mplaining about what they don't have\,\n15:46\nto use what they got.\n15:4 8\nYes\, sir. Yes\, sir.\n15:51\nHe's the one who told them down with\n15: 53\ndope and and up with hope.\n15:56\nHe's the one who preached your fune rals\n15:59\nfor your families and married your loved\n16:02\nones and hel ped bring them forward in\n16:05\nhappily married matrimony.\n16:08\nHe's the one we turn to at our lowest\n16:12\nhours.\n16:13\nAnd so\, [gasps] n ot only in the life of\n16:17\nhis family was he hope\,\n16:20\nbut he was a stranger Yes\, sir. for\n16:24\nmillions of people who knew not his\n16 :27\nname.\n16:28\nYou see\, [cheering]\n16:31\nimminent Howard Thurman th eologian said\n16:34\nthat to Howard Thurman\, the stranger was\n16:38\nth e embodiment of God.\n16:42\nSo when the stranger shows up in our\n16:45\n space\,\n16:46\nI don't care if it's your daddy. I don't\n16:49\ncare if i t's your mama. I don't care if\n16:51\nit's someone that you don't get alo ng\n16:53\nwith. God is trying to tell you\n16:55\nsomething\, judge.\n16: 57\nYes\, sir. [applause]\n17:00\nYes\, sir.\n17:01\nI'm done.\n17:03\n[ap plause]\n17:04\nGod help you.\n17:05\nWhen Jonathan delivered that message \n17:06\ntoday\,\n17:08\nyou\n17:09\non behalf of this family and on behal f\n17:11\nof a people\,\n17:12\nYes\, sir.\n17:14\nHe covered every aspect that I know of\n17:19\nmy father's life.\n17:20\nYes\, sir.\n17:21\nI am so grateful to each of the\n17:23\niterations of Jesse Jackson that are\n1 7:26\nrepresented here today\n17:28\nbecause we've seen and you you you an d\n17:31\nyou have lifted this family and allowed\n17:34\nus the great pri vilege\n17:37\nYes\, sir.\n17:39\n[cheering]\n17:39\nof representing you\n 17:42\nin some mighty amazing places. And so\,\n17:46\nSantita\, to God be the glory. [cheering]\n17:50\nFor all of the wonderful things that he\n17 :54\nhas done.\n17:56\nI am grateful to all of you on behalf of\n17:59\nou r family. Rise\, Jesse. Rise.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIE S \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12576-president-obamas-eulogy-of-re v-jesse-jackson/#findComment-80620\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Con trarian well\,I think what jesse jackson jr said was truth\, clinton/obam a/biden were each considered good guys\, the southern white sax player\, t he mulatto with a black wife\, the kindly old white guy\, but each weren't the kind of elected advocate that Jesse Jackson  senior hoped to brew as a common occurrence in the usa. I still feel \,with no proof\, that what Jesse Jackson wanted\, his purpose\, was to get people with the quality of leadership of advocates\, unpaid or unelected while totally committed\, l ike fannie lou hamer or malcolm x to be elected officials\, to improve the quality of elected officials\, in the usa. Instead\, the overall industry of government led to a bunch of pantomime black or non black elected offi cials who are all salespeople\, who do nothing for blacks or non blacks wh ile claiming their are acting in all humanities betterment.  This is why Shirley Chisholm left government. She was an advocate who became an electe d official\, but she was surrounded by black plus non black salespeople. A nd three of said salespeople spoke during jesse jackson's funeral with the same quality inherent in insult that brooke shileds plus magic johnson sp oke at michael jackson's funeral.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03142026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12576-president-obamas-eulogy-of-rev-jesse-jack son/#findComment-80668\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n \n\n\n   On 3/11/2026 at 6:04 PM\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n Well\, if you dont want the 3 Presidents to talk politics at the funeral of a po litical figure\, then don't invite them\, just to show how important the d eceased was. And Al Sharpton certainly didn't mince any words about what's happening in the country in his remarks. \n\n\n\n If you want a dignifie d funeral\, don't invite a bunch of dignitaries to speak\, and hold the se rvices at a huge hall to accommodate  all the public mourners you opened the doors to.\n\n\n\n You're just asking for confusion and resentment and that's what the Jackson family got.\n\n\n\n You can't have it both ways.\n \n\n\n I am with you 100% Do I think jesse jackson spoke false ? no BUT I concur to your point that if you want no commercialization then make the f uneral private and if you want a more public aspect\, for jesse jackson wa s famous\, known\, then you need to have greater control over what happens plus over how what happens in the schedule. I concur to you. If you open the possibility for behavior you don't want at an event you control\, then when the behavior you don't want happens you are partially and arguably m ostly to blame. If Jesse jackson junior would had began mentioning where t he jackson clan\, or whomever was in control went wrong\, that would had m ade his speech not only truthful but even.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \ n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n This shit has got to sto p.\n\n \n\n Perhaps there should be a Black Law: If you're already light skinned\, you shouldn't be allowed to dye your hair blonde.\n\n \n\n Maybe we should have a limit to how many \"white\" features a Black person is a llowed to have before they are no longer considered Black....lol.\n\n\n\n  i have to ask a simple question. who will enforce the black laws? you?:) you talk of law enforcement with white laws so i assume someone will enfo rce the black laws:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03142026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com /tc/topic/12576-president-obamas-eulogy-of-rev-jesse-jackson/#findComment- 80674\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I guess if we could figure out who or what is in fluencing so many Black women to dye their hair blonde\, we can figure out who or what can get them to stop.\n\n\n\n what if the influencer is the f reedom of a woman to do whatever she wants with out having to worry about any penalty ? who is going to deny them their freedom to do what they want ? what can deny them the freedom to do what they want?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03152026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12576-president-obamas-eulogy- of-rev-jesse-jackson/#findComment-80709\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @P ioneer1 \n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n If the \"free dom of a woman to do whatever she wants\" was the influencer....where are the AfroAmerican women with naturally light hair dying it black or dark br own?\n\n \n\n When was the last time you saw a Black entertainer with natu rally lighter hair dying it black?\n\n \n\n It's not about freedom\, it's about them being conditioned to believe that blonde hair\, light skin\, an d light eyes somehow makes them look better.\n\n \n\n I don't think they s hould be physically or even legally prevented from doing so\, but I do thi nk that we as AfroAmericans who ARE proud to be Black...should have a cons istent campaign of self-love and promotion of African features like dark s kin and dark hair and promote this especially to our children to COUNTER t he effects from centuries of racist anti-Black brainwashing that our commu nity has endured.\n\n \n\n Use the movies\, television shows\, and adverti sements to promote dark skin and dark hair....especially to our children.\ n\n Make them desire THOSE features\, instead of the opposite.\n\n\n\n Exp and  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In my experience most Black women don't have nat urally light hair. so they would never need to dye it a dark color. In con trast i find many white women tend to have natural light hair and they dye it dark colors. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I can't recall a Black Entertainer w ith naturally lighter hair. Black to dark Brown is the usual colors for Bl ack entertainers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You are not wrong that conditioning exist\, this is undeniably true.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BUT\, you hint at a g reater challenge. I live in NYC \, has more black women than any other cit y in the united states of america. If someone asks me what hairstyle do mo st black women have. I argue\, a majority of black women in NYC today of y ounger generations have natural styles. And black women in nYC of older ge nerations have a fifty /fifty natural to unnatural. Now\, You mention a co nsistent campaign but when does this end? are you speaking of an eternal c ampaign? why do I ask? don't forget you live in the usa. There isn't a pop ulace/peoples/group in the usa today that doesn't have many individuals in it who don't adhere to some code of appearance or conduct. Many people wh ose parents: don't speak english \, don't speak spanish\; dance the rumba\ ; don't dance forms from latin america\; are of asian descent\, have been adopted by white europeans and barely know any asians. ... my point. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n If you are looking for 100% like another member of aalbc\, or maybe yourself when it comes to black crime\, then you can forget it i n the united states of america. In my experience most black people desire being of some black tribe\, in appearance\, heritage\, culture. But\, not 100% and in my view\, what your complaining about is the lack of 100% whic h I oppose. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pioneer you will always see black people who are white-philes in the usa\, ALWAYS. But Black people have always bee n majority in love with being Black. I think black people like you love to cry emergency with the mere existence of black people who act as you feel they should not\, even though said black folk have always been a minority in the black populace. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260308 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:#BlackHistory337 2026-2027 #1 DTSTAMP:20260314T224803Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:679-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n #BlackHistory337 2026-2027 #1\n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/BlackHistory337-2026-2027-1-12979385 61\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n #BlackHistory337 is about the time b etween Black History Months\, when many people including some Black people don't make an effort to emphasize Black History. A way to cover the rest of the year\, the remaining 337 days between each 28.\n\n\n\n For the firs t edition\, the focus is to present the earliest Black characters in comic s in the United States of America. Enjoy the list. If anyone knows the ear liest Black Character in Japanese Manga or European Bande Dessinee please share. I was unable to find either but I know they exist.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n \n Lion Man- first black male superhero in comics\, [All Negro Comics] \, 1947\n \n \n Lobo - First Black character to headline their own comic series [ Dell Comics]\, Dec. 1965 and Sept. 1966\n \n \n Black Panther - first black male superhero in Marvel\, 1966\n \n \n Mal Duncan- first bla ck male hero in DC\, became Guardian\, 1970\n \n \n Butterfly- name is Ma rian Michaels \, first black female superhero \, in Hell-rider which becam e public domain. I am thinking maybe I can do this without getting in any trouble[ skywald publications]. 1971\n \n \n Luke Cage- first black super hero in Marvel with their own comic\, 1972\n \n \n Nubia - the first blac k female superhero in DC\, 1973\n \n \n Misty Knight - first black female superhero in Marvel\, 1975\n \n \n Black Lightning- first black superher o in DC with their own comic \, 1977\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n GALLERY OF DEVI ANTART ENTRIES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LION MAN- sitting in the audience with a nother in this list\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LOBO\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\ n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BLACK PANTHER\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MAL D UNCAN\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BUTTERFLY\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n LUKE CAGE\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NUBIA\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n MISTY KNIGHT\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BLACK LIGHTN ING with my original character inspired by him\, the Fulgurantess\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did you know all these characters? Nex t time someone asks you about comics in the USA and they talk about or que stion about Black characters in the earliest times\, please inform them of these gems.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n #blackhistory337  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Monthly Content\, next month another edition of #Black 337 will occur\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/678-kassa-or-the- nomadic-endling-jali-vindicador-p1/\n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n https://www.deviant art.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JALI-VINDICADOR-P1-1309 539768\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260314 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR P1 DTSTAMP:20260314T221139Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:678-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR P1\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/KASSA-or-THE-NOMADIC-ENDLING-JAL I-VINDICADOR-P1-1309539768\n\n\n\n #blackhistory337 #black337 \n\n\n\n CO NTENT\n\n\n\n KASSA\, or THE NOMADIC ENDLING JALI VINDICADOR\n\n\n\n from Richard Murray aka @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prologue\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Character List\n\n\n\n \n Kassa - Roaming storyteller of the entire Am erican continent\, modern day Canada to modern day Argentina\, the last of many peoples\, continuing a heritage of vengeance\; he rides a lemon-yell ow horse called Tecumseh\; his wife known only as Santana is mysterious\; he stockfon his rifle\, telling stories of his forebears. He is the Son of Yaha side Nili Accita\, born in the chaos of their lives\; his parents fo und each other through the period of the Trail of Tears \, and were in lov e at first sight\; they : found great connection after as two people who a re the endlings to many people\, hold earned distrust of all other peoples of the American Continent\, participated in more legends or folktales tha n any other figures in the American Continent before the nineteen hundreds \, share a heritage born from the mixing of First Peoples side Black Afric ans whether enslaved or free\, are a loving couple who a enjoy having fun and playing with their children and made legends of their lives beginning at the time of the war between the states their son\, Kassa \, sings of. H e is called a Jineteada in southern South America\, Llanero in northern So uth America\, Charrería in Mexico or Central America or Florida\, Wrangle r in the interior states of United States of America.\n \n \n Yaha- fathe r of Kassa. The son of a Black Seminole couple\, loyal to Jonas Caballo\, who were murdered in Florida in the Seminole Wars\; his parents were betra yed by First Peoples\, hounded by Whites whether soldiers or civilians\; h e was raised by Caballo and traveled on the trail of tears. He helped Caba llo settle their people in Nascimento Mexico but then traveled back into t he USA with his wife. He is known as a Vaquero in Florida or Mexico\, Cowb oy or Buckaroo in the interior states of the United States of America.\n \ n \n Nili Accita- mother of Kassa. The daughter of Peewaalia parents\, th e remnants of the ancient Inoka who by the time of the Peewaalia have mixe d with various peoples of Africa\, through former enslaved or enslaved to themselves\, or Europe\, whether French/Spanish/English descent from the t ime of New France onward. The lands of the Inoka are plentiful in lead whi ch was and still is necessary as a material for weapons\, from the French for New France in the English-French war\, commonly called French Indian w ar\, to the War of secession of the British colonies\, to the war of 1812 between USA and UK\, to the Seminole Wars and to the War Between The State s\, and onward. They have ancient knowledge of the land called by some Ill inois country. She is a legendary sniper. She is known as a gunwoman in th e United States of America\, pistolera in Mexico.\n \n\n\n\n Verb List\n\n \n\n \n Kassa- from Kacca of Muscogee word for cougar/panther/puma\n \n \ n Yaha- from Muscogee word for wolf\n \n \n Nili Accita- from Muscogee f or moon blanket\; Nili means moon\, accita means blanket\n \n \n Vindicad or- Spanish/Portuguese form of vindicator\, one who avenges /get revenge/w ants vendetta - vendetta a feud of violence\n \n \n Jali- a word with man y variations in West Africa or in\, referring to a person who is a blend o f storyteller+musician+historian.\n \n \n Endling- meaning last of a kind \n \n \n Nomadic- one who is a nomad\, nomad is one without a static home \n \n \n Jineteada- an equestrian of Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay/Chile/sou thern states of Brazil.\n \n \n Llanero- meaning from a llano\, a plain\, in Venezuela/Columbia is a horse rider.\n \n \n Charreria- an equestrian of Mexico or Spanish lands circa Central America.\n \n \n Wrangler- a sp ecific horse trainer type cowboy.\n \n \n Vaquero- cowboy in Mexico or Sp anish lands circa Central America\, managing cows\, farmer of livestock.\n \n \n Cowboy- vaquero in the United States of America.\n \n \n Pistoler a- female form of pistolero\, one who wields a gun.\n \n \n Tecumseh- sho oting star in Shawnee\n \n \n Stockfon- fon means to play in Malinke\; st ock means a log\, like the wood used to make the part of a gun that attach es the barrel\, action [loading area]\, or trigger [ firing tool] of a gun .\n \n \n Peewaalia- phonetic spelling of peoria\, the remnant of the Ino ka.\n \n \n Inoka\, the name of the Illinois for themselves.\n \n\n\n\n I NFORMATION LIST\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Short Fiction\n\n\n\n Guy de Maupassant \n\n\n\n Translated by Ernest Boyd\, Storm Jameson\, Jeffery E. Jeffery\, Lafcadio Hearn\, M. Walter Dunne\, Henry C. Olinger\, Albert M. Cohn-McMas ter\, Dora Knowlton Ranous\, Bigelow\, Brown &\; Co.\, Inc.\, and Franc is Steegmuller.\n\n\n\n https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/guy-de-maupassan t/short-fiction/various-translators/text\n\n\n\n A Vendetta\n\n\n\n https: //standardebooks.org/ebooks/guy-de-maupassant/short-fiction/various-transl ators/text/a-vendetta\n\n\n\n epilogues afterwords appendices\n\n\n\n http s://www.writerswrite.co.za/epilogues-afterwords-appendices-whats-the-diffe rence/\n\n\n\n forward preface prologue\n\n\n\n https://www.writerswrite.c o.za/forewords-prefaces-prologues-introductions-whats-the-difference/\n\n\ n\n Tecumseh\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh\n\n\n\n Rifle\ n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifle\n\n\n\n Balafon\n\n\n\n https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balafon\n\n\n\n Stock\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/Stock_(firearms)\n\n\n\n Haitian Freeing 21 August 1791 – 1 Ja nuary 1804\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Revolution\n\n\n\ n Seminole Wars 1816–1858\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole _Wars\n\n\n\n Trail of Tears 1830–1850\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Trail_of_Tears\n\n\n\n War Between The States April 12\, 1861 – May 26\, 1865\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War\n\n\n\ n French Louisiana and the Mississippi Bubble- a financial collapse\n\n\n\ n https://hnoc.org/virtual-exhibitions/money-money-money/money-and-why-the re-was-never-enough\n\n\n\n lead searching\n\n\n\n https://atnhayseed.blog spot.com/2018/07/grants-of-land-in-upper-louisiana.html\n\n\n\n lead histo ry\n\n\n\n http://www.oldmines.org/history.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260313 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:OSCAR DEVEREAUX MICHEAUX BOOKS PLUS FILMS DTSTAMP:20260314T045437Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:677-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n BOOKS\n\n\n\n The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer. Lincoln\, Nebraska: Woodruff Press. 1913. ISBN 978-0803282094. OCLC 2 54051406.\n\n\n\n https://books.google.com/books?id=A9CJ_dPnd18C\n\n\n\n T he Forged Note. Lincoln\, Nebraska: Western Book Supply Company. 1915. OC LC 2058028.\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/forgednoteromanc00michric h\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Homesteader: A Novel. Sioux City\, Iowa: Western Book Supply Company. 1917. OCLC 10616358.\n\n\n\n https://archi ve.org/details/homesteadernovel00michrich\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Wind from Nowhere. New York: Book Supply Company. 1941. OCLC 682477.\n\n \n\n https://books.google.com/books?id=XVcGuV3s7s8C\n\n\n\n The Case of Mr s. Wingate. New York: Book Supply Company. 1944. OCLC 5541463.\n\n\n\n h ttps://books.google.com/books?id=qMyGFdhojFYC\n\n\n\n The Story of Dorothy Stanfield. New York: Book Supply Company. 1946. OCLC 300792169.\n\n\n\n https://books.google.com/books?id=38lxUGc58twC\n\n\n\n Masquerade\, a His torical Novel. New York: Book Supply Company. 1947. OCLC 300739700.\n\n\ n\n https://books.google.com/books?id=3yDWLrSc7KEC\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FILM S\n\n\n\n The Homesteader (1919) [Lost]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Within Our Gate s (1920) [Survives]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Brute (1920 ) [Lost]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)[Survives ( incomplete)]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Gunsaulus Mystery ( 1921) [Lost]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Dungeon (1922) [Lost]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Hypocrite (1922) [Lost] shown in the film deceit as a film within a f ilm\n\n\n\n Uncle Jasper's Will (1922) [Lost] supposed sequel to within o ur gates\, involving the last will and testament by a sharecropper after f alsely accused of murder and lynched by whites\n\n\n\n The Virgin of the S eminole (1922) [Lost]- a black man becomes a canadian mountie and rescues a black female with fist people plus black enslaved descendency \n\n\n\n Deceit (1923) [Unknown] about a decieitful preacher has the film the hyp ocrite in it\n\n\n\n Birthright (1924) [Lost]- first film version of the story by Thomas Sigismund Stribling a harvard graduate goes back to his b lack southern town to start a school and faces extreme hardships\n\n\n\n A Son of Satan (1924) [Lost]- first film involving \"horror' man sleeps in a haunted house\, shot in the bronx\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Body and Soul (1925 )[Survives]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Marcus Garland (1925) [L ost] a historical fiction of the life of marcus garvey in the usa.. Michea ux in his earliest works showed he loved the usa \, embraced it at least\, and heavily opposed black people who wanted to leave it\, even if raped/a friad or other negative\n\n\n\n https://books.google.com/books?id=1B4ui7Eo ylwC&\;dq=%22marcus+garland%22+silent+era&\;pg=PA50#v=onepage&\;q &\;f=false\n\n\n\n https://books.google.com/books?id=w1zFLK2geOAC&\; dq=%22marcus+garland%22+micheaux+straight+lick&\;pg=PA247#v=onepage& \;q=%22marcus%20garland%22%20micheaux%20straight%20lick&\;f=false\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n The Conjure Woman (1926)\, adapted from novel by Charles W. Chesnutt [Lost] \n\n\n\n The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Conjure Woma n\nThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and m ost other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions wh atsoever. You may copy it\, give it away or re-use it under the terms of t he Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gut enberg.org. If you are not located in the United States\, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBo ok.\nTitle: The Conjure Woman\n\nAuthor: Charles W. Chesnutt\n\n\nRelease date: March 1\, 2004 [eBook #11666]\nMost recently updated: October 28\, 2 024\n\nLanguage: English\n\nOther information and formats: www.gutenberg.o rg/ebooks/11666\n\nCredits: Produced by Suzanne Shell\, Sjaani and PG Dist ributed Proofreaders\n\n*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CONJU RE WOMAN ***\nTHE CONJURE WOMAN\nBY\nCHARLES W. CHESNUTT\nFirst published in 1899 by Houghton\, Mifflin &\; Co.\n\nCONTENTS\nTHE GOOPHERED GRAPEV INE\nPO' SANDY\nMARS JEEMS'S NIGHTMARE\nTHE CONJURER'S REVENGE\nSIS' BECKY 'S PICKANINNY\nTHE GRAY WOLF'S HA'NT\nHOT-FOOT HANNIBAL\n\n\"The Conjurer' s Revenge\" is reprinted from The Overland Monthly by permission of the pu blishers.\n\nAPPENDIX\nUncollected Uncle Julius Stories\nDave's Neckliss ( 1889)\nA Deep Sleeper (1893)\nLonesome Ben (1900)\n\nEssay\nSuperstitions and Folk-Lore of the South (1901)\n\n\n\nTHE CONJURE WOMAN\nTHE GOOPHERED GRAPEVINE\nSome years ago my wife was in poor health\, and our family doct or\, in whose skill and honesty I had implicit confidence\, advised a chan ge of climate. I shared\, from an unprofessional standpoint\, his opinion that the raw winds\, the chill rains\, and the violent changes of temperat ure that characterized the winters in the region of the Great Lakes tended to aggravate my wife's difficulty\, and would undoubtedly shorten her lif e if she remained exposed to them. The doctor's advice was that we seek\, not a temporary place of sojourn\, but a permanent residence\, in a warmer and more equable climate. I was engaged at the time in grape-culture in n orthern Ohio\, and\, as I liked the business and had given it much study\, I decided to look for some other locality suitable for carrying it on. I thought of sunny France\, of sleepy Spain\, of Southern California\, but t here were objections to them all. It occurred to me that I might find what I wanted in some one of our own Southern States. It was a sufficient time after the war for conditions in the South to have become somewhat settled \; and I was enough of a pioneer to start a new industry\, if I could not find a place where grape-culture had been tried. I wrote to a cousin who h ad gone into the turpentine business in central North Carolina. He assured me\, in response to my inquiries\, that no better place could be found in the South than the State and neighborhood where he lived\; the climate wa s perfect for health\, and\, in conjunction with the soil\, ideal for grap e-culture\; labor was cheap\, and land could be bought for a mere song. He gave us a cordial invitation to come and visit him while we looked into t he matter. We accepted the invitation\, and after several days of leisurel y travel\, the last hundred miles of which were up a river on a sidewheel steamer\, we reached our destination\, a quaint old town\, which I shall c all Patesville\, because\, for one reason\, that is not its name. There wa s a red brick market-house in the public square\, with a tall tower\, whic h held a four-faced clock that struck the hours\, and from which there pea led out a curfew at nine o'clock. There were two or three hotels\, a court -house\, a jail\, stores\, offices\, and all the appurtenances of a county seat and a commercial emporium\; for while Patesville numbered only four or five thousand inhabitants\, of all shades of complexion\, it was one of the principal towns in North Carolina\, and had a considerable trade in c otton and naval stores. This business activity was not immediately apparen t to my unaccustomed eyes. Indeed\, when I first saw the town\, there broo ded over it a calm that seemed almost sabbatic in its restfulness\, though I learned later on that underneath its somnolent exterior the deeper curr ents of life—love and hatred\, joy and despair\, ambition and avarice\, faith and friendship—flowed not less steadily than in livelier latitudes .\n\nWe found the weather delightful at that season\, the end of summer\, and were hospitably entertained. Our host was a man of means and evidently regarded our visit as a pleasure\, and we were therefore correspondingly at our ease\, and in a position to act with the coolness of judgment desir able in making so radical a change in our lives. My cousin placed a horse and buggy at our disposal\, and himself acted as our guide until I became somewhat familiar with the country.\n\nI found that grape-culture\, while it had never been carried on to any great extent\, was not entirely unknow n in the neighborhood. Several planters thereabouts had attempted it on a commercial scale\, in former years\, with greater or less success\; but li ke most Southern industries\, it had felt the blight of war and had fallen into desuetude.\n\nI went several times to look at a place that I thought might suit me. It was a plantation of considerable extent\, that had form erly belonged to a wealthy man by the name of McAdoo. The estate had been for years involved in litigation between disputing heirs\, during which pe riod shiftless cultivation had well-nigh exhausted the soil. There had bee n a vineyard of some extent on the place\, but it had not been attended to since the war\, and had lapsed into utter neglect. The vines—here partl y supported by decayed and broken-down trellises\, there twining themselve s among the branches of the slender saplings which had sprung up among the m—grew in wild and unpruned luxuriance\, and the few scattered grapes th ey bore were the undisputed prey of the first comer. The site was admirabl y adapted to grape-raising\; the soil\, with a little attention\, could no t have been better\; and with the native grape\, the luscious scuppernong\ , as my main reliance in the beginning\, I felt sure that I could introduc e and cultivate successfully a number of other varieties.\n\nOne day I wen t over with my wife to show her the place. We drove out of the town over a long wooden bridge that spanned a spreading mill-pond\, passed the long w hitewashed fence surrounding the county fair-ground\, and struck into a ro ad so sandy that the horse's feet sank to the fetlocks. Our route lay part ly up hill and partly down\, for we were in the sand-hill county\; we drov e past cultivated farms\, and then by abandoned fields grown up in scrub-o ak and short-leaved pine\, and once or twice through the solemn aisles of the virgin forest\, where the tall pines\, well-nigh meeting over the narr ow road\, shut out the sun\, and wrapped us in cloistral solitude. Once\, at a cross-roads\, I was in doubt as to the turn to take\, and we sat ther e waiting ten minutes—we had already caught some of the native infection of restfulness—for some human being to come along\, who could direct us on our way. At length a little negro girl appeared\, walking straight as an arrow\, with a piggin full of water on her head. After a little patient investigation\, necessary to overcome the child's shyness\, we learned wh at we wished to know\, and at the end of about five miles from the town re ached our destination.\n\nWe drove between a pair of decayed gateposts—t he gate itself had long since disappeared—and up a straight sandy lane\, between two lines of rotting rail fence\, partly concealed by jimson-weed s and briers\, to the open space where a dwelling-house had once stood\, e vidently a spacious mansion\, if we might judge from the ruined chimneys t hat were still standing\, and the brick pillars on which the sills rested. The house itself\, we had been informed\, had fallen a victim to the fort unes of war.\n\nWe alighted from the buggy\, walked about the yard for a w hile\, and then wandered off into the adjoining vineyard. Upon Annie's com plaining of weariness I led the way back to the yard\, where a pine log\, lying under a spreading elm\, afforded a shady though somewhat hard seat. One end of the log was already occupied by a venerable-looking colored man . He held on his knees a hat full of grapes\, over which he was smacking h is lips with great gusto\, and a pile of grapeskins near him indicated tha t the performance was no new thing. We approached him at an angle from the rear\, and were close to him before he perceived us. He respectfully rose as we drew near\, and was moving away\, when I begged him to keep his sea t.\n\n\"Don't let us disturb you\,\" I said. \"There is plenty of room for us all.\"\n\nHe resumed his seat with somewhat of embarrassment. While he had been standing\, I had observed that he was a tall man\, and\, though slightly bowed by the weight of years\, apparently quite vigorous. He was not entirely black\, and this fact\, together with the quality of his hair \, which was about six inches long and very bushy\, except on the top of h is head\, where he was quite bald\, suggested a slight strain of other tha n negro blood. There was a shrewdness in his eyes\, too\, which was not al together African\, and which\, as we afterwards learned from experience\, was indicative of a corresponding shrewdness in his character. He went on eating the grapes\, but did not seem to enjoy himself quite so well as he had apparently done before he became aware of our presence.\n\n\"Do you li ve around here?\" I asked\, anxious to put him at his ease.\n\n\"Yas\, suh . I lives des ober yander\, behine de nex' san'-hill\, on de Lumberton pla nk-road.\"\n\n\"Do you know anything about the time when this vineyard was cultivated?\"\n\n\n\"Lawd bless you\, suh\, I knows all about it. Dey ain ' na'er a man in dis settlement w'at won' tell you ole Julius McAdoo 'uz b awn en raise' on dis yer same plantation. Is you de Norv'n gemman w'at's g wine ter buy de ole vimya'd?\"\n\n\"I am looking at it\,\" I replied\; \"b ut I don't know that I shall care to buy unless I can be reasonably sure o f making something out of it.\"\n\n\"Well\, suh\, you is a stranger ter me \, en I is a stranger ter you\, en we is bofe strangers ter one anudder\, but 'f I 'uz in yo' place\, I wouldn' buy dis vimya'd.\"\n\n\"Why not?\" I asked.\n\n\"Well\, I dunno whe'r you b'lieves in cunj'in' er not\,—some er de w'ite folks don't\, er says dey don't\,—but de truf er de matter is dat dis yer ole vimya'd is goophered.\"\n\n\"Is what?\" I asked\, not g rasping the meaning of this unfamiliar word.\n\n\"Is goophered\,—cunju'd \, bewitch'.\"\n\nHe imparted this information with such solemn earnestnes s\, and with such an air of confidential mystery\, that I felt somewhat in terested\, while Annie was evidently much impressed\, and drew closer to m e.\n\n\"How do you know it is bewitched?\" I asked.\n\n\"I wouldn' spec' f er you ter b'lieve me 'less you know all 'bout de fac's. But ef you en you ng miss dere doan' min' lis'nin' ter a ole nigger run on a minute er two w 'ile you er restin'\, I kin 'splain to you how it all happen'.\"\n\nWe ass ured him that we would be glad to hear how it all happened\, and he began to tell us. At first the current of his memory—or imagination—seemed s omewhat sluggish\; but as his embarrassment wore off\, his language flowed more freely\, and the story acquired perspective and coherence. As he bec ame more and more absorbed in the narrative\, his eyes assumed a dreamy ex pression\, and he seemed to lose sight of his auditors\, and to be living over again in monologue his life on the old plantation.\n\n\"Ole Mars Duga l' McAdoo\,\" he began\, \"bought dis place long many years befo' de wah\, en I'member well w'en he sot out all dis yer part er de plantation in scu ppernon's. De vimes growed monst'us fas'\, en Mars Dugal' made a thousan' gallon er scuppernon' wine eve'y year.\n\n\"Now\, ef dey's an'thing a nigg er lub\, nex' ter 'possum\, en chick'n\, en watermillyums\, it's scupperno n's. Dey ain' nuffin dat kin stan' up side'n de scuppernon' fer sweetness\ ; sugar ain't a suckumstance ter scuppernon'. W'en de season is nigh 'bout ober\, en de grapes begin ter swivel up des a little wid de wrinkles er o le age\,—w'en de skin git sof' en brown\,—den de scuppernon' make you smack yo' lip en roll yo' eye en wush fer mo'\; so I reckon it ain' very ' stonishin' dat niggers lub scuppernon'.\n\n\"Dey wuz a sight er niggers in de naberhood er de vimya'd. Dere wuz ole Mars Henry Brayboy's niggers\, e n ole Mars Jeems McLean's niggers\, en Mars Dugal's own niggers\; den dey wuz a settlement er free niggers en po' buckrahs down by de Wim'l'ton Road \, en Mars Dugal' had de only vimya'd in de naberhood. I reckon it ain' so much so nowadays\, but befo' de wah\, in slab'ry times\, a nigger did n' mine goin' fi' er ten mile in a night\, w'en dey wuz sump'n good ter eat a t de yuther een'.\n\n\"So atter a w'ile Mars Dugal' begin ter miss his scu ppernon's. Co'se he 'cuse' de niggers er it\, but dey all 'nied it ter de las'. Mars Dugal' sot spring guns en steel traps\, en he en de oberseah so t up nights once't er twice't\, tel one night Mars Dugal'—he 'uz a monst 'us keerless man—got his leg shot full er cow-peas. But somehow er nudde r dey could n' nebber ketch none er de niggers. I dunner how it happen\, b ut it happen des like I tell you\, en de grapes kep' on a-goin' des de sam e.\n\n\"But bimeby ole Mars Dugal' fix' up a plan ter stop it. Dey wuz a c unjuh 'oman livin' down 'mongs' de free niggers on de Wim'l'ton Road\, en all de darkies fum Rockfish ter Beaver Crick wuz feared er her. She could wuk de mos' powerfulles' kin' er goopher\,—could make people hab fits\, er rheumatiz\, er make 'em des dwinel away en die\; en dey say she went ou t ridin' de niggers at night\, fer she wuz a witch 'sides bein' a cunjuh ' oman. Mars Dugal' hearn 'bout Aun' Peggy's doin's\, en begun ter 'flect wh e'r er no he could n' git her ter he'p him keep de niggers off'n de grapev imes. One day in de spring er de year\, ole miss pack' up a basket er chic k'n en poun'-cake\, en a bottle er scuppernon' wine\, en Mars Dugal' tuk i t in his buggy en driv ober ter Aun' Peggy's cabin. He tuk de basket in\, en had a long talk wid Aun' Peggy.\n\n\"De nex' day Aun' Peggy come up ter de vimya'd. De niggers seed her slippin' 'roun'\, en dey soon foun' out w hat she 'uz doin' dere. Mars Dugal' had hi'ed her ter goopher de grapevime s. She sa'ntered 'roun' 'mongs' de vimes\, en tuk a leaf fum dis one\, en a grape-hull fum dat one\, en a grape-seed fum anudder one\; en den a litt le twig fum here\, en a little pinch er dirt fum dere\,—en put it all in a big black bottle\, wid a snake's toof en a speckle' hen's gall en some ha'rs fum a black cat's tail\, en den fill' de bottle wid scuppernon' wine . Wen she got de goopher all ready en fix'\, she tuk 'n went out in de woo ds en buried it under de root uv a red oak tree\, en den come back en tole one er de niggers she done goopher de grapevimes\, en a'er a nigger w'at eat dem grapes 'ud be sho ter die inside'n twel' mont's.\n\n\"Atter dat de niggers let de scuppernon's 'lone\, en Mars Dugal' did n' hab no 'casion ter fine no mo' fault\; en de season wuz mos' gone\, w'en a strange gemman stop at de plantation one night ter see Mars Dugal' on some business\; en his coachman\, seein' de scuppernon's growin' so nice en sweet\, slip 'ro un' behine de smoke-house\, en et all de scuppernon's he could hole. Nobod y did n' notice it at de time\, but dat night\, on de way home\, de gemman 's hoss runned away en kill' de coachman. W'en we hearn de noos\, Aun' Luc y\, de cook\, she up 'n say she seed de strange nigger eat'n' er de scuppe rnon's behine de smoke-house\; en den we knowed de goopher had b'en er wuk kin'. Den one er de nigger chilluns runned away fum de quarters one day\, en got in de scuppernon's\, en died de nex' week. W'ite folks say he die' er de fevuh\, but de niggers knowed it wuz de goopher. So you k'n be sho d e darkies did n' hab much ter do wid dem scuppernon' vimes.\n\n\"W'en de s cuppernon' season 'uz ober fer dat year\, Mars Dugal' foun' he had made fi fteen hund'ed gallon er wine\; en one er de niggers hearn him laffin' wid de oberseah fit ter kill\, en sayin' dem fifteen hund'ed gallon er wine wu z monst'us good intrus' on de ten dollars he laid out on de vimya'd. So I 'low ez he paid Aun' Peggy ten dollars fer to goopher de grapevimes.\n\n\" De goopher did n' wuk no mo' tel de nex' summer\, w'en 'long to'ds de midd le er de season one er de fiel' han's died\; en ez dat lef' Mars Dugal' sh o't er han's\, he went off ter town fer ter buy anudder. He fotch de noo n igger home wid 'im. He wuz er ole nigger\, er de color er a gingy-cake\, e n ball ez a hoss-apple on de top er his head. He wuz a peart ole nigger\, do'\, en could do a big day's wuk.\n\n\"Now it happen dat one er de nigger s on de nex' plantation\, one er ole Mars Henry Brayboy's niggers\, had ru nned away de day befo'\, en tuk ter de swamp\, en ole Mars Dugal' en some er de yuther nabor w'ite folks had gone out wid dere guns en dere dogs fer ter he'p 'em hunt fer de nigger\; en de han's on our own plantation wuz a ll so flusterated dat we fuhgot ter tell de noo han' 'bout de goopher on d e scuppernon' vimes. Co'se he smell de grapes en see de vimes\, an atter d ahk de fus' thing he done wuz ter slip off ter de grapevimes 'dout sayin' nuffin ter nobody. Nex' mawnin' he tole some er de niggers 'bout de fine b ait er scuppernon' he et de night befo'.\n\n\"Wen dey tole 'im 'bout de go opher on de grapevimes\, he 'uz dat tarrified dat he turn pale\, en look d es like he gwine ter die right in his tracks. De oberseah come up en axed w'at 'uz de matter\; en w'en dey tole 'im Henry be'n eatin' er de scuppern on's\, en got de goopher on 'im\, he gin Henry a big drink er w'iskey\, en 'low dat de nex' rainy day he take 'im ober ter Aun' Peggy's\, en see ef she would n' take de goopher off'n him\, seein' ez he did n' know nuffin e rbout it tel he done et de grapes.\n\n\"Sho nuff\, it rain de nex' day\, e n de oberseah went ober ter Aun' Peggy's wid Henry. En Aun' Peggy say dat bein' ez Henry did n' know 'bout de goopher\, en et de grapes in ign'ance er de conseq'ences\, she reckon she mought be able fer ter take de goopher off'n him. So she fotch out er bottle wid some cunjuh medicine in it\, en po'd some out in a go'd fer Henry ter drink. He manage ter git it down\; he say it tas'e like whiskey wid sump'n bitter in it. She 'lowed dat 'ud k eep de goopher off'n him tel de spring\; but w'en de sap begin ter rise in de grapevimes he ha' ter come en see her ag'in\, en she tell him w'at e's ter do.\n\n\"Nex' spring\, w'en de sap commence' ter rise in de scupperno n' vime\, Henry tuk a ham one night. Whar'd he git de ham? I doan know\; d ey wa'n't no hams on de plantation 'cep'n' w'at 'uz in de smoke-house\, bu t I never see Henry 'bout de smoke-house. But ez I wuz a-sayin'\, he tuk d e ham ober ter Aun' Peggy's\; en Aun' Peggy tole 'im dat w'en Mars Dugal' begin ter prune de grapevimes\, he mus' go en take 'n scrape off de sap wh ar it ooze out'n de cut een's er de vimes\, en 'n'int his ball head wid it \; en ef he do dat once't a year de goopher would n' wuk agin 'im long ez he done it. En bein' ez he fotch her de ham\, she fix' it so he kin eat al l de scuppernon' he want.\n\n\"So Henry 'n'int his head wid de sap out'n d e big grapevime des ha'f way 'twix' de quarters en de big house\, en de go opher nebber wuk agin him dat summer. But de beatenes' thing you eber see happen ter Henry. Up ter dat time he wuz ez ball ez a sweeten' 'tater\, bu t des ez soon ez de young leaves begun ter come out on de grapevimes\, de ha'r begun ter grow out on Henry's head\, en by de middle er de summer he had de bigges' head er ha'r on de plantation. Befo' dat\, Henry had tol'ab le good ha'r 'roun' de aidges\, but soon ez de young grapes begun ter come \, Henry's ha'r begun to quirl all up in little balls\, des like dis yer r eg'lar grapy ha'r\, en by de time de grapes got ripe his head look des lik e a bunch er grapes. Combin' it did n' do no good\; he wuk at it ha'f de n ight wid er Jim Crow[1]\, en think he git it straighten' out\, but in de m awnin' de grapes 'ud be dere des de same. So he gin it up\, en tried ter k eep de grapes down by havin' his ha'r cut sho't.\n\n[1]\nA small card\, re sembling a currycomb in construction\, and used by negroes in the rural di stricts instead of a comb.\n\n\"But dat wa'n't de quares' thing 'bout de g oopher. When Henry come ter de plantation\, he wuz gittin' a little ole an stiff in de j'ints. But dat summer he got des ez spry en libely ez any yo ung nigger on de plantation\; fac'\, he got so biggity dat Mars Jackson\, de oberseah\, ha' ter th'eaten ter whip 'im\, ef he did n' stop cuttin' up his didos en behave hisse'f. But de mos' cur'ouses' thing happen' in de f all\, when de sap begin ter go down in de grapevimes. Fus'\, when de grape s 'uz gethered\, de knots begun ter straighten out'n Henry's ha'r\; en w'e n de leaves begin ter fall\, Henry's ha'r 'mence' ter drap out\; en when d e vimes 'uz bar'\, Henry's head wuz baller 'n it wuz in de spring\, en he begin ter git ole en stiff in de j'ints ag'in\, en paid no mo' 'tention te r de gals dyoin' er de whole winter. En nex' spring\, w'en he rub de sap o n ag'in\, he got young ag'in\, en so soopl en libely dat none er de young niggers on de plantation could n' jump\, ner dance\, ner hoe ez much cotto n ez Henry. But in de fall er de year his grapes 'mence' ter straighten ou t\, en his j'ints ter git stiff\, en his ha'r drap off\, en de rheumatiz b egin ter wrastle wid 'im.\n\n\"Now\, ef you 'd 'a' knowed ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo\, you 'd 'a' knowed dat it ha' ter be a mighty rainy day when he co uld n' fine sump'n fer his niggers ter do\, en it ha' ter be a mighty litt le hole he could n' crawl thoo\, en ha' ter be a monst'us cloudy night whe n a dollar git by him in de dahkness\; en w'en he see how Henry git young in de spring en ole in de fall\, he 'lowed ter hisse'f ez how he could mak e mo' money out'n Henry dan by wukkin' him in de cotton-fiel'. 'Long de ne x' spring\, atter de sap 'mence' ter rise\, en Henry 'n'int 'is head en st a'ted fer ter git young en soopl\, Mars Dugal' up 'n tuk Henry ter town\, en sole 'im fer fifteen hunder' dollars. Co'se de man w'at bought Henry di d n' know nuffin 'bout de goopher\, en Mars Dugal' did n' see no 'casion f er ter tell 'im. Long to'ds de fall\, w'en de sap went down\, Henry begin ter git ole ag'in same ez yuzhal\, en his noo marster begin ter git skeere d les'n he gwine ter lose his fifteen-hunder'-dollar nigger. He sent fer a mighty fine doctor\, but de med'cine did n' 'pear ter do no good\; de goo pher had a good holt. Henry tole de doctor 'bout de goopher\, but de docto r des laff at 'im.\n\n\"One day in de winter Mars Dugal' went ter town\, e n wuz santerin' 'long de Main Street\, when who should he meet but Henry's noo marster. Dey said 'Hoddy\,' en Mars Dugal' ax 'im ter hab a seegyar\; en atter dey run on awhile 'bout de craps en de weather\, Mars Dugal' ax 'im\, sorter keerless\, like ez ef he des thought of it\,—\n\n\"'How you like de nigger I sole you las' spring?'\n\n\"Henry's marster shuck his he ad en knock de ashes off'n his seegyar.\n\n\"'Spec' I made a bad bahgin wh en I bought dat nigger. Henry done good wuk all de summer\, but sence de f all set in he 'pears ter be sorter pinin' away. Dey ain' nuffin pertickler de matter wid 'im—leastways de doctor say so—'cep'n' a tech er de rhe umatiz\; but his ha'r is all fell out\, en ef he don't pick up his strenk mighty soon\, I spec' I'm gwine ter lose 'im.'\n\n\"Dey smoked on awhile\, en bimeby ole mars say\, 'Well\, a bahgin 's a bahgin\, but you en me is good fren's\, en I doan wan' ter see you lose all de money you paid fer da t nigger\; en ef w'at you say is so\, en I ain't 'sputin' it\, he ain't wu f much now. I 'spec's you wukked him too ha'd dis summer\, er e'se de swam ps down here don't agree wid de san'-hill nigger. So you des lemme know\, en ef he gits any wusser I'll be willin' ter gib yer five hund'ed dollars fer 'im\, en take my chances on his livin'.'\n\n\"Sho 'nuff\, when Henry b egun ter draw up wid de rheumatiz en it look like he gwine ter die fer sho \, his noo marster sen' fer Mars Dugal'\, en Mars Dugal' gin him what he p romus\, en brung Henry home ag'in. He tuk good keer uv 'im dyoin' er de wi nter\,—give 'im w'iskey ter rub his rheumatiz\, en terbacker ter smoke\, en all he want ter eat\,—'caze a nigger w'at he could make a thousan' d ollars a year off'n did n' grow on eve'y huckleberry bush.\n\n\"Nex' sprin g\, w'en de sap ris en Henry's ha'r commence' ter sprout\, Mars Dugal' sol e 'im ag'in\, down in Robeson County dis time\; en he kep' dat sellin' bus iness up fer five year er mo'. Henry nebber say nuffin 'bout de goopher te r his noo marsters\, 'caze he know he gwine ter be tuk good keer uv de nex ' winter\, w'en Mars Dugal' buy him back. En Mars Dugal' made 'nuff money off'n Henry ter buy anudder plantation ober on Beaver Crick.\n\n\"But 'lon g 'bout de een' er dat five year dey come a stranger ter stop at de planta tion. De fus' day he 'uz dere he went out wid Mars Dugal' en spent all de mawnin' lookin' ober de vimya'd\, en atter dinner dey spent all de evenin' playin' kya'ds. De niggers soon 'skiver' dat he wuz a Yankee\, en dat he come down ter Norf C'lina fer ter l'arn de w'ite folks how to raise grapes en make wine. He promus Mars Dugal' he c'd make de grapevimes b'ar twice' t ez many grapes\, en dat de noo winepress he wuz a-sellin' would make mo' d'n twice't ez many gallons er wine. En ole Mars Dugal' des drunk it all in\, des 'peared ter be bewitch' wid dat Yankee. Wen de darkies see dat Ya nkee runnin' 'roun' de vimya'd en diggin' under de grapevimes\, dey shuk d ere heads\, en 'lowed dat dey feared Mars Dugal' losin' his min'. Mars Dug al' had all de dirt dug away fum under de roots er all de scuppernon' vime s\, an' let 'em stan' dat away fer a week er mo'. Den dat Yankee made de n iggers fix up a mixtry er lime en ashes en manyo\, en po' it 'roun' de roo ts er de grapevimes. Den he 'vise Mars Dugal' fer ter trim de vimes close' t\, en Mars Dugal' tuck 'n done eve'ything de Yankee tole him ter do. Dyoi n' all er dis time\, mind yer\, dis yer Yankee wuz libbin' off'n de fat er de lan'\, at de big house\, en playin' kya'ds wid Mars Dugal' eve'y night \; en dey say Mars Dugal' los' mo'n a thousan' dollars dyoin' er de week d at Yankee wuz a-ruinin' de grapevimes.\n\n\"Wen de sap ris nex' spring\, o le Henry 'n'inted his head ez yuzhal\, en his ha'r 'mence' ter grow des de same ez it done eve'y year. De scuppernon' vimes growed monst's fas'\, en de leaves wuz greener en thicker dan dey eber be'n dyoin' my rememb'ance\ ; en Henry's ha'r growed out thicker dan eber\, en he 'peared ter git youn ger 'n younger\, en soopler 'n soopler\; en seein' ez he wuz sho't er ban' s dat spring\, havin' tuk in consid'able noo groun'\, Mars Dugal' 'eluded he would n' sell Henry 'tel he git de crap in en de cotton chop'. So he ke p' Henry on de plantation.\n\n\"But 'long 'bout time fer de grapes ter com e on de scuppernon' vimes\, dey 'peared ter come a change ober 'em\; de le aves withered en swivel' up\, en de young grapes turn' yaller\, en bimeby eve'ybody on de plantation could see dat de whole vimya'd wuz dyin'. Mars Dugal' tuk'n water de vimes en done all he could\, but 't wa'n' no use: da t Yankee had done bus' de watermillyum. One time de vimes picked up a bit\ , en Mars Dugal' 'lowed dey wuz gwine ter come out ag'in\; but dat Yankee done dug too close under de roots\, en prune de branches too close ter de vime\, en all dat lime en ashes done burn' de life out'n de vimes\, en dey des kep' a-with'in' en a-swivelin'.\n\n\"All dis time de goopher wuz a-wu kkin'. When de vimes sta'ted ter wither\, Henry 'mence' ter complain er hi s rheumatiz\; en when de leaves begin ter dry up\, his ha'r 'mence' ter dr ap out. When de vimes fresh' up a bit\, Henry 'd git peart ag'in\, en when de vimes wither' ag'in\, Henry 'd git ole ag'in\, en des kep' gittin' mo' en mo' fitten fer nuffin\; he des pined away\, en pined away\, en fine'ly tuk ter his cabin\; en when de big vime whar he got de sap ter 'n'int his head withered en turned yaller en died\, Henry died too\,—des went out sorter like a cannel. Dey didn't 'pear ter be nuffin de matter wid 'im\, ' cep'n' de rheumatiz\, but his strenk des dwinel' away 'tel he did n' hab e rnuff lef ter draw his bref. De goopher had got de under holt\, en th'owed Henry dat time fer good en all.\n\n\"Mars Dugal' tuk on might'ly 'bout lo sin' his vimes en his nigger in de same year\; en he swo' dat ef he could git holt er dat Yankee he 'd wear 'im ter a frazzle\, en den chaw up de fr azzle\; en he'd done it\, too\, for Mars Dugal' 'uz a monst'us brash man w 'en he once git started. He sot de vimya'd out ober ag'in\, but it wuz th' ee er fo' year befo' de vimes got ter b'arin' any scuppernon's.\n\n\"W'en de wah broke out\, Mars Dugal' raise' a comp'ny\, en went off ter fight de Yankees. He say he wuz mighty glad dat wah come\, en he des want ter kill a Yankee fer eve'y dollar he los' 'long er dat grape-raisin' Yankee. En I 'spec' he would 'a' done it\, too\, ef de Yankees had n' s'picioned sump' n\, en killed him fus'. Atter de s'render ole miss move' ter town\, de nig gers all scattered 'way fum de plantation\, en de vimya'd ain' be'n culter vated sence.\"\n\n\"Is that story true?\" asked Annie doubtfully\, but ser iously\, as the old man concluded his narrative.\n\n\"It's des ez true ez I'm a-settin' here\, miss. Dey's a easy way ter prove it: I kin lead de wa y right ter Henry's grave ober yander in de plantation buryin'-groun'. En I tell yer w'at\, marster\, I would n' 'vise you to buy dis yer ole vimya' d\, 'caze de goopher 's on it yit\, en dey ain' no tellin' w'en it's gwine ter crap out.\"\n\n\"But I thought you said all the old vines died.\"\n\n \"Dey did 'pear ter die\, but a few un 'em come out ag'in\, en is mixed in 'mongs' de yuthers. I ain' skeered ter eat de grapes\, 'caze I knows de o ld vimes fum de noo ones\; but wid strangers dey ain' no tellin' w'at moug ht happen. I would n' 'vise yer ter buy dis vimya'd.\"\n\nI bought the vin eyard\, nevertheless\, and it has been for a long time in a thriving condi tion\, and is often referred to by the local press as a striking illustrat ion of the opportunities open to Northern capital in the development of So uthern industries. The luscious scuppernong holds first rank among our gra pes\, though we cultivate a great many other varieties\, and our income fr om grapes packed and shipped to the Northern markets is quite considerable . I have not noticed any developments of the goopher in the vineyard\, alt hough I have a mild suspicion that our colored assistants do not suffer fr om want of grapes during the season.\n\nI found\, when I bought the vineya rd\, that Uncle Julius had occupied a cabin on the place for many years\, and derived a respectable revenue from the product of the neglected grapev ines. This\, doubtless\, accounted for his advice to me not to buy the vin eyard\, though whether it inspired the goopher story I am unable to state. I believe\, however\, that the wages I paid him for his services as coach man\, for I gave him employment in that capacity\, were more than an equiv alent for anything he lost by the sale of the vineyard.\n\nPO' SANDY\nOn t he northeast corner of my vineyard in central North Carolina\, and frontin g on the Lumberton plank-road\, there stood a small frame house\, of the s implest construction. It was built of pine lumber\, and contained but one room\, to which one window gave light and one door admission. Its weatherb eaten sides revealed a virgin innocence of paint. Against one end of the h ouse\, and occupying half its width\, there stood a huge brick chimney: th e crumbling mortar had left large cracks between the bricks\; the bricks t hemselves had begun to scale off in large flakes\, leaving the chimney spr inkled with unsightly blotches. These evidences of decay were but partiall y concealed by a creeping vine\, which extended its slender branches hithe r and thither in an ambitious but futile attempt to cover the whole chimne y. The wooden shutter\, which had once protected the unglazed window\, had fallen from its hinges\, and lay rotting in the rank grass and jimson-wee ds beneath. This building\, I learned when I bought the place\, had been u sed as a schoolhouse for several years prior to the breaking out of the wa r\, since which time it had remained unoccupied\, save when some stray cow or vagrant hog had sought shelter within its walls from the chill rains a nd nipping winds of winter.\n\nOne day my wife requested me to build her a new kitchen. The house erected by us\, when we first came to live upon th e vineyard\, contained a very conveniently arranged kitchen\; but for some occult reason my wife wanted a kitchen in the back yard\, apart from the dwelling-house\, after the usual Southern fashion. Of course I had to buil d it.\n\nTo save expense\, I decided to tear down the old schoolhouse\, an d use the lumber\, which was in a good state of preservation\, in the cons truction of the new kitchen. Before demolishing the old house\, however\, I made an estimate of the amount of material contained in it\, and found t hat I would have to buy several hundred feet of lumber additional\, in ord er to build the new kitchen according to my wife's plan.\n\nOne morning ol d Julius McAdoo\, our colored coachman\, harnessed the gray mare to the ro ckaway\, and drove my wife and me over to the sawmill from which I meant t o order the new lumber. We drove down the long lane which led from our hou se to the plank-road\; following the plank-road for about a mile\, we turn ed into a road running through the forest and across the swamp to the sawm ill beyond. Our carriage jolted over the half-rotted corduroy road which t raversed the swamp\, and then climbed the long hill leading to the sawmill . When we reached the mill\, the foreman had gone over to a neighboring fa rmhouse\, probably to smoke or gossip\, and we were compelled to await his return before we could transact our business. We remained seated in the c arriage\, a few rods from the mill\, and watched the leisurely movements o f the mill-hands. We had not waited long before a huge pine log was placed in position\, the machinery of the mill was set in motion\, and the circu lar saw began to eat its way through the log\, with a loud whir which reso unded throughout the vicinity of the mill. The sound rose and fell in a so rt of rhythmic cadence\, which\, heard from where we sat\, was not unpleas ing\, and not loud enough to prevent conversation. When the saw started on its second journey through the log\, Julius observed\, in a lugubrious to ne\, and with a perceptible shudder:—\n\n\"Ugh! but dat des do cuddle my blood!\"\n\n\"What's the matter\, Uncle Julius?\" inquired my wife\, who is of a very sympathetic turn of mind. \"Does the noise affect your nerves ?\"\n\n\"No\, Mis' Annie\,\" replied the old man\, with emotion\, \"I ain' narvous\; but dat saw\, a-cuttin' en grindin' thoo dat stick er timber\, en moanin'\, en groanin\,' en sweekin'\, kyars my 'memb'ance back ter ole times\, en 'min's me er po' Sandy.\" The pathetic intonation with which he lengthened out the \"po' Sandy\" touched a responsive chord in our own he arts.\n\n\"And who was poor Sandy?\" asked my wife\, who takes a deep inte rest in the stories of plantation life which she hears from the lips of th e older colored people. Some of these stories are quaintly humorous\; othe rs wildly extravagant\, revealing the Oriental cast of the negro's imagina tion\; while others\, poured freely into the sympathetic ear of a Northern -bred woman\, disclose many a tragic incident of the darker side of slaver y.\n\n\"Sandy\,\" said Julius\, in reply to my wife's question\, \"was a n igger w'at useter b'long ter ole Mars Marrabo McSwayne. Mars Marrabo's pla ce wuz on de yuther side'n de swamp\, right nex' ter yo' place. Sandy wuz a monst'us good nigger\, en could do so many things erbout a plantation\, en alluz 'ten' ter his wuk so well\, dat w'en Mars Marrabo's chilluns grow ed up en married off\, dey all un 'em wanted dey daddy fer ter gin 'em San dy fer a weddin' present. But Mars Marrabo knowed de res' would n' be sati sfied ef he gin Sandy ter a'er one un 'em\; so w'en dey wuz all done marri ed\, he fix it by 'lowin' one er his chilluns ter take Sandy fer a mont' e r so\, en den ernudder for a mont' er so\, en so on dat erway tel dey had all had 'im de same lenk er time\; en den dey would all take him roun' ag' in\, 'cep'n' oncet in a w'ile w'en Mars Marrabo would len' 'im ter some er his yuther kinfolks 'roun' de country\, w'en dey wuz short er han's\; tel bimeby it got so Sandy did n' hardly knowed whar he wuz gwine ter stay fu m one week's een' ter de yuther.\n\n\"One time w'en Sandy wuz lent out ez yushal\, a spekilater come erlong wid a lot er niggers\, en Mars Marrabo s wap' Sandy's wife off fer a noo 'oman. W'en Sandy come back\, Mars Marrabo gin 'im a dollar\, en 'lowed he wuz monst'us sorry fer ter break up de fa mbly\, but de spekilater had gin 'im big boot\, en times wuz hard en money skase\, en so he wuz bleedst ter make de trade. Sandy tuk on some 'bout l osin' his wife\, but he soon seed dey want no use cryin' ober spilt merlas ses\; en bein' ez he lacked de looks er de noo 'oman\, he tuk up wid her a tter she'd be'n on de plantation a mont' er so.\n\n\"Sandy en his noo wife got on mighty well tergedder\, en de niggers all 'mence' ter talk about h ow lovin' dey wuz. Wen Tenie wuz tuk sick oncet\, Sandy useter set up all night wid 'er\, en den go ter wuk in de mawnin' des lack he had his reg'la r sleep\; en Tenie would 'a' done anythin' in de worl' for her Sandy.\n\n\ "Sandy en Tenie had n' be'n libbin' tergedder fer mo' d'n two mont's befo' Mars Marrabo's old uncle\, w'at libbed down in Robeson County\, sent up t er fin' out ef Mars Marrabo could n' len' 'im er hire 'im a good ban' fer a mont' er so. Sandy's marster wuz one er dese yer easy-gwine folks w'at w anter please eve'ybody\, en he says yas\, he could len' 'im Sandy. En Mars Marrabo tol' Sandy fer ter git ready ter go down ter Robeson nex' day\, f er ter stay a mont' er so.\n\n\"It wuz monst'us hard on Sandy fer ter take 'im 'way fum Tenie. It wuz so fur down ter Robeson dat he did n' hab no c hance er comin' back ter see her tel de time wuz up\; he would n' 'a' mine comin' ten er fifteen mile at night ter see Tenie\, but Mars Marrabo's un cle's plantation wuz mo' d'n forty mile off. Sandy wuz mighty sad en cas' down atter w'at Mars Marrabo tol' 'im\, en he says ter Tenie\, sezee:—\n \n\"'I'm gittin' monst'us ti'ed er dish yer gwine roun' so much. Here I is lent ter Mars Jeems dis mont'\, en I got ter do so-en-so\; en ter Mars Ar chie de nex' mont'\, en I got ter do so-en-so\; den I got ter go ter Miss Jinnie's: en hit's Sandy dis en Sandy dat\, en Sandy yer en Sandy dere\, t el it 'pears ter me I ain' got no home\, ner no marster\, ner no mistiss\, ner no nuffin. I can't eben keep a wife: my yuther ole 'oman wuz sol' awa y widout my gittin' a chance fer ter tell her good-by\; en now I got ter g o off en leab you\, Tenie\, en I dunno whe'r I'm eber gwine ter see you ag 'in er no. I wisht I wuz a tree\, er a stump\, er a rock\, er sump'n w'at could stay on de plantation fer a w'ile.'\n\n\"Atter Sandy got thoo talkin '\, Tenie didn' say naer word\, but des sot dere by de fier\, studyin' en studyin'. Bimeby she up 'n' says:—\n\n\"'Sandy\, is I eber tol' you I wu z a cunjuh 'oman?'\n\n\"Co'se Sandy had n' nebber dremp' er nuffin lack da t\, en he made a great 'miration w'en he hear w'at Tenie say. Bimeby Tenie went on:—\n\n\"'I ain' goophered nobody\, ner done no cunjuh wuk\, fer fifteen year er mo'\; en w'en I got religion I made up my mine I would n' wuk no mo' goopher. But dey is some things I doan b'lieve it's no sin fer ter do\; en ef you doan wanter be sent roun' fum pillar ter pos'\, en ef y ou doan wanter go down ter Robeson\, I kin fix things so you won't haf ter . Ef you'll des say de word\, I kin turn you ter w'ateber you wanter be\, en you kin stay right whar you wanter\, ez long ez you mineter.'\n\n\"Sand y say he doan keer\; he's will-in' fer ter do anythin' fer ter stay close ter Tenie. Den Tenie ax 'im ef he doan wanter be turnt inter a rabbit.\n\n \"Sandy say\, 'No\, de dogs mought git atter me.'\n\n\"'Shill I turn you t er a wolf?' sez Tenie.\n\n\"'No\, eve'ybody 's skeered er a wolf\, en I do an want nobody ter be skeered er me.'\n\n\"'Shill I turn you ter a mawkin' -bird?'\n\n\"'No\, a hawk mought ketch me. I wanter be turnt inter sump'n w'at'll stay in one place.'\n\n\"'I kin turn you ter a tree\,' sez Tenie. 'You won't hab no mouf ner years\, but I kin turn you back oncet in a w'il e\, so you kin git sump'n ter eat\, en hear w'at 's gwine on.'\n\n\"Well\, Sandy say dat'll do. En so Tenie tuk 'im down by de aidge er de swamp\, n ot fur fum de quarters\, en turnt 'im inter a big pine-tree\, en sot 'im o ut 'mongs' some yuther trees. En de nex' mawnin'\, ez some er de fiel' han 's wuz gwine long dere\, dey seed a tree w'at dey did n' 'member er habbin ' seed befo'\; it wuz monst'us quare\, en dey wuz bleedst ter 'low dat dey had n' 'membered right\, er e'se one er de saplin's had be'n growin' mons t'us fas'.\n\n\"W'en Mars Marrabo 'skiver' dat Sandy wuz gone\, he 'lowed Sandy had runned away. He got de dogs out\, but de las' place dey could tr ack Sandy ter wuz de foot er dat pine-tree. En dere de dogs stood en barke d\, en bayed\, en pawed at de tree\, en tried ter climb up on it\; en w'en dey wuz tuk roun' thoo de swamp ter look fer de scent\, dey broke loose e n made fer dat tree ag'in. It wuz de beatenis' thing de w'ite folks eber h earn of\, en Mars Marrabo 'lowed dat Sandy must 'a' clim' up on de tree en jump' off on a mule er sump'n\, en rid fur ernuff fer ter spile de scent. Mars Marrabo wanted ter 'cuse some er de yuther niggers er heppin' Sandy off\, but dey all 'nied it ter de las'\; en eve'ybody knowed Tenie sot too much sto' by Sandy fer ter he'p 'im run away whar she could n' nebber see 'im no mo'.\n\n\"W'en Sandy had be'n gone long ernuff fer folks ter think he done got clean away\, Tenie useter go down ter de woods at night en tu rn 'im back\, en den dey 'd slip up ter de cabin en set by de fire en talk . But dey ha' ter be monst'us keerful\, er e'se somebody would 'a' seed 'e m\, en dat would 'a' spile' de whole thing\; so Tenie alluz turnt Sandy ba ck in de mawnin' early\, befo' anybody wuz a-stirrin'.\n\n\"But Sandy did n' git erlong widout his trials en tribberlations. One day a woodpecker co me erlong en 'mence' ter peck at de tree\; en de nex' time Sandy wuz turnt back he had a little roun' hole in his arm\, des lack a sharp stick be'n stuck in it. Atter dat Tenie sot a sparrer-hawk fer ter watch de tree\; en w'en de woodpecker come erlong nex' mawnin' fer ter finish his nes'\, he got gobble' up mos' 'fo' he stuck his bill in de bark.\n\n\"Nudder time\, Mars Marrabo sent a nigger out in de woods fer ter chop tuppentime boxes. De man chop a box in dish yer tree\, en hack' de bark up two er th'ee feet \, fer ter let de tuppentime run. De nex' time Sandy wuz turnt back he had a big skyar on his lef' leg\, des lack it be'n skunt\; en it tuk Tenie ni gh 'bout all night fer ter fix a mixtry ter kyo it up. Atter dat\, Tenie s ot a hawnet fer ter watch de tree\; en w'en de nigger come back ag'in fer ter cut ernudder box on de yuther side'n de tree\, de hawnet stung 'im so hard dat de ax slip en cut his foot nigh 'bout off.\n\n\"W'en Tenie see so many things happenin' ter de tree\, she 'eluded she 'd ha' ter turn Sandy ter sump'n e'se\; en atter studyin' de matter ober\, en talkin' wid Sandy one ebenin'\, she made up her mine fer ter fix up a goopher mixtry w'at w ould turn herse'f en Sandy ter foxes\, er sump'n\, so dey could run away e n go some'rs whar dey could be free en lib lack w'ite folks.\n\n\"But dey ain' no tellin' w'at's gwine ter happen in dis worl'. Tenie had got de nig ht sot fer her en Sandy ter run away\, w'en dat ve'y day one er Mars Marra bo's sons rid up ter de big house in his buggy\, en say his wife wuz monst 'us sick\, en he want his mammy ter len' 'im a 'oman fer ter nuss his wife . Tenie's mistiss say sen' Tenie\; she wuz a good nuss. Young mars wuz in a tarrible hurry fer ter git back home. Tenie wuz washin' at de big house dat day\, en her mistiss say she should go right 'long wid her young marst er. Tenie tried ter make some 'scuse fer ter git away en hide 'tel night\, w'en she would have eve'ything fix' up fer her en Sandy\; she say she wan ter go ter her cabin fer ter git her bonnet. Her mistiss say it doan matte r 'bout de bonnet\; her head-hank-cher wuz good ernuff. Den Tenie say she wanter git her bes' frock\; her mistiss say no\, she doan need no mo' froc k\, en w'en dat one got dirty she could git a clean one whar she wuz gwine . So Tenie had ter git in de buggy en go 'long wid young Mars Dunkin ter h is plantation\, w'ich wuz mo' d'n twenty mile away\; en dey wa'n't no chan ce er her seein' Sandy no mo' 'tel she come back home. De po' gal felt mon st'us bad 'bout de way things wuz gwine on\, en she knowed Sandy mus' be a wond'rin' why she didn' come en turn 'im back no mo'.\n\n\"Wiles Tenie wu z away nussin' young Mars Dunkin's wife\, Mars Marrabo tuk a notion fer te r buil' 'im a noo kitchen\; en bein' ez he had lots er timber on his place \, he begun ter look 'roun' fer a tree ter hab de lumber sawed out'n. En I dunno how it come to be so\, but he happen fer ter hit on de ve'y tree w' at Sandy wuz turnt inter. Tenie wuz gone\, en dey wa'n't nobody ner nuffin fer ter watch de tree.\n\n\"De two men w'at cut de tree down say dey nebb er had sech a time wid a tree befo': dey axes would glansh off\, en did n' 'pear ter make no progress thoo de wood\; en of all de creakin'\, en shak in'\, en wobblin' you eber see\, dat tree done it w'en it commence' ter fa ll. It wuz de beatenis' thing!\n\n\"W'en dey got de tree all trim' up\, de y chain it up ter a timber waggin\, en start fer de sawmill. But dey had a hard time gittin' de log dere: fus' dey got stuck in de mud w'en dey wuz gwine crosst de swamp\, en it wuz two er th'ee hours befo' dey could git o ut. W'en dey start' on ag'in\, de chain kep' a-comin' loose\, en dey had t er keep a-stoppin' en a-stoppin' fer ter hitch de log up ag'in. W'en dey c ommence' ter climb de hill ter de sawmill\, de log broke loose\, en roll d own de hill en in 'mongs' de trees\, en hit tuk nigh 'bout half a day mo' ter git it haul' up ter de sawmill.\n\n\"De nex' mawnin' atter de day de t ree wuz haul' ter de sawmill\, Tenie come home. W'en she got back ter her cabin\, de fus' thing she done wuz ter run down ter de woods en see how Sa ndy wuz gittin' on. Wen she seed de stump standin' dere\, wid de sap runni n' out'n it\, en de limbs layin' scattered roun'\, she nigh 'bout went out 'n her min'. She run ter her cabin\, en got her goopher mixtry\, en den fo llered de track er de timber waggin ter de sawmill. She knowed Sandy could n' lib mo' d'n a minute er so ef she turnt him back\, fer he wuz all chop ' up so he 'd 'a' be'n bleedst ter die. But she wanted ter turn 'im back l ong ernuff fer ter 'splain ter 'im dat she had n' went off a-purpose\, en lef 'im ter be chop' down en sawed up. She did n' want Sandy ter die wid n o hard feelin's to'ds her.\n\n\"De han's at de sawmill had des got de big log on de kerridge\, en wuz start-in' up de saw\, w'en dey seed a 'oman ru nnin' up de hill\, all out er bref\, cryin' en gwine on des lack she wuz p lumb 'stracted. It wuz Tenie\; she come right inter de mill\, en th'owed h erse'f on de log\, right in front er de saw\, a-hollerin' en cryin' ter he r Sandy ter fergib her\, en not ter think hard er her\, fer it wa'n't no f ault er hern. Den Tenie 'membered de tree did n' hab no years\, en she wuz gittin' ready fer ter wuk her goopher mixtry so ez ter turn Sandy back\, w'en de mill-hands kotch holt er her en tied her arms wid a rope\, en fast en' her to one er de posts in de sawmill\; en den dey started de saw up ag 'in\, en cut de log up inter bo'ds en scantlin's right befo' her eyes. But it wuz mighty hard wuk\; fer of all de sweekin'\, en moanin'\, en groanin '\, dat log done it w'iles de saw wuz a-cuttin' thoo it. De saw wuz one er dese yer ole-timey\, up-en-down saws\, en hit tuk longer dem days ter saw a log 'en it do now. Dey greased de saw\, but dat did n' stop de fuss\; h it kep' right on\, tel fin'ly dey got de log all sawed up.\n\n\"W'en de ob erseah w'at run de sawmill come fum breakfas'\, de han's up en tell him 'b out de crazy 'oman—ez dey s'posed she wuz—w'at had come runnin' in de sawmill\, a-hollerin' en gwine on\, en tried ter th'ow herse'f befo' de sa w. En de oberseah sent two er th'ee er de han's fer ter take Tenie back te r her marster's plantation.\n\n\"Tenie 'peared ter be out'n her min' fer a long time\, en her marster ha' ter lock her up in de smoke-'ouse 'tel she got ober her spells. Mars Marrabo wuz monst'us mad\, en hit would 'a' mad e yo' flesh crawl fer ter hear him cuss\, 'caze he say de spekilater w'at he got Tenie fum had fooled 'im by wukkin' a crazy 'oman off on him. Wiles Tenie wuz lock up in de smoke-'ouse\, Mars Marrabo tuk 'n' haul de lumber fum de sawmill\, en put up his noo kitchen.\n\n\"Wen Tenie got quiet' dow n\, so she could be 'lowed ter go 'roun' de plantation\, she up'n' tole he r marster all erbout Sandy en de pine-tree\; en w'en Mars Marrabo hearn it \, he 'lowed she wuz de wuss 'stracted nigger he eber hearn of. He did n' know w'at ter do wid Tenie: fus' he thought he 'd put her in de po'house\; but fin'ly\, seein' ez she did n' do no harm ter nobody ner nuffin\, but des went 'roun' moanin'\, en groanin'\, en shakin' her head\, he 'cluded t er let her stay on de plantation en nuss de little nigger chilluns w'en de y mammies wuz ter wuk in de cotton-fiel'.\n\n\"De noo kitchen Mars Marrabo buil' wuz n' much use\, fer it had n' be'n put up long befo' de niggers ' mence' ter notice quare things erbout it. Dey could hear sump'n moanin' en groanin' 'bout de kitchen in de night-time\, en w'en de win' would blow d ey could hear sump'n a-hollerin' en sweekin' lack it wuz in great pain en sufferin'. En it got so atter a w'ile dat it wuz all Mars Marrabo's wife c ould do ter git a 'oman ter stay in de kitchen in de daytime long ernuff t er do de cookin'\; en dey wa'n't naer nigger on de plantation w'at would n ' rudder take forty dan ter go 'bout dat kitchen atter dark\,—dat is\, ' cep'n' Tenie\; she did n' 'pear ter min' de ha'nts. She useter slip 'roun' at night\, en set on de kitchen steps\, en lean up agin de do'-jamb\, en run on ter herse'f wid some kine er foolishness w'at nobody could n' make out\; fer Mars Marrabo had th'eaten' ter sen' her off'n de plantation ef s he say anything ter any er de yuther niggers 'bout de pine-tree. But someh ow er 'nudder de niggers foun' out all erbout it\, en dey all knowed de ki tchen wuz ha'nted by Sandy's sperrit. En bimeby hit got so Mars Marrabo's wife herse'f wuz skeered ter go out in de yard atter dark.\n\n\"Wen it com e ter dat\, Mars Marrabo tuk en to' de kitchen down\, en use' de lumber fe r ter buil' dat ole school'ouse w'at you er talkin' 'bout pullin' down. De school'ouse wuz n' use' 'cep'n' in de daytime\, en on dark nights folks g wine 'long de road would hear quare soun's en see quare things. Po' ole Te nie useter go down dere at night\, en wander 'roun' de school'ouse\; en de niggers all 'lowed she went fer ter talk wid Sandy's sperrit. En one wint er mawnin'\, w'en one er de boys went ter school early fer ter start de fi re\, w'at should he fin' but po' ole Tenie\, layin' on de flo'\, stiff\, e n col'\, en dead. Dere did n' 'pear ter be nuffin pertickler de matter wid her\,—she had des grieve' herse'f ter def fer her Sandy. Mars Marrabo d idn' shed no tears. He thought Tenie wuz crazy\, en dey wa'n't no tellin' w'at she mought do nex'\; en dey ain' much room in dis worl' fer crazy w'i te folks\, let 'lone a crazy nigger.\n\n\"Hit wa'n't long atter dat befo' Mars Marrabo sol' a piece er his track er lan' ter Mars Dugal' McAdoo\,— my ole marster\,—en dat 's how de ole school'ouse happen to be on yo' pl ace. Wen de wah broke out\, de school stop'\, en de ole school'ouse be'n s tannin' empty ever sence\,—dat is\, 'cep'n' fer de ha'nts. En folks sez dat de ole school'ouse\, er any yuther house w'at got any er dat lumber in it w'at wuz sawed out'n de tree w'at Sandy wuz turnt inter\, is gwine ter be ha'nted tel de las' piece er plank is rotted en crumble' inter dus'.\" \n\nAnnie had listened to this gruesome narrative with strained attention. \n\n\"What a system it was\,\" she exclaimed\, when Julius had finished\, \"under which such things were possible!\"\n\n\"What things?\" I asked\, i n amazement. \"Are you seriously considering the possibility of a man's be ing turned into a tree?\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\,\" she replied quickly\, \"not tha t\;\" and then she murmured absently\, and with a dim look in her fine eye s\, \"Poor Tenie!\"\n\nWe ordered the lumber\, and returned home. That nig ht\, after we had gone to bed\, and my wife had to all appearances been so und asleep for half an hour\, she startled me out of an incipient doze by exclaiming suddenly\,—\n\n\"John\, I don't believe I want my new kitchen built out of the lumber in that old schoolhouse.\"\n\n\"You wouldn't for a moment allow yourself\,\" I replied\, with some asperity\, \"to be influ enced by that absurdly impossible yarn which Julius was spinning to-day?\" \n\n\"I know the story is absurd\,\" she replied dreamily\, \"and I am not so silly as to believe it. But I don't think I should ever be able to tak e any pleasure in that kitchen if it were built out of that lumber. Beside s\, I think the kitchen would look better and last longer if the lumber we re all new.\"\n\nOf course she had her way. I bought the new lumber\, thou gh not without grumbling. A week or two later I was called away from home on business. On my return\, after an absence of several days\, my wife rem arked to me\,—\n\n\"John\, there has been a split in the Sandy Run Color ed Baptist Church\, on the temperance question. About half the members hav e come out from the main body\, and set up for themselves. Uncle Julius is one of the seceders\, and he came to me yesterday and asked if they might not hold their meetings in the old schoolhouse for the present.\"\n\n\"I hope you didn't let the old rascal have it\,\" I returned\, with some warm th. I had just received a bill for the new lumber I had bought.\n\n\"Well\ ,\" she replied\, \"I couldn't refuse him the use of the house for so good a purpose.\"\n\n\"And I'll venture to say\,\" I continued\, \"that you su bscribed something toward the support of the new church?\"\n\nShe did not attempt to deny it.\n\n\"What are they going to do about the ghost?\" I as ked\, somewhat curious to know how Julius would get around this obstacle.\ n\n\"Oh\,\" replied Annie\, \"Uncle Julius says that ghosts never disturb religious worship\, but that if Sandy's spirit should happen to stray into meeting by mistake\, no doubt the preaching would do it good.\"\n\nMARS J EEMS'S NIGHTMARE\n\nWe found old Julius very useful when we moved to our n ew residence. He had a thorough knowledge of the neighborhood\, was famili ar with the roads and the watercourses\, knew the qualities of the various soils and what they would produce\, and where the best hunting and fishin g were to be had. He was a marvelous hand in the management of horses and dogs\, with whose mental processes he manifested a greater familiarity tha n mere use would seem to account for\, though it was doubtless due to the simplicity of a life that had kept him close to nature. Toward my tract of land and the things that were on it—the creeks\, the swamps\, the hills \, the meadows\, the stones\, the trees—he maintained a peculiar persona l attitude\, that might be called predial rather than proprietary. He had been accustomed\, until long after middle life\, to look upon himself as t he property of another. When this relation was no longer possible\, owing to the war\, and to his master's death and the dispersion of the family\, he had been unable to break off entirely the mental habits of a lifetime\, but had attached himself to the old plantation\, of which he seemed to co nsider himself an appurtenance. We found him useful in many ways and enter taining in others\, and my wife and I took quite a fancy to him.\n\nShortl y after we became established in our home on the sand-hills\, Julius broug ht up to the house one day a colored boy of about seventeen\, whom he intr oduced as his grandson\, and for whom he solicited employment. I was not f avorably impressed by the youth's appearance\,—quite the contrary\, in f act\; but mainly to please the old man I hired Tom—his name was Tom—to help about the stables\, weed the garden\, cut wood and bring water\, and in general to make himself useful about the outdoor work of the household .\n\nMy first impression of Tom proved to be correct. He turned out to be very trifling\, and I was much annoyed by his laziness\, his carelessness\ , and his apparent lack of any sense of responsibility. I kept him longer than I should\, on Julius's account\, hoping that he might improve\; but h e seemed to grow worse instead of better\, and when I finally reached the limit of my patience\, I discharged him.\n\n\"I am sorry\, Julius\,\" I sa id to the old man\; \"I should have liked to oblige you by keeping him\; b ut I can't stand Tom any longer. He is absolutely untrustworthy.\"\n\n\"Ya s\, suh\,\" replied Julius\, with a deep sigh and a long shake of the head \, \"I knows he ain' much account\, en dey ain' much 'pen'ence ter be put on 'im. But I wuz hopin' dat you mought make some 'lowance fuh a' ign'ant young nigger\, suh\, en gib 'im one mo' chance.\"\n\nBut I had hardened my heart. I had always been too easily imposed upon\, and had suffered too m uch from this weakness. I determined to be firm as a rock in this instance .\n\n\"No\, Julius\,\" I rejoined decidedly\, \"it is impossible. I gave h im more than a fair trial\, and he simply won't do.\"\n\nWhen my wife and I set out for our drive in the cool of the evening\,—afternoon is \"even ing\" in Southern parlance\,—one of the servants put into the rock-away two large earthenware jugs. Our drive was to be down through the swamp to the mineral spring at the foot of the sand-hills beyond. The water of this spring was strongly impregnated with sulphur and iron\, and\, while not p articularly agreeable of smell or taste\, was used by us\, in moderation\, for sanitary reasons.\n\nWhen we reached the spring\, we found a man enga ged in cleaning it out. In answer to an inquiry he said that if we would w ait five or ten minutes\, his task would be finished and the spring in suc h condition that we could fill our jugs. We might have driven on\, and com e back by way of the spring\, but there was a bad stretch of road beyond\, and we concluded to remain where we were until the spring should be ready . We were in a cool and shady place. It was often necessary to wait awhile in North Carolina\; and our Northern energy had not been entirely proof a gainst the influences of climate and local custom.\n\nWhile we sat there\, a man came suddenly around a turn of the road ahead of us. I recognized i n him a neighbor with whom I had exchanged formal calls. He was driving a horse\, apparently a high-spirited creature\, possessing\, so far as I cou ld see at a glance\, the marks of good temper and good breeding\; the gent leman\, I had heard it suggested\, was slightly deficient in both. The hor se was rearing and plunging\, and the man was beating him furiously with a buggy-whip. When he saw us\, he flushed a fiery red\, and\, as he passed\ , held the reins with one hand\, at some risk to his safety\, lifted his h at\, and bowed somewhat constrainedly as the horse darted by us\, still pa nting and snorting with fear.\n\n\"He looks as though he were ashamed of h imself\,\" I observed.\n\n\"I'm sure he ought to be\,\" exclaimed my wife indignantly. \"I think there is no worse sin and no more disgraceful thing than cruelty.\"\n\n\"I quite agree with you\,\" I assented.\n\n\"A man w' at 'buses his hoss is gwine ter be ha'd on de folks w'at wuks fer 'im\,\" remarked Julius. \"Ef young Mistah McLean doan min'\, he'll hab a bad drea m one er dese days\, des lack 'is grandaddy had way back yander\, long yea hs befo' de wah.\"\n\n\"What was it about Mr. McLean's dream\, Julius?\" I asked. The man had not yet finished cleaning the spring\, and we might as well put in time listening to Julius as in any other way. We had found so me of his plantation tales quite interesting.\n\n\"Mars Jeems McLean\,\" s aid Julius\, \"wuz de grandaddy er dis yer gent'eman w'at is des gone by u s beatin' his hoss. He had a big plantation en a heap er niggers. Mars Jee ms wuz a ha'd man\, en monst'us stric' wid his han's. Eber sence he growed up he nebber 'peared ter hab no feelin' fer nobody. W'en his daddy\, ole Mars John McLean\, died\, de plantation en all de niggers fell ter young M ars Jeems. He had be'n bad 'nuff befo'\, but it wa'n't long atterwa'ds 'te l he got so dey wuz no use in libbin' at all ef you ha' ter lib roun' Mars Jeems. His niggers wuz bleedzd ter slabe fum daylight ter da'k\, w'iles y uther folks's did n' hafter wuk 'cep'n' fum sun ter sun\; en dey did n' gi t no mo' ter eat dan dey oughter\, en dat de coa'ses' kin'. Dey wa'n't 'lo wed ter sing\, ner dance\, ner play de banjo w'en Mars Jeems wuz roun' de place\; fer Mars Jeems say he would n' hab no sech gwines-on\,—said he b ought his han's ter wuk\, en not ter play\, en w'en night come dey mus' sl eep en res'\, so dey 'd be ready ter git up soon in de mawnin' en go ter d ey wuk fresh en strong.\n\n\"Mars Jeems did n' 'low no co'tin' er juneseyi n' roun' his plantation\,—said he wanted his niggers ter put dey min's o n dey wuk\, en not be wastin' dey time wid no sech foolis'ness. En he woul d n' let his han's git married\,—said he wuz n' raisin' niggers\, but wu z raisin' cotton. En w'eneber any er de boys en gals 'ud 'mence ter git sw eet on one ernudder\, he 'd sell one er de yuther un 'em\, er sen' 'em way down in Robeson County ter his yuther plantation\, whar dey could n' nebb er see one ernudder.\n\n\"Ef any er de niggers eber complained\, dey got f o'ty\; so co'se dey did n' many un 'em complain. But dey did n' lack it\, des de same\, en nobody could n' blame 'em\, fer dey had a ha'd time. Mars Jeems did n' make no 'lowance fer nachul bawn laz'ness\, ner sickness\, n er trouble in de min'\, ner nuffin\; he wuz des gwine ter git so much wuk outer eve'y han'\, er know de reason w'y.\n\n\"Dey wuz one time de niggers 'lowed\, fer a spell\, dat Mars Jeems mought git bettah. He tuk a lackin' ter Mars Marrabo McSwayne's oldes' gal\, Miss Libbie\, en useter go ober dere eve'y day er eve'y ebenin'\, en folks said dey wuz gwine ter git marr ied sho'. But it 'pears dat Miss Libbie heared 'bout de gwineson on Mars J eems's plantation\, en she des 'lowed she could n' trus' herse'f wid no se ch a man\; dat he mought git so useter 'busin' his niggers dat he 'd 'menc e ter 'buse his wife atter he got useter habbin' her roun' de house. So sh e 'clared she wuz n' gwine ter hab nuffin mo' ter do wid young Mars Jeems. \n\n\"De niggers wuz all monst'us sorry w'en de match wuz bust' up\, fer n ow Mars Jeems got wusser 'n he wuz befo' he sta'ted sweethea'tin'. De time he useter spen' co'tin' Miss Libbie he put in findin' fault wid de nigger s\, en all his bad feelin's 'ca'se Miss Libbie th'owed 'im ober he 'peared ter try ter wuk off on de po' niggers.\n\n\"W'iles Mars Jeems wuz co'tin' Miss Libbie\, two er de han's on de plantation had got ter settin' a heap er sto' by one ernudder. One un 'em wuz name' Solomon\, en de yuther wuz a 'oman w'at wukked in de fiel' 'long er 'im—I fe'git dat 'oman's name\, but it doan 'mount ter much in de tale nohow. Now\, whuther 'ca'se Mars J eems wuz so tuk up wid his own junesey[2] dat he did n' paid no 'tention f er a w'ile ter w'at wuz gwine on 'twix' Solomon en his junesey\, er whuthe r his own co'tin' made 'im kin' er easy on de co'tin' in de qua'ters\, dey ain' no tellin'. But dey's one thing sho'\, dat w'en Miss Libbie th'owed 'im ober\, he foun' out 'bout Solomon en de gal monst'us quick\, en gun So lomon fo'ty\, en sont de gal down ter de Robeson County plantation\, en to l' all de niggers ef he ketch 'em at any mo' sech foolishness\, he wuz gwi ne ter skin 'em alibe en tan dey hides befo' dey ve'y eyes. Co'se he would n' 'a' done it\, but he mought 'a' made things wusser 'n dey wuz. So you kin 'magine dey wa'n't much lub-makin' in de qua'ters fer a long time.\n\n [2]\nSweetheart.\n\n\"Mars Jeems useter go down ter de yuther plantation s ometimes fer a week er mo'\, en so he had ter hab a oberseah ter look atte r his wuk w'iles he 'uz gone. Mars Jeems's oberseah wuz a po' w'ite man na me' Nick Johnson\,—de niggers called 'im Mars Johnson ter his face\, but behin' his back dey useter call 'im Ole Nick\, en de name suited 'im ter a T. He wuz wusser 'n Mars Jeems ever da'ed ter be. Co'se de darkies did n ' lack de way Mars Jeems used 'em\, but he wuz de marster\, en had a right ter do ez he please'\; but dis yer Ole Nick wa'n't nuffin but a po' buckr ah\, en all de niggers 'spised 'im ez much ez dey hated 'im\, fer he did n ' own nobody\, en wa'n't no bettah 'n a nigger\, fer in dem days any 'spec table pusson would ruther be a nigger dan a po' w'ite man.\n\n\"Now\, atte r Solomon's gal had be'n sont away\, he kep' feelin' mo' en mo' bad erbout it\, 'tel fin'lly he 'lowed he wuz gwine ter see ef dey could n' be sump' n done fer ter git 'er back\, en ter make Mars Jeems treat de darkies bett ah. So he tuk a peck er co'n out'n de ba'n one night\, en went ober ter se e ole Aun' Peggy\, de free-nigger cunjuh 'oman down by de Wim'l'ton Road.\ n\n\"Aun' Peggy listen' ter 'is tale\, en ax' him some queshtuns\, en den tol' 'im she 'd wuk her roots\, en see w'at dey 'd say 'bout it\, en ter-m orrer night he sh'd come back ag'in en fetch ernudder peck er co'n\, en de n she 'd hab sump'n fer ter tell 'im.\n\n\"So Solomon went back de nex' ni ght\, en sho' 'nuff\, Aun' Peggy tol' 'im w'at ter do. She gun 'im some st uff w'at look' lack it be'n made by poundin' up some roots en yarbs wid a pestle in a mo'tar.\n\n\"'Dis yer stuff\,' sez she\, 'is monst'us pow'ful kin' er goopher. You take dis home\, en gin it ter de cook\, ef you kin tr us' her\, en tell her fer ter put it in yo' marster's soup de fus' cloudy day he hab okra soup fer dinnah. Min' you follers de d'rections.'\n\n\"'It ain' gwineter p'isen 'im\, is it?' ax' Solomon\, gittin' kin' er skeered\ ; fer Solomon wuz a good man\, en did n' want ter do nobody no rale ha'm.\ n\n\"'Oh\, no\,' sez ole Aun' Peggy\, 'it's gwine ter do 'im good\, but he 'll hab a monst'us bad dream fus'. A mont' fum now you come down heah en l emme know how de goopher is wukkin'. Fer I ain' done much er dis kin' er c unj'in' er late yeahs\, en I has ter kinder keep track un it ter see dat i t doan 'complish no mo' d'n I 'lows fer it ter do. En I has ter be kinder keerful 'bout cunj'in' w'ite folks\; so be sho' en lemme know\, w'ateber y ou do\, des w'at is gwine on roun' de plantation.'\n\n\"So Solomon say all right\, en tuk de goopher mixtry up ter de big house en gun it ter de coo k\, en tol' her fer ter put it in Mars Jeems's soup de fus' cloudy day she hab okra soup fer dinnah. It happen' dat de ve'y nex' day wuz a cloudy da y\, en so de cook made okra soup fer Mars Jeems's dinnah\, en put de powde r Solomon gun her inter de soup\, en made de soup rale good\, so Mars Jeem s eat a whole lot of it en 'peared ter enjoy it.\n\n\"De nex' mawnin' Mars Jeems tol' de oberseah he wuz gwine 'way on some bizness\, en den he wuz gwine ter his yuther plantation\, down in Robeson County\, en he did n' 's pec' he 'd be back fer a mont' er so.\n\n\"But\,' sezee\, 'I wants you ter run dis yer plantation fer all it's wuth. Dese yer niggers is gittin' mon st'us triflin' en lazy en keerless\, en dey ain' no 'pen'ence ter be put i n 'em. I wants dat stop'\, en w'iles I 'm gone erway I wants de 'spenses c ut 'way down en a heap mo' wuk done. Fac'\, I wants dis yer plantation ter make a reco'd dat'll show w'at kinder oberseah you is.'\n\n\"Ole Nick did n' said nuffin but 'Yas\, suh\,' but de way he kinder grin' ter hisse'f e n show' his big yaller teef\, en snap' de rawhide he useter kyar roun' wid 'im\, made col' chills run up and down de backbone er dem niggers w'at he ared Mars Jeems a-talkin'. En dat night dey wuz mo'nin' en groanin' down i n de qua'ters\, fer de niggers all knowed w'at wuz comin'.\n\n\"So\, sho' 'nuff\, Mars Jeems went erway nex' mawnin'\, en de trouble begun. Mars Joh nson sta'ted off de ve'y fus' day fer ter see w'at he could hab ter show M ars Jeems w'en he come back. He made de tasks bigger en de rashuns littler \, en w'en de niggers had wukked all day\, he 'd fin' sump'n fer 'em ter d o roun' de ba'n er som'ers atter da'k\, fer ter keep 'em busy a' hour er s o befo' dey went ter sleep.\n\n\"About th'ee er fo' days atter Mars Jeems went erway\, young Mars Dunkin McSwayne rode up ter de big house one day w id a nigger settin' behin' 'im in de buggy\, tied ter de seat\, en ax' ef Mars Jeems wuz home. Mars Johnson wuz at de house\, and he say no.\n\n\"'W ell\,' sez Mars Dunkin\, sezee\, 'I fotch dis nigger ober ter Mistah McLea n fer ter pay a bet I made wid 'im las' week w'en we wuz playin' kya'ds te 'gedder. I bet 'im a nigger man\, en heah 's one I reckon'll fill de bill. He wuz tuk up de yuther day fer a stray nigger\, en he could n' gib no 'c ount er hisse'f\, en so he wuz sol' at oction\, en I bought 'im. He's kind er brash\, but I knows yo' powers\, Mistah Johnson\, en I reckon ef anybod y kin make 'im toe de ma'k\, you is de man.'\n\n\"Mars Johnson grin' one e r dem grins w'at show' all his snaggle teef\, en make de niggers 'low he l ook lack de ole debbil\, en sezee ter Mars Dunkin:—\n\n\"'I reckon you k in trus' me\, Mistah Dunkin\, fer ter tame any nigger wuz eber bawn. De ni gger doan lib w'at I can't take down in 'bout fo' days.'\n\n\"Well\, Ole N ick had 'is han's full long er dat noo nigger\; en w'iles de res' er de da rkies wuz sorry fer de po' man\, dey 'lowed he kep' Mars Johnson so busy d at dey got along better 'n dey 'd 'a' done ef de noo nigger had nebber com e.\n\n\"De fus' thing dat happen'\, Mars Johnson sez ter dis yer noo man :—\n\n\"'W'at 's yo' name\, Sambo?'\n\n\"'My name ain' Sambo\,' 'spon' d e noo nigger.\n\n\"'Did I ax you w'at yo' name wa'n't?' sez Mars Johnson. 'You wants ter be pa'tic'lar how you talks ter me. Now\, w'at is yo' name\ , en whar did you come fum?'\n\n\"'I dunno my name\,' sez de nigger\, 'en I doan 'member whar I come fum. My head is all kin' er mix' up.'\n\n\"'Yas \,' sez Mars Johnson\, 'I reckon I'll ha' ter gib you sump'n fer ter cl'ar yo' head. At de same time\, it'll l'arn you some manners\, en atter dis m ebbe you'll say \"suh\" w'en you speaks ter me.'\n\n\"Well\, Mars Johnson haul' off wid his rawhide en hit de noo nigger once. De noo man look' at M ars Johnson fer a minute ez ef he did n' know w'at ter make er dis yer kin ' er l'arnin'. But w'en de oberseah raise' his w'ip ter hit him ag'in\, de noo nigger des haul' off en made fer Mars Johnson\, en ef some er de yuth er niggers had n' stop' 'im\, it 'peared ez ef he mought 'a' made it wa'm fer Ole Nick dere fer a w'ile. But de oberseah made de yuther niggers he'p tie de noo nigger up\, en den gun 'im fo'ty\, wid a dozen er so th'owed i n fer good measure\, fer Ole Nick wuz nebber stingy wid dem kin' er rashun s. De nigger went on at a tarrable rate\, des lack a wil' man\, but co'se he wuz bleedzd ter take his med'cine\, fer he wuz tied up en could n' he'p his-se'f.\n\n\"Mars Johnson lock' de noo nigger up in de ba'n\, en did n' gib 'im nuffin ter eat fer a day er so\, 'tel he got 'im kin'er quiet' do wn\, en den he tu'nt 'im loose en put 'im ter wuk. De nigger 'lowed he wa' n't useter wukkin'\, en would n' wuk\, en Mars Johnson gun 'im anudder fo' ty fer laziness en impidence\, en let 'im fas' a day er so mo'\, en den pu t 'im ter wuk ag'in. De nigger went ter wuk\, but did n' 'pear ter know ho w ter han'le a hoe. It tuk des 'bout half de oberseah's time lookin' atter 'im\, en dat po' nigger got mo' lashin's en cussin's en cuffin's dan any fo' yuthers on de plantation. He did n' mix' wid ner talk much ter de res' er de niggers\, en could n' 'pear ter git it th'oo his min' dat he wuz a slabe en had ter wuk en min' de w'ite folks\, spite er de fac' dat Ole Nic k gun 'im a lesson eve'y day. En fin'lly Mars Johnson 'lowed dat he could n' do nuffin wid 'im\; dat ef he wuz his nigger\, he 'd break his sperrit er break 'is neck\, one er de yuther. But co'se he wuz only sont ober on t rial\, en ez he did n' gib sat'sfaction\, en he had n' heared fum Mars Jee ms 'bout w'en he wuz comin' back\; en ez he wuz feared he 'd git mad some time er 'nuther en kill de nigger befo' he knowed it\, he 'lowed he 'd bet ter sen' 'im back whar he come fum. So he tied 'im up en sont 'im back ter Mars Dunkin.\n\n\"Now\, Mars Dunkin McSwayne wuz one er dese yer easy-gwi ne gent'emen w'at did n' lack ter hab no trouble wid niggers er nobody e's e\, en he knowed ef Mars Ole Nick could n' git 'long wid dis nigger\, nobo dy could. So he tuk de nigger ter town dat same day\, en sol' 'im ter a tr ader w'at wuz gittin' up a gang er lackly niggers fer ter ship off on de s teamboat ter go down de ribber ter Wim'l'ton en fum dere ter Noo Orleens.\ n\n\"De nex' day atter de noo man had be'n sont away\, Solomon wuz wukkin' in de cotton-fiel'\, en w'en he got ter de fence nex' ter de woods\, at d e een' er de row\, who sh'd he see on de yuther side but ole Aun' Peggy. S he beckon' ter 'im\,—de oberseah wuz down on de yuther side er de fiel '\,—en sez she:—\n\n\"'W'y ain' you done come en 'po'ted ter me lack I tol' you?'\n\n\"'W'y\, law! Aun' Peggy\,' sez Solomon\, 'dey ain' nuffin ter 'po't. Mars Jeems went away de day atter we gun 'im de goopher mixtry\ , en we ain' seed hide ner hair un 'im sence\, en co'se we doan know nuffi n 'bout w'at 'fec' it had on 'im.'\n\n\"'I doan keer nuffin 'bout yo' Mars Jeems now\; w'at I wants ter know is w'at is be'n gwine on 'mongs' de nig gers. Has you be'n gittin' 'long any better on de plantation?'\n\n\"'No\, Aun' Peggy\, we be'n gittin' 'long wusser. Mars Johnson is stric'er 'n he eber wuz befo'\, en de po' niggers doan ha'dly git time ter draw dey bref\ , en dey 'lows dey mought des ez well be dead ez alibe.'\n\n\"' Uh huh!' s ez Aun' Peggy\, sez she\, 'I tol' you dat 'uz monst'us pow'ful goopher\, e n its wuk doan 'pear all at once.'\n\n\"'Long ez we had dat noo nigger hea h\,' Solomon went on\, 'he kep' Mars Johnson busy pa't er de time\; but no w he 's gone erway\, I s'pose de res' un us'll ketch it wusser 'n eber.'\n \n\"'W'at's gone wid de noo nigger?' sez Aun' Peggy\, rale quick\, battin' her eyes en straight'nin' up.\n\n\"'Ole Nick done sont 'im back ter Mars Dunkin\, who had fotch 'im heah fer ter pay a gamblin' debt ter Mars Jeems \,' sez Solomon\, 'en I heahs Mars Dunkin has sol' 'im ter a nigger-trader up in Patesville\, w'at 's gwine ter ship 'im off wid a gang ter-morrer.' \n\n\"Ole Aun' Peggy 'peared ter git rale stirred up w'en Solomon tol' 'er dat\, en sez she\, shakin' her stick at 'im:—\n\n\"'W'y did n' you come en tell me 'bout dis noo nigger bein' sol' erway? Did n' you promus me\, ef I 'd gib you dat goopher\, you 'd come en 'po't ter me 'bout all w'at w uz gwine on on dis plantation Co'se I could 'a' foun' out fer myse'f\, but I 'pended on yo' tellin' me\, en now by not doin' it I's feared you gwine spile my cunj'in'. You come down ter my house ter-night en do w'at I tell s you\, er I'll put a spell on you dat 'll make yo' ha'r fall out so you'l l be bal'\, en yo' eyes drap out so you can't see\, en yo teef fall out so you can't eat\, en yo' years grow up so you can't heah. Wen you is foolin ' wid a cunjuh 'oman lack me\, you got ter min' yo' P's en Q's er dey'll b e trouble sho' 'nuff.'\n\n\"So co'se Solomon went down ter Aun' Peggy's da t night\, en she gun 'im a roasted sweet'n' 'tater.\n\n\"'You take dis yer sweet'n' 'tater\,' sez she\,—'I done goophered it 'speshly fer dat noo nigger\, so you better not eat it yo'se'f er you'll wush you had n'\,—en slip off ter town\, en fin' dat strange man\, en gib 'im dis yer sweet'n' 'tater. He mus' eat it befo' mawnin'\, sho'\, ef he doan wanter be sol' e rway ter Noo Orleens.'\n\n\"'But s'posen de patteroles ketch me\, Aun' Peg gy\, w'at I gwine ter do?' sez Solomon.\n\n\"'De patteroles ain' gwine tec h you\, but ef you doan fin' dat nigger\, I 'm gwine git you\, en you'll f in' me wusser 'n de patteroles. Des hol' on a minute\, en I'll sprinkle yo u wid some er dis mixtry out'n dis yer bottle\, so de patteroles can't see you\, en you kin rub yo' feet wid some er dis yer grease out'n dis go'd\, so you kin run fas'\, en rub some un it on yo' eyes so you kin see in de da'k\; en den you mus' fin' dat noo nigger en gib 'im dis yer 'tater\, er you gwine ter hab mo' trouble on yo' ban's 'n you eber had befo' in yo' li fe er eber will hab sence.'\n\n\"So Solomon tuk de sweet'n' 'tater en sta' ted up de road fas' ez he could go\, en befo' long he retch' town. He went right 'long by de patteroles\, en dey did n' 'pear ter notice 'im\, en bi meby he foun' whar de strange nigger was kep'\, en he walked right pas' de gyard at de do' en foun' 'im. De nigger could n' see 'im\, ob co'se\, en he could n' 'a' seed de nigger in de da'k\, ef it had n' be'n fer de stuff Aun' Peggy gun 'im ter rub on 'is eyes. De nigger wuz layin' in a co'nder \, 'sleep\, en Solomon des slip' up ter 'im\, en hilt dat sweet'n' 'tater 'fo' de nigger's nose\, en he des nach'ly retch' up wid his han'\, en tuk de 'tater en eat it in his sleep\, widout knowin' it. Wen Solomon seed he 'd done eat de 'tater\, he went back en tol' Aun' Peggy\, en den went home ter his cabin ter sleep\, 'way 'long 'bout two o'clock in de mawnin'.\n\n \"De nex' day wuz Sunday\, en so de niggers had a little time ter deyse've s. Solomon wuz kinder 'sturb' in his min' thinkin' 'bout his junesey w'at 'uz gone away\, en wond'rin' w'at Aun' Peggy had ter do wid dat noo nigger \; en he had sa'ntered up in de woods so 's ter be by hisse'f a little\, e n at de same time ter look atter a rabbit-trap he'd sot down in de aidge e r de swamp\, w'en who sh'd he see stan'in' unner a tree but a w'ite man.\n \n\"Solomon did n' knowed de w'ite man at fus'\, 'tel de w'ite man spoke u p ter 'im.\n\n\"'Is dat you\, Solomon?' sezee.\n\n\"Den Solomon reco'nized de voice.\n\n\"'Fer de Lawd's sake\, Mars Jeems! is dat you?'\n\n\"'Yas\, Solomon\,' sez his marster\, 'dis is me\, er w'at's lef er me.'\n\n\"It w a'n't no wonder Solomon had n' knowed Mars Jeems at fus'\, fer he wuz dres s' lack a po' w'ite man\, en wuz barefooted\, en look' monst'us pale en pe aked\, ez ef he'd des come th'oo a ha'd spell er sickness.\n\n\"'You er lo okin' kinder po'ly\, Mars Jeems\,' sez Solomon. 'Is you be'n sick\, suh?'\ n\n\"'No\, Solomon\,' sez Mars Jeems\, shakin' his head\, en speakin' sort er slow en sad\, 'I ain' be'n sick\, but I's had a monst'us bad dream\,— fac'\, a reg'lar\, nach'ul nightmare. But tell me how things has be'n gwin e on up ter de plantation sence I be'n gone\, Solomon.'\n\n\"So Solomon up en tol' 'im 'bout de craps\, en 'bout de hosses en de mules\, en 'bout de cows en de hawgs. En w'en he 'mence' ter tell 'bout de noo nigger\, Mars Jeems prick' up 'is yeahs en listen'\, en eve'y now en den he 'd say\, 'Uh huh! uh huh!' en nod 'is head. En bimeby\, w'en he'd ax' Solomon some mo' queshtuns\, he sez\, sezee:—\n\n\"'Now\, Solomon\, I doan want you ter say a wo'd ter nobody 'bout meetin' me heah\, but I wants you ter slip up ter de house\, en fetch me some clo's en some shoes\,—I fergot ter tell you dat a man rob' me back yander on de road en swap' clo's wid me widout axin' me whuther er no\,—but you neenter say nuffin 'bout dat\, nuther. You go en fetch me some clo's heah\, so nobody won't see you\, en keep yo' mouf shet\, en I 'll gib you a dollah.'\n\n\"Solomon wuz so 'stonish' he lack ter fell ober in his tracks\, w'en Mars Jeems promus' ter gib 'im a d ollah. Dey su't'nly wuz a change come ober Mars Jeems\, w'en he offer' one er his niggers dat much money. Solomon 'mence' ter 'spec' dat Aun' Peggy' s cunj'ation had be'n wukkin' monst'us strong.\n\n\"Solomon fotch Mars Jee ms some clo's en shoes\, en dat same eb'nin' Mars Jeems 'peared at de hous e\, en let on lack he des dat minute got home fum Robeson County. Mars Joh nson was all ready ter talk ter 'im\, but Mars Jeems sont 'im wo'd he wa'n 't feelin' ve'y well dat night\, en he'd see 'im ter-morrer.\n\n\"So nex' mawnin' atter breakfus' Mars Jeems sont fer de oberseah\, en ax' 'im fer t er gib 'count er his styoa'dship. Ole Nick tol' Mars Jeems how much wuk be 'n done\, en got de books en showed 'im how much money be'n save'. Den Mar s Jeems ax' 'im how de darkies be'n behabin'\, en Mars Johnson say dey be' n behabin' good\, most un 'em\, en dem w'at did n' behabe good at fus' cha nge dey conduc' atter he got holt un 'em a time er two.\n\n\"'All\,' sezee \, ''cep'n' de noo nigger Mistah Dunkin fotch ober heah en lef on trial\, w'iles you wuz gone.'\n\n\"'Oh\, yas\,' 'lows Mars Jeems\, 'tell me all 'b out dat noo nigger. I heared a little 'bout dat quare noo nigger las' nigh t\, en it wuz des too rediklus. Tell me all 'bout dat noo nigger.'\n\n\"So seein' Mars Jeems so good-na-chu'd 'bout it\, Mars Johnson up en tol' 'im how he tied up de noo ban' de fus' day en gun 'im fo'ty 'ca'se he would n ' tell 'im 'is name.\n\n\"'Ha\, ha\, ha!' sez Mars Jeems\, laffin' fit ter kill\, 'but dat is too funny fer any use. Tell me some mo' 'bout dat noo nigger.'\n\n\"So Mars Johnson went on en tol' 'im how he had ter starbe de noo nigger 'fo' he could make 'im take holt er a hoe.\n\n\"'Dat wuz de be atinis' notion fer a nigger\,' sez Mars Jeems\, 'puttin' on airs\, des lac k he wuz a w'ite man! En I reckon you did n' do nuffin ter 'im?'\n\n\"'Oh\ , no\, suh\,' sez de oberseah\, grinnin' lack a chessy-cat\, 'I did n' do nuffin but take de hide off'n 'im.'\n\n\"Mars Jeems lafft en lafft\, 'tel it 'peared lack he wuz des gwine ter bu'st. 'Tell me some mo' 'bout dat no o nigger\, oh\, tell me some mo'. Dat noo nigger int'rusts me\, he do\, en dat is a fac'.'\n\n\"Mars Johnson did n' quite un'erstan' w'y Mars Jeems sh'd make sich a great 'miration 'bout de noo nigger\, but co'se he want' ter please de gent'eman w'at hi'ed 'im\, en so he 'splain' all 'bout how m any times he had ter cowhide de noo nigger\, en how he made 'im do tasks t wicet ez big ez some er de yuther han's\, en how he 'd chain 'im up in de ba'n at night en feed 'im on co'n-bread en water.\n\n\"'Oh! but you is a m onst'us good oberseah\; you is de bes' oberseah in dis county\, Mistah Joh nson\,' sez Mars Jeems\, w'en de oberseah got th'oo wid his tale\; 'en dey ain' nebber be'n no nigger-breaker lack you roun' heah befo'. En you desa rbes great credit fer sendin' dat nigger 'way befo' you sp'ilt 'im fer de market. Fac'\, you is sech a monst'us good oberseah\, en you is got dis ye r plantation in sech fine shape\, dat I reckon I doan need you no mo'. You is got dese yer darkies so well train' dat I 'spec' I kin run 'em myse'f fum dis time on. But I does wush you had 'a' hilt on ter dat noo nigger 't el I got home\, fer I 'd 'a' lack ter 'a' seed 'im\, I su't'nly should.'\n \n\"De oberseah wuz so 'stonish' he did n' ha'dly know w'at ter say\, but fin'lly he ax' Mars Jeems ef he would n' gib'im a riccommen' fer ter git e rnudder place.\n\n\"'No\, suh\,' sez Mars Jeems\, 'somehow er 'nuther I do an lack yo' looks sence I come back dis time\, en I'd much ruther you woul d n' stay roun' heah. Fac'\, I's feared ef I 'd meet you alone in de woods some time\, I mought wanter ha'm you. But layin' dat aside\, I be'n looki n' ober dese yer books er yo'n w'at you kep' w'iles I wuz 'way\, en fer a yeah er so back\, en dere's some figgers w'at ain' des cl'ar ter me. I ain ' got no time fer ter talk 'bout 'em now\, but I 'spec' befo' I settles wi d you fer dis las' mont'\, you better come up heah ter-morrer\, atter I's look' de books en 'counts ober some mo'\, en den we'll straighten ou' busi ness all up.'\n\n\"Mars Jeems 'lowed atterwa'ds dat he wuz des shootin' in de da'k w'en he said dat 'bout de books\, but howsomeber\, Mars Nick John son lef dat naberhood 'twix' de nex' two suns\, en nobody roun' dere nebbe r seed hide ner hair un 'im sence. En all de darkies t'ank de Lawd\, en 'l owed it wuz a good riddance er bad rubbage.\n\n\"But all dem things I done tol' you ain' nuffin 'side'n de change w'at come ober Mars Jeems fum dat time on. Aun' Peggy's goopher had made a noo man un 'im enti'ely. De nex' day atter he come back\, he tol' de han's dey neenter wuk on'y fum sun ter sun\, en he cut dey tasks down so dey did n' nobody hab ter stan' ober 'e m wid a rawhide er a hick'ry. En he 'lowed ef de niggers want ter hab a da nce in de big ba'n any Sad'day night\, dey mought hab it. En bimeby\, w'en Solomon seed how good Mars Jeems wuz\, he ax' 'im ef he would n' please s en' down ter de yuther plantation fer his junesey. Mars Jeems say su't'nly \, en gun Solomon a pass en a note ter de oberseah on de yuther plantation \, en sont Solomon down ter Robeson County wid a hoss en buggy fer ter fet ch his junesey back. Wen de niggers see how fine Mars Jeems gwine treat 'e m\, dey all tuk ter sweethea'tin' en juneseyin' en singin' en dancin'\, en eight er ten couples got married\, en bimeby eve'ybody 'mence' ter say Ma rs Jeems McLean got a finer plantation\, en slicker-lookin' niggers\, en d at he 'uz makin' mo' cotton en co'n\, dan any yuther gent'eman in de count y. En Mars Jeems's own junesey\, Miss Libbie\, heared 'bout de noo gwines- on on Mars Jeems's plantation\, en she change' her min' 'bout Mars Jeems e n tuk 'im back ag'in\, en 'fo' long dey had a fine weddin'\, en all de dar kies had a big feas'\, en dey wuz fiddlin' en dancin' en funnin' en frolic 'in' fum sundown 'tel mawnin'.\"\n\n\"And they all lived happy ever after\ ,\" I said\, as the old man reached a full stop.\n\n\"Yas\, suh\,\" he sai d\, interpreting my remarks as a question\, \"dey did. Solomon useter say\ ,\" he added\, \"dat Aun' Peggy's goopher had turnt Mars Jeems ter a nigge r\, en dat dat noo ban' wuz Mars Jeems hisse'f. But co'se Solomon did n' d as' ter let on 'bout w'at he 'spicioned\, en ole Aun' Peggy would 'a' 'nie d it ef she had be'n ax'\, fer she 'd 'a' got in trouble sho'\, ef it 'uz knowed she 'd be'n cunj'in' de w'ite folks.\n\n\"Dis yer tale goes ter sho w\,\" concluded Julius sententiously\, as the man came up and announced th at the spring was ready for us to get water\, \"dat w'ite folks w'at is so ha'd en stric'\, en doan make no 'lowance fer po' ign'ant niggers w'at ai n' had no chanst ter l'arn\, is li'ble ter hab bad dreams\, ter say de lea s'\, en dat dem w'at is kin' en good ter po' people is sho' ter prosper en git 'long in de worl'.\"\n\n\"That is a very strange story\, Uncle Julius \,\" observed my wife\, smiling\, \"and Solomon's explanation is quite imp robable.\"\n\n\"Yes\, Julius\,\" said I\, \"that was powerful goopher. I a m glad\, too\, that you told us the moral of the story\; it might have esc aped us otherwise. By the way\, did you make that up all by yourself?\"\n\ nThe old man's face assumed an injured look\, expressive more of sorrow th an of anger\, and shaking his head he replied:—\n\n\"No\, suh\, I heared dat tale befo' you er Mis' Annie dere wuz bawn\, suh. My mammy tol' me da t tale w'en I wa'n't mo' d'n knee-high ter a hopper-grass.\"\n\nI drove to town next morning\, on some business\, and did not return until noon\; an d after dinner I had to visit a neighbor\, and did not get back until supp er-time. I was smoking a cigar on the back piazza in the early evening\, w hen I saw a familiar figure carrying a bucket of water to the barn. I call ed my wife.\n\n\"My dear\,\" I said severely\, \"what is that rascal doing here? I thought I discharged him yesterday for good and all.\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\,\" she answered\, \"I forgot to tell you. He was hanging round the pl ace all the morning\, and looking so down in the mouth\, that I told him t hat if he would try to do better\, we would give him one more chance. He s eems so grateful\, and so really in earnest in his promises of amendment\, that I'm sure you'll not regret taking him back.\"\n\nI was seriously eno ugh annoyed to let my cigar go out. I did not share my wife's rose-colored hopes in regard to Tom\; but as I did not wish the servants to think ther e was any conflict of authority in the household\, I let the boy stay.\n\n THE CONJURER'S REVENGE\n\nSunday was sometimes a rather dull day at our pl ace. In the morning\, when the weather was pleasant\, my wife and I would drive to town\, a distance of about five miles\, to attend the church of o ur choice. The afternoons we spent at home\, for the most part\, occupying ourselves with the newspapers and magazines\, and the contents of a fairl y good library. We had a piano in the house\, on which my wife played with skill and feeling. I possessed a passable baritone voice\, and could acco mpany myself indifferently well when my wife was not by to assist me. When these resources failed us\, we were apt to find it a little dull.\n\nOne Sunday afternoon in early spring\,—the balmy spring of North Carolina\, when the air is in that ideal balance between heat and cold where one wish es it could always remain\,—my wife and I were seated on the front piazz a\, she wearily but conscientiously ploughing through a missionary report\ , while I followed the impossible career of the blonde heroine of a rudime ntary novel. I had thrown the book aside in disgust\, when I saw Julius co ming through the yard\, under the spreading elms\, which were already in f ull leaf. He wore his Sunday clothes\, and advanced with a dignity of move ment quite different from his week-day slouch.\n\n\"Have a seat\, Julius\, \" I said\, pointing to an empty rocking-chair.\n\n\"No\, thanky\, boss\, I'll des set here on de top step.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, Uncle Julius\,\" exclai med Annie\, \"take this chair. You will find it much more comfortable.\"\n \nThe old man grinned in appreciation of her solicitude\, and seated himse lf somewhat awkwardly.\n\n\"Julius\,\" I remarked\, \"I am thinking of set ting out scuppernong vines on that sand-hill where the three persimmon-tre es are\; and while I'm working there\, I think I'll plant watermelons betw een the vines\, and get a little something to pay for my first year's work . The new railroad will be finished by the middle of summer\, and I can sh ip the melons North\, and get a good price for them.\"\n\n\"Ef you er gwin e ter hab any mo' ploughin' ter do\,\" replied Julius\, \"I 'spec' you'll ha' ter buy ernudder creetur\, 'ca'se hit's much ez dem hosses kin do ter 'ten' ter de wuk dey got now.\"\n\n\"Yes\, I had thought of that. I think I'll get a mule\; a mule can do more work\, and doesn't require as much at tention as a horse.\"\n\n\"I would n' 'vise you ter buy no mule\,\" remark ed Julius\, with a shake of his head.\n\n\"Why not?\"\n\n\"Well\, you may 'low hit's all foolis'ness\, but ef I wuz in yo' place\, I would n' buy no mule.\"\n\n\"But that isn't a reason\; what objection have you to a mule? \"\n\n\"Fac' is\,\" continued the old man\, in a serious tone\, \"I doan l ack ter dribe a mule. I 's alluz afeared I mought be imposin' on some huma n creetur\; eve'y time I cuts a mule wid a hick'ry\, 'pears ter me mos' la ckly I's cuttin' some er my own relations\, er somebody e'se w'at can't he 'p deyse'ves.\"\n\n\"What put such an absurd idea into your head?\" I aske d.\n\nMy question was followed by a short silence\, during which Julius se emed engaged in a mental struggle.\n\n\"I dunno ez hit's wuf w'ile ter tel l you dis\,\" he said\, at length. \"I doan ha'dly 'spec' fer you ter b'li eve it. Does you 'member dat club-footed man w'at hilt de hoss fer you de yuther day w'en you was gittin' out'n de rockaway down ter Mars Archie McM illan's sto'?\"\n\n\"Yes\, I believe I do remember seeing a club-footed ma n there.\"\n\n\"Did you eber see a club-footed nigger befo' er sence?\"\n\ n\"No\, I can't remember that I ever saw a club-footed colored man\,\" I r eplied\, after a moment's reflection.\n\n\"You en Mis' Annie would n' want er b'lieve me\, ef I wuz ter 'low dat dat man was oncet a mule?\"\n\n\"No\ ,\" I replied\, \"I don't think it very likely that you could make us beli eve it.\"\n\n\"Why\, Uncle Julius!\" said Annie severely\, \"what ridiculo us nonsense!\"\n\nThis reception of the old man's statement reduced him to silence\, and it required some diplomacy on my part to induce him to vouc hsafe an explanation. The prospect of a long\, dull afternoon was not allu ring\, and I was glad to have the monotony of Sabbath quiet relieved by a plantation legend.\n\n\"W'en I wuz a young man\,\" began Julius\, when I h ad finally prevailed upon him to tell us the story\, \"dat club-footed nig ger—his name is Primus—use' ter b'long ter ole Mars Jim McGee ober on de Lumbe'ton plank-road. I use' ter go ober dere ter see a 'oman w'at libb ed on de plantation\; dat 's how I come ter know all erbout it. Dis yer Pr imus wuz de livelies' han' on de place\, alluz a-dancin'\, en drinkin'\, e n runnin' roun'\, en singin'\, en pickin' de banjo\; 'cep'n' once in a w'i le\, w'en he 'd 'low he wa'n't treated right 'bout sump'n ernudder\, he'd git so sulky en stubborn dat de w'ite folks could n' ha'dly do nuffin wid 'im.\n\n\"It wuz 'gin' de rules fer any er de han's ter go 'way fum de pla ntation at night\; but Primus did n' min' de rules\, en went w'en he felt lack it\; en de w'ite folks purten' lack dey did n' know it\, fer Primus w as dange'ous w'en he got in dem stubborn spells\, en dey 'd ruther not foo l wid 'im.\n\n\"One night in de spring er de year\, Primus slip' off fum d e plantation\, en went down on de Wim'l'ton Road ter a dance gun by some e r de free niggers down dere. Dey wuz a fiddle\, en a banjo\, en a jug gwin e roun' on de outside\, en Primus sung en dance' 'tel 'long 'bout two o'cl ock in de mawnin'\, w'en he start' fer home. Ez he come erlong back\, he t uk a nigh-cut 'cross de cottonfiel's en 'long by de aidge er de Min'al Spr ing Swamp\, so ez ter git shet er de patteroles w'at rid up en down de big road fer ter keep de darkies fum runnin' roun' nights. Primus was sa'nt'r in' 'long\, studyin' 'bout de good time he 'd had wid de gals\, w'en\, ez he wuz gwine by a fence co'nder\, w'at sh'd he heah but sump'n grunt. He s topped a minute ter listen\, en he heared sump'n grunt ag'in. Den he went ober ter de fence whar he heard de fuss\, en dere\, layin' in de fence co' nder\, on a pile er pine straw\, he seed a fine\, fat shote.\n\n\"Primus l ook' ha'd at de shote\, en den sta'ted home. But somehow er 'nudder he cou ld n' git away fum dat shote\; w'en he tuk one step for'ards wid one foot\ , de yuther foot 'peared ter take two steps back'ards\, en so he kep' nach ly gittin' closeter en closeter ter de shote. It was de beatin'es' thing! De shote des 'peared ter cha'm Primus\, en fus' thing you know Primus foun ' hisse'f 'way up de road wid de shote on his back.\n\n\"Ef Primus had 'a' knowed whose shote dat wuz\, he 'd 'a' manage' ter git pas' it somehow er 'nudder. Ez it happen'\, de shote b'long ter a cunjuh man w'at libbed dow n in de free-nigger sett'ement. Co'se de cunjuh man did n' hab ter wuk his roots but a little w'ile 'fo' he foun' out who tuk his shote\, en den de trouble begun. One mawnin'\, a day er so later\, en befo' he got de shote eat up\, Primus did n' go ter wuk w'en de hawn blow\, en w'en de oberseah wen' ter look fer him\, dey wa' no trace er Primus ter be 'skivered nowhar . W'en he did n' come back in a day er so mo'\, eve'ybody on de plantation 'lowed he had runned erway. His marster a'vertise' him in de papers\, en offered a big reward fer 'im. De nigger-ketchers fotch out dey dogs\, en t rack' 'im down ter de aidge er de swamp\, en den de scent gun out\; en dat was de las' anybody seed er Primus fer a long\, long time.\n\n\"Two er th 'ee weeks atter Primus disappear'\, his marster went ter town one Sad'day. Mars Jim was stan'in' in front er Sandy Campbell's bar-room\, up by de ol e wagon-ya'd\, w'en a po' w'ite man fum down on de Wim'l'ton Road come up ter 'im en ax' 'im\, kinder keerless lack\, ef he did n' wanter buy a mule .\n\n\"'I dunno\,' says Mars Jim\; 'it 'pen's on de mule\, en on de price. Whar is de mule?'\n\n\"'Des 'roun' heah back er ole Tom McAllister's sto' \,' says de po' w'ite man.\n\n\"'I reckon I'll hab a look at de mule\,' sa ys Mars Jim\, 'en ef he suit me\, I dunno but w'at I mought buy 'im.'\n\n\ "So de po' w'ite man tuk Mars Jim 'roun' back er de sto'\, en dere stood a monst'us fine mule. W'en de mule see Mars Jim\, he gun a whinny\, des lac k he knowed him befo'. Mars Jim look' at de mule\, en de mule 'peared ter be soun' en strong. Mars Jim 'lowed dey 'peared ter be sump'n fermilyus 'b out de mule's face\, 'spesh'ly his eyes\; but he had n' los' naer mule\, e n did n' hab no recommemb'ance er habin' seed de mule befo'. He ax' de po' buckrah whar he got de mule\, en de po' buckrah say his brer raise' de mu le down on Rockfish Creek. Mars Jim was a little s'picious er seein' a po' w'ite man wid sech a fine creetur\, but he fin'lly 'greed ter gib de man fifty dollars fer de mule\,—'bout ha'f w'at a good mule was wuf dem days .\n\n\"He tied de mule behin' de buggy w'en he went home\, en put 'im ter ploughin' cotton de nex' day. De mule done mighty well fer th'ee er fo' da ys\, en den de niggers 'mence' ter notice some quare things erbout him. De y wuz a medder on de plantation whar dey use' ter put de hosses en mules t er pastur'. Hit was fence' off fum de cornfiel' on one side\, but on de yu ther side'n de pastur' was a terbacker-patch w'at wa'n't fence' off\, 'ca' se de beastisses doan none un 'em eat terbacker. Dey doan know w'at 's goo d! Terbacker is lack religion\, de good Lawd made it fer people\, en dey a in' no yuther creetur w'at kin 'preciate it. De darkies notice' dat de fus ' thing de new mule done\, w'en he was turnt inter de pastur'\, wuz ter ma ke fer de terbacker-patch. Co'se dey didn' think nuffin un it\, but nex' m awnin'\, w'en dey went ter ketch 'im\, dey 'skivered dat he had eat up two whole rows er terbacker plants. Atter dat dey had ter put a halter on 'im \, en tie 'im ter a stake\, er e'se dey would n' 'a' been naer leaf er ter backer lef' in de patch.\n\n\"Ernudder day one er de han's\, name' 'Dolphu s\, hitch' de mule up\, en dribe up here ter dis yer vimya'd\,—dat wuz w 'en ole Mars Dugal' own' dis place. Mars Dugal' had kilt a yearlin'\, en d e naber w'ite folks all sont ober fer ter git some fraish beef\, en Mars J im had sont 'Dolphus fer some too. Dey wuz a winepress in de ya'd whar 'Do lphus lef' de mule a-stan'in'\, en right in front er de press dey wuz a tu b er grape-juice\, des pressed out\, en a little ter one side a bairl erbo ut half full er wine w'at had be'n stan'in' two er th'ee days\, en had beg un ter git sorter sha'p ter de tas'e. Dey wuz a couple er bo'ds on top er dis yer bairl\, wid a rock laid on 'em ter hol' 'em down. Ez I wuz a-sayin '\, 'Dolphus lef' de mule stan'in' in de ya'd\, en went inter de smoke-hou se fer ter git de beef. Bimeby\, w'en he come out\, he seed de mule a-stag g'rin' 'bout de ya'd\; en 'fo' 'Dolphus could git dere ter fin' out w'at w uz de matter\, de mule fell right ober on his side\, en laid dere des' lac k he was dead.\n\n\"All de niggers 'bout de house run out dere fer ter see w'at wuz de matter. Some say de mule had de colic\; some say one thing en some ernudder\; 'tel bimeby one er de han's seed de top wuz off'n de bair l\, en run en looked in.\n\n\"'Fo' de Lawd!' he say\, 'dat mule drunk! he be'n drinkin' de wine.' En sho' 'nuff\, de mule had pas' right by de tub e r fraish grape-juice en push' de kiver off'n de bairl\, en drunk two er th 'ee gallon er de wine w'at had been stan'in' long ernough fer ter begin te r git sha'p.\n\n\"De darkies all made a great 'miration 'bout de mule gitt in' drunk. Dey never had n' seed nuffin lack it in dey bawn days. Dey po'd water ober de mule\, en tried ter sober 'im up\; but it wa'n't no use\, e n 'Dolphus had ter take de beef home on his back\, en leabe de mule dere\, 'tel he slep' off 'is spree.\n\n\"I doan 'member whe'r I tol' you er no\, but w'en Primus disappear' fum de plantation\, he lef' a wife behin' 'im\ ,—a monst'us good-lookin' yaller gal\, name' Sally. W'en Primus had be'n gone a mont' er so\, Sally 'mence' fer ter git lonesome\, en tuk up wid e rnudder young man name' Dan\, w'at b'long' on de same plantation. One day dis yer Dan tuk de noo mule out in de cotton-fiel' fer ter plough\, en w'e n dey wuz gwine 'long de tu'n-row\, who sh'd he meet but dis yer Sally. Da n look' 'roun' en he did n' see de oberseah nowhar\, so he stop' a minute fer ter run on wid Sally.\n\n\"'Hoddy\, honey\,' sezee. 'How you feelin' d is mawnin'?'\n\n\"'Fus' rate\,' 'spon' Sally.\n\n\"Dey wuz lookin' at one ernudder\, en dey did n' naer one un 'em pay no 'tention ter de mule\, who had turnt 'is head 'roun' en wuz lookin' at Sally ez ha'd ez he could\, e n stretchin' 'is neck en raisin' 'is years\, en whinnyin' kinder sof' ter hisse'f.\n\n\"'Yas\, honey\,' 'lows Dan\, 'en you gwine ter feel fus' rate long ez you sticks ter me. Fer I's a better man dan dat low-down runaway nigger Primus dat you be'n wastin' yo' time wid.'\n\n\"Dan had let go de p lough-handle\, en had put his arm 'roun' Sally\, en wuz des gwine ter kiss her\, w'en sump'n ketch' 'im by de scruff er de neck en flung 'im 'way ob er in de cotton-patch. W'en he pick' 'isse'f up\, Sally had gone kitin' do wn de tu'n-row\, en de mule wuz stan'in' dere lookin' ez ca'm en peaceful ez a Sunday mawnin'.\n\n\"Fus' Dan had 'lowed it wuz de oberseah w'at had cotch' 'im wastin' 'is time. But dey wa'n't no oberseah in sight\, so he ' cluded it must 'a' be'n de mule. So he pitch' inter de mule en lammed 'im ez ha'd ez he could. De mule tuk it all\, en 'peared ter be ez 'umble ez a mule could be\; but w'en dey wuz makin' de turn at de een' er de row\, on e er de plough-lines got under de mule's hin' leg. Dan retch' down ter git de line out\, sorter keerless like\, w'en de mule haul' off en kick him c lean ober de fence inter a brier-patch on de yuther side.\n\n\"Dan wuz mig hty so' fum 'is woun's en scratches\, en wuz laid up fer two er th'ee days . One night de noo mule got out'n de pastur'\, en went down to de quarters . Dan wuz layin' dere on his pallet\, w'en he heard sump'n bangin' erway a t de side er his cabin. He raise' up on one shoulder en look' roun'\, w'en w'at should he see but de noo mule's head stickin' in de winder\, wid his lips drawed back over his toofs\, grinnin' en snappin' at Dan des' lack h e wanter eat 'im up. Den de mule went roun' ter de do'\, en kick' erway la ck he wanter break de do' down\, 'tel bimeby somebody come 'long en driv h im back ter de pastur'. W'en Sally come in a little later fum de big house \, whar she 'd be'n waitin' on de w'ite folks\, she foun' po' Dan nigh 'bo ut dead\, he wuz so skeered. She 'lowed Dan had had de nightmare\; but w'e n dey look' at de do'\, dey seed de marks er de mule's huffs\, so dey coul d n' be no mistake 'bout w'at had happen'.\n\n\"Co'se de niggers tol' dey marster 'bout de mule's gwines-on. Fust he did n' pay no 'tention ter it\, but atter a w'ile he tol' 'em ef dey did n' stop dey foolis'ness\, he gwi ne tie some un 'em up. So atter dat dey did n' say nuffin mo' ter dey mars ter\, but dey kep' on noticin' de mule's quare ways des de same.\n\n\"'Lon g 'bout de middle er de summer dey wuz a big camp-meetin' broke out down o n de Wim'l'ton Road\, en nigh 'bout all de po' w'ite folks en free niggers in de settlement got 'ligion\, en lo en behol'! 'mongs' 'em wuz de cunjuh man w'at own' de shote w'at cha'med Primus.\n\n\"Dis cunjuh man wuz a Gui nea nigger\, en befo' he wuz sot free had use' ter b'long ter a gent'eman down in Sampson County. De cunjuh man say his daddy wuz a king\, er a guv' ner\, er some sorter w'at-you-may-call-'em 'way ober yander in Affiky whar de niggers come fum\, befo' he was stoled erway en sol' ter de spekilater s. De cunjuh man had he'ped his marster out'n some trouble ernudder wid hi s goopher\, en his marster had sot him free\, en bought him a trac' er lan d down on de Wim'l'ton Road. He purten' ter be a cow-doctor\, but eve'ybod y knowed w'at he r'al'y wuz.\n\n\"De cunjuh man had n' mo' d'n come th'oo good\, befo' he wuz tuk sick wid a col' w'at he kotch kneelin' on de groun ' so long at de mou'ners' bench. He kep' gittin' wusser en wusser\, en bim eby de rheumatiz tuk holt er 'im\, en drawed him all up\, 'tel one day he sont word up ter Mars Jim McGee's plantation\, en ax' Pete\, de nigger w'a t tuk keer er de mules\, fer ter come down dere dat night en fetch dat mul e w'at his marster had bought fum de po' w'ite man dyoin' er de summer.\n\ n\"Pete did n' know w'at de cunjuh man wuz dribin' at\, but he did n' dast er stay way\; en so dat night\, w'en he 'd done eat his bacon en his hoe-c ake\, en drunk his 'lasses-en-water\, he put a bridle on de mule\, en rid 'im down ter de cunjuh man's cabin. W'en he got ter de do'\, he lit en hit ch' de mule\, en den knock' at de do'. He felt mighty jubous 'bout gwine i n\, but he was bleedst ter do it\; he knowed he could n' he'p 'isse'f.\n\n \"'Pull de string\,' sez a weak voice\, en w'en Pete lif de latch en went in\, de cunjuh man was layin' on de bed\, lookin' pale en weak\, lack he d id n' hab much longer fer ter lib.\n\n\"'Is you fotch' de mule?' sezee.\n\ n\"Pete say yas\, en de cunjuh man kep' on.\n\n\"'Brer Pete\,' sezee\, 'I' s be'n a monst'us sinner man\, en I's done a power er wickedness endyoin' er my days\; but de good Lawd is wash' my sins erway\, en I feels now dat I's boun' fer de kingdom. En I feels\, too\, dat I ain' gwine ter git up f um dis bed no mo' in dis worl'\, en I wants ter ondo some er de harm I don e. En dat's de reason\, Brer Pete\, I sont fer you ter fetch dat mule down here. You 'member dat shote I was up ter yo' plantation inquirin' 'bout l as' June?'\n\n\"'Yas\,' says Brer Pete\, 'I'member yo' axin' 'bout a shote you had los'.'\n\n\"'I dunno whe'r you eber l'arnt it er no\,' says de cu njuh man\, 'but I done knowed yo' marster's Primus had tuk de shote\, en I wuz boun' ter git eben wid 'im. So one night I cotch' 'im down by de swam p on his way ter a candy-pullin'\, en I th'owed a goopher mixtry on 'im\, en turnt 'im ter a mule\, en got a po' w'ite man ter sell de mule\, en we 'vided de money. But I doan want ter die 'tel I turn Brer Primus back ag'i n.'\n\n\"Den de cunjuh man ax' Pete ter take down one er two go'ds off'n a she'f in de corner\, en one er two bottles wid some kin' er mixtry in 'em \, en set 'em on a stool by de bed\; en den he ax' 'im ter fetch de mule i n.\n\n\"W'en de mule come in de do'\, he gin a snort\, en started fer de b ed\, des lack he was gwine ter jump on it.\n\n\"'Hol' on dere\, Brer Primu s!' de cunjuh man hollered. 'I's monst'us weak\, en ef you 'mence on me\, you won't nebber hab no chance fer ter git turn' back no mo'.'\n\n\"De mul e seed de sense er dat\, en stood still. Den de cunjuh man tuk de go'ds en bottles\, en 'mence' ter wuk de roots en yarbs\, en de mule 'mence' ter t urn back ter a man\,—fust his years\, den de res' er his head\, den his shoulders en arms. All de time de cunjuh man kep' on wukkin' his roots\; e n Pete en Primus could see he wuz gittin' weaker en weaker all de time.\n\ n\"'Brer Pete\,' sezee\, bimeby\, 'gimme a drink er dem bitters out'n dat green bottle on de she'f yander. I's gwine fas'\, en it'll gimme strenk fe r ter finish dis wuk.'\n\n\"Brer Pete look' up on de mantelpiece\, en he s eed a bottle in de corner. It was so da'k in de cabin he could n' tell whe 'r it wuz a green bottle er no. But he hilt de bottle ter de cunjuh man's mouf\, en he tuk a big mouff'l. He had n' mo' d'n swallowed it befo' he 'm ence' ter holler.\n\n\"'You gimme de wrong bottle\, Brer Pete\; dis yer bo ttle 's got pizen in it\, en I's done fer dis time\, sho'. Hol' me up\, fe r de Lawd's sake! 'tel I git th'oo turnin' Brer Primus back.'\n\n\"So Pete hilt him up\, en he kep' on wukkin' de roots\, 'tel he got de goopher all tuk off'n Brer Primus 'cep'n' one foot. He had n' got dis foot mo' d'n ha lf turnt back befo' his strenk gun out enti'ely\, en he drap' de roots en fell back on de bed.\n\n\"'I can't do no mo' fer you\, Brer Primus\,' seze e\, 'but I hopes you will fergib me fer w'at harm I done you. I knows de g ood Lawd done fergib me\, en I hope ter meet you bofe in glory. I sees de good angels waitin' fer me up yander\, wid a long w'ite robe en a starry c rown\, en I'm on my way ter jine 'em.' En so de cunjuh man died\, en Pete en Primus went back ter de plantation.\n\n\"De darkies all made a great 'm iration w'en Primus come back. Mars Jim let on lack he did n' b'lieve de t ale de two niggers tol'\; he sez Primus had runned erway\, en stay' 'tel h e got ti'ed er de swamps\, en den come back on him ter be fed. He tried te r 'count fer de shape er Primus' foot by sayin' Primus got his foot smash' \, er snake-bit\, er sump'n\, w'iles he wuz erway\, en den stayed out in d e woods whar he could n' git it kyoed up straight\, 'stidder comin' long h ome whar a doctor could 'a' 'tended ter it. But de niggers all notice' dey marster did n' tie Primus up\, ner take on much 'ca'se de mule wuz gone. So dey 'lowed dey marster must 'a' had his s'picions 'bout dat cunjuh man. \"\n\nMy wife had listened to Julius's recital with only a mild interest. When the old man had finished it she remarked:—\n\n\"That story does not appeal to me\, Uncle Julius\, and is not up to your usual mark. It isn't pathetic\, it has no moral that I can discover\, and I can't see why you s hould tell it. In fact\, it seems to me like nonsense.\"\n\nThe old man lo oked puzzled as well as pained. He had not pleased the lady\, and he did n ot seem to understand why.\n\n\"I'm sorry\, ma'm\,\" he said reproachfully \, \"ef you doan lack dat tale. I can't make out w'at you means by some er dem wo'ds you uses\, but I'm tellin' nuffin but de truf. Co'se I did n' s ee de cunjuh man tu'n 'im back\, fer I wuz n' dere\; but I be'n hearin' de tale fer twenty-five yeahs\, en I ain' got no 'casion fer ter 'spute it. Dey 's so many things a body knows is lies\, dat dey ain' no use gwine rou n' findin' fault wid tales dat mought des ez well be so ez not. F' instanc e\, dey's a young nigger gwine ter school in town\, en he come out heah de yuther day en 'lowed dat de sun stood still en de yeath turnt roun' eve'y day on a kinder axletree. I tol' dat young nigger ef he didn' take hisse' f 'way wid dem lies\, I 'd take a buggy-trace ter 'im\; fer I sees de yeat h stan'in' still all de time\, en I sees de sun gwine roun' it\, en ef a m an can't b'lieve w'at 'e sees\, I can't see no use in libbin'—mought's w ell die en be whar we can't see nuffin. En ernudder thing w'at proves de t ale 'bout dis ole Primus is de way he goes on ef anybody ax' him how he co me by dat club-foot. I axed 'im one day\, mighty perlite en civil\, en he call' me a' ole fool\, en got so mad he ain' spoke ter me sence. Hit's mon st'us quare. But dis is a quare worl'\, anyway yer kin fix it\,\" conclude d the old man\, with a weary sigh.\n\n\"Ef you makes up yo' min' not ter b uy dat mule\, suh\,\" he added\, as he rose to go\, \"I knows a man w'at ' s got a good hoss he wants ter sell\,—leas'ways dat's w'at I heared. I'm gwine ter pra'rmeetin' ter-night\, en I'm gwine right by de man's house\, en ef you 'd lack ter look at de hoss\, I'll ax 'im ter fetch him roun'.\ "\n\n\"Oh\, yes\,\" I said\, \"you can ask him to stop in\, if he is passi ng. There will be no harm in looking at the horse\, though I rather think I shall buy a mule.\"\n\nEarly next morning the man brought the horse up t o the vineyard. At that time I was not a very good judge of horseflesh. Th e horse appeared sound and gentle\, and\, as the owner assured me\, had no bad habits. The man wanted a large price for the horse\, but finally agre ed to accept a much smaller sum\, upon payment of which I became possessed of a very fine-looking animal. But alas for the deceitfulness of appearan ces! I soon ascertained that the horse was blind in one eye\, and that the sight of the other was very defective\; and not a month elapsed before my purchase developed most of the diseases that horse-flesh is heir to\, and a more worthless\, broken-winded\, spavined quadruped never disgraced the noble name of horse. After worrying through two or three months of life\, he expired one night in a fit of the colic. I replaced him with a mule\, and Julius henceforth had to take his chances of driving some metamorphose d unfortunate.\n\nCircumstances that afterwards came to my knowledge creat ed in my mind a strong suspicion that Julius may have played a more than u nconscious part in this transaction. Among other significant facts was his appearance\, the Sunday following the purchase of the horse\, in a new su it of store clothes\, which I had seen displayed in the window of Mr. Solo mon Cohen's store on my last visit to town\, and had remarked on account o f their striking originality of cut and pattern. As I had not recently pai d Julius any money\, and as he had no property to mortgage\, I was driven to conjecture to account for his possession of the means to buy the clothe s. Of course I would not charge him with duplicity unless I could prove it \, at least to a moral certainty\, but for a long time afterwards I took h is advice only in small doses and with great discrimination.\n\nSIS' BECKY 'S PICKANINNY\n\nWe had not lived in North Carolina very long before I was able to note a marked improvement in my wife's health. The ozone-laden ai r of the surrounding piney woods\, the mild and equable climate\, the peac eful leisure of country life\, had brought about in hopeful measure the cu re we had anticipated. Toward the end of our second year\, however\, her a ilment took an unexpected turn for the worse. She became the victim of a s ettled melancholy\, attended with vague forebodings of impending misfortun e.\n\n\"You must keep up her spirits\,\" said our physician\, the best in the neighboring town. \"This melancholy lowers her tone too much\, tends t o lessen her strength\, and\, if it continue too long\, may be fraught wit h grave consequences.\"\n\nI tried various expedients to cheer her up. I r ead novels to her. I had the hands on the place come up in the evening and serenade her with plantation songs. Friends came in sometimes and talked\ , and frequent letters from the North kept her in touch with her former ho me. But nothing seemed to rouse her from the depression into which she had fallen.\n\nOne pleasant afternoon in spring\, I placed an armchair in a s haded portion of the front piazza\, and filling it with pillows led my wif e out of the house and seated her where she would have the pleasantest vie w of a somewhat monotonous scenery. She was scarcely placed when old Juliu s came through the yard\, and\, taking off his tattered straw hat\, inquir ed\, somewhat anxiously:—\n\n\"How is you feelin' dis atternoon\, ma'm?\ "\n\n\"She is not very cheerful\, Julius\,\" I said. My wife was apparentl y without energy enough to speak for herself.\n\nThe old man did not seem inclined to go away\, so I asked him to sit down. I had noticed\, as he ca me up\, that he held some small object in his hand. When he had taken his seat on the top step\, he kept fingering this object\,—what it was I cou ld not quite make out.\n\n\"What is that you have there\, Julius?\" I aske d\, with mild curiosity.\n\n\"Dis is my rabbit foot\, suh.\"\n\nThis was a t a time before this curious superstition had attained its present jocular popularity among white people\, and while I had heard of it before\, it h ad not yet outgrown the charm of novelty.\n\n\"What do you do with it?\"\n \n\"I kyars it wid me fer luck\, suh.\"\n\n\"Julius\,\" I observed\, half to him and half to my wife\, \"your people will never rise in the world un til they throw off these childish superstitions and learn to live by the l ight of reason and common sense. How absurd to imagine that the fore-foot of a poor dead rabbit\, with which he timorously felt his way along throug h a life surrounded by snares and pitfalls\, beset by enemies on every han d\, can promote happiness or success\, or ward off failure or misfortune!\ "\n\n\"It is ridiculous\,\" assented my wife\, with faint interest.\n\n\"D at 's w'at I tells dese niggers roun' heah\,\" said Julius. \"De fo'-foot ain' got no power. It has ter be de hin'-foot\, suh\,—de lef hin'-foot e r a grabe-ya'd rabbit\, killt by a cross-eyed nigger on a da'k night in de full er de moon.\"\n\n\"They must be very rare and valuable\,\" I said.\n \n\"Dey is kinder ska'ce\, suh\, en dey ain' no 'mount er money could buy mine\, suh. I mought len' it ter anybody I sot sto' by\, but I would n' se ll it\, no indeed\, suh\, I would n'.\"\n\n\"How do you know it brings goo d luck?\" I asked.\n\n\"'Ca'se I ain' had no bad luck sence I had it\, suh \, en I's had dis rabbit foot fer fo'ty yeahs. I had a good marster befo' de wah\, en I wa'n't sol' erway\, en I wuz sot free\; en dat 'uz all good luck.\"\n\n\"But that doesn't prove anything\,\" I rejoined. \"Many other people have gone through a similar experience\, and probably more than one of them had no rabbit's foot.\"\n\n\"Law\, suh! you doan hafter prove 'bo ut de rabbit foot! Eve'ybody knows dat\; leas'ways eve'ybody roun' heah kn ows it. But ef it has ter be prove' ter folks w'at wa'n't bawn en raise' i n dis naberhood\, dey is a' easy way ter prove it. Is I eber tol' you de t ale er Sis' Becky en her pickaninny?\"\n\n\"No\,\" I said\, \"let us hear it.\" I thought perhaps the story might interest my wife as much or more t han the novel I had meant to read from.\n\n\"Dis yer Becky\,\" Julius bega n\, \"useter b'long ter ole Kunnel Pen'leton\, who owned a plantation down on de Wim'l'ton Road\, 'bout ten miles fum heah\, des befo' you gits ter Black Swamp. Dis yer Becky wuz a fiel'-han'\, en a monst'us good 'un. She had a husban' oncet\, a nigger w'at b'longed on de nex' plantation\, but d e man w'at owned her husban' died\, en his lan' en his niggers had ter be sol' fer ter pay his debts. Kunnel Pen'leton 'lowed he'd 'a' bought dis ni gger\, but he had be'n bettin' on hoss races\, en did n' hab no money\, en so Becky's husban' wuz sol' erway ter Fuhginny.\n\n\"Co'se Becky went on some 'bout losin' her man\, but she could n' he'p herse'f\; en 'sides dat\ , she had her pickaninny fer ter comfo't her. Dis yer little Mose wuz de c utes'\, blackes'\, shiny-eyedes' little nigger you eber laid eyes on\, en he wuz ez fon' er his mammy ez his mammy wuz er him. Co'se Becky had ter w uk en did n' hab much time ter was'e wid her baby. Ole Aun' Nancy\, de pla ntation nuss down at de qua'ters\, useter take keer er little Mose in de d aytime\, en atter de niggers come in fum de cotton-fiel' Becky 'ud git her chile en kiss 'im en nuss 'im\, en keep 'im 'tel mawnin'\; en on Sundays she 'd hab 'im in her cabin wid her all day long.\n\n\"Sis' Becky had got sorter useter gittin' 'long widout her husban'\, w'en one day Kunnel Pen'l eton went ter de races. Co'se w'en he went ter de races\, he tuk his hosse s\, en co'se he bet on 'is own hosses\, en co'se he los' his money\; fer K unnel Pen'leton did n' nebber hab no luck wid his hosses\, ef he did keep hisse'f po' projeckin' wid 'em. But dis time dey wuz a hoss name' Lightnin ' Bug\, w'at b'longed ter ernudder man\, en dis hoss won de sweep-stakes\; en Kunnel Pen'leton tuk a lackin' ter dat hoss\, en ax' his owner w'at he wuz willin' ter take fer 'im.\n\n\"'I'll take a thousan' dollahs fer dat hoss\,' sez dis yer man\, who had a big plantation down to'ds Wim'l'ton\, whar he raise' hosses fer ter race en ter sell.\n\n\"Well\, Kunnel Pen'let on scratch' 'is head\, en wonder whar he wuz gwine ter raise a thousan' do llahs\; en he did n' see des how he could do it\, fer he owed ez much ez h e could borry a'ready on de skyo'ity he could gib. But he wuz des boun' te r hab dat hoss\, so sezee:—\n\n\"'I'll gib you my note fer' 'leven hund' ed dollahs fer dat hoss.'\n\n\"De yuther man shuck 'is head\, en sezee:— \n\n\"'Yo' note\, suh\, is better 'n gol'\, I doan doubt\; but I is made i t a rule in my bizness not ter take no notes fum nobody. Howsomeber\, suh\ , ef you is kinder sho't er fun's\, mos' lackly we kin make some kin' er b ahg'in. En w'iles we is talkin'\, I mought 's well say dat I needs ernudde r good nigger down on my place. Ef you is got a good one ter spar'\, I mou ght trade wid you.'\n\n\"Now\, Kunnel Pen'leton did n' r'ally hab no nigge rs fer ter spar'\, but he 'lowed ter hisse'f he wuz des bleedzd ter hab da t hoss\, en so he sez\, sezee:—\n\n\"'Well\, I doan lack ter\, but I rec kon I'll haf ter. You come out ter my plantation ter-morrer en look ober m y niggers\, en pick out de one you wants.'\n\n\"So sho' 'nuff nex' day dis yer man come out ter Kunnel Pen'leton's place en rid roun' de plantation en glanshed at de niggers\, en who sh'd he pick out fum 'em all but Sis' B ecky.\n\n\"'I needs a noo nigger 'oman down ter my place\,' sezee\, 'fer t er cook en wash\, en so on\; en dat young 'oman'll des fill de bill. You g imme her\, en you kin hab Lightnin' Bug.'\"\n\n\"Now\, Kunnel Pen'leton di d n' lack ter trade Sis' Becky\, 'ca'se she wuz nigh 'bout de bes' fiel'-h an' he had\; en 'sides\, Mars Kunnel did n' keer ter take de mammies 'way fum dey chillun w'iles de chillun wuz little. But dis man say he want Beck y\, er e'se Kunnel Pen'leton could n' hab de race hoss.\n\n\"'Well\,' sez de kunnel\, 'you kin hab de 'oman. But I doan lack ter sen' her 'way fum h er baby. W'at'll you gimme fer dat nigger baby?'\n\n\"'I doan want de baby \,' sez de yuther man. 'I ain' got no use fer de baby.'\n\n\"'I tell yer w 'at I'll do\,' 'lows Kunnel Pen'leton\, 'I'll th'ow dat pickaninny in fer good measure.'\n\n\"But de yuther man shuck his head. 'No\,' sezee\, 'I's much erbleedzd\, but I doan raise niggers\; I raises hosses\, en I doan wa nter be both'rin' wid no nigger babies. Nemmine de baby. I'll keep dat 'om an so busy she 'll fergit de baby\; fer niggers is made ter wuk\, en dey a in' got no time fer no sich foolis'ness ez babies.'\n\n\"Kunnel Pen'leton did n' wanter hu't Becky's feelin's\,—fer Kunnel Pen'leton wuz a kin'-he a'ted man\, en nebber lack' ter make no trouble fer nobody\,—en so he to l' Becky he wuz gwine sen' her down ter Robeson County fer a day er so\, t er he'p out his son-in-law in his wuk\; en bein' ez dis yuther man wuz gwi ne dat way\, he had ax' 'im ter take her 'long in his buggy.\n\n\"'Kin I k yar little Mose wid me\, marster?' ax' Sis' Becky.\n\n\"'N-o\,' sez de kun nel\, ez ef he wuz studyin' whuther ter let her take 'im er no\;' I reckon you better let Aun' Nancy look atter yo' baby fer de day er two you'll be gone\, en she'll see dat he gits ernuff ter eat 'tel you gits back.'\n\n\ "So Sis' Becky hug' en kiss' little Mose\, en tol' 'im ter be a good littl e pickaninny\, en take keer er hisse'f\, en not fergit his mammy w'iles sh e wuz gone. En little Mose put his arms roun' his mammy en lafft en crowed des lack it wuz monst'us fine fun fer his mammy ter go 'way en leabe 'im. \n\n\"Well\, dis yer hoss trader sta'ted out wid Becky\, en bimeby\, atter dey 'd gone down de Lumbe'ton Road fer a few miles er so\, dis man tu'nt roun' in a diffe'nt d'rection\, en kep' goin' dat erway\, 'tel bimeby Sis' Becky up 'n ax' 'im ef he wuz gwine' ter Robeson County by a noo road.\n\ n\"'No\, nigger\,' sezee\, 'I ain' gwine ter Robeson County at all. I's gw ine ter Bladen County\, whar my plantation is\, en whar I raises all my ho sses.'\n\n\"'But how is I gwine ter git ter Mis' Laura's plantation down i n Robeson County?' sez Becky\, wid her hea't in her mouf\, fer she 'mence' ter git skeered all er a sudden.\n\n\"'You ain' gwine ter git dere at all \,' sez de man. 'You b'longs ter me now\, fer I done traded my bes' race h oss fer you\, wid yo' ole marster. Ef you is a good gal\, I'll treat you r ight\, en ef you doan behabe yo'se'f\,—w'y\, w'at e'se happens'll be yo' own fault.'\n\n\"Co'se Sis' Becky cried en went on 'bout her pickaninny\, but co'se it did n' do no good\, en bimeby dey got down ter dis yer man's place\, en he put Sis' Becky ter wuk\, en fergot all 'bout her habin' a p ickaninny.\n\n\"Meanw'iles\, w'en ebenin' come\, de day Sis' Becky wuz tuk 'way\, little Mose mence' ter git res'less\, en bimeby\, w'en his mammy d id n' come\, he sta'ted ter cry fer 'er. Aun' Nancy fed 'im en rocked 'im en rocked 'im\, en fin'lly he des cried en cried 'tel he cried hisse'f ter sleep.\n\n\"De nex' day he did n' 'pear ter be as peart ez yushal\, en w' en night come he fretted en went on wuss 'n he did de night befo'. De nex' day his little eyes 'mence' ter lose dey shine\, en he would n' eat nuffi n\, en he 'mence' ter look so peaked dat Aun' Nancy tuk 'n kyared 'im up t er de big house\, en showed 'im ter her ole missis\, en her ole missis gun her some med'cine fer 'im\, en 'lowed ef he did n' git no better she sh'd fetch 'im up ter de big house ag'in\, en dey 'd hab a doctor\, en nuss li ttle Mose up dere. Fer Aun' Nancy's ole missis 'lowed he wuz a lackly litt le nigger en wu'th raisin'.\n\n\"But Aun' Nancy had l'arn' ter lack little Mose\, en she did n' wanter hab 'im tuk up ter de big house. En so w'en h e did n' git no better\, she gethered a mess er green peas\, and tuk de pe as en de baby\, en went ter see ole Aun' Peggy\, de cunjuh 'oman down by d e Wim'l'ton Road. She gun Aun' Peggy de mess er peas\, en tol' her all 'bo ut Sis' Becky en little Mose.\n\n\"'Dat is a monst'us small mess er peas y ou is fotch' me\,' sez Aun' Peggy\, sez she.\n\n\"'Yas\, I knows\,' 'lowed Aun' Nancy\, 'but dis yere is a monst'us small pickaninny.'\n\n\n\"'You'l l hafter fetch me sump'n mo'\,' sez Aun' Peggy\, 'fer you can't 'spec' me ter was'e my time diggin' roots en wukkin' cunj'ation fer nuffin.'\n\n\"'A ll right\,' sez Aun' Nancy\, 'I'll fetch you sump'n mo' nex' time.'\n\n\"' You bettah\,' sez Aun' Peggy\, 'er e'se dey'll be trouble. Wat dis yer lit tle pickaninny needs is ter see his mammy. You leabe 'im heah 'tel ebenin' en I'll show 'im his mammy.'\n\n\"So w'en Aun' Nancy had gone 'way\, Aun' Peggy tuk 'n wukked her roots\, en tu'nt little Mose ter a hummin'-bird\, en sont 'im off fer ter fin' his mammy.\n\n\"So little Mose flewed\, en f lewed\, en flewed away\, 'tel bimeby he got ter de place whar Sis' Becky b 'longed. He seed his mammy wukkin' roun' de ya'd\, en he could tell fum lo okin' at her dat she wuz trouble' in her min' 'bout sump'n\, en feelin' ki n' er po'ly. Sis' Becky heared sump'n hummin' roun' en roun' her\, sweet e n low. Fus' she 'lowed it wuz a hummin'-bird\; den she thought it sounded lack her little Mose croonin' on her breas' way back yander on de ole plan tation. En she des 'magine' it wuz her little Mose\, en it made her feel b ettah\, en she went on 'bout her wuk pearter 'n she'd done sence she 'd be 'n down dere. Little Mose stayed roun' 'tel late in de ebenin'\, en den fl ewed back ez hard ez he could ter Aun' Peggy. Ez fer Sis' Becky\, she drem p all dat night dat she wuz holdin' her pickaninny in her arms\, en kissin ' him\, en nussin' him\, des lack she useter do back on de ole plantation whar he wuz bawn. En fer th'ee er fo' days Sis' Becky went 'bout her wuk w id mo' sperrit dan she 'd showed sence she 'd be'n down dere ter dis man's plantation.\n\n\"De nex' day atter he come back\, little Mose wuz mo' pea rter en better 'n he had be'n fer a long time. But to'ds de een' er de wee k he 'mence' ter git res'less ag'in\, en stop' eatin'\, en Aun' Nancy kyar ed 'im down ter Aun' Peggy once mo'\, en she tu'nt 'im ter a mawkin'-bird dis time\, en sont 'im off ter see his mammy ag'in.\n\n\"It didn' take him long fer ter git dere\, en w'en he did\, he seed his mammy standin' in de kitchen\, lookin' back in de d'rection little Mose wuz comin' fum. En dey wuz tears in her eyes\, en she look' mo' po'ly en peaked 'n she had w'en he wuz down dere befo'. So little Mose sot on a tree in de ya'd en sung\, en sung\, en sung\, des fittin' ter split his th'oat. Fus' Sis' Becky did n' notice 'im much\, but dis mawkin'-bird kep' stayin' roun' de house all day\, en bimeby Sis' Becky des 'magine' dat mawkin'-bird wuz her little Mo se crowin' en crowin'\, des lack he useter do w'en his mammy would come ho me at night fum de cotton-fiel'. De mawkin'-bird stayed roun' dere 'mos' a ll day\, en w'en Sis' Becky went out in de ya'd one time\, dis yer mawkin' -bird lit on her shoulder en peck' at de piece er bread she wuz eatin'\, e n fluttered his wings so dey rub' up agin de side er her head. En w'en he flewed away 'long late in de ebenin'\, des 'fo' sundown\, Sis' Becky felt mo' better 'n she had sence she had heared dat hummin'-bird a week er so p as'. En dat night she dremp 'bout ole times ag'in\, des lack she did befo' .\n\n\"But dis yer totin' little Mose down ter ole Aun' Peggy\, en dis yer gittin' things fer ter pay de cunjuh 'oman\, use' up a lot er Aun' Nancy' s time\, en she begun ter git kinder ti'ed. 'Sides dat\, w'en Sis' Becky h ad be'n on de plantation\, she had useter he'p Aun' Nancy wid de young uns ebenin's en Sundays\; en Aun' Nancy 'mence' ter miss 'er monst'us\, 'spes hly sence she got a tech er de rheumatiz herse'f\, en so she 'lows ter ole Aun' Peggy one day:—\n\n\"'Aun' Peggy\, ain' dey no way you kin fetch S is' Becky back home?'\n\n\"'Huh!' sez Aun' Peggy\, 'I dunno 'bout dat. I'l l hafter wuk my roots en fin' out whuther I kin er no. But it'll take a mo nst'us heap er wuk\, en I can't was'e my time fer nuffin. Ef you'll fetch me sump'n ter pay me fer my trouble\, I reckon we kin fix it.'\n\n\"So nex ' day Aun' Nancy went down ter see Aun' Peggy ag'in.\n\n\"'Aun' Peggy\,' s ez she\, 'I is fotch' you my bes' Sunday head-hankercher. Will dat do?'\n\ n\"Aun' Peggy look' at de head-hankercher\, en run her han' ober it\, en s ez she:—\n\n\"'Yas\, dat'll do fus'-rate. I's be'n wukkin' my roots senc e you be'n gone\, en I 'lows mos' lackly I kin git Sis' Becky back\, but i t 's gwine take fig'rin' en studyin' ez well ez cunj'in'. De fus' thing te r do'll be ter stop fetchin' dat pickaninny down heah\, en not sen' 'im te r see his mammy no mo'. Ef he gits too po'ly\, you lemme know\, en I'll gi b you some kin' er mixtry fer ter make 'im fergit Sis' Becky fer a week er so. So 'less'n you comes fer dat\, you neenter come back ter see me no mo ' 'tel I sen's fer you.'\n\n\"So Aun' Peggy sont Aun' Nancy erway\, en de fus' thing she done wuz ter call a hawnet fum a nes' unner her eaves.\n\n\ "You go up ter Kunnel Pen'leton's stable\, hawnet\,' sez she\, 'en sting d e knees er de race hoss name' Lightnin' Bug. Be sho' en git de right one.' \n\n\"So de hawnet flewed up ter Kunnel Pen'leton's stable en stung Lightn in' Bug roun' de laigs\, en de nex' mawnin' Lightnin' Bug's knees wuz all swoll' up\, twice't ez big ez dey oughter be. W'en Kunnel Pen'leton went o ut ter de stable en see de hoss's laigs\, hit would 'a' des made you trimb le lack a leaf fer ter heah him cuss dat hoss trader. Howsomeber\, he cool ' off bimeby en tol' de stable boy fer ter rub Lightnin' Bug's laigs wid s ome linimum. De boy done ez his marster tol' 'im\, en by de nex' day de sw ellin' had gone down consid'able. Aun' Peggy had sont a sparrer\, w'at had a nes' in one er de trees close ter her cabin\, fer ter watch w'at wuz gw ine on 'roun' de big house\, en w'en dis yer sparrer tol' 'er de hoss wuz gittin' ober de swellin'\, she sont de hawnet back fer ter sting 'is knees some mo'\, en de nex' mawnin' Lightnin' Bug's laigs wuz swoll' up wuss 'n befo'.\n\n\"Well\, dis time Kunnel Pen'leton wuz mad th'oo en th'oo\, en all de way 'roun'\, en he cusst dat hoss trader up en down\, fum A ter Izz ard. He cusst so ha'd dat de stable boy got mos' skeered ter def\, en went off en hid hisse'f in de hay.\n\n\"Ez fer Kunnel Pen'leton\, he went righ t up ter de house en got out his pen en ink\, en tuk off his coat en roll' up his sleeves\, en writ a letter ter dis yer hoss trader\, en sezee:—\ n\n\"'You is sol' me a hoss w'at is got a ringbone er a spavin er sump'n\, en w'at I paid you fer wuz a soun' hoss. I wants you ter sen' my nigger ' oman back en take yo' ole hoss\, er e'se I'll sue you\, sho 's you bawn.'\ n\n\"But dis yer man wa'n't skeered a bit\, en he writ back ter Kunnel Pen 'leton dat a bahg'in wuz a bahg'in\; dat Lightnin' Bug wuz soun' w'en he s ol' 'im\, en ef Kunnel Pen'leton did n' knowed ernuff 'bout hosses ter tak e keer er a fine racer\, dat wuz his own fune'al. En he say Kunnel Pen'let on kin sue en be cusst fer all he keer\, but he ain' gwine ter gib up de n igger he bought en paid fer.\n\n\"W'en Kunnel Pen'leton got dis letter he wuz madder 'n he wuz befo'\, 'speshly 'ca'se dis man 'lowed he did n' know how ter take keer er fine hosses. But he could n' do nuffin but fetch a l awsuit\, en he knowed\, by his own 'spe'ience\, dat lawsuits wuz slow ez d e seben-yeah eetch and cos' mo' d'n dey come ter\, en he 'lowed he better go slow en wait awhile.\n\n\"Aun' Peggy knowed w'at wuz gwine on all dis t ime\, en she fix' up a little bag wid some roots en one thing en ernudder in it\, en gun it ter dis sparrer er her'n\, en tol' 'im ter take it 'way down yander whar Sis' Becky wuz\, en drap it right befo' de do' er her cab in\, so she 'd be sho' en fin' it de fus' time she come out'n de do'.\n\n\ "One night Sis' Becky dremp' her pickaninny wuz dead\, en de nex' day she wuz mo'nin' en groanin' all day. She dremp' de same dream th'ee nights run nin'\, en den\, de nex' mawnin' atter de las' night\, she foun' dis yer li ttle bag de sparrer had drap' in front her do'\; en she 'lowed she'd be'n cunju'd\, en wuz gwine ter die\, en ez long ez her pickaninny wuz dead dey wa'n't no use tryin' ter do nuffin nohow. En so she tuk 'n went ter bed\, en tol' her marster she 'd be'n cunju'd en wuz gwine ter die.\n\n\"Her ma rster lafft at her\, en argyed wid her\, en tried ter 'suade her out'n dis yer fool notion\, ez he called it\,—fer he wuz one er dese yer w'ite fo lks w'at purten' dey doan b'liebe in cunj'in'\,—but hit wa'n't no use. S is' Becky kep' gittin' wusser en wusser\, 'tel fin'lly dis yer man 'lowed Sis' Becky wuz gwine ter die\, sho' 'nuff. En ez he knowed dey had n' be'n nuffin de matter wid Lightnin' Bug w'en he traded 'im\, he 'lowed mebbe h e could kyo' 'im en fetch 'im roun' all right\, leas'ways good 'nuff ter s ell ag'in. En anyhow\, a lame hoss wuz better 'n a dead nigger. So he sot down en writ Kunnel Pen'leton a letter.\n\n\"'My conscience\,' sezee\, 'ha s be'n troublin' me 'bout dat ringbone' hoss I sol' you. Some folks 'lows a hoss trader ain' got no conscience\, but dey doan know me\, fer dat is m y weak spot\, en de reason I ain' made no mo' money hoss tradin'. Fac' is\ ,' sezee\, 'I is got so I can't sleep nights fum studyin' 'bout dat spavin ' hoss\; en I is made up my min' dat\, w'iles a bahg'in is a bahg'in\, en you seed Lightnin' Bug befo' you traded fer 'im\, principle is wuth mo' d' n money er hosses er niggers. So ef you'll sen' Lightnin' Bug down heah\, I'll sen' yo' nigger 'oman back\, en we'll call de trade off\, en be ez go od frien's ez we eber wuz\, en no ha'd feelin's.'\n\n\"So sho' 'nuff\, Kun nel Pen'leton sont de hoss back. En w'en de man w'at come ter bring Lightn in' Bug tol' Sis' Becky her pickaninny wa'n't dead\, Sis' Becky wuz so gla d dat she 'lowed she wuz gwine ter try ter lib 'tel she got back whar she could see little Mose once mo'. En w'en she retch' de ole plantation en se ed her baby kickin' en crowin' en holdin' out his little arms to'ds her\, she wush' she wuz n' cunju'd en did n' hafter die. En w'en Aun' Nancy tol' 'er all 'bout Aun' Peggy\, Sis' Becky went down ter see de cunjuh 'oman\, en Aun' Peggy tol' her she had cunju'd her. En den Aun' Peggy tuk de goop her off'n her\, en she got well\, en stayed on de plantation\, en raise' h er pickaninny. En w'en little Mose growed up\, he could sing en whistle de s lack a mawkin'-bird\, so dat de w'ite folks useter hab 'im come up ter d e big house at night\, en whistle en sing fer 'em\, en dey useter gib 'im money en vittles en one thing er ernudder\, w'ich he alluz tuk home ter hi s mammy\; fer he knowed all 'bout w'at she had gone th'oo. He tu'nt out te r be a sma't man\, en l'arnt de blacksmif trade\; en Kunnel Pen'leton let 'im hire his time. En bimeby he bought his mammy en sot her free\, en den he bought hisse'f\, en tuk keer er Sis' Becky ez long ez dey bofe libbed.\ "\n\nMy wife had listened to this story with greater interest than she had manifested in any subject for several days. I had watched her furtively f rom time to time during the recital\, and had observed the play of her cou ntenance. It had expressed in turn sympathy\, indignation\, pity\, and at the end lively satisfaction.\n\n\"That is a very ingenious fairy tale\, Ju lius\,\" I said\, \"and we are much obliged to you.\"\n\n\"Why\, John!\" s aid my wife severely\, \"the story bears the stamp of truth\, if ever a st ory did.\"\n\n\"Yes\,\" I replied\, \"especially the humming-bird episode\ , and the mocking-bird digression\, to say nothing of the doings of the ho rnet and the sparrow.\"\n\n\"Oh\, well\, I don't care\,\" she rejoined\, w ith delightful animation\; \"those are mere ornamental details and not at all essential. The story is true to nature\, and might have happened half a hundred times\, and no doubt did happen\, in those horrid days before th e war.\"\n\n\"By the way\, Julius\,\" I remarked\, \"your story doesn't es tablish what you started out to prove\,—that a rabbit's foot brings good luck.\"\n\n\"Hit's plain 'nuff ter me\, suh\,\" replied Julius. \"I bet y oung missis dere kin 'splain it herse'f.\"\n\n\"I rather suspect\,\" repli ed my wife promptly\, \"that Sis' Becky had no rabbit's foot.\"\n\n\"You i s hit de bull's-eye de fus' fire\, ma'm\,\" assented Julius. \"Ef Sis' Bec ky had had a rabbit foot\, she nebber would 'a' went th'oo all dis trouble .\"\n\nI went into the house for some purpose\, and left Julius talking to my wife. When I came back a moment later\, he was gone.\n\nMy wife's cond ition took a turn for the better from this very day\, and she was soon on the way to ultimate recovery. Several weeks later\, after she had resumed her afternoon drives\, which had been interrupted by her illness\, Julius brought the rockaway round to the front door one day\, and I assisted my w ife into the carriage.\n\n\"John\,\" she said\, before I had taken my seat \, \"I wish you would look in my room\, and bring me my handkerchief. You will find it in the pocket of my blue dress.\"\n\nI went to execute the co mmission. When I pulled the handkerchief out of her pocket\, something els e came with it and fell on the floor. I picked up the object and looked at it. It was Julius's rabbit's foot.\n\nTHE GRAY WOLFS HA'NT\n\nIt was a ra iny day at the vineyard. The morning had dawned bright and clear. But the sky had soon clouded\, and by nine o'clock there was a light shower\, foll owed by others at brief intervals. By noon the rain had settled into a dul l\, steady downpour. The clouds hung low\, and seemed to grow denser inste ad of lighter as they discharged their watery burden\, and there was now a nd then a muttering of distant thunder. Outdoor work was suspended\, and I spent most of the day at the house\, looking over my accounts and bringin g up some arrears of correspondence.\n\nTowards four o'clock I went out on the piazza\, which was broad and dry\, and less gloomy than the interior of the house\, and composed myself for a quiet smoke. I had lit my cigar a nd opened the volume I was reading at that time\, when my wife\, whom I ha d left dozing on a lounge\, came out and took a rocking-chair near me.\n\n \"I wish you would talk to me\, or read to me—or something\,\" she excla imed petulantly. \"It's awfully dull here today.\"\n\n\n\"I'll read to you with pleasure\,\" I replied\, and began at the point where I had found my bookmark:—\n\n\"'The difficulty of dealing with transformations so many -sided as those which all existences have undergone\, or are undergoing\, is such as to make a complete and deductive interpretation almost hopeless . So to grasp the total process of redistribution of matter and motion as to see simultaneously its several necessary results in their actual interd ependence is scarcely possible. There is\, however\, a mode of rendering t he process as a whole tolerably comprehensible. Though the genesis of the rearrangement of every evolving aggregate is in itself one\, it presents t o our intelligence'\"—\n\n\"John\,\" interrupted my wife\, \"I wish you would stop reading that nonsense and see who that is coming up the lane.\" \n\nI closed my book with a sigh. I had never been able to interest my wif e in the study of philosophy\, even when presented in the simplest and mos t lucid form.\n\nSome one was coming up the lane\; at least\, a huge faded cotton umbrella was making progress toward the house\, and beneath it a p air of nether extremities in trousers was discernible. Any doubt in my min d as to whose they were was soon resolved when Julius reached the steps an d\, putting the umbrella down\, got a good dash of the rain as he stepped up on the porch.\n\n\"Why in the world\, Julius\,\" I asked\, \"didn't you keep the umbrella up until you got under cover?\"\n\n\"It's bad luck\, su h\, ter raise a' umbrella in de house\, en w'iles I dunno whuther it's bad luck ter kyar one inter de piazzer er no\, I 'lows it's alluz bes' ter be on de safe side. I did n' s'pose you en young missis 'u'd be gwine on yo' dribe ter-day\, but bein' ez it's my pa't ter take you ef you does\, I 'l owed I 'd repo't fer dooty\, en let you say whuther er no you wants ter go .\"\n\n\"I'm glad you came\, Julius\,\" I responded. \"We don't want to go driving\, of course\, in the rain\, but I should like to consult you abou t another matter. I'm thinking of taking in a piece of new ground. What do you imagine it would cost to have that neck of woods down by the swamp cl eared up?\"\n\nThe old man's countenance assumed an expression of unwonted seriousness\, and he shook his head doubtfully.\n\n\"I dunno 'bout dat\, suh. It mought cos' mo'\, en it mought cos' less\, ez fuh ez money is cons arned. I ain' denyin' you could cl'ar up dat trac' er Ian' fer a hund'ed e r a couple er hund'ed dollahs\,—ef you wants ter cl'ar it up. But ef dat 'uz my trac' er Ian'\, I would n' 'sturb it\, no\, suh\, I would n'\; sho 's you bawn\, I would n'.\"\n\n\"But why not?\" I asked.\n\n\"It ain' fit tin' fer grapes\, fer noo groun' nebber is.\"\n\n\"I know it\, but\"—\n\ n\"It ain' no yeathly good fer cotton\, 'ca'se it's top low.\"\n\n\"Perhap s so\; but it will raise splendid corn.\"\n\n\"I dunno\,\" rejoined Julius deprecatorily. \"It's so nigh de swamp dat de 'coons'll eat up all de caw n.\"\n\n\"I think I'll risk it\,\" I answered.\n\n\"Well\, suh\,\" said Ju lius\, \"I wushes you much joy er yo' job. Ef you has bad luck er sickness er trouble er any kin'\, doan blame me. You can't say ole Julius did n' w a'n you.\"\n\n\"Warn him of what\, Uncle Julius?\" asked my wife.\n\n\"Er de bad luck w'at follers folks w'at 'sturbs dat trac' er Ian'. Dey is snak es en sco'pions in dem woods. En ef you manages ter 'scape de p'isen anima ls\, you is des boun' ter hab a ha'nt ter settle wid\,—ef you doan hab t wo.\"\n\n\"Whose haunt?\" my wife demanded\, with growing interest.\n\n\"D e gray wolf's ha'nt\, some folks calls it\,—but I knows better.\"\n\n\"T ell us about it\, Uncle Julius\,\" said my wife. \"A story will be a godse nd to-day.\"\n\nIt was not difficult to induce the old man to tell a story \, if he were in a reminiscent mood. Of tales of the old slavery days he s eemed indeed to possess an exhaustless store\,—some weirdly grotesque\, some broadly humorous\; some bearing the stamp of truth\, faint\, perhaps\ , but still discernible\; others palpable inventions\, whether his own or not we never knew\, though his fancy doubtless embellished them. But even the wildest was not without an element of pathos\,—the tragedy\, it migh t be\, of the story itself\; the shadow\, never absent\, of slavery and of ignorance\; the sadness\, always\, of life as seen by the fading light of an old man's memory.\n\n\"Way back yander befo' de wah\,\" began Julius\, \"ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo useter own a nigger name' Dan. Dan wuz big en st rong en hearty en peaceable en good-nachu'd most er de time\, but dange'ou s ter aggervate. He alluz done his task\, en nebber had no trouble wid de w'ite folks\, but woe be unter de nigger w'at 'lowed he c'd fool wid Dan\, fer he wuz mos' sho' ter git a good lammin'. Soon ez eve'ybody foun' Dan out\, dey did n' many un 'em 'temp' ter 'sturb 'im. De one dat did would ' a' wush' he had n'\, ef he could 'a' libbed long ernuff ter do any wushin' .\n\n\"It all happen' dis erway. Dey wuz a cunjuh man w'at libbed ober t' other side er de Lumbe'ton Road. He had be'n de only cunjuh doctor in de n aberhood fer lo! dese many yeahs\, 'tel ole Aun' Peggy sot up in de biznes s down by de Wim'l'ton Road. Dis cunjuh man had a son w'at libbed wid 'im\ , en it wuz dis yer son w'at got mix' up wid Dan\,—en all 'bout a 'oman. \n\n\"Dey wuz a gal on de plantation name' Mahaly. She wuz a monst'us lack ly gal\,—tall en soopl'\, wid big eyes\, en a small foot\, en a lively t ongue\, en w'en Dan tuk ter gwine wid 'er eve'ybody 'lowed dey wuz well ma tch'\, en none er de yuther nigger men on de plantation das' ter go nigh h er\, fer dey wuz all feared er Dan.\n\n\"Now\, it happen' dat dis yer cunj uh man's son wuz gwine 'long de road one day\, w'en who sh'd come pas' but Mahaly. En de minute dis man sot eyes on Mahaly\, he 'lowed he wuz gwine ter hab her fer hisse'f. He come up side er her en 'mence' ter talk ter he r\; but she didn' paid no 'tention ter 'im\, fer she wuz studyin' 'bout Da n\, en she did n' lack dis nigger's looks nohow. So w'en she got ter whar she wuz gwine\, dis yer man wa'n't no fu'ther 'long dan he wuz w'en he sta 'ted.\n\n\"Co'se\, atter he had made up his min' fer ter git Mahaly\, he ' mence' ter 'quire 'roun'\, en soon foun' out all 'bout Dan\, en w'at a dan ge'ous nigger he wuz. But dis man 'lowed his daddy wuz a cunjuh man\, en s o he 'd come out all right in de een'\; en he kep' right on atter Mahaly. Meanw'iles Dan's marster had said dey could git married ef dey wanter\, en so Dan en Mahaly had tuk up wid one ernudder\, en wuz libbin' in a cabin by deyse'ves\, en wuz des wrop' up in one ernudder.\n\n\n\"But dis yer cun juh man's son did n' 'pear ter min' Dan's takin' up wid Mahaly\, en he kep ' on hangin' 'roun' des de same\, 'tel fin'lly one day Mahaly sez ter Dan\ , sez she:—\n\n\"'I wush you 'd do sump'n ter stop dat free nigger man f um follerin' me 'roun'. I doan lack him nohow\, en I ain' got no time fer ter was'e wid no man but you.'\n\n\"Co'se Dan got mad w'en he heared 'bout dis man pest'rin' Mahaly\, en de nex' night\, w'en he seed dis nigger com in' 'long de road\, he up en ax' 'im w'at he mean by hangin' 'roun' his 'o man. De man did n' 'spon' ter suit Dan\, en one wo'd led ter ernudder\, 't el bimeby dis cunjuh man's son pull' out a knife en sta'ted ter stick it i n Dan\; but befo' he could git it drawed good\, Dan haul' off en hit 'im i n de head so ha'd dat he nebber got up. Dan 'lowed he 'd come to atter a w 'ile en go 'long 'bout his bizness\, so he went off en lef 'im layin' dere on de groun'.\n\n\"De nex' mawnin' de man wuz foun' dead. Dey wuz a great 'miration made 'bout it\, but Dan did n' say nuffin\, en none er de yuthe r niggers had n' seed de fight\, so dey wa'n't no way ter tell who done de killin'. En bein' ez it wuz a free nigger\, en dey wa'n't no w'ite folks 'speshly int'rusted\, dey wa'n't nuffin done 'bout it\, en de cunjuh man c ome en tuk his son en kyared 'im 'way en buried 'im.\n\n\"Now\, Dan had n' meant ter kill dis nigger\, en w'iles he knowed de man had n'' got no mo' d'n he desarved\, Dan 'mence' ter worry mo' er less. Fer he knowed dis ma n's daddy would wuk his roots en prob'ly fin' out who had killt 'is son\, en make all de trouble fer 'im he could. En Dan kep' on studyin' 'bout dis 'tel he got so he did n' ha'dly das' ter eat er drink fer fear dis cunjuh man had p'isen' de vittles er de water. Fin'lly he 'lowed he 'd go ter se e Aun' Peggy\, de noo cunjuh 'oman w'at had moved down by de Wim'l'ton Roa d\, en ax her fer ter do sump'n ter pertec' 'im fum dis cunjuh man. So he tuk a peck er 'taters en went down ter her cabin one night.\n\n\"Aun' Pegg y heared his tale\, en den sez she:—\n\n\"'Dat cunjuh man is mo' d'n twi ce't ez ole ez I is\, en he kin make monst'us powe'ful goopher. W'at you n eeds is a life-cha'm\, en I'll make you one ter-morrer\; it's de on'y thin g w'at'll do you any good. You leabe me a couple er ha'rs fum yo' head\, e n fetch me a pig ter-morrer night fer ter roas'\, en w'en you come I'll ha b de cha'm all ready fer you.'\n\n\"So Dan went down ter Aun' Peggy de nex ' night\,—wid a young shote\,—en Aun' Peggy gun 'im de cha'm. She had tuk de ha'rs Dan had lef wid 'er\, en a piece er red flannin\, en some roo ts en yarbs\, en had put 'em in a little bag made out'n 'coon-skin.\n\n\"' You take dis cha'm\,' sez she\, 'en put it in a bottle er a tin box\, en b ury it deep unner de root er a live-oak tree\, en ez long ez it stays dere safe en soun'\, dey ain' no p'isen kin p'isen you\, dey ain' no rattlesna ke kin bite you\, dey ain' no sco'pion kin sting you. Dis yere cunjuh man mought do one thing er 'nudder ter you\, but he can't kill you. So you nee nter be at all skeered\, but go 'long 'bout yo' bizness en doan bother yo' min'.'\n\n\"So Dan went down by de ribber\, en 'way up on de bank he buri ed de cha'm deep unner de root er a live-oak tree\, en kivered it up en st omp' de dirt down en scattered leaves ober de spot\, en den went home wid his min' easy.\n\n\"Sho' 'nuff\, dis yer cunjuh man wukked his roots\, des ez Dan had 'spected he would\, en soon l'arn' who killt his son. En co'se he made up his min' fer ter git eben wid Dan. So he sont a rattlesnake fe r ter sting 'im\, but de rattlesnake say de nigger's heel wuz so ha'd he c ould n' git his sting in. Den he sont his jay-bird fer ter put p'isen in D an's vittles\, but de p'isen did n' wuk. Den de cunjuh man 'low' he'd doub le Dan all up wid de rheumatiz\, so he could n' git 'is ban' ter his mouf ter eat\, en would hafter sta've ter def\; but Dan went ter Aun' Peggy\, e n she gun 'im a' 'intment ter kyo de rheumatiz. Den de cunjuh man 'lowed h e 'd bu'n Dan up wid a fever\, but Aun' Peggy tol' 'im how ter make some y arb tea fer dat. Nuffin dis man tried would kill Dan\, so fin'lly de cunju h man 'lowed Dan mus' hab a life-cha'm.\n\n\"Now\, dis yer jay-bird de cun juh man had wuz a monst'us sma't creeter\,—fac'\, de niggers 'lowed he w uz de ole Debbil hisse'f\, des settin' roun' waitin' ter kyar dis ole man erway w'en he 'd retch' de een' er his rope. De cunjuh man sont dis jay-bi rd fer ter watch Dan en fin' out whar he kep' his cha'm. De jay-bird hung roun' Dan fer a week er so\, en one day he seed Dan go down by de ribber e n look at a live-oak tree\; en den de jay-bird went back ter his marster\, en tol' 'im he 'spec' de nigger kep' his life-cha'm under dat tree.\n\n\" De cunjuh man lafft en lafft\, en he put on his bigges' pot\, en fill' it wid his stronges' roots\, en b'iled it en b'iled it\, 'tel bimeby de win' blowed en blowed\, 'tel it blowed down de live-oak tree. Den he stirred so me more roots in de pot\, en it rained en rained 'tel de water run down de ribber bank en wash' Dan's life-cha'm inter de ribber\, en de bottle went bobbin' down de current des ez onconsarned ez ef it wa'n't takin' po' Dan 's chances all 'long wid it. En den de cunjuh man lafft some mo'\, en 'low ed ter hisse'f dat he wuz gwine ter fix Dan now\, sho' 'nuff\; he wa'n't g wine ter kill 'im des yet\, fer he could do sump'n ter 'im w'at would hu't wusser 'n killin'.\n\n\"So dis cunjuh man 'mence' by gwine up ter Dan's c abin eve'y night\, en takin' Dan out in his sleep en ridin' 'im roun' de r oads en fiel's ober de rough groun'. In de mawnin' Dan would be ez ti'ed e z ef he had n' be'n ter sleep. Dis kin' er thing kep' up fer a week er so\ , en Dan had des 'bout made up his min' fer ter go en see Aun' Peggy ag'in \, w'en who sh'd he come across\, gwine 'long de road one day\, to'ds sund own\, but dis yer cunjuh man. Dan felt kinder skeered at fus'\; but den he 'membered 'bout his life-cha'm\, w'ich he had n' be'n ter see fer a week er so\, en 'lowed wuz safe en soun' unner de live-oak tree\, en so he hilt up 'is head en walk' 'long\, des lack he did n' keer nuffin 'bout dis man no mo' d'n any yuther nigger. Wen he got close ter de cunjuh man\, dis cu njuh man sez\, sezee:—\n\n\"'Hoddy\, Brer Dan? I hopes you er well?'\n\n \"Wen Dan seed de cunjuh man wuz in a good humor en did n' 'pear ter bear no malice\, Dan 'lowed mebbe de cunjuh man had n' foun' out who killt his son\, en so he 'termine' fer ter let on lack he did n' know nuffin\, en so sezee:—\n\n\"'Hoddy\, Unk' Jube?'—dis ole cunjuh man's name wuz Jube. 'I 's p'utty well\, I thank you. How is you feelin' dis mawnin'?'\n\n\"'I 's feelin' ez well ez a' ole nigger could feel w'at had los' his only son\ , en his main 'pen'ence in 'is ole age.\n\n\"'But den my son wuz a bad boy \,' sezee\, 'en I could n' 'spec' nuffin e'se. I tried ter l'arn him de ar rer er his ways en make him go ter chu'ch en pra'r-meetin'\; but it wa'n't no use. I dunno who killt 'im\, en I doan wanter know\, fer I 'd be mos' sho' ter fin' out dat my boy had sta'ted de fuss. Ef I 'd 'a' had a son la ck you\, Brer Dan\, I 'd 'a' be'n a proud nigger\; oh\, yas\, I would\, sh o's you bawn. But you ain' lookin' ez well ez you oughter\, Brer Dan. Dey' s sump'n de matter wid you\, en w'at 's mo'\, I 'spec' you dunno w'at it i s.'\n\n\"Now\, dis yer kin' er talk nach'ly th'owed Dan off'n his gya'd\, en fus' thing he knowed he wuz talkin' ter dis ole cunjuh man des lack he wuz one er his bes' frien's. He tol' 'im all 'bout not feelin' well in de mawnin'\, en ax' 'im ef he could tell w'at wuz de matter wid 'im.\n\n\"'Ya s\,' sez de cunjuh man. 'Dey is a witch be'n ridin' you right 'long. I kin see de marks er de bridle on yo' mouf. En I'll des bet yo' back is raw wh ar she 's be'n beatin' you.'\n\n\"'Yas\,' 'spon' Dan\, 'so it is.' He had n' notice it befo'\, but now he felt des lack de hide had be'n tuk off'n ' im.\n\n\"'En yo' thighs is des raw whar de spurrers has be'n driv' in you\ ,' sez de cunjuh man. 'You can't see de raw spots\, but you kin feel 'em.' \n\n\"'Oh\, yas\,' 'lows Dan\, 'dey does hu't pow'ful bad.'\n\n\"'En w'at' s mo'\,' sez de cunjuh man\, comin' up close ter Dan en whusp'in' in his y eah\, 'I knows who it is be'n ridin' you.'\n\n\"'Who is it?' ax' Dan. 'Tel l me who it is.'\n\n\"'It's a' ole nigger 'oman down by Rockfish Crick. Sh e had a pet rabbit\, en you cotch' 'im one day\, en she's been squarin' up wid you eber sence. But you better stop her\, er e'se you'll be rid ter d ef in a mont' er so.'\n\n\"'No\,' sez Dan\, 'she can't kill me\, sho'.'\n\ n\"'I dunno how dat is\,' said de cunjuh man\, 'but she kin make yo' life mighty mis'able. Ef I wuz in yo' place\, I 'd stop her right off.'\n\n\"'B ut how is I gwine ter stop her?' ax' Dan. 'I dunno nuffin 'bout stoppin' w itches.'\n\n\"'Look a heah\, Dan\,'sez de yuther\; 'you is a goad young ma n. I lacks you monst'us well. Fac'\, I feels lack some er dese days I moug ht buy you fum yo' marster\, ef I could eber make money ernuff at my bizne ss dese hard times\, en 'dop' you fer my son. I lacks you so well dat I'm gwine ter he'p you git rid er dis yer witch fer good en all\; fer des ez l ong ez she libs\, you is sho' ter hab trouble\, en trouble\, en mo' troubl e.'\n\n\"'You is de bes' frien' I got\, Unk' Jube\,' sez Dan\, 'en I'll 'm ember yo' kin'ness ter my dyin' day. Tell me how I kin git rid er dis yer ole witch w'at 's be'n ridin' me so ha'd.'\n\n\"'In de fus' place\,' sez d e cunjuh man\, 'dis ole witch nebber comes in her own shape\, but eve'y ni ght\, at ten o'clock\, she tu'ns herse'f inter a black cat\, en runs down ter yo' cabin en bridles you\, en mounts you\, en dribes you out th'oo de chimbly\, en rides you ober de roughes' places she kin fin'. All you got t er do is ter set fer her in de bushes 'side er yo' cabin\, en hit her in d e head wid a rock er a lighterd-knot w'en she goes pas'.'\n\n\"'But\,' sez Dan\, 'how kin I see her in de da'k? En s'posen I hits at her en misses h er? Er s'posen I des woun's her\, en she gits erway\,—w'at she gwine do ter me den?'\n\n\"'I is done studied 'bout all dem things\,' sez de cunjuh man\, 'en it 'pears ter me de bes' plan fer you ter foller is ter lemme t u'n you ter some creetur w'at kin see in de da'k\, en w'at kin run des ez fas' ez a cat\, en w'at kin bite\, en bite fer ter kill\; en den you won't hafter hab no trouble atter de job is done. I dunno whuther you 'd lack d at er no\, but dat is de sho'es' way.'\n\n\"'I doan keer\,' 'spon' Dan. 'I 'd des ez lief be anything fer a' hour er so\, ef I kin kill dat ole witch . You kin do des w'at you er mineter.'\n\n\"'All right\, den\,' sez de cun juh man\, 'you come down ter my cabin at half-past nine o'clock ter-night\ , en I'll fix you up.'\n\n\"Now\, dis cunjuh man\, w'en he had got th'oo t alkin' wid Dan\, kep' on down de road 'long de side er de plantation\, 'te l he met Mahaly comin' home fum wuk des atter sundown.\n\n\"'Hoddy do\, ma 'm\,' sezee\; 'is yo' name Sis' Mahaly\, w'at b'longs ter Mars Dugal' McAd oo?'\n\n\"'Yas\,' 'spon' Mahaly\, 'dat's my name\, en I b'longs ter Mars D ugal'.'\n\n\"'Well\,' sezee\, 'yo' husban' Dan wuz down by my cabin dis eb enin'\, en he got bit by a spider er sump'n\, en his foot is swoll' up so he can't walk. En he ax' me fer ter fin' you en fetch you down dere ter he 'p 'im home.'\n\n\"Co'se Mahaly wanter see w'at had happen' ter Dan\, en s o she sta'ted down de road wid de cunjuh man. Ez soon ez he got her inter his cabin\, he shet de do'\, en sprinkle' some goopher mixtry on her\, en tu'nt her ter a black cat. Den he tuk 'n put her in a bairl\, en put a bo' d on de bairl\, en a rock on de bo'd\, en lef her dere 'tel he got good en ready fer ter use her.\n\n\"'Long 'bout half-pas' nine o'clock Dan come d own ter de cunjuh man's cabin. It wuz a wa'm night\, en de do' wuz stan'in ' open. De cunjuh man 'vited Dan ter come in\, en pass' de time er day wid 'im. Ez soon ez Dan 'mence' talkin'\, he heared a cat miauin' en scratchi n' en gwine on at a tarrable rate.\n\n\"'Wat's all dat fuss 'bout?' ax' Da n.\n\n\"'Oh\, dat ain' nuffin but my ole gray tomcat\,' sez de cunjuh man. 'I has ter shet 'im up sometimes fer ter keep 'im in nights\, en co'se he doan lack it.\n\n\"'Now\,' 'lows de cunjuh man\, 'lemme tell you des w'at you is got ter do. Wen you ketches dis witch\, you mus' take her right by de th'oat en bite her right th'oo de neck. Be sho' yo' teef goes th'oo at de fus' bite\, en den you won't nebber be bothe'd no mo' by dat witch. En w'en you git done\, come back heah en I'll tu'n you ter yo'se'f ag'in\, s o you kin go home en git yo' night's res'.'\n\n\"Den de cunjuh man gun Dan sump'n nice en sweet ter drink out'n a new go'd\, en in 'bout a minute Da n foun' hisse'f tu'nt ter a gray wolf\; en soon ez he felt all fo' er his noo feet on de groun'\, he sta'ted off fas' ez he could fer his own cabin\ , so he could be sho' en be dere time ernuff ter ketch de witch\, en put a ' een' ter her kyarin's-on.\n\n\"Ez soon ez Dan wuz gone good\, de cunjuh man tuk de rock off'n de bo'd\, en de bo'd off'n de bairl\, en out le'p' M ahaly en sta'ted fer ter go home\, des lack a cat er a 'oman er anybody e' se would w'at wuz in trouble\; en it wa'n't many minutes befo' she wuz gwi ne up de path ter her own do'.\n\n\"Meanw'iles\, w'en Dan had retch' de ca bin\, he had hid hisse'f in a bunch er jimson weeds in de ya'd. He had n' wait' long befo' he seed a black cat run up de path to'ds de do'. Des ez s oon ez she got close ter 'im\, he le'p' out en ketch' her by de th'oat\, e n got a grip on her\, des lack de cunjuh man had tol' 'im ter do. En lo en behol'! no sooner had de blood 'mence' ter flow dan de black cat tu'nt ba ck ter Mahaly\, en Dan seed dat he had killt his own wife. En w'iles her b ref wuz gwine she call' out:\n\n\"'O Dan! O my husban'! come en he'p me! c ome en sabe me fum dis wolf w'at 's killin' me!'\n\n\"Wen po' Dan sta'ted to'ds her\, ez any man nach'ly would\, it des made her holler wuss en wuss \; fer she did n' knowed dis yer wolf wuz her Dan. En Dan des had ter hide in de weeds\, en grit his teef en hoi' hisse'f in\, 'tel she passed out'n her mis'ry\, callin' fer Dan ter de las'\, en wond'rin' w'y he did n' com e en he'p her. En Dan 'lowed ter hisse'f he 'd ruther 'a' be'n killt a doz en times 'n ter 'a' done w'at he had ter Mahaly.\n\n\"Dan wuz mighty nigh 'stracted\, but w'en Mahaly wuz dead en he got his min' straighten' out a little\, it did n' take 'im mo' d'n a minute er so fer ter see th'oo all d e cunjuh man's lies\, en how de cunjuh man had fooled 'im en made 'im kill Mahaly\, fer ter git eben wid 'im fer killin' er his son. He kep' gittin' madder en madder\, en Mahaly had n' much mo' d'n drawed her' las bref bef o' he sta'ted back ter de cunjuh man's cabin ha'd ez he could run.\n\n\"We n he got dere\, de do' wuz stan'in' open\; a lighterd-knot wuz flick'rin' on de h'a'th\, en de ole cunjuh man wuz settin' dere noddin' in de corner. Dan le'p' in de do' en jump' fer dis man's th'oat\, en got de same grip o n 'im w'at de cunjuh man had tol' 'im 'bout half a' hour befo'. It wuz ha' d wuk dis time\, fer de ole man's neck wuz monst'us tough en stringy\, but Dan hilt on long ernuff ter be sho' his job wuz done right. En eben den h e did n' hol' on long ernuff\; fer w'en he tu'nt de cunjuh man loose en he fell ober on de flo'\, de cunjuh man rollt his eyes at Dan\, en sezee:— \n\n\"'I's eben wid you\, Brer Dan\, en you er eben wid me\; you killt my son en I killt yo' 'oman. En ez I doan want no mo' d'n w'at 's fair 'bout dis thing\, ef you'll retch up wid yo' paw en take down dat go'd hangin' o n dat peg ober de chimbly\, en take a sip er dat mixtry\, it'll tu'n you b ack ter a nigger ag'in\, en I kin die mo' sad'sfied 'n ef I lef you lack y ou is.'\n\n\"Dan nebber 'lowed fer a minute dat a man would lie wid his la s' bref\, en co'se he seed de sense er gittin' tu'nt back befo' de cunjuh man died\; so he dumb on a chair en retch' fer de go'd\, en tuk a sip er d e mixtry. En ez soon ez he 'd done dat de cunjuh man lafft his las' laf\, en gapsed out wid 'is las' gaps:—\n\n\"'Uh huh! I reckon I's square wid you now fer killin' me\, too\; fer dat goopher on you is done fix' en sot now fer good\, en all de cunj'in' in de worl' won't nebber take it off.\n\ n'Wolf you is en wolf you stays\, All de rest er yo' bawn days.'\n\n\"Co's e Brer Dan could n' do nuffin. He knowed it wa'n't no use\, but he dumb up on de chimbly en got down de go'ds en bottles en yuther cunjuh fixin's\, en tried 'em all on hisse'f\, but dey didn' do no good. Den he run down te r ole Aun' Peggy\, but she did n' know de wolf langwidge\, en couldn't 'a' tuk off dis yuther goopher nohow\, eben ef she 'd 'a' unnerstood w'at Dan wuz sayin'. So po' Dan wuz bleedgd ter be a wolf all de rest er his bawn days.\n\n\"Dey foun' Mahaly down by her own cabin nex' mawnin'\, en eve'yb ody made a great 'miration 'bout how she 'd be'n killt. De niggers 'lowed a wolf had bit her. De w'ite folks say no\, dey ain' be'n no wolves 'roun' dere fer ten yeahs er mo'\; en dey did n' know w'at ter make out'n it. En w'en dey could n' fin' Dan nowhar\, dey 'lowed he'd quo'lled wid Mahaly e n killt her\, en run erway\; en dey did n' know w'at ter make er dat\, fer Dan en Mahaly wuz de mos' lovin' couple on de plantation. Dey put de dawg s on Dan's scent\, en track' 'im down ter ole Unk' Jube's cabin\, en foun' de ole man dead\, en dey did n' know w'at ter make er dat\; en den Dan's scent gun out\, en dey didn' know w'at ter make er dat. Mars Dugal' tuk on a heap 'bout losin' two er his bes' han's in one day\, en ole missis 'low ed it wuz a jedgment on 'im fer sump'n he 'd done. But dat fall de craps w uz monst'us big\, so Mars Dugal' say de Lawd had temper' de win' ter de sh o'n ram\, en make up ter 'im fer w'at he had los'.\n\n\"Dey buried Mahaly down in dat piece er low groun' you er talkin' 'bout cl'arin' up. Ez fer p o' Dan\, he did n' hab nowhar e'se ter go\, so he des stayed 'roun' Mahaly 's grabe\, w'en he wa'n't out in de yuther woods gittin' sump'n ter eat. E n sometimes\, w'en night would come\, de niggers useter heah him howlin' e n howlin' down dere\, des fittin' ter break his hea't. En den some mo' un 'em said dey seed Mahaly's ha'nt dere 'bun'ance er times\, colloguin' wid dis gray wolf. En eben now\, fifty yeahs sence\, long atter ole Dan has di ed en dried up in de woods\, his ha'nt en Mahaly's hangs 'roun' dat piece er low groun'\, en eve'body w'at goes 'bout dere has some bad luck er 'nut her\; fer ha'nts doan lack ter be 'sturb' on dey own stompin'-groun'.\"\n\ nThe air had darkened while the old man related this harrowing tale. The r ising wind whistled around the eaves\, slammed the loose window-shutters\, and\, still increasing\, drove the rain in fiercer gusts into the piazza. As Julius finished his story and we rose to seek shelter within doors\, t he blast caught the angle of some chimney or gable in the rear of the hous e\, and bore to our ears a long\, wailing note\, an epitome\, as it were\, of remorse and hopelessness.\n\n\"Dat 's des lack po' ole Dan useter howl \,\" observed Julius\, as he reached for his umbrella\, \"en w'at I be'n t ellin' you is de reason I doan lack ter see dat neck er woods cl'ared up. Co'se it b'longs ter you\, en a man kin do ez he choose' wid 'is own. But ef you gits rheumatiz er fever en agur\, er ef you er snake-bit er p'isen' wid some yarb er 'nuther\, er ef a tree falls on you\, er a ha'nt runs yo u en makes you git 'stracted in yo' min'\, lack some folks I knows w'at we nt foolin' 'roun' dat piece er lan'\, you can't say I neber wa'ned you\, s uh\, en tol' you w'at you mought look fer en be sho' ter fin'.\"\n\nWhen I cleared up the land in question\, which was not until the following year\ , I recalled the story Julius had told us\, and looked in vain for a sunke n grave or perhaps a few weather-bleached bones of some denizen of the for est. I cannot say\, of course\, that some one had not been buried there\; but if so\, the hand of time had long since removed any evidence of the fa ct. If some lone wolf\, the last of his pack\, had once made his den there \, his bones had long since crumbled into dust and gone to fertilize the r ank vegetation that formed the undergrowth of this wild spot. I did find\, however\, a bee-tree in the woods\, with an ample cavity in its trunk\, a nd an opening through which convenient access could be had to the stores o f honey within. I have reason to believe that ever since I had bought the place\, and for many years before\, Julius had been getting honey from thi s tree. The gray wolf's haunt had doubtless proved useful in keeping off t oo inquisitive people\, who might have interfered with his monopoly.\n\nHO T-FOOT HANNIBAL\n\n\"I hate you and despise you! I wish never to see you o r speak to you again!\"\n\n\"Very well\; I will take care that henceforth you have no opportunity to do either.\"\n\nThese words—the first in the passionately vibrant tones of my sister-in-law\, and the latter in the dee per and more restrained accents of an angry man—startled me from my nap. I had been dozing in my hammock on the front piazza\, behind the honeysuc kle vine. I had been faintly aware of a buzz of conversation in the parlor \, but had not at all awakened to its import until these sentences fell\, or\, I might rather say\, were hurled upon my ear. I presume the young peo ple had either not seen me lying there\,—the Venetian blinds opening fro m the parlor windows upon the piazza were partly closed on account of the heat\,—or else in their excitement they had forgotten my proximity.\n\nI felt somewhat concerned. The young man\, I had remarked\, was proud\, fir m\, jealous of the point of honor\, and\, from my observation of him\, qui te likely to resent to the bitter end what he deemed a slight or an injust ice. The girl\, I knew\, was quite as high-spirited as young Murchison. I feared she was not so just\, and hoped she would prove more yielding. I kn ew that her affections were strong and enduring\, but that her temperament was capricious\, and her sunniest moods easily overcast by some small clo ud of jealousy or pique. I had never imagined\, however\, that she was cap able of such intensity as was revealed by these few words of hers. As I sa y\, I felt concerned. I had learned to like Malcolm Murchison\, and had he artily consented to his marriage with my ward\; for it was in that capacit y that I had stood for a year or two to my wife's younger sister\, Mabel. The match thus rudely broken off had promised to be another link binding m e to the kindly Southern people among whom I had not long before taken up my residence.\n\nYoung Murchison came out of the door\, cleared the piazza in two strides without seeming aware of my presence\, and went off down t he lane at a furious pace. A few moments later Mabel began playing the pia no loudly\, with a touch that indicated anger and pride and independence a nd a dash of exultation\, as though she were really glad that she had driv en away forever the young man whom the day before she had loved with all t he ardor of a first passion.\n\nI hoped that time might heal the breach an d bring the two young people together again. I told my wife what I had ove rheard. In return she gave me Mabel's version of the affair.\n\n\"I do not see how it can ever be settled\,\" my wife said. \"It is something more t han a mere lovers' quarrel. It began\, it is true\, because she found faul t with him for going to church with that hateful Branson girl. But before it ended there were things said that no woman of any spirit could stand. I am afraid it is all over between them.\"\n\nI was sorry to hear this. In spite of the very firm attitude taken by my wife and her sister\, I still hoped that the quarrel would be made up within a day or two. Nevertheless\ , when a week had passed with no word from young Murchison\, and with no s ign of relenting on Mabel's part\, I began to think myself mistaken.\n\nOn e pleasant afternoon\, about ten days after the rupture\, old Julius drove the rockaway up to the piazza\, and my wife\, Mabel\, and I took our seat s for a drive to a neighbor's vineyard\, over on the Lumberton plank-road. \n\n\"Which way shall we go\,\" I asked\,—\"the short road or the long o ne?\"\n\n\"I guess we had better take the short road\,\" answered my wife. \"We will get there sooner.\"\n\n\"It's a mighty fine dribe roun' by de b ig road\, Mis' Annie\,\" observed Julius\, \"en it doan take much longer t o git dere.\"\n\n\"No\,\" said my wife\, \"I think we will go by the short road. There is a bay-tree in blossom near the mineral spring\, and I wish to get some of the flowers.\"\n\n\"I 'spec's you 'd fin' some bay-trees ' long de big road\, ma'm\,\" suggested Julius.\n\n\"But I know about the fl owers on the short road\, and they are the ones I want.\"\n\nWe drove down the lane to the highway\, and soon struck into the short road leading pas t the mineral spring. Our route lay partly through a swamp\, and on each s ide the dark\, umbrageous foliage\, unbroken by any clearing\, lent to the road solemnity\, and to the air a refreshing coolness. About half a mile from the house\, and about half-way to the mineral spring\, we stopped at the tree of which my wife had spoken\, and reaching up to the low-hanging boughs\, I gathered a dozen of the fragrant white flowers. When I resumed my seat in the rockaway\, Julius started the mare. She went on for a few r ods\, until we had reached the edge of a branch crossing the road\, when s he stopped short.\n\n\"Why did you stop\, Julius?\" I asked.\n\n\"I did n' \, suh\,\" he replied. \"'T wuz de mare stop'. G' 'long dere\, Lucy! Wat y ou mean by dis foolis'ness?\"\n\nJulius jerked the reins and applied the w hip lightly\, but the mare did not stir.\n\n\"Perhaps you had better get d own and lead her\,\" I suggested. \"If you get her started\, you can cross on the log and keep your feet dry.\"\n\nJulius alighted\, took hold of th e bridle\, and vainly essayed to make the mare move. She planted her feet with even more evident obstinacy.\n\n\"I don't know what to make of this\, \" I said. \"I have never known her to balk before. Have you\, Julius?\"\n \n\"No\, suh\,\" replied the old man\, \"I neber has. It's a cu'ous thing ter me\, suh.\"\n\n\"What's the best way to make her go?\"\n\n\"I 'spec's\ , suh\, dat ef I'd tu'n her 'roun'\, she'd go de udder way.\"\n\n\"But we want her to go this way.\"\n\n\"Well\, suh\, I 'low ef we des set heah fo' er fibe minutes\, she'll sta't up by herse'f.\"\n\n\"All right\,\" I rejo ined\; \"it is cooler here than any place I have struck today. We'll let h er stand for a while\, and see what she does.\"\n\nWe had sat in silence f or a few minutes\, when Julius suddenly ejaculated\, \"Uh huh! I knows w'y dis mare doan go. It des flash' 'cross my recommemb'ance.\"\n\n\n\"Why is it\, Julius?\" I inquired.\n\n\"'Ca'se she sees Chloe.\"\n\n\"Where is Ch loe?\" I demanded.\n\n\"Chloe's done be'n dead dese fo'ty years er mo'\,\" the old man returned. \"Her ha'nt is settin' ober yander on de udder side er de branch\, unner dat wilier-tree\, dis blessed minute.\"\n\n\"Why\, J ulius!\" said my wife\, \"do you see the haunt?\"\n\n\"No'm\,\" he answere d\, shaking his head\, \"I doan see 'er\, but de mare sees 'er.\"\n\n\"How do you know?\" I inquired.\n\n\"Well\, suh\, dis yer is a gray hoss\, en dis yer is a Friday\; en a gray hoss kin alluz see a ha'nt w'at walks on F riday.\"\n\n\"Who was Chloe?\" said Mabel.\n\n\"And why does Chloe's haunt walk?\" asked my wife.\n\n\"It's all in de tale\, ma'm\,\" Julius replied \, with a deep sigh. \"It's all in de tale.\"\n\n\"Tell us the tale\,\" I said. \"Perhaps\, by the time you get through\, the haunt will go away and the mare will cross.\"\n\nI was willing to humor the old man's fancy. He had not told us a story for some time\; and the dark and solemn swamp arou nd us\; the amber-colored stream flowing silently and sluggishly at our fe et\, like the waters of Lethe\; the heavy\, aromatic scent of the bays\, f aintly suggestive of funeral wreaths\, all made the place an ideal one for a ghost story.\n\n\"Chloe\,\" Julius began in a subdued tone\, \"use' ter b'long ter ole Mars' Dugal' McAdoo\,—my ole marster. She wuz a lackly g al en a smart gal\, en ole mis' tuk her up ter de big house\, en l'arnt he r ter wait on de w'ite folks\, 'tel bimeby she come ter be mis's own maid\ , en 'peared ter 'low she run de house herse'f\, ter heah her talk erbout it. I wuz a young boy den\, en use' ter wuk 'bout de stables\, so I knowed eve'ythin' dat wuz gwine on 'roun' de plantation.\n\n\"Well\, one time Ma rs' Dugal' wanted a house boy\, en sont down ter de qua'ters fer ter hab J eff en Hannibal come up ter de big house nex' mawnin'. Ole marster en ole mis' look' de two boys ober\, en 'sco'sed wid deyse'ves fer a little w'ile \, en den Mars' Dugal' sez\, sezee:—\n\n\"'We lacks Hannibal de bes'\, e n we gwine ter keep him. Heah\, Hannibal\, you'll wuk at de house fum now on. En ef you er a good nigger en min's yo' bizness\, I'll gib you Chloe f er a wife nex' spring. You other nigger\, you Jeff\, you kin go back ter d e qua'ters. We ain' gwine ter need you.'\n\n\"Now Chloe had be'n stan'in' dere behin' ole mis' dyoin' all er dis yer talk\, en Chloe made up her min ' fum de ve'y fus' minute she sot eyes on dem two dat she did n' lack dat nigger Hannibal\, en wa'n't neber gwine keer fer 'im\, en she wuz des ez s ho' dat she lack' Jeff\, en wuz gwine ter set sto' by 'im\, whuther Mars' Dugal' tuk 'im in de big house er no\; en so co'se Chloe wuz monst'us sorr y w'en ole Mars' Dugal' tuk Hannibal en sont Jeff back. So she slip' roun' de house en waylaid Jeff on de way back ter de qua'ters\, en tol' 'im not ter be down-hea'ted\, fer she wuz gwine ter see ef she could n' fin' some way er 'nuther ter git rid er dat nigger Hannibal\, en git Jeff up ter de house in his place.\n\n\"De noo house boy kotch' on monst'us fas'\, en it wa'n't no time ha'dly befo' Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' bofe 'mence' ter 'lo w Hannibal wuz de bes' house boy dey eber had. He wuz peart en soopl'\, qu ick ez lightnin'\, en sha'p ez a razor. But Chloe did n' lack his ways. He wuz so sho' he wuz gwine ter git 'er in de spring\, dat he did n' 'pear t er 'low he had ter do any co'tin'\, en w'en he 'd run 'cross Chloe 'bout d e house\, he 'd swell roun' 'er in a biggity way en say:—\n\n\"'Come hea h en kiss me\, honey. You gwine ter be mine in de spring. You doan 'pear t er be ez fon' er me ez you oughter be.'\n\n\"Chloe did n' keer nuffin fer Hannibal\, en had n' keered nuffin fer 'im\, en she sot des ez much sto' b y Jeff ez she did de day she fus' laid eyes on 'im. En de mo' fermilyus di s yer Hannibal got\, de mo' Chloe let her min' run on Jeff\, en one ebenin ' she went down ter de qua'ters en watch'\, 'tel she got a chance fer ter talk wid 'im by hisse'f. En she tol' Jeff fer ter go down en see ole Aun' Peggy\, de cunjuh 'oman down by de Wim'l'ton Road\, en ax her ter gib 'im sump'n ter he'p git Hannibal out'n de big house\, so de w'ite folks u'd se n' fer Jeff ag'in. En bein' ez Jeff did n' hab nuffin ter gib Aun' Peggy\, Chloe gun 'im a silber dollah en a silk han'kercher fer ter pay her wid\, fer Aun' Peggy neber lack ter wuk fer nobody fer nuffin.\n\n\"So Jeff sli p' off down ter Aun' Peggy's one night\, en gun 'er de present he brung\, en tol' 'er all 'bout 'im en Chloe en Hannibal\, en ax' 'er ter he'p 'im o ut. Aun' Peggy tol' 'im she 'd wuk 'er roots\, en fer 'im ter come back de nex' night\, en she 'd tell 'im w'at she c'd do fer 'im.\n\n\"So de nex' night Jeff went back\, en Aun' Peggy gun 'im a baby doll\, wid a body made out'n a piece er co'n-stalk\, en wid splinters fer a'ms en laigs\, en a h ead made out'n elderberry peth\, en two little red peppers fer feet.\n\n\" 'Dis yer baby doll\,' sez she\, 'is Hannibal. Dis yer peth head is Hanniba l's head\, en dese yer pepper feet is Hannibal's feet. You take dis en hid e it unner de house\, on de sill unner de do'\, whar Hannibal 'll hafter w alk ober it eve'y day. En ez long ez Hannibal comes anywhar nigh dis baby doll\, he'll be des lack it is\,—light-headed en hot-footed\; en ef dem two things doan git 'im inter trouble mighty soon\, den I'm no cunjuh 'oma n. But w'en you git Hannibal out'n de house\, en git all th'oo wid dis bab y doll\, you mus' fetch it back ter me\, fer it's monst'us powerful goophe r\, en is liable ter make mo' trouble ef you leabe it layin' roun'.'\n\n\" Well\, Jeff tuk de baby doll\, en slip' up ter de big house\, en whistle' ter Chloe\, en w'en she come out he tol' 'er w'at ole Aun' Peggy had said. En Chloe showed 'im how ter git unner de house\, en w'en he had put de cu njuh doll on de sill\, he went 'long back ter de qua'ters—en des waited. \n\n\"Nex' day\, sho' 'nuff\, de goopher 'mence' ter wuk. Hannibal sta'ted in de house soon in de mawnin' wid a armful er wood ter make a fire\, en he had n' mo' d'n got 'cross de do'-sill befo' his feet begun ter bu'n so dat he drap' de armful er wood on de flo' en woke ole mis' up a' hour soon er 'n yushal\, en co'se ole mis' did n' lack dat\, en spoke sha'p erbout i t.\n\n\"W'en dinner-time come\, en Hannibal wuz help'n' de cook kyar de di nner f'm de kitchen inter de big house\, en wuz gittin' close ter de do' w har he had ter go in\, his feet sta'ted ter bu'n en his head begun ter swi m\, en he let de big dish er chicken en dumplin's fall right down in de di rt\, in de middle er de ya'd\, en de w'ite folks had ter make dey dinner d at day off'n col' ham en sweet'n' 'taters.\n\n\"De nex' mawnin' he oversle p' hisse'f\, en got inter mo' trouble. Atter breakfus'\, Mars' Dugal' sont 'im ober ter Mars' Marrabo Utley's fer ter borry a monkey wrench. He ough ter be'n back in ha'f a' hour\, but he come pokin' home 'bout dinner-time wid a screw-driver stidder a monkey wrench. Mars' Dugal' sont ernudder nig ger back wid de screw-driver\, en Hannibal did n' git no dinner. 'Long in de atternoon\, ole mis' sot Hannibal ter weedin' de flowers in de front gy a'den\, en Hannibal dug up all de bulbs ole mis' had sont erway fer\, en p aid a lot er money fer\, en tuk 'em down ter de hawg-pen by de ba'nya'd\, en fed 'em ter de hawgs. Wen ole mis' come out in de cool er de ebenin'\, en seed w'at Hannibal had done\, she wuz mos' crazy\, en she wrote a note en sont Hannibal down ter de oberseah wid it.\n\n\"But w'at Hannibal got f um de oberseah did n' 'pear ter do no good. Eve'y now en den 'is feet 'd ' mence ter torment 'im\, en 'is min' 'u'd git all mix' up\, en his conduc' kep' gittin' wusser en wusser\, 'tel fin'lly de w'ite folks could n' stan' it no longer\, en Mars' Dugal' tuk Hannibal back down ter de qua'ters.\n\ n\"'Mr. Smif\,' sez Mars' Dugal' ter de oberseah\, 'dis yer nigger has don e got so triflin' yer lately dat we can't keep 'im at de house no mo'\, en I 's fotch' 'im ter you ter be straighten' up. You 's had 'casion ter dea l wid 'im once\, so he knows w'at ter expec'. You des take 'im in han'\, e n lemme know how he tu'ns out. En w'en de han's comes in fum de fiel' dis ebenin' you kin sen' dat yaller nigger Jeff up ter de house. I 'll try 'im \, en see ef he's any better 'n Hannibal.'\n\n\"So Jeff went up ter de big house\, en pleas' Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' en de res' er de fambly so wel l dat dey all got ter lackin' 'im fus'rate\; en dey 'd 'a' fergot all 'bou t Hannibal\, ef it had n' be'n fer de bad repo'ts w'at come up fum de qua' ters 'bout 'im fer a mont' er so. Fac' is\, dat Chloe en Jeff wuz so int'r usted in one ernudder sence Jeff be'n up ter de house\, dat dey fergot all 'bout takin' de baby doll back ter Aun' Peggy\, en it kep' wukkin' fer a w'ile\, en makin' Hannibal's feet bu'n mo' er less\, 'tel all de folks on de plantation got ter callin' 'im Hot-Foot Hannibal. He kep' gittin' mo' e n mo' triflin'\, 'tel he got de name er bein' de mos' no 'countes' nigger on de plantation\, en Mars' Dugal' had ter th'eaten ter sell 'im in de spr ing\, w'en bimeby de goopher quit wukkin'\, en Hannibal 'mence' ter pick u p some en make folks set a little mo' sto' by 'im.\n\n\"Now\, dis yer Hann ibal was a monst'us sma't nigger\, en w'en he got rid er dem so' feet\, hi s min' kep' runnin' on 'is udder troubles. Heah th'ee er fo' weeks befo' h e 'd had a' easy job\, waitin' on de w'ite folks\, libbin' off'n de fat er de lan'\, en promus' de fines' gal on de plantation fer a wife in de spri ng\, en now heah he wuz back in de co'n-fiel\, wid de oberseah a-cussin' e n a-r'arin' ef he did n' get a ha'd tas' done\; wid nuffin but co'n bread en bacon en merlasses ter eat\; en all de fiel'-han's makin' rema'ks\, en pokin' fun at 'im 'ca'se he'd be'n sont back fum de big house ter de fiel' . En de mo' Hannibal studied 'bout it de mo' madder he got\, 'tel he fin'l ly swo' he wuz gwine ter git eben wid Jeff en Chloe\, ef it wuz de las' ac '.\n\n\"So Hannibal slipped 'way fum de qua'ters one Sunday en hid in de c o'n up close ter de big house\, 'tel he see Chloe gwine down de road. He w aylaid her\, en sezee:—\n\n\"'Hoddy\, Chloe?'\n\n\"'I ain' got no time f er ter fool wid fiel'-han's\,' sez Chloe\, tossin' her head\; 'w'at you wa nt wid me\, Hot-Foot?'\n\n\"'I wants ter know how you en Jeff is gittin' ' long.'\n\n\"'I 'lows dat's none er yo' bizness\, nigger. I doan see w'at ' casion any common fiel'-han' has got ter mix in wid de 'fairs er folks w'a t libs in de big house. But ef it'll do you any good ter know\, I mought s ay dat me en Jeff is gittin' 'long mighty well\, en we gwine ter git marri ed in de spring\, en you ain' gwine ter be 'vited ter de weddin' nuther.'\ n\n\"'No\, no!' sezee\, 'I would n' 'spec' ter be 'vited ter de weddin'\ ,—a common\, low-down fiel'-han' lack I is. But I's glad ter heah you en Jeff is gittin' 'long so well. I did n' knowed but w'at he had 'mence' te r be a little ti'ed.'\n\n\"'Ti'ed er me? Dat's rediklus!' sez Chloe. 'W'y\ , dat nigger lubs me so I b'liebe he 'd go th'oo fire en water fer me. Dat nigger is des wrop' up in me.'\n\n\"'Uh huh\,' sez Hannibal\, 'den I reck on it mus' be some udder nigger w'at meets a 'oman down by de crick in de swamp eve'y Sunday ebenin'\, ter say nuffin 'bout two er th'ee times a wee k.'\n\n\"'Yas\, hit is ernudder nigger\, en you is a liah w'en you say it wuz Jeff.'\n\n\"'Mebbe I is a liah\, en mebbe I ain' got good eyes. But 'l ess'n I is a liah\, en 'less'n I ain' got good eyes\, Jeff is gwine ter me et dat 'oman dis ebenin' 'long 'bout eight o'clock right down dere by de c rick in de swamp 'bout half-way betwix' dis plantation en Mars' Marrabo Ut ley's.'\n\n\"Well\, Chloe tol' Hannibal she did n' b'liebe a wo'd he said\ , en call' 'im a low-down nigger\, who wuz tryin' ter slander Jeff 'ca'se he wuz mo' luckier 'n he wuz. But all de same\, she could n' keep her min' fum runnin' on w'at Hannibal had said. She 'membered she 'd heared one er de niggers say dey wuz a gal ober at Mars' Marrabo Utley's plantation w'a t Jeff use' ter go wid some befo' he got 'quainted wid Chloe. Den she 'men ce' ter figger back\, en sho' 'nuff\, dey wuz two er th'ee times in de las ' week w'en she 'd be'n he'pin' de ladies wid dey dressin' en udder fixin' s in de ebenin'\, en Jeff mought 'a' gone down ter de swamp widout her kno win' 'bout it at all. En den she 'mence' ter 'member little things w'at sh e had n' tuk no notice of befo'\, en w'at 'u'd make it 'pear lack Jeff had sump'n on his min'.\n\n\"Chloe set a monst'us heap er sto' by Jeff\, en w ould 'a' done mos' anythin' fer 'im\, so long ez he stuck ter her. But Chl oe wuz a mighty jealous 'oman\, en w'iles she didn' b'liebe w'at Hannibal said\, she seed how it could 'a' be'n so\, en she 'termine' fer ter fin' o ut fer herse'f whuther it wuz so er no.\n\n\"Now\, Chloe had n' seed Jeff all day\, fer Mars' Dugal' had sont Jeff ober ter his daughter's house\, y oung Mis' Ma'g'ret's\, w'at libbed 'bout fo' miles fum Mars' Dugal's\, en Jeff wuz n' 'spected home 'tel ebenin'. But des atter supper wuz ober\, en w'iles de ladies wuz settin' out on de piazzer\, Chloe slip' off fum de h ouse en run down de road\,—dis yer same road we come\; en w'en she got m os' ter de crick—dis yer same crick right befo' us—she kin' er kep' in de bushes at de side er de road\, 'tel fin'lly she seed Jeff settin' on d e bank on de udder side er de crick\,—right unner dat ole wilier-tree dr oopin' ober de water yander. En eve'y now en den he 'd git up en look up d e road to'ds Mars' Marrabo's on de udder side er de swamp.\n\n\"Fus' Chloe felt lack she 'd go right ober de crick en gib Jeff a piece er her min'. Den she 'lowed she better be sho' befo' she done anythin'. So she helt her se'f in de bes' she could\, gittin' madder en madder eve'y minute\, 'tel b imeby she seed a 'oman comin' down de road on de udder side fum to'ds Mars ' Marrabo Utley's plantation. En w'en she seed Jeff jump up en run to'ds d at 'oman\, en th'ow his a'ms roun' her neck\, po' Chloe did n' stop ter se e no mo'\, but des tu'nt roun' en run up ter de house\, en rush' up on de piazzer\, en up en tol' Mars' Dugal' en ole mis' all 'bout de baby doll\, en all 'bout Jeff gittin' de goopher fum Aun' Peggy\, en 'bout w'at de goo pher had done ter Hannibal.\n\n\"Mars' Dugal' wuz monst'us mad. He did n' let on at fus' lack he b'liebed Chloe\, but w'en she tuk en showed 'im wha r ter fin' de baby doll\, Mars' Dugal' tu'nt w'ite ez chalk.\n\n\"'Wat deb il's wuk is dis?' sezee. 'No wonder de po' nigger's feet eetched. Sump'n g ot ter be done ter l'arn dat ole witch ter keep her han's off'n my niggers . En ez fer dis yer Jeff\, I'm gwine ter do des w'at I promus'\, so de dar kies on dis plantation'll know I means w'at I sez.'\n\n\"Fer Mars' Dugal' had warned de han's befo' 'bout foolin' wid cunju'ation\; fac'\, he had lo s' one er two niggers his-se'f fum dey bein' goophered\, en he would 'a' h ad ole Aun' Peggy whip' long ago\, on'y Aun' Peggy wuz a free 'oman\, en h e wuz 'feard she 'd cunjuh him. En w'iles Mars' Dugal' say he did n' b'lie be in cunj'in' en sich\, he 'peared ter 'low it wuz bes' ter be on de safe side\, en let Aun' Peggy alone.\n\n\"So Mars' Dugal' done des ez he say. Ef ole mis' had ple'd fer Jeff\, he mought 'a' kep' 'im. But ole mis' had n' got ober losin' dem bulbs yit\, en she neber said a wo'd. Mars' Dugal' tuk Jeff ter town nex' day en' sol' 'im ter a spekilater\, who sta'ted dow n de ribber wid 'im nex' mawnin' on a steamboat\, fer ter take 'im ter Ala bama.\n\n\"Now\, w'en Chloe tol' ole Mars' Dugal' 'bout dis yer baby doll en dis udder goopher\, she had n' ha'dly 'lowed Mars' Dugal' would sell Je ff down Souf. Howsomeber\, she wuz so mad wid Jeff dat she 'suaded herse'f she did n' keer\; en so she hilt her head up en went roun' lookin' lack s he wuz rale glad 'bout it. But one day she wuz walkin' down de road\, w'en who sh'd come 'long but dis yer Hannibal.\n\n\"W'en Hannibal seed 'er\, h e bus' out laffin' fittin' fer ter kill: 'Yah\, yah\, yah! ho\, ho\, ho! h a\, ha\, ha! Oh\, hol' me\, honey\, hol' me\, er I'll laf myse'f ter def. I ain' nebber laf' so much sence I be'n bawn.'\n\n\"'Wat you laffin' at\, Hot-Foot?'\n\n\"'Yah\, yah\, yah! Wat I laffin' at? W'y\, I's laffin' at m yse'f\, tooby sho'\,—laffin' ter think w'at a fine 'oman I made.'\n\n\"C hloe tu'nt pale\, en her hea't come up in her mouf.\n\n\"'Wat you mean\, n igger?' sez she\, ketchin' holt er a bush by de road fer ter stiddy herse' f. 'Wat you mean by de kin' er 'oman you made?'\n\n\"'Wat do I mean? I mea ns dat I got squared up wid you fer treatin' me de way you done\, en I got eben wid dat yaller nigger Jeff fer cuttin' me out. Now\, he's gwine ter know w'at it is ter eat co'n bread en merlasses once mo'\, en wuk fum dayl ight ter da'k\, en ter hab a oberseah dribin' 'im fum one day's een' ter d e udder. I means dat I sont wo'd ter Jeff dat Sunday dat you wuz gwine ter be ober ter Mars' Marrabo's visitin' dat ebenin'\, en you want 'im ter me et you down by de crick on de way home en go de rest er de road wid you. E n den I put on a frock en a sunbonnet\, en fix' myse'f up ter look lack a 'oman\; en w'en Jeff seed me comin'\, he run ter meet me\, en you seed 'im \,—fer I 'd be'n watchin' in de bushes befo' en 'skivered you comin' dow n de road. En now I reckon you en Jeff bofe knows w'at it means ter mess w id a nigger lack me.'\n\n\"Po' Chloe had n' heared mo' d'n half er de las' part er w'at Hannibal said\, but she had heared 'nuff to l'arn dat dis ni gger had fooled her en Jeff\, en dat po' Jeff had n' done nuffin\, en dat fer lovin' her too much en goin' ter meet her she had cause' 'im ter be so l' erway whar she 'd neber\, neber see 'im no mo'. De sun mought shine by day\, de moon by night\, de flowers mought bloom\, en de mawkin'-birds mou ght sing\, but po' Jeff wuz done los' ter her fereber en fereber.\n\n\"Han nibal had n' mo' d'n finish' w'at he had ter say\, w'en Chloe's knees gun 'way unner her\, en she fell down in de road\, en lay dere half a' hour er so befo' she come to. W'en she did\, she crep' up ter de house des ez pal e ez a ghos'. En fer a mont' er so she crawled roun' de house\, en 'peared ter be so po'ly dat Mars' Dugal' sont fer a doctor\; en de doctor kep' on axin' her questions 'tel he foun' she wuz des pinin' erway fer Jeff.\n\n\ "Wen he tol' Mars' Dugal'\, Mars' Dugal' lafft\, en said he 'd fix dat. Sh e could hab de noo house boy fer a husban'. But ole mis' say\, no\, Chloe ain' dat kin'er gal\, en dat Mars' Dugal' sh'd buy Jeff back.\n\n\"So Mars ' Dugal' writ a letter ter dis yer spekilater down ter Wim'l'ton\, en tol' ef he ain' done sol' dat nigger Souf w'at he bought fum 'im\, he'd lack t er buy 'im back ag'in. Chloe 'mence' ter pick up a little w'en ole mis' to l' her 'bout dis letter. Howsomeber\, bimeby Mars' Dugal' got a' answer fu m de spekilater\, who said he wuz monst'us sorry\, but Jeff had fell ove'b oa'd er jumped off'n de steamboat on de way ter Wim'l'ton\, en got drownde d\, en co'se he could n' sell 'im back\, much ez he'd lack ter 'bleedge Ma rs' Dugal'.\n\n\"Well\, atter Chloe heared dis\, she wa'n't much mo' use t er nobody. She pu'tended ter do her wuk\, en ole mis' put up wid her\, en had de doctor gib her medicine\, en let 'er go ter de circus\, en all so't s er things fer ter take her min' off'n her troubles. But dey did n' none un 'em do no good. Chloe got ter slippin' down here in de ebenin' des lack she 'uz comin' ter meet Jeff\, en she 'd set dere unner dat wilier-tree o n de udder side\, en wait fer 'im\, night atter night. Bimeby she got so b ad de w'ite folks sont her ober ter young Mis' Ma'g'ret's fer ter gib her a change\; but she runned erway de fus' night\, en w'en dey looked fer 'er nex' mawnin'\, dey foun' her co'pse layin' in de branch yander\, right 'c ross fum whar we 're settin' now.\n\n\"Eber sence den\,\" said Julius in c onclusion\, \"Chloe's ha'nt comes eve'y ebenin' en sets down unner dat wil ler-tree en waits fer Jeff\, er e'se walks up en down de road yander\, loo kin' en lookin'\, en waitin' en waitin'\, fer her sweethea't w'at ain' neb er\, neber come back ter her no mo'.\"\n\nThere was silence when the old m an had finished\, and I am sure I saw a tear in my wife's eye\, and more t han one in Mabel's.\n\n\"I think\, Julius\,\" said my wife\, after a momen t\, \"that you may turn the mare around and go by the long road.\"\n\nThe old man obeyed with alacrity\, and I noticed no reluctance on the mare's p art.\n\n\"You are not afraid of Chloe's haunt\, are you?\" I asked jocular ly.\n\nMy mood was not responded to\, and neither of the ladies smiled.\n\ n\"Oh\, no\,\" said Annie\, \"but I've changed my mind. I prefer the other route.\"\n\nWhen we had reached the main road and had proceeded along it for a short distance\, we met a cart driven by a young negro\, and on the cart were a trunk and a valise. We recognized the man as Malcolm Murchison 's servant\, and drew up a moment to speak to him.\n\n\"Who's going away\, Marshall?\" I inquired.\n\n\"Young Mistah Ma'colm gwine 'way on de boat t er Noo Yo'k dis ebenin'\, suh\, en I'm takin' his things down ter de wharf \, suh.\"\n\nThis was news to me\, and I heard it with regret. My wife loo ked sorry\, too\, and I could see that Mabel was trying hard to hide her c oncern.\n\n\"He's comin' 'long behin'\, suh\, en I 'spec's you'll meet 'im up de road a piece. He 's gwine ter walk down ez fur ez Mistah Jim Willia ms's\, en take de buggy fum dere ter town. He 'spec's ter be gone a long t ime\, suh\, en say prob'ly he ain' neber comin' back.\"\n\nThe man drove o n. There were a few words exchanged in an undertone between my wife and Ma bel\, which I did not catch. Then Annie said: \"Julius\, you may stop the rockaway a moment. There are some trumpet-flowers by the road there that I want. Will you get them for me\, John?\"\n\nI sprang into the underbrush\ , and soon returned with a great bunch of scarlet blossoms.\n\n\"Where is Mabel?\" I asked\, noting her absence.\n\n\"She has walked on ahead. We sh all overtake her in a few minutes.\"\n\nThe carriage had gone only a short distance when my wife discovered that she had dropped her fan.\n\n\"I had it where we were stopping. Julius\, will you go back and get it for me?\" \n\nJulius got down and went back for the fan. He was an unconscionably lo ng time finding it. After we got started again we had gone only a little w ay\, when we saw Mabel and young Murchison coming toward us. They were wal king arm in arm\, and their faces were aglow with the light of love.\n\nI do not know whether or not Julius had a previous understanding with Malcol m Murchison by which he was to drive us round by the long road that day\, nor do I know exactly what motive influenced the old man's exertions in th e matter. He was fond of Mabel\, but I was old enough\, and knew Julius we ll enough\, to be skeptical of his motives. It is certain that a most exce llent understanding existed between him and Murchison after the reconcilia tion\, and that when the young people set up housekeeping over at the old Murchison place\, Julius had an opportunity to enter their service. For so me reason or other\, however\, he preferred to remain with us. The mare\, I might add\, was never known to balk again.\n\nAPPENDIX\nUncollected Uncl e Julius Stories\nDave's Neckliss (1889)\nA Deep Sleeper (1893)\nLonesome Ben (1900)\n\n\nEssay\nSuperstitions and Folk-Lore of the South (1901)\n\n Dave's Neckliss\n\n\"Have some dinner\, Uncle Julius?\" said my wife. It w as a Sunday afternoon in early autumn. Our two women-servants had gone to a camp-meeting some miles away\, and would not return until evening. My wi fe had served the dinner\, and we were just rising from the table\, when J ulius came up the lane\, and\, taking off his hat\, seated himself on the piazza.\n\nThe old man glanced through the open door at the dinner-table\, and his eyes rested lovingly upon a large sugar-cured ham\, from which se veral slices had been cut\, exposing a rich pink expanse that would have a ppealed strongly to the appetite of any hungry Christian.\n\n\"Thanky\, Mi ss Annie\,\" he said\, after a momentary hesitation\, \"I dunno ez I keers ef I does tas'e a piece er dat ham\, ef yer'll cut me off a slice un it.\ "\n\n\"No\,\" said Annie\, \"I won't. Just sit down to the table and help yourself\; eat all you want\, and don't be bashful.\"\n\nJulius drew a cha ir up to the table\, while my wife and I went out on the piazza. Julius wa s in my employment\; he took his meals with his own family\, but when he h appened to be about our house at meal-times\, my wife never let him go awa y hungry.\n\nI threw myself into a hammock\, from which I could see Julius through an open window. He ate with evident relish\, devoting his attenti on chiefly to the ham\, slice after slice of which disappeared in the spac ious cavity of his mouth. At first the old man ate rapidly\, but after the edge of his appetite had been taken off he proceeded in a more leisurely manner. When he had cut the sixth slice of ham (I kept count of them from a lazy curiosity to see how much he could eat) I saw him lay it on his pla te\; as he adjusted the knife and fork to cut it into smaller pieces\, he paused\, as if struck by a sudden thought\, and a tear rolled down his rug ged cheek and fell upon the slice of ham before him. But the emotion\, wha tever the thought that caused it\, was transitory\, and in a moment he con tinued his dinner. When he was through eating\, he came out on the porch\, and resumed his seat with the satisfied expression of countenance that us ually follows a good dinner.\n\n\"Julius\,\" I said\, \"you seemed to be a ffected by something\, a moment ago. Was the mustard so strong that it mov ed you to tears?\"\n\n\"No\, suh\, it wa'n't de mustard\; I wuz studyin' ' bout Dave.\"\n\n\"Who was Dave\, and what about him?\" I asked.\n\nThe con ditions were all favorable to story-telling. There was an autumnal languor in the air\, and a dreamy haze softened the dark green of the distant pin es and the deep blue of the Southern sky. The generous meal he had made ha d put the old man in a very good humor. He was not always so\, for his cur iously undeveloped nature was subject to moods which were almost childish in their variableness. It was only now and then that we were able to study \, through the medium of his recollection\, the simple but intensely human inner life of slavery. His way of looking at the past seemed very strange to us\; his view of certain sides of life was essentially different from ours. He never indulged in any regrets for the Arcadian joyousness and irr esponsibility which was a somewhat popular conception of slavery\; his had not been the lot of the petted house-servant\, but that of the toiling fi eld-hand. While he mentioned with a warm appreciation the acts of kindness which those in authority had shown to him and his people\, he would speak of a cruel deed\, not with the indignation of one accustomed to quick fee ling and spontaneous expression\, but with a furtive disapproval which sug gested to us a doubt in his own mind as to whether he had a right to think or to feel\, and presented to us the curious psychological spectacle of a mind enslaved long after the shackles had been struck off from the limbs of its possessor. Whether the sacred name of liberty ever set his soul agl ow with a generous fire\; whether he had more than the most elementary ide as of love\, friendship\, patriotism\, religion\,—things which are half\ , and the better half\, of life to us\; whether he even realized\, except in a vague\, uncertain way\, his own degradation\, I do not know. I fear n ot\; and if not\, then centuries of repression had borne their legitimate fruit. But in the simple human feeling\, and still more in the undertone o f sadness\, which pervaded his stories\, I thought I could see a spark whi ch\, fanned by favoring breezes and fed by the memories of the past\, migh t become in his children's children a glowing flame of sensibility\, alive to every thrill of human happiness or human woe.\n\n\"Dave use' ter b'lon g ter my ole marster\,\" said Julius\; \"he wuz raise' on dis yer plantati on\, en I kin 'member all erbout 'im\, fer I wuz ole 'nuff ter chop cotton w'en it all happen'. Dave wuz a tall man\, en monst'us strong: he could d o mo' wuk in a day dan any yuther two niggers on de plantation. He wuz one er dese yer solemn kine er men\, en nebber run on wid much foolishness\, like de yuther darkies. He use' ter go out in de woods en pray\; en w'en h e hear de han's on de plantation cussin' en gwine on wid dere dancin' en f oolishness\, he use' ter tell 'em 'bout religion en jedgmen'-day\, w'en de y would haf ter gin account fer eve'y idle word en all dey yuther sinful k yarin's-on.\n\n\"Dave had l'arn' how ter read de Bible. Dey wuz a free nig ger boy in de settlement w'at wuz monst'us smart\, en could write en ciphe r\, en wuz alluz readin' books er papers. En Dave had hi'ed dis free boy f er ter l'arn 'im how ter read. Hit wuz 'g'in' de law\, but co'se none er d e niggers did n' say nuffin ter de w'ite folks 'bout it. Howsomedever\, on e day Mars Walker—he wuz de oberseah—foun' out Dave could read. Mars W alker wa'n't nuffin but a po' bockrah\, en folks said he could n' read ner write hisse'f\, en co'se he didn' lack ter see a nigger w'at knowed mo' d 'n he did\; so he went en tole Mars Dugal'. Mars Dugal' sont fer Dave\, en ax' 'im 'bout it.\n\n\"Dave didn't hardly knowed w'at ter do\; but he cou ld n' tell no lie\, so he 'fessed he could read de Bible a little by spell in' out de words. Mars Dugal' look' mighty solemn.\n\n\"'Dis yer is a se'i ous matter\,' sezee\; 'it's 'g'in' de law ter l'arn niggers how ter read\, er 'low 'em ter hab books. But w'at yer l'arn out'n dat Bible\, Dave?'\n\ n\"Dave wa'n't no fool\, ef he wuz a nigger\, en sezee:—\n\n\"'Marster\, I l'arns dat it's a sin fer ter steal\, er ter lie\, er fer ter want w'at doan b'long ter yer\; en I l'arns fer ter love de Lawd en ter 'bey my mar ster.'\n\n\"Mars Dugal' sorter smile' en laf ter hisse'f\, like he 'uz mig ht'ly tickle' 'bout sump'n\, en sezee:—\n\n\"'Doan 'pear ter me lack rea din' de Bible done yer much harm\, Dave. Dat 's w'at I wants all my nigger s fer ter know. Yer keep right on readin'\, en tell de yuther han's w'at y er be'n tellin' me. How would yer lack fer ter preach ter de niggers on Su nday?'\n\n\"Dave say he 'd be glad fer ter do w'at he could. So Mars Dugal ' tole de oberseah fer ter let Dave preach ter de niggers\, en tell 'em w' at wuz in de Bible\, en it would he'p ter keep 'em fum stealin' er runnin' erway.\n\n\"So Dave 'mence' ter preach\, en done de han's on de plantatio n a heap er good\, en most un 'em lef' off dey wicked ways\, en 'mence' te r love ter hear 'bout God\, en religion\, en de Bible\; en dey done dey wu k better\, en didn' gib de oberseah but mighty little trouble fer ter mana ge 'em.\n\n\"Dave wuz one er dese yer men w'at did n' keer much fer de gal s\,—leastways he did n' 'tel Dilsey come ter de plantation. Dilsey wuz a monst'us peart\, good-lookin'\, gingybread-colored gal\,—one er dese ye r high-steppin' gals w'at hol's dey heads up\, en won' stan' no foolishnes s fum no man. She had b'long' ter a gemman over on Rockfish\, w'at died\, en whose 'state ha' ter be sol' fer ter pay his debts. En Mars Dugal' had be'n ter de oction\, en w'en he seed dis gal a-cryin' en gwine on 'bout be in' sol' erway fum her ole mammy\, Aun' Mahaly\, Mars Dugal' bid 'em bofe in\, en fotch 'em ober ter our plantation.\n\n\"De young nigger men on de plantation wuz des wil' atter Dilsey\, but it did n' do no good\, en none un 'em could n' git Dilsey fer dey junesey\,[3] 'tel Dave 'mence' fer ter go roun' Aun' Mahaly's cabin. Dey wuz a fine-lookin' couple\, Dave en Dils ey wuz\, bofe tall\, en well-shape'\, en soopl'. En dey sot a heap by one ernudder. Mars Dugal' seed 'em tergedder one Sunday\, en de nex' time he s eed Dave atter dat\, sezee:—\n\n\"'Dave\, w'en yer en Dilsey gits ready fer ter git married\, I ain' got no rejections. Dey's a poun' er so er cha win'-terbacker up at de house\, en I reckon yo' mist'iss kin fine a frock en a ribbin er two fer Dilsey. Youer bofe good niggers\, en yer neenter be feared er bein' sol' 'way fum one ernudder long ez I owns dis plantation\ ; en I 'spec's ter own it fer a long time yit.'\n\n[3]\nSweetheart.\n\n\"B ut dere wuz one man on de plantation w'at did n' lack ter see Dave en Dils ey tergedder ez much ez ole marster did. W'en Mars Dugal' went ter de sale whar he got Dilsey en Mahaly\, he bought ernudder ban'\, by de name er Wi ley. Wiley wuz one er dese yer shiny-eyed\, double-headed little niggers\, sha'p ez a steel trap\, en sly ez de fox w'at keep out'n it. Dis yer Wile y had be'n pesterin' Dilsey 'fo' she come ter our plantation\, en had nigh 'bout worried de life out'n her. She did n' keer nuffin fer 'im\, but he pestered her so she ha' ter th'eaten ter tell her marster fer ter make Wil ey let her 'lone. W'en he come ober to our place it wuz des ez bad\, 'tel bimeby Wiley seed dat Dilsey had got ter thinkin' a heap 'bout Dave\, en d en he sorter hilt off aw'ile\, en purten' lack he gin Dilsey up. But he wu z one er dese yer 'ceitful niggers\, en w'ile he wuz laffin' en jokin' wid de yuther ban's 'bout Dave en Dilsey\, he wuz settin' a trap fer ter ketc h Dave en git Dilsey back fer hisse'f.\n\n\"Dave en Dilsey made up dere mi n's fer ter git married long 'bout Christmas time\, w'en dey 'd hab mo' ti me fer a weddin'. But 'long 'bout two weeks befo' dat time ole mars 'mence ' ter lose a heap er bacon. Eve'y night er so somebody 'ud steal a side er bacon\, er a ham\, er a shoulder\, er sump'n\, fum one er de smoke-'ouses . De smoke-'ouses wuz lock'\, but somebody had a key\, en manage' ter git in some way er 'nudder. Dey 's mo' ways 'n one ter skin a cat\, en dey's m o' d'n one way ter git in a smoke-'ouse\,—leastways dat's w'at I hearn s ay. Folks w'at had bacon fer ter sell did n' hab no trouble 'bout gittin' rid un it. Hit wuz 'g'in' de law fer ter buy things fum slabes\; but Lawd! dat law did n' 'mount ter a hill er peas. Eve'y week er so one er dese ye r big covered waggins would come 'long de road\, peddlin' terbacker en w'i skey. Dey wuz a sight er room in one er dem big waggins\, en it wuz monst' us easy fer ter swop off bacon fer sump'n ter chaw er ter wa'm yer up in d e wintertime. I s'pose de peddlers did n' knowed dey wuz breakin' de law\, caze de niggers alluz went at night\, en stayed on de dark side er de wag gin\; en it wuz mighty hard fer ter tell w'at kine er folks dey wuz.\n\n\" Atter two er th'ee hund'ed er meat had be'n stole'\, Mars Walker call all de niggers up one ebenin'\, en tol' 'em dat de fus' nigger he cot stealin' bacon on dat plantation would git sump'n fer ter 'member it by long ez he lib'. En he say he 'd gin fi' dollars ter de nigger w'at 'skiver' de rogu e. Mars Walker say he s'picion' one er two er de niggers\, but he could n' tell fer sho\, en co'se dey all 'nied it w'en he 'cuse em un it.\n\n\"Dey wa'n't no bacon stole' fer a week er so\, 'tel one dark night w'en somebo dy tuk a ham fum one er de smoke-'ouses. Mars Walker des cusst awful w'en he foun' out de ham wuz gone\, en say he gwine ter sarch all de niggers' c abins\; w'en dis yer Wiley I wuz tellin' yer 'bout up'n say he s'picion' w ho tuk de ham\, fer he seed Dave comin' 'cross de plantation fum to'ds de smoke-'ouse de night befo'. W'en Mars Walker hearn dis fum Wiley\, he went en sarch' Dave's cabin\, en foun' de ham hid under de flo'.\n\n\"Eve'ybod y wuz 'stonish'\; but dere wuz de ham. Co'se Dave 'nied it ter de las'\, b ut dere wuz de ham. Mars Walker say it wuz des ez he 'spected: he did n' b 'lieve in dese yer readin' en prayin' niggers\; it wuz all 'pocrisy\, en s arve' Mars Dugal' right fer 'lowin' Dave ter be readin' books w'en it wuz 'g'in' de law.\n\n\"W'en Mars Dugal hearn 'bout de ham\, he say he wuz mig ht'ly 'ceived en disapp'inted in Dave. He say he wouldn' nebber hab no mo' conferdence in no nigger\, en Mars Walker could do des ez he wuz a minete r wid Dave er any er de res' er de niggers. So Mars Walker tuk'n tied Dave up en gin 'im forty\; en den he got some er dis yer wire clof w'at dey us es fer ter make sifters out'n\, en tuk'n wrap' it roun' de ham en fasten i t tergedder at de little een'. Den he tuk Dave down ter de blacksmif-shop\ , en had Unker Silas\, de plantation blacksmif\, fasten a chain ter de ham \, en den fasten de yuther een' er de chain roun' Dave's neck. En den he s ays ter Dave\, sezee:—\n\n\"'Now\, suh\, yer'll wear dat neckliss fer de nex' six mont's\; en I 'spec's yer ner none er de yuther niggers on dis p lantation won' steal no mo' bacon dyoin' er dat time.'\n\n\"Well\, it des 'peared ez if fum dat time Dave did n' hab nuffin but trouble. De niggers all turnt ag'in' 'im\, caze he be'n de 'casion er Mars Dugal' turnin' 'em all ober ter Mars Walker. Mars Dugal' wa'n't a bad marster hisse'f\, but M ars Walker wuz hard ez a rock. Dave kep' on sayin' he did n' take de ham\, but none un 'em did n' b'lieve 'im.\n\n\"Dilsey wa'n't on de plantation w 'en Dave wuz 'cused er stealin' de bacon. Ole mist'iss had sont her ter to wn fer a week er so fer ter wait on one er her darters w'at had a young ba by\, en she didn' fine out nuffin 'bout Dave's trouble 'tel she got back t er de plantation. Dave had patien'ly endyoed de finger er scawn\, en all d e hard words w'at de niggers pile' on 'im\, caze he wuz sho' Dilsey would stan' by 'im\, en would n' b'lieve he wuz a rogue\, ner none er de yuther tales de darkies wuz tellin' 'bout 'im.\n\n\"W'en Dilsey come back fum tow n\, en got down fum behine de buggy whar she b'en ridin' wid ole mars\, de fus' nigger 'ooman she met says ter her\,—\n\n\"'Is yer seed Dave\, Dil sey?'\n\n\"'No\, I ain' seed Dave\,' says Dilsey.\n\n\"'Yer des oughter lo ok at dat nigger\; reckon yer would n' want 'im fer yo' junesey no mo'. Ma rs Walker cotch 'im stealin' bacon\, en gone en fasten' a ham roun' his ne ck\, so he can't git it off'n hisse'f. He sut'nly do look quare.' En den d e 'ooman bus' out laffin' fit ter kill herse'f. W'en she got thoo laffin' she up'n tole Dilsey all 'bout de ham\, en all de yuther lies w'at de nigg ers be'n tellin' on Dave.\n\n\"W'en Dilsey started down ter de quarters\, who should she meet but Dave\, comin' in fum de cotton-fiel'. She turnt he r head ter one side\, en purten' lack she did n' seed Dave.\n\n\"'Dilsey!' sezee.\n\n\"Dilsey walk' right on\, en did n' notice 'im.\n\n\"'Oh\, Dils ey!'\n\n\"Dilsey did n' paid no 'tention ter 'im\, en den Dave knowed some er de niggers be'n tellin' her 'bout de ham. He felt monst'us bad\, but h e 'lowed ef he could des git Dilsey fer ter listen ter 'im fer a minute er so\, he could make her b'lieve he did n' stole de bacon. It wuz a week er two befo' he could git a chance ter speak ter her ag'in\; but fine'ly he cotch her down by de spring one day\, en sezee:—\n\n\"'Dilsey\, w'at fer yer won' speak ter me\, en purten' lack yer doan see me? Dilsey\, yer kno ws me too well fer ter b'lieve I 'd steal\, er do dis yuther wick'ness de niggers is all layin' ter me\,—yer knows I would n' do dat\, Dilsey. Yer ain' gwine back on yo' Dave\, is yer?'\n\n\"But w'at Dave say didn' hab n o 'fec' on Dilsey. Dem lies folks b'en tellin' her had p'isen' her min' 'g 'in' Dave.\n\n\"'I doan wanter talk ter no nigger\,' says she\, 'w'at be'n whip' fer stealin'\, en w'at gwine roun' wid sich a lookin' thing ez dat hung roun' his neck. I's a 'spectable gal\, I is. W'at yer call dat\, Dave ? Is dat a cha'm fer ter keep off witches\, er is it a noo kine er necklis s yer got?'\n\n\"Po' Dave did n' knowed w'at ter do. De las' one he had pe nded on fer ter stan' by 'im had gone back on 'im\, en dey did n' 'pear te r be nuffin mo' wuf libbin' fer. He could n' hol' no mo' pra'r-meetin's\, fer Mars Walker would n' 'low 'im ter preach\, en de darkies would n' 'a' listen' ter 'im ef he had preach'. He didn' eben hab his Bible fer ter com fort hisse'f wid\, fer Mars Walker had tuk it erway fum 'im en burnt it up \, en say ef he ketch any mo' niggers wid Bibles on de plantation he 'd do 'em wuss'n he done Dave.\n\n\"En ter make it still harder fer Dave\, Dils ey tuk up wid Wiley. Dave could see him gwine up ter Aun' Mahaly's cabin\, en settin' out on de bench in de moonlight wid Dilsey\, en singin' sinful songs en playin' de banjer. Dave use' ter scrouch down behine de bushes\, en wonder w'at de Lawd sen' 'im all dem tribberlations fer.\n\n\"But all er Dave's yuther troubles wa'n't nuffin side er dat ham. He had wrap' de c hain roun' wid a rag\, so it did n' hurt his neck\; but w'eneber he went t er wuk\, dat ham would be in his way\; he had ter do his task\, howsomedev er\, des de same ez ef he did n' hab de ham. W'eneber he went ter lay down \, dat ham would be in de way. Ef he turn ober in his sleep\, dat ham woul d be tuggin' at his neck. It wuz de las' thing he seed at night\, en de fu s' thing he seed in de mawnin'. W'eneber he met a stranger\, de ham would be de fus' thing de stranger would see. Most un 'em would 'mence' ter laf\ , en whareber Dave went he could see folks p'intin' at him\, en year 'em s ayin':—\n\n\"'W'at kine er collar dat nigger got roun' his neck?' er\, e f dey knowed 'im\, 'Is yer stole any mo' hams lately?' er 'W'at yer take f er yo' neckliss\, Dave?' er some joke er 'nuther 'bout dat ham.\n\n\"Fus' Dave did n' mine it so much\, caze he knowed he had n' done nuffin. But bi meby he got so he could n' stan' it no longer\, en he 'd hide hisse'f in d e bushes w'eneber he seed anybody comin'\, en alluz kep' hisse'f shet up i n his cabin atter he come in fum wuk.\n\n\"It wuz monst'us hard on Dave\, en bimeby\, w'at wid dat ham eberlastin' en etarnally draggin' roun' his n eck\, he 'mence' fer ter do en say quare things\, en make de niggers wonde r ef he wa'n't gittin' out'n his mine. He got ter gwine roun' talkin' ter hisse'f\, en singin' corn-shuckin' songs\, en laffin' fit ter kill 'bout n uffin. En one day he tole one er de niggers he had 'skivered a noo way fer ter raise hams\,—gwine ter pick 'em off'n trees\, en save de expense er smoke-'ouses by kyoin' 'em in de sun. En one day he up'n tole Mars Walker he got sump'n pertickler fer ter say ter 'im\; en he tuk Mars Walker off ter one side\, en tole 'im he wuz gwine ter show 'im a place in de swamp w har dey wuz a whole trac' er Ian' covered wid ham-trees.\n\n\"Wen Mars Wal ker hearn Dave talkin' dis kine er fool-talk\, en w'en he seed how Dave wu z 'mencin' ter git behine in his wuk\, en w'en he ax' de niggers en dey to le 'im how Dave be'n gwine on\, he 'lowed he reckon' he 'd punish' Dave er nuff\, en it mou't do mo' harm dan good fer ter keep de ham on his neck an y longer. So he sont Dave down ter de blacksmif-shop en had de ham tuk off . Dey wa'n't much er de ham lef' by dat time\, fer de sun had melt all de fat\, en de lean had all swivel' up\, so dey wa'n't but th'ee er fo' poun' s lef'.\n\n\"W'en de ham had be'n tuk off'n Dave\, folks kinder stopped ta lkin' 'bout 'im so much. But de ham had be'n on his neck so long dat Dave had sorter got use' ter it. He look des lack he 'd los' sump'n fer a day e r so atter de ham wuz tuk off\, en didn' 'pear ter know w'at ter do wid hi sse'f\; en fine'ly he up'n tuk'n tied a lighterd-knot ter a string\, en hi d it under de flo' er his cabin\, en w'en nobody wuz n' lookin' he 'd take it out en hang it roun' his neck\, en go off in de woods en holler en sin g\; en he allus tied it roun' his neck w'en he went ter sleep. Fac'\, it ' peared lack Dave done gone clean out'n his mine. En atter a w'ile he got o ne er de quarest notions you eber hearn tell un. It wuz 'bout dat time dat I come back ter de plantation fer ter wuk\,—I had be'n out ter Mars Dug al's yuther place on Beaver Crick for a mont' er so. I had hearn 'bout Dav e en de bacon\, en 'bout w'at wuz gwine on on de plantation\; but I did n' b'lieve w'at dey all say 'bout Dave\, fer I knowed Dave wa'n't dat kine e r man. One day atter I come back\, me'n Dave wuz choppin' cotton tergedder \, w'en Dave lean' on his hoe\, en motion' fer me ter come ober close ter 'im\; en den he retch' ober en w'ispered ter me.\n\n\"'Julius'\, sezee\, ' did yer knowed yer wuz wukkin' long yer wid a ham?'\n\n\"I could n' 'magin e w'at he meant. 'G'way fum yer\, Dave\,' says I. 'Yer ain' wearin' no ham no mo'\; try en fergit 'bout dat\; 't ain' gwine ter do yer no good fer t er 'member it.'\n\n\"'Look a-yer\, Julius\,' sezee\, 'kin yer keep a secre t?'\n\n\"'Co'se I kin\, Dave\,' says I. 'I doan go roun' tellin' people w' at yuther folks says ter me.'\n\n\"'Kin I trus' yer\, Julius? Will yer cro ss yo' heart?'\n\n\"I cross' my heart. 'Wush I may die ef I tells a soul\, ' says I.\n\n\"Dave look' at me des lack he wuz lookin' thoo me en 'way on de yuther side er me\, en sezee:—\n\n\"'Did yer knowed I wuz turnin' te r a ham\, Julius?'\n\n\"I tried ter 'suade Dave dat dat wuz all foolishnes s\, en dat he oughtn't ter be talkin' dat-a-way\,—hit wa'n't right. En I tole 'im ef he 'd des be patien'\, de time would sho'ly come w'en eve'yth ing would be straighten' out\, en folks would fine out who de rale rogue w uz w'at stole de bacon. Dave 'peared ter listen ter w'at I say\, en promis e' ter do better\, en stop gwine on dat-a-way\; en it seem lack he pick' u p a bit w'en he seed dey wuz one pusson did n' b'lieve dem tales 'bout 'im .\n\n\"Hit wa'n't long atter dat befo' Mars Archie McIntyre\, ober on de W imbleton road\, 'mence' ter complain 'bout somebody stealin' chickens fum his hen-'ouse. De chickens kep' on gwine\, en at las' Mars Archie tole de ban's on his plantation dat he gwine ter shoot de fus' man he ketch in his hen-'ouse. In less'n a week atter he gin dis warnin'\, he cotch a nigger in de hen-'ouse\, en fill' 'im full er squir'l-shot. W'en he got a light\, he 'skivered it wuz a strange nigger\; en w'en he call' one er his own sa rven's\, de nigger tole 'im it wuz our Wiley. W'en Mars Archie foun' dat o ut\, he sont ober ter our plantation fer ter tell Mars Dugal' he had shot one er his niggers\, en dat he could sen' ober dere en git w'at wuz lef un 'im.\n\n\"Mars Dugal' wuz mad at fus'\; but w'en he got ober dere en hear n how it all happen'\, he did n' hab much ter say. Wiley wuz shot so bad h e wuz sho' he wuz gwine ter die\, so he up'n says ter ole marster:—\n\n\ "'Mars Dugal'\,' sezee\, 'I knows I's be'n a monst'us bad nigger\, but bef o' I go I wanter git sump'n off'n my mine. Dave didn' steal dat bacon w'at wuz tuk out'n de smoke-'ouse. I stole it all\, en I hid de ham under Dave 's cabin fer ter th'ow de blame on him—en may de good Lawd fergib me fer it.'\n\n\"Mars Dugal' had Wiley tuk back ter de plantation\, en sont fer a doctor fer ter pick de shot out'n 'im. En de ve'y nex' mawnin' Mars Duga l' sont fer Dave ter come up ter de big house\; he felt kinder sorry fer d e way Dave had be'n treated. Co'se it wa'n't no fault er Mars Dugal's\, bu t he wuz gwine ter do w'at he could fer ter make up fer it. So he sont wor d down ter de quarters fer Dave en all de yuther han's ter 'semble up in d e yard befo' de big house at sun-up nex' mawnin'.\n\n\"Yearly in de mawnin ' de niggers all swarm' up in de yard. Mars Dugal' wuz feelin' so kine dat he had brung up a bairl er cider\, en tole de niggers all fer ter he'p de yselves.\n\n\"All de han's on de plantation come but Dave\; en bimeby\, w' en it seem lack he wa'n't comin'\, Mars Dugal' sont a nigger down ter de q uarters ter look fer 'im. De sun wuz gittin' up\, en dey wuz a heap er wuk ter be done\, en Mars Dugal' sorter got ti'ed waitin'\; so he up'n says :—\n\n\"'Well\, boys en gals\, I sont fer yer all up yer fer ter tell ye r dat all dat 'bout Dave's stealin' er de bacon wuz a mistake\, ez I s'pos e yer all done hearn befo' now\, en I 's mighty sorry it happen'. I wants ter treat all my niggers right\, en I wants yer all ter know dat I sets a heap by all er my han's w'at is hones' en smart. En I want yer all ter tre at Dave des lack yer did befo' dis thing happen'\, en mine w'at he preach ter yer\; fer Dave is a good nigger\, en has had a hard row ter hoe. En de fus' one I ketch sayin' anythin' 'g'in' Dave\, I'll tell Mister Walker te r gin 'im forty. Now take ernudder drink er cider all roun'\, en den git a t dat cotton\, fer I wanter git dat Persimmon Hill trac' all pick' ober te r-day.'\n\n\"W'en de niggers wuz gwine 'way\, Mars Dugal' tole me fer ter go en hunt up Dave\, en bring 'im up ter de house. I went down ter Dave's cabin\, but could n' fine 'im dere. Den I look' roun' de plantation\, en i n de aidge er de woods\, en 'long de road\; but I could n' fine no sign er Dave. I wuz 'bout ter gin up de sarch\, w'en I happen' fer ter run 'cross a foot-track w'at look' lack Dave's. I had wukked 'long wid Dave so much dat I knowed his tracks: he had a monst'us long foot\, wid a holler instep \, w'ich wuz sump'n skase 'mongs' black folks. So I follered dat track 'cr oss de fiel' fum de quarters 'tel I got ter de smoke-'ouse. De fus' thing I notice' wuz smoke comin' out'n de cracks\; it wuz cu'ous\, caze dey had n' be'n no hogs kill' on de plantation fer six mont' er so\, en all de bac on in de smoke-'ouse wuz done kyoed. I could n' 'magine fer ter sabe my li fe w'at Dave wuz doin' in dat smoke-'ouse. I went up ter de do' en hollere d:—\n\n\"'Dave!'\n\n\"Dey didn' nobody answer. I didn' wanter open de do '\, fer w'ite folks is monst'us pertickler 'bout dey smoke-'ouses\; en ef de oberseah had a-come up en cotch me in dere\, he mou't not wanter b'liev e I wuz des lookin' fer Dave. So I sorter knock at de do' en call' out ag' in:—\n\n\"'O Dave\, hit's me—Julius! Doan be skeered. Mars Dugal' want s yer ter come up ter de big house\,—he done 'skivered who stole de ham. '\n\n\"But Dave didn' answer. En w'en I look' roun' ag'in en didn' seed no ne er his tracks gwine way fum de smoke-'ouse\, I knowed he wuz in dere yi t\, en I wuz 'termine' fer ter fetch 'im out\; so I push de do' open en lo ok in.\n\n\"Dey wuz a pile er bark burnin' in de middle er de flo'\, en ri ght ober de fier\, hangin' fum one er de rafters\, wuz Dave\; dey wuz a ro pe roun' his neck\, en I didn' haf ter look at his face mo' d'n once fer t er see he wuz dead.\n\n\"Den I knowed how it all happen'. Dave had kep' on gittin' wusser en wusser in his mine\, 'tel he des got ter b'lievin' he w uz all done turnt ter a ham\; en den he had gone en built a fier\, en tied a rope roun' his neck\, des lack de hams wuz tied\, en had hung hisse'f u p in de smoke-'ouse fer ter kyo.\n\n\"Dave wuz buried down by de swamp\, i n de plantation buryin' groun'. Wiley didn' died fum de woun' he got in Ma rs McIntyre's hen 'ouse\; he got well atter a w'ile\, but Dilsey wouldn' h ab nuffin mo' ter do wid 'im\, en 't wa'n't long 'fo' Mars Dugal' sol' 'im ter a spekilater on his way souf\,—he say he didn' want no sich a nigge r on de plantation\, ner in de county\, ef he could he'p it. En w'en de ee n' er de year come\, Mars Dugal'' turnt Mars Walker off\, en run de planta tion hisse'f atter dat.\n\n\"Eber sence den\,\" said Julius in conclusion\ , \"w'eneber I eats ham\, it min's me er Dave. I lacks ham\, but I nebber kin eat mo' d'n two er th'ee poun's befo' I gits ter studyin' 'bout Dave\, en den I has ter stop en leab de res' fer ernudder time.\"\n\nThere was a short silence after the old man had finished his story\, and then my wife began to talk to him about the weather\, on which subject he was an autho rity. I went into the house. When I came out\, half an hour later\, I saw Julius disappearing down the lane\, with a basket on his arm.\n\nAt breakf ast\, next morning\, it occurred to me that I should like a slice of ham. I said as much to my wife.\n\n\"Oh\, no\, John\,\" she responded\, \"you s houldn't eat anything so heavy for breakfast.\"\n\nI insisted.\n\n\"The fa ct is\,\" she said\, pensively\, \"I couldn't have eaten any more of that ham\, and so I gave it to Julius.\"\n\nA Deep Sleeper\n\nIt was four o'clo ck on Sunday afternoon\, in the month of July. The air had been hot and su ltry\, but a light\, cool breeze had sprung up\, and occasional cirrus clo uds overspread the sun\, and for a while subdued his fierceness. We were a ll out on the piazza—as the coolest place we could find—my wife\, my s ister-in-law and I. The only sounds that broke the Sabbath stillness were the hum of an occasional vagrant bumble-bee\, or the fragmentary song of a mocking-bird in a neighboring elm\, who lazily trolled a stave of melody\ , now and then\, as a sample of what he could do in the cool of the mornin g\, or after a light shower\, when the conditions would be favorable to ex ertion.\n\n\"Annie\,\" said I\, \"suppose\, to relieve the deadly dulness of the afternoon\, that we go out and pull the big watermelon\, and send f or Colonel Pemberton's folks to come over and help us eat it.\"\n\n\"Is it ripe\, yet?\" she inquired sleepily\, brushing away a troublesome fly tha t had impudently settled on her hair.\n\n\"Yes\, I think so. I was out yes terday with Julius\, and we thumped it\, and concluded it would be fully r ipe by tomorrow or next day. But I think it is perfectly safe to pull it t o-day.\"\n\n\"Well\, if you are sure\, dear\, we'll go. But how can we get it up to the house? It's too big to tote.\"\n\n\"I'll step round to Juliu s's cabin and ask him to go down with the wheelbarrow and bring it up\,\" I replied.\n\nJulius was an elderly colored man who worked on the plantati on and lived in a small house on the place\, a few rods from my own reside nce. His daughter was our cook\, and other members of his family served us in different capacities.\n\nAs I turned the corner of the house I saw Jul ius coming up the lane. He had on his Sunday clothes\, and was probably re turning from the afternoon meeting at the Sandy Run Baptist Church\, of wh ich he was a leading member and deacon.\n\n\"Julius\,\" I said\, \"we are going out to pull the big watermelon\, and we want you to take the wheelba rrow and go with us\, and bring it up to the house.\"\n\n\"Does yer reckon dat watermillun's ripe yit\, sah?\" said Julius. \"Didn' 'pear ter me it went quite plunk enuff yistiddy fer ter be pull' befo' termorrer.\"\n\n\"I think it is ripe enough\, Julius.\"\n\n\"Mawnin' 'ud be a better time fer ter pull it\, sah\, w'en de night air an' de jew's done cool' it off nice .\"\n\n\"Probably that's true enough\, but we'll put it on ice\, and that will cool it\; and I'm afraid if we leave it too long\, some one will stea l it.\"\n\n\"I 'spec's dat so\,\" said the old man\, with a confirmatory s hake of the head. \"Yer takes chances w'en yer pulls it\, en' yer takes ch ances w'en yer don't. Dey's a lot er po' w'ite trash roun' heah w'at ain' none too good fer ter steal it. I seed some un' 'em loafin' long de big ro ad on mer way home fum chu'ch jes' now. I has ter watch mer own chicken-co op ter keep chick'ns 'nuff fer Sunday eatin'. I'll go en' git de w'eelborr ow.\"\n\nJulius had a profound contempt for poor whites\, and never let sl ip an opportunity for expressing it. He assumed that we shared this sentim ent\, while in fact our feeling toward this listless race was something en tirely different. They were\, like Julius himself\, the product of a syste m which they had not created and which they did not know enough to resist. \n\nAs the old man turned to go away he began to limp\, and put his hand t o his knee with an exclamation of pain.\n\n\"What's the matter\, Julius?\" asked my wife.\n\n\"Yes\, Uncle Julius\, what ails you?\" echoed her swee t young sister. \"Did you stump your toe?\"\n\n\"No\, miss\, it's dat mis' able rheumatiz. It ketches me now an' den in de lef' knee\, so I can't har dly draw my bref. O Lawdy!\" he added between his clenched teeth\, \"but d at do hurt. Ouch! It's a little better now\,\" he said\, after a moment\, \"but I doan' b'lieve I kin roll dat w'eelborrow out ter de watermillun-pa tch en' back. Ef it's all de same ter yo'\, sah\, I'll go roun' ter my hou se en' sen' Tom ter take my place\, w'iles I rubs some linimum on my laig. \"\n\n\"That'll be all right\, Julius\,\" I said\, and the old man\, hobbl ing\, disappeared round the corner of the house. Tom was a lubberly\, slee py-looking negro boy of about fifteen\, related to Julius's wife in some d egree\, and living with them.\n\nThe old man came back in about five minut es. He walked slowly\, and seemed very careful about bearing his weight on the afflicted member.\n\n\"I sont 'Liza Jane fer ter wake Tom up\,\" he s aid. \"He's down in de orchard asleep under a tree somewhar. 'Liza Jane kn ows whar he is. It takes a minute er so fer ter wake 'im up. 'Liza Jane kn ows how ter do it. She tickles 'im in de nose er de yeah wid a broomstraw\ ; hollerin' doan' do no good. Dat boy is one er de Seben Sleepers. He's wu ss'n his gran'daddy used ter be.\"\n\n\"Was his grandfather a deep sleeper \, Uncle Julius?\" asked my wife's sister.\n\n\"Oh\, yas\, Miss Mabel\,\" said Julius\, gravely. \"He wuz a monst'us pow'ful sleeper. He slep' fer a mont' once.\"\n\n\"Dear me\, Uncle Julius\, you must be joking\,\" said m y sister-in-law incredulously. I thought she put it mildly.\n\n\"Oh\, no\, ma'm\, I ain't jokin'. I never jokes on ser'ous subjec's. I wuz dere w'en it all happen'. Hit wuz a monst'us quare thing.\"\n\n\"Sit down\, Uncle J ulius\, and tell us about it\,\" said Mabel\; for she dearly loved a story \, and spent much of her time \"drawing out\" the colored people in the ne ighborhood.\n\nThe old man took off his hat and seated himself on the top step of the piazza. His movements were somewhat stiff and he was very care ful to get his left leg in a comfortable position.\n\n\"Tom's gran'daddy w uz name' Skundus\,\" he began. \"He had a brudder name' Tushus en' ernudde r name' Cottus en' ernudder name' Squinchus.\" The old man paused a moment and gave his leg another hitch.\n\nMy sister-in-law was shaking with laug hter. \"What remarkable names!\" she exclaimed. \"Where in the world did t hey get them?\"\n\n\"Dem names wuz gun ter 'em by ole Marse Dugal' McAdoo\ , wat I use' ter b'long ter\, en' dey use' ter b'long ter. Marse Dugal' na med all de babies w'at wuz bawn on de plantation. Dese young un's mammy wa nted ter call 'em sump'n plain en' simple\, like 'Rastus' er 'Cæsar' er ' George Wash'n'ton\;' but ole Marse say no\, he want all de niggers on his place ter hab diffe'nt names\, so he kin tell 'em apart. He'd done use' up all de common names\, so he had ter take sump'n else. Dem names he gun Sk undus en' his brudders is Hebrew names en' wuz tuk out'n de Bible.\"\n\n\" Can you give me chapter and verse?\" asked Mabel.\n\n\"No\, Miss Mabel\, I doan know 'em. Hit ain' my fault dat I ain't able ter read de Bible. But ez I wuz a-sayin'\, dis yer Skundus growed up ter be a peart\, lively kind er boy\, en' wuz very well liked on de plantation. He never quo'lled wid de res' er de ban's en' alluz behaved 'isse'f en' tended ter his wuk. De o nly fault he had wuz his sleep'ness. He'd haf ter be woke up ev'y mawnin' ter go ter his wuk\, en' w'enever he got a chance he'd fall ersleep. He wu z might'ly nigh gittin' inter trouble mod'n once fer gwine ter sleep in de fiel'. I never seed his beat fer sleepin'. He could sleep in de sun er sl eep in de shade. He could lean upon his hoe en' sleep. He went ter sleep w alk'n' 'long de road oncet\, en' mighty nigh bus't his head open 'gin' a t ree he run inter. I did heah he oncet went ter sleep while he wuz in swimm in'. He wuz floatin' at de time\, en' come mighty nigh gittin' drownded be fo' he woke up. Ole Marse heared 'bout it en' ferbid his gwine in swimmin' enny mo'\, fer he said he couldn't 'ford ter lose 'im.\n\n\"When Skundus wuz growed up he got ter lookin' roun' at de gals\, en' one er de likelies t un 'em tuk his eye. It was a gal name' Cindy\, w'at libbed wid 'er mammy in a cabin by deyse'ves. Cindy tuk ter Skundus ez much ez Skundus tuk ter Cindy\, en' bimeby Skundus axed his marster ef he could marry Cindy. Mars e Dugal' b'long' ter de P'isbytay'n Chu'ch en' never 'lowed his niggers te r jump de broomstick\, but alluz had a preacher fer ter marry 'em. So he t ole Skundus ef him en' Cindy would 'ten' ter dey wuk good dat summer till de crap was laid by\, he'd let 'em git married en' hab a weddin' down ter de quarters.\n\n\"So Skundus en' Cindy wukked hahd as dey could till 'bout a mont' er so befo' layin' by\, w'en Marse Dugal's brudder\, Kunnel Wash' n'ton McAdoo\, w'at libbed down in Sampson County\, 'bout a hunderd mile e rway\, come fer ter visit Marse Dugal'. Dey wuz five er six folks in de vi sitin' party\, en' our w'ite folks needed a new gal fer ter he'p wait on ' em. Dey picked out de likeliest gal dey could fine 'mongs' de fiel-han's\, en' 'cose dat wuz Cindy. Cindy wuz might'ly tickled fer ter be tuk in de house-sarvice\, fer it meant better vittles en' better clo's en' easy wuk. She didn' seed Skundus quite as much\, but she seed 'im w'eneber she coul d. Prospe'ity didn' spile Cindy\; she didn' git stuck up en' 'bove 'sociat in' wid fiel'han's\, lack some gals in her place 'ud a done.\n\n\"Cindy wu z sech a handy gal 'roun' de house\, en' her marster's relations lacked he r so much\, dat w'en dey visit wuz ober\, dey wanted ter take Cindy 'way w id 'em. Cindy didn' want ter go en' said so. Her marster wuz a good-nature d kind er man\, en' would 'a' kep' her on de plantation. But his wife say no\, it 'ud nebber do ter be lett'n' de sarvants hab dey own way\, er dey soon wouldn' be no doin' nuthin' wid 'em. Ole marster tole 'er he done pro mus ter let Cindy marry Skundus.\n\n\"'O\, well\,' sez ole Miss\, 'dat doa n' cut no figger. Dey's too much er dis foolishness 'bout husban's en' wib es 'mongs' de niggers now-a-days. One nigger man is de same as ernudder\, en' dey'll be plenty un 'em down ter Wash'n'ton's plantation.' Ole Miss wu z a mighty smart woman\, but she didn' know ev'ything.\n\n\"'Well\,' says ole Marse\, 'de craps'll be laid by in a mont' now\, 'en den dey won't be much ter do fer ernudder mont' er six weeks. So we'll let her go down dere an' stay till cotton-pickin' time\; I'll jes' len' 'er ter 'em till den. Ef dey wants ter keep 'er en' we finds we doan need 'er\, den we'll talk f urder 'bout sellin' 'er. We'll tell her dat we jes' gwine let her go down dere wid de chil'en a week er so en' den come back\, en' den we won't hab no fuss 'bout it.'\n\n\"So dey fixed it dat erway\, en' Cindy went off wid 'em\, she 'spectin' ter be back in a week er so\, en' de w'ite folks not hahdly 'lowin' she'd come back at all. Skundus didn' lack ter hab Cindy go \, but he couldn' do nuthin'. He wuz wukkin' off in ernudder part er de pl antation w'en she went erway\, en' had ter tell her good-by de night befo' .\n\n\"Bimeby\, w'en Cindy didn' come back in two or th'ee weeks\, Skundus 'mence ter git res'less. En' Skundus wuz diff'ent f'um udder folks. Mos' folks w'en dey gits res'less can't sleep good\, but de mo' res'lesser Skun dus got\, de mo! sleepier he 'peared ter git. W'eneber he wuz'n wukkin' ef eatin'\, he'd be sleepin'. Wen de yuther niggers 'ud be sky-larkin' 'roun ' nights en' Sundays\, Skundus 'ud be soun' asleep in his cabin. Things ke p' on dis way fer 'bout a mont' atter Cindy went away\, w'en one mawnin' S kundus didn't come ter wuk. Dey look' fer 'im 'roun' de plantation\, but d ey couldn' fin' 'im\, en' befo' de day wuz gone\, ev'ybody wuz sho' dat Sk undus had runned erway.\n\n\"Cose dey wuz a great howdydo 'bout it. Nobody hadn' nebber runned erway fum Marse Dugal' befo'\, an' dey hadn' b'en a r unaway nigger in de neighbo'hood fer th'ee er fo' years. De w'ite folks wu z all wukked up\, en' dey wuz mo' ridin' er hosses en' mo' hitchin up er b uggies d'n a little. Ole Marse Dugal' had a lot er papers printed en' stuc k up on trees 'long de roads\, en' dey wuz sump'n put in de noospapers—a free nigger fum down on de Wim'l'ton Road read de paper ter some er our b an's—tellin' all 'bout how high Skundus wuz\, en' w'at kine er teef he h ad\, en' 'bout a skyah he had on his lef cheek\, en' how sleepy he wuz\, e n' off'rin' a reward er one hunder' dollars fer whoeber 'ud ketch 'im. But none of 'em eber cotch 'im.\n\n\"W'en Cindy fus' went away she wuz kinder down in de mouf fer a day er so. But she went to a fine new house\, de fo lks treated her well en' dere wuz sich good comp'ny 'mongs' her own people \, dat she made up 'er min' she might's well hab a good time fer de week e r two she wuz gwine ter stay down dere. But w'en de time roll' on en' she didn' heared nothin' 'bout gwine back\, she 'mence' ter git kinder skeered she wuz'n nebber gwine ter see her mammy ner Skundus no mo'. She wuz mons t'us cut up 'bout it\, an' los' 'er appetite en' got so po' en' skinny\, h er mist'ess sont 'er down ter de swamp fer ter git some roots fer ter make some tea fer 'er health. Her mist'ess sont her 'way 'bout th'ee o'clock e n' Cindy didn' come back till atter sundown\; en' she say she b'en lookin' fer de roots\, dat dey didn' 'pear ter be none er dem kin' er roots fer a mile er so 'long de aidge er de swamp.\n\n\"Cindy 'mence' ter git better jes' ez soon as she begun ter drink de root-tea. It wuz a monst'us good me d'cine\, leas'ways in her case. It done Cindy so much good dat her mist'es s 'eluded she'd take it herse'f en' gib it ter de chil'en. De fus' day Cin dy went atter de roots dey wuz some lef' ober\, en' her mist'ess tol' 'er fer ter use dat fer de nex' day. Cindy done so\, but she tol' 'er mist'ess hit didn' hab no strenk en' didn' do 'er no good. So ev'y day atter dat M arse Wash'n'ton's wife 'ud sen' Cindy down by de aidge er de swamp fer ter git fresh roots.\n\n\"'Cindy\,' said one er de fiel'-han's one day\, 'yer better keep 'way fum dat swamp. Dey's a ha'nt walkin' down dere.'\n\n\"'G o way fum yere wid yo' foolishness\,' said Cindy. 'Dey ain' no ha'nts. W'i te folks doan' b'lieve in sich things\, fer I heared 'em say so\; but yer can't 'spec' nothin' better fum fiel'-han's.'\n\n\"Dey wuz one man on de p lantation\, one er dese yer dandy niggers w'at 'uz alluz runnin' atter de wimmen folks\, dat got ter pest'rin' Cindy. Cindy didn' paid no 'tention t er 'im\, but he kep' on tryin' fer ter co't her w'en he could git a chance . Fin'ly Cindy tole 'im fer ter let her 'lone\, er e'se sump'n' might happ en ter 'im. But he didn' min' Cindy\, en' one ebenin' he followed her down ter de swamp. He los' track un er\, en' ez he wuz a-startin' back out'n d e swamp\, a great big black ha'nt 'bout ten feet high\, en' wid a fence-ra il in its ban's jump out'n de bushes en' chase 'im cl'ar up in de co'n fie l'. Leas'ways he said it did\; en' atter dat none er de niggers wouldn't g o nigh de swamp\, 'cep'n Cindy\, who said it wuz all foolishness—it wuz dis nigger's guilty conscience dat skeered 'im—she hadn' seed no ha'nt e n' wuz'n skeered er nuffin' she didn't see.\n\n\"Bimeby\, w'en Cindy had b e'n gone fum home 'bout two mont's\, harves'-time come on\, en' Marse Duga l' foun' hisse'f short er ban's. One er de men wuz down wid de rheumatiz\, Skundus wuz gone\, en' Cindy wuz gone\, en' Marse Dugal tole ole Miss dey wuz no use talkin'\, he couldn' 'ford ter buy no new ban's\, en' he'd ha' ter sen' fer Cindy\, 'en put her in de fiel'\; fer de cotton-crap wuz a m onst'us big 'un dat year\, en' Cindy wuz one er de bes' cotton-pickers on de plantation. So dey wrote a letter to Marse Wash'n'ton dat day fer Cindy \, en' wanted Cindy by de 'een er de mont'\, en' Marse Wash'n'ton sont her home. Cindy didn't 'pear ter wanter come much. She said she'd got kinder use' ter her noo home\; but she didn' hab no mo' ter say 'bout comin' dan she did 'bout goin'. Howsomedever\, she went down ter de swamp fer ter git roots fer her mist'ess up ter de las' day she wuz dere.\n\n\"Wen Cindy go t back home\, she wuz might'ly put out 'ca'se Skundus wuz gone\, en' hit d idn' 'pear ez ef anythin' anybody said ter 'er 'ud comfort 'er. But one ma wnin' she said she'd dreamp' dat night dat Skundus wuz gwine ter come back \; en' sho' 'nuff\, de ve'y nex' mawnin' who sh'd come walkin' out in de f iel' wid his hoe on his shoulder but Skundus\, rubbin' his eyes ez ef he h adn' got waked up good yit.\n\n\"Dey wuz a great 'miration mongs' de nigge rs\, en' somebody run off ter de big house fer ter tell Marse Dugal'. Bime by here come Marse Dugal' hisse'f\, mad as a hawnit\, acussin' en' gwine o n like he gwine ter hurt somebody\; but anybody w'at look close could' 'a' seed he wuz 'mos' tickled ter def fer ter git Skundus back ergin.\n\n\"'W har yer be'n run erway ter\, yer good-fer-nuthin'\, lazy\, black nigger?' sez 'e. 'I'm gwine ter gib yer fo' hunderd lashes. I'm gwine ter hang yer up by yer thumbs en' take ev'y bit er yer black hide off'n yer\, en' den I 'm gwine ter sell yer ter de fus' specilater w'at comes' long buyin' nigge rs fer ter take down ter Alabam'. W'at yer mean by runnin' er way fum yer good\, kin' marster\, yer good-fer-nuthin'\, wool-headed\, black scound'el ?'\n\n\"Skundus looked at 'im ez ef he didn' understan'. 'Lawd\, Marse Dug al'\,' sez 'e\, 'I doan' know w'at youer talkin' 'bout. I ain' runned erwa y\; I ain' be'n nowhar.'\n\n\"'Whar yer be'n fer de las' mon'?' said Marse Dugal'. 'Tell me de truf\, er I'll hab yer tongue pulled out by de roots. I'll tar yer all ober yer en' set yer on fiah. I'll—I'll'—Marse Dugal ' went on at a tarrable rate\, but eve'ybody knowed Marse Dugal' bark uz w uss'n his bite.\n\n\"Skundus look lack 'e wuz skeered mos' ter def fer ter heah Marse Dugal' gwine on dat erway\, en' he couldn' 'pear to un'erstan' w'at Marse Dugal' was talkin' erbout.\n\n\"'I didn' mean no harm by sleep 'n in de barn las' night\, Marse Dugal'\,' sez 'e\, 'en' ef yer'll let me off dis time\, I won' nebber do so no mo'.'\n\n\"Well\, ter make a long st ory sho't\, Skundus said he had gone ter de barn dat Sunday atternoon befo ' de Monday w'en he could't be foun'\, fer ter hunt aigs\, en' wiles he wu z up dere de hay had 'peared so sof en' nice dat he had laid down fer take a little nap\; dat it wuz mawnin' w'en he woke en' foun' hisse'f all cove red up whar de hay had fell over on 'im. A hen had built a nes' right on t op un 'im\, en' it had half-a-dozen aigs in it. He said he hadn't stop fer ter git no brekfus'\, but had jes' suck' one or two er de aigs en' hurrie d right straight out in de fiel'\, fer he seed it wuz late en' all de res' er de ban's wuz gone ter wuk.\n\n\"'Youer a liar\,' said Marse Dugal'\, ' en' de truf ain't in yer. Yer b'en run erway en' hid in de swamp somewhar ernudder.' But Skundus swo' up en' down dat he hadn' b'en out'n dat barn\, en' fin'lly Marse Dugal' went up ter de house en' Skundus went on wid his wuk.\n\n\"Well\, yer mought know dey wuz a great 'miration in de neighbo' hood. Marse Dugal' sont fer Skundus ter cum up ter de big house nex' day\, en' Skundus went up 'spect'n' fer ter ketch forty. But w'en he got dere\, Marse Dugal' had fetched up ole Doctor Leach fum down on Rockfish\, 'en a nother young doctor fum town\, en' dey looked at Skundus's eyes en' felt o f his wris' en' pulled out his tongue\, en' hit 'im in de chis'\, en' put dey yeahs ter his side fer ter heah 'is heart beat\; en' den dey up'n made Skundus tell how he felt w'en 'e went ter sleep en' how he felt w'en 'e w oke up. Dey stayed ter dinner\, en' w'en dey got thoo' talkin' en' eatin' en' drinkin'\, dey tole Marse Dugal' Skundus had had a catacornered fit\, en' had be'n in a trance fer fo' weeks. En' w'en dey l'arned about Cindy\, en' how dis yer fit had come on gradg'ly atter Cindy went away\, dey 'low ed Marse Dugal' 'd better let Skundus en' Cindy git married\, er he'd be l iable ter hab some mo' er dem fits. Fer Marse Dugal' didn' want no fittifi ed niggers ef 'e could he'p it.\n\n\"Atter dat\, Marse Dugal' had Skundus up ter de house lots er times fer ter show 'im off ter folks w'at come ter visit. En' bein' as Cindy wuz back home\, en' she en' Skundus wukked hahd \, en' he couldn' 'ford fer ter take no chances on dem long trances\, he ' lowed em ter got married soon ez cotton-pickin' wuz ober\, en' gib 'em a c abin er dey own ter lib in down in de quarters. En' sho' 'nuff\, dey didn' had no trouble keep'n' Skundus wak f'm dat time fo'th\, fer Cindy turned out ter hab a temper of her own\, en' made Skundus walk a chalk-line.\n\n\ "Dis yer boy\, Tom\,\" said the old man\, straightening out his leg carefu lly\, preparatory to getting up\, \"is jes' like his gran'daddy. I b'lieve ef somebody didn' wake 'im up he'd sleep till jedgmen' day. Heah 'e comes now. Come on heah wid dat w'eelborrow\, yer lazy\, good-fer-nuthin' rasca l.\"\n\nTom came slowly round the house with the wheelbarrow\, and stood b linking and rolling his eyes as if he had just emerged from a sound sleep and was not yet half awake.\n\nWe took our way around the house\, the ladi es and I in front\, Julius next and Tom bringing up the rear with the whee lbarrow. We went by the well-kept grape-vines\, heavy with the promise of an abundant harvest\, through a narrow field of yellowing corn\, and then picked our way through the watermelon-vines to the spot where the monarch of the patch had lain the day before\, in all the glory of its coat of var iegated green. There was a shallow concavity in the sand where it had rest ed\, but the melon itself was gone.\n\nLonesome Ben\n\nThere had been some talk among local capitalists about building a cotton mill on Beaver Creek \, a few miles from my place on the sand hills in North Carolina\, and I h ad been approached as likely to take an interest in such an enterprise. Wh ile I had the matter under advisement it was suggested\, as an inducement to my co-operation\, that I might have the brick for the mill made on my p lace—there being clay there suitable for the purpose—and thus reduce t he amount of my actual cash investment. Most of my land was sandy\, though I had observed several outcroppings of clay along the little creek or bra nch forming one of my boundaries.\n\nOne afternoon in summer\, when the su n was low and the heat less oppressive than it had been earlier in the day \, I ordered Julius\, our old colored coachman\, to harness the mare to th e rockaway and drive me to look at the clay-banks. When we were ready\, my wife\, who wished to go with me for the sake of the drive\, came out and took her seat by my side.\n\nWe reached our first point of destination by a road running across the plantation\, between a field of dark-green maize on the one hand and a broad expanse of scuppernong vines on the other. Th e road led us past a cabin occupied by one of my farm-hands. As the carria ge went by at a walk\, the woman of the house came to the door and curtsie d. My wife made some inquiry about her health\, and she replied that it wa s poor. I noticed that her complexion\, which naturally was of a ruddy bro wn\, was of a rather sickly hue. Indeed\, I had observed a greater sallown ess among both the colored people and the poor whites thereabouts than the hygienic conditions of the neighborhood seemed to justify.\n\nAfter leavi ng this house our road lay through a cotton field for a short distance\, a nd then we entered a strip of woods\, through which ran the little stream beside which I had observed the clay. We stopped at the creek\, the road b y which we had come crossing it and continuing over the land of my neighbo r\, Colonel Pemberton. By the roadside\, on my own land\, a bank of clay r ose in almost a sheer perpendicular for about ten feet\, evidently extendi ng back some distance into the low\, pine-clad hill behind it\, and having also frontage upon the creek. There were marks of bare feet on the ground along the base of the bank\, and the face of it seemed freshly disturbed and scored with finger marks\, as though children had been playing there.\ n\n\"Do you think that clay would make good brick\, Julius?\" I asked the old man\, who had been unusually quiet during the drive. He generally play ed with the whip\, making little feints at the mare\, or slapping her ligh tly with the reins\, or admonishing her in a familiar way\; but on this oc casion the heat or some other cause had rendered him less demonstrative th an usual.\n\n\"Yas\, suh\, I knows it would\,\" he answered.\n\n\"How do y ou know? Has it ever been used for that purpose?\"\n\n\"No\, suh\; but I g ot my reasons fer sayin' so. Ole Mars Dugal useter hab a brickya'd fu'ther up de branch—I dunno as yer noticed it\, fer it's all growed ober wid w eeds an' grass. Mars Dugal said dis yer clay wouldn' make good brick\, but I knowed better.\"\n\nI judged from the appearance of the clay that it wa s probably deficient in iron. It was of a yellowish-white tint and had a s ort of greasy look.\n\n\"Well\,\" I said\, \"we'll drive up to the other p lace and get a sample of that clay\, and then we'll come back this way.\"\ n\n\"Hold on a minute\, dear\,\" said my wife\, looking at her watch\, \"M abel has been over to Colonel Pemberton's all the afternoon. She said she' d be back at five. If we wait here a little while she'll be along and we c an take her with us.\"\n\n\"All right\,\" I said\, \"we'll wait for her. D rive up a little farther\, Julius\, by that jessamine vine.\"\n\nWhile we were waiting\, a white woman wearing a homespun dress and slat-bonnet\, ca me down the road from the other side of the creek\, and lifting her skirts slightly\, waded with bare feet across the shallow stream. Reaching the c lay-bank she stooped and gathered from it\, with the aid of a convenient s tick\, a quantity of the clay which she pressed together in the form of a ball. She had not seen us at first\, the bushes partially screening us\; b ut when\, having secured the clay\, she turned her face in our direction a nd caught sight of us watching her\, she hid the lump of clay in her pocke t with a shamefaced look\, and hurried away by the road she had come.\n\n\ "What is she going to do with that\, Uncle Julius?\" asked my wife. We wer e Northern settlers\, and still new to some of the customs of the locality \, concerning which we often looked to Julius for information. He had live d on the place many years and knew the neighborhood thoroughly.\n\n\"She's gwineter eat it\, Miss Annie\,\" he replied\, \"w'en she gits outer sight .\"\n\n\"Ugh!\" said my wife with a grimace\, \"you don't mean she's going to eat that great lump of clay?\"\n\n\"Yas'm I does\; dat's jes' w'at I m eans—gwineter eat eve'y bit un it\, an' den come back bimeby fer mo'.\"\ n\n\"I should think it would make them sick\,\" she said.\n\n\"Dey gits us e' ter it\,\" said Julius. \"Howsomeber\, ef dey eats too much it does mak e 'em sick\; an' I knows w'at I'm ertalkin' erbout. I doan min' w'at dem k inder folks does\,\" he added\, looking contemptuously after the retreatin g figure of the poor-white woman\, \"but w'eneber I sees black folks eat'n ' clay of'n dat partic'lar clay-bank\, it alluz sets me ter studyin' 'bout po' lonesome Ben.\"\n\n\"What was the matter with Ben?\" asked my wife. \ "You can tell us while we're waiting for Mabel.\"\n\nOld Julius often begu iled our leisure with stories of plantation life\, some of them folk-lore stories\, which we found to be in general circulation among the colored pe ople\; some of them tales of real life as Julius had seen it in the old sl ave days\; but the most striking were\, we suspected\, purely imaginary\, or so colored by old Julius's fancy as to make us speculate at times upon how many original minds\, which might have added to the world's wealth of literature and art\, had been buried in the ocean of slavery.\n\n\"W'en ol e Mars Marrabo McSwayne owned dat place ober de branch dere\, w'at Kunnel Pembe'ton owns now\,\" the old man began\, \"he useter hab a nigger man na me' Ben. Ben wuz one er dese yer big black niggers—he was mo'd'n six foo t high an' black ez coal. He wuz a fiel'-han' an' a good wukker\, but he h ad one little failin'—he would take a drap er so oncet in a w'ile. Co'se eve'ybody laks a drap now an' den\, but it 'peared ter 'fec' Ben mo'd'n i t did yuther folks. He didn' hab much chance dat-a-way\, but eve'y now an' den he'd git holt er sump'n' somewahr\, an' sho's he did\, he'd git out'n de narrer road. Mars Marrabo kep' on wa'nin' 'm 'bout it\, an' fin'lly he tol' 'im ef he eber ketch 'im in dat shape ag'in he 'uz gwineter gib 'im fo'ty. Ben knowed ole Mars Marrabo had a good 'memb'ance an' alluz done w' at he said\, so he wuz monst'us keerful not ter gib 'm no 'casion fer ter use his 'memb'ance on him. An' so fer mos' a whole yeah Ben 'nied hisse'f an' nebber teched a drap er nuffin'.\n\n\"But it's h'ad wuk ter larn a ole dog new tricks\, er ter make him fergit de ole uns\, an' po' Ben's time c ome bimeby\, jes' lak ev'ybody e'se's does. Mars Marrabo sent 'im ober ter dis yer plantation one day wid a bundle er cotton-sacks fer Mars Dugal\,' an' wiles he wuz ober yere\, de ole Debbil sent a' 'oman w'at had cas' he r eyes on 'im an' knowed his weakness\, fer ter temp' po' Ben wid some lic ker. Mars Whiskey wuz right dere an' Mars Marrabo wuz a mile erway\, an' s o Ben minded Mars Whiskey an' fergot 'bout Mars Marrabo. W'en he got back home he couldn' skasely tell Mars Marrabo de message w'at Mars Dugal' had sent back ter 'im.\n\n\"Mars Marrabo listen' at 'im 'temp' ter tell it\; a nd den he says\, kinder col' and cuttin'-like—he didn' 'pear ter get mad ner nuffin':\n\n\"'Youer drunk\, Ben.'\n\n\"De way his marster spoke sort er sobered Ben\, an' he 'nied it of co'se.\n\n\"'Who? Me\, Mars Marrabo? I ain' drunk\; no\, marster\, Iain' drunk. I ain' teched a drap er nuffin' s ence las' Chris'mas\, suh'.\n\n\"'Youer drunk\, Ben\, an' don't you dare t er 'spute my wo'd\, er I'll kill you in yo' tracks! I'll talk ter you Sad' day night\, suh\, w'en you'll be sober\, an' w'en you'll hab Sunday ter 'f leet over ou' conve'sation\, an' 'nuss yo' woun's.'\n\n\"W'en Mars Marrabo got th'oo talkin' Ben wuz mo' sober dan he wuz befo' he got drunk. It wuz Wednesday w'en Ben's marster tol 'im dis\, an' 'twix' den and Friday nigh t Ben done a heap er studyin'. An' de mo' he studied de mo' he didn' lak d e way Mars Marrabo talked. He hadn' much trouble wid Mars Marrabo befo\,' but he knowed his ways\, an' he knowed dat de longer Mars Marrabo waited t o do a thing de\; wusser he got 'stid er gittin' better lak mos' folks.' A n' Ben fin'lly made up his min' he wa'n't gwineter take dat cow-hidin.' He 'lowed dat ef he wuz little\, like some er de dahkies on de plantation\, he wouldn' min' it so much\; but he wuz so big dey'd be mo' groun' fer Mar s Marrabo ter cover\, an' it would hurt dat much mo.' So Ben 'cided ter ru n erway.\n\n\"He had a wife an' two chil'en\, an' dey had a little cabin t er deyse'ves down in de quahters. His wife Dasdy wuz a good-lookin\,' good -natu'd 'oman\, an' 'peared ter set a heap er sto' by Ben. De little boy w uz name' Pete\; he wuz 'bout eight er nine years ole\, an' had already 'me nced ter go out in de fiel' an' he'p his mammy pick cotton\, fer Mars Marr abo wuz one er dese yer folks w'at wants ter make eve'y aidge cut. Dis yer little Pete wuz a mighty soople dancer\, an' w'en his daddy would set out in de yahd an' pick de banjo fer 'im\, Pete could teach de ole folks noo steps—dancin' jes seemed to come nachul ter 'im. Dey wuz a little gal to o\; Ben didn' pay much 'tention ter de gal\, but he wuz monst'us fond er D asdy an' de boy. He wuz sorry ter leab 'em\, an' he didn' tell 'em nuffin' 'bout it fer fear dey'd make a fuss. But on Friday night Ben tuk all de b read an' meat dey wuz in de cabin an' made fer de woods.\n\n\"W'en Sad'day come an' Ben didn' 'pear\, an' nobody didn' know nuffin' 'bout 'im\, Mars Marrabo 'lowed of co'se dat Ben had runned erway. He got up a pahty an' t uk de dawgs out an' follered de scen' down ter de crick an' los' it. Fer B en had tuk a go'd-full er tar 'long wid' 'im\, an' w'en he got ter de cric k he had 'n'inted his feet wid tar\, an' dat th'owed de houns' off'n de sc ent. Dey sarched de woods an' follered de roads an' kep' watchin' fer a we ek\, but dey couldn' fin' no sign er Ben. An' den Mars Marrabo got mo' str ic'\, an' wuked his niggers hahder'n eber\, ez ef he wanted ter try ter ma ke up fer his loss.\n\n\"W'en Ben stahted out he wanted ter go ter de No't h. He didn' know how fur it wuz\, bet he 'lowed he retch dar in fo' er fiv e days. He knowed de No'th Stah\, an' de fus night he kep' gwine right str aight to'ds it. But de nex' night it was rainin\,' an' fer two er th'ee ni ghts it stayed cloudy\, an' Ben couldn' see de No'th Stah. Howsomeber\, he knowed he had got stahted right' an' he kep' gwine right straight on de s ame way fer a week er mo' 'spectin' ter git ter de No'th eve'y day\, w'en one mawin' early\, atter he had b'en walkin' all night\, he come right sma ck out on de crick jes whar he had stahted f'om.\n\n\"Co'se Ben wuz monst' us disapp'inted. He had been wond'rin' w'y he hadn' got ter de No'th befo\ ,' an' behol\,' heah he wuz back on de ole plantation. He couldn' un'ersta n' it at fus\,' but he wuz so hongry he didn' hab time ter study 'bout nuf fin' fer a little w'ile but jes' ter git sump'n' ter eat\; fer he had done eat up de bread an' meat he tuk away wid 'im\, an' had been libbin' on ro as'n-ears an' sweet'n taters he'd slip out'n de woods an' fin' in co'n fie l's 'an 'tater-patches. He look 'cross de crick\, an' seed dis yer clay-ba nk\, an' he waded ober an' got all he could eat\, an' den tuk a lump wid ' im\, an' hid in de woods ag'in 'til he could study de matter ober some.\n\ n\"Fus' he 'lowed dat he better gib hiss'ef up an' take his lammin.' But j es' den he 'membered de way Mars Marrabo looked at 'im an' w'at he said 'b out Sad'day night\; an' den he 'lowed dat ef Mars Marrabo ketch 'im now\, he'd wear 'im ter a frazzle an' chaw up de frazzle\, so de wouldn' be nuff in' lef' un 'im at all\, an' dat Mars Marrabo would make a' example an' a warnin' of 'im fer all de niggers in de naberhood. Fac' is Mars Marrabo pr ob'ly wouldn' a' done much ter 'im fer it 'ud be monst'us po' 'couragement fer runaway niggers ter come back\, ef dey gwineter git killed w'en dey c ome. An' so Ben waited 'til night\, an' den he went back an' got some mo' clay an' eat it an' hid hisse'f in de woods ag'in.\n\n\"Well\, hit wuz qua re 'bout Ben\, but he stayed roun' heah fer a mont\,' hidin' in de woods i n de daytime\, an' slippin' out nights an' gittin' clay ter eat an' water f'om de crick yanker ter drink. De water in dat crick wuz cl'ar in dem day s\, stidder bein' yallar lak it is now.\"\n\nWe had observed that the wate r\, like that of most streams that take their rise in swamps\, had an ambe r tint to which the sand and clay background of the bed of the stream impa rted an even yellower hue.\n\n\"What did he do then\, Julius?\" asked my w ife\, who liked to hear the end of a story.\n\n\"Well\, Miss\, he made up his min' den dat he wuz gwineter staht fer de No'th ag'in. But wiles he b' en layin' roun' in de woods he had 'mence ter feel monst'us lonesome\, an' it 'peared ter him dat he jes' couldn' go widout seein' Dasdy an' little Pete. Fus' he 'lowed he'd go up ter de cabin\, but he thought 'bout de dog s 'roun' de yahd\, an' dat de yuther dahkies mought see 'im\, and so he 'c ided he'd better watch fer 'em 'til dey come long de road—it wuz dis yer same road—w'en he could come out'n de woods an' talk ter 'em. An' he eb en 'lowed he mought 'suade 'em ter run erway wid 'im an' dey could all get ter de No'th\, fer de nights wuz cl'ar now\, an' he couldn' lose de No'th Stah.\n\n\"So he waited two er th'ee days\, an' sho' nuff long come Dasdy one mornin\,' comin' over to Mars Dugal's fer ter fetch some things fer h er missis. She wuz lookin' kinder down in de mouf\, fer she thought a heap er Ben\, an' wuz monst'us sorry ter lose 'im\, w'iles at de same time she wuz glad he wuz free\, fer she 'lowed he'd done got ter de Norf long befo .' An' she wuz studyin' 'bout Ben\, w'at a fine-lookin' man he wuz\, an' w ond'rin' ef she'd eber see 'im any mo.'\n\n\"W'en Ben seed her comin' he w aited 'til she got close by\, an' den he stepped out 'n de woods an' come face ter face wid her. She didn' 'pear to know who he wuz\, an' seem kinde r skeered.\n\n\"'Hoddy\, Dasdy honey\,' he said.\n\n\"'Huh!' she said\, '' pears ter me you'er mighty fermilyer on sho't acquaintance.'\n\n\"'Sho't a cquaintance.' Why\, doan' yer know me\, Dasdy?'\n\n\"'No. I doan know yer f'om a skeercrow. I never seed yer befo' in my life\, an' nebber wants ter see yer ag'in. Whar did yer com f'om anyhow? Whose nigger is yer? Er is y er some low-down free nigger dat doan b'long ter nobody an' doan own nobod y?'\n\n\"'W'at fer you talk ter me like dat\, honey? I's Ben\, yo' Ben. Wh y doan you know yo' own man?'\n\n\"He put out his ahms fer ter draw her te r 'im\, but she jes' gib one yell\, an' stahted ter run. Ben wuz so 'stoni sh' he didn' know w'at ter do\, an' he stood dere in de road 'til he heare d somebody e'se comin'\, w'en he dahted in de woods ag'in.\n\n\"Po' Ben wu z so 'sturbed in his min' dat he couldn' hahdly eat any clay dat day. He c ouldn' make out w'at wuz de matter wid Dasdy but he 'lowed maybe she'd hea red he wuz dead er sump'n\,' an' thought he wuz a ha'nt\, an' dat wuz w'y she had run away. So he watch' by de side er de road\, an' nex' mornin' wh o should come erlong but little Pete\, wid a reed over his shoulder\, an' a go'd-full er bait\, gwine fishin' in de crick.\n\n\"Ben called 'im\; 'Pe te\, O Pete! Little Pete.'\n\n\"Little Pete cocked up his ears an' listene d. 'Peared lak he'd heared dat voice befo.' He stahted fer de woods fer te r see who it wuz callin' 'im\, but befo' he got dere Ben stepped out an' r etched fer im.\n\n\"'Come heah\, honey\, an' see yo' daddy\, who ain' seen yer fer so long.'\n\n\"But little Pete tuk one look at 'im\, an' den 'menc eter holler an squeal an' kick an' bite an' scratch. Ben wuz so 'stonish' dat he couldn' hoi' de boy\, who slipped out'n his ban's an run to'ds de h ouse ez fas' ez his legs would tote 'im.\n\n\"Po' Ben kep' gittin' wus an' wus mixed up. He couldn' make out fer de life er 'im w'at could be de mat ter. Nobody didn' 'pear ter wanter own 'im. He felt so cas' down dat he di dn' notice a nigger man comin' long de road 'til he got right close up on 'im\, an' didn' heah dis man w'en he said 'Hoddy' ter 'im.\n\n\"'Wat's de matter wid yer?' said de yuther man w'en Ben didn' 'spon'. 'Wat jedge er m ember er de legislater er hotel-keeper does you b'long ter dat you can't s peak ter a man w'en he says hoddy ter yer?'\n\n\"Ben kinder come ter hisse 'f an' seed it wuz Primus\, who b'long ter his marster an' knowed 'im as w ell as anybody. But befo' he could git de words out'n his mouf Primus went on talkin.'\n\n\"'Youer de mos' mis'able lookin' merlatter I eber seed. D em rags look lak dey be'n run th'oo a sawmill. My marster doan 'low no str ange niggers roun' dis yer plantation\, an' yo' better take yo' yaller hid e 'way f'um yer as fas' as yo' kin.'\n\n\"Jes den somebody hollered on de yuther side er de crick\, an' Primus stahted off on a run\, so Ben didn' h ab no chance ter say no mo' ter 'im.\n\n\"Ben almos' 'lowed he wuz gwine o ut'n' his min'\, he wuz so 'stonished an' mazed at none er dese yer folks reco'nizin' 'im. He went back in de woods ag'in an' stayed dere all day\, wond'rin' w'at he wuz gwineter do. Oncet er twicet he seed folks comin' 'l ong de road\, an' stahted out ter speak ter 'em\, but changed his min' an' slip' back ag'in.\n\n\"Co'se ef Mars Marrabo had been huntin' Ben he woul d 'a' foun' 'im. But he had long sence los' all hope er seein' im ag'in\, an' so nobody didn' 'sturb Ben in de woods. He stayed hid a day er two mo' an' den he got so lonesome an' homesick fer Dasdy an' little Pete an' de yuther dahkies\,—somebody ter talk ter—dat he jes' made up his min' te r go right up ter de house an' gib hisse'f up an' take his med'cine. Mars Marrabo couldn' do nuffin' mo' d'n kill 'im an' he mought's well be dead a s hidin' in de woods wid nobody ter talk ter er look at ner nuffin'. He ha d jes' come out 'n de woods an' stahted up dis ve'y road\, w'en who sh'd c ome 'long in a hoss 'n buggy but ole Mars Marrabo\, drivin' ober ter dat y uther brickyahd youer gwinter see now. Ben run out 'n de woods\, and fell down on his knees in de road right in front er Mars Marrabo. Mars Marrabo had to pull on de lines an' hoi' de hoss up ter keep 'im f'um runnin' ober Ben.\n\n\"'Git out'n de road\, you fool nigger\,' says Mars Marrabo\, 'do es yer wanter git run ober? Whose nigger is you\, anyhow?'\n\n\"I's yo' ni gger\, Mars Marrabo\; doan yer know Ben\, w'at runned erway?'\n\n\"'Yas\, I knows my Ben w'at runned erway. Does you know whar he is?'\n\n\"'Why\, I 's yo' Ben\, Mars Marrabo. Doan yer know me\, marster?'\n\n\"'No\, I doan know yer\, yer yaller rascal! W'at de debbil yer mean by tellin' me sich a lie? Ben wuz black ez a coal an' straight ez an' arrer. Youer yaller ez d at clay-bank\, an' crooked ez a bair'l-hoop. I reckon youer some 'stracted nigger\, tun't out by some marster w'at doan wanter take keer er yer. You git off'n my plantation\, an' doan show yo' clay-cullud hide aroun' yer n o more\, er I'll hab yer sent ter jail an' whip.'\n\n\"Mars Marrabo drove erway an' lef' po' Ben mo' dead 'n alive. He crep' back in de bushes an' l aid down an' wep' lak a baby. He didn' hab no wife\, no chile\, no frien's \, no marster—he'd be'n willin' ernuff to git 'long widout a marster\, w 'en he had one\, but it 'peared lak a sin fer his own marster ter 'ny 'im an' cas' 'im off dat-a-way. It 'peared ter 'im he mought jes' ez well be d ead ez livin'\, fer he wuz all alone in de worl'\, wid nowhar ter go\, an' nobody didn' hab nuffin' ter say ter 'im but ter 'buse 'im an' drive 'im erway.\n\n\"Atter he got ober his grievin' spell he 'mence ter wonder w'at Mars Marrabo meant by callin' 'im yaller\, an' ez long ez nobody didn' se em ter keer whuther dey seed 'im er not\, he went down by de crick in broa d daylight\, an' kneel down by de water an' looked at his face. Fus' he di dn' reco'nize hisse'f an' glanshed back ter see ef dey wa'n't somebody loo kin' ober his shoulder—but dey wa'n't. An' w'en he looked back in de wat er he seed de same thing—he wa'n't black no mo'\, but had turnt ter a li ght yaller.\n\n\"Ben didn' knowed w'at ter make er it fer a minute er so. Fus' he 'lowed he must hab de yaller fever\, er de yaller janders\, er sum p'n lak dat'! But he had knowed rale dark folks ter hab janders befo'\, an d it hadn't nebber 'fected 'em dat-a-way. But bimeby he got up o'ff'n 'is han's an' knees an' wuz stan'in' lookin' ober de crick at de clay-bank\, a n' wond'rin ef de clay he'd b'en eat'n' hadn' turnt 'im yaller w'en he hea red sump'n say jes' ez plain ez wo'ds.\n\n\"'Turnt ter clay! turnt ter cla y! turnt ter clay!'\n\n\"He looked all roun'\, but he couldn' see nobody b ut a big bullfrog settin' on a log on de yuther side er de crick. An' w'en he turnt roun' an' sta'ted back in de woods\, he heared de same thing beh in' 'im.\n\n\"'Turnt ter clay! turnt ter clay! turnt ter clay!'\n\n\"Dem w o'ds kep' ringin' in 'is yeahs 'til he fin'lly 'lowed dey wuz boun' ter be so\, er e'se dey wouldn' a b'en tol ter 'im\, an' dat he had libbed on cl ay so long an' had eat so much\, dat he must 'a' jes nach'ly turnt ter cla y!\"\n\n\"Imperious Caesar\, turned to clay\, Might stop a hole to keep th e wind away\,\"\n\nI murmured parenthentically.\n\n\"Yas\, suh\,\" said th e old man\, \"turnt ter clay. But you's mistook in de name\, suh\; hit wuz Ben\, you 'member\, not Caesar. Ole Mars Marrabo did hab a nigger name' C aesar\, but dat wuz anudder one.\"\n\n\"Don't interrupt him\, John\,\" sai d my wife impatiently. \"What happened then\, Julius?\"\n\n\"Well\, po' Be n didn' know w'at ter do. He had be'n lonesome ernuff befo'\, but now he d idn' eben hab his own se'f ter 'so'ciate wid\, fer he felt mo' lak a stran ger 'n he did lak Ben. In a day er so mo' he 'mence ter wonder whuther he wuz libbin' er not. He had hearn 'bout folks turnin' ter clay w'en dey wuz dead\, an' he 'lowed maybe he wuz dead an' didn' knowed it\, an' dat wuz de reason w'y eve'body run erway f'm 'im an' wouldn' hab nuffin' ter do wi d 'im. An' ennyhow\, he 'lowed ef he wa'n't dead\, he mought's well be. He wande'ed roun' a day er so mo'\, an' fin'lly de lonesomeness\, an' de sle epin' out in de woods\, 'mongs' de snakes an' sco'pions\, an' not habbin' nuffin' fit ter eat\, 'mence ter tell on him\, mo' an' mo'\, an' he kep' g ittin' weakah an' weakah 'til one day\, w'en he went down by de crick fer ter git a drink er water\, he foun' his limbs gittin' so stiff hit 'uz all he could do ter crawl up on de bank an' lay down in de sun. He laid dere 'til he died\, an' de sun beat down on 'im\, an' beat down on 'im\, an' be at down on 'im\, fer th'ee er fo' days\, 'til it baked 'im as ha'd as a br ick. An' den a big win' come erlong an' blowed a tree down\, an' it fell o n 'im an' smashed 'im all ter pieces\, an' groun' 'im ter powder. An' den a big rain come erlong\, an' washed 'im in de crick\, 'an eber sence den d e water in dat crick's b'en jes' as yer sees it now. An dat wuz de een' er po' lonesome Ben\, an' dat's de reason w'y I knows dat clay'll make brick an' w'y I doan nebber lak ter see no black folks eat'n it.\"\n\nMy wife c ame of a family of reformers\, who could never contemplate an evil without seeking an immediate remedy. When I decided that the bank of edible clay was not fit for brickmaking\, she asked me if I would not have it carted a way\, suggesting at the same time that it could be used to fill a low plac e in another part of the plantation.\n\n\"It would be too expensive\,\" I said.\n\n\"Oh\, no\,\" she replied\, \"I don't think so. I have been talki ng with Uncle Julius about it\, and he says he has a nephew who is out of employment\, and who will take the contract for ten dollars\, if you will furnish the mule and cart\, and board him while the job lasts.\"\n\nAs I h ad no desire to add another permanent member to my household\, I told her it would be useless\; that if the people did not get clay there they would find it elsewhere\, and perhaps an inferior quality which might do greate r harm\, and that the best way to stop them from eating it was to teach th em self-respect\, when she had opportunity\, and those habits of industry and thrift whereby they could get their living from the soil in a manner l ess direct but more commendable.\n\nSuperstitions and Folk-Lore of the Sou th\n\nDuring a recent visit to North Carolina\, after a long absence\, I t ook occasion to inquire into the latter-day prevalence of the old-time bel ief in what was known as \"conjuration\" or \"goopher\,\" my childish reco llection of which I have elsewhere embodied into a number of stories. The derivation of the word \"goopher\" I do not know\, nor whether any other w riter than myself has recognized its existence\, though it is in frequent use in certain parts of the South. The origin of this curious superstition itself is perhaps more easily traceable. It probably grew\, in the first place\, out of African fetichism which was brought over from the dark cont inent along with the dark people. Certain features\, too\, suggest a dista nt affinity with Voodooism\, or snake worship\, a cult which seems to have been indigenous to tropical America. These beliefs\, which in the place o f their origin had all the sanctions of religion and social custom\, becam e\, in the shadow of the white man's civilization\, a pale reflection of t heir former selves. In time\, too\, they were mingled and confused with th e witchcraft and ghost lore of the white man\, and the tricks and delusion s of the Indian conjurer. In the old plantation days they flourished vigor ously\, though discouraged by the \"great house\,\" and their potency was well established among the blacks and the poorer whites. Education\, howev er\, has thrown the ban of disrepute upon witchcraft and conjuration. The stern frown of the preacher\, who looks upon superstition as the ally of t he Evil One\; the scornful sneer of the teacher\, who sees in it a part of the livery of bondage\, have driven this quaint combination of ancestral traditions to the remote chimney corners of old black aunties\, from which it is difficult for the stranger to unearth them. Mr. Harris\, in his Unc le Remus stories\, has\, with fine literary discrimination\, collected and put into pleasing and enduring form\, the plantation stories which dealt with animal lore\, but so little attention has been paid to those dealing with so-called conjuration\, that they seem in a fair way to disappear\, w ithout leaving a trace behind. The loss may not be very great\, but these vanishing traditions might furnish valuable data for the sociologist\, in the future study of racial development. In writing\, a few years ago\, the volume entitled The Conjure Woman\, I suspect that I was more influenced by the literary value of the material than by its sociological bearing\, a nd therefore took\, or thought I did\, considerable liberty with my subjec t. Imagination\, however\, can only act upon data—one must have somewher e in his consciousness the ideas which he puts together to form a connecte d whole. Creative talent\, of whatever grade\, is\, in the last analysis\, only the power of rearrangement—there is nothing new under the sun. I w as the more firmly impressed with this thought after I had interviewed hal f a dozen old women\, and a genuine \"conjure doctor\;\" for I discovered that the brilliant touches\, due\, I had thought\, to my own imagination\, were after all but dormant ideas\, lodged in my childish mind by old Aunt This and old Uncle That\, and awaiting only the spur of imagination to br ing them again to the surface. For instance\, in the story\, \"Hot-foot Ha nnibal\,\" there figures a conjure doll with pepper feet. Those pepper fee t I regarded as peculiarly my own\, a purely original creation. I heard\, only the other day\, in North Carolina\, of the consternation struck to th e heart of a certain dark individual\, upon finding upon his doorstep a ra bbit's foot—a good omen in itself perhaps—to which a malign influence had been imparted by tying to one end of it\, in the form of a cross\, two small pods of red pepper!\n\nMost of the delusions connected with this be lief in conjuration grow out of mere lack of enlightenment. As primeval me n saw a personality behind every natural phenomenon\, and found a god or a devil in wind\, rain\, and hail\, in lightning\, and in storm\, so the un taught man or woman who is assailed by an unusual ache or pain\, some stre nuous symptom of serious physical disorder\, is prompt to accept the sugge stion\, which tradition approves\, that some evil influence is behind his discomfort\; and what more natural than to conclude that some rival in bus iness or in love has set this force in motion?\n\nRelics of ancestral barb arism are found among all peoples\, but advanced civilization has at least shaken off the more obvious absurdities of superstition. We no longer att ribute insanity to demoniac possession\, nor suppose that a king's touch c an cure scrofula. To many old people in the South\, however\, any unusual ache or pain is quite as likely to have been caused by some external evil influence as by natural causes. Tumors\, sudden swellings due to inflammat ory rheumatism or the bites of insects\, are especially open to suspicion. Paralysis is proof positive of conjuration. If there is any doubt\, the \ "conjure doctor\" invariably removes it. The credulity of ignorance is his chief stock in trade—there is no question\, when he is summoned\, but t hat the patient has been tricked.\n\nThe means of conjuration are as simpl e as the indications. It is a condition of all witch stories that there mu st in some way be contact\, either with the person\, or with some object o r image intended to represent the person to be affected\; or\, if not actu al contact\, at least close proximity. The charm is placed under the door- sill\, or buried under the hearth\, or hidden in the mattress of the perso n to be conjured. It may be a crude attempt to imitate the body of the vic tim\, or it may consist merely of a bottle\, or a gourd\, or a little bag\ , containing a few rusty nails\, crooked pins\, or horsehairs. It may be a mysterious mixture thrown surreptitiously upon the person to be injured\, or merely a line drawn across a road or path\, which line it is fatal for a certain man or woman to cross. I heard of a case of a laboring man who went two miles out of his way\, every morning and evening\, while going to and from his work\, to avoid such a line drawn for him by a certain power ful enemy.\n\nSome of the more gruesome phases of the belief in conjuratio n suggest possible poisoning\, a knowledge of which baleful art was once s upposed to be widespread among the imported Negroes of the olden time. The blood or venom of snakes\, spiders\, and lizards is supposed to be employ ed for this purpose. The results of its administration are so peculiar\, h owever\, and so entirely improbable\, that one is supposed to doubt even t he initial use of poison\, and figure it in as part of the same general de lusion. For instance\, a certain man \"swelled up all over\" and became \" pieded\,\" that is\, pied or spotted. A white physician who was summoned t hought that the man thus singularly afflicted was poisoned\, but did not r ecognize the poison nor know the antidote. A conjure doctor\, subsequently called in\, was more prompt in his diagnosis. The man\, he said\, was poi soned with a lizard\, which at that very moment was lodged somewhere in th e patient's anatomy. The lizards and snakes in these stories\, by the way\ , are not confined to the usual ducts and cavities of the human body\, but seem to have freedom of movement throughout the whole structure. This liz ard\, according to the \"doctor\,\" would start from the man's shoulder\, descend to his hand\, return to the shoulder\, and pass down the side of t he body to the leg. When it reached the calf of the leg the lizard's head would appear right under the skin. After it had been perceptible for three days the lizard was to be cut out with a razor\, or the man would die. Su re enough\, the lizard manifested its presence in the appointed place at t he appointed time\; but the patient would not permit the surgery\, and at the end of three days paid with death the penalty of his obstinacy. Old Au nt Harriet told me\, with solemn earnestness\, that she herself had taken a snake from her own arm\, in sections\, after a similar experience. Old H arriet may have been lying\, but was\, I imagine\, merely self-deluded. Wi tches\, prior to being burned\, have often confessed their commerce with t he Evil One. Why should Harriet hesitate to relate a simple personal exper ience which involved her in no blame whatever?\n\nOld Uncle Jim\, a shrewd \, hard old sinner\, and a palpable fraud\, who did not\, I imagine\, beli eve in himself to any great extent\, gave me some private points as to the manner in which these reptiles were thus transferred to the human system. If a snake or a lizard be killed\, and a few drops of its blood be dried upon a plate or in a gourd\, the person next eating or drinking from the c ontaminated vessel will soon become the unwilling landlord of a reptilian tenant. There are other avenues\, too\, by which the reptile may gain admi ttance\; but when expelled by the conjure doctor's arts or medicines\, it always leaves at the point where it entered. This belief may have original ly derived its existence from the fact that certain tropical insects somet imes lay their eggs beneath the skins of animals\, or even of men\, from w hich it is difficult to expel them until the larvae are hatched. The chico or \"jigger\" of the West Indies and the Spanish Main is the most obvious example.\n\nOld Aunt Harriet—last name uncertain\, since she had borne those of her master\, her mother\, her putative father\, and half a dozen husbands in succession\, no one of which seemed to take undisputed precede nce—related some very remarkable experiences. She at first manifested so me reluctance to speak of conjuration\, in the lore of which she was said to be well versed\; but by listening patiently to her religious experience s—she was a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions—I was able now and then to draw a little upon her reserves of superstition\, if indeed her r eligion itself was much more than superstition.\n\n\"Wen I wuz a gal 'bout eighteen or nineteen\,\" she confided\, \"de w'ite folks use' ter sen' me ter town ter fetch vegetables. One day I met a' ole conjuh man name' Jerr y Macdonal\, an' he said some rough\, ugly things ter me. I says\, says I\ , 'You mus' be a fool.' He didn' say nothin'\, but jes' looked at me wid ' is evil eye. Wen I come 'long back\, dat ole man wuz stan'in' in de road i n front er his house\, an' w'en he seed me he stoop' down an' tech' de gro un'\, jes' lack he wuz pickin' up somethin'\, an' den went 'long back in ' is ya'd. De ve'y minute I step' on de spot he tech'\, I felt a sha'p pain shoot thoo my right foot\, it tu'n't under me\, an' I fell down in de road . I pick' myself up an' by de time I got home\, my foot wuz swoll' up twic e its nachul size. I cried an' cried an' went on\, fer I knowed I'd be'n t rick' by dat ole man. Dat night in my sleep a voice spoke ter me an' says: 'Go an' git a plug er terbacker. Steep it in a skillet er wa'm water. Str ip it lengthways\, an' bin' it ter de bottom er yo' foot'.' I never didn' use terbacker\, an' I laid dere\, an' says ter myse'f\, 'My Lawd\, wa't is dat\, wa't is dat!' Soon ez my foot got kind er easy\, dat voice up an' s peaks ag'in: 'Go an' git a plug er terbacker. Steep it in a skillet er wa' m water\, an' bin' it ter de bottom er yo' foot.' I scramble' ter my feet\ , got de money out er my pocket\, woke up de two little boys sleepin' on d e flo'\, an' tol' 'em ter go ter de sto' an' git me a plug er terbacker. D ey didn' want ter go\, said de sto' wuz shet\, an' de sto' keeper gone ter bed. But I chased 'em fo'th\, an' dey found' de sto' keeper an' fetch' de terbacker—dey sho' did. I soaked it in de skillet\, an' stripped it 'lo ng by degrees\, till I got ter de en'\, w'en I boun' it under my foot an' roun' my ankle. Den I kneel' down an' prayed\, an' next mawnin de swellin' wuz all gone! Dat voice wus de Spirit er de Lawd talkin' ter me\, it sho' wuz! De Lawd have mussy upon us\, praise his Holy Name!\"\n\nVery obvious ly Harriet had sprained her ankle while looking at the old man instead of watching the path\, and the hot fomentation had reduced the swelling. She is not the first person to hear spirit voices in his or her own vagrant im aginings.\n\nOn another occasion\, Aunt Harriet's finger swelled up \"as b ig as a corn cob.\" She at first supposed the swelling to be due to a felo n. She went to old Uncle Julius Lutterloh\, who told her that some one had tricked her. \"My Lawd!\" she exclaimed\, \"how did they fix my finger?\" He explained that it was done while in the act of shaking hands. \"Doctor \" Julius opened the finger with a sharp knife and showed Harriet two seed s at the bottom of the incision. He instructed her to put a poultice of re d onions on the wound over night\, and in the morning the seeds would come out. She was then to put the two seeds in a skillet\, on the right hand s ide of the fire-place\, in a pint of water\, and let them simmer nine morn ings\, and on the ninth morning she was to let all the water simmer out\, and when the last drop should have gone\, the one that put the seeds in he r hand was to go out of this world! Harriet\, however\, did not pursue the treatment to the bitter end. The seeds\, once extracted\, she put into a small phial\, which she corked up tightly and put carefully away in her bu reau drawer. One morning she went to look at them\, and one of them was go ne. Shortly afterwards the other disappeared. Aunt Harriet has a theory th at she had been tricked by a woman of whom her husband of that time was un duly fond\, and that the faithless husband had returned the seeds to their original owner. A part of the scheme of conjuration is that the conjure d octor can remove the spell and put it back upon the one who laid it. I was unable to learn\, however\, of any instance where this extreme penalty ha d been insisted upon.\n\nIt is seldom that any of these old Negroes will a dmit that he or she possesses the power to conjure\, though those who can remove spells are very willing to make their accomplishment known\, and to exercise it for a consideration. The only professional conjure doctor who m I met was old Uncle Jim Davis\, with whom I arranged a personal intervie w. He came to see me one evening\, but almost immediately upon his arrival a minister called. The powers of light prevailed over those of darkness\, and Jim was dismissed until a later time\, with a commission to prepare f or me a conjure \"hand\" or good luck charm\, of which\, he informed some of the children about the house\, who were much interested in the proceedi ngs. I was very much in need. I subsequently secured the charm\, for which \, considering its potency\, the small sum of silver it cost me was no ext ravagant outlay. It is a very small bag of roots and herbs\, and\, if used according to directions\, is guaranteed to insure me good luck and \"keep me from losing my job.\" The directions require it to be wet with spirits nine mornings in succession\, to be carried on the person\, in a pocket o n the right hand side\, care being taken that it does not come in contact with any tobacco. When I add that I procured\, from an equally trustworthy source\, a genuine graveyard rabbit's foot\, I would seem to be reasonabl y well protected against casual misfortune. I shall not\, however\, presum e upon this immunity\, and shall omit no reasonable precaution which the c ondition of my health or my affairs may render prudent.\n\nAn interesting conjure story\, which I heard\, involves the fate of a lost voice. A certa in woman's lover was enticed away by another woman\, who sang very sweetly \, and who\, the jilted one suspected\, had told lies about her. Having de cided upon the method of punishment for this wickedness\, the injured woma n watched the other closely\, in order to find a suitable opportunity for carrying out her purpose\; but in vain\, for the fortunate one\, knowing o f her enmity\, would never speak to her or remain near her. One day the ji lted woman plucked a red rose from her garden\, and hid herself in the bus hes near her rival's cabin. Very soon an old woman came by\, who was accos ted by the woman in hiding\, and requested to hand the red rose to the wom an of the house. The old woman\, suspecting no evil\, took the rose and ap proached the house\, the other woman following her closely\, but keeping h erself always out of sight. When the old woman\, having reached the door a nd called out the mistress of the house\, delivered the rose as requested\ , the recipient thanked the giver in a loud voice\, knowing the old woman to be somewhat deaf. At the moment she spoke\, the woman in hiding reached up and caught her rival's voice\, and clasping it tightly in her right ha nd\, escaped unseen\, to her own cabin. At the same instant the afflicted woman missed her voice\, and felt a sharp pain shoot through her left arm\ , just below the elbow. She at first suspected the old woman of having tri cked her through the medium of the red rose\, but was subsequently informe d by a conjure doctor that her voice had been stolen\, and that the old wo man was innocent. For the pain he gave her a bottle of medicine\, of which nine drops were to be applied three times a day\, and rubbed in with the first two fingers of the right hand\, care being taken not to let any othe r part of the hand touch the arm\, as this would render the medicine usele ss. By the aid of a mirror\, in which he called up her image\, the conjure doctor ascertained who was the guilty person. He sought her out and charg ed her with the crime which she promptly denied. Being pressed\, however\, she admitted her guilt. The doctor insisted upon immediate restitution. S he expressed her willingness\, and at the same time her inability to compl y—she had taken the voice\, but did not possess the power to restore it. The conjure doctor was obdurate and at once placed a spell upon her which is to remain until the lost voice is restored. The case is still pending\ , I understand\; I shall sometime take steps to find out how it terminates .\n\nHow far a story like this is original\, and how far a mere reflection of familiar wonder stories\, is purely a matter of speculation. When the old mammies would tell the tales of Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox to the mast er's children\, these in turn would no doubt repeat the fairy tales which they had read in books or heard from their parents' lips. The magic mirror is as old as literature. The inability to restore the stolen voice is for eshadowed in the Arabian Nights\, when the \"Open Sesame\" is forgotten. T he act of catching the voice has a simplicity which stamps it as original\ , the only analogy of which I can at present think being the story of late r date\, of the words which were frozen silent during the extreme cold of an Arctic winter\, and became audible again the following summer when they had thawed out.\n\nModern Culture\, May 1901\n\nCHARLES W. CHESNUTT\n\nST ORIES\, NOVELS\, &\; ESSAYS\n\nThe Conjure Woman\n\nThe Wife of His You th and Other Stories of the Color Line\n\nThe House Behind the Cedars\n\nT he Marrow of Tradition\n\nUncollected Stories\n\nSelected Essays\n\nTHE LI BRARY OF AMERICA\n\nTHE CONJURE WOMAN\n\nThe Goophered Grapevine\nPo' Sand y\nMars Jeems's Nightmare\nThe Conjurer's Revenge\nSis' Becky's Pickaninny \nThe Gray Wolf's Ha'nt\nHot-Foot Hannibal\n\nTHE WIFE OF HIS YOUTH AND OT HER STORIES OF THE COLOR LINE\n\nThe Wife of His Youth\nHer Virginia Mammy \nThe Sheriff's Children\nA Matter of Principle\nCicely's Dream\nThe Passi ng of Grandison\nUncle Wellington's Wives\nThe Bouquet\nThe Web of Circums tance\n\nThe House Behind the Cedars\n\nThe Marrow of Tradition\n\nUncolle cted Stories\n\nDave's Neckliss\nA Deep Sleeper\nLonesome Ben\nThe Dumb Wi tness\nThe March of Progress\nBaxter's Procrustes\nThe Doll\nWhite Weeds\n The Kiss\n\nSELECTED ESSAYS\n\nWhat Is a White Man?\nThe Future\nAmerican Superstitions and Folk-Lore of the South\nCharles W. Chesnutt's Own View o f His New Story\, The Marrow of Tradition\nThe Disfranchisement of the Neg ro\nThe Courts and the Negro\nPost-Bellum—Pre-Harlem\n\nChronology\n\nNo te on the Texts\n\nNotes\n\n*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CON JURE WOMAN ***\nUpdated editions will replace the previous one—the old e ditions will be renamed.\nCreating the works from print editions not prote cted by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyrigh t in these works\, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright roya lties. Special rules\, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license\, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electroni c works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. 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To SEND DONATIONS or det ermine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenbe rg.org/donate.\nWhile we cannot and do not solicit contributions from stat es where we have not met the solicitation requirements\, we know of no pro hibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such state s who approach us with offers to donate.\nInternational donations are grat efully accepted\, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatme nt of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone s wamp our small staff.\nPlease check the Project Gutenberg web pages for cu rrent donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number o f other ways including checks\, online payments and credit card donations. To donate\, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.\nSection 5. General I nformation About Project Gutenberg electronic works\nProfessor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg concept of a library of e lectronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years\, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose ne twork of volunteer support.\nProject Gutenberg eBooks are often created fr om several printed editions\, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus\, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edi tion.\nMost people start at our website which has the main PG search facil ity: www.gutenberg.org.\nThis website includes information about Project G utenberg\, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Litera ry Archive Foundation\, how to help produce our new eBooks\, and how to su bscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n The Devil's Disciple (1926) [Unknown]- about the environment of ille gal activity especially sexual exploitation of mulattoes in nyc\, ala suga r hill in harlem\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/reelblacktalksou00moo n/page/250/mode/2up\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Spider's Web (1926)[Lost]- a u s department of justice man\, a black cop\, puts a white man in jail for a ttempting rape to a black women he weds at the end and gets off his wife's aunt from a false murder charge\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.criterioncha nnel.com/the-girl-from-chicago\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://books.google.com/b ooks?id=l8zfCCBZGGoC&\;dq=%22henrietta+loveless%22&\;pg=RA1-PA140#v= onepage&\;q=%22henrietta%20loveless%22&\;f=false\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The Millionaire (1927)[Lost]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Broken Violin  (1928)[Lost] from unpublished story\, about a young black female violini st and her challenges\n\n\n\n The House Behind the Cedars (1927)\, adapte d from novel by Charles W. Chesnutt [Lost] remade into veiled aristocrats\ , a mulatto woman who can pass\, is courted by a black man but falls for a white man but after having problems denying or omitting her black heritag e goes to the black man but publicly admits to him\, she is unhappy\n\n\n\ n https://librivox.org/the-house-behind-the-cedars-by-charles-waddell-ches nutt/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thirty Years Later (1928) [Lost] based on book b y Henry Francis Downing' titled The Racial Tangle\n\n\n\n When Men Betray  (1929) [Lost] a woman is left on her wedding day by a dishonest man\n\n\ n\n The Wages of Sin (1929) [Lost]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Easy Street (1930) [ Lost] may be the last silent film from micheaux\, a bunch of con men try t o get fortune of an old man\, I am thinking of the song by charlie in old dogs go to heaven 2\n\n\n\n A Daughter of the Congo (1930) [Lost] labeled as the last silent film by micheaux based on story \, The American Cavalr yman (1917)\, by African-American novelist and playwright Henry Francis Downing \, mulatto congolese girl is raised by tribe in africa and then ca ptured into slavery by arabs and then freed by a us military man\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n Darktown Revue (1931)[Survives] an entertainment revue\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Exile (1931)[Survives] a man exodusts and gains wea lth but falls in love with a woman he think is white and goes to the city to a woman's club\, whom he knew before and he falls into drink and a murd er scenario\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Veiled Aristocrats (1932 ) [fragments\; Survives (incomplete)] made prior as house behind the ceda rs 1927\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Ten Minutes to Live (1932)[Survives] a man gets a note that he will die in ten minutes at a bar while a woman at the same bar accepts a role from a film producer who really wants to have sex. I will never forget patricia neal when she met a film studio head who came back stage \, she told him\, i will not sleep with you. uses a deaf character to get around cumbersome audio equipment so lines can be dubbed later\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://web.archive.org/web/202412240939 34/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/561476/ten-minutes-to-live#overview\n\n \n\n https://www.moma.org/collection/works/316102\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Black Magic (1932)[Survives]\n\n\n\n If you have information please share\n\n\n \n The Girl from Chicago (1932)[Survives] a federal  agent falls with so meone on assignment in mississippi and follows her to harlem where she get s involved in the death of a cuban illegal financial agent. \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n Phantom of Kenwood (1933)[Survives]\n\n\n\n if you have any information please share\n\n\n\n Murder in Harlem (1935)[Survives] remak e of gunsaulus mystery \, uses the case of leo frank as a legal basis\n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Harlem After Midnight (1934) [Lost] a wo man is with her bosses son after her husband goes to jail for being snitch ed by said son which leads to a web of revenge or naiviety\, ending unreso lved. Dorothy Van Engle is in the cast.\n\n\n\n Temptation (1935)[Surviv es] a crime story\, details unknown\, first fiilm for ethel moses\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Underworld (1937)[Survives] oscar polk who appeared in gone with the wind later is in it\; a man leaves a black college in the south for c higago and gets set up in an intrigue where he is framed for murdering a m an and the woman who did it survives but gets caught in a bender driving a nd gets killed. the most film noir of the films for me. It don't mean a th ing from duke ellington is part of the film score.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n God's Step Children (1938)[Survives]- naomi a mulatto\, lef t at ms saunders by her black mother\, is unhappy being black and after a rough childhood is sent to a convent. yeas later she tries to get with a b oy that she was raised with now man but he is in love with another. She is set up to marry a black man\,and gets pregnant by him but like her mother before\, leaves her baby with ms saunders\, who raised her. later she see s the happy family of the guy she wanted to be with and jumps off a bridge \; The film's script is based on a short treatment titled \"Naomi Negres s!\" written by Alice B. Russell\, the wife of director Oscar Micheaux  who plays Mrs. Saunders.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Swing! (193 8)[Survives] a story about a black woman from the south who becomes a star alongside others from her towns trials and tribulations going south to no rth or living it up foolishly \; Actress Dorothy Van Engle\, who had a su pporting role as an assistant producer\, is credited for inventing a key s cene in Swing!\, where her character and Mandy are sewing together. Van E ngle\, who was also a seamstress\, created her own clothing for the film.  Elvera Sanchez Davis\, the mother of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.\, had a small role in Swing! as a tap dancer.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Lying Lips (1939)[Survives] a black woman popular at a nightclub but unwilling to be a prostittue for clients isset up by the white owner whic h leads to her aunts death and her falsely accused.\, but because of kindn ess she survives\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Birthright (1939)[S urvives] second film version of the story by micheaux \; a harvard gradua te goes back to his black southern town to start a school and faces extrem e hardships\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Notorious Elinor Lee  (1940)[Survives]- boxing story\, a female moll sets up a boxer  to take a fall where they will bet against him. the fighter survives the betrayal and wins in a rematch later where the people who plotted bet against him. Hubert Julian\, the black aviator\, co produced the film\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n trailer- see the full film at the internet archive film list embed at th e end of this post\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Betrayal (1948) [Lost] - micheaux's last film\, but the script is known\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The scre enplay is in the new york state film archives\n\n\n\n https://www.archives .nysed.gov/research/motion-picture-division-index\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n For Mor e Information:\n\n\n\n Email Researcher Services at archref@nysed.gov\n\n \n\n To get a photocopy of a script use the form below\n\n\n\n https://www .archives.nysed.gov/sites/archives/files/res_topics_film_form.pdf\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ALL FILMS IN INTERNET ARCHIVE\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/detai ls/oscar-micheaux-filmography\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1 1 Director Oscar Micheaux On-Set01:172 2 Within Our Gates (1920) Oldest Kno wn Feature Film By A Black Director01:19:093 3 The Symbol of the Unconque red (1920)58:144 4 Body &\; Soul (1925) Oscar Micheaux's Last Survivin g Silent Film01:19:015 5 The Darktown Revue (1931) Oscar Micheaux's First Sound Film19:076 6 The Exile (1931) First Black Feature Talkie01:15:137  7 Veiled Aristocrats (1932)43:538 8 Ten Minutes To Live (1932) With Los t Footage59:039 9 The Girl From Chicago (1932)01:10:1010 [10] Murder In Harlem (1935)01:34:4311 [11] Underworld (1937) Uncensored Version01:16:12 12 [12] God's Stepchildren (1938)01:10:2513 [13] Swing! (1938)01:08:051 4 [14] Birthright (1939) Incomplete01:13:1015 [15] Lying Lips (1939)01:1 2:2416 [16] The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940) Micheaux's Last Surviving Fil m. Sound Missing After 20 Minutes01:12:06\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Oscar Deverea ux Micheaux was an American film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Micheaux is regarded as the first major African-American f eature filmmaker\, a prominent producer of race films\, and has been descr ibed as \"the most successful African-American filmmaker of the first half of the 20th century.\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Here are his surviving films\, some are incomplete.\n\n\n\n Segments\n\n\n\n ON-SET FOOTAGE from a behind the scenes Hollywood newsreel called \"Screen Snapshots\" and it is the o nly known footage of groundbreaking director Oscar Micheaux working on the set of one of his films. The movie is most likely The Brute (1920) which sadly is lost.\n\n \n\n WITHIN OUR GATES (1920) is the oldest known featur e length film that was directed by an African-American.\n\n \n\n THE SYMBO L OF THE UNCONQUERED (also known as The Wilderness Trail) is a 1920 silent race film. It is Micheaux's fourth feature-length film and is among his e arly surviving works although a portion of the scenes are lost.\n\n \n\n B ODY AND SOUL (1925) is a race film that stars Paul Robeson in his motion p icture debut. It is Micheaux's last surviving silent film.\n\n \n\n THE DA RKTOWN REVUE (1931) is an 18-minute short film. It is Micheaux's first ven ture into sound film. The film of a traditional minstrel show - a variety stage show of broad comedy and choral interludes - with an all black cast. Included is a choral singing several songs and a vaudeville act of a rout ine about a haunted house. It also levels criticism at a certain social cl ass of the African-American community by using some racial stereotypes.\n\ n \n\n THE EXILE (1931) is a race film that was Micheaux's first feature-l ength sound film and the first feature length African-American sound film. It was based on Micheaux’s 1913 autobiographical novel\, The Conquest.\ n\n \n\n VEILED ARISTOCRATS (1932) is an American race film that deals wit h the theme of passing by mixed-race African Americans to avoid racial dis crimination.\n\n \n\n TEN MINUTES TO LIVE (1932) is a film that has one of the characters is deaf and much of the second half of the movie is silent (so that Micheaux could save money.) Somewhat confusingly\, the film is b ased on a collection of three short stories called \"Harlem After Midnight \" (author and publication date unknown)\, but it shows only two stories. The lost footage is more footage of one of the dance numbers\, it's obviou s when it comes up because of the color change.\n\n \n\n THE GIRL FROM CHI CAGO (1932) is an American race film that is a remake of Micheaux's now-lo st 1926 silent film The Spider's Web. It features a largely non-profession al cast and as it is common in Micheaux's films.\n\n \n\n MURDER IN HARLEM (also released under titles Lem Hawkins Confession and Brand of Cain) is a 1935 American race film written\, produced\, and directed by Oscar Miche aux\, who also makes an appearance in the film. It's a remake his 1921 sil ent film The Gunsaulus Mystery\, which is believed to be lost. Both movies are loosely based on the events around the 1913 murder of 13-year-old gir l Mary Phagan.\n\n \n\n UNDERWORLD (1937) is a black gangster film. The fi lm was adapted from the short story \"Chicago After Midnight\" by Edna Mae Baker. Records from the Production Code Administration show that numerous deletions were requested in order for the film to be shown in various sta tes.\n\n \n\n GOD'S STEP CHILDREN (1938) is an American race film that is based on a short treatment titled \"Naomi Negress!\" written by Alice B. R ussell\, the wife of director Oscar Micheaux who plays Mrs. Saunders. The American Film Institute's catalog reports that some original material was removed from the film after censors raised objections. Some of the removed footage may still be seen in the film's opening preview trailer.\n\n \n\n SWING! (1938) is an American race film. Actress Dorothy Van Engle\, who h ad a supporting role as an assistant producer\, is credited for inventing a key scene in the movie\, where her character and Mandy are sewing togeth er. Van Engle\, who was also a seamstress\, created her own clothing for t he film. Elvera Sanchez Davis\, the mother of entertainer Sammy Davis\, Jr .\, had a small role as a tap dancer.\n\n \n\n BIRTHRIGHT (1939) is an Ame rican drama race film starring Carman Newsome. It is a talkie remake of Mi cheaux's 1924 silent film of the same name\, which is now considered lost\ ; both were adapted from white author T. S. Stribling's eponymous 1922 nov el. The restoration of Birthright was derived from the only known survivin g 35mm print\, which is missing the first two of its nine reels – about 20 minutes. A description of the missing scenes has been compiled from a d ialogue script submitted to the New York Censor Board.\n\n \n\n LYING LIPS (1939) is a melodrama race film written and directed by Oscar Micheaux. I t stars Edna Mae Harris and Robert Earl Jones (the father of James Earl Jo nes). The film was shot at the Biograph Studios in New York City.\n\n \n\n THE NOTORIOUS ELINOR LEE (1940) is a race film directed\, written\, and p roduced by Oscar Micheaux. It's his last surviving film\, although here th e audio is missing for most of the film. It was shot at Biograph Studios i n The Bronx\, New York.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/blogs/entry/505-oscar-micheauz-screenplay-the-betrayal/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260313 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 36 02/28/2026 DTSTAMP:20260301T041214Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:664-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Of computers\, fiscal quality and nonfinancial revenues.. ..\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Computers\n\n\n\n I saw the following from Ann Miche lle Thurmond\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘂 𝘀𝗲 | 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 \n\nLast week’s Legal Tech post explored how acceleration exposes struct ural gaps that were easier to ignore at slower speeds.\n\nThis week\, I wa nt to stay with that thread\; because in many organizations\, the first vi sible symptom isn’t failure.\n\nIt’s workaround behavior.\n\nIn my exp erience working across projects where timelines were tight and expectation s didn’t slow down\, teams didn’t resist governance. They improvised a round it.\n\nNot out of defiance. Out of necessity .\n\n𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗜 is often framed as a compliance i ssue. \nMore often\, it’s a design signal.\n\nWhen people discover tools that help them deliver faster\, and the sanctioned path can’t keep pace \, work flows toward the path of least friction.\n\nDeadlines don’t wait for policy updates.\n\nOver time\, this creates invisible decision-making layers:\n\n• Outputs that look consistent \n• Processes that aren ’t \n• Assumptions that aren’t shared \n• Risk that isn’t visibl e \n\nTwo teams may appear aligned while relying on entirely different inp uts or methods.\n\nThat erodes comparability\, traceability\, and trust -- quietly at first.\n\nSimply lifting restrictions doesn’t solve it.\n\nW ithout standards\, sanctioned tools can produce the same fragmentation at scale.\n\nThe deeper question isn’t:\n\n“How do we stop people from us ing AI?”\n\nIt’s:\n\n“What capability gap are they trying to close t hat we haven’t designed for yet?”\n\nGovernance that creates safe\, us able pathways tends to reduce shadow behavior far more effectively than pr ohibition.\n\n𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁:\n\nIf shadow AI disappeared tomorrow\, would that mean the problem w as solved? \n\nOr that innovation pressure had nowhere to go?\n\nComment b elow with your thoughts. Let’s talk about it.\n\n AI After the Applause \nDecision Velocity\, Engineered.\n\nhashtag#AIStrategy hashtag#OperatingM odel hashtag#Governance hashtag#ShadowAI\n\n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https: //www.linkedin.com/posts/amthurmond_aistrategy-operatingmodel-governance-a ctivity-7431680492623638528-Z9je?utm_source=share&\;utm_medium=member_d esktop&\;rcm=ACoAAC9jwHcBhMdyfurNH2JmdlAPjJgXHivmWR8\n\n\n\n My Reply\n \n\n\n yeah\, exactly\, computers are here\, no matter the power level\, a nd definitely at the level called AI. So the issue is how to use them. And in the usa i argue\, the same model is being used as in the gold/oil rush es. most are spending money on tech they can't afford or will cost them ev entually\, like land deeds or spikes. The profiteers are the ones providin g services and buying and reselling or leasing products. but they are also learning the better practices. it is a hands on approach. \nhttps://www.l inkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7431680492623638528?commentUrn=urn %3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7431680492623638528%2C7431858195385659392% 29&\;dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287431858195385659392%2Cu rn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7431680492623638528%29\n\nRichard\, the “rush” an alogy really lands. There’s definitely a lot of spending happening befor e the long-term costs and tradeoffs are clear.\nWhat feels different this time is that AI isn’t just a resource\; it’s reshaping how the work it self happens. The winners will be the ones experimenting hands-on and stay ing disciplined about value and sustainability.\nAppreciate you adding thi s perspective.\nhttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:74316 80492623638528?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7431680492623 638528%2C7431858195385659392%29&\;replyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28acti vity%3A7431680492623638528%2C7431864362157379584%29&\;dashCommentUrn=ur n%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287431858195385659392%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7431 680492623638528%29&\;dashReplyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%28743186436 2157379584%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7431680492623638528%29\n\nexactly\, we all can see AI formation while a counter AI formation:) occurring simultan eously because the tools are changing the methodologies in the labor indus try which was imbalanced before the modern tools so is growing abstractly https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7431680492623638528?c ommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(activity%3A7431680492623638528%2C743185819 5385659392)&\;replyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A(activity%3A743168049262363 8528%2C7432139535507136512)&\;dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A( 7431858195385659392%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7431680492623638528)&\;dash ReplyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A(7432139535507136512%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivi ty%3A7431680492623638528)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Fiscal Quality\n\n \n\n Recently\, Netflix dropped the bid for Warner bros and I think Netfli x will be the better for it. Focus on original content. Yes\, stockholders love the idea of owning intellectual properties that come with fans. But\ , Warner Bros still has a lot of debt. Remember\, AOL owned Warner Bros\, then AT&\;T owned Warner Bros\, then AT&\;T sold warner bros under s peculative[ which means by appearance not strict value of assers] market r ate with the caveat that Discovery channel absorb all the debt. AT&\;T got debt off its books and whipped it hands clean of a very large + not pr ofitable firm. Discovery channel for me was always looking to sell. How co uldn't selling be the main focus with so much debt. netflix wanted to by a part of Warner BRos/Discovery\, not the whole thing\, which I imagine wou ld had erased or deleted the amount of debt absorbed. Skydance which is a holding firm will basically put the debt into the global\, and in my view inevitably catastrophic\, debt market.  And this is absent even knowing i f skydance will be approved. I think Netflix plus Disney are the big winne rs. Disney for having a late comer to its strategy that is spending wildly only growing disney's specualtive value by leaps and bounds. Disney is al ready ahead of processing itself\, Skydance will have a lot to do. Netflix can focus on original content and I argue\, make smart deals with creator s in Europe or Asia for properties very popular in Europe or Asia. Yes\, t he too big too fail business model will maintain till the inevitable colla pse of the entire market revolving around failing large firms. But it isn' t wise to invest in it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Article\n\n\n\n Netflix drops $ 83 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery\, paving way for Paramount Skyda nce deal\nBy Megan Cerullo\nUpdated on: February 27\, 2026 / 6:04 PM EST / MoneyWatch\nNetflix said on Thursday that it will not match Paramount Sky dance's latest bid for Warner Bros. Discovery\, clearing the way for a mas sive merger that could shake up the entertainment and media industry. \n\n Netflix agreed in December to buy part of Warner Bros. Discovery for $27.7 5 a share\, or $82.7 billion. But Paramount Skydance had made a $30 a shar e all-cash offer to buy all of the company\, and on Tuesday raised its off er for Warner Bros. Discovery to $31 a share\, valuing the deal at roughly $110 billion (Paramount Skydance owns CBS News).\n\nEarlier on Thursday\, Warner Bros. Discovery's board of directors notified Netflix that Paramou nt's $31 per share offer constituted a \"superior proposal\" for the compa ny.\n\n\"The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder valu e with a clear path to regulatory approval\,\" Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarando s and Greg Peters said in a statement Thursday. \"However\, we've always b een disciplined\, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer\, the deal is no longer financially attractive\, so we are de clining to match the Paramount Skydance bid.\"\n\nDavid Ellison\, chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance\, said in a statement that joining forces w ith Warner Bros. Discovery will benefit viewers\, investors and other stak eholders. \n\n\"By bringing together these world-class studios\, our compl ementary streaming platforms and the extraordinary talent behind them\, we will create even greater value for audiences\, partners and shareholders — and we couldn't be more excited for what's ahead\,\" he said.\n\nDavid Zaslav\, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery\, said in a statemen t that the company pushed to \"secure a transaction that maximizes the val ue of our iconic assets and our century-old studio while delivering as muc h certainty as possible for our investors.\"\n\nSarandos meeting with Trum p admin officials\nSarandos spoke with several Trump administration offici als — but not with President Trump — on Thursday.\n\nThe Netflix execu tive had a meeting at the White House with Mr. Trump's chief of staff\, Su sie Wiles and\, earlier in the day\, he met at the Justice Department with Attorney General Pam Bondi\, the antitrust division's acting chief\, Omee d Assefi\, and other senior Justice Department staff\, according to source s familiar with the conversations.\n\nJustice Department officials told Sa randos they expected to conduct a very comprehensive antitrust investigati on into the Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal\, sources told CBS News. \ n\nWarner Bros. Discovery owns streaming and film studios\, along with cab le channels including CNN\, Food Network\, HBO\, HGTV\, TBS\, TNT and Turn er Classic Movies.\n\nThe merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Di scovery will require approval from federal antitrust enforcers.\n\nParamou nt Skydance executives have said that combining the companies would benefi t consumers and help boost the entertainment industry\, which has struggle d to recover from the pandemic. \n\nSome entertainment industry groups and lawmakers have raised concerns that uniting two major Hollywood studios c ould undermine competition. \n\nFor its part\, Paramount Skydance executiv es argued that a union between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery\, which owns the streaming platform HBO Max\, was likely to raise antitrust object ions.\n\nIn enhancing its offer this week\, Paramount Skydance said it wou ld pay a $7 billion termination fee if its acquisition of Warner Bros. Dis covery collapsed over regulatory concerns. \n\nEdited by Alain Sherter\n\n Jennifer Jacobs and The Associated Press contributed to this report.\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://www.cbsnews.com/news/n etflix-warner-paramount-skydance-deal/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Nonfinancial Rev enues\n\n\n\n The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran has been murdered by t he USA + Israel governments. In my lifetime I have noticed the USA murder and bully more and more leaders of governments publicly\, not the nineteen hundreds secret operation style\, more straight. Saddam Hussein\, whose s ons were murdered before him\, cursed the USA before he was hanged. Khadda fi whose daughter was murdered by the USA before him\, was dragged by segm ents of the Libyan people  \, fully armed + financed by the United States of America using intermediaries or Statian satraps like Israel if need be . The last Assad survived raising the stakes and is in exile in Russia. No w\, the current Ayatollah has been murdered. \n\n\n\n One thing people fo rget is most human beings have loving ones. Vendetta or revenge is a very dangerous thing\, the human imagination is very creative\, the seeds plant ed by the united states of america post jim crow 1980 to today\, are very interesting. The one thing most dangerous about said seeds is that they ar e not financial in nature\, which means they will not be able to be bought or paid \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n Which is the best use of co mputers in your life?\n\n\n\n If someone would offer you one hundred milli on dollars but only if you could invest in the global debt market would yo u?\n\n\n\n Do you think revenge can be sated by fiscal capitalism? not mer ely in groups but also all individuals?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/topic/12563-the-crossroads-of-computers-failing-firms-or-revenge/\n\ n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n Economic Corner 35 02/23/2026 - RMCommunityCal endar - African American Literature Book Club\n\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/675-economic-corner-37-03102026/\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #economiccorner #ai #computer #netflix #dc #warn erbros #wb #skydance #paramount #cbs #speculation #truth #Ayatollah #Ali # Khamenei #iran #israel #usa #rmaalbc #aalbc #richardmurray #kobo #kwl #hdd eviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr #blackartistoftumblr \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260228 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 37 03/10/2026 DTSTAMP:20260311T032423Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:675-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ECONOMIC CORNER\n\n\n\n Two Types of learning with modern computing\, none or it all\n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n The problem is the issue isn't learning\, the issue is fiscal capitalism. \n\n First no one can learn everything\, the fact that someone suggest one person can learn everything is a terrible lie. On the reverse side\, people using modern c omputing as a crutch to get through their labors without working is true t oo. It isn't that they are learning nothing. The problem isn't how people are using the tools but how the tools are used in context with fiscal capi talism. \n\n For example\, a child in an indios/native American  village with a connection to the internet is not going to become financially weal thy through the use of modern computing. It isn't an accident that inherit ance is still the majority delivery of wealth between generations. All the models of fiscal wealth building and you still have people selling some t echnology can break that mold. In modernity\, the tools to learning are mo re expansive\, more interwoven than arguably any time before in human hist ory. But\, work ethic or learning has never been connected to fiscal wealt h. Again\, if work ethic or learning led to fiscal wealth\, every single e nslaved populace in the history of humanity would had ended up fiscally we althy. History proves most if not all enslaved populaces do not end up fis cally wealthy and if anything end up being branches of the slaving populac e. Why? because wealth is about destructive power\, and knowledge isn't in herently destructive power\, nor is education destructive power\, nor is w ork ethic destructive power. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Bill Duke [ https://x.co m/RealBillDuke ] reposted\n\n Mark Cuban just described the sharpest divid e in the modern economy. And most people are already on the wrong side of it.\n\n Cuban: “There’s two types of approaches to AI. Some people who use it so they don’t have to learn anything\, and some people who use i t so they have the opportunity to learn everything.”\n\n Two sentences. The entire future of human capital compressed into a single binary.\n\n Th e first group sees the most powerful knowledge infrastructure ever built a nd uses it to avoid thinking. They offload reasoning\, skip the friction\, and call it efficiency.\n\n What they’re actually doing is hollowing ou t the one thing that can’t be replicated.\n\n Their own cognition.\n\n C uban: “AI is a tool\, it’s a way to learn\, it’s a democratization o f knowledge.”\n\n For centuries\, elite knowledge was locked behind inst itutions\, geography\, and capital. The right university. The right city. The right network.\n\n Entire generations of potential buried because the information was never accessible.\n\n That wall just came down permanently .\n\n The second group understands what that actually means.\n\n Same tool . Compressing decades of learning into months. Entire disciplines on deman d. \n\n Mental models that once required years of expensive education now available to anyone willing to ask the right questions.\n\n The knowledge is democratized. The ambition is not.\n\n That’s the divide Cuban is ac tually describing. Not technical literacy. Not access.\n\n Pure cognitive initiative.\n\n The first group is outsourcing their mind. The second is e xpanding it.\n\n Atrophy doesn’t announce itself. It just arrives.\n\n h ttps://x.com/r0ck3t23/status/2031003976619962406\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲 𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 | 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻\n\n from Ann - Michelle Thurmond \n\n URL\n\n https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amthurmond_aistrategy-operatin gmodel-governance-activity-7431680492623638528-Z9je?utm_source=share&\; utm_medium=member_desktop&\;rcm=ACoAAC9jwHcBhMdyfurNH2JmdlAPjJgXHivmWR8 \n\n EMBED\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REPLY\n\n yeah\, exactly\, compu ters are here\, no matter the power level\, and definitely at the level ca lled AI. So the issue is how to use them. And in the usa i argue\, the sam e model is being used as in the gold/oil rushes.  most are spending money on tech they can't afford or will cost them eventually\, like land deeds or spikes. The profiteers are the ones providing services and buying and r eselling or leasing products. but they are also learning the better practi ces. it is a hands on approach. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n LEar ning USing Modern Computing\n\n\n\n If you were teaching a person in your home today\, any age\, how would you use or not use the computer programmi ng commonly called artificially intelligent?\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ topic/12583-learning-using-modern-computing/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDIT ION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/664-economic-corner-36-02282 026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/e vent/676-economic-corner-38-03102026/\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260310 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wishing Wells Stamp DTSTAMP:20260307T225140Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:672-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Wishi ngwellsstamp-1307071478\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n For the wishing wells challenge\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/even ts/event/665-wishing-wells-challenge-in-color-me-club/\n\n\n\n My example lineart\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/660-preto-liberdade-wish ing-well/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260307 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Art Comments 03042026 DTSTAMP:20260305T044603Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:669-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n This series is merely to help me record my replies to the lovely art galleries I see about.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/671-art-comments-03072026/\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Comment URL\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/130590549 6/5269724043\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thanks @Chaosfive-55 hope side your loving ones find yourselves this march happy plus healthy. Thanks for sharing my work\n\n\n\n @Elizabethexpresses the composition is lovely\, the mountain range the arch of the female model\, yourself and then the inverted arch of the rocky path under you. very nice. For above so below was the photo t aken from a drone or helicopter. I gamble unfiscally\, a drone. am I right ?\n\n\n\n for those who may want to know the photogher websites are [ http s://www.sensualight.com/ + https://nimblephotons.com/ ] I couldn't find th em in deviantart. Elizabeth\, maybe you can convince sensualight +nimbleph otons them to join deviantart for a commercial page. deviantart has fiscal tools now.\n\n\n\n @3J-ART enjoyed the messaging \, the movement the line ar identity of the figures\, the offsetting of the one who is different\, facing toward the viewer\, no red shadow\, at an offangle to the line of t he same in all three axis\n\n\n\n @Devilpig what inspired\, sputchik? and nice title by the way\, quite heavy ducts\n\n\n\n your plastic man is a pe rv is genius comedy\, that is worth a mens magazine\n\n\n\n @Sparrow-Scrat ch17 ahh i didn't even know wizard of oz\, dorothy and her crew are all in the public domain. hmm thank you. and very adorable\, love the lion gestu re\, the hobo look of scrarecrow and very rusty tin man\, nice\n\n\n\n @or ganicvision ahh the french alps\, lovely\, thank you... happy no paraglide rs messing up the shot\n\n\n\n @Ragcat392 for purple passion\, what were y our fractal settings? like scaling factor or fractal dimension?\n\n\n\n @y om94 I can be wrong but is that a paper cut out of an image on a wooden fr ame? for monkeybird paris\n\n\n\n @WonderErika well vampiress\, after imag ining I hope you don't pounce and decide to go home from the ceiling Quest ion\, are you a fan of vampirella? I know you love diana of paradise islan d. but who is your favorite female vampire in fiction? who is your favorit e illustrator of female vampires?\n\n\n\n @assincr0n0 have you ever seen t he film flow?\n\n\n\n @AnickinColor is william scheff on deviantart? we ha ve a group called color me club which accepts inks that can be colored? an d lovely coloring by the way. What inspired him to make the accordian head ?\n\n\n\n @blackforeststeve that dog looked spoiled rotten all they want t o do is shake water on people and get away with it\n\n\n\n @TheBarrelMan t hank you\, i never saw this art before. thanks for the history. What inspi red the shape? what is it about phillipine heritage in the past or culture to that future that led to this? and just for the record\, no one can put their head in their ass.\n\n\n\n @LaurainBurbank love the blue tones and shades. Did you manipulate the image with tones or shades separately or al l in one go? what tool did you use?\n\n\n\n @Ustranga what is the differen ce between psychedelic art compared to surreal art? I will give it a gande r and say based on your work \, psychedelic and surreal work I know of. in psychedelic the colors\, the unevenness uncommon unexpected colorings is the key but the shapes shouldn't be too far from cognizant. wheile in surr eal\, the colors may be bland or even natural\, while the shapes are meant to be uneven\, uncommon\, unexpected. What say you ?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Comment URL\n\n\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/comments/1/1301876991/5269737735\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @leothefox will take a look here before I get to the best magazine on deviantart\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @300ChickenNuggets lovely ink\, did you use a reference\n\n\n\n @dmorehead how long did the grimm fairy tale cost where do you put all th ese lovely sculptures?\n\n\n\n @BlaWhi well done\, shadow is lovely\n\n\n\ n @GiggleAddict if the land ever get mad\n\n\n\n @CapnDeek373 does bob's m om know grendel's mother? what is the thing Onyx is next to?\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Comment URL\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart. com/comments/1/1304442539/5268959804\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Fafnir313 the war for the pallid throne chapter 1 intro is brilliant\, sets a tone\, gives an idea of the world\, and appealing chapter title\n\n\n\n haha three hots and a cot\, poor felix\, nice structure\, in one chapter\, we know the mo st traumatic element in felix's life\, we know the world he is in has reli gious fanatics\, we know he lives in this world as an abused street thief who is about to join on organization who knows about him and his past \, f or survival\, nice\n\n\n\n @Ustranga the lighthouse is in trouble\n\n\n\n @leothefox I read chapter eleven of the ways of sin.or the ways of baron p otzroy on a scale of 0 myhtological saint to 10 more corrupt that dorian g rey after a painting was made\, what grade will you give baron potzroy?\n\ n\n\n @ZaubererbruderASP the face of the resident of hell almost seems ple asant. to answer your question\, they will have nothing to eat\n\n\n\n and thanks for introducing me to Lizdarkcroft her prose about photoshop role to commonly called AI is true.\n\n\n\n @TigerEgern the third stanza is my favorite fellow poet\, in share these pages\n\n\n\n @LizDarkcroft \, what will come out the egg?\n\n\n\n @Perzaart I asked someone somewhere else\, what is the variance between psychedelic imagery compared to surreal image ry? I answered\, in short form\, psychedelic focuses on colors being the r adical elements while surreal focuses on shapes being the radical elements . What is your answer?\n\n\n\n @zeroequalsq nice title\, all expenses paid \n\n\n\n @Chaosfive-55\n\n\n\n Will jack of the hearts tell the taste of t he queen's tarts?\n\n\n\n Did he or the sheriff learn of Arwen's true dart s?\n\n\n\n Nice use of their rivalry focus to start change\n\n\n\n her foc us was so blinding she missed her fate's range\n\n\n\n @Peka98 in 20260130 203836 interesting storytelling as the knife has no blood on it\n\n\n\n @ theyellowroom27 beautiful shadow don't go forward\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Dread ful Tales no. 61 A Saint's Appetite The Baron Returns in Strength Share these pages Ye Mad Minstrel Strikes Again \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260304 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Art Comments 03072026 DTSTAMP:20260307T224036Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:671-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n PRIOR ENTRY\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/669 -art-comments-03042026/\n\n\n\n NEXT ENTRY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT URL\ n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1306786656/5270319074\n\n\n\ n hope you feel better @leothefox\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @lockssteps they have a tutorial challenge\, maybe you can do a tutorial for making digital art https://www.deviantart.com/beckykidus/journal/Tips-Tricks-and-Tutorials-t he-Contest-1302807947\n\n\n\n @artjwb what is upcycled art? name or link a song that reflects the sound of the band in creatures of the night three\ n\n\n\n @HaiaShouster love the violence in the seascape\, winter 506\, acr ylic right?\n\n\n\n @BERLINsART the haint of boogler hollow\, nice title\, for some reason I am thinking of Rat in fantastic mr fox\n\n\n\n @clover- teapot nice lineart\, do you know about the following challenge? https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Wishing-Wells-1286745083\n\n\n\n @j-o- h-a-n-l-a-n-d love passpartout acrobat\, chef all around friend\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260307 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where Are They Now: WALL E DTSTAMP:20260306T005251Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:670-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/W ATN-Wall-E-1286566667\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n supporting story\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/events/event/667-silver-inspirations/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260305 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Tubi x Blacklist horror initiative 2026 challenge final day DTSTAMP:20260304T005327Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:668-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Submissions are now open for our new horror initiative w ith Tubi! [ https://blcklst.com/programs/tubi-black-list-horror-initiativ e?mc_cid=2d68c3555c&\;mc_eid=e0b642193c ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Emerging and established writers with a feature script in the horror genre are e ncouraged to submit their project for further consideration in the Tubi x Black List Horror Initiative. Submissions will remain open until June 30\ , 2026 – write that deadline down now and get to work\, writers!\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Tubi intends to produce and distribute the selected script. T he Black List will executive produce the project and will be collaborating closely with Tubi throughout the entirety of the program. Writers are wel come to upload new projects for consideration in this program.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Fee waivers are also available for submitting writers! 100 fee wa ivers will be distributed at the discretion of Tubi and The Black List thr oughout the submission window. Learn more about how to apply for a program -specific or general fee waiver at blcklst.com/help. [  https://help.blc klst.com/kb/en/?mc_cid=2d68c3555c&\;mc_eid=e0b642193c ] \n\n\n\n \n\n We are so excited to expand our collaboration with Tubi with this incredi ble new initiative! If you have a horror script we strongly encourage you to learn more here.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If any are interested in my style check out my screenplay free to read online  [ https://www.kobo.com/eboo k/the-nyotenda ] and if you are interested and want to brainstorm I can ma ke a place in my discord or we can chat in aalbc or tumblr or deviantart:)  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you are interested in other tales of mine consid er  [ https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/THE-PROMOTION-125533902 8  ] which is part of my gallery of literature  [ https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/gallery/81311721/my-tales-or-poetry  ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n FORUM POSTS\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12571-calling-all-black -writers/\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12572-what-is-a-horror-storye lement-you-will-like-to-see-that-you-havent-seen-before/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n NOTICE TEXT\n\n\n\n Calling all Black Writers!\n\n I have a screenplay I am working on already. I was planning for it to have another path but wit h this. the timing is perfect. Any black writers interested\, join me on a albc or wherever and lets discuss:) I will make a roundtable on my discord if need be. \n\n If you are interested in my style links to various pert inent works are in the page below. \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event /668-tubi-x-blacklist-horror-initiative-2026-challenge-final-day/\n\n #rma albc #aalbc #tubi #blacklist #horror #screenplay #richardmurray #kobo #kwl #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr #black337\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #rmaalbc #aalbc #tubi #blacklist #horror #scre enplay #richardmurray #kobo #kwl #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumb lr #tumblr \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260630 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Opening for the Boone theatre from the Black Movie HAll of F ame  DTSTAMP:20250811T023215Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:452-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Opening for the Boone theatre from the Black Movie HAll o f Fame \n\n\n\n 100 black films list from the Black Movie Hall of Fame\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/451-the-problem-with-list-black-100-fi lms-from-the-black-movie-hall-of-fame/\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Boone T heater\n\n\n\n https://www.boonetheaterkc.com/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMEND MENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03032026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What is your favorite Black theater growing up?\n\n\n\n Name names:) if none \, say none\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n url\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12561-what-is-your-favo rite-black-theater-growing-up/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian reply\n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12561-what-is-your-favorite-black-theate r-growing-up/#findComment-80460\n\n\n\n @Chevdove reply\n\n\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/topic/12561-what-is-your-favorite-black-theater-growing-up/#fi ndComment-80467\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 reply\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topi c/12561-what-is-your-favorite-black-theater-growing-up/#findComment-80475\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03032026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/12561-what-is-your-favorite-black-theater-growing-up/#fin dComment-80499\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n Common ground ac hieved\, arguably my most positively responsed post. I am very happy:) \n \n\n\n thank you again @aka Contrarian @Chevdove @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n beautiful memories from you all:) thank you for sharing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260228 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Silver Inspirations DTSTAMP:20260302T204720Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:667-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Story for the Where Are they Now Wall E challenge March 5 th 2026\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Silver-Inspiratio ns-1297071893\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Title: Silver Inspirations\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n A rustic looking couple with a wooden wheel cart filled with old BNL starliner parts is crossing their towns original road\; they see two elder s sitting content\, looking toward them\, the road\, the larger town beami ng positivity\; and they wave. The two elders wave back. And the couple co ntinue onto home.\n\n\n\n Hakim and Harriet\, two silver haired humans wit h chocolate colored skin\, sitting on a stone weathered into a bench after many years\, look on a simple walkway in a farming town on Earth. A blond -haired man with streaks of grey and light buff skin approaches\, his blue eyes watery: \"Grandmother\, grandfather\, are you alright?\" \n\n\n\n H arriet reply\, while Hakim smile: \"We are fine Roncar\, just looking at a ll our children and children's children and more generations\, lovely litt le plants growing happily in this part of home\" \n\n\n\n Hakim adds: \"W e went to where the Axiom landed and saw Wall-E and EVE\" \n\n\n\n Roncar interjected: \"Were they looking at their baby?\" \n\n\n\n Harriet repli ed: \"No\, they have a grandbaby \, very cute and little\, their baby is f ully part of the Earth now... but watching EVE and Wall-E be so attentive to the life or just being happy it is alive reminded us of why we were so inspired \, so many years ago\, to start this town around our compass post \, and sit here to watch it live\" \n\n\n\n Roncar cry: \"Thanks for watc hing us grow\" \n\n\n\n And Hakim taps the sitting stone\, and Roncar sit s next to his grandparents\, watching life continue. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from Richard Murray / @HDdeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Audio version\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/810019771872657408/written-by-r ichard-murray-hddeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardm urrayhumblr/810019771872657408/written-by-richard-murray-hddeviant\n\n\n\n \n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260301 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black History Month 2026 end DTSTAMP:20260301T023059Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:663-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n WHO ARE THE BLACK TRIBES?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pioneer has a post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12557-my-tribe-vs-yo-tribe/\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n @P ioneer1\n\n\n\n  Ending black history month with thoughtfulness:) hope #b lack327 is very eventful \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I have confused you. \n\n\n \n Black Americans is the root\, these are all black peoples in the usa\, gardless of ancestry\, language\, religion\, this is all about the skin.  \n\n\n\n Black Americans in the USA today is composed of two main groups\, populaces not tribes. \n\n\n\n Black DOSers- descended of enslaved black folk which also includes those who willingly immigrated into the usa befo re the 1960s\,  like MArcus Garvey for example\n\n\n\n + \n\n\n\n Black modern immigrants - black people who willingly immigrated to the usa when Blacks achieved in the USA complete legal federal recognition which was wi th the Civil Rights Act of  immigration act of 1964 and who came after th e immigration act of 1965.  Yes\, black people did freely immigrate into the USA before 1964 or 1965 but before then the federal legal rights of Bl ack people in the usa were simply not in any way even to whites. Now state s laws would take time to change but by the end of the jim crow era\, 1980 \, they did. \n\n\n\n Black Modern immigrants tribes are based on the cou ntries they come from: jamaican/panamanian/south african/nigerian/indian/b rasilian either their country is majority black and so they come from a tr ibe in their country of their country has a name for the black minority.  \n\n\n\n Black DOSers have three tribes from the creation of the USA  and none are based on geography \, all are based on a philosophy toward the u sa or the whites in it. \n\n\n\n Black Statians are black people who embr ace the USA as their home\, gardless of whites activity\, gardless of the historic reality\, gardless of most black peoples views towards the usa or the whites in it. . James Forten for example. WAs a businessman\, fought for the USA\, was a prisoner of war\, and all of this is while over 90% of black people in the colonies were completely enslaved\, and most who got freedom fought against the USA\, yet he held firm. Black Statians are not about being in the majority\, it is about the usa as their home \, gardles s of anything else. \n\n\n\n Black Militants - I want to say a caveat\, m ilitancy is really about wanting to go to war. But Black Militants are rea lly about trust. Black Militants don't trust/will never trust the usa or w hites of the usa and want the earned revenge. Now the earliest black milit ants fought for the english\, whites\, not because they trust whites\, but because they distrust white statians the most\, and want revenge. \n\n\n \n Black Freefolk- I use this term because\, what many people don't seem t o comprehend is when the USA was founded\, over ninety percent of black pe ople were enslaved to whites. What does that mean? That means when the USA was founded over ninety percent of blacks\, had no allegiance or caring f or the USA or for whites\, so they weren't statians\, even though many of them them or most their lineage would only know the usa as a home\, it had no connection to them. But they weren't militants. Yes\, they hated white s but they didn't want revenge\, they only wanted away from whites. All th ey wanted was to be as far away from the colonies or the later USA or whit e people as possible. In them you find the back to africa movement\, which at is heart to trying to get black people as far away from whites or the usa. Their influence is what made in combination side black statians the e xoduster movement\, which at its heart is an agreement between black stati ans + black freefolk. Essentially\, one group says they embrace the usa\, the other group says\, they want as far away from the usa or the whites in it. So the middle ground is places as far away from whites in the usa. Th e problem is\, white people historically\, don't like black people to be u ndisturbed by whites wherever we live. whether an urban black region or a black town\, whites have a heritage of negative meddling with blacks. Anot her subtribe for the the black freefolk are those Leaving the USA [which for the record always goes on among black DOSers every year\, yes it has n ever bee n a majority act but people forget whites historically hated blac k people who spoke of leaving the usa. From most whites perspectives\, his toorically\, they wanted black people to embrace being enslaved as a posit ive\, for white financial betterment... ]. Another subtribe are black indi vidualism. It makes sense to me. how Black people descended from enslaved people who had nothing to do with the creation of the usa and were descend ed from people who wanted nothing to do with the usa or the white people i n it would see themselves as individuals. Embracing a hard truth that\, th e usa is nothing to them \, but since fate has placed them here\, they jus t live\, not because they are comfortable or love whites\, but simply beca use like the ninety percent of our forebears enslaved in the usa when it w as founded \, they have no where to go or nothing to be apart communally. The slave quarter isn't a communal zone\, it is pig pen for humans\, so if the usa is merely  a huge pig pen in a black person's mind\, they why sh ould they think communally. \n\n\n\n \n\n For me\, I don't know either of you well enough to be sure of anything . But based on communications in t his forum\, I think\, cynique like yourself are Black Statians\, the tribe in the populace of Black DOSers.   Both of you embrace the USA. \n\n\n \n You pioneer seem to have an exoduster mentality. You embrace the usa\, part of you loves it. But what you want for its future is black solidarity + safety in the usa\, not as indiivduals in a hyper mixed brew but in spe cific locals. It isn't impossible\, to reach what you want. Nothing is eas y. \n\n\n\n Cynique it seems\, has a James Forten philosophy. She embrace s not only the usa but the idea its white enslaving founders suggested \, a country of humans\, individuals who embrace the idea that each individua l should be treated equally. Frederick Douglass/MLK jr/Barrack Obama all l ive their lives with this idea\, started from James Forten's or similars e xample. Arguably\, Black Statians like Cynique are closest to achieving th eir goal. because Black Statians like her were by default most willing to work with whites\, they benefited them in the usa\, where whites only star ted allowing the majority of the black populace equal status\, 1980. to be blunt\, if you aren't willing to work with whites pre 1980\, while you li ve in the usa\, you essentially have nothing. As black DOSers forebears we re enslaved so they could provide no fiscal inheritance and as all know\, over ninety percent of wealth in the usa is inheritance.  Very few whites are willing to work with blacks who want away. Yes\, Back to Africa movem ents occurred in the usa \, but their white financiers were never represen ting a majority of whites. \n\n\n\n So\, For me\, both of you are Black S tatians. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The key for you to comprehend is Black DOSer s relationship to the usa is historically not financial\, it is pure philo sophy\, or vendetta based. This is why Black Modern Immigrants fit in so w ell with the USA\, because their relationship is like all non blacks who a ren't indigenous. It is\, a financial desire to make money\, to be better off. But\, Black DOSers didn't originally have that desire\, and even in 1 865\, when the enslavement era ends and jim crow begins. Black DOSers didn 't come into the Jim Crow era thinking I want to be apart of the USA. Blac k Freefolk historically had to be convinced of the merit of the USA which many Black Statians have always had problems with .\, ala the similarity o f Frederick Douglass/MLK jr/ Barrack Obama who arguably all spent the latt er years of their most potent time disliked by most Black DOSErs. Which ma kes sense\, because Black Statians by default\, embrace the usa no matter what. So faced with Black people with the same experiences who don't accep t it at all\, or who need convincing when whites make that nearly impossib le\, outside of faith based\, it becomes a natural divide no bridge can cr oss. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1255 7-my-tribe-vs-yo-tribe/#findComment-80451\n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n 03022026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ topic/12557-my-tribe-vs-yo-tribe/#findComment-80496\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ost ed just now\n\n\n\n @frankster \n\n\n\n what you speak is what James For ten/ Frederick Douglass/ MLK jr/Barrck Obama said in more words or more el oquently or in how they lived their life. \n\n\n\n But their lives prove that other humans are not always in concurrence to that standing. and that is my point. I don't speak of tribes because it is the most positive plus effective end\, the most effective end for humans is to treat all life on earth with the same love or consideration each human will want to themsel ves\, but that isn't how humanity operates. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Cont rarian\n\n\n\n yes\, i think that in the population of the usa is already brewing a people who will functionalize your way [or at least try to] \, t he way many other black people in the usa today adhere to\, what the rapin g slaver thomas jefferson wrote\, what black people like james forten/fred erick douglass/mlk jr lived their entire lives fighting for even when most black people opposed them. what barrack obama tried to uphold even though the needs of the usa in the immediate term warranted another way. \n\n\n \n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260228 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:It's a Mad\, Mad\, Mad\, Mad\, Mad\, Mad March! DTSTAMP:20260302T203920Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:666-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n participate for prizes by march 26th 2026 but open foreve r to challenge oneself\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journa l/It-s-a-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-March-1296319921\n\n\n\n artistic example \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Yaffles-at-Yggr-or-Laugh s-at-Odin-1303027466\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260301 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wishing Wells challenge in color-me-club DTSTAMP:20260302T202246Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:665-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n participate for prizes by march 31st 2026 but open foreve r to challenge oneself\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journa l/Wishing-Wells-1286745083\n\n\n\n artistic example\n\n\n\n https://www.de viantart.com/hddeviant/art/Preto-Liberdade-Wishing-Well-1304264153\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260301 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KWL Live Q&A: Music\, Love and Storytelling with Xio Axelrod 02/27/2025 DTSTAMP:20250227T220123Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:208-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KWL Live Q&\;A: Music\, Love and Storytelling with Xio Axelrod\n\n description\n\n The Kobo Writing Life team invites you to joi n us on February 27th from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST for a new Live Q&\;A.  KWL director Tara and KWL author engagement manager Laura will chat to b estselling author Xio Axelrod.\n\n uniform resource locator\n\n https://ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=ziAHLKI6wzU\n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Xio Axelrod\n\n https://xioaxelrod.com/\n\n\n\n MY TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n 00:02:00 \nTara: how did music industry help you in the publishing?\nXio: Her dad i s a successful songwriter. She loves rock\, her father is in rhythm and bl ues. Brought guerilla marketing tactics from indie music publishing into l iterary publishing industry.\n00:04:00\nTara: What specifically did you br ing from the music industry?\nXio: She felt literary publishing was ahead of music space. In the music industry indie artist didn't have as much suc cess at the time.  She feels things like Boom going into indie writers ba cklist\, and feels that may occur in the music industry. Both have many si milarities.\n00:06:00 \nLaura: What has been different in the industries? \nXio: In music industry \, not alot of peer support. You usually don't se e musicians saying i like that album too but you see it in literature\n00: 07:00 \nTara: what was challenges when you started?\nXio: A huge learning curve to getting book out there. I needed cover art. She did her own cove rs/editing\, what you tell new authors not to do. She was building her web site and merch. Hardest part was reaching out to other people. She spent a bout a year\, she thought it would be a side gig\, watching other indie au thors do what they did\, cross promotion marketing.\n00:09:00 \nTara: Wha t did you think of with pen names and website\nXio: She had her pen name a nd website before she started. She interviewed authors on her blog and pro moting her work. And she had authors saying you shouldn't do that. \n00:1 0:00 \nTara from Mauritzio\nDo you have any advice for an author who has published his first book\, especially for promotion?\nXio: Promoting other s will get you known\, and then when it is your turn \, they will help.   She told another author Bluesky is where it is at. Cross promotion matters . Good luck out there.\nLaura: I think cross promotion with authors who do the same genre as you \n00:12:00\nLaura: can you explain what a hybrid a uthor is?\nXio: She made eight books as an author before she signed a cont ract. she wanted to expand out\, she spent her money on events\, not adver tisements. Source books approached her. She knew when you signed a traditi onal contract you have to give up some things. She thinks she is just find ing it now. From the pandemic doing event after event\, it is busier with success while still writing. She hasn't released a full indie in a few yea rs. For her it is taking the time to write the book.\n00:15:00\nTara: Did she think she will have influence once signed?\nXio: Growing up\, she knew \, that  a record label deal was not wise\, from various people in the in dustry. But when she hit the wall\, you can't get into bookshelves\, or th is or that store\, you need to sign a contract. IF she can get someone whe re she can do what she wants while also signed . She is fortunate.\n00:17: 00 \nTara: Readers don't follow the books\nXio: She tells readers the mor e recent books are not her first. She has to get some old books back to pr int. \n00:18:00 \nTara: Can you walk us through your writing process? \ nXio: She does a lot of daydreaming. Xiovision. All of her characters live with her all the time. The scene will play over and over in her head and then she will write. She knows authors who get up is four in the morning a nd then they write to six. She does it day to day. Some days marketing\, o ther days writing. She always consumes content. If she is on deadline\, sh e turns off the phone on certain days. Surrounds herself with the art that helps her. Everyone has their own process. Her's is haphazard\, no day is like the day before.\n00:20:00\nTara: YOu do alot of events\, do you writ e on the road?\nXio: No \, at an event she goes to an event mode. She thin ks how many stickers she has for the table. Until the pandemic\, she didn' t know what process she needs. Her husband took over her office. The girl with stars in her eyes\, was the hardest book. She knows now\, if she want s to write\, no package\, no deliveries\, so she can sink into her story.\ n00:22:00 \nLaura: What is your favorite film score to write to?\nXio: JA ne Eyre. She likes the soundtrack from the Piano. Any music with lyrics sh e can't use. But if love scene or fighting scene\, she has five hundred so unds on her playlist. She writes playlist for every book she writes. \n00 :24:00\nLaura: What are your thoughts to audiobooks\, does she have any?\n Xio: She does. 2015 she thinks she should do this audio thing. She looked at catalog but not alot of romance. And she put up the money and it earned out. She encourages people to do audio\, if you can get someone else to p ay for it better\, but she listens to audio exclusively now. \nLaura: her standards in audio are higher for background in music?\nXio: She finds au thors through the narrators. She asked who can she afford\, in the beginni ng. And then she started writing characters for various voices. \nGirls w ith Bad Reputations\, the characters were written with those voice authors in mind. A bad audio performance can ruin a book for her. \n00:27:00 \n Laura: how do you approach genre blending?\nXio: Write the book you want t o read? She was reading anne rice\, she didn't read romance into she actua lly wrote one. In \"girl's with bad reputations\" she wrote a scene that w as a little wild\, the editor questioned\, but she said\, it is alright. B ut throwing all the tropes and things she love in the blender\, she can do it. it took nine months and two hundred chapters on my blog and it happen ed\n00:29:00\nLAura: what are your favorite tropes?\nXio: Rivals to lovers . She doesn't approach books with tropes in mind? She had a book with many . Microtropes is having a big moment. Microtropes is the lifesblood of fa n fiction\n00:30:00\nTara: Your favorite microtrope?\nXio: hue falls\, she was a fanfic panel. Someone on the panel said she knows Xio writes fanfic tion cause she manages the buffy fanfic lbrary.\n00:32:00\nTara: Did you b uild this with your publisher?\nXio: Initially the Lilly was one book in h er head. When they approached about writing a series she can write a book for each girl. She was into this show called SKAN. It was very addictive\, they had clips \, like messages between characters. I can't do that with a book\, but she can make similar. They have their own websites\, book\, e social sites\, the Lilyverse. \n00:34:00\nTara: Do you write the esocial of the various characters?\nXio: Yes\, she does\, she doesn't sleep. If sh e let someone else control\, they would have more content. But it helps to write them to get inside their head.\n00:35:00 \nTara: would you let oth ers try to work in the universe?\nXio: We will see what source says. It ha s huge potential but we will see\, and she owns her earlier work that some one did something from. We will see. \n00:36:00\nTara: Would you need to compile a Lillyverse wiki\nXio: She was thinking about having a series bib le. A series bible will help but she will need to sit down.\n00:37:00\nTar a: Do you worry about easter eggs with having the various characters socia l?\nXio: I don't think she has posted anything that isn't outside the stor y. \n00:38:00\nTara: Any merchandise you have or most memorable?\nXio: Fo r the lilly series I have stickers. But she knew she would have alot of me rch for the lilies with shirts for the concerts\, album covers. She will s ell shirts at Philadlephia convention. She gets giddy when fans love the l ilies. She gets bracelets with the characters names and she gets magnets. She tells authors to find another point of contact with readers. Find a wa y to connect to another level\n00:40:00\nTara: Do you take advice from rea ders on how to write?\nXio: No\, she likes feedback from the fanfic times but don't like all the people telling you what to do. Fans killed her pass ion for a story with their demands or desires on where it should go. She w ants the lilies to be from where she wants. The training ground of fanfict ion teaches you to stray away from fans desires to the future. \n00:42:00 \nLaura: Any advice to indies for marketing their books\nXio: She knows ma ny indie authors do good work with advertisements but she likes events esp ecially reader events. Everything is so tied to social media\, and you nev er know what channel will work best. Figure out what is going on behind th e scene and in romance authors are not averse to share information. She be longs to the authors guild as well. Marketing is tough\, algorithm suppres s what isn't paid for. \n00:44:00\nTara: Do you focus on newsletters\nXio : It is a chore for her to do a newsletter. Whenever she sits down to do a newsletter it sounds like corporate speak. She turned the newsletter over to her publishers. Get started early with newsletter. She tries to make t he Lillies to independent. They have their own page on facebook. A fan sai d they would go to a place\, that wasn't real. The temptation is to make i t real. Sheet music exists on the back of the books. She can't wait to see people make covers\, of the lilies work. \n00:47:00\nTara: you mentioned the tenth anniversary of her book the callum\nXio: She has always struggl ed with imposter syndrome. You can feel a failure when others are celebrat ing huge deals. She wished she learned early on to celebrate the wins of p ublishing a book and having others read her work. Work with your emotions and then get back to work. Be healthy emotionally. She wished she had lear ned early. It is great to have authors around you\, have author friends. T hey will celebrate you and if they don't they are not your friends. People had said you did this or that and she had forgotten. And she remembered f or her tenth anniversary\n00:51:00\nTara: What was fans reaction to the se ries?\nXio: Fans were happy. Her neighbor was one of her first readers. Sh e got all teary with new stuff. She hopes fans of the lilly series\, and s he hopes they entertain her revisited book.\n00:52:00 \nLaura: any upcomi ng projects\nXio: Double deadline \, writing tiff's story\, the base playe r. Follow up to love on the Byeline\, comes out later this year. It isn't quite as heavy. It will be interesting to continue this story of two frien ds. \n00:53:00\nTara: any events in the future\nXio: A polycon in April\, doing romancecon this year\, She will be quite a few places. She will be traveling not as much as last year. She is doing London and Vancouver. In book three the Lillies will be doing their first world tour so she will do research.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM ME\n\ n SI she pusblished internationally\, has any of her books been translated ?\n\n Have you considered a character dying in the books and how would yo u handle their esocial?\n\n\n\n Xio Axelrod website [ https://xioaxelrod.c om/ ]\n\n Xio Axelrod on Kobo [ https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/search?query=xi o+axelrod&\;fclanguages=en ]\n\n Xio Axelrod merch [ https://xioverse-m erch.creator-spring.com/ ] \n\n Xio Axelrod book [ https://xioaxelrod.com /books ] \n\n Xio Axelrod appearances [ https://xioaxelrod.com/appearance s ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 03012026\n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/topic/12559-is-music-fading-as-a-storytelling-avenue-among-black-peo ple/#findComment-80484\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n Thank you all:) \n \n\n\n @ProfD @aka Contrarian @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n your all correct that the commercial aspect of the music industry has pushed music to be leisure ly heard or commonly known that fits the high frequency rate of modern com munication plus the boring \, as in grinded in not dull\, nature of modern communication\n\n\n\n While @Delano you are also correct and they concu r that while one may have to be more an aficianado or put more work into t he quality in which they listen\, storytelling will never be completely de ad in music and modern artists are still making storytelling songs with th e same intention of those musicians in the past who told stories that open ed imaginations with a tempo. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250227 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Electronic Numerical Integrator and Compiler (ENIAC) is the first computer + first machine to make a weather model to predict the weat her\, here is how 03/05/1950 DTSTAMP:20250301T221534Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:210-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Electronic Numerical Integrator and Compiler (ENIAC) is t he first computer + first machine to make a weather model to predict the w eather\, here is how 03/05/1950\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/482-e lectronic-numerical-integrator-and-compiler-eniac-is-the-first-computer-fi rst-machine-to-make-a-weather-model-to-predict-the-weather-here-is-how/\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IF YOU DONT WANT TO USE THE LINK ABOV E\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n  \n \n\n \n How?\n \n\n \ n The first successful numerical prediction was performed using the E NIAC digital computer in 1950 by a team led by American meteorologist Ju le Charney. The team include Philip Thompson\, Larry Gates\, and Norwegian meteorologist Ragnar Fjørtoft\, applied mathematician John von Neumann \, and computer programmer Klara Dan von Neumann\, M. H. Frankel\, Jerom e Namias\, John C. Freeman Jr.\, Francis Reichelderfer\, George Platzman \, and Joseph Smagorinsky.[THE ENIAC FORECASTS A Re-creation ][The Unher alded Contributions of Klara Dan von Neumann][A Vast Machine] They used a simplified form of atmospheric dynamics based on solving the barotropi c vorticity equation over a single layer of the atmosphere\, by computing the geopotential height of the atmosphere's 500 millibars (15 inHg) pr essure surface.[Numerical Integration of the Barotropic Vorticity Equation ] This simplification greatly reduced demands on computer time and memory \, so the computations could be performed on the relatively primitive comp uters of the day.[https://archive.org/details/stormwatcherstur00cox_df1/pa ge/208/mode/2up] When news of the first weather forecast by ENIAC was rec eived by Richardson in 1950\, he remarked that the results were an \"enorm ous scientific advance.\"[The origins of computer weather prediction and   climate modeling] The first calculations for a 24‑hour forecast took ENIAC nearly 24 hours to produce\,[The origins of computer weather predi ction and  climate modeling] but Charney's group noted that most of tha t time was spent in \"manual operations\"\, and expressed hope that foreca sts of the weather before it occurs would soon be realized.[Numerical Inte gration of the Barotropic Vorticity Equation]\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n ARTICLES\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n THE ENI AC FORECASTS A Re-creation \n \n\n \n https://maths.ucd.ie/~ply nch/Publications/ENIAC-BAMS-08.pdf\n \n\n \n            \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n The Unheralded Contributions of Klara Dan von Neumann\n\n https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-n ature/meet-computer-scientist-you-should-thank-your-phone-weather-app-1809 63716/\n \n\n \n Despite having no formal mathematical training\ , she was a key figure in creating the computer that would later launch mo dern weather prediction\n \n\n \n Sarah Witman\n \n\n \n June 16\, 2017\n\n  \n \n\n \n Editor's note\, May 20\, 2021: We’ve updated this piece to more accurately reflect Klara Dan von Neumann’s contributions to the experiment that resulted in the first nu merical weather predictions in 1950. The piece originally misstated that K lara was in charge of hand-punching and managing the 100\,000 punchcards t hat served as the ENIAC’s read/write memory\, when in fact she wasn’t present for this part of the experiment. The story has been re-edited to r eflect this information.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n A wea ther app is a nifty tool that predicts your meteorological future\, levera ging the strength of satellites\, supercomputers\, and other modern device s to tell you when to pack an umbrella. Today\, computerized weather predi ction—like moving pictures or seatbelts in cars—is so commonplace that most smartphone users don’t give it a second thought. But in the early 20th century\, the idea that you might be able to forecast the weather day s or even weeks ahead was a tantalizing prospect.\n\n One of the most impo rtant breakthroughs in weather forecasting took place in the spring of 195 0\, during an experiment at the Aberdeen Proving Ground\, a U.S. Army fac ility in Maryland. For 33 days and nights\, a team of scientists and compu ter technicians worked tirelessly to achieve something that meteorologists had been working toward for decades: predict the weather mathematically.\ n\n This was well before the age of pocket-sized\, or even desktop\, compu ters. The team—led by scientists Jule Charney\, Ragnar Fjørtoft\, John Freeman\, George Platzman\, and Joseph Smagorinsky—was using one of the world’s first computers: a finicky\, 150-foot machine called ENIAC that had been developed during the recent World War. Platzman would later desc ribe a complicated\, 16-step process they repeated over and over: six ste ps for the ENIAC to run their calculations\, and 10 steps to input instruc tions and record output on punch-cards. Minor errors forced them to redo h ours—sometimes days—of work. In one tense moment\, a computer operat or’s thumb got caught in the machinery\, temporarily halting operations. \n\n But at the end of the month\, the team had produced six groundbreakin g weather forecasts (well\, technically\, \"hindcasts\,\" since they used data from past storms to demonstrate the method). An article in the New York Times hailed the project as a way to “lift the veil from previousl y undisclosed mysteries connected with the science of weather forecasting. ” The benefits to agriculture\, shipping\, air travel and other industri es “were obvious\,” weather experts told the Times\, offering the pote ntial to save crops\, money\, and lives.\n\n An internal Weather Bureau m emo commended “these men” for proving that computer-based forecasting \, the cornerstone of modern weather prediction\, was possible. This was m ostly true—except\, it wasn’t just men. Numerous women played critical scientific roles in the experiment\, for which they earned little to no c redit at the time.\n\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Two computer operators\, Ruth Lichterman (left) and Marlyn Wescoff (right)\, wire the right side of the ENIAC with a new program in the pre-von Neumann era. US Army\, via Historic Computers Images of the ARL Technical Library\n \n \n \n Like the ENIAC’s first programmers—Jean Bartik\, Betty Holberton\, Kathleen Antonelli\, Marlyn Meltzer\, Ruth Teitelbaum\, and Fr ances Spence—the computer operators for the 1950 weather experiment were all women. While this highly skilled work would surely have earned them a co-authorship today\, their names—Norma Gilbarg\, Ellen-Kristine Eliass en\, and Margaret Smagorinsky\, who was the first female statistician hi red by the Weather Bureau and the wife of meteorologist Joseph Smagorinsky —are absent from the journal article detailing the experiment’s resul ts. Before most of the scientists arrived at Aberdeen\, these women spent hundreds of hours calculating the equations that the ENIAC would need to c ompute in the full experiment. “The system that they were going to use o n the big computer\, we were doing manually\,” Margaret recalled in an  interview with science historian George Dyson before she died in 2011. “It was a very tedious job. The three of us worked in a very small room\ , and we worked hard.”\n\n But perhaps the biggest single contribution\, aside from the scientists leading the experiment\, came from a woman name d Klara Dan von Neumann.\n\n Klara\, known affectionately as Klari\, was  born into a wealthy Jewish family in Budapest in 1911. After World War I\ , in which Hungary allied with Austria to become one of the great Europe an powers of the war\, Klara attended an English boarding school and becam e a national figure skating champion. When she was a teenager\, during Bud apest’s roaring '20s\, her father and grandfather threw parties and invi ted the top artists and thinkers of the day—including women.\n\n Klara  married young\, divorced and remarried before the age of 25. In 1937\, a Hungarian mathematician\, John von Neumann\, began to court her. Von Neum ann was also married at the time\, but his divorce was in progress (his fi rst wife\, Mariette\, had fallen in love with the acclaimed physicist J.B. Horner Kuper\, both of whom would become two of the first employees of Long Island’s Brookhaven National Laboratory). Within a year\, John and Klara were married.\n\n John had a professorship at Princeton University\, and\, as the Nazis gained strength in Europe\, Klara followed him to the U.S. Despite only having a high school education in algebra and trigonome try\, she shared her new husband’s interest in numbers\, and was able to secure a wartime job with Princeton’s Office of Population Research inv estigating population trends.\n\n By this time\, John had become one of th e most famous scientists in the world as a member of the Manhattan Projec t\, the now-notorious U.S. government research project dedicated to buildi ng the first atomic bomb. With his strong Hungarian accent and array of ec centricities—he once played a joke on Albert Einstein by offering him a ride to the train station and then intentionally sending him off on the wrong train—he would later become the inspiration for Stanley Kubric k’s Dr. Strangelove. While Klara stayed behind\, working full-time at Princeton\, John moved out to Los Alamos\, New Mexico\, running the thousa nds of calculations needed to build the first of these weapons of mass des truction. His work came to fatal fruition in 1945\, when the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan\, killing as many as 250\,000 people.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n A chart of the series of operations requ ired to create the first weather forecasts\, chronicled later by scientist George Platzman. AMS Bulletin\, ©American Meteorological Society. Used with permission.\n \n\n \n After the war\, John decided to tu rn his mathematical brilliance toward more peaceful applications. He thoug ht he might be able to use the ENIAC—a powerful new computer that cut it s teeth running calculations for an early hydrogen bomb prototype—coul d be applied to help improve weather forecasting.\n\n As John began to pu rsue this idea\, getting in touch with top meteorologists in the U.S. and Norway\, Klara came to visit him in Los Alamos. Living apart during the Ma nhattan Project had been hard on their marriage\, and Klara had suffered a miscarriage back in New Jersey\, but the trip rekindled sparks between th em. By this time\, Klara had become quite mathematically adept through her work at Princeton\, and she and John began to collaborate on the ENIAC.\n \n “I became Johnny’s experimental rabbit\,” she told Dyson years afterward. “I learned how to translate algebraic equations into numerica l forms\, which in turn then have to be put into machine language in the o rder in which the machine has to calculate it\, either in sequence or goin g round and round\, until it has finished with one part of the problem\, a nd then go on some definite which-a-way\, whatever seems to be right for i t to do next.”<\;br>\;\n <\;br>\;\n The work was challenging\, e specially compared to modern computer programming with its luxuries like b uilt-in memory and operating systems. Yet\, Klara described to Dyson\, sh e found coding to be a “very amusing and rather intricate jigsaw puzzl e.”\n\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Women computer scientists holding different parts of an early computer. From left to right: Patsy S immers\, holding ENIAC board\; Gail Taylor\, holding EDVAC board\; Milly B eck\, holding ORDVAC board\; Norma Stec\, holding BRLESC-I board. US Army Photo\, via Historic Computers Images of the ARL Technical Library\n \ n\n \n In the acknowledgements of the 1950 paper detailing the f irst numerical weather predictions\, the authors thank Klara for her “in struction in the technique of coding for the ENIAC and for checking the fi nal code.” But what is undoubtedly her most impactful contribution to th e experiment took place several years prior: helping to transform the ENIA C from a rigidly hard-wired machine into one of the first stored-program  computers\, more akin to today’s personal computers. Both Klara and Jo hn felt this was a necessary improvement for future applications like the weather experiment\, as it would allow them to store a vast repertoire of commands in the computer’s memory.\n\n In 1947\, Klara and Nick Metropol is—a Greek-American mathematician and computer scientist\, and leader of the Los Alamos computing group—collaborated on a plan to implement thi s new mode on the ENIAC\, and in 1948 they traveled to Aberdeen to reconfi gure the machine. After training five other people to program and run the ENIAC (two married couples and a bachelor: Foster and Cerda Evans\, Harris and Rosalie Mayer\, and Marshall Rosenbluth)\, they worked for 32 days st raight to install the new control system\, check it\, and get the modified machine up and running. By the end of the trip\, Klara had reportedly los t 15 pounds\, and it took her several weeks and numerous doctor’s visits to recover from the experience. But she still managed to write a full re port on the conversion and use of the ENIAC as a stored-program computer. “The method is clearly a 100% success\,” John wrote at the time.\n\n By the time Charney and his team of scientists arrived at Aberdeen in earl y 1950\, Platzman would recall years later\, the “ENIAC had been operat ing in the new stored-program mode for over a year\, a fact that greatly s implified our work.” In a letter to his wife written during this first w eek\, Platzman gushed: “The machine is a miracle.” The ENIAC was still rudimentary: It could only produce 400 multiplications per second\, so s low that it produced rhythmic chugging noises. But after working around th e clock for over a month\, the team had six precious gems to show for thei r efforts: two 12-hour and four 24-hour retrospective forecasts.\n\n Not l ong after the weather experiment concluded\, tragedy befell the von Neuman n family. John von Neumann was confined to a wheelchair in 1956\, and succ umbed to cancer a year later\, (likely due\, at least in part\, to his pro ximity to radiation during the Manhattan Project). Klara wrote the preface to his posthumous book\, The Computer and the Brain\, which she presente d to Yale College in 1957. In it\, she briefly described her late husb and’s contributions to the field of meteorology\, writing that his “nu merical calculations seemed to be helpful in opening entirely new vistas\, ” but gave no mention of her own role.\n\n Klara’s work with computers seems to have tapered off even before John’s death. Whatever her reason ing may have been for this\, it was in line with the prevailing trend at t he time. Janet Abbate recounts in her 2012 book Recoding Gender how\, as the public perception of computers and their value to society evolved thr oughout the 1950s and ’60s\, the number of women hired for those roles s hrank rapidly. Abbate writes that\, while the women who made up most of th e workforce in the early days of coding “would have scoffed at the notio n that programming would ever be considered a masculine occupation\,” th at’s exactly what happened within a matter of years. Today\, less than 8 percent of software developers worldwide identify as women\, nonbinary\ , or gender nonconforming.\n\n While female representation in the fields o f science\, technology\, engineering\, and math has increased as a whole s ince the 1970s\, according to the U.S. Census Bureau\, the number of wome n working in computing roles has actually declined over the past few decad es. But without their early contributions to the field\, we might have mis sed out on the breakthrough that led to modern weather prediction\, or any number of scientific advancements. So the next time you scroll through yo ur weather app before deciding whether to don a raincoat\, think of Klara and the other women who helped make it possible.\n\n \n\n \n  \ n \n\n \n A Vast Machine\n\n https://web.archive.org/web/201 20127215929/http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&\; tid=12080\n \n\n \n Computer Models\, Climate Data\, and the Pol itics of Global Warming\n\n Paul N. Edwards\n \n\n \n  Tabl e of Contents and Sample Chapters\n \n\n \n Computer Models\, Cl imate Data\, and the Politics of Global Warming\n\n Paul N. Edwards\n \n\n \n Acknowledgments\n\n Download Chapter as PDF Sample C hapter - Download PDF (71 KB)    ix\n\n Introduction\n\n Downlo ad Chapter as PDF Sample Chapter - Download PDF (121 KB)    xiii\n\n 1    Thinking Globally\n\n Download Chapter as PDF Sample Chapter - Download PDF (1.82 MB)    1\n\n 2    Global Space\, Universal Time\n\n Seeing the Planetary Atmosphere    27\n\n 3    Sta ndards and Networks\n\n International Meteorology and the Réseau Mond ial    49\n\n 4    Climatology and Climate Change before World War II    61\n\n 5    Friction    83\n\n 6    Numerica l Weather Prediction    111\n\n 7    The Infinite Forecast    139\n\n 8    Making Global Data    187\n\n 9    The First WWW    229\n\n 10    Making Data Global    251\n\n 11    Data Wars    287\n\n 12    Reanalysis\n\n The Do-Over    323\n\n 13    Parametrics and the Limits of Knowl edge    337\n\n 14    Simulation Models and Atmospheric Politics \, 1960–1992    357\n\n 15    Signal and Noise\n\n Consens us\, Controversy\, and Climate Change    397\n\n Conclusion    4 31\n\n Notes    441\n\n Index\n\n Download Chapter as PDF S ample Chapter - Download PDF (106 KB)    509\n\n  \n \n\n \n Global warming skeptics often fall back on the argument that the scie ntific case for global warming is all model predictions\, nothing but simu lation\; they warn us that we need to wait for real data\, \"sound science .\" In A Vast Machine Paul Edwards has news for these skeptics: without mo dels\, there are no data. Today\, no collection of signals or observations —even from satellites\, which can \"see\" the whole planet with a single instrument—becomes global in time and space without passing through a s eries of data models. Everything we know about the world's climate we know through models. Edwards offers an engaging and innovative history of how scientists learned to understand the atmosphere—to measure it\, trace it s past\, and model its future.\n \n\n \n Edwards argues that all our knowledge about climate change comes from three kinds of computer mod els: simulation models of weather and climate\; reanalysis models\, which recreate climate history from historical weather data\; and data models\, used to combine and adjust measurements from many different sources. Meteo rology creates knowledge through an infrastructure (weather stations and o ther data platforms) that covers the whole world\, making global data. Thi s infrastructure generates information so vast in quantity and so diverse in quality and form that it can be understood only by computer analysis— making data global. Edwards describes the science behind the scientific co nsensus on climate change\, arguing that over the years data and models ha ve converged to create a stable\, reliable\, and trustworthy basis for est ablishing the reality of global warming.\n \n\n \n About the Aut hor\n \n\n \n Paul N. Edwards is Professor in the School of Info rmation and the Department of History at the University of Michigan. He is the author of The Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse i n Cold War America (1996) and a coeditor (with Clark Miller) of Changing t he Atmosphere: Expert Knowledge and Environmental Governance (2001)\, both published by the MIT Press.\n\n  \n \n\n \n Numerical Inte gration of the Barotropic Vorticity Equation\n\n https://a.tellusjourn als.se/articles/10.3402/tellusa.v2i4.8607\n \n\n \n Original Res earch Papers\n\n Authors\n\n J. G. Charney\n\n R. Fjörtoft\n\ n J. von Neumann\n \n\n \n Abstract\n\n A method is give n for the numerical solution of the barotropic vorticity equation over a l imited area of the earth’s surface. The lack of a natural boundary calls for an investigation of the appropriate boundary conditions. These are de termined by a heuristic argument and are shown to be sufficient in a speci al case. Approximate conditions necessary to insure the mathematical stabi lity of the difference equation are derived. The results of a series of fo ur 24-hour forecasts computed from actual data at the 500 mb level are pre sented\, together with an interpretation and analysis. An attempt is made to determine the causes of the forecast errors. These are ascribed partly to the use of too large a space increment and partly to the effects of bar oclinicity. The rôle of the latter is investigated in some detail by mean s of a simple baroclinic model.\n \n\n \n                   \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n The or igins of computer weather prediction and  climate modeling\n\n https ://web.archive.org/web/20100708191309/http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/personal/ miskandarani/Courses/MPO662/Lynch\,Peter/OriginsCompWF.JCP227.pdf\n\n from \n\n  Peter Lynch\n \n\n \n               \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n IN AMENDMENT\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Reading the Manual for ENIAC\, the World’s F irst Electronic Computer\n\n https://thenewstack.io/reading-the-manual -for-eniac-the-worlds-first-electronic-computer/\n \n\n \n ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Compiler) was the world's very first fully electronic general-purpose computer. Smithsonian magazine once call ed it \"the room-size government computer that began the digital era.\" An d last week the I Programmer site shared a link to an original operating m anual for ENIAC\, originally published 75 years ago this month.\n\n Ju n 16th\, 2019 6:00am by David Cassel\n \n\n \n I don't know my l ove\, I know a business exist. Michael jackson was a huge client\, but he wasn't alone\, many black people in the entertainment industry have skin l ightened \, and the newspapers don't tend to go into it. \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Feature image: US Army photo of the ENIAC.\n\n Sometimes you have to take a long look back to realize just how much th ings have changed. And if you looked around our modern-day\, cloud-enhance d web this month\, you’d find several sites sharing memories about the l aunch of the ENIAC computer in 1946 — and of all those unstoppable mid-c entury engineers who tirelessly made it work.\n \n\n \n ENIAC (E lectronic Numerical Integrator and Compiler) was the world’s very first fully electronic general-purpose computer. Smithsonian magazine once calle d it “the room-size government computer that began the digital era.” A nd last week the I Programmer site shared a link to an original operating manual for ENIAC\, originally published 75 years ago this month.\n\n \ n \n\n \n It’s dated June 1st\, 1946 — it was published by t he school of engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia — and the manual’s page at Archive.org show it’s been viewed just 2 \,309 times. (“There are no reviews yet\,” reads the boilerplate on th e site. “Be the first one to write a review.”)\n \n\n \n  \ n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n The archi ve identifies it as part of “the bitsavers.org collection” — a proje ct started by a software curator at the Computer History Museum\, with ove r 98\,500 files and more than 4.7 million text pages.\n\n So what can we g lean about the ENIAC’s moment in history from the manual which documents its operation?\n\n It seems like the machine was temperamental. For examp le\, it warns that the DC power should never be turned on without first tu rning the operation switch to “continuous.”\n\n “Failure to follow t his rule causes certain DC fuses to blow\, -240 and -415 in particular.” \n\n But the consequences are even worse if you opened the DC fuse cabinet when the D.C. power was turned on. “This not only exposes a person to v oltage differences of around 1\,500 volts but the person may be burned by flying pieces of molten fuse wire” (if one of the fuse cases suddenly bl ew). In fact\, the ENIAC was actually designed with a door switch shunt th at prevented it from operating if one of its panel doors was open\, “sin ce removing the doors exposes dangerous voltage.” But this feature could be bypassed by holding the door switch shunt in its closed position.\n\n In a video shared by the Computer History Archives Project\, chief enginee r J. Presper Eckert Jr remembers that it was rare to go more than a day or two without at least one tube blowing out.\n\n And in addition to potenti al shocks\, dust was another potential hazard. “Dust particles may cause transient relay failures\,” the manual warns\, “so avoid stirring up dust in the ENIAC room.”\n\n “Also\, if any relay case is removed\, al ways replace in exactly the same position in order not to disturb dust ins ide the case.”\n\n The ENIAC used an IBM card reader\, but that had its own issues too. At one point the manual actually recommends against having the same number in every column of a punchcard\, since “this weakens a card increasing the probability of ‘jamming’ in the feeding mechanism of the IBM machines.”\n\n Essential Instructions<\;br>\;\n Despite t hese limitations\, ENIAC was a remarkable piece of technology. The manual includes intricate drawings and detailed diagrams of its racks\, trays\, c ables\, and wiring. But most important are the front panel drawings\, whic h “show in some detail the switches\, sockets\, etc. for each panel of e ach unit.”\n\n \n\n \n “They contain the essential instructi ons for setting up a problem on the ENIAC.”\n\n \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n ENIAC’s panels were equ ipped with neon lights corresponding to things like the “denominator fli p-flop” and the “divide flip-flop.” The manual includes footnotes th at carefully explain under what circumstances each light will be lit.\n\n “The square root of zero is perhaps the easiest test to repeat on the di vider-square rooter…”\n\n It’s not until page 28 that it explains th at turning on the start switch “starts the initiating sequences for the ENIAC\, turning on the DC power supplies\, the heaters of the various pane ls\, and the fans…” And it also turns on a little amber light.\n\n “ When this sequence has been completed\, showing that the ENIAC is ready to operate\, the green light goes on…”\n\n There were gates for a “con stant transmitter” (which transmits to an “accumulator”)\, and its c ircuitry included “program pulse input terminals” — for add pulses a nd subtract pulses. And the machine also included two “significant figur es switches.”\n\n “When 10 or more significant figures are desired\, t he left-hand switch is set to 10 and the right-hand switch set so that the sum of the two switch readings equals the number of significant figures d esired.”\n\n There are tantalizing glimpses of how it all works together . The manual recommends a complicated test to make sure all the hardware i s working properly. It involves a card with the value P 11111 11111\, whic h gets input into the machine’s “accumulator” 18 times. The mathemat ical result — 19\,999\,999\,998 — apparently exceeds the range of the accumulator\, so the expected result is actually M 99999 99998. Then a car d with the value P 00000 00001 is transmitted to the accumulators exactly twice — which instead of twenty billion (20\,000\,000\,000) should give the value P 00000 00000.\n\n “Note that this test assumes that the signi ficant figure switch is set to ’10’…”\n\n In Smithsonian magazine\ , technology writer Steven Levy remembers living in Philadelphia in the 19 70s and renting an apartment from a man named J. Presper Eckert Jr. “It was only when I became a technology writer some years later that I realize d that my landlord had invented the computer.”\n\n \n\n \n vi deo not available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8R6li54R20\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n In the early 1940s\, Eckert had been a gr aduate student in the school of engineering who became the ENIAC’s chief engineer. A professor had proposed electronic calculations for munitions trajectories to help the American military during World War II.\n\n Levy c alls it “a breathtaking enterprise. The original cost estimate of $150\, 000 would rise to $400\,000. Weighing in at 30 tons\, the U-shaped constru ct filled a 1\,500-square-foot room. Its 40 cabinets\, each of them nine f eet high\, were packed with 18\,000 vacuum tubes\, 10\,000 capacitors\, 6\ ,000 switches and 1\,500 relays… Two 20-horsepower blowers exhaled cool air so that ENIAC wouldn’t melt down.”\n\n By the time they’d finish ed building it — World War II was over.\n\n But there was still work to do. The Atomic Heritage Foundation site reports that ENIAC was used to he lp perform the engineering calculations for the world’s first hydrogen bomb (along with two other more-recently developed computers). “It took sixty straight days of processing\, all through the summer of 1951.”\n\n Levy cites an Army press release describing ENIAC as a “mathematical ro bot” that “frees scientific thought from the drudgery of lengthy calcu lating work.”\n\n A recent documentary called The Computers reminds mo dern-day viewers that the ENIAC’s original programmers were all women — Kay McNulty\, Betty Jennings\, Betty Snyder\, Marlyn Wescoff\, F ran Bilas and Ruth Lichterman.\n\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n There’s now also a site called the ENIAC Programmers Project that sha res a brief overview of the documentary with more information. During Worl d War II\, the U.S. military had put together a team of nearly 100 women\, trained in mathematics\, who were calculating complex ballistic-trajector y equations. Six of them were selected to program the ENIAC.\n\n Back in 1 996\, the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing ran a profile of “The Women of ENIAC\,” interviewing 10 of the women who’d worked with the computer during its 10-year run.\n\n The poster for the documentary descr ibes them as “six women lost from history who created technologies that changed our world.”\n\n The ENIAC was eventually left behind by ever-fas ter and ever-cheaper computers. “By the time it was decommissioned in 19 55 it had been used for research on the design of wind tunnels\, random nu mber generators\, and weather prediction\,” remembers an ENIAC web page at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.\n\n And even though ENIAC was decommissi oned in 1955\, 50 years later it was reassembled for a humble ceremony in Philadelphia\, Levy remembers.\n\n “Vice President Al Gore threw a switc h and the remaining pieces clattered out the answer to an addition problem .”\n\n According to Levy\, the ENIAC’s chief engineer later groused “How would you like to have most of your life’s work end up on a squar e centimeter of silicon?” But Levy sees another way to look at it. “[T ]he question could easily have been put another way: How would you like to have invented the machine that changed the course of civilization?”\n\n Yet legacies aside\, it also seems like it was a real thrill just to have been a part of the work itself.\n\n “I’ve never seen been in as excit ing an environment\,” remembers Jean Jennings Bartik in the film. “We knew we were pushing back frontiers.”\n\n And more than 60 years later\, she also still remembered that the ENIAC computer “was a son-of-a-bitch to program.”\n\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n The Women of ENIAC\n \n\n \n https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052225/http: //www.eg.bucknell.edu/~csci203/2012-fall/hw/hw06/assets/womenOfENIAC.pdf\n \n\n \n                \n \n \n \n \n\n \ n \n \n  \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250305 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 35 02/23/2026 DTSTAMP:20260223T205058Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:658-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I remember when the slap happened and I told people. If I was in will smith's shoes I wouldn't had gone to the oscars and will not go to any awards shows after the slap. If I was in chris rock's shoes \, w ho was paid to come\, I wouldn't had made the insult/joke on jada pinkett smith and will not go to any awards shows after the slap. \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Michael B Jordan +Delroy Lindo + the black populace witnessing or on record somewhere had to suffer this modern insult from a white person. The white person with Tourette wants to be treated as if they are no differen t than anyone else\, but they are\, because if they didn't have tourette t hey would be considered unquestioningly rude. But because they have touret te's\, their rude actions are deemed allowable. rudeness is allowable with Tourettes ? if that is the standard for award shows then the wisest thing anyone can do going forward is not go or not watch if they don't want to be insulted. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The reality is if the structure of awards shows continues as is\, their will always be slaps and insults in the fut ure. \n\n\n\n So what is the solution. Let's end the media function of aw ard shows. \n\n\n\n Why do award shows exist? they don't exist to give aw ards\, awards can be given privately from organizations to individuals. Aw ards shows exist to make money by having celebrities dress up for fashion designers and get sponsorship dollars for organizations while receiving aw ards\, which lead to clicks/views/ or similar. \n\n\n\n So\, going forwar d\, stop these award shows and just send people their awards privately. Wi th the internet winners can make videos and anyone can like comment or oth er\, and all manner of communication is allowed online. \n\n\n\n or embra ce the fact that the structure of award shows invites inappropriate behavi or inevitably. The idea that anyone can design a perfect show is foolish. I know some will be angry for some are addicted to media\, they need every thing to be a show. But\, I argue the polities is kept safer by getting ri d of the show\, keeping the awards\, and having people make videos for the ir win.\n\n\n\n Your Colleagues Don't Have To Clap \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FR OM STEVEN BARNES of LIFEWRITING\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BAFTAs\n\n\n\n ###\n\n\ n\n I've been asked about what happened at the BAFTAs. A man with Tourette 's yelled a word that cuts to the bone of Black experience in this country .\n\n\n\n Let me start here: I don't know what's in his heart. Neither do you. His condition means his brain grabbed a charged word and couldn't sto p it. That is real. That matters.\n\n\n\n But here's what I know for sure: That word landed in Black bodies. It landed in mine. And it landed in a m oment when Black people are under attack—politically\, legally\, socia lly—in ways that feel increasingly relentless.\n\n\n\n When the immediat e response becomes 'but he has a condition\,' what I hear is another reque st for Black people to set aside their pain so someone else's explanation can be centered. I am not interested in making that trade.\n\n\n\n I can h old two things at once:\n\n\n\n • The clinical reality of Tourette's.\n\ n\n\n • The historical and personal reality of that word's weight.\n\n\n \n I can extend compassion to a man whose body betrayed him\, without aski ng Black people to absorb yet another wound in silence.\n\n\n\n And I can refuse the false choice between 'he's a victim of his condition' and 'Blac k pain matters.' Both are true. Both deserve to be held.\n\n\n\n If you're hurting today\, I see you. I'm hurting too. And I will not ask you to per form forgiveness for anyone's comfort—including mine.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Reply\n\n\n\n Maybe it is time for award shows to stop and just give p eople their awards\, in that way\, no incidents at award shows is possible . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n Award shows make money by promoting fashions or selling advertising/sponsorship space\, the giving of awards is only the teaser to the profit\, giving awards don't make money on their own. Money making can not coincide with everything else. To restate\, if you want an civil thoughtful courteousnes/place of a court\, that can not occur alongside fiscal capitalistic profiteering. Sooner or later\, or ine vitably\, fiscal capitalistic profiteering will lead to a lack of civlity or a lack of thoughtfulness\, from some human actors. \n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/12488-do-you-vote-for-awards-shows-to-go-away/\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n Economic Corner 34 02/20/2026 - RMCommunity Calendar - African American Literature Book Club\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/664-economic-corner-36-0228 2026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #economiccorner #awardsshows #respect #awards #theslap #thenword #nigger #rmaalbc #aalbc #richardmurray #kobo #k wl #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr #blackartistoftumbl r \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02232026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n The reason modern TVs are so cheap nowadays is due to the amount of money advertisers expect to make based on viewing habits.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n ... the modern fabrication capabilities\, which are the industrial b ackbone of the potent governemnts today have been built on\,\,.. i will no t go into it\, but financially\, people forget how important time is on gr owing systems of industry\, even if they are not seen. \n\n\n\n   1 hou r ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n That is why laws &\; police exist...to pr ovide order &\; protect &\; serve the interests of capitalists.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n I never knew any of that... i argue all of that is countera ble\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n A whole lot of cash money flows through Las Vegas. There is a reason the place has nev er been hijacked &\; taken over by armed guerillas. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n when you the place? las vegas is a big city \, no big city in modern hum anity has been hijacked:) where do you live? and no big city in modernity has been taken over by armed guerillas\, where are you from?\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The same thing applies to the USA in gen eral.  Despite crime statistics &\; other ills in society\, the USA ha s never had reason to fear being 1) overthrown or 2) invaded.  \n\n\n\n \n\n well the war of 1812\, that was an invasion by the english empire and it had a chance to overthrow... where are you from? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Fiscal capitalism benefits so man y people directly &\; indirectly that folks from all corners will rise up to protect &\; defend it.\n\n\n\n this is a lie based on statistics at any time in history. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian so:) I guess you like the drama of award shows\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02272026\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12488-do-you-vote-for- awards-shows-to-go-away/#findComment-80414\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The craziest pa rt is the BAFTA is pre-recorded prior to broadcast. They edited out anythi ng political or &\; profane.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Yet\, they did not edit out the supposed Tour ette's Syndrome outburst. The guy yells out n8gger when the show is dead s ilent &\; at the moment 2 Black actors are onstage.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well\, the bafta's are live in england and with modern technology people w ill share the live edits\, I have only seen snippets\, which i imagine wer e recorded by people watching the live english telecast. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n The financial question going forward is with modern technology\, which allows anyone to record live performances and share them even before they are officially published elsewhere\, does editing video material matter a nymore? \n\n\n\n Any artist that makes a mistake on stage? any mishap in an award show? any recording session in a studio thought by someone privat e? can all be recorded by an individual and submitted to the internet and then it is out there. \n\n\n\n IS editing worth it? I comprehend lawsuits but... what can one really do to prevent exposure. BAFTA can't block the recordings online. No one can. Governments can't. The internet is too big a media space for that. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, ProfD sa id:\n\n\n\n Neither the guy nor BAFTA offered a real apology for the outbu rst. Black folks haven't demanded it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n when you say blac k folks haven't demanded\, do you mean no black individuals? or a black or ganized body? I know many black individuals who want an apology\, but i do n't consider that a demand. But I also know some black folks who aren't co ncerned by it... so again\, a group can't demand when a group isn't of the same mind\n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Just another r eminder that we still have a long way to go when it comes to racism. Hope it is not being normalized &\; accepted.\n\n\n\n racism is eternal\, un less humans beings stop using first and last names\, racism will be foreve r. And as for bias\, negative or positive\, well they are eternal as well\ , unless some human beings stop favoring their children or stop disliking those who harmed them. \n\n\n\n I argue that the better line of thinking isn't in annihilating\, racism or bias\, but in cognizing how to utilize r acism/categorization/ranking more functionally\, more honestly\,  plus le arning how to handle biases\, negative or positive\, as they will occur in the future. \n\n\n\n Cause racism + bias\, negative or positive\, have a lways been and always will be common or normalized\, as humans are humans and while biases dictate what is accepted or not\, their weights change in time\, invariably. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02272026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citat ion\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12488-do-you-vote-for-awards-shows- to-go-away/#findComment-80419\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n \n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I believe editing is still wor thwhile despite any type of recording spillage.  The official recordings should be on point.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n hmm interesting\, I want to know mo re of your thinking on this issue. What does the editing do\, that I don't see? the unedited shows the truth\, what does the editing provide?\n\n\n\ n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black folks need the same mechani sms Jews have when they accuse people of being antisemitic.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n hmm well\, from what I comprehend of the white jewish populace\, if a similarity organizationally is to be made\, then I argue the weakness is in one of three groups: Black Elephants/Republicans OR Nation of Islam OR the Black One percent. \n\n\n\n Why do I say this? \n\n\n\n The white je wish populace isn't one people really. They have three main tribes Reforme rs/Orthodox/Conservative... the Reformers literally have a statement sayin g\, none of the defining patterns of orthodoxy\, which means those who thi nk they are right\, as in the eastern orthodox christian church\, are nece ssary to be a reformer. Reform jews don't have to wear the cap\, don't hav e to speak yiddish\, don't have to do many things that people associate wi th judaism. But they do have a huge synogaogue downtown manhattan with man y rich white people what is my point. Reform judaism in my view\, is a tri be designed in the USA for the specific purpose of maintaining a jewish tr ibal culture\, absent demanding on individuals in it\, unlike orthodox or conservatives\, the rules of judaism. \n\n\n\n The orthodox\, the ones wh o wear the cap all the time\, women have the nun look and et cetera follow the religious code\, like the other religious extreme folk of christianit y or islam. They are hyper into israel\, whereas the reformers are neutral . The reformers love the usa\, have many female jews in their body\, unmar ried or et cetera\, which doesn't fit in orthodox jew circles\, which is d ominated by male jews. \n\n\n\n Then the conservative jews\, they are the old white european jewish families who who came to the usa throughout the years. They are the most embedded in white european anti jewish financial circles of money and power\, they tend to be the binder between the refor mers and orthodoxy who for obvious reasons don't get along all the time.  \n\n\n\n You say mechanicsms\, but the tribes is the variance. \n\n\n\n A ll three of the white jewish tribes in the usa have financial potency\, no t the same\, the reformers are the weatlhiest \, the conservatives have th e oldest money\, deepest connections\, the orthodox are the poorest but th rough the zionist movement have israel as a focal point and cradle for ort hodoxy to maintain. I argue\, if not for israel i think orthodox judaism w ould be in serious trouble\, population wise. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Whereas the Black DOSers \, first and foremost are not white so unlike white jews didn't spend the last two hundred and fifty years in business as a majori ty\, only since 1980 has a majority of black people been allowed to be par t of the marketplace in the usa. \n\n\n\n Second\, the tribes of DOSers a re many\, more populated and not the same. \n\n\n\n Black Christians- com monly called the Black church but again\, modernity has made it more compl icated. You have jehovahs witness\, where in the past\, the Black christia ns could be called the black church today... it is more complicated. \n\n \n\n Black Muslims- which because of the immigration act plus islams herit age is muddy.The nation of islam will never dominate black muslim life in the usa \, they had one chance and they failed. \n\n\n\n  My point being white jews have: fanatic religion/orthodox - religion in name only/reform - religion in secret- conservative. \n\n\n\n Black DOSers have many reli gious groups now\, so that simplicity is gone\, which hurts organizations.  \n\n\n\n Then of course you have the groups unique to Black DOSers and t heir experiences.\n\n\n\n Black Militants have always existed in the usa\, again\, every slave revolt is an action of black militants\, lived at the same time as James Forten. but militants don't want peace\, that is the p oint\, they want to destory the enemy of the blacks in the usa who without no doubt in history are the whites in the usa\, individuals be damned.\n\ n\n\n Black Individualist- primarily concerned financially\, they don't be lieve\, which is well earned again\, that black collective action will com e of anything. I can't say I concur to them\, but I can't deny they make a truthful point. Black collective action always gets underminded by whites in the usa\, to suggest some magic or learning strength needs to occur is an insult to truth. after five hundred years living side whites\, the pro of is in the history book. BElieve it or not. \n\n\n\n Black Integrationi sts\, whether they know it or not\, want the usa to be a place of interrac ial even peace\, going back to James Forten again. I get it. It is one of the most peaceful human stories. if you know anything about Zen \, the bla ck integrationist make sense. Zen says that all is nature and thus\, even the most negative actions are not unnatural and thus if  a black person w ants to live in a usa of legal equality with the non black \, even with kn owing the history that is fine. \n\n\n\n But the militant/individualist/i ntegrationist have no bridge between them. This isn't like the white jewis h trio\, they have serious differences of opinion. \n\n\n\n The white jew ish trio are not based on experiences in the usa. they differ on how they interpret judaism\, or the kind of lifestyles they lead\, but they don't d iffer in terms of how to relate to others. the Black tribes have more comp licated differences\, which means it is harder to get cohesive organizatio ns. \n\n\n\n I didn't even mention the Black Nationalist\, my little trib e. Not all black nationalist want to find a homeland\, like me. NAtionalis m isn't about demographic orders/rankings or militarism or finding a homel and. The NAzis for example were nationalist+militants+socialists three sep arate things that when together is interesting. \n\n\n\n I didn't mention the Black Elephants/Republicans or Black Donkeys/Democrats. Two big group s relatively\, who again\, they can't even organize with each other\, so h ow can they organize with other tribes? \n\n\n\n But the point being\, me chanisms require the tribes to be what they are not. Or for one tribe to p ut in serious work to make it so. \n\n\n\n I argue the best suited black tribes in the usa for such mechanisms are nation of islam/Black elephants{ or a section fo them}/Black one percent. \n\n\n\n The conservative white jewish tribe is the oldest money in the white jewish populace. The Black O ne percent \, again James Forten\, has always existed. Now\, many of them have intentionally whited their bloodlines\, ala getting poor whites to li terally mate with their children to start a process. Many of them don't ca re for each other. so they lack the cohesiveness\, but Profd\, you always talk about money\, and knowing so many grand strategies\, become rich and change the black one percent in the USA. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour a go\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Racism as a system does not have to be eternal .  It can be dismantled.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well... that all depends on w hat a system is\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Sure.  Hum an beings will have their biases.  It should never be used to oppress\, m align or mistreat others.\n\n\n\n biases by default are positive or negati ve\, both are eternal and by default a negative bias oppress/malign/mistre at/abuse another. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thinking on @Pioneer1 query of cr itical race theory\, in my view\, the solution to bell's thesis is what pi oneer always talks about\, the law. Said law is how negative bias can be l etigated. It will always exist and always abuse\, by default\, the law can t' stop that .  but if laws can be worded very carefully and enforced wit h a true neutrality\, which humans can't do\, negative bias can be letigat ed against. \n\n\n\n As I said\, when you look at the usa historically\, the biggest problem in the jim crow era is the law\, but it isn't black pe ople breaking the law as some blacks erroneously\, say it is white people breaking the law. \n\n\n\n In that smithsonian branch\, they have an artw ork depecting the number of hangings\, but how does anyone know if that is true? \n\n\n\n If you start from the thefts of our forebears: every sing le white person in the usa\, or wherever black people were sent to in the american continent or asia or europe was aiding or abetting\, a crime of r ape/torture/enslavement/assault . Now\, some can argue\, all of that was l egal\, albeit criminal but once the 13th amendment was implemented. Every single black person hanged/burned alive/raped/attacked on the road by whit es\, every black person's home that was vandalized by whites/ every black person harassed while voting by whites\, every black person attacked in a school by whites/ every black person abused by white law enforcers[miranda rights]\, every black person abused by white jailors[not given food\, not given clothes] were all illegalities. But what percentage of white terror against innocent law abiding black people went to court? I bet less than one percent. So\, the law is the only tool in the usa to make those who co mmit  negative bias pay for the act\, not stop the acts\, cause humans ar e human\, but pay for the acts. But\, again\, Trayvon martin  kills that path. Emmit till killed it\, but people can consider that the pass... \n\ n\n\n The usa doesn't have the legal framework to enforce law enough to ma ke negative biasers pay\, evenly. \n\n\n\n Now maybe wealthy black dosers can pay for legal fees but how many crimes against black people still don 't go to court today? that is a huge financial expense and Black One PErce nt are very addicted to revenue return\, the idea of investing in court ca ses that return no money is not appealing to them\, but Profd there is it\ , get rich and change them .  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02282026\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12488-do-you-vote-for-aw ards-shows-to-go-away/#findComment-80443\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @P rofD \n\n\n\n you said\n\n\n\n   On 2/27/2026 at 12:58 PM\, richardmu rray said:\n\n\n\n Black folks need the same mechanisms Jews have when th ey accuse people of being antisemitic.\n\n\n\n I provided in the following comment an answer on how blacks in the usa need to change to can get the type of mechanisms you give as example organizations : B'nai B'rith &\ ; Anti-Defamation League &\; Jewish Defense League. \n\n\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/topic/12488-do-you-vote-for-awards-shows-to-go-away/#findComme nt-80419\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n then you state\n\n\n\n   On 2/27/2026 at 2:3 1 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Regardless of how Jews are subdivided\n\n\n\n You reply to my comment with a discarding of my comments point\, solution s/answers... things don't get better or worse by magic\, they have process es\, the future is made in the past\, inevitabilities in the future stem f rom choices in the past. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260223 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 19 - 02/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20250223T163846Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:202-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner - the boundaries of spending side the dem ands of inheritance\n\n The NAACP a white financed organization historical ly makes two points:\n\n Black Dollars power in the united states of Ameri ca\n\n The Diversity Equity Inclusion goals.\n\n\n\n To Black Dollars...  \n\n Is spending a nonviolent form of power in fiscal capitalism? yes\n\n Can Black people in the U.S.A. spend in such a way to avoid financing whit es? no.\n\n I have already mentioned the black farmer [ https://aalbc.com /tc/topic/11483-economiccorner014/ ] in the united states of America. \n \n Black Farms in the united states of America do not have the means to fe ed the black populace in the u.s.a. So\, Black people in the usa can not f eed themselves absent mandatory involvement with white farms which means t he most important thing all humans do\, eat\, is something black people in the usa can not do absent supporting white business. \n\n I live in New York City\, the city with the most black people in it in the united states of America. \n\n Black people in NYC can not grow enough food for oursel ves\, no one can. Urban life has its advantages but it also has its weakne sses. Urban populaces have to buy some things. You don't have land to grow vegetables. You don't have land to raise sheep. You don't have land to ge t natural resources from the earth. \n\n I am not saying spending is impo tent\, it is not. But spending has limits as a tool. It is a myth to sugge st this. \n\n And I will use the internet. \n\n The NAACP says one of th e firms need to be banned from black buying dollars is Meta. That is a lau ghable call. Black people in the usa\, who don't go to black owned website s because they don't have the widest userbases\, will flock to them now an d leave Facebook+ Instagram+ WhatsApp... I can't tell you how many black p eople have said\, you not on facebook\, you not on Instagram.. how many bl ack people especially from the Caribbean or Africa or asia\, all black\, a sk\, you on WhatsApp. All three: facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp are so connec ted to black individuals in the usa\, you can forget it being banned by al l or most blacks in the usa. \n\n And spending time on a website is your spending dollars online. The websites you spend time on profit because of the time you spend on them\, your time is the spending dollars online. And the online environment is the one environment where black owned business/ websites I think have the means to support the black populace albeit onlin e populace. I wonder what @troy thinks to the following: if all the black people online went and operated on black owned websites\, do enough black owned websites exist or have the collective memory/bandwidth/speed to supp ort the entire black populace online? \n\n\n\n To Diversity\, Equity\, In clusion(D.E.I. or DEI )...\n\n I will begin the same way I began to an off line friend...\n\n D.E.I. is needed\, is warranted. But ... two problems e xist. One is about the heritage of inherited fiscal capitalism in the unit ed states of America\, the other is about the heritage made of the legal r elationship to failed business in the usa.\n\n\n\n To the heritage of inhe rited fiscal capitalism\, \n\n White people in the usa came from Europe i n the same way all willing immigrants[not First People or Black Descended of Enslaved] came after\, with a goal for financial betterment for themsel ves and to leave to their children as much as they can. This desire leads to nepotism. \n\n Firms changing the lowest wage jobs demographic is doab le\, but firms changing the tribes or clans in the ranks of owner or admin istrator goes against the heritage of fiscal capitalism all willing immigr ants have. The same latin americans who complain about DEI will hand their business over to their son miguel even if miguel is a fool.  I myself ha ve never thought \, if I own a billion dollar firm\, to hand it to anyone but loving ones on my death. And trust funds is a form of slavery\, which i don't support. The lawyers in a trust fund will never publicly say they own anything\, but they can deny your descendants in the role of protector you gave them. And why are trust funds really made.. failure. To protect firms from failure. \n\n\n\n To heritage of governments relationship to f ailed business in the usa\, \n\n When I think on it now\, from the ninete en hundreds to today\, the federal government of the united states of amer ica \, has given welfare checks of immeasurable value to completely failed industries in the usa: the banking industry multiple times\, the automoti ve industry\, the airline industry multiple times\,  the internet industr y multiple times\, the farming industry multiple times\, the mineral resou rce industries[ oil/coal] multiple times. \n\n Not just subsidies\, the m ost common\, or the rarest\, to big to fails\, welfare includes the tariff s to protect them\, the readmittance to citizenship of the white enslavers in the confederacy\, the ... when I think on it\, the federal government has repeatedly saved the owners plus high ranking administrators of firms through all industries from their own failures\, multiple times. Who are s aid owners? the whites the DEI initiatives are supposed to make in lesser quantity. But the heritage is not ownership by merit\, it is ownership by phenotype. What is my point? \n\n A law making no business to big to fail needs to happen. \n\n In all earnest when I look at the financial histor y of the United States of America\, the reason why the owners plus top ran king managers are mostly white in the usa's industries isn't merit\, it is protection by the federal government. \n\n When the next push by black p eople into an industry occurs will it be like:\n\n  the black farmers\, w ho whose white counterparts were given 100% better subsidies or opportunit ies\n\n the black music labels\, whose white counterparts were denied no m arkets while they were blockaded or relegated constantly\n\n the black sma ll business\, who unlike their white counterparts have a history of 100% r ejection by banks or other fiscal operators including the governments tier s for loans in most geographic regions in the usa\n\n My point is not that DEI isn't needed or warranted. Programs to push non white male christian hetero persons into the ownership or top management positions of firms in all industries is needed cause merit doesn't get non white male christian hetero persons into said positions. Programs to push non white male christ ian hetero persons into the ownership or top management positions of firms in all industries is warranted because examples of non white male christi an hetero persons merting in said positions is on the historical record.  \n\n My point is that DEI's biggest aid will be allowing white male christ ian hetero persons in ownership or top management positions of firms in al l industries to fail\, to stop getting welfare\, stop getting subsidies\, stop getting loans\, stop getting protections. \n\n Failure isn't evil\, failure isn't bad\, failure is as human as success. But failure does somet hing success rarely does. Failure opens up doors of change far wider.\n\n\ n\n URL\n\n https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory\n\n\n\n ht tps://naacp.org/sites/default/files/documents/Black%20Consumer%20Advisory% 202025.pdf\n\n\n\n Specifics from the URL\n\n ...\n\n The Power of Black D ollars\n\n Many corporations continue to profit from Black dollars while s imultaneously undermining commitments of diversity\, equity\, and inclusio n. These rollbacks not only harm Black communities\, professionals\, and e ntrepreneurs but also erode the progress made toward creating equitable ec onomic and social systems.\n\n $1.7 Trillion\n\n Black consumers possess i mmense economic power\, with a purchasing power exceeding $1.7 trillion an nually.\n\n ...\n\n The Cost of Abandoning DEI\n\n Walking away from diver sity\, equity\, and inclusion programs threatens economic opportunities\, workplace diversity\, and community investments\, directly impacting Black communities nationwide by:\n\n Eliminating roles in diversity\, equity\, and inclusion\n\n Reducing supplier diversity\n\n Declining community inve stments\n\n Shifting away from equitable hiring practices\n\n These rollba cks reinforce  historical barriers to progress under the guise of protect ing \"meritocracy\,\" a concept often used to justify exclusion.\n\n\n\n I N AMENDMENT\n\n Preach Brother Martin\, preach [ The Kerner Commission :  https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11488-economiccorner015/ ] \n\n https://www.t umblr.com/arinzechukwuture/775786027242635264/rev-dr-martin-luther-king-jr -speaks?source=share\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MLK on Fiscal Accountabil ity\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2532&\; type=status\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Prior Edition: https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/11502-economiccorner018/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Boundaries of Spendi ng power side demands of inheritance\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.co m/tc/topic/11503-economiccorner019/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/events/event/201-economic-corner-18-02232025/\n\n\n\n NEXT ED ITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/206-economic-corner-20-022 62025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02242026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12496-is-dei-still-needed/#findComment- 80318\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:19 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n IMO\, DEI was never a threat to those who have benefitted the most from privilege\, advantages &\; allowances... white men.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n White men have a monopoly on power &\; mo ney that will only be overthrown by external forces &\;/or their own im plosion.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DEI like anything else was used as an illusion of providing access to opportunities.\n\n\n\n Right\, even in DEI's heigh t\, most opportunities/advantages still went to white men. So\, I ask the following after a preface. \n\n\n\n MY PREFACE\n\n\n\n most white men tod ay are complaining that they don't have the 99% level of opportunities/adv antages that they had till the 1960s hit.  Their argument is that non whi tes/non males/ non christians or other groups opportunities /advantages ar e uneven. But that means their not merely arguing about having the majorit y\, whether they admit it or not \, they are arguing about not having it a ll.  And DEI to be blunt\, does diminish their percentage of advantage or opportunity\, it doesn't delete them having the majority\, but their prob lem isn't in having the majority their problem is in others having anythin g at all. \n\n\n\n MY QUESTION\n\n\n\n Doesn't DEI lessen the opportuniti es to white male hetero christians\, even if it doesn't or can't lead to a diminishing of said white male opportunity/advantages into a minority pla ce? \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n You mention DEI being an illusion. I ca n't concur to that because I saw black people or non white male christian ~ who benefited from it. Was DEI through fiscal management or fiscal strat egies? no. If by illusion you mean it wasn't something that was determined through the fiscal marketplace\, I concur 100% to you. DEI was engined th rough media/social pressure/a set of elected officials trying to sate a vo ting base. DEI wasn't through the market place\, so the moment\, elected o fficials changes or social pressure lessened or the media made poisonous\, DEI was in trouble of being maintained\, and all three of said things hap pened. But it doesn't mean it is illusory. It isn't through the marketplac e. But I must say what should be common knowledge\, the problem in the usa with those who are not white male christians ~ is that all of their popul aces have a heritage of financial absence based on the militaristic power of said white male chrsitians~ . To restate\, I once spoke to a group of w omen\, all business owners\,  having a conference on womens business. I w as invited by a female friend\, who yes owns a business\,  and I was offe red the chance to speak. So I told the women the truth as a man. Male weal th doesn't come from education or hard work or any of the things they ment ioned they needed to do.. It comes from cheating\, it comes from abusing\, it comes from legal crimes\, enslaving people legally. So women trying to improve the financial condition of women will need that same reality. And I mentioned rockefeller center. The elder rockefeller wasn't a genius\, d idn't have some grand schooling. Didn't have a rich uncle to help him. But the elder rockefeller knew how to cheat\, was in an environment where he could cheat\, white male law enforcement has always allowed white males va rious criminal fiscal activity legal or not. Women don't have that. But if women are willing to cheat or scheme they will find the same financial le vels as men. But if women think they can follow the law and have some comp lex financial plan. I told them \, I know of many black business owners\, all very nice people\, none of the them broke the law\, all of them have s truggled and worked hard every day and none of them ever got to the great halls of money. \n\n\n\n The point in that retelling is\, black fiscal we alth\, female fiscal wealth\, muslim fiscal wealth\, indigenous fiscal wea lth\, any group in the usa not white male christian heterosexual ~  in th e usa is temporally behind said white male ~ wealth\, none of them can rec over lost time through the rules or what schemes somebody suggested will w ork. Now some will always mention the white jew. But as I have said in thi s very forum\, I was unwilling to search for the post for I am pressed for time\, the white jewish populace is very small. And financially you can't relate the jewish populace in the usa which is maximum seven million peop le with white german american/circa forty million\, black americans[dos +m odern immigrant]/fifty two million\, female americans/one hundred and sixt y seven million. The global jewish population is fifteen million people:) Why do so many people speak of the jewish population as an example of anyt hing? unless they plan on killing most of their people to be so small in p opulace? And no\, the white jewish model can't work for larger populaces. The poor white trash who are mostly german americans are in a populace tha t has a six hundred percent larger need of resources. The black american p opulace so many including other blacks call lazy or in need of better thin king or some negative has a seven hundred percent larger need of resources . And I don't have to explain how much black wealth has been undermined by whites in the usa i hope. People talk about Tulsa but how much generation al wealth has literally been destroyed by white terror in the usa. Is thei r a financial way to calculate that lose? i don't really know.  By the fo llowing website. \n\n\n\n https://dqydj.com/income-by-race/\n\n\n\n a thi rd of a million black people make sixty thousand or more in the usa today. So that isn't bad. Remember\, we are still an abused peoples by whites\, even today. yes\, their are more opportunities today but when you consider \, all the black towns in the former confederate are in financially restri ctive places\, and said black people in towns have no where to go. Their a re issues financially\, that must be considered with black people in the u sa\, that whites\, even if jewish don't have in 2026. \n\n\n\n Based on w hitey as well\n\n\n\n https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/econ omics-and-well-being-among-u-s-jews/\n\n\n\n circa twenty six percent of w hite jews\, who are simply white people of the jewish faith\,  have fifty to one hundred thousand\, dollars  Twenty five percent of seven million is\, one million\, and seven hundred and fifty thousand and this is from a white jewish populace that has never been denied business ownership\, not merely in the usa but in the european countries that made the usa\, has a lways been in the halls of money through banking\, which offers them alot of connections that white abused minorities like the romani of europe/the gypsies never had. So I argue\, in fifty years  with hard work and accept ing white abuse with a smile\, the black wealthy in the usa will be as lar ge in populace as the white jew in total\, but that doesn't mean that the entire black populace in the usa can be wealthy absent access to slavery/g enocide/or similar negative acts as tools of financial betterment. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic /12496-is-dei-still-needed/#findComment-80334\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n DEI prevents white men from having it all but it doesn't put a dent in their privilege\, advantages &a mp\; allowances.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n dei prevents having it all\, but it do esn't prevent them in having it all? do you realize your sentence here?\n\ n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Fifteen million Jews is 2X t he population of NYC. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n no nyc has ten million people i n it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Beyond money\, Jews have a level of protection that isn't extended to other group s of people.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n this is not true\, white jews are white\, that is the protection. that is the problem with how people view them\, wh ite jews are white \, yes white jews are a group in the white populace\, b ut they are white and that is the protection\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, Pr ofD said:\n\n\n\n That's part of the reason Jews are mentioned. They have benefited exponentially since their holocaust.\n\n\n\n they were heavy be nefitters before then\, the terror by german christians onto german jews w as bloody but white jews in europe since constantine \, emperor of rome in nova roma\, had financial growth of a high level per their small populace . In moorish spain they had it. I argue they had more globally in pre nazi europe than after nazi europe\, before nazi europe the white jew owned ma ny things in europe and outside of it. The key variance today is israel .   White jews financial reality is bloated. The numbers on the site I pres ented to you show the truth\, the key to white jews isn't huge amounts of wealth but that a small populace again\, fifteen million white jews compar ed to fifty two million black people in the usa is a huge difference. Whit e jews owned black people. WHite jews killed native americans and stole th eir land. The most fiscally proftiable gang in prohibition was the white j ewish purple gang. so... again\, the people mentioning them aren't stating the parameters of their success. The people mentioning white jews are loo king at white jews revenue but not the condition of their populace. \n\n\ n\n mainland CHina has four to five million millionaires. Globally i think it is like twelve million. So the number of chinese \, white asian\, mill ionaires is bgger than the entire populace of white jews. \n\n\n\n https: //www.statista.com/statistics/702759/china-number-of-millionaires/\n\n\n\n BUT\, the chinese populace isn't just millionaires\, it is near two billi on people\, most of whom are dirt poor. Now\, you and others idolizing the financial aspects of the white jewish populace \, what do you suggest to diminish the quantity of fiscally poor chinese? should the chinese million aires + billionaires kills the rest of the chinese? \n\n\n\n The chinese have more millionaires than the entire damn white jewish populace. So\, no w what? Again\, large populaces can not be fiscally related to the white j ew and anyone who tries it can't back up their stance by anything but stup idity. \n\n\n\n A community of ten people compared to a community of a th ousand is not the same. The real reason people mention the white ew is cau se many people are stupid and don't know to assess their own populace even ly to others. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12496-is-dei-still-needed/#findComment-80338\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n Usa gives billions of dollars to egypt to\, israel isn't alone in the money giving\, many countr ies get usa money. andby 2026 this has been going on for decades. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n 02272026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.co m/tc/topic/12496-is-dei-still-needed/#findComment-80417\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   18 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n \n Is it still needed?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't know what good it did in the FIRST place.\n\n\n\n Who are all of these Black folks who are being h ooked up and given good paying jobs through Affirmative Action and DEI?\n\ n Where they at?\n\n I wanna talk to them....lol.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Infac t\, I hadn't even HEARD of \"DEI\" until a few years ago on the news when White Conservatives were railing against it.\n\n Same with Critical Race T heory.\n\n  \n\n\n\n I guess whether you benefit from it or know about it or not depends on the circles you run in\, lol.\n\n \n\n Affirmative Acti on....DEI...that's just shit you see and hear on television\, but I don't see them even being USED let alone effective in real life.\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Working in the 80s\, 90s\, and beyond....the Black people I worked ar ound were getting hired and fired like other races.\n\n Infact\, Black fol ks were getting fired more than Whites were.\n\n Where was this \"affirmat ive action\"???\n\n\n\n I had to apply to certain jobs and got hired or ov erlooked.\n\n I'm not sure how \"affirmative action\" or \"dei\" helped me .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Don't point to a hand full of niggaz sitting at a des k somewhere in New York or Washington and say \"Black folks\" are benefiti ng from Affirmative Action or call them \"DEI hires\".\n\n That's only a h andful out of MILLIONS of Black folks in the work force who have to apply and are subject to getting let go or demoted like others.\n\n Millions who are either unemployed or under employed.....where is DEI or Affirmative A ction for them???\n\n \n\n I'm beginning to believe that many of these pro grams exist ONLY to piss off White folks and justify their angry and hatre d.\n\n\n\n \n\n Affirmative Action\n\n DEI\n\n Reparations Studies\n\n Cri tical Race Theory\n\n \n\n They don't really help Black folks or provide b enefits to us.\n\n They don't even COME from us!  They come from White fo lks who invent this shit.\n\n \n\n White folks made them up like straw men or targets......totally useless EXCEPT as something White racists can poi nt to as examples of \"reverse discrimination\".\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well... \n\n\n\n Each is distinct from the other. \n\n\n\n A ffirmative Action is really\, a federal level legal action designed to mak e it where . Remember the KErner Commission [ https://aalbc.com/tc/profil e/6477-richardmurray/?status=2685&\;type=status  ]  . Affirmative ac tion says\, institutions dealing with the federal government and by top do wn state and counties and city governments have to open up their hiring pr actice. The problem is affirmative action doesn't handle private business affairs. When colleges take federal money\, when city governments hire peo ple\, affirmative action is the tool to open up uneven hiring practices.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DEI diversity equity and inclusion isn't about the gov ernment\, it is about private enterprise\, which evaded changing its pract ices with affirmative action in the past. The problem is\, the USA has a f ree market capitalistic heritage\, which means ownership has value. Owners hip gives you power\, this is the legacy of the enslavers. Even though ove r ninety percent of fiscal wealth is inherited\, and over ninety percent o f inherited wealth can trace its roots to whites using genocide to the fir st peoples plus enslavement to the black dosers \, the modern legal code i n the usa doesn't have a way of taking wealth and redistributing it for pa st crimes\, ala no reparations as well. But what that means is\, the only way to change private enterprise is through small measures with the hope t hat it will allow those known to be abused to take advantage and change th e market environment. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Reparations isn't about money\, reparations is about repairing\, but here is the problem. How do you repa ir a relationship that was never positive in the first place. The problem with reparations is that those who study it\, are trying to find a way to make peace between two people who never had any in  the first place. \n\ n\n\n The history of black people is far older than almina. BUT\, the star t of BLACK DOSers from Canada to USA to Argentina to India to China is ens lavement\, it isn't even betrayal. And thus how do you repair losing every thing? it can't be done. Money can't buy the past. Money can't buy the los t heritages. ... Money has limits. this is part of why blacks in usa and t he other mentioned places have just embraced the places. Because all DOSer s know\, the past can not be reclaimed. The damage was too extensive\, unl ess someone has a time machine\, it can't be done. That heritage is what n eeds to be repaired\, that can't be repaired. that was the whole point of the fiscal enterprise in all the oceanic enslavements\, trans atlantic\, t rans indian\, out of africa. to delete the heritage of black people to bin d them to wherever they landed by truths that even if unshackled\, learned \, monied they couldn't undo. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Critical Race Theory st arted by Bell has one agenda\, to try and create a new culture that can fi t all peoples in it. It is a Black STatian\, you and @ProfD 's tribe fun ctional desire since James Forten\, who again\, was a black fiscally succe ssful business owner who fought for the usa to be born. The problem is\, t he desire by Forten was always very complex in a country like the usa wher e so many in it \, are in it\, not to be mixed or work together \, but for various negativities. lets call it like it\, the usa has only three group s of people from why they are here perspective. \n\n\n\n First Peoples wh o are original inhabitants and have suffered at the hands of unwanted immi grants\, whether legal or not\,  or those descended from unwanted immigra nts constantly\n\n\n\n Black DOSers who never wanted to be here and were b red and enslaved till this hell hole is all they know\n\n\n\n Immigrants w ho are the fiscal poor/unwanted/dregs from various parts of the world \, s tarting with europe who never would had left the country they came from if rich/powerful/safe.\n\n\n\n So no one is in the usa cause they want to be part of an interracial body. No one. thus why\, bell and others desires a lways fall flat. The truth is a powerful things. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But\ , you have four different things.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A legal tool to even out the demographics of the federal government\, which I argue have worked . \n\n\n\n A soft tool that couldn't lead to permanancy in changing the p rivate sector\n\n\n\n A bunch of people trying to figure out how to repair the unrepairable\n\n\n\n A bunch of people trying to figure out how to de sign a culture that no one is present/purposed for be embraced by all. \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n These are four unique things. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02282 026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12496-i s-dei-still-needed/#findComment-80457\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pio neer1 \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I haven't had a government job.\n\n Maybe that's why I didn't see the effect of it.\n\n\n \n I applied for many government jobs and am qualified to get them\, but s till didn't get hired despite putting down my race...lol.\n\n Not sure wha t was going on.\n\n\n\n exactly\, most black people didn't. The private se ctor used human resource departments to avoid the lawsuits by saying they have jobs open to all\, even though as a number of recent cases have prove n\, this was to cover them keeping the same nepotistic or phenotypically b iased hiring practices. \n\n\n\n And since most black people still live i n the confederate states\, well I don't have to explain how louisiana/miss issippi/georgia/south carolina/virginia/alabama/florida/arkansas/tennessee white governments would not hire black people \, and with the structure o f the federal government\, states hiring is hard to make a federal issues without blunt evidence. \n\n\n\n So between black people living in white states that don't hire black people in government jobs outside black elect ed officials having the power to \n\n\n\n +\n\n\n\n white private sector firms using human resources to dodge civil rights act lawsuits while maint aining their pro white hiring practices through nepotism or anti black hir iing practice \n\n\n\n meant \n\n\n\n most blacks didn't financially ben efit. And those who did became the token blacks working at every white fir m in the usa that couldn't afford or wanted to evade the lawsuit. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Ok\, thank you for clarifying that.\n\n\n\n I was getting ready to send your ass to Haiti\, but I change my mind now....lol.\n\n\n\n hilarious:) \n\n\n\n You didn't realize that? \n\n\n\n I ponder how you couldn't realize that? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250223 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Stardew valley was born Feb 25th 2016 DTSTAMP:20260228T205659Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:662-3-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Stardew Valley was made by one solo developer:) \n\n\n\n Concernedape aka Eric Barone\, his next game is haunted chocolatier\n\n\n \n https://x.com/pcgamer/status/2026810855678202109\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Stardew Valley turns 10 today! 🌽 #stardewvalley #birthday #anniversary #pcgamer #pcgaming pic.twitter.com/CvaaLohrDi\n \n — PC Gamer (@pcgamer ) February 26\, 2026\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260225 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Breakout singer from the Babur Tribe and the Regina Rabble DTSTAMP:20260228T204152Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:661-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/809 821403446722560/alien-queen77s-oc-deimyns-morning-blossom-by\n\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/8 09821456024371200?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Breakout singer from the Babur Tribe and the Regina Rabble Regina Rabble are my OC's On thumb Pian o\, the Hopping Twins. On Banjo\, Ser Slim. In the bowl horn\, Loverpuff t he seventh.\n\n\n\n Scene: A singer from the Babur Tribe is singing the th eme song from the old stage hit\, Which Sun Is Fun\, she was invited to si ng by the Regina Rabble who give new female singers a chance to shine. The club is empty as it is very late at night. Saddletear is flying home. But \, Wise Alek loves this new girls singing so much he wants to hop over her head. Edubrer\, ever the good guy\, is staying with Alek to make sure he gets home safe:)\n\n\n\n Coloring page- with either or you can place your image.\n\n\n\n USE LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n Notes to the Scene Rabble means pack of nonhumans Regina is female form of Rex which menns of a queen The bowl horn uses a special horn which allows the sound\, resonating in the bowl in its water to emit through. Loverpuff plays a shakare on the sand. Male rabbits hop over female rabbits head as a sign of mating. If the female ra bbit doesn't jump herself it is a sign she accepts.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cha llenge and referral fake collab comic (draw any character from my blog in your style) from @banzaboiieatskilishi https://www.tumblr.com/communities/ black-artist-on-tjambler/post/806921846778937344?source=share\n\n\n\n I ch oose this \, Babur Tribe\, an OC of @banzaboiieatskilishi https://www.tumb lr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/808176317121118208?source =share\n\n\n\n tribeoftheday link\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communiti es/black-artist-on-tjambler?tab=recent&\;tagged=tribeoftheday\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES\n\n\n\n to heritages/instruments/characters: video of Bab ur Tribe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwQkL5ohqYg\n\n\n\n \"Which Sun I s Fun\" the stageplay https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/WHICH-SUN-I S-FUN-1140924741\n\n\n\n Edubrer Rabbit https://www.deviantart.com/hddevia nt/gallery?q=edubrer\n\n\n\n Phillipe Saddletear https://www.deviantart.co m/hddeviant/gallery?q=saddletear\n\n\n\n Wise Alek https://www.deviantart. com/hddeviant/gallery?q=wise+alek\n\n\n\n early banjo https://banjoroots.b logspot.com/2011/05/stedman-creole-bania-look-at-worlds.html\n\n\n\n instr uments https://slaveryimages.org/database/image-result.php?objectid=273\n\ n\n\n \"Musical Instruments of the African Negroes [of Suriname].\" From J ohn Gabriel Stedman's - pdf https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41849012.pdf\ n\n\n\n white spotted pufferfish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pufferfish_ mating_ritual\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRIOR CHALLENGES OF Black Artist of Tumbl r\n\n\n\n Sexy Black Mermaid https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-arti st-on-tjambler/post/781817515543298048/draw-this-in-your-style-lmao?source =share\n\n\n\n Mermaid + Merman https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-a rtist-on-tjambler/post/782958066220023808/concurrently-from-aquasonic?sour ce=share\n\n\n\n for DTIYS mermaid challenge from @nostalgicmermaaiid http s://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/7795086891408 75264?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Deimyn's Morning Blossom https://www .tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/788516389145182208/a lien-queen77s-oc-deimyns-morning-blossom-by?source=share\n\n\n\n Alien-que en77's OC Deimyn's Morning Blossom by RichardMurrayHumblr\n\n\n\n Deimyn's Morning Blossom Colored page DTIYS Challenge page Coloring page I figured Deimyn wakes up in the early morning in her conquerin\n\n\n\n Tumblr\n\n\ n\n for the DTIYS challenge @alien-queen77 https://www.tumblr.com/communit ies/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/784824878525251584?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Goodbye Skype from @richardmurrayhumblr side @outsidethebeautyb ox https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/782953 486245576704/chili-skype-goodbye-chili-is-from?source=share\n\n\n\n Goodby e Skype\n\n\n\n Chili Skype Goodbye Chili is from @outsidethebeautybox Chi li is holding his skype pillow for late night skype sessions and watching his sky\n\n\n\n Tumblr\n\n\n\n for Goodbye SKype Art Trade from @richardmu rrayhumblr https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/pos t/778766776139923456/goodbye-skype-art-trade?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n #blackartistoftumblr#banzaboiieatskilishi#richardmurrayhumbl r#tumblr#hddeviant#deviantart#richardmurray#rmaalbc#aalbc#kobo#kwl#dtiys#a lien-queen77#outsidethebeautybox#nostalgicmermaaiid\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260228 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Preto Liberdade Wishing Well DTSTAMP:20260228T203659Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:660-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.devia ntart.com/hddeviant/art/Preto-Liberdade-Wishing-Well-1304264153\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Preto Liberdade Wishing Well\n\n\n\n The Wishing Well in Preto Liberdade. You can see the hotel where a couple with a time trave ling element had a fateful dinner. The grand Elevador Oshun\, curling abou t the elevation of the island\; it is covered in copper. It has graffiti o n the side representing Krapa Musuyidee as a coin of cleansing from the an cestors plus the honey blood of Oshun which spells luck. A woman bakes a p ie and a man flies a paper airplane. An art work representing the mermaid of the well hangs on a wall. What will the plane write in the sky?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n for the Wishing Wells challenge in @color-me-club\n\n\n\n ?com ing march 1st\n\n\n\n Inspired by the following\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/art/A-JOURNEY-TO-A-FIRST-TIME-1015930061\n\n\n\n relate d illustration\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/New-Chapte r-image-1015927848\n\n\n\n Inks Gallery\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com /hddeviant/gallery/47013691/comic-coloring-pages\n\n\n\n If you like my wo rk\, I do coloring page commissions\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdd eviant/commission/Single-Coloring-Page-1732448\n\n\n\n Literature Gallery\ n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/81311721/my-tales-or- poetry\n\n\n\n Stageplay Gallery\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevi ant/gallery/87407046/the-theater\n\n\n\n Jiausiku\n\n\n\n https://www.devi antart.com/hddeviant/gallery/90812819/jiausiku-2024\n\n\n\n Tip Jar\, it i s always a season to tip\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier /Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES:\n\n\n\n About Wi shing Wells\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishing_well\n\n\n\n Ele vador Lacerda created in the 1800s\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E levador_Lacerda\n\n\n\n Bailong Elevator tallest elevator in the world\n\n \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailong_Elevator\n\n\n\n Adinkira symbo ls\n\n\n\n https://www.adinkrasymbols.org/#gsc.tab=0\n\n\n\n braille\n\n\n \n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braille\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #wishingwell # wishingwells #hddeviant #colormeclub #richardmurray #kobo #kwl #richardmur rayhumblr #tumblr #coloringpage #lineart\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260228 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 34 02/20/2026 DTSTAMP:20260221T020912Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:657-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n PREFACE\n\n\n\n I had the content under the label ORIGINA L CONTENT before the supreme court decision 02/20/20206 .\n\n\n\n  You ca n read the entire text in the pdf or transcript\, but\, after an incomplet e reading\, the case is summed up as the following. Schrumpt used executiv e orders and threats to the usa to employ tariffs. Learning resources and others business model is based on products from overseas. They argued the usa wasn't under a national security threat that warranted the tariffs plu s that tax policy is the sole privy of the congress\, nor will I.E.E.P.A. law allow that. The supreme court based on precedence said they were corre ct. But the supreme court didn't limit the power of executive orders or em ergency status. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The following are truths.\n\n\n\n The USA at two hundred and fifty years old has the most protected individual liberty of any time in its history. To rephrase\, America\, the continent from canada to argentina\, or the united states of america was never a gre ater place for equality or individual liberty for all humans than it is to day. The USA at two hundred and fifty years old has:  the most multiracia l populace in its history or more multiracial populace than any other gove rnment in modern humanity.   The USA has never been more advantageous fo r one group of people in it than when said group\, those of white european descent\, had the power to take advantage of all others\, and no system o f multiracial equality in the united states of ameria will ever provide th e opportunities/possibilities/advantges for those of white european descen t in the united states of america of all financial ransk than the system o f white oppressions : jim crow \, o rearlier enslavement\, or earlier euro pean imperialism. All non white european descent populaces in the united s tates of america exist with many individuals who injure the cllective good in their populace. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What are the problems? \n\n\n\n Immigration needs to be handled. But many people outside the united states of america live in countries lacking opportunity or organization \, thus they want to immigrate away. The United States of America has never had a multiracial unity at the grassroots\, because the various races have alway s had uneven relationships with one having criminal advantage over another . The United States of America has a large populace\, mostly of white euro pean descent\,  that wants to undo the financial or intergovernmental glo bal order that the united states of america is at the center of. The Unite d States of America has a large populace \, highly multiracial\,  that wa nts said global order to be maintained even when it fails miserably.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n What is the future of the United States of America at 250?  \n\n\n\n From the birth of the USA a multiracial group has always supporte d the idea of a country of individuals united only in their humanity. But\ , that belief isn't enough to unify agendas of all the peoples in the usa. Unified agendas to all peoples in the usa will requires a new culture. An d the USA doesn't have the leaders or willing populaces to make a new cult ure possible. The financial reality of modernity in humanity is the world of the rich is unbounded to any government\, but the world of the poor sti ll requires governments\, and technology is owned by fiscal capitalistic a gents who will never allow their profitability to be dismissed. So\, the g lobal economy is bound to greater failures in the future and the only insu lation will be the countries least reliant on it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But there were dissents\, I place the openings of the two dissenters. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n JUSTICE THOMAS\, dissenting. I join JUSTICE KAVANAUGH’s pr incipal dissent in full. As he explains\, the Court’s decision today can not be justified as a matter of statutory interpretation. Congress author ized the President to “regulate . . . importation.” 50 U. S. C. §1702 (a)(1)(B). Throughout American history\, the author ity to “regulate imp ortation” has been understood to include the authority to impose duties on imports. Post\, at 9–13\, 22–29 (KAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting). The meaning of that phrase was beyond doubt by the time that Congress enacted this statute\, shortly after President Nixon’s highly publi cized duties on imports were upheld based on identical lan guage. Post\, at 14–22. T he statute that the President relied on therefore authorized him to impose the duties on imports at issue in these cases. JUSTICE KAVANAUGH makes c lear that the Court errs in concluding otherwise. I write separately to ex plain why the statute at issue here is consistent with the separation of p owers as an original matter. The Constitution’s separation of powers for bids Congress from delegating core legislative power to the Pres ident. Th is principle\, known as the nondelegation doctrine\, is rooted in the Cons titution’s Legislative Vesting Clause and Due Process Clause. Art. I\, §1\; Amdt. 5. Both Clauses forbid Congress from delegating core legislati ve power\, which is the power to make substantive rules setting the condit ions for deprivations of life\, liberty\, or property. Nei ther Clause pro hibits Congress from delegating other kinds of power. Because the Constitu tion assigns Congress many powers that do not implicate the nondelegation doctrine\, Congress may delegate the exercise of many powers to the Presid ent. Congress has done so repeatedly since the founding\, with this Cour t’s blessing. The power to impose duties on imports can be delegated.1 At the founding\, that power was regarded as one of many powers over fore ign commerce that could be delegated to the President. Power over foreign commerce was not within the core legislative power\, and engaging in forei gn com merce was regarded as a privilege rather than a right. Early Congre sses often delegated to the President power to regulate foreign commerce\, including through duties on im ports. As I suggested over a decade ago\, the nondelegation doctrine does not apply to “a delegation of power to m ake rules governing private conduct in the area of foreign trade\,” incl uding rules imposing duties on imports. Depart ment of Transportation v. A ssociation of American Rail roads\, 575 U. S. 43\, 80–81\, n. 5 (2015) ( opinion concurring in judgment). Therefore\, to the extent that the Court relies on “‘separation of powers principles’” to rule against the President\, ante\, at 8 (opinion of ROBERTS\, C. J.)\, it is mis taken.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n JUSTICE KAVANAUGH\, with whom JUSTICE THOMAS and JUSTICE ALITO join\, dissenting. Acting pursuant to his statutory authority to “ regulate . . . importation” under the 1977 International Emergency Econo mic Powers Act\, or IEEPA\, the President has imposed tariffs on imports o f foreign goods from various countries. The tariffs have generated vigorou s policy debates. Those policy debates are not for the Federal Judiciary t o resolve. Rather\, the Judiciary’s more limited role is to neutrally in terpret and apply the law. The sole legal question here is whether\, under IEEPA\, tariffs are a means to “regulate . . . importation.” Statutor y text\, history\, and precedent demonstrate that the answer is clearly ye s: Like quotas and embargoes\, tariffs are a traditional and common tool t o regulate importation. Since early in U. S. history\, Congress has regul arly authorized the President to impose tariffs on imports of foreign good s. Presidents have often used that authority to obtain leverage with forei gn nations\, help American manufacturers and workers compete on a more lev el playing field\, and generate revenue for the United States. Numerous la ws such as the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and the Trade Act of 1974 conti nue to authorize the President to place tariffs on foreign imports in a va riety of circumstances\, and Presidents have often done so. In recent year s\, Presidents George W. Bush\, Obama\, and Biden have all imposed tariffs on foreign imports under those statutory authorities. President Trump has similarly imposed tariffs\, and has done so here under IEEPA. During decl ared national emergencies\, IEEPA broadly authorizes the President to regu late international economic transactions. Most relevant for this case\, du ring those national emergencies\, IEEPA grants the President the power to “regulate . . . importation” of foreign goods.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02/2 0/2026 decision\n\n\n\n https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-128 7_4gcj.pdf\n\n\n\n TEXT TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n (Slip Opinion) \nOCTOBER TERM\, 2025 \nSyllabus \nNOTE: Where it is feasible\, a syllabus (headnote) will be released\, as is \nbeing done in connection with this case\, at the ti me the opinion is issued. \nThe syllabus constitutes no part of the opinio n of the Court but has been \nprepared by the Reporter of Decisions for th e convenience of the reader. \nSee United States v. Detroit Timber &\; Lumber Co.\, 200 U. S. 321\, 337. \n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \nSyllabus \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL. v. TRUMP\, \nPRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES\, ET AL. \nCERTIORARI BEFORE JUDGMENT TO THE UNITED STA TES \nCOURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT \nNo. 24–128 7. Argued November 5\, 2025—Decided February 20\, 2026* \nThe question p resented is whether the International Emergency Eco\nnomic Powers Act (IEE PA) authorizes the President to impose tariffs.\nSee 91 Stat. 1626. Short ly after taking office\, President Trump sought\nto address two foreign th reats: the influx of illegal drugs from Canada\, \nMexico\, and China\, Pr esidential Proclamation No. 10886\, 90 Fed. Reg.\n8327\; Exec. Order No. 1 4193\, 90 Fed. Reg. 9113\; Exec. Order No. \n14194\, 90 Fed. Reg. 9117\; E xec. Order No. 14195\, 90 Fed. Reg. 9121\, \nand “large and persistent ” trade deficits\, Exec. Order No. 14257\, 90 \nFed. Reg. 15041. The Pr esident determined that the drug influx had \n“created a public health c risis\,” 90 Fed. Reg. 9113\, and that the trade \ndeficits had “led to the hollowing out” of the American manufacturing\nbase and “undermine d critical supply chains\,” id.\, at 15041. The Pres\nident declared a national emergency as to both threats\, deeming them \n“unusual and extr aordinary\,” and invoked his authority under IEEPA \nto respond.\nHe imp osed tariffs to deal with each threat. As to the drug traffick\ning tarif fs\, the President imposed a 25% duty on most Canadian and \nMexican impor ts and a 10% duty on most Chinese imports. Id.\, at \n9114\, 9118\, 9122 –9123. As to the trade deficit (“reciprocal”) tariffs\, the\nPresid ent imposed a duty “on all imports from all trading partne rs” of \n—————— \n*Together with No. 25–250\, Trump\, Pres ident of the United States\, et \nal. v. V.O.S. Selections\, Inc.\, et al. \, on certiorari to the United States \nCourt of Appeals for the Federal C ircuit. \n2 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nSyllabus \nat least 10% \, with dozens of nations facing higher rates. Id.\, at 15045\, \n15049. Since imposing each set of tariffs\, the President has issued sev\neral in creases\, reductions\, and other modifications.\n Petitioners in Learning Resources and respondents in V.O.S. Selec\ntions filed suit\, alleging th at IEEPA does not authorize the reciprocal \nor drug trafficking tariffs. The Learning Resources plaintiffs—two \nsmall businesses—sued in the U nited States District Court for the Dis\ntrict of Columbia. That court de nied the Government’s motion to \ntransfer the case to the United States Court of International Trade \n(CIT) and granted the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction\, \nconcluding that IEEPA did not grant the President the power to im\npose tariffs. The V.O.S. Selections plaintiff s—five small businesses \nand 12 States—sued in the CIT. That court g ranted summary judg\nment for the plaintiffs. And the Federal Circuit\, s itting en banc\, af\nfirmed in relevant part\, concluding that IEEPA’s g rant of authority to\n“regulate . . . importation” did not authorize t he challenged tariffs\, \nwhich “are unbounded in scope\, amount\, and d uration.” 149 F. 4th \n1312\, 1338. The Government filed a petition fo r certiorari in V.O.S. \nSelections\, and the Learning Resources plaintiff s filed a petition for \ncertiorari before judgment. The Court granted the petitions and con\nsolidated the cases. \nHeld: IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. The \njudgment in No. 24–1287 is vacat ed\, and the case is remanded with \ninstructions to dismiss for lack of j urisdiction\; the judgment in No. 25\n250 is affirmed. \nNo. 24–1287\, 7 84 F. Supp. 3d 209\, vacated and remanded\; No. 25–250\, \n149 F. 4th 13 12\, affirmed. \nTHE CHIEF JUSTICE delivered the opinion of the Court wit h respect \nto Parts I and II–A–1: \nArticle I\, Section 8\, of the Co nstitution specifies that “The Congress \nshall have Power To lay and co llect Taxes\, Duties\, Imposts and Ex\ncises.” The Framers recognized th e unique importance of this taxing \npower—a power which “very clear [ly]” includes the power to impose \ntariffs. Gibbons v. Ogden\, 9 Wheat . 1\, 201. And they gave Congress \n“alone . . . access to the pockets of the people.” The Federalist No. 48\, \np. 310 (J. Madison). The Fra mers did not vest any part of the taxing\npower in the Executive Branch. See Nicol v. Ames\, 173 U. S. 509\, 515. \nThe Government thus concedes th at the President enjoys no inher\nent authority to impose tariffs during p eacetime. It instead relies ex\nclusively on IEEPA to defend the challeng ed tariffs. It reads the words \n“regulate” and “importation” to effect a sweeping delegation of Con\ngress’s power to set tariff polic y—authorizing the President to impose\ntariffs of unlimited amount and d uration\, on any product from any \nCite as: 607 U. S. ___ (2026) \nSyllab us \ncountry. 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1)(B). Pp. 5–7.\n3 \nTHE CHIEF JUS TICE\, joined by JUSTICE GORSUCH and JUSTICE \nBARRETT\, concluded in Part II–A–2: \nThe Court has long expressed “reluctan[ce] to read into ambiguous\nstatutory text” extraordinary delegations of Congress’s po wers. West \nVirginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 723 (quoting Utility Air Re gulatory \nGroup v. EPA\, 573 U. S. 302\, 324). In several cases describe d as in\nvolving “major questions\,” the Court has reasoned that “bo th separa\ntion of powers principles and a practical understanding of legi slative \nintent” suggest Congress would not have delegated “highly co nsequen\ntial power” through ambiguous language. Id.\, at 723–724. Th ese con\nsiderations apply with particular force where\, as here\, the pur ported \ndelegation involves the core congressional power of the purse. Co n\ngressional practice confirms as much. When Congress has delegated \nit s tariff powers\, it has done so in explicit terms and subject to strict \ nlimits. \nAgainst that backdrop of clear and limited delegations\, the Go vern\nment reads IEEPA to give the President power to unilaterally impose\ nunbounded tariffs and change them at will. That view would represent\na transformative expansion of the President’s authority over tariff pol\ni cy. It is also telling that in IEEPA’s half century of existence\, no Pr es\nident has invoked the statute to impose any tariffs\, let alone tariff s of \nthis magnitude and scope. That “ ‘lack of historical precede nt\,’ coupled \nwith the breadth of authority” that the President now claims\, suggests \nthat the tariffs extend beyond the President’s “le gitimate reach.” Na\ntional Federation of Independent Business v. OSHA\ , 595 U. S. 109\, 119 \n(quoting Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Ac counting Over\nsight Bd.\, 561 U. S. 477\, 505). The “ ‘economic and political signifi\ncance’ ” of the authority the President has asserte d likewise “provide[s] \na ‘reason to hesitate before concluding that Congress’ meant to confer\nsuch authority.” West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\ , at 721 (quoting FDA v. \nBrown &\; Williamson Tobacco Corp.\, 529 U. S. 120\, 159–160). The \nstakes here dwarf those of other major questio ns cases. And as in those \ncases\, “a reasonable interpreter would [no t] expect” Congress to \n“pawn[]” such a “big-time policy call[] . . . off to another branch.” Biden \nv. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477\, 515 ( BARRETT\, J.\, concurring).\nThere is no exception to the major questions doctrine for emergency \nstatutes. Nor does the fact that tariffs implicat e foreign affairs render\nthe doctrine inapplicable. The Framers gave “ Congress alone” the\npower to impose tariffs during peacetime. Merritt v. Welsh\, 104 U. S. \n694\, 700. And the foreign affairs implications of tariffs do not make it\nany more likely that Congress would relinquish its tariff power\nthrough vague language\, or without careful limits. Accord ingly\, the\nPresident must “point to clear congressional authorizatio n” to justify \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n4 LEARNING R ESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nSyllabus \nhis extraordinary assertion of that power. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 506 \n(internal quotation marks omitted). He cannot. Pp. 7–13.\nTHE CHIEF JUSTICE delivered the opinion of the Court with respect\nto Part II–B\, concluding: \n(a) IEEPA authorizes t he President to “investigate\, block during the \npendency of an investi gation\, regulate\, direct and compel\, nullify\, void\, \nprevent or proh ibit . . . importation or exportation.” §1702(a)(1)(B). \nAbsent from this lengthy list of specific powers is any mention of tariffs\nor duties. Had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraor\ndinary power t o impose tariffs\, it would have done so expressly\, as it\nconsistently h as in other tariff statutes.\nThe power to “regulate . . . importation ” does not fill that void. The \nterm “regulate\,” as ordinarily us ed\, means to “fix\, establish\, or control\; \nto adjust by rule\, meth od\, or established mode\; to direct by rule or re\nstriction\; to subject to governing principles or laws.” Black’s Law Dic\ntionary 1156. Th e facial breadth of this definition places in stark relief \nwhat ”regul ate” is not usually thought to include: taxation. Many stat\nutes grant the Executive the power to “regulate.” Yet the Government \ncannot i dentify any statute in which the power to regulate includes the \npower to tax. The Court is therefore skeptical that in IEEPA—and\nIEEPA alone— Congress hid a delegation of its birth-right power to tax\nwithin the quot idian power to “regulate.” \nWhile taxes may accomplish regulatory end s\, it does not follow that \nthe power to regulate includes the power to tax as a means of regula\ntion. Indeed\, when Congress addresses both the power to regulate and\nthe power to tax\, it does so separately and expres sly. That it did not \ndo so here is strong evidence that “regulate” in IEEPA does not include\ntaxation. \nA contrary reading would render IEE PA partly unconstitutional. \nIEEPA authorizes the President to “regulat e . . . importation or expor\ntation.” §1702(a)(1)(B). But taxing expo rts is expressly forbidden by \nthe Constitution. Art. I\, §9\, cl. 5. \nThe “neighboring words” with which “regulate” “is associated ” also\nsuggest that Congress did not intend for “regulate” to inclu de the rev\nenue-raising power. United States v. Williams\, 553 U. S. 285\ , 294. \nEach of the nine verbs in §1702(a)(1)(B) authorizes a distinct a ction a\nPresident might take in sanctioning foreign actors or controlling do\nmestic actors engaged in foreign commerce\, as Presidential practice \nconfirms. And none of the listed authorities includes the distinct and \nextraordinary power to raise revenue—a power which no President has \n ever found in IEEPA. Pp. 14–16.\n(b) Several arguments marshaled in res ponse are unpersuasive.\nFirst\, the contention that IEEPA confers the pow er to impose tariffs \nbecause early commentators and the Court’s cases discuss tariffs in \nCite as: 607 U. S. ___ (2026) \nSyllabus \n5 \nthe co ntext of the Commerce Clause answers the wrong question. The \nquestion i s not whether tariffs can ever be a means of regulating com\nmerce. It is instead whether Congress\, when conferring the power to \n“regulate . . . importation\,” gave the President the power to impose tar\niffs at hi s sole discretion. And Congress’s pattern of usage is plain: \nWhen Con gress grants the power to impose tariffs\, it does so clearly \nand with c areful constraints. It did neither in IEEPA. \nSecond\, the argument that “regulate” naturally includes tariffs be\ncause the term lies between two poles in IEEPA—“compel” on the af\nfirmative end and “prohi bit” on the negative end—is unavailing. Alt\nhough tariffs may be les s extreme than an outright compulsion or\nprohibition\, it does not follow that tariffs lie on the spectrum between \nthose poles\; they are differe nt in kind\, not degree\, from the other au\nthorities in IEEPA. Tariffs o perate directly on domestic importers to \nraise revenue for the Treasury and are “very clear[ly] . . . a branch of \nthe taxing power.” Gibbon s\, 9 Wheat.\, at 201. Thus\, they fall outside \nthe spectrum entirely. \nThird\, the argument based on IEEPA’s predecessor\, the Trading \nwit h the Enemy Act (TWEA)\, and the Court of Customs and Patent \nAppeals’ decision in United States v. Yoshida Int’l\, Inc.\, 526 F. 2d 560\, \nca nnot bear the weight placed on it. A single\, expressly limited opinion\nf rom a specialized intermediate appellate court does not establish a \nwell -settled meaning that the Court can assume Congress incorpo\nrated into IE EPA. \nFourth\, the historical argument based on the Court’s wartime pr ec\nedents fails. Those precedents are facially inapposite\, as all agree the\nPresident lacks inherent peacetime authority to impose tariffs. And \nthe attenuated chain of inferences from wartime precedents through\nmult iple iterations of TWEA to IEEPA cannot support—much less\nclearly suppo rt—a reading of IEEPA that includes the distinct power \nto impose tarif fs. \nFinally\, arguments relying on this Court’s precedents lack merit. \nFederal Energy Administration v. Algonquin SNG\, Inc.\, 426 U. S. 548\, \nbears little on the meaning of IEEPA. Section 232(b) of the Trade Ex\n pansion Act of 1962 contains sweeping\, discretion-conferring language\nth at IEEPA does not contain\, and the explicit reference to duties in\nSecti on 232(a) renders it natural for Section 232(b) itself to authorize \nduti es. Nor does Dames &\; Moore v. Regan\, 453 U. S. 654\, offer support \ nbecause that case was exceedingly narrow\, did not address the Presi\nden t’s power to “regulate\,” and did not involve tariffs at all. Pp. 1 6\n20. \nJUSTICE KAGAN\, joined by JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR and JUSTICE \nJACKSON \, agreed that IEEPA does not authorize the President to im\npose tariffs\ , but concluded that the Court need not invoke the major \n6 \nLEARNING RE SOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nSyllabus \nquestions doctrine because the ordina ry tools of statutory interpreta\ntion amply support that result. Pp. 1 –7.\nJUSTICE JACKSON would also consult legislative history—in particu \nlar\, the House and Senate Reports that accompanied IEEPA and its\nprede cessor statute\, TWEA—to determine that Congress did not in\ntend for IE EPA to authorize the Executive to impose tariffs. Pp. 1–5. \nROBERTS\, C. J.\, announced the judgment of the Court and delivered the \nopinion of the Court with respect to Parts I\, II–A–1\, and II–B\, in which \n SOTOMAYOR\, KAGAN\, GORSUCH\, BARRETT\, and JACKSON\, JJ.\, joined\, and \ nan opinion with respect to Parts II–A–2 and III\, in which GORSUCH an d \nBARRETT\, JJ.\, joined. GORSUCH\, J.\, and BARRETT\, J.\, filed concur ring \nopinions. KAGAN\, J.\, filed an opinion concurring in part and conc urring\nin the judgment\, in which SOTOMAYOR and JACKSON\, JJ.\, joined.\n JACKSON\, J.\, filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the \ njudgment. THOMAS\, J.\, filed a dissenting opinion. KAVANAUGH\, J.\, fi led \na dissenting opinion\, in which THOMAS and ALITO\, JJ.\, joined. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of the Court \nNOTICE: This opini on is subject to formal revision before publication in the \nUnited States Reports. Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of \nDecisions\, Su preme Court of the United States\, Washington\, D. C. 20543\, \npio@suprem ecourt.gov\, of any typographical or other formal errors. \n1 \nSUPREME CO URT OF THE UNITED STATES \n_________________ \nNos. 24–1287 and 25–250 \n_________________ \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n 24–1287 \nv. \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET A L. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI BEFORE JUDGMENT TO THE UNITED \nSTATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA \nCIRCUIT \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESID ENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n25–250 \nv. \nV.O.S. SELECTIONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES C OURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[February 20\, 2026]\n CHIEF J USTICE ROBERTS announced the judgment of the\nCourt and delivered the opin ion of the Court\, except as to\nParts II–A–2 and III.* \nWe decide wh ether the International Emergency Eco\nnomic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorizes the President to im\npose tariffs. \n—————— \n*JUSTICE SOTOMA YOR\, JUSTICE KAGAN\, and JUSTICE JACKSON join only \nParts I\, II–A–1 \, and II–B of this opinion. \n2 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \n Opinion of the Court \nI \nA \nShortly after taking office\, President Tru mp sought to ad\ndress two foreign threats. The first was the influx of il legal\ndrugs from Canada\, Mexico\, and China. Presidential Proc\nlamation No. 10886\, 90 Fed. Reg. 8327 (2025)\; Exec. Order\nNo. 14193\, 90 Fed. R eg. 9113 (2025)\; Exec. Order No. 14194\,\n90 Fed. Reg. 9117 (2025)\; Exec . Order No. 14195\, 90 Fed.\nReg. 9121 (2025). The second was “large an d persistent” \ntrade deficits. Exec. Order No. 14257\, 90 Fed. Reg. 15 041 \n(2025). The President determined that the first threat had \n“crea ted a public health crisis\,” 90 Fed. Reg. 9113\, and that \nthe second had “led to the hollowing out” of the American \nmanufacturing base and “undermined critical supply\nchains\,” id.\, at 15041. He invoked his authority under\nIEEPA to respond. \nEnacted in 1977\, IEEPA gives the President economic\ntools to address significant foreign threats. 91 Sta t. 1626. \nWhen acting under IEEPA\, the President must identify an\n“un usual and extraordinary threat” to American national\nsecurity\, foreign policy\, or the economy\, originating primar\nily “outside the United S tates.” 50 U. S. C. §1701(a). And \nhe must “declare[] a national em ergency” under the Na\ntional Emergencies Act. Ibid.\; see 90 Stat. 1255 . He may \nthen\, “by means of instructions\, licenses\, or otherwise \,”\ntake the following actions to “deal with” the threat: “inves\ ntigate\, block during the pendency of an investigation\, regu\nlate\, dir ect and compel\, nullify\, void\, prevent or prohibit\, \nany acquisition\ , holding\, withholding\, use\, transfer\, with\ndrawal\, transportation\, importation or exportation of\, or\ndealing in\, or exercising any right\ , power\, or privilege with \nrespect to\, or transactions involving\, any property in which\nany foreign country or a national thereof has any inte rest.”\n§§1701(a)\, 1702(a)(1)(B). \nPresident Trump declared a nation al emergency as to\nboth the drug trafficking and the trade deficits\, whi ch he \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of the Court \n3 \ndeeme d “unusual and extraordinary” threats. He then im\nposed tariffs to de al with each threat. As to the drug traf\nficking tariffs\, the President imposed a 25% duty on most\nCanadian and Mexican imports and a 10% duty o n most\nChinese imports. 90 Fed. Reg. 9114\, 9118\, 9122–9123. As \nto the trade deficit (or “reciprocal”) tariffs\, the President im\nposed a duty “on all imports from all trading partners” of at \nleast 10%. Id.\, at 15045. Dozens of nations faced higher \nrates. Id.\, at 15049. A nd these tariffs applied notwith\nstanding any extant trade agreements. I d.\, at 15045. \nSince imposing each set of tariffs\, the President has is \nsued several increases\, reductions\, and other modifications. \nOne mon th after imposing the 10% drug trafficking tariffs\non Chinese goods\, he increased the rate to 20%. See Exec. \nOrder No. 14228\, 90 Fed. Reg. 114 63 (2025). One month \nlater\, he removed a statutory exemption for Chine se goods \nunder $800. Exec. Order No. 14256\, 90 Fed. Reg. 14899 \n(2025) . Less than a week after imposing the reciprocal tar\niffs\, the President increased the rate on Chinese goods from\n34% to 84%. Exec. Order No. 142 59\, 90 Fed. Reg. 15509 \n(2025). The very next day\, he increased the rat e further\nstill\, to 125%. Exec. Order No. 14266\, 90 Fed. Reg. 15625\, \ n15626 (2025). This brought the total effective tariff rate on\nmost Chin ese goods to 145%. The President has also shifted \nsets of goods into and out of the reciprocal tariff framework.\nSee\, e.g.\, Exec. Order No. 143 60\, 90 Fed. Reg. 54091 (2025) \n(exempting from reciprocal tariffs beef\, fruits\, coffee\, tea\,\nspices\, and some fertilizers)\; Exec. Order No. 14346\, 90 Fed.\nReg. 43737 (2025). And he has issued a variety of other ad\njustments. See\, e.g.\, Exec. Order No. 14358\, 90 Fed. Reg.\n50729\, 50730 (2025) (extending “the suspension of height\nened reciprocal tari ffs” on Chinese imports). \nB \nPetitioners in Learning Resources and re spondents in \nV.O.S. Selections filed suit\, alleging that IEEPA does not \n4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of the Court \nauthori ze the reciprocal or drug trafficking tariffs. The \nLearning Resources p laintiffs—two small businesses—sued \nin the United States District Co urt for the District of Co\nlumbia. The V.O.S. Selections plaintiffs—fiv e small busi\nnesses and 12 States—sued in the United States Court of \n International Trade (CIT).\nThe Government moved to transfer the Learning Re\nsources case to the CIT. It argued that the District Court\nlacked ju risdiction under 28 U. S. C. §1581(i)(1)\, which\ngives the CIT “exclus ive jurisdiction of any civil action com\nmenced against” the Governme nt “that arises out of any \nlaw of the United States providing for . . . tariffs” or their \n“administration and enforcement.” The Distric t Court de\nnied that motion and granted the plaintiffs’ motion for a \n preliminary injunction\, concluding that IEEPA did not\ngrant the Presiden t the power to impose tariffs. 784 \nF. Supp. 3d 209 (DC 2025). \n In the V.O.S. Selections case\, the CIT granted the plain\ntiffs’ motion for s ummary judgment. 772 F. Supp. 3d 1350 \n(2025). The Federal Circuit\, sit ting en banc\, affirmed in\nrelevant part. 149 F. 4th 1312 (2025). It fir st concluded \nthat the CIT had exclusive jurisdiction because the plain\n tiffs’ claims arose out of modifications to the Harmonized \nTariff Sche dule of the United States (HTSUS). Id.\, at 1329. \nOn the merits\, it ag reed with the CIT that IEEPA’s grant \nof authority to “regulate . . . importation” did not authorize \nthe challenged tariffs\, which “are unbounded in scope\,\namount\, and duration.” Id.\, at 1338. Judge Cun ningham\nconcurred (for four judges)\, reasoning that IEEPA did not \nauth orize the President to impose any tariffs. Id.\, at 1340. \nJudge Taranto dissented (for four judges)\, concluding that\nIEEPA authorized the challe nged tariffs. Id.\, at 1348. \nThe Government filed a motion to expedite a nd a petition\nfor certiorari in V.O.S. Selections\, and the Learning Re\n sources plaintiffs filed a petition for certiorari before \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of the Court \n5 \njudgment. We granted the mo tion and petitions and con\nsolidated the cases. 606 U. S. 1050 (2025).1 \ nII \nBased on two words separated by 16 others in Section\n1702(a)(1)(B) of IEEPA—“regulate” and “importation”—the \nPresident asserts the independent power to impose tariffs \non imports from any country\, of any product\, at any rate\,\nfor any amount of time. Those words cannot b ear such \nweight. \nA \n1 \nArticle I\, Section 8\, of the Constitution s ets forth the pow\ners of the Legislative Branch. The first Clause of tha t pro\nvision specifies that “The Congress shall have Power To lay\nand collect Taxes\, Duties\, Imposts and Excises.” It is no \naccident that this power appears first. The power to tax\nwas\, Alexander Hamilton expla ined\, “the most important of\nthe authorities proposed to be conferred upon the Union.” \nThe Federalist No. 33\, pp. 202–203 (C. Rossiter ed . 1961).\nIt is both a “power to destroy\,” McCulloch v. Maryland\, 4 \nWheat. 316\, 431 (1819)\, and a power “necessary to the ex\nistence an d prosperity of a nation”—“the one great power \nupon which the whol e national fabric is based.” Nicol v. \nAmes\, 173 U. S. 509\, 515 (189 9). \n—————— \n1We agree with the Federal Circuit that the V.O .S. Selections case falls \nwithin the exclusive jurisdiction of the CIT. The plaintiffs’ challenges\n“arise[] out of ” modifications to the HTSUS. 28 U. S. C. §1581(i)(1).\nWhere\, as here\, such modifications are made under an “Act[] affecting \nimport treatment\,” 19 U. S. C. §24 83\, they are “considered to be statu\ntory provisions of law for all pu rposes\,” §3004(c)(1)(C). Thus\, the plain\ntiffs’ challenges “ari se[] out of [a] law of the United States providing for \n. . . tariffs.” 28 U. S. C. §1581(i)(1). For the same reasons\, the United \nStates Dis trict Court for the District of Columbia lacked jurisdiction in \nthe Lear ning Resources case. \n6 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of the Court \nThe power to impose tariffs is “very clear[ly] . . . a bran ch \nof the taxing power.” Gibbons v. Ogden\, 9 Wheat. 1\, 201 \n(1824 ). “A tariff\,” after all\, “is a tax levied on imported \ngoods and services.” \nCongressional Research Service \n(CRS)\, C. Casey\, U. S. Tariff Policy: Overview 1 (2025). And \ntariffs “raise[] revenue\,” We st Lynn Creamery\, Inc. v. Healy\, \n512 U. S. 186\, 193 (1994)—the defi ning feature of a tax\, \nUnited States v. Kahriger\, 345 U. S. 22\, 28\, and n. 4 (1953)\; \nSonzinsky v. United States\, 300 U. S. 506\, 514 (1937 ). In\ndeed\, the Framers expected that the Government would for\n“a lo ng time depend . . . chiefly on” tariffs for revenue. The \nFederalist No. 12\, at 93 (A. Hamilton). Little wonder\, then\, \nthat the First Con gress’s first exercise of its taxing power\n(and its second enacted law\ , right after the one providing\nfor the new officials to take an oath) wa s a tariff law. See \nAct of July 4\, 1789\, ch. 2\, 1 Stat. 24. \nRecogni zing the taxing power’s unique importance\, and \nhaving just fought a r evolution motivated in large part by\n“taxation without representation \,” the Framers gave Con\ngress “alone . . . access to the pockets of the people.” The \nFederalist No. 48\, at 310 (J. Madison)\; see also De claration \nof Independence ¶19. They required “All Bills for raising\n Revenue [to] originate in the House of Representatives.” \nU. S. Const.\ , Art. I\, §7\, cl. 1. And in doing so\, they ensured \nthat only the Ho use could “propose the supplies requisite\nfor the support of government \,” thereby reducing “all the \novergrown prerogatives of the other br anches.” The Feder\nalist No. 58\, at 359 (J. Madison). They did not v est any part\nof the taxing power in the Executive Branch. See Nicol\, 173 \nU. S.\, at 515 (“[T]he whole power of taxation rests with Con\ngres s”).\nThe Government thus concedes\, as it must\, that the Pres\nident e njoys no inherent authority to impose tariffs during\npeacetime. Tr. of Or al Arg. 70–71. And it does not defend \nthe challenged tariffs as an ex ercise of the President’s \nwarmaking powers. The United States\, after all\, is not at \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \n7 \nwar with every nation in the world. The Government in\nstead relies exclusively on IEEPA. It reads the words “reg\nulate” and “i mportation” to effect a sweeping delegation of\nCongress’s power to se t tariff policy—authorizing the Pres\nident to impose tariffs of unlimit ed amount and duration\, \non any product from any country. \n50 U. S. C. \n§1702(a)(1)(B). \n2 \nWe have long expressed “reluctan[ce] to read in to ambig\nuous statutory text” extraordinary delegations of Con\ngress ’s powers. West Virginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 723 \n(2022) (quoting Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA\, 573 \nU. S. 302\, 324 (2014)). In Bi den v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477 \n(2023)\, for example\, we declined to re ad authorization to \n“waive or modify” statutory or regulatory provis ions appli\ncable to financial assistance programs as a delegation of\npow er to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt. Id.\, at \n494 (quoting 2 0 U. S. C. §1098bb(a)(1)). In West Virginia v. \nEPA\, we declined to re ad authorization to determine the \n“best system of emission reduction ” as a delegation of power \nto force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal. \n597 U. S.\, at 732 (quoting 42 U. S. C. §7411(a)(1)). And in \nNational Federation of Independent Business v. OSHA\, 595 \nU. S . 109 (2022) (per curiam)\, we declined to read authori\nzation to ensure “safe and healthful working conditions” as\na delegation of power to i mpose a vaccine mandate on 84\nmillion Americans. Id.\, at 114\, 117 (quo ting 29 U. S. C. \n§651(b))\; see also\, e.g.\, Alabama Assn. of Realtors v. Depart\nment of Health and Human Servs.\, 594 U. S. 758\, 764–765 \n (2021) (per curiam)\; King v. Burwell\, 576 U. S. 473\, 485– \n486 (2015 )\; Utility Air\, 573 U. S.\, at 324. \nWe have described several of these cases as “major ques\ntions” cases. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 505\; W est Virginia\, \n597 U. S.\, at 732\; see also FDA v. Brown &\; William son To\nbacco Corp.\, 529 U. S. 120\, 159 (2000) (citing S. Breyer\, \n8 \ nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \nJudicia l Review of Questions of Law and Policy\, 38 Admin.\nL. Rev. 363\, 370 (19 86)). In each\, the Government claimed \nbroad\, expansive power on an un certain statutory basis.\nAnd in each\, the statutory text might “[a]s a matter of defi\nnitional possibilities” have been read to delegate the as\nserted power. West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 732 (internal \nquotation marks omitted). But “context” counseled “skepti\ncism.” Id.\, at 721\, 732. That context included not just other\nlanguage within the statu te\, but “constitutional structure” \nand “common sense.” Nebraska \, 600 U. S.\, at 512\, 515 \n(BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). “[B]oth sepa ration of powers\nprinciples and a practical understanding of legislative in\ntent” suggested Congress would not have delegated “highly \nconseq uential power” through ambiguous language. West \nVirginia\, 597 U. S.\ , at 723–724. \nThese considerations apply with particular force where\, \nas here\, the purported delegation involves the core congres\nsional pow er of the purse. “Congress would likely . . . in\ntend[] for itself ” the “basic and consequential tradeoffs\,” \nid.\, at 730\, inherent i n uses of this “most complete and ef\nfectual weapon\,” The Federalist No. 58\, at 359. And if Con\ngress were to relinquish that weapon to anot her branch\, a \n“reasonable interpreter” would expect it to do so “‘clearly.’” \nNebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 514–515 (BARRETT\, J. \, concurring) \n(quoting Utility Air\, 573 U. S.\, at 324). \nWhat common sense suggests\, congressional practice con\nfirms. When Congress has del egated its tariff powers\, it \nhas done so in explicit terms\, and subjec t to strict limits.\nCongress has consistently used words like “duty” in stat\nutes delegating authority to impose tariffs. (A customs\n“du ty” is simply “the federal tax levied on goods shipped\ninto the Unite d States.” Black’s Law Dictionary 638 (12th \ned. 2024).) See\, e.g.\, 19 U. S. C. §1338(d) (“rates of duty”)\;\n§2132(a) (“temporary im port surcharge . . . in the form of \nduties”)\; §2253(a)(3)(A) (“dut y on the imported article”)\;\n§2411(c)(1)(B) (“duties or other impor t restrictions”). It has \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \n9 \ncapped the amount and duration of tariffs. See\, e. g.\, \n§1338(d) (50% cap)\; §2132(a) (15% cap\, 150-day time limit)\;\n §2253(e) (50% cap\, phasedown requirement after one year).\nAnd it has co nditioned exercise of the tariff power on de\nmanding procedural prerequis ites. See\, e.g.\, §2252 (inves\ntigation by the United States Internatio nal Trade Commis\nsion\, public hearings\, report of findings and \nrecomm endation)\; §§2411–2414 (investigation by the \nUnited States Trade Re presentative\, consultation with rel\nevant country and interested parties \, publication of find\nings).2 \nAgainst this backdrop of clear and limit ed delegations\, \nthe Government reads IEEPA to give the President power\ nto unilaterally impose unbounded tariffs. On this reading\,\nmoreover\, the President is unconstrained by the significant \nprocedural limitations in other tariff statutes and free to \nissue a dizzying array of modifica tions at will. See supra\, \nat 3. All it takes to unlock that extraordin ary power is a \nPresidential declaration of emergency\, which the Govern\ nment asserts is unreviewable. Brief for Federal Parties 42. \nAnd the onl y way of restraining the exercise of that power\nis a veto-proof majority in Congress. See 50 U. S. C. \n§1622(a)(1) (requiring a “joint resolut ion” “enacted into law” \nto terminate a national emergency). That view\, if credited\, \nwould “represent[] a ‘transformative expans ion’” of the \nPresident’s authority over tariff policy\, West Virgi nia\, 597 \n—————— \n2The same is true of Section 232 of the T rade Expansion Act of 1962\, \n76 Stat. 877\, which we have held authorize s sector-specific import “li\ncense fee[s].” Federal Energy Administra tion v. Algonquin SNG\, Inc.\, \n426 U. S. 548\, 571 (1976). Section 232( a) expressly references “duties.” \n19 U. S. C. §1862(a)\; see infra\ , at 19. And Section 232(c) authorizes the\nPresident to “adjust the imp orts” of an “article\,” §1862(c)\, but only after\nthe Secretary of Commerce\, in consultation with the Secretary of De\nfense\, conducts an investigation and prepares a report finding that the\n“article is being imported into the United States in such quantities or \nunder such circums tances as to threaten to impair the national security\,”\n§1862(b). \n1 0 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \nU. S .\, at 724 (quoting Utility Air\, 573 U. S.\, at 324)\, and in\ndeed—as demonstrated by the exercise of that authority in\nthis case—over the br oader economy as well. See Congres\nsional Budget Office\, CBO’s Curren t View of the Economy \nFrom 2025 to 2028\, p. 5 (Sept. 2025)\; Brief for Federal Par\nties 2–3. It would replace the longstanding executive-legis \nlative collaboration over trade policy with unchecked Pres\nidential pol icymaking. \nSee CRS\, Trade Promotion \nAuthority (TPA) and the Role of C ongress in Trade Policy \n(2015). Congress seldom effects such sea changes through \n“vague language.” West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 724. \nIt is also telling that in IEEPA’s “half century of exist\nence\,” no P resident has invoked the statute to impose any\ntariffs—let alone tariff s of this magnitude and scope. Na\ntional Federation of Independent Busin ess\, 595 U. S.\, at \n119.3 Presidents have\, by contrast\, regularly in voked \nIEEPA for other purposes. CRS\, C. Casey\, J. Elsea\, &\; L. \ nRosen\, The International Emergency Economic Powers Act:\nOrigins\, Evolu tion\, and Use 18–21 (2025). At the same \ntime\, they have invoked oth er statutes—but never \nIEEPA—to impose tariffs\, on products ranging from car \ntires to washing machines. See\, e.g.\, Presidential Procla\nm ation No. 8414\, 3 CFR 115 (2009 Comp.)\; Presidential \n————— — \n3Indeed\, even before IEEPA was enacted\, only one President relied on \nits predecessor\, the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA)\, ch. 106\, 4 0\nStat. 411\, to impose tariffs—and then only as a post hoc defense to a legal \nchallenge. See Presidential Proclamation No. 4074\, 36 Fed. Reg . 15724 \n(1971) (initially invoking the Tariff Act of 1930 and Trade Expa nsion Act\nof 1962)\; United States v. Yoshida Int’l\, Inc.\, 526 F. 2d 560\, 572 (CCPA \n1975). Those tariffs were also of limited amount\, dura tion\, and scope. \nSee id.\, at 568–569\, 577–578 (noting that the 10 -percent surcharge was\ndescribed by President Nixon as “ ‘a temporary measure\,’ ” was in effect \nless than five months\, applied only t o “articles which had been the sub\nject of prior tariff concessions\, ” and was capped at congressionally au\nthorized rates)\; Economic Repor t of the President 70 (1972) (“When all \nexceptions to the 10-percent r ule were taken into account\, the effective \nrate of surcharge came down to 4.8 percent”). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of ROBERTS \, C. J. \n11 \nProclamation No. 9694\, 83 Fed. Reg. 3553 (2018). And \nt hose tariffs did not “even beg[in] to approach the size or\nscope” of the IEEPA tariffs at issue here. Nebraska\, 600 \nU. S.\, at 502 (quoting Alabama Assn.\, 594 U. S.\, at 765).\nThe “‘lack of historical pre cedent’” for the IEEPA tariffs\,\n“coupled with the breadth of aut hority” that the President\nnow claims\, “is a ‘telling indicati on’” that the tariffs extend\nbeyond the President’s “legitimate reach.” National Feder\nation of Independent Business\, 595 U. S.\, at 119 (quoting \nFree Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Over\nsi ght Bd.\, 561 U. S. 477\, 505 (2010)).\nThe “‘economic and political s ignificance’” of the author\nity the President has asserted likewise “provide[s] a ‘reason \nto hesitate before concluding that Congress ’ meant to confer \nsuch authority.” West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 72 1 (quoting \nBrown &\; Williamson\, 529 U. S.\, at 159–160). The Pre si\ndent’s assertion here of broad “statutory power over the na\ntiona l economy” is “extravagant” by any measure. Utility \nAir\, 573 U. S.\, at 324. And as the Government admits— \nindeed\, boasts—the econ omic and political consequences of \nthe IEEPA tariffs are astonishing. Th e Government points\nto projections that the tariffs will reduce the natio nal deficit \nby $4 trillion\, and that international agreements reached i n \nreliance on the tariffs could be worth $15 trillion. Brief for \nFeder al Parties 3\, 11. In the President’s view\, whether “we \nare a rich nation” or a “poor” one hangs in the balance. Id.\, \nat 2. These s takes dwarf those of other major questions \ncases. See\, e.g.\, Nebraska\ , 600 U. S.\, at 483 ($430 billion)\; \nAlabama Assn.\, 594 U. S.\, at 764 (nearly $50 billion)\; West \nVirginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 714 (“billions of dollars in compliance \ncosts”). As in those cases\, “a reasonable interpreter would \n[not] expect” Congress to “pawn[]” such a “big -time policy \ncall[] . . . off to another branch.” Nebraska\, 600 U. S .\, at \n515 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). \n12 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \nThe Government and the principal dissent attempt to \navoid application of the major questions doctrine on several \ngrounds. None is convincing.\nThe Government argues first that t he doctrine should not \napply to emergency statutes. Brief for Federal P arties 35– \n36. But this argument is nearly identical to one it already \nadvanced in Nebraska. There\, the Government contended \nthat a differe nt emergency statute should be interpreted \nbroadly because its “whole point” was to provide “substan\ntial discretion to . . . respond to un foreseen emergencies.”\n600 U. S.\, at 500 (internal quotation marks omi tted). We \nrejected that argument in Nebraska\, and we reject it here\na s well. “Emergency powers\,” after all\, “tend to kindle \nemergen cies.” Youngstown Sheet &\; Tube Co. v. Sawyer\, 343 \nU. S. 579\, 65 0 (1952) (Jackson\, J.\, concurring). Dozens of \nIEEPA emergencies remai n ongoing today\, including the\nfirst—declared over four decades ago in response to the Ira\nnian hostage crisis. CRS\, Casey\, International Eme rgency\nEconomic Powers Act\, at 20. And as the Framers under\nstood\, em ergencies can “afford a ready pretext for usurpa\ntion” of congression al power. Youngstown\, 343 U. S.\, at 650 \n(Jackson\, J.\, concurring). Where Congress has reason to be\nworried about its powers “slipping thro ugh its fingers\,” id.\, \nat 654\, we in turn have every reason to expe ct Congress to\nuse clear language to effectuate unbounded delegations—\ nparticularly of its “one great power\,” Nicol\, 173 U. S.\, at \n515. \nThe Government’s and the principal dissent’s proposed \nforeign aff airs exception fares no better. Brief for Federal \nParties 34–35\; pos t\, at 45–57 (opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.).\nAs a general matter\, the Pre sident of course enjoys some \n“independent constitutional power[s]” o ver foreign affairs \n“even without congressional authorization.” FCC v. Con\nsumers’ Research\, 606 U. S. 656\, 707 (2025) (KAVANAUGH\, \nJ. \, concurring). And Congress certainly may intend to “give\nthe Presiden t substantial authority and flexibility” in many \n Cite as: 607 U. S. _ ___ (2026) \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \n13 \nforeign affairs or national security contexts. Post\, at 48 \n(opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.) (quoting Co nsumers’ Research\, \n606 U. S.\, at 706 (KAVANAUGH\, J.\, concurring)). But \n“flip[ping]” the “presumption” under the major questions \n doctrine\, Brief for Federal Parties 34\, makes little sense \nwhen it com es to tariffs. As the Government admits\, the \nPresident and Congress do not “enjoy concurrent constitu\ntional authority” to impose tariffs du ring peacetime. Ibid.\; \nTr. of Oral Arg. 70–71. The Framers gave that power to\n“Congress alone”—notwithstanding the obvious foreign af\n fairs implications of tariffs. Merritt v. Welsh\, 104 U. S. 694\, \n700 ( 1882). And whatever may be said of other powers that \nimplicate foreign affairs\, we would not expect Congress to\nrelinquish its tariff power thr ough vague language\, or with\nout careful limits. \nThe central thrust of the Government’s and the principal\ndissent’s proposed exceptions app ears to be that ambiguous \ndelegations in statutes addressing “the most major of major \nquestions” should necessarily be construed broadly. B rief \nfor Federal Parties 35. But it simply does not follow from\nthe fac t that a statute deals with major problems that it \nshould be read to del egate all major powers for which there \nmay be a “colorable textual bas is.” West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, \nat 722. It is in precisely such case s that we should be alert \nto claims that sweeping delegations—particul arly delega\ntions of core congressional powers—“lurk[]” in “ambig uous \nstatutory text.” Id.\, at 723 (internal quotation marks omit\nted ). There is no major questions exception to the major \nquestions doctrin e.\nAccordingly\, the President must “point to clear congres\nsional aut horization” to justify his extraordinary assertion\nof the power to impo se tariffs. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 506 \n(internal quotation marks omi tted). He cannot. \n14 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of t he Court \nB \nTo begin\, IEEPA authorizes the President to “investigate \,\nblock during the pendency of an investigation\, regulate\, di\nrect an d compel\, nullify\, void\, prevent or prohibit . . . impor\ntation or exp ortation.” 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1)(B). Absent \nfrom this lengthy lis t of powers is any mention of tariffs or \nduties. That omission is notabl e in light of the significant \nbut specific powers Congress did go to the trouble of nam\ning. It stands to reason that had Congress intended to co n\nvey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs\, \nit would have done so expressly—as it consistently has in\nother tariff statutes . See supra\, at 8\; accord\, post\, at 11\, 26– \n27 (opinion of KAVAN AUGH\, J.).\nThe power to “regulate . . . importation” does not fill t hat\nvoid. “Regulate\,” as that term is ordinarily used\, means to\n “fix\, establish\, or control\; to adjust by rule\, method\, or es\ntabl ished mode\; to direct by rule or restriction\; to subject to\ngoverning p rinciples or laws.” Black’s Law Dictionary 1156 \n(5th ed. 1979)\; se e also Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas\, 596 \nU. S. 685\, 697 (2022). Thi s definition captures much of \nwhat a government does on a day-to-day bas is. Indeed\, if \n“regulate” is as broad as the principal dissent sug gests\, \npost\, at 10–11\, then the other eight verbs in §1702(a)(1)(B )\nare simply wasted ink. But the facial breadth of “regulate”\nplace s in stark relief what the term is not usually thought \nto include: taxat ion. The U. S. Code is replete with statutes\ngranting the Executive the a uthority to “regulate” someone \nor something. Yet the Government cann ot identify any \nstatute in which the power to regulate includes the powe r \nto tax. The Government concedes\, for example\, that the Se\ncurities and Exchange Commission cannot tax the trading \nof securities\, even thou gh it is expressly authorized to “reg\nulate the trading of . . . securi ties.” 15 U. S. C. §78i(h)(1)\; \nsee Brief for Federal Parties 31–32 . We are therefore skep\ntical that in IEEPA—and IEEPA alone—Congress hid a \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of the Court \n15 \ndel egation of its birth-right power to tax within the quotid\nian power to “regulate.”\nTaxes\, to be sure\, may accomplish regulatory ends. See \nSonzinsky\, 300 U. S.\, at 513\; Gibbons\, 9 Wheat.\, at 201– \n202. But it does not follow that the power to regulate some\nthing includes the power to tax it as a means of regulation. \nCongressional practice sugge sts as much. When Congress \naddresses both the power to regulate and the power to tax\,\nit does so separately and expressly. See\, e.g.\, 16 U. S. C. \n§460bbb–9(a) (distinguishing between the power to “tax \nperson s\, franchise\, or private property” on lands and the \npower “to regu late the private lands”)\; 2 U. S. C. \n§622(8)(B)(i) (“government-sp onsored enterprise” does not \nhave the “power to tax or to regulate i nterstate commerce”).\nThat is unsurprising\, as the “power to regulat e commerce”\nis “entirely distinct from the right to levy taxes.” G ibbons\, \n9 Wheat.\, at 201. That Congress did not grant those au\nthorit ies separately here is strong evidence that “regulate”\nin IEEPA does not include taxation. \nA contrary reading would render IEEPA partly uncon sti\ntutional. IEEPA authorizes the President to “regulate . . . \nimpor tation or exportation.” 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1)(B) (em\nphasis added). Taxing exports\, however\, is expressly for\nbidden by the Constitution. Art. I\, §9\, cl. 5.\nThe “neighboring words” with which “regul ate” “is asso\nciated” also suggest that Congress did not intend f or “regu\nlate” to include the revenue-raising power. United States v. \nWilliams\, 553 U. S. 285\, 294 (2008). “Regulate” is one of\nnine verbs listed in §1702(a)(1)(B). Each authorizes a dis\ntinct action a Pr esident might take in sanctioning foreign\nactors or controlling domestic actors engaged in foreign \ncommerce—blocking imports\, for example\, or prohibiting \ntransactions. Presidential practice under IEEPA demon\nstr ates as much. See CRS\, Casey\, International Emergency\nEconomic Powers A ct\, at 79–106 (Table A–3)\; see\, e.g.\, Exec. \nOrder No. 13194\, 3 CFR 741 (2001 Comp.) (blocking \n16 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \ nOpinion of the Court \nimportation of diamonds from insurgent regime in S ierra \nLeone)\; Exec. Order No. 12947\, 3 CFR 319 (1995 Comp.) \n(prohibi ting transactions with those “who threaten to dis\nrupt the Middle East peace process”). None of IEEPA’s au\nthorities includes the distinct and extraordinary power to\nraise revenue. And the fact that no President has ever \nfound such power in IEEPA is strong evidence that it does\nnot exist. See supra\, at 10\; FTC v. Bunte Brothers\, Inc.\, 312 \nU. S. 349\ , 351–352 (1941).\nWe do not attempt to set forth the metes and bounds o f\nthe President’s authority to “regulate . . . importation” un\nder IEEPA. That “interpretive question” is “not at issue” in\nthis ca se\, and any answer would be “plain dicta.” West Vir\nginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 734–735\, and n. 5. Our task today is to\ndecide only whether t he power to “regulate . . . importa\ntion\,” as granted to the Preside nt in IEEPA\, embraces the \npower to impose tariffs. It does not.4 \nThe Government\, echoed point-for-point by the principal\ndissent\, marshals s everal arguments in response. First\, it \ncontends that IEEPA confers th e power to impose tariffs be\ncause early commentators and this Court’s cases discuss \ntariffs in the context of the Constitution’s Commerce \n Clause. See Brief for Federal Parties 24–25\; post\, at 12–13 \n(opini on of KAVANAUGH\, J.). But that answers the wrong \nquestion. The question is not\, as the Government would \nhave it\, whether tariffs can ever be a means of regulating \ncommerce. It is instead whether Congress\, when co nferring \nthe power to “regulate . . . importation\,” gave the Presid ent \nthe power to impose tariffs at his sole discretion. And \n—————— \n4The principal dissent surmises that the President could impose “most\nif not all” of the tariffs at issue under statutes other than IEEPA. Post\, \nat 62 (opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.). The cited s tatutes contain various com\nbinations of procedural prerequisites\, requi red agency determinations\,\nand limits on the duration\, amount\, and sco pe of the tariffs they author\nize. See supra\, at 8–9\; post\, at 62– 63. We do not speculate on hypothet\nical cases not before us. \n Cite as : 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of the Court \n17 \nCongress’s pattern of usage is most relevant to answering \nthat question. That pattern is p lain: When Congress grants\nthe power to impose tariffs\, it does so clear ly and with care\nful constraints. It did neither here. \nThe Government r aises another contextual argument.\nBecause “regulate” “lies betwe en” two “poles” in IEEPA—\n“compel” on the affirmative end and “prohibit” on the nega\ntive end—the term naturally includes the “less extreme\, \nmore flexible” tool of tariffs. Reply Brief 9 (i nternal quota\ntion marks omitted)\; see post\, at 29–30 (opinion of \nK AVANAUGH\, J.) (making a greater-includes-the-lesser ar\ngument). But tari ffs\, as discussed above\, are different in \nkind\, not degree\, from the other authorities in IEEPA. Un\nlike those authorities\, tariffs operate directly on domestic\nimporters to raise revenue for the Treasury. See 1 9 U. S. C. \n§1505(a)\; 19 CFR §141.1(b) (2025). Even though a tariff i s\,\nin some sense\, “less extreme” than an outright compulsion\nor pr ohibition\, it does not follow that tariffs lie on the spec\ntrum between those poles. They are instead “very clear[ly] \n. . . a branch of the t axing power\,” Gibbons\, 9 Wheat.\, at \n201\, and fall outside the spec trum entirely.\nFinding no support in the statute the President invoked\, \nthe Government turns to one he did not: IEEPA’s predeces\nsor\, TWEA. Ch. 106\, 40 Stat. 411. In 1975\, the Court of \nCustoms and Patent Appea ls held that the authority to \n“regulate . . . importation” in TWEA a uthorized President\nNixon to impose limited tariffs. United States v. Yo shida \nInt’l\, Inc.\, 526 F. 2d 560\, 572\, 577–578. When Congress e n\nacted IEEPA two years later\, the Government contends\, it \nconveyed t hat same authority (except without the limits). \nSee also post\, at 14– 17 (opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.).\n This argument cannot bear the weight the Government\nplaces on it. While this Court sometimes assumes that Con\ng ress incorporates judicial definitions into legislation\, we do\nso “onl y when [the] term’s meaning was ‘well-settled’” be\nfore the adopt ion. Kemp v. United States\, 596 U. S. 528\, \n18 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, I NC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of the Court \n539 (2022) (quoting Neder v. United States\, 527 U. S. 1\, 22 \n(1999))\; see also United States v. Kwai Fun W ong\, 575 U. S. \n402\, 412–415 (2015). A single\, expressly limited opi nion \nfrom a specialized intermediate appellate court does not\nclear tha t hurdle.5 See BP p.l.c. v. Mayor and City Council \nof Baltimore\, 593 U. S. 230\, 244 (2021). The tariff authority\nasserted by President Nixon\, moreover\, was “far removed”\nfrom TWEA’s “original purposes” o f sanctioning foreign bel\nligerents. Cohen\, Fundamentals of U. S. Foreig n Trade Pol\nicy\, at 178–179. We are therefore skeptical that Congress \nenacted IEEPA with an eye toward granting that novel \npower.\nThe Gover nment has another historical argument based \non this Court’s wartime pr ecedents. See generally Brief for\nProfessor Aditya Bamzai as Amicus Curi ae\; Reply Brief 9– \n11\, 18. According to the Government\, those prece dents \nacknowledge an inherent Presidential power to impose tar\niffs dur ing armed conflict. And\, the argument goes\, Con\ngress in TWEA\, and the n in IEEPA\, codified those prece\ndents. But this argument fails at both steps. Insofar as the \nGovernment relies on our wartime cases themselves \, they\nare facially inapposite. Regardless of what they might\nmean for the President’s inherent wartime authority\, all \n—————— \n 5The Government\, citing the IEEPA House Committee Report\, con\ntends tha t Congress “indisputably knew of ” Yoshida’s interpretation of \nTWE A. Brief for Federal Parties 26\; see also post\, at 15–16\, and n. 11 \ n(opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.). But even taking the Report at face value\, i t \nhardly helps the Government. The Report explains that “[s]uccessive \nPresidents have seized upon the open-endedness of [TWEA] section 5(b)\n to turn that section\, through usage\, into something quite different from \nwhat was envisioned in 1917.” H. R. Rep. No. 95–459\, pp. 8–9 (1 977)\; \naccord\, S. Cohen\, R. Blecker\, &\; P. Whitney\, Fundamentals of U. S. For\neign Trade Policy 178–179 (2d ed. 2003). That is not exa ctly a stamp of \napproval on the action Yoshida guardedly endorsed. And in any event\, \nthe Government’s “knew of ” standard falls well sho rt of the “broad and \nunquestioned” “judicial consensus” we have required to conclude that\nCongress incorporated a judicial definition int o a statutory term. Jama \nv. Immigration and Customs Enforcement\, 543 U . S. 335\, 349 (2005). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of the Court \n19 \nagree that the President has no inherent peacetime author\nit y to impose tariffs.\nNor are we persuaded that the dots connect from our war\ntime precedents\, through multiple iterations of TWEA\, to\nIEEPA\, s uch that IEEPA should be interpreted to grant the\nPresident an expansive peacetime tariff power. This argu\nment relies extensively on a series of inferences drawn from\nscant legislative history. Such an attenuated chain cannot \nsupport—much less “clearly” support—a reading of IEEPA \ nthat includes the distinct power to impose tariffs. Alabama \nAssn.\, 59 4 U. S.\, at 764. \nTurning to this Court’s precedents\, the Government first\nrelies on Federal Energy Administration v. Algonquin SNG\, \nInc.\, 426 U. S. 548 (1976). There\, we held that Section \n232(b) of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962\, which allows the\nPresident to “adjust the impo rts” of particular goods to pro\ntect national security\, includes the p ower to impose “license\nfees.” Id.\, at 561. But that holding bears l ittle on the mean\ning of IEEPA. As a textual matter\, Section 232(b) auth or\nizes the President not only to “adjust . . . imports\,” but (as \n the Government emphasized in Algonquin) to “take such ac\ntion . . . as he deems necessary” to adjust the imports of a \ngood. Brief for Petitio ners 26 (emphasis in original) and Tr.\nof Oral Arg. 6–7\, in Federal En ergy Administration v. Al\ngonquin SNG\, Inc.\, O. T. 1975\, No. 75–382. IEEPA does not \ncontain such sweeping\, discretion-conferring language. As \nfor context\, Section 232(a) states that “[n]o action shall be\nt aken” to “decrease or eliminate” an existing “duty or other \nimpo rt restriction” if doing so would threaten national se\ncurity. 19 U. S . C. §1862(a) (1970 ed.). This explicit refer\nence to duties preceding Section 232(b) renders it natural\nfor Section 232(b) itself to authorize duties. Thus\, we de\ncline to extend Algonquin’s expressly “limite d” holding any \nfurther. 426 U. S.\, at 571. \nFinally\, the Government invokes Dames &\; Moore v. Re\ngan\, 453 U. S. 654 (1981)\, but that c ase offers no support. \n20 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of ROBERTS\, C. J. \nDames &\; Moore was exceedingly narrow\,6 did not address \nthe President’s power to “regulate\,” and did not involve tar\niffs at all. If anything\, that case highlights the importance\nof c lose attention to IEEPA’s text. “The terms of . . . \nIEEPA\,” we h eld\, “do not authorize” the suspension of \nclaims. Id.\, at 675. So too here\; the terms of IEEPA do not \nauthorize tariffs. \nIII \nThe Pre sident asserts the extraordinary power to unilat\nerally impose tariffs of unlimited amount\, duration\, and \nscope. In light of the breadth\, hist ory\, and constitutional \ncontext of that asserted authority\, he must id entify clear\ncongressional authorization to exercise it.\nIEEPA’s grant of authority to “regulate . . . importation”\nfalls short. IEEPA cont ains no reference to tariffs or duties. \nThe Government points to no stat ute in which Congress\nused the word “regulate” to authorize taxation. And until \nnow no President has read IEEPA to confer such power.\nWe cl aim no special competence in matters of economics \nor foreign affairs. We claim only\, as we must\, the limited\nrole assigned to us by Article III of the Constitution. Ful\nfilling that role\, we hold that IEEPA does no t authorize the \nPresident to impose tariffs. \n—————— \n6See \, e.g.\, 453 U. S.\, at 660 (“We are confined to a resolution of the \n dispute presented to us”)\; ibid. (We are “acutely aware of the necess ity\nto rest decision on the narrowest possible ground capable of deciding the \ncase”)\; id.\, at 661 (“We attempt to lay down no general ‘gu idelines’ cover\ning other situations not involved here\, and attempt to confine the opinion \nonly to the very questions necessary to decision of the case”)\; ibid. (“[T]he\ndecisions of the Court in this area have been rare\, episodic\, and afford\nlittle precedential value for subsequen t cases”)\; id.\, at 688 (“[W]e re-em\nphasize the narrowness of our d ecision”). This is not quite “no\, no\, a \nthousand times no\,” bu t should have sufficed to dissuade the principal \ndissent from invoking t he case\, see post\, at 55–56\, with respect to the \nquite distinct leg al and factual issues present here. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOp inion of the Court \n21 \nThe judgment of the United States Court of Appea ls for \nthe Federal Circuit in case No. 25–250 is affirmed. The \njudg ment of the United States District Court for the Dis\ntrict of Columbia in case No. 24–1287 is vacated\, and the \ncase is remanded with instructi ons to dismiss for lack of ju\nrisdiction. \nIt is so ordered. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \n_________________ \nNos. 24–1287 and 25–250 \n____ _____________ \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n24–12 87 \nv. \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI BEFORE JUDGMENT TO THE UNITED \nSTATES COURT OF APPEAL S FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA \nCIRCUIT \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n25–250 \nv. \nV.O.S. SELECT IONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[February 20\, 2026]\n JUSTICE GORSUC H\, concurring. \nThe President claims that Congress delegated to him an\n extraordinary power in the International Emergency Eco\nnomic Powers Act ( IEEPA)—the power to impose tariffs on\npractically any products he wants \, from any countries he\nchooses\, in any amounts he selects. Applying t he major \nquestions doctrine\, the principal opinion rejects that argu\nm ent. I join in full. The Constitution lodges the Nation’s \nlawmaking p owers in Congress alone\, and the major ques\ntions doctrine safeguards th at assignment against execu\ntive encroachment. Under the doctrine’s ter ms\, the Presi\ndent must identify clear statutory authority for the \next raordinary delegated power he claims. And\, as the prin\ncipal opinion ex plains\, that is a standard he cannot meet. \n2 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC . v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nWhatever else might be said about Congress’s work in\nIEEPA\, it did not clearly surrender to the Preside nt the \nsweeping tariff power he seeks to wield. \nNot everyone sees it t his way. Past critics of the major\nquestions doctrine do not object to it s application in this\ncase\, and they even join much of today’s princip al opinion.\nBut\, they insist\, they can reach the same result by employ\ ning only routine tools of statutory interpretation. Post\, at 1 \n(KAGAN \, J.\, joined by SOTOMAYOR and JACKSON\, JJ.\, con\ncurring in part and c oncurring in judgment). Meanwhile\, \none colleague who joins the principa l opinion in full sug\ngests the major questions doctrine is nothing more than\nroutine statutory interpretation. Post\, at 1 (BARRETT\, J.\, \nconc urring). Still others who have joined major questions\ndecisions in the pa st dissent from today’s application of the \ndoctrine. Post\, at 1 (KAVA NAUGH\, J.\, joined by THOMAS and \nALITO\, JJ.\, dissenting). Finally\, seeking to sidestep the ma\njor questions doctrine altogether\, one collea gue submits \nthat Congress may hand over to the President most of its \np owers\, including the tariff power\, without limit. Post\, at \n1–2 (TH OMAS\, J.\, dissenting). It is an interesting turn of \nevents. Each camp warrants a visit. \nI \nStart with the critics. In the past\, they have cr iticized\nthe major questions doctrine for two main reasons. The doc\ntrin e\, they have suggested\, is a novelty without basis in \nlaw. West Virgin ia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 779 (2022)\n(KAGAN\, J.\, joined by\, inter al ios\, SOTOMAYOR\, J.\, dissent\ning) (calling the doctrine a “special ca no[n]” that has “mag\nically appear[ed]”). And\, they have argued\, the doctrine is \nrooted in an “anti-administrative-state stance” tha t pre\nvents Congress from employing executive agency officials to \n“d[ o] important work.” Id.\, at 780. Today\, the critics pro\nceed differe ntly. They join a section of the principal opinion \nthat applies the majo r questions doctrine. Ante\, at 14–20. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n3 \nAnd rather than critique the doctrine\, they say only that it \nis “unnecessary” in this case “because ordi nary principles of \nstatutory interpretation lead to the same result.” Post\, at \n2–3 (opinion of KAGAN\, J.). \nA \nUnpack that last claim fi rst. My concurring colleagues \ncontend that\, as a matter of “straight -up statutory construc\ntion\,” IEEPA does not grant the President the p ower to im\npose tariffs. Post\, at 7. In doing so\, they make thoughtful \npoints about the statute’s text and context. But their ap\nproach to day is difficult to square with how they have in\nterpreted other statutes . Dissenting in past major ques\ntions cases\, they have argued that broa d statutory language \ngranting powers to executive officials should be re ad for all\nit is worth. Yet\, now\, when it comes to IEEPA’s similarly\ nbroad language granting powers to the President\, they take\na more const rained approach. \nConsider some examples of how they have proceeded in \n the past. Dissenting in National Federation of Independent \nBusiness v. O SHA\, 595 U. S. 109 (2022) (per curiam)\n(NFIB)\, two of my concurring col leagues confronted a stat\nute charging the Occupational Safety and Health Admin\nistration with promoting “safe and healthful working con\ndition s.” \nId.\, at 127\, 132 (joint opinion of Breyer\,\nSOTOMAYOR\, and KAG AN\, JJ.) (internal quotation marks\nomitted). They read that language as authorizing the\nagency to impose a vaccine mandate on 84 million Ameri\nc ans. Id.\, at 132\; id.\, at 120 (per curiam). In support of\ntheir readin g\, my colleagues stressed the statute’s “expan\nsive language\,” an other provision authorizing the agency to \nissue temporary “emergency s tandards\,” and “the scope of \nthe crisis” the agency was trying to address. Id.\, at 132\, 135 \n(joint dissent) (internal quotation marks omitted). \n Dissenting in Alabama Assn. of Realtors v. Department of \nHe alth and Human Servs.\, 594 U. S. 758 (2021) \n4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, IN C. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n(per curiam)\, my colleagues add ressed a statute permitting\nthe Centers for Disease Control and Preventio n to issue reg\nulations “necessary to prevent the . . . transmission . . . of \ncommunicable diseases.” Id.\, at 768 (opinion of Breyer\, J.\, \njoined by SOTOMAYOR and KAGAN\, JJ.) (internal quotation\nmarks omitted ). As they saw it\, those terms granted the\nagency the power to regulate landlord-tenant relations na\ntionwide during COVID–19. Ibid. In reachi ng this conclu\nsion\, my colleagues again highlighted the statute’s “ broad”\nlanguage and suggested that it permitted the agency to im\npose even “greater restrictions” than the ones at issue in the \ncase. Id.\ , at 769. \n Dissenting in West Virginia\, my colleagues faced a stat\nute allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to en\nsure power plants emp loy the “best system of emission re\nduction.” 597 U. S.\, at 758 (opi nion of KAGAN\, J.) (internal \nquotation marks omitted). They read that provision as au\nthorizing the agency to effectively close many power plan ts \nand transform the electricity industry from coast to coast.\nSee id.\ , at 754–755. In support\, they once more argued that\nthe statutory la nguage was “broad” and “expansive\,” with\n“no ifs\, ands\, or buts.” Id.\, at 756–758. They stressed\, too\, \nthat the relevant st atutory terms appeared in “major legis\nlation” intended to address “big problems\,” and that the \nstatute authorized actions in the ag ency’s “traditional lane”\nor “wheelhouse.” Id.\, at 756–757\, 765. \nFinally\, dissenting in Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477 \n(2023) \, my colleagues took up a statute permitting the Sec\nretary of Education to “waive or modify any statutory or \nregulatory provision applying to [a federal] student-loan \nprogram” during a national emergency. Id.\, at 533 (opinion\nof KAGAN\, J.\, joined by SOTOMAYOR and JACKSON\, JJ.) ( in\nternal quotation marks omitted). They said that language\nallowed the Secretary to cancel $430 billion in federal stu\ndent-loan debt because of COVID–19. See ibid.\; id.\, at 501 \n(majority opinion). Once again\, t hey argued that the \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, con curring \n5 \nstatutory terms were “broad\,” “expansive\,” “ca pacious\,” and\ndesigned to afford the Secretary a “poten[t]” power to re\nspond to “national emergencies” that were “major in scope.” \nId.\, at 533–542 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). \nNow compare all that to how my colleagues proceed here.\nThis case\, they say\, is “nearly the opposite.” Post\, at 3. \nWhile straight-up statutory interpretation gr anted execu\ntive officials all the power they sought in all those other \ ncases\, my colleagues insist this one is different because \nIEEPA simply does not “give the President the power he\nwants.” Ibid. \nThat’s a striking turn given the statutory terms before \nus. When the President d eclares a national emergency “to\ndeal with any unusual and extraordinar y threat . . . to the \nnational security\, foreign policy\, or economy of the United\nStates\,” 50 U. S. C. §1701(a)\, IEEPA permits him to “r egu\nlate . . . importation . . . of . . . any property in which any \nfor eign country or a national thereof has any interest\,” \n§1702(a)(1)(B) . \nSurely\, the authority granted here is \n“broad” and “expansiv e.” See West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at \n758–759 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissen ting). It has “no ifs\, ands\, or \nbuts” either. Id.\, at 756. As a matter of ordinary meaning\,\nthe term “regulate” means to “fix\, es tablish or control\,” “ad\njust by rule\, method\, or established mo de\,” “direct by rule\nor restriction\,” or “subject to governing principles or laws.” \nBlack’s Law Dictionary 1156 (5th ed. 1979)\; se e also post\, at \n4. And tariffs do just that—they fix rules that cont rol\, ad\njust\, or govern imports of “property in which any foreign \nc ountry or a national thereof has any interest.” \n§1702(a)(1)(B).\nWith out question IEEPA is also “major legislation” de\nsigned to address “big problems” and “crises\,” West Vir\nginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 754\, 756–758 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting)\n(internal quotation marks omitt ed)\, along with “emergen\ncies” that are “major in scope\,” Nebra ska\, 600 U. S.\, at 542 \n(KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). By its terms\, the s tatute applies \n6 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, c oncurring \nonly during declared national emergencies involving\n“threat [s]” to the “national security\, foreign policy\, or econ\nomy of the United States.” §1701(a). And it tasks the Pres\nident personally with responding to those emergencies\, a \nresponsibility surely more in his “lane” or “wheelhouse” \nthan that of any other executive officia l. See West Virginia\, \n597 U. S.\, at 765 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). No tably\, too\,\nIEEPA grants the President the power to impose even\n“gre ater restrictions” than tariffs\, Alabama Assn. of Real\ntors\, 594 U. S .\, at 769 (Breyer\, J.\, dissenting)\, because the \nstatute also permits him to “nullify\,” “prevent\,” and “void” \nimports\, §1702( a)(1)(B)\; see also Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 539 \n(KAGAN\, J.\, dissenti ng). \nWhy do my concurring colleagues read IEEPA so much\nmore narrowly t han they have other broad statutory terms\nfound in other major legislatio n addressing other emergen\ncies? They say contextual clues justify a narr owing con\nstruction here. See post\, at 3–7. But what the concurrence \ ncalls “context” looks remarkably like the major questions\ndoctrine ’s rule that\, when executive branch officials claim \nCongress has gran ted them an extraordinary power\, they\nmust identify clear statutory auth ority for it. See ante\, at \n13 (reciting the rule).\nTake some examples . The concurrence points to the “un\nparalleled authority” the Presid ent asserts “to impose a tar\niff of any amount\, for any time\, on only his own say-so.” \nPost\, at 6. In other words\, the President claims a n \n“[e]xtraordinary” power. West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 723 \n(maj ority opinion). The concurrence observes that no “Pres\nident until now understood IEEPA to authorize imposing\ntariffs.” Post\, at 6. In other words\, the power is an “unher\nalded” one. West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\ , at 722 (internal quo\ntation marks omitted). Along the way\, the concurr ence also \nadds “a modicum of common sense about how Congress typ\nical ly delegates” and “consideration of whether Congress \never has before \, or likely would\, delegate the power the \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (20 26) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n7 \nExecutive asserts.” Post\, at 2 (i nternal quotation marks \nomitted). In other words\, the statutory text mu st be read\nin light of “separation of powers principles.” West Virgi nia\, \n597 U. S.\, at 723. \nHaving borrowed all those concepts from the major ques\ntions doctrine\, the concurrence then turns to the key statu\n tory terms before us—“regulate . . . importation”—and ob\nserves t hat they “sa[y] nothing” (at least not expressly)\n“about imposing t ariffs.” Post\, at 3. And why is that fatal \nto the President’s case ? Because the President is attempt\ning to exercise the “‘core congre ssional power’” over taxes \nand tariffs\, a power Article I of the Co nstitution vests in\nCongress alone. Post\, at 5 (quoting ante\, at 8)\; s ee also West \nVirginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 737 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring) ( ex\nplaining that the major questions doctrine “protect[s] the \nConstit ution’s separation of powers\,” and particularly Arti\ncle I\, which v ests “all federal legislative . . . [p]owers in . . . \nCongress” (int ernal quotation marks and alteration omit\nted)).\nIf my colleagues all bu t apply the major questions doc\ntrine today\, maybe they are simply recog nizing what they\nhave in other separation of powers cases involving the d el\negation of legislative power: that “[t]he guidance needed is\ngrea ter” when the executive branch seeks to take “action[s]\n[that] will a ffect the entire national economy.” FCC v. Con\nsumers’ Research\, 60 6 U. S. 656\, 673 (2025) (opinion for the \nCourt by KAGAN\, J.) (internal quotation marks omitted). Or \nmaybe my colleagues believe the power the President as\nserts here outstrips even those powers executive officials\n asserted in our past major questions cases. But whatever \nthe case\, my c oncurring colleagues’ course today suggests\nthat skeptics owe the major questions doctrine a second \nlook. \nAll of which leads me to take up th e challenges they have\nposed to it in the past. Is the doctrine really so me “special \ncano[n]” that has only recently “magically appear[ed ]”? \n8 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nWest Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 779 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). \nAnd is it really grounded in an “anti-administrative-state \nstance” that pre vents Congress from using executive \nbranch officials to perform “impor tant work”? Id.\, at 780. \nB \nThe major questions doctrine teaches th at\, to sustain a\nclaim that Congress has granted them an extraordinary\n power\, executive officials must identify clear authority for\nthat power. Far from a novelty\, much the same principle\nhas long applied to those w ho claim extraordinary dele\ngated authority\, whether in private or publi c law. \n1 \nExamples stretch across many fields. Consider first the \nco mmon law of corporations. In early modern England\, cor\nporations could be formed only with “an explicit\, ex ante\nand direct authorization.” R. Harris\, Industrializing Eng\nlish Law: Entrepreneurship and Business Organization\,\n1720–1844\, p. 17 (2000). That authorization could be gi ven \nby the Crown\, an Act of Parliament\, or a combination of the \ntwo. Ibid.\; see also id.\, at 19. Some of these corporations \nexercised regu latory functions not unlike those performed\nby modern administrative agen cies. M. Bilder\, The Corpo\nrate Origins of Judicial Review\, 116 Yale L . J. 502\, 516\n517\, 519–520 (2006). Indeed\, the “[i]nitial settleme nts in\nVirginia and Massachusetts Bay\, among others\, were struc\ntured as corporations.” Id.\, at 535. \nEnglish law treated these corporation s as having author\nity to issue bylaws. But that authority was subject to re\nstrictions\, one of which was that corporations could not reg\nulate on major subjects without express authorization. \nTake Kirk v. Nowill\, 1 T. R. 118\, 99 Eng. Rep. 1006 (K. B. \n1786). That case involved the Comp any of Cutlers\, a corpo\nration for makers of knives and other cutlery. See id.\, at \n118–119\, 99 Eng. Rep.\, at 1006. An Act of Parliament g ave \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n9 \nth e company broad authority to regulate its members. Id.\, \nat 118–121\, 99 Eng. Rep.\, at 1006–1007. The company used\nthat authority to adopt a bylaw allowing its officials to enter \nits members’ “workshops and w arehouses” and search for \n“deceitful and unworkmanly” cutlery. Id .\, at 121–122\, 99 \nEng. Rep.\, at 1007. After the company seized sup posedly\nunworkmanly forks\, the aggrieved owner challenged the \ncompan y’s actions in court\, arguing that the bylaw under \nwhich it acted w as “bad in point of law” because the power \nto incur a forfeiture was not “expressly given to [the com\npany] by Act of Parliament.” Id.\, at 118\, 122–123\, 99 Eng. \nRep.\, at 1008. Applying a clear-statemen t rule\, the King’s \nBench declared the bylaw\, and therefore the seizu re\, un\nlawful. Lord Mansfield explained that the “power of mak\ning by e-laws to incur a forfeiture” was an “extraordinary\npower” over and above the default powers of corporations\n“created by charter.” Id.\, at 124\, 99 Eng. Rep.\, at 1009. For \nthis reason\, the power needed to be “expressly given” by the\ncompany’s progenitor\, Parliament. Ibi d. Since no such \npower had been clearly conferred\, the seizure was unla wful. \nSee ibid. \nThe same principle applied in American law. In In re \nElection of Directors of Long Island R. Co.\, 19 Wend. 37\, 40 \n(N. Y. Sup. Ct. 1837)\, a New York court addressed a case\ninvolving 2\,700 share s of stock in the Long Island Railroad \nCompany that the company had decl ared forfeited. Ibid. \nAll agreed that the company had broad power to re gulate \nits shares. See id.\, at 41–42. Still\, the court called the f or\nfeiture an “extraordinary penalty\,” and held that no such \npower had been “expressly conferred” on the corporation by\nits charter. Ib id. In fact\, the court borrowed the clear\nstatement rule from Nowill: I f “extraordinary authority . . . \nis intended to be given\, it must be by express words to that \neffect.” Id.\, at 43 (describing Nowill in de tail).\nThe court in Ex parte Burnett\, 30 Ala. 461 (1857)\, pro\nceeded s imilarly. That case involved the incorporated town \n10 \nLEARNING RESOURC ES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nof Cahaba\, Alabama. See id.\, at 464. The town set the price\nof a liquor license at $1\,000\, fin ed James Burnett for failing \nto obtain one\, and eventually imprisoned h im for not paying \nthe fine. See ibid. Burnett sought a writ of habeas c orpus\nand argued that Cahaba had acted beyond the scope of its\ncorporate authority. Ibid. \nWithout a clear-statement rule\, Burnett’s argument \nwould have stood little chance. That’s because the town’s \ncharter granted it the authority “to make and establish all \nsuch rules\, by-la ws\, and ordinances\, respecting the streets\, \nmarkets\, buildings\, . . . and police of said town\, that shall\nappear to them requisite and nece ssary for the security\,\nwelfare\, and convenience of said town\, or for preserving\nhealth\, peace\, order\, and good government within the \nsame .” Id.\, at 467 (internal quotation marks omitted). The \ncharter even s pecifically gave the town the “privileg[e] of \ngranting licenses for re tailing of spirituous and other liq\nuors.” Ibid. (internal quotation ma rks omitted). Semanti\ncally\, the town’s power was broad indeed and en compassed\nliquor licensing. But the court sided with Burnett anyway. \nRe asoning that the town’s exorbitant licensing fee effec\ntively banned th e sale of liquor\, the court held that Cahaba \ndid not enjoy such extraor dinary “prohibitory” power be\ncause it was “not authorized by any e xpress grant of power” \nin the town’s charter. Id.\, at 469\; see als o id.\, at 466. \nThese cases are not outliers. Treatises confirm that th e \nextraordinary power principle was fundamental to munici\npal corporati ons. A statute could “not by implication invest\n[a] body with any extr aordinary authority.” J. Willcock\, \nThe Law of Municipal Corporation s ¶226\, p. 99 (1827). Ex\ntraordinary powers required “express words to that effect.” \nIbid. And “[a]ny fair\, reasonable doubt concernin g the ex\nistence of power [was] resolved by the courts against the \ncorp oration\, and the power [was] denied.” 1 J. Dillon\, Com\nmentaries on t he Law of Municipal Corporations 145 (4th \ned. 1890). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n11 \nThe takeaway is simple e nough. Early corporations often\nfunctioned much like today’s executive branch\, exercising\ndelegated regulatory authority. And\, when interpret ing the \nscope of that authority\, the common law had a clear-state\nment rule that looked strikingly like the major questions\ndoctrine. \nHistori cally\, a similar precept applied in agency law. As \nthe leading early A merican treatise put it\, instruments con\nferring powers of attorney were “ordinarily subjected to a\nstrict interpretation.” J. Story\, Comme ntaries on the Law \nof Agency 80–81 (2d ed. 1844). So\, for example\, in Attwood \nv. Munnings\, 7 Barn. &\; Cress. 278\, 108 Eng. Rep. 727 ( K.\nB. 1827)\, a principal had delegated broad power to an agent \nto act “generally for him and in his name\,” including in all \nthings “as should be requisite\, expedient\, and advisable to\nbe done in . . . his a ffairs and concerns\, and as he might or \ncould do if personally acting t herein.” Id.\, at 279–280\, 108 \nEng. Rep.\, at 728 (internal quotat ion marks omitted). The \nagent then accepted certain debts on behalf of the principal. \nId.\, at 280\, 108 Eng. Rep.\, at 728. The question for the court \nwas whether this action was within the scope of the agent’s \nauthority. Id.\, at 281\, 108 Eng. Rep.\, at 728. The court said \nno. Powers of attorney are “instruments to be construed\nstrictly.” Id.\, at 283\, 108 Eng. Rep.\, at 729. And the power\nof attorney contained “no express power” to accept debts\, so \nno such power had been given . Ibid. \nOther examples abound. A power to sell casks of whiskey \ndid n ot include the “unusual and extraordinary” power to\noffer a warranty against future seizures of the casks\, unless \ngranted by “express auth ority.” Palmer v. Hatch\, 46 Mo. \n585\, 587 (1870). Under a power of a ttorney\, authority to \nenter contracts for a principal was subject to “strict inter\npretation” and generally did not authorize “contracts of an\nextraordinary character” outside those “connected with [the \n principal’s] ordinary business.” Reynolds v. Rowley\, 4 La. \nAnn. 396 \, 398–399 (1849). And a power to manage a mine \n12 \nLEARNING RESOURC ES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \ndid not authorize an agen t to borrow money for the mine’s\noperations on the principal’s credit because there was no\n“express authority” for such a departure from the “usual \nmanner” of running a mine. Hawtayne v. Bourne\, 7 M. &a mp\; \nW. 595\, 599\, 151 Eng. Rep. 905\, 906 (Ex. 1841). This was \ntrue even “in cases of necessity\,” id.\, at 599\, 151 Eng. Rep.\, \nat 90 7\, where the manager borrowed funds to address an \n“emergency suddenly arising\,” id.\, at 600\, 151 Eng. Rep.\, at \n907. \nMuch the same pri nciple applied to executive officials.\nOften\, “[t]he legality of an ex ecutive action depended on the \nrelationship between the size of the asse rted power and the \nclarity of the underlying legal authority.” T. Arv ind &\; C. \nBurset\, Partisan Legal Traditions in the Age of Camden \n and Mansfield\, 44 Oxford J. Legal Studies 376\, 388 (2024). \nEntick v. C arrington\, 19 How. St. Tr. 1029 (C. P. 1765)\, of\nfers an illustration. There\, as part of an investigation for \nseditious libel\, the English S ecretary of State claimed au\nthority to issue a warrant for the seizure o f an author’s pa\npers. Lord Camden declared the seizure unlawful\, reas on\ning that power asserted by the executive “ought to be as\nclear as i t is extensive.” T. Arvind &\; C. Burset\, A New Re\nport of Entick v. Carrington (1765)\, 110 Ky. L. J. 265\, 324 \n(2022) (Arvind &\; Bur set). Or\, as another reporter described \nCamden’s decision\, “one s hould naturally expect that the \nlaw to warrant [the exercise of power] s hould be clear in \nproportion as the power is exorbitant.” 19 How. St. Tr.\, at \n1065–1066. The seizure represented an extraordinary ex\nercis e of power\, Lord Camden found\, and no legal authority \nclearly authoriz ed it. See Arvind &\; Burset 324. Accord\ningly\, the warrant was unlaw ful and the seizure could not \nstand. Id.\, at 332. \n2 \nPerhaps unsurpr isingly given this history\, American\ncourts applied the extraordinary po wer principle when \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, conc urring \n13 \nCongress and the States started delegating new regulatory\np owers to executive agencies in the late 19th century. Take \nrailroad com missions. After the Civil War\, governments\nworried about the increasing power of railroad companies\nresponded by creating new agencies and imbuin g them with \nbroad regulatory authority. These bodies were among the\nfi rst modern administrative agencies. See West Virginia\, \n597 U. S.\, at 7 40 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). And when they \nclaimed some extraordinar y delegated power\, both state \nand federal courts enforced a clear-state ment rule. See\, \ne.g.\, Siler v. Louisville &\; Nashville R. Co.\, 21 3 U. S. 175\, \n193–194 (1909) (declaring\, in the course of interpretin g a \nstate statute\, that an “enormous power” “must be conferred \n in plain language” “free from doubt”)\; Board of R. Comm’rs \nof O re. v. Oregon R. &\; Navigation Co.\, 17 Ore. 65\, 77\, 19 P. \n702\, 7 07–708 (1888) (When an agency exercises “powers\ndelegated to [it] by the legislature” to carry out “important \nfunctions\,” the text m ust “define and specify the authority \ngiven it so clearly that no doub t can reasonably arise”)\; ICC \nv. Cincinnati\, N. O. &\; T. P. R. C o.\, 167 U. S. 479\, 505 (1897)\n(holding a delegation of legislative powe r of “supreme deli\ncacy and importance” must be “clear and direct ”)\; Gulf &\; \nShip Island R. Co. v. Railroad Comm’n\, 94 Miss. 12 4\, 134– \n135\, 49 So. 118 (1908) (“It is universally held that a rai lroad \ncommission . . . must be able to point to its grant of power \n. . . in clear and express terms\, and nothing will be had by \ninference”) .\nThe railroad commissions may have been the first\, but \nthey were not the last. Whether executive officials claimed \nthe power to criminally pu nish noncompliance with regula\ntions\, force employers to retain employee s regardless of \ntheir unlawful conduct\, or regulate intrastate candy sa les\,\nthis Court held them to much the same standard. Because \ntheir cl aimed powers were so substantial\, executive officials \nhad to identify a “distinc[t]” authority for them\, United \nStates v. Eaton\, 144 U. S . 677\, 688 (1892)\, a “clear \n14 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nlegislative basis\,” United States v. Geor ge\, 228 U. S. 14\, 22 \n(1913)\, a “definite and unmistakable expressio n\,” NLRB v. \nFansteel Metallurgical Corp.\, 306 U. S. 240\, 255 (1939) \, or \na “clea[r] mandate\,” FTC v. Bunte Brothers\, Inc.\, 312 U. S. \n349\, 351\, 355 (1941). Cf. Industrial Union Dept.\, AFL–CIO \nv. Ame rican Petroleum Institute\, 448 U. S. 607\, 645 (1980) \n(plurality opinio n) (“In the absence of a clear mandate . . . \nit is unreasonable to ass ume that Congress intended to give \nthe Secretary [of Labor] the unpreced ented power over\nAmerican industry” he claimed). \nIt is no mystery why the Court proceeded this way when\ninterpreting legislative directions to the executive branch.\nArticle I of the Constitution vests all federal le gislative\npower in Congress\, and Article II charges the executive\nbranc h with seeing that Congress’s laws are faithfully exe\ncuted. In a very real sense\, then\, when it comes to legisla\ntive power\, Congress is the principal and executive officials \nare the agents. See generally G. Law son &\; G. Seidman\, “A \nGreat Power of Attorney”: Understanding t he Fiduciary \nConstitution (2017).\nSo what is the basis for the charge t hat the major ques\ntions doctrine represents some “magica[l]” innovat ion? See \nWest Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 779 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). \nPart of the answer may have to do with the fact that\, in the\nlatter ha lf of the 20th century\, this Court began experi\nmenting with a very diff erent approach. The Court pushed \naside its long-held skepticism of clai ms to extraordinary \ndelegated powers and began affirmatively encouraging \nthem. Chevron deference is just one example of this phe\nnomenon\, tho ugh a stark one. See Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. \nNatural Resources Defense Council\, Inc.\, 467 U. S. 837 \n(1984). That case established a presumpti on that was \nnearly the opposite of the major questions doctrine: When \ nCongress failed to speak clearly\, courts put a thumb on the\nscale in fa vor of delegated power. Id.\, at 843–844. Given \nthat development\, th e longstanding principles animating \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGO RSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n15 \nthe major questions doctrine may have reced ed from view\nfor a time. After all\, the two doctrines often applied in t he \nsame places and counseled opposite results. But with Chev\nron gone\, so is the conflict. This Court’s application of the \nmajor questions doctrine is not invention so much as return\nto form. \nC \nNow turn to my concurring colleagues’ other charge: that \nthe major questions doctrin e is premised on an “anti-admin\nistrative-state stance.” West Virgin ia\, 597 U. S.\, at 780 \n(KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). It is important\, th ey argue\, to al\nlow Congress to delegate expansive powers. Members of \n Congress unfortunately “often don’t know enough—and\nknow they don ’t know enough—to regulate sensibly on an \nissue.” Id.\, at 781. No r can Congress easily “anticipate\nchanging circumstances.” Ibid. For these reasons\, Mem\nbers of Congress must rely on more adept and less con \nstrained “people . . . found in agencies.” Ibid. Indeed\, my\ncoll eagues say\, “administrative delegations . . . have helped\nto build a m odern Nation.” Id.\, at 782. And the major ques\ntions doctrine\, they w orry\, could jeopardize all that “aston\nish[ing] . . . progress.” Ib id. \nThis policy complaint\, of course\, is no reason to disregard \nour precedents or longstanding legal principles. But\, even \ntaken on its ow n terms\, it is a bit perplexing. The major\nquestions doctrine is not “anti-administrative state.” It is \npro-Congress. Common-law courts understood that few \nwritten instruments can anticipate every eventuality \, and \nthat principals sometimes draft broad delegation language \nto ac count for this. At the same time\, courts appreciated\nthe corresponding risk that delegees could easily exploit\nloose language in their commissio ns for their own benefit \nand to the detriment of those they purported to serve. So \ncommon-law courts often strictly construed delegated \n16 \n LEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \npowers\, not because they were anti-delegee\, but because\nthey were pro-principal. \nThe major questions doctrine performs a similar function.\nArticle I ves ts all federal legislative power in Congress. But \nlike any written inst rument\, federal legislation cannot an\nticipate every eventuality\, a poi nt my concurring colleagues \nhave observed in the past. Id.\, at 781–78 2. And highly re\nsourceful members of the executive branch have strong in \ncentives to exploit any doubt in Congress’s past work to as\nsume new power for themselves. The major questions\ndoctrine helps prevent that ki nd of exploitation. Our found\ners understood that men are not angels\, a nd we disregard \nthat insight at our peril when we allow the few (or the one)\nto aggrandize their power based on loose or uncertain au\nthority. W e delude ourselves\, too\, if we think that power \nwill accumulate safely and only in the hands of dispassion\nate “people . . . found in agencie s.” Id.\, at 781. Even if un\nelected agency officials were uniquely imm une to the desire\nfor more power (an unserious assumption)\, they report to\nelected Presidents who can claim no such modesty. See My\ners v. Unit ed States\, 272 U. S. 52 (1926). \nAnother feature of our separation of po wers makes the\nmajor questions doctrine especially salient. When a priva te\nagent oversteps\, a principal may fix that problem prospec\ntively by withdrawing the agent’s authority. Under our \nConstitution\, the remed y is not so simple. Once this Court \nreads a doubtful statute as grantin g the executive branch a\ngiven power\, that power may prove almost imposs ible for \nCongress to retrieve. Any President keen on his own au\nthority (and\, again\, what President isn’t?) will have a \nstrong incentive to veto legislation aimed at returning the \npower to Congress. Perhaps Con gress can use other tools\, \nincluding its appropriation authority\, to i nfluence how the\nPresident exercises his new power. Maybe Congress can\ns ometimes even leverage those tools to induce the President \nto withhold a veto. But retrieving a lost power is no easy \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n17 \nbusiness in our constitutional o rder. And without doctrines \nlike major questions\, our system of separa ted powers and\nchecks-and-balances threatens to give way to the continual \nand permanent accretion of power in the hands of one man.\nThat is no re cipe for a republic.\nThis case offers an example of the problem. Article I \ngrants Congress\, not the President\, the power to impose \ntariffs. S till\, the President claims\, Congress passed that\npower on to him in IEE PA\, permitting him to impose tariffs \non nearly any goods he wishes\, in any amount he wishes\, \nbased on emergencies he himself has declared. H e insists\, \nas well\, that his emergency declarations are unreviewable. \nA ruling for him here\, the President acknowledges\, would\nafford futur e Presidents the same latitude he asserts for \nhimself. See Tr. of Oral A rg. 69. So another President \nmight impose tariffs on gas-powered automo biles to re\nspond to climate change. Ibid. Or\, really\, on virtually any \nimports for any emergency any President might perceive. \nAnd all of th ese emergency declarations would be unreview\nable. Just ask yourself: Wh at President would willingly \ngive up that kind of power?\nI recognize th e concerns about the major questions doc\ntrine. But it is not so novel as some have supposed. And it \nserves Article I values we all share. My c oncurring col\nleagues all but endorse it today. I hope past skeptics wil l\ngive it another look. \nII \nTurn now to the second camp. If some have criticized the \nmajor questions doctrine\, others have responded by seek ing\nto soften its blow. Though joining today’s principal opinion \nhol ding that “clear” statutory authority is required to sus\ntain the exe rcise of an “extraordinary” power\, ante\, at 13\, \n20\, JUSTICE BARR ETT has suggested that the major ques\ntions doctrine might be reconceived . On her view\, the doc\ntrine need not be understood as a “substantive canon \n18 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurri ng \ndesigned to enforce Article I’s Vesting Clause”—a “valu[e] \n external to a statute.” Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 508\, 510 \n(concurri ng opinion). \n Instead\, the doctrine might be\nthought of as a “common sense principl[e] of communica\ntion” that counsels “skepticism” whe n executive officials \nclaim extraordinary powers derived from Congress. Id.\, at \n514\, 516\; see also post\, at 1–4 (concurring opinion). \nI t is a thoughtful effort\, but I harbor doubts. For one \nthing\, there is no need to reconceive our doctrine\; past crit\nics all but apply the doc trine today and their previous criti\ncisms fall flat. See Part I\, supra . For another\, this gloss on\nour major questions doctrine presents probl ems. Com\nmonsense principles of communication do not explain many \nof ou r major questions cases—this one included. And if \ncommon sense really does go so far as to embrace a rule \ncounseling “skepticism” of claim s by executive officials that \nCongress has granted them extraordinary po wers\, that is\ncommon sense in name only. The reason for such skepti\nci sm must be Article I\, a “substantive” source “external” to \nany statute. \nA \nIntroducing her view that “commonsense principles of \nco mmunication” can sometimes help resolve disputes over \nthe meaning of s tatutory terms\, JUSTICE BARRETT points to \nan old chestnut. Nebraska\, 6 00 U. S.\, at 512\, 514 (concur\nring opinion). Suppose a legislature used the phrase “who\never drew blood in the streets” in a criminal statut e impos\ning punishment. As a matter of “common sense\,” JUSTICE \nBAR RETT says\, it would “‘g[o] without saying’” that the law \ndoes n’t apply to a surgeon accessing a patient’s vein to save \nhis life. Ibid. That is because the phrase “drew blood” is \nsusceptible to two conventional idiomatic meanings: one \n“applicable to violent encounter s with man or beast” and \nthe other “to medical procedures\,” A. Sc alia &\; B. Garner\, \nReading Law 357 (2012) (Scalia &\; Garner). A nd any \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n19 \nordinary person faced with that phrase in a penal law would \nfind it ob vious which meaning applies. Ibid.\; see also Ne\nbraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 512 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring).\nThe difficulty is\, our major questions cases are different. \nOften\, little about them “‘goes without s aying.’” Ibid. Take \nFDA v. Brown &\; Williamson Tobacco Corp.\, 529 U. S. 120 \n(2000). There\, the question was whether the FDA could \n regulate tobacco products. Id.\, at 125. Looking only to com\nmon sense\ , the answer would have been yes. Congress au\nthorized the FDA to regula te “drugs\,” which Congress de\nfined expressly and broadly as “‘a rticles (other than food) \nintended to affect the structure or any functi on of the \nbody.’” Id.\, at 126. As a matter of common sense\, nicot ine \nqualifies as a “drug” based on this statutory definition\, as it \nmight even as a matter of everyday speech. West Virginia\, \n597 U. S.\ , at 721–722 (noting the “colorable textual basis” \nfor the executi ve branch’s interpretation in Brown &\; Wil\nliamson). Still\, we hel d the FDA could not regulate tobacco \nproducts. Brown &\; Williamson\, 529 U. S.\, at 159–160. \nOther cases follow suit. We have ruled that the term “air \npollutant” does not include greenhouse gases\, even th ough\ngreenhouse gases pollute the air. Utility Air Regulatory \nGroup v. EPA\, 573 U. S. 302\, 316\, 323–324 (2014). We have \nheld that the phr ase “‘[r]egulations . . . necessary to pre\nvent the . . . spread of c ommunicable diseases’” does not in\nclude eviction moratoriums\, even without questioning that\neviction moratoriums were necessary to prevent t he spread\nof COVID–19\, a communicable disease. Alabama Assn. of \nReal tors\, 594 U. S.\, at 761\, 764. And we have said that clos\ning coal pow er plants is not the “‘best system of emission \nreduction\,’” eve n while acknowledging that closing them \nwould reduce emissions. West Vi rginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 721\, \n732–735. \nNone of these cases can be re adily explained by “com\nmonsense principles of communication.” Nebras ka\, 600 \nU. S.\, at 514 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). None involved a \n2 0 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nphras e like “drew blood” susceptible to two conventional id\niomatic meanin gs\, one of which any English speaker faced \nwith the law at issue might quickly rule out. Quite the op\nposite\; in each case the agency had a st rong argument that\nthe statutory language\, commonsensically read\, grant ed \nthe power it claimed. Meanwhile\, all our major questions\ncases can be easily explained by reference to a rule requir\ning the executive branc h to identify clear statutory author\nity when it claims Congress has gran ted it an extraordinary \npower. And that is a “dice-loading” rule\, p lain and simple\,\none designed to protect Article I\, a “[s]ubstantive . . . valu[e]\nexternal” to the statutory terms at hand. Id.\, at 508. \nCommon sense not only fails to explain many of our major \nquestions cas es. It doesn’t explain even some of the cases \nJUSTICE BARRETT has hel d up as examples of commonsense \ncases. In Bond v. United States\, 572 U. S. 844 (2014)\, for \nexample\, the Court confronted a statute that defin ed\n“chemical weapon” to include “‘any chemical which through\nits chemical action on life processes can cause death\, tem\nporary incapacit ation or permanent harm to humans or an\nimals.’” Id.\, at 851\; see a lso Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 512– \n513 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring) (di scussing Bond). Despite\nthat broad definition\, the Court held that “an arsenic-based \ncompound” didn’t fit the bill. Bond\, 572 U. S.\, at 852\, 866. \nTo reach that result\, we did not use common sense alone. \n How could we have? It hardly goes without saying that ar\nsenic doesn’t qualify as a “chemical” which can cause “‘per\nmanent harm to hum ans or animals.’” Id.\, at 851\; see also \nid.\, at 867 (Scalia\, J. \, concurring in judgment) (calling it \n“beyond doubt” that the ordin ary meaning of the relevant \nstatutory terms embraced the chemicals at is sue). Instead\, \nwe relied on a clear-statement rule grounded in the sub \nstance of the Constitution—namely\, the federalism canon. \nId.\, at 8 60 (majority opinion) (“[W]e can insist on a clear \nindication that Con gress meant to reach purely local\ncrimes\, before interpreting the statut e’s expansive \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurr ing \n21 \nlanguage in a way that intrudes on the police power of the\nSta tes”). So Bond may well be like our major questions\ncases\, but that is only because it applied a clear-statement \nrule grounded in another subs tantive feature of the Consti\ntution. \nConsider as well the babysitter h ypothetical JUSTICE \nBARRETT has posed. Imagine a parent of young childr en \nwho hands a babysitter a credit card and says\, “‘[m]ake \nsure t he kids have fun.’” Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 513 (con\ncurring opinio n). Now suppose the babysitter takes the\nkids on a road trip to an amuse ment park\, “where they\nspend two days on rollercoasters and one night in a hotel.” \nIbid. “Was the babysitter’s trip consistent with the parent’s\ninstruction?” Ibid. JUSTICE BARRETT believes the answer \nis likely “no” as a matter of common sense. See id.\, at 513– \n514. \ nReally\, though\, unless one is to believe children do not \n“have fu n” on rollercoasters and at hotels\, the babysitter \nhypothetical can b e explained only with reference to some \n“external” and “substant ive” norm. Id.\, at 508\, 513. And\, \nin fact\, just such a norm is b aked into the babysitter hypo\nthetical—one we encountered in Part I–B \, supra. The \nbabysitter is exercising authority the parents have dele\n gated to her. She is acting as their agent. As a result\, one \nmight expe ct a clear statement from the parents before the \nbabysitter may do somet hing extraordinary\, like take the\nkids on a road trip.\nThis substantive norm about delegated powers not only\nlurks beneath the surface of the ba bysitter hypothetical\, it\n“‘loads the dice’” against her. Nebras ka\, 600 U. S.\, at 510 \n(BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). Doubtless\, she wou ld see it that \nway. The babysitter would argue that a trip to an amuse\n ment park is “fun.” And she would be right under a com\nmonsense under standing of the word. But because the \nbabysitter is exercising delegated authority\, she cannot \n22 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUC H\, J.\, concurring \nexercise such an extraordinary power without clear a uthor\nization for it. \nNotice\, too\, the same outcome is no longer guar anteed\nwhen we remove the delegated power feature. If one parent\nleaves the children with the other parent\, the trip to the \namusement park mig ht well be fine. No other contextual \nclues are needed. See id.\, at 51 6 (agreeing with this). So if \nthe answer to the babysitter hypothetical seems a matter of \ncommon sense to many Americans\, that is only because the \nsubstantive norms associated with parental delegations to \nbabysit ter agents are so deeply rooted in our society. Say \nthe same instructio n were given to a babysitter in a com\nmunity where children are raised co llectively\, like a kib\nbutz. Same answer? Hardly obvious.1 \nB \nTo be s ure\, in places JUSTICE BARRETT concedes that her \ngloss on the major que stions doctrine requires resort to \nsomething more than “common sense ” instincts about what \nwould “‘g[o] without saying’” to an ord inary English \nspeaker. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 512 (concurring opinion )\; \nsee also post\, at 2. Sometimes\, she suggests\, common sense \ndoe sn’t just help illuminate the “most natural” meaning of\nan idiomati c term like “drew blood” based on its presence in \na penal law. 600 U . S.\, at 508. Sometimes\, she says\, “com\nmonsense principles of comm unication” go much further. \nId.\, at 514. So much so that they wind up dictating a rule \n—————— \n1Today\, JUSTICE BARRETT protests that the foregoing discussion “takes \ndown a straw man.” Post\, at 1 (concurring opinion). But it was JUSTICE \nBARRETT who previously wrote that the major questions doctrine “grows \nout of . . . commonsense pri nciples of communication.” Biden v. Ne\nbraska\, 600 U. S. 477\, 514 (2 023) (same). And it was JUSTICE BARRETT \nwho used the various illustrati ons recounted above to suggest that our \nmajor questions decisions can be explained by reference to the kind of \n“common sense . . . that ‘goe s without saying.’ ” Id.\, at 512. If JUSTICE \nBARRETT now means to put all that to the flame\, the major questions doc\ntrine is better for i t. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n23 \nco unseling “skepticism” of executive claims to extraordi\nnary delegated powers. Id.\, at 516. Why? Because\, \nJUSTICE BARRETT says\, a “reas onable observer” consults\n“our constitutional structure.” Id.\, at 515\, 520. But if that’s \ntrue\, this version of common sense does re quire us to ac\ncount for “values” entirely “external to a statute \,” including \nspecifically the “substan[ce]” of Article I. Id.\, at 508. And \nin so doing\, this expanded version of common sense just be\ ncomes the substantive major questions doctrine by another \nname. \nToday ’s decision illustrates the point. The principal opin\nion gestures a t “common sense.” Ante\, at 8. But through\nout\, this “common sen se” is linked to “‘constitutional struc\nture’” and “‘separa tion of powers principles.’” Ibid. The \nprincipal opinion begins wi th the Constitution\, observing\nthat Article I vests the tariff power in Congress\, not the ex\necutive branch. Ante\, at 5–6. The principal opin ion re\ncounts the President’s claim that Congress has “delegated” \nan “extraordinary” amount of its tariff power to him in\nIEEPA. Ant e\, at 8–9. And from there\, the principal opinion\nproceeds to apply a clear-statement rule. It acknowledges \nthat the ordinary meaning of the key statutory term in\nIEEPA—the word “regulate”—is capacious\, so much so that \nit could be understood to “captur[e] much of what a gove rn\nment does.” Ante\, at 14. Still\, the principal opinion rea\nsons\, that is not enough to sustain the President’s claim be\ncause the statut e does not “clear[ly]” grant him the \n“extraordinary” delegated p ower he seeks. Ante\, at 13\, 20. \nWhen it comes down to it\, common sens e serves as little \nmore than a segue to Article I’s Vesting Clause.\nT hat is as it must be. The statutory terms contain no\nambiguity we could u se (or need) “commonsense principles \nof communication” to resolve. N ebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 514 \n(BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). This case is n othing like the \n“‘drew blood’” illustration\, where it might “‘g[o] without \nsaying’” that any ordinary person would immediat ely \n24 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nunderstand which of two idiomatic meanings a penal stat\nute employed. I d.\, at 512. Indeed\, today’s principal opinion\ndoes not even “attemp t to set forth the metes and bounds” \nof IEEPA’s key phrase “‘reg ulate . . . importation\,’” ante\, at \n16\, much less find the “b est” or “most natural” meaning of \nthose words\, Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 508\, 521 (BARRETT\, J.\, \nconcurring)\; post\, at 1. Instead\, w e need go no further than\nto recognize that IEEPA fails to “clear[ly] ” authorize tariffs. \nAnte\, at 13\, 20. And the only reason we can sto p there is \nbecause Article I—a “[s]ubstantive . . . valu[e] external to a\nstatute\,” 600 U. S.\, at 508 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring)—im\np oses a clear-statement rule when executive officials claim\nCongress has a fforded them an extraordinary authority.\nThere’s another problem too. T he equivocation on \nwhether “commonsense principles of communication” in\nclude only those things that might “go without saying\,” or\nalso include “external” and “substantive” Article I “values\,” \nl eads to a further equivocation on how much “skepticism”\ncommon sense might dictate when assessing an executive\nofficial’s claim to an extrao rdinary delegated power. Com\nmon sense\, we are told\, does not impose a “‘clarity tax\,’” but \nit does add an “expectation of clarit y.” Id.\, at 508\, 514. \nCommon sense does not “‘loa[d] the dic e\,’” but it does coun\nsel “skepticism.” Id.\, at 510–511\, 516 . Common sense \nmeans never “forgo[ing] the most natural reading of a s tat\nute\,” post\, at 3\, but it always means “expect[ing that] Con\ng ress [will] make the big-time policy calls\,” post\, at 2 (inter\nnal qu otation marks omitted). I am uncertain what to make \nof this\, except th at it seems to toggle between a clear-state\nment rule and nothing at all. 2 \n—————— \n2To the extent JUSTICE BARRETT suggests any ske pticism “com\nmonsense principles of communication” might (or might no t) advise de\nrives from a “ ‘practical understanding of legislative i ntent\,’ ” rather than\n“external” and “substantive” Artic le I “values\,” that poses still further \n(and familiar) problems. N ebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 508\, 515 (concurring \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n25 \nI am certain of one thing: Our c ases hold a clear state\nment is required to support a claim to an extraor dinary del\negated power. We required Congress to “speak clearly” in \ nUtility Air\, 573 U. S.\, at 324. We demanded “clear congres\nsional a uthorization” in NFIB\, 595 U. S.\, at 118. We did the \nsame in Nebras ka\, 600 U. S.\, at 506\, and in West Virginia\, \n597 U. S.\, at 732\, an d we do so again today\, ante\, at 13. Nor \ndo I see cause for being quit e so reluctant about acknowl\nedging this. The common law recognized many clear-state\nment rules. See\, e.g.\, Part I–B\, supra. Our own cases h ave \napplied a host of Constitution-enforcing clear-statement\nrules as w ell. We just encountered the federalism clear\nstatement rule in Bond. Add to the list clear-statement \nrules against laws that might apply retroac tively\, waive or\nabrogate sovereign immunity\, or create enforceable rig hts\nunder the Taxing Clause—to name just a few. See\, e.g.\, \nLandgra f v. USI Film Products\, 511 U. S. 244\, 265–268 \n(1994)\; Financial Ov ersight and Management Bd. for P. R. \nv. Centro De Periodismo Investigati vo\, Inc.\, 598 U. S. 339\, \n346–347 (2023)\; Medina v. Planned Parenth ood South At\nlantic\, 606 U. S. 357\, 383–384\, n. 8 (2025). Maybe all these \nrules could be recast as “common sense”—at least if com\nmo n sense means taking account of the “external” and \n————— — \nopinion) (quoting West Virginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 723 (2022)) . Down \nthat road lies all the pitfalls associated with reliance on legi slative his\ntory and those associated with conflating unenacted legislati ve intent \nwith the law. Scalia &\; Garner 397\; post\, p. 1 (JACKSON\ , J.\, concurring in \npart and concurring in judgment). Similar problems attend the notion \nthat the appropriate degree of skepticism due a deleg ation might turn on \nwhat people “expect.” Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 514\, 520 (BARRETT\, J.\, con\ncurring)\; see also post\, at 2 (same). JU STICE BARRETT has offered no evi\ndence about what people “expect” whe n confronted with different con\ngressional delegations. \nAnd to the exte nt she believes their \n“expectations” would reflect an appropriate co nsideration of the whole \n“‘corpus juris\,’ including the Constit ution\,” post\, at 2\, n. 1\, that just cir\ncles us right back to the “external” and “substantive” Article I “values” \nshe strives so hard to sideline\, see Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 508 (BARRETT\, \nJ.\, concurring). \n26 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, c oncurring \n“substantive” “values” found in “our constitutional struc\nture.” Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 508\, 515 (BARRETT\, J.\, con\nc urring). But whatever the label\, it hardly requires some \n“judicial fl ex\,” post\, at 4\, to recognize that the “external” \nconstitutio nal “values” at stake in our major questions \ncases are no less weigh ty than those at play in other set\ntings where we routinely apply a clear -statement rule.3 \nIII \nThat brings us to the third camp. My dissenting col\nleagues have defended the major questions doctrine in the \npast\, a nd they do so again today. Post\, at 31–33 (opinion of \nKAVANAUGH\, J.) . They agree that the doctrine is grounded\nin the Constitution. Post\, at 32. They agree that the doc\ntrine requires us to deviate from “‘ro utine’” statutory inter\npretation principles and instead place a “t humb on the\nscale\,” one requiring executive officials to identify “‘clear’” \ncongressional authorization when they seek to exercise \nsome “major” power. Post\, at 33. But\, my colleagues say\,\nIEEPA provides the clear statement needed to sustain the\nPresident’s tariffs. Post\, at 38–45. Alternatively\, they sub\nmit\, we shouldn’t apply the major questions doctrine to any\nstatute\, like IEEPA\, that implicate s “foreign affairs.” Post\, \nat 45–49. And this exception\, they ad d\, is particularly war\nranted here because Congress has historically gra nted the \n—————— \n3Notably\, past critics of the major quest ions doctrine have not hesi\ntated to apply many of these clear-statement rules. See Financial Over\nsight and Management Bd. for P. R. v. Centro D e Periodismo Investiga\ntivo\, Inc.\, 598 U. S. 339\, 346–347 (2023) (op inion for the Court by KAGAN\, \nJ.)\; Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimond o\, 603 U. S. 369\, 455–456\, n. 1 \n(2024) (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting) (c ollecting examples)\; West Virginia\, 597 \nU. S.\, at 751\, n. 7 (GORSUCH \, J.\, concurring) (same). Nor have they hesi\ntated to adopt and apply other clear-statement rules with far less \ngrounding in the Constitution than the major questions doctrine. See\, \ne.g.\, Bowe v. United States\, 607 U. S. ___\, ___–___ (2026) (slip op.\, at 9– \n10)\; id.\, at __ _–___ (GORSUCH\, J.\, dissenting) (slip op.\, at 12–15)\; Boechler \nv . Commissioner\, 596 U. S. 199\, 208 (2022). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2 026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n27 \nPresident large discretion in sett ing tariffs. Post\, at 49–53. \nOnce again\, the points are thoughtful a nd merit careful con\nsideration. \nA \nMy dissenting colleagues begin by taking the major ques\ntions doctrine as they find it. They accept that t he Presi\ndent’s challenged actions are “of major economic and politi\ ncal significance.” Post\, at 33. They accept as well that he\nmust iden tify “clear” congressional authorization to sustain \nthose actions. I bid. Still\, the dissent maintains\, IEEPA \nclearly grants the President the tariff power he asserts. \nTo arrive at that conclusion\, the dissent consults four \nclues we have sometimes employed in our major questions \n cases to help assess whether a statute clearly authorizes an \nasserted po wer. See West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 746 \n(GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). The dissent formulates these \nclues largely as I would. See post\, at 3 5–38. But\, to my\neyes\, the dissent engages in a little grade inflatio n when \napplying them. \nFirst\, is the President seeking to exercise an “unher\nalded” or “newfound” power based on a “long-extant” st at\nute? Post\, at 39 (internal quotation marks omitted). The \ndissent in sists that is not the case here because President \nNixon imposed a 10 per cent tariff on most imports in 1971\,\nand then defended that action in lo wer courts under a pre\ndecessor to IEEPA\, the Trading with the Enemy Act \n(TWEA). Ibid. But the words “regulate . . . importation”\nwere add ed to TWEA in 1941. §301(1)(B)\, 55 Stat. 839.\nCongress used the same la nguage in IEEPA in 1977. \n§203(a)(1)(B)\, 91 Stat. 1626. And in the 85 y ears of TWEA’s \nexistence with that language (and the 49 years of IEE PA’s)\, \nthat is the only time either statute has been invoked to im\np ose tariffs. Ante\, at 10–11\, 17–18. A single time\, and one \nnever tested in this Court. Nor are these statutes seldom \nused. \n“Each ye ar since 1990\, Presidents have issued \n28 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nroughly 4.5 executive orders . . . an d declared 1.5 new na\ntional emergencies citing IEEPA.” Congressional R esearch\nService\, The International Emergency Economics Powers \nAct: Ori gins\, Evolution\, and Use 20 (Sept. 1\, 2025). That is \npretty strong e vidence the President here seeks to “deploy \nan old statute” in a nov el way. West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at \n747 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring).\ nSecond\, how has the executive branch interpreted IEEPA \nin the past? P ost\, at 40–41. The dissent says Presidents\nhave long understood IEEPA to permit them to impose tar\niffs. Ibid. But for support\, the dissent a gain relies on iso\nlated evidence about other statutes. It points to the mone\ntary exactions President Ford ordered under the Trade\nExpansion Ac t of 1962. Post\, at 17\, 40. And\, once more\, it \npoints to President Nixon’s invocation of TWEA to support\nhis 1971 tariffs during lower co urt proceedings (though the\ndissent brushes aside the fact that President Nixon initially\nrejected the idea of relying on TWEA\, see Brief for Car la\nHills et al. as Amici Curiae 12–14). Whatever one makes of \nthis h istory\, it hardly reveals the kind of contemporaneous \nand consistent ex ecutive interpretation that might advance\nthe dissent’s cause. See West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 747 \n(GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). To the cont rary\, the fact that no\nPresident until now has invoked IEEPA to impose a duty—\neven one percent on one product from one country—is tell\ning. Id.\, at 748. \nThird\, is there a “mismatch” between the action the exec\nutive official seeks to take and his expertise? Post\, at 41. \nOn this one\, I agree with the dissent. If tariffs fall in any\nexecutive off icial’s “wheelhouse” (and not Congress’s)\, it’s \nthe Preside nt’s. Ibid.\; see also supra\, at 6. \nFourth\, is the President “rely ing on oblique\, elliptical\, or \ncryptic language”? Post\, at 41–42. The dissent says no be\ncause “[t]his case does not involve elephants i n mouse\nholes.” Post\, at 41 (internal quotation marks omitted). Put \ nanother way\, the dissent insists\, the provisions of IEEPA \n Cite as: 6 07 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n29 \nbefore us are not “ancillary” ones\, but are designed to con\nvey significant powers. Po st\, at 43 (internal quotation \nmarks omitted). It’s a fair enough poin t as far as it goes.\nBut our cases ask not just whether a provision is a “mouse\nhole” or “ancillary.” They also caution against reading ex \ntraordinary powers into “broad or general” statutory lan\nguage. Wes t Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 746 (GORSUCH\, J.\, \nconcurring) (internal qu otation marks omitted)\; see also \nSossamon v. Texas\, 563 U. S. 277\, 29 1 (2011) (“[C]lear \nstatement rules ensure Congress does not\, by broad or gen\neral language\, legislate on a sensitive topic inadvertently or\n without due deliberation” (internal quotation marks omit\nted)). Indeed\ , and as we have seen\, many of our major ques\ntions cases have found bro ad or general terms in significant \nstatutes insufficient to support a cl aim to an extraordinary\nor unusual power. See Part I–A\, supra. And her e\, the word \n“regulate” is broad as can be. So broad that it could be read \nto “captur[e] much of what a government does.” Ante\, at 14 . \nAs I see it\, then\, three of the four clues the dissent relies \non c ut against it. It is important to add\, as well\, that as\nhelpful as the se clues can be in helping courts spot when a\nclaimed power is not suppor ted by clear statutory authority\,\nthey do not represent some exhaustive checklist\, nor does \nsatisfying one guarantee a claim will succeed. So\, for ex\nample\, even if an asserted power is in the agency’s “wheel\n house\,” we might rule (and have ruled) against the agency \nif the powe r is “unheralded” because the statute has stood\nfor decades without b eing interpreted to convey the power\nclaimed. See\, e.g.\, Brown &\; W illiamson\, 529 U. S.\, at 144\, \n159–160. \nUltimately\, the central q uestion in any major questions\ncase remains whether the executive branc h’s claim to an \nextraordinary power is supported by clear statutory au thor\nity. And\, as the principal opinion explains at length\, many \naddi tional clues beyond those the dissent addresses confirm\nthat the Presiden t cannot meet that standard in this case. \n30 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nThese additional clues include the way the key statutory \nterm “regulate” is used elsewhere in the U. S . Code\, how \nCongress has delegated tariff authority in the past\, and\n other neighboring language in IEEPA itself. Ante\, at 14– \n15. \nContra ry to the dissent’s charge\, too\, the principal opin\nion’s applicati on of the major questions doctrine today in no \nway amounts to a “magic -words test.” Post\, at 44. Of \ncourse\, if IEEPA included terms like “tariff ” or “duty\,” that\nwould have sufficed. But\, to borrow a phrase from the dis\nsent\, “monetary exactions on foreign imports” would have\nworked just as well. Post\, at 17. Same goes for “tax on i m\nported goods.” Or any similarly clear term or phrase. But \nIEEPA i ncludes no such language\, just a broad term that\ncould cover almost anyt hing a government does. And re\nquiring specific rather than general lang uage is just how\nclear-statement rules work. See\, e.g.\, Sossamon\, 563 U. S.\, \nat 291. \nB \nIf the President’s claim fails under our usual m ajor ques\ntions test\, the dissent says we should respond by carving \nou t an exception to it for cases (like this one) touching on\n“foreign aff airs.” Post\, at 45. \nOn this score\, I share a limited point of agreem ent with \nthe dissent. Like the nondelegation doctrine\, the major\nquest ions doctrine protects Article I’s Vesting Clause and\, \nfor that reaso n\, the doctrine does not apply where the Pres\nident is exercising only h is own inherent Article II powers.\nLike the nondelegation doctrine\, too\ , the major questions\ndoctrine may speak with less force where the Presid ent and\nCongress enjoy “overlap[ping] . . . authority.” See Gundy v. \nUnited States\, 588 U. S. 128\, 159 (2019) (GORSUCH\, J.\, dis\nsenting) \; see also C. Bradley &\; J. Goldsmith\, Foreign Af\nfairs\, Nondelega tion\, and the Major Questions Doctrine\,\n172 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1743\, 1747 (2004) (Bradley &\; Goldsmith) \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORS UCH\, J.\, concurring \n31 \n(explaining the “supposed foreign affairs e xception” to the\nnondelegation doctrine “is better understood as a qu alifica\ntion that concerns situations in which a statutory authori\nzatio n relates to an independent presidential power”).\nDoubtless\, cases imp licating overlapping powers can \narise in the field of foreign affairs. T he Constitution\, for \nexample\, vests in Congress the power to raise and regulate\narmies\, but it also vests in the President the commander\nin-c hief power. Compare Art. I\, §8\, cls. 12–14\, with Art. II\, \n§2\, c l. 1. Similarly\, Congress enjoys the power to regulate\nforeign commerce \, but the President has power to negotiate \ntreaties and nominate ambass adors. Compare Art. I\, §8\, \ncl. 3\, with Art. II\, §2\, cl. 2. The P resident may even enjoy \nsome “residual” powers pertaining to foreign affairs under \nArticle II’s Vesting Clause endowing him with the “ex ecu\ntive Power.” See S. Prakash &\; M. Ramsey\, The Executive \nPowe r Over Foreign Affairs\, 111 Yale L. J. 231\, 234 (2001) \n(Prakash &\; Ramsey)\; but see C. Bradley &\; M. Flaherty\, Ex\necutive Power Essen tialism and Foreign Affairs\, 102 Mich. \nL. Rev. 545\, 551–552 (2004). Given all this\, it is easy\nenough to imagine statutes and disputes unde r them that \nimplicate both congressional and presidential powers \nwhere we might have reason to question whether the major\nquestions doctrine ap plies with its usual force.\nThe problem for the dissent is that none of t his is relevant\nhere. Before us\, the President concedes that he does not \nenjoy independent Article II authority to impose tariffs in \npeacetime . Ante\, at 18–19. Nor does the President claim \n“‘concurrent’ ” constitutional authority to issue his tariffs. \nAnte\, at 13 (citing Tr. of Oral Arg. 70–71). Instead\, and to \nhis credit\, the President admits the power to authorize tar\niffs in peacetime is constitutionally v ested in “Congress \nalone.” Ante\, at 13 (internal quotation marks om itted). \nTherefore\, the President relies entirely on power derived \nfro m Congress\, and that means the major questions doc\ntrine applies in the normal way. See Bradley &\; Goldsmith \n32 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n1796 (“IEEPA [is] not [an] autho rizatio[n] that obviously \nconnect[s] to independent presidential power i n ways that\nwould warrant the independent powers qualification”). \nBec ause of this problem\, the dissent must argue for a \nmuch broader “fore ign affairs” qualification to the major\nquestions doctrine. Rather tha n ask whether an independ\nent\, constitutionally vested presidential powe r is impli\ncated\, the dissent would have us ask instead whether the \nPr esident seeks to use the statute in question for a foreign \naffairs purpo se—for example\, as a “too[l]” to “incentivize a \nchange in behav ior by allies . . . or enemies.” Post\, at 50. \nWhen he does\, the diss ent submits\, the major questions doc\ntrine should not apply. And that ’s true\, the dissent contin\nues\, even if the power the President asse rts has “significant\ndomestic ramifications.” Post\, at 51. \nThis n ew exception to the major questions doctrine would\nhave (enormous) conseq uences hard to reconcile with the\nConstitution. Article I\, §8\, vests i n Congress many powers\nthat touch on “foreign affairs.” Some of thos e powers were\nexpected to be (and are) the “principal objects of federa l leg\nislation.” The Federalist No. 53\, p. 333 (C. Rossiter ed. \n1961 ) (J. Madison). They include not only the power to im\npose tariffs\, cl. 1\, but also the power to establish uniform \nrules of naturalization\, cl . 4\, appropriate money for armies\, \ncl. 12\, and define and punish offe nses against the law of na\ntions\, cl. 10. Under the dissent’s view\, a ll these legislative\npowers and more could be passed wholesale to the exe cutive\nbranch in a few loose statutory terms\, no matter what do\nmestic ramifications might follow. And\, as we have seen\, \nCongress would ofte n find these powers nearly impossible \nto retrieve. See Part I–C\, supr a. \nConsider an example. Imagine Congress adopted a law \nthat arguably c ould be read to let the President borrow and\nspend money during peacetime as he sees fit. A law like \nthat would represent an extraordinary deleg ation of Con\ngress’s power both to borrow “on the credit of the Unite d \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n33 \nSta tes\,” Art. I\, §8\, cl. 2\, and to spend money in support of \nthe “ general Welfare\,” §8\, cl. 1\, and would carry with it “sig\nnifican t domestic ramifications\,” post\, at 51. But if an en\nterprising execu tive could also use the law as a “tool” for \naffecting the behavior of “allies . . . or enemies\,” the dissent \nseemingly would have us exempt it from scrutiny under the \nmajor questions doctrine.\nThe dissent ’s exception is so broad it’s hard not to wonder \nhow it fits with so me of our existing major questions prece\ndents. In West Virginia\, the Co urt applied the major ques\ntions doctrine over a dissent expressing conce rn that doing \nso would deny the EPA (and therefore the President) the \n power to respond to “the most pressing environmental chal\nlenge of our time”—“[c]limate chang[e].” 597 U. S.\, at 753 \n(KAGAN\, J.\, di ssenting) (internal quotation marks omitted).\nA challenge\, the dissent c ontinued\, that threatened conse\nquences global in scope\, including “m ass migration events[\,] \npolitical crises\, civil unrest\, and even stat e failure.” Id.\, at \n754 (internal quotation marks omitted). Was Wes t Virginia \na “foreign affairs” case? How about our major questions\n cases addressing efforts to combat the global pandemic that \nwas COVID– 19? See\, e.g.\, NFIB\, 595 U. S.\, at 114.4 \n—————— \n4The d issent suggests that trying to identify when an independent Ar\nticle II a uthority is in play would prove “jurisprudentially chaotic.” Post\, \ nat 53\, n. 23. But as the foregoing discussion illustrates\, the dissent ’s al\nternative “foreign affairs” test poses its own challenges. A nd it seems to \nme only one is firmly rooted in the text of the Constitut ion. See Bradley\n&\; Goldsmith 1747\; see also Prakash &\; Ramsey 2 33 (“[O]ne would think\nthat the Constitution’s text ought to play the preeminent role in discern\ning the Constitution’s allocation of foreig n affairs powers”). In this case\, \ntoo\, only one test promises any m anner of “chao[s]” because all parties\nbefore us readily agree that t he Constitution affords the President no \nindependent power to impose pea cetime tariffs. See H. Powell\, The Pres\nident’s Authority Over Foreig n Affairs: An Executive Branch Perspec\ntive\, 67 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 527\, 549 (1999) (“The President has no inde\npendent power directly to regul ate [or] tax . . . foreign commerce”). \n34 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nSeeking support for its sweeping ne w exception\, the dis\nsent points to three main precedents. Post\, at 46 –48\, 53– \n57. I do not see how any of them might sustain its view. \ nThe first\, Hamdi v. Rumsfeld\, 542 U. S. 507 (2004)\, con\ncerned the 20 01 Authorization for Use of Military Force\n(AUMF)\, legislation which aut horized the President to use \n“all necessary and appropriate force agai nst those nations\,\norganizations\, or persons” responsible for the Sep tember \n11\, 2001\, attacks. Id.\, at 510 (internal quotation marks\nomit ted). The dissent highlights the principal opinion’s\nconclusion that th e AUMF allowed the President to detain \nenemy combatants even though the law did not mention \nthat power expressly. Id.\, at 510\, 516–517 (opin ion of \nO’Connor\, J.). And from this\, the dissent draws the infer\ne nce that any statute addressing foreign affairs should be\nexempt from scr utiny under the major questions doctrine. \nPost\, at 54–55. But the di ssent overlooks the fact that the \nprincipal opinion reached the conclusi on it did only because\nit found detention of enemy combatants to be a tra ditional\n“incident to war.” 542 U. S.\, at 518. And once Congress\nd eclares war (or\, likewise\, authorizes the use of military\nforce abroad) \, that implicates the President’s commander\nin-chief powers. Put simpl y\, Hamdi was a case of overlap\nping powers. Ours is not. \nSecond\, the dissent invokes Dames &\; Moore v. Regan\, 453 \nU. S. 654 (1981). Se e post\, at 55–56. At its heart\, that case \ninvolved an executive orde r by President Reagan suspend\ning certain claims by U. S. citizens agains t Iran as part of a\nsettlement involving the release of American hostages held\nthere. 453 U. S.\, at 675. Just as we do today\, Dames &\; \nMo ore held that the “terms of the IEEPA . . . d[id] not au\nthorize” the President’s actions. Ibid. Even so\, the Court \nproceeded to uphold t hose actions anyway\, and did so based \nin part on its view (right or wro ng) that the President en\njoyed some “‘independent’” power to “ enter into executive\nagreements” suspending certain claims. Id.\, at 6 78\, 682– \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n35 \n683. So unlike our case\, Dames &\; Moore again involved\noverla pping powers. Along the way\, too\, the Court empha\nsized (repeatedly) th e “narrowness” of its decision and that\nit should not be taken to “ lay down” any “general ‘guide\nlines’ covering other situations no t involved here.” Id.\, at \n661\; see also id.\, at 660\, 688. To der ive from Dames &\; \nMoore a new general guideline exempting “foreign affairs” \ncases from the major questions doctrine’s reach would thus \nrequire us to disregard its own cautionary direction.\nThird\, the disse nt cites United States v. Curtiss-Wright \nExport Corp.\, 299 U. S. 304 (1 936). See post\, at 46–48. \nThere\, the Court did suggest that nondele gation rules in the\nfield of “domestic or internal affairs” should di ffer from \nthose in the realm of “foreign or external affairs.” Curt iss\nWright\, 299 U. S.\, at 315. But what should we make of that \nlangu age? If it means that the nondelegation doctrine (and\nperhaps\, by extens ion\, the major questions doctrine) must\naccount for the President’s in dependent Article II powers\, I \nagree.\nBut I would hesitate to read mor e into the decision than \nthat. Consider what was really at issue there. A statute \npermitted the President to ban the transfer of one class of \ ngoods (armaments). Id.\, at 312. It did so with respect to\ntwo countries then engaged in a war (Bolivia and Para\nguay). Ibid. The President’s authority was conditioned on \na finding that a ban “‘may contribute t o the reestablish\nment of peace between those countries.’” Ibid. Bef ore mak\ning that finding\, too\, Congress directed him to consult \n“ ‘with the governments of other American Republics.’” \nIbid. All to ld\, then\, the statute set forth the policy for the \nPresident to pursue . It bounded his authority by limiting \nhis options with respect to a lim ited class of goods and coun\ntries. The statute further conditioned his e xercise of those \noptions on a factual finding reached after consultation with \nother nations. So whatever else might be said about \nCurtiss-Wrig ht\, one thing is apparent: In upholding the \n36 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, I NC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nPresident’s actions under the law in question\, the Court \nhardly allowed Congress to hand off all of its enumerated \npowers touching on foreign affairs to the President\, the tar\niff power included.5 \nC \nIf its effort to secure a broad foreign a ffairs exception to\nthe major questions doctrine won’t work\, the disse nt hints \nat a more limited one specific to tariffs. Such an exception \ nmakes sense\, the dissent says\, because “Presidents have \nlong been g ranted substantial discretion over tariffs.” Post\, \nat 52 (internal q uotation marks omitted). Indeed\, the dis\nsent contends\, this tradition traces “back to near the Found\ning.” Post\, at 59. If the dissent w ere right about that\, one \nmight hesitate before accepting the President ’s concession\nthat this case does not implicate any inherent Article II au\nthority. But\, at least as I read it\, history offers the dissent \nl ittle to work with. \nAmericans fought the Revolution in no small part be\ ncause they believed that only their elected representatives \n(not the Ki ng\, not even Parliament) possessed authority to \ntax them. Declaration o f Independence ¶19. And\, they be\nlieved\, that held true not just for d irect taxes like those in \nthe Stamp Act\, but also for many duties on im ports\, like \nthose found in the Sugar Act. E. Morgan &\; H. Morgan\, The\nStamp Act Crisis: Prologue to Revolution 72–74 (1995 ed.)\;\nsee 1 E. Stanwood\, American Tariff Controversies in the \nNineteenth Century 6 0 (1903) (Stanwood)\; C. Van Tyne\, \n—————— \n5In places\, th e dissent also argues that the President’s inherent Article \nII authori ty includes a wartime tariff power. See post\, at 22–24\; see also \nBri ef for Professor Aditya Bamzai as Amicus Curiae 3. But this only \nhighlig hts the dissent’s bind. Whatever the full scope of the President’s \n Article II war powers may be (and the briefs before us reveal a healthy \n debate whether they include the power to impose tariffs)\, those powers\na re not implicated here. IEEPA is not a wartime statute\, nor does the \nP resident claim we are at war with the countries whose goods are subject \n to the tariffs. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurr ing \n37 \nThe Causes of the War of Independence 126–136 (1922)\; J.\nOt is\, The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and \nProved (1764)\, in The Collected Political Writings of James\nOtis 119\, 161–162 (2015)\; s ee also id.\, at xii (Introduction). \nAmericans later codified these beli efs in the Constitution. \nUnder the Articles of Confederation\, the natio nal govern\nment was laden with debt and enjoyed few ways to repay it. \nT o address that problem\, the framers afforded the federal \ngovernment new taxing powers in the Constitution. Art. I\, \n§8\, cl. 1. Many thought these powers among “the most im\nportant” features of the new federal charter. See\, e.g.\, The \nFederalist No. 33\, at 202–203 (A. Hamilton) . But\, con\nsistent with their view that only the people’s elected rep re\nsentatives could constitutionally tax them\, the framers \ngave Congre ss alone “access to the pockets of the people.” \nId.\, No. 48\, at 31 0 (J. Madison). And to cement that role\, \nthe Constitution required tha t “All Bills for raising Reve\nnue shall originate in the House of Repre sentatives\,” the\nbody most responsive to the people. Art. I\, §7\, c l. 1.\nFor much of the Nation’s history\, this taxing power was\nessenti ally a tariff power. The framers even considered \n(and eventually reject ed) the possibility of giving the fed\neral government the power to tax on ly through tariffs. The \nFederalist No. 35\, at 211 (A. Hamilton). No s urprise\, then\,\nthat Congress’s first exercise of its taxing power was a tariff \nlaw. P. Ashley\, Modern Tariff History 170–171 (2d ed. \n191 0). And until the 20th century\, tariffs “accounted for\nbetween 50 and 90 percent” of the federal government’s rev\nenue. J. Dobson\, Two Cen turies of Tariffs: The Background\nand Emergence of the United States Inte rnational Trade\nCommission 1 (1976).\nHow did Congress exercise its all-i mportant tariff power?\nIt debated every detail of the first tariff Act. S tanwood 39– \n71. Ultimately\, Congress said\, imported malt would incur \na charge of 10 cents a bushel. Brown sugar one cent. Loaf \nsugar thr ee cents. And so on. Id.\, at 59. The first tariff Act \n38 \nLEARNING RES OURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nwas set to last for s even years. Id.\, at 72. It lasted barely \none. Ibid. Soon\, Congress w as at it again\, laying out an\nother exacting schedule of duties. Id.\, a t 75–76. Through\nout much of the 19th century\, Congress proceeded sim i\nlarly\, enacting highly detailed tariff schedules one after \nanother. See F. Taussig\, The Tariff History of the United \nStates 68–170 (8th e d. 1931).\nAn early debate over executive involvement in setting \ntariffs demonstrates just how strongly Congress felt that \ntariffs were a legisl ative business. In December 1791\, Pres\nident Washington told Congress t hat General St. Clair had\nbeen defeated in the Northwest Indian War\, and the coun\ntry would have to increase the size of the army. Stanwood \n10 4. That meant the government needed more money. In \nresponse\, a resolut ion was offered in the House of Repre\nsentatives to solicit advice from t he Secretary of the Treas\nury\, Alexander Hamilton\, on the best way to r aise the addi\ntional revenue—including through new tariffs. 3 Annals o f \nCongress 437 (1792)\; Stanwood 105–106. Ultimately\, Ham\nilton’s advice was sought\, but only after a debate over the\nconstitutionality of even asking a member of the executive\nbranch for advice on raising reven ue. Ibid.\; 3 Annals of \nCongress 447.\nTo be sure\, on later occasions C ongress turned to the ex\necutive branch for more help still. But it usual ly did so to\naddress changing trade practices in foreign countries. And \nin doing so\, Congress set the important policies\, with the \nexecutive branch responsible for finding facts—like what \nother countries’ tra de policies were at any given moment—\nor filling in the details. So\, f or example\, Congress passed a\nstatute in 1815 to repeal any “discrimin ating duty of ton\nnage . . . whenever the President” was “satisfied ” that other \ncountries’ “discriminating or countervailing duti es” had\n“been abolished.” Act of Mar. 3\, 1815\, ch. 77\, 3 Stat. 2 24\; \nsee also\, e.g.\, Act of Jan. 7\, 1824\, 4 Stat. 2–3. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n39 \nGiven this histo ry\, it’s no surprise that the dissent relies \nmostly on statutes and c ases after 1890. Post\, at 59. But \neven they do little to support its cl aim. J. W. Hampton\, Jr.\, \n&\; Co. v. United States\, 276 U. S. 394 (1928)\, for example\, \ninvolved a law instructing the President to “in vestigat[e]” \nthe costs of production for American firms and their fore ign \ncounterparts and issue tariffs to “equalize” those costs. Id.\, \nat 401\, 409 (internal quotation marks omitted). The statute \nthe Cour t faced in Marshall Field &\; Co. v. Clark\, 143 U. S. \n649\, 681 (189 2)\, spoke similarly. Even when Federal En\nergy Administration v. Algonqu in SNG\, Inc.\, 426 U. S. 548\, \ncame along in 1976\, the Court upheld Pr esident Ford’s im\nposition of monetary exactions on a single class of p roducts \nunder a statute that provided at least some guidance about\nhow he should implement the law. Id.\, at 559. And whether \ncorrectly decide d or not\, that case lies a far step from this \none. \nBefore us\, the Pr esident insists he may use IEEPA to\nequalize foreign and domestic dutie s—or not. He may use \nit to negotiate with foreign countries—or not. He may set \ntariffs at 1 percent or 1\,000\,000 percent. He may target one \nnation and one product or every nation and nearly every \nproduct. And he may change his mind at any time for\nnearly any reason. At least as I see it\, history dating “back \nto near the Founding\,” post\, at 59\, does not support the no\ntion that Presidents have traditionally enj oyed so much \npower. More nearly\, history refutes it.6 \n——— ——— \n6Beyond the major questions hurdle\, the dissent faces another \, related \none: the nondelegation doctrine. There the problems are just as acute. \nIn recent decades\, this Court has employed a relatively lax “intelligible\nprinciple” test to police delegations. See FCC v. Cons umers’ Research\, \n606 U. S. 656\, 673 (2025)\; cf. Gundy v. United Sta tes\, 588 U. S. 128\, 157– \n159 (2019) (GORSUCH\, J.\, dissenting) (arg uing for a more traditional test).\nBut recognizing that even the intellig ible principle test poses challenges \nfor it\, the dissent contends for a n even laxer test yet in cases involving \n“foreign affairs” and tarif fs. Post\, at 57–61. It’s an effort that fails for \n40 \nLEARNING RE SOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nIV \nThat leaves one final camp to consider. JUSTICE THOMAS \nsuggests that Congress may hand over most of its constitu\ntionally vested powers to the President comple tely and for\never. Post\, at 2–3 (dissenting opinion). On his view\, th e \nonly powers Congress may not delegate are those that in\nvolve “rule s setting the conditions for deprivations of life\, \nliberty\, or propert y.” Ibid. From this rule\, it follows that \nCongress may give all its tariff powers to the President be\ncause “[i]mporting is a matter of pri vilege.” Post\, at 10–11. \nAnd\, as a result\, this case does not im plicate any “‘“separa\ntion of powers”’” concerns at all. Post \, at 3 (quoting ante\, \nat 8).\nIt’s a sweeping theory. One that would require us to\nreimagine much of our case law addressing Article I’s Ve st\ning Clause. And one that presents difficulties of its own. \nFirst\, I do not see how JUSTICE THOMAS’s theory resolves\nall “‘“separatio n of powers”’” concerns in this case. Post\, at \n3 (quoting ante\, at 8). Suppose for argument’s sake that\nCongress can delegate its tarif f powers to the President as \ncompletely as JUSTICE THOMAS suggests. Eve n then\, the \nquestion remains whether Congress has given the Presi\ndent the tariff authority he claims in this case—or whether \nthe President is seeking to exploit questionable statutory\nlanguage to aggrandize his o wn power. See Part I–C\, su\npra. Put another way\, JUSTICE THOMAS’s nondelegation so\nlution does not automatically solve the major questions \nproblem. As we have seen\, when an executive official \nclaims Congress has delegated to him some extraordinary\npower\, the major questions doctr ine requires him to identify\nclear statutory authority for its exercise —a standard he \n—————— \nreasons we have just seen. Even if the nondelegation doctrine should \napply differently when congressional legislation and executive actions \nimplicate inherent Article II powers\, Gundy\, 588 U. S.\, at 159\, none of \nthat means it should do so where ( as here) the President derives what\never authority he has only from Congr ess. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n41 \n must satisfy even if Congress is free to pass to him the \npower he seeks. Post\, at 2–3. In fact\, this Court has previ\nously applied\, with ou r colleague’s assent\, the major ques\ntions doctrine in a case that app ears\, under his present\nview\, to involve a power that Congress could de legate \nwholesale to the President. See Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at \n486 –488 (involving the power to cancel federal student loan \ndebts\, which on JUSTICE THOMAS’s account presumably\nqualifies as a benefit or privi lege\, not a right to life\, liberty\, \nor property). And\, just as the major questions doctrine pre\ncluded the executive branch’s assertion of power in that \ncase\, it does so here. \nSecond\, even when it comes to the nondelegation doc\ntrine\, JUSTICE THOMAS’s theory raises many quest ions. I \nappreciate that the doctrine may apply with less force in \ncer tain areas\, such as when Congress legislates in a way\nthat implicates on e of the President’s inherent powers. See \nPart III–B\, supra\; Gund y\, 588 U. S.\, at 159 (GORSUCH\, J.\, \ndissenting). But JUSTICE THOMAS w ould go much further.\nOn his telling\, the doctrine applies only to Congr ess’s true \nlegislative powers\, which he says include only those power s \naddressing the deprivation of life\, liberty\, or property. As \nit t urns out\, only a small subset of Congress’s enumerated \npowers in Arti cle I\, §8\, fit that bill. See post\, at 5–6 (listing\nthe powers to punish counterfeiters\, tax “internal[ly]\,” and \nregulate interstate commerce). Only those few powers are\nexclusively vested in Congress and subject to review of any \nkind under the nondelegation doctrine. All “o ther kinds of \npower[s]” enumerated in Article I\, §8—including the pow\ners to borrow and spend money\, declare war\, and regulate \nforeign trade—are not truly legislative and may be dele\ngated at will. Post\, a t 2. So Congress may hand them off to\nthe President completely and he ha s no need to worry about \nlegal challenges under even this Court’s (rel atively lax)\nnondelegation doctrine. No matter\, too\, that Congress \n42 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \nmight find itself permanently unable to retrieve these pow\ners. See Part I–C\ , supra. \nBut if all that’s true\, what do we make of the Constitu\nt ion’s text? Section 1 of Article I vests “[a]ll legislative Pow\ners h erein granted” in Congress and no one else. Section 8 \nproceeds to lis t those powers in detail and without differen\ntiation. Neither provision speaks of some divide between\ntrue legislative powers touching on “life \, liberty\, or prop\nerty” that are permanently vested in Congress alon e and \n“other kinds of power[s]” that may be given away and pos\nsibl y lost forever to the President. Post\, at 2. \nWhat do we make\, too\, of what the founders said about \nArticle I both before and after the Consti tution’s ratifica\ntion? They regularly referred to powers in Article I\ , §8—\neven those that do not touch on life\, liberty\, or property—\ nas legislative in nature. At the Constitutional Convention\, \nearly draf ts described the powers to regulate “foreign” com\nmerce\, “raise ar mies\,” “equip Fleets\,” “coi[n] . . . money\,”\nand “establis h post-offices” as “legislative powers.” 2 The \nRecords of the Fed eral Convention of 1787\, pp. 142–144 (M. \nFarrand ed. 1966) (Farrand). James Madison wrote to Con\ngress in 1817 that “[t]he legislative powe rs vested in Con\ngress are specified and enumerated in the eighth section of\nthe first article of the Constitution.” 8 The Writings of\nJames M adison 386 (G. Hunt ed. 1908)\; see also 1 id.\, at \n112\, 133\, 381 (not ing\, before the Constitutional Convention\, \nthe “legislative power ov er captures\,” and arguing borrow\ning money is an “exclusive power of Legislation”). \nAlexander Hamilton spoke similarly. 3 The Works of Al \nexander Hamilton 479 (H. Lodge ed. 1904) (Lodge) (discuss\ning “[t]he legislative power of borrowing money”)\; 6 id.\, at \n182 (describing “the legislative power of regulating trade\nwith foreign nations”)\; 2 id.\, at 197\, 198 (calling of “the leg\nislative kind” and “of a l egislative nature” the powers to \nraise money and troops\, “establish rules in all cases of cap\nture by sea or land\,” “regulate the alloy and value of coin\,” \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n43 \nand “make all laws for the government of the army and \nnavy”). So did James Wilson. 1 Collected Works of James \nWilson 26 8 (K. Hall &\; D. Hall eds. 2007) (describing all the \nSenate’s powe rs as “legislative powers\,” with the exception\nof the powers to try impeachments\, concur in treaties\, and\nconsent to the appointment of off icers\, matters addressed\noutside Art. I\, §8).\nWhat do we make as well of early congressional debates? \nIn the Second Congress\, for example\, the House of Repre\nsentatives rejected on nondelegation grounds a proposa l to\ngive the President a largely unfettered power to establish \npostal routes\, even though doing so hardly would have\ntouched on life\, liberty \, or property. 3 Annals of Congress \n229–242. In the Fifth Congress\, four Representatives like\nwise objected on nondelegation grounds to a bil l that au\nthorized the President to raise an army of up to 10\,000 men.\n 8 id.\, at 1525–1527\, 1532\, 1535 (remarks of Reps. Nicholas\,\nGallati n\, Baldwin\, and McDowell). Though the bill ulti\nmately passed\, see Ac t of May 28\, 1798\, 1 Stat. 558\, it did \nso apparently because it was d eemed not to violate Article \nI’s nondelegation principle—no Member o f Congress re\nsponded that the principle was wholly inapplicable because \nthe delegated power was not one that involved setting con\nditions for d eprivations of life\, liberty\, or property. See 8 \nAnnals of Congress 1 525–1542.\nWhat are we to do\, too\, with this Court’s nondelegation\n precedents\, which have never turned on JUSTICE THOMAS’s \nview of life\ , liberty\, or property? See J. W. Hampton\, Jr.\, &\; \nCo.\, 276 U. S.\, at 403\, 409 (scrutinizing a delegation to ex\necutive officials to s et customs duties)\; Panama Refining \nCo. v. Ryan\, 293 U. S. 388\, 405 –406\, 422\, 433 (1935) (hold\ning unconstitutional a delegation to exec utive officials to\nprohibit the transportation of petroleum products in i nter\nstate and foreign commerce)\; National Broadcasting Co. v. \nUnited States\, 319 U. S. 190\, 196\, 214–215\, 225–226 (1943) \n(scrutinizin g the delegation of authority to regulate the \n44 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \ngranting of broadcasting licen ses)\; see also Sessions v. Di\nmaya\, 584 U. S. 148\, 217 (2018) (THOMAS\ , J.\, dissenting) \n(“[I]mpermissible delegations of legislative power violate\n[the nondelegation] principle\, not just delegations that de\npri ve individuals of ‘life\, liberty\, or property’”).\nThird\, even if a distinction between true legislative pow\ners and “other kinds of pow er[s]” were proper\, post\, at 2\, I \ndo not see why the tariff power w ould fall in the latter cat\negory and thus be something Congress could de legate away \nwholesale\, without scrutiny\, and forever. JUSTICE THOMAS \nsuggests all that is possible because\, at the founding\, the \ntariff p ower was considered a “‘prerogative right’” of the \nBritish King. Post\, at 11 (quoting N. Gras\, Early English \nCustoms System 21 (1918)) .\nThat seems doubtful. Tariffs may have been among the\nKing’s prerogat ive powers during the reign of Edward I.\nSee id.\, at 20–21\; see also post\, at 11\, n. 3 (citing P. Einzig\,\nThe Control of the Purse: Progres s and Decline of Parlia\nment’s Financial Control 65 (1959) (discussing the practices \n“during the Middle Ages”)). But even before the year 1400\,\nParliament had achieved some “victory over the King in the\nmatt er of imposing import duties.” Id.\, at 108–109. And \nafter the Glor ious Revolution of 1688\, as this Court has put \nit\, Parliament “secur ed supremacy in fiscal matters.” Con\nsumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Finan\ncial Services Assn. of America\, Ltd.\, 601 U. S. 416 \, 428 \n(2024) (citing 1 W. Blackstone\, Commentaries on the Laws\nof Eng land 306\, 333 (1771)). “By the time of the American\nRevolution\, trade regulation was thus a prime topic of leg\nislative concern” in Britain. M. McConnell\, The President \nWho Would Not Be King 217 (2020) (emphasi s added)\; see\nalso J. Chitty\, Law of the Prerogatives of the Crown 163 \n(1820) (“[T]he King does not possess any general common\nlaw prerogati ve with respect to foreign commerce”).\nMore importantly still\, whateve r the views in Britain \nmay have been\, American revolutionaries hardly s hared \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nGORSUCH\, J.\, concurring \n45 \ nsome universal conviction that all manner of tariffs were a \nmatter of t he King’s prerogative\, or even something Parlia\nment\, lacking colonia l representatives\, could freely impose\non them. Though in the mid-1760s some colonists distin\nguished between “‘internal’” and “‘ex ternal’ taxation” and \n“conceded [Parliament’s] right to raise re venue through du\nties on trade\,” “the inadequacy of [that] much over strained \ndistinction” soon “became obvious.” B. Bailyn\, The Ideo log\nical Origins of the American Revolution 212–213\, 215 \n(1967). Ill ustrative of the point\, John Dickinson came to \n“repudiat[e]” the di stinction “flatly and formally” in his Let\nters from a Farmer in Penn sylvania\, id.\, at 215\, contending \ninstead that laws aimed at raising revenue\, but enacted \nwithout representation\, were objectionable withou t “dis\ntinction . . . between internal and external taxes\,” Letters \nFrom a Farmer in Pennsylvania 39 (1774). See also supra\, \nat 36–37 ( recounting colonial objections to the Sugar Act)\;\nH. Unger\, American Te mpest 101 (2011) (observing that the \n“import duties” in the Townshen d Acts helped “incite Amer\nicans to rebel”). And\, of course\, it wa s duties on foreign tea\nthat triggered the Boston Tea Party. J. Ellis\, T he Cause \n17–18 (2021). Are we really to believe that the patriots that \nnight in Boston Harbor considered the whole of the tariff \npower some k ingly prerogative?\nAs we have already seen\, too\, the growing American c on\nviction that the peacetime tariff power is legislative and be\nlongs o nly to the people’s elected representatives was later\nreflected in both the Constitution and early congressional\npractice. See Part III–C\, su pra. To that discussion\, I would \nadd just this. The Articles of Confed eration granted the \nConfederation Congress authority to make commercial \ntreaties\, but no authority to restrain “the legislative power\nof the respective states” to impose “imposts and duties on \nforeigners.” Art. IX (emphasis added). At the Constitu\ntional Convention that follow ed\, where the tariff power was \ntransferred to the federal government\, delegates likewise \n46 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nGORSUCH\, J .\, concurring \nreferred to it as a “legislative power.” See\, e.g.\, 3 Farrand \n615\; 2 id.\, at 142–143. And\, during debates over the Jay \nTreaty\, Hamilton explained that he held no doubt that reg\nulating for eign trade and raising money from it was a “leg\nislative power\,” if one that could be constrained by treaty.\n6 Lodge 182\, 189–190\, 196. Reflecting the same sentiment\nthat helped fuel the Revolution\, he asked: “[W]hat legisla\ntive power can be more sacred?” Id.\, at 196. \n* \nFor those who think it important for the Nation to impose\nmore tariffs\ , I understand that today’s decision will be dis\nappointing. All I can offer them is that most major deci\nsions affecting the rights and respons ibilities of the Ameri\ncan people (including the duty to pay taxes and ta riffs) are\nfunneled through the legislative process for a reason. Yes\, \nlegislating can be hard and take time. And\, yes\, it can be\ntempting to bypass Congress when some pressing problem \narises. But the deliberati ve nature of the legislative process \nwas the whole point of its design. Through that process\, the \nNation can tap the combined wisdom of the pe ople’s elected \nrepresentatives\, not just that of one faction or man. There\, \ndeliberation tempers impulse\, and compromise hammers\ndisagree ments into workable solutions. And because laws \nmust earn such broad su pport to survive the legislative pro\ncess\, they tend to endure\, allowin g ordinary people to plan\ntheir lives in ways they cannot when the rules shift from\nday to day. In all\, the legislative process helps ensure each \nof us has a stake in the laws that govern us and in the Na\ntion’s fu ture. For some today\, the weight of those virtues is \napparent. For oth ers\, it may not seem so obvious. But if \nhistory is any guide\, the tab les will turn and the day will\ncome when those disappointed by today’s result will appre\nciate the legislative process for the bulwark of libert y it is. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nBARRETT\, J.\, concurring \n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \n_________________ \nNos. 24–1287 and 25–250 \n_________________ \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL.\, P ETITIONERS \n24–1287 \nv. \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \n STATES\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI BEFORE JUDGMENT TO THE UNITED \nST ATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA \nCIRCUIT \nDONALD J. T RUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n25–250 \nv. \nV.O.S. SELECTIONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[February 20\, 20 26]\n JUSTICE BARRETT\, concurring. \nAs the principal opinion demonstrate s\, the most natural\nreading of the International Emergency Economic Powe rs\nAct does not encompass the power to impose tariffs. I write \nonly to address JUSTICE GORSUCH’s concurrence regarding \nthe major questions d octrine.\nTo the extent that JUSTICE GORSUCH attacks the view \nthat “co mmon sense” alone can explain all our major ques\ntions decisions\, ante \, at 18–22\, he takes down a straw man. \nI have never espoused that vi ew. Rather\, as I explained in\nmy concurrence in Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477\, 507 \n(2023)\, the major questions doctrine “situates text in con\ntext” and is therefore best understood as an ordinary appli\ncat ion of textualism. Id.\, at 511. Textualists—like all those \n2 \nLEARN ING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nBARRETT\, J.\, concurring \nwho use langua ge to communicate—do not interpret words\nin a vacuum. Instead\, we use context\, including “[b]ack\nground legal conventions\,” “common s ense\,” and “constitu\ntional structure\,” to ascertain a text’s “most natural mean\ning.” Id.\, at 511–512\, 515\, 509. \nPart of t his context\, as I have explained\, is Article I of the\nConstitution\, wh ich vests Congress with “‘[a]ll legislative \nPowers.’” Id.\, at 515 (quoting Art. I\, §1). Obviously\, the\nConstitution bears on the mea ning of a statute enacted pur\nsuant to it. Because Article I grants all l egislative powers \nto Congress\, the reasonable interpreter would expect Con\ngress “to make the big-time policy calls itself\, rather than\npawn ing them off to another branch.” Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, \nat 515 (BARRE TT\, J.\, concurring).1 \nTo the extent that JUSTICE GORSUCH also thinks t hat \nbackground legal conventions and constitutional structure\ninform th e most natural reading of a statute\, then we may \nnot be very far apart. See ante\, at 8–12\, 14 (concurring \nopinion). Our only disagreement m ay be over the level of \nclarity required before a particular interpretat ion can be \ndeemed the most natural one. I understand JUSTICE \nGORSUCH t o require Congress always to speak precisely to \nany major power that it intends to give away. See ante\, at \n12–14\, 25–26 (concurring opini on). As I have said before\, I \nthink that other\, “less obvious” clu es can do the trick. See \nNebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 514 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). I do \nnot see any such clues here\; in fact\, as the Court explains\,\nthe clues we have point in the opposite direction. See\, e.g. \, \nante\, at 8–9 (opinion of ROBERTS\, C. J.) (detailing h ow \n—————— \n1Contrary to JUSTICE GORSUCH’s suggestion\, th is approach to the ma\njor questions doctrine does not risk “conflating unenacted legislative in\ntent with the law.” Ante\, at 24\, n.2 (concu rring opinion). Rather\, like \ntextualism more generally\, it looks for “a sort of ‘objectified’ intent—the\nintent that a reasonable pers on would gather from the text of the law\, \nplaced alongside the remainde r of the corpus juris\,” including the Con\nstitution. A. Scalia\, A Ma tter of Interpretation 17 (1997). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nBARR ETT\, J.\, concurring \n3 \nCongress has elsewhere delegated the power to impose tar\niffs)\; ante\, at 14–15 (majority opinion) (stressing that t he \nGovernment “cannot identify any statute in which the \npower to reg ulate includes the power to tax”).\nAt times\, though\, JUSTICE GORSUCH suggests that the\npurpose of the major questions doctrine is something ot her\nthan to ascertain the most natural reading of a statute. For \nexamp le\, he writes that the doctrine serves to prevent\n“highly resourceful members of the executive branch” from\n“assum[ing] new power for thems elves” because “men are\nnot angels.” Ante\, at 16 (concurring opini on)\; see West Vir\nginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 735 (2022) (GORSUCH\, J .\, con\ncurring) (describing doctrine as a “clear-statement rul[e]”\n that “operates to protect foundational constitutional guar\nantees”)\; National Federation of Independent Business v. \nOSHA\, 595 U. S. 109\, 1 24–126 (2022) (GORSUCH\, J.\, con\ncurring) (similar). But if the Const itution permits Congress \nto give the Executive a particular power\, who are we to get\nin the way? Does the Judiciary really protect the Constitu\ ntion by impeding the constitutional action of another\nbranch? If JUSTICE GORSUCH thinks that we should forgo\nthe most natural reading of a statut e because it is prefera\nble for Congress\, rather than the President\, to make big de\ncisions\, that way lies “a lot of trouble” for the textu alist. A. \nScalia\, A Matter of Interpretation 28 (1997) (Scalia).\nStro ng-form substantive canons—canons instructing a \njudge to adopt “an i nferior-but-tenable reading”—veer be\nyond interpretation and into pol icymaking. Nebraska\, 600 \nU. S.\, at 509 (BARRETT\, J.\, concurring). A nd while the pol\nicy may be desirable or even constitutionally inspired\, \njudges should hesitate to impose disciplining rules on Con\ngress. See ibid.\, n. 2 (explaining that such “prophylactic \nconstraints” are “in tension with the Constitution’s struc\nture”). As Justice Scalia lamented\, “whether these dice\nloading rules are bad or good\, there i s also the question of \nwhere the courts get the authority to impose them . Can we \n4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nBARRETT\, J.\, concur ring \nreally just decree that we will interpret the laws that Con\ngress passes to mean less or more than what they fairly\nsay?” Scalia 28–29. \nGranted\, strong-form canons exist elsewhere in the law.\nSee Nebraska\ , 600 U. S.\, at 508–509 (BARRETT\, J.\, concur\nring). I do not propose to abandon these canons\, nor have I\ntaken the position that adopting th em necessarily exceeds \nthe judicial power. Id.\, at 509\, n. 2. But I a m skeptical\nabout adding new ones to the mix. Ibid. And while the \nmajor questions doctrine has an impressive pedigree as an \ninterpretive princi ple\, this Court has not (yet\, anyway) em\nbraced it as a strong-form rul e that imposes a “‘clarity tax’” \non Congress. Id.\, at 508. \nJU STICE GORSUCH seems to disagree\, pointing to a few \nlate 19th- and early 20th-century cases.2 See ante\, at 12– \n14 (concurring opinion). But t hese cases\, like our modern \nones\, are consistent with my context-based approach: They\nfocus on ascertaining\, not shaping\, what the statute in dis\npute communicates. See\, e.g.\, ICC v. Cincinnati\, N. O. &\; T. \nP. R. Co.\, 167 U. S. 479\, 511 (1897) (concluding that Con\ngress “di d not intend” to give interstate commission power\nto set railroad rates )\; Siler v. Louisville &\; Nashville R. Co.\, \n213 U. S. 175\, 196 (1 909) (reasoning that “the legislature \nnever intended to and did not in fact” give a state commis\nsion power to set maximum railroad rates). I would not \ntreat this evidence as precedent for a judicial flex. JUSTIC E \nGORSUCH proposes to do something new. The innovation is \nin signific ant tension with textualism\, so I do not support \nthe projec t. \n—————— \n2He also points to state cases and longstanding corporate law princi\nples. Ante\, at 8–13 (concurring opinion). While t hose sources support\nthe existence of a background legal convention that informs a statute’s\nmost natural meaning\, they are not evidence that t his Court—which is\nbound by the constraints of Article III—has adopte d a true clear-state\nment rule. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpini on of KAGAN\, J. \n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \n______________ ___ \nNos. 24–1287 and 25–250 \n_________________ \nLEARNING RESOURCES \, INC.\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n24–1287 \nv. \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESID ENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n25–25 0 \nv. \nV.O.S. SELECTIONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[February 20\, 2026]\n JUSTICE KAGAN\, with whom JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR and \nJUSTICE JACKSON join\, concurring in part and concurring in \nthe judgment. \nThe Court ho lds today that the International Emergency \nEconomic Powers Act (IEEPA) d oes not authorize the Pres\nident to impose tariffs. I agree with that con clusion\, as I do \nwith the bulk of the principal opinion’s reasoning. But be\ncause I think the ordinary tools of statutory interpretation\namp ly support today’s result\, I do not join the part of that\nopinion invo king the so-called major-questions doctrine. \nThe question that part asks \, similar to the one posed in \nother “‘major questions’ cases\,” is whether the President \ncan identify “clear congressional authorizat ion” for his ac\ntion—here\, to impose tariffs under IEEPA. Ante\, at 7\, 13\, \n20. The demand is for a clear statement—something more \n2 \ nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of KAGAN\, J. \nexplicit or specific than the statutory basis that would ordi\nnarily suffice to suppo rt executive action. See\, e.g.\, West \nVirginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\ , 721–724\, 732 (2022)\; Biden \nv. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477\, 505–506 (2023). The reason for \nthat requirement\, according to today’s opini on\, is that the \nExecutive has claimed an “extraordinary” power—on e \nnever asserted before and having large-scale “economic and\npolitica l significance.” Ante\, at 7\, 11\; see ante\, at 7–11. \nI objected\, in the principal cases cited\, to the demand for\na special brand of legi slative clarity. See West Virginia\, 597 \nU. S.\, at 764–784 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting)\; Nebraska\, 600 \nU. S.\, at 542–550 (KAGAN\, J.\, dis senting). In my view\, the\nCourt used its clear-authorization rule in th ose cases to ne\ngate expansive delegations Congress had approved. I ex\np lained there that the proper way to interpret a delegation\nprovision is t hrough the standard rules of statutory con\nstruction. See West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 765–766 (KAGAN\, \nJ.\, dissenting). That means\, most c oncisely stated\, reading \ntext in context. More expansively put\, it me ans examining\na delegation provision’s language\, assessing that provi\ nsion’s place in the broader statutory scheme\, and applying \na “modi cum of common sense” about how Congress typically \ndelegates. Id.\, at 764 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting)\; see FDA v. \nBrown &\; Williamson Tobac co Corp.\, 529 U. S. 120\, 133 \n(2000). The last of those inquiries inclu des consideration of \nwhether Congress ever has before\, or likely would\ , delegate\nthe power the Executive asserts—a matter also of import in\n applying the major-questions doctrine. See ante\, at 8–10\; \nNebraska\ , 600 U. S.\, at 512–514\, 517–519 (BARRETT\, J.\, \nconcurring)\; id. \, at 546\, n. 3 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). In the \npast\, though\, I ha ve thought that the Court used that doc\ntrine to override—rather than h elp discover—the best read\ning of delegation statutes. See West Virgin ia\, 597 U. S.\, at \n756 (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting)\; Nebraska\, 600 U. S. \, at 543 \n(KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \ nOpinion of KAGAN\, J. \n3 \nThis case presents more nearly the opposite s ituation:\nThe use of a clear-statement rule here is unnecessary be\ncause ordinary principles of statutory interpretation lead to\nthe same result. 1 It is not just that the Government’s argu\nments fail to satisfy an e specially strict test\; it is that they\nfail to satisfy the normal one. E ven without a clear-state\nment rule in the picture\, the conclusion follo ws: IEEPA does \nnot authorize the President to impose tariffs. And indee d\, \nthe principal opinion’s reasoning well explains why. The \nrest o f this opinion draws on that analysis (I hope without \ntoo much rehashing ) to demonstrate what I view as the fun\ndamental point: Usual text-in-con text interpretation dooms\nthe tariffs the President has imposed. The cruc ial provision\nof IEEPA\, when viewed in light of the broader statutory \n scheme and with a practical awareness of how Congress\ndelegates tariff au thority\, does not give the President the\npower he wants.\nMost important \, IEEPA’s key phrase—the one the Gov\nernment relies on—says nothin g about imposing tariffs or \n—————— \n1 JUSTICE GORSUCH claim s not to understand this statement\, insisting\nthat I now must be applyin g the major-questions doctrine\, and his own \nversion of it to boot. See ante\, at 17 (concurring opinion) (“My concurring\ncolleagues all but e ndorse it today”)\; ante\, at 2\, 7\, 18 (similar). Given \nhow strong his apparent desire for converts\, see ante\, at 2–26\, I almost \nregre t to inform him that I am not one. But that is the fact of the matter. \n I proceed in this case just as I did in West Virginia and Nebraska: I con\ nsider a delegation provision’s language\, broaden the scope to take in the \nstatutory setting\, and apply some common sense about how Congress\n normally delegates. See West Virginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 756–766 \ n(2022) (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting)\; Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477\, 53 4– \n542 (2023) (KAGAN\, J.\, dissenting). Contrary to JUSTICE GORSUC H’s sug\ngestion\, see ante\, at 3–7\, that conventional method of int erpretation will \nnot always favor (or always disfavor) executive officia ls\, given the variety\nof delegation schemes Congress adopts. I’ll let JUSTICE GORSUCH reliti\ngate on his own our old debates about other statu tes\, unrelated to the \none before us. What matters here is only that IE EPA’s delegation refutes \nthe Executive’s assertion of authority to l evy tariffs\, without any help \nfrom the major-questions doctrine. \n4 \n LEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of KAGAN\, J. \ntaxes. That t ext authorizes the President\, upon finding a \nforeign threat and declari ng an emergency\, to “regulate” \nthe “importation” of foreign goo ds. \n50 U. S. C. \n§1702(a)(1)(B). And the meaning of “regulate\,” b oth in com\nmon parlance and as Congress uses the word\, does not en\ncomp ass taxing. See ante\, at 14–15. To “regulate\,” accord\ning to th e Government’s preferred definition\, means to “fix\,\nestablish or co ntrol\; to adjust by rule\, method\, or estab\nlished mode\; to direct by rule or restriction\; to subject to\ngoverning principles or laws.” Bri ef for Federal Parties 24 \n(quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 1156 (5th ed . 1979)). Noth\ning in that definition naturally refers to levying taxes. Nor \ndoes Congress ever use the word “regulate” in that way.\nHundr eds of provisions in the U. S. Code give agencies the \nauthority to “re gulate” one thing or another. Yet the Gov\nernment cannot identify a si ngle one that is understood to \ngrant taxing power. See Tr. of Oral Arg. 30. When Con\ngress wants to delegate that power\, it uses a whole differ ent \nvocabulary—terms like “duty\,” “tariff\,” or “surcharg e\,”\nwhich do not appear in IEEPA. See ante\, at 8 (citing repre\nsent ative statutes)\; see also ante\, at 19 (discussing\, in par\nticular\, 19 U. S. C. §1862 (1970 ed.)). And likewise\, when \nCongress means to cove r both regulatory and taxing pow\ners\, it refers to each separately. See ante\, at 15 (also citing\nstatutes). Of course\, Congress knows that tax es can be used \nfor regulatory ends: They can be a means of controlling o r \nadjusting behavior. But Congress still follows the path this\nCourt lo ng ago marked out\, and the one most consonant \nwith ordinary meaning\, o f treating the power to “regulate”\ntrade as “entirely distinct” f rom the power to “levy taxes.” \nGibbons v. Ogden\, 9 Wheat. 1\, 201 –202 (1824)\; see ante\, at \n15. So in granting only the former\, IEEPA excludes the lat\nter: The President has the ability to regulate\, but no t to im\npose taxes on\, imports.\nThe surrounding statutory language conf irms the point.\nAs the principal opinion explains\, “regulate” is one of 9 \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of KAGAN\, J. \n5 \nverb s listed in IEEPA’s delegation provision. See ante\, at \n15. (The othe rs are “investigate\,” “block\,” “direct\,” “compel\ ,” \n“nullify\,” “void\,” “prevent\,” and “prohibit.” §1702(a)(1)(B).)\nThose verbs are followed by 11 objects\, each describin g a\ndistinct sort of transaction involving foreign property—not\njust “importation\,” but also “acquisition\,” “use\,” “transfe r\,”\nand so forth. Ibid. Combine the verbs and objects in all\npossibl e ways\, and the statute authorizes 99 actions a Pres\nident can take to a ddress a foreign threat. And exactly none \nof the other 98 involves rais ing revenues. Rather\, each en\nables the President to impose penalties\, restrictions\, or con\ntrols on foreign commerce. See ante\, at 15. So wh en the \nphrase “regulate . . . importation” is invoked to impose\nqua ntity or quality limits on bringing foreign goods into the \ncountry—for example\, by setting quotas or requiring quar\nantines—the phrase fits well with its 98 neighbors. Just \nlike the rest\, it provides a way to co nstrain or alter various\nforeign transactions. But when that phrase is i nvoked to \nimpose tariffs? Then it becomes the odd man out—the only\non e of 99 permission slips to involve “the core congressional\npower of th e purse.” Ante\, at 8\; see ante\, at 5–6. So even if \n(contra both c onventional and congressional usage) the\nword “regulate” might refer to taxation in some other (hith\nerto undiscovered) statutory context\, it would not do so in\nIEEPA.2\n Likewise\, Congress’s consistent practice in delegating \ntariff power refutes the Government’s position. As the \n—————— \n2The legislative history of IEEPA offers yet more proof that Congress\ndid not authorize taxation. The Senate Report\, in i ts description of the\nstatute\, reduces the 99 authorized actions to the following: the power “to\ncontrol or freeze property transactions where a foreign interest is in\nvolved.” S. Rep. No. 95–466\, p. 5 (1977). The House Report similarly\ndescribes the delegation provision as “auth oriz[ing] the President” to\n“regulate or freeze any property in which any foreign country or a na\ntional thereof has any interest.” H. R. R ep. No. 95–459\, p. 15 (1977). \nNeither of those descriptions at all su ggests that Congress intended to\ncede its taxing power. \n6 \nLEARNING RE SOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of KAGAN\, J. \nprincipal opinion detail s\, Title 19 of the U. S. Code includes \nmultiple provisions granting the President authority to levy \ntariffs. See ante\, at 8–9. But in each and every instance\,\nCongress has not only used specific language (e.g.\, “duty” or \n“surcharge”)\, see supra\, at 4\, but also imposed ti ght re\nstraints on the power given. It has capped the tariff ’s rate \ n(e.g.\, 15%)\; or limited the tariff ’s duration (e.g.\, 150 days)\;\no r established strict procedural conditions before the tariff\ncan take eff ect (e.g.\, investigations\, public hearings\, and re\nports)\; or all of the above. See ante\, at 8–9. What Congress\nhas never done in a tarif f provision is what the Government \nclaims it did here—conferred power on the President to im\npose a tariff of any amount\, for any time\, on on ly his own \nsay-so. And construing IEEPA to give that unparalleled au\nth ority would effectively erase all the carefully confined tar\niff provisio ns in Title 19. For any President could then es\ncape the rigors of those laws—could put in place\, say\, a non\ntime-limited 100% tariff on all f oreign products—by the\nsimple expedient of identifying a foreign threat . That gut\nting of Title 19’s tariff scheme is not what Congress\, whe n\ndelegating power to “regulate” imports\, could have meant \nto acco mplish.\nNor has any President until now understood IEEPA to\nauthorize im posing tariffs. Between 1977 (when IEEPA \nwas enacted) and 2024\, eight P residents had the chance to \nmake use of IEEPA’s delegation of power. And all chose the \nsame course. They invoked the statute’s “regulate importa\ntion” provision for a variety of non-tariff purposes. See ante\ , \nat 10. But they looked elsewhere—to Title 19’s provisions—\nfor tariff authority. See ante\, at 10–11. In other words\, \neach Presiden t read the statutes as Congress wrote them\,\nwith IEEPA enabling him to r egulate imports and Title 19 \nenabling him—in confined situations—to tax those foreign \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of KAGAN\, J . \n7 \ngoods. None\, as far as anyone has suggested\, even consid\nered d oing otherwise.3 \nFor all those reasons\, straight-up statutory construct ion \nresolves this case for me\; I need no major-questions thumb \non the interpretive scales. IEEPA gives the President sig\nnificant authority o ver transactions involving foreign prop\nerty\, including the importation of goods. But in that gener\nous delegation\, one power is conspicuously missing.\nNothing in IEEPA’s text\, nor anything in its context\, ena\nb les the President to unilaterally impose tariffs. And need\nless to say\, without statutory authority\, the President’s tar\niffs cannot stand. Se e ante\, at 5–6. \n—————— \n3Presidents followed the same pr actice\, with one quasi-exception\, un\nder IEEPA’s predecessor statute\ , the Trading with the Enemy Act \n(TWEA). Beginning in 1941\, TWEA author ized the President\, as IEEPA\ndoes now\, to “regulate . . . importati on.” 12 U. S. C. §95a(1)(B) (1940 ed.\, \nSupp. I). During the next t hree decades\, six Presidents used that dele\ngation for only non-tariff e nds\, while relying on Title 19 to levy tariffs. \nIn 1971\, when Presiden t Nixon imposed tariffs in response to a balance\nof-payments deficit\, he continued in that tradition by invoking two stat\nutes (the Tariff Act of 1930 and Trade Expansion Act of 1962) found in \nTitle 19. See Presidenti al Proclamation No. 4074\, 3 CFR 60 (1971–1975 \nComp.). But in defendi ng his act against a legal challenge\, the Depart\nment of Justice argued that even if the two cited statutes did not author\nize the tariffs\, TWEA would do so. That after-the-fact claim of authority \nwas upheld in the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. See United \nStates v. Yoshida Int ’l\, Inc.\, 526 F. 2d 560\, 572\, 577–578 (CCPA 1975)\; \nante\, at 17 . The principal opinion well explains why that single lower \ncourt decisi on about TWEA has no bearing on IEEPA’s meaning. See \nante\, at 17–1 8\, and n. 5. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of JACKSON\, J. \n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \n_________________ \nNos. 24–1 287 and 25–250 \n_________________ \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL.\ , PETITIONERS \n24–1287 \nv. \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI BEFORE JUDGMENT TO THE UNITED \ nSTATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA \nCIRCUIT \nDONALD J . TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n25–2 50 \nv. \nV.O.S. SELECTIONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[February 20\, 2026]\n JUSTICE JACKSON\, concurring in part and concurring in \nthe judg ment. \nI agree with the Court’s conclusion that the International\nEmer gency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not provide\nthe President with the power to tariff. Three of my col\nleagues have reached this result via t he major questions\ndoctrine\, see ante\, at 7–13 (opinion of ROBERTS\, C. J.)—a \nframing that asks\, in essence\, whether Congress “would \n likely have intended” to delegate the authority to tariff to\nthe Presid ent through IEEPA. West Virginia v. EPA\, 597 \nU. S. 697\, 730 (2022) (em phasis added)\; see also id.\, at 722– \n723. While probing Congress’s intent is the right inquiry\,\nmy colleagues speculate needlessly. In my view\, the Court \n2 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of JAC KSON\, J. \ncan\, and should\, consult a statute’s legislative history t o de\ntermine what Congress actually intended the statute to do.\nAs Congr ess undertakes the legislative process\, congres\nsional committees in the Senate and House often generate \nofficial reports that describe Congress ’s aims for the legis\nlation. See R. Katzmann\, Judging Statutes 19–2 0 (2014)\n(Katzmann). Indeed\, there is evidence that lawmakers \nthemselv es pay more attention to these reports than a stat\nute’s text to unders tand the statute’s purpose and meaning. \nA. Gluck &\; L. Bressman\, Statutory Interpretation From the \nInside—An Empirical Study of Congres sional Drafting\,\nDelegation\, and the Canons: Part I\, 65 Stan. L. Rev. 901\, \n965–966\, 968–969 (2013)\; see also Katzmann 37–38. Thus\, \nin contrast to the principal dissent’s rejection of Committee\nReports as a means of ascertaining a statute’s meaning\, \npost\, at 16\, n. 11 (opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.)\, I think these \nSenate and House Reports ar e among the best evidence of \nwhat Congress sought to accomplish with its enactments. \nSee Gluck\, 65 Stan. L. Rev.\, at 965\, 977–978\, 989. \n In the cases now before us\, that evidence shows that Con\ngress did not i ntend for IEEPA to authorize the Executive\nto impose tariffs. Accord\, a nte\, at 5\, n. 2 (KAGAN\, J.\, con\ncurring in part and concurring in jud gment). Instead\, Con\ngress intended to delegate to the President the pow er to \nfreeze and control foreign property transactions. \nFour pieces of the relevant legislative record support this\nconclusion. The first two a re the House and Senate Reports\nthat accompanied the 1941 amendment to IE EPA’s prede\ncessor statute\, the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA).\nFi rst enacted in 1917\, TWEA authorized the President to \ncontrol foreign p roperty during wartime. But some of \nTWEA’s sections delegating this au thority had lapsed\, and \n“there [was] doubt as to the effectiveness of other sections.”\nH. R. Rep. No. 1507\, 77th Cong.\, 1st Sess.\, 2 (194 1). Accord\ningly\, Congress amended TWEA in 1941\, adding the sub\nsecti on that includes the “regulate . . . importation” \n Cite as: 607 U. S . ____ (2026) \nOpinion of JACKSON\, J. \n3 \nlanguage on which the Presid ent relies today. First War \nPowers Act\, 55 Stat. 839–840. The Repor ts explained Con\ngress’s primary purpose for the 1941 amendment: shorin g \nup the President’s ability to control foreign-owned property \nby ma intaining and strengthening the “existing system of \nforeign property c ontrol (commonly known as freezing con\ntrol).” H. R. Rep. No. 1507\, at 2–3\; see also S. Rep. No. 911\,\n77th Cong.\, 1st Sess.\, 2 (1941).1 \ nWhen Congress enacted IEEPA in 1977\, limiting the cir\ncumstances under which the President could exercise his \nemergency authorities\, it kept t he “regulate . . . importa\ntion” language from TWEA. §203(a)(1)(B)\, 91 Stat. 1626.\nThe other two relevant pieces of legislative history—th e\nSenate and House Reports that accompanied IEEPA—\ndemonstrate that Co ngress’s intent regarding the scope of\nthis statutory language remained the same. As the Senate \nReport explained\, Congress’s sole objective for the “regulate \n. . . importation” subsection was to grant the Pr esident the \nemergency authority “to control or freeze property transac \ntions where a foreign interest is involved.” S. Rep. No. 95– \n466\, p. 5 (1977). The House Report likewise described \nIEEPA as empowering t he President to “regulate or freeze \nany property in which any foreign country or a national \nthereof has any interest.” H. R. Rep. No. 95– 459\, p. 15 \n(1977).\nWith this evidence of Congress’s objective\, inte rpreting\nthe text of IEEPA becomes an easy task. Each of the listed \nve rbs—“investigate\, block during the pendency of an inves\ntigation\, r egulate\, direct and compel\, nullify\, void\, prevent \n————— — \n1In addition to maintaining the President’s “freezing control” author\nity\, Congress also sought to authorize the President to seize fo reign prop\nerty and use it to serve the interests of the United States. H. R. Rep. \nNo. 1507\, at 3. To this end\, the 1941 amendment provided t hat foreign\nowned property “shall vest . . . in such agency or person a s may be desig\nnated . . . by the President.” 55 Stat. 840. Congress did not include this \nvesting language in IEEPA. \n4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES \, INC. v. TRUMP \nOpinion of JACKSON\, J. \nor prohibit\,” 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1)(B)—provides a means\nby which the President can freeze or control foreign prop\nerty transactions. See ante\, at 4–5\, and n. 2 ( opinion of \nKAGAN\, J.). Tariffs are different in kind. They are a tax o n\nimports\; a means of generating revenue from transactions\nbetween priv ate parties. See ante\, at 6 (majority opinion).\nBecause tariffs are not a means by which the President can \nfreeze or control foreign assets\, in terpreting IEEPA to au\nthorize tariffs would require the Court to overrid e Con\ngress’s expressed purpose for including the “regulate . . . \ni mportation” language in the statute. \n*\n*\n* \n Like THE CHIEF JUSTI CE’s opinion\, the principal dissent\ndeclines the help of legislative h istory. See post\, at 16\, n. 11 \n(opinion of KAVANAUGH\, J.). The disse nt concludes that \nIEEPA and TWEA are “best understood” as authorizin g tar\niffs\, and that any other interpretation would “not make\nmuch se nse.” Post\, at 24–25\, 29.2 But why would it matter \nwhich interpre tation we think is “best” when Congress has \nalready told us? The leg islative history here plainly estab\nlishes that Congress understood and i ntended IEEPA and \nTWEA to authorize a wholly different type of power: th e \npower to freeze foreign-owned property. And the proper\nrole of the C ourt is to give effect to Congress’s intent\, not\nour own instincts. Se e United States v. American Trucking \nAssns.\, Inc.\, 310 U. S. 534\, 542 (1940). \nIn short\, in these cases\, the legislative history provides \n helpful evidence of “what Congress was trying to do” in\nIEEPA. Katzma nn 38. Given that evidence\, we need not \nspeculate or\, worse\, step in to Congress’s shoes and \n—————— \n2This reasoning appears t o follow the Court’s relatively recent practice\nof picking what it deem s the best reading of a statute without consider\nation of Congress’s in tent. See\, e.g.\, Stanley v. City of Sanford\, 606 U. S. \n46\, 51–54 (2025)\; accord\, id.\, at 96–97\, and n. 12 (JACKSON\, J.\, dissent\nin g). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nOpinion of JACKSON\, J. \n5 \nform ulate our own views about what powers would be best \nto delegate to the P resident for use during an emergency.\nSee ibid.\; J. Hurst\, Dealing With Statutes 33 (1982). When \nCongress tells us why it has included certain language in a\nstatute\, the limited role of the courts in our democratic sys\ntem of government—as interpreters\, not lawmakers—de\nmands that we give effect to the will of the people. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (202 6) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \n_ ________________ \nNos. 24–1287 and 25–250 \n_________________ \nLEARN ING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n24–1287 \nv. \nDONALD J. T RUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI T O THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUI T \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITION ERS \n25–250 \nv. \nV.O.S. SELECTIONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTI ORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[F ebruary 20\, 2026]\n JUSTICE THOMAS\, dissenting. \nI join JUSTICE KAVANAU GH’s principal dissent in full. As \nhe explains\, the Court’s decisio n today cannot be justified \nas a matter of statutory interpretation. Co ngress author\nized the President to “regulate . . . importation.” 50 U. S. C. \n§1702(a)(1)(B). Throughout American history\, the author\nity to “regulate importation” has been understood to include \nthe authori ty to impose duties on imports. Post\, at 9–13\, \n22–29 (KAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting). The meaning of that\nphrase was beyond doubt by the ti me that Congress enacted \nthis statute\, shortly after President Nixon’ s highly publi\ncized duties on imports were upheld based on identical lan \nguage. Post\, at 14–22. The statute that the President relied \non th erefore authorized him to impose the duties on imports \n2 \nLEARNING RESO URCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nat issue in these cases . JUSTICE KAVANAUGH makes clear \nthat the Court errs in concluding otherw ise. \nI write separately to explain why the statute at issue here\nis con sistent with the separation of powers as an original \nmatter. The Constit ution’s separation of powers forbids \nCongress from delegating core leg islative power to the Pres\nident. This principle\, known as the nondelega tion doctrine\,\nis rooted in the Constitution’s Legislative Vesting Cla use \nand Due Process Clause. Art. I\, §1\; Amdt. 5. Both Clauses \nforb id Congress from delegating core legislative power\,\nwhich is the power t o make substantive rules setting the \nconditions for deprivations of life \, liberty\, or property. Nei\nther Clause prohibits Congress from delega ting other kinds\nof power. Because the Constitution assigns Congress many \npowers that do not implicate the nondelegation doctrine\,\nCongress may delegate the exercise of many powers to the\nPresident. Congress has done so repeatedly since the\nfounding\, with this Court’s blessing.\nThe pow er to impose duties on imports can be delegated.1 \nAt the founding\, that power was regarded as one of many \n—————— \n1I refer to char ges on imported goods as “duties\,” not “tariffs” or\n“taxes.” When the government charged money for importing goods\, that\ncharge was historically called a custom or impost\, each of which was a \nkind of “duty.” See N. Webster\, A Compendious Dictionary of the English\nLang uage 75\, 152 (1806)\; Art. I\, §10\, cl. 2. The word “tariff ” prim arily\nreferred to the schedule or table listing such duties\, not the dut ies them\nselves. Webster\, Compendious Dictionary\, at 305. The word “ tax\,” alt\nhough sometimes used loosely to refer to all kinds of moneta ry charges\, \nmore often “exclude[d]” duties on imports. R. Natelson \, What the Con\nstitution Means by “Duties\, Imposts\, and Excise s”—and “Taxes” (Direct \nor Otherwise)\, 66 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 2 97\, 306 (2015). \nIn fact\, although Colonial Americans “staunchly cont ested efforts by \nParliament to ‘tax’ them\,” they often “concede d the authority of the Brit\nish government to regulate commerce through f inancial exactions\,” in\ncluding “prohibitory tariffs.” Ibid. In th e most “widely read” and “uni\nversally approved” response to the Stamp Act\, E. Morgan &\; H. Morgan\, \nThe Stamp Act Crisis 71 (1953)\ , Daniel Dulany wrote: “A Right to impose\nan internal Tax on the Coloni es\, without their Consent for the single \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026 ) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \n3 \npowers over foreign commerce that could be delegated to\nthe President. Power over foreign commerce was not withi n \nthe core legislative power\, and engaging in foreign com\nmerce was re garded as a privilege rather than a right.\nEarly Congresses often delegat ed to the President power to\nregulate foreign commerce\, including throug h duties on im\nports. As I suggested over a decade ago\, the nondelegatio n \ndoctrine does not apply to “a delegation of power to make\nrules gov erning private conduct in the area of foreign\ntrade\,” including rules imposing duties on imports. Depart\nment of Transportation v. Association of American Rail\nroads\, 575 U. S. 43\, 80–81\, n. 5 (2015) (opinion c oncurring \nin judgment). Therefore\, to the extent that the Court relies \non “‘separation of powers principles’” to rule against the\nPres ident\, ante\, at 8 (opinion of ROBERTS\, C. J.)\, it is mis\ntaken. \nI \ nThe nondelegation doctrine is rooted in both the Legisla\ntive Vesting Cl ause and the Due Process Clause. The doc\ntrine ensures that “[t]he Legi slative [Branch] cannot trans\nfer the Power of Making Laws to any other h ands.” J. \nLocke\, Two Treatises of Government §141\, p. 380 (P. Lasl ett \ned. 1964) (Locke) (emphasis deleted). \nImportantly\, \n —————— \nPurpose of Revenue\, is denied\; a Right to regulate their Trade without \ntheir Consent is admitted. The Imposition of a Duty \, may\, in some In\nstances\, be the proper Regulation.” Consideration s on the Propriety of\nImposing Taxes in the British Colonies 34 (2d ed. 1 765) (emphasis de\nleted). Likewise\, Benjamin Franklin famously conceded Britain’s “right \n‘of laying duties to regulate commerce\,’ ” b ut rejected its power to “ ‘lay \ninternal taxes.’ ” B. Bailyn\, The Ideological Origins of the American Rev\nolution 214 (1967)\; see also id.\, at 212 (explaining that colonists denied\nBritain “all right to t ax the colonies\,” but “conceded to it the right to raise\nrevenue thr ough duties on trade”)\; E. Nelson\, The Royalist Revolution\n32 (2014)\ ; C. Becker\, The Declaration of Independence: A Study in the \nHistory of Political Ideas 90 (1922). \n4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHO MAS\, J.\, dissenting \nhowever\, the nondelegation doctrine applies only to Con\ngress’s core legislative power\, not to all of its powers. \nA \ nThe Legislative Vesting Clause grants Congress alone \nthe federal legisl ative power. It requires that “[a]ll legisla\ntive Powers” granted to the Federal Government “shall be \nvested in a Congress of the United St ates.” Art. I\, §1. It \nfollows that those federal legislative powers cannot be exer\ncised by anyone else\, including the President. See Associ a\ntion of American Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 74 (opinion of \nTHOMAS\, J .). \n“Legislative power” for purposes of the Vesting Clause\nmeans th e power to make substantive rules setting the con\nditions for deprivation s of life\, liberty\, or property. I have \ndescribed this power as the “core legislative power” to dis\ntinguish it from other powers that t he Constitution grants \nCongress. Id.\, at 80. Core legislative power inc ludes only \nthe power to make “law” in the “Blackstonian sense of g en\nerally applicable rules of private conduct\,” the violation of\nwhic h results in the deprivation of “core private rights.” Id.\, \nat 73\ , 76. These core private rights are the natural rights\nto life\, liberty\ , and property. See 1 W. Blackstone\, Com\nmentaries on the Laws of Engla nd 123–136 (1765) (Black\nstone)\; C. Nelson\, Adjudication in the Polit ical Branches\, \n107 Colum. L. Rev. 559\, 566–567 (2007). \nThe nondele gation doctrine is also rooted in the Due Pro\ncess Clause. That Clause pr ohibits the Federal Govern\nment from depriving any person of “life\, li berty\, or property\,\nwithout due process of law.” Amdt. 5. The Founde rs mod\neled it on chapter 39 of the Magna Carta\, which prohibited \nthe deprivation of a free man’s private rights “except by the \nlawful jud gment of his peers and by the law of the land.” A. \nHoward\, Magna Car ta: Text and Commentary 45 (rev. ed. \n1998)\; see Obergefell v. Hodges\, 576 U. S. 644\, 723 (2015) \n(THOMAS\, J.\, dissenting). By the founding\ , the Magna \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \ n5 \nCarta was understood to mean that “no subject would be \ndeprived o f a private right—that is\, a right of life\, liberty\, \nor property— except in accordance with ‘the law of the land\,’ \nwhich consisted on ly of statutory and common law.” Asso\nciation of American Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 72 (opinion of \nTHOMAS\, J.) (citing N. Chapman &\; M. McConnell\, Due Pro\ncess as Separation of Powers\, 121 Yale L. J. 1672\, 1688 \n(2012)).\nA rule made by someone other than the legislature\, such\ nas the King\, was not “‘the law of the land.’” Association of \n American Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 72 (opinion of THOMAS\, \nJ.). Chief J ustice Coke famously held invalid the King’s\nproclamation prohibiting n ew buildings in London because \nthe King could not “create any offe nce” “without Parlia\nment.” Case of Proclamations\, 12 Co. Rep. 7 4\, 74–75\, 77\nEng. Rep. 1352\, 1353 (K. B. 1611)\; see Association of Amer\nican Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 72 (opinion of THOMAS\, J.) (ex\npla ining that this principle was associated with chapter 39\nof the Magna Car ta). When the Founders transplanted the\nsame principle into the Due Proce ss Clause\, they ensured \nthat when the government wanted to deprive peop le of the\nfamiliar core private rights of “life\, liberty\, and propert y\,” it\ncould not do so “on the basis of a rule (or a will) not enact ed \nby the legislature.” Id.\, at 75–76. \nB \nNeither the Legislativ e Vesting Clause nor the Due Pro\ncess Clause forbids Congress from delega ting its other pow\ners. As this Court put it two centuries ago\, although Con\ngress cannot delegate powers that are “strictly and\nexclusively l egislative\,” it can “certainly delegate” others. \nWayman v. Southa rd\, 10 Wheat. 1\, 42–43 (1825) (opinion\nfor the Court by Marshall\, C. J.). \nMany of Congress’s powers fall within the core legislative\npowe r subject to the nondelegation doctrine. For example\, \nthe Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate \n6 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. T RUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \ncommerce among the States. Art. I\, §8\ , cl. 3. Congress can\nthus make substantive rules for interstate trade —such as \nby restricting drug shipments across state lines—punisha\nb le with fines or imprisonment. Cf. Gonzales v. Raich\, 545 \nU. S. 1\, 58 (2005) (THOMAS\, J.\, dissenting). Likewise\, the \nConstitution gives Co ngress many other powers that impli\ncate life\, liberty\, and property\, including the power to pro\nvide for the punishment of counterfeiting\, Ar t. I\, §8\, cl. 6\; \nthe power to provide for the punishment of treason\ , Art. III\, \n§3\, cl. 2\; and the power to impose internal taxes\, Art. I\, §8\, \ncl. 1\; Amdt. 16. These powers cannot be delegated\, as I hav e \nrepeatedly explained. See\, e.g.\, Association of American \nRailroads \, 575 U. S.\, at 77 (opinion of THOMAS\, J.)\; Whit\nman v. American Truc king Assns.\, Inc.\, 531 U. S. 457\, 487 \n(2001) (THOMAS\, J.\, concurrin g). They cannot be delegated\neven if Congress delegates them unambiguous ly. Cf. ante\, \nat 8 (opinion of ROBERTS\, C. J.).\nCongress also has man y powers that are not subject to\nthe nondelegation doctrine. “We now t hink of the powers \nlisted in Article I\, Section 8 as quintessentially l egislative \npowers\, but many of them were actual\, former\, or asserted \npowers of the Crown\, which the drafters decided to allocate\nto the leg islative branch.” M. McConnell\, The President \nWho Would Not Be King 2 74 (2020) (McConnell)\; accord\, \nZivotofsky v. Kerry\, 576 U. S. 1\, 36 (2015) (THOMAS\, J.\, con\ncurring in judgment in part and dissenting in p art). These \ninclude the powers to raise and support armies\, to fix the \nstandards of weights and measures\, to grant copyrights\, to \ndispose of federal property\, and\, as discussed below\, to reg\nulate foreign com merce. Art. I\, §8\; Art. IV\, §3. None of \nthese powers involves set ting the rules for the deprivation\nof core private rights. Blackstone cal led them “prerogative” \npowers\, and sometimes “executive.” See 1 Blackstone 242\, \n245\, 255–262\, 264–265\, 276\, 279\; 2 id.\, at 407\, 410 (1766)\;\n1 W. Crosskey\, Politics and the Constitution in the H istory \nof the United States 416\, 421–425 (1953)\; McConnell 274– \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \n7 \n275. By o ne count\, 13 of the 29 powers given to Congress in \nArticle I were power s that “Blackstone described as ‘execu\ntive’ powers.” 1 Crosskey \, Politics and the Constitution\, at \n428. \nFor most of American histor y\, the nondelegation doctrine\nwas understood not to apply to these power s. Contra\, ante\, \nat 42–46 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). “The earl y congresses\nfelt free to delegate certain powers to President Washington \nin broad terms.” McConnell 333. Thus\, the Constitution \ngives Congr ess the power to support armies\, Art. I\, §8\, cl.\n12\, but Congress in 1789 delegated to the President the \npower to establish regulations for benefits to veterans\nwounded in the Revolutionary War. See Act of Sept. 29\,\n1789\, ch. 24\, 1 Stat. 95. The Constitution gives Congress\nthe po wer to grant patents\, Art. I\, §8\, cl. 8\, but Congress in\n1790 delega ted to executive officials the power to grant pa\ntents in their discretio n. See Act of Apr. 10\, 1790\, ch. 7\, §1\, \n1 Stat. 109–110. The Co nstitution gives Congress the \npower to borrow money\, Art. I\, §8\, cl. 2\, but Congress in \n1790 delegated to the President the power to borrow up to \n$12 million on behalf of the United States in his discretion. \nS ee Act of Aug. 4\, 1790\, §2\, 1 Stat. 139. The Constitution \ngives Cong ress the power to raise armies\, Art. I\, §8\, cl. 12\, \nbut Congress in 1791 delegated to the President the power \nto raise an army of 2\,000 tr oops in his discretion. See Act \nof Mar. 3\, 1791\, §8\, 1 Stat. 223. An d\, as I explain further \nbelow\, see infra\, at 13–15\, the Constituti on gives Congress \nthe power to regulate foreign commerce\, Art. I\, §8\ , cl. 3\, but \nearly Congresses often delegated to the President the powe r \nto regulate foreign commerce. See\, e.g.\, Act of July 22\, 1790\,\nch . 33\, 1 Stat. 137\; Act of June 4\, 1794\, ch. 41\, 1 Stat. 372. \nThese early delegations had one thing in common: They\ndid not implicate the Leg islative Vesting Clause or the Due \nProcess Clause. “None of these stat utes disturbed natural \nrights or intruded into the core of the legislati ve power.” \nMcConnell 333\; cf. A. Bamzai\, Comment\, Delegation and \n 8 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nInterp retive Discretion: Gundy\, Kisor\, and the Formation \nand Future of Admin istrative Law\, 133 Harv. L. Rev. 164\, \n178 (2019). They therefore did n ot violate the nondelega\ntion doctrine. \nThe Constitutional Convention s eemed to agree with this \nunderstanding of delegation. \nContra\, ante\, at 42 \n(GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). James Madison proposed an\namendment clarifying that the President had the power “‘to \nexecute such other powers’” as were “‘delegated by the na\ntional Legislature\,’ ” so long as the delegated powers were \n“‘“not Legislative nor Ju diciary in their nature.”’” 1 Rec\nords of the Federal Convention of 1787\, p. 67 (M. Farrand\ned. 1966). Thus\, in Madison’s view\, some of Congress’s pow\ners were “not Legislative” and could be “delega ted” to the\nPresident. Ibid. Madison’s proposal was rejected after ot h\ners argued that it was unnecessary. Ibid. Madison agreed \nthat the pu rpose of the proposed amendment was only to\n“prevent doubts and miscons tructions.” Ibid. Nobody dis\nputed that Madison stated the correct sc ope of the nondele\ngation doctrine. Ibid.\; see also McConnell 332 (“[ W]e can \ninfer [from Madison’s motion] that the framers understood \nth at Congress would be able to delegate its royal preroga\ntive powers back to the President”).2 \n—————— \n2Thus\, although many used the word “legislative” in the broader sense \nto describe powers that should initially belong to the legislature\, ante\, at \n42–43 (GORSUCH \, J.\, concurring)\, the Founders likely understood the \nLegislative Ves ting Clause to refer more narrowly to “core legislative \npower\,” Dep artment of Transportation v. Association of American Rail\nroads\, 575 U. S. 43\, 80 (2015) (THOMAS\, J.\, concurring in judgment). That \nundersta nding accorded with the views of separation-of-powers theorists \nof the t ime\, who distinguished the three core functions of government \nfrom the institutions that would exercise them in any given polity. S. \nPrakash & amp\; M. Ramsey\, Foreign Affairs and the Jeffersonian Executive\, \n89 Mi nn. L. Rev 1591\, 1612–1617 (2005)\; see 1 B. de Montesquieu\, The \nSpi rit of Laws 151–153 (T. Nugent transl.\, rev. ed. 1899). For nondele\ng ation purposes\, therefore\, “[t]he key is to distinguish between strict ly \nlegislative authority—the power to make rules binding on persons or \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nII \n9 \nA s a matter of original understanding\, historical practice\,\nand judicial precedent\, the power to impose duties on im\nports is not within the cor e legislative power. Congress can \ntherefore delegate the exercise of th is power to the Presi\ndent. \nA \nNeither of the two constitutional found ations for the non\ndelegation doctrine forbids Congress from delegating t o the \nPresident the power to impose duties on imports. \n1 \nThe Legisla tive Vesting Clause provides no basis for ap\nplying the nondelegation doc trine to the power to impose\nduties on imports.\n“The ‘power over ext ernal affairs [is] in origin and essen\ntial character different from that over internal affairs.’” \nHaaland v. Brackeen\, 599 U. S. 255\, 356 (2023) (THOMAS\, \nJ.\, dissenting) (quoting United States v. Curtiss-Wri ght Ex\nport Corp.\, 299 U. S. 304\, 319 (1936)). Although internal\naffa irs are governed by the domestic law of one sovereign\, \nexternal affairs implicate the relationship between sover\neigns\, which is subject to the law of nations. See Locke \n§§145–148\, at 383–384\; 1 Blackstone 2 64\; 4 id.\, at 66–68 \n(1769)\; E. de Vattel\, The Law of Nations 161 –163\, 281–289\n(J. Chitty ed. 1852) (Vattel). External affairs\, the n\, are not \nsusceptible to being “directed by antecedent\, standing\, pos\nitive Laws” made by one nation. Locke §147\, at 384. When \na pe rson goes abroad\, he must resort to the political \nbranches (and ultimat ely the military)—rather than the ju\ndiciary—for protection\, can ind ebt the executive to foreign \nnations for his personal misconduct\, and c an trigger a for\neign conflict. See Vattel 161–163\, 281–289\; 2 F. Wharton\, \n—————— \nproperty within the nation—and other po wers assigned to Congress.” \nMcConnell 327. \n10 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nDigest of International Law § 222\, pp. 575–576 (2d ed.\n1887)\; see also id.\, §§189\, 213–221\, at 432–445\, 539–575. \nThe power to regulate external affairs was acc ordingly\nnot viewed as within the core legislative power at the found\nin g. See Zivotofsky\, 576 U. S.\, at 35–37 (opinion of THOMAS\, \nJ.). Bla ckstone described powers over “intercourse with for\neign nations” a s “prerogative” powers naturally belonging \nto the King. 1 Blackstone 245\; see id.\, at 232. Locke agreed\nthat this power “must be lodged ” with the “executive.” Zi\nvotofsky\, 576 U. S.\, at 35 (opinion o f THOMAS\, J.) (citing\nLocke §148). Baron de Montesquieu classified all powers\n“in respect to things dependent on the law of nations” as\npar t of “the executive power.” 1 The Spirit of Laws 151 (T. \nNugent tra nsl.\, rev. ed. 1899). The “legislative” power\, by\ncontrast\, “ap plied only within the realm.” McConnell 214. \nThe power to regulate ex ternal affairs included power\nover foreign commerce. At the founding\, th e “external ex\necutive power” included “‘the transactions of the state with \nany other independent state.’” Zivotofsky\, 576 U. S.\, at 36 \n(opinion of THOMAS\, J.). In Great Britain\, the King had no\nuni lateral legislative power\, McConnell 107\, but he had \nmuch unilateral p ower over foreign commerce. His power\nover foreign commerce included the power to “govern for\neign trade\,” id.\, at 216\, and to “prohibit any of his subjects\nfrom leaving the realm\,” 1 Blackstone 261\; accord \, East In\ndia Co. v. Sandys\, Skin. 223\, 223–224\, 90 Eng. Rep. 103 \ n(K. B. 1684) (describing the “inherent prerogative in the \nCrown\, tha t none should trade with foreigners without the \nKing’s licence”). Th omas Rutherforth’s Institutes of Natu\nral Law—“a treatise routinely cited by the Founders\,” Zivo\ntofsky\, 576 U. S.\, at 36 (opinion of T HOMAS\, J.)—explained \nthat the “external executive power” includ ed “the power of\nadjusting the rights of a nation in respect of . . . t rade.” 2 \nInstitutes of Natural Law 55–56 (1756)\; accord\, Locke §1 46\,\nat 383. The power to impose duties on imports was a con\nventional m ethod for governing foreign trade. It originated \n Cite as: 607 U. S. __ __ (2026) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \n11 \nas a “prerogative right” o f the King\, N. Gras\, Early English\nCustoms System 21 (1918).3 \n2 \nThe Due Process Clause likewise provides no basis for ap\nplying the nondeleg ation doctrine to the power to impose\nduties on imports. The Due Process Clause protects \n“rights\,” not “privileges.” Gutierrez v. Saenz \, 606 U. S. 305\, \n331 (2025) (THOMAS\, J.\, dissenting). Importing is a matter \nof privilege.\nThe government can charge money for privileges w ithout\ndepriving a person of property for due-process purposes. \nThe gov ernment charges people money every day for a wide \nrange of activities\, such as to enter a government park\, mail\nan envelope\, apply for a copyr ight\, or file a lawsuit. Be\ncause a person has no core private right to engage in these\nactivities\, the government is not subject to due-proces s re\nstraints in setting such charges. The due-process question \nis not whether a government action “‘raise[s] revenue\,’” \nante\, at 6 (majority opinion)\, but whether it implicates core\nprivate rights. Supr a\, at 3–4. Thus\, when Congress dele\ngates power to make “regulati ons” on federal land\, the Sec\nretary of Agriculture can set a “cha rge” for the “privilege of \ngrazing sheep” on that land without t hereby “exercis[ing]\nthe legislative power.” United States v. Grimaud \, 220 U. S. \n506\, 522–523 (1911)\; see also Bamzai\, 133 Harv. L. Rev .\, at\n180–182\; contra\, ante\, at 8 (opinion of ROBERTS\, C. J.). Co n\ngress has\, consistent with due process\, delegated the power \nto set charges for a wide range of privileges. See 16 U. S. C. \n§6802 (delegati ng the power to set fees for entrance to and \n—————— \n3See a lso P. Einzig\, The Control of the Purse: Progress and Decline of\nParliam ent’s Financial Control 65 (1959) (“[T]he origin of the term ‘cus\ ntoms’ is that it had been the ancient customary practice of the Crown t o\nlevy charges on imports and exports on its own authority”). Parliame nt \ntook some of that prerogative power away\, but delegated it back in b road\nterms to the King\, see id.\, at 65–70\, who was still agreed to h ave no leg\nislative power\, McConnell 107–110. \n12 \nLEARNING RESOURCE S\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nuse of federal recreation a reas)\; 17 U. S. C. §1316 (delegat\ning the power to “by regulation set reasonable fees” for ap\nplications)\; 39 U. S. C. §3622 (delegating t he power to set \npostal rates)\; 28 U. S. C. §1911 (“The Supreme Court may \nfix the fees to be charged by its clerk”). \nA person had no core private right to import goods at the \nfounding. On the Founders’ under standing\, statutes allow\ning “importation of goods from abroad were th ought to cre\nate mere privileges rather than core private rights.” Nel \nson\, 107 Colum. L. Rev.\, at 580. Foreign commerce was\ngoverned by the law of nations\, which is a law of “sover\neigns\,” not of “private individuals.” Vattel 285. “[A]ny at\ntempt to introduce foreign g oods” without the “expressed al\nlowances” of the sovereign was “a violation of its \nsovereignty.” Cross v. Harrison\, 16 How. 164\, 196 (1854).\n“Every state” had “a right to prohibit the entrance of for eign \nmerchandises\,” including through the imposition of duties \non i mports. Vattel §§90\, 99\, at 38\, 43. Because “no one had \na veste d right to import” any “goods from abroad\,” the im\nposition of “tariffs” as a condition for importing those goods\ndid not implicate the Due Process Clause any more than \nwhen the government charges money for other privileges. \nNelson\, 107 Colum. L. Rev.\, at 580. \n*\n*\n* \n The power to impose duties on imports thus does not im\nplicate either of the constitutional foundations for the non\ndelegation doctrine. Hence\, e ven the strongest critics of del\negation\, myself included\, have recogni zed that regulations\nof foreign commerce might not be subject to ordinary non\ndelegation limitations. See FCC v. Consumers’ Research\, \n606 U. S. 656\, 742\, n. 19 (2025) (GORSUCH\, J.\, dissenting) \n(“[I]t may be . . . that tariffs and domestic taxes present dif\nferent contexts when it comes to the problem of delega\ntion”)\; accord\, Association of Americ an Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, \nat 80\, and n. 5 (opinion of THOMAS\, J.). S o long as Congress \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, disse nting \n13 \ncomplies with other constitutional limitations\, it can dele\ ngate this power. \nB \nHistorical practice and precedent confirm that Con gress \ncan delegate the power to impose duties on imports. \n1 \nSince th e 1790s\, Congress has consistently delegated to\nthe President power over foreign commerce\, including the \npower to impose duties on imports. “‘Practically every vol\nume of the United States Statutes’” con tains broad delega\ntions to the President in the area of foreign commerce . Id.\, \nat 80\, n. 5 (quoting Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 U. S.\, \nat 324).\nThe First Congress gave the President the power to “pre\nsc ribe” “rules and regulations” that would “gover[n]” any \nperson licensed to trade with Indians. 1 Stat. 137. Trade \nwith Indians was r egarded as “a matter of external rela\ntions.” McConnell 333. In dele gating this power\, Congress \ndid not specify or limit what kinds of regu lations the Presi\ndent could impose. Act of July 22\, 1790\, 1 Stat. 137 –138. \nPursuant to that broad delegation\, the President restricted \nt rading “[d]istilled [s]pirits\,” required each trader to “give\ninte lligence” to the Government\, and subdelegated to his \nsuperintendents the power to “assign the limits within \nwhich each trader shall trade .” 61 Timothy Pickering Pa\npers\, Massachusetts Historical Society 4 (A ug. 28\, 1790)\;\nsee also Letter from G. Washington to H. Knox (Aug. 13\, \n1790)\, in 6 Papers of George Washington 244–245 (D.\nTwohig ed. 1996) . Any person who violated the President’s\nregulations would owe $1\,00 0 “payable to the President.” 1 \nStat. 137.\n Succeeding early Congre sses delegated many more pow\ners over foreign commerce to the President. In 1794\, Con\ngress delegated to the President the power to “lay an \n1 4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nembarg o on all ships and vessels in the ports of the United\nStates\,” includi ng ships belonging to Americans\, unless \nCongress was in session. Act o f June 4\, 1794\, 1 Stat. 372. \nIt authorized the President to make “su ch regulations as\nthe circumstances of the case may require” in exercis ing\nthat delegated power. Ibid. Congress allowed the Presi\ndent to impos e the embargo as “in his opinion\, the public \nsafety shall so requir e.” Ibid. In 1795\, Congress delegated \nto the President the power to “permit the exportation of\narms\, cannon and military stores\, the law prohibiting the \nexportation of the same to the contrary notwithstanding .”\nAct of Mar. 3\, 1795\, ch. 53\, 1 Stat. 444. In 1798\, Congress\nde legated to the President the power to discontinue “prohi\nbitions and re straints” on commerce with France. Act of \nJune 13\, 1798\, 1 Stat. 565–566\; see also\, e.g.\, Act of Mar. 3\, \n1817\, ch. 39\, 3 Stat. 361–362 (delegating to the President \nthe power to discontinue a ban on importation of plaster of \nParis). In 1799\, Congress delegated to the P resident the \nauthority to discontinue and to reimpose “restraints and\ nprohibitions” on commerce with France when he “deem[ed] \nit expedien t and consistent with the interest of the United\nStates.” Act of Feb. 9\, 1799\, 1 Stat. 615. And\, in 1800\, Con\ngress delegated to the Presi dent the power to remove a ban \non trade with France\, and to “re-estab lish” certain “re\nstraints and prohibitions” when he “deem[ed] it expedient.” \nAct of Feb. 27\, 1800\, 2 Stat. 9–10.4 \nCongress likew ise delegated to the President the power \nto set duties on imports. In 18 15\, Congress delegated to the \nPresident the power to lower reciprocal d uties when he was \n“satisfied” that other nations’ trade practices no longer op\nerated “to the disadvantage of the United States.” Act of \nMar. 3\, 1815\, ch. 77\, 3 Stat. 224. In 1824\, Congress \n—————— \n4 JUSTICE GORSUCH’s interpretation of two “ear ly congressional de\nbates\,” ante\, at 43 (concurring opinion)\, is thu s difficult to reconcile with\nwhat early Congresses actually did. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \n15 \ndelegated to the President the power to lower and to reim\npose duties in response to f oreign nations’ trade practices.\nSee Act of Jan. 7\, 1824\, 4 Stat. 2 –3. Throughout the early \ndecades of the Republic\, Congress continued to delegate to\nthe President similar powers over duties on imports on a \nregular basis. See\, e.g.\, Act of May 24\, 1828\, ch. 111\, 4 Stat.\n30 8\; Act of May 31\, 1830\, ch. 219\, 4 Stat. 425\; Act of July \n13\, 1832 \, ch. 207\, 4 Stat. 578–579. Presidents frequently\nchanged the rates of duties on imports as to various foreign\nnations pursuant to these dele gations.5 \n2 \nThis Court has consistently upheld Congress’s delegation \nof power over foreign commerce\, including the power to im\npose duties on imports. \nThe Court has long conveyed to Congress that it may “in\n vest the President with large discretion in matters arising\nout of the ex ecution of statutes relating to trade and com\nmerce with other nations. ” Marshall Field &\; Co. v. Clark\, \n143 U. S. 649\, 691 (1892). Si nce shortly after the founding\, \nthe Court has rejected challenges to de legations of power \nover foreign commerce. See Cargo of Brig Aurora v. Un ited \n—————— \n5See\, e.g.\, July 24\, 1818\, Proclamation of President J. Monroe\, in 2 \nMessages and Papers of the Presidents 606– 607 (J. Richardson ed. 1897)\n(eliminating duties on “goods\, wares\, an d merchandise imported into the\nUnited States” as to the Free Hanseatic city of Bremen)\; see also\, e.g.\, \nAug. 1\, 1818\, Proclamation of Pre sident J. Monroe\, in 2 id.\, at 607\; May \n4\, 1820\, Proclamation of Pr esident J. Monroe\, in 2 id.\, at 642\; Aug. 20\, \n1821\, Proclamation of President J. Monroe\, in 2 id.\, at 665–666\; Nov. 22\, \n1821\, Procla mation of President J. Monroe\, in 2 id.\, at 666–667\; June 7\, \n1827\ , Proclamation of President J. Quincy Adams\, in 2 id.\, at 942–943\; \n July 1\, 1828\, Proclamation of President J. Quincy Adams\, in 2 id.\, at \n970–971\; May 11\, 1829\, Proclamation of President A. Jackson\, in 3 id.\, \nat 1003\; June 3\, 1829\, Proclamation of President A. Jackson\, i n 3 id.\, at \n1004–1005\; Apr. 28\, 1835\, Proclamation of President A. Jackson\, in 3 id.\, \nat 1365–1366\; Sept. 1\, 1836\, Proclamation of President A. Jackson\, in 3 \nid.\, at 1452–1453\; June 14\, 1837\, Proc lamation of President M. Van Bu\nren\, in 4 id.\, at 1539. \n16 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nStates\, 7 Cranch 382\, 386\, 387–389 (1813). Even when a \n“challenged delegation\, if it were confined to internal af\nfairs\, would be invalid\,” the Court h as upheld the delega\ntion. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 U. S.\, at 3 15\, 322. \nThere is a “fundamental” difference\, the Court has ex\npl ained\, between “foreign or external affairs” and “domestic\nor inte rnal affairs.” Id.\, at 315. Thus\, “Congress may of \ncourse delegate very large grants of its power over foreign \ncommerce to the President\, ” Chicago &\; Southern Air Lines\, \nInc. v. Waterman S. S. Corp.\, 3 33 U. S. 103\, 109 (1948)\, in\ncluding when it comes to imposing “dut ies” on imports\, \nCurtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 U. S.\, at 325\, n . 2. \nWhen Congress has delegated to the President the power\nto impose d uties on imports\, this Court has upheld those \ndelegations. In Clark\, 1 43 U. S. 649\, the Court upheld Con\ngress’s delegation to the President of the power to impose \nduties on nations whose importation policies “ he may deem\nto be reciprocally unequal and unreasonable.” Id.\, at 680 . \nIt explained that Congress had “frequently\, from the organ\nization of the government to the present time\,” conferred\npowers over “trad e and commerce” to “the President.” Id.\, \nat 683. In J. W. Hampto n\, Jr.\, &\; Co. v. United States\, 276 \nU. S. 394 (1928)\, the Court upheld a delegation to the Pres\nident to impose duties as necessary up t o statutorily limited \nrates to make them reciprocal. Id.\, at 401\, 409. And\, in \nFederal Energy Administration v. Algonquin SNG\, Inc.\, 426 \n U. S. 548 (1976)\, the Court upheld a delegation of the power \nto impose a universal duty on imported oil. Id.\, at 555\, 558– \n560 .6 \n—————— \n6The Court has even suggested that the President has inherent peace\ntime authority to impose duties on imports. After th e Mexican-American \nWar ended\, executive officials imposed duties on imp orts at a California\nport within the United States before Congress had “passed an act to ex\ntend the collection of tonnage and import duties t o the ports of Califor\nnia.” Cross v. Harrison\, 16 How. 164\, 190 (18 54)\; see also id.\, at 192\, \n194–196. The executive officials unilat erally extended Congress’s earlier \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nT HOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \n17 \nAlthough these cases involved duties on imp orts\, the\nCourt nowhere suggested that a different nondelegation\nrule a pplied because the duty was a “tax” or “raise[d] reve\nnue.” Ante\ , at 6 (majority opinion) (internal quotation \nmarks omitted).7 \nIII \nC ongress’s delegation here was constitutional. The stat\nute at issue in these cases\, the International Emergency \nEconomic Powers Act\, delegat es to the President a wide\nrange of powers over foreign commerce. IEEPA gives the \nPresident\, on conditions satisfied here\, the power to “reg u\nlate” foreign commerce\, including “importation” of foreign \npro perty. 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1)(B). \nIEEPA’s delegation of power to imp ose duties on imports\ncomplies with the nondelegation doctrine. Congress dele\ngated to the President a version of the same power that it\nhas del egated to him in many statutes since the early days\nof the Republic. See supra\, at 13–17. Congress limited that \ndelegation to foreign commerc e. See §1702(a)(1)(B)\; see\nalso §1701. In delegating the power to imp ose duties on \nimports\, it gave the President no core legislative power to \nmake substantive rules setting the conditions for depriva\ntions of l ife\, liberty\, or property. Its delegation therefore\ncomplied with the c onstitutional separation of powers and \nis consistent with centuries of p ractice and precedent. It \ndid not need to exercise that power itself an d did not need \nto delegate it “unambiguously”—even though\, as JUS TICE \n—————— \nauthorized duties to new ports. Id.\, at 193. Although the Court’s rea\nsoning was somewhat opaque\, the Court uphel d the executive officials’ \nunilateral peacetime duties in part because nobody has a right to “intro\nduce foreign goods” except with the sov ereign’s “expressed allowances.” \nId.\, at 196–197. \n7In fact\, less than a year ago\, the Court explicitly rejected “a special\nnondele gation rule for revenue-raising legislation.” FCC v. Consumers’ \nRes earch\, 606 U. S. 656\, 674 (2025). \n18 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TR UMP \nTHOMAS\, J.\, dissenting \nKAVANAUGH explains\, it did. See post\, a t 38–45 (dissenting \nopinion).\nThe principal opinion bases its decisio n on the major\nquestions doctrine. Ante\, at 7–13 (opinion of ROBERTS\, \nC. J.). In some cases\, the Court has used the major ques\ntions doctri ne as a canon of statutory interpretation be\ncause delegations of major p owers are unlikely to be subtle.\nSee\, e.g.\, Whitman\, 531 U. S.\, at 46 8\; see ante\, at 8 (opinion\nof ROBERTS\, C. J.)\; see also Biden v. Nebr aska\, 600 U. S. \n477\, 501–503 (2023). In other cases\, the Court has used it \nto avoid what would have been originally understood as an\nunco nstitutional delegation of legislative power. See\, e.g.\, \nWest Virgini a v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 723 (2022)\; ante\, at 8 \n(opinion of ROBERTS\ , C. J.). In today’s cases\, neither the\nstatutory text nor the Consti tution provide a basis for rul\ning against the President. I respectfully dissent. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \ n1 \nSUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES \n_________________ \nNos. 24–12 87 and 25–250 \n_________________ \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC.\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n24–1287 \nv. \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF \n APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT \nDONALD J. TRUMP\, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED \nSTATES\, ET AL.\, PETITIONERS \n25–250 \nv. \nV.O.S. SE LECTIONS\, INC.\, ET AL. \nON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COUR T OF \nAPPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT \n[February 20\, 2026]\n JUSTICE KA VANAUGH\, with whom JUSTICE THOMAS and \nJUSTICE ALITO join\, dissenting. \nActing pursuant to his statutory authority to “regulate \n. . . import ation” under the 1977 International Emergency \nEconomic Powers Act\, or IEEPA\, the President has imposed \ntariffs on imports of foreign goods f rom various countries.\nThe tariffs have generated vigorous policy debates . Those \npolicy debates are not for the Federal Judiciary to resolve.\nR ather\, the Judiciary’s more limited role is to neutrally\ninterpret and apply the law. The sole legal question here is \nwhether\, under IEEPA\, tariffs are a means to “regulate . . . \nimportation.” \nStatutory te xt\, history\, and precedent\ndemonstrate that the answer is clearly yes: Like quotas\nand embargoes\, tariffs are a traditional and common tool to \nregulate importation. \n2 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAU GH\, J.\, dissenting \nSince early in U. S. history\, Congress has regular ly \nauthorized the President to impose tariffs on imports of\nforeign goo ds. Presidents have often used that authority to\nobtain leverage with for eign nations\, help American \nmanufacturers and workers compete on a more level \nplaying field\, and generate revenue for the United States.\nNume rous laws such as the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 \nand the Trade Act of 1 974 continue to authorize the \nPresident to place tariffs on foreign impo rts in a variety of\ncircumstances\, and Presidents have often done so. In \nrecent years\, Presidents George W. Bush\, Obama\, and \nBiden have all imposed tariffs on foreign imports under\nthose statutory authorities.\nP resident Trump has similarly imposed tariffs\, and has \ndone so here unde r IEEPA. During declared national\nemergencies\, IEEPA broadly authorizes the President to \nregulate international economic transactions. \nMost \n relevant for this case\, during those national emergencies\, \nIEEPA grant s the President the power to “regulate . . . \nimportation” of foreign goods.\nIn early 2025\, President Trump declared two national \nemergenci es pursuant to the National Emergencies Act.\nSee 50 U. S. C. §1621(a). One emergency concerned drug \ntrafficking into the United States. The ot her emergency\ninvolved trade imbalances with foreign nations that have \n harmed American manufacturers and workers. \nTo help address those emergen cies\, the President drew \nupon his authority in IEEPA to “regulate . . . importation\,”\nand he imposed tariffs on imports from various countr ies.\nThe plaintiffs argue and the Court concludes that the\nPresident lac ks authority under IEEPA to impose tariffs. I \ndisagree. In accord with Judge Taranto’s careful and \npersuasive opinion in the Federal Circuit\ , I would conclude\nthat the President’s power under IEEPA to “regulat e . . . \nimportation” encompasses tariffs. As a matter of ordinary\nmea ning\, including dictionary definitions and historical \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n3 \nusage\, the broad power to “regulate . . . importation”\nincludes the traditional and common means to do so—in \nparticular\, quotas\, embargoes\, and tariffs. \nHis tory and precedent confirm that conclusion. In 1971\, \nPresident Nixon i mposed 10 percent tariffs on almost all \nforeign imports. He levied the t ariffs under IEEPA’s \npredecessor statute\, the Trading with the Enemy Act\,\nwhich similarly authorized the President to “regulate\n. . . impo rtation.” The Nixon tariffs were upheld in court. \nMoreover\, in 1976\, a year before IEEPA was enacted\, this\nCourt unanimously ruled that a si milarly worded statute\nauthorizing the President to “adjust the impor ts” permitted\nPresident Ford to impose monetary exactions on foreign oi l \nimports. See Federal Energy Administration v. Algonquin \nSNG\, Inc.\, 426 U. S. 548 (1976) (Algonquin).\nFor both the Nixon tariffs and the For d tariffs upheld by\nthis Court in Algonquin\, the relevant statutory prov isions\ndid not specifically refer to “tariffs” or “duties\,” but instead\nmore broadly authorized the President to “regulate . . . \nimpo rtation” or to “adjust the imports.” Therefore\, when \nIEEPA was e nacted in 1977 in the wake of the Nixon and \nFord tariffs and the Algonqu in decision\, Congress and the\npublic plainly would have understood that the power to\n“regulate . . . importation” included tariffs. If Congr ess\nwanted to exclude tariffs from IEEPA\, it surely would not \nhave ena cted the same broad “regulate . . . importation”\nlanguage that had ju st been used to justify major American\ntariffs on foreign imports.\nImpor tantly\, IEEPA’s authorization for the President to \nimpose tariffs did not grant the President any new \nsubstantive power. Since the Founding\, numerous statutes\nhave authorized—and still do authorize—the Preside nt to \nimpose tariffs and other foreign import restrictions. IEEPA \nmer ely allows the President to impose tariffs somewhat\nmore efficiently to d eal with foreign threats during national \nemergencies. \n4 \nLEARNING RES OURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nContext and common sense buttress that interpretation\nof IEEPA. The plaintiffs and the Court acknowledge that \nIEEPA authorizes the President to impose quotas or\nem bargoes on foreign imports—meaning that a President \ncould completely b lock some or all imports. But they say\nthat IEEPA does not authorize the President to employ the \nlesser power of tariffs\, which simply conditio n imports on a \npayment. As they interpret the statute\, the President \n could\, for example\, block all imports from China but cannot \norder even a $1 tariff on goods imported from China.\nThat approach does not make mu ch sense. Properly read\,\nIEEPA does not draw such an odd distinction be tween \nquotas and embargoes on the one hand and tariffs on the \nother. \ nRather\, it empowers the President to regulate\nimports during national e mergencies with the tools \nPresidents have traditionally and commonly use d\, \nincluding quotas\, embargoes\, and tariffs. \nThe Court today noneth eless concludes otherwise and\nholds that IEEPA does not authorize the Pre sident to \nimpose tariffs to deal with the declared drug trafficking and\ ntrade deficit emergencies. But the Court’s decision is \nsplintered. I n today’s six-Justice majority\, three Justices \n(JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR\, J USTICE KAGAN\, and JUSTICE \nJACKSON) interpret IEEPA not to authorize tar iffs as a \nmatter of ordinary statutory interpretation. I disagree for\n the reasons noted above and elaborated on at length in this \nopinion.\nTh ree other Justices (THE CHIEF JUSTICE\, JUSTICE \nGORSUCH\, and JUSTICE BA RRETT) lean on the major\nquestions canon of statutory interpretation to r esolve this \ncase. That important canon requires “clear congressional\n authorization” for an executive action of major economic\nand political significance\, particularly when the Executive \nexercises an “unheral ded” power. West Virginia v. EPA\, \n597 U. S. 697\, 722–723 (2022) (q uotation marks omitted). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J .\, dissenting \n5 \nIn my view\, as I will explain\, the major questions canon\ndoes not control here for two alternative and independent \nreasons . \nFirst\, the statutory text\, history\, and precedent\nconstitute “cl ear congressional authorization” for the \nPresident to impose tariffs u nder IEEPA. In particular\,\nthroughout American history\, Presidents hav e commonly \nimposed tariffs as a means to “regulate . . . importation .” So \ntariffs were not an “unheralded” power when Congress\nenacte d IEEPA in 1977 and authorized the President to \n“regulate . . . import ation” of foreign goods. Therefore\, the \nmajor questions doctrine is satisfied here. Cf. Biden v. \nMissouri\, 595 U. S. 87 (2022) (per curiam) .\nSecond\, in any event\, the Court has never before applied\nthe major q uestions doctrine in the foreign affairs context\,\nincluding foreign trad e. Rather\, as Justice Robert Jackson \nsummarized and remains true\, thi s Court has always\nrecognized the “‘unwisdom of requiring Congress in this\nfield of governmental power to lay down narrowly definite \nstandar ds by which the President is to be governed.’” \nYoungstown Sheet &am p\; Tube Co. v. Sawyer\, 343 U. S. 579\, 636\, \nn. 2 (1952) (concurring o pinion) (quoting United States v. \nCurtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 U. S . 304\, 321–322 \n(1936)). In foreign affairs cases\, courts read the st atute as\nwritten and do not employ the major questions doctrine as \na th umb on the scale against the President.\nAlthough I firmly disagree with t he Court’s holding\ntoday\, the decision might not substantially constra in a\nPresident’s ability to order tariffs going forward. That is \nbec ause numerous other federal statutes authorize the \nPresident to impose t ariffs and might justify most (if not \nall) of the tariffs at issue in th is case—albeit perhaps with \na few additional procedural steps that IEE PA\, as an\nemergency statute\, does not require. Those statutes \ninclud e\, for example\, the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 \n(Section 232)\; the Tr ade Act of 1974 (Sections 122\, 201\, and \n6 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n301)\; and the Tariff Act of 1930 (Section 338). In essence\, \nthe Court today concludes that the Presiden t checked the \nwrong statutory box by relying on IEEPA rather than \nanot her statute to impose these tariffs.\nIn the meantime\, however\, the inte rim effects of the \nCourt’s decision could be substantial. The United States \nmay be required to refund billions of dollars to importers\nwho p aid the IEEPA tariffs\, even though some importers\nmay have already passe d on costs to consumers or others.\nAs was acknowledged at oral argument\, the refund process\nis likely to be a “mess.” Tr. of Oral Arg. 153 –155. In \naddition\, according to the Government\, the IEEPA tariffs \n have helped facilitate trade deals worth trillions of \ndollars—includin g with foreign nations from China to the \nUnited Kingdom to Japan\, and m ore. The Court’s decision \ncould generate uncertainty regarding those trade \narrangements.\nIn any event\, the only issue before the Court toda y is one \nof law. In light of the statutory text\, longstanding historic al\npractice\, and relevant Supreme Court precedents\, I would\nconclude t hat IEEPA authorizes the President to “regulate \n. . . importation” b y imposing tariffs on foreign imports \nduring declared national emergenci es. \nI therefore \nrespectfully dissent.1 \nI \nBefore turning to the spe cifics of IEEPA’s text\, history\,\nand precedent\, I briefly review sev eral fundamental\nconstitutional principles about the roles of the three\n branches of the U. S. Government with respect to this case. \nFirst\, the plaintiffs and their amici\, echoed by the Court\, \nrhetorically emphasiz e that Article I\, Section 8\, of the \nConstitution assigns Congress\, no t the President\, authority \n—————— \n1In this dissent\, when I refer to “THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion\,” I am \nreferring to the parts of THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion that speak for only\nthree Justic es—namely\, Parts II–A–2 and III. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n7 \nover tariffs. Ante\, at 5. That rheto ric is a red herring in \nthis case because no one disputes the point. Eve ryone\,\nincluding the President\, agrees that Congress possesses\nconstit utional authority over tariffs.\nThe important principle here\, as everyon e also \nacknowledges\, is that Congress may in turn authorize the\nPresid ent to impose tariffs. \nCf. FCC v. Consumers’ \nResearch\, 606 U. S. 65 6\, 673–675 (2025)\; J. W. Hampton\, \nJr.\, &\; Co. v. United States \, 276 U. S. 394\, 409–410 (1928). \nIndeed\, since the beginning of the Republic\, Congress has\nregularly empowered the President to order tarif fs and \nother foreign import restrictions under various \ncircumstances. As noted above\, many current federal laws \ncontinue to grant the Presid ent expansive tariff authority\,\nincluding the Trade Expansion Act of 196 2 (Section 232)\;\nthe Trade Act of 1974 (Sections 122\, 201\, and 301)\; and the \nTariff Act of 1930 (Section 338). Neither the plaintiffs nor\nt he Court has suggested that the numerous laws granting \ntariff power to t he President violate the Constitution’s \nseparation of powers. \nSecond \, and relatedly\, the President does not claim\nunilateral authority to i mpose IEEPA tariffs without \ncongressional authorization or over a congre ssional\nprohibition. On the contrary\, the President’s argument\nrecogn izes that\, in exercising his statutory tariff power \nunder IEEPA\, he mu st act within the scope of Congress’s \nauthorizations and abide by Cong ress’s limitations. And \nthe Executive has further acknowledged that t he Judiciary \nmaintains the final word in justiciable cases on whether \n Congress has authorized the President to impose those\ntariffs under IEEPA . See Trump v. CASA\, Inc.\, 606 U. S. \n831\, 859–860\, n. 18 (2025)\; cf. Marbury v. Madison\, 1 \nCranch 137\, 177–178 (1803). \nThe Preside nt here contends only that Congress\, by\nenacting IEEPA in 1977\, authori zed the President to \nimpose tariffs on foreign imports in declared natio nal \n8 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nemergencies. To use the familiar vernacular of Justice \nRobert Jackson in Youngstown\, the President argues that \nthis case falls into category one\, where the President is\nacting “pursuant to an express or implied authorization of \nCongress.” Youngstown Sheet &\; Tube Co. v. Sawye r\, 343 \nU. S. 579\, 635 (1952) (concurring opinion). The President \nhas not here asserted authority to impose IEEPA tariffs in\na peacetime emerg ency in a Youngstown category two or \nthree scenario. Id.\, at 637–638. 2 \nThird\, Congress possesses a variety of tools to limit the\nPresiden t’s tariffs—directly via new legislation or\, perhaps\nmore readily\, by not approving annual appropriations \nnecessary for the Executive Branc h to continue to \nimplement the tariffs. See Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S . \n477\, 505 (2023) (“Among Congress’s most important\nauthorities is its control of the purse”).\nImportantly\, the House\, the Senate\, and the President \nannually approve most appropriations. As a result\, each \nHouse of Congress and the President independently \npossesses \nde fact o veto power over particular \nappropriations.3 \nOf course\, many differe nt appropriations items are\nusually considered and packaged together\, so the \nnegotiations can be complex. But the point stands:\nCongress is not a helpless bystander when it comes to the\nPresident’s exercise of tari ff authority under IEEPA. Cf. \nIke Skelton National Defense Authorizatio n Act for Fiscal \nYear 2011\, 124 Stat. 4351–4352 (barring Executive fr om \n—————— \n2Category two applies when “the President acts in absence of either a \ncongressional grant or denial of authority.” Youngstown\, 343 U. S.\, at \n637 (Jackson\, J.\, concurring). Category t hree occurs when “the President\ntakes measures incompatible with the ex pressed or implied will of \nCongress.” Ibid. \n3Two technical points f or clarity: Given current Senate filibuster \nrules\, a determined minorit y of the Senate could block an appropriation. \nAlso\, even over a Preside ntial veto\, two-thirds of both Houses could \ntogether approve certain ap propriations. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissent ing \n9 \nusing funds to transfer detainees from Guantanamo into\nUnited S tates)\; Boland Amendment\, 98 Stat. 1935–1936 \n(1984) (barring certain Executive Branch agencies from\nproviding aid to Contras in Nicaragua). \ nIn Congress\, moreover\, everything is related to \neverything else\, as the saying goes. \nMembers and \nCommittees of Congress possess substantia l tools of \nleverage over the Executive Branch. Cf. The Federalist No. \n 51\, p. 322 (C. Rossiter ed. 1961) (J. Madison). Congress\ncould\, for ex ample\, wield its authority over oversight\, \nlegislation\, confirmations \, or appropriations to pressure the \nPresident to reduce or eliminate so me or all of the IEEPA \ntariffs. \nIn light of Congress’s appropriation s authority and its\nother robust powers\, it is not correct to suggest— as THE \nCHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion today elliptically does\, ante\, at 9 — \nthat two-thirds majorities of both Houses of Congress would\nneed to pass new legislation over a Presidential veto in \norder to limit these I EEPA tariffs or\, more generally\, to\nrestrict the President’s use of I EEPA to impose tariffs. \nII \nThis case presents one straightforward ques tion of \nstatutory interpretation: Does Congress’s explicit grant of \ nauthority in IEEPA for the President to “regulate . . . \nimportation ” of foreign goods in declared national \nemergencies authorize the Pres ident to impose tariffs? The \nanswer is a clear yes.4 \n————— — \n4The relevant statutory provision provides in full: \n“At the time s and to the extent specified in section 1701 of this title\, \nthe Presid ent may\, under such regulations as he may prescribe\, by means\nof instru ctions\, licenses\, or otherwise— \n.\n.\n.\n.\n. \n“(B) investigate\, block during the pendency of an investigation\, \nregulate\, direct and c ompel\, nullify\, void\, prevent or prohibit\, any \n10 \nLEARNING RESOURC ES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nA \nI begin as always w ith the statutory text.\nIn 1941\, a few days after Pearl Harbor\, Congres s first \nenacted the relevant language\, “regulate . . . importation\ ,”\nin an amendment to the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act\,\nknown as T WEA. 55 Stat. 839\; 40 Stat. 411. After that \n1941 amendment\, TWEA aut horized the President to \n“regulate . . . importation” both during wa rtime and during\npeacetime national emergencies.\nThen\, in 1977\, Congre ss split TWEA into two separate \nstatutes. As relevant here\, Congress am ended TWEA to \nauthorize the President to “regulate . . . importation ”\nduring wartime only. 91 Stat. 1625. And Congress enacted\na separat e statute\, IEEPA\, that granted the President the \npower to “regulate . . . importation” during peacetime\nnational emergencies. Id.\, at 162 6. \nThe relevant IEEPA text authorized the President to \n“regulate . . . importation” “by means of instructions\, \nlicenses\, or otherwis e.” \nIbid.\; 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1)\n(emphasis added). As the term “otherwise” indicates\, the \nbroadly worded statute did not exclude tariffs or dictate any \nspecific means of regulating importation.5 \nAt t he time of TWEA’s amendment in 1941 and IEEPA’s \nenactment in 1977\, the ordinary dictionary meaning of\n“regulate” was to “control\, ” to “adjust by rule\,” or to “subject \n—————— \nacqu isition\, holding\, withholding\, use\, transfer\, withdrawal\, \ntranspor tation\, importation or exportation of\, or dealing in\, or exercising\nan y right\, power\, or privilege with respect to\, or transactions involving \, \nany property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has a ny \ninterest by any person\, or with respect to any property\, subject to the \njurisdiction of the United States.” 50 U. S. C. §1702(a)(1) (em phasis \nadded). \n5Congress no doubt appreciated that quotas\, embargoes\ , tariffs\, and \nthe like can be powerful tools for regulating foreign co mmerce. Congress\ncalibrated the statute by exempting various categories of goods\, meaning \nthat those categories of goods are not subject to tar iffs under IEEPA. \n§1702(b). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAU GH\, J.\, dissenting \n11 \nto governing principles or laws.” Black’s Law Dictionary \n1156 (5th ed. 1979)\; see also Black’s Law Dictionary 1519 \n(3d ed. 1933) (same)\; Webster’s Third New International\nDiction ary 1913 (1976) (defining “regulate” as “to govern or\ndirect accord ing to rule” and “to bring under the control of \nlaw or constituted a uthority”)\; American Heritage\nDictionary 1096 (1969) (“[t]o control or direct according to a\nrule”\; “[t]o adjust in conformity to a spec ification or \nrequirement”).\nImposing tariffs on imports is clearly a way of controlling \nimports (Black’s)\; governing or directing imports according \nto rule (Webster’s\, American Heritage)\; adjusting imports \nby rule\, method\, or established mode (Black’s\, American \nHeritage) \; or more generally subjecting imports to \ngoverning principles or laws (Black’s). So the dictionary\ndefinitions amply demonstrate that tariff s are a means to\n“regulate . . . importation” of foreign imports.6 \n Consistent with those dictionary definitions and \nstatutory references\, tariffs historically have been—and\nstill are—a common means for the U nited States to \nregulate importation of foreign goods. See\, e.g.\, Sect ion 338 \nof the Tariff Act of 1930\, 46 Stat. 704–706 (19 U. S. C. \n§ 1338)\; Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962\, 76 \nStat. 877 (1 9 U. S. C. §1862)\; Title II of the Trade Act of \n1974\, 88 Stat. 2011 ( 19 U. S. C. §2251 et seq.)\; Title III of \nthe Trade Act of 1974\, 88 St at. 2041 (19 U. S. C. §2411 \net seq.).7 \n—————— \n6As other statutory authorities textually confirm\, moreover\, Congress \nhas long understood tariffs to be a tool for regulating imports. For \nexample\, Se ction 350 of the Tariff Act of 1930 refers to “duties and other \nimport restrictions.” 19 U. S. C. §§1351(a)(1)(B)\, (c). And Section 122 o f \nthe Trade Act of 1974 uses the phrase “restrict imports” to cover duties. \n§2132(a). Both statutes take it as a given\, therefore\, that tariffs are a \nmeans of regulating imports.\n7As the parties and the Cour t use the terms\, “tariffs” and “duties” are \nsynonymous. \n12 \n LEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nIn dete rmining the ordinary meaning of “regulate \n. . . importation\,” the m eaning of the related phrase\n“regulate commerce” is also instructive. That phrase has\nlong been interpreted to encompass tariffs. Since the \nFounding\, the Constitution’s assignment to Congress of the \nbroad po wer to “regulate” foreign commerce has been\nunderstood to include tar iffs on foreign imports. See Art. I\, \n§8. \nAs Chief Justice Marshall e xplained\, the “right to \nregulate commerce\, even by the imposition of duties\, was not \ncontroverted.” Gibbons v. Ogden\, 9 Wheat. 1\, 202 (1824) \n(emphasis added). So too Justice Story: The “power to \nregulat e commerce includes the power of laying duties to \ncountervail the regula tions and restrictions of foreign\nnations.” 2 J. Story\, Commentaries o n the Constitution of\nthe United States 530 (1833) (emphasis added). And still \nmore Story: To “lay duties” is a “common means of \nexecutin g the power” to “regulate commerce.” Id.\, at 531 \n(emphasis added) . James Madison likewise stated that it \ncannot “be inferred” that the “power to regulate trade does \nnot involve a power to tax it.” Letter from J. Madison to J. \nCabell\, Sept. 18\, 1828\, in 9 Writings of James Madison 326 \n(G. Hunt ed. 1910) (emphasis added). \nMarshall\, Sto ry\, and Madison make for a formidable trio.\nAnd this Court has long echo ed the Marshall-Story\nMadison understanding that tariffs “regulate” f oreign \ncommerce. The “laying of a duty on imports\, although an \nexer cise of the taxing power\, is also an exercise of the power \nto regulate foreign commerce.” McGoldrick v. Gulf Oil \nCorp.\, 309 U. S. 414\, 428 (1940) (emphasis added). And \nagain: Even though “the taxing power is a distinct power \nand embraces the power to lay duties\, it does not foll ow that\nduties may not be imposed in the exercise of the power to \nregul ate commerce. The contrary is well established.” \n Cite as: 607 U. S. _ ___ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n13 \nBoard of Trustees of Univ. of Ill. v. United States\, 289 U. S. \n48\, 58 (1933) (emphasis added).8 \nThe plaintiffs and the Court today seize on the word \n“regulate” in isolation\, and say that it does not encompass \nthe power to tariff. Ant e\, at 14–16. But the relevant \nstatutory phrase is “regulate . . . importation.” And we \nmust look to the meaning of the phrase as a whole \, as our \nprecedents dictate. See FCC v. AT&\;T Inc.\, 562 U. S. 397 \, \n406 (2011) (“[T]wo words together may assume a more\nparticular mea ning than those words in isolation”). As I \nhave explained\, since the Founding\, tariffs on foreign\nimports have been a common means of regula ting foreign\ncommerce\, including imports. Notably\, under the Court’s \nreading of the word “regulate\,” Marshall\, Story\, and\nMadison all erred by concluding that the power to \n“regulate” foreign commerce i ncludes the power to impose \ntariffs on foreign imports. That seems dubio us. \nIf the Federal Government’s constitutional power to\n“regulate ” foreign commerce includes tariffs (as this Court \nhas repeatedly said )\, and if the power to “regulate . . . \nimportation” is the power to regulate foreign commerce\nwith respect to imports (as it plainly is)\, t hen IEEPA’s\nauthorization for the President to “regulate . . . \nimpo rtation” clearly encompasses tariffs. Historical usage \nand that textua l syllogism further buttress the dictionary\ndefinitions and help establis h that tariffs are a means to \nregulate importation.9 \n————— — \n8Importantly\, those historical sources also fully demonstrate that the \nForeign Commerce Clause\, not just the Taxing Clause\, authorizes ta riffs\non foreign imports. See Board of Trustees of Univ. of Ill.\, 289 U . S.\, at \n58. \n9The plaintiffs and the Court offer a double-bankshot ar gument that \n“regulate . . . importation” cannot include monetary exa ctions because \nIEEPA also authorizes the President to “regulate . . . exportation\,” and\nimposing duties on exports would violate the Constit ution. Ante\, at 15. \nBut as the Government thoroughly explains\, when a statute contains a \n14 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\ , J.\, dissenting \nB \nPerhaps even more significantly\, when IEEPA was\n enacted in 1977\, Congress and the public clearly would \nhave understood that the phrase “regulate . . . importation” \nencompassed tariffs. We know as much not only because of \nthe dictionary definitions and the tra ditional \nunderstanding of tariffs as a tool to regulate foreign \nimport s. We also know as much because of tariffs imposed\nby two Presidents and approved by federal courts\, including \nthe Supreme Court\, in the years shortly before IEEPA’s\n1977 enactment. \nFirst\, in 1971\, President Ni xon imposed 10 percent tariffs\nacross the board on virtually all imports from every country\nin the world. Presidential Proclamation No. 4074\, 3 C FR \n60–61 (1971–1975 Comp.). Those tariffs were justified \nunder I EEPA’s predecessor statute\, the Trading with the \nEnemy Act\, or TWEA. 10 Like IEEPA now\, TWEA at that \ntime authorized the President to “re gulate . . . importation”\nduring national emergencies\, as well as wart ime. And like \nIEEPA now\, TWEA did not specifically use the words\n“t ariff ” or “duty.” \n—————— \nlong string of verbs and n ouns\, each term should be understood in \ncontext. The relevant section of IEEPA contains 9 verbs and 11 objects\,\nfor a total of 99 combinations . We do not need to construe each word of \nthe statute to ensure that it is perfectly aligned in all 99 pairings. See \nReply Brief 17\; Robers v . United States\, 572 U. S. 639\, 643–644 (2014)\; \nDepartment of Agric ulture Rural Development Rural Housing Service v. \nKirtz\, 601 U. S. 42\, 61 (2024) (We may not “disregard the statute’s clear\nterms” simply because there may be “a valid constitutional defense” to\nsome applic ations). \n10President Nixon did not explicitly cite the “regulate . . . importation”\nlanguage of TWEA when imposing those worldwide tariffs. But that \nmerely reflected a diplomatic nicety given the title of the “ Trading with \nthe Enemy Act” and the desire to avoid publicly suggestin g that allies\nwere enemies. Once in court\, the President openly invoked the “regulate \n. . . importation” language of TWEA as justification f or the tariffs. See \nUnited States v. Yoshida Int’l\, Inc.\, 526 F. 2d 560\, 569–571 (CCPA 1975). \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUG H\, J.\, dissenting \n15 \nThe Nixon tariffs did not fly below the radar. On the \ncontrary\, President Nixon announced the worldwide 10\npercent t ariffs in a primetime address to the Nation on\nAugust 15\, 1971. He impo sed the tariffs as a tool “to make \ncertain that American products will not be at a \ndisadvantage” and that “the product of American labor w ill\nbe more competitive.” Public Papers of the Presidents\, \nRichard Nixon\, Aug. 15\, 1971\, p. 889. President Nixon \nsought to remove “th e unfair edge that some of our foreign\ncompetition has\,” and he declar ed that when “the unfair \ntreatment is ended\, the import tax will en d.” Ibid. \nThe Nixon tariffs applied to almost all imports of foreign\ ngoods into the United States. And the tariffs had no time \nlimit. To be sure\, they did not end up lasting forever. But \nPresident Nixon termina ted them only because the tariffs \n(as intended) induced major American t rading partners to \nnegotiate new agreements. Presidential Proclamation No. \n4098\, 3 CFR 94 (1971–1975 Comp.).\nThe Nixon tariffs garnered sub stantial national and\ninternational attention\, and were generally popula r in \nCongress. \nPredictably\, however\, the tariffs sparked\nlitigation challenges. In 1975\, the Court of Customs and \nPatent Appeals\, the pre decessor to the Federal Circuit\, \nupheld the Nixon tariffs as a lawful e xercise of the \nPresident’s authority to “regulate . . . importatio n” under\nTWEA. United States v. Yoshida Int’l\, Inc.\, 526 F. 2d 560\ , \n576\, 583–584. The losing plaintiffs did not seek further \nreview i n this Court. \nTwo years later in 1977\, when Congress divided TWEA \nint o two\, Congress retained that same “regulate . . . \nimportation” lan guage in both laws—in TWEA for wartime\nand in IEEPA for peacetime natio nal emergencies. In doing\nso\, Members of Congress were plainly aware—a fter all\, how \ncould they not be—that the “regulate . . . importat ion”\nlanguage had recently been invoked by the President and\ninterpret ed by the courts to encompass tariffs. Indeed\, the \n16 \nLEARNING RESOU RCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nHouse Committee Repor t noted that the relevant “regulate \n. . . importation” provision in TWEA “came into play when\, \non August 15\, 1971\, President Nixon decl ared a national \nemergency with respect to the balance-of-payments crisis \nand under that emergency imposed a surcharge on \nimports.” H. R. Rep. No. 95–459\, p. 5 (1977). The Report\nfurther referenced the appeals c ourt’s holding in Yoshida \nthat TWEA “authorized imposition of duti es” because of \n“the existence of the national emergency.” H. R. R ep. No. \n95–459\, at 5.11 \nThe Nixon tariffs persuasively demonstrate that \nMembers of Congress and the public would have \nunderstood the phra se “regulate . . . importation” to include \ntariffs when IEEPA was en acted in 1977. If Congress\nwanted to exclude tariffs from IEEPA’s scop e\, why would it\nenact the exact statutory language from TWEA that had \n just been invoked by the President and interpreted by the\ncourts to cover tariffs? Neither the plaintiffs nor the Court \ntoday offers a good answ er to that question.\nUnderstandably so\, because there is no good answer. \nThe Court tries to dodge the force of the Nixon tariffs by\nobserving t hat one appeals court’s interpretation of \n“regulate . . . importat ion” to uphold President Nixon’s \ntariffs does not suffice to describ e that interpretation as \n“well-settled” when IEEPA was enacted in 19 77. Ante\, at \n17–18. Fair enough. But that is not the right question . The \nquestion is what Members of Congress and the public would \nhave understood “regulate . . . importation” to mean when\nCongress enacted IEEPA in 1977. See New Prime Inc. v. \nOliveira\, 586 U. S. 105\, 113 (20 19). Given the significant\nand well-known Nixon tariffs\, it is entirely implausible to \n—————— \n11I cite the Committee Report not fo r determining the meaning of \nIEEPA\, but rather to help show as an histo rical and factual matter that\nMembers of Congress were aware of both the Nixon tariffs and the \nappeals court decision upholding those tariffs as a tool to “regulate . . . \nimportation.” \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ ( 2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n17 \nthink that Congress’s 1977 re -enactment of the phrase \n“regulate . . . importation” in IEEPA was s omehow meant \nor understood to exclude tariffs.12 \nSecond\, if one holds any lingering doubts about \nCongress’s and the public’s understandin g of the power to\n“regulate . . . importation” as of 1977\, a second episode \nshortly before IEEPA’s enactment should answer them. \nIn 1975 \, President Ford imposed significant monetary \nexactions on foreign impo rts of oil.\n Presidential \nProclamation No. 4341\, 3 CFR 433 (1971–197 5 Comp.). He \nacted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. \nLike TWEA and IEEPA\, the relevant provision of Section\n232 did not use the word “tariff ” or “duty.” Rather\, Section \n232 broadly aut horized the President to “adjust the \nimports” of a product\, 19 U. S . C. §1862(b) (1970 ed.)—\nlanguage akin to the “regulate . . . impor tation” language in \nIEEPA and TWEA. \nIn contrast to the Nixon tariffs \, the Ford tariffs on oil \nimports generated some pushback in Congress. And a \ngroup of utility companies and States quickly sued\, arguing \nth at the relevant statutory phrase “adjust the imports” did \nnot author ize monetary exactions such as tariffs.\nOver a dissent\, the D. C. Circui t agreed with the\nplaintiffs challenging the Ford tariffs. Much like the \nCourt’s decision today\, the D. C. Circuit in the Ford matter\nconclud ed that Congress must explicitly authorize \nmonetary exactions and that t he applicable statutory\nphrase\, “adjust the imports\,” did not do so . Algonquin SNG\, \n—————— \n12 THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion also tries to dismiss President Nixon’s\ntariffs as being of “limited amount\, duration\, and scope.” Ante\, at 10\, n. \n3. That claim appe ars incorrect on all three points\, as Judge Taranto \ncarefully explained in his Federal Circuit opinion. 149 F. 4th 1312\, \n1367–1369 (2025) (d issenting opinion). President Nixon imposed 10\npercent tariffs on virtual ly all imports from every country in the world \nfor an unspecified durati on. See Presidential Proclamation No. 4074\, 3 \nCFR 60–61 (1971–1975 Comp.). \n18 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, diss enting \nInc. v. Federal Energy Admin.\, 518 F. 2d 1051\, 1055 (CADC \n197 5).\nIn 1976\, the Ford tariffs case came to the Supreme Court.\nIn this C ourt\, the plaintiffs pressed nearly identical \narguments (and rhetorical flourishes) as those advanced by\nthe plaintiffs and repeated by the Cour t in today’s case.\nThe plaintiffs argued that the Ford-imposed monetary \nexactions involved “the broadest exercise of the tariff power \nin th e history of the American Republic\,” reminiscent of \n“George III’s stamp tax.” Tr. of Oral Arg. in Federal Energy \nAdministration v. Algo nquin SNG\, Inc.\, O. T. 1975\, No. 75– \n382\, p. 26. They contended th at the statute’s authorization \nfor the President to “adjust the im ports” did not allow for\nsuch monetary exactions because the statute di d “not \nmention the tariff on its face.” Ibid. They asserted that th is\nCourt had “never implied a tax\, never in the history of this\nCourt from language which does not explicitly provide for \ntax\, and here ther e is no such language\, there is no \nlanguage that mentions a measure of tax nor a method of \ncalculation of tax. There is no such thing.” Id. \, at 33. They\nechoed the D. C. Circuit’s holding that reading the phr ase\n“adjust the imports” to encompass tariffs would be “an \nanomal ous departure” from “the consistently explicit\, well\ndefined manner in which Congress has delegated control\nover foreign trade and tariffs. ” Algonquin\, 518 F. 2d\, at \n1055. And they claimed that interpreting the statute to\ninclude fees “undermines the whole tariff structure of the \nUnited States.” Tr. of Oral Arg. in Algonquin\, at 26. \n Importan tly\, the Algonquin plaintiffs acknowledged (as\ndo the plaintiffs and the Court in today’s case) that the \nstatutory language “adjust the im ports” would allow the \nPresident to impose quotas and embargoes on for eign\nimports. See Brief for Respondents in Algonquin\, No. 75– \n382\, pp. 26–27\, and n. 30. So a President could completely \nblock all impo rts or limit their quantity. But according to\nthe plaintiffs\, Congres s’s “adjust the imports” language \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n19 \nprecluded the President from exercisi ng the lesser power of \nimposing monetary exactions such as tariffs.\nThe Supreme Court decided the Ford tariffs case in 1976.\nThe Court unanimous ly reversed the D. C. Circuit and \nflatly rejected the plaintiffs’ argu ments. The Court held \nthat the statutory phrase “adjust the impor ts”—even\nthough it did not include terms such as “tariff\,” “tax\,”\n“duty\,” or “fee”—granted President Ford the autho rity to\nimpose not only quotas and embargoes\, but also monetary \nexacti ons on foreign imports. \nFederal Energy \nAdministration v. Algonquin SNG \, Inc.\, 426 U. S. 548\, 561 \n(1976).\nThe Court analyzed the statutory text and found “no\nsupport in the language of the statute” for the pl aintiffs’ \nargument that “adjust the imports” should “be read to \nencompass only quantitative methods—i.e.\, quotas—as\nopposed to mon etary methods—i.e.\, license fees—of \neffecting such adjustments.” Ibid. The Court further \nexplained: “Unless one assumes\, and we do no t\, that quotas\nwill always be a feasible method of dealing directly with \nnational security threats posed by the circumstances under \nwhich impo rts are entering the country\, limiting the\nPresident to the use of quota s would effectively and\nartificially prohibit him from directly dealing w ith some of \nthe very problems against which §232(b) is directed.” Id. \, \nat 561–562 (quotation marks omitted).\nIn short\, according to the unanimous Algonquin Court\, \nthe statutory text\, structure\, and logic o f Section 232 \ndefinitively established that the President’s authority to\n“adjust the imports” encompassed not only quotas and\nembargoes\, but also monetary exactions such as tariffs and \nfees. \nToday’s case s hould follow a fortiori from Algonquin. No \nmeaningful daylight exists be tween the statutory phrase \n“adjust the imports” in Section 232 at is sue in Algonquin\nand the phrase “regulate . . . importation” in IEEPA at \n20 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissentin g \nissue here. The plaintiffs and the Court in this case do not \neven tr y to distinguish “adjust the imports” from “regulate \n. . . impor tation.” Nor could they. Recall that the dictionary\ndefinition of “r egulate” includes “adjust by rule.” Black’s \nLaw Dictionary\, at 1156 (5th ed. 1979) (emphasis added). \nTo adjust imports is to regulate imports. Indeed\, if \nanything\, the phrase “regulate . . . importati on” is broader\nin scope than the phrase “adjust the imports.” \nSo if Section 232’s “adjust the imports” includes tariffs—\nas this C ourt unanimously concluded in Algonquin in 1976 \njust a year before IEEPA —how can IEEPA’s “regulate . . . \nimportation” not include tariff s? \nAlgonquin’s importance for today’s case rests not merely \non its status as a unanimous on-point Supreme Court\nstatutory precedent—altho ugh it is surely significant for \nthat reason as well. The case is espec ially consequential for \npresent purposes because it helps show the ordin ary public \nand congressional understanding of “regulate . . . \nimport ation” in 1977 when Congress enacted IEEPA.\nTo be clear\, the question here is not what individual \nMembers of Congress might have subjectively intended in \n1977. \nThe question is the ordinary meaning and \nunderstan ding of the words that Congress used. Given that \nthe phrase “adjust t he imports”—again\, in a statutory \nprovision that did not use specif ic words such as “tariff ” or \n“duty”—was unanimously held by t his Court in 1976 to \ninclude tariffs\, and given that President Nixon ha d\nsimilarly relied on his statutory authority to “regulate . . . \nimpo rtation” to impose 10 percent tariffs on virtually all \nimports from al l countries\, could a rational citizen or\nMember of Congress in 1977 have understood “regulate . . . \nimportation” in IEEPA not to encompass t ariffs? I think \nnot. Any citizens or Members of Congress in 1977 who \n somehow thought that the “regulate . . . importation”\nlanguage in IEE PA excluded tariffs would have had their\nheads in the sand. \n Cite as: 6 07 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n21 \nThe Court today tries its best to distinguish Algonquin on \nthe ground that Section 232 i ncluded “sweeping” language \nauthorizing the President to take “suc h action” that “he\ndeems necessary\,” whereas IEEPA does not. Ante \, at 19. \nBut the Algonquin Court did not rely on that language and \nin stead focused on whether the phrase “adjust the imports”\nincluded mon etary exactions. See 426 U. S.\, at 561. \nMoreover\, IEEPA itself broadl y authorizes the President to \n“regulate . . . importation” “by mea ns of instructions\, \nlicenses\, or otherwise” in order to “deal wi th” an “unusual \nand extraordinary” foreign “threat” to the “ national \nsecurity\, foreign policy\, or economy of the United States.” \n50 U. S. C. §§1701(a)\, 1702(a)(1)(B) (emphasis added). That \nlangu age is similarly expansive\, authorizing the President\nto employ various tools to “regulate . . . importation.” In \nshort\, just as the phra se “adjust the imports” includes \ntariffs\, as Algonquin held\, so to o the phrase “regulate . . . \nimportation” includes tariffs.13 \nThe Court also attempts to brush aside Algonquin by\nciting an entirely differ ent provision of the Trade \nExpansion Act—one that was not at issue in Algonquin— \nthat expressly refers to a “duty.” Ante\, at 19. But th e \nAlgonquin Court did not rely on—or even mention—that\nprovision wh en concluding that the statutory phrase\n“adjust the imports” includes tariffs. For good reason. That \nprovision\, which states that “[n]o action shall be taken” to\n“decrease or eliminate” an existing “du ty or other import\nrestriction\,” 19 U. S. C. §1862(a) (1970 ed.)\, co ncerns only \nthe power to reduce existing tariffs and plainly does not \n bear on a President’s power to impose tariffs under Section \n 232. \n—————— \n13In addition\, IEEPA expressly authorizes the President to require\nlicenses. And to obtain a license\, a business may need to pay license fees\nthat can be equivalent to tariffs. See §1702(a )(1). \n22 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissent ing \nTo sum up on the Nixon and Ford tariffs: When enacting\nIEEPA in 19 77\, Congress employed the exact language\nrecently invoked by President N ixon to justify 10 percent\nworldwide tariffs. And IEEPA came fast on the heels of this \nCourt’s unanimous 1976 decision in Algonquin\, which he ld \nthat substantially similar “adjust the imports” language\nauthori zed President Ford’s tariffs on oil imports.\nImportantly\, moreover\, t he statutory provisions \nauthorizing the Nixon and Ford tariffs did not u se specific \nwords such as “tariff ” or “duty.”\nThe Nixon and Fo rd tariffs\, this Court’s decision in \nAlgonquin\, and the ordinary and historical understanding \nof tariffs as a means of regulating imports to gether render\nit all but impossible to conclude that Congress in 1977 \ni mplicitly excluded tariffs when retaining TWEA’s \n“regulate . . . imp ortation” language in IEEPA. If Congress\nin 1977 wanted to exclude tari ffs from the President’s \nIEEPA toolkit\, either it would have not reta ined the phrase\n“regulate . . . importation\,” or it would otherwise have made\nclear in IEEPA that the power to impose tariffs was\nexcluded. Congress did neither. \nC \nTwo additional historical points strongly rein force that\nanalysis of text and precedent and further demonstrate \nthat “regulate . . . importation” in IEEPA encompasses\ntariffs. \nFirst\, U. S. history from the 1800s through IEEPA’s 1977\nenactment illustrates how the statute came to incorporate\nthe President’s long-recognized au thority to impose tariffs\nduring wartime and then also during peacetime n ational\nemergencies.\nLong before the initial 1917 enactment of the Tradi ng \nwith the Enemy Act\, which was IEEPA’s predecessor\, the \nPresiden t possessed inherent wartime authority to prohibit\ncommercial relations w ith enemy nations. That inherent \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVA NAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n23 \nauthority included the power to impose tari ffs on foreign \nimports.\nFor example\, during the Mexican-American War i n the\n1840s\, President Polk permitted only limited trade with \nMexico\, subject to tariffs. Some Members of Congress\npublicly questioned whether the President possessed that \ntariff authority. In response\, President Polk justified the \ntariffs on the ground that “the military right to e xclude\ncommerce altogether from the ports of the enemy in our\nmilitary o ccupation included the minor right of admitting it\nunder prescribed condi tions.” J. Polk\, To the House of \nRepresentatives of the United States (Jan. 2\, 1849)\, in 6 \nCompilation of the Messages and Papers of the Pr esidents\n2522\, 2523 (J. Richardson ed. 1897). \nIn 1854\, the Supreme Co urt agreed with President Polk’s \nview\, stating: “No one can doubt ” that the President\, as \n“commander-in-chief of our naval force\, ” possessed the\nauthority to “regulate import duties.” Cross v. Ha rrison\, 16 \nHow. 164\, 189–190. \nIn 1862\, President Lincoln partiall y lifted an existing \nblockade against the Confederate States during the Civil \nWar. Like President Polk\, he then permitted limited trade\, \nsub ject to a monetary fee. A group of cotton sellers later\nsued\, arguing th at the fee “was essentially a tax and not \nauthorized by any act of Con gress\, which alone had the\npower to impose taxes.” Hamilton v. Dillin \, 21 Wall. 73\, 81 \n(1875). \nThe Supreme Court rejected that argument\, \nholding that there was “no question” that requiring a \nmonetary fee to trade with the Confederate States was part\nof “the war power of the United States government.” Id.\, at \n86–87. The existence of war me ant “a suspension of \ncommercial intercourse between the opposing secti ons of\nthe country\,” so if “such a course of dealing were to be\nper mitted at all\, it would necessarily be upon such\nconditions as the gover nment chose to prescribe.” Id.\, at 87. \n24 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC . v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nAnd in 1898\, during the Spanis h-American War\, \nPresident McKinley imposed duties “upon the occupatio n of\nany forts and places in the Philippine Islands.” Lincoln v. \nUni ted States\, 197 U. S. 419\, 428 (1905) (quotation marks \nomitted). \nThi s Court subsequently recognized those \nMcKinley duties as a lawful wartim e measure. Id.\, at 427– \n428. \nWhy does that wartime history matter? Because when \nCongress first enacted the Trading with the Enemy Act in\n 1917 during World War I\, it statutorily codified some of the \nPresiden t’s longstanding inherent wartime powers over\nforeign trade\, which inc luded the power to tariff. See \nTrading with the Enemy Act\, ch. 106\, 4 0 Stat. 411\; see also \nBrief for Professor Aditya Bamzai as Amicus Curia e 16–19\, \n26–27. For the duration of World War I\, TWEA authorized \ nthe President\, when he found “the public safety so\nrequires\,” to m ake it unlawful “to import into the United \nStates” from any “nam ed” country certain goods “except at \nsuch time or times\, and under such regulations or orders\,\nand subject to such limitations and exceptio ns as the\nPresident shall prescribe.” §11\, 40 Stat. 422–423. \nIn 1 933\, during the Great Depression and five days after \nPresident Franklin Roosevelt took office\, Congress\nexpanded TWEA to apply not only in wart ime\, but also\nduring a “national emergency” declared by the Presiden t.\n48 Stat. 1. \nEight years later\, in 1941\, a few days after Pearl Har bor\,\nCongress again amended TWEA’s language by more\nsuccinctly provid ing that the President may “regulate”\ncertain transactions\, includ ing “importation\,” under TWEA\nduring war or “any other period of n ational emergency\ndeclared by the President.” 55 Stat. 839. \nSo as of 1941—and from then to 1977—TWEA expressly \nauthorized the Presiden t to “regulate . . . importation” both\nduring \nwartime and during pe acetime national \nemergencies. \nHistorically\, Presidents had regulated \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n25 \nimp ortation by imposing tariffs\, as the Polk\, Lincoln\, and \nMcKinley tari ffs illustrated. So TWEA from 1941 to 1977 \nwas best understood to autho rize tariffs. See Brief for \nProfessor Aditya Bamzai as Amicus Curiae 2 7–28. \nDuring that period\, as I have discussed at length above\,\nPres ident Nixon in 1971 imposed 10 percent tariffs on\nalmost all imports of f oreign goods and relied on TWEA’s\n“regulate . . . importation” lang uage to justify them. Those \ntariffs were upheld in court. \nThen\, in 19 77\, Congress amended TWEA and divided it \ninto two statutes. TWEA retai ned the President’s power to \n“regulate . . . importation\,” but on ly during wartime. The \nnewly enacted second law\, IEEPA\, also retained the power\nto “regulate . . . importation\,” and it would apply during \nperiods of declared national emergencies. As this Court has \npreviously recognized\, IEEPA was “directly drawn” from \nTWEA\, and the relevan t authorities are essentially the \nsame. Dames &\; Moore v. Regan\, 45 3 U. S. 654\, 671\, 672– \n673 (1981).\nTherefore\, IEEPA’s specific l anguage—“regulate . . . \nimportation”—was not new statutory text when Congress\nenacted IEEPA in 1977. Far from it. Beginning in 1941\, \n TWEA had already authorized the President to “regulate \n. . . importati on” of foreign goods in wartime and national \nemergencies. And the earl ier Polk\, Lincoln\, and McKinley \nexamples\, as well as the later Nixon example\, \ndemonstrated that the power to “regulate . . . importation ”\nhistorically encompassed tariffs as well as quotas and\nembargoes.\nT he plaintiffs and the Court today assert that wartime\nprecedents do not g overn peacetime. But Congress modeled \nIEEPA on TWEA precisely so that t he President could\ncontinue to exercise certain wartime authorities such as \nquotas\, embargoes\, and tariffs during peacetime national\nemergenci es as well. Congress first explicitly extended that\nwartime power to nati onal emergencies in 1933\, during the \n26 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nFranklin Roosevelt Administration. C f. New State Ice Co. \nv. Liebmann\, 285 U. S. 262\, 306 (1932) (Brandeis\ , J.\,\ndissenting) (The Great Depression was “an emergency more\nseriou s than war”). And Congress has continued to\nauthorize the President to exercise that power in both\nwartime and peacetime emergencies.\nIn short\ , Congress in 1977 enacted the same “regulate . . . \nimportation” lan guage that had long been understood to\nencompass tariffs. \nSecond\, cont rary to the tenor of the plaintiffs’ and the\nCourt’s arguments here\, it would not have been at all \nunusual or surprising for Congress\, when enacting IEEPA\nin 1977\, to authorize the President to impose tariffs. Since \nthe early days of the Republic\, Congress has regularly\ngranted t he President the power to regulate foreign trade\,\nincluding via tariffs. \nA few examples: In 1810\, Congress authorized the\nPresident to prohibit imports from Great Britain or France\nif either nation violated the neutr al commerce of the United \nStates. Cargo of Brig Aurora v. United States\ , 7 Cranch \n382\, 382–384\, 388 (1813)\; 2 Stat. 606. \nIn 1890\, Congr ess granted the President the power to\nimpose import duties in response t o duties imposed by other \ncountries on American exports. Marshall Field &\; Co. v. \nClark\, 143 U. S. 649\, 680–681 (1892)\; 26 Stat. 612. \ nIn 1922\, Congress empowered the President to levy \nimport duties under certain conditions. J. W. Hampton\, Jr.\, \n&\; Co. v. United States\, 276 U. S. 394\, 400–402 (1928)\; 42 \nStat. 941. \nIn 1930\, Congress en acted Section 338 of the Tariff Act\,\nwhich authorizes the President to i mpose tariffs when he \nfinds that “any foreign country places any burde n or\ndisadvantage upon the commerce of the United States.” 19 \nU. S. C. §1338(d)\; 46 Stat. 705.\nIn 1962\, Congress authorized the President in Section\n232 of the Trade Expansion Act to “adjust the imports” of a \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n27 \nf oreign good that threatens to impair national security.\n§1862(c)(1)(A)\; 76 Stat. 877. \nIn 1974\, under Section 201 of the Trade Act\, Congress \ ngranted the President the power to “take all appropriate\nand feasible action within his power\,” including imposing a\n“duty” on imports t hat\, according to the U. S. International\nTrade Commission\, have caused or threatened “serious \ninjury” to a domestic industry. §§2251(a) \, 2253(a)(1)(A)\, \n(3)(A)\; 88 Stat. 2014–2015.\nSo too\, Section 301 authorizes the President to direct the \nU. S. Trade Representative to “ impose duties” on countries\nengaging in unfair trade practices. §§241 1(a)\, (c)(1)(B)\; 88 \nStat. 2041–2042. \nAnd Section 122 of the Act gr ants the President the power \nto impose a “temporary import surcharge ” to “deal with \nlarge and serious United States balance-of-payment\n deficits.” §2132(a)(1)(A)\; 88 Stat. 1987–1988. \nThose many statutes definitively establish that Congress\,\nsince near the Founding\, has del egated to the President \nbroad power to impose tariffs on foreign imports . See also \nante\, at 13–15 (THOMAS\, J.\, dissenting). So it would h ardly\nhave been unusual or surprising for Congress to have\ngranted tarif f power to the President during wartime and\npeacetime national emergencie s\, as it did in TWEA and \nIEEPA. \nTo be sure\, given those other statut es that authorize the \nPresident to impose tariffs on foreign imports\, o ne might\nreasonably ask: Why did the President need distinct tariff \nau thority under IEEPA during peacetime emergencies—or\, \nfor that matter\ , under TWEA during wartime? \nThe basic answer is that IEEPA is an emerge ncy statute \nthat allows the President to impose tariffs somewhat more\nq uickly\, as would be expected in a declared national \nemergency. Similarl y\, in wartime\, TWEA allows the \nPresident to impose tariffs more rapidl y. \n28 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nBut critically\, TWEA and IEEPA do not authorize the \nPresident to exe rcise some new substantive power. Rather\, \nthey authorize the President to exercise a commonly\ngranted power—tariffs—more efficiently than u nder the \nmany ordinary tariff statutes.\nThe plaintiffs and the Court as sert that interpreting\nIEEPA to authorize tariffs would in effect evade s pecific\nlimits on tariffs in certain other tariff statutes. But as \nJud ge Taranto explained in the Federal Circuit\, Congress\nin IEEPA understan dably afforded the President more\nflexibility to act during declared emer gencies\, just as\nCongress had done in TWEA for wartime since 1917. See \n149 F. 4th 1312\, 1363–1366 (2025) (dissenting opinion).\nMoreover\, I EEPA is not a blank check. IEEPA contains \nits own limits\, including the requirement that the tariffs\ndeal with an unusual and extraordinary fore ign threat\, 50\nU. S. C. §1701(b)\; a default 1-year limit on emergencie s\,\n§1622(d)\; an enumerated list of exceptions\, §1702(b)\; and \ncomp rehensive congressional reporting requirements\, \n§1703. And as noted ab ove\, each House of Congress \npossesses a variety of tools to revoke\, li mit\, or influence a \nPresident’s IEEPA or TWEA tariffs. \nRelatedly\, it is also not surprising that the many ordinary \ntariff statutes express ly refer to “tariffs\,” “duties\,” and the\nlike\, while IEEPA and TWEA do not. As Judge Taranto\nastutely explained\, “Congress in those statutes was \noverwhelmingly focused on tariff issues\,” whereas \n“C ongress in IEEPA (as in TWEA) was focused on the \nsubject of emergencies and giving plainly broad emergency \nauthority regarding foreign property. ” 149 F. 4th\, at 1364 \n(dissenting opinion).\nIn sum\, in authorizing the President to “regulate . . . \nimportation\,” IEEPA embodies an “eyes-open congressional \ngrant of broad emergency authority in this f oreign-affairs \nrealm\, which unsurprisingly extends beyond authorities \ navailable under non-emergency laws\, and Congress \n Cite as: 607 U. S. _ ___ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n29 \nconfirmed the understood b readth by tying IEEPA’s\nauthority\n to particularly\n demanding procedu ral \nrequirements for keeping Congress informed.” Id.\, at 1348. \nD \ nFinally\, all of that text\, history\, and precedent is further\nreinforc ed by two compelling pieces of context. \nFirst\, interpreting IEEPA to ex clude tariffs creates\nnonsensical textual and practical anomalies. The p laintiffs\nand the Court do not dispute that the President can act in\ndec lared emergencies under IEEPA to impose quotas or \neven total embargoes o n all imports from a given country. \nBut the President supposedly cannot take the far more\nmodest step of conditioning those imports on payment of a \ntariff or duty. \nTextually\, however\, if quotas and embargoes are a means\nto regulate importation\, how are tariffs not a means to \nregulat e importation? Nothing in the text supports such an \nillogical distinctio n. \nAnd it does not make much sense to think that IEEPA \nallows the Pres ident in a declared national emergency to\,\nfor example\, shut off all or most imports from China\, but \nnot to impose even a $1 tariff on imports from China. As \nJudge Taranto forcefully pointed out in the Federal Circ uit\, \ntariffs are “just a less extreme\, more flexible tool for \npurs uing the same objective of controlling the amount or \nprice of imports th at\, after all\, could be barred altogether.”\n149 F. 4th\, at 1363 (dis senting opinion). All of that explains \nwhy this Court in Algonquin defi nitively rejected such a\nstrange slice-and-dice approach to the President ’s statutory \npower to “adjust” imports. If quotas and embargoes a re\nauthorized\, so are tariffs. \nIn short\, whether through prohibiting imports via\nembargoes or regulating the quantity of imports through \nquo tas or regulating the price of imports with tariffs\,\nCongress granted th e President flexibility in declared \n30 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TR UMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nnational emergencies to take various a ctions affecting\nimports of foreign goods. The plaintiffs and the Court h ave \nno coherent textual or commonsensical explanation for why \na ration al Congress would\, in such a momentous and \ncarefully considered statute as IEEPA\, grant the President \nthe power to impose quotas and embargoes \, but not tariffs\, \non foreign imports during emergencies. \nSecond\, I EEPA was not debated and passed in a vacuum\nin 1977—it was enacted arou nd the same time that \nCongress significantly constrained executive power in\nmultiple ways in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam. The \nlist of ma jor new statutory restrictions on Presidential \npower enacted in the 1970 s is long and extraordinary\, with\nlasting effects to the present day.14 \nAnd Congress\, during that comprehensive examination\nand recalibration of government power\, did not overlook \nTWEA and the President’s emerge ncy authorities. Led by \nSenators Church and Mathias\, Congress carefully studied\nthe President’s emergency authorities\, including TWEA.\nThen\ , in 1976 and 1977\, Congress enacted a variety of \nlegislation to tighte n up the President’s emergency powers\,\nincluding by passing a new Nati onal Emergencies Act that\ncabined the President’s authority to declare emergencies by \nsetting forth various procedural requirements. \nYet when enacting IEEPA in 1977\, Congress continued to\ngrant the President the p ower to “regulate . . . importation” \n—————— \n14See\, e. g.\, Ethics in Government Act of 1978\, 92 Stat. 1824\, reenacted \nat 5 U . S. C. §13101 et seq.\; Inspector General Act of 1978\, 92 Stat. 1101\, \nreenacted at 5 U. S. C. §401 et seq.\; Presidential Records Act of 1978 \, 92 \nStat. 2523\, as amended\, 44 U. S. C. §2201 et seq.\; Federal Adv isory \nCommittee Act\, 86 Stat. 770\, as amended\, 5 U. S. C. §1001 et s eq.\; \nForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978\, 92 Stat. 1783\, as amended\,\n50 U. S. C. §1801 et seq.\; Congressional Budget and Impoundm ent \nControl Act of 1974\, 88 Stat. 297\, as amended\, 2 U. S. C. §621 e t seq.\; \n1974 Amendments to the Freedom of Information Act\, 88 Stat. 15 61\, as \namended\, 5 U. S. C. §552\; War Powers Resolution\, 87 Stat. 55 5\, 50 \nU. S. C. §1541 et seq. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVAN AUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n31 \nin declared national emergencies—a power t hat the \nPresident had possessed since 1941 under TWEA and that \nhad rec ently been invoked by President Nixon to justify his\n1971 tariffs. In IEE PA (and TWEA) in 1977\, Congress\nconsciously balanced concerns about expa nsive exercises of\nemergency powers against the necessity of equipping th e\nPresident with tools to address exigencies that are difficult \nif not impossible to foresee. That broader congressional\ncontext—general skept icism and scaling back of executive\npower combined with re-enactment of t he familiar “regulate \n. . . importation” language in IEEPA—strongl y indicates \nthat Congress said what it meant and meant what it said \nwh en it enacted IEEPA and continued to authorize the \nPresident to “regul ate . . . importation” during national \nemergencies. \nIII \nIn an ordi nary statutory interpretation case\, I am\nconfident that a majority of th is Court would flatly reject\nthe plaintiffs’ exceedingly weak statutory arguments and \nwould hold that IEEPA’s authorization for the President to \n“regulate . . . importation” during national emergencies\ninclud es the power to impose tariffs.\nNotably\, the Court today does not claim that the phrase\n“regulate . . . importation” on its own excludes tari ffs as a \nmatter of ordinary statutory meaning. Only three Members \nof t he Court\, JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR\, JUSTICE KAGAN\, and \nJUSTICE JACKSON\, do so. \nTHE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion in Part II–A–2\, which is \njoined only by JUSTICE GORSUCH and JUSTICE BARRETT\, \ninstead relies on the maj or questions doctrine. The major\nquestions doctrine is an important canon of statutory\ninterpretation that the Court has applied in a number of \n significant cases over the last 45 years. See Industrial \nUnion Dept.\, A FL–CIO v. American Petroleum Institute\, \n448 U. S. 607\, 645 (1980) (p lurality opinion). \n32 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nJustice Scalia articulated the canonical statement of t he \nmajor questions doctrine: “We expect Congress to speak \nclearly if it wishes to assign to an agency decisions of vast \n‘economic and poli tical significance.’” \nUtility Air \nRegulatory Group v. EPA\, 573 U . S. 302\, 324 (2014) \n(quoting FDA v. Brown &\; Williamson Tobacco Co rp.\, 529 \nU. S. 120\, 160 (2000))\; see also Alabama Assn. of Realtors \ nv. Department of Health and Human Servs.\, 594 U. S. 758\, \n764 (2021) ( per curiam)\; National Federation of \nIndependent Business v. OSHA\, 595 U. S. 109\, 117 (2022) \n(per curiam)\; Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477\ , 507 (2023)\; \ncf. West Virginia v. EPA\, 597 U. S. 697\, 723 (2022). \n Stated otherwise\, in cases where the Executive Branch \ntakes an action o f major economic and political significance\,\nit must “point to ‘clea r congressional authorization’ for the \npower it claims.” Ibid. (quo ting Utility Air\, 573 U. S.\, at \n324).\nThe requirement of “clear con gressional authorization” \nfor executive actions of major economic and political\nsignificance is “grounded in two overlapping and \nreinforcin g presumptions: (i) a separation of powers-based\npresumption against the delegation of major lawmaking \nauthority from Congress to the Executive B ranch\, and (ii) a\npresumption that Congress intends to make major policy \ndecisions itself\, not leave those decisions to agencies.” \nUnited S tates Telecom Assn. v. FCC\, 855 F. 3d 381\, 419 \n(CADC 2017) (Kavanaugh\ , J.\, dissenting from denial of \nrehearing en banc) (citation omitted). As this Court later \nrecounted in West Virginia\, “both separation of p owers\nprinciples and a practical understanding of legislative\nintent mak e us reluctant to read into ambiguous statutory \ntext the delegation clai med to be lurking there.” 597 U. S.\, \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n33 \nat 723 (quotation marks omitted).15 The doctrine guards\n“against unintentional\, oblique\, or otherwise unl ikely\ndelegations of the legislative power.” NFIB\, 595 U. S.\, at \n1 25 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring).16 \nI agree that this case involves an exe cutive action of\nmajor economic and political significance—which is \nt ypically the trigger for requiring “clear congressional\nauthorization .” But in my respectful view\, THE CHIEF \nJUSTICE’s opinion’s appli cation of the major questions\ndoctrine in this case is incorrect for two alternative and \nindependent reasons. First\, the statutory text\, histo ry\, and\nprecedent constitute “clear congressional authorization” for \nthe President to impose tariffs as a means to “regulate . . . \nimpor tation.” Second\, and in the alternative\, the major\nquestions doctrine does not apply in the foreign affairs \ncontext. In the foreign affairs r ealm\, courts recognize that\nCongress often deliberately grants flexibili ty and discretion \nto the President to pursue America’s interests. In that \ncontext\, courts therefore engage in “routine” textualist \nsta tutory interpretation—reading the text as written—and\ndo not employ t he major questions doctrine as a thumb on\nthe scale against the President . West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, \nat 724. \n—————— \n15The majo r questions doctrine has also been analogized to\, among \nother things\, the mischief rule\, the absurdity doctrine\, common sense\, \nand context. See\, e.g.\, S. Bray\, The Mischief Rule\, 109 Geo. L. J. 967\,\n1011 (20 21) (doctrine “has an essential similarity with the mischief \nrule”)\ ; Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S. 477\, 511 (2023) (BARRETT\, J.\, \nconcurr ing) (context\, common sense). \n16I have long been\, and fully remain\, a strong proponent of the major \nquestions doctrine. See United States Tel ecom\, 855 F. 3d\, at 418–426 \n(opinion of Kavanaugh\, J.)\; Loving v. IRS\, 742 F. 3d 1013\, 1021 (CADC \n2014)\; Coalition for Responsible Regu lation\, Inc. v. EPA\, No. 9–1322 \n(CADC\, Dec. 20\, 2012)\, pp. 9–10 (Kavanaugh\, J.\, dissenting from denial \nof rehearing en banc). \n34 \n LEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nA \n1 \ nBecause the major questions doctrine demands “clear\ncongressional auth orization\,” this Court has repeatedly\nrecognized that the doctrine i s “distinct” from “routine \nstatutory interpretation.” West Virg inia\, 597 U. S.\, at 724 \n(quotation marks omitted). Importantly\, ther efore\, the\ndoctrine applies—and makes a meaningful difference—only\n in cases where the Executive’s “reading of a statute” \n“would\, u nder more ordinary circumstances\, be upheld.” \nIbid. (quotation marks omitted)\; see also id.\, at 740\, 742\, \nn. 3 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring )\; M. Sohoni\, The Major\nQuestions Quartet\, 136 Harv. L. Rev. 262\, 272 –276 (2022). \nTo properly set up the inquiry: A major questions issue \narises when: (i) the Executive relies on the text of a \ngenerally worde d statute to exercise a specific power of\nmajor economic and political si gnificance\; (ii) the generally \nworded statute does not explicitly menti on the specific\nmajor power\, but (iii) the asserted major power falls wi thin\nthe generally worded text of the statute such that the \nExecutive ’s assertion of that power “would\, under more\nordinary circumstances \, be upheld\,” West Virginia\, 597 \nU. S.\, at 724 (majority opinion) (quotation marks omitted).17 \nThe question then is whether the generally worded \nstatute supplies “clear congressional authorization” for the \nExecutive to exercise that specific—but not explicitly\nmentioned—ma jor power. Here\, for example\, does the \ngenerally worded statutory aut horization for the President \nto “regulate . . . importation” clearly authorize the \nPresident to impose tariffs? \n—————— \n17Of course\, if the major power does not fall within the generally \nworded te xt as a matter of ordinary statutory interpretation\, the major\nquestions doctrine is not implicated or necessary to apply because the \nGovernment ’s statutory argument fails to begin with. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2 026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n35 \nThe requirement of “clear cong ressional authorization” is \neasy enough to state. But how do we apply it? How do we \ndecide in a particular case whether a generally worded \n statute actually constitutes “clear congressional \nauthorization” for a major power that otherwise falls within \nthe general terms?\nFor start ers\, and critically\, the Court has repeatedly\nemphasized that the major questions doctrine is not a\nmagic words requirement. In other words\, t he doctrine does \nnot require an explicit reference to the specific major power\nitself. As the Court’s cases amply demonstrate\, the major\nques tions doctrine does not “forc[e] Congress to delegate in\nhighly specifi c terms.” Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 516 \n(BARRETT\, J.\, concu rring) (quotation marks omitted). \nRather than require magic words (such as the words \n“tariff ” or “duty” here)\, the Court’s cases hav e focused on \nfour somewhat overlapping factors or considerations in\nord er to assess whether a generally worded statute\nconstitutes “clear cong ressional authorization” for the\nspecific major power.18 \nFirst\, the major questions doctrine’s most prominent\nwork has been to ensure that the Executive cannot \nsuddenly seize on an old and generally worded statu te to \nexercise a power of great economic and political significance\nwhe n that power would not reasonably have been \nunderstood at the time of en actment to fall within that \ngenerally worded statute. See West Virginia\ , 597 U. S.\, at \n720–735\; Brown &\; Williamson\, 529 U. S.\, at 159–161. As \nthe Court has said: “When an agency claims to discover in\na long-extant statute an unheralded power to regulate a \n —————— \n18Both JUSTICE GORSUCH and JUSTICE BARRETT have likew ise read the \nCourt’s precedents to identify those same four factors\, as they explained \nin their incisive separate opinions in West Virginia v . EPA and Biden v. \nNebraska\, respectively. See 597 U. S. 697\, 746–7 49 (2022) (GORSUCH\, J.\, \nconcurring) (referring to the four “telling clues”)\; 600 U. S.\, at 517–520\n(BARRETT\, J.\, concurring)\; see al so ante\, at 27 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). \n36 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, I NC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nsignificant portion of the Am erican economy\, we typically\ngreet its announcement with a measure of sk epticism.” \nUtility Air\, 573 U. S.\, at 324 (citation and quotation ma rks \nomitted)\; West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 748 (GORSUCH\, J.\, \nconc urring).\nThe doctrine thus precludes an agency’s attempt to\neffectua te “a fundamental revision of the statute.” MCI \nTelecommunications C orp. v. American Telephone &\; \nTelegraph Co.\, 512 U. S. 218\, 231 (1 994). Stated otherwise\, \nan “agency’s attempt to deploy an old stat ute focused on one \nproblem to solve a new and different problem” may b e “a \nwarning sign that it is acting without clear congressional \nauth ority.” West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 747 (GORSUCH\, J.\, \nconcurring) . The Court’s skepticism about major executive \naction in those scenar ios has been heightened when\nCongress has “conspicuously and repeatedly declined to\nenact” legislation that would have authorized the executiv e \naction in question. Id.\, at 724 (majority opinion). \nA prototypical example occurred when OSHA\, in order to \njustify a nationwide COVID–19 vaccine mandate for \nworkers\, relied “on a statutory provision that w as adopted \n40 years before the pandemic and that focused on\nconditions specific to the workplace.” Id.\, at 747 (GORSUCH\, \nJ.\, concurring). Another example arose when EPA invoked \n“newfound authority to regula te” emissions from “millions\nof small sources—including retail stor es\, offices\, apartment\nbuildings\, shopping centers\, schools\, and chu rches.” Utility \nAir\, 573 U. S.\, at 328. Yet another happened when the CDC \ntried to impose an eviction moratorium for rental housing \nthro ugh an “unprecedented” assertion of its authority to\nregulate public health. Alabama Assn. of Realtors\, 594 \nU. S.\, at 765. \nSecond\, \ncou rts examine the “agency’s past \ninterpretations of the relevant sta tute.” West Virginia\, 597 \nU. S.\, at 747 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring) . The Executive’s \n“track record can be particularly probative” in the major \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n37 \nquestions context. Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 519 \n(BARR ETT\, J.\, concurring). \nA “contemporaneous and long-held Executive Bra nch\ninterpretation of a statute is entitled to some weight.” West \nVi rginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 747 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring) \n(quotation marks omitted). Just “as established practice\nmay shed light on the extent o f power conveyed by general \nstatutory language\, so the want of assertio n of power by \nthose who presumably would be alert to exercise it\, is\ne qually significant in determining whether such power was\nactually conferr ed.” \nId.\, at 725 (majority opinion) \n(quotation marks omitted).\nThe NFIB Court therefore found it critical that “OSHA\, \nin its half centu ry of existence\, has never before adopted a\nbroad public health regulati on of this kind” under the \nstatute that the agency sought to invoke as authority for \nthe vaccine mandate. 595 U. S.\, at 119. Likewise\, in Brown \n&\; Williamson\, the FDA had “repeatedly and consistently\nas sert[ed] that it lacks jurisdiction under the FDCA to\nregulate tobacco pr oducts.” 529 U. S.\, at 156. And in West \nVirginia\, EPA had not “pr eviously interpreted the relevant \nprovision to confer on it such vast au thority” to transform \nAmerican industry. 597 U. S.\, at 749 (GORSUCH\, J.\, \nconcurring). \nThird\, courts assess whether “there is a mismatc h \nbetween an agency’s challenged action and its \ncongressionally assi gned mission and expertise\,” id.\, at 748 \n(GORSUCH\, J.\, concurrin g)—in other words\, whether an\nagency is trying to regulate “outside its wheelhouse\,” Biden \nv. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 518 (BARRETT\, J. \, concurring).\n In the NFIB case\, OSHA\, which is empowered to “set \ nworkplace safety standards\, not broad public health\nmeasures\,” manda ted COVID–19 vaccines. 595 U. S.\, at \n117. In Alabama Assn. of Realto rs\, the CDC—a public \nhealth agency—attempted to regulate housing. 594 U. S.\, \nat 763–765. In Gonzales v. Oregon\, the Attorney General \ n38 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \ns ought to assert authority over the drugs used in physician\nassisted suici de. 546 U. S. 243\, 267–268 (2006).\nAll of those cases involved serious mismatches between \nthe agency’s usual regulatory activities and its a sserted\nmajor power. \nFourth\, the Court looks at whether the relevant s tatutory \nlanguage used to justify the Executive’s exercise of a major\ npower is “oblique\,” “elliptical\,” or “cryptic.” West Virgi nia\, \n597 U. S.\, at 746–747 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring) \n(alteration s and quotation marks omitted). As the Court \nhas often said\, Congress does not “hide elephants” in\nstatutory “mouseholes.” Whitman v. American Trucking \nAssns.\, Inc.\, 531 U. S. 457\, 468 (2001). \nIn MCI T elecommunications Corp.\, for example\, the\nCourt refused to allow the FC C to eliminate rate regulation\nand fundamentally overhaul the telecommuni cations \nindustry based on a “subtle” provision that merely\npermitte d the FCC to “modify” rate-filing requirements. \n512 U. S.\, at 231 ( quotation marks omitted). In Brown &\; \nWilliamson\, the Court reject ed the FDA’s attempt to\nregulate the tobacco industry based on a “cry ptic” statutory\nprovision that referred to “safety.” 529 U. S.\, at 160 \n(quotation marks omitted). In Gonzales\, the Court said that \nCon gress would not have granted the Attorney General the \npower to regulate physician-assisted suicide through \n“oblique” statutory language. 54 6 U. S.\, at 267. And in \nWest Virginia\, the Court found it unlikely th at Congress \nwould have granted major power to reshape the energy \nindus try in a “previously little-used backwater” of the \nstatute. 597 U. S .\, at 730. \n2 \nSo in this case we must apply those four factors in orde r\nto determine whether Congress\, when it afforded the \nPresident the po wer to “regulate . . . importation\,” clearly\nauthorized the Presiden t to impose tariffs. As I see it\, those \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026 ) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n39 \nfactors show that Congress clearly authorized tariffs in \nIEEPA when it empowered the President to “regula te . . . \nimportation.” \nFirst\, unlike the OSHA vaccine mandate in NF IB or the \ngreenhouse gas regulation in Utility Air\, for example\, the\n President here is not exercising an “unheralded” or\n“newfound aut hority” based on a “long-extant” statute— \nthat is\, exercising a power that was unanticipated or\nunforeseen when Congress enacted IEEPA ’s “regulate . . . \nimportation” language in 1977.\nOn the contrary \, as was fully explained above\, the tariff\nauthority exercised here is not remotely “unheralded.” To \nrecap: Any citizen or Member of Congr ess who paid the \nleast bit of attention in 1977 would have readily under stood \nthat the President’s authority to “regulate . . . importatio n”\nencompassed the power to tariff. There are the dictionary \ndefinit ions and the historical usage and practice. And \namong other things\, jus t a few years before IEEPA\, that\n“regulate . . . importation” langua ge was invoked by\nPresident Nixon and judicially approved to sustain his 10 \npercent worldwide tariffs. \nPresident Ford then \nimplemented signif icant tariffs using substantially similar \n“adjust the imports” statu tory language\, and this Court \nunanimously upheld President Ford’s tar iffs in Algonquin. \nSo IEEPA’s grant of authority to the President to i mpose \ntariffs in order to regulate importation is not “unheralded” \ nor “newfound.” That authority was plain as day in 1977.19 \n—————— \n19The Court downplays the significance of the prom inent Nixon and \nFord tariffs. Ante\, at 17–19 (majority opinion)\; ant e\, at 27–28\, 39 \n(GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring). But the Nixon and Ford examples\, as well as \nAlgonquin\, are critical for a proper and full un derstanding of the \nmeaning of “regulate . . . importation” when Cong ress enacted IEEPA in\n1977. We cannot ignore or diminish that history. T HE CHIEF JUSTICE’s \nopinion and JUSTICE GORSUCH’s concurrence also sa y that no President \nsince 1977 has invoked IEEPA to impose tariffs. Ant e\, at 10 (opinion of \nROBERTS\, C. J.)\; ante\, at 27–28 (GORSUCH\, J. \, concurring). But since \n40 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAV ANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nSecond\, the President is not interpreting the “regulate . . . \nimportation” language in IEEPA differently from how past\nPresidents have interpreted it. At least as far as the \nbriefing an d arguments in this case have disclosed\, no \nPresidential Administration since the enactment of the \n“regulate . . . importation” language in TWEA in 1941 or \nsince its re-enactment in IEEPA in 1977 has interpreted \nthe statute to exclude the power to impose tariffs.\nMoreover\, before IEEPA’s enactment\, President Nixon \nimposed tariffs based on the sam e “regulate . . . \nimportation” language. And in 1975\, President For d \ninvoked authority to “adjust the imports” in order to \nsimilarly impose monetary exactions. In addition—if more \nis needed—Marshall\, Story\, Madison\, and this Court have\nall long recognized that the power to regulate foreign \ncommerce includes tariffs. \nThe current Presiden t’s reading of IEEPA follows from\nand is entirely consistent with those past interpretations—\nmaking his position nothing like\, for example\, FDA’s when \nit changed its longstanding position that it lacked the \n authority to regulate cigarettes\, Brown &\; Williamson\, 529 \nU. S.\, at 159–160\, or OSHA’s when it implemented a\nvaccine requirement eve n though it had “never before\nadopted a broad public health regulation of this kind\,” \nNFIB\, 595 U. S.\, at 119. \nWhen\, as here\, “estab lished practice\,” West Virginia\, 597 \nU. S.\, at 725 (quotation marks omitted)\, and the Executive’s\n“track record\,” Biden v. Nebraska\ , 600 U. S.\, at 519 \n—————— \n1977\, Presidents have imposed numerous tariffs under non-emergency\ntariff statutes—including Section 232\, which like IEEPA also does not\nexplicitly reference tariffs or tax es. The fact that recent Presidents have \nnot often had occasion under th e National Emergencies Act to declare\nnational emergencies in which tarif fs would help “deal with” the specific\nemergency at issue does not me an that Presidents have now lost the\nauthority exercised by President Nix on to impose tariffs. IEEPA was not \ndesigned as a use-it-or-lose-it sou rce of emergency authority. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\ , J.\, dissenting \n41 \n(BARRETT\, J.\, concurring)\, convincingly show t hat the \ngeneral statutory language has long been understood to \ncover t he specific power asserted by the Executive\, that \nrecord should all but resolve the matter for major questions \npurposes. \nThird\, there is no mismatch: The power to tariff falls \nsquarely within the President’s w heelhouse. From the \nFounding\, as THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion today\na cknowledges\, numerous other statutes have afforded—\nand still do aff ord—the President broad power to impose\ntariffs. \nAnte\, at 8–9. Th is case is entirely different\,\ntherefore\, from our prior major question s cases\, where\, for \nexample\, the CDC attempted to impose an eviction \nmoratorium\, Alabama Assn. of Realtors\, 594 U. S.\, at 763– \n765\; O SHA sought to implement a nationwide vaccine \nmandate\, NFIB\, 595 U. S.\ , at 117–120\; the FDA tried to \nregulate cigarettes\, Brown &\; Wil liamson\, 529 U. S.\, at 159– \n161\; and the Attorney General attempted to regulate \nphysician-assisted suicide\, Gonzales\, 546 U. S.\, at 26 7–268. \nPresidents imposing tariffs—whether pursuant to \ninherent wa rtime authority\, pursuant to TWEA and \nIEEPA’s “regulate . . . impor tation” language\, pursuant to \nSection 232’s “adjust the imports ” text\, or pursuant to the\nmany other tariff statutory authorities—i s hardly an\nunusual occurrence in our Nation’s history or in recent \nt imes. For example\, Presidents George W. Bush\, Obama\,\nand Biden all imp osed tariffs pursuant to congressional \nauthorization. There is no mismat ch between the tariff \npower and the President’s “mission and exper tise.” West \nVirginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 748 (GORSUCH\, J.\, concurring) . \nFourth\, the President is not relying on oblique\, elliptical\, \nor c ryptic language. This case does not involve “elephants\nin mouseholes .” Whitman\, 531 U. S.\, at 468. This case \ninstead involves an eleph ant (tariffs) in a statutory\nelephant hole (the power to “regulate . . . importation” to\ndeal with foreign threats in national emergencies). IEEPA \n42 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissent ing \nwas a major and thoroughly studied statute carefully\ncrafted to gra nt the President a suite of powerful tools\,\nincluding to “regulate . . . importation\,” and thereby allow \nhim to respond swiftly to national emergencies and to help \nAmerica respond to crises. Since its enactment\ , Presidents \nhave invoked IEEPA more than 70 times to deal with \nemerge ncies and threats from the September 11\, 2001\, al \nQaeda attacks to Ira n to North Korea\, and many others.\nSee Congressional Research Service\, The International\nEmergency Economic Powers Act: Origins\, Evolution\, an d \nUse 18–32 (2025).\nBy 1977\, moreover\, it was well-known that tarif fs on \nforeign imports—along with even more powerful tools such\nas quo tas and embargoes—were a common way to “regulate \n. . . importation .” IEEPA thus bears zero resemblance to \nthe paradigmatic “previously little-used backwater” \nstatutory provision that cannot support signif icant\nexecutive actions. West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 730. \nAll of tha t makes this case dramatically different from—\nreally\, the opposite of—the major questions cases where the\nCourt has ruled against the Gove rnment. The text\, the \nhistory\, the context\, and the precedent all poi nt strongly to\nthe conclusion that as of 1977\, tariffs were a well\nreco gnized means of regulating importation\, like quotas\nand embargoes.\nAs J udge Taranto persuasively summarized\, this case\nbears none of the hallma rks of past major questions cases \nwhere the Court found a lack of clear congressional\nauthorization for the Government’s asserted major power.\ nIEEPA’s “facial breadth in an emergency context makes the\nstraightfo rward application of the statute’s words hardly \nunheralded\, and if a more specific herald is needed\, it is \npresent in the [Nixon] 1971 procl amation\, Yoshida CCPA\, \nand subsequent congressional adoption of the re levant \nlanguage in 1977.” 149 F. 4th 1312\, 1376 (CA Fed. 2025) \n(dis senting opinion) (citations omitted). IEEPA seeks “to \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n43 \nprovide flexibility i n the tools available to the President to\naddress the unusual and extraor dinary threats specified in \na declared national emergency. This is not a n ‘ancillary\,’\n‘little used backwater’ provision\, or a delegati on outside the \nrecipient’s wheelhouse.” Ibid. (citation omitted).\nT his Court’s recent decision in Biden v. Missouri\, 595 \nU. S. 87 (2022) (per curiam)\, strongly supports the \nPresident’s position here. That case involved a challenge to \nPresident Biden’s COVID–19 vaccine req uirement for \nmillions of healthcare workers. The executive action there \, \ntoo\, was undoubtedly major. But the Court upheld the \nGovernment’ s vaccine mandate based on a general \nstatutory authorization for HHS to impose safety \nrequirements for healthcare facilities—notwithstanding \ nthe lack of explicit statutory reference to vaccines. Id.\, at \n90–96 . In doing so\, the Court emphasized that state\nvaccination requirements were common for healthcare\nworkers and that the Federal Government regula rly\nrequired healthcare workers to take various safety\nprecautions. Id.\ , at 94–95. Notably\, the Court upheld the \nvaccine mandate even though (as the dissenters pointed \nout) the Federal Government had not traditio nally imposed \nsuch vaccine requirements on healthcare workers. See id.\ , \nat 104 (THOMAS\, J.\, dissenting). \nThe clarity of the congressional authorization in today’s\ncase is far stronger than in Biden v. Missouri . The Nixon \nand Ford tariffs\, the Algonquin decision\, and the \nPresid ent’s longstanding authority to regulate trade and\nimpose tariffs estab lish—much more comprehensively and\nclearly than in Biden v. Missouri— that the President is not \nclaiming some “unheralded power” that repr esents a \n“transformative expansion” of his authority. Utility Air\, \n573 U. S.\, at 324. \nBecause the Court upheld the Executive’s exerci se of a \nmajor power in Biden v. Missouri\, it follows that the Court \n4 4 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \ntod ay should likewise uphold the President’s assertion of a\nmajor power he re. Like cases should be treated alike. \nIn response to all of that\, THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion\nclings to its primary argument in this case— that a statute \nmust use the word “tariff ” or “duty” or “tax ” or the like to \nauthorize tariffs on foreign imports. But this Court has \nrepeatedly emphasized that the major questions doctrine is \nnot a magic words requirement. THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s \nopinion identifies no ca se that has demanded such \nspecificity. And in Algonquin\, this Court una nimously and \nsquarely rejected the same argument that the statutory\npro vision must specifically mention “tariffs” or “duties” or \n“t axes” for the President to impose tariffs on foreign \nimports. Under TH E CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion\, the Nixon\nand Ford tariffs would also have been unlawful. So too \nmight other tariffs imposed under the longstandin g Section \n232 tariff statute\, which broadly authorizes the President \n to “adjust the imports” of a foreign good without mentioning\n“tar iffs” or “taxes.” \nAnd so would tariffs imposed in\nwartime under TWEA’s authority to “regulate . . . \nimportation.”20\n THE CHIEF J USTICE’s opinion’s approach to the major\nquestions doctrine is a magi c-words test under another\nname—in contravention of our precedents that make clear \nthat Congress need not use magic words or “highly specif ic” \n—————— \n20Under the Court’s decision today\, the President’s authority to impose \ntariffs under TWEA during wartime is p resumably now gone given that\nTWEA has the same “regulate . . . importa tion” language\, 50 U. S. C.\n§4305(b)(1)(B)—unless the Court thinks that the statutory text somehow \nmeans one thing in TWEA and another in I EEPA\, which would be \nhistorically inaccurate and textually unsupportabl e. One might think \nthat the Court’s opinion would also mean that tari ffs cannot be imposed \nunder Section 232\, which authorizes the President to “adjust the \nimports.” After all\, that statutory provision like wise does not refer to\n“tariffs\,” duties\,” “taxes\,” “fee s\,” or the like. But in Algonquin\, the Court \nread Section 232 to au thorize tariffs. I assume that the Court today does \nnot intend to overr ule Algonquin. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissen ting \n45 \nterms. Biden v. Nebraska\, 600 U. S.\, at 516 (BARRETT\, J.\, \nconcurring) (quotation marks omitted).21 \nIn previous cases\, the Court has looked at the four factors \nto determine whether there is “clear c ongressional\nauthorization” precisely because the major questions canon \nhas no magic words requirement. If magic words or the\nequivalent were necessary\, that would be the only factor. \nAnd the Court would not need the four factors that the \nCourt has consistently applied.22 \nIn sum\, under the major questions doctrine as the Court\nhas applied it\, this sho uld be a straightforward case.\nCongress supplied clear authorization for the President to\nimpose tariffs under IEEPA. \nB \n1 \nSecond\, there is an alternative and independent reason\nwhy the major questions doctrine do es not apply here: This \nis a foreign affairs case. \nA plethora of st atutes in the U. S. Code grant the\nExecutive the power to act in foreign affairs. And most of \nthe important actions that “presidents take toda y\,\nincluding in foreign affairs\, rest at least in part on statutory \ n—————— \n21Taken at face value\, moreover\, the Court’s maj or questions analysis\nwould presumably also preclude Presidents from impo sing quotas under\nIEEPA. Quotas are justified under the same “regulate . . . importation” \nlanguage. How could the Court distinguish quotas f rom tariffs for major \nquestions purposes? After all\, quotas can be of e ven greater economic \nand political significance than tariffs. \n22In his concurrence\, JUSTICE GORSUCH opines that the phrase\n“monetary exactio ns on foreign imports” would constitute clear \ncongressional authorizat ion\, but that the phrase “regulate . . . \nimportation” does not. An te\, at 30. But if the phrase “regulate . . . \nimportation” has histo rically and commonly encompassed “monetary \nexactions on foreign impo rts”—as it has—and if the four major questions \nfactors taken toget her support the Executive—as they do—then I cannot \nagree with the li ne that JUSTICE GORSUCH is drawing between those two \nformulations. \n46 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nautho rization.” C. Bradley &\; J. Goldsmith\, Foreign Affairs\,\nNondelega tion\, and the Major Questions Doctrine\, 172 U. \nPa. L. Rev. 1743\, 1745 (2024). \nYet this Court has never before applied the major\nquestions do ctrine—or anything resembling it—to a foreign \naffairs statute. I wou ld not make this case the first. \nRather\, in the foreign affairs context \, this Court has\ninterpreted statutes as written\, with respect for the \nprimacy of Congress’s and the President’s roles in foreign \naffairs and without using the major questions doctrine as a\nthumb on the scale a gainst the President. See\, e.g.\, \nDepartment of Navy v. Egan\, 484 U. S . 518\, 529–530 (1988).\nThat deeply rooted textualist approach to inter preting\nforeign affairs statutes is nothing new. What is new and \nrather extraordinary is the approach embodied in THE \nCHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion for three Justices\, which would\nextend the major questions doctrine int o the foreign affairs \nrealm for the first time. \nRecall that the major questions doctrine is based on two\noverlapping foundations: “separation of powers principles \nand a practical understanding of legislative inten t.” West \nVirginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 723. \nWith respect to separation of powers\, the major questions\ndoctrine serves to reinforce the nondeleg ation doctrine. But \nin the foreign affairs realm\, the Court has recogn ized that\nCongress often broadly delegates authority to the \nExecutive. From the Founding\, numerous foreign affairs\nstatutes “authorizing act ion by the President in respect of \nsubjects affecting foreign relation s” either “leave the\nexercise of the power to his unrestricted judgme nt\, or\nprovide a standard far more general than that which has\nalways b een considered requisite with regard to domestic\naffairs.” United State s v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 \nU. S. 304\, 324 (1936)\; Departme nt of Transportation v. \nAssociation of American Railroads\, 575 U. S. 43 \, 80\, n. 5 \n(2015) (THOMAS\, J.\, concurring in judgment). The reason \ n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n47 \nfor those broad delegations is simple and obvious: If \n“success” for Ame rica’s foreign affairs “aims” is to be\n“achieved\, congressional legislation . . . must often accord to\nthe President a degree of discreti on and freedom from\nstatutory restriction which would not be admissible w ere \ndomestic affairs alone involved.” Curtiss-Wright\, 299 U. S.\, \n at 320. \nStated otherwise\, “Congress—in giving the \nExecutive autho rity over matters of foreign affairs—must \nof necessity paint with a br ush broader than that it \ncustomarily wields in domestic areas.” Zemel v. Rusk\, 381 \nU. S. 1\, 17 (1965).\nAs Justice Robert Jackson summarize d\, the Court’s \nnondelegation cases—consistent with the “unbroken \nlegislative practice which has prevailed almost from the\ninception of t he national government\,” Curtiss-Wright\, 299 \nU. S.\, at 322—have “recognized internal and external \naffairs as being in separate catego ries\, and held that the \nstrict limitation upon congressional delegation s of power to\nthe President over internal affairs does not apply with \nr espect to delegations of power in external affairs.” \nYoungstown Sheet &\; Tube Co. v. Sawyer\, 343 U. S. 579\, 636\, \nn. 2 (1952) (concurrin g opinion)\; see Curtiss-Wright\, 299 \nU. S.\, at 319–322\; Panama Refi ning Co. v. Ryan\, 293 U. S. \n388\, 422 (1935).\nAs Justice Jackson furth er noted\, the Court’s precedents\nrecognize the “‘unwisdom of requi ring Congress in this field \nof governmental power to lay down narrowly d efinite\nstandards by which the President is to be governed.’” \nYoun gstown\, 343 U. S.\, at 636\, n. 2 (concurring opinion) \n(quoting Curtiss -Wright\, 299 U. S.\, at 321–322).\nIf the major questions doctrine is d esigned in part to \nprotect nondelegation principles\, but the nondelegat ion \ndoctrine does not play a substantial role in foreign affairs \ncases (as the Court has held)\, then it follows that courts \nshould not employ the major questions doctrine to put a \nthumb on the scale against the Pr esident when interpreting \n48 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVA NAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nforeign affairs statutes. Rather\, as Justice Ro bert Jackson \nstated\, courts should interpret those statutes as written. \nRelatedly\, to the extent that the major questions doctrine\nis designed to reflect a “practical understanding of \nlegislative intent\,” West Virginia\, 597 U. S.\, at 723\, the \ndoctrine appropriately plays no rol e in “national security or\nforeign policy contexts\, because the canon does not reflect \nordinary congressional intent in those areas.” FCC v . \nConsumers’ Research\, 606 U. S. 656\, 706 (2025)\n(KAVANAUGH\, J.\, concurring). In the foreign affairs realm\, \nCongress “has good reason to—and intends to—authorize\nmany executive branch actions related to foreign affairs in\nbroad or general terms.” Bradley &\; Goldsmith\, 172 U. Pa. \nL. Rev.\, at 1793. \nCongress ordinarily seeks “to give the President \nsubstantial authority and flexibility to protect America and \nthe American people.” Consumers’ Research\, 606 U. S.\, at \n706–7 07 (KAVANAUGH\, J.\, concurring). After all\, the \nPresident exercises t he “vast share of responsibility for the\nconduct of our foreign relatio ns.” American Ins. Assn. v. \nGaramendi\, 539 U. S. 396\, 414 (2003) (q uotation marks \nomitted). So Congress “often” gives the President “ a degree\nof discretion.” Curtiss-Wright\, 299 U. S.\, at 320. That \n “unbroken legislative practice” from the Founding means \nthat courts interpreting statutes in the foreign affairs field\nshould assume that Con gress meant what it said. Id.\, at \n322. \nStated otherwise\, “if the major questions doctrine turns \non a contextual inquiry into likely congr essional intent\, it \nis likely for a variety of reasons to have less pur chase in the \nforeign affairs area.” Bradley &\; Goldsmith\, 172 U. Pa. L. \nRev.\, at 1790. \nTo be clear\, Congress of course maintains the ultimate \npower over how broadly or narrowly to write statutes in the \nf oreign policy and national security contexts. For example\,\nCongress can write foreign affairs statutes narrowly. \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026 ) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n49 \nIndeed\, even for wartime powers\, Congress rarely gives the \nPresident a “blank check.” Hamdi v. Rumsfe ld\, 542 U. S. \n507\, 536 (2004) (plurality opinion). And when Congress\ nwrites a narrow foreign affairs statute\, this Court has \nenforced those statutory limits as written. Cf. Hamdan v. \nRumsfeld\, 548 U. S. 557\, 593–595 (2006)\; id.\, at 638–639 \n(Kennedy\, J.\, concurring in part ).\nMoreover\, when it does legislate more broadly\, Congress \nsometimes claws back the statutory authorization by \nrescinding or amending overbro ad statutes\, or by\nrestricting previously granted Presidential power thr ough\nthe leverage it possesses over appropriations\, new \nlegislation\, or confirmations. See\, e.g.\, Foreign Intelligence \nSurveillance Act of 1978\, 92 Stat. 1783\; Military\nCommissions Act of 2006\, 120 Stat. 2600 \, as amended\, 10 \nU. S. C. §948a et seq.\; Case-Church Amendment\, Pub . L. \n93–50\, §307\, 87 Stat. 129. Either House of Congress alone\,\n through the appropriations process\, can insist on certain \nlimits as a c ondition of approving funding. At the end of the \nday\, given the approp riations power\, Congress holds the\ncards. \nIn short\, in the foreign af fairs context\, this Court has \nnever before super-imposed the major ques tions doctrine (or \nany similar canon or principle) onto ordinary statuto ry\ninterpretation to place a thumb on the scale against the \nPresident. \nRather\, the Court interprets the relevant\nstatutes according to their text\, with respect for Congress’s \nand the President’s central roles in the foreign policy and\nnational security fields. \n2 \nThis tariffs c ase plainly falls into the foreign affairs \ncategory. IEEPA “directly a nd expressly relate[s] to foreign \naffairs.” Bradley &\; Goldsmith\, 172 U. Pa. L. Rev.\, at 1796. \nAnd like quotas and embargoes\, tariffs r egulate the goods \n50 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nthat are imported into the country from foreign nations. \nThe tariffs do not apply to goods produced in America.\nMoreover\, tarif fs on foreign imports are significant tools \nof foreign policy and nation al security\, whether imposed \nunder IEEPA\, TWEA\, Section 232\, Section 122\, Section \n201\, Section 301\, or Section 338. They are often used t o\n“advance foreign policy goals\, or as negotiating leverage in \ntrade negotiations.” Congressional Research Service\, U. S.\nTariff Policy: O verview 1 (2025). Like other economic tools\, \ntariffs can “serve as a ‘bargaining chip’ to be used by the\nPresident when dealing with a h ostile country\,” Dames &\; \nMoore v. Regan\, 453 U. S. 654\, 673 (1 981)—or to incentivize\na change in behavior by allies\, partners\, or e nemies. Cf. \nAssociation of American Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 80 (opin ion \nof THOMAS\, J.) (embargo statute “involved the external \nrelation s of the United States”)\; Gundy v. United States\, \n588 U. S. 128\, 170–171 (2019) (GORSUCH\, J.\, dissenting). \nWith respect to foreign tr ade specifically\, Congress often\n“invest[s] the President with large d iscretion in matters \narising out of the execution of statutes relating t o trade and\ncommerce with other nations.” Marshall Field &\; Co. v. \nClark\, 143 U. S. 649\, 691 (1892). Since the Founding\, that \nlongsta nding practice has included tariff statutes: \nCongress has granted the Pr esident expansive power over\ntariffs and foreign trade. Ante\, at 13–17 (THOMAS\, J.\, \ndissenting). \nAnd this Court has uniformly rejected \nc hallenges to tariffs imposed by Presidents under those \nstatutory authori ties. E.g.\, Federal Energy Administration \nv. Algonquin SNG\, Inc.\, 42 6 U. S. 548\, 558–560 (1976)\; J. \nW. Hampton\, Jr.\, &\; Co. v. Uni ted States\, 276 U. S. 394\, 409 \n(1928)\; Marshall Field\, 143 U. S.\, a t 690–694\; Cargo of Brig \nAurora v. United States\, 7 Cranch 382\, 3 86–388 (1813). \nAs Professors Bradley and Goldsmith well summarized\, \ nthere is a “settled practice of about a century of the \nexecutive bran ch exercising emergency powers in many \nimportant contexts pursuant to th e broadly worded IEEPA \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\ , dissenting \n51 \nand its predecessor\, the Trading with the Enemy Act. And \nthere is an even longer practice\, dating to the Founding\, of \npr esidents exercising trade-related sanctions authority\npursuant to broadly worded statutes. Notably\, the Court\nhas already suggested in both of th ese contexts that one\nshould expect Congress to\, in effect\, paint with a broad \nbrush.” 172 U. Pa. L. Rev.\, at 1796–1797. \nAs with tariffs on foreign imports historically\, the IEEPA\ntariffs on foreign imports a t issue in this case implicate \nforeign affairs. According to the Governm ent\, the President \nhas leveraged the IEEPA tariffs into trade deals wit h major\ntrading partners including China\, the United Kingdom\, and \nJap an\, among other countries. The Government says that\nthe tariffs have hel ped make certain foreign markets more\naccessible to American businesses a nd have contributed to \ntrade deals with foreign nations worth trillions of dollars.\nMoreover\, consistent with history and the traditional \nuses of tariffs\, the President “is exercising his IEEPA \nauthority in conn ection with highly sensitive negotiations\nhe is conducting to end the con flict between the Russian\nFederation and Ukraine.” Decl. of M. Rubio in No. 25–1812 \n(CA Fed.\, Aug. 29\, 2025)\, p. 3. To that end\, on Augus t 6\,\n2025\, the President imposed tariffs on India for “directly or \n indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.” Exec. Order \nNo. 14329\, 90 Fed. Reg. 38701 (2025). And on February 6\,\n2026\, the President redu ced the tariffs on India because\, \naccording to the Government\, India h ad “committed to stop \ndirectly or indirectly importing Russian Federat ion oil.” \nExec. Order No. 14384\, 91 Fed. Reg. 6501 (2026).\nTo be sur e\, most foreign affairs and national security \nactions—whether war\, i nternational agreements\, trade \ndeals\, or tariffs—lead to significant domestic ramifications \nwithin the United States. And this case is no ex ception.\nNonetheless\, in the foreign affairs field\, courts interpret\ns tatutes as written\, with appropriate respect to Congress\nand the Preside nt and without a major questions doctrine \n52 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nweight on the scale against the President. See Youngstown\, \n343 U. S.\, at 636\, n. 2 (Jackson\, J.\, c oncurring). \nLest there be any remaining doubt that the major\nquestions doctrine does not apply to tariffs on foreign\nimports\, recall again this Court’s decision in Algonquin. \nThat case involved significant tariffs imposed by President \nFord on oil imports. The relevant statute granted the\nPresident the authority to “adjust the imports.” 19 U. S. C. \n§ 1862(b) (1970 ed.). The Court upheld the tariffs by \ninterpreting the sta tute as written. Neither the major\nquestions doctrine—nor anything res embling that \ndoctrine—played a role in that case. \nIn short\, “Pres idential actions pursuant to broad \ncongressional authorizations related to foreign affairs often \nhave long historical pedigrees that can in vari ous ways \ninform congressional intent to approve the actions in \nquestio n. \nTo the extent that this is so in particular \ninstances\, the major q uestions doctrine’s clear authorization \nrequirement does not apply.” Bradley &\; Goldsmith\, 172 U.\nPa. L. Rev.\, at 1794 (emphasis added) . \nSo it is here: Presidents “have long been granted \nsubstantial dis cretion over tariffs.” Id.\, at 1759\, n. 90. This \nCourt has never be fore applied the major questions doctrine \nto a statute authorizing the P resident to take action with\nrespect to foreign affairs in general or tar iffs in particular.\nAnd it should not do so today. \nTHE CHIEF JUSTICE ’s opinion’s reliance on the major\nquestions doctrine in this foreign affairs case is a first—a \nnovel and unprecedented use of the major qu estions\ndoctrine to invalidate Presidential action taken pursuant to\ncon gressional authorization in the foreign affairs area. I \nfirmly disagree with that use of the major questions\ndoctrine here. In the foreign affair s context\, including \ntariffs\, the longstanding rule is simple: Interpr et the \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n5 3 \nstatute as written\, not with a thumb on the scale against \nthe Presi dent.23 \n3 \nRelated precedent further demonstrates that the major\nquest ions doctrine has not traditionally applied in the \nnational security or foreign policy contexts. Consider \ntwo \nprominent examples. \nFirst\, i n Hamdi v. Rumsfeld\, 542 U. S. 507\, this Court \nconsidered the 2001 Aut horization for Use of Military \nForce\, which Congress passed and Preside nt George W.\nBush signed on September 18\, 2001\, in the wake of the al \ nQaeda attacks on the United States. The law broadly \n—————— \n23In his thoughtful concurrence\, JUSTICE GORSUCH agrees that the \nmajo r questions doctrine often does not apply to foreign affairs statutes\,\nb ut in his view it does not apply only when the President also has \ninhere nt or independent Article II power. Ante\, at 30–31. THE CHIEF \nJUST ICE’s opinion for three Justices also gestures at that position. See \n ante\, at 12–13. I see some analytical and practical problems with that \napproach.\nFirst\, as JUSTICE GORSUCH elsewhere notes\, the major quest ions\ndoctrine serves in part to reinforce nondelegation principles. Yet as I \nhave explained\, the Court’s nondelegation cases from the Foundin g to \nthe present—including numerous cases involving tariffs—have \ n“recognized internal and external affairs as being in separate categori es\,\nand held that the strict limitation upon congressional delegations o f\npower to the President over internal affairs does not apply with respec t \nto delegations of power in external affairs.” Youngstown Sheet & \; Tube \nCo. v. Sawyer\, 343 U. S. 579\, 636\, n. 2 (1952) (Jackson\, J.\ , concurring)\; \nsee also United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 U. S. 304\, \n319–322 (1936)\; Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan\, 293 U. S. 388\, 422 (1935).\nIn those cases\, the Court has not further subdivide d the foreign affairs\npower in the manner that JUSTICE GORSUCH now sugges ts. \nSecond\, terms such as “inherent” or “independent” in this c ontext \ncontinue to be “used\, often interchangeably and without fixed or \nascertainable meanings.” Youngstown\, 343 U. S.\, at 647 (Jackson\ , J.\, \nconcurring)\; see also id.\, at 637. So it would be both novel an d \njurisprudentially chaotic to try to now create a new approach tying th e \napplicability of the major questions canon in the foreign affairs cont ext \nto such uncertain triggers. \n54 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUM P \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \nempowered the President to use “all ne cessary and\nappropriate force against those nations\, organizations\, or \npersons he determines planned\, authorized\, committed\, or \naided the terrorist attacks” that occurred on September 11\,\n2001. Authorization for Use of Military Force\, 115 Stat. 224 \n(Sept. 18\, 2001).\nIn Hamdi\, the Government militarily detained in the\nUnited States an American citi zen who had taken up arms\nwith the Taliban. 542 U. S.\, at 510–511. The plaintiff\nHamdi argued\, among other things\, that the AUMF\ngenerally a uthorized the use of force but did not specifically \nauthorize military d etention\, at least detention of \nAmerican-citizen enemy combatants in th e United States. \nSee id.\, at 515–517. He contended that his military\ ndetention was therefore illegal.\nIn the principal opinion by Justice O ’Connor\, the Court\nrejected Hamdi’s statutory argument\, explaining that it\nwas “of no moment that the AUMF does not use specific\nlanguage of detention.” Id.\, at 519. Rather\, because \n“detention to preve nt a combatant’s return to the battlefield \nis a fundamental incident o f waging war\, in permitting the \nuse of ‘necessary and appropriate for ce\,’ Congress has\nclearly and unmistakably authorized detention in the \nnarrow circumstances considered here.” Ibid. \nConsider the similariti es between Hamdi and this case. \nBoth involve major questions of foreign affairs. Hamdi \ninvolved U. S. military detention of an American citizen in \nAmerica\, pursuant to a generally worded authorization for\nuse of m ilitary force. This case involves tariffs on foreign \ngoods imported int o America pursuant to a generally\nworded authorization to regulate import ation. Detention is \na traditional incident of the President’s delegat ed power to \nwage war. See id.\, at 518. Tariffs are a traditional incid ent \nof the President’s delegated power to regulate imports and \nforei gn commerce. In Hamdi\, the Court said that as a \nmatter of history\, pra ctice\, and precedent\, the AUMF’s \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nK AVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n55 \ngeneral authorization for the use of mil itary force clearly \nencompassed detention of enemy combatants. Id.\, at 518– \n522. Here\, as a matter of history\, practice\, and precedent\,\ nIEEPA’s general authorization for regulation of \nimportation likewise clearly encompasses tariffs on foreign\nimports. \nSecond\, in 1981 in Dam es &\; Moore\, 453 U. S. 654\, the \nCourt did not apply the major ques tions doctrine\, even\nthough the Court had recently applied that principl e in a \nsignificant domestic policy case. Cf. Industrial Union Dept.\, \n AFL–CIO v. American Petroleum Institute\, 448 U. S. 607 \n(1980) (plural ity opinion).\nThe Dames &\; Moore case arose in the wake of the Iran \ nhostage crisis where Iran held more than 50 American\nhostages at the U. S. Embassy in Iran for more than 14 \nmonths. As one part of the ultimate settlement of the \nhostage crisis with Iran\, President Reagan suspended\ nclaims by U. S. nationals against Iran that were pending in\nAmerican cou rts. Dames &\; Moore\, 453 U. S.\, at 666. The \nPresident did so unde r IEEPA and the Hostage Act. Id.\, at \n675. \nThere can be little doubt that the question of suspending \nAmerican citizens’ claims against Iran was one of major \neconomic and political significance. And the Court fu rther \nrecognized that the case touched “fundamentally upon the \nmanne r in which our Republic is to be governed.” Id.\, at \n659. Yet the Cou rt did not require “clear congressional\nauthorization” for the Pres ident’s exercise of that authority\nto suspend the Americans’ claims a gainst Iran.\nOn the contrary\, the Court openly acknowledged that the\nre levant statutes—IEEPA and the Hostage Act—did not \nprovide clear or “specific authorization” for the President to\nsuspend those claims. Id.\, at 677. The Court nonetheless \nconcluded that the “general tenor of Congress’ legislation in\nthis area”—combined with Congress’s l ongstanding\nacquiescence to the President’s practice of settling clai ms— \n56 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissent ing \nsupported the President’s suspension of those claims. Id.\, \nat 678. Congress’s “general tenor” and acquiescence are of\ncourse far less than the “clear congressional authorization”\nthat THE CHIEF JU STICE’s opinion today newly demands for \nthe President’s tariffs. \nA gain\, consider the similarities between Dames &\; Moore \nand this cas e. Dames &\; Moore involved complicated\nquestions of foreign policy an d national security. The \nstatutes in Dames &\; Moore were generally w orded and did\nnot specifically authorize suspension of claims. \nBut \nPr esidents had historically exercised a similar power. See \nid.\, at 677 –682. Here\, we likewise have a generally worded\nstatutory authorizatio n to “regulate . . . importation.” And \nPresidents have historically imposed tariffs.\nIf IEEPA permitted the President to lawfully suspend\ncl aims in Dames &\; Moore—despite the Court’s transparent \nacknowled gment that the actual statutory text did not\nclearly authorize the Presid ent’s actions—then surely \nIEEPA’s authorization to “regulate . . . importation” easily\njustifies these tariffs.\nTHE CHIEF JUSTICE’s opinion would chart a new course\nfor the major questions doctrine\, exten ding it for the first \ntime deep into the foreign affairs sphere. If the Court had \napplied the major questions doctrine in Hamdi and Dames \n& \; Moore\, those two landmark cases almost certainly would\nhave been deci ded differently. So today’s opinion marks a \nsignificant change. \nWill the Court apply the major\nquestions doctrine in the foreign affairs cont ext again in the \nfuture? Or is this a ticket good for one day and one tr ain \nonly? Time will tell. But in the meantime\, the decision \ncould eng ender significant uncertainty over the Executive’s \nexercise of statuto ry authority in the foreign affairs realm. \nAs the Hamdi and Dames &\; Moore examples\ndemonstrate\, applying the major questions doctrine in th e \nforeign policy and national security contexts in the past\nwould have seriously hindered the President’s ability to \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n57 \nexercise power granted by Con gress to achieve important \nforeign policy and national security objectiv es for America. \nAnd if applied in the foreign affairs context in the fut ure\, it \ncould impair Presidents’ vital statutory authorities with \nr espect to foreign policy and national security.24 \n*\n*\n* \nHaving said all of that on foreign affairs\, I reiterate that\nthe major questions doc trine—even if it applies in this \nforeign affairs context—does not de feat major executive \nactions that are clearly authorized by Congress. Se e \nBradley &\; Goldsmith\, 172 U. Pa. L. Rev.\, at 1790–1791. \nAnd as explained in Part III–A above\, in IEEPA Congress \nclearly authorize d the President to impose tariffs to \n“regulate . . . importation” in national emergencies. In \nother words\, even if the major questions doc trine applies in \nthe foreign affairs context exactly as it does in domes tic \naffairs\, the President should still prevail in this case. \nIV \nFi nally\, no Member of the Court today relies on the \nnondelegation doctrin e. But the plaintiffs briefly raise such \nan argument\, and I will theref ore briefly address it. The \n—————— \n24What is the status go ing forward of the major questions doctrine in \nforeign affairs cases? O nly three Justices (at most) today suggest that\nthe major questions doctr ine should apply in the foreign affairs context—\nTHE CHIEF JUSTICE\, JU STICE GORSUCH\, and JUSTICE BARRETT. I doubt \nthat the major questions do ctrine analysis in THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s \nopinion for those three Justice s is controlling for future cases as a matter \nof precedent under the Mar ks rule. See Marks v. United States\, 430 U. S. \n188\, 193 (1977). That is because three Justices (JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR\, \nJUSTICE KAGAN\, and JUSTI CE JACKSON) do not recognize the major \nquestions doctrine at all. Ante\, at 1–2 (KAGAN\, J.\, concurring in part and \nconcurring in judgment). And this dissent would not apply it in the \nforeign affairs context. So it appears that six Justices would not apply it \nin the foreign affairs context. In my view\, the question of whether or how \nthe major question s doctrine applies in foreign affairs cases remains at \nleast an open que stion. \n58 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissen ting \nargument is unavailing for many of the reasons already \nnoted in t he major questions analysis above. This Court \nhas repeatedly rejected co nstitutional challenges to \ncongressional delegations to the President in the foreign \naffairs area\, including delegations of tariff authority. \ nFor matters of foreign affairs and national security\, the\nCourt has tra ditionally recognized that Congress “must of\nnecessity paint with a bru sh broader than that it \ncustomarily wields in domestic areas.” Zemel v. Rusk\, 381 \nU. S. 1\, 17 (1965). And to reiterate\, numerous statutes \n“‘authorizing action by the President in respect of subjects \naffe cting foreign relations’” “‘either leave the exercise of the\npowe r to his unrestricted judgment\, or provide a standard \nfar more general than that which has always been\nconsidered requisite with regard to domes tic affairs.’” \nDepartment of Transportation v. Association of Americ an \nRailroads\, 575 U. S. 43\, 80\, n. 5 (2015) (THOMAS\, J.\, \nconcurri ng in judgment) (quoting United States v. Curtiss\nWright Export Corp.\, 2 99 U. S. 304\, 324 (1936)). Therefore\, \nas JUSTICE THOMAS has explained \, the Court’s precedents \nestablish that “the Constitution grants th e President a \ngreater measure of discretion in the realm of foreign\nrel ations.” Association of American Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at \n80\, n. 5\ ; see Curtiss-Wright Export Corp.\, 299 U. S.\, at 319– \n322\; Panama R efining Co. v. Ryan\, 293 U. S. 388\, 422 \n(1935).\nJustice Robert Jackso n likewise noted the “‘unwisdom of \nrequiring Congress in this field of governmental power to\nlay down narrowly definite standards by which th e \nPresident is to be governed.’” Youngstown Sheet &\; Tube \nCo. v. Sawyer\, 343 U. S. 579\, 636\, n. 2 (1952) (concurring\nopinion) (quoti ng Curtiss-Wright\, 299 U. S.\, at 321–322). \nAs such\, the “strict l imitation upon congressional\ndelegations of power to the President over i nternal affairs \ndoes not apply with respect to delegations of power in \ n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n59 \nexte rnal affairs.” Youngstown\, 343 U. S.\, at 636\, n. 2 \n(concurring opin ion).\nBecause statutes that “involv[e] the external relations of \nthe United States” do not trigger the same kind of\ndelegation concerns as p urely domestic ones\, Association of \nAmerican Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 80 (opinion of THOMAS\, \nJ.)\, the Court has regularly upheld delegation s of power to \nthe President in the national security and foreign policy \nrealms. See\, e.g.\, Curtiss-Wright\, 299 U. S.\, at 319–322\; \nLovin g v. United States\, 517 U. S. 748\, 771–774 (1996).\nIndeed\, if a stri ct nondelegation doctrine applied in those\nareas\, numerous statutes—in cluding many authorizations \nfor use of military force in the Nation’s history—would have\nbeen unconstitutional delegations of authority to th e\nPresident. See Authorization for Use of Military Force\, 115\nStat. 224 (Sept. 18\, 2001) (“[T]he President is authorized to \nuse all necessar y and appropriate force against those \nnations\, organizations\, or perso ns he determines planned\,\nauthorized\, committed\, or aided the terroris t attacks that \noccurred on September 11\, 2001”). \nAs to tariffs in p articular: Broad delegations of tariff\nauthority to the President have be en in the heartland of \npermissible delegations upheld by this Court. Co ngress\nmay\, without running afoul of the Constitution\, “invest the \n President with large discretion in matters arising out of the\nexecution o f statutes relating to trade and commerce with\nother nations.” Marshall Field &\; Co. v. Clark\, 143 U. S. \n649\, 691 (1892). Congressional d elegations of tariffs and \nother foreign trade authorities to the Preside nt date back\nto near the Founding. And this Court has uniformly\nrejected nondelegation challenges to statutes delegating\nthat authority to the Pr esident. E.g.\, Federal Energy \nAdministration v. Algonquin SNG\, Inc.\, 426 U. S. 548\, 558– \n560 (1976)\; J. W. Hampton\, Jr.\, &\; Co. v. United States\, 276 \nU. S. 394\, 409 (1928)\; Marshall Field\, 143 U. S.\ , at 690–694\; \n60 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. TRUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J .\, dissenting \nCargo of Brig Aurora v. United States\, 7 Cranch 382\, 38 6– \n388 (1813).\nThis Court’s decision in Algonquin is again instruct ive.\nThere\, the Court held that Section 232 did not constitute an \nunco nstitutional delegation. 426 U. S.\, at 558–560. The \nCourt found it s ufficient that the President could act “only”\nto the extent “he dee ms necessary to adjust the imports” of\nan article such that it “will not threaten to impair the\nnational security.” Id.\, at 559 (quotation marks omitted).\nTo be clear\, I am not suggesting that there is no\nnond elegation doctrine in the foreign affairs realm. But the \nCourt has consi stently recognized that the doctrine affords \nmore flexibility to Congres s and the President in that area\nto deal with the complex foreign relatio ns issues and\nnational security threats facing America. See Association \nof American Railroads\, 575 U. S.\, at 80\, n. 5 (opinion of \nTHOMAS\, J.)\; Youngstown\, 343 U. S.\, at 636\, n. 2 (Jackson\, \nJ.\, concurring) \; Curtiss-Wright\, 299 U. S.\, at 319–322\; \nPanama Refining\, 293 U. S.\, at 422. \nIn all events\, for purposes of this Court’s nondelegatio n \nprecedents\, IEEPA sufficiently constrains the President’s\nauthorit y to declare an emergency and impose tariffs. See \nJ. W. Hampton\, 276 U . S.\, at 409\; FCC v. Consumers’ \nResearch\, 606 U. S. 656\, 673–675 \, 681–691 (2025). The \nPresident may exercise the authorities in IEEP A “only” “to\ndeal with an unusual and extraordinary threat” tha t “has \nits source in whole or substantial part outside the United \nSt ates” and “with respect to which a national emergency \nhas been decla red.” 50 U. S. C. §1701. Congress placed\nnumerous limits on IEEPA\, i ncluding a default 1-year time\nlimit\, an enumerated list of exceptions\, and comprehensive \ncongressional reporting requirements. See §§1622(d )\,\n1702(b)\, 1703.\nIt is also useful to underscore the extraordinary na ture of\nthe plaintiffs’ nondelegation argument here. The plaintiffs’ \nsubmission would mean that these tariffs would be \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n61 \nunlawful even if IEEPA e xplicitly authorized tariffs. Unlike \ntheir statutory and major questions doctrine arguments\, \ntheir nondelegation argument is not based on a lac k of an \nexplicit reference to “tariffs” or “duties” or the like. Their \nnondelegation argument instead goes much further and\nwould requ ire very specific congressional directions to the \nPresident on when and under what circumstances he could \nimpose tariffs and how high those tari ffs could be. The \nplaintiffs’ theory would have dramatic consequences and \nlikely wipe out many of the existing tariff statutes that have\nlon g been upheld by this Court\, as well as TWEA. And if \nthe tariff author ity here is unlawful\, so too are most if not\nall IEEPA authorities such as asset freezes\, embargoes\, and \nquotas. And it would not stop there. The plaintiffs’ \nnondelegation theory would threaten various other \nna tional security and foreign affairs statutes that similarly \ngrant substa ntial discretion to the President. The Court \ntoday thankfully does not g o down that road.25 \nV \nThe overarching theme of the Court’s opinion i s that\ntariffs are not a clear means to “regulate . . . importation”\ nand that Congress was therefore required to use the word \n“tariff\ ,” “duty\,” or the like in IEEPA in 1977 if it wanted to \nauthorize tariffs on foreign imports. But that conclusion \n—————— \n2 5Some last points for completeness: The plaintiffs also raise two other \ narguments that the Court today does not address or rely on. First\, they \nargue that Section 122\, a non-emergency tariff statute that addresses \ntrade deficits\, implicitly displaces IEEPA’s tariff authority. Secon d\, they \nargue that the tariffs here do not deal with an “unusual and \nextraordinary threat” as to which a national emergency has been \ndecl ared. In my view\, those arguments are insubstantial\, as Judge\nTaranto p ersuasively explained in the Federal Circuit. See 149 F. 4th \n1312\, 135 9–1361\, 1371–1375 (2025) (dissenting opinion). Because the \nCourt t oday does not address or rely on them\, I will not discuss them \nfurther here. Finally\, I agree with footnote 1 of the Court’s opinion\nregardin g jurisdiction. Ante\, at 5\, n. 1. \n62 \nLEARNING RESOURCES\, INC. v. T RUMP \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \ncontravenes text\, history\, and prec edent. To summarize: \nAlgonquin in 1976 unanimously held the opposite. T he \nNixon and Ford tariffs were based on statutory provisions \nthat did not use the word “tariff ” or “duty.” There is a long \ntradition of Presidents imposing tariffs as a means of \nregulating importation and commerce. The predecessor\nTrading with the Enemy Act has long been unde rstood to \nauthorize tariffs during wartime as a means to “regulate . . . \nimportation\,” even though it does not use the word “tariff ” \nor “duty.” The history of the Polk\, Lincoln\, and McKinley \ntarif fs shows that tariffs are a means of regulating\nimportation. Marshall\, S tory\, and Madison stated that \ntariffs are a means of regulating foreign commerce. The \ndictionary definitions and ordinary usage establish that \ntariffs are a means of regulating importation. \nAll of that and much mo re\, in my view\, overwhelmingly \nestablish that IEEPA clearly authorizes the President to \nimpose tariffs.\nThat said\, with respect to tariffs i n particular\, the Court’s\ndecision might not prevent Presidents from i mposing most \nif not all of these same sorts of tariffs under other statu tory \nauthorities. For example\, Section 122 of the Trade Act of \n1974 p ermits the President to impose a “temporary import\nsurcharge” to “d eal with large and serious United States\nbalance-of-payments deficits.” \n19 U. S. C. §2132(a).\nSection 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 provides t hat\, if the \nInternational Trade Commission determines an article is \nb eing imported in such quantities that it is “a substantial \ncause of se rious injury\, or the threat thereof\, to the \ndomestic industry producin g an article like or directly \ncompetitive with the imported article\,” the President may\ntake “appropriate and feasible action\,” including imposing\na “duty.” §§2251(a)\, 2253(a)(3)(A). Section 301 of the Trade \nAct of 1974 authorizes the President through a subordinate\noffice r to “impose duties” if he determines that “an act\,\npolicy\, or pr actice of a foreign country” is “unjustifiable and \n Cite as: 607 U. S. ____ (2026) \nKAVANAUGH\, J.\, dissenting \n63 \nburdens or restricts U nited States commerce.” §§2411(a)\n(c). \nSection 338 of the Tariff A ct of 1930 permits the\nPresident to impose tariffs when he finds that “ any foreign \ncountry places any burden or disadvantage upon the\ncommerce of the United States.” §1338(d). And Section 232 \nof the Trade Expans ion Act of 1962 authorizes the \nPresident to\, after receiving a report f rom the Secretary of\nCommerce\, “adjust the imports of [an] article and its \nderivatives so that such imports will not threaten to impair\nthe n ational security.” §1862(c)(1)(a).\nSo the Court’s decision is not li kely to greatly restrict\nPresidential tariff authority going forward. Bu t the Court’s \ndecision is likely to generate other serious practical \ nconsequences in the near term. One issue will be refunds. \nRefunds of b illions of dollars would have significant\nconsequences for the U. S. Trea sury. The Court says \nnothing today about whether\, and if so how\, the \nGovernment should go about returning the billions of \ndollars that it h as collected from importers. But that \nprocess is likely to be a “mess \,” as was acknowledged at oral \nargument. Tr. of Oral Arg. 153–155. A second issue is the \ndecision’s effect on the current trade deals. B ecause IEEPA \ntariffs have helped facilitate trade deals worth trillions of \ndollars—including with foreign nations from China to the \nUnited K ingdom to Japan\, the Court’s decision could \ngenerate uncertainty rega rding various trade agreements. \nThat process\, too\, could be difficult. \n*\n*\n* \nThe tariffs at issue here may or may not be wise policy.\nBut as a matter of text\, history\, and precedent\, they are \nclearly lawful . I respectfully dissent. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ORIGINAL CONTE NT\n\n From the wiki I learned\n\n [Learning Resources v. Trump\, and Trum p v. V.O.S. Selections\, Inc. is a consolidated case]\n\n\n\n So who are t he plaintiffs\, the complainers in both cases.\n\n\n\n Wiki said the compl ainers in the learning resources case are\n\n [On April 22\, 2025\, Learni ng Resources and hand2mind\, two family-owned educational toy manufacturer s\, sued Trump in the United States District Court for the District of Col umbia ]\n\n ScoutsBlog stated their argument\n\n [The challengers\, Learni ng Resources and hand2mind\, are small family-owned businesses that make a nd sell “hands-on educational toys and products for children.” They “outsource most manufacturing to factories in other countries\,” inclu ding in Asia. The companies say that paying the tariffs in 2025 will cost them $100 million\, “compared with just $2.3 million in 2024—a 44-fold increase.”]\n\n\n\n Justia page said the complainers in the second case are \n\n [V.O.S. SELECTIONS\, INC.\, PLASTIC SERVICES AND PRODUCTS\, LLC \, DBA GENOVA PIPE\, MICROKITS\, LLC\, FISHUSA INC.\, TERRY PRECISION CYCL ING LLC]\n\n\n\n Based on the websites\, linked below\, I can see how lear ning resources + hand2mind + VOS selections+ Genova pipe+ microkits+Fishus a+terry precision would acquire a lot of content from China. They are the types of firms that Schrumpft is functionally trying to kill. People talk about usa made and american made but a lot of firms like the ones stated\, get a lot of content from overseas when they should had been blockaded by the government from doing so. The reality is\, China's manufacturing expl osion\, didn't occur because China had better workers\, that is feces. Chi na's manufacturing explosion happened because the government of the USA al lowed firms in the USA to reach a low wage market outside the usa with wor kers doing the same things the higher wage market laborers in the usa were doing\, and the rest of the governments realized the financial advantage to the usa firms would put them out of business or diminish them to low a market share to be relevant so they followed suit. But I recall being a ch ild\, the advertised reason was greater intelligence of the Chinese indivi dual and a better schools system in the north east Asian countries. Feces^ INF. And it even relates to the 1960s. The push to exit the high wage labo r market in the USA started when the Jim Crow era from 1965 to 1980 had re ached the 1960s and Black people\, nonviolently\, had petitioned to get mo re work. White laborers were willing to accept no unions or less labor opp ortunities in the area to blockade black people from opportunity. \n\n\n\ n Adding the Italian noodle companies that have made a killing selling noo dles in the usa for decades\, SCrumpft is stoping the usa being the engine for foreign industries that it doesn't need to be. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n N OTES\n\n\n\n Wiki\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_Resources_v._ Trump\n\n Justia page\n\n https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-c ourts/cafc/25-1812/25-1812-2025-08-29.html\n\n Scotusblog\n\n https://www. scotusblog.com/2025/06/businesses-challenge-trumps-tariffs-before-supreme- court/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WEBSITES\n\n learning resources\n\n https://www. learningresources.com/\n\n hand2mind\n\n https://www.hand2mind.com/home\n\ n VOS selections - touted as importer of the year\n\n https://vosselection s.com/\n\n Genova Pipe\n\n https://www.genovapipe.com/\n\n Microkits\n\n h ttps://microkits.net/\n\n Fishusa\n\n https://www.fishusa.com/\n\n Terry P Recision Cycling\n\n https://terrycycling.com/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n POST URL\n\n\n\n Circa half of the populace in the usa wants to dominat e the world using military might gardless of the violence. Circa half of t he populace in the usa wants the usa to be the center of a dysfunctional g lobal order that every human is shackled to gardless the fiscal poverty fo r most humans. Circa nearest one hundred percent of the populace in the us a wants the usa live along time after its two hundred and fiftieth birthda y but nearest zero percent of the populace in the usa want to lead it in u ncomfortable ways to live along time. \n\n\n\n Is the USA in the way of a better humanity? Absent the USA would the militaristic impotency of all o ther governments or racial balance of all other populaces lead to the grea test peace in humanity? \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the- usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanity/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/637-economic-corner-33-01292026/\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/ event/658-economic-corner-34-02202026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #econ omiccorner #schrumpft #supremecourt #ieepa #learningresources #executiveor der #tariff #trump #usa250 #tobeornottobe #rmaalbc #aalbc #richardmurray # kobo #kwl #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n 02212026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ABOUT THE INTERNET\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n From @AntonRMisharin\n\n Jews are not a people. Laura Loomer looks like a n Middle Eastern person\, and Goldie Hawn looks like a Scandinavian skier. One must be retarded if not seeing the obvious.\n\n https://x.com/AntonRM isharin/status/2025076657128722661\n\n\n\n My reply\n\n jews are a people in the same way christians or muslims or buddhist are peoples . Not all ch ristians are blond haired or blue eyed. Not all muslims are brown skinned or speak arabic. Not all buddhist have occidental eyes or come from asia. Religious peoples are not(1/3) phenotypical peoples [black or  white or c olored or brown ] or gender peoples [male or female or hermaphrodite] or g eographic peoples[ american/european/african/asian] what makes a person a jew or christian or muslim(2/3) or buddhist or any religion is adherence t o that religion or faith\, your confusing labels of appearance with labels of faith. what makes someone white/black is how they look\, american/afri can where they were raised(3/3)\n\n\n\n From @ThisInvent\n\n found the naz i\n\n https://x.com/ThisInvent/status/2025303755130855637\n\n\n\n My reply \n\n why mention anton as a nazi? why not an american. anti jewish sentime nt isn't foreign to the usa. anti jewish sentiment in the usa is older tha n the nazi's. the nazi's themselves \, i believe hitler in mein kampf admi tted he was inspired by white european(1/2)  descent terrorism of blacks  or native americans in white christian germans approach to white jewish germans . Don't try to make negative biases or violent biases foreign to the usa\, they are native (2/2)\n\n\n\n \n\n 02212026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n C itation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of- a-better-humanity/#findComment-80234\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n \n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n No.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IMO\, human greed is the biggest impediment to greater peace in humanity. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The general population of the world has to decide if/when they no longer want to enable a handful of greedy people to empower &\; enrich themselves.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n People have to be willing to give up the  comfortability they have taken up in a less peace ful human existence in order to achieve a greater level of peace.\n\n\n\n even enough\, only one question I have\, when you say\n\n\n\n \"The genera l population of the world has to decide if/when\" the financially common section of humanity isn't one peoples\, to first make a collective choice a group of peoples must be an organized collective\, in some fashion. So f irst the masses in humanity have to find a way to be a group that can make a collective decision right?\n\n\n\n Cause as I comprehend your words\, i t seems like said masses can make this decision today or tomorrow as they are\, and I don't see that as true.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n In answer to the question in t he title: No\n\n \n\n Infact\, I truly believe that America is and will c ontinue to IMPROVE and PROGRESS humanity.\n\n \n\n I'm not trying to be fu nny or facetious either\, I sincerely mean that.\n\n \n\n The United Stat es is the main reason racism and sexism and even slavery itself is no long er OPENLY tolerated in most societies.\n\n \n\n Before the existence of th e United States.....racism\, sexism\, and slavery was not only rampant aro und the planet but brazen and openly practiced as a normal way of life for many if not most.\n\n\n\n well... two things\, 1) humanity progresses its elf to whatever end. 2) all governments \, no matter what movies say\, hav e positive or negative results. all governments. and that includes the usa \, but that also includes the peoples republic of china or russia or south africa or haiti or other. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you said \" United States is the main reason racism and sexism and even slavery itself is no longer OPENLY tolerated in most societies.\" I don't think that is the truth. in my travels I find many negative biases or openly expressed. I argue many n egative biases are accepted or embraced\, you suggest negative biases are tolerated\, which suggest people don't want them. that isn't what I have f ound. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I think what the usa has done positively isn't in the common communities in humanity. I argue\, modern humanity is rife w ith various biases based on a persons gender/phenotype or appearance / fis cal class leading to enslavements. I think many of these negative biases a re openly practiced. Last year was when the usa finally disallowed underag e marriage at the federal level. I did a post about it\, but I couldn't fi nd it to link. \n\n\n\n What the usa has done positively is in government s themselves. In modernity most governments legal codes suggest most negat ive biases\, as you correctly stated\, are illegal. Most governments legal codes don't permit the negative biases the peoples under those codes do e veryday. But the enforcement to such codes is absent. In this way\, the us a breaks even. This goes back to Jim crow usa [ 1846 to 1980] the reality is \, with black tulsa or rosewood as the most known highlighted examples\ , the usa legal code made all the terrible actions by whites to blacks ill egal\, but the usa leading by example shows that legal codes\, don't give the law power. Again\, for all the court cases black people did in 1865 to 1980 based on white terror. What percentage of white terrorist actions to blacks went to court? I argue\, less than 1%.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the rule of law makes the law the king\, but the law is the most impotent king. Th e law can't stop any illegal act. the law can't recover damages from illeg al acts. the law can't change the heritages or cultures of any peoples tha t have illegal aspects. The USA has led a governmental legal code modulati on movement where south africa has the most unbiased legal system in human ity\, even though white south africans are as abusive as ever. China thoug h people keep calling it a dictatorship\, which is totally false\, has act ually modified and adjusted their constitution more than any other governm ent of a powerful country\, power defined as nuclear militaristic capabili ty of a global reach. But this doesn't mean the ugyars are safe. The usa s till has black towns throughout the former confederate states\, lviing nea r toxic wastes the states put next to them\, denied water the white towns next to them horde so... the law is nothing\, the law is weak\, the law do esn't make anything better. \n\n\n\n BUT\, the law does allow the abused who have the rare resources/levels of money to utilize legal systems to ch allenge the criminal actions from abusers which are illegal. And that is p ositive. \n\n\n\n Negative biases are still mostly embraced by humans\, w hether legal or not\, and no government has enforced their legal code to d elete or diminish or cause to delay actions reflecting a negative bias or abuse or criminal act that said laws deem illegal. \n\n\n\n BUT\, most le gal codes today\, do have \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02212026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-o f-a-better-humanity/#findComment-80249\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @Pioneer1\n\n\ n\n \n On 2/21/2026 at 4:54 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Laws can' t stop an illegal act directly\, but it can INDIRECTLY by:\n \n\n \n 1 . Establishing law enforcement officers who CAN directly stop illegal acti vity\n\n 2. Discourage illegal activity through deterrence\n\n 3. Chan ge the prevailing attitudes of the current and especially succeeding gener ations by equating that which is illegal to being ethically and eventually morally \"bad\"\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n One of the reasons many of the laws around the world don't change things is because they aren't ENFO RCED.\n \n\n \n Ofcourse slavery will continue in a culture where it's illegal only on paper but not ENFORCED.\n\n Ofcourse human trafficking will continue in a culture where it's illegal only on paper but not ENFORC ED\n\n \n\n Laws can definitely change the prevailing attitude and eve n morals and norms of a society when adequately ENFORCED.\n \n \n\n\n\n Y our wrong \, but what is important is that many black people have thought like you from the founding of the usa and many black people have thought l ike me in opposition to you and yours\, since the usa was founded. I don't see how these viewpoints have a bridge and i argue this is the most impor tant issue in the black populace in the usa\, because more than anything e lse\, the black experience in the usa is one of being terorrized abused\, whether legally or illegally by whites. So\, how black people in the usa\, view the law is essential to how we see the usa\, non blacks\, or ourselv es. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT - my original comment\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Pioneer\, this is the true schism among the descended of enslaved bla ck people. all over the world. \n\n\n\n If I had a nickel for every black person older than me\, my age\, or younger than me in my life that talked like you... I would have quite a bit of cash. \n\n\n\n But the reality i s\, many black people talk like me as well and me and mine think the talk of you and yours is hogwash bullshit \, always has been\, always will be.  \n\n\n\n history proves the following\n\n\n\n Law enforcers problem isn' t their ability to stop illegal activity\, it is their ability to skirt th e law and as long as law enforcers are human they will. \n\n\n\n As long as fiscal capitalism exists\, which is the heart of the usa\, not justice or equality\, fiscal poor people will exist and the only avenue for making money when one doesn't have is always illegal. \n\n\n\n The people who h ave the most money in the entire history of your country the usa is based on morals/cosde of conduct that are the most terrible or cruel in nature\, so how can peoples viewpoints change in the fact of the reality unless th eir simply fools. \n\n\n\n No the reason laws don't change things is caus e laws are impotent. They always have been and always will be\, and all th e law enforcer advocating black people like you \, who speak of law enforc ement like the old black preachers in the past while black people are bein g legally or illegally terrorized by non blacks sickens me. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n But thank you for your honesty. As I said you are not the only blac k person who thinks like that. I just wish black people like you would com prehend\, that your views towards this particular issue is \, arguably\, t he most important issue in the black descended of enslaved populace. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n 02222026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanity/#findCommen t-80250\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 2/21/2026 at 10:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Correct. Tribes must decide what's most peace ful for them &\; build strategic alliances with other like-minded group s. \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n what if their aren't so many like min ded groups? \n\n\n\n \n On 2/21/2026 at 10:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Mainly because people are comfortable as individuals &\; tribes. 😎\n \n \n\n\n\n you think its comfort...  i know a number of blacks w ho have said that... I don't think its comfort. \n\n\n\n I think it is ho nesty. I always tell the children I tutor\, words are the least proving ac tions. In black history month so many black people we refer to have beauti ful speeches\, but little in the way of non verbal actions to prove anythi ng. I think black people and I will argue\, most people\, at some point ge t tired of being told to try again for trying for agains sake. Some will a rgue people should act with a faith but I have always thought that is sill y. faith isn't enough. results profd\, you got to show results to the peop le. People who want to do things have to show results to themselves. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n 02222026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanity/#findCommen t-80268\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For example\, the smartest among poor peop le could organize to fight for more opportunities &\; resources.\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Yet\, poor people keep voting against their own interests &am p\; consuming just enough to survive. They enable the rich &\; powerful . They're comfortable in their station.\n\n\n\n ahh the smartest are among the poor are the ones who get results\, not organize. Organization has no value without results. Results isn't fighting for a thing\, it getting a thing. \n\n\n\n And this goes back to the many black elected\, the many b lack owned business\, many of them will talk about fighting but when black people see their results they see\, little or worse no results\, and blac k people realize the scam. No one wants to spend their whole life a sucker \, voting and carrying on and getting nothing. as James Baldwin near his d eath said\, I paraphrase\,  when will it happen? when I am fifty or a hun dred? will it happen for me or my children or my grandchildren. \n\n\n\n Baldwin's point to me is excellent. His point is that government is result s based\, not faith based\, and when results never come through all the me thodologies present in government people wisely pull out of activity. \n\ n\n\n It isn't that people vote against their interest\, they pull out of the bureaucratic system. To rephrase\, if you look at voting patterns in t he usa\, across all demographic lines\, the biggest winner is none of the above. None of the above isn't against the peoples interest\, none of the above is an indictment on the entire governmental system or its agents ele cted or not. Poor people not voting proves the system's functionality is n egative or dead. It is up to people in the system to prove otherwise and i f they can't... it's over. \n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n \n What other reason(s) keep people from taking action to improve rheir po sition in the grand scheme of life?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I answered honesty\ n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Correct. Actions speak lou der than words.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Exactly\, but not just the voters actio ns speak louder.  the elected people or the appointed peoples actions spe ak louder than their words and in terms of results\, the elected /appointe d peoples actions are more important in getting results.  that is the gre at flaw in the white enslavers called the founding fathers schema that is the us constitution. The rule of law government isn't just the people and the law\, the rule of the law government is the people+ the law+ the gover nment officials. In the usa the government officials who are born from the people have succesfully made the people vote against the government itsel f \, which is what a majority no vote means.  Now people like yourself fi nd that unacceptable\, but that is where your dysfunctional or where said white enslavers made a great error. In the preamble to the constitution\, the incestual rapist\, jefferson\, correctly admitted that if the governme nt of the usa is dysfunctional the people have the right to destroy it. He admitted\, correctly\, that a government can be too dysfunctional to warr ant any thing but destruction\, i argue the usa government is there in the eyes of most people in the usa. The voters are speaking loudly\, they are finished with the usa. that is why they are mostly not voting. Government isn't faith it is results.\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\ n The speeches &\; marches organized &\; conducted by FBA/AfroAmeric an leaders were effective in getting Civil Rights legislation passed.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n By extension\, those actions by FBA/AfroAmericans made it e ven more possible for Black immigrants to get a foothold into the USA.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n White folks use other Black &\; non-white groups of peo ple in their maintenance of the system of white supremacy. \n\n\n\n Well. ..if a black child asked me\, which some have\, about the black movements in the jim crow era\, 1865 to 1980\, and what they were effective in doing . I have said they failed. Because the goal of most black people wasn't c ivil rights legislation. Again\, knowing history really knocks the bullshi t off of many sayings. Civil rights legislation was an agreement  between a minority of black dosers aside a minority of whites. It was the NAACP v ictory. And I will say it again\, the NAACP was always represented a minor ity within the black dos. the majority movements in black dos populace was not NAACP. The civil rights act was a compromise unwanted by a majority b lack dosers or a majority of non blacks that after the civil rights act wa s used by said minority of black dosers to suggest an improvement to the m ajority of black dosers \, when it wasn't.  Again\, the proof is the jim crow era. alice was enslaved 1963\, so 1965 civil rights act doesn't addre ss her situation. And as the Kern Commission \, sanctioned by lyndon b joh nson\, all members of it white except for one or two people. flat out stat ed\, the usa needed a complete overhaul. Lyndon B Johnson was angry at the kerner commission\, but \, and I must admit it is hilarious that nearly e veryone in the kerner commission was white and they didn't come up with \" gone with the wind\" or \"birth of a nation\" they came up with the usa ne eds a complete overhaul. The kerner commission made in the 1960s literally refutes the position you and many other people\, black or white\, give cl aim to the civil rights acts.  and I think most people\, though tthey don 't know or have heard of the kerner commisison\, concur to the kerner comm ission completely\, and think the position by you and those like you to th e civil rights movement or your assessment of the time after is hogwash.  \n\n\n\n Kerner commission\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richa rdmurray/?status=2685&\;type=status \;\; or https://aalbc.com/tc/event s/event/197-economic-corner-15-02172025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   6 hours ag o\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The aforementioned FBA/AfroAmericans put in work over a half-century ago that made it possible for other Black folks &\ ; non-whites to have better opportunities &\; access to resources under the system of racism white supremacy. \n\n\n\n No\, not over a half cent ury ago\, near two hundred and fifty years ago. It was the blacks who foug ht for the usa at its infancy\, who were again\, a minority in the black d os populace. which you never say. But I get it. you are one of those minor ity blacks. Your not thinking of the majority of the black people in the s ame way\, the black people like you and James Forten[  https://aalbc.com /tc/events/event/592-the-american-revolution-pbs-documentary-episode-6/  ]  have always seen the usa in a way unreal to the majority of black peop le and then accuse the majority of black people of various negativies rath er than admit your view doesn't serve the majority of black people.\n\n\n\ n Your correct\, a group of black and whites worked together for this mode rnity but neither were a majority of blacks or whites and when you see the complete canvas of the usa you can see that both of said minorities did w ell for themselves and used their associative majorities to do it... which has led to a lack of results from the government of the usa to most\, and no amount of faith can change that.\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n As I've mentioned above\, the groundwork has already been laid for Black folks to have more access to opportunities &\; resources.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Unfortunately\, for a half-century &\; counting\, many Black folks have chosen to rest on their laurels under the system of racis m white supremacy.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Actions do speak louder than words. Taking up a seat of comfort under the system of racism white supremacy is the action many Black folks have chosen. Same goes for poor people under t he status quo.\n\n\n\n I comprehend your position. I do. Your like James F orten who was a black person\, a DOSer \, who fought alongside a group of whites who to improve white lives while maintaining black peoples lives\, in majority as enslaved. I get it. Forten became a wealthy businessman aft er the secession from the english empire. When I think of you and Pioneer I see James Forten. a black person who doesn't represent the situation of most black in the usa \, as most black people in the usa were enslaved. Wh o doesn't represent most black peoples relationship to whites in the usa o r the usa itself. Forten wished to engage to this usa even when it was onl y a declaration\, but most black people wanted to be as far away from whit es wherever they are\, or kill whites a vendetta whites earned a hundred t imes over. I get your position. But it was never a majority position in th e black dos populace. NEVER. So when James Forten\, Frederick Douglass\, w eb dubois when younger\, mlk jr \, barrack Obama \, yourself\, all talk\, I realize\, this is a heritage of your tribe. You know fully well the trut h for a majority of black people but you don't care. you have made a choic e and can only speak of support for that choice by condemning blacks who d idn't choose that. I get it. \n\n\n\n And it explains why the tribe you a re in\, a minority of blacks DOSers who have always been engaged in the us a\, has such alliance with Immigration aCt of 1965 blacks. Cause said blac ks come to the usa with a similar mind. Thank you\, I get it. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n\n I think yall may be taking this \"tribes\" business a little too fa r....lol.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I argue black people have never been allowed to by white influence or minority black tribes agendas taken our tribes se rious enough and it has cost majority of black peoples. \n\n\n\n You and Pioneer must see the history clearly. When the usa was founded ninety perc ent of black DOSers forebears were enslaved . Seven percent fought for aga inst the creation of the usa or white people of usa or any of the usa incl uding black people like James Forten. three percent of black folk fought f or the creation of the usa. \n\n\n\n What does that mean ?\n\n\n\n Today in modernity\, 2026\, decades after the jim crow era [ 1865 to 1980] over a century and a half since the end of the enslavement era [ 1492-1865] mos t black people in the usa\, with a huge influx of modern black immigrants post 1965 immigration act. are like the three percent of black folk who fo ught for the creation of the usa. but what does this mean for the history of the tribes. \n\n\n\n This means said three percent which you/profd/jam es horten/frederick douglass/webdubois when younger/mlk jr/barrack obama + michelle obama represent a heritage in the Black populace as old as the U SA itself\, BUT also a tribe that worked against the majority of black peo ple with the aid of whites till it became the majority. \n\n\n\n Now my t ribe\, led by people like Titus Cornelius\, who lived at the same time of James Forten\, was a minority as well\, but the larger minority. My tribe would be the majority minority in the black dos populace till circa 1845. You and profd's  tribe became the largest minority starting in the jim cr ow era. My tribe was and is the most disliked by whites for obvious reason s\, variants of my tribe made the successful quilombos/haiti. The best exa mples of black empowerment have always been made by my tribe. Your tribe h as from the beginning only offered an integrated solution which has limits for black growth. \n\n\n\n But the biggest tribe was the black enslaved\ , circa ninety percent who had only one desire\, ESCAPE. They didn't want to kill whites\, like my tribe. But they didn't want to be in any union wi th whites like yours. My tribe always comprehended the largest tribes trut h\, your tribe has always denied their truth or at the least\, in rhetoric opposed it dysfunctionally\, as you and Profd's prose shows. The majority DOS tribe has an interest\, a self interest\, and that is away from the u sa \, away from whites. That has always been their truth. They don't want to be president\, they dont' want to be governor\, they dont' want to a ce o of a fortune 500 company\, they don't want to be a law enforcer\, they d on't want any part of the usa or the whites of the usa. \n\n\n\n Don't yo u see Pioneer. How weakly Black people overall have treated this important issue\, and to be blunt your tribe helped this problem the most. Because your tribe\, has always \, instead of comprehending what most blacks wants always has tried to do prosyletize/preach the black majority out of their truth. And this explains the immigration act. You know\, the civil rights and voting right act serve the function of making federal law make racial [ any type of race: phenotypical/gender/religious] negative biases illagel \, make negatively biased to any groups voting laws illegal. But what is t he immigration act really? the immigration didn't serve the majority of wh ites or blacks in the usa. While it didn't serve the black majority tribe who wanted nothing to do with the usa or my tribe that wants war\, or serv e the majority of whites who want comfort they don't need to work for\, it did serve you and profd's tribe of blacks and the minority white tribes o f wealthy whites\, For the wealthy whites it allowed for cheap labor for t heir profit. but for black integrationists \, james forten to you and prof d\, it flooded the black populace with black immigrants who shared a simil ar philosophy to your tribe. I get it\, well done. \n\n\n\n Your tribe wh ich started at circa three percent has the majority in the Black populace: Black DOS tribes + Black Immigrant tribes in the usa today. The Black DOS majority tribe still doesn't believe in the usa and I argue never will ca use they have never too but without the majority populace they will have a different path. I can see positive plus negative elements in their future . As for my tribe\, we live on\, we have always existed and always will. V endetta is powerful. Blood feuds are powerful. My tribe is small but patie nt. My tribe will get our chance again\, and I can only hope someone like me is at the helm\, cause if someone like me is at the helm\, our successe s will be thorough. \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n W ell\, that's because there's also been Black people who were NOT so......w ell....never mind....lol.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n very funny\n\n\n\n   4 hour s ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Have YOU been personally?\n\n Are you bei ng\, now?\n\n\n\n to your first question\, yes and most black people have throughout all humanity. \n\n\n\n to your second question\, I answer with a situation that brings its issues to bare. If a white man rapes my wife and that is the only moment of white terror I have\, I am not obliged to t reat that moment as a one of. I am free to\, yes\, your correct. A black p erson is free to treat a life absent or with less white terror than the av erage in the past as a betterment or at the least as unwarranting an unmen dable bridge with whites. that the point in your question. But you miss th e important point\,which your tribe always has\, which is very selfish\, i s that no black person is forced or has to come to that conclusion. \n\n\ n\n So to answer your second question\, in my assessment of white terror\, all levels from verbal harassment from white strangers to white people mu rdering my loving ones\, the answer is yes. I think from your tribes asses sment the answer is no. \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n \n Because I see myself and other AfroAmericans as valuable CITIZENS of th is nation with power....limited ofcourse...to change the conditions IN thi s nation for our betterment and empowerment.\n\n\n\n It takes unity\, inte lligence\, and a DESIRE to do so\; however it can definitely be done.\n\n  \n\n\n\n That would be more effective and beneficial to us than sitting packed together somewhere in a hot ass room cussing and crying about how h opeless and helpless you are and how you \"don't belong\" in the country y ou were born and raised in\, lol.\n\n\n\n yes\, you and your tribe in the usa from james horton to now have always viewed the majority of black peop le in the usa through your tribe's perspective\, not any other tribes pers pective\, which is your tribes forever dishonor in my view. While my tribe is a minority tribe as well\, at least my tribe is honest. Your tribe has always been wicked tongued.  For all tribes know why the majority DOS tr ibe has never wanted anything to do with the usa or the white people in it . But your tribe would rather criminalize what white terror honestly creat ed. \n\n\n\n The good news for your tribe is in 2026\, you now have a bun ch of black immigrants from outside the usa who have come freely to the us a for the purpose of being citizens\, for the purpose of their betterment\ , and they don't even demand too much empowerment outside of individual ri ghts. So\, your tribe for the first time in two hundred and fifty years tr uly has the numerical advantage in the complete black populace. Your still a minority tribe among DOSers alone\, but you now have the advantage with Black peoples altogether in the usa. Use it\, focus on it. My advice is t o forget about the other two tribes of DOSers you continually complain abo ut. Cause one tribe of DOSers wants revenge on whites which can't work wit h any plan from your tribe of DOSers\,  and the other tribe of DOSers wil l never trust whites enough to be involved in any plan from your tribe. \ n\n\n\n So what are you and Profd going to do to now? forget other DOSers \, like myself for example. We will never join you and you know why\, even if you cant' accept it.  It is the truth. What you are willing to forgiv e\, who you are willing to work with is not what Black DOSers from other t ribes want to do or will do. But the good news is that\, the black one per cent/the black fiscally wealthy in the usa are 99% your tribe\, which make s perfect sense as the usa is a white country and black people making mone y have to be involved with whites\, which is what your tribe has always be en willing to do\, since James Forten.  And with the Black immigrants pos t immigration act 1965\, your tribe have all the pieces to make a level of integration your tribe has always wanted in the usa. In the end I imagine the usa will be split into parts\, which actually make historical sense a s well. The logic/reason/thinking coming from a simple truth. Fiscal wealt h can be very beautiful\, harmonizing even\, but some things a human can w ant can not be bought with money\, or acquired through money\, or can not come from a peaceful life\, or be satisfied with a peaceful life. Thus the usa your tribe has always worked for of fiscal wealth in a peaceful land under the rule of law\, can not satisfy what some humans may want. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n post script\, there is no us. Black DOSers are not an us. Th e larger Black Americans\, canada to argentina\, are not an us. You and bl ack people like you need to stop prosyletizing\, it doesn't help. Most Bla ck Americans\,  share a heritage of being enslaved by whites in the ameri can continent from canada to argentina. But we don't all share the same pe rspectives on who we are or what we want\, and you and yours need to accep t that finally. Stop your damn preaching/prosyletizing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Colonel Tye\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Tye\n\n\n\n S tephen Blucke\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Blucke\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02222026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com /tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanity/#findComment-80 271\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Looks to me like YOUR TRIBE needs YOU R OWN land.\n\n\n\n Any plans to get it?\n\n\n\n always has\, the garveyit es/the quilombos/haiti/the black loyalist\, all achieved getting a land\, achieved not merely attempted. Even the exodusters did achieve... we know what happened to malcolm x's father so... Now holding a land well\, some h ave achieved. I know who has kept the land they earned\, even with white t error/power ever present\,  and who has not\, and why. \n\n\n\n So the q uestion is not plans to get\, plans to be apart of\, plans to improve\, or other. Haitii exists right now\, as their constitution under the emperor states\, they are called the blacks technically\, not haitians. That is a nod to all black peoples around the world. Haiti is a geographic distincti on. But in a constitution that black people of haiti had true involvement with\, free from whites or blacks who want to be whites\, or blacks who wa nt to align with whites\, earned through the blood of war. Haiti is the la nd for all Black Peoples. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So when you sa y get it? it seems you don't comprehend the land is already earned. which. .. goes back to the problem with your tribe. the way you see the black pop ulace is very usa centric and ... Haiti has existed my entire life. Now if you want to ask why I haven't gone. Well\, the cheapest answer is haiti h asn't invited. Which is what haiti did in the time of the emperor or king\ , but your man \, like you\, Frederick Douglass\, couldn't even stomach be ing the ambassador to haiti. I mean\, your tribe\, love hindering all othe rs\, and then get angry when all others don't do what you say... anyway\, modernity demands I make my way in. And I am working on it. I am human. My bloodlines don't have a history of massive wealth to provide for vibrant inheritances for most of the last five hundred years. It will take more ti me. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02222026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better- humanity/#findComment-80273\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n -Is this not a co ntradiction?\n\n\n\n no because of the following\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\ , richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n Frederick Douglass\, couldn't even stomach being the ambassador to haiti.\n\n\n\n what I meant by invite was a robus t invitation by the government.  I didn't suggest I couldn't go\, to be b lunt\, I was offered\, but I have my reasons for doing all things. and my primary reasons for not choosing haiti is many things that I am not intere sted in discussing\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n If H aiti is the land for ALL Black people and being the land for \"the blacks\ " it has given the nod to ALL Black people from around the world....that s ounds to me like the invitation has been issued.\n\n\n\n it was\, to be bl unt\, if you search liberia or sierra leone there are still those in both of those countries who open doors for black folk from the american contine nt to africa for DOSers if they wish. \n\n\n\n The point I was making to you\, which you have missed is that lands already exist in various places for my tribe. It is not a matter of needing a new place. You suggested a l and was needed and that is not the truth\, their are quite a few places on this earth\, for my tribe but\, my relation to them is not what I discuss ed. You do seem to be interested in me \n\n\n\n and thus your following\, very dry joke. As you well know I have never blamed other Black tribes fo r anything concerning my own black tribe. \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pio neer1 said:\n\n\n\n Don't blame \"my tribe\" or Frederick Douglass becaus e the street lights are on and you still don't want to go home...lol.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In my own mind when I think of detroit\, the sol e black northern [meaning exo southern\, west or north of the confederate states] city of a certain size\, I wonder what it needs. I know wayne coun ty + michigan are enemies to Detroit\, as a black city's growth\, this is well documented. But\, when I look at cities around the world\, the ones t hat financially thrive have an industry and Detroit doesn't have an indust ry. The car companies accountants and administrators are there\, but not t he manufacturing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02232026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citatio n\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-bett er-humanity/#findComment-80287\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \ n\n\n\n It's funny\, me and a dear friend of mine\, by dear friend I mean a person I know offline who is a friend\, talk about this sometimes. And.. . your assertion to me is incorrect but your assertion to me if applied to the larger populace in the usa is correct. many peoples I have heard say they want to leave the usa\, in various scenarios\, but don't because they enjoy the amenities/friendly things of the usa. But that is not my reason . I have been fortunate to spend enough time outside the usa to comprehend already what I need and don't need to be happy. What is needed or not nee ded to survive or live or thrive for myself. And I am lucky enough to know those who have left the usa successfully\, in my lifetime\, from Harlem\, not merely history books. And they add the last bit of information about the process. So your wrong about me\, not about most people who say they w ill leave the usa \, but it isn't that way for me. I will not give my logi c/thinking\, I am not interested in preaching or guiding.  But I have sai d before in this very forum\, that I love history and history teaches too. .. united states of america/liberia/sierra leone/israel/australia  are ca utionary tales about immigration\, for me anyway. It isn't enough to have resources. I need more than that. I honor my forebears sir and for me what that means is I am not an enslaver nor am I butcher/abuser and the usa/li beira/sierra leone/israel/australia are not born from justice or equality or anything positive usa/liberia/sierra leone/israel/australia are all bor n from two things alone\, an immigrant butchering/abusing  people already there and an immigrant enslaving people already there. I am not intereste d in that. And sadly for me\, modern humanity which has been molded by the usa is ripe most places for immigrants to butcher/abuse or to enslave the people already there. You and your fellow statians only believe in helpin g yourselves individually\, you love to talk of the law but love to abuse others legally\, and then blame those you've abused legally for being them selves. I am a thoughtful person. True honor\, civility\, purpose\, matter to me. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02232026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanit y/#findComment-80294\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\ n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Please provide examples of th eir accomplishments in terms of Black empowerment. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ha iti. the only country started by Black Americans whose forebears were ensl aved to whites.  What is more powerful for any people than starting their own country?  What is hilarious is a black person in modernity asks this \, is ignorant to haiti's value as the greatest symbol of black empowermen t and yet\, the whole reason zionists\, white jews\, made israel was to do what black americans whose forebears were enslaved to whites did in haiti . and profd and other blacks need an example of my tribes accomplishments in black empowerment. And I will add on the cake\, while the white jews of israel use their white status to scheme and plot \, using advantages\, ha iti did this while being attacked in open warfare by france/england/spain/ U.S.A. all recorded as being defeated by haiti. Was it easy? no\, many bla ck people died. it was the hardest of things. but it was done and even tho ugh haiti has suffered surrounded by the two biggest slave states in moder n human history: USA + Brazil or  surrounded by anti black or black integ rationists countries: mexico/jamaica/venezuela/trinidad/puerto rico/cuba/p anama/costa rica Haiti had golden times. \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, Pr ofD said:\n\n\n\n Were they able to sustain &\; make it wealthy?\n\n\n \n Yes\, the citadel la ferriere is the biggest fort in the american conti nent and still stands. Built by Blacks of Haiti. \n\n\n\n Did the golden age last forever... no countries golden age last forever. And I will not c hagrin Haiti's golden age not lasting forever when no one chagrin's Rome's golden age not lasting forever\, or England's or China's or the USA's... all  government have golden times\, and not so golden\, and miserable tim es. I don't know what you mean by sustain. \n\n\n\n During HAiti's golden time\, Haiti was littered with beatiful homes\, and the usa circa spanish american war\, stole a lot of gold from haiti\, which is of course breaki ng the law\, your fellow black integrationist  @Pioneer1 of course has little to say when white people or white countries\, like the usa\,  brea k laws\, but.. ok. So They did make it wealthy. I will apologize for Haiti and say\, its not easy being the only country in an entire continent [ fr om canada to argentina ] where black people are free and in charge\, but I have always comprehended you and your tribes love of the usa and unforgiv eness for any other tribes ways. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Is this the same Haiti that owes a debt to France int o perpetuity?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Haiti might be *free* from white folks bu t it will always be poor because white folks have seized their wealth. \n \n\n\n The USA seized the wealth. The debt to france is not physical. I wi ll explain. One of the governments of haiti\, after the golden time decide d to accept a reparation debt to france\, which is hilarious at some level \, and that is what france suggest is owed to it. And for the record\, Alg eria says France owes them\, but... anyway. Governments of countries have these sorts of arrangements. by france's own record the USA owes france so ... countries say they owe things...I don't know why you made that stateme nt as if you don't comprehend how these things are. The USA owes France\, the USA has tons of money\, can print tons\, has never once thought to pay France so... It seems to me you love to mention anti black . Maybe I am r eading to much into your position\, but very anti black for me. you mentio n a situation that happens. If every coutry/government in the world was ba sed on whether another country said they owed\, the entire college of gove rnments would be in financial destitution. Why does Haiti have a double st andard? why does haiti's supposed debts warrant mention but other countrie s don't? outside of the fact that some blacks\, who love the usa\, who don 't care for other tribes\, like to make uneven arguments. \n\n\n\n The Bl acks of haiti are freer even today than any other black americans includin g in the usa. Not as financially wealthier based on white owned banks and white currencies but... ok. \n\n\n\n As for the eternity of poverty your wrong\, first or foremost because some haitians who live in haiti are weal thy that means a brighter day is always possible. I can't tell you when. I have no foresight\, but it will happen. Again \, Ireland was taken by eng land in 1541\, most of ireland was free from england in 1921 so circa thre e hundred and eighty years and in some parts of ireland from 1100s england was king\, so things take time. I don't know where your from where someho w\, things are supposed to be forever\, nothing is forever. Just so you kn ow\, the usa will fall one day\, through rupture in itself for some reason \, or maybe decay in itself for some reason \, thrugh some opposing gover nment somewhere rising as it falls. It will happen. I think maybe you thin k it will not. \n\n\n\n Haiti had a golden age\, it will have one again.  \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Both Freetown in Sierr a Leone &\; Liberia had huge issues with the Black folks that emigrated from the USA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black folks outside the USA ar e not wel coming to FBA/AfroAmericans with open arms either. They are looking for us to bring a bag of money.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I'm a huge proponent of Black folks being empowered &\; self-sufficient &\; autonomous throughout the planet. I would love to see all Black folks winning. \n\n\n\n I rath er reword what you said here. the indigenous black peoples of what would b ecome sierra leone and liberia were treated like the palestiniean while th e black americans who founded freetown or monrovia were like the set white jews commonly called zionists.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I wanted to reword only because the issues you mention are best described in a proper way. In the beginning sierra leone or liberia didn't exist. These were lands of b lack tribes of africa. I forget their names\, but so many exist in Africa.  \n\n\n\n The next step was when black americans financed by whites made monrovia or freetown\, freetown was first actually\, monrovia was second i n time. \n\n\n\n And third step was the creation of sierra leone about fr eetown or liberia about monrovia. I did research on this. The problem  or issues is  between step 2 and 3. \n\n\n\n The black americans who immig rated back\, not all\, it was messy ok\, but many black americans who immi grated back \, like so many immigrants in the USA age\, the last white eur opean imperial era\, think only of themselves and little of the people the y have to interact with. The tragedy for me is the black americans like me who lived with the indigenous blacks weren't strong enough to stop the bl ack americans like you and pioneer who only look to themselves\, which is not a crime it is a choice\,  and were willing to abuse their fellow blac k\, for financial profit\, which came true. the descendents of the black a mericans who were greedy and cruel \, as i guess par the course in all hum anity\, are the wealthiest in sierra leone and liberia today. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Your right\, most\, not all but\, most blacks outside the usa are n't welcoming to black amerians as strangers although\, we black americans earned that reputation in liberia or sierra leones. \n\n\n\n For me what is sad is\, in freetown or monrovia they could had simply focused on. tho se cities  were enough. they didn't need to take the land about those cit ies. Yes what I am about to say is cheap hindsight\, worth nothing now\, b ut the lesson is\, you have the city\,  make a deal with the remainder pe oples to extend the city's [freetown or monrovia] land for immediate growt h and then make an ironclad law giving the land about freetown or monrovia to the indigenous black folk with the condition that the laws allow for o wnership and sales to allow for black americans to buy land for even rate\ , but also modify the fiscal habits of the indigenous. Allow women to own land\, inheritance to pass to male or female\, block land from being owned by the nonblack. The legal code. But in defense\, most of those black ame ricans who founded monrovia or freetown\, which in my mind are the true in heritances\, not the country of liberia or sierra leone. is that they were country folk. country folk\, don't have experience with cities and more i mportantly\, how cities work. I imagine most of them couldn't comprehend h ow different a city is. when you look at monaco/singapore\, monrovia or fr eetown should had been like them\, but unlike those two \, city states who had a century or more of being a city state province monrovia or freetown were ust made by mostly farmers who were thinking freetown or monrovia ne ed to be like pre civil war atlanta\, not pre civil war nyc.  But they we re wrong\, or at least the black americans who won the war between black a mericans over what to do\, were wrong.  But\, there are still those in si erra leone or liberia who believe in that old purpose\, yes not everyone \ , but still some exist. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Your right\, you a nd pioneer and me all want black happiness. I admit that i react negativel y sometimes to the wording of you and pioneer\, either you don't know thin gs you should know or you are rattling the saber which I don't find funny\ , or take lightly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02242026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citati on\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-bet ter-humanity/#findComment-80315\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n \n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n A very good frien d of mine is Haitian. He &\; his wife &\; other family members who i mmigrated to the USA have given me the whole run down on their beloved hom e country. They also told me why they're in no rush to go back there to li ve.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Certain parts of Haiti are beautiful to visit. Yet\ , there's a lot of infrastructure work that needs to be done in the countr y. The biggest impediment...greed &\; corruption.\n\n\n\n I don't know what relevancy your prose has. You asked me the following. \n\n\n\n   O n 2/23/2026 at 6:41 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n Please provide exam ples of their accomplishments in terms of Black empowerment. \n\n\n\n I g ave haiti as an answer\, with full temporal comprehension. Then you replie d with the above\, which has nothing to do with the question you posed. bu t ok. You did not ask me about the condition of modern haiti\, you asked w hat my tribe accomplished\, i gave the truth. I don't know what your highl ighted prose above has to do with the question you posed. \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Don't know why you keep insi sting I'm an integrationist. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What else can anyone who embraces the USA be? You said the USA is your country. I have no problem with that. But\, the USA from its very beginnings was integrated. I didn't say the integration was positive\, it wasn't\, but it was integrated. And it still is today and will always be unless one populace becomes an overw helming majority which is not going to happen any time soon. And the war b etween the states is the proof that whites internally have never seen them selves as unified as some nonwhites suggest. \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I do not love the USA. It just happens to be my home country. I'm not fortunate enough to have another country to w hich I can return.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Even enough. But the usa will always be your home country because \, unfortunately\, for Black DOSers none of us have a country to return too. Our black forebears\, which is what Henry Louis gates rjr shows dismisses so poorly\, didn't come from one place in africa\, they came from various places. As I have said in this very forum . Most of Black DOSers forebears were buried in the ocean\, not any land\, as 90% of the people in the boats died on the journey. Those are all Blac k DOSers initial forebears. And our initial forebears came from all over t he continent of africa\, not any one particular country\, so unless the Af rican Union is handing out citizenship. \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Haiti doesn't have a double standard.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is a fact that France has been collecting money from Haiti for a couple hundred years now.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Part of the reason is H aitian greed &\; corruption starting with the lighter-skinned folks run ning around down there.\n\n\n\n The double standard I referred to wasn't c oncerning haiti paying money\, but the following.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   O n 2/23/2026 at 6:41 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n Is this the same Ha iti that owes a debt to France into perpetuity?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Haiti m ight be *free* from white folks but it will always be poor because white f olks have seized their wealth. \n\n\n\n why Haiti being considered owing something is special or warrants note when I gave multiple examples of man y countries\, whites ones\, that are still stated as owing even if they do n't pay. so countries have relationships. And the reason isn't greed or co rruption\, it is simpler than that\, it is haiti' uniqueness. I don't know why I have to say it cause you know or should know\, that haiti was surro unded by slavers. Haiti's nearest neighbor is modern jamaica which at that time was merely a territory of the british empire and the country garvey wanted to escape which led him to be antiwhite\, that is jamaica. so... Th e reason is when you are surrounded by enemies\, it matters.  Intelligenc e and strategy aren't godly things\, they have limits\, they can't make ev erything happen. A kid surrounded by thirty bullies will never kick all th ose other kids ask or smooth talk his way by them if they want to hurt him . \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The intent was not an uneven argument. But\, I can see where your sensitivity &\; affection for Haiti might make it seem that way.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Haiit i is special for those in my tribe. But my irritation is not from adoratio n to haiti but miscomprehension. You and pioneer love to veer in your pros e. you have a question\, i give a response\, but then you respond to my re sponse with something totally unrelated to my response. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n That has not stoppe d Haitians from immigrating to the USA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Just think...Wy clef could've started The Fugees down there if his family hadn't posted up in New Jersey.\n\n\n\n hell\, go farther back\, remember\, black people o f haiti literally left former saint dominique with their white owners to n ew orleans\, so the heritage of haitians to the usa is arguably older than any other black populace anywhere outside the usa. \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/ 2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n A very small minority of Haitians are wealthy. More than likely\, they're among the greedy &\; corrupt. T hat's why Bar-B-Que was running amok.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n yes that is why I call all the rich around the world the global one percent. every country today has wealthy people\, including the somalias/kashmir/east timors of t he world. A very small minority of people under any government are the mos t wealthy in their respective lands.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 a t 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n You don't have to reword what I have wri tten in order to give your lecture/sermon.\n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 6:4 1 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n hahah I am not trying to give a sermo n\, i have no pulpit in my home\n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, Pr ofD said:\n\n\n\n There you go again casting unwarranted aspersions again st us.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I was uneven to you and pioneer. \n\n\n\n   O n 2/23/2026 at 9:03 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Most people who have a bias one way or another tend to lack balance in perspective. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Regardless of what I type in calling balls &\; strikes\, I always w anted Black folks all over the planet to win.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I believe in tough love. What I think &\; type about my people...Black folks.... might be abrasive sometimes.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Our people...Black folks a re just as guilty of being greedy &\; corrupt  &\; full of sh8t &am p\; excuses for why they can't do better. I'll never accept it.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The system of racism white supremacy is a big enough enemy.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Black folks don't need to be enemies among themselves. Solve s nothing. In fact\, it helps white folks maintain power &\; control.\n \n\n\n Well... onto the future. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the -way-of-a-better-humanity/#findComment-80320\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\ n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Fair enough. Hai ti did successfully revolt against France. That was a major accomplishment . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Free itself from France\, but also stay free from t he likes of England/Spain/USA who all tried to replace france as its owner \, and failed. Not just a major accomplishment to defeat four of the stron gest navies in humanity at that time\, legendary. Very bloody\, many lives lost. I think of a man from north vietnam who once said\, I paraphrase\, he was the only one to return to his building\, all the other homes in his building lost their youngest generations to the vietnam war. \n\n\n\n Le gendary\, extremely costly. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n \n Those who died &\; were buried in the ocean didn't bear fruit on for eign soil.\n\n\n\n well\, but you forget the first problem is\, the roundi ng up of black people was collective. the papers of the hausa caliphate li terally state that their border towns dealt with raiders constantly taking families\, whole towns. It was a serious problem.  So... the point being \, the relatives of the black people who bore fruit on foreign soil are th ose people who didn't make it across the big water.  That female or male who became part of the ten percent who survived the trip\, lost their moth er over the water\, their brothers\, sisters\, uncles\, cousins. The town was gone. I never forget the film CEdou by ousmane sembene\, I think from senegal and remember\, saint lous was a big slave port. Individuals would be taken\, as in the film\, but the majority would be... groups of those n ot in power\, undesiretable/poor... like the untouchable caste in india. S o your correct in that those who died on the water\, the ninety percent \,   didn't bear fruit in the american continent\, but they were family\, or at least clan to the ten percent who became our strict biological forebea rs and so for me\, ... For me\, the people who died over the ocean are mor e my forebears than their living relatives and descendents on the continen t.\n\n\n\n Another great philosophical variance in the tribes of black ame ricans  amazing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\ n Rhetorically\, I wonder why Marcus Garvey didn't start his movement in J amaica. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  Based on Garvey's words I think it is clear \, garvey didn't see the american continent as a home for Black DOSer. He comprehended that black dosers from canada to argentina\, existed and were born or raised in said lands. But\, from his point of view all of the ame rican continent was anti black. And even in haiti I get his point. If anyt hing haiti proves garvey's point about leaving the american continent. HAi ti's problem sis the american continent. Canada/UA/Mexico/BRasil/Venezuela most of the lands in the american continet are run by those who are anti black. and during his time\, Jamaica was a crown colony\, where you had eu rophile blacks in positive positions. I argue Garvey saw jamaica even with its majority black population as white and that makes sense\, cause if yo u consider how much trouble the rastafarians have in jamaica today while j amaica leeches off of the memory of bob marley\, I think it is all clear. The blacks in jamaica... are very europhile\, even back then. Now one can argue\, maybe garvey should had given the english empire more thought. Sie rra leone existed\, maybe he could had worked to that. But Garvey clearly didn't care/trust/want to work with a majority of the  whites on the land he was raised on. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n \n\n Most of the wealthy people in a country are responsible for greed &am p\; corruption.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Until people are willing to fight &\ ; seize power in order to redistribute wealth or a sky fairy comes along.. .the status quo will remain unchanged.\n\n\n\n well said:) \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/to pic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanity/#findComment-80332\n\ n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD sa id:\n\n\n\n Garvey was correct in prophecy that a king would ne crowned so mewhere in Africa.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n oh yeah\, who was the king crowned?\ n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Yet\, inspired by that kin g\, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Salassie\, the Rastafarians started their move ment in Jamaica &\; spread it beyond the island nation.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Rastafarians have their own tribe\, culture &\; music.\n\n\n\n yes\ , the rastafarians is a minority tribe in the village\, but the point abou t jamaica is how negatively they exist in jamaica amongst other blacks\, w hom they never have hurt\, they simply don't concur on what the future loo ks like\, which isn't a small thing.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02272026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n \n On 2/26 /2026 at 5:10 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n  \n \n\n \n I truly believe that.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n You THOUGHT about leaving... ...🤔\n\n But then you THOUGHT about how nice EATING is\, and how nice it is to walk on paved streets to the nearest bodega for a snack or two i n between arguing with folks on AALBC.......🤔......and changed your min d\, lol.\n \n \n\n\n\n the proof will be in the future\, which I do not k now\, but if you are alive and wonder one day where is Richard in the aalb c forum\, then if i am alive\, you will know the answer and the proof is m et\n\n\n\n \n On 2/26/2026 at 5:10 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n I won't argue with you over who is actually \"in charge\" in Haiti\, but do you really think most of the people of Haiti are \"free\"?\n \n \n\n\n\n well to be blunt \, like many ideas\, freedom is defined by individuals di fferently\, for me\, the freedom the Black DOSers in haiti have is that th ey are in a country that is actually black in the american continent. \n\ n\n\n Financially\, no one \, even haitians\, can argue that haiti is near the fiscal bottom of countries in the american continent [ canada to arge ntina] and as I have heard many DOSers in the usa say\, or imply as yourse lf\, the amenities is part of life. HAiti at the moment\, is one of the we akest places for amenities in the american continent. \n\n\n\n But freedo m isn't merely access to amenities or even legal codes\, freedom is also t he connection to a place. In that sense\, Haitians will always be freer th an other DOSers. \n\n\n\n Again\, the USA/Brasil/Mexico/Columbia/Jamaica /Trinidad/Puerto Rico/Dominican Republic former Spanish Haiti all have bla ck people in them but all of those countries\, are anti black. The black p eople in each of the countries I just mentioned spend most of their lives battling non black people\, and for the most part losing\,  for an even s hare of things in said countries. I don't consider that freedom. SLavery i sn't merely shackles\, nor are the strongest cages always made of steel. A nd sometimes the strongest cage is the illusion you are not in one.\n\n\n\ n The USA is exhibit A. I don't know how many black people in the usa cons ider themselves free\, because of pieces of paper\, because they have a jo b or are living a happy life or have accumulated a certain level of money. To be even\, if they measure freedom that way\, then they simply do. But for me\, I can't see myself free in a land where my larger people are alwa ys abused. And that to me is the measure. \n\n\n\n Haiti is fiscally poor \, but Haiti's problem is its neighbors\, the neighbors of haiti always ha ve been. None of these countries was pro black\, including the jamaica's o f the world. Haiti no one can deny is a Black DOS country\, that is a rari ty to say. That offers a kind of freedom to haiti that the usa/brasil/mexi co will never have.\n\n\n\n And I will be even to the usa and say\, being a country for all humanity is easy to write down\, easy to put on paper\, it is another thing to manifest. The usa's biggest problem is that it is c lear a majority of people in the usa want its original words written by wh ite european enslavers to have value but words on paper\, the law\, doesn' t have value\, it takes heritages or cultures to make these things. The he ritage path is dead\, the heritage of the usa is totally against any peace ful multiracial coexistence. but\, cultures have to be grown\, they don' s prout from nothing. And cultures require people together \, personal accou ntability can't get you a culture of a people. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 022820 26\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/top ic/12484-is-the-usa-in-the-way-of-a-better-humanity/#findComment-80444\n\n \n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   23 hours ago\, ProfD s aid:\n\n\n\n FBA/AfroAmericans in predominantly Black cities &\; commun ities scattered throughout the USA feel a similar sense of freedom. \n\n\ n\n similar\, yes in very near modernity\,  i concur with many adjectives because in the 1800s the usa had many black towns and they were all under huge duress. What black people were able to feel in haiti throughout ever y corner of haiti in 1800\, no large percent of the black populace felt in the usa till 1990 so... yes\, I concur\, but it isn't the same\, and that matters in the details of things. again\, how to get from here to there i s important. and in the context of this posts original point about the rol e of the usa as an aider in humanity\, I argue\, the lateness of modernity is a discredit. Changing isn't unimportant\, BUT\, I find many in the usa tend to look at scenarios in humanity through the lens of change and chan ging doesn't undo what you were. The USA in the 1900s started or continued every calamity that exist in the humanity today. No matter how much multi racial peace exists in the usa today\, 2026\, that doesn't undo the damage . To be blunt\, in most current events\, the USA made iran\, the USA made israel. I argue all the children killed of and between the geography of th ose two governments is all the USA's fault. ISIS is the USA's fault. The T aliban is the USA's fault. I don't know all the details but I know enough of the history to know the usa[it's government plus people or residents {r esidents include me} plus fiscal firms] are to blame for that entire regio ns calamities. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260220 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Yaffles at Yggr or Laughs at Odin 02242026 DTSTAMP:20260225T181311Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:659-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Yolk Yolk Yolk yclept Yggdrasil\n\n\n\n Yean Yean Yean yc lept Yggdrasil\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Yadda Yadda Yadda yahs Yob Yaffingales\ n\n\n\n Yuan Yuan Yuan yclept Yggdrasil\n\n\n\n Ye Ye Ye yeas Yob Yaffinga les\n\n\n\n Yo-mo Yo-mo Yo-mo yclept Yggdrasil\n\n\n\n Yo-ho Yo-ho Yo-ho y odels Yob Yaffingales\n\n\n\n Yank Yank Yank yclept Yggdrasil\n\n\n\n Yep Yep Yep yawns Yob Yaffingales\n\n\n\n Yield Yield Yield yclept Yggdrasil\n \n\n\n Yester Yester Yester yets Yob Yaffingales\n\n\n\n Yon Yon Yon yclep t Yggdrasil\n\n\n\n Yard Yard Yard yums Yob Yaffingales\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from @HDdeviant / Richard Murray\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantar t.com/hddeviant/art/Yaffles-at-Yggr-or-Laughs-at-Odin-1303027466\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mad Lemniscate March poem\n\n\n\n Poem's Story\n\n\n\n Yggdrasi l\, calls on the morning and then calls forth young woodpeckers. After a t ime\, the young birds come grudgingly\, tired of being called again and ag ain for the tedious preening of Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil tell them to circle a bout it. They tell it they know what to do. Yggdrasil tells the young bird s to put more effort. The young birds say they are going to do it. Yggdras il tells them to pull. And the young birds do but are tired. Yggdrasil tel ls the birds it is time to stop. The young birds say finally we can contin ue another time. Yggdrasil tells the birds to go back home. The birds say they will happily.\n\n\n\n WORDS LIST:\n\n\n\n Yggdrasil{ig-druh-sil\; ig as in big \, sil as in silly}- Yggr{igər}/Odin/The terrifying one + drasi l or Odin's Horse [ ancient tree in Norse mythology connecting all element s of existence ]\n\n\n\n Yaffingale{ya-fin-gale\; fin as fishfin \, gale a s in gail }- Yaffin+ gale or Yaffin + song \; Yaffin is from Yaffle \, the name of the European Green Woodpecker's laughing call [ the European Gree n Woodpecker ]\n\n\n\n Yolk{joʊk}- yellow of egg\, like the sun\n\n\n\n Y clept{iˈklept }- to summon\n\n\n\n Yean{yēn \; ē is long e}- bring fort h\n\n\n\n Yadda{yɑdə\; ə is miniscule or short e}- repetition\n\n\n\n Y ah{jɑ}- a yes referring suggesting defiance\n\n\n\n Yob{yäb}- a youth/yo ung\n\n\n\n Yuan {yo͞oˈän}- round\, coin [Chinese word]\n\n\n\n Ye{yē} -you\n\n\n\n Yea{yā\; ā is long a}- affirming yes\n\n\n\n Yo{yō}- effor t\n\n\n\n mo{mō}- short for more\n\n\n\n ho{hō}- departure or leaving as in sailrs for work\n\n\n\n Yodel{yōd(ə)l}- singing style \,fluctuations are strong\n\n\n\n Yank{yaNGk}- pull or jerk\n\n\n\n Yep{yep}- a yes\, ne utral or disbelieving\n\n\n\n Yawn{jɔːn\; yän}- to gape the mouth wide\ n\n\n\n Yield{yēld}- reward or pay for not modern surrender\n\n\n\n Yeste r{jɛstə}- other whether future or past\, not the modern next\n\n\n\n Yet {yɛt}- till now or at last\n\n\n\n Yon{yän}- something over there\n\n\n\ n Yard{yärd}- enclosure r home\, can be a garden\n\n\n\n Yum{yəm}- yes o f pleasure\n\n\n\n For the It's a Mad\, Mad\, Mad\, Mad\, Mad\, Mad March! by @HDdeviant developed by @WritingDD2R\n\n\n\n ?Challenge arrives MArch 1st in @CRLiterature\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Poetry Gallery\n\n\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/84827787/poetry\n\n\n\n Crliterature Con tent\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/97552463/crliter ature-content\n\n\n\n My Tip Jar for it is always a season to tip\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n \n\n\n #madlemniscatemarch #hddeviant #deviantart #crliterature #richardmu rray #kobo #kwl #rmaalbc #aalbc #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n\n\n NOTES \n\n\n\n European green woodpecker\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E uropean_green_woodpecker\n\n\n\n Yaffle comes from laugh of the green wood pecker \, Professor Yaffle in the the show Bagpuss is a yaffingale\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_green_woodpecker#In_culture [ http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpuss ] \n\n\n\n Woodpecker cider\n\n\n\n htt ps://www.woodpeckercider.co.uk/ [ referral https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W oodpecker_Cider ] \n\n\n\n Woodpecker Cider from Bulmers song\n\n\n\n Why do we drink Bulmers Woodpecker Cider?\n\n\n\n Yeah\, It's got a kick to i t!\n\n\n\n Yeah\, It's got a lick! to it!\n\n\n\n Wood-peck-e-r Cider\n\n\ n\n That's right\n\n\n\n It's got a kick to it!\n\n\n\n That's right\n\n\n \n It's got a lick\, to it!\n\n\n\n Wood-peck-e-r Cider\n\n\n\n https://yo utu.be/V0xyaiBGupM?si=tfj9dRAhUyaTjPdP\n\n\n\n Flag of Marche\n\n\n\n http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Marche\n\n\n\n The infinite symbol is ca lled a lemniscate\, or ribbon\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemnis cate\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260224 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:MALCOLM X - inaugural Organization Of Afro American Unity sp eech DTSTAMP:20250724T024446Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:419-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n While in Ghana in May 1964\, Malcolm decided to form the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU). Malcolm returned to New York t he following month to create the OAAU and on June 28 gave his first public address on behalf of the new organization at the Audubon Ballroom in Harl em. \n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/359-malcolm-x- inaugural-organization-of-afro-american-unity-speech/\n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n S alaam Alaikum\, Mr. Moderator\, our distinguished guests\, brothers and si sters\, our friends and our enemies\, everybody who’s here.\n\nAs many o f you know\, last March when it was announced that I was no longer in the Black Muslim movement\, it was pointed out that it was my intention to wor k among the 22 million non-Muslim Afro-Americans and to try and form some type of organization\, or create a situation where the young people – ou r young people\, the students and others – could study the problems of o ur people for a period of time and then come up with a new analysis and gi ve us some new ideas and some new suggestions as to how to approach a prob lem that too many other people have been playing around with for too long. And that we would have some kind of meeting and determine at a later date whether to form a black nationalist party or a black nationalist army.\n\ nThere have been many of our people across the country from all walks of l ife who have taken it upon themselves to try and pool their ideas and to c ome up with some kind of solution to the problem that confronts all of our people. And tonight we are here to try and get an understanding of what i t is they’ve come up with.\n\nAlso\, recently when I was blessed to make a religious pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca where I met many people from all over the world\, plus spent many weeks in Africa trying to broade n my own scope and get more of an open mind to look at the problem as it a ctually is\, one of the things that I realized\, and I realized this even before going over there\, was that our African brothers have gained their independence faster than you and I here in America have. They’ve also ga ined recognition and respect as human beings much faster than you and I.\n Just ten years ago on the African continent\, our people were colonized. T hey were suffering all forms of colonization\, oppression\, exploitation\, degradation\, humiliation\, discrimination\, and every other kind of -ati on. And in a short time\, they have gained more independence\, more recogn ition\, more respect as human beings than you and I have. And you and I li ve in a country which is supposed to be the citadel of education\, freedom \, justice\, democracy\, and all of those other pretty-sounding words.\n\n So it was our intention to try and find out what it was our African brothe rs were doing to get results\, so that you and I could study what they had done and perhaps gain from that study or benefit from their experiences. And my traveling over there was designed to help to find out how.\n\nOne o f the first things that the independent African nations did was to form an organization called the Organization of African Unity. This organization consists of all independent African states who have reached the agreement to submerge all differences and combine their efforts toward eliminating f rom the continent of Africa colonialism and all vestiges of oppression and exploitation being suffered by African people. Those who formed the organ ization of African states have differences. They represent probably every segment\, every type of thinking. You have some leaders that are considere d Uncle Toms\, some leaders who are considered very militant. But even the militant African leaders were able to sit down at the same table with Afr ican leaders whom they considered to be Toms\, or Tshombes\, or that type of character. They forgot their differences for the sole purpose of bringi ng benefits to the whole. And whenever you find people who can’t forget their differences\, then they’re more interested in their personal aims and objectives than they are in the conditions of the whole. Well\, the Af rican leaders showed their maturity by doing what the American white man s aid couldn’t be done. Because if you recall when it was mentioned that t hese African states were going to meet in Addis Ababa\, all of the Western press began to spread the propaganda that they didn’t have enough in co mmon to come together and to sit down together. Why\, they had Nkrumah the re\, one of the most militant of the African leaders\, and they had Adoula from the Congo. They had Nyerere there\, they had Ben Bella there\, they had Nasser there\, they had Sekou Toure\, they had Obote\; they had Kenyat ta I guess Kenyatta was there\, I can’t remember whether Kenya was inde pendent at that time\, but I think he was there. Everyone was there and de spite their differences\, they were able to sit down and form what was kno wn as the Organization of African Unity\, which has formed a coalition and is working in conjunction with each other to fight a common enemy. Once w e saw what they were able to do\, we determined to try and do the same thi ng here in America among Afro Americans who have been divided by our enemi es. So we have formed an organization known as the Organization of Afro Am erican Unity which has the same aim and objective – to fight whoever get s in our way\, to bring about the complete independence of people of Afric an descent here in the Western Hemisphere\, and first here in the United S tates\, and bring about the freedom of these people by any means necessary .\n\nThat’s our motto. We want freedom by any means necessary. We want j ustice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary. We don’t feel that in 1964\, living in a country that is supposedly based upon freedom\, and supposedly the leader of the free world\, we don’t th ink that we should have to sit around and wait for some segregationist con gressmen and senators and a President from Texas in Washington\, D. C.\, t o make up their minds that our people are due now some degree of civil rig hts. No\, we want it now or we don’t think anybody should have it.\n\nTh e purpose of our organization is to start right here in Harlem\, which has the largest concentration of people of African descent that exists anywhe re on this earth. There are more Africans in Harlem than exist in any city on the African continent. Because that’s what you and I are Africans. Y ou catch any white man off guard in here right now\, you catch him off gua rd and ask him what he is\, he doesn’t say he’s an American. He either tells you he’s Irish\, or he’s Italian\, or he’s German\, if you ca tch him off guard and he doesn’t know what you’re up to. And even thou gh he was born here\, he’ll tell you he’s Italian. Well\, if he’s It alian\, you and I are African even though we were born here.\nSo we start in New York City first. We start in Harlem– and by Harlem we mean Bedfor d – Stuyvesant\, any place in this area where you and I live\, that’s Harlem with the intention of spreading throughout the state\, and from the state throughout the country\, and from the country throughout the Wester n Hemisphere. Because when we say Afro American\, we include everyone in t he Western Hemisphere of African descent. South America is America. Centra l America is America. South America has many people in it of African desce nt. And everyone in South America of African descent is an Afro-American. Everyone in the Caribbean\, whether it’s the West Indies or Cuba or Mexi co\, if they have African blood\, they are Afro Americans. If they’re in Canada and they have African blood\, they’re Afro Americans. If they’ re in Alaska\, though they might call themselves Eskimos\, if they have Af rican blood\, they’re Afro Americans.\n\nSo the purpose of the Organizat ion of Afro American Unity is to unite everyone in the Western Hemisphere of African descent into one united force. And then\, once we are united am ong ourselves in the Western Hemisphere\, we will unite with our brothers on the motherland\, on the continent of Africa. So to get right with it\, I would like to read you the “Basic Aims and Objectives of the Organizat ion of Afro American Unity\;” started here in New York\, June\, 1964.\ n\n“The Organization of Afro American Unity\, organized and structured b y a cross section of the Afro American people living in the United States of America\, has been patterned after the letter and spirit of the Organiz ation of African Unity which was established at Addis Ababa\, Ethiopia\, i n May of 1963.\n\n“We\, the members of the Organization of Afro American Unity\, gathered together in Harlem\, New York:\n\n“Convinced that it i s the inalienable right of all our people to control our own destiny\;\n\n “Conscious of the fact that freedom\, equality\, justice and dignity are central objectives for the achievement of the legitimate aspirations of t he people of African descent here in the Western Hemisphere\, we will ende avor to build a bridge of understanding and create the basis for Afro Amer ican unity\;\n\n“Conscious of our responsibility to harness the natural and human resources of our people for their total advancement in all spher es of human endeavor\;\n\n“Inspired by our common determination to promo te understanding among our people and cooperation in all matters pertainin g to their survival and advancement\, we will support the aspirations of o ur people for brotherhood and solidarity in a larger unity transcending al l organizational differences\;\n\n“Convinced that\, in order to translat e this determination into a dynamic force in the cause of human progress c onditions of peace and security must be established and maintained\;” – And by “conditions of peace and security\,” [we mean] we have to e liminate the barking of the police dogs\, we have to eliminate the police clubs\, we have to eliminate the water hoses\, we have to eliminate all of these things that have become so characteristic of the American so called dream. These have to be eliminated. Then we will be living in a condition of peace and security. We can never have peace and security as long as on e black man in this country is being bitten by a police dog. No one in the country has peace and security. “Dedicated to the unification of all p eople of African descent in this hemisphere and to the utilization of that unity to bring into being the organizational structure that will project the black people’s contributions to the world\;\n\n“Persuaded that the Charter of the United Nations\, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights \, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights are the pr inciples in which we believe and that these documents if put into practice represent the essence of mankind’s hopes and good intentions\;\n\n“De sirous that all Afro American people and organi¬zations should henceforth unite so that the welfare and well being of our people will be assured\;\ n\n“We are resolved to reinforce the common bond of purpose between our people by submerging all of our differences and establishing a nonsectaria n\, constructive program for human rights\;\n\n“We hereby present this c harter.\n\n“I–Establishment.\n\n“The Organization of Afro American U nity shall include all people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere \, as well as our brothers and sisters on the African continent.” Which means anyone of African descent\, with African blood\, can become a member of the Organization of Afro American Unity\, and also any one of our brot hers and sisters from the African continent. Because not only it is an org anization of Afro American unity meaning that we are trying to unite our p eople in the West\, but it’s an organization of Afro American unity in t he sense that we want to unite all of our people who are in North America\ , South America\, and Central America with our people on the African conti nent. We must unite together in order to go forward together. Africa will not go forward any faster than we will and we will not go forward any fast er than Africa will. We have one destiny and we’ve had one past.\n\nIn e ssence\, what it is saying is instead of you and me running around here se eking allies in our struggle for freedom in the Irish neighborhood or the Jewish neighborhood or the Italian neighborhood\, we need to seek some all ies among people who look something like we do. It’s time now for you an d me to stop running away from the wolf right into the arms of the fox\, l ooking for some kind of help. That’s a drag.\n\n“II–Self Defense.\ n\n“Since self preservation is the first law of nature\, we assert the A fro American’s right to self defense.\n\n“The Constitution of the Unit ed States of America clearly affirms the right of every American citizen t o bear arms. And as Americans\, we will not give up a single right guarant eed under the Constitution. The history of unpunished violence against our people clearly indicates that we must be prepared to defend ourselves or we will continue to be a defenseless people at the mercy of a ruthless and violent racist mob.\n\n“We assert that in those areas where the governm ent is either unable or unwilling to protect the lives and property of our people\, that our people are within our rights to protect themselves by w hatever means necessary.”I repeat\, because to me this is the most impor tant thing you need to know. I already know it. “We assert that in those areas where the government is either unable or unwilling to protect the l ives and property of our people\, that our people are within our rights to protect themselves by whatever means necessary.”\n\nThis is the thing y ou need to spread the word about among our people wherever you go. Never l et them be brainwashed into thinking that whenever they take steps to see that they’re in a position to defend themselves that they’re being unl awful. The only time you’re being unlawful is when you break the law. It’s lawful to have something to defend yourself. Why\, I heard Presiden t Johnson either today or yesterday\, I guess it was today\, talking about how quick this country would go to war to defend itself. Why\, what kind of a fool do you look like\, living in a country that will go to war at th e drop of a hat to defend itself\, and here you’ve got to stand up in th e face of vicious police dogs and blue eyed crackers waiting for somebody to tell you what to do to defend yourself!\n\nThose days are over\, they ’re gone\, that’s yesterday. The time for you and me to allow ourselve s to be brutalized nonviolently is passé. Be nonviolent only with those w ho are nonviolent to you. And when you can bring me a nonviolent racist\, bring me a nonviolent segregationist\, then I’ll get nonviolent. But d on’t teach me to be nonviolent until you teach some of those crackers to be nonviolent. You’ve never seen a nonviolent cracker. It’s hard for a racist to be nonviolent. It’s hard for anyone intelligent to be nonvio lent. Everything in the universe does something when you start playing wit h his life\, except the American Negro. He lays down and says\, ” Beat m e\, daddy.” So it says here: “A man with a rifle or a club can only be stopped by a person who defends himself with a rifle or a club.” That ’s equality. If you have a dog\, I must have a dog. If you have a rifle\ , I must have a rifle. If you have a club\, I must have a club. This is eq uality. If the United States government doesn’t want you and me to get r ifles\, then take the rifles away from those racists. If they don’t want you and me to use clubs\, take the clubs away from the racists. If they d on’t want you and me to get violent\, then stop the racists from being v iolent. Don’t teach us nonviolence while those crackers are violent. Tho se days are over.\n\n“Tactics based solely on morality can only succeed when you are dealing with people who are moral or a system that is moral. A man or system which oppresses a man because of his color is not moral. I t is the duty of every Afro-American person and every Afro-American commun ity throughout this country to protect its people against mass murderers\, against bombers\, against lynchers\, against floggers\, against brutalize rs and against exploiters.\n\n“I might say right here that instead of th e various black groups declaring war on each other\, showing how militant they can be cracking each other’s heads\, let them go down South and cra ck some of those crackers’ heads. Any group of people in this country th at has a record of having been attacked by racists – and there’s no re cord where they have ever given the signal to take the heads of some of th ose racists – why\, they are insane giving the signal to take the heads of some of their ex-brothers. Or brother X’s\, I don’t know how you pu t that.\n\nIII– Education\n\n“Education is an important element in the struggle for human rights. It is the means to help our children and our p eople rediscover their identity and thereby increase their self respect. E ducation is our passport to the future\, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today.”\n\nAnd I must point out right there\, when I was in Africa I met no African who wasn’t standing with open arms to embrace any Afro-American who returned to the African continent. But o ne of the things that all of them have said is that every one of our peopl e in this country should take advantage of every type of educational oppor tunity available before you even think about talking about the future. If you’re surrounded by schools\, go to that school.\n\n“Our children are being criminally shortchanged in the public school system of America. The Afro-American schools are the poorest run schools in the city of New York . Principals and teachers fail to understand the nature of the problems wi th which they work and as a result they cannot do the job of teaching our children.” They don’t understand us\, nor do they understand our probl ems\; they don’t. “The textbooks tell our children nothing about the g reat contributions of Afro-Americans to the growth and development of this country.”\n\nAnd they don’t. When we send our children to school in t his country they learn nothing about us other than that we used to be cott on pickers. Every little child going to school thinks his grandfather was a cotton picker. Why\, your grandfather was Nat Turner\; your grandfather was Toussaint L’Ouverture\; your grandfather was Hannibal. Your grandfat her was some of the greatest black people who walked on this earth. It was your grandfather’s hands who forged civilization and it was your grandm other’s hands who rocked the cradle of civilization. But the textbooks t ell our children nothing about the great contributions of Afro Americans t o the growth and development of this country.\n\n“The Board of Educati on’s integration plan is expensive and unworkable\; and the organization of principals and supervisors in New York City’s school system has refu sed to support the Board’s plan to integrate the schools\, thus dooming it to failure before it even starts.”The Board of Education of this city has said that even with its plan there are 10 percent of the schools in H arlem and the Bedford Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn that they cannot im prove.” So what are we to do? “This means that the Organization of Afr o American Unity must make the Afro American community a more potent force for educational self improvement.\n\n“A first step in the program to en d the existing system of racist education is to demand that the 10 percent of the schools the Board of Education will not include in its plan be tur ned over to and run by the Afro-American community itself.” Since they s ay that they can’t improve these schools\, why should you and I who live in the community\, let these fools continue to run and produce this low s tandard of education? No\, let them turn those schools over to us. Since t hey say they can’t handle them\, nor can they correct them\, let us take a whack at it.\nWhat do we want? “We want Afro-American principals to h ead these schools. We want Afro-American teachers in these schools.” Mea ning we want black principals and black teachers with some textbooks about black people. ” We want textbooks written by Afro-Americans that are ac ceptable to our people before they can be used in these schools.\n\n“The Organization of Afro-American Unity will select and recommend people to s erve on local school boards where school policy is made and passed on to t he Board of Education.” And this is very important.\n\n“Through these steps we will make the 10 percent of the schools that we take over educati onal showplaces that will attract the attention of people from ail over th e nation.” Instead of them being schools turning out pupils whose academ ic diet is not complete\, we can turn them into examples of what we can do ourselves once given an opportunity.\n\n“If these proposals are not met \, we will ask Afro-American parents to keep their children out of the pre sent inferior schools they attend. And when these schools in our neighborh ood are controlled by Afro Americans\, we will then return our children to them.\n\n“The Organization of Afro American Unity recognizes the tremen dous importance of the complete involvement of Afro-American parents in ev ery phase of school life. The Afro American parent must be willing and abl e to go into the schools and see that the job of educating our children is done properly.” This whole thing about putting all of the blame on the teacher is out the window. The parent at home has just as much responsibil ity to see that what’s going on in that school is up to par as the teach er in their schools. So it is our intention not only to devise an educatio n program for the children\, but one also for the parents to make them awa re of their responsibility where education is concerned in regard to their children.\n\n“We call on all Afro-Americans around the nation to be awa re that the conditions that exist in the New York City public school syste m are as deplorable in their does as they are here. We must unite our effo rts and spread our program of self improvement through education to every Afro American community in America.\n\n“We must establish all over the c ountry schools of our own to train our own children to become scientists\, to become mathematicians. We must realize the need for adult education an d for job retraining programs that will emphasize a changing society in wh ich automation plays the key role. We intend to use the tools of education to help raise our people to an unprecedented level of excellence and self respect through their own efforts.\n\n“IV – Politics and Economics. ”\n\nAnd the two are almost inseparable\, because the politician is depe nding on some money\; yes\, that’s what he’s depending on.\n\n“Basic ally\, there are two kinds of power that count in America: economic power and political power\, with social power being derived from those two. In o rder for the Afro-Americans to control their destiny\, they must be able t o control and affect the decisions which control their destiny: economic\, political\, and social. This can only be done through organization.\n\n “The Organization of Afro-American Unity will organize the Afro American community block by block to make the community aware of its power and its potential\; we will start immediately a voter registration drive to make every unregistered voter in the Afro-American community an independent vot er.”\n\nWe won’t organize any black man to be a Democrat or a Republic an because both of them have sold us out. Both of them have sold us out\; both parties have sold us out. Both parties are racist\, and the Democrati c Party is more racist than the Republican Party. I can prove it. All yo u’ve got to do is name everybody who’s running the government in Washi ngton\, D. C.\, right now. He’s a Democrat and he’s from either Georgi a\, Alabama\, Texas\, Mississippi\, Florida\, South Carolina\, North Carol ina\, from one of those cracker states. And they’ve got more power than any white man in the North has. In fact\, the President is from a cracker state. What’s he talking about? Texas is a cracker state\, in fact\, t hey’ll hang you quicker in Texas than they will in Mississippi. Don’t you ever think that just because a cracker becomes president he ceases bei ng a cracker. He was a cracker before he became president and he’s a cra cker while he’s president. I’m going to tell it like it is. I hope you can take it like it is.\n\n“We propose to support and organize politica l clubs\, to run independent candidates for office\, and to support any Af ro-American already in office who answers to and is responsible to the Afr o-American community.” We don’t support any black man who is controlle d by the white power structure. We will start not only a voter registratio n drive\, but a voter education drive to let our people have an understand ing of the science of politics so they will be able to see what part the p olitician plays in the scheme of things\; so they will be able to understa nd when the politician is doing his job and when he is not doing his job. And any time the politician is not doing his job\, we remove him whether h e’s white\, black\, green\, blue\, yellow or whatever other color they m ight invent.\n\n“The economic exploitation in the Afro-American communit y is the most vicious form practiced on any people in America.” In fact\ , it is the most vicious practiced on any people on this earth. No one is exploited economically as thoroughly as you and I\, because in most countr ies where people are exploited they know it. You and I are in this country being exploited and sometimes we don’t know it. “Twice as much rent i s paid for rat-infested\, roach crawling\, rotting tenements.”\n\nThis i s true. It costs us more to live in Harlem than it costs them to live on P ark Avenue. Do you know that the rent is higher on Park Avenue in Harlem t han it is on Park Avenue downtown? And in Harlem you have everything else in that apartment with you roaches\, rats\, cats\, dogs\, and some other o utsiders disguised as landlords. “The Afro-American pays more for food\, pays more for clothing\, pays more for insurance than anybody else.” An d we do. It costs you and me more for insurance than it does the white man in the Bronx or somewhere else. It costs you and me more for food than it does them. It costs you and me more to live in America than it does anybo dy else and yet we make the greatest contribution.\n\nYou tell me what kin d of country this is. Why should we do the dirtiest jobs for the lowest pa y? Why should we do the hardest work for the lowest pay? Why should we pay the most money for the worst kind of food and the most money for the wors t kind of place to live in? I’m telling you we do it because we live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this earth. It’s the system that is rotten\; we have a rotten system. It’s a system of e xploitation\, a political and economic system of exploitation\, of outrigh t humiliation\, degradation\, discrimination – all of the negative thing s that you can run into\, you have run into under this system that disguis es itself as a democracy\, disguises itself as a democracy. And the things that they practice against you and me are worse than some of the things t hat they practiced in Germany against the Jews. Worse than some of the thi ngs that the Jews ran into. And you run around here getting ready to get d rafted and go someplace and defend it. Someone needs to crack you up ‘si de your head.\n\n“The Organization of Afro American Unity will wage an u nrelenting struggle against these evils in our community. There shall be o rganizers to work with our people to solve these problems\, and start a ho using self-improvement program.” Instead of waiting for the white man to come and straighten out our neighborhood\, we’ll straighten it out ours elves. This is where you make your mistake. An outsider can’t clean up y our house as well as you can. An outsider can’t take care of your childr en as well as you can. An outsider can’t look after your needs as well a s you can. And an outsider can’t under¬stand your problems as well as y ou can. Yet you’re looking for an outsider to do it. We will do it or it will never get done.\n\n“We propose to support rent strikes.” Yes\, n ot little\, small rent strikes in one block. We’ll make Harlem a rent st rike. We’ll get every black man in this city\; the Organization of Afro- American Unity won’t stop until there’s not a black man in the city no t on strike. Nobody will pay any rent. The whole city will come to a halt. And they can’t put all of us in jail because they’ve already got the jails full of us.\n\nConcerning our social needs I hope I’m not frighte ning anyone. I should stop right here and tell you if you’re the type of person who frights\, who gets scared\, you should never come around us. B ecause we’ll scare you to death. And. you don’t have far to go because you’re half dead already. Economically you’re dead- dead broke. Just got paid yesterday and dead broke right now.\n\n“V Social.\n\n“This o rganization is responsible only to the Afro-American people and the Afro-A merican community.” This organization is not responsible to anybody but us. We don’t have to ask the man downtown can we demonstrate. We don’t have to ask the man downtown what tactics we can use to demonstrate our r esentment against his criminal abuse. We don’t have to ask his consent\; we don’t have to ask his endorsement\; we don’t have to ask his permi ssion. Anytime we know that an unjust condition exists and it is illegal a nd unjust\, we will strike at it by any means necessary. And strike also a t whatever and whoever gets in the way.\n\n“This organization is respons ible only to the Afro-American people and community and will function only with their support\, both financially and numerically. We believe that ou r communities must be the sources of their own strength politically\, econ omically\, intellectually\, and culturally in the struggle for human right s and human dignity.\n\n“The community must reinforce its moral responsi bility to rid itself of the effects of years of exploitation\, neglect\, a nd apathy\, and wage an unrelenting struggle against police brutality.” Yes. There are some good policemen and some bad policemen. Usually we get the bad ones. With all the police in Harlem\, there is too much crime\, to o much drug addiction\, too much alcoholism\, too much prostitution\, too much gambling.\nSo it makes us suspicious about the motives of Commissione r Murphy when he sends all these policemen up here. We begin to think that they are just his errand boys\, whose job it is to pick up the graft and take it back downtown to Murphy. Anytime there’s a police commissioner w ho finds it necessary to increase the strength numerically of the policeme n in Harlem and\, at the same time\, we don’t see any sign of a decrease in crime\, why\, I think we’re justified in suspecting his mo¬tives. H e can’t be sending them up here to fight crime\, because crime is on the increase. The more cops we have\, the more crime we have. We begin to thi nk that they bring some of the crime with them.\n\nSo our purpose is to or ganize the community so that we ourselves since the police can’t elimina te the drug traffic\, we have to eliminate it. Since the police can’t el iminate organized gambling\, we have to eliminate it. Since the police can ’t eliminate organized prostitution and all of these evils that are dest roying the moral fiber of our community\, it is up to you and me to elimin ate these evils ourselves. But in many instances\, when you unite in this country or in this city to fight organized crime\, you’ll find yourselve s fighting the police department itself because they are involved in the o rganized crime. Wherever you have organized crime\, that type of crime can not exist other than with the consent of the police\, the knowledge of the police and the cooperation of the police.\n\nYou’ll agree that you ca n’t run a number in your neighborhood without the police knowing it. A p rostitute can’t turn a trick on the block without the police knowing it. A man can’t push drugs anywhere along the avenue without the police kno wing it. And they pay the police off so that they will not get arrested. I know what I’m talking about I used to be out there. And I know you c an’t hustle out there without police setting you up. You have to pay the m off.\n\nThe police are all right. I say there’s some good ones and som e bad ones. But they usually send the bad ones to Harlem. Since these bad police have come to Harlem and have not decreased the high rate of crime\, I tell you brothers and sisters it is time for you and me to organize and eliminate these evils ourselves\, or we’ll be out of the world backward s before we even know where the world was.\n\nDrug addiction turns your li ttle sister into a prostitute before she gets into her teens\; makes a cri minal out of your little brother before he gets in his teens drug addictio n and alcoholism. And if you and I aren’t men enough to get at the root of these things\, then we don’t even have the right to walk around here complaining about it in any form whatsoever. The police will not eliminate it. “Our community must reinforce its moral responsibility to rid itsel f of the effects of years of exploitation\, neglect\, and apathy\, and wag e an unrelenting struggle against police brutality.”\n\nWhere this polic e brutality also comes in the new law that they just passed\, the no knock law\, the stop and-frisk law\, that’s an anti Negro law. That’s a law that was passed and signed by Rockefeller. Rockefeller with his old smile \, always he has a greasy smile on his face and he’s shaking hands with Negroes\, like he’s the Negro’s pappy or granddaddy or great uncle. Ye t when it comes to passing a law that is worse than any law that they had in Nazi Germany\, why\, Rockefeller couldn’t wait till he got his signat ure on it. And the only thing this law is designed to do is make legal wha t they’ve been doing all the time.\n\nThey’ve passed a law that gives them the right to knock down your door without even knocking on it. Knock it down and come on in and bust your head and frame you up under the disgu ise that they suspect you of something. Why\, brothers\, they didn’t hav e laws that bad in Nazi Germany. And it was passed for you and me\, it’s an anti Negro law\, because you’ve got an anti-Negro governor sitting u p there in Albany – I started to say Albany\, Georgia – in Albany\, Ne w York. Not too much difference. Not too much difference between Albany\, New York\, and Albany\, Georgia. And there’s not too much difference bet ween the government that’s in Albany\, New York\, and the government in Albany\, Georgia.\n\n“The Afro-American community must accept the respon sibility for regaining our people who have lost their place in society. We must declare an all out war on organized crime in our community\; a vice that is controlled by policemen who accept bribes and graft must be expose d. We must establish a clinic\, whereby one can get aid and cure for drug addiction.”\n\nThis is absolutely necessary. When a person is a drug add ict\, he’s not the criminal\; he’s a victim of the criminal. The crimi nal is the man downtown who brings drug into the country. Negroes can’t bring drugs into this country. You don’t have any boats. You don’t hav e any airplanes. You don’t have any diplomatic immunity. It is not you w ho is responsible for bringing in drugs. You’re just a little tool that is used by the man downtown. The man that controls the drug traffic sits i n city hall or he sits in the state house. Big shots who are respected\, w ho function in high circles those are the ones who control these things. A nd you and I will never strike at the root of it until we strike at the ma n downtown.\n\n“We must create meaningful\, creative\, useful activities for those who were led astray down the avenues of vice.”The people of t he Afro- American community must be prepared to help each other in all way s possible\; we must establish a place where unwed mothers can get help an d advice.” This is a problem\, this is one of the worst problems in our. . . [A short passage is lost here as the tape is turned.]\n\n“We must s et up a guardian system that will help our youth who get into trouble.” Too many of our children get into trouble accidentally. And once they get into trouble\, because they have no one to look out for them\, they’re p ut in some of these homes where others who are experienced at getting in t rouble are. And immediately it’s a bad influence on them and they never have a chance to straighten out their lives. Too many of our children have their entire lives destroyed in this manner. It is up to you and me right now to form the type of organizations wherein we can look out for the nee ds of all of these young people who get into trouble\, especially those wh o get into trouble for the first time\, so that we can do something to ste er them back on the right path before they go too far astray.\n\n“And we must provide constructive activities for our own children. We must set a good example for our children and must teach them to always be ready to ac cept the responsibilities that are necessary for building good communities and nations. We must teach them that their greatest responsibilities are to themselves\, to their families and to their communities.\n\n“The Orga nization of Afro-American Unity believes that the Afro American community must endeavor to do the major part of all charity work from within the com munity. Charity\, however\, does not mean that to which we are legally ent itled in the form of government benefits. The Afro-American veteran must b e made aware of all the benefits due to him and the procedure for obtainin g them.”\n\nMany of our people have sacrificed their lives on the battle front for this country. There are many government benefits that our people don’t even know about. Many of them are qualified to receive aid in all forms\, but they don’t even know it. But we know this\, so it is our du ty\, those of us who know it\, to set up a system where¬ in our people wh o are not informed of what is coming to them\, we inform them\, we let the m know how they can lay claim to everything that they’ve got coming to t hem from this government. And I mean you’ve got much coming to you. “T he veterans must be encouraged to go into business together\, using GI loa ns\,” and all other items that we have access to or have available to us .\n\n“Afro Americans must unite and work together. We must take pride in the Afro American community\, for it is our home and it is our power\,” the base of our power.\n\n“What we do here in regaining our self respec t\, our manhood\, our dignity and freedom helps all people everywhere who are also fighting against oppression.” Lastly\, concerning culture and t he cultural aspect of the Organization of Afro American Unity.\n\n” ‘A race of people is like an individual man\; until it uses its own talent\, takes pride in its own history\, expresses its own culture\, affirms its own selfhood\, it can never fulfill itself.’ ”\n\n“Our history and o ur culture were completely destroyed when we were forcibly brought to Amer ica in chains. And now it is important for us to know that our history did not begin with slavery. We came from Africa\, a great continent\, wherein live a proud and varied people\, a land which is the new world and was th e cradle of civilization. Our culture and our history are as old as man hi mself and yet we know almost nothing about it.”\n\nThis is no accident. It is no accident that such a high state of culture existed in Africa and you and I know nothing about it. Why\, the man knew that as long as you an d I thought we were somebody\, he could never treat us like we were nobody . So he had to invent a system that would strip us of everything about us that we could use to prove we were somebody. And once he had stripped us o f all human chacteristics stripped us of our language\, stripped us of our history\, stripped us of all cultural knowledge\, and brought us down to the level of an animal – he then began to treat us like an animal\, sell ing us from one plantation to another\, selling us from one owner to anoth er\, breeding us like you breed cattle.\n\nWhy\, brothers and sisters\, wh en you wake up and find out what this man here has done to you and me\, yo u won’t even wait for somebody to give the word. I’m not saying all of them are bad. There might be some good ones. But we don’t have time to look for them. Not nowadays.\n“We must recapture our heritage and our id entity if we are ever to liberate ourselves from the bonds of white suprem acy. We must launch a cultural revolution to unbrainwash an entire people. ” A cultural revolution. Why\, brothers\, that’s a crazy revolution. W hen you tell this black man in America who he is\, where he came from\, wh at he had when he was there\, he’ll look around and ask himself\, “Wel l\, what happened to it\, who took it away from us and how did they do it? ” Why\, brothers\, you’ll have some action just like that. When you le t the black man in America know where he once was and what he once had\, w hy\, he only needs to look at himself now to realize something criminal wa s done to him to bring him down to the low condition that he’s in today. \n\nOnce he realizes what was done\, how it was done\, where it was done\, when it was done\, and who did it\, that knowledge in itself will usher i n your action program. And it will be by any means necessary. A man does n’t know how to act until he realizes what he’s acting against. And yo u don’t realize what you’re acting against until you realize what they did to you. Too many of you don’t know what they did to you\, and this is what makes you so quick to want to forget and forgive. No\, brothers\, when you see what has happened to you\, you will never forget and you’ll never forgive. And\, as I say\, all of them might not be guilty. But most of them are. Most of them are.\n\n“Our cultural revolution must be the means of bringing us closer to our African brothers and sisters. It must b egin in the community and be based on community participation. Afro-Americ ans will be free to create only when they can depend on the Afro-American community for support\, and Afro-American artists must realize that they d epend on the Afro-American community for inspiration.”\n\nOur artists we have artists who are geniuses\; they don’t have to act the Stepin Fetch it role. But as long as they’re looking for white support instead of bla ck support\, they’ve got to act like the old white supporter wants them to. When you and I begin to support the black artists\, then the black art ists can play that black role. As long as the black artist has to sing and dance to please the white man\, he’ll be a clown\, he’ll be clowning\ , just another clown. But when he can sing and dance to please black men\, he sings a different song and he dances a different step. When we get tog ether\, we’ve got a step all our own. We have a step that nobody can do but us\, because we have a reason for doing it that nobody can understand but us.\n\n“We must work toward the establishment of a cultural center i n Harlem\, which will include people of all ages and will conduct workshop s in all of the arts\, such as film\, creative writing\, painting\, theate r\, music\, and the entire spectrum of Afro American history.\n\n“This c ultural revolution will be the journey to our rediscovery of ourselves. Hi story is a people’s memory\, and without a memory man is demoted to the level of the lower animals.” When you have no knowledge of your history\ , you’re just another animal\; in fact\, you’re a Negro\; something that’s nothing. The only black man on earth who is called a Negro is one who has no knowl¬edge of his history. The only black man on earth who is called a Negro is one who doesn’t know where he came from. That’s the one in America. They don’t call Africans Negroes.\nWhy\, I had a white man tell me the other day\, “He’s not a Negro.” Here the man was bla ck as night\, and the white man told me\, “He’s not a Negro\, he’s a n African.” I said\, “Well\, listen to him.” I knew he wasn’t\, bu t I wanted to pull old whitey out\, you know. But it shows you that they k now this. You are Negro because you don’t know who you are\, you don’t know what you are\, you don’t know where you are\, and you don’t know how you got here. But as soon as you wake up and find out the positive an swer to all these things\, you cease being a Negro. You become somebody.\n \n“Armed with the knowledge of our past\, we can with confidence charter a course for our future. Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedo m struggle. We must take hold of it and forge the future with the past.” And to quote a passage from Then We Heard the Thunder by John Killens\, i t says: “He was a dedicated patriot: Dignity was his country\, Manhood w as his gov¬ernment\, and Freedom was his land.'” Old John Killens.\n\nT his is our aim. It’s rough\, we have to smooth it up some. But we’re n ot trying to put something together that’s smooth. We don’t care how r ough it is. We don’t care how tough it is. We don’t care how backward it may sound. In essence it only means we want one thing. We declare our r ight on this earth to be a man\, to be a human being\, to be respected as a human being\, to be given the rights of a human being in this society\, on this earth\, in this day\, which we intend to bring into existence by a ny means necessary.\n\nI’m sorry I took so long. But before we go farthe r to tell you how you can join this organization\, what your duties and re sponsibilities are\, I want to turn you back into the hands of our master of ceremonies\, Brother Les Edmonds.\n\n[A collection is taken. Malcolm re sumes.]\n\nOne of the first steps we are going to become involved in as an Organization of Afro-American Unity will be to work with every leader and other organization in this country interested in a program designed to br ing your and my problem before the United Nations. This is our first point of business. We feel that the problem of the black man in this country is beyond the ability of Uncle Sam to solve it. It’s beyond the ability of the United States government to solve it. The government itself isn’t c apable of even hearing our problem\, much less solving it. It’s not mora lly equipped to solve it.\n\nSo we must take it out of the hands of the Un ited States government. And the only way we can do this is by internationa lizing it and taking advantage of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights\, the United Nations Charter on Human Rights\, and on that ground b ring it into the UN before a world body where¬ in we can indict Uncle Sam for the continued criminal injustices that our people experience in this government.\n\nTo do this\, we will have to work with many organizations a nd many people. We’ve already gotten promises of support from many diffe rent organizations in this country and from many different leaders in this country and from many different independent nations in Africa\, Asia\, an d Latin America. So this is our first objective and all we need is your su pport. Can we get your support for this project?\n\nFor the past four week s since my return from Africa\, several persons from all walks of life in the Afro-American community have been meeting together\, pooling knowledge and ideas and suggestions\, forming a sort of a brain trust\, for the pur pose of getting a cross section of thinking\, hopes\, aspirations\, likes and dislikes\, to see what kind of organization we could put together that would in some way or other get the grass roots support\, and what type of support it would need in order to be independent enough to take the type of action necessary to get results.\nNo organization that is financed by w hite support can ever be independent enough to fight the power structure w ith the type of tactics necessary to get real results. The only way we can fight the power structure\, and it’s the power structure that we’re f ighting we’re not even fighting the Southern segregationists\, we’re f ighting a system that is run in Washington\, D. C. That’s the seat of th e system that we’re fighting. And in order to fight it\, we have to be i ndependent of it. And the only way we can be independent of it is to be in dependent of all support from the white community. It’s a battle that we have to wage ourselves.\n\nNow\, if white people want to help\, they can help. But they can’t join. They can help in the white community\, but th ey can’t join. We accept their help. They can form the White Friends of the Organization of Afro-American Unity and work in the white community on white people and change their attitude toward us. They don’t ever need to come among us and change our attitude. We’ve had enough of them worki ng around us trying to change our attitude. That’s what got us all messe d up. So we don’t question their sincerity\, we don’t question their m otives\, we don’t question their integrity. We just encourage them to us e it somewhere else in the white community. If they can use all of this si ncerity in the white community to make the white community act better towa rd us\, then we’ll say\, “Those are good white folks.” But they do n’t have to come around us\, smiling at us and showing us all their teet h like white Uncle Toms\, to try and make themselves acceptable to us. The White Friends of the Organization of Afro American Unity\, let them work in the white community.\n\nThe only way that this organization can be inde pendent is if it is financed by you. It must be financed by you. Last week I told you that it would cost a dollar to join it. We sat down and though t about it all week long and said that charging you a dollar to join it wo uld not make it an organization. We have set a membership joining fee\, if that’s the way you express it\, at $2.00. It costs more than that\, I t hink\, to join the NAACP.\n\nBy the way\, you know I attended the NAACP co nvention Friday in Washington\, D. C.\, which was very enlightening. And I found the people very friendly. They’ve got the same kind of ideas you have. They act a little different\, but they’ve got the same kind of ide as\, because they’re catching the same hell we’re catching. I didn’t find any hostility at that convention at all. In fact\, I sat and listene d to them go through their business and learned a lot from it. And one of the things I learned is they only charge\, I think\, $2.50 a year for memb ership\, and that’s it. Well\, this is one of the reasons that they have problems. Because any time you have an organization that costs $2.50 a ye ar to belong to\, it means that that organization has to turn in another d irection for funds. And this is what castrates it. Because as soon as the white liberals begin to support it\, they tell it what to do and what not to do.\n\nThis is why Garvey was able to be more militant. Garvey didn’t ask them for help. He asked our people for help. And this is what we’re going to do. We’re going to try and follow his books.\n\nSo we’re goi ng to have a $2.00 joining fee and ask every member to contribute a dollar a week. Now\, the NAACP gets $2.50 a year\, that’s it. And it can’t e ver go anywhere like that because it’s always got to be putting on some kind of drive for help and will always get its help from the wrong source. And then when they get that help\, they’ll have to end up condemning al l the enemies of their enemy in order to get some more help. No\, we conde mn our enemies\, not the enemies of our enemies. We condemn our enemies.\n \nSo what we are going to ask you to do is\, if you want to become a membe r of the Organization of Afro-American Unity\, it will cost you $2.00. We are going to ask you to pay a dues of a dollar a week. We will have an acc ountant\, a bookkeeping system\, which will keep the members up to date as to what has come in\, what has been spent\, and for what. Because the sec ret to success in any kind of business venture – and anything that you d o that you mean business\, you’d better do in a businesslike way – the secret to your success is keeping good records\, good organized records.\ n\nSince today will be the first time that we are opening the books for me mbership\, our next meeting will be next Sunday here. And we will then hav e a membership. And we’ll be able to announce at that time the officers of the Organization of Afro-American Unity. I’ll tell you the top office r is the chairman\, and that’s the office I’m holding. I’m taking th e responsibility of the chairman\, which means I’m responsible for any m istakes that take place\; anything that goes wrong\, any failures\, you ca n rest them right upon my shoulders. So next week the officers will be ann ounced.\n\nAnd this week I wanted to tell you the departments in this orga nization that\, when you take out your membership\, you can apply to work in. We have the department of education. The department of political actio n. For all of you who are interested in political action\, we will have a department set up by brothers and sisters who are students of political sc ience\, whose function it will be to give us a breakdown of the community of New York City. First\, how many assemblymen there are and how many of t hose assemblymen are black\, how many congressmen there are and how many o f those congressmen are black. In fact\, let me just read something real q uick and I’ll show you why it’s so necessary. Just to give you an exam ple.\n\nThere are 270\,000 eligible voters in the twenty first senatorial district. The twenty first senatorial district is broken down into the ele venth\, seventh\, and thirteenth assembly districts. Each assembly distric t contains 90\,000 eligible voters. In the eleventh assembly district\, on ly 29\,000 out of 90\,000 eligible voters exercise their voting rights. In the seventh assembly district\, only 36\,000 out of the 90\,000 eligible voters vote. Now\, in a white assembly district with 90\,000 eligible vote rs\, 65\,000 exercise their voting rights\, showing you that in the white assembly districts more whites vote than blacks vote in the black assembly districts. There’s a reason for this. It is because our people aren’t politically aware of what we can get by becoming politically active.\n\nS o what we have to have is a program of political education to show them wh at they can get if they take political action that’s intelligently direc ted. Less than 25 percent of the eligible voters in Harlem vote in the pri mary election. Therefore\, they have not the right to place the candidate of their choice in office\, as only those who were in the primary can run in the general election. The following number of signatures are required t o place a candidate to vote in the primaries: for assemblyman it must be 3 50 signatures\; state senator\, 750\; countywide judgeship\, 1\,000\; boro ugh president\, 2\,250\; mayor\, 7\,500. People registered with the Republ ican or Democratic parties do not have to vote with their party.\n\nThere are fifty eight senators in the New York state legislature. Four are from Manhattan\; one is black. In the New York state assembly\, there are 150 a ssemblymen. I think three are black\; maybe more than that. According to c alculation\, if the Negro were proportionately represented in the state se nate and state assembly\, we would have several representatives in the sta te senate and several in the state assembly. There are 435 members in the United States House of Representatives. According to the census\, there ar e 22 million Afro Americans in the United States. If they were represented proportionately in this body\, there would be 30 to 40 members of our rac e sitting in that body. How many are there? Five. There are 100 senators i n the United States Senate. Hawaii\, with a population of only 600 thousan d\, has two senators representing it. The black man\, with a population of in excess of 20 million\, is not represented in the Senate at all. Worse than this\, many of the congressmen and representatives in the Congress of the United States come from states where black people are killed if they attempt to exercise the right to vote.\n\nWhat you and I want to do in thi s political department is have our brothers and sisters who are experts in the science of politics acquaint our people in our community with what we should have\, and who should be doing it\, and how we can go about gettin g what we should have. This will be their job and we want you to play this role so we can get some action without having to wait on Lyndon B. Johnso n\, Lyndon B. Texas Johnson.\n\nAlso\, our economics department. We have a n economics department. For any of you who are interested in business or a program that will bring about a situation where the black man in Harlem c an gain control over his own economy and develop business expansion for ou r people in this community so we can create some employment opportunities for our people in this community\, we will have this department.\n\nWe wil l also have a speakers bureau because many of our people want to speak\, w ant to be speakers\, they want to preach\, they want to tell somebody what they know\, they want to let off some steam. We will have a department th at will train young men and young women how to go forth with our philosoph y and our program and project it throughout the country\; not only through out this city but throughout the country.\nWe will have a youth group. The youth group will be designed to work with youth. Not only will it consist of youth\, but it will also consist of adults. But it will be designed to work out a program for the youth in this country\, one in which the youth can play an active part.\n\nWe also are going to have our own newspaper. You need a newspaper. We believe in the power of the press. A newspaper is not a difficult thing to run. A newspaper is very simple if you have the right motives. In fact\, anything is simple if you have the right motives. The Muhammad Speaks newspaper\, I and another person started it myself in my basement. And I’ve never gone past the eighth grade. Those of you wh o have gone to all these colleges and studied all kinds of journalism\, ye llow and black journalism\, all you have to do is contribute some of your journalistic talent to our newspaper department along with our research de partment\, and we can turn out a newspaper that will feed our people with so much information that we can bring about a real live revolution right h ere before you know it.\n\nWe will also have a cultural department. The ta sk or duty of the cultural department will be to do research into the cult ure\, into the ancient and current culture of our people\, the cultural co ntributions and achievements of our people. And also all of the entertainm ent groups that exist on the African continent that can come here and ours who are here that can go there. Set up some kind of cultural program that will really emphasize the dormant talent of black people.\n\nWhen I was i n Ghana I was speaking with\, I think his name is Nana Nketsia\, I think h e’s the minister of culture or he’s head of the culture institute. I w ent to his house\, he had a – he had a nice\, beautiful place\; I starte d to say he had a sharp pad. He had a fine place in Accra. He had gone to Oxford\, and one of the things that he said impressed me no end. He said t hat as an African his concept of freedom is a situation or a condition in which he\, as an African\, feels completely free to give vent to his own l ikes and dislikes and thereby develop his own African personality. Not a c ondition in which he is copying some European cultural pattern or some Eur opean cultural standard\, but an atmosphere of complete freedom where he h as the right\, the leeway\, to bring out of himself all of that dormant\, hidden talent that has been there for so long.\n\nAnd in that atmosphere\, brothers and sisters\, you’d be surprised what will come out of the bos om of this black man. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen black musicians w hen they’d be jamming at a jam session with white musicians – a whole lot of difference. The white musician can jam if he’s got some sheet mus ic in front of him. He can jam on something that he’s heard jammed befor e. If he’s heard it\, then he can duplicate it or he can imitate it or h e can read it But that black musician\, he picks up his horn and starts bl owing some sounds that he never thought of before. He improvises\, he crea tes\, it comes from within. It’s his soul\, it’s that soul music. It ’s the only area on the American scene\nwhere the black man has been fre e to create. And he his mastered it. He has shown that he can come up with something that nobody ever thought of on his horn.\n\nWell\, likewise he can do the same thing if given intellectual independence. He can come up w ith a new philosophy. He can come up with a philosophy that nobody has hea rd of yet. He can invent a society\, a social system\, an economic system\ , a political system\, that is different from anything that exists or has ever existed anywhere on this earth. He will improvise\; he’ll bring it from within himself. And this is what you and I want.\n\nYou and I want to create an organization that will give us so much power we can sit down an d do as we please. Once we can sit down and think as we please\, speak as we please\, and do as we please\, we will show people what pleases us. And what pleases us won’t always please them. So you’ve got to get some p ower before you can be yourself. Do you understand that? You’ve got to g et some power before you can be yourself. Once you get power and you be yo urself\, why\, you’re gone\, you’ve got it and gone. You create a new society and make some heaven right here on this earth.\n\nAnd we’re goin g to start right here tonight when we open up our membership books into th e Organization of Afro-American Unity. I’m going to buy the first member ships myself – one for me\, my wife\, Attillah\, Qubilah\, these are my daughters\, Ilyasah\, and something else I expect to get either this week or next week. As I told you before\, if it’s a boy I’m going to name h im Lumumba\, the greatest black man who ever walked the African continent. \n\nHe didn’t fear anybody. He had those people so scared they had to ki ll him. They couldn’t buy him\, they couldn’t frighten him\, they co uldn’t reach him. Why\, he told the king of Belgium\, “Man\, you may l et us free\, you may have given us our independence\, but we can never for get these scars.” The greatest speech – you should take that speech an d tack it up over your door. This is what Lumumba said: “You aren’t gi ving us anything. Why\, can you take back these scars that you put on our bodies? Can you give us back the limbs that you cut off while you were her e?” No\, you should never forget what that man did to you. And you bear the scars of the same kind of colonization and oppression not on your body \, but in your brain\, in your heart\, in your soul\, right now.\nSo\, if it’s a boy\, Lumumba. If it’s a girl\, Lumumbah.\n\n[Malcolm introduce s several people from the platform and from the audience\, then continues: ]\n\nIf I passed over some of the rest of you\, it’s because my eyes a ren’t too good\, my glasses aren’t too good. But everybody here are pe ople who are from the street who want some kind of action. We hope that we will be able to give you all the action you need. And more than likely we ’ll be able to give you more than you want. We just hope that you stay w ith us. Our meeting will be next Sunday night right here. We want you to b ring all of your friends and we’ll be able to go forward. Up until now\, these meetings have been sponsored by the Muslim Mosque\, Inc. They’ve been sponsored and paid for by the Muslim Mosque\, Inc. Beginning next Sun day\, they will be sponsored and paid for by the Organization of Afro Amer ican Unity.\n\nI don’t know if I’m right in saying this\, but for a pe riod of time\, let’s you and me not be too hard on other Afro-American l eaders. Because you would be surprised how many of them. have expressed sy mpathy and support in our efforts to bring this situation confronting our people before the United Nations. You’d be surprised how many of them\, some of the last ones you would expect\, they’re coming around. So let ’s give them a little time to straighten up. If they straighten up\, goo d. They’re our brothers and we’re responsible for our brothers. But if they don’t straighten up\, then that’s another point.\n\nAnd one thin g that we are going to do\, we’re going to dispatch a wire\, a telegram that is\, in the name of the Organization of Afro-American Unity to Martin Luther King in St. Augustine\, Florida\, and to Jim Forman in Mississippi \, worded in essence to tell them that if the federal government doesn’t come to their aid\, call on us. And we will take the responsibility of sl ipping some brothers into that area who know what to do by any means neces sary.\n\nI can tell you right now that my purpose is not to become involve d in a fight with Black Muslims\, who are my brothers still. I do everythi ng I can to avoid that because there’s no benefit in it. It actually mak es our enemy happy. But I do believe that the time has come for you and me to take the responsibility of forming whatever nucleus or defense group i s necessary in places like Mississippi. Why\, they shouldn’t have to cal l on the federal government – that’s a drag. No\, when you and I know that our people are the victims of brutality\, and all times the police in those states are the ones who are responsible\, then it is incumbent upon you and me\, if we are men\, if we are to be respected and recognized\, i t is our duty. . . [A passage is lost here through a defect in the tape.]\ n\nJohnson knew that when he sent [Allen] Dulles down there. Johnson has f ound this out. You don’t disappear. How are you going to disappear? Why\ , this man can find a missing person in China. They send the CIA all the w ay to China and find somebody. They send the FBI anywhere and find somebod y. But they can’t find them whenever the criminal is white and the victi m is black\, then they can’t find them.\n\nLet’s don’t wait on any m ore FBI to look for criminals who are shooting and brutalizing our people. Let’s you and me find them. And I say that it’s easy to do it. One of the best organized groups of black people in America was the Black Muslim s. They’ve got all the machinery\, don’t think they haven’t\; and th e experience where they know how to ease out in broad daylight or in dark and do whatever is necessary by any means necessary. They know how to do t hat. Well\, I don’t blame anybody for being taught how to do that. You ’re living in a society where you’re the constant victim of brutality. You must know how to strike back.\n\nSo instead of them and us wasting ou r shots\, I should say our time and energy\, on each other\, what we need to do is band together and go to Mississippi. That’s my closing message to Elijah Muhammad: If he is the leader of the Muslims and the leader of o ur people\, then lead us against our enemies\, don’t lead us against eac h other.\n\nI thank you for your patience here tonight\, and we want each and every one of you to put your name on the roll of the Organization of A fro- American Unity. The reason we have to rely upon you to let the public know where we are is because the press doesn’t help us\; they never ann ounce in advance that we’re going to have a meeting. So you have to spre ad the word over the grapevine. Thank you. Salaam Alaikum.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/sp eeches-african-american-history/1964-malcolm-x-s-speech-founding-rally-org anization-afro-american-unity/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Basic Unity Program\n\n\ n\n \n Restoration: \"In order to release ourselves from the oppression o f our enslavers then\, it is absolutely necessary for the Afro-American to restore communication with Africa.\"\n \n \n Reorientation: \"We can lea rn much about Africa by reading informative books and by listening to the experiences of those who have traveled there.\"\n \n \n Education: \"The Organization of Afro-American Unity will devise original educational metho ds and procedures which will liberate the minds of our children. We will . .. encourage qualified Afro-Americans to write and publish the textbooks n eeded to liberate our minds ... educating them [our children] at home.\"\n \n \n Economic Security: \"After the Emancipation Proclamation ... it wa s realized that the Afro-American constituted the largest homogeneous ethn ic group with a common origin and common group experience in the United St ates and\, if allowed to exercise economic or political freedom\, would in a short period of time own this country. We must establish a technician b ank. We must do this so that the newly independent nations of Africa can t urn to us who are their brothers for the technicians they will need now an d in the future.\"\n \n \n Self Defense: \"In order to enslave a people a nd keep them subjugated\, their right to self defense must be denied. We e ncourage the Afro-Americans to defend themselves against the wanton attack s of the racist aggressors whose sole aim is to deny us the guarantee of t he United Nations Charter of Human Rights and of the Constitution of the U nited States.\"\n \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12490-malcolm-x-inaugural-organization-of-afro-am erican-unity-speech/#findComment-80321\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pr ofD \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Yes. It would give B lack folks a platform. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well ok\, but what will be the goal? Malcolm cited the points. And from them\, he states a number of goa ls. \n\n\n\n 1) communication channel with africa\, which makes sense cau se chinese/dominicans/puerto ricans/jews with israel/indians/russians/ghan aians/agnlo saxon protestant whites.... all but one  immigrant group in t he usa willingly came from another land they constantly communicated with. The problem is our forebears were enslaved\, the link was cut. And as sai d non Black DOS  groups prove\, the link is very grassroots\, it isn't a grandiose. You leave china\, your cousin and mom are still there. It isn't fancy.\n\n\n\n 2) becoming more learned about Africa\, I argue this has b een done. Can it be more? yes\, but the goal can't be one hundred percent with over fifty million people. But libraries\, private libraries still ex ist in the usa\, they exist in NYC. \n\n\n\n 3) Textbooks written by blac k folk\, it is hilarious to me\, I asked in this very forum\, for us all t o work together on a history book project and... I will not name names\, b ut the interest wasn't present. if a set of black people online who all to ut black empowerment can't... \n\n\n\n 4) a bank\, the freedmans bank exi sted but it failed\, carver bank is still in existence but boutique. \n\n \n\n 5)A self defense organization or culture needs to be made. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Of the five goals\, only one can make money on its own. The ot her four are all expenses.\n\n\n\n 1) Communication channels require money /resources. The usa has spent alot of money on underwater physical lines . Satellites are in themselves cheap but placing them and their upkeep is e xpensive. \n\n\n\n 2) libraries are expensive. Through the self reliance this library will have to be private\, which is not unheard of today but w ill be expensive. Location matters to. \n\n\n\n 3)Textbooks are expensive . Ebooks people can is less expensive\, but they forget the devices to rea d them are not inexpensive\, and more likely to weaken/wither  over time than a book. \n\n\n\n 5) weapons cost money\, especially if you are to fa bricate yourself.  yes mass market weapons are cheap cause the market is flooded\, but to truly make a gun from scratch in bulk will be expensive.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So of the plans he mentioned\, 4 is the one\, that c an actually make money on its own and isn't a natural expense. \n\n\n\n T he problem today is most of the banks in the usa of largest size all had c orrupt origins. Chase is the rockefellers\, who used it for various things . black people dont have a rockkefeller family to finance a bank. Bank of america was originally financed by the italian american mob. Black people don't have an illegal fiscal operating industry like that. Hang Seng banki ng corporation comes from hong kong which at one time was the opium capito l of the world\, and had primary fiscal trafficking in and out of china. B ig banks have very dirty histories. Small banks\, rarely have the scale to do much. The only bank that went to jail/court  for the banking crisis w as a small bank from new york city\, a chinese american bank \,\, whose ma in clients were the street vendors in chinatown. and by my recollection th ey never traded in the shadow crypto banks like goldman sachs and company who begged for a welfare check\, far worse than any fiscally poor black wo man ever did\,  while not being demanded to change their operating proced ures\, or welfare to work. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What do you think the goal should be?  And yes\, a goal must be. \n\n\n\n I Argue\, the goal shoul d be one thing only. A black party of governance in the usa. My reason bei ng is the reason I have supported this idea alone in the usa for black peo ple for a while. When I look at the history of Black DOSers everything has been tried financially. Any financial goal is merely a repeat of somethin g already tried and after two hundred and fifty years\, I argue trying is being hard headed\, not wise. But\, doing something you never did before i s even in failure a new experience\, that will teach something you have no experience in. \n\n\n\n I say a black party of governance is the best go al for such an OAAU if existed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, Pro fD said:\n\n\n\n A whole lot of those young Black people to whom he was s peaking back in the early 1960s grew up to 1) sell out\, 2) live in fear & amp\; 3) take comfort under the system of racism white supremacy.\n\n\n\n hmmmm\n\n\n\n your answer here generates many questions. I will take it in parts.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1) define selling out explicitly? I think selli ng out needs specific definition because non blacks live in the usa\, they are not going away. What does selling out mean\, exactly? buying from a n on black store? going into business partnership with non blacks? marrying a non black? I think we blacks leave the definition of such things open\, going back to that textbook malcolm talked about and it will lead to probl ems down the road. cause what happens when the head of human resources for the OAAU wants to marry a white woman? Sellig out being described explict ly today \, makes the scenarios tomorrow easier to handle. \n\n\n\n 2) wh en you say fear what do you mean? I  have never been afraid among my own people. I have seen some blacks talk about the neighborhood in fear but in my mind\, that isn't fear\, that is dislike. It is complicated when you d islike your own people but you can't move away from them\, it is easier th en to tout dislike. \n\n\n\n 3) well .. what defines comfort? It seems to me what you mean by comfort is black people who have reached a certain fi nancial level who aren't engaging in the greater village. I have seen fisc ally poor people in or out of the united sates of america and I have found no fiscal poor person anywhere to be comfortable. Living on the street is not comfortable. Living day to day is not comfortable. Now maybe I simply don't comprehend what you mean by comfort or what group you are talking a bout explicitly\, but I will like to be enlightened. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But based on your three points. \n\n\n\n The questions are\, how does an OAAU\, prevent members or exmembers or non members in the black populace i n the usa from[ however you define the following] : selling out\, living i n fear\, taking comfort while oppressed? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12490-malcolm- x-inaugural-organization-of-afro-american-unity-speech/#findComment-80330\ n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD s aid:\n\n\n\n Black empowerment &\; reparations for the original sin of slavery.\n\n\n\n When  the OAAU finishes its job\, what does black empowe rment look like and what doesn't it look like? Or are you suggesting OAAU need be in perpetuity which is dysfunctional. \n\n\n\n When will you be s atisfied reparations is given? A goal has to have a moment where it is rea lized and that means what is as well as what isn't. What isn't reparations in your view?\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Technology changes the way information is stored &\; accessed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black folks are walking around with devices that provide immediate access to information &\; knowledge.\n\n\n\n BAsed on malcolms points I argue those devices aren't what malcolm was talking about. Did black people make those devices? did black people make the ground lines and satellite netwo rks to carry signals to and fro those devices? do black people own the dat a storage locations to create the apperance of seamless instant connection . Did black people design the protocol/rules system for the data? The blac k empowerment you mentioned first\, where does that exist with black peopl e using devices designed/created/manufactured by nonblacks?\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I've always been a huge proponent of Bla ck-owned banks.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Do you use one? Which is the best black bank in the usa in your opinion?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, P rofD said:\n\n\n\n Another very important institution of which I'm a huge proponent.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I also believe Black folks should be profic ient in self-defense &\; weapons training.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black fol ks don't seem to have a problem buying technology or weapons by any means necessary. \n\n\n\n well... would weapons/training saved\, abner louima? would weapons/training saved emitt till or trayvon martin? would weapons/t raining saved eric garner or randy evers or sandra bland or breonna taylor or sonya massey? Even the white militants don't fare well against law enf orcement\, so how can black people attacked by white law enforcers be bett er off with weapons or training? \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n Black folks do not have to be corrupt in order to generate wealth .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We can use our natural gifts\, talents\, knowledge\, skills &\; abilities to harvest wealth.\n\n\n\n Certain levels of wealt h can't be obtained absent cheating/ corruption/illegality/crime/ or whate ver you want to call it. Again\, the financial history of the usa is the p roof. No one of a certain level of wealth in the usa didn't get there with out a legal\, I repeat legal crime./injuries to others. And the law can't protect from fiscal legal crimes\, which can attack in the upper levels of finance. \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black empowerm ent\, self-sufficiency &\; autonomy. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Self sufficie ncy defined as what? All the land in the usa is owned\, and mostly owned b y whites or owned by state governments who are dominated by whites. So\, t hat means any idea of self sufficiency for circa fifty three million peopl e will have a huge overhead cost that will undercut fiscal growth. It is g oing backwards to go forwards. Very expensive and taking into account rand om situations will be a very long term program which doesn't help. Autonom y? please define this. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n Undermining Black empowerment &\; promoting white supremacy.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  what actions can a black person do that do not underm ine black empowerment? What actions can black people do that don't promote white supremacy? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n \n\n Fear of dismantling the system of white supremacy.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Does this fear apply to black people who don't feel afriad while don't fe el the need to act in a way that your OAAU would deem fearful?\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n if a black man is married to a white woman and both own their own business\, if she wants to invest in his business is he promoting white su premacy? If a black woman does a hostiel takeover over a black owned firme d\, financed by whites\, is she undermining black empowerment? If a black man owns a business and doesn't invest in any of the initiatives of the OA AU but enjoys his life\, is he afraid of dismantling oppressive systems to blacks in the usa? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n\n An unwillingness to fight the system of white supremacy. \n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n So if a black elected off icial is the mayor of a city and doesn't change the police department with a record of abuse towards blacks\, said official is unwilling to fight wh ite terror ?\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n An organizati on becomes like a fist. It is more powerful than individual fingers. The s trength in numbers makes people stronger.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Collectively sharing gifts\, talents\, knowledge\, skills &\; abilities &\; a wi llingness to fight leads to power.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Therein lies the re ason a great deal of effort goes into discouraging Black unity. The enemy already knows the outcome.\n\n\n\n yeah ok\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12490-malcolm- x-inaugural-organization-of-afro-american-unity-speech/#findComment-80335\ n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ag o\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n IMO\, there's no such thing as a best bank consi dering the purposes it serves.\n\n\n\n IS there such a thing as a worst ba nk? which black bank is the worst\, or that doesn't exist either? \n\n\n\ n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n People are less inclined to atta ck those they believe are armed. Black folks should be allowed open &\; carry permits too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you used the word people all my exa mples were of black peope murdered by law enforcement and i have seen law enforcement against the armed\, law enforcement is not less inclined to at tack when they think someone is armed. I don't know where you get that fro m. \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Jay-Z &\; Beyonce have a combined net worth of billions of dollars.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n beyon ces mother used her other girls to support her daughter and didn't give th em an even cut. that is a fiscal crime. Jay Z by his own admission hustled illegally in his earliest years which is a crime that most can't do . aga in\, everyone with levels of money has done negativities to get there. it is the reality of fiscal capitalism. The myth is that you can make large l evels of money without a cheat in somewhere. It is a simple truth of fisca l capitalism\, the higher the monetary scale the more crimes whether legal or not. \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n   5 hours ag o\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n if a black man is married to a white wom an and both own their own business\, if she wants to invest in his busines s is he promoting white supremacy?\n\n\n\n No. That isn't promoting white supremacy. \n\n\n\n If a black man is married to a white woman and both o wn their own businesses and he invest in her business  as a minority shar eholder\, is he promoting white supremacy?\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pro fD said:\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n If a bla ck woman does a hostiel takeover over a black owned firmed\, financed by w hites\, is she undermining black empowerment?\n\n\n\n No. She's redistribu ting wealth if the firm truly becomes Black-owned.\n\n\n\n so in your view blacks are free to fight amongst themselves financially\, cause that is w hat any hostile takeover is. It is a legal financial fight. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You said Black empowerment ....\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n It looks like unity across the Black disaposa.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Hostile takeovers of black owned firms by blacks doesn't bring unity but is allowed in your view. \n\n\n\n    3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, richardmurray said :\n\n\n\n If a black man owns a business and doesn't invest in any of the initiatives of the OAAU but enjoys his life\, is he afraid of dismantling oppressive systems to blacks in the usa? \n\n\n\n No. He's comfortable un der the system of racism white supremacy.\n\n\n\n What is a black man owns a business in his home country\, the usa\, and doesn't view the usa as a system of white supremacy but of individuals\, fighting each other for teh top of the fiscal capitalistic pile. Your saying as he enjoys his life\, that he is comfortable under the system of white terror\, but the black ma n in question and others like him will never be unified philosophically to black people who view the usa as a country of white terror not individual cannibalism. So your unity across the black diaspora goal for black empow erment is dysfunctional or can't apply\, unless you plan on using a mind c ontrol machine/drugs/manipulation devices on said black man but then of co urse\, that is slavery which I will never condone and definitely a crime\, whether legal or not.\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n    5 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n So if a black elected offici al is the mayor of a city and doesn't change the police department with a record of abuse towards blacks\, said official is unwilling to fight white terror ?\n\n\n\n Correct. Black elected officials have an obligation to s erve &\; protect Black folks by any means necessary.\n\n\n\n This is no t legally true\, every elected officials in the usa has an obligation to a ll the people under their jurisdiction and not limited to the people who a re representative of their phenotypical race. that is the whole point of t he constitutional assertion\, that is the whole point of  James Forten/fr ederick douglass/MLK jr/ Barrack Obama none of these black men viewed gove rnment officials of the usa having an obligation to serve any one particul ar group or anyone else in some cases. Again\, in the usa\, before the 190 0s most people \, including whites\, thought being an elected officials wa s for the elected person's benefit. The way you view black empowerment wit h black elected officials goes counter to their reality in the usa or thei r legal parameters. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250221 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 17 - 02/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250223T000255Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:200-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n China plan to build the biggest solar array in space. \n \n why solar power in space?\n\n the light from the sun \, or any star\, i s manipulated \, usually lessened when a planet's atmosphere is involved. The earth's atmosphere is why light from the sun doesn't arrive as potentl y as it is outside the earth's atmosphere\, but this blockage maintains li fe on earth. Water or air would get too hot \, the temperature cycle of ea rth would die without that atmosphere. \n\n But in space\, the unfiltered solar energy makes it the standard source for most or all human craft sin ce the beginning of the human craft traveling outside earth with sputnik i n the 1900s.\n\n the Japanese will do a test of the concept\, like nuclear powered aircraft\, studies are done and based on their feasibility things will be continued. My opening question is\, how can a high energy beam no t negatively influence earth's atmosphere with the heat. \n\n Basically\, solar panels will charge a battery and the battery will emit microwaves t o earth \, because of the speed of the satellite + the lack of a more effi cient pointing apparatus on the satellite\, a set of arrays over 25 miles will be used to collect the energy. It will take several days for the batt ery to recharge. \n\n They already tested the concept on earth with a pla ne using the same solar panel + battery\, smaller in scale. Check the link s below.\n\n The first thing I notice is the lack of a focus beam. I think to make the atmosphere not manipulated they are emitting with less focus thus it needs a wide array \, geographically\, to transmit the energy. I t hink it is sensible for the earth which can't afford the atmosphere to get hotter by electromagnetic emissions. This is being sold as a green energy but I disagree. I think this will be how the moon bases or mars operation s are powered because even though electromagnetic radiation that contact t he surface of the moon or mars is less refracted or reflected than on eart h\, the electromagnetic radiation that travels across the stars is a highe r energy an undistilled variant that will always generate more energy.\n\n Contact for more information\n\n yanagawa-hiroki@jspacesystems.or.jp\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATIONS\n\n URL\n\n https://www.livescience.com/space/spa ce-exploration/china-plans-to-build-enormous-solar-array-in-space-and-it-c ould-collect-more-energy-in-a-year-than-all-the-oil-on-earth\n\n TEXT\n\n\ n\n China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could co llect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth'\n\n\n\n News\n\n\n \n By Ben Turner\n\n\n\n  published January 14\, 2025\n\n\n\n China has announced plans to build a giant solar power space station\, which will b e lifted into orbit piece by piece using the nation's brand-new heavy lift rockets.\n\n\n\n Chinese scientists have announced a plan to build an eno rmous\, 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) wide solar power station in space that will beam continuous energy back to Earth via microwaves.\n\n\n\n The project\ , which will see its components lofted to a geostationary orbit above Ear th using super-heavy rockets\, has been dubbed \"another Three Gorges Dam project above the Earth.\"\n\n\n\n The Three Gorges Dam\, located in the middle of the Yangtze river in central China\, is the world's largest hyd ropower project and generates 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity ea ch year. According to one NASA scientist\, the dam is so large that\, if completely filled\, the mass of the water contained within would lengthe n Earth's days by 0.06 microseconds.\n\n\n\n The new project\, according t o lead scientist Long Lehao\, the chief designer of China’s Long March rockets\, would be \"as significant as moving the Three Gorges Dam to a ge ostationary orbit 36\,000km (22\,370 miles) above the Earth.\"\n\n\n\n \"T his is an incredible project to look forward to\,\" Long added during a le cture in October hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)\, as repo rted by the South China Morning Post. \"The energy collected in one year would be equivalent to the total amount of oil that can be extracted from the Earth.\"\n\n\n\n Despite recent advances in the cheapness and efficien cy of solar power\, the technology still faces some fundamental limitation s — such as intermittent cloud cover and most of the atmosphere absorbin g solar radiation before it hits the ground.\n\n\n\n Scientists have prop osed a number of Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) technologies which would c ontinuously collect and transmit energy from sunlight in space\, where it is 10 times more intense than at Earth's surface.\n\n\n\n But building an appropriately giant array would take many launches\, meaning that most pro posals failed to get off the ground.\n\n\n\n To overcome this challenge\, Long and his team are working on the development of the Long March-9 (CZ-9 ) reusable heavy-lift rocket\, which will have a lift capacity of at leas t 150 tons (136 metric tons).\n\n\n\n Besides being used for satellites\, the rocket will also be key to China's plans to reach the moon — where it wants to build an international lunar research base by 2035.\n\n\n\n China isn't the only nation eyeing plans for solar satellite arrays. The U .S. companies Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman\, the European Space A gency\, and Japan's JAXA space agency have also been investigating the tec hnology\, with the latter scheduling the launch of a small\, proof-of-con cept satellite this year to assess its feasibility.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n UR L\n\n https://www.space.com/japan-space-based-solar-power-demonstration-20 25\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n Japanese satellite will beam solar power to Earth in 2025\n\n\n\n News\n\n\n\n By Tereza Pultarova\n\n\n\n  published Apr il 19\, 2024\n\n\n\n Japan's upcoming space-based solar power demonstratio n will beam power to Earth next year.\n\n\n\n LONDON — Japan is on track to beam solar power from space to Earth next year\, two years after a s imilar feat was achieved by U.S. engineers. The development marks an impor tant step toward a possible space-based solar power station that could hel p wean the world off fossil fuels amid the intensifying battle against cl imate change. \n\n\n\n Speaking at the International Conference on Energy from Space\, held here this week\, Koichi Ijichi\, an adviser at the Japa nese research institute Japan Space Systems\, outlined Japan's road map to ward an orbital demonstration of a miniature space-based solar power plant that will wirelessly transmit energy from low Earth orbit to Earth.\n\n \n\n \"It will be a small satellite\, about 180 kilograms [400 pounds]\, t hat will transmit about 1 kilowatt of power from the altitude of 400 kilom eters [250 miles]\,\" Ijichi said at the conference. \n\n\n\n One kilowat t is about the amount of power needed to run a household appliance\, such as a small dishwasher\, for about an hour\, depending on its size. Therefo re\, the demonstration is nowhere near the scale required for commercial u se.\n\n\n\n The spacecraft will use a 22-square-foot (2 square meters) onb oard photovoltaic panel to charge a battery. The accumulated energy will t hen be transformed into microwaves and beamed toward a receiving antenna o n Earth. Because the spacecraft travels very fast — around 17\,400 mph (28\,000 km/h) — antenna elements will have to be spread over a distance of about 25 miles (40 km)\, spaced 3 miles (5 km) apart\, to allow enough energy to be transmitted.\n\n\n\n \"The transmission will take only a few minutes\,\" Ijichi said. \"But once the battery is empty\, it will take s everal days to recharge.\"\n\n\n\n The mission\, part of a project called OHISAMA (Japanese for \"sun\")\, is on track for launch in 2025. The resea rchers have already demonstrated wireless transmission of solar power on t he ground from a stationary source\, and they plan to conduct a transmissi on from an aircraft in December. The aircraft will be fitted with an ident ical photovoltaic panel as will be flown on the spacecraft and will beam d own power over a distance of 3 to 4 miles (5 to 7 km)\, according to Ijich i.\n\n\n\n From concept to reality \n\n\n\n Space-based solar power gener ation\, first described in 1968 by former Apollo engineer [ https://www. space.com/26175-peter-glaser-solar-power-satellite-obituary.html ]\n\n\n\ n Peter Glaser\, has been considered science fiction. Although theoretical ly feasible\, the technology has been seen as impractical and too costly\, as it requires enormous structures to be assembled in orbit to produce th e required power output. \n\n\n\n But according to the experts speaking a t the conference\, that situation has changed as a result of recent techno logical advances and the urgency to decarbonize the world's power supply t o thwart climate change.\n\n\n\n Unlike most renewable power generation te chnologies used on Earth\, including solar power and wind energy\, space-b ased solar power could be available constantly\, as it would not depend on weather and the time of the day. Currently\, nuclear power plants or ga s- and coal-fired power stations are used to cover demand when the wind st ops blowing or after sunset. Improvements in technology could help partial ly solve the problem in the future. But some pieces of the puzzle are stil l missing to secure a seamless carbon-neutral power supply by the middle o f this century as stipulated in international climate change agreements.\n \n\n\n Developments in robotic technologies\, improvements in the efficien cy of wireless power transmission and\, most importantly\, the arrival of SpaceX's giant rocket Starship could allow space-based solar power to be come a reality\, the experts said at the conference. \n\n\n\n Last year\, a satellite built by Caltech engineers as part of the Space Solar Power Demonstrator mission beamed solar power from space for the first time. T he mission\, which concluded in January\, was celebrated as a major milest one. \n\n\n\n Many more space-based solar power demonstration projects ar e in the pipeline. The technology is studied by space and research agencie s all over the world\, including the European Space Agency\, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force. Commercial compa nies and startups are also developing concepts\, harnessing the availabili ty of Starship and the emergence of advanced space robotics.\n\n\n\n How ever\, not everyone is enthusiastic about the potential of space-based sol ar power. In January\, NASA released a report questioning the feasibili ty of the technology. The difficulty and amount of energy required to buil d\, launch and assemble orbital power stations mean the energy they produc e would be too expensive — 61 cents per kilowatt-hour\, compared with as little as 5 cents per kilowatt-hour for Earth-based solar or wind energy.  \n\n\n\n In addition\, the overall carbon footprint of the power product ion and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by rockets taking those assemblies into orbit make space-based solar power much less climat e-friendly than technologies used on Earth. For example\, a gigawatt-scale spaceborne solar power station\, such as the CASSIOPeiA concept plant pro posed by the U.K. firm Space Solar\, would need 68 Starships to get to spa ce. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.jspacesystems.or.jp/en/news/4 968.html\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n Can not copy and past. But check the URL imm ediately below\, and if it doesn't work i have the pdf in my public folder linked immediately after that\n\n\n\n \n\n URL\n\n https://www.jspacesyst ems.or.jp/jss/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1stTestReport_2024.12.24en-1.pdf\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n PDF Demonstration information in my public storage\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n Video 1\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Video 2\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n PAID ARTICLE URL- I couldn't see but may have better i nformation\n\n https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3294091/chi na-plans-build-three-gorges-dam-space-harness-solar-power\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n This is just for me to giggle:) but don't say nobody warned you\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Prior edition: https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11497-economiccorner0 16/\n\n\n\n \n\n solar powered earth\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.co m/tc/topic/11498-economiccorner017/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/events/event/199-economic-corner-16-02222025/\n\n\n\n NEXT ED ITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/201-economic-corner-18-022 32025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12494-would-you-invest-in-solar-power-in-space/#fi ndComment-80323\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\ n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:31 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Space will be domain of the wealthy. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Non-wealthy people have no reason to be concerned with outer space. They won't be able to afford any aspect of it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Those who can barely afford a place to live on thi s planet need not think about hopping up off the ground &\; going to sp ace.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n At best\, less than wealthy folks might be able to solar power similar to using public Wi-Fi.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n we w ill see\, but the history of the many oil rushes and many godl rushes and silver rushes in the usa prove that once the ability to get natural resour ces occurs\, even with machines\, wealthy people will want humans sent out there. part of the problem in outer space is energy/control systems. Firs t\, it takes time to send an electromagnetic signal. The earth has a diame ter of circa eight thousand miles. Mars is nearest earth when the earth is circa thirty six million miles away. That means four point five thousand earths are between the earth and mars in a straight line when mars is cloe st in its elliptical orbit.  that distance means a time delay on signals. The mission around the moon is complex. the moon is two hundred and thirt y nine thousand miles from the earth at times in its orbit about the earth which means thirty earths can be lined up between the earth and the moon. These distances are massive\, and since star trek or star wars technology does not exist\, current human technology has inherent weaknesses with th e distances. if a machine breaks down on the moon\, whose going to fix it? even if you have another machine\, if it has any malfunction or inability to fix the other machine\, it will not be easy to adjust it. And because of weight\, and the influence that has on gravity\, it is not easy to put a supercomputer or some modern chemical manufacturing plant in space. thes e things are very heavy. My point is \, engineering wise\, human beings wi ll be needed. The international space station will be closing in a few dec ades\, while the chinese already have their space station up there. But th ese space stations while top of the line in terms of modern tech are not f ull of amenities. the rich don't want to be in space. \n\n\n\n But i can see rich people offer chances for poor people to leave\, how was the usa b orn but the english government seeing a chance to get rid of its poor peop le. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250222 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 18 - 02/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20250223T162044Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:201-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner - profitability of an artist\n\n My Thoug hts\n\n From 70\,000 to 80\,000 was what jane austen made. Happy belated b irthday to her. When I think of artist in general who have made more after death than alive the list is long and that includes many Black artist. I think Basquiat is the example that stings the most cause Jean Michel's art form\, streetart by many blacks to this day is deemed inappropriate \, evi l\, low quality\, and yet \, on the pieces of wood or metal \, if you have a Basquiat original\, you can earn millions in a sale. But the lesson fro m Jane Austen is clear\, the financial value of an artist work is not dete rminable. It is completely relative to a time or place \, so it can't be j udged on even value or in comparison \, only in the moment.\n\n\n\n NOTE\n \n\n\n As a poet I enjoy phyllis Wheatley\, though some of her messages or her style I don't care for as much.\n\n\n\n late 1700s early 1800s black authors\n\n https://blog.genealogybank.com/10-notable-african-americans-in -17th-18th-century-history.html\n\n\n\n +\n\n https://www.nysoclib.org/blo g/more-black-writers-1700s\n\n\n\n U.R.L.\n\n https://www.pbs.org/newshour /show/jane-austen-fans-honor-british-novelists-legacy-250-years-after-her- birthVIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n  \n\n\n\n Geoff Bennett:\ nOn this Valentine's Day\, if you're looking for love\, may we suggest you go dancing? After all\, as the British romantic novelist Jane Austen wrot e in her most popular work\, \"Pride and Prejudice\,\" to be fond of danci ng is a — quote — \"certain step towards falling in love.\"\nThis year \, Jane Austen fans are celebrating 250 years since her birth\, and in her homeland of England\, they're expecting a tourist boom\, as special corre spondent Malcolm Brabant reports for our arts and culture series\, Canvas. \n*\nActor:\nMr. Darcy\, allow me to present this young lady to you.\n*\nA ctor:\nShe is the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld.\n*\nActor:\n She's not handsome enough to tend to me.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nIn this jub ilee year\, expect a resurgence of \"Pride and Prejudice\,\" widely consid ered to be Jane Austen's finest creation.\n*\nKathryn Sutherland\, Univers ity of Oxford: She's probably standing shoulder to shoulder with Shakespea re.\n*\nActress:\nThe more I know of the world\, the more I am convinced t hat I shall never see a man who might I can truly love.\n*\nKathryn Suther land:\nThey are works packed with emotional intelligence of the kind we ge t from Shakespeare\, in fact.\n*\nActress:\nYou are the loveliest girls I ever set eyes on. Can you not get them married Mrs. Dashwood?\n*\nKathryn Sutherland:\nShe also was a pioneer of the novel. She developed the psycho logical novel.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nKathryn Sutherland is professor of bi bliography and textual criticism at Oxford University and a leading author ity on Jane Austen.\n*\nKathryn Sutherland:\nShe brought women into the no vel in a probable and realistic way. Her achievements were huge.\n*\nMalco lm Brabant:\nBut Austen's genius wasn't properly recognized until long aft er her death. Jane Austen's six novels only earned her the grand total of between $70\,000 to $80\,000 in today's money.\n*\nActress:\nLook at them\ , five of them without dowry. What's to become of them?\n*\nActor:\nPerhap s we shall drown some of them birth.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nHer characters were consumed with the need to achieve financial security. And yet Jane Au sten herself died in relative poverty. How ironic that she spawned an indu stry worth hundreds of millions of dollars.\nVisitors are expected to floc k to this house\, where Austen succumbed to illness at the age of 41. Rich ard Foster from Winchester College is preparing a commemorative exhibition .\n*\nRichard Foster\, Winchester College:\nThree days before her death\, she dictated a poem to her sister\, Cassandra . So even then she was well enough to carry on writing. And it's a very funny poem.\n*\nMalcolm Braban t:\nDespite being impoverished and relatively obscure\, Austen was buried in one of Europe's grandest cathedrals.\n*\nCanon Roly Riem\, vice-dean\, Winchester Cathedral: It's remarkable that Jane is buried in this cathedra l because you wouldn't expect that to happen. But she is here and she's a focus of an amazing worldwide devotion to her and her writings and all tha t she's left us.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nCanon Roly Riem is vice-dean of Win chester Cathedral.\n*\nCanon Roly Riem:\nWhen we have had a book to rememb er her\, the last big anniversary we have had\, they wrote sometimes pages in it just saying how much Jane had changed their lives\, the difference it made to their outlook or even their career.\n*\nLizzie Dunford\, Direct or\, Jane Austen’s House:\nThis house\, Jane Austen's house\, is hugely significant.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nThirty miles from Winchester is the vil lage of Chawton that was a haven for the young writer.\nLizzie Dunford run s this 19th century time capsule.\n*\nLizzie Dunford:\nSo it's a huge peri od of intense creativity that is made possible and enabled by the creative sanctuary\, the security that this house gives. So it has that intense li terary significance.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nAnd it's in the dining room tha t Austen's disciples gaze upon the wellspring of her creativity\, the writ ing table.\n*\nLizzie Dunford:\nAusten described her novels as her darling children\, as her children. They come from this\, from their nursery and their cradle\, out into that wider world\, and they're now read in every c orner of the world.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nAnother stop on the Austen trail is Bath\, where Actress Lauren Falconer portrays the heroine of \"Pride a nd Prejudice.\"\n*\nLauren Falconer\, Actress:\nJane Austen is an incredib le female writer and she was so ahead of her time in what she was writing. I play Elizabeth Bennet\, who is an obstinate\, headstrong girl\, but I a lso think Jane was very subtle in the ways that she was trying to make cha nges for women in her time period.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nEach summer\, tho usands of aficionados flock to Bath for the annual Jane Austen Festival.\n Tourist chief Catherine Davies says this year's event will be spectacular. \n*\nKathryn Davis\, Managing Director\, Visit West:\nI think it's an oppo rtunity for people to dress up\, to feel that they're part of history mayb e\, and with a backdrop like this that looks like a film set\, what better place to do it in?\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nActor Martin Williamson understa nds why\, in these turbulent times\, Austen devotees seek to escape into h er world.\n*\nMartin Williamson\, Actor:\nIt seems gentler then\, a much g entler time\, not as complicated as it is living today. But\, of course\, it was a very strict social structure\, so if you were born at the bottom of the pile\, there was no way you could really ascend like today. Especia lly in places like the United States\, you can make it. You're encouraged. \n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nFor vlogger and podcast host Izzy Meakin\, the jubi lee festival will be the highlight of the year.\n*\nIzzy Meakin\, Podcast Host\, \"What the Austen?\": You read her books and you can recognize peop le in your own life\, so it doesn't matter that these were written 200-plu s years ago.\nYou can still see people that you know. You're like\, wow\, I know someone like that all or I can see myself in those characters. I th ink that's the real — a real testament to her writing and how incredible she was.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nThat enthusiasm is shared in Oxford Univer sity's august Bodleian Library\, where Kathryn Sutherland examines Austen' s only surviving manuscript of the novel she never finished.\n*\nKathryn S utherland:\nShe seems to work very frugally. As you will see\, she writes onto small pieces of paper and she writes to the very limits of that paper \, so she leaves very little space. So her assumption is that this is a dr aft that's going to work first time.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nThe manuscript was bought at auction in 2011 for over a million dollars to preserve for t he nation.\n*\nKathryn Sutherland:\nOh\, it's magical. It's absolutely mag ical just to think that Jane Austen touched this\, that Jane Austen worked on this. It's a very intimate experience. A manuscript is like a writer's fingerprint\, or it's like getting inside the laboratory and finding out how they create.\n*\nActress:\nIs he handsome?\n*\nActress:\nHe's single.\ n*\nActress:\nOh\, my goodness. Everybody behave naturally.\n*\nActor:\nMr . Collins at your service.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nGiven she was ahead of he r time\, how would Jane Austen have navigated the 21st century's complex r omantic minefields with all their permutations?\n*\nIzzy Meakin:\nI think sometimes it can seem like it's much more complicated now.\nZack Pinsent\, Costume Designer:\nHere's to you. And here's to me. May we never disagree . But if we do\, to hell with you. And here's to me.\n*\nIzzy Meakin:\nBut I think something that Jane Austen would really celebrate is the choices we have now\, the freedom when it comes to love. We can love how we want t o and we can love who we want to.\n*\nMalcolm Brabant:\nAfter all\, the le sson that Austen imparts is that the path to true love requires overcoming pride and prejudice.\nFor the \"PBS News Hour\,\" I'm Malcolm Brabant in Chawton\, Hampshire.\n\n\n\n\n Prior Edition: https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/ 11498-economiccorner017/\n\n\n\n \n\n post mortem money\n\n\n\n POST URL\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11502-economiccorner018/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITI ON\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/200-economic-corner-17-022220 25/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/202-eco nomic-corner-19-02232025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02252026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n C itation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12495-what-is-the-future-of-wri ting-as-a-profitable-activity/#findComment-80322\n\n\n\n osted just now\n \n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:24 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\ n Most people consume the cheapest bottled water than can find on sale.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n However\, there's still higher end bottled water on store shelves too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There will always be a few writers who ca n make money with their skill &\; creativity.\n\n\n\n true and if yu lo ok at the industry of writing\, writers with huge fanbases are constantly popular\, putting out content\, so ... it is interesting\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 10:26 PM\, aka Contraria n said:\n\n\n\n As much as some are trying to  perpetuate the skill of c ursive penmanship\, it is slowly sinking below the horizon of modern day c ommunication and will soon become a lost art\,  I fear.\n\n\n\n Story tel ling might inherit a better fate and keep the fiction writer a float in th e sea of imagination. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I have no regrets about not bei ng around to experience the brave new AI world of the future.\n\n\n\n how do you know you will not be here? the AI future may start tomorrow\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250223 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:2026 Winter Death Toll in NYC DTSTAMP:20260205T045839Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:644-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n How many have died from the cold in the city you live in\ , in the USA?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n by 02042026 in NYC\n\n\n\n 17 died \n\n 13 hypothermia - \n\n 3 drug overdose\n\n 1 unknown\n\n\n\n citation\n\n https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/01/31/mayor-zohran-mamdani- snow-storm-homeless-death\n\n\n\n 13 from hypothermia which means they are out in the cold and had no where to go\, but what is more important is ho w many people became sick. PEople don't seem to comprehend that one person murdered by law enforcement is hundreds of people assaulted by law enforc ement. One person dying of hypothermia is hundreds of people sick from the cold. \n\n\n\n And the three people who drug overdosed thought that coul d heat them up. But\, how many people are trying to drink themselves warm?  \n\n\n\n New York City has problems across the board\, these deaths are the proof. But what is most telling is in a city where if a black person c ommit an illegality\, whether criminal or not\, many chime in regardless o f how uncommon the act but when the city is the culprit of a legal crime\, no words no judgements no condemnations.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n in amendment\ n\n so lietenant governor is what adrienne adams got to come in too late t o win the mayoral race but block certain strategies by Eric Adams or Andre w Cuomo\, good for her. I think she is actually a good legislator. \n\n h ttps://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/evening-briefing/2026/02/04/evening-briefi ng--feb--4--2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02142026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12438-if-you-live-in-the-usa-how-many-ha ve-died-from-the-cold-in-the-city-where-you-live-in/#findComment-80116\n\n \n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, Pioneer 1 said:\n\n\n\n There seems to be 2 Black Americas:\n\n \n\n -One affecte d by crime\, poverty\, familial dysfunction\, and illegal immigration\n\n -The other....wealthy\, healthy\, well educated\, good jobs\, plenty of le isure time to enjoy themselves\, and not bothered or threatened by immigra tion at all and confused at what the argument is even over\n\n \n\n I've S EEN wealthy and well to do Black communities in the Detroit\, Atlanta\, D. C. and Atlanta area but I'm not exactly sure what they're doing to maintai n this oasis of peace and prosperity.\n\n \n\n Maybe to go school and get a good education and stay out of trouble.\n\n But millions of AfroAmerican s have TRIED that.....it doesn't always work.\n\n Yet there are millions o f AfroAmericans who have that \"magic touch\" where they bath in peace and prosperity regardless as to the economic conditions around the nation.\n\ n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n There has always been at least 2 tribes of Black p eople in the usa. When the usa was founded in the white european colonial phase of the usa\, even though ninety to ninety five percent of black peop le were enslaved completely whites\, ten to five percent of black people w ere free\, owned businesses\, was an employed laborer. \n\n\n\n You know this already. \n\n\n\n A black business owner fought alongside washington and company\, was imprisoned by england for fighting for the usa to be\, and survived and went back to his successful business.Some Black whalers i n the new england states owned their own boats. The whites of marth's vine yard were some of the earliest abolitionist and the black populace in mart ha's vineyard grew as a result. Zora Neale Hurston grew in northern florid a not far from Rosewood yet her black town was idyllic for her albeit\, su rrounded by white criminals. Armstrong Williams who grew up in South Carol ina and whose relative was murdered by whites said he never dealt with whi te bias growing up on their tobacco farm. I myself admitted a happy childh ood. My life wasn't affected by crime or fiscal poverty or dysfunctions in the home or immigrants whether legal or illegal but the biggest criminals where i lived was the local nypd precinct which was known\, by everyone [ black non black\, paraplegic\, athetist\, christian\, man \, woman ] in th is part of nyc for being dirty to the core. Drug dealers/extorionist/pimps all nypd officers and any nypd officer in that precinct who didn't aid th em or help was an illegal actor through abetting\, cause every nypd agent in there had to know.  as for poverty\, well\, in my experience\, most bl ack people in this extended part of harlem \, worked for a living\, tried to find jobs\, in a city that is not black\, is not controlled. and I nor my particular place of rearing never had a problem with black immigrants s o... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And don't forget in your list of well to do blac k regions\, two of the biggest is in los angeles and new york city. You at lanta/dc/ detroit. The black one percent region in los angles or New york city is very wealthy\, financially. more than any other. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n And your wrong\, you and everyone black know why a minority of black p eople have maintained financial success? The same reason modern fiscally b lack wealthy regions exists is the same as in the past\, luck + white peop le allow it.\n\n\n\n The luck part is the truth of fiscal capitalism\, whi ch you know. 90% of all business\, in all demographics fail. This is a sim ple truth. 90% of nonblack business fail. 90% of black business fail. 90% of mens business fail. 90% of womens business fail. Maybe you have the fol lowing belief\, but education is not power\, education does not mean you w ill succeed in a business. Education does not mean you will not be enslave d. The elder Rockefeller whose clan has a whole business complex named aft er them downtown new york city was a failed business man. He had one oil f ield that was not producing\, living in a little shack. how did his clan g et that prominance? education? no \, power? no... Andrew Carnegie \, the s teel baron\, who was uneducated as a child\, and rowed people over the wat er between the buroughs as a child\, which is illegal today\, wanted to sa ve money on shipping his steel and so he sought to consolidate the oil ind ustry\, which at that time\, was extremely fragmented and had no internal ability to manage itself for more efficiency. Carnegie who owed no one\, w as not controlled\, invited various oil men and chose carnegie\, who from a fiscal perspective was the weakest. Carnegie chose Rockefeller because R ockefeller was the poorest\, least qualified. Carnegie knew whomever he su pported would dominate the oil industry\, but carnegie wanted to dominate the steel even more and so Carnegie got what he wanted and Rockefeller got lucky\, and with the path of luck\, the rest is history.  But it was luc k. Rockefeller has no bargaining power\, he had nothing. Everything was in carnegie's favor\, carnegie simply gave blessing. Like Oprah winfrey's bo ok club and similar actions by michelle obama or others. They say an artis t has value and a millions dollars in twenty four hours occurs. Starbucks didn't have the money to start up\, Bill gates and others gave money to th em\, through connections. again\, no one was forced. What role did educati on have in Rockefeller's relationship with Carnegie? Oprah Winfrey's relat ionship with various writers in her book club? Gates relationship with Sta rbucks? \n\n\n\n White people allow it\, is the other part\, which you al ready know? again\, what crimes or illegalities did Black Tulsa or Rosewoo d do? Unless you mean the unwritten crime of being black and having white neighbors who want to kill any happiness you have\, which is most of black people in the usa historically. what fiscal poverty did Black Tulsa or Ro sewood have? arguably they were fiscally wealthier than their white neighb ors who terrorized them out of existence. From the surviving accounts most black people in Black Tulsa or Rosewood were happy in their homes\, but t hat didn't prevent their destruction.  and lastly\, immigrants as defined by those coming to the usa from outside weren't the ones who annihilated black tulsa/rosewood/ black bronx [that was white jewish/italian/irish lan downers in the bronx] /black new orleans/ and the millions of black towns or regions of white cities annihilated by whites into a complete reboot ab sent any provocation by blacks. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The mystery to how ce rtain Blacks live in a  positive black pool in the united states of ameri ca\, isn't a mystery\, each is founded on fiscal luck + white allowance. T he sad part is blacks like you keep thinking fiscal luck + white allowance is something that can be engineered or planned in some machiavellan way. For me what is sad is what I comprehend. So many black people in the unite d states of america or the european colonies it was born from\, are so wil ling to see the usa in a positive light\, that they only way they can rati onalize black success is to keep trying to find a magical way a black pers on can make it happen\, and treat it like a strategy insteead of admitting what historically continually shows. You mention fiscally wealthy black d etroit or black atlanta or black district of columbia. When the all white counties around Detroit city\, block black people or when said places resi dents harm black people\, fiscally wealthy black detroit is willing to liv e with it. When the murdering white counties around atlanta\, that graves filled with black people are still being found in\, harm black people fisc ally wealthy black atlanta is willing to live with that. I know too many b lack people from D.C. \, the white populace of D.C. in my view is notoriou sly anti black. But wealthy black D.C. in prince george county and elsewhe re is willing to live with that. \n\n\n\n But not everybody black want to have white terror as a neighbor. What is comprehending that some unknown magic ? You have made it clear\, the usa is your home\, and the history of black people fighting for the usa is true from the usa's very founding... but you have to comprehend\, black people fought for the usa not to exist s at its very founding\, as well. So maybe if you expand your comprehensio n of the black populace in the usa you will realize how complex black peop les relationship with the usa or the non blacks in it is\, and thus nothin g is incomprehensible\, from black presidents to black people living off g rid. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n Right. For Black men especially it takes some combination of inte lligence\, talent\, preparation\, discipline\, grit\, determination\,  ad aptability &\; survivability to be successful.\n\n\n\n Well... I have t o break up types of success when i speak of success. Financial success for black people\, male or female or young or old in the usa\, is all that yo u say. You need intelligence because fiscal capitalism breeds tricksters\, you need talent especially as most blacks don't have money or access to m oney historically when they attempt things\, preparation is good but level s of preparation are blockaded only the wealthiest can truly be prepared c ompletely in fiscal capitalsim\, discipline or grit or determination or su rvivability all are elements of purpose \, a black person's purpose must b e strong in the usa historically\, 1492 to 1865 age of enslavement had bla ck business owners who had to survive white people trying to entrap them l egally\, since black enslavement was legal\, so free blacks were legally a ble to be enslaved. so your correct:) you need all the elements of purpose in that environment. 1865 to 1980 was jim crow which was literally about restricting/diminishing/stopping all black positive activity in every city or county or state since\, the federal level deemed black people citizens now so white power could only operate through the state level and below. So yes\, black people needed elements of purpose to survive an environment where they are citizens but every city/county/state they are in has an en vironment totally designed to make their life miserable\, like being put i n jail for walking on the left side of the street on sunday. And a black p erson need adaptibility in said enslavement or jim crow eras because both eras whole point is a black persons enslavement or destruction or goading into prison. Financial success needs the factors you mention\, especially for blacks in the usa. Though I admit\, in the post jim crow\,1980 to toda y\, as white people have finally stopped the stifling anti back behavior\, black growth has blossomed\, inevitably\,  at a faster rate than ever be fore. But black growth in the usa started in 1980\, but 1492 or 1776 or 18 65 \n\n\n\n But the success of the home\, a positive home life\, doesn't require all of those things for black people in the usa. It requires first love\, which is not common  in human homes in general\, it requires pati ence. And is easier today in the post jim crow era. Unlike enslavement\, w here black homes didn't exist [ the slave quarter is not a home\, a home c an't exist for a person who can be sold at any moment n the leisure of ano ther ]\, or jim crow\, where black homes were under constant attack [betwe en white states or white cities that used eminnent domain on entire black regions or cities or black towns \, white businesses supported by white ci ty or state governments abusing black customers or clients \, white indivi duals or groups supported by white city or state governments committing ac ts of terror/assault from murder to harassment on black individuals or gro ups] on all aspects of life\, the modern era\, i will call post jim crow\, 1980 to today\, is the first time black homes don't have to deal with whi te overwhelming terror. So even though a negative heritage froom 1492 to 1 980 has to be slowly ebbed out\, black people's homes I argue are doing we ll\, for such a negative legacy that they was imposed on them by the non b lack. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But I think success financially is not the succ ess of the home. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Some Black folks seem to be \"immune\" to racism and the other social problems that affect other Black people.\n\n\n\n it isn't \, if you read my original segment to you in this post\, then you re alize the word is uncaring. History has as fat that some\, a small minorit y of black people\, were willing to fight alongside whites who publicly ad mitted they felt every black person should be enslaved. so is it so hard t o see that that same minority\, scale up for population growth over time\, is willing to live alongside whites as positively\, with whites in modern ity on average being far less terrible to black people than their forebear s.  But\, like in the past\, did most blacks have the willingness to live alongside whites? NO! did most free blacks? no... rememebr \, in the seco nd white european global imperial war\, commonly called erroneously world war two\, black newspapers in majority wanted to tell black people to stay out of any positive engagement to that war... but white powers\, had a me eting and the V's were up. Most black people in the usa before 1980 at the least\, have always been anti USA or anti white but that never meant all black people. \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n That's what racists do....they fuck up your program.\n\n\n\n sometimes they murde r you too... death does stop alot of programs. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Sometimes I wonder if some of these \ "magical negroes\" are just illusions or phantoms designed to confuse you and make you wonder \"why them\"????\n\n\n\n well... I have asked the foll owing in the past and I realize it will never happen\, for as a black woma n replied then\, you want the world to fall. But\, I think what can help y our query is revealing how many black people were agents of the three lett er folk from 1940s to today. I am 100% certain if the names of every black agent to the cia/fbi/or other similar was revealed it would expose connec tions to alot of black people with money today\, if not them\, black benef actors to them. I have proof of nothing\, but I know of four things\, two for a fact and two through an unconfirmed source. \n\n\n\n The two facts\ n\n\n\n - a bodyguard to malcolm x was an agent\n\n\n\n - an associate to fred hampton was an agent\n\n\n\n The two unconfirmed\, I wish I could pro ve\, but I believe\n\n\n\n - the three letter people infiltrated every sin gle organization in the usa\, every single organization\n\n\n\n -the three letter people killed more people since 1980 than any government army\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n These four things if the unconfirmed two are true\, lead to an inevitable reality. That all populaces in the usa have a corrupt one p ercent \, a minority of wealthy \, whose crimes against their own have nev er been admitted or revealed but has protected them from white power cause they are agents of white power. \n\n\n\n Again\, I can't prove anything so as per the USA and its law room culture\, absent proof\, the ignorant/h opeful can be allowed to believe in better. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In Amendm ent\n\n\n\n I think of the Vietnam war documentary from ken burns in PBS. Vietnam war ended circa 1974  so that is fifty two years ago\, over half a century\, over two generations or twenty years\, and yet\, redactions/cr ossouts were still needed on content? why? agents in vietnam? working for the usa? or maybe people whose wealth in vietnam came from agents working for the usa? I wonder what some people in vietnam would do if others in vi etnam were revealed to be agents to the usa? I wonder. .... \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n 02182026 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/topic/12438-if-you-live-in-the-usa-how-many-have-died-from-the-cold-in- the-city-where-you-live-in/#findComment-80180\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted ju st now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   On 2/16/2026 at 8:15 PM\, Pioneer 1 said:\n\n\n\n Thanks for reminding me.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n pleasure\n\n\ n\n   On 2/16/2026 at 8:15 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I know New York harbors a large wealthy Black population\, but outside of entertainers li ke athletes and actors....where is the large Black wealth in Los Angeles?\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Perhaps it was the circles I was in but the few times I went to Los Angeles\, the majority of Black folks I saw there were living the street life.  Either homeless or criminals.\n\n There were a few wea lthy Black lawyers and doctors but the overwhelming majority of wealthy Bl ack folks I saw in LA were in the entertainment industry and despite what you see on television\, they make up only a tiny part of Los Angeles' popu lation.\n\n Most of the Black folks there were on or in the streets.\n\n O r locked up.\n\n\n\n \n\n Detroit\, Atlanta\, and D.C. each have more Blac k people with good jobs and moderate wealth than Los Angeles has.\n\n Alth ough the Black wealthy in Los Angeles probably have a much higher per capi ta income because they tend to be entertainers instead of corporate and go vernment workers.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Los angeles is the city of ent ertainment? hollywood right? beverly hills right? The entertainment indust ry in los angeles whites say makes 500\,000 jobs. I am 100% certain the te ch sector in los angeles\, the real estate industry in los angeles\, the a erospace and defense don't hire that many. So... I am  alittle confused t o how you view entertainment as a business. You can't discount the enterta iners in los angeles. Does anyone discount the number of white entertainer s in los angeles? why are black entertainers: musicians/athletes/thespians / similar discountable for black wealth? \n\n\n\n ... the majority of all people in any big city are poor. You think most whites in nyc own a busin ess? most white asians in NYC don't own a business or are employed legally .  most white latinos in nyc don't own a business and are not employed in NYC. again\, i sense uneven approaches. \n\n\n\n I imagine the majority of most wealthy people in los angeles are in the entertainment business ca use the city has a huge entertainment industry. What financial logic do yo u use? Are you suggesting black people in los angeles should be farmers?  \n\n\n\n Well\, I don't know where your from or where you live but in NYC\ , Los angeles has never been viewed as majority black. Sections of los ang eles are majority black\, but los angeles has always been described in nyc media as majority white\, white anglos + white latinos. \n\n\n\n \"good jobs\" oh Pioneer... i must remember you have an extreme negative bias tow ards black entertainers. \n\n\n\n What is the fiscal range in your opinio n of what you call moderate wealth?  Absent that lets look at the cities in question. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The black populace in detroit is circa 7 6% of the total in the city\, circa 490\,000\n\n\n\n the black populace in atlanta is circa 46% of the total in the city \, circa 235\,000\n\n\n\n t he black populace in district of columbia is circa 43% of the total in the district\, circa 291\,000\n\n\n\n the black populace in los angeles is ci rca 8.5% of the total in the city circa 329\,000\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well.. . The black populace of Los Angeles is \, taking out detroit which is an o dd city\, bigger than the black populace of any of those places you mentio ned. So los angeles based on quantity has a higher chance of having more p eople in all fiscal levels than atlanta or d.c. To detroit... detroit is a n oddity in the united states of america. Detroit at the height of the aut omotive industry was overhwelmingly white\, but when the auto industry cha nged is industrial behavior + white flight\, detroit became majority black in a big way. Wayne county around Detroit is as white as detroit city is black. so...Detroit is arguably the only city north of mason dixie that ha d or has one million people in it in the history of the usa that is majori ty black. Philadelphia had the biggest black populace of any city but phil adelphia was never majority black. NYC has the largest black populace of a ny city but was never majority black. A number of southern cities have bee n majority black\, but detroit is the only northern city I can think of so ... Detroit is an oddity\, demographically. I can imagine detroit as a maj ority black city \, in the north\, has a larger percentage of varied black wealth\, not just your hated black entertainers.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   O n 2/16/2026 at 8:15 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n What other LOGICAL and V IABLE choice do these Black enclaves have BUT to live with it?\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Ahhh PEr this forum we all tend to find ourselves in our discourse back where our forebears were when the usa was being founded. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n logic/meaning reason/ meaning thinking is a dangerous word. The problem with logic as a word is logic doesn't mean conclusion\, logic mea ns thinking. \n\n\n\n So you ask what other thinking choice do black encl aves have but to live with it? \n\n\n\n The answer is the eternal one\, t hey have infinite choices\, as all human beings do. The question is not th e choices\, the question is what are they willing to live with. the positi ve or negative actions after\, more commonly called consequences plus pros equences. \n\n\n\n When people jumped off the enslaved boats to their dea th\, over the atlantic ocean \, the resting home of 90% of our enslaved fo rebears\, they were logical. They were thinking\, they were not illogical\ , but they didn't come up with the reasoning the logic that others who cou ld had jumped and didn't came up with. \n\n\n\n The question is right or wrong? and the answer is no right or wrong exists. Humans are free to choo se. I repeat\, when the irish republican army \, only 500 people\, for the record\, a very small minority of irish\, blew up everything and everyone \, including other irish people to get england to give up ireland as a dom inion\, they were logical. they were reasoning\, they were thinking. I arg ue\, 99% of irish didn't come up or like their thinking\, but not liking a nothers thinking doesn't make it illogical. It is all logic. \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Now viability\, a thing via\, from the latin vita which means life . What choice is best to live? well\, first the history of white terror in the usa proves no choice black people make guarantees safety from white v iolence in the usa. The parents of george stinney did the viable thing whe n their son was executed absent any level of legal evenness.  His parents didn't burn or attack anything and continued to live in south carolina\, never even leaving the state so.... making a viable choice does not preclu de a positive choice. One can argue that stinney's relative being the firs t black attorney general of south carolina is some sort of balance\, but I find that an ugly viewing. black PEople in the present/future of the usa don't balance the past suffering by black people in the usa by getting job s. Nothing brings back a dead body. Nothing will repair Black Tulsa. Nothi ng will rebuild Rosewood. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, based on history in th e usa \, the most viable thing black enclaves in the usa can do in the usa is accept/tolerate [they are not the same words but the severity of the s ituation means either word is used based on how a black person sees this s cenario] white terror or white power \, whether terrible or irritating or any in between. \n\n\n\n But\, viability doesn't mean positivity. And via bility doesn't have to be considered for logic or thought.  \n\n\n\n    On 2/16/2026 at 8:15 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Since....unlike Black America....they are a relatively sovereign nation\, they can do with them as they please.\n\n\n\n not relatively\, china is a powerful country\, vi etnam like many countries about china in modernity are militaristically tr ying to figure out how to serve china + the usa\, taiwans biggest trading partner is still china so even taiwan is trying to serve both countries. N ot easy for little countries to be about powerful ones\, ask Cuba. \n\n\n \n Black america is for black americans which is the black DOS + black ind igenous [not all indigenous people are black] populaces from modern day ca nada to argentina. \n\n\n\n Black USA is not soveriegn but the usa is a m ajority white country so \, black USA will never have the populace to not have such agents in them. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   On 2/16/ 2026 at 8:31 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n As a result of the Vietnam war\, t here's a whole lot of Vietnamese Americans in the USA. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n War is big business. A lot of wealth is generated &\; transferred as a result of it.\n\n\n\n wait a minute\, don't blame the vietnam war for im migration of vietnamese. The culprit for all immigration in the usa has be en fiscally wealthy whites. In Vietnamese case in Louisiana and Arabs case in Michigan\, whites hated the demographic makeup of big city oddities: n ew orleans + detroit city and saw an opportunity to change the demographic s of these black regions of these white states and also get immigrant popu laces who spend alot of money and as modernity proves are in a more legall y convenient situation for white power than DOSers. It was not the vietnam war. For the world is full of war zones. Afghans were not invited en mass e when the usa was supporting afghans opposing russia as the soviet union.  \n\n\n\n And yes war is big business\, so is peace though. The differenc e between war and peace is not that either isn't big business\, but that w ar which is negative in nature\, destructive in nature\, allows for positi ve opportunities very hard to come by in peace\, in parallel\, peace which is positive in nature\, constructive in nature\, allows for negative oppo rtunities very hard to come by in war. Both are fiscal prudent\, just have different natures. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   On 2/17/2 026 at 4:06 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I remember going down there year s ago and seeing them down there by the thousands and wondering how they g ot down there and why?\n\n They were war refugees and their descendants.\n \n\n\n you already knew why\, they were there for the same reason a repres entative of the louisiana state legislature said after katrina devastated New Orleans that god did what we couldn't. Whites in louisiana have always tried to destroy new orleans. Like new york city's relationship to the re st of new york state\, new orleans relationship to the rest of louisiana i s misaligned. the reason being both cities\, new york city or new orleans weren't started by the english heritage. New York city doesn't get its mul tiracial heritage from the english but from the dutch. the dutch like all white europeans had a very imperial nature\, but the dutch were used to mu ltiracial life in europe to succeed financially\, which the english were n ot. the english were made up of many peoples but have a heritage of cultur al destruction of peoples in england to make one. while holland is used to cultural complexitiy in itself to survive the french/english/german bulli es that rubbed off in NYC\, which is the most culturally complex city inte rnally of all cities in humanity. New Orleans has a similar problem\, when the whites from haiti arrived in new orleans \, after the haitian freeing \, they embraced slavery but had embraced a simple idea that blacks are no t bound to enslavement forever. So in new orleans pathways to freedom exis ted that when the usa buys the louisiana purchase \, the whites coming fro m the states were philosophically opposed to new orleans multiracial way. which has never left the rest of louisiana. \n\n\n\n The states in the us a are to often viewed to crudely. Some are small or simple. A delaware\, a conneticutt\, a wisconsin dont have the largest populaces\, are monoracia l in majority but some states are messy\, complex\, california/new york/ m ichigan/florida/texas ... they have regions which are in conflict with eac h other. Because of the federalism from lincoln onward\, states don't have the internal battles they used to so it seems foreign to many who don't k now usa history or dismiss usa history for modern perceptions. \n\n\n\n I argue Nagin should had called for new orleans to be its own state in the union after the actions of louisiana\, but he didn't have the courage or w isdom or strategic skill for that \, which would be required as many in th e usa\, don't like ideas in government that demand true thoughtfulness. Th at Pax\, peace of the usa is built on not rocking the boat. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n 02182026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/12438-if-you-live-in-the-usa-how-many-have-died-from-the-cold-in-the- city-where-you-live-in/#findComment-80186\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\ n\n\n \n On 2/18/2026 at 8:41 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n The larges t number of Vietnamese refugees came to the USA after the fall of Saigon b etween 1975-1980.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n right but rich whites are why the imm igration was allowed. if rich whites didn't want vietnamese in\, for whate ver reason... it doesn't have to be financial or it can be demographic\, v ietnamese wouldn't be in. . The vietnamese did not get in cause they wante d it\, they were allowed in. that is the point. it isn't wars or the fall of saigon or anything else. When the usa left vietnam with vietnamese hang ing on to the helicopters\, that proves my point. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 022 02026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/124 38-if-you-live-in-the-usa-how-many-have-died-from-the-cold-in-the-city-whe re-you-live-in/#findComment-80217\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n \n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   14 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n You com pare Los Angeles with Detroit by highlighting the Black populations of bot h cities without factoring in the NON-BLACK populations and how that affec ts the success (or lack there of) of each city.\n\n\n\n A high Black popul ation with a low non-Black population....such as places like Detroit\, Atl anta\, and D.C....ensures more Black success because there is less competi tion WITH that Black population.\n\n As opposed to Los Angeles with millio ns of Whites and Latinos conspiring together to keep Black success to a mi nimum.\n\n\n\n Not compare I quote myself \n\n\n\n   14 hours ago\, Pi oneer1 said:\n\n\n\n The black populace of Los Angeles is \, taking out d etroit which is an odd city\,\n\n\n\n I said that for a reason. I was taki ng Detroit out of comparison with los angeles because it is such a unique example. Detroit is an oddity. First most cities/towns that are majority b lack are in former confederate states\, where said states have a instituti onalized anti black ness. New Orleans or Baton Rouge lousiiana/Jackson Mis sissippi /montgomery alabama  or similar are majority black cities but th e states they are in have a huge heritage of anti black. Michigan isn't pr o black but Michigan is northern\, it isn't as anti black as louisiana. Se cond\, detroit's percentage of the whole who are black is in the rare rang e. Most cities in the usa that have a certain total quantity\, don't have anywhere near the percentage of black as detroit. So... I wasn't dismissin g detroit\, I just think detroit is uncomparable to any other city in the usa when it comes to the scene the black populace has in it. For me atlant a or district of columbia can't be put aside detroit because the larger en vironment is too anti black in atlanta or D.C. Those white counties about atlanta or D.C. make me think of Black Tulsa or Rosewood all the time. Way ne county that detroit sits in is anti black\, but they tend to be more ha nds off with detroit overall. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And remember your origi nal point was that los angeles had questionable levels of success \, and I refuted that. White man says the wealthiest black region /community is in los angeles\, not prince george county for d.c. \, not the rich black sub urb about atlanta. I never suggested los angeles is an ideal place or blac k people should model our activities from the black people in los angeles\ , but you asserted an financial impotency in black los angeles that I don' t think is true. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I concur that black activity should go to where black percentages are more advantaged. It helps with votes for government\, it helps with overall communal energy. But Black Los angeles finance based on entertainment isn't a knock down or lesser than because black los angeles will never have the role or access to government than bl ack atlanta or moreover\, in Detroit. I think black l.a. has its positives . \n\n\n\n   14 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Choose what?\n\n C omplacency over annihilation?\n\n  \n\n\n\n Outside of Divine Help.....wh ich is Real but we don't control it.....what other \"choices\" do subjugat ed people have?\n\n\n\n I repost what I said \n\n\n\n   On 2/18/2026 at 7:08 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n I repeat\, when the irish republi can army \, only 500 people\, for the record\, a very small minority of ir ish\, blew up everything and everyone\, including other irish people to ge t england to give up ireland as a dominion\, they were logical. they were reasoning\, they were thinking. I argue\, 99% of irish didn't come up or l ike their thinking\, but not liking anothers thinking doesn't make it illo gical. It is all logic. \n\n\n\n Many peoples in humanity 2026 are subjug ated\, some fight\, albeit disadvantaged\, some try to assimilate to their bully  [black dos for the most part]\, some try to flee to a new shore [ that is white zionist]. And more options exist. Their are options. Nothin g is easy. Nothing is simple. But options exist.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   14 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Are you serious or joking?\n\n\n\n W ell\, I didn't make a suggestion absent explaining why did it happen. That is a complete thought. Making an assertion to the past absent explaining why it did or did not happen is incomplete. I don't know what is joking or serious about my suggestion. The usa has a history of states being made o ut of former ones. And the reason why those states were made fits new orle ans \, new yorks\, arguably\, detroits problem as well. The part of a stat e needs are being undercut by another part of the state.  Small states ex ist. Conneticut or delaware aren't huge in size. D.C. isn't a state but is very tiny and an administrative region. I think new orleans \, new york\, detroit\, as states in the union would help them. it would hurt louisiana /new york state/michigan but ....I argue louisiana has shown itself to be an enemy of New Orleans from Katrina onward. A city \, especially one majo rity one race can not thrive in a state majority another race. Survive yes \, do decent yes\, but not thrive or strive. And at least\, no black city in the usa from rosewood onward has been able to survive  white oppressio n/terror in various forms. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02232026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12438-if-you-live-in-the-usa -how-many-have-died-from-the-cold-in-the-city-where-you-live-in/#findComme nt-80286\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   On 2/21/202 6 at 1:49 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Also unlike New York and even Chic ago\, Detroit has a lot of single family houses with front and back yards that Black people from down South are used to.\n\n They like the spacious living that you don't find in New York or Philly.\n\n\n\n I didn't know th is about detroit\, i love architecture so thank you. \n\n\n\n   On 2/21 /2026 at 1:49 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I wouldn't want to live in a p lace were any nigga walking down the street can just reach in and GRAB my lady's ass if the window is open....lol.\n\n\n\n Why don't you write for 5 0 cent\, you can definitely write the stories that work in his fiction\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/21/2026 at 1:49 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n App arently you don't know as much about the Detroit area as you THINK you do. ...lol.\n\n\n\n Detroit is not only Black but even many of it's SUBURBS ar e Black too\, including those in Wayne and Oakland counties.\n\n\n\n Wayne county has over a half dozen other Black cities in it like Inkster\, Rive r Rouge\, and Highland Park.\n\n Wayne county also has an AfroAmerican She riff and Prosecutor\n\n\n\n No I don't. I know some other suburbs in wayne county were black but i was unaware to the sheriff prosecutor or other. T hat is a good sign. \n\n\n\n   On 2/21/2026 at 1:49 PM\, Pioneer1 sai d:\n\n\n\n \n\n Not only is that highly unlikely but it's highly unadvisab le.\n\n It's not big enough and doesn't have enough resources for statehoo d.\n\n\n\n wait a minute\, rhode island is small. it is said to have circa 1545 square miles. in land only is circa 1\,034 square miles. the metropo litan new orleans area is circa 3\,755. Now the city proper is circa 350 s quare miles. So in terms of land\, if the city goes with its metropolitan area\, it passes the minimum. But as for resources\, even just New Orleans proper doesn't have any more or less resources than rhode island. \n\n\n \n I said before\, it wasn't likely\, that wasn't my point. My point was t he solution for new orleans and new york city is statehood. And the reason being is simply the disconnect between either city and the states they ar e apart of. \n\n\n\n You know\, when KAtrina hit\, what did whites towns in the remainder of louisiana do? did they help the black residents of new orleans? no\, they stood on the road with guns to prevent black people fl eeing a natural disaster from coming in their white towns. that is louisia na. I can't believe you don't see the truth in that. the governor of Lousi ana was fully in support of ripping black people from new orleans taking t hem to all sorts of places in the usa\, many or most to never return. Why couldn't the white governor of louisiana ask for the more affordable optio n of housing the blacks of new orleans among the white towns of louisiana? why cause ... he doesn't like blacks. \n\n\n\n How can't you see that si mple truth? and as i know you love the law\, the law wasn't broken by whit e people standing on their property with guns\, but it was definitely a me ssage. \n\n\n\n Again\, my point isn't that it will happen\, but it is cl early the only solution for new orleans as a black city to thrive. white L ouisiana limits black new orleans\, this is a proven fact in near history so separation is the only solution for long term large betterment of black new orleans. There is no shame admitting what needs to happen can't happe n. But no shame also exist in admitting nothng else but what needs to happ en will work. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02232026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation \ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12438-if-you-live-in-the-usa-how-many-h ave-died-from-the-cold-in-the-city-where-you-live-in/#findComment-80296\n\ n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n But Profd\, your not mentionin g the sequence in the dialog between me and pioneer. you quote me but don' t refer to the issue i am referring. No one questioned the financial influ encers\, me nor pioneer.\n\n\n\n the steps were as follows. \n\n\n\n 1)  I said new orleans need to be its own state\, I didn't say it will happen\ , but I said it was needed based on near history \, at the least. ... new orleans is the state where white people threw dynamite at fellow whites in the mississippi river and blew them up for being northerners... so whites of louisiana ... anyway\n\n\n\n 2) pionner then says\, it will never happ en and then added it isn't big enough or have the resources. \n\n\n\n 3) i replied that it is big enough as a metropolitan space and has no more or less resources than rhode island\, deleting the claim of it being geograp hically or resource wise invalid. and I repeated I didn't say it would hap pen but it is needed. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n No one questioned the financial vultures on the pain of Black New Orleans. But the reality is\, gardless of the money\, black new orleans need to be its own state. Any action thro ugh the government will not work\, why ?the constitution gives all powers not mentioned to the federal government to the states\, not the counties\, not the cities. so state level power is mandatory for certain levels of t hings. You can't get around that legally\, unless you are going to change the federal law to extend state powers to counties and cities which i am 1 00% will have a lot of opposition and not just from the money but the poor who comprehend the complexity of that. and the usa is never been good at complexity. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now if your arguing\, find a way for the financial sector to make new orleans become a state. You need to say that first and foremost\, that should not be implied by \" follow the money\" B ut\, the problems with that is nature of most fiscal concerns in the usa t oday are publicly traded\, which means they are global in citizenship view \, which means they are against the adding of governmental layers of burea ucracy. If anything all... most of the business concerns want is an end to louisiana and just a federal government. That will make it more profitabl e. so\, I don't see any financially feasible path for monied concerns to l ead the way in new orleans becoming its own state. The fact that new orlea ns would be a city state also means they don't have the land to offer busi ness concerns. I can see maybe the crypto currency people if new orleans h ad lots of land to give\, but it doesn't\, no city state does have lots of land to give\, historically. that is why they are called city states.  a nd Most city states\, today\, Monaco/SIngapore/macau/hong kong/really smal l islands in the caribbean  are city states because of circumstances. hon g Kong and Macau was made because china was impotent and the english and p rotuguese wanted trading cities in strategic locations. China would never have made that deal if strong. Many details. Monaco sits between france an d italy  and in a way spain\, an area at one time  of countless wars so monaco wasin a war zone. kind of like the cities in Kashmir. and out of th at to modernity came monaco . \n\n\n\n New Orleans doesn't have a situati on to aid it\, it can only literally use the legal system in the usa which allows for states to be made.\n\n\n\n the constitution says\n\n\n\n https ://legalclarity.org/how-does-a-new-state-become-a-state/\n\n\n\n https://c onstitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-4/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n New St ates may be admitted by the Congress into this Union\; but no new State sh all be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State\; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States\, or Parts of St ates\, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n so what does this mean? \n\n\ n\n Detroit + New Orleans as parts of states\, with the consent of the lou siiana + michigan state legislatures + the congress can become a new state . \n\n\n\n Now legally\, I argue\, both cities as black cities can make a n argument that the state legislatures of michigan + louisiana based on th eir makeup \, as mostly white\, and the history of their legsilation which is mostly anti black\, have a bias that would never consent to the creati on of the new state\, thus demands legal interpretation of article 4\, whi ch when it was made didn't consider the needs of black municipalities in t he usa in white states. I think it is an even argument. And not all states are physically contiguous so that isn't a problem. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0 2252026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/124 38-if-you-live-in-the-usa-how-many-have-died-from-the-cold-in-the-city-whe re-you-live-in/#findComment-80319\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD  \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I didn't thin k about the rules to posting in your threads.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   very funny\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/23/2026 at 9:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n \n Black cities cannot become states because they do not have enough Black -owned private industry to sustain them.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If the white b usinesses/employers oull up stakes &\; leave where would the black folk s work?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The state would have to produce enough tax reve nue to sustain itself &\; qualify for federal funds too. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Small states i.e. Delaware\, Rhode Island\, Vermont\, Connecticut\, Wyoming\, Utah\, etc.\, have on thing in common. \n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\ n\n Well\, in the usa in 2026\, all states in the usa get a welfare check every year from the federal government\, without that federal check even C alifornia\, which is touted \, correctly\, as the wealthiest state in the union\, would have to go into receivership. So a black state would get by law\, the same welfare check from the federal government. \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Every major city or city with the populace of New Orleans or more \, biggest employer is the city itself. Detroit's biggest employer is detroit city\, nyc biggest employer is nyc\, los angeles biggest employer is los angeles city. No major city in the usa today has a bigger employer than it self. And every city gets money from the state\, but if New Orleans is a c ity-state then instead of what new orleans get because of louisiana\, whic h is white\, the federal government would give new orleans\, and if the le gal system is still running then new orleans as a state can go to court if being treated unevenly to other states\, and even the constitutionalists would have to vote in favor of new orleans. going back to article 4 of the constitution. \n\n\n\n Now as for private business in new orleans\, well ... pipeline\, goes through new orleans\, but the city gets a tax from tha t. And the pipeline isn't going anywhere. The pipeline will be against it cause it is another tax but if New Orleans gets through the stated legal s ituation to be a state the pipeline can't go anywhere. Next is the french quarter... moving a building is not cheap. Let alone finding a place for i t. If they leave the buildings they can go but that will leave all the fre nch quarter buildings for the city. The city can make laws in contingency for this. Let alone that many buildings in the french quarter are under hi storic preservation licenses so the city can use that to manage the buildi ngs new owners of if city owned new use.  The new orleans saints can move \, though i think the nfl demands the other owners vote to allow these thi ngs which is expensive\, and if the new state can provide a better scenari o than louisiana\,  the owner of will stay. The whites of cajun country w ill not want to leave\, they are tied to cajun country and if anything\, a number of them will probably want to join new orleans the state if new or leans the state can make in its state law something cajuns have always wan ted from english speaking louisiana and that is stronger protections for c ajuns who are generally fiscally poor  on their historic land.  So... fi rst the city is the biggest employer\, but as for white businesses\, all b ut pipelines can leave as you suggest but each is expensive. You seem to s uggest money will just be made\, I don't think so. it is 2026. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lastly\, yes\, small states tend to be ninety percent and above white\, but the point of this stream wasn't to suggest new orleans \, a b lack city\, or detroit\, a black city\, will become a state. The point was to state the truth\, that is  detroit/new orleans/ and even white new yo rk city\, financially needs is a separation from the states they are in be cause each one of them is demographically too other from the rest of the s tate they are in.  Each one of them is stymied\, financially\, by that tr uth\, that only statehood can free them from. Again\, the first projects i n the usa were in NYC\, NYC's plan\, all white government\, was to place t he projects upstate new york\, the diea was to keep the city white but off er places for the poor\, the poor being mostly white themselves though peo ple in the usa still don't comprehend most poor people are actually white in the usa\, upstate. The proof is that the first projects in nyc to this day have never had anybody black in them and the white people in them are fiscally poor. But the white towns upstate new york have always hated/disl iked/distrusted the \, and I quote\, the rotters of NYC. the law abiding w hite towns of upstate new york didn't want poor people of any kind and as NYC's population blew up with fiscally poor nonwhites\, from here there or everywhere\, NYC made more projects in NYC. But NYC was always at upstate ny states mercy because the governor of New York's main voting base isn't NYC\, it is all the law abiding white towns above new york city that got or get away with killing/harming/injuring black people in the past to this day. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So I end with my point\, no financial argument to new orleans not becoming a state for its betterment holds any water. \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260204 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 33 01/29/2026 DTSTAMP:20260129T161751Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:637-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n MY PROSE BEFORE THE ARTICLE IN QUESTION\n\n\n\n When I th ink about what I read from @Troy the owner of AALBC and then from Wannaby the CEO of Deviantart. I realize the assessment of websites has an intere sting history. First\, what is speculation. Speculation is a thing that lo oks. In finance this doesn't mean even financial assessment\, it means tho se with the power to rate or rank different items in the market place deci de on their own agendas what has value or not. The Website formerly called Twitter(TWFCT - pronounced twofist)\, has the largest expanse of small te xt blocks\, of any website. but does it really make any money? Deviantart is speculated at less value than TWFCT but is it really? I am on TWFCT as well as Deviantart and if I am blunt\, TWFCT has no value. 99.99% of the c ontent of TWFCT is trash\, daily ramblings that are usually repeats. While Deviantart is mostly art: photographs of sewing-crotchet-sculpture-cospla y -and many other physical craft /screenplays/poems/photographic arts[blac k and white or color]/fractal art. Deviantart for me is one of the few web sites i actually enjoy for itself. Twitter's strength is the volume of use rs\,like tiktok\, like facebook and other members of the meta clan of webs ites. But very little quality in their posts. But the speculators for webs ites don't bother with post quality\, they bother with volume of users. \ n\n\n\n If my experience getting others to create has an result\, it is ho w hard it is to get people to create. People can complain/bitch/argue/yell through the internet easily. That is done a lot and treated as natural or positive in most places online. But getting people to actually create\, u se their imagination. Build something with more than just their pulpit pas sions is very challenging\, in my experience. So... I end my prose saying to all to assess the quality of where you are online. Yes\, the fiscal env ironment allows for fiscal assessment of websites to be dysfunctional or i mbalanced because it has no rules. Like with the evaluation of stocks and many other things\, the speculators are not presenting a balanced fiscal t ruth but an agenda driven scenario to keep wealth or value in certain spac es or ways. It is that simple. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation \n\n\n\n htt ps://www.deviantart.com/wannabby/journal/Transformation-complete-NEW-growt h-level-unlocked-1291193085\n\n\n\n THOUGHTS FROM THE CEO OF DEVIANTART\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DeviantArt turned 25 this past year and celebrated over 1 00 million registered users. To be precise we’re approaching 110 million users!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That is no small feat for an online art communi ty founded in 2000\, born on the early web\, predating Facebook\, Reddit\, and other social networks\, and stubbornly remaining the devious nexus of the internet for artists and art lovers from all walks of life and places .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It hasn’t always been a smooth ride\, and we’ve f aced our fair share of challenges along the way. But as we celebrate our q uarter century and step into the next phase of our journey\, I can proudly say that DeviantArt is more alive and vibrant than ever before.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I joined the company nine years ago following the Wix acquisiti on - first as COO\, and for the last four years as CEO. I want to share a bit about where we started and how we’re doing today\, especially for th ose who might’ve seen commentary about DeviantArt from people reacting f rom a distance\, rather than from experience.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n “But\, someone on the internet said that DeviantArt is… dying.”\n\n\n\n \n It’s a convenient web troll narrative. It’s also dead wrong.\n \n\n \n\n Let’s address this ridiculous nonsense once and for all. There has been no “downfall of DeviantArt\,” nor any mass exodus. Quite the oppo site\; today\, the community is larger than ever. \n\n\n\n Around the tim e of the Wix acquisition\, we had roughly 36 million registered users. Now \, we’re approaching 110 million - more than 3X growth in our user base. Let that sink in.\n\n\n\n As we wrap up our 25th year\, let me be abundan tly clear:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n DeviantArt hasn’t just survived. Devia ntArt is growing faster and more deliberately than we have in a long\, lon g time. \n \n\n\n\n After years of rebuilding\, we have officially complet ed a full transformation: of network\, product\, and business.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n As you may have figured out by now\, I’m not going to sugarcoat anything in this post. I’m planting a freaking huge flag at the top of t he peak we’ve climbed.\n\n \n\n And the best part? The story is just sta rting.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n First\, the hard truth: The network DID declin e… for too many years\n\n\n\n For a long stretch in the 2010s\, DeviantA rt wasn’t growing the way it should have.\n\n The decline wasn’t a sin gle “exodus” moment where everyone left overnight. It was more like a slow bleed: daily network signals gradually trending down\, year after yea r\, after year. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Here’s what that looked like in our core network signals from 2013 to 2019:\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n (Network decline: Daily Unique Watcher s and Favers\, Jan 2013–Jun 2019)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Alongside the decli ning network\, our business model wasn’t anything to brag about either. Most of the business revenue came from third-party ads\, essentially “re nting out” creators’ art to earn pennies on ad clicks that ultimately just sent users off the platform and worsened the bleed.  \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n That period matters because it sets the context for what comes next: \n\n We weren’t dealing with a community that disappeared. We were deali ng with a platform that needed rebuilding - technically\, product-wise\, a nd strategically - so that the community could thrive again.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 2017-2025: Nine years of rebuilding\, in three phases\n\n\n\n Phase 1: Stop the bleeding (2017-2019)\n\n\n\n With the Wix acquisition of Devia ntArt\, a new era began. The priority was blunt and urgent: stabilize\, mo dernize\, and reverse the decline. That’s what drove Eclipse: a new core experience\, stronger foundations\, and a push to make DeviantArt feel re levant and usable again. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And yes\, some people still miss the old “dA.” But nostalgia isn’t a strategy\, and it definitel y doesn’t scale. The platform was outdated\, suffering from a lack of in novation and investment that held the network back.\n\n\n\n \n Like it or not\, DeviantArt Eclipse is what kicked off the network turnaround and re growth. \n \n\n\n\n Of course\, no platform is perfect. We're realistic t hat Eclipse had its issues\, and we've spent the years since relentlessly correcting mistakes and iterating based on community feedback.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Phase 2: Rebuild the network (2019-2023)\n\n\n\n After Eclipse lau nched\, we iterated relentlessly. Product and UX improvements\, alongside continued significant engineering and ML infra investment\, helped pull en gagement back up. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A new generation of creators and ar t lovers found their home on DeviantArt. Starting in 2019\, daily active u sers on DeviantArt began climbing steadily\, and core network signals (inc luding submissions\, watches\, comments\, and faves) shifted into consiste nt\, sustained growth. And finally\, in 2023\, we completely removed third -party ads from the platform. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Remember those same cor e signals that declined for years? After all our blood\, sweat\, and tears \, they turned - and by the end of 2025\, fundamental engagement actions l ike “Watch” (following a creator) and “Fave” activity aren’t onl y back\; they’re trending up with sustained momentum.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is the part that matters for anyone who thinks “DA is dying”:\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A dying platform doesn’t steadily climb in the fundamen tals of a creator network. A dying platform doesn’t rebuild trust with l ong-time members while becoming appealing to a whole new generation.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n That’s exactly what we did with DeviantArt.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n From June 2019 to December 2025\, DeviantArt saw a 4X increase in Daily Unique Watchers\, and a 2.5X increase in Daily Unique Favers.\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And here’s the full arc: down (2013-2019)\, then back u p\, and now building unstoppable momentum.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n (DeviantArt Network Growt h: Daily Unique Watchers and Favers\, Jan 2013–Dec 2025)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Phase 3: Monetization becomes an engine (2023-2025)\n\n\n\n Over the l ast two and half years\, we did something that has changed the trajectory of the platform.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We stopped treating creators' monetiza tion as a side-set of isolated features and started treating it as a core part of DeviantArt’s value proposition: building a real creator economy powered by a true creative network. That shift went hand-in-hand with the decision we made back in 2023 to remove ads completely. Instead of promoti ng advertisers\, we decided to promote our monetizing creators.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Seems obvious now\, but when you generate billions of page views monthly and need to pay expensive AWS bills\, quick ad money isn’t easil y let go.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Make no mistake. It has been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made: tying our success as a company to the success of our users.\n\n\n\n \n Today\, DeviantArt makes money when our artists make money. \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n While the IGs and TikToks of the worl d are still chasing ad clicks and selling your data\, we're betting on our artists\, the way a true creative network should.\n\n There’s not a sin gle day I look at the platform and don’t think\, “Good riddance to f*c king ads!”\n\n  \n\n\n\n Helping creators succeed is a much better focu s and mission\, and one that we are very proud of as a company.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Monetization: We didn’t just experiment\, we proved the model.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This 25-year anniversary is a symbolic moment\, but the transformation is measurable.\n\n\n\n We proved that creator monetization works\, not as a side feature\, but as an engine. We moved from “this s hould work someday” to “this works now\,” with real\, sustained grow th behind it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n In 2025\, creators sold over $23 mill ion on DeviantArt\, 11X more than in 2022.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n In fac t\, in 2025\, creators sold more on DeviantArt than they did in the previo us FIVE years combined! \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And the most important par t is what it signifies: DeviantArt is no longer rebuilding just to become sustainable. We’re scaling from a foundation that works\, a foundation t hat’s rock solid.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n (DeviantArt Creator Sales\, 2020–2025)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The final ele phant in the room: Let’s talk AI art\n\n\n\n DeviantArt was founded as a home for digital creators\, deviants of traditional art\, back when digit al tools were still controversial and digital art was not considered “re al art.” Since then\, we’ve always been a home to all creators and all types of art\, and we’re not about to change that now.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Over the last few years\, AI technology became available worldwide. In 2022\, we were one of the first major platforms to embrace AI-generated ar t.\n\n\n\n \n This was a deliberate choice\, made with the conviction tha t it would expand access to creativity\, welcome new types of creators\, a nd become a vital tool for the next generation of artists. \n \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n But we didn't stop there. We were proactive in establishing neces sary standards. We introduced clear directives and community guidelines\, starting with tagging of AI art for transparency\, empowering our users to control what they consume and to curate their experience. These early act ions set a benchmark\, and many other platforms have followed.\n\n\n\n Boy \, we got A LOT of heat. But\, we were also 100% right. Since then\, we ha ve been seeing waves of new creators leveraging this tech and co-existing with traditional digital artists\, and the lines between them are starting to blur.  \n\n\n\n \n\n We have no plans to stop and will continue to c hampion all our creators\, whatever tools or tech they use in their creati ve process (obviously as long as they abide by our policy and the law).\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It’s in our name. We are home to all deviants and all a rt: every style\, genre\, and creator\n\n  \n\n\n\n DeviantArt has long b een one of the world’s largest creative communities\, and we’ve always been proud of the range of art our creators make here. You’ll find the classic pillars of digital creativity - photography\, illustration\, pain ting\, design\, fan art\, comics\, and concept art - as well as the more d evious corners of the art world: manga\, cosplay\, kinky\, and mature artw ork.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There’s a saying: “We’re not everyone’s cu p of tea\, we’re the champagne.” But the truth about DeviantArt is dif ferent: we’re the tea and the champagne - and yes\, the milkshake\, matc ha\, and tequila too. You get it\, right? Name your drink\, DeviantArt has got it. A full-spectrum home for creators across every style\, genre\, an d vibe. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What do I mean by full spectrum?\n\n\n\n \n In 2025 alone\, creators submitted close to 100 million deviations across approximately 150 genres and major categories. \n \n\n\n\n These pieces we re tagged with over 3.8 million different tags\, a testament to the incred ible breadth of creativity on the platform.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We don’t hide that spectrum. We celebrate it. Because creativity isn’t one aesthe tic\, one culture\, or one comfort zone. And for anyone trying to reduce D eviantArt to a single label: that says more about their lens than about th e platform. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Running a massive UGC platform at sca le comes with its challenges. \n \n\n\n\n We’re also realistic about wha t it means to operate a massive UGC network at global scale. When you host millions of creators and billions of interactions\, you inherit the same challenges every major platform faces: content moderation edge cases\, bad actors\, spam\, scams\, and occasional fraud. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In a w ay\, it’s an unfortunate byproduct of success: growth attracts more crea tivity\, but it also attracts more bad actors attempting to exploit the sy stem.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We don’t pretend those issues don’t exist. We see them\, we measure them\, and we’re relentless about eliminating the m - improving detection\, tightening enforcement\, and investing in the sy stems and teams that keep DeviantArt safe\, fair\, and creator-first.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n So deviants\, if you’ve been away\, consider this your in vitation back home. \n\n\n\n DeviantArt has always been more than a galle ry. It’s a living network\, a place where creation\, discovery\, and bel onging collide.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So whether you joined last week or in 2 003: submit a piece\, watch an artist you admire\, leave a thoughtful comm ent\, or add something you love to a collection. And if you’re one of th ose people who occasionally thinks\, “I should log in to my DA profile a gain sometime” - do it. Make it this week!\n\n\n\n \n The network i sn’t “coming back.” It already has. \n\n BIG time!\n \n\n\n\n Afte r 25 years\, the party is on\, and you’re welcome to join.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 2026: We’re not slowing down\, we’re scaling\n\n\n\n After years of foundational work\, and after proving both the network momentum and th e creator economy\, we’re entering a new phase with no constraints.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n We’ve leveled up and are ready for this stage. Now it’s about scaling on all fronts.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You’ll see us keep push ing the network forward\, growing the creator economy\, and compounding th e value of what’s already working.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And yes\, we have a few surprises coming in 2026.\n\n Not vague “someday” promises\, but tangible actions that will truly expand the canvas for our community\, br eaking down language barriers and enabling new ways for creators to connec t and earn through physical expressions.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n More community . More creation. More ways to grow. More ways to earn.\n\n\n\n Your turn ( I genuinely want your comments on this one)\n\n\n\n \n \n When did you first join DeviantArt?\n \n \n \n \n If you left at some point - what would make you stick this time?\n \n \n \n \n What’s one thing you w ant us to protect at all costs as we grow?\n \n \n\n\n\n \n\n Be devious. Onward and upward.\n\n - Moti\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cover art by @BisBiswas\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1237 7-a-quality-of-websites/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/events/event/635-economic-corner-32-01282026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/657-econ omic-corner-34-02202026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260129 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black History Month Chinese New Year 2026 DTSTAMP:20260218T135737Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:656-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Black -History-Month-Chinese-New-Year-2026-1300249299\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\ n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black History Month Chinese New Year 2026 \n\n\n\n While honoring Black history\, let's celebrate the Lunar New Year \, which originates from China.\n\n\n\n For Lunar new year\,\n\n\n\n To yo ur family\, people you love whom love you\, say\n\n\n\n Xīnnián h ǎo\" (新年好) which means 'New Year Goodness' in a series the symbols mean: new year good\n\n\n\n To strangers or those you do not love\, say\n\ n\n\n \"Xīnnián kuàilè\" (新年快乐)\, which means 'New Year happin ess' in a series the symbols mean: New Year Fast Joy\n\n\n\n As it is the year of the horse\, the symbol for horse is 马 transliterates to \"ma\" . Notice how similar it is to the symbol for question mark 吗 which is als o pronounced \"ma\". The horse is a beloved creature in China \, from the Manchurians to Mongols above them. China's capitol has been from its north most of its history where the people of the hills or steppe are one with the horse.\n\n\n\n The phrase 你好吗 or Ni-Hao-Ma can be interpreted as \"You Good?\"\n\n\n\n 你 = ni 好-hao 吗-ma\n\n\n\n If you know your Wu Xing (五行) \, the five elements : wood/fire/earth/metal/water \, then you know this is the year of a Fire Horse.\n\n\n\n The Fire Horse\n\n\n\n The Fire Horse is a significant element in the Chinese zodiac\, representi ng a rare combination that occurs only once every 60 years. The Year of th e Fire Horse begins on February 17\, 2026\, and is associated with qualiti es such as freedom\, enthusiasm\, intelligence\, and a strong drive for mo vement and progress. People born under this sign are often described as so cial\, adventurous\, and self-directed\, but they can also be prone to imp atience or impulsive decisions. The fire element amplifies the horse's nat ural dynamism\, making this zodiac sign particularly magnetic and high-ene rgy.\n\n\n\n The horse is known for : freedom\, enthusiasm\, intelligence\ , and a strong drive for movement and progress.\n\n\n\n Fire enhances all signs with: visibility\, passion\, momentum\, and transformation.\n\n\n\n Firemares!\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHWpi-5TjFQ\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Now where does Black history and China blend?\n\n\n\n From my own research \, look at INFORMATION REFERRALS below\, the earliest historical figure is an Empress Li Lingrong\n\n\n\n \, from the Jin dynasty [ 266–4 20 AD ] the earliest mythological figure I can discern that is Kunlun or B lack is Mole \, a negrito person enslaved\, written in the Tang Dynasty [ 618–690\, 705–907 ] now I found out that chinese historians had sugges ted the Kunlun were described at the time of the Tang from what in moderni ty is called Cambodia or Vietnam\, which have Negritos in them. What you h ave to comprehend is that many from modern day India or China have migrate d into southeast asia\, leading to changes in the appearance of people in those regions as well as making new heritages. So with that I said\, let's see Mimada in the Jin Dynasty\, an assistant to the Empress Li Lingrong. Her shanqun has : a yellow/brown with spots/purple striped qun/skirt\, a b lack weichang/apron like on the skirt\, a champagne pink duijin/collar\, a cherry blossom pink shan or ru/jacket or coat\, a silver chanshan/shirt w ith Mimada in chinese symbols [pronounced Chu Tau]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Colo ring pages gallery\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/47 013691/comic-coloring-pages\n\n\n\n Do you want a Coloring page made by me for your own use? Use the following link\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/hddeviant/commission/Single-Coloring-Page-1732448\n\n\n\n Mimada Galler y\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery?q=mimada\n\n\n\n Mi mada elsewhere\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/favourites?q=m imada\n\n\n\n #mimada #lunarnewyear #chinesenewyear #kunlun #fire #horse # 新年快乐 #2026 #coloringpage #blackhistory #hddeviant #deviantart #ric hardmurray #aalbc #rmaalbc #Kobo #kwl #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n INFORMATION REFERRALS\n\n\n\n early story of an indigenous bla ck Asian\, commonly called negrito today\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Kunlun_Nu\n\n\n\n It takes place during the Dali reign era (766-80) o f Emperor Daizong of Tang and follows the tale of a young man named Cui wh o enlists the aid of Mole\, his negrito slave\, to help free his beloved w ho was forced to join a court official's harem. At midnight\, Mole kills t he guard dogs around the compound and carries Cui on his back while easily jumping to the tops of walls and bounding from roof to roof. With the lov ers reunited\, Mole leaps over ten tall walls with both of them on his bac k. Cui and his beloved are able to live happily together in peace because the official believes that she was kidnapped by youxia warriors and does n ot want to make trouble for himself by pursuing them. However\, two years later\, one of the official's attendants sees the girl in the city and rep orts this. The official arrests Cui and\, once he hears the entire story\, sends men to capture the negrito slave. But Mole escapes with his dagger (apparently his only possession) and flies over the city walls in order to escape apprehension. He is seen over ten years later selling medicine in the city Luoyang\, not having aged a single day.\n\n\n\n A study of Blacks in Africa\n\n\n\n https://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp122_chinese_afric a.pdf\n\n\n\n excerpt\n\n\n\n The lin shu \"it. (History of the Jin) descr ibes Empress Li\, a concubine of\n\n\n\n Emperor Xiao Wuwen (373-397): \". ..She was tall and her coloring was black. All the\n\n\n\n people in the p alace used to call her Kunlun.\" Was the term kunlun synonymous with\n\n\n \n dark skin? This anecdote comes from a history of the Jin dynasty (265-4 20)\, before\n\n\n\n African slaves had been imported into China and befor e the Chinese had made significant\n\n\n\n contacts with Southeast Asian c ountries. So when and why did the term kunlun take on\n\n\n\n this meaning ?\n\n\n\n excerpt\n\n\n\n The meanings ofthe word kunlun expanded during t he Tang to include the races\,\n\n\n\n countries\, and languages of Southe ast Asia. The Former Tang History describes the\n\n\n\n homeland ofthe kun lun people: \"The people living to the south of Linyi [present-day\n\n\n\n Vietnam] have curly hair and black bodies and are commonly called Kunlun. The\n\n\n\n description of the country of Zhenla (present-day Cambodia) a lso includes\n\n\n\n information on the kunlun: ~'The country of Zhenla is northwest of Linyi. It was\n\n\n\n originally a dependent of Funan. It is of the kunlun type. This appears to be the\n\n\n\n earliest Chinese indic ation of the kunlun as a racial group with a specific homeland.\n\n\n\n Re ferral\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunlun_Nu_people#Taiping_Guan gji\n\n\n\n Li Lingrong\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Lingrong\ n\n\n\n Emperor Jianwen of Jin \, husband of Li Lingrong\n\n\n\n https://e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jianwen_of_Jin\n\n\n\n Emperor Xiao Wuwen (37 3-397) son of Li Longrong\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Xi aowu_of_Jin\n\n\n\n Tang fashion for women\n\n\n\n https://totallyhistory. com/tang-dynasty-clothing/\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_f ashion_in_ancient_China\n\n\n\n https://www.newhanfu.com/3116.html\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Jin fashion\n\n\n\n https://www.interactchina.com/blog/fashion-t imeline-of-chinese-women-clothing-/\n\n\n\n Batek People\n\n\n\n https://e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batek_people#\n\n\n\n image\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipe dia.org/wiki/Batek_people#/media/File:Keluarga_suku_Bateq_167.jpg\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Clothing elements\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruqun\n\n \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ru_(upper_garment)\n\n\n\n https://en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/Qixiong_ruqun\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02192026\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1300249299/526 7069631\n\n\n\n SpaceScholar\n\n\n\n  commented on Black History Month Chinese New Year 2026 .19 mins ago\n\n\n\n Nice Jin Dynasty hanfu! Hanfu doesn't get enough attention in my opinion. The account of Empress Li was written in the Tang Dynasty\, and the text contains many anachronisms and inaccuracies with no contemporary evidence for her {though if she did inde ed exist\, I do doubt she was 'African'\, an the surrounding context impli es she was a local Chinese person}. However\, I find it useful for another reason- during the Tang\, the Kunlun- if you'll pardon the phrase- 'magic al negrito' was a popular trope\, and with the supernatural aspects attach ed to the account of Empress Li\, it was a familiar thing to put in this h istorical account as it would've been familiar in the popular literature o f the time. It's a fascinating reflection of the times!😉\n\n\n\n HDdevi ant\n\n\n\n just now\n\n\n\n Well\, the long shirt \, qibao \, meets the m odern fashion trends better than ensemble dresses like a shanqun. Yeah\, t he biggest issue is a lack of imagery. I tried to find an image of her son or grandson but I was unable\, that would give at least some notion. And that is why I used her for Black history. Black doesn't equal African in t he same way White doesn't equal European. African / Asian/ European / Amer ican are geographic designations. Each geography has black or white people s. If you look at the eskimo they have a white skin. If you look at the ar awak northern south america\, they have a black skin. In the same way the Mongolian peoples are asian\, but have a white skin. the BAtek \, in moder n vietnam have a black skin. Part of my purpose in this was publicizing my own personal views towards Black peoples. I am a Black person and I am of African descent. But\, too many peoples\, non blacks + blacks\, miscompre hend Black equaling African. The Aborigine of modern australia\, the indig enous sri lankans at the tip of the indian subcontinent\, they are not afr icans\, but they are black. And in asia + africa\, when you look at the in tersection of where northern peoples victorious in war interacted with sou thern peoples you see the mixed/arab/mulato/pardo/brown people. The wealth y people of Egypt/Sri Lanka/Indonesia/Malaysia/Morocco/Iraq are all whiter \, the majority of the peoples\,usually poor\, are blacker. That proves my point. you see this in south africa\, who are the coloreds? That is why I implied native black asian peoples\, not black africans.\n\n\n\n Yes\, co mmonly accepted media interpretations\, commonly called tropes/turns\, exi st. . No need to be pardoned. As a writer I don't create magical negritos to save the non negrito. In the same way Italians hate the mafioso trope. Blond haired white women hate the dumb blond trope. All peoples have negat ive tropes in literature. The key I argue is for any person who feels insu lted by a trope not to buy into that trope in their own creations. I can't tell or demand someone else what to do but I can control my own art. But I also feel the trope of the vile white slaver\, which was well known in t he late 1800s in the usa is also allowable. Do you get my point?\n\n\n\n S he is interesting. It is too bad I couldn't find an illustration\, I know china from its earliest times was illustrative so maybe somewhere is an il lustration that can make the history clear to her identity. But I think ev en if the empress is false in being described as Kunlun\, I can believe in the harem of the chinese emperor \, who was able to get women from mongol ia\, india\, japan\, that a Kunlun woman from south of china was in there. and if not the emperor\, there has to be Kunlun's in southern china simpl y by proximity. And as you say the popularity of the art form\, proves Kun lun's were known. It is like Othello. Yes\, the fiscally common person in england didn't see a black person on average. But all the wealthy people 1 00% knew Black people were real in seeing one or in illustrated books. ... Thanks for the dialog Happy to have it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02202026\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/13002 49299/5267135978\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SpaceScholar\n\n\n\n Yesterday\n\n\n\n I see. Thanks for explaining your definition of 'black'\, as in skin tone \, and it does make sense. My only critiques of it would be by what standa rd of white/black do you go by? How dark does a person have to be to be bl ack or light to be white? My only other issue with it is these various 'bl ack' peoples have no genetic\, cultural or linguistic ties to each other s o it seems to be a mere physical descriptor. As for the class divisions in various places like Sri Lanka\, Egypt\, southeast Asia and such\, I perso nally wouldn't call these peoples 'white' for the same reason. Africans an d their descendants overseas themselves have various shades of skin- so wo uld that make some of them \"whiter\" than others? Perhaps white/black cou ld be see as a spectrum rather than a hard line binary with degrees within individuals.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There's no nee to reply- I hope I didn't offend you. I was just curious and wanted to share my own thoughts on the matter. It's interesting either way.\n\n\n\n HDdeviant\n\n\n\n just now\n\ n\n\n My pleasure\, black is a phenotypical designation\, a phenotypical r ace. That is why it isn't cultural or linguistic. In the same way African\ , is many cultures or languages\, they are not linked. Iran and Japan are all on the asiatic continental shelf yet are they culturally or linguistic ally alike? they are both asian from a geographic perspective.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n So to answer the question underneath the ones you asked\, the crit iques/judgements you gave\, my definitions of black or white or similar ph enotypical groupings or races are not mandatory for any other to prescribe to though i know some other humans besides me do and some other humans do n't. Viewing race isn't meant to be a science/something known. Race since the earliest humans who lived by traveling with the seasons\, differed the mselves by their mere groupings\, are all perceptions/ways of groups of hu mans to organize as they see fit\, for better or worse. They can be negati vely or positively biased. Can be enforced as a heritage/something carried in the home or through the whip. Can be made as a culture/something grown in a similar way. Can be considerate to all humans. Trying to make any ra cial system outside genetic ones is always open to interpretation. I resta te\, outside genetic labels[human/male/female/child of/parent of]\, any ot her labeling: black/white/european/asian/old/young/christian/muslim/ and t he many others are all defineable to each human in humanity \, can be adhe red to by many\, millions\, but it doesn't mean it has to be adhered to by all. It doesn't mean the lone person with another definition is wrong.\n\ n\n\n People who don't view Turks as Europeans. People who don't view fift y year olds as old. No need exist to convince either way. I have never bee n to china\, don't speak chinese\, don't have the most common appearance o f a chinese male. but if I go to china and say I am chinese now. Many will say I am not\, you will say I am not\, and give various reasons\, all bas ed on a definition to being chinese that I do not fit\, but that doesn't r eally matter. What matters is me. Maybe in ten years others you call chine se say I am chinese too. Does it mean those who say I am not chinese are w rong? no. The lesson is comprehend various racial schema\, as you did to m y and others definition of black. And whether you embrace a racial schema or not\, that is your choice at any time\, but all your choice. In india t oday\, cause I know people personally from india\, some humans believe tha t some other humans are of a race whose shadow can not be touched. Do I ut ilize said racial caste schema in india? no. Do my Indian friends? no. But I comprehend the racial schema.The people in india who believe that I am not going to try and regale from it. Nor do I think they need to change th eir mind. They will or will not change their mind when they are ready. Wha t matters is I choose to not use said racial schema\, while I accept other s doing likewise or other.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I apologize if I seemed to s uggest a hardline\, black or white or other phenotypical labels like mixed or colored are phenotypical ranges.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All human beings h ave a genetic ties\, ala genus and species\, genetic races\, which are als o physical descriptors\, more internal than external\, not of appearance b ut of the cellular makeup. but genetic description is physical. not cultur al or heritagewise or linguistic.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ... Modern humanity h as a problem\, the technology of communication is so potent\, all human be ings know humanity is a racially complex species. But very few humans are used to living offline in a highly multiracial environment. I am from NYC\ , it is an ugly city in many ways\, arguably most\, but NYC has beauty as well\, beauty in many ways\, and one of the beautiful things about NYC is if you live in this city and engage in its street life\, be amongst its pe ople\, who come from all over the world literally\, you become accustomed to the other\, the stranger. I didn't say befriend or hate or love or disl ike\, but become accustomed/gain the habit of living by. The problem for s o much discourse online is offline\, most humans come from small towns or monoracial communities where everyone fits into one racial category. and s o they are not accustomed to the other\, the stranger\, the foreigner\, th e immigrant\, the migrant\, and online they express their discomfort with what they are not accustomed too\, a negativity in various levels of inten sity.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I am accustomed offline to talking about many top ics\, in a wide range \, but civilly. I think we did well\n\n\n\n Always b e creating!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02202026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\ n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1300249299/5267227904\n\n\n\n Spac eScholar\n\n\n\n 6 hours ago\n\n\n\n Thank you for elaborating! You made a good point about genetics being an internal physical descriptor. Still\, I personally wouldn't describe dark skinned peoples as all 'black' or ligh ter peoples 'white'. But I really liked that you made clear that your defi nition of 'black' is your own\, and not meant to be anyone elses. and you don't expect others to abide by it'. Civil discourse online is something l acking these days.\n\n\n\n Badge Awards\n\n\n\n HDdeviant\n\n\n\n just now \n\n\n\n my pleasure\, I admit it is easy for me to be this way cause I wa s raised this way. I have seen offline many people who were not raised by their parents to speak distinctly between truth and opinion. A mistake too many parents make. ... to your last sentence\, I wish to defend humanity ... I think the world offline is treated unevenly by many of us today\, in circa 2026. It is 2026\, but in the year 1926\, what was humanity at that moment? Did it make the earth an environment of peace? no. Was it an exam ple of family/loving ones en masse? no. Most in humanity in 1926 were cont rolled/enslaved/abused by one part of humanity\, that part being people of white european descent who forced all others to speak a tongue of western europe\, be christian\, abide by books written by those of white european descent absent consideration to any other peoples. Those who were not for ced were usually killed\, ala the native american in the usa. I argue civi l discourse \, throughout all humanity\, was far less present in 1926 than 2026. And leading to today\, how many wars occurred in humanity? Not just the wars that get tons of movies like the commonly called in english Worl d War two. But wars like the sino-indian war\, [I don't know what it is ca lled in china or india]between china and india over kashmir and tibet. No two may concur on the purpose or value of any war\, but one thing everyone knows \, wars are not civil discourse\, and humanity spent the entirety o f the 1900s in alot of wars. So the internet when it was started was confi ned to mostly the usa populace\, and various fiscally wealthy or universit ies about humanity. but as the internet has expanded its reach\, the large r truth of humanity's discourse offline has become reality online. I argue \, discourse online is merely matching the discourse offline because the i nternet is able to reach more than in its earlier days. The good news is t hat the internet is so large today \, anyone using it can find enclaves of civil discourse if they want it as you and I both show. The pertinent que stion is how can the majority in humanity offline + online have civil disc ourse? I don't know any guarantee to that destination.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260217 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 14 - 02/15/2025 DTSTAMP:20250215T211820Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:195-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner 14 - the black farmer of the usa\n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n In 1920 \, white records have 925\,708 Black Farmers\, thi s doesn't include Black people still share cropping or farming through pri son labor. Remember Alice [ https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurr ay/?status=1830&\;type=status \; https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-ri chardmurray/?status=1925&\;type=status ] How many Black people were ac tually farming in 1920 that did not own their own land\, but were entrappe d in legal while criminal situations?\n\n By 2017 the recorded number of B lack Farmers in the USA is 48\,697. That is 5.260514114602013%\n\n Ten per cent of 925\,708 is 92\,570.8 so it is clear the numbers are not false. As the brother in the video said\, when the war between the states ended the biggest problem is black people in the usa had no where to go[no lands wh ites havent been to]\, no revenue or products to get there[no wealthy blac ks that could invest in some long journey like white jews later]\, and had no government willing to ship them[ala the English government that shippe d tons of undesirables to the place they called the new world]\n\n So\, Bl ack people in the usa at the end of the war between the states had to live side their slavers... former slavers\, now just abusers. It is illegal to enslave\, but it isn't illegal to hinder or harm or stall or restrict as long as no shackles are involved or no evidence of physical harm can be fo und or will be found by the legal authorities who just happen to be nonbla ck. \n\n But\,the Black Farmers need two things primarily. They need more but I will speak to immediacy. 1) they need financial support 2)They need a venue they have access to alone. \n\n\n\n The numbers are clear\, whit e power\, white violence\, attacked the black farming industry\, from the end of the war between the states to today and the local/county/state gove rnments of the south where DOS farms are\, were and are completely complic it in the attacks\, whether legal or not. \n\n\n\n I could had argued Bla ck Farmers need protection but here is the problem for the Black Farmer\, specifically the Black DOS farmer. The federal government is the only aspe ct of government in the usa that is willing to help and that is only becau se of federal rules\, the states/county/local governments are all against them. And you can't move a farm. \n\n\n\n so even though I say money+an e xcusive market is needed\, neither will keep Black Farms from being attack ed. \n\n\n\n Going aside other Economic Corners\, Black Farmers could be given exclusive rights to producing the foods for the eateries in a black owned sports league or set of teams. but first the teams will have to be o wned and they will have to be privately owned. I am 100% certain a publicl y traded firm or a firm that earns government funds will be sued if it use s food exclusively from Black Farmers\, simply because the history of whit e farmers is to lawsuit any gain by black farmers. \n\n\n\n I saw the vid eo below and a black farmer said he needed $20\,000... where are the black one percent ? $20\,000 is not some mountain of money for 2025 Black One P ercent. Beyonce/Lebron/Oprah earn far more than $20\,000 a day right? \n\ n So\, the Black Farmers have been crying out for help since 1865\, where are the Black One Percent to help them? \n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n ARTICLE\n\n Black farmers fight to keep their land\, cultivate next genera tion\n\n “It’s about fairness\,” John Boyd Jr.\, a farmer and fierce advocate\, said.\n\n ByMonica DelaRosa\, Alison Lynn\, and Anthony Rivas\ n\n June 18\, 2021\, 10:47 AM\n\n John Boyd Jr.\, a fourth-generation farm er\, grew up close to his 1\,000-acre farm in southern Virginia where he n ow grows soybeans\, wheat and livestock.\n\n Boyd\, of Baskerville\, Virgi nia\, is also the founder of the non-profit National Black Farmers Associa tion\, which educates and advocates for Black farmers’ civil rights\, la nd retention and access to public and private loans\, among other initiati ves.\n\n Boyd and his father farmed together for 30 years and his grandpar ents were sharecroppers after the abolition of slavery in 1865.\n\n “I k now there were slaves and sharecroppers that helped build these barns here \,” Boyd told ABC News. “You can see the logs were hand-carved by wood en axes. … Just looking at that reminds me of history\, where I came fro m and where we have to go in this country.”\n\n As part of his efforts w ith the NBFA\, Boyd has worked to attract more Black people who are intere sted in farming\, as well as to protect their rights and their land\, even riding a mule-drawn wagon and driving a tractor to Washington\, D.C.\, to lobby Congress.\n\n “The most powerful tool you can possess\, only seco ndary to Jesus Christ\, is land ownership\,” he said.\n\n To be a farmer in the U.S. is to be part of an aging but crucial industry. Black farmers \, especially\, have seen their numbers plummet from nearly 1 million at t he turn of the 20th century to only about 50\,000 today\, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While the reasons are complex\, they ulti mately come down to economics\, migration -- mainly to northern urban area s -- and discrimination and racism\, according to the Duke Sanford World F ood Policy Center.\n\n In 2017\, Black farmers were older than the overall population of U.S. farmers\, according to the 2017 agricultural census\, which said that their farms were smaller and the value of their agricultur al sales were less than 1% of the U.S. total. Due to more complete data co llection\, the census found that the number of Black producers was 5% high er than in 2012\, but the number of Black-operated farms dropped by 3%. In all\, 57% of Black-operated farms had sales and government payments of le ss than $5\,000 per year\, according to the census\, while 7% percent had sales and payments of $50\,000 or more when compared with 25% of all farms .\n\n A rich history of farming\n\n Black people have a rich history in fa rming predating slavery. Leah Penniman\, co-director of Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg\, New York\, said that the Mende and Wolof people of West Afric a were expert rice farmers kidnapped from their homes and taken to the Car olinas.\n\n “Our ancestral grandmothers had the courageous audacity to b raid seeds into their hair\,” Penniman told ABC News\, adding that they were transported in slave ships with okra\, cowpea\, egusi melon\, sorghum \, millet and eggplant seeds.\n\n Hundreds of years later\, when enslaved people were given freedom\, they were also promised no more than 40 acres of Confederate land along the Atlantic coast\, a plan from the federal gov ernment that came to be known widely by the phrase “40 acres and a mul e.”\n\n The government’s promise was broken soon after President Abrah am Lincoln was assassinated\, when his successor\, Andrew Johnson\, overtu rned the order and the land was given back to its original owners.\n\n “ If ‘40 acres and a mule’ had been a promise kept\, that [land] would b e worth almost $7 trillion today\,” Penniman said.\n\n Many of the forme r slaves became sharecroppers\, often renting land from their former owner s.\n\n “It didn’t just stop when we were freed\,” said Boyd. “Wher e were we free to go? We didn’t have any money. We didn’t have any res ources. So\, many Blacks stayed on these farms like my forefathers. … Th at’s how Blacks got land in the first place.”\n\n Boyd said the challe nge for Black farmers has been holding onto the land and believes the fede ral government has failed to adequately support farmers of color.\n\n “T he last plantation\,” as he calls the USDA\, is “the very agency tha t’s supposed to be lending me a hand up\, [and it is] the very agency pu tting Black farmers out of business.”\n\n Boyd said that even up until t he 1980s\, he would see the word “negro” on USDA applications and that at his area’s USDA office\, the only day they would see Black farmers w as on Wednesdays.\n\n “We named it Black Wednesday\,” he said.\n\n The USDA said in a statement to ABC News that it did include the word \"negro \" on the application Boyd referenced until at least 1988 and that it used the terms \"Black\" or \"African American\" since then. It also said the \"scenario\" Boyd recalled with regard to Wednesdays \"is a reprehensible one\, but we have no information to support the claim.\"\n\n \"It is clear that for much of the history of the USDA\, Black\, Hispanic\, Native Amer ican\, Asian American and other minority farmers have faced discrimination -- sometimes overt and sometimes through deeply embedded rules and polici es -- that have prevented them from achieving as much as their counterpart s who do not face these documented acts of discrimination\,\" the USDA sai d in its statement. \"We are committed to building a different USDA\, one that is committed to equality and justice\, celebrates diversity and is in clusive of all customers.\"\n\n Boyd said that since 1995\, “a half-tril lion dollars -- with a ‘T’ -- have been paid out to large-scale farmer s in this country in the form of just subsidies” by the USDA.\n\n \"That doesn’t include farm ownership loans\, farm equipment loans\, any of th ose things\, and little to none has went to Black farmers\,\" he said.\n\n In 1999\, the USDA settled the class action lawsuit Pigford v. Glickman\, and eventually paid more than $1 billion to Black farmers\, who claimed t hey were unfairly denied loans and other government assistance.\n\n “I t’s about fairness\,” Boyd said. “It’s about dignity and respect .”\n\n For Black farmers\, the tide is showing signs of turning. In Marc h\, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act\, a nearly $2 trillion law that directed $5 billion to farmers of color. Georgia Sen. Ra phael Warnock\, a Democrat\, co-sponsored the bill\, which is meant to pro vide additional relief to Americans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\n “The COVID-19 pandemic both illuminated and exacerbated long-standing h ealth disparities and economic disparities\,” Warnock told ABC News.\n\n Lestor Bonner\, a Vietnam War veteran and fifth-generation farm owner\, s aid that in 1893\, his great-grandfather bought the farm that he now works on. He said there’s only 136 acres left and that he needs $20\,000 to s ave it from foreclosure. The relief money\, he said\, could help jumpstart his business after a difficult year living through the COVID-19 pandemic. \n\n Bonner said he thought he would have the money by now “so I could g et a crop in the ground this year\,” he told ABC News.\n\n As part of th e American Rescue Plan Act\, the USDA had set up a loan forgiveness progra m that would have helped Bonner pay off his outstanding loans\, as well as pay for supplies and equipment to help him continue farming. But this mon th\, a federal judge in Wisconsin ordered the government agency to stop fo rgiving loans\, saying the program unconstitutionally uses race as a facto r in determining who is eligible.\n\n Penniman says her organization’s m ission is to help Black farmers hold onto their land\, as well as to intro duce young Black potential farmers to the occupation (the average age of B lack farmers is over 60).\n\n “We have between one and 2\,000 folks who come through for these courses every single year at the farm to learn ever ything from taking care of the soil to planting a seed\,” she said.\n\n Penniman said that many important agricultural techniques\, including many of the practices in organic farming\, like raised beds\, composting and c over-cropping “come out of an Afro-indigenous tradition.”\n\n Boyd\, f or his part\, said he’s “proud and excited to see young people” taki ng an interest in land ownership and farming.\n\n “There’s a new gener ation of Black farmers. I love that win\,” he said. “So\, I welcome th em to the fight and welcome them as farmers and stewards of the land and c ontributors to agriculture and the fruit base in this country. That’s wh at my fight is all about.”\n\n https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-farmers-f ight-land-cultivate-generation/story?id=78338282\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n http s://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWpUNrv6_P0\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT \n\n\n\n 0:00\n\nthe systematic exclusion of the black\n\n0:02\n\nfarmer h as been an ongoing fight since\n\n0:04\n\nthe days of lincoln\n\n0:05\n\na nd no one knows that fight better than\n\n0:08\n\nthe one man who's been i n the trenches\n\n0:09\n\nfor the last 30 years fighting the\n\n0:12\n\nun ited states government for the rights\n\n0:14\n\nof black farmers look at these yes you\n\n0:17\n\nguys do a big crop this is an ocean this\n\n0:20\ n\nis a beautiful crop i don't think i've\n\n0:21\n\nhad a crop like this probably in 20\n\n0:23\n\nyears\n\n0:24\n\nmeet john boyd jr a fourth gene ration\n\n0:27\n\nfarmer and founder of the national black\n\n0:30\n\nfarm ers association\n\n0:31\n\nhis 1993 lawsuit against the united\n\n0:34\n\n states department of agriculture led to\n\n0:36\n\ntheir first ever settle ment with an\n\n0:38\n\nindividual\n\n0:39\n\nand the subsequent class-act ion lawsuit\n\n0:41\n\nresulted in the largest ever settlement\n\n0:43\n\n from the federal government\n\n0:45\n\nbut only a fraction of those repres ented\n\n0:47\n\nfarmers have been paid out so i'm here\n\n0:50\n\non his soybean farm in boyton virginia\n\n0:52\n\nto hear how the fight's going\n \n0:55\n\nthey look brown well these are beautiful\n\n0:57\n\ni'm gonna ge t you to open one too okay\n\n0:58\n\nhere i come what's your method you b reak\n\n1:00\n\nit right down the middle you hold it\n\n1:01\n\nlike that okay\n\n1:03\n\nand you press it right down the middle\n\n1:05\n\nit's lik e a little pee you can actually\n\n1:07\n\nchew them\n\n1:08\n\noh\n\n1:09 \n\nyou see our taste it's sort of nutty too\n\n1:11\n\nand it really is d ense it's like almost\n\n1:13\n\nit's like it it like sticks in your\n\n1: 14\n\nteeth in a good way\n\n1:16\n\nlike fudge almost it's meaty\n\n1:19\ n\nit is it's meaty and it's soy burgers\n\n1:22\n\nyeah yeah mixed soybea ns up in\n\n1:24\n\neverything\n\n1:25\n\nif we're going to talk about soy beans\n\n1:27\n\ngotta talk about george washington\n\n1:29\n\ncarfur beca use in the 19th century after\n\n1:31\n\nyears of cotton and tobacco crop\ n\n1:33\n\ncultivation the soil was completely\n\n1:35\n\ndepleted so the hyper-intelligent george\n\n1:38\n\nwashington carver taught farmers about \n\n1:40\n\nthe importance of crop rotation and\n\n1:42\n\nshowed them tha t planting peanut crops\n\n1:44\n\nwill help replenish much needed nitroge n\n\n1:47\n\nin the soil\n\n1:48\n\nbut then the southern farms were left\ n\n1:50\n\nwith a surplus of peanuts so george\n\n1:53\n\nwashington carve r had to come to the\n\n1:54\n\nrescue once again\n\n1:56\n\ndr carver wen t into his lab and didn't\n\n1:58\n\ncome out until he published a paper\n \n2:00\n\nentitled how to grow the peanut and 105\n\n2:03\n\nways of prepa ring it for human\n\n2:04\n\nconsumption\n\n2:06\n\nthe peanut was the new cash crop and\n\n2:08\n\nboth he and the little legume were\n\n2:10\n\ncr edited as having saved the southern\n\n2:11\n\nfarm economy\n\n2:13\n\nbot h white and black farms alike\n\n2:17\n\nso if black farmers like george\n \n2:18\n\nwashington carver were innovative\n\n2:20\n\npreservationists wh y don't we see more\n\n2:22\n\nblack farmers in america today\n\n2:25\n\nt he decline in the black farmer\n\n2:28\n\nhad a few facets to it one was t he great\n\n2:31\n\nmigration and then you had horrific laws\n\n2:34\n\nof jim crow\n\n2:35\n\nwhere blacks weren't able to uh\n\n2:38\n\nobtain cre dit oh\n\n2:40\n\nyeah uh under the dakar administration\n\n2:43\n\nthey c ame up with the farmer's home\n\n2:44\n\nadministration that was supposed to help\n\n2:46\n\nblacks get loans and it did it did the\n\n2:49\n\noppos ite we're getting farm ownership\n\n2:51\n\nloans you work in farm operati ng loans\n\n2:54\n\ni take a step into the united states\n\n2:56\n\ndepart ment of agriculture and i stepped\n\n2:58\n\nback in time\n\n2:59\n\n387 d ays to process\n\n3:02\n\na black farm loan request in less than\n\n3:05\n \n30 days to process a white farmer's loan\n\n3:08\n\nrequest\n\n3:09\n\ni n the top 10 percent getters and u.s\n\n3:12\n\nfarm subsidies get over 1 million\n\n3:14\n\ndollars per farmer\n\n3:16\n\nand the average subsidy t o a black farm\n\n3:18\n\nis 222 dollars\n\n3:22\n\nno comparison we're no t even in the same\n\n3:25\n\nuh league and we haven't even made it to\n\n 3:27\n\nthat book\n\n3:28\n\nand as that process became more more\n\n3:30\ n\ndifficult more blacks left left farming\n\n3:33\n\nyou see both federal and local\n\n3:35\n\ngovernments have worked very\n\n3:37\n\nspecifically to deprive obstruct and\n\n3:39\n\nprevent land ownership by black people \n\n3:42\n\nlocal banks can deny loans local\n\n3:44\n\ngovernments can wr ite legislation that\n\n3:46\n\nbolsters those banks racist practices\n\n3 :49\n\nand the same thing happens on a federal\n\n3:51\n\nlevel too which has resulted in\n\n3:53\n\ncatastrophic losses within the black\n\n3:55\n\ nfarming community\n\n3:58\n\nso we experienced that from the\n\n3:59\n\ng overnment and and banks\n\n4:02\n\nbut we also faced that at local markets \n\n4:05\n\nthere was a time period where tobacco\n\n4:08\n\nbrought a hig her price when i sold it\n\n4:10\n\nthrough my white neighbor than it did\ n\n4:12\n\nwhen i sold it on my own\n\n4:14\n\noh\n\n4:15\n\nare you serio us yeah what year\n\n4:18\n\nah this is in the 90s\n\n4:20\n\nyeah\n\n4:21 \n\nand the i think you mad it makes me so\n\n4:24\n\nmad well it makes me it makes me mad\n\n4:29\n\nit gave me the drive and the motivation\n\n4:3 1\n\nto want to fix it yes\n\n4:34\n\nand\n\n4:35\n\nthat's what i sought out to do and\n\n4:36\n\nthat's what i've been doing for the past\n\n4:38\ n\n30 years\n\n4:39\n\nwhen black farmers sued the usda for\n\n4:41\n\nrac ial discrimination in 1993 and won\n\n4:44\n\nthey proved in court that th e federal\n\n4:46\n\ngovernment was systematically denying\n\n4:49\n\nloan s and financial support to black\n\n4:51\n\nfarmers\n\n4:52\n\nthat led to the largest civil rights\n\n4:54\n\nsettlement in u.s history but that\n\ n4:56\n\nsettlement money has only made it to\n\n4:58\n\nroughly 20 000 fa rmers of the 100 000\n\n5:01\n\nplus\n\n5:02\n\nthat were represented in t his suit\n\n5:04\n\nwhy\n\n5:05\n\nbecause bureaucratic red tape has cause d\n\n5:07\n\nthe proverbial can to just keep getting\n\n5:10\n\nkicked and rebundled under new bailout\n\n5:12\n\npackages\n\n5:18\n\n[Music]\n\n5:3 2\n\nyou\n\nEnglish (auto-generated)\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO2kWD1EjuM\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n \n\n\n 0:02\n\nwe're back with more of the exploitation\n\n0:05\n\nof blac k farmers in America now several\n\n0:08\n\nof them have sued and recently received\n\n0:10\n\nback pay after it was discovered by the\n\n0:13\n\nU. S labor department that immigrant\n\n0:15\n\nworkers white immigrant worke rs were\n\n0:17\n\nbeing given more money than the black\n\n0:19\n\nfarmer s and the black farmers were doing\n\n0:21\n\nthe exact same job it's a di sturbing\n\n0:23\n\nreality for many black American farmers\n\n0:26\n\nwho se numbers are dwindling by the day\n\n0:28\n\nstill with us is John Boyd Jr he's the\n\n0:31\n\nfounder and president of the national\n\n0:32\n\nbl ack Farmers Association now John when\n\n0:36\n\nyou were here uh we wante d to address\n\n0:38\n\nsome of the concerns we've had this\n\n0:40\n\ncon versation but we want to go deeper\n\n0:41\n\nrecently we saw that a feder al judge\n\n0:44\n\ndismissed your lawsuit about the four\n\n0:46\n\nbilli on dollar debt relief program for\n\n0:49\n\nblack Farmers essentially tha t was\n\n0:50\n\nPresident Biden including a specific uh\n\n0:54\n\nelemen t of that package that was\n\n0:55\n\nsupposed to provide relief to Black\ n\n0:57\n\nFarmers he reneged on that promise you\n\n1:00\n\nuh and attorn ey cromp and others file\n\n1:02\n\nsuit and now it's been dismissed where \n\n1:04\n\ndo you go next in this case\n\n1:07\n\nwell we have filed an a ppeal uh to\n\n1:11\n\nappeal that decision and and federal\n\n1:13\n\ncou rt and I'm hopeful that the courts\n\n1:15\n\nwill take a deeper look at I 'm going to\n\n1:17\n\nuse your words a deeper look into what\n\n1:18\n\nr eally happened uh to Black Farmers you\n\n1:21\n\nknow every time uh that we're promised\n\n1:23\n\nsomething in this country uh as black\n\n1:26\n\ npeople and in this case black Farmers\n\n1:28\n\nthey find a way not to g et us through\n\n1:31\n\nthe resources that are promised to us we\n\n1:33\ n\nwere promised a hundred and twenty\n\n1:35\n\npercent debt relief for t hat's for every\n\n1:36\n\nuh black farmer who is eligible and\n\n1:39\n\n other farmers of color uh that means 100\n\n1:41\n\ndebt relief 20 uh to p ay the taxes and\n\n1:46\n\nCongress repealed it under the\n\n1:49\n\nlead ership of uh President Biden and and\n\n1:52\n\nrecently he just we lost a big decision\n\n1:55\n\nand affirmative action people black\n\n1:57\n\npe ople going backwards we need to wake\n\n1:59\n\nup here we lost a big deci sion and on\n\n2:01\n\naffirmative action and the President\n\n2:03\n\nsay s he's going to dig deeper uh to come\n\n2:06\n\nup with something from on the stroke of\n\n2:08\n\nrepent from from his desk to help get\n\n2:11\n\ naround a possible on the actual debt\n\n2:14\n\nrelief measure for for co llege tuition\n\n2:17\n\nand all of these things we need him to\n\n2:19\n\ nuse this stroke of the pen to help get\n\n2:21\n\naround the issues that facing America's\n\n2:23\n\nblack farmers and uh you know why I\n\n2:26\n\ nwasn't at the same outrage when this\n\n2:28\n\nAdministration went back on its word to\n\n2:30\n\ndo that we're always overlooked and the\n\n2:34\ n\nfixed problem in this country and we\n\n2:36\n\nwere the nation's uh fi rst first black\n\n2:39\n\noccupation here in the country for black\n\n2:4 1\n\npeople so I turned to I turned my fight\n\n2:43\n\nto the federal cou rts hoping that we can\n\n2:46\n\nget some uh resolve there if not I'm\n\n 2:49\n\ngoing to take my fight to the upcoming\n\n2:51\n\npresidential ele ction\n\n2:53\n\nand to let Americans know that we've\n\n2:56\n\nbeen left out and uh for people on the\n\n2:59\n\nhill telling me Boyd you got to t ake\n\n3:01\n\nthis one on the chin uh you don't have a\n\n3:03\n\nway out on this uh I'm gonna take my\n\n3:06\n\nfight right out here to the Ameri can\n\n3:07\n\npeople and let the American people make\n\n3:09\n\nthe deci sion on how we were treated as\n\n3:12\n\nas voters in this country becaus e we\n\n3:15\n\nvoted probably 99 for our president uh\n\n3:18\n\nbidener hasn't been a sit-down meeting\n\n3:20\n\nwith the president\n\n3:21\n\nan d there hasn't been a seat a sit down\n\n3:24\n\nmeeting with his act secr etary I mean\n\n3:26\n\ncome on people that's a given for a body\n\n3:28\n \nof people who voted in a block uh to\n\n3:31\n\nsupport this Administrat ion well and\n\n3:33\n\nalso John Boyd an Administration and a\n\n3:36\n\n president that said during his\n\n3:37\n\ninauguration speech that he did owe\n\n3:39\n\nBlack America to your point of his debt\n\n3:42\n\nuh that he owes the black electorate uh\n\n3:44\n\nas to the result of him even be ing the\n\n3:47\n\n46th president of the United States\n\n3:49\n\nsomethin g else I want to bring up is\n\n3:51\n\nsomething you said in our previous \n\n3:52\n\nconversation before the break here you\n\n3:54\n\nsaid that Bl ack America needs to realize\n\n3:56\n\nthat we've got more work to do tal k\n\n3:59\n\nabout how important it is that black\n\n4:01\n\nAmerica kind of connects the dots what's\n\n4:03\n\nhappening and the distributment of black\n\n4:05\n\nFarmers what's happening with the\n\n4:06\n\ngutting of a ffirmative action what's\n\n4:08\n\nhappening with black people\n\n4:09\n\ ndisproportionately caring more student\n\n4:11\n\nloan debt that they wil l not get relief\n\n4:13\n\nfrom in your\n\n4:15\n\nexperience because you are a man of\n\n4:17\n\nsignificant lived American Experience do\n\n4:19\ n\nyou believe that what's happening right\n\n4:21\n\nnow John Boyd is a b acklash of what some\n\n4:25\n\nAmericans some white Americans uh some\n\n 4:28\n\nfederal government leaders feel has been\n\n4:30\n\ntoo much quote progress of Black Folk in\n\n4:32\n\nthis country\n\n4:34\n\nI believe it 's a continuation a slow uh\n\n4:40\n\ndrag now or takedown uh might I des cribe\n\n4:43\n\nit as what's happened to us as uh black\n\n4:46\n\nFarmer s didn't just start with uh\n\n4:49\n\nPresident Biden where uh openly\n\n 4:52\n\nsupported him and got on early early on\n\n4:54\n\nit took a chanc e with this uh president\n\n4:56\n\nearly on when there were many candidat es\n\n4:58\n\nin the race I supported this president\n\n5:00\n\nfrom the a dministration to\n\n5:02\n\nAdministration from Congress to Congress\n\n5: 04\n\nwe failed to fix the problem at the\n\n5:07\n\nUnited States Departm ent of Agriculture\n\n5:09\n\nand his farm lending programs around the\n\n 5:12\n\ncountry and and AG lending and the top\n\n5:15\n\n10 agriculture c ompanies these are all\n\n5:18\n\nissues that we're facing every day we\n\ n5:20\n\nare those big names that were that\n\n5:23\n\nhaven't down you kn ow my number to talk\n\n5:25\n\nabout this get educated on it and to see\n \n5:28\n\nhow they can lend their voice now\n\n5:31\n\nsometimes people is not your checkbook\n\n5:32\n\nsometimes it's your voice saying that I\n\n 5:36\n\nsupport the the black Farmers Movement\n\n5:38\n\nwe support uh th e lawsuit we support\n\n5:40\n\nthese black Farmers getting Justice well\n \n5:42\n\nlisten John boy Junior what we know is\n\n5:43\n\nyou are not go ing to take anything on\n\n5:45\n\nthe chin you're not going to take\n\n5: 46\n\nanything lying down nor should you and\n\n5:48\n\nhere at the grill we look forward to\n\n5:49\n\nhelping you amplify\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n In July of 2024\, the National Black Farmers Association\, h elmed by President John Boyd\, Jr.\, secured a $2.2 billion payout for dis crimination in farm lending by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This victory is historic: it marks official acknowledgement and r estitution for Black farmers\, who for generations\, have faced unrelentin g discrimination in the farming industry.  \n\n https://www.brookings.edu /events/denied-no-more-a-conversation-with-john-boyd-president-of-the-nati onal-black-farmers-association/\n\n\n\n Prior Economic corner : https://a albc.com/tc/topic/11479-economiccorner013\n\n\n\n \n\n The Black Farmer in the USA\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11483-economiccor ner014/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/19 4-economic-corner-13-02152025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/events/event/197-economic-corner-15-02172025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02 162026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1247 1-economic-corner-14 /#findComment-80139\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\ n\n\n \n On 2/16/2026 at 12:37 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n In the me antime\, Black owned restaurants &\; grocery stores &\; schools\, et c.\, should be sourcing their products from Black farmers.😎\n \n \n\n\ n\n I wonder has Black Enterprise\, the black owned fiscal magazine\,  ev er made a study on black owned groceries/eateries sources. I think that wo uld answer what is truly going on between black farmers and black grocers/ eateries or HBCUs. Remember public schools are not black\, a public school is a government enterprise\, even if all the teachers+ students+ administ rators are black\, the logistics tend to be controlled by a school board\, which is white. For example in NYC\, public schools buy food as a collect ive bulk\, a huge contract\, but the scale allows for the price to be chea per\, if each school in nyc bought food on its own that would raise the co st of food extremely high. To your point\, I ponder about black farms and hbcus. Just from a regional perspective\, black farms are 90% former confe derate states. so\, if you have a black grocer in new york city or los ang eles\, it wouldn't be financially feasible to get beef from a black farm i n the carolinas over beef from pennsylvania or southern california or the midwest \, relatively. the greater distance alone raises the price. But I do think from texas to virginia\, every single black grocer/restaurant/his torical black college or university/black private high school  or element ary school should get food content from black farmers in the same south.  Maybe they already do? it is possible. I know of black grocers /restauran ts in new york city who get content from black farms from the south or car ibbean even though they arguably can get a cheaper product with the same q uality by proximity from a white farmer in the midatlantic states. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n 02182026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/topic/12471-economic-corner-14 /#findComment-80181\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 2/16/2026 at 6:04 PM\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I believe Black farmers are surviving by selling th eir produce in the same market as white farmers.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It tak es all hands on deck to feed a country with 340 million people running aro und in it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Obesity is a very real problem here. Folks a re eating...a LOT.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I can see it\, i still would love to know the details\, share it in the corner. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n yeah\, it is interesting obesity isn't a problem in new york city as percentage of the cities populace\, while obesity in some towns/counties \, rural places \, has a high obesity. White man says obesity in nyc is 28% while the bigg est states with obesity is the rural\, the deep south...west virginia/miss isippi/louisiana/alabama... \n\n\n\n It is an interesting balance. Hunger is a deeper problem in the NYC's of the usa while obesity is the bigger p roblem in the rural states. the distribution of farming goods\, clearly ne eds to change. It isn't that the usa doesn't make enough food\, but he way in which that food is distributed clearly is inefficient\, and the market is manipulated by whomever not to serve the needs of said 340 million wis ely. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n nyc\n\n\n\n https://a816-dohbesp.nyc.gov/Indicat orPublic/data-explorer/overweight/?id=2063#display=summary\n\n\n\n states\ n\n\n\n https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/the-most-obese- states-in-america\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250215 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Question in HEavy Metal : Is the loch narr lovecraftian? DTSTAMP:20260214T223749Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:652-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Is the loch narr lovecraftian?\n\n\n\n My answer\n\n\n\n challenging question\, the problem in modernity with lovecraft is his name has become synonomous with any literature or illustration that depicts\, a potent or omnipotent god that may act negatively but more importantly ha s mystery to them. ala Cthulu. If you consider Zorastrianism\, where the m ost potent divine is deemed a double natured god\, then loveraft merely mi rrored zorastrianism's god\, which is from the distant antiquity. If you l ook at the hindu religion. It has more branches than christianity while ne ver had a schism. What is my point? in hinduism\, the divine\, the brahman \,  is left to interpretation. A hindu can be a monotheist and another hi ndu a polytheist and both ways are not deemed correct or incorrect\, but i t is up to each individual to follow those ways. The responsibility is the adherent. The Brahman  is functionally\, from a christian historical len s\, the interpretation of christ by the gnostics\, whose main argument is that god/brahmin/similar names for divine nature can not be known\, only i nterpreted. What does this have to do with Lovecraft? Lovecraft's gods or worldbuilding\, shows entities that aren't confusing if your used to a hin du or gnostic christian approach to spirituality or religion. So\, Loch Na rr is arguably\, hindu or gnostic as well as zoarastrian in reference\,   and all three of those heritages are older than lovecraft. I imagine he kn ew of all three.  So challenging question. The simple answer is yes\, bec ause the Loch Narr has elements of characterizations in Lovecraft literatu re. The more even answer is\, it comes from a longer tradition of complex divine beings \n\n\n\n citation\n\n\n\n https://discord.com/channels/1238 281346833715283/1247320763661418587/1472358161594978388\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02142026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n exactly\, bei ng commonly known has value. Lovecraft achieved that in his time. Look at Robert E Howard or Phillip k dick\, the quaity in their writing was qualit y before comic books/films but it was wehn frazetta inked a comic book tha t conan grew in the common knowledge and then a little brilliant film by m ilius was made\, and  conan has made money howard could only dream of. Di ck's works were always brilliants\, but it took a little movie from ridley scott to expose the trasure trove and the rest is history. Dick's stories have made post mortem a ton of money. So\, being commonly known as an art ist has value. the envious artist calling it selling out\, the honest arti st call it luck. .... to ponzi your correct \, the label ponzi scheme has become the wish of many people who invested poorly and want some way to re claim. ... yeah personal accountability is a way to look at it\, though\, if i owned a media outlet\, i would want what is communicated through my o utlet to be honest\, precise in wording. part of lovecratian and ponzi sch eme is how often media uses terms uncaringly\, not just poorly\, but uncar ingly\, which demands the viewers be accountable to what media says\, to r ewrite\, many media outlets don't act like they care they are trusted or w ant to be trusted but many viewers place levels of trust. so media can arg ue viewers need to be personally accountable\, which is the truth but firm s have to also be labeled low quality. I didn't say firms have to be accou ntable but firms \, especially media ones need to be labeled + accept bein g labeled as low quality when they simply are. Twitter/ CNBC/FOx NEws/ You tube are all low quality media outlets while the most viewed. I know freed om of the press or speech means they can't be blocked and it is up to citi zens/viewers to reject them or accept them\, but I think a label of low qu ality is warranted. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02162026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n D& \;D didn't ruin what people think of as a barbarian. It offered another pe rspective which simply became more well known\, back to lovecraft being we ll known over other writers of his time. D&\;D is popular. Gauntlet is popular. The conan movie is popular. I have nothing against howard\, but w hile conan is his\, it wasn't his exact writing that led to conan or barba rians in general  becoming well known.  That isn't an artistic knock but a financial truth. ....I don't think anything is hard to bring to the scr een. Making a film isn't the issue. Will a film be fiscally profitable is the issue? John Carter bombed financially\, but it was inevitable. Ben Aff leck said it best\, a twenty five million dollar movie needs twenty five m illion in advertisement\, and then you get fifty percent back in ticket sa les from theaters so that means a twenty five million dollar movie needs o ne hundred million to break even. John carter cost 306 million dollars\, l ets assume that is money to make the film an advertising. that is 153 doll ars. so to break even with fifty percent from the revenue of theaters\, a 306 million dollar film needs to make 612 million dollars. John Carter mad e 284 million dollars. The first lord of the rings movie for example cost ninety three million dollars and made eight hundred and ninety seven milli on. so\, lets say with adds the first lord of the rings movie cost one hun dred and eighty six million . The revenue would have to be at least three hundred and seventy two . Lord of the rings first film made double of what was needed to break even. But how was lord of the rings developed that wa s different than john carter? that is the fiscal question. Lord of the rin gs had years of preproduction/ meaning before anything was shot\, it had y ears of script revision/storyboards/set design / location . John carter su ffered from massive reshoots.  Many films studios have to demand a fiscal ly better process of making films. (1/2)\n\n https://discord.com/channels/ 1238281346833715283/1247320763661418587/1472805194956800041\n\n Stop makin g films like Justice league \,where entire films are reshot and then expec ted to make a profit. Stop making films where the script has not been prop erly molded. A better process of making films will lessen the cost of maki ng films which by default enhances the chance of returning a profit. John Carter from a production perspective was poorly done. Too many scenes thou ght up while shooting. Too many special effects desires not fully conceptu alized. This creates a production mess which increases the cost of a film\ , regardless of artistic quality. Dick Tracy cost forty six million and ma de one hundred and sixty two million. If we double forty six million that is ninety two.  Which means the film needs to make one hundred and eighty four to break even. It is simple arithmetic. Now\,  looking at Dick Trac y I have some issues... how much did the cast cost? Now  I don't know the truth but WIki says Beatty wanted five million and then disney said they accepted him directing/starring/producer of the film if he kept the budget in twenty five million so beatty failed. so beatty is a poor director. hi s process is poor\, making films cost go sky high. when not needed. I look at dick tracy and I argue\, it could had been done for the 25 million dis ney 's accountants foresaw as the point to get back money.  as for the ot her characters\, again\, the project is key. they need to be in the 25 mil lion dollar range like sinners. to think about getting a profit  (2/2)\n\ n https://discord.com/channels/1238281346833715283/1247320763661418587/147 2808008592396562\n\n you know\, better than think\, more know lord of the rings than john carter. And the familiarity plays a role in fiscal recepti on. ... based on what you said\, the directors are the problem. Here are t he films\, not the detective or boyscout o rinvolving them  in a group in the DC Extended Universe: suicide squad/wonder woman/aquaman/shazam/birds of prey/wonder woman 1984/the suicide squad/black adam/shazam fury of the gods/the flash /blue beetle/aquaman lost kingdom... suicide squad+wonder +aquaman made a profit\, and aquaman was a gem. but the rest got worse and worse  financially. so based on what you said\, the producers were willi ng to not manage these films better but were willing to pay for thier inef ficiency. I argue the overhaul shouldn't involve blockading individuals\, but implementing a process that must be adhered to. \n\n https://discord. com/channels/1238281346833715283/1247320763661418587/1472832049797926952\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02162026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n For me\, MArvel's success in films is a set of factors 1) Di sney administration made sure Feige had an artistic process that was finan cially efficient for the set of films 2)  Marvel has more popular non whi te characters than DC which helps in a modernity \, where the ticket buyer s to films \, buyers of comics\, are not just white people\, it is a globa l audience that wants to see itself. 3 )DC has simply been a poor shepard of many of its characters \, relying on Superman + BAtman as the two bigge st comics in the industry\, which is hurting it in the film business. DC h ad Nubia but most black people know of Storm first and Misty Knight second \, Nubia is not well known. Whose to blame for that? Black panther is far and away ahead of Black ligtning and if anything\, black lightning is almo st a joke in the black audience. Linda Carter was the same age as christop her reeves when he did his first superman movie and she had a very success ful tv show\, why didn't they make a wonder woman movie? and instead made a supergirl film. Whose antagonist is \, really atrocious writing\, poor f aye dunaway.  So\, for me\, MArvel's success in modernity is stemming fro m a number of things. Not just Feige's management but a number of things. ...  The test for DC is coming up. Superman + Batman always rake in\, but MArvel's true success is in the field. Yes Spider man makes money\, but w ho was MArvel's first film success? Blade. DC never had a blade\, a charac ter never before in visual media who had a film and made a killing. Where is DC's deadpool? advantage marvel. Where is DC's guardians of the galaxy? supergilr/clayface/the authority  they will have their chance but I don' t see it. That supergirl films trailer shows a very expensive film\, that doesn't have superman's name on it. Women want a wonder woman film. I saw a car with wonder woman decals recently. ... we will see. \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n 02162026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n even point\, but that is why I always say Disney Marvel... I should say more often WB D C or in this case Discovery DC or shall i say with the coming sale it will be Netflix DC or Skydance DC I don't know which:) .... IT isn't the prese nce of characters that is the issue \, it is the sheparding of them. DC   + Marvel have tons of black characters but DC pre 1980 I argue didn't shep ard their black characters as good as marvel and I think it was because of fiscal appreciation of their fanbase. which isn't evil. People say they c omprehend fiscal capitalism but don't want firms to relate to who their bu yers are. And new buyers are a risk. It is a fiscal myth that firms should take great risk in courting new buyers\, as if the old buyers will be unc hanging. ..... From my view\, the green lantern movies problem is its over all structure. The green lantern core needs to be the movie\, not one gree n lantern.... yes\, Disney did well\, damn rat:) .... haha!:) yes\, pre bl ade the process was poor. I really believe in the process of making a film \, the fiscal process which intertwines with the artistic.  I do have a q uestion to you in terms of pre blade marvel films. I have seen that Fantas itic four film/captain america I didn't see the doctor strange. I think th e captain america wasn't horrible. Was it elegant or fineley made or one o f the best films for me? no. But it was  a decent low budget romp. I thin k films have the right to be low budget romps\, like the first swamp thing film. ... all film studios better have bad movies or they are not film s tudios and are mind control users. Historically\, all film studios mostly make fiscal losers. No film studio in the history of film studios mostly m akes hits. I don't know if either has slipped up as film studios. I think both DC + Marvel as film studios have made hits\, mostly duds and that is par the course. do you like Netflix or Skydance for shepard of DC? \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n 02182026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n that wasn't the magicians with bill bixby ? cause i think that was also suppos ed to be dr strange... hahah the dark hole of rights ownership. films can be low budget and meant to be fun. ...  I like the dolph lundgren punish er\, only one to get it right for me. yeah\, they were all based on the co mics\, but the interpretations were simply good\, at the end of the day\, a film is not a comic book nor a comic book a film. I argue a good comic b ook film doesn't try to satisfy comic book readers\, but simply makes a go od film using the story of the comic book as a base but not a bible...  a hh I see:) to john stewart....well DC was already tanked before\, AT&\; T sold DC to discovery on the cheap from market value if discovery took at &\;T's debt from WB so DC was already tanked\, like many firms in the u sa\, instead of being sent to bankruptcy they were allowed to live on as a failed firm through acquisitions. Yeah I Am a fan of DC animated movies a s well. the problem with animated films is the usa film going market has b een trained to treat animation as for children or \"weird\"adults so many adults will never go see an animated movie in a theater thus their financi al cieling is low and I think that helps the DC animated financially. Caus e they have big brand name characters\, but in animated world\, they don't have to make movies to get the person who has never read or doesn't know  a DC  character in the global audienc\,e which is many^INF \, they just have to sate the comic book readers who watch animation. The comic book t o screen will not work in live action to get a global audience with DC's c haracters. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02/18/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Who are the A list Marvel characters? I can name DC's easily\, even before the film er a. Superman/batman/ wonder woman/flash/green lantern that justice league i s the gathering of the top heroes.  Take out spider man \, who are the a list marvel heroes? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n W ho are the A list Marvel characters? I can name DC's easily\, even before the film era. Superman/batman/ wonder woman/flash/green lantern that justi ce league is the gathering of the top heroes. I argue DC only allowed the likes of aquaman in the justice league to try and compete when marvel had great success late 60s early 70s. but dc's style of heroes is simply diffe rent\, and I admit as someone raised in new york city\, NYC unlike any cit y in the world teaches a person to learn to live near civilly near strange rs/foreigners/others. No you don't always love or like your neighbor in NY C\, but overall\, you are civil and the xmen/fantastic four/avengers all h ave that similar vibe of NYC. and I think immigrant peoples around the wor ld can appreciate the nyc vibe in marvel stemming from stan lee's writing\ , that don't exist in DC's heroes or their worlds. The Xmen are literally upstate new york/the avengers or fantastic four are based in NYC right. bu t gotham isn't NYC. Gotham is a fantastic crime ridden film noir variant o f NYC. Metropolis isn't NYC . Metropolis is how NYC was imagined in the fu ture in the new york city world's fair. Themyscira is truly unlike anywher e but none of shows or movies have ever made themyscira as complex as it o riginally was or been courageous enough\, writing wise\, to make diana not banned from returning. But DC's style of heroes are different cause they are older than marvels on average. Captain america is the oldest marvel ma in hero and he shares a similar style to superman/batman and the like of D C. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n to marvel\, unlike dc who was all in one studio ma rvel had their parts all over the place\, spider man has done well \, i th ink sony was a good shepard to spider man\, while a poor\, very poor shepa rd to the spiderverse. 20th century fox was a terrible shepard to Xmen for me. IT became the wolverine series\, wolverine\, logan wolverine and was a sign of why that firm was destined for receivership. New line did blade \, and the first mortal kombat movie\, but new line is terrible at series which ended it. Disney bought marvel but couldn't use the xmen/spiderman w ho were owned by others ... Taking out Spiderman \, who are marvel's A lev el characters? Marvel was never a more popular comic book company than DC.  One is that DC simply had the first icons: superman/batman/wonder woman and https://bleedingcool.com/comics/how-marvel-comics-first-overtook-dc-c omics-in-1972/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ARticle transcript\n\n\n\n How Marvel Co mics First Overtook DC Comics In 1972\nPublished Fri\, 07 Jan 2022 10:57:1 4 -0600 by Rich Johnston|Last updated Thu\, 22 Sep 2022 08:16:07 -0500 |Co mments\nToday\, the best-selling publisher of comic books in America is Sc holastic. The second is Random House. But in the last half of 1972\, that was suddenly Marvel Comics for the first time. One of the earliest comic b ook retailers and comic historian Bob Beerbohm (author of Comic Book Store Wars) set up the Californian comic book store and the first comic book ch ain. He has many tales to tell\, including showing off the flyer printed t o mark the occasion\, from his friend Brian Kane. Bob Beerbohm writes on F acebook\, with permission to republish\;\n\nLast Half of 1972 Marvel annou nces their firm has finally overtaken DC comics to become #1 publisher of comic books in America. Marvel claims on this flyer \"…in the world…\" but that is hyperbole on their part. Reason How this was accomplished? No t from story quality\, etc\, but from an under-handed tactic of initially agreeing with DC for a cover price hike to 25 cents with DC Then doing tha t price hike to 25 cents for just one month of comic books\, BUT\, then se cretly dropping back down to 20 cents the following month. Catching and bl ind-siding DC in that process\nMarvel beginning to outsell DC was and is p redicated on customers seeing 5 Marvels for a buck VS just 4 DC for a buck . I saw the customer purchasing cross over from DC to Marvel for that very reason\, firsthand\, up close and personal. We had just opened our first of many Comics &\; Comix stores in the Bay Area.\n\nMarvel Comics would remain the dominant comic bookseller in the US newsstand and comic book s tore\, until Image Comics and a Death Of Superman hyped DC Comics would pu sh them out briefly. However\, DC Comics always performed better at the bo okstore than Marvel – and still do. Though Scholastic\, Penguin Random H ouse\, Viz Media and Kodansha have pushed them both down the list in recen t years.\n\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260214 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mardi Gras GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T115933Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:354-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mardi Gras is 47 days before Easter\, since Easter can be from March 22nd to April 25th \, Mardi Grad can be from February 3rd to M arch 9th. \n\n\n\n \n Mardi Gras is February 25th in the year 2020. I as k you to make a journal of your day in New Orleans during mardi using ph otos from wherever you like to paruse  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 1 :  ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-eostre-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-ne ws-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=885  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 : ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-eostre-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-ne ws-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=886  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ba-bedee-debede-doo Bonjou Nouveau Orleans\, I have re turned. The morning is bright or magical\, as I step from the shore into t he city. The sound of horns audible even from this distance. I wonder if a nyone will remember when I was here last. If anyone will remember what I d id. Well\, I have to step forward to find out. Just follow the sounds\, as they get deeper. ba-bedee-debede-doo-boo-badoboop-ba Some people are cele brating\, and I see a krewe coming like a grass from a storm. Suddenly a w oman pops out.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n She is on a mobile float like a little isl and\, floating between the streets. A lovely glaze from her skin is given no interference from the sunlight\, the latter choosing to shine away rath er than muddy her complexion with its cloudy difference. I am in new orlea ns. I wonder if I can get to the old bar\, I wonder if it will be there. I awe at the spirit bird going away on her magical island\, like all the ot her men\, and as the island turns\, I turn back onto the road north\, to t he Treme\, to the storyville\, to my old grounds.  \n\n I wonder about th e families of my friends and I\, what happened from then to now. Could our stories have ended? I see\, a family dressed up.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I Wa nt to ask them their names\, one looks familiar\, but I see no men. It is ungentlemanly to speak to women unaccompanied. They may take great offense . so\, I decide to keep it moving\, let’s not get startled.\n\n In my po cket is an old daguerreotype. I take it out and shed a tear.  \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n Suddenly the beautiful collage of horns is no longer interesting. A ll I can recall are the chants of yore\, when instruments were too expensi ve\, when the priestesses still roamed the noir streets of the city. Gens de magique femme . I am amazed it survived the passage through time but I hope it will not be a memory discontinued.  \n\n It takes hours to get ba ck to my home\, ici le tempeste\, no longer here\, nowhere\, I remember wh en a storm passed through the city. Everyone’s shanty was destroyed but mine\, mine remained\, mine survived the storm. But that is cause it was a storm itself\, shaking uncontrollably absent proper supports\, leaking wi ldly absent a proper roof\, a collisions of sounds\, made it an orchestra for any who lived in it for any time. It taught me more than any human eve r could about sound. I see this small storefront where its porch stood and go to it. The cover over the window has a small gap and i see a woman dan cing inside.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n An angel\, like the one on the floating isla nd before\, but this one is in a room of cotton\, gently cushioning her ev ery move. Her face… her face look like my fofo\,  I love her most of al l. I wish the ancestors allowed me to take her too. I need to speak to thi s woman. I go inside\, the woman pays me no mind\, entranced in her own ro utine. I ask her\, can she tell me where to find the descendants of Madame Fofo\, my fofo. She does a pirouette and stops facing me. She seems start led by my old-style clothes\, the first in these future times\, but tells me to go to a party at the beach\, where her cousin is. She is the best hi storian she knows.\n\n So\, I travel back out and go back from whence I ca me\, back to the waters about my city\, back to the waters that can take y ou anywhere. And\, a party existed where I stepped out of. People drinking \, partying\, listening to music. I recall the description of the cotton a ngel and look about\, even get a free sausage from finely ground meat that is put in between a fluffy bread shaped similar. I imagine to myself\, i may never find the historian but then I notice a woman from afar who may b e her. I keep walking toward and I am certain she fit the description. I f ace the potential historian standing next to her friend I assume. The frie nd\, like an Incan princess\, notice me first and realize my stare. I appr oach and the historian turns to me.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I ask the historian h er name and it matches what the cotton angel told me. I explain to her I a m looking for Madame Fofo\, my fofo. The historian looks to me in disbelie f\, and pulls a letter out of her pocket\, telling me she found it in the archives and keep it for inspiration. She tells me\, to read it.  \n\n I read the letter and it says: Mon amour\, mon corniste\, mon Tontton\, j'ai fait ce dont tu avais besoin. J'espère que vous trouverez notre avenir sûr. Je veux vous demander\, vous dire\, beaucoup de choses. Mais\, je ne peux même pas savoir si vous lirez ceci. En l'état\, je dirai ce que vo us devez entendre. Où est ta corne? C'est là que nous nous sommes embra ssés pour la première fois. la touche tape sur la perle blanche. La mél odie que nous avons faite ensemble.\n\n I comprehend instantly\, hand the letter back to the young lady and go to Bienville street\, and to where we kissed for the first time. The lamp is still there and I see at the base the bumpy surface and a white bump exists. Then I tap on the it with my sh oe. ba-bedee-debede-doo-boo-badoboop-ba-ba-badoboop-badoboop-bedee-debede- bedee-debede and a latch open. My horn! I play our melody on our horn and I can see it is all worth it\, as the world reverse before my eyes\, like an old movie\, Bienville street is going to the way it was in the past.\n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n Past I do not know\, but past looking closer to my own. Now I know it is worth it\, now I know I was right to risk this. The priestes s said the Cardinal’s spell on our child needed someone to risk their li fe\, where only love can succeed. I trusted in my Fofo and she trusted in me\, and I am coming back. Better keep playing my horn. ba-bedee-debede-do o-boo-badoboop-ba-ba-badoboop-badoboop-bedee-debede-bedee-debede and on an d on and on\, I see her. STOP! It is the evening\, and My Fofo run to me\, and embrace me. But she isn’t alone\, someone is in a carriage next to her. Someone who look a little like us both.  Ancestres!  \n\n “Mon am our\, voici notre fils. L'annee est” I kiss my wife. I do not need to kn ow that. We have all the time in the world.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n I am walking alone\, far from bourbon street. Far from the sound of beads hitting bare breast\, drunken stammers acapella through th e krewes horns\, just a man alone with the moonlight looking down upon me. I see a small shop\, too small to have a sign\, only the merchandise in t he window provide any clue to the innards. Nothing particular I notice: ma sks/cloaks/old horns with stories to tell. But wait\, a small figurine cat ch my eye. A simple figurine ready for Mardi Gras in an appropriate outfit .\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I hear a sound in my ear as I look upon the figurine. B ut I cannot decipher it. \"venez ici\": I hear clear while subtely. I shak e my head wondering why I am hearing french. \"come here\": I comprehend b ut I do not know from who. Again\, the voice repeat and I notice my attent ion to the figurine. She is not moving\, she does not seem mechanical\, an d yet I seem to know the voice is from here. I enter the shop. \"Bonjour\" : is the shopkeeper courtesy. I am surprised he think I know a lick of fre nch. I ask about the figurine in the window. He say\, she is very old\, ma de for a gens de colour libre woman. I ask him the price\, a gentle fiftee n dollars. I accept\, and he gathers the figurine and place her in a box w ith bubble pop for cushion. I leave thinking\, I have no wife or daughter and I am getting a cute figurine. Well\, at least I can tell people she is old. \"trouver ma peinture\": I sense from the figurine but I keep on wal king. \"find my painting!\": and I face the unchanged figurine\, holding i t high above my head\, and ask a silly question: \"where is your painting? \" I wait but no reply. I continue to walk finally satisfied this nocturna l magic is finished with me. \"North roman entre Beinville et Iberville\" I recall the two streets\, I think I know where she mean. I take out my ma p and recall I passed that location and I begin to walk there. My companio n stay muted even as I approach the methodist church at the locale. I look down to the figurine and wonder if this is alright. A light is on\, insid e. I walk to the door and knock. A cleaning man open the door. \"Why aren\ ": he stop speaking and seem in a daze. I wave my hand in his face. No cha nge. I decide to go inside foolishly\, not knowing if the magic I did not use will come again if more strangers find a stranger in their church. But I look about the nave or the walls and see no painting. I look behind a c olumn and see her.\n\n \n\n\n\n Somehow I know the figurine is happy. But then a question occur to me. This painting is you. I thought you were give n to a gens de colour libre girl\, not that you are a gens de colour libre woman. The painting then wink at me. I look up and she speak. \"Bon soir anglo\, I... need your help\": she speak simply. I ask her\, what can I do to help you. \"You need to face the woman who did this to me and then fac e me to her\, i can do the rest\": she speak surely. I have many doubts. \ "Whomever did this to you is way beyond me\, I am no sorcerer\": I say esc apingly. \"Y do not need to know how to wield the magic\, just know I need your actions to aidez moi... and the woman in question is located in La F ourche\, you will find here where three tree intertwine\": and then the pa inting became still. I look at the figurine and nothing. I go to the door of the church and the cleaning man is still quiet\, so I slip past him and close the door behind me. It can be unwise walking around new orleans or around cajun country at night\, even during mardi gras but I figure the fi gurine will help. I buy a sandwich from a local deli and a pack of cigaret tes. I eat while I walk\, figurine safely in her box\, and I keep walking. By the time I get to La fourche I am smoking cigarettes. A car with a con federate sign\, fill to the rim with white men who are looking at me\, dri ve but do not stop. I know I need to make this quick. I go by homes\, some literally at the river edge\, and look for the three entwined tree. I hea r a scream. I see a man violently moving and decide to hide behind a bush. I creep near the window and see a dangerous sight.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I loo k down at the figurine and wonder if this little magic will not get me kil led. \"Sud\, sud!\": I hear in my head. Clearly my wavering got the attent ion to my master. I leave the scene\, and hope I can find this tree before I end up in a horror movie. I walk south and finally I see the tree. But no one else is there. \"Speak these words anglo...Je te donne mon cœur\, tu me donnes un objectif\, personne ne doit le savoir\": the figurine spea k hurriedly in my soul. I am hesitant but finally I decide\, all well what the hell. And\, after speaking the words\, nothing. \"PUT ME AWAY QUICK\" : the figurine speak\, I can hear her ceramic heart beating\, the black pr iestess soul underneath determined. Suddenly\, a half of a mask appear on one side of the three twined tree. The eye behind one half of the mask see m to be a fluid blue. I hear a loud sniff. and\, a woman appear from behin d the tree.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n A forked tongue hiss whisper from the mask: \ "You are pretty fonce to be down here\, anglo...now what is your goal\, if your coeur is not heavy enough\, I get the rest of the deal\". I reply fi rmly: \"alright ma'am\, though I already gave my heart to another\, though I cannot comprehend exactly why\": and I pull out the figurine quickly\, facing the masked woman straight away. A hiss is heard from all angles and I hear the figurine in my head:\"Vous devez m'avoir oublié\, imbécile. Joséphine vous l'a toujours dit\, pour faire attention aux vieux sorts qu e vous lancez.\" The masked woman\, writhing\, spit out in french:\"Anacao na\, mais je connais le sang de ta famille\, tu n'avais pas de descendants \, pas de clan pour t'entendre.\" The figurine spoke again:\"Imbecillia\, vous avez oublié que le membre du clan peut avoir n'importe quelle distan ce\, et l'esclavage de votre côté de notre famille a profité d'éclats faits dans mon clan il y a longtemps.\" And\, a flash. Something knocked m e down but someone not present helped me up. \"LEve! anglo\, leve!\": said a woman\, a black woman in the gown from the tree woman. Her hair pure wh ite. She kneeled down and looked at a figurine on the ground. \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n Suddenly\, I realized where is my fifteen-dollar figurine. I hear a giggle from the stranger masked woman:\"it is me\, the figurine\" I am am azed. And then I realize the figurine on the ground is the woman formerly behind the mask. My figurine\, pick up her nemesis\, and say:\"retourne\, go back to new orleans\, and thank you\". My honesty perk up. I did not do anything. She smile and say:\"This magic was not really of spells but cir cumstance\, will a descendent of mine find me\, me living in a porcelain f igurine in a small shop in new orleans\, but you found me\, pure chance an d that was the magic that tipped the scales\, no spells\, no incantations\ ". I stand up and offer a hand\, and I notice her hand has age. \"aucun pr oblem anglo\, I have been dormir a while\": she lift up and give me a hug and continue:\" I will be alright\, I think I know where I can help myself around here\, and I thank you for that\". Before I can speak\, a sole hor n player\, standing aside a wall is playing\, while the rest of bourbon is empty. It is very late. I think to go back to the three entwined tree\, b ut I am tired\, and I need to get rest. For some reason\, I need to get re st\, and I do. ... Back in New York City\, I wonder if I had a dream induc ed by someone planting something in a drink or spraying me with something. I think on that for weeks. And then I get a postcard.\n\n \n\n\n\n I turn to the back and I see Anacaona Liber's name attached to that old churches address. Her message is:\" Figure I needed a new painting with a new styl e\, I will wait for you to decide about listening to your heart\"\n\n I re alize\, what may have happened but hesitate to confirm and when I turn the postcard back around\, the image wink at me.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ART\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/655-black-history-month-mardi-gras-20 26/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CELEBRATIONS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Salvador\, Bahia\, Carnival 2026\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12468-salvadaor- bahia-carnival-2026/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250203 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250310 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black History Month Mardi Gras 2026 DTSTAMP:20260218T071042Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:655-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/art/Black-History-Month-Mardi-Gras-2026-1300245780\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CO DE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black History Month Mardi Gras 2026\ n\n\n\n Let The Good Time Roll!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n While honoring Black hi story\, let's celebrate Mardi Gras. No where does Black history plus Mardi Gras blend more than New Orleans. The cultural element is the headwrap.\n \n\n\n The first image is a coloring page of Poldinha \, bold feminity\, m y original character\, a black woman of New Orleans in a multitemporal dre ss representing fashions from different times in New Orleans\, with a tign on shaped like the Adinkra BiNkaBi\, or no one should bite the other. She has three flags representing Black history in the usa as part of her fashi on. She is holding a cornucopia\, a horn of plenty\, for the feast before Lent. The little boy next to her is playing a vest frottoir/washboard whil e sanding.\n\n\n\n The second image is a set of headwrap coloring images.\ n\n\n\n A little point\n\n\n\n The tignon at one time was enforced by the governor into law in Louisiana as a mark on free women of color so that th eir status as free women while black was visible in opposition to white wo men\, who filed complaints about the beauty of free women of color. The ti gnon as the referrals below prove show headwraps have a long history as dr ess wear for Black women\, that was started before enslavement to whites\, survived through enslavement to whites and exist today\, whether through the intricate hats worn by black women in churches throughout the southern usa states or various ceremonies from the lavagem or baths to yemoja plus other orisha in salvador\, bahia\, brasil and quilombo communities in nor thern south America or anywhere in the Caribbean where it is synonymous wi th the marketplace.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Coloring pages gallery\n\n\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/47013691/comic-coloring-pages\n\n \n\n Do you want a Coloring page made by me for your own use? Use the foll owing link\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/commission/Single- Coloring-Page-1732448\n\n\n\n Mardi Gras Die craft challenge in @CRArtisan Crafts\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Mardi-Gras-Die -1286556302\n\n\n\n Mardi Gras Die\n\n\n\n Feb 3\, 2026\n\n\n\n Laissez le bon temps rouler or Let the good\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MArdi Gras 2026 Stamp \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Mardigras2026gif-1295641 657\n\n\n\n Mardi Gras Die craft page\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/h ddeviant/art/Mardi-Gras-Die-1294084920\n\n\n\n Laissez le bon temps rouler \n\n\n\n #poldinha #headwrap #tignon #louisiana #Neworleans #mardigras #20 26 #blackhistory #coloringpage #adinkra #gele #hddeviant #deviantart #rich ardmurray #aalbc #rmaalbc #Kobo #kwl #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n INFORMATION REFERRALS\n\n\n\n Tignon\n\n\n\n https://en.wikiped ia.org/wiki/Tignon\n\n\n\n art from page\n\n\n\n A West Indian Flower Girl and Two other Free Women of Color c. 1769\n\n\n\n Agostino Brunias (1728 - 1796) – Artist (Italian\, active in Britain (1758-1770\; 1777-1780s))\ n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Agostino_Brunias_-_A_West_India n_Flower_Girl_and_Two_other_Free_Women_of_Color_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n more information\n\n\n\n https://wams.nyhistory.org/colo nies-and-revolution/spanish-and-french-colonies/fashionable-rebellion/?utm _source=chatgpt.com\n\n\n\n Signare\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Signare\n\n\n\n art from page\n\n\n\n Negress of quality from the Island o f Saint Louis in Senegal\, accompanied by her slave. 1788\n\n\n\n https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hommes_femmes_et_scènes_du_Sénégal-Jacques_G rasset_de_Saint_Sauveur_mg_8495.jpg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Negress of quality from the Island of Saint Louis in Senegal\, accompanied by her slave. Illu stration from Costumes civils actuels de tous les peuples connus\, Paris\, 1788\, by Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur (1757-1810). Aquatint.\n\n\n\n 1890\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SignaresBal.jpg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Un bal de Signares (mulâtresses) à Saint-Louis (Sénégal) (i llustrations de Côte occidentale d'Afrique du Colonel Frey - Pl. en dble page après p.11 [Cote : Réserve A 200 386]\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/File:La_Signare_de_Gorée_avec_ses_esclaves-Musée_de_la_Compagni e_des_Indes.jpg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Français : La Signare de Gorée avec s es esclaves\, gravure polychrome d'Adolphe d'Hastrel. Musée de la Compagn ie des Indes (Lorient)\n\n\n\n Tignon Law\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Tignon_law\n\n\n\n art from page\n\n\n\n Portrait of Betsy c. 1837\n \n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Betsy.jpg\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Portrait of a free woman of color (previously titled Portrait of Betsy) by François Fleischbein (1801/1803–1868)\, oil on canvas. This v ersion is following restoration efforts in 2017.\n\n\n\n more info\n\n\n\n https://www.ceeceesclosetnyc.com/blogs/news/the-tignon-laws-how-black-wom en-in-louisiana-turned-oppression-into-fashion\n\n\n\n Placage\n\n\n\n htt ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaçage\n\n\n\n art from page\n\n\n\n c. 1867\ n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FashionableMarquisB.jpg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from Edouard Marquis - New Orleans\, 1867. African American Cr eole woman in fashionable dress of the era and parasol\, with another woma n in working class clothing\, possibly her servant.\n\n\n\n Fashionable co lored women c. 1867\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Creole_wome n_of_color_out_taking_the_air\,_from_a_watercolor_series_by_Édouard_Marqu is\,_New_Orleans\,_1867.jpg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from a series of watercolor s by Edouard Marquis\n\n\n\n Marchande\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Marchande\n\n\n\n Zydeco music\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zy deco\n\n\n\n Vest Frottoir\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vest_frot toir\n\n\n\n Adinkra\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adinkra_symbols \n\n\n\n Gele\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gele_(head_tie)\n\n\n\ n image\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IMG-20230221-WA0012.jpg \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Flags\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Africa n_flag\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth_flag\n\n\n\n https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_American_Heritage_Flag\n\n\n\n Mae Bernadet te\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mãe_Bernadete\n\n\n\n Bernadette is female of Bernard which means ber/bear nard/brave or brave as a bear\n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260217 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:DNB heartoflove DTSTAMP:20260218T065951Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:654-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/art/DNB-heartoflove-1300244153\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n DNB enjoy If you color do tell.\n\n\n\n February contest: heart of love\n\n\n\n from @Sarramedjj in @color-me-club\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/sarramedjj/journal/February-contest-heart-of-love-1289384960\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n February contest: heart of love\n\n\n\n Feb 1\, 2026\n\n\n\ n ❤️ MONTHLY CONTEST: FEBRUARY 2026 ❤️ 💖 HEART OF\n\n\n\n Color ing pages Gallery\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/470 13691/comic-coloring-pages\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I can make a coloring page f or you\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/commission/Single-Colo ring-Page-1732448\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #coloringpage #heartoflove #color-me- club #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurray #aalbc #rmaalbc #Kobo #kwl #ric hardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260217 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Estimations of Change  02/15/2025 DTSTAMP:20250215T214453Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:196-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Estimations of Change  02/15/2025\n\n How some wait to g et a change back.\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?sta tus=2843&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Estimations\n The Pr iest of Kemet after Akhenaten died\n Some people in Scotland including Rob ert Burns after he wrote \"Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation\"\n The Dau ghters of the American Revolution raised on the tales of the glory in the former confederate states \n The Isolationist who opposed Woodrow Wilson\ n The non black business and communities at the advent of the civil rights act of 1963\n *\n All have one thing in common\, they disliked a change a nd worked all their lives to undo the change. \n One of the problems in h umanity in the Statian imperial phase of the white European global imperia l era is the  idea of change being holistically beneficial. No change is ever beneficial to all\, no change. In the same way no permanence is ever beneficial to all. \n *\n The Tariffs are coming from decades of complain ts by a group\, mostly non black while not exclusively non black\, made up of a collection of groups in the usa: pro deletion of any legal statement to black rights /pro isolation/ pro intracommunal finance between states. The Tariffs from the usa to others + the Diversity Equity Inclusivity D.E .I. deletion or reductions show this clearly. \n Ever since the end of th e war between the states\,a group of non blacks in the united states of Am erica have worked to delete the presence/notion/idea of black empowerment/ rights/equality to non blacks.\n Ever since Woodrow Wilson\, a group of hy per allegiants in the usa have worked to disconnect the U.S.A. from allian ces to any other country. They have opposed the United Nations\, the World Bank\, North Atlantic Treaty Organization\, North American Free Trade All iance and all other alliances that force the usa to act in tandem to anoth er government. \n *\n Most humans at some point in their life go through a change they don't want in their community or the larger environment wher e they live. It isn't right to live with the change or wrong to fight agai nst the change\, or vice versa. Humans are free to choose\, but when a cha nge occurs that surprises you\, it can be a train derailment unlike any ot her\, buckle up.\n *\n IN AMENDMENT\n some people in the usa waited decade s for this day to happen or are witnessing their parents or grandparents d ream come true in the current presidency\, Isolation has not been supporte d as strongly in the usa since before woodrow wilson\, that is over one hu ndred years ago... the daughters of the american revolution are cheering i n their graves that the community of those willing to oppose betterment fo r blacks is still going strong. ... The second term of shaking is upon us all\, I ponder the future\n ...\n well underestimation of others is balanc ed by overestimation of oneself. It is unwise to do either. I think many\, in the democratic party at the least\, didn't or don't realize how many i n the usa \, for various reasons\, don't like the global system the usa ce nters or the racial changes the democratic party has championed. I remembe r the election\, the current president's supporters cheered loudest when h e talked of the things he is doing now. They didn't just cheer they voted. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02162026 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/topic/12472-estimations-of-change /#findComment-80140\n\n\n \n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   12 hours ago\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n Change is inevitable over the course of a lifetime. Humans adap t to changes accordingly.\n\n\n\n yes\, change is possible from day to day let alone the course of a lifetime. And human beings do react/act in resp onse to changes. But said reactions are not always accordingly while said reactions are never right or wrong. Negative or positive? yes\, but not ri ght or wrong and in the context of the usa\, this is a huge topic. the usa has the most internally multiracial gathering of humans beings under any government in humanity. Which means by default changes in the usa\, as whi tes in the usa have been learning [ slower than all others but more and mo re ]since 1492 \, tend to be against all groups/communities/gatherings ben efit. The examples are plenty in the usa. White individuals who are less a ligned to the white populace while more aligned to their individual desire s have less problems with the largess of mexicans/chinese/indians in the u sa. White individuals who are more aligned to white communal life by defau lt have more problems with the largess of the non white europeans whose li ves by default weaken the positive potential of the white community to do for its own. Modern day Harlem is majority non black\, black individuals i n harlem whose personal life could handle the changes brought on by the no n black in harlem have survived or thrived. Black individuals in harlem wh ose personal life was attached and needed the environment when harlem was majority black have been pushed out or have succumbed to a misery in harle m. Immigrant individuals  post immigration act of 1965 who can survive be ing the only person like them in some place within the usa have done bette r. Immigrant individuals post immigration act of 1965 who needed a simulat ion of their monoracial environment from whence they came are going throug h ever increasing problems \, culminating in immigration and customs enfor cement parking themselves in immigrant communities in cities knowing most in the community are adherents to some illegality. NAtive American individ uals from the european colonial age have always done better when able to l ive alone or as a small group among the hordes of second peoples. Native A merican individuals tied to the first peoples way of life  \, as one of m y heroes Tecumseh\, have lived a life of terror from 1492 to 2026 and coun ting. \n\n\n\n But no matter how any of the peoples mentioned react to ch ange\, no reaction is right or wrong\, nor according. By default\, change is the most unaccording thing. IT is interesting\, you chose the incomplet e phrase\, humans adapt to changes accordingly. Adapt means to fit. Accord means to be in line. Thus whenever I have heard that phrase \" humans ada pt to changes accordingly\" or read it most recently\, it is interesting\, philosophically\, how incomplete the phrase is. Human reaction to change includes adaptation + lack of adaption. to speak only of human adaptation is to partially ignore the fact that a human does not have to adapt /fit t he changes. and changes being according/liking or even or harmonius is onl y for those that choose to fit/adapt. The heritage of Black descended of e nslaved speaking as such comes from black enslaved parents from 1492 who l ike 99% of thier descendents in the european colonial phase of the usa or the usa itself till 1980\, had nothing to give black children\, sometimes not even time\, so provided lessons\, sharp\, inflexible\, which served su rvival functions for the black child as an individual. ala to a black chil d\, \"you must adapt to changes accordingly\" That language is a very old Black DOS heritage\, brewed through centuries of being terrorized by white s\, unable to collectively do anything\, forced to survive as individuals with constant negative changes imposed by others\, beyond any black indivi dual to control or deter\, no matter said black individuals happiness.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n 02162026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/12472-estimations-of-change /#findComment-80149\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD  said:\n\n\n\n Despite the multiracial make-up of the USA...white folks s till run it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For the record I never said white people d idn't control the usa. It makes perfect sense that white people control th e usa since they started it. again\, most native americans or black descen ded of enslaved people at the time of the creation of the usa were fightin g to stop it from being created and even in the war of 1812\, decades afte r the usa was founded\,  most native americans or black descended of ensl aved were opposed to the usa and fought for it to be deleted and made part of the english empire again. so... it makes perfect sense today that whit e people run a government they wanted. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours a go\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The poorest white folks still have more privile ge &\; access to safety nets than non-whites. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Whit es who have a problem with immigrants really need to take their issues up with the white folks who use them for cheap labor &\; maximized profits . Rich getting richer. \n\n\n\n white priviledge makes perfect sense. The greater question is what black fool thinks it shouldn't be that way in th e usa today? I can't think of any reason why whites in the usa shouldn't h ave more power/advantage/positivity in the usa than the non white\, regard less of its makeup.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the heritage of fiscally poor white s in the usa of attacking the nonwhite to gain is very strong. the fiscall y poor whites don't want to risk breaking white unityby attacking the fisc ally wealthy whites\, though they don't comprehend the white unity of the past has already been broken\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD  said:\n\n\n\n Humans have been adapting to changes accordingly throughout their existence on the planet.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Whether it is relocation \, climate\, environment\, natural disasters\, etc.\, humans have to adapt in order to survive. \n\n\n\n my point is that is a half truth\, history proves humans can block changes \, or delete changes\, it is a lie to onl y look at those who adapted\, those who didn't adapt but stopped change al so occurred as equally. That is my point to the Black DOS heritage. Black DOSers in the USA were and are forced to adapt to what changes the non bla ck want\, historically\, but that is not de facto for all peoples\, includ ing black peoples in human history. \n\n\n\n I think it is false to glori fy adaption to change. Adapting to change is not evil\, but nor is it a go od. IT is an option humans have. \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250215 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 13 - 02/15/2025 DTSTAMP:20250215T071756Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:194-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner - what is the truth of investment in the sport industry in the usa?\n\n Key points \n\n One hundred and fifty mill ion is the most recent value of starting a WNBA franchise \, fifty million initially and then one hundred million through promised infrastructure pl ans.\n\n The WNBA franchise in Chicago was started for five million dollar s\, in Oprah Winfrey's beloved town\, by a white man who had less money th an Oprah\, and was absent any promises of future investment.  \n\n No maj or league\, major league defined as a team determined the primary athletic tier\,  from the NFL to the National Women's Hockey League has a black o wner. For example\, baseball has a black owner in the minor leagues of bas eball. \n\n Opportunities to invest in the sporting world in the usa and become the owner to a franchise exist that are affordable. The Black popul ace in the usa through individuals or group of individuals have the annual revenue or saved wealth to make the investments.\n\n Now some restriction s\, most sport organizations in the usa\, demand owners be single individu als. There are cases of ownership groups but they are not common. Sometime s investment firms or corporations are allowed to own a team\, like RedBul l  owns RedBull NY but the process of a large set of individuals to becom e a corporation and then to own a team is a longer process time wise\, and in that time will challenge the devotion of the members. \n\n So based o n womens sport leagues financial growth\, black individuals of the highest financial caste have already missed out on financial growth of circa nine ty six percent. That is financial failure. \n\n *\n\n Why aren't the Blac k wealthy\, the black one percent\, investing in sport to become owners of franchises in the usa? \n\n What is the truth of investment in the sport industry in the usa? \n\n *\n\n If an opportunity to invest to become an owner exist\, if you have the money to make the investment safely\, then the question is why don't you ? \n\n Only five answers exist\, and I will list them first. \n\n They aren't investing because:\n\n 1.they don't kn ow the opportunity exist\n\n 2.they know the opportunity exist and want to but can't do it alone\n\n 3.they know the opportunity exist and want to b ut can't get a group\n\n 4.they know the opportunity exist and don't want to because they are interested in investing in other fields\n\n 5.they kno w the opportunity exist and don't want to because they are interested in i nvesting in the sporting field but want a safer investment\n\n *\n\n All a re possible. \n\n 1.I know of blacks who don't like sports for various re asons so I can believe some don't know \, they have such a dislike of spor t that the thought is away from them. \n\n 2.Five million is a lot of mon ey and the average Black millionaire in the usa can't risk five million do llars. so I can see many can't do it alone. And adding the modern heritage \, a lack of communalism in the black populace in the usa\, reaching out t o a financially wealthy black stranger does not seem common. \n\n 4. I kn ow of a black former nba player who owns a tech firm another who owns a ca r dealership network. So\, just because a black person is involved in spor t doesn't mean they want to invest in sport and that is fine. Again\, it i s called free market capitalism for a reason. It isn't slave market capita lism. You are free to invest how or where you want\, that is the point. \ n\n 5. I don't have private financial data to the black wealthy\, one mill ion or more saved or earned\,  in the usa. But\, from white owned media\, most black sports investment is as shareholders\, not majority owners. So based on advertising\, most black wealthy seem convinced in safer bets in the sporting world. I will rephrase\, black wealthy like hedging their be ts where white wealthy can cover for them. The positive angle is Lebron Ja mes for example. He invested in one percent of Liverpool football club. No w\, the investment group from boston that owns the red sox and bought Live rpool is looking to sell. Upon the sale\, Lebron can cash in and earn more than he put in or keep it in and ride the growth for longer. I can think of many shareholder investments in sport by the Black wealthy. Looking to sell is a common tactic in modern sport\, buy and wait for a few years and then sell where you cash in or keep your money in and have it grow. After a sale to some buyer somewhere for more money who has a similar plan\, to sell after a set of years\,  or isn't looking to sell and has a non fina ncial agenda. I have seen this with some WNBA teams with ownership groups who never want to sell the club \, just want it is a long term investment to leave to the next generation it seems.  The negative angle is the prea ching from black millionaires or better to the black financial poor or com mon in the usa concerning becoming investors  when black millionaires or better are not willing to invest? If Black financial speakers don't compla in about black wealthy evading ownership and becoming shareholders\, then said black financial speakers need to not speak on black poor or non wealt hy not willing to risk their pennies. The bigger issue is\, if you don't o wn \, you don't control. Minority investment\, minority shareholding \, is a great way to make money off of others risk but a terrible way to contro l things\, cause you can't control any firm unless you are a majority shar eholder or owner. \n\n 3. you may have noticed I put this last. The one t hing I rarely hear\, i did hear about Tony Parker with a set of other athl etes investing as a group into Olympique Lyonnais\, is group investments i n sport. \n\n I remember when Isiah Thomas owned the remade CBA\, and I w ondered who else invested with him. I never found out but I do wonder abou t many black wealthy people and their collaborative abilities with other b lacks. I can believe Oprah Winfrey can't make a group to easily cause it i s public knowledge she has many who don't like her in the black one percen t. But it is clear the Black one percent need more internal interlinking.  \n\n URL\n\n https://www.thestar.com/business/edward-rogers-argued-again st-a-toronto-wnba-franchise-but-tanenbaum-went-ahead-and-got-one/article_d de69db8-1dea-11ef-8828-3fa01376cfbd.html\n\n\n\n Edward Rogers argued agai nst a Toronto WNBA franchise — but Tanenbaum went ahead and got one. Who was right?\n\n Fifteen years after being denied a Toronto women’s team by the NBA\, economic experts say Kilmer Sports Ventures’ $50 million pu rchase of a WNBA franchise will likely be a slam dunk. \n\n Updated Dec. 12\, 2024 at 1:47 p.m.\n\n May 31\, 2024\n\n By Josh RubinBusiness Reporte r\n\n What did Larry Tanenbaum see in a WNBA franchise that Edward Rogers didn’t? \n\n\n\n Plenty\, say sports business experts and women’s spo rts advocates\, who argue the franchise granted to the Toronto businessman and sports industry investor will be a big success — at least off the c ourt.\n\n\n\n “I think it’s going to be a success. I think the franchi se is going to be worth $100 million\, $150 million in the next few years\ , pick a number\,” said long-time sports industry executive Richard Pedd ie.\n\n\n\n Tanenbaum\, through his firm Kilmer Sports Ventures\, was rece ntly awarded an expansion franchise in the premier women’s pro basketbal l league in exchange for a franchise fee of $50 million (U.S.). As part of the deal with the league\, Kilmer also agreed to other financial commitme nts — including renovations and building a practice facility — which a league source says brings the total value of the deal to $150 million (U. S.).\n\n\n\n More than fifteen years ago\, when he was CEO of Maple Leaf S ports &\; Entertainment\, Peddie was a big proponent of the organizatio n’s push to get a WNBA franchise. He and Tanenbaum — who still owns a chunk of MLSE — were shot down by then-NBA commissioner David Stern.\n\n \n\n Tanenbaum\, said Peddie\, never really gave up his hope of a team. Th at vision clearly wasn’t shared by Edward Rogers and Tony Staffieri\, th e chair and CEO\, respectively of Rogers Communications\, one of MLSE’s parent companies\, along with BCE Inc. and Kilmer.\n\n\n\n As reported by the Star\, Rogers and Staffieri argued against MLSE bidding for a WNBA tea m\, despite an internal MLSE business case which projected the team would eventually become profitable.\n\n\n\n Expansion franchises in any league c an have a shaky few years when they start. But there’s already ample pre cedent in Toronto for a new team proving to be a good investment\, said Pe ddie.\n\n\n\n “You think about Toronto FC. There were people who thought us buying Toronto FC for $10 million was crazy\, was the stupidest idea g oing. Now\, some people would say it’s worth $700 million. That’s wher e Larry’s coming from\,” said Peddie. “When we bought Toronto FC\, w e weren’t projecting it to make any money right off the bat. But we were amazingly profitable in the first couple of years.” \n\n\n\n Victor Ma theson\, a professor of economics at College of the Holy Cross in Massachu setts who specializes in the economic impact of the sports industry\, says there are plenty of reasons to expect Toronto’s WNBA team will be a fin ancial success\, including the precedent set by the NBA’s Raptors.\n\n\n \n “Toronto certainly has a chance to be a good market for the WNBA. The reason we know this is that obviously it’s been a great market for the NBA — a lot of success with the Raptors\,” said Matheson\, who added t hat Toronto also has a track record of supporting high-level women’s spo rts. “The Canadian women’s soccer team has done fantastically. And the re was just a spectacular inaugural season in the PWHL.”\n\n\n\n So why wouldn’t those factors be obvious to other potential investors in additi on to Tanenbaum? A failure of imagination\, said Matheson.\n\n\n\n “I th ink what a lot of owners and broadcasters have lacked is the imagination t o realize what a hit women’s sports can be\,” said Matheson. “They say ‘well\, why should we even try to ask for a lot of money for TV rig hts\, or why should even think about paying a bunch of money for TV rights . I can’t imagine anyone going and watching these games\,’ so they d on’t even try.”\n\n\n\n Having the star power of rookie Indiana Fever point guard Caitlin Clark in the WNBA is helping everyone from sponsors\, teams and the league itself get that spark of imagination\, Matheson said. The season-opening game of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun against Clark’s Fever was a sellout\, with more than 9\,000 fans\, the team’s highest a ttendance in 20 years.\n\n\n\n “They weren’t just paying the $10-$15 W NBA price\, but scalping tickets for $50 or $100 apiece. As soon as people see things like that\, they can start to imagine that ‘hey\, this is so mething that really could work\,’” said Matheson.\n\n\n\n The fact tha t big-time sports investment has traditionally been male-dominated has als o played a role in the failure of imagination\, says Allison Sandmeyer- Gr aves\, CEO of Canadian Women and Sport\, an advocacy organization.\n\n\n\n “It’s a safe bet that was a factor\,” said Sandmeyer-Graves. “Whe n you start from a place of not respecting women’s sports\, it’s reall y hard to see the value in it.”\n\n\n\n Recent surveys done for CWS\, sa id Sandmeyer-Graves\, give plenty of cause for optimism that Toronto’s a s-yet unnamed team will be a financial success. Sandmeyer-Graves pointed t o results which found that 17 million Canadians called themselves fans of women’s sports. And the gender breakdown wasn’t what some people might have assumed.\n\n\n\n “What was really cool in the research we just rel eased was to see actually\, fans of women’s sports are almost 50-50 men and women\, and it’s even a little bit higher for men\,” said Sandmeye r-Graves.\n\n\n\n And\, she added\, the surveys were done before the inaug ural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League\, which has a fran chise in Toronto.\n\n\n\n “So it’s not just the novelty of the first s eason of this new league\, said Sandmeyer-Graves. “There’s latent dema nd in Canada for women’s sports that hasn’t been fully met.” \n\n\n \n Still\, there will inevitably be bumps in the road\, just like there ar e with any start-up franchise. Detractors\, she argued\, won’t be playin g fair if they use those bumps to try and shoot down the team’s long-ter m prospects.\n\n\n\n “I think we need to give this team the same grace a nd patience that we have given to other teams in the past. So often\, when it’s not a success straight out of the gate\, it’s seen as just more evidence that women’s sports just aren’t successful\,” said Sandmeye r-Graves\, adding that Tanenbaum seems like a patient investor who’s in it for the long haul.\n\n\n\n “I’m not saying MLSE wouldn’t have bee n the right fit\, but clearly\, they didn’t feel like they were the righ t fit. … Where it goes in five years\, we’ll see. But it seems like they’re starting off on the right foot.”\n\n\n\n Josh Rubin is a Toron to-based business reporter. Follow him on Twitter: @starbeer.\n\n\n\n Prio r Economic Corner: https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11475-economiccorner012/\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n What is annual average cost [players /stadium/staff/utilities] of the least costly to operate professional\, me aning paid athlete\, sport team in the city you live in?\n\n\n\n The follo wing is content in normal weight font unverified . I did a general search\ , \"average yearly cost of LEAGUE NAME team\"\n\n\n\n New York City has al l the major leagues and many minor. \n\n\n\n The cheapest team is a Premi er Women's Hockey Alliance or Roller Derby\, the womens football alliance team in nyc folded. Now\, white people say Washington DC/Atlanta/Charlotte are the three cities with the most black millionaires. Jackson Missisippi is the only city in the usa with over eighty percent black population. Bu t NYC has a larger population of black people than any city in the usa by a distance. So the question is are any of the sports franchises with the l owest annual cost cheap enough for a black multimillionaire in new york ci ty to risk? i argue yes\, but to each their own.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WNBA\n \n\n\n The average yearly cost of an WNBA team is estimated to be aroun d $13.2 million1. The average team is worth an estimated $96 million\n\ n\n\n Premiere Lacross Leauge\n\n\n\n The average yearly cost of a Premie r Lacrosse League team is estimated to be around $10 million1. The reve nue per employee for Premier Lacrosse League is $203.2K2. The company op erates in the Spectator Sports industry3.\n\n\n\n Premier Womens Hockey Le ague\n\n\n\n The average yearly cost of a PWHL team is around $56\,500 USD2. The league requires each team to average between $45\,900 and $60\ ,500 per contract in lieu of a salary cap1. The minimum salary for PWHL players is currently $35\,000\n\n\n\n USL League 2 team \n\n\n\n The av erage yearly cost of owning and running a USL League 2 team ranges from $ 600K to $1M2. The initial franchise fee to buy into a USL 2 franchise is $75\,000\, which can be split into payments of ~$25K each year for three y ears3. Expansion fees in the USL Championship are $12 million in 20205.\n \n\n\n Womens Football Alliance- the gridiron\n\n\n\n The average yearly cost of a Women's Football Alliance (WFA) team is estimated to be around  $20\,0001. This budget covers expenses such as field rental\, equipment \, uniforms\, videography\, web hosting\, and some travel. If teams partic ipate in the playoffs\, the cost can be higher2.\n\n\n\n Frontier league b aseball team\n\n\n\n The average yearly cost of a Frontier League basebal l team is around $75\,000\, with a salary cap of $72\,000 per team125.  Most players earn between $1\,000 and $2\,000 a month during the summe r2. The highest paid players can earn up to $4\,000 a month2.\n\n\n\n Ma jor  league cricket\n\n\n\n The average yearly cost of a Major League Cr icket (MLC) team is estimated to be slightly above $1.1 million2. The s alary cap per team is $1\,150\,000\, of which $320\,000 is spent on Americ an players\n\n\n\n Overwatch league\n\n\n\n The average yearly cost of an Overwatch League team is approximately $1 million14. Team owners bough t into the Overwatch League for $20 million per slot ahead of its launch i n 20183. The average annual pay for an Overwatch League player in the Uni ted States is $121\,7652.\n\n\n\n Roller Derby\n\n\n\n Travel costs: Gotha m Girls Roller Derby $58\,260 Gotham paid out 23\,051 in 2011. Not sure wh ere you got the other number from.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Websites that state cities with the large numbers of black millionaires\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n htt ps://propertyclub.nyc/article/richest-black-neighborhoods-in-america#:~:te xt=Washington D.C. has the most Black millionaires in\,of government and m ilitary jobs in the area.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://blackelites.com/top-c ities-in-the-u-s-with-the-highest-number-of-black-millionaires/\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Why Black Millionaires aren't investing in sport\n\n\n\n POST URL \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11479-economiccorner013/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDI TION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/193-economic-corner-12-0212 2025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/195-e conomic-corner-14-02152025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02152026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n New Sports Leagues started in 2025\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Article\n\n\n\n 10 Of The Top Emerging Sports Leagues To Keep An Eye On In 2025\n\nThe conver gence of sports\, media\, and technology has created a lot of opportunitie s.\n\nAs a result\, several new leagues are popping up across the world.\n \nIn the past 10 years\, there have been over 20 leagues started in over 1 5 sports.\n\nWhile this is great for underrepresented fans and sports\, th e unfortunate truth is that most of them won’t survive long-term.\n\nHer e are 10 leagues we believe have a good chance and why:\n\nUnrivaled Baske tball\nCo-founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart\, Unr ivaled Basketball is a new 3v3 women’s professional basketball league th at is set to launch in January 2025.\n\nWith the recent boom in women’s basketball\, the league has already generated a ton of social impressions and engagement plus they’ve already surpassed projected financial target s.\n\nWith a strong leadership team and a superstar lineup of players\, th is league has the foundation to last a long time.\n\nTMRW Sports\nGolf has been booming since the pandemic and the anticipation for TMRW Sports is a s high as it’s ever been.\n\nFounded by Mike McCarley\, Tiger Woods\, an d Rory McIlroy\, TMRW Sports aims to create new ways to connect sports fan s with technology and culture.\n\nThe league is already valued at $500M an d has a strong cap table.\n\nThis plus their unique approach to a sport gr owing in popularity is a recipe for success.\n\nPro League Network\nIf the re is one thing fans like doing\, it’s betting and Pro League Network is building out the perfect ecosystem for it.\n\nPro League Network owns\, p roduces\, monetizes\, and distributes several super-niche sports including :\n\nSlapFIGHT\nCarJitsu\nTyre Wrestling\nSTR33T\nIf they can continue to generate unique\, entertaining ideas and content\, they’ll be around for a while.\n\nLeague One Volleyball\nLeague One Volleyball (LOVB) was found ed in 2020 by Katlyn Gao\, Peter Hirschmann\, and Olympian Kevin Wong as a network of youth volleyball clubs across the US.\n\nIn September 2022\, t hey raised $16.75M in a Series A funding round\, headlined by Billie Jean King and Kevin Durant. \n\nA year later\, the company raised $35M in a Ser ies B round led by Lindsey Vonn\, Jayson Tatum\, and Candace Parker.\n\nPr o volleyball has never seen a league like this before yet the sport is gro wing in popularity amongst young women and has a ton of athlete star power backing it.\n\nMajor League Pickleball\nPickleball is all the rave these days.\n\nOne of the fastest-growing sports in the US is headlined by a wel l-put-together league in Major League Pickleball (MLP) that has only been in existence since 2021.\n\nThe league has 24 co-ed teams that are backed by some of the best athletes\, entertainers\, and businesspeople in the wo rld.\n\nGiven that pickleball appeals to the masses\, has an easy learning curve\, and is not too taxing on the body\, we’re willing to bet that t he MLP will be growing like crazy over the next couple of years.\n\nUnited Soccer League\nSoccer is the most popular sport in the world\, but has ye t to take off in the US.\n\nThe United Soccer League (USL) is one of the l eagues that will help change that for both men and women.\n\nFounded in 19 86\, the United Soccer League is the largest and fastest-growing pre-profe ssional and professional soccer organization in the country. \n\nIt has se ven divisions with over 150 teams and is growing YoY.\n\nWith the World Cu p coming in 2026\, the USL is one league that is without a doubt going to boom.\n\nDrone Racing League\nI know what you’re thinking. Drone racing? \n\nBut get this…\n\nThere is a reason that Infinite Reality bought the Drone Racing League for $250M.\n\nFounded in 2015\, DRL claims to reach mo re than one billion annual digital video views and a global broadcast foot print of 320 million households through top sports networks and streaming distribution agreements.\n\nThe league also previously received investment s from notable sports\, media\, and technology entities\, including:\n\nRS E Ventures\nLiberty Media\nExor\nISOS Capital\nWWE\nT-Mobile Ventures\nCAA Ventures\nLux Capital\nLerer Hippeau\nCourtside Ventures\nSky\nHearst Ven tures\nImmersive experiences are just getting started and DRL is well posi tioned to be a leader in this category.\n\nThe Professional Women’s Hock ey League\nThe Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) was only founde d a little over a year ago but already has hundreds of thousands of follow ers across Twitter\, Instagram\, TikTok\, and YouTube.\n\nRight after the league’s inaugural year ended\, there was talk of adding 2 expansion tea ms for the 2025-26 season.\n\nThe league already has great traction in Can ada\, where hockey is most popular\, but we wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see that success trickle down to North America as well.\n\nKings League\nIn just a year since its inception\, the Kings League recorded hig her viewership than La Liga and the Premier League on TikTok\, making it t he most-watched football league on the platform.\n\nThe league\, which is a seven-a-side soccer league\, was founded by legendary soccer star Gerard Pique who had a vision of leveraging content creators and their audience to create a unique fan experience for soccer.\n\nContent creator-led leagu es are interesting because there is already a built-in audience and distri bution which is half the battle.\n\nIf you can get and sustain attention i n sports\, you’re well on your way to building a successful league.\n\nG rand Slam Track\nMichael Johnson is one of the greatest track stars of all time.\n\nBut his legacy will likely be tied to his next venture Grand Sla m Track.\n\nThe brand new league will host four annual Slams in 2025 and h as a total of $12.6M prize money across the events.\n\nOlympic track athle tes are widely known for not making a ton of money despite their popularit y and appeal.\n\nThis model flips track and field on its head by bringing together the world’s fastest athletes for a chance to win big bucks.\n\n Given that sprinting is one of the oldest\, most beloved sports globally\, Grand Slam Track could be onto something.\n\n\n\n\n U.R.L. \n\n\n\n http s://blog.vettedsports.com/10-of-the-top-emerging-sports-leagues-to-keep-an -eye-on-in-2025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.unrivaled.basketball/\n\n\ n\n https://www.tmrwsportsgroup.com/\n\n\n\n https://www.thepwhl.com/en/\n \n\n\n https://kingsleague.pro/en/americas\n\n\n\n https://www.grandslamtr ack.com/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250215 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:City of Fools 02/11/2026 DTSTAMP:20260211T161026Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:649-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n City of Fools\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/art/City-of-Fools-1297606363\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE : City of Fools\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The buildings read\n\n\n\n All Artists Creations Are Fool s.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The figures are\n\n\n\n Person coming onto shore fro m sea of passions\n\n\n\n Wheelchaired person\n\n\n\n Elder with cane\n\n\ n\n Child with puppy or cat\n\n\n\n Couple going up together\n\n\n\n Paren t with child on their back\n\n\n\n Person flying a fool\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The braille on the hill side reads a little poem\, with words delineated by flowers\n\n\n\n Grow wait\n\n\n\n Grab love\n\n\n\n Test how strong you joy\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n for Art Beyond the Curve\n\n\n\n from @moonbeam13 in @Community\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/moonbeam13/journal/Art-Be yond-the-Curve-1294691937\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW LARG ER VERSION\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Calligraphy Gallery\n\n\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/67560516/calligraphy\n\n\n \n My inks Gallery\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/47 013691/comic-coloring-pages\n\n\n\n My poetry gallery\n\n\n\n https://www. deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/84827787/poetry\n\n\n\n If you like my ca lligraphy I have a commission available\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com /hddeviant/commission/Microcalligraphy-signatures-1487995\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n #CreativeMomentum #calligraphy #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurray #k obo #kwl #rmaalbc #aalbc #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260211 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Two question of movies 02142026 DTSTAMP:20260214T231752Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:653-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n It is interesting\, the question says\, overrate d movie that everyone loves... that part invalidates most films. I can't t hink of a film everyone loves and no work of art is truly overrated becaus e all art has those who love it. Gone with the wind or Birth of a nation o r king kong or ... star wars or lord of the rings were not loved by everyo ne and are evenly rated by those who love it\, as well as evenly rated by those who do not. I argue the question is dysfunctional. Yes\, millions di dn't get lord of the rings\, and millions didn't get gone with the wind\, and millions didn't get birth of a nation. Now if the question was\, movie that everyone I know loves\, but I just don't get... now you have an even question. A small enough everyone\, and no false sense of rating\, so tha t it doesn't have an automatic millions of people not getting it regardles s of the movie you choose\, or an uneven assessment of ratings when people rate all art as they feel about it. And my answer to the adjusted questio n is I don't know:) I can see why any film\, ANY FILM is loved I can see w hy any art is loved. If anything I argue the artists who can't see why a w ork of art is loved is hurting themselves as an artist. You have to have a n open mind to comprehend the eternity that is art. ... I will make anothe r adjustment\, movie that everyone I know loves\, that I wish didn't and w hy? To that end I can answer. I get the lion king 100% \, I don't think it is falsely rated. But I wish people I know didn't love it. It is a beauti ful animation\, simple\, a little crude\, but an uplifting story\, has fun . I just wish it had humanoid characters instead of the nonhumans. I have aesthetic desires. Call them biased\, negatively or positively\, but they are true for me. If I was in control of disney\, which I am not\, the lion king has humanoid characters. the princess and the frog has a human princ ess the whole movie and the male lead is a frog. And comprehend I 100% get the lion king or the princess and the frog. I think they both have lovely elements. Both have for me\, lame elements. but that is art \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Wanna know one of the changes when Murphy was hired? The love interes t went out the window.\n\n\n\n Just thought you should know.\n\n\n\n +\n\n \n\n On this date in 1984\, \"Beverly Hills Cop\" premiered in Los Angeles .\n\n\n\n In 1977\, Paramount executive Don Simpson came up with a movie i dea about a cop from East L.A. who transferred to Beverly Hills. Screenwri ter Danilo Bach was called in to write the screenplay. Bach pitched his id ea to Simpson and Paramount in 1981 under the name \"Beverly Drive\"\, abo ut a cop from Pittsburgh named Elly Axel. However\, his script was a strai ght action film and Bach was forced to make changes to the script\, but af ter a few attempts the project went stale. With the success of \"Flashdanc e\" (1983)\, Simpson saw the Beverly Hills film as his next big project. D aniel Petrie\, Jr. was brought in to rewrite the script and Paramount love d Petrie's humorous approach to the project\, with the lead character now called Axel Elly\, from Detroit. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer claimed that t he role of Axel Foley was first offered to Mickey Rourke\, who signed a $4 00\,000 holding contract to do the film. When revisions and other preparat ions took longer than expected\, Rourke left the project to do another fil m.\n\n\n\n Sylvester Stallone was originally considered for the part of Fo ley. Stallone gave the script a dramatic rewrite and made it into a straig ht action film. In one of the previous drafts written for Stallone\, the c haracter of Billy Rosewood was called \"Siddons\" and was killed off half- way through the script during one of the action scenes. Stallone had renam ed the lead character to Axel Cobretti\, with the character of Michael Tan dino being his brother and Jenny Summers playing his love interest. Stallo ne has said that his script for \"Beverly Hills Cop\" would have \"looked like the opening scene from 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998) on the beaches of Normandy. Believe it or not\, the finale was me in a stolen Lamborghini p laying chicken with an oncoming freight train being driven by the ultra-sl imy bad guy.\" However\, Stallone's ideas were deemed \"too expensive\" fo r Paramount to produce and Stallone ultimately pulled out two weeks before filming was to start. Two days later\, the film's producers\, Simpson and Bruckheimer\, convinced Eddie Murphy to replace Stallone in the film\, pr ompting more rewrites. Besides Stallone and Rourke\, other actors who were considered for the role of Axel Foley included Richard Pryor\, Al Pacino\ , and James Caan.\n\n\n\n Murphy\, John Ashton\, and Judge Reinhold improv ised most of their comic lines. Literally hundreds of takes were ruined by cast members\, actors or the director laughing during shooting. During th e \"super-cops\" monologue\, Ashton is pinching his face hard and looking down in apparent frustration. He is actually laughing. Reinhold put his ha nd in his pocket and pinched his thigh really hard\, trying to prevent him self from laughing.\n\n\n\n my thoughts\n\n\n\n hahaha I knew you would me ntion that:) In defense \, look at the amount of rewrites this project too k on. I don't deny that the white writers took out the love interest when eddie came in\, ala eddie murphy's desire for love interest in boomerang a nd coming to america\, but you read what stallone wanted to do... part of me can imagine stallone's. bless karl urban for his judge dredd. The reali ty that it took all of these rewrites and development drama for murphy to get the job is telling in itself.\n\n\n\n +\n\n\n\n  well concerning the issue of black heterosexual activity in films \, the issue is not about on e film right 🙂 it is about patterns or lack thereof . In the case of fi lms financed by whites in the usa\, a pattern displaying an absence of bla ck heterosexual activity in films financed or written or directed by white s is clear to see. And can only be denied by the dishonest. You know my th oughts\, the question is always how to fix problems. In my view only black produced films will provide the width of black characterizations that is absent in white produced films. I don't think white produced films will ev er expand black characterizations in any robust way. In one film here or t here? yes\, but not enough to ever make a pattern. \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260214 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 12 - 02/12/2025 DTSTAMP:20250213T030137Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:193-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n This economic corner is a manipulation of a dialog betwee n me side @ProfD side @Troy I felt it is warranted because the post it was started in is about Black Owned Websites and while the overall dialog with Troy maintained a focus on black websites\, the dialog between me si de profd did not. So I placed my replies to their post within the multilog \, with no demand to a reply. \n\n\n\n A majority of blacks in the usa ar e individualist and that isn't  a negative thing. It is something born fr om being in majority terrorized by whites from the early 1500s to circa 19 80. Black people have done everything possible in the usa to nonviolently grow. Everything possible. The failure was in who black people existed non violently next to\, non blacks. Now in 2025 in the usa I think it is clear from the black 1% or the black financially wealthy\, black elected offici als\, black places of worship\, that the black people with the most financ ial wealth or access to power or resources are individualist. Actions spea k louder than words. So\, when it comes to group actions across 50 states\ , I argue all those are foolish endeavors in modernity. The old black popu lace in the usa is dead and is never coming back. And that is fine. \n\n\ n\n Black communalism in the usa isn't dead but it is local\, tribal. So t o a black website in the usa or any communal activity in the usa \, they a re all best as tribal acts. The faith in nonviolent communalism is silly\, unwarranted. \n\n\n\n I don't know if anyone notices but for a while I d on't use the term \"black community in the usa\" cause for me that is a li e. The black populace in the usa exist. but the black populace is not a co mmunity. And I repeat\, that isn't a bad thing. It is warranted. The Black populace spent a solid one hundred years in the usa \, being communal lik e no other people on earth at the same time \, or very few in human histor y\, and white power crushed it all. yes\, some will argue\, try again\, bu t that is silly or stupid. Black people in the usa repeated anything someo ne black says needs to happen multiple in the past as a community\, white power crushed it all. No need for the black populace in the usa to try aga in all the things that failed in the usa by way of white power. \n\n\n\n If you are black in the usa\, embrace your small tribe\, or embrace indivi dualism but stop all the unwarranted talk about the larger populace doing communal action. Look positive to the future in a new road\, a wise road\, a financially more honest road. \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Troy sugge sted the specific issue of black websites but it is a general affair so I placed it here alongside anything I have to say as it isn't specific to th e black websites issue. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE DIALOG BETWEEN ME SIDE PR OFD SIDE TROY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black -twitter-still-a-thing/#findComment-71601\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\ n   On 2/6/2025 at 11:02 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n  find it mind-boggl ing that Black brain-power and wealth are not working together to create o ur own platforms. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I find it disturbing that Black fol ks are perfectly fine with enriching white folks at every level.  Social media platforms is one example.\n\n\n\n If individualism is the majority p osition among Black people with the revenue or resources to invest in owni ng a website fit for modern esocial activity\, then it does make sense. I don't think an individualist sees it as enriching a community\, they see i t as an individual investment. If you are individualist\, you don't see yo ur actions as part of any populace in humanity\, only the larger humanity itself. \n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n   On 2/6/2025 at 5:30 PM\, Troy said:\ n\n\n\n It takes a ton of money to run a robust social media platform capa ble of supporting even tens of thousands of users -- let alone hundreds of millions of users globally. So\, any site we use will need serious fundin g and only comes from investors who believe there will be serious returns on their investment.\n\n\n\n thank you\, too often black folk seem to thin k investment in things just needs pennies from the black poor. Something r equire grand investment\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To @ProfD + @Troy\n\n\n\n   On 2/6/2025 at 6:16 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black folks invest a wh ole lot of money in churches though.  Maybe we need to call the Black pla tform Hallelujah\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/8/2025 at 11:25 AM\, Troy  said:\n\n\n\n That is actually a Great idea man a Christian social media s ite\, surely one most already exist.\n\n\n\n I found on first page search only the following \n\n\n\n http://www.blackandchristian.com/\n\n\n\n Its funny facebook was started through colleges\, Historical black colleges t hrough the fraternities or sororities can idealistically do similar. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a- thing/#findComment-71607\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/9/2025 at 9:56 PM\,  richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n I found on first page search only the followi ng \n\n\n\n http://www.blackandchristian.com/\n\n\n\n \n\n That website i s defaulted. It has not been maintained for years and the length to the fo rms is broken. The fact that it ranks well in search seems to indicate the re is no active website in the space. I wonder if there’s even a desire for one. I suspect most church communities have their own websites and onl ine social platforms.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/8/2025 at 12:00 PM\, P rofD said:\n\n\n\n Regardless of religious affiliation\, I was thinking t hat could be the name of a Black-owned platform equivalent of Tw8tter (X)\ n\n\n\n \n\n Well\, from the example that Richard provided the idea of a B lack Christian website didn’t seem to work. As far as a black on website \, the equivalent of what’s already out there we already know that won ’t work at least not originating in the US.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/ 9/2025 at 9:56 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n I don't think an individ ualist sees it as enriching a community\, they see it as an individual inv estment.\n\n\n\n \n\n Of course anyone buying in stock in Meta or Alphabet are doing so to make money for themselves. Now\, while  Facebook makes i tself out itself as bringing in the world closer together people don’t i nvest in them for that they invest solely to make money.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n There are other businesses types that are mission\, driven B corps and n ot for profits. people invest in them to improve society\, but those are n’t the organizations that make all that make money for investors or cre ate wealth. \n\n  \n\n\n\n It has been suggested buy some\, that AALBC s hould become a not for profit.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/top ic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thing/#findComment-71608\n\n\n\n @Troy\n \n\n\n   On 2/10/2025 at 10:30 AM\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n The fact that i t ranks well in search seems to indicate there is no active website in the space. I wonder if there’s even a desire for one. I suspect most church communities have their own websites and online social platforms.\n\n\n\n Local Churches historically tend to be competitive to each other\, they ma y share a similar faith but they rarely like to share prominence.\n\n\n\n Well\, youtube tried short videos before tiktok was created and it didn't catch fire. so\, what that one scenario proves is\, the packaging/algorith m/style of such a website is key. People like websites when it offers a si mple straight forward interface while provides an aspect to communication online that they didn't have before\, not necessarily as a tool \, but in the style of the tool. \n\n\n\n I think \"HAlleluyah\" can work\, but ima gination will be needed in how it operates.\n\n\n\n I argue AALBC should s tay for profit but it will be wise if you have a contingency plan for non profit upon your death or some bad situation\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thing/#findComment-71609\n \n\n\n   On 2/10/2025 at 10:30 AM\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n As far as a bla ck on website\, the equivalent of what’s already out there we already kn ow that won’t work at least not originating in the US.\n\n\n\n Again\, I was not advocating for a Black Christian website or platform. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That's not my thing as the resident agnostic around here.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Half-Jokingly\, I only used the name Hallelujah because ma ny Black folks would check it out due to upbringing.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/9/2025 at 9:56 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n thank you\, too often black folk seem to think investment in things just needs pennies fr om the black poor. Something require grand investment\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n M any poor people still give church offerings\, smoke cigarettes\, drink alc ohol and do drugs and shop.  So\, they can contribute along with other in vestors.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twit ter-still-a-thing/#findComment-71610\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n    On 2/10/2025 at 12:14 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n So\, they can contribut e along with other investors.\n\n\n\n Can they? \n\n\n\n I don't smoke ci garettes\, but I know cigarettes cost money\, so if a human being\, likes smoking cigerattes and they are a financially poor person\, they probably don't have money to invest in a website\, even if what they can invest is not even a miniscule fraction of a percent of the funds needed .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thing /#findComment-71611\n\n\n\n   On 2/10/2025 at 5:55 PM\, richardmurray  said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Can they? \n\n\n\n Yes they can.\n\n\n\n   On 2/10/2025 at 5:55 PM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n ...so if a human bein g\, likes smoking cigerattes and they are a financially poor person\, they probably don't have money to invest in a website\, even if what they can invest is not even a miniscule fraction of a percent of the funds needed . \n\n\n\n Reads like you're making excuses.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Where I come from\, I know for a fact that poor people know how find money.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Obviously\, not enough money to become rich or wealthy in most ca ses. But\, it's enough to maintain habits.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Many campaig ns are funded by small money donors. Some churches operate the same way. It adds up.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-sti ll-a-thing/#findComment-71614\n\n\n\n @ProfDnot an excuse\, being happy is n't an excuse to anything.\n\n\n\n if any human being does something that makes them happy\, they want to do that more right. At least for me\, i wi ll rather be happy than sad and i think any other human will rather be hap py than sad. So fi your happiness is an expense \, you still need it and s ome investment into something that will not lead to you being happy will n ot be maintained for long. \n\n\n\n yes example of consistent small donor s to certain financial endeavors exist\, but to be even\, cause the dialog is swaying away from the theme of the topic... my original quotes were in concert with Troy's concerning black twitter\, more specifically websites \, online websites\, it wasn't a generalization. and in an endeavor like a website big donors are mandatory \, needed. Not one heavily followed webs ite had small donors. throughout its history. That isn't laziness or an ac cident or something small donors can undo\, it is the reality\, big donors are needed for any website to grow a certain size. And to the current env ironment \, many websites even after massive financial investment are fail ures. Look at china really. The blunt truth is that western european count ries/japan/india/russia all have websites to their local markets but none were like china\, willing to invest enough to get websites that are global brands. And it took money for that\, not small donors of the chinese peop le. Rich chinese so I repeat my point to troy: too often black folk seem to think investment in things just needs pennies from the black poor.  an d I amend\, that is not true. \n\n\n\n Black pennies from the black poor is good for local\, local defined as city region or town level investments . A house/ a community center/a retail shop/small scale operations. that a re bounded to the region of a city or a town. But if you want industry lea ding firms across the usa\, with over three hundred and fifty million peop le or moreover humanity\, the black rich not the black pennies from the bl ack poor have to be the primary investors. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thing/#findComment-71618\n \n\n\n   21 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n @ProfDnot an excus e\, being happy isn't an excuse to anything.\n\n\n\n if any human being do es something that makes them happy\, they want to do that more right. At l east for me\, i will rather be happy than sad and i think any other human will rather be happy than sad. So fi your happiness is an expense \, you s till need it and some investment into something that will not lead to you being happy will not be maintained for long. \n\n\n\n Right.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Reminds me of people who claim they want to lose weight but refuse to diet and exercise because eating makes them happy.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I nstead of a gym membership\, the overweight person who claims they want to lose weight would rather spend that money on more food and snacks. \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n A pack of cigarettes in NYC costs $13 dollars. That's almos t 1 hour of minimum wage work.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If we're serious about i t\, 4 million Black people investing $25 dollars (2 packs of cigarettes in NYC or a large pizza) in a business venture adds up to $100 million dolla rs.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thin g/#findComment-71621\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n A pack of cigarettes in NYC costs $13 dollars. That's almost 1 hour of minimum wage work.\n\n\n\n it's funny\, i haven't heard of a perso n buying a pack of cigarettes in a very long time in nyc. I see people buy ing singles at stores or asking for singles from their fellows or stranger s. A pack? no one has money for a pack Profd. that fact that you suggested that ... you haven't been in a place like nyc in a long time have you? I don't get snap but many are complaining about snap benefits ending.\n\n\n\ n ...I repeat\, because it is important\, black pennies will not do it. Do you know across the demographic board of NYC\, if the school food program goes under\, half of the children in nyc's schools\, not just black\, the non black as well whom you like to suggest so financially astute\, will g o hungry\, across the board 50% \, fifty percent of the children in public school.\n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If we 're serious about it\, 4 million Black people investing $25 dollars (2 pac ks of cigarettes in NYC or a large pizza) in a business venture adds up to $100 million dollars.\n\n\n\n  I will love to know who has bought two pa cks of cigarettes in a month in nyc ? only people with money in the first place are doing that.  but you get to the nitty gritty. \n\n\n\n Who is going to be in control fo that hundred million dollars? Profd? It will not be me. who? obama? sharpton? mrs obama? clarence thomas? who? historical black colleges?\n\n\n\n I can't name one black individual or group in the usa who has the desire+ imagination+trust to do anything with 100 million. if it was gathered.\n\n\n\n This goes back to our million man march dialo g. Assuming someone had the trust or could gain the trust\, trust must be earned\, of five hundred thousand black men  who attended the march \, wi th your $25 dollar assumption\, that twelve million and five hundred dolla rs? but who canthose 5000\,00 trust? you? me ?  iargue none class.\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thing/#findCom ment-71627\n\n\n\n  19 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n \n\n\n it's funny\, i haven't heard of a person buying a pack of cigarette s in a very long time in nyc. I see people buying singles at stores or ask ing for singles from their fellows or strangers. A pack? no one has money for a pack Profd. that fact that you suggested that ... you haven't been i n a place like nyc in a long time have you?\n\n\n\n You're missing the poi nt but it's OK. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I was just in NYC last year. Saw Blac k folks spending money too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, richard murray said:\n\n\n\n n in nyc's schools\, not just black\, the non black as well whom you like to suggest so financially astute\, will go hungry\, across the board 50% \, fifty percent of the children in public school.\n\ n\n\n NYC is the same place spending millions of dollars housing illegal i mmigrants. They could easily feed the children if ut was a priority.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n   19 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n  Who is go ing to be in control fo that hundred million dollars? Profd?\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n I can't name one black individual or group in the usa who has the de sire+ imagination+trust to do anything with 100 million.\n\n\n\n Right. Th erein lies the biggest obstacle.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n On one hand\, you don' t 1) believe Black folks can raise $100 million dollars through grassroot efforts and 2) can't trust any steward of the $100 million dollars collect ed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But\, you'll suggest folks like Oprah Winfrey and o thers put up $100 million dollars of their money.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My po int is that Black folks can do both. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   19 hours ag o\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n This goes back to our million man march dialog. Assuming someone had the trust or could gain the trust\, trust mus t be earned\, of five hundred thousand black men  who attended the march \, with your $25 dollar assumption\, that twelve million and five hundred dollars? but who canthose 5000\,00 trust? you? me ?  iargue none class.\n \n\n\n It starts with having a solid plan/agenda\, goals and milestones.\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That requires a herculean effort of oorganization among Black folks especially in a climate of individualism and tribalism.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n MY CONTINUATION \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2 025 at 8:05 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n You're missing the point bu t it's OK. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n I was just in NYC last year. S aw Black folks spending money too.\n \n \n\n\n\n I comprehend your point\ , it is that the financial poor in a populace can lead a populace\, in fis cal capitalism\, always. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2025 at 8:05 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n NYC is the same place spending million s of dollars housing illegal immigrants. They could easily feed the childr en if ut was a priority.\n \n \n\n\n\n well I don't know about ease\, I n ever say anything is easy. Nothing is easy. \n\n\n\n Technically\, NYC is spending federal money on housing illegal immigrants\, thus appropriated money\, thus money that must be used for specific reasons. I doubt the rep resentatives of many states in the union will desire federal money for imm igrants into nyc \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2025 at 8:05 AM\,  ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Right. Therein lies the biggest obstacle.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n On one hand\, you don't 1) believe Black folks can raise $100 million dollars through grassroot efforts and 2) can't tru st any steward of the $100 million dollars collected.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n But\, you'll suggest folks like Oprah Winfrey and others put up $100 million dollars of their money.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n My po int is that Black folks can do both. \n \n \n Expand  \n\n\n\n Well\, I must first say\, I call any populace in humanity foolish if they put up l arge funds without trust. You first have to have the trust before the mone y. It is rare but sometimes the number 2 comes before number 1 this is one of those times. You have 1 but 2 is a key element to why 1 exist with me.  \n\n\n\n Yes\, Profd\, here is a simple example. If I am a billionaire\, no a multibillionaire\, lets say I have ten billion. so ten percent is on e billion. one percent is one hundred million. \n\n\n\n So\, now someone\ , like myself says\, why don't Rich spend one hundred million\, which is o ne percent of rich rich's wealth in this example right? \n\n\n\n Now\, th at 100 million is Rich Rich's money right?  Rich Rich can do what he want with his money right? So\, if Rich Rich don't invest in the community  t hat is perfectly acceptable because Rich Rich is free to not invest or inv est with Rich Rich's. While\, if rich rich is honest\, if he is me he is\, Rich Rich will publicly say he isn't helping the black populace in the us a and is responsible for not helping as one of the wealthiest black people in the usa. Cause that is the truth. If someone like Profd says in some f orum\, you guys want Rich Rich to invest his money \, but can't trust a st eward . and someone will say\, Rich Rich said\, as a fiscally wealthy blac k person in fiscal capitalsim that I have to invest first\, before any fis cally poor black person\, and if I don't invest\, I am free to but anyone can tell me to shut the fuck up if I chime in on the village. Yes\, if I w as a billionaire and freely chose to not invest in the community but like to chime in on this show or that\, any black person has the right to tell me to shut the fuck up. \n\n\n\n To the obstacle of trust.... \n\n\n\n Y Es in the past the black churches in the usa had the ability to garner gra ssroots\, but the stewardship of the black populace in the usa by the blac k churches in the usa failed. From circa 1865 to 1990 the black churches i n the usa had their time and it ended with the majority of the black popul ace in the usa correctly rejecting their stewardship from the black church es. \n\n\n\n The black churches in the usa had three tenets: nonviolence/ grassroots activity/be of the church.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Be of the Church is very interesting historically. \n\n\n\n The black populace in the usa at one time was 99% christian. Comprehend the percentage of jews in the wh ite european populace/buddhist in the white asian populace was larger than non christian blacks in the black populace. So\, the entire advantage to black churches existed \, in terms of maintaining a strong role in the bla ck populace\, and sequentially membership.  But I think the 1950s\, was t he beginning of the end for the black churches in that be of the church ma ntra. Atheism/Islam/Buddhism/Belief systems or faiths older than christian ity or islam or judaism while indigenous to africa grew in influence. The Black churches in all earnest\, were never flexible enough when it came to the potential internal variance of cultures in the black populace in the usa. And their relationship to: Historic black colleges or universities\, the NAACP\, the garveyites\, the black soldiers from the first two phases of the white european imperial wars W.E.I.W.\, black newspapers\, the pant hers\, the nation of islam and many others all should had been integrated with black churches more but none were. The colleges or universities were initially 99% financed by white churches \, black people had no money when the 13th amendment was signed because our populace was mostly enslaved no t to long before. So I comprehend that white churches wanted the colleges to get black members to their churches. But black churches needed to merge with those colleges\, comprehending that at their core they are places of learning not religion. The garveyites\, again\, malcolm's father was a pa stor. But\, not all churches supported garveyism. and that was foolish to me. The NAACP financed by white jews and has a black 1% workforce  in it\ , but link to them. and they didn't. Black Soldiers\, so many black soldie rs in the first phase of the W.E.I.W. came back to the usa invigorated \, but alot of times they organized away from the black churches\, not throug h it. I comprehend that many soldiers don't share the position on violence many church folk will want but embrace these people. Newsppapers/Panthers / Nation of Islam  the black churches simply didn't make an effort to bin d with black organizations or groups over the years. It isn't about people coming to them but they needed to lead and go to others\, and they didn't and the results are easy to see.  The modern internal multiracial realit y in the black populace in the usa has left the black churches behind\, bu t they never embraced it\, even among themselves. What always knocks me ou t is how little black churches helped each other. Very individualistic bla ck churches are.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Grassroots activity is huge\, initiall y the most positive. Black churches were able to manage black money/time/m uscle into building schools\, being active in government affairs. Again th e 1950s\, was a time of change. Circa 1865 most black people in the usa we re correctly\, financially worthless\, as they came out of enslavement. Bu t by 1955\, and moreso in 1965\, you see the rise of what i call the black one percent. Nonviolently\, evading or surviving or overcoming all sorts of white violence/attacks/bullying/terrorism some black people \, with the help of the village cause no one does it alone no matter what they tell y ou\, achieved financial wealth.  Not white wealth levels\, again\, white people killed first people to take their land and enslaved black folk to t ill that land\, so having access to land + labor that you are not paying a t market rate or in various tax system or rulesets helps catapult financia l revenue streams\, which black people wierdly seem to think can be better legally. But the black wealthy circa 1950s had developed a culture starte d from 1865 that influenced black churches badly. The black wealthy all we nt to black churches and started manipulating how they operated \, whereas circa 1865 black churches sought to help the black populace\, circa 1955 black churches are telling black people to help themselves. Black business owners flipped the bill for alot of activities in the 1960s but the black churches should had by that time been more involved. But the death of gra ssroots activities from black churches to the larger black populace in the ir regions started to change how black people related to the churches. Kwa me Ture\, some know as Stokely Carmicheal\, said it best himself\, about M artin Luther King jr\, can you imagine a black baptist preacher doesn't ac cept a cadillac. The Black Preachers by the 1960s in majority were not abo ut the flock but themselves\, that is why they never voted for MLK jr to b e head of the southern black christian leadership conference. And in paral lel\, the wealthy black churches have survived well to this day each in th eir individual glamour while the fiscally poor churches said rich churches didn't even think warranted a grassroots activity to save died and with t hem a huge disassociation from the larger black populace in the usa. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Nonviolence:) I saved this last\, cause i argue this was t he biggest injury black churches had to their leadership position in the b lack populace in the usa. \n\n\n\n So many black people were beaten \, th e tragedy of the usa\, is alot of times\, black people ourselves\, focus o n the hangings\, the burnings\, the action from whites that lead to death\ , but i think the violent actions from whites that are not lethal are more interesting. \n\n\n\n How many black women were raped? I know in one tow n all the black women were raped by whites\, a common knowledge around bla ck people in that town. \n\n\n\n How many black men were beaten by whites \, unsheeted circa 1865 to anytime now sheeted circa 1875 to circa 1965 un iformed circa 1865 to anytime now. \n\n\n\n The Black Churches circa 1865 had a vote where they decided a collective stance\, an agreement between black churches on the stance towards violence [I am trying to find out all i can about this and add it to the DOS EARLY LITERATURE GROUP\, it will b e one of my best finds if I can] \, to support nonviolence. \n\n\n\n And I don't mind that\, but here is the problem\, when you promote nonviolence aside a communalism circa 1865 black individuals don't feel alone\, but f rom circa 1950s to modernity the nonviolence is aside individualism. In th e 1970s white people still enslaved black people straightly\, albeit illeg ally\, while black churches in the same 1970s are talking about bootstraps . Said enslaved black people:  can't chew through metal\,  block a bulle t to their arm or deal with a ax hit across their foot\, can't attack an a rmed person with the power of faith. Black people needed armed protection\ , they needed guidance away from white violence. But all the black churche s ever provided from circa 1865 to modernity\, 2025\, going from undoubted leaders to castaway organizations\, is no guidance away from violence or no protection and black people\, like any people with some sense\, saw the nonviolent plea ended up with the black churches leaving each of its memb ers alone\, as black individuals against white communal violence and why g o to church for that. I will never forget Sean Bell's father\, he said he wanted the men who killed his son dead. Al sharpton\, the pastor\, and oth ers made sure he wasn't heard much after in the media sphere\, and that en capsulates the problem with non violence from the black church. It is a sp it in the eye. The same Black Churches that shut up Sean Bell's father who said nothing wrong in my mind\, will then turn to people with similar fee ling to sean bell's father\, all earned by white violence\, and tell them about investing in some business\, voting for some official\, all of thing s that will not satisfy their warranted anger. Cause the black churches do n't care. it is a philosophical desire that leaves black people alone in t he affairs that matter most while demanding some unwarranted communal acti on by the same individuals.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And this goes to my poi nt about Black leadership concerning the Black 1% in the usa\, said 1% was brewed in Black Churches in the usa. The Black Churches developed an indi vidualist culture that didn't even allow them to help fellow black churche s\, and made them private clubs whose members ingratiate themselves and ha ve a heirarchy of wealth\, dismissive of anybody outside. So when I sugges t the black 1% put up their money\, I don't do that hopefully. It is merel y strategic assessment within a fiscal capitalistic environment where all major actions come through the fiscal aristocracy \, no matter how they go t their wealth\, and uplifting the black populace in the usa is a major ac tion. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRofd you suggest in a climate of individualism that garnering the trust needed is a continent bridging act of organizati on. I concur. Possibility is not probability. Possibility ask can a thing happen or not. Probability ask what is the gamble\, as a numerical value\, a thing can happen. \n\n\n\n It is possible\, all things are possible ac tually. But the probability is very low in this case. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thi ng/#findComment-71630  (FROM TROY  IN AMENDMENT- this came in after I ha d set up this post so I just placed it in )\n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, r ichardmurray said:\n\n\n\n I will love to know who has bought two packs o f cigarettes in a month in nyc ?\n\n\n\n \n\n There are plenty of people. I was asked to buy a carton of cigarettes here in Florida for someone up i n New York City who smokes two packs a day. My mother easily smokes a pack a day and has been doing that for the better part of 3/4 of a century.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n certainly\, we as a people can do a much better job and i nvesting in our own businesses.\n\n  \n\n\n\n We do have experience with this already. There are mega churches all over the country that are suppor ted by relatively small contributions by large numbers of people. Some of those churches have schools and provide a wide variety of services for the community in addition to ensuring contributors get into heaven. But churc hes have all types of tax advantages that regular businesses don’t.\n\n \n\n The real issue\, I think\, is creating wealth for the investors rathe r than lighting the pockets of some charismatic preacher. It is not just a matter of organizing the investors it’s coming up with the viable busin ess.\n\n  \n\n\n\n Alternatively\, people can be content in simply contri buting to a business without expecting to be rewarded financially. People contribute to my business simply because they want to support what I’m d oing\, which is beautiful because it actually does help. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n MY REPLY \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @Troy \n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2025 a t 8:04 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n There are plenty of people. I was asked to buy a carton of cigarettes here in Florida for someone up in New York City who smokes two packs a day. My mother easily smokes a pack a da y and has been doing that for the better part of 3/4 of a century.\n \n \ n\n\n\n Buy a carton in florida\, not in NYC and Profd's point was about N YC\, not buying in another state because of the cost in nyc... \n\n\n\n \ n   On 2/12/2025 at 8:04 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n certainly\, we as a people can do a much better job and investing in our own businesse s.\n \n \n\n\n\n whose we? The black populace in the usa\, not the world\ , not another country\, the usa has no we. Yes\, small tribes do this or t hat. But overall no we exist in the black populace of the usa. So I argue\ , the black populace in the usa is doing as it has been guided from intern ally as well as externally. And that is fine. Individualism has served bla ck people in the usa well for those that want to integrate\, to merge\, to miscegenate\, to become one with the non black in the usa.\n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2025 at 8:04 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n We do have expe rience with this already. There are mega churches all over the country tha t are supported by relatively small contributions by large numbers of peop le. Some of those churches have schools and provide a wide variety of serv ices for the community in addition to ensuring contributors get into heave n. But churches have all types of tax advantages that regular businesses d on’t.\n \n \n\n\n\n yeah\, I mentioned black churches in my reply to Pr ofd\, yeah ok. but black churches are about themselves\, again\, they don' t help each other\, so...\n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2025 at 8:04 PM\, Troy  said:\n \n\n \n \n The real issue\, I think\, is creating wealth for the investors rather than lighting the pockets of some charismatic preache r. It is not just a matter of organizing the investors it’s coming up wi th the viable business.\n \n \n\n\n\n the time has passed on that. The cu lture of ingratiating the preacher is fully embedded\, the time to unravel that was in the 1900s not 2025 and after\n\n\n\n \n   On 2/12/2025 at 8:04 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n Alternatively\, people can be conte nt in simply contributing to a business without expecting to be rewarded f inancially. People contribute to my business simply because they want to s upport what I’m doing\, which is beautiful because it actually does hel p. \n \n \n\n\n\n your right. I never said there are not black people wi th money who give with no desire for financial returns.  But the black fi scal poor can't lead a website to the kind of growth to become a \"electro nic freedom's journal\".. not in my opinion. Can they be part of the journ ey yes\, but not lead. That is asking the most from the poorest.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11462-is-black-twitter-still-a-thing /#findComment-71635\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Economic Corner\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11447-economiccorner011/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is ti me for black people in the usa to realize that the past has created a heri tage of individualism that is warranted and needs to be championed. You wa nt the best chances\, probability\, of communalism among black people thro ughout an entire country\, leave the usa. Communalism in the usa is only v iable in small tribal sections\, not from sea to shining sea.  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11475-economiccorner012/\n\n\n\n P RIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/167-economic-corner -11-what-should-you-see-after-a-deepseek-01282025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\ n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/194-economic-corner-13-02152025/\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02142026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/topic/12464-economic-corner-12-02122025-offline-internets-and-in tranets /#findComment-80117\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\ n\n   On 2/13/2026 at 1:31 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Time flies. That d ialog is 1 year old already. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n exactly\, what has chang ed\, what has evolved. \n\n\n\n   On 2/13/2026 at 1:31 AM\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n Nothing much has changed. There is not mega-Black-owned website .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Apparently\, there's no real incentive to create such a website when Black folks are comfortable using the white-owned sites i. e.  F*c*b**k\, X\, Inst*gr*m\, T*kT*k\, G**gle\, etc.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I still think the Black church tribe is large enough to warrant creating  their own internet platform.\n\n\n\n And your words provide what has chan ged or not\, what has evolved or not. The issue then is still here. \n\n\ n\n To your point\, of the black church \, one issue. \n\n\n\n The black christian churches in the usa as a collective are large enough but the bla ck christian churches don't act as a cohesive collective. They are a tribe \, but they are very individual. the black christian churches of New york city is a microcosm. harlem is full of black christian churches\, abysinni an is historically the most potent\, in terms of revenue \, money\, but ab yssinnian has never tried to create a unity among black churches in new yo rk city... to my knowledge\, and if they did in the past\, they clearly fa iled. \n\n\n\n So from a population perspective I concur 100% to you. But strategically\, something new is needed that doesn't exist now. \n\n\n\n I can tell you\, black christian churches[baptist/methodist/jehovah's wti ness/et cetera]/black muslim mosque/black jewish temples all exist in harl em today. You can argue\, if black religious groups in NYC alone came toge ther to make such a platform online they would have the numbers. But\, whe n you look at the most organized set of churches in nyc\, which is the cat holic[ black\, non black\, or other] you see one question has to be answer ed? who will be the pope? who will be the archdiocese? \n\n\n\n The south ern black christian leadership conference has a council but also a  presi dent. so... they have the populace to warrant but they don't have the orga nizational flexibility to warrant. \n\n\n\n thinking on this and I thank you\, Al sharpton has national action network\, which has associations to various religious groups but they all do it willingly on their own. They h aven't made a creed so to speak\, to legally join them.  I argue he proba bly has the best media face to start such an endeavor and definitely has t he ear of the pastors/priest/episcopals to most in the black religious pop ulace in new york city. But\, he is older and his idea of integration's pa th in the usa as well as indiividual allowance in the usa probably makes t he idea of such a website \, negative . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250212 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bill Russell born 1934 DTSTAMP:20250806T220229Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:449-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The most trophied black player \, ten rings all together and added one of the few who also won as a player + coach. He left coachin g because he was asked by white owned media if he felt he was worthy to be a coach\, after just winning the NBA championship as a coach\, so he comp rehended that no matter what he did\, media would act like he still hasn't earned or still hasn't warranted\, so he left.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Bill Russ ell's spirit flew as well\, the most honest Black basketball in media ever \n\n\n\n on coaching LINK\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n on Black Youth LIN K\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I PAraphrase Bill russell\, use the link above to ver ify or read the whole below \"You have guys who have been pampered for 10- 15 years. So you can't say this is an example. Or this is an average guy. Most athletes\, my self included\, are self centered. Maybe psychologicall y that is why we plays sports\, but it is not normal. ... If i  am going to go into Harlem\, and go to a play ground and say to kids\, if you work hard you can do the same thing I did\, that would be a lie. That would be unfair to myself and unfair to the kids. I can say to the kids\, do your b est and fight it everyday. But to say I am an example of the greatness of the country\, that is not true. If I am going to be honest to myself\, I a m an exception and have treated as an exception for years and years. The p roblem is I am only treated as an exception in certain areas. \"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FULL TRANSCRIPT \, UNCHECKED\, for Black Youth link below\n\n\n \n [BEEP] [SILENCE] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] pound the subways of New York City for an investigation into the Transit Authority Workers Union. Bill? historia n dr charles hamilton makes projections of what after americans can expect from the seventies five of the country's various athletes bill russell ar thur ashe johnny sample jackie robinson and harry edwards meet with bill t o discuss the role of the black athlete in the black community before he w as ten\nWhen he was thirteen\, he was singing the blues on the street corn ers of Memphis. Today\, John Lee Hooker is one of the most famous and best loved blues musicians. He feels his music deeply. It's part of him\, and he's part of it. Listen\, John Lee Hooker. [MUSIC] Lyrics -- Serves me rig ht to suffer Lyrics -- Serves me right to be alone\, be alone Lyrics -- Se rves me right to suffer\; Serves me right to be\nLyrics -- be alone\, to b e alone\; Because the life that I'm livin'\, I'm livin' Lyrics -- the days are memories gone by\; Serve me right Lyrics -- to suffer\; It serves me right to be alone Lyrics -- It serves me right to suffer the way I do\; It serves me Lyrics -- me right to be alone\; Lyrics -- Because the life I'm livin'\; Livin' in the days of memories gone by\nNow watch this now\; Dig it. Lyrics -- Every time Lyrics -- time I see another woman\; I just Lyri cs -- can't keep from tryin'\; I look into another woman's face\; I just c an't keep from tryin' Lyrics -- The woman that I had Lyrics -- hurt me so bad\; almost drove me insane Lyrics -- That's the reason I'm tryin' to liv e my life\; Livin' in the days of memories gone by [music] Lyrics -- oh ye ah\; Nothin' but the best and later for the rest\; My doctor put me on. Ly rics -- yeah\, what he did\; milk\, cream and alcohol\nLyrics -- my doctor placed Lyrics -- me on\; he wrote me a description for milk\, cream and a lcohol\; I knew it was so bad Lyrics -- shook up and shop\; I could Lyrics -- I couldn't sleep\; I couldn't rest at all that night\; He said\, that' s why I'm placing you on milk\, Lyrics -- milk\, cream and alcohol call to try and legalize the day and the memory absolutely right all over the cou ntry black workers are coming\ntogether to challenge racism which has prev ented us from getting our fair share of job opportunities in america the r ecord is clear a star was cracked unions have excluded blacks the federal government has enforced anti discrimination laws state and local doctor sa ys often condone discrimination the struggle goes on across the country in the private as well as the public sector concentrating in the constructio n automobiles stealing calling industries and in all public employment con struction has been hardest hit by black protest statistics show black work ers will only two percent of the eight hundred thousand high paying skille d jobs in this industry blacks already and many major unions have former b lack caucus as to demand that these unions relate to the needs and aspirat ions of black workers they want a real voice in union policy making or bla ck workers are in the majority they're insisting on control of the unions for instance the new york citi bikes and puerto ricans make up the majorit y of workers in the rapid transit system for the\nareas controlled by whit es a group called the rank and file committee for democratic union is dete rmined to change that they're struggling to overthrow part why controlled te wu and set up their own union which were fairly represent black and pue rto rican workers he's with these were a tuna i mean while committees obje ctive is to establish electorate and they need to do this they must first obtained signatures from thirty percent of transit workers and call for a state supervised election for twenty eight thousand transit workers but dz hokhar the president the right to file committee explains why his\ngroup's exchange disney thank you it is i'm sorry they're appealing to both black and white workers for the signature is\nmaintaining that an undemocratic union betrays the objectives of all we're just amazed that almost seventy percent of transit workers are black and puerto rican leadership are still seventy five percent white union leaders they say are elected by mail bal lots were actually colored by union officials ever have a real chance beca use the mental illness a mail ballot well after negotiations are concluded and activist the result of any potential strike threat this sort of the u nion doesn't really live in a region where church and that some supervisor s discriminate but they face a difficult fight it is hard for them to reac h large numbers of workers because at this time the organization is small they have the outsiders like the resources at vanguard and they are challe nging a rich and powerful union\nthat's a nice day i found out that they w ere so vulnerable on this question because of the fact that they didn't ha ve an integral couple says they only had about two offices to executive bo ard offices out of about thirty two quote fallout for vice president of th e union that these people don't represent the blog where does that industr y is the people that do exactly what they're going to with roosevelt once executive vice president of the transport workers union and has one of the common the dissident this land has tried to run for office in his unit\nl ast word is about ten years ago he ran for such an officer with hal conduc tors <\;unk>\; level and there he was recruited he was defeated day ou t of about three thousand volts i'm thinking a hundred and fifty it was th e last night i can file charges that is controlled and says joel carnegie has no support among the westerns two years later he was successful enough to get the required amount of signatures and he ran for the president of local one hundred and how about nineteen thousand ballots cast got about t wo thousand that's right it is we tried to run an opposition\nslaves withi n the union vote against the top offices and once they do that they just d on't have a chance because they counted from the workers' wages it's it us es the undemocratic bilbao is also used in ratifying contracts about other s on rather than there's no conference and so what happens is that they ha ve made that when the union in advance of montana's that shoved down our t hroat so yes so that's one of the reasons why we thought that it was neces sary to go through the necessary steps getting a thirty percent of aig can 't or representational action to decide who will be to solve our\ntransit workers delaney simmons they're forbidden by chance of a forty regulations to solicit signatures on to a property and were previously arrested at th is location they assert that they have no real access to great numbers of workers unless they reach them on the job why are you\nare you it's been n ice being nice sneakers the rest of us\nproperty what the lender while the group was constantly faced with an apparent double standard in the slow p ace at the league doesn't organize on to a property and they demand the sa me rights and then in a transit authority assignment room supposedly off l imits for union organization works it wu literature as plainly and evidenc e it's been\ncarnegie's group no absolute freedom of all the truth about a property there's only one is that record and that was with a transit poli ceman in that would address what they do yeah i'm seventy disciplinary pro cedures call your record mr\ndr william roman chairman metropolitan transi t authority a transit authority workers other refused to appear for an int erview to discuss the rank and file charges are your members these other t op aid officers or transport workers local one hundred and one point and f ile contends that mr watts was appointed as a direct result of their earli er efforts for more like representations to members of the joint executive authority wu the policymaking and yolk it addresses a regular monday nigh t organizers me\nevery month and they are passing you know what this means is that signature is that we can get a representation of much of the unio n representation election to decide who are the vessel at ws thank\nyou it is yeah the country\nwhat workers are clearly saying unions must institut e democratic reform or face stiff challenges from an increasingly militant white labor movement you did thank you\nnice you are\njenny the a good ca mp the nigerian civil war is over like americans look to niger to fulfill its great promise as a major african nation of a law that sought to be tor n into by prejudice and subversion from within and hostile foreign pressur es from abroad should be a stern lesson to black people everywhere perhaps novel white americans were leftover naked starting the\nafricans on afric a's their concern was suffering people in their own country and lamont dem ocratic controlled southern part of africa has for us perhaps as we observ e the new unity among your laws the houses and he goes and the hundreds of other ethnic groups of nigerian afro americans will push to settle the re maining differences among us so we may have greater unity on our post game of nightmares over niger as african nation can resume the important after revealing so what will the seventies the whole clubb afro americans what have the past year meant to our struggle for freedom what effect will even ts of the sixties have on the present decade not charles hamilton professo r of political science at columbia university conference the year nineteen sixty nine was a reflection of the decade of the nineteen sixties in term s of action in the white community one might view events of the past year and project in the nineteen seventies in terms of three major categories t hursday black struggle as broadening its base of\nbut as a patient and beg inning to add new targets to its protests examples of this would include t hat the increased activity all welfare rights groups and blackstone organi zations like rise we saw the demand by blacks that the white churches bega n to put their money where some of their individual ears of that all the t ime on the line in the form of demands reparations to blacks for years of those churches but as a patient and then benefit from a ration system it w asn't fact is that the black male in america has worked from sixteen ninet een eighteen sixty five without due compensation for his labor the calcula tion and what in fact is the real figure for reparations as something amor e tundra comes may well and to take second the year witnessed a continued moon to consolidate local political economic power the demands for communi ty controlled schools community control of police and land continue\nevide nce a growing electoral power was shown in various elections around the co untry this year in fayette mississippi greene county alabama and in severa l northern cities this electoral organization kampala will continue and di rectly into the nineteen seventies with more blacks being elected office w here the numbers and the organizational skills come together and these wil l be black elected officials more responsive to their black constituencies where they too will feel a punishment of rejection and later elections be cause it's a it's quite unlikely that the intense struggle for political p ower will be ways to simply to be turned over to traditional a new forces and the shame a question only nineteen sixty nine was a very harsh reminde r of the repressive nature of the system in the form of continued killings of members of the black panthers no one should be naive to believe that w hen a group begins to move that the system will not retaliate in some form or another\nto counter this black struggle is constantly reminded that or ganization unity and scales very basic are absolutely essential nineteen s ixty nine was a year of continued little struggle for black survival and d evelopment it was a year that set the agenda in the nineteen seventies the increased involvement of more groups and lodging that goes to include muc h more concern for the acquisition of political and economic power in addi tion to a legal and constitutional rights and finally greater demands for a re allocation of national economic resources i\nthink the one area in th is country where we have demonstrated are excellent as the athletic freedo m however we check it out with greater than america knows that the black a thlete has also been the victim of volatility would like to apply brothers you know those were really thinking about the man who broke the color lin e in the country he went on a nineteen fifty two that the baseball hall of fame with a jackie robinson the voting affinities of how things like econ omic and political football in this country will russell the man who led t he boston celtics to attend world championships over the last twelve years in nineteen sixty eight he became the first black coach in the national b asketball association after winning the championship\nbill russell retired a member of the team would successfully defended the davis cup this past fall for the past four years he has been the only black player in the lily white world of big league pennants it had window that has on the country we would even be considered for membership offer called the movie and i th ought the invitation from the nineteen thirty one davis cup competition is left one about the defensive captain of the nineties sixty eight world ch ampion new york jets he led the team that year in and that it had boosted of the entire nineteen fifty nine feet and with a serious back injury a ve teran of ten years and will continue to be one of the more hopeful than li ke minimal i am with organized over the vatican out the stark black voters about the nineteen fifty eight geology i think the black athlete has had a very\nlarge role to play in the soul of the spirit of the black communit y because it was a television out of sports as part of a bird those messag es the mass media in this is it there's a lot of criticism from people who are great deal criticism these days the luckiest the mass media the news reporting etcetera but i think that the sports industry in and of itself h as agreed to a responsibility the degree to which sports in fact has not b rought people together in this is that it's because they haven't told the truth that would tend to under manned some of the established\ninstitution alized racism discrimination the prejudice that exist between people in a society they've tended to do the business that in fact what you see on the field is a hug ma actress topic yeah all portrait of reality in the masse s that in that there's this is to the system consideration this is because apart from the time they were semi is no liberal as electric cars and the y are getting a rueful there nobody really cares what they think in florid a none of that civil defense and so you can say that this is\nan example o r this is beverage that causes that causes most deadly summer in lots of l iquid social reason may be psychosomatic me with a sport maybe i will comf ort so it doesn't driving force to make it a sport that is not know i woul d have not been to but the people that have these are your restaurant a su ccessful landing in any field i think that i worked as hard and have him a s much larger monthly at the rich where did as citizens are motivated and that is a hub for me was ever going to say that we're going to hunt angle and going to one of the kids in this review of it was i learned and if you 're like me and only unfair to my stomach as a kid but my city kids do\nth is and find every day were to say that madame example of the reasons of th e country that's not true because i have a feeling i'm an exception the pr oblem that we have is that certain areas and what about that there hasn't been any significant advancement of developments that i think that we have to understand about the so progress on call that we've made is that must decide then the weekend cuban gates bill russell in basketball that nothin g gets that bill russell and wilt when the courts are the same things happ ened in\nany case you know would be acceptable but we still have to be use d to have opposed the knob down the little barefoot tokenism it just all p ractical purposes we do not have any blacklisted and professional athletic s all practical purposes not have anything that we're like you can go on t o professional athletics and then do a good job and say well i can afford to be a manager our coach with cummings is that i get this question on ser ving back in contention in air that they say no tears remember do you mean and i'd like a comparison team sports was an effect in the small corporat ions they're still run for\nstockholders want to make money not make money some items so enfranchise someone who thinks he can make money that exten t the universal baseball to ready for hillary clinton is just like another small quarters president and vice presidents hierarchy of administrative work it is no different than a regime where that they may have some of the same religious attitudes about hiring lots of this alert level and as har ris in tokenism may be construed as progress business in fact my biggest s ingle reason that has it and the super bowl last year which isn't only bec ause of advertising for one minute was about a hundred and eighty thousand dollars but some of that is ever been paid for what does the big athletic says\nleave the nineteen twenty four years nineteen sixty nine as it is n ow a blog emilie most of this year the three star wars not an obama suppor ter roy the plentiful beardsley joins us and we was you know what does dra w on as you go up the ladder no you have to work and strive to work that y ou have to salute the work where you have the courtyard and continued inst ructions allegedly negative official of this level football baseball does or whatever it may be you see things happening around the white athletes g et sort of a it's really one of the contracting it's white dough manager a t thirty and once there is a white marble animal bible belt loads more the y also may be the place it used to happen in the spotlight at this isn't a zone of the white mountains and it's a job making fifteen twenty thousand miles and all season when the black ballplayers among the job than a hund red dollars a week these are the things that this one in which the\nlack o f legal they had been a professional football which i'm connecting with us what managers and coaches roaming the headquarters and of these things ov er the urban activist susan minister of britain and to know where on the j ob one of the assistant coaches for five years beginning to alex way that was consistent with the two years as you've been explaining their counselo r about football that will allow these things are going to kill you now i mean is it is there anything that the black athletes can do about this or that the plans can too bothersome into changes to some of them demonstrato rs in nineteen sixty seven we get more movement in athletics away from the status quo than at any other time or a lot of the car that beat against t he bad people in amateur athletics in particular\nthe whole movement aroun d to litigate dhabi black athletes instead of that when i want to go to li tigate because we did not feel that this country is getting off a just gre at as human beings that we have the last word of the skills we have to dem onstrate that they are not the taliban well a pick atlanta little to stop an average of the people of all that i am and actually this is what i know this is my work i use this as a tool without and you have a tool to make a living and i can say they used their the two in order to lead and it jus t about my humanity not to demonstrate my humanity i don't think about it and now we can really where we reached a point where because there's no ac tually preceded us and i think that if the kids today don't worry it's not a matter of probability\nit causes like it's now know i think his answers are where the investors who at this emerging was the word of the world we ll it's natural quite proud of the fact that the guys are standing up and being counted i don't i wish we had done the very same thing and we were i 'm playing ball glitz that up i got scarcely at the onset they have a kind of troubles that they're having a day i think it is this present generati on doesn't stand up and even more that once their kids are growing up play ing out the same kind of promise all it builds these kids to stand up and hillary can they possibly can but there's one thing that concerns me and i wonder what the feeling is here ah honey feel about the situation where t he south africans come here and the late gary player like i think it is sa fe to me to think that there'll be a song connelly says we were we've atte mpted to to contact a member of some of the summer golfers have had\ndiffi culty getting in touch with him in the land that we have got in touch with you know where's your identity cooperation very much effort led them at a landfill in boston atlanta ga ga players themselves ayatollah once if ass ad can expect the golfers to join in and i think we need sportswriters dou g o'neill of the games business and such organization of the formalities t hat in the whole thing at this critical part of the simple fact that the f ilms what the protests live eventually leads back to me in one way or anot her scene to haul the whole thing that we are developing a vision to open up on the ground that at around that this was coming for an athletic feder ation\nthat i think will take up a lot of slack that the number of us have been trying to hold down since as for the state wichita which is so what does he have that goes back to some point where you have to take the state you have to believe in something you have to have a principal and you hav e to stand up for it no matter what happens on the water pages damages the m but one thing i think people watching the meantime the oven and look for a future is that that growing militancy among athletes is not gonna stop what it is is that is gaining momentum take a stand instead of getting bet ter things are gonna get worse then as i said before a professional and th ings are themselves corporations they are products of the american ideal t hat\nidea of sometimes twice that wasn't i was too has a half homeowners i t is it is full of all the good and the bad as is it shows and instead of getting better it's going to get worse in years to more demonstrations tha t we see more oil manifest those one where another and to see more athlete s even a ritual there were guys in their professional chess is saying whoa whoa that thing where the skiing on this this cause because of sorts thou gh and i just said that and it's not that way headlines like the news conf erences in the days when the case started moving his face in one place or another it became the best reason that and for five years the demonstratio ns are so commonplace there on page fifty and they had lines in english we must hurt a new tactic to gain the attention of the\npublic say i think i don't think there's any question that the decade the seventies in particu lar are going to be about the turbulent six instances were turbulent and t urbulent without any particular program they were turbulent and as a drama to dramatizing affect your turban dramatic sense i think of the seventies a lot of the turbulent in a diabolical sons of people are going to sit do wn and what a match up of the management operational levels programs and w hat has happened i've attended these allies that they're not going to have time to really portion for them develop a program for middle class that t he progress is allowed to sit down and look at the society and i want to b egin to take a pot of those links of injustice and an impression but then there are those kinds of the last twenty years ago those things that one b y one\ni think that athletics is that there's going to be as much carbon i s as if they were going to have some blind man's of the committee said tha t that was not the architect of a baseball game or a basketball that was j ust coming at the person huckabee and finance and this is the republicans and i think this is a parcel of the way we are the robert shelton says thi s country who come out of prison because of a refusal to make estimates th at complex plan and then they go and testify that they're going to drive t o suppress the negro in this country now we don't hear anything coming fro m the attorney general's office about this candidate it but to let the har ry edwards a word an organizer was like the banana scene country comes up to me and not a word of this except a small thing in the newspaper about r obert shelton sets if you'd like to make a bomb on a concern about robert so how i really\nfound that the robert shelton you can spot a mile of his cancelled toyota designers is the one i think that what we have to really be concerned about look i think that often has alluded to the constitution al relationships that have been perpetuated his conjugal the last fifty or sixty years since the seminal this week that have become entrenched along that landscape the middle out and respectable as going to church on sunda y let me ask you this well i want to find out and on this track set up in life nothing i have never been so proud of individuals of tommy smith and john carlos olympic games i think this to me was the greatest demonstratio n of a personal conviction and private eye that i've really seen it and th en the tissue has guy standing up there sander well as i saw it i'm proud i can't live like this has kind of a sudden you see a guy running around t he ring wave of the flag and you get sick inside\nwas awful a wave of laug hter but what concerns me now is the what i see is a very concerted effort to trial against these guys and i thought that brought a great deal digni ty and self respect to the black community are you really here casale abou t what's happened tom has suddenly and what these guys who have really mad e black people tremendously proud not only overcome if what happened harry can that's how us live now is for ball for cincinnati bengals i asked lee evans isn't school and in those tunnels a john carlson school themselves a more severe mark whitaker the arctic has been an athletic simple vessel amateur there's no question that had thomas lipton's on cars that the amer ican flag a man ran around here with that you know they have a vivid that they committed right on to\nheart this is not the case that either been ce rtain rules about communities in and around cincinnati to do everything fr om to with ten times about your contract is get the hell out of us has no authority to us led of the intimidation against his wife and families don' t think i have the same thing is happening with earlier the house and all these athletes have come out of the problem i think that we have a respons ible people such as jackie robinson thousands who has listened to have eco nomic ties as political task but some point that people who are in positio ns to give these people some insulation should begin to get them set up in business together and tied into our positions where they can be assured o f a lab right now the spot where they can be visible we could set these pe ople out there are people like thomas within our citizens individuals say look like he backed the back is that the smugglers the\nfifth beatle and t hat will cause porn again of the establishment in this country status quo as you know showed the neighbors that you know confront the white man woul d've done politically socially them away and the windup and if you think o f the osprey have a lot of all of the number ones that can help them and e nsure that they're in this position at apple the people in the press\nbox fb i know i know you know i do\ngreat job there is now what is it\njust be cause transition no joke\nsystems these people it's the music that\nrelate s directly to them like you know the music raging sale next month one day siege at all today kish\nbut did it end and\nThis is NET -- the Public Tel evision Network.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250212 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:School Daze 07/07/2025 DTSTAMP:20250707T205009Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:391-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n School Daze came out. It started the whole Black College Campus film genre. The interesting thing storywise is I argue no Black Col lege film post School Daze deals with Colorism in the Black Populace in th e USA so sharply or unapologetically. One quick note\, the songs were writ ten by a black man. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Link Just in case th e above doesn't work  \n\n\n\n https://www.tiktok.com/@africanheritagecit y/video/7518457184104009015?is_from_webapp=1&\;sender_device=pc\n\n\n\n The four women are: Tisha Campbell[Jane Toussaint]\, Jasmine Guy[GammaRay Dina]\, Paula Brown [GammaRay Miriam]\n\n\n\n \, Angela Ali [GammaRay Velda ] \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Kyme played Rachel Meadows\, the head of the o ther group of black women. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n From Jazmine Guy\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/deSjIHnYT44\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250212 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech 1895 DTSTAMP:20260213T012250Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:651-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech\n\n\n\n ADDRESS BY BOOKER T. WASHINGTON\, PRINCIPAL TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE\, TUSKEGEE\, ALABAMA\, AT OPENING OF ATLANTA EXPOSITION\, Sept. 18th\, 1895.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Board of Directors and Citizens:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n One third of the population of the South is of the Negro race. No enterprise seeking the material\, ci vil\, or moral welfare of this section can disregard this element of our p opulation and reach the highest success. I but convey to you\, Mr. Preside nt and Directors\, the sentiment of the masses of my race when I say that in no way have the value and manhood of the American Negro been more fitti ngly and generously recognized than by the managers of this magnificent Ex position at every stage of its progress. It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since t he dawn of our freedom.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Not only this\, but the opportu nity here afforded will awaken among us a new era of industrial progress. Ignorant and inexperienced\, it is not strange that in the first years of our new life we began at the top instead of at the bottom\; that a seat in Congress or the State Legislature was more sought than real estate or ind ustrial skill\; that the political convention or stump speaking had more a ttractions than starting a dairy farm or truck garden.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal: \"Water\, water\; we die of thirst!\" The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back: \ "Cast down your bucket where you are.\" A second time the signal\, \"Water \, water\; send us water!\" ran up from the distressed vessel\, and was an swered: \"Cast down your bucket where you are.\" And a third and fourth si gnal for water was answered: \"Cast down your bucket where you are.\" The captain of the distressed vessel\, at last heeding the injunction\, cast d own his bucket\, and it came up full of fresh\, sparkling water from the m outh of the am*zon River. To those of my race who depend on bettering thei r condition in a foreign land\, or who underestimate the importance of cul tivating friendly relations with the Southern white man\, who is their nex t door neighbor\, I would say: \"Cast down your bucket where you are\" — cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all ra ces by whom we are surrounded. Cast it down in agriculture\, mechanics\, i n commerce\, in domestic service\, and in the professions. And in this con nection it is well to bear in mind that whatever other sins the South may be called to bear\, when it comes to business\, pure and simple\, it is in the South that the Negro is given a man's chance in the commercial world\ , and in nothing is this Exposition more eloquent than in emphasizing this chance.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Our greatest danger is\, that in the great lea p from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us a re to live by the productions of our hands\, and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labor and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life\; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficia l and the substantial\, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful. No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin\, a nd not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our o pportunities.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To those of the white race who look to th e incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South\, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to m y own race\, \"Cast down your bucket where you are.\" Cast it down among t he 8\,000\,000 Negroes whose habits you know\, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of you r firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have\, without s trikes and labor wars\, tilled your fields\, cleared your forests\, built your railroads and cities\, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth\, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of t he progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people\, helpi ng and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds\, and to educati on of head\, hand\, and heart\, you will find that they will buy your surp lus land\, make blossom the waste places in your fields\, and run your fac tories. While doing this\, you can be sure in the future\, as in the past\ , that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient\, fait hful\, law-abiding\, and unresentful people that the world has seen.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past\, in nursin g your children\, watching by the sick bed of your mothers and fathers\, a nd often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves\, so in the future\, in our humble way\, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach\, ready to lay down our lives\, if need be\, in de fense of yours\, interlacing our industrial\, commercial\, civil\, and rel igious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both race s one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the f ingers\, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all. If anywhere there are eff orts tending to curtail the fullest growth of the Negro\, let these effort s be turned into stimulating\, encouraging\, and making him the most usefu l and intelligent citizen. Effort or means so invested will pay a thousand percent interest. These efforts will be twice blessed--\"blessing him tha t gives and him that takes.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"There is no escape throug h law of man or God from the inevitable: “The laws of changeless justice bind Oppressor with oppressed\; And close as sin and suffering joined We march to fate abreast.”\n\n\n\n Nearly sixteen millions of hands will ai d you in pulling the load upwards\, or they will pull you against the load downwards. We shall constitute one third and more of the ignorance and cr ime of the South\, or one third its intelligence and progress\; we shall c ontribute one third to the business and industrial prosperity of the South \, or we shall prove a veritable body of death\, stagnating\, depressing\, retarding every effort to advance the body politic.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ge ntlemen of the Exposition\, as we present to you our humble effort at an e xhibition of our progress\, you must not expect overmuch. Starting thirty years ago with ownership here and there in a few quilts and pumpkins and c hickens (gathered from miscellaneous sources)\, remember the path that has led from these to the inventions and production of agricultural implement s\, buggies\, steam engines\, newspapers\, book\, statuary\, carving\, pai ntings\, the management of drug stores and banks has not been trodden with out contact with thorns and thistles. While we take pride in what we exhib it as a result of our independent efforts\, we do not for a moment forget that our part in this exhibition would fall far short of your expectations but for the constant help that has come to our educational life\, not onl y from the Southern States\, but especially from Northern philanthropists\ , who have made their gifts a constant stream of blessing and encouragemen t.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The wisest among my race understand that the agitati on of questions of social equality is the extremist folly\, and that progr ess in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be th e result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing . No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is l ong in any degree ostracized. It is important and right that all privilege s of the law be ours\, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercises of these privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar i n a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spen d a dollar in an opera house.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In conclusion\, may I rep eat that nothing in thirty years has given us more hope and encouragement\ , and drawn us so near to you of the white race\, as this opportunity offe red by the Exposition\; and here bending\, as it were\, over the altar tha t represents the results of the struggles of your race and mine\, both sta rting practically empty-handed three decades ago\, I pledge that in your e ffort to work out the great and intricate problem which God has laid at th e doors of the South you shall have at all times the patient\, sympathetic help of my race\; only let this be constantly in mind that\, while from r epresentations in these buildings of the product of field\, of forest\, of mine\, of factory\, letters\, and art\, much good will come\, yet far abo ve and beyond material benefit\, will be that higher good\, that let us pr ay God will come\, in a blotting out of sectional differences and racial a nimosities and suspicions\, in a determination to administer absolute just ice\, in a willing obedience among all classes to the mandates of law. Thi s\, this\, coupled with our material prosperity\, will bring into our belo ved South a new heaven and a new earth.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL Source\n\n\ n\n https://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/washington-atlanta-exposition-addres s-speech-text/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS- paragraph by paragraph\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Book T washington like Frederick Douglass had a personal re lationship with non black women that explained their personal affinity for the united states of america. Booker t washington's wife was a white asia n while frederick douglass had a white mistress a generation or more young er than him. He is wrong to speak for the majority of black people whose s entiment he falsely defines. But I comprehend like Douglass like W.E.B. Du bois when younger\, they knew most Black people in the usa circa 1865 were anti white plus anti usa in all earnest. So all three knew to get the whi te financing they got: Douglass /white abolitionist[abolition of enslaveme nt not black uplifting]\, W.E.B. Dubois/white jew[utilizing blacks to prof it from while change the white populace t a judeo christian]\, Washington/ white southern christians[ white fiscal libertarians of the south\, lookin g to rebuild the south while oppose the coming era of the welfare state th at is dominant today but had signs back then] they each suggested they spo ke for the majority in the black populace when in truth none of them did. Garvey spoke for the majority in the black populace more than any of them\ , douglass/dubois/washington.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Washington's point here h as truth. The integration of W.E.B. Dubois when younger is the one that pr evailed from this time. It is of black individuals succeeding in the white community.\, while the black community simply doesn't exist. a black popu lace exist but not a community. Washington would be 100% correct if not fo r one key problem\, that he doesn't mention. White people. White people fr om his time onward\, throughout the Jim crow era\, 1865 to 1980 had never ending campaigns of terror toward black people in the united states of ame rica\, especially whenever black people showed signs of ownership\, craft. Was it black people's fault Rosewood\, a black town or city\, or that the black region of tulsa\, a city of parts\, were annihilated by whites? Did the black people  of rosewood or black tulsa commit a crime? no. White people committed crimes assaulting/murdering/arsoning black people and the ir homes and their land\, and said whites were never approached by the rul e of law for their actions.  So white people killed Booker t washington's strategy but murdering a majority of black rural life in the usa\, until 1980 when the black populace of the usa has become in majority urbanized a nd developed a well earned heritage against rural life.  How many black p eople's dairy farms or truck gardens were destroyed or stolen by whites fr om 1865 to 1980? moreover\, asking black people\, or any people\,  to be eternally determined while being eternally terrorized is an insult\, to an y people. Remember a black baby born in 1865 who lived to 1965\, a hundred years later lived their entire life in jim crow. Case closed. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Unfortunately\, whites of the south proved Booker T Washington simply wrong. Again\, Rosewood/Black Tulsa\, and does anyone know how many black towns/black regions of cities were destroyed/harmed/assaulted by wh ite terorrist\, whom Booker T washington called white neighbors? You can't argue against what people live. Booker T Washington is asking for Black p eople to have a faith in the south of all places... when I think of my for ebears in the south who sharecropped\, who fled white terror\, who had the ir land taken by white power... Booker T Washington asks too much from bla ck people in the u.s.a. \,  a people who were given no aid when finally l egally made free by the white vote\, who were 90% in the former confederac y\, and lived through over one hundred years of pure white terror. How can any black person have faith in the states that made the former confederac y: texas to maryland plus borderland of neighboring states\, when black ch ildren are being hanged while white people smile or mock\, pregnant black women burned alive... Washington asks more than any majority can allow. ye s\, a minority of black people from 1865 to today truly love the south\, a nd believe in befriending the white southerner but the white southerner ma de sure the majority of blacks \, will never trust them or the south by th eir own hands.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Washington is correct\, it is never wise to dwell on the past. But\, while one can not dwell on their mother being violated\, are they to dismiss their wife? and if they do are they also t hen to dismiss their daughter?  when does the modernity of grievances to the white terrorizer have more value than the financial opportunities give n by the white terrorizer? And in the jim crow era\, 1865 to 1980\,  the white community in majority in the united states of america was a daily te rrorist through aiding or abetting the minority of whites who committed cr imes to blacks. Washington feared that the emphasis on paperwork from coll eges or universities over skills learned in use\, would lead to a falsenes s of quality\, and it happened. Whereas Black people in 1865 could barely read or write because whites made black people learning to read or write i llegal\, Blacks in 1865 had a mastery of multitudes of crafts no other peo ple  before or after had\, or has\,  in the united states of america. Bu t again\, white terror did a thorough job. Booker t washington couldn't of fer protection\, he could only offer the concept of determination while a black person's town burns. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Washington's advice to whi tes was wise\, but whites didn't heed it. The whites of the south didn't t reat their black neighbors with evenness or love but with terror with trea chery with abuse of power.. and as white terror never abated\, black patie nce to the south or whites of the south died\, black faith in the south or in the possibilities of the south died\, black resentment was emboldened and strengthened to the south beyond the max\, and the majority of black a ctivity that black people felt dignity in was only through illegal acts in the south .  Washington wasn't wrong but whites didn't heed him. in the end\, the fiscally wealthy whites who supported his cause\, didn't have co ntrol over the majority of fiscally common white folks in the south\, who were born and raised\, before and after the war between the states\, to de lete any sign of black happiness or to generate black woe no matter the co ndition of black people. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Washington was wrong\, what he calls loyalty was fear. The enslaved black person was not loyal to the white slaver\, they were afraid. I comprehend why Booker T said that\, whi tes regardless of their fiscal condition\, like the idea of reimagining th e confederacy and the states of it before the war between the states as ha ving a loving black populace. A lie\, but one whites have never let go\, i n a true sign of shame on ones guilt. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The integration ist in booker t washington comprehended that the united states of america will always be multiracial in its human makeup. yes\, the usa is a white c ountry\, but it has never been only of a white people. So \, the imbalance s between the peoples in the usa will only lead to inevitable splinters. W hen? who knows exactly. and many white leaders in the confederacy states b efore the confederacy or after\, from thomas jefferson to andrew jackson t o Jefferson Davis to Robert e lee to strom thurman all chose to hinder the black populace in said lands and kick the need for all\, not just the whi te \, to prosper in the south\, which leads to 2026 \, where many of said states have white majority populaces\, with some non white euroopean allie s\, who are trying to excommunicate the non white european in masse as a s olution after their leaders chose to hinder the non white for over one hun dred years .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Booker T was prophetic. The bottom five st ates by the value of revenue per person are all former confederate states. Case closed. \n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_ and_territories_by_GDP#50_states_and_Washington\,_D.C.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Unfortunately\, patience has never been a strong element of white financia l life in the usa. White financial life in the european colonies that prec eded the united states of america was never about patience\, but speed. Ki ll native americans for land\, not pay native americans for land\, or pay to lease land from the native american. Enslave black people to get wage b elow market value\, not pay market value which will diminish revenue earne d to whites. Whites in the usa have never used patience with fiscal capita lism. Booker T washington pleading for whites of the usa to have patience financially\, is asking for a miracle. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Washington's p oint here is hard to positively regale a populace of black people who were enslaved to whites and are being terrorized by whites . Booker T is basic ally saying abuse is human nature\, and that said abuse whether in the for m of a white man whipping the skin off a black child or a white law enforc er betraying the law to abuse a civil black person or a white fiscal opera tor producing a terrorizing contract on black people who can't read or any abuse from whites to blacks is a possibility in human life. He adds that the abused black person  by white terror in the usa has to focus on ways to not being abused again while having great value in the global marketpla ce while keeping to a life of civil plus legal activity even if in a confi ne through white terror. Clarke suggest it is self reliance but it is far more than that. It is self reliance in spite of the truth. Booker T Washin gton is saying the black people of Rosewood\, Florida : business owners\, landowners\, financially successful have to individually or collectively\, after whites murdered and burned rosewood away\, to figure out a way :to not be surrounded and annihilated by whites absent most of their possessi on being destroyed or stolen by whites \, finding a greater value to the g lobal market place even though they have just had their financial balance or growth annihilated\, stay as examples of the most legal of actors. It i s more involved than self reliance. It is a zeal/unhealthy high mindedness about self reliance\, that forgets to cognize human beings don't have to choose that path. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Booker T Washington in his words wa s a statian \, but more specifically a black southerner. He liked the sout h over the north. Zora Neale Hurston from Florida\, always said her little town was happy and pleasant even while whites did all sorts of things . H is call to be more of the land\, more of craft is his strongest wisdom and least implemented by black people today\, through the efforts of whites w ho madeblack people distrust the safety of black ownership in the usa. As a character said in the movie Posse from MArio van Peebels\"I bought mysel f out of slavery\, twice\, this is it\" The christian god didn't give whit es the ability to get their foot off the neck of blacks in the south and a ll the warnings booker t washington posited came to be. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n CITATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/504-booker-t-washingt ons-atlanta-exposition-speech-1895/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260212 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:13th Amendment proposed JUNETEENTH DTSTAMP:20250205T140112Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:185-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Two days later\, spurred partly in reaction to Sumner’s more radical proposal\, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported to the fu ll Senate an abolition amendment combining the drafts by Ashley\, Wilson\, and Henderson. \n\n\n\n TEXT FROM \n\n\n\n Harper's Weekly 02/27/1864\n \n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONGRESS.\n\nSenate.—February 10. Mr. Trumbull \, from the Judi-\nciary Committee\, reported adversely to the joint resol u-\ntion for amending the Constitution just proposed by Mr.\nSumner\, whic h reads\, “Every where within the limits of\nthe United States and each State and Territory thereof all\npersons are equal before the law\, so tha t no person can\nhold another as a slave.” Some time before Mr. Hender-\ nson\, of Missouri\, had offered a joint resolution to a similar\npurport. In lieu of this the Committee presented the fol-\nlowing joint resolution for amending the Constitution:\n“Article 13\, Section 1. Neither slave ry nor involuntary\nservitude\, except as a punishment for crime\, whereof the\nparty shall have been duly convicted\, shall exist within\nthe Unite d States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.\nSection 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this arti-\ncle by appropriate legislation.” This article\, if two-thirds\nof both Houses of Congress concur\, is to b e proposed to the\nLegislatures of the several States\, and when ratified by\nthree-fourths of these\, to be valid as a part of the Constitu-\ntion. —Mr. Clark offered a resolution ratifying the Presi-\ndent's Emancipatio n Proclamation of January 1\, 1863\, and\ngiving it the force of a statute : referred.—Mr. Brown of-\nfered amendments to the Enlistment bill\, con firming the\nEmancipation Proclamation\, abolishing slavery\, and sub-\nje cting colored persons to enrollment under the same ap-\nportionment as oth er citizens.—The Military Committee\nreported adversely to Mr. Grimes's bill reducing the sal-\naries of military officers not in the field or wit hout com-\nmand.—Mr. Sumner brought up the case of a colored sur-\ngeon of the army who had been ejected from a railroad car\nin the District\, an d offered a resolution directing the Com-\nmittee on the District to inqui re into the expediency of a\nlaw securing to colored persons equal privile ges with whites\nin the cars within the District. He said that this office r\,\nwho held a rank equal to that of Major\, had been ejected\nfrom a str eet car because he was black. We had better\nbreak up all these railroads if we could not have them\nwithout such outrages\, which did more to injur e our cause\nabroad and at home than the loss of a battle. Mr. Hen-\ndrick s thought the outrage was on the other side\; there\nwere cars for colored people\, and this person declined to\nride with people of his own color\, and wished to force him-\nself upon white people\; referring to remarks o f Senators\nthat it was no disgrace to ride with colored men\, and\nthat t he outrage was as great as though a Senator of the\nUnited States had been ejected\, he said that there seemed\nto be a determination to force socia l as well as political\nequality with the blacks upon the white race. The peo-\nple of his State would never adopt that sentiment. Mr.\nWilson rejoi ned that he had no wish to force negro equal-\nity upon the Senator from I ndiana\; he wished only to let\nevery man assume the station which God int ended him to\nattain: resolution passed\, 30 to 10.—The bill prohibiting \nMembers of Congress and Heads of Departments from re-\nceiving any compe nsation for acting as counsel\, etc.\, in\nany case in which the United St ates are concerned\, under\npenalty of fine\, imprisonment\, and disqualif ication for of-\nfice\, came up and was debated: the clause relating to\nM embers of Congress was stricken out\, 26 to 14: laid over.\n—The bill eq ualizing the pay of all soldiers was brought\nup\; debate arising upon the section giving colored soldiers\nequal pay with whites prior to the passa ge of the bill\, its\nconsideration was postponed.—February 11. Some bu si-\nness of minor importance was transacted.—The Post-office\nCommittee reported a bill removing disqualifications on\naccount of color in carryi ng the mail\, and also declaring\nthat no witness shall\, in the United St ates Courts\, be dis-\nqualified on account of color.—The Lieutenant-Gen eral bill\nfrom the House was brought up and discussed\, the point\nbeing the amendment against making that officer Com-\nmander-in-chief\, and stri king out the name of General\nGrant. Senators opposed to this amendment sa id that to\nbestow the title without the command would be but an\nempty ho nor conferred upon one who now had the homage\nof the people: postponed. —February 12. The Senate\nwas occupied with various business of no very general im-\nportance\, except that the House bill making appropria-\ntio n to meet deficiencies is amended by authorizing the\nappointment for a li mited period of one thousand addition-\nal clerks\, who may be females\, a t a salary not exceeding\n$600 a year.—February 13. The Secretary of Wa r sent\nin a communication relative to military officers' commu-\ntations for quarters and fuel\; there were 387 officers draw-\ning such commutatio ns\, of whom 27 were generals\, 52 col-\nonels and lieutenant-colonels\, t he remainder being of low-\ner ranks\, 79 being paymasters.—A memorial f rom the Mil-\nwaukee Chamber of Commerce was presented and referred\,\nask ing for a wagon-road through Central Minnesota to\nIdaho\; it stated that within a few months $25\,000\,000\nhad been mined\, which was now waiting egress through\nsuch a road with proper military protection.—The bill fo r\nregulating the pay of colored soldiers was brought up and\ndiscussed\, the principal objection to it being its retrospect-\nive feature\; upon mo tion of Mr. Wilson it was amended\nso as to give them the same pay as othe rs from January\n1\, 1864\, instead of for the whole time they have been i n\nservice\; Mr. Cowan then moved\, as a substitute for the\nbill\, that f rom the date of the passage of this Act all sol-\ndiers of the United Stat es of the same arm of the service\nshould receive like compensation\; he s aid that the negro\nhad a legal status under the Constitution which protec ted\nhim\, and that\, as he received the protection of the laws\,\nhe must be regarded as a citizen under the Constitution.\nMr. Saulsbury said that if this was the basis of Mr. Cow-\nan's substitute he should oppose it\; the old-fashioned term\nwas “negro\,” now these people were “colored citizens.”\nPending action on Mr. Cowan's substitute the Senate ad-\njo urned to Monday\, February 15.—February 15. Mr.\nFoster introduced a bi ll defining the position and duties\nof chaplains in the army\; it gives t hem the rank of major\nof infantry\, allows them to hold pastoral charges\ , requires\nthem to preach twice a week\, hold religious meetings twice\na week\, and keep the libraries for the use of the soldiers.—\nThe Enroll ment bill\, as amended by the House\, was taken\nup and considered\; the S enate refused to recede from its\nprovisions.—The Deficiency bill from t he House was pass-\ned\, with an amendment increasing the salaries of the As-\nsistant Secretaries of the Departments and Post-office to\n$3500 afte r the present fiscal year.—February 16. Bills\ngranting lands for certa in military roads in Oregon were\npassed.—Bill extending the statute of limitations in cases\nwhere the execution of the laws has been interrupted in\nconsequence of the rebellion was introduced.—Mr. Doolit-\ntle intro duced a bill regulating trade with Indian tribes\;\nit prohibits\, under p enalty of fine\, imprisonment\, and for-\nfeiture\, the sale of spirits to Indians.—Mr. Lane\, of Kan-\nsas\, spoke at length in favor of the bill setting apart a por-\ntion of Texas for the use of persons of African des cent.—\nMr. Cowan's amendment to the Enlistment bill came up\,\ngiving e qual pay\, etc.\, to all soldiers. Mr. Davis pro-\nposed an amendment to t he effect that colored troops\nshould be disbanded\, and colored men be em ployed in the\narmy only as laborers and teamsters\; that for slaves so\ne mployed loyal masters should be compensated\; and if he\ndied in service t he master should receive the full value\nfor him. Mr. Davis spoke at lengt h in support of his\namendment.—A message was received from the House\na nnouncing its adherence to its amendments of the En-\nrollment bill\, and asking a Committee of Conference.\nThe Senate resolved to adhere to its am endments\, and\nauthorized the Chair to appoint a Committee of Confer-\nen ce.\n\nHouse.—February 10. Mr. Eliot\, from the Select Com-\nmittee\, r eported a bill to establish a Bureau of Freedman's\nAffairs\, to determine all questions relating to persons of\nAfrican descent\, and make regulati ons for their employ-\nment and proper treatment on abandoned plantations. \nMr. Clay\, of Kentucky\, wished to know whether his State\nwas to be inc luded in the operations of the bill\, and\nwhether plantations there were to be considered as aban-\ndoned: he himself owned a plantation which had been aban-\ndoned because Government did not protect it. Mr. Eliot\nreplie d that the bill did not propose to establish colonies\nin Kentucky\; that in the case of plantations there\, wheth-\ner they were to be considered a s abandoned would depend\nupon whether the owners were loyal or disloyal\; that in\nthe case of Mr. Clay\, a well-known loyal man\, his planta-\ntio n certainly would not be considered abandoned.—The\nSenate amendments to the Internal Revenue bill were re-\nferred to the Committee on Ways and M eans.—The En-\nrollment bill was taken up\, and sundry amendments were\n proposed and rejected. Mr. Stevens offered an amend-\nment enrolling all p ersons of African descent of military\nage\; and when a slave is drafted $ 300 shall be paid to his\nowner\, and the slave be freed. Debate ensued\, mainly\nbetween members from the Border States: the main points\nbeing\, o n the one side\, that slaves were property\, and\ncould not be taken for p ublic purposes without compensa-\ntion\; and\, upon the other\, that they were persons\, and so\nowed military service: postponed.—February 11. A fter\nsome routine business a Select Committee was voted\, to in-\nquire i nto the expediency of increasing the facilities for the\ntransportation of troops between New York and Washing-\nton.—The Enrollment bill then cam e up. Mr. Stevens\, at\nthe request of Mr. Davis\, withdrew the $300 featu re from\nhis amendment offered yesterday\, and Mr. Davis offered\nanother amendment\, appointing a commission to pay to\nloyal masters a sum not exc eeding $300 for slaves volun-\nteering in the army. Mr. Webster offered an amendment\nproviding that the bounty of $100 now paid to drafted men\nsha ll be paid to any person to whom the person drafted\nmay owe service or la bor at the time of his muster into\nservice\, upon his freeing the person. These amendments\nwere agreed to\, after a long and somewhat desultory de -\nbate. In the course of this Mr. Davis said that he moved\nhis amendment \, not because he believed that compensa-\ntion was due to the master\, bu t on account of the measures\nwhich Government had already taken. He belie ved that\nGovernment ought to take slaves for military purposes\,\nbecause they owed military service. Mr. Anderson\, of\nKentucky\, thought the ame ndment did not go far enough.\nIn his own district a large majority of the young men had\nentered the rebel service\, and at the next draft the dist rict\nwould owe 7000 men\; unless the slaves of disloyal men\nwere taken\, those who had induced enlistments in the reb-\nel service would enjoy the ir property in peace\, and the\nloyal white population must make up the de ficiency\; he\nwould put the slaves of disloyal men in the army\, but\nwou ld not appropriate the slaves of loyal men. Mr. Web-\nster\, of Maryland\, said that slaves were both persons and\nproperty. We needed colored men t o aid in putting down\nthe rebellion\; any black man\, having been a soldi er\, must\nbe free\; he would give freedom to the slave\, and com-\npensat ion to the master. Mr. Harris\, of Maryland\, denied\nthe right of Governm ent to enlist or enroll a slave\; if\ntaken\, it could only be as property \, and compensation must\nbe made\; he was opposed to employing negro troo ps\; it\nwould be a degradation to intrust our flag to negro hands.\nMr. K asson rejoined that the employment of negro soldiers\nwas no new thing\; t he pension-rolls showed the names of\nblack men by the side of whites\; th e statutes of the State\nof Virginia provided for the emancipation of slav es who\nfought in the War of the Revolution. Mr. Kelley said\nthat we did not give compensation to the Northern father\nfor his son\, the wife for h er husband\, the children for the\nfather taken from them by the conscript ion\; the relation\nbetween slaveholder and slave was not more sacred than \nthese. Slaves were persons\, and as such owed military\nservice to the c ountry\; they were never referred to as\nproperty in the Constitution\; he was\, however\, ready to\nappropriate money to pay for slaves of loyal ma sters\, who\nshould consent to their volunteering. Other members\nspoke\, on both sides\, in the same general strain. Toward\nthe close of the debat e Mr. Fernando Wood said that while\nwe were here proposing measures oppre ssive and destruc-\ntive\, and clearly in violation of the Constitution\, the Con-\nfederates were proposing to discuss measures of peace\, re-\nuni on\, and reconciliation. Quoting from the Richmond\nExaminer\, he said tha t resolutions were before the Con-\nfederate Congress proposing that the C onfederate States\nask the United States to appoint delegates\, to conside r (1.)\nWhether they can not agree to the recognition of the Con-\nfederac y\; (2.) Whether\, in this event\, they can not agree\nupon a new Governme nt\; (3.) If this can not be done\,\nwhether they can not agree upon treat ies offensive\, defens-\nive\, and commercial\; if these resolutions passe d\, the\nPresident of the Confederacy was to be requested to com-\nmunicat e them to the Government at Washington\, and\,\nif the proposition was acc epted\, to issue a proclamation for\nthe election of delegates to meet tho se appointed by the\nUnited States. Mr. Cox said that the proposition befo re\nthe Congress at Richmond looked to peace on the basis of\nthe old Unio n. He proposed that commissioners should\nbe sent to Richmond\; if Mr. Woo d was sent\, and if he did\nnot come back within sixty days with a negotia tion of\npeace\, based on the old Union\, with equality and sover-\neignty of the States\, he would pledge that gentleman and\nhis friends as earnes t supporters of the prosecution of the\nwar. After various other propositi ons had been disposed\nof\, Mr. Schenck offered a substitute for the bill\ , embracing\nthe whole as it had been finally agreed upon.—Febru-\nary  12. The Enrollment bill came up\, and debate having\nbeen shut off by call ing the previous question\, and sundry\npropositions for adjournment and d elay having been re-\njected\, it was pressed to a vote. The main amendmen t\,\nproviding for the enrollment of all persons of African de-\nscent of military age\, paying the $100 bounty to the loy-\nal person to whom any d rafted person may owe service or\nlabor\, upon his freeing the drafted per son\, and appointing\na commission to award a compensation not exceeding $ 300\nto any loyal person to whom a colored volunteer may owe\nservice\, wa s agreed to by 84 to 67. Mr. Schenck's substi-\ntute\, embracing the entir e bill as finally amended\, was\nthen taken up and voted upon: it passed b y 93 to 60.\nThe bill which thus passed the House embraces a great\nnumber of provisions\, of which the following are the most\nessential: (§ 1.) T he President may call out such number\nof men as the public exigencies may require: (§ 2.) The\nquota of each district to be as nearly as possible in propor-\ntion to the number of persons in it subject to draft\, taking\ ninto account the number already furnished to the naval\nand military serv ice\; (§ 3.) If the quota of any State is not\nduly filled\, drafts for a ny deficient district shall be order-\ned until the deficiency shall be su pplied\; (§ 4.) Any en-\nrolled person may furnish a substitute\; and if this substi-\ntute is not liable to draft or in the service\, the principa l\nwill be exempt during the time for which the substitute\nwould be exemp t\, but no one in military or naval service\nshall be accepted as a substi tute\; (§ 5.) All persons liable\nto draft shall be enrolled\; this compr ises in effect all able-\nbodied males below the age of 45\, including ali ens who\nhave declared their intentions of becoming citizens\, and\nall wh o\, without having been in service two years during\nthe present war\, sha ll have been discharged\; (§ 6.) Any\nperson drafted may furnish a substi tute at any time before\nthe time fixed for his appearance at rendezvous\; if the\nsubstitute is not liable to draft\, the principal is exempt\nduri ng the time of such non-liability\, not exceeding the\ntime for which the draft was made\; if the substitute is li-\nable to draft\, the principal i s liable to future drafts\; any\nperson paying money for commutation is ex empted only\nfrom the special quota\; and in no case shall such exemp-\nti on extend beyond one year\, at the end of which his name\nmust be placed i n enrollment\; (§ 7.) Members of religious\ndenominations whose rules pro hibit the bearing of arms\nshall\, when drafted\, be considered non-combat ants\, and\nbe assigned to duty in hospitals\, or to the care of freed-\nm en\, or shall pay $300\, the money to be applied to the\nbenefit of sick o r wounded soldiers\; but no person shall be\nentitled to the benefit of th is provision unless he shows\nthat his conduct has been uniformly consiste nt with his\nprofessed principles\; (§ 8.) No person of foreign birth who \nhas voted or held office is exempt from draft on the ground\nof alienage \; (§ 9.) Mariners or able seamen who may be\ndrafted may\, upon enlistin g in the navy\, be exempt from\ndraft\, under conditions which are prescri bed\; but the\nnumber of these transfer enlistments shall not exceed ten\n thousand\; (§ 10\, 11\, 12.) Make provisions for carrying out\nthe preced ing section\, the principal of which is that such\ntransfer drafts shall b e credited to the quota of the district\,\nas though the person had been a ctually placed in the army\;\nand that no pilot\, engineer\, master-at-arm s\, master\, en-\nsign\, or master's mate\, having an appointment and duly \nacting as such in the naval service\, shall be liable to draft\nwhile ho lding such appointment\; (§ 13.) Declares the only\nexemptions to be thos e who are physically\, mentally\, or\nmorally unfit for service\; those wh o at the time of draft\nshall actually be in military or naval service\; a nd those\nwho\, having been for two years in service\, shall have been\nho norably discharged\; (§ 14.) Repeals the clause in the\nexisting Enrollme nt bill making two classes\, the first con-\nsisting of unmarried persons and those married below the\nage of 35\, the second class embracing all ot hers\; all per-\nsons liable to draft are thus consolidated into one class \,\nand are equally liable to military duty\; (§ 15-25.) Provide\nfor the execution of the law\, and impose heavy penalties\nfor all fraudulent att empts at their violation or evasion on\nthe part of persons liable to enro llment\, or of any officers\ncharged with carrying them into effect\; (§ 26) Enacts that\nall able-bodied male persons of African descent\, between \nthe ages of 20 and 45\, resident in the United States\, wheth-\ner citiz ens or not\, shall be enrolled\; that when the slave\nof a loyal master is drafted and mustered into service\, the\nmaster shall have a certificate thereof\, and the bounty of\n$100 shall be paid to any person to whom the recruit\, at\nthe time of his being mustered into service\, owes service\n or labor\, on his freeing the recruit\; that the Secretary of\nWar shall a ppoint a commission in each Slave State rep-\nresented in Congress\, who s hall award to any loyal person\nto whom the colored volunteer owes service a sum not ex-\nceeding $300\, payable out of commutation money\, upon\nth e master freeing the slave\; and that in all cases where\nslaves have been enlisted the provision as to bounty and\ncompensation shall be the same a s in the case of those to\nbe enlisted\; (§ 27.) Repeals all sections of the existing En-\nrollment act which are inconsistent with this.—The Hou se\nthen adjourned to Monday\, February 15.—February\n15. Several bills were introduced and reported from Com-\nmittees. The principal of these ar e to the following pur-\nport: Extending the time for withdrawing goods fr om pub-\nlic stores and warehouses\; Granting lands to the Pacific\nRailro ad and Telegraph Company\; For a uniform system\nof bankruptcy\; Establish ing a branch mint in Idaho Ter-\nritory\; For constructing a ship canal ar ound Niagara\nFalls.—Mr. Windom offered a joint resolution proposing\nto amend the Constitution so as to prohibit slavery in the\nUnited States an d Territories: referred.—The Judiciary\nCommittee were directed to inqui re into the expediency\nof establishing an Executive Department\, to be ca lled that\nof the Revenue\, to have charge of the Customs\, Internal\nReve nue\, and Currency.—Mr. Arnold offered a resolution\ndeclaring that “T he Constitution of the United States\nshould be so amended as to abolish s lavery in the United\nStates wherever it now exists\, and to prohibit its extension\nin every part thereof forever.” A motion to lay on the\ntable was rejected\, 79 to 58\, and the resolution passed\, 78\nto 62.—Mr. St evens\, from the Committee on Ways and\nMeans\, reported back the Senate's amendments to the In-\nternal Revenue bill. The bill of the Senate\, he s aid\, was\npreferable to what had been agreed to in the House as to\nthe t ax on spirits\, and the date of its going into effect.\nThe Committee were of opinion that all taxes should be\nprospective\; manufacturers had rece ived a virtual pledge\nto this effect. As a revenue measure also the Senat e bill\nwas preferable. The amount of spirits on hand which the\nHouse pro posed to tax did not amount to more than\n10\,000\,000 gallons\, upon whic h the tax would be $4\,000\,000\;\nbut practically not more than half of t his would be taxed.\nThe Senate bill would after the 1st of January yield\ n$14\,000\,000 or $15\,000\,000. Mr. Fernando Wood said that\nthe tax on s pirits on hand would yield $10\,000\,000. He\nhimself knew three men who h ad on hand nearly 5\,000\,000\ngallons.—Mr. Davis\, from Select Committe e on Insurrec-\ntionary States\, reported a bill giving to certain States\ nwhose Governments have been usurped or overthrown a\nrepublican form of g overnment.—February 16. After\nroutine business the question of recepti on and reference of\nthe credentials of Mr. Johnson\, who appeared as Repr esent-\native from Arkansas\, was taken up. A discussion ensued\,\nwhich e licited the fact that there was a wide difference\nin the views of Republi can members upon the question\nwhether there was really any State of Arkan sas now ex-\nisting and entitled to be represented in Congress. Finally\nt he whole subject was referred to the Committee on Elec-\ntions.—The Reve nue bill was brought up with the amend-\nments of the Senate. That imposin g a duty of 70 cents\nupon all distilled or removed from July 1 to January 1\,\nand 80 cents thereafter was disagreed with\, 105 to 41\;\nthat strik ing out tax on all spirits now on hand was agreed\nwith\, 77 to 73\; and t hat striking out the additional tax\nof 20 cents on adulterated spirits\, sold as rum\, brandy\, etc.\,\nwas agreed to.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Juneteenth Occurred [ 13th Amendment Certified JUNETEENTH - RMCommuni tyCalendar - African American Literature Book Club ]\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Before the proposal by Henderson was legislated\, Sumner of massachusett's tried to propose the following\n\n\n\n All persons are equal before the l aw\, so that no person can hold another as a slave\; and the Congress shal l have power to make all laws necessary and proper to carry this declarati on into effect everywhere in the United States.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from \ n\n\n\n Although opposition to slavery was associated with the Republican Party\, a faction of War Democrats not only supported wartime emancipation policies but also became favorable to a constitutional amendment abolishi ng the institution.  On January 11\, 1864\, Senator John Henderson of Mis souri\, a War Democrat\, submitted a joint resolution for a constitution al amendment abolishing slavery.  The Senate Judiciary Committee\, headed by Illinois Republican Lyman Trumbull\, began considering the various ver sions of the abolition amendment.  On February 8\, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts\, a leading Radical Republican\, submitted a constitutio nal amendment to not only abolish slavery but also guarantee equality unde r the law.  Two days later\, spurred partly in reaction to Sumner’s mor e radical proposal\, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported to the full S enate an abolition amendment combining the drafts by Ashley\, Wilson\, a nd Henderson. \n\n\n\n https://13thamendment.harpweek.com/hubpages/Commen taryPage.asp?Commentary=05ProposalPassage\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Continue on site\n\n\n\n https://books.g oogle.com/books?id=Yx0zAQAAIAAJ&\;pg=PA582#v=onepage&\;q&\;f=fals e\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250210 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Frederick Douglass : Our Composite Nation DTSTAMP:20250724T023605Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:418-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Frederick Douglass : Our Composite Nation 1867 Parker Fra ternity Course\, Boston\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/en try/357-frederick-douglass-our-composite-nation/\n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n As nat ions are among the largest and the most complete divisions into which soci ety is formed\, the grandest aggregations of organized human power\; as th ey raise to observation and distinction the world’s greatest men\, and c all into requisition the highest order of talent and ability for their gui dance\, preservation and success\, they are ever among the most attractive \, instructive and useful subjects of thought\, to those just entering upo n the duties and activities of life.\n\nThe simple organization of a peopl e into a National body\, composite or otherwise\, is of itself and impress ive fact. As an original proceeding\, it marks the point of departure of a people\, from the darkness and chaos of unbridled barbarism\, to the whol esome restraints of public law and society. It implies a willing surrender and subjection of individual aims and ends\, often narrow and selfish\, t o the broader and better ones that arise out of society as a whole. It is both a sign and a result of civilization.\n\nA knowledge of the character\ , resources and proceedings of other nations\, affords us the means of com parison and criticism\, without which progress would be feeble\, tardy\, a nd perhaps\, impossible. It is by comparing one nation with another\, and one learning from another\, each competing with all\, and all competing wi th each\, that hurtful errors are exposed\, great social truths discovered \, and the wheels of civilization whirled onward.\n\nI am especially to sp eak to you of the character and mission of the United States\, with specia l reference to the question whether we are the better or the worse for bei ng composed of different races of men. I propose to consider first\, what we are\, second\, what we are likely to be\, and\, thirdly\, what we ought to be.\n\nWithout undue vanity or unjust depreciation of others\, we may claim to be\, in many respects\, the most fortunate of nations. We stand i n relation to all others\, as youth to age. Other nations have had their d ay of greatness and glory\; we are yet to have our day\, and that day is c oming. The dawn is already upon us. It is bright and full of promise. Othe r nations have reached their culminating point. We are at the beginning of our ascent. They have apparently exhausted the conditions essential to th eir further growth and extension\, while we are abundant in all the materi al essential to further national growth and greatness.\n\nThe resources of European statesmanship are now sorely taxed to maintain their nationaliti es at their ancient height of greatness and power.\n\nAmerican statesmansh ip\, worthy of the name\, is now taxing its energies to frame measures to meet the demands of constantly increasing expansion of power\, responsibil ity and duty.\n\nWithout fault or merit on either side\, theirs or ours\, the balance is largely in our favor. Like the grand old forests\, renewed and enriched from decaying trunks once full of life and beauty\, but now m oss-covered\, oozy and crumbling\, we are destined to grow and flourish wh ile they decline and fade.\n\nThis is one view of American position and de stiny. It is proper to notice that it is not the only view. Different opin ions and conflicting judgments meet us here\, as elsewhere.\n\nIt is thoug ht by many\, and said by some\, that this Republic has already seen its be st days\; that the historian may now write the story of its decline and fa ll.\n\nTwo classes of men are just now especially afflicted with such fore bodings. The first are those who are croakers by nature—the men who have a taste for funerals\, and especially National funerals. They never see t he bright side of anything and probably never will. Like the raven in the lines of Edgar A. Poe they have learned two words\, and these are “never more.” They usually begin by telling us what we never shall see. Their little speeches are about as follows: You will never see such Statesmen in the councils of the nation as Clay\, Calhoun and Webster. You will never see the South morally reconstructed and our once happy people again united . You will never see the Government harmonious and successful while in the hands of different races. You will never make the negro work without a ma ster\, or make him an intelligent voter\, or a good and useful citizen. Th e last never is generally the parent of all the other little nevers that f ollow.\n\nDuring the late contest for the Union\, the air was full of neve rs\, every one of which was contradicted and put to shame by the result\, and I doubt not that most of those we now hear in our troubled air\, will meet the same fate.\n\nIt is probably well for us that some of our gloomy prophets are limited in their powers\, to prediction. Could they command t he destructive bolt\, as readily as they command the destructive world\, i t is hard to say what might happen to the country. They might fulfill thei r own gloomy prophesies. Of course it is easy to see why certain other cla sses on men speak hopelessly concerning us.\n\nA Government founded upon j ustice\, and recognizing the equal rights of all men\; claiming higher aut hority for existence\, or sanction for its laws\, that nature\, reason\, a nd the regularly ascertained will of the people\; steadily refusing to put its sword and purse in the service of any religious creed or family is a standing offense to most of the Governments of the world\, and to some nar row and bigoted people among ourselves.\n\nTo those who doubt and deny the preponderance of good over evil in human nature\; who think the few are m ade to rule\, and many to serve\; who put rank above brotherhood\, and rac e above humanity\; who attach more importance to ancient forms than to the living realities of the present\; who worship power in whatever hands it may be lodged and by whatever means it may have been obtained\; our Govern ment is a mountain of sin\, and\, what is worse\, its [sic] seems confirme d in its transgressions.\n\nOne of the latest and most potent European pro phets\, one who has felt himself called upon for a special deliverance con cerning us and our destiny as a nation\, was the late Thomas Carlyle. He d escribed us as rushing to ruin\, not only with determined purpose\, but wi th desperate velocity.\n\nHow long we have been on this high road to ruin\ , and when we may expect to reach the terrible end our gloomy prophet\, en veloped in the fogs of London\, has not been pleased to tell us.\n\nWarnin gs and advice are not to be despised\, from any quarter\, and especially n ot from one so eminent as Mr. Carlyle\; and yet Americans will find it har d to heed even men like him\, if there be any in the world like him\, whil e the animus is so apparent\, bitter and perverse.\n\nA man to whom despot ism is Savior and Liberty the destroyer of society\,—who\, during the la st twenty years of his life\, in every contest between liberty and oppress ion\, uniformly and promptly took sides with the oppressor\; who regarded every extension of the right of suffrage\, even to white men in his own co untry\, as shooting Niagara\; who gloats over deeds of cruelty\, and talke d of applying to the backs of men the beneficent whip\, to the great delig ht of many\, the slave drivers of America in particular\, could have littl e sympathy with our Emancipated and progressive Republic\, or with the tri umphs of liberty anywhere.\n\nBut the American people can easily stand the utterances of such a man. They however have a right to be impatient and i ndignant at those among ourselves who turn the most hopeful portents into omens of disaster\, and make themselves the ministers of despair when they should be those of hope\, and help cheer on the country in the new and gr and career of justice upon which it has now so nobly and bravely entered. Of errors and defects we certainly have not less than our full share\, eno ugh to keep the reformer awake\, the statesman busy\, and the country in a pretty lively state of agitation for some time to come. Perfection is an object to be aimed at by all\, but it is not an attribute of any form of G overnment. Neutrality is the law for all. Something different\, something better\, or something worse may come\, but so far as respects our present system and form of Government\, and the altitude we occupy\, we need not s hrink from comparison with any nation of our times. We are today the best fed\, the best clothed\, the best sheltered and the best instructed people in t he world.\n\nThere was a time when even brave men might look fearful ly at the destiny of the Republic. When our country was involved in a tang led network of contradictions\; when vast and irreconcilable social forces fiercely disputed for ascendancy and control\; when a heavy curse rested upon our very soil\, defying alike the wisdom and the virtue of the people to remove it\; when our professions were loudly mocked by our practice an d our name was a reproach and a by word to a mocking earth\; when our good ship of state\, freighted with the best hopes of the oppressed of all nat ions\, was furiously hurled against the hard and flinty rocks of derision\ , and every cord\, bolt\, beam and bend in her body quivered beneath the s hock\, there was some apology for doubt and despair. But that day has happ ily passed away. The storm has been weathered\, and portents are nearly al l in our favor.\n\nThere are clouds\, wind\, smoke and dust and noise\, ov er head and around\, and there always will be\; but no genuine thunder\, w ith destructive bolt\, menaces from any quarter of the sky.\n\nThe real tr ouble with us was never our system or form of Government\, or the principl es underlying it\; but the peculiar composition of our people\, the relati ons existing between them and the compromising spirit which controlled the ruling power of the country.\n\nWe have for along time hesitated to adopt and may yet refuse to adopt\, and carry out\, the only principle which ca n solve that difficulty and give peace\, strength and security to the Repu blic\, and that is the principle of absolute equality.\n\nWe are a country of all extremes—\, ends and opposites\; the most conspicuous example of composite nationality in the world. Our people defy all the ethnological and logical classifications. In races we range all the way from black to w hite\, with intermediate shades which\, as in the apocalyptic vision\, no man can name a number.\n\nIn regard to creeds and faiths\, the condition i s no better\, and no worse. Differences both as to race and to religion ar e evidently more likely to increase than to diminish.\n\nWe stand between the populous shores of two great oceans. Our land is capable of supporting one fifth of all the globe. Here\, labor is abundant and here labor is be tter remunerated than any where else. All moral\, social and geographical causes\, conspire to bring to us the peoples of all other over populated c ountries.\n\nEurope and Africa are already here\, and the Indian was here before either. He stands today between the two extremes of black and white \, too proud to claim fraternity with either\, and yet too weak to withsta nd the power of either. Heretofore the policy of our government has been g overned by race pride\, rather than by wisdom. Until recently\, neither th e Indian nor the negro has been treated as a part of the body politic. No attempt has been made to inspire either with a sentiment of patriotism\, b ut the hearts of both races have been diligently sown with the dangerous s eeds of discontent and hatred.\n\nThe policy of keeping the Indians to the mselves\, has kept the tomahawk and scalping knife busy upon our borders\, and has cost us largely in blood and treasure. Our treatment of the negro has slacked humanity\, and filled the country with agitation and ill-feel ing and brought the nation to the verge of ruin.\n\nBefore the relations o f these two races are satisfactorily settled\, and in spite of all opposit ion\, a new race is making its appearance within our borders\, and claimin g attention. It is estimated that not less than one hundred thousand China men\, are now within the limits of the United States. Several years ago ev ery vessel\, large or small\, of steam or sail\, bound to our Pacific coas t and hailing from the Flowery kingdom\, added to the number and strength of this new element of our population.\n\nMen differ widely as to the magn itude of this potential Chinese immigration. The fact that by the late tre aty with China\, we bind ourselves to receive immigrants from that country only as the subjects of the Emperor\, and by the construction\, at least\ , are bound not to [naturalize] them\, and the further fact that Chinamen themselves have a superstitious devotion to their country and an aversion to permanent location in any other\, contracting even to have their bones carried back\, should they die abroad\, and from the fact that many have r eturned to China\, and the still more stubborn [fact] that resistance to t heir coming has increased rather than diminished\, it is inferred that we shall never have a large Chinese population in America. This however is no t my opinion.\n\nIt may be admitted that these reasons\, and others\, may check and moderate the tide of immigration\; but it is absurd to think tha t they will do more than this. Counting their number now\, by the thousand s\, the time is not remote when they will count them by the millions. The Emperor’s hold upon the Chinamen may be strong\, but the Chinaman’s ho ld upon himself is stronger.\n\nTreaties against naturalization\, like all other treaties\, are limited by circumstances. As to the superstitious at tachment of the Chinese to China\, that\, like all other superstitions\, w ill dissolve in the light and heat of truth and experience. The Chinaman m ay be a bigot\, but it does not follow that he will continue to be one\, t omorrow. He is a man\, and will be very likely to act like a man. He will not be long in finding out that a country which is good enough to live in\ , is good enough to die in\; and that a soil that was good enough to hold his body while alive\, will be good enough to hold his bones when he is de ad.\n\nThose who doubt a large immigration\, should remember that the past furnishes no criterion as a basis of calculation. We live under new and i mproved conditions of migration\, and these conditions are constantly impr oving. America is no longer an obscure and inaccessible country. Our ships are in every sea\, our commerce in every port\, our language is heard all around the globe\, steam and lightning have revolutionized the whole doma in of human thought. Changed all geographical relations\, make a day of th e present seem equal to a thousand years of the past\, and the continent t hat Columbus only conjectured four centuries ago is now the centre of the world.\n\nI believe that Chinese immigration on a large scale will yet be our irrepressible fact. The spirit of race pride will not always prevail. The reasons for this opinion are obvious\; China is a vastly overcrowded c ountry. Her people press against each other like cattle in a rail car. Man y live upon the water\, and have laid out streets upon the waves. Men\, li ke bees\, want elbow room. When the hive is overcrowded\, the bees will sw arm\, and will be likely to take up their abode where they find the best p rospect for honey. In matters of this sort\, men are very much like bees. Hunger will not be quietly endured\, even in the celestial empire\, when i t is once generally known that there is bread enough and to spare in Ameri ca. What Satan said of Job is true of the Chinaman\, as well as of other m en\, “All that a man hath will he give for his life.” They will come h ere to live where they know the means of living are in abundance.\n\nThe s ame mighty forces which have swept our shores the overflowing populations of Europe\; which have reduced the people of Ireland three millions below its normal standard\; will operate in a similar manner upon the hungry pop ulation of China and other parts of Asia. Home has its charms\, and native land has its charms\, but hunger\, oppression\, and destitution\, will de solve these charms and send men in search of new countries and new homes.\ n\nNot only is there a Chinese motive behind this probable immigration\, b ut there is also an American motive which will play its part\, one which w ill be all the more active and energetic because there is in it an element of pride\, of bitterness\, and revenge.\n\nSouthern gentlemen who led in the late rebellion\, have not parted with their convictions at this point\ , any more than at others. They want to be independent of the negro. They believed in slavery and they believe in it still. They believed in an aris tocratic class and they believe in it still\, and though they have lost sl avery\, one element essential to such a class\, they still have two import ant conditions to the reconstruction of that class. They have intelligence and they have land. Of these\, the land is the more important. They cling to it with all the tenacity of a cherished superstition. They will neithe r sell to the negro\, nor let the carpet baggers have it in peace\, but ar e determined to hold it for themselves and their children forever. They ha ve not yet learned that when a principle is gone\, the incident must go al so\; that what was wise and proper under slavery\, is foolish and mischiev ous in a state of general liberty\; that the old bottles are worthless whe n the new wine has come\; but they have found that land is a doubtful bene fit where there are no hands to it.\n\nHence these gentlemen have turned t heir attention to the Celestial Empire. They would rather have laborers wh o will work for nothing\; but as they cannot get the negroes on these term s\, they want Chinamen who\, they hope\, will work for next to nothing.\n\ nCompanies and associations may be formed to promote this Mongolian invasi on. The loss of the negro is to gain them\, the Chinese\; and if the thing works well\, abolition\, in their opinion\, will have proved itself to be another blessing in disguise. To the statesman it will mean Southern inde pendence. To the pulpit it will be the hand of Providence\, and bring abou t the time of the universal dominion of the Christian religion. To all but the Chinaman and the negro\, it will mean wealth\, ease and luxury.\n\nBu t alas\, for all the selfish inventions and dreams of men! The Chinaman wi ll not long be willing to wear the cast off shoes of the negro\, and if he refuses\, there will be trouble again. The negro worked and took his pay in religion and the lash. The Chinaman is a different article and will wan t the cash. He may\, like the negro\, accept Christianity\, but unlike the negro he will not care to pay for it in labor under the lash. He had the golden rule in substance\, five hundred years before the coming of Christ\ , and has notions of justice that are not to be confused or bewildered by any of our “Cursed be Canaan” religion.\n\nNevertheless\, the experime nt will be tried. So far as getting the Chinese into our country is concer ned\, it will yet be a success. This elephant will be drawn by our Souther n brethren\, though they will hardly know in the end what to do with him.\ n\nAppreciation of the value of Chinamen as laborers will\, I apprehend\, become general in this country. The North was never indifferent to Souther n influence and example\, and it will not be so in this instance.\n\nThe C hinese in themselves have first rate recommendations. They are industrious \, docile\, cleanly\, frugal\; they are dexterious of hand\, patient of to il\, marvelously gifted in the power of imitation\, and have but few wants . Those who have carefully observed their habits in California\, say they can subsist upon what would be almost starvation to others.\n\nThe conclus ion of the whole will be that they will want to come to us\, and as we bec ome more liberal\, we shall want them to come\, and what we want will norm ally be done.\n\nThey will no longer halt upon the shores of California. T hey will borrow no longer in her exhausted and deserted gold mines where t hey have gathered wealth from bareness\, taking what others left. They wil l turn their backs not only upon the Celestial Empire\, but upon the golde n shores of the Pacific\, and the wide waste of waters whose majestic wave s spoke to them of home and country. They will withdraw their eyes from th e glowing west and fix them upon the rising sun. They will cross the mount ains\, cross the plains\, descend our rivers\, penetrate to the heart of t he country and fix their homes with us forever.\n\nAssuming then that this immigration already has a foothold and will continue for many years to co me\, we have a new element in our national composition which is likely to exercise a large influence upon the thought and the action of the whole na tion.\n\nThe old question as to what shall be done with [the] negro will h ave to give place to the greater question\, “what shall be done with the Mongolian” and perhaps we shall see raised one even still greater quest ion\, namely\, what will the Mongolian do with both the negro and the whit es?\n\nAlready has the matter taken this shape in California and on the Pa cific Coast generally. Already has California assumed a bitterly unfriendl y attitude toward the Chinamen. Already has she driven them from her altar s of justice. Already has she stamped them as outcasts and handed them ove r to popular contempt and vulgar jest. Already are they the constant victi ms of cruel harshness and brutal violence. Already have our Celtic brother s\, never slow to execute the behests of popular prejudice against the wea k and defenseless\, recognized in the heads of these people\, fit targets for their shilalahs. Already\, too\, are their associations formed in avow ed hostility to the Chinese.\n\nIn all this there is\, of course\, nothing strange. Repugnance to the presence and influence of foreigners is an anc ient feeling among men. It is peculiar to no particularly race or nation. It is met with not only in the conduct of one nation toward another\, but in the conduct of the inhabitants of different parts of the same country\, some times of the same city\, and even of the same village. “Lands inte rsected by a narrow frith\, abhor each other. Mountains interposed\, make enemies of nations.” To the Hindoo\, every man not twice born\, is Mleek a. To the Greek\, every man not speaking Greek\, is a barbarian. To the Je w\, every one not circumcised\, is a gentile. To the Mahometan\, every man not believing in the prophet\, is a kaffe. I need not repeat here the mul titude of reproachful epithets expressive of the same sentiment among ours elves. All who are not to the manor born\, have been made to feel the lash and sting of these reproachful names.\n\nFor this feeling there are many apologies\, for there was never yet an error\, however flagrant and hurtfu l\, for which some plausible defense could not be framed. Chattel slavery\ , king craft\, priest craft\, pious frauds\, intolerance\, persecution\, s uicide\, assassination\, repudiation\, and a thousand other errors and cri mes\, have all had their defenses and apologies.\n\nPrejudice of race and color has been equally upheld. The two best arguments in its defense are\, first\, the worthlessness of the class against which it was directed\; an d\, second\; that he feeling itself is entirely natural.\n\nThe way to ove rcome the first argument is\, to work for the elevation of those deemed wo rthless\, and thus make them worthy of regard and they will soon become wo rthy and not worthless. As to the natural argument it may be said\, that n ature has many sides. Many things are in a certain sense natural\, which a re neither wise nor best. It is natural to walk\, but shall men therefore refuse to ride? It is natural to ride on horseback\, shall men therefore r efuse steam and rail? Civilization is itself a constant war upon some forc es in nature\; shall we therefore abandon civilization and go back to sava ge life?\n\nNature has two voices\, the one is high\, the other low\; one is in sweet accord with reason and justice\, and the other apparently at w ar with both. The more men really know of the essential nature of things\, and on of the true relation of mankind\, the freer they are from prejudic es of every kind. The child is afraid of the giant form of his own shadow. This is natural\, but he will part with his fears when he is older and wi ser. So ignorance is full of prejudice\, but it will disappear with enligh tenment. But I pass on.\n\nI have said that the Chinese will come\, and ha ve given some reasons why we may expect them in very large numbers in no v ery distant future. Do you ask\, if I favor such immigration\, I answer I would. Would you have them naturalized\, and have them invested with all t he rights of American citizenship? I would. Would you allow them to vote? I would. Would you allow them to hold office? I would.\n\nBut are there no t reasons against all this? Is there not such a law or principle as that o f self-preservation? Does not every race owe something to itself? Should i t not attend to the dictates of common sense? Should not a superior race p rotect itself from contact with inferior ones? Are not the white people th e owners of this continent? Have they not the right to say\, what kind of people shall be allowed to come here and settle? Is there not such a thing as being more generous than wise? In the effort to promote civilization m ay we not corrupt and destroy what we have? Is it best to take on board mo re passengers than the ship will carry?\n\nTo all of this and more I have one among many answers\, together satisfactory to me\, though I cannot pro mise that it will be so to you.\n\nI submit that this question of Chinese immigration should be settled upon higher principles than those of a cold and selfish expediency.\n\nThere are such things in the world as human rig hts. They rest upon no conventional foundation\, but are external\, univer sal\, and indestructible. Among these\, is the right of locomotion\; the r ight of migration\; the right which belongs to no particular race\, but be longs alike to all and to all alike. It is the right you assert by staying here\, and your fathers asserted by coming here. It is this great right t hat I assert for the Chinese and Japanese\, and for all other varieties of men equally with yourselves\, now and forever. I know of no rights of rac e superior to the rights of humanity\, and when there is a supposed confli ct between human and national rights\, it is safe to go to the side of hum anity. I have great respect for the blue eyed and light haired races of Am erica. They are a mighty people. In any struggle for the good things of th is world they need have no fear. They have no need to doubt that they will get their full share.\n\nBut I reject the arrogant and scornful theory by which they would limit migratory rights\, or any other essential human ri ghts to themselves\, and which would make them the owners of this great co ntinent to the exclusion of all other races of men.\n\nI want a home here not only for the negro\, the mulatto and the Latin races\; but I want the Asiatic to find a home here in the United States\, and feel at home here\, both for his sake and for ours. Right wrongs no man. If respect is had to majorities\, the fact that only one fifth of the population of the globe is white\, the other four fifths are colored\, ought to have some weight a nd influence in disposing of this and similar questions. It would be a sad reflection upon the laws of nature and upon the idea of justice\, to say nothing of a common Creator\, if four fifths of mankind were deprived of t he rights of migration to make room for the one fifth. If the white race m ay exclude all other races from this continent\, it may rightfully do the same in respect to all other lands\, islands\, capes and continents\, and thus have all the world to itself. Thus what would seem to belong to the w hole\, would become the property only of a part. So much for what is right \, now let us see what is wise.\n\nAnd here I hold that a liberal and brot herly welcome to all who are likely to come to the United states\, is the only wise policy which this nation can adopt.\n\nIt has been thoughtfully observed\, that every nation\, owing to its peculiar character and composi tion\, has a definite mission in the world. What that mission is\, and wha t policy is best adapted to assist in its fulfillment\, is the business of its people and its statesmen to know\, and knowing\, to make a noble use of said knowledge.\n\nI need to stop here to name or describe the missions of other and more ancient nationalities. Ours seems plain and unmistakabl e. Our geographical position\, our relation to the outside world\, our fun damental principles of Government\, world embracing in their scope and cha racter\, our vast resources\, requiring all manner of labor to develop the m\, and our already existing composite population\, all conspire to one gr and end\, and that is to make us the make perfect national illustration of the unit and dignity of the human family\, that the world has ever seen.\ n\nIn whatever else other nations may have been great and grand\, our grea tness and grandeur will be found in the faithful application of the princi ple of perfect civil equality to the people of all races and of all creeds \, and to men of no creeds. We are not only bound to this position by our organic structure and by our revolutionary antecedents\, but by the genius of our people. Gathered here\, from all quarters of the globe by a common aspiration for rational liberty as against caste\, divine right Governmen ts and privileged classes\, it would be unwise to be found fighting agains t ourselves and among ourselves\; it would be madness to set up any one ra ce above another\, or one religion above another\, or proscribe any on acc ount of race color or creed.\n\nThe apprehension that we shall be swamped or swallowed up by Mongolian civilization\; that the Caucasian race may no t be able to hold their own against that vast incoming population\, does n ot seem entitled to much respect. Though they come as the waves come\, we shall be stronger if we receive them as friends and give them a reason for loving our country and our institutions. They will find here a deeply roo ted\, indigenous\, growing civilization\, augmented by an ever increasing stream of immigration from Europe\; and possession is nine points of the l aw in this case\, as well as in others. They will come as strangers\, we a re at home. They will come to us\, not we to them. They will come in their weakness\, we shall meet them in our strength. They will come as individu als\, we will meet them in multitudes\, and with all the advantages of org anization. Chinese children are in American schools in San Francisco\, non e of our children are in Chinese schools\, and probably never will be\, th ough in some things they might well teach us valuable lessons. Contact wit h these yellow children of The Celestial Empire would convince us that the points of human difference\, great as they\, upon first sight\, seem\, ar e as nothing compared with the points of human agreement. Such contact wou ld remove mountains of prejudice.\n\nIt is said that it is not good for ma n to be alone. This is true not only in the sense in which our woman’s r ights friends so zealously and wisely teach\, but it is true as to nations .\n\nThe voice of civilization speaks an unmistakable language against the isolation of families\, nations and races\, and pleads for composite nati onality as essential to her triumphs.\n\nThose races of men which have mai ntained the most separate and distinct existence for the longest periods o f time\; which have had the least intercourse with other races of men\, ar e a standing confirmation of the folly of isolation. The very soil of the national mind becomes\, in such cases\, barren\, and can only be resuscita ted by assistance from without.\n\nLook at England\, whose mighty power is now felt\, and for centuries has been felt\, all around the world. It is worthy of special remark\, that precisely those parts of that proud Island which have received the largest and most diverse populations\, are today\ , the parts most distinguished for industry\, enterprise\, invention and g eneral enlightenment. In Wales\, and in the Highlands of Scotland\, the bo ast is made of their pure blood and that they were never conquered\, but n o man can contemplate them without wishing they had been conquered.\n\nThe y are far in the rear of every other part of the English realm in all the comforts and conveniences of life\, as well as in mental and physical deve lopment. Neither law nor learning descends to us from the mountains of Wal es or from the Highlands of Scotland. The ancient Briton whom Julius Caesa r would not have a slave\, is not to be compared with the round\, burly\, a[m]plitudinous Englishman in many of the qualities of desirable manhood.\ n\nThe theory that each race of men has come special faculty\, some peculi ar gift or quality of mind or heart\, needed to the perfection and happine ss of the whole is a broad and beneficent theory\, and besides its benefic ence\, has in its support\, the voice of experience. Nobody doubts this th eory when applied to animals and plants\, and no one can show that it is n ot equally true when applied to races.\n\nAll great qualities are never fo und in any one man or in any one race. The whole of humanity\, like the wh ole of everything else\, is ever greater than a part. Men only know themse lves by knowing others\, and contact is essential to this knowledge. In on e race we perceive the predominance of imagination\; in another\, like Chi nese\, we remark its total absence. In one people\, we have the reasoning faculty\, in another\, for music\; in another\, exists courage\; in anothe r\, great physical vigor\; and so on through the whole list of human quali ties. All are needed to temper\, modify\, round and complete.\n\nNot the l east among the arguments whose consideration should dispose to welcome amo ng us the peoples of all countries\, nationalities and color\, is the fact that all races and varieties of men are improvable. This is the grand dis tinguishing attribute of humanity and separates man from all other animals . If it could be shown that any particular race of men are literally incap able of improvement\, we might hesitate to welcome them here. But no such men are anywhere to be found\, and if there were\, it is not likely that t hey would ever trouble us with their presence.\n\nThe fact that the Chines e and other nations desire to come and do come\, is a proof of their capac ity for improvement and of their fitness to come.\n\nWe should take counci l of both nature and art in the consideration of this question. When the a rchitect intends a grand structure\, he makes the foundation broad and str ong. We should imitate this prudence in laying the foundation of the futur e Republic. There is a law of harmony in departments of nature. The oak is in the acorn. The career and destiny of individual men are enfolded in th e elements of which they are composed. The same is true of a nation. It wi ll be something or it will be nothing. It will be great\, or it will be sm all\, according to its own essential qualities. As these are rich and vari ed\, or poor and simple\, slender and feeble\, broad and strong\, so will be the life and destiny of the nation itself.\n\nThe stream cannot rise hi gher than its source. The ship cannot sail faster than the wind. The fligh t of the arrow depends upon the strength and elasticity of the bow\; and a s with these\, so with a nation.\n\nIf we would reach a degree of civiliza tion higher and grander than any yet attained\, we should welcome to our a mple continent all nations\, kindreds [sic] tongues and peoples\; and as f ast as they learn our language and comprehend the duties of citizenship\, we should incorporate them into the American body politic. The outspread w ings of the American eagle are broad enough to shelter all who are likely to come.\n\nAs a matter of selfish policy\, leaving right and humanity out of the question\, we cannot wisely pursue any other course. Other Governm ents mainly depend for security upon the sword\; our depends mainly upon t he friendship of its people. In all matters\,—in time of peace\, in time of war\, and at all times\,—it makes its appeal to all the people\, and to all classes of the people. Its strength lies in their friendship and c heerful support in every time of need\, and that policy is a mad one which would reduce the number of its friends by excluding those who would come\ , or by alienating those who are already here.\n\nOur Republic is itself a strong argument in favor of composite nationality. It is no disparagement to Americans of English descent\, to affirm that much of the wealth\, lei sure\, culture\, refinement and civilization of the country are due to the arm of the negro and the muscle of the Irishman. Without these and the we alth created by their sturdy toil\, English civilization had still lingere d this side of the Alleghanies [sic]\, and the wolf still be howling on th eir summits.\n\nTo no class of our population are we more indebted to valu able qualities of head\, heart and hand than the German. Say what we will of their lager\, their smoke and their metaphysics they have brought to us a fresh\, vigorous and child-like nature\; a boundless facility in the ac quisition of knowledge\; a subtle and far reaching intellect\, and a fearl ess love of truth. Though remarkable for patient and laborious thought the true German is a joyous child of freedom\, fond of manly sports\, a lover of music\, and a happy man generally. Though he never forgets that he is a German\, he never fails to remember that he is an American.\n\nA Frenchm an comes here to make money\, and that is about all that need be said of h im. He is only a Frenchman. He neither learns our language nor loves our c ountry. His hand is on our pocket and his eye on Paris. He gets what he wa nts and like a sensible Frenchman\, returns to France to spend it.\n\nNow let me answer briefly some objections to the general scope of my arguments . I am told that science is against me\; that races are not all of one ori gin\, and that the unity theory of human origin has been exploded. I admit that this is a question that has two sides. It is impossible to trace the threads of human history sufficiently near their starting point to know m uch about the origin of races.\n\nIn disposing of this question whether we shall welcome or repel immigration from China\, Japan\, or elsewhere\, we may leave the differences among the theological doctors to be settled by themselves.\n\nWhether man originated at one time and one or another place \; whether there was one Adam or five\, or five hundred\, does not affect the question.\n\nThe grand right of migration and the great wisdom of inco rporating foreign elements into our body politic\, are founded not upon an y genealogical or archeological theory\, however learned\, but upon the br oad fact of a common human nature.\n\nMan is man\, the world over. This fa ct is affirmed and admitted in any effort to deny it. The sentiments we ex hibit\, whether love or hate\, confidence or fear\, respect or contempt\, will always imply a like humanity.\n\nA smile or a tear has not nationalit y\; joy and sorrow speak alike to all nations\, and they\, above all the c onfusion of tongues\, proclaim the brotherhood of man.\n\nIt is objected t o the Chinaman that he is secretive and treacherous\, and will not tell th e truth when he thinks it for his interest to tell a lie.\n\nThere may be truth in all this\; it sounds very much like the account of man’s heart given in the creeds. If he will not tell the truth except when it is for h is interest to do so\, let us make it for this interest to tell the truth We can do it by applying to him the same principle of justice that we appl y ourselves.\n\nBut I doubt if the Chinese are more untruthful than other people. At this point I have one certain test\,—mankind are not held tog ether by lies. Trust is the foundation of society. Where there is no truth \, there can be no trust\, and where there is no trust there can be no soc iety. Where there is society\, there is trust\, and where there is trust\, there is something upon which it is supported. Now a people who have conf ided in each other for five thousand years\; who have extended their empir e in all direction till it embraces on e fifth of the population of the gl ove\; who hold important commercial relations with all nations\; who are n ow entering into treaty stipulations with ourselves\, and with all the gre at European powers\, cannot be a nation of cheats and liars\, but must hav e some respect for veracity. The very existence of China for so long a per iod\, and her progress in civilization\, are proofs of her truthfulness. B ut it is said that the Chinese is a heathen\, and that he will introduce h is heathen rights and superstitions here. This is the last objection which should come from those who profess the all conquering power of the Christ ian religion. If that religion cannot stand contact with the Chinese\, rel igion or no religion\, so much the worse for those who have adopted it. It is the Chinaman\, not the Christian\, who should be alarmed for his faith . He exposes that faith to great dangers by exposing it to the freer air o f America. But shall we send missionaries to the heathen and yet deny the heathen the right to come to us? I think that a few honest believers in th e teachings of Confucius would be well employed in expounding his doctrine s among us.\n\nThe next objection to the Chinese is that he cannot be indu ced to swear by the Bible. This is to me one of his best recommendations. The American people will swear by anything in the heavens above or in the earth beneath. We are a nation of swearers. We swear by a book whose most authoritative command is to swear not at all.\n\nIt is not of so much impo rtance what a man swears by\, as what he swears to\, and if the Chinaman i s so true to his convictions that he cannot be tempted or even coerced int o so popular a custom as swearing by the Bible\, he gives good evidence of his integrity and his veracity.\n\nLet the Chinaman come\; he will help t o augment the national wealth. He will help to develop our boundless resou rces\; he will help to pay off our national debt. He will help to lighten the burden of national taxation. He will give us the benefit of his skill as a manufacturer and tiller of the soil\, in which he is unsurpassed.\n\n Even the matter of religious liberty\, which has cost the world more tears \, more blood and more agony\, than any other interest\, will be helped by his presence. I know of no church\, however tolerant\; of no priesthood\, however enlightened\, which could be safely trusted with the tremendous p ower which universal conformity would confer. We should welcome all men of every shade of religious opinion\, as among the best means of checking th e arrogance and intolerance which are the almost inevitable concomitants o f general conformity. Religious liberty always flourishes best amid the cl ash and competition of rival religious creeds.\n\nTo the minds of superfic ial men\, the fusion of different races has already brought disaster and r uin upon the country. The poor negro has been charged with all our woes. I n the haste of these men they forgot that our trouble was not ethnographic al\, but moral\; that it was not a difference of complexion\, but a differ ence of conviction. It was not the Ethiopian as a man\, but the Ethiopian as a slave and a covetted [sic] article of merchandise\, that gave us trou ble.\n\nI close these remarks as I began. If our action shall be in accord ance with the principles of justice\, liberty\, and perfect human equality \, no eloquence can adequately portray the greatness and grandeur of the f uture of the Republic.\n\nWe shall spread the network of our science and c ivilization over all who seek their shelter whether from Asia\, Africa\, o r the Isles of the sea. We shall mold them all\, each after his kind\, int o Americans\; Indian and Celt\; negro and Saxon\; Latin and Teuton\; Mongo lian and Caucasian\; Jew and Gentile\; all shall here bow to the same law\ , speak the same language\, support the same Government\, enjoy the same l iberty\, vibrate with the same national enthusiasm\, and seek the same nat ional ends.\n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n https://www.blackpast.org/african-ame rican-history/1867-frederick-douglass-describes-composite-nation/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PDF images of original speech\n\n\n\n https://nyhs-prod.cdn.pri smic.io/nyhs-prod/071a94b5-388a-4546-b798-7439b35e2061_Composite+Nation_Co mposite+Nation+Speech.docx.pdf\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARY\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02112026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/topic/12457-frederick-douglass-our-composite-nation-take-a-read  /#findComment-80088\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   18 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n IMO\, as a melting pot\, the USA warts & amp\; all is the composite nation Frederick Douglass envisioned.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I concur 100% I will only add he envisioned plus worked very ha rd for.  I call frederick douglass a black integrationist but to be more honest\, he was a zealous integrationist. \n\n\n\n You said warts and all \, but that is part of what makes Frederick Douglass in my opinion\, the m ost important black integrationist\, over W.E.B. Dubois when younger who w as alive with Douglass but most blacks cite as more important even though Dubois was financed by white jews  and douglass was not [douglass was fin anced by white abolitionists\, whites who wanted to end black enslavement to whites but not white jews who wanted to use blacks for various fiscal o r government reasons\, which is why W.E.B>\; dubois when older was a sta unch rematriate/back to africa ]\, MLK jr \, douglas's spiritual son who h as a federal holiday\, or barack obama \, douglass spiritual grandson who became the first\, and currently only\, black president. \n\n\n\n W.E.B. Dubois when younger+ MLK jr + Obama for me have one great failing in prose compared to Douglass \, they don't honestly submit in their prose the ugl iness of integration. Whereas Frederick Douglass in his composite nation s peech essentially\, admits integration in the future will be terrible or b etter f-ed up. He was alive\, like WE.B. Dubois\,  to see Jim Crow grow e arly in tremendous black bloodshed\, but in composite nation he predicted Jim Crow would be a long thing\, which it was 1865 to 1980 but he also adm itted the far flung future will be bad\, ala the post jim crow \, 1980 to today. \n\n\n\n Whereas W.E.B. dubois when younger and MLK jr. and Obama or many\, i argue most absent a count\,  black integrationist mention opp ortunities and capabilities\, Douglass  admitted the future will not be f ull of opportunity but only challenges. The black blame for black conditio n many black integrationist speak of Douglass doesn't go into. \n\n\n\n S o I concur to you 100%. And largely because Douglass saw the white warts a s much larger or more powerful or more entrapping than his consophies/ tho se who think alike or with him\, during his lifetime or after.  \n\n\n\n The neverending multicolored spaghetti in a pot\, [the usa really isn't a melting pot\, the integrationist goal is the melting pot\, the condition from 1492 to today is a neverending flow of multicolored spaghetti in a po t to small ] is desired by Douglass not because it will be great for black people\, but because it will be great for human individuals. That is also another key element in Douglass's prose that I find absent in W.E.B. DUbo is when younger and MLK jr. and Barrack Obama. Douglass was booed by black people speaking the composite nation speech because he didn't lie about i ntegrations reality. Black communal betterment against the non black isn't served by integration. Black segregationist [ Booker t washington or exod usters]  Black Nationalist [ Jean Jacques Dessalines or Nkrumah] Black re matriast [ Marcus Garvey ] strategies are all better suited for black comm unal betterment over black integration. Douglass didn't suggest the lie th at W.E.B. Dubois when young\, MLK jr\, Obama suggest . The lie being integ ration is better for the black community\, it isn't. IT is better for blac k individuals. But\, Douglass's point was that far down the road\, if all individuals can be in that positive composite environment\, then the human community will be better. It is a delicate philosophical position. It isn 't that Douglass is anti black\, as much as Douglass sees all sub populace s in humanity needing to be harmed/lessened/weakened to get to where the U SA can be good for any human being. I think he foresaw that one day\, whit es will have to face a big lose\, white jews will have to face a big lose\ , men will have to face a big lose\, because those populaces communal stre ngth has to give way to a human communal strength. \n\n\n\n I don't favor implementing Douglass's philosophy\, but I argue\, while he is pro statia n\, very pro statin\, he applies an honesty to the integration in the usa \, that I don't really see in well known black people\, but even among the fiscally common black integrationists. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02112026\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12457-frederick -douglass-our-composite-nation-take-a-read /#findComment-80090\n\n\n\n Po sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\ n\n\n  I believe Douglass would be pleasantly surprised by the opportunit ies Black folks have been able to take advantage of despite the challenges under the system of racism white supremacy.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n i am certa in he would be happy\, he was happy at black individual financial success during his life. But would he be surprised at black financial individual s uccess today? I don't think so at all. Again\, the usa has always had circ a 1492 to 2026 financially successful black individuals\, meaning blacs wh o own businesses in a white dominated community\, ala integration or why t he usa has always been integrated. But in the colonial period the usa was born from or the usa itself\, neither ever had a black populace that contr olled or governed itself. Now in defense\, Douglass and black integrationi sts goal isn't a black populace that is a community or governs itself\, bl ack integrationist goal by default is to have black individuals have oppor tunity in an integrated environment\, which is what has been going on sinc e 1865 in the usa. \n\n\n\n So I argue\, douglass wouldn't be surprised c ause nothing has elementally changed. Between 1865 and today no difference exist in terms of presence. Black elected officials\, black business owne rs\, white enemies of black people existed in 1865 and exist now in the un ited states of america. Now you can argue percentages\, but Frederick Doug lass whole point is that was inevitable. \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pro fD said:\n\n\n\n In the absence of a revolution to overthrow it\, the big gest challenge especially for Black statesmen remains navigating the water s of racism white supremacy.\n\n\n\n The subtlety that douglass had in com prehending the  integration he supported so few black integrationist afte r him  seem to comprehend. \n\n\n\n What you call a system of white supr emacy douglass called the USA.  From douglass own language the challenge isn't dealing with white supremacy but dealing with whites. In that way\, Douglass/ MLK jr/ Obama are like minded. I think W.E.B. Dubois when younge r saw a system of white supremacy as you do\, and when he was older \, it showed how dysfunctional an black integrationist who then speaks of living in a system of white supremacy is. \n\n\n\n if you are black and embrace the usa today\, then you are an integrationist.\n\n\n\n I argue positive/ engaged Black segregation for the majority of black people in the usa or j ust the majority of descended of enslaved\, which is what the exodusters+ booker t washington wanted... is close to impossible today in the usa. The financial situation of the black populace/ the heritage in the usa in 202 6 /the bureaucracy of the usa government/ the internal demographics [espec ially geographic displacement]of the black populace in the usa today\, mak e positive black segregation like said folks wanted... very^INF  challeng ing. In very small groups you see examples of positive black segregation i n the usa today\, but none of that can be applied to the larger populace.  \n\n\n\n Black nationalism is more challenging than Black segregation in the usa\, for the majority\, but black people/individuals or very small g roups have always left the usa and made small examples outside the usa. \ n\n\n\n Black rematriation/ black to africa is more challenging than black nationalism in the usa for the majority. But\, black people/individuals o r very small groups have always left the usa to africa and succeeded. \n\ n\n\n So I said that to say\, the majority black populace in the usa today is integrationist\, and outside some radical event in the future\, it wil l remain on that path\, set by Douglass. \n\n\n\n But\, what is black int egration in the usa ? Black integration in the usa is black people living positively aside the non black. So Douglass correctly asserted the challen ge for black integrationist  isn't navigating white supremacy\, cause bla ck integrationists have to oppose black supremacy\, which is what douglass did\,  the challenge for the black integrationist is navigating white pe ople under the legal system of the usa\, with all of its dysfunctions or w hite warts built over time\, that will require and can be changed legally. .. in time. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250209 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Seasonal Beast Portal DTSTAMP:20260211T161246Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:650-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Seas onal-Beast-Portal-1297648583\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Seasonal Beast Portal\ n\n\n\n for everything there is a season\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My totem is th e seasonal beast- the circle creature at the center where the other beast comes from.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n These are the beast who came out\n\n\n\n Ey e of last timing\n\n\n\n The floating squid\n\n\n\n The wild ciel dog\n\n\ n\n Horn player of Mashariki Nyota\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Where is Mashariki N yota? learn more at the following\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/sunse t-children-stories\n\n\n\n The floating squid is a relative of Octowofl? l earn more at the following\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ga llery/83646826/the-end-of-octowolf\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n for What's Your New Years Vibe for 2026?\n\n\n\n from @CatKandel in @Traditionalists\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/catkandel/journal/What-s-Your-New-Years-Totem-fo r-2026-1284213747\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n #T otem #newyears #seasonalbeastportal #eyeoflattiming #floatingsquid #wildce ildog #HornplayerofMasharikiNyota #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurray #k obo #kwl #rmaalbc #aalbc #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260211 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:lovetoart profile badge + poem to tap the tap DTSTAMP:20260209T224834Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:647-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Title:  To tap the tap\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I wish to reme mber the milk\n\n\n\n Never got a swig\, never made a bulk\n\n\n\n The joy alone from an oneiroific gulk\n\n\n\n Is purer than Su Xiu mulberry silk\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Stop! No worries\, said truth isn't a bilk\n\n\n\n Not having the best is no reason to sulk\n\n\n\n ... I wish to remember the mi lk\n\n\n\n Never got a swig\, never made a bulk\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Today a nd tomorrows\, what is better or thilk?\n\n\n\n The texture the tactile\, keep leading me as hulk\n\n\n\n I still have a chance to be the Great Caul k!\n\n\n\n And to a lucky suckler of fore and hindmilk\, I will write glor ious filk\n\n\n\n ... I wish to remember the milk\n\n\n\n Never got a swig \, never made a bulk\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from Richard Murray HDdeviant\n\n\ n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/To-tap-the-tap-1297023734\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n February rules to get the lovetoart badge from crliteratur e\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Love-of-Art-Februar y-Profile-Badge-2026-1296661871\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Word Meanings\n\n\n\n s wig- a drink\n\n\n\n bulk- a volume or swelling\n\n\n\n oneiroific- Oneiro i are spirits of dreams in Hellenistic/Greek mythology.. yes Morpheus. -ic is a postfix\, element added to end of a word to turn it into an adjectiv e\, having properties of root word\n\n\n\n gulk- onmatopoeia instance- sou nd of drinking heavily\n\n\n\n Su Xiu- embroidery style from Suzhou\, Chin a\, the silk center of china with thousands of years of silk crafting heri tage [ https://www.szsilkmuseum.com/#/ ] \n\n\n\n silk- natural made mate rial by various lifeforms\, in the fiscal industry from cocoons of moths\n \n\n\n bilk- term from cribbage card game\, an action when one spoils the points achievable by another by discarding certain cards [ https://en.wiki pedia.org/wiki/Cribbage ] \n\n\n\n sulk- repel friendliness\n\n\n\n thilk - the same\, the whole word means \" the same\" \, ilk means same\n\n\n\n texture- structure\n\n\n\n tactile- touchable\n\n\n\n hulk- towed ship\, n o not modern sense of large person\n\n\n\n caulk- to fill cracks\, from li me which was used to fill up cracks in brickwork\; lime is the basis for c ement. Cement is the basis for concrete. lime is called calx in latin.\n\n \n\n foremilk-first milk produced in breast feeding\n\n\n\n hindmilk- milk produced after foremilk in breastfeeding\, very rich in proteins\n\n\n\n filk- fan written songs [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filk_music#History ] \n\n\n\n Enjoy my work\,always a season to tip\n\n\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n #loveofart #valentinesday #valentine #february #love #hddeviant #devian tart #richardmurray #kobo #aalbc #rmaalbc #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260209 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sport Betting Problems in the USA 02/07/2025 DTSTAMP:20250208T013359Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:188-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Sport Betting Problems in the USA 02/07/2025\n\n\n\n http s://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2839&\;type=status\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n GAMBLING\n\n\n\n Amazing how marijuana is hype r criminalized but gambling is allowed to fly free... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Uniform Resource Locator\n\n\n\n https://www.pbs.org/newshour/sh ow/study-reveals-financial-impact-of-the-sports-betting-boom\n\n\n\n Trans cript\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Transcript\nThis Sunday in New Orleans\, the Phil adelphia Eagles will try to block the Kansas City Chiefs from taking home a historic third consecutive Super Bowl title. But there will also be a hi storic $1.4 billion riding on the game. Paul Solman reports on the snowbal ling and potentially perilous sports betting craze.\n\n \n\nRead the Full Transcript\n\nNotice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and ligh tly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.\n\nAmna Nawaz:\n\nThis S unday in New Orleans\, the Philadelphia Eagles will try to block the Kansa s City Chiefs from taking home an historic third consecutive Super Bowl ti tle.\n\nThere will also be an historic amount of money riding on the game. The American Gaming Association estimates that nearly $1.4 billion will b e legally wagered\, as Paul Solman reports\, proof of a snowballing and po tentially perilous sports betting craze.\n\nEli Manning\, Former NFL Playe r:\n\nI'm doing the FanDuel Kick of Destiny 3 live Super Bowl Sunday.\n\nP aul Solman:\n\nSuper Bowl Sunday\, our eyes and ears blitzed by calls to g et in on the action.\n\nKevin Hart\, Actor:\n\nNow\, I know it's the Super Bowl and all\, but everyone gets a free bet?\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nNearly se ven years after the Supreme Court struck down the ban on commercial sports betting\, 39 states and the District of Colombia have legalized it.\n\nLa st year\, more than one in three Americans said they'd put money on a game at some point in their life\, up from the year before\, while the America n Gaming Association estimates that commercial sports betting revenue reac hed more than $14 billion\, up 28 percent from 2023.\n\nRob Minnick\, Form er Gambler:\n\nAnd it's gotten to a point where\, if you're not betting on sports\, people are starting to question why you're watching the game.\n\ nPaul Solman:\n\nFor 25-year-old Philadelphia resident Rob Minnick\, the g ambling gateway was fantasy sports played as a teenager. The switch to spo rts betting\, which he began on illegal and offshore sites before turning the legal age of 21\, was all too easy.\n\nRob Minnick:\n\nIf I was going to hang out with my friends or a family event was going to be happening\, the center focal point was a professional sport of some kind. And so this idea that we could do what we were already doing\, but now make money doin g it\, it was like way too good to be true. And it was.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\ nToo good because fun with friends became six to eight hours a day of comp ulsive gambling.\n\nRob Minnick:\n\nGambling was my way of expressing myse lf to prove I was smart\, to prove I could win\, to prove that I was worth y. And the money kind of reflected the scoreboard.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nAfte r six years of betting\, he joined Gamblers Anonymous\, eventually kicking his habit two years ago\, and now hosting a podcast \"One Day At a Time: Gambling Awareness\,\" talking to people like himself about their struggle s.\n\nMan:\n\nI started sports gambling\, which was really what was my big gest vice\, when I was 19.\n\nRob Minnick:\n\nI'm going to call this an ep idemic of addiction that's heading towards the United States\, if not alre ady hitting the United States. It's not because the doors opened up and yo u got access. It's because the doors opened up and people started pulling you through those doors.\n\nMan:\n\nAll right\, boys\, who are we betting on?\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nWith the ads and come-ons that now buffet us all. O f course\, gambling addiction is nothing new\, but understanding how big t he problem is difficult\, as there's no comprehensive national data.\n\nTh e National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 2.5 million America ns meet the criteria for severe gambling problem\, while another 2 percent to 3 percent have a mild or moderate problem. And recent studies found th at legal sports betting decreased household savings and investments\, led to more bankruptcies and loan delinquencies\, even contributed to a rise i n domestic violence.\n\nHarry Levant\, Northeastern University:\n\nI made my last bet on April 27\, 2014\, and on that same night\, nearly took my o wn life.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nFormer lawyer Harry Levant\, disbarred for ste aling some $2 million from client funds to fuel his gambling addiction. No w a licensed counselor and advocate for reform\, Levant testified before t he Senate Judiciary Committee in December.\n\nHarry Levant:\n\nWe have kno wn for more than 12 years that gambling is an addictive product and gambli ng disorder is an addiction similar to heroin\, opioids\, tobacco\, alcoho l and cocaine.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nLevant's own struggles began well before the advent of widespread legal sports betting\, and he acknowledges that states now receive a cut of gambling revenues to build roads\, schools and even fund treatment\, like the 1-800 gambler help lines tagging those ads you see everywhere.\n\nAnd so:\n\nHarry Levant:\n\nI'm sympathetic to the need of our elected officials to balance budgets\, but what has happened here is\, they have no recognition or very little recognition of the produ ct the gambling industry and its sports and media partners have rolled out .\n\nNarrator:\n\nThis is you\, and this is your powerful hunch.\n\nPaul S olman:\n\nHe's pointing to the boom in offerings since the ban was lifted. \n\nNarrator:\n\nWith FanDuel\, it's easier than ever to…\n\nPaul Solman :\n\nProposition bets\, wagers on the first player to score a touchdown at the Super Bowl\,the length of the national anthem there\, whether Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get engaged.\n\nJamie Foxx\, Actor:\n\nBetMGM has g ot all the sports betting in one place and it's live\, baby.\n\nPaul Solma n:\n\nThere's live betting\, which turns every moment of every game into a betting opportunity\, and with A.I. constantly adjusting the odds.\n\nNar rator:\n\nYou have got the power to create your perfect parlay any way you want.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nAnd there are parlays\, which string together mu ltiple bets\, giving winners potentially sky-high payouts\, but stacking t he deck hugely in favor of the house\, a fact that is not advertised.\n\nM an:\n\nAnd we will take an 18 again.\n\nMan:\n\nYes\, yes.\n\nMan:\n\nWe w ill get our money back.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nFinally\, livestreaming on both legal and offshore sites\, and featuring influencers like mega-rapper Dra ke…\n\nMan:\n\nYou want $20\,000. Congratulations\, man.\n\nPaul Solman: \n\n… who is paid to play and lure in new players.\n\nAll the while\, th e sports books harvest data from users\, gaining insight into how to keep customers coming back.\n\nHarry Levant:\n\nI'd like to say it this way. Wh en the first cave person invented the first wheel\, there was some schmuck three caves down laying 3-1 the wheel wouldn't work. Gambling has been ar ound a very long time. It's not going anywhere.\n\nBut this is a fundament ally new\, different\, defective and dangerous online product.\n\nPaul Sol man:\n\nLast year\, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Andrea S alinas\, both Democrats\, introduced the Gambling Recovery Investment and Treatment Act to fund treatment and also research.\n\nFive states with som e form of legal gambling currently offer no funding at all for the treatme nt\, and in September Blumenthal joined Democratic representative Paul Ton ko of New York to propose the SAFE Bet Act to limit TV ads\, restrict the number and the type of bets\, ban A.I. use to track players habits and cre ate micro-bets\, among other things.\n\nHarry Levant:\n\nEvery other addic tive product\, government regulates the advertising\, promotion\, distribu tion\, and consumption.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nSitting just behind Harry Levan t at that Senate hearing in December was the American Gaming Association's Joe Maloney. The AGA says federal regulation not only isn't necessary\; i t will actually make things.\n\nJoe Maloney\, American Gaming Association: \n\nThe advancements in technology are just going to continue to take plac e. They're just not going to take place in the legal regulated market.\n\n Paul Solman:\n\nThis is the key to the legal industry's argument\, that it 's taking the action away from illegal gambling\, with its loan sharks\, k neecappers\, and unregulated offshore markets that teenagers like Rob Minn ick use.\n\nSo\, for example\, in 2022\, in Texas and California\, which h aven't legalized sports betting\, the AGA says players spent more than $60 0 million in the illegal markets.\n\nJoe Maloney:\n\nWhere they're prey to deceptive consumer practices\, where there's no promotion of responsibili ty whatsoever\, and there's zero taxes being remitted back into the state for the purposes of providing accessible clinical support for those demons trating problematic activity or any other priority that they might deem th ose monies to go to.\n\nPaul Solman:\n\nThe SAFE Bet act is expected to be reintroduced in this Congress\, although both Rob Minnick and Harry Levan t agree\, the legal gambling genie is out of the bottle.\n\nHarry Levant:\ n\nI encourage people to become more aware of what is happening and unders tand there are serious risks involved and become part of the conversation to bring public health reform\, not to prevent people from enjoying gambli ng\, but to prevent an industry and its partners from preying on the publi c.\n\nAnd\, with that\, I wish people who are gambling on a Super Bowl for recreational reasons\, I wish them well with their bets. Enjoy the game. I'm in Philadelphia right now. I need to say\, go\, birds.\n\nPaul Solman: \n\nFor the uninitiated\, those birds would be the Eagles.\n\nAnd for you all and the \"PBS News Hour\,\" Paul Solman in Boston. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WHERE IS THE SNAKE MAN FOR LEGAL GAMBLI NG + ALCOHOL DRINKING + SMOKING CIGARETTES ? I have never seen him\, why?\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02082026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n h ttps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12447-sport-betting-problems-in-the-usa/#findCom ment-80044\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n On 2/7/2026 at 8:20 P M\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n  \n \n\n \n Gambling has been huge fo r almost 100 years now.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n Gambling has been huge since hu manity existed. Gambling was huge at the time of the pharoahs. But gamblin g\, like all potentially addictive actions [cocaine/chocolate/fornication] can become a self induced crime. But during the time of the pharoahs no p otentially addictive actions\, that can lead to self induced crime\,  wer e illegalized.\n\n\n\n So to get to modernity\, where are the black electe d officials legislations to legalize addictive actions that will aid black profiteering? I can't find any bills even put to the legislatures? why?  \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 10:21 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n So far\ , about $1.7 billion dollars has been bet on Super Bowl LX.😎\n \n \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n and how much of that is through gambling addiction? \n\n\ n\n Comprehend I am not knocking profiteering\, but in my eyes\, gambling addiction is being deemed an acceptable\, not merely legal\, but acceptabl e\, why can't the others be acceptable? no one can give any valid reason.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 7:15 AM\, Pio neer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n This is supposedly a \"free\" country so if pe ople want to waste their money away gambling or MAKE a fortune gambling... it should be their decision.\n \n \n\n\n\n Are you in support of legalizi ng all drugs/prostitution/ and other illegal acts\, since you share this l ibertarian position?\n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 7:15 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n It's really a \"problem\" only because so much money is bei ng circulated around without taxes being taken out.\n \n \n\n\n\n Really? gambling is global\, taxing across borders is a complex mess. Can you pro vide a source to your assertion?\n\n\n\n I argue gambling addiction has a greater financial negative but because it is dominated by whites\, who hav e the money to gamble\, it isn't criminalized in media or the legal system \, what say you?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 7:15 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n The numbers game was a \"problem\" too....until the states started running and regulating it and get THEIR cut of the money... ..now it's promoted.\n \n \n\n\n\n Wait a minute the first lotto was in N YC and to be even \, white owned nyc media never said the numbers game in harlem was a problem. You know who actually said the numbers was a problem \, black media\, the black church. The NYPD and the mob\, which at that ti me in nyc was very powerful\,  made good money off of the numbers. White media never called the numbers a problem\, it was black people\, specifica lly the black churches and its self righteous acolytes  and black individ uals who... I will rest my thoughts. \n\n\n\n One thing\, the lotto is no t a continuation of the numbers\, from a statistical perspective\, the num bers have better odds than the lotto. The lotto did supplant the numbers i n the black populace\, and again\, led by black churches and their members who.. anyway\, the lotto did supplant but it is a lie to say it is a cont inuation of the numbers. Like legal sports gambling\, if you look at the s tatistical details\, it is far worse odds than illegal gambling\, whether the numbers or other. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02082026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CIT ATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12447-sport-betting-problems-in-t he-usa/#findComment-80054\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n On 2/ 8/2026 at 11:39 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Absolutely.\n\n Lega lized and regulated.\n \n \n\n\n\n I didn't comprehend how much a support er you are of regulation till the following\n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11: 39 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Go to any bar\, factory\, and many street corners and you'll find people gambling freely and not paying taxes on their winnings.\n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n i see so a private car d game has to be taxed\, not easy to implement that\, unless invasion of p rivacy becomes legally acceptable. The federal government has tools to do it\, but those tools don't allow the kind of flagrant use needed to tax ca rd games and craps. \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11:39 AM\, Pioneer1 said: \n \n\n \n \n As far as the racial component.....people of all races te nd to gamble so I'm not sure what to say about that.\n \n\n \n  \n \ n \n\n\n\n you miss the financial reality of scale. Black people have alwa ys gambled as whites but the scales are far different and that matters\, n umerically\, financially\, it is not the same scale and thus can't have th e same penalty of scale if numerically proportional. Cause if not\, then s upport every single business being to big to fail. the rational behind too big too fail is that the major banks in the banking industry can't fail b ecause of their scale\, so scale is accepted by whites in the usa\, so bla cks\, even statian blacks like yourself\, should be able to comprehend sca le in penalization.and thus white gambling is a higher scale than black ga mbling in the usa. \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11:39 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\ n \n\n \n \n The same Black church who was GIVING OUT numbers for peopl e to play?\n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n the black church was not the ma in numbers agents ever in nyc\, maybe outside nyc\, even enough\, but in n yc the black churches/black church was never the main agent. Many black pe ople who went to church played numbers cause many black people did\, it wa s a chance to make a dollar. But black churches were not the main agents i n nyc. \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11:39 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \ n How do you know this?\n \n \n\n\n\n In nyc you can see the odds for e ach game on a lotto ticket. They are worse odds than the numbers. A littl e arithmetic three digits each have ten possibilities\, zero to nine three times\,  so the odds is ten to the third power\, ten times ten time ten\ ,  that is one out of a thousand\, that is far better than any legal lott o system. Come on.. if you want to hate the village just say so. But here\ , don't take my word for it. \n\n\n\n https://www.lotteryusa.com/news/his tory-of-new-york-illegal-lottery\n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11:39 AM\, Pio neer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Never heard of the state breaking anybody's le g or arm for a gambling debt.\n\n Never heard of the state shooting and killing anybody for trying to pass off a phony winning ticket.\n\n \n\n \n\n How do you know so much about illegal gambling vs legal gambling? \n \n \n\n\n\n awwwww\n\n\n\n The numbers are different... you just love knocking the village\, or maybe you love upsetting me. \n\n\n\n The gambl ing debt your talking about isn't numbers\, or playing cards or dice becau se you can't play any of them without money upfront. you can't have a gamb ling debt with cards/dice/numbers... the slot machine\, playing the horses \, cause you need money to play upfront. \n\n\n\n The only way you can ha ve a gambling debt playing numbers is if you went to a loan shark to get m oney to play numbers\, but you talk about libertarianism\, who told you to go to a loan shark? You just championed libertarianism but then when it e xtends to actions you don't think people should be free to do \, you cite crime ahhhh\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Know so much? In my own mind I don't know a nything. But field hand\, you haven't figured out anything.  Pioneer por gy\,  how was church this morning field hand?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 12:09 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Black folks do not how that much power here in the USA.\n \n\n \n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11:09 AM\, richardmurray said:\n \n \n \n\n\n\n yes\ , but I amended my point by saying the following \n\n\n\n \n On 2/8/2026 at 11:09 AM\, richardmurray said:\n \n\n \n \n So to get to modernity\ , where are the black elected officials legislations to legalize addictive actions that will aid black profiteering? I can't find any bills even put to the legislatures? why? \n \n\n \n \n On 2/8/2026 at 10:21 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n \n \n\n\n\n I don't mind bills not getting passed\, b ut bills aren't even sent to the floor? why? why not? black elected offici als are not busy. They do not work for a living based on the legislature t hey get passed or put forward so... regardless of not having enough black elected representatives to be a voting black in legislatures\, in modernit y\, each can propose laws. By law\, of the country you hold so dear\, ever y single elected officials can put bills to the floor. The reparations bil l has not been passed\, or turned into a law. but a black elected official \, a black woman\, [pardon me for forgetting her name] person put it forwa rd. No excuse existed in the past. I didn't suggest laws had to be made. A nd each black member of congress... any member of congress has the power t o put a bill to the floor. No one is stopping any of them. From women memb ers of congress putting equal pay bills to the floor. from paraplegic memb ers of congress putting equal worker protections bills to the floor. \n\n \n\n If they don't want to work\, ok\, but power has nothing to do with it . Many bills die on the floor. why not more? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02/09/20 26\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CItation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12447-sp ort-betting-problems-in-the-usa/#findComment-80063\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n oste d just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said :\n\n\n\n Wonderful!\n\n The preacher reminded me a lot of YOU...lol.\n\n\ n\n hahaha:) i am laughing while insulted:) \n\n\n\n please dont tell me his hair was soul glo-ed?\n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\ n\n For 4 or 5 hours he demanded everybody remain silent while he read th e WHOLE Bible.\n\n He then asked the people did they have any questions.\ n\n When a few dared to raise their hands....he SCOLDED them for not payin g attention...lol.\n\n\n\n you made this up:) no way this is true\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n these or ganizations exist to protect American freedoms and interests.\n\n\n\n is t hat snide?\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n As with everyth ing else in the USA\, there is an organization\, American Gaming Associati on (AGA)\, that advocates for gambling.\n\n\n\n yes\, lobbying is legal in the usa and all monied parties in or out of the usa have lobbies in the u sa. But\, the presence of lobbies is open\, anti gambling and anti guns ha ve lobbies too. Why is it many can talk about the power of lobbies for ant i abortion/pro guns/pro gambling but then act like lobbies don't exist for pro abortion/anti gambling/anti guns . Everyside on any issue has a lobby today. So\, lobbies aren't an excuse for anything. Elected officials choo se the lobbies whose financial support they accept. But again\, it is a ch oice. In terms of black affairs the tobacco lobbies would support a law th at will lower their taxation or industrial limits while doing things for b lack smoking industries like marijuana. Lobbies for womens rights will sup port laws to legalize prostitution\, if said laws offer more impowerment t o women \n\n\n\n No profd\, every side on all positions has lobbies today . \n\n\n\n Now\, if black elected officials have secrets or can be extort ed/twisted by lobbies for things they have done or people they have associ ations with \, well that isn't the power of lobbies that is the weakness o f elected officials. \n\n\n\n I will never forget when a black elected of ficial was taking money in the new york state assembly and he had his pay money in tupperware. I wasn't angry he got caught\, the price of illegal b ehavior is always the threat of being caught. But\, he had dirty money in tupperware in his fridgerator? what kind of \"american gangster\" put your money behind a bunch of dogs\, feces is this. And he has no excuse histor ically \, black people have made accounts in swiss banks. Black people hav e taken dirty money and not been caught. So if elected officials are fools well ok\, but that isn't about the lobbies. \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Politicians dare not bite the hands that are feeding them.\n\n\n\n Modern District of Columbia is full of titties from all over the world and in all industries and sectors\, full of titties. Change the titty you suckling from. Whatever you want to do\, if you have imaginatio n\, if you have will\, the titty is out there\, waiting for your mouth. If you don't want to change the titty you suckling from\, your free cause ot her money is out there\, shame on you. If the titty you suckling from has some shackle on you\, shame on you. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02112026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12447-sport-bettin g-problems-in-the-usa/#findComment-80087\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ ProfD\n\n\n\n   On 2/9/2026 at 9:26 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Years ago \, we had a politician who told his wife to stuff money in her underwear w hen federal agents raided their home.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you made that up: ) a woman with fat titties and a fat kitty. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/ 9/2026 at 9:26 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Therein lies the problem. Too ma ny politicians are sucking on one titty or several.\n\n\n\n it isn't a pro blem\, you and pioneer always talk about intelligence\, well\, black elect ed officials are smart enough to get all they need to suckle and still do the for black populace? aren't they? That is the point of a law maker\, ma ke laws to satisfy the titties you suckle from WHILE do for the populace i n your voting area. the key is imagination. If they don't have it\, shame on them. If they are extorted shame on them. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250207 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:motherhood in middle earth from jess of the shire DTSTAMP:20260210T003739Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:648-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztsLeuMLMXI\n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n 0:00It has long since been noted that Tolken's works are ve ry maledominated.\n0:055 secondsThere is a minuscule number of female char acters in these stories and there is an even more minuscule number of\n0:1 313 secondsmothers. The maternal mortality rates in Middle Earth are sky h igh. Out of the nine members of the fellowship\, three of\n0:2121 secondst heir mothers are dead. One of them doesn't even technically have a mother\ ,\n0:2525 secondsand the rest of their mothers are never mentioned or brou ght up in the story.\n0:3030 secondsAnd this absence seems even more obvio us because there are a lot of fatherly relationships in Middle Earth\, be that\n0:3737 secondsfrom birth fathers or foster father figures. But mothe rs\, who\, you know\, I think we would all agree\, tend to have a\n0:4444 secondspretty serious impact on us\, are conspicuously missing. There are some characters who are mothers when you dig a bit deeper into the lore\, but they all\n0:5353 secondshave a very similar and frankly very limited i mpact on these stories that they're a part of. So why is it that\n1:011 mi nute\, 1 secondTolken\, who explored so many different forms and shapes of relationship with such depth and passion\, why did he skirt\n1:101 minute \, 10 secondsaround motherhood? Who are the mothers that we meet in Middle Earth? What patterns do these characters tend to\n1:171 minute\, 17 secon dsfollow? And why is it so important that we recognize and possibly change these patterns? If we're to start with\n1:251 minute\, 25 secondsTolken's most popular works\, things are not looking great in terms of maternal re presentation. The Hobbit explores\n1:331 minute\, 33 secondsplenty of diff erent kinds of familial relationships\, uncles\, brothers\,\n1:371 minute\ , 37 secondsnephews\, even fathers\, but there are no mothers\, much less any female characters at all. The Lord of the Rings does\n1:451 minute\, 4 5 secondsslightly better. There are about half a dozen important female ch aracters in this story and some of them are even\n1:531 minute\, 53 second stechnically mothers and this includes Galadriel. Depending on what lore y ou're looking at\, Galadriel either had one or\n2:012 minutes\, 1 secondtw o children with her husband and her daughter Kellbrien would marry Eland a nd give birth to Arwin before she was\n2:092 minutes\, 9 secondsessentiall y killed. So\, Galadriel is by all accounts a mother\, but I wouldn't say that it is her role in the story to\n2:172 minutes\, 17 secondsbe a very m otherly character. The only reason that we find out about Kellbrien's exis tence at all is not because she's present in the story\n2:252 minutes\, 25 secondsbecause she's long dead\, but because Galadriel steps into a sort of grandmotherly role\, giving Aragorn a gift that should have been from h er own\n2:342 minutes\, 34 secondsdaughter\, who would have been Aragorn's mother-in-law through Arwin. Galadriel gave birth to Kellbrien some like 6\,000\n2:412 minutes\, 41 secondsyears ago. And while no one ever stops b eing a mother\, no matter how old they or their child are\, the role that she's\n2:492 minutes\, 49 secondsplaying in the story is not of the maiden or the mother if we're to look at this in terms of the feminine triad. An d while Galadriel isn't a crone character\,\n2:592 minutes\, 59 secondsshe 's kind of gone even a step beyond that. She has become this spiritual gui de. She is an angel more than a\n3:073 minutes\, 7 secondsmother. At the v ery least\, she is not a manifestation of what people consider to be mothe rly traits. What somebody\n3:143 minutes\, 14 secondsconsiders to be mothe rly qualities is going to change a lot from person to person. And it is ve ry difficult to\n3:213 minutes\, 21 secondsfigure out exactly what Tolken thought to be motherly qualities because of just how few mothers there are in his\n3:283 minutes\, 28 secondsstories. But I do think we can kind of reverse engineer these ideas by looking at what Tolken deemed to be bad\n3 :383 minutes\, 38 secondsmotherhood in the form of the giant spider Sheilo b. Sheilob is fascinating to me because in the relatively sterile\n3:463 m inutes\, 46 secondsworld of Middle Earth\, she is one of the only characte rs that is depicted in terms of her reproductive qualities. Not\n3:543 min utes\, 54 secondsonly does she have her own children\, her little broods o f spider babies\, but she is also contextualized in her being a\n4:034 min utes\, 3 secondsdaughter to an even more prolific mother\, Unolant\, the g iant spider monster depicted in the Sylmerelion.\n4:114 minutes\, 11 secon dsSheilob and Unolant are both depicted as these primal forms of evil. The re is nothing left in them except for the\n4:194 minutes\, 19 secondsbasis t instincts of hunger and reproduction. Tolken describes Sheilob.\n4:264 m inutes\, 26 secondsShe served none but herself\, drinking the blood of elv es and men\, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her\n4:354 min utes\, 35 secondsfeasts\, weaving webs of shadow. For all living things we re her food and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods\, basta rds of the miserable mates\,\n4:474 minutes\, 47 secondsher own offspring that she slew\, spread from Glenn to Glenn\, from Ethel Duath to the easte rn hills to Dol Guldur and the\n4:574 minutes\, 57 secondsvastness of Murk wood. But none could rival her. Sheilob the Great\, the last child of Unol ant to trouble the unhappy\n5:065 minutes\, 6 secondsworld. The language t hat Tolken uses to describe Sheilob is very specifically chosen. She is co ntextualized as the\n5:145 minutes\, 14 secondschild to a mother\, a matri nal line in which no male intervention is needed.\n5:215 minutes\, 21 seco ndsHer broods spread her evil across all of Middle Earth\, sinking and fes tering into\n5:295 minutes\, 29 secondsthe cracks left behind where goodne ss fades away. And the terms used to describe her physically\, bloated and \n5:375 minutes\, 37 secondsswaying and fat and swelling\, are some of the most explicitly corpulent and\n5:445 minutes\, 44 secondsbodily terms tha t Tolken uses in all of his writing. Women in Tolken's works on the whole are described with very particular terms. Fair\, graceful\,\n5:555 minutes \, 55 secondsbeautiful. These ethereal terms that don't linger in the phys icality of these women. It is only Sheilob who is\n6:036 minutes\, 3 secon dsdepicted in such real and tangible terms. Her swaying and sagging figure a cruel perversion of the feminine form.\n6:136 minutes\, 13 secondsSheil ob is only a mother in the most clinical of terms. And it is through her p erversion of motherhood that we can\n6:206 minutes\, 20 secondsstart to ge t closer to what Tolken thought of as good motherhood. In contrast to Shei lob's undying hunger\, a\n6:286 minutes\, 28 secondsmother ought to be sel fless and generous\, giving more than she takes. Rather than acting as a b rood mare\,\n6:376 minutes\, 37 secondsthoughtlessly spilling out her offs pring across the world\, a mother ought to be involved in her child's affa irs. She\n6:456 minutes\, 45 secondsought to raise them\, to shape them\, and to help guide them throughout their lives. And although this idea woul dn't exactly be accepted by the modern\n6:536 minutes\, 53 secondsperspect ive\, I do think that Tolken thought of perfection as a kind of\n7:007 min utesdeified holy pure remoteness. I think he thought of that as one of the traits that a mother must have. The visceral\,\n7:097 minutes\, 9 seconds ugly\, and real qualities of an aberant mother like Sheilob imply that the \n7:167 minutes\, 16 secondsinverse\, this kind of remote idealistic perfe ction\, is Tolken's ideal of good\n7:237 minutes\, 23 secondsmotherhood. B y Tolken's parameters\, then I think that Galadriel would classify as a pr etty good mother. She is fairly\n7:317 minutes\, 31 secondsselfless. She p rovided a guiding hand for her child and she is as distant and serene as t hey come. But the problem\n7:397 minutes\, 39 secondswith acting like she is great maternal representation in the story is that there's no child aro und for her to focus\n7:467 minutes\, 46 secondsthese energies on. She pro vides a guiding hand to the fellowship\, but I wouldn't say it's a particu larly maternal one. There are other female\n7:557 minutes\, 55 secondschar acters like Aayowayen and Arwin who become mothers later on in the story\, \n7:597 minutes\, 59 secondsbut that's long after the events of the story have played out and it takes place mostly in the appendices. And in the ac tual text of the Lord of the Rings\,\n8:078 minutes\, 7 secondsthese are n ot described as particularly maternal characters. Arwin is depicted as mor e a piece of art than a realized\n8:158 minutes\, 15 secondshuman. She is the embodiment of all things holy and queenly\, but not motherly. Aayoin\, meanwhile\, if we're to put her in the lens of the maiden\,\n8:258 minute s\, 25 secondsmother and crone triad\, she is much more the maiden\, and s he is too far absorbed in her maidenly affairs to be any kind\n8:338 minut es\, 33 secondsof a motherly character. Just listen to the tone with which Tolken describes her. Grave and thoughtful was her glance\n8:418 minutes\ , 41 secondsas she looked on the king with cool pity in her eyes. Very fai r was her face\, and her long hair was like a river of gold.\n8:508 minute s\, 50 secondsSlender and tall she was in her white robe girth with silver \, but strong she seemed and stern as steel\, a daughter of\n8:588 minutes \, 58 secondskings. Thus Aragorn for the first time in the full light of d ay beheld Aayowin\,\n9:059 minutes\, 5 secondslady of Rohan\, and thought her fair\,\n9:089 minutes\, 8 secondsfair and cold\, like a morning of pal e spring that has not yet come to womanhood. She is described as a\n9:169 minutes\, 16 secondsdaughter of kings\, not a mother to a future generatio n. She is cold\, cool\, stern\, not yet come to womanhood.\n9:259 minutes\ , 25 secondsAlthough she's not an aberrant anti-mother figure such as Shei lob\, Awen quite obviously is meant to fill a different role in the story than being a\n9:349 minutes\, 34 secondsmotherly character\, at least duri ng the events of the Lord of the Rings. Rosie Cotton\, the future wife of Sam Wise Gamji\, is certainly not a maiden. not by\n9:439 minutes\, 43 sec ondsthe end of the story at least. But she's also just not a very relevant character.\n9:499 minutes\, 49 secondsAnd I know I'm going to catch some flak for that because Rosie is one of the examples often paraded around of good female representation in Tolken's works.\n9:579 minutes\, 57 seconds And while I do like her character a lot\,\n10:0010 minutesshe really just is not present enough in the bulk of the story for me to think of her as r eally good representation. To\n10:0810 minutes\, 8 secondsthe best of my e stimation\, her name appears about 16 times in the Lord of the Rings\, whi ch for context is the same\n10:1510 minutes\, 15 secondsnumber of times th at the name of appears. You know\, the random old healing woman in Gondor. So\, while I\n10:2310 minutes\, 23 secondslove Rosie Cotton\, I do think it's a bit of an exaggeration to call her representative of good motherhoo d in Middle Earth. She's just not in the\n10:3010 minutes\, 30 secondsstor y enough for that. Besides\, once she has Sam's children\, Sam's role as a father is spoken about much more than\n10:3810 minutes\, 38 secondsher ro le as a mother. We see all of this through the lens of Sam's character. An d this is fair. Sam is a much more main\n10:4610 minutes\, 46 secondschara cter in the story\, but it means that although she is a mother\, Rosie doe sn't really get to have any impact on\n10:5310 minutes\, 53 secondsthe sto ry as a mother. I will say that Tom Bombadil's wife\, Goldberry\, does dem onstrate some classically maternal\n11:0111 minutes\, 1 secondtraits. She' s very warm and welcoming and domestic. She cares for them in the way that a mother might. However\, she\n11:0911 minutes\, 9 secondsand Tom did not have any children\, so I don't think that she really counts as an example of a mother character. There are\n11:1611 minutes\, 16 secondsa number of deceased mothers in this story that come up. One of my favorites is Gil R ayan\, who is Aragorn's mother\,\n11:2411 minutes\, 24 secondswho sacrific ed an awful lot to get her son to the place that he needed to be in\, but her story is relegated to the appendices and doesn't have a serious\n11:33 11 minutes\, 33 secondsimpact outside of propelling Aragorn onto his path. The loss of Phamir and Boramir's mother has an intense impact\n11:4111 mi nutes\, 41 secondson their relationships with each other and their relatio nship with their father. And the death of Frodo's mother is what puts him in the care of Bilbo\n11:5011 minutes\, 50 secondsand thus what makes him cross paths with the ring. And I do appreciate that these mothers play suc h a significant role in the way that they affected the people\n11:5911 min utes\, 59 secondsaround them. But I do find it kind of a shame that we don 't get to see any of them living to actually impact the story\n12:0712 min utes\, 7 secondsthemselves. And this wouldn't stand out so much if it were n't for how many examples there are in the Lord of the Rings of strong fat herly characters. The\n12:1712 minutes\, 17 secondsrelationship of Denitho r Phamir and Boramir is one of the most poignant stories in the book. Fost er fathers like\n12:2512 minutes\, 25 secondsTheodin and Eland have an int ense effect on their charges. There are so many different examples and dif ferent kinds\n12:3412 minutes\, 34 secondsof fatherly guidance and strengt h in this story\, but there's just not really much for the mothers. Now\, this is not\n12:4312 minutes\, 43 secondsthe case for the Sylmerelion\, wh ere there are just overall far more characters\, but specifically far more \n12:5012 minutes\, 50 secondsfemale characters. But I will say that the p roportion of dead mothers to living mothers is roughly the same as it is i n\n12:5812 minutes\, 58 secondsthe Lord of the Rings. It is bad news if yo u are a mother in Middle Earth that wants to um live a full and happy life .\n13:0613 minutes\, 6 secondsAlmost all of the Sylmerelion's greatest her oes have mothers that are no longer with them. Baron of Baron and Lucian\n 13:1413 minutes\, 14 secondsfame was raised by his father after the destru ction of his family's house. Tuor\,\n13:1913 minutes\, 19 secondsthe hero of the fall of Gondolind\, lost both of his parents and was adopted by a m an. And Feyenor's mother was long gone\n13:2713 minutes\, 27 secondsby the time he started getting up to trouble. And for Tu and Baron\, this makes a certain sort of sense. They are both human and thus mortal\, as were\n13 :3613 minutes\, 36 secondstheir mothers. But in the case of Feyenor\, his mother Muriel should have been immortal. She was an elf. And that makes he r loss all the more agonizing.\n13:4813 minutes\, 48 secondsAs the story d escribes\, in the bearing of her son\, Mielle was consumed in spirit and b ody. And after his birth\,\n13:5713 minutes\, 57 secondsshe yearned for th e release from the labor of living. And when she had named him\, she said to Finway\, \"Never again\n14:0514 minutes\, 5 secondsshall I bear child\, for strength that would have nourished the life of many has gone forth in to Feyenor.\" Muriel didn't just die. She burned herself out\,\n14:1814 mi nutes\, 18 secondspouring her entire spirit into her son so that he might live even as she dies.\n14:2514 minutes\, 25 secondsAnd in this degree of radical self-sacrifice\,\n14:2914 minutes\, 29 secondsMuriel has thrown of f the balance of motherhood completely. Yes\, she fulfilled the first of t he parameters\,\n14:3514 minutes\, 35 secondsselflessness\, but the second parameter is that she remain around to guide and to help her son. And wit hout her guiding\n14:4414 minutes\, 44 secondspresence in his life\, Feyen or goes off the deep end. He remembers her as perfect and pure and deified . But\n14:5314 minutes\, 53 secondswithout his mother actually around to g uide him\, Feyenor commits some of Middle Earth's worst atrocities. Feyeno r\n15:0015 minuteshangs on to the memory of his mother and her spirit to h is detriment. And in the end\, the spirit that his mother gave him\n15:091 5 minutes\, 9 secondsflares out of control\, and he too is consumed. But e ven mothers who survive the gauntlet of birth are not safe from\n15:1715 m inutes\, 17 secondsthe judgments of good motherhood versus bad motherhood because there are a number of mothers in the Sylmerelion who are just abse nt. The main ones that come\n15:2615 minutes\, 26 secondsto mind are also actually in the story of Feyenor\, namely Nardanel\, the wife of Feyenor\, and Indis\, his stepmother\, his\n15:3515 minutes\, 35 secondsfather's se cond wife. Both of these women gave birth to powerful sons in powerful fam ilies. But after the birth\,\n15:4415 minutes\, 44 secondsthey simply fade into the background.\n15:4615 minutes\, 46 secondsThe fathers of these ch ildren are enormously influential. Finway is an elf king. The vow that Fey enor imposes upon\n15:5515 minutes\, 55 secondshis son shapes the events o f the rest of the Sylmerelion. But the mothers have almost no impact on th eir children's\n16:0316 minutes\, 3 secondslives. They have leaned fully i nto the third aspect of motherhood. This remote distance from their child' s life\, but without having done self-sacrificing\,\n16:1416 minutes\, 14 secondswithout having put their children on the rightful path\, they fade into irrelevancy. Without self-sacrifice\,\n16:2216 minutes\, 22 secondstr agedy or death to lend these women's lives profoundity\, they cease to mat ter whatsoever. But not all of Tolken's\n16:3116 minutes\, 31 secondsmothe rs fail so completely. And I think that Idril is an example of really grea t motherhood. Idril was a princess who\n16:4016 minutes\, 40 secondsmarrie d Tor during the events of the fall of Gondolind. And it was her wisdom an d her ferocity that allowed so many\n16:4816 minutes\, 48 secondslives to be saved during this tragic event. Adril implores her husband to dig a sec ret escape route\, knowing that\n16:5616 minutes\, 56 secondstrouble is co ming. And when that trouble does arise\, she takes arms to save her people and their beloved son\, Arendil.\n17:0417 minutes\, 4 secondsShe goes out onto the streets as the city sacked\, saving survivors and guiding them t o her escape tunnel. When she and her son are taken and nearly\n17:1317 mi nutes\, 13 secondsthrown off the battlements in a revenge ploy\, she fight s\, as Tolken describes\,\n17:1917 minutes\, 19 secondslike a tigress\, to oth and claw\, to preserve the life of herself and her son. Itil plays an essential role in\n17:2817 minutes\, 28 secondsguiding her family and her people to safety. Even if she must make the sacrifice of watching her fath er die to\n17:3717 minutes\, 37 secondsensure that the rest of them can ma ke it out alive. She is wise. She is fearsome.\n17:4217 minutes\, 42 secon dsShe is self-sacrificial. She is hugely influential in the life of her so n Aarendiel. But this cannot last forever.\n17:5017 minutes\, 50 secondsHe r story concludes in those days T felt old age creep upon him and ever a l onging for the deeps of the sea grew\n17:5917 minutes\, 59 secondsstronger in his heart. Therefore he built a great ship and he named it Aram which is sea wing and withil Kellindal\n18:0818 minutes\, 8 secondshe set sail i nto the sunset and the west and came no more into any tale or song.\n18:15 18 minutes\, 15 secondsIn the world that Tolken depicts no good things can last forever and this goes especially for the care of a mother and\n18:24 18 minutes\, 24 secondsthis does have a wounding effect on her child. Alth ough Aarendil goes on to be a storied and successful hero\, there is\n18:3 218 minutes\, 32 secondsalways a part of him that is searching for his mot her and father wherever they have sailed across the seas. I hesitate\n18:4 018 minutes\, 40 secondsto call Idril's choice to leave Middle Earth selfi sh because she did so much good in her life. But perhaps in the\n18:4718 m inutes\, 47 secondsnarrow parameters that Tolken has laid out for positive motherhood\, this is a kind of failing or at the very least a\n18:5518 mi nutes\, 55 secondswound. This failure is made the central focus of the sto ry of Morwin. Morwin is\n19:0219 minutes\, 2 secondsthe mother of the ours ed boy Turin left behind to defend their home after Hurin is imprisoned by Morgoth. There are Easterlings attacking them constantly.\n19:1219 minute s\, 12 secondsAnd although Morwin is repelling them by her powers of sorce ry and fear\, she sends Turin away to safety. She sends\n19:2019 minutes\, 20 secondshim off to the distant kingdom of Doryath to be raised by the e lf king Thingal. This is very technically a wise\n19:2719 minutes\, 27 sec ondschoice. It is a choice that ensures Turin's physical safety\, but it d isregards his emotional security. Time\n19:3519 minutes\, 35 secondsand ti me again\, Turin begs his mother to join him in the safety of Thingal's pa lace\, but fear holds her back. She\n19:4319 minutes\, 43 secondsgives bir th to another child\, a daughter. But once again\, fear rather than wisdom guides her ways. She refuses\n19:5219 minutes\, 52 secondsto leave their home until the last possible moment. And by the time she leaves to chase a fter Turin\, it is too late. He's already gone to face his\n20:0120 minute s\, 1 seconddestiny. And although it would be wrong to say that this is Mo rowyn's fault in any serious way\, Turin was cursed by\n20:0820 minutes\, 8 secondsbasically the devil himself\, undoubtedly her fear-based actions put Turin on the\n20:1620 minutes\, 16 secondspath towards tragedy. Morowa n spends the rest of the story trying to make up for this sin\, but fate h as made its mind up.\n20:2520 minutes\, 25 secondsBoth of her children spi ral deeper and deeper into despair. They end up taking their own lives\, a nd Morowan is left to\n20:3320 minutes\, 33 secondsdie\, ignorant of their final fate. But I think that one of the most poignantly tragic stories of motherhood in Middle\n20:4220 minutes\, 42 secondsEarth comes from the ch aracter of Adidel. Adidel was the sister of Turugon\, the lord of Gondolin d\, and she\n20:5120 minutes\, 51 secondslived a charmed\, safe\, and comf ortable life in the city. But this comfort eventually began to chafe. She wearied of the guarded city of Gondolan\,\n21:0221 minutes\, 2 secondsdesi ring ever the longer\, the more to ride again in the wide lands\, and to w alk in the forests\, as had been her\n21:1021 minutes\, 10 secondswant in Valinor. And when 200 years had passed since Gondolin was full wrought\,\n 21:1621 minutes\, 16 secondsshe spoke to Toggon and asked leave to depart. Toggon was loathed to grant this and long denied her\, but at last he yie lded\, saying\, \"Go then\, if you will\,\n21:2821 minutes\, 28 secondstho ugh it is against my wisdom\, and I forbodeed that ill will come of it\, b oth to you and to me.\" Despite her brother's\n21:3621 minutes\, 36 second smisgivings\, Adele departs Gondolind. And at first\, she revels in the fr eedom that she finds. She finds friends to stay\n21:4521 minutes\, 45 seco ndswith. She lives whatever life she wants to live. But still\, this is no t enough. She rides out alone day after day\,\n21:5321 minutes\, 53 second sfurther and further beyond the bounds of safety until she is found by the dark elf Aol who lusts after her\, imprisons\n22:0322 minutes\, 3 seconds her and forces her to marry him. Aol and Adel have a son together and once he's old enough\, Adidel begins to plot with this son to escape A's impri sonment.\n22:1522 minutes\, 15 secondsThey make a break for Gondor\, but A is hot on their heels. Ail decides that he would prefer his son be dead t han be\n22:2322 minutes\, 23 secondswithout him. And so he throws a spear at his son. But Audel jumps in front of the point in time. It wounds her. It poisons\n22:3222 minutes\, 32 secondsher. And she dies. Her son is deep ly traumatized by her sacrifice and goes on\n22:3922 minutes\, 39 secondst o do wicked deeds. He is the Judas that orchestrates Gondolin's fall. I do n't think that it's fair to say that\n22:4622 minutes\, 46 secondsAdidel's sin was selfishness. Nor would I say that she didn't provide any guidance to her son except that she was taken away from him prematurely. Rather\,\ n22:5522 minutes\, 55 secondsI think that Adele's failing was that she was just too real. She was a flighty person\, someone who made rash decisions \n23:0323 minutes\, 3 secondsand didn't want to live with the consequences . She was a caged bird who didn't recognize the safety that the cage aroun d her provided. Her choice to\n23:1223 minutes\, 12 secondsleave Gondolind was not wrong. Perhaps misguided\, but misguided in a way that a lot of u s are. This isn't a simple black\n23:2123 minutes\, 21 secondsand white\, right or wrong sort of situation. She's just somebody that made a mistake that got in over her head. She\n23:2923 minutes\, 29 secondswas self-sacri ficial. She guided her son as best she could. But because of these very hu man failings\, perhaps her son was\n23:3723 minutes\, 37 secondsnot able t o put her on the kind of pedestal that he would have needed to in order fo r him to achieve greatness\, or at least to avoid the call of evil.\n23:46 23 minutes\, 46 secondsAdele and her missteps are often thought of as the inciting incident of Gondolan's terrible fall. And it is a\n23:5423 minute s\, 54 secondstruly frightening thing that all of this grief could stem fr om the simple sin of being human. Fortunately\, not all of\n24:0324 minute s\, 3 secondsMiddleear's mothers are human\, and that means that some of t hem are able to get a little bit closer to perfection. And I think that th e best example of this is\n24:1224 minutes\, 12 secondsMeon. Meon is a may ar spirit just one power step below the almighty valor\n24:1924 minutes\, 19 secondsspirits and she came down to Middle Earth and fell in love with the elf king Thingal. Together they ruled the kingdom\n24:2624 minutes\, 2 6 secondsof Doryath and they gave birth to their beloved daughter Lucian. Meon is by all\n24:3324 minutes\, 33 secondsmeasures a good mother. Lucenn e is a welladjusted child. Meon uses her divine powers to cradle their lan ds in safety.\n24:4224 minutes\, 42 secondsAnd her divine foresight allows her and Thingal to keep their people safe for centuries. When Lucian brin gs home her\n24:5024 minutes\, 50 secondsnew human boyfriend\, Bon\, Thing al is quick to react like a classic dad would.\n24:5624 minutes\, 56 secon dsAn overprotective dad\, trying to get Baron to go away. But it is Meon w ho pulls him back from that ledge and urges\n25:0425 minutes\, 4 secondshi m to take his daughter's feelings into account. Meon helps Lucian discover what has become of Baron when he leaves on\n25:1125 minutes\, 11 secondsh is dangerous quest. And although she sits by and watches as Thingal impris ons Luthian in a tower to keep her from\n25:1825 minutes\, 18 secondschasi ng after Baron\, she generally acts as a positive guiding force in the sto ry. In other people's tales\, Meon\n25:2725 minutes\, 27 secondsdemonstrat es how these motherly qualities aren't just reserved for her own child. Sh e sends Lemba's bread off to Turin to help him in his troubles\,\n25:3725 minutes\, 37 secondsand she heals Hurin of his grief induced madness. Even tually\, Meon does depart Middle Earth\, but I would say that by\n25:4525 minutes\, 45 secondsall accounts\, she fulfills Tolken's criteria of a pos itive motherly figure.\n25:5025 minutes\, 50 secondsShe gives more than sh e takes. She is warm and engaged in her child's affairs and by nature of b eing essentially an\n25:5925 minutes\, 59 secondsangel. She holds up very well to the process of deification. One might extrapolate from this that t he only way\n26:0626 minutes\, 6 secondsto be a perfect Tolkenian mother i s to be in some way fundamentally angelic to\n26:1426 minutes\, 14 seconds be inhuman. So that means that we have one all-around solid mom amongst a huge sample size of mothers that are either\n26:2226 minutes\, 22 secondsa bsent\, failed\, or dead. And when a pattern like this is this prevalent i n a story\, and when that story has gone on to influence so much of today' s fiction\,\n26:3426 minutes\, 34 secondsit's worth examining why that pat tern may have been created in the first place. In his writing\, Tolken dre w heavy inspiration from historical literature.\n26:4326 minutes\, 43 seco ndsAnd within historical literature\, dead or absent mothers were certainl y quite common. And this was for a couple of\n26:5026 minutes\, 50 seconds reasons. First off\, maternal mortality used to be a much more likely outc ome of childbirth. In the 17th and into the\n26:5926 minutes\, 59 seconds1 8th century\, maternal mortality rates were around 1.7%.\n27:0527 minutes\ , 5 secondsThese days\, that number is just around 03. And that's consider ably lower. So that means that when many of today's\n27:1227 minutes\, 12 secondsclassics were being penned\, it was just much more likely that the person writing or reading the story would not have a\n27:2027 minutes\, 20 secondsmother figure and thus would put this into the story or would want to see it represented in a story. Sexism is also\n27:2727 minutes\, 27 se condsdefinitely a part of the absence of mothers in fiction because for a very long time\, women on the whole did not\n27:3427 minutes\, 34 secondsh ave a particularly large role in the world of storytelling\, especially th e kind of storytelling that Tolken was fond of. A mother might be mentione d for\n27:4327 minutes\, 43 secondsthe context of one's birth\, but once h earth and home were left behind in these quests\, battles\, and adventures \,\n27:5027 minutes\, 50 secondswomen and especially mothers had no place. Sure\, there might be a lovely maiden waiting for the night at home\,\n27 :5827 minutes\, 58 secondsbut the stories tend to fade to happily ever aft er long before that woman undergoes the process of going from being maiden to mother and thus being\n28:0728 minutes\, 7 secondsrendered undesirable by the eyes of the story. And beyond just societal norms\,\n28:1228 minut es\, 12 secondsit was a very useful trope for a character to not have a mo ther. Mothers\,\n28:1828 minutes\, 18 secondstraditionally speaking\, were meant to be kind of nagging. They would want the hero to stay home\, to k eep themselves\n28:2528 minutes\, 25 secondsfrom harm's way. A father woul d have the wherewithal to know that a son must go off and do this dangerou s thing in order\n28:3228 minutes\, 32 secondsto make his name. But a moth er will only hold the hero back. A living and active mother complicates th ings unnecessarily.\n28:4228 minutes\, 42 secondsShe's just going to get i n the way of true pure heroism. But a dead mother\, a dead mother could be a potent tool because a dead mother could be perfect.\n28:5328 minutes\, 53 secondsAnd for a very long time\, especially from the 18th century enli ghtenment and onwards\, perfection was expected from\n29:0129 minutes\, 1 secondmothers\, living or dead. A mother should be wise\, serene. She shou ldn't have problems of her own and she should be\n29:1029 minutes\, 10 sec ondsabsolutely completely stable so that her peace could counterweight the chaotic lives of her sons and husbands. As\n29:1829 minutes\, 18 secondsJ uliet Bger explains in her essay on dead mothers in fiction\, a mother's p ower was through her influence on the\n29:2629 minutes\, 26 secondsmen aro und her who in turn would take her influence with them into the public sph ere. But this stability of character\,\n29:3329 minutes\, 33 secondssomeon e who never grapples with her own trials and tribulations and is in every regard flawless\, is simply impossible. A mother is human just like anyone else\,\n29:4429 minutes\, 44 secondsand she cannot be this unchanging for ce who acts only for the sake of others.\n29:4929 minutes\, 49 secondsOnly in death can she be eternal and thus romanticized. She becomes a symbol w ithout her own wants and needs that\n29:5829 minutes\, 58 secondsmight con flict with the people she is supposed to support. Therefore\, by killing o ff a mother\, an author provides a moral compass to guide the characters\, \n30:0830 minutes\, 8 secondsyet one who cannot interfere and thus complic ate the narrative. For a very long time\, the standards for mothers was\n3 0:1730 minutes\, 17 secondsexcruciating perfection\, and it was seen as a disappointment when the real human could not live up to those standards.\n 30:2530 minutes\, 25 secondsBut through the romanticization of fiction\, w e had a chance for the perfect mother. All we had to do was take this real human character and mummify them\,\n30:3730 minutes\, 37 secondspurify th em down to their simplest essence\, remove all of those complicated\, roug h edges\, and you end up\n30:4430 minutes\, 44 secondswith this character that isn't human anymore\, but acts as a very good propellant for the comp lex human and\n30:5430 minutes\, 54 secondstypically male protagonist. And while I do think that Tolken was in a lot of ways deriving from this trop e and this kind of problematic deification process\n31:0331 minutes\, 3 se condsfor his writing\, it is a bit more complicated than that. Because in many of the cases of Tolken's characters\, the\n31:1031 minutes\, 10 secon dsdeath of the character's mother does not drive them forward into success \, but rather predicates their fall. Feyenor is\n31:1831 minutes\, 18 seco ndsnot so much inspired by his mother's loss as devastated. Adidel's son f alls down a terribly dark path after\n31:2731 minutes\, 27 secondswitnessi ng her traumatic sacrifice. And Morwin's intentional choice to remove hers elf from her son's life doesn't\n31:3431 minutes\, 34 secondsresult in her being deified\, but it does result in her son being lost forever.\n31:403 1 minutes\, 40 secondsThere's enough complication added to these situation s to make me think that Tolken wasn't just blindly trotting out these trop es\, however much they may have\n31:4831 minutes\, 48 secondsshaped his pe rception and the way that he wrote. And yet\, I can't deny that Tolken's m otherly characters are\n31:5531 minutes\, 55 secondsfrustrating to me as a woman and as someone who knows a lot of mothers and cares about them deep ly because these\n32:0332 minutes\, 3 secondscharacters never have the sam e kind of agency or presence that their male counterparts do. However\, I do think\n32:1132 minutes\, 11 secondsthat we can find a probable cause fo r this isolation and alienation of mother characters in Tolken's personal life.\n32:2032 minutes\, 20 secondsTolken's father died when he was very y oung. And so his primary parent growing up was his mother\, Mabel. Mabel T olken\n32:2832 minutes\, 28 secondswas his very first confidant\, his very first teacher. She was the one that gave him books to read\, that taught him to\n32:3632 minutes\, 36 secondsread\, and that began to teach him lan guages. They were as well off as could be expected. But this would all\n32 :4332 minutes\, 43 secondschange when Mabel converted to Catholicism\, som ething that her Unitarian family strongly disagreed\n32:5032 minutes\, 50 secondswith. They cut her off financially and emotionally and personally. But in all of this turmoil\, as their family was cut\n32:5832 minutes\, 58 secondsa drift\, Tolken only came to admire his mother more and more. Mab el's workload increased\, her health declined\, but she\n33:0833 minutes\, 8 secondsalways did her best to stay true to her faith and to do what she could for her children. And in the eyes of 11 or\n33:1533 minutes\, 15 se conds12year-old Tolken\, she began to take on a near saintly glow. Mabel T olken died on the 14th of November 1904\, and Tolken\n33:2533 minutes\, 25 secondsfirmly believed that she had done so as a martyr\, that she had di ed for her faith. Tolken and his brother were taken\n33:3333 minutes\, 33 secondsin by a family friend\, a priest named Father Francis. And Tolken t ook shelter in the church. He came to see his\n33:4033 minutes\, 40 second sCatholic faith as the final and most profound gift that his mother had ev er given him. And he clung to his faith with all of a lonely child's longi ng.\n33:5133 minutes\, 51 secondsBut a faith awakening would not be the on ly result of Mabel's death. As Tolken's biographer Humphrey Carpenter\n33: 5833 minutes\, 58 secondsdescribes\, his mother's death made him into two people. He was by nature a cheerful\, almost irrepressible person\n34:0634 minutes\, 6 secondswith a great zeal for life. He loved good talk and phy sical activity. He had a deep sense of humor and a great\n34:1334 minutes\ , 13 secondscapacity for making friends. But from now onwards there was to be a second side\, more private\, but predominant in\n34:2134 minutes\, 2 1 secondshis diaries and letters. This side of him was capable of bouts of profound despair. More precisely\, and more closely related to his mother 's death\,\n34:3134 minutes\, 31 secondswhen he was in this mood\, he had a deep sense of impending loss. Nothing was safe. Nothing would last. No b attle\n34:4034 minutes\, 40 secondswould be won forever. Her death made hi m a pessimist. Or rather\, it made him capable of violent shifts of emotio n.\n34:4834 minutes\, 48 secondsOnce he had lost her\, there was no securi ty\, and his natural optimism was balanced by deep uncertainty. In the\n34 :5634 minutes\, 56 secondswake of his mother's death\, Tolken portrayed al l the hallmark signs of a traumatized child. Modern psychology\n35:0335 mi nutes\, 3 secondsrecognizes that children who have been traumatized\, espe cially by the loss of a loved one\, tend to exhibit traits such\n35:0935 m inutes\, 9 secondsas depression\, a change of behavior or attitude\, and a loss of hope or confidence in the future. And even\n35:1835 minutes\, 18 secondsthough Humphrey Carpenter was writing before these criteria had bee n laid out\,\n35:2235 minutes\, 22 secondsit seems like he outlines these exact traits in Tolken. This sudden tilt into\n35:2835 minutes\, 28 second spessimism\, this unbreakable lack of confidence in what will become of hi m and the world that he loved. Children\n35:3735 minutes\, 37 secondswho h ave been traumatized by loss also tend to find themselves falling into par anormal or supernatural thinking.\n35:4435 minutes\, 44 secondsThey see si gns and omens everywhere.\n35:4835 minutes\, 48 secondsThey see another la yer to the world. And through Tolken\, this may have manifested in both hi s sudden leaning towards\n35:5635 minutes\, 56 secondsCatholic faith\, but also in the very spiritual lens through which he saw the entire world. Fo r Tolken\, there was\n36:0436 minutes\, 4 secondsmeaning to everything\, t o words\, to trees. Well into his adult life\, he was known to speak to tr ees. But either way\,\n36:1136 minutes\, 11 secondswith all of these sympt oms looked at together\, I think it's fair to say that Tolken was profound ly traumatized by his\n36:1836 minutes\, 18 secondsmother's loss in some w ays that probably he didn't even understand. And undoubtedly\, these feeli ngs continued to\n36:2636 minutes\, 26 secondsimpact him forever. When spe aking about his relationship with his wife\, who was also a young orphan\, Tolken recalls\,\n36:3436 minutes\, 34 seconds\"The dreadful sufferings o f our childhoods from which we rescued one another\, but could not wholly heal the\n36:4136 minutes\, 41 secondswounds that later often proved disab ling. Now\, I am well aware of the fact that the Lord of the Rings is not\ n36:4836 minutes\, 48 secondsallegorical. We should not look at the Lord o f the Rings as if it is an autobiography of Tolken's personal life\,\n36:5 636 minutes\, 56 secondsbut his experiences had a profound and undeniable impact on every part of this\n37:0337 minutes\, 3 secondsstory. Yes\, he i s describing and depicting these experiences that are ancient and universa l and shared by us\n37:1137 minutes\, 11 secondsall. But these experiences were in their conception first bounced off of the mirror of Tolken's mind . And I think\n37:1937 minutes\, 19 secondsthis fact becomes vividly clear when it comes to his rather strange portrayal of mothers. Tolken's mother shaped what he\n37:2737 minutes\, 27 secondssaw as good maternity. She wa s selfless right up until the very end\, always putting her sons before he rself. She was\n37:3437 minutes\, 34 secondsa massively influential and gu iding force in Tolken's life\, putting his feet on the path that would tak e him to so much success and joy and fulfillment.\n37:4437 minutes\, 44 se condsAnd she was gone and thus rendered untouchably perfect. Any and all f laws\n37:5237 minutes\, 52 secondsbuffed away by the abrasion of nostalgia . It kind of leaves me wondering if Tolken was just at a loss on how to de scribe a good living mother.\n38:0338 minutes\, 3 secondsHis mother was pe rfect and she was dead.\n38:0638 minutes\, 6 secondsTherefore\, if any mot her was to be perfect\, death was an inevitability.\n38:1238 minutes\, 12 secondsThere is something heartbreakingly beautiful in the fact that mothe rhood was the one topic that Tolken seemed\n38:2038 minutes\, 20 secondsun willing to fully broach. There are so many deeply personal and deeply trau matizing things that Tolken explores\n38:2738 minutes\, 27 secondsin his w orks with so much depth and passion and curiosity. He fully explores the l oss of home and self that comes\n38:3638 minutes\, 36 secondsabout with th e passage of time and the overtaking of industry. He doesn't shy away from the challenges and sorrows\n38:4338 minutes\, 43 secondsthat can be found with young love. Even the atrocities of war are faced headon\,\n38:5038 m inutes\, 50 secondsnot shying away from the things that Tolken found truly troubling. And yet\,\n38:5438 minutes\, 54 secondsmotherhood in all of it s reality and depth and fear and complexity is left out. Now\, I want to b e crystal clear\n39:0239 minutes\, 2 secondshere that I am not pointing ou t the shallowess of Tolken's mother characters as a kind of condemnation o r cancellation. I think it is evidently\n39:1139 minutes\, 11 secondsclear that Tolken just had a lot of stuff going on when it came to his experien ce and his perspectives on\n39:1939 minutes\, 19 secondsmothers. He was hu man and thus beautifully imperfect. And in the same way that it would be u nfair to demand\n39:2739 minutes\, 27 secondsabsolute flawlessness from a mother\, so it is wrong for us to look back at Tolken and expect him to be anything\n39:3539 minutes\, 35 secondsother than complicated and messy an d human. We shouldn't be putting him up on this pedestal and deifying him and\n39:4439 minutes\, 44 secondstrying to crystallize his works as the pe rfect paragon of fiction writing because that does a disservice to the\n39 :5239 minutes\, 52 secondsreal person that he was. Instead\, we can read h is works. We can appreciate them for all of the good things that they\n39: 5939 minutes\, 59 secondscontain. And we can examine the ways in which his personal experiences may have colored his writings in ways that aren't\n4 0:0740 minutes\, 7 secondsnecessarily constructive in the modern day. And we can try and do better. They say that you should write what you know.\n4 0:1440 minutes\, 14 secondsAnd I think that Tolken did that. He writes abo ut mothers with a near godly reverence\, almost a fear and an\n40:2340 min utes\, 23 secondsunstoppable instinct to keep them at arms length. But I t hink that for all of us going forward\, we also have the\n40:3040 minutes\ , 30 secondsresponsibility to write and to tell stories based on what we k now. And I think that most of us would say that we\n40:3740 minutes\, 37 s econdshave a very different experience of what motherhood is and what it c an be than Tolken did. On her deathbed\, Aragorn's\n40:4540 minutes\, 45 s econdssaintly mother says\, \"I gave hope to the Dunadine. I have kept no hope for myself.\" Although this is a poignant\n40:5440 minutes\, 54 secon dssentiment and one that undoubtedly would have meant a lot to Tolken hims elf\, I hope that most of us can see the fact that in order to give other people hope\,\n41:0341 minutes\, 3 secondsyou don't need to leave yourself scoured out and empty. You don't need to blow out your own candle in orde r to light\n41:1141 minutes\, 11 secondssomeone else's. The sacrifice of a mother is a beautiful thing. But my hope\n41:1741 minutes\, 17 secondsis that the life of a mother\, the real messy\, complicated human life of a\n 41:2541 minutes\, 25 secondsmother\, has even more potential. In the comme nts\, let me know who your favorite Middle Earth mother is. I admittedly\n 41:3341 minutes\, 33 secondshave a huge soft spot for Idril\, just because she's one of the most active and badass. And although she does eventually \n41:4041 minutes\, 40 secondsleave\, she waits until her son is fully gro wn\, which I feel like is kind of the best option out of all of the ones t hat I've been presented today. You see\, I\n41:4941 minutes\, 49 secondswa s going to tell you to send this video to your mom\, but um I do talk abou t dead mothers a lot in this one. So\, maybe that's not the best bet\, but you should\n41:5841 minutes\, 58 secondsgo and find a mom somewhere\, pre ferably one that you know\, and tell them that you're glad they're alive a nd that you love them because they could probably\n42:0642 minutes\, 6 sec ondsuse that. Give this video a like if you enjoyed it\, and do consider s ubscribing if you want to tune in every other week to hear me talk about T he Lord of the\n42:1442 minutes\, 14 secondsRings\, the art of storytellin g\, and the other stuff that I like to talk about.\n\nTimeless\nLauren Dus ki • Perfect Universe\n42:1742 minutes\, 17 secondsThank you so much for joining me this week and every week. And I hope that you have a very happ y hobby day.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n great point on rosie cott on for representation. good argument of why the absence of motherly charac ters is highlighted by so many fatherly characters. Great point on Miriel\ , and Feanor does go off. It is interesting that Tolkien never finished th e Silmarillion. I wonder the edition tolkien would had made\, and I wonder if Christopher as editor\, influenced the presence of women more. 26:41 h mm good point\, the male writers used the idea of the perfect dead mother. This explains the heritage of audience discomfort when a mother is living or a warrior or more. .. I never knew about Tolkiens personal background. good video. Your argument that motherhood was too big a thing to tackle ev en in his fiction. and yes\, i dont think tolkien will accept the idoltry many give him today.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260209 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:MLK jr : FREE AT LAST SPEECH DTSTAMP:20250724T023308Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:417-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n TEXT\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/356-mlk-jr- free-at-last-speech/\n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n Five score years ago\, a great Ame rican\, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today\, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope t o millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their cap tivity.\n\nBut 100 years later\, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later\, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacle s of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later \, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast oc ean of material prosperity. One hundred years later the Negro is still lan guished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in h is own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful conditio n. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check.\n\n \n\n When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Con stitution and the Declaration of Independence\, they were signing a promis sory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promis e that all men — yes\, Black men as well as white men — would be guara nteed the unalienable rights of life\, liberty and the pursuit of happines s.\n\nIt is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory no te insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring thi s sacred obligation\, America has given the Negro people a bad check\, a c heck which has come back marked insufficient funds.\n\nBut we refuse to be lieve that the bank of justice is bankrupt.\n\nWe refuse to believe that t here are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nat ion. And so we've come to cash this check\, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.\n\nWe have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tra nquilizing drug of gradualism.\n\n \n\nNow is the time to make real the pr omises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate va lley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid r ock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of G od's children.\n\nIt would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate disconten t will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equal ity. 1963 is not an end\, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro n eeded to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.\n\nThere will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rig hts. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of ou r nation until the bright day of justice emerges.\n\nBut there is somethin g that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place\ , we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.\n\n \n\nWe must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into phys ical violence. Again and again\, we must rise to the majestic heights of m eeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which h as engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all whit e people\, for many of our white brothers\, as evidenced by their presence here today\, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.\n\nAnd they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricab ly bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk\, we must ma ke the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.\n\nTh ere are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights\, when will you be satisfied? We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies\, heavy with the fatigue of travel\, cannot gain lo dging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.\n\nWe ca nnot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs statin g: for whites only.\n\nWe cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Missis sippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for whic h to vote.\n\nNo\, no\, we are not satisfied\, and we will not be satisfie d until justice rolls down like waters\, and righteousness like a mighty s tream.\n\n \n\nI am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of g reat trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of p olice brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continu e to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi\, go back to Alabama\, go back to South Carolina\, go back to Georgia\, go back to Louisiana\, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities\, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be chan ged.\n\nLet us not wallow in the valley of despair\, I say to you today\, my friends.\n\nSo even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorr ow\, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dre am. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident\, that all men are created equal.\n\n \n\nI have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia\, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.\n\nI have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi\, a state swelter ing with the heat of injustice\, sweltering with the heat of oppression wi ll be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.\n\nI have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their char acter. I have a dream today.\n\nI have a dream that one day down in Alabam a with its vicious racists\, with its governor having his lips dripping wi th the words of interposition and nullification\, one day right down in Al abama little Black boys and Black girls will be able to join hands with li ttle white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream to day.\n\nI have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted\, every hill and mountain shall be made low\, the rough places will be made plain\ , and the crooked places will be made straight\, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed\, and all flesh shall see it together.\n\n \n\nThis is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this fa ith\, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hop e. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of o ur nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we wil l be able to work together\, to pray together\, to struggle together\, to go to jail together\, to stand up for freedom together\, knowing that we w ill be free one day.\n\nThis will be the day when all of God's children wi ll be able to sing with new meaning: My country\, 'tis of thee\, sweet lan d of liberty\, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died\, land of the pi lgrims' pride\, from every mountainside\, let freedom ring.\n\nAnd if Amer ica is to be a great nation\, this must become true. And so let freedom ri ng from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from th e mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alle ghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of C olorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But no t only that\, let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside\, let freedom ring.\ n\nAnd when this happens\, and when we allow freedom ring\, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet\, from every state and every cit y\, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children\, Blac k men and white men\, Jews and Gentiles\, Protestants and Catholics\, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: F ree at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty\, we are free at last.\n\n\n \n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/122701268/i-have-a-drea m-speech-in-its-entirety\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Civil righ ts leader Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd at the Lincoln Memori al in Washington\, D.C.\, where he gave his \"I Have a Dream\" speech on A ug. 28\, 1963\, as part of the March on Washington.\n\n\n\n AFP via Getty Images\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250209 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Padiamenope- the crafter of Taharqa 02/08/2025 DTSTAMP:20250208T165002Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:190-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Padiamenope- the crafter of Taharqa 02/08/2025\n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2840&\;type=statu s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Padiamenope\n\n My Thoughts\n\n\n\n Padiamen ope\, the servant of Taharqa\, a nubian pharoah\, all pharoahs before the ptolomies are black. Padiamenope made an extensive grave for himself. Of course it was the Nubians. The people of Kemet + Nubians are cousin people s. I consider Egyptians the hybrid people of Kemet side the whites of euro pe or asia from the hellenistic period.  Lovely explanation of the proces s of comprehending Kemet from greek through coptic and comparison. \n\n\n \n VIDEO - preview- transcript is complete\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n UNIFORM R ESOURCE LOCATOR\n\n https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/decoding-hieroglyphic s-preview-7jqfn5/6330/\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT- the complete show\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Egypt\, land of countless ancient treasures fo und inside its pyramids and temples.\n\nThe walls of these monuments are c overed with mysterious inscriptions left by ancient Egyptians -- hieroglyp hics.\n\n-Hieroglyphs are perhaps a writing that has been used for the lon gest time in the history of the world.\n\nBecause they were used for well over 3\,000 years.\n\n-200 years ago\, French scholar Jean-François Champ ollion deciphered the inscriptions\, giving meaning to the signs that had been unreadable for more than a millennium.\n\nAnd with his work\, an enti re civilization buried in the desert sand was brought back to life.\n\nTod ay\, new research is focused on the people who wrote these hieroglyphs -- a literate elite employed by the pharaohs.\n\nThey were priests\, scribes\ , painters\, engravers\, and builders of tombs.\n\nIn the south of Egypt\, scientists are studying a palace filled with hieroglyphics\, the only tom b built for a non-royal in the necropolis and the largest in all of Egypt. \n\n-How was this man able to build this incredible monument?\n\n-Egyptolo gists have battled the stifling heat to reach the darkest depths of the to mb and unlock the secrets of the ancient inscriptions.\n\n♪♪ ♪ ♪ ♪♪ -Along the Nile\, 400 miles from the ancient political capital of Memphis -- Cairo\, today -- lies Thebes\, modern-day Luxor.\n\nHere\, o n the west bank\, pharaohs constructed sumptuous tombs.\n\nThe vast necrop olis includes at least a dozen ancient funerary temples and burial sites b elonging to royalty\, including Queen Hatshepsut.\n\nSurprisingly\, Egypto logists have found that the largest tomb at the site -- and in the country -- wasn't built for a pharaoh\, despite its immense size.\n\nArcheologist s have named it \"TT33\,\" for \"Theban tomb 33\,\" and they hope to make new discoveries by translating the monument's hieroglyphics.\n\n♪♪ Pro fessor Claude Traunecker has been studying TT33 for the past 17 years\, un der the aegis of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo.\n\ nHe is joined by Silvia Einaudi and Isabelle Régen\, two Egyptologists an d renowned epigraphists\, whose job it is to copy\, translate\, and interp ret the texts.\n\nOn this trip\, they have only four weeks to exhume the l atest treasures and safeguard the thousands of texts carved into the walls ... [ Conversing in native language ] ♪♪ ...of a tomb well-known to th e adventurers who risked their lives exploring it.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -Lots of people visited it as the region's great curiosity\, with its leg end of being a cursed and dangerous tomb.\n\nThere were very large colonie s of bats here.\n\nAnd when people came in\, the bats would fly out\, caus ing accidents.\n\nPeople only had candlelight\, so a number of them fell d own the shaft of Room XII when the wind from the bats' wings blew out thei r candles.\n\n-But who did this imposing and mysterious tomb belong to?\n\ n-Pa-di-imen-ipet.\n\nPadiamenope.\n\n-Padiamenope.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -In the first two passageways\, there's always an image of Padiamenope\, looking towards the entrance to the tomb as if he were greeting visitors. \n\n-His name and image appear all over the walls.\n\nThere can be no doub t -- this is his final resting place.\n\nFor almost a century\, exploratio n of the tomb stopped at Room III because archaeologists built a wall at t he entrance to Room IV to shut in the bats.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -There 's a nice little article by Maspero that says\, \"We walled in Padiamenope 's tomb because of the bats.\n\nI hope that when it's reopened\, we'll fin ally find out who Padiamenope was.\"\n\nAnd I made use of this text to hav e the tomb opened again.\n\n-In December 2005\, after Traunecker obtained authorization to break down the wall and access the rest of the tomb\, he entered a space that had been closed for a century.\n\nThe decomposed bodi es of millions of bats had saturated the air with ammonia\, making it unbr eathable.\n\nThe floor and walls were badly degraded\, but when the profes sor looked more closely\, he realized he'd discovered a priceless treasure .\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -It was a revelation!\n\nEspecially this word of greeting that I discovered.\n\nI remember\, when I saw it\, I had tears i n my eyes.\n\nAn appeal to the living.\n\n\"O\, you who are on earth\, tho se who are born...\" This marks the future -- \"Er-mes-tu.\"\n\n\"...and t hose who will be born.\"\n\nIt's quite incredible!\n\nAnd it interestingly goes on to address \"Those who come to stroll.\"\n\nComing to the necropo lis for a stroll -- not bad!\n\n\"Those who come to have fun looking at an cient tombs.\"\n\nThis dates from the 7th century BCE\, so there had alrea dy been 2\,000 years of tombs before then!\n\n\"Or those who come looking for spells.\"\n\nThat's us.\n\nThat's us.\n\nWhen I read that\, I must adm it\, I was moved to tears.\n\n\"Those looking for spells.\"\n\nAnd he goes on.\n\n\"May they observe what is in this tomb.\"\n\nAnd then there's a b lessing -- \"They will receive the blessing of the god Amun if they respec t this tomb.\"\n\nAnd finally\, he asks us to \"repair whatever is damaged .\"\n\nIt's a very daring\, direct message.\n\n♪♪ -The carvings on the walls of Padiamenope's tomb ask future visitors to keep it in good condit ion.\n\nEinaudi and Régen have spent 10 years investigating the tomb\, st udying the walls\, and wandering the maze of corridors that leads to the b urial chamber.\n\nUltimately\, their goal is to find answers to the many q uestions that still surround the figure of Padiamenope and create a cleare r picture of who this scribe and priest was.\n\nThey have already establis hed that the architectural style of the tomb places its construction at ar ound 700 BCE.\n\nTo learn more\, they must capture 3-D images of the entir e site\, 360 degrees around.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -We're about to start the photogrammetry phase\, where we'll align the images and a cloud of do ts.\n\nThe images will be aligned by the photogrammetry software.\n\nIt in volves the recognition of counterpart pixels between each image.\n\nThen w e go on to the second phase\, which is meshing.\n\nHere\, the software pic ks up the millions of dots and joins them all together with little triangl es.\n\nAnd that gives the volume to the model.\n\n♪♪ So we're really m oving from 2-D to 3-D. Once we've composed the model\, we go on to the las t step -- compositing.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -We'll decide on the camera movement and then the lighting and lighting moods... ...and finally the r endering of the tomb itself.\n\nHere\, the camera is on the outside\, and it allows us to see the exterior volumes of the tomb\, with all its archit ecture and depth.\n\nIn the other scenario\, we're on a virtual visit\, wi th the camera inside the tomb.\n\nHere we're in Room I\, as it is today\, in a degraded state.\n\nThese two camera features are quite complementary because they'll allow us to work out how we're going to work in the tomb.\ n\n♪♪ -For the first time\, the vast maze within TT33 is visible -- 22 rooms\, countless corridors\, and linked galleries... ...all spread acros s three levels buried more than 65 feet beneath the desert sands.\n\n28\,0 00 square feet of decorated walls\, every single one of them covered in hi eroglyphs.\n\nThe archaeologists face an immense challenge -- decoding the carvings that have been ravaged by time\, earthquakes\, looters\, and the environment.\n\nBut translating the inscriptions on the walls will shed n ew light on the tomb's enigmatic owner.\n\nWith a resting place larger and grander than that of the pharaohs\, Padiamenope was clearly an important member of Egyptian society.\n\nWhat kind of power did he wield?\n\n-[ Spea king French ] -Here we see his main title -- \"Rehrireb\" and \"Rehritep\, \" which mean \"lector-priest\" and \"chief\, or \"lector-priest\" and \"m aster of ceremonies\".\n\nPadiamenope must have been someone who knew anci ent Egypt's religious history very well\, along with the religious texts.\ n\n-[ Speaking French ] -He was the intermediary between\, let's say\, tho se who worked in the library\, who devised the rites\, who thought\, who c atalogued the papyri\, before going out before the crowd to conduct religi ous ceremonies.\n\nYou could say he was the link between religious theory and religious practice.\n\nAnd with what aim?\n\nTo appease the Egyptian p eople.\n\nBecause the Egyptians were so fearful.\n\nYou didn't build thing s like this without having a fear of death!\n\n-A statue of Padiamenope in the Cairo Museum portrays him as a scribe\, someone who belonged to the l iterate elite that held significant power over the rest of the population\ , which couldn't read or write.\n\nThe Louvre Museum in Paris is home to t he \"Seated Scribe\,\" a statue of a seated man holding a papyrus scroll a s a guardian of sacred knowledge\, like all scribes.\n\n-Egypt was governe d by a literate elite\, which we call \"scribes\,\" because they knew how to write.\n\nThis ability to write distinguished them from others.\n\nThe scribe's main job was to keep the accounts and write letters\, basically a dministrative tasks.\n\nThe more cultured among them wrote literature -- b ecause there was an Egyptian literature in the modern sense of the term -- while others ran libraries.\n\n♪♪ Basically\, hieroglyphs read from r ight to left.\n\nTo understand which way to read them\, you simply take a pictorial hieroglyph -- for example\, a quail chick.\n\nIt's looking to th e left\, which means you read from left to right and downwards in a column .\n\nIn another inscription\, it could be the opposite.\n\nFor example\, a round a door or a niche\, there might be\, on the left-hand side of the do or\, signs that show right to left\, or vice versa.\n\nIt's monumental wri ting which goes very well with architecture.\n\n-It is a complex and sophi sticated writing system.\n\nThe oldest examples of hieroglyphics date to a round 3200 BCE\, and\, based on archaeological evidence\, the pictorial ca rvings were used for nearly 3\,500 years.\n\nUse of these symbols slowly f aded as the Roman Empire took control of ancient Egypt.\n\nWhen the Romans officially adopted Christianity at the end of the 4th century\, the use o f hieroglyphics died out.\n\nIn the year 380\, the emperor Theodosius issu ed a decree effectively prohibiting all pagan worship.\n\nHieroglyphics we re central to the Egyptians' religion\, and once the religion was banned\, the need for a literate elite quickly ended\, leaving the 3\,000-year-old writing system to be buried in the sand for the next 1\,400 years.\n\nBut in 1798\, General Napoleon Bonaparte landed in Egypt.\n\nHe and his troop s were there to protect French trade interests\, but they were accompanied by a contingent of scientists and scholars sent to study the history and geography of the country.\n\nAnd in 1799\, in the small northern town of R osetta\, a soldier made a crucial discovery that would unlock the mysterio us inscriptions found on ancient walls and objects.\n\nLieutenant Pierre F rançois Xavier Bouchard found a stele dating from the 2nd century BCE\, c arved with a decree from King Ptolemy V. The text was written in three dif ferent scripts\, hieroglyphic\, Egyptian demotic -- a simplified cursive v ersion of hieroglyphs -- and ancient Greek.\n\n-Before we could read hiero glyphs\, looking at these monuments was a mystery\, and that's why there's so much esoterica that this has generated\, with people thinking that the se are all symbols\, that they don't have sound values\, so you could look at these monuments and not really understand things\, until Champollion c ame and unlocked this key\, this mystery.\n\nYou can see this cartouche\, which is this oval thing\, which held the name of the king\, and here you can see \"Pe-to-we-le-miis\,\" Ptolemy.\n\nSo this is the name of Ptolemy\ , and\, of course\, this is one of the crucial names that we have in Egypt ology not because of his importance\, but because his name was on the Rose tta stone and this was the first name to be deciphered.\n\n♪♪ -Two dec ades later\, linguist Jean-François Champollion began a new project -- de ciphering hieroglyphics.\n\n♪♪ As a scholar of ancient Greek\, he was able to read the name Ptolemy -- \"Ptolmaios\" in Greek -- on the Rosetta stone.\n\nHe then identified the corresponding cartouche with the name wri tten in hieroglyphics.\n\nThat allowed him to write the seven letters -- P -T-O-L-M-Y-S -- opposite the seven hieroglyphs.\n\nHe was able to read the cartouche of Queen Cleopatra by isolating the three symbols for L-O-P\, a lready identified in the Ptolemy cartouche.\n\nAnd then he matched the mis sing letters with the six unidentified hieroglyphs by comparing them to an obelisk inscribed with the queen's name in both hieroglyphics and ancient Greek.\n\n♪♪ The cartouches contained the phonetic transcriptions of Greek names\, but what could he do with the names of the pharaohs that rul ed before Greek colonization?\n\nAnd that's where Champollion's genius cam e into play.\n\n♪♪ The young scholar was a language enthusiast.\n\nAt just 13\, he studied Hebrew\, Arabic\, Syriac\, and Aramaic.\n\nAs an adul t\, he began to wonder if learning Coptic -- a late form of ancient Egypti an -- would help him understand the hieroglyphics.\n\n♪♪ -[ Speaking F rench ] -At the beginning of our era\, the Egyptians abandoned the hierogl yphic system and transcribed their language using the Greek alphabet.\n\nT hat's what we call Coptic.\n\nCoptic language and writing would then endur e in the liturgical texts of Coptic Orthodox Christians.\n\nIn the 19th ce ntury\, Champollion could read and write Coptic\, and he relied on this co ntinuity between the language transcribed by hieroglyphs and Coptic texts to unlock the secret of hieroglyphs.\n\n-With his understanding of Coptic\ , Champollion was able to translate a new cartouche\, in which he could id entify the letter \"S.\" And the first hieroglyph of the name seemed to be a sun\, which in Coptic is pronounced \"Ra.\"\n\nHe was just missing the hieroglyph in the middle.\n\nHe thought the name might be Rameses\, one of the greatest pharaohs\, whose memory lived on despite the disappearance o f hieroglyphics.\n\nChampollion immediately turned to another cartouche\, which began with an image of an ibis\, symbolizing the god Thoth.\n\nIf hi s theory about Rameses was correct\, the second symbol was perhaps an \"M. \" And the last sign he knew -- the \"S.\" So \"Thot-m-s\"?\n\nThutmose\, another famous pharaoh mentioned in Greek texts.\n\nChampollion had done i t.\n\nHe had cracked the hieroglyphic code.\n\nAnd he understood that the writing was both figurative and phonetic.\n\nIt would now be possible to s tudy ancient Egyptian society at a much deeper level.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ [ I ndistinct conversations ] 200 years later\, the heirs of Champollion's dis coveries continue his work.\n\n-And just before\, you have the two points. \n\n-The extensive inscriptions on the walls of Padiamenope's tomb are now considered primary funerary texts\, collections of incantations to help t he deceased in the afterlife.\n\nPadiamenope left behind much more than a tomb.\n\nHe created a library of hieroglyphic texts\, unique in Egypt.\n\n The texts reveal the civilization myths of ancient Egypt\, describing how the society viewed the world.\n\nThey believed Ra\, the sun god\, fought o ff evil creatures who wanted to keep him a prisoner of the night.\n\nDurin g this expedition\, Isabelle Régen is determined to decipher the rest of the sacred text.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -Here is the first hour of the Bo ok of Amduat.\n\nThe sun has just set.\n\nIt's gone into the depths of the earth.\n\nIn his night-boat\, with Iuf -- the nocturnal form of the sun w ith his ram's head.\n\nAnd before him\, kneeling in adoration\, is Padiame nope\, whose title and name are indicated here.\n\nThe sun god's night-boa t has an entire crew to help him safely reach the hour when he'll rise at the end of the night.\n\n-It seems that\, on the walls of his tomb\, Padia menope inserted himself into the story of Ra\, placing himself in the deit y's boat.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -As the hours go by\, there are various events.\n\nPadiamenope is actively involved\, hauling the sun god's boat\, harpooning Apophis\, the serpent that tries to stop the boat from progres sing.\n\nHe's very actively involved in the journey and even performs a ri tual dance for the sun god.\n\n-According to the text\, if during the nigh t Padiamenope is unable to bring the sun god's boat home safely\, the sun will not rise\, and the world will end.\n\nAnd so\, every morning\, when t he sun reappears\, all living beings bow down before the sun god to celebr ate his victory\, that of life over death.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -Padiam enope's version is very original.\n\nInto the sacred text\, he inserts his own name and title.\n\nSo there's the presence of the man of letters but also the desire to promote himself.\n\n-According to a tradition dating ba ck to the Old Kingdom\, it's the pharaoh who is typically seen in the boat \, kneeling before Ra.\n\nSo why has Padiamenope taken the pharaoh's place ?\n\nPride?\n\nOr devotion?\n\nIsabelle Régen's work provides the answer. \n\nHe replaces the pharaoh as defender of Ra to ensure that\, after his d eath\, he will rise every day with the sun -- a way of guaranteeing eterna l life in the Land of the Dead.\n\nBut having the protection of the sun go d wasn't enough.\n\nHe also wanted to earn the favor of Osiris\, the god o f the dead.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -We're in Room IX of the tomb\, which has two walls dedicated to the famous \"Weighing of the Heart.\"\n\n-Here\ , too\, Padiamenope plays a key role in one of the most important parts of the Egyptian Book of the Dead.\n\nAnubis\, who guides dead souls in the a fterlife\, puts a feather on one side of a scale and then places the decea sed's heart on the other.\n\nFor the deceased to continue on into the afte rlife\, their heart must be as light as the feather -- proof that they hav e committed no evil deeds.\n\nThoth\, the god of wisdom and writing\, note s the result of the weighing on his tablet.\n\nIf the scale does not balan ce\, indicating the soul is impure\, Ammit\, the devourer of the dead\, li es in wait to eat the heart.\n\nAnd when that happened\, the deceased coul d not continue living in the afterlife.\n\nThe whole scene takes place bef ore Osiris\, who oversees this divine tribunal.\n\nHe will decide whether the deceased is pure or if he dies forever.\n\nWhy does Padiamenope show s uch devotion to Osiris?\n\nWas he trying to win the god's favor?\n \n♪♪ ♪♪ Egyptologists have a theory about why Padiamenope's name a ppears on the walls of his tomb dozens of times.\n\nAncient Egyptians beli eved hieroglyphics possessed an important property.\n\nThey helped ensure eternal life.\n\nAs long as visitors to the tomb read his name\, Padiameno pe would be assured of his place in the afterlife.\n\n-For the ancient Egy ptians\, the word was incredibly powerful.\n\nWords are magical.\n\nIf you write something down\, it has power\, and once you say it\, it gives it e ven more power.\n\nIt ritualizes the whole thing\, and so it's the same wa y than in any magic\, even today\, no matter where you are.\n\nIf you give someone a name\, they have power over you.\n\nSo words have power\, and o ne of the creation myths of the ancient Egyptians was the god would think and then he would speak and it would come into being.\n\n-For Egyptians\, the act of preservation\, be it in writing a text or embalming a body\, wa s a critical practice to ensure their place in the afterlife.\n\n♪♪ -[ Speaking French ] -To dig and decorate a tomb of such a size must have ta ken a good 20 years\, if not more.\n\nAnd\, certainly\, in terrible condit ions.\n\nWe know there were several crews working on the tombs at the same time.\n\nWhen the excavators were working in the deepest sections\, scrib es and craftsmen had already begun decorating the first rooms\, which were finished.\n\n-Who were these builders and craftsmen who dug and decorated the tombs?\n\nThe knowledge and training that made Padiamenope's tomb so dazzling can be traced back eight centuries to a unique archaeological sit e not far from TT33.\n\n♪♪ It's a village where the men who worked on royal tombs lived and learned how to create the intricate\, inscribed text s.\n\n-Here we are at Deir el-Medina\, which is one of the most important places in Egypt.\n\nIt's the workmen's village\, and these are the people who decorated the tombs of the kings and the Valley of the Queens\, and he re\, this is in the west bank of Thebes\, where the Valley of the Queens\, which they also decorated\, is there.\n\nThe Valley of the Kings is just over there\, and also the nobles' tombs and the temples are very close by. \n\nYou can see different degrees of specialization\, and that's\, of cour se\, because people were always learning the craft.\n\nSo the fathers woul d be teaching their children but probably also the priest would help in te rms of the reading and the writing\, but you can see with the ostracon whe re people are clumsily writing out their hieroglyphs like their baby ABCs\ , and then they get very confident.\n\n-The village was built at the time of Thutmose I\, more than 3\,500 years ago.\n\nThe workmen would leave the village at the beginning of each week to dig\, construct\, and decorate t he tombs of the pharaohs.\n\nAt the end of the New Kingdom\, the site was abandoned and became buried in the sand\, and the objects left behind by t he inhabitants were discovered on digs in the early 20th century.\n\n♪ ♪ -As part of a mission led by the Institute\, Cédric Larcher oversees and coordinates researchers from around the world who gather at the site f or two months every year.\n\nTheir aim is to study the remains found in th e village to better understand the work of these unsung craftsmen.\n\n-[ S peaking French ] -This is our place of work\, our laboratory where the mis sion's researchers work on objects found directly on the ground.\n\nGersan de is analyzing the different types of wood found on the site.\n\nZachary and Ahmed are scanning our database to find out what this object was used for\, what's written on it\, and to establish the context of where it was found on the site.\n\n♪♪ This is an ostracon.\n\nThese ostraca have be en found in large quantities at Deir el-Medina.\n\nThey're fragments of li mestone or potsherds\, which were used as writing tablets by the inhabitan ts there.\n\nThe ostraca give us a lot of information about everyday local life\, as they mention events or consist of lists of workers and their fa milies.\n\nBut some of them were used to practice writing\, which shows th at people undertook apprenticeships in writing here at Deir el-Medina.\n\n They copied out classic texts again and again until not only did they know them by heart\, but they could also write all the signs.\n\nWe imagine th at the apprentice had models and he had to keep carving the same sign unti l he could reproduce the volume expected by the teacher.\n\n-For the lette rs to each other\, you would use hieratic\, which is basically hieroglyphs but a more relaxed form\, so it is the same way that hieroglyphs are like capital letters\, very formal\, and hieratic is joined-up cursive writing .\n\n-99% of ancient Egypt's population was illiterate\, but that was not the case for the community of craftsmen living at Deir el-Medina.\n\nAnd t he men were organized so that the work was spread evenly across the tombs. \n\n-[ Speaking French ] -Among the important ostraca found on the site is one now kept at the British Museum\, which contains information about the organization of work at the royal tombs.\n\nHere\, written in hieratic\, are the names of the workers\, with a list of the days they were present o r absent.\n\nScribes kept daily registers.\n\nThey'd take a roll call to s ee who was there and who wasn't.\n\nWe have some of the excuses presented by the absent -- \"So-and-so absent for a family funeral\" and so on.\n\nA nd along with the lists of workers are the names of the chief builders who oversaw their work at the tombs.\n\n-The workflow in the tomb included a variety of tasks\, following a meticulously planned schedule.\n\nFirst\, t he excavators dug into a limestone vein in the mountain\, which had been c arefully located beforehand.\n\nIt was grueling work.\n\nThe men only had wooden mallets and bronze chisels to excavate the rock.\n\nSteel tools did n't exist in the ancient Egypt of 3\,500 years ago.\n\nOthers then removed the rubble from inside the tomb.\n\nNext came the polishers\, who smoothe d the floors and walls.\n\nDraftsmen would then trace grids on the walls.\ n\nThese served as the framework for the outline scribes\, who used red in k to sketch figurative scenes and texts\, which would be inscribed later.\ n\n♪♪ Next came the engravers\, who carved the stone with wooden malle ts and fine copper chisels\, following the previously sketched guide.\n\nA nd the final step -- painters colored the carved scenes and hieroglyphs.\n \n♪♪ -[ Speaking French ] -We've found a large number of paintbrushes of varying shapes and sizes\, depending on their use.\n\nSome brushes were used for applying stucco or painting the first layer on the walls to be d ecorated.\n\nFiner brushes were used to paint the figures or hieroglyphs.\ n\n-Elizabeth Bettles wants to find the name of each artist whose work app ears in another tomb in the Theban necropolis.\n\nWith tireless determinat ion\, this British paleography expert works to identify the painter of a t omb from the 20th dynasty.\n\n♪♪ -Everybody's handwriting is different .\n\nEverybody's handwriting is unique.\n\nToday as it is known that that is the case\, and it would have been exactly the same over 3\,000 years ag o\, as this was.\n\nAll of this learning about the man who created these h ieroglyphs\, who painted them\, I've got to get to know him.\n\nSo I've go t to try and find his handwriting style through the shape\, through -- of the sign\, through how he created the sign\, how he spelled things.\n\nAnd at the moment\, I am concentrating on doing individual hieroglyphs to fin d out what their shape is.\n\nMy long-term goal is to create a kind of an interactive database to be able to show people who we can name\, who we kn ow who they married\, what their children's names were.\n\nSo we can learn so much about the people who were literate\, who could write.\n\n-You can recognize now the hands of the painters because they each has a special t echnique\, which is marvelous\, because\, again\, you start to connect the finished work of art with the individual.\n\n♪♪ -Although the last ar tists left Deir el-Medina 800 years before Padiamenope's tomb was built\, their skills and traditions began there\, to be handed down from generatio n to generation.\n\n♪♪ The mission goes on.\n\nThe Egyptologists have decided to reconstruct\, like a vast jigsaw puzzle\, the magnificent decor ation of the tomb's walls\, which time has broken into thousands of pieces .\n\n♪♪ For help\, they have called on archaeologist Simone Nannucci.\ n\nThis morning\, while digging in the tomb's first rooms\, he discovered more information about Padiamenope.\n\n♪♪ -[ Speaking native language ] -While digging\, we found thousands of fragments from the walls\, pillar s\, and ceiling.\n\nThe aim of our research is to place them in their orig inal position.\n\n-This part probably came from this\, the southern wall o f the room\, where we can see Padiamenope's mummy before his tomb\, and he re\, part of his title\, \"Rehrireb\" or \"Rehritep\" -- lector-priest.\n\ n-Look at the detail in the ears and nostrils!\n\n-The stele.\n\n-I hadn't noticed that.\n\nSo it's a representation of the tomb we're in right now! \n\n-Right.\n\nIn its ideal state.\n\n-Padiamenope must be very happy in t he afterlife!\n\nWe never stop mentioning his name!\n\nThis is so moving.\ n\n-The carved walls of temples and tombs aren't the only sources availabl e to archeologists documenting the history of this civilization.\n\n5\,000 years ago\, ancient Egyptians also created a material akin to paper from the stalk of a plant that grows along the banks of the Nile -- papyrus.\n\ nIn the 19th century\, ancient Egyptian papyri became collectors' items.\n \nBernardino Drovetti\, France's consul in Cairo at the time\, made a busi ness of selling texts that were several millennia old.\n\nThe king of Pied mont paid him a fortune to put together a collection.\n\nThe king was able to open the Museo Egizio in 1824 that included statues\, objects\, and pa pyri.\n\nWhat did the man who made it possible think about the new museum in Italy?\n\n-When the Drovetti collection was acquired\, they hope to bri ng the man who had found the key to ancient Egypt to Turin.\n\nSo Champoll ion accepts their invitation.\n\nHe is not at all happy about the fact tha t France has not acquired the collection\, but Turin has.\n\nAnd so he's c redited with that famous saying that\, \"The road to Memphis and Thebes go es through Turin.\"\n\n-But once he arrived in Turin\, Champollion had a c hange of heart.\n\nHe spent the next eight months at the museum studying p apyri that he described as being \"beyond words.\"\n\nHe made extraordinar y discoveries while restoring the papyri fragments brought back from Egypt by Drovetti.\n\nToday\, the scientists at the Museo Egizio are busy resto ring and piecing together papyri\, continuing Champollion's work.\n\nWhile at the museum\, he used its collection to create a foundational work in E gyptology -- the Turin King List\, as it's sometimes called -- which helpe d establish the chronology of Pharaonic dynasties.\n\n-Chronology is one o f the primary concerns of Champollion when he arrives in Turin.\n\nChampol lion is confronted with a rich collection such as he has never seen before .\n\nAmong the fragmentary papyrus that Champollion was confronted with wa s one that was a list of royal names -- the Turin Canon or the Papyrus of Kings\, a list of kings starting from the time of the gods and all the way into historical times and until\, presumably\, the time of Ramses II\, un der whom this list was compiled.\n\nIt is one of the fundamental historica l documents of Egyptology.\n\n-Champollion threw himself into his work wit h the Turin papyri.\n\nBut he hoped to return to Egypt\, sail up the Nile deep into Nubia\, and continue studying hieroglyphics carved directly on m onuments.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ It took him two years\, but he was able to orga nize an expedition of 14 scholars and scientists who would travel for 18 m onths\, analyzing the main sites of antiquity that were seen during the Bo naparte mission.\n\nIt was an immense task.\n\n♪♪ -[ Speaking French ] -Champollion is the father of Egyptology not just because he deciphered h ieroglyphs\, but also because of his contribution to every field that cons titutes the science -- his work on Egyptian religion\, his work on the Tur in Royal Canon and the lists of the pharaohs\, and so on.\n\n-Champollion' s chronology of pharaohs stopped at Rameses II\, from the 19th dynasty.\n\ nBut the empire lasted another 700 years.\n\nLater scholars would complete the timeline through the Roman period.\n\nClaude Traunecker used the Turi n King List to date TT33 to roughly the 7th century BCE.\n\nBut in order t o understand Padiamenope better\, he must now determine which pharaoh the scribe served.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -How come a man of such importance never speaks of his king in his tomb?\n\nFrom time to time\, he says\, \"I was an important man.\n\nThe king of my day counted a lot on me\,\" but h e never names him.\n\n-Which pharaoh relied on Padiamenope so heavily?\n\n The tomb next to his\, that of Mentuemhat\, governor of Upper Egypt and ma yor of Thebes in the 7th century BCE\, provides Traunecker with the answer .\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -Genuine power was held for about 10 years by Me ntuemhat\, the man who built the great pylon\, which you can see behind me .\n\nHow does Padiamenope fit in here?\n\nI think they were just about con temporaries\, or there's perhaps 10 years between them\, because there are the same features found in Mentuemhat's tomb as that of Padiamenope.\n\nS o I believe that Padiamenope was the religious adviser to King Taharqa.\n\ n-Taharqa.\n\nThe Louvre contains several depictions of the most famous ki ng of the 25th dynasty -- black pharaohs from the Kingdom of Kush.\n\n ♪♪ -The Nubian dynasty was already impregnated with Egyptian culture w hen it was established because they came from Sudan\, Upper Nubia\, which had been colonized by Egypt and had gone through a long acculturation proc ess.\n\nSo the Nubian elite was well-adapted to the customs and religion o f the Egyptians.\n\nThey were more royalist than the king\, so to speak\, because they advocated a return to original purity.\n\n♪♪ Padiamenope participated in this antiquity revival movement\, which was very fashionab le at the time.\n\nHe illustrated inside his tomb\, with texts on the pyra mids and on sarcophagi\, which hadn't been in use for almost 2\,000 years\ , to show how erudite he was to visitors\, because part of his tomb was me ant to attract intellectual tourists.\n\nAnd Padiamenope was a secretary t o the king -- at a certain time\, at least.\n\n-As a secretary\, Padiameno pe would have led sacred ceremonies in the pharaoh's absence.\n\nThis stra nge ramp descending to the Nile is proof.\n\nIt was constructed during Tah arqa's reign\, under the supervision of Padiamenope.\n\nA text in Padiamen ope's tomb helped Traunecker make the connection.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -\"I constructed a mooring space\,\" which means a quayside.\n\nThis tells us he was in charge of construction work in Karnak\, but as lector-priest \, he was also in charge of the ceremonies in Karnak.\n\nHe calls himself \"he who conducted celebrations and ceremonies in the Temple of Karnak.\"\ n\nSo he was a very\, very important figure in terms of local worship.\n\n -As part of what they called the Beautiful Festival of the Valley\, the pe ople of Thebes gathered together every year for a huge processional.\n\nAs a remembrance of the dead\, priests would launch a statue or portrait of Amun-Ra into the Nile on a ceremonial boat known as a barque.\n\nThe barqu e would then tour the necropolises at the site.\n\nPadiamenope chose to bu ild his own tomb in a place where the procession would stop each year.\n\n To get a sense of what the festival was like\, this wall at the Temple of Luxor commemorates a similar event.\n\n-Padiamenope was very key to this w hole connection and this control system that the Nubian pharaohs had.\n\nS o Taharqa depended on Padiamenope to\, in fact\, guide him\, almost\, thro ugh the idea of Egypt's religion and the texts.\n\n♪♪ -As Egyptologist s have noted\, many of the chapels inside the Karnak complex are dedicated to the god Osiris and date from the period of the Nubian pharaohs.\n\nIt is difficult to know whether Padiamenope had any influence on the revival of Osiris worship.\n\nBut for Salima Ikram\, it's undeniable that the arch itecture of the chapels was a source of inspiration for Padiamenope.\n\nLi fe in ancient Egypt revolved around ensuring a place in the afterlife.\n\n Perhaps Padiamenope hoped that dedicating his tomb to Osiris would help hi m after death.\n\nA closer look at the architecture of his tomb offers som e insight into his thinking.\n\nIt was structured as several distinct sect ions.\n\nThe first was undoubtedly open to all visitors.\n\nBut the second section was reserved solely for pilgrims worshiping Osiris.\n\n-[ Speakin g French ] -Imagine that we are not regular tomb tourists\, but pilgrims c ome to worship at the altar of Osiris.\n\nWe turn right.\n\nTo access here \, you need a special key.\n\nI even wonder whether there was an entrance fee.\n\n-It's possible Padiamenope built a tomb that would generate revenu e to help pay for its upkeep.\n\n-Once through this door\, we reach the ce notaph room.\n\nWhat's a cenotaph?\n\nA pretend tomb.\n\nIt looks like a t omb\, with all the decoration of the time\, but there's no body inside.\n\ nSo what did the pilgrims do once they were here?\n\nThey walked around\, singing canticles.\n\nI think they would sing the texts inscribed at the t ops of the walls.\n\n-The cenotaph served as a pilgrimage destination for worshipers of Osiris.\n\nAnd Traunecker is still studying the tomb's third section\, which he describes as being private.\n\nTo access the third sec tion\, one must descend the infamous shaft in Room XII that terrified visi tors and earned the tomb the legend of being cursed.\n\nFrom there\, it's down a passageway to Room XIX.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -Here's the famous scene \"Awakening Osiris\,\" which must have covered the entire wall.\n\nT he central part features the god Osiris.\n\nBefore him is his son Horus\, who is holding the symbol of life under his father's nose.\n\nThe hierogly phs say\, \"Waking up.\"\n\n-A second shaft descends even further into a s trange room which resembles a sarcophagus from the Old Kingdom.\n\nTechnic ally\, it's the last room in the tomb.\n\nAny pillagers entering here coul d go no further.\n\nIt appears there was nowhere else to go.\n\nBut Padiam enope has created a secret burial chamber above the room.\n\nThe ceiling h ad to be smashed before Padiamenope's real burial chamber could be entered .\n\nAnd it is a revelation.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ The decoration on the walls and ceiling of the chamber rival those of the Sistine Chapel.\n\nAn d Egyptologists have worked to restore them nearly to their original state .\n\n♪♪ -[ Speaking French ] -Padiamenope clearly wanted to conceal th e entrance to this last room\, where he was probably buried.\n\nBut as we found no remains of a sarcophagus\, the latest hypothesis to be put forwar d is that his mummy was inside a wooden coffin placed on a funerary bed\, possibly in the central part of the room.\n\nThis hypothesis is based on t he fact that on the east and west walls of this chamber\, between the nich es which must have held statuettes... ...there are images of guardian geni es\, deities\, who were supposed to protect Padiamenope's body.\n\nThe sam e guardian genies that featured to the left and right of \"Awakening Osiri s.\"\n\nSo the hypothesis is that Padiamenope wanted to reproduce a kind o f three-dimensional \"Awakening Osiris\" in which Padiamenope\, on his fun erary bed and surrounded by guardian genies\, takes the place of Osiris.\n \n-The portrait of the mysterious Padiamenope has become clearer.\n\nAssoc iating himself with the Judge of the Dead and receiving his blessing and g ood grace was undoubtedly the best guarantee of living eternally in the af terlife.\n\nExploration of his tomb has revealed an extraordinary figure - - a priest\, a scribe\, and a scholar who played a crucial role at the pha raoh's court.\n\nDespite the 2\,500 years that separate them\, Padiamenope and Champollion shared the same fascination with hieroglyphics.\n\nIn hin dsight\, one seems to have placed himself in the footsteps of the other.\n \n-[ Speaking French ] -Both of them wanted to pass on something they poss essed.\n\nPadiamenope wanted to pass on his knowledge of history\, a much older history of his civilization.\n\nAnd Champollion wanted to discover a nd then pass on to his contemporaries all of those wonderful things he had discovered.\n\n-Shortly after returning from his voyage to Egypt\, Champo llion fell ill.\n\nHe died in Paris on March 4\, 1832\, at age 41.\n\nDesp ite his early passing\, he left behind a vast body of work.\n\n-[ Speaking French ] -By cracking the code of hieroglyphs\, Champollion opened the gr eat door to what would become Egyptology\, which is still developing today and destined to know even greater developments.\n\n-Today's Egyptologists continue the work Champollion started with his discoveries.\n\nThe priori ty on their next trip will be to conserve the tomb and restore its treasur e in order to reveal more of Padiamenope's secrets\, deepening our underst anding of this ancient civilization and its hieroglyphics.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\ n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250208 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wildheart - the 500 year old scottish tree 02/08/2025 DTSTAMP:20250208T164853Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:189-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Wildheart - the 500 year old scottish tree 02/08/2025\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2841&\;typ e=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WIldHeart on nature\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n My Thoughts\n\n\n\n Dippers are the only aquatic songbird in the world\, they live about Scotland and its oldest tree\, humans name Wildheart. enj oy\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Uniform Resource L ocator\n\n\n\n https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/about-wildheart/28213/\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ♪♪ [ Suspenseful music pl ays\, birds chirping ] ♪♪ -Imagine a tree could tell a tale.\n\nImagin e you could peel back the layers of time... ...to see the amazing events t hat have played out around these ancient branches.\n\n♪♪ This is the s tory of a special Scots pine.\n\n[ Squeak ] [ Tender tune plays ] For 500 years\, it's stood firm here in Scotland's Wildheart... ...growing steadil y alongside generations of animals and people.\n\nThis is the story of Wil dheart.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Ancient\, weather-worn\, an d gnarled\, our Scots pine grows here\, near the heart of the Highlands.\n \nFor a tree of this species to live for five centuries is rare\, but Wild heart has stood guard here on the edge of the forest for all those years.\ n\n♪♪ Few living things spend longer on Earth than a tree and Wildhear t has stood steady here as many generations of animals and people have com e and gone.\n\n♪♪ Living through drought and deluge\, a testament of t he ages is written beneath the scales of its bark.\n\nAnd what a tale it h as to tell.\n\nOf the battles that nature has fought against the rising ti de of humanity and how the wild world has hung on in the face of so much p ressure.\n\n[ Cheeps ] ♪♪ [ Thunder rumbles ] ♪♪ Scots pines start ed spreading across these mountains at the end of the great Ice Age\, when vast herds of reindeer roamed the high tops and wolves still stalked the glens.\n\n[ Birds chirping ] But Wildheart's story begins on a cool misty morning in the middle of the 16th century.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ With seven bil lion fewer people walking the Earth\, nature still rules the planet in the se far-off days.\n\n♪♪ The great wood that the Romans named the Caledo nian Forest still covers vast tracts of the Highlands.\n\nIt's full of mys terious creatures.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] [ Popping ] ♪♪ [ Ras ping ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Capercaillie.\n\nA bird that has an intimate relation ship with the Scots pine.\n\nThey live here\, breed here\, and even feed o n the tree's needles\, when other fruits and berries wither away.\n\n♪ ♪ Common and widespread in Scotland\, their stronghold is here\, in the vast pine forest.\n\n[ Rasping ] The male bird's bizarre popping call is s ummoning the females to the lek.\n\n[ Popping ] [ Popping ] [ Popping ] He re\, in a forest clearing\, they'll compete for the right to mate exclusiv ely with all the hen capercaillies.\n\n[ Pop ] [ Pop ] Weighing in at nine pounds\, this young bird is in superb condition.\n\n[ Popping ] [ Rasping ] [ Popping ] But an older male is up for the fight\, too.\n\n[ Pop ] [ P op ] [ Popping ] [ Rasping ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Rasping ] [ Popping ] [ Popping ] It's time to do battle.\n\n[ Rasping ] ♪♪ ♪♪ They're e venly matched.\n\nIt's simply a question of who gives way first.\n\n♪♪ The younger male is on the run\, handing victory to the dominant older bi rd.\n\n♪♪ Monarch of the glen\, he's retained mastery of the lek.\n\nA ll the females are his.\n\n[ Capercaillie calling ] As the sun rises\, oth er voices ring out across the clearing.\n\nThis is Mary\, Queen of Scotlan d.\n\n[ Mary giggling ] Crowned at just nine months old\, she's at the hea rt of a dynastic dispute as ferocious as the one between the capercaillies .\n\nA pawn in a diplomatic game\, the child is promised as a wife to the son of King Henry VIII of England.\n\n[ Mary giggles ] But the Scots have grown cold on the treaty\, and the child has been hidden away here in the care of her maid.\n\n♪♪ Innocent and happy games are a stark contrast to the turmoil that lies ahead for Mary.\n\n♪♪ In her play\, a cone is cast away.\n\n[ Mary giggles ] It's landed in the perfect spot\, clear of the other trees at the forest's edge.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ Two years on\, and the seed from Mary's cone has become a tiny tree.\n\n♪♪ The capercail lie lek has a new master now.\n\n♪♪ And the young queen has been sent away to France as the child consort of the king's son.\n\n♪♪ Mary's tr ee looks like a survivor.\n\nIts name is Wildheart\, a brave pioneer seemi ngly marching forward across the moor.\n\n♪♪ The open space has given it a head start\, and it's already avoided being devoured by hungry red de er\, mortal foes to Scots pine saplings.\n\nWildheart's animal neighbors a re getting busy.\n\nThe spring of 1549 looks like a fine one.\n\nAnd it's time to search for homes and mates.\n\nThe red squirrel is one of the Cale donian Forest's most dashing residents.\n\nThe aerial world here is full o f spaces to find food\, seek out mates\, and get the next generation on it s way.\n\nRed squirrels spend nearly 90% of their lives in the treetops\, and they're superbly adapted to climb and leap.\n\nWith double-jointed ank les and small\, sharp claws\, they can get up and down trees fast.\n\n[ Bi rd calling ] Early spring is a special time for red squirrels.\n\nAlready pregnant with kittens\, this female is looking for a comfortable nest site \, away from predators.\n\nBut this one is already taken.\n\nShe'll need t o keep searching.\n\nThree months on\, and Wildheart is still holding fast .\n\nA good inch has been added to each springy branch.\n\nThe next few ye ars will be make-or-break for the tree.\n\nA Scots pine can add a foot in height every year.\n\n♪♪ But it's not safe from the hungry deer quite yet.\n\n♪♪ The squirrel has been successful\, too.\n\nThere are kits i n the nest.\n\nNear Wildheart's slim trunk is a bank of spongy moss -- an ideal liner for the squirrel's drey.\n\n♪♪ It's just rather a challeng e to hold onto it all while you transport it to the very top of a pine tre e.\n\n♪♪ A fastidiously clean animal\, the red squirrel mother goes th rough this routine every couple of days.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ And she'l l be stuck with it for a while.\n\nIt'll be another couple of weeks before the kittens can emerge from the drey.\n\n♪♪ [ Thunder rumbles ] As th e 17th century begins\, the crowns of England and Scotland have united.\n\ nMary's son James now rules both kingdoms\, but the relationship remains u npredictable.\n\n♪♪ At 50 years old and 20 feet high\, Wildheart has n ow survived many seasons of the fickle Highland climate\, and the tree is now surrounded by a crowd of neighbors.\n\n♪♪ In the Highlands\, tempe ratures may drop below freezing even in late spring.\n\n♪♪ And snow ca n fall in any month of the year.\n\n♪♪ As the years roll by\, each gen eration of Wildheart's neighbors take their chances against this backgroun d of ever-changing weather.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ Crested tits may be small\, b ut they're the toughest of all the birds living in Wildheart's neighborhoo d.\n\n[ Bird calling ] ♪♪ ♪♪ A true specialist\, crested tits only live in this forest.\n\n♪♪ Even in the 17th century\, they're not fou nd anywhere else in the British Isles.\n\nThe harshest of winters can't de ter crested tits.\n\n♪♪ Like the red squirrel\, they're able to seek o ut caches of food beneath the soft snow\, seeds shed from Wildheart's cone s that will never grow and thrive.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ Wildheart continues to flourish.\n\nA Scots pine can thrive no matter how fickle the climate\, c hanging shape and angle as the years pass.\n\nAs 1650 draws to a close\, o ur tree is more than 100 years old... and 80 feet high.\n\n♪♪ Maturity brings a wider trunk\, and the bark is thickening\, branches spread\, and the pine needles are safely out of reach of the grazing deer.\n\n♪♪ T his tree produces both male and female flowers\, which means it can pollin ate itself\, creating the seed-rich cones which will keep the forest alive .\n\n♪♪ As long they don't fall victim to yet another generation of hu ngry red squirrels.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Thunder rumbling ] The end o f the 17th century brings political turbulence.\n\nCivil war racks the Bri tish Isles\, and English lords have replaced Mary's great-grandson James I I with Dutch-born William of Orange.\n\nBut in the Highlands\, there are s ome who still fight to restore a Scots king.\n\n♪♪ The Jacobites.\ n\n♪♪ These two\, Donald MacGregor and his son Rob Roy\, know the Cale donian Forest intimately.\n\n♪♪ Using guerrilla tactics\, it's easy fo r Highlanders to outwit the English Redcoats.\n\nEspecially when the enemy soldier is lost and alone.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ [ Donald grunts ] [ Soldier g runts ] A quick victory.\n\nBut Rob's future won't be so easy.\n\nForced i nto the life of an outlaw\, he'll live on the edges of society till the en d of his days.\n\nBut the Caledonian Forest will always be his home.\n\nHi s knowledge of this living place and its bubbling waterways will keep him safe.\n\nThe Dee is one of Scotland's longest arterial rivers\, an importa nt thoroughfare for Highlanders both human and animal alike.\n\nThe river is an important partner for the forest.\n\nEach keeps the other healthy.\n \nWater replenishes and nourishes the trees\, but the forest feeds the riv er with nutrients from fallen leaves and branches.\n\nOn a tributary downs tream\, a special pair of Highland birds are busy servicing their nest ben eath a waterfall.\n\nThey're dippers -- true specialists here.\n\nThe only aquatic songbird in the world\, they're able to dive beneath the surface to harvest insect larvae and tiny fish for their well-grown young.\n\nBut like the Highlanders\, they live a precarious life.\n\n[ Thunder rumbling ] The brood of chicks is ready to fledge\, but an unseasonal downpour is t ransforming the benign river into a raging torrent.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ The p arents need to coax the chicks out of the nest as quickly as possible.\n\n ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Delaying their fledging even by a few minutes could see the youngsters swept away by the torrent.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ The c hicks need to leave the nest now\, but they've never flown before and have to navigate the slippery rocks while avoiding the raging river.\n\n♪♪ The parents offer tasty morsels to draw them out of the nest.\n\n ♪♪ ♪♪ The winds whip through Wildheart's forest.\n\n♪♪ Lives a re at risk across the Highlands.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ The river still rises.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ But the dipper chicks are all out an d safe.\n\n[ Birds calling ] The unseasonal storm has swept across the who le forest\, and several of Wildheart's neighbors have been felled by the w ind.\n\nSuddenly there is space around Wildheart once more.\n\nFallen tree s and branches are also a valuable home for some.\n\nMeet the timberman.\n \nScotland's longest beetle.\n\n♪♪ He's just emerged into the spring s unlight after spending four years in his larval stage beneath the surface of Wildheart's scaly bark.\n\n♪♪ The spectacular antennae will help hi m locate a mate.\n\nAnd he needs to do it quickly.\n\nHis adult lifespan w ill be only a third of the time he spent beneath the bark as a grub.\n \n♪♪ Four feet beneath him\, the forest floor is dominated by a fortre ss.\n\nA fortress built by ants.\n\nThese mounds grow across generations\, and this one was already established when Mary cast her cone away and Wil dheart's journey began.\n\nWood ants are a keystone species here\, traveli ng through all three dimensions of the forest to capture insects which are moved back to the mound to nurture the colony.\n\nWood ants also farm aph ids high in the pines' branches.\n\nA gentle stroke from a farmer ant prod uces sticky and nourishing honeydew.\n\nAnd in return for the sugary milk\ , the aphids buy protection from their wood ant guards.\n\nAs the fallen t rees decay and collapse\, they provide dens for Wildheart's predator neigh bors.\n\nPine martens are one of the forest's most efficient predators.\n\ nNow at the beginning of the 18th century\, their population is thousands strong.\n\nWherever there are Scots pines\, there are pine martens.\n\nRed squirrels are an important prey animal\, but it will be quite a while bef ore these three young kits are up to catching one.\n\nFor now\, their live s are about scratching behind bark to find bugs and beetles.\n\n[ Marten s creeches ] ♪♪ ♪♪ The world around Wildheart is complex and diverse .\n\nHome to 172 insect species... 200 fungi species... and a rich array o f birds and mammals\, each part complements the other.\n\n♪♪ But this world is about to come under attack.\n\n♪♪ As the Jacobite revolts of the 18th century are suppressed\, the people of the Highlands face a catac lysmic change.\n\n♪♪ Farming and land use is going through a revolutio n of its own.\n\nLandlords are changing the ways farms are run\, creating larger and larger open spaces.\n\n♪♪ The rights of clan members to far m their own small crofts are removed\, and whole communities are being for ced out\, to work on the coast or even encouraged to emigrate to new lives in North America or Australia.\n\n♪♪ The great Caledonian Forest stan ds in the way of these new systems of farming.\n\n♪♪ And by the early 19th century\, Wildheart's forest has been reduced by 85%.\n\n♪♪ ♪ ♪ It's a still\, cool morning in April\, and the forest stands shrouded in mist.\n\n♪♪ Wildheart is now one of the largest trees in the forest .\n\nIt has the strongest and thickest trunk here.\n\nThe cold snap hasn't been enough to deter the black grouse from lekking at the forest's edge.\ n\n[ Grouse calling ] [ Grouse screeches ] Like their larger relatives the capercaillies\, male black grouse display and skirmish in a series of imp ressive dawn battles.\n\n[ Grouse screeching ] It's all about holding onto the best patch\, and the females will choose the male with the most impre ssive dueling skills.\n\n[ Grouse screeching ] As spring turns to summer\, Wildheart gains new tenants.\n\n♪♪ [ Eagle calling ] ♪♪ By July\, a pair of young golden eagles are sitting on a platform of branches and t wigs.\n\nIt's a tribute to the resilience and strength of Wildheart that t he eagles have chosen to build here.\n\n♪♪ It's more usual for golden eagles to choose craggy mountaintops for their homes\, but they feel secur e and confident in the branches.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ And once built\, an eagl e nest can last for many years.\n\n♪♪ The chicks are 8 weeks old and g rowing fast.\n\nBoth parents hunt\, seeking out hares on the bare mountain sides that are just a couple of wingbeats from Wildheart'S ever-shrinking forest.\n\nThey're still a month away from fledging.\n\nBut other youngste rs face change even more imminently.\n\n♪♪ This 10-year-old boy has a date with destiny.\n\nHe's come here to bid farewell to the lochs\, forest s\, and mountains he's known all his life before emigrating with his famil y to America.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ His name is John Muir\, and since he could walk\, nature has been his inspiration.\n\n♪♪ Recording all his though ts and feelings through words and pictures\, his ideas will shape the way that humanity views not just the forest but the wildlife of the entire wor ld\, eventually giving rise to the idea of protecting nature through Natio nal Parks.\n\n♪♪ A month later\, and the two golden eagle chicks are c lose to fledging.\n\nOne is considerably larger than the other\, and the n est is now littered with bones and debris.\n\n[ Flies buzzing ] Soon they will follow their parents into the Highland skies and leave Wildheart's fo rest behind.\n\n♪♪ Young John Muir has also departed.\n\nHe's now a th ousand miles away\, on a schooner bound for a new life in America.\n\n ♪♪ In his new home\, he'll exchange the Scots pines of the Highlands f or the giant redwoods of California.\n\nBut he hasn't forgotten the Caledo nian Forest... and he never will.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ As the 19 century draws to a close\, Wildheart is now a grand old survivor.\n\nMore than 350 year s old\, the tree is one of the oldest in the forest.\n\nBut it's very much on the front line.\n\nThe pine forest's resources are being used for indu stry and war.\n\nIts frontiers have been pushed back by sheep farms and sh ooting estates.\n\n♪♪ The great Caledonian Forest is now a tiny fracti on of what it once was.\n\n♪♪ Less than 5% of what once stood here is left... and the forest is now spilt into 35 fragments\, islands of diversi ty among the bleak\, bare mountains.\n\n♪♪ The beaver\, wolf\, lynx\, and osprey are gone.\n\n♪♪ But some creatures still return here every year... ...animals who have the Highlands at the very heart of their life cycle -- Atlantic salmon.\n\n♪♪ If the natural world has a symbol for surviving in the face of impossible odds\, that totemic animal would surel y be the salmon.\n\n♪♪ Highland salmon travel into the rivers from the ir ocean home after one to four years of feeding in the cold saltwaters of f Greenland and the Faroes.\n\n[ Sea birds calling ] Dolphins wait to ambu sh them in Highland estuaries as they enter river systems... ...tossing an d turning the unfortunate fish into the ideal swallowing position.\n\n ♪♪ The surviving fish power onwards towards distant spawning grounds a mong the forest fragments.\n\n♪♪ But more barriers lie in their wa y.\n\n♪♪ The fish are resolute in their desire to move on.\n\nTheir bo dies are equipped with powerful muscles that spring them across the most c hallenging waterfalls.\n\n♪♪ They will never give up.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ Finally\, back in the streams where they themselves hatched\, the salmon spawn before their lives end.\n\n♪♪ But their bodies are carried back to nurture the living forest.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ As Wildheart lives through the first half of the 20th century\, the forest is at its lowest point.\n\ n♪♪ But things are changing.\n\n♪♪ Across the far Atlantic\, young John Muir has grown to inspire a new vision of the natural world.\n\nHis ideas have inspired a network of American National Parks\, places where th e natural world nurtures\, revitalizes\, and complements humanity.\n\n ♪♪ Places where rare species can recover.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ It's a mild sunny day in March.\n\nWildheart still stands at the edge of her forest.. . ...new saplings fighting to earn their place around the base of her gnar led trunk.\n\nSomething special is about to happen -- the return of a trav eler who hasn't been seen here in many decades.\n\n[ Bird calling ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ It's an osprey\, a specialist hunter that has come to reclaim this patch of forest and river.\n\n♪♪ Although ospreys have been missing from Wildheart's forest since the turn of the century\, cond itions are still good for them here.\n\n♪♪ Lochs and rivers still have a healthy population of trout\, an osprey's favorite quarry.\ n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ This expert fisherman has a superb technique.\ n\n♪♪ But not every dive produces a catch.\n\nThree out of four strike s is unsuccessful.\n\n♪♪ Despite the osprey's superior eyesight and a dive speed of 80 miles an hour\, a trout can easily evade the hunter's tal ons.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ A successful strike.\n\nBut the fish isn't beate n yet.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ The hunter's inward-curving claws and adhesive sca les on the inside of its feet grip the fish tightly.\n\n♪♪ But it's tr ying to swim down\, pulling the osprey with it.\n\nPredator and prey are c lose in weight.\n\nLifting off from the water will need a titanic effort.\ n\n♪♪ ♪♪ Summoning every last drop of resolve\, the osprey uses th e power of its long and broad wings to lift the trout from the surface.\n\ n♪♪ A perfect prize for a mate.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ Not far away is the o sprey's nest\, the first to be built in Wildheart's forest in half a centu ry.\n\n♪♪ But this nesting attempt will not succeed.\n\n♪♪ Illegal egg collecting is still a popular activity in Great Britain.\n\n♪♪ Os preys will need help to colonize Wildheart's forest.\n\n♪♪ [ Footsteps approach ] By the late 1950s\, a new breed of wildlife warrior has emerge d.\n\nThis is Roy Dennis... a young English ornithologist with a passion f or Scottish ospreys.\n\nHe has a job as the warden protecting the only bre eding pair of ospreys in the British Isles.\n\nEndlessly vigilant\, he's d etermined to give the ospreys the best possible chance of success.\n\nThat means trimming low branches from trees that could give egg collectors acc ess to the canopy and organizing volunteer patrols.\n\nBut\, above all\, w atching and waiting day and night... ...until finally\, in the summer\, th e ospreys succeed.\n\n[ Ospreys calling ] ♪♪ ♪♪ And the first chic ks fledged in Scotland in the 20th century take to the skies.\ n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ But what of Wildheart and her kin?\n\nCan the Scot tish forest also return from the edge?\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ The tree st ands alone and in the open now.\n\nAt 480 years of age\, Wildheart is near ly as old as a Scots pine can be.\n\nIts life will be over soon.\n\nAnd wh at times it has born witness to.\n\nTimes in which humanity has pushed the planet into a dangerous place.\n\nTimes in which so many species have van ished from the forest.\n\nBut things are changing.\n\n♪♪ And now in th e 21st century\, there's a new sense of awareness that people can and must do something.\n\n♪♪ In the last 20 years\, organizations like the Joh n Muir Trust have planted more than a million successors to Wildheart.\n\n ♪♪ Although the ancient tree itself may be closer to the end\, the chi ldren of the 21st century are not prepared to let her kind die.\n\n♪♪ For the sake of Scotland and to safeguard the future for us all\, Wildhear t's descendants are marching forward across the hill.\n\n♪♪ The Caledo nian Forest will rise again.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250208 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New York prohibits Slavery JUNETEENTH DAY DTSTAMP:20250205T132425Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:183-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Black New Yorkers \, your state prohibited slavery on thi s day The 13th Amendment\, which prohibits slavery\, was proposed on Janua ry 31\, 1865. New York is the 5th state to pass the law on Feb 3\, 1865.\n \n\n\n Juneteenth occured in December 18th [ 13th Amendment Certified JUN ETEENTH - RMCommunityCalendar - African American Literature Book Club ] \ n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02072026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/topic/12436-new-york-prohibits-slavery-juneteenth-day/#findCo mment-80012\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n does anyone ho nor that moment in the state you lived in? in truth\, that was when the la w was adopted in the state you live in. \n\n\n\n I imagine not of any of the six states on that date\, because it makes sense with black history.  \n\n\n\n Black DOSers gained a federalist heritage in the jim crow eras \, because the shift between enslavement era[1492 to 1865] to jim crow era [ 1865 to 1980] meant the federal government through the amendment process\, which is the most powerful plus the least used plus the most required in governing skill governing tool in the usa \, had made it where black DOSer s could no longer be deemed not citizens\, so for the white majorities in each state\, the only way to maintain financial domination was to use stat e government\, which under the constitution is free to be different than t he federal government as long as an elected affair \, to create an anti bl ack holistic bureaucracy in each state in the usa commonly called Jim Crow . \n\n\n\n I argue the whites of the confederate states: texas to virgini a\, gained a states rights heritage in the same jim crow era. \n\n\n\n Bu t gardless to the historical guides\, do you think said date should be hon ored more by Black DOSers\, even with its variance in each state in the un ion?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 2/6/2026 at 1:23 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n 13th amendment was ratified on 3 Feb 1865 in the state where I live.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n 02072026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/topic/12436-new-york-prohibits-slavery-juneteenth-day/#findComment- 80029\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, P rofD said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I'm fine with Juneteenth being the celebrat ion date among FBA/AfroAmericans.\n\n\n\n I apologize\, I did not meant to suggest the 13th amendment dates as a replacement for juneteenth\, rather an addition.\n\n\n\n Juneteenth in my mind is a federal \, encompassing a ll the states\, event. It isn't about when any one state made slavery ille gal outside prisons\, but celebrating the illegality of enslavement at the federal level above the states. \n\n\n\n I restate my old question\n\n\n \n do you think the amendment adoption date for each state should be honor ed in each state alongside the federal level juneteenth? \n\n\n\n I assum e based on your reply no\, but then the question is why? \n\n\n\n Simply want the juneteenth to be as it is unchanges? \n\n\n\n Don't like the ide a of a state based celebration?\n\n\n\n or other?\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250203 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:King Arthur Truth from Secrets Of The Dead 02/07/2025 DTSTAMP:20250207T161009Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:187-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n King Arthur Truth from Secrets Of The Dead 02/07/2025\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2838&\;type=st atus\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n King Arthur's Lost Kingdom from Secrets o f the Dead\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n So the angles+ saxons were scandanavian far mers who intermated with the peoples of the british isles  focusing on tr ade to denmark to germany\, focused to the east[modern day southern/easter n central england]\, then in the west[modern day wales\, western england] the people of the british isles traded with the mediterranean\, the sea la nes from the eastern meditteranean through the Jabal Tariq.north around th e coast to tintagel. Which i realize now is like AL hambra in Spain\, the last viestiges of a militaristically+financially powerful region that exis t foreignly to its neighbors/\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Uniform Reso urce Locator\n\n https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/king-arthurs-lost-kingdo m-king-arthurs-lost-kingdom-about-the-film/4069/\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n -In the rich recorded history of Great Britain\, one period i s shrouded in mystery and clouded by myth.\n\n \n\nAfter an occupation las ting nearly 400 years\, in 410 AD\, the Roman army abandoned the island.\n \n \n\nHistory holds that Britain then plunged into two centuries of turmo il and violence... known as the Dark Ages.\n\n \n\nLegends tell of a great leader who unites the lawless land to fight off an invading horde -- King Arthur.\n\n \n\nBut how much truth is there to the story?\n\n \n\n♪♪ Now\, new archaeological discoveries are rewriting this chapter in Britain 's history.\n\n \n\n-It's really clear!\n\n \n\n-With exclusive access to unprecedented new finds... -When you look at their bones\, you find a very \, very low incidence of weapon injury\, sword cuts.\n\n \n\n-...and using groundbreaking science... -It was one of those total wow moments.\n\n \n\ n-...Professor Alice Roberts pieces together the real story... -It's just absolutely phenomenal.\n\n \n\nWe've got continuous occupation all along t his strip which is immense.\n\n \n\n-...to reveal how 5th and 6th century Britain was anything but dark.\n\n \n\n-We're not looking at an abandoned landscape of desperate poverty.\n\n \n\n-It's not necessarily the truth.\n \n \n\n-It's about as far removed from history as you can get.\n\n \n\n-Mo dern archaeology could finally uncover the true story of King Arthur's Los t Kingdom.\n\n \n\n♪♪ ♪♪ -In 410 AD\, Britain suffered a political catastrophe.\n\n \n\nThe Roman Empire that covered most of Western Europe had become over-stretched\, weakened by infighting and external attacks.\ n\n \n\nAfter 400 years of prosperity\, the Roman aristocracy\, troops and bureaucrats left the island.\n\n \n\n♪♪ -Dies tenebrosa sicut nox.\n\ n \n\nIt's a brilliant\, evocative way of saying \"Welcome to the Dark Age s.\"\n\n \n\n-The common belief is that the Roman departure had a devastat ing impact across Britain.\n\n \n\nWithout Roman authority\, society colla pses.\n\n \n\nThe roads and towns fall into ruin.\n\n \n\nCivilization cru mbles.\n\n \n\nThe era after Roman rule became known as the Dark Ages.\n\n \n\nBut the truth is\, almost nothing is known about what life was really like.\n\n \n\n-For the period 400 to 600 -- that's 200 years\, that's 8\, 10 generations -- we know the names of... you can kind of count them on t wo hands.\n\n \n\nFor the whole of the period 400 to 600\, in the British Isles we have 2 or 3 people whose writing we have fragments of.\n\n \n\n-I n the absence of recorded history\, stories about one powerful leader beca me popular -- The great King Arthur.\n\n \n\nBut what truth\, if any\, lie s behind the legend?\n\n \n\nWhat was 5th-century Britain really like?\n\n \n\nProfessor Alice Roberts\, an expert in archaeology and human remains\ , wants to separate fact from fiction using scientific discoveries- and fi nd out what really happened at this pivotal moment in history.\n\n \n\ n♪♪ Her journey to uncover the truth about King Arthur's Britain begin s at the British Library in London.\n\n \n\nShe's meeting Julian Harrison\ , the Curator of Medieval Manuscripts.\n\n \n\n-So this is Geoffrey.\n\n \ n\n-Here we have one of the earliest copies of Geoffrey of Monmouth's \"Hi story of the Kings of Britain.\"\n\n \n\n-It's a copy of a 12th-century be stseller.\n\n \n\nThe writing on the animal-skin parchment is still crysta l clear.\n\n \n\n-The script is so beautiful.\n\n \n\nIt's so regular.\n\n \n\nThat's fantastic.\n\n \n\n-900 years ago\, a Welsh monk\, Geoffrey of Monmouth\, wrote his own account of the history of Britain.\n\n \n\nHis c hronicle told of a King Arthur who ruled 600 years before Geoffrey's time. \n\n \n\n-Here we are.\n\n \n\nHere's the page I want to show you.\n\n \n\ n-Geoffrey's manuscript is in Latin\, the written language of medieval Bri tain.\n\n \n\n-I can recognize the odd word here.\n\n \n\nI can see concep t and then \"eadem nocte.\"\n\n \n\n-\" Eadem nocte.\"\n\n \n\nSo\, this t ells you that on this night\, \"eadem nocte\,\" was conceived\, celebrated \, King Arthur\, \"Arturus\,\" \"Arturum.\"\n\n \n\n-According to Geoffrey \, the mythical king has a rather bizarre conception.\n\n \n\nArthur's fat her asked the wizard Merlin to cast a spell to disguise him as the Duke of Cornwall\, so he could seduce the Duke's wife.\n\n \n\n-He's in the appea rance of her husband and he satisfies himself\, and as a result on that pa rticular night\, on that particular occasion Arthur was conceived.\n\n \n\ n-That moment as those words appear on the page\, that's the beginning of King Arthur as we know him.\n\n \n\n♪♪ -A remote rocky outcrop called Tintagel in the far west of Britain is where Arthur's story begins.\n\n \n \n-It's in the top line there.\n\n \n\n-That looks like \"dece\" to me.\n\ n \n\n-It says \"dei\" and then there's a new word.\n\n \n\n-Tin-ta-gol.\n \n \n\n-\"Tintagol.\"\n\n \n\nExactly.\n\n \n\n-Is this the first associat ion of Tintagel as a place with Arthur?\n\n \n\n-It is indeed.\n\n \n\n-Pa cked with sex and violence\, Geoffrey's account unfolds like a modern-day action movie.\n\n \n\n-It's full of excitement\, it's full of horror\, it' s full of lots of things that an audience would love.\n\n \n\n-And eager t o please his Christian audience\, Geoffrey came up with the perfect bad gu ys.\n\n \n\nWith the Romans gone\, the ancient Britons are vulnerable to a ttack.\n\n \n\nIn Geoffrey's retelling\, pagan tribes known as the Angles and the Saxons swarm in from modern-day Holland\, Germany and Denmark.\n\n \nTheir armies invade the east coast of Great Britain\, destroying everyt hing in their path.\n \n-I suppose he gives us this idea today that the Ro mans abandoned Britain to its fate and when the Romans go it is just chaos .\n \nThere's plagues\, there's civil war\, there's the Saxons just slaugh tering everybody.\n \nSo it's real blood and thunder stuff.\n \n-But accor ding to Geoffrey\, Arthur comes out of the West\, unites the Britons\, and leads the counter attack.\n \nThe result is a split country.\n \nEmbattle d Britons in the west and in the east\, new Angle and Saxon hordes\, that later historians combine into a single entity -- the Anglo-Saxons.\n \nThi s is King Arthur's Britain.\n \n-In his account to simplify it\, yes\, you get\, you get this sense of the Britons are the ones who are defending ev erything that is right and good.\n \nYou get this sort of frontier line be tween these two constantly warring factions.\n \nIt is \"us against them.\ "\n \nIt is Britons against the Anglo-Saxons.\n \nThe Anglo-Saxons are the forces of evil that need to be destroyed.\n \nBritons and Saxons are kill ing one another\, and that's Arthur's world\, that is where he existed.\n \n-Here it talks about his sword\, \"g ladio optimo.\"\n \n-The best sword .\n \n-And that was called Caliburno.\n \n-Caliburn-- Is that Excalibur?\n \n-This is Excalibur.\n \n-Yes!\n \n-But in the original it was called Ca liburn.\n \n-Arthur's sword is a weapon of mass destruction.\n \n-It tells you that with Caliburn alone\, Arthur killed some 470 men single-handedly .\n \nHe went berserk\, essentially.\n \n-470 victims in a single rush.\n \nI mean that is -- it's too extraordinary to believe\, obviously.\n \nI m ean\, he's being portrayed here as... -He's a superhero essentially.\n \n- Yeah\, yeah.\n \n-Geoffrey's book is the first reference to a King Arthur that we have.\n \nEarlier accounts written closer to the Dark Ages don't m ention a king named Arthur\, but they do describe a violent invasion.\n \n The earliest description was written by a monk named Gildas.\n \nA few fra gments of his text are still legible.\n \n-He's writing in the 6th century .\n \nAnd he isn't writing so much a work of history.\n \nIt's more a pole mical text\, criticizing the Britons and blaming their evil ways\, their b ad ways of living with that's why they were conquered by the Saxons.\n \nT his is one of the few passages we can still read now but he talks about th e -- like ravishing wolves.\n \nThe Saxons are loopy.\n \n-Loopy yeah.\n \ n-They are obviously destroying.\n \nIn Gildas' terminology\, they are des troying everything in their wake.\n \n-So\, again this is a\, this is an i nvading force.\n \nThis is the arrival of the enemy essentially.\n \n-Prec isely.\n \n-And the difficulty with these kind of accounts I think is that \, is that you're almost getting a single view of how this happened.\n \n- Both Geoffrey and Gildas's histories are highly subjective\, making it dif ficult to take them at face value.\n \nThey can't be trusted as fact\, but they have given Professor Roberts something specific to investigate.\n \n They both describe a massive invasion from the east and the native Britons resisting in the west.\n \nAnd the archaeological evidence supports this idea -- Anglo-Saxon artifacts have primarily been found in eastern Britain .\n \nIf great wars were fought\, evidence of mass slaughter and conflict should lie along this frontier line of their supposed occupation.\n \nArch aeologist Dominic Powlesland has been flying\, digging and mapping a vast area on the eastern side of this imagined border\, near the village of Wes t Heslerton in Yorkshire.\n \n-Clear prop.\n \nOkay\, ready Dominic?\n \n- Yeah\, I'm ready.\n \n-Right\, hold on tight here we go.\n \nGolf-Romeo-Ro meo rolling.\n \n-Will Dominic's research confirm the written accounts of a full-scale foreign invasion?\n \n-These fields underneath us are entirel y filled with archaeology.\n \nThere's archaeology in every single one.\n \n-Dominic uses modern technology to map every single artifact relating to the Anglo-Saxons found over 25 square miles of what is today farmland.\n \nIt's taken an army of volunteers 40 years to complete their survey.\n \n -We've surveyed all these fields.\n \n-Roberts is here to find out what th e hard work reveals about life on the alleged frontier of King Arthur's Br itain.\n \nKey to the process is geophysical surveying -- a technique that uses ground-penetrating radar to map traces of ancient structures.\n \n-S o\, every single spot here is a feature?\n \n-Yeah.\n \nSo\, all those dot s are individual features.\n \nYou can zoom in to this area here.\n \n-Cli ck on that we get all the finds information.\n \n-Oh\, wow!\n \n-That's th e plan\, this is the distribution of finds within it.\n \n-It just goes on and on!\n \nYou've got thousands of finds coming out of every single one of these features\, and hundreds of these features.\n \nI mean\, that's a phenomenal amount of data.\n \n-Yeah.\n \nAbout a million finds altogether .\n \n-What Dominic has found is extraordinary.\n \nBut even more amazing is what he hasn't found.\n \nThere are no mass graves of defeated warriors .\n \nNo signs of battle or conquest... anywhere.\n \nThere is no evidence here for mass slaughter of local Britons by violent Angle and Saxon tribe s.\n \n-I have never seen any evidence of an invasion.\n \n♪♪ -And the Anglo-Saxon skeletons show few signs of violence.\n \n-Once you start kil ling people in large numbers they leave themselves lying around\, you can' t avoid them.\n \nSo\, we don't see lots of Anglo-Saxons with massive inju ries.\n \n-When you look at their bones you find a very\, very low inciden ce of weapon injuries\, sword cuts.\n \nThis is a society that is playing with the idea of a military world\, but doesn't actually seem to be engagi ng with physical conflict to a huge degree.\n \n-And the findings here are backed up elsewhere.\n \n-Here's a very\, very good piece of science -- o f all the dead bodies dug up that may belong to the period 400 to 600 -- a nd we have thousands of them -- men and women\, children\, old people\, yo ung people.\n \nBut of all those thousands of bodies\, if you ask the numb er of those bodies that have sharp-edge weapon injuries\, it's less than t wo percent.\n \nWhere do battles fit into that?\n \n-The archaeology makes it very clear -- there was no large-scale conflict.\n \nIt's a stark depa rture from Geoffrey and Gildas's written accounts -- the idea of native Br itons fighting the invading Angles and Saxons doesn't reflect what's being found on the ground.\n \nInstead\, the archaeology reveals exactly what t he Angles and Saxons who came to Britain were doing.\n \nDominic has pulle d together all the data in what he calls The Wallpaper.\n \n-It's just phe nomenal because all of that work comes together to give you a picture of a landscape which is so densely settled.\n \n-Yeah.\n \n-The Anglo-Saxons w eren't blood-thirsty warriors.\n \nThey were farmers.\n \n-We've got settl ements here.\n \nThere's one here.\n \nThere's one here.\n \nThere\, of co urse there's this large one at West Heslerton.\n \nWe've identified 14\, p robably now 15 settlements.\n \n-Anglo-Saxon buildings dominated the lands cape.\n \nThe settlers imported their traditional\, northern European buil ding style.\n \nStructures were built in wood with thatch roofs -- a style known as Grubenhauser.\n \n-So\, these blobs here are the Grubenhauser.\n \n-All of these little blobs?\n \n-You see big houses there\, big houses here\, and lots of these Grubenhauser.\n \nYou will also see this hamlet h ere\, a hamlet there\, a load of buildings there\, a load here.\n \nYou se e -- it's all joined up.\n \nThere's stuff everywhere.\n \n-In the Anglo-S axon period\, this area was densely settled -- hundreds of buildings in mo re than a dozen separate communities.\n \n♪♪ -Roger Lima.\n \nStandby to land.\n \n-I think that might be Alice down there.\n \n-Dominic's metic ulous research tells a very different story from the common understanding of a violent invasion.\n \n♪♪ -Bit of a bumpy landing there.\n \n-That 's okay.\n \n-Are you all right?\n \n-Yeah\, I'm fine.\n \n-The picture th at's emerging in the east is of a peaceful society\, not a violent one.\n \nBut what about in the west?\n \nWill archaeologists find any evidence of either violent conflict or a legendary king on this side of Britons' Dark Age Divide?\n \nProfessor Roberts has access to a new excavation on the f ar west coast of Britain.\n \n♪♪ -And it's at Tintagel\, the very site where\, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth\, Arthur is supposed to have be en conceived.\n \n♪♪ ♪♪ A major archaeological dig is underway her e\, on a part of the island that has never been excavated before.\n \n ♪♪ Archaeologist Win Scutt is the site's curator.\n \n-So\, Win\, intr oduce me to Tintagel from the air then.\n \nWhat are we looking at?\n \n-W ell\, it's fantastic\, you can already see one of the rectangular building s that dates to the 5th\, 6th Century.\n \n-So\, this is the period you're specifically interested in here.\n \n-Absolutely\, yes.\n \n-In contrast to the wood and thatch buildings in the east\, there were more than 100 st one buildings here.\n \n-Is that more?\n \n-Some more over there\, absolut ely.\n \nIt's a settlement of hundreds of people.\n \n-These simple dwelli ngs were first excavated more than 80 years ago.\n \nBut in the summer of 2017\, a much grander complex was discovered.\n \n-We're excavating behind these cliffs on -- these are the Southern cliffs and there we are\, it's coming into view.\n \n-Oh\, there are the trenches.\n \n-There are the tre nches.\n \nFantastic\, yes.\n \n-And they're at work.\n \nWe can spy on th em.\n \nThat's brilliant.\n \n-Really exciting.\n \n-With only five weeks to dig\, the archaeologists rush to gather all the evidence needed to crea te a detailed portrait of life in the 5th century.\n \nAlice joins site di rector Jacky Novakowski to understand the significance of the new excavati on.\n \n-Once we started taking off the turf\, the stone walls started to appear quite quickly.\n \nSo\, it's been buried over 1\,400 years ago and now we are uncovering it for the first time.\n \n-They look very different to me\, to the remains of the buildings that I have seen on the eastern s ide\, which again are fifth\, sixth century but much smaller stones and mu ch thinner walls.\n \n-They're completely different in terms of build char acter and the amount of sheer investment that has gone into their build.\n \nI mean\, they are substantial.\n \n-Well-built walls\, aren't they?\n \ n-Yeah\, they're extraordinary.\n \nThey are over a meter wide\, and you c an see that they are made of large blocks of slate.\n \nVery blocky materi al and you've got them laid horizontally forming a really nice coursed wal l.\n \n-These buildings were built to impress\, I think.\n \nAnd they're p art of this larger complex of other buildings that go off in that directio n\, and in that direction\, so you can see we've got our work cut out.\n \ n-The team's findings will be used to create a 3D model of this apparent 5 th-century citadel... bringing Tintagel out of the Dark Ages and back to l ife.\n \nThe buildings occupy a natural terrace with a stunning vista.\n \ nTheir prominent position\, substantial size and thick walls indicate a gr eat deal of time and effort was taken in their construction.\n \nThere are strong hints that whoever lived here was someone important.\n \nThese peo ple weren't farmers like in the east of Britain.\n \n-They do look like th ey're high status.\n \nThis isn't people eking out an existence up here on top of Tintagel.\n \nThis is people living well.\n \n-This is people livi ng very well\, I think.\n \nA lot more care has gone into the construction of these buildings.\n \nWe're working on the idea that these buildings ar e probably residences\, high-status residences.\n \nIt's all got the feel of an extraordinary large settlement.\n \nWhich is maybe the place where t he most powerful person who is living in this area was resident at the tim e.\n \n-A powerful Dark Ages leader perhaps\, but it's still a huge leap t o say that it could be King Arthur.\n \nIn fact\, no one has ever found an y proof of the legendary leader's existence\, let alone whether he lived a t Tintagel.\n \nJust like in the east\, the team is unearthing evidence of a peaceful lifestyle.\n \nBut it's a much\, much more extravagant one.\n \n-That's a good piece.\n \n-Ah\, nice.\n \nThat is a nice high-quality pi ece of tableware I'd guess.\n \nThere's a rim on the bottom.\n \nThat's sa t on the table.\n \nBeautiful.\n \n-We've been finding a lot of the fine t ablewares.\n \nAnd even some of the dinner plates\, and the storage vessel s containing the wine and olive oil are being broken and just discarded ar ound here.\n \n-Whoever lived here was rich.\n \nThis is the biggest hoard of this type of high-value pottery dating from the Dark Ages that's ever been found in Britain.\n \n-That is really beautiful.\n \n-And there are e ven pieces of fine glassware for drinking wine.\n \n♪♪ The artifacts b eing unearthed at Tintagel are completely different from the Anglo-Saxon o nes found all over the eastern side of the country.\n \nIn this sense at l east\, the archaeological evidence and historical accounts are matching up .\n \n5th-century Britain does seem to be a very divided country.\n \nBut divided by culture\, not violence.\n \nBut what happened to the Britons in the eastern half of the country if the Saxons and Angles did not invade o r conquer?\n \nIn the last decade\, more than 100 skeletons have been unea rthed in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in the eastern half of Britain.\n \nAnd w ith them\, some important new clues.\n \n♪♪ The remains of one of the female skeletons give Professor Roberts a better understanding of everyday 5th-century life.\n \n-My first impressions looking at this skeleton is t hat this is somebody who was quite gracile\, quite slightly built.\n \nI'm looking at these teeth really carefully.\n \nIf I look at the molars\, sh e's quite clearly a young woman.\n \nThe third molar\, the wisdom tooth\, comes through 18 to 21 years\, and there's just a little bit of wear on th at\, But then if you look at the front teeth it's completely different.\n \nThe enamel has been completely worn away and they're flat on the surface .\n \nSo that suggests she's doing something with her front teeth\, which isn't just about food processing.\n \nSo perhaps using her teeth as a tool \, maybe leather working.\n \nDefinite use of the teeth just there.\n \n-A fascinating glimpse of life and work in the Dark Ages.\n \nBut it's the o bjects found with her and other skeletons that provide fresh insight.\n \n Alice meets lead investigator Duncan Sayer.\n \n-So\, we've got an adult i n the middle with two brooches on her shoulder and a load of amber beads.\ n \nAnd next to her is an adolescent.\n \nAnd we have a child.\n \n-Yes\, a small child.\n \n-Small child\, yeah.\n \n-It makes you wonder happened\ , how they ended up in the same grave.\n \n-Well\, it does doesn't it?\n \ nWe've got round brooches and we've got long brooches\, we've got crucifor m brooches.\n \nWe've got all the works really.\n \n-All what you'd expect from an Anglo-Saxon cemetery.\n \nNo surprises there.\n \n-No surprises.\ n \nAbsolutely typical in every way.\n \n-The grave goods suggest these pe ople were part of the newly arrived Anglo-Saxon group.\n \nBut archaeologi cal evidence\, just like written history\, is open to misinterpretation.\n \nSo Duncan is using high-energy physics to examine one of the brooches i n greater detail.\n \n♪♪ Here at the UK's national facility for synchr otron radiation\, a beam of electrons is accelerated almost to the speed o f light as it travels around a 600-yard loop.\n \n♪♪ As the electrons move\, they throw off intensely-focused X-ray beams that allow for composi tional data gathering.\n \nThe X-rays let Duncan probe the chemical make-u p of a tiny part of the brooch.\n \n♪♪ ♪♪ The results are unexpect ed.\n \n-Okay.\n \nSo\, do the blue areas and green areas represent differ ent elements?\n \n-Exactly.\n \nThe green bits highlight iron\, and the bl ue bits highlight lead.\n \nThe lead tells us that this is glass.\n \n-It' s a style of glass work that's been seen before... typical of Britons\, no t the Angles or Saxons.\n \nThe brooch was made locally\, not imported.\n \n-What you're doing is you're taking out a glass\, grinding it up\, and g rinding into it the scrapings from the inside of a crucible.\n \nAnd then you bake it into the holes into the object and it makes enamel.\n \n-Ename l like this was a specifically British production technique.\n \nSo althou gh the style of the brooch is typical of continental Angle and Saxon tribe s\, it's either been made by British hands or by someone who learned from a local.\n \n-So\, this is fascinating\, because it means that this is not an import from the continent.\n \nIt's an imported idea\, it's an importe d style\, but it's a locally made object.\n \n-Exactly.\n \n-What appears to be jewelry imported from Europe was more likely made in Britain.\n \nTh e results suggest assumptions that these are all Anglo-Saxon skeletons mig ht be wrong.\n \nSomething more complicated is going on.\n \nThe team need s a way to identify the skeletons scientifically\, so they turn to another modern technology -- DNA analysis.\n \nSkeleton 82's DNA is a close match to the DNA found in today's Dutch citizens... She's genetically Anglo-Sax on.\n \nBut Skeleton 1 is genetically indigenous -- a match with ancient B ritons.\n \nSkeleton 96 is an even bigger surprise -- a hybrid of British and Anglo-Saxon ancestry.\n \nIt's a very small sample\, but it suggests t he Angles and Saxons who arrived from northern Europe didn't suddenly repl ace the Britons in the east -- they mixed with them.\n \n-People would pro bably not have thought of themselves as Britons or Anglo-Saxons.\n \nThey would probably have thought of themselves in a much more local way than th at.\n \n-This is not a period when people would have known that they were members of a particular nation state.\n \nNation states didn't exist\, peo ple didn't have passports\, they weren't citizens of one country or anothe r.\n \n-The story of Arthur defending the ancient Britons against an invad ing army is likely a myth.\n \nDespite Geoffrey and Gildas's accounts\, th e archaeology shows the Anglo Saxons didn't arrive overnight en masse.\n \ nInstead\, it was a slow and gradual process\, probably over a very long p eriod of time\, not murdering the locals\, but merging with them.\n \n-The re are people coming across the North Sea.\n \nBut they're not entirely re placing the group that are here.\n \nThey're bringing new styles\, new ide as\, new ways of talking\, new religions which are adding to the mix that' s already here.\n \n-It's not a full-scale\, you know\, replacement of one culture by another.\n \n-Over time\, people are trading\, intermarrying\, even swapping fashions.\n \n-We're seeing Britons adopting Saxon-style br ooches.\n \nWe're seeing Saxons adopting Roman-style brooches.\n \n-These things wouldn't have been in these very clear-cut identities that we ascri be to today.\n \nIt would have been much\, much more complex than that.\n \n-Eastern Britain is trading with the Germanic world\, with the Saxon wor ld\, with Scandinavia.\n \nThat's where their fashions\, that's where thei r trade is being connected to.\n \n-Given their geographical proximity\, i t makes sense that Northern Europeans would have formed connections with B ritons in the east rather than the west.\n \nThis is a radical new underst anding of life after the Romans left Britain.\n \nFar from being conquered \, the native Britons in the eastern half of the country seem to have abso rbed the incoming Northern Europeans.\n \nIt was a time of trade and integ ration.\n \nBut in terms of daily life\, little changed.\n \n-I suppose if you think of a sense like if you take America as an example you've got Af rican-Americans\, Italian-Americans.\n \nPeople are adding things to the v arious pot that is America.\n \nThat's what happening in\, in Britain in t he 5th and 6th century.\n \n-And proof of the true story of the Dark Ages can be found today in modern Britain's DNA.\n \nResearchers at the Univers ity of Oxford have collected thousands of DNA samples from people across B ritain whose families have lived in the same area for generations.\n \n-We tried to focus on individuals\, all of whose grandparents were born in th e same area.\n \nSo in that sense their DNA had been there at least for tw o generations and probably quite a long time before that.\n \n-Peter Donne lly's work maps regional variations in British people's genetics in greate r detail than ever before.\n \nAlice wants to understand what modern genet ics can reveal about Britain's past.\n \n-So\, what do we see on this map then?\n \nWhat do the different colors and different shapes represent?\n \ n-So each circle or square or or triangle represents one of the 2\,000 ind ividuals we sampled.\n \nAnd then the combination of color and shape repre sents a genetic group.\n \nThere's a group represented here in pink square s that's one of the genetic groups we saw.\n \nThere's another group in bl ue circles.\n \nThere's a large group across much of central and southern England\, groups in\, in South Wales and North Wales and so on as\, as we look through the country.\n \n-And what I find utterly extraordinary about it is you've got all of these different colored clusters\, which do seem to be quite localized\, and I would just have expected the whole thing to be much more homogeneous.\n \n-It was one of those total wow moments that we don't have too often in our career\, but it was really exciting.\n \n-A t first\, it looks like the genetic map supports the historical accounts o f Anglo-Saxons decimating the local population.\n \n-Do you think this pat tern of red squares is explained by a massive Anglo-Saxon invasion\, repla cing everything that was there before?\n \n-That's absolutely not the case .\n \nWhat's interesting is if you take a typical person in Central and So uthern England\, that accounts for about 10% of their DNA.\n \nSo\, we do see evidence of the Anglo-Saxon migration\, I think clear evidence of that .\n \nBut it certainly wasn't the case that they replaced existing populat ions.\n \nThey contributed to the DNA of modern English people but in the minority of the DNA that's there now.\n \n-The surprise is that Anglo-Saxo n DNA has contributed only around 10 percent of the genetic variation.\n \ n-What's very clear is that most of the DNA that's carried by someone in C entral and Southern England now is DNA that was there before the Saxons ar rived.\n \nNot only did they not replace the existing populations\, they m ixed with them\, but they're a relatively small proportion of the ancestry of the people now have.\n \n-Even though the archaeological record now su ggests differently\, the Anglo-Saxon invasion story still fills the histor y books\, and Anglo-Saxon ideas shaped British culture\, not least by insp iring the English language that's spoken all over the world today.\n \nBut despite popular belief\, the genetics indicate Anglo-Saxon immigrants pro bably never outnumbered the native Britons.\n \n-Historians and archaeolog ists have argued for decades if not centuries over whether the appearance of a new culture really means that a whole load of new people came in.\n \ nAnd we've actually never been able to resolve that question and now we're starting to be able to do that.\n \n-What's interesting about genetics is it\, by definition it's reflecting what happened to the masses.\n \nWhere as often some of those other sources are colored by the successful elites who impose languages or impose political systems.\n \n-In the east\, the n ative British and Anglo-Saxon people merged on a large scale.\n \n♪♪ B ut what about the west?\n \nWhy does Tintagel seem so wealthy in compariso n?\n \nAnd why is King Arthur so strongly connected to the site?\n \nThis is Fort Cumberland\, the home of Historic England's Archaeology labs.\n \n Many of the finds from Tintagel are analyzed here.\n \n♪♪ The fort is a scientific production line\, turning excavation into information.\n \n♪♪ From the new site at Tintagel\, 130 gallons of soil filter throug h the flotation tanks.\n \nThe experts can finally separate the Arthur leg end from archaeological fact.\n \nAlice has come to meet pottery specialis t Maria Duggan.\n \nShe is one of the experts examining the unprecedented haul of pottery shards unearthed at Tintagel... and looking for clues abou t the lives and identity of the people who lived there.\n \n-So\, this is our really characteristic fine-ware form for that late 5th Century\, early 6th Century.\n \nAnd we've got about 14 vessels of the same form.\n \nAll slightly different.\n \n-So\, that's a bowl is it?\n \n-Yeah\, it's a big dish.\n \nSo it's actually quite big\, it's probably about 30 centimeters .\n \n-The distinctive shape indicates the bowl was not made locally.\n \n -So that's coming from Turkey?\n \n-Sort of Western Turkey.\n \n-Yes\, yea h.\n \n-It's come a long way.\n \n-This fragment of pottery connects Tinta gel to what would then have been Byzantium in the Eastern Roman Empire.\n \nThere are hundreds of pieces to examine.\n \n-The vast majority of the f inds are amphorae\, so they're storage vessels for transport of wine or ol ive oil\, things like that.\n \nAlso other fine wares.\n \nSo we've got so me North African material.\n \nAnd also\, from southwest France so from th e Bordeaux region.\n \n-Right.\n \nSo\, it's coming in from all over the p lace.\n \n-Yeah.\n \n-When you find a blooming great sherd of Roman amphor ae\, and not just one sherd of amphorae\, but buckets of the stuff\, that tells you that there's trade and diplomacy and interaction and people are moving across the European landscape and seascape.\n \n-These artifacts de monstrate that the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coasts were incredibly w ell connected to Tintagel.\n \n-Tintagel is producing evidence that's show ing us how active those trade routes were in the -- the 5th and 6th centur ies\, that you do have this material that's coming up from the Mediterrane an up the Atlantic Coast and is clearly being valued and perhaps traded up that Atlantic seaboard.\n \n-While eastern Britain interacted with northe rn Europe\, western Britain traded with Byzantium in the Mediterranean.\n \nTintagel was clearly an important international port of call.\n \nSo\, w hat would it have looked like in its heyday?\n \n-Yeah.\n \n-Co-director o f the site\, James Gossip\, has made a detailed architectural survey of th e dig.\n \n-Okay.\n \nCan we have a spot height on the hearth\, Martin?\n \n-Combining measurements with thousands of photographs creates a perfect virtual record of the new site.\n \n-So\, this is towards the sea\, isn't it?\n \n-Yup.\n \nYou can really see how the buildings are part of a plann ed design\, with shared spaces.\n \n-The complex is laid out over upper an d lower terraces.\n \nThe upper building has a 32-foot room with a 16-foot side-room.\n \nThere's a smaller building next door and a large open cour tyard -- all connected by a central path.\n \n-What you can see is a serie s of steps leading up into this opening in our upper building\, connecting the building with the trackway that runs between the two terraces.\n \n-A n area of carefully-laid stone floor strongly suggests some rooms may have had a special function.\n \n-It's a really nicely laid surface of fairly thin slates.\n \nWhat's noticeable about that is how fragile and delicate it was.\n \nWhen we walked on it\, we noticed that\, you know\, some of th e slates might break pretty easily.\n \n-You do wear big boots though\, to be fair.\n \n-True\, but I tried it out in bare feet as well.\n \n-Unlike the well-worn floors in the rest of the settlement\, this section is much more delicate and in pristine condition.\n \n-That suggests that perhaps it's\, it's a really quite special floor.\n \nPerhaps it was a space that wasn't really designed to be walked on very often.\n \nWhat that means abo ut the function of the building we don't really know.\n \n-But I suppose i t suggests that it's not an ordinary domestic dwelling.\n \n♪♪ -This n ew data helps generate the first 3D model of the entire Tintagel site.\n \ nThe complex may not look opulent to modern eyes\, but to Dark Age visitor s\, it would have felt palatial.\n \nIt's among the most substantial post- Roman buildings found in southwest Britain... ...and a complete departure from how we thought people were living at the time.\n \n♪♪ But people weren't just sailing to Tintagel to sell exotic goods.\n \nTintagel must h ave had something worth buying.\n \n-For the people who are coming up the Atlantic seaboard they would see Tintagel in the distance\, that is the pl ace that they are aiming for\, that is their destination.\n \nIt's an impo rtant harbor that will give them the resources that they want.\n \n-Whoeve r ruled Tintagel\, had access to a rare commodity in high demand across Eu rope.\n \nThe secret to Tintagel's Dark Age wealth and power lies at the e nd of a quiet country track.\n \nThis is a vast tin mine -- just 15 miles away.\n \nExploited by the Romans\, it was still in business at the beginn ing of the 20th century.\n \nWhat looks like a natural gorge was once a ma ssive mine -- 120 feet deep\, 130 feet wide\, and 900 feet long.\n \n♪ ♪ Tintagel lies on the larger peninsula of Cornwall.\n \nThe rocks in th is area are one of only three sources of tin in Western Europe.\n \nThe me tal was one of the reasons the Romans came to Britain in the first place.\ n \n-Whoever's been mining that stuff for hundreds of years is going to ge t rich because the Mediterranean needs those resources.\n \nThey will come to you to get them.\n \n-Tin\, when mixed with copper\, makes bronze -- v ital metal for Roman weapons.\n \nEven after the Romans left Britain\, Eur ope continued to buy Cornish tin.\n \n-Whoever controls Tintagel is at the head of a large financial empire.\n \nWe mustn't think of them as being o n the margins of anything.\n \nThey are at the center of a very sort of do minant\, successful political world.\n \n-In dramatic contrast to the trad itional view of the Dark Ages\, trade in the west does not collapse after the Romans leave.\n \nThe connections to the continent remain\, and they c ontinue to influence every aspect of life.\n \nEvidence for this influence is found on the very last day of the Tintagel dig.\n \nJacky Novakowski's team makes the most exciting discovery of all.\n \nIt's a stone\, used to make a windowsill in Building 94.\n \nAnd someone's been writing on it.\n \n-There's at least three lines.\n \nIt's either an \"A\,\" with a hat on .\n \n♪♪ -I think it's okay actually.\n \n♪♪ I'll wrap it up first .\n \nIt's very heavy\, yeah.\n \n-The stone is transported to the labs at Fort Cumberland for closer study.\n \nJames Gossip gives Alice access to this rare find.\n \n-So\, this is it?\n \n-This is it.\n \n-It's really cl ear.\n \nThat's amazing.\n \n-The letters were scratched with a sharp tool \, roughly\, as if for practice.\n \n-It's not in its original position.\n \nProbably only ever a trial piece anyway.\n \nJust somebody practicing t heir inscription.\n \nSo presumably\, once this was created as a trial pie ce it wasn't that important anymore and it was incorporated into this wall where we found it.\n \n-It's one of only a handful of inscriptions from t his period ever found.\n \nThe Dark Age etching gives precious insight int o the lives of the people living at Tintagel.\n \nFirst\, there's a distin ct flavor of Roman Latin.\n \n-So\, the top line is here\, possibly \"Tito \,\" which could refer to Titus.\n \n-So that's a Roman name.\n \n-That's a Roman name\, yep\, popular in the Roman and post-Roman world.\n \nHere w e've got a word which could be \"Viridius.\"\n \nAnother name\, another La tin name.\n \nOr \"Viri duo.\"\n \n-I think I can make out the letters her e.\n \nI mean that looks like \"Fili.\"\n \n-Yup.\n \nThat's right.\n \n-B ut there's also local dialect.\n \n-What does this say here?\n \n-We think this is perhaps \"Budic\" -- B-U-D-I-C.\n \nThere's a word that's common in Welsh\, Breton and Cornish contexts.\n \n-Ah\, so this\, so this isn't Latin?\n \n-That is not Latin\, no.\n \nThat's Bretonic or... -Yeah.\n \n- It's the Cornish word form basically.\n \n-The people here seem to be flue nt in more than just one language.\n \n-And then a \"T\" here?\n \n-Yeah.\ n \nPerhaps\, um\, T-U-D.\n \n\"Tud.\"\n \n-A possible translation is... \ "From Titus\, to Viridius\, the son of Budic Tuda.\"\n \nThe text's layout and few legible words indicate the inscription was for a monument.\n \nIt was discarded at the time\, but centuries later\, it's exciting proof of a sophisticated culture.\n \n-This is a lovely \"A.\"\n \nThat's a really nice style.\n \n-This is the style of lettering that they're using in manu script at the time.\n \nIt might even have been designed to be a deliberat e Biblical connotation.\n \n-It takes time and skill to inscribe stone\, a nd money to pay for it.\n \nThe writer was part of a complex and wealthy s ociety that valued both faith and craftsmanship.\n \n-And this coming out of the Dark Ages when we used to think people were living in hovels\, scra tching around\, illiterate.\n \n-Yeah.\n \nBut actually created by a liter ate Christian elite at Tintagel.\n \n-I wonder who did it?\n \nI want to k now.\n \n-Perhaps Titus.\n \n-So we're seeing these sort of debased forms of Latin inscription surviving in Cornwall.\n \nBut it does tell us that w hat we've got there is a literate society.\n \nThey're not at the margins of anything.\n \n-Civilization didn't collapse when the Romans left Britai n.\n \nTintagel in the west stayed connected\, thriving and interacting wi th Europe as it had probably done for centuries.\n \nThe archaeology has r evealed so much about Tintagel in the Dark Ages.\n \nThe prominence and st ature of the buildings being unearthed here\, along with the high-value po ttery indicating the apparent wealth of their residents\, may help explain another mystery -- the connection to Geoffrey of Monmouth's King Arthur.\ n \n-The dig at Tintagel is showing us that this rocky promontory sticking out into the Atlantic was not only a trading hub\, but also a remarkably high-status site.\n \nSo perhaps there was someone\, someone powerful\, wh o much later would inspire that myth of King Arthur.\n \n-King Arthur was a construct\, created from fragments of the written historical past.\n \nB ut Geoffrey chose Tintagel for his birthplace because it really was a seat of power in the Dark Ages.\n \n-And that in a way is what we're talking a bout when we're discussing Arthur.\n \nHe is the literary creation based o n that kind of primary evidence.\n \nWhether or not he was real I think is irrelevant.\n \nIt's the period itself that -- that is essential.\n \nTha t's what draws archaeologists and historians to it.\n \nIt's so important for understanding what made Britain today.\n \n-The biggest revolution in Dark Age archaeology has been this recognition that Britain is fully conne cted to the continent all the way through.\n \n♪♪ -The maritime connec tions are absolutely crucial here.\n \nTintagel is connected down to Franc e and Spain and up to Wales\, Scotland and Ireland.\n \nIt's right at the center of this Atlantic trading network.\n \n-But in the east of the count ry\, the connections were to Northern Europe -- the Angles and Saxons\, wi th their very different beliefs and culture.\n \n♪♪ All the archaeolog ical evidence points to two societies not facing each other across a battl efield\, but living very different lives.\n \n-It's an economic divide bet ween two halves of Britain\, two distinct trade outlooks.\n \nIt's not a p icture of conflict.\n \n-The two halves of Britain are looking in differen t directions\, going outwards rather than clashing in the middle.\n \n-I t hink if you look at the sea instead of the land\, and the rivers instead o f the land\, I think you have a much better chance of understanding where people are coming from.\n \n♪♪ -At Tintagel\, the excavations are comp lete.\n \nThe new discoveries have revealed that rather than being filled with violent conflict and turmoil\, the Dark Ages were a time of trade and continuity.\n \nSomewhere between the archaeology\, written history and m yth\, a new truth has emerged.\n \n-There are elements in there that all f eed into one another and all help -- help us to understand the past\, and you've got to try and master all these things to really get a clear unders tanding of what's going on\, especially something like the 5th or 6th cent ury.\n \n-But the myth of King Arthur endures.\n \n♪♪ -It's a myth.\n \nBut it's such a wonderful myth.\n \n-He's a literary invention -- a roma ntic hero who embodies the ideal of kingship\, and not a real historical f igure.\n \n-It's still something that resonates today because we all sort of need an heroic character to defend what we think is right and good\, an d it's Arthur who sort of fills that void. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250207 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Congrats to Black contestants in Miss America - January 14th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T180808Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:137-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Congrats to Black contestants in Miss America - January 1 4th 2025\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11420-the-miss-usa-pageant-the-sur prising-number-of-black-contestants-2024/#findComment-71146\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n THE ORIGINAL POST STARTED BY CHEVDOVE @Chevdove\n\n\n\n http s://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11420-the-miss-usa-pageant-the-surprising-number-of -black-contestants-2024/#findComment-71123\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I F YOU DONT WANT TO CLICK THE COMMENT ABOVE OR GO TO THE ORIGINAL POST ...\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the following is the most well known black o nly female pageant in the usa \n\n\n\n https://www.missblackamerica.com/\ n\n\n\n the wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Black_America\n\n\n\n what it needs is more money. This event has been going on for 55 years in a row. You can't complain about regular black folks making it happen\, it was regular black folks who did. It wasn't black thespians or singers. It started in 1968 and not by diana ross or aretha franklin or cicely tyson.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Year Miss Black America Hometown and/or home state\n\n\n\n 1968 Saundra Williams Pennsylvania\n\n\n\n 1969 Gloria O. Smith New York\n\n\n\n 1970 Stephanie Clark DC\n\n\n\n 1971 Joy ce Warner Florida\n\n\n\n 1972 Linda Barney New Jersey\n\n\n\n 1973 Arniec e Russell New York\n\n\n\n 1974 Von Gretchen Shepard Los Angeles\, Califo rnia\n\n\n\n 1975 Donzeila Johnson Pennsylvania\n\n\n\n 1976 Twanna Kilgor e Washington\, D.C.\n\n\n\n 1977 Claire Ford Memphis\, Tennessee\n\n\n\n 1 978 Lydia Jackson Willingboro\, New Jersey\n\n\n\n 1979 Varetta Shankle M ississippi\n\n\n\n 1980 Sharon Wright Chicago\, Illinois\n\n\n\n 1981 Pam ela Jenks Boston\, Massachusetts\n\n\n\n 1982 Susan Wells Milwaukee\, Wi sconsin\n\n\n\n 1983 Sonya Robinson Milwaukee\, Wisconsin\n\n\n\n 1984 Lyd ia S.Garrett Columbia\, South Carolina\n\n\n\n 1985 Amina Fakir Detroit\,  Michigan\n\n\n\n 1986 Rachel Oliver Burlington\, North Carolina\n\n\n\n 1987 Leila McBride Denver\, Colorado\n\n\n\n 1988 Regina Wallace Florida\ n\n\n\n 1989 Paula Gwynn Washington DC\n\n\n\n 1990 Rosie Jones Bridgeport \, Connecticut\n\n\n\n 1991 Sharmell Sullivan Gary\, Indiana\n\n\n\n 1992 Marilyn DeShields Virginia\, Richmond\n\n\n\n 1994 Pilar Fort Detroit\, Mi chigan\n\n\n\n 1995 Karen D. Wallace Oklahoma City\, Oklahoma\n\n\n\n 1996 Basheerah Ahmad Choctaw\, Oklahoma\n\n\n\n 2010 Ashley Anglin-Teen DC Met ropolitan\n\n\n\n 2010 Kamilla Collier-Mullin\, Adult DC Metropolitan\n\n\ n\n 2010 Natasha Ashby - Teen Philadelphia\, Pennsylvania\n\n\n\n 2010 Don ielle Turner\, Adult Philadelphia\, Pennsylvania\n\n\n\n 2014 Alexandra Mo rton\, Adult Baltimore\, Maryland\n\n\n\n 2015 Jelisa Barringer\, Adult Oh io\n\n\n\n 2016 Nicole Lynette Hibbert\, Adult Delaware\n\n\n\n 2017 Britt any Lewis\, Adult District of Columbia\n\n\n\n 2018 Ryann Richardson\, Adu lt Brooklyn\, New York\n\n\n\n 2022 Gabrielle Wilson\, Adult Los Angeles\, California\n\n\n\n 2023 Ashley Myatt\, Adult Detroit\, Michigan\n\n\n\n 2 023 Elizabeth Dicker\, Senior Newark\, New Jersey\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/15 /2026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss -black-america /#findComment-79347\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For more informatio n please view and read the following\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.missbl ackamerica.com/\n\n\n\n from 1968\, here are some recent winners\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n If you know any black women\, please share this with them\, please \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n if you have questions you can contact them?\n\n\n\n ht tps://www.missblackamerica.com/contact\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n if you want to h elp\n\n\n\n https://www.missblackamerica.com/donations\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Troy they have an author's expos\,  I don't have the money but I imagine you do. \n\n\n\n https://www.missblackamerica.com/author-s-expo-page\n\n\ n\n pdf info\n\n\n\n https://a60cd4c2-9ac1-4f86-909b-8059577f3c6a.filesusr .com/ugd/5fe1f0_8f6b3a2fa6bd47dfb5359bf756393475.pdf\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sp onsorship form\n\n\n\n https://www.missblackamerica.com/sop-delegate-spons orship\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Are you the next Miss Black America?\n\n\n\n Reg istration Now Open- Click The Following https://www.missblackamerica.com/ pageant-registry\n\n\n\n Little Miss Black America (7-12)\n\n Miss Black A merica Teen (13-16)\n\n Miss Black America (17-29)\n\n Ms. Black America ( 29-54)\n\n Senior Miss Black America (55 and Over).\n\n All Age Groups\, A ll Ages\,\n\n Register Today\n\n Queens from seven (7) years old and over. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REGISTRATION DETAILS- no excuse for black dos women to enter\n\n\n\n \n\n Pageant Registration\n\n\n\n All Across the World We A re Beautiful!\n\n You can be a Contestant in the next MBA Pageant TV Speci al! \n\n\n\n Are you between the age of 17-29?\n\n\n\n Or\, are you a Mis s Black America Teen between the ages of 13 -16?\n\n\n\n A Little Miss Bla ck America between the ages of 7-12?  \n\n\n\n Or a Senior Miss Black Ame rica who is 55+?\n\n\n\n Complete the form at the link below\n\n\n\n https ://www.missblackamerica.com/pageant-registry\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n *Adults 17 -29 Must be a High School Graduate or its Equivalent at the time of the Na tional Pageant\, MBA Teens must be Middle or High School students*\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Miss Black America Pageant Positivity Cruise - February 14th\, through February 22nd\, 2026\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/15/2026\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ev er-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79364\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n com ment\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Not to take this thread in another direction but.. ..........\n\n\n\n From the photos i have seen every winner of the Miss Bl ack America pageant has been a black woman of medium to dark brown skin. N ow I haven't seen photos of every winner. I haven't seen photos of every c ontestant. \n\n\n\n But the direction you have taken this post about upli fting a black owned beauty pageant has many questions\, you didn't provide answers for when you shifted directions.\n\n\n\n 1.  How do you define a ctual Black ? You mentioned \"actual Black\" but don't give a clear defini tion of how can be determined actual Black. Moreover why should the operat ors of Miss Black America adhere to such a definition? \n\n\n\n For examp le\, if a woman with with two parents from india born in NYC with skin asi ans will call very dark\, which is equivalent to what people in the USA ca ll black\, which is common among many Indian people\, wants to run for Mis s Black America\, does she fit what you mean by Black?  From a phenotypic al perspective\, said example woman is Black. \n\n\n\n Here are three ima ges of kalo or black \, indian females\, older woman\, young woman\, child . All three are black. I don't know if habshi\, which is the equivalent to Descended of Enslaved. Cause some ancestral indian people are black. Like some ancestral statian people\, native americans\, are black. Native Amer icans from southern tribes\, the caribbean\, are phenotypically black and not african.  So I know you know your thoughts and definitions but you ha ve to display them. If for no other reason it makes the multilog easier\, unless you want to argue. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 2. How do you define not-blac k or mixed?  You mentioned \" non-Black and mixed people\" but don't giv e a clear definition to either term. Is mixed by phenotype\, skin color ? is mixed by phenotype of ancestors? If mixed is by phenotype of ancestors\ , is it a one drop rule or is it a just immediate parents? \n\n\n\n For e xample\, this is Fredi Washington. Who played the Peola character in the e arliest film version of \"immitation of life\". She called herself black. She rejected hollywoods desire to have her lie about her background and cl aim she is white. And lived most of her life as a maid/nurse in Harlem. Sh e definitely looked mixed. I call people like her yella. She is definitely more yella than Beyonce or Hally Berry or Dorothy Dandridge. And arguably even more yella than Hailee Steinfeld which says a lot.  But she is blac k to me. From your definition she is mixed\, so she couldn't apply for Mis s Black America\, correct? \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 3. Are you suggesting each c andidate must be a citizen of the USA? I didn't read the rules of entry so I don't know how citizenship fits in Miss Black America. But a Black woma n from Africa is Black so if she lives in the USA\, why can't she run? May be she needs to be a USA citizen. I argue that is an even requirement\, bu t is it mandatory?\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Too o ften you have non-Black and mixed people who \"back door\" their way into these events and end up being hoisted over and on top of the actual Black participants.\n\n This is nothing but a product of self-hatred.\n\n Lookin g at a woman who is obviously not Black or looks like she's almost White.. .and calling HER \"the most beautiful\" woman in the community.\n\n \n\n O ne of my biggest problems with Beyonce wasn't Beyonce herself...but how sh e was often glorified as a symbol of \"Black\" female beauty.\n\n Whenever the subject of comparing female celebrities by race\, Whites and Latinos would promote the women they thought were the most beautiful but when it c ame to Black people.....a lot of bruthaz would promote women like Beyonce or Halle Berry back in the day.\n\n Women who obviously weren't Black.\n\n \n\n A lot of pro-FBA podcasters are promoting lightskinned women as \"id eal\" models for who an FBA is or what an FBA looks like.\n\n\n\n They're pushing Beyonce and Angel Reese.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n You didn't ment ion Hailee Steinfield. But\, the issues you mention here are not about the participants but the organizers of events. The organizers of events aren' t being self haters\, the organizers of events are doing what you did in y our reply\, not be concise or specific in definitions. Expecting everyone else to somehow know what they are thinking or how they define. That isn't functional. If you wanted to block out certain black women... or any wome n\, all you have to do is make the rules clear.  But if the rules don't b lock out certain women from running then why shouldn't they run. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And as for the host of events or people whether black or non b lack\, no matter their language or background\, who have a positive bias t owards the phenotype called white and a negative phenotype called blacks \ , black people who produce/pay for events need to know who they are hostin g or if non blacks are producing\, what can you expect from the host of a non black show but adulation to non black beauty even if the show is label ed for black beauty cause the owners are not black. \n\n\n\n When you org anize an event it is up to you to be clear\, concise on definitions\, not the people entering. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/16/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america  /#findComment-79388\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   12 hours ago\, ak a Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n If Halle Berry and Beyonce self identify as \, \"black\" because one of their parents is black\, then that's good enough for me and millions of other people who accept their decision. \n\n\n\n T hey are women of color and the  source of the color contained in their ge nes and DNA is a male negroid parent. ( just like Obama\, our first black president. )\n\n\n\n Nobody in America has been appointed as the arbitrato r when it comes to declaring what constitutes blackness. Because there is no collective  consciousness among negroid slave-descended Americans\, th ere is no consensus on this issue and no individual can declare otherwise. \n\n\n\n well said. \n\n\n\n and all I can add is\, this post was started with the purpose to uplift Miss Black America and by extension other Blac k Pagents\, like Miss Black USA\, thank you @Chevdove\n\n\n\n The purpose of this post was never to create or debate an absolute definition of who is a black woman in the usa. \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 chose to segway from tal king about miss black america\, for which he had nothing to add\, into tal king about people in media\, black or non black\, whose job it is to get v iews/likes/attention and how they succeed by maintaining a consistency in narrative that suggest the most beautiful black women in the world happen to be black women with a certain phenotype\, as close to a white european womans' as can be. \n\n\n\n the problem being\, the black pagents seem to have found a way through their rules to elevate black women who do not fi t the identity of women championed in the media pioneer is so concerned wi th. \n\n\n\n While the people in the media pioneer is so concerned with a re working in a white owned space\, the opposite of the black owned of the black beauty pageants. \n\n\n\n So... your correct\, Contrarian\, but th e issue of this post is uplifting the black beauty pageant and it is unfor tunate how little uplifting was achieved. It says something about black di scourse online\, we are too concerned with arguments online.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 01/18/2026 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-794 51\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said :\n\n\n\n Your response actually did that....lol.\n\n\n\n nice try\, you c hanged the course\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n my o pinion organizations and contests like this should be used to UPLIFT Black women and improve their self esteem and especially the self esteem of Bla ck girls growing up in this society.\n\n How can this be done if an organi zation/contest routinely uplifts and promotes females who don't look like them as role models they should aspire to?\n\n\n\n organizations and conte st liek this do\, the people you referred to are media people\, none of th em run pageants or anything similar\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1  said:\n\n\n\n Race is phenotypical...but is more than JUST skin color.\n\n \n\n race is any factor\, phenotypical is just one\n\n\n\n   10 hours ag o\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I'd call her Caucasian/White...lol.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n even enough but fredi washington didn't\, and more importantly\ , to the idea of beauty \, we black dosers have to embrace our reality. We are a people who were once completely enslaved\, that comes with a histor y of sexual abuse that leads to mixed babies\, and the heritage of DOSers in the usa is for the mixed to be part of the black group. That is the her itage. rightly or wrongly. \n\n\n\n Now to the future\, it seems the lati n american pardo/casta heritage is settling in the usa\, and will finally be the factor to undo what the one drop rule set in. but until then\, the yella woman is black.\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n How can someone who is NOT an American even enter let alone \"win\" a cont est designed FOR Americans?????\n\n\n\n what determines a black american i sn't universallly defined by blacks. the issue pioneer is you keep missing the lack of consensus\, means every black in the usa doesn't see anything in one way.\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n So how ca n a person not FROM here properly represent the beauty of those native her e?\n\n\n\n natives? you mean choctaw or seminole?\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago \, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n If we're having a contest for the best tasting Chinese food.....would you bring tasty TACOS to the contest?\n\n\n\n sinc e chinese food in the usa is not actually chinese cusiine from asia\, and has more in common with tacos why not?\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pionee r1 said:\n\n\n\n It's like having an athletic event for women without fir st defining WHO a woman actually is.\n\n\n\n yeah but that happens in the usa\, because this country is the king f lawsuits which kill events. and t hat is because the usa protects individualism and individualism by default means no one's definition is ever correct. a trasngender woman can sue to be in a contest for humans born with a vagina. You say short sighted\, bu t I argue\, an inevitable reality of the usa. you see this in the white po pulace\, it is a pan statian reality\n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1  said:\n\n\n\n ine WHO is Black\, then soon you'll have White contestants being presented as \"Black\" and winning them to promote the idea that Wh ite skin\, light hair\, and light eyes are the most beautiful traits to be found among \"Black\" people.\n\n \n\n I call it the \"Beyonce Effect\"\n \n Where people who aren't Black are promoted as the \"ideal Black\".\n\n\ n\n I disagree 100% \, again miss black america or miss black usa prove yo u wrong. In media things that black people/dosers actually own or control in the usa I find the advertised image of black women is usually not uphel d through the lens of the yella women but through the cocoa women.  but b oth are still black. \n\n\n\n And as for all the black or non blacks in w hite owned media who emphasize the yella women over the cocoa women in the black populace\, well\, that is white owned media. \n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Perhaps you are confusing healthy DISCOURS E with DISCORD.\n\n\n\n even enough\, though I rather posit I am being too demanding to the tone or function of discourse. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n Seems to me\, the closest thing to a typical black Miss America candidate who w ould not offend anyone would be a poised female of smooth medium brown com plexion with a full well- coiffed head of dark hair whose facial features are arranged in compliance with the universal  golden triangle standard\, and whose body is well-proportioned. \n\n\n\n miss america is run by whi tes...\n\n\n\n miss black america + miss black usa are run by blacks and i don't think any of their winners or contestants are offensive. I know I a m not alone in said thinking.\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, aka Contrarian s aid:\n\n\n\n Actually\, however\, I think role models are overrated. Why d o little girls have to look to public figures to emulate. And do we know i f this is as widespread a sentiment as celebrities clutching awards would have us believe?  Ideally\, a girl's mother or other female relative shou ld be her role model.\n\n\n\n And I'm further inclined to think that her p eer group is who most young girls want to impress because that was the cas e with me and my friends.\n\n\n\n I never fixated on celebrities as somebo dy I passionately wanted to look like. My friends and I just wanted to be the best versions of ourselves. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So says the cynical c ontrarian\n\n\n\n unfortunately the media of the usa has become such a mar ketplace + battleground+ tool that it has grown in influence. \n\n\n\n An d some little girls are orphans\, some little girls are abused by their bl ood kin\, some little girls don't find enough of themselves in those at ho me. the reason a little girl can find inspiration worth emulating are many . \n\n\n\n Ideally a little girl should be raised by her parents or the g reater village to be herself\, and figure out her role\, not model off of anyone. \n\n\n\n Interesting\, I never wanted to impress anybody as a chi ld.I only had one poster of a human figure on my wall. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n 1/18/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic /12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79474\n\n\ n\n  @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n \n On 1/18/2026 at 10:36 AM\, aka Contraria n said:\n \n\n \n \n If we lived in a perfect world\, none if these bum ps in the road would hamper one's life's journey. \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n I oppose that thinking \, the word is perfect\, a complete work\ , ompletion doesn't occur when all is good\, that is imbalance. negativity must be part of anything for it to be truly perfect. \n\n\n\n \n On 1/1 8/2026 at 10:36 AM\, aka Contrarian said:\n \n\n \n \n  \n \n\n \n Folks need to be reminded on a regular basis that \"nobody  promised you a rose garden\".\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n At some point little girl s and boys have to mature into adults who deal with reality. Life is not f air.\n \n \n\n\n\n life is even\, it is human beings who are not even. It is human beings that make living uneven plus inequal. it isn't nature or other lifeforms.\n\n\n\n Nature promises balance. Humans beings imbalance.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n  htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america / #findComment-79483\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrar ian\n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n n o\, right or wrong is not knowable in this issue\, but maybe functionality is. Functionality defined as the quality of results. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Does thinking a perfect world mean all is good get more positive results than thinking a perfect world includes all things?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Does thinking a perfect world is an unattainable environment which humans have to embrace get more positive results than defining the perfect world as t he world that is absent human involvement\, which imperfects the world? \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-ameri ca /#findComment-79487\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n \n\n\n   1 hour ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n In a perfect world\ , as the adjective \"perfect\" suggests\, there are no problems. Life is i deal.\n\n\n\n You are free to challenge that definition\, but you can't pr ove otherwise.\n\n\n\n So\, we have to agree to disagree.\n\n\n\n perfect comes from the latin\n\n\n\n per- meaning totally\, ala perview is when so mething is viewed totally absent any part not viewed\n\n\n\n fect - means work. \n\n\n\n A total work has all in it. Perfect never suggest an absen ce.  Problems are part of what makes the world whole\, are part of the to tal world\, absent problems the world can't be perfect\, a total work. \n \n\n\n What you call ideal\, a thing of an idea\, in not perfect. It is th e idea of a world without problems\, that is not a perfect world\, that is an ideal world\, an imbalanced world. \n\n\n\n I have etymologically pro ven my position. \n\n\n\n I have always opposed the USA heritage derived from the english of using words figuratively. It weakens all words. \n\n\ n\n We do like each other\, as much as near total strangers can. We do not concur on definition. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, aka Contrar ian said:\n\n\n\n I am in the throes of  disappointment over the CHICAGO BEARS\, my favorite football team\, losing a game they could've won\, but for the coach calling questionable plays and the receivers either missing their assignments or dropping the passes from my \"adopted\" baby boy\, Q uarterback Caleb Williams\, so I don't feel like plowing through a maze of verbiage to further debate the implications of a perfect world.\n\n\n\n I 'm mentally exhausted.\n\n\n\n if you have a video collage of sweetness ru nning about\, give it a view and lift your spirits\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/19 /2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/122 90-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79492\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, aka Cont rarian said:\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayI prefer the dictionary definition of the word \"perfect\" which you might want to check out.\n\n\n\n I know of it\, I have always felt the heritage webster started in the anglophone and unstraightly all humanity was an error. His implementation of a book of s peaking based on figurative definitions was the beginning of a literal hor ror show in linguistics\, cause now throughout humanity\, most\, an overhw helming most\, preference to the idea f figurative definition which only h arms the positive quality in communication. \n\n\n\n I wish someone black with money with my thinking had been around circa 1865 in the usa cause b lack people in the usa had a unique opportunity to have a much wiser sense of diction but.. it wasn't meant to be.\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, aka Con trarian said:\n\n\n\n And I assure you that watching old reels of Walter Payton in action will not lift my spirits about yesterday's loss.\n\n\n\n Unfortunate\, I hope you feel better sooner rather than later\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79494 \n\n\n\n d just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, a ka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n I am not so  inclined to dismiss popular usa ge. Language is fluid. Nothing illustrates this more than black slang and Ebonics.  \n\n\n\n If you had your way\, what word would you replace \"p erfect\" with? Or are you of the opinion that any such state as perfection exists? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Your sentiments in regard to Webster would e xplain your tendency to make up words. \n\n\n\n It is rare i do the follo wing but I will paraphrase the white enslavers commonly called the foundin g fathers\, concerning the peoples use of things: the people are stupid.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Yeah black slang and ebonics while black people let th e gullah dialect become endangered\, the patios of new orleans be the same . Black people emphasize slangs we made\,  which are very figurative over \, literally more potent forms like the gullah dialect or the patois of n ew orleans or florida. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is a taste thing\, admitted ly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well\, what word would I replace perfect with in the following phrase you wrote \"In a perfect world\, as the adjective \" perfect\" suggests\, there are no problems. Life is ideal.\"\n\n\n\n I wou ld replace two words: a and perfect and make adjustments to the following \"In my ideal world\, no problems exist\"\n\n\n\n In a world I have an ide a to no problems exist. Perfect meant a total work. As the zen say\, it is the sunny side of the hill side the shady side of the hill. Problems must be in the world for it to be total. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Yes\, oonmoptop ia  I spelled it wrong. It's funny when webster was a boy\, in england\, people couldn't comprehend each other in various regions of england becau se their diction was so various. This was the same in france or germany.  Meaning when webster was a boy there wasn't popular usage of words in eng land. every single region spoke differently in england\, often incomprehen sibel to each other.  He comes up with this idea of a \"standard\" book o f rules of words and speech for the english language. a dictionary for eng lish. Dictionaries are as old as the royal bloodline of the nile\, but nev er before were they advertised as a standard. And then with the advent of public school which wasn't common either in humanity. School historically was something paid for by individuals\, it wasn't for the public \, it was n't for all. but with the idea of the public school plus dictionaries came what you call\, very correctly\, the popular majority usage of certain wo rds certain ways as de facto official. Webster himself\, made up words:) b ut post webster\, now we have popular usage. So\, yes I don't feel obliged to adhere to webster. But I want to defend my individualism\, I am not lo oking for a flock. I  simply admit myself. The popular usage will remain\ , will be adhered\, but I don't care if I am alone with 999\,999 other peo ple I will be my way. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ci tation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-mis s-black-america /#findComment-79500\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD sai d:\n\n\n\n Noah Webster did something i.e. fufilled a need. He codified the meaning of words.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black folks are free to do the sa me thing if they want to preserve gullah\, patois\, ebonics or any other l anguage &\; words.\n\n\n\n Of the quote from Profd \, I want it publicl y said\, I concur Webster did something. The rest of what Profd said I str uck through as a lie or false praise or a misrepresentation of communal ac tion. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE FOLLOWING IS MY EXPANDED VERSION \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n On 1/19/2026 at 5:42 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Noah Webster did something i.e. fufilled a need. He codified the meaning of words\n \n \n\n\n\n Well...doing something does not mean a need is fulfilled. It means a want is fulfilled. Humans beings have been codifying words since the time of the earliest leaders of the ni le. I don't comprehend how Webster doing something thousands or millions d id between the ancients about the Nile and Webster warrants mention. Dicti onaries as I said to aka contrarian which you didn't quote sadfully\, pred ate webster by thousands of years. Webster is key because in england the i dea of schooling for the public had taken root\, the first public schools were thousands of years before england\, but with the advent of the englis h empire\, the public school of england and the dictionary it used from we bster was pushed on a global populace\, adding the influence of the usa \, the child of the english empire\,  english is the lingua franca today in humanity. this is a quote of what i said that you freely chose not to quo te to make a half truth to webster. \n\n\n\n \n On 1/19/2026 at 4:01 PM\ , richardmurray said:\n \n\n \n \n Meaning when webster was a boy there wasn't popular usage of words in england. every single region spoke diffe rently in england\, often incomprehensibel to each other.  He comes up wi th this idea of a \"standard\" book of rules of words and speech for the e nglish language. a dictionary for english. Dictionaries are as old as the royal bloodline of the nile\, but never before were they advertised as a s tandard.\n \n \n\n\n\n For my point which you disgard is that dictionarie s shouldn't be used as standards. That is the truth. The reason why the an cients didn't was a thing called wisdom. Forcing a language to others is c alled slavery\, and slavery doesn't work on rivals \, so you can't relate to rivals forcing a tongue. ala why people in the usa say things\, like\, it is japanese. \n\n\n\n \n On 1/19/2026 at 5:42 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Black folks are free to do the same thing if they want to preser ve gullah\, patois\, ebonics or any other language &\; words.😁\n \n \n\n\n\n I don't know if you know because your words I just quoted sugges t you don't. Languages die throughout humanity all the time\, including la nguages of those humans considered in power. It isn't about freedom. It is about a complex collage of things. Language use is a collective thing\, i t is not up to an individual\, it is up to a group and it requires many pe ople working together\, which doesn't happen with a snap of a finger. Lang uage preservation is centered on communal organization\, not freedom. The negro spirituals are proof of this. Most black people couldn't read + were completely enslaved but knew the negro spirituals . This is why appalachi an languages are dying among white people in the usa\, gardless of white p ower. anyone looking at your words will think that preserving a language i s like riding a bicycle\, which i find insulting. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/2 2/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1229 0-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79536\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Now\, how can I change the course of YOUR thread?? ?\n\n\n\n   this forum is a place of discourse\, each topic is started b y one but the path need not stay on the topic started. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n   21 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Just because mixed people ar e THROWN into the \"Black\" category by racists\, that doesn't make it a s cientific fact.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you use the word thrown\, do you know a ll the people in your bloodline? you shouldn't if you are a DOSer\, and if you are a DOSer then are you suggesting the people with a phenotype \, yo u call mixed in 2026 who were completely enslave pre 1865 are what then?\n \n\n\n   21 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Truth and facts aren't based on \"consensus\".\n\n\n\n true \, that is true\, BUT not all things can be defined explicitly. phenotypical labeling can not be reduced into a numerical form. Carbon is called element six but carbon is merely a name. it isn't a false name\, but if I call carbon fingerplus\, that isn't inva lidated because it has no consensus. \n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, Pionee r1 said:\n\n\n\n Is fire not hot unless enough people believe it and acce pt it to be?\n\n\n\n but labeling someone black isn't explicit. Fire\, all types of fire\, come from chemical or physical reactions that generate a chemical reaction commonly called fire. But the name fire isn't explicit. In the same way\, naming someone black isn't explicit. Fire like race is a lways real\, but the labeling is not rigid\, and you have prescribed the l abel black a specific way which is not bound by anyone else. Nor is my def inition for black bound to anyone else. But both are real. And going beyon d the two of us\, it matters how the black group defines black. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n It's changed recen tly.\n\n I remember when the only media that gave dark skinned women their propers WERE the White media.\n\n\n\n Well.. When you say recently\, Miss Black America started 1968. Again \, Alice was enslaved 1963.. Malcolm wa s murdered 1965\, mlk jr was murdered 1968... You say recently? when exact ly? My reason for asking what time period because for me\, Jim Crow was 18 65 to 1980. Financially I don't see black ownership in that time period in the usa. YES\, MAdame CJ walker was in the 1930s. But black people owned businesses in the lands that made up the USA before the USA was founded. L ook at the American Revolution transcripts\, I can't remember which off th e top of my head. \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalen dar/week/2025-11-22/\n\n\n\n Black owned media that could reach wide swath s of black people in the usa for me truly started from 1980 onwards. Every black town or city\, or black neighborhood in a white city had local blac k owned media but none were strong enough to stretch across. Black Newspap ers are black newspapers\, newspapers don't usually do fashion\, that is m agazines. I know\, I checked to makebsure\,  Ebony was started in 1945 an d Jet was started in 1951 but most black people didn't have the money to b uy jet or ebony. Jet or Ebony original audience was the black 1%  so... w hen you say black media between 1865 and 1980\, what do you mean? and as f or white media? well how was white media treating any black woman properly ? when you say propers\, you mean dark skin women as maids?  that is prop er? \n\n\n\n Yes\, I am little confused by your statement. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   21 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n For a long t ime Black media was pushing light skin and White featured as ideal with th e occasional honey brown sista if she was pretty enough.  The only time a real dark skinned sista could get on is if a White man though she was \"e xotic\" looking enough.\n\n And usually the dark skinned Black women they put on were from Africa or the West Indies...not the United States.\n\n\n\ n I clearly don't comprehend Black Media as you are using it. I need your help. What is Black Media to you? I ask because when you say black media\, I don't think you see black media like I do. When I think black media I t hink black owned media\, meaning the money or the producer is black. Black panther is not black media. it is white media with black people in it. BE T is white owned\, that is white media with black people in it. Black owne d media is rare in the usa. BET was sold by a black man to whites\, who th en sold it to other whites\, paramount to skydance. TVOne is black owned\, by a black woman. I can't recall a black owned film production firm compa rable to the likes of disney/paramount/warner bros et cetera. Like Obama b eing the black president of a white country. Black presence doesn't mean w hites don't own or control. Black presence doesn't mean black people are e nslaved to whites but it doesn't mean black people own or control. \n\n\n \n You have made me think about this\, if someone ask me \, what is black media in the usa\, throughout my life. I have very little to say. \n\n\n\ n I will brainstorm the following\n\n\n\n BET for a very short time\, so n ot BET. \n\n\n\n Black Enterprise magazine\, going strong. \n\n\n\n I di dn't know about miss black america or miss black usa to a mature adult\, b ut going strong. \n\n\n\n TVOne going strong. \n\n\n\n The OWN network\, though I don't know if Oprah actually owns the OWN network\, so no OWN ca use I am not certain. \n\n\n\n Forty acres and a mule\, spike lees produc tion firm\, though alot of his movies he doesn't majority finance\,so I sa y no. I know Malcolm post production was financed by a collection of black people but the majority of production pre+filming was white. so \, no for ty acres and a mule\n\n\n\n Milestone comics\, but how much money did dway ne mcduffie and company actually provide. at the end of the day DC finance d those comics so.. no milestone\, and I love\, Blood Syndicate. It is my favorite comic from the usa. \n\n\n\n Amsterdam News\, my local black new spaper\, still going strng.\n\n\n\n Harlem Week in NYC\, still going stron g but that is local\n\n\n\n Jazzmobile\, was once really great\, but when billy taylor's spirit flew\, that really reduced the vitality of jazzmobil e\, but it is still going on\, albeit less potently.\n\n\n\n a show like l ike it is was local but financed by ABC. \n\n\n\n Killens Review is from MEdgar evers college\, but again\, Medgar evers gets alot of money as part of CUNY So white owned for me. it isn't a private college. and NYC\, or N YS state's government is white\, at least to me. \n\n\n\n The Olmec compa ny which made Sun man\, but they closed down. \n\n\n\n Ebony magazine or Jet MAgazine  I admittedly\, never saw my parents with an ebony or jet ma gazine. Some relatives would have them but it wasn't grandiose. and their firm went under and assets are owned by whites now to my knowledge\, thoug h I am not sure. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n if I look at my life and what is bla ck owned media in the usa\, which is what I think of is Black Media\,  th at I was aware of and still around. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black Enterprise\ n\n\n\n Miss Black America+ Miss Black USA\n\n\n\n TVOne\n\n\n\n Amsterdam News\n\n\n\n Harlem Week\n\n\n\n Jazzmobile\n\n\n\n independent local med ia efforts by blacks who had money at the time\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So half of those things are local to me. all but two are regional\, north east. Bl ack enterprise or miss black america. \n\n\n\n So\, what region of the US A were you born in? Cause\, the midwest and deep south have nothing in my view\, even locally when it comes to black media. So.. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n I think dark skin black women locally in NYC have been very visible in l ocal media. I remember many posters as a kid\, local things\, festivals fa irs. That wouldn't reach far. Sun man was a toy but the audience was mostl y NYC. So... What is black media to you ? Because once I comprehend how yo u view black media I can comprehend your statements better. In my life\, w hite media is the dominant avenue for black presence in media\, and I don' t see any black presence in white media as indicative of anything black. C osby show. Fresh prince of bel air. A number of those black romantic films . Yes\, Black presence but we don't own those things. The truth is black p eople own very little in the usa\, but again\, that shouldn't be a financi al shock if black people are honest about our financial history in the usa . Slavery + Jim Crow were very real. 1980 to 2026 is only forty six years and not even of financial opportunity but financial allowance.  from 1492 to 1865\, enslavement\,  and then 1865 to 1980\, jim crow\, the black po pulace was intentionally stopped or stymied by white power\, by any means necessary\, and the black populace had no violent means to stop it. \n\n\ n\n Now\, I do argue black people needed to have a legal pro bono movement to somehow match all of the white crimes or illegalities against us by wh ites but that didn't happen. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/23/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-hear d-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79566\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted ju st now\n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n   On 1/22/2026 at 9:40 PM\, Troy said:\n\ n\n\n TLDR: but \"beauty\" pageants are a thing whose time has come and go ne... and they really need to get rid of the ones featuring little girl s. \n\n\n\n Too long didn't read ... the multilog\, ok:)\n\n\n\n Well\, I emailed the following to find out\n\n\n\n https://www.pageantplanet.com/\ n\n\n\n But based on unverified statistics your wrong. Pageants have not c ome and gone. And I can see how. With the advent of robotic labor\, a page ant is a thing a human must do that is competitive. Like human sports\, hu man contest of physical beauty must involve\, humans. Come and gone\, i do n't think so. \n\n\n\n And with that role\, the many pageants with little girls will remain. \n\n\n\n The industry of pageants makes a lot of mone y\, it will not go away because certain populaces distaste for them or the legal ramifications of the abuse in various instances. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n @aka Contrarian thank you for your comment\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/24/202 6\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-hav e-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79578\n\n\n\n @Troy\ n\n\n\n I was directed to the following location\n\n\n\n https://www.pagea ntplanet.com/directory/category/pageant\n\n\n\n I don't think pageants are even remotely dead or a thing whose time has \"come and gone\" . It is cl ear their time is now\, even with all who oppose them. I argue that pagean ts need some sort of legal management. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/24/2026\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you- ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /#findComment-79632\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Troy \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n I think they should disappear  but we clearly disagree on this.  What do you t hink about the idea of a beauty pageant for men.  We'd get to prance arou nd on a stage in our speedos being judged by a bunch of women.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Well\, I don't oppose beauty pageants or support beauty pageants. My only desire is if beauty pageants exist\, black owned ones exist. And b lack owned beauty pageants do exist so I am content. I have no concern to beauty pageants as a warranted or unwarranted thing. I am only concerned w ith black people owning beauty pageants if they are present\, or a black p erson being able to own a beauty pageant if none other are present. \n\n\ n\n If the question is what do I think about someone black wanting to own a beauty pageant for men ? That is their business. I support them and I ho pe they gain whatever they want. \n\n\n\n If you are asking me\, if I wil l invest in a beauty pageant\, female or male or other\,  if I had money to invest? the answer is no. and I have never wanted to be a model. I had neighbors once\, a black couple\, both strip models. They made great money and had huge fandoms\, relatively. But none of that is for me.\n\n\n\n If you want to know off the top of my head what I rather be doing.\n\n\n\n I rather work on designing a boat and showing that off sailing it. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   18 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\ n\n\n\n Off the top of my head...we could come up  the Alcoholic Olympic s. An event where people get drunk &\; try to do various things in comp etition to win prizes &\; money. \n\n\n\n isn't that reality tv shows? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/26/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /page/ 2/#findComment-79743\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted 3 minutes ago\n\n\n\n @aka C ontrarian \n\n\n\n good point\, mister universe is a beauty pageant\, it isn't considered a beauty pageant for the connotative definition of beauty in the usa\, which suggest beauty is homosexuality or femininity\, not ma sculinity. But beauty is agender\, And a pageant is merely an artful produ ction\, a page as in page of a book. \n\n\n\n So literally\, by literal d efinition\,  mister universe is as much a beauty pageant as miss america. It is only the poor use of language in the usa that suggests otherwise.\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD + @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n Good dialog between you t wo.\n\n\n\n You both make excellent points. \n\n\n\n Profd I think Pionee r point has value in that it alludes to black people with money\, the blac k one percent\, have financially assessed the market and didn't arrive wit h a positive result. I have witnessed offline first hand various black one percenters say they wouldn't do a certain fiscal enterprise because they didn't see it as financially feasible. Do I think with two black female be auty pageants in the usa \, both at least over three decades old\, a black male pageant in the usa can't work? no.  But I do think it needs to be s old a certain way. And of course\, the prizes matter. As a white person sa id on a documentary about miss america i recall from years back\, I paraph rase\, many people in the womens movement hated miss america but miss amer ica sent many women to college. Maybe instead of college an investment opp ortunity. I know the percentage of black owned investment firms has risen sharply in recent years so this can be a  way of helping both. \n\n\n\n Pioneer\, I think Profd point has value in that it alludes to black people with money \, the black one percent\, not wanting to take financial risks at  certain level. I think many black people with money like investing w here whites invest first with the idea that the whites safety net they can climb onto as well. Lebron James owns a part of liverpool that has return ed a lot of money\, this is because of Liverpool\, the futebol club's fisc al scenario \, it earns a lot of money as part of the collective bargainin g with other teams in its league\, it is in europe so the financial legal system is straight forward and not muddled like in the usa\, thanks to Fra nklin deleanor roosevelt. But\, Lebron has the money to own a wnba team or similar and isn't doing that because to be a majority owner means to risk your money. Many whites who own big sports teams\, actually have debt lin es they use. Most blacks with money don't have the same debt lines so it i s a more potent risk. McCourt bought LA dodgers with debt money but sold i t to an investment firm for a huge sum so he can pay back debt and have do uble or triple what he paid. But you need to be blunt\, friends in the ban king sector for that plan. Most black people with money don't have that.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n in modern media entertainment  m ost buyers are looking to sell. Sports teams/golf courses/ beauty pageants the idea is\, you buy it now and it gains in media popularity and then yo u sell it later. with sports teams this works very well. The glazers bough t Manchester United football club for circa a billion dollars usa in two t housand and five\, now that club is speculated/viewed as worth on the mark et [honestly or dishonestly\, rightly or wrongly] six billion and six hund red million dollars. so that is a six hundred percent increase in value in a twenty year period\, a generation. WHich means thirty percent increase in value per year. Can a black male beauty pageant with no media legacy or heritage in an environment with gender definition problems get a thirty p ercent increase in speculative value per year? yes\, is the simple answer\ , because all things are possible. But the honest answer is\, who knows. H ow will men accept this contest? how will women? what if a cultural moveme nt comes along that stymies the idea? Alot of questions exist that hinder financially safe investors touching it. \n\n\n\n Thinking on this I argue \, it might be financially wiser to add a boyfriend of miss black america or miss black usa element to those pageants\, where the boyfriends of cont estants have a small contest. The female contestants wouldn't have to have a bofriend to enter miss black america or miss black usa as they never ne eded it before\, but for those that do\, a miniature contest can happen. t he winner of the boyfriend of miss black america or miss black usa earns w ith their partner a business investment opportunity with a black owned fin ancial investment firm\, where they are given money and the investment fir m puts up equal value.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from 02052026\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12290-have-you-ever-heard -of-miss-black-america /page/2/#findComment-79983\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Che vdove \n\n\n\n any photos of you in the bikini contest?:) haha\n\n\n\n Th anks for sharing some of your experiences with the topic. \n\n\n\n Vaness a Williams is also a harlemite of new york city\, her father was a dentist if I am correct. \n\n\n\n and yes\, anything that exist\, if black peopl e want to control have to own their own. HAving something black own doesn' t mean black people are forced to use it\, but it means black people have an option that is black owned and has different rules. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n I see:) i am dictatorial in my style\, I stifle imag ination with the structure of my posts ok\n\n\n\n I your commentary did no t attack or offend the post. Talking about who contest beauty pageants is within the topic of beauty pageants. \n\n\n\n My point is that these two black owned beauty pageants have emphasized women who can not be deemed ye lla/white/mulatto while not excluding the range of all black women which a re all shades of brown.  And since they both exists in the usa\, which is a white european country\, I think they are fine examples of black owners hip that is honest to the larger situation of black people. \n\n\n\n My o ffense to your point\, is that your talking about black media pundits\, n ot the black owned beauty pageants. Said pundits are mostly male\, who are on white owned media outlets usually\, with their most beautiful black wo man is the yellaist black woman narrative... I don't connect black male pu ndits in white owned media  to black owned beauty pageants. It isn't that your wrong in assessing media pundits\, but said pundits don't have any c onnection  to the activities of the black beauty pageants. What matters i s that the black owned beauty pageants in the usa exist which emphasize th e value of the phenotypical aesthetic most black women in the usa have. Th e black pundits in white media may be more well known or heard than black owned beauty pageants but that means nothing. If I can find the black owne d beauty pageants anybody black can and in them you have the most positive qualities. Black ownership/ unmixed black aesthetic/embrace of the statia n black experience/ positive financial quality as both are decades old now .  What more can you ask for in the usa? in my mind nothing.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n 02072026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/12290-have-you-ever-heard-of-miss-black-america /page/2/#findComment -80011\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n    5 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n my focus was that we need to make s ure the Black women were BLACK women.\n\n\n\n \n\n Not identity thieves.\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n They are brai nwashed too.\n\n See my point.\n\n\n\n I do gather that maybe you comment to my post just to get me to comment back\, but you speak of we and then i dentity theft and then brainwashing... \n\n\n\n In my mind I have many qu estions\, who is we ? who can determine if an identity is stolen or an ide ntity is open? who can determine if someone is brainwashed or simply of an opposing position? \n\n\n\n I realize that my discourse may seem overwhe lming or lacking space for oppositional discourse\, but\n\n\n\n when I thi nk of the black populace in the usa or beyond i dont think of a we. it is a set of many groups united only in skin or appearance\, some larger in po pulace\, some smaller in populace\, but not a we\, that can act as one who le unit.\n\n\n\n when I think of the black populace in the usa or beyond\,   I see many identities\, and not all are isolated\, some are congruent t o each other\, and I don't know of any authority in the black populace to give a label to one of the indentities to any black person\n\n\n\n when I think fo the black populace in the usa or beyond\, who can determine is br ainwashed. In my personal experience it isn't brianwashing but simply free choice that black people make that has led to frictions amongst black peo ple. When the black DOS christian churches in majority supported the war o n drugs\, which was a governmental program to cover the government creatin g and supporting multiple illegal drug industries in the black populace fo r the jim crowian purpose of harming the black populace\, it wasn't becaus e of brainwashing\, the black churches made a choice. The reason wasn't co mplicated. Black churches are not the oldest christian heritage in the bla ck populace of the usa. the oldest christian heritage in the black populac e of the usa is the negro spirituals of enslavement\, a heritage which has no bible\, cause black people weren't allowed to read\, nor a physical ch urch because black people weren't allowed to own land or have a home. \n\ n\n\n The black church heritage is the second oldest christian heritage in Black DOS history and is based on an integration with whites who wanted t o grow their religious communities with black members\, by building church es + schools for blacks. So\, the black church heritage was born of blacks willing to make deals with whites and place the responsibility of the bla ck populace in the usa on the black populace gardless of any white actions \, like burning a black town to the ground or making towns of black people sick or imprisoning town of black people\, all which happened more times than any court cases for it from 1865 to 1980. \n\n\n\n I am not a brainw ashing believer. I think humans make choices with full comprehension\, I t hink too many humans want to force mass action\, collective action and get frustrated when collective mass action is harder to achieve than they thi nk it should and call it brainwashing. \n\n\n\n I keep saying to you and profd\, alot of other black people don't think the way you do\, they are n ot wrong\, they are not right\, they are not brainwashed\, you two like my self\, must focus on finding and acting with likeminded black folk. \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n so I say all of that to say\, I have nothing of value to ad d after your comment\, but I rather focus on positives and what can happen . Black people who are not interested in building something with other bla ck people solely\, are who they are. I can accept them. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250114 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BOOK REVIEW: MILES OF STYLE: EUNICE W. JOHNSON & THE EBONY F ASHION SHOW from Lisa D. Brathwaite DTSTAMP:20250825T223806Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:470-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Miles of Style from Lisa D. Brathwaite\n\n Miles of Style February 6\, 2024\n\n Title: Miles of Style\n\n by Lisa D. Brathwaite &am p\; illustrated by Lynn Gaines\n\n\n\n from @Lee and Low Books\n\n REFERRA L IN AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/10640-lee-low-spring-2024-titles -for-review-consideration/\n\n\n\n official buying page\n\n\n\n https://ww w.leeandlow.com/books/miles-of-style/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Martin Luther King jr. once said \"... to tell a bootless man to pick himself up by his bootstraps is\n\n\n\n a cruel jest.\" While the murdered leader referred to whites\, once the enslavers\, speaking to\n\n\ n\n blacks\, once the enslaved\, in the U.S.A.\, the basis from which any succeed is extremely plus\n\n\n\n rarely bootless. While \"Miles Of Style\ " functionally plus intentionally doesn't provide the most\n\n\n\n detaile d biography of Eunice Johnson\, founder of the Ebony Fashion Fair. Said bo ok\, written by\n\n\n\n Lisa D. Braithwaite\, shows in brief how having bo ots is not irrelevant\, unimportant\, or\n\n\n\n inexcusable in the abilit y to strive in life\, in the U.S.A. or anywhere else\, at any time. The bo ots\n\n\n\n Eunice Johnson had\, made by her parents plus community\, led to Johnson creating\, shepherding\,\n\n\n\n or growing the Ebony Fashion F air\, the main subject of “Miles Of Style”\, to a mandatory\n\n\n\n el ement of human history.\n\n\n\n Braithwaite's literature\, accompanied by illustrations from Lynn Gaines\, is truly chic\; they\n\n\n\n provide a fi nancially sparing while efficient biography of the Ebony Fashion Fair\, ce ntered on an\n\n\n\n incomplete while mandatory biography of a Black woman \, born surrounded by elegance or\n\n\n\n contemporary fashion from inside a blockaded Black populace in the U.S.A. The boots she was\n\n\n\n born i n supported her life path\, a branch of which led to her showcasing the fa shion she was born\n\n\n\n surrounded by to all outside her blockaded comm unity\, in the U.S.A. or beyond\, in the style of a\n\n\n\n modern-day inf luencer.\n\n\n\n The book is full of positive\, in color tone or compositi on\, pastel illustrations of Black people in\n\n\n\n the USA mostly plus o verwhelmingly\, not totally\, consistent in illustrative style or storytel ling\n\n\n\n flow.\n\n\n\n The book delivers on all the promises in its su mmary concerning Eunice Johnson: rearing\,\n\n\n\n education\, marriage\, Ebony Magazine\, Ebony Fashion Fair. A rough approximation is half of the\ n\n\n\n book concern Eunice Johnson before the Ebony Fashion Fair\, and fo ur fifths concern her life\n\n\n\n during and after the Ebony Fashion Fair .\n\n\n\n The Black populace in humanity\, the tribes native to each conti nent plus immigrant communities\n\n\n\n through enslavement or free will\, has many\, not all or most\, who adore stories about Black\n\n\n\n people who lived in no less glamour or peace than non-Blacks in times before the modern\n\n\n\n internet age. This book with its illustrations plus histor y delivers such a story.\n\n\n\n I am not six or eleven years old\; I cann ot say how a child will react while or after reading this\n\n\n\n book. Bu t as an adult who has read to children\, I think adult readers to children \, in homes as well\n\n\n\n as the secondary educational institutions call ed schools\, will have a chance to share Eunice\n\n\n\n Johnson's depicted story\, and along the way may learn from the book while the book never st ops\n\n\n\n trying to uplift the viewer or reader with positive\, creative \, energy.\n\n\n\n The book can inspire any child\, any phenotype or age o r location\, to color more or design more\n\n\n\n or imagine more beyond a ny perceived or real limitations. Said creativity is the road to the\n\n\n \n destination of being truly chic. This book\, if owned\, will be part of the boots one needs to walk\n\n\n\n said road.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250206 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mardi Gras Die DTSTAMP:20260202T062724Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:640-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n art\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Mard i-Gras-Die-1294084920\n\n\n\n challenge Feb 3rd\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/journal/Mardi-Gras-Die-1286556302\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CO DE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For instructions to use these\, go to the follo wing\n\n\n\n ?Link COMING February 3rd\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Six one eyed mask are\n\n\n\n Rex\n\n\n\n Empress\n\n\n\n Princess-Regina-Prince\n\n\n \n Emperor\n\n\n\n The figured side ask the following questions:\n\n\n\n W hat is above the trees the Regina see?\n\n\n\n What is the face of the jes ter the Emperor see?\n\n\n\n What is the name on the map Rex see?\n\n\n\n Whose name is on the tombstone the Empress see?\n\n\n\n What is the color of the boat the Prince see?\n\n\n\n What is the name of the book the Princ ess see?\n\n\n\n The blank side is explained in the craft page above.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n gif\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Mardig ras2026gif-1295641657\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260201 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Top Cow Talent Hunt DTSTAMP:20260206T025633Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:646-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n looking for folk\n\n\n\n https://www.facebook.com/groups/ 723403334749559\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260205 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thomas More by Ian McKellen from Shakespeare DTSTAMP:20260205T231420Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:645-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n PREFACE\n\n\n\n Enjoy this speech on tolerance to the Str anger\, commonly called the immigrant today\,  with the argument that one who does not tolerate or treat positively the stranger if a stranger them selves would cry inhumanity at being treated as said one treats the strang er.   \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IAN MCKELLAN AS THOMAS MORE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Video transcript\n\n\n\n 20:51\n\nUm\n\n20:53\n\nShakespeare uh wrote many plays\, 37 of\n\n20:56\n\nthem by himself\, but he also contri buted\n\n20:58\n\nto other people's shows. uh and uh one\n\n21:02\n\nof th e speeches he wrote for a play\n\n21:04\n\ncalled Thomas Moore\n\n21:06\n\ nuh has been preserved and it's the only\n\n21:10\n\nsample of his actual handwriting of some\n\n21:13\n\nof the words of a play by him and it's\n\n 21:16\n\nnot in the Fulier Library. It's in the\n\n21:18\n\nBritish Librar y. You can see it. It's on\n\n21:21\n\ndisplay there in London. And it hap pened\n\n21:23\n\nthat the play was never performed during\n\n21:25\n\nSha kespeare's lifetime because it was\n\n21:26\n\nthought to be a bit sedicio us.\n\n21:29\n\nIt had its actual premiere on stage in\n\n21:34\n\n1964 wa s the 400th anniversary of\n\n21:36\n\nShakespeare's birth and I played Th omas\n\n21:39\n\nMoore. So you are looking at a man\n\n21:43\n\n[applause] \n\n21:45\n\nwho uh who created a part by William\n\n21:48\n\nShakespeare. \n\n21:48\n\nSo this is handwritten. They know this\n\n21:50\n\nis his han dwriting of this monologue\n\n21:52\n\nthat you did\n\n21:53\n\nof a of a speech you probably don't know\n\n21:56\n\nbut you ought to because it's a \n\n21:57\n\nwonderful\n\n21:58\n\nI don't know that. Would you mind? Woul d\n\n22:00\n\nyou mind doing it for us?\n\n22:03\n\n[cheering]\n\n22:05\n\ n[applause]\n\n22:05\n\nNo\, I wouldn't. I I wouldn't mind\n\n22:07\n\nbec ause you'll enjoy it.\n\n22:11\n\nAll right. Live theater.\n\n22:13\n\nYes .\n\n22:14\n\nWhat's it [cheering] what's what's\n\n22:14\n\nwhat's the se tting? What's it take place\n\n22:16\n\nin the play?\n\n22:17\n\nUh it it this it's all happening 400\n\n22:20\n\nyears ago. Uh and in London\, ther e's a\n\n22:22\n\nthere's a riot happening. There's a mob\n\n22:24\n\nout in the streets and they're\n\n22:26\n\ncomplaining about the the presence of\n\n22:29\n\nstrangers in London\, by which they mean\n\n22:32\n\nthe re cent uh immigrants who've arrived\n\n22:36\n\nthere. And they're shouting the odds and\n\n22:39\n\ncomplaining and saying that the\n\n22:41\n\nimmig rants should be sent back home\n\n22:43\n\nwherever they came from. And uh the\n\n22:47\n\nauthorities send out this young lawyer\,\n\n22:49\n\nThom as Moore\, to put down the riot\,\n\n22:50\n\nwhich he does in two ways. o ne by saying\n\n22:54\n\nthat you can't riot like this. It's\n\n22:56\n\na gainst the law. So\, shut up\, be quiet.\n\n22:59\n\nUh and also being by Shakespeare with an\n\n23:01\n\nappeal uh to their humanity.\n\n23:05\n\nS o\, in order to set it up\, we really\n\n23:07\n\nneed somebody to shout t hat the\n\n23:08\n\nstrangers should be removed. Could\n\n23:11\n\nsomeone do that?\n\n23:14\n\nGrant them removed.\n\n23:19\n\nAnd grant that this your noise hath chid\n\n23:22\n\ndown all the majesty of England. Imagine\ n\n23:24\n\nthat you see the wretched strangers\,\n\n23:26\n\ntheir babies at their backs\, with their\n\n23:29\n\npoor luggage\, plotting to the po rts and\n\n23:31\n\ncoasts for transportation\,\n\n23:34\n\nand that you s it as kings in your\n\n23:36\n\ndesires\, authority quite silenced by\n\n2 3:38\n\nyour brawl\, and you in rough of your\n\n23:41\n\nopinions clothed . What had you got?\n\n23:46\n\nI'll tell you\,\n\n23:48\n\nyou had taught how insulence and strong\n\n23:50\n\nhands should prevail\, how order sho uld\n\n23:52\n\nbe quelled.\n\n23:54\n\nAnd by this pattern\, not one of y ou\n\n23:55\n\nshould live an aged man. For other\n\n23:57\n\nruffians\, a s their fancies wrought with\n\n23:59\n\nself-same hands\, self-reason\, a nd\n\n24:02\n\nself-right\,\n\n24:04\n\nwould shark on you\, and men like\ n\n24:06\n\nravenous fishes feed on one another.\n\n24:10\n\nYou'll put do wn strangers\, kill them.\n\n24:16\n\nCut their throats\,\n\n24:19\n\nposs ess their houses.\n\n24:22\n\nOh\, desperate as you are\, wash your foul\n \n24:24\n\nminds with tears.\n\n24:26\n\nAnd those same hands that you\, l ike\n\n24:28\n\nrebels\, lift against the peace\, lift up\n\n24:30\n\nfor peace. And your unreverent knees\,\n\n24:32\n\nmake them your feet to knee l to be\n\n24:34\n\nforgiven.\n\n24:37\n\nAnd say now the king\,\n\n24:40\ n\nas he is clement\, if the offender mourn\,\n\n24:42\n\nshould so much c ome too short of your\n\n24:44\n\ngreat trespasses but to banish you\n\n24 :48\n\nwith thee would you go?\n\n24:52\n\nWhat country by the nature of y our error\n\n24:54\n\nshould give you harbor? Go you to France\n\n24:57\n\ nor Fllanders\, to any German province\,\n\n25:00\n\nSpain or Portugal\, a nywhere that not\n\n25:02\n\nadheres to England. Why?\n\n25:07\n\nYou must needs be strangers.\n\n25:11\n\nWould you be pleased\n\n25:14\n\nto find a nation of such barbarous\n\n25:16\n\ntemper that breaking out in hideous \n\n25:18\n\nviolence would not afford you an abroad\n\n25:21\n\non earth? \n\n25:23\n\nQuet their detested knives against your\n\n25:25\n\nthroats.\ n\n25:27\n\nspurn you like dogs\, and like as if that\n\n25:30\n\nGod owne d not\, nor made not you\, nor\n\n25:33\n\nthat the elements were not all\ n\n25:35\n\nappropriate to your comforts\, but\n\n25:38\n\nchartered unto them.\n\n25:42\n\nWhat would you think\n\n25:44\n\nto be thus used?\n\n25: 49\n\nThis\n\n25:50\n\nis the strangest case and this your\n\n25:56\n\nmou ntedness\n\n25:57\n\nin humanity.\n\n26:02\n\nWilliam Shakespeare 400 year s ago.\n\n26:05\n\n[cheering]\n\n26:10\n\n[cheering and applause]\n\n26:12 \n\nThank you.\n\n26:15\n\nTickets [cheering] to an art are\n\n26:16\n\nav ailable now in the town. Everybody\,\n\n26:19\n\nwe'll be right back with a performance\n\n26:21\n\nby Earth.\n\n26:25\n\n[music]\n\n26:34\n\n[music ]\n\n26:37\n\n[cheering]\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Monolog official\n\n\n\n \"G rant them removed\, and grant that this your noise\nHath chid down all the majesty of England\;\nImagine that you see the wretched strangers\,\nThei r babies at their backs with their poor luggage\,\nPlodding to the ports a nd coasts for transportation\,\nAnd that you sit as kings in your desires\ ,\nAuthority quite silenced by your brawl\,\nAnd you in rough of your opin ions clothed\;\n\nWhat had you got? I'll tell you: you had taught\nHow ins olence and strong hand should prevail\,\nHow order should be quelled\; and by this pattern\nNot one of you should live an aged man\,\nFor other ruff ians\, as their fancies wrought\,\nWith self same hand\, self reasons\, an d self right\,\nWould shark on you\, and men like ravenous fishes\nWould f eed on one another.\n\nO\, desperate as you are\,\nWash your foul minds wi th tears\, and those same hands\,\nThat you like rebels lift against the p eace\,\nLift up for peace\, and your unreverent knees\,\nMake them your fe et to kneel to be forgiven!\n\nYou'll put down strangers\,\nKill them\, cu t their throats\, possess their houses\,\nAnd lead the majesty of law in l iom\,\nTo slip him like a hound. Say now the king\n(As he is clement\, if th' offender mourn)\nShould so much come to short of your great trespass\n As but to banish you\, whether would you go?\n\nWhat country\, by the natu re of your error\,\nShould give you harbor? go you to France or Flanders\, \nTo any German province\, to Spain or Portugal\,\nNay\, any where that no t adheres to England\,—\n\nWhy\, you must needs be strangers: Would you be pleased\nTo find a nation of such barbarous temper\,\nThat\, breaking o ut in hideous violence\,\nWould not afford you an abode on earth\,\nWhet t heir detested knives against your throats\,\nSpurn you like dogs\, and lik e as if that God\n\nOwed not nor made not you\, nor that the claimants\nWe re not all appropriate to your comforts\,\nBut chartered unto them\, what would you think\nTo be thus used? this is the strangers case\;\nAnd this y our mountainish inhumanity.\"\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral\n\n\n\n https: //www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/sir-ian-mckellen-shakespeare-stephen-colbert#re belltitem3\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BACKGROUND\n\n\n\n Thomas More wasn't record ed as being staged during shakespeares life. The earliest recordings of it being staged are as follows.\n\n\n\n \n 1922 a three-night student prod uction by the Birkbeck College\, University of London\, in December\n \n \n 1938  40 students at the King's School\, Canterbury\, 4–6 Novembe r \, with P. D. V. Strallen in the title role. \n \n \n 1954 22–29 Ju ne at the London Theatre Centre for the Advance Players Association. It wa s first performed in Elizabethan costumes and then in modern dress\, with Michael Beint as More\n \n \n 1964 McKellen also played the role at the  Nottingham Playhouse 10 June–4 July \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Shakespea re's only surviving playscript now online\nThe Booke of Sir Thomas Moore d oes not immediately spring to mind as among Shakespeare's masterpieces. So what do we know about it?\n\n8 July 2020\nBlog series Medieval manuscript s blog\n\nAuthor Julian Harrison\, British Library\n\nThe Booke of Sir Tho mas Moore does not immediately spring to mind as among Shakespeare's maste rpieces. This late 16th or early 17th-century play is not always included among the Shakespearean canon\, and it was not until the 1800s that it was even associated with the Bard of Avon. So what is the connection with Wil liam Shakespeare\, the author of the more distinguished Hamlet\, Macbeth a nd Romeo and Juliet?\n\nA page of The Booke of Sir Thomas Moore\, arguably in Shakespeare's handwriting\nIn 1871\, William Shakespeare's handwriting was identified on this page of The Booke of Sir Thomas Moore: Harley MS 7 368\, f. 9r.\n\nA clue is presented by the handwriting of the surviving ma nuscript (Harley MS 7368). There are 22 leaves in question\, 13 of which a re original\, 7 are inserted leaves\, and 2 are pasted slips. What is imme diately apparent is that Thomas Moore was the work of several dramatists. The primary hand is that of Anthony Munday (d. 1633)\, and he was possibly assisted by the printer\, Henry Chettle (d. 1603–07)\, with further con tributions by Thomas Dekker (d. 1632)\, and perhaps by Thomas Heywood (d. 1641). The handwriting of yet another scribe in the manuscript\, known by scholars as the unspectacularly named 'Hand D'\, is possibly none other th an Shakespeare himself. Finally\, the manuscript is known to have been cen sored in turn by Edmund Tilney (d. 1610)\, Master of the Revels.\n\nThe di vision of the handwriting can be set out as follows. 'Hand D' (probably Sh akespeare) contributed an addition on ff. 8r–9v\, supplying lines 1–16 5 of Scene 6.\n\n‘Hand S’: Anthony Munday\n‘Hand A’: probably Henr y Chettle\n‘Hand B’: probably Thomas Heywood\n‘Hand C’: an unident ified professional scribe\n‘Hand D’: probably William Shakespeare\n‘ Hand E’: probably Thomas Dekker\nIt was not at all unusual for early mod ern dramatists to collaborate in this way. William Shakespeare is known to have written in partnership with John Fletcher (d. 1625) and others\, and it would have been logical for Munday to have turned to his fellow playwr ights to advise and assist him when revising his play about Sir Thomas Mor e (1478–1535)\, the early Tudor Lord Chancellor\, humanist and martyr. W hat is exceptional here\, of course\, is that Harley MS 7368 is the only i dentifiable example of Shakespeare's contribution to a playscript survivin g in manuscript. None of his other plays have been transmitted to us in th is way. What is more\, in these pages we can perhaps see the master playwr ight at work\, musing\, composing and correcting his text: a window into S hakespeare's dramatic art\, as it were. \n\nText on brown paper. Harley MS 7368\, f. 8v.jpg\nAnother page from Shakespeare's probable contribution t o The Booke of Sir Thomas Moore: Harley MS 7368\, f. 8v. Harley MS 7368\, f. 8v.jpg\n\nThere is a remarkable sub-text to William Shakespeare's contr ibution to Thomas Moore. Andrew Dickson\, in an article ('Wretched Strange rs') for the British Library's Discovering Literature site\, has noted how William Shakespeare was presumably called upon by Munday to write the mos t emotional passage in the play\, known as the 'insurrection scene'. Drawi ng upon events in 1517\, when rioting Londoners demanded that immigrants b e expelled from England\, Shakespeare portrayed Sir Thomas More\, as mayor of London\, pleading with the crowd to accept the asylum seekers.\n\nImag ine that you see the wretched strangers\,\n\nTheir babies at their backs\, with their poor luggage\,\n\nPlodding to th’ ports and coasts for trans portation\,\n\nAnd that you sit as kings in your desires\,\n\nAuthority qu ite silenced by your brawl ...\n\nThis was all the more remarkable when on e realises that similar xenophobic riots had occurred in London in the 159 0s and 1600s. Was Shakespeare making a case in The Book of Thomas Moore fo r racial tolerance? By putting words into Thomas More's mouth\, was he mak ing a barbed attack upon the prejudice of his own day?\n\nThe Book of Thom as Moore was probably never performed in the time of its authors. The Eliz abethan censor\, Edmund Tilney\, took serious dislike to the playscript\, and it seems to have been banned from public performance. The manuscript i nstead passed into the Harley library and was then sold to the British nat ion in 1753\; it might have remained in oblivion were it not that Shakespe are's style\, and hence his own handwriting\, was first recognised in the 'insurrection scene' in 1871.\n\n\n\n\n referral\n\n\n\n https://www.bl.uk /stories/blogs/posts/shakespeares-only-surviving-playscript\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Photos of shaekspeare's script\, aka don't give your child guff about their handwriting again\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n M ORE ABOUT THE PLAY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_More_(play)\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260205 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm Just in Love Paperback from Swiyyah Nadirah Woodard DTSTAMP:20250826T015241Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:478-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Don't Call Me Crazy! I'm Just in Love Paperback – Febru ary 4\, 2014\n\n by Swiyyah Nadirah Woodard @Swiyyah\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n OF FICIAL SITE LINK\n\n\n\n https://swiyyah.com/products/dont-call-me-crazy-i m-just-in-love?variant=47024628924635\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n more books from t he author\n\n\n\n https://swiyyah.com/collections/all\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S he believes she’s found the man of her dreams. But what if her mind is p laying tricks?\n\n \n\n Anika Muhammad struggles to trust men. But after m eeting a handsome playa in her business course\, she unexpectedly falls he ad over heels. Yet she can’t forgive his once-wandering ways and is para lyzed by paranoia that he must be cheating.\n\n \n\n Seeking something bet ter\, Anika gravitates toward an attractive artist whose religious beliefs open her up to a new spiritual world. But some part of her still wants to marry her smooth-talking ladies’ man\, and her desperate choices are dr iving her to the edge of sanity.\n\n \n\n Can Anika conquer her inner demo ns before she loses the guy who truly holds her heart?\n\n\n\n \n\n https: //aalbc.com/tc/topic/11790-urban-fiction-women-fiction-readers/\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250204 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Finding Sisqo\, a writers quest DTSTAMP:20260205T010237Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:643-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek show\, even abov e the original series and my second favorite is Discovery. So my biases ar e on the table. \n\n Now\, if someone said to me\, Rich\, we want a show to find Captain Sisqó. \n\n My first thoughts will be what do I know abo ut Captain Sisqó's departure. I know who: sisqo\, when: stardate given\, where:the prophet temple \, what: fought gul ducat and negative entities\, how: joined prophets \, why: prophecy\, it was foretold. Last but not lea st\, Sisqó himself said he would return to be with his family: Jake + Cas sidy. \n\n Second\, what don't I know? \n\n Any clues or definition of w hen Sisqó would return. Which means I need to figure four things: \n\n 1 ) when sisqo returned to Jake+ Cassidy\, who was pregnant when he left\, a nd what did they do.\n\n 2) why did Sisqó have to leave again after retur ning to Jake+ Cassidy\n\n 3) what role does the prophets or the Q have wit h that eden like place found in star trek discovery.\n\n 4) when will sisq o be found in the context of Star  Trek Starfleet Academy\n\n Third\, whe re should anyone in Star Trek Starfleet Academy begin to search for Sisqó ? \n\n The answer in my mind is obvious with all the players of Deep Spac e Nine.\n\n Jake- he will see his father as an older man[ rest in peace To ny Todd] \, but that will not be the Prophet Sisqó so to speak\, and that Jake while surprised didn't seem like he was waiting for Sisqo then. so\, writers have work to do\, but have one clue which keeps star trek's timel ine together. Michael Burnham's husband can find Jake's writings. If they can find a VHS tape of Fae Valentine's old self\, anything is possible. Ye s\, non star trek but\, data storage of writings should be findable.\n\n C assidy- she was pregnant\, she had to live to when Sisqó would see her ag ain. But that doesn't mean after that moment when he went missing again\, she was the same. \n\n For Jake+ Cassidy Star Trek offers some convenient tools. They can leap through time in cryogenic tubes\, khan noonian singh does it all the time. Scotty survived in a transfer buffer for decades. S o tools exist to leap frog Cassidy or Jake\, especially through the fall o f the federation\, which keeps Discovery's continuity. \n\n Dax - is a tr ill and Dax can still be alive\, even though the trills have gone through challenges\, so maybe Dax is dead or maybe Dax is so old the old identitie s are silent. Dax needs to be spoken to.\n\n Dr Bashir-  he was genetic m odified so I am not certain he has to be dead. And he wasn't in hiding whe n the show ended and had relations with other genetic modified doing vario us calculations or activities.  All his work or notes over the years need to be researched or found. \n\n Major Kira- what is the status of Bajor? based on discovery\, it is unknown to the audience cause the federation d iminished in size and was near death as an organization. so\, Bajor is cha nged. But where does that put Bajorans? Got to go to Bajor and see if any priests or priestess have anything\, the ki's right?\n\n The prophets - th ey need to be talked to\, if any will know they will. If their gateway is still the wormhole outside Bajor well. got to talk to them.\n\n Odo- He wa s changling\, changling do die and get old \, but changlings can survive a long time and last we saw him he was in the collective to heal them. With the Jim hadar\,/Klingon guy\, maybe he may be able to ask someone. Odo ne eds to be found and it connects to Kira\, whom I can't imagine didn't see Odo again before she died. \n\n Worf- His sone Alexander is going to beco me \, through Voyager\, a Klingon scientist who discovers how to time trav el. How did he do that? That can be useful. Even considering the fall of t he federation\, where did Alexander go?\n\n Chief Obrian- He is one of the few crew members who I can't see a connection to getting a clue for Sisq ó. He left back for earth. The one thing I will suggest is\, he was a tra nsporter operator in next generation before becoming a chief so maybe he h ad an event in the annals of the federation. \n\n Quark- A ferengi\, Quar k was one of the characters always on the lookout for the others. The fere ngi may be greedy but the ferengi travel\, gossip\, hear whispers\, the gr eat river\, his nephew Nog\, rest that actors soul\, and his brother was a genius. So\, Maybe Quark made a record of something\, heard something and placed it in the financial records. I imagine ferengi's keep their taxes for a long time and with the fall of the federation and growth of the Orio n's I can see Ferengi's doing generally well. \n\n Vic- the 1950s bar pro gram on deep space nine. Like the Doctor of Voyager who seems to be a char acter in Academy\, the bar program is long lived \, as long as it has enou gh memory and where it is stored  isn't damaged by nanites or violence. V ic as a resident of deep space nine and a popular bar will have privy to a long list of gossips or information. It is worth a search.\n\n NOTE: To b ad the section 31 guy in Deep Space Nine passed away because based on Mich elle Yeoh's time with them\, I bet they know something. \n\n\n\n So... Th e idea of finding Sisqó is fine on the surface. Deep Space Nine \, if the y will respect it\, gave the general outline. \n\n 1)Sisqó left at the e nd of Deep space nine.\n\n 2) Stuff happened.\n\n 3) sisqo returned to Jak e + Cassidy + the new child older\n\n 4) Sisqó left again for some reason \n\n 5) stuff happened\n\n 6) Sisqó is found somewhere\, whether it be fo retold or prophecy or because of a negative agent. \n\n\n\n 2 or 5 is whe re you can fill the blanks with a lot. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12434-writer-a-producer-for-skydance-said- they-want-to-find-sisqo-in-the-new-show-star-trek-starfleet-academy-what-s ay-you/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENTS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 02042026\n\n\n \n From a story perspective I have a lot to say\, but I will take one angl e I didn't mention elsewhere on this topic.... legends don't happen becaus e of the past\, England has many mythological old kings\, why does arthur matter more than many others? Arthur unlike the others had a court which m yth made multiracial \, french/scottish/welsh/english/irish/german knights all sat at the table in myth\, this appealed to the future better than ot hers. What is my point ? they happen because people in the future deem it relevant to their own passions. . Based on star trek discovery\, what rele vance did Sisqo and the prophets have to the survival of the federation? H ow did that survival relate to the survival or jake or cassidy and sisqo's second child or their bloodline? As a writer do I wish I was the one to m ake this happen? yes. Has paramount or skydance paramount shown they can p ositively manage adding to the literature of the the star trek global fran chise ? no. I don't think star trek starfleet academy is bad. Nor do I hat e the chris pine films. But\, they all could had been better. My argument is they all lack the ambition of Roddenberry. As shatner's documentary pro ved\, many people in paramount seem to think roddenberry was crazy and it shows in star trek after his death. Many have said academy is daring or of the times\, but I oppose that sentiment. I think academy is written in an opportunistic way. It is not challenging the audience's perceptions but c atering to what some in the audience want to see while also catering to wh at some in the audience don't want to see. IT isn't challenging the writer s to really build an honest lens to something that hasn't been shown in a world that has multiple shows plus movies as part of its literary life.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260204 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where are Danny and Sandy now?! example story DTSTAMP:20260130T051438Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:639-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n we more together\, written by me\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n for t he where are they now danny and sandy challenge\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/journal/WATN-Danny-and-Sandy-Grease-1284154671\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE: WE MORE TOGETHER\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is 1989 and the R ydell High School senior prom is commencing. The prom king and queen are s tanding on the center stage. The prom king Danny Zuko Jr.\, DZJ most call him\, has a crown like The Marvelous Magical Burger King. The prom queen F rances Facciano \, Marianne most call her\, wears a pink Phrygian cap with a cockade representing Rydell. DZJ tap the microphone: \"Hi everybody! Y ou know what time it is!\" \n\n\n\n All the children start to holler\, an d they move the tables and chairs to the back to make space centrally.  \ n\n\n\n Marianne yell:\" For the fifth loose dance off\, we have a special treat! All our parents and guardians helped us prepare dances from the 50 s but what only a few of us organizers knew was our parents would join in the fun!\" \n\n\n\n Outside the hall used for the prom\, multiple engines can be heard revving up.  \n\n\n\n The hall doors open strongly and Dann y Zuko and his loving wife Sandra\, both silver haired\, all clad in shiny black leather\, enter the hall using the Four Corners dance. They are sup ported by a host of other silver-haired folks. Rizzo in a Sondra Dee outfi t\, holding hands with Kenickie in a penguin suit. Frenchy waving to the prom queen. Eugene Florczyk as a Burger Palace Boy and Patty as a Pink Lad y enter. The children in the auditorium form a pathway to the center and surround their elders making thirty years dance together in the summer of 1989. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from @HDdeviant / Richard Murray\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Text\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Where-are-Dann y-and-Sandy-now-1291061204\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Audio\n\n\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/events/event/638-we-more-together-perchance-audio/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/80694369359568896 0/challenge-arrives-february-2nd\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260129 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:WATN Danny and Sandy of Grease DTSTAMP:20260202T221138Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:642-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n WATN Danny and Sandy of Grease\n\n Writing challenge open with prizes for entries submitted by feb 24th \n\n https://www.deviantar t.com/hddeviant/journal/WATN-Danny-and-Sandy-Grease-1284154671\n\n #watn # wherearetheynow #grease #danny #sandy #crliterature #rmaalbc #aalbc #richa rdmurray #kobo #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tumblr \n\n  \n\n\n\n example story\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/639-whe re-are-danny-and-sandy-now-example-story/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.t umblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/806943693595688960/challenge-arrives-februar y-2nd\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260202 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Horizons Coloring Challenge Poll challenge post DTSTAMP:20260202T215553Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:641-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n New Horizons Coloring Challenge Poll challenge post\n\n f ree poll\, use your power\n\n https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv EotLCh3SDsH0Tk-Zv5N1uIsUrCB4o2dhwLAfiXfKzT4OFQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor \n\n #newhorizons #color-me-club #poll #coloringpages #lineart #rmaalbc #a albc #richardmurray #kobo #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #tum blr \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260202 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Romantic Compulsory Figures 01/31/2025 DTSTAMP:20250201T051723Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:169-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Black Romantic Compulsory Figures 01/31/2025\n\n https:// www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Black-Romantic-Compulsory-Figures-1153876 173\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n Selected Work prompt\n\n\n\n glass sculpture of an AFRICAN AMERICAN ICE SKATING COUPLE making COMPULSORY FIGURES on ICE su rrounded by BUSHES\; COMPULSORY FIGURES shaped like a bouquet of roses \; ICE is made of lattimo or milk glass\; ICE has a reflection of an AURORA B OREALIS\; AFRICAN AMERICAN ICE SKATING COUPLE is cristallo glass\; AURORA BOREALIS is millefiori \; BUSHES are lead glass\n\n\n\n art style: dreamup \n\n\n\n aspect ratio: 16:9\n\n\n\n prompt strength 20\n\n\n\n negative pr ompt: multiimage\, dull\, poor lighting\, multiple images\n\n\n\n Figure s kating\, specifically compulsory figures is my winter sport of choice. I d epicted a Black couple doing compulsory figures. So many of these are roma ntic\, it was difficult to choose one I liked the most\, but I decided on the one complete. I do like Bandy\, Speed Skating\, Bobsliegh\, my parents love Skiing\, I will love to try wind sailing on ice water.\n\n\n\n CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR MORE PROMPTS\n\n video \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.co m/hddeviant/art/WinterSportsJan2025SynthographyVideo-1153875415\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n the berry brothers\, you can't find better\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvDixy-U_6Q\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250131 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:We More Together- perchance audio DTSTAMP:20260130T051239Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:638-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n story written by me\n\n\n\n ?Challenge arrives February 2 nd – @richardmurrayhumblr on Tumblr\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richa rdmurrayhumblr/806943693595688960/challenge-arrives-february-2nd\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nicki Minaj is Omarosa 2026 DTSTAMP:20260129T052026Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:636-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n just place the face\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n   https://pho tos.app.goo.gl/G9RxaEaqCzGNepML9\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n citations\n\n \n\n nicki minaj has her gold card\n\n\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/music /celebrity/nicki-minaj-shows-off-trump-gold-card-after-publicly-defending- president-says-she-is-finalizing-citizenship-paperwork-as-we-speak/ar-AA1V cU6w?ocid=BingNewsSerp\n\n\n\n old status post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1459&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n NICKI MINAJ\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nicki_Minaj_on_ her_support_for_President_Donald_Trump_-_January_28\,_2026.wav\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Nicki\n\n\n\n sung by Donald Trump in a cheerleader outfit\n\n\n\n written by Richard Murray / HDDeviant / RichardMurrayHumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n REFRAIN 1 BEGIN\n\n\n\n Oh Nicki\, satisfy\n\n\n\n satisfy\, you lif t my hype\n\n\n\n hey Nicki\, hey Nicki\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1 END\n\n\n\n REFR AIN 1\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n You've been blinging too long my student for this night \n\n They think you've got it wrong but I know you've got it right\n\n You'll never say goodbye  \n\n But you can't take me home\, Nicki\n\n\n\n 'Cause when I say you will \, it never means you won't\n\n You're aidin me my wills \, negress\, plea se never don't\n\n Every day you still tweet my name with yours\, Nicki\n\ n\n\n REFRAIN 2 BEGIN\n\n\n\n Oh Nicki\, what a pity\, they don't understa nd\n\n I take you in my heart when you take me by the hand\n\n Oh Nicki\, you're so wity\, can't they understand?\n\n It's gals like you\, Nicki\n\n Ooh what you sell Nicki\, sell Nicki\n\n Here's some Trump dough \, Nicki \n\n\n\n REFRAIN 2 END\n\n\n\n Hey Nicki\n\n\n\n Now when you grab me by t he card\, who's ever gonna know\n\n Every time you move\, A little more pl astic grow\n\n There's some clicks you can use\, so don't say no\, Nicki\n \n\n\n So come on and let me give it anyway I can\n\n Anyway I want to do it\, you'll take it like a ham\n\n Oh please negress\, please color up my maggots Nicki\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\ n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Inspired by Mickey performe d by Toni Basil originally written as Kitty by Mike Chapman and Nicky C hinn\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTE: \n\n\n\n wity - original definition use\, c omes from wile which means tricking deceitful\n\n\n\n pity -original use\, meaning a duty\, a loyalty\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260129 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 32 01/28/2026 DTSTAMP:20260129T043604Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:635-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Trumpaccounts + Trumpcard have begun. \n\n\n\n https ://trumpaccounts.gov/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://trumpcard.gov/\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Trump Accounts\n\n\n\n thinking on it reminds me of the bonds gra ndparents would get their grandkids in the usa in years past. The website says all a parent has to do is put in one thousand dollars for a child and it will grow for said child\, even if said parent doesn't put any more mo ney. But\, five thousand dollars can be placed in as a maximum per year.  \n\n\n\n I see an interesting gap. The website says the money will be inve sted in firms in the usa and parents/guardians can see the valuation of th e investment. They say\, at eighteen a child can extract for a home or col lege.\n\n\n\n The financial questions I have are the following\, what firm s in the usa can guarantee a positive return on investment every year\, no matter what? And\, can the money when the child is eighteen be extracted as raw cash? the website doesn't give important specifics\, but I did noti ce the following.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The small text says\, estima tes are for illustration only and are based on an account opening at birth with $1\,000 opening deposit and are derived from historical S&\;P [ s tandard and Poor's] 500 averages. Actual results may differ and are not gu aranteed. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, while the webpage suggest guarantees\, the disclaimer for lawsuit suggest it isn't guaranteed. Essentially\, thi s whole program is the federal government as a broker. A broker can't guar antee you money but a broker may provide a nice set of profits. But it all assumes\, the broker will do well. I wonder what will choose the firms to invest in. I bet anything a large language model will be used to choose w here the money is invested in... historically\, the usa had a culture that mirrored this modern drive. It was the culture of stock market investment before the crashes before commonly called world war one. What many may no t know is the usa before said war\, had a huge culture of stock investment brewing. The crashes plus the war ended that culture\, and led to the eve ntual Securities and Exchange Commission. \n\n\n\n Well it is a risk\, bu t I gather the larger idea. Many don't know but the United States of Ameri ca demands a citizen pay $2\,350  to revoke their citizenship. \n\n\n\n https://www.usa.gov/renounce-lose-citizenship\n\n\n\n https://travel.state .gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Re linquishing-US-Nationality-Abroad.html\n\n\n\n I argue this serves the rev erse function. Tying people and children to the usa through investment. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES\n\n\n\n What will the money be invested in?\n\n\n \n Funds will be invested in a diversified portfolio of low-cost index fun ds designed to maximize long-term growth while minimizing risk.\n\n\n\n Wh en can funds be used?\n\n\n\n Funds can be accessed without penalty when t he child turns 18 for qualified expenses like education\, a first home pur chase\, or starting a business. Withdrawals may be subject to restrictions and would be taxed at ordinary income rates.\n\n\n\n Can I contribute to my own account?\n\n\n\n Once you start earning income\, you can make contr ibutions to your own account. This is a great way to develop good savings habits early in life.\n\n\n\n How can corporations participate?\n\n\n\n Em ployers may choose to contribute to the Trump Accounts for their workers o r their workers’ children\, supporting early savings and financial readi ness. Employers may choose to offer employees a salary reduction program u nder a “cafeteria plan” so that employees can make pre-tax contributio ns to Trump Accounts.\n\n\n\n Are corporate contributions tax-deductible?\ n\n\n\n Yes\, corporations can contribute up to $2\,500 to Trump Accounts on behalf of their employees' children. All contributions are tax-deductib le.\n\n\n\n Can philanthropists make donations?\n\n\n\n Yes. Nonprofit org anizations and local governments can contribute to Trump accounts of all c hildren in a state or qualified geographic area.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Trump Card\n\n\n\n for individuals\n\n\n\n gold card version- fifteen thousand p rocessing fee plus one million dollars for US residency\n\n\n\n platinum- for foreign nationals\,  fifteen thousand processing fee plus five millio n dollar contribution for the ability to spend up to 270 days in the Unite d States without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income.\n\n\n\n f or business\n\n\n\n For a $2 million contribution\, receive U.S. residency in record time with the Trump Corporate Gold Card for your employees. Aft er a $15\,000 DHS processing fee* and background approval\, onboard your p referred candidate. Your Trump Corporate Gold Card allows your business to transfer access from one employee and grant it to another with a small\, 5% transfer fee\, which includes the cost of a DHS background check. A 1% annual maintenance fee will also apply.\n\n\n\n *Additional small fees to the U.S. Department of State may apply depending on the applicant.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES\n\n\n\n Can family members apply?\n\n\n\n Yes. If an ind ividual applicant or corporate sponsor wishes for a spouse or unmarried ch ildren (under 21 years old) to join the cardholder in the United States\, then each such family member should be included as part of the initial app lication. This will ensure that these family members receive all of the pr ivileges conferred by the Gold Card Program\, including expedited processi ng. Each family member is subject to an additional $15\,000 DHS processing fee and $1 million gift.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n How do applicants pay?\n\n\n\n $15\,000 nonrefundable processing fee: Credit Card (U.S. and international)\; ACH debit (U.S. bank accounts only).\n\n\n\n $1 million or $2 million gift payment (depending on type of applicant): Upon receivin g an email after vetting is complete\, applicants or their corporate spons ors should instruct their banks to use an ACH debit or Swift Wire Transfer (U.S. and international bank accounts) according to the instructions prov ided at that time.\n\n\n\n Visa-related fees: The applicant will receive i nformation directly from the U.S. Department of State on how to submit the visa application fee and payments for the required medical examination.\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Both are basically inves tment channels into the usa. the accounts goal is scale\, if they get enou gh accounts they will influence the market\, the same way\, retirement fun ds\, which are collections of individual investments have huge value. the cards goal is for the worlds rich\, they can afford them easily but allows an ease through bureaucracy.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n On an aside both websites say they are official websites of the united states government.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and something from warren buffett 1999 nebraska forum\n\n\n\n 0 :03\ntesting one million two million three million that's working okay\n0: 08\ni i'd like to uh talk to you about your financial future and i hope th ose figures become applicable to all of you\n0:15\nas we go along at uh uh and i'd like to start\n0:20\nuh by posing a problem for you and instead i 'm just gonna talk for a couple minutes and we'll do q a because\n0:26\nwh at we want to do is talk about what's on your mind but i'd like you to thi nk about this for just a second\n0:31\nif as we walked out of here today i said i would like to buy\n0:38\nten percent of your financial future i wa s going to write you a check today\n0:44\nand from this day forth you were going to give me 10 percent of everything you\n0:50\nearned how much woul d you want to charge me for that i'm going to buy one tenth of you\n0:57\n and i may take the low bid incidentally so be careful what you uh right no w well i think if you thought\n1:03\nabout that a little while i should yo u can contemplate that for a few minutes you know you're gonna get a check for me today\n1:10\nand you can do anything you want with the money but f rom this day forth you have to give me\n1:15\n10 of what you earn i think it would be very foolish of you any of you if you asked for less\n1:24\nth an say thousand dollars now it's gonna be a few years before you're out ea rning money and so i've got a few years of dead\n1:29\nmoney there but the n i would start getting this royalty on you as you went along so i really think that if you thought about\n1:35\nit you'd most of you would want a f air amount more than that i think you'd be right\n1:41\nfortunately i didn 't make this deal with anybody when i started out so nobody's got a 10 roy alty on me but i\n1:47\nthink that 50 000 would sort of be the absolute mi nimum and if you think about that that means\n1:55\nthat right today you a re worth five hundred thousand because of ten percent of you is worth\n2:0 1\nfifty thousand in cash today your potential\n2:06\nis worth a minimum o n 100 basis of 500 000 that is the big financial\n2:12\nasset you've got i t's way more important what you do with that 500\n2:17\n000 asset that you own today than whether you decide to buy stocks or\n2:24\nbonds or whethe r you put your money in a mutual fund or pick your own stocks or anything of that sort\n2:29\nthe biggest financial asset that you have going for yo u by miles\n2:35\nis the value of your own earning power over the years so that's really what you should focus on if you're focusing on your financi al\n2:42\nfuture that means you should finance focus on you because whethe r you're 10 percent is\n2:48\nworth 50 thousand or a hundred thousand or t hree hundred thousand which would be five hundred thousand or\n2:53\na mil lion or three million for all of you whether it turns out to be one or the \n2:59\nother is really dependent uh in a very large part on what you do i n the next few years\n3:05\nall of you in this room have the brains to do extremely well in life you've all\n3:11\ngot the energy to do extremely we ll in life and then the question is how do you apply it if you've got a 20 0 horsepower\n3:17\nmotor you get 200 horsepower out of it you get your fu ll potential or do you get 100 horsepower\n3:23\nor 50 horsepower now ther e's two things that can hold you back\n3:29\nin getting the full horsepowe r out of your your engine whatever it may be all of you have big enough en gines\n3:35\nand one of those is a lack of education but that probably isn 't going to happen to very many people in this room\n3:40\nif you did have a lack of education if you didn't have a chance to get a decent education in life it wouldn't make any difference what\n3:46\nthat potential was be cause you'd never unlock it but the second most important thing and\n3:52\ nequally as important is in terms of the habits that you develop in terms of what you do with yourself\n3:58\nwhen we hire people we look for three qualities we look for integrity we look for\n4:05\nintelligence and we loo k for energy but if they don't have the first one integrity the other two will kill you because if\n4:12\nyou're hiring somebody without integrity y ou really want to be dumb and lazy don't you i mean you know the last thin g in the world you want forms to be smart energetic so\n4:19\nsmart and en ergetic only goes with integrity but the nice thing about\nIntegrity\n4:26 \nyou know you make your own decision on that you can't change your iq or how far you control football\n4:31\nor how high you can jump or the color of your hair very easily but you can\n4:37\nelect to have integrity that m atches anybody else's and if you match that\n4:42\nwith intelligence which you have and energy which you have uh you will get an extraordinary resul t\n4:48\nand you'd be very foolish to sell me ten percent of yourself for fifty thousand on the other hand if you don't match it with that your\n4:5 3\npotential will in a significant part go unused and i'll give you a litt le\n4:59\nsimple test to apply in terms of thinking about the kind of habi ts you want to develop because you can have any habits you want to be you can be\n5:06\nyou can be lazy you can be prompt you can be you can be late you can be honest you can cut\n5:11\ncorners i mean you have all these ch oices and those are choices for you to make nobody else is going to make t hem\n5:16\nfor you and i would suggest that you play this little game with me too uh think about the person you would most\n5:24\nlike to be in life so maybe it's one of your contemporaries maybe somebody a little older bu t pick\n5:29\nout the person you admire the most the person that you'd cha nge places with it if you could and then\n5:34\nwrite down why you admire them just put it on a piece of paper and then figure out the person that y ou would\n5:40\nleast like to change places with you who really turns you off who do you find repulsive and list the\n5:47\nreasons why that person turns you off so much and put those down on the other side of the\n5:52\np aper and then look at that list and you'll find that everything on the lef t hand side\n5:58\nwhat you admire in other people the qualities they brin g to life cheerfulness you know generosity all\n6:05\nkinds of things you' ll find those are things you can do yourself it's very simple you gotta ap ply yourself but the habits\n6:11\nyou form and doing that early on will c arry you through life and on the other hand you'll find that\n6:17\nthe th ings that make people repulsive selfishness obnoxiousness all these things egotism\n6:22\nare things that no one has to have if you find those in yo urself you can get rid of them as long as you get rid of\n6:28\nthem early so all i suggest is that you write you write down a list of what what you admire what you find uh\n6:35\ncontemptible and decide that you know the ones on the on the\n6:40\nat admired side are ones you're going to acquire for yourself and if you do that when you're young it'll carry you through the rest of your life this\n6:46\ndoesn't work if you do it when you're 5 0 or 60. by then the habits are too well formed\n6:54\nbut if you do it ea rly behavior becomes becomes a habit so if you do that two or three years from\n7:01\nnow if you go through the same exercise you'll find out the pe rson you admire the most is yourself that can be a\n7:07\nlittle dangerous under some circumstances but it uh but it's not it's not a bad thing i me an you want to be somebody you like\n7:14\nand you don't want to be somebo dy that you're that you dislike and and uh form those habits early\n7:21\n you basically can't miss now i'll give you one other small piece of advice that's just a corollary on this\n7:26\nand then we'll get to your questio ns and and that is as a general matters of one piece of\n7:32\nspecific fi nance financial advice i would say you know\n7:37\navoid credit cards just forget about them we're in various businesses that issue credit cards the american public loves\n7:43\ncredit cards but if you start revolving debt on credit cards you're going to be paying 18 or 20 percent and you can't make\n7:52\nprogress in your financial life going around borrowing money a t 18 or 20 percent\n7:58\nyou can make a lot of money by lending it out at 18 or 20 over time you know if you can find anybody that's good that\n8:0 4\nwill borrow from you but you don't want to be on the side of the equati on that's always behind in life\n8:11\nyou know i was lucky i'd saved abou t ten thousand dollars by the time i got out of school that ten thousand d ollars was\n8:18\nreally worth millions i might have earned later on becau se after you get a family and everything the expenses roll in but but thos e were my\n8:24\ntools to work with but it was only because i was ahead of the game if you're behind the game by ten thousand dollars at some point and\n8:30\npaying 18 or 20 interest on it you will never you know you'll n ever get out of it so\n8:36\nthe trick i've got a partner that says all i want to know is where i'm going to die so i'll never go there you know\n8: 42\nand uh and that's true in financial matters as well you want to figure out where you don't want to be\n8:48\nuh ahead of time and avoid that and i get about a dozen letters a day from people who are having terrible\n8: 54\nproblems and there are two reasons why they have terrible problems one is a number of them have had health\n9:00\nproblems of some sort i mean t hey have really been hit by some or somebody in their family has been hit by some kind of catastrophic\n9:07\nillness and that is a you know it's a terrible thing to happen to any family and they get in they run up bills t hey\n9:13\ncan't pay and and really only society can solve that one uh uh in terms of protecting people against\n9:20\nthat that's just plain bad lu ck but the other one is from people who run up credit card debt\n9:26\nand uh they're facing bankruptcy or they've been through bankruptcy once befo re and they owe a whole bunch of money and\n9:31\nthey can't they can't ev en pay the interest let alone pay any principal and half of my letters com e from people\n9:36\nlike that and that that that problem is avoidable cat astrophic illness is not but but uh\n9:42\ncredit card debt is something y ou bring on yourself and it's way better it's way easier to stay\n9:48\nou t of trouble than to get out of trouble financially and and i will guarant ee you if you run\n9:53\na big credit card that you will be in trouble uh probably the rest of your life in terms of uh your financial situation\n10 :01\non the other hand if you get ahead of the game uh even it's on a very modest scale so that\n10:07\nmoney is coming in from investing and you're you're people owe you money or equities owe you\n10:14\nownership you'll be way ahead of the game compared to paying it being always being paying y our creditors\n10:20\nevery month so my advice to you is uh if you can't p ay for it don't buy it and get yourself in a\n10:28\nposition where you ca n pay for anything and then we'll be glad to see at borsheims or the nebra ska furniture market\n10:34\nnow let's uh let's have some questions do we have a mic out there that people\n10:39\ncan either go to or that travels around and i can't necessarily see too well\n10:45\nfrom um we're gonna ha ve one mic on each side so just raise your hand and wait for us to come to you\n10:51\nokay we have somebody up front like a mic [Music]\n10:57\nany thing that's on your mind ask about don't don't don't be bashful\nFinancia l Advice\n11:04\nyeah how would you advise people who aren't necessarily g oing into a career field in which you would make a\n11:10\nlarge base sala ry such as like medicine or something like that maybe\n11:16\nperforming a rts or music how would you advise us to keep up financially with the rest of the\n11:23\nworld well it is true that a market system\n11:29\nuh does not pay as well in some in some activities as as\n11:36\nmight seem approp riate for the importance of those activities the society just take teachin g for example i mean\n11:43\nteaching does not pay well and what could be more important i mean you know you've got to be as\n11:48\nas interested i n who you're the teachers of your children are as who your accountant is o r you know\n11:54\nwhatever or who's winning the heavyweight title of the world or that sort of thing but but it doesn't it doesn't pay well and\n12 :00\nand it's a fundamental choice uh whether you're going to go into some thing\n12:06\nthat for many people it'd be a fundamental choice whether yo u're going to go into something you love or something to\n12:12\nto try an d make a lot of money i think that generally it pays to go with what you l ove\n12:18\ni think that it's very hard to find people when they get to be my age who\n12:24\nsay they're on that they've loved what they've done al l their life and feel was very worthwhile uh but they're terribly sad they made\n12:31\nthat choice because they didn't make a lot of money i i don' t think anybody's ever ever said that to me that they wish they'd gone\n12 :36\ninto something else where they were uncomfortable doing it or didn't enjoy it didn't feel very productive but\n12:41\nmade a lot of money so i don't think you'll find that so i would i would i would go to work\n12:47\ ni would go to work in whatever turns you on it may turn out that it'll it 'll be more\n12:52\nprofitable than than you can think but almost everybod y here will make enough money unless they get some terrible\n12:59\nhabits along the way to do reasonably well and and doing reasonably well in this country\n13:04\nreally is is uh is pretty darn good i mean it is it's not necessary to have\n13:12\nuh huge amounts of money in order to enjoy your self i enjoyed myself when i was at my ten thousand dollars and i live in\ n13:18\nthe same house that i lived in when i was making when i had about that i bought it 41 years ago i like the house then i like the house\n13:2 5\nnow i mean if you think about it if you have a reasonable job\n13:31\ny ou'll be eating at mcdonald's and i'll be eating mcdonald's so we're we're to push on on on food i mean you know in fact i\n13:37\nhope it's dairy q ueen actually and maybe and if you come to dairy queen you'll see me and y ou can order anything on the\n13:43\nmenu i can order we both can afford i t uh you know you'll you'll wear the same\n13:48\nclothes i wear i'll pay more for my suits but as soon as i put them on they look cheap on me so we 'll look about the same and um\n13:55\nwe'll both live in the same kind of houses i live in that house from 41 years ago and it's it's it's warm in winter and it's cool in summer and it's\n14:02\ncomfortable and you'll liv e in a house that's that's similar and then and what difference does it ma ke is if you\n14:07\nhave 50 more rooms or you know guest houses or all th at you know it'll probably just bring you problems i mean you have to worr y about\n14:13\nthe about the greenskeeper or something when you get throu gh so i i i have been in the houses of people uh\n14:20\nwhere the houses are worth um oh probably 200 times what my house is\n14:26\nworth and i wo uld not be any happier in those houses at all in fact i'd be less happy i just have one more thing to\n14:32\nto worry about and you know the dozens of people around the place and people quitting and people stealing from\n 14:38\nyou and all kinds of things to hell with it yeah we drive we'll dri ve the same kind of\n14:44\ncar in fact you'll probably drive a better car i drive a car's about eight years old i don't know what it's worth now bu t it gets me around fine i mean i i'm\n14:50\nperfectly happy we'll watch we'll watch the same television you know we'll work on the same computer p retty\n14:56\nmuch the only difference will be how we travel long distance s you know i will fly in a plane that's\n15:04\nmore comfortable than than flying southwest airlines or something which i've got nothing against but \n15:10\nthat's the one real big difference and other than that i do what i like every day i hope you you'll do what you like\n15:15\nevery day to d o and i work with nice people i hope you work with nice people uh and that 's there's 24 hours in the day\n15:22\nand those are where the hours go so great wealth uh\n15:28\nis the tiniest bit different in a real sense than having just a\n15:34\ndecent a decent income and and to trade\n15:39\na d ecent income and something you love doing and something where you feel wor thwhile doing it\n15:45\nfor huge wealth where you trade off a lot of your principles would\n15:51\nbe a terrible mistake\nSuccess\n15:58\nwould you not acknowledge your success more on yourself or from the help and teachi ngs of others\n16:03\nwell i had i had i was very lucky in life uh if you tell me who your heroes are i\n16:10\ni will make a pretty good prediction about how what you're going to do and i i i had the right heroes i was ve ry\n16:17\nlucky in life and my heroes never let me down and started with my dad and then i had others in business and so\n16:24\ni have had great t eachers some formal teachers some that were just\n16:31\ninformal teachers teachers by instinct or example and if i hadn't had those\n16:37\nuh you know my life i'm sure would have been very different if i'd been born anyp lace else when i was i was born in\n16:43\n1930 uh and at the time\n16:48\ none out of 50 births in the world were in the united states so i came in against 50 to 1 odds against being born\n16:54\nin the united states i wou ld have i would have been a disaster you know if i'd been born in afghanis tan or\n17:00\nor peru or some place i mean i was i won i won the lottery the day i was born you know by being born in this country so\n17:06\nhave you uh i mean you you the odds were\n17:11\nprobably 40 to 1 against you b eing born in this country and that were five times more likely to have\n17 :16\nbeen born in in china six times and four or five times more likely yo u've been born in\n17:21\nin in india or some other place where it would n ot have been as easy to exploit the full potential of your\n17:28\ntalents so we've all won the lottery in that respect and and that's just plain lu ck i mean it uh\n17:34\nand i was lucky to be born at this time i mean cap ital allocation is something that pays off extremely\n17:40\nwell in the s ociety now but it doesn't pay off in other societies and it didn't pay off you know many years ago my\n17:46\nmy friend bill gates says that if i wa s been born a few thousand years ago i'd have been some animals lunch\n17: 51\nyou know i i can't run very fast and i can't climb trees and you know i just happen those are talents\n17:58\nnobody asked me to climb trees now but uh there was a time when it might have been important and\n18:03\ninc identally bill would have been some animals breakfast i mean he can't run so fast either but uh in any event uh\n18:10\nyou know we are lucky i mean just imagine being born a couple hundred years ago with exactly the same talents\n18:16\nand how far they would have taken you then you know the av erage person today lives so much better than\n18:21\nthe richest person li ved 100 or 150 years ago so uh i'm lucky in that respect lucky to be\n18:2 9\nborn of terrific parents i was lucky to be raised in omaha in a in a gr eat public\n18:35\nschool system i got a start here in the first eight gra des they gave me a foundation\n18:40\nthat later when i went off the track a few times uh carried me through because i had a terrific grade school e ducation\n18:47\nin right here in omaha rose hill and one of the reasons i had it incidentally is kind of\n18:52\nunfortunate but i had that great e ducation in part because women were being\n18:59\nenormously discriminated against and so a woman at that time could be a teacher she could be a\n19 :04\nsecretary she could be a nurse you know and that was about it so he h ad a half the talent pool in the united\n19:10\nstates limited to just a f ew jobs so you had an abundance of talent\n19:16\nuh in those activities l ike nursing or teaching because uh that talent with males was spread\n19:2 2\nacross every act every form of work activity there was but with women i t was concentrated in a few areas and that\n19:29\nthat benefited me it's kind of sad because it didn't benefit those teachers but but i was very lu cky and i've really\n19:35\nbeen that way all my life and what i do is wha t i do\n19:40\nis important as you know what a good teacher does or a good nurse does or something of the sort you know i think that's quite\n19:46\ nquestionable it pays off enormously well in a market economy like the uni ted states and\n19:51\nbut that's an accident didn't have anything to do w ith any innate ability of mine\nTechnology\n20:00\nmy name is marinatsed a nd i attend omaha central high school good for you fine institution now mr \n20:07\nbuffett technology has been a great factor in um stimulating the world economy\n20:12\nwhat are your predictions for the future of the tech nology industry and what what is its future role in\n20:19\nworld economy and the united states economy yeah well it's there's no question it's turn ing the world upside down it's\n20:25\nit's done done it somewhat already but it will you know it's just beginning but it's\n20:30\nmoving very fast i met gates on july 15 1991 i was out\n20:36\nthere for a fourth of july uh celebration with a friend and\n20:41\nuh who subsequently died in green field with the washington post and she took us down to visit the gates fam ily\n20:47\nand he tried to educate me about high tech and he had better l uck with chimpanzees\n20:53\ni mean i i was i was really a disaster but bu t he's a good teacher but one thing he he told me was that\n21:00\nat the time he said you know you've got this model in your head of the world and your model has\n21:08\ntime and distance as very limiting factors and he s aid they aren't limiting factors anymore he said you know\n21:14\nthe cost of talking to somebody around the world or getting your message in front of\n21:19\nsomebody or publishing is it's going to be zero and they're so close to zero it doesn't make any difference and\n21:25\nyou know that was revolutionary but it's happening already in a in a very very big way and it's just uh what eight\n21:32\nyears later and and it's it's exploding so \n21:38\nhigh-tech information technology whatever you want to call it is changing the world and it's going to\n21:45\nchange it in a very very big way it'll change i mean that's one of the things i think about in business es we buy\n21:50\nuh we announced the purchase uh yesterday of a uh furnit ure retailer in in in\n21:56\nboston in the boston area and you know i thi nk to myself what effect does this new world have in terms\n22:02\nof the internet on furniture retailing i mean you have to think about questions l ike that the changes will be huge i will i played\n22:08\nbridge yesterday uh with people uh all over the country but i played it with people all ov er the\n22:14\nworld i just sit down on my computer and i've got some popc orn there and i'm in khakis and a sweater and i i can have a bridge game i n 30 seconds\n22:20\nwith people all over the world and uh no cost to it b asically you know that's a lot different\n22:26\nthan trying to arrange a game with four people in omaha you know on a day when one guy wants to pla y golf another wants to watch baseball and i\n22:32\nmean it's it it just it changes things in huge way uh we are very fortunate i mean it's\n22:40\ nin the degree to which the united states leads the world in this area i m ean we have a lead it's\n22:46\nhard to think of who's in second place and 15 or so years ago this country had an inferiority complex it'd be hard f or\n22:53\nyou to remember because you weren't old enough to be around the m but in the in the early 80s we were wondering\n22:58\nwhether the german s and the japanese were going to own everything and that they were going t o make all the steel and they were going to make all\n23:03\nthe cars and everything else and the television sets and we were going to flip hamburge rs that was the standard line\n23:10\nand just imagine in a short period l ike 15 years how that's changed around in an important way that's changed\ n23:16\nbecause of this information uh a revolution uh\n23:22\nwhere we li ke i said i don't know who i don't know who you would name as being in sec ond place in the world but here's\n23:27\nthe most important industry in t he world and the united states has this incredible position and we're movi ng all\n23:33\nthe time with that position so i think that argues for a ve ry\n23:39\ni think it argues for a terrific future for the world over time and i think it argues even more for a terrific future for this company a\ n23:45\ncountry what are the best ways for youth to get started now in sec uring their financial\nFinancial Future\n23:52\nfuture for for what to sec ure their financial future\n23:57\nfor you youth oh well it's not it's not very complicated uh it goes back to getting full use out of\n24:06\nyour own talents first i mean the difference between whether you're going to be earning x or 2x or 3x\n24:11\na year uh 20 years from now uh is going to be a function of how well\n24:19\nnot how much talent you have but how how well you use the talents you already have and\n24:24\nuh so that is the y our best financial future is your own ability and and\n24:31\nand your uh a capacity to to use those abilities to their\n24:38\npotential and they c an't take that can't be taken away from you can't they can't even tax\n24: 43\nit i mean you know most things if if you wanna you know a piece of rea l estate if they\n24:49\ndouble the taxes they double the taxes and that c hanges your ownership in the property because now in effect the taxing aut horities own\n24:55\nmore of it because they've got a greater command on t he revenue stream uh the same thing about\n25:00\nalmost any asset you hav e but they they don't tax what's in your head\n25:06\nand they don't tax y our ability to start performing when you when you get to work in the morni ng\n25:12\nand finish in the evening to to your potential one of the thing s that amazes me is how\n25:18\npeople who really do perform well just sor t of jump out at you once you're running a business when i got out of scho ol\n25:24\ni thought you know everybody would behave that way but they don 't most people sort of go go through life in a sleep\n25:31\nwalk and and it if you don't you will stand out so the big the\n25:37\nbiggest thing fo r your financial future is yourself now beyond that it is always being ahe ad of the game rather than getting behind\n25:43\nthe game it's saving a l ittle no matter how you do it i mean i delivered papers i worked at pennie s i sold golf balls i had a pinball machine\n25:49\nround i did a lot of t hings that enabled me to accumulate about ten thousand dollars by the time i got out\n25:55\nof school uh ten thousand doesn't go as far now as it d id then but it\n26:00\nhaving anything so that you're ahead of the game an d not getting behind the game is enormously important i mean just you\n26: 07\nknow if you're gonna run a hundred hundred yard dash against a bunch o f people in life\n26:12\nif you can figure it out so that when the gun goe s off you're 10 or 15 yards ahead instead of 10 or 15 yards behind it's\n2 6:18\ngoing to make an enormous difference in how that race comes out so h aving having\n26:24\nsome net resources doesn't make much difference wheth er they're in stocks or bonds in my view but uh\n26:30\nand not having deb t when that gun goes off when you get out of school is a huge plus over be ing behind the\n26:37\ngame and uh you know it may come from delivering a paper out in the morning it may come\n26:43\nfrom part-time work someplace but but put aside a few dollars for yourself but uh\n26:49\nso that when the time comes and you enter you enter the workforce uh you're ahead\n26:5 4\nof the game and not behind and then once you get there don't get behind by buying a whole lot of things that you figure you're going to pay for s ome\n27:00\nday while you're paying 20 interest in between students if you could please say your\nEducation\n27:06\nname and school when you ask a q uestion hard for me to see anymore the microphone is but i can\n27:15\nmy name is patrick doherty and i'm from papillion la vista high school i was wondering with the increasing\n27:21\ncosts of education today what can st udents do to deal with their debts once they're out of college\n27:28\nwel l that's a tough one i mean i guess i'd pay it off as fast as i could and i would incur as little debt as\n27:34\nas possible in in before that time came and i would say\n27:40\nthis [Music] in my experience in business\n2 7:49\nthere is very little difference if any between a very high priced bu siness\n27:55\neducation and what's available a lot for a lot less money s o i i\n28:01\ni went to the university of nebraska at lincoln my last year in college i went to wharton for a couple years before\n28:07\nthat uh i learned just as much at the university of nebraska as i did at wharton at uh\n28:13\nand there's nothing against wharton i mean it's just me we had a very good school here i had some terrific professors at lincoln and so i i would not assume\n28:22\nthat if i was paying a few thousand dollars fo r an education uh here in the state for example versus\n28:28\npaying huge amounts elsewhere that it was going to make a lot of difference uh uh mos t of a lot of the education\n28:37\nuh and you need to be prodded in the r ight direction but an awful lot of it is is itself is self-taught uh\n28:4 4\ni mean andrew carnegie did a wonderful thing in this country in terms o f libraries and i used to spend a lot of time\n28:50\nat libraries i think i got locked in at the university of omaha one what was then the universi ty of omaha and they had i couldn't get out for hours and one\n28:56\nnigh t i got so entranced with what i was reading but it there's there's all ki nds of information available now with the\n29:03\ninternet it's so much yo u know easier than it was then so uh it's out there to be taken\n29:09\nan d it isn't necessary to pay 30 or 35 000 a year to go to some big name sch ool\n29:17\nto get the education at all i mean if you're going to learn ac counting if you're going which is probably the most important\n29:22\ncour se you'd take in business if you're going to learn account you can learn a ccounting absolutely as well in my view going to you and always going\n29: 29\nto to harvard i mean i see i i would i'd bet on that and\n29:35\nso i wouldn't run up huge bills in terms of getting a\n29:42\nbusiness educatio n now you know if you're going to get a medical education i mean there's c ertain professions where\n29:47\nthere may not be any way around spending a fair amount of money and getting in debt to some degree\n29:52\nyou've g ot to make that decision yourself but i'd certainly try to minimize it and uh and i would sort of i would have\n29:59\nit figured out how i would ha ndle that debt in say a five year period after i got out of\n30:05\nschool or i would think twice about incurring it there's a question up here if w e can bring a microphone\nYouth Advisory Council\n30:13\nuh my name is kyl e clark i'm here representing the omaha youth advisory council um what adv ice would you have for a\n30:19\nforming non-profit organization for formi ng a non-profit organization well i've always tried to avoid forming\n30:2 5\nnon-profit organizations but uh well that would that would depend\n30:3 1\nentirely on what i wanted to accomplish i mean it you know it'd be one day it was a hospital it could be another thing\n30:36\nuh you know there' s a there's so many types of it so i you know you've got to get people tha t\n30:42\nare that are experienced and involved uh in an entity like that and uh\n30:50\nbut it depends so much on the on the objective uh you're wo rking at uh\n30:58\nyeah i promised this young lady here microphone for a long time\nCivic Involvement\n31:05\nhi my name is kara harbert and i atte nd millard west high school and i understand that you're very civically in volved and i was wondering\n31:11\nhow important of a quality you think th at is for an individual in life and why yeah well i wouldn't say that i am that\n31:17\ni mean i i do certain civic things i think i think your your model as a citizen for example in omaha would be walter scott i mean he\n 31:24\nis far more civically involved than i am and uh incidentally his pr edecessor peter\n31:29\nkiewit was too but walters carried it to new heigh ts so i uh i don't want to take uh on any mantle\n31:36\nfor that myself i do some things uh one of the problems i have is i love\n31:42\nwhat i do so much that that it sort of takes over i mean i'm like a guy that likes t o play a lot of\n31:48\ngolf or something except i like i like the busines s i'm in but uh i've got a family that\n31:53\nparticipates very actively uh some of my children work on almost\n31:59\nanything that comes along in the civic area and you know it's you do in the end people\n32:05\ndo what they want to do to quite a degree and and uh i think\n32:10\ni've never t alked to anybody that that enjoyed working in civic activities that\n32:16 \ndidn't feel was very worthwhile after they've done it i mean they built something and participating in building something is\n32:21\nalways a lot of fun and and actually you have a good time we have this golf tournament for example in\n32:26\nseptember and we raise some money for something but everybody has a good time so nobody's paying any price\n32:31\nby doing i t i'm having a good time the people who come are having a good time and uh we get to show em all off to\n32:37\npeople but you should be enjoying th ings that go along and you will if you work in\n32:42\ncivic activities th at that that interest you and you can do the same thing in politics i mean that\n32:48\nuh you know if you if you get if you find political ideas\n3 2:56\nor politicians who particularly uh you identify when turning on you can get\n33:01\na lot of self satisfaction out of out of working and you'r e doing something worthwhile so i\n33:06\njust just follow your instincts on that that'd be my recommendation\n33:17\n[Music] hi my name is jeremy g raham from millard south high school\nEconomic Problems\n33:24\nwe're prob ably the i guess the elite youth of today and i've questioned\n33:29\nwhat do you see as the problem the biggest economic problem facing the youth o f today going into the future\n33:37\nyeah i i don't think you that you're going to have enormous economic\n33:42\nproblems i think you will live in a society where the average person lives better\n33:50\nby a significant margin than the average one of a generation earlier or two generations ear lier that's been the\n33:56\nhistory of this country it's a marvelous coun try that way i mean it when you think of it we have four and a half percen t of the world's\n34:01\npopulation you know and and what's been accomplis hed here is incredible 53\n34:07\npercent of the of the value of corporati ons that are publicly traded in the world exist in\n34:13\nthe united stat es with four and a half percent of the population this country always has done well uh\n34:19\nthey say in stocks that you should buy stock in a bus iness that's so good that even an idiot can run it\n34:25\nbecause sooner or later one will and and that's not terrible advice well that seems to ha ve been sort of the\n34:30\nhistory of this country from time to time i me an we've had all these problems that have come\n34:35\nalong if you look b ack in the last hundred years and list all the problems those countries ru n into you know you make a very long list and a\n34:41\nlot of people who focused on those problems at the time have missed the bigger picture and t he bigger picture is that every generation\n34:48\nlives better than the o ne before and that's because of uh that's because of\n34:53\nsavings becau se savings enable people to create new tools to do better things as they g o\n34:58\nalong and it's also due to an environment that lets people reali ze their potential to a greater\n35:05\ndegree than most other environment s in the world it's far from perfect i mean it's it's sad how far it is fr om perfect\n35:12\nbut it is better than anything else around i mean in th is country uh you've got you don't\n35:18\nhave some commissar or somethin g running a you know a big business in this country you've got a guy like jack welch\n35:24\nand a fellow like jack welch makes a difference of nigh t and day in terms of the productivity of that\n35:31\nbusiness over a per iod of decades and productivity is what a is what causes the standard of l iving to rise so\n35:37\nanything that a system that throws up the jack we lch's of the world to run businesses is going to have an enormous advantag e\n35:44\nover a society that does it by heredity or that does it by gover nment edict and\n35:49\nwe've got we're closer to that society that i've d escribed than than anything than any other country and\n35:56\nit's it's l ed due to great things and it will continue to lead to great things so i t hink i think you've got the best future uh\n36:03\nyou know you don't face you don't face a war and you've gotta you you've got a a great\n36:09\nuh you've got a better uh future in terms of uh\n36:16\nachieving material r ewards than any generation in history so i wish i could trade you places i might\n36:24\nget taken up on that by a few of you though\n36:37\n[Music] hi i'm ryan wilkins from millard west high school and um i was wondering if you or if you\nY2K\n36:45\ncould uh speak for mr gates were afraid of t he impact of y2k on the economy or\n36:51\nspecifically the stock market y eah well i'm i'm i'm glad you gave me a chance to bring in other people be cause i\n36:56\ni'm the last guy in the world understanding about y2ki you know i don't know why this microphone's working i don't know you\n37:01\n know why likes go on or i i flip on the switch of my television set and pr ay i mean it's all it's all beyond me but i would\n37:09\nsay this the sma rtest people i know in that area uh in large part\n37:14\nthink it's going to be a non-event at uh uh in this country i don't i can't speak\n37:20\n for the rest of the world but uh so i think uh i think you'll wake up on\n 37:26\njanuary first and find the world hasn't changed from december 31st now i would say this you might you might\n37:32\nget a whole bunch of frie nds to write your checks for a billion dollars on december 31st and deposi t them and you know who knows what'll happen can't\n37:38\nlose anything i mean i like to just bounce and if the system gets followed up you know yo u you might find a lot of money in\n37:44\nyour account but i wouldn't cou nt on it there wait we have a we own a company called executive jet\n37:50 \nwe have about 14 or 1500 uh customers who own pieces of airplanes with u s and we so we've got a hundred and\n37:57\nwell we got 160 of their plane s and some of our own flying around it'll be very interesting to me to see \n38:02\nwhat the advance people let us know ahead of time when they want to use it it'll be very interesting to see how many sign up\n38:09\nfor ja nuary 1st at 1201 but it'll uh i it wouldn't bother\n38:14\nme to fly him in the least on january 1st or do anything else on january 1st\n38:21\nide ally i hope the getting prepared to watch the huskers play in the big game \nGood Economics\n38:29\ni'm jamie solis from twin valley and i was wonder ing how do you decide what you'd invest your time and money in\n38:36\nyea h well i i i like to find businesses that have good economics now\n38:42\n what what are good economics well good economics are a business that has s ome kind of a moat around it that\n38:49\nmakes its product or its service or its location or something a little more desirable than to the\n38:55\n customer than any other sort of comparable product uh you know the number one candy bar in\n39:01\nthe last 30 or 40 years has been snickers people don't fool around with different candy bars they fool around with\n39:07\n different length dresses they fool around you know with all kinds of thing s but they don't fool around with candy bars\n39:13\nbecause they figure y ou know they're going to go in and lay out 50 cents or whatever it is and put it in their mouth and they're not going to for 50 cents\n39:19\nand pu tting in your mouth i mean you're not going to say i'll i'll put in i'll l ay out 45 cents and put something else in my mouth so\n39:25\nyou find tha t very stable and we like businesses that we think we can figure out where \n39:31\nthey're going to be in 10 or 15 years i don't know where the info rmation technology businesses are going to be in 10 or 15 years i know whe re snickers\n39:37\nbars are going to be in 10 or 15 years they're going t o be selling just about you know the way they do now i know where wrigley' s gum is going to be in 10\n39:42\nor 15 years p there's not going to be a lot of innovation in in in chewing gum\n39:48\nuh the and people the inte rnet's not going to cause people to quit chewing gum either i mean at leas t i mean gates may think so but i don't\n39:53\nthink so but uh it's it's predictability\n40:00\nregarding the sustainability of a competitive advan tage some something special about a product so we look for those kind of p roducts\n40:07\nand then we look for people that are running the business that are honest and able\n40:12\nand you know that's it's easier to find p eople that are honest and able than it is to find\n40:19\nbusinesses that are going to stay wonderful for a long period of time they're a lot of bus iness that looked\n40:24\nlike they were going to stay wonderful but reall y evaporated over time but that's what we're looking for and\n40:30\nthe n ice thing about is we don't have to find very many if we find one a year t hat's terrific\n40:35\nyou know because you don't you don't need a hundred or a thousand great investment ideas to do well\n40:41\nyou need a couple and uh if we the discipline is the most important\n40:47\nthing we don't need brain power we need discipline that uh you don't need 150 iq to do wh at i do\n40:53\nthank god you know you don't need 140 you know 835 you may need 115 or\n40:59\nsomething like that and and but you do need disciplin e you have to wait\n41:04\nuntil you see the fat pitch to swing at because investing is a no-call strike game you\n41:10\nknow if i were a baseball player and i only like pitches two inches above my navel\n41:15\nyou know some guy could learn that and he could pitch me you know three or four inc hes below that i get called out on strikes because i\n41:21\nnever find a pitch i like you can get call out on strikes in baseball you have to you h ave to swing at pitches\n41:27\nthat you you don't even necessarily like p articularly after the count gets to two strikes in business\n41:34\nyou do n't have to swing at anything you can sit there and the paper says general motors at 68 or it says general electric\n41:39\non 115 or says general d ynamics at 63. and if you don't like those prices you\n41:44\ndon't have t o swing you can wait there day after day after day after day and there are no called strikes now\n41:50\nwhen you swing when you decide to buy somet hing then you know if you swing and miss it's a strike but\n41:56\nit's a marvelous game to be in because there are no called strikes and you can si mply wait for that one time in a month or six\n42:04\nmonths or a year or two or three years when you really know what you're doing where you like t he price or you like the people running the\n42:10\nbusiness and then you swing and you only need a few swings in your lifetime so that's the way we try to pick\n42:15\nbusinesses we try to stay with things we understand i mean there can be all kinds of\n42:20\nwonderful investment opportunities out there that i don't understand i don't know what cocoa beans are going to do next\n42:26\nyear you know maybe you know but i don't know i i don' t know what i don't know what uh crude oil is going to solve for\n42:31\nb ut i don't have to know i just have to know the things i have to know what i know i\n42:37\nhave to know where the limits of my understanding are wh at i call what my circle of confidence is and if\n42:45\ni'm only able to evaluate five percent of the businesses in the world no problem i just sta y within that five percent and\n42:51\ntry and find something uh and that' s most people get in trouble because in investments because they uh well t hey\nDiscipline\n42:59\nget itchy you know they can't discipline themselve s and they hear about other people making money nothing upsets people so m uch as\n43:04\nto hear about their friends making money i mean it's that t hat's very destructive to discipline because they think\n43:09\ni'm smarte r than that guy next door and he just just bought that new car with the mo ney made trading stocks on the internet so why can't i\n43:15\nwell the an swer is you can't over time you will lose money if you trade stocks active ly and uh it's it's hard to exercise the\n43:23\ndiscipline but anytime yo u buy something you should be able to take out a\n43:28\none-page sheet of paper and say i'm buying general motors it's 65 i'm buying general electr ic 150\n43:35\nbecause and you should write down the reasons if you can't if you can't fill out the sheet\n43:41\nif it's because somebody told me a bout it at a cocktail party last night that's not good enough if it's beca use my broker told me about\n43:46\nit that's not good enough you know it' s uh you've got to have a reason\n43:51\nfor thinking that it makes an int elligent investment you do the same thing if you're buying a farm or an ap artment house if you're buying a farm\n43:57\nyou'd say i'm buying this fa rm with a thousand dollars an acre because i think i can earn sixty dollar s an acre on it\n44:02\nif corn sells it such and such and soybean cells a nd such and such and yield as such and such and you'd\n44:07\nfigure it ou t that's the same reason you buy businesses and when you buy stocks you're buying a little piece of a\n44:13\nbusiness and that's probably the most important thing to remember in in investing is that when you're buying a s tock you're buying\n44:19\na little piece of the business and if you are b uying it at an attractive price for the business for the whole business\n4 4:25\nyou're gonna make money and if you aren't you know over time you won 't make money\nMoral Standards\n44:34\nhi my name is cliff mcavoy from elk horn mount michael um reverend jackson jesse jackson talked to us earlier\ n44:40\nhe seemed to believe that the moral standards of today's society w ill eventually affect us in business\n44:45\nhow do you feel this will aff ect us as youth growing up in the united states he said the moral standard s will affect us how like moral decay\n44:53\nin society today will affect us in business by how we feel and how we interact with other people\n44:5 8\nwell i think very difficult to quantify moral standards over time i\n45 :05\nmean that you know you could you could pick out huge weaknesses at an y given time in\n45:11\nterms of how people or the country is behaving and and and huge strengths so i think it's\n45:17\nenormously difficult to qu antify i think by and large we have made progress in\n45:23\nwhat i would call institutionalized moral standards in this country i mean the the the uh you know in terms\n45:31\nof slavery in terms of the uh in terms of i m ean the women women couldn't vote you know a century ago\n45:38\nuh they w ere half the country were second class citizens in that respect in a barri er\n45:43\nand they had much lesser rights in terms of inheritance and all kinds of things\n45:49\nthe income tax didn't exist a hundred years ago s o the\n45:55\nidea of taxing people according to to how much that they ben efited from\n46:00\nsociety and their income uh didn't exist so i think in terms of institutionalized\n46:06\nmoral standards the country has made r eally quite significant progress uh in\n46:13\nthe in the last hundred yea rs i think you know there's an enormous distance to go i think we're going in the right direction\n46:18\nmaybe by fits and starts but i think we're going in the right direction and i think that uh\n46:24\nuh you know it w ill be a it will be a significant plus to\n46:29\neverybody in this room i f they live in a more moral society 40 years from now than a less moral bu t i think the odds\n46:35\nare that they will i think the country moves in that direction very difficult to do it all kinds of interests that work a gainst\n46:41\nit but in the end i think the american people want it and\n 46:47\nyou saw it in civil rights i mean it took television to dramatize w hat was going on and people that weren't near it\n46:53\npreferred not to think about it but it got through to the conscience of the american people \n46:59\nand a lot of progress has been made there and there's a lot left to be made but there it's better than it was and the pace may\n47:07\nseem very slow to those people involved and i can understand that uh the pace you know for\n47:13\nwomen's suffrage i mean that went for decades and dec ades and decades a woman couldn't be on a jury i was\n47:19\nreading the t rial of clarence darrell which took place in california about 19 i don't k now 10 or 11\n47:26\nyou know there were no women on the jury the woman wa sn't allowed to be on a jury they weren't citizens in that sense so\n47:32 \nit's the moral behavior of the country has in my view\n47:38\nimproved b ut it uh you know and it'll continue to improve and i hope you all in this room do your part to\n47:44\nhelp it improve\n47:52\nhi i'm nick george f rom uh central high and uh i was wondering how uh since the stock\n47:59\n market's so high right now if it'd be smart for us to get to get involved now or to wait till\n48:05\nuntil it goes down a little or what yeah i can 't tell you whether or not to buy stocks now generally\n48:11\ni think it' s important that you save money you know and whether whether you put in th e stock market\n48:18\ni don't think is terribly important i think if you' re interested in stocks you should you should buy it you know\n48:24\nand you've got a little capital you should buy a few i mean i don't think ther e's any way of learning about them better than experiencing doing it on\n4 8:30\npaper isn't the same i can guarantee you if you lose money on paper or lose real money it's a different experience and uh uh\n48:38\nand so i i think there i think you'll learn more about yourself uh if you do it tha t way i bought my\n48:45\nfirst stock when i was 11. i was actually i was at rose hill at the time and i bought three shares of city service preferr ed\n48:52\nat uh 38 and it went down to 27 which is something i still reme mber even though i\n48:58\nwas 11 at the time uh and then it went up to 40 and i sold it i made five bucks on my three shares after commissions and\ n49:04\nthen it went to 200 and something so uh you know i i probably reme mber that a little better than if i'd been doing it\n49:10\non paper you k now and i fooled around doing a lot of things between about age 11\n49:16\ nand 19 in the stock market i did charts i did all kinds of technical anal ysis i read every book i\n49:21\ncould get on the subject and i didn't do that well i didn't do terrible but but i did i was really just\n49:28\nflo undering around but by that meant by the age of 19 when i read\n49:33\nben graham's book i was at the university of nebraska in lincoln i went and b ought this book called the intelligent investor just come out\n49:39\nand it had an enormous impact on me now if i hadn't done in the previous eight years if i hadn't\n49:45\nbeen all over the lot i'm not so sure that that book would have had the same impact on me i mean i was by that time i was prepared\n49:51\nto read ben graham's book which changed my life financia lly in an incredible way i mean uh\n49:59\ni wouldn't be up here today if i had read that book but yeah part of life is getting prepared\n50:05\nso that when something does happen that's significant you can grasp the signi ficance of it and\n50:12\nknow what to do with it and i would say that fir st eight years of fooling around even though it produced nothing\n50:17\nf inancially to speak of uh produced a lot in terms of getting my mind prepa red\n50:23\nfor when i really did read something that made sense so i was ready to accept it and i actually went back and went to\n50:29\ncolumbia t o study under the under graham and because of of reading that book and all \n50:36\nkinds of things flowed out of it so i would encourage you if you' re interested in the field\n50:42\nuh to to do a few things i still try an d make\n50:47\nit as intelligent as possible i would try to stick with thi ngs businesses i thought i understood i'd still get out that sheet of pape r\n50:54\nand i'd write i'm doing this because and just test my reasoning then i go back and read it a year later and\n51:00\nand see whether what y ou thought would be true turned out to be true so i would always check mys elf i believe\n51:05\nin grading myself on everything you know doctors hav e post mortems and they they do it because they learn\n51:11\nfrom postmor tems and business people don't like to do postmortems when i'm i'm i can b e on the board of a company\n51:17\nand they get about owners building pla nts or buying companies and they never wanted two years later to\n51:23\nr un a check on how that decision turned out because it it can be unpleasant uh but you learn\n51:29\nfrom postmortems and you don't want to learn it' s way better learn from other people's mistakes than your own but you got to\n51:35\nlearn from a few of your own too and the time to do it is when you're young\n51:41\nwe can do maybe one more and then we wrap this up at one dewey or maybe maybe two more\n51:48\nmy name is pete walsh i'm from c reighton prep and my question is to what extent do you\n51:54\nfeel that t he government with the the current policies of welfare and social security \n51:59\nis it financially competent and fiscally prepared for the future well\n52:06\ni i think that the country as a whole is quite quite well pre pared for the\n52:12\nfuture that doesn't mean that adopt would adopt ever y policy they have but but\n52:18\nuh i think a we have an enormously rich society enormously rich society and it'll get\n52:24\nricher everyone isn 't going to participate in that some will won't participate because\n52:29 \nof physical disabilities others because of mental disabilities other bec ause of shortcomings in the education they\n52:35\nreceived when they were growing up all kinds of reasons we have a prosperous enough society to\n5 2:41\nbe able to take care of of those people and we should take care of t hem and how we do it\n52:46\nso that they feel most useful in life and how we do it so that we continue to encourage people to be more productive th emselves and all that\n52:52\ni mean those are not easy questions but but that shouldn't take our eye off the ball of\n52:58\nfeeling we should do s omething about it that um i often i i pose this problem\n53:03\nsometimes to people i say let's assume that it's 24 hours before you're born and all of you can take this test 24\n53:09\nhours before you're born and a genie comes to you and the genie\n53:15\nsays what was your name again out ther e whatever\n53:20\nwe'll call you joe and the genie says joe says you look pretty promising to me i\n53:26\nthink you've got kind of a sense of fair play and and a good mind and so i'm going to let you have an\n53:32\nextr aordinary opportunity i'm going to let you design the world\n53:37\ninto w hich you're going to be born in 24 hours it's yours you pick out the polit ical\n53:43\nrules you pick out the economic rules you pick out the social rules you design the world and when you're\n53:50\nborn in 24 hours you'r e going to be born into that world and that's the world that's going to\n5 3:55\nexist for your lifetime for your children's lifetime for your grandc hildren's lifetime\n54:01\nand you having heard of some of these genie jok es in the past would say what's the catch the genie says well\n54:07\nit's a very slight catch i said when when you're born in 24 hours\n54:12\nyou' re going to emerge in this world you designed but what you don't know is w hether\n54:18\nyou're going to be born black or white male or female\n54:2 3\nrich or poor brighter able-bodied or infirm in the united\n54:29\nstate s or afghanistan all you know is that you're going to reach into this\n54: 36\nbarrel which now has six billion balls as we know representing one per son every person in the world and you're\n54:42\ngoing to participate in w hat i call the ovarian lottery you're going to take one ball out of that b arrel and you're never going to\n54:47\nget another ball that's you you're going to get one ball and now you're going to emerge now what kind of\n54 :52\nrules do you want to have for that society not knowing which ball you 're going to get\n54:59\nnow that i put to you is the way i think people s hould think about social policy and if you're born if\n55:05\nyou're lucky enough to be born in this country you've won the lottery already but we s hould have a system in my view\n55:12\nthat encourages the jack welch's an d the bill gates and all of that to work far beyond the time when it has a ny\n55:18\neconomic significance to them we want people commanding those r esources who are extremely able to command them that's\n55:24\nhow that's how the standard of living moves forward so we should want you know we sho uld want tom osborne\n55:30\ncoaching in nebraska we should want we should want bill gates designing software and we don't want to mix up those two\ n55:36\nwe don't want to we don't we don't want to get bill coaching in ne braska uh so you want you want people you want\n55:42\na system that direc ts gets people to their potential and and puts them\n55:47\nin the positio n where they can do the most good for society but you also want a system f or the people get the wrong ball i mean\n55:53\nsomebody's going to get th e ball you know that says 80 iq somebody's going to get the ball\n55:58\nt hat says this disease or that disease early in life that cripples them and we've got a rich enough society\n56:05\nthat we can we can take care of t hose people and i think that to get back to your question i think\n56:10\n that this society will move more and more in that direction it has the cap ability of moving more and more in\n56:15\nthat direction as our resources and our output increases and i think that\n56:21\nit has the will to do t hat in a general way although like i say there have always been lots of hi ts and starts so there is no shortage in the united\n56:29\nstates of reso urces there's no shortage of output you have to have a system that\n56:35\ nencourages people to behave to the limit of their abilities and puts them in the right\n56:41\nplace but then you have to make sure that everybody gets taken care of too now we can do one more and then we will\n56:47\nbre ak thing i'll let the fellow with the microphone and woman here make the d ecision\n56:56\nhi my name is ben gold i go to bruno talbot and i wanted t o know how do you think the media affects the world economically today\n57 :04\nwell it's a small question [Music] well what it obviously does simply \n57:10\nbecause it's it's moved so far technologically as it's brought it together in a big way i\n57:16\nmean i was over in china a few years ago and i was right after the time of the women's conference in in in beijing and i was reading\n57:24\nthe chinese coverage uh of that conference and o f course it it\n57:30\nhad nothing to do with what was taking place but th e internet was coming in and and you know you can you can access\n57:38\nt he washington post or the new york times or i get the washington post at 9 30 here at night\n57:43\nin effect i never could get it the next day on o n through through uh physical delivery\n57:48\nbut i buy electronic delive ry i can read it uh you know probably earlier than most of people in washi ngton are reading it\n57:54\nso the ability to communicate and the degree to which the world can\n58:00\nhave awareness of what's going on every pla ce in the world it's just you know it's been a quantum leap\n58:07\nyou kn ow that will have there are a lot of things that come out of that and uh n et they're a plus over time but\n58:14\nthe they i mean they the the abili ty of information to be available to everyone worldwide almost\n58:21\nins tant instantaneously it's it's it's a can be huge advances in things like medicine\n58:26\nfor example just to pick one uh so it it's a net plus it has a it has a big\n58:34\neffect and the definition of media has now been expanded\n58:40\nenormously i mean there were three television networks i n in the 19 and you know in the early\n58:45\n1960s and that was it there were three highways information traveled electronically and if the three p ieces\n58:52\nof information where i love lucy you know something else and something else those were the three choices of information or\n58:57\nent ertainment that you had for tens and tens of millions of people sitting th ere looking at a tube\n59:02\nnow it's unlimited and that's only what thre e or so decades so it's just exploded and it'll continue to\n59:08\nexplod e and net i think it's a plus and i think it's one o'clock i want to thank you all i i wish you\n59:14\nwell you're gonna do terrific thanks [Applau se]\n59:29\nthank you\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/topic/12375-do-you-think-black-parents-black-one-percent-need-to-invest -in-schrumpts/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/events/event/632-economic-corner-31-01222026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT E DITION\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/637-economic-corner-33-012920 26/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 31 01/22/2026 DTSTAMP:20260123T004208Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:632-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n To Bankrupt or not to Bankrupt?\n\n The focus in the post is the following...Why couldn't Ford be the lone major USA automaker? \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Before I speak on that specifically  I must set the bac kground.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Me side Pioneer in a dialog came up with two d ifferent positions to bankruptcy. The detail of friction\, which relates t o this post\,  is the ability of services to be sustained during and afte r bankruptcy.\n\n\n\n \n\n Pioneer's position is firms of a certain financ ial volume can not be allowed to go bankrupt because the services they pro vide\, even if they have insurmountable debt or have an unblackable ledger \, will not be maintained during and after bankruptcy. And said services m aintain a way of life in the usa\, which is one of the biggest \"weapons\" in the usa. \n\n\n\n \n\n My position is\, bankruptcy must always be imp lemented for every failed firm regardless of financial volume because bank ruptcy alone provides proper fiscal\, I even add nonviolent\, punishment t o fiscal management that is inappropriate in the marketplace. And I add\, bankruptcy can be implemented with legal speed or control of buyers to the failed firms parts or adjustment of technologies on sale by the firm\, se quentially services are maintained.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This post is not about whose right or wrong\, we are both right or wrong. These are financ ial strategic positions. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral- Dialog between me and Pioneer\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/141-economic-corner-5-ja nuary-4th-2025 /\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now I end the background a nd to the main topic? Why couldn't Ford be the lone major USA automaker?\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What is known? \n\n During the 2008–2010 automotive i ndustry crisis\, Ford struggled but did not have to be rescued like Genera l Motors[ larger than Ford] or Chrysler[ smaller than Ford]\, the other tw o large us automakers. But the USA had and still has minor automakers. \n \n\n\n Thus\, I argue based on my view to bankruptcy\, General Motors + Ch rysler should had gone through bankruptcy with all their assets+ technolog ies being sold to a closed market with Ford + minor usa automakers as the long buyers. No service would had been undone. Ford was still present and minor automakers in the usa with the bankruptcy market of General Motors + Chrysler would have the chance to grow.  I add the bankruptcy can force the minor firms to be majority [ over 80%] usa owned for a space of twenty years or more to get access to the bankruptcy sale.  \n\n\n\n Pioneer's argument was enacted in reality by the government saving GM + Chrysler. Bu t both firms became worse. In 2024\, GM was negative in equity or net inco me\, but very positive in assets. So from 2010 to 2024 GM hasn't improved at all\, and still needs go through bankruptcy and have all of its assets sold. From 2010 to 2026 GM nor Chrysler have shown improved quality\, whil e they were given a welfare check beyond anything to stay in business. And arguably\, Ford was not given the financial advantage as the lone major d omestic car maker it earned\, evenly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So why was Ford not able to be the lone major automaker in the usa? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Proof of autofailure position\n\n URL\n\n https://www.politico.com/story/2 008/12/bush-announces-174-billion-auto-bailout-016740\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n B ush announces $17.4 billion auto bailout\nBy Mike Allen and David Rogers\n 12/19/2008 08:22 AM EST\nUpdated: 12/19/2008 01:31 PM EST\n\n\nPresident G eorge W. Bush stepped in Friday to keep America’s auto industry afloat\, announcing a $17.4 billion bailout for GM and Chrysler\, with the terms o f the loans requiring that the firms radically restructure and show they c an become profitable soon.\n\n“If we were to allow the free market to ta ke its course now\, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptc y\,” Bush said at the White House\, in remarks carried live by the natio nal broadcast networks. “In the midst of a financial crisis and a recess ion\, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible cou rse of action. The question is how we can best give it a chance to succeed .”\n\nBush said that “bankruptcy now would lead to a disorderly liquid ation of American auto companies.”\n\n“My economic advisers believe th at such a collapse would deal an unacceptably painful blow to hardworking Americans far beyond the auto industry. It would worsen a weak job market and exacerbate the financial crisis\,” he said. “It could send our suf fering economy into a deeper and longer recession.”\n\nThe money will co me from the Wall Street bailout passed by Congress\, a reversal for the Wh ite House. President-elect Barack Obama and Democrats had long advocated t hat course\, and Bush had resisted it.\n\nOf the total\, $13.4 billion wil l be paid out in December and January\, administration officials told repo rters in a briefing. The last $4 billion is contingent on release of the s econd installment of the Wall Street bailout funds by Congress.\nAs it hap pens — in a source for some potential confusion — this breakdown also corresponds with how the money will be divided between GM and Chrysler\, t he two major recipients.\n\nTreasury estimates GM will require about $13.4 billion in loans\; Chrysler $4 billion. Both companies will share in the first $13.4 billion paid out in December and January. GM will need the las t $4 billion as well.\n\nThe government gets a stake in each company\, and can call in the loans on March 31 if the firms cannot prove “viabilit y” by then. The manufacturers do not have to be profitable immediately b ut have to be “profitable soon\,” a senior administration official sai d.\n\nThe structure largely follows the pattern of legislation that failed in Congress last week in the Senate because of Republican opposition. Bus h made no mention of this fight\, but in stepping in as he is\, the presid ent risks angering conservatives in his party but the administration felt it had no choice given the fragile state of the economy.\n\nIn doing so\, Treasury decided not to be tied to the initial bill in Congress that provi ded only $14 billion in loans. That was always viewed as inadequate to get to March 31\, and the administration opted to go with more realistic numb ers.\n\nIn doing so\, however\, it sets up a ticklish situation for Democr ats in the new Congress. With the auto bailout\, Treasury will have tapped out all of the first $350 billion from the financial markets rescue fund by late January. That means Democrats must deal with releasing the second $350 billion even as Obama will be trying to rally support for a large eco nomic stimulus bill.\n\nOn the Republican side\, the real dividing point b etween the administration and bailout critics in Congress has had more to do with the conditions imposed on the loans — not the aid itself.\n\nThe se differences came to a head in the Senate over the question of how to tr eat the United Auto Workers\, and what pressure should be put on the union to bring down wage levels to match those paid to non-UAW workers at US pl ants operated by Honda or Toyota for example.\n\nSenate Republican conserv atives insisted that the UAW agree to specific wage adjustments by a date certain in 2009. When the union rejected this demand as political\, Republ icans killed the bill.\n\nThe White House agreed that wage concessions wou ld be needed but thought the better test should be the viability of the co mpanies — not some fixed formula imposed on management and the union. Th ere was real discomfort in the administration with what many saw as a regi onal\, anti-union slant as Republicans from the South — where non-UAW\, foreign owned plants are more common — demanded concessions that jeopard ized aid to an industry so vital to much of the Midwest.\n\nThus the loan agreements drafted by Treasury take a more flexible approach. There are “Restructuring Targets” to be met in the companies’ recovery plans\, including moving to a more competitive wage structure by the end of 2009. But there is also some leeway if alternative savings can be found. The re structuring report due March 31 “shall identify any deviations from the Restructuring Targets and explain the rationale for these deviations\, inc luding an explanation of why such deviations do not jeopardize the Borrowe r’s long-term viability.”\n\nIn explaining his decision Friday\, Bush said holding back “would leave the next president to confront the demise of a major American industry in his first days of office.\n\n“The more responsible option is to give the auto companies an incentive to restructu re outside of bankruptcy and a brief window in which to do it\,” Bush sa id. “And that is why my administration worked with Congress on a bill to provide automakers with loans to stave off bankruptcy while they develop plans for viability.”\n\nThe announcement immediately affects GM and Chr ysler\, not Ford\, administration officials said. Ford\, which took a line of credit just before financing dried up\, has said it does not need imme diate federal assistant to stay in business.\n\nChrysler issued a statemen t thanking the administration but saying the terms will require “conside ration.”\n\nHere are the details of the White House plan:\n\nFact Sheet: Financing Assistance to Facilitate the Restructuring of Automobile Manufa cturers to Attain Financial Viability\n\nPurpose: The terms and conditions of the financing provided by the Treasury Department will facilitate rest ructuring of our domestic auto industry\, prevent disorderly bankruptcies during a time of economic difficulty\, and protect the taxpayer by ensurin g that only financially viable firms receive financing.\n\nAmount: Auto ma nufacturers will be provided with $13.4 B in short-term financing from the TARP\, with an additional $4 B available in February\, contingent upon dr awing down the second tranche of TARP funds.\n\nViability Requirement: The firms must use these funds to become financially viable. Taxpayers will n ot be asked to provide financing for firms that do not become viable. If t he firms have not attained viability by March 31\, 2009\, the loan will be called and all funds returned to the Treasury.\n\nDefinition of Viability : A firm will only be deemed viable if it has a positive net present value \, taking into account all current and future costs\, and can fully repay the government loan.\n\nBinding Terms and Conditions: The binding terms an d conditions established by the Treasury will mirror those that were voted favorably by a majority of both Houses of Congress\, including:\n— Firm s must provide warrants for non-voting stock.\n— Firms must accept limit s on executive compensation and eliminate perks such as corporate jets.\ n— Debt owed to the government would be senior to other debts\, to the e xtent permitted by law.\n— Firms must allow the government to examine th eir books and records.\n— Firms must report and the government has the p ower to block any large transactions (>\; $100 M).\n— Firms must compl y with applicable Federal fuel efficiency and emissions requirements.\n— Firms must not issue new dividends while they owe government debt.\n\nTar gets: The terms and conditions established by Treasury will include additi onal targets that were the subject of Congressional negotiations but did n ot come to a vote\, including:\n\n— Reduce debts by 2/3 via a debt for e quity exchange.\n— Make one-half of VEBA payments in the form of stock .\n— Eliminate the jobs bank.\n— Work rules that are competitive with transplant auto manufacturers by 12/31/09.\n— Wages that are competitive with those of transplant auto manufacturers by 12/31/09.\n\nThese terms a nd conditions would be non-binding in the sense that negotiations can devi ate from the quantitative targets above\, providing that the firm reports the reasons for these deviations and makes the business case to achieve lo ng-term viability in spite of the deviations.\n\nIn addition\, the firm wi ll be required to conclude new agreements with its other major stakeholder s\, including dealers and suppliers\, by March 31\, 2009.\n\n\nFiled Under : \n2010Politics\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/to pic/12348-could-ford-have-been-the-lone-major-us-automaker/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/628-economic-corner-30-01202 026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event /635-economic-corner-32-01282026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/24/2026\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12348-could-ford-have- been-the-lone-major-us-automaker/#findComment-79568\n\n\n\n osted just no w\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 1/22/2026 at 10:04 PM\, ProfD said:\n\ n\n\n IMO\, Ford could never have been the lone US automaker.\n\n\n\n just for clarification\, did you mean the lone major us automaker\, as i asked \,  or the lone us automaker\, which i didn't ask?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n onc e I comprehend that I can look at the rest of your reply in total. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n   On 1/22/2026 at 10:04 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Then\, capitalists would have swooped in and picked the bones and built new auto makers.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n bankruptcy historically isn't designed to delet e the assets of firms\, but to allow for penalty to the owners or investor s of firms while selling assets back into the market. Did you comprehend t he original point of contention between me and @Pioneer1?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n   22 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n As you mentioned bail out undermine capitalism and artificially bolster companies as well as tax incentives\, tariffs against foreign competition not to forget laws that stifle competition suppress worker rights\, etc.\n\n\n\n Bailouts do n't undermine fiscal capitalism de facto\, it is implementation. the probl em with the usa is the government has bailed out every single industry in the usa absent managing for it to improve. White people love touting welfa re to work for black laborers but then for the industries in the usa owned by whites in whole or majority:  real estate/farming/aviation/automotive /banks/dot com/crypto/green energy \, they want blank welfare checks absen t demanding better management by the whites who are being saved from the p oor house where their financial actions led them. \n\n\n\n It is the same with tariffs. If you want to block out foreign firms that is fine\, it is common in history for all governments\, but you must manage the industry internal industry\, the usa doesn't manage the internal. And that goes to laws that stifle competition or better\, don't penalize failure enough. \ n\n\n\n Look at the film studios industry in the usa. \n\n\n\n AT&\;T sold warner bros to discovery because AT&\;T wanted to get rid of the d ebt on a loser. AT&\;T spent alot of money and got no return and added debt. Discovery bought Warner Bros on the cheap on the condition of taking all the debt off of AT&\;Ts books. \n\n\n\n Even though AT&\;T wer e and are making very positive profits on telecommunications\, they didn't want the losing film studio on the books to manipulate their stock value or influence speculation to their stock negatively. But\, AT&\; T neede d to be penalized properly\, by having that sale blocked and Warner Bros c losed and its assets auctioned off. AT&\; T should never have bought Wa rner Bros in the first place. Again\, film studios like all media properti es are financial losers historically. yes they have times of positive resu lts but usually they are failures for obvious reasons. \n\n\n\n Music lab els/film studios/theaters/sports teams/sports leagues/similar  are all as collective industries financial losers. Dallas Cowboys? yeah but look at the canadian football league or the defunct euro league. yeah New York kni cks \, who have a fortunate stadim\, but what about the d league\, the chi nese league? no and no. Look at the yankees. ok\, but what of double or tr iple a? terrible. Music labels are historically only profitable for the se lloff at the end of their lives. \n\n\n\n So penalty is what is truly lac king? and I comprehend why ? not having financial penalty has a long tradi tion. the entire white wealthy of the confederacy were too big to fail \, or had  a huge bailout at the end of the war between the states. which li ke all bailouts after led to a consistency of behavior\, in that case\, ki lling black people. And even in bailing out the government can penalize. A nd that penalization can be very positive for the industry in cleaning up bad financial practices. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   22 hours ago\, Troy sa id:\n\n\n\n All we really have is tesla and while China has superior vehic les that cost less our EV charging infrastructure is paltry compared to th e rest of the world.\n\n\n\n i don't have any validatable information on c hina\, but some say their ev industry is bottoming out\, the problem is\, even though they have the greatest deposits of rare earth minerals for the batteries accessible  the EV cars use and china has an infrastructure to produce them or use them\, the chinese automotive industry is built to ex port\, not sell in china\, and with usa+ europe not fully suitable for EV use completely\, let alone the majority of humanity\, absent any infrastru cture for EV cars\, the market for EV's is not a global one. The fuel of g as based cars serves a very good function in terms of international trade. Oil just needs to be sold. BUT EV's need electricity at volumes above rem ote gain. Electricity to handle a large volume of EV cars requires a syste m of infrastructure. this is the financial flaw that always existed. this is why the oil producers were not worried with the EV car movement the usa led because they knew\, while USA+ China + Western Europe + japan will ev entually change their energy infrastructures\, most governments in the wor ld don't have any energy infrastructure at all. so any vehicle that requir es one is financially negative from the begining. So... its complex. This is why the hydrogen developers are still active in the labs. The negative of hydrogen is they haven't found a way to make its infrastructure cheap\, you still need hydrogen lines and production+ Hydrogen is very dangerous to handle\, very explosive. and it smanufacture also is part of the compre hension of hydrogen bombs so... the nuclear element is about it and the us a/russai/china/india/israel/select western european don' want the developm ent of nuclear weapons to be common knowledge outside of the current nucle ar powers.  The positive\, is hydrogen is like gas\, in that you don't ne ed an electric grid as much as hydrogen tanks and hydrogen based cars just put hydrogen in.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/24/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12348-could-ford-have-been- the-lone-major-us-automaker/#findComment-79619\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n \n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Lone major  US automaker as you asked.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I had to ask that because you may not realize but minor us automakers are us automakers. The usa has six minor automakers off the top of my head\, and I know it is more. The USA has never had one automaker\, so your language confused me \, to be ho nest. I was specific in my words and your reply. confused me. \n\n\n\n No w\, I will repost your quote and then give my reply comprehending you mean t lone major us automaker\n\n\n\n   On 1/22/2026 at 10:04 PM\, ProfD s aid:\n\n\n\n IMO\, Ford could never have been the lone US automaker.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Even if the federal government had not bailed out the auto i ndustry\, venture capitalists would have allowed those companies to go int o bankruptcy or become insolvent.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Then\, capitalists w ould have swooped in and picked the bones and built new automakers.\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Lee Iaccoca resurrected Chrysler back in the 1980s. Daimler-M ercedes gave Chrysler a life in the late 1990s. Fiat and Stellantis have k ept Chrysler afloat.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  Capitalism and the free market u ltimately decide if/when companies are allowed to go belly up totally.\n\n \n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n I have another question. Sorry but your wording war rants me to ask another question.\n\n\n\n Are you saying that Ford couldn' t be the lone usa automaker because after a shares buyout or bankruptcy\, General Motors + chrysler would remain at least in branding while more imp ortantly in function as major automakers OR even if broken up parts would come together to form a major automaker? \n\n\n\n I had to ask because th e post original topic which you may not have read was about bankruptcy's r ole and me and pioneer's differing position on the function or role of ban kruptcy. Me nor Pioneer were questioning the function of bailouts or bankr uptcy in revitalizing assets of failing firms. I don't quite comprehend wh y you mentioned that. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Agnelli family made stellan tis as a holding firm for all of their assets\, which include chrysler. Cr hysler from my view isn't a car company any more. Chrysler is like Lexus i s to Toyota. Lexus isn't a car company\, Toyota is a car company\, lexus i s a brand in a car company. Stellantis is the company\, Chrysler is a bran d . In the same way Oldmobile was a brand in General Motors. Brands are no t car companies. They are divisions in car companies that can be deleted. Oldmobile was originally the top engineering division of General Motors. B ut it died a generic brand. Chrysler will go the same way more than likely . To say Chrsyler is being kept afloat by Stellantis is financially incorr ect. Stellantis\, bought Chrysler for its name brand\, some assets\, and c onnections in the us auto industry. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n please tell me who are you making this question to? \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Why would people allow just ONE automaker? \n\n\n\n If it is to me\, I don't comprehend why cause I never said the us a would have one automaker \, I said explicityly\, one major usa automaker . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Anything that involves generating a lot of money will produce multiple manufacture rs....usually in competition with eachother.\n\n\n\n well\, yes intiially\ , when a technology is young the financial gateway to entry is less and yo u get many entrepreneurs. BUT\, oover time the gateway to entry becomes mo re expensive and the competition dies. this is financial fact proven throu gh history. No industry in humanity that is over one hundred years old has competition outside of government protection or other scenarios that main tain firms for various reasons\, usually dealing with governments desire t o be self reliant. Post offices for example. The easiest way to prove my p oint is video game manufacturers. the competition is very few firms. The m ultiple era is already over\, but the gateway to entry is high. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I'm thi nking if brotha @richardmurray had his own country\, the government woul d be responsible for everything from production and manufacturing to healt hcare. Maybe entertainment would be free market.\n\n\n\n You don't know me clearly\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pionee r1 said:\n\n\n\n The government is making everything so there is no incen tive to improve and do better.\n\n\n\n Where is the basis for this positio n? Many people in the usa utter it\, but I find no basis in truth. College s and universities\, completely funded by the federal government of the us a are constantly\, competing to make breakthroughs in the same technology. And that is the usa alone. Do I have to speak on china? all the innovatio ns in china happen through the chinese government. Is not china the leader in many technologies. What basis does the thinking I quoted from you have in truth?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12348-could-ford-have-been-the-lone-major-us- automaker/#findComment-79697\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @P ioneer1\n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n That's not the government.\n\n Those are PRIVATE (or semi-private state) institutions co mpeting with eachother and coming up with inventions and technology and us ing government as well as private money to do so.\n\n\n\n I have done rese arch in colleges\, know others who have done research in colleges\, the go vernment in the usa is the funder for colleges and universities hands down . The private sectors level of investment in college research is no where near the governments. \n\n\n\n And again\, most of the colleges are not p rivate. Most of the colleges the usa government funds through research are not private institutions\, they are public colleges which is the governme nt. \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n The modern Chine se\, Japanese\, and Korean societies have invented NOTHING.\n\n All they'v e done is copy or make slight improvements on Western products and technol ogy.\n\n \n\n They don't  invent a car\, they just make one a little diff erent or a little better or cheaper.\n\n They don't invent a computer or s ocial media\, they take it and tweak it a little to make it different or b etter.\n\n\n\n \n\n The Chinese Communist Party is nothing more than a lar ge TEMP-SERVICE with millions of loyal workers that Western corporations c an go to for a relatively cheap educated labor source.\n\n\n\n What is you r personal problem with china? or chinese? first I can tell you \, you are incorrect about chinese invention. But more\, importantly\, is second\, w here does this negativity toward china come from? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n One way or another\, even if Ford have been bought out or allowed to go b ankrupt\, another major automaker would have grown or been established.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well Ford never needed to be bailed out\,that was general motors and chrysler\, but... I do notice one thing very prevalent in alot of black online discussions concerning finance\, many black people seem t o have access to a crystal ball of knowledge which gives them certainty on what will happen \, which only a few black folk like me\, don't have acce ss to. \n\n\n\n I never mentioned what would happen in the future\, i sim ply stated that bakruptcy is a needed tool. Pioneer stated bankruptcy is a tool that can't be allowed for firms of a certain size. You have stated t he usa will always have more than one major automaker \, which has no rela tionship to me or pioneer point but is a grand assumption. You don't give any financial reasoning for your position nor do you seem to consider huma nity en large\, which has value financially. Russia+ China are real\, they have their own desires or plans\, the usa can't tell them what to do\, th is is why even though russia lost the cold war\, the usa has actually neve r stepped foot into russia\, while the usa has belitted countries absent n uclear power... that is the whole point of the nonproliferation law. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/topic/12348-could-ford-have-been-the-lone-major-us-automaker/#fin dComment-79705\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   2 hour s ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n First\, I realize you want your threads re sponded to in a certain way. It's not gonna happen.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n you r epiphany is false but ok\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The subject of discussion is mostly hypothetical.\n\n\n\n the subject me and pioneer was debating which i opened to the floor is about truth. Guess ing what will happen is hypothetical but stating what can happen is merely the truth. I am not interested in prescience to the future. I don't know the future\, nor will I assume it\, but I do know possibilities and when p ossibilities are falsely suggested as impossible\, that to me are lies. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n isn't allowed i n certain situations.\n\n\n\n that is alie. lehmann was allowed to go bank rupt. In the past thirty years all sorts of firms of various financial sca le have gone bankrupt. your mischaracterizing situations as allowances.  They are not the same thing.\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n \n already how &\; why the USA is the pre-eminent super power.\n\n\n\n yes\, we meaning the regular posters of this forum have displayed we each have various views on why or how the usa is powerful. let alone the defini tion of power. yes I concur if what your saying is what I just said. \n\n \n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Neither Russia nor China is t he threat talking heads would have folks believe. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n of course\, the truth is\, no government ever has been as big a threat as any country as advertised\, that is human history. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n the number of Chinese people living in the US.\n\n\n\n ok what is it with you and @Pioneer1 and the chinese? di d white man give a job you had to chinese or something? the white man of t he usa let chinese in so I find the idea of chinese power silly in that se nse\, the chinese didn't force anything\, the white man of the usa did thi s. You accept white power\, well white power did it\, that wasn't white as ian but white european power. \n\n\n\n You and pioneer\, with the chinese . I saw the pew maps\, the mexicans and the chinese and the indians are th e three groups coming in most. You and pioneer never speak of mexicans so i guess you two are unthreatened by them. you never mentions indians\, I h ave no idea why but you two are on a chinese rant thing.\n\n\n\n   2 hou rs ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Russia has been involved in conflicts over there since Vlady Putin has been running  sh8t. The US issues fake warnim gs but they're not going to do anything to him. It's not just because of n uclear weapons.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n earlier than that\, the first czar unde r the golden horde was the beginning of russias long history with chaos in ternally. It isn't just because\, but mostly because. ask iran about the v alue of nuclear weapons.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The  Chess *game* is more important than anything .  These super powers cooperate in how they choose to run the planet.\n\n \n\n oh machiavelli so many blacks love to speak of the chess game\, and c hess is really a poor strategy game but anyway. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/ 2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/12348-could-ford-have-been-the-lone-major-us-automaker/#findComment-7 9733\n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @Delano \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, D elano said:\n\n\n\n It was becoming unpaid work.\n\n\n\n that was funny\, well done\, rarely do i find anything funny in here\, well done. and I ap ologize:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours a go\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n So it appears that there more private colleg es and universities than public ones.\n\n\n\n And even the public institut ions aren't actually ran by \"the government\".\n\n They are ran by indivi duals who are hired and fired  the institution itself similar to those th at are private.\n\n \n\n Now most academic institutions both public and pr ivate are either funded by or TAKE funding from the Federal government.\n\ n But that's not the issue.\n\n\n\n The point is that the colleges and uni versities\, even if they are public....don't OPERATE like a branch of the government like law enforcement or traffic control.\n\n They're ran or ope rate like private institutions\, supposedly hiring and firing people based on qualifications and self interests and are motivated by profit seeking and revenue increase.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Even enough\, most of the educational organizations you suggest are operated like private instituti ons motivated by profit seeking and revenue increase have never increased profit or revenue and live off welfare by the government for over thirty y ears. so ok. but I do have three questions\n\n\n\n 1) did you ask the lar ge language model to delete college scams? Private universities include a ll of those scam colleges like trump university and everything. You are a crude fiscal capitalistic so I am prepared to read you think those scams w arrant labeling as colleges of learning. \n\n\n\n 2) Based on your posit ion\, if New York City opens up marijuana dispensaries they can be conside red private institutions\, even if they never earn a profit and have an ev er increasing expense which warrants debt growth by the government? Cause the federal government grows debt to maintain funding the colleges and un iversities like the airlines\, like the farms like the banks like the film industries\, like the real estate industry. And even though everything i just mentioned financially collapsed\, completely failed financially\, you consider all those things\, private institutions no matter how unable the y are to actually make money\, no matter how much debt the government incu rs to keep them afloat.  \n\n\n\n 3) In the future \, if a president re stricts federal funds to a college or university and it folds\, that isn't the fault of said president ?  Because these colleges are private insti tutions\, which are not the governments responsibility to fund. Private in stitutions are the responsibility of the financiers\, so if the failing  financiers are no longer given welfare at the behest of a president for wh atever reason\, which Schrumpt is opening any future president of the usa to have the power to do\, that president isn't going against fiscal capita lism. they are treating that college like the bank would a bad debtor or l ike white people like to treat black people on welfare. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n My only issue with them is t hey CLAIM to be Communist but in actuality practice ultra Capitalism.\n\n \n\n Their current economic practices are in direct contradiction and conf lict with what their modern founder Mao Zedong and his fellow revolutionar ies fought and died for.\n\n Which was an end to Western imperialism over China.\n\n\n\n but the country you call your home\, claim's to be about fr eedom is the biggest slaver...\n\n\n\n many governments claim many things\ , why does china have to be the most honest government in the world when t he usa/england/france are still active. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That is not t rue\, imperialism isnt about fiscal capitalism\, imperialism is about powe r. Did you know the term emperor originally meant what many will call toda y a warlord. imperialsm isn't about finance\, imperialism is about whether your country is subject to another or not. \n\n\n\n China is the only no n white european government in humanity free to do as it wants in itself. China is free from anyone's imperialism\, including japan's. \n\n\n\n And china to its credit has no desire in being the global police force\, like the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260122 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:MLK jr day 2026 video commentary + online reactions in AALBC DTSTAMP:20260129T005909Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:634-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/356-mlk-jr-day-good-news-calendar/\n\ n\n\n COMMENTARY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Onderonable\n\n\n\n 2 days ago\n\n\n\ n The strangest thing I learned growing up was that blacks do not respect Martin Luther King Jr. or his message of non-violence. He is not held up a s a hero by them.\n\n\n\n 1\n\n\n\n Reply\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayaalbcassis t7279\n\n\n\n 0 seconds ago\n\n\n\n well in my experience most blacks\, an d all the black people I know of in my life including myself\, respect Mar tin Luther King junior\, the issue is\, they don't concur that the strateg y of nonviolence he lived by was best for black people to grow positively in the usa \, or elsewhere. He is held up as a hero by most black people i n the usa\, but he isn't always deemed correct by most black people in the usa\n\n\n\n Reply\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ONLINE REACTION TO MLK JR DAY 2026\n\n\n\n thank you @Troy\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n I'm revisiting the 7+ year old post because it is ranking high in se arch the past couple of weeks (at least) and has attracted more than 31K v isitors (@richardmurray this would be mostly real people\, not bots).\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n If folks with influence in the media cared about sites lik e AALBC viral posts\, of which we have many\, this would be newsworthy.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It seems MLK's sexual predilections are of interest to a lot of people. I guess because of his recent birthday.  I just ran a sea rch on the phrase was MLK gay and this post came up #6. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Reading some of the earlier posts on the conversation\, I must have be en in a mood (sorry @Delano I was bit critical over you use of the word illegitimate when referencing children.  I still don't like the word used in that context\, but thanks fore starting this conversation 🙂\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Maybe I should return Google ads to the site.  I the crappy Ads Google likes to server here\, but AI told me how to step up the qualit y... we will see.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The site as a who le \n\n\n\n URL REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/5546-martin-l uther-kings-sex-life-and-his-legacy/page/2/#comment-79758\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/5546-mar tin-luther-kings-sex-life-and-his-legacy/page/2/#findComment-79773\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ted just now\n\n\n\n thank you @Troy \n\n\n\n this is very interesting to me. I used the link and yes\, it did come up sixth. I have never once searched such a thing. hmm\, very informative to the human cond ition online. I wish you could access demographic information on who is se arching. \n\n\n\n So many today\, search for complaint\, search for negat ivity.. hmm \, thank you for addressing me in your comment. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Miss Evers Boys from Movies That Move We -01/2/2025 DTSTAMP:20250128T060817Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:164-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Miss Evers Boys from Movies That Move We -01/2/2025\n\n\n \n my thoughts and trasncript + video\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/647 7-richardmurray/?status=2835&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my thoughts\n\n 1932 to 1972 the Tuskegee experiment went on.\ n\n I learned of Tuskegee in the home and community centers at elementary age and in high school in the educational system.\n\n ...\n\n I remember a scene in the film Giant 1956 when the character played by rock Hudson say s to the character played by Elizabeth taylor that the white doctor of the family is not for public use or use for other people\, other people in th is case were Mexican immigrants in Texas. That scene encapsulates the over all problem. The healthcare industry in the usa has always been a business that is used by whites to display biases toward the non white. The movie Alice 2022 shows this in multiple ways. And the problem with healthcare as an industry is it is historically expensive. Healthcare is not cheap. Con sider that car company workers/steel company workers/government workers\, the cost of their healthcare overtime is the biggest bill. \n\n in amendm ent or commented\n\n Healthcare has always been historically for the have' s not all\, and you see that throughout humanity even today\, even in coun tries in western europe deemed universal in care. I can't wait for your fi rst show in black history month:) \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ rcIlzfQhc\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n0:13\n[Music]\n0:25\n [Music]\n0:30\nhey everyone welcome back to another\n0:32\nedition of movi es that move we today we\n0:37\nwill be talking about Miss ever's boys\n0: 41\num now I hope you not not like me if you\n0:43\nhadn't heard about thi s film before and\n0:45\nthought it was about medar Evers and his\n0:48\nm om and them it's not it's not this is\n0:52\num it's a fictionalized telli ng of the\n0:58\nTuskegee uh project\n1:00\nand if you don't know what tha t is let\n1:03\nme tell you a little bit about it um\n1:05\nTuskegee Alaba ma there was\n1:08\na pretty decent population of black men\n1:12\nwho had \n1:14\nsyphilis and um you know the government\n1:17\nsaw it and said hey perfect opportunity\n1:20\nfor us to explore how this the progress\n1:25\ nof this\n1:27\ndisease and so they\n1:30\nsetup shop in\n1:32\nTuskegee t old these men hey we're going\n1:35\nto treat you for the condition they\n 1:38\ndidn't tell them that they were research\n1:40\nsubjects they didn't tell them they\n1:42\nweren't getting\n1:43\ntreatment and these men did not give\n1:47\nconsent to basically be used as guinea\n1:51\npigs this pr oject ran from was it\n1:57\n1932 to\n2:00\n19 no 1932 to\n2:05\n1972 okay so they were allowing men with\n2:08\nsyphilis black men with syphilis to just\n2:13\nride the disease out um and it's not a\n2:16\ncomfortable dis ease you you can get it\n2:19\nit can go\n2:21\ndormant it can come back u p there's like\n2:24\nfive stages to the condition you'll end\n2:27\nup wi th skin lesions there are some\n2:29\npeople who who survived it the bigge st\n2:32\nproblem here beyond the fact that they\n2:35\nwere experimenting on black bodies was\n2:38\nthat when it was found out that\n2:41\npenicil lin was The Cure none of these\n2:44\nmen were given the option never told \n2:47\nthat some of them would die if they like\n2:49\ntook it well no in reality no yeah but\n2:53\nI'm just saying in the movie like that's\n2:55 \nwhat they were they were telling them\n2:56\nthat if if you take it you you could die\n3:00\nwhich wasn't true but talking about the\n3:04\nmovie this is it's not based on a\n3:07\nspecific story but it is inspired by a\ n3:12\nnurse who did work with some some\n3:15\npatients during that time so we have in\n3:19\nthe role of nurse Evers um Alfrey\n3:25\nWoodard Cale b humph is her love interest\n3:29\nwho is is played by Lawrence Fishburn\ n3:31\nand I believe he's one of the producers\n3:33\nof the film um Dr Do uglas is played by\n3:37\nCraig Sheffer and he is the white Doctor\n3:40\n Who is leading the um experiment um we\n3:46\nhave Dr Sam brus who's playe d by uh Joe\n3:50\nMorton AKA Papa Pope those of you who\n3:53\nknow no um he is the black doctor that\n3:58\nis leading it because of you have\n4:0 0\nsomething like this going on you got to\n4:01\nget black people to talk to black people\n4:04\num Willie Johnson is played by Oba Baba\n4:09\ntun d hodman Bryan is played by Van\n4:13\ncouter Ben Washington is played by Tom\n4:16\ngosam Jr so\n4:20\nCaleb uh Willie hodman and Ben they're\n4:25 \nreferred to as Miss ever's boys and all\n4:29\nof them them were\n4:31\n participants in the study in this film\n4:36\num and then the late great a ie Davis\n4:39\nplayed um Alfrey woodard's father Mr\n4:43\nEvans so this is going back like I said\n4:48\n1930s\n4:50\nTuskegee black people were s till working\n4:52\nin the fields there were still\n4:54\nsharecroppers um and it was a big deal\n4:57\nthat\n4:58\nshe uh Unice Evers was a nurse y ou know\n5:03\nshe's working in the hospital she's\n5:05\nworking with doc tors she wasn't a\n5:07\nservant or anything like that she\n5:10\nrecogniz ed it her father recognized it\n5:12\nit was the type of career that could \n5:14\nhave taken her\n5:15\nanywhere um when this came up she was\n5:19\ nthe head nurse\n5:22\nunder Dr broadis so Joe Morton she was\n5:27\nworki ng with him and he said hey\n5:30\nI'm taking you with me we're going to t o\n5:33\nTuskegee there's something happening\n5:35\ndown there that they want us to be a\n5:37\npart of that happened to be the area\n5:40\nwhere s he grew up so Caleb she was\n5:43\nalready familiar with because he used t o\n5:46\npull her Pigtails in\n5:48\nclass so there was some relationship\ n5:52\nthere and her relation built with the\n5:55\nother three men to the point that you\n5:57\nknow they were performers in the\n5:59\ncommunity C omm they name their band\n6:01\nafter her um the whole thing gets\n6:05\ns ticky because at a certain point she\n6:09\nrealizes that wait a\n6:11\nmi nute we're we're not treating them\n6:14\nwe're just doing research and sh e was\n6:17\nexcited at first because the\n6:20\ngovernment's paying for i t they're\n6:21\ngiving these guys they're they're going\n6:23\nto help th e black people and there were\n6:25\na handful of people who were wey but\ n6:27\nwhen they heard what I get a free meal I\n6:31\ncan get free rides and all this other\n6:34\nyou know the government is catering to\n6:35\nme they were like all right sign me up\n6:38\nso I'll let you take it from h ere what\n6:40\nwhat were your thoughts about well first\n6:43\nof all I'm going to ask the question I\n6:45\nusually ask is this something you\n6:4 7\nlearned about in school no not at all\n6:50\nand what was crazy was whe n I when\n6:53\nI because I was actually the one that\n6:55\nchose the\n6: 57\nmovie when I saw it\n7:00\nI never even really heard about it but\n7:0 4\nwhen I saw it I was like oh you know\n7:05\nwhat based off the descript ion I was\n7:07\nlike this might be a good watch it seems\n7:09\nlike\n7:1 0\nsomething that um might be educational\n7:13\nbecause this is something again we\n7:15\nweren't taught about in school so to\n7:18\nwatch it and then like even down to the\n7:22\nway things were kind of broken down to\n 7:25\nthese men when they're coming into their\n7:27\ncommunity and tellin g them what they're\n7:29\ngoing to do and how the government is\n7:31\nfu nding this and everything like that it\n7:34\nwas\n7:35\nso it was kind of surreal for me to\n7:38\nwatch cuz it's just like they really\n7:40\nkind of felt like they had to not only\n7:43\nbring Miss Evers and the doctor in the\n7:46\nblack doctor in\n7:48\nto kind of facilitate or help facilit ate\n7:52\nthese conversations with these men but\n7:55\nit was almost\n7: 56\nlike oh we have to kind of dumb it down\n7:59\nfor them too because wh ereas the white\n8:02\ndoctor that came in was kind of like hey\n8:05\nyou know I want to get technical with\n8:07\nthese guys and let them know the exact\n8:09\ndiagnosis Miss Evers and the other\n8:11\ndoctor involved we re like no we should\n8:15\nprobably kind of tell them something\n8:18\ndi fferent I don't think they were\n8:21\ndumbing it down I\n8:24\nthink okay let me not say that yes they\n8:26\nwere but by saying blood like oh well \n8:29\nit's something in your blood like I'm\n8:32\nand she explained tha t what she said to\n8:34\nto the doctor\n8:36\nwas you have to talk to the m in their in\n8:41\ntheir language if you tell them that\n8:45\nthey have a virus they're going to panic\n8:48\nand we won't have anyone to complet e the\n8:50\nstudy with so they understand illness is\n8:54\nsomething in the blood so that's what\n8:57\nwe're going to tell them that there's\n9:0 0\nsomething in the blood we're gonna give\n9:02\nthem some treatments to to help heal\n9:06\nthem and they'll be more willing to go\n9:09\nalong wi th it if we phrase it in terms\n9:11\nthat they comprehend okay okay that' s\n9:15\nlike a lawyer trying to speak to you in\n9:18\nlegal vernacular a nd you're going my\n9:19\nrights or what and there was a scene in\n9:21\nt he part or there was a scene in the\n9:22\nmovie\n9:23\nwhere the the whit e doctor is like\n9:26\ntelling them what he's about to do and\n9:28\nwhat testing they're about to kind of go\n9:31\nthrough and everything and why they're\n9:32\nbeing tested for this and they're just\n9:34\nall sitting there looking at him like\n9:37\nyou going to do what and Miss Evers kind\ n9:40\nof had to step in but I just felt like\n9:42\nthroughout the whole\ n9:43\nfilm there were so many things that and\n9:47\nwhat was crazy was t here was kind of\n9:48\nlike that little bit of a contrast\n9:49\nbecause here it is you know they're kind\n9:51\nof talking like that to the rest o f them\n9:53\nthey're not giving them full information\n9:56\nas to what's going on and Lawrence fish\n9:59\nBurn's character um Caleb Caleb\n10:04\ nhe he actually was kind of already\n10:07\neducating himself you know he let Miss\n10:09\nEvers know look like you don't think I\n10:12\ncan read I 'm going to the library and\n10:14\nI'm looking this stuff up myself yeah\ n10:17\nand he asked for a book cuz he was like\n10:19\nI want to know mor e about this exactly\n10:22\nso he kind of even though he was also\n10:24\ nnot giv a lot of\n10:26\ninformation Miss Evers did kind of offer\n10:28\ nup a little little bit of information to\n10:30\nhim in the beginning\n10 :31\nbut he kind of already knew in the back\n10:34\nof his mind certain t hings and something\n10:36\nwasn't right yeah so he was kind of\n10:38\nal ready hip to what was going on but\n10:42\nunfortunately these other guys that were\n10:44\ninvolved in this process they just\n10:46\ndidn't know a nd they kind of like leaned\n10:49\non Miss Evers a little bit to kind of\ n10:51\ntake them through this process yeah um\n10:55\nand it's unfortunat e because if they\n10:58\nwere a little bit more\n11:00\nhonest and even a little bit more\n11:03\ninstead of using them as guinea pigs\n11:05\nactu ally got them the help that they\n11:08\nneeded they would have been fine you\n11:11\nknow they would have lived normal lives\n11:12\nyou know um oh my gosh I keep drawing a\n11:16\nblank with his name Caleb when he went\n 11:18\nto the military he said look I got that\n11:21\npenicillin shot bec ause one this was my\n11:24\nonly way to get into the military\n11:27\npro perly but two like I'm not messing\n11:29\naround my health like I'm doing whatever\n11:31\nI have to do and he was kind of trying\n11:34\nto encour age the other men to do the\n11:36\nsame\n11:37\nbut the the the role of t he medical team\n11:42\nin this\n11:44\nsituation was to just monitor the\ n11:47\nprogress of the disease and keep them\n11:51\nfrom getting treatme nt elsewhere yeah\n11:54\nand there's a scene in the film where\n11:56\non e of the guys um he's like I can't\n11:59\ntake it anymore Caleb takes him to a\n12:03\nhospital to get the penicillin and the\n12:05\nnurse turns a round looks at the\n12:07\nclipboard and says no you can't have it\n12:10\ nand they were like why can't he get it\n12:14\nand she said because you'r e on the list\n12:16\nI can't give it to you cuz he was a part\n12:18\nof this experiment so all of the\n12:20\nhospitals in the area had the names of\n12:23\nall of the the the men who were being\n12:27\nresearched and th ey refused them care\n12:31\nwhen they came to it and in this\n12:33\nsitu ation it\n12:35\nwas uh Willie Willie was the dancer in\n12:39\nthe group you know he was hopping up and\n12:41\ndown you know dancing like they do at\n12:43\nthe Cotton Club and he had dreams of\n12:44\ngetting there and it started to affect\n12:47\nhis Mobility so he was like I can't I\n12:49\ ncan't live like this I need to to have\n12:53\nit fixed Caleb didn't tell him exactly\n12:57\nwhat was going on even though though he\n13:00\nhad a n\n13:01\nankling and he did try to talk to Unice\n13:05\nabout it and say okay what aren't you\n13:07\ntelling me and she was like I can't I\n13:10 \ncan't and I think part of the reason why\n13:13\nshe said she can't a um she was told\n13:17\nthat she can't she shouldn't and then\n13:19\nthe ot her part was she was ashamed\n13:21\nbecause once she\n13:24\nrealized wha t this really was MH she was\n13:30\nlike I I can't tell anybody that I'm\ n13:33\nknowingly a part of this and she was\n13:38\noffered an opportunit y she was about to\n13:41\ntake the opportunity to go back up north\n13:45 \nfor for\n13:47\nwork and she changed her mind because\n13:50\nshe was li ke these guys need me I can't\n13:54\nleave them in other words I help put \n13:56\nthem in this predicament I can't aband\n13:59\nshe went through a tremendous like\n14:01\ninternal struggle to the point where it\n14:04\ne ven affected the relationship she had\n14:05\nwith Caleb because it was li ke here it\n14:08\nis they were in love they kind of wanted\n14:10\nto go away together and all that but she\n14:13\nhad the guilt of kind of how th is whole\n14:16\nprocess started and then the guilt of\n14:18\nlike kind o f what happened after that\n14:21\nhow these men were affected and then\n1 4:24\nhere it is you know Caleb comes back\n14:25\nfrom the war and everyt hing and he's\n14:27\nlike look like you know it the deed has\n14:30\nbeen done this is already happening like\n14:32\nwe need to just go start our lives and\n14:34\nshe's like I can't leave these guys\n14:37\nbehind like I just can't do it and it it\n14:40\nit unfortunately affected their perso nal\n14:44\nlives because it's kind of\n14:46\nlike had this experiment no t even\n14:49\nhappened none of them would be in this\n14:51\npredicament at all so right and so um\n14:57\nback to reality\n14:59\num a lot of thin gs came out of this time\n15:05\nperiod rules were put in place um once\n1 5:09\nthis was re was revealed and you know\n15:13\nthe public expressed o utrage over it new\n15:16\npolicies were put into place to make\n15:19\nsu re that you know people were aware of\n15:24\nwhen they were a part of med ical\n15:26\nresearch so now you are in invited to\n15:30\nclinical studie s you don't just become a\n15:33\nguinea pig because someone says you know \n15:35\nwhat I want to see how long this person\n15:37\nsurvives if they have XYZ disease you\n15:42\nhave to be offered you have to be\n15:44\ncom pensated you have to be treated like\n15:47\na human being and not a lab r at that's\n15:50\nrequired by law um there are\n15:55\ninstitutional revie w boards so one set\n15:58\nof do s can't come up with this\n16:00\nexperi ment run it privately and then do\n16:04\nwhat they want with the informat ion if\n16:05\nyou're going to have a clinical trial\n16:08\nthen there's a review board to make sure\n16:10\nthat you are following all processes a nd\n16:13\nprotocols that are laid out to make sure\n16:15\nthat the patie nt is cared for um and you\n16:20\nknow this this movie kind of speaks to\ n16:23\nand you being a Med medical professional\n16:25\nyou're aware of s ome of this um it kind\n16:29\nof speaks to what impacts uh mortality\n16: 33\nrate amongst\n16:35\nAfrican-Americans and while it has\n16:39\nimprov ed there's still room for\n16:43\nimprovement plenty of room for\n16:45\ni mprovement because the mortality rate\n16:48\nbirth rate between black wom en and white\n16:51\nwomen there's still a gap there same\n16:54\nthing fo r breast\n16:57\ncancer there's still a gap there and\n17:00\neven and I c an speak from my own\n17:02\nexperience when trying to get um\n17:06\nassi stance with health\n17:08\nissues you probably going to have to go\n17:10\ nthrough as a a black woman you're\n17:12\nprobably going to have to go th rough a\n17:14\nfew doctors before you can get yeah what\n17:18\nyou need I had a talk with my doctor the\n17:20\nother day and she was like oh I\n1 7:22\nrecommend this doctor and I was like\n17:25\nuhuh went to them and I didn't even get\n17:28\ninto it with her about why how racist\n17:32\nthi s doctor was towards me I just said\n17:36\nno and I think that's where I related to\n17:40\nCaleb because he was like I'm advocating\n17:44\nfor my self for myself I'm here but I\n17:47\nhave a lot of questions that I need and\n17:49\nI love you know I love that about his\n17:50\ncharacter becau se I feel like and I try\n17:52\nto kind of impress this upon the\n17:54\n patients I work with in general because\n17:57\nas a human being like you have to be you\n18:01\nhave to be researching you have to be\n18:04\nthoug htful and thorough with your own\n18:06\nhealth care like you have to be\n 18:08\nquestioning these doctors you know and\n18:10\nasking them about th is stuff because\n18:13\nthey don't know it all they don't know\n18:15\nat all there are some doctors that go by\n18:17\nthe book or they are just t rying to sell\n18:20\nthe these you know medications to to get\n18:25\nper ks and things like that it's kind of\n18:27\nlike you have to be your own Advocate\n18:30\nyou have to research yourself because\n18:32\nhere it is in this scenario it's like if\n18:35\nhe didn't do that research on his ow n\n18:37\nand like kind of take that extra step\n18:40\nand try to figure things out on his own\n18:42\nhe would have been just like some of\n18:43\ nthose men that that ended up dead\n18:46\nbecause it's like you know you got to\n18:48\nkind of ask more questions and care more\n18:50\nabout your health and not just listen to\n18:53\nwhat a health care provider or what ever\n18:55\nis telling you all the time yeah there\n18:58\nwas one guy an d I I didn't write his\n19:00\nname down in the notes did all the\n19:02\n research looked him up his name was\n19:06\nCharlie I can't remember his l ast name\n19:09\nnow I'll try and put up a picture of him\n19:12\nbut he w as one of the um last survivors\n19:16\nof the Tuskegee\n19:19\nexperiment and the reason why I\n19:22\nremembered him is because they they did\n19: 24\na a report about him and he\n19:29\nwore a hat at all times because ag ain\n19:32\nwhen you get syphus you if it's not\n19:34\ntreated or treated quickly you start to\n19:37\nget lesions and they they kind of\n19:38\nre presented that in the um in the movie\n19:42\nwhere these guys had like ma rks on their\n19:45\nface he had marks on his\n19:50\nscalp and so he used to wear a hat to\n19:53\nhide\n19:54\nit but he was and which president w as it\n19:58\nI don't remember if it was no no no no\n20:01\nno no cuz thi s was in like the '90s\n20:03\nshortly before he passed but he was\n20:07\ ngiven some kind of medal okay by the\n20:10\npresident\n20:11\nfor um his his involvement and survival\n20:16\nbecause black people are rewarded fo r\n20:18\nsurviving um he was given a reward for\n20:22\nthat but that man suffered through all\n20:26\nof that and you know I think he died in\n20: 30\nI want to say he passed away in\n20:33\n2009 darn I wish I had notes o n it but\n20:35\nI'll try and put that up at the\n20:37\nend all in all as far as historical\n20:42\ncontent I feel like this was pretty\n20:45\nacc urate even though it's a\n20:46\nfictionalized movie I think it was\n20:49 \npretty accurate if you're not aware of\n20:52\nthe Tuskegee experiment I definitely say\n20:56\nwatch it go down the rabbit hole get\n20:59\nonlin e do the research um and once again\n21:04\nsit your kids down to watch it you know\n21:08\nI think the news just broke today that\n21:10\napparentl y at the federal level Black\n21:12\nHistory Month is being cancelled\n21: 15\nso look don't let it be canceled in your\n21:18\nhouse celebrate educa te make sure you\n21:22\nknow about stuff like this because as we\n21:24\n can see history is starting to repeat\n21:26\nitself in a very backwards w ay so that\n21:30\nbeing said hope you enjoyed this review\n21:33\ndon't f orget to like share follow\n21:35\nsubscribe to our YouTube page also our\ n21:39\nFacebook page even though I'm trying to\n21:41\nmove us off of met a completely because\n21:45\nreasons um our group on Facebook is\n21:48\nc alled movies that move we you can also\n21:51\nfind me on the spill app do wnload it\n21:56\nit's aiv it's nice and quiet over there\n21:58\nunder my page which is Nay wres n i ke\n22:03\nwri I Tes and also on fan base same name\n22:08\nnay\n22:10\nwrites and YouTube where movies that\n22:13\nmov ie is the name of the playlist we\n22:15\nhave more than two years of uh m ovie\n22:19\ndiscussions that you can check out and\n22:21\nhey we like co mments on the old stuff so\n22:23\nfeel free but definitely let us know\n2 2:26\nwhat you thought of this movie and and\n22:29\num what are we doing I don't think we've\n22:30\ndecided on the next movie we haven't\n22:32\nd ecided on the next movie but there are\n22:35\nsome Runner UPS I know the next two that\n22:39\nwe're looking at is um the piano lesson\n22:43\nand fences those are like the top two\n22:46\noptions for the next Go Round ri ght and\n22:49\nso we'll keep you posted on that there\n22:52\nwill be no show next week but the first\n22:55\nweek of\n22:56\nFebruary we're going all in we're\n22:58\ncelebrating black history mon over here\n23:00\nwe ar e we don't care who don't like\n23:03\nwe're celebrating\n23:05\nourselves anyway thank you so much for\n23:07\njoining us and until next week we'll see\n23:10\nyou later bye bye\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AI Palooza Webinar (NABJ) National Association of Black Jour nalists video 01/28/2026 with Benét Wilson DTSTAMP:20260129T005445Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:633-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n AI Palooza Webinar (NABJ) National Association of Black J ournalists video 01/28/2026 with Benét Wilson\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Somethin g to learn\n\n\n\n Associated Press has been using AI for ten years\n\n\n\ n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LINK\n\n\n\n https://www.facebook.com/share /v/1JUMBFoZ5f/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n EMBEDED VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 5 - January 4th 2025  DTSTAMP:20250118T183912Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:141-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Universal Basic Income is coming\, fiscal capitalism with modern technological capabilities deletes the need for physical toiling h uman labor\, in regions in humanity that have the militaristic power + nat ural resources to maintainthe technological capability.\n\n\n\n But what a re some general problems? \n\n\n\n \n Giving money allows for those\, li ke telemarketers\, like similar scammers to acquire large profits. How can they be stopped absent a level of legal criminalization to such activitie s that is absent in the financially wealthiest governments. \n \n \n No modern multiracial populaces has a consistent legal or administrative hist ory of providing any service equally to individuals regardless of their ra ce: gender/phenotype/age/language/edutation level/health/financial value. So how can universal basic income?\n \n \n The ability of the usa to rais e its own debt or generate more debt for itself absent a fear of debt coll ection by its military power allows for a severe abuse in its general popu lace\n \n\n\n\n  The prime problem i see in the Black populace in the usa \, the phenotypical race made up of Black: DOSers/Caribbeana/Africana/Asia na/First Peoples\, is the belief from many Black people in the usa that bl ack people\, not non blacks \, are inadequate or irresponsible or somethin g similar to have Universal Basic Income.\n\n\n\n For Black DOSers this co mes from the legacy of enslavement and the minority of Blacks circa 1865 w ho were able to overcome white terror who suggested all black people could overcome said white terror but lacked something to do it. \n\n\n\n \n\n Finland’s universal basic income trial made people happier—but not emp loyed\n\n By Charlotte Jee \n\n February 11\, 2019\n\n\n\n A trial where unemployed people in Finland were given a basic income for two years did n ot get them into work—but it make them healthier and happier\, according to initial results. [ https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/hand le/10024/161361/Report_The Basic Income Experiment 20172018 in Finland.pdf ?sequence=1&\;isAllowed=y OR https://1drv.ms/b/c/ea9004809c2729bb/ETk UV74BKBlJrvXrruWIjFcBkmRyuTzQGqIF8iPqGMceOQ?e=O5jIJI ]  \n\n\n\n The ex periment: From January 2017 to December 2018\, 2\,000 unemployed people in Finland received an unconditional monthly payment of €560 ($634) instea d of their usual unemployment benefit (a similar sum). The goal was to see if this would help them get back to work. The pilot found that basic inco me recipients were no more likely to find work than a control group who di d not receive the payments. However\, they reported significantly better o verall well-being. A final report on the trial will be released in 2020.\n \n\n\n Universal basic income:  The idea [ https://www.technologyreview. com/2018/06/20/141704/basic-income-could-work-if-you-do-it-canada-style/  ]  is to give everyone the same monthly income\, regardless of means. I t’s a concept that’s grown in popularity in recent years\, as part of thinking around how to combat job losses and insecurity caused by automati on. It has also been tested in Canada\, Namibia\, India\, and other countr ies. [ https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/27/103611/universal-basic -income-had-a-rough-2018/ ]  \n\n\n\n Is that it?: Inevitably\, the res ults from Finland raise questions about whether UBI works. However\, it’ s worth pointing out that the data only covers 2017\, the first year of th e trial\, and it’s questionable whether focusing solely on people who ar e unemployed can really qualify as a “universal” basic income. We’ve got extra data to work with\, but the debate is far from settled.\n\n\n\n by Charlotte Jee\n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/02 /11/66119/finlands-universal-basic-income-trial-made-people-happier-but-no t-employed/ \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LINKED IN THE ARTICLE ABOVE\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Basic income could work—if you do it Canada-style\n\n A Canadian p rovince is giving people money with no strings attached—revealing both t he appeal and the limitations of the idea.\n\n By Brian Bergsteinarchive p age\n\n June 20\, 2018\n\n\n\n Dana Bowman\, 56\, expresses gratitude for fresh produce at least 10 times in the hour and a half we’re having coff ee on a frigid spring day in Lindsay\, Ontario. Over the many years she sc raped by on government disability payments\, she tended to stick to frozen vegetables. She’d also save by visiting a food bank or buying marked-do wn items near or past their sell-by date.\n\n\n\n But since December\, Bow man has felt secure enough to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. She’s free r\, she says\, to “do what nanas do” for her grandchildren\, like havi ng all four of them over for turkey on Easter. Now that she can afford the transportation\, she might start taking classes in social work in a nearb y city. She feels happier and healthier—and\, she says\, so do many othe r people in her subsidized apartment building and around town. “I’m se eing people smiling and seeing people friendlier\, saying hi more\,” she says.\n\n\n\n Jim Garbutt sees moods brightening\, too\, at A Buy &\; Sell Shop\, a store he and his wife run on Lindsay’s main street. Sales are brisker for most of what they sell: used furniture\, kitchen items\, n ovelties. A Buy &\; Sell Shop is the kind of place where people come in just to chat—“we’re like Cheers\, without the alcohol\,” Garbut t says—and more and more people seem hopeful. “Spirits are up\,” he says.\n\n\n\n What changed? Lindsay\, a compact rectangle amid the lakes n ortheast of Toronto\, is at the heart of one of the world’s biggest test s of a guaranteed basic income. In a three-year pilot funded by the provin cial government\, about 4\,000 people in Ontario are getting monthly stipe nds to boost them to at least 75 percent of the poverty line. That transla tes to a minimum annual income of $17\,000 in Canadian dollars (about $13\ ,000 US) for single people\, $24\,000 for married couples. Lindsay has abo ut half the people in the pilot—some 10 percent of the town’s populati on.\n\n\n\n The trial is expected to cost $50 million a year in Canadian d ollars\; expanding it to all of Canada would cost an estimated $43 billion annually. But Hugh Segal\, the conservative former senator who designed t he test\, thinks it could save the government money in the long run. He ex pects it to streamline the benefits system\, remove rules that discourage people from working\, and reduce crime\, bad health\, and other costly pro blems that stem from poverty. Such improvements occurred during a basic-in come test in Manitoba in the 1970s.\n\n\n\n People far beyond Canada will be watching closely\, too\, because a basic income has become Silicon Vall ey’s favorite answer to the question of how society should deal with the massive automation of jobs. Tech investors such as Facebook cofounder Chr is Hughes and Sam Altman\, president of the startup incubator Y Combinator \, are funding pilot projects to examine what people do when they get mone y with no strings attached. Hughes’s Economic Security Project will pay for 100 people in Stockton\, California\, to get $500 a month for 18 month s. Y Combinator ran a small-scale test in Oakland\, California\, last year \; beginning in 2019 it will give $1\,000 a month to 1\,000 people over th ree to five years\, in locations still to be determined.\n\n\n\n This mome ntum figures to keep building as AI and robotics make even more inroads. L egislators in Hawaii are beginning to study the prospects for a basic inco me. The lawmaker who has led the effort\, Democrat Chris Lee\, worries tha t self-driving cars and automated retail checkout could be the beginning o f the end for a lot of human labor in Hawaii’s service-based economy. If machines can handle tasks in tourism and hospitality\, Lee says\, “ther e is no fallback industry for jobs to be created in.”\n\n\n\n But ther e’s an important difference between that vision for a basic income and t he experiment in Ontario. The Canadians are testing it as an efficient ant ipoverty mechanism\, a way to give a relatively small segment of the popul ation more flexibility to find work and to strengthen other strands of the safety net. That’s not what Silicon Valley seems to imagine\, which is a universal basic income that placates broad swaths of the population. The most obvious problem with that idea? Math. Many economists concluded long ago that it would be too expensive\, especially when compared with the co st of programs to create new jobs and train people for them. That’s why the idea didn’t take off after tests in the 1960s and ’70s. It’s lar gely why Finland decided not to extend a small basic income trial.\n\n\n\n If any place can illuminate both the advantages of basic income and the p roblems it can’t solve\, it will be Lindsay. The town is prosperous by s ome measures\, with a median household income of $55\,000 and a historic d owntown district where new condos and a craft brewery are on the way. But that masks how tough it is for a lot of people to get by. Manufacturing in the surrounding area\, known as the Kawartha Lakes\, has declined since t he 1980s. Many people juggle multiple jobs\, including seasonal work tied to tourism in the summer and fall. Technology is part of the story too: ro bots milk cows now.\n\n\n\n Basic income as a social equalizer\n\n The Old e Gaol Museum is indeed an old jail\, but it’s also a showcase for thing s that reveal the texture of Lindsay’s history—uniforms that nurses fr om town wore in France during World War I\; tools and maps used by railway workers when this was a hub for eight railroad lines\; 19th-century paint ings by a local artist who depicted the timeless regional pastimes of cano eing and fishing. When curatorial assistant Ian McKechnie gives me a tour\ , he stops and plays a lovely tune on a foot-pumped organ called a harmoni um that was made in Ontario more than a hundred years ago.\n\n\n\n McKechn ie\, 27\, has worked at the museum for seven years and is devoted to it. U nlike his previous job\, when he was briefly a laborer at a goat cheese fa ctory\, it offers a chance to be creative and connect with many people in the community. He doesn’t just give tours: he researches and organizes e xhibits and writes supporting materials. But on the day we meet\, the muse um is not paying him to be at work\, and therein lies a story about why he and the Olde Gaol’s operations supervisor\, Lisa Hart\, both signed up for the basic income.\n\n\n\n The museum gets almost all its revenue from grants\, and one just expired. The manager of the museum recently left\, a nd so it falls largely to McKechnie and Hart to keep things going until an other grant comes in. Even when it does\, these won’t be lucrative job s—perhaps $20\,000 a year for McKechnie’s. They could find positions i n the area that pay more\, but both would much rather continue their labor of love at the museum. Leaving now might undercut its momentum toward a m ore sustainable future\, which could include a new cultural center that wo uld connect the museum with a local art gallery.\n\n\n\n Thanks to the bas ic-income trial\, both can afford to stay on with the museum. And in the m eantime\, Hart says\, she will no longer put off buying new eyeglasses. Th e basic income “allows you to spend time on something that’s valuabl e\,” she says. “It’s very sad to walk away from something where yo u’re valued and doing something meaningful for the community because it just can’t pay you a lot.”\n\n\n\n This highlights an intriguing aspec t of basic income: it functions in different ways for different people. Th e way Hart describes it\, it’s fuel for cultural development. For Dana B owman\, who might now take classes in social work and regularly volunteers at a community garden\, it’s a food subsidy\, an educational grant\, an d a neighborhood improvement fund all in one. For a married couple who own a health-food restaurant that barely covers its costs\, it’s a small-bu siness booster. A man who hurt his back working in a warehouse told me he hoped it could augment his employer’s disability payments. A student who was about to graduate from a technical college and had a job lined up sai d he planned to use the extra income to pay down school loans and start sa ving for a house.\n\n\n\n For McKechnie\, the basic income is something br oader: a social equalizer\, a recognition that people who make little or n o money are often doing things that are socially valuable. “It gives one the assurance that the work you’re doing is not in vain\, even though y ou’re not working in a bank or doing other things that are considered pa rt of a career\,” he says.\n\n\n\n Even if a basic income turns out to b e a flexible and efficient government program\, it’s not clear that it w ould be a great way to respond to technological unemployment. Over and ove r again\, people in Lindsay told me it won’t reduce people’s demand fo r jobs.\n\n\n\n As a practical matter\, the Ontario trial doesn’t pay en ough to eliminate most people’s need to work or to rely on family for su pport. But even if a richer payout were feasible\, that wouldn’t change the philosophy of the program. Basic-income supporters want to improve the odds that people will take better care of themselves and their families. They want a humane and dignifying way of helping people who simply can’t work. But they also argue that most people generally want and expect to w ork. “It’s not supposed to be welfare for people displaced by technolo gy\,” says one of the basic-income advocates\, Mike Perry\, who runs a m edical practice in Kawartha Lakes.\n\n\n\n Moreover\, while giving poor pe ople money helps them\, it still leaves urgent and difficult questions una nswered about the impacts of automation and globalization. What will it ta ke to ensure that entire regions aren’t left far behind economically? Wh at can be done to boost the supply of good\, steady jobs? Basic income “ is only the beginning\,” says Roderick Benns\, former vice chair of the Ontario Basic Income Network. “It’s not just ‘cut a check and get on with building the corporatocracy.’ We have to ask what else we are doin g as a society to get people to reimagine what they can do with their live s.”\n\n\n\n Benns\, the author of several books\, grew up in Lindsay. Un til recently\, he and his wife\, Joli Scheidler-Benns\, lived three hours away\, but the pilot is so important to them that they moved back so he ca n chronicle it in a new publication called the Lindsay Advocate and she ca n do research for her PhD on the subject at York University. After Benns d escribes how basic income should augment job training and other social pro grams\, Scheidler-Benns\, who is originally from Michigan\, nods and then adds: “I don’t see how it could work in the US.”\n\n\n\n After all\, she says\, Canada does many other things to strengthen its safety net and reduce inequality. For one\, it has universal health care. School funding in Ontario is primarily allocated at the province level rather than being heavily dependent on local property taxes\, as it is in the US. Canada al so traditionally spends about 1 percent of its GDP on workforce-developmen t programs\, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and De velopment. That’s about half of the proportion in other advanced countri es\, but it still dwarfs the US figure\, which is about 0.3 percent.\n\n\n \n Funding a different mind-set\n\n\n\n Tony Tilly is the outgoing preside nt of Fleming College\, which specializes in preparing people in Kawartha Lakes for careers in both white-collar work and trades. About half the stu dents don’t come right from high school\; they’ve already been in the workforce and hope to learn a new skill.\n\n\n\n He supports a basic incom e because he thinks it could help people break out of poverty that has bes et their families for generations. But even if the program continues past the three-year trial period\, Fleming’s essential challenge would remain : how to prepare students for a world in which more and more tasks are bei ng automated.\n\n\n\n Fleming is still priming its graduates to work in tr aditional strongholds of the regional economy: jobs tied to the environmen t and natural resources\, infrastructure development\, mining\, constructi on\, and government. But the school is trying to instill a different mind- set from the one students had when Tilly became its president 14 years ago . They now get more emphasis on so-called soft skills: teamwork\, problem- solving\, personal interaction. Above all\, he says\, they need to know “not only how to do some particular job but how to contribute overall to the success of an organization\, whether it’s a manufacturer or a provi der of social services.”\n\n\n\n If the basic-income plan works as expec ted\, Fleming might get even more students than it otherwise would. Dana B owman could be one of them.\n\n\n\n It’s been years since she last had a paying job\, as a receptionist. She has been on disability for a variety of ailments\, including skin cancer and arthritis. But she feels she is up to doing some part-time work. In 2015\, two years before the basic-income trial\, Bowman asked a case worker if she could get help paying for trans portation to a Fleming campus that offers classes in social work. The offi cial said that would lead to cuts in other benefits Bowman relied on. The message Bowman says she got was: “You’re unemployable. You’re not wo rth investing in.”\n\n\n\n In contrast\, the basic-income plan ensures a minimum for her without micromanaging how she spends it. For every dollar that recipients earn above the minimum\, their payout from the province w ill be cut by 50 cents\, but no one is made worse off by working.\n\n\n\n Even being able to consider that prospect\, Bowman says\, has been good fo r her. “I don’t feel ‘less than.’ I feel ‘equal to.’ Not feeli ng guilty walking down the street\, thinking\, ‘I didn’t do enough tod ay\,’” she says. “People want to do something. People aren’t incli ned to do nothing.”\n\n\n\n by Brian Bergstein\n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://w ww.technologyreview.com/2018/06/20/141704/basic-income-could-work-if-you-d o-it-canada-style/ \n\n  \n\n\n\n Last Edition \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/topic/11377-economiccorner004/\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Tool Deviantart Drea mup\n\n\n\n prompt: diamond italian renaissance door constructed by Lorenz o Ghiberti explaining Universal Basic Income \n\n artstyle dreamup\n\n as pect ratio 3:4\n\n prompt strength 20\n\n negative prompt : dull\, poor li ghting\, multiple images\,uneven\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/topic/11402-economiccorner005/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n h ttps://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/598-economic-corner-4-december-17th-2024/ \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/142-econom ic-corner-6-january-6th-2025 /\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/09/2026\n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12270-has-universal-income-gotten-closer -to-being-needed/#comment-79118\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @umbrarchist \n\n\n\ n \n On 1/7/2026 at 4:43 AM\, umbrarchist said:\n \n\n \n \n Coming fr om where?\n \n \n\n\n\n I don't know where. I have guesses but universal basic income if implemented is going to be such a large volume of money\, the upper echelons of finance and power will have to have a say in it.\n\n \n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n On 1/7/2026 at 2:23 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n it won't happen until unemployment hits about 15% of the populatio n.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n hmm 350 million is approximately the population in t he usa. ten percent is 35 million. One percent is three point five million . so circa fifty two point five million need to be umemployed. Isn't that number already unemployed in the usa? \n\n\n\n white people say \n\n\n\n https://theworlddata.com/welfare-statistics-in-us/\n\n\n\n The welfare sy stem in America 2025 continues to serve as a critical safety net for milli ons of individuals and families facing economic hardship across the nation . These comprehensive programs provide essential support through food assi stance\, cash benefits\, healthcare coverage\, housing aid\, and tax credi ts designed to help low-income households meet their basic needs. The Unit ed States welfare programs include major initiatives such as the Supplemen tal Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)\, Medicaid\, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)\, Housing Choice Vouchers\, and the Earned Incom e Tax Credit (EITC)\, all administered by various federal agencies in part nership with state and local governments.\n\n As of 2025\, the total gover nment spending on welfare across federal\, state\, and local levels reache d approximately $1.5 trillion\, with Medicaid accounting for $742 billion and other welfare programs totaling $757 billion. These programs collectiv ely assist more than 72.5 million Americans during an average month\, repr esenting a substantial portion of the population that relies on government assistance to address food insecurity\, healthcare access\, housing stabi lity\, and income support. The welfare landscape reflects ongoing economic challenges\, demographic shifts\, and policy adjustments aimed at balanci ng assistance needs with fiscal responsibility while maintaining program i ntegrity and effectiveness.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the CPS says that only 4.4%  of the population is unemployed but that makes no sense \, because most children don't work.\n\n if the usa has three hundred and fifty million p eople and one percent of three hundred and fifty million people is three m illion and five hundred thousand people\, then five percent is seventeen m illion and five hundred thousand. So the metropolitan populace of NYC is t wenty three million. \n\n If we round and measure loosely\, then the popu lation of NYC metropolitan is unemployed and the rest of the usa populatio n is working\, man woman and child. that is a lie. And with at least 72 mi llion americans receiving assistance\,  I argue why is that number less r elevant than unemployed? Why is it the horde of mcdonalds/wendy's workers who allow for unemployment percentage to be low more important than most o f them have public assistance?\n\n\n\n figures from here\n\n https://www.b ls.gov/cps/latest-numbers.htm\n\n\n\n The way the department of labor and others calculates labor is statistically manufactured.\n\n https://www.dol .gov/agencies/wb/data/Employment-Unemployment\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In summar y\, since this is the economic corner\, the idea of universal basic income being needed with unemployment at 15% is dysfunctional for me. the unempl oyment percentage must first be recalculated with the intention of honest first and if it can't be then it is time to use the percentage of financia lly assisted people\, cause if you need financial assistance\, you are poo r. And said people needing financial assistance is already over the fiftee n percent threshold you state.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n good questions\, financially valid question/issues you raise. all of them are in the debates now\, you know. those in power will dictate the details. I can only add what I think on the three questions. What will exactly happen ? I don't know. UBI is a big thing financially. it is a game changer so wh atever happens\, and even if it doesn't happen\, will have repercussions. Before I speak on the questions/issues and state my cases. If UBI don't ha ppen. then violence will grow and i guess the police state industry will g row. but I don't see how industries in the usa can continually raise price s and the violence from the masses not reach a potency unable to be contai ned or controlled by the police state. But\, maybe SCrumpt is beginning th at era. I Don't see how it can survive for two hundred and fifty years wit h the source of the violence being industries in the usa making cost of li ving too high. You can have drones and machine cops and electronic distinc t security systems and tagging people to quell violence  but I don't see how that can last over a hundred years with the violence inevitably having to grow with the way the industries raise the cost of living. And I want to end my introduction saying again\, Pioneer\, you and many black people I have heard or read in my lifetime talk about the rule of law. and it has a heritage for black people in the usa. We were enslaved to whites. befor e the usa was founded. The law\, not black violence towards whites\, not b lack fiscal activity when whites allowed\, has been how black people have personally or financially grown in these lands from european colonial circ a 1492 to 2026. So breaking the law is big\, cause the black populace in t he usa never had the ability to\n\n\n\n grant welfare checks to failed bla ck businesses\, like the white populace did for whites who completely fail ed their businesses\n\n\n\n offer free land to penniless blacks\, like the white populace did for penniless whites\n\n\n\n offer unevenly paid labor to penniless blacks\, like the white populace did for penniless whites\n\ n\n\n So I get it.Black people have always been in an uneven financial /le gal environment in the usa\, negatively biased or negatively favored to us . But 2026 and the coming future\, we have to change how we talk about our selves when it comes to the law. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well onto my thought s to your questions and remember\, I Don't know what will happen. yes I ha ve opinions but\, we will all see \, what happens. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 1/7/2026 at 6:55 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Will this be a C onstitutional Right\, or just a privilege?\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n O n 1/7/2026 at 6:55 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n say something the g overnment doesn't like\, or break a law\, or commit an infraction....the g overnment reserves the right to lessen the amount or cut it off all togeth er.\n \n \n\n\n\n it makes sense that breaking the law will reduce the in come you get. The usa has a long heritage of legal precedence like that es pecially concerning black people\, with one caveat that only in the late 1 900s did black people have enough elected officials to even remotely look out for black interest. \n\n\n\n \n On 1/7/2026 at 6:55 PM\, Pioneer1 sa id:\n \n\n \n \n If everybody has a BASIC income\, then that means nobo dy will be broke or claim not to have enough money.\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n On 1/7/2026 at 6:55 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n \n\n Whi ch means people who monitor your income and wages to sell you insurance or a car or a house can take advantage of the fact that they KNOW you have s o much money coming in and will charge you so much based on that.\n\n \n \n You can't claim you don't have any money or can't afford \"this\" or \"that\" because EVERYBODY is getting it so they KNOW you got it.\n\n \n \n You can't even tell a criminal or mugger that you're broke\, because they KNOW you'll have some money coming in at some point and time.\n \n \ n\n\n\n Your forgetting cost of living? even if UBI was given right now\, if it doesn't come with manipulations to cost of living industries\, espec ially the real estate industry\, then it doesn't offer a change in the cur rent situation even if implemented and I argue this is why it is going thr ough this long process. Because three industries will need to be overhaule d completely: health/home/food. the health industry keeps going up and up in cost\, that has to stop. rents or real estate evaluations keep going up and up\, that has to stop. Food costs keep going up and up\, that has to stop. IF those three things don't stop going up and up unendingly then UBI will be dysfunctional if not instantly \, eventually\,  once implemented .\n\n\n\n Arguably  all the financial industries including fiscal scams n eed the door closed on said industries. thus a process. And that goes back to the heritage of financial scams. Again\, how much money would black pe ople have if not for white burnings of our towns\, white thefts of propert y and money. how much if not for enslavement to whites. how much if not sh arecropping to whites. sharecropping is no different than the financial sc ams of today. The strongest financial heritage of the usa is financial sca ms in fiscal capitalism and blaming the people abused not the scammer\, wh ether the scammer be an enslaver committing a legal criminal act or sherif f using their badge/status to evade prosecution of their illegalities or c rimes or whomever... including specific types of other black people. Said specific types aren't thieves and drug dealers. Said specific types are bl ack churches who scam and cheat money for the community\, black home owner s who scam and cheat black renters. black elected officials who scame and cheat money through legislation. \n\n\n\n \n On 1/7/2026 at 6:55 PM\, Pi oneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n   It could possibly trigger massive inflatio n.\n\n \n\n Again\, if everybody is getting $2000 a month.....\n\n \ n\n The rent WAS $500 a month.\n\n But since we know everybody gets at least $2000 a month....let's raise it to $1000 a month!\n\n \n\n Infac t\, since most people are shacking up now a days anyway make the rent $200 0 a month and let them find a roommate and share a check between themselve s!\n \n \n\n\n\n inflation is headed to an untenable place\, before UBI.  \n\n\n\n The reality UBI's philosophical opponent is the uneven bootstra ps personal accountability model which was always disingenuous.\n\n\n\n Th at is how the fiat business model in the 1970s got to this point. The idea of printing your own money backed by your military isn't new\, but the us a's white populace in control \, in cheap hindsight\, made a huge error. I t was so worried about diminishing white wealth at the top that it allowed administrative inefficiencies to fester and thrive in at the fiscal top o f the ownership/shareholder class  till now the entire business community in the usa is filled with welfare recipients\, who are completely safe fr om the bootstrap personal accountability narrative\, ala too big too fail.  \n\n\n\n If I look at the usa from the 1970s\, the airline industry comp letely failed at least three times. The oil industry failed once. The auto motive industry completely or 90% failed two times. The banking industry c ompletely failed two times. The film industry completely failed three time s. The crypto industry completely failed two times. The real estate indust ry completely failed three times. The electronics industry completely fail ed once. Many other industries like hospitals or fast food chains have sla shed their inefficient buildups like star bucks or some hospital chains.  \n\n\n\n What is my point? \n\n\n\n The biggest inflationary generator is the welfare state for all the failed firms. The following firms based on their financial history had at least one year where they were  completely bankrupt\, bankrupt defined as unable to pay their bills after four quart ers\, and didn't go into bankruptcy that year but were allowed to retain e xistence through legal but financially uneven means\n\n\n\n welfare check from the government which the government paid by printing money\n\n\n\n so me sale to another firm who grew its debt to buy the carcass\n\n\n\n debts paid through the stock market which has in itself unregulated or financia lly uneven actors who added debt to themselves to buy shares\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Apple\n\n\n\n NEtflix\n\n\n\n Google\n\n\n\n General Motors\n\n\n\n Warner Bros\n\n\n\n Chrysler\n\n\n\n Facebook\n\n\n\n OpenAI\n\n\n\n twitt er\n\n\n\n all the airlines\n\n\n\n a number of theater chains\n\n\n\n mal l chains\n\n\n\n starbucks and many other fast food chains\n\n\n\n am*zon\ n\n\n\n exxon\n\n\n\n goldman sachs\n\n\n\n jp morgan\n\n\n\n General elec tric\n\n\n\n universal studios\n\n\n\n most bitcoins or datamined currenci es\n\n\n\n most ai systems\n\n\n\n most hospital chains\n\n\n\n most real estate\n\n\n\n sony\, not even in the usa but i read that it is actually m ostly owned\, through shares\,  by people in the usa.\n\n\n\n many retire ment plans\, not all but many\n\n\n\n I can't think of one firm or financi al institution touted heavily in media in the usa that hasn't gone bankrup t as I see it in the past fifty years and should not exist today then if o ne treats all firms or financial institutions the same way\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n So\, saving all those firms above is the cause of inflation Pioneer in the past fifty years. Cause whether it is\n\n\n\n the government printing money adding debt to the federal government\n\n\n\n other firms adding de bt to pay for their carcasses\n\n\n\n new/old  shareholders adding debt t o pay for the shares of their carcasses\n\n\n\n I don't see any financiall y even reason why any of those firms mentioned above and most of their pee rs in the usa should exist today. They are all failed firms\, and for the investment banks/automotive companies/crypto/real estate industries I was aware for them\, I was present of mind to see each of them have a complete financial collapse. So no one can give me any financially valid reason th ose four sectors should exist with the actors they do today.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Goldman should completely liquidated. To this day I still hear black people\, goldman got those MIT graduates. Well\, clearly MIT doesn't help a financial firm with billions of dollars of transactions per year\, argu ably the most of any financial firm in the world save itself from receiver ship. The Goldman with all their MIT graduates went to Washington DC and b egged for a welfare check and got it. so...  I don't want to hear about s ome black person somewhere with their few hundred grand mismanaging money and not warranting aid this way or that way.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Crypto \, again with all the asians \, especially chinese\, and supposedly smart fol k \, completely collapsed. Where was china's genious work force to save cr ypto? Instead a bunch of rich people with the help of Goldman and company\ , already saved by welfare check\, bought up all the crypto assets with de bt. again.. I don't want to hear about some black person on a nine to five job mishandling funds not warranting aid this way or that way.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The automotive companies who at one time in human history had a o ver ninety percent market share of the global automotive industry\, was gi ven a welfare check by the government. I read ford didn't want the check a nd was going to refinance\, which means add debt to cover the expenses of the firm\,  but the federal government didn't allow that for some reason\ , one day I will research and hopefully see why the federal government did n't allow it. So don't tell me about some black athlete who wasted million s not  warranting aid this way or that way.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The real e state industry has collapsed multiple times and yet\, somehow is allowed t o be continually refinanced through debt. The real estate industry was eve n allowed to continue operation in NYC when small businesses were forced t o close. why? If the construction workers can keep building buildings whil e the virus is about why are small businesses forced to shut down for the virus? The real estate industry was so indebted that it was allowed to ski p the shutdown that many other industries were forced to do\, which hurt a nd hindered many other industries. So\, again\, don't speak to me about a black homeless person not getting their act together and not warranting ai d this way or that. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And my talk of warranting aid thi s way or that way completes the circle on universal basic income. The USA as it did after\n\n\n\n the war between the states\, letting completely im poverished formerly rich white southerners retain their property and finan cial accounts\, not treating them like benedict arnolds\, and allowing the m to continue financially uneven hiring practices through jim crow era.\n\ n\n\n the second white european imperial war\, commonly called war world 2 \, letting completely impoverished formerly rich white europeans in wester n europe or white asians in japan recover their real estate\, bank account s plus giving them welfare checks worth their entire industrial or financi al footing today.\n\n\n\n has saved countless completely impoverished form erly rich whites\, and some non whites in the usa retain their wealth thro ugh an unbounded debt allowances. \n\n\n\n So adding inflation for giving the fiscal poor money in my eyes is at the most financially warranted or at the least financially allowable based on recent past precedence.\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/10/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \ n On 1/9/2026 at 1:14 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Obviously\, there are millions of people who cannot work for one reason or another.🙄😎  \n \n \n\n\n\n yes\, but the millions who are unable to work\, not cann ot work\, for one external reason or another\, is the issue.  \n\n\n\n B ased on the definitions below\, when we talk about the black populace in t he usa the statistics for employment\, don't consider\n\n\n\n black people in the armed forces which for many black people in small black towns is t heir only upward mobility\n\n\n\n black people in prison cause the black p opulace doesn't have the ability to generate or access labor pools with jo bs that provide adequate revenue for par standard of living.\n\n\n\n black people in old folks homes which has only grown over time. \n\n\n\n then you take the black populace outside the three above who are considered in the employment statistic and the following are not considered employed\n\n \n\n black people who volunteer without pay\, which is alot of black peopl e since the 1800s. When black people were teaching ourselves how to read t he black people who did it for free and only got room and board wouldn't b e considered cause food and board isn't money. Alot of the black panthers would not be considered with the school food program. \n\n\n\n Black peop le in unpaid internships or training programs\, which is many black people \n\n\n\n Black housewives is not considered even though many black women i n recent immigrant communities are housewives. \n\n\n\n So the 4.4% isn't related to 100% of the populace . it is a percentage of a percentage\, th at mostly blocks out people who are working. Just not getting money. Black soldiers[who are working cause being a soldier is work]+black imprisoned [note: who actually do work alot still and rarely get their proper wage sc ale ala 13th amendment slavey status]+black people in home care or old fol ks[many of whom make other... younger\, black peoples lives possible with their retirement benefits]+ black poor people getting food and board doing volunteer work[which is usually off books sporadic and thus not in the po lling time]+ black students getting unpaid internships or training[which i s very often but is work\, internships are work\, i remember internships a s a student\, unpaid\, that is work]+ black housewives who actually have t o clean the house and similar chores are all not included in the percentag e of people considered for unemployment[that is definitely work]. so...the issue isn't unable to work\, it is a statistic not including many who do work\, because it will show that the black populace at least is not lazy\, is full of people working\, BUT they are not:) getting a good wage. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n white man says \n\n\n\n https://www.bls.gov/cps/definitio ns.htm\n\n\n\n Employment-population ratio\n\n\n\n The employment-populati on ratio represents the number of employed people as a percentage of th e civilian noninstitutional population. In other words\, it is the percen tage of the population that is currently working.\n\n\n\n The employment-p opulation ratio is calculated as: (Employed ÷ Civilian Noninstitutional P opulation) x 100.\n\n\n\n https://www.bls.gov/cps/definitions.htm#employed \n\n\n\n Employed\n\n\n\n In the Current Population Survey (CPS)\, people are classified as employed if\, during the survey reference week\, they m eet any of the following criteria:\n\n\n\n worked at least 1 hour as a p aid employee (see wage and salary workers)\n\n\n\n worked at least 1 hour in their own business\, profession\, trade\, or farm (see self-employed) \n\n\n\n were temporarily absent from their job\, business\, or farm\, whe ther or not they were paid for the time off (see with a job\, not at work )\n\n\n\n worked without pay for a minimum of 15 hours in a business or fa rm owned by a member of their family (see unpaid family workers)\n\n\n\n For criteria 1 and 2\, the work must be for pay or profit\; that is\, the individual receives a wage or salary\, profits or fees\, or payment in kin d (such as housing\, meals\, or supplies received in place of cash wages). For the self-employed\, this includes those who intended to earn a profit but whose business or farm produced a loss. See the definition of self-e mployed for further details.\n\n\n\n Each employed person is counted only once in aggregate employment statistics from the CPS\, even if they hold more than one job.\n\n\n\n The following are not considered employment i n the CPS.\n\n\n\n volunteer work\n\n\n\n unpaid internships\n\n\n\n unpai d training programs\n\n\n\n training programs not sponsored by an employer \, even if the trainee receives a public assistance payment for attending\ n\n\n\n National Guard or Reserve duty (weekend or summer training)\n\n\n\ n ownership in a business or farm solely for investment purposes\, with no participation in its management or operation\n\n\n\n jury duty\n\n\n\n wo rk around one's home such as cleaning\, painting\, repairing\, or other ho usework or home improvement project\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.bls.gov /cps/definitions.htm#population\n\n\n\n Civilian noninstitutional populati on\n\n\n\n The civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older is th e base population group\, or universe\, used for Current Population Survey (CPS) statistics published by BLS. (See also geographic scope and refere nce of the CPS.)\n\n\n\n The civilian noninstitutional population exclude s the following:\n\n\n\n active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces\n\n \n\n people confined to\, or living in\, institutions or facilities such a s\n\n\n\n prisons\, jails\, and other correctional institutions and detent ion centers\n\n\n\n residential care facilities such as skilled nursing ho mes\n\n\n\n Included in the civilian noninstitutional population are citiz ens of foreign countries who reside in the United States but do not live o n the premises of an embassy.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n On 1/9/2026 at 2:24 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n as I've sa id some months ago\, they simply don't count everybody.\n\n \n\n If th e unemployment numbers were accurate\, it would be above 20%.\n \n \n\n\n \n as our elders said in the 1950s. The sad truth about labor statistics i n the usa is how they are often cited by many from the mid 1900s to now an d yet\, that entire time frame people\, black + non black\, have called th em hogwash\, the dirty water cleaning the pig. \n\n\n\n \n On 1/9/2026 a t 2:39 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n The government can maintain con trol easily....by turning the people AGAINST EACHOTHER.\n\n \n\n That' s how many smart governments maintain power anyway.\n \n \n\n\n\n hmm I d on't think anything \, anything is easy. Doable? yes\, positive possibilit y? yes\, positive probability in attempt? yes... Easy? never\, nothing is easy. \n\n\n\n well\, is any government smart? a government isn't one per son... no government in human history is one person\, the myth of the tyra nnical madman controlling all on a throne is just that\,an untrue myth. To say any government is smart or dumb is to suggest an average of mentality which can not be proven. \n\n\n\n Strong governments are ones in which t heir will gets applied. Weak governments are ones in which their will gets applied. \n\n\n\n Gardless of the mental quality of the people in a gove rnment\, a government can be strong or weak. The war between the states di dn't happen because the usa government was smart or dumb \, it happened be cause the usa government was strong \, even though it included the likes o f Abraham Lincoln\, considered by many to be one of the smartest president s\, who opposed the war. Most in the government of the usa at that time wa nted war\, and were powerful enough to apply to war.  The congress in the usa has a majority of elected officials who don't want to do the work nee ded to make legislation that brings advantage to all in a populace of over three hundred and fifty million people who are not all of white european descent. So they are doing nothing. Now if advocacy movements were getting elected officials in congress to push for wise legislation you can say th e congress is weak cause the members don't want to do that but are being f orced to by an external group. Be careful giving false praise or false co ndemnation.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 1/9/2026 at 2:39 PM\, Pioneer1 said: \n \n\n \n \n The reason they didn't allow those businesses to fail was simple: they were and are providing goods and services the nation actuall y NEEDS\n \n \n\n\n\n you made a statement\, this is the economic corner\ , tell me one thing they provide that is needed. I repeated the list you c an copy and paste and simply write the one needed thing each provide. \n\ n\n\n Apple- \n\n\n\n NEtflix- \n\n\n\n Google- \n\n\n\n General Motor s- \n\n\n\n Warner Bros- \n\n\n\n Chrysler- \n\n\n\n Facebook- \n\n\n\ n OpenAI- \n\n\n\n twitter- \n\n\n\n all the airlines- \n\n\n\n a numbe r of theater chains- \n\n\n\n mall chains- \n\n\n\n starbucks and many o ther fast food chains- \n\n\n\n am*zon- \n\n\n\n exxon- \n\n\n\n goldma n sachs- \n\n\n\n jp morgan- \n\n\n\n General electric- \n\n\n\n univer sal studios- \n\n\n\n most bitcoins or datamined currencies- \n\n\n\n mo st ai systems- \n\n\n\n most hospital chains- \n\n\n\n most real estate - \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I will make my argument against any of them produci ng anything needed.\n\n\n\n Apple- apple has never produced a needed good\ , every single device or software they made could be sold off in bankruptc y\, and made open source.  \n\n\n\n NEtflix- never produced a needed goo d\, streaming has always had multiple agents and their entire streaming se rvice\, including their communication hubs could be sold off in bankruptcy to the highest bigger.\n\n\n\n Google- never produced a needed good\, its assets could had been sold off in bankruptcy or given to open source. Com petitors would had bought server systems or software went to open source o r non bought server systems went to colleges or universities in a second s elling off. \n\n\n\n General Motors- never produced a needed good\, this country has always had multiple and small auto manufacturers\, if general motors assets were put up for auction in a bankruptcy\, they small automak ers or others would claim what they needed and could increase their volume . \n\n\n\n Warner Bros- never produced a needed good\n\n\n\n Chrysler- li ke General motors\, see above. \n\n\n\n Facebook- like google\, see above . \n\n\n\n OpenAI- like facebook\, see above\n\n\n\n twitter- like openai \n\n\n\n all the airlines- never produced a needed good\,  most arilines don't even make planes so all their aircraft after bankruptcy can be sold and regional competitors or private individuals can buy the content or it can be resold on the international market. \n\n\n\n a number of theater c hains- never produced a needed good\, each theater chain is mostly real es tate which can be sold and if not given to the state. the machines to show movies can be sold to auction\, private individuals will buy a few\, the rest can go to schools. \n\n\n\n mall chains- never produced a needed goo d\, each mall is real estate\, each location can be sold after bankruptcy. \n\n\n\n starbucks and many other fast food chains- never produced a neede d good\, mostly real estate\, secondarily food machines\, afer bankruptcy   the real estate can be sold and the food machines can be sold\, some pe ople will get nice food machines in their homes. \n\n\n\n am*zon- never p roduced a  needed good\, the shipping aspect is real estate and warehouse machines all sellable to auction after bankruptcy\, the financial service s are bank accounts which should be liquidated after bankruptcy\,the elect ronic devices + machines to make them+ software can all be sold after bank ruptcy or made open source.  \n\n\n\n exxon- never produced a needed goo d\, after bankruptcy\, all the oil fields can be sold [ at best each to an individual] the tankers can be sold\, their are other oil producers and i nviduals can enter. The refineries can be sold after bankruptcy. And if no t given to colleges as training areas or broken up into parts for use in o ther industries. \n\n\n\n goldman sachs- never produced a needed good\, a ll their bank accounts or financial transaction accounts should be liquida ted and the financial software sold or made open source\, the financial re ports or private information held by a private legal entity for the indivi duals it pertains too. \n\n\n\n jp morgan- like goldman sachs\, see above \n\n\n\n General electric- never produced a needed good\, all their manufa cturing plants for their various parts can be sold to auction after bankru ptcy\, anything not sold can go to colleges in an open grab. their real es tate sold after bankruptcy. their computer software or server systems can be sold or made open source. \n\n\n\n universal studios- like waner bros\ , see above\n\n\n\n most bitcoins or datamined currencies- never produced a needed good\, all the real estate can be sold after bankruptcy\, all the server systems can be sold individually to unique buyers and then seconda rily in components\, the individual servers in the chain\, and then thirdl y in elements\, the parts that make up each individual server unit. \n\n\ n\n most ai systems- like bitcoin\, see above\n\n\n\n most hospital chains - never produced a needed good\, most city or state governments have gover nment hospitals so after bankruptcy all the medical technology can be boug ht by the state to use in government run hospitals or in auction to privat e individuals or boutique hospitals\, the real estate can be sold or demol ished for spare land\, paid for by the hospital.\n\n\n\n most real estate- never produced a needed good\, after bankruptcy \, all real estate that i s not paid for can be taken by the government and resold or demolished pai d for as a tax write off based on the cost of destruction and taken off th e debt by the bankrupt realtor.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Not one firm I listed i n my eyes makes a needed good. Not one. Some will say \, what about invest ors  to all of these failures. Bankruptcy denies the possibility of inves tors to recoup any investment. And I say\, an old song by a white man exis t\, which is what those investors need to learn. Knowing or Learning how t o lose is apart of financial reality\, fighting it is a mistake\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n On a warm summer's evening\n\n On a train bou nd for nowhere\n\n I met up with a gambler\n\n We were both too tired to s leep\n\n So we took turns a-staring\n\n Out the window at the darkness\n\n 'Til boredom overtook us\n\n And he began to speak\n\n\n\n He said\, \"So n\, I've made a life\n\n Out of readin' people's faces\n\n Knowing what th e cards were\n\n By the way they held their eyes\n\n So if you don't mind my saying\n\n I can see you're out of aces\n\n For a taste of your whiskey \n\n I'll give you some advice\"\n\n\n\n So I handed him my bottle\n\n And he drank down my last swallow\n\n Then he bummed a cigarette\n\n And aske d me for a light\n\n And the night got deathly quiet\n\n And his face lost all expression\n\n Said\, \"If you're gonna play the game\, boy\n\n You g otta learn to play it right\"\n\n\n\n You got to know when to hold 'em\n\n Know when to fold 'em\n\n Know when to walk away\n\n And know when to run \n\n You never count your money\n\n When you're sittin' at the table\n\n T here'll be time enough for countin'\n\n When the dealing's done\n\n\n\n Ev ery gambler knows\n\n That the secret to surviving\n\n Is knowing what to throw away\n\n Knowing what to keep\n\n 'Cause every hand's a winner\n\n A nd every hand's a loser\n\n And the best that you can hope for\n\n Is to d ie in your sleep\n\n\n\n And when he finished speaking\n\n He turned back toward the window\n\n Crushed out his cigarette\n\n And faded off to sleep \n\n And somewhere in the darkness\n\n The gambler\, he broke even\n\n And in his final words\n\n I found an ace that I could keep\n\n\n\n You got t o know when to hold 'em\n\n Know when to fold 'em\n\n Know when to walk aw ay\n\n And know when to run\n\n You never count your money\n\n When you're sittin' at the table\n\n There'll be time enough for countin'\n\n When th e dealing's done\n\n\n\n You got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'e m)\n\n Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)\n\n Know when to walk away \n\n And know when to run\n\n You never count your money\n\n When you're s ittin' at the table\n\n There'll be time enough for countin'\n\n When the dealing's done\n\n\n\n You got to know when to hold 'em\n\n Know when to f old 'em\n\n Know when to walk away\n\n And know when to run\n\n You never count your money\n\n When you're sittin' at the table\n\n There'll be time enough for countin'\n\n When the dealing's done\n\n\n\n Songwriters: Don Schlitz. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ProfD\n\n\n\n Members\n\n\n\n  6.8 k\n\n\n\n LocationWashington DC area\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @ric hardmurray...maybe the white folks will read your dissertation above and b e motivated to speed up the Universal Basic Income (UBI).\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n However\, if/when UBI comes to fruition\, rest assured that Black folks will get the shortest end of it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Boycott am*zon\n\n\n\ n  4k\n\n\n\n Author\n\n\n\n Posted 1 minute ago\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n I think it is interesting how black people view our own employment as a gr oup in the usa\, we all often cite percentages white people made that when you look at it\, are dishonest about our situation as a people in the usa . I know i wrote a lote but i do think \, if the stranger reads my work\, I hope to have a balanced position. I don't want anyone to take my word fo r it. I want to support what I am saying\, thus the verbosity. I think it is functional.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To shortest end\, let's be blunt\, the b lack populace started its journey in the usa 90% enslaved. \n\n\n\n Nothi ng is shorter than that. So\, based on Black Descended of Enslaved history which started alongside the white european enslavers. late 1400s in the l ands of the people commonly called native americans\, why should black peo ple get the longest end of anything? evenness? justice? but where does the source of justice or evenness come in the usa for black peoples\, especia lly descended of enslaved? \n\n\n\n Remember\, white wealth or power does n't come from today\, it comes from the past. A past in which white people s forebears killed First Peoples and took their land and Enslaved Black fo lk. Giving them a huge mountain of generational wealth that they made sure they kept for themselves. Wealth that had nothing to do with the USA. I k now you know the history. But\, \n\n\n\n Remember\, Black wealth or power comes from today\, not the past. First Peoples wealth or power comes from today\, not the past. In the past meaning late 1400s to mid 1900s 90% of black wealth in the european colonies that preceded the usa or the usa its elf was taken/burned/destroyed/stolen by whites. All 90% of DOSers have fr om our past is our spirit or will \, no financial inheritance. Half of all whites have an inheritance which stems from the past. \n\n\n\n So yes\, a shortest end\, but what else could it be\, if anyone is honest about the history of black people in the usa or the white european colonies that pr eceded it? \n\n\n\n Remember financially\, black people's overall conditi on didn't change at all with the revolutionary war. our condition was the same from 1492 to 1865. Then we had jim crow from 1865 to 1980. \n\n\n\n from 1980 to 2026 is 46 years. 46 years of being in a situation white peop le were in from 1492. That isn't an even situation\, financially. 600 year s of total white communal opportunity can not be equivalenced with 46 year s of majority black communal  activity?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n    3 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Of course\, because they are nosey as h8ll. \n\n\n\n well done:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/11/2026\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Smart and dumb are relative to what the subject is being compared to.\n\n\n\n A nd that is why I shouldn't had replied. I was foolish in replying to your point about smart and dumb because if we don't see those two identities as the same way\, then outside of trying to convince each other\, which I at least have always spoken against. I hate proselytizing. Then nothing to t alk about really. I made a mistake. I hope not to make again.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n   13 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n With the exception of b itcoin and possibility twitter and goldman sachs\, all of the other corpor ations and firms you listed are essential for maintaining the economy and/ or high standards of living we've come to know in the United States as com pared to most of the rest of the world.\n\n \n\n They aren't ABSOLUTELY ne cessary like food\, clothing\, shelter\, and healthcare....but they are ne cessary for our modern way of life.\n\n \n\n \n\n In some respects\, you s eem to be condemning the very technology and standard of living the allows you to comfortably get your point across....lol.\n\n \n\n I had a friend who was a staunch socialist and condemned corporations left and right....b ut every time I saw her she kept a tall cup of Starbucks coffee and Frappu ccino in her hand\, lol.\n\n She'd hang out in Starbucks banging away on h er Apple laptop/tablet running down the very system she enjoyed....lol.\n\ n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n I have never eaten at starbucks.. oddly enough som e generational elders in my bloodline have eaten at starbucks when I haven 't. But\, the firms aren't necessary Pioneer. The technology doesn't requi re the firms.\n\n\n\n For example\, If I make a volumetric display system\ , energy efficient\, easy to use\,and I successfully start a firm... money is coming my way\, if I adhere to the process and get lucky. Lets assume all positive. \n\n\n\n But \, lets say thirty years from now the company is bankrupt by mismanagement\, like all the companies I just listed. . In thirty years every one financially capable will use my volumetric display system in games/home entertainment/mobile devices... so the technology wil l be part of many\, not all or most humans[remember most in humanity are n ot online\, it is a myth that everyone is]\, peoples lives. BUT\, the tech nology isn't my firm. When my firm files for bankruptcy\, all of its techn ology should be sold or made open source. Others will buy it or use the te ch in their own financial activities\, absent having to pay as part of the bankruptcy. So all my firms assets will simply be bought by others. The l aws can make sure it is only domestic buyers. And as for way of life? comp etitors buying my assets or competitors using open source will eliminate t he absence of a market player.\n\n\n\n For another example\, lets say I ow n a hospital chain. Has achieved a method to recover from cerebral damage or birth defects using acute neurotrophic electrodes systems aligned to hu man nervous systems through a large language model system. My hospital wil l get tons of clients and be successful. But\, lets say I mismanage it? wh y can't all our technology be sold or made open source? the building or bu ildings we have can be sold on the market\, and the bankruptcy can make su re the new owners use for hospitals. how has way of life been hurt? \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n How am I condemning the technology or standard or living\, by stating the firms that are in control of them at the moment who have fa iled needed to fail properly? I don't know if you read my list stating how each firm does not produce a needed good and can go bankrupt\, because fo r each firm I also added\, how all their assets can be resold /made open s ource to continue use of technology or maintain way of life. The technolog y or way of life has no connection to the firms.  A proof I should had st arted with is\, all of those firms had rivals who no longer exists and wen t bankrupt\, in which many of them bought bankrupted rivals content? why c an't they go bankrupt? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thank you for this. For the ec onomic corner I am very happy for this discourse. Because in all earnest\, one of the biggest financial viewpoints that I think splits many today \, is how we view failed firms. No firm is to big to fail\, and every firm \ , starting with the biggest needs to fail properly\, because bankruptcy al lows two important things to happen. \n\n\n\n 1)an industry realigns corr ectly with the absence of a bad player. \n\n\n\n 2) all the poor investor s are properly penalized for their bad investment. \n\n\n\n When I look a t the firms I mentioned being kept alive I argue\, all the bad investors a nd actors in those firms weren't properly penalized which has led to the m aintenance of a way of life\, but not the standard which you suggest but t he way of life of bad financial activity. \n\n\n\n Look at all these indu stries in the usa today\, they are woefully managed\, and you think the pe ople who managed them woefully should be maintained. \n\n\n\n I don't con cur to your position on treating failed firms with a save\, I don't feel w ay of life is hindered by bankruptcy\, but I bet many feel like you do\, w hich explains a lot. Because everytime  these firms get in trouble\, in t he last fifty years it is the same thing. And I see now why? In the last t wenty years the entire private banking/financial industry in the usa faile d . In this community we talk about distribution of wealth. That is when i t should had happened. Instead they were saved. Now people like you and ma ny others\,  most likely most others in the usa\, say it had to happen. B ut in 2026\, said financial system is still full of errors and woeful mana gement and isn't helping the larger financial environment in the usa.  So if not bankrupted and all assets placed to a closed market since some act ivity is private or delicate like pension funds for example which I think should happen\, it will need another too big too fail which you must suppo rt which will require more printed money\, but lead to an inevitable finan cial fallout later because the poor actors are still in the industry. Bank ruptcy kicks out poor financial actors. Government bailouts/stock market c onglomerating don't /subsidized industrial situations don't kick out poor financial actors. And financial actors who are trading the highest bracket s of money in my view\, need to be taken out more than any other in a smal ler financial scale.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I will place my list again\, in ca se you didn't read it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Apple- apple has never produce d a needed good\, every single device or software they made could be sold off in bankruptcy\, and made open source.  \n\n\n\n NEtflix- never produ ced a needed good\, streaming has always had multiple agents and their ent ire streaming service\, including their communication hubs could be sold o ff in bankruptcy to the highest bigger.\n\n\n\n Google- never produced a n eeded good\, its assets could had been sold off in bankruptcy or given to open source. Competitors would had bought server systems or software went to open source or non bought server systems went to colleges or universiti es in a second selling off. \n\n\n\n General Motors- never produced a nee ded good\, this country has always had multiple and small auto manufacture rs\, if general motors assets were put up for auction in a bankruptcy\, th ey small automakers or others would claim what they needed and could incre ase their volume. \n\n\n\n Warner Bros- never produced a needed good\n\n\ n\n Chrysler- like General motors\, see above. \n\n\n\n Facebook- like go ogle\, see above. \n\n\n\n OpenAI- like facebook\, see above\n\n\n\n twit ter- like openai\n\n\n\n all the airlines- never produced a needed good\,   most arilines don't even make planes so all their aircraft after bankru ptcy can be sold and regional competitors or private individuals can buy t he content or it can be resold on the international market. \n\n\n\n a nu mber of theater chains- never produced a needed good\, each theater chain is mostly real estate which can be sold and if not given to the state. the machines to show movies can be sold to auction\, private individuals will buy a few\, the rest can go to schools. \n\n\n\n mall chains- never prod uced a needed good\, each mall is real estate\, each location can be sold after bankruptcy.\n\n\n\n starbucks and many other fast food chains- never produced a needed good\, mostly real estate\, secondarily food machines\, afer bankruptcy  the real estate can be sold and the food machines can b e sold\, some people will get nice food machines in their homes. \n\n\n\n am*zon- never produced a  needed good\, the shipping aspect is real esta te and warehouse machines all sellable to auction after bankruptcy\, the f inancial services are bank accounts which should be liquidated after bankr uptcy\,the electronic devices + machines to make them+ software can all be sold after bankruptcy or made open source.  \n\n\n\n exxon- never produ ced a needed good\, after bankruptcy\, all the oil fields can be sold [ at best each to an individual] the tankers can be sold\, their are other oil producers and inviduals can enter. The refineries can be sold after bankr uptcy. And if not given to colleges as training areas or broken up into pa rts for use in other industries. \n\n\n\n goldman sachs- never produced a needed good\, all their bank accounts or financial transaction accounts s hould be liquidated and the financial software sold or made open source\, the financial reports or private information held by a private legal entit y for the individuals it pertains too. \n\n\n\n jp morgan- like goldman s achs\, see above\n\n\n\n General electric- never produced a needed good\, all their manufacturing plants for their various parts can be sold to auct ion after bankruptcy\, anything not sold can go to colleges in an open gra b. their real estate sold after bankruptcy. their computer software or ser ver systems can be sold or made open source. \n\n\n\n universal studios- like waner bros\, see above\n\n\n\n most bitcoins or datamined currencies- never produced a needed good\, all the real estate can be sold after bank ruptcy\, all the server systems can be sold individually to unique buyers and then secondarily in components\, the individual servers in the chain\, and then thirdly in elements\, the parts that make up each individual ser ver unit. \n\n\n\n most ai systems- like bitcoin\, see above\n\n\n\n most hospital chains- never produced a needed good\, most city or state govern ments have government hospitals so after bankruptcy all the medical techno logy can be bought by the state to use in government run hospitals or in a uction to private individuals or boutique hospitals\, the real estate can be sold or demolished for spare land\, paid for by the hospital.\n\n\n\n m ost real estate- never produced a needed good\, after bankruptcy \, all re al estate that is not paid for can be taken by the government and resold o r demolished paid for as a tax write off based on the cost of destruction and taken off the debt by the bankrupt realtor.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   6 h ours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Outside of China and North Korea\, mos t socialist states aren't good at generating wealth and producing goods an d services.\n\n They are good at REDISTRIBUTING them once they've taken th em from somebody who HAS produced them.\n\n \n\n We need to learn a lesson how to NOT be like most socialist systems and make sure we can build our own products and provide our own services from the ground up instead fight ing eachother over White left-overs.\n\n\n\n What is socialism is the firs t question? Pioneer I don't know how you define socialism but the followin g is mine. \n\n\n\n Socialism is a multifaceted concept which has forms f or each aspect in society designed to create classlessness\, or no tiers i n the humanity utilizing it. Unlike fiscal capitalism which is a primarily financial idea and promotes by definition financial castes. Socialism inv olves\, financial+ governmental+cultural pathways distinct from each other . Financially\, socialism is an intricate  bartering system of labor and goods absent currency\, why\, the accumulation of currency creates financi al castes thus a class based system. While bartering only labor and goods and services means each individuals merit or the merit of the land are the only factors in fiscal trading\, which can be aligned efficiently in calc ulated measure. Governmentally\, socialism is a military state where each citizen with no exception is a member of the military and thus the chain o f command  is all that is needed. Elected officials or governors are not needed. Yes each military has a ranking system but it is a false assumptio n to think rankings have to serve the model in western europe. Culturally\ , socialism is an eradication of all old ranking systems based on prior he ritages for a new heritage of one peoples\, with no bounds. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n How many socialist countries existed in history to modernity ? I ar gue none. \n\n\n\n Russia in the soviet era/China/North Korea/Cuba/Ethiop ia in the period immediately after haille selassie /many countries in east ern europe who were militaristically aligned to the soviet union were labe led socialist but none were socialist. \n\n\n\n All of them were fiscal c apitalist first and foremost.\n\n\n\n The soviet union was never socialist . If it was it would had never had a currency or sold weapons or services for cash\, let alone their treatment of cossacks and chechyens. Communism is a form of socialism\, but it is mostly fiscal capitalistic. Communism i s fiscal capitalism with the financial system having the government as the sole domestic company\, the governmental system has no multivisive partie s of governance\, culturally allows the majority populace to dictate the c ulture. The usa called itself a democracy\, where each state in the union had to have a democratic government\, a government where the people rules\ , but the entire souths majority populace were enslaved to a minority? how is that a rule of the people when most people are not ruling themselves? so countries give themselves false labels. \n\n\n\n China has never been socialist. If it was it would never had elected officials or peoples like the ugyars or tibetans as \"outsiders\"\, let alone their financial activi ty which was fiscal capitalsit in mao's time.  It is also communist. \n\ n\n\n North Korea is a monarchy that uses communism to mask its monarchic truth. \n\n\n\n Cuba has always been an chiefdom from spain to now using fiscal capitalism. Cuba was a territory of spain. Spain was too weak to pr otect or manage cuba\, so even before the usa took the territory\, the spa nish governor was a chief. The usa took over the territory  and the leade r of the army became the chief\, ala batista. Then Fidel defeated Batista and became the chief. But cuba was always fiscal capitalistic. \n\n\n\n E thiopia was communistic\, and again\, what that meant was fiscal capitalis ts who killed the emperor and various other former regals by bloodline. Bu t they were never socialist. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now to what black americ ans [those with enslaved forebears to the american continent[[canada to ar gentina]] over an ocean]should be doing for a better tomorrow. Well\, tryi ng to implement a truly socialist system in the usa or any country in the american continent including cuba is a large challenge. I will not say imp ossible. But\, harder than other options simply because every country in t he american continent\, canada to argentina\, is fiscal capitalistic. \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Communism is as close to socialism as equality  is to fi scal capitalism. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pr ofD\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Many of us know Black history. The question remains what are we going to do to right the wrongs committed against our ancestors up to present.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If Black people are unwilling to kill and destroy in order to reclaim wealth stole n from us\, just like Haiti\, we'll remain in this position into perpetuit y as well. \n\n\n\n Is that the right question? No human can undo the pas t\, no human. And nothing you do in the future rights the past. For exampl e\, all the money white jews have extracted for other white people or whit e jews nationalist agenda/scheme for israel led by their zionist sub group doesn't right the holocaust or what happened in spain or elsewhere in eur ope. Another example\, every single human being who laments a loving one w ho has passed for not spending enough time can't do anything to right that ? because it is the past\, someone involved is dead so nothing can be chan ged. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The haitian revolution is the most successful ac tion by Black Americans [Black Americans defined as all black people livin g in modern day canada to argentina whose forebears were forced across an ocean to the american continent]. But the haitian revolution didn't right the past. The haitian revolution made the platform for a positive future\, which happened for a while in haiti. The most beautiful time Black people had in the american continent. The fact that haiti is surrounded on all s ides [north south east west ]by white/mestizo/mullato enslavers of black p eople made the long term hard.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I argue the question is\, what do we black americans want to leave to future generations of us ? And the problem is\, black americans have never been united on that. We all have an answer to that question. But\, we rarely have a similar one\, and that isn't even uneven because unlike all others in the american conti nent\, we black americans alone were forced to immigrate to this continent [canada and argentina] and thus our forebears gave us the freedom to choos e whatever we want looking forward. Black americans are not beholden to an y place in the american continent\, if we don't want\, not black africans[ africa from morocco to egypt to south africa]\, not  black asians [asia from india\, south east asia\, australia]\, not black europeans [from turk ey to england]  or non blacks\, \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, this means blac k americans tend to bicker on what we want to leave the future generations . \n\n\n\n Frederick Douglass + MLK jr + Michelle Obama or similar Black Americans want to leave to future Black Americans an pan racially positive ly integrated society where black individuals can thrive amongst all other humans. \n\n\n\n The Exodusters + Black PAnthers or similar black americ ans  want to leave to future Black Americans regions/zones in majority no n black countries where black americans own and thrive\, as part of non wh ite countries.\n\n\n\n The Haitian from Jean Jacque dessalines to Henri Ch ristophe + the Black loyalist who fought to stop the usa from being born\, the quilombos orwar bands of Brasil or the greater south america or simil ar black americans want to leave to future black americans nations\, new p laces for black people to thrive\, built from war  while secure from war afterward. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Notice in each \, thriving is what all wan t. black success is what all want. But\, the way is not the same. \n\n\n\ n So\, ProfD \, what do you want to leave future generations of Black Amer icans? \n\n\n\n No answer is wrong. No answer is wrong. But any answer ma y not be what another black person wants. \n\n\n\n Whatever answer your g ive I am willing to help you think about it.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n It's definitely both...being able to bui ld\,  produce and generate wealth in addition to being able to kill in or der to protect and/or amass more wealth.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We really don' t have to kill or destroy other non-white folks in order to be free and am ass wealth.\n\n\n\n  What your talking about is doing two things that don 't work together. White americans [whites who came freely\, whether invite d or not legally or not\,  to the american continent from anywhere on ear th] are learning this lesson now. You can't be the bully + the friend. You have to pick one. \n\n\n\n If you are the bully\, expect violence from o thers and don't try to cover yourself in false goodness. \n\n\n\n If you are the friend\, expect to lose wealth in the market place and embrace wha t a peaceful world truly is. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As for black folk... wel ll... again\, what is freedom? what is wealth?\n\n\n\n Now I said earlier I am willing to help you in discourse. \n\n\n\n So my questions to you ar e the following  \n\n\n\n When you speak of freedom or massing wealth ar e you talking about black people throughout all humanity or just the ameri can continent\, canada to argentina or just the usa? \n\n\n\n When you sp eak of freedom\, hoow do you define freedom? is it voting? is it money? is it protection from non blacks? is it protection from blacks? Does the fre edom you speak of include integration with non black positively? \n\n\n\n When you speak of amassing wealth? how do you define that explicitly? is it bank accountS? or is it qualities in the communities black people live in? does it involve financial security for the wealth?\n\n\n\n All black p eople want empowerment or betterment\, but the key is the details\, What d o you want for the future Black Americans?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0 1/12/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n ok\, \n\n\n\n 1)when you close your eyes for the last time you want to leave so mething for FBA/Afro Americans. That is a large group of people. Hopefully you can have a more focused group within FBA/AFro Americans in the future .\n\n\n\n 2) YYou want a financial return  of undisclosed value or undisc losed form to Afro Americans for injustices done to us in the past. Not al l afro americans desire said return or feel said return is warranted. Do y ou accept the challenge of wanting a desired thing for all Afro Americans when All Afro Americans don't want it? if you do\, then how do you see get ting said returns for those Afro Americans who venture for it? I do think it would be wise to have an exact idea of how much and in what form should the debt be paid. \n\n\n\n 3) You want a fully comprehensive communal pl an\,ala multilayered approach. The black sororities/nation of islam/garvey ites have each had the closest example of that approach\, but all are mino rity populaces within the Black DOS populace in the usa. Have you consider ed being apart of or starting a group within the Black DOS populace in the usa\, that can achieve this goal and 2? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't know you. But I think wherever you live in the usa\, if you do live in the usa \, a group of Black Descended of Enslaved peoples in where you live in the usa can achieve a debt return in a financial form\, while have a holistic community that is potent or secure in all aspects of government/finance w hile a completely legal and integrated part of the usa. I think with the r esources I assume you have\, effort\, energy\, you can build the basis of the community your points desire in one state in the union. Nothing is eas y of course\, but it can be done. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All black groups ar e trying to improve. All black groups don't feel they need to reclaim what was lost through any means. Some black groups are content to the past. I am not saying they are right or wrong\, and I don't concur. But\, all blac k groups are trying to improve by all means they can muster. \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n w\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\ n\n I AM curious as to how YOU define \"smart\" and \"dumb\" if you see th em differently than I do.\n\n\n\n It is simple\, smart or dumb can't be ap plied to groups of people. You accept the idea that a group can be labeled smart or dumb. I do not. Individually \, humans can be ignorant\, lacking knowledge\, lacking erudition\, the ability to derive knowledge\, lacking wisdom\, intrinsic perceptions of life that can only be gained through ex perience or an individuals natural ability. Groups simply succeed or fail in objectives. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\ n\n You haven't eaten there\, but have you DRANK from there?\n\n\n\n no i haven't. to be blunt\, many people haven't. NYC is full of starbucks\, but you will clearly be surprised how many don't partake of all these chain s tores. I think you have an assumption from whereever you live\, that isn't true everywhere else. The one thing you may not see is starbucks has neve r been cheap. I have never seen the local delis absent people wanting coff ee. And my family have gotten quite a few cups of coffee or tea from local delis traveling about. \n\n\n\n I actually because of a family member we nt to a place called Mochi's\, and that was following them:) \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n We're starting to get in to technical matters when it comes to whether they're \"necessary\" or \"r equired\".\n\n What IS necessary besides food\, clothing\, shelter\, and h ealthcare????\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Those firms are an essential part of what it takes to maintain the high standards of living the most Americans have come to enjoy and expect.\n\n And there is more to come.\n\n\n\n \n\n If you remove them\, maybe people wouldn't die in mass numbers however removi ng them or letting them collapse would drastically reduce the quality of l ife for most Americans and take away the incentive to work and live in thi s society for many.\n\n\n\n \n\n They are what gives America her \"edge\" on the rest of the world.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n The usa military is wh at gives the usa the edge and the usa military is ahead of all other milit aries when it comes to weapons and weapons systems or security systems. \ n\n\n\n As for essential\, again\, the firms aren't essential\, their tech nology is\, but the technology isn't attached to them. and the market can easily find new buyers. \n\n\n\n This is the economic corner:) \n\n\n\n The question is this\, why are you sure/certain that if the firms I said g o bankrupt when warranted and have all their assets placed into market or made open source as need be would lead to the inability of the services fr om their assets or technology to maintain an interaction with the populace of the usa absent a large delay? \n\n\n\n Are you suggesting the federal government and state governments would take too long for bankruptcy? or b otch bankruptcies in some way?\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n\n Well first of all THAT type of technology that actually heals the h uman brain and corrects birth defects are so valuable and essential that t he government SHOULD have that information or technology anyway regardless as to how any private institution want to use it.\n\n Once it has been an nounced that you have technology that important and precious....it should be immediately shared with the government so that it is protected.\n\n\n\n Now......\n\n\n\n \n\n As far as the institution who came up with it-\n\n \n\n If YOU mismanage it...then YOU get disciplined up to losing your job. \n\n The hospital corrects itself\, and moves on helping and healing peopl e.\n\n That's how THAT should work.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n F irst the whole point of patents is financial\, to give the owner of a pate nt a fiscal claim on the production or use of an item they made.but patent doesn't mean the use of the technology  is open to the government with b ankruptcy. You don't lose your patent going bankrupts and you can sue the government for using it absent your permission. Corporations have done thi s. Second\, in my example I didn't say I worked at a  hospital\, I said i owned the hospital. Private hospitals exist all over NYC. Are you suggest ing private hospitals shouldn't exist? And in my example i mismanaged the funds of hospitals i own and thus went bankrupt. This happened in NYC mult iple times. It isn't unheard of.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Because hospitals and airlines affect and save far too many lives to simply be ALLOWED to fail just to prove a point.\n\n Ma ybe the government takes them over and controls them for a while until the y get their act together\, but don't let them collapse.\n\n\n\n I find it interesting that many black people like yourself talk about black people b eing financially efficient in their activity as owners or consumers while talking about white people\, who own all the companies i mentioned\, faili ng to be financial efficient as owners or consumers and yet having no pena lty. So you suggesting a financial double standard of bad financial actors based on phenotype? you have to say yes. \n\n\n\n In the last five years \, in NYC\, I can recall at least five hospital completely closed. No gove rnment takeover\, completely closed. The city didn't fall under. PEople co mplained but it was completely warranted. The fiscal capitalsim in the fut ure of the usa \, if it is to be even to all peoples can't allow whites or males to never collapse no matter what while blacks or females or everyon e not white male has to deal with consequence. \n\n\n\n So\, finally\, yo u accept bankuptcy followed by government take over\, to maintain services . ok. \n\n\n\n I like that i have found a particular financial philosophi cal friction between us. \n\n\n\n You are a fiscal capitalist\, but you d islike the idea of services being lessened through bankruptcy. I don't sup port that\, but it is great in the economic corner. Maybe I need to make a list of financial notes from you and profd. financial particulars. \n\n\ n\n I think the market can easily by and continue needed services if warra nted. and if not warranted then the service is gone. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n What you're describing is pretty much inco mpatible with human nature.\n\n\n\n There is no society human or animal th at functions without classes and tiers.\n\n\n\n yes complete classlessness is  impossible among humans who give themselves names. BUT\, the governm ents that call themselves socialists have never actually tried. Do you com prehend the point. the point isn't about reaching socialism\, it is about the claim of socialist countries failure. The countries you mentioned aren 't socialist. they are fiscal capitalist. Again\, communism is no way near socialism. communalism is really fiscal capitalsim with the faintest touc h of socialism. \n\n\n\n The usa government has always been a fiscal oper ator. The communist simply made all firms owned by the government.  The d ifference between communism and fiscal capitalism is the percentage of all owance of private enterprise+ the environment for parties of governance.\n \n\n\n Fiscal capitalism wants complete fiscal capitalism with unfettered private enterprise while the role of government is to act as a legal or se curity lever against malfeasance.\n\n\n\n Communism wants complete fiscal capitalsim with very restricted private enterprise so the government doesn 't have to bother cleaning up the mess of private enterprise ala bankruptc y\, and ideally though only china has come close\, generate the free marke t enterprise environment through government owned business.\n\n\n\n but so viet russia + china from mao on\, always had private ownership in places.  \n\n\n\n As for parties of governance again\, china has always had at le ast two parties from its founding and has I think four or five now. And ru ssia also always had minority parties. But again\, this has nothing to do with socialism. This is fiscal capitalism. \n\n\n\n Fiscal capitalism wan ts government to have independent actors or parties free to be born and di e\, which deletes the king from coming through government. \n\n\n\n Commu nism wants government to have one major party which through its infighting \, which happens often in china's only major party \, resists kings. \n\n \n\n The difference communism is fiscal capitalism with two changes that a re not socialistic in nature. If anything the problem with russia was they didn't comprehend how to actually have the russian government as the sole fiscal operator and when I think on the history of General electric the a nswer russia needed was in them. but they missed it. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n This society is far too complex to operate without currency.\n\n\n\n I think a solution exists that I have never seen tried\, so it can't be proven. But\, I don't think so. \n\n\n\n   1 ho ur ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n What about the military itself?\n\n How would it operate without rank\; or would it even EXIST in your ideal Socia list society?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Why do you always make my positions claim s on my identity? I am not a socialist\, I am not a monarchist\, I am not a fiscal capitalist\, but I comprehend them all. It isn't my ideal. If you had said example\, which is the word I used\, then I wouldn't have proble ms\, but you said my ideal. why that? \n\n\n\n To answer your questions I merely quote myself. wish you had read it the first time\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n   19 hours ago\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n What is socialism is t he first question? Pioneer I don't know how you define socialism but the f ollowing is mine. \n\n\n\n Socialism is a multifaceted concept which has forms for each aspect in society designed to create classlessness\, or no tiers in the humanity utilizing it. Unlike fiscal capitalism which is a pr imarily financial idea and promotes by definition financial castes. Social ism involves\, financial+ governmental+cultural pathways distinct from eac h other. Financially\, socialism is an intricate  bartering system of lab or and goods absent currency\, why\, the accumulation of currency creates financial castes thus a class based system. While bartering only labor and goods and services means each individuals merit or the merit of the land are the only factors in fiscal trading\, which can be aligned efficiently in calculated measure. Governmentally\, socialism is a military state wher e each citizen with no exception is a member of the military and thus the chain of command  is all that is needed. Elected officials or governors a re not needed. Yes each military has a ranking system but it is a false as sumption to think rankings have to serve the model in western europe. Cult urally\, socialism is an eradication of all old ranking systems based on p rior heritages for a new heritage of one peoples\, with no bounds. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n How many socialist countries existed in history to modernity ? I argue none. \n\n\n\n Russia in the soviet era/China/North Korea/Cuba /Ethiopia in the period immediately after haille selassie /many countries in eastern europe who were militaristically aligned to the soviet union we re labeled socialist but none were socialist. \n\n\n\n All of them were f iscal capitalist first and foremost.\n\n\n\n The soviet union was never so cialist. If it was it would had never had a currency or sold weapons or se rvices for cash\, let alone their treatment of cossacks and chechyens. Com munism is a form of socialism\, but it is mostly fiscal capitalistic. Comm unism is fiscal capitalism with the financial system having the government as the sole domestic company\, the governmental system has no multivisive parties of governance\, culturally allows the majority populace to dictat e the culture. The usa called itself a democracy\, where each state in the union had to have a democratic government\, a government where the people rules\, but the entire souths majority populace were enslaved to a minori ty? how is that a rule of the people when most people are not ruling thems elves? so countries give themselves false labels. \n\n\n\n China has neve r been socialist. If it was it would never had elected officials or people s like the ugyars or tibetans as \"outsiders\"\, let alone their financial activity which was fiscal capitalsit in mao's time.  It is also communis t. \n\n\n\n North Korea is a monarchy that uses communism to mask its mon archic truth. \n\n\n\n Cuba has always been an chiefdom from spain to now using fiscal capitalism. Cuba was a territory of spain. Spain was too wea k to protect or manage cuba\, so even before the usa took the territory\, the spanish governor was a chief. The usa took over the territory  and th e leader of the army became the chief\, ala batista. Then Fidel defeated B atista and became the chief. But cuba was always fiscal capitalistic. \n\ n\n\n Ethiopia was communistic\, and again\, what that meant was fiscal ca pitalists who killed the emperor and various other former regals by bloodl ine. But they were never socialist. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now to what black americans [those with enslaved forebears to the american continent[[canad a to argentina]] over an ocean]should be doing for a better tomorrow. Well \, trying to implement a truly socialist system in the usa or any country in the american continent including cuba is a large challenge. I will not say impossible. But\, harder than other options simply because every count ry in the american continent\, canada to argentina\, is fiscal capitalisti c. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/14/2026 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 1/12/2026 at 9:06 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Someone has to be part aking of Starbucks there in order for the doors to remain open. \n\n\n\n not as much as you think. Think of recent economic history.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Netflix  spent near ten years absent making a profit every year\, bu t how did it survive?\n\n\n\n stock market activity/debt allowance from wh omever. \n\n\n\n So\, while people are in starbucks\, how profitable was it really? how many people really?\n\n\n\n Look at the streaming model... how many streamers push commercials now? remember when it started\, you pa y for a service\, no commercials. But again\, that is a bad business model . \n\n\n\n The cost of electricity\, the cost of actors\, the cost of pay ing for content\, the cost for your administration can not be mushroomed i nto the yearly subscription fees. Old television didn't have commercials b ecause it was old fashioned\, that is the only viable financial option. \ n\n\n\n All the firms with streaming platforms have accumulated how much d ebt? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I thank you and @Pioneer1 for your thoughts in this post\, it exposes some clear financial flaws in modernity\, led by t he usa. \n\n\n\n Look at sports teams\, who raise ticket prices. \n\n\n\ n The allowance of Debt\, which the usa government itself accumulates an e ver increasing rate since the 1970s\, allows for many firms or industries that have negative financial practices to get away with it. \n\n\n\n And again\, the usa military is why the debt generation of the usa government plus the privately owned firms registered in the usa is never called in. I t isn't any fiscal capitalistic model or need or strategy. The mob boss ca n't be called in for owning anything. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And again this connects to me and Pioneers dialog in this commentary about Bankruptcy. I think it is a highly needed tool to stop the cycle of debt allowance from financial institutions + revenue from speculative stock market activity wh ich alot of times isn't based on the ledger of firms. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/18/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic /12270-has-universal-income-gotten-closer-to-being-needed/#findComment-794 52\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 sai d:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What about MENSA\, the globally recognized group for people with extremely high IQ's?\n\n What about certain special education classes for those with intellectual disabilities?\n\n\n\n globally recogn ized? not everyone views Mensa like that? humanity is quite large you know . \n\n\n\n disability does not make one dumb and to education... i argue education is rarely designed functionally\, anywhere in humanity.\n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I don't believe there are any d umb nations.\n\n I believe some nations are SMARTER than others...\n\n\n\n so you believe in smarter and neutral\, not smarter or dumber... ok\n\n\n \n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Why is this?\n\n Why is the U.S.A. military so powerful and effective?\n\n\n\n simple things but power ful things\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n two big oceans border the country\,\n\n\n\n neighbors who have always been impotent or at least not able to strike har d\, and only two by land. \n\n\n\n a financial history\, including the wh ite european colonial\, where inequal or uneven financial system allowed f or the production of weapons at larger quantities than most\, not quality \, but quantity. For me\, nazi germany or soviet russia built better weapo ns by a mile than the usa\, but no one produces more than our friendly nei ghborhood white slaver. \n\n\n\n a media machine\, originally designed to unite whites who had competing heritages historically\, that many outcast of groups/communities/collectivies celebrate as a way to be their individ ual self in spite of a said group. this yielded and yields traitors throug hout all humanity including white populaces\, and sometimes only for infor mation\, not murder or similar. but useful. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n No weapon the usa has is exclusive to the usa\, but usa has more of them. But none of the usa military rivals had enslavement like the usa. russia was an emp ire and cossacks and checyens were abused but they weren't enslaved like b lacks to whites in the usa. The soviet union has a pro european bias in it s populace\, a heritage from the czars\, but russia has been battling all of its life it has never been far from a rival. China has never been far f rom a rival\, and its neighbors have at times been far more powerful. \n\ n\n\n so the usa has fortune on its side\, most empires do. IT isn't smart s or intelligence.\n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Howe ver public hospitals in my opinion should predominate.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n hmmm\, the heritage of the usa is private care\, ala fiscal capitalism\, i f you can pay for a doctor you have one. public hospitals heritage in the usa is from pro bono work\, not for profit.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Sometimes the GOOD or SERVICE being offere d is so necessary that who the company is ran or the fiscal responsibility of it's owners is of much less importance and making sure the company sta ys afloat is.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n but I still don't see why bankruptcy deni es the good or service being present. bankruptcy forces the ownership or p rovider of good or service to change\, which is appropriate since the prio r owner went bankrupt. ...What your saying is some goods or services can't risk even 24 hours of not existing.\n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1  said:\n\n\n\n Probably because there were so many more hospitals to cover their loss.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n no\, nyc has been underserved by hospitals for its entire history\n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n So how do you know Socialism works for a nation if you can't point to a na tion that is successfully practicing it?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n all ideas work \, from monarchy to anarchy\, it is only a matter of implementation. And y es\, those in the future have the right as imaginative beings to see a way of implementing not seen before. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n You're this theory a \"solution\" but we haven't d etermined that having currency is actually a PROBLEM!\n\n\n\n universal in come will not delete currency\, if I said I feel it will \, I apologize\, that wasn't my intent.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cit ation \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12270-has-universal-income-gott en-closer-to-being-needed/#findComment-79473\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted ju st now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\ n That factor could have been just as easily worked AGAINST our favor as I N our favor.\n\n Some would have seen this as geographical isolation from the rest of the world...especially the Eastern Hemisphere.\n\n\n\n your\, not our\, me and mine are not part of the our you speak of. \n\n\n\n Mili taristically\, the reality is present\, a weak country\, absent a decent m ilitary\, is too far away to be bullied properly\, while it has vast resou rces at its doorstep... no. \n\n\n\n whomever those some maybe\, are comp letely wrong\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is the same reason far east asia has th e least militaristic presence of western europe\, distance. distance is a powerful thing\, and worth alot when you can't beat a bully\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n and not us\, you or yours\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\ n\n\n\n If they were/are impotent...why?\n\n They are nations made up of h uman beings just like the United States.\n\n So why would we be so much po werful unless it's due to intelligence?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n canada nor mexi co are not hard to explain. but the quick version is canada 's natural env ironment is much harsher than the usa for the technology of either countri es nascence. Mexico like all of latin america [ haiti/brazil/columbia/or s imilar lke french canada which would become canada and the midwest states of the usa] was not viewed by the latin european empires [ france/spain/po rtugal] as anything but natural resource extractors. But the english viewe d anglo america[ usa/jamaica] as places for  profit  + immigration\, to dump their religious fanatics/criminals/illegal actors/general fiscal poor like fidel did with csimilar cubans and the florida exodus. So the usa gr ew a populace that was legally tied to the european center\, unlike latin america where the white male warrior populace made the mulatto/mestizo / e nslaved the black to operate the system of extraction. That is why the mos t profitable regions at the time were haiti/the spanish dominion from mode rn day canada to argentina. LAtin America was really a set of prison camps \, just enough guards to maintain the money. Ship the money to europe. The usa wasn't the wealthiest zone in the americas financially. this is part of why england tried so many tax schemes and et cetera. So canada or mexic o had a different origin in key ways financially but also militaristically . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and not we\, you or yours\, not me or mine. \n\n\n \n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n The Black population of the United States is one of the key features that make us a global power becau se it's the source of our superior entertainment that's marketed and envie d across the globe.\n\n\n\n not us\,  you and yours. \n\n\n\n I am nt an d have never been statian and said it way too many times to require repeat ing.\n\n\n\n Well\, I know that at the end of the commonly called world wa r two\, the usa couldn't continue the war for overreach and the usa + ussr wanted to continue warring on the battlefield... but they simply couldn't and neither was willing to give up their militaristic advantage to the li kes of western europe/japan who were completely annihilated \, or the domi nions of the former western european empires that  had been intentionally run dysfunctionally.\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n P erhaps the superior intelligence OF the United States above other nations  (a fact that you insist on denying) is part of that fortune!\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Because in the usa's case it is just luck\, fate. the usa didn't e ven know how to wage a sea war. if the french didn't get involved in the w ar against the british empire\, I am 100% certain the usa doesn't exist to day as it is. history is 100% changed. France won that war. But that wasn' t because the usa was smart\, it was because france and england were in a centuries old blood feud. I will make the historical argument said blod fe ud lasted from the time of the viking's coming down at the end of the roma n empire centered at old rome\, till the end of commonly called world war 2. that is thousands of years. But they are neighbors\, always similar in power\, so any war between them will always be a war of equals which means real bloody and that kind of blood transcends marketplaces.  They had 10 0 years war with each other\, that isn't a joke. Vendetta's are real in hu manity.  Quite a number of them exists throughout humanity. The serbs and croats were fighting before the soviet union\, during the soviet and afte r the soviet union. I bet if japan had an viable military and invaded the korean peninsula\, all koreans would unite real quick\, the only thing all koreans still know is to hate the japanese. hell\, Black people enslaved in north america have a blood feud with whites\, it predated the usa\, exi sts still now during the usa and knowing vendettas will exist after the us a\, cause\, blood feuds aren't about money. yes\, fiscally greedy people i nvolve themselves\, but the energy fueling it\, like the hatfields and mcc oys in the appalachias is old wounds that money nor time can heal. the hea ling can only come from the hearts. but both hearts have to be willing. Th e zionists and palestineans are a blood feud. the ira was only 300 people but the blood feud between the irish and english\, which still has many ad herents on either side\,\, was so strong\, those 300 used more explosives than the usa in vietnam. So I said all of this to make it clear\, don't un derestimate the power of a blood feud and how it can influence history. sa ved the usa. \n\n\n\n France and england were so used to being at war\, i t became natural. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\ n\n\n\n Corporate is what I like to call \"semi-private\".\n\n Because it' s often controlled and regulated by the government but not completely owne d by it nor does one person or family own it but usually a huge market of shareholders.....it doesn't fall squarely into the government\, public OR private slots.\n\n\n\n Well\, you have presented your fiscal position:) th ank you. this is the economic corner.I comprehend your stance though it wa rrants discourse.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\ n\n\n Is this the fault of the private hospitals\, or the fault of the gov ernment for not building hospitals of it's own to compete with the private ones insuring consistent progress and low costs\,  as well as cater to t he needs of the people?\n\n\n\n either or both depending on who you ask. R emember the usa has always had multiple financial positions. \n\n\n\n Som e black or non black have always believed in private ownership leading the way\, thus private hospitals\, the logic being people will figure out a w ay to afford a hospital or move. \n\n\n\n Some black or non black have al ways believed municipal activity\, the government enganging in services to the public\, the logic being it represents positive graces among humans\, regardless of the cost or tax burden. \n\n\n\n Some black or non black t ry to find a bridge between both\n\n\n\n Some black or non black are anarc hist who don't want either. \n\n\n\n So whose fault? I don't know. It all depends on point of view. But why should ne point of view be correct or w rong? one point of view has always been implemented from whomever is in po wer.\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n However how do you feel ABOUT currency and the use of currency in society?\n\n\n\n how do I feel about currency? I try to stay away from that kind of discourse in the economic corner\, feelings lead to rubbish in financial discourse for me.  \n\n\n\n But as I try to answer every question\, I will provide an answe r\, which I have said before. All ideas are effective based on implementat ion. To reword\, currency is merely an idea\, if implemented a certain way to a certain place or time  it will succeed .   If implemented other w ays it will fail. but that is with all ideas. socialism/monarchy/vendetta. .. implementation is always the key\, not right or wrong. And luck can be the key to implementation\, not any human planning. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1 /22/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12 270-has-universal-income-gotten-closer-to-being-needed/#findComment-79537\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   3 hours a go\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Oh...\n\n You're not part of the United Stat es?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well you eat\, shit\, and pay taxes here.\n\n\n\n S o you're being cheated...lol.\n\n\n\n no\, I am a black person whose foreb ears were enslaved by whites to these lands [ canada to argentina]. I am i n the usa because white people wanted me here. It is that simple. Now if I had the means to leave I would. My forebears were enslaved\, they didn't have means to leave. My forebears who were allowed a level of freedom whil e under constant white abuse didn't have means to leave. Did some want to leave? yes. Did some of my forebears become part of the usa? yes. \n\n\n\ n But it is a choice every Black DOSer has to make\, and when adult they w ill make it. \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n It is th e same reason far east asia has the least militaristic presence of western europe\, distance. distance is a powerful thing\, and worth alot when you can't beat a bully\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n That and they weren't as technologi cally advanced when it came to weaponry.\n\n\n\n I don't comprehend your r eply\, are you saying far east asia was more technologically advanced than the rest of humanity white europeans dominated?\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\ , Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Well SOMEBODY'S military is protecting you and keeping the Asians and Arabs from flying over here and forcing you into a submissive workers....lol.\n\n They're protecting you from being a DOS-er to becoming a straight up S-er....lol.\n\n\n\n No\, if anything the usa mi litary endangers all on earth by their actions. \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago \, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n What nation do YOU belong to?\n\n And more imp ortantly\, how does THEIR military compare to ME AND MINEZ...lol???\n\n\n\ n I am stateless. Every single Black DOSer is stateless until they choose not to be. What do you think enslaved people are? My forebears were enslav ed\, that didn't make them citizens of the english empire nor citizens of the usa later. An enslaved person isn't a citizen of anywhere\, that is th e point\, they are enslaved. \n\n\n\n Are you suggesting in 1776 the 90% or more of black people in the usa that are completely enslaved are citize ns of the usa? If you are\, that is fine\, I am not trying to change your damn mind. And I know many black people concur to your thinking. BUT I opp ose that. That is not my thinking. And I know many black people concur to my thinking.\n\n\n\n Stateless people don't have a government to connect t o. \n\n\n\n Now black people who have chosen to connect to the usa have\, I have no problem with that. That is the free choice all Black DOSers hav e. \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n What country are y ou posting from when you're not in New York?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n stateless people exist all over the world. the romani are stateless. BEing stateless doesn't mean you don't abide by whatever legal code you live under. You d on't comprehend statelessness properly.\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pionee r1 said:\n\n\n\n Over 100 years of just \"luck\"???\n\n Ok.\n\n\n\n yes\, yes luck\, nature or fate are funny aren't they . Don't always try to mak e the past a machiavellan thing. I think too many blacks create in our own minds a controlled world\, just begging for the right genious to make it happen. No\, luck is a powerful force and yes\, some people\, some groups can be lucky a long time and in many ways. It happens. \n\n\n\n   3 hou rs ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Another sign of high intelligence and be ing smart enough to diversify.\n\n\n\n that is an equivalence you believe\ , I don't see it that way. Multiversification isn't a sign of intelligence . Implemention is the key to any ideas qualities\, not the idea itself. Mo noversification can be implemented better than multiversification. \n\n\n \n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Because some points of view are logical and reasonable\, and thus valid.\n\n If it's not logical or re asonable\, how could it be considered correct unless SHOWN to be so throug h example and proof?\n\n\n\n So by your own words\, faith is invalid. The USA has one of the most religious populaces in humanity\, arguably only se cond to india. Religious populaces base their actions on faith\, by your o wn words\, illogical or unreasonable. Majority in the usa are overwhelming ly religious.\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n But some ideas....as great as they may sound....CAN'T be implemented.\n\n Which mak es them wrong.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is why I've repeatedly asked for an example of this economy or that society which implemented that particular \"idea\".\n\n If a particular idea is constantly being promoted but we do n't have any example of it being implemented in real life\, there's a good chance that this is the case because it CAN'T be implemented.\n\n Those w ho think or THOUGHT it was a good idea have repeatedly TRIED to implemente d it and failed.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n But how can you prove a way of organizing humans can't be implemented? How is it possible for the past to have every single method of implementation tried? \n\n\n\n Your suggesti ng if an example of human organizations can't be displayed in a history bo ok\, then that method of organization can't exist in the future. That is d ysfunctional\, unless you know the future? Your basis for something not be ing possible is because of the past from 2026:) \n\n\n\n You think a hell of lot more of modernity than I do. \n\n\n\n Well  again\, I argue\, th at they haven't tried. if you read my words\, I clearly say they didn't tr y. Lenin and MArx theorized\, made an idea\, but the Russian socialist\, w hich started as a fiscal capitalist group in russia whose sole path to imp lementing their idea was violence never tried to implement socialism. Russ ia itself was a fiscal capitalistic monarchy\, so it had no space for soci alism to be tried within it. \n\n\n\n And after the reds and whites fough t\, the russian socialist became communist\, and again\, communism is mere ly fiscal capitalism. I reword\, the russian socialist\, never tried marx and lenin's ideas but implemented fiscal capitalism with two principles de rived from socialism. One being the one party idea\, which is based on soc ialism's no tiers idea but isn't a direct relation. Having one party of go vernance in my view doesn't mean no class/race/rank exist.  The second is the government as the lone business\, which is based on socialism's idea of equal wealth share. But\, only having one firm doesn't mean equal wealt h share because the people in the upper administration have various types of wealth\, maybe not in strict dollars but in influence. \n\n\n\n So fo rme\, the russians never tried. You suggest they tried because of a name\, of a label. \n\n\n\n The USA people call democratic/rule of the people \ , which is also a lie. How can the people rule when you have reservations or enslavement? Don't tell me native americans want to be on reservations and abiding by the ways of non native americans. Don't tell me Black peopl e wanted to be enslaved? please don't do these things. please.\n\n\n\n The USA is a fiscal capitalistic white manoralistic country. The USA went fro m land based manoralism to stock/shares based manoralism. And  replaced t he white regals of Europe with the white populace\, while the white peasan ts/people of the land in europe were replaced with all the non white europ ean peoples of the usa. The big deletion was religion\, where religion was considered a standalone body in europe\, the usa cut religion out of the system of manoralism\, allowing all religions or faiths or none at all to exist. \n\n\n\n Countries do shift ideas over time but the intentional wh ile poor labeling\, of ideas in countries is why you get miscomprehensions today. The USA is not a democracy \, Democracy has never been tried in th e USA. The usa is a manoralistic country\, that likes to lie about itself. As england its forebear did and does. As fellow anglophone creation india does. India says its the biggest democracy in the world. Here is thing\, this is a country where the peoples are battling each other violently ever day. The rule of the people. How can a people be considered one people wh en they battle violently ever day? India is a loose confederation of fisca l capitalistic tribes. India is a lot like the Holy roman empire . Holy ro man empire wasn't really one country. It was a loose military alliance of various small states for their collective protection surrounded by large m ilitaristic empires: france west/austria-hungary south/russia east. The sc andanavian kingdoms were above them\, who shifted power between themselves . India has pakistan to the west\, a religious state\, china to the east w hom india still contends kashmir plus tibet with\, russia or some stans of former russian empire north who \, and the sea south where the usa has ve ssels. I apologize\, india also has bangeldesh to the east\, another musli m state\, pseudo caliphate. \n\n\n\n So I don't chagrin\, Russia or china from similar lying. India's lying\, USA is lying. Why can't russia or chi na lie? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n I'll let @richardmurray answer the question for himself. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n But\, I've known people who reside in the United States bu t did not claim citizenship here.  They considered themselves some type o f aboriginals.  They didn't want to pay taxes.  Couldn't get IDs.  Need less to type\, they did not work real jobs either. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Th at whole set-up is great for the person who 1) lives off someone else or 2 ) does not have real world responsibilities or 3) financially independent. \n\n\n\n I'm just black. I have said it before in this forum many times.  \n\n\n\n I'm just black. I have no allegiance to any country. I am not a n ative american. I have traveled to various countries in africa\, I am not a member of any of them. \n\n\n\n It is said I have to use zionists \, ca use the romani or my enslaved forebears are better\, but zionists are easi er for most to comprehend. \n\n\n\n Zionist came from all over the world\ , but what are zionists. Zionists are jews who felt the countries they are or were in are not theirs. It didn't mean zionists didn't pay taxes or wo rk. I don't know why\, connection to a country is assumed when one follows the law. Zionists worked to have their own country which is modern israel today. But not all stateless people have to take others land or kill othe rs. My forebears were enslaved\, I am not interested in slavery or killing others really. Do I like everybody ? no. Do I trust everybody? no. But I am not interestedin taking someone elses land cause I am stateless. This d oesn't mean I don't work or follow the law of the usa? I always have. I ha ve never broken the law in the usa. Not for love or allegiance or connecti on \, simply cause that is what one does anywhere on earth\, well most fol k:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 sa id:\n\n\n\n Most Jamaicans and Haitians are DOSers. as well.\n\n\n\n Exact ly\, all black people whose forebears were enslaved from africa to somewhe re outside africa are DOSers\, which definitely includes modern day Canada to Argentina. \n\n\n\n And to that thinking. When you look at the rastaf arians who left jamaica and live in various parts of africa today\, like z ionists\, who are jews who felt the only country they have was a jewish on e that didn't exist until they took over the palestinean protectorate.  T hat is the point. Not all jews are zionists. Not all black people in jamai ca are rastafarians. why is a black DOSer somone mandatorily of the usa? Y ou ask for examples of things. Zionist + rastafarians are examples of sect ions of two groups: jews in all humanity or black people in humanity/not a ll rastafarians come from jamaica\, who view their true home as not where they live. why did I need to explain this to you? that is my question. Or do you just like this kind of debate. \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, Pionee r1 said:\n\n\n\n Can't treat America like you treat Starbucks.\n\n \n\n W alking up in the joint and enjoying the privileges but refusing to buy any thing on principle.\n\n\n\n I argue your reading of extremely modern histo ry is incorrect. The problem isn't immigrants. I argue\, from the immigrat ion act of 1965 to 2026 90% or more of immigrants  to the usa\, all pheno types\, all religions\, all genders\, all age groups[even the kids though they have the most resistance ]\, all languages\, all geographic descenden cy\,  have been two things. \n\n\n\n 1) totally allegiant to the usa\, a s their home\, once they arrived\, betraying the homes they came from in v arious ways\n\n\n\n 2) adhering to the hierarchy of white power that exist ed before they came that exist today. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As I said befor e about the immigration act\, the problem is\, white people in the usa\, s pecifically\, the whites before the immigration act of 1965 and their desc endents today\, never considered the immigration act would yield the horde of fiscally poor people into the usa\, it has. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I ask ed this in the 22nd edition of the economic corner\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Fu ll speech from Lyndon b johnson\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477- richardmurray/?status=2785&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ICE is not about immigrants but whites in the usa who have a history of burning black towns and villages with its people in it\, taking the scalps and hunting down for sport native americans. Whites are simply trying to bully immigra nts\, it is immgrants turn to join the Native American + Black DOSers as s urvivors of white violence. \n\n\n\n The problem today\, is the USA is 25 0 years old. From 1492 to 1980 are the past\, that time of enslavement and then jim crow is passed. \n\n\n\n Not all whites in the usa want to bull y the non white into a form of slavery. Not all the non whites in the usa\ , are so impotent they can only watch their people be assaulted or hounded . Time has moved on from the kind of usa where white power can completely eradicate the non white. Abuse? yes. Take advantage of? yes. Kill? yes. Ha rm? yes. But not completely kill. Not completely harm. ICE will not get th e immigrant peoples to flee the USA\, or stop immigrants from coming. Yes\ , some people will be frightened away. But not enough for what whites... s ome whites... most whites want. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n it is interesting tha t you blame this on immigrants. Did not Lyndon B Johnson\, a white man fro m texas with a nearly all white congress\, save one yella black man\, adam clayton powell jr\, and a handful of other black elected officials make t he immigration act of 1965 into law? Did not states who never had anything but white governors\, invite immigrants\, including the likes of texas? B y your words Pioneer\,  someone will think immigrants tricked somebody.  \n\n\n\n The USA didn't demand a patriot test? the usa didn't demand an en glish test? the usa didn't put great limits? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I found this website from the white pew research center. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n http s://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/how-the-origins-of-americas -immigrants-have-changed-since-1850/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1960\n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n 1970\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 1980\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 1990\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 2000 \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 2010\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 2020\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S o\, the people you say \, Pioneer\, who need to pick a side or be america n are really\, Mexicans\, whom militaristically have a claim to half of th e usa\, behind the native american of course. \n\n\n\n Now regionally\, I did learn something so thank you. The Dominicans\, from Dominican Republi c \, man  They really focused\, between cubans flooding  in florida and dominicans flying into new york wow! ok. Although this also proves someth ingI have said a long time\, that most whites are german americans. wow! t his is the proof. well... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/23/2026 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12270-has-universal-income -gotten-closer-to-being-needed/#findComment-79552\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n oste d 9 minutes ago\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\ n\n\n I claim this raggedy azz country warts and all as my home (state) be cause it is my birthplace and many generations of my ancestors too.\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n exactly\,I don't have any problems with that. Some of our anc estors claimed the usa when it was being born with arguably no reason but hope. So I don't have a problem with your reasoning at all\, but the issue is\, too many black people who claim the usa\, whether DOSer or not\,  s eem shocked or require proof of something when a black DOSer doesn't. As i f it never happened before. When it actually has been going on as long as the usa has been in existence.  \n\n\n\n It goes back to our old topic o f black people accepting our tribes in this country\, which we never seem able to truly do. \n\n\n\n I know in a land filled with some indigenous p eople and a horde of willing immigrants or their descendants DOSers are un ique in our story here. But...\n\n\n\n @Troy i must admit\, the maps surp rised me a little. The narrative has been the immigrant takeover\, but tha t isn't the truth based on these maps. the truth is\, mexicans have become the base of a multiphenotypical immigrant populace that combined has a ma jority or near majority in the usa today. And based on those same maps\, c hinese or indians are really the incoming threat to the white european bas e. But india + china have so many people. I remember when australia was up set\, when so many chinese went to australia\, but I get it. China uses it s militaristic + financial clout to give chinese somewhere to go\, cause c hina can't handle the worlds populace of chinese. \n\n\n\n Mexican+Indian +Chinese since 2010. 2030 it will be twenty years\, a generation. \n\n\n\ n   4 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n I have not read the conversation\ , but I'd imagine the maps Richard posed would be having white nationalist s wetting their pants.  As I travel the country it does seem like there a re Mexican everywhere LOL!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/26/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12270-has-universal-income-go tten-closer-to-being-needed/#findComment-79745\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n \n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   On 1/24/2026 at 3:48 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\ n\n Including New York.\n\n When I was in New York and Philadelphia severa l years ago I was surprised to see so many Mexicans and other Central Amer icans in those places that I thought were Puerto Rican and Dominican stron gholds.\n\n \n\n I remember coming to West Michigan 30 years ago back in t he 90s and although it didn't have a HUGE Latino population\, most of the Latinos here were Puerto Rican.\n\n When I moved BACK here the Mexican and Guatemalan population over took it and is now the majority among Latinos. \n\n \n\n This is one of the reasons you don't find too many AfroAmericans getting out there and protesting ICE.\n\n We instinctively know that it's not good for them to just \"take over\" the entire country by the million s like that....especially when they have such a strong and isolated cultur e.\n\n We instinctively know that something needs to be done and should ha ve been doing years ago.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Stronghold:) White people have the only stronghold in New York City\, now to the latin o populaces.well... based on the map\, dominicans are the base of the lati no populace in new york city/new york state. but\, your assessment to immi grants or Black DOSers is false \, at least in NYC. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n F irst\, Black DOSers in NYC are merely tired. You suggest Black DOSers are frightened for the identity of the usa being taken over by a horde. I oppo se that. At least in NYC it is simpler. Black DOSers have spent the entire jim crow era\, 1865 to 1980 supporting what the USA can become. When whit e people burned black women alive\, hung black children\, made black peopl e sick. Most Black DOSers in the Jim Crow era ate the crow\, followed the white law\, acted civil and tried to have happy lives. Led by Black women in the DOSers \, black people spent over one hundred years setting the tab le up for all peoples to be part of the usa. But black dosers are tired no w. One populace can't support the idea of the usa becoming a country for t he human individual forever. And Black DOSers suffered. All actions have p rosequence plus consequence. Meaning all actions produce negativity plus p ositivity . The majority of Black DOSers supporting the idea of what the U SA can be\, prosequence/positive after effects was a country of civility. White people in the entire jim crow era were the most uncivil\, most crimi nal people on earth\, but Black people\, Black DOSers in majority\, took a ll the abuse\, from murder to spitting to bad contracts\, and fought to be happy to live in peace\, aside the abusers\, that led to a country where people all throughout humanity were amazed at\, and made the myth that if you can come to the usa and eat the crow\, you can be happy. The consequen ce/negative after effects was the Black DOS populace never emphasized itse lf. Black DOSers in majority\, not all\,  chose\, for the sake of peacefu l integration to all humanity\, to place our own unique heritage in the us a second to the potential of a usa culture to be first. So we didn't empha size our languages\, our spirituality\, our towns and cities. The minoriti es in our populace that wanted to leave or wanted to fight\, the majority in our populace chided or stymied or contained or sidelined. Not out of ha te or competition but because what the majority wanted was to get through Jim Crow \, outlast white abuse\, to find a USA changed. Leaving the usa o r feuding with whites would destroy the potential usa to be that the major ity of black DOSErs in the jim crow era \, 1865 to 1980\, fought for. So.. .here we are. Black DOSers held up the idea of what the USA can be\, but a re tired now. A well earned rest.It is time for others to continue that ba ttle. IT is time for the immigrant populace to fight for the potential of what the usa will be. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Second\, From 1980 to 2026\, tw o generations\, white people have slowly moved away from DOSers as a main threat and now have moved to the modern immigrant\, a multiphenotypical/mu ltilingual/multireligious/multicultural populace of people with one thing in common\, they came to the USA for their financial betterment and like t he idea of being in a country where they can be about themselves. How many dominicans go to the dominican republic? if you look at the numbers\, eac h generation of immigrants has less and less connection to the land their forebears came from willingly. Many people with dominican or puerto rican or mexican lineage  in NYC don't speak spanish\, have never left the USA. This is their home in their own mind. The chinese populace in NYC is olde r than the USA. The chinese populace in NYC was from New Amsterdam. The ch inese populace in NYC isn't foreign and temporally has greater claim to th e USA than the populations of the midwest and west coast. \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Do some Black DOSers have an instinct against modern immigrants? yes. Some Black DOSers opposed Marcu Garvey who came from the caribbean. Some Black DOSers disliked modern black immigrant children from the continent f or being muslim or not having European or judeo-christian names. But I thi nk most Black DOSers are simply tired of being the backbone \, the engine for the USA to stay on the path to becoming a government for the human ind ividual. It is time for the immigrant populace to take a leading role. Wil l violence occur? yes. the usa was born from violence between the immigran t and the current\, starting with the First peoples\, commonly called Nati ve Americans and the first immigrants\, completely unwanted or unwelcomed who came anyway\, white europeans. \n\n\n\n But\, the existence of violen ce doesn't mean the future will be violent forever. Peace will grow when t iny\, as war always grows when tiny. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In Amendment\n\n \n\n One of my favorite white literatures is Ivanhoe from walter scott. th e character of wambaugh is brilliant to me. But beyond that and other arti stic reasons\, a historical reason exists as well. Scott wanted to make \, using history\, true history\, a historical fiction of england. The idea being\, who is english\, and Ivanhoe is about how\, the Saxons/Normans/Jew s/Picts/... romans/druids all had a role in making england. The english ar en't ancestral to the island commonly called england. The english is the n ame of the mulatto group derived from all of those peoples over a long tim e. In the same way\, the usa is facing a similar reality\, like its parent england. \n\n\n\n Beyond the fact that Lyndon B Johnson let in the popul ace some consider a horde with poor thinking or planning\n\n\n\n Immigrati on Act speech \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?statu s=2785&\;type=status\n\n Kerner Commission \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/p rofile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2685&\;type=status\n\n\n\n The realit y is\, the modern immigrant populace is here in the usa and is a majority\ , not based on phenotype or religion or geographic ancestry but on the des ire to have their best individual life in a safe environment\, in NYC they are already mating with each other in ways maybe the rest of USA doesn't see yet. But\, I have seen mexican-chinese or muslim-jews \, the kind of m ixing going on in NYC proves to me that in twenty to forty years a populat ion will exist in the usa that isn't chained to the old racial lines\, for better or for worse\, and trying to push them out \, when they have no wh ere to go\, will only exacerbate their growth. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The fu nny thing is\, I find the immigrant populace is willing to embrace the imp erialism of the usa more honestly than the old white or Black DOSers. I th ink for modern immigrants the usa should embrace its imperial truth\, whic h whites have never stopped trying to deny while Black DOSers have always prayed wouldn't happen and tried to preach away. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n    On 1/24/2026 at 7:28 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n As AfroAmericans we sho uld be asking ourselves WHY are these people being allowed to come in and given opportunities and favors that many of us weren't given?\n\n\n\n I ha ve a better question\, why didn't elected black officials make the case?  \n\n\n\n Charlie rangel was head of the ways and means\, a senior donkey\, many acts fail to become law in the congress\, no harm is trying every ye ar. How many times did black elected officials try to get legislation spec ifically for blacks passed?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Bills have failed with zero votes\, even from the legislator who sent the bill to the floor \n\n\n\n H.R. 3989 (105th): User Fee Act of 1998 https://www.govtrack.us/congress /votes/105-1998/h207\n\n\n\n H.R. 3085 (106th): Discretionary Spending Off sets Act for Fiscal Year 2000. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/106 -1999/h511\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I checked reparations to see what has happen ed and I found the following\n\n\n\n https://www.govtrack.us/search?q=repa rations\n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/search?q={\"congress\"%3A[\"119\" ]%2C\"source\"%3A[\"legislation\"]%2C\"search\"%3A\"reparations\"}&\;pa geSort=latestAction%3Aasc\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n then I made a better search\, \"reparations black african american\" all congresses\; from oldest\n\n\n \n https://www.congress.gov/search?q={\"source\"%3A\"all\"%2C\"congress\"% 3A\"all\"%2C\"search\"%3A\"reparation+black+african+american\"}&\;pageS ort=dateOfIntroduction%3Aasc\n\n\n\n then i removed all but legislation/la ws \n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/search?pageSort=dateOfIntroduction%3 Aasc&\;q={\"source\"%3A[\"legislation\"]%2C\"congress\"%3A\"all\"%2C\"s earch\"%3A\"reparation+black+african+american\"}\n\n\n\n then i searched \ "reparations black african american\" all congresses\; from oldest\n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/search?q={\"congress\"%3A\"all\"%2C\"source\"%3A [\"legislation\"]%2C\"search\"%3A\"reparations+black+african+american\"}&a mp\;pageSort=dateOfIntroduction%3Aasc\n\n\n\n and finally \, realizing the returns weren't applicable i tried \"jim crow reparations\" \; all congre sses\; oldest to youngest\n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/search?q={\"sou rce\"%3A[\"legislation\"]%2C\"congress\"%3A\"all\"%2C\"search\"%3A\"jim+cr ow+reparations\"}&\;pageSort=dateOfIntroduction%3Aasc\n\n\n\n then I ju st placed \"jim crow\" and finally a correct return of results across the history of the congress\n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/search?q={\"congr ess\"%3A\"all\"%2C\"source\"%3A\"all\"%2C\"search\"%3A\"\\\"jim+crow\\\"\" }&\;pageSort=dateOfIntroduction%3Aasc\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the oldest rec ord from one thousand nine hundred and twenty two is the following from 18 84\n\n\n\n December 17\, 1884 Vol. 16\, Part 1 — Bound Edition\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.congress.gov/bound-congressional-record/1884/12/17/16/house-sec tion/article/313-324?q={\"search\"%3A\"\\\"jim+crow\\\"\"}&\;s=3&\;r =1\n\n\n\n referring to then to be president grover cleveland not abandoni ng the negro in the south to \"Jim Crow\" cars on the trains. \n\n\n\n th e earliest law was a joint resolution in 1995 for abernathy\, out of 804 i n the entire history of the congress\n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/bill /104th-congress/house-joint-resolution/183?q={\"search\"%3A\"\\\"jim+crow\ \\"\"}&\;s=2&\;r=1\n\n\n\n the oldest report out of 31 \n\n\n\n htt ps://www.congress.gov/search?pageSort=numberAsc&\;q={\"congress\"%3A\"a ll\"%2C\"source\"%3A[\"comreports\"]%2C\"search\"%3A\"\\\"jim+crow\\\"\"}\ n\n\n\n concerned aging\n\n\n\n https://www.congress.gov/committee-report/ 105th-congress/senate-report/36/2?q={\"search\"%3A\"\\\"jim+crow\\\"\"}&am p\;s=5&\;r=1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n First this confirms my point that the J im crow era was from 1865 to 1980. as from the late 1980s onward\, the rai nbow era was in swing. now the whites allowed blacks\, through nonviolent action\, to have a say. \n\n\n\n But second\, Jim Crow is a cmmonly known phrase in the usa and yet\, look how late it is mentioned or impotently m entioned \, even in the discourse of the congress. so black elected offici als had to do better. Even if the bills went nowhere\, they had to push mo re of them onto the floor. this connects to our discourse concerning legal action in the jim crow era. Based on white violence\, black people needed far more legal representation. For every emmit till\, there were a hundre d or a thousand unnamed\, un newspapered\, black children harmed by whites . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n    On 1/24/2026 at 7:17 PM\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n Everytime a new and differe nt group comes to the country in significant numbers it is the same thing\ , the Jews\, the Irish\, the Italians were all a stain on the country unti l they weren't.  \n\n\n\n nice turn of phrase. yeah\, and the truth is\, fucking\, has a huge role in this. As I mentioned to Pioneer about englan d\,\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/145-lucy-worsley-on-william- the-conqueror-janaury-18th-2025- /\n\n\n\n modern england was born from t he bedchamber of saxon women and norman men. In the same way\, Latin Ameri ca was born from the bedchamber of Indios/firstpeoples/native american wom en or Black[african or indios women] and white european men. The immigrant groups have already started the mating process\, it will only grow. Most white people in the usa today have german ancestry but most talk about bei ng swedish/italian/french or other. so mixing happens.  and mixing is wha t really leads to one peoples. Many jews in the usa didn't marry jews. thi s is part of the whole reform jewish community\, and is why the orthodox j ewish community opposes them in part. the reform jewish community doesn't demand a jew marry a jew which is part of orthodoxy/rules in the jewish re ligion. But that mixing of white jews with other white people\, which whit e jews did a lot in europe as well\, led to a lessening of friction betwee n white peoples\, the judeo christian union in the usa. The modern immigra nt populace is creating an more wider new group with its intra and extra m inglings. It is just a matter of time now. I see it in NYC alot already\, but NYC has every flag in the world represented in it\, it will take time for the rest of the usa to catch up but it will. My two favorite examples is when a black women was getting something to eat from a black owned busi ness and she said I am from trinidad but my some is american\, it was duri ng juneteenth and we all giggled. Her son is half DOSer. And when a boy wa s getting something to eat\, a man was speaking to him in a language from the continent... africa... and the boy didn't react. The guy kept trying c ause he knows the boy but the boy only reacted when he said \"hey\". the b oy only knows english and he is one generation removed. so... the center o f the usa will be different . I don't know the exact countdown but the clo ck is ticking. I don't know the cultural designs but it is being formed.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is why the people of Nippon have always resisted immigration. yes\, they do it historically\, as they don't like outsiders and have a very tribal nature in themselves. But it has another function. when you embrace outsiders you have to change eventually. the myth that ou tsiders can come into any place and not force change in time is a myth\, a lie really. Ramen noodles is chinese. That is the power of immigration. T he japanese know this through their own history so prefer immigration to b e as slow as possible\, because they comprehend high speed immigration alw ays speeds up high speed resetting of any country to refind a center betwe en the current and the immigrant. \n\n\n\n The whites from europe before the usa was founded\, started a cycle of immigration onto the First People s of the American Continents lands\, never ending\, constant\, but the whi te power of 1492 isn't present today. White power exists but not the same like 1492 and the rest is history. The white enslavers or their descendent s gambled their power could remain no matter how many people came in from anywhere\, they were wrong. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 1/24/2026 at 7:33 PM\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n Racists have their hands full now. huh?  Too bu sy worrying about Latinos while their medical insurance\, student loans\, jobs\, and social security is being taken away...\n\n\n\n financially rich whites who are less concerned about phenotype over money\, sold to poor w hites the idea that they could hurt blacks by bringing in lights/mullatoes /arabs//whites asians to accept wages less than black folk and it worked. alongside the ussr as a cold war rival. but when the ussr fell all of a su dden the usa had to do something with immigration and the fiscally wealthy whites didn't want to undo the global cheap labor market they created in the war against the USSR so they maintained the system and the fiscal poor whites got angry and that split between both led to Schrumpf. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250104 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:MLK jr day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T121050Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:356-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n MLK jr was born January 15th 1929 on a tuesday but the ce lebration is on the third  monday of janaury by the uniform monday holida y act [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Monday_Holiday_Act ] \n\n \n\n \n His actual birthday is the fifteenth of january but the federal holiday is in a monday for three day weekends\, like others. It is ce lebrated on the third monday in the month of january in every year sin ce its inception in the Statian Empire. I ask you to share \, historic al fictions/prose/graphical artwork in any style concerning MArtin Luthe r King jr....I do wonder why Blacks in the U.S.A. can not come together and demand a true day off for this federal notice. And also share\, offic ials days in a country outside the usa for a black person in history?   \n \n\n\n\n \n In Amendment  \n \n\n\n\n \n Why the holiday is on his the third monday and not his true birthday?  \n \n\n\n\n \n https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Monday_Holiday_Act  \n \n\n\n\n \n ML K jr's views on Financial Accountability  \n \n\n\n\n \n https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=RnKP__N7MNI \n \n\n\n\n \n  MY 2020 speech  \n \n \n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/194-richard-murray-creative-ta ble/page/7/?tab=comments#comment-820  \n \n\n\n\n MLK jr on Movies that Move We \n\n\n\n [ https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?statu s=1785&\;type=status ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ON FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY PROSE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MLK jr day 1/20/202 0\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Many presented videos or text concerning M.L.K. j unior today\, the twentieth of January. As a point of note\, Martin Luther King junior's birthday is on the fifteenth of January\, not the third Mon day of every January. I am not interested in trying to rewrite the legend of MLK junior. MLK junior like most other historical figures in the USA wa s made legend after doing legendary things by others\, not themselves\, by those with agenda. It is more important to change the message in current media than to try to change the influence of past media using current medi a.   \n \n\n\n\n \n My issue is ownership. Martin Luther King junior\, asked a simple thing to the black statian\, the black community in the US A. Do not use the ways of whites on the path to ownership. It may sound si mple but\, it is not\, historically the ways of whites have never been und one concerning ownership.  \n \n\n\n\n \n Comprehend a simple historica l fact. People of white European\, white is a phenotypical label while Eur opean is a geographic\, descent are not the majority owners in the united states of america based on positive merit\, or decency\, or any positive angle. Every inch of land in the u.s.a. today is owned or controlled by the u.s.a. government\, itself ranked mostly with whites\, or in privat e white ownership\, through various transfers after it was originally take n by killing native americans. Absent land how many firms will exist in t he USA? What will the banks or the agricultural firms be in the u.s.a ab sent slavery? For all the technological modifications by usa based agric ultural firms or investments in Silicon Valley in the stock markets\, wher e will any bank or agricultural firm be in the usa without their origina l fiscal activities involving slaveholders accounts or slave labor for gro wing produce. Notice I did not refer to an individual person. I am speakin g to the white community. The white community in the usa used negative mea ns to become owners and then become financially successful owners.  \n \ n\n\n\n \n Martin Luther King junior spoke to Black people\, grow\, be st rong\, become owners of your own community and beyond\; but don't kill ano ther for their land\, don't take another person's land\, don't enslave ano ther\, do not do for yourself\, your bloodline\, your community by harming others. This is the reality of ownership in the u.s.a. White people hel p themselves\, their community\, built on their forebears originally harmi ng others or themselves continuing to harm others. \n \n\n\n\n \n Martin Luther King Junior did not want black people to develop a negative charac ter\, a negative legacy\, to be unmerited while trying to help their own. He asked a very challenging thing. Martin Luther King junior once said\, i t is a crude jest to tell a bootless man to lift himself up by his bootstr aps. But he also felt the bootless man should not lessen his character by stealing another man's boots. He felt the bootless man should be strong en ough to merit his boots through craft\, labor\, or another's kindness. As a black kid growing up\, in a black community\, incorrectly labeled but wi dely labeled\, the black mecca\, I realized how little the black community in Harlem owned. And in parallel\, I knew how much various white communit ies in New york city owned\, more importantly how they owned them. What would the Irish or Italian or white Jewish communities be in new york c ity absent their mobs\, correctly glorified in constant movies. It was the white jewish\, italian or irish mobs\, the gangsters\, the rum runne rs\, the extortionists\, the thieves\, that had a largest or initial role in the development of ownership in those communities in New York city.   \n \n\n\n\n \n I end\, with a simple truth\, the Black community in Harle m\, a cultural district in Manhattan in new york city in new york stat e\, in the united states of america\, owns little to nothing in Harlem\, yesterday or today. The history of the u.s.a. proves all ownership in t he u.s.a. comes from those who were willing to negatively\, or through n egative actions\, earn it. MLK junior asked black people to reject that hi storical truth\, even when we own so little.  \n \n\n\n\n \n If the Bla ck statian can keep that hope of MLK jr. alive and one day exist in a  u.s.a. where Black people own more than all others\, or at least enough to not need another community. It will be a testament to MLK junior’s f aith. And make the Black community have a pride\, worth more than all th e years whites owned far more. \n \n\n\n\n \n https://youtu.be/RnKP__N7M NI \n \n\n\n\n \n  Poetry or more audiobook series https://www.kobo.co m/us/en/search?query=Poetry or More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesI d=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f06360287dc9\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MLK jr on Mov ies that Move We \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Movies that Move WE- Selma \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n odd that this year\, ML K jr day is the same time as Marcus Garvey's birthday.. I think the contra st between marcus garvey's long term vision as opposed to the long term vi sion of MLKjr or his predecessors\, WEB DUbois when young or earlier Frede rick DOuglass \, concerning the relationship of blacks in the americas ame ricas  to whites  in the americas.\n\n\n\n\n Now to the video...\n\n 6:4 0 yes\, MLK jr was not a fool about being an advocate . He knew it wasn't financially grand nor had a great chance of true success. But\, the identi ty of a christian baptist preacher was important to regaling. \n\n 8:04 y es\, black businesses had a huge role in financing the civil rights moveme nt of the 1960s\, I wonder if they got their money's worth\n\n 9:01 black christian women have always been the backbone or the administration or com munal arrangement of the black church.\n\n 9:32 My home had people who wer e at the march on washington. I concur to Nicole\, having people who were in the home who experienced the history is key\, but only truly matters if they convey it\n\n 11:10 yes Nicole \, the disconnect is the communities fault. Every community in the usa\, from the embattled native american to the afghanistani's from the iraq war have to teach who they are to their c hildren and all who fail to get the proper results\n\n 14:14 good point\, Nike\, the illusion that the past is so far from the present. Like the rac ial is so far from the post racial\n\n 15:35 good dialog\, Nicole/Nike abo ut the progression of black history in the usa and how the black community has changed very fast while also very irratically for various reasons\n\n 16:47 You two offer the question many have asked before and many will ask after... how did the black community not maintain a highly serious collec tive tone from circa 1850 to circa 2022 ? \n\n 19:47 Nicole\, urgency fro m whom? How many black people\, who are in elected office\, are millionair es\, feel the sense for urgency seriously? they all will say urgency is ne eded. but\, how many truly feel that?\n\n 26:41 MLK jr is a legendary spea ker\, funny how Malcolm is also the son of a preacher man \n\n 27:55 the last speech from mlk jr in harlem was at the riverside church\, which has the largest carillon in the world\n\n https://www.democracynow.org/2022/1/ 17/mlk_day_special_2022#:~:text=We play his “Beyond Vietnam” speech%2C which he\,Copy may not be in its final form. \n\n where do we go from he re\n\n https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/where-do-we-go-here\n\n 29:35 ye s\, but history books in mass education generally soften history. Historie s details are by default\, not a quick thing. Histories details\, show how jews helped the naziz. How hong kong was the epicenter of domination by t he united kingdom over the entirety of china. Histories details\, show the good or supposed innocent are not that good or innocent\, how the bad or supposed hellish are not that sinful or devious.\n\n\n\n In conclusion\, y ou two made a lovely dialog\, but I will suggest you made one potent absen ce. All to often\, black people say\, what are we not doing? but answer in your own way\, what do we need to do?\n\n I know a number of black men wh o went to the million man march and the reality is\, black men showed up t o what the black organizers had planned\, but the black organizers had no plan whatsoever? Black men came from around the usa to be guided with func tionality or purpose not words or chastizement.\n\n I will give an example \, if a million black men came together\, and asked me what to do. I can s uggest\, make a credit union. Each man who is here put a dollar into a col lection and give each man a vote over how the money is used. Is it a brill iant plan? no. It is very simple. but it is function/purpose. It isn't a \ "do good fellas\" speech.\n\n What do you two black women want black peopl e to do specifically\, name one thing?   \n\n\n\n A last point\, Haile S ellasie offered land before his ousting by the communist party of ethiopia \, only a third of it was given by the communist government of ethiopia \ , but it went to rastafarians\, who grabbed the opportunity. I am doing re search to see how the black people of HArlem Selassie had originally offer ed the land did not know\, reject it or failed interest while black people from jamaica jumped on it. The town is called Shashamane. \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/15/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  hmmm\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n first thank you for stating where you think he went wrong. of the three co mments your the only one which means 33% I ponder how many black people ar e unwilling to question the likes of mlk jr in 2026 ? I have no way of get ting a statistic but by this simple post the potential is frightening. \n \n\n\n I know I haven't spoken on your judgment but it's funny in this com munity we can bicker with each other so easily and then some of us in here can't speak a judgement against dead leaders. It is a revealing balance.  \n\n\n\n Now you said you loved MLK jr so your critiques are not condemn ations. Just assessments all should have in the future to any past. \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n now to your critiques\, \n\n\n\n \n On 1/15/2026 at 12:11 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n He focused too much on integration in stead of empowered separation.\n\n He should have fought for the laws to be changed at every level to make sure we had equal access and opportunit y at every level in the United States and fight to make sure those laws we re enforce.  Outside of that\, the focus should have been on progressing our ethnicity and culture as AfroAmericans.\n \n \n\n\n\n Well what leade rs talked before mlkjr talked about empowered separation? they were the ex odusters[based on collective land ownership to make base black towns first \, not black people owning land in white towns]+ the garveyites[based on b usiness ownership initially\, then geographic distance{far east asia is th e farthest from western europe so the garveyites had a point about distanc e}]+booker t washington[black colleges which were extensions of the black education movement immediately started at the end of the war between the s tates]\n\n\n\n MLK jr was born in 1929. By 1929 all the strongest empowere d separation movements in the black populace had lost much of their moment um. None died\, arguably none are dead\, but their momentum wasn't what it was in the late 1800s. \n\n\n\n So MLK jr didn't have a reference growin g up of empowered separation. The only reference he had was integration in various forms. From atlanta\, to morehouse\, to the greater georgia integ ration was the system about him. \n\n\n\n Could he had focused on empower ed separation ? 100% yes. Would it been a bad choice? no idea\, but it cou ld had succeeded. Was an example around to compel him? no. He needed a suc cessful example. MLK jr like most leaders is thoughtful. The reason someth ing isn't present isn't because it can't work but because it will take mor e time or more effort to do.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The usa government has a very big problem in terms of federal application\, in equal access and opportunity. The power of states rights. It is the year 2026 and Schrumpt is the first president after circa two hundred and fifty years to try and actually impose the federal government on the states with the resources to actually do something.  Not merely cause of federal power but states in the usa are lower than they are ever been\, all are welfare recipients. th e original idea was states would never need the federal government. Andrew jackson\, Abraham Lincoln\, even FDR for all of their fervor\, didn't hav e the means to actually make a federal imposition on the states like Schru mpft today. What does this mean? states got away with a lot of federal cri mes within themselves\, because the constitution clearly gives states free dom to be themselves and forces citizens to take a state to court for chan ges.  This is why white people burned black people out of the south\, bec ause by deleting our voting power\, it meant we couldn't use the vote to c hange the states\, we could only use the legal system which is very slow c ompared to a state wide elections. The constitution is clear\, states are not to be ruled by the federal government\, which means what. If you are b lack in mississippi\, and white people have raped your wife\, burned your children\, put your elders in jail without due process or with laws that a re uneven in design. If all the actions are finalized within the legal des igns of the state of mississippi\, you can only take missisppi to court ov er each action toward the supreme court. That is the only nonviolent solut ion in the usa for any person from a populace with a minority in a state. The black populace in misssisippi doesn't have the numbers to push people into government and get laws to support it by MLK jr's time. MLK jr was a pastor\, third generation\, of a black church. No black christian congrega tion in the 1900s would accept preaching about collective violence. Protec ting oneself? 100% but being in a violent mob? no. \n\n\n\n So what your suggesting was doable by him\, but he would had to stop being a preacher t o do that. Because nonviolence in the usa means taking whomever your suing to the supreme court\,a very lengthy process \, one that is not guarantee d to get to the surpreme court\, and one most importantly\, that doesn't n ecessarily stop the person/entity being sued from continuing their actions . While the said black man in mississippi is suing\, white people are hara ssing or worse constantly. \n\n\n\n Your top down is doable\, but It isn' t impossible. The NAACP was full of lawyers for that reason\; their strate gy was take every federal crime at the state levels to the supreme court. But so many crimes at the state level occurred. The volume was i argue ins urmountable. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MLK jr didn't spend enough time on the h eritage/what is carried + culture/what is grown of DOSers. He clearly comp rehended the importance\, ala his plea to Nichelle Nichols. \n\n\n\n As a n aside \, I ponder your thoughts on the larger black church? from circa 1 865 to 1965 arguably\, the black churches in the usa\, all denominations c ombined\, are the center of black life. What hindered the churches from fo cusing on heritage+ culture? Chruches financed lawyers\, got food together \, helped make shelter\, churches did many things\, communally\, but when it came to emboldening DOS heritage + culture they didn't do much. They di dn't even make a book of negro spirituals standard in every black christia ns pocket. Cause\, the negro spirituals is the earliest and purest black D OS christian liturgy or public work. Before black descended of enslaved ch ristians had the bible they had negro spirituals.  Great point here. \n\ n\n\n \n On 1/15/2026 at 12:11 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n . Him and the rest of the Civil Rights leaders at that time should have focused more on fighting STRICTLY for the rights of FBA/AfroAmericans and not othe r minority groups.\n\n They should have been very specific about the Civ il Rights bill making it for us alone.\n\n Not that other groups shouldn 't have rights in this nation\, but that they should have been the ones to fight for it themselves....not rely on us to do the fighting.\n \n \n\n\ n\n Your second part slightly answers the last segment of the first. I arg ue that MLK jr and others \, many others\, wanted the culturee of the blac k descended of enslaved populace to be as shepards to a better usa for all peoples\, this goes back to frederick douglass and the 1800s black church . they knew the heritage was of a people who survived white terror but I t hink their culture was as a people who made the integrated future nonviole ntly. and thus by 2026 would become the heritage. Which arguably it has. I F you look at media\, most non blacks in the usa view black people as the integrators in the usa. More than anyone else. \n\n\n\n They made that ch oice. And it even has precedent. Remember\, the first three black tribes w hen the usa was founded were: the enslaved black folks who are chained whi le whites in the usa are gaining freedom circa 85%\,the black freemen who are trying to stop the usa\, with the promise of freedom\, which oddly eno ugh\, most of them get even though england lost circa 10%\, and then the b lack separatist\, fighting alongside whites who publicly supported black e nslavement to whites\, who would circa 90% be reenslaved at the end of the war. The black separatist were circa 5% of the percent of black folk. \n \n\n\n So the black folk who fought for the usa to be born circa july 4th is the historical precedent for the pan human rights fighting of the 1960s . Arguably\, the black freemen have always existed\, whether called black loyalist who also fought in the war of 1812 or black legions fighting in f rench colors in the commonly called world war one\,  but during after the commonly called world war 2\, that for black alone became very small as a movement in the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/16/2026\n\n\n\n citation\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#f indComment-79387\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n MLK jr was a l eader\, not the leader of the civil rights movement. First the movement ag ainst Jim Crow started before MLK jr was born\, and ended after MLK jr die d so MLK jr was a leader\, as much of a leader as Fannie Lou Hamer\, or Fr ederick Douglass or Fred Hampton. Fred Hampton made the framework the enti re donkey party mimicked.  Madame CJ Walker and her daughter I argue were the two biggest civil rights leaders \, with only the black hotel owner w ho financed MLK jr as their peer financially\, cause those three people po sitively influenced alot of black people in ways very few other black peop le had or will\, take out marcus garvey and the garveyite movement\, becau se they had money. \n\n\n\n My question is why do black people say MLK jr was THE leader of the movement against Jim Crow when all black people sho uld know he wasn't. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, aka Contrari an said:\n\n\n\n MLK didn't ask to be the leader of the Civil Rights move ment.\n\n\n\n No he didn't ask to be THE leader\, but he wanted to be AN a dvocate for Black people and he was ... What your talking about is the dif ference between one's media role and one's true role. \n\n\n\n MLK jr was like MAlcolm like Stokely like Angela Davis\, A leader. None of them were THE leader. \n\n\n\n Now in Media \, which I Argue is the problem\, MLK jr was posited in white owned media as THE Leader. And the Black Church at that time\, who again\, needs to be called out\, pushed MLK jr in their a isles because he wasn't an areligious student: stokely\, he didn't hold a gun : panthers\, he wasn't a non christian: malcolm\, he wasn't a non coll ege educated woman: fanni lou hamer. So Balck churches did emphasize MLK j r to their forever dishonor for their own media agenda of attracting black people to the black christian church. \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, aka C ontrarian said:\n\n\n\n It was a responsibility thrust upon him because h e was so good at articulating grievances. It was like\, he woke up one mor ning during the Montgomery bus boycott and all of sudden he was its leader !\n\n\n\n no whites did that. Whites in media did that. The black church d id that. They both whites + the black church saw in MLKjr everything they wanted in black leadership. \n\n\n\n And the proof he wasn't THE leader i s he was never head of the southern black leadership conference. why does that matter? that post would had been better for him. But he was used as t he media front man\, as a leader.\n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, aka Contrar ian said:\n\n\n\n He did not have time to map out a precise strategy or a long range grand plan\, he and his cobbleled-together posse just kinda ma de it up as they went along\, with Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolent philosophy as their inspiration.\n\n\n\n But he wasn't alone\, the way your describin g this history is for me very false. If a black child reads your words\, t hey will think MLK jr was walking around alone doing everything. That is a lie. Others made plans like Ruffin. The truth is Ruffin was always about integration because Ruffin was \, like FRederick Douglass before him\, vie wing black empowerment as part of human empowerment. Ruffin was a faggot w ho knew very well most black people in the 1950s 1960s wouldn't accept his true self in public\, even though they talk of rights\, they woudl want t o curtail his rights\, same thing with frederick douglass who had a white mistress. both of them had lives that denied black in various ways and so they wanted black empowerment but they wanted black empowerment within a g reater human allowance in the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\ , aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n The idea of making a lot of long-range\, multi-faceted demands was out of the question at that time. The movement j ust focused mainly on equal opportunities\, and King endeavored to appeal to the conscience of his oppressors.\n\n\n\n This is not true. Your forget ting the movement was not in a vaccuum. The movement against Jim Crow whic h was from 1865 to 1980 \, was being fought by black people absent weapons or an allowance of weapons aside whites with all the power. So\, black pe ople had to make everything as an arrangement with white desires and multi faceted demands were never going to happen in one whole phase with white p eople. \n\n\n\n For example\, white people knew other whites would terror ize black people in the former confederacy but that terror led to a falsel y incarcerated black populace rebuilding the south and kickstarting a fina ncial boom for white people that kept down white on white violence. White people knew other white  people were terrorizing black people in the west \, the exodusters\, but white people needed that land for new white immigr ants to increase the domestic market and didn't trust black people's posit ion toward native americans\, whom white immigrants killed in the bulkload . It is known Frederick Douglass  pushed black people on the underground railroad to not go to canada\, which was best for those black people. But why? because douglass wanted black people in the usa to be tied to this co untry\, he hated the idea of black people leaving the usa. So black people were definitely multifaceted\, but white people only allowed simple wins.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n In tegration was a counter to the separate but equal policy that was nothing more than subtle Jim Crowism. Integration represented fellowship and harmo ny where little black boys and girls would join hands with their white cou nterparts and partake of equality through tolerance. It was a dream\; henc e King's \"I have a dream\" speech. \n\n\n\n In retrospect \, cheap \, ve ry cheap retrospect\, years ago \, which I talked about in this very forum \, I oppose how people speak of integration in the usa. The people in the USA from 1492 to 2026 has always been integrated\, never separated. Jim Cr ow is a form of integration. Did Black people work for non blacks? yes. Di d black people buy from non blacks? yes. did non blacks buy goods from bla cks? yes. Did blacks and non blacks have two separate theaters ? no\, blac k people had to go to the theater white people owned. Did blacks and non b lacks have two separate bus lines? no\, black people had to use the bus li ne white people owned. Black people use the word segregated when they work for whites\, live in a mostly white town\, use a white owned bus\, buy fr om white stores who are the only stores in town. Most  Black people in th e usa live a totally integrated life with whites from 1865 to modernity\, but it is rarely an even life an equal life. The truth is the USA problem was never separate but equal\, ask the native american. The USA's problem was equal but uneven. Everybody is human in the usa\, from the european co lonial phase to 2026\, but the opportunities\, rights\, armed power\,  we re never even or equal. The USA was never in majority application segregat ory. Jim Crow was a form of integration. Enslavement before Jim Crow was a form of integration. The white massa in the house is not segregated from blacks pre 1865. Who cleaned massa's clothes? blacks . whose labor did mas sa profit off of? blacks. Who did massa fuck without payment? blacks. who cooked massa's meals? blacks. who cleaned massa's house? blacks. who playe d music and entertained massa or his guest? blacks. Massa say's he segrega ted from blacks while blacks are apart of every second of massa's life\, t hat is not segregation. That is integration. Inequal\, uneven? 100% but it is 100% integration. \n\n\n\n Integration isn't a dream. The form of int egration MLK jr championed in speeches\, or somewhat in appearance in fict ion is star trek\, is the hardest form of integration to acquire. Because that form of integration requires each individual to relinquish all biases \, positive or negative\, and that isn't easy. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n In hindsight\, it's easy to cr iticize him for not embracing the militancy of those like Malcom X and the Black Panthers. But MLK was a man of his times and he was just beginning to re-think his goals when he was assassinated.\n\n\n\n Many think his tak ing a stance against the Vietnam war was a mistake but his doing so was in keeping with his pacifism.   \n\n\n\n yes\, hindsight is always cheap b ecause one in a future can never know what they will do in the past. \n\n \n\n But\, hindsight isn't unwarranted. We all make mistakes. It is intere sting you suggest a negative judgement from MLKjr for not being militant. Though \, again I don't think MAlcolm or the Black PAnthers were ever trul y militant. They weren't warlike. MAlcolm + the Panthers were demanding se lf defense over the court room. That isn't militancy\, that is looking at all the black people who have been murdered by whites who flouted the law in the usa or the european colonies that preceded it. The law didn't and d oesn't protect black people from white violence. has it? If a group of whi tes are hunting me\, how can I protect myself? quote the constitution or t he declaration of independence? how can nonviolence save a black life? Has nonviolence ever saved one black life? did it save emmitt till? sean bell ? The brother chocked to death in NYC\, I can't breath? the brother int he train a white man chocked to death? Did SOnya MAssey get saved by non vio lence? Did yusef hawkins get saved by non violence? Did breonna taylor get saved by non violence? Did clifford glover get saved by nonviolence? \n\ n\n\n Malcolm + The Black Panthers were not telling black people to have a combined armed revolt. Stokely either. Did fred hampton get saved by non violence? \n\n\n\n Why do some black people think\, when another black pe rson says\, have a gun for these whites\, that infers some sort of plan to kill all the whites? \n\n\n\n Is it some desire by some blacks to deny t heir own true hatred of whites while condemning other black people for sim ply being honest about the black condition in the usa? \n\n\n\n As james baldwin said\, his father worked for whites his whole life\, was a christi an man\, and hated whites more than anyone. prayed to go to heaven to be f ree of whites. Heaven don't have to be happy. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The fun ny thing about MLKjr's stance is nearly all black leaders in his time were against the Vietnam war. Poor Sammy is a complicated thing. \n\n\n\n Mal colm/Martin/Stokely/The Panthers/Muhammed Ali... name me five Black leader s in the usa during MLK jr's time who were for the vietnam war? White peop le in majority\, thank you Ken Burns in PBS for the proof\, were in majori ty for the vietnam war. The vietnam war made billions per year. So MLK jr being against the  Vietnam war was a mistake in that the white people who placed him in an elevated media position in white media\, not equal to hi s functional position in the anti jim crow movement\, were publicly for th e war or profiting off the war.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\,  aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n A cigarette-smoking\, scotch- drinking\, w omanizing King was not perfect\, but he fought the good fight\, and paved the way for those who eventually came to criticize him for not having more foresight. \n\n\n\n I lived through King's era\, and to me and my contem poraries\, he was a real live hero who died a martyr. \n\n\n\n My parents and a number of my blood relatives who i was able to learn of their exper iences during  Kings life\, older than king or younger than king\, all sp oke positively of him. None of them suggested any falsehood\, but each was able to admit problems. As well as admit a more honest environment than y ou suggest. \n\n\n\n And I oppose the notion of MLK jr as a womanizer. Ye s\, I speak now as a heterosexual male. Yes\, MLK jr like all heterosexual men gets a hard on for more than just the woman he loves with his heart. yes.  A man doesn't love a woman less because his dick gets hard for a wo man not his wife. Womanizer. MLK jr loved coretta scott king with his hear t. And it isn't a knock on coretta scott king that another black woman jus t might have a sexier ass than hers. \n\n\n\n And as for cigarette smokin g or drinking alcohol\, this was what nearly all adults did at that time \ , why is that a negative on MLK jr? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n AKA Contrarian\, if you have reached this far\, .. MLK jr was a great black leader\, who wa s human and made mistakes\, which we in the future should be able to admit to so that we can do better. But\, MLKjr  was never the leader of the an ti jim crow movement\, he was one of many great black people who made intr icate plans\, but had to deal with white power which limited all results.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 \n\n\n\n just from a labeling perspective \, this goes back to my issue with people using the term communism. I said it already\, but communism is a form of fiscal capitalism. \n\n\n\n Comm unism isn't a form of socialism because of one party of governance under a government plus a government having a larger role as a fiscal operator. C ommunism is merely fiscal capitalism with one party having overwhelming ma jority and the government taking 80% or more of the fiscal operation. The usa in its very history had one party at one time\, the federalist.  Now the usa originally had a very financially impotent federal government who had very little of the fiscal operation \, but the federal government of t he usa today is without question the biggest fiscal operator in the usa\, so barring two parties whose dysfunction makes them one plus the financial role of the federal government of the usa today? is not the usa communist ? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is like I say with Troy\n\n\n\n race/class/rank/ order/classification/species/clan all have the same basic definition. Some arrangement of things  based on a factor. \n\n\n\n When black people or non blacks say\, race doesn't exist? how? do humans being not look differ ent? do human beings not have clan names? do human beings not call themsel ves by a religious label? race is ever present. Does this mean a consensus exist on race? no. \n\n\n\n No consensus exist on race. Yes\, you will n ever get consensus on race\, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. When you call yourself human\, that is racist? \n\n\n\n And as always \, for s ome reason\, many humans hate the term bias. They love talking falsely on race and never like to use the word bias correctly\, cause most instances of race is really bias. \n\n\n\n And that goes back to integration in the usa. White negative bias towards blacks mixed with white power means blac k people lived and most still live integrated while totally unequal or  u neven to whites based on white negative bias. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is 2 026. we have to stop using words falsely. \n\n\n\n Race is real\, race wi ll never have a consensus of definition\, nor should it\, but it is real\, and comes in more forms than just phenotype.\n\n\n\n Fiscal capitalism ha s been the system throughout all humanity  \, yes in variations with elem ents of other ideas but always fiscal capitalsm at heart.\n\n\n\n The anti jim crow movement\, was never led by one black leader because it lasted f rom 1865 to 1980\, the entirety of the jim crow era which came after the e ra of slavery from 1492 to 1865 and was followed by the era of the rainbow coalition from 1980 to today. But slavery\, jim crow\, and the rainbow co alition eras are all forms of integration\, with the levels of eveness or equality best in the rainbow\, worst in slavert.  And\, the limitations B lack people have in the usa were and always tied to the integration with w hites which is not even or equal but more positive in those two ways than ever before. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/to pic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79390\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   20 minutes ag o\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n Be advised that I had no problem with K ing smoking and drinking and liking women because I'm not a prude.  And I was drinking Scotch and smoking his brand of Salem cigarettes myself.\n\n \n\n are you a film noir lover?:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   20 minutes ago \, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n To me\, his indulgences made him more h uman. And he also had a very droll sense of humor which I related to.\n\n\ n\n well said:)\n\n\n\n   20 minutes ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\ n I speak from the zeitgeist of my environment when I comment on his lead ership. I lived in the  Midwest\, not the Jim Crow South\, and from our p erspective\, as spectators\, he seemed to have just sprouted from nowhere\ , greatly helped by TV and his charisma.  You'd be surprised how much of a spectator many \"negroes\" were during the civil rights era inasmuch as we were not in the trenches but\, instead\, simply offering the activists our moral and financial support. To us\, the Movement was an idea whose t ime had come\, and we admired and supported both him and Malcolm. \n\n\n\ n I didn't know you were from the midwest\, I see:) No I wouldn't\, my eld ers said very clearly when we were watching malcolm x\, \, the film\, I pa raphrase\n\n\n\n \"that is a lie\, black people laughed at malcolm\"\n\n\n \n My elders were there. this country\, the usa \, loves near history rewr ites doesn't it. From the very beginning\, the european colonies made myth os out of themselves. In one generation from the mayflower\, white europea n invaders had created a false heritage of good peaceful folk trying to ma ke their way in the world beset by wild savages who dont't comprehend civi lization\, said wild savages supposedly all native americans. Hell\, most people supported the vietnam war. if you look at films\, you will think th e vietnam war was hated by most or at least opposed. but that isn't the tr uth. \n\n\n\n So the usa has a very negative heritage of lying about near history\, which tends to become commonly accepted in it. \n\n\n\n Not in AALBC of course:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/17/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citat ion\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in- 2026/#findComment-79431\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 1/16/20 26 at 8:07 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n The question is how many folks today are doing an ounce of what Dr. MLK Jr. did for Black folks over 50 years ago.\n \n \n\n\n\n Well\, first MLK jr alone didn't do anything. Th e idoltry to him I am 100% certain he would oppose cause  MLK jr wasn't t he leader of the anti jim crow movement\, he was a leader. HE was part of a group of Black people doing many things\, often in concert to help the l arger village. So no matter what one black person is doing\, if they are n ot part of a group of people doing similar it will come to nothing.\n\n\n\ n where are the groups of Black people doing something together? Cause no one was a superman during the 1960s for black people. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't think MLK jr would praise his activities or status so greatly. An d not from modesty but honesty. How many black children have been killed b y whites  since MLK jr died? I count many. How many black peple have been assaulted by whites from no provocation of their own\, being nonviolent\, since MLK jr died? \n\n\n\n You speak of what MLK jr did and yet what he did wasn't enough to stop the millions of assaults on black people from h is death to now in the usa by whites. \n\n\n\n Mae Louise Walls Miller wa s freed side her blood relatives from enslavement pre jim crow style in 19 63. Malcolm was murdered 1965. MLK jr was murdered 1968. So Both men and m any other black leaders died less than five years from a known case of bla ck enslavement  to a white in the usa... MLK jr was a great leader but th e environment for the greater black people proved failures on the parts of those before him like boooker t washington or web dubois and the environm ent after mlk jr proved the failures on the part of MLK jr and his peers l ike malcolm.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 1/16/2026 at 8:07 PM\, ProfD said:\ n \n\n \n \n Based on credentials\,  Dr. MLK Jr. could have lived an a ffluent life like modern day pimps in the pulpit. He would have run Saturn rings these clowns as a salesman of the gospel.\n \n \n\n\n\n well so co uld MAlcolm\, so could medgar evers... the list is long. Your speaking of one man when a large group of black people in the time MLK jr lived warran ted as much or more than hime\, and  had as much or greater opportunity f or personal financial betterment. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/18/2025\n\n\n\n C ITATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th -in-2026/#findComment-79450\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n @Pr ofD\n\n\n\n   17 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Nowhere have I writte n that Dr. MLK Jr. was Superman. Of course\, he was the spokesman for a mo vement.\n\n\n\n your correct\, but he wasn't the leader\, but a leader\, a nd the spokesman role was given to him by others. \n\n\n\n   17 hours a go\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Because Dr. MLK Jr. was not a Supreme Being\, t here's nothing he could have done about those realities. \n\n\n\n exactly \, but you presented a level of idolization to MLK jr that warrants anyone to state a less idolized opinion\, which I did.\n\n  \n\n\n\n I quote yo u\, I \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 1/15/2026 at 4:54 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n \n\n I dare not criticize Dr. MLK Jr.s non-violent approach\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n   On 1/15/2026 at 4:54 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FBA/ AfroAmericans and ALL Black people on the planet  owe a huge debt of grat itude to him. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   17 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\ n Again\, in hindsight it's easy to claim Dr. MLK Jr.'s efforts \"proved f ailures\". Civil Rights and affirmative action doesn't happen without his influence and effort. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I also mentioned oth er leaders\, it is interesting that you focus on the mentioning of mlk jr when i mentioned leaders before or after him with the same failures\, and said leaders before mlk jr were needed for the black collegiate movement/n aacp /garveyites and et cetera which was mandatory in the early anti jim c row era for the later laws to come into being. \n\n\n\n   17 hours ago \, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Dr. MLK Jr.'s impact must have been significant f rom the number of schools\, streets and other institutions named after him .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n again\, that is media\, not truth. The movement by Bl ack people made the impact\, white owned media + the black church created the myth of mlkjr as THE leader when he wasn't\, he was a leader\, among m any\, but he was the only leader that fit everything white media or the bl ack church needed. And as in all the schools named after george washington who was a leader not THE leader of the colonies freeing from the english empire. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   17 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n ther e's nothing anyone can say or do that will ever make me question or minimi ze the impact Dr. MLK Jr. had on ALL Black people up to present and future .\n\n\n\n so mlk jr is beyond questioning ? i question all peoples. I don' t have an idolization of anyone in that way\, though i wonder how many bla ck people similarly idolize bond. And\, I never minimize the impact of the movement of Black people. It is interesting you focus so much on mlkjr. h iding behind the theme of this post your own idoltry. which I oppose. \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n \n\n I know very few human beings who are so far \"above\" even a philosop hical critique.\n\n\n\n no human being is\, because we are human being. Bu t the problem is that\, some people unfortunately\, think negative judgeme nt lessens the value of another\, or questioning another lessers said anot hers role. \n\n\n\n It is very jesus /pope/schrumpft like\, that thinking .\n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n it seems he should h ave known how possible or impossible it would be for Black people to get a long with these people.\n\n\n\n well\, remember\, black people when the us a was started still were able to get along\, not all black people were ens laved. I am not suggesting\, that anyone black should assume a peaceful li fe aside whites in the usa\, but I Can see a black person coming to the co nclusion that a peaceful coexistence can be a goal. Nothing is easy\, but I can comprehend it. Would I have chosen it? no\, but neither did nat turn er\, or assata shakur... so\, I don't mind some black leaders having that path.\n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Federal law stil l always \"trumps\" (no pun intended) states' laws.\n\n\n\n Federal law su persedes state law like state law supersedes local law.\n\n\n\n right but this is why the congress is the only branch of government that can make la w. the congress  is born from the states. it isn't executive. even though schrumpft is part of a change started since abraham lincoln\n\n\n\n   1 1 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Because there was no threat to Afro American culture to justify them doing so.\n\n\n\n hmmm \n\n\n\n I get yo ur demographic position. but since the black populace was minoirty to the white\, even before the 1900s immigrant waves\, wasn't the heritage or cul ture of DOSers always in need of attention. Maybe not danger\, but I don't think the black church built up what needed to be carried/heritage\, or t ended what needed to be grown/culture. It is interesting that sinners come s out one year before the usa's 250 year anniversary\, one of the messages in the movie is the black churches hindrance. \n\n\n\n The blues players father\, is a hater.  a knocker. he doesn't want to help\, he wants to k nock. \n\n\n\n We all know how many black churches criminalized black peo ple who didn't sing gods music\, before 1940\, as well as after. \n\n\n\n Your right\, their wasn't competition among minoirty quantities in the po pulace  BUT why did the black church not try to bridge booker t and wed d ubois/garvey and dubois/ garvey and booker t? why did the black church tre at blues and jazz musicians so negatively? why did the black church treat hustlers so negatively?\n\n\n\n the my way highway vibe of black churches before the immigrant waves came\, i argue was very detrimental to the larg er populace later. yes\, cheap hindsight but it is clear. And i argue with their role\, no excuse existed\, no excuse. \n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Capitalists AND Dictators by controlling the wor kers\, not giving them a real say-so\, and enjoying the fruits of the labo r of the masses.\n\n\n\n your wrong about china. China has an engaged bure aucracy. People vote\, I argue china has more involvement of its people in its government than the usa does or a western european country does\, not just in raws numbers but in percentage. Remember the current chinese gove rnment is a creature of the 19000s\, and one born from being enslaved to t he usa/japan/western union. Thsoe three groups taught china to dislike the media dysfunction of government. countries that have big songs and big fl ags that hide the ugliest realities. the usa calls itself the land of free dom\, while in truth has only destroyed many peoples. the usa is a white e uropean country trying to sell itself as it isn't. China is proud to be a chinese country\, who at least is more honest to the immigrant than the us a by a mile. I know your a statian\, Pioneer\, you have a pride about the usa from the black history that supported it. And china as a white asian c ountry\, is an enemy of the usa\, although why wouldn't china be when the usa at one time owned a piece of china. \n\n\n\n North korea is a monarch y. It isn't like china. And\, because I don't find any government system s inful I will say\, North Korea's has two problem. \n\n\n\n 1st is the usa \, who has put north korea\, like iran \, like cuba\, under a severe strai n on all fronts. The historically funny thing is iran + cuba+ north korea have one thing in common\, they each insulted the usa\, neither actually e ver committed a crime to the usa while the usa committed crimes to them. t he usa invaded cuba using cuban traitors and failed\, the usa's murdering europhile puppet in iran failed\, and the usa invaded korea when north kor ea had the whole peninsula but north korea survived. \n\n\n\n After 9/11 the usa talked about being invaded and axis of evil\, and lied about afgha nistan or iraq\, but\, based on the reaction the usa had to 9/11\, cuba+ir an+north korea have the right to bomb the usa. \n\n\n\n 2nd\, the kim jon g clan have to embrace a simple truth\, the usa took their fate\, absent u sa involvement all of korea is led by the kim jong clan\, but the usa as a country of power meddled. tehe kim jong clan have to find a way to end th e demilitarize zone. I know no koreans made the zone but that is the chall enge. \n\n\n\n   11 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n So next time m e and Troy get into a fight over the existence of multiple races\, I expec t you to answer the call and pull up to the scene for some back-up....LOL\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   10 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n They should have started 30 or 40 years ago by vehently going after everybody....incl uding other Black people...who were openly promoting what once were whispe red rumors of his womanizing and cheating on Coretta.\n\n\n\n we all know the truth\, the panthers/naacp/baptist preachers/drug dealers\, the fbi an d cia had agents everywhere. in all organizations including white ones. \ n\n\n\n I have always asked that the old files be made public. I think all of humanity could use every single agent of the 1900s whether dead or ali ve exposed. cause I think that would explain a lot but....\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n \n that his people laughed at Malcom\n\n\n\n I said my forebears saw black people laughing at Malcolm\, not that my forebears laughed.  But yes\, m any people in harlem laughed at malcolm in the street. And your surprise s hows the strength of media. media has created a myth of malcolm + mlk jr t hat is false. Two great leaders\, more alike than different. each wanting integration or peace. Both eloquent speakers. their only true difference a s leaders was mlk jr \, from the christian baptist heritage\, speaks throu gh hope\, while malcolm learned from his father\, not elijah muhammed but his father\, to speak through truth. white people in the usa historically hate any black person who speaks through truth far more than any other bla ck person. the native american is irrelevant\, the white american is a tru e sinner\, black dosers are cowards\, immigrant americans are foolish trai tors. IT doesn't mean each has to be that way forever\, or is that way in every single individual\, but it is the majority truth. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n   8 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n militant counterpart\n \n\n\n how do you define militancy? cause I have never seen malcolm as mil itant? I think he was a garveyite like his father\, I think he did believe in self defense which his father+ mother needed\, but so did mlk jr? is e xhibiting self defense a sign of militancy? or is not saying things to mak e others comfortable \, militancy? \n\n\n\n when I think black militancy\ , I think of nat turner/jean jacques dessalines/the black loyalists/the qu ilombos in south america/ann zhinga against the portuguese. I don't think of malcolm or the panthers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/18/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the -19th-in-2026/#findComment-79464\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\ n   1 hour ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n you disagreed with my ca lling Malcom X \"militant\" and asked what I consider \"militant\". \n\n\ n\n Malcom was famous for the  response he'd give when questioned about h ow he'd combat white aggression. \"By any means necessary\,\" was his ad ament response. And the Black Muslim quasi-military Fruit of Islam group p resented the impression of being his back-up. This is a militant stance t hat  didn't align with King's passive resistance philosophy which is why I and a lot of others considered Malcom militant. He talked tough.\n\n\n\n Wasn't Malcolm's father murdered by whites? around your neck of the usa i n the midwest? He didn't talk tough\, he talked from experience. The exper ience of a Black child who witnessed his nonviolent preacher father be mur dered by whites for the crime of wanting black ownership and preaching to other black people to leave the usa if they are unhappy. A black child who witnessed his yella\, black mother\, be drove into a living prison by whi te power.  MLK jr's father was never murdered by whites even though Gerog ia is full of violent whites. MLK jr's mother was never drove into a livin g prison even though the bureaucracy of georgia has done so to many black women. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\ n And I disagree with your implication that Malcom was in agreement with M LK on integration. He wasn't entirely opposed to white assistance but he w as iinitially a black separatist advocate until he broke ranks with Elijah Muhammad later on. \n\n\n\n Malcolm was born from parents who were exodu sters or garveyites or preacher folk? right? wasn't that malcolm's guidanc e as a youth. Exodusters aren't militant or segregated. yes\, they want se perate places in the usa for black people \, but they never advocated viol ence except in self defense. And isn't self defense eternally warranted by black people based on white actions? What year have whites not harmed a b lack person and gotten away with it in the usa? \n\n\n\n I argue MAlcolm \, pre during or post elijah muhammed \, always embraced that some black f olk need to leave white countries all together in a true segregation/garve y\, some black folk need to have their own seperate places in a white coun try/exodusters \, but malcolm learned that some black folk can live amongs t whites/integrated as in slavery or jim crow or now\, but that doesn't me an they should not have the protection his parents didn't have. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n And it should also be not ed that during the MLK and Malcom era\, TV talk shows were all the rage. T hese 2 black spokesmen were popular guest panalists on these airings and w hat came out of their mouths during these discussions was what defined the m. They made their positions clear on live TV and were very articulate in doing so.\n\n\n\n Malcolm never wanted to be a cult leader\, which is what elijah muhammed plus the other pastors of the nation of islam wanted by t heir actions. They used malcolm\, the same way the southern black christia n pastors\, who were also cult leaders\,  used mlk jr as a front man for their activities. as stokely carmichael said\, can you imagine a black bap tist preacher not accepting a cadillac. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   1 hour a go\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n But their influence lives on and black Americans owe them a debt of gratitude.\n\n\n\n 100% true and I must add We black people in the usa and arguably all blacks in all humanity owe the whole movement of Black empowerment from the era of enslavement plus the era of jim crow \, a debt of gratitude. And I hope we can learn from MLK j r teachings as well as Malcolms and many others. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MAlc olm for me teaches a valuable lesson about early efficiency\, don't let yo ur idol ruin your plan. For me\, MAlcolm had the best leadership skills am ong all black leaders in the usa when he lived\, but he had one flaw he ne ver recovered from\, he allowed his idolization for an older black leader\ , in his case elijah muhammed \, to cloud or manipulate his larger plannin g. That was a mistake. \n\n\n\n MLK jr for me teaches a  valuable lesson in handling handlers\, \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n two questions AkaContrarian  with a setup and amendment\, and @ProfD + @Pioneer1  I ponder your th oughts to the three elements as well. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Here is the set up\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n when Sean Bell's father was asked in media what he f elt\, after his son was murdered by law enforcement in the new york city t hrough forty one bullet shots\, sean bell's father said he wanted the law enforcers dead. And al sharpton\, the white media\, the lawyers for the be ll family\, didn't have him around for anything afterward... \n\n\n\n It is clear the form of passive resisitance many blacks in the usa adhere to seems a complete form\, that doesn't accept violence in weapons or closed fists but also in discourse. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my questions\, \n\n\n\n 1) has that interpretation of passive resistance broken up many black cla ns/homes? \n\n\n\n 2) do black people who adhere to passive resisitance c riminalize plus illegalize [both not just one\, meaning make a return of v iolence criminal while also have an unwritten black legal code that illega lizes black people who don't adhere by excommunication in various ways] ac tions by black people or black people themselves who don't adhere?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n in amendment\, \n\n\n\n I think of two things. 1. amiri barak a who said the bussers were crazy getting ice cream and assaulted while do ing nothing. 2. a black woman in texas\, a matriarch\, who told two nephew s to leave texas after whites had assaulted their home and they wanted to act violently in return. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I realize now\, the language I need to have. And thank you three Contrarian/pioneer/profd for getting me to this place.  When contrarian you said passive resistance\, it made me realize to what extremes you refer to. \n\n\n\n The words/phrase resis tance or nonviolence or passive or militant or violent keep getting used.  \n\n\n\n But the issue here is the faith in the rule of law. Not the \"r ule of law\" but \" faith in the rule of law\" as opposed to \"function ba sed on the life of black people\"\n\n\n\n I see the lines\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n from crispus attics\, the black people who embraced whites like george washington before during or after 1776 in the enslavement era + Frederick Douglass\,  the black people who fought for the union or confederacy +MLK jr\, the black people who nonviolently in all ways fought for black empow erment in the later years of jim crow era\, Barrack Obama\, the black peop le in the age of the rainbow\, a set of black people have a \"faith in the rule of law\" such that even if the law is designed against black people\ , even if the law allows non blacks to terrorize black people\, even if th e law can't protect blacks from being terrorized by non blacks\, each of s aid groups actions show a faith that the legal system\, the law\, in its p rocesses and eventual result is satisfactory\, even if the law fails durin g their lifetime to change for the better. They are willing to die in the courtroom\, even as tulsa burns and black pregnant women are being hung.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In parallel\, \n\n\n\n from the black loyalists\, bla ck people who committed to vendetta against the whites of the colonies\, w hite people of england didn't enslave blacks in the colonies\, it was whit e colonist and colonialist before during or after 1776   in the enslavem ent era+ Nat Turner or Exodusters\, the black people who retaliated when t he law failed \, wanted self defense\, not isolation+ Malcolm who never fe lt black people should allow or invite harm from others which faith demand s\,  when the law didn't protect black people from white terror in the ji m crow era\, to Assata Shakur and the many blacks later who have left the usa in the age of the rainbow\, a set of black people have a \"function ba sed on the life of black people\" such that the historical facts of the la w working against black people\, law allowing non blacks to terrorize blac k people\, law not protecting blacks from being terrorized by blacks\, pro ve to said folks a need/demand/function to act outside the law which can n ot be denied for a truly free black peoples whether they have white neighb ors or not\, even if they know they are disadvantaged\, maybe inevitably\, or if nonlegal actions fail during their lifetime for the better. They ar e willing to die outside the courttoom\, even if non black power  or blac k allegiances to the courtrom give advantages. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I pond er if a bridge can be made between faith or function?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CItation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1 2293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79482\n\n\n\n Posted  just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \n On 1/18/2026 a t 10:06 PM\, aka Contrarian said:\n \n\n \n \n First of all\, nothing y ou said changed my mind about referring to Malcom as \"militant\". In fact \, you just provided a lot of reasons to justify his being militant\, a pe rfectly good word which you apparently consider a stigma. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n As for your other questions. I agree wi th ProfD on the first two and disagree with him on the  3rd.\n \n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n I am not trying to change your mind \,  I am trying to comp rehend from your point of view where militancy ends or begins with black p eople in the usa. \n\n\n\n I assume\, but you haven't been exact\, that a black person in the usa is militant anytime they have any action\, verbal or non verbal that is aggressive\, regardless of situation. \n\n\n\n If I comprehend you correctly\, then Sean Bell's father is militant for speak ing ill to those who murdered his son. Protestors who throw bottles in rea ction to being hosed or shot at are militant. I comprehend fully that Malc olm is militant from your point of view based on how i assume you define m ilitancy\, but based on your definition\, I assume\, you categorize many b lack people as militant. \n\n\n\n I don't view malcolm\,sean bell's fathe r\, protestors reacting to violent attack as militant. To me\, self defens e does not suggest militancy. Self defense isn't nonviolent\, but it isn't militant\, to me. \n\n\n\n But I want to comprehend your thinking better . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As for the first question\, and I speak to @ProfD  \n\n\n\n I wish I knew with the population of descended of enslaved  in the past or today how many in our homes have or have not schismed on the relationship on how to relate to whites\, before the usa or after the usa\ , as the usa doesn't really matter in this issue. This issue is really abo ut the white colonialist and their descendants and the black enslaved and their descendants. \n\n\n\n I wish I knew. IT would be very revealing. Ca use\, even if it is 40% or 30% that is a lot. Maybe it is 5% \, tiny. I wo nder when 1865 hit how was it? and it yields another question in my mind\, why doesn't this question come up more? Every single black person knows p ersonally\, offline a spectrum of black people who relate differently to w hites. Black comedians have a whole mountain of jokes on this topic. So wh y is it\, black churches\, black organizations\, rarely speak on this? it isn't a secret. I have many questions and no way to get answers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The second question is in series to the first. I wish I knew t he truth. I guess more so \, you guys guess less\, but what is the truth? No one will know sadly\, unless someone has a time machine and a huge ledg er. \n\n\n\n And of course\, the problem is in the wording\, what defines a schism in the home? what defines criminalization or unwritten illegaliz ation? the details or definitions even with the same information can provi de various results...\n\n\n\n I don't know. I wish I knew \, cause it matt ers. I argue how black people relate to white people in the usa \, in blac k peoples own communal sphere\, is a big thing. And shouldn't be some priv ate issue or some shrugged issue because it is really an all black affair. Hell\, even Tyler perry has mentioned this issue a lot in his work. \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n As to the third\, at least on the issue of faith to rule o f law versus function based on black history\, a schism exist between you\ , aka contrarian and profd as members of aalbc\n\n\n\n And for me\, the is sue isn't about right or wrong but how important these stances are in the larger scheme of things.\n\n\n\n Black people who believe in faith in the rule of law\, are willing to be harmed and abused by whites\, rather than break the law. That is a big stance in our populace\, arguably globally. C ause black people globally are abused by non blacks. so black people anywh ere in humanity who are willing to be abused rather than break the law\, c an never relate to white people the same way as black people who function for self defense or revenge or vendetta [three different things but all ar e violent] based on black history .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And as you both kno w I think of what to do tomorrow? \n\n\n\n I don't know how to bridge tha t issue.  I never forget telling a friend of mine. If I was a pastor of a church and a white man entered the church I manage\, I would told that wh ite man to leave immediately\, and go to st patricks church down the stree t\, this is a black church. in the usa\, White people historically or mode rnly can not be trusted intermingling with blacks. whites will 99% of the time harm blacks. the quantity of events where whites harmed blacks proves this more than anything. Not 100% no\, not 100% but 99% yeah. Look at bla ck towns today\, black farms today\, black regions in white cities today? No\, do whites kill blacks and brand blacks today? no\, but harm still? ma ny times yes. \n\n\n\n Obama sang amazing grace for that church that whit e man murdered people in. And while I know that church is open to all phen otypes\, that nonviolent openness as closing based on phenotype is a form of violence based on how nonviolence is implemented by many\, that nonviol ent position is what got black people killed. and\, the law will not heal that\, the law didn't protect those people.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So how can a movement exist among black people in the usa\, holistically in popul ace\, with such a divide of way of life? I argue near impossible. The usa is full of white peoples\, white people [white europeans/white asians/whit e latinos/white muslims/white women/white jews combined are the majority] compared to blacks. so\, any plan has to consider how white people fit. an d ... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n h ttps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findCom ment-79486\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   37 minutes ago\, aka Con trarian said:\n\n\n\n Just go with your assumptions. Why do I have to jus tify my sentiments to you?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All of this is hypothetical . \n\n\n\n Assumptions are worthless\, comprehension has value and if I d on't comprehend someone else I ask them\, beginning with I don't know\, wh ich is wisdom. \n\n\n\n Comprehension has nothing to do with justificatio n\, a thing of justice\, meaning a thing determining right or wrong. I am not thinking in terms of right or wrong. I am not asking questions of you to be right or wrong\, but to comprehend. Now you may not want me to compr ehend you or may think another comprehending you is unimportant\, but I do n't live like that so I ask\, with no demands of an answer. But I will con tinue to ask anyone to comprehend more.\n\n\n\n all of this is under an id ea\, maybe\, the discourse in this post is about how black people relay to each other\, and it is proof\, at the least\, that black people in 2026 h ave a lot we don't comprehend about each other and more importantly\, the lack of comprehension makes collective action inevitably faulty. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/19/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.co m/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79495\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n ed just now\n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n You are much too subjective. It's alw ays about you and your compulsion to be omniscient\, and ultimately omnipo tent.  You obviously want to solve all the problems of the world. \n\n\n \n  Good luck with that goal.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n no I don't want to solve all the problems in the world.\n\n\n\n first\, because some problems can' t be solved\, they have to be lived through. They have to be given their t ime\, even in full gruesomeness. I learned that a relative long time ago.  \n\n\n\n second\, because I know exactly what I want\, and comprehend th e prosequences plus consequences of any action.  I was fortunate enough t o have the time and space to learn that\, and what I want isn't what you s ay I want.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't want to know all\, oomiscient\, or h ave all power\, omnipotent. first\, because either is impossible. To know all you have to know not merely about all today\, but all yesterdays and a ll tomorrows... for any finite being\, that is impossible. And you can nev er have all the power unless you can become all\, and no finite being can become all. My rearing by my parents taught me that as a child.  \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n I do enjoy communicating and learning through communication. And I was taught as a child to always expand my knowledge as much as I can . Limiting the value of nothing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thank you for the lu ck:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/20/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n END OF MULTILOG FOR 2026 \n\n\n\n At the end of the multilog for 2026\, discussing MLK jr an d non violence\, I thought about nonviolence effectiveness and came to a r ealization. The nonviolent movements problem isn't the absence of violence . The nonviolent movements problem is inability of admitting what is neede d to get results. \n\n\n\n The nonviolent movement says all acts are viol ence: verbal/tactile/financial/explosive or other are not permitted as act ions. But the question is how can one be effective nonviolently. Many sugg est turn the other cheek but if someone raped your sister\, killed your fa ther\, slapped you with metal knuckles. You turning the other cheek doesn' t generate punishment to the abuser. You turning the other cheek allows th e abuser to get away with abusing. \n\n\n\n And I thought about various v iolent actions:  a black girl flung to the ground by a law enforcer\, the mountain of domestic violence cases that the new york police department d oesn't try to solve but allows to stack\, my own personal interactions wit h law enforcement trying to intimidate or approaching violently to me abse nt any provocation from me. \n\n\n\n And I realized\, the NAACP probably never took to court even one percent of the cases of white violence[from t errorism to spitting] against black people in the united states of america . Alice \, the black woman enslaved in the 1960s means\, the number of cri mes by whites to blacks in the 1800s was astronomical. \n\n\n\n Nothing c an be done about the past\, but arguably half of the white populace in the usa and a higher percentage in the south\, never faced any legal proceedi ngs for their violence. \n\n\n\n And that impotency in results is the wea kness in nonviolent philosophical supporters. \n\n\n\n Responding by viol ence can come in many forms but responding nonviolently can only occur thr ough the court of law. But\, the usa will require millions of lawyers acti ng pro bono\, for good or absent pay\, to even get near 25% of the cases o f white violence to blacks. \n\n\n\n But now I know what to tell nonviole nt adherents. Because no idea is evil or good\, the only issue is implemen tation. MLK jr plus others felt nonviolence could change the usa for the b etter through changing laws. But I realize the flaw in that thinking. Chan ging laws doesn't change habits. Doesn't impose the rule of law in regions . \n\n\n\n The civil rights act of 1963 hasn't protected one black person from white violence. But if fifty percent or above of incidents between n onblack violent actors to black people in the USA was sent to court\, I ca n't be certain the usa will be better quickly\, but I am certain it is the only way\, nonviolence can lead to betterment. Fiscal capitalism will fai l black folk cause having money doesn't deter white violence\, ask tulsa. Being law abiding will fail black folk cause abiding by the law doesn't pr otect you from those who do not\, ask trayvon martin or sean bell or abner luima or many others. Turning the other cheek will fail black people beca use the person who needs to turn the other cheek is the white abuser/ensla ver/terrorist.\n\n\n\n The court room is the only place that will aid blac k people because the cost from verdicts in favor of blacks \, whether crim inal or civil\, allows white terrorist/enslavers/abusers to pay nonviolent ly. But it has to be at an unprecedented level in the usa. I read somewher e that the NYPD's criminal behavior costs New York City hundreds of millio ns of dollars. If I combine the reality of most cases of white abuse to bl acks not making the courtroom and the cost of verdicts in black favor bein g quite expensive to the government\, I see that taking white violent beha vior to court is the only way Black nonviolent people can plan to get resu lts from their philosophy\, in the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/23/2026\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-d ay-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79554\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n \n @Troy \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n Race is purely a n arbitrary social construct with no basis in genetics.\n\n\n\n I will ch ange the adjective to inevitable. but even enough:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/2 3/2026\n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-da y-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79567\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\ n @Delano \n\n\n\n Before you can ask if one is free you must define free dom. \n\n\n\n So\, I ask you to define freedom and then I can easily answ er your question are Blacks\, whether descended of enslaved or not\, free.  \n\n\n\n But\, if anyone answer a question of freedom absent defining fr eedom first it will only give an uneven answer. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/23/ 2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293- mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79577\n\n\n\n osted just n ow\n\n\n\n @Delano\n\n\n\n   6 minutes ago\, Delano said:\n\n\n\n In e very conversation words generally have two meanings\, the dictionary and t he personal. Define it however you wish. @richardmurray\n\n\n\n You didn' t ask me the meaning of freedom. YOu asked me\n\n\n\n   On 1/23/2026 at 4:48 AM\, Delano said:\n\n\n\n Would you say US Blacks are free?\n\n\n\n And I replied\, when you ask whether anyone or thing is free\, define wha t it means to be free in the question and then I or anyone else  can easi ly answer. I didn't ask you\, you asked me. But you want me to define word s that you used in your question however I wish. No\, that is bad communic ation. You tell me how you define freedom and then I will answer your ques tion... I seek to improve how i communicate always. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1 /24/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12 293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-19th-in-2026/#findComment-79617\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @Delano \n\n\n\n how do you define freedom? \ n\n\n\n I will like to know. \n\n\n\n do you define freedom as thing for the living or a thing for the living plus the dead? \n\n\n\n no answer yo u make is wrong or right. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/26/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12293-mlk-jr-day-is-on-the-1 9th-in-2026/page/2/#findComment-79744\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted just now\n\ n\n\n @Delano @Pioneer1 @ProfD \n\n\n\n nice trilog on the question of the quality of freedom when one is dead. \n\n\n\n It is full of thought\, as death plus freedom don't have universal definition\, nor is communicat ion to the deceased proven to those who never experienced it or comprehend ed  robustly enough to those who have experienced it to clarify freedom's quality to those who are dead. The living can only guess how freedom \, h owever defined for someone living\, is to those who are dead\, which isn't the dead communicating their position. A guess isn't wrong\, but a guess isn't right\, itis a thesis. In this case three thesis\, well done. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250122 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:A Spoils of war government 1/26/2025 DTSTAMP:20250127T005855Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:162-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A Spoils of war government 1/26/2025\n\n\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2833&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IF YOU DIDNT CLICK THE LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n T he USA is based on slavery and all that entails.\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n What is most unfortunate about the united states of america u.s.a. is people li ke me and others who live in modern times\, circa 1970 to today\,  were r aised with a u.s.a. that culturally engineered itself to blockade the past . Yes\, as a child of two book reading black parents who love true history i was raised knowing about the way the usa federal government operated no t too long ago. But\, this needs to be in schools. Instead you have parent s \, preach merit or earned living to children when the usa was founded an d lived through its entire life to modernity on nepotism in one form or an other. Yes the usa is fiscal capitalistic\, but from its beginning fiscal capitalism was merely a cover story for imperialism\, where whites absent the regal lineages could claim warrant of position\, as opposed to Europe where at he time the usa was born\, wealth was still connected to regal bl oodlines more than fiscal capitalistic value. Sequentially\, the whites of the usa always find ways legal or illegal  as per their tradition to mai ntain their fiscal capitalistic wealth \, regardless of their lack of meri t or earnings. This has not changed. In parallel\, blacks through the blac k church created this tradition of merited value in the usa which only all ows for power or growth for black individuals while the black populace suf fers under the machinations of white spoils.\n\n THE ARTICLE\n\n Sunday Mo rning\n\n How a president's death helped kill Washington's \"spoils system \"\n\n sunday-morning\n\n By Mo Rocca\n\n January 26\, 2025 / 9:52 AM EST / CBS News\n\n\n\n \"To the victor belong the spoils.\" For decades in the 1800s\, that phrase was more than a slogan\; it was the official hiring p olicy of the U.S. government. \"You win the election\, you're entitled to put all your own people in there\,\" said journalist and historian Scott G reenberger.\n\n\n\n He says that under that \"spoils system\,\" the main j ob requirement for most federal employees was … loyalty.\n\n\n\n It was a system inaugurated by Democratic President Andrew Jackson. \"When he cam e in\, he was – and this will sound familiar – he was afraid that sort of entrenched bureaucrats would resist his policies. And so\, he cleaned everybody out.\"\n\n\n\n Were people aghast at this? \"I don't think they were aghast when it began\,\" Greenberger said. \"But by the time we get t o this 1870s and the 1880s\, it was the one of the top issues on the natio nal agenda.\"\n\n\n\n This was a period of abundant wealth and corruption in American politics. \"It's a fascinating period with so many parallels t o our own time\,\" said Greenberger. But a fight was underway to replace t he spoils system with the hiring of qualified government workers\, regardl ess of their political views\, whose job security did not depend on whoeve r was president. \"Civil service reform\,\" as it was known\, may not soun d sexy\, but it was one the hottest political issues of the Gilded Age\, e ven attracting the attention of America's foremost author.\n\n\n\n In 1876 \, the same year he published \"Tom Sawyer\,\" Mark Twain participated in his first political rally in Hartford\, Connecticut\, said local historian Jason Scappaticci. It was a big deal: \"He had voted\, but he had never c ampaigned for anybody\,\" he said.\n\n\n\n After marching through downtown in support of Republican presidential nominee Rutherford B. Hayes\, the l egendary humorist called for an end to the spoils system. \"We will not hi re a blacksmith who never lifted a sledge\,\" he said on September 30\, 18 76. \"We will not hire a schoolteacher who does not know the alphabet … but when you come to our civil service\, we serenely fill great numbers of our minor public offices with ignoramuses.\"\n\n\n\n The speech landed on the front page of The New York Times. \"That just goes to show how vital he is\, how big his name is\,\" said Mallory Howard\, assistant curator at the Mark Twain House &\; Museum in Hartford.\n\n\n\n She's not surpris ed that Twain would have been so horrified by the spoils system: \"I think he felt it was embarrassing putting people in office who are not prepared . I think it doesn't make sense to him.\"\n\n\n\n Hayes made it to the Whi te House\, but little progress was made on civil service reform during his single term. Hayes was succeeded by President James Garfield\, who ran on reform.\n\n\n\n But only months after being sworn in\, the spoils system exacted its most horrifying toll. Garfield was assassinated by a disgruntl ed and delusional office-seeker named Charles Guiteau.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n In 1881 Charles Guiteau sought a position in the administration of newly-ele cted President James Garfield. When his entreaties for a post were rebuffe d\, Guiteau shot the president. \n\n Three Lions/Getty Images\n\n Guiteau had campaigned for Garfield\, and believed that the president \"owed\" hi m. Worse still for reformers\, Garfield's vice president\, Chester Alan Ar thur\, suddenly elevated to the top job\, had climbed the ranks of dirty m achine politics\, enjoying the fruits of the spoils system along the way.\ n\n\n\n \"This was a nightmare scenario for the reformers\,\" said Greenbe rger. \"And then all of a sudden\, here he is\, he's President of the Unit ed States\, and he expresses support for civil service reform\, which shoc ked everybody.\"\n\n\n\n Yes\, in a surprising about-face\, in 1883\, Pres ident Chester A. Arthur – contrite\, by some accounts\, over the murder of Garfield – signed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act\, the first of its kind in U.S. history. The law was strengthened over time\, laying t he groundwork for a professional bureaucracy responsible for everything fr om food safety to financial regulation.\n\n\n\n Greenberger said\, \"It re ally paved the way for a more active federal government.\"\n\n\n\n Of cour se\, the federal government of the late 1800s\, with about 50\,000 employe es\, looked like a lot different than today's workforce of more than two m illion. And critics\, including President Trump\, believe the numbers – and the protections afforded those civil service workers – have gone too far. Hence\, President Trump's executive order this past week aiming to m ake it easier to fire some federal workers. \"We're getting rid of all of the cancer\,\" he said.\n\n\n\n Scott Greenberger says maybe the time has come for another debate about the role of the civil service: \"Yes\, you s hould be able to fire people who aren't doing their jobs. And the protecti ons shouldn't be such that someone who's incompetent is allowed to stay in a job. At the same time\, if you eliminate those protections entirely\, t hen you go back to the sort of system that we had in the 19th century\, wh ere only political loyalists are serving these positions.\"\n\n\n\n A syst em undone by an unlikely hero who most people don't even remember was pres ident … one that even Mark Twain put on a pedestal. \"It's funny that we hardly remember the guy today\,\" Greenberger said. \"But when he died\, people\, including Mark Twain said\, 'Wow\, that guy was the greatest pres ident we'd ever had!'\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Uniform Resource Locator\n\n ht tps://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-garfields-assassination-and-the-birth -of-the-civil-service/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250126 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Story Pitch Contest January 2025- 01/26/2025 DTSTAMP:20250127T005629Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:161-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Story Pitch Contest January 2025- 01/26/2025\n\n\n\n the three winners are picked for the \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdde viant/art/1151773450\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONTENT IF YOU DONT CLICK THE LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n Story Pitch\n\n\n\n The Other Immigrant is a 20\,000 word p hilosophical coming of age political fiction for adults about displaying t he variance between one's unelectronic self and their publicly recorded id entity using the journey of Marta told through epistle/narrative pairs in chronological order from her being a baby being held by parents crying at the termination of an immigration app to her election day success to becom e the president of the United States of America.\n\n\n\n Added information \n\n\n\n I had other ideas but a friend was discussing this and they conve yed the app and presidency to me. i thought it was a nice current event as pect\, which fits pitches.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Title: The Other Immigrant\n \n\n\n Gere: Philosophical coming of age political fiction\n\n\n\n Audienc e: adults\n\n\n\n word count: 20 \,000 words\n\n\n\n what story is about: Displaying the variance between one's unelectronic self and their publicly recorded identity using the journey of Marta told through epistle/narrati ve pairs in chronological order from her being a baby being held by parent s crying at the termination of an immigration app to her election day succ ess to become the president of the United States of America.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n I argue\, Monsignor with Christopher reeves did better in going into a crisis of faith or the journey a catholic has with their faith\, and the side characters go into the various qualities of fa ith. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250126 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:World War Meth - January 23rd 2025 DTSTAMP:20250124T040349Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:157-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n World War Meth - January 23rd 2025\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2832&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IF YOU DIDNT CLIC THE LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n World War Speed\n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n Great information on the us e of drugs in world war two. And how The german government used it heavy a nd  excelled in the war\, the british government\, general montgomery com missioned heavy drug use. 20 milligrams per day is given to the tank briga des in the break through the german line. Funny how the drug is restricted by germans when the usa enters world war two and eisenhauer looks for mil lions. Amazing\, the story on fake german leather is excellent.and the mil itaristic culture of germany which always relied on quick attacks and tech nology.\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR\n\n\n\n ht tps://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/preview-world-war-speed/4337/\n\n\n\n TRANS CRIPT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n [ Suspenseful music plays ] -It's long been known that German soldiers used a form of methamphetamine called Pervitin in th e Second World War.\n\n-[Speaking German] -But have tales of Nazis on spee d... [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] ...obscured the other side of the story ?\n\n[ Radio chatter ] [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] -Wow!\n\nThat's amazi ng\, isn't it?\n\n-The massive use of stimulants by British and American t roops.\n\n[ Rapid gunfire ] Did total war unleash the world's first pharma cological arms race?\n\n♪♪ And\, in the face of industrial slaughter\, what role did drugs play in combat?\n\n♪♪ Now\, one historian... -My goodness\, look.\n\nThere's the swastika.\n\n-...is on a quest to dig deep er... -You got the machine guns there.\n\nYou got the tools.\n\nSo you jus t do this\, you just go...?\n\n-Precisely.\n\n-A cannon shell is just gonn a rip through.\n\n-This soldier here that can hardly walk.\n\n-Yes.\n\n-.. .and learn the truth behind World War speed.\n\n-Stand by.\n\n-Eight\, sev en\, six... -The amount of dust was incredible!\n\n[ Explosion ] -...five\ , four... -Oh\, my goodness\, me.\n\nLook at that!\n\n-...three\, two\, -S et\, shoot.\n\nFire One.\n\n-one.\n\n[ Explosions ] -Oh\, my god!\n\n[ Sus penseful chord strikes ] ♪♪ [ Engine humming ] [ Static crackling ] -[ Speaking German ] -[ Speaking German ] -[ Speaking German ] -[ Speaking G erman ] -December 1942.\n\nA German bomber crew struggles to keep their da maged plane aloft.\n\n-[ Conversing in German ] [ Engine buzzing ] [ Omino us chord strikes ] [ Suspenseful music plays ] ♪♪ -Seven decades after it went down\, this German Heinkel He 115 bomber is pulled from a Norwegi an fjord.\n\n[ Oxygen whooshing ] It's an amazing discovery.\n\nThe only a ircraft of its kind ever recovered\, from a time when England stood alone against fascism in Europe.\n\n[ Poignant tune plays ] The fjord's oxygen-p oor water has left the plane remarkably intact and the recovery team will soon discover artifacts inside [ Camera shutter clicking ] in near-pristin e condition\, including brandy\, caffeine-infused chocolate\, and speed.\n \n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -[Speaking local language] -We're going to s ee the remains of a Heinkel 115\, which is a float plane\, a sea plane\, t hat was used by the German Navy.\n\nAnd\, not only did they pull up this H einkel 115\, they also found lots of things on it\, [ Turn signal clicking ] including\, it turns out\, a packet a Pervitin.\n\n♪♪ For me\, ther e's a massive difference between just being an armchair historian and actu ally getting out on the ground\, rolling up your sleeves\, and doing some proper primary research.\n\n♪♪ You can't really understand a subject u nless you actually seen what you're looking at for real\, you know\, you'v e touched those pieces of paper\, looked at the sites\, talked to other pe ople who really know what they're talking about.\n\nAnd it is amazing how it actually then prompts you to ask all sorts of other questions that you might not have thought about in the first place.\n\n-James Holland has wri tten nearly 30 books about the Second World War.\n\nHe's an expert on the blitzkrieg of 1940 and the Battle of Britain\, which will prove pivotal ch apters in his quest to understand how amphetamine use evolved during the c onflict.\n\n-[Speaking local language] -Could German amphetamine packets h ave survived the crash and decades underwater?\n\nIf so\, they may provide unique insight into the role speed played during German bombing missions over England.\n\n-You know\, I've seen a few aircraft wrecks that have bee n pulled out of the water\, but this Heinkel 115 that's been pulled up out of the fjord was in incredible condition\, so good that you could still s ee the paintbrush marks on the tailplane.\n\nSo I'm looking at the bomb ba y\, here\, aren't I?\n\n-Yeah.\n\nYeah.\n\n-Okay\, but this was carrying b ombs when it was found?\n\n-Yeah.\n\nYeah.\n\n-So where would they be?\n\n -They was in the center section.\n\n-And this is a camouflage for going ov er the dark North Sea.\n\n-You know\, you wouldn't want it light\, would y ou?\n\nYou look at that sea from above\, you can see how dark it is all th e time.\n\n♪♪ -For German bomber crews\, night missions from Norway in volved a 12-hour round-trip flight over the North Sea.\n\n[ Rapid gunfire ] Raving spitfires and flak over England\, then\, surviving the long trip home.\n\n♪♪ German victories make the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht seem inv incible.\n\n[ Explosion ] Rumors circulate of German soldiers and airmen f ueled by a super-drug that makes them fearless\, energized\, and able to p ress on without need for rest or recuperation.\n\n[ Tranquil tune plays ] Even Nazi dive-bombers stir theories about so-called Stuka-Tablets\, pills that enable fliers to withstand G-force plunges to target no human being could possibly survive.\n\n♪♪ -This is the Heinkel 115 elevator.\n\nIt was cut in two when the plane crashed\, so.\n\n-Right.\n\n-In the wing\, there was a dinghy.\n\n-Yes.\n\n-And\, within the dinghy\, there was a res cue package.\n\n-It's possible to look at it?\n\n-Yes.\n\n-Fantastic.\n\nS o\, when I walked in and saw the table full of objects from this escape ki t\, plus a few other little bits and pieces they found\, I\, you know\, I was absolutely staggered.\n\nAnd\, obviously\, we've got a brace of machin e guns here.\n\nThese are 17s?\n\n-MG 17s\, yeah.\n\n-You got the machine guns there\; you got the tools.\n\nYou got all this\, but this is the bit that's really catching my eye.\n\n-Matches.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-Cigarettes?\n\n- Yeah\, it is.\n\n-This is obviously chocolate.\n\nThis has a high caffeine content\, doesn't it?\n\n-Yes.\n\n-And this is the brandy.\n\n-Yes\, that 's the brandy.\n\n-I can't believe you haven't tried it.\n\nOkay\, but the re's one item here that\, to me\, is missing.\n\n-Yes\, I guess we are mis sing the Pervitin.\n\n-Yes\, where's that?\n\n-Well\, when it came up and we tried to clean it\, it started to dissolve and\, when we looked back in to the box\, it was -- There's nothing left\, so\, it just vanished.\n\nWe ll\, I'm sorry\, we have only a photograph of it.\n\n-The whole reason for coming here is because Pervitin has been found on this plane when it was brought up from the fjord.\n\nIt was a little disappointing.\n\n-Despite J im's disappointment\, the Pervitin's location on the plane may be more imp ortant than seeing the package itself.\n\n-So this was in the -- this was in the wing?\n\nWhat was really interesting is it wasn't sort of in the co ckpit equivalent of the glove compartment\, you know.\n\nIt wasn't found r ight by the pilot's seat or something\, you know.\n\nIt was actually found in a pre-prepared [ Camera shutter clicking ] emergency escape pack.\n\nT hat made me kind of think that it wasn't used in a kind of sort of casual way\, but in a quite pragmatic way.\n\n-If the Pervitin pack was kept out of reach\, it suggests the drug wasn't meant to keep men awake during flig ht\, but to keep them alive\, should their plane go down.\n\n-So you've go t the brandy\, to keep the cold away.\n\nYou've got some cigarettes to kee p you going\; chocolate with caffeine in it\; and\, of course\, you've got the Pervitin.\n\nWe all know what that does.\n\nThat keeps you going for another 12 hours or so\, while you're bobbing around on the North Sea.\n\n They were flying in winter\, so it's going to be bitterly\, bitterly cold. \n\nThe most important thing is that they don't fall asleep and die of hyp othermia.\n\nSo what's gonna keep you awake?\n\nWell\, Pervitin's gonna do that.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -Jim's Norway stop has been illumina ting and frustrating\, all at the same time.\n\n[ Bell tolls ] He decides to head south\, to a museum in Germany\, where you can still see and hold Pervitin samples from World War II.\n\n-And I met with Dr. Peter Steinkamp \, who's an expert in this.\n\nYou know\, I just really wanted to pick his brains about what this stuff was\, how it came to be\, and to look at Per vitin packets for the first time.\n\nWow.\n\nThat's amazing\, isn't it?\n\ n[ Suspenseful music intensifies ] -This was methamphetamine created in th e 1930s by a German pharmacologist.\n\nHe called it Pervitin.\n\nThis is a version for injection and this is the version for piercing.\n\n-And what' s this say\, here?\n\n-\"Inject slowly\, not too fast.\"\n\n-[Laughing] Oh \, goodness\, me.\n\nImagine buying\, over the counter\, vials of stuff to inject yourself\, you know\, with a Class A drug.\n\nI mean\, it's just a bsolutely extraordinary and just so casual.\n\nIf I took one of those\, ho w long would I be completely wired for?\n\n-Well\, about two nights.\n\n-S o this came out in Germany\, what\, in the late 1930s?\n\n-Yes.\n\nIn 1938 \, it was first available in drugstores.\n\n-So I could just walk in and I could go\, \"I'll have a packet of 12 Pervitin\, please\"?\n\n-Yeah\, rea lly.\n\n-Wow!\n\nThat's amazing\, isn't it?\n\n♪♪ -By 1938\, Pervitin manufacturer Temmler Pharmaceutical of Berlin had launched a PR campaign m odeled on Coca-Cola's global marketing strategy.\n\n♪♪ And\, despite H itler's vehement anti-drug rhetoric\, many Nazis\, including the Fuehrer h imself\, were heavy drug users.\n\n[ Cheering ] Methamphetamines seemed ge ared to the modern\, tech-embracing Reich that was envisioned.\n\n-The Naz i state is all about\, \"If you work hard\, if you strive for a better Ger many\, then you'll get a better Germany.\n\nCome on\, get your backbone in to it and let's get working.\n\nLet's make Nazi Germany\, the Third Reich\ , let's make it a thousand-year Reich.\n\nLet's make it brilliant!\"\n\nYo u know\, and they embraced science and technology\, and pharmacology is al l tied in with that.\n\nThat's why it appeals.\n\nSo it's not much of a st ep\, is it\, from day-to-day domestic use to being used in the armed servi ces?\n\n-Yes\, yes\, you're right.\n\nThe officers said to the medical off icer\, \"Please\, now\, give Pervitin to our soldiers.\"\n\n♪♪ -By May 1940\, German troops under the influence of Pervitin have already conquer ed Poland.\n\nNow\, Hitler's Army masses for another attack\, against Fran ce.\n\n♪♪ The British and French armies facing them outnumber the Germ ans in men\, artillery\, and even tanks\, but the German plan is audacious : built on the use of combined arms\; using air power as moving artillery\ ; and what some will call a new method of warfare\, which really wasn't ne w at all.\n\n-The German way of war\, what has become known as blitzkrieg\ , has always been traditionally depicted as something kind of new.\n\nIt i sn't.\n\nIt's an extension of the way of war that Germans have always been practicing and\, before Germany became Germany in 1871\, the Prussians be fore them.\n\nAnd it's because they're stuck in the middle of Europe.\n\nT hey don't have those resources of bauxite and copper and iron ore and\, mo re latterly\, oil\, and food\, actually\, that you need to protract a long \, attritional war.\n\nSo what do you do?\n\nWell\, you get round that by fighting your wars with overwhelming force at the point of impact\, where you first attack\, knocking your enemy off-balance\, surrounding them and annihilating them\, and you do that incredibly quickly.\n\n-At this point in the war\, the German army is outgunned and outnumbered.\n\nTo win\, the y'll have to move swiftly\, with no time for rest.\n\nAnd\, like the Luftw affe\, the army also has a secret weapon to help defeat the military comma nders' oldest enemy: sleep.\n\n♪♪ -I mean\, how much Pervitin was used in 1940?\n\n-During the war against France in 1940\, there was a deliveri ng of 35 million pills -Ha!\n\n-of Pervitin to the Wehrmacht.\n\n-Wow.\n\n So\, literally\, just in sort of 10\, 12 weeks\, they're issuing 35 millio n tablets of Pervitin?\n\n-Yeah\, yes.\n\n-You know\, all-in\, there's onl y about 3 million troops involved in the whole thing.\n\n[ Rapid gunfire ] -In the end\, the German army pulls off what seemed impossible\, even to Hitler.\n\n[ Rapid gunfire ] Wehrmacht tanks and foot soldiers managed to fight and march for 10 days straight... ♪♪ ...trapping the entire Brit ish army on the beaches of Dunkirk.\n\n♪♪ [ Gunfire ] German troops mo ve an average of 22 miles a day\, [ Flames crackling ] under fire.\n\nIt's considered one of the greatest feats [ Flames crackling ] in military his tory.\n\n-So\, obviously\, Pervitin keeps you awake\, but what else does i t do to you?\n\n[ Rapid gunfire ] -When you're taking it and you have to d o a duty... ♪♪ ...you are focused on it.\n\nThere was no fear and you don't think about anything else in that moment.\n\n-What other side effect s are there?\n\n-I talked to some veterans who used Pervitin and they said \, after doing the duty\, they sometimes got frightened -Oh.\n\n-because \ "We were in fear that we could never\, ever\, sleep again and\, when we co uld not sleep anymore\, we must die.\"\n\n♪♪ -However the drug affects individual soldiers\, the larger outcome is clear: German troops\, fueled by methamphetamine\, crushed the combined arms of Western Europe in littl e over a week.\n\nNazi tactics and technology seem unstoppable.\n\n[ Suspe nseful chord strikes ] But did the Wehrmacht truly need a stimulant to ach ieve victory in 1940?\n\nWas marching 22 miles in a single day an amazing pace or has the blitzkrieg tale\, like the word itself\, been warped into legend over time?\n\n♪♪ Today\, Jim's gathered a group of fellow histo ry fanatics to put this question to the test.\n\n-The idea is that\, rathe r -- -They start by comparing British and German infantry gear\, to see if one was better than the other.\n\n-Much more.\n\nJust asking.\n\n-Taff Gi llingham has served as a military consultant for feature films and TV seri es.\n\n-You then don't need to take your eye off the target until you've k nocked him over.\n\n-He's an expert on Second World War paraphernalia.\n\n -Well\, Taff\, you know\, we've got this all laid out.\n\nWe've got Britis h here\, German here.\n\nPresumably\, this is an ammunition pouch?\n\n-Tha t's right.\n\nThat's the ammunition pouch.\n\nYou've got three clips in ea ch of those pouches.\n\n-I mean\, they do love leather\, don't they\, the Germans?\n\nI mean\, every bit of it is.\n\nIt's just leather\, leather\, leather.\n\n-The British had a simpler idea\, which was to carry a cotton bandolier\, and then you just pull the clips out\, ready to push into the rifle.\n\n-Hm.\n\n♪♪ -The British kitty is actually pretty quiet becau se it's all cotton\, it's canvas.\n\nIt doesn't make much noise as you mov e around.\n\nWhereas\, the veterans always had this story that you could h ear the German Army coming because they sounded like a loose cutlery drawe r with all this stuff clinking and clanking away [ Laughter ] as the Germa n -- Exactly.\n\nThe gas mask tin bouncing around.\n\n♪♪ -I'll take th is back.\n\n-Next\, they'll set out to see just how hard it would've been to cover 22 miles while carrying a 60-pound combat load\, with only coffee or tea to keep you going.\n\n-That's quite heavy.\n\n[laughs] ♪♪ -I c an't believe that they'd have walked a long way with a kit like that.\n\n- I mean\, this is the reason for doing this.\n\nIt's only when you actually start using this practically that you can understand how people would ope rate with it back in the day.\n\nSo the real point of this entire experime nt is\, after walking 20 miles around here with all this kit\, if you've g ot a drug that can keep you going\, can we understand why they're using th is in 1940?\n\n-Okay.\n\nLet's do it.\n\n-Let's do it.\n\n♪♪ -My feet are -- Oof.\n\n♪♪ -How's that?\n\n-That looks good.\n\n-Feels better.\ n\nOh\, post.\n\n♪♪ Ooh!\n\nThat's my feet.\n\nNow they hurt.\n\n♪ ♪ [ Grunts ] ♪♪ -Ah!\n\n[ Metal clinking ] [ Laughter ] We'll maybe leave that bit out.\n\n[ Laughter ] -Two hours and seven miles in\, the gr oup breaks for tea.\n\n-It's heating up pretty quick\, isn't it?\n\n-For m any Allied soldiers\, caffeine was the stimulant of choice.\n\nCoffee was so critical to American GI Joes that\, today\, cup of Joe is synonymous wi th the drink.\n\n-All right\, cheers.\n\n-I've got my foot out.\n\n-Peel y our heel off.\n\nWhere is it?\n\n-Just there.\n\n-Wiggle your foot.\n\nHow much am I getting paid for this is all I wanna know.\n\n-So\, because we' re able to take caffeine\, we're on these lovely\, delicious-looking choco late\, caffeine-enhanced chocolate.\n\nSo\, James\, this should send us ar ound the next bit of the march a bit quicker then\, eh?\n\n-Should do.\n\n -Come on\, let's go.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n♪♪ -They may not be in combat... -He llo\, Woofit.\n\n-[Barking] -...but they are carrying the same 60-pound lo ad that German and British soldiers would've humped\, back in 1940\, and i t's proving no easy task.\n\n-Where's the shortcut\, then?\n\n♪♪ -If i t's not 100 yards\, I'm gonna collapse in a pile\, there.\n\n[coughing] Oh !\n\nOh.\n\nOh\, [bleep] Ow.\n\nMy feet are broken.\n\n♪♪ My ankles ar e broke.\n\nSo\, I reckon that 20 miles is achievable\, but\, day after da y\, that's a very hard thing to ask for a platoon of soldiers.\n\n-Despite bruised ankles\, they've logged 14 miles in just under 4 hours.\n\nAt thi s pace\, they'd have easily hit the 22-mile mark of the Wehrmacht.\n\n-You know\, they're all trained up for doing this kinda stuff\, so you have to think that walking 22 miles a day\, over consecutive days\, for those guy s\, really shouldn't have been a massive problem without drugs.\n\n[ Band plays march ] I am not convinced that the Germans needed it\, at all.\n\ n♪♪ -Whether the Wehrmacht needed Pervitin or not\, the Nazi victory i n France is a stunning one.\n\n♪♪ By June 1940\, France has been broug ht to its knees.\n\n♪♪ The British army lies in tatters and\, soon\, L ondon itself is ablaze.\n\n[ Explosion ] ♪♪ [ Explosion ] [ Flames cra ckling ] The English are desperate to learn the source of Germany's succes s... ♪♪ and\, when a German plane goes down in the south of England\, they find the answer.\n\n[ Flames crackling ] Inside\, they discover a pac ket of an unknown substance that holds the key to the Nazis' boundless ene rgy.\n\nLab analysis will soon reveal the substance is methamphetamine\, G ermany's super-drug.\n\n[ Suspenseful chord strikes ] To find out more abo ut the British side of the story\, Jim's meeting pharmacology historian Dr . James Pugh.\n\n-So\, what have you got here?\n\n-So I brought some files along which I thought you might be interested in seeing.\n\n-Mm-hmm.\n\n- The first is a letter to Winston Churchill\, in fact.\n\n-Oh\, really?\n\n -And it's actually from his physician\, Sir Charles Wilson\, letting Churc hill know that the British have discovered that Germany is making use of a mphetamines in a military context.\n\n-Mm!\n\n-And suggesting to him that\ , perhaps\, this is something the British need to consider.\n\n-I mean\, t his is a really interesting line: \"In short\, it was concluded that the d rug would be useful to the majority of men if it is desired to keep them s trenuously and dangerously active for 24 hours at a stretch.\"\n\n-Germany has occupied France\, by this stage\, -Mm.\n\n-so anything that the Briti sh feel they can do to gain an advantage or to level the playing field aga in is something that they need to consider and I guess you could character ize this as maybe the beginning of a chemical arms race\, I suppose.\n\nOn e of the other ways that the drug was used is in its inhaler form.\n\n-Gos h\, look at that.\n\nGod\, it's like a Vicks inhaler.\n\nSo you just do th is\, you just go...?\n\n-Yeah\, I probably wouldn't do that\, at this poin t\, but.\n\n-[laughs] No\, but I mean\, that's the process?\n\n-Yeah.\n\n- The Allied version of Pervitin was called Benzedrine and\, like German spe ed\, it was already used by civilians before the war began.\n\nBoth drugs make users intensely alert\, flooding them with a sense of euphoria.\n\nWi th its added methyl group molecule\, Pervitin races across the blood-brain barrier a bit faster than Benzedrine.\n\nOtherwise\, the two drugs have v irtually the same impact.\n\n♪♪ During the battle of Britain\, exhaust ed Spitfire pilots were getting Benzedrine\, unofficially\, from local pha rmacies\, but Churchill seems to push things to another level.\n\n-So one of the very interesting things is that this is being sent to Churchill and what's important about that is he's a man of science.\n\nHe's very intere sted in novel developments and new technologies and stuff and so drugs kin d of fit that bill for him.\n\n-Soon\, the Royal Air Force begins testing Benzedrine under combat conditions.\n\nThey turn to a 30-year-old flight s urgeon\, named Roland Winfield\, to administer the drug to British air cre w and record the reactions.\n\n♪♪ By late 1941\, Allied bombers are hi tting back.\n\n[ Bombs whistling ] [ Explosions ] ♪♪ Long night missio ns over Nazi Germany\, with a fatality rate of more than 45%\, are a terri fying ordeal.\n\n♪♪ -You know\, that's one of those things where\, obv iously\, so if that can keep you awake and keep you alive\, then\, you kno w\, clearly\, that's a good thing.\n\n-I suppose\, on the other side of it \, too -- -Later\, Jim and James head out to explore a British Lancaster b omber\, the same type of aircraft in which Roland Winfield conducted the o nly known combat tests of amphetamines during the war.\n\n♪♪ -These bo mb bays are pretty impressive\, aren't they?\n\n-My goodness.\n\n[laughing ] That's gigantic.\n\n-They can take 6.5 tons.\n\n-6.5 tons?!\n\n-Yeah.\n\ nAnd they can be adapted to take a Grand Slam\, which is 10 tons.\n\n-10 t ons.\n\n-I mean\, it is incredible\, the lift of this.\n\n-Just absolutely overwhelmed by the size of it.\n\nThis is gonna be tight\, I reckon\, for you\, James.\n\n-I mean\, look at it.\n\n[ Knocking\, hollow ] It's a tin can\, isn't it?\n\n-So there's no armor here or anything like this.\n\n-N o.\n\nNo.\n\n-This is just thin.\n\n-And\, you know\, a cannon shell or a bullet's just gonna rip through.\n\n-Rip straight through.\n\n-On that Lan caster\, you're just thinking\, \"This is a piece of tin.\n\nI'm gonna be shot at.\n\nI'm gonna be scared.\n\nIf I need to escape quickly\,\" [laugh s] you know\, it's just next to impossible.\n\nThere are very few concessi ons to human comfort.\n\n-Yeah\, yeah.\n\n-For me\, this is designed for o ne thing\, and one thing only\, and that's dropping large amounts of bombs .\n\n-Goodness\, me\, yeah.\n\n[ Bomb whistling ] [ Explosions ] -Physical ly exhausting and terrifying.\n\nIn the air war over Europe\, aviation tec hnology pushes men beyond the limits of human endurance.\n\n♪♪ -You kn ow\, I can understand why you would take a Benzedrine pill\, you know?\n\n -I think I can as well.\n\nJust going past the navigator's desk\, here.\n\ n-Again\, I mean\, look how cramped it is.\n\n-It is.\n\nAnd\, as you emer ge into the cockpit\, there's a little bit more space here\, I suppose\, [ laughs] until you try and get in the seat.\n\nCase -- Oh\, my goodness!\n\ nThis is snug.\n\n-Yeah\, it really is\, isn't it?\n\n-[laughing] Yeah\, t his is snug.\n\n-So tell me about Winfield's tests that he was doing.\n\n- Yeah\, he actually flies with the crews.\n\nHe administers the drugs in fl ight\, you know\; he also administers placebos.\n\nAnd then\, yeah\, he re ports back on the experiences the crews have.\n\n♪♪ -In all\, Winfield observed troops who were given amphetamines on 20 RAF missions.\n\n♪♪ -[Indistinct] -I mean\, just imagine this\, James.\n\nYou know\, you're s itting here\, you're piloting this plane.\n\n-We're over the lake now.\n\n -You know\, this is unpressurized\, this cabin.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-You know\, - 45°\, freezing cold.\n\n♪♪ You've gotta watch out for night fighters and you've got lots of flak coming up.\n\n-Yeah\, yeah.\n\n-The whole thin g is terrifying.\n\n[ Rapid gunfire ] [ Explosion ] [ Explosion ] -So\, af ter crews have dropped their bombs\, they will experience what's known as the post-adrenal crash.\n\nSo their bodies have been flooded with adrenali ne for an extended period of time.\n\nThat adrenaline starts to leave the body at that point and they become extremely fatigued.\n\nThis is one of t he things that Winfield concludes and he recommends in his reports\, is\, if you take the drug about an hour and a half before you're going to drop your bombs\, the drug will start to sort of act upon your consciousness at that point.\n\n♪♪ -Of all Winfield's findings\, perhaps the most infl uential are his reports describing how air crews high on speed show increa sed aggression under fire.\n\n-One of the things that he notes in his repo rt is an example of an attack\, which the air crews actually dive down to a very\, very low height and attack a flak [indistinct] -Really\, they sta rt shooting it up?\n\n-Yeah\, yeah.\n\nOf course\, Winfield is also simult aneously concerned by some of this\, too.\n\nUltimately\, when the RAF com e to think about this drug\, they're actually concerned about those effect s... -Are you all right?\n\nYou get any of the baddies?\n\n-...where the c rews will start to lean on the drugs\, as opposed to using them as a tool to help manage their wakefulness.\n\n♪♪ -But if the RAF sees these sid e effects as a potential problem\, the British army sees them as a benefit .\n\n♪♪ Even more than keeping troops awake\, British ground commander s want a pill that can make the men fearless.\n\n[ Explosions ] ♪♪ By 1942\, the Allies are losing massive numbers of soldiers to a byproduct of industrial warfare: shell shock\, known today as Post-Traumatic Stress Di sorder.\n\nOver the course of the conflict\, as many as one in three front line soldiers will be incapacitated by it.\n\n-Oh\, God\, listen!\n\n-Benz edrine\, it is hoped\, might offer a solution.\n\n[ Suspenseful music fade s ] [ Piano plays melancholy tune ] For this hidden side of the story\, Ji m's traveling to a small museum connected to a hospital that first treated thousands of shell shock victims during the previous World War.\n\n♪♪ -Well\, I suppose\, when we think of\, well\, the concept of war neurosis \, shell shock\, it really goes back to the first World War\, doesn't it?\ n\nAnd is that the first time that it starts to become recognized?\n\n-I t hink the stress of combat has always been recognized\, certainly from the Crimean War onwards\, but what happens in the first World War\, is that in dustry has intensified killing power\, so large numbers of soldiers\, 60%\ , are killed by shrapnel\, by artillery\, by mortars.\n\n♪♪ After the Battle of the Somme\, when there's been something like 420\,000 casualties \, a significant number of those\, maybe 50\,000 to 60\,000\, would be she ll shock.\n\nSo it's not only a medical problem\, it's also a military pro blem because this is a war of attrition and\, if you're losing large numbe rs of men to battle exhaustion\, to psychiatric breakdown\, and you're not able to treat them\, then it's eroding your fighting strength.\n\n-So\, i n the treatment of combat fatigue\, when do they start looking at drugs?\n \nWhen do they start looking at pharmacology and Benzedrine?\n\n-Well\, Be nzedrine has been introduced to the UK in 1935\, but as the war gets close r and closer\, senior doctors and commanders recognize that this could hav e a major beneficial\, you know\, use\, in all three services\, in keeping soldiers awake\, alert\, and boosting their morale in times of stress\, s o I think the British army used Benzedrine to keep people awake\, but also to lift spirits.\n\n-So Dr. Jones was very interesting about the use of B enzedrine\, not just as a wakey-wakey pill\, which is what is was sometime s referred to\, but also one that would improve morale\, that would give t hose who took it a sense of kind of well-being and greater physical courag e.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -Jim's Glenside visit has given him crit ical insight.\n\nBy using the drug as a tool to heighten aggression and li ft morale\, Britain is raising the stakes in the pharmacological fight aga inst the Nazis\, who still primarily see amphetamine as a way to offset fa tigue.\n\nBy 1942\, British troops in North Africa are in desperate need o f a morale boost.\n\nThey've retreated across 600 miles of desert\, chased by Germany's renowned Africa Corps\, and are dug in around a tiny trading post: El Alamein.\n\nBut in October\, a feisty new commander\, who is lik ely familiar with the RAF amphetamine tests\, arrives: Bernard Montgomery. \n\nHe is ready to go on the offensive.\n\n-When Montgomery took over\, mo rale in British 8th Army was at rock-bottom and it was one of the things h e realized that he had to turn around\, by the way he was talking.\n\n-I w ant to impress on everyone that the bad times are over.\n\n-And\, you know \, \"There'll be no more retreats\,\" you know\, \"You're really well-equi pped.\n\nWe're gonna smash the Germans and the Italian forces\,\" and tryi ng to give them a greater sense of self-belief.\n\n-We can't stay here ali ve.\n\nThey'll never stay here dead.\n\n-But if there's a pill that could do part of that job for you\, then it's gotta be worth taking.\n\n♪♪ - It's always been a bit of a mystery whether Monty\, himself\, brought Benz edrine to the desert and whether he truly saw it as a morale builder\, but Jim's recently discovered a document from Montgomery's medical officer\, QV Wallace\, which proves orders for Benzedrine came straight from the top .\n\n[ Suspenseful music climbs ] -I've never before seen any direct\, wri tten reference in any official capacity\, to the mass use of Benzedrine\, but Brigadier Wallace's memo absolutely knocks that into touch because the re it is\, absolutely spelled out.\n\nThe troops that were involved in the opening stages of the Battle of Alamein were given Benzedrine\, not just to keep them going\, not just to keep them awake\, but also to give them r esolve\, to give them confidence\, to bolster their morale.\n\n♪♪ -By late 1942\, the Americans still have not put any boots on the ground in th e West\, but they do provide a new tank\, which will give the British a te chnological edge in battles to come.\n\n♪♪ -The Sherman is incredibly important when it comes in.\n\nThey get 300 of them straight into Egypt an d they're kinda tested up and made battle-ready.\n\nAt the time\, it is th e best tank on the battlefield.\n\nYou know\, it's got this incredibly acc urate gun.\n\nIt's pretty well-armored.\n\nIt's very easy to maintain.\n\n This is a very good tank\, which is now entering battle on the British sid e.\n\n-Just like long-range bombers\, modern tanks\, like the Sherman\, we re now pushing men to the limits of human endurance\, so how welcome would a pill that could offset these conditions be\, to those who served?\n\nJi m visits an old friend who might be able to help him find out.\n\n♪♪ - Okay\, so Jim Clark is a restorer of wartime military vehicles and he's go t a whole host of stuff.\n\nHe's got Jeeps\; he's got trucks.\n\nBut he's also got a Sherman tank.\n\n♪♪ So Jim\, one of the things I'm trying t o find out a bit is\, I mean\, obviously you know\, when you're in a tank\ , you're gonna get shot at and that's quite traumatic\, but the other thin g I'm quite interested in is just what it's like\, sort of existing and op erating in these tanks 'cause -Yeah.\n\n-it's a confined space.\n\nYou kno w\, man's not really designed for this.\n\nAh!\n\n-All right?\n\n-We're in !\n\n-Right.\n\n[ Engine wheezing ] [ Engine starts ] [ Engine revs ] [ Wh imsical tune plays ] ♪♪ -It's not an environment that is comfortable\, in any shape or form.\n\n♪♪ The smell of the fumes was immense.\n\nVe ry quickly\, you start to kind of catch your throat.\n\nOh\, dear\, I gott a say\, the amount of dust is incredible!\n\n-The fan that cools the engin e -Yeah.\n\ndraws the air in through the crew compartment.\n\n-it gets dra wn over you\, -[Laughs] -so you get covered in it.\n\n♪♪ -If I'm feeli ng this amount of grit going into my eyes and up my nose\, just from going down a short stretch of track in the middle of winter in England\, what's it gonna be like in the desert?\n\nIt must've just been absolutely imposs ible.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -\"Tank men\,\" wrote one veteran\, \ "fought their war in an enclosed\, suffocating\, noisy metal box\, fearful of being struck and burned alive by an enemy they could not see.\"\n\n[ E xplosion ] [ Explosions ] ♪♪ -You really do get a feel of how physical ly draining it must be to just operate one of these things.\n\n♪♪ So\, you can see\, can't you\, the stress and strain -Yeah.\n\n-of doing that? \n\nYou know\, quite apart from the fact that you're\, almost on a daily b asis\, been in battle.\n\n-Yeah.\n\nThe toll of fightin' all day long and then no proper sleep\, no rest.\n\nUm -- Even if you're sleeping at night\ , there's probably shelling goin' on\, so you probably didn't have much de cent rest.\n\n[ Gunfire ] -[laughing] And this is just stuffed full of hig hly explosive material.\n\n-Yeah.\n\nIn the turret basket\, I think there' s about 15 or rounds.\n\nThere's probably 20 or 30 on each side.\n\n-Yeah\ , it's a good number.\n\n-Yeah\, a good number\, yeah.\n\nThen\, there was .50-cal rounds in the base.\n\nThen\, you got your 160 gallons of fuel.\n \nLike a mobile bomb\, basically.\n\n[ Explosion ] ♪♪ -At El Alamein\, the British 24th Armoured Tank Brigade is given the job of punching throu gh German defenses.\n\nAs the Wallace memo makes clear\, on the eve of the attack\, each man is given a huge dose of Benzedrine: 20 milligrams per d ay\, twice he amount recommended to RAF pilots.\n\n-I know that the 24th A rmoured Brigade were issued with Benzedrine because he wanted them to keep going.\n\nYou know\, what he said was the first bit of the battle was gon na be the dogfight.\n\nIt was gonna be the grinding\, attritional battle\, and\, for that grinding\, attritional battle\, he wanted his men to keep going.\n\n[ Explosions ] -Unlike modern pills\, Benzedrine tablets in '42 have no slow-release coating.\n\nThe full dose will hit all at once.\n\nFo r some soldiers\, alertness and euphoria will give way to a false sense of power.\n\n♪♪ In the coming days\, the men of the 24th will prove exce edingly aggressive\, fatally so.\n\nBecause\, for crewmen of either side\, the use of amphetamine will do more than make them more alert.\n\nIt may suppress a natural reaction in combat: fear.\n\n-Fear is about self-preser vation.\n\nYou're scared because you don't want to die.\n\nIf you take tha t away and you sort of don't care quite so much\, you're not quite so care ful.\n\nThe problem of being charged up on Benzedrine is that your ability to make rational decisions and that normal preservation instinct which ki cks in as a result of fear might be absent if you're absolutely pumped on speed.\n\n[ Suspenseful chord strikes ] ♪♪ -Even with their new Sherma ns\, hopped-up British soldiers face an array of lethal German anti-tank g uns.\n\n[ Blast ] [ Explosion ] -What the Germans have is the infamous 88- millimeter\, which is a dual-purpose antiaircraft gun.\n\nThis is somethin g that can hurl a shell 24\,000 feet\, vertically\, into the air and can a lso be used as an anti-tank gun on a horizontal position\, straight at som ething\, and this is firing at 2\,900 feet per second.\n\n♪♪ -If their judgment was impaired by high doses of Benzedrine\, what kind of fate awa ited them?\n\nJim's visiting a military explosives range for a demonstrati on.\n\n♪♪ Trevor Lawrence runs the COTEC live-fire range on Salisbury Plain\, where they test all new ordinance for the British military.\n\n-Tr evor Lawrence had been there\, seen that\, done it.\n\nI mean\, you know\, this is a guy who's been clearing mines\, clearing IEDs\, you know\, expl osives\, in Northern Ireland during the\, kind of\, height of the Troubles but he also served in\, you know\, Bosnia during the civil war there\; an d in Iraq\, so\, you know\, he knew a thing or two about explosives.\n\nSo \, Trevor\, what we're trying to replicate is the first Sherman tanks.\n\n They're arriving.\n\nThey're in action at the Battle of Alamein in Egypt i n October 1942 and they're under attack from German anti-tank guns\, eithe r the 75-millimeter Pak 40\, or the 88-millimeter.\n\nAnd what we want to do is replicate what it would be like being in that tank\, if you were hit by one of those shells.\n\n-O-kay.\n\n♪♪ I've arranged a metal framew ork.\n\n-Yep.\n\n-What we're gonna attach to that is a sheet of armored st eel and that's the sort of steel that you would've seen on a Sherman tank. \n\nNow\, rather than actually firing a hardened steel projectile into it\ , what I'm going to do is I'm going to attach an explosive charge to the p late here.\n\n-So\, for all purposes\, Trevor\, that is an 88-millimeter a nti-tank round?\n\n-Absolutely.\n\nAs the shock wave runs through the expl osive\, where it hits the plate\, it will produce the same sort of force t hat you'd get from a kinetic energy round striking the plate.\n\n-Wow.\n\n Okay.\n\nAnd can we put anything behind here\, so you can see\, actually\, the effect of falling shrapnel?\n\n♪♪ -Well\, here comes the tank cre w.\n\n-Here they are\, and little do they know the fate that awaits them.\ n\nWe can put some dummies close to it.\n\n-These are our tank crew.\n\n-C lose in the tank crew\, but also to get a better idea of what fragmentatio n we've got\, what we tend to use is a sheet of aluminium and the fragment ation that's falling will go through\, punch holes in that\, and it'll giv e us a good idea of just how much has been produced.\n\n-Wow\, that sounds amazing.\n\n[ Birds chirping ] -At Alamein\, imperceptible desert ridges often concealed German 88s.\n\nIf Benzedrine led British tank crews to aba ndon caution and charge recklessly into hidden enemy guns\, the results wo uld've been devastating.\n\n-Go ahead.\n\n-Stand by.\n\n[ Birds chirping ] -Three\, two\, one.\n\nFiring.\n\n[ Explosions ] -Whoa!\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Oh\, my goodness\, me.\n\nLook at that!\n\n-It does not loo k very well for our driver\, does it?\n\n-No\, it doesn't.\n\nOuch.\n\ n♪♪ So\, really interesting\, when we got there\, we had a look at it. \n\nYou could see that it was just this little kind of marble\, small\, li ttle kind of circle where it had actually punched all the way through\, bu t then\, you look on the reverse side.\n\nOh\, my goodness\, me.\n\nSo a h uge bit of metal has just disintegrated and it's just shattered.\n\n-There we go.\n\n-Oh\, my god!\n\n-Right in the center of the chest.\n\n-And loo k at all these.\n\n-But also\, look at\, see all this other fragmentation. \n\n-On the head.\n\n-'Cause\, although it's come off in one big scab\, it 's also sent all these other\, smaller fragments out.\n\n[ Melancholy tune plays ] -Both of them had been absolutely covered with little splinter ma rks all over\, each one of which could've been entirely lethal.\n\nThat's just the -- -That's just the blast has just smashed his chest in.\n\n-Shra pnel melted onto the aluminium\, and you can just imagine your crew member \, behind these two\, all into me\, into the shells.\n\n-Oh\, it would be impossible to survive.\n\nAbsolutely impossible.\n\n-I've interviewed so m any people that have been in this situation\, that have been in tanks\, ha ve served in tanks.\n\n♪♪ What I never fully appreciated was the press ure blast from the force of a shell like that hitting another and penetrat ing and transferring that huge force into the confined space of a tank.\n\ nIf you're in an environment like a tank\, that shrapnel that's falling wo uld've just pinged all around here and you think about all that ordinance we've just been talking about.\n\n-Yeah.\n\nYou know\, it's only got one o f those that's gotta penetrate one of the propellant charges on one of tho se shells and it's you're in big trouble\, -Yeah.\n\n-aren't you?\n\n[ Rum bling ] -Having taken huge doses of Benzedrine\, the 24th Armoured Brigade sets out for battle.\n\n♪♪ With new Sherman tanks leading the way\, t roops exhibit hyperaggressive behavior some historians attribute to the dr ug.\n\n♪♪ By battle's end\, the brigade suffers 80% casualties and cea ses to exist.\n\n♪♪ -By the end of it\, they're absolutely shattered.\ n\nWhere's the escape hatch?\n\nOh\, there.\n\n-There\, yeah.\n\n-Jesus.\n \n-But you've got seconds to do it.\n\nIf you think -Yeah.\n\n-you may be on fire and maybe your crew members are also in agony and you [indistinct] to save them or save yourself.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n♪♪ -Yeah\, you know\, it' s -- [sigh] There's protection here\, to a point\, but\, I don't really wa nna be in a tank crew.\n\n-No.\n\nIt is sad.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n♪♪ -So\, can you see if someone's -- If the medical officer of the regiment said\, \"L ook\, here you go.\n\nHere's a Benzedrine pill.\n\nThis will keep you goin g\,\" you'd be quite tempted to take that?\n\n-Yeah.\n\nI think\, if it wo rks\, I think I'd be well up for it.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] ♪♪ -On November 8\, 1942\, a month after Alamein\, American GIs finally ente r ground combat in North Africa.\n\n[ Blasting ] [ Explosion ] [ Gunshot z ips ] They carry with them packets of Benzedrine.\n\n[ Blast ] After the B ritish victory at Alamein\, US General Dwight Eisenhower orders some half- million tablets for American troops.\n\n♪♪ But\, just as the Allies ar e doubling down on speed\, the Nazis are reconsidering its use.\n\nIronica lly\, Hitler's Reich health leader has concerns about the addictive nature and dangerous side effects of amphetamine and\, although German soldiers will continue to use it sporadically\, the drug is severely restricted\, e specially for civilian use.\n\nStill\, Hitler's infatuation with science a nd technology remains strong.\n\n[ Birds chirping ] [ Melancholy tune play s ] By late '44\, with his navy in tatters\, the Fuehrer looks to a bizarr e wonder weapon\, that\, with the help of amphetamines\, might turn the ti de.\n\n♪♪ In the end\, Jim returns to Germany\, to visit the site of o ne of the first Nazi concentration camps.\n\n♪♪ -In November 1944\, so me 40\,000 men are stuck in this camp.\n\n-What's it designed for?\n\n-10\ ,000?\n\n-Okay\, so four times more than there should've been.\n\n-Four ti mes more.\n\n♪♪ Germany had lost the war -Of course.\n\n-already and t he sphere of influence of the German navy was reduced to the Baltic Sea.\n \nEverything else was controlled by the British.\n\nSo these small submari nes were constructed\, mainly for espionage.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -In addition to espionage\, Hitler's minisubs were also equipped with si ngle torpedoes\, designed to sink Allied ships moving supplies and troops across the English Channel.\n\n-They were very small.\n\nOnly one or two s oldiers could sit in it and they have to sit there for 48 hours\, without sleeping\, without getting up\, without anything\, so they needed a drug t o keep them awake for that time.\n\n-God!\n\nIt's just unimaginable\, isn' t it?\n\nSo you need this drug to keep you going and to keep\, but also pr esumably to keep your spirits up as well.\n\n-Yeah.\n\nThey were testing d ifferent drugs and comparing it\, wanting to find out which drug keeps the people awake for the longest time with the smallest side effects.\n\nThis is the secret report on the experiments and this gives the four different substances: A\, B\, C\, D. The first is cocaine\, [speaking German] in di fferent doses.\n\nSecond is cocaine in chewing gum.\n\nPervitin in a chewi ng gum.\n\n-But 100 milligrams\, I mean\, that's a huge dose!\n\n-Yeah.\n\ nIt's a huge dose\, indeed.\n\nThe men must have been completely stoned.\n \n100 milligrams is really a lot.\n\n-I mean\, can you imagine it?\n\nYou know.\n\nYou're a young member of the German navy\, you've been singled ou t to man one of these submarines.\n\nYou're chewing on gum that has been l aced with cocaine and methamphetamines.\n\nI mean\, we're talking crystal meth\, here\, and you're chewing away on this thing in this tiny\, tight l ittle cockpit\, and\, you know\, you're high on speed.\n\nI mean\, it's ju st\, it's insane.\n\nI mean\, it is absolutely insane.\n\n-To test the sti mulants\, the German navy decides to force Sachsenhausen prisoners to take the drugs and then carry sacks of rocks around the camp's infamous shoe t rack.\n\n-So this is the testing track.\n\nIt was.\n\n-This one\, here?\n\ n-This\, here.\n\nIt was once around the roll call area and it was covered with different materials.\n\nSo here you would have sand\, the next one i s concrete\, small gravel.\n\nAnd the reason for setting it up was the tes ting of artificial leather.\n\n♪♪ Germany did not have leather\; they always imported leather -Right.\n\n-and\, when they started the war\, [lau ghing] nobody wanted to sell them leather\, so they ordered companies to d evelop artificial -- -Fake leather.\n\n-Artificial leather\, yeah.\n\n-God \, it's absolutely fascinating.\n\nI had no idea.\n\n-And it's quite hard to walk on here\, isn't it?\n\n-It is\, yeah.\n\n-If you have to march\, i t's not so easy.\n\n[ Melancholy tune plays ] Sachsenhausen was designed b y an architect and the architect wanted to give a message with the archite cture of the camp.\n\nWith the one tower as the highest point\, every morn ing\, the prisoners had to stand on the roll call area\, being counted\, a nd\, up here\, there was a huge machine gun.\n\nFor the prisoners down the re\, looking into the eye of this machine gun up here\, the message was\, \"You're completely in our hands.\n\nYou're completely helpless and we can do whatever we want.\"\n\n[ Buzzing ] -I mean\, it's doing exactly what i t's designed to do.\n\nI mean\, you can feel it\, even just standing up he re.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n♪♪ -What a grim place.\n\n♪♪ -After the minisubs fail and his army falters\, Hitler\, who may himself have been addicted to drugs by war's end\, takes his own life.\n\nLuftwaffe commander and heroi n addict Hermann Goering does the same.\n\n[ Rattling ] But Benzedrine and Pervitin live on.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -During the Second World War\, one of the things that it certainly does do is it familiarizes hund reds of thousands of individuals with a drug that perhaps they otherwise w ouldn't have used.\n\nSo it sort of normalizes the use of that drug and it sort of reinforces its position as a useful tool.\n\n♪♪ -By the 1950s \, amphetamines are being marketed as a diet pill and mood enhancer.\n\nBe nnie inhalers are offered on airplane menus.\n\nCelebrities\, ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Jack Kerouac\, are avid users.\n\nSoon\, millions are a busing speed\, in what is now considered America's first prescription-drug epidemic.\n\n[ Applause ] One likely user is a young combat vet from Mass achusetts\, named John F. Kennedy.\n\n-Picking this country of ours up and sending it into the '60s.\n\n[ Cheering ] -When I first embarked on this investigation\, I was a bit scandalized that so much speed was taken durin g the Second World War and how outrageous that was.\n\n-World War II milit ary leaders saw amphetamines as simply another technological tool\, like r ockets and radar\, tools that changed the world forever.\n\n-For us\, in t he 21st century\, drugs are bad\, amphetamines are bad.\n\nSpeed is a dodg y word.\n\nYou've got to see this in the light of the 1930s and the 1940s. \n\nWorld War II takes place over six years.\n\nA lot is being expected of the young men [ Gunshots ] of the major combatant nations\, and\, is it a ny wonder\, in this life-and-death struggle for the future of the world\, that people are going to be looking at drugs that can keep people awake\, that can keep morale improved?\n\nIt's absolutely no wonder at all.\n\n[ S uspenseful music climbs\, chords striking ]\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic /12353-with-the-heritage-of-meth-drug-dealing-in-the-usa-from-the-1940s-wa s-its-current-potency-in-modernity-an-inevitability/#findComment-79703\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n osted just now\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n \n\n I wonder what goes through peop le's minds when they first try drugs like Meth or Crack.\n\n What are they thinking....that THEY won't be addicted?\n\n\n\n why didn't you mention c ocaine? crack is merely cheap cocaine? crack is like those dollar beers fi scally poor people drink at times\, it isn't 100 proof vodka \, far from i t but it does have alcohol in it. \n\n\n\n Cocaine is more potent than cr ack and cocaine mountains have always existed downtown manhatten in white offices and homes of the upper or lower rich and upper poor whites. What a re white people thinking? \n\n\n\n I find it interesting you singled out meth and crack but didn't mention opium which is where the opiods from fro m\, or cocaine where the crack comes from? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n \n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n German soldiers high as a k ite were able to brave the elements &\; sleep deprivation in order to f ight &\; felt nothing when they were killed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n don't e xaggerate\, \"felt nothing when they were killed\" next you will say\, the y ate things that made a billy goat puke . no need for all of that\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Ovet the past 50+ years\, drugs b oth legal &\; illegal has been the most profitable war waged against hu mans.\n\n\n\n In my view the most profitable enterprise is enslavement. Th e key today post jim crow is how enslavement has been finessed into ways\, the days of crude\, shackle on the throat enslavement is rare to see in t he wealhy countries of the world\, but slavery is still king for me. \n\n \n\n Interesting you worded it\, war waged against humans... may I know wh o waged said war against humans? don't say the martians.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Look at how many people are addicted to Red Bull and those Monster drinks.\n\n Now th ey're guzzling down those 5 hour energy shot which are straight up drugs i n my opinion.\n\n ...cocaine in a bottle.\n\n\n\n lets add gambling\, let' s not limit addiction to substanced\, i argue gambling is far more potent\ , if you consider how many people play the lotto in humanity\, i am speaki ng of the lotto exists in every country with money\, think about that: ind ia/china/russia/usa/england/australia/brazil\, every country has lotto or similar forms of gambling\, that use of wealth that goes nowhere but to th e tables pockets\, alot of drugs get daily use and not just powders and el ixers.\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Fo llow the money. The economy is fueled by all types of drugs and the condit ions\, industries &\; jobs created by demand for it including law enfor cement\, judicial\, hospitals &\; prisons.\n\n\n\n well said and I may add\, this goes back to the end of the enslavement era in the usa\, 1865. and back to the issue of bankruptcy and financial failure. \n\n\n\n All w hite wealth in the usa stems from cheating in the marketplace not penalize d in contracts /illegalities not penalized in the courtroom/crimes legally allowed. This is financial fact. So it makes sense that any crime legally allowed\, like drugging people\, or illegalities not taken to courtroom l ike burning black towns and assaulting black people\, will have its versio ns in the future. OR lastly but very important in the modern\, many whites are able to benefit from the wealth gained by their bloodline in the past through various illegalities or criminalities that in modernity are inher itances\, which non blacks similarly never or rarely have.  BUT\, my thou ghts go to the black populace in the usa. \n\n\n\n The relation is simple \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What is black wealth over time in the usa?\n\n\n\n Bla ck labor[education or time]+ Black drive[ambition]+ black inheritance[pare nts or community financing\, mostly nonexistent until the 1980s]+Black net working[ connections to those black with wealth]\n\n\n\n What is white wea lth over time in the usa? \n\n\n\n white inheritance[ existent since 1492 through all means of criminal or illegal behavior]+ White education[labor or time]+White drive[ambition]+White networking[ connection to whites wit h wealth\, ala ivy league schools original purpose]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Bla ck wealth over time in the usa by those elements can never be greater than white wealth over time unless one thing happens\, white inheritance has t o reduce tremendously. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n With that it invalidates black people who mention black wealth in the usa\, because I don't see the numb ers add up. White networking has hundreds of years of advantage over black networking which whites wouldn't allow till the very late 1900s.  White inheritance has hundreds of years of advantage over black inheritance whic h whites wouldn't allow till the very late 1900s. so... I don't see how th e numbers add up for black people in the usa who talk of financial leaping when the white neighbor has a huge advantage built by their forebears at the detriment to our own over centuries. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\ n\n\n   2 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Now you have to go to a W hole Foods or GNC or some independent health food store to get the real st uff that actually works or that is potent.\n\n\n\n the answer is grow your own\, but again\, who stole or took black peoples land int the usa or the colonies that preceded it for hundreds of years... The sad thing about DO Sers in particular is we all know if we know anything about our bloodlines history that whites took advantage of us. took land by all sorts of  mea ns from our forebears\, to  make sure we today didn't have land to be inh erited. and then now in 2026\, after white people took land our forebears could had given us over and over again over centuries\, we are supposed ju st magically acquire land absent any inheritance what so ever. magically g ain wealth absent any inheritance. magically just financially come up with gold. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12353-with-the-heritage-of-meth-drug-dealing-in -the-usa-from-the-1940s-was-its-current-potency-in-modernity-an-inevitabil ity/#findComment-79734\n\n\n\n ted just now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n    3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n street drug\n\n\n\n yeah drug\, i will love for black people to say suburban drug\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n You must have read that post in betwe en your visits to the blood bank to make your hourly deposit....lol.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n in for a penny\, in for a pound\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, P ioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n However gambling usually doesn't pose a danger to o thers outside of those who are participating....usually.\n\n\n\n no pionee r\, deeper research\n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n You rarely hear about gambling addicts trying to rob a store or selling their children to support their habits.\n\n\n\n yeah in the same way you rarely hear about white priest crimes or white welfare recipient violence or... well\, white opiod addiction not too long ago... when white people commit crimes\, most in the usa rarely hear anything about it. but you got to hav e money to gamble\, people of color historically don't have that.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250123 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Tiktok and Fanbase january 24th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250124T061952Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:158-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Tiktok and Fanbase january 24th 2025\n\n\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/topic/11431-tiktok-service-restored-ban-suspended/#findComment-71 288\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IF YOU DONT WANT TO CLICK THE LINK ABOVE\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n   On 1/19/2025 at 5:42 PM\, Pio neer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n I didn't know it was owned by the Chinese gov ernment.\n\n \n\n Why did our government even ALLOW it's citizens to h ave access to it in the first place if they considered it such a threat?\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n tiktok was never owned by the chinese government\ , the firm that owns it in china is bytedance. The issue with china is the chinese constitution which is not in its first iteration but fourth\, spe cifically gives\, from the first iteration\,  the chinese government cont rol over any firm for the interest of china. This stems from the china bei ng split into parts by outsiders including the usa before mao. No firm doi ng business in china or based in china is about the chinese government\, i t is their law\, from their first constitution and has survived each const itutional restructuring. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The reason is simple\, most foreign websites simply don't do well. If you look at the internet all the major english speaking websites are from the usa\, france/germany/uk/russ ia have all tried but the english market is dominated by usa websites unti l bytedance took their short video social media service\, duayin [bad angl icized spelling] and made tiktok. Then the implications hit the usa govern ment. The funny thing is\, in parallel\, the chinese government by its own law\, can never allow a firm to do business in china that doesn't have a security arrangement with the government of china. \n\n\n\n Remember the usa federal government from its very infancy was never designed to be proa ctive. Rememeber\, the articles of confederation was the first idea\, and that was merely a militaristic function and nothing more at the federal le vel. Yes\, the constitution gives the executive branch powers\, but from t he cia/fbi to executive order usa growth\, to the expansion of the federal military and the expansion of powers to the president under national secu rity or others\, the federal government has grown beyond what it was inten ded. The idea was the governments of the states would be strong and the fe deral government would be this military protector to them. The federal gov ernment of the usa was never designed to be a centralized authority\, like the chinese government from mao. Outside of military affairs the usa fede ral government is very reactionary\, meaning let problems occur in the mar ket and then fix them.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n \n   On 1/21/20 25 at 12:03 AM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n TikTok is for children\;\n \n \n\n\n\n  Tiktok is for adults. It has the best numbers for youth amon g the big websites\, especially in the usa but tiktok is heavily used by a dults to.\n\n\n\n From my point of view\, it is what twitter is to bloggin g. The short video si what youtube never was able to implement correct. Ti ktok got it correct and the algorithm tkiktok uses is key.I know quite a f ew artists \, adult artists of various genres on there. Email newsletters is the way\n\n\n\n do you want a follow on fanbase? tell me how the migrat ion goes for you\, i have far less tiktok content\n\n\n\n  rmemeber when facebook went down for a day.. this is the modern reality\, people who hav e their money or their lives tied into the esocial services such that thei r pausal is devastating\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n   On 1/21/2025 at 12: 20 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Grown azz influencers were whining about losing income if TikTok went dark.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n I saac Hayes III created Fanbase which is a black-owned alternative to Tik Tok.\n \n \n\n\n\n whining:) the influencer industry is a multimillion do llar industry:) I wonder why you use the word whining?\n\n\n\n Ahhh the \ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I am late so all his talk of early is wasted \n\n\n\n ht tps://www.fanbase.app/@RMfanbase\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n UPDATES\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Fanbase has audio rooms\n\n\n\n https://www.fanbase.app/audio/room2_a 0e97793-0be3-45ae-bb56-d51802db3eb9\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and Tiktok now has been sold to a private set of investors in a private contract\, with Oracl e of Austin Texas\, who handle networks for CIA+FBA+NSA+others handling so me data storage systems. But the full details I don'tknow. \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n 1/24/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/12355-black-owned-online-social-media-websites-future-what-is-their-f uture/#findComment-79623\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD  \n\n\n\n   4 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Producing a Black-owned social media website is relatively easy. Getting Black foks to use it is the bigger challenge.\n\n\n\n really? \n\n\n\n monthly rent for hosting d ata\, data transmisions\, cost more than a dollar? if the site becomes pop ular you have to support that popularity with more expensive backend.\n\n\ n\n the likes of facebook and tiktok have huge silos or network systems al l over the world to simulate instantaneous use\, that is easy? the money t o get that is easy? \n\n\n\n ok\, i don't think it is easy at all. \n\n\ n\n And\, considering how many websites have failed\n\n\n\n @Troy what pe rcent of websites have succeeded that have been made since the 1990s in th e internet? I say less than one hundreth of a percent.  I think that prov es getting anyone to use a website is a challenge. Which makes sense to me . A website has to have a function. Tiktok does short videos. youtube does long videos. twitter does bylines. facebook is where whole clans are conn ected online. instagram does photos. google is a search engine. Each major website serves a strict function. yes\, you have niche players\, like a t umblr/aalbc/deviantart that all serve specific or more detailed functions. yahoo search is still active. but I think most websites are failures so I don't see why most black websites being failures is anamolistic? \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   3 hours ago\, Pioneer1 sai d:\n\n\n\n I've said time and time again that one of the problems a lot of our people...especially a lot of women....have with this site is that the re is too much personal freedom to post and say what you like with very li ttle moderation.\n\n Troy is very light handed when it comes to being a mo derator.\n\n \n\n Conventional wisdom would say that having the freedom to post your opinions freely is a good thing that would attract people by th e thousands.\n\n A true expression of freedom of speech and thought.\n\n \ n\n However because of the angry and vindictive nature of a lot of our peo ple\, this produces the opposite effect.\n\n \n\n People like to be able t o get you in trouble.\n\n They like to get your posts deleted or even get you blocked/banned if you say something they don't like.\n\n You see it al l over social media where you come on a channel or show and you say someth ing the crowd doesn't like or agree with....instead of ignoring you or tol erating you....they alert the moderators and tell them to block or ban you .\n\n It's the culture now.\n\n A culture of intolerance.\n\n \n\n Those s ame people get mad as hell for being blocked for expressing THEIR opinion on a matter\, but they'll then turn around and insist that it's fair and d emand the same punishment for other of a differing opinion.\n\n This is th e very juvenile and extreme thinking of a lot of people.\n\n \n\n So a sit e where they can't run and tattle tale to a mod or point the finger at som ebody and make them vanish isn't very attractive to them.\n\n \n\n Some of the things you and I have said on this site....we would have been banned our first WEEK on Lipstick Alley\, lol.\n\n \n\n \n\n Plus....let's keep i t real.....\n\n \n\n A lot of our people don't like sites where Black men are in charge.\n\n Going back to our sistaz again.\n\n Some of our sistaz don't like spaces where the ultimate authority is a Black man.\n\n They'll accept it from a White man or even another Black woman\, but the idea of a Black man holding power over what goes on or who goes and who stays....t hey don't like.\n\n \n\n I've known some who didn't want to even WORK for a Black man.\n\n Nearly all of them had daddy issues.\n\n But the very ide a that a Black man signed their pay check and told them what to do and cou ld punish them\, they didn't like at all.\n\n They were so used to dissing Black men growing up and telling them to kiss their ass....for a brutha t o have that type of authority didn't sit well with them.\n\n \n\n I know w hat I'm saying may sound extra\, but it's the real deal when it comes to w hy the traffic on this and other Black ran sites are often light.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I am paraphrasing the mariner from the film w aterworld\, \"I have traveled farther than most online and I have never se en a websites failure based on anything but its effectiveness\" \n\n\n\n In my travels\, I have seen a number of chinese websites fail\, japanese w ebsites fail\, french websites fail\, brasilian websites fail. usa website s fail.  What they each have in common is not some demographic group hurt ing them\, but each failed or has failures or has become niche because the function they served another website served better or more robustly. \n\ n\n\n When I look at black owned websites online.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n First and foremost I can't recall one black owned website that had a technologi cal edge or focus. \n\n\n\n Youtube emphasized videos. Tiktok short video s. Google search. Neither was the first to do it. Other websites before yo utube did videos but they didn't emphasize the technology\, the investment was small\, it was more toy than function. Tiktok the same. youtube liter ally did a short video service three years before tiktok\, it failed and y outube shut it. Now youtube has shorts in response to tiktok\, but what is the point. Tiktok invested in short video in a scale that gave it an edge or focus. Google wasn't the first search engine but again they focused on it\, gave it an edge that others didn't. When I look at Yahoo for example \, which started as a web directory. Yahoo's great flaw  in their financi al history was that they gave up on web directories. they assumed falsely\ , that the growth of the internet would make a directory unfeasible but I think they were wrong. I argue the internet could use a great web director y. And then yahoo led in email but again\, didn't implement email's better over time. \n\n\n\n Blackplanet never had a technological edge\, its who le selling point was a place for black people but it didn't offer a techno logical edge. So most black people looking to make videos went to youtube. Wanting a search used google. Sharing photos on the phones used instagram . \n\n\n\n Chatgpt\, right? it is the llm use. Technological edge first a nd foremost leads people to anywebsite and for all the black engineers who are lauded in media for graduating from MIT or working for Goldman Sachs \, I don't see any of them with any websites ideas. \n\n\n\n And yes\, te ch cost money on the backend\, but again\, this isn't 1926\, 2000 wasn't 1 900\, some black people were billionaires so....no excuse.\n\n\n\n AALBC d oesn't have a technological tool that isn't present anywhere else\, if it did\, that would help. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Second\, when I look at the in ternet and websites that are communally driven\, most work because the cul ture of the particular peoples is out the sphere of anglo media. Meaning w hat? Overdrive was supposed to be France's answer to the social media\, bu t most people in france went to facebook/instagram/twitter? why? is it bec ause white people in france don't like themselves. No\, it is \, because t he way they communicate wasn't different enough\, their culture wasn't dif ferent enough than what was offered in anglo media.  Black owned websites offer the same reality. Black people's culture or communication fits well enough in the anglo websites to exist. But if you are japanese/chinese wh o tend to have cultural websites because they have cultures/communication that doesn't fit the anglo internet as well. India doesn't have one major website\, and how many firms in the usa have indians all through them? why . because indians are usually anglophiles\, who culturally fit well into a nglo media. Indian or French websites aren't being hindered by the women i n their community \, their online populace simply fits well enough in angl o websites and it makes all of their websites niche\, like aalbc. I have t ried to find a black populace that needs an outlet\, that would help aalbc to serve a particular black populace. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Third\, userba ses\, Cristiano ronaldo is the most followed person online\, he gets paid by websites for his presence. And why do the websites pay\, because his pr esence brings users\, and the greater the userbase\, the greater the ad re venue\, the greater the userbase\, the greater the views to posts in gener al. AALBC hosts black authors\, who are barely in the forum. If Troy paid them they would be more\, as in the big websites who pay millions to peopl e like barrack obama to be active on their websites\, which helps their us erbase. Now\, AALBC as a niche website doesn't have to do that. But that i s the reality. Tiktok/Facebook/Instagram/Youtube/twitter/even schrumpfs tr uth social  all have big users who attract casual users. That is reality. It is uneven to ask AALBC or specifically Troy to pay people to engage. A nd you see this all over the internet. It isn't something rare.  So\, the userbase of AALBC absent attractors has limits of growth.If Beyonce+ Opra h+Neymar + Paul Kagame were on AALBC\, I think this website would have a h uge increase in usage. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, I don't see any blame in black women for AALBC's usage or lack thereof. I commend Troy for maintain ing this large rent. As most people who own a restaurant will tell you\, I am not doing this for the money\, I am doing this cause I love it. \n\n\ n\n But if AALBC could find a technological edge. If aalbc could reach a p articular black populace whose culture was away from the anglophone\, and needed particular attention. if AALBC could afford to pay for big attracto rs. That would change the volume\, not necessarily quality\, of activity o n the website in a positive way. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Troy \n\n\n\n Inte resting\, how pervasive is lurking online? I see in discord many talk of l urkers. how many lurk online?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12355-black-owned-online-s ocial-media-websites-future-what-is-their-future/#findComment-79700\n\n\n\ n osted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n F*cebook was started by a teenager in a college dormitory.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n M*crosoft was started by a college dropout.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Apple was started by a marketing wizard &\; his friend who was a wiz with electronics.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Y*hoo &\; G**gle were started by nerds in silicon valley.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sure\, these companies have gr own into sprawling behemoths but they came from the proverbial mustard see d.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IMO\, Black folks have the aptitude to invent things . Too few lack the entrepreneurial spirit. Seems easier to trade labor for wages.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Filo + Musk who started yahoo are the on ly ones from truly financially humble beginnings. And\, to be even\, they got lucky. Again\, less than 1% of all websites failed. So\, the entrepren eurial spirit you are talking about failed many non blacks. so.. your argu ment on the whole is unfounded but... I continue\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Zucker burgs father offered his son a mcdonald's franchise \, how many black pare nts can do that or euqivalent for their children? please don't say it is c ommon for black parents to offer the next generation wealth. \n\n\n\n Gat es parents have always been on the boards of big companies\, how many blac k parents are on the boards of large companies while their children are in high school? please don't say it is common. And don't insult black histor y\, again\, black people have been blockaded from financial wealth by whit es in the usa from1 492 to 1980 nearest holistically. \n\n\n\n Jobs fathe r is from a fiscally wealthy syrian family. wozniak's father was an engine er for lockheed. Please don't say that they are financially common. \n\n\ n\n Page and BRin for Google had well connected and well off parents. work ing as engineers for nasa or colleges in the usa. How many black engineers have not been accepted at Nasa? that had every single thing a white engin eer did. Nasa is a great job for an engineer. You are connecting with big financial channels. \n\n\n\n All of them through their relatives or commu nities\, many are white jews or have white jewish background which has a f inancial aspect to it\, some are simply nepo babies\, that have money or a ccess to money\, like Musk\, who is also from a financialy wealth white cl an. \n\n\n\n You mention entrepreneurial spirit but don't mention lack of fiscally capable parents. \n\n\n\n I know few black people have fiscally aiding black parents. I know that. \n\n\n\n it is interesting to me how so many black people in the usa accept white power or white advantage but then in assessing black people\, blame ourselves as if the white people wh o are wealthiest in the usa\, aren't assisted by white power or white adva ntage but simply have the entrepreneurial spirit. It is very imbalanced\, or uneven thinking. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n I give blood to a blood bank\, five times a day. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Troy \n\n\n\n    1 hour ago\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n 90% of social media visitors are lurke rs.  It is probably higher than that on some platforms.  How many of you actually created TicTok or YouTube video for the public but have used the platform.  The number of lurkers here is probably higher than 90% becaus e of some very popular posts generate a lot of traffic. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n I have created youtube or tiktok videos to share my art\, but I am not the biggest user of either platform. There are a few youtubers I like beca use they are informative or interesting in the arts. \n\n\n\n I like Mayo wa's world cause she is a black natural haired woman who has insightful po sitions on black identity\, accented cinema cause he makes great posts on asian cinema. I like shadversity cause they develop weapons and test them and have helped me think on weapons in my own stories. So i admit as an ar tist youtube has some great educational folk. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What ar e your thoughts on what to do about lurkers? any ideas. I comprehend that bots have always been used to augment perceived activity on websites\, fro m the early 1990s.  Thinking on it for a minute\, from bots to paid real members of websites to now the llm identities\, the children of the bots\, so much activity online is augmented... two questions come to mind.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n 1)Of the facebooks/twitter/youtubes/google searches/netflix or other\, how many of them used bots to augment their activity to appear positive? In my mind I begin to wonder\, how many websites failed cause th ey didn't invest in bots\, didn't invest in ways to augment popularity? If you augment popularity even if you aren't making money\, maybe you can ke ep the investments running\, especially in the dot com craze days\, the ea rlier eras of the internet when money flowed to these bleeding firms. \n\ n\n\n 2) what activity online has the least lurkers? I comprehend if one i s online it invites de facto lurking\, at least the possibility.  I guess email\, but I imagine you know\, if not through experience through confer ence with others. \n\n\n\n 3) should black owned websites invested in lur king more ? I remember when beyonce or jay-z had some media thing and it w as found out it had a bunch of bots\, but it seemed so late in the interne t\, like an old style bot drive that white people used ten years earlier?\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cittion\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12355-black-owned-online-social-media-websites -future-what-is-their-future/#findComment-79704\n\n\n\n osted just now\n\ n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The successf ul keep getting back up &\; trying again. \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\,  richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n And had help\, you never mention with the peo ple you call financially successful\, why do you always omit the help they got? \n\n\n\n What is that about?\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n Black folks collectively have enough wealth to invest in business es including  social media platforms.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n really\, again\, i have done economic corners going through the labor numbers white people themselves state\, most people in the usa aren't employed to live on thei r own without subsidy\, and that is all demographics. And then you add the number of black people in prison\, in institutions\, in the military whic h isn't profitable. \n\n\n\n The numbers don't add up to the wealth you s uggest the black populace in the usa has\, let alone any populace. the whi te populace doesn't have the wealth suggested by media. it isn't there. \ n\n\n\n The government gives people money \, that isn't their wealth. If y ou need government subsidy to afford your life you don't have wealth.  \ n\n\n\n You and other blacks keep saying financial lies like this on our p opulace in the usa\, I wonder what your agenda really is. Maybe your not b lack. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Do not continue try ing to tell me how to communicate.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My patience isn't th at long before I become the most rude &\; insulting mf'er you could eve r read.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n if you insult\, i will call you out as an insul ter. I will ask you stop insulting black history if you do it\, every sing le time. I don't give strangers\, which is what you are to me\, demands. I don't know you. I am not trying to know you. We communicate online only. Now having said that\, be the most rude now\, you don't know me. so\, it i s no harm.\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n No more excuses. Billions of dollars go through Black folks hands every year.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n what billions? black prisoners are getting billions\, from who? bla ck people on welfare are getting billions\, from who? black solders are ge tting billions\, from who? \n\n\n\n Numbers don't add up. How many black college graduates have thousand of dollars of student debt they will never be able to pay? who has this billions you are speaking of? \n\n\n\n whit e man says black people are 50 million people in the usa. so for fifty mil lion to make one billion a month is twenty dollars a month. Now\, cut out black children who aren't making any money. White man say twnety seven per cent are children. So fifty million minus thirteen million and five hundre d thousand gets you thrity six million and five hundred. Now white man say s 37% of black people are in prison or in jail in the usa. so... that is e ighteen million and five hundred. so let's subtract eighteen million and f ife hundred from thirty six million and five hundred which is the total bl ack populace minus the kids who aren't making any money. That gets you eig hteen million black people.  Comprehend thirty seven percent + twenty sev en percent is is sixty four percent\, who are children or in jail prison\, so no money. Now white man says one million and three hundred and thirty active soldiers are in the military and seventeen percent are black. so th hat is two hundred and twenty six thousand black folk who are making no mo ney as rank and file\, black generals are making money but their exact num ber i don't know and I will ignore. So that is now seventeen million\, sev en hundred and seventy four thousand. Now white man says twelve percent of black people in the usa are the elderly so between healthcost/rent/food a nd et cetera whether they use it themselves or have singed away their free dom\, willingly or unwillingly \, to a prison called an old folks home. th at is six million so\, seventeen thousand\, seven hundred and seventy four minus six million which is eleven million\, seven hundred and seventy fou r thousand. Now\, white man says\, twenty five percent of black people are on welfare which means they can't financially support themselves without aid from the government. So\, we have from the prior calculations eleven m illion seven hundred and seventy thousand minut twelve million and five hu ndred thousand. which is negative seven hundred and twenty six thusand. \ n\n\n\n If you notice\, between 27% children + 37% in jail+ 12% elderly + 25% welfare that is 101% or one hundred and one part of a hundred\, so wha t does this mean? \n\n\n\n If we hold the same statistics true from white s that black have billions of dollars per year\, it isn't the children\, b lack children earn twenty dollars a month? it isn't the people in prison. Prison labor is real but it is far below market rate\, ala slavery. and mo st prisoners don't work.  it isn't the elders with their costs\, they are looking for constant savings for rent or food or medicine because they do n't have it.  it isn't the soldiers\, soldiers stipend is over twenty dol lars a month. ok\, but taking soldiers out doesn't get the numbers positiv e\, and it is well known many/most soldiers use financial assistance. It o bviously isn't the people on welfare getting assistance. you can't say you earn money when you need assistance to live. the assistance is allowing w hat you earn to be spent other ways\, that means you are in the red and be ing augmented\, like goldman sachs. That isn't wealth.   But then who? A s I have always said\, and who has always existed in the usa\, or the engl ish colonies that preceded it. It is the black one percent. One percent of fifty million is five hundred thousand. Which means each of the five hund red thousand would have to make two thousand a month to get to a billion. yeah\, I can see that. \n\n\n\n The NFL has seventeen hundred athletes \, seventy percent are black. five hundred and thirty seven athletes in the nba. successful musicians like beyonce or jayz\, yeah. The numbers fit now . Black people like you have been saying erroneously\, that somehow the la rger village has billions. No\, children/in jail/elderly/welfare recipient /soldiers. none of the above can say they earn twenty dollars a month. But the black one percent: entertainers[athletes/musicans/pundits/agents]+ th e one percent of black elders with with like black enterprise folk mention + the black one percent of soldiers who are generals or captains with a ni ce bit of wealth+ black one percent of elected officials like Barrack Obam a and company yeah\, they can reach five hundred thousand and each are eas ily making over two thousand a month. Yeah\, your right\, ProfD\, the Blac k one percent is making billions per year. \n\n\n\n So please talk to the m\, but stop lying on the black financially common or impoverished masses.  \n\n\n\n and as was discussed in this very form\, the black one percent are a very financially stringent group\, they don't gamble. they don't ris k their money. they tend to invest with white cause that is safer than inv esting their own. So \, you already know what the black one percent is doi ng with their money. \n\n\n\n So thus ends your points\, cause no body el se black has money. \n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n How m any engineering firms have Black folks started? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n I know percy julian had to fight to get his chemistry firm started i n the 1900s and he couldn't do it in the usa because of white power\, and had to fight constantly for his business to even existeven while in mexico \, by white powers of the usa \, so if you are asking how many black owned engineering firms were started by DOSers when white folks allowed it in t he usa\, circa 1980. I imagine many black engineering firms have been star ted. . I offhand know of a black chipmaker who is in flux\, a black owned chemical firm who went out of business. As the cost of starting a business has always risen this isn't easy.  And white restriction to black empowe rment has never faded away completely. And\, I comprehend your larger poin t\, which is terrible fiscal management. Saturation isn't a wise strategy financially. You accept the odds of business success across racial lines p lus accept white power exists and is real\, though you seem to suggest it is diminished in value today\, which is the nitty gritty\, but this means you  your strategy is over saturation of business startups\, but that is financially irresponsible. As someone who has started a business and faile d\, I don't think black people starting tons of businesses in the usa is c lose to financially warranted and far from wise. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n    1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The village collectively could invest i n its own people. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n village has no money\, black one pe rcent can. if they want to. why don't you ask them\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago \, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I don't believe you realize outside of New York t here are a high number of successful Black people. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ne w york by white mans own account and my own personal observations has more financially wealthy black people in it than any other city in the usa\, b ut that doesn't mean a majority of black people in the black populace of n yc are wealthy\, they are called the one percent. \n\n\n\n And the black one percent exists all throughout the usa\, but again\, that isn't the bla ck populace.\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Successful Bla ck people see things from a different perspective.  One of the biggest ch allenges is getting our people to believe they can do better.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n is that perspective you speak of based on truth or a lie. Belief is n't as important as facts financially. you can't believe money into existe nce\, that is a lie. You can't believe opportunity into existence\, that i s a lie. You can believe in yourself\, but assuming makes an ass out of yo u.\n\n\n\n   1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Understand that because I'm a successful FBA/AfroAmerican man of average intelligence\, I believe other Black folks can do it too. Just a matter of putting in the work.\n\n \n\n in my opinion\, very very few black people doubt black ability\, but black people don't doubt their eyes and the truth in their lives. \n\n\n\ n MAdam CJ walker was one hundred years ago\, the garveyites were older\, black people don't doubt what they can do\, at least the black people I am connected too offline. but the black people i am connected too offline do n't lie either and I don't ask them to lie. Wherever you live\, maybe you want black people to think they can turn water into wine but I don't ask b lack people to do that. \n\n\n\n Positive thinking is one thing \, false belief or lying to the environment your in or the experiences you had is a nother. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1/25/2026\n\n\n\n Citation\n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/12355-black-owned-online-social-media-websites-future-wha t-is-their-future/#findComment-79728\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n sted just now\n\n \n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Enc ouraging Black people to do better does not diminish or insult our history . \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I admit that I am speaking from a life o f comfort. It is easy to say people don't need encouragement when one has always been encouraged\, helped\, supported in their personal life\, by fa mily... not sanguine but family whether blood related or not. I do value e ncouragement less than in the black populace. I think about circa 1865\, w hen african methodist episcopal pastors were preaching encouragements to b lack people to use a nonviolent methodology. And I am against the heritage that created which persists to this day. The episcopal is a pastor\, epis copalians believe in the role and function of the pastor as a guide [this is opposed to the gnostics who believe no one individual can be as knowled geable about the spiritual affairs\, including pastors or popes] anyway\, the methodists believe in a life led by a lifestyle\, the bushido from the people of nippon is a similar idea. when i look at the AME heritage it fi ts. Black person acts as a guide to the black group by preaching persisita nce to a way of life\, in DOSers case\, it is nonviolent participation in the usa\, regardless of white activity and I admit I am sick of hearing it . I think it is dysfunctional. Black people don't need encouragement\, mos t black people need to presented ideas. The black people who spoke at the million man march was the same encouragement nonsense. A bunch of episcoop als of various religions or no religion\, preaching the continuance of the nonviolent method in the usa regardless of the usa or the white people in it.. I am tired of that. \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\ n As I've mentioned before\, billions of dollars pass through Black church es every year.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n From who is my question\n\n\n\n Black ch ildren? no \, black children don't earn billions of dollars.\n\n\n\n Black prisoners? no\, how many prisons even have a chapel these days? \n\n\n\n Black welfare recipients? no\, they don't have income to dispose\, that i s why they are on welfare. They can't pay their standard bills so\, no way .\n\n\n\n Black elders? maybe some\, but how many. I can see the black eld ers who come to the old church in the city every sunday from their home in the suburbs. Quite a few of them\, all over the usa. yeah \, but they are a fraction of black elders\, a definitive minority. But the money is good .  \n\n\n\n Black soldierS? maybe\, i know many soldiers are religious. but soldiers have families\, tend to complain about cost of living. so i c an't imagine too many of them. Definitely\, the officers. but rank and fil e\, no way. \n\n\n\n Then I think about Barrack Obama sitting in that bla ck mega church\, that black guy with a mega church \"walk by faith not by sight\" I recall seeing that somewhere\, made me laugh. \n\n\n\n So\, yea h \, your right\, billions do go through the black churches\, from the bla ck one percent. And the black one percent is like the white one percent\, this isn't the whole \n\n\n\n black populace. At this moment in time\, It isn't that I challenge the presence of billions in the black populace in the usa\, but I challenge its source. It isn't the common black masses\, i t is the black one percent\, the black wealthy. and they are a very small but financially very wealthy populace so... talk to them. \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n It isn't the Black 1% pouring billions i nto churches &\; gross consumerism.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Even enough\, I have made my case. The numbers fit in my case. The black one percent isn't a large populace BUT\, they have the financial scale to make the multitud e of billions per year. It fits them: black officers in the military\, bla ck elders of weallth especially from the black churches\, black entertaine rs \, black elected officials. black business owners with many of them net worked into the other groups. John Starks has one of the biggest dealershi ps in NY metropolitan area but a millionaire black athlete networked with other millionaire black athletes. I forge tthe former detroit piston who o wns a computer programming firm. yeah\, it all fits\, but they are all bla ck one percenters. the black wealthy. And I am 100% black churchs in NYC\, are very tribal. I knwo for a fact that many of them\, network opportunit ies amongst their specific tribes within the black village. I can see the black one percent fueling money into churches. Cause again\, NYC's black c hurches that are standing strong are attached to black one percenters . ma ny black churches have gone under\, but those were where regular folk\, fi nancially went\, thus no money.\n\n\n\n I am convinced that the black one percent is the source of the billions. Now maybe the white man is lying ab out the percentages\, but based on the percentages the white man has colle cted and the financial reality of prisoners/soldiers/children/welfare reci pients/black one percent\, the black one percent is the source of the bill ions.  \n\n\n\n Black one percenters do spend on vanity like all people with money. A cotillion is expensive. High end clothes are expensive. cars are expensive. I think you fiscally underestimate the cost of homes for t he black one percent. Those homes are expensive per month. Those homes the y have are gross /large consumerism. \n\n\n\n Now to be even\, the only g roup in the black populace in the usa who could have any significant consu merism is the black people on welfare. Black Teachers or nurses are on wel fare\, starting in the 1970s\, so black people working while on welfare is n't new it is very old. But\, I will not chagrin black poor people\,upper poor people\, affording themselves something to enjoy\, as gross consumeri sm. Consumerism\, yes\, but it isn't gross. I am 100% certain with those i know on welfare that 90% of black people on welfare don't have gross cons umerism\, if gross consumerism is defined as based on the fiscal scale of what is consumed\, not the presence of consumerism. Cause I happen to know there are some blacks who like to suggest gross consumerism is consumeris m itself\, which I oppose. \n\n\n\n In NYC\, it was recently unveiled tha t over 95% of white children in the orthodox jewish schools can't pass the basic state wide exams while they have schools full of trips around the w orld and game rooms and swimming pools. So\, for any blacks who feel that black children who passed and are passing their state exams at a hell of a higher rate with schools absent any amenities or opportunities can't get a few pairs of sneakers from their parents  on welfare\, i say fuck off.  \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n But\, when AI puts a wh ole bunch of Black folks outta work\, we'll have no choice.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n we? well humanity en large is going through a labor moveme nt reality with large language models and other similar computer programs. I don't know what will happen. I see many options\, the choices various p eople need to make haven't been made to see a clear path yet. \n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The Black 1% definitely is not exe mpt from investing in the community. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Right\, well the y are acting exempt in majority and I repeat I don't blame them. Black wea lth in modernity comes from struggle and rarely do black people have the f ortune to get it through crimes or illegalities\, and even when we do\, it is absent the ease of whites. So black people tend to be frightened of po verty. For too many blacks poverty is a sign of self\, which is hilarious historically. we didn't enslave ourselves into boats. And 90% of the black folk in the boats died over the ocean\, they never made any shores so\, . ..\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n It is a fact that Black people can make a lot of money. No assumptions. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n that is historical fact\, sadly it is also a generalization\, whom among blacks is where the details reside and the details is where black pe ople tend to make assumptions on other black people based on hope or encou ragement\, not truth.\n\n\n\n   2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I do n't have to convince the Black people where I live that they too can be su ccessful. \n\n\n\n me neither\, common ground\, finally \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250124 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BGEDOV- Black Games Elite Deviantart Oembed Viewer - January 24th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250124T203624Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:159-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n BGEDOV- Black Games Elite Deviantart Oembed Viewer - Janu ary 24th 2025\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/480-bgedov-black-games- elite-deviantart-oembed-viewer/\n\n\n\n If you need links to test\, copy a nd paste the following\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/kiratheartist/ar t/Little-Friend-1113175550\n\n\n\n and to find more to copy and paste go t o the following \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/favourites\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Star Trek Deep Space Nine is the bes t written star trek series. Second best is Discovery. \n\n\n\n Deep Space Nine even had prescience\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/spockvarietyhour/ 738407716519870464/star-trek-deep-space-nine-past-tense-pt-1\n\n\n\n\n  \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250124 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 30 01/20/2026 DTSTAMP:20260111T003828Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:628-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A dialog of sport to finance. The thing I didn't mention is that sport is one of the last needed human jobs. A machine can't perfor m sport when humans want to see a human perform sport.  SPort is one of t he last industries in humanity. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I started with the fo llowing\n\n\n\n football fans https://www.tumblr.com/rmfantasysetpieces1/8 05374613002633216/salary-101\n\n\n\n a summary of the post linked above\n\ n\n\n Mbappe is paid 1.49 million a week\, never won the uefacl\, but won the world cup once with france\, never won the balon dor or fifa best Demb ele wants 1 million a week\, never won the world cup won\, the uefacl once with psg\, the balon dor + fifa best Viniciusjr is paid 520\,000 a week\, has never won the world cup\, won the uefacl twice with real madrid and w on fifa best\, never won the balon dor Based on Dembele + Mbappe Viniciusj r has to demand a million a week...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A reply was made\n\ n\n\n That's been true of lots of \"great\" players in various sports. One great player does not a winning team make.\n\n I mean look at Gretzky\, h e was with the Oilers\, went on a couple year run\, got traded and never d id it again. He is a dick if you meet him unless it's kids and hockey\, he ard more than one story that back it up However he was that good of a play er. Tom Brady was the same way\, great with the Patriots\, sucked once he left them.\n\n Odd how little I watch sports but it gets shoved in my face so much I get the knowledge by osmosis\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My reply\n\n\n\ n hahaha Brady did win with the tampa bay bucaneers:)\n\n\n\n to team work your 100% correct\, but the fiscal activity of sport is not equal to the athletic mechanics of sport\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Their reply\n\n\n\n I think that was more or less luck. Sometimes called a Puncher's Chance. They suc ked the year after and it was also the Pandemic Season as well if I rememb er it. I do agree salaries don't match output. They are all way to high\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My reply\n\n\n\n hmm well\, in my experience in sport\, l uck isn't how you get to the top in any team sport... to salaries\, that i sn't true\, the usa alone spent circa 149.6 billion dollars in sport gambl ing last year\, this doesn't factor global revenue in gambling. I know chi na is huge on gambling. so.. the wages of players if anything is too low. Cause all the leagues get a big cut of gambling money \, let alone licensi ng fees. The salaries match the revenue earned by sport per year\, the fin ancial output. Now if you are speaking about the athletic output\, well th e answer to that is actually the salary structure\, not the volume. in bra sil for example many teams use a pay scale\, so if you score twenty goals in a season \, you get a million or two. what is the problem with pay scal es? nothing but because humanity is in 2026 not the 1900s when jackie robi enson played baseball or pele played futebol\, the modern athlete has acce ss to a global employment pool. So for example\, the NBA and MLB can say\, we will do pay scales. Now\, lets' disregard the players union contract w hich makes that illegal anyway\, but lets assume the players union somehow allowed this\, the chinese basketball league or japanese baseball league can get investment from qataris plus saudis plus others and offer yearly n o contest contracts. The players will correctly leave MLB+ NBA\, what pers on working at a job accepts a lower wage between employers for their same action. So that is why pay scale never happens in the usa\, outside of pla yers unions\, led by baseball players\, which sets up a collective contrac t rule to negotiations\, the global environment of 2026 where money does n ot only exist in the usa unlike the 1900s\, means athletes are free to go where the market it best and the global sports fanbase is not allegiant to the usa\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n their reply\n\n\n\n Salaries are just ridiculo us and of course that translates to higher costs for tickets to see the ga mes\, well at least when they are are doing well. Blue Jay tickets were ra ther expensive this year when they were cheaper for the past few seasons. I even went to look for Toronto FC tickets and they were out of my snack b racket.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my reply\n\n\n\n yeah\, and you have to include the financial desires of the owners\, never forget that. In germany they have two things\, the terms in german I can't recall exactly\, but they ar e 1) the 30% rule and 2) fandom affordability\, meaning what? 1) in german y 99% of teams have to fit the multiowner model which means no owner with more than 30% \, this means owners looking to resale short term you see wi th many usa owners of sports team\, owners looking to make a glitzy club r aising prices like the dallas cowboys owner\, are blocked because those ki nds of owners will not accept a 30% cap . 2) to fandom\, in germany\, whic h is the wealthiest european country\, all matches for all teams are sold out usually. why? the ticket prices are kept low. Even though the average person in germany has more money than the average in england or spain or i taly or france\, in germany ticket prices for nearly all clubs is kept low so attendance can happen. what is the point? the owners of a lot of sport s teams \, especially in the usa\, are part of the problem. their agendas don't fit what many fans like yourself want. The owners don't have to pay great salaries\, they don't have to raise ticket prices \, but their agend a is very greedy\, far more greedy than any player. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n P OST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12274-do-people-comprehend-spor t-is-one-of-the-last-industries/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/events/event/605-economic-corner-29-11302025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/632-economic-corne r-31-01222026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260110 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Noir City 2026 Gallery 1 curated by gary meyer DTSTAMP:20260120T072322Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:631-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Noir City 2026 Gallery 1 curated by gary meyer\n\n main post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/filmno irpigeons/post/806208196396154880\n\n part 1\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/co mmunities/filmnoirpigeons/post/806238551962468352/noir-city-photos-and-vid eos-curated-by-gary-meyer\n\n part 2\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communitie s/filmnoirpigeons/post/806239169165852673/noir-city-photos-and-videos-cura ted-by-gary-meyer\n\n part 3\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/filmno irpigeons/post/806239670617931776/noir-city-photos-and-videos-curated-by-g ary-meyer\n\n part 4\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/filmnoirpigeon s/post/806240555520720896/noir-city-photos-and-videos-curated-by-gary-meye r\n\n part 5\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/filmnoirpigeons/post/8 06241150065410048/noir-city-photos-and-videos-curated-by-gary-meyer\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n A coloring page\, draw it and paste the image in the comments \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Do you know all the terms?\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260120 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Right After The Fork In The Road DTSTAMP:20260120T044633Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:630-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Title:Right After The Fork In The Road\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Right-After-The-Fork-In-The-Road-128915805 5\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I am treading through woven mangling thorny bushes s imultaneously regretting not taking the path to the shiny city at the fork in the road. Old scratches itch very bad and I know I will need lots of a loe. Why I risked on the path in shadow at noon? Why I risked before or va rious moments in yore? Suddenly\, a break of light reach my eyes\, and I e nergize. I enter a glade\, bathing in light while imprison in arbor shadow \, hair of flowers completely over the skin\, mouths full of boiling hot m ineral water from somewhere. I think to myself\, I prefer this sight over that metropolis of light. I sit down\, and open my basket for a beef balon ey and brie on rye. A few gulps of milk and I hear a buzzing\, but no bees . I go back to eating and the buzzing grows\; I realize it is from the gro und. A few flowers bend at my hand and a rolled scroll arrive on a car. I take the scroll\, the buzzing goes away faster than it came\, which is a m ap to the forest plus directions where to step to leave the glade. I gathe r my things and leave this home to part of the forest I don't know. At the thorny bushes\, I ponder on the path I snubbed. I remember the quiet\, wo rse than quiet\, more a deafening silence\, that made audible my inner min d\, from the shiny city I chose not to go to.\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260119 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:How Scifi/Afrofuturism can help us survive( the next four ye ars) from Tananarive Due + Steven Barnes - January 17th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T155836Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:134-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n How Scifi/Afrofuturism can help us survive( the next four years) from Tananarive Due + Steven Barnes - January 17th 2025\n\n https: //aalbc.com/tc/topic/11421-how-scifiafrofuturism-can-help-us-survive-the-n ext-four-years-from-tananarive-due-steven-barnes/\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n IF YOU DIDNT CLICK THE LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n THOUGHTS AS I VIEWED\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 0:03 Octavia Butler's grave is still stand ing\, survived the fires\n\n 0:05 introductions by Steven Barnes + Tananar ive Due\n\n image 1\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:09 Steven says Afro futurism is our\, b lack peoples\, flavor of science fiction\n\n image 2\n\n\n\n \n\n image 3\ n\n\n\n \n\n image 4\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:11 \n\n Science Fiction principles\, one of three: what if\, if only\, if this goes on\n\n 0:15 How Steven Barn es met Octavia Butler\n\n image 5\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:16 \n\n Butler said huma n beings are hierarchal\, and people put themselves higher on the levels.\ n\n 0:17 \n\n At Clark university was the first black science fiction con vention\n\n image 6\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:20 Octavia Butler was honest about the conditions and had a pessimism that she questioned into her work\n\n image 7\n\n\n\n \n\n image 8\n\n\n\n \n\n image 9\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:31 Steven says Creating art is a way of communicating things in words\n\n 0:32 Ray Bradb ury\, who didn't drive\n\n image 10\n\n\n\n \n\n image 11\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:3 4 Steven felt Ray Bradbury's work was the warmest that he read Steven and his girlfriend at the time\, took a story to Ray Bradbury . Great story on steven getting his first two letters from Ray Bradbury. \n\n 0:36 Butler was penniless till an mcarthur grant. Steven admitted he wasn't intereste d in living in poverty. he had to compromise his own voice working with a team to make a wage.\n\n 0:39 It is funny\, at times I am so serious. Many around me suggest I need to lighten up. Maybe I shall listen:) \n\n Ray Bradbury said: I don't believe in being serious about anything. I think li fe is too serious to be taken seriously. \n\n Tananarive said Butler beca me despondant at times. \n\n 0:42 Bradbury's rules for writing. \n\n ima ge 12\n\n\n\n \n\n Write short stories\, quantity creates quality.\n\n Tel l the truth first\n\n Don't think too hard\, especially in the first draft .\n\n Write what you love\n\n Study the work of the masters\, the work tha t has survived for generations\n\n Take off the safety harness\n\n Use eve ry experience that touches you\n\n Indulge in your own personal madness\n\ n Don't be afraid to write crap\, either\n\n Get comfortable with the idea of work\n\n image 13\n\n\n\n \n\n image 14\n\n\n\n \n\n image 15\n\n\n\n \n\n 0:50 Tananarive's work and Steven's work\n\n image 16\n\n\n\n \n\n My thought: both writers visual examples display themes that reflect themsel ves. \n\n 0:54 \n\n Barnes said if you see a lack\, you should write tha t lack\n\n 0:59 \n\n image 17\n\n\n\n \n\n image 18\n\n\n\n \n\n 1:02 wri ting futurism course [ www.writerwebinar.com ] \n\n image 19\n\n\n\n \n \n image 20\n\n\n\n \n\n image 21 \n\n\n\n \n\n 1:04 they will teach how to teach\n\n image 22\n\n\n\n \n\n image 23\n\n\n\n \n\n 1:07 marketing to ols from Due and Barnes\, and aids. Affordable. \n\n image 24\n\n\n\n \n\ n image 25\n\n\n\n \n\n 1:10 stress and strain\n\n image 26\n\n\n\n \n\n 1 :12  breathing\, diaphragmatic breathing\n\n image 27\n\n\n\n \n\n image 28\n\n\n\n \n\n image 29\n\n\n\n \n\n Questions and Answers\n\n 1:25 \n\n Steven Barnes: if you are just by yourself\, you have to take care of you rself. Morning ritual of movement gratitude\, motion. \n\n 1:28 They have a free zoom meeting every weekend\n\n 1:44 [ https://www.steven-barnes.c om/live-classes ] \n\n steven barnes lion blood\n\n https://a.co/d/aV8XT DJ\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://iloveafrofuturism.com/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250117 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:December Acrostic Challenge Content DTSTAMP:20251128T070129Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:603-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Fate(Sol Fu do know)\n\n Some lyrics to welcome summer in the southern hemisphere\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Fate -Sol-Fu-do-know-1269063641\n\n #poetry #lyrics #summer #hddeviant #fate #r ichardmurrayhumblr #richardmurray\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Kwanzaa Song\n\n Some lyrics to welcome winter in the northern hemisphere\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/hddeviant/art/The-Kwanzaa-Song-1269062369\n\n #poetry #lyric s #winter #kwanzaa #song #hddeviant #richardmurrayhumblr #richardmurray\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Mascots Summer 2025\n\n An illustration to welcome su mmer in the southern hemisphere\, coloring page available.\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/The-Mascots-Summer-2025-1269060850\n\n #illu stration #themascots #summer #hddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr # richardmurray\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Mascots Summer 2025\n\n\n\n The Mascots at December Solstice 2025 Southern Hemisph ere\n\n\n\n LaPrimaTorte singing\n\n\n\n Fella playing the piccolo while d ouble dutching\n\n\n\n Biting Pear of Salamanca using the mouth harp \, he ld by the lips above the teeth with the prong internal struck by the tongu e\, while using a trampoline\n\n\n\n Hoofs playing the tambourine going in circles\n\n\n\n Llama using a bullroarer\n\n\n\n They are playing with Pr incess Candace plus Princess Menelik who are double dutching\, Mimada is r elaxing under the sun\, Kidowaum is playing with Mimada's cat\, 1960s fash ion dragon is blowing a fiery note at the Biting pear who is in danger? bu t from what?\n\n\n\n INSTRUMENT EXAMPLES\n\n\n\n Piccolo\n\n\n\n https://y outu.be/Dw-wheB4gcM?si=mo9eJsnY4Ek4HpUK\n\n\n\n Mouth Harps [alternative n ames gogona \, mukkuri]\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/EmNHs4L16uk?si=jVVgx4p1uV 0DMa8t\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/UZpBMXiFsks?si=GyswE0aL_YJI1s7s\n\n\n\n ht tps://youtu.be/9nfY6xz57Bk?si=mb6LwP_JBt4Uf6gf\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/ZQ jc3Agmjhc?si=O_DqFd1USXX_t6Hn\n\n\n\n Tambourine\n\n\n\n https://vimeo.com /21316295?fll&\;fe=sh\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/Jcd63Ev7JXA?si=e-kx9IhHu PzxN3kd\n\n\n\n Bullroarer\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgveIjg BnYk\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n INSTRUMENT WIKI\n\n\n\n Piccolo\n\n\n\n https://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccolo\n\n\n\n Mouth Harp\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Jew's_harp\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gogona\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukkuri\n\n\n\n Tambourine\n\n\n\n https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambourine\n\n\n\n Bullroarer\n\n\n\n https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/Bullroarer\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CHARACTERS INFORMATION\n\n\n \n THE MASCOTS\n\n\n\n LaPrimaTorte - sister of Cake\, my OC this is her i ntroduction\n\n\n\n Fella\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gal lery?q=fella\n\n\n\n Biting Pear of Salamanca\n\n\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/gallery?qear\n\n\n\n Hoofs\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart .com/hddeviant/gallery?q=hoofs\n\n\n\n Llama\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantar t.com/hddeviant/gallery?q=llama\n\n\n\n PLAYMATES\n\n\n\n Princess Candace + Prince Menelik\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/810 75023/princess-candace-prince-menelik\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/h ddeviant/gallery?q=candace\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ga llery?q=menelik\n\n\n\n Mimada\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/gallery/95222615/mimada\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/fav ourites?q=mimada\n\n\n\n Kidowaum\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/gallery/95222352/kidowaum\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/favourites?q=KidoWaum\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/melonsaremelanc holic/art/Secret-Santa-2023-1005019885\n\n\n\n 1960 fashion dragon\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/95222581/1960s-fashion-drago n\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/favourites?q=1960\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN CASE YOU WANT TO KNOW\n\n\n\n Torte\n\n\n\n https://en.wikip edia.org/wiki/Torte\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Mascots W inter 2025\n\n An illustration to welcome winter in the northern hemispher e\, coloring page available\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/T he-Mascots-Winter-2025-1269059816\n\n #illustration #themascots #winter #h ddeviant #deviantart #richardmurrayhumblr #richardmurray\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBE D CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Mascots Winter 2025\n\n\n\n The Mascots at December Solstice 2025 Northern Hemisphere\n\n\n\n LaPrimaT orte on vocals as a tree with ornaments\n\n\n\n Fella on the vertical pian o as santa\n\n\n\n Biting Pear of Salamanca on the glass harmonica as a sn owman\n\n\n\n Hoofs on the couesnophone as rudolph\n\n\n\n Llama on the th eremin as a gingerbread man\n\n\n\n In the audience is Bosko side Honey at one table and at another Marian Michaels side a man only publicly known a s Lion Man\n\n\n\n NSTRUMENT EXAMPLES\n\n\n\n Vertical Piano\n\n\n\n https ://youtu.be/EHS1c333ubY?si=M8kLWfERGCZk291I\n\n\n\n Theremin\n\n\n\n https ://youtu.be/-QgTF8p-284?si=FleCkrLTFeFEP1Le\n\n\n\n Glass Harmonica\n\n\n\ n https://youtu.be/eEKlRUvk9zc?si=ekSP3bnLuLjHJVG4\n\n\n\n Couesnophone NO TE: getting time indexes\n\n\n\n https://bassic-sax.info/blog/2012/goofus- played-master/comment-page-1/\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQA R_6EBCk\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goEzaq3ZVVo\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n INSTRUMENT WIKI\n\n\n\n Vertical Pianos\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Victory_Vertical\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe_pi ano\n\n\n\n Theremin\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin\n\n\n\ n Glass Harmonica\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica\n\ n\n\n Couesnophone\n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couesnophone\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n CHARACTERS INFORMATION\n\n\n\n THE MASCOTS\n\n\n\n LaPrimaT orte - sister of Cake\, my OC this is her introduction\n\n\n\n Fella\n\n\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery?q=fella\n\n\n\n Biting Pea r of Salamanca\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery?qear\n \n\n\n Hoofs\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery?q=hoofs\ n\n\n\n Llama\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery?q=llama \n\n\n\n AUDIENCE\n\n\n\n Bosco + Honey\n\n\n\n https://pdsh.fandom.com/wi ki/Honey_(Looney_Tunes) [ https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pdsh/images/3/ 3f/Hold_Anything_.webp/revision/latest?cb=20250429142304 ]\n\n\n\n butterf ly- Marian Michaels\n\n\n\n https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Butterfly\n\n\n\n [ https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pdsh/images/1/10/Butterfly.png/revisi on/latest?cb=20150619053152 ]\n\n\n\n lion man\n\n\n\n https://pdsh.fandom .com/wiki/Lion-Man\n\n\n\n [ https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/pdsh/images /3/3b/Lion-Man.png/revision/latest?cb=20101027213045 ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN CASE YOU WANT TO KNOW\n\n\n\n Torte is a type of cake\n\n\n\n https://e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torte\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 8 - January 15th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T184532Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:144-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n TikTok banning on book publishing\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n 1) tiktok is the most popular website in modern humanity so replacing its alg orithm joined to its userbase will be a challenge- many websites will try but i think many will fail\, an expensive failure 2) outside a website wit h a similar userbase size [google/meta] a website with a smaller relative userbase that succeeds with a sharper marketing style will lack the exposu re or outreach of a larger userbase 3) Book readers will survive and at th e end of the day the Booktok model will survive maybe mirrored in various places that will require book lovers to know where to be online. \n\n An interesting time for the commercial structure of the literature business c oncerning the internet\n\n ARTICLE\n\n BookTok shaped a new generation of readers\, authors. What happens if TikTok is banned?\n\n Clare Mulroy\n\n USA TODAY\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n It doesn’t matter if you’re off social media or chronically online enough to know what “faerie smut” is – if you’re a reader\, you’ve probably heard of BookTok. \n\n Reader co mmunities are nothing new. But BookTok isn’t your grandma’s book club or the Facebook fan page of your mom’s generation – in fact\, it gave online book communities of days past a run for their money by boosting boo k sales and birthing an entirely new generation of readers. \n\n But on F riday\, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments to determine whether it should block a law requiring TikTok to cut ties with the Chinese governmen t or be banned Jan. 19. \n\n What happens for booklovers if it all goes a way?\n\n The 2020 pandemic lockdown days and TikTok’s growing popularity primed young adult readers for this online bibliophile's paradise. Backli st sales soared\, especially with romance and fantasy authors like Colleen Hoover and Sarah J. Maas. Hoover's romance book sales increased 693% from 2020 to 2021\, the Washington Post reported. Maas anchored a 75% year-ove r-year revenue increase in 2024\, according to Publishers Weekly. TikTok ’s algorithm also became the silver bullet for many independent and self -published authors. \n\n On a platform where anyone could go viral\, any book was fair game for discussion\, and some authors’ followings balloon ed. \n\n “Because TikTok is free\, so to speak\, it’s a very valuable \, cost-effective marketing tool that authors have used\,” says Regina B rooks\, president of the Association of American Literary Agents. “If yo u find readers who really value your work\, you as the author don’t have to do the same type of pushing because you have ambassadors who will do t hat work for you.” \n\n Bloom\, an imprint of Sourcebooks\, became a bi g name in romance publishing by taking over the distribution and marketing of some of BookTok's viral self-published authors including Ana Huang and Lucy Score. \n\n “It really democratized social media and it really pu t voices all at one level\, including those of our authors\,” says Maran da Seney\, the publisher's senior online marketing manager. “What that d id was really facilitate an openness and vulnerability and a new level of connection between authors and readers. And I do think that TikTok and Tik Tok’s algorithm were incredibly helpful in that.”\n\n Before\, authors were often encouraged to keep interactions with fans limited. Molly Waxma n\, vice president and executive director of marketing at Sourcebooks who has been in the industry for 25 years\, remembers when the fanmail-answeri ng guidance was “let the USPS be the barrier between you and your fans .”\n\n Now\, on TikTok\, authors are encouraged to hop on a livestream o r answer fan questions. Many agents and publishers look specifically to si gn authors who already have a social following. Some TikTok users have eve n secured book deals from their viral videos like Alex Aster's \"Lightlark \" and \"Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective\" by Katie Siegel\, who both p osted concept videos and caught the attention of publishers.\n\n That emot ional connection between authors and readers has been “powerful” to wa tch\, says Dominique Raccah\, publisher and CEO of Sourcebooks. Rather tha n being on a pedestal\, authors are rewarded for their candidness and auth enticity. “It’s about being human\, you’re on this journey with some body you admire and really love their books and you’re walking every ste p with them\,” Raccah says.\n\n But if TikTok does get banned\, will tha t mentality sundown too?\n\n Rachel Whitehurst is the founder of the marke ting firm The Nerd Fam\, offering public relations support to independent authors who don’t have a marketing team. She thinks the seed has already been planted – support of self-published authors will only continue on the next “BookTok.” \n\n “It will be more important for (indie auth ors) to use that business acumen\,” she says. “It’s unfortunate\, an d I do think that adapting is going to be the most important thing\, but I ’m not worried.”\n\n Authors may have benefitted\, but really\, reader s and content creators are the ones driving the BookTok bus\; finding bubb les of niche reading tastes thanks to an effective algorithm that uses lar ge swaths of data to bring users videos tailored to their interests. \n\n Rachael Beck\, an author and owner of FanCornerCreations\, makes fandom a nd fantasy-themed trinkets like “Harry Potter” wedding ring boxes\, ea rrings and games. “We make the nerdy products no one else does\, with th e passion only a fellow fan can\,” her site reads. \n\n On BookTok\, Be ck found a loyal\, supportive community that valued her creations as much as she did. Her success on the app allowed her to quit her corporate job a nd focus on her business fulltime. Half of the traffic to her website come s from TikTok\, she says\, and it’s how she gets people to visit her boo th at Comic Cons. \n\n “It’s been very life-changing\,” she says. “I really feel like I found my voice because of TikTok.”\n\n To prepa re for a possible ban\, Beck started cross-posting on Instagram but the co mmunity aspect didn’t translate\, she says. When she posts well-performi ng\, well-received TikTok videos on Instagram\, they get fewer views and m ore derisive comments.\n\n “I’m the same human\, sometimes literally ( posting) the exact same content\,” Beck says. “I try to cater it to th e different platform I'm on\, but there’s absolutely no question that Ti kTok’s algorithm puts you in front of more people. And it’s a better a lgorithm\, so the people you’re being put in front of are much more enga ged in the content.” \n\n She’ll continue no matter what happens with TikTok\, but she worries about other small businesses\, who she says need support to feel like they can keep going.\n\n “I think there’s going to be a lot of small businesses who’ve never weathered a big storm befor e\, who just capsize\,” Beck says.\n\n Industry experts are looking to r eaders for the next steps\, confident they'll find them wherever they land if TikTok goes away.\n\n “There’s always going to be an iteration of this. It’s about community\,” says Pamela Jaffee\, senior director of publicity and brand marketing at Bloom Books and Casablanca. “Twelve yea rs ago\, it was the in-person book club that made ‘50 Shades of Grey .’” The book community got online with Facebook\, then blogging\, then Instagram\, with a dozen apps in between. \n\n “The readers took that voice back on TikTok and now that they have that voice\, they’re not goi ng to be silenced. They’re going to share that love and that passion\, a nd I think it just leads to more opportunity to reach readers widely\,” Jaffee says. \n\n Seney concurs: “At this point\, it’s technology’s job to catch up with readers and then to meet us where we are\, which is in this place of community and connection.” \n\n Brooks also sees a sil ver lining in a possible eviction from BookTok – new creative endeavors . \n\n “That platform also kind of turned books into status symbols\, a nd I think in a way that other platforms have not done. And I also think t hat if TikTok goes away\, it could spur a bit more innovation in marketing \,” she says. “I would love to see people be a little bit more creativ e about how books can reach their intended audience.\"\n\n Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter\, where she covers buzzy releases\, chats wi th authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram\, check out her recent articles or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy @usatoday.com.\n\n article url\n\n https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertai nment/books/2025/01/10/tiktok-ban-supreme-court-booktok-publishing/7760163 3007/\n\n\n\n linkedin referral from Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency\n\n https://www.linkedin.com/posts/regina-brooks_following-its-ris e-in-popularity-in-2020-activity-7284612784460300290-I_pS?utm_source=share &\;utm_medium=member_desktop\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Prior Post\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/11422-economiccorner007/\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/topic/11424-economiccorner008/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/143-economic-corner-7-january-14th-2025/\n\ n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/165-economic- corner-09-media-properties-dictate-01282025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 01/15/2026 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12295-whatever-happened-to- the-tiktok-ban/#findComment-79367\n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n 26 minute s ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n The TikTok ban was a ruse.  The curre nt administration facilitated ByteDance selling part of the company.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n I don't even recall them selling any part of the company.  Last I cognized they were in court or it had been stalled. I need to do mo re research. \n\n\n\n if it was a ruse and the objective was to sell a pa rt\, then what was in the part sold that satisfied those who attacked it? I wonder\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250115 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Avery Brooks saving Sisqo - January 15th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T181054Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:138-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Avery Brooks saving Sisqo - January 15th 2025\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2828&\;type=status\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IF YOU DIDNT CLICK THE STATUS LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Legend of Sisqó played by Avery Brooks\n\n I think the en d of Deep Space Nine kept the old star trek adage the needs of the many ou tweigh the needs of the few or the one while maintaining Brooks desire to be a responsible husband+ father. ...the resulting episode\, maintained si sqo the family man while maintaining sisqo a federation officer willing to do what is necessary to help the most \n\n ARTICLE\n\n Star Trek: Why Av ery Brooks Changed Sisko's Original DS9 Ending\n\n The Star Trek: Deep Spa ce Nine finale almost had a different ending for Benjamin Sisko before act or Avery Brooks requested it changed. DS9 was the third series in the Star Trek franchise and ran from 1993 to 1999 before ending after seven season s. The show delivered its two-part final episode\, \"What You Leave Behind \"\, in June 1999\, rounding out its run with an action-packed and emotion al finale that wrapped up a multitude of storylines. One of the most impor tant storylines to get resolved\, however\, was the conclusion of the arc for DS9's main character\, the underrated Captain Benjamin Sisko.\n\n Sisk o's character arc revolved around him coming to terms with his role as the Emissary\, an important spiritual leader to the Bajoran people chosen by their gods the Prophets to save Bajor by finding the Celestial Temple. Sis ko learned he was the Emissary in episode 1\, and this fact was the basis for many of his storylines throughout DS9. In \"What You Leave Behind\"\, Sisko finally fulfilled his destiny by stopping Gul Dukat from releasing t he Pah-Wraiths\, and subsequently joined the Prophets in the Celestial Tem ple. In doing so\, Sisko left behind his life and agreed to reside with th e Prophets as one of them\, a non-corporeal being outside of time and spac e. Unfortunately\, this also meant Captain Sisko left his family behind in the corporeal world\, including his then-pregnant wife\, Kasidy Yates-Sis ko.\n\n During his final scene\, Sisko was allowed to see Kasidy one last time\, to tell her what had happened and let her know that despite everyth ing\, he would return to her one day. In the original ending\, however\, t he scene depicted Sisko telling Kasidy he would never return and would sta y with the Prophets forever\, never seeing her or his son\, Jake\, again. This would have been a much less ambiguous\, if sadder\, ending for Sisko and his family. This version made it all the way to production and was eve n shot\, but after the initial filming\, Avery Brooks contacted Deep Space Nine's executive producer Ira Steven Behr to request the scene be changed . Brooks told Behr that after giving it some thought he was uncomfortable with the implications of a black man essentially abandoning his pregnant w ife to raise their unborn child alone. Behr apparently agreed with Brooks since the scene was re-shot and changed to the ending viewers are now fami liar with.\n\n Although the change was small\, Brooks advocating for it he lped make sure Sisko was not written completely out-of-character in the fi nale. Being the first black man to be the lead in his own Star Trek show\, Sisko was a groundbreaking character for the franchise\, but over the yea rs\, fans and critics have cited that one of the most important things abo ut him was the fact he was a black male character who was a family man. At a time when the representation of black men as devoted fathers was scarce in media\, Sisko served as a positive example for many. Brooks changing S isko's ending to be consistent with his portrayal as fiercely loyal to his family made sure this reputation wasn't marred right at the end like it m ight have been if the scene had not been altered.\n\n Despite Brooks' chan ge adding a hopeful note\, Sisko's ending was still bittersweet. Additiona lly\, even with viewer interest and the Deep Space Nine creative team havi ng ideas of how to carry on\, there has not yet been a continuation of Sis ko's storyline\, meaning fans have never gotten to see his prophesied retu rn to his family. Even so\, Avery Brooks making sure Sisko eventually woul d return was a very smart move and served to make the end of Star Trek: De ep Space Nine even better.\n\n URL\n\n https://screenrant.com/star-trek-ds 9-sisko-ending-return-avery-brooks-change/\n\n\n\n FROM Steven Barnes OF L IFEWRITING\n\n Avery Brooks was a shattering revelation. The most \"male\" black man I'd ever seen on television.  I almost couldn't believe what I was watching. And according to Brooks\, Robert Urich was instrumental in demanding that Hawk be Hawk.  Bless him.  Bless them both.  Brooks even tually sacrificed his career to resist studio attempts to turn Sisko into a Magical/Sacrificial Negro...preferring to be a good father to his son.   He didn't quite succeed\, but the effort itself would have made Hawk pr oud.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250115 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Cicely Tyson in the Blue Bird 1976 - January 14th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T180225Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:136-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Cicely Tyson in the Blue Bird 1976\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2827&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n IF YOU DONT WANT TO CLICK THE STATUS LINK ABOVE\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n Have you ever seen the film? Cicely Tyson\, Elizabeth Taylor\, Ava Gardner\, Jane Fonda were in a soviet-statian co produced film about child ren on a journey which will help them find the greater meaning in hearth p lus  home than gold plus ego. \n\n The Blue Bird in 1940 starred Shirley Temple and had sondergaard who was originally cast as the wicked witch in 1939 wizard of oz \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cicely Tyson/Elizabeth Ta ylor/Jane Fonda/Ava Gardner were in a movie together in the 1970s and it i s a fantasy children's film wow\n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/video/2135063792291\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and the blue bird has made it into modernity\, a 2011 version was made I think it is interesting how these two films \, film history has diverged since they first went to battle in the 40s\n\n\n \n https://youtu.be/XXg1ArCr8b8?si=Sa5iTl2BVNCx1zZn\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\ n\n\n the baum photo gallery\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/R3tuukJR4BdMvkH P7\n\n the blue bird book- free to read\n\n https://standardebooks.org/ebo oks/maurice-maeterlinck_georgette-leblanc/the-blue-bird/alexander-teixeira -de-mattos\n\n https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/8606\n\n https://librivox.org/ search?title=The+Blue+Bird&\;author=MAETERLINCK&\;reader=&\;keywo rds=&\;genre_id=0&\;status=all&\;project_type=either&\;recorde d_language=&\;sort_order=catalog_date&\;search_page=1&\;search_fo rm=advanced\n\n I selected the play\n\n https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8 606/pg8606-images.html\n\n\n\n The BLue Bird film in 1940 was made as a re sponse to the wizard of oz 1939\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/ 1144642257/5184403693\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250114 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Horizons 2026 stamp DTSTAMP:20260111T014441Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:629-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A stamp to use on entries for the New Horizon challenge o n Color me club in deviantart\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.co m/hddeviant/art/New-Horizons-2026-Coloring-Page-Stamp-1285557484\n\n\n\n \ n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260110 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:First USA 250 year dialog 01/06/2026 DTSTAMP:20260106T180029Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:625-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The following is the first dialog to the USA's 250 year a nniversary and it goes back to my elemental issues with alot of the discou rse. The USA is over three hundred and fifty million people. who are not f riends or allies\, not from accident\, based on the erratic or dysfunction al way the peoples of the USA were molded together in the first place. \n \n\n\n The ancestors to the modern indigenous never wanted the USA to be. This is why those of them who were able to fight in majority fought agains t the creation of the USA as well as supported a reclaiming of the USA by the english empire during the war of 1812.\, \n\n\n\n The ancestors to th e modern Descended of enslaved never wanted the USA to be. This is why tho se of them who were able to fight in majority fought against the creation of the USA as well as supported a reclaiming of the USA by the english emp ire in the war of 1812.\n\n\n\n The ancestors to the modern descendend of White european colonist were split. Half wanted to stay in the english emp ire. Most fiscally wealthy members never fought at all. The Signers of the declaration were all fiscally wealthy but most of their peers never fough t at all. \n\n\n\n The continuous waves of immigrants\, legally or illega lly\, enslaved or freely\, from anywhere on earth\, each had to deal with being rejected/abused/enslaved/harmed by those already in the usa until th e violence was quelled by whatever means and they had to be accepted as pa rt of the usa fabric by those in the usa enslaving/abusing/harming them.  \n\n\n\n So the peoples in the USA are a chaotic gumbo\, where the parts n ever melt into each other but stick out all over the place making a foul s melling stew. \n\n\n\n But people in the usa\, starting with those of whi te european descent keep speaking of their wants\, their particular subpop ulaces wants as if all the other subpopulaces in the usa are supposed to b e guided by white european desires. \n\n\n\n And so looking back at two h undred and fifty years of USA history becomes very negative by default bec ause all communities have to deal with realities that they spit on in mode rnity. \n\n\n\n The only thing potentially positive about the USA for all in it is tomorrow\, not the past\, not the present\, never the past\, nev er the present. \n\n\n\n But in honoring 250 years\, the whole point is h onoring the past or the present\, which is not positive for all. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT TO ME\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayaalbcassist7279 the menti on of how the Indians weren't consulted during the negotiations for the Tr eaty of Paris is the most telling of all. He did a very good job telling o f the Revolutionary War as the first Civil War... and actually does a grea t job setting the stage for WHY there would be a second (not slavery) but the constant deference to all things black and Indian was laughably biased and tiresome. There is a reason 99.9% of WWII material does not talk abou t North Africa or the Italy campaign\, even if it factually did happen and did end in countless lives lost.\n\n\n\n MY REPLY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ral phalf5897  ok it is 2026\, the usa will be 250 years old\, in under a yea rs time. Many peoples will speak of the USA governments history. Many narr atives will be presented. None will be universally liked or accepted. I re peat\, NONE will be UNIVERSALLY liked or accepted. The question is what wo uld had satisfied you? I like Ken Burns 2025 what I call American Rebellio n series. Others like his commonly called 2026 American Revolution series. So\, those who liked the series are content. But for those that didn't ca re for it\, like yourself\, the question is\, what needed to happen to shu t up your complaints? Now\, was the program my ideal? no. I think the time simply isn't enough. You have to cut out from anything you want to talk a bout with only twelve hours. I wanted more about the indigenous peoples\, more about the french and germans\, more about the loyalists. I even wante d more about the signers of the declaration. But\, the time meant cuts had to be made. Even if Burns had decided to do as your comment suggest and t alk only about the white men who owned black people\, the fifty six signed of the declaration. With six days \, two hours each day\, that is twelve hours. Now fifty six delegates signed the declaration of independence so t hat leaves twelve minutes per delegate for the time in the show. This does n't consider handling the time line of events\, like before the rebelion\, during the rebellion\, after the rebellion. Again\, to your pleasure\, if only the signers are discussed \, the show will not include any non white europeans or those not of white european descent or females. So if Burns had given twelve minutes to each signers of the declaration would that had made you content? yes or no? For the record\, I would despise that format \, but I would accept it positively. History telling always has biases\, p ositive or negative. ANyone who doesn't know that is immature. The history books most like have the positive biases we want\, the history books most don't like have the negative biases we don't want. The reason why most hi story is written poorly is merely from the negative biases of the people w ho wrote it\, it is that simple.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The AMERICAN REVOLUTIO N SERIES\, TRANSCRIPTED IF YOU CANT VIEW\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/even ts/event/587-the-american-revolution-pbs-documentary-episode-1/\n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/588-the-american-revolution-pbs-documentar y-episode-2/\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/589-the-american-re volution-pbs-documentary-episode-3/\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/ev ent/590-the-american-revolution-pbs-documentary-episode-4/\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/events/event/591-the-american-revolution-pbs-documentary-epi sode-5/\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/592-the-american-revolut ion-pbs-documentary-episode-6/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260106 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 29 11/30/2025 DTSTAMP:20251130T194556Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:605-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Non Profit to Profit in 2025 and vice versa\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Sociedade Anônima do Futebol is the name of former socios\, or soci al club entities. Socios are non profits\, that are not allowed to be taxe d\, but also can't accept investment control from owners.  Meaning\, soc ios can accept money but the use of said money can't be controlled by the person giving the money. And the club members have to vote on various thin gs\, from sponsorship contracts to other. \n\n\n\n Expanding on this idea I thought about the inversion. How can a football club go from paying inv estors to a Socio\, a non profit\, that is still profitable? oddly enough I think elements of my thoughts below allow for an inversion. one of the p roblems with Black countries is the years of fiscal capitalism have taught \, very negative lessons\, not wrong ones\, but negative ones. Meaning wha t? \n\n\n\n Most black governments or the populaces in them\, love fiscal capitalism. But not the rule of law. They love fiscal capitalism because it allows anyone to: make the rule of law legalize their crimes[ala whites [whether european/muslim/asian or other] with enslaving black people] \,t o skip the rule or penalty of law [ala non blacks the world over who used to have the law on their side committing the same acts illegally but evadi ng penalty] \, while also skirt the responsibility of government [that man y blacks don't want to have while wanting to be very financially wealthy] .\n\n\n\n So when I look at a Nigeria\, the populace will never accept a m odulation of For Profit football clubs in Nigeria to a Not For Profit foot ball clubs in Nigeria. \n\n\n\n Consider that the NFF\, nigerian football federation\, has never won the  African Nations Championship. \n\n\n\n Now what is the  African Nations Championship. It is a championship des igned for members of CAF\, the confederation of African Football \, to fie ld players in their domestic tournament in a flag competition. Meaning wha t? All members are entered\, but  each member can only field those who pl ay in their domestic league. \n\n\n\n Here are the winners\, with the num ber of times they won\, from first to most recent\, it started in 2009: DR Congo 2\, Tunisia 1\, Libya 1\, Morocco 3\, Senegal 1 \n\n\n\n Now look at some winners of the cup of nations  started in 1957\, based on quantit y\, most to least: Egypt 7\, Cameroon 5\, Ghana 4\, Nigeria 3\, Ivory Coas t 3\, Algeria 2\, DR Congo 2 so... the top six clubs in the cup of nations \, open to CAF players who play anywhere\, have never won a tournament bas ed on only domestic players in the same geographic zone. \n\n\n\n Thus wh y I think the NFF is a great marker of the quality of CAF football associa tions. Nigeria recently has complained about their inability to enter the world cup but Nigeria has only been the top two of the Nations championshi p once. \n\n\n\n And this goes back to fiscal capitalism. Many Black peop le love the ability of whites to pay for their services\, generational wea lth\, saving their town or villages or communities. Sadio MAne/Ngolo kante /Koulibaly/Samuel Eto'o ... a long list of CAF players with very financial ly profitable careers outside CAF have helped the strangers in their blood line. But\,in a competition absent the money focused on the quality\, many of those players countries have never placed or have an atrocious record of placement. \n\n\n\n That proves the profit to nonprofit will probably not be implementable\, because affordable\, management\, isn't where the m oney is. \n\n\n\n And that connects to how they view fiscal capitalism. T his is what happens when you don't have the \"immigrant story\" the fiscal ly poor stranger came into an unwelcomed place and was allowed to work and made a happy life for themselves. \n\n\n\n The black people in the carib bean/continent/south america/north america who have been in said places si nce eighteen hundreds have the survived enslavement story. That story isn' t about the rule of law\, it is about getting enough power to be above the rule of law or to bend the rule of law. \n\n\n\n And too often black peo ple who have come to embrace the idea of fiscal capitalism aside the rule of law as a brilliant positively inspiring power couple for individual ach ievement aside collective peace \, miss how most other black people have n o personal history or historical view to the global black village to come to such conclusions on their own \, absent a sickly delusion. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Thoughts After Reading S.A.F. info below and thinki ng on Santos\n\n\n\n Interesting how it was admitted dividends are rarely the goal\, meaning most of the S.A.F.'s are for resale or part of a Keiret su-like scenario. But I see the financial action. \nSocios have to vote on becoming S.A.F.'s with various rules in their voting process they are fre e to do\, thus the vote from the socio members becomes financially huge. I f the majority do not vote in favor the socio remains but if the majority vote in favor the rules voted on simultaneously heavily influence the S.A. F. born from the socio.\nAnd if the votes are in favor then the socio isn' t destroyed\, it remains and a S.A.F. takes all of the socios assets and g ets none of the socios debt.\nThe S.A.F. given a favorable tax burden for the first five years as well as the ability of members or others to buy bo nds for the debt/actions of the club.\nThe S.A.F. has to have a community investment program which is loosely described in the law.\nWhile the socio retains all the debt. The S.A.F. has to contribute to payments of the deb t.\nTwo methods to pay for the debt exist Centralized Enforcement Regime \ , Judicial reorganization.\nIn the end Vasco proves Santos was wise to wai t. While I know many clubs \, like Bahia or Botafogo jumped at the chance to S.A.F. I think Santos and any Socio that waits is wiser. New financial environments historically have mostly bad returns for most early entrants. yes\, the minority of early entrants become glorified in magazines like F orbes but the reality is\, the majority of early entrants is the truth and I can see that a wise socio look at what others are doing\, what is going on wrong\, what is going well and then go forward with the experience of neighbors to dictate. yes\, it will make these years tough with potential relegation and bigger budget teams about but it will also allow for wiser financial choices. \nBahia wants circa 23\,000 USA dollars circa 120\,000 Brasilian Real to convert a socio to an S.A.F. \nThe Carioca want 94\,000 US dollars or 500\,000 Real\nPaulista want nothing for conversion. \nThe t hree capitals of Brasil before Brasilia show a different tact. Sao Paulo i s inviting Socios to modulate. Rio is being most resistant\, not enough to stop international sharks but enough to stop little socios. Bahia is invi ting Brasilian as well as foreign investors. \nNo socio going into S.A.F. in brasil has consider an initial public offering stock options but I thin k the realm of more collective shareholder values is interesting. Textor and the 777's of the world\, are looking to own\, the king's without crown s. But\, through futures or bonds a socio can go into S.A.F. inviting inve stment but still retaining control by members.\nWhat about a socio agreein g to become an S.A.F. based on a futures exchange\, where each share of th e club\, each membership becomes a futures contract\, and then the exchang e is where the contracts can be traded. The future contracts can be based on a combination of (revenue streams in accumulated value substracted by w ages-utilities-upkeep) multiplied by athletic achievement as a percentage. \nFor example\nlets say the following are \nrevenue streams: shirt sponso r\, stadium sponsor\, tickets\, share of media payment for league\, local media payment\, transfer money income \nexpenses : wages\,stadium upkeep\, transfer fees\,youth development cost Note: S.A.F.'s start debtless\nathl etic achievement in competitions entered so if not in one of the following not related: state championship\, brasilierao\,copa do brasil\, libertado res\, intercontinental cup\, club world cup. Example : lets say a club is in the state champions\, brasilerao\, copa do brasil so it is in three c ompetitions: winning each is 100% so winning all three is 300% now the max imum result is 300% so outcome over maximum in the example case gives you 1 so the revenue minus expenses is the result of the contract. But lets sa y you get 2nd in the state\, round of 16 in copa\, 8th in brasilerao\, you will have 90% 75% 66% \, now I argue you can add weights for each tournam ent\, but keeping this simple for the example\, you will circa 250% so ove r 300% means 5/6th of the value of (revenue - expenses) for the future con tract. So athletic success influences the returns more potently than the a cquisition of sponsors or et cetera. \nThe original socio can become the spot market\, thus it doesn't gain debt and is only a place of immediate exchange\, with small transactions fees going to the socio to pay off its debt. The spot market has rules like the athletic achievement combined or in part reach 30% relates to automatic revenue deliveries so giving invest ors back a percentage of what they invested. And since S.A.F.'s start debt free. The socio when it voted to make a S.A.F. needed a debt relief bond\ , where people give money for potential debt relief to receive the money b ack in five seasons. This bond money is vital for the SAF to have capitol to spur the futures market. \nThus in this way\, while the S.A.F. doesn't have a rigid owner\, it has futures contracts \, that can be traded and a coverage by the socio for debts to allow for a level of feasible risk who also acts as the clearing house between the S.A.F. and investors. Lastly\, to grow the quantity of contracts\, each new contract for the S.A.F. exch ange demands the maker of the contract to pay for a bond in the socio spot market. Yes\, an investor is thus paying for their own risk aversion. But the point of that is to clear out wild investors but also keep debt of th e S.A.F. to zero by the financial agreements. Finally\, while the transact ions of the socio spot market each have a small fee to help to pay the soc ios debts\, the transactions of the S.A.F. futures market each have a smal l fee as revenue to the S.A.F. which can be used to automatically make mor e contracts and bonds or go into a savings account for a rainy day accumul ating over time. Which can be a bond market for the S.A.F. that can be tra ded. Now outside the yearly mentioned above\, who can not vote on the peop le in the organization\, the voting powers should be to those who hold ge nerational futures contracts[ 20 years ] can vote on various people. Thus the socios who originally voted each have one generational contract throug h their 20 year futures contract. And this is another venue for outside in vestors\, others can buy 20 year futures contracts but they have to pay fo r 20 year bonds in the spot market. Each time someone buys a 20 year futur es contract they increase the value of the futures contracts already prese nt. \nI think what I suggest while it doesn't provide the financial inject ions that being sold to billionaire does\, I think it provides \,with obv ious algorithmic tweaking or specificity\, long term longevity and profit making capability\, not merely on new investors but really the management of the club. \nSo for example if you are a textor type\, and you want to c ontrol the club \, you can buy a set of 20 years futures contracts in the S.A.F. and parallel 20 year bonds in the socio spot market\, thus giving y ou through the quantity of 20 years futures contracts more votes than anyo ne\, but this doesn't bar others from doing just like you did. Rules in th e original vote can make it where voting for ceo's and others doesn't occu r till the end of a season so no chaos in administration. but\, many can b uy investment in the yearlies which are gambles still but have a level of security in that you have to buy a bond to support the security\, so it is n't a random house. \nThe goal in my mind of S.A.F. for any socio is how t o get what the germans have in the 30% rule but even better. \nThe New Yo rk City 1980s was a time for sharks. what are sharks really? sharks are th ose who buy or sell firms. Nothing wrong with that. Buying and selling fir ms in whole or part allows for resources to be distributed\, debts to be s lowed\, financial activity to be contained. What don't sharks do? they don 't actually run businesses. \nIf I own a film studio and we had ten years of success\, 90% of our films made 300% profit or better in the first mon th of coming out\, a shark can look to buy the film studio and the buyers will buy over price\, paying me the former owner and other shareholders a lot of money and we can go on and do other things. While the new owners ca n try and maintain\, maybe they succeed and maybe they fail. \nIf I own a music label and we had ten years of falling sales and undesired output aft er thirty years of industry dominance\, a shark can come in and buy my lab el \, getting more money for the parts people may want\, like the catalog but the parts people don't want can be split/divested and sold to another or just ended. The new owners to parts of my firm and try to regain the be tter years.\nBut\, the sharks don't actually manage the running of the fir ms. The sharks only function is the financial industries\, but not the act ual running of various firms. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S.A.F. info \n\n\n\n Sociedade Anônima do Futebol info\nWhat is SAF? Understand the f ormat that changed Brazilian football\n\nHow does it work and what are the differences between association and company? What are the advantages and disadvantages? And the obligations? Get to know this specific type of comp any created in 2021\n\nBy Rodrigo Capelo\n\n02/09/2022 16h35 Up-to-date a year ago\n\nWhat is SAF? The Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) is a spe cific type of company\, created by Congress on August 6\, 2021\, through L aw 14.193/2021. The legislation encourages football clubs to migrate from the non-profit civil association to the business one. The SAF Law\, as it became known\, encourages the change to this club-company format\, which h as governance\, control and specific means of financing for the activity o f football.\n\nHow can the club open a SAF?\n\nClubs can be founded direct ly with this structure\, they can be converted from a civil association to a SAF or they can spin off their football department\, with the transfer of all assets related to football activity to the company.\n\nOnce the com pany is incorporated\, it is possible to sell a majority\, minority\, or a ll of its capital to a new owner. John Textor\, Ronaldo and 777 Partners w ere the first cases of great repercussion\, respectively with Botafogo\, C ruzeiro and Vasco.\n\nWhat is the main change?\n\nHistorically\, most foot ball clubs in Brazil have been structured as civil associations\, a privat e\, non-profit organization formed by the union of members. These people e lect representatives to the Deliberative and Fiscal Councils\, in addition to a president.\n\nThe association cannot be sold to investors. Unlike wh at happens in much of Europe\, where clubs are companies and can be bought and sold by third parties\, associations are managed solely by the member ship.\n\nThe SAF opened the possibility of partial or total sale of footba ll to new owners. They can be entrepreneurs\, investment funds and even th e IPO on the Stock Exchange – an option not yet tried by any Brazilian c lub\, but common in other countries.\n\nWhat is the difference between pre sident and owner?\n\nIn football\, the civil association usually has a str ucture similar to that of the government. Members elect representatives to the Deliberative Council\, a kind of Legislative\, and to the board of di rectors\, which resembles the Executive. The president is the head of the ticket.\n\nThe chairman of the board is given a term of office\, usually b etween two and four years\, with or without the right to re-election\, and is joined by statutory vice presidents. In Brazilian football\, these fig ures are not paid and are only in charge temporarily.\n\nIn the case of a STC\, the owner has decision-making power definitively. Whoever buys part or all of a club-company will only leave the business\, except on extraord inary occasions\, on the day they sell their stake in the company to anoth er person\, company or fund.\n\nHow does SAF management work?\n\nThe club- company has a professional structure hired by its owner\, usually composed of specialists in the main areas:\n\nCEO (chief executive officer)\n\nChi ef Financial Officer (CFO)\n\nCLO (chief legal officer)\n\nCMO (chief mark eting officer)\n\nDirector of football\n\nAll these professionals are hire d\, directed and fired by the owners – whether it is a single person or a composition of partners. These\, in turn\, are usually organized into a Board of Directors\, in which the main decisions are made.\n\nCivil associ ations can also organize themselves in the same way\, internally. In theor y\, the main difference is that\, as these entities frequently alternate p residents\, there is a constant complaint of instability in Brazilian foot ball\, with each change of president.\n\nCan associations resume football? \n\nIt depends on each negotiation. In the cases of Botafogo\, Cruzeiro an d Vasco\, the associations sold a majority stake in the capital of SAF to John Textor\, Ronaldo and 777 Partners. In this process\, each club establ ished contracts that dictate rights and duties for each party. If there is a violation of this agreement\, it is possible that clauses provide for e xits.\n\nCan SAF be resold?\n\nThe club-company is an asset\, just like a conventional company\, and can be bought and sold freely. An entrepreneur who owns 90% of a SAF can resell any percentage under his ownership\, incl uding everything\, according to his commercial interests.\n\nWhy buy a SAF ?\n\nThe entrepreneur can have a return on this investment through:\n\nRes ale of part or all of the club-company for an amount greater than that inv ested since his arrival\;\n\nReceiving dividends\, that is\, profits obtai ned by the operation of the club-company – a less frequent option.\n\nIn tegration of the football club into a chain of other businesses\, so that they are directly benefited\n\nWhat are the advantages of SAF?\n\n1. Tax r egime\n\nCivil associations are exempt from various taxes\, such as Corpor ate Income Tax (IRPJ) and Social Contribution on Net Income (CSLL). There was resistance from managers to opt for conventional models of companies\, as corporations and limited liability companies have a higher tax burden\ , so the STC has a special regime\, in replacement.\n\nIn the first five y ears after incorporation\, the SAF is subject to the monthly payment of a unified tax\, limited to 5% on monthly revenues\, except for athlete trans fers. From the sixth year onwards\, the rate drops to 4%\, but is levied o n all the company’s revenues\, including sales of economic rights of pla yers.\n\n2. Football debentures\n\nThe SAF can issue football debentures\, a debt security. Fans can invest money in the purchase of these bonds\, w ith remuneration not less than the savings account\, and redeem the invest ment after two years. The money contributed can be used to pay expenses\, expenses or debts of the club-company by its administrators.\n\nWhat are t he disadvantages of SAF?\n\nSociedade Anônima do Futebol is committed to the creation of an Educational and Social Development Program\, in which\, in agreement with a public educational institution\, it will promote meas ures to develop education through soccer. Girls should also be contemplate d\, with equal right of access to sport.\n\nThe STC can invest in:\n\na) r enovate or build a public school\, as well as a court or field for the pra ctice of soccer\;\n\nb) to institute a transportation system for students\ ;\n\nc) feeding students during periods of recreation and training\;\n\nd) to train former players to minister and conduct activities\;\n\ne) hire a uxiliary professionals\, such as physical trainers\, nutritionists and psy chologists\;\n\nf) acquire equipment\, materials and accessories necessary for the practice of soccer within the scope of the project.\n\nWhat happe ns to debt?\n\nDebts remain with the civil association\, that is\, they ar e not transferred to the newly created company. The STC becomes responsibl e for contributing to the payment of these obligations\, within the limits established by law.\n\nSince the association loses almost all of its oper ating revenues – as football has been transferred to the management of t he club-company – there are two options to deal with the debt:\n\n1. Cen tralized Enforcement Regime\n\nThe SAF Law created a mechanism called the Centralized Enforcement Regime\, which works as a queue for creditors of a civil and labor nature. The company assumes the responsibility of contrib uting to the payment of this queue\, with 20% of its current monthly reven ues.\n\nIn principle\, clubs that adhere to this regime have a period of s ix years to pay their debts. If at least 60% of the debt is paid off in th is period\, an extension of another four years is granted to pay off the r emainder. Therefore\, the deadline to pay is up to ten years.\n\nThe Centr alized Enforcement Regime also opens the possibility of reducing debts by at least 30%\, through discounts.\n\nTo define the order of payment of cre ditors\, priority is given to older credits and also to profiles:\n\na) el derly\;\n\nb) people with serious illnesses\;\n\nc) people with credits le ss than 60 minimum wages\;\n\nd) pregnant woman\;\n\ne) victims of work ac cidents in soccer.\n\n2. Judicial reorganization\n\nJudicial – or extraj udicial – reorganization is usually used by companies that are almost ba nkrupt\, but which have economic relevance to society. In summary\, these companies can renegotiate civil and labor debts with the mediation of the government\, so that the credits are written off by discounts and paid in a new term.\n\nThe role of the SAF Law\, in this case\, was to guarantee a ccess to this tool for clubs that become companies. The legislation also a nticipates that bilateral contracts and contracts with players can be tran sferred from the civil association to the club-company\, without being inv olved in the agreement to be negotiated during the judicial reorganization .\n\nHow is tradition protected?\n\nAs long as the civil association that gave rise to the club has at least one class A common share\, regardless o f the percentage of the interest\, this entity will have veto power over t he following items:\n\na) change of name\;\n\nb) change of symbol\, coat o f arms\, brand\, nickname\, anthem and color\;\n\nc) change of headquarter s to another municipality.\n\nWho created the SAF?\n\nThe intellectual men tors of the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol are lawyers Rodrigo Monteiro de Castro and José Francisco Manssur. They have dedicated themselves to the study of business structures in football since at least 2015\, when they p ublished the book “Football\, Market and State”\, in which they pointe d out foreign proposals and references.\n\nSubsequently\, the content of t his study was presented in the National Congress by Senator Rodrigo Pachec o (PSD-MG)\, in 2019. Bill 5\,519/2019\, which culminated in the creation of the SAF Law\, was drafted by Senator Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ). The first companies in Brazilian football\, under this unprecedented format\, appea red in a few months.\n\nArticle Referral\n\nhttps://ge.globo.com/negocios- do-esporte/noticia/2022/09/02/o-que-e-saf-entenda-o-formato-de-clube-empre sa-que-mudou-o-futebol-brasileiro.ghtml\n\nWhat is left to the original as sociation when the SAF has an owner?\n\nExperiences from other countries t each a lot about the risks to which Brazilian clubs have exposed themselve s for not having developed the necessary mechanisms for their own protecti on\n\nRio de Janeiro\n\n03/28/2024 03:06 AM Up-to-date a year ago\n\nIn h is first press conference since taking over the presidency of Vasco da Gam a\, former player Pedrinho raised several questions about the limit of the original association in the direction of Vasco SAF\, the company that man ages the club’s professional football and which is now controlled by the North American group 777 Partners.\n\n“Unfortunately I am not part of t he process. But I’m always willing to help Vasco\, above any goal (…) Sportingly\, I think I could collaborate”\, said the president of Vasco about the little space that the association has in the current SAF. “I t’s their choice\, period. There is no crying\, lamentation\,” he adde d.\n\nPedrinho’s complaint is especially due to having been invited\, be fore leaving as a candidate\, to give opinions on the club’s sports plan ning. Once at the head of the association\, the treatment changed drastica lly. As president of the club\, Pedrinho is no longer seen as an ally for the SAF.\n\n“I have no interest in taking the 777. I’m interested in g iving a new direction\, a new direction to Vasco. The SAF was created to p rofessionalize football. We expect transparency\, sports performance ( …)”\, justified Pedrinho\, still showing himself willing to deal amica bly with the employees of 777 Partners.\n\nHowever\, the Vasco idol also m ade clear his disagreement with the SAF model: “The model that was creat ed in a contract\, then yes\, is no longer very much to my liking. It is a relationship in which I am a partner and I have functions such as supervi sing and collecting. This cannot be a nuisance to anyone.”\n\n“Chargin g\, inspecting is a natural process of a [business] society. I don’t kno w if the behavior of the previous administration created a different habit \, but this is not a pattern”\, reinforced Pedrinho.\n\nThere are severa l interesting points in these speeches\, which today stand out in Vasco’ s SAF because of the low sports performance and the errors in the decision -making of the management of the SAF – which has already changed CEO\, d irector of football or coach in just over a year –\; but that should be discussed by all other SAFs where the original clubs have become a decorat ive piece.\n\nBasically\, all SAFs were structured in the same way: the as sociative club holds few seats on the Board of Directors and on the Fiscal Council\, reducing its participation to access to confidential documents\ , contracts and financial data and the sporadic moment of transmitting som e dissatisfaction at shareholders’ meetings. Which is rarely done in pub lic.\n\nIn clubs that have 30% (Vasco)\, 25% (Atlético) or 10% (Bahia\, C oritiba\, Cruzeiro and Botafogo)\, the position is always secondary\, with out enough power. The position of the association in each of them will var y\, of course\, according to what was discussed in the election of the ass ociation. It is where Pedrinho’s press conference matters most.\n\nVasco lives this distancing because it was the first club to hold elections wit hout swearing in a group fully aligned with the management that operationa lized the sale of SAF. In the other cases\, until then\, the association ’s command has remained the same or with figures close to the administra tions that sold the SAF.\n\nAs long as the friendship relationship between the association and SAF lasts\, we will hardly see situations similar to Vasco’s come to light\, even in the worst of sporting scenarios. In the case of Coritiba\, for example\, the elections scheduled for last December were postponed and have not yet been rescheduled. In the midst of this\, there was a vexatious demotion and a lot of contestation from the members to the business model\, but the association’s management never manifeste d itself frontally.\n\nThe situation of cornering of the associations is n ot surprising\, because it has always been the objective of those who prom oted the SAFs as a panacea for Brazilian football.\n\nThere are understand able reasons for so much repulsion to the original club – for being clos ed (with the exception of a few cases)\, for the history of the top hats w ho have controlled it previously\, for the state in which the institution was at the time of sale – but this whole process of demonization of the associations should be expensive.\n\nAfter all\, the association will be t he last instance of salvation for the club\, if everything goes wrong in t he SAF. There is no safe choice in extirpating association from decision-m aking\, because at some point it will be necessary.\n\nIn addition\, at th e same time that the SAFs have been structured in such a way as to prevent the participation of the association\, the business models seem tailor-ma de to empty these century-old organizations. What is the ideal scenario fo r those who buy a SAF: not having to be accountable to anyone or\, at most \, having to communicate with a dying association\, without strength and r epresentativeness.\n\nIf at first this was desired to guarantee the work a utonomy of the “qualified professionals hired by investors”\, perhaps the occasional sellers have eliminated important escape routes that will b e missed at the necessary time.\n\nToday it is too early to visualize some thing catastrophic in this sense\, but experiences from other countries sh ould begin to be better studied so that the risks that clubs run for not h aving developed the necessary mechanisms for their own protection can be p erceived.\n\nIn the current scenario\, it is not possible to speculate on the nature or scruples of the groups that took over the SAFs\, but it is n ot just a purely moral issue either. There are a number of possible situat ions that can drastically alter the pretensions of these “investors” w ith “their SAFs”\, and in the end everything is business: will profess ional football pass from hand to hand – from buyer to buyer – or will it be allowed to conceive the resumption of its control by the original as sociation? This alternative already seems eliminated from the scenario.\n\ nA bad early sporting phase for what was expected from the investments of the SAFs has already put Vasco in a situation of worrying distancing. The controllers of the SAF are not obliged to listen to the original club. The original club does not see the tools at its disposal to act positively.\n \nIn a few years\, it will not only be sports results that will be the fac tors of dissatisfaction and distance between clubs and SAFs. The history o f club-companies around the world tells controversial\, highly complex sit uations that are still little visible in the Brazilian scenario. It will b e up to the fans to keep the association alive and strong\, because it wil l be through it that things will pass at the necessary time.\n\n- Irlan Si mões (@irlansimoes) is the author of the book “The Club’s Production: power\, business and community in football” (2023) \n\nhttps://morula.c om.br/produto/clube/\n\nand organizer of the work “Clube Empresa: global critical approaches to corporations in football” (2020).\n\nARTICLE URL \n\nhttps://ge.globo.com/blogs/blog-do-irlan-simoes/post/2024/03/28/o-que- resta-a-associacao-original-quando-a-saf-tem-dono.ghtml\n\nHow much does i t cost to become SAF? Fees charged by Federations range from R$ 30 thousan d to R$ 500 thousand\; see list\n\nThe Federation of Rio de Janeiro is the one that charges the most expensive\, followed by those of Pernambuco and Minas Gerais\; Paulista\, on the other hand\, is the only one among the t op ten that still does not charge for the change\n\nBy João de Andrade Ne to — Recife\n\n01/19/2024 03:17 PM Up-to-date a year ago\n\nSince it wa s created by the National Congress in August 2021\, the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) has become a recurring subject in Brazilian football\, w ith many clubs already adhering to the format and many others preparing to make the change from the associative model to club-company.\n\nMigration that\, to be official\, needs to be registered by the state federations\, which have been authorized by the CBF\, since 2022\, to charge the so-call ed “conversion fee”. Charge that\, depending on each state\, varies fr om R$ 30 thousand to R$ 500 thousand.\n\nThe ge verified in documents made available on the official websites of the entities and in contact with th e advisories the amounts charged by the ten best-placed federations in the CBF ranking: São Paulo\, Rio de Janeiro\, Minas Gerais\, Rio Grande do S ul\, Paraná\, Ceará\, Goiás\, Santa Catarina\, Bahia and Pernambuco.\n\ nThe federation with the most expensive rate is Rio de Janeiro. According to the values released by the entity\, a club that is in the state’s A1 Series will have to pay R$ 500 thousand to migrate to SAF. The charge is n ow R$ 300 thousand and R$ 200 thousand for clubs that compete in the A2 an d A3 Series of the State\, respectively.\n\nThese amounts started to be ch arged last year\, and are still valid\, according to Ferj’s press office . It is worth remembering that Botafogo and Vasco sold their shares in 202 2.\n\nPernambuco and Ceará on opposite paths\n\nThe second federation to charge the most is Pernambucana\, which readjusted the fee from R$ 120 tho usand to R$ 400 thousand as of this year. An increase of 233%. None of the big three in the state have become SAF so far\, but they work for it.\n\n Who has more advanced talks is Náutico\, which already has an offer from a group of investors that can reach\, between investment plan and guarante ed costs\, R$ 980 million over ten years for the purchase of 90% of the sh ares.\n\nSport\, on the other hand\, is in the process of reformulating it s statute with a view to adhering to the SAF model\, while Santa Cruz\, wh ich even had advanced talks with investors\, according to the board that l eft the club at the end of last year\, is again at square one. But the tra nsformation to the SAF is considered a priority by the current president\, Bruno Rodrigues.\n\nThe Ceará Federation\, on the other hand\, took the opposite path by reducing the value of the fee\, from R$ 400 thousand char ged until last year to R$ 120 thousand from 2024.\n\nIn the state\, Fortal eza approved in September the change to Sociedade Anônima do Futebol\, bu t without share sales for now\, a unique model in Brazilian football so fa r. In December\, the club’s then-president Marcelo Paz resigned to take over as CEO of Fortaleza EC SAF.\n\nCeará\, on the other hand\, does not treat adherence to the Corporations model as a priority.\n\nBahia\, Goiás and Minas\n\nThe Goiana and Bahia federations also charge R$ 120 thousand for the conversion into SAF.\n\nIn Goiás\, the three main clubs\, Goiás \, Atlético-GO and Vila Nova\, are in the process of moving. Bahia\, on t he other hand\, since March last year\, has 90% of football shares control led by the City Group. Vitória\, for now\, has not yet taken direction in this direction\n\nIn Minas Gerais\, where the big three have already adhe red to the SAF model\, with Cruzeiro being the first club in Brazil\, stil l in 2021\, the Minas Gerais Federation currently charges R$ 250 thousand for the change. Third saltier rate\, behind only Rio de Janeiro and Pernam buco.\n\nNo charge in São Paulo and “bargain” in the South\n\nLeader of the CBF ranking among federations\, São Paulo is the only one among th e top 10 not to charge the “conversion fee” for the SAF model\, accord ing to the resolution published in July last year. The state is the one wi th the most clubs that have already become a corporation\, with 10. One mo re than Minas Gerais\, according to the Academic League of Corporate Law o f the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.\n\nThe three federations in th e South Region of the country charge the lowest amounts\, with Catarinense being the cheapest: only R$ 30 thousand. The state has among its affiliat es four clubs that have already joined the SAF model\, including Figueiren se.\n\nIn the Paranaense and Gaucho Federations\, this amount is R$ 60 tho usand\, and in Rio Grande do Sul this fee will be charged as of this year. Paraná is the third state in the country with the most SAFS\, eight in a ll.\n\nThe amounts charged by the federations\n\nSão Paulo Federation - D oes not charge a fee\n\nRio de Janeiro Federation - 500 thousand*\n\nPerna mbuco Federation - R$ 400 thousand\n\nMinas Gerais Federation - R$ 250 tho usand\n\nCeará Federation - R$ 120 thousand\n\nGoiás Federation - R$ 120 thousand\n\nBahia Federation - R$ 120 thousand\n\nFederação Gaúcha - R $ 60 thousand**\n\nParanaense Federation - R$ 60 thousand\n\nSanta Catarin a Federation - R$ 30 thousand\n\n*Clubs that are in the A2 Series of the S tate pay R$ 300 thousand and those in the A3 Series\, R$ 200 thousand\n\n* * Charges for the first time in 2024\n\nARTICLE URL\n\nhttps://ge.globo.co m/pe/futebol/noticia/2024/01/19/quanto-custa-para-virar-saf-taxas-cobradas -por-federacoes-variam-de-r-30-mil-a-r-500-mil-veja-lista.ghtml\n\nJudicia l and extrajudicial reorganization\, bankruptcy and civil insolvency: a gu ide to understanding what can happen to indebted clubs\n\nLeaders\, politi cians and lawyers are beginning to speak publicly about mechanisms that ca n save associations mistreated by decades of mismanagement. And the fans d eserve to understand them\n\nSão Paulo\n\n06/02/2020 06h00 Up-to-date 5 years ago\n\nBy Rodrigo Capelo\n\nJudicial reorganization\, extrajudicial reorganization\, bankruptcy and civil insolvency. As soccer clubs collapse financially\, officials\, politicians and lawyers are beginning to spread these terms as possible solutions to reverse decades of mismanagement in associations.\n\nThe terms have already entered the vocabulary of the Cruz eirense. Vittorio Medioli\, a businessman who briefly participated in the provisional administration of Cruzeiro\, publicly defended that the club e nter into judicial reorganization to undo the damage caused by the Wagner Pires de Sá and Gilvan de Pinho Tavares administrations.\n\nThe subject m atters to practically every indebted club\, however. In the face of the cr itical situations in Brazilian football\, behind the scenes there are peop le interested in resorting to these mechanisms to clean up the indebtednes s of the associations. In some cases\, this would help improve the chances of migrating to a business structure.\n\nDue to the high degree of comple xity and high relevance for the future of Brazilian football\, the blog re corded a podcast to explain the mechanisms with the participation of Marce lo Sacramone\,\n\nhttps://interativos.ge.globo.com/podcasts/programa/dinhe iro-em-jogo/episodio/dinheiro-em-jogo-39-clube-de-futebol-pode-falir-enten da-as-opcoes-para-salvar-os-times-endividados/\n\n judge of the 2nd Court of Bankruptcy and Judicial Reorganization of São Paulo. This text serves as a support to understand each of the ways out for those in debt.\n\nJudi cial reorganization\n\nWhat is it for?\n\nTo recover a company that is rel evant to society\, especially for the jobs it generates\, which is going t hrough an economic crisis.\n\nWhat are the requirements?\n\nPerform busine ss activity for at least two years. In other words\, in order to enter int o a judicial reorganization process\, the legal entity must be a company – a corporation\, limited liability company or other similar corporate structure.\n\nNon-profit civil associations – like most football clubs i n Brazil – cannot enter into judicial reorganization\, unless they migra te to the business structure and wait two years or there is a change in th e legislation.\n\nWhat is the procedure?\n\nFirst\, the company submits th e request for judicial reorganization to the Court\, with justifications t o obtain the benefit of renegotiating its debts under the supervision of t he government.\n\nIf the Court allows the proceeding\, the company (debtor ) will have 60 days (two months) to present a plan for payment to the grou p of people with whom it has accumulated debts (creditors).\n\nWhen the re organization plan is presented\, the creditors will decide whether to acce pt or reject the proposal. If they accept\, creditors will receive the amo unts according to the conditions set out in this agreement. If they do not accept\, the company will be declared bankrupt.\n\nAfter the agreement\, the Court still monitors compliance with this reorganization for two years to ensure that the debtor follows the plan.\n\nWhat are the benefits?\n\n Creditors are allowed to receive the amounts that were outstanding\, albei t with discounts and in installments. In another hypothesis\, they could r eceive nothing. Judicial reorganization also requires that the agreement b e collective\, that is\, no creditor can take advantage of another with th e seizure of revenues\, for example.\n\nTo the company (debtor)\, the judi cial reorganization allows it to reduce its indebtedness and preserve its activity. Additionally\, all blockades and seizures suffered by this compa ny are suspended for 180 days (six months). This happens precisely so that no creditor gets ahead of another when it comes to obtaining the money fr om a lien.\n\n“Why will everything be suspended? To prevent a more sophi sticated\, faster lender from being able to take an asset and harm everyth ing else. The law says: during these 180 days\, everything will be suspend ed against the debtor. The problem with this is that case law has extended this period. Here in the State of São Paulo\, this period has taken two years on average. It is very different from the 180 days. It is alleged th at creditors are negotiating\, so it is better to maintain this suspension than to let someone run outside to pledge a certain asset”\, explains M arcelo Sacramone.\n\nWhat does the negotiation depend on?\n\nGenerally\, t wo factors:\n\n1.Of the assets that can be sold to raise money. This goes for everything that has some value for the company. In the case of clubs\, they would be real estate (social and administrative headquarters\, train ing centers and stadiums)\, player contracts and brand (shield)\n\n2.From the revenue forecast in the new business plan. If the company understands that its financial recovery will allow investments and make it raise more money\, part of these resources can be redirected to pay creditors\n\nTaki ng these factors into account\, the probability of a good deal for both pa rties will be determined. In the case of a company that has no assets to s ell and/or does not have the potential to increase its revenue\, creditors will have problems obtaining good values.\n\nDoes recovery involve debt f orgiveness?\n\nMost of the time. The debtor would not have the money to pa y all the debts under normal conditions. So he usually bases the recovery plan on extending the payment deadline and negotiating discounts on the am ounts due.\n\nLenders may understand that it is better to receive some mon ey than none at all. Therefore\, they agree to forgive part of the amounts due in exchange for the scheduled payment. This only happens if the absol ute majority of creditors agree with the proposed conditions.\n\n“In an average plan\, the debtor will pay in 11 years and with half of what he ow ed. This is an average plan. 30% of the plans involve selling something to make cash to satisfy that plan. Then the creditors will be called to a Ge neral Meeting in which they will meet to deliberate if that is the best pr oposal\, if the debtor could not propose something better\, make some sugg estion\, and it is up to the debtor to understand whether or not he will m aintain the original proposal”\, says Marcelo Sacramone.\n\nAre there ru les for the formulation of the plan?\n\nLabor debts (with former employees ) must be paid within a period of less than one year\, from the moment the debtor’s proposal is accepted by the creditors. The limitation of labor debts concerns the term\, but not the discount. As long as the creditors agree to forgive part of the debt\, the debtor can reduce this amount.\n\n This is a huge potential problem for football clubs. The labor debts of as sociations – with players\, coaches and employees of other departments – are usually much higher than in conventional companies. Especially in the case of the most traditional and most indebted clubs in Brazilian foo tball.\n\nOut-of-court reorganization\n\nWhat is it for?\n\nExtrajudicial reorganization has similar mechanics to judicial reorganization\, but the negotiation phase between debtor and creditors is done out of court. The a greement needs to be taken to a judge\, however\, so that he can verify th e conditions and ratify the decision.\n\nThe negotiation does not have to happen with all creditors at the same time. For example\, the company can renegotiate only debts with financial institutions (bank debts).\n\nIn out -of-court reorganization\, the negotiation also does not need the approval of an absolute majority to be confirmed. If the debtor obtains the approv al of 60% of the creditors\, the other 40% are obliged to accept the condi tions of the reorganization plan.\n\nBankruptcy\n\nWhat is it for?\n\nIt i s the consequence of a judicial reorganization that did not work out – t hat is\, in which the creditors did not accept the proposal made by the de btor and decided that the best way would be to file for bankruptcy. It is also possible to have direct bankruptcy\, but this is a rare case.\n\nIn t he event of bankruptcy\, the debtor loses all power over the assets and th e power to manage them. He is removed immediately. The court appoints a tr ustee\, and this trustee sells all assets to raise money. Real estate\, br ands\, contracts\, everything that is possible to sell on the market\, com es into play to pay creditors.\n\nWhat are the requirements?\n\nOnly compa nies can go bankrupt. Non-profit civil associations\, like most football c lubs in Brazil\, cannot go through this process without some change in leg islation.\n\nWho can file for bankruptcy of a company?\n\nDebtors or credi tors. In practice\, no one asks.\n\nThe debtor usually understands that it is better to continue activity and try to pay off debts\, while creditors avoid the risk of receiving nothing if there are not enough assets to sel l.\n\nIn football\, filing for bankruptcy of a club would have an addition al effect: social pressure on creditors or directors (responsible for the debtor) who filed for bankruptcy of a traditional club.\n\nWhat are the be nefits?\n\nIf the liquidation of all assets generates money to pay off at least 50% of the debts\, the company cannot be charged for the other 50%.\ n\n“Bankruptcy is a prize for the entrepreneur who has had a failure. If I liquidate all the assets and with that amount I manage to pay half of t he creditors\, he is free the next day to return to his activity. There is an extinction of his debts. Problems with this: bankruptcy lasts an avera ge of 12 years\, that is\, the process never ends. If the process does not end and he is unable to pay this 50%\, he will stay another five years af ter the closure still linked to these obligations”\, explains Marcelo Sa cramone.\n\nCivil Insolvency\n\nWhat is it?\n\nIt is a form of liquidation of all assets and payment of creditors. There is no possibility of collec tive bargaining. The club would need to enter into an agreement individual ly with all creditors.\n\nWhat are the requirements?\n\nCivil insolvency a pplies to non-profit civil associations. Football clubs can go through thi s procedure at any time.\n\nWho can apply for the insolvency of an associa tion?\n\nDebtors or creditors. In practice\, no one asks.\n\nThe debtor do es not ask because it would cease to exist and would not be able to preser ve its activity\, and creditors do not usually ask because they would hard ly be able to receive the amounts.\n\nIn addition\, as the negotiations ar e individual\, some creditors could outsmart others by taking advantage of the resources obtained from the sale of assets such as stadiums\, venues and players.\n\nWhat is the difference between bankruptcy and insolvency?\ n\nIn a civil insolvency process\, even if the sale of all the association ’s assets pays more than 50% of the debts\, the association will continu e to be linked to the rest of the debts until they expire. The statute of limitations can be from five to ten years\, depending on whether there has been a crime. In practically all cases\, it is not worth it.\n\n@rodrigoc apelo\n\nARTICLE URL\n\nhttps://ge.globo.com/blogs/blog-do-rodrigo-capelo/ post/2020/02/06/recuperacao-judicial-extrajudicial-falencia-e-insolvencia- civil-um-guia-para-entender-o-que-pode-acontecer-com-clubes-endividados.gh tml\n\nBill No. 5516\, of 2019\n\nSee also: VET 43/2021\n\nAuthorship: Sen ator Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM/MG)\n\nNo. in the Chamber of Deputies: PL 5516/2 019\n\nGenerated Rule: Law No. 14\,193 of 08/06/2021\n\nSubject: Economy a nd Development >\; Taxes\, Social Policy >\; Sports and Leisure\n\nSum mary: Creates the Brazilian Football System\, through the typification of the Football Corporation\, establishment of governance\, control and trans parency rules\, institution of means of financing football activity and pr ovision of a transitory tax system.\n\nExplanation of the Summary: Creates the figure of the Sociedade Anônima do Futebol\, whose main activity con sists of the practice of soccer in professional competitions\, defines its financing\, administration\, governance and control\; and establishes a s pecial regime for the calculation of federal taxes applicable to the speci es.\n\nPROPOSITIONS\n\nIdentification:\n\nPL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenat or Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM/MG)\n\nDate:\n\n10/10/2019\n\nDescription/Syllabus \n\nCreates the Brazilian Football System\, through the typification of th e Football Corporation\, establishment of governance\, control and transpa rency rules\, institution of means of financing football activity and prov ision of a transitory tax system.\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Sena te\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8023943&\;t s=1721927154468&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nInitial sing le article\n\nAuthor:\n\nFederal Senate\n\nDate:\n\n15/10/2019\n\nDescript ion/Syllabus\n\n-\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislativ e Action:\n\nForwarded for publication. To the CAE and EC\, the latter bei ng responsible for the final decision. (This processed contains twenty (20 ) numbered sheets.) | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sd leg-getter/documento?dm=8025061&\;ts=1721927154503&\;disposition=inl ine\n\nOPINIONS\n\nIdentification:\n\nLegislative Report\n\nAuthor:\n\nSen ator Carlos Portinho (PL/RJ)\n\nDate:\n\n08/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabu s\n\nSeem\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action :\n\nThe report and the attachments forwarded by the Rapporteur\, Senator Carlos Portinho\, were received. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.sen ado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8977839&\;ts=1721927154807&\;di sposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nLegislative Report\n\nAuthor:\n\nSe nator Carlos Portinho (PL/RJ)\n\nDate:\n\n10/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllab us\n\nSeem\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Actio n:\n\nReceived the Report of Senator Carlos Portinho. | See the procedure \n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978839&\;ts= 1721927155441&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nP.S 129/2021 - PLEN\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Carlos Portinho (PL/RJ)\n\nDate:\n\n10/06/2021 \n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nOpinion No. 129/2021-PLEN/SF - Presentation of Substitute - Amendment No. 32-PLEN.\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal S enate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\n(Remote Deliberative Session held on 06/10 /2021) Opinion No. 129/2021-PLEN/SF was delivered by Senator Carlos Portin ho\, concluding by the approval of the bill\, by the full acceptance of Am endments Nos. 3\, 4\, 8\, 10\, 12\, 13\, 23\, 28 and 31-… | See the pro cedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8979014&am p\;ts=1721927155406&\;disposition=inline\n\nAMENDMENTS\n\nIdentificatio n:\n\nAMENDMENT 1 - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Leila Barros (PSB/D F)\n\nDate:\n\n25/05/2020\n\nLocal:\n\nCommittee on Economic Affairs\n\nLe gislative Action:\n\nAmendment sent to the rapporteur\, Senator Marcos Rog ério\, for analysis. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/ sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8114738&\;ts=1721927154615&\;disposition=i nline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 2 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\n Senator Paulo Paim (PT/RS)\, Senator Rogério Carvalho (PT/SE)\n\nDate:\n\ n07/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 2 to PL 5516\n\nLocal:\n\ nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendmen ts Nos. 2 and 3\, from Senator Paulo Paim. | See the procedure\n\nhttps:/ /legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8977023&\;ts=17219271551 75&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 3 PLEN - PL 551 6/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Paulo Paim (PT/RS)\n\nDate:\n\n07/06/2021\n\n Description/Syllabus\n\nPL 5516 of 2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federa l Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 2 and 3\, from Senator Paulo Paim. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/s dleg-getter/documento?dm=8977026&\;ts=1721927155205&\;disposition=in line\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 4 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nS enator Jayme Campos (DEM/MT)\n\nDate:\n\n08/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabu s\n\nAmendment to PL 5516\, of 2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Se nate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendment No. 4\, from Senator Jay me Campos. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-gette r/documento?dm=8977819&\;ts=1721927154770&\;disposition=inline\n\nId entification:\n\nAMENDMENT 5 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Ven eziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB/PB)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Sylla bus\n\nAmendment PL 5516/19\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\n Legislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. - 5\, from Senator Venezia no Vital do Rêgo\; - 6\, from Senator Weverton. | See the procedure\n\nh ttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8977963&\;ts=17219 27155530&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 6 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Weverton (PDT/MA)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/202 1\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nEMD 1 PL 5516\, of 2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. - 5\, from Senator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo\; - 6\, from Senator Weverton. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento ?dm=8977992&\;ts=1721927155813&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentificatio n:\n\nAMENDMENT 7 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Paulo Rocha (P T/PA)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment to PL 5\ ,516\, of 2019 - labor debts\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\ nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendment No. 7\, from Senator Paulo Roch a. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/docume nto?dm=8978101&\;ts=1721927155882&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentifica tion:\n\nAMENDMENT 8 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Wellington Fagundes (PL/MT)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nemenda_ Sistema of Brazilian Football\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n \nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendment No. 8\, from Senator Wellingto n Fagundes. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-gett er/documento?dm=8978120&\;ts=1721927154843&\;disposition=inline\n\nI dentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 9 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Ro se de Freitas (MDB/ES)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nA mendment to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLeg islative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 9 and 10\, from Senator Rose de Freitas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-gett er/documento?dm=8978169&\;ts=1721927155913&\;disposition=inline\n\nI dentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 10 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator R ose de Freitas (MDB/ES)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\n Amendment to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLe gislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 9 and 10\, from Senator Rose de Freitas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-get ter/documento?dm=8978175&\;ts=1721927154653&\;disposition=inline\n\n Identification:\n\nAMENDMENT 11 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Paulo Rocha (PT/PA)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAMEN DMENT to Bill No. 5516\, of 2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senat e\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 11\, by Senator Paulo Rocha\; and - 12\, by Senator Luiz do Carmo. | See the procedure\n\nhttp s://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978190&\;ts=17219271 55244&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 12 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Luiz Carlos do Carmo (MDB/GO)\n\nDate:\n\ n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nBill No. 5516\, of 2019\n\nLocal:\n \nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendme nts Nos. 11\, by Senator Paulo Rocha\; and - 12\, by Senator Luiz do Carmo . | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documen to?dm=8978196&\;ts=1721927156144&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentificat ion:\n\nAMENDMENT 13 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Fabiano Con tarato (REDE/ES)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nensure that the PDES include students from public educational institutions\n\nLoc al:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Am endments Nos. 13 and 14\, by Senator Fabiano Contarato\; - 15 and 16\, by Senator Weverton. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdle g-getter/documento?dm=8978209&\;ts=1721927155976&\;disposition=inlin e\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 14 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSen ator Fabiano Contarato (REDE/ES)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syl labus\n\nIncrease the transparency of Football Corporations\n\nLocal:\n\nP lenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 13 and 14\, by Senator Fabiano Contarato\; - 15 and 16\, by Senator Weverton. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter /documento?dm=8978212&\;ts=1721927156006&\;disposition=inline\n\nIde ntification:\n\nAMENDMENT 15 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Wev erton (PDT/MA)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nEMD to PL 5516 of 2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Ac tion:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 13 and 14\, by Senator Fabiano Contarato \; - 15 and 16\, by Senator Weverton. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legi s.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978215&\;ts=1721927155283&am p\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 16 PLEN - PL 5516/20 19\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Weverton (PDT/MA)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescr iption/Syllabus\n\nEMD to PL 5516 of 2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Fede ral Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 13 and 14\, by Senator Fabiano Contarato\; - 15 and 16\, by Senator Weverton. | See t he procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978 218&\;ts=1721927155315&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAM ENDMENT 17 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Weverton (PDT/MA)\n\n Date:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nEMD to PL 5516 of 2019\n\nL ocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendment No. 17\, from Senator Weverton. | See the procedure\n\nhttps:// legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978241&\;ts=172192715617 9&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 18 PLEN - PL 551 6/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Izalci Lucas (PSDB/DF)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021 \n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 02 to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlen ary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments No s. 18 to 22\, from Senator Izalci Lucas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://l egis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978259&\;ts=1721927154884 &\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 19 PLEN - PL 5516 /2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Izalci Lucas (PSDB/DF)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\ n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 01 PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 1 8 to 22\, from Senator Izalci Lucas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis .senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978262&\;ts=1721927154916& \;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 20 PLEN - PL 5516/201 9\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Izalci Lucas (PSDB/DF)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nD escription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 05 to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary o f the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 18 to 22\, from Senator Izalci Lucas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis. senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978267&\;ts=1721927154950&\ ;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 21 PLEN - PL 5516/2019 \n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Izalci Lucas (PSDB/DF)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDe scription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 04 to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 18 to 22\, from Senator Izalci Lucas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.s enado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978270&\;ts=1721927154981&\; disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 22 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\ n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Izalci Lucas (PSDB/DF)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDes cription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 03 PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 18 to 2 2\, from Senator Izalci Lucas. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senad o.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978273&\;ts=1721927155012&\;disp osition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 23 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nA uthor:\n\nSenator Eduardo Braga (MDB/AM)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescrip tion/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 1 - PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Fe deral Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 23 and 24\ , by Senator Eduardo Braga. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.l eg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978279&\;ts=1721927155049&\;disposi tion=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 24 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuth or:\n\nSenator Eduardo Braga (MDB/AM)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescriptio n/Syllabus\n\nAmendment 2 - PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Feder al Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 23 and 24\, b y Senator Eduardo Braga. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg. br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978282&\;ts=1721927155079&\;dispositio n=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 25 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor: \n\nSenator Irajá (PSD/TO)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus \n\nAmendment to PL 5516/2019 - art 2\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 25 to 28 from Se nator Irajá\; and 29 to 31 from Senator Romário. | See the procedure\n\ nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978291&\;ts=172 1927155572&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 26 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Irajá (PSD/TO)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/20 21\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment to PL 5516/2019 - art 10\n\nLocal: \n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amend ments Nos. 25 to 28 from Senator Irajá\; and 29 to 31 from Senator Romár io. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/docum ento?dm=8978294&\;ts=1721927155603&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentific ation:\n\nAMENDMENT 27 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Irajá (P SD/TO)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment to PL 5 516/2019 - art 15\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislativ e Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 25 to 28 from Senator Irajá\; and 2 9 to 31 from Senator Romário. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senad o.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978297&\;ts=1721927155637&\;disp osition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 28 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nA uthor:\n\nSenator Irajá (PSD/TO)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Sy llabus\n\nAmendment to PL 5516/2019 - art 21\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the F ederal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 25 to 28 from Senator Irajá\; and 29 to 31 from Senator Romário. | See the proce dure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978300&\ ;ts=1721927155669&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 29 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Romário (PL/RJ)\n\nDate:\n\n 09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\ n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendm ents Nos. 25 to 28 from Senator Irajá\; and 29 to 31 from Senator Romári o. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/docume nto?dm=8978305&\;ts=1721927155946&\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentifica tion:\n\nAMENDMENT 30 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\nSenator Romário ( PL/RJ)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\nAmendment to PL 5 516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action: \n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 25 to 28 from Senator Irajá\; and 29 to 31 f rom Senator Romário. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/ sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978309&\;ts=1721927155779&\;disposition=i nline\n\nIdentification:\n\nAMENDMENT 31 PLEN - PL 5516/2019\n\nAuthor:\n\ nSenator Romário (PL/RJ)\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n \nAmendment to PL 5516/2019\n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\n Legislative Action:\n\nReceived Amendments Nos. 25 to 28 from Senator Iraj á\; and 29 to 31 from Senator Romário. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://l egis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978313&\;ts=1721927156035 &\;disposition=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nSeparate amendments\n\nAuth or:\n\nFederal Senate\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\n-\ n\nLocal:\n\nPlenary of the Federal Senate\n\nLegislative Action:\n\nThe d eadline for amending the matter ended at 2 pm on 06/09/2021. Amendments No s. 2 to 31 were received. | See the procedure\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg .br/sdleg-getter/documento?dm=8978336&\;ts=1721927155848&\;dispositi on=inline\n\nIdentification:\n\nSeparate amendments\n\nAuthor:\n\nFederal Senate\n\nDate:\n\n09/06/2021\n\nDescription/Syllabus\n\n-\n\nLocal:\n\nPl enary of the Federal Senate\n\nhttps://legis.senado.leg.br/sdleg-getter/do cumento?dm=8978350&\;ts=1721927154679&\;disposition=inline\n\nLEGAL DOCUMENT URL- all content within \, which is more than listed\n\nhttps://w ww25.senado.leg.br/web/atividade/materias/-/materia/139338\n\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12082-black-1-percent-ha ve-to-lead-by-example-in-uncomfortable-places-economic-corner/\n\n\n\n PRI OR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/600-economic-corner-2 8-11232025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/e vents/event/628-economic-corner-30-01202026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARI ES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n the problem with @Pioneer1 position is in the past of the usa the black 1% supported the underground\, the bl ack 1% were keys in the many Black DOSers going back to Africa through the ir own minimal means\, the black 1% helped financed the travel and activit ies of the civil rights movement leaders like mlk jr. \n\n\n\n The black 1% has always existed\, many black loyalists and some black rebels were bl ack 1% who owned businesses. So history disproves white power as having th e potency he suggest. Don't tell me black 1% were able to help black peopl e in the 1800s when black pregnant women were being hung for sport by whit es but now in 2025\, the great mind shackle exist. The future isn't about returning to the past\, but history does have value\, and I think the mode rn black 1% who have a better environment than any time before in usa or b ritish colonial history \, have no excuse to lead by positive + better exa mple. Black business owners circa 1865 in south carolina were willing to d efy white people by having black schools when white people\, pre KKK \, we re going from black town to black town burning them down to the ground. \ n\n\n\n Fellas\, they got to do better and in all earnest \, if they don't want to help\, I say\, call them out on it. I don't have a problem with w ealthy blacks not helping black folk if said black 1% can be honest about it\, tfi the 99% of black people can be honest about it. . Lets call it li ke it is\, a minority of our forebears were willing to help the white peop le fighting the englsih\, who were enslaving us. So it isn't odd that some black people are willing to help whites over black people in the usa.. Bu t... again\, call it like it is.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251130 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:New Horizons Coloring page and challenge DTSTAMP:20260109T005427Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:627-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n New Horizons coloring page\n\n https://www.deviantart.com /hddeviant/art/New-Horizons-Coloring-Page-1284759575\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CO DE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n New Horizons  color me club challenge\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/New-Horizons-1284003118\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260108 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Fauxnuts + Where are they now charlie brown DTSTAMP:20260109T005306Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:626-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Fauxnuts  - click link to see all the comic strip pages and in color\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Fauxnuts-1-2-128 4754500\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Where Are They Now : Charlie Brown\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/WATN-Cha rlie-Brown-1283864876\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260108 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poetic Critique of Luthien and Beren by jjwinters - Jan 6th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250116T212747Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:130-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Poetic Critique of Luthien and Beren by jjwinters - Jan 6 th 2025\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Around lovers the lines do swirls\n\n\n\n delee cate pairs to knobs as pearls\n\n\n\n about the scene the back is plain\n\ n\n\n a rouge\, a mauve\, i say is sane\n\n\n\n await! i know co-missh con trol\n\n\n\n J-Jee no prob! you made the goal\n\n\n\n her skin or his a te xture true\n\n\n\n the light is from above the two\n\n\n\n his hair a wild e brown affair\n\n\n\n her hair almond e worth a stare\n\n\n\n The clothe s of both is too even\n\n\n\n fabric of elf is not humen\n\n\n\n The white in lines is good so flair\n\n\n\n E yet is dark balance to pair\n\n\n\n n o need to see if suns inside\n\n\n\n perluminate! L and B glide\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n from Richard Murray / HDdeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n See the inspir ational image critiqued and more\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ art/Poetic-Critique-of-Luthien-and-Beren-by-jjwinters-1143440896\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n the rare fantasy\, based on 魔女 の宅急便\, phonetically Majo no Takkyūbin\, in english 'Witch's Exp ress Home Delivery written by Eiko Kadono. Kadono at the time of this rmne wsletter edition is ninety years old.\n\n\n\n The review focuses on one th ing\, that is why I am a Kiki fan. The film's story is uncommonly balanced \, not the good vs evil dichotomy\, but the total human existence. Like a number of Studio Ghibli films: \"Whisper of the Heart\" or \"The Wind Rise s\" for example\, the action is minimal\, and the Christian duopoly is non existent\, and I recall my own youth\, amongst black folk in this black pl ace in a white city\, the most.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250106 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poetic Critique of Illumination by Chaosfive-55 DTSTAMP:20260105T073114Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:624-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Poetic Critique of Illumination by Chaosfive-55\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Poetic-Critique-of-Illumination-b y-Chaosfive-55-1283450705\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Crux the light centrally\, th e focal projects the small scene\n\n\n\n Sancti perviously\, the aperture aid nature's ween\n\n\n\n Patris wee homily\, in human tilt or angled mean \n\n\n\n Benedicti rightly\, the motion in a day's serene\n\n\n\n Transill uminately\, all photos fail but this perbeen\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n critmas 20 25\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Critmas-2025-128018734 0\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260105 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Laprimatorte tutorial DTSTAMP:20260104T032317Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:623-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Laprimatorte tutorial for the Holiday-themed Resource Sha ring Contest of Stockandresources group in Deviantart\n\n https://www.devi antart.com/hddeviant/art/Laprimatorte-tutorial-1282966094\n\n #laprimatort e #tutorial #stockandresources #hddeviant #richardmurray #richardmurrayhum blr\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260103 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Perihelion GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T121516Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:357-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Perihelion occurs between January 1st and January 5th \, The perihelion is the moment in the path the Earth make about the Sun \,elliptical orbit\, where the Earth's position is closest to the sun. T he Aphelion in June/July is when the earth is farthest away. Please provid e any art or text concerning  a sun coming closer\, and don't try the t wilight zone episode.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n EXPLANATION\n\n\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/events/event/607-perihelion-aphelion-explanation/\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n photo citation\n https:// www.flickr.com/photos/benheine/31614749540/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250102 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250106 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:MidnightHour 2026 year begin art Challenge NOTE: NEVER START ED DTSTAMP:20251206T172634Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:610-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/midni ght-hour/post/802204635398111232/midnighthour-2026-year-begin-art-challeng e?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n INFO\n\n\n\n Dear Midnight Hour members. \n\n\n\n As we have three types of members\, three challenges exist\, fina l date of submission for each is Jan 3rd 2026\, the challenge only occurs with five or more entries\, the prize for each is Tumblr Premium or a comm ission of equal monetary value:\n\n\n\n Literary- make a poem based on one BLKTouch film\, name the film\, and post entry in this community[you can post outside as well\, but to participate post in this community]\n\n\n\n Illustrative- make an illustration based on on BLKTouch film\, name the fi lm\, and post entry in this community[you can post outside as well\, but t o participate post in this community]\n\n\n\n Photographic- make a photogr aphic manipulation based on one BLKTouch film\, name the film\, and post e ntry in this community[you can post outside as well\, but to participate p ost in this community]\n\n\n\n Final Date of Submission Jan 3rd 2026\n\n\n \n EXAMPLES OF BLKTOUCH imagery and content\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com /communities/midnight-hour?tab=recent&\;tagged=blktouch\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n MEMBERS\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayhumblr \; @revcleo \; @soogie220 \; @bl acknprettyincloudcity \; @voydess \; @weoutheretoo \; @truthhurtz81 \; @be troit \; @yellowflowerevythinks \; @valermorghulis \; @iridescentairess \; @by-april-march \; @sexy-gummi \; @lucidaquarian \; @pixelhotsauce \; @la sergunsandcongodrums \; @vampirepyramidscheme \; @kingkeme \; @dreyvisiona ry \; @noisilypersistentschism \; @psycheternal \; @sapphirescrolls \; @ju icyfruiit8 \; @spikes-123 \; @qtcomicsblog \; @msixelaa \; @kiratheartist \; @wednesdayxmourning \; @annasleffer \; @0ne0nlylarry \; @pangeasgarden \; @musashden \; @melaninmoney \; \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260103 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Midnight Hour PeriExchange NOTE: NEVER STARTED DTSTAMP:20251206T171514Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:609-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n At the end of 2025\, when I look at the midnighthour comm unity [ linked below] which is designed for all PReto\, Negro\, Habshi\, K alo [of india]\, Schwartz\, Noir\, Kokuchin\, Negrito [indigenous of south asia]\, Australian Aboriginal\, Blacks of Jamaica/Haiti/or anywhere in gr eater west indies\, Blacks of Ghana/Nigeria/South Africa/ or anywhere in g reater Nubia [commonly called Africa or Libya or Ethiopia]\, Black America ns\,  or other terms related to the phenotypical group commonly called a term meaning Black artist of mature/erotic/not safe work work/ or similar art I see a need for another way of existence\, as activity has lessened.  \n\n\n\n And so it occurred to me \, we have have erotic adult art excha nges\, like secret santa art exchanges. \n\n\n\n And so the Midnight Hour PeriExchange was born. As this is the first it will grow in quality over time. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Members have to provide the following\, before January 6th 2026  to participate\n\n\n\n What artstyle will you use[liter ature{poetry or prose}/illustration{pencil/digital/ink}/photography{you ar e provided a photograph and you edit it or take a photo of it and edit it }]?\n\n\n\n What character do you want to have made[please provide any ref erences- note below]? \n\n\n\n What artstyle do you want said character t o be made in[literary{poetry or prose}/illustration{ink/colored pencil}/ph otography{must provide the photograph}]?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n With 33 member s that is 16 pairs\, but with varying art styles and small number \, once two pairs are possible I will start. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIST OF PERIEXCH ANGE NOTES [possible # of pairs=?]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIST OF PAIRS\n\n\n\ n MEMBERS AT THIS TIME\n\n\n\n @richardmurrayhumblr \; @revcleo \; @soogi e220 \; @blacknprettyincloudcity \; @voydess \; @weoutheretoo \; @truthhur tz81 \; @betroit \; @yellowflowerevythinks \; @valermorghulis \; @iridesce ntairess \; @by-april-march \; @sexy-gummi \; @lucidaquarian \; @pixelhots auce \; @lasergunsandcongodrums \; @vampirepyramidscheme \; @kingkeme \; @ dreyvisionary \; @noisilypersistentschism \; @psycheternal \; @sapphirescr olls \; @juicyfruiit8 \; @spikes-123 \; @qtcomicsblog \; @msixelaa \; @kir atheartist \; @wednesdayxmourning \; @annasleffer \; @0ne0nlylarry \; @pan geasgarden \; @musashden \; @melaninmoney \; \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MIDNIGHT HOUR\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/ midnight-hour\n\n\n\n MIDNIGHT HOUR POST\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/co mmunities/midnight-hour/post/802205255136886784/midnight-hour-periexchange ?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE PERIHELION 2026\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/events/event/608-perihelion-2026/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMPREHENDING PERIHELION + APHELION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/607-perih elion-aphelion-explanation/\n\n\n\n OLDEST KNOWN KEMET MAP\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin_Papyrus_Map\n\n\n\n OLD WORLD MAP LIST\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_world_maps\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260103 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mimada Cheerleader Noddy with Nia-In-the-box DTSTAMP:20260102T035248Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:622-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mimada Cheerleader Noddy with Nia-In-the-box\n\n\n\n devi antart\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Mimada-Cheerleader -Noddy-1282123367\n\n\n\n midnighthour tumblr\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.c om/communities/midnight-hour/post/804599842665021440/mimada-cheerleader-no ddy-with?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Of Japan and the USA DTSTAMP:20260101T232136Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:621-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n THE FOLLOWING IS A DIALOG STEMMED BY OTHERS\n\n\n\n CITAT ION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12226-the-strike-on-nigeria/#findCo mment-78966\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  Happy 2026 all\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD  \n\n\n\n \n 3 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Those nations wer e stable before the US &\; NATO started protecting them.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Japan jumped into some sh8t they had no business during W WII.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n As a consolation for dropping them tha ngs (nuclear bombs)\, the US felt obligated to rebuild and make Japan an a lly.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n The relationship between the US &\ ; Japan has been fruitful for many decades now. I'm sure brotha @richardmu rray would disagree.😁\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1 is correct that the cold war alliance the usa made with japan/western european countr ies/ or others was based on a strategy\, the usa provides financial assist ance while said countries international allegiance went to the usa's milit aristic agenda and not the soviet union's especially in the last century.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But he is wrong to suggest the USA protects these count ries\, the USA didn't and doesn't. We have the hindsight of history to see the truth. The Soviet Union was never an external actor. The soviet union never had the resources to make a grand push against the usa's seven flee ts. But the soviet union always had potential philosophical allies in vari ous countries in the world. Nippon was actually not going to be rebuilt by the usa until japanese communist not financially supported by the soviet union were gaining or had the majority of popular momentum in japan and th e usa feared if china + japan go communist then the USA wouldn't have an e arly strike position. So the usa then did what it did everywhere in humani ty at the end of the second white european imperial war SWEIW\, commonly c alled world war 2\, and that is support the various financial wealthy  ca ste in a country to keep the fiscal poor in said country down and not comm unist. you see this everywhere. The usa knew it could work cause that is w hat happened after the end of the war between the states. The truth is\, l ike the rich japanese/germans/french/italians/argentineans/chinese who bec ame the taiwanese/and others who were all financially broken after the SWE IW and were able to quell fiscally poor japanese/germans/french/italians/a rgentineans and others who had huge non fiscal capitalistic movements. the rich whites of the south after the war between the states were broken and the usa government supported southern fiscally wealthy whites to lord ove r the black southern populace\, which at that time was over 90% of the bla ck populace of the usa which also had a non fiscal capitalistic philosophy in it. \n\n\n\n As miyazaki correctly points out in \"Grave Of The Firef lies\" fiscally poor japanese who suffered in nippon during the war and ha d to deal with white statian bullying after then watched from the rubble a s the fiscally wealthy japanese who were the primary supporters of the jap anese imperial machine and were broke were funded by the usa to keep down the popular socialist movement in japan which besides being socialist was more importantly\, anti usa. And this was done everywhere\, in france/ital y/nigeria/congo- poor lumumba whose crime wasn't opposing fiscal capitalis m but wanting to actually run a country on even fiscal capitalistic princi ples which the usa could never allow/argentina/brasil/a long list. So to s uggest the usa protected other countries is an insult to history. None of what I just said is fantasy. We talk of the vietnam war but again\, what r eally happened. Ho chi minh won the election \, people forget this. Ho chi minh didn't talk about attacking the usa or france\, but he wasn't going to be an ally of the usa like a mobuto or suharto or the rest of the croni es all throughout humanity whom the usa militaristically supported by kill ing their rivals and providing them money just so the masses of people und er them can be fiscally poor and suffer\, thus aiding usa dominance. So th e usa then attacked vietnam and the very profitable vietnam war happened\, which damaged vietnam in many ways\, far beyond money. So... the usa is n ot a protector and it is a historical insult to suggest it. \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n As for greatness\, I don't think pioneer or me or you have a decent definition to what makes any government great. Western Europe and Japan w ere arguably more stable or self sufficient before the SWEIW. From a milit aristic perspective all were greater before SWEIW. As for \"ideal\" well\, Pioneer is speaking in the 250th anniversary of the usa as a member of GI Joe. Saying another country is ideal when it is enslaved to the one you l ive in is... well... I don't communicate like that. I have always hoped ev en as a child that Nippon be free of the usa. If I was from Nippon I would hate that another country has a massive military base in my country. You are not free until you can defend yourself. It is that simple. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Profd I concur to you\, I do not oppose your first position con cerning stability. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But I oppose your position about j apan's activities during the SWEIW. All governments of power would and wil l reach to conquer\, it is the way of power\, to want more. It is inevitab le. Nippon's flaw wasn't getting into SWEIW\, it was pearl harbor\, and th e greater overreach. Before pearl harbor Nippon had taken over\, Korea/nor thern China/northern pacific islands/coast of southern china\, had half of sakhalin island. JApan had tripled its size. Like Germany in Europe\, bef ore the usa got in the war\, each had achieved a massive growth in territo ry absent the bureaucracy or management to handle. Nippon's problem like a ll empires\, including the usa\,  is not knowing when to let go. When to realize you don't need to keep going. Napoleon did this. Napolean lost aga inst haiti or kemet before his european adventures. So he knew about lost\ , but after taking over all of Europe outside england and european russia and european ottoman empire  he chose to make a grand campaign to russia which was overreach and like all other empires met his inevitable doom. Ja pan didn't know when to stop\, bullies rarely do. Temujin\, Genghis Khan \ , knew when to stop\, so it can happen\, but it is rare. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n And as I said the USA didn't rebuild Nippon for the nuclear bombs\, it is historical fact the usa had no plans on rebuilding Nippon until the pe ople of Nippon went philosophically opposed to the usa and the usa needed a big military base to contain the communist world so to speak\, it was no t out of consolation. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well... I concur and oppose the relationship between the usa and japan has been fruitful. It is both answ ers. The relationship is bearing positive fruit concerning the usa's needs . the usa in japan got a very willing financial ally\, Remember\, even tho ught white european western europe as a region has wealth\, japan as a sin gle country was wealtheir than any country in western europe including ger many. That says a lot. The japanese sinfully accepted that terrible financ ial deal of making cars in the usa to sell to the usa market\, which was g reat for the usa cause it allowed the usa labor market\, which was being f ailed by domestic firms\,  to get boost of labor that shouldn't be in the usa. \n\n\n\n And this is why I say\, it was barren\, a negative fruit\, concerning Japan's needs. Japan didn't do anything wrong being financiall y efficient. The USA has over ninety percent market lead in the automotive /electronics/agricultural  global markets at the end of the SWEIW\, commo nly called WW2. Why did the usa lose these things? Wasn't black peoples fa ult. white people control all industries in the usa. The big firms in the usa all employ graduates to all the ivy league schols\, supposedly the bes t of the best\, so why lose market share? why? cause the ivy league school s are educationally as important as social networking important. The firms in the usa have such a long history of abusing black people and taking ad vantage of native americans that in any even financial setting they fail\, and thus germany/japan/china/russia/italy/brasil all overcame huge market disadvantages with efficiency true quality.  But\, the USA made Japan pa y terribly for each success. Japan should had called in that debt they bou ght years ago. and I argue never have bought it in the first place. Japan should never have derailed their earned domestic labor growth by giving jo bs to usa autoworkers. Japan should had fought to make militaristic agreem ents with china+ korea+ russia to get the usa out of their country but did n't for various reasons. so... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The usa /japan relatio nship has been positive for the usa and negative for japan. It isn't that it hasn't been fruitful but that fruit is a one way street. The USA has al ways meddled very negatively in Nippon to manipulate that country and thos e who run it\, the kawaakis and et cetera who lost it all after SWEIW and were made wealthy by the usa artificially \, post SWEIW have been the stoo lies for the USA they were paid to be. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What do you think makes a masterpiece? DTSTAMP:20260101T041610Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:620-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n What do you think makes a masterpiece?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Answer\n\n\n\n Your prose makes the case for a piece\, but I argue wha t makes a master is first? A master originally meant a teacher\, not someo ne deemed skilled above all others. Why does that matter? If a master is a teacher\, then a master can be anyone\, sequentially\, a masterpiece can be any work or piece from anyone. If a master is a teacher than a masterpi ece is free to be any work as anyone sees it. \n\n\n\n But\, if a master is someone deemed skilled above all others. then who determines the skills \, through whatever measures\, required to be a master is more important t han the identity of the master\, for said identity is merely matching the skills. But\, who determines the skills? In modern human history\, all to often those in a populace in humanity  who have a financial or militarist ic power over other populaces dictate the skills required to be a master. Sequentially\, the identity of a masterpiece is always doubted\, questione d. Because if a master is someone deemed skilled above all others which ca n only be determined through a limited perspective only a set in humanity have \, then all others have to doubt it\, because they don't see the mast er as legitimate because they don't accept the requirements to master. \n \n\n\n So\, I accept a master is merely a teacher. And as I have learned a nd continue to learn from many artists \, in said moments of learning\, I have been taught and said artists have been teachers\, thus masters for a time and the works or pieces they taught me with are masterpieces. \n\n\n \n SEE WHOLE ANSWER\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/What-do-y ou-think-makes-a-masterpiece-1281553724\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251231 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wirt and Greg see's Nef's phone DTSTAMP:20260101T041245Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:619-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Wirt and Greg see's Nef's phone\, it has a coloring page\ n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Wirt-and-Greg-finding-Nef-s-p hone-1281686935\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251231 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nicky\, cheered by Mimada DTSTAMP:20260101T040833Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:618-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Nicky\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Nicky- 1281677723\n\n\n\n \n\n mimada cheerleader singing Nicky\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Mimada-Cheerleader-1281675393\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n CHEER\n\n BEGIN REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n Oh Nicky ! you're my kind!\n\n\n\n You're my kind\, you made me bli!ng\n\n\n\n Come Nicky\, come Nicky\n\n\n\n Oh Nicky! you're my kind!\n\n\n\n You're my ki nd\, you made me bli!ng\n\n\n\n Come Nicky\, come Nicky\n\n\n\n Oh Nicky! you're my kind!\n\n\n\n You're my kind\, you made me bli!ng\n\n\n\n Come N icky\, come Nicky\n\n\n\n Oh Nicky! you're my kind!\n\n\n\n You're my kind \, you made me bli!ng\n\n\n\n Come Nicky\n\n\n\n END REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n Com e Nicky\n\n\n\n You show only one night! but go farther than all \n\n\n\n You know you have the tools! and you proved! you've got all\n\n\n\n You n ever stay till light!\n\n\n\n I pray for your return \, Nicky!\n\n\n\n Cau se when you say you do! it always means you will\n\n\n\n A year's worth of flutters\, daddy\, please\, daddy\, mill\n\n\n\n Every night I will\, onl y dream of you \, Nicky\n\n\n\n BEGIN REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n Oh Nicky\, it's so pretty\, thank you from this lamb\n\n\n\n You reach into my mind\, when y ou give me what I am\n\n\n\n Oh Nicky\, love your ditty\, you warm up this lamb\n\n\n\n No one's like you\, Nicky\n\n\n\n Ooh will you come Nicky\, come Nicky\n\n\n\n Prove certain love\, Nicky\n\n\n\n END REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\ n Come Nicky\n\n\n\n Now if-you-need-my-little purse! s'like a little box\ n\n\n\n Fill it like a stuffer! Ya\, pleasin'-plump-ol fox!\n\n\n\n I said you had the tools! so just\, go \, on!  Nicky\n\n\n\n And thank you- for everything! the years end in glam\n\n\n\n The years end is not till minut es! One more gift\, sweet clam!\n\n\n\n Oh please daddy\, please\, thank y ou for all your bam! Nicky\n\n\n\n REPEAT REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REPEAT REFRAIN 1\n\n\n\n REPEAT REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REPEAT REFRAIN 2\n\n\n\n REPEAT REFRAI N 2\n\n\n\n REPEAT REFRAIN 2\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251231 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My Questions to BisBiswas of deviantart DTSTAMP:20250905T044033Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:493-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My Questions to BisBiswas of deviantart\n\n\n\n Bisbiswas \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/bisbiswas\n\n\n\n Save the date: QA with B isBiswas\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/kovowolf/journal/Save-the-date-QA- with-BisBiswas-1236705071\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n I looked from the back of your gallery and I noticed many of your landscapes were of nig ht\, I think sacred dragon was your first strong daylight landscape\, as w ell as the first that suggest in artistic style an east asian landscape st ructure... I can be wrong of course  I know that strong contrasts between light and dark\, chiaroscuro when done effectively\, in various ways\,   are always potent to attract viewers and to make inspiring artworks. \n\n The darkness isn't empty. \n\n\n\n Now to my questions. Which I will pro vide a partial answer to\, just to spark thoughts to whomever may read. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1. In your experience what differences are near constan t between how viewers react or comment to landscapes with small dark figur es in the light compared to landscapes with small light figures in the dar k? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 2. What are your favorite examples of landscape ph otography in film\, animated or live action or claymation or puppetry or o ther?\n\n For mosaic\, a local black artist did something that has been in my family for many years\, i love looking at it. For animated films\, I w ill say the set of landscape scenes in entire studio ghibli films selectio n with my favorite among them Mononoke\, sorry Howl\, Triplettes of Bellev ille\, watership down.  For claymation I will say\, fantastic mr fox\, th e black wolf scene\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELqdLvz60zA\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  the underground activities scene with bogus buns an d beans stores above\, and the landscaping art from Mrs. Fox For live acti on\, I select Daughters of the Dust 1991 I still think the only film that covers the geechee lands like that\, Lawrence of Arabia 1962 the desert I have luckily been to the edge of the Sahara\, it is beautiful \, and the P eter JAckson Lord of the Rings trilogy. A commercial entry at the end but they present new zealand brilliantly. \n\n\n\n As a writer I am very inte rested in the next two answers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 3. What is your favor ite literary description of a landscape in any prose style\, no poetry or song\, in any language ? \n\n I love a miracle of rare device from Ray Br adbury\, remember\, I wish I could see Xanadu \n\n Text for those who may not have read\n\n https://thephilosopher.net/bredberi/wp-content/uploads/ sites/429/2025/03/A-Miracle-of-Rare-Device-Ray-Bradbury.pdf\n\n\n\n if not available try this one\n\n\n\n https://1drv.ms/b/c/ea9004809c2729bb/Ef2lE mutxDRNvx0JC3PbvuMBY6S0Dti-SBtdfyMOyq3iXA?e=9q8Mqg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TEXT EMBEDDED\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \nA Miracle of Rare Device\, Ray Bradbury \ n\nA Miracle of Rare Device \n\nOn a day neither too mellow nor too tart\, too hot nor too cold\, the ancient tin lizzie came over the desert hill t raveling at commotion speed. The vibration of the various armored parts of the car caused road-runners to spurt up in floury bursts of dust. \n\nGi la monsters\, lazy displays of Indian jewelry\, took themselves out of the way. Like an infestation\, the Ford clamored and dinned away into the dee ps of the wilderness. \n\nIn the front seat\, squinting back\, Old Will Ba ntlin shouted\, \"Turn off!\" \n\nBob Greenhill spun-swung the lizzie off behind a billboard. Instantly both men turned. Both peered over the crump led top of their car\, praying to the dust they had wheeled up on the air. \"Lay down! Lay low! Please!\" And the dust blew slowly down. Just in tim e. \n\n\"Duck!\" \n\nA motorcycle\, looking as if it had burned through al l nine rings of hell\, thundered by. Hunched over its oily handlebars\, a hurricane figure\, a man with a creased and most unpleasant face\, goggled and sun-deviled\, leaned on the wind. Roaring bike and man flung away dow n the road. \n\nThe two old men sat up in their lizzie\, exhaling. \n\n\" So long\, Ned Hopper\,\" said Bob Greenhill. \n\n\"Why?\" said Will Bant lin. \"Why's he always tailing us?\" \n\n\"Willy-William\, talk sense\,\" said Greenhill. \"We're his luck\, his Judas goats. Why should he let us g o\, when trailing us around the land makes him rich and happy and us poor and wise?\" \n\nThe two men looked at each other\, half in\, half out thei r smiles. What the world hadn't done to them\, thinking about it had. They had enjoyed \nthirty years of nonviolence together\, in their case meanin g non-work. \"I feel a harve’s coming on\,\" Will would say\, and they'd clear out of town \nbefore the wheat ripened. Or\, \"Those apples are rea dy to fall!\" So they'd stand back about three hundred miles so as not to get hit on the head. \n\nNow Bob Greenhill slowly let the car\, in a magni ficent controlled detonation\, drift back out on the road. \n\n\"Willy\, friend\, don't be discouraged.\" \n\n\"I've been through 'discouraged\,' \ "said Will. \"I'm knee deep in 'accepting.\" \n\n\"Accepting what?\" \n\ n\"Finding a treasure chest of canned fish one day and no can opener. Find ing a thousand can openers next day and no fish.\" \n\nBob Greenhill liste ned to the motor talking to itself like an old man under the hood\, soundi ng like sleepless nights and rusty bones and well-worn dreams. \"Our bad l uck can't last forever\, Willy.\" \n\n\"No\, but it sure tries. You and me sell ties and who's across the street ten cents cheaper?\" \n\n\"Ned Hopp er.\" \n\n\"We strike gold in Tonopah and who registers the claim first?\" \n\n\"Old Ned.\" \n\n\"Haven't we done him a lifetime of favors? Aren't we overdue for something just ours\, that never winds up his?\" \n\n\"Pru ne's ripe\, Willy\,\" said Robert\, driving calmly. \"Trouble is\, you\, m e\, Ned never really decided what we wanted. We've run through all the gho st towns\, see something\, grab. Ned sees and grabs\, too. He don't want i t\, he just wants it because we want it. \n\nHe keeps it 'till we're out of sight\, then tears it up and hang-dogs after us for more litter. The da y we really know what we want is the day Ned \ngets scared of us and runs off forever. Ah\, hell.\" Bob Greenhill breathed the clear fresh-water ai r running in morning stream over the windshield. \"It's good anyway. That sky. Those hills. The desert and ... His voice faded. Will Bantlin glanced over. \"What's wrong?\" \n\n\"For some reason ...\" Bob Greenhill's eyes rolled\, his tanned hands turned the wheel slow\, \"we got to ... pull off ... the road.\" \n\nThe lizzie bumped on the dirt shoulder. They drove do wn in a dusty wash and up out and suddenly along a dry pen of land overloo king the desert. Bob Greenhill\, looking hypnotized\, put out his hand to turn the ignition key. The old man under the hood stopped complaining abou t the insomnia\, and slept. \n\n\"Now\, why did you do that?\" asked Will Bantlin. \n\nBob Greenhill gazed at the wheel in his suddenly intuitive h ands. \n\n\"Seemed as if I had to. Why?\" He blinked up. He let his bones settle and his eyes grow lazy. \"Maybe only to look at the land out there. Good. All of it been here a billion of years. \n\n\"Except for that city \,\" said Will Bantlin. \n\n\"City?\" said Bob. He turned to look and th e desert was there and the distant hills the color of lions\, and far out beyond\, suspended in a sea of warm morning sand and light\, was a kind of floating image\, a hasty sketch of a city. \"That can't be Phoenix\,\" sa id Bob Greenhill \"Phoenix is ninety miles off. No other big place around. \" \n\nWill Bantlin rumpled the map on his knees\, searching. \"No. No oth er town.\" \n\n\"It's coming clearer!\" cried Bob Greenhill\, suddenly. \n \nThey both stood absolutely straight up in the car and stared over the du sty windshield\, the wind whining softly over their craggy faces. \n\n\"Wh y\, you know what that is\, Bob? A mirage! Sure\, that's t it! Light ray s just right\, atmosphere\, sky\, temperature. City's the other side of th e horizon somewhere. Look how it jumps\, fades in and out. It's reflected against that sky up there like a mirror and comes down here where we can s ee it! A mirage\, by Gosh!\" \n\n\"That big\,-\" Bob Greenhill measured t he city as it grew taller\, clearer in a shift of wind\, a soft far whirla bout of sand. \"The granddaddy of them all! That's not Phoenix. Not Santa Fe or Alamogordo\, no. Let's see. It's not Kansas City.\" \n\n\"That's to o far off\, anyway.\" \n\n\"Yeah\, but look at those buildings. Big! Tall est in the country. Only one place like that in the world.\" \n\n\"You don 't mean-New York?\" \n\nWill Bantlin nodded slowly and they both stood in the silence looking out at the mirage. And the city was tall and shining n ow and almost perfect in the early-morning light. \n\n\"Oh\, my\,\" said B ob\, after a long while. \"That's fine.\" \n\n\"It is\,\" said Will. \n\n \"But\,\" said Will\, a moment later\, whispering\, as if afraid the city might hear\, \"what's it doing three thousand miles from home\, here in th e middle of Nowhere\, Arizona?\" \n\nBob Greenhill gazed and spoke. \"Will y\, friend\, never question nature. It just sits there and minds its knitt ing. Radio waves\, rainbows\, northern lights\, all that\, heck\, let's ju st say a great big picture got took of New York City and is being develope d here\, three thousand miles away on a mom when we need cheering\, just f or us.\" \n\n\"Not just us.\" Will peered over the side of the car. \"Look !\" There in the floury dust lay innumerable crosshatchings\, diagonals\, fascinating symbols printed out in a quiet tapestry. \"Tire marks\,\" sai d Bob Greenhill. \"Hundreds of them. Thousands. Lots of cars pulled off he re.\" \n\n\"For what\, Bob?\" Will Bantlin leaped from the car\, landed on the earth\, tromped it\, turned on it\, knelt to touch it with a swift an d suddenly trembling hand. \"For what\, for what? To see the mirage?\" \n \n\"Yes\, sir! To see the mirage!\" \n\n\"Boy\, howdy!\" Will stood up\, thrummed his voice like a motor. \n\n\"Brrrummm!\" He turned an imaginar y wheel. He ran along a tire track.\"Brrrumm! Eeeee! Brakes on! Robert\, B ob\, you know what we got here? Look east! Look west. This is the only po int in miles you can pull off the highway and sit and stare your eyes out! \" \n\n\"Sure\, it's nice people have an eye for beauty-\" \n\n\"Beauty\, my socks! Who owns this land?\" \n\n\"The state\, I reckon.\" \n\n\"You r eckon wrong! You and me! We set up camp\, register a claim\, improve the property\, and the law reads it’s ours. Right?\" \n\n\"Hold on!\" Bob G reenhill was staring out at the desert and the strange city there. \"You m ean you want to homestead a mirage?\" \n\n\"Right\, by zingo! Homestead a mirage!\" \n\nRobert Greenhill stood down and wandered around the car look ing at the tire-treaded earth. \"Can we do that?\" \"Do it? Excuse my dust !\" In an instant Will Bantlin was pounding tent pegs into the soil\, stri nging twine. \"From here to here\, and here to here\, it's a gold mine\, w e pan it\, it's a cow we milk\, it's a lakeful of money\, we swim in it!\" \n\nRummaging in the car\, he heaved out cases and brought forth a large cardboard which had once advertised cheap cravats. This\, reversed\, he p ainted over with a brush and began lettering. \n\n\"Willy\,\" said his fr iend\, \"nobody's going to pay to see any darned old-\" \n\n\"Mirage? Put up a fence\, tell folks they can't see a thing\, and that's just their it ch. There!\" He held up the sign. \n\nSECRET VIEW MIRAGE-THE MYSTERIOUS C ITY \n25 cents per car. \nMotorbikes a dime. \n\n\"Here comes a car. Watc h!\" \n\n\"William!\" \n\nBut Will\, running\, lifted the sign. \n\n\"Hey ! Look! Hey!\" The car roared past\, a buff ignoring the matador. \n\nBo b shut his eyes so as not to see Will's smile wiped away. \n\nBut then-a m arvelous sound. The squeal of brakes. The car was backing up. Will was lea ping forward\, waving\, pointing. \"Yes\, sir! Yes\, ma'am! Secret View M irage! The Mysterious City! Drive right here!\" \n\nThe treadmarks in t he simple dust became numerous\, and then\, quite suddenly\, innumerable. \n\nA great ball of heat-wafted dust hung over the dry peninsula where in a vast sound of arrivals\, with braked tires\, slammed doors\, stilled en gines\, the cars of many kinds from many places came and took their places in a line. \n\nAnd the people in the cars were as different as people ca n be who come from four directions but are drawn in a single moment by a s ingle thing\, all talking at first\, but growing still at last at what the y saw out in the desert. \n\nThe wind blew softly about their faces\, flu ttering the hair of the women\, the open shirt collars of the men. They sa t in their cars for a long time or they stood out on the rim of the earth\ , saying nothing\, and at last one by one turned to go. \n\nAs the first c ar drove back out past Bob and Will\, the woman in it nodded happily. \"Th anks! Why\, it is just like Rome!\" \"Did she say Rome or home?\" asked Will. \n\nAnother car wheeled toward the exit. \"Yes\, sir!\" The driver reached out to shake Bob's hand. \"Just looking made me feel I could speak French!\" \"French!\" cried Bob. Both stepped forward swiftly as the thi rd car made to leave. An old man sat at the wheel\, shaking his head. \"Ne ver seen the like. I mean to say\, fog and all\, Westminster Bridge\, bett er than a postcard\, and Big Ben off there in the distance. How do you do it? God bless. Much obliged.\" \n\nBoth men\, disquieted\, let the old ma n drive away\, then slowly wheeled to look out along their small thrust of land toward the growing simmer of noon. \"Big Ben?\" said Will Bantlin. \"Westminster Bridge? Fog?\" \n\nFaintly\, faintly\, they thought they he ard\, they could not be sure\, they cupped their ears\, wasn't that a vast clock striking three times off there beyond land's rim? Weren't foghorns calling after boats and boat horns calling down on some lost river? \n\ n\"Almost speak French?\" whispered Robert. \"Big Ben? Home? Rome? Is that Rome out there\, Will?\" \n\nThe wind shifted. A broiling surge of wa rm air tumbled up\, plucking changes on an invisible harp. The fog almost solidified into gray stone monuments. The sun almost built a golden statue on top of a breasted mount of fresh-cut snow marble. \n\n\"How----\" sai d William Bantlin\, \"how could it change? How could it be four\, five ci ties? Did we tell anyone what city they'd see? No. Well\, then\, Bob\, w ell!\" \n\nNow they fixed their gaze on their last customer\, who stood a lone at the rim of the dry peninsula. Gesturing his friend to silence\, Ro bert moved silently to stand to one side and behind their paying visitor. \n\nHe was a man in his late forties with a vital\, sunburned face\, good\ , warm\, clear-water eyes\, fine cheekbones\, a receptive mouth. He looked as if he had traveled a long way around in his life\, over many deserts\, in search of a particular oasis. \n\nHe resembled those architects found wandering the rubbled streets below their buildings as the iron\, steel a nd glass go soaring up to block out\, fill in an empty piece of the sky. H is face was that of such builders who suddenly see reared up before them o n the instant\, from horizon to horizon\, the perfect implementation of an old\, old dream. Now\, only half aware of William and Robert beside him\, the stranger spoke at last in a quiet\, an easy\, a wondrous voice\, sayi ng what he saw\, telling what he felt: \n\n\"In Xanadu ... \" \n\n\"What ?\" asked William. \n\nThe stranger half smiled\, kept his eyes on the mi rage and quietly\, from memory\, recited. \n\n\"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan \nA stately pleasure-dome decree \nWhere Alph\, the sacred river\, ran \ nThrough caverns measureless to man\, \nDown to a sunless sea.\" \n\nHis voice spelled the weather and the weather blew about the other two men and made them more still. \n\n\"So twice five miles of fertile ground \nWith walls and towers were girdled round \nAnd here were gardens bright with s inuous rills\, \nWhere blossomed many an incense-bearing tree. \nAnd her e were forests ancient as the hills\, \nEnfolding sunny spots of greenery .\" \n\nWilliam and Robert looked off at the mirage\, and what the strange r said was there\, in the golden dust\, some fabled Middle East or Far Eas t clustering of minarets\, domes\, frail towers risen up in a magnificent sift of pollen from the Gobi\, a spread of river stone baked bright by the fertile Euphrates\, Palmyra not yet ruins\, only just begun\, newly minte d\, then abandoned by the departing years\, now shimmered by heat\, now th reatening to blow away forever. \n\nThe stranger\, his face transformed\, beautified by his vision\, finished it out: \n\n\"It was a miracle of rar e device\, \nA sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice\" \n\nAnd the strang er grew silent. \n\nWhich made the silence in Bob and Will all the deeper. \n\nThe stranger fumbled with his wallet\, his eyes wet. \n\n\"Thank you \, thank you.\" \n\n\"You already paid us\,\" said William. \n\n\"If I had more\, you'd get it all.\" He gripped William's hand\, left a five dollar bill in it\, jumped into his car\, looked for a last time out at the mira ge\, then sat down\, started the car\, idled it with wonderful case at fac e glowing\, eyes peaceful\, drove away. \n\nRobert walked a few steps afte r the car\, stunned. Then William suddenly exploded\, flung his arms up\, whooped\, kicked his feet\, wheeled around. \n\n\"Hallelujah! Fat of the land! Full dinner plate! New squeaky shoes! Look at my fistfuls!\" \n\n But Robert said\, \"I don't think we should take it.\" \n\nWilliam stopp ed dancing. \"What?\" \n\nRobert looked steadily at the desert. \"We can 't ever really own it. It's way out there. Sure\, we can homestead the lan d\, but ... We don’t even know what that thing is.\" \n\n\"Why\, it's Ne w York and-\" \"Ever been to New York?\" \"Always wanted. Never did.\" \n\ n\"Always wanted\, never did.\" Robert nodded slowly. \"Same as them. You heard: Paris. Rome. London. And this last mate Xanadu. Willy\, Willy\, we got hold of something strange an big here. I'm scared we don't do right by it.\" \n\n\"Well\, we're not keeping anyone out\, are we?\"\, \"Who knows ? Might be a quarter's too much for some. It don't seem right\, a natural thing handled by unnatural rules. Look and tell me I'm wrong.\" \n\nWilli am looked. And the city was there like the first city he had seen as a boy when his mother took him on a train across a long meadow of heath early o ne morning and the city rose up head by head\, tower by tower to look at h im\, to watch him co near. It was that fresh\, that new\, that old\, that frightening\, that wonderful. \n\n\"I think\,\" said Robert\, \"we should take just enough to buy gas for a week\, put the rest of the money in the first poor-box we come to. That mirage is a clear river running\, and peo ple coming by thirsty. If we're wise\, we dip one cup\, drink it cool in t he heat of the day and go. If we stop\, build dams\, try to own the whole river ...\" \n\nWilliam\, peering out through the whispering dust wind\, t ried to relax\, accept. \"If you say so.\" \n\n\"I don't. The wilderness a ll around says.\" \n\n\"Well\, I say different!\" \n\nBoth men jumped and spun about. Half up the slope stood a motorcycle. Sitting it\, rainbowed with oil\, eyes goggled\, grease masking his stubbly cheeks\, was a man of familiar arrogance and free-running contempt. \n\n\"Ned Hopper!\" \n\n Ned Hopper smiled his most evilly benevolent smile\, unbraked the cycle an d glided the rest of the way down to halt by his old friends. \"You----\,' said Robert. \n\n\"Me! Me! Me!\" Ned Hopper honked his cycle horn four times\, laughing loud\, head back. \"Me!\" \n\n\"Shut up!\" cried Robert. \"Bust it like a mirror.\" \n\n\"Bust what like a mirror?\" William\, cat ching Robert's concern\, glanced apprehensively out beyond at the desert. \n\nThe mirage flurried\, trembled\, misted away\, then hung itself like a tapestry once more on the air. \n\n\"Nothing out there! What you guys up to?\" Ned peered down at the treadmarked earth. \"I was twenty miles on t oday when I realized you boys was hiding back behind. Says to myself\, tha t ain't like my buddies who led me to that goldmine in forty-seven\, lent me this cycle with a dice roll in fifty-five. All those years we help each other and now you got secrets from friend Ned. So I come back. Been up on that hill half the day\, spying.\" Ned lifted binoculars from his greasy jacket front. \"You know I can read lips. Sure!\" Saw all the cars run i n here\, the cash. Quite a show you’re running!\" \n\n\"Keep your voice down\,\" warned Robert. \"So long.\" \n\nNed smiled sweetly. \"Sorry to se e you go. But I surely do respect your getting off my property.\" \n\n\"Yo urs!\" Robert and William caught themselves and said in a trembling whispe r\, \"Yours?\" \n\nNed laughed. \"When I saw what you was up to\, I just c ycled into Phoenix. See this little bitty governmen’ paper sticking out my back pocket?\" \n\nThe paper was there\, neatly folded. \n\nWilliam put out his hand. \"Don't give him the pleasure\,\" said Robert. \n\nWilliam pulled his hand back. \"You want us to believe you filed a homestead claim ?\" \n\nNed shut up the smile inside his eyes. \"I do. I don't. Even if I was lying\, I could still make Phoenix on my bike quicker'n your jalopy.\" \n\nNed surveyed the land with his binoculars. \"So just put down all the money you earned from two this afternoon\, when I filed my claim\, from \ nwhich time on you was trespassing my land.\" \n\nRobert flung the coins i nto the dust. Ned Hopper glanced casually at the bright litter. \"The U.S. Government Mind. Hot dog\, nothing out there\, but dumb bunnies willing t o pay for it!\" \n\nRobert turned slowly to look at the desert. \"You do n't see nothing?\" \n\nNed snorted. \"Nothing\, and you know it!\" \n\n\ "But we do!\"\" cried William. \"We--\" \"William\,\" said Robert. \"But\, Bob!\" \n\n\"Nothing out there. Like he said.\" More cars were driving u p now in a great thrum of engines. \"Excuse\, gents\, got to mind the box office!\" \n\nNed strode off\, waving. \"Yes\, sir\, ma'am! This way! Cas h in advance!\" \n\n\"Why?\" William watched Ned Hopper run off yelling. \"Why are we letting him do this?\" \n\n\"Wait\,\" said Robert\, almost se renely. \"You'll see.\" \n\nThey got out of the way as a Ford\, a Buick an d an ancient Moon motored in. \n\nTwilight. On a hill about two hundred ya rds above the Mysterious City Mirage viewpoint\, William Bantlin and Rober t Greenhill fried and picked at a small supper\, hardly bacon\, mostly bea ns. From time to time\, Robert used some battered opera glasses on the sce ne below. \n\n\"Had thirty customers since we left this afternoon\,\" he observed. \"Got to shut down soon\, though. Only ten minutes of sun left.\ " \n\nWilliam stared at a single bean on the end of his fork. \"Tell me ag ain: Why? Why every time our luck is good\, Ned Hopper jumps out of the \ nearth.\" \n\nRobert sighed on the opera-glass lenses and wiped them on hi s cuff. \n\n\"Because\, friend Will\, we are the pure in heart. We shine w ith a light. And the villains of the world\, they see that light beyond th e hills and say\, \"Why\, now\, there's some innocent\, some sweet all-day sucker.\" And the villains come to warm their hands at us. I don't know what we can do about it\, except maybe put out the light.\" \n\n\"I wouldn 't want to do that.\" William brooded gently\, his palms to the fire. \"It 's just I was hoping this time was comeuppance time. A man like Ned Hopper \, living his white underbelly life\, ain't he about due for a bolt of lig htning?\" \n\n\"Due?\" Robert screwed the opera glasses tighter into his e yes. \"Why\, it just struck! Oh\, ye of little faith!\" William jumped u p beside him. They shared the glasses\, one lens each\, peering down. \"Lo ok!\" And William\, looking\, cried\, \"Peduncle Q. Mackinaw!\" \n\n\"Als o\, Gullable M. Crackers!\" \n\nFor\, far below\, Ned Hopper was stompin g around outside a car. People gesticulated at him. He handed them some mo ney. The car drove off. Faintly you could hear Ned's anguished cries. \n\n William gasped. \"He's giving money back! Now he almost hit that man ther e. The man shook his fist at him! Ned’s paid him back\, too! Look more fond farewells!\" \n\n\"Yah-hee!\" whooped Robert\, happy with his half of the glasses. Below\, all the cars were dusting away now. Old Ned did a vi olent kicking dance\, threw his goggles into the dust\, tore down the sign \, let forth a terrible oath. \n\n\"Dear me\,\" mused Robert. \"I'm glad I can't hear them words. Come on\, Willy!\" \n\nAs William Bantlin and Ro bert Greenhill drove back up to the Mysterious City turn-off\, Ned Hopper rocketed out in a screaming fury. \n\nBraying\, roaring on his cycle\, he hurled the painted cardboard through the air. The sign whistled up\, a boo merang. \n\nIt hissed\, narrowly missing Bob. Long after Ned was gone in his banging thunder\, the sign sank down and lay on the earth\, where Will iam picked \nit up and brushed it off. \n\nIt was twilight indeed now and the sun touching the far hills and the land quiet and hushed and Ned Hoppe r gone away\, and the two men alone in the abandoned territory in the thou sand-treaded dust\, looking out at the sand and the strange air. \n\n\"Oh\ , no...\" \n\n\"Yes\,\" said Robert. \n\nThe desert was empty in the pink -gold light of the set ting sun. The mirage was gone. A few dust devils wh irled and fell apart\, way out on the horizon\, but that was all. \n\nWill iam let out a huge groan of bereavement. \"He did it! Ned! Ned Hopper\, c ome back\, you! Oh\, damn it\, Ned\, you spoiled it all! Blast you to pe rdition!\" He stopped. \"Bob\, how can you stand there!\" \n\nRobert smil ed sadly. \"Right now I'm feeling sorry for Ned Hopper. He never saw what we saw. He never saw what anybody saw. He never believed for one second. A nd you know what? Disbelief is catching. It rubs off on people.\" \n\nWil liam searched the disinhabited land. \"Is that what happened?\" \n\n\"Who knows?\" Robert shook his head. \"One thing sure: when folks drove in here \, the city\, the cities\, the mirage\, whatever\, was there. But it's awf ul hard to see when people stand in your way. Without so much as moving\, Ned Hopper put his big hand across the sun. First thing you know\, theater 's closed for good.\" \n\n\"Can't we--\" William hesitated. \"Can't we ope n it up again?\" \n\n\"How? How do you bring a thing like that back?\" \n \nThey let their eyes play over the sand\, the hills\, the few long clouds \, the sky emptied of wind and very still. \"Maybe if we just look out the sides of our eyes\, not direct at it\, relax\, take it easy...\" \n\nThey both looked down at their shoes\, their hands\, the rocks at their feet\, anything. But at last William mourned\, \"Are we? Are we the pure in hea rt?\" \n\nRobert laughed just a little bit. \"Oh\, not like the kids who c ame through here today and saw anything they wanted to see\, and not like the big simple people born in the wheat fields and by God's grace wanderin g the world and will never grow up. We're neither the little children nor the big children of the world\, Willy\, but we are one thing: glad to be a live. We know the air mornings on the road\, how the stars go up and then down the sky. That villain\, he stopped being glad a long time ago. I hat e to think of him driving his cycle on the road the rest of the night\, th e rest of the year.\" \n\nAs he finished this\, Robert noticed that Willia m was sliding his eyes carefully to one side\, toward the desert. \n\nRobe rt whispered carefully\, \"See anything?\" \n\nA single car came down th e highway. The two men glanced at each other. A wild look of hope flashed in their eyes. But they could not quite bring themselves to fling up their hands and yell. They simply stood with the painted sign held in their arm s. \n\nThe car roared by. The two men followed it with their wistful eyes. \n\nThe car braked. It backed up. In it were a man\, a woman\, a boy\, a girl. \n\nThe man called out\, \"You closed for the night?\" William said\ , \"It's no use--\" Robert cut in \"He means\, no use giving us money! Las t customer of the day\, and family\, free! On the house!\" \"Thank you\, neighbor\, thank you!\" \n\nThe car roared out onto the viewpoint. William seized Robert's elbow. \n\n\"Bob\, what offs you? Disappoint those kids\ , that nice family?\" \"Hush up\,\" said Robert gently. \"Come on.\" \n\nT he kids piled out of the car. The man and his wife climbed slowly out into the sunset. The sky was gold and blue now\, and a bird sang somewhere in the fields of send and bon-pollen. \"Watch\,\" said Robert. \n\nAnd they m oved up to stand behind the family where it was lined up now to look out o ver the desert. \n\nWilliam held his breath. The man and wife squinted int o the twilight uneasily. The kids said nothing. Their eyes flexed and fill ed with a distillation of late sunlight. \n\nWilliam cleared his throat\, \"It's late. Uh--can't see too--\" The man was going to reply\, when the b oy said\, \"Oh\, we can see fine!\" \n\n\"Sure!\" The girl pointed. \"Ther e!\" The mother and father followed her gesture\, as if it might help\, an d it did. \n\n\"Lord\,\" said the woman\, \"for a moment I thought ... But now.. Yes\, there it is!\" The man read his wife's face\, saw a thing the re\, borrowed it and placed it on the land and in the air. \n\n\"Yes\,\" h e said\, at last \"Oh\, yes.\" William stared at them\, at the desert and then at Robert\, who smiled and nodded. \n\nThe faces of the father\, the mother\, the daughter\, the son were glowing now\, looking off at the des ert. \"Oh\,\" murmured the girl\, \"is it really there?\" \n\nAnd the fath er nodded\, his face bright with what he saw that was just within seeing a nd just beyond knowing. He spoke as if he stood alone in a great forest ch urch. \"Yes. And\, Lord\, it's beautiful.\" \n\nWilliam started to lift hi s head\, but Robert whispered\, \"Easy. It's coming. Don’t try. Easy\, W ill.\" And then William knew what to do. \n\n\"I..\" he said\, \"I am goi ng to go stand with the kids.\" \n\nAnd he walked slowly over and stood right behind the boy and the girl. \n\nHe stood for a long time there\, li ke a man between two warm fires on a cool evening\, and they warmed him an d he breathed easy and at last let his eyes drift up\, let his attention w ander easy out toward the twilight desert and the hoped-for city in the du sk. \n\nAnd there in the dust softly blown high from the land\, reassemble d on the wind into half-shapes of towers and spires and minarets\, was the mirage. \n\nHe felt Robert's breath on his neck\, close\, whispering\, ha lf talking to himself. \n\n\"It was a miracle of rare device\, \nA sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice \n\nAnd the city was there. And the sun se t and the first stars came out. \n\nAnd the city was very clear\, as Willi am heard himself repeat\, aloud or perhaps for only his secret pleasure\, \"It was a miracle of rare device...\" \n\nAnd they stood in the dark unti l they could not see. \n\n1962 \n\nThe end \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Video fro m the show\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkNGJiNkKJY\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n Kublai khan from Samuel Taylor Coleridge\n\n\n\n Kubla Khan\n\nBy Samuel Taylor Coleridge\nOr\, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.\n\nIn Xanadu did Kubla Khan\nA stately pleasure-dome decree:\nWhere Alph\, the sacred river \, ran\nThrough caverns measureless to man\n Down to a sunless sea.\nSo twice five miles of fertile ground\nWith walls and towers were girdled rou nd\;\nAnd there were gardens bright with sinuous rills\,\nWhere blossomed many an incense-bearing tree\;\nAnd here were forests ancient as the hills \,\nEnfolding sunny spots of greenery.\n\nBut oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted\nDown the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!\nA savage plac e! as holy and enchanted\nAs e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted\nBy woman wailing for her demon-lover!\nAnd from this chasm\, with ceaseless t urmoil seething\,\nAs if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing\,\n A mighty fountain momently was forced:\nAmid whose swift half-intermitted burst\nHuge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail\,\nOr chaffy grain bene ath the thresher’s flail:\nAnd mid these dancing rocks at once and ever\ nIt flung up momently the sacred river.\nFive miles meandering with a mazy motion\nThrough wood and dale the sacred river ran\,\nThen reached the ca verns measureless to man\,\nAnd sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean\;\nAnd ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far\nAncestral voices prophesying war! \n The shadow of the dome of pleasure\n Floated midway on the waves\;\ n Where was heard the mingled measure\n From the fountain and the cave s.\nIt was a miracle of rare device\,\nA sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!\n\n A damsel with a dulcimer\n In a vision once I saw:\n It wa s an Abyssinian maid\n And on her dulcimer she played\,\n Singing of M ount Abora.\n Could I revive within me\n Her symphony and song\,\n T o such a deep delight ’twould win me\,\nThat with music loud and long\,\ nI would build that dome in air\,\nThat sunny dome! those caves of ice!\nA nd all who heard should see them there\,\nAnd all should cry\, Beware! Bew are!\nHis flashing eyes\, his floating hair!\nWeave a circle round him thr ice\,\nAnd close your eyes with holy dread\nFor he on honey-dew hath fed\, \nAnd drunk the milk of Paradise.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 4. What is your fav orite literary description of a landscape in any poetic style\, songs are poetry? \n\n I admit I wish I knew better but America the beautiful from katharine lee bates is a really good one. \n\n for those who may not know \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n 5. A two part question\, first\, you can only pick one work of yours for the future to know about\, now pick the work\, please please link or stat e it\, Second name the person [thespian/elected official/ someone you know personally/ or other] you want to describe the work in audio recordings?  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 6. Name a landscape artists you adore\, adore define d as inspired you as a landscape artist\,  that is the least known\, can be alive or dead\, or from before the 1900s or on deviantart?\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/bisbiswas/art/Sacred-Dragon-751336918\n\ n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT REFERRAL\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comm ents/1/1236705071/5233061725\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250905 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Critmas 2025 DTSTAMP:20251228T041442Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:617-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Critmas is a challenge where artist critique other artist . I am a team leader this year\, I hope I helped. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n htt ps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Critmas-2025-1280187340\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n THE FOLLOWING IS A RAW COPY FROM THE URL ABOVE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n C ritmas 2025\n\n\n\n done for Critmas 2025\n\n\n\n organized by @BeckyKidus of @CRLiterature\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/beckykidus/journal/Cr itmas-2025-Briefing-and-kickoff-1279368822\n\n\n\n Critmas teams\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/beckykidus/journal/Critmas-2025-The-Teams-127909 1695\n\n\n\n Critmas galleries\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments /1/1270451437/5252055832\n\n\n\n\n Critiques I made to others\n\n\n\n Crit ique my own team + Abecedarius letter M + Scavenger hunt : Stars\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/298541115/5255491459\n\n\n\n Critique my own team + Abecedarius letter B + Scavenger hunt : Present\n\n\n\n htt ps://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/867978483/5255495328\n\n\n\n Critique m y own team + Abecedarius letter Z + Scavenger hunt : Fire\n\n\n\n https:// www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1069156158/5255499076\n\n\n\n Critique my ow n team + Abecedarius letter H\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/ 1/560512559/5255523158\n\n\n\n Critique my own team + Abecedarius letter G + Scavenger hunt : Secret\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1 043499852/5255547063\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All in CIA team are finished outsi de self\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Critique another team\n\n\n\n https://www.devia ntart.com/comments/1/742657828/5255562759\n\n\n\n Critique another team\n\ n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/872557968/5255565737\n\n\n\n C ritique another team + Scavenger hunt : Sunglasses\n\n\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/comments/1/1078426439/5255568189\n\n\n\n Critique another team \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1264628930/5255574259\n\n\n \n Critique another team + Abecedarius letter S\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/comments/1/1220863795/5255576764\n\n\n\n Critique another team + Abecedarius letter T\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1113798 882/5255582181\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did all of NSA team\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n C ritique another team + Abecedarius letter C\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart .com/comments/1/632578248/5255586793\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did 12 critiques\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Critique another team + Abecedarius letter A\n\n\n\n htt ps://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/864945646/5255589034\n\n\n\n Critique a nother team\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/969398955/525559 0484\n\n\n\n Critique another team\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comm ents/1/1200635811/5255595540\n\n\n\n Critique another team\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1275185019/5255600879\n\n\n\n Critique anot her team\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1243609650/52556031 91\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did all of FBI team\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Abecedarius l etter D\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/662909989/5255605394 \n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter E\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/ 1/967618985/5255605861\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter F\n\n\n\n https://www.de viantart.com/comments/1/718856426/5255607826\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter I\ n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1095257376/5255610023\n\n\n\ n Abecedarius letter J\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/10808 97669/5255611357\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter K\n\n\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/comments/1/374361199/5255613795\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter L\n\n\n\ n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/708674589/5255735569\n\n\n\n Abece darius letter N\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/945801319/52 55737411\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did 25 critiques\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Abecedariu s letter O\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/918549346/5255739 283\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter P\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/commen ts/1/109961340/5255740869\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter Q\n\n\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/comments/1/831091519/5255742190\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter R\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/770496711/5255745566\n\n\ n\n Abecedarius letter U\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/476 94199/5255747216\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter V\n\n\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/comments/1/125070764/5255748744\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter W\n\n\n\ n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1242287357/5255750532\n\n\n\n Abec edarius letter X\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1111966821/ 5255753143\n\n\n\n Abecedarius letter Y\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com /comments/1/1104253748/5255755660\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did all of Abecedariu s\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Scavenger hunt : Briefcase\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/comments/1/415086489/5255768211\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did all the Sc avenger hunts - briefcase took a minute to find one that spoke to me\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n CRITIQUES CONTINUED?\n\n\n\n\n Folders of deviation I critma sed 2025\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/favourites/104233040 /critmas-2025\n\n\n\n\n Critiques Given To Me During Critmas 2025 \n\n\n\n If any critmas'd me that I didn't acknowledge \, I apologize\, please tel l me so I can correct\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from @BrightWatcher37\n\n\n\n htt ps://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1008259482/5255514042\n\n\n\n for\n\n\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/December-Secret-Santa-2023-for -melmuff-1008259482\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n from @the-stuepp\n\n\n\n https ://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1255339028/5255657160\n\n\n\n for\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/THE-PROMOTION-1255339028\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n T\n \n\n \n Literature\n \n\n \n THE PROMOTION\n \n\n \n TITLE: THE PROMOTION An officer sit in his office\n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n Notes To Me General Pro cess \n\n\n\n ?\n\n\n\n\n Critique list from others\n\n\n\n ?\n\n\n\n\n Cr itmas 2024\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Cri tmas-2024-1144042031\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n if you like my activities and wa nt to support me\, tis the season\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-9027700\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251227 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Winter Wonderland selection 12/19/2025 DTSTAMP:20251220T022740Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:616-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Winter Wonderland selection 12/19/2025\n\n CITATION\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1268663599/5254103765\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n CONTENT\n\n The Master of Winter Crafts from @tashashu\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/tashashu/art/The-Master-of-Winter-Crafts-197692315\n\n \n\ n\n\n \n\n It is functional. Leather made from tanning is durable\, and th e scene is of the \" Master of Winter Crafts\" about a small village. Pret ty. \n\n She has a gallery of leatherworks \n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/tashashu/gallery/26858165/leather-bags-with-felt-print\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251219 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Winter Wonderland selection 12/18/2025 DTSTAMP:20251218T201224Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:615-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Winter Wonderland selection 12/18/2025\n\n CITATION\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1268663599/5253851923\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n CONTENT\n\n The Snow Queen from @dmorehead\n\n https://www.deviantart. com/dmorehead/art/The-Snow-Queen-1270331944\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n The Snow Queen is from Hans Christian Anderson. It is beloved being mad e into many films. But this interpretation is very rare. Made out of a boo k itself. \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Queen\n\n\n\n Film Variations\n\n The Snow Queen (1957)\, a Soviet animated film by film stud io Soyuzmultfilm and directed by Lev Atamanov\,\n\n https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=9aCmyYsUuJ8\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Snow Queen (1967)\, a live-action adaptation from the Soviet Union\, directed by Gennadi Kazan sky.\n\n https://youtu.be/zokeEf_fc5A?si=I-RUS05Uk_B585wx\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Snow Queen (Finnish: Lumikuningatar) is a 1986 Finnish fan tasy film directed by Päivi Hartzell\, trailer\n\n https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=kaR4t8Rq75I\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Snow Queen (1995)\, a British animated adaptation\, directed by Martin Gates\n\n https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=VUwDrlBez48\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Snow Queen (Russian: Снежная королева\, romanized: Snezhnaya korolev a\, lit. 'The Snow Queen') a 2012 Russian animated fantasy adventure fil m directed by Vladlen Barbe and Maxim Sveshnikov.\n\n https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=aMUxVSPyZ9A\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251218 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:13th Amendment Certified JUNETEENTH DTSTAMP:20250205T140006Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:184-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n 13th amendment timeline. First the amendment was presente d.\n\n\n\n Two days later\, spurred partly in reaction to Sumner’s more radical proposal\, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported to the full Sen ate an abolition amendment combining the drafts by Ashley\, Wilson\, and H enderson. \n\n\n\n TEXT FROM [ https://web.archive.org/web/2006110716451 4/http://13thamendment.harpweek.com/asp/ViewArticleText.asp?url=content%3A %2F%2Fharpweek%2Ftitle[HW]%2Fvolume[1864]%2Fissue[0227]%23%2FTEI.2[1]%2Fte xt[1]%2Fbody[1]%2Fdiv1[10]%2Fdiv2[1]&\;pageIDs=|HW-1864-02-27-0130|& \;title=&\;returnUrl=http%3A%2F%2F13thamendment.harpweek.com%2FHubPages %2FCommentaryPage.asp%3FCommentary%3D05ProposalPassage&\;returnTitle=Co ngressional+Proposals+and+Senate+Passage ] \n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n [ ht tps://13thamendment.harpweek.com/hubpages/CommentaryPage.asp?Commentary=05 ProposalPassage  \; archived { https://web.archive.org/web/20061107164011 /http://13thamendment.harpweek.com/hubpages/CommentaryPage.asp?Commentary= 05ProposalPassage }]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Harper's Weekly 02/27/1864\n\n \n\ n CONGRESS.\n\n \n\n Senate.—February 10. Mr. Trumbull\, from the Judi- \n\n ciary Committee\, reported adversely to the joint resolu-\n\n tion fo r amending the Constitution just proposed by Mr.\n\n Sumner\, which reads\ , “Every where within the limits of\n\n the United States and each State and Territory thereof all\n\n persons are equal before the law\, so that no person can\n\n hold another as a slave.” Some time before Mr. Hender- \n\n son\, of Missouri\, had offered a joint resolution to a similar\n\n p urport. In lieu of this the Committee presented the fol-\n\n lowing joint resolution for amending the Constitution:\n\n “Article 13\, Section 1.  Neither slavery nor involuntary\n\n servitude\, except as a punishment for crime\, whereof the\n\n party shall have been duly convicted\, shall exis t within\n\n the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction. \n\n Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this arti-\n\n cle by appropriate legislation.” This article\, if two-thirds\n\n of both Hous es of Congress concur\, is to be proposed to the\n\n Legislatures of the s everal States\, and when ratified by\n\n three-fourths of these\, to be va lid as a part of the Constitu-\n\n tion.—Mr. Clark offered a resolution ratifying the Presi-\n\n dent's Emancipation Proclamation of January 1\, 1 863\, and\n\n giving it the force of a statute: referred.—Mr. Brown of-\ n\n fered amendments to the Enlistment bill\, confirming the\n\n Emancipat ion Proclamation\, abolishing slavery\, and sub-\n\n jecting colored perso ns to enrollment under the same ap-\n\n portionment as other citizens.—T he Military Committee\n\n reported adversely to Mr. Grimes's bill reducing the sal-\n\n aries of military officers not in the field or without com-\ n\n mand.—Mr. Sumner brought up the case of a colored sur-\n\n geon of t he army who had been ejected from a railroad car\n\n in the District\, and offered a resolution directing the Com-\n\n mittee on the District to inq uire into the expediency of a\n\n law securing to colored persons equal pr ivileges with whites\n\n in the cars within the District. He said that thi s officer\,\n\n who held a rank equal to that of Major\, had been ejected\ n\n from a street car because he was black. We had better\n\n break up all these railroads if we could not have them\n\n without such outrages\, whi ch did more to injure our cause\n\n abroad and at home than the loss of a battle. Mr. Hen-\n\n dricks thought the outrage was on the other side\; th ere\n\n were cars for colored people\, and this person declined to\n\n rid e with people of his own color\, and wished to force him-\n\n self upon wh ite people\; referring to remarks of Senators\n\n that it was no disgrace to ride with colored men\, and\n\n that the outrage was as great as though a Senator of the\n\n United States had been ejected\, he said that there seemed\n\n to be a determination to force social as well as political\n\n equality with the blacks upon the white race. The peo-\n\n ple of his Stat e would never adopt that sentiment. Mr.\n\n Wilson rejoined that he had no wish to force negro equal-\n\n ity upon the Senator from Indiana\; he wis hed only to let\n\n every man assume the station which God intended him to \n\n attain: resolution passed\, 30 to 10.—The bill prohibiting\n\n Memb ers of Congress and Heads of Departments from re-\n\n ceiving any compensa tion for acting as counsel\, etc.\, in\n\n any case in which the United St ates are concerned\, under\n\n penalty of fine\, imprisonment\, and disqua lification for of-\n\n fice\, came up and was debated: the clause relating to\n\n Members of Congress was stricken out\, 26 to 14: laid over.\n\n —The bill equalizing the pay of all soldiers was brought\n\n up\; debate arising upon the section giving colored soldiers\n\n equal pay with white s prior to the passage of the bill\, its\n\n consideration was postponed .—February 11. Some busi-\n\n ness of minor importance was transacted .—The Post-office\n\n Committee reported a bill removing disqualificatio ns on\n\n account of color in carrying the mail\, and also declaring\n\n t hat no witness shall\, in the United States Courts\, be dis-\n\n qualified on account of color.—The Lieutenant-General bill\n\n from the House was brought up and discussed\, the point\n\n being the amendment against maki ng that officer Com-\n\n mander-in-chief\, and striking out the name of Ge neral\n\n Grant. Senators opposed to this amendment said that to\n\n besto w the title without the command would be but an\n\n empty honor conferred upon one who now had the homage\n\n of the people: postponed.—February  12. The Senate\n\n was occupied with various business of no very general i m-\n\n portance\, except that the House bill making appropria-\n\n tion to meet deficiencies is amended by authorizing the\n\n appointment for a lim ited period of one thousand addition-\n\n al clerks\, who may be females\, at a salary not exceeding\n\n $600 a year.—February 13. The Secretary of War sent\n\n in a communication relative to military officers' commu-\n \n tations for quarters and fuel\; there were 387 officers draw-\n\n ing s uch commutations\, of whom 27 were generals\, 52 col-\n\n onels and lieute nant-colonels\, the remainder being of low-\n\n er ranks\, 79 being paymas ters.—A memorial from the Mil-\n\n waukee Chamber of Commerce was presen ted and referred\,\n\n asking for a wagon-road through Central Minnesota t o\n\n Idaho\; it stated that within a few months $25\,000\,000\n\n had bee n mined\, which was now waiting egress through\n\n such a road with proper military protection.—The bill for\n\n regulating the pay of colored sol diers was brought up and\n\n discussed\, the principal objection to it bei ng its retrospect-\n\n ive feature\; upon motion of Mr. Wilson it was amen ded\n\n so as to give them the same pay as others from January\n\n 1\, 186 4\, instead of for the whole time they have been in\n\n service\; Mr. Cowa n then moved\, as a substitute for the\n\n bill\, that from the date of th e passage of this Act all sol-\n\n diers of the United States of the same arm of the service\n\n should receive like compensation\; he said that the negro\n\n had a legal status under the Constitution which protected\n\n h im\, and that\, as he received the protection of the laws\,\n\n he must be regarded as a citizen under the Constitution.\n\n Mr. Saulsbury said that if this was the basis of Mr. Cow-\n\n an's substitute he should oppose it \; the old-fashioned term\n\n was “negro\,” now these people were “c olored citizens.”\n\n Pending action on Mr. Cowan's substitute the Senat e ad-\n\n journed to Monday\, February 15.—February 15. Mr.\n\n Foster introduced a bill defining the position and duties\n\n of chaplains in the army\; it gives them the rank of major\n\n of infantry\, allows them to h old pastoral charges\, requires\n\n them to preach twice a week\, hold rel igious meetings twice\n\n a week\, and keep the libraries for the use of t he soldiers.—\n\n The Enrollment bill\, as amended by the House\, was ta ken\n\n up and considered\; the Senate refused to recede from its\n\n prov isions.—The Deficiency bill from the House was pass-\n\n ed\, with an am endment increasing the salaries of the As-\n\n sistant Secretaries of the Departments and Post-office to\n\n $3500 after the present fiscal year.— February 16. Bills\n\n granting lands for certain military roads in Orego n were\n\n passed.—Bill extending the statute of limitations in cases\n\ n where the execution of the laws has been interrupted in\n\n consequence of the rebellion was introduced.—Mr. Doolit-\n\n tle introduced a bill r egulating trade with Indian tribes\;\n\n it prohibits\, under penalty of f ine\, imprisonment\, and for-\n\n feiture\, the sale of spirits to Indians .—Mr. Lane\, of Kan-\n\n sas\, spoke at length in favor of the bill sett ing apart a por-\n\n tion of Texas for the use of persons of African desce nt.—\n\n Mr. Cowan's amendment to the Enlistment bill came up\,\n\n givi ng equal pay\, etc.\, to all soldiers. Mr. Davis pro-\n\n posed an amendme nt to the effect that colored troops\n\n should be disbanded\, and colored men be employed in the\n\n army only as laborers and teamsters\; that for slaves so\n\n employed loyal masters should be compensated\; and if he\n\ n died in service the master should receive the full value\n\n for him. Mr . Davis spoke at length in support of his\n\n amendment.—A message was r eceived from the House\n\n announcing its adherence to its amendments of t he En-\n\n rollment bill\, and asking a Committee of Conference.\n\n The S enate resolved to adhere to its amendments\, and\n\n authorized the Chair to appoint a Committee of Confer-\n\n ence.\n\n \n\n House.—February 10 . Mr. Eliot\, from the Select Com-\n\n mittee\, reported a bill to establi sh a Bureau of Freedman's\n\n Affairs\, to determine all questions relatin g to persons of\n\n African descent\, and make regulations for their emplo y-\n\n ment and proper treatment on abandoned plantations.\n\n Mr. Clay\, of Kentucky\, wished to know whether his State\n\n was to be included in t he operations of the bill\, and\n\n whether plantations there were to be c onsidered as aban-\n\n doned: he himself owned a plantation which had been aban-\n\n doned because Government did not protect it. Mr. Eliot\n\n repl ied that the bill did not propose to establish colonies\n\n in Kentucky\; that in the case of plantations there\, wheth-\n\n er they were to be cons idered as abandoned would depend\n\n upon whether the owners were loyal or disloyal\; that in\n\n the case of Mr. Clay\, a well-known loyal man\, hi s planta-\n\n tion certainly would not be considered abandoned.—The\n\n Senate amendments to the Internal Revenue bill were re-\n\n ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means.—The En-\n\n rollment bill was taken up\, an d sundry amendments were\n\n proposed and rejected. Mr. Stevens offered an amend-\n\n ment enrolling all persons of African descent of military\n\n age\; and when a slave is drafted $300 shall be paid to his\n\n owner\, an d the slave be freed. Debate ensued\, mainly\n\n between members from the Border States: the main points\n\n being\, on the one side\, that slaves w ere property\, and\n\n could not be taken for public purposes without comp ensa-\n\n tion\; and\, upon the other\, that they were persons\, and so\n\ n owed military service: postponed.—February 11. After\n\n some routine business a Select Committee was voted\, to in-\n\n quire into the expedie ncy of increasing the facilities for the\n\n transportation of troops betw een New York and Washing-\n\n ton.—The Enrollment bill then came up. Mr. Stevens\, at\n\n the request of Mr. Davis\, withdrew the $300 feature fro m\n\n his amendment offered yesterday\, and Mr. Davis offered\n\n another amendment\, appointing a commission to pay to\n\n loyal masters a sum not exceeding $300 for slaves volun-\n\n teering in the army. Mr. Webster offe red an amendment\n\n providing that the bounty of $100 now paid to drafted men\n\n shall be paid to any person to whom the person drafted\n\n may ow e service or labor at the time of his muster into\n\n service\, upon his f reeing the person. These amendments\n\n were agreed to\, after a long and somewhat desultory de-\n\n bate. In the course of this Mr. Davis said that he moved\n\n his amendment\, not because he believed that compensa-\n\n t ion was due to the master\, but on account of the measures\n\n which Gover nment had already taken. He believed that\n\n Government ought to take sla ves for military purposes\,\n\n because they owed military service. Mr. An derson\, of\n\n Kentucky\, thought the amendment did not go far enough.\n\ n In his own district a large majority of the young men had\n\n entered th e rebel service\, and at the next draft the district\n\n would owe 7000 me n\; unless the slaves of disloyal men\n\n were taken\, those who had induc ed enlistments in the reb-\n\n el service would enjoy their property in pe ace\, and the\n\n loyal white population must make up the deficiency\; he\ n\n would put the slaves of disloyal men in the army\, but\n\n would not a ppropriate the slaves of loyal men. Mr. Web-\n\n ster\, of Maryland\, said that slaves were both persons and\n\n property. We needed colored men to aid in putting down\n\n the rebellion\; any black man\, having been a sold ier\, must\n\n be free\; he would give freedom to the slave\, and com-\n\n pensation to the master. Mr. Harris\, of Maryland\, denied\n\n the right of Government to enlist or enroll a slave\; if\n\n taken\, it could only b e as property\, and compensation must\n\n be made\; he was opposed to empl oying negro troops\; it\n\n would be a degradation to intrust our flag to negro hands.\n\n Mr. Kasson rejoined that the employment of negro soldiers \n\n was no new thing\; the pension-rolls showed the names of\n\n black me n by the side of whites\; the statutes of the State\n\n of Virginia provid ed for the emancipation of slaves who\n\n fought in the War of the Revolut ion. Mr. Kelley said\n\n that we did not give compensation to the Northern father\n\n for his son\, the wife for her husband\, the children for the\ n\n father taken from them by the conscription\; the relation\n\n between slaveholder and slave was not more sacred than\n\n these. Slaves were pers ons\, and as such owed military\n\n service to the country\; they were nev er referred to as\n\n property in the Constitution\; he was\, however\, re ady to\n\n appropriate money to pay for slaves of loyal masters\, who\n\n should consent to their volunteering. Other members\n\n spoke\, on both si des\, in the same general strain. Toward\n\n the close of the debate Mr. F ernando Wood said that while\n\n we were here proposing measures oppressiv e and destruc-\n\n tive\, and clearly in violation of the Constitution\, t he Con-\n\n federates were proposing to discuss measures of peace\, re-\n\ n union\, and reconciliation. Quoting from the Richmond\n\n Examiner\, he said that resolutions were before the Con-\n\n federate Congress proposing that the Confederate States\n\n ask the United States to appoint delegate s\, to consider (1.)\n\n Whether they can not agree to the recognition of the Con-\n\n federacy\; (2.) Whether\, in this event\, they can not agree\ n\n upon a new Government\; (3.) If this can not be done\,\n\n whether the y can not agree upon treaties offensive\, defens-\n\n ive\, and commercial \; if these resolutions passed\, the\n\n President of the Confederacy was to be requested to com-\n\n municate them to the Government at Washington\ , and\,\n\n if the proposition was accepted\, to issue a proclamation for\ n\n the election of delegates to meet those appointed by the\n\n United St ates. Mr. Cox said that the proposition before\n\n the Congress at Richmon d looked to peace on the basis of\n\n the old Union. He proposed that comm issioners should\n\n be sent to Richmond\; if Mr. Wood was sent\, and if h e did\n\n not come back within sixty days with a negotiation of\n\n peace\ , based on the old Union\, with equality and sover-\n\n eignty of the Stat es\, he would pledge that gentleman and\n\n his friends as earnest support ers of the prosecution of the\n\n war. After various other propositions ha d been disposed\n\n of\, Mr. Schenck offered a substitute for the bill\, e mbracing\n\n the whole as it had been finally agreed upon.—Febru-\n\n a ry 12. The Enrollment bill came up\, and debate having\n\n been shut off by calling the previous question\, and sundry\n\n propositions for adjourn ment and delay having been re-\n\n jected\, it was pressed to a vote. The main amendment\,\n\n providing for the enrollment of all persons of Africa n de-\n\n scent of military age\, paying the $100 bounty to the loy-\n\n a l person to whom any drafted person may owe service or\n\n labor\, upon hi s freeing the drafted person\, and appointing\n\n a commission to award a compensation not exceeding $300\n\n to any loyal person to whom a colored volunteer may owe\n\n service\, was agreed to by 84 to 67. Mr. Schenck's s ubsti-\n\n tute\, embracing the entire bill as finally amended\, was\n\n t hen taken up and voted upon: it passed by 93 to 60.\n\n The bill which thu s passed the House embraces a great\n\n number of provisions\, of which th e following are the most\n\n essential: (§ 1.) The President may call out such number\n\n of men as the public exigencies may require: (§ 2.) The\ n\n quota of each district to be as nearly as possible in propor-\n\n tion to the number of persons in it subject to draft\, taking\n\n into account the number already furnished to the naval\n\n and military service\; (§ 3.) If the quota of any State is not\n\n duly filled\, drafts for any defi cient district shall be order-\n\n ed until the deficiency shall be suppli ed\; (§ 4.) Any en-\n\n rolled person may furnish a substitute\; and if t his substi-\n\n tute is not liable to draft or in the service\, the princi pal\n\n will be exempt during the time for which the substitute\n\n would be exempt\, but no one in military or naval service\n\n shall be accepted as a substitute\; (§ 5.) All persons liable\n\n to draft shall be enrolle d\; this comprises in effect all able-\n\n bodied males below the age of 4 5\, including aliens who\n\n have declared their intentions of becoming ci tizens\, and\n\n all who\, without having been in service two years during \n\n the present war\, shall have been discharged\; (§ 6.) Any\n\n person drafted may furnish a substitute at any time before\n\n the time fixed fo r his appearance at rendezvous\; if the\n\n substitute is not liable to dr aft\, the principal is exempt\n\n during the time of such non-liability\, not exceeding the\n\n time for which the draft was made\; if the substitut e is li-\n\n able to draft\, the principal is liable to future drafts\; an y\n\n person paying money for commutation is exempted only\n\n from the sp ecial quota\; and in no case shall such exemp-\n\n tion extend beyond one year\, at the end of which his name\n\n must be placed in enrollment\; (§ 7.) Members of religious\n\n denominations whose rules prohibit the beari ng of arms\n\n shall\, when drafted\, be considered non-combatants\, and\n \n be assigned to duty in hospitals\, or to the care of freed-\n\n men\, o r shall pay $300\, the money to be applied to the\n\n benefit of sick or w ounded soldiers\; but no person shall be\n\n entitled to the benefit of th is provision unless he shows\n\n that his conduct has been uniformly consi stent with his\n\n professed principles\; (§ 8.) No person of foreign bir th who\n\n has voted or held office is exempt from draft on the ground\n\n of alienage\; (§ 9.) Mariners or able seamen who may be\n\n drafted may\ , upon enlisting in the navy\, be exempt from\n\n draft\, under conditions which are prescribed\; but the\n\n number of these transfer enlistments s hall not exceed ten\n\n thousand\; (§ 10\, 11\, 12.) Make provisions for carrying out\n\n the preceding section\, the principal of which is that su ch\n\n transfer drafts shall be credited to the quota of the district\,\n\ n as though the person had been actually placed in the army\;\n\n and that no pilot\, engineer\, master-at-arms\, master\, en-\n\n sign\, or master' s mate\, having an appointment and duly\n\n acting as such in the naval se rvice\, shall be liable to draft\n\n while holding such appointment\; (§ 13.) Declares the only\n\n exemptions to be those who are physically\, men tally\, or\n\n morally unfit for service\; those who at the time of draft\ n\n shall actually be in military or naval service\; and those\n\n who\, h aving been for two years in service\, shall have been\n\n honorably discha rged\; (§ 14.) Repeals the clause in the\n\n existing Enrollment bill mak ing two classes\, the first con-\n\n sisting of unmarried persons and thos e married below the\n\n age of 35\, the second class embracing all others\ ; all per-\n\n sons liable to draft are thus consolidated into one class\, \n\n and are equally liable to military duty\; (§ 15-25.) Provide\n\n for the execution of the law\, and impose heavy penalties\n\n for all fraudul ent attempts at their violation or evasion on\n\n the part of persons liab le to enrollment\, or of any officers\n\n charged with carrying them into effect\; (§ 26) Enacts that\n\n all able-bodied male persons of African d escent\, between\n\n the ages of 20 and 45\, resident in the United States \, wheth-\n\n er citizens or not\, shall be enrolled\; that when the slave \n\n of a loyal master is drafted and mustered into service\, the\n\n mast er shall have a certificate thereof\, and the bounty of\n\n $100 shall be paid to any person to whom the recruit\, at\n\n the time of his being must ered into service\, owes service\n\n or labor\, on his freeing the recruit \; that the Secretary of\n\n War shall appoint a commission in each Slave State rep-\n\n resented in Congress\, who shall award to any loyal person\ n\n to whom the colored volunteer owes service a sum not ex-\n\n ceeding $ 300\, payable out of commutation money\, upon\n\n the master freeing the s lave\; and that in all cases where\n\n slaves have been enlisted the provi sion as to bounty and\n\n compensation shall be the same as in the case of those to\n\n be enlisted\; (§ 27.) Repeals all sections of the existing En-\n\n rollment act which are inconsistent with this.—The House\n\n the n adjourned to Monday\, February 15.—February\n\n 15. Several bills were introduced and reported from Com-\n\n mittees. The principal of these are to the following pur-\n\n port: Extending the time for withdrawing goods from pub-\n\n lic stores and warehouses\; Granting lands to the Pacific\n\ n Railroad and Telegraph Company\; For a uniform system\n\n of bankruptcy\ ; Establishing a branch mint in Idaho Ter-\n\n ritory\; For constructing a ship canal around Niagara\n\n Falls.—Mr. Windom offered a joint resolut ion proposing\n\n to amend the Constitution so as to prohibit slavery in t he\n\n United States and Territories: referred.—The Judiciary\n\n Commit tee were directed to inquire into the expediency\n\n of establishing an Ex ecutive Department\, to be called that\n\n of the Revenue\, to have charge of the Customs\, Internal\n\n Revenue\, and Currency.—Mr. Arnold offere d a resolution\n\n declaring that “The Constitution of the United States \n\n should be so amended as to abolish slavery in the United\n\n States w herever it now exists\, and to prohibit its extension\n\n in every part th ereof forever.” A motion to lay on the\n\n table was rejected\, 79 to 58 \, and the resolution passed\, 78\n\n to 62.—Mr. Stevens\, from the Comm ittee on Ways and\n\n Means\, reported back the Senate's amendments to the In-\n\n ternal Revenue bill. The bill of the Senate\, he said\, was\n\n p referable to what had been agreed to in the House as to\n\n the tax on spi rits\, and the date of its going into effect.\n\n The Committee were of op inion that all taxes should be\n\n prospective\; manufacturers had receive d a virtual pledge\n\n to this effect. As a revenue measure also the Senat e bill\n\n was preferable. The amount of spirits on hand which the\n\n Hou se proposed to tax did not amount to more than\n\n 10\,000\,000 gallons\, upon which the tax would be $4\,000\,000\;\n\n but practically not more th an half of this would be taxed.\n\n The Senate bill would after the 1st of January yield\n\n $14\,000\,000 or $15\,000\,000. Mr. Fernando Wood said that\n\n the tax on spirits on hand would yield $10\,000\,000. He\n\n hims elf knew three men who had on hand nearly 5\,000\,000\n\n gallons.—Mr. D avis\, from Select Committee on Insurrec-\n\n tionary States\, reported a bill giving to certain States\n\n whose Governments have been usurped or o verthrown a\n\n republican form of government.—February 16. After\n\n r outine business the question of reception and reference of\n\n the credent ials of Mr. Johnson\, who appeared as Represent-\n\n ative from Arkansas\, was taken up. A discussion ensued\,\n\n which elicited the fact that ther e was a wide difference\n\n in the views of Republican members upon the qu estion\n\n whether there was really any State of Arkansas now ex-\n\n isti ng and entitled to be represented in Congress. Finally\n\n the whole subje ct was referred to the Committee on Elec-\n\n tions.—The Revenue bill wa s brought up with the amend-\n\n ments of the Senate. That imposing a duty of 70 cents\n\n upon all distilled or removed from July 1 to January 1\,\ n\n and 80 cents thereafter was disagreed with\, 105 to 41\;\n\n that stri king out tax on all spirits now on hand was agreed\n\n with\, 77 to 73\; a nd that striking out the additional tax\n\n of 20 cents on adulterated spi rits\, sold as rum\, brandy\, etc.\,\n\n was agreed to.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n RATIFICATION TIMELINE\n\n\n\n President Lincoln in his last spee ch\, on April 11\, 1865\, called the question about whether the Southern s tates were in or out of the Union a \"pernicious abstraction\". He declare d they were not \"in their proper practical relation with the Union\"\; wh ence everyone's object should be to restore that relation. [ https://arch ive.org/details/oxfordhistoryof00mori/page/710/mode/2up ] Lincoln was assa ssinated three days later.\n\n\n\n With Congress out of session\, the new president\, Andrew Johnson\, began a period known as \"Presidential Reco nstruction\"\, in which he personally oversaw the creation of new state go vernments throughout the South. He oversaw the convening of state politica l conventions populated by delegates whom he deemed to be loyal. Three lea ding issues came before the conventions: secession itself\, the abolition of slavery\, and the Confederate war debt. Alabama\, Florida\, Georgia\, M ississippi\, North Carolina\, and South Carolina held conventions in 1865\ , while Texas' convention did not organize until March 1866. [Harrison\, \ "Lawfulness of the Reconstruction Amendments\" (2001)\, pp. 394–397.] [  Eric L. McKitrick (1960). Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction. U. Chicago Press. p. 178. ISBN 9780195057072. \; https://books.google.com/books? id=MqL8lmT74HEC&\;pg=PA178#v=onepage&\;q&\;f=false ] [ Clara Mil dred Thompson (1915). Reconstruction in Georgia: economic\, social\, poli tical\, 1865–1872. Columbia University Press. p. 156. \; https://archi ve.org/details/bub_gb_i5shAQAAIAAJ/page/155/mode/2up ] Johnson hoped to pr event deliberation over whether to re-admit the Southern states by accompl ishing full ratification before Congress reconvened in December. He believ ed he could silence those who wished to deny the Southern states their pla ce in the Union by pointing to how essential their assent had been to the successful ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment.[ Vorenberg (2001)\,  Final Freedom\, pp. 227–228]\n\n\n\n Direct negotiations between state g overnments and the Johnson administration ensued. As the summer wore on\, administration officials began giving assurances of the measure's limited scope with their demands for ratification. Johnson himself suggested direc tly to the governors of Mississippi and North Carolina that they could pro actively control the allocation of rights to freedmen. Though Johnson obvi ously expected the freed people to enjoy at least some civil rights\, incl uding\, as he specified\, the right to testify in court\, he wanted state lawmakers to know that the power to confer such rights would remain with t he states.[ Vorenberg (2001)\, Final Freedom\, p. 229.] When South Carol ina provisional governor Benjamin Franklin Perry objected to the scope o f the amendment's enforcement clause\, Secretary of State Seward responded by telegraph that in fact the second clause \"is really restraining in it s effect\, instead of enlarging the powers of Congress\".[ Vorenberg (2001 )\, Final Freedom\, p. 229.] Politicians throughout the South were conce rned that Congress might cite the amendment's enforcement powers as a way to authorize black suffrage.[Du Bois (1935)\, Black Reconstruction\, p. 2 08. ]\n\n\n\n When South Carolina ratified the Amendment in November 1865\ , it issued its own interpretive declaration that \"any attempt by Congres s toward legislating upon the political status of former slaves\, or their civil relations\, would be contrary to the Constitution of the United Sta tes.\"[ McAward\, Jennifer Mason (November 2012). \"McCulloch and the T hirteenth Amendment\". { https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030315/http: //columbialawreview.org/mcculloch-and-the-thirteenth-amendment/ } Columbi a Law Review. 112 (7). Columbia Law School: 1769–1809. JSTOR 4170 8164. { https://www.jstor.org/stable/41708164 } Archived from the origi nal on November 17\, 2015. Pdf. { https://web.archive.org/web/201509232 05538/http://www.columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/1769-181 0.pdf } ]: 1786–1787 [ Thorpe (1901)\, Constitutional History\, p . 210. ] Alabama and Louisiana also declared that their ratification did not imply federal power to legislate on the status of former slaves.[ McA ward\, Jennifer Mason (November 2012). \"McCulloch and the Thirteenth Am endment\". { https://web.archive.org/web/20151117030315/http://columbiala wreview.org/mcculloch-and-the-thirteenth-amendment/ } Columbia Law Review . 112 (7). Columbia Law School: 1769–1809. JSTOR 41708164. { http s://www.jstor.org/stable/41708164 } Archived from the original on Novem ber 17\, 2015. Pdf. { https://web.archive.org/web/20150923205538/http:// www.columbialawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/1769-1810.pdf } ]:  1787 [ Tsesis (2004)\, The Thirteenth Amendment and American Freedom\, p. 48. ] During the first week of December\, North Carolina and Georgia gave the amendment the final votes needed for it to become part of the Con stitution.\n\n\n\n The first 27 states to ratify the Amendment were:[ U.S . Government Printing Office\, 112th Congress\, 2nd Session\, Senate Docum ent No. 112–9 (2013). \"The Constitution of the United States Of Americ a Analysis And Interpretation Centennial Edition Interim Edition: Analysis Of Cases Decided By The Supreme Court Of The United States To June 26\, 2 013s\" (PDF). p. 30. { https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CONAN-20 13/pdf/GPO-CONAN-2013.pdf } Archived (PDF) { https://web.archive.org/web /20140225114303/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CONAN-2013/pdf/GPO-CONAN- 2013.pdf } from the original on February 25\, 2014. Retrieved February 17 \, 2014. ]\n\n\n\n Illinois: February 1\, 1865\n\n\n\n Rhode Island: Febr uary 2\, 1865\n\n\n\n Michigan: February 3\, 1865\n\n\n\n Maryland: Februa ry 3\, 1865\n\n\n\n New York: February 3\, 1865\n\n\n\n Pennsylvania: Febr uary 3\, 1865\n\n\n\n West Virginia: February 3\, 1865\n\n\n\n Missouri: F ebruary 6\, 1865\n\n\n\n Maine: February 7\, 1865\n\n\n\n Kansas: February 7\, 1865\n\n\n\n Massachusetts: February 7\, 1865\n\n\n\n Virginia: Febru ary 9\, 1865\n\n\n\n Ohio: February 10\, 1865\n\n\n\n Indiana: February 13 \, 1865\n\n\n\n Nevada: February 16\, 1865\n\n\n\n Louisiana: February 17\ , 1865\n\n\n\n Minnesota: February 23\, 1865\n\n\n\n Wisconsin: February 2 4\, 1865\n\n\n\n Vermont: March 9\, 1865\n\n\n\n Tennessee: April 7\, 1865 \n\n\n\n Arkansas: April 14\, 1865\n\n\n\n Connecticut: May 4\, 1865\n\n\n \n New Hampshire: July 1\, 1865\n\n\n\n South Carolina: November 13\, 1865 \n\n\n\n Alabama: December 2\, 1865\n\n\n\n North Carolina: December 4\, 1 865\n\n\n\n Georgia: December 6\, 1865\n\n\n\n Having been ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states (27 of the 36 states\, includ ing those that had been in rebellion)\, Secretary of State Seward\, on Dec ember 18\, 1865\, certified that the Thirteenth Amendment had become valid \, to all intents and purposes\, as a part of the Constitution.[ Seward c ertificate Archived March 18\, 2021\, at the Wayback Machine proclaimi ng the Thirteenth Amendment to have been adopted as part of the Constituti on as of December 6\, 1865. ] Included on the enrolled list of ratifying states were the three ex-Confederate states that had given their assent\, but with strings attached. Seward accepted their affirmative votes and bru shed aside their interpretive declarations without comment\, challenge or acknowledgment.[ Vorenberg (2001)\, Final Freedom\, p. 232. ]\n\n\n\n Th e Thirteenth Amendment was subsequently ratified by the other states\, as follows:[ U.S. Government Printing Office\, 112th Congress\, 2nd Session\ , Senate Document No. 112–9 (2013). \"The Constitution of the United St ates Of America Analysis And Interpretation Centennial Edition Interim Edi tion: Analysis Of Cases Decided By The Supreme Court Of The United States To June 26\, 2013s\" (PDF). p. 30. { https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pk g/GPO-CONAN-2013/pdf/GPO-CONAN-2013.pdf } Archived (PDF) { https://web.a rchive.org/web/20140225114303/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-CONAN-2013/ pdf/GPO-CONAN-2013.pdf } from the original on February 25\, 2014. Retrieve d February 17\, 2014. ]: 30 \n\n\n\n Oregon: December 8\, 1865\n\n\n \n California: December 19\, 1865\n\n\n\n Florida: December 28\, 1865 (rea ffirmed June 9\, 1868)\n\n\n\n Iowa: January 15\, 1866\n\n\n\n New Jersey: January 23\, 1866 (after rejection March 16\, 1865)\n\n\n\n Texas: Februa ry 18\, 1870\n\n\n\n Delaware: February 12\, 1901 (after rejection Februar y 8\, 1865)\n\n\n\n Kentucky: March 18\, 1976[ Kocher\, Greg (February 23 \, 2013). \"Kentucky supported Lincoln's efforts to abolish slavery—111 years late\". { https://archive.ph/20140220035343/http://www.kentucky.co m/2013/02/23/2528807/kentucky-supported-lincolns-efforts.html }Lexington H erald-Leader. Archived from the original on February 20\, 2014. Retriev ed February 17\, 2014. ] (after rejection February 24\, 1865)\n\n\n\n M ississippi: March 16\, 1995 (after rejection December 5\, 1865\; not certi fied until February 7\, 2013)[ Ben Waldron (February 18\, 2013). \"Missi ssippi Officially Abolishes Slavery\, Ratifies 13th Amendment\". { https: //abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/02/mississippi-officially-abolishes- slavery-ratifies-13th-amendment/ } ABC News. Archived from the original on June 27\, 2013. Retrieved April 23\, 2013. ]\n\n\n\n With the ratific ation by Mississippi in 1995\, and certification thereof in 2013\, the ame ndment was finally ratified by all states having existed at the time of it s adoption in 1865.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Amendment XIII in the N ational Archives\, bearing the signature of Abraham Lincoln\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n PENAL LABOR\n\n\n\n The Thirteenth Amendment exempts penal labor from i ts prohibition of forced labor. This allows prisoners who have been convic ted of crimes (not those merely awaiting trial) to be required to perform labor or else face punishment while in custody.[ Howe\, Scott (2009). \" Slavery as Punishment: Original Public Meaning\, Cruel and Unusual Punishm ent\, and the Neglected Clause in the Thirteenth Amendment\". { https://a rizonalawreview.org/howe/ } Arizona Law Review. 51 (4): 983. Archived  from the original on December 29\, 2017. Retrieved December 28\, 2017. ] \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n [ Radde\, Kaitlyn (November 17\, 2022). \"Louisiana vo ters rejected an antislavery ballot measure. The reasons are complicated\" . { https://www.npr.org/2022/11/17/1137398039/louisiana-voters-rejected-a n-antislavery-ballot-measure-the-reason-is-complicate } NPR. Archived fr om the original on January 15\, 2023. Retrieved October 19\, 2023. ]\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251218 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Comprehending Euler Forward DTSTAMP:20251215T073908Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:614-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n a pdf \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/ 1275510340?action=published\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\ n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251215 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Escarp Into The Unknown - Where Are They Now- the unknown fr om Over the Garden Wall 12/102/2025 DTSTAMP:20251210T204559Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:613-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Escarp Into The Unknown - Where Are They Now- the unknown from Over the Garden Wall 12/102/2025 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WATN: The Unkn own - Over The Garden Wall\n\n\n\n The Unknown is an entity or a place bey ond the confines of time or space. \n\n Travelers through various zones w ant to know \, where is the Unknown now? You can use your imagination or u se any of the various references in the challenge to be inspired.  \n\n L ast date to enter for rewards is Dec 22nd \n\n https://www.deviantart.com /hddeviant/journal/WATN-The-Unknown-Over-The-Garden-Wall-1267662687\n\n #w atn #wherearetheynow #intothegardenwall #escarpintotheunknown #wirt #greg #theunknown #richardmurray #richardmurrayhumblr #hddeviant \n\n \n\n Illu stration\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Escarp-Into-The-Unkn own-illustration-1273873023\n\n Text \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdde viant/art/Where-Is-The-Unknown-Now-1273876913\n\n Audio\n\n https://www.tu mblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/802571111918419968/escarp-into-the-unknown-il lustration-by-hddeviant\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr /802571111918419968/escarp-into-the-unknown-illustration-by-hddeviant\n\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251210 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 1 - December 3rd 2024 DTSTAMP:20251122T072054Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:595-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n So Musk bought Twitter to make it a legally private data source that is being grown real time by the public users to his own privat e modern\, circa 2025 \, computer system commonly while falsely called an Artificial Intelligence\, xai. The money he loaned to buy twitter he prese nted this to them in some way or form. Alot of data today is behind variou s paywalls\, literally as in terms of service or legally through lawsuits if accessed. So getting data that is not only of a heavy quantity while st ill being added into plus private to all other data acquirers is priceless . Even if former twitter losses social media market share its value to gro wing xai is on course to making losses with x smaller than revenue earned from xai \, potentially of a varying scale. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Question : What will the ability of offline devices software having the generative functionality of OpenAI+ChatGPT+MidJourney aside the data of the google s earch engines internal encyclopedia have on humans?\n\n\n\n At some point devices will exist that don't need to be connected to the world wide web\, which is in the internet \, for the software inside said devices to exhib it the combined functionality plus base data content of multiple services of the most potent computer programs accessible online today\, circa 2024. That moment will be a watershed in terms of online or world wide web usag e. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATIONS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Segment C ritics said Musk 'overpaid' for Twitter. Thanks to Trump and xAI\, it coul d actually be a steal.\n\n ...\n\n Not only has X served as Musk's politic al megaphone — it has also been a lucrative source of training data for one of the billionaire's other ventures\, xAI\, a startup that has rockete d to a $50 billion valuation in 16 months. [ https://www.businessinsider. com/elon-musk-xai-startup-valuation-history-chart-2024-11 : POSTSCRIPTA- segment]\n\n That fresh valuation means xAI has surpassed Musk's purchase price for X. It came with a $5 billion funding round\, which The Wall Stre et Journal reported was backed by the Qatar Investment Authority and Sequo ia Capital. [ https://www.businessinsider.com/xai-value-twitter-funding-e lon-musk-x-2024-11 ]\n\n Musk launched xAI in July 2023 as a springboard to get in the AI race. He had cofounded and then left OpenAI over differen ces with its CEO\, Sam Altman.\n\n The startup has made up significant gro und on its rivals by using X as a source of third-party data\, one of the key avenues for training large language models. [ https://www.businessins ider.com/generative-ai-wall-scaling-laws-training-data-chatgpt-gemini-clau de-2024-11 ]\n\n In late 2023\, Musk blocked other organizations from scr aping X's data for free — but gave xAI continued access. That gave xAI a crucial boost. [ https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/08/x-updates-its-terms-t o-ban-crawling-and-scraping/ : POSTSCRIPTB- segment]\n\n ...\n\n Though t he number of X users has been falling\, Musk said in May that it had 600 m illion monthly active users.\n\n \"This is a level that neither OpenAI nor any other third party can access\, or at least not as easily\, which prov ides a huge competitive edge and therefore makes xAI a valuable company\,\ " Keenan-O'Malley added.\n\n Wired reported last year that access to 0.3% of X's data would cost about $500\,000 annually. [ https://www.wired.com/ story/twitter-data-api-prices-out-nearly-everyone/ \; title: Twitter’s $42\,000-per-Month API Prices Out Nearly Everyone \; subtitle : Tiers will start at $500\,000 a year for access to 0.3 percent of the company’s tw eets.~]\n\n \"Clearly X's or indeed any social-media platform's data is va luable\,\" Advika Jalan\, the head of research at MMC Ventures\, told BI.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/critics-said- musk-overpaid-for-twitter-thanks-to-trump-and-xai-it-could-actually-be-a-s teal/ar-AA1v6Ojy?ocid=socialshare\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POSTSCRIPTA \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n It took OpenAI\, last valued at $157 billion in October\, about nine years to reach the $50 billion milestone\, according to PitchBook dat a.\n\n ...\n\n Elon Musk\, starting with a team of 12 people in July 2023\ , did it in less than a year and a half.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POSTSCRIPTB\n\ n The new terms\, which are effective from September 29\, ban any kind of scraping or crawling without “prior written consent.” [ https://x.com /en/tos ] \n\n\n\n NOTE: crawling or scraping the Services in any form\, for any purpose without our prior written consent is expressly prohibited .\n\n The previous version of the terms allowed crawling in accordance wit h robots.txt.\n\n “NOTE: crawling the Services is permissible if done in accordance with the provisions of the robots.txt file\, however\, scrapin g the Services without our prior consent is expressly prohibited\,” it r ead.\n\n In the last few months\, Twitter has also altered its robots.txt file — a file that gives instructions to robot crawlers about what parts of the site they are permitted to visit — to remove instructions for al l crawler bots apart from Google.\n\n In 2015\, Twitter confirmed that it had a firehose deal in place with Google to surface tweets in search resul ts. It is not clear if the nature or terms of that deal have changed under the new management.\n\n We have reached out to Google to understand if th e search giant has an agreement in place. We will update the story if we h ear back.\n\n X has also altered the robots.txt file to disallow crawlers to get information such as likes and retweets related to specific posts. I t also bars robots from looking at an account’s likes\, media and photos .\n\n Earlier this month\, X changed its privacy policy to state it might use public data to train AI models. Musk has previously noted during a Twi tter space that xAI\, a company founded in July\, would use public data su ch as tweets to train its models. X’s new privacy policy also has provis ions for the collection of biometric data of users along with education an d job history.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/to pic/11346-economiccorner001/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Next Edition\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/596-economic-corner-2-december-7th-2024/\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Economic Corner anniversary\n\n https://aalbc.co m/tc/search/?&\;q=\"economic corner\"&\;type=calendar_event&\;qui ck=1&\;nodes=7&\;search_and_or=or&\;search_in=titles&\;sortby= newest\n\n\n\n Most viewed edition\n\n above 210\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ events/event/165-economic-corner-09-media-properties-dictate-01282025/\n\n \n\n above 200\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/167-economic-corner-1 1-what-should-you-see-after-a-deepseek-01282025/\n\n search\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/search/?&\;q=\"economic corner\"&\;type=calendar_event&am p\;quick=1&\;search_min_views=210&\;nodes=7&\;search_and_or=or&am p\;search_in=titles&\;sortby=newest\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\ n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241203 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:False Promises by Ric S. Sheffield DTSTAMP:20251206T191920Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:612-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n False Promises\n\n\n\n The Struggle for Black Voting Righ ts in 1800s Ohio\n\n\n\n by Ric S. Sheffield\n\n\n\n Imprint: Swallow Pr ess\n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12114-false-promis es-the-struggle-for-black-voting-rights-in-1800s-ohio/\n\n\n\n my comment\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12114-false-promises-the-struggle-for-b lack-voting-rights-in-1800s-ohio/#findComment-78250\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251021 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Price of Exclusion by Nicole Carr published 12/08/2025 DTSTAMP:20251206T191649Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:611-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Price of Exclusion\n\n\n\n The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation\n\n\n\n By Nicole Carr\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/topic/12115-the-price-of-exclusion-the-pursuit-of-healthcare-in-a-segreg ated-nation-pre-order-today\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/topic/12115-the-price-of-exclusion-the-pursuit-of-healthcare-in-a-segreg ated-nation-pre-order-today/#findComment-78249\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251208 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Perihelion 2026 DTSTAMP:20251206T163424Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:608-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The perihelion of Earth occurs on January 3\, 2026\, at 1 2:15 p.m. EST (1715 GMT). This is the point in Earth's orbit where it is c losest to the Sun. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n About Perihelion + Aphelion\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/607-perihelion-aphelion-explanation/\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260103 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Perihelion + Aphelion explanation DTSTAMP:20251206T163220Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:607-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n DATES or GRAPHIC\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Note: Distances are app roximate and calculated from JPL ephemeris data.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Pluto is a dwarf planet. Its eccentricity causes it to cross Neptune’s orbit.\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In astronomy\, perihelion and ap helion are the two extreme points in Earth’s elliptical orbit around th e Sun. These terms also apply to any object orbiting the Sun or another st ar. Perihelion is the point where the object is nearest to the Sun\, while aphelion is when it is farthest away. Earth’s orbit is not a perfect c ircle but a slightly flattened ellipse\, with the Sun at one of the foci of the ellipse (not the exact center)\, so the distance between Earth and the Sun varies slightly over the year.\n\n\n\n Although these points influ ence the amount of solar radiation Earth receives\, they are not responsib le for the seasons. Seasons arise from Earth’s axial tilt\, not its dis tance from the Sun. However\, the elliptical shape and the timing of perih elion and aphelion do subtly affect seasonal duration and intensity.\n\n\n \n Apsis is the general term for orbital extremes (includes perigee an d apogee for Earth-orbiting objects).\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What Are Perihe lion and Aphelion?\n\n\n\n Johannes Kepler coined the terms “perihelio n” and “aphelion” to describe the orbits of planets around the Sun.\ n\n\n\n Perihelion: The point in a planet’s orbit where it is nearest to the Sun.\n\n\n\n Aphelion: The point in the orbit where the planet is far thest from the Sun.\n\n\n\n These distances are measured from the center o f the Sun to the center of the planet. The Earth is about 147.1 million k m (91.4 million mi) from the Sun at perihelion and about 152.1 million k m (94.5 million mi) at aphelion.\n\n\n\n Etymology\n\n\n\n Perihelion co mes from the Greek peri- (near) and helios (Sun).\n\n\n\n Aphelion co mes from apo- (away from) and helios (Sun).\n\n\n\n Both terms use the suffix -helion from the Greek word for Sun and are specific to objects orbiting the Sun. The more general term\, apsis\, refers to extreme point s in any orbital system.\n\n\n\n Apsis and Earth’s Orbit\n\n\n\n Althoug h Earth’s orbit is elliptical\, the Sun is not located at the center o f the ellipse. Instead\, it occupies one of the two focal points of the orbit\, while the other focus lies in empty space. This means Earth–Sun distance changes slightly throughout the year\, giving rise to perihelion and aphelion.\n\n\n\n The line of apsides connects the perihelion and ap helion of an orbit. For Earth\, the apsides shift over time due to gravi tational interactions with the Moon and planets\, causing apsidal prece ssion.\n\n\n\n Although Earth’s orbit is almost circular\, the slight el liptical shape leads to small but measurable differences in solar distance during the year. These points of apsis don’t align with solstices or  equinoxes due to this precession.\n\n\n\n Eccentricity and Orbital Shap e\n\n\n\n Eccentricity (e) describes how much an orbit deviates from a pe rfect circle:\n\n\n\n A circle has eccentricity e = 0.\n\n\n\n Ellipses h ave 0 <\; e <\; 1.\n\n\n\n Earth’s current orbital eccentricity is about 0.0167\, meaning it’s very close to circular. In graphics\, illus trators exaggerate the ellipse to convey that the orbit is not a perfect c ircle.\n\n\n\n Over tens of thousands of years\, Earth’s eccentricity va ries due to gravitational interactions\, influencing climate cycles (Milan kovitch cycles).\n\n\n\n Do Perihelion or Aphelion Coincide With Solstices or Equinoxes?\n\n\n\n Currently\, perihelion occurs shortly after the De cember solstice\, and aphelion occurs after the June solstice. The proxim ity of perihelion to the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice slightl y shortens winter and lengthens summer.\n\n\n\n Due to apsidal precession \, these dates shift by about one day every 58 years. Around the year 1246 \, perihelion occurred on the December solstice. In about 10\,000 years\, it will coincide with the March equinox.\n\n\n\n Apsis and the Seasons\n\ n\n\n While it’s common to assume that Earth’s varying distance from t he Sun causes the seasons\, this is not the case. The primary driver of se asonal change is Earth’s axial tilt of about 23.5°\, not its distance from the Sun. However\, the location of the apsides (perihelion and aphel ion) does have subtle effects on seasonal length and solar intensity.\n\n \n\n At perihelion\, Earth is closest to the Sun and moves faster in it s orbit due to the increased gravitational pull. As a result\, the Northe rn Hemisphere winter is slightly shorter (about 89 days)\, while summer i s slightly longer (about 93 days). The opposite occurs in the Southern Hem isphere\, which receives more intense solar radiation during its shorter s ummer because of Earth’s proximity to the Sun at that time.\n\n\n\n The uneven distribution of land and ocean between the hemispheres enhances thi s asymmetry. The Southern Hemisphere has more ocean\, which moderates tem perature changes\, while the Northern Hemisphere has more landmass and ex periences greater seasonal variation despite receiving slightly less sunli ght at aphelion.\n\n\n\n Apsidal Precession and Milankovitch Cycles\n\n\n\ n Over thousands of years\, the orientation of Earth’s orbit gradually s hifts due to apsidal precession\, a slow rotation of the line connecting perihelion and aphelion. Currently\, Earth reaches perihelion shortly aft er the December solstice\, but this alignment drifts forward through the c alendar over time.\n\n\n\n This precession completes a full cycle approxim ately every 112\,000 to 130\,000 years. As a result\, the timing of perih elion slowly changes in relation to the equinoxes and solstices. When peri helion occurs during a Northern Hemisphere summer\, the hemispheric season al differences are minimized. When it aligns with winter\, the seasonal co ntrast is enhanced.\n\n\n\n Apsidal precession is one of the three key orb ital variations described by Milutin Milankovitch\, which influence long- term climate cycles on Earth:\n\n\n\n Eccentricity – the shape of Ear th’s orbit (100\,000-year cycle)\n\n\n\n Axial tilt (obliquity) – the angle of Earth’s axis (41\,000-year cycle)\n\n\n\n Precession – the wobble of Earth’s axis (26\,000-year cycle)\n\n\n\n Together\, these Mi lankovitch cycles affect Earth’s climate patterns and have been linked to the timing of ice ages and interglacial periods.\n\n\n\n Perigee and Ap ogee: Apsis Terms for Earth-Orbiting Bodies\n\n\n\n The -helion suffix r efers to a body orbiting the Sun\, while the -gee suffix refers to the a psis of a body orbiting Earth.\n\n\n\n Perigee: Closest point to Earth in the orbit of a satellite or the Moon.\n\n\n\n Apogee: Farthest point from Earth.\n\n\n\n These are the equivalents of perihelion and aphelion for or bits around the Earth.\n\n\n\n For example:\n\n\n\n The Moon reaches perig ee at about 363\,300 km and apogee at about 405\,500 km.\n\n\n\n These distances affect apparent size (e.g.\, supermoons at perigee) and gravitat ional effects.\n\n\n\n Comparison With Binary Star Systems or Exoplanets\n \n\n\n The concept of apsis also applies to planets orbiting other stars o r star system. For exoplanets (planets outside our Solar System)\, the t erms periastron and apastron are the general terms for orbiting stars . In binary star systems\, the terms periastron and apastron describe the closest and farthest points in the orbit of one star around another.\n\n\ n\n Understanding their orbital eccentricity and distance variation aids i n evaluating the planet’s habitability\, particularly if large differenc es in distance lead to extreme temperature swings.\n\n\n\n Some exoplanets \, known as eccentric Jupiters\, have highly elliptical orbits that cause drastic changes in their environment as they swing close to and far from their stars. In contrast\, planets with low eccentricity and stable distan ces from their stars are more likely to support Earth-like conditions.\n\n \n\n In summary\, astronomers use periapsis terminology that describes the central body:\n\n\n\n Perihelion/aphelion – around the Sun\n\n\n\n Per igee/apogee – around Earth\n\n\n\n Periastron/apastron – around anot her star\n\n\n\n Perijove/apojove – around Jupiter\n\n\n\n Kepler’s L aws in Context\n\n\n\n Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion describe the m echanics of elliptical orbits\, including the behavior of perihelion and a phelion:\n\n\n\n Law of Ellipses\n\n Each planet orbits the Sun in an ell ipse with the Sun at one focus (not the center). This explains why Earth has both a closest and farthest point in its orbit.\n\n\n\n Law of Equal A reas\n\n A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas in eq ual time. This means Earth moves faster at perihelion and slower at aph elion\, altering the apparent speed of the seasons.\n\n\n\n Law of Harmoni es\n\n The square of a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the cu be of its semi-major axis:\n\n T2 ∝ a3\n\n This law relates orbital dur ation and distance\, and helps astronomers compare orbits across the Solar System.\n\n\n\n Kepler’s laws form the foundation for Newton’s laws of motion and universal gravitation\, and they remain essential for calcu lating orbits\, planning space missions\, and understanding the celestial mechanics of planets and moons.\n\n\n\n FAQs About Perihelion and Aphelion \n\n\n\n Q: Does perihelion make Earth hotter?\n\n A: No\, seasons are co ntrolled by axial tilt\, not proximity to the Sun. However\, perihelion do es slightly increase solar radiation\, particularly in the Southern Hemisp here.\n\n\n\n Q: Why isn’t Earth warmest at perihelion?\n\n A: The Nort hern Hemisphere\, which has more landmass\, tilts away from the Sun during perihelion. Land heats and cools more rapidly than oceans\, so Southern H emisphere summers are slightly milder.\n\n\n\n Q: Is Earth speeding up or slowing down at perihelion?\n\n A: Earth moves faster at perihelion an d slower at aphelion\, as predicted by Kepler’s second law (equal are as in equal time).\n\n\n\n Q: Can perihelion and solstice happen on the sa me day?\n\n A: Yes\, but it’s rare. The last near-alignment was in 1246 CE. They drift apart due to apsidal precession.\n\n\n\n Q: Is the orbit g etting more or less eccentric?\n\n A: Eccentricity varies cyclically (~10 0\,000-year cycles). Currently\, Earth’s orbit is becoming slightly le ss eccentric.\n\n\n\n Q: What is the difference between perihelion and pe rigee?\n\n A: Perihelion refers to being closest to the Sun. Perigee r efers to being closest to Earth in a satellite’s orbit.\n\n\n\n Referenc es\n\n\n\n D’Eliseo\, Maurizio M.\; Mironov\, Sergey V. (2009). “The G ravitational Ellipse”. Journal of Mathematical Physics. 50 (2): 022901. doi:10.1063/1.3078419\n\n\n\n Luo\, Siwei (2020). “The Sturm-Liouville problem of two-body system”. Journal of Physics Communications. 4 (6): 061001. doi:10.1088/2399-6528/ab9c30\n\n\n\n Michelsen\, Neil F. (1982).  The American Ephemeris for the 21st Century – 2001 to 2100 at Midnight. Astro Computing Services. ISBN 0-917086-50-3.\n\n\n\n REFERAL\n\n\n\n http s://sciencenotes.org/perihelion-and-aphelion-closest-and-farthest-points-f rom-the-sun/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:December solstice 2025 acrostics challenge+ stamp DTSTAMP:20251202T045802Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:606-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n December Solstice Acrostics challenge\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/December-Solstice-Acrostics-C hallenge-2025-1267664759\n\n\n\n content for the acrostics challenge\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/603-december-acrostic-challenge-conte nt/\n\n\n\n the stamp\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251201 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 28 11/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20251123T184117Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:600-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The 2\,000\n\n\n\n I don't know if Schrumpfts 2\,000 doll ar check will come in BUT I do think this is a  perfect chance to talk ab out what happens if it does happen.\n\n\n\n For example\n\n\n\n New York C ity has a possible three million black folks. Let us say\, a third are chi ldren. so\, two million adults. \n\n\n\n If each adult gives one dollar o f their $2\,000 that is two million dollars. Now what does the black popul ace in NYC need?\n\n\n\n Maybe they could vote on it?\n\n\n\n Now before y ou get excited lets be honest\, few have the clout to get that many Black adults in NYC behind an initiative. the tribal issues exist and it is simp ly not easy. \n\n\n\n But\, the idea has wings in a lesser way. \n\n\n\n Any black person in any black group \, for example\n\n\n\n the black memb ers of one mosque\n\n\n\n the black members of one church\n\n\n\n the blac k members of the party of abraham lincoln in one city\n\n\n\n the black me mbers of the party of andrew jackson in one city\n\n\n\n the black alumni for any college in one city\n\n\n\n can all pool a single dollar together and do something with the collected funds. \n\n\n\n To what end\, you wil l need a voting system\, where people who placed a dollar get the chance t o place their desired collective action. \n\n\n\n And then have a boring\ , long but very even process for each pooler's collective action through a simple yeah or neah on the action from the entire poolers body\, so each idea gets to be voted on by every member\, yes or no. \n\n\n\n The idea t hat won the most yeahs gets done. If a draw a the top. Another round of vo ting where each idea gets voted on \, yes or no\, by each pooler. \n\n\n\ n If two rounds go with the same draw result\, then the poolers who made t he idea\, get to amend their idea. \n\n\n\n And vote again\, the added de tails should lead to an imbalance and if still a tie\, amend again. \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Yes in a better scenario \, someone black with enough conne ctions calls for a million man march and millions of black men go to this place and each leave a dollar and then vote in a truly even way to use the money. But the conditions don't favor that. But\, i think every black chu rch or mosque can do it. And even if the results are small the real goal i s for black collectives to do something...\n\n\n\n KWanzaa is coming up an d a tenet is collective work and responsibility. \n\n\n\n The timing coul dn't be better.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PArtially Inspired by this dialog\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12056-african-christians-african-american-ch ristians/#findComment-77851\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/12059-2000-million-people-marches/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/586-economic-corner-27-11122025/ \n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/605-econom ic-corner-29-11302025/\n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n \n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 2:20 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n 1) Needs have to be identified before a dime is spent.\n \n \n\n\n \n Well concerning my suggestion in the original post\, the needs can't be identified first cause the money is reliant on an unknown. The organizati on can come first and then if the money comes then\, the gathering of fund s\, ala trust\, and then those who have placed funds in the trust can vote \, ala what I stated in the larger post\, I don't know if you read it.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 2:20 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Otherwise\, handing out $2\,000 per person especially those who don't hav e it already will lead to more consumerism.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Look no further back than those pandemic stimulus checks. \n \n \n\n\n\ n but that is the point of Universal BAsic Income\, it is just welfare\, j ust expanded. Consumerism isn't evil\, it is what the usa has always been\ , starting wiith the white murdering colonist. Remember\, the british colo nies had become a huge buyer\, consumer\, not a producer\, but a consumer. the best producing colonies were in the caribbean with over 90% black pop ulations which led to them all having a different phenotypical history to the english colonies n north america\, having a white european populace \, ever growing\, became big consumers. I recall france did stimulus checks and it was all used\, the french were wiser in that they gave guidelines f or where to spend. but the usa from a financial philosophy perspective his torically likes to allow a freer market\, that is how financial cheating a nd other things can thrive\, it is up to the individual in the usa\, again st france's communalist\, government guided economy through the fiscal cap italist free market.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/202 5 at 5:01 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n I haven't followed this $2\, 000 story much because I don't think Trump is serious about it.\n \n \n\n \n\n nyc 80s white businessmen's fiscal culture isnt about planning\, it i s about shark hunting\, short term gains. \n\n\n\n shark hunting is buyin g things\, breaking them up and selling them into the market\, crows work. that is what the socialist financial models never have. This is why too b ig to fail was huge\, cause the usa did a piss poor variant of socialism i n saving the banks. they saved the banks like in a socialist model but unl ike a socialist model didn't demand they plan\, so the banks haven't impro ved. \n\n\n\n And short terms gains isn't about seriousness\, in schrumpf ts case they are wild gambits. they shake things up which was his original premise and I don't he has ever left that position.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/ 2025 at 5:01 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n richarmurray talks about Universal Basic Income....so is he talking about giving it to people MONTH LY or is this just another one time deal kind of like the stimulus checks for Covid?\n \n \n\n\n\n I apologize for confusing you. This is a one tim e thing\, but I think as this is the economic corner. that if he succeeds this is a huge step to universal basic income becoming in some form or fas hion. Cause if he can do it once\, he can do it again and the next preside nt can as well and with the executive order culture reaching new heights\, all the precedence is present for it to become something that happens at a greater frequency.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n well... gimmick\, the usa is over three hundred and fifty million people. half of that is one hundred and se venty five million so if that is the count of adults\n\n\n\n two thousand multiplied by one hundred and seventy five million is three hundred and fi fty billion dollars. I don't see 350\,000\,000\,000 as a gimmick. \n\n\n\ n I think you and Profd have a very low view of others financially\, that I don't have. \n\n\n\n I never forget one winter past\, real cold\, and a homeless person asked for money and I gave it cause i had it to give. And a black person of you and profd's philosophical race said I shouldn't hav e did that cause that person will spend it on liquor. And I replied to the m that i didn't give the money as a test or because I judged or critiqued them in any way\, I gave the money because I could and I wanted to\, the w ay in which they use it is up to them\, and considering it is cold\, I thi nk it wise to warm your belly with liquor if you live in the cold. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n I have always found the voice of black people like you and p rofd who chime in that helping others\, especially black folk\, shouldn't be done\, to be very ugly. If you don't want to help other black people. D on't. I have no problem with that. But chiming in that people shouldn't be helped because you feel they are unwarranted based on your critique of th em or your evaluation of what they will do... well ok. You two plus the ma ny other blacks I have heard do it are free to do it\, I have no problem w ith none of you doing it\, but it is an ugly act. That kind of talk in the village needs to be stated for what it is\, ugly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/24/2025 at 7:46 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n And the REAL k icker is they're probably going to put up all kinds of limitations and exe mptions on it to where half if not most people wouldn't even qualify for t hat money anyway.\n \n \n\n\n\n I don't think so\, like the stimulus chec ks this is meant to go wide. I will say this\, SCrumpft wants this to go w ide\, I Think the problem is the congress... the congress in the usa is a mess in terms of what is produces legislatively.  IT rarely is well const ructed and all to often has alot of dysfunctional complexity to maintain a gendas against the purposes of the laws.\n\n\n\n I think many of the limit s and exemptions may happen but largely because of two things\n\n\n\n 1. t he multipheonotypical naysayers to UBI. For some reason many in government fear UBI. I have listened to their arguments and none hold water. The non black naysayers talk about the merit of work but the usa wasn't built on the merit of work it was built on murdering others for land and enslaving other human beings. the northern colonies were extremely poor compared to the southern. the northern colonies were the most eager to cede from the e nglish empire as they were poorest in north america+caribbean in terms of wealth making and could use to not pay taxes to england\, but virginia to the carolinas were only interested for the opportunity to avoid taxation a nd gain more money. Hard work had nothing to do with it.  The black naysa yers talk about their pseudo prescient view that people will spend the mon ey negatively which has no basis in truth. All the people in the usa who h ad home bills to pay or children to feed spent some or all of each stimulu s on bills and care. homeless and other very fiscally poor people don't ha ve homes or others to care for usually\, so they spent as they wanted. but commerce is not bad\, usa business retained all that money so it wasn't w asted it was fueled right back into the economy of the usa. which is the p oint of welfare\, the impoverished get to feed themselves \, the market ge ts fuel. \n\n\n\n 2. the donkeys\, the part of andrew jackson were the on es who stopped the stimulus checks from continually coming. They felt it w asn't feasible which is interesting cause the donkeys love government spen ding. The problem with stimulus checks is the donkeys can't use stimulus c hecks for favors of big firms. the thousands to millions of homeless peopl e getting stimulus checks going to the liquor store\, buying a sandwich \, maybe a new pair of shoes isn't influencing big business through governme nt spending. But spending money on the affordable care act\, which then go es to insurance companies\, is an example of how to influence the big firm s. So I can see the donkeys trying to stop it though with the shutdown res ult I imagine a  number of donkeys may disregard schumer and others which will make it easy to happen. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 11/24/2025 at 8:27 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n I read it.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n From reading your posts\, I don't get the impression you have started businesses and/or managed a lo t of money.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n As a result\,  our perspective s are vastly different when it comes to financial management.\n \n \n\n\ n\n Even point\, our experiences are different\, we are two strangers\, yo u don't know me and i don't know\, we both have levels of assumption \,but our experiences have clearly  led to varying perspectives.\n\n\n\n \n O n 11/24/2025 at 8:27 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Clearly\, you have m isread or misinterpreted what I've written around here. However\, your mis interpretation is consistent with our differing perspectives especially as it relates to money and investing. \n \n \n\n\n\n par the course\, I do nt' think so. when a person says that giving money to another person will be wasted in their opinion and they are opposed to it\, even when the mone y will not be there own\, I see my position as in even response to your wo rds which are said similar.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n \n On 11/24/ 2025 at 8:38 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n don't worry about those broth ers just are projecting what they would do with the money 🙂\n \n \n\n\ n\n well the post wasn't about what individuals would do but what will a g roup do \, each a portion of their funds. Now if either had said they woul dn't put their dollar in the pot   to the stated concept then fine. I ha ve no problem with that. But that wasn't an element of their discourse. It was  \n\n\n\n from Profd  The net benefit is zero especially if folks are going to spend it on BS instead of investing it in something that act ually makes more money\n\n\n\n from Pioneer Low intelligence people are e asily \"bought off\" with cheap gifts and trinkets\, while more intelligen t people look at the LONG TERM aspect and what offers the most benefit in the long run.\n\n\n\n I think my response was even to both. What does eith er of those projections serve a group action as I suggested? \n\n\n\n And I will be blunt\, I have been blessed to be around many types of Black pe ople\, various generations\, various religious associations\, various lang uage types... being a black kid in NYC depending on where in the Black woo ds you live can be very open to how varying black people can be. And so I have always heard black people talk like profd + pioneer when it comes to the qualities of other black people or when it comes to how other black pe ople behave from their view\, when it comes to how other black people who m they view lesser than or negatively in some fashion should be treated. a nd... I have never cared for it.  I have also always heard black people n ot talk like profd + pioneer when it comes to said similar values or persp ectives or judgements. \n\n\n\n Many black people are not going to act or behave the way any one black person thinks\, but when a group action is c alled\, that isn't just about a black individuals views\, or when one sees another black person helping another black person\, that isn't about what said one would do\, it is about two others. \n\n\n\n And I have witnesse d black individuals in a group offline\, chime in just like those two\, wh en all in a group were asked to help and the projections of the philosophi cal peers to profd or pioneer offline were... didn't help.  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n \n On 11/24/2025 at 8:38 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n They are motivated by the acquisition of wealth not distributing it.  They are ab out exploitation period.\n \n \n\n\n\n You think UBI will be a distributi on of wealth? I don't think so. It is welfare\, expanded but welfare. Like the stimulus checks that money will mostly go into paying bills. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/24/2025 at 8:38 PM\, Troy said:\n \n\n \n \n If the US somehow decided to pay a UBI you can forget about reparations forev er.\n \n \n\n\n\n well\, as the discourse in my post in this forum have p roven\, even a small set of black people can't even come to a collective a ccepted position on what reparations is defined as for Black DOSers let al one how it shall be implemented. Are Black DOSers owed reparations? 100% h istorical fact\, financially. Are reparations that Black DOSers owed beyon d money? 100% true too.  But\, absent collective acceptance \, the Black DOS populace in the usa  can's decide what reparations is\, and it has to be decided on first before it can be implemented. It can't be what Profd wants or pioneer wants or Rich wants or Troy wants. It has to be what the group wants. \n\n\n\n And thank you Troy \, cause this economic corner\, outside my intentions has reinforced the truth of Reparations problems in the Black populace in the USA. \n\n\n\n If four black men :  me you Prof d Pioneer have this much collective unacceptance on financial matters\, ho w can the tens of millions of black people in the usa find a collective ac ceptance with reparations? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n On 1 1/24/2025 at 9:20 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Are you prone to hal lucination or delusion?\n \n \n\n\n\n whichever answer is the worst in yo ur mind\, pick it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  @Troy\n\n\n\n bu t in the testing program out west for the UBI \, i forget the name of the town and i think it even has a black representative\, years back at least\ , the UBI doesn't work by distributing funds\, the government prints the m oney and gives it.  The US Military allows the USA to print money and not worry about collection.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n On 11/25 /2025 at 6:19 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Was I wrong?\n \n \n\n\ n\n not based on your own definitions but if another doesn't share your de finitions then yes.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/25/2025 at 6:19 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\ n \n\n \n \n Again\, maybe people like us HAVE A POINT that you should pay attention to instead of thinking YOU have all the answers.\n \n \n\n\ n\n I have never said or felt i have all the answers\, if i did why commun icate in this very forum. But\, based on how black people like me and othe rs define things\, black people like you or profd are wrong in this case. I have publicly admitted you or profd have spoken truth or generated erudi tion before.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/25/2025 at 6:19 PM\, Pioneer1 sa id:\n \n\n \n \n You know how I feel about Mamdani.\n\n So now if som ebody goes around the neighborhood demanding that all of the Black people take \"group action\" to run out and vote for him\, I'm going to have an i ssue with this because I don't feel this will properly or effectively help our community.\n \n \n\n\n\n I didn't refer to mamdani. I confused you a nd I apologize. when I spoke of group action I wasn't speaking in referenc e to him and I am not a mamdani supporter.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251123 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mimada fade gifs DTSTAMP:20251129T002003Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:604-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mimada fade gifs - have to clicks to see gifs\, the image s are stills from the gif modulations\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.devia ntart.com/hddeviant/art/Mimada-giffade-1269321710\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\ n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Mimada-Gr een-Dress-giffade-1269324529\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The American Revolution PBS Documentary Episode 6 DTSTAMP:20251118T053638Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:592-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The American Revolution\n\n A Film By\n\n Ken Burns\, Sar ah Botstein &\; David Schmidt\n\n\n\n The Most Sacred Thing (May 1780 – Onward)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRI PT\n\n\n\n Announcer: Major funding for \"The American Revolution\" was pr ovided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan L avine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation .\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D . and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Be tter Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzma n\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support wa s provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charitable Tru sts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\, and b y Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissick Famil y Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer C aldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made pos sible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, and View ers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\nAnnouncer: The American Revolution caused a n impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determ ination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nB ank of America.\n\n♪ Jane Kamensky\, voice-over: I think to believe in A merica rooted in the American Revolution is to believe in possibility.\n\n That\, to me\, is the extraordinary thing about the Patriot side of the fi ght.\n\nI think everybody on every side\, including people who were denied even the ownership of themselves\, had the sense of possibility worth fig hting for.\n\n♪ The American Revolution changed the world.\n\nIt's not j ust about the birth of the United States.\n\nIt has ramifications across t he globe\, so studying the American Revolution\, understanding it\, and pu tting it in a global context\, I think\, is vitally important for us to un derstand why we are where we are now.\n\n[Gunfire and shouting] ♪ Voice: Our country was thrown into great confusion by the long continuance of th e war.\n\n[Church bell ringing] The churches in Virginia were almost entir ely shut up\, and its holy ordinances unobserved.\n\nMost of our men were engaged in the war.\n\nOur town had now become a garrison.\n\nBetsy Ambler .\n\n♪ Narrator: Betsy Ambler of Yorktown\, Virginia\, had been 10 when the war began.\n\nShe was now 15 and had lived most of the intervening yea rs away from home.\n\nBy the spring of 1780\, she was back in Yorktown wit h her family.\n\nLife there had changed.\n\nThe most populated parts of Vi rginia all lay within reach of the Royal Navy and any troops the British m ight land.\n\nGovernor Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia Assembly chose to move the capital from nearby Williamsburg to Richmond\, and\, since Betsy Ambler's father had been appointed to the state government\, her family w ould have to leave Yorktown again.\n\n♪ George Washington had long known that Yorktown was particularly vulnerable.\n\nAs early as 1777\, he had w arned a Virginia militia commander against stationing troops there.\n\n♪ Voice: I can by no means think it would be prudent to have any considerab le stationary force at Yorktown.\n\nBeing upon a narrow neck of land\, it would be in danger of being cut off.\n\nThe enemy might very easily throw up a few ships and land a body of men there who would oblige them to surre nder.\n\n[Washington] ♪ ♪ Narrator: In late May of 1780\, shortly afte r the British capture of Charles Town\, South Carolina\, an elite Loyalist group of green-clad cavalry and mounted infantry called the British Legio n were in hot pursuit of Continental soldiers fleeing north.\n\nTheir comm ander was a 25-year-old English officer-- Banastre Tarleton\, handsome\, r akish\, ruthless\, and determined to make himself a celebrated soldier.\n\ n\"Tarleton\,\" wrote the British chronicler Horace Walpole\, \"boasts of having butchered more men and lain with more women than anybody\" in the a rmy.\n\nTarleton caught up with the rebels near the North Carolina border\ , a region called the Waxhaws\, and demanded they surrender.\n\nVoice: You will order every person under your command to pile his arms in one hour.\ n\nIf you are rash enough to reject these terms\, the blood be upon your h ead.\n\n[Tarleton] [Gunfire] The Patriots chose to fight.\n\nTarleton's me n quickly overwhelmed them.\n\nSome who dropped their weapons and asked fo r quarter received none.\n\n\"They refused my terms\,\" Tarleton wrote.\n\ n\"I have cut 170 officers and men to pieces.\"\n\n♪ He may have destroy ed the last Continental force in South Carolina\, but he had also helped i nspire local Patriots to oppose British occupation.\n\nWhen they went into battle over the coming months\, many would be eager to deal out what they called \"Tarleton's Quarter\" to any Loyalist unlucky enough to fall into their hands.\n\n♪ Vincent Brown: That war in South Carolina is bloody.\ n\nIt's a guerrilla conflict.\n\nIt's sometimes brother against brother in this backwoods warfare.\n\n♪ It's an ugly\, ugly\, ugly conflict\, and if one wants a national origin story that's clean and neat and tells you v ery clearly who the good guys are and who the bad guys are\, the American Revolution in South Carolina is not that story.\n\n[Brass band playing \"T he British Grenadiers\"] ♪ Christopher Brown: The British government was very good at seizing and occupying cities.\n\nNewport\, Philadelphia\, Ne w York\, Charles Town\, Savannah-- these are the kind of main ports that t hroughout the war Britain could secure\, but holding those places were not holding America.\n\nPacifying an entire countryside is an entirely differ ent task than seizing strategic positions.\n\nNarrator: General Charles Co rnwallis had been left in charge in the South with clear orders from Gener al Henry Clinton back in New York.\n\nHe was not to move on to North Carol ina and Virginia until South Carolina was completely pacified.\n\nIt was t o be the first full-scale military occupation of an entire colony in North America.\n\n♪ From Charles Town\, British troops quickly occupied posts in a great arc from Savannah and Augusta in Georgia through the village c alled Ninety Six to Camden and then to Georgetown\, 60 miles up the coast from Charles Town.\n\nWhen the British take the decision to move the war d ecisively to the South\, I think they're trying to exploit the fact that t here are smaller numbers of White colonists and larger numbers of slaves i n those territories and the colonists will be more vulnerable.\n\nVoice: T heir property\, slaves\, we need not seek.\n\nIt flies to us\, and famine follows.\n\nTheir trade we can annihilate\, and when an army cannot find s ubsistence\, on what hope shall a people resist?\n\nMajor John Andre.\n\ n♪ Voice: I determined to go to Charles Town and throw myself into the h ands of the English.\n\nThey received me readily\, and I began to feel the happiness of liberty\, of which I knew nothing before.\n\nBoston King.\n\ nVoice: I have been robbed and deserted by my slaves.\n\nI would sell some of my Negroes\, but the slaves in this country in general have behaved so infamously\, their value is so trifling that it must be absolute ruin to sell at this time.\n\nEliza Lucas Pinckney.\n\nNarrator: At his headquarte rs in New York\, General Clinton continued to believe most South Carolinia ns were Loyalists.\n\nHe had insisted that Patriots swear allegiance to th e Crown or be considered as enemies and treated accordingly.\n\nThose who did swear allegiance were swiftly disillusioned as their Loyalist neighbor s began to settle old scores.\n\nThose \"insurgents\" who refused the oath and dared to take up arms against the King\, Tarleton told General Cornwa llis\, \"don't deserve\" leniency and would get none from him or his men.\ n\nConway: The oath of allegiance was really going too far because it obli ged them to publicly identify as on the British side\, but I think the fun damental problem is that the British are reluctant to restore civil govern ment in the territories they occupy.\n\nThey maintain military government\ , and\, of course\, that reinforces the American claim that the British ar e set on imposing despotism on the colonies.\n\n[Chickens clucking] Voice: Times began to be troublesome\, and people began to divide into parties.\ n\n♪ Those that had been good friends in times past became enemies.\n\nT hey began to watch each other with jealous eyes.\n\nJames Collins.\n\nNarr ator: 16-year-old James Collins lived on his family's farm just below the North Carolina border.\n\nHis father Daniel was an Irish immigrant who loa thed the British and encouraged his son to become a collector of news\, a spy\, reporting on his Loyalist neighbors.\n\n[Horse whinnies] Christopher Brown: One of the things that happens in wartime is\, people who are real ly good politicians\, they create binaries.\n\nYou're either with us or yo u're against us.\n\nThe fact of the matter is\, in real life\, that's actu ally not true.\n\nThere's often more than two possibilities.\n\nThere were a lot of people in 13 colonies who actually didn't care that much about t he outcome.\n\nThey just wanted it over.\n\nConway: The British are heavil y reliant on recruiting Loyalists as soldiers\, and Loyalists are often ve ry embittered... ♪ and\, of course\, if you've got soldiers who are keen on revenge\, they're not the ideal instruments of pacification.\n\n♪ Na rrator: On June 22\, 1780\, James Collins' father was among the men gather ed at a tiny settlement called Brown's Crossroads\, summoned there by Capt ain Christian Huck\, a Loyalist with a well-earned reputation for cruelty. \n\nHe was there to administer the Oath of Allegiance.\n\n[Men shouting] N arrator: Captain Huck stunned the crowd by warning that \"even if the rebe ls were as thick as the trees \"and Jesus Christ would come down and lead them\, he [would still] defeat them.\"\n\nHis audience\, Presbyterians all \, considered that blasphemy.\n\nWe must fight\, James' father said as soo n as he got home\, \"or submit and be slaves.\"\n\nHe went off to join the Patriot militia the next morning.\n\nJames went\, too\, carrying an ancie nt shotgun.\n\n♪ For the next few weeks\, Christian Huck continued to bu rn homes\, menace women\, and murder rebels.\n\nIn July\, after he took a Patriot family hostage\, the Collinses' militia caught up to him and kille d him along with many of his men.\n\nNew volunteers were now swelling Patr iot ranks.\n\nBy early August\, Cornwallis had to admit that the whole cou ntry he had claimed to have pacified is in an absolute state of rebellion. \n\n[Cannon fires] Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock\, Blue Savannah and Black Mingo Creek\, Tearcoat Swamp and Halfway Swamp\, Horse Shoe and Quinby Bri dge-- the battles and skirmishes that would take place in South Carolina b etween 1780 and 1781\, 102 of them by one count\, would yield nearly 1/5 o f all the battlefield deaths suffered during the entire war... [Cannon fir es] and nearly all those American casualties would come at the hands of ot her Americans.\n\n[Cannon fires] Maya Jasanoff: Violence is radicalizing.\ n\nIt is polarizing\, and it happens in the Revolution to people on both s ides of the equation that when they are victims of violence\, they will th en become perpetrators of violence.\n\n♪ Voice: There was no one about i n the streets\, only a few sad and frightened faces in the windows.\n\nI t alked to some of the principal citizens\, informing them that this was but the vanguard of a much larger force on the way and that our King had deci ded to uphold them with all his power and strength.\n\nGeneral Rochambeau. \n\nNarrator: On July 11\, 1780\, 5 French warships and a host of transpor t vessels had emerged from the fog that blanketed the harbor at Newport\, Rhode Island\, and some 4\,600 officers and men under the Comte de Rochamb eau came ashore.\n\nRhode Islanders still remembered that the last French fleet that came had abandoned them\, and Protestant residents weren't sure if these Catholic foreigners had come to help or conquer them... ♪ but when the French commander promised that his men would pay for everything t hey needed in silver coin\, not worthless Continental paper\, a French off icer remembered\, \"their countenances brightened... at this mention of ha rd money.\"\n\nThe next day\, General Rochambeau wrote to Washington\, \"H ere we are\, sir\, at your orders.\"\n\n♪ Meanwhile\, Congress\, without consulting George Washington\, had now appointed General Horatio Gates\, the hero of Saratoga\, commander of the whole Southern Department.\n\nIn l ate July\, he and several aides rode into a camp of 1\,200 Continentals fr om Maryland and Delaware that stretched along the deep river at Cox's Mill in North Carolina.\n\nGates' objective was Camden\, South Carolina\, a Br itish outpost and supply depot in the center of the state.\n\nWhen he reac hed Rugeley's Mill\, 12 miles north of Camden\, Gates had convinced himsel f that he had 7\,000 soldiers at his disposal.\n\n♪ In fact\, he had jus t over 3\,000 men\, Continentals and militia\, and by then\, Cornwallis ha d reached Camden with reinforcements.\n\nAt 10 P.M.\n\non the night of Aug ust 15\, 1780\, Gates started south toward Camden.\n\nBy sheer coincidence \, Cornwallis chose to lead his men north on the same sandy road that even ing\, hoping to surprise Gates.\n\n[Shouting and gunfire] At about 2 A.M.\ n\non August 16\, mounted scouts from the two armies collided.\n\nThere wa s a brief exchange of fire.\n\nThey separated and prepared for battle.\n\n [Gunfire ends] At dawn\, Cornwallis followed the British custom of placing his best troops on his right.\n\nGates\, who was himself an ex-British of ficer and should have known better\, unaccountably assigned his least expe rienced men to face them-- militiamen\, many of whom had never been in com bat.\n\nAs the Patriots tried to form their lines\, a long\, red wall of c hanting British regulars began storming toward them.\n\nThe militia broke and ran.\n\n[Shouting and gunfire] Voice: I confess I was among the first that fled.\n\nThe cause of that I cannot tell except that everyone I saw w as about to do the same.\n\nI threw away my gun.\n\nPrivate Garrett Watts. \n\n[Cannon fires] Narrator: Continentals on the right did hold for a time .\n\nGates' second in command\, General Johann de Kalb\, a Bavarian-born v olunteer\, was shot\, slashed\, and bayoneted again and again but managed to order one counterattack after another until he was finally knocked to t he ground\, mortally wounded.\n\nHis men too began to run.\n\n♪ General Gates witnessed none of this.\n\nShortly after the shooting began\, he had fled the battlefield on horseback and stayed on the run until he reached Hillsborough\, North Carolina\, 180 miles away.\n\n♪ The defeat at Camde n and the story of Gates' flight ruined his reputation.\n\nWhen it came ti me to name a successor\, Congress would defer to George Washington.\n\n♪ Although South Carolina was not pacified\, General Cornwallis was impatie nt to invade North Carolina\, the next step on the road to the biggest pri ze--Virginia and what he hoped would be the total subjugation of the South ern states.\n\n[Horse whinnies] [Fife and drums playing] Iris de Rode: Was hington's reputation in France is an interesting one.\n\nIn France\, he is revered.\n\nHe is admired.\n\nPeople love George Washington in ways that sometimes seems exaggerated\, but it's true.\n\nThey admire him not just b ecause he's a general and they respect the military side\, but it's more t hat he's a symbol for a Republican leader.\n\nFor the French\, Washington became a symbol of what was possible in an egalitarian world where even a farmer could become a general\, so they admire him for that military talen t that he had\, which was not based on aristocracy\, titles\, or money.\n\ nHe was there because of his talent.\n\nNarrator: On September 21\, 1780\, Washington and 4 of his closest aides met in Hartford\, Connecticut\, wit h General Rochambeau and his entourage.\n\nThe French army remained in New port.\n\nWashington's army was arrayed around New York.\n\nFor two days\, the allied commanders discussed what steps they might take together to def eat the British.\n\n♪ Washington and Rochambeau agreed that the most imp ortant objective was still New York City\, but before an assault could tak e place\, they would need to have naval superiority and a far larger combi ned army.\n\nWashington begged Rochambeau to ask his king for more help.\n \nRochambeau said he would try.\n\n[Bird screeches] Voice: I have observed in this war we have sometimes been in the south when we should have been in the north and oftener in the north when we should have been in the sout h\, but should we ever possess the Hudson River\, we can reduce the northe rn provinces.\n\nGeneral Henry Clinton.\n\n♪ Narrator: On September 25\, Washington and his staff inspected the fortifications at West Point on th e Hudson.\n\nThey were scheduled to dine with the general whom Washington had just appointed commander of the fort\, one of his best soldiers-- Bene dict Arnold.\n\n♪ Washington had been startled by what poor condition th e fortifications were in and concerned that Arnold had not been there to g reet him.\n\nHe was not at his headquarters\, either\, when his commander arrived for dinner.\n\nVoice: No one could give me any information where h e was.\n\nThe impropriety of his conduct when he knew I was to be there st ruck me very forcibly.\n\nI had not the least idea of the real cause.\n\n[ Washington] ♪ Narrator: That evening\, when his trusted aide Alexander H amilton brought him a bundle of papers\, Washington discovered the real ca use.\n\nBenedict Arnold-- the commander of West Point\, the place Washingt on considered the most important post in America-- had deserted and fled t o the British that morning.\n\nWorse still\, he had planned to surrender t he fort and all the men stationed in it to the enemy.\n\nFew soldiers had contributed more to the Revolutionary cause than Benedict Arnold.\n\nTime and again\, he had exhibited extraordinary initiative and bravery on the b attlefield and was severely wounded twice-- at Quebec and Saratoga.\n\nNat haniel Philbrick: He had done all these miracles on the battlefield\, but he was not seeing any of the recognition he believed he deserved.\n\n\"Why am I doing this?\n\nI've lost my personal finances.\n\nI've destroyed my body.\n\nFor what?\"\n\nNarrator: Two years earlier\, Washington had made Arnold military commander in Philadelphia.\n\nIt had not gone well.\n\nHe used his position to profit from the sale of confiscated Loyalist property .\n\nHe had also settled into the same mansion the British commander had o ccupied and was accused of being far too close to wealthy merchants suspec ted of Loyalist sympathies.\n\n♪ Philbrick: While Arnold is in the midst of this terrible frustration in Philadelphia\, he falls in love with a yo ung woman named Peggy Shippen\, whose family is of Loyalist sympathies\, w ho had gotten to know the British officers during the British occupation o f Philadelphia quite well\, and one of them was a Major Andre\, who\, just as it so happened\, would become the head of the British spy network\, an d whether or not Peggy was the one who made this all happen\, soon after t he two of them are married\, Arnold begins to make overtures to the Britis h.\n\nNarrator: In the strictest secrecy\, he began to communicate through Major John Andre that he'd gone to war only to redress legitimate America n grievances\, not independence\, and had been appalled when Congress alli ed itself with Catholic France\, which he believed was the enemy of libert y and Protestantism.\n\nHe now volunteered to enlist in the King's service \, either as an officer in the British Army or by cooperating on some conc erted plan to sabotage the Revolutionary cause.\n\nFor 17 months\, coded m essages had gone back and forth before a concrete plan could be agreed upo n.\n\n♪ Arnold was to persuade Washington to give him command of West Po int and all the American outposts on the Hudson and then weaken their defe nses so that General Clinton's forces could sail up the river and take the m all.\n\nIn exchange\, Arnold was to be made a general in the British ser vice\, and paid 20\,000 British pounds plus £500 a year for the rest of h is life.\n\nClinton's forces were poised to move up the Hudson.\n\nAll tha t then remained was for Andre and Arnold to meet and work out a few final details.\n\nAndre had explicit orders.\n\nHe was not to cross into rebel t erritory\, dress as a civilian\, or carry any papers.\n\nHe disobeyed all 3\, and on his way back to the British lines\, Andre was captured by 3 New York militiamen with incriminating documents hidden in his stockings in B enedict Arnold's handwriting.\n\n♪ Philbrick: This came as a devastating blow to Washington\, and it was a blow to the American people to realize that one of their own\, one of their own that had been a great hero\, coul d make this decision to turn on all of them.\n\nHe was the last person Was hington ever thought would have betrayed him.\n\nNarrator: Because Major A ndre had been captured in civilian clothes\, he was hanged as a spy.\n\nAr nold\, who managed to escape\, got his commission and was given command of a regiment made up of Loyalists and deserters from the Continental Army c alled the American Legion.\n\n♪ Voice: Since the fall of Lucifer\, nothi ng has equaled the fall of Arnold.\n\nHe will now sink as low as he had be en high before\, and as the devil made war upon heaven after his fall\, so I expect Arnold will upon America.\n\nShould he ever fall into our hands\ , he will be a sweet sacrifice.\n\nGeneral Nathanael Greene.\n\n♪ ♪ Na rrator: General Cornwallis' planned invasion of North Carolina would be a 3-pronged assault.\n\nOn the right\, a column would seize the port of Wilm ington\, ensuring that supplies could flow smoothly inland from the coast. \n\nIn the center\, Cornwallis would himself lead the bulk of his army tow ard the tiny town of Charlotte\, then just a crossroads and a courthouse.\ n\nOn the left\, Major Patrick Ferguson and perhaps a thousand Loyalists w ere to guard his flank and try to rally more men from the backcountry.\n\n ♪ Ferguson\, a Scottish-born career soldier who directed his men in batt le with a silver whistle\, led his Loyalist force across the border into w estern North Carolina.\n\nHe released rebel prisoners and sent them over t he Blue Ridge Mountains with a message for those Patriots who called thems elves the Overmountain Men\, the settlers who had defied the 1763 proclama tion forbidding them to occupy Indian lands.\n\nA British victory was inev itable\, Ferguson told them\, and every man who laid down his arms would b e treated gently and justly... [Splashing] but the frontiersmen did not be lieve him.\n\nNews of Tarleton's cruelty and Loyalist abuses was still fre sh.\n\nInstead of surrendering\, they came swarming over the mountains aft er Ferguson\, who realized he was in trouble\, changed course\, and moved towards Charlotte.\n\nAlong the way\, he issued a proclamation meant to ra lly Loyalists.\n\nVoice: Gentlemen\, if you choose to be pissed upon forev er and ever by a set of mongrels\, say so at once and let your women turn their backs upon you and look out for real men to protect them.\n\nIf you wish or deserve to live and bear the name of man\, grasp your arms in a mo ment and run to camp.\n\nThe Backwater-men have crossed the mountains.\n\n [Ferguson] ♪ Edward Lengel: That's the wrong tone to take when you're co mmunicating with these backcountry over-the-mountain men\, these Scots-Iri sh settlers.\n\n♪ Narrator: Just inside South Carolina\, Ferguson unacco untably decided to make a stand on a hill grandly named King's Mountain.\n \nNearly a thousand Patriot militia-- half Overmountain Men and half from the Virginia and Carolina backcountry\, including James Collins-- were rig ht behind him.\n\n♪ Voice: Each leader made a short speech in his own wa y to his men\, desiring every coward to be off immediately.\n\nHere\, I co nfess\, I would have willingly been excused.\n\n[Collins] Narrator: On Oct ober 7\, 1780\, as they waited for the signal to start up the hillside\, C ollins recalled\, each man threw 4 or 5 musket balls into his mouth to sta ve off thirst and speed reloading.\n\n[Gunfire] The Patriots attacked with terrifying ferocity.\n\n[Whooping and gunfire] Voice: They appeared like so many devils from the infernal regions.\n\nThey were the most powerful-l ooking men ever beheld-- tall\, raw-boned\, and sinewy with long\, matted hair\, such men as were never before seen in the Carolinas.\n\nDrury Mathi s.\n\n[Whistle blowing] Narrator: As the Patriots closed in on the summit\ , Ferguson continued to ride from point to point\, waving his saber\, blow ing his whistle\, trying to get his Loyalists to hold on.\n\nSeveral balls slammed into him at once.\n\nHe tumbled from his saddle\, his foot caught in the stirrup\, and he was dragged back and forth along the ground until his men could grab the reins.\n\n[Horse whinnies] Ferguson had been the o nly British soldier in the battle that day.\n\nEveryone else on both sides was an American.\n\n[Shouting and gunfire] The Loyalists surrendered.\n\n ♪ Voice: The dead lay in heaps on all sides while the groans of the woun ded were heard in every direction.\n\n\"Great God\,\" said I\, \"Is this t he fate of mortals?\n\nWas it for this cause that man was brought into the world?\"\n\n♪ We proceeded to bury the dead\, but it was badly done.\n\ nThe hogs in the neighborhood gathered into the place to devour the flesh of men\, and the wolves became so plenty that it was dangerous for anyone to be out at night.\n\nPrivate James Collins.\n\nLengel: After Kings Mount ain\, Patriots murder many of their captives.\n\nIf they see somebody amon g the captives who gives them a dirty look\, they'll say\, \"Oh\, I know t hat guy.\n\n\"He burned a farm just over the next hill\, \"and he killed s omebody's family.\n\nLet's string him up\,\" and so all kinds of atrocitie s take place.\n\nMan: Fight back!\n\nNarrator: When Cornwallis learned tha t the Patriots had annihilated a thousand-man Loyalist force\, he pulled h is army out of Charlotte and headed back into South Carolina.\n\n[Horse wh innies] ♪ Voice: The women of America\, animated by the purest patriotis m\, are sensible of sorrow at this day in not offering more than barren wi shes for the success of so glorious a Revolution.\n\nIf opinion and manner s did not forbid us to march to glory by the same paths as the men\, we sh ould at least equal and sometimes surpass them in our love for the public good.\n\nEsther Reed.\n\n♪ Narrator: In Philadelphia\, a prominent woman named Esther Reed had published a pamphlet which called upon all women to forego luxuries and instead raise funds to help the soldiers.\n\n♪ They collected 300\,000 Continental dollars\, hoping to split it among the tro ops.\n\nGeorge Washington vetoed that idea.\n\nThey would just buy rum\, h e said.\n\nWhat they needed were shirts.\n\nThe women would make more than 2\,000 of them.\n\nVoice: And see the spirit catching from state to state .\n\nAmerica will not wear chains while her daughters are virtuous.\n\nAbi gail Adams.\n\n[Wind blowing] Rick Atkinson: It's quite primitive\, the co nditions their soldiers are living in.\n\nA belief in the cause keeps you putting one foot in front of the other\, but that does not keep you warm.\ n\nIt does not cool you down in the summer.\n\nIt does not feed you\, so i t's a constant struggle just day to day exclusive of battle.\n\nVoice: We never stood upon such perilous ground.\n\nOur troops are poorly clothed\, badly fed\, and worse paid.\n\nThey have not seen a paper dollar in the wa y of pay for nearly 12 months.\n\nGeneral Anthony Wayne.\n\n♪ Narrator: On New Year's Day 1781\, fueled by rum and righteous indignation\, some 1\ ,500 Pennsylvania Continentals encamped near Morristown\, New Jersey\, mut inied.\n\nThey killed two officers who tried to stop them\, seized 6 canno n\, and began marching toward Philadelphia to confront Congress with their grievances\, but before the mutineers could get there\, the Pennsylvania legislature intervened and agreed to most of their demands\, including the promise of full back pay and the choice of leaving the army or re-enlisti ng.\n\nNo one was to be punished.\n\nHalf the men left the army.\n\nThe re st re-enlisted.\n\n3 weeks later\, when 3 New Jersey regiments also mutini ed\, Washington ordered New England troops to surround them.\n\nThe men we re assembled and made to look on as a firing squad of their fellow mutinee rs was forced to execute two of the ringleaders.\n\nPhilbrick: Washington realized the only thing he could do was to take them down with terrible br utality.\n\n♪ This was Washington's moment of having to end this in a ve ry summary fashion.\n\n[Gunshot] Narrator: \"Every thing is now quiet\,\" Washington wrote afterwards\, but he feared that unless some way were foun d to pay and clothe and supply his men\, there would be still more mutinie s.\n\n[Wind blowing] Voice: Be assured that day does not follow night more certainly than it brings with it some additional proof of the impractical ity of carrying on the war without aid.\n\nWe are at the end of our tether .\n\nNow or never\, deliverance must come.\n\n[Washington] [Wind blowing] ♪ Voice: Richmond\, Virginia.\n\nWar in itself\, however distant\, is in deed terrible\, but when brought to our very doors\, the reflection is ind eed overwhelming.\n\nWhat a gloomy time do I look forward to.\n\nAlready o ur gentlemen begin to apprehend that the enemy will advance into the count ry.\n\n♪ If they do\, God knows what will become of us.\n\nBetsy Ambler. \n\nNarrator: Virginia's Patriots weren't ready to resist an invasion.\n\n Men were refusing conscription.\n\nWealthy planters had exempted themselve s\, their sons\, and overseers from serving because\, they claimed\, they needed to stay home to keep their slaves in line.\n\n\"The Rich wanted the Poor to fight for them\,\" one farmer recalled\, \"to defend their proper ty [while] they refused to fight for themselves.\"\n\nThen\, in January of 1781\, Loyalist troops\, British regulars\, and German soldiers sailed in to Chesapeake Bay and up the James River.\n\nTheir commander was Benedict Arnold\, now a brigadier general in the British Army and eager to demonstr ate his newfound devotion to the Crown.\n\n♪ He and half his men marched toward Richmond\, the new state capital.\n\nAt the sight of Arnold's men\ , Virginia militiamen\, many without arms\, melted away.\n\n♪ Many years later\, an enslaved member of Governor Jefferson's household remembered t hat \"in 10 minutes\, not a White man was to be seen in Richmond.\"\n\nVoi ce: My mother was so scared\, she didn't know whether to stay indoors or o ut.\n\nThe British formed in line and marched up with drums beating.\n\nIt was an awful sight.\n\nSeemed like the day of judgment was come.\n\nIsaac Granger.\n\n♪ Narrator: Arnold's men burned warehouses filled with salt and tobacco and seized 2\,200 small arms\, nearly 40 cannon\, and 503 hog sheads of rum.\n\nEven printing presses were\, in Arnold's words\, \"purif ied by the flames.\"\n\n♪ He and his men then moved back down the James\ , pillaging as they went\, and settled in for the rest of the winter at Po rtsmouth\, near the mouth of the Chesapeake\, where they could be supporte d by the Royal Navy.\n\nPhilbrick: To send Benedict Arnold to Virginia was sending the man Washington most despised to his home state\, and what Was hington did was send the officer that he trusted\, in many ways\, the most \, Lafayette\, to contain this treasonous dog.\n\nNarrator: \"Should [Arno ld] fall into your hands\,\" Washington told the Marquis de Lafayette when he ordered him south to protect Virginia\, \"you will execute... the puni shment due [for] his treason... in the most summary way.\"\n\n♪ Voice: S outh Carolina.\n\nWhen I left the Northern Army\, I expected to find in th is Southern Department a thousand difficulties to which I was a stranger\, but the embarrassments far exceed my utmost apprehension.\n\nI have but a shadow of an army.\n\nNathanael Greene.\n\nI think Nathanael Greene is th e unsung hero of the American Revolution.\n\nWithout Nathanael Greene in t he South grinding it out battle after battle in the war-torn South\, the R evolution could have easily been lost.\n\n♪ Narrator: After the disaster at Camden\, George Washington had sent Nathanael Greene to replace the di sgraced Horatio Gates as commander of what was left of the southern army.\ n\n\"I think I am giving you a General\,\" Washington told a South Carolin a congressman\, \"but what can a General do without men\, without arms\, w ithout clothing\, without provisions?\"\n\n♪ Greene's forces were outnum bered by more than two to one.\n\nNonetheless\, he decided to divide his s mall army.\n\n\"It makes the most of my inferior force\,\" he explained\, \"for it compels my adversary to divide his.\"\n\n♪ Greene himself and m ost of his men marched into South Carolina to a camp near Cheraw on the Pe e Dee River.\n\nMeanwhile\, Daniel Morgan led what Greene called his \"Fly ing Army\" west \"to annoy the enemy in that quarter\" and \"spirit up the people.\"\n\n♪ [Horse whinnies] In response\, Cornwallis sent Banastre Tarleton after Daniel Morgan.\n\nMorgan had hoped to get his men safely ba ck across the broad river before facing his pursuer\, but Tarleton was soo n within 5 miles.\n\n♪ Morgan chose to make a stand at the Cowpens\, a r olling meadow 500 yards long and almost as wide on which herdsmen grazed t heir cattle on the way to market.\n\nHe expected Tarleton to lead a headlo ng charge into his ranks and planned to take advantage of his rash opponen t.\n\nDaniel Morgan was a master tactician.\n\nHis planning for the Battle of Cowpens is really brilliant in the way that he draws Tarleton into a t rap.\n\nNarrator: Morgan knew that his less-reliable militia\, faced with an onrushing enemy\, would likely break and run\, so he would try to turn that weakness into a strength.\n\nFor the next day's battle\, he would arr ange his men in 3 lines 150 yards apart.\n\nMilitiamen would man the first two.\n\nMorgan ordered them to fire just two volleys each into the oncomi ng enemy and then retreat behind the third line\, manned by seasoned Conti nentals.\n\nHe hoped the enemy\, convinced the militia were running away a gain\, would charge and suddenly find themselves under deadly fire from hi s most experienced fighters hidden behind a rise.\n\n♪ Morgan spent the night before the battle building the militia's confidence.\n\nVoice: He we nt among the volunteers\, told them to keep in good spirits and the day wo uld be ours.\n\n\"Just hold up your head\, boys.\n\nTwo fires\,\" he would say\, \"and you're free\, \"and then when you return to your homes\, \"ho w the old folks will bless you and the girls kiss you for your gallant con duct.\"\n\nMajor Thomas Young.\n\n♪ Lengel: Morgan's recognition of them and their recognition of Morgan as this crusty backwoodsman who's just li ke them gives them a confidence and an ability to think clearly and to fol low orders in a way that they would not have done this for anybody else.\n \n[Rooster crows] Voice: About sunrise on the 17th of January 1781\, the e nemy came in full view.\n\nThe sight--to me\, at least-- seemed somewhat i mposing.\n\nThey halted for a short time and then advanced rapidly\, as if certain of victory.\n\nPrivate James Collins.\n\n[Shouting and gunfire] N arrator: The first line of militia managed to pick off a few regulars and then\, following orders\, fell back.\n\n♪ When the enemy came within 50 yards of the second line\, the militia fired two volleys into them\, a \"h eavy &\; galling fire\,\" Morgan remembered\, that felled 2/3 of Tarlet on's infantry officers\, but\, just as Tarleton had assumed it would\, the second line appeared to fall apart\, too.\n\nThe British stepped up their pace\, eager to catch the fleeing militia.\n\nSurely\, Tarleton thought\, the battle was nearly won.\n\nHis men raced up a slope and at its crest s uddenly found themselves face to face with the third line and under what a Continental officer remembered as a \"very destructive fire which they li ttle expected.\"\n\n[Cannon fires] This time\, it was the Patriots who cha rged with bayonets\, emitting a blood-curdling war cry they had adapted fr om Native warriors\, a yell that would reverberate on Southern battlefield s for decades.\n\n[Men whooping] Voice: Morgan rode up in front and\, wavi ng his sword\, cried out\, \"Give them one more fire\, and the day is ours .\"\n\n[Sword clangs] We then advance briskly.\n\nThey began to throw down their arms and surrender themselves.\n\nPrivate James Collins.\n\nNarrato r: Meanwhile\, American cavalry attacked the enemy's rear\, \"shouting and charging\,\" one Patriot said\, \"like madmen.\"\n\nThe British line brok e.\n\nIt was all over in 35 minutes.\n\nThe British lost 300 men killed or wounded.\n\n525 more were taken prisoners.\n\nTarleton managed to get awa y\, but Daniel Morgan was exultant.\n\n\"I have Given him\,\" he said\, \" a devil of a whipping.\"\n\n♪ News of Tarleton's defeat stunned General Cornwallis.\n\nNearly a third of his army was now lost.\n\nHe set out to c atch the rebel force.\n\nTwo months later\, at the Battle of Guilford Cour thouse in North Carolina\, Nathanael Greene tried the same tactics against Cornwallis that Morgan had used against Tarleton.\n\n[Gunfire] At first\, the strategy seemed to work.\n\nCornwallis' left began to buckle.\n\nIf G reene had had reserves\, he might have prevailed.\n\nHe had no reserves.\n \nCornwallis won the battle\, but he had lost another 500 men.\n\n[Gunshot ] When the news eventually reached Britain\, the leader of the opposition in Parliament was unimpressed.\n\n\"Another such victory\,\" he said\, \"w ould destroy the British army.\"\n\nCornwallis and his exhausted men stagg ered east to Wilmington.\n\nHe had had enough of the Carolinas.\n\nCornwal lis decided to defy his orders from General Clinton and lead his army nort h to link up with British and Loyalist forces already in Virginia.\n\nVoic e: I cannot help expressing my wishes that the Chesapeake may become the s eat of war\, even\, if necessary\, at the expense of abandoning New York.\ n\nUntil Virginia is in a manner subdued\, our hold of the Carolinas must be difficult\, if not precarious.\n\nLord Cornwallis.\n\nNarrator: On Apri l 25\, 1781\, Cornwallis began his northward march.\n\nWord of his disobed ience would not reach Clinton's headquarters in New York for more than a m onth.\n\n\"My wonder at this move... will never cease\,\" Clinton wrote wh en he heard the news\, \"but [Cornwallis] has made it.\n\nAnd we shall say no more but to make the best of it.\"\n\n♪ Voice: The seat of war is ch iefly in the southern states\, and there our enemies by victories and defe ats are wasting daily.\n\n♪ Our own American affairs wear a more pleasin g aspect.\n\nMaryland has acceded to the Confederation at the very time wh en Britain is deluding herself with the idea that we are crumbling to piec es.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nNarrator: In early 1781\, Maryland became the las t state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.\n\nAlmost 5 years after d eclaring their independence\, the United States finally had the kind of co nfederation they thought they wanted\, but it was just an alliance\, not a central government.\n\n♪ All laws were left to the individual states\, including those governing slavery\, which was still legal everywhere... ♪ but now there were people in all parts of America looking to abolish i t.\n\nThey would have their first successes in the North.\n\n♪ Christoph er Brown: It's in this moment that the first antislavery organizations beg in to take shape\, especially in those places where slavery is not terribl y important to the social and economic order-- Pennsylvania\, Massachusett s\, Connecticut.\n\nAnnette Gordon-Reed: It's easier in the North\, where there are fewer Black people.\n\nThe sort of traditional things to say is that the South was a slave society and the North was a society with slaves .\n\nBernard Bailyn: Before the Revolution\, slavery was never a major pub lic issue.\n\nThere were people who spoke against it and gave good reasons to what evil it was\, but it was not a major public issue.\n\nAfter the R evolution\, there never was a time when it wasn't.\n\nNarrator: In 1780\, Pennsylvania's Gradual Emancipation Act had said that anyone born into sla very in that state after the act's adoption automatically became free at 2 8\, but any man\, woman\, or child enslaved before its passage remained en slaved to the end of their lives unless they bought their freedom or had t heir owner grant it to them.\n\n♪ Voice: Any time\, any time while I was a slave\, if one minute's freedom had been offered to me and I'd been tol d I must die at the end of that minute\, I would have taken it just to sta nd one minute on God's earth a free woman.\n\nI would.\n\n[Elizabeth Freem an (Mumbet)] Narrator: When an enslaved woman in Western Massachusetts cal led Mumbet was struck by her mistress with a kitchen shovel\, she had stal ked from the house and refused to return.\n\nHer owner went to court to ge t her back.\n\nMumbet's lawyer convinced an all-White jury that since the preamble to the new Massachusetts state constitution declared all men \"fr ee and equal\" and since his client was a human being\, she should be free .\n\nThe Massachusetts Supreme Court agreed.\n\nMumbet changed her name to Elizabeth Freeman and lived nearly 50 years in Stockbridge\, serving her neighbors as a healer\, nurse\, and midwife.\n\nHer gravestone in a Stockb ridge cemetery reads\, \"She was born a slave... yet in her own sphere she had no superior nor equal.\"\n\n♪ By the time of her death in 1829\, al l the states from New Jersey north to New England had called for the aboli tion of slavery\, but it would take another generation and a still more te rrible war to end it everywhere in the United States.\n\n♪ ♪ Voice: Th ere are few generals that have run oftener than I have done\, but I have t aken care not to run too far and commonly have run as fast forward as back ward to convince our enemy that we were like a crab that could run either way.\n\nNathanael Greene.\n\nNarrator: One by one\, all across the Lower S outh\, British outposts either surrendered to Patriots or were abandoned-- Fort Watson\, Camden\, Orangeburg\, Fort Motte\, Fort Granby\, Fort Galph in\, Georgetown\, Augusta.\n\n[Cannon fires] General Greene fought 3 full- scale battles with the British-- at Hobkirk Hill\, Ninety Six\, and Eutaw Springs-- and lost them all\, but he inflicted such heavy casualties each time that the enemy was forced to withdraw closer and closer to Charles To wn.\n\n\"We fight\,\" Greene said\, \"get beat\, rise\, and fight again.\" \n\n♪ He couldn't have done it without local Patriot militias.\n\nFranci s Marion's outfit eluded British cavalry by hiding in the swamp so success fully that Banastre Tarleton said\, \"[A]s for this old fox\, the Devil hi mself could not catch him.\"\n\n♪ As Britain's grip on the region weaken ed\, the anarchy that had characterized the backcountry for months spirale d into chaos.\n\nPartisans on both sides seemed bent on being more cruel t han those on the other.\n\nThey tortured and murdered captives\, burned ho mes and flogged their owners\, raped women and hanged their husbands.\n\nG angs of bandits held up travelers and plundered farms.\n\nVoice: With us i n the North\, the difference is little more than a division of sentiment.\ n\nBut here\, they prosecute each other with little less than savage fury. \n\nYou can have no idea of the distress and misery that prevail in this q uarter.\n\nNathanael Greene.\n\n♪ Narrator: By the end of the summer of 1781\, the British would be penned up in just 3 coastal towns in the Carol inas and Georgia-- Wilmington\, Charles Town\, and Savannah.\n\nLondon's S outhern strategy was falling apart.\n\n♪ Voice: The King has decided tha t the principal objective of his arms in America during the war with the E nglish is to drive them from the Gulf of Mexico and the banks of the Missi ssippi\, which should be considered as the bulwark of the vast empire of N ew Spain.\n\n[Bernardo de Gálvez] ♪ Narrator: Bernardo de Gálvez-- the bold\, young governor of Spanish Louisiana-- saw an opportunity in the Am erican Revolution to take back West Florida for his king\, even before Spa in had entered the war in 1779.\n\nKathleen DuVal: Bernardo de Gálvez had big ambitions for Spain\, and he had big ambitions for himself.\n\nHe bel ieved that war against Britain would be his chance to push Spanish colonie s even farther into North America\, past Louisiana\, into the rest of the Gulf Coast\, the Appalachians\, perhaps most of Eastern North America.\n\n Narrator: As soon as Gálvez heard Spain had officially entered the war\, he left New Orleans and rallied an army that reflected the extraordinary d iversity of the Gulf Coast-- Spaniards\, Frenchmen\, Acadians\, Irishmen\, Black and biracial men from Africa and the Americas\, Choctaws\, Houmas\, Alabamas\, men from Mexico\, Puerto Rico\, Cuba\, Hispaniola\, and a hand ful of volunteers from the United States.\n\n♪ DuVal: Gálvez began to t ake British posts.\n\nHe took Baton Rouge\, Natchez\, and then sailed with his militia and took the post of Mobile.\n\nNarrator: By the spring of 17 81\, Gálvez's only objective left in British West Florida was its capital and stronghold--Pensacola.\n\n♪ It was defended by local Black and Whit e militiamen\; British\, German\, and Loyalist soldiers\; and hundreds of Choctaws\, Chickasaws\, and Muscogee Creeks who opposed any imperial expan sion that threatened their lands in the southeastern interior.\n\n♪ Gál vez landed his army and began a siege.\n\nFor a month and a half\, Spanish guns edged closer and closer to the heart of the British defenses.\n\n[Ca nnon fires] Finally\, on May 8\, 1781\, a shell hit the British gunpowder magazine.\n\n[Explosion] The explosion killed almost a hundred men\, mostl y Loyalist troops\, and blew a wide hole in the fort's walls.\n\nGálvez's men poured through the gap\, and within hours\, the British commander sur rendered.\n\nSpanish rule was restored in West Florida and with it Spanish control of the Gulf of Mexico.\n\n♪ DuVal: West Florida is the first no nrebelling colony that Britain loses.\n\nAfter the Spanish victory at Pens acola\, many\, many people in Britain think it's time to stop this war bef ore it gets any worse.\n\n♪ Narrator: Britain was more alone than ever\, at war with the Netherlands now as well as with France and Spain\, and it s West Indian islands and Gibraltar in the Mediterranean were under attack .\n\nTo London\, North America mattered less and less\, and General Clinto n in New York could do little more than make sure that city remained in Br itish hands.\n\nde Rode: The British stronghold is in New York.\n\nIt's wh ere they won the battle in 1776 against George Washington\, which is one o f the reasons George Washington really wants to take New York\, because he feels very humiliated by that specific battle\, so for him since that tim e\, it became almost an obsession.\n\n\"If we take New York\, we're gonna win this war.\"\n\n♪ Narrator: When word came that French warships and m ore French troops would arrive on the East Coast sometime that summer\, Wa shington and Rochambeau met again in Connecticut to discuss where the flee t might\, in fact\, do the most good-- at New York or in Virginia\, where Cornwallis was now headed.\n\nWashington still favored New York.\n\nRocham beau told him that he preferred to leave the decision to the Comte de Gras se\, the admiral now commanding the French fleet in the Caribbean\, but in private letters to de Grasse\, Rochambeau argued that blockading the Ches apeake should take precedence.\n\nIn the meantime\, Rochambeau marched his more than 4\,000 men from Newport to join Washington's army in Westcheste r County\, New York.\n\nThe French were stunned by what they saw.\n\n♪ V oice: I cannot too often repeat how astonished I have been at the American Army.\n\nIt is inconceivable that troops nearly naked\, badly paid\, and composed of old men\, Negroes\, and children should march so well.\n\n[Cro mot du Bourg] Voice: The Rhode Island Regiment includes many Negroes\, and that regiment is the most neatly dressed\, the best under arms\, and the most precise in its maneuvers.\n\n[Ludwig von Closen] ♪ Narrator: As Ame rican and French soldiers probed British defenses around New York\, Washin gton waited for Admiral de Grasse to pick his target-- New York or Virgini a.\n\n♪ On May 20\, 1781\, Lord Cornwallis arrived at Petersburg\, Virgi nia.\n\nHe commanded some 7\,000 British\, German\, and Loyalist troops.\n \nBenedict Arnold was not among them.\n\nHe had been recalled to New York and would eventually sail for England\, never to see his country again.\n\ n♪ Cornwallis first tried to hunt down the Marquis de Lafayette\, who ha d been harassing British forces in Virginia\, but Lafayette managed to sli p away.\n\nVoice: You can be entirely calm with regard to the rapid marche s of Lord Cornwallis.\n\nLet him march from St.\n\nAugustine to Boston.\n\ nWhat he wins in his front he loses in his rear.\n\nHis army will bury its elf without requiring us to fight him.\n\n[Lafayette] ♪ Narrator: Cornwa llis unleashed two raiding parties into the heart of Virginia.\n\n250 hors emen\, commanded by Banastre Tarleton\, were ordered to try to capture Tho mas Jefferson and the Virginia Assembly\, now meeting at Charlottesville\, where Tarleton managed to seize several legislators\, including Daniel Bo one from Kentucky County\, but with only moments to spare\, Jefferson esca ped his would-be captors on horseback.\n\n♪ Voice: Such terror and confu sion.\n\nWhat an alarming crisis is this.\n\nWe were off in a twinkling.\n \nThe nearer the mountains\, the greater the safety was the conclusion\, s o on we traveled through byways and brambles.\n\n[Ambler] ♪ Narrator: Be tsy Ambler's family was on the run\, too\, eventually finding temporary sa nctuary on a friend's backcountry plantation.\n\n♪ After 3 mostly fruitl ess weeks spent marching through the backcountry\, Cornwallis and his men started southeast towards Williamsburg.\n\nSome 4\,500 ex-slaves now trail ed along behind.\n\n♪ By bringing the war into Virginia\, Cornwallis had provided the largest body of Black people in North America the possibilit y of freedom.\n\nAmong those who threw in their lot with the British were 23 from Thomas Jefferson's estates and 16 from George Washington's Mount V ernon.\n\nGordon-Reed: What do you do?\n\nDo you stay\, or do you take a c hance at your freedom and leave your family?\n\nHow many people can go wit h you?\n\nSometimes whole families left together.\n\n♪ I would imagine i t being frightening but also a sense of hope because the system that they were in may be destroyed and that they may have an opportunity for freedom .\n\n♪ Voice: Has the God who made the White man and the Black left any record declaring us a different species?\n\nAre we not sustained by the sa me power\, supported by the same food\, hurt by the same wounds\, pleased with the same delights\, and propagated by the same means?\n\nAnd should w e not then enjoy the same liberty and be protected by the same laws?\n\n ♪ Some consider us as much property as a house or a ship and think how a nxious we must be to raise ourselves from this degrading state.\n\nJames F orten.\n\nNarrator: James Forten was born free in Philadelphia.\n\nAt 9\, he had been in the crowd at the Pennsylvania State House that heard the De claration of Independence read to the public for the very first time.\n\nF orten took the promise of the Declaration to heart and never questioned wh ether its self-evident truths applied to him.\n\n♪ Now\, in the summer o f 1781\, Forten was 14\, old enough to fight for his country.\n\nWith his mother's permission\, he went down to the docks\, signed on to a privateer \, and set out to sea.\n\nForten was one of 20 men and boys of color in a crew of 200.\n\nFor privateers eager to attract volunteers\, race was no b arrier.\n\n♪ His first voyage was a triumph\, but the second was a disas ter.\n\nHis ship was overtaken and captured by a British warship.\n\n♪ O nce aboard\, the captain's son befriended him\, and the captain offered to release him if he were willing to sail with the boy to England.\n\nForten refused.\n\nHe could not turn his back on his country.\n\n[Gulls squawkin g] Instead\, he joined hundreds of American prisoners huddled below decks aboard the notorious British prison ship the \"Jersey\" moored in the East River off Brooklyn-- dark\, fetid\, rife with disease.\n\n[Bell rings] ♪ Meanwhile\, starting in June 1781\, Cornwallis began to receive a seri es of contradictory communications from General Clinton back in New York C ity.\n\nFirst\, Cornwallis was to send nearly half his forces north to New York\, which Clinton still believed Washington's most likely target.\n\nT hen Clinton changed his mind.\n\nCornwallis was now to send those same tro ops to the Delaware Bay\, where they might sail north and threaten Philade lphia.\n\nFinally\, with his men aboard boats in Portsmouth and ready to s ail\, Cornwallis was to forget moving them north at all.\n\nInstead\, he w as to locate and fortify a deep-water\, year-round port in Virginia suitab le for the Royal Navy's largest warships.\n\nCornwallis' engineers recomme nded Yorktown.\n\nHe arrived there on August 2\, 1781.\n\n♪ On August 14 \, Washington learned that the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse was on its way to the Chesapeake\, not New York.\n\n♪ Voice: Matters having no w come to a crisis and a decisive plan to be determined on\, I was obliged to give up all idea of attacking New York.\n\n[Washington] de Rode: Georg e Washington is a realistic military man who knows when to not attack\, an d so with the advice of the French that had much more experience in warfar e\, he listens to them and decides to march to the South.\n\nNarrator: The n word arrived from Lafayette that Cornwallis was establishing his army at Yorktown.\n\nIf the French Navy could command the Chesapeake and keep the British fleet out\, Lafayette wrote\, \"the British Army would\, I think\ , be ours.\"\n\nBut before Washington could move his army south\, some way had to be found to pay his men.\n\nCongress was broke.\n\n[Horse whinnies ] Voice: My personal credit\, which\, thank heaven\, I have preserved thro ugh all the tempests of the war\, has been substituted for that which the country has lost.\n\nI am now striving to transfer that credit to the publ ic.\n\nRobert Morris.\n\nNarrator: Washington turned to an old friend\, th e richest man in America-- Robert Morris.\n\nMorris had again and again us ed his own money to supply the Continental Army.\n\nHe had also used publi c funds for personal speculations and made millions in government contract s.\n\nWilliam Hogeland: Robert Morris was a war profiteer and mingled publ ic and private funds with unabashed abandon\, and without him\, it's not c lear at all that the Revolution would have been won or even would have bee n fought very long because he did front his own money to keep the army in the field.\n\nPeople said he financed the American Revolution.\n\nThat's l argely true.\n\nCritics of Morris said that the Revolution financed him\, and that's true\, too.\n\n♪ Narrator: Now Morris combined his own funds with borrowed Spanish gold and silver to pay the men.\n\nVoice: Each of us received a month's pay.\n\nThis was the first that could be called money which we had received as wages since the year '76.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin. \n\n[People cheering] Narrator: Leaving 4\,000 Continentals behind\, the F rench and American armies began to make their way south in 3 great columns on August 18.\n\n♪ The campaign was an enormous undertaking and a great gamble.\n\n♪ In order to keep Cornwallis from escaping by sea\, French naval forces from both the Caribbean and Newport\, Rhode Island\, would ha ve to elude British warships patrolling the Atlantic coast and enter the C hesapeake Bay.\n\nAt the same time\, thousands of French and American troo ps\, who could not speak one another's language\, would have to continue t o make their way together some 450 miles from Westchester County to Virgin ia in the heat of summer.\n\n[Horse nickers] de Rode: It's hot and humid\, and\, as the French write\, \"infested by mosquitoes\,\" and so this is a very complicated march.\n\nYou have to think of thousands of men marching through these little roads.\n\nThey have to create bridges.\n\nThey have to get obstacles out of the way\, and we're not talking just about men mar ching.\n\nWe have a lot of animals behind them.\n\n♪ In order to not wal k in the middle of the day\, they start in the middle of the night\, so it 's pitch dark.\n\nYou're walking on little paths\, probably quite muddy\, and you just walk\, and then for a few hours later\, you have to stop beca use you have to create your new encampment.\n\nYou get some food\, which o ften arrived way too late.\n\nNarrator: To deceive the British into thinki ng that he was planning an amphibious assault on Staten Island or Sandy Ho ok\, Washington had made sure that false documents suggesting an imminent attack fell into British hands.\n\n♪ Philbrick: Washington is able to co nvince Clinton that he is going to attack New York.\n\nIt's a brilliant se ries of deceptive maneuvers that Washington is able to pull off.\n\nBy the time Clinton realizes that Washington is not going after him but is on hi s way south\, Washington is in Philadelphia.\n\n[Gulls squawking] Narrator : At Yorktown\, Cornwallis hated the kind of defensive war he was being as ked to oversee and considered the port and Gloucester across the river \"d angerous posts\,\" since neither commanded the surrounding countryside.\n\ nHe'd started by fortifying Gloucester.\n\nThe work had gone slowly.\n\nHe and his men expected a British fleet to arrive in the York River any day\ , but they now heard upsetting rumors that a French fleet \"had left the W est Indies and was approaching the coast of North America.\"\n\nBy late su mmer\, work had begun on the fortifications at Yorktown itself.\n\nMeanwhi le\, at Portsmouth\, where some of Cornwallis' men remained\, smallpox was ravaging the former slaves who had followed the British army there.\n\nWh at should be done\, the commander at Portsmouth\, wrote Cornwallis\, \"wit h the hundreds...that are dying by scores every day?\"\n\nVoice: It is sho cking to think of the state of the Negroes\, but we cannot bring a number of sick and useless ones to this place.\n\n♪ I leave it to your humanity to do the best you can for them\, but on your arrival here\, we must adop t some plan to prevent an evil which will certainly produce some fatal dis temper in the army.\n\nLord Cornwallis.\n\n♪ Narrator: Portsmouth was ev acuated\, and the troops joined Cornwallis' army at Yorktown.\n\n♪ It wa s from there\, on the morning of August 30\, that Captain Johann Ewald loo ked out toward the Chesapeake Bay.\n\nVoice: I could detect 3 heavy vessel s in the distance.\n\nWe soon had news that the 3 vessels which lay before our noses were French.\n\n[Ewald] Narrator: Admiral de Grasse was now lyi ng at anchor just inside the narrow entrance to the Chesapeake Bay between Cape Charles and Cape Henry.\n\nPhilbrick: The Chesapeake is a huge bay\, but its point of access is the two capes.\n\nIt's very narrow\, and anyon e who can control that controls this huge body of water.\n\n[Horse whinnie s] Narrator: On the morning of September 5\, a dispatch rider caught up wi th George Washington near Head of Elk\, Maryland\, with the good news that the French fleet had arrived.\n\n♪ That same day\, though\, sailors abo ard de Grasse's flagship spotted sails approaching from the north.\n\nThey were 19 British ships sent from New York with orders to find and destroy the French fleet.\n\nde Grasse might have stayed where he was\, blocking e ntrance to the bay\, but if he had done so\, the 8 French ships\, loaded w ith heavy siege guns that were on their way from Newport\, would have been kept out of the Chesapeake.\n\nde Grasse moved out into the open sea to c onfront his enemy.\n\n♪ The two fleets maneuvered for 6 hours.\n\nComman ders scattered sand across their decks to absorb the sailors' blood they k new was about to be shed.\n\n♪ At 4:00 in the afternoon\, they opened fi re.\n\n[Cannon fire continues] The broadsides continued until dark.\n\n[Ma n shouts] Narrator: The result was a standoff\, but the British vessels go t the worst of it and were forced to limp back to New York.\n\n♪ Meanwhi le\, the French squadron from Newport carrying the heavy siege guns had sl ipped unnoticed into the bay\, and\, avoiding Cornwallis' defenses at York town\, sailed up the James River\, and Washington and Rochambeau's armies were arriving at Williamsburg.\n\nCornwallis was trapped.\n\nLengel: From the very beginning\, Washington recognized that this war was going to end when the stars aligned.\n\nHe's been waiting for this\, and he snatches at it.\n\nVoice: We prepared to move down and pay our old acquaintance the B ritish a visit.\n\nI doubt not that their wish was not to have so many of us come at once\, as their accommodations were rather scanty.\n\nThey thou ght the fewer\, the better.\n\nWe thought the more\, the merrier.\n\nJosep h Plumb Martin.\n\n♪ Narrator: On September 28\, 1781\, at 5 A.M.\, the French and American armies\, now 18\,000 strong\, started toward Yorktown. \n\nThe allies established a crescent-shaped encampment around the town-- the French on the left\, the Americans on the right.\n\nWashington and Roc hambeau set up headquarters just a few hundred yards apart.\n\n♪ The two commanders rode forward to reconnoiter.\n\nWashington had long understood Yorktown's strategic limitations and the hole the British had dug for the mselves.\n\n♪ 800 to 1\,000 yards from Yorktown stood an outer line of t renches and redoubts\, their bases bristling with abatis\, sharpened logs meant to repel invaders.\n\n♪ Black laborers could be seen struggling to complete an inner ring around the town.\n\n♪ Swamps and marshy creeks m ade a direct assault impractical.\n\nThe allies didn't have time to starve the defenders\, either.\n\nThe French fleet was due to return to the Cari bbean within weeks.\n\nA traditional\, European-style siege seemed to be t he answer.\n\nWashington left its planning to the French.\n\nThe Americans were \"totally ignorant of the operations of a siege\,\" Rochambeau said. \n\nHe had taken part in 14 of them.\n\n♪ At dawn on September 30\, Fren ch and American troops edged cautiously toward the outermost British defen ses\, expecting stiff resistance.\n\nInstead\, they found them empty.\n\nC ornwallis\, outnumbered 3 to 1\, had pulled his men back into town.\n\nLen gel: Cornwallis makes a fatal mistake.\n\nHe's exhausted.\n\nHe's depresse d.\n\nA commander who otherwise is very effective is just not at his best. \n\nNarrator: For 5 days and nights\, allied soldiers worked to transform the abandoned British positions into their own strongholds and to bring up the artillery\, equipment\, and entrenching tools needed to dig their fir st parallel trench and begin the siege.\n\n♪ British artillery hurled sh ot and shells at the Americans and Frenchmen as they worked.\n\n[Men shout ing] Sarah Osborn\, the wife of a New Jersey corporal\, was one of the wom en who carried beef\, bread\, and hot coffee to the men as they dug.\n\nOn e day\, she remembered\, George Washington happened by and asked her if sh e wasn't afraid of the British cannonballs.\n\n\"No\,\" she said\, \"It wo uld not do for the men to fight and starve\, too.\"\n\n[Distant explosion] When the parallel was complete\, it stretched for more than a mile\, a tr ench 10 feet wide and nearly 4 feet deep.\n\n♪ At 3:00 in the afternoon on October 9\, the French opened fire.\n\nTwo hours later\, Washington was given the honor of touching off the first American cannon.\n\n[Man shouti ng] Narrator: All along the allied lines\, cannon and mortars began firing into Yorktown.\n\n♪ Voice: The remainder of the night passed in a dread ful slaughter.\n\nSeveral parts of the garrison were in flames on this nig ht\, and the whole discovered a view awful and tremendous.\n\nBartholomew James.\n\nVoice: It was as if one witnessed the shock of an earthquake.\n\ n3\,600 shot by the enemy were counted in this 24 hours.\n\nThese were fir ed at the city into our lines and against the ships in the harbor.\n\nPriv ate Johann Conrad Doehla.\n\n♪ Narrator: By the night of October 11\, th e allies had begun digging a second parallel\, but before the noose could be tightened completely\, two enemy redoubts\, Numbers Nine and Ten\, had to be taken.\n\nThe American target was redoubt Number Ten.\n\nThe men wer e from Lafayette's force.\n\nAlexander Hamilton was in command.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin and his company led the way.\n\n♪ Voice: We advanced beyond the trenches and lay down on the ground to await the signal.\n\nOur watch word was \"Rochambeau\,\" a good watchword\, for being pronounced \"Rocham beau\,\" it sounded\, when pronounced quick\, like \"Rush on\, boys.\"\n\n [Martin] [Cannon fires] Narrator: When the signal was given\, Martin and h is fellow soldiers rushed forward.\n\nRight behind them came Rhode Islande rs\, including many free Black men or former slaves.\n\n♪ The moment the y reached the abatis\, the redoubt's defenders began firing down into them .\n\n♪ Voice: But there was no stopping us.\n\nI forced a passage at a p lace where I saw our shot had cut away some of the abatis.\n\nWhile passin g\, a man at my side received a ball in his head and fell under my feet\, crying out bitterly.\n\nThe fort was taken and all quiet in a short time.\ n\n[Martin] ♪ Narrator: Lafayette sent a dispatch to a French officer in the column assigned to capture Redoubt Number 9\, saying his men were in his redoubt.\n\n\"Where are you?\"\n\n\"Tell the Marquis I am not in mine\ ,\" the French officer replied\, \"but will be in 5 minutes.\"\n\n[Cannon fires] Voice: There was no mercy that night.\n\nComplaints and groans coul d be heard everywhere.\n\nSomeone called out here\, another there\, beggin g to be killed for the love of God\, as the redoubt was strewn with the de ad and wounded\, so much so that we had to walk on them.\n\nGeorg Daniel F lohr.\n\nNarrator: The allies lost no time in rolling their big guns into both redoubts and opening fire on Yorktown.\n\nFriederike Baer: It was abs olutely horrific.\n\nThere was no moment to rest.\n\nThere was no place to hide.\n\nFor days\, there was continuous bombardment.\n\n[Shells whooshin g] ♪ Narrator: Cornwallis knew his cause was hopeless\, but he could not seem to bear what Banastre Tarleton called \"the mortification of a surre nder.\"\n\n♪ [Snare drum playing] At about 10:00 in the morning on Octob er 17\, 1781\, a drummer boy appeared on a British parapet\, beating his d rum\, the signal that Cornwallis wished to negotiate.\n\nWhen the thunder of the guns drowned out the drumming\, an officer climbed up next to the b oy and waved a white handkerchief.\n\nVoice: He might have beat away till doomsday if he had not been sighted by men on the front lines\, but when t he firing ceased\, I thought I had never heard a drum equal to it\, the mo st delightful music to us all.\n\nEbenezer Denny.\n\n[Snare drum continues ] Narrator: The Battle of Yorktown was over.\n\nThe Patriots and their Fre nch allies had won.\n\n♪ The world would never be the same.\n\n♪ Surre nder negotiations went on for a day and a half.\n\nCornwallis wanted his B ritish and German soldiers free to sail home.\n\nWashington refused.\n\nHe recalled the disrespectful way Patriot General Benjamin Lincoln and his m en had been treated after the fall of Charles Town.\n\nUntil a formal peac e was reached\, the surrendering soldiers were to remain in the United Sta tes as prisoners of war.\n\nCornwallis had little choice but to agree.\n\n ♪ As the British and Germans marched out of what was left of Yorktown-- their flags cased\, their numbers reduced by wounds and disease-- they had orders to avoid even looking at the victorious Americans.\n\nOnly the Fre nch\, they'd been told\, were worthy opponents.\n\nWashington and Rochambe au waited on horseback.\n\nLord Cornwallis was nowhere to be seen.\n\nHe c laimed to be ill\, but\, as a professional soldier\, he may simply have be en too humiliated at having to surrender his army to a group of rebels to make an appearance.\n\nCornwallis' second in command\, General Charles O'H ara\, stood in for him and tried to surrender his sword to General Rochamb eau.\n\nRochambeau refused to accept it.\n\n\"We are subordinate to the Am ericans\,\" he said.\n\n\"General Washington will give you orders.\"\n\nWa shington wouldn't accept it\, either.\n\nHe passed O'Hara on to his second in command\, Benjamin Lincoln\, who formally accepted the sword and then handed it back\, as custom dictated.\n\n♪ Conway: The ultimate humiliati on-- not only having to surrender to the Americans\, but having to surrend er to the second in command of the Americans.\n\n♪ Voice: With what sold iers in the world could one do what was done by these men?\n\nOne can perc eive what an enthusiasm which these poor fellows call liberty can do.\n\nW ho would have thought a hundred years ago that out of this multitude of ra bble would arise a people who could defy kings?\n\nJohann Ewald.\n\n[Churc h bell ringing] Voice: This is a blow\, my Lord\, which gives me the most serious concern\, as it will\, in its consequences\, be exceedingly detrim ental to the King's interest in this country.\n\nHenry Clinton.\n\nNarrato r: When the Prime Minister\, Lord North\, finally heard about the surrende r at Yorktown 5 weeks after it happened\, he staggered around as if he'd b een hit by a musket ball\, waving his arms and crying out again and again\ , \"Oh\, God\, it is all over.\"\n\n♪ In a speech to Parliament\, King G eorge III said that\, while recent events in Virginia had been \"unfortuna te\,\" he remained determined to fight on \"to restore my deluded subjects to that happy and prosperous condition which they formerly derived from.. .obedience to the laws\,\" but Britain had grown weary of the war.\n\n♪ Some 50\,000 British\, German\, and Loyalist troops had lost their lives i n North America.\n\nThe British national debt had doubled.\n\nOther battle fields seemed more important-- in the Caribbean\, where they would soon de stroy Admiral de Grasse's fleet\; in the Mediterranean\, where they still held Gibraltar\; and in India\, where they continued to expand their empir e.\n\n♪ On February 27\, 1782\, Parliament voted to halt all offensive a ctivity in North America.\n\nLord North's government fell.\n\nAlan Taylor: Could they have kept the war going from a purely military perspective?\n\ nSure\, but politically\, the will to fight vanishes\, so the pro-war admi nistration is toppled\, and the King is forced to accept a new government with a new political coalition that is committed to negotiating a peace se ttlement with the American rebels.\n\n♪ Voice: Alas\, what remains of Yo rktown now\, what had given it its high privilege\, that of being accessib le from every quarter\, proved its greatest misfortune.\n\nIts excellent h arbor rendered it the port of all others most favorable for an invading en emy.\n\nToo soon did they avail themselves of it\, and this Eden became de solate.\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\nNarrator: Betsy Ambler and her family never re turned to Yorktown\, settling permanently in Richmond.\n\n♪ Not long aft er the surrender\, slaveholders began turning up at Yorktown\, eager to re claim the surviving runaways who had fled to the British.\n\nWashington se t up two fortified posts where slaves were to be kept under guard until th eir owner came to claim them.\n\nPatriot troops were encouraged to help tr ack them down.\n\n♪ \"The Negroes looked condemned\,\" one militiaman re membered\, \"for the British had promised them their freedom.\"\n\n♪ 5 e nslaved people captured at Yorktown were returned to Thomas Jefferson.\n\n Two more\, both women\, were returned to George Washington's Mount Vernon. \n\n♪ Washington's army soon moved north.\n\nRochambeau's men marched up to Boston the following year and sailed away.\n\n♪ Cornwallis' defeated men were marched to prison camps in the interior.\n\nEager to get them ba ck\, Parliament finally recognized captured Americans as prisoners of war. \n\nRedcoats and rebels alike could expect to be exchanged.\n\nJennifer Kr eisberg: [Vocalizing \"Amazing Grace\"] After 7 months of suffering aboard the prison ship the \"Jersey\,\" James Forten was released\, emaciated bu t lucky to be alive.\n\n♪ He walked all the way home to Philadelphia fro m New York\, most of the way barefoot.\n\nHe astonished his mother on arri val.\n\nShe had long since given him up for dead.\n\n♪ After the war\, F orten would build a great fortune making sails for the American merchant f leet and use part of those earnings to fund the abolitionist movement.\n\n When decades later\, a friend urged him to apply for one of the pensions b eing granted to war veterans\, Forten refused.\n\n\"I was a volunteer\, si r\,\" he said.\n\nHe didn't want money.\n\nHe wanted citizenship.\n\n♪ V oice: Our country asserts for itself the glory of being the freest upon th e surface of the globe.\n\nShe proclaimed freedom to all mankind.\n\nThe b rightness of her glory was radiant\, but one dark spot still dimmed its lu ster.\n\nSo much is doing in the world to ameliorate the condition of mank ind\, and the spirit of freedom is marching with rapid strides and causing tyrants to tremble.\n\nMay America awake from the apathy in which she has long slumbered.\n\nShe must sooner or later fall in with the irresistible current in the cause of liberty.\n\nJames Forten.\n\nJasanoff: Loyalists knew the war was lost\, and the question for them became\, \"What's gonna happen to us next?\"\n\nand--given the violence\, this insurgency\, counte rinsurgency\, back and forth\, down-and-dirty fighting in the countryside- - Loyalists had every reason to fear that now that the Patriots were in ch arge\, they were gonna find themselves on the rough end of recriminations. \n\n[Pounding on door] Narrator: Everywhere\, Patriots were seeking reveng e on men and women who had once been their neighbors and fellow subjects o f the King.\n\n\"The mob\,\" one Loyalist wrote\, \"now reigns... fully an d uncontrolled.\"\n\n[Gunshots and shouting] In Georgia\, Patriots hunted down and killed Loyalists who had sought sanctuary in the swamps.\n\n♪ O ther Loyalists were exiled and their property confiscated.\n\n♪ Voice: I cannot say I look back with regret at the part I took from motives of loy alty\, from love to my country as well as duty to my sovereign\, and\, not withstanding my sufferings\, I would do it again if there was occasion.\n\ nJohn Peters.\n\n[Church bell ringing] Narrator: John Peters and his wife Ann settled in Nova Scotia.\n\nMost Loyalists would choose to stay despite the danger and take their chances\, hoping to resume their old lives in t he new country\, but thousands decided to leave.\n\nThey huddled together in the last British strongholds of New York City\, Charles Town\, and Sava nnah\, waiting for ships to be found to take them away.\n\nJasanoff: In an incredible gesture at the end of the American Revolution\, the British go vernment offers continuing protection to American Loyalists\, and I don't know of any other precedent for this kind of mass evacuation of civilians organized by a government\, and particularly by the military\, with a view to helping these refugees get started with a new life somewhere else outs ide the place that they had always called home.\n\nNarrator: General Guy C arleton\, who had replaced Henry Clinton as commander of British forces\, was expected to move more than 30\,000 troops with their mountains of supp lies as well as 60\,000 Loyalists and 15\,000 enslaved people out of the U nited States.\n\nCarleton began that summer with Savannah.\n\nSome 3\,000 Whites and perhaps 5\,000 Blacks sailed to other British colonies.\n\nChar les Town was next-- almost 11\,000 people\, Black and White.\n\nMost of th em ended up in Jamaica and the Bahamas.\n\nOnly New York remained in Briti sh hands.\n\n♪ Meanwhile\, in Paris\, Benjamin Franklin\, John Adams\, J ohn Jay\, and Henry Laurens were trying to work out a permanent peace.\n\n Ignoring their instructions to include the French\, whose assistance had e nsured their astonishing victory\, the American envoys decided to negotiat e alone with British emissaries.\n\n\"Let us be honest and grateful to Fra nce\,\" John Jay said\, \"but let us think for ourselves.\"\n\n♪ They ha d a draft treaty within a week.\n\nIts terms were generous to the American s\, so generous they would cause the new British government to fall\, as w ell.\n\n♪ It declared the 13 former colonies \"to be free\, Sovereign an d independent states\" and set expansive boundaries\, stretching all the w ay from the Great Lakes to Florida and from the Appalachians westward to t he Mississippi\, a territory larger than England\, France\, and Spain put together.\n\nBritish troops were to be withdrawn with \"all convenient Spe ed\" and were barred\, the agreement said\, from \"carrying away any Negro es or other Property of the American Inhabitants.\"\n\n♪ This provisiona l treaty was signed by the American and British negotiators on November 30 \, 1782.\n\nA final comprehensive treaty would not come for another 9 mont hs.\n\n♪ Joseph Ellis: There's a consensus at the end among the negotiat ors\, including the Brits\, that we're witnessing the creation of an Ameri can empire.\n\n♪ de Rode: Some people would say the British lost the war \, but then they won the aftermath\, and France lost that period.\n\nThey could not reinvent themselves in order to prevent their collapse.\n\nThe p romise of the American Revolution was\, of course\, a promise of democracy \, of equality\, of liberties\, of all these new concepts at a time where in Europe\, there were only monarchies.\n\nThe republic had won against th e monarchy.\n\nIt inspired many.\n\nNarrator: The American Revolution woul d be the opening signal for more than two centuries of revolution\, first in Europe\, then in the Caribbean\, South America\, Asia\, and Africa.\n\n Baer: The ideas are very powerful.\n\nWhen they're talking about liberty\, when they're talking about equality\, when they're talking about opportun ity\, the freedom from oppression\, the American Revolutionary movement se rved as a model for other societies and communities around the world.\n\ n♪ Narrator: But in early 1783 at the Continental Army's winter encampme nt at Newburgh\, New York\, things were not going well.\n\nAn unsigned man ifesto began circulating among Washington's officers openly calling for a mutiny.\n\nIf peace really came\, they would refuse to disarm and be free to use the army to force Congress and the states into providing the back p ay they were owed.\n\n[Approaching hoofbeats] On March 15\, at a meeting t o hear more about the conspiracy\, officers heard horse's hooves.\n\n[Hors e whinnies] The door flew open.\n\nWashington and his aides entered.\n\nTh e general stepped to the lectern.\n\n♪ He spoke for 20 minutes\, urging his officers to resist drowning \"our rising empire in blood.\"\n\nMost sh ifted in their seats\, unconvinced.\n\n♪ Then Washington asked if he cou ld read a letter from a Virginia congressman who had pledged support for t he army.\n\nHe stumbled over the first words\, paused\, and pulled a pair of spectacles from his coat.\n\nVoice: Gentlemen\, you must pardon me.\n\n I have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind.\n\n[W ashington] ♪ Narrator: The rest of the letter didn't matter.\n\nMany off icers\, hard men made harder still by battle\, were openly weeping.\n\nThe mutiny was over before it could begin.\n\n♪ Voice: The unparalleled per severance of the armies of the United States\, through almost every possib le suffering and discouragement for the space of 8 long years\, was little short of a standing miracle.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: As the Co ntinental Army began to disband\, Washington tried again to persuade Congr ess to provide his men with at least 3 months' back pay in cash\, but the best they could do was issue a blizzard of paper certificates\, vaguely pr omising to redeem them one day.\n\n♪ Voice: Some of the soldiers went of f for home the same day their fetters were knocked off.\n\nOthers stayed a nd got their final settlement certificates\, which they sold to procure de cent clothing and money sufficient to enable them to pass with decency thr ough the country and to appear something like themselves when they arrived among their friends.\n\nI was among those.\n\n♪ When the country had dr ained the last drop of service it could screw out of the poor soldiers\, w e returned to drift like old\, worn-out horses.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin.\n\ n♪ Ellis: That group of people are ordinary Americans\, below the level of ordinary\, and they won the war because they never left.\n\nThey stayed .\n\nThat was it.\n\nThey refused to leave\, and\, um... um... you can sou nd pretty patriotic\, but I don't think you can be patriotic enough about them.\n\n♪ Voice: We had lived together as a family of brothers for seve ral years--had shared with each other the hardships\, dangers\, and suffer ings incident to a soldier's life\; had sympathized with each other in tro uble and sickness-- and now we were to be parted forever\, as unconditiona lly separated as though the grave lay between us.\n\n[Martin] ♪ [Gulls s quawking] Narrator: By the spring of 1783\, more than 30\,000 Loyalists an d almost as many British and German troops still remained in New York City \, all waiting for ships to take them away\, so many people that General C arleton could not tell George Washington precisely when they would all be gone.\n\nSoldiers shipped out for home or the West Indies.\n\nSome Loyalis ts planned to sail to Quebec or the Bahamas\, but the overwhelming majorit y-- nearly 30\,000 American men\, women\, and children-- resolved to begin their new lives like John and Ann Peters had\, to the north in Nova Scoti a.\n\nOf the more than 3\,000 Black people who had also found sanctuary in New York\, half were considered the property of Loyalists and so would ha ve to accompany their owners wherever they chose to go... ♪ but most of the rest were runaways\, like Harry Washington\, who had been the property of George Washington\, and Boston King\, who had been promised that if th ey fled their Patriot owners\, they would be free.\n\nThat freedom now see med in peril.\n\n♪ Voice: Peace was restored between America and Great B ritain\, which issued universal joy among all parties except us who had es caped from slavery and taken refuge in the English army\, for a report pre vailed at New York that all slaves were to be delivered up to their master s.\n\nThis dreadful rumor filled us all with inexpressible anguish and ter ror\, especially when we saw our masters coming and seizing upon their sla ves in the streets of New York or even dragging them out of their beds.\n\ nMany of the slaves had very cruel masters so that thoughts of returning h ome with them embittered life to us.\n\nFor some days\, we lost our appeti te for food\, and sleep departed from our eyes.\n\nBoston King.\n\nNarrato r: From his headquarters up the Hudson\, George Washington continued to in sist every runaway be returned to his or her owner.\n\nGeneral Carleton re fused.\n\n\"National Honour\,\" he told Washington\, required him to make good on official British pledges made to persons of \"any complexion.\"\n\ nVoice: The English had compassion upon us in the day of distress.\n\nIn c onsequence of this\, each of us received a certificate from the commanding officer at New York\, which dispelled all our fears.\n\n[King] ♪ Narrat or: Carleton decreed that any enslaved person who had left a Patriot owner and served behind the British lines for 12 months was free.\n\nDisputes b etween runaways and owners or slave catchers determined to return them to slavery were adjudicated by a committee of 4 British officers and 3 Americ ans who met weekly at Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street.\n\n♪ Voice: I cam e from Virginia.\n\nI was with Lord Dunmore\, washing and ironing in his s ervice.\n\nI came with him to New York and was in service with him till he went away.\n\nMy master came for me.\n\nI told him I would not go with hi m.\n\nHe took my money and stole my child from me and sent it to Virginia. \n\nJudith Jackson.\n\n♪ Narrator: Judith Jackson won the right to go to Nova Scotia\, but she stayed on in New York\, frantically trying to recov er her daughter until she was forced to sail without her.\n\n♪ [Man shou ts] Narrator: There were more tense moments at dockside.\n\nBefore any ves sel carrying Black passengers\, slave or free\, could leave New York\, Bri tish and American inspectors demanded to see their certificates and entere d their names and descriptions in separate ledgers... Rhiannon Giddens: [V ocalizing \"Dean Cadalan Samhach\"] ♪ Narrator: but once underway\, Bost on King\, Harry Washington\, and all the hundreds of other free persons th e British allowed to sail north were filled\, as King wrote\, \"with joy a nd gratitude.\"\n\n♪ In the end\, Nova Scotia proved cold and unforgivin g.\n\nBlack refugees were not made welcome.\n\n♪ Both men would eventual ly join nearly 1\,200 other African Americans who emigrated again\, this t ime to Sierra Leone in West Africa\, where they founded a new British colo ny with a new capital city they called Freetown.\n\nVoice: If we had the m eans of publishing to the world the many acts of treachery and cruelty com mitted by them on our women and children\, it would appear that the title of Savages would with much greater justice be applied to them than to us.\ n\nOld Smoke.\n\nNarrator: The 150\,000 Native Americans who lived in the vast territory that was now the United States were not so much as mentione d in the treaty.\n\nKreisberg: [Vocalizing \"Grief\"] Voice: We were struc k with astonishment at hearing we were forgot.\n\nWe could not believe it possible such firm friends and allies could be so neglected by England\, w hom we had served with so much zeal and fidelity.\n\nThayendanegea\, Josep h Brant.\n\nThe losers in the negotiation of Paris are the Native American s.\n\nI mean\, it would be hard-pressed to say that they'd be better off i f the British had won\, but they probably would have.\n\n♪ Narrator: The contributions Native Americans had made to winning American independence would soon be forgotten\, too\, including Oneidas\, Tuscaroras\, Delawares \, Catawbas\, and the Indian community at Stockbridge\, Massachusetts.\n\n ♪ Voice: In this late war\, we have suffered much.\n\nOur blood has been spilled with yours\, and many of our young men have fallen by the side of your warriors.\n\n♪ Almost all those places where your warriors have le ft their bones\, there our bones are seen also.\n\n[Stockbridge petitioner s] ♪ Philip Deloria: The Stockbridge Indians\, their home\, their land i s gonna go away.\n\nThey're not gonna be able to hold on to that\, and the y are moved to New York.\n\nThen they end up in Wisconsin.\n\nLike so many tribes\, right\, they end up being kicked around and moved from place to place.\n\nThis is\, of course\, the story of Native people relative to the United States.\n\n♪ Voice: Beloved men and warriors of the United State s\, we\, the women of the Cherokee Nation\, now speak to you.\n\nWe are mo thers and have many sons\, some of them warriors and beloved men.\n\nOur c ry is all for peace.\n\n♪ This peace must last forever.\n\nLet your wome n hear our words.\n\n[Delegation of Cherokee Women] [Drum and rattle playi ng] Narrator: There would be no peace.\n\nAs the United States moved inexo rably westward\, Native nations would continue to fight for their independ ence for another century.\n\n♪ Native Americans would not become citizen s of the United States until 1924\, and their struggle to remain sovereign would never end.\n\n♪ ♪ At 1:00 in the afternoon on November 25\, 178 3\, George Washington-- \"straight as a dart\,\" an eyewitness recalled\, \"and as noble as he could be\"-- led a procession of soldiers and civilia ns down Bowery Lane and Queen Street\, west across Wall Street\, and then down Broadway.\n\n[Fireworks pop and crackle] The British were finally gon e.\n\nWashington was back in the city he had been forced to abandon in 177 6.\n\nNew Yorkers celebrated for days with illuminations\, bonfires\, and fireworks... [Fireworks continue] and now George Washington had one more d uty to perform.\n\nHe would ride to Annapolis\, Maryland\, where the Confe deration Congress was now meeting\, and formally resign his commission.\n\ n[Trumpet playing \"Amazing Grace\"] Ellis: He knew what he was doing.\n\n He walks away from power.\n\nHe's not gonna be a Cromwell.\n\nHe's not gon na be a Caesar.\n\nHe's not gonna be what Napoleon is gonna become.\n\nHe could have easily become dictator head\, and he had no interest in that wh atsoever.\n\n♪ Narrator: Accompanied by two military aides and his ensla ved companion William Lee\, Washington set out right away for Mount Vernon \, hoping to be home for Christmas Eve.\n\n♪ Voice: These are the times that tried men's souls\, and they are over\, and the greatest and complete st Revolution the world ever knew gloriously and happily accomplished.\n\n As United States\, we are equal to the importance of the title\, but other wise we are not.\n\nOur union is the most sacred thing and that which ever y man should be most proud and tender of.\n\nOur great title is Americans. \n\nThomas Paine.\n\n[Drum roll] Narrator: The war had brought the states together\, but peace soon threatened to tear them apart.\n\nSmall states c ontinued to fear large ones.\n\nNorthern and Southern states jockeyed for dominance and quarreled over borders.\n\nVermonters had already declared t hemselves a separate republic.\n\nNorth Carolina's Overmountain settlers w ere seeking to secede and form their own state called Franklin.\n\n[Gunfir e] Elsewhere\, farmers turned to violence to protest state taxes they cons idered unreasonable.\n\nIn Massachusetts\, protest became insurrection\, S hays' Rebellion put down only after former comrades in arms fired on each other.\n\nA \"cloud of evils\,\" George Washington wrote\, \"was threateni ng the tranquility of the Union.\"\n\n♪ Voice: Our situation is truly de licate and critical.\n\nOn the one hand\, we stand in need of a strong Fed eral Government founded on principles that will support the prosperity and union of the states.\n\nOn the other\, we have struggled for liberty and made lofty sacrifices at her shrine\, and there are still many among us wh o revere her name too much to relinquish the rights of man for the dignity of government.\n\nMercy Otis Warren.\n\n♪ Narrator: The new Congress\, created by the Articles of Confederation\, was toothless\, saddled with co lossal debts\, and incapable of collecting taxes with which to pay them of f.\n\nChristopher Brown: It's not hard to imagine at all Britain\, France\ , and Spain picking off individual states to create sort of commercial all iances or political alliances and military alliances\, as client states\, and all kinds of things.\n\nSounds crazy\, but it's no more crazy to have actually created a federal government that would actually work\, and famou sly\, a lot of British observers throughout the 1780s-- \"Just give them a few years.\n\nIt's all gonna fall apart.\"\n\nPhilbrick: One of the lesso ns Washington learned during the American Revolution is that without a pow erful central government\, nothing effective could happen.\n\nThe frustrat ions he experienced trying to get these 13 colonies to work in unison and failing every time in the Continental Congress taught him that something h ad to change.\n\n♪ Narrator: In late May 1787\, 55 delegates met in Phil adelphia to draw up a constitution.\n\nNearly half owned slaves.\n\n30 had served in the war.\n\nGeorge Washington lent his prestige by agreeing to preside over the convention.\n\n♪ 4 months later\, they had hammered out a 4-page document.\n\nTo devise a government that the American people cou ld agree to live under demanded historic compromises-- some creative\, som e tragic.\n\n♪ The Constitution delineated which powers fell to the cent ral government and which remained with the states\, a system of shared sov ereignty they called federalism.\n\nThe architects of the Constitution div ided the federal government into 3 branches-- the legislative\, executive\ , and judicial-- in a delicate balance by which each was meant to check th e others to ensure against overreach that could result in tyranny.\n\nThey feared that a demagogue might incite citizens into betraying the American experiment.\n\nAlexander Hamilton was concerned that an \"unprincipled\" man would \"mount the hobby horse of popularity\" and \"throw things into confusion.\"\n\n\"In a government like ours\,\" he would write\, no one is \"above the law.\"\n\n[Bell rings] Voice: I wish the Constitution which i s offered had been made more perfect\, but I sincerely believe it is the b est that could be obtained at this time\, and as a constitutional door is opened for amendment hereafter\, the adoption of it is\, in my opinion\, d esirable.\n\n[Washington] Bailyn: They were trying to create a system in w hich you could have a sufficiently powerful government that could work pro perly for its own people and the great powers of the world and still retai n the freedoms of the individual\, and that is the great issue that runs a ll the way through the Revolution.\n\nIt's a struggle between the possibil ities of power and of liberty.\n\n♪ Narrator: In order for the Constitut ion to take effect\, the individual states had to ratify it.\n\nThat would foster one of the most extensive public debates in history.\n\n♪ Gordon -Reed: The people who created the American Revolution and created the Amer ican nation assumed that Americans would be involved\, that they would be active citizens\, not subjects.\n\nBeing a citizen requires the kind of pa rticipation in the democracy that keeps it vibrant.\n\n♪ Narrator: In th e end\, all 13 states did ratify the Constitution\, but before consenting to live under the new federal government\, the American people wanted to e nshrine the liberties they had won in the Revolution.\n\nThe Constitution was almost immediately amended with a Bill of Rights guaranteeing freedom of worship and the separation of church and state\, freedom of speech and assembly\, the right to keep and bear arms\, trial by jury\, and a ban on cruel and unusual punishment.\n\nJames Madison\, who wrote the Bill of Rig hts\, called the Constitution \"nothing more than the draft of a plan\, \" nothing but a dead letter\, \"until life and validity were breathed into i t by the voice of the people.\"\n\n♪ Vincent Brown: The idea that govern ment derives its authority from the consent of the governed was pretty rad ical.\n\nIt's still pretty radical.\n\nIf we take the words of the Declara tion of Independence\, written by Thomas Jefferson-- \"All men--\" let's s ay men\, women-- \"are created free and equal\,\" right-- Jefferson clearl y didn't take that seriously as a slaveholder\, but I do\, and I think it' s incumbent on all of us to take those words from Jefferson and make them real in our own lives\, even if they weren't real in his.\n\n♪ Narrator: When the time came to choose the first president under the Constitution\, George Washington was the only choice and won the vote of every single el ector.\n\n♪ He was inaugurated in New York City on April 30\, 1789.\n\nJ ohn Adams\, the first vice president\, thought the chief executive should have a royal\, or at least a princely\, title\, but for Washington\, Presi dent of the United States was honor enough... [People cheering] and when h e left the presidency in 1797\, King George himself paid tribute.\n\nBy su rrendering first his military and then his political power\, he said\, Geo rge Washington had made himself \"the greatest character of the age.\"\n\n ♪ Voice: Our government daily acquires strength and stability.\n\nThe un ion is complete.\n\n♪ Nothing hinders our being a very happy and prosper ous people\, provided we have wisdom rightly to estimate our blessings and hearts to improve them.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nRhiannon Giddens: [Vocalizin g \"Amazing Grace\"] Voice: I will not believe our labors are lost.\n\nI s hall not die without a hope that light and liberty are on steady advance.\ n\n♪ And even should the cloud of barbarism and despotism again obscure the science and liberties of Europe\, this country remains to preserve and restore light and liberty to them.\n\nIn short\, the flames kindled on th e 4th of July\, 1776\, have spread over too much of the globe to be exting uished by the feeble engines of despotism.\n\nThomas Jefferson.\n\n♪ Atk inson: America is predicated on an idea that should act as a pole star for us to provide true north\, telling us what it is that we think we can do as a people.\n\n♪ The perpetual challenge of the American experiment is to draw on those aspirational ideals and make them our own\, hand them off to our children and our grandchildren\, and to use that as a propulsion s ystem for being the nation that those forebears thought we could become.\n \n♪ Voice: The American war is over\, but this is far from being the cas e with the American Revolution.\n\nOn the contrary\, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed.\n\nIt remains yet to establish and perf ect our new forms of government.\n\n♪ Patriots\, come forward!\n\nYour c ountry demands your services.\n\nHear her proclaiming\, in sighs and groan s\, in her governments\, in her finances\, in her trade\, in her manufactu res\, in her morals\, and in her manners\, \"The Revolution is not over!\" \n\nBenjamin Rush.\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ Announcer: Scan this QR code with your s mart device to dive deeper into the story of \"The American Revolution\" w ith interactives\, games\, classroom materials\, and more.\n\n♪ Announce r: \"The American Revolution\" DVD and Blu-ray\, as well as the companion book and soundtrack\, are available online and in stores.\n\nThe series is also available with PBS Passport and on am*zon Prime Video.\n\n♪ Announ cer: The American Revolution caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nTh e fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\nAnnouncer: Major f unding for \"The American Revolution\" was provided by The Better Angels S ociety and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion F oundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also p rovided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin wi th Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vini ng Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Ma rtha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\, and by Better Angels Society membe rs: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Founda tion\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members .\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with support from the C orporation for Public Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american-revolut ion-episode-6-the-most-sacred-thing/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DECLARATION OF IND EPENDENCE\n\n\n\n Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on d isplay in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and p unctuation reflects the original.\n\nIn Congress\, July 4\, 1776\n\nThe un animous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America\, When in the Course of human events\, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another\, and to assume among the powers of the earth\, the separate and equal station to which t he Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them\, a decent respect to t he opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.\n\nWe hold these truths to be self-evident\, that all men are created equal\, that they are endowed by their Creator w ith certain unalienable Rights\, that among these are Life\, Liberty and t he pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights\, Governments are in stituted among Men\, deriving their just powers from the consent of the go verned\, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of the se ends\, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it\, and to institute new Government\, laying its foundation on such principles and o rganizing its powers in such form\, as to them shall seem most likely to e ffect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence\, indeed\, will dictate that Go vernments long established should not be changed for light and transient c auses\; and accordingly all experience hath shewn\, that mankind are more disposed to suffer\, while evils are sufferable\, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long tra in of abuses and usurpations\, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism\, it is their right\, it is their duty\, to throw off such Government\, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies\; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter th eir former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations\, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this\, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.\n\nHe has refus ed his Assent to Laws\, the most wholesome and necessary for the public go od.\n\nHe has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressi ng importance\, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained\; and when so suspended\, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.\n\nHe has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of lar ge districts of people\, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature\, a right inestimable to them and formi dable to tyrants only.\n\nHe has called together legislative bodies at pla ces unusual\, uncomfortable\, and distant from the depository of their pub lic Records\, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.\n\nHe has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly\, for o pposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.\n\n He has refused for a long time\, after such dissolutions\, to cause others to be elected\; whereby the Legislative powers\, incapable of Annihilatio n\, have returned to the People at large for their exercise\; the State re maining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from witho ut\, and convulsions within.\n\nHe has endeavoured to prevent the populati on of these States\; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalizat ion of Foreigners\; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither\, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.\n\nHe has obstructed the Administration of Justice\, by refusing his Assent to L aws for establishing Judiciary powers.\n\nHe has made Judges dependent on his Will alone\, for the tenure of their offices\, and the amount and paym ent of their salaries.\n\nHe has erected a multitude of New Offices\, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people\, and eat out their s ubstance.\n\nHe has kept among us\, in times of peace\, Standing Armies wi thout the Consent of our legislatures.\n\nHe has affected to render the Mi litary independent of and superior to the Civil power.\n\nHe has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution\, and unacknowledged by our laws\; giving his Assent to their Acts of preten ded Legislation:\n\nFor Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:\ n\nFor protecting them\, by a mock Trial\, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:\n\nFor cutti ng off our Trade with all parts of the world:\n\nFor imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:\n\nFor depriving us in many cases\, of the benefits o f Trial by Jury:\n\nFor transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for preten ded offences:\n\nFor abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neigh bouring Province\, establishing therein an Arbitrary government\, and enla rging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrum ent for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:\n\nFor tak ing away our Charters\, abolishing our most valuable Laws\, and altering f undamentally the Forms of our Governments:\n\nFor suspending our own Legis latures\, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.\n\nHe has abdicated Government here\, by declari ng us out of his Protection and waging War against us.\n\nHe has plundered our seas\, ravaged our Coasts\, burnt our towns\, and destroyed the lives of our people.\n\nHe is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death\, desolation and tyranny\, alr eady begun with circumstances of Cruelty &\; perfidy scarcely parallele d in the most barbarous ages\, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilize d nation.\n\nHe has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the h igh Seas to bear Arms against their Country\, to become the executioners o f their friends and Brethren\, or to fall themselves by their Hands.\n\nHe has excited domestic insurrections amongst us\, and has endeavoured to br ing on the inhabitants of our frontiers\, the merciless Indian Savages\, w hose known rule of warfare\, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages \, sexes and conditions.\n\nIn every stage of these Oppressions We have Pe titioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince\, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant\, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.\n\nNor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittis h brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their leg islature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity\, and we have conjured th em by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations\, which\ , would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must\, the refore\, acquiesce in the necessity\, which denounces our Separation\, and hold them\, as we hold the rest of mankind\, Enemies in War\, in Peace Fr iends.\n\nWe\, therefore\, the Representatives of the united States of Ame rica\, in General Congress\, Assembled\, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions\, do\, in the Name\, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies\, solemnly publish and dec lare\, That these United Colonies are\, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States\; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the Bri tish Crown\, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain\, is and ought to be totally dissolved\; and that as Free and Independent States\, they have full Power to levy War\, conclude Peac e\, contract Alliances\, establish Commerce\, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of t his Declaration\, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Provide nce\, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives\, our Fortunes and our sa cred Honor.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.archives.gov/foun ding-docs/declaration-transcript\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251121 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The American Revolution PBS Documentary Episode 1 DTSTAMP:20251118T010116Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:587-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The American Revolution\n\n A Film By\n\n Ken Burns\, Sar ah Botstein &\; David Schmidt\n\n\n\n In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO - ends ability to view 12/15/2025 \n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Announc er: Major funding for \"The American Revolution\" was provided by The Bett er Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Cri mson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angels Societ y members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilbert S. O menn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\, and by Better Angels So ciety members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Miche lson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundation\, Dia ne and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additio nal members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like You.\n\nT hank You.\n\nAnnouncer: The American Revolution caused an impact felt arou nd the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\ n♪ Voice: From a small spark\, kindled in America\, a flame has arisen n ot to be extinguished.\n\nWithout consuming\, it winds its progress from n ation to nation\, and conquers by a silent operation.\n\nMan finds himself changed and discovers that the strength and powers of despotism consist w holly in the fear of resisting it\, and that\, in order to be free\, it is sufficient that he wills it.\n\nThomas Paine.\n\n[Explosion] [Drum beatin g slow rhythm] Voice: We know our lands are now become more valuable.\n\nT he White people think we do not know their value\, but we are sensible tha t the land is everlasting.\n\nCanasatego\, Spokesman for the Six Nations.\ n\n[Woman singing in Native American language] Narrator: Long before 13 Br itish colonies made themselves into the United States\, the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy-- Seneca\, Cayuga\, Onondaga\, Tuscarora\, Oneid a\, and Mohawk-- had created a union of their own that they called the Hau denosaunee-- a democracy that had flourished for centuries.\n\nVoice: We h eartily recommend union.\n\nWe are a powerful confederacy.\n\nAnd by your observing the same methods our wise forefathers have taken\, you will acqu ire fresh strength and power.\n\nTherefore\, whatever befalls you\, never fall out one with another.\n\n[Canasatego] ♪ Narrator: In the spring of 1754\, the celebrated scientist and writer Benjamin Franklin proposed that the British colonies form a similar union.\n\nHe printed a cartoon of a s nake cut into pieces above the dire warning \"Join\, or Die.\"\n\nA few we eks later at Albany\, New York\, Franklin and other delegates from 7 colon ies agreed to his Plan of Union-- and then went home to try and sell it.\n \nBut when the plan was presented at the colonial capitals\, each of the i ndividual legislatures rejected it because they did not want to give up th eir autonomy.\n\n[Cannonfire] The plan died\, but the idea would survive.\ n\n20 years later\, \"Join\, or Die\" would be a rallying cry in the most consequential revolution in history.\n\n♪ Voice: We are in the very mids t of a revolution the most complete\, unexpected\, and remarkable of any i n the history of nations.\n\nObjects of the most stupendous magnitude\, an d measures in which the lives and liberties of millions yet unborn are int imately interested\, are now before us.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\n[Explosion] Narr ator: The American Revolution was not just a clash between Englishmen over Indian land\, taxes\, and representation\, but a bloody struggle that wou ld engage more than 2 dozen nations\, European as well as Native American\ , that also somehow came to be about the noblest aspirations of humankind. \n\nIt was fought in hundreds of places\, from the forests of Quebec to th e backcountry of Georgia and the Carolinas\; from the rough seas off Engla nd\, France and in the Caribbean\, to the towns and orchards of Indian Cou ntry.\n\n[Gunshots] The fighting would take place on roads and in villages and cities\; by woods and fields\, and along waterways with old American names: the Susquehanna\, the Tennessee\, and the Ohio\; the Oriskany\, the Catawba\, and the Chesapeake\; and along waters with newer names: the Cha rles\, the Hudson\, and the Schuylkill\; the Brandywine\, the Cooper\, and the Ashley\; and finally the York.\n\nThe war grew out of a multitude of grievances lodged against the British Parliament by British subjects livin g an ocean away in 13 otherwise disunited colonies.\n\nIt was also a savag e civil war that pitted brother against brother\, neighbor against neighbo r\, American against American\, killing tens of thousands of them.\n\n[Gun fire] Voice: However great the blessings to be derived from a revolution i n government\, the scenes of anarchy\, cruelty\, and blood\, which usually precede it\, and the difficulty of uniting a majority in favor of any sys tem\, are sufficient to make every person who has been an eyewitness recoi l at the prospect of overturning empires.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nNarrator: T he American Revolution was the first war ever fought proclaiming the unali enable rights of all people.\n\nIt would change the course of human events .\n\n♪ Man: It's our creation myth\, our creation story.\n\nIt tells us who we are\, where we came from\, uh\, what our forebears believed\, and\, and\, and what they were willing to die for.\n\nThat's the most profound question any people can ask themselves.\n\nWoman: What the American Revolu tion gave the United States was an actual idea of a moment of origin\, whi ch many other countries in the world don't have.\n\nAnd it has invested th ese particular years of these particular people with a set of stakes that are so far beyond what any set of events and any set of people can plausib ly carry that it has made the way that Americans think about this period v ery unreal and detached.\n\nMan: One of the most remarkable aspects of the Revolutionary War is that you had such different places come together as one nation.\n\nI'm not sure there is a state\, anywhere in the world\, in the late 18th century\, that has as wide variety of people who inhabit it\ , um\, and so\, it really is actually kind of remarkable\, the way that th at nation ends up cohering\, not around culture\, not around religion\, no t around ancient history.\n\nIt was coming together around a set of purpos es and ideals for one common cause.\n\n[Soldier shouting orders] Voice: Ev ents like these have seldom\, if ever before\, taken place on the stage of human action.\n\nFor who has before seen a disciplined army formed from s uch raw materials?\n\nWho that was not a witness could imagine that men wh o came from the different parts of the continent\, strongly disposed to de spise and quarrel with each other\, would become but one patriotic band of brothers?\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n♪ [Gunfire] Voice: We have great rea son to believe you intend to drive us away.\n\nWhy do you come to fight in the land that God has given us?\n\nWhy don't you fight in the old country and on the sea?\n\nWhy do you come to fight on our land?\n\nShingas\, Len ape Nation.\n\n♪ Narrator: For several generations\, violent conquest an d Old-World diseases had decimated Native populations between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains\, where\, by the middle of the 18th c entury\, 13 distinct British colonies were established south of French Can ada and north of Spanish Florida.\n\nNow\, as land speculators and settler s eyed the Ohio River Valley beyond the Appalachians\, the paramount quest ion became who would control the North American interior.\n\nBoth Protesta nt Britain and Catholic France-- ancient enemies that had already fought 3 wars in North America-- claimed the region.\n\nSo did a host of Indian na tions who had lived and farmed and hunted there for hundreds of generation s.\n\nIn 1754\, to solidify Britain's claim\, the Royal Colony of Virginia dispatched militia to protect their interests in the Ohio Country.\n\nThe small force of militiamen and a handful of Native allies surrounded a gro up of unsuspecting French soldiers... Man: Fire!\n\n[Gunfire] and fired in to them.\n\nNearly half of the Frenchmen were killed or wounded.\n\nThe re st surrendered.\n\nAccording to one of the Indians with the Virginians\, t he militia's 22-year-old commander had been the first to shoot into the en emy's encampment.\n\nIf so\, George Washington fired the very first shot o f a global conflict that would come to be called the Seven Years' War and set the stage for the American Revolution.\n\nSoon after his surprise atta ck\, a French and Indian force surrounded Washington and his men\, forcing him\, for the first and only time in his life\, to surrender.\n\nA less p rominent young man's military career might have ended there\, but Washingt on was given a second chance the following year as aide-de-camp to General Edward Braddock\, the British commander sent to dislodge the French at Fo rt Duquesne.\n\nBraddock was confident his red-coated British regulars cou ld easily defeat anyone who stood between him and the fort.\n\n[Gunfire] B ut on July 9\, 1755\, a much smaller French and Indian force overwhelmed t hem.\n\nThe British panicked.\n\nBraddock was mortally wounded.\n\nThe Com mand fell to Washington.\n\nTwo horses were shot from under him.\n\nMusket balls ripped through his hat and jacket.\n\nHe ordered a retreat and mana ged to get most of his men safely off the battlefield.\n\nWashington learn ed two valuable lessons: British troops were not invincible\, and there wa s no shame in retreating if you could live to fight another day.\n\nHe was hailed as a hero and given overall command of Virginia's militia.\n\nBut after his appeal for a Royal commission in the British Army was rejected\, he retired from military service in 1758 and returned to his plantation a t Mount Vernon\, filled with resentment at how the British had treated him .\n\nMan: And he comes to view the people in London as people who have a c ondescending view of Americans.\n\nThey think of him as inferior.\n\nThey didn't give him a commission.\n\nI mean\, when Washington is told that he didn't get a commission\, he doesn't think that means he's inferior.\n\nHe thinks that means the British are really stupid.\n\nVoice: There can be n o sufficient reason given why we\, who spend our blood and treasure in def ense of the King's Dominions\, are not entitled to equal preferment.\n\nWe can't conceive that being Americans should deprive us of the benefits of British subjects.\n\n[Washington] [Cannonfire] Man: The Seven Years' War\, against Britain's imperial rivals\, France and Spain\, is fought not only in North America.\n\nIt's fought in the Caribbean\, it's fought in Africa \, it's fought in India\, it's fought in the Philippines.\n\nSo\, even tho ugh it starts in the Ohio backcountry\, with a dispute between colonists a nd the French and their Indian allies\, it mushrooms into a global campaig n that touches Europe and all parts of the world.\n\nThe American colonies are just one piece on a broad\, global Imperial chessboard as far as Brit ish policymakers are concerned.\n\nNarrator: Remembered in North America a s the French and Indian War\, the fighting went on for years until a serie s of British victories\, won by regulars and colonial troops\, ended the F rench Empire's presence on the continent\, gave Britain Spanish Florida\, and more than tripled the lands claimed by England's King.\n\nMan: France transfers to Britain all of its territory in North America.\n\nBut it's a little bit like the Greek myths\, you know\, never wish for something too much 'cause you might get what you wished for.\n\nThe British\, in North A merica\, have been hoping and praying for the defeat of the French for 80 years.\n\nAnd now they're victorious.\n\nChurch bells are ringing.\n\nThis is the moment we've all hoped for.\n\nAnd then it all begins to go to hel l in a hand basket.\n\n♪ Woman: Britishness in America is just everywher e.\n\nIn Boston\, the Town House sits at the center of Queen and King Stre ets.\n\nThe London Bookshop was around the corner.\n\nThe Crown Coffee Hou se.\n\nThe sort of ideal of\, uh\, fashion\, of political currency\, of th e basis of one's rights and that sense of home.\n\nThey talk about Britain even when they have never been there as home.\n\nNarrator: On Saturday\, December 27\, 1760\, a British frigate anchored in Boston harbor.\n\nIt br ought with it big news.\n\nKing George II had died in October.\n\nHis 22-y ear-old grandson now reigned as George III.\n\nCrowds cheered.\n\nBostonia ns were proud to be part of what had become the most far-flung empire on E arth.\n\nMan: In the 18th century\, the belief was\, who in the world has got it right?\n\nOnly one people on Earth-- the British.\n\nThey have a mi xed constitution\, constitutional monarch\, House of Lords\, an elected Ho use of Commons.\n\nYou got an element of democracy\, element of aristocrac y\, element of monarchy.\n\nThe 3 of them will check and balance each othe r and produce the perfect combination.\n\nVincent Brown: We tend to think of the British Empire in America as the 13 North American colonies that be came the United States.\n\nBut Great Britain actually had 26 colonies in A merica.\n\nAnd\, by far\, the most important of those\, the most profitabl e\, the most militarily significant\, and the best politically connected o f those colonies were those colonies in the Caribbean.\n\nThe territories that tended to have the most slaves\, and exploit enslaved labor most inte nsively\, tended to be the most profitable colonies.\n\nSo\, if you look a t North America\, for example\, Massachusetts is the least profitable colo ny in North America and it's got the smallest percentage of slaves in its territory.\n\nThe most profitable colony in North America is South Carolin a.\n\nThen\, when you get to a place like Jamaica or Barbados\, where 90% of the population is enslaved\, then you're really talking.\n\nThat's wher e the money is being made and that's also why that's where the Royal Navy warships are concentrated.\n\nNarrator: But the 13 contiguous colonies tha t clung to the Atlantic seaboard were the most populous.\n\nThe colonists' numbers had doubled every 25 years.\n\nBy 1763\, the population-- Black a nd White-- had reached almost 2 million.\n\nChristopher Brown: And those s ettlers produce for the Empire\, but they also consume.\n\nThey provide ma rkets.\n\nThey purchase goods that are manufactured in Britain.\n\nIt's th e fastest-growing part of the British economy\, is the trades with North A merica.\n\nMan: The British Empire expanded enormously as a result of the Seven Years' War.\n\nThere's real anxiety that unless this empire is tied together more tightly\, by central control and direction\, it will start t o fragment\, in much the same way as the Roman Empire was assumed to have collapsed.\n\nNarrator: For more than 150 years\, London had treated its N orth American colonies with what one British politician would call \"salut ary neglect.\"\n\nEach colony was part of the King's dominions\, but in mo st of them\, legislatures\, elected by propertied White men\, made laws\, levied taxes\, and decided how they'd be spent.\n\nSlavery was legal every where\, from New Hampshire to Georgia.\n\nMany of the Black people living in the colonies had been born there or in the Caribbean.\n\nBut tens of th ousands were from West Africa-- captured from what is now Senegal\, Gambia \, and Gabon\; Angola\, Congo\, and the Ivory Coast\; Nigeria\, Cameroon\, and Ghana.\n\nChristopher Brown: I think it's easy to underestimate the s heer diversity and variety\, um\, in the colonies.\n\nClose to the majorit y of the population in the southern colonies are African.\n\nThere are Fre nch Huguenots\; there are Germans.\n\nThere's Scots.\n\nThere's Scots-Iris h.\n\nThere are Native people\, not just on the frontiers\, but actually l iving in the heart of the 13 colonies.\n\nMan: Most of the population of N orth America is Indigenous.\n\n70%\, 80% of the continent is still control led by Indigenous people\, politically\, economically\, and militarily.\n\ nIt's not a separate place\, it's not this timeless space where Native peo ple are sort of existing in harmony with nature and that they have no inte rest in the outside world.\n\nNative people want the good stuff that Europ eans are bringing.\n\nEuropeans want the wealth that they can get from Nat ive people.\n\nNative powers are as important to the global market economy as a place like Virginia or a place like New York.\n\nVoice: If there is a country in the world where concord\, according to common calculation\, w ould be least expected\, it is America.\n\nMade up as it is of people from different nations\, speaking different languages\, and more different in their modes of worship\, it would appear that the union of such a people w as impracticable.\n\nThomas Paine.\n\nNarrator: In Britain\, 2% of the pop ulation-- lords and lesser gentry-- owned 2/3 of all the land\, and most p eople had for centuries lived \"dependent\" lives\, either as tenant farme rs\, working land belonging to aristocrats\, or as landless laborers worki ng for an employer.\n\nFor most free White men in the colonies\, North Ame rica was a land of opportunity.\n\nTaylor: The people who are coming from Northern Britain\, as well as a lot of Scots-Irish\, often are bringing th e resentments that they'd been pushed off their lands by landlords.\n\nAnd so\, there's a great sensitivity about any kind of financial exaction tha t could be a slippery slope leading to the kinds of dependence that they h ad escaped from.\n\nNarrator: The colonies were overwhelmingly agricultura l.\n\nJust 3 seaport towns-- Philadelphia\, Boston\, and New York-- were h ome to more than 10\,000 people.\n\nAnd 2 out of 3 farmers were independen t\, proud owners of their land.\n\nOthers were indentured servants\, hopin g that once they fulfilled their contract\, that they\, too\, could prospe r on their own.\n\nWoman: For Americans\, land and liberty are completely intertwined.\n\nWhite Americans see their liberty as being founded on not being a peasant on somebody's else's land.\n\nPreserving\, promoting that liberty for White Americans\, to them\, means taking Native land.\n\nThere is no other answer.\n\nCalloway: American colonists had been looking forw ard to the glorious day when the French and their Indian allies would be d efeated\, and British subjects would sweep over the Appalachian Mountains\ , looking for land.\n\nWoman: Maps at the time show the colonies extending well into the interior.\n\nWe often see maps as benign\, as descriptive\, as without argument.\n\nBut they're aspirational\, in many ways.\n\nThey' re an argument rather than a conclusion.\n\nDuVal: Hundreds of Native nati ons still are completely intact\, completely independent.\n\nIn the north\ , is the powerful Haudenosaunee League\, the Six Nations\, including the M ohawks and the Senecas.\n\nTo their south are the Shawnees\, who have reta ken the Ohio Valley in recent years and formed a huge confederacy that str etches from the Delawares\, or the Lenapes\, in the east to the powerful n ations\, including the Anishinaabe of the Great Lakes.\n\nSouth of there a re the Chickasaws\, the Cherokees\, the Choctaws\, the Creek Confederacy\, or the Muscogees\, and hundreds of other smaller nations.\n\nThese are na tions that fight against each other\, but also that increasingly\, by the late 18th century\, are making some larger confederacies\, in part to try to fight against settlers who have been moving onto their land in recent y ears.\n\n[Thunder] Narrator: Beginning in the spring of 1763\, in what was called Pontiac's War\, warriors from at least a dozen Native nations over ran many of the British forts along the Great Lakes and in the Ohio Valley and raided settlements\, killing or capturing 2\,000 colonists and drivin g out some 4\,000 more.\n\nMany colonists responded by killing any Indian they encountered.\n\nCalloway: The Brits look at this situation and say\, \"OK\, we've just inherited all of this empire.\n\n\"How on earth are we g onna stop this kind of thing happening again and again\, and again?\"\n\nN arrator: The British concluded that Native Americans and colonists needed to be separated\, at least for a time\, and so\, in 1763\, a Royal Proclam ation declared all the territory beyond the Appalachians off-limits to set tlement or speculation.\n\nMan: That prohibits White settlers from moving into these interior worlds\, the same interior worlds that many colonists felt like they had just fought for.\n\nAnd many settlers become outraged t hat\, uh\, the British Crown has any form of imperial\, um\, recognition o f these Indigenous populations.\n\nA kind of racial animus has formed in t he aftermath of the Seven Years' War\, in which many British settlers come to resent all Indians.\n\nChristopher Brown: It's not because the British Government is especially concerned about Native Americans.\n\nIt's becaus e they don't want Americans spreading out\, where they'll be even more dif ficult to control.\n\nPart of British policy is British settlers will stay near the coast.\n\nAnd part of the colonists' answer is\, \"No.\n\nSorry\ , we're not doing that.\"\n\nNarrator: London hoped the Proclamation would pacify the frontier.\n\nInstead\, it infuriated those would-be settlers p oised to move west and frustrated land speculators who saw fortunes to be made there.\n\nCalloway: And that is a huge slap in the face and a blow to those elite colonial Americans who've been indulging in this investment.\ n\nWho are these people?\n\nHousehold names: Benjamin Franklin\, Thomas Je fferson\, Patrick Henry\, George Washington.\n\nNarrator: After abandoning his dream of serving as an officer in the British Army\, George Washingto n had married an enormously wealthy widow\, Martha Dandridge Custis\, and had made himself still wealthier speculating in western lands.\n\nHe saw n o reason to stop.\n\nThe law was only a temporary measure to \"quiet the m inds of the Indians\,\" he said\, and he directed his land agent to defy t he Proclamation and \"secure [for him] some of the most valuable Lands\" b eyond the Appalachians.\n\nMan: I think the American Revolution was all ab out land.\n\nIt's easy to make the political kinds of arguments\, but I th ink underpinning all of that was the possibility of expansion\, um\, was t he conflict with Indian people.\n\nNarrator: Now to enforce the hated law and to police the frontier\, the British government resolved to station an army of 10\,000 men in North America.\n\nThe cost would be enormous-- som e 360\,000 British pounds a year.\n\nLondon did not have the money.\n\nYea rs of war on 4 continents had doubled the national debt.\n\nBritain was in the midst of a postwar depression\, and British consumers were already bu rdened with higher taxes than were the subjects of any other European mona rch.\n\nThe average British subject paid 26 shillings a year in taxes\; th e average New Englander paid just one.\n\nSo\, some bright spark has the i dea\, \"Well\, let's tax the American colonists.\"\n\nRight?\n\nThey shoul d pay their share because\, after all\, we fought the war for them\, and t his is to defend them.\n\nNarrator: In 1764\, the Prime Minister\, George Grenville\, proposed a series of 3 parliamentary statutes\, all meant to m ake the colonies help pay for their own defense.\n\nThe Currency Act\, whi ch forbade the colonists from issuing their own money\, angered the tobacc o-growing gentry of Virginia\, who were especially hard-hit.\n\nThe Sugar Act imposed taxes on imports from the Caribbean\, and to enforce it\, the British Navy dispatched 44 ships to stop smuggling\, enraging New Englande rs\, whose economy had long profited from it.\n\nThe rest of the colonies were largely unaffected.\n\nLondon assumed Americans were too disunited\, too divided by self-interest\, to ever be able to present a united front.\ n\nBut now\, Grenville introduced a third tax-- the Stamp Act.\n\nIt would affect nearly every colonist in every colony.\n\nNo one would be able to obtain a license or a loan\, transfer land or draft a will\, earn a diplom a\, purchase a newspaper\, or even buy a deck of cards unless it was print ed or written on English-made paper that bore a stamp embossed by the Roya l Treasury\, for which they would have to pay.\n\nFor the very first time\ , Parliament planned to tax the 13 colonies directly.\n\nThe Stamp Act was scheduled to go into effect on November 1\, 1765.\n\nTaylor: Colonists sa id\, \"No taxation without representation.\"\n\nWhat they meant was\, no t axation except by our elected Legislature\, here in our particular colony. \n\nThese taxes were very small\, but the fear was\, \"If we give into thi s precedent\, \"if we pay the small Stamp Tax now\, what will they do in t he future?\"\n\n[Gavel banging] Narrator: In the Virginia House of Burgess es\, Patrick Henry introduced a series of resolutions asserting that only the General Assembly of that colony had the \"right and power to lay taxes \" on its people.\n\nHenry went on to declare that just as Julius Caesar h ad his assassin Brutus\, George III should understand that some American r esister was sure \"to stand up in favor of his country.\"\n\nWhen some del egates shouted \"Treason!\"\n\nothers who were present remembered he respo nded\, \"If this be treason\, make the most of it!\"\n\n[Gavel banging rap idly] In Boston\, 42-year-old Samuel Adams helped rally the opposition aga inst implementation of the Stamp Act.\n\nA failure as a brewer and as a co llector of local taxes\, Adams was a master of propaganda.\n\nHis mission\ , he once explained\, was to \"keep the attention of [my] fellow-citizens awake to their grievances.\"\n\nVoice: If our trade may be taxed\, why not our lands?\n\nWhy not the produce of our lands and everything we possess or make use of?\n\nIf taxes are laid upon us in any shape without our havi ng a legal representation where they are paid\, are we not reduced from th e character of free subjects to the miserable state of tributary slaves?\n \n[Samuel Adams] Woman: In terms of masters of communication\, Samuel Adam s was really up there.\n\nHe has an amazing ability to translate a concept into easily digested words.\n\nAnd\, therefore\, to make\, um\, what seem --what could seem like fairly abstract ideas very vital and very urgent\, and he's tireless.\n\nSo\, he's able to produce page after page after page \, new offenses\, new crimes\, new injustices.\n\nNarrator: Pamphleteers t ook up the cause\, declaring the Stamp Act illegitimate.\n\nMost of the co lonies' 24 weekly newspapers-- the businesses that would be hit hardest--f ollowed suit.\n\nThose that didn't faced being shut down by their journeym en and apprentices.\n\nTaylor: Newspapers are very important.\n\nThe colon ial public is more literate than any other people in the world outside of Scandinavia.\n\nThere's also word of mouth\, conversation\, absolutely ess ential.\n\nMan: It became very common to discuss how you govern people and how people are free.\n\nThese ideas had filtered into the general populat ion.\n\nNarrator: Those ideas now led to protests in the streets.\n\nIn Bo ston\, in August of 1765\, a crowd formed-- made up of men and a handful o f women\, free Blacks and runaway slaves\, poorly paid or unemployed worke rs who resented the rich\, and apprentices in their off-hours\, just looki ng for trouble.\n\nThey hanged in effigy the local man designated to becom e distributor of stamps and went on to invade the home of the lieutenant g overnor\, destroying everything in sight and carrying off all of his furni ture and 900 British pounds in cash.\n\nIn Newport\, Rhode Island\, anothe r mob surrounded the stamp distributor\, forced him to resign\, and to lea d them in chants of \"Property and Liberty.\"\n\nIn Charleston\, South Car olina\, White anti-Stamp Act protestors marched through the streets chanti ng\, \"Liberty!\"\n\nBut when enslaved South Carolinians echoed their crie s\, frightened enslavers called out the militia to patrol the street.\n\nT he Maryland appointee was driven from Annapolis with only the clothes on h is back.\n\nBy the time the Stamp Act was supposed to go into effect\, non e of the 13 colonies had an official in place willing to enforce it.\n\nSc hiff: Part of our Revolution I think we have largely sanitized.\n\nI think we've forgotten much of the street warfare\, of the anarchy\, of the prov ocations that took place.\n\nVoice: A black cloud seems to hang over us.\n \nIt appears to me that there will be an end to all government here\, for the people are all running mad.\n\nJames Parker.\n\nNarrator: When a crowd surrounded the British Army headquarters in New York City\, General Thoma s Gage made sure his men held their fire\, for fear\, he said\, that 50\,0 00 angry colonists would swarm into the city and start a civil war.\n\nGen eral Gage was in charge of all British soldiers in North America.\n\nHe ha d been sent to maintain peace on the frontier.\n\nInstead\, he had found h imself at loggerheads with colonists convinced they were being denied thei r rights as Englishmen.\n\nGage understood what was happening.\n\nVoice: T he spirit of democracy is strong amongst them.\n\nThe question is not of t he inexpediency of the Stamp Act or the inability of the colonies to pay t he tax\, but that it is contrary to their rights and not subject to the le gislative power of Great Britain.\n\n[Gage] Conway: Thomas Gage was marrie d to an American.\n\nHe owned land in the colonies.\n\nHe was\, in many wa ys\, embedded within colonial society.\n\nSo\, he was particularly relucta nt\, I think\, to engage in conflict.\n\nTaylor: In the colonial world and the European world\, democracy had a bad name.\n\nIt was a synonym for \" anarchy.\"\n\nIt had a reputation as being turbulent\, as a system exploit ed by ruthless politicians called \"demagogues\"-- people who pandered to the passions of common people in order to whip them up and get them to do passionate things\, and to get government to serve them and to prey upon t he property of more wealthy people.\n\nSo\, democracy is not the aspiratio n that creates the Revolution.\n\nThe Revolution creates the conditions fo r people to aspire to have a democracy.\n\nNarrator: Meanwhile\, hundreds of merchants in New York\, Boston\, and Philadelphia pledged to boycott Br itish goods until the Stamp Act was repealed.\n\nTo keep up the opposition \, some lawyers\, merchants\, and skilled craftsmen established an associa tion\, the Sons of Liberty\, and soon had chapters from Portsmouth\, New H ampshire to Charleston\, South Carolina working together.\n\nVoice: The co lonies until now were ever at variance and foolishly jealous of each other \; they are now united for their common defense against what they believe to be oppression\; nor will they soon forget the weight which this close u nion gives them.\n\nDr.\n\nJoseph Warren.\n\nNarrator: The colonies now ac counted for 1/3 of Britain's trade.\n\nWith the boycott\, some manufacture rs were forced to close their doors.\n\nThousands of workers lost their jo bs.\n\nThe town councils of 27 English trading and manufacturing towns ple aded for repeal.\n\nBy mid-February 1766\, the British cabinet was looking for a way out of the impasse.\n\nIt asked Benjamin Franklin\, then living in London as a lobbyist for Pennsylvania\, to appear before the House of Commons\, hoping that hearing from the best-known American on Earth would help.\n\nFranklin patiently answered 174 questions.\n\nWhat had been the c olonists' attitude toward Great Britain before the Stamp Act was enacted?\ n\nVoice: The best in the world.\n\nThey had not only a respect but an aff ection for Great Britain\; for its laws\, its customs\, its manners\, and even a fondness for its fashions\, which greatly increased the commerce.\n \n[Franklin] Narrator: \"Would the colonies now accept a compromise?\"\n\n he was asked.\n\n\"No\,\" he answered.\n\n\"It was a matter of principle.\ "\n\n\"Might a military force compel the colonists to pay the tax?\"\n\n\" No\,\" Franklin said.\n\nVoice: Suppose a military force is sent into Amer ica.\n\nThey will find nobody in arms.\n\nWhat are they then to do?\n\nThe y cannot force a man to take stamps who chooses to do without them.\n\nThe y will not find a rebellion.\n\nThey may indeed make one.\n\n[Franklin] [\ "Rule Britannia\" playing] Narrator: 8 days after Franklin's testimony\, t he House of Commons voted to repeal the Stamp Act.\n\nBritish workers woul d return to their factories.\n\nMerchant vessels set sail again for the co lonies.\n\nWhen the news reached America in April\, the Sons of Liberty di sbanded\; their rights as Englishmen seemed to have been restored.\n\nNew York commissioned a statue of King George\, wearing a Roman toga\, to be p laced on the Bowling Green at the tip of Manhattan.\n\nBut beginning in th e summer of 1767\, the British government\, still struggling with war debt \, would win passage of 5 new laws--the Townshend Acts.\n\nOne of them esp ecially angered colonists.\n\nIt imposed new taxes on 4 items manufactured in England-- glass\, lead\, paper\, and painter's colors-- and on a fifth item\, tea\, grown in China but re-exported from Britain and loved by the colonists\, rich and poor alike.\n\nNewspaper editors and pamphleteers de nounced the new taxes.\n\nA revived and more militant Sons of Liberty call ed for a new boycott of British goods.\n\nWomen\, who normally played a su bordinate role in public life and had almost no legal rights\, joined the resistance by the thousands as \"Daughters of Liberty.\"\n\nWoman: Crisis changes people.\n\nAnd it gave women different ideas about what they shoul d be doing.\n\nDuVal: Women were the main consumers in colonial society an d they were the ones who made sure the boycotts worked.\n\nWomen stopped d rinking tea.\n\nWomen started making their own fabric.\n\nWomen started ma king toys for their children.\n\nAnd they didn't just stop buying British things and start making their own things\; they publicized it.\n\nTaylor: One of the key forms of political theater during the Resistance Movement w ould be for a local minister to invite the women of the community to come down to the church and to spend the day spinning and weaving cloth.\n\nAnd it would be a competition to see which community could produce the most h omespun.\n\nIt would be published in the newspaper.\n\nAnd these women wou ld be praised as great American Patriots for having produced so much homes pun cloth.\n\nDuVal: And reporters would report\, \"The ladies of Boston\, \"The ladies of New York \"are the most patriotic.\n\nThey are at the for efront of this protest movement.\"\n\nIf women hadn't done that\, the prot est movement and eventually the Revolution would have gone nowhere.\n\nVoi ce: Let the Daughters of Liberty nobly arise\, And though we've no voice b ut a negative here\, Stand firmly resolved and bid them to see\, That rath er than freedom\, we'll part with our tea.\n\nHannah Griffitts.\n\nVoice: I wish to see America boast of Empire-- of Empire not established in the t hralldom of nations but on a more equitable base.\n\nThough such a happy s tate\, such an equal government\, may be considered by some as a Utopian d ream\; yet\, you and I can easily conceive of nations and states under mor e liberal plans.\n\nMercy Otis Warren.\n\nNarrator: The political philosop her and historian Mercy Otis Warren would publish plays and poems that sat irized Royal officials with names like Judge Meagre and Sir Spendall.\n\nN o woman played a more important role in promoting resistance.\n\nTensions with England continued to grow.\n\nIn Boston\, in June of 1768\, a ship ca lled the \"Liberty\" was seized by the Royal Navy.\n\nIts owner\, John Han cock\, was the richest merchant in the city\, a prominent member of the So ns of Liberty-- and a practiced smuggler.\n\nA big\, angry crowd formed at the wharf.\n\nVoice: The mobs here are very different from those in Old E ngland.\n\nThese Sons of Violence are attacking houses\, breaking windows\ , beating\, stoning\, and bruising several gentlemen belonging to the Cust oms.\n\nAnn Hulton.\n\nVoice: The town has been under a kind of democratic al despotism for a considerable time.\n\nAnd it has not been safe for peop le to act or speak contrary to the sentiments of the ruling demagogues.\n\ nThomas Gage.\n\nNarrator: On orders from London\, General Gage sent two r egiments of regulars from Nova Scotia\, not to defend Boston\, but to poli ce it.\n\nMost Bostonians were appalled.\n\nWoman: An army during wartime makes sense.\n\nOf course\, you need that.\n\nBut an army during peacetime is a standing army.\n\nAnd if you have an army during peacetime\, the thi nking is that its only use is to turn on poor\, innocent subjects.\n\nVoic e: To have a standing army!\n\nGood God!\n\nWhat can be worse to a people who have tasted the sweets of liberty?\n\nThings are come to an unhappy cr isis.\n\nAll confidence is at an end.\n\nAnd the moment there is any blood shed\, all affection will cease.\n\nReverend Andrew Eliot.\n\nVoice: The s pirit of emigration to America\, which seems to be epidemic through Great Britain\, is likely to depopulate the Mother Country\, and leave our ancie nt kingdom the resort of owls and dragons\, and other solitary animals\, w ho shun the light\, and seem displeased at the human race.\n\n\"The Edinbu rgh Amusement.\"\n\n[Bell tolling] Narrator: The steadily rising tensions between England and its North American colonies did not slow the steady st ream of English\, Scots-Irish\, German\, and a small number of Jewish immi grants eager to carve out new lives within the North American interior.\n\ nChristopher Brown: Part of what really sets the North American experience apart is just how many European settlers are coming to North America.\n\n [Horse nickers] And they keep coming.\n\n15\,000 a year.\n\nA kind of empi re was already in view.\n\nNarrator: Thousands of new arrivals and America n-born colonists poured down the Great Wagon Road that ran all the way fro m Philadelphia to the Carolinas.\n\nThe backcountry there was already the home of Native peoples\, including the Catawbas and Cherokees.\n\nVoice: U pon the whole\, it is the best country in the world for a poor man to go t o and do well.\n\nAnd the farther they go back in the country\, the land t urns richer and better.\n\nHere\, a man of small substance\, if upon a pre carious footing at home\, can\, at once\, secure to himself a handsome\, i ndependent living\, and do well for himself and posterity.\n\nAll modes of Christian worship are here tolerated.\n\n\"Scotus Americanus.\"\n\nTaylor : Colonial America is a very Protestant place.\n\nAnd it's founded when th e norm in Europe was that whoever your sovereign was got to set what the r eligion should be.\n\nNarrator: Congregationalism was the established chur ch in nearly all New England colonies.\n\nThe official religion in much of the South was the Church of England.\n\nBut those who belonged to other f aiths resented being forced by colonial legislatures to pay the salaries o f clergymen who did not minister to them.\n\nNone were more resentful than the backcountry settlers in the Carolinas-- Baptists\, Presbyterians\, Lu therans\, Methodists.\n\nTaylor: And what they hear from their ministers a bout whether resisting their sovereign or supporting their sovereign is th e right thing to do as a Christian duty\, that will matter a lot.\n\n[Drum beating rhythmically] Voice: I was born in Boston in America in the year 1760.\n\nIn the time I was at school\, the troubles began to come on.\n\nA nd I was told the day of judgment was near at hand\, and the moon would tu rn into blood\, and the world would be set on fire.\n\nJohn Greenwood.\n\n Narrator: Shortly before noon on Saturday\, October 1\, 1768\, 8-year-old John Greenwood left his home in Boston's North End and hurried toward the waterfront.\n\nThere\, riding at anchor in a great arc\, he saw 14 British warships\, their cannon trained upon the city.\n\nBoats swarmed between t he ships and the end of Long Wharf\, ferrying hundreds of British red-coat ed regulars.\n\nGeneral Gage's occupying army had arrived.\n\nThe crowds t hat lined the street were for the most part silent and sullen.\n\nBut it w as not the history being made that impressed young John Greenwood that day .\n\nIt was the irresistible music played by Afro-Caribbean men and boys i n colorful uniforms.\n\nVoice: I was so fond of hearing the fife and drum played by the British that somehow or another\, I got an old split fife\, and fixed it by puttying up the crack to make it sound\, and then learned to play several tunes.\n\nI believe it was the sole cause of all my travai ls and disasters.\n\n[Greenwood] [Fife playing upbeat tune] Narrator: Befo re long\, the boy was playing well enough to become a fifer for a local mi litia.\n\n\"The flag of our company\,\" he remembered\, \"was an English f lag.\"\n\nThey would not be English forever.\n\nHalf the newly arrived tro ops were housed in barracks on Castle Island\, but orders from London had been clear.\n\nIt was \"His Majesty's pleasure\,\" they said\, that the re st of the troops \"be quartered in that town.\"\n\n[Man shouting orders] F or 17 months\, Boston was an occupied city.\n\nThe rattle of drums awakene d residents every morning.\n\nPassersby were routinely stopped and searche d.\n\nMany soldiers had brought their wives and children\; others courted Boston girls\, or were pursued by them.\n\n40 troops were married during t he occupation\, and more than 100 of their offspring were baptized.\n\nBut some soldiers got drunk\, robbed people\, insulted women\, profaned the S abbath.\n\nThere were brawls\, stabbings\, suits and countersuits.\n\nFrom London\, Benjamin Franklin was concerned.\n\nVoice: Some indiscretion on the part of Boston's warmer people\, or of the soldiery\, may occasion a t umult.\n\nAnd if blood is once drawn\, there is no foreseeing how far the mischief may spread.\n\n[Franklin] Narrator: On the evening of March 5\, 1 770\, there were tussles between Bostonians and British soldiers all acros s the city.\n\nAt the Royal Customs House\, a crowd of young men surrounde d a lone sentry and pelted him with snowballs and chunks of ice.\n\nConvin ced a city-wide uprising was underway\, Captain Thomas Preston raced sever al armed grenadiers to the scene.\n\nMore snowballs and rocks and oyster s hells greeted them.\n\nThey fixed bayonets.\n\n[Bells tolling] Zabin: Some body starts ringing the church bells\, which in Boston is a sign for fire. \n\nSome people are bringing buckets to be part of a bucket brigade.\n\nSo me people are drawn by the noise.\n\nIt's very hard\, in fact impossible\, to know what happened\, which is that somebody yells\, \"Fire.\"\n\n[Gunf ire] All we know really is that when the smoke cleared\, there are 5 peopl e dead or dying.\n\nNarrator: The first was a tall dock-worker-- part Nati ve-American\, part African-American-- named Crispus Attucks.\n\nThe second was a ropemaker named Samuel Gray\, who was standing next to Attucks.\n\n The third was James Caldwell\, a sailor who was in town\, it was said\, to call upon the girl he hoped to marry.\n\nThe terrified crowd began to sca tter.\n\nJohn Greenwood's older brother Isaac was there\, too\, and escape d unharmed\, but a ricocheting ball hit their friend Samuel Maverick in th e back.\n\nHe died in agony the following morning.\n\nMaverick\, an appren tice\, had shared a bed in the Greenwood home with the now 9-year-old John \, who recalled that after his friend's death\, he deliberately slept in p itch-black darkness\, hoping \"to see his spirit.\"\n\nZabin: People start arguing\, already\, even before they go to bed\, about what happened.\n\n Paul Revere creates probably the most famous engraving of the 18th century \, which he titles the \"Bloody Massacre.\"\n\nThe British Army is very an xious to try to spin this as a story of self-defense... but the language o f massacre is the one that holds.\n\nNarrator: A fifth man\, a leathermake r named Patrick Carr\, would die several days later.\n\n10\,000 mourners a ccompanied the coffins of the dead to the Old Granary Cemetery.\n\nVoice: The Fatal Fifth of March can never be forgotten.\n\nThe horrors of that dr eadful night are but too deeply impressed on our hearts-- when our streets were stained with the blood of our brethren\; and our eyes were tormented with the sight of the mangled bodies of the dead.\n\nJoseph Warren.\n\nNa rrator: Not everyone was grieving.\n\nAn Anglican clergyman\, Mather Byles \, asked a fellow cleric\, \"Which is better\, \"to be ruled by one tyrant 3\,000 miles away or by 3\,000 tyrants not a mile away.\"\n\n[Gavel bangi ng rapidly] Captain Preston was found not guilty of ordering his men to fi re.\n\nThe other 8 soldiers were put on trial separately.\n\nSamuel Adams' younger cousin\, John Adams\, risking his reputation\, served as the sold iers' attorney.\n\nMost of his clients were acquitted as well.\n\nTwo were found guilty of manslaughter.\n\nThey were branded on their right thumbs so that if they were ever charged with another crime\, they could not make a claim of innocence again.\n\nThe British government was relieved by the outcome of the trials.\n\nMost of the regulars were withdrawn to Castle W illiam-- their harbor fortress.\n\nOnce again\, American colonists had for ced the British to back down and Parliament had already repealed all but o ne of the Townshend Acts.\n\nOnly the duty on tea remained.\n\n♪ Voice: Yorktown stood unrivaled in Virginia\; its commanding view\, its vast expa nse of water\, its excellent harbor.\n\nIt was the seat of wealth and eleg ance\, one of the most delightful situations in America\, at least\, my in fantine imagination painted it so.\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\nNarrator: Betsy Amb ler was 6 years old in 1771-- the oldest child in a prominent Yorktown\, V irginia family.\n\nA young Thomas Jefferson had once hoped to marry her mo ther\, Rebecca\, but she had married Jacquelin Ambler instead.\n\nHe insis ted that all his daughters get a proper education.\n\nHe was a planter and merchant in Yorktown\, the bustling deepwater port near Virginia's coloni al capital at Williamsburg.\n\nOn Yorktown docks\, enslaved Africans enter ed America\, and the tobacco they harvested went out to the world.\n\nThou gh Betsy's father was the Royal Collector of Customs\, he and his family h ad grown more and more sympathetic to their neighbors' calls for liberty.\ n\nVoice: Young as I was\, the word \"liberty\" so constantly sounding in my ears seemed to convey an idea of everything that was desirable on Earth .\n\nTrue\, that in attaining it\, I was to see every comfort abandoned.\n \n[Ambler] Voice: Thomas Hutchinson\, Governor of Massachusetts: There is now a disposition in all the colonies to let the controversy with the king dom subside.\n\nHancock and most of the party are quiet and all of them ab ate of their virulence\, except Samuel Adams.\n\n[Hutchinson] Narrator: Fo r 2 years\, Samuel Adams kept up a steady stream of essays\, in which he w arned again and again that the lull was only temporary\, that Parliament r emained bent on imposing tyranny.\n\n♪ Kamensky: Those who have interest s in keeping the political story alive and growing\, have to really work t o keep it front and center\, to define the problem as something present in the minds of ordinary people.\n\nWhy would I care about this as a--as a w oman?\n\nWhy would I care about this as a small farmer?\n\n[Sawing] Narrat or: In 1772\, events beyond Boston gave Adams the ammunition he needed to spread his radical message throughout the colonies.\n\nIn April\, when a s awmill owner in New Hampshire was charged with commandeering pine trees ea rmarked for the masts of royal warships\, a mob drove the British official s who came to arrest him out of town.\n\n[Fireball] In June\, when the \"G aspée\,\" a British customs schooner\, ran aground while chasing smuggler s\, angry Rhode Islanders set it afire.\n\nAnd that fall\, Adams learned t hat beginning the following year\, the British Treasury would use the reve nue from tea to pay the salaries of the most important Massachusetts offic ials\, including all the colony's judges.\n\nThe judges' first loyalty wou ld now be to the Crown\, not the colonists.\n\nThere would be no way to en sure impartial justice.\n\nAdams drafted a fiery response.\n\nVoice: Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First\, a right to life\; secondly\, to liberty\; thirdly to property\; together with the right to s upport and defend them in the best manner they can.\n\n[Samuel Adams] ♪ Narrator: Printed copies of his writings were sent to town meetings throug hout the colony.\n\nSo-called Committees of Correspondence soon linked adv ocates of resistance in more than 100 Massachusetts towns and districts.\n \nEventually\, their network would spread into other colonies.\n\nSchiff: \"Committees of Correspondence\" is an effort to try to bring all of the c olonies onto the same page\, to make them feel as if they have a common ca use\, words which had really not been used before.\n\nAnd it's through tho se committees that\, essentially\, the Revolutionary spirit diffuses itsel f throughout the colonies.\n\nVoice: Let not the iron hand of tyranny ravi sh our laws and seize the badge of freedom.\n\nIs it not high time for the people of this country explicitly to declare whether they will be freemen or slaves?\n\nSamuel Adams.\n\nVoice: I need not point out the absurdity of your exertions for liberty\, while you have slaves in your houses.\n\nI f you are sensible that slavery is\, in itself\, and in its consequences\, a great evil\, why will you not pity and relieve the poor\, distressed\, enslaved Africans?\n\nCaesar Sarter.\n\nKamensky: Slavery as a metaphor is in the conversation from the beginning.\n\nEverywhere there's slavery\, t here are people thinking about freedom.\n\nNothing shows the desire for fr eedom like the struggles of subject peoples.\n\nVoice: I\, young in life\, by seeming cruel fate Was snatch'd from Afric's fancy'd happy seat: What pangs excruciating must molest\, What sorrows labour in my parent's breast ?\n\nSteel'd was that soul and by no misery mov'd That from a father seiz' d his babe belov'd: Such\, such my case.\n\nAnd can I then but pray Others may never feel tyrannic sway?\n\nPhillis Wheatley.\n\nNarrator: Phillis W heatley\, who was stolen from Senegambia in West Africa and taken to Massa chusetts as a young girl\, was renamed for the slave ship the \"Phillis\" that brought her and the Wheatley family that bought her.\n\nIn Boston\, t he Wheatleys saw to her education\, and as a teenager\, still enslaved\, h er \"Poems on Various Subjects\, Religious and Moral\" won favor on both s ides of the Atlantic.\n\nIt was the first published book by an African-Ame rican writer.\n\nVoice: How well the cry for liberty\, and the reverse dis position for the exercise of oppressive power over others agree\, I humbly think it does not require the penetration of a philosopher to determine.\ n\n[Wheatley] Voice: I wish most sincerely there was not a slave in the pr ovince.\n\nIt always appeared a most iniquitous scheme to me-- fight ourse lves for what we are daily robbing and plundering from those who have as g ood a right to freedom as we have.\n\nYou know my mind upon this subject.\ n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nVoice: Ye men of sense and virtue-- Ye advocates for American liberty-- Bear a testimony against a vice which degrades human na ture and dissolves that universal tie of benevolence which should connect all the children of men together in one great family.\n\nThe plant of libe rty is of so tender a nature that it cannot thrive long in the neighborhoo d of slavery.\n\nBenjamin Rush.\n\nChristopher Brown: Part of what happens in the years before the American War is that liberties are kind of broken out of a national context.\n\nThese are not English liberties.\n\nThese a re transcendent liberties.\n\nThese are liberties that all individuals hav e by the nature of being human.\n\n[Waves crashing] Man: Heave away!\n\nVo ice: The Americans have made a discovery\, or think they have made one\, t hat we mean to oppress them.\n\nWe have made a discovery\, or think we hav e made one\, that they intend to rise in rebellion.\n\nOur severity has in creased their ill behavior.\n\nWe know not how to advance.\n\nThey know no t how to retreat.\n\nSome party must give way.\n\nEdmund Burke.\n\nNarrato r: In October of 1773\, 7 ships set out from Plymouth\, England for North American ports.\n\nThe cargo hold of each was filled with crates of tea.\n \nIt all belonged to the Crown- chartered East India Company\, which was o n the brink of bankruptcy.\n\nTo save the company\, Lord North\, the Prime Minister\, had won passage of a new Tea Act\, designed to undercut smuggl ing and reduce the cost of tea.\n\nKamensky: It seemed to Parliament like a \"Win-Win-Win.\"\n\nShore up the East India Company\, take it more in-ho use as a governmental organization\, and give Americans cheaper\, non-smug gled tea at the same time.\n\nNarrator: But colonial merchants who had pro fited handsomely from smuggling portrayed the new law as yet another assau lt on American rights.\n\nJohn Adams wrote that immediate resistance was n ecessary because of its \"attack upon a fundamental principle of the [Brit ish] constitution.\"\n\nNo American had consented to the tea tax\; therefo re\, no American need pay it.\n\nGovernment-appointed tea agents were to b e persuaded-- or coerced--into refusing to receive any tea.\n\nIn Charlest on\, South Carolina\, the Sons of Liberty \"convinced\" an agent not to ac cept the shipment meant for him.\n\nIn Philadelphia\, the Governor of Penn sylvania talked a ship's captain into sailing back to Britain.\n\nIn Bosto n\, when 3 of the ships loaded with tea arrived\, thousands of Bostonians and supporters from outlying towns gathered at the Old South Meeting House and declared that the tea should remain on board and be sent back to Brit ain.\n\nOn December 16\, 1773\, hundreds looked on from shore as between 5 0 and 60 men-- rich as well as poor-- all crudely disguised as Native Amer icans\, climbed into boats and headed for the ships.\n\nDeloria: They dres s like Indians\, kinda.\n\nIt's an expression of what it is to be American .\n\nWhen you claim to be Indian\, you're claiming to be here\, aboriginal \, part of this continent.\n\nAnd you're drawing a really bright line betw een yourself and the Mother Country.\n\n[Crates smashing\; people shouting ] Narrator: The men banged open 342 crates and poured more than 46 tons of tea into the harbor.\n\n[Splashing] No other property was disturbed.\n\nA nd when one of the boarders was seen filling his coat pockets with fistful s of tea\, he received a \"severe bruising.\"\n\nTaylor: This is an assaul t on the property of the East India Company\, and it's an assault upon the pride and the power of Parliament.\n\nSo\, it's a very big deal.\n\nProte sting taxes is one thing.\n\nDestroying private property worth thousands o f pounds sterling\, that's something else.\n\nNarrator: In Manhattan\, the King had grown so unpopular in some quarters that royal officials thought it prudent to surround his statue with an iron fence.\n\nA law warning of the dire consequences for anyone who dared deface the statue... [Gunshot] did not prevent one New Yorker from firing a musket ball through its chee k... [Gunshot] and another one through its neck.\n\n♪ Voice: The study o f the human character opens at once a beautiful and a deformed picture of the soul.\n\nWe there find a noble principle implanted in the nature of ma n.\n\nBut when the checks of conscience are thrown aside\, or the moral se nse weakened\, humanity is obscured.\n\nMercy Otis Warren.\n\nVoice: The m ost shocking cruelty was exercised a few nights ago upon a poor old man na med Malcolm.\n\nThere's no law that knows a punishment for the greatest cr imes beyond what this is\, of cruel torture.\n\nAnn Hulton.\n\nNarrator: I n Boston\, in January of 1774\, a small boy on a sled accidentally ran int o a minor customs official named John Malcolm\, who cursed and threatened to beat him.\n\nWhen George Hewes\, who had helped dump the tea into Bosto n harbor\, tried to intervene\, Malcolm knocked him unconscious with his c ane.\n\n[People shouting] Malcolm was hauled from his house.\n\nHe was str ipped nearly naked\, hot tar was poured over him\, scalding his flesh\, an d then he was covered with feathers.\n\n♪ Jasanoff: Tarring and featheri ng is something that has come down to us as an almost kind of comical thin g because you see these people with chicken feathers on them\, but this is hideous stuff.\n\nBoiling pitch is poured onto somebody's skin.\n\nThe bu rns are unbelievable.\n\nAnd it's all part\, also\, of a kind of spectacle of violence that is a really important part of this.\n\nAnd this is why t he feathers are put on\, in part.\n\nIt's that you are trying to humiliate and shame the victim.\n\n[Shouting continues] Narrator: Hundreds jeered a s Malcolm was pulled through the freezing streets for 5 hours.\n\nHis assa ilants stopped here and there to whip him.\n\nIt would be 8 weeks before h e was able to leave his bed.\n\n♪ Voice: Boston has been the ringleader of all violence and opposition to the execution of the laws of this countr y.\n\nBoston has not only therefore to answer for its own violence but for having incited other places to tumults.\n\nLord North\, Prime Minister.\n \nNarrator: Lord North hoped\, he said\, to make America lie \"prostrate a t his feet.\"\n\nThey \"must fear you\,\" he added\, \"before they will lo ve you.\"\n\nNow that they had destroyed Crown property\, it was clear tha t much of America was not afraid.\n\nNorth would do his best to change tha t.\n\nIn the process\, he would try to end every vestige of self-rule priz ed by the people of Massachusetts.\n\nFirst\, the Prime Minister convinced the Parliament to repeal that colony's long-standing charter\, then disso lved the elected assembly again and limited each town and village to just one town meeting a year.\n\nThe port of Boston would be closed until all i ts residents had paid in full for the tea just 60 of them had destroyed.\n \nThat came to nearly 5 British pounds per taxpayer-- more than a craftsma n made in a month.\n\nIt means no ships going in\, no ships going out\, no work for sailors\, no work for merchants.\n\nIt means hunger in Boston.\n \nNarrator: British officers were also now empowered to commandeer vacant homes and barns to quarter their troops.\n\nAmericans would denounce the n ew laws as the \"Intolerable Acts.\"\n\n♪ In England on leave\, General Gage was summoned by George III.\n\nHe told the King what he wanted to hea r.\n\nThe people of Massachusetts pretended to be \"lyons\,\" he said.\n\n But if England sent in enough troops\, they would undoubtedly \"prove very meek.\"\n\nGeneral Gage was given a new title-- Governor of Massachusetts in addition to Commander-in-Chief-- and a new mission: to enforce the new Acts\, end Boston's resistance\, and demonstrate to all the colonies the folly of defying their King and Parliament.\n\nGage and 4 fresh regiments set sail for Boston in mid-April\, 1774.\n\n[Sheet flapping] Christopher B rown: The British Government sees this as a police action\, that if they c an punish Boston and shut down Massachusetts\, contain the rebellion\, tha t the other colonies would get the message and that order could be restore d with some grumbling.\n\nI think the British Government is genuinely surp rised\, um\, to see the ways that the other 12 colonies rally to Massachus etts' cause.\n\nTaylor: You are not gonna have an American Revolution unle ss you have Virginia onboard.\n\nAnd the leaders of Massachusetts understo od this.\n\nIt was not going to be easy.\n\nThere were deep prejudices bet ween the two regions because of the differences in their ethnic mix and in the nature of their cultures.\n\nAnd they hadn't previously had any kind of trust for one another.\n\nNarrator: But in Virginia\, the House of Burg esses declared a day of \"fasting\, humiliation and prayer\" in solidarity with the people of Massachusetts.\n\nAnd when the royal governor Lord Dun more declared the very idea an insult to the King and dissolved the assemb ly\, its members reconvened in Williamsburg's Raleigh Tavern.\n\nThe Virgi nians warned that \"an attack made \"on one of our sister colonies is an a ttack made on all British America\" and called for a \"Continental Congres s\" to meet in Philadelphia in September to see how the colonies might res ist together.\n\nAll the 13 colonies except Georgia-- where people were af raid to lose British protection in the event of an Indian war-- agreed to take part.\n\nThe Prime Minister's effort to intimidate the other colonies by punishing Massachusetts had instead begun to unite them.\n\n[Bell toll ing] Voice: Lebanon\, Connecticut.\n\nYesterday\, the bells of the town ea rly began to toll a solemn peal\, and continued the whole day.\n\nThe shop s in town were all shut and silent.\n\nOur brethren in Boston are sufferin g for their noble exertions in the cause of liberty-- the common cause of all America-- and we are heartily willing to unite our little powers for t he just rights and privileges of our country.\n\n[Lebanon Town Meeting] ♪ Narrator: Now news of a new offense by the King's ministers-- The Queb ec Act-- would bind them still more tightly together.\n\nJasanoff: The Bri tish decide that it would make sense to grant a degree of civil liberties to those French-speaking Catholics in Quebec in order to integrate them in to British governance and make sure that they have a population that can s ort of live with British authority.\n\nNarrator: Protestants\, who equated the Papacy with despotism\, were outraged.\n\nThe Act also extended Quebe c's borders west and south\, adding to the fury of land speculators and wo uld-be settlers.\n\nDuVal: To British colonists\, the Quebec Act was anoth er slap in the face.\n\nThe British Government is looking more and more\, with each of these acts\, like the problem\, instead of the protector that it's supposed to be.\n\n♪ Narrator: That summer\, beginning in Western Massachusetts\, in town after town\, crowds of angry armed men forced the resignations of the councilors\, judges\, and magistrates appointed by Gen eral Gage.\n\nJuries refused to serve.\n\nCourts closed down.\n\nWhen Gage learned that rebels in the towns surrounding Boston had quietly begun to remove some of the precious gunpowder every town was allotted for its defe nse\, he sent 250 soldiers to the stone powder-house in Charles Town to co nfiscate it.\n\nAngry colonists saw the raid as yet another provocation.\n \n[Horse nickers] The Massachusetts Assembly defiantly reconstituted itsel f and soon set about creating a clandestine provincial fighting force\, te ns of thousands strong.\n\nMan: March!\n\nThere had been organized town mi litias in New England since the earliest days in case of trouble with Indi ans.\n\nEvery man between the ages of 16 and 60 was expected to arm himsel f and take part.\n\n[Horse nickers] It was also now suggested that each to wn assign a quarter of its militiamen to a special company\, ready to act\ , they said\, at \"a minute's warning.\"\n\nNeighboring colonies followed the Massachusetts example.\n\n[Tapping] The Connecticut Assembly urged eve ry town to double its supply of gunpowder\, ball\, and flints.\n\nRhode Is land ordered all militia officers to make their men ready to \"march to th e assistance of any Sister Colony\" whenever they were needed.\n\nVoice: T he line of conduct seems now chalked out.\n\nThe New England governments a re in a state of rebellion.\n\nBlows must decide whether they are to be su bject to this country or independent.\n\nKing George III.\n\n♪ Voice: Ph iladelphia-- The regularity and elegance of this city are very striking.\n \nIt is situated upon a neck of land about 2 miles wide between the River Delaware and the River Schuylkill.\n\nAnd the uniformity of this city is d isagreeable to some.\n\nI like it.\n\nFront Street is near the river\, the n 2nd Street\, 3rd\, 4th\, 5th\, 6th\, 7th\, 8th\, 9th.\n\nThe cross stree ts are named for forest and fruit trees-- Pear Street\, Apple Street\, Wal nut Street\, Chestnut Street\, et cetera.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\n[Bell tolling] Narrator: In the autumn of 1774\, when 12 colonies sent delegates to the Continental Congress\, Philadelphia was the logical place to assemble.\n\n It was home to some 40\,000 people and was the most populous city in Briti sh America-- larger than New York\, more than twice the size of Boston.\n\ nThe delegates met in the newly constructed Carpenters' Hall\, hoping to d evelop a common means of resistance while still somehow remaining within t he Empire.\n\nIt would not be easy.\n\nAdjacent colonies quarreled over bo rders.\n\nSmall ones feared domination by large ones.\n\nAnd half the dele gates were lawyers\, fond of arguing.\n\nVoice: This assembly is like no o ther that ever existed.\n\nEvery man in it is a \"great man\"-- an orator\ , a critic\, a statesman--and therefore every man upon every question must show his oratory\, his criticism\, and his political abilities.\n\n[John Adams] [Men arguing] Schiff: You have a group of men who have hailed from essentially different countries\, who observe different religions\, who co nform to different habits\, who are really meeting each other for the firs t time.\n\nNo one is really sure what to do\, at first.\n\nIs this meant t o be a negotiation?\n\nIs this meant to be another boycott effort?\n\nIs t his meant to be some kind of serious rupture with the Mother Country?\n\nV oice: Their plan is to frighten and intimidate.\n\nBut supposing the worst \, you have nothing to fear from anyone but the New England provinces.\n\n As for the Southern people\, they talk very high\, but it's nothing more t han words.\n\nTheir numerous slaves in the bowels of their country and the Indians at their backs will always keep them quiet.\n\nThomas Gage.\n\nNa rrator: General Gage assured London the Congress was a \"motley crew\,\" u nlikely to achieve anything.\n\nThe \"motley crew\" included some of the c olonies' leading political figures-- Samuel and John Adams from Massachuse tts\; John Jay\, a young attorney from New York\, convinced some solution short of war with the Mother Country must still be found\; and Patrick Hen ry\, who argued that ties with Britain had already been severed.\n\n\"The distinctions between Virginians\, Pennsylvanians\, New Yorkers and New Eng landers\, are no more\,\" Henry said.\n\n\"I am not a Virginian\, but an A merican.\"\n\nBut a fellow delegate from Virginia spoke for many.\n\n\"Ind ependency\" was not the wish of any \"thinking man in all North America.\" \n\nVoice: I shall not undertake to say where the line between Great Brita in and the colonies should be drawn\, but I am clearly of opinion that one ought to be drawn.\n\nThe crisis is arrived when we must assert our right s or submit to every imposition that can be heaped upon us\; till custom a nd use will make us as tame and abject slaves as the Blacks we rule over w ith such arbitrary sway.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nEllis: Most people in 17 74 would say they're British.\n\nThey wouldn't say they're Americans.\n\nT he change happens in '75\, '76\, and the major source of it is a thing tha t's created called the \"Continental Association.\"\n\nThe Association is an engine for creating revolution.\n\nNarrator: The Continental Associatio n was not a committee\, but a phased program that forbade Americans from i mporting British goods as of December 1\, 1774\, from consuming British go ods as of March 1\, 1775\, and barred them from exporting American goods t o Britain beginning on September 10th-- if London still had not given in t o their demands.\n\nAmong the so-called \"British goods\" the delegates in tended to boycott were enslaved Africans-- whom they agreed not to import after December 1\, 1775.\n\nThe delegates made plans to hold a second Cont inental Congress in Philadelphia in 6 months.\n\n\"We must change our Habi ts\,\" John Adams wrote\, \"our Prejudices\, our Palates\, \"our Taste in Dress\, Furniture\, Equipage\, Architecture\, et cetera.\"\n\nTo make sure Americans did so\, every community was expected to establish its own Comm ittee of Safety in order to \"attentively observe the conduct of all perso ns.\"\n\nBy the spring of 1775\, some 7\,000 men had been elected to serve on such committees throughout the colonies\, tasked with spying on their neighbors\, opening their mail\, poring over merchants' records in search of suspicious transactions.\n\nMost of those suspected of failing to obser ve the boycott or who were overheard criticizing resistance were ostracize d\, their names and supposed crimes printed in the local newspaper\, their neighbors forbidden even to speak with them.\n\n[Men shouting] Ellis: Eve ry town\, every hamlet\, every village has a Committee of Safety and Inspe ction.\n\nAnd they go house to house.\n\nYou have to take a \"Loyalty Oath .\"\n\nThere's millions of conversations.\n\nAnd that's when the change ha ppens.\n\nVoice: If we must be enslaved\, let it be by a King at least\, n ot by a parcel of upstart\, lawless committeemen.\n\nIf I must be devoured \, let me be devoured by the jaws of a lion\, and not gnawed to death by r ats and vermin.\n\nReverend Samuel Seabury.\n\nNarrator: Harassed\, shamed \, shunned\, censored\, sometimes attacked\, opponents of resistance-- cal led \"Loyalists\"-- saw the Committees of Safety as more tyrannical than P arliament could ever be.\n\nNathaniel Philbrick: There was a sense of brut ality that went with the Patriot cause that said\, \"No\, you are wrong\, and we are right.\"\n\nTo be a Loyalist didn't mean that you were evil.\n\ nIt just meant that you felt a great sense of loyalty to the country that had made the prosperity that was the American colonies at this point possi ble.\n\nTaylor: The Loyalists are essentially the conservatives.\n\nThey'r e the people who believe in law and order.\n\nThey don't like mobs.\n\nThe y don't like committees telling them what to do.\n\n[Thunder] They don't s ee King George III as a tyrant.\n\nVoice: We are preparing for war.\n\nTo fight with whom?\n\nNot with France and Spain\, whom we have been used to think our natural enemies-- but with Great Britain\, our parent country.\n \nMy heart recoils at the thought.\n\nAndrew Eliot.\n\n[Sea gulls crying] Voice: If a civil war commences between Great Britain and her colonies\, e ither the Mother Country\, by one great exertion\, may ruin both herself a nd America\, or the Americans\, by a lingering contest\, will gain an inde pendency.\n\nAnd in this case and whilst a new\, a flourishing\, and an ex tensive empire of freemen is established on the other side of the Atlantic \, you will be left to the bare possession of your foggy islands.\n\nCatha rine Macaulay.\n\nNarrator: General Gage now warned London: \"The whole Co ntinent has embraced the cause of the town of Boston.\"\n\nVoice: If you t hink 10\,000 men sufficient\, send 20\,000.\n\nYou will save both blood an d treasure in the end.\n\nA large force will terrify and engage many to jo in you.\n\nA middling one will encourage resistance and gain no friends.\n \n[Gage] Narrator: But General Gage was sent far fewer men than he'd hoped for.\n\nAnd he was ordered to move decisively against the rebels and arre st their leaders.\n\nSamuel Adams and John Hancock had fled Boston and fou nd refuge with friends in Lexington\, a small town-- just 750 people and 4 00 cows-- on the road to the larger town of Concord\, some 18 miles northw est of Boston.\n\n[Drums beating rhythmically] Gage planned to send troops through Lexington to Concord\, where he had been told arms and provisions meant for a sizeable rebel army were hidden.\n\nSuccess would depend on t he strictest secrecy.\n\n[Dog barking] Late on the evening of April 18\, 1 775\, 700 British regulars were awakened\, not told where they were going\ , and silently marched through the dark empty streets of Boston.\n\nA flee t of boats was waiting to row them across the Charles River to the Cambrid ge marshes.\n\nFor all the care the British had taken to keep their plans secret\, Dr.\n\nJoseph Warren\, one of Boston's leading rebels\, got wind of it.\n\nYou don't move 1\,000 men out of Boston in the middle of the nig ht without arousing a response.\n\nAmerican rebel leaders send warning.\n\ nTwo men\, William Dawes and a silversmith named Paul Revere\, are sent in different routes to alert Samuel Adams and others in Lexington that the B ritish\, in fact\, are coming.\n\nNarrator: Before the two men left\, Reve re saw to it that 2 lanterns appeared in the belfry of the Old North Churc h just long enough to alert sympathizers on the mainland that the regulars were crossing by water to Cambridge\, not marching overland through Roxbu ry.\n\n[Racing hoofbeats] Voice: Time will never erase the horrors of that midnight cry\, when we were roused from the benign slumbers of the season with the dire alarm\, that 1\,000 of the troops of George III were gone f orth to murder the peaceful inhabitants of the surrounding villages.\n\nHa nnah Winthrop.\n\n♪ Narrator: Just after midnight on the morning of Apri l 19\, 1775\, Revere reached Lexington and the house where Adams and Hanco ck were hiding.\n\n\"The Regulars are coming out!\"\n\nhe shouted.\n\nThe two rebel leaders fled into the night.\n\n[Bell tolling] Lexington's milit iamen\, summoned from their beds\, dressed\, gathered up whatever weapons they happened to own\, and hurried to the town green.\n\nTheir commander w as Captain John Parker\, a farmer\, who\, like many of his 70 men\, had fo ught alongside the British in the French and Indian War.\n\n♪ Then\, sho rtly before dawn\, someone spotted 6 companies of redcoats-- about 250 men --approaching at a rapid clip.\n\nOn horseback in the lead was Major John Pitcairn\, a Scottish veteran with nothing but scorn for colonists.\n\nCap tain Parker knew he could not stop the British\, but he wanted to impress them with his men's resolve.\n\nParker told them not to fire first.\n\nA B ritish officer shouted\, \"Throw down your arms\, ye villians\, ye rebels\ , and disperse.\"\n\nAtkinson: They begin to disperse.\n\nMany of them tur n their backs and start to walk away.\n\n[Click\, gunshot] A shot rings ou t.\n\nNo one knows where the shot came from.\n\nMan: Fire!\n\n[Gunshots] T hat leads to promiscuous shooting... mostly by the British.\n\n[Heavy gunf ire] It's not a battle.\n\nIt's not a skirmish.\n\nIt's a massacre.\n\nNow blood has been shed.\n\nNow the man on your left has been shot through th e head.\n\nYour neighbor on the right has been badly wounded.\n\nYou can't put that genie back in the bottle.\n\nNarrator: 8 militiamen died on the Lexington Green.\n\n9 more were wounded.\n\nThe rest fled.\n\nAtkinson: Th e fact that the British have fired on their own people\, which is how it's viewed by the Americans\, causes an outrage that takes it to a new level in terms of resistance\, a feeling that\, um... \"They're killing us\, and the only thing \"that we can do in response is to kill them as quickly as we can in numbers as profound as we can.\"\n\n[Gunfire] Man: Charge!\n\nN arrator: The British resumed their march toward Concord\, now just 6 1/2 m iles away.\n\n[Bell tolling] Meanwhile\, other riders fanned out across th e countryside to spread word of what had happened.\n\nMilitiamen from near by towns rushed toward Concord.\n\n\"It seemed as if men came down from th e clouds\,\" one man said.\n\nIt was not memories of the Stamp Act or the tax on tea that rallied them.\n\n\"We always had governed ourselves\,\" on e man remembered\, \"and we always meant to.\"\n\nIn Acton\, 6 miles to th e west of Concord\, 40 Minutemen gathered at the home of their commander\, Captain Isaac Davis\, a 30-year-old gunsmith.\n\nVoice: My husband said b ut little that morning.\n\nHe seemed serious and thoughtful.\n\nAs he led the company from the house\, he turned himself round and seemed to have so mething to communicate.\n\nHe only said\, \"Take good care of the children \,\" and was soon out of sight.\n\nHannah Davis.\n\n[Gunfire] Narrator: Th e British seized 2 bridges spanning the Concord River and spread throughou t the town.\n\n[Glass breaks] They entered houses\, broke into barns and o utbuildings.\n\nMost of the arms and provisions they'd hoped to find had e ither been shifted elsewhere or successfully hidden.\n\nBut they did smash open 60 barrels of flour and destroyed several wooden gun carriages befor e setting it all ablaze.\n\nAtkinson: The decision is made by the American commanders on the scene that we're not gonna fight in Concord.\n\nWe will retreat across the Concord River\, across the North Bridge\, and we will wait for them on the other side.\n\nNarrator: By then\, some 450 militiame n were clustered together on a hillside overlooking the North Bridge\, sti ll under strict orders not to fire upon the King's troops unless fired upo n.\n\nBut when they saw smoke rising from town\, they concluded that Conco rd itself was burning.\n\nAt North Bridge\, the American soldiers\, the mi litiamen\, see this and they say to each other\, \"They're burning down ou r town.\n\nAre we gonna let them burn down our town?\"\n\nAnd that's when they march to the bridge.\n\nNarrator: 3 companies of British regulars now guarded the bridge.\n\nIsaac Davis\, the gunsmith from Acton\, was picked to head the column sent towards it.\n\nSuddenly\, without orders\, a redc oat fired his musket.\n\nThe front line of British troops followed with a ragged volley.\n\nA musket ball tore through Isaac Davis' chest\, severing an artery and spraying blood on two men coming up behind him.\n\nAbner Ho smer\, another member of his company\, was shot through the head.\n\n\"God damn them\,\" a militia captain shouted.\n\n\"Fire men\, fire!\"\n\n[Rapi d gunfire] At least 8 redcoats were hit\, including 4 officers.\n\nThe Bri tish began to back away\, then to run.\n\nWhen one wounded soldier struggl ed to his feet and tried to follow\, a militiaman split his skull with a h atchet.\n\nThe British regulars regrouped and began the long march back to Boston.\n\nVoice: Before the whole had quitted the town\, we were fired o n from houses and behind trees.\n\nAnd before we had gone half a mile\, we were fired on from all sides\, but mostly from the rear\, where people ha d hid themselves in houses till we had passed and then fired.\n\n[John Bar ker] [Gunfire continues] Atkinson: Every step of the way becomes more inte nse.\n\n[Click\, gunshot] The sound of bullets winging around them.\n\nThe sound of bullets hitting soldiers\, this deep thud\, as if you're beating a rug... [Gunfire continues] screams of men who've been wounded in the Br itish column.\n\n[Horse nickers] And it's beginning to look as though the column could be destroyed.\n\nNarrator: The British were in complete disar ray as they staggered into Lexington.\n\nBut now filling the road ahead of them were more than 1\,000 much-needed reinforcements.\n\n[Cannonfire] Tw o British cannon swept the Lexington Green\, and one ball smashed through the wall of the meetinghouse.\n\nSeveral houses were set on fire\, but the redcoats were still outnumbered and under relentless attack.\n\nThey resu med their retreat to Boston.\n\n[Gunshot] Voice: We retired for 15 miles u nder an incessant fire\, which like a moving circle surrounded us and foll owed us wherever we went.\n\nIt was impossible not to lose a good many men .\n\nGeneral Hugh Percy.\n\nConway: The retreat from Concord was a truly h orrifying event for many British soldiers.\n\nIt would have been a fairly traumatic experience\, to put it mildly\, to be shot at from all sides by people you didn't believe were going to shoot at you.\n\nNarrator: In the village of Monatomy\, the fighting was house-to-house.\n\nA militiaman nam ed Amos Farnsworth remembered entering a home to find a pool of blood that half-covered his shoes.\n\nVoice: The bloody field at Monatomy was strewe d with mangled bodies.\n\nWe met one affectionate father with a cart\, loo king for his murderd son\, and picking up his neighbors who had fallen in battle.\n\nHannah Winthrop.\n\nNarrator: In Boston\, crowds watched as the redcoats straggled back.\n\nThe British had suffered 273 casualties\, inc luding 73 dead.\n\n♪ 95 Americans had been hit over the course of the da y\, 49 of them fatally.\n\nFamily members moved along the road looking for missing sons and brothers and fathers.\n\nIn Acton that evening\, Hannah Davis and her 4 children looked on as men of her husband Isaac's militia c ompany carried his corpse through her door.\n\nVoice: He was placed in my bedroom till the funeral.\n\nThe bodies of Abner Hosmer\, one of the compa ny\, and of James Hayward\, who was killed in Lexington in the afternoon\, were brought by their friends to the house\, where the funeral of the thr ee was attended together.\n\n[Davis] ♪ Narrator: As April 19th drew to a close\, some 14\,000 armed men from 58 Massachusetts towns and villages w ere converging on Boston.\n\nAnd as the news of the bloodshed spread\, the y would soon be joined by more men from Rhode Island\, New Hampshire\, and Connecticut\, until a 10-mile semicircle of hundreds of campfires stretch ed from Roxbury to Chelsea\, cutting off Boston.\n\nGeneral Gage ordered h is men to dig in and prepare for a siege.\n\nAtkinson: The British are pre tty secure in Boston because they have enough firepower\, they have enough manpower to prevent the Americans from pushing them out of Boston.\n\nAnd they have the Royal Navy.\n\nBut they are\, essentially\, surrounded.\n\n It's not a true siege because they've got passage in and out of Boston Har bor.\n\nThey can bring in supplies.\n\nThey can bring in reinforcements\, as need be.\n\nBut they can't get outside of Boston proper.\n\nSo\, the Br itish Empire\, in New England\, at this point\, consists of about 1 square mile of Boston itself.\n\n♪ Voice: When I reflect and consider that the fight was between those whose parents but a few generations ago were brot hers\, I shudder at the thought.\n\nAnd there's no knowing where our calam ities will end.\n\nJohn Andrews.\n\nAtkinson: War never follows the script that you have written for it when you set out to make war.\n\nThe British objective is\, first and foremost\, to suppress the rebellion.\n\nIt's to teach the rascals a lesson.\n\nIt's to force them to acknowledge the prim acy of Parliament and the authority of the King.\n\nAnd so\, now the decis ion has been made that we will use force.\n\nAnd there's a presumption tha t it won't take much... but it's gonna go on for 8 years-- 8 years\, blood \, treasure\, catastrophe\, really\, for the British Empire.\n\nSo\, uh\, those initial shots on Lexington Green\, on the morning of April 19\, 1775 \, are going to have profound repercussions.\n\n[Birds chirping] Voice: Th e whole country was in a commotion\, and nothing was talked of but war\, l iberty\, or death.\n\n[Greenwood] [Scraping] Narrator: John Greenwood was 14 that April.\n\nHis father had sent him away 2 years earlier to Falmouth -- now Portland--Maine to learn cabinet-making as an apprentice to an uncl e.\n\nBut when news of Lexington and Concord reached him\, he asked to be allowed to return to Boston to make sure his parents and siblings were saf e.\n\nHe was worried that they \"would all be killed by the British.\"\n\n It would take him 4 1/2 days to walk the 100 miles to Boston.\n\n[Men talk ing and laughing] Voice: As I stopped at the taverns\, out came my fife\, and I played them a tune or two.\n\nThey used to ask me where I came from and where I was a-going to.\n\nI told them I was a-going to fight for my c ountry.\n\nThey were astonished such a little boy and alone should have su ch courage.\n\n[Greenwood] Narrator: When John reached Charles Town\, he h oped to take a ferry to Boston\, but a sentry stopped him.\n\nNo one was a llowed into the besieged city.\n\nZabin: It's terrifying to be a civilian in Boston\, regardless of your political affiliation.\n\nEspecially women and children are just looking for any way out.\n\nSomething like 12\,000 p eople of a town of about 16\,000 manage to leave.\n\nNarrator: Unable to f ind his parents among the refugees\, Greenwood was invited by 2 young mili tiamen to share their quarters in Cambridge--the empty\, looted home of a Loyalist clergyman who'd fled to the British.\n\nHis friends urged him to enlist in their company as a fifer\, and he agreed.\n\nVoice: They told me it was only for eight months\, and that I would have eight dollars a mont h\, and that they would quick drive the British from Boston\, and then I c ould have an opportunity of seeing my parents.\n\n[Greenwood] [Waves crash ing] Voice: Britain has found means to unite us.\n\nGeneral Gage drew the sword\; and a war is commenced\, which the youngest of us may not see the end of.\n\n[Franklin] Narrator: Benjamin Franklin returned home from Londo n in time to attend the Second Continental Congress that began meeting at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia just 3 weeks after Lexington and Concord.\n\nDelegates from all 13 colonies now attended\, but they rem ained split between those still hoping for reconciliation and those\, like John Adams\, convinced a revolution was now inevitable.\n\nVoice: The can cer is too deeply rooted\, and too far spread to be cured by anything shor t of cutting it out entire.\n\n[John Adams] [Flames crackling] Narrator: F rom Boston\, British General Hugh Percy sent a warning to his superiors in London.\n\nVoice: Whoever looks upon the Americans as an irregular mob wi ll find himself much mistaken.\n\nThey have men amongst them who know very well what they are about.\n\nYou may depend upon it\, that as the rebels have now had time to prepare\, they are determined to go through with it.\ n\n[Percy] [Hammer striking metal] Voice: What a scene has opened upon us. \n\nIf we look back\, we are amazed at what is past.\n\nIf we look forward \, we must shudder at the view.\n\nOur only comfort lies in the justice of our cause.\n\nAll our worldly comforts are now at stake-- our nearest and dearest connections are hazarding their lives and properties.\n\nGod give them wisdom and integrity sufficient to the great cause in which they are engaged.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\n♪ [Theme music playing] [Theme music play ing] ♪ Announcer: Next time on \"The American Revolution\"... [Gunfire] Bunker Hill... Stephen Conway: 40%.\n\nThat's horrendously high casualty r ate for the British Army.\n\nAnnouncer: a rare opportunity... Annette Gord on-Reed: In the chaos of war\, they found a way to escape their situation. \n\nAnnouncer: and the most important words in American history.\n\nVoice: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.\n \n[Thomas Jefferson] Announcer: when \"The American Revolution\" continues next time.\n\n♪ Announcer: Scan this QR code with your smart device to dive deeper into the story of \"The American Revolution\" with interactive s\, games\, classroom materials\, and more.\n\n♪ Announcer: \"The Americ an Revolution\" DVD and Blu-ray\, as well as the companion book and soundt rack\, are available online and in stores.\n\nThe series is also available with PBS Passport and on am*zon Prime Video.\n\n♪ Announcer: The Americ an Revolution caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would t ake ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the ti de of history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\nAnnouncer: Major funding for \"Th e American Revolution\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and t he Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by Davi d M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, t he Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Cata lyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Founda tions\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling \, the Park Foundation\, and by Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist a nd Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueli ne B. Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Full erton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The Amer ican Revolution\" was made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\n\n\n\n URL\n\ n https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american-revolution-episode-1-in-order-to- be-free/\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONSTITUTION\n\n\n\n Note: The following text is a transcription of the Constitution as it was inscribed by Jacob Shallus on parchment (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archive s Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflect the original.\n\nWe the Pe ople of the United States\, in Order to form a more perfect Union\, establ ish Justice\, insure domestic Tranquility\, provide for the common defence \, promote the general Welfare\, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ou rselves and our Posterity\, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.\n\nArticle. I.\nSection. 1.\nAll legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States\ , which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.\n\nSection . 2.\nThe House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen eve ry second Year by the People of the several States\, and the Electors in e ach State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.\n\nNo Person shall be a Represe ntative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years\, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States\, and who shall not\, when elected\, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.\n\n Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several St ates which may be included within this Union\, according to their respecti ve Numbers\, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of fr ee Persons\, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years\, and ex cluding Indians not taxed\, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of th e Congress of the United States\, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years\, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Represen tatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand\, but each State sh all have at Least one Representative\; and until such enumeration shall be made\, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three\, Mass achusetts eight\, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one\, Connecticu t five\, New-York six\, New Jersey four\, Pennsylvania eight\, Delaware on e\, Maryland six\, Virginia ten\, North Carolina five\, South Carolina fiv e\, and Georgia three.\n\nWhen vacancies happen in the Representation from any State\, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.\n\nThe House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers\; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment .\n\nSection. 3.\nThe Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State\, chosen by the Legislature thereof\, for six Ye ars\; and each Senator shall have one Vote.\n\nImmediately after they shal l be assembled in Consequence of the first Election\, they shall be divide d as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of th e first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year\, of t he second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year\, and of the third Cl ass at the Expiration of the sixth Year\, so that one third may be chosen every second Year\; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation\, or otherwise\ , during the Recess of the Legislature of any State\, the Executive thereo f may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislatur e\, which shall then fill such Vacancies.\n\nNo Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years\, and been nine Yea rs a Citizen of the United States\, and who shall not\, when elected\, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.\n\nThe Vice Pres ident of the United States shall be President of the Senate\, but shall ha ve no Vote\, unless they be equally divided.\n\nThe Senate shall chuse the ir other Officers\, and also a President pro tempore\, in the Absence of t he Vice President\, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of t he United States.\n\nThe Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impea chments. When sitting for that Purpose\, they shall be on Oath or Affirmat ion. When the President of the United States is tried\, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.\n\nJudgment in Cases of Impeachment sh all not extend further than to removal from Office\, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor\, Trust or Profit under the United S tates: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment\, Trial\, Judgment and Punishment\, according to Law.\n\nSecti on. 4.\nThe Times\, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators an d Representatives\, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature t hereof\; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regula tions\, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.\n\nThe Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year\, and such Meeting shall be on the f irst Monday in December\, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day .\n\nSection. 5.\nEach House shall be the Judge of the Elections\, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members\, and a Majority of each shall cons titute a Quorum to do Business\; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day\, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members \, in such Manner\, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.\n\ nEach House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings\, punish its Member s for disorderly Behaviour\, and\, with the Concurrence of two thirds\, ex pel a Member.\n\nEach House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings\, and from time to time publish the same\, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy\; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall\, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present\ , be entered on the Journal.\n\nNeither House\, during the Session of Cong ress\, shall\, without the Consent of the other\, adjourn for more than th ree days\, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.\n\nSection. 6.\nThe Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services\, to be ascertained by Law\, and paid o ut of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases\, except Treason\, Felony and Breach of the Peace\, be privileged from Arrest durin g their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses\, and in goin g to and returning from the same\; and for any Speech or Debate in either House\, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.\n\nNo Senator or Representative shall\, during the Time for which he was elected\, be appoi nted to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States\, which shall have been created\, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encrea sed during such time\; and no Person holding any Office under the United S tates\, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office .\n\nSection. 7.\nAll Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the Hou se of Representatives\; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendmen ts as on other Bills.\n\nEvery Bill which shall have passed the House of R epresentatives and the Senate\, shall\, before it become a Law\, be presen ted to the President of the United States\; If he approve he shall sign it \, but if not he shall return it\, with his Objections to that House in wh ich it shall have originated\, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal\, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideratio n two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill\, it shall be sent \, together with the Objections\, to the other House\, by which it shall l ikewise be reconsidered\, and if approved by two thirds of that House\, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays\, and the Names of the Persons voting for a nd against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respecti vely. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days ( Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him\, the Same sha ll be a Law\, in like Manner as if he had signed it\, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return\, in which Case it shall not be a Law.\n\nEvery Order\, Resolution\, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a questio n of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States \; and before the Same shall take Effect\, shall be approved by him\, or b eing disapproved by him\, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate an d House of Representatives\, according to the Rules and Limitations prescr ibed in the Case of a Bill.\n\nSection. 8.\nThe Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes\, Duties\, Imposts and Excises\, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United Stat es\; but all Duties\, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States\;\n\nTo borrow Money on the credit of the United States\;\n\ nTo regulate Commerce with foreign Nations\, and among the several States\ , and with the Indian Tribes\;\n\nTo establish an uniform Rule of Naturali zation\, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the Un ited States\;\n\nTo coin Money\, regulate the Value thereof\, and of forei gn Coin\, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures\;\n\nTo provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the U nited States\;\n\nTo establish Post Offices and post Roads\;\n\nTo promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts\, by securing for limited Times t o Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings a nd Discoveries\;\n\nTo constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court\ ;\n\nTo define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas \, and Offences against the Law of Nations\;\n\nTo declare War\, grant Let ters of Marque and Reprisal\, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land a nd Water\;\n\nTo raise and support Armies\, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years\;\n\nTo provide and maintain a Navy\;\n\nTo make Rules for the Government and Regulation of th e land and naval Forces\;\n\nTo provide for calling forth the Militia to e xecute the Laws of the Union\, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions\ ;\n\nTo provide for organizing\, arming\, and disciplining\, the Militia\, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States\, reserving to the States respectively\, the Appointment of the Officers\, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress\;\n\nTo exercise exclusive Legislati on in all Cases whatsoever\, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles s quare) as may\, by Cession of particular States\, and the Acceptance of Co ngress\, become the Seat of the Government of the United States\, and to e xercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Leg islature of the State in which the Same shall be\, for the Erection of For ts\, Magazines\, Arsenals\, dock-Yards\, and other needful Buildings\;—A nd\n\nTo make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying in to Execution the foregoing Powers\, and all other Powers vested by this Co nstitution in the Government of the United States\, or in any Department o r Officer thereof.\n\nSection. 9.\nThe Migration or Importation of such Pe rsons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit\, shal l not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight h undred and eight\, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation\, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.\n\nThe Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended\, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.\n\nNo Bill of Attainder or e x post facto Law shall be passed.\n\nNo Capitation\, or other direct\, Tax shall be laid\, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.\n\nNo Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles e xported from any State.\n\nNo Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: no r shall Vessels bound to\, or from\, one State\, be obliged to enter\, cle ar\, or pay Duties in another.\n\nNo Money shall be drawn from the Treasur y\, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law\; and a regular State ment and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shal l be published from time to time.\n\nNo Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them\, shall\, without the Consent of the Congress\, accept of any present\, Emolument\, Office\, or Title\, of any kind whatever\, from any King\, Prince\, or foreign State.\n\nSection. 10.\nNo State shall enter in to any Treaty\, Alliance\, or Confederation\; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal\; coin Money\; emit Bills of Credit\; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts\; pass any Bill of Attainder\, e x post facto Law\, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts\, or grant any Title of Nobility.\n\nNo State shall\, without the Consent of the Con gress\, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports\, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Pr oduce of all Duties and Imposts\, laid by any State on Imports or Exports\ , shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States\; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.\n\nNo State shall\, without the Consent of Congress\, lay any Duty of Tonnage\, keep Troops\, or Ships of War in time of Peace\, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State\, or with a foreign Power\, or engage in Wa r\, unless actually invaded\, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.\n\nArticle. II.\nSection. 1.\nThe executive Power shall be vest ed in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Offic e during the Term of four Years\, and\, together with the Vice President\, chosen for the same Term\, be elected\, as follows\n\nEach State shall ap point\, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct\, a Number of Electors\, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to w hich the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Represen tative\, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United S tates\, shall be appointed an Elector.\n\nThe Electors shall meet in their respective States\, and vote by Ballot for two Persons\, of whom one at l east shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And the y shall make a List of all the Persons voted for\, and of the Number of Vo tes for each\; which List they shall sign and certify\, and transmit seale d to the Seat of the Government of the United States\, directed to the Pre sident of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall\, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives\, open all the Certificates\, a nd the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President\, if such Number be a Majority of the whol e Number of Electors appointed\; and if there be more than one who have su ch Majority\, and have an equal Number of Votes\, then the House of Repres entatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President\; an d if no Person have a Majority\, then from the five highest on the List th e said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President\, the Votes shall be taken by States\, the Representation from e ach State having one Vote\; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a M ember or Members from two thirds of the States\, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case\, after the Choice o f the President\, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the El ectors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes\, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vic e President.\n\nThe Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Elector s\, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes\; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.\n\nNo Person except a natural born Citizen\, or a Citizen of the United States\, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution\, shall be eligible to the Office of President\; neit her shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attaine d to the Age of thirty five Years\, and been fourteen Years a Resident wit hin the United States.\n\nIn Case of the Removal of the President from Off ice\, or of his Death\, Resignation\, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office\, the Same shall devolve on the Vice Presid ent\, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal\, Death\ , Resignation or Inability\, both of the President and Vice President\, de claring what Officer shall then act as President\, and such Officer shall act accordingly\, until the Disability be removed\, or a President shall b e elected.\n\nThe President shall\, at stated Times\, receive for his Serv ices\, a Compensation\, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished du ring the Period for which he shall have been elected\, and he shall not re ceive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States\, or a ny of them.\n\nBefore he enter on the Execution of his Office\, he shall t ake the following Oath or Affirmation:—\"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United Stat es\, and will to the best of my Ability\, preserve\, protect and defend th e Constitution of the United States.\"\n\nSection. 2.\nThe President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States\, and of the Militia of the several States\, when called into the actual Service of the United States\; he may require the Opinion\, in writing\, of the prin cipal Officer in each of the executive Departments\, upon any Subject rela ting to the Duties of their respective Offices\, and he shall have Power t o grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States\, exc ept in Cases of Impeachment.\n\nHe shall have Power\, by and with the Advi ce and Consent of the Senate\, to make Treaties\, provided two thirds of t he Senators present concur\; and he shall nominate\, and by and with the A dvice and Consent of the Senate\, shall appoint Ambassadors\, other public Ministers and Consuls\, Judges of the supreme Court\, and all other Offic ers of the United States\, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise pro vided for\, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers\, as they think proper \, in the President alone\, in the Courts of Law\, or in the Heads of Depa rtments.\n\nThe President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that m ay happen during the Recess of the Senate\, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.\n\nSection. 3.\nHe shall fr om time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union \, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge ne cessary and expedient\; he may\, on extraordinary Occasions\, convene both Houses\, or either of them\, and in Case of Disagreement between them\, w ith Respect to the Time of Adjournment\, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper\; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public M inisters\; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed\, and s hall Commission all the Officers of the United States.\n\nSection. 4.\nThe President\, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States\, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for\, and Conviction of\, Trea son\, Bribery\, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.\n\nArticle. III.\nS ection. 1.\nThe judicial Power of the United States\, shall be vested in o ne supreme Court\, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from ti me to time ordain and establish. The Judges\, both of the supreme and infe rior Courts\, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour\, and shall\, at stated Times\, receive for their Services\, a Compensation\, which sha ll not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.\n\nSection. 2.\nT he judicial Power shall extend to all Cases\, in Law and Equity\, arising under this Constitution\, the Laws of the United States\, and Treaties mad e\, or which shall be made\, under their Authority\;—to all Cases affect ing Ambassadors\, other public Ministers and Consuls\;—to all Cases of a dmiralty and maritime Jurisdiction\;—to Controversies to which the Unite d States shall be a Party\;—to Controversies between two or more State s\;— between a State and Citizens of another State\,—between Citizens of different States\,—between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States\, and between a State\, or the Citizens t hereof\, and foreign States\, Citizens or Subjects.\n\nIn all Cases affect ing Ambassadors\, other public Ministers and Consuls\, and those in which a State shall be Party\, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdictio n. In all the other Cases before mentioned\, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction\, both as to Law and Fact\, with such Exceptions\, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.\n\nThe Trial of all Crimes\, except in Cases of Impeachment\, shall be by Jury\; and such Tri al shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been commit ted\; but when not committed within any State\, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.\n\nSection. 3.\ nTreason against the United States\, shall consist only in levying War aga inst them\, or in adhering to their Enemies\, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Wi tnesses to the same overt Act\, or on Confession in open Court.\n\nThe Con gress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason\, but no Attai nder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood\, or Forfeiture except duri ng the Life of the Person attainted.\n\nArticle. IV.\nSection. 1.\nFull Fa ith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts\, Records\, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by ge neral Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts\, Records and Proceedin gs shall be proved\, and the Effect thereof.\n\nSection. 2.\nThe Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citize ns in the several States.\n\nA Person charged in any State with Treason\, Felony\, or other Crime\, who shall flee from Justice\, and be found in an other State\, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled\, be delivered up\, to be removed to the State having Juris diction of the Crime.\n\nNo Person held to Service or Labour in one State\ , under the Laws thereof\, escaping into another\, shall\, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein\, be discharged from such Service or Labo ur\, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.\n\nSection. 3.\nNew States may be admitted by the Co ngress into this Union\; but no new State shall be formed or erected withi n the Jurisdiction of any other State\; nor any State be formed by the Jun ction of two or more States\, or Parts of States\, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.\n\nTh e Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and R egulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the Uni ted States\; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States\, or of any particular State.\n\ nSection. 4.\nThe United States shall guarantee to every State in this Uni on a Republican Form of Government\, and shall protect each of them agains t Invasion\; and on Application of the Legislature\, or of the Executive ( when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.\n\nArt icle. V.\nThe Congress\, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary\, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution\, or\, on the Ap plication of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States\, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments\, which\, in either Case\, shal l be valid to all Intents and Purposes\, as Part of this Constitution\, wh en ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States\, o r by Conventions in three fourths thereof\, as the one or the other Mode o f Ratification may be proposed by the Congress\; Provided that no Amendmen t which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Sect ion of the first Article\; and that no State\, without its Consent\, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.\n\nArticle. VI.\nAll Deb ts contracted and Engagements entered into\, before the Adoption of this C onstitution\, shall be as valid against the United States under this Const itution\, as under the Confederation.\n\nThis Constitution\, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof\; and all Tr eaties made\, or which shall be made\, under the Authority of the United S tates\, shall be the supreme Law of the Land\; and the Judges in every Sta te shall be bound thereby\, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any S tate to the Contrary notwithstanding.\n\nThe Senators and Representatives before mentioned\, and the Members of the several State Legislatures\, and all executive and judicial Officers\, both of the United States and of th e several States\, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation\, to support this Constitution\; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualific ation to any Office or public Trust under the United States.\n\nArticle. V II.\nThe Ratification of the Conventions of nine States\, shall be suffici ent for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratif ying the Same.\n\nThe Word\, \"the\,\" being interlined between the sevent h and eighth Lines of the first Page\, The Word \"Thirty\" being partly wr itten on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page\, The Words \" is tried\" being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lin es of the first Page and the Word \"the\" being interlined between the for ty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.\n\nAttest William Jack son Secretary\n\ndone in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thou sand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independance of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscrib ed our Names\,\n\nG°. Washington\nPresidt and deputy from Virginia\n\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.archives.gov/founding-do cs/constitution-transcript\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251116 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 24 10/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20251023T233123Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:563-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n One is financially wealthy\, always growing fi scal wealth based on arithmetic manipulation plus flexibility supported by the most powerful military in humanity \, but also always needing bailout s. Always too big too fail\, even though it fails a lot. \n\n\n\n The oth er is losing jobs\, losing investment\,has a balooning populace. But hasn' t led to riots\, it is holding on to hope. \n\n\n\n NYC is clearly showin g this. \n\n\n\n Eric Adams a few years ago stated New York City has a bu stling economy\, job growth is unlike ever before. But\, this article admi ts that for ten years in a row\, over one hundred thousand children in New York City were homeless. Now\, out of ten million\, one hundred thousand is one percent. One percent of the cities populace is homeless. That isn't anything to cry doom for\, but every member of said one percent has paren ts who are not financially able to provide better\, which means three perc ent. Again\, no need to cry doom but if the labor market in New York City is so vibrant\, then get the parents of the homeless children jobs. But he re likes the worse part. I know many in New York City who have what will b e called good jobs and they are moving into places because of lotteries. E very single person that gets a lottery can't afford to live in that place on their own financial footing. Then you add adults living with older adul ts\, parents/uncles/et cetera. What is the point? The strategy of building new buildings has never lowered the rent. Freezing the rent doesn't lower the rent. \nMamdani who has the lead to be next mayor of New York City + Cuomo or Sliwa trailing him \, don't have a financial plan that is viable . \nI repeat\, none of the current candidates for the mayor of NYC have a financial plan that is viable for New York City. So whomever wins will on ly be adding on to more financial chaos in New York City. \nIn defense th is was not built today\, it was built in the 1970s. I repeat in the Econom ic Corner\, the following industries in the USA from the 1970s to 2025 com pletely failed at least once\, ledgers were blood red at least once\,  bu t not one of these industries at any time went through the proper financia l result of industrial failure\, which is liquidation and sale of all asse ts to cover debts and market vacuums to filled by others. \nBanking Indus try\nAutomotive Industry\nElectronics Industry\nReal Estate Industry\nDot Com Industry\nBitcoin Industry\nFilm Industry\n\nOffline or online I recal l so many times Black people told me \, concerning a failing or failed Bla ck owned business\, they have to get it together\, they got to learn how t o play the game. \nWhile whole white industries are failing multiple time s and getting friendly loans from the federal government. \nGoldman Sachs failed everybody. That company should be under. The White Jew failed. The Film industry failed\, this is why 20th century fox was bought by Disney while paramount side discovery side warner bros are all looking to be boug ht by a holding firm. That is called failure. \n\nNow some will suggest w hite financial failure is not black financial failure and I argue that get s to the center of my point. Black people in the USA are in an environment \, where we haven't enslaved other human beings or murdered other human be ings to create generational wealth. Black people in the USA are in an envi ronment were we are telling ourselves to have an inhuman financial ability while non Blacks are literally proving themselves to be terrible at busin ess throughout many sectors but have the saving grace of the federal gover nment to bail them out regardless of their financial quality. So then look ing at Black people in the USA who are homeless\, how should they look at the USA? at their situation in the USA? \n\nWhen your black neighbor/elde r who never had the money to financially support you is telling you about having improper work ethics and a lack of intellect \, the non blacks who were born in financial safety or better are destroying entire industries w ith the ultimate safety neck\, backed by the usa military. The word inequa l is not enough for this scaling variance. \n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n URL\n\n http s://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/education/2025/10/17/more-than-150-000-nyc-st udents-were-homeless-during-the-last-school-year\n\n\n\n More than 150\,00 0 NYC students were homeless during last school year\nBY Jillian Jorgensen New York City\nPUBLISHED 6:00 AM ET Oct. 20\, 2025\n\nMore than 154\,000 students were homeless at some point during the last school year\, continu ing a decade-long trend and amounting to one in seven public school studen ts.\n\n“This is the tenth year in a row where over 100\,000 kids were id entified as homeless last school year. This is the first year it was over 150\,000 students experiencing homelessness. These numbers obviously are v ery troubling\,” said Jennifer Pringle\, project director at Advocates f or Children\, which compiles the annual data.\n\nWhat You Need To Know\nFo r the 10th year\, more than 100\,000 students were homeless under the fede ral definition of the word last school year\n\nMore than 65\,000 students spent at least one night during the last school year in a city shelter\n\n Those students face barriers to getting an education\, including difficult y getting to school and high rates of chronic absenteeism\nAmong those stu dents:\n\n65\,000 spent time living in homeless shelters\n82\,000 were dou bled up — sharing someone else’s housing after losing their own \n7\, 000 were living in motels\, hotels or otherwise without stable housing\n “While the city continues to focus on addressing the affordability crisi s\, the homelessness crisis\, we can't lose sight of the educational needs of young people experiencing homelessness now\,” Pringle said.\n\nPring le says homeless students face significant barriers to having success in s chool\, and 67% of students in shelters are chronically absent.\n\n“That means that 67% of students living in shelters miss more than 10% of the s chool year. That is roughly a month of school\,” she said.\n\nStudents h ave a federal right to remain in their school when they become homeless\, which can help provide stability at a difficult time. But the city routine ly moves children into shelters far from their schools.\n\n“Forty percen t of families are placed in shelter in a different borough from where they go to school — not just neighborhood\, not community school district\, different borough. That poses all sorts of challenges for families\,” sh e said. “Long commutes\, meaning parents can't work. They can't look for permanent housing because they're busy spending their day\, taking their child back and forth to school.”\n\nStudents are entitled to transportat ion back to their old school\, but many wait weeks for the city to set up busing or endure long commutes to their old schools\, leading them to be l ate or absent. \n\n“We hear from families\, you know\, it's mid-October \, who are still waiting for a school bus\, still waiting\,” she said.\n \nPringle says the next mayor should make these students a priority.\n\n “This can't just be: ‘New York City Public Schools\, you figure it o ut.’ It needs to be a multi-agency approach\, all working together\, las er-focused on how can we ensure better supports for students experiencing homelessness.”\n\nAn education department spokeswoman pointed to efforts the city has made to better support these students\, including more than 350 dedicated staff for supporting students in temporary housing\, some ba sed in shelters. \n\n“Education is key to breaking the cycle of homeles sness\, and we will continue to strengthen our trauma-informed\, cross-age ncy and data-driven strategies to help students and families thrive\,” t he spokeswoman\, Chyann Tull\, said.\n\nA City Hall spokesman said Mayor E ric Adams has been clear that every child deserves a place to call home.\n \n“Through tailored support in our schools and innovative programs throu gh our city agencies\, we’re working every single day to address homeles sness and ensure our students have the resources they need to thrive\,” the spokesman said.\n\nThe Department of Homeless Services says it has bee n focusing on placing families closer to support systems\, and that the ci ty was able to increase the percentage of students currently living in she lters in their youngest child’s school borough to 81% in the last fiscal year.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n From a parents mouth\n\n URL\n\n http s://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/education/2025/10/17/one-family-s-experience- navigating-public-school-while-homeless\n\n  \n\n\n\n One family's experi ence navigating public school while homeless\nBY Jillian Jorgensen New Yor k City\nPUBLISHED 8:00 PM ET Oct. 20\, 2025\n\nKezie Thomas knows what lif e is like for the 65\,000 students in city schools who lived in a homeless shelter at some point last year.\n\nShe watched her daughter live through it as they bounced around the shelter system.\n\n“My daughter was like\ , moved every semester\, and it's really messing up her\, you know? She's finding it hard to build relationships with friends\, you know. She's find ing it hard to focus. She is falling asleep because she's tired from the c ommute\, coming home at this hour. After six in the evening and waking up at five in the morning\,” she said.\n\nWhat You Need To Know\nKezie Thom as now has permanent housing — but when she was living in a shelter\, sh e often faced long commutes to her child's school\n\nWhen she was finally assigned a school bus\, the bus was often late or did not show up at all\n \nHer child struggled with the frequent moves — but is now doing much be tter attending a school close to her apartment\nLast school year\, 154\,00 0 students were homeless for at least a night. About 65\,000 students spen t some amount of time living in a city homeless shelter. Another 82\,000 w ere doubled up\, sharing someone else’s housing after losing their own. And 7\,000 were living in motels\, hotels\, or otherwise\, without stable housing.\n\nThomas and her family became homeless after a marketing busine ss she ran began to struggle a few years after the pandemic hit\, promptin g her first to crash with friends and family and ultimately enter shelter. \n\nThey were often placed in shelters far from her daughter’s school. T hat prompted Thomas to change her child’s school at least five times ove r the years she was in and out of shelter.\n\n“The final shelter that I stayed at before being placed in permanent housing\, it was like an hour a nd 15 minutes almost to get to her school. And that was a disaster\,” sh e said.\n\nAt first\, Thomas had to bring her older child to school via pu blic transit — with a baby in tow. \n\n“I'm doing my best to try to c ommute to get on the trains for this long hours\, raise up the stroller up and down the train\, some of the stations don't even have\, like\, you kn ow\, elevators\,” she said.\n\nEventually\, she was assigned a yellow sc hool bus to bring her to school. But that didn’t solve much.\n\n“There [were] many days that the school bus would not show up. They would not ev en let you know that they're not showing up\,” she said. “Then when I finally call into the company\, the bus company\, they will just take the — create the ticket number\, and they'll just do that over and over and over. And you really don't know if they're looking into the problem.”\n\ nNow\, she’s in permanent housing and moved her child one more time -- t o a school that’s just four minutes away.\n\n“She loves it. For the fi rst time in forever\, she says that she loves her friends\, she loves the teachers. She's doing well\,” Thomas said of her fifth-grader.\n\nShe sa ys her religious faith is what got her through her time in shelter. And no w\, she wants to advocate for other women in her position. She also wants the candidates running for mayor to understand what it’s like for famili es like hers — and to be accountable when the city's systems fail.\n\n “When it comes along electoral time\, you see the mayor\, the government \, everybody\, you know\, they’re campaigning\, ‘Vote for me. I'm goin g to do this\, I'm going to do that.' But as soon as that is over\, they c an't even be reached\,’” Thomas said. “These people don't even know what it feels like. I'm pretty sure they don't even know what it feels lik e.”\n\nShe described calling the bus company and getting nowhere.\n\n“ You just deal with whatever happened today\, and you just move on. And I t hink that is very unfair\,” she said. “The people that are in shelters \, most people think that homeless people are like\, you know\, bums or th ey don't have an education or they have nothing going for them. But that's not the case. Everybody hits a break in life\, you know\, and that's what happened. That's my story\, because I'm coming from a background of degre es and running a business and\, you know\, and it's a humbling moment and having to go through that. It taught me a lot\, and it just empowered me e ven more to educate my daughter.” \n\n\n\n\n Prior Edition\n\n\n\n http s://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/562-economic-corner-23/\n\n\n\n Economic Cor ner\n\n\n\n The Two Economies of the USA have a simple problem. \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11979-economiccorner024/\n\n\n \n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/562-economic-co rner-23-10232025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events /event/569-economic-corner-25/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n COMMENTS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   On 10/24/2025 at 1: 10 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing had it right in pr oselytizing that Black folks should not procreate or marry until they are at least 30 years old.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n have you or anyone else who foll ows Welsing asked her the following questions? \n\n\n\n 1) does she want the black dos population in the usa to get old and die? \n\n\n\n 2) does she prosyletize to non black dos woman\,including black recent immigrant w omen plus all non black women from wherever: who don't speak english in th e usa\, are not college educated\, on welfare \, are not thrity\, or have three or better children not to have children fr which NYC has millions?\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 10/24/2025 at 1:10 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I h ope that Black folks will find a way to build wealth despite the handicap of legacy of slavery over four centuries and obstacles built into the syst em of racism white supremacy.\n\n\n\n Black people in the usa have nonviol ently built wealth in the usa nonviolently having the legacy of enslavemen t + jim crow forcing most of said wealth to come through individual effort s. \n\n\n\n The question to you as I ask others in the this forum\, is wh at do you want from the black populace in the usa to be satisfied? I defin e satisified as a situation where you Profd no longer have a complain to t he black populace in the usa. I will ask the specific question at the end of my comment. \n\n\n\n I asked @Pioneer1 a while back\, what will it t ake for him to be satisfied\, meaning the same as you\, concerning the iss ue of illegalities\, for Pioneer continually suggest one instance of illeg ality from one individual in the black populace in the USA is too much and shows urgency. His answer was until the black populace commits no illegal ities he will have a complaint. \n\n\n\n Now Pioneer in my reading has ne ver displayed the same passion to non black or non black doser illegalitie s in the usa. His variance in approach suggest they are allowables or acce ptables to him. \n\n\n\n So Profd\, what will satisfy you financially con cerning the black populace or specifically\, the black dos populace in the usa? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted Sunday at 12:23 AM\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n \n well her death is convenient in that sense\, but glad she has those who still follow her thinking positively.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is the econ omic corner\, build more isn't a goal. \n\n\n\n How many more Black busin esses do you want to see? The answer can't be infinite\, can't be everywhe re overwhelming\, the USA is not a black country nor are the nonblacks abs ent the means to harm/destroy black business. \n\n\n\n If you can't give a count\, what about a percentage? What percentage of business in the usa do you need Black business to increase as? What percentage of Black busine ss in the usa do you want to increase to? \n\n\n\n Present goals. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Posted Monday at 04:38 AM\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   On 10/ 26/2025 at 7:54 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Words of wisdom do not die.\n\n \n\n and lies tend to live at the fountain of youth\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n    On 10/26/2025 at 7:54 AM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black financial institu tions can extend favorable lines of credit to Black start-up businesses in every major Black cities around the country. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Once su ccessful\, we can diversify into other types of businesses too i.e. invest ments.\n\n\n\n I see your goal now. At the moment\, in  2025 more black i nvestment firms exist than in decades past\, maybe in the history of the u sa \, or the european colonies preceding so from a mere growth perspective black owned financial instutitions are growing\, are greater in quantity now than ever before. \n\n\n\n So\, your goal is for the current growth o f black owned financial instutitions: investment firms\, credit unions\, b anks\, to expand ... at a rate never known in the history of the usa...\n\ n\n\n Ideally possible\, the problem with the expanse your speaking of is it needs something money can't buy. Belief\, Love ... in the usa. circa fi fty million black people in the usa today\, don't have a lot of inspiratio n. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  @Chevdove \n\n\n\n \n On 11/18 /2025 at 10:58 PM\, Chevdove said:\n \n\n \n \n our Black upper class s ectors are ignoring the poverty stricken Black population but all the whil e\, bragging about a good economy. \n \n \n\n\n\n they always have\, if you look at black people complaining about other black people it started i n the 1800s from the most well off black people complaining that black peo ple not well off had some erroneous behavior. This is why MLK jr for all o f his nonviolence\, for his nepobaby upbringing\, was never made head of t he southern black leadership conference\, because he comprehended that bla ck fiscal poor majority in the black populace in the usa have a financiall y inequal situation in the usa\, built over centuries\, that financially c an not be deemed irrelevant. People talk about money but then want to disr egard financial advantage whites have.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pr ofD\n\n\n\n \n On 11/18/2025 at 11:32 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Wh y should a homeless person want to bring a child into the world and not be ing able to provide for them?\n \n \n\n\n\n question\, do you think our e nslaved forebears should had children? based on your words\, they shouldn' t have wanted to bring children into this world far more than any other bl ack people. And I do think it is a convenience if you suggest they were no t able to choose to do so. My question is about their intent not ability.\ n\n\n\n \n On 11/19/2025 at 6:51 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n A world war won't be as many boots on the ground.  Drones and other hi-tech sh8t will be used to *fight*.\n \n \n\n\n\n no a war between usa and china wi ll have many boots on the ground\, many boots. Remember\, the wars the usa has fought since the end of the russian/usa armistice wars were never aga inst a nuclear power. this is why \, the usa will not put boots on the gro und for ukraine. it isn't because the usa can't but the inevitable clash o n the ground will swallow ukraine and lead to a true war\, not these larg skirmishes the usa has with iraq/afghanistan/kosovo and company\n\n\n\n \n On 11/19/2025 at 6:51 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Most Black folks work for white-owned companies and businesses.\n \n \n\n\n\n do you hones tly think the usa which has mostly white people in it\, will have most bla ck people not working for white firms\n\n\n\n \n On 11/20/2025 at 10:20 P M\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Power is acquired through various forms of war which according to NF Jr. is an area of human activity. \n \n \n\n\ n\n thank you for this quote. Pioneer at times speaks about black people w ith such a disdain\, it bends historical reality. If a homeless black chil d with only the clothes on their back reads pioneers words they will think they can walk into a town where no blacks exist\, or a town of mostly whi tes like nyc\,  and through their intelligence own every business \, own all the land\, in the town and non blacks will simply have succumbed to th e intellectual powers of themselves just some clearly brilliant strategy.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/20/2025 at 10:20 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \ n \n Those elders just worked hard to provide a better life for their o ffspring and figured a good education and job would make life easier for t hem. They meant well.\n \n \n\n\n\n thank you again. I have said it befor e\, Black History throughout humanity from the late 1400s to today is not simple. It isn't something for a financial ledger\, this is complicated. I t isn't failure and your wrong or failure and your stupid. I can speak for my bloodline and say\, I had multiple business owners in my bloodline and things were not and are not a simple matter of out chessing non blacks.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n On 11/19/2025 at 5:29 PM\, Pione er1 said:\n \n\n \n \n If we ARE smart enough\; then why haven't we?\n \n \n\n\n\n It is interesting you don't use the word powerful\, you use s mart\, like a chessboard game\, not power\, which is why Black descended o f enslaved are here. war is why\, war is about power. intelligence has val ue but it is a bloody mess.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/19/2025 at 5:59 P M\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n What is there to fear from someone you' re clearly superior in intelligence to?\n \n \n\n\n\n A bullet can come f rom anyone. What makes you think intelligence can stop a bullet from a foo l ?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/19/2025 at 9:32 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\ n \n \n Indians came way over from India and establish nearly a monopol y on 7/11s and motels...lol.\n \n \n\n\n\n 7/11 is a japanese firm\, it i sn't indian\, anyone can open up 7/11 s and from my eyes\, 7/11s aren't th e most popular convenience stores among black people. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/ 20/2025 at 9:53 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n But after the 60s when we had a LEGAL RIGHT to open up our own businesses and buy up property pr etty much anywhere we pleased.....\n \n \n\n\n\n did you know black peopl e in the usa were still enslaved to whites in the 1970s? Alice wasn't alon e. you make black history in the usa like a fantasy.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/20/ 2025 at 10:55 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n War is A way of establis hing power\, but not the only way.\n \n \n\n\n\n for the record\, war is the way whites europeans did it and it worked pretty well from them everyw here in humanity. Cause those other ways you talk about don't get the same results as war based on current human history. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n O n 11/20/2025 at 10:55 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n Many immigrant c ommunities have power in the United States and they didn't get it from war or mass violence.\n\n Jews and Asians didn't use war to gain the econom ic and political power they have in America.\n \n \n\n\n\n I know people in many non black immigrant communities. I have not heard them speak of th emselves as powerful. If anything I have heard of them pleading for whites to be nice to them. \n\n\n\n White jews are white people\, they do not c ount. They are part of the white collective that enslaved black people \, which is war.  White asians did use war\, Japan was the only non white eu ropean imperial power during the first two imperial white european wars ye s? china is a nuclear power\, the tides of immigration into the usa that o ccured after they became a nuclear power is based on that. India is a nucl ear power\, the indian government never signed the non proliferation treat y\, and their immigration into the usa has only strengthened since then.  \n\n\n\n Why do you think north korea/iran are doing it? why do you think israel already did it ? you think gaining a nuclear weapon isn't about war . And yes\, once a country has a nuclear weapon it changes the status of t hat country and their citizens all over the world. that is why Iran wants one so bad\, you would call iran stupid and they should focus on tricking the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n \n \n On 11/21/2025 at 11:39 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n However\, t hose who had a choice could have abstained from bringing children into suc h a world.\n \n \n\n\n\n Yeah and humanity couldn't exist today. The blun t truth is\, if every human being in a disfavorable situation chose to abs tain from procreation\, humanity wouldn't exist.\n\n\n\n I argue based on human history that the shouldn't have children if in disfavorable situatio n: enslaved/serf/refugee/or similar applies to most of the parents in huma n history so... it whlle I comprehend the logic you state which i heard ot her black people as well as non black people state before\, it is an unnat ural position based on human history.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 11:39 A M\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n A war between the US and China is unlikely in our lifetime.  I still believe such a war would be a hi-tech affair i f it comes to pass.  Not necessarily nuclear either.\n \n \n\n\n\n your correct\, no one knows the timing or the tools or the rules.  I gamble th e timing or tools or rules will be different. But... I think your rules ga mble is a better bet. usa/china at the moment is more likely to become ano ther global proxy war\, like USa/USSR where the pair use others to avoid a straight confrontation. That will definitely allow nuclear avoidance and keep their involvement a tool based on while as in the third white europea n imperial war\, most call the cold war\, the militaristically lesser coun tries involved take on huge  losses in lives that aren't touted as war lo sses between the two major powers\, though in function they are.\n\n\n\n \ n On 11/21/2025 at 11:39 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Interdependence does not absolve humans from personal responsibility and accountability.   As an adult\, we are expected to make rationale decisions.  Our surviv al is dependent upon it.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Beyond the histori c and systemic issues\, a huge part of our dysfunction as Black folks lies in decision-making\; personal responsibility and accountability. \n \n\ n \n  \n \n\n \n As Black folks\, we cannot continue to do selfish \, reckless and/or unproductive sh8t and expect positive results.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n The reality is that nobody and nothing else is goin g to save or take care of Black folks.  We have to fend and fight for our selves.\n \n \n\n\n\n Have you checked out the american revolution series from PBS which I posted? \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/week/2025- 11-21/?id=7\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I ask because as like the vietnam war docum entary or the civil war documentary or the jews in the holocaust documenta ry. Burns team don't allow philosophy to go over truth. I even argue that from the declaration itselfpeople in the usa have tried to have philosophy go over truth. Not to undo truth or speak lies but the emphasis is a hope fulness.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For me\, your opening statement in the phrase displays it fully.\n\n\n\n Interdependence does not absolve humans from pe rsonal responsibility and accountability... is a more elegant way of sayin g\, collectivism is not greater than individualism. \n\n\n\n And individu alism for me is the heart of statian/of the usa philosophy.\n\n\n\n When a black person says I got mine get yours\, that is individualism. It isn't suggesting a black person doesn't comprehend the collective situation but they are placing greater value in the individual power or role. \n\n\n\n When a black or non black person says slavery was legal\, that is individu alism. It isn't suggesting enslavement is good or positive  but whatever is under the law at a given moment allows an individuals passions or drive to act.\n\n\n\n When an immigrant today says I came to the USA to work\, that is individualism. It isn't suggesting they aren't breaking a law\, or are welcomed by the people in the usa or are faithful to the country they left\, it is saying that an individual actions are more important than a collectives laws[the laws in the usa ] \, average intent [the people in th e usa ]or average perspective[the people in the country they left]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And the rest of your argument makes \,to me\, logical sense\, if you accept that initial point. \n\n\n\n The same goes to pioneer. Pion eers position starts with \, no black individual or group has any external reason in modernity/today to be hindered. Once you start there the rest o f pioneer's points make perfect sense. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And as I have said\, i think the black populace in the usa has always had this battle ov er collectivist and individualist\, lets be blunt\,\n\n\n\n the black peop le who fought for the creation of the usa were ardent individualist. from the over ninety percent of black people enslaved to the public proclamatio ns of non blacks fighting to cede from the english empire\, no collective reason exist to support the founding of the usa BUT an individualist reaso n does exist. The usa at its infancy stated to nonblacks\, specifically wh ites christian european males\, that they have an individual freedom no ma tter the collective situation and the blacks who supported the usa saw in that the potential for expansion to all individuals. \n\n\n\n the black p eople who fought against the creation of the usa were ardent collectivist. The number of black people that whites colonist stopped from joining the english is testament to that. It isn't that the english aren't enslavers o r like blacks\, but the collective good of black people in the english col onies which most black people knew would happen if england won and in para llel the collective horror of black people in the english colonies which m ost black people knew would happen if england lost was the reasoning. And i cheap hindsight the black people who fought against the creation of the usa were correct. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As a historical note\, one thing th e documentary made me give greater value to is the variance of whites in t he english colonies. \n\n\n\n Quietly\, the english colonies were already not english. what do I mean? \n\n\n\n The english error was that\, they thought in terms of being english but the english colonies were already \" white\" not english or german or french or spanish or russian but \"white\ " . The english didn't comprehend the identity of the coloist wasn't engli shman with non english. it was in the modern vernacular\, white people. Ye s\, the wealthiest were english\, anglicans right. but the overall white p opulace was already not english\, and the proof today is most white americ ans are actually german americans not anglo americans. so yes english is t he language and anglophilia is strong but white culture in the usa isn't e nglish. \n\n\n\n And that is where the english empire made the mistake wh ich is why after the usa they ended enslavement and made the commonwealth culture\, which was designed to widen the identity of being english in the same way the usa was born with a \"white\" identity. \n\n\n\n The lesson is a mixed peoples culture even if you haven't labeled them is real once it manifest. \n\n\n\n I think in parallel\, the modern USA is going throu gh a similar reality. \n\n\n\n The immigrant populace of the usa today ha s become a multiracial body that is only human\, not white or black or chr istian or muslim or latino or anglo or sino ... they are only united in be ing human +individuals. \n\n\n\n The white populace of the usa can embrac e a white collectivism which includes today white women\, white asians\, w hite latinos\, white muslims\, which extends from the origin of the usa wh o believe in individualism\, but have a collective tinge based on phenotyp e. but said white populace is having a problem with the modern immigrant b lock  stemming from the immigration act of 1964  \, which includes white s/blacks/transgenders/females/old/chinese/arabs/nigerians/jamaicans/and al l\, who equally believe in individualism but embrace a human collectivism over any branch in humanity and that is being exposed in the presidencies or Schrumpt the mayoralty of Mamdani...\n\n\n\n But both of them represent growing factions that are willing to split over ideas. and that is where even hochul\, a woman\, shows the role of individuals or small groups in b etween the Old Wnite and the New Rainbow. I think DOSers and Indigenous pe ople are the two primary smaller groups \, not in the whites\, not in the modern immigrant. \n\n\n\n But as in the past\, need to make careful choi ces. In the past both of those groups went against the white colonist and supported the english which led to failure. \n\n\n\n I can't say whether it is wiser as a group to support the modern immigrants or white nationali sts \, I think some individuals in the Black Descended of enslaved have al ready decided who they will support in the coming internal war in these st atian lands\, however that war manifest. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 1:26 PM\, ProfD sai d:\n \n\n \n \n Exactly.  Cold wars and proxy wars between super power countries enable them to maintain the balance of power over the rest.\n \n \n\n\n\n Plus\, maintain themselves as they are limited in reach. the s o called cold war didn't happen because the usa + ussr wanted to maintain a balance of power over the rest\, it happened because the usa couldn't af ford to continue a war against an honest opponent\, the usa at the end of the second white imperial war\, world war 2\, were logistically at a limit and the ussr didn't have the nuclear option. IT wasn't strategic desire f rom either as much as logistical demand.\n\n\n\n My reason for suggesting a proxy war between china + the usa isn't that they will be in strategic l eague with each other which is your wordings allusion. \n\n\n\n Modern Ch ina was born from global imperialism\, people forget china at the time bef ore maos' ascendence had been dominated not just by White European powers but the usa + japan so many chinese and I Argue most view outsiders no mat ter who they are \, including fellow asians\, including fellow people not white european \, as untrustworthies based on their near\, 1900s \, histor y. China militaristically seems to be very wary of the kind of imperialism the usa has. They still know what full blown imperialism is and don't wan t it. They want resources but they don't want an alliance system that the european countries like to do. The chinese I argue are like a true nuclear powered japan. the japanese don't kill others in japan but they don't car e for others really\, they like visitors or tourists but not immigrants. C hina is the same\, they don't mind visitors at all but not immigrants. \n \n\n\n The USA has been looking for a replacement for the ussr since the e nd of the commonly called cold war. \n\n\n\n so \, between the USA's desi re and China's resource need alongside the chinese lack of global ambition s\,  I can see a proxy but it will not be as potent as against the ussr .  \n\n\n\n I argue the better bet for what the usa want which will serv e china better is a proxy war between the European Union and Russia. In th at way the usa + china can not be publicly labaled the active parties whil e fueling either side. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 1:26 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n To me\, it is not about placing higher value on individualism. \n \n \n\n\n\n So many black people in the usa talk ab out dubois when younger's double mind /perspective philosophy. but \, I ar gue\, black people do it to ourselves\, by how we speak. \n\n\n\n I do wi sh I comprehended why black people who clearly in their discourse favor in dividualism\, always say what I just quoted you as saying. \n\n\n\n why? I don't see any shame in individualism. I think of ida be wells\, harriet tubman\, FRederick douglass\, web dubois when younger\, booker t washingto n\, marcus garvey\, that period. So many in that period in their personal lives had an individualism\, but were so wary of saying to other black peo ple to just fend for themselves. I know many people in the black populace in the usa love the middle ground thinking. That is how many have tried to keep black homes alive when one son wants to go to harvard and the other son wants to kill whites. But\, I wish you would admit it is. It is the ne xt step. and I don't see any shame. Do I concur? no. But\, I comprehend yo ur individualism. I do. But\, why try to suggest the village is more. I th ink that is where many black people go dysfunctional. Personal Accountabil ity\, yes\, but t has borders.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 1:2 6 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n A winning sports team is a collective o f gifted and/or talented individuals.  Everyone on the team has a persona l responsibility to train and prepare to be the very best.\n \n \n\n\n\n the one flaw in your analogy is any... most sports teams in modernity \, w hether winning or not\, are a collective of individuals who have willingly chosen to work together. That is a key difference. When you look at the b lack populace in NYC\, as the cheapest example I can give. yes\, the black populace in NYC is a collective\, yes the black populace in NYC is a coll ective of individuals BUT the black populace in NYC isn't a collective of individuals who chose to work together. some in that collective have chose n to work together. That is a huge element profd\,  that ruins your analo gy. This goes back to what I meant about the million man march. The millio n man march had a collective of black individuals WHO CHOSE to work/come t ogether. The million man march was the sports team\, not the black populac e in the USA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And agan\, you mention music. Then you fu lly well know\, that a band is not just a collection of individuals\, they CHOOSE to be together. And what happens when one band member doesn't choo se to work together anymore\, regardless of the reason \, they leave the b and. You can not say blacks or non blacks choose to be together. collectiv es of individuals\, but they don't choose. when a black child is born\, ri ght now\, they are an individual in a black collective\, but they haven't chosen to work with anyone. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You like many black peopl e give whites more credit than they deserve. Alot of circumstances\, and a lot more unadmitted luck\, are part of their journey\, like all human grou ps\, which I wish non white europeans would admit more in discourse . you make them too machiavellan\, that isn't them\, they wish it was them. Mayb e black people\, especially many or most in the usa\,  wish black people were that machiavellan\, but that never happens in reality. No group is ev er that organized\, not even the falsely praised by many white jew\, ala t heir history. \n\n\n\n The creation of the usa alone proves this. If Fran ce didn't get involved the way they did the usa never happens. And the usa didn't force france of that time to do anything. France made choices. Gov ernments do all the time\, and it always plays out someway. Look at Cuba.   Cuba should be looking like somalia. Yes\, Fidel made choices\, Cuban c itizens made choices. but the bay of pigs could had led to fidel being mur dered. Maybe an assasin could had killed fidel. Maybe a general could had played the benedict arnold. these little things are not just choices but l uck. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And thank you... thinking on our discourse I com prehend now why black people like you say what I quoted penultimately. But your wrong\, whites don't do individualism + collectivism together cohesi vely. No one does. That is why humanity is as  it is now. Most groups in humanity don't allow individualism thus people leave groups and come to th e one government that embraces individualism over collectivism\, the usa. But\, the usa as the white populace in it has always proven\, from the fou nding to the war between the states to modernity\, don't do collectivism w ell. Too many Black people give non blacks too much credit\, maybe cause o f envy or frustration at our situation or a mix of both. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n I argue kemet had the best collectivism\, thousands of years in a cont inual culture\,  but they had luck too\, the tools in humanity were not a s plentiful\, in parallel\, once the age of true rulers of the nile ended\ , conciding with the era of tools:) kemet was never the same. kemet requir ed a technological naivety that they saw end with the hellenistic age and the growing white european power which is all about tools use. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 a t 3:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n There is no shame in individualism .  The key is understanding how it can be beneficial to the collective.\n \n \n\n\n\n well all philosophies have a positive or negative element. I ndividualism at its core is anti collective. Collectivism at its core is a nti individual.  for me\, individualism doesn't have to be to the betterm ent of any collective in the same way collectivism doesn't have to allow f or individualism. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 3:47 PM\, Prof D said:\n \n\n \n \n A sports teams is a collective built on individual s who either work together or find something else to do.\n \n\n \n  \ n \n\n \n Same thing applies to your labeling of tribes which I interp ret to be a collective of like-minded individuals.  They each have a per sonal responsibility to carry their own weight within the tribe/collective .\n \n \n\n\n\n exactly\, the tribes within the black populace are made u p of individuals who choose to work together\, but not the black populace overall. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 3:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \ n The Million Man March was a moment in time back in 1995.  Black men f rom all over the US came together.  They did not leave Washington DC with a plan of action and milestones to be accomplished.\n \n \n\n\n\n no the y didn't nor did the people who organized the event who were mostly black want them too leave with a plan of action or milestone which is equally im portant. \n\n\n\n I will be blunt\, if I organize a gathering in NYC for black men to show solidarity\, a Black Man March\,  and the black men sho w up and show solidarity\, then after the event if the black men weren't g uided I will say online\, cable television\, whereever\, I am to blame. Ca use in my view\, I will be to blame. The black men did their part by comin g. It was up to me to organize\, not them. I called for the gathering\, bl ack men in nyc didn't. I did\, so I am accountable. I am responsible. They did all they had to do by coming and showing solidarity.\n\n\n\n \n On 1 1/21/2025 at 3:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n In a circular way\, I t hink we are getting to Black folks having a choice as individuals to formi ng collectives.\n \n \n\n\n\n all humans have that choice\, tribalism has no bounds\, ask latinos this past two years:)  they have been given a st atian lesson in assessing the true quality of your collective\, what tribe s truly exist and what individuals are looking out for themselves regardle ss of any group\, these past two years. I think it has stunned some:) but they are young\, it takes time to gain the experience of the native americ an or the Black DOSer.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 3:47 PM\, ProfD said:\ n \n\n \n \n IMO\, there is a level of coordination among white folks t hat enables them to maintain power over non-white folks.\n \n \n\n\n\n I think the coordination of white european wealthy has been supplanted by a level of coordination among the multiracial financially wealthy \, this is partly because of china but also the various 1%'s who exist in all countr ies or all minority populaces in countries\, like the DOS whose black weal thy are a clear example\,  including the haiti's of the world.  I will a rgue\, Schrumpft ascendecny is part of this. Whites\, especially fiscally poor whites\,  in the USA who were raised on a quality in white unity in usa realize its gone\, they want to get it back but history proves that wi ll fail. Said poor whites were so busy doing everything they could to harm black people in the 1900s\, making sure the civil rights act didn't benef it us with as many blockades or harms or similars  as possible that fisca lly rich whites found a new paradigm of multiracial fiscal wealthy unity\, wich is the basis of the global economy\, thus why schrumpft is trying to go to a one to one system which will force all the 1%'s in little countri es to change as they rely on the global system or protection and products.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 3:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n That's why Chinese and Russians haven't overthrown their leaders.\n \n \n\n\n\n Your wrong there my friend.\n\n\n\n Chinese people have no r eason to overthrow the chinese government\, not one reason. The chinese go vernment absent taking others people\, absent enslaving other people\, whi le making selfish individualist all over the world fiscally wealthy for re sources or trade deals\, is second only to the usa in the true militaristi c power field. China has a single party but that party is used to infighti ng. Whereas the donkeys or elephants are dysfunctional when they infight\, leading to no laws and a stuck government\, the wings of the dragon/the s ingle party\, fight each other but the winners dictate the policy. When yo u look at Mamdani's mayorality\, it reminds me of deng xioping \, when he came about he was from a wing of the chinese community party\, he side oth ers petitioned polled\, made allegiances with important members and he gai ned the lead role and the strategy changed. China's government is of its p eople\, it isn't in the way the usa likes\, it is another model\, but it i nvites activity and grassroots change\, just not the way the usa does it.  \n\n\n\n Russia I want to say is complicated.  PEople forget russia had two government systems before putin.\n\n\n\n 1. You had the gorbachev att empt\, which I need to study more\, to administratively go into a USa styl e fiscal capitalist system from the soviet USSR system but between preside nt Reagan and Bush and bad luck it fell apart. I am certain gorbachev was right\, he wasn't trying to continue the third white european imperial war commonly called the Cold War\, but he realized that many russians were lo oking for a hard move into fiscal capitalism and he comprehended the peopl e of russia weren't ready for that. Gorbachev allowed the breakup of the s oviet union with checkoslovakia/poland and others leaving. He helped germa ny reunite. But internally the oligarchs and others were hammering led by the usa who was probably looking for russia to lose its way completely.  The one thing Gorbachev needed was patience and no one had it. The funny t hing is 2013 most parts of the former soviet union said the dissolution wa s a bad thing:)  \n\n\n\n 2.  The oligarchal Yeltsin era... I always sa y\, one of the biggest problems with how people outside the usa view the u sa's financial success\, is most seem to always cut out the raw truths of the first people and the black dosers as mandatory elements of financial s uccess. Whites were able to kill people for land. that is a huge part of w ealth in the usa. Harvard and yale have nothing to do with that. enslaveme nt is a huge part of wealth in the usa. it isn't an accident that the usa founders enslaved others while fighting for their freedoms. Fiscal capital ism always requires losers\, auto losers\, a peoples who can be abused leg ally\, not large enough to overtake the majority but large enough to leech off of. The oligarchs came in and grabbed all the natural resources of ru ssia but they didn't have a first peoples\, they didn't have any enslaved populace\, so the fiscal capitalism had imbalance. they got their money bu t the russian majority wasn't prepared for the financial blowback and abse nt the very large welfare system of the soviets which made it where rent/f ood/electricity/schooling/healthcare was all taken care of for all. Now un der the oligarchs rents/food prices/healthcare costs\, everything became a bill\, a total opening up of russia as a marketplace\, and russia couldn' t find enough abusable people to make it work. Chechnya was an attempt but it wasn't enough of them for that\, and no new land was available. I neve r forget telling a russian in the new york city\, the problem with russian s and most idolizers of the usa is when they look at the usa they see the big buildings of downtown manhattan\, or the huge highway systems and forg et the many small towns near the mississippi river with no electricity or good running water\, they forget the native american reservations or appal achain poor whites who live near toxic or radioactive waste. The usa has n ever helped all in it\, it has always been a place where many are hurt in it\, but those who are doing well give it a pass casue the money is so goo d. The oligarchs didn't have a way to mirror the honest financial assessme nt of the usa and thus putin.\n\n\n\n 3. Yes putin has installed himself. but part of putin's strength is the failure of the prior two governments a nd the reality that russia in the soviet era had better services for the c ommon person in russia. So\, putin has that reality. Russians don't want t o go back to the oligarchs. they know what the fiscal rich running things is. They hate it. Putin recognizes he has to live long enough to make the change stick\,generational. the old soviet model russia doesn't have the r esources for\, he can't provide that level of welfare. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n So you say overthrow but into what\, you think the usa is a goal? the us a is the best country in the world if one is looking at individual success \, but collective success\, the usa is the worst in the world. Even whites themselves see this now. ala Schrumpt. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 3:47 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Surely\, those wh o favor individualism will form their own tribes and/or break off and move to a country like the US that embraces it.\n \n \n\n\n\n it is a rare i do it\, but I will defend the usa and say  there is only one usa. No othe r country/government has individualism like it\, all other countries/gvern ments are managed by a majority collective\, the usa is run by a union of individuals\, not all fiscally wealthy\, it may seem the same but it isn't . The union of individuals in the usa are not connected by money but by in dividualism\, an individualist ruleset. one rule is each individual in hum anity is welcome. another rule is any collective can be harmed for the sak e of an individual. it is the second rule that many don't want to admit to .  It is the black christian alone in the church who opposes the group of blacks trying to enact revenge\, it is the rich white man who leeches off of all others. It is the native american who joins the us military while their peers roam the usa as stateless. Individuals are the key\, the moder n immigrants are all people who left their larger populaces for their indi vidual benefit. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n \n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 5:53 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n My point was that in both China and Russia\, the people have no reason or desire t o overthrow or kick out their leaders because as a mostly homogeneous soci ety\, they are apparently fine with their governance.\n \n \n\n\n\n but a re they mostly homogenous? \n\n\n\n I have never lived in either country but I know Russia has gypsies/cossasks/turks/mongolians/chechyans/ and man y others not just the descendents of the rus or vandals. \n\n\n\n They ma y not be phenotpyically as variant but they are culturally variant.\n\n\n\ n China is mostly han chinese but. the ugyars the tibetans the various sou th east asian peoples whom the chinese government officially recognizes. M aybe phenotypically similar but are culturally variant.\n\n\n\n For me the reasons are not because either country is homogenous but that the governm ental reasons i stated\n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 5:53 PM\, ProfD said:\ n \n\n \n \n Therein lies the reason the US is considered the great exp eriment and a melting pot. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n In its 250 yea rs of existence\, this patch quilt country consisting of people from all o ver the globe has become the most powerful nation on the planet.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Seems far more people want to immigrate to the US ve rsus those who want to leave.😁😎\n \n \n\n\n\n haha you use sweet wo rds for the usa. I prefer the words the anamoly. and bent rainbow. If anyt hing what the usa is experiencing today/2025  is the first true melting. the usa before was merely a bent rainbow\, never really mixing but jumbled in.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n anyway:) \n\n\n\n Yes\, it has become the most po werful. Alot of that militaristic truth has little to do with its governme nt or its demographic composition and more to do with england's influence in the usa historically\, its geography which is underrated by many. the u sa borders two oceans\, that saved the usa from many conflicts when it did n't have the military to battle anyone. I will be blunt\, if the usa was c loser to england\, it doesn't cede. it is that simple. but barring all the luck and it had a lot. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lastly... that has always bee n true\, remember\, the USA at the time of its founding while legally an e nglish domain\, was in truth\, a white european domain. White europeans no t just in england/but in france/spain/portugal/holland/germany/italy all s aw the usa as this mythic land \, a myth that non whites like yourself per petuate with your language. France/Portugal/Spain all had domains larger d omains but for them\, this was a pure money thing. take as much as you can \, put it on a boat and send it to europe. \n\n\n\n England\, the parent of the usa\, was the one who said lets let whole families of the criminal/ poor/wicked of england come to the english north american colonies and onc e said whites realized all you had to do was kill a native american commun ity and land is yours well... all of europe wanted it. and so all of europ es peasants came. \n\n\n\n When people like you say how so many come to t he usa and so few want to leave... as if the usa wasn't really a murdering violent land grab for whites from 1492 to the early 1900s. Hawaii was the last state and its indigenous were killed and their lands were taken. yea h\, people do love coming to the usa\, ask the native american\, they know all about it. And as for the non white europeans who have come more stron gly over the years\,well  traitors really. And humanity is always full of benedict arnolds. \n\n\n\n so yeah. as for leaving it. \n\n\n\n The onl y populace that in majority wanted to leave was Black DOSers and white peo ple wouldn't allow that until the day in which Black people just succumbed to white control. Remember Black people tried hard to leave the usa befor e the 1900s many times but white people were serious about us not leaving. so please remember\, your words make it seem... I admit as one who has tu tored black children I realize sadfully that many things black adults say when it comes to our populace are just not adequate for black children to read or hear because they are lies or unevens\, which really setup black c hildren to have to relearn later the truth and I despise that. \n\n\n\n W hen black people whose parents are business owners say they didn't know ce rtain things about the black populace in the usa\, I always think to mysel f\, the parents lied for a reason and when I think you and pioneer and oth ers in this forum in all earnest I comprehend why their parents sounded li ke you two. I get why. I oppose it and I am thankful my black parents rais ed me in a house of truth\, even if the truth isn't pleasant or convenient .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But yeah\, the usa is the king country today\, withou t question. And when the usa dies and it will die one day because all thin gs die\, there are no exemptions\, it will be remembered better than it de serves and the reason why is because what the future will focus on as the future usually does isn't the holistic truth\,[this si why people speak of rome the way they do\, empires are never remembered for their cruelty\, t heir deliverances of pain\, they are remembered all the positives they did which are small drops to the negatives they performed over whole peoples who are dead] it isn't the long history books written by the acolytes or d escendents or relations of Richard Murray \, no it will be the quaint stat ements\, the quaint positions. \n\n\n\n And I think the function of the u sa is good for all other countries. I call it fidel's law\, send the usa y our traitors\, your schemers\, your liars\, your beggars\, you murderers\, your filth. Send the usa all the Me-ist . It is better for communities to get rid of dangerous individualist. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMME NT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 7:45 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n In other words\, they would do th e VERY OPPOSITE of what Charlie Kirk did.\n \n \n\n\n\n was MLK  jr unin telligent? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 7:45 PM\, Pioneer1 sa id:\n \n\n \n \n You have HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of Black people still l egally enslaved in America's prison system.\n \n \n\n\n\n so if slavery n ever ended then why did you suggest some time in the 1960s was some turnin g point?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 7:45 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\ n \n\n \n \n Were the CONDITIONS the same as when the White Europeans w ent to war?\n \n \n\n\n\n yes \, war is always the same really. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 7:45 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n a sign of h umility and intelligence.\n\n They know who's buttering their bread in A merica and they're kissing to them.\n \n \n\n\n\n that's humility and int elligence to you\, ok:)\n\n\n\n \n On 11/21/2025 at 7:45 PM\, Pioneer1 sa id:\n \n\n \n \n How does any of this disprove or contend with anything I've said?\n \n \n\n\n\n to bad you don't compehend\, maybe one day you will\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 11:16 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n We've had freedom of choice and agency over our bodies for a couple centuries.\n \n \n\n\n\ n that isn't true in the usa. 1980 was when slavery ended in the usa. it i sn't about the laws it is about the environment. The great tragedy of tuls a in my view is that black people living today will say the black people d uring tulsa's time were free\, but that is freedom? yeah start business\, go to college\, and at any moment the white populace could wipe you out an d every single municipal level from the federal government to tulsa city c ouncil would be in on the coverup. that's freedom? we weren't free in our choices. MLK said it best himself. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/202 5 at 11:16 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Even animals know how to preve nt their offspring from a life of of pain and/or suffering. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n A mother will euthanize those incapable of surviving on their own. A father will do the same thing.\n \n \n\n\n\n what non human s are you referring to? nonhumans trust nature to do that. they don't do t hat. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 11:45 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n \n \n \n Rhetorically\, I wonder what happened to any additional offspr ing and the parents.\n \n \n\n\n\n I know exactly what happened\, in one of my posts posted or one I have set up but haven't had time to share\, th e chinese government allowed the sale of the extra children illegally\, me aning illegal in chinese law like when the usa federal government allows i llegal immigration\,  through traffickers who made a fortunes selling chi nese kids to white people all over the world\, who were not orphans. \n\n \n\n The chinese government shut the majority of traffikers down\, using s ome of the biggest offenders as scapegoats\, ala madoff in the usa similar ly PLUS opening up the child allowance.  To me the traffikers made the mi stake of thinking this would last forever. that is a foolish hustle to thi nk will last forever. I know that in eastern europe the traffiking of blon des is big to all the rich asians who are looking for.. various things\, b ut they don't go too far\, or the governments will step in. The government s already know all the crimes but they all allow certain levels of all cri mes under a cap or within some limit. Some chinese traffikers got too gree dy\, were too confident governments wouldn't step in. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Chevdove \n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 11:17 AM\, Chevdove said:\n \n\n \n \n You are not the only Black American that thinks in this way\, so collectively\, yes this kind of belief does hurt us\, imo.\n \n \n\n\n\n Well the issue is centrism. Many\, not most\, black people want to be cen trists. It is the old adage\, I married a white woman\, went to harvard\, live in the hamptons\, but I am blacker than black still. Many Black peopl e in the usa\, and definitely descended of enslaved fear the internal sham e\, not external\,  of being a white agent.  \n\n\n\n The slave revolts prove\, most black people have a distrust of black people who have a posi tive or more positive relationship with whites or the usa  but how else c an a black person succeed in the usa absent a positive relationship with t he usa or whites:) \n\n\n\n So\, it becomes an impossible task. But one m any black people venture to\, and thus modernity. \n\n\n\n As I have said in this forum many times\, most black people want black betterment but th e problem is the intricacies of how said black betterment is defined. As f rederick Douglas said\, \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Profd + Pioneer say today. It isn't a new thing. The problem is\, nonblack peoples actions have alway s made it very challenging for a majority of blacks to trust nonblacks or the usa. And absent trust to non blacks or the usa\, a black person tryin the middle will never be trusted by most blacks. \n\n\n\n This is why I t ry to emphasize black people in tribes do more in those tribes. Cause most in any tribe are similar thinking so the trust is there. If a black athei st goes to a black church it will be very hard to regale on anything. \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 1:2 6 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n As it relates to procreation\, it has b een over 200 years since Black folks were forced to breed to children.\n \n \n\n\n\n but black people were enslaved to whites outside the incarcera tion system in the 1970s\, they were forced to breed... ok\, you can argue it was illegal by whites at that time but it was happening\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 1:26 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Among cert ain animals\, after giving birth\, the mother will look over her offspring . If she deems that it is incapable of survival\, she will euthanize it.\n \n \n\n\n\n which ones\, i want to know\, please educate\, cause i don't recall any that do that. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/23/2025 at 1:26 PM\, ProfD s aid:\n \n\n \n \n Right. If/when I'm in a church or religious setting f or whatever reason\, I don't offer anything. Now\, if they ask what I thin k...it's on and popping.🤣😎\n \n \n\n\n\n hahaha part of  me will l ike to see that scenario\, from a distance:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\ n\n\n\n I love that you quoted an incomplete statement:) convenient\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n @ProfD Alice was in the 1960s. By her own ad mittance she wasn't alone. The white man who owned her wasn't the only whi te person acting just like he was. She admitted children and adults were p art of the group of enslaved blacks. \n\n\n\n I don't have photographs or listings to prove. I don't have and will more than likely never have ledg er-man what you need to prove the obvious truth. I wish I did have photogr aphs. I don't have the money to perform investigative reporting for all th e incidents of slavery in the usa after the civil rights act of 1963\, for whichever ones records haven't been completely destroyed by now. Hell\, e veryone in New York city knows some white jewish women are enslaved to the ir husbands in 2025. \n\n\n\n When that latino guy could have three women in a basement and a child that was born from one of his rapes \, be disco vered circa 2010 or something by the merest chance\, not law enforcement w ork. I know\, absent any proof\,  post Alice in the 1970s other black peo ple were enslaved. I trust the genocide of the usa. I trust the enslavemen t of the usa. I trust the legal criminality of the usa. I trust the paper trail protecting of crimes of the usa. I trust the true nature of the usa.  \n\n\n\n So to your question\, I can provide nothing. Your 100% correct. And as said elsewhere our experiences give us different perspectives. \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n 24 min utes ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n 1) how they got away with it\n \n \n\n\n\n You know part of how already. The full how requires details \, in this case more than likely very lost\, even though cases like this have s ome pattern. Alice's case at the least explains what you already know in p art.\n\n\n\n USA is a very large country geographically\, a person with la nd in a remote place that does enough to sate the taxation or real estate bureaucracy will not be bothered by other municipal agencies unless someth ing like a highway or big project involves said land. Again\, Castro prove s how very possible this is in 1970s. He kidnapped white women in 2003 to 2004 and kept them till 2014. that is ten years. And these are women who a re not born enslaved. And the only reason he got caught was he made a mist ake of leaving his door open and it wasn't a test but he forgot and then o ne went to neighbors with her daughter she had in captivity. Which means t hat white girl was born enslaved like Alice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/Ariel_Castro_kidnappings  In the 1970s NYC had a famous couple of rich white guys who were recluse. Their financial situation was settled so the y just lived in a mansion. No one bothered them. The government knew throu gh taxes or et cetera they were there but if they had a child in that hous e\, who would know? Unless someone saw them take a child in and report it \, who would know in the 1970s? Today in 2025 I argue it is significantly harder to live unseen so to speak but in 1970s. And I will add\, if a whit e man had a black family and killed them 1975\, who would know? He could b ury the bodies\, countryside will swallow them. He could get old and die a nd no one will know. If the blacks were born enslaved like Alice\, no miss ing persons. Law enforcement will not suspect or bother a white man in the countryside\, unless said white man abducts someone or government needs t he land.  \n\n\n\n Enslaved black people \, born enslaved\, can't read o r write\, Alice couldn't. All the other black people around her were simil ar. These weren't black people who were working in a mill or going home fr om working at a hospital and grabbed and became this\, these black people were always enslaved. That is born enslaved which means some poor black wo man had a baby enslaved circa 1940s while black people are fighting for th e USA during the commonly called world war 2. Alice had to have a mother. If a house is remote enough\, a car/boat/train may be heard but not seen. 1970s air travel was far from what it is today. What would enslaved people think an airplane is? If their white master calls it the devil or an ange l\, how could they prove otherwise\, since they are enslaved. \n\n\n\n Th e power of people in the usa naysaying or covering negativities concerning the usa aside no proof that can dispel their position. In my life\, many Blacks + nonblacks in the usa have one thing in common. They are excusers for the usa and can do it cause so many of their positions have no proof at least easily available. In the vietnam war documentary\, soldiers at vi etnam admitted they saw fingers of people worn as necklaces\, were fired u pon by usa air force. Did many missions in cambodia which was supposed to not happen. Saw tons of very negative acts committed to unarmed people. Bu t\, no photos\, no transcripts. A soldier in that same documentary said he saw no criminal behavior whatsoever from us soldiers. Of course\, no one has proof that can dispute him so... To this day in NYC\, some people blac k + nonblack still say Black people burned the bronx\, which is a 100% lie . I happen to know for sure that people in the street knew it was whites\, I argue white jews since they owned the buildings and reaped the money fr om insurance. Today most accept it was whites but no proof exist. And many black people in NYC in the 1970s literally believed black people burned t heir own buildings they lived in\, all based on news reporting which itsel f was based on rigged phone calls or just general negative bias or some ag enda. But no proof to anything so... I remember when I told people black t owns in the 2000s had no running water. And many didn't believe cause it w as just me talking. Showed articles then belief. But to be blunt\, the art icles didn't have photographs. I bet many people think twenty five years l ater\, no black town like that exist in the usa. they need proof again. An d that maintains the cycle of naysaying usa's negativities.\n\n\n\n You kn ow how. Everybody black in the usa in their minds\, where the truth may be covered but never dead or nonexistent\,  know how. It isn't a pretty tal e.  Obama was born 1961 which means the real life Black woman Alice is ba sed on was enslaved when Obama future president of the USA was born. Alice was enslaved during the time of the march on washington. MLK jr was plead ing for all in the USA to judge by content of character not color of skin while a white man was daily raping a black woman whom was born enslaved.  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Jimmy Cliff born 1944 DTSTAMP:20251125T045627Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:602-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Love Jimmy Cliff\, did it all. stayed jamaican.. black st ar:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Reggae Night\n\n written by La T oya Jackson+ Amir Bayyan\n\n Lyrics\n\n\n\n Yeah\, man\, Reggae night\nYou live and you love\nSo turn on your light\nMake it shine bright\nNow liste n to this\nJam it\nReggae night\nWe come together when the feeling's right \nReggae night\nAnd we'll be jamming till the morning light\nMmm\, hmm\, o h\, oh\nPenny Reel just called\nGot to get my things\, got to catch this r ide\nGot to look my best\nCause I know they'll be mashing it up tonight\nM mm\, hmm\, oh\, oh\nReggae night\nWe come together when the feeling's righ t\nReggae night\nAnd we'll be jamming till the morning light\nMmm\, hmm\, oh\, oh\nYou will find it happens only once a year\nSo don't miss out on t his session here\, oh\nThere'll be people coming from the North and South and East and West\nSo you better look your best\, man\nNow lightning strik es at eight\nSo you better not be late\nFor this rub-a-dubbing\, rockin'\n Jammin'\, fun\, fun loving\, yeah\nReggae night\nWe come together when the feeling's right\nMmm\, hmm\, oh\, oh\nReggae night\nAnd we'll be jamming til the morning light\nYou will find it happens only once a year\nSo take advantage of this festive cheer\nMake we bring we family\nAnd let's tell s ome friends\nAnd everyone will have a jam\, jam session\nOoh\, yeah\nComin ' out\nRibbit\nVery nice style\nRam it\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nRe ggae night\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nKeep on rockin' down\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nRegg ae night\nReggae night\nWe come together when the feeling's right\nMmm\, h mm\, oh\, oh\nReggae night\nAnd we'll be jamming till the morning light\nM mm\, hmm\, oh\, oh\nReggae night\nWe come together when the feeling's righ t\nMmm\, hmm\, oh\, oh\nReggae night\nAnd we'll be jamming till the mornin g light\nMmm\, hmm\, oh\, oh\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nReggae night \nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh\nReggae night\nOh ohoh (Ram it\, jam it)\ nOh ohoh (Whoo\, yeah\, yeaht)\nOh ohoh (Hoo)\nOh ohoh (Yeah)...\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Uh24QiJUI\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sufferin in the land\n\n written by Jimmy Cliff\n\n Lyrics\n\n\n\n (Jimmy Cliff)\nDa-da-dai-dai\, da-da-dai\, da-da-dai ...\nS uffering in the land\nIt is plain to see we're in a terrible situation\nSu fferin' in the land\nNearly half of the world on the verge of starvation\n Sufferin' in the land\nAnd the children are crying for more education\nSuf ferin' in the land\nLet's singin'\nDa-da-dai-dai ...\nSuffering in the lan d\nThe rich get richer and the poor get poorer\nSufferin' in the land\nEve rything's gettin' higher and the time gettin' tougher\nSufferin' in the la nd\nThey're making guns and bombs to set the world on fire\nSufferin' in t he land\nI'm singin'\nDa-da-dai-dai ...\nSuffering in the land\, Lord\nDa- da-dai-dai ...\nSuffering in the land\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=j1h6OR60dBk\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Many Rivers to Cros s\n\n written by Jimmy Cliff\n\n Lyrics\n\n\n\n Many rivers to cross\nBut I can't seem to find my way over\nWandering\, I am lost\nAs I travel along the white cliffs of Dover\nMany rivers to cross\nAnd it's only my will th at keeps me alive\nI've been licked\, washed up for years\nAnd I merely su rvive because of my pride\nBut the loneliness won't leave me alone\nIt's s uch a drag to be on your own\nMy woman left and she didn't say why\nWell\, I guess I have to try\nMany (many) rivers to cross (rivers to cross)\nBut just where to begin? I'm playing for time\nThere'll be times (many) I fin d myself (rivers to cross)\nThinking of committing some dreadful crime\nYe s\, I got many (many) rivers to cross (rivers to cross)\nBut I can't seem to find my way over\n(I've got) wandering\, I am lost (many rivers to cros s)\nAs I travel along the white cliffs of Dover\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjW5f7i5EwE\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n You Can Get It If You Really Want\n\n written by Jimmy Cliff\n\n Lyrics\ n\n\n\n You can get it if you really want\nYou can get it if you really wa nt\nYou can get it if you really want\nBut you must try\, try and try\nTry and try\nYou'll succeed at last\nHm-hm-mm\nLook here\nPersecution you mus t bear\nWin or lose\, you've got to get your share\nGot your mind set on a dream (oh)\nYou can get it\, though harder they seem now\nYou can get it if you really want\nYou can get it if you really want\nYou can get it if y ou really want\nBut you must try\, try and try\nTry and try\nYou'll succee d at last\nI know it\nListen\nRome was not built in a day\nOpposition will come your way\nBut the hotter the battle you see (oh-oh)\nIt's the sweete r the victory\, now\nYou can get it if you really want\nYou can get it if you really want\nYou can get it if you really want\nBut you must try\, try and try\nTry and try\nYou'll succeed at last\nYou can get it if you reall y want\nYou can get it if you really want\nYou can get it if you really wa nt\nBut you must try\, try and try\nTry and try\nYou'll succeed at last\n( You can get it if you really want) I know it\n(You can get it if you reall y want) don't I show it?\n(You can get it if you really want) so don't giv e up now\n(You can get it if you really want)\nKeep on trying\n\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg7qsW8qboE\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n The Harder They Come\n\n written by Jimmy Cliff\n\n Lyrics\n\n \n\n Well\, they tell me of a pie up in the sky\nWaiting for me when I die \nBut between the day you're born and when you die\nThey never seem to hea r even your cry\nSo as sure as the sun will shine\nI'm gonna get my share now\, what's mine\nAnd then the harder they come\nThe harder they fall\, o ne and all\nOoh\, the harder they come\nThe harder they fall\, one and all \nWell\, the oppressors are trying to keep me down\nTrying to drive me und erground\nAnd they think that they have got the battle won\nI say forgive them Lord\, they know not what they've done\n'Cause\, as sure as the sun w ill shine\nI'm gonna get my share now\, what's mine\nAnd then the harder t hey come\nThe harder they fall\, one and all\nOoh\, the harder they come\n Harder they fall\, one and all\nAnd I keep on fighting for the things I wa nt\nThough I know that when you're dead you can't\nBut I'd rather be a fre e man in my grave\nThan living as a puppet or a slave\nSo as sure as the s un will shine\nI'm gonna get my share now\, what's mine\nAnd then the hard er they come\nThe harder they fall\, one and all\nOoh\, the harder they co me\nHarder they fall\, one and all\nHey\, the harder they come\nThe harder they fall\, one and all\nHey\, the harder they come\nThe harder they fall \, one and all\nHey\, the harder they come\nThe harder they fall\, one and all\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vyoVstgJgE\n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Wonderful World\, Beautiful People\n\n written by Ji mmy Cliff\n\n Lyrics\n\n\n\n Hey\, yeah\, wonderful world\, beautiful peop le\nYou and your girl\, things could be pretty\nBut underneath this\, ther e is a secret\nThat nobody can repeat\nTake a look at the world\nAnd the s tate that it's in today\nI am sure you'll agree\nWe all could make it a be tter way\nWith our love put together\nEverybody learn to love each other\n Instead of fussing and fighting\nCheating\, backbiting\nScandalizing and h ating\nBaby\, we could have a\nWonderful world\, beautiful people\nYou and your girl\, things could be pretty\nBut underneath this\, there is a secr et\nThat nobody can repeat\, yeah you know\nMan and woman\, girl and boy\n Let us try to give a helping hand\nThis I know and I'm sure\nThat with lov e we all could understand\nThis is our world\, can't you see?\nEverybody w ants to live and be free\nInstead of fussing and fighting\nCheating backbi ting\nScandalizing and hating\nYeah\, we could have a\nWonderful world\, b eautiful people\nYou and your girl\, things could be pretty\nBut underneat h this\, there is a secret\nThat nobody can repeat\nYeah\, yeah\, now\nTal king 'bout the\nWonderful world\, beautiful people\nYou and your girl (tak ing 'bout you)\, things could be pretty (taking 'bout me)\nWonderful world (taking 'bout me solely)\, beautiful people (apparently someday)\nWonderf ul world (we all could do)\, beautiful people (end with singing)\nWonderfu l world (have a little bit of now)\, beautiful people (do what you can)\nW onderful world (have a little bit of now)\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://you tu.be/zCJYl9Irayk?si=2HM0EF6e05Ww_fN6\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE HARD ER THEY COME\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzCv8-AJywc\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Directed by Perry Henzell\nWritten by \nPerry Henzell\n Trevor D. Rhone\nProduced by \nPerry Henzell\nUncredited:\nChris Blackwell \nStarring Jimmy Cliff\nCinematography \nPeter Jessop\nDavid McDonald\nFra nklyn St. Juste\nEdited by \nReicland Anderson\nJohn Victor-Smith\nRichard White\nMusic by \nJimmy Cliff\nDesmond Dekker\nThe Slickers\nThe Maytals\ nProduction\ncompany \nInternational Films Inc.\nDistributed by New World Pictures\nRelease dates \n5 June 1972 (Kingston\, Jamaica)[1]\n1972 (VIFF) \n8 February 1973 (United States)\nRunning time 109 minutes[2]\nCountry Ja maica\nLanguages \nJamaican English\nJamaican Patois\nBudget J$400\,000[3] or $150\,000[4]\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n Jimmy Cliff was in a film called Club Pa radise 1986 directed by Harold Ramis aka Egon from Ghostbusters\n\n https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Paradise\n\n\n\n Ramis said\, \"We thought Cl ub Paradise had a good chance at the box office. But we were the fourth Ca ribbean comedy out that year\, and none of them did any business. The cast ing ended up being diametrically opposed to what was intended. It was inte nded for Bill Murray and John Cleese\, with Bill as the laid-back guy and Cleese as the over-the-top guy\, and we ended up with Robin Williams and P eter O'Toole\, with O'Toole as the laid-back guy and Robin the over-the-to p guy. The polarities shifted\, and it was probably not as interesting or as solid as it might have been if Bill and Cleese were there.\"\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250730 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ororo Munroe Coolbeaniebabez gif DTSTAMP:20251125T042539Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:601-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Ororo Munroe Coolbeaniebabez gif\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https ://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/OroroMunroeCoolbeaniebabezgif-12680084 42\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251124 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 27 11/12/2025 DTSTAMP:20251113T025535Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:586-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner 27\n\n\n\n \n\n The New York City busines sman in SChrumpft\n\n\n\n The office of the president has a statistical ar m whose sole purpose is to keep the president \, whomever it is\, informed on the numbers. Now I have always said Schrumpft isn't elephant or donkey and this interview is the proof. He is an independent. Financially\, if S chrumpft is independent than both parties have misplayed him. The elephant s have been waiting on him to fall on his face\, but his original premise that he had in the elephant primary still holds true. In said primary he s aid\, everyone else is a liar and he will shake things up. He never promis ed to bring back the agrarian society or make job markets of gold. The don keys have been waiting on him to fold\, but they keep miscalculating they are the more engaged party when it comes to overall voting or multiracial participation so waiting for schrumpft to flinch or fall exposes the weakn ess in the donkeys collective which is its huge size. ala https://aalbc.c om/tc/events/event/584-the-shutdown-ends-potentially/  . \n\n Schrumpft has in his blurting way exposed problems in the USA that go to not only it s heritage but how its heritage is perceived\, by most. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Points\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Party of Governance\n \n \n He used the phrase \"The Republicans\" so Schrumpft didn't place himse lf with the republicans.\n \n \n \n \n The Elephants\n \n \n Sch rumpft is correct\, the Elephants have become like the Black One Percent o r the Black Self Haters and only have quality complaining about others but never themselves. Ala why Schrumpft is the only elected official in my li fetime I ever heard say the following truth: Black Elected Leaders failed the Black populace in the USA. Schrumpft was 100% correct\, I said it coun tless times. Black elected officials are full of shit. What Schrumpft didn 't say is the problem in the Black populace is\, the solution requires Bla ck people to pull away. Some suggest black elected officials need to be ta ken to task but the usa system has never had any elected official be contr olled by a voting mass\, that is a USA myth. The problem is the approach B lack people in the USA had since 1865 to the USA or the Non Blacks in it i s dysfunctional\n \n \n \n \n Labor Quality\n \n \n He said\, \" You don't\" concerning having talented people\,  he didn't say we but sai d you. As a black person who has heard or read many black person chagrin b lack people's education which I have always contested\, because education doesn't equal influence or power\, Schrumpft just outed the educational qu ality of the white populace in the usa. \n \n \n \n \n Being comforta ble living about others\, not liking others\, living about others. \n \n \n Schrumpft is no fan of non whites but he was raised in New York C ity and like anyone who was raised in NYC\, your relationship to integrati on is more complex than those raised outside NYC in the USA. Georgia made six hundred Koreans seem like a takeover and Schrumpft thought and thinks that is silly. NYC has over a million Asians and is still dominated by whi te Europeans. Why couldn't the white populace in the state of Georgia hand le six hundred Koreans. \n \n \n \n \n best fiscal point\n \n \n Schrumpft suggest people have been waiting on unemployment lines for fiv e years. Five years. The private sector in the USA is worthless. The priva te sector can talk about what it needs but when people have been on an une mployment line looking for paid labor and the firms of the usa can't provi de anything\, I think the private sector has to be looked at. \n \n \n \n\n\n\n I told people Schrumpft is not crazy... greedy\, crude\, full of biases\, liar\, wild gambler\, uncaring risk taker\, mob starter ... yeah to all of those\, but crazy\, no\, Craziness is a rarer commodity than mo st humans thinks\, disagreement/Discordia is not craziness.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n The Incorrect Transcript\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n There is never going to be a country like what we have right now. The republicans have to talk about it Laura.\n \n \n Does that mean the h-1b visa thing will not be a big priority for your administration? If you want to raise wages for Ame rican workers \, you can't flood the country with tens of thousands or hun dreds of thousands of foreign workers\n \n \n I agree but we also have to bring in talent\n \n \n we have plenty of talented people\n \n \n no yo u don't\, no you don't\n \n \n we don't have talented people here\n \n \n No\, you don't have certain talents and people have to learn\, you can't take people off an employment line and say\, I am going to put you into a factory and we're gonna make missiles.\n \n \n Why didn't we ever do it before? When you and I were growing up.\n \n \n Let me give you an exampl e. In Georgia\, they waited cause they wanted illegal immigrants out. They had people from south korea that made batteries all their lives. Making b atteries isn't an easy thing\, it is very complicated\, it is very dangero us\, alot of explosions \, alot of problems. They had like 500 600 people\ , early stages. To make batteries and teach people how to do it. Well\, th ey wanted them to get out of the country. You are going to need that Laura . I know you and I disagree on this. You can't just say a country is comin g in and is going to invest ten billion dollars to build a plant and take people off an unemployment line who haven't worked in five years \, and th en they are going to start making missiles. It doesn't work that way\n \n\ n\n\n SOURCES\n\n\n\n https://x.com/AFpost/status/1988416554984497358\n\n\ n\n https://x.com/Acyn/status/1988407251078680651\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Edition\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/583-economic-corner-26/ \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n None\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/583-economic-corner-26-11082025/\n\n\n\n N EXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/600-economic-corner- 28-11232025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251112 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Islam and Christianity sitting in a Black tree DTSTAMP:20251123T173751Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:599-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A question was raised about religion adherents of differe nt tribes in the village\, the following was my reply\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \ n\n hahah @Pioneer1 namaste:) never all:)\n\n\n\n In your experience it s eems black people who are \, what some call\, devout\, gardless to the rel igion they adhere to\, fit a lifestyle model you accept as positive. ok\n\ n\n\n At the end of the day with the tens of millions of black people in t he usa alone\, the experiences black people have with religions or the rel igious\, gardless of their adherences\, is a wide thing. IT isn't hard to find a black person whose had a very negative experience with someone who calls themselves devout. Now you can argue\, as you suggest in your commen t\, that the issue is who is devout who is in the spirit of a particular r eligion. But\, I will argue history proves that argument\, while honest\, one that only manifest as an unending rabbit hole in terms of results. \n \n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n The fiscally wealthy rarely have a personal adherenc e of zeal for any religion... while they use the communal influence or fin ancial halls of religious clerics and their places of worship to potent ef fects. The fiscally poor tend to have a personal adherence for a religion. .. while they rarely use the churchs halls or communal ability to improve their finances. \n\n\n\n Since you are a Statian I can see the logic of y our separation of church and state position to the religiously devout in t he black populace. \n\n\n\n But I don't think the answer needs to be exod uses from religion as much as changes into how the fiscal poor relate to r eligion. As any harlemite knows \, harlem is full of churches\, and every sunday all the black church members whose kin used to live in harlem and u sed church funds to aid their particular church group have a higher level of fiscal wealth\, ala the Black one percent. But\, the fiscal poor who wi ll chagrin speaking ill of god and use the churches midweek\, spend most o f their time laboring\, to make ends meet\, to buy food\, they don't use t he church for non spiritual affairs. \n\n\n\n The fiscal poor need to emb race the church as a place of commerce\, cause the fiscally wealthy arguab ly\, use the church too much as a place of commerce\, and yes I know jesus overthrew the money changers.. but\, anyway\n\n\n\n I end with\, as you a re also an individualist\, your solutions speak to that line of thinking. but as I am a communalist\, I have to say the clerics\, preachers/pastors/ imams are really most to blame over members of the flock\, cause they have the power and have a better crowd to influence their financial behavior o r how they live through various places of worship. \n\n\n\n And you have given me a good addiiton for an edition of the Economic Corner I am formul ating\, I have some others editions I have already written up completely b ut thank you.\n\n\n\n @harry brown the questions of who is worse among th e abused? who is worse among the inheritors of a negative culture? are val id for the history book but dysfunctional for getting results. \n\n\n\n T he question is\, how do religious populaces\, gardless to the religion \, improve their positive functionality internally plus externally? Specifica lly\, to the global black village how do the black populaces in what I wil l call the six religious zones\, improve: \n\n\n\n USa+Canada\n\n\n\n Sou th of the USA [Caribbean+Mexico+South America]\n\n\n\n Continent [ Africa] \n\n\n\n Asia [Iran to the Phillipines]\n\n\n\n Europe\n\n\n\n Australia+ Oceania\n\n\n\n Blacks in Australia+Oceania \, like the aborigine who are first peoples to australia while also black\, don't have a religious issue simply because the abuse they have survived and are still under is quite potent. In my eyes\, they are still in the enslaved phase of the Black his tory book.  PRe Slavery/Slavery[Complete and then Jim Crow]/Integration\ n\n\n\n The aborigine is in a Jim Crow phase. Yes\, they are not completel y enslaved but the shackles are there\, australia mocks the aborigine as a free peoples. \n\n\n\n Blacks in Asia \, like the habshi or kalo in indi a \, the negrito who are also first peoples of asia while also black\, the kokuchin in japan are in the jim crow phase. The problem with Black Asian s in Asia is that outside White European power\, they have to also deal wi th White Asian power so it is a double. Yes\, they are not completely shac kled in irons\, but they are in late 1800s jim crow\, which even by white european accounts was worse than complete enslavement. Yes even though sla very is illegal in jim crow [jim crow eras defining aspect]\, whites histo rically use legal means to make so many legal non physical shackles it is from a functional perspective harder. because while blacks can fight to il legalize slavery\, it is hard illegalizing negatively engineered fiscal en vironments. \n\n\n\n Blacks in Africa are in the jim crow phase\, the end of colonialization was the boundary in africa between the complete slaver y phase and the jim crow slavery phase. But like in asia\, Jim crow of afr ica is hard. Because yes\, black countries exist but their entire design i s a jim crow. And because of that\, and the fact that unlike in the other continents where an integration era will eventually come\, the next era af ter jim crow has to be a black power phase so it is very challenging to ge t from a jim crow country to a black power country.\n\n\n\n South of the U SA has a form of integration.  The legacy of the conquistador\, the east india company\, the caribbean black states\, is south of the USA historic ally has been better for blacks in terms of opportunity\, and arguably sti ll is. BUt\, south of the usa is very tied to the idea of clans\, lineages . I argue if a black person has money south of the usa they will deal with less restrictions than in the usa. But\, the black populace south of the USA never had the jim crow battle because they already had a form of the i ntegration so once complete enslavement ended they were into said form of integration.\n\n\n\n Europe never had a robust slavery phase. And because blacks are the most minor in Europe \, they have a form of integration. Th e problem in Europe is unlike the USA which allows for individualism to bi nd varying peoples\, European countries don't have that. And\, they are al so not in the same place culturally when it comes to multiracial situation s. so\, I argue europe is as good as it will get until the EU goes from an articles of confederation form to a constitution form. Right now the EU i s an articles of confederation style so they have a union without military bite and absent the desire to bond tighter\, and the USA doesn't help bec ause Europeans like history and they can see that the constitution dwindle d states cultures in the usa such that now\, whereas each state in the usa was supposed to be self sufficient\, they all are welfare states to the f ederal government in modernity so... \n\n\n\n The USA as First People lan ds before 1492 was pre slavery\, from 1492 to 1980 in which the usa went f rom white european colonies to indepenent white european colonies in a ega l union was the slavery era [ complete from 1492 to 1965 jim crow from 196 5 to 1980] and then integration which is the only phase in which the usa e xisted at the beginning is from 1980 to today. \n\n\n\n So\, what is my p oint? any slavery situation deletes the discussion between variants of bla ck christians because black people are enslaved. So\, of the six regions t hat leaves three. \n\n\n\n USA+Canada\n\n\n\n Europe\n\n\n\n South of the USA\n\n\n\n Now in those three regions where does religion sit? \n\n\n\n In South of the USA \, religion is powerful. Religious communities have r eal power. The separation of church and state does not exist\, don't let a nyone fool you. The zeal or fanatacism possible in South of the USA is the kind that burns the vestial virgins alive\, if you know your Roman imperi al history. So I will make south of the USA exempt from your argument\, no t cause black people are enslaved\, but because the potency of religion is too strong to treat like something that can be easily bent or allow for p eaceful discourse.\n\n\n\n In Europe\, the french would say the religion o f the state has replaced religions and this is  a parademographic truth. part demograph\, image of the people\, truth. what do i mean? The sad rea lity of religion in Europe is immigrants brought a fervor to religion that has hurt  the religion of the state. One of the most negative legacies or heritages of the white european imperial era which I argue we are at th e end of is the religiosity in humanity.  White european empires [muslim + christian] forced religion onto those they conquered \, used religion t o control those they conquered\, even before they conquered them or after they lost total control such that religion is embedded in many human popul aces. Such that when they immigrated to europe\,  they were never going to join the religion of the state. Now\, in time I think the religion of t he state will win out\, but it needs more time in europe. to that end\, bl acks in england and france whose bloodlines were before the second white e uropean imperial war commonly called world war 2  tended to mulatto them selves such that they are usually disconnected to the post world war 2 imm igrant populaces whose quantity allowed for a maintenance of phenotype. So in europe\, the equivalent to Black DOSers are smaller in quantity but al so have become a mulatto demographic. they are like the coloreds in south africa\, not white or black but at this time their own branch. So the reli gious of the modern black immigrants are only amongst themselves \, they d on't have descended of enslaved variant in Europe of any significant size. \n\n\n\n LAstly\, that leaves the USA:) \n\n\n\n So after eliminating thr ee because black people in said regions are still enslaved. One through th e religious environment not allowing for a religious tolerances. One throu gh the lack of a comparable Black Descended of Enslaved populace\, it leav es the USA+ Canada. In the USA + Canada who are worse adherents of religio n Black Descended of Enslaved of Black Modern Immigrants post 1965 ?\n\n\n \n Honestly I don't think either can stand on a hill above the other. But how can both improve \, I have some ideas. \n\n\n\n What they both have i n common is a big place in their community. \n\n\n\n The reality is the B lack 1% in the USA today are tied to churches. It isn't an accident that O bama was a member of a church in his rise. Nearly all Black DOSers or Blac k people with influence in the DOS part of the black populace in the usa h as some ties to a black church. \n\n\n\n The reality is the Black 1% in e ach country in Africa are tied to religious groups. Every knows if you wan t something done\, go to the religious groups in any African country and t hat will help gets things quicker than the fiscal marketplace. Build a chu rch\, build a mosque and the pastors or imams will find allies for your ca use through the bureaucracy of the country. \n\n\n\n It isn't an accident that Malcolm + MLK were never the leaders of the most prominent organizat ions representing their particular religious molds: the nation of islam + the southern black christian leadership conference. \n\n\n\n IT was becau se malcolm + MLK had a pan black view to the black populace even as men wh o were both preachers to a particular religion\, even though their backgro unds were quite varied. MAlcolm was the son of a Garveyite Christian Homes teader. The Black Homesteaders were about owning land\, but also isolation from whites. Not total separation but isolation\, they didn't trust integ rated communities\, and the Garveyites were the best black financial movem ent in Black history in the USA or the white european colonies that preced ed it. So Malcolm came from a pan black communal financial independence he ritage. The nation of islam was and is an isolationist religious group wit hin the black populace. If you are not a member of the nation of islam\, e ven while black\, the nation of islam probably will not help you. \n\n\n\ n MLK was a nepo baby\, the son of the son of a preacher\, the wealthiest black family in the local region. We blacks forget that the black church i n each black community in the the usa was usually the fiscal center or fis cal wealthiest. Adam Clayton Powell jr\, Abysinnian BAptist Church has the oldest Black money in harlem. Their eldership is a very powerful group. R emember the elders of the Abysinnian Baptist Church told Adam CLayton Powe ll jr who was the son of a preacher who was the son of a preacher at the s ame church that he had to stop his wife Hazel scott from touring and makin g more money than him and even though he was a member of the house of repr esentatives\, he did what they said and hael scott... battled but eventual ly gave in to the pressures. But MLK gardless of his background\, didn't e mbrace the bootstrap\, I got mine get yours\, blacks are hurting blacks mo re philosophies that many or most black pastors had and maybe still have t oday. \n\n\n\n Sequentially\, MAlcolm nor MLK were ever head of the most important organizations in guiding the larger religious communities they w ere the face of. \n\n\n\n So\, I see two issues with Black religious grou ps whether Descended of enslaved or modern immigrant in the USA. \n\n\n\n 1. They have to both be about Pan Black\, helping another black person ha s to not be contingent on them joining your church or mosque. ... I will e ven add the Black Jews as another who have a very proselytizing position. When you look at Historical Black Colleges\, or the financially wealthy bl ack churches it is clear\, they don't mind helping black as long as black is a member. That has to change\, and change from within... so... \n\n\n\ n 2. They have to also be brave. I haven't yet found the list of black chu rch leaders who voted on what the black church should emit to the larger b lack populace in the fist few years after the war between the states ended . I heard it was one vote that led to the black church going nonviolent\, but the historical value is clear regardless of the exact names of the peo ple or their scenarios. The stance to integration the black church had sin ce 1865 wasn't the most positive functional stance black people needed bef ore 1980. I argue the homesteaders strategy was the most positive function al stance for the black churches to take pre 1980\, but...I also know that Frederick Douglass \, Ida B Well and others weren't keen on homesteading. They wanted to integrate. and so it was an internal battle in the black p opulace and the black side that favored what was safer about whites won ov er the side that favored what was better for blacks. Nothing is easy\, it is cheap to judge from 2025 on 1865 so I will not suggest cowardice or the simplicity of hindsight on them. But\, the results are here.  The black places of worship have to be brave. And lets be blunt\, the history of th e USA proves\, many Blacks or non Blacks in the USA talk a big talk about adhering to the law \, and bootstraps until they are financially needy and then they show their true colors and kill and cheat and harm many others for their sole gain. And if they don't get caught and find financial footi ng go right back to their adhering to the law feces. Again\,  The black places of worship have to be brave.\n\n\n\n I never forget all sharpton sa ying that when he started his movement various black groups came about loo king to swing him their way\, he chose the nonviolent integration path thr ough influence from coretta scott king\, but to his credit he didn't say t he other paths were wrong\, he said he made a choice. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL to comment\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12056-african-christian s-african-american-christians/#findComment-77851\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251123 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Native American Kindness Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T111245Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:345-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Native American Harvest Art \n \n\n\n\n \n  Thanks giving is the final thursday in November share photos of art OR text of fi ction \n \n\n\n\n \n  The photos can be to->\;sculpture/knitting or s ewing/graffiti/tattoo concerning Native Americans enjoying food only -can include Black seminoles- no colonists from europe \n \n\n\n\n \n  The text can only be fiction based on the following: Native Americans communi ties around harvest - black seminoles allowed- no colonist from europ e  \n \n\n\n\n \n    https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-native-ame rican-harvest-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment& amp\;comment=961\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n I remember when I saw Hialeah after waking up. The members of the rai ding band cautiously behind me. She was cooking food for all.  \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n I knew few english words\, my name being John\; but she didn ’t mind. I met her eyes and she already knew mine. We fell in love\, and I joined her raiding party. We survived tons of gunfire as colonist numbe rs grew and grew. We even got through a pregnancy in a winter woods in the MicMaq lands now called New England. Aponi\, our little treasure\, skippi ng in the snow. Hialeah’s feet after the pregnancy always needed extra c omfort. I had to make special shoes for her.\n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n Then \, the colonists in 1775 finally wanted to not be english. We talked about what we should do. She reminded all of us\, her people were assaulted by the colonist and had to flee. The colonists fable of being aided is their version of saying they stole from native people. Her people of the Powhata n Confederacy had to protect our food from colonists\, who eventually raid ed across the Tsenacommacah and made it Virginia. She will never forgive t he colonists\, whether they call themselves english or american. And the p ersistence of their myth of friendship\, sickens her very soul.\n\n \n\n I agreed\, some others joined me and her\, but most chose to go farther w est. I didn’t know about my people across the great water\, but I will n ever forgive the colonists\, no matter what they call themselves either. A nd\, we few went south. We were at the battle for Jersey. I even saw a fla mboyant soldier defend against the colonists.  \n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n After meeting Richard Freeman\, he told me that Ethiopia is a place across the big water. Since I never heard of a place across the great water wher e I came from before\, I called myself John Ethiopia.  \n\n \n\n And th en\, the war got worse. My beautiful land was shot during a raid\, I held our butterfly\, as her mother sung her last song to her.   \n\n \n\n A nd\, in 1783\, the war ended. Me plus our daughter\, the last of our band\ , were sent to Nova Scotia. The cold was too much for the little butterfly and she died.  \n\n \n\n Alone\, cold\, my memory of her with our litt le life losing color or definition in the last thoughts in my life.\n\n \ n\n \n\n \n\n My spirit now gives thanks not living under the colonists \, as their kingdom grew. A kingdom full of thieves. I give thanks for bei ng eternally free from its lies\, side my loving wife and child. Beyond th e confines or the reach of the eagle.\n\n \n\n Thank you for reading\, i f you want to read more of my work read below\n\n Poetry or More\n\n htt ps://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www.boo kbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251122 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251129 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 26 11/08/2025 DTSTAMP:20251108T220859Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:583-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner 26\n\n\n\n Mamdani's affordability plans\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n After the Two thousand and twenty five New York City ma yoral election\, I suggested one idea for Mamdani\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Pr eface\n\nI made a suggestion when Obama became president\, that he should had spent his time improving the efficiency of the federal bureaucracy\, a s president he could do that with no input from anyone else. PResidents ca n't control the economy of the world\, they can't protect peoples in state s\, they can't make laws that are everlasting. \n\nPresidents legal parame ters allow them to manipulate the executive branch bureaucracy\, and mold the war machine with no input from any other. \n\nThat didn't happen. Obam a meddled in finance and healthcare and made the bureaucracy worse and mad e the war machine worse.\n\nMy Idea for Mamdani\n\nThe mayor of NYC can't control or manipulate the price of food[private industry]. the cost of uti lities[private industry]. the global real estate industries interwoven sys tem[private industry]. the employers reaction to modern computing power[th at is private industry]\, get money to finance the city[that is the govern or]. The reality is the modern global fiscal capitalistic structure NYC wa s placed firmly in through decades of actions that can not be undone in fo ur years or eight years or twelve years. The mayor of NYC can improve the bureaucracy of NYC\, for example manipulating the NYPD into another organi zation. \n\nBut the mayor can also pass laws\, unlike the president who ha s been given legal powers by the congress. the mayor has the greater power in NYC\, and so to the affordability push\, I say make an affordability s cale law.\n\nWhat do I mean? \n\nButter cost eight dollars for four sticks . Which means two sticks cost four dollars. One stick costs two dollars. A half of a stick cost one dollar. \n\nBut most stores only sell packs of f our or two. So\, the affordability law is needed to get customers the abil ity to scale down what is sold to them. \n\nFor example\, for butter\, why can't customers have a half a stick of butter available for one dollar? L iterally have the stores\, the delis + supermarkets \, be within a legal r ight to sell goods when applicable in a more affordable way. \n\nThe mayor can't lower the cost of butter\, but in NYC with so many relying on EBT/S nap/Food pantries including federal workers who haven't been paid\, forcin g businesses to sell products more affordably i think is something he coul d had said he was going to do during the campaign. \n\nMaybe I am too seri ous or to honest\, but I have never comprehended why anyone in government in a post or applying for a post provides pie in the sky or hopes or possi bilities. All government post in human history have rules\, even kings or queens. The rules dictate what you can do. So\, just tell people with what you will be able to do in a position what you will do. \n\nWell that is i t\, my one idea to push. BAsed on Obama+AOC + Ohlan+.. Adams plus many oth ers\, the odds are mamdani's agenda will be nothing as I suggest. But\, I gave a functional idea. \n\n\n\n\n referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/e vents/event/578-nyc-election-day-2025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mamdani seems de termined to implement city owned stores\, after my thoughts are a series o f articles with information or other opinions concerning the topic.\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The problem Mamdani's plan has is the one the Soviet Union had. The Soviet Union tried to convince a hum anity that had spent four hundred and fifty years watching white europeans exit europe and dominate all other human beings with a system of fiscal c apitalism making haves and have nots everywhere\, including in europe that sharing wealth is good\, fiscal equality is safe. But human history has t aught quite the opposite. Greed is good\, fiscal inequality is safe. Most in humanity speak french or english or spanish or arabic or portuguese not because the empires of france/england/spain/portugal/caliph were sharing peoples going throughout humanity making they neighbor better. It is becau se said empires\, murdered/killed/eliminated/enslaved all others to leech off of them\, so that the few at the top of each empire in their european country could live a life of luxury and guarantee said luxury to their chi ldren. The American Continent is the culmination of the fiscal capitalism of said empires \, including the caliphates\, with the USA as the crown je wel. A country started on fiscal capitalistic crimes and generating fiscal capitalistic crimes and welcoming fiscal capitalistic criminals every yea r of its existence. Based on 2025\, mission accomplished. \n\n\n\n Govern ment owned stores Mamdani likes because it disallows private industries gr eed or market manipulations if they are not greedy but merely adhere to ma rket flows from influencing the cost of items in a store into being unaffo rdable\, which is what is happening right now. \n\n\n\n But\, when the go vernment competes with the private sector it always has insurmountable adv antages and fiscal capitalistic owners react by deleting private owned sto res. But for the record the alternative some suggest will not work either. A walmart in a region in NYC will definitely kill the small grocers too. While fiscal capitalists are correct that government owned entities tax ad vantages or market exemptions are beyond most privately owned enterprises to handle\, said fiscal capitalist are incorrect to suggest a large public ly traded firm that owns a global chain of stores will not blow away small businesses. \n\n\n\n This is why I suggested a law. Get the deli/grocers /supermarkets to sell their goods in a leaner way. And you can use the six ty million as a tax balance for each store\, allowing the market time to a djust to the leaner way goods are sold in nyc to match the affordability n eeds. \n\n\n\n And part of Mamdani's support for his government owned sto res comes from the culture\, what is grown\, of socialism in New York City in modernity. Quietly in New York City you have a multiphenotypical \, mu ltiracial mulatto\, group of people who all look at socialism neutral to p ositive. And I comprehend the logic. Socialism says two things that the in dividualism in the places like NYC in the USA needs. One\, socialism says each individual is of equal value across all measures. Fiscal capitalism t reats each individual based on their wealth. Two\, socialism allows for id entity to be fluid\, the identity is human\, the religion of the state. Th e white european imperial heritage the usa and its european colonial prede cessors was founded on for all the legal changes from 1492 through 1776 to 2025 hasn't died and doesn't have space for the multiracial populace plac es like NYC in the USA has in it today. \n\n\n\n But Mamdani has to compr ehend a simple truth. \n\n\n\n While he had a huge multiracial voting mel ting pot of people under forty who embrace socialism\, he has to be very c areful how he implements it. Cause the USA is fully embedded into fiscal c apitalism\, not merely heritagewise\, what is carries\, but also in the la rger global financial context and NYC as the biggest city in the USA with any financial failure will be judged harshly by its peers in New York Stat e or elsewhere in NYC. \n\n\n\n I don't know whom he considers the best a nd the brightest\, cause anyone can fail anything \, even with a computers help\, but if he wants to do his stores\, and not a law which I suggested \, he has to figure out how to make a store compete while also boosting th e larger economy of stores? \n\n\n\n He has suggested his stores will not do lotto or liquor or other items and I think that is interesting. Basica lly he take the market that the stores are failing in and give them what t hey succeed in. Stores will have to get smaller and some will be eliminate d but not destroyed. It is rough but \, you only have four years and in tr uth\, only one year to do what you want so... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Zohran Mamdani wants to build government supermarkets. America already has them\n \n By Nathaniel Meyersohn\, CNN\n\n Published 6:00 AM EDT\, Mon June 30\, 2025\n\n\n\n New York\nCNN\n — \nZohran Mamdani\, the favorite to become New York City’s next mayor after winning the Democratic primary\, has a contentious plan to create a network of city-owned grocery stores. But it ’s less radical than critics portray\, some food policy and grocery indu stry experts say.\n\nMamdani has proposed five municipally owned stores\, one in each New York City borough\, to offer groceries at lower prices to customers with limited access to supermarkets. In some New York City neigh borhoods\, more than 30% of people are food insecure.\n\nThe proposal has been blasted as a “‘Soviet’ style disaster-in-waiting\,” “fa rcical” and “economically delusional.” John Catsimatidis\, the owner of New York City-based supermarket chain Gristedes\, threatened to close stores if Mamdani is elected. (Catsimatidis is a two-time Republican candi date for mayor.)\n\nBut Mamdani is drawing on government-owned and subsidi zed models that already exist in the United States\, such as the Defense D epartment’s commissaries for military personnel\, public retail markets that lease space to farmers and chefs\, and city-owned stores in rural are as such as St. Paul\, Kansas. Atlanta is opening two municipal grocery sto res later this year after struggling to draw a private grocery chain. Madi son\, Wisconsin\, and rural Venice\, Illinois\, also plan to open municipa lly owned stores.\n\n“This is more common than people are aware of\,” said Nevin Cohen\, director of the City University of New York’s Urban F ood Policy Institute. “There’s a wide spectrum of food retail establis hments that could be created by or with the support of city government.” \n\nMamdani has not released all the details of his plan yet\, and it’s not clear what role New York City would play in the opening or operation o f grocery stores. Would it build stores? Lease them out to a private compa ny or a non-profit? Would the employees be on the city’s payroll?\n\nMam dani’s campaign did not respond to CNN’s requests for more details of the proposal.\n\nBut a government-owned supermarket “concept is sound” and can take a “variety of formats\,” Cohen said. “Rather than givi ng incentives to private supermarkets without the assurance of low prices\ , a city-focused program that puts affordability front and center is a bet ter approach.”\n\nYet municipal-owned stores have recently closed in sev eral towns\, such as in Baldwin\, Florida. Chicago also shifted its effort from building city-owned stores to a city-run public food market\, despit e a study showing stores were “necessary\, feasible and implementable. ” These cities’ struggles underscore the challenges of government step ping into the grocery business amid fierce resistance from the private sec tor.\n\nIndustry representatives say government-owned stores will compete with private businesses and unfairly disadvantage grocers\, local bodegas and other stores in New York. If government stores drive out other food re tailers\, it would also hurt the problem it’s trying to solve.\n\n“Thi s proposal seemingly could use taxes paid by business\, and use that money to compete against said business\, which is an alarming precedent to set\ ,” said Michael Durant\, the CEO of Food Industry Alliance\, a trade ass ociation.\n\n‘Policy experimentation’\nPrivately owned grocery stores already run on slim 1% to 3% margins\, according to industry estimates. Go vernment stores would be able to offer low-cost groceries because they wou ld not have to pay rent or property taxes\, according to Mamdani.\n\n“Th ey will buy and sell at wholesale prices\, centralize warehousing and dist ribution\, and partner with local neighborhoods on products and sourcing\, ” the campaign said on its website. Many companies already buy from whol esalers\, have centralized warehouses and partner with local communities\, however.\n\nHis proposal would cost $60 million\, Mamdani said in an inte rview on the podcast “Plain English” released last week. Mamdani argue d his proposal would be cheaper than an existing city program that provide s tax breaks and subsidies for supermarkets to open in underserved areas\, but does not include any requirements for food to be below certain prices .\n\nIn many cities\, grocers and other retailers governments recruited ha ve closed in low-income areas after their tax incentives expired or they s truggled to make a profit.\n\n“This is a proposal of reasonable policy e xperimentation\,” Mamdani said. “If it is not effective at a pilot lev el\, it does not deserve to be scaled up. But I believe it can be effectiv e. I think that there’s far more efficiency to be had in our public sect or.”\n\nAdvocates for independent grocers and small chains say that stro nger antitrust enforcement would be a better solution to help lower food p rices and spur competition.\n\nBut Errol Schweizer\, a veteran of the groc ery industry who publishes the newsletter “The Checkout Grocery Update ” and has written in support of a public grocery sector\, said Mamdani ’s proposal would address a failing in the market. Government-owned groc ery stores would not compete directly with bodegas and convenience stores\ , which typically do not sell fresh produce and meat.\n\n“New York has a great grocery sector\,” he said. “It could be a backstop for cash-str apped New Yorkers.”\n\nOther experts\, however\, say that for government stores in New York City to be successful\, they must draw from customers with a wider range of incomes. This would help them maintain broader polit ical support and offset bigger losses from lower-performing stores.\n\n“ A network of stores can be really effective if you’re placing them in di fferent areas. You’re creating a chain of stores to support one anothe r\,” said Erion Malasi\, the Illinois director of policy and advocacy at the non-profit Economic Security Project. He is working with Venice\, Ill inois\, a historically Black community that received a $2.4 million grant from the state to open a municipally owned store.\n\nPublic option for gro ceries\nRural areas have often been the site of government-owned grocery s tores in the past. It’s harder for sparsely populated towns to draw a pr ivate chain\, find a distributor to service the store and labor to operate it\, and have a large enough customer base to sustain it.\n\nBut more cit ies are trying to open stores in neighborhoods with limited access. Cities can leverage their scale to buy from suppliers and city-owned land.\n\nAt lanta recently approved $8.2 million in incentives to a small grocer to op erate two stores on city land in low-income\, predominantly Black neighbor hoods. Azalea Market is set to open this year and also offer cooking demon strations\, nutrition workshops and other resources for families.\n\nAtlan ta Mayor Andre Dickens told CNN that the city created tax incentives and l ow-cost land to draw national chains\, but it couldn’t find a taker.\n \n“We said that if they’re not going to help us build it\, we’ll bui ld it ourselves\,” he said.\n\nDickens believes government taking a role in offering affordable groceries is similar to investing in other public goods\, such as housing\, education and health care.\n\n“We should be in vesting in the public good\, from the urban farmer all the way to the inde pendent grocer. People need to eat.”\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral\n\n h ttps://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/06/30/business/zohran-mamdani-grocery-stores?u tm_source=chatgpt.com\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH)\n\n\n\n The Department of City Planning is proposing to upd ate and expand the FRESH food stores program\, which supports convenient\, accessible grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods. The update would bring the FRESH program to more communities across the city\, among other changes to ensure FRESH stores are evenly distributed and financially viab le.\n\nUpdate: June 2025\nAs part of City of Yes for Families\, NYC is lau nching FRESH III\, an initiative to improve and expand the FRESH program t o bring fresh food to even more New Yorkers. If you are interested in lear ning more\, please contact FRESH_info@planning.nyc.gov\n\nOverview\nThe FR ESH food stores program supports convenient\, accessible grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods. FRESH has brought healthy food options within walking distance of 1.2 million New Yorkers and counting since the program launched in 2009.\n\nWhat is FRESH?\nThe Food Retail Expansion to Support Health Program (FRESH) was created in 2009 in response to a citywide stud y\, Going to Market. This study highlighted the lack of neighborhood groce ry stores providing fresh food options in several New York City communitie s. Its goal is to encourage stores in these communities that provide a ful l range of grocery products including fresh meat\, fruit and vegetables.\n \nGet FRESH facts and figures in our February 2023 report here\n\nThe FRES H zoning incentives program gives property owners the right to construct s lightly larger buildings in mixed residential and commercial districts if they include a FRESH supermarket.\n\nA separate FRESH tax benefits program is administered by the NYC Economic Development Corporation. Read more ab out FRESH tax benefits here.\n\nGet Involved\nFRESH encourages partnership s with organizations that want to provide fresh food to their communities\ , including traditional grocery stores\, food co-ops\, food hubs\, pantrie s\, and others.\n\nCommunity advocates\, property owners\, supermarket ope rators\, and anyone interested in food equity can get in touch with FRESH_ Info@planning.nyc.gov to learn more about the FRESH zoning incentive progr am. For more information on the FRESH tax benefits program please complete this form.\n\n2021 FRESH Expansion\nFRESH eligibility expanded in Decembe r 2021 to encourage supermarkets in even more areas of New York City that are still underserved. Encouraging the development of full-sized supermark ets empowers consumers\, increases access\, and may provide additional foo d options through increased competition.\n\nSince 2009\, the FRESH zoning program has applied to:\n\nBronx Community Districts 1 through 7\nBrooklyn Community Districts 3\, 4\, 5\, 8\, 9\, 16 and 17\nManhattan Community Di stricts 9 through 12\nQueens Community Districts 12\nIn 2021 FRESH expande d to:\n\nBronx Community Districts 8 and 9\nBrooklyn Community Districts 1 \, 2\, 12 and 13\nQueens Community Districts 1\, 3\, 4 and 14\nStaten Isla nd Community District 1\n\nIMAGE LINKED BELOW\n\nThe expansion areas are b ased on City Planning’s Supermarket Needs Index\, which shows neighborho ods that are still underserved by high-quality grocery stores.\n\nNote: Th ese expansion areas applied only to the FRESH zoning incentives program. T he tax benefits program did not expand to the areas indicated above.\n\nPr event Clustering of FRESH Supermarkets\n\nSome communities have seen clust ering of FRESH supermarket applications\, which may exceed the intent of F RESH to fill gaps in the local grocery environment. This may make it diffi cult for stores to prosper. The FRESH update adds specific criteria an app licant must follow to create a new FRESH store near an existing location. These new criteria would limit the potential for oversaturation.\n\nChange s to Window Installation Requirements\n\nCurrently\, FRESH food stores are required to have windows on half of any wall that faces the street. This requirement\, however\, has proven to be impractical and difficult for exi sting buildings that are trying to renovate to be a FRESH supermarket.\n\n Therefore\, for renovations to an existing building to construct a FRESH s upermarket\, building owners will no longer have to replace existing walls with windows – removing a potentially expensive step in the process.\n\ nChanges to Parking Rules\n\nSince the FRESH update proposes to expand the program into more lower density residential zoning districts\, it is impo rtant to propose new rules that are appropriate for the characteristics of these neighborhoods.\n\nThe FRESH update provides a waiver from required parking for up to 10\,000 square feet of FRESH retail area in lower densit y residential districts.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral\n\n https://www.nyc .gov/content/planning/pages/our-work/plans/citywide/food-retail-expansion- support-health-fresh\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Foo d Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Access to affordable\, quality food is critical to building strong neighborhoods. Th e Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program brings healthy a nd affordable food options to communities by lowering the costs of owning\ , leasing\, developing\, and renovating supermarket retail space.\n\nSince launching in 2009\, 32 projects have received FRESH tax incentives across five boroughs. 30 projects have completed construction and are open to th e public. These supermarkets represent over 1.1 million square feet of new or renovated space\, an investment of $177 million private capital into N ew York City's economy\, and have created over 1\,400 new jobs\, and retai ned more than 600 jobs.\n\nTax Benefits\n32\nProjects received benefits to date\n\nFRESH provides tax breaks for supermarket operators and developer s seeking to build or renovate new retail space to be owned or leased by a full-line supermarket operator. \n\nBuilding Taxes: May be stabilized at pre-improvement real estate tax amounts for up to 25 years (with benefits phasing out at not more than 20 percent per year\, starting in year 21). \ nLand Taxes: May be fully abated for up to 25 years (with benefits phasing out at not more than 20 percent per year\, starting in year 21). \nSales Taxes: City and state sales taxes may be waived on materials used to const ruct\, renovate\, or equip facilities. \nMortgage Recording Taxes: May be reduced from 2.8 percent to 0.3 percent for project mortgages. \n\nApplic ation Considerations\n1.1M\nSquare feet of new or renovated space expected to be provided by these supermarkets\n\nAll benefits\, including FRESH\, are discretionary. NYCIDA will assess the need for financial assistance an d the economic impact of the proposed project. From application deadline u ntil benefit closing\, expected timeline is 6 months. Stores that benefit from the program must be located in an eligible area (see below map) and p rovide: \n\nA minimum of 5\,000 square feet of retail space for a general line of food and nonfood grocery products intended for home preparation\, consumption\, and utilization. \nA minimum of 30 percent of retail space d edicated to perishable goods that may include dairy\, fresh produce\, fres h meats\, poultry\, fish\, and frozen foods. \nAt least 500 square feet of retail space for fresh produce. \n\n2\,049\nJobs retained or created thro ugh FRESH\n\nAdditional factors considered by NYCIDA include (without limi tation): \n\nSize of capital investment. \nJobs retained and/or created\, average wages and benefits. \nNeighborhood. \nOverall financial picture of applicant(s). \nFor developer projects\, tenanting strategy and timeline. \nEnvironmental review.\n\n$177M\nThe amount of private capital invested into NYC's economy through FRESH\n\nThe FRESH program tax incentive progra m is administered by the New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYCI DA) and the FRESH zoning benefit program is administered by the New York C ity Department of City Planning (DCP). All NYCIDA benefits are discretiona ry and companies must request NYCIDA assistance prior to entering into any property lease\, acquisition\, or renovation contract unless such contrac ts are contingent upon NYCIDA assistance.\n\nFRESH Focus AreasEmpty headin g\nCertain neighborhoods around the city can benefit even more from invest ment in supermarket construction and renovation. The areas listed below ar e most in need of food retail investment\, based on how much currently exi sts and the surrounding population.\n\nThe BronxEmpty heading\nCo-Op City/ Wakefield\nGrand Concourse\nHunts Point\nVan Cortlandt Village\nBrooklynEm pty heading\nBorough Park/Bensonhurst\nBrownsville\nConey Island\nFlatbush \nManhattanEmpty heading\nInwood\nWashington Heights\nQueensEmpty heading\ nAstoria/LIC\nFar Rockaway\nJamaica\nStaten IslandEmpty heading\nStapleton \n\n\n\n\n\n\n https://edc.nyc/program/food-retail-expansion-support-healt h-fresh\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Zohran Mamdani is pushing for New Yo rk City-run grocery stores. Here's what he envisions.\n\n Story by Jeff Ca pellini \n\n\n\n Zohran Mamdani championed the idea of New York City-run grocery stores throughout his successful campaign for mayor. He has said h e views it as an opportunity to address affordability and to give the publ ic a choice.\n\nBut in a city where capitalism reigns supreme\, Mamdani's proposal has faced significant opposition. The democratic socialist's road to having it adopted will hinge on a variety of factors\, including City Council and state support.\n\nMamdani has said his plan \"is part of a vis ion of a public option for produce\, an understanding that for far too man y New Yorkers\, groceries are out of reach\, and the importance in city go vernment of reasonable policy experimentation.\"\n\nMamdani's city-run gro cery store plan\nThe initiative\, which Mamdani says will cost $60 million \, would put at least one city-run store in each borough\, focusing on foo d deserts\, or areas with limited access to full-service supermarkets\, an d is not about making a profit. It counts on the city covering rent and pr operty taxes to pass savings to consumers.\n\n\"The job of city government is not to tinker around the edges while 1 in 4 children across our city g o hungry\,\" Mamdani said.\n\nAs outlined on his campaign website\, Mamdan i says the city would buy and sell goods at wholesale prices\, centralize warehousing and distribution\, and collaborate with local neighborhoods on product selection and sourcing.\n\nAs for how he would pay for the progra m\, New York City already subsidizes private grocery store owners to the t une of millions of dollars per year. Mamdani has said he would redirect th at money to stores the city controls.\n\nMamdani has also stated that furt her funding of the plan\, along with his other democratic socialist polici es\, would be generated by increasing the corporate tax rate to 11.5% and instituting a flat 2% tax rate for individuals earning $1 million or more. \n\nPotential roadblocks\nMamdani will almost certainly need to use the po wer and influence of his office to help the city-run grocery stores plan g ain traction\, but that likely won't be enough to get it across the finish line. Political expert J.C. Polanco\, a professor at the University of Mo unt Saint Vincent in the Bronx\, says convincing members of the City Counc il to go along with it could prove to be difficult.\n\n\"The problem will be here is that you have supermarkets\, delis and bodegas that are part of the fabric of the community. In order for a city councilmember to vote fo r this to happen\, they would have to look at their deli\, bodega and supe rmarket in their districts and say I know this store will compete with you and it doesn't need to worry about profits\, but I'm going to vote for it anyway\,\" Polanco said.\n\nPolanco said the odds of having City Council support for city-run grocery stores is \"very little\, considering that th ese city councilmembers have dozens of bodegas in their districts.\"\n\nSo me owners of private grocery stores have spoken out against Mamdani's prop osal. Billionaire supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis\, for example\, ha s said it is incompatible with New York City's market economy.\n\n\"New Yo rk City is a capitalist city -- look what happened in Kansas City?\" Catsi matidis said\, referring to the recent closure of that city's government-o wned grocery store. \"These types of grocery stores just don't work.\"\n\n Mamdani has turned some opponents into allies\nMamdani was asked back in A ugust if he's concerned about the hefty criticism his plan has generated. He said he is in no way trying to trample on private supermarket\, delicat essen and bodega owners.\n\n\"I am interested in working with each and eve ry New Yorker\, and I've actually spoken with a number of grocery store ow ners and made clear to them that I both recognize and I appreciate the wor k that they have done. The fact is that they are a critical part of our co mmunities\,\" Mamdani replied.\n\nIt's important to note that some members of the opposition have changed their tune about Mamdani\, if not his groc ery stores proposal. Just a few months before the election\, the United Bo degas of America blasted his plan\, calling the idea foolish and saying it will be harmful to private businesses.\n\nHowever\, less than a week befo re Mamdani won the election\, the president of the group stood behind the then-Democratic nominee\, saying he wants to make the city affordable for everyone.\n\n\"We are proud to stand by Zohran Mamdani\, a candidate who u nderstands the struggle of everyday New Yorkers\,\" UBA President Radahmes Rodriguez said.\n\nIn addition\, Gov. Kathy Hochul\, who has often spoken out about free enterprise\, did end up endorsing Mamdani for mayor\, whic h opens the door to her perhaps being amenable to the idea of city-run gro cery stores down the road.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral\n\n https://www.m sn.com/en-us/news/us/zohran-mamdani-is-pushing-for-new-york-city-run-groce ry-stores-here-s-what-he-envisions/ar-AA1PXbbi\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Economis t torches Mamdani's city-run grocery plan as doomed experiment that will c ost taxpayers\n\n Story by Kristine Parks \n\n\n\n As New Yorkers head to the polls\, one economist is raising the alrarm about Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani's plan for city-run groceries\, calling it a feel-g ood fix that flouts basic economics.\n\n\"It sounds very good on paper – ‘free’ always does\,\" Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley\, an economics p rofessor and vice president of academic affairs at The Fund for American S tudies\, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.\n\nMamdani\, a self-d escribed Democratic socialist who is the frontrunner in Tuesday's mayoral race\, argues these stores are needed to address food deserts and give wor king-class New Yorkers more access to affordable groceries. The pilot prog ram\, which would launch five stores in the city – one in each borough – is a key part of his progressive platform to lower costs for New York ers\, that also includes freezing the rent and higher corporate taxes.\n\n Bradley predicts that Mamdani’s plan\, while well-intentioned\, won't wo rk because it replaces market signals\, like prices\, property rights and profit motive\, with \"bureaucratic decision-making.\"\n\nMAMDANI APPEALS TO NON-DEMOCRATS WITH GENERAL ELECTION PUSH\, VOWS GOVERNMENT CAN MEET VOT ERS' 'MATERIAL NEEDS'\n\n\"The problem is believing that the economy is an engineering project\,\" she explained. \"That when we put smart\, well-in tentioned people in charge of that project\, we can kind of redirect thing s in certain ways and get the outcomes that we want.\"\n\nThe results of t his plan\, she says\, have already been seen in other U.S. cities who've t ried it. Similar programs in Kansas City\, Missouri\, and Florida collapse d\, despite millions in taxpayer funding.\n\n\"These stores have failed to remain open\,\" she said\, referring to a Kansas City store that closed i ts doors in August after struggling with empty shelves and crime.\n\nAccor ding to Bradley\, the issue is built into the system itself: if stores sel l their products at below market prices\, customers rush to buy everything and stores can't keep shelves stocked.\n\n\"So you might be able to stock it and open it on day one\, but these stores have failed to remain open\, \" she argued. \"Not only that\, but they're plagued by theft because the grocery stores don't have the same incentives that a Walmart has for loss prevention.\"\n\nBradley said history offers even starker warnings. Centra l planners who tried to control prices and supply in the collapsed Soviet Union and Venezuela resulted in people waiting in long lines and empty she lves.\n\n\"All these types of problems are a feature of this type of syste m. It's not a bug\, right? It's baked in\,\" she said.\n\nThe economist pr aised the candidate for trying to address the huge problem of high costs o f living for New Yorkers. She said there are better ways to lower food cos ts\, suggesting one way would be allowing a big box store like Walmart to open in New York City\, which would provide more access to cheaper groceri es.\n\nMamdani's campaign says the stores will not pay rent or property ta x\, and he will redirect some of the $140 million in private grocery store tax breaks to finance the pilot program.\n\n\"Food prices are out of cont rol. Nearly 9 in 10 New Yorkers say the cost of groceries is rising faster than their income. Only the very wealthiest aren’t feeling squeezed at the register\,\" his campaign website states. \"With New York City already spending millions of dollars to subsidize private grocery store operators (which are not even required to take SNAP/WIC!)\, we should redirect publ ic money to a real 'public option.'\"\n\nMamdani defended the plan when co nfronted about the failed Kansas City experiment in a September interview. \n\n\"[W]e have to prove not only the efficacy but the excellence of this idea\,\" he told CNN. \"Because for every one example that you can point t o\, there’s another of another municipality today considering opening a city-run grocery store. But to me\, the most important thing is the outcom e. This is something I believe will work. We will bring the best and the b rightest to deliver it\, and it will be five stores at the cost of $60 mil lion\, which is less than half the city’s already spending on subsidizin g corporate supermarkets.\"\n\nBradley countered that the proposal is stil l a costly experiment that could burden taxpayers and divert funds from mo re effective projects.\n\nThe economist noted the candidate's rise in popu larity comes at a time when younger Americans have more favorable attitude s towards socialism than previous generations. She believes that economic realities need to be taught to Americans early on.\n\n\"We're not doing a great job of teaching economics\,\" she said. \"We need to do a better job of that\, of at early ages\, showing people that economics in some ways p resents laws that are just as real as the laws of physics. So I could say I don't like gravity\, I don't believe in gravity\, but gravity is my real ity. And economics presents us with realities that are just as important t o obey.\"\n\n\"There's no such thing as a free lunch\,\" she said. \"We ne ed to advocate for policies that make things more accessible and more affo rdable. I think what economics shows is that markets do a really good job [at that]\,\" she said\, pointing to the array and volume of goods offered in the average grocery store in the U.S.\n\nUltimately\, Bradley said\, a ffordability comes not from government control but from more competition i n the marketplace.\n\n\"What we want people to be able to do is just stret ch their budgets further\, she added. \"And I think the way we do that is more competition in the market for groceries rather than less.\"\n\nMamdan i's campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.\n\ nFox Business' Amanda Macias contributed to this report.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n referral\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/economist-torches-m amdanis-city-run-grocery-plan-as-doomed-experiment-that-will-cost-taxpayer s/ar-AA1PNLDj\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Forum post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/t opic/12031-economiccorner26/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Corner\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/569-economic-corner-25/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PO ST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12031-economiccorner26/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/569-economic-corne r-25-10272025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/ev ent/586-economic-corner-27/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n COMMEN TS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n I notice one thing in your comme nt\, one great absence\, a positive suggestion. Your comment is full of co mplaint and judgement\, but lacks any ideas to solve anything\, now the re ason is one of two things. \n\n\n\n You don't have one\, for whatever rea son. \n\n\n\n You can't share one\, for whatever reason. \n\n\n\n The on ly thing I dislike in your comment is the lack of positive suggestion. Not unexpected but still I dislike it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now\, to your comme nt...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I thought my writing was clear\, unfortunate that it engendered such a poor reading from you or that you misread it so poor ly.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/9/2025 at 8:16 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n F irst of all Richard\, is that Mamdani's plan....or YOUR plan?\n\n The th read in the link seems to suggest it is YOUR plan that you PROPOSED to him .\n \n \n\n\n\n To aid in clarity\,\n\n\n\n My suggestion is a law that a llows stores to sell food in more affordable quantities . \n\n\n\n Mamdan i's plan is government owned stores to sell food affordably. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/9/2025 at 8:16 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n You remove the c heap ghetto food and replace it with healthy fresh food that is more expen sive and a lot of people will have problems with THAT.\n \n \n\n\n\n Your right\, people without money don't care for expensive food. If all you ha ve is fifty cents\, i imagine two dollar foods will be problematic to acqu ire\, unless of course one is able to steal but then of course\, some peop le in this forum COUGH Pioneer1 talk so much about the existence of those who break the law\, i guess the people who can't afford food can't break t he law to get it\, so I guess\, they should starve\, I mean who would have a problem with starving.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/9/2025 at 8:16 AM\, Pioneer1 s aid:\n \n\n \n \n So will those grocery stores actually be OWNED by the City of New York\, or will they be private stores SUBSIDIZED by the City of New York?\n\n Because like Section 8....why should the government pic k and choose who THEY decide to subsidize and make rich?\n\n They are pi cking CERTAIN stores and giving them millions of dollars to feed the peopl e mean while OTHER stores don't get that same benefit\, which means it's a ctually TARGETED VAMPIRE CAPITALISM. \n \n \n\n\n\n Please learn to read better\, the articles in the post clearly state in Mamdani's plan they wi ll be government owned stores\, not subsidized. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/9/2025 at 8:16 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n And even if NYC actually OWNS these grocery stores\, will the managers and employees be city workers?\n \n \n\n\n\n Your first question that wasn't answered in the economic cor ner post. Well done\,  I don't know\, if I was in mamdani's inner circle I would know. But Mamdani is still fleshing out this idea. As the Economic Corner stated\, his plan has many detractors of various types for various reasons. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/9/2025 at 8:16 AM\, Pioneer1 said :\n \n\n \n \n Will NYC ensure that there is no discrimination in who g ets to manage and run these stores?\n \n \n\n\n\n I will assume no merely because ensuring no discrimination exists has never happened anywhere in the entire usa\, your asking NYC to do what has never happened in the USA before in its circa 250 year history or before in the european colonial er a. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/9/2025 at 8:16 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n \n \n The Mayor Elect is of Indian descent.\n\n We know that Indians own a di sproportionate number of 7-11s\, corner stores\, and even bodegas around t he nation.....so this is bound to benefit them.\n \n \n\n\n\n Well in NYC is a different demographic makeup in terms of business ownership. NYC is more complex. remember\, NYC is the only city in the usa with a populace f rom every government. I have seen so many mixed couples: jew/muslim \; sou th american/african\; chinese/mexican and their various mixed babies\, NYC is going through a mulattozation.  I have never seen a 7-11 in this part of the city. And around here\, corner stores are owned by a variance: afr icans/arabs/latinos for the most part. What may surprise you is around her e\, most of the non corporate eating entities are owned by black folk: DOS /cAribbean/Continental combined. And around here\, black folk have been in terbreeding longer than elsewhere in the USA\, meaning you see alot of Bla ck couples that are mixes from within a black perspective. Corporate eater y is defined as Mcdonlads and the like.  Indians aren't the biggest popul ace in this part of NYC \, when you see them they tend to work in stores. I don't think I have been to a store an indian owns around here\, in this section of harlem for a long while. I recall one 99 cent store but the loc ation became closed and has been closed ever since. The property owner pro bably wants to much and so it isn't worth it. NYC is really a hard place f or a corner store.  People like you assume alot of habits that at least i n nyc aren't the truth. Most people go to the supermarket or have their fo od shipped. Fresh direct is making a killing. The people who have money ju st get the grocery to them and the rest of us shop at the supermarket. The local store... got it rough. I argue if it wasn't for the larger real est ate market\, not wanting nyc to have a huge mound of vacant areas\, the lo cal stores in NYC would be mostly gone. PEople shop at the supermarket. Th e only real money local stores get is kids\, who want their candies\, and the late shift people\, when the supermarket is closed and they may want s omething and after a long day of work too tired for home cooking. But even then the local store is not the option most get\, the place that gets the most late night money is a franchise \, owned by a black woman \, from th e islands\, she does make some lovely beef stew. but she is open all day. i have seen lines of the late shift outside her stores. \n\n\n\n And \, i repeat\, Mamdani didn't get the asian vote as a block\, many indians didn 't vote for him. He did only get 50% of the cities vote. It wasn't by acci dent. When he was in the ny state assembly he never had one law that truly aided indians https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/363-zohran-mamdani-legis lation/   as you suggest this will. and to be blunt\, repeating what is in the economic corner post\,  the business owning community in nyc is i n majority against this plan of Mamdani's. And as I said in the post I com prehend why Mamdani is going this way. After Obama+ AOC \, Mamdani knows t o be successful he cant' court his community\, which Obama showed is vital in seats like Mayor. But\,Mamdani also knows that Obama + OAC have many d etractors in their own community who feel they didn't do or haven't done e nough for \"their people\" even though the Obama type candidates don't vie w themselves as part of a hyphenated group in the usa\, they view themselv es as Frederick Douglass stated in the 1800s\, as part of a composite nati on of individuals\, overcoming heritage based rigidities\, while culturall y fluid. Emphasizing individualism bound in the idea of individual rights+ freedoms alongside others under the law. Mamdani \, taking Obama's stylism \, doesn't want to be the mayor of the indians or asians in NYC but the ma yor of the city. But Mamdani needs results so he is being more forceful th an obama or fellow obamite elected officials in trying to get something do ne. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n comment referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/top ic/12031-economiccorner26/#findComment-77503\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted ju st now\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\ n However what law is STOPPING them from doing this already?\n\n\n\n \n\n If a supermarket wants to only sell ONE stick of butter or even HALF a sti ck of butter at a time\, as long as it's properly handled and packaged...a re they not allowed to?\n\n\n\n Pioneer\, where are you from? You do reali ze that supermarket chain owners sign contracts with stipulations? Legal a greements are sometimes signed for certain food items with stipulations on how to care. Let alone that city/state/federal laws may state what can or can not happen? The FDA doesn't allow the interstate sale of butter so... what other laws are there. Where are you from? Do you own a business? \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n It's not a ma tter of better READING because I didn't bother reading the entire thing in the first place....lol.\n\n\n\n so that is why you ask questions answered  in the post\, well thank you\, i now fully comprehend the quality of you r statements in the forum. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   9 hours ago\, Pionee r1 said:\n\n\n\n \n\n -Will suppliers get their contracts through bidding with the city\, like construction contractors do?\n\n \n\n -We know there are Black farmers.\n\n Who will ensure THEY get their fair share of the c ontracts as suppliers?\n\n \n\n -Again\, who ensures that AfroAmericans ge t our fair share of jobs....including management positions....in these sto res?\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n\n Mamdani hasn't even got his plan accepted.   and like before all you offer is judgement\, no ideas\, no positive qua lity. You are like one of those rush limbaugh style podcasters just throug h text. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n comment referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /topic/12031-economiccorner26/#findComment-77523\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMEN T\n\n\n\n  @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n \n On 11/10/2025 at 2:23 PM\, Pioneer1 said :\n \n\n \n \n People have other things to do\, besides come on here an d read a whole 6 page THESIS on something that can be summed up in 3 parag raphs.\n \n \n\n\n\n this made me laugh\, even enough. I will only add th e following... so often online humans chime in on affairs of governance or complex communal human relation \, but\, the lack of effort in the detail s \, in the wordy thesis \, only supports the internets overall poor quali ty in discourse.\n\n\n\n \n On 11/10/2025 at 2:23 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \ n\n \n \n So besides having a funny-ass name\, what makes HIM any diffe rent than the other characters who occupied that seat?\n \n \n\n\n\n I wa s taught that each individual in humanity is unique and you can only know what one will do when they do it. But\, to your question\, he is no differ ent than AOC\, the one from the central park five representing harlem in t he city council\, the brooklyn or queens borough presidents\, a bunch of p eople who got elected on platforms of bloated promises who are gambling th e voting population will be willing to support their continual bids. I arg ue\, Deblasio + Adams were the end of an era for mayor of NYC. from Lindse y to Adams NYC mayors overall have been variations of centrism. trying to be a kind of middle\, each favoring different things so a tilt but overall central. \n\n\n\n Mamdani in my gamble to the future will legally/functi onally be a centrist but his rhetoric will be left. Although a key part to Mamdani is the governor and president\, what either of them do has a huge role to play. Hochul is a centrist. She doesn't hate expanded government welfare but she wants to keep the fiscal capitalistic dream alive\, the id ea that fiscal capitalism can work even in a usa unlike at any time before \, where the populace has the most universal rights\, even the native amer ican has rights\, where the populace has the most variance of fiscal wealt h\, more non whites or more non males or more non christians have money\, significant sums than any time before in New York State. So fiscal capital ism in the usa has never had to deal with the environment it has now. So I think Mamdani is different in important ways but will not act different l argely because his superiros\, governor+president will not let him.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251108 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 25 10/27/2025 DTSTAMP:20251027T171616Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:569-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Two big financial issues have come to my realization. \n \n\n\n 1) Some Black people want the current financial growth in the black populace in the usa to move faster than warranted. \n\n\n\n 2) Too many Black people can't simply say the USA is a failed financial state. YEs \, most powerful military in the world\, welfare lifelining every single fail ed white owned industry in the usa. But\, when any fiscal environment unde r a flag is as terrible as the usa\, that doesn't show signs of an environ ment worth doing business. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And I want to add\, the co ndition of NYC + Los Angeles I should had added. Los Angeles was built on the film industry. All those props \, set designers\, Los ANgeles was buil t on the film industry\, barely any films are made in los angeles\, where is the mayor of los angeles? this is the second largest city in the usa an d it let its biggest industry disappear? how is that good business? NYC ha d every industry you can name in its bounds\, now it is a real estate den\ , trying to figure out how to turn a failed real estate system into collec tive wealth. Detroit with cars\, how can I forget. The USA's big cities\, have all gone to ruin\, all led by whites all led by MIT/HArvard /Yale peo ple. What does matriculation have to do with it? \n\n\n\n Black people in the usa for some reason\, keep suggesting the usa is a positive place for businesses and if you are honest\, it isn't. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The fol lowing is the complete comment\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @KENNETH \n\n\n\n Wel l I have said in this forum already\, in 2025 Black people in the usa have more business ownership or collective wealth than in the USA in times pas t. Using the Black History Book\, through enslavement from 1492 to 1865 th rough jim crow from 1865 to 1980 Black people were financially stymied in overhwhelming majority by whites\, this is a financial fact. So from 1980 to 2025 Black people after fighting through white terrorism/oppression to have unprecedented opportunity in majority\, has led to an ever increasing rise in black business ownership or personal wealth from 1980 to today an d growing. \n\n\n\n So from my view\, what your talking about is accelera tion. You want Black people in 2025 to be inspired as in times past as a c ollective. We taught ourselves to read in the late 1800s on will alone. We marched and rallied for legal changes that would influence how the usa wo rks with may black people being murdered in the 1960s. Shirley CHisholm sa id black folks in the usa need a financial focus today. But where is the i nspiration to come from. \n\n\n\n From 1980 to 2025 Black ownership had m oments to lead greatly financially and they all fell.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n B lack Entertainment Television was black owned\, the majority owner who was black sold the company from under the other black owners\, that undercut black owned media  outlets ever since. Johnson could had reached for a co nsortium of black people to own BET\, provided corporate rules. But he did n't. HE just sold it to whites who themselves are looking to sell their co mpany to a holding firm this very year. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The man who o wned BET and sold it started the CHarlotte Bobcats. Sold it to Black man\, Michael Jordan\, who then sold it to white people. Black people say why w e don't own sports team all the time. We owned one  and it was sold to wh ites. Jordan couldn't find a set of black owners to buy the team? \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n As I Said in this forum\, the million man march could had bee n used to make a political march into a financial agency. Over a million b lack men marched on washington for guidance to the black community in the usa. the black people who led that march didn't provide anything. whose fa ult is that? they could had made a website and gave each man who was willi ng to give one dollar a ticket/card and said\, when you go back home\, use this card to access the website and vote on how we want to use a million dollars\, and every year with one dollar\, each million man wil lbe part o f a financing to something n the black community in the usa. But\, the mil lion man march doesn't even have a website .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In the har lem I live when the HArlem EMpowerment Zone which was advertised as financ ially beneficial to HArlem which at that time was still majority black\, o nly one blac owned business in harlem received funding and that was cause that business knew someone. HArlem at that had an all black elected repres entative body fromc ity council to state assembly to stt senate to house o f represnentatives. All f those blac elected officials couldn't demand bla ck owned busineses have a greater cut\, with the clintons as the supposed spearheaders of the money? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n George bush jr started the national african american museum\, but Obama was president through most o f its administration. Why couldn't obama open up the management of that mu seums' creation to more black people\, with varying views and beliefs. The national african american musuem was made with a black 1% in control\, th e black 1% have never viewed the back populace in the usa properly in my v iew. They have always viewed the black 99% as erroneous/lazy/wrong and tha t matters in the narrative fo black history which that museum displays. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What is my point? \n\n\n\n from 1980 to 2025 Black lea ders  in the usa had moments to guide to inpsire black people to work wit h each other for positive goals but usually they end up teaching the lesso n of individualism. And so.... from BET to the NAtional African American M useum the lesson isn't black people in the usa need to work together in th e age of integration\, the lesson taught is black individuals in the usa i n the age of integreation earn the right to do as they see fit regardless to the black community or blakc collectives betterment in the usa. And so how can you expect black people living in a black town in mississippi with out water\, near poisonous landfills to have this great black on black fin ancial belief when black people who are millionaires and billionaires are selling to non blacks or not doing anything to the village's betterment?  \n\n\n\n Yeah steward and smith \, steward a savvy businessman in the righ t place at the right time started as  reseller of technology\, rode the d ot com wave \, which busted. Smith a chemist fortunate to have some patent s and invests in software firms at the right time\, has grown as all softw are investment firms have. Congrats to both\, both hire and employ black p eople.  Well done to both. But\, I also provided examples of others who s old their firms. \n\n\n\n In conclusion\, I already stated black business in the usa  is growing\, this is financial fact. But you are looking for acceleration and  you have to really look at the field fo black wealthy people who aren't leading the way to such an explosion and it is financial ly irresponsible to suggest black people who have only been able to be par t of the usa's financial environment since the 1980s to erase the lag from 1492 to 1980 caused by whites. \n\n\n\n thus the financial growth will b e slow until some black billionaire or elected official leads much better\ , offering guidance that can convince black people to take huge risks. \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/26/2025 at 9:45 AM\, KENNETH said:\n \n\n \n \n Charles Rangel defeated Adam Clayton Powell in New York in the 1970 D emocratic Party primary for Congress. \n \n \n\n\n\n I happen to know ab out this. Adam Clayton Powell jr had lost connection with the rising set o f younger black elected officials. It wasn't the people clamoring for rang el \, Rangel hadn't did anything to warrant all of that. But rangel /dinki ns/patterson whose son is blind and the guy that recently passed away who was in the ny senates\, three of them from harlem without question\, I don t think patterson was but I am uncertain.   had formed a little union wh o would run harlem and black politics in nyc for decades\, that is what ha ppened. Powell jr alienated himself from the new generations and they oust ed him. One thing black people have to do is stop telling false histories. I know I may sound like I am attacking you but I am not. I can't stand wh en anyone tells false history. \n\n\n\n I comprehend that many\, I don't think most\, black people in the usa view voting as a symbol of freedom. B lack people like yourself of Profd or Pioneer I think view voting as the w ill of the people. But\, the black people of harlem didn't vote to have th e nypd as the drug kingpins of harlem in the 1970s they didn't vote to hav e the nyc/nys/us government defund everything it could in harlem in the 19 70s?  Under rangel\, who represented all of harlem  all that happened? s o... Black people didn't vote for change. The black elected official commu nity in NYC had a coup over powell and others led by four black men and th ey succeeded in their coup. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/26/2025 at 9:45 AM\, KENNETH said:\n \n\n \n \n But blacks must be persistent and thin k differently about the challenges we face. We might try and fail doing di fferent things. However failure is guaranteed if we do nothing at all. Now is the time a kind of black pragmatism that includes advocacy\, protest\, national\, state\, local government\, entrepreneurial\, human\, and commu nity development.\n \n \n\n\n\n I think blacks have been persisitent sinc e 1492 in this country. I don't think persistence is the issue in our dial og or failure to try new things. I think the issue is scale. You like othe rs seem to want a grandiose scale that I don't think is even remotely warr anted. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @umbrarchist the truth is \, the USA military is the real value fo the usa economy\, it is that plain and simple. The n umbers all prove me right. \n\n\n\n From 1980 to 2025 what iindustry didn 't have a total collapse in the usa? can you name any? \n\n\n\n Real esta te industry had three collapses. \n\n\n\n Automotive industry had two col lapses. \n\n\n\n Military contractors\, arms makers\, had a collapse.\n\n \n\n Airplane firms had three collapses in a history of collapses going ba ck to pan am in the 1960s 1970s. \n\n\n\n Banks had three collapses the b iggest was a complete failure that even the banks couldn't algorithm their way out of. \n\n\n\n Dot com websites collapse\, before the bust steward made his fortune before the bust.\n\n\n\n The collapse of various pension funds from workers who had put money into those funds\, which became tota lly lost. \n\n\n\n The collapse of various womens soccer league teams. \ n\n\n\n The collapse of various hashtag currencies\, like bitcoin.\n\n\n\n The collapse of various financial trading environments at least three maj or ones: enron/madoff [madoff was a scapegoat] are two\n\n\n\n What is my point? \n\n\n\n Black people in the usa keep talking about finance like t he USA is some sort of successful place. The USA in my opinion\, in the bl ack history age of integration in the usa from 1980 to 2025 has been a com plete financial failure that has only been kept alive because of a militar istic quality no one else has\, and I can give examples in 1980 to 2025 fr om other white government to prove my point. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When the whites who run hong kong\, the eurasian billionaires\, mishandled the eco nomy of Hong Kong\, they couldn't just pump money back into it. \n\n\n\n What happened is simple. At one time\, Hong Kong had seventy percent of th e incominc traffic to mainland china\, today it has ten percent or less. T heir neighbor macau focused on gambling and is striving. Hong Kong's white leaders mismanaged hong kong\, but unlike the usa who has a military whic h allows welfare lifelines to be given to entire failed industries\, hong kong has to accept the consequences\, the negative sequences from poor fin ancial management.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When the whites who run Argentina\, the mestizo rich\, mishandled the economy of argentina and their entire ba nking system collapsed\, argentina couldn't just write their entire bankin g system a check and ward off other countries calling in for debt with the ir military power\, they had to accept the consequences\, the negative seq uences from poor financial management. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The USA's econ omy is completely mishandled\, but the power of the usa miitary is so grea t that it allows the usa the ability to have forty strong years of failed industries across the board have their financial meltdowns paid for by the federal government. Thus maintaining the community of fiscally rich in th e usa who in truth all went broke multiple times. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n THe Covid 19 scenario is again\, another financial colla pse. The USA military allows financial failure from its wealthiest\, the n on blacks\, to not be rewarded with closure or termination as in liquidati on as in a free financial market\, but with welfare life lines as in a... militaristic empire\, then how can the blacks treat finance as if it is re ally a numbers game? It isn't a numbers game but a militaristic powers gam e. Black people in the usa lack militaristic power the most.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Referral URL for comment\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11970-wh at-if-we-focused-on-local-development/#findComment-77213\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Prior Edition \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/563-economic-c orner-24/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n NONE\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/563-economic-corner-24-10232025/\ n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/583-economi c-corner-26/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251027 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 23 10/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20251023T232002Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:562-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n My Thoughts\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't know much and I a sked those in the Japanese internet their thoughts. But what is known... N ippon/Japan has a lot of issues. Japan does not need population growth ove rall but in sectors it does. A number of businesses in agriculture for exa mple\, lack a next generation. Japan like korea or Taiwan/Formosa sits in the unenviable position of between the two biggest militaristic powers in modern/as of this writing humanity. \nShe says she wants to increase Nipp ons militaristic position as well as its financial position. Well\, in wha t way? Everyone wants to walk the road to gold\, but do you have a map\, d o you have shoes\, do you have a way of finding the road or is it just wal king aimlessly? \nYeah\, another elected official in humanity in a govern ment deemed important in many sources has a president that mirrors the way s of Schrumpft. Yeah. This is again\, not an error\, this is a result of t he USA's cold war victory playing out. When the United States of America w on the cold war\, it didn't do what it should had and that was reorganize the global order it made\, instead it maintained said order. But said orde r was based on having an enemy\, a militaristic + financial opponent\, the soviet union. Absent an opponent calling out the lies in the usa\, having a viable arms race\, why maintain a global system of dysfunctional immigr ation laws/dysfunctional hiring practices/dysfunctional  financial market s. Since the cold war ended\, the dot com industrial crash/ the real estat e industrial crash /the banking industry crash / the automotive industrial crash/various bitcoin crashes. All this points to a financial reality. Th e larger canvas is financially poor or desperate and it isn't the fault of so called Artificial Intelligence\, it isn't the fault of laziness\, it i sn't the fault of capitalism \, it is the fault of poor governance. \n\nG overnance matters\, it isn't economics\, it isn't finance\, but it matters and it isn't about finance. One of the problems in modernity is the view that money /finance controls government. No\, government controls governme nt. Like the congress of the USA who has ceded powers to the president of the USA for over one hundred years\, the elected officials in the USA have ceded governing responsibility to the fiscal entrepreneurs. The arrangeme nt is simple. We keep you alive and allow you to act freely and you fix yo ur issues. The problem is the assumption the fiscal entrepreneurs are that smart or that purposed.\n\nNippon automakers literally took jobs away fro m their own labor market to have the right to sell cars in the USA. That i s why Japanese cars are made in the USA\, so they have the right to be sol d in the USA. That was a terrible decision.  Japan who once led the world in electronics\, who supposedly had the best education system\, [Remember Black folk when you were a kid of a certain age and someone chimed in abo ut Japanese kids?] are not leading today? Is that because the Japanese wer en't the smartest? Or is it because the government + business owners manag ement hurt them in the same way \, the USA's government plus business owne rs actions led to the weakening of the electronics industry of the USA com pared to others. \n\nHer three predecessors had a year each. That wasn't an accident. Nippon has problems. They can't be willed away with a firm st ance. She has alot of governing to do and unlike the USA \, Japan's parlia mentary system means she has to get results now\, she can't give herself t ime to rest and plan out through a term. \n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/sanae-takaichi-becomes-japan s-first-female-prime-minister/ar-AA1ORG86?ocid=BingNewsSerp\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sanae Takaichi becomes Japan's first female prime minister\nStory by Arat a Yamamoto\nTOKYO — Lawmakers in Japan elected hardline conservative San ae Takaichi as prime minister on Tuesday\, making her the first woman in m odern times to lead the key U.S. ally.\n\nTakaichi\, 64\, the new leader o f the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)\, was elected by lawmakers in the lower house of parliament by a vote of 237-149 over her closest riv al\, Yoshihiko Noda\, leader of the liberal opposition Constitutional Demo cratic Party. She was also elected by upper house lawmakers in a second vo te of 125-46 after falling one vote shy of a majority in the first round.\ n\nThough her election is a milestone in a country where women are severel y underrepresented in government\, Takaichi enters office with a fragile c oalition and facing a number of pressing challenges\, including a visit ne xt week by President Donald Trump.\n\nA protege of assassinated former Pri me Minister Shinzo Abe\, Takaichi advocates a stronger military\, tougher immigration policies and the revision of Japan’s pacifist constitution. She is a veteran politician who has served as minister of economic securit y\, internal affairs and gender equality.\n\nEarlier this month Takaichi w as elected leader of the LDP\, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupt ed since World War II\, after running unsuccessfully in 2021 and 2024. Her ascension to prime minister was thrown into doubt\, however\, after a cru cial partner\, the centrist party Komeito\, left the LDP coalition.\n\nTo ensure her victory\, the LDP signed a deal on Monday with the Osaka-based Japan Innovation Party\, or Ishin\, that will pull its coalition further t o the right.\n\nEven with the alliance\, Takaichi faces an uphill battle i n parliament\, where she falls short of a majority in both houses after th e LDP suffered major losses in recent elections amid voter anger over part y corruption scandals and the rising cost of living.\n\n“She emerges fro m this a diminished leader from the get-go\,” said Jeff Kingston\, a pro fessor of Asian studies and history at Temple University’s Japan campus. \n\nTakaichi also faces an early test next week with the arrival of Trump\ , who is making his first trip to Asia since returning to office. He is ex pected to visit Malaysia and Japan before continuing on to South Korea\, w hich is hosting a major summit of Asia-Pacific economies.\n\n“She does n’t have a whole lot of time to get ready for a slew of diplomatic activ ity\,” Kingston said. “But I think job one is the Japanese economy.” \n\nArata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo\, and Jennifer Jett from Hong Kong. \n\nThis article was originally published on NBCNews.com\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n URL\n\n https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/world/asia/sanae-takaichi-jap an-prime-minister.html\n\n  \n\n\n\n Japan Has a New Leader\, and She’s a Heavy Metal Drummer\nSanae Takaichi\, a fan of Iron Maiden\, had an imp robable rise to power. Like her mentor\, Shinzo Abe\, she is expected to l ead Japan to the right.\n\nBy Javier C. Hernández\nJavier C. Hernández w ent to Nara Prefecture to trace Sanae Takaichi’s rise to power\, intervi ewing classmates\, supporters and acquaintances.\n\nPublished Oct. 21\, 20 25\nUpdated Oct. 23\, 2025\, 10:49 a.m. ET\nLeer en español\nAs a young w oman in the late 1970s\, Sanae Takaichi commuted six hours a day by bus an d train from her parents’ home in western Japan to attend university. Sh e was a fan of heavy metal music and Kawasaki motorcycles who yearned to m ove out. But her mother insisted at first that she stay home\, forbidding her from living in a boardinghouse before marriage.\n\n“I dreamed of hav ing my own castle\,” Ms. Takaichi wrote in a 1992 memoir.\n\nOn Tuesday\ , Ms. Takaichi won election as Japan’s prime minister\, the first woman to do so in the nation’s history. It was the pinnacle of an improbable r ise in politics and a milestone in a country where women have long struggl ed for influence.\n\nMs. Takaichi\, 64\, who grew up near the ancient Japa nese capital of Nara\, defies easy labels. She once spoke bluntly about th e challenges of working in politics as a woman in Japan\, yet she is now t he leader of the traditionalist\, male-dominated Liberal Democratic Party. She has expressed concern about Japan’s reliance on the United States\, but has also said she hopes to work closely with President Trump. She is an amateur drummer who idolizes bands like Iron Maiden and Deep Purple\, y et she also wears blue suits to pay homage to her other hero\, the former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.\n\nMs. Takaichi\, a protégée o f Shinzo Abe\, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister\, who was assassin ated in 2022\, is expected to move Japan farther to the right\, responding to a recent populist wave that bears some similarities to Mr. Trump’s M AGA movement. She has embraced hawkish policies on China\; pushed the mess age that “Japan is back”\; played down Japan’s atrocities during Wor ld War II\; and promised to more strictly regulate immigration and tourism .\n\n“She wants to make Japan strong and prosperous for the people of Ja pan and for the world\,” said Yoshiko Sakurai\, a prominent journalist a nd activist who has supported Ms. Takaichi. “She is open to the outside world. But she also understands that we have to be really good Japanese. W e have to know our own culture\, traditions\, philosophy and history.”\n \nMs. Takaichi will face her biggest test yet as she deals with fresh unce rtainty about Japan’s military and economic alliance with the United Sta tes. She is expected to meet next week in Tokyo with Mr. Trump\, who has r attled Japanese officials with tariffs and suggestions that the country sh ould pay more for the presence of American troops in the region.\n\nWhile many Japanese politicians come from wealthy\, elite circles\, Ms. Takaichi grew up in humble circumstances in Nara Prefecture\, an area teeming with temples\, shrines\, dense forests and rolling green hills. Her mother wor ked for the police department\, and her father worked at a car parts maker .\n\nMotoko Shimada\, a childhood friend of Ms. Takaichi’s\, recalled he r pigtailed classmate sharing homemade onigiri\, or rice balls\, and rolle d omelets with students who had forgotten their lunchboxes on a school tri p.\n\n“She was very smiley and very reserved\,” Ms. Shimada said. “S he didn’t have this strong-woman image. But she was able to notice when someone was not blending in well or struggling\, and she was able to help them.”\n\nFrom a young age\, Ms. Takaichi seemed aware of the pressures facing Japanese women. Her mother told her to be a “crimson rose\,” Ms . Takaichi recalled in a 2024 biography by Eiji Ohshita\, asking her to “retain feminine grace while possessing the thorns to confront wrongdoin g.”\n\nHer parents pressured her to attend Kobe University\, a state sch ool about 50 miles northwest of her hometown\, even though she had won adm ission to elite private institutions in Tokyo. They felt their daughter di d not need a university education because she was a girl\, Ms. Takaichi ha s said in interviews\, and they wanted to save up to support her younger b rother. (Ms. Takaichi declined\, through a representative\, to be intervie wed for this article.)\n\nAfter graduation\, Ms. Takaichi attended the Mat sushita Institute of Government and Management\, a renowned training groun d for young politicians and business leaders. In the late 1980s\, she took an interest in the United States\, Japan’s chief economic competitor at the time\, securing an internship in the office of former Rep. Patricia S chroeder of Colorado\, a Democrat and ardent feminist.\n\nMs. Takaichi had been moved by Ms. Schroeder’s tearful speech in 1987 announcing she wou ld not run for president. Ms. Takaichi sent Ms. Schroeder a telegram\, enc ouraging her to run again someday and offering her help.\n\nIn Washington\ , Ms. Takaichi was an energetic presence\, peppering aides with questions about the inner workings of Congress and American foreign policy — and d eveloping a love of peanut butter. There was no hint of her conservative v iews on defense or social issues at the time\, said Andrea Camp\, a former aide to Ms. Schroeder.\n\nWhen she returned to Japan\, Ms. Takaichi worke d as an author and a television personality\, developing a reputation as a pugnacious debater. In 1993\, she began her political career\, winning el ection to Parliament as an independent from Nara on a platform of politica l reform. Her father put his retirement savings toward her campaign.\n\nIn the Diet\, Japan’s Parliament\, Ms. Takaichi soon discovered the isolat ion of being a woman in politics. Her male colleagues were sometimes dismi ssive\, she recalled\, and they often conducted business at saunas and soc ial clubs\, where it wasn’t feasible to meet with female lawmakers.\n\ n“It’s really difficult for a woman to meet a man one-on-one\,” she told The Associated Press in 1993. “People are watching\, and I don’t want some strange scandal being invented. We can’t use the hours after 5 p.m.”\n\nDuring her early years in Parliament\, she forged an enduring alliance with Mr. Abe\, a lawmaker from an elite family with a nationalist ic worldview. The two found common ground on issues like increasing milita ry spending and adding a more patriotic tone to history textbooks.\n\nWhen Mr. Abe was elected to his first stint as prime minister in 2006\, he app ointed Ms. Takaichi to his cabinet\, making her one of the most visible wo men in Japanese politics. He reappointed her in 2012\, at the beginning of his second term\, which lasted eight years. She became a fierce defender of his policies\, including efforts to revise Japan’s Constitution to un fetter its military after decades of postwar pacifism\, and his economic p rogram\, which emphasized cheap cash and government stimulus efforts.\n\nM s. Takaichi tried to persuade Mr. Abe to run again in 2021\, but he declin ed. When she entered the race\, he threw his support behind her. “Ms. Ta kaichi is the true star of the conservatives\,” Mr. Abe said at the time . She lost that race and fell short in another bid in 2024.\n\nWhen Mr. Ab e was assassinated outside a train station in Nara\, while giving a stump speech\, Ms. Takaichi was devastated. She said at the time that she had “never felt so physically and mentally down.”\n\n“I have to work ver y hard from today\,” she wrote on social media\, “otherwise I’d have to apologize to him.”\n\nPHOTO\nMs. Takaichi with Shinzo Abe\, left\, i n 2014. The two found common ground on issues like increasing military spe nding and revising Japan’s textbooks to provide a more nationalistic vie w of World War II.Credit...Toru Hanai/Reuters\n\nWhen Shigeru Ishiba annou nced in September that he would resign as prime minister\, after a series of embarrassing electoral defeats for the L.D.P.\, Ms. Takaichi raised her hand again to lead her party. She beat four men\, riding a wave of suppor t among rank-and-file party members with a message about turning people’ s “anxieties into hope.”\n\nAs her profile has risen\, Ms. Takaichi’ s private life has come under scrutiny. She married Taku Yamamoto\, anothe r L.D.P. politician\, in 2004. They divorced in 2017 — Ms. Takaichi has said that the couple had heated political arguments at home — before rem arrying in 2021. That time\, Mr. Yamamoto took Ms. Takaichi’s surname\, a rare gesture in Japan’s patriarchal culture.\n\nIn Kashihara City in N ara\, Ms. Takaichi’s hometown\, which has a population of about 125\,000 \, her friends and supporters have celebrated her ascent\, praying for her success at local temples and sending white orchids to her district office .\n\nNara has featured prominently in her political life. During the recen t campaign\, she accused tourists of kicking the cherished deer of Nara Pa rk. She drew criticism for the remark\, which some saw as xenophobic.\n\nY ukitoshi Arai\, Ms. Takaichi’s former hairdresser in Nara\, helped pione er the cropped hairstyle that she has made famous. He said he wanted her e yes and ears to be visible to show that she was seeing and hearing the peo ple she met. He said he felt that Ms. Takaichi retained the qualities of p eople from the Kansai region in central Japan: humor and humility. He once gave her a bottle of shampoo that Ms. Thatcher was said to have liked whi le visiting Tokyo.\n\n“I don’t think she’s an ‘iron lady\,’” h e said\, referring to a nickname given by the British media to Ms. Thatche r. “Her vibe is that of a Kansai woman.”\n\nAfter her victory this mon th in the L.D.P.’s leadership election\, Mr. Arai texted his former clie nt to remind her to take care of herself.\n\nMs. Takaichi responded two da ys later. “The battle begins now\,” she wrote.\n\nKiuko Notoya contrib uted reporting from Nara Prefecture and Hisako Ueno from Tokyo.\n\nJavier C. Hernández is the Tokyo bureau chief for The Times\, leading coverage o f Japan and the region. He has reported from Asia for much of the past dec ade\, previously serving as China correspondent in Beijing.\n\nA version o f this article appears in print on Oct. 22\, 2025\, Section A\, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: Takaichi Presents New Package for Familiar Hard-Right Conservatism. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subsc ribe\n\n\n\n\n I ask people in Japan what do they think\n\n https://ameblo .jp/rmhearth/entry-12940637395.html\n\n\n\n Prior Edition\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/events/event/553-economic-corner-22-10222025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTE: she is the first prime minister of nippon to not come from a dynasty \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Economic Corner 23\n\n\n\n Sanae Takaichi becomes Nipp ons first female prime minister Oct 21st 2025\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11978-economiccorner023/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/553-economic-corner-22-10222025/\n\ n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/563-economic- corner-24/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n COMMENTS\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 10/24/2025 at 1:19 AM\, ProfD said :\n\n\n\n Considering the US/Japan relationship\, I'd imagine PM Takaichi will work within joint interestsnof both countries.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n there is a very old saying which I find always holds up true\, no one can serve two masters. \n\n\n\n What historical evidence do you have/suggest of any country that is subservient to another\, like Nippon to the USA\, having a leader who served successfully the interest of the subservient co untry + the master country?\n\n\n\n Posted Monday at 04:18 AM\n\n\n\n @Pr ofD\n\n\n\n I can't recall any moment in my life where any one voted for a n elected official and they got what they wanted... in my eyes\, they get what they settle for\, that isn't what you want. \n\n\n\n Posted Monday at 01:38 PM\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n in the usa the voters\, black nonblac k or other\,  have never demanded anything. the system doesn't allow for voters to demand anything. The parliamentary system allows voters to deman d\, because the vote isn't the be all end all. In a parliamentary system\, majorities are made by various voting blocks through parties of governanc e\, and the second something goes against a voting block\, they leave the majority\, and if large enough\, that will force a revoting. The USA syste m is built on faith\, not demand. The voters are placing someone based on faith in the usa. thus why so few across the board in the usa vote. which elected officials in the usa warrants faith in their actions? oddly enough \, the schrumpt people will say schrumpt and I argue\, letting honesty ove rcome my negative bias to him\, the argument can be made. \n\n\n\n Obama + Biden both as presidents arguably had more willing to put faith in them but didn't reward anyone's faith \, thus schrumpft came after both. \n\n\ n\n Locally\, this is the problem with NYC. It has had from Koch to MAmdan i\, eight terms of elephant mayors \, four terms of donkey mayors. Elephan t mayors focus on specific groups\, catering to the wealthy harder. Donkey s try to cater to the larger masses. But the problem is\, providing for th e larger masses is hard. NYC has been mismanaged for a very long time\, so the damage is not little and doing for all is... not a little task\, thus every single donkey mayor when they leave office is under a sorrow\, why? cause the people who voted for them are never satisfied\, cause the faith is never rewarded. the elephant mayors\, focus on the rich \, upper and l ower rich\, who are all colors/genders/religions/et cetera in nyc . the ma sses know this and absent alternative\, don't vote. None of the above\, it is a real thing. I can tell you value voting very highly\, but the system in the usa isn't built for voting to have value and the proof is in recen t history as much as the past. from sea to shining sea. The reason Schrump t took over the republican party wasn't because of black people. it was wh ite elected officials failings. \n\n\n\n And while money does aid elected officials getting elected\, look at all the nepotisms in the usa governme nt today. Many of these people come from money\, the issue is their qualit y as people. They aren't really in government to government\, they are in it\, because it is one of the best labor markets in the usa today. Far saf er than fiscal firms. You can be a senator for life\, and all you have to do\, is talk and play the media game well every four years. That is the us a system. I Don't know what country you seem to think the usa is. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n the marches in the 1960s wasn't from the act of voting\, that was called advocacy \, that isnt' the same thing. \n\n\n\n How can you v ote your interest when your interest can't be guaranteed in the usa system through voting?\n\n\n\n And yes\, fiscal operators strong enough influenc e\, but that is a very expensive game. The two major parties work in the b illions. \n\n\n\n Posted 15 hours ago\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\ n   On 10/27/2025 at 4:55 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n If voters formed bl ocks\, they could make demands of politicians. The system is good at keepi ng it from happening.\n\n\n\n Voting blocks have never demanded anything i n the usa\, that is a myth/lie. Voting blocks rarely exist as well \,the u se of voting blocks as some grand strategy is a myth/lie. \n\n\n\n Now if I am wrong give me an example in usa history?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 1 0/27/2025 at 4:55 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n What gave you that impression ?\n\n\n\n because of your choice of words or usage of voting as an action\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 10/27/2025 at 4:55 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n PO TUS OJ built his MAGA following by promising he would do certain things... primarily make America hyper-white nationalist.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Of cour se\, white folks in the opposition party benefit too. That's why they don' t really do anything to stop POTUS OJ. \n\n\n\n I remember exactly what s chrumpft did to build his following and none of it was specific promises o r claiming to make the usa hyper white nationalist. \n\n\n\n His built hi s movement by blindsiding the party of abraham lincoln POAL\, and in the p rimary did two things: \n\n\n\n 1) called everyone else in government \, POAL or party of andrew jackson POAJ  a liar\, which is a functional trut h. for decades both POAL+ POAJ members from federal to city council lie\, he called them all out. They both do nothing and blame the complexities of government or each other which is a lie\, government is not complex and t he two parties as many have said did have a symbiotic relationship pre sch rumpft. \n\n\n\n 2) he said he would shake things up. He never promised a nything specific  and when he faced hillary clinton he continued the same strategy against the POAL field in the POAL primary. He called her a liar based on her record or the record of the POAJ and said the same old same old\, will lead to the same place\, which is historically true in the past sixty years in the usa from the time of schrumpfts first election. I don' t think schrumpft has ever done anything to make the USA hyper white natio nalist. I Live in NYC it isn't hyper white nationalist. It is a city poorl y run\, which has a city council mostly made of women i think ... and soon to have another first time category of mayor in mamdani. When he campaign ed against harris\, it was the same thing\, harris is incompetent and do y ou want to go back to the old stuff \, and he won handily. \n\n\n\n But r emember was it Schrumpft who led the harlem empowerment zone that didn't e mpower at all the majoirty populace in harlem at that time\, black people? no it was the clintons /charlie rangel/inez dickens/and a bunch of other black elected officials to harlem. Was it schrumpft who was the attorney g eneral of california and aided in putting black men in prison with negativ e uneven policies\, no it was kamala harris.  Was it schrumpts who used t rillions of dollars for making computer chips in new york state as the cen ter of a plan to supposedly help all of the usa\, no it was biden. Was it schrumpt who forgave the entire begging banking industry included goldman sachs whose supposed to be such a brainiac financial firm with an welfare check absent demands? no that was Bush jr +Obama. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Wel l in the schrumpf era\, what I have noticed isn't people benefitting stayi ng in government it is people leaving\, between the POAL+ POAJ I argue the exodus from people representing both parties is the only constant. The ha wks+ fiscal conservatives+ religious folk+ libertarians+reform party in th e POAL are gone\, they have been replaced by schumpfts folk. while the rep resentatives of the POAJ in the bureaurcracy have made e huge exodus from USAID to the CDC to many other places where the POAJ has expanded the bure aucracy with their people. \n\n\n\n   On 10/27/2025 at 4:55 PM\, Prof D said:\n\n\n\n Sure. FBA/ADOS want full access to their birth-rights.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I am fortunate enough to have talked to various black peo ple in the community older than me\, who were actually there\, they never said what you said. I have never heard any of them speak of birth rights. many of them are dead\, but none spoke of birth rights. They spoke of righ ts. The language they used suggest to me it was less an statian/american t hing than a human thing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 10/27/2025 at 4:55 P M\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Black folks have accesss to billions collectivel y. You know the rest.\n\n\n\n yeah I do\, i also know that no populace in the usa\, including the white jew has ever pooled their money like that\, so I ponder why the black populace in the usa should be the first? \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\,  ProfD said:\n\n\n\n There's a huge number of poor people in the USA. If t hey formed a block and made demands\, I believe it would be effective.\n\n \n\n It would be effective in getting someone elected\, 100% \, but it wou ld not be effective in demanding anything once their elected. That is the issue. Remember\, George Washington\, white man\, first president\, owner of blacks\, a majority of whites\, poor or rich\, wanted him to be king. H e could had\, but he chose to term limit himself. he did that\, it wasn't the voting blocks desire\, and that sets the tone in the usa ever after\, once elected you are free to do what you want. Which means you are free to listen to others\, you are free to work for the voting base that got you elected.... but\, you are also free to listen to no one\, you are also fre e to work against the voting base that got you elected  COUGH BLACK ELECT ED REPRESENTATIVES \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n OK. I 've never specifcally typed that voting accomplishes anything. \n\n\n\n e ven point\, I made myself an ass\n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n\n From MAGA (hyper-white nationalism) to deporting illegal immigrants to reducing federal government to fighting crime were promises made.\n\n\ n\n Yes\, in the course of things he did BUT the base wasn't those things. That is my point.  Schrumpt didn't start with those things. He used Rush Limbaughs podcast/radio method. LEt the audience tell you want to rant.  \n\n\n\n Schrumpft started with only two things: everyone in government is a liar\, and I will shake things up. \n\n\n\n Then \,as the supporters s howed thier old great granfathers confederacy flag he added\, white nation alism\, as they got on twitter about speaking spanish\, got to rid of the immigrants\, and defunding the government had many supporters in various f ields of his early supports. He is resounding\, and I am not suggesting he didn't make promises\, but that wasn't how he started this thing\n\n\n\n I Argue Schrumpft is mimicking\, even in hand gestures\, william shatner f rom the intruder. The difference is\, schrumpft\, has modern telecommunica tions as well as a legacy of failure from the elephants or donkeys to make it easier. In the 1950s 1960s many whites in rural areas still believed t he elected officials would do for them\, but by 2025\,  many of those sa me whites don't feel the people in government have done for them or their parents or grandparents. Which is hnest. WHite people in the countryside h ave been begging for a return to the farms\, a strengthening of manufactur ing before either of us was born\, did it happen? Now I comprehend all the stated reasons but again\, that doesn't deny it didn't happen but was con tinually promised. SO this meant while shatner's character falls\, Schrump ts had and has it very easy. but like shatner all he is doing is resoundin g. That is the key to the strategy from getting elected to podcast\, just resonate the anger of the people absent doing anything about it or having any sort of plan or solution. the rest does itself. the peoples anger only grows and other people who refute the anger\, don't have solutions but cr eate a cyclical banter complaining about other complaining. \n\n\n\n http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intruder_(1962_film)\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n The MAGA movement is code for it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Here's a newsflash for you...NYC does not repr esent the pulse of the USA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Big Apple likes to beli eve it's a big deal...it's not.\n\n\n\n your not comprehending my point. Y our correct\, The USA is way bigger than NYC\, your correct... but the USA is way bigger than MAGA too. \n\n\n\n Schrumpft isn't making the usa hyp er white nationalist\, hyper white nationalist merely exist in the usa\, i t isn't the same thing. \n\n\n\n And what does this culminate tooo\,... r egionalisty. My point for mentioning NYC is regionality\, not some sort of centrism. The USA has many regions\, a country of three hundred million p lus people has many regions. MAGA isn't strong or noticeable everywhere\, maybe where you are\, even enough\, but not everywhere.\n\n\n\n   5 hour s ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Semantics. FBA/ADOS folks want their birth-r ights.\n\n\n\n by semantics are you suggesting an implication not verbally stated by many black people older than you are I?  well... I am not tryi ng to change your mind to anything\, I admit that again cause I see in our dialogs I border on prosyletization. But I can't suggest what people don' t say. I have never been a fan of the suggestion of overuse of coded langu age. And maybe I don't comprehend what you mean by birth rights\, but for me\, it is just rights. \n\n\n\n   5 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I know Jews received a windfall of money post-holocaust. Israel receives a chunky allowance from the USA every year too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Still\, research how much Jews own and the amount of wealth it has generated.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Jews aren't going broke through gross consumerism. Their churches are not raising billions of dollars just to enrich the pastors an d his flunkies.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FBA/ADOS should pool their money becaus e whenever white folks decide to pull the rug from underneath paying for t heir labor...many of our people will be worse off.\n\n\n\n Expand  \n\n\n \n I also know that white jews are a very tiny populace of the white popul ace in the usa\, I also know that all the tiny populaces in the usa's vari ous demographics are more financially successful than the largers. \n\n\n \n white jews are more financially successful than the white italisn or wh ite germans/poor white trash or white irish. But white jews are also far s maller.\n\n\n\n I know that black ethiopians are more financially successf ul than black DOSers but again\, far smaller populace. \n\n\n\n I know th at white japanese are more financially successful than white chinese\, but again\, far smaller populace. \n\n\n\n all larger populaces in any demog raphic in the usa are financially negative compared to a smaller populace in that same demographic. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n White people have already p ulled the rug for paying for white labor\, that is how schrumpft won... yo u keep suggesting a secret alliance among whites that doesn't exist in mod ernity. The reason being is the unity of the past among whites relied on b locking access to wealth. But BLack DOSers while sacrificing alot of our c ommunities or lives or goals or dreams using nonviolence to integrate to w hites\, with the help of the soviet union calling the usa out and gaining international traction\, successfully got whites in the usa to share wealt h and once that happened\, white power as it was had problems. which has l ed to today. White people in all white towns all over the usa have only kn own white power and fear integration with the nonwhite\, fear sharing of w ealth with the nonwhite\, fear fiscal competition with the non white all b ecause they comprehend correclty\, that all of said fears will lead to gre ater chances of fiscal poverty. Black people\, especially DOSers are used to fiscal poverty ala from its ultimate form being enslaved\, we don't get scared at the same rates being fiscally poor like whites. Schrumpft uses this. And that is how the pro anti jewish battle in the white populace in the usa has grown. The judeochristian union started in the 1960s based on the idea of a pan white identity in the usa\, which suit\, white women/whi te latinos like blanco puerto ricans/white asians like han chinese who all used the 1960s to grow their wealth in the white mold  BUT\, it also mea nt non white financial growth and then the corporations \, many with wealt hy white jews in administration started moving jobs outside the usa\, and the rest is history. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 22 10/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20251022T194154Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:553-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n United States Postal Service 2025 \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The United States Postal Service in the USA compared to other mod els\n\n you can't compare denmark to canada. yes\, denmark is getting rid of letter shipping. but postnord has a functional monopoly on the postal s ervice in scandanavia denmark/sweden/finland and another. And by postnord' s admission\, they are ending letters\, not mail. mail is letters+ package s. packages are on the rise. letters are on the decline\, not mail though\ , and this is part of the argument in the usa or canada\, that mail has ri sen\, not in letters but in packages \, and to be blunt\, the post office should had been where the internet was designed through. the internet lite rally uses addresses but the people implementing it never though to go thr ough the post office. Government officials biggest flaw is when they don't make functional laws that forsee problems. Lyndon B Johnson's speech on t he immigration act is why in 2025 immigration is the issue it is.  I quot e Lyndon B Johnson October 03\, 1965 speaking on the just passed Immigrati on Act of 1965. \n\n\n\n \n\n \"It does not affect the lives of millions. It will not reshape the structure of our daily lives\, or really add impo rtantly to either our wealth or our power. Yet it is still one of the most important acts of this Congress and of this administration. For it does r epair a very deep and painful flaw in the fabric of American justice. It c orrects a cruel and enduring wrong in the conduct of the American Nation.\ "\n\n  \n\n\n\n What? \n\n Allowing millions of hungry or fiscally poor people to enter any human populace under any government is going to affect the lives of everyone in said populace. It will reshape the lives of ever yone in said populace. It will add\, in white peoples case it did\,  or d iminish\, in Black descended of enslaved's case it did\, their fiscal weal th or power. In 2025 the immigrant populace herded into the usa has never corrected any wrongs in the usa\, but has added more by their existence. N ow\, in 2025\, who has the answers to all the various desires in all the v arious races in the usa? \n\n Immigration Act speech \n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2785&\;type=status\n\n Kerner Commission \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status= 2685&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n The Post office should never had compet ition. \n\n I quote the brookings report\, for it mirrors what I have sai d time and again.\n\n\n\n \n\n \"First\, we highlight how market forces an d the postal service’s obligation to provide quality nationwide mail ser vice at uniform rates contribute to the financial challenges faced by the postal service.\"\n\n  \n\n\n\n Read the primary mission statement of the United States postal service\n\n\n\n \n\n \"The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind t he Nation together through the personal\, educational\, literary\, and bus iness correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt\, reliable\, a nd efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal serv ices to all communities. (39 U.S. Code\, Section 101)\"\n\n  \n\n\n\n The problem with postal services is that they are at heart\, socialist or com munist entities. That mission statement says nothing about financial profi t. It is all about having a federal system that can cut through any bounda ries to reach any and all peoples in the usa.  The idea is\, everyone who has a home can get mail: letters+packages+ other. It is a equal system. T he problem is \, fiscally wealthy people\, usually whites\, have always wa nted to take the profitable sector of the postal industry. And that imbala nce is the heart of the problem. \n\n\n\n \n\n \"FedEx reported $35 billi on in debt in 2024.  USPS also already faces considerable competition fro m private companies\, such as am*zon\, FedEx\, and UPS\, in delivery of it s competitive—and profitable—products\, such as parcels.\"\n\n  \n\n\ n\n But it started with UPS. UPS was started as a specialty delivery servi ce in 1907. Not faster but more secure than the postal service.\n\n FedEx was started in  1971 for urgent shipping. Way faster for businesses. \n\ n UPS and FedEx have never been about sending mail to a town of ten people . It has never been about letters to santa claus from fiscally poor childr en. \n\n support\n\n https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg8jllq283o\n\n s upport\n\n https://www.brookings.edu/articles/return-to-sender-what-privat ization-might-mean-for-the-future-of-the-usps/\n\n in amendment\n\n potent ially\, the tragedy of post offices is they serve an important function\, they allow populaces under any government the ability to community absent electricity. This is why nearly every country with a certain level of weal th has a post office. The problem is\, government officials in most govern ments in humanity whether elected or not\, don't make functional laws. The y make philosophical or fiscally lobbied laws. Both of which do one thing\ , kick problems down the road. When the road ends\, all that is left is so me form of chaos because the decades or centuries to actually do something that is financially or organizationally feasible has passed. \n\n referr al\n\n https://discord.com/channels/1238281346833715283/123865468909728982 8/1425878435011629066\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Edition\n\n\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/topic/11653-economiccorner021/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE United Sta tes Postal Service 2025\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topi c/11975-economiccorner022/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com /tc/events/event/322-economic-corner-21-06032025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/562-economic-corner-23/\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n COMMENTARIES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @profd\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I have q uestions to you\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n By your studying\,  when did the \"sys tem of capitalism\" begin in humanity? I noticed in past dialogs you use t hat to refer it as a power over the government of the usa\, maybe over hum anity? am I wrong that you referred as i said? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In you r assessment\, do other systems besides fiscal capitalism have competition ? and what are the other systems?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/topic/11975-economiccorner022/#findComment-77152\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n made statements so I replied outside continuity\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/22/2025 at 5:09 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n There is always competition under a syste m of capitalism. \n \n \n\n\n\n This is his opening statement. So what a re the questions automatically? \n\n\n\n Is he suggesting other systems h umans have employed are bereft of competition? \n\n\n\n If so \, he is wr ong. If not\, then why mention this?\n\n\n\n Competition isn't the issue\, quality is. Two people can always play chess\, but in certain game rooms one can not sit across another unless they have achieved a certain quality . \n\n\n\n In this case\, The post office of the usa was made to sit acro ss private firms whose qualities were negative in comparison. Yes\, they a re competitors but it is like someone who has been playing chess for over fifty years sitting across from someone who never even heard of the game c hess. Yes\, the private firms will get stronger like any person just start ing a game will\, but the superior competitor\, in this case\, the post of fice\, will get weaker against such opposition by default. Cause the oppos ition doesn't offer a challenge except long term. \n\n\n\n Now\, this mea ns the government allowed a dysfunctional competition. \n\n\n\n \n On 10 /22/2025 at 5:09 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n It is hard to predict ne w and emerging technologies and how it affects the way we do things.\n \n \n\n\n\n This is a lie. This was Tesla's entire point. Edison and Westing house simply wanted to use technology for financial profit\, but Tesla wan ted to not only make technology but guide its use. It is not hard at all t o guide the use of technology to positive ends. What is hard is blockading financially greedy from using technology absent concern of its use for fi nancial profit\, and abset that concern creates environments of abuse + mi suse. \n\n\n\n I lived to see programming become potent enough to be deem ed artificial intelligence\, in no way is this era hard to predict. The pr oblem is the usa has a system of slavery which is designed to make profit regardless of the condition of others\, and in such a system\, the use of programming power has been abused + misused while making money. \n\n\n\n \n On 10/22/2025 at 5:09 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n The pony expres s was replaced by faster forms of transportation.  Trains and other vehic les worked out great for the postal service.  The postal service employed millions of people directly and indirectly too.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n As mentioned above\, the United Parcel Service (UPS) was started ove r 100 years ago as a delivery service.   That business took off especial ly as gross consumerism ramped up. \n \n \n\n\n\n Is he suggesting techn ological change requires new firms? if so \, that has no basis in truth. T he train is still the most efficient transportation system even with the a utomotive or aeroplane markets subsidies. BAsed on what he said\, so far i n his argument\, automotives + aeroplanes should be more efficient. \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/22/2025 at 5:09 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n While the postal service could handle billions of pieces of mail and parce ls annually\, larger packagers and faster delivery times required somethin g different.  A demand and convenience private companies were more than w iling to fulfill under a system of capitalism.\n \n \n\n\n\n Why did they require something different? And even if they did\, why did that demand a n allowance for private companies. In my eyes\, his equation doesn't add u p. If the post office needed a branch for faster delivery or larger packag es\, why couldn't the government develop a service within the post office for that? what he is saying is the government of the usa\, which had and h as many engineers in it\, couldn't develop a system for quicker delivery t o the needs of financially above average customers? I wonder how many beli eve that?   I don't see why fiscal capitalism has anything to do with th is. He is suggesting that fiscal capitalism as implemented in the usa can' t tell businesses not to compete against a government agency? if that was true\, the us military would have competition now. Cause war is very profi table. But... \n\n\n\n \n On 10/22/2025 at 5:09 PM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n IMO\, long before the internet and mail\, personal computers shou ld have been viewed as the technology that would drastically the alter the way we collect and store information (data) but also how we communicate.  \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n I want to say\, in cheap hindsight he i s correct. But why do I say cheap hindsight\, because his point misses as in the other sections of his argument the governments role in all of this. Government is designed to govern\, not make money\, not make war\, not ma ke peace\, not share wealth\, but to govern. \n\n\n\n The truth is\, the problem with this issue is the people in the usa government are not engine ers. Most of the people in the usa government have one of four educational backgrounds: lawyers/business administration/soldiers/doctors. But what i s the problem? IS it education? no. Being educated isn't a reflection of w hat one is experienced in studying. Being educated is a measure of knowled ge through experience. \n\n\n\n Now similar to the personal computer and the internet is the car and the automotive roads or the train and the trai n tracks. They each drastically changed how people in the usa communicate\ , store data. So let's look at the four educational backgrounds concerning : the transcontinental railroad(s) whose parts are still in use\, the hig hway system with elements like Route 66\, the interstate which is still be ing added to and deleted the use of route 66 o other parts of the highway system. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What are lawyers experienced in studying? the law and the processes of legal environments. \n\n\n\n In what arenas do lawyers experience help or hurt in government? Lawyers are helpful in matt ers of the law\, its adherence. Lawyers are best to uncover an aspect of a law that will coincide with another law\, thus making legal loopholes or collisions. That is helpful. Important tool to preserve the strength of th e law. But\, doesn't clean up the law.  Lawyers are hurtful in matters wh ere criminal or dysfunctional activity can occur through the law. \n\n\n\ n Let's relate: what experience do lawyers have in implementing transconti nental railroads\, highway systems\, interstate highway systems\, or elect ronic internets. Do they have experience making trains or cars or computer s? no. So\, maybe the implementation of these technologies would had been better if the elected officials were not dysfunctional. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Next \, what are business administrators experienced in studying? using accountancy or counting\, making averages\, developing statistics. \n\n\ n\n In what arenas do business administrators experience help or hurt in g overnment? Business administrators help in assessing numbers around a laws use. Making statistics. \n\n\n\n That is helpful. Important tool of guid ance. But terrible for implementation. Business administrators are hurtful in functionalizing holistic solutions\, averages or statistics by default are designed to accept negligibilites. But efficient law can't do that.  \n\n\n\n Let's relate. What experience to business administrators have in implementing transcontinental railrods\, highway systems\, interstate high way systems\, or electronic internets? Do they have experience crafting tr ains cars or computers? no. the people who craft said items or craft the m achines that craft said items are engineers or craftspeople. So \, maybe t he implementation of these technologies would had been better if the elect ed officials were not dysfunctional. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Next \, what are soldiers experienced in studying? weapons management+ tactics on mock fie lds of battle+ coordination with other human beings. \n\n\n\n In what are nas do soldiers experience help or hurt in government? Soldiers are great in war\, preparing for war\, preparing other human beings for war. That is helpful. But too often not great for peace. Soldiers are hurtful comprehe nding libertarian/ not the usa school of governing though but the word use sense as in free thought. The law always allows potential for free though ts or actions and soldiers are poorly suited to see or react to that or im plement sight or reaction into the law. \n\n\n\n Let's relate. What exper ience do soldiers have in implementing transcontinental railroads\, highwa y systems\, interstate highway systems or electronic internets? They may h ave done it for the militaries needs. But do they have experience implemen ting said systems for a use outside the military? rarely. Do they have exp erience crating trains cars or computers for non militaristic use? no. The people who craft said items for nonmilitaristic use are not soldiers usua lly. Usually disdain the chain of command culture. So maybe the implementa tion of these technologies would had been better if the elected officials were more accustomed.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Next\, what are doctors experienc ed in studying? individual and collective illness+ remedies+ measures of h ealth.\n\n\n\n In what arenas do doctors experience help or hurt in govern ment? Doctors are best in assessing potential damage to health or symptoms of illness. That is helpful. But doctors can be too rigid to their findin gs. The health of an individual or group doesn't have to mirror what any s tudy suggest and that dissimilarity can lead to worse health for an indivi dual or group\, that is the essence of medical malpractice.\n\n\n\n Let's relates. What experience do doctors have in implementing transcontinental railroads\, highway systems\, interstate highway systems or electronic int ernets? no. Do they have experience crafting trains cars or computers? no. Too often engineers develop the doctors tools with input from the doctor.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The point? engineers are better suited in government cause they prefer action not laws\, and are used to building/destroying/r ebooting systems. Their great weakness unlike the others is their flexibil ity. Where the lawyer wants to maintain the law\, the engineer says lets c onsider what the law doesn't handle. Where the business administrator want s to calculate the influence of the law\, the engineer wants to design the law to handle all potential situations. Where the soldier wants the law t o be implemented \, the engineer questions if the law is needed. Where the doctor is measuring the risk of health\, the engineer is focused on the p urpose. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 21 - 06/03/2025 DTSTAMP:20250603T124404Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:322-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n What is the counter plan to Schrumpts? Is it t he prior status quo?  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Did you think the end of the t hird white european imperial war/ cold war would not eventually lead to a major change in the relation of governments?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A question \, and Schrumpft\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Question\n\n\n\n What are Black owned luxury goods? To a restate\, what products do wealthy blacks buy that are luxury from black owned firms?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Schrumpft\n\n\n\n I have had time to consider Schrumpft and when I look at his presidency what ar e his financial goals? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Internal- in the usa. \n\n\n\ n \n Manipulate customers in the U.S.A. to buy products made in the usa. Tariffs by default raise prices outside a country with the purpose of maki ng products cheaper internally. \n \n \n Manipulate firms in the USA to buy more natural resources in the usa while growing/manufacturing more pro ducts in the usa. Tariffs by default raise the prices of external natural resources or foreign manufactured/grown goods\, with the purpose of making domestic natural resources+domestic made goods cheaper. \n \n \n Reduce the populace of non usa citizens to colleges or universities in the usa. The USA has educated more foreigners than any other government from the ni neteen hundreds to today. \n \n \n Reduce the bureaucratic size of the u sa\, all federal workers have long scale benefits in healthcare that are e xpensive. Cutting the laborforce of the federal bureaucracy is why automot ive companies in the private sector wanted to reduce their own workforce w hose healthcare and long term benefits are expensive.\n \n \n Embrace bit coin as the alternative and future currency in humanity. Whomever can get hashtag currencies called cryptocurrencies to work will have an entire alt ernative currency they can start and control \, like the dutch with the st ock market. \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n External- outside the usa\n\n\n\n \n Reduce military expenditures from the USA in Europe or Asia. The USA spend s a lot of money policing humanity. Reducing this cost is huge. \n \n \n Delete the USA's role as the center of the global economy network and get the USA to have a one to one financial relationship to all other governme nts. \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In Conclusion\n\n\n\n When I look at Schrumpf ts financial activities\, what he wants to do is undo the Franklin Deleano r Roosevelt built imperial model for the USA. \n\n\n\n FDR as president w as the one who started the idea of the USA financing enemies: england/fran ce/germany/japan/italy/russia during the bloodshed of the second white eur opean imperial war/SWEIW\, commonly called world war two. The following pr esidents\, from Kennedy to Johnson continued the strategy of embracing int erwoven internationalism. In the 1960s\, firms in the usa started their re moving of domestic manufacture to foreign countries\, as in latin america and then in Nixon in China. The same presidents from Kennedy to Obama embr aced the idea of giving foreign students education in the usa. And from Ei senhower the military industrial complex grew\, but the federal bureaucrat ic industrial complex has grown whether The party of andrew jackson\, the donkeys[democratic party of governance] or the party of abraham lincoln\, the elephants[republican party of governance]. Which was used originally t o buffer the inability of state governments\, as all fifty state governmen ts were dominated by the white christian male populaces in said states\, t o allow non white\, non male\, non christian populaces protection/opportun ities somewhere in the USA where the private sector was near completely bl ockaded plus state governments\, as said\, were near completely blockaded as well. The USA also since FDR \, has been policing humanity\, not wildly \, but enough to make sure all the little land governments in humanity who are financially best suited for the interwoven internationalism\, not be attacked or dominated by militaristically potent neighbors. Now the reason FDR started all these trends was the third white european imperial war\, commonly called the cold war. The Soviet Union's argument to all countries and peoples was the USA is a continuation of the fiscal slaving culture t hat stemmed from western europe. So the USA financed enemies/interwove its economy to others/built manufacturing plants in foreign countries/embrace d foreigners into being usa citizens or going to school in the usa all to get the college of governments to side with the USA over the Union of Sovi et Socialist Republics/USSR and they did. This required an ever growing fe deral bureaucracy\, in military expenditures for international security or the wildly growing populace in the usa. The USA won the third white europ ean imperial war. But the cost was the growth of Western Europe into the E uropean Union\, China into a world power aside a geographic neighborhood w ith financially potent Japan or India. So\, the victory against the Soviet Union created new competitors. \n\n\n\n Schrumpft wants to undo that tra in from FDR to modernity to kill the competitors. The reasons are not hate ful but are a cold strategy which many said in the 1900s. If the USA pulls out of investing in foreign countries \, most have no where to turn and t he European Union plus China or Russia don't have the means or will to pro vide the same level of aid or sharing fiscal activity. If the USA pulls ou t of giving foreign students education\, the EU or China will not or can n ot support the horde of hopeful migrant college students. Lessening the fe deral bureaucracy will save money long term and force the states in the un ion to improve relating to their multiracial populaces. \n\n\n\n What Sch rumpft wants to do is return humanity to as close a state to how it was at the end of the SWEIW\, where all of Europe outside Russia was destroyed a nd had no vitality. All of East asia was destroyed and had no vitality. SC hrumpft doesn't want to go to war to destroy foreign governments\, he want s to perform a cold war with the rest of humanity by evacuating the USA fr om the system it centers\, knowing the European Union or China don't have the will or means or desire or infrastructure to support the college of co untries as the USA has done since FDR and will force all countries even in anger to relate mostly to the USA. \n\n\n\n The USA will go from being t he center of a complex web\, where parts of the web can grow as a centroid \, to being the center of a solar image\, where no matter how bright a ray is no ray touches another. \n\n\n\n As the images suggest to go from a c omplex web to a set of solar rays\, all the pieces between fall off and di e\, but the center survives and potentially thrives\, that is Schrumpfts p lan\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11507-eco nomiccorner020/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Question of Black Luxury + Schrumpft\n\ n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11653-economiccorner021/ \n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/206-econo mic-corner-20-02262025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ events/event/553-economic-corner-22-10222025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250603 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 20 - 02/26/2025 DTSTAMP:20250226T071744Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:206-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Economic Corner - Space Mineral Race\n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\ n\n I must first say the parts below. \n\n\n\n \n FISCAL NOTES FROM THE ARTICLE OR FROM CITATIONS- quick notes to look at\, all financial info is there\n \n \n CITATION NOTES FOR ARTICLE ELEMENTS- for persons or organiz ations\n \n \n BASE ARTICLE - the main article that inspired this edition \n \n \n INVESTIGATED FINDINGS - other articles I found that are valuable to share\n \n\n\n\n Now... to my thoughts\n\n The history of mineral rush es throughout human history is clear\, 99% who venture for mineral riches end in failure\, so the money in the space mining industry is  and will b e in the support system to mining. SpaceX and others who have affordable w ays to reach outer space will profit on the profiteers. The biggest challe nge legally will be on claims to asteroids and ownership of content back t o earth. Currently no international framework exist and with the governmen ts of USA/China/Russia all in rattle the saber mode\, the legal environmen t for space mining will offer opportunities. The 1% who strike it rich wil l change whole industries on Earth for the mineral resources brought to ea rth will literally augment the quantity and sequentially value of mineral resources on Earth.\n\n Extreme attention need to be made on the managemen t of satellites \, routes into deep space. Depending on the legal scenario \, money can be made by leasing out space in outer space\, for use by spac e miners or others trying to get their project to work most efficiently.\n \n Black countries need to focus on food grown in space. As wealth from ou tside earth joins earth\, it will lead to excess\, and that will need high er demands of food from population growth.\n\n\n\n FISCAL NOTES FROM THE A RTICLE OR FROM CITATIONS\n\n\n\n \n Cost of Brokkr-1 not mentioned public ly\n \n \n Details to Brokkr-1 not mentioned publicly\n \n \n Rideshare on SpaceX is 1.1 million dollars for 200 kilogram slots\n \n \n Astroforg e raised $55 million in funding [ https://www.astroforge.com/updates/firi ng-on-all-cylinders-announcing-40m-and-mission-3 ] fifteen million is fro m private or unlisted. Forty million is from : Nova Threshold {citation :  https://www.gaebler.com/VC-Investors-FAE25306-F35B-4688-AB64-AF128C7CDA3 A-Nova-Threshold } \, SevenSevenSix{https://sevensevensix.com/}\, initia lized {https://initialized.com/}\, Jed McCaleb {http://jedmccaleb.com/ \ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jed_McCaleb}\, Y Combinator { https://ww w.ycombinator.com/ } \, Uncorrelated Ventures { https://www.uncorrelated .com/ } \, Soma Capitol { https://somacap.com/ } \, 468 capitol { http s://468cap.com/ } \, Day one ventures { https://www.dayoneventures.com/  } \, L2 Ventures { https://www.l2v.com/ } \n \n \n Matthew Gialich s tated [goto \"The CEO of Astroforge Matthew Gialich said\" below] the busi ness model of Astroforge relies on SpaceX customer prices.\n \n \n Cost o f Odin - not mentioned publicly\n \n \n Cost of Using undisclosed dishes in  India\, South Africa\, Australia and the United States- not publicly stated\n \n \n The financial goal is to get rare metals in the Platinum G roup [goto \"Platinum Group Metals : \" below]\n \n \n From Mitch Hunter- Scullion\, paraphrase: 117\,000 tons of platinum is about 680 years of glo bal supply\, 1\,000 tons of platinum  is the next half century of mobile phones\n \n \n From Joel C. Sercel industrial steps: 1) living off land i n space - early energy from space [ https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11498-econ omiccorner017/ ]  2) export products back to earth [ Platinum group meta ls] 3) affordable automated systems will be built for work outside earth 4 ) factories will turn asteroids into products sent back to earth \n \n \n intermittent steps - 1a) high speed internet service will mostly come fr om outer space with hundreds of thousands of satellites 1b) data processin g will need to move into space[the biggest cost of data processing on eart h is power\, solar power in space will make it cheaper] 1c) energy  beame d from space to earth [ maybe earlier than the others] 1d) space products will be built from material in space 2a) space mining will take off with a n off earth infrastructure [ rocket propellant from moons or asteroids\; a steroid or moon rocks to build structures\;] efficient methods will win 2b ) real estate will be the most important industry [ first tourism\, then p eople who want freedom ]\n \n \n The U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competi tiveness Act (H.R.2262) focuses on making guidelines\, but focuses on priv ate public sector\, doesn't speak of penalties\, doesn't speak of continge ncies\, doesn't speak of legal scenarios like ownership claim disputes\, i t brings no clarity on potential international conflicts\, it speaks of de signing plans for safety and management. So financially the lack of clarit y legally will make future investments value unknown based on the unknown legal climate. The act sets up space as an international wild west in spac e.\n \n\n\n\n CITATION NOTES FOR ARTICLE ELEMENTS\n\n\n\n \n Astroforge [  https://www.astroforge.com/ \; https://www.linkedin.com/company/astrof orge/ ] - name of firm attempting to land and mine on asteroid. Only the Rosetta spacecraft of the European Space Agency has achieved a landing on an asteroid before it was on asteroid 21 Lutetia.\n \n \n Ashton Meginnis [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashton-meginnis-b2927440/ ]\n \n \n Wesle y Tunelius [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-tunelius/ ]\n \n \n Ben Fields [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminozerfields/ ] \n \n \n M att Gialich [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-gialich/ ]\n \n \n Da vid Gump [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgump/ ARTICLE: https://www. linkedin.com/pulse/asteroid-mining-next-revolution-after-low-cost-launch-d avid-gump/]\n \n \n Deep Space Industries [ https://www.linkedin.com/com pany/deep-space-industries-inc/ ]- sold of in 2019 \, never reached an as teroid\n \n \n Astroforge Demonstration [ https://www.astroforge.com/upd ates/an-update-on-mission-1-mission-2-same-name-new-vehicle-new-standard-f or-space-exploration \; video: https://youtu.be/K83Jp3V_hac?t=340  ]  \n \n \n Athena lander from Intuitive Machines [ https://investors.intui tivemachines.com/news-releases/news-release-details/intuitive-machines-im- 2-mission-lunar-lander-encapsulated-and ]\n \n \n NASA’s Lunar Trailbl azer [ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-trailblazer/ ]\n \n \n L icense from the Federal Communications Commission [ https://www.astroforg e.com/updates/fcclicense {International Telecommunications Union defines deep space as greater than 2 million kilometers from Earth. }]\n \n \n Pa rt 5 Experimental Licensing from Federal Communications Commission [ http s://www.fcc.gov/space/part-5-experimental-licensing \; Code for PART 5— EXPERIMENTAL RADIO SERVICE (method to obtain license) {https://www.ecfr.go v/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5} \; OET Experimental Lice nsing System { https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/index.cfm} ] \n \n \n Ast eroid 2022 OB5 [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_OB5 ]\n \n \n Uncon firmed - potentially Astroforge is the only public firm preparing to go to an asteroid\, this does not count completely private or government ventur es\n \n \n Stephanie Jarmak [ https://sjarmak.com/ ] \n \n \n Platinu m Group Metals : ruthenium\, rhodium\, palladium\, osmium\, iridium\, and platinum. (resistant to corrosion found raw in nature/noble\, low quantity on earth/rare\, conducts heat or electricity well/metal)[ https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/Platinum_group ] \n \n \n Mitch Hunter-Scullion (he loo ks like a bond villain)[https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-hunter-scullion- 2aa921a3/?originalSubdomain=uk]\n \n \n Asteroid Mining Corporation (Thei r mission I quote: Use Space technology to disrupt Earth markets \, Use Ea rth revenue to unlock Space markets)\;(Bond Villainy confirmed) [ https:/ /www.asteroidminingcorporation.co.uk/ ]\n \n \n Joel C. Sercel (cohagen alert)[ https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelsercel/ ] \n \n \n TRansAstra [ https://transastra.com/ ]\n \n \n Video Interpretation of TransAstra bag grabbing an asteroid\n \n \n   \n \n  \n \n \n \n Unconfirme d - Joel C. Sercel states \"not enough P.G.M.s in asteroids to justify tha t as a stand-alone business\"\n \n \n U.S. Commercial Space Launch Compet itiveness Act (H.R.2262)  [ pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW -114publ90/pdf/PLAW-114publ90.pdf \; html text https://www.govinfo.gov/c ontent/pkg/PLAW-114publ90/html/PLAW-114publ90.htm \; article https://www .geekwire.com/2015/asteroid-riches-president-obama-signs-space-resource-bi ll-into-law/ ] \n \n \n Michelle Hanlon [ https://www.forallmoonkind.o rg/ ] \n \n \n Benjamin Weiss [ https://eaps.mit.edu/people/faculty/be njamin-weiss/ ]\n \n \n Lindy Elkins-Tanton [ https://lindyelkinstanton .com/ ]\n \n\n\n\n UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR BASE ARTICLE\n\n https://www. nytimes.com/2025/02/23/science/astroforge-launch-asteroid-mining.html\n\n\ n\n BASE ARTICLE\n\n Earth’s 1st Asteroid Mining Prospector Heads to the Launchpad\n\n The dream of mining metals in deep space crashed and burned in the 2010s. AstroForge’s Odin mission to survey a potentially metalli c asteroid is packed and ready to lift off.\n\n\n\n By Jonathan O’Callag han\n\n Jonathan O’Callaghan reported on AstroForge in 2023 when its ast eroid mining mission’s destination was a secret.\n\n\n\n Image\n\n Three Astroforge workers in hairnets and blue gloves give a thumbs up to the ca mera as they pose next to a small spacecraft in a large white facility.\n\ n From left\, Astroforge personnel Ashton Meginnis\, Wesley Tunelius\, and Ben Fields with Odin during final assembly testing.Credit...Astroforge\n\ n\n\n Feb. 23\, 2025\n\n A private company is aiming to heave a microwave oven-size spacecraft toward an asteroid later this week\, its goal to kick off a future where precious metals are mined around the solar system to c reate vast fortunes on Earth.\n\n\n\n “If this works out\, this will pro bably be the biggest business ever conceived of\,” said Matt Gialich\, t he founder and chief executive of AstroForge\, the builder and operator of the robotic probe.\n\n\n\n That may sound familiar: A decade ago\, news s tories were aflutter about the wealth promised by asteroid mining companie s. But things didn’t quite work out.\n\n\n\n “We blossomed three or fo ur years too early for the big gold rush of investor enthusiasm for space projects\,” said David Gump\, the former chief executive of Deep Space I ndustries\, one of the earlier batch of would-be asteroid miners. Eventual ly the money dried up\; Deep Space Industries was sold off in 2019 and nev er reached an asteroid.\n\n\n\n AstroForge is betting on things being diff erent this time around. The California company has already launched a demo nstration spacecraft into Earth orbit and raised $55 million in funding. N ow the company is set to actually travel toward a near-Earth asteroid in d eep space.\n\n\n\n AstroForge’s second robotic spacecraft\, called Odin\ , is bundled into a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will also launch a private ly built moon lander and a NASA-operated lunar orbiter as soon as Wednesda y from Florida. About 45 minutes after the launch\, Odin will separate and begin its solo journey into deep space\, while the moon missions — the Athena lander from Intuitive Machines and NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer — t ake off on their own separate journeys.\n\n\n\n No commercial company has ever launched an operational mission beyond the moon\, and AstroForge is t he first company to receive a license from the Federal Communications Comm ission that allows it to transmit from deep space. AstroForge will communi cate with the spacecraft using undisclosed dishes in India\, South Africa\ , Australia and the United States.\n\n\n\n At first\, AstroForge kept its target asteroid a secret\, fearing competitors. But in January\, the compa ny announced the destination\, an object called 2022 OB5. Mr. Gialich said he was more confident of AstroForge’s advantage.\n\n\n\n “We’re the only one that’s actually doing anything\,” he said. “Who else is pr eparing to go to an asteroid?”\n\n\n\n Asteroid 2022 OB5 is small\, no m ore than 330 feet across\, about the size of a football field. AstroForg e’s science team assessed the asteroid by using telescopes\, including t he Lowell Observatory and the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona\, to es timate its metallic content. They believe that 2022 OB5 is an M-type\, a c lass of asteroids comprising 5 percent of known space rocks that may have a high amount of metal. The analysis of the asteroid has not yet been publ ished.\n\n\n\n Image\n\n A view looking into two very large mirrors of a g round-based space telescope at dusk.\n\n The Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona\, which helped Astroforge’s science team assess Asteroid 2022 OB 5.Credit...Joe McNally/Getty Images\n\n\n\n Stephanie Jarmak\, a planetary scientist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics\, said the c ompany’s analysis was plausible.\n\n\n\n “There are several different ways to determine whether it’s an M-type or not\,” she said\, includin g studying the asteroid’s brightness\, or albedo. A higher brightness su ggests the presence of more metal. She lauded the company for being more o pen about its target asteroid. “I thought that was really nice\,” she said.\n\n\n\n M-type asteroids are thought to be rich in metals such as ir on and nickel. These could be useful as a resource for construction in spa ce\, perhaps to build new spacecraft and machinery. However\, some M-types may also be rich in more valuable platinum group metals\, or P.G.M.s\, us ed in devices such as smartphones. The windfall would be huge if these cou ld be mined in abundance and brought to Earth.\n\n\n\n “A single one-kil ometer-diameter asteroid\, if it was platinum-bearing\, would contain abou t 117\,000 tons of platinum\,” said Mitch Hunter-Scullion\, the founder and chief executive of the Asteroid Mining Corporation in Britain. His com pany is taking a slower approach and plans to demonstrate technologies on the moon later this decade.\n\n\n\n “That’s about 680 years of global supply. You’re talking about centuries of platinum demand from a single asteroid\,” Mr. Hunter-Scullion said. “Even if you get 1\,000 tons of platinum\, you’re sitting there with the next half century of mobile pho nes.”\n\n\n\n Not everyone is convinced that so much valuable metal will be found inside M-type asteroids.\n\n\n\n “There’s not enough P.G.M.s in asteroids to justify that as a stand-alone business\,” said Joel C. Sercel\, the founder and chief executive of TransAstra\, a company that is developing a giant bag that could be used to grab and extract resources f rom asteroids in the future. The company will test a small mock-up of the technology aboard the International Space Station following a launch to th e station this summer.\n\n\n\n The legalities of mining asteroids and sell ing their resources remain uncertain.\n\n\n\n In 2015\, President Obama si gned a law allowing asteroid resources to be sold on Earth. But no one has yet put this law to the test.\n\n\n\n “Is AstroForge going to make a cl aim? Does the fact they reach this asteroid before anybody else mean nobod y else can go to it?” asked Michelle Hanlon\, a law professor specializi ng in space at the University of Mississippi. “It’s going to be intere sting to see the international reaction.”\n\n\n\n Image\n\n Looking up a t the payload of a SpaceX rocket just before encapsulation.\n\n Odin\, low er right\, will be hitching a ride with the Athena lander from Intuitive M achines aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.Credit...SpaceX\n\n\n\n Odin will arrive in late 2025 after a journey of about 300 days to 2022 OB5. The ast eroid follows an orbit around the sun similar to Earth’s. The probe will fly past the asteroid at a distance of 0.6 miles\, using two black-and-wh ite cameras to snap pictures. Zooming by the object at thousands of miles per hour\, the spacecraft will have an encounter that will last five and a half hours.\n\n\n\n “And it’s probably only the last 10 minutes tha t we’re getting pictures bigger than a pixel\,” Mr. Gialich said.\n\n\ n\n The goal is for these pictures to be enough to tell if the asteroid is metallic.\n\n\n\n “Hopefully it looks shiny\,” Mr. Gialich said. Howe ver\, it’s very possible that any metal could be mixed into the astero id’s soil and not be visible.\n\n\n\n “I’m not sure how much composi tional information they can get purely from images\,” Dr. Jarmak\, the p lanetary scientist\, said.\n\n\n\n Craters on the surface may hint at hidd en metal though\, Mr. Gialich said\, adding: “We expect to see cracking on the surface” that could be indicative of metallic content.\n\n\n\n Th e spacecraft will also precisely track the asteroid’s position in space during the flyby. Doing so could allow the density of the asteroid to be c alculated\, based on its gravitational tug on the spacecraft. Higher densi ty would hint at more metallic content.\n\n\n\n Success is not guaranteed. AstroForge’s first mission\, Brokkr-1\, was launched into low-Earth orb it in April 2023 to test the company’s planned asteroid refining technol ogy. But the mission encountered problems and burned up in the atmosphere. Mr. Gialich said that AstroForge had improved its technologies on the Odi n spacecraft by relying on components produced in-house.\n\n\n\n Vestri\, the third mission of AstroForge\, will be its most ambitious. That spacecr aft\, the size of a refrigerator\, will be designed to land on an asteroid as soon as next year\, possibly even 2022 OB5 if the metallic content is confirmed. Vestri’s landing legs would be equipped with magnets designed to stick to the surface of the asteroid and be capable of estimating how many P.G.M.s are present.\n\n\n\n Image\n\n The Odin spacecraft rests on a small platform in light from the sun at the edge of a large facility.\n\n Testing Odin’s solar arrays with natural sunlight from the loading bays at AstroForge’s facility in SealBeach\, Calif.Credit...Astroforge\n\n\n \n It’s unclear how successful this mission will be. “If it’s made o ut of solid metal it will stick\,” said Benjamin Weiss\, a planetary sci entist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However\, many astero ids are known to be rubble piles\, essentially collections of rocks held t ogether loosely by gravity\, such as the asteroid Bennu that was visited b y NASA’s ORISIS-REx spacecraft.\n\n\n\n “They are barely held togeth er\,” Dr. Weiss said\, meaning that the magnets might just end up pullin g a few rocks away from the surface as the lander drifts away.\n\n\n\n Onl y one spacecraft\, the Rosetta spacecraft from the European Space Agency\, has visited a suspected M-type asteroid before\, a flyby of the asteroid 21 Lutetia in 2010. The presence of metal at that time was inconclusive. A much more capable mission\, NASA’s $1.2 billion Psyche spacecraft\, is currently on its way to an asteroid bearing the same name by 2029. Astrono mers think the asteroid may be a fragment of a failed planet’s core and is rich in metal.\n\n\n\n Results from the Odin mission’s analysis of 20 22 OB5 could be a tantalizing tease for Psyche. “If it turns out it’s made of solid metal\, that would support the idea that some of these large r bodies like Psyche could be the cores of differentiated bodies\,” Dr. Weiss said.\n\n\n\n Lindy Elkins-Tanton at Arizona State University\, the principal investigator on Psyche and also an adviser to AstroForge\, said that the opportunities afforded by commercial deep space missions like Odi n are exciting\, enabling small and fast missions at low cost. “It’s g oing to be a bit of a game-changer\,” she said.\n\n\n\n Others are more focused on what Odin means for asteroid mining in the present tense.\n\n\n \n “It’s probably the highest achievement in the sector so far\,” Mr . Hunter-Scullion of Asteroid Mining Corporation said. Mr. Sercel of Trans Astra also applauded the company.\n\n\n\n “We’re gung-ho for AstroForg e and wish them the best of luck\,” he said. “We’re behind them 100 percent.”\n\n\n\n Now there’s just the small matter of the launch and journey to the asteroid\, and the hope that what Odin finds will lead to t he riches long touted from asteroid mining.\n\n\n\n “If we make it\, I ’m popping champagne\,” Mr. Gialich said.\n\n\n\n INVESTIGATED FINDING S\n\n\n\n Brokkr-1 mission\n\n Uniform Resource Locator\n\n https://youtu. be/K83Jp3V_hac?t=340\n\n Video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SUB TRANSCRIPT\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Brokkr-1 mission\n5:44\nup what are the chances it finds an asteroid and then I guess subsequently what's the chances that it comes b ack so\n5:51\nbroker one went up to show that we could mine an asteroid in space it is just in low earth orbit it is not going outside\n5:56\nof Ear th's gravity well it is orbiting the Earth right now and we'll start exper imentation with it shortly to show\n6:01\nthat we can refine what we expec t to be one of these asteroids right this ball of iron with very high conc entrations of\n6:07\npgms on it okay so there's some low earth orbit aster oid um we brought up our own asteroid oh I\n6:15\ngot it right that this c an work in space yep nobody has been able to really\n6:21\nrefine in space right and that's a big process of what we need to do so we want to prove that in a very cheap easy to\n6:27\nuse 6u cubesat which to be fair SpaceX still has the transporter missions that's what we went on and those are a \n6:32\nfraction of the costs that we could have even got to space 10 year s ago so uh what is that called ballpark to send\n6:37\nsomething up these days um obviously we're under ndas with a lot of these companies we can't talk about well you can go look on spacex's website\n6:43\nright a Ridesh are slot is about 1.1 million dollars to send I I believe those are 200 ki logram slots got it okay\n6:49\nso there's standard ticket prices a millio n bucks it's very affordable we're not talking about tens or hundreds of\n 6:55\nmillions of dollars but the key to your Innovation is you're going t o do the\n7:01\nmining in space so does that mean this I mean uh I'm sorry to be a near right here but does that mean there's like a\n7:07\ndrill bi t on this thing and it's going to drill in take a sample and then process it and say hey this is dust oh\n7:13\nthis is Platinum let the dust flake off and just only\n7:18\nbring Platinum back so the way we do it is we go out to the asteroid we dock with the asteroid use the right word there rig ht these are\n7:24\nvery small bodies they're about 30 meters in diameter uh so we're talking very very small rocks that we're docking\n7:29\nwith w e use a process of directly heating the surface till it vaporizes so there is no actual mechanical Parts here\n7:36\nthis is all done with with a la ser we vaporize the surface we collect that vapor and then we sort it and and this\n7:42\nis essentially the experiment we're testing out in low ear th orbit we've proven it to work in our thermal vacuum Chambers on Earth u h that allows us to\n7:49\nsort out Platinum from stuff we don't care abou t right iron Cobalt other trace minerals in these asteroids and then we\n7 :55\nbring back only the Platinum Group Metals now the reason for that is bringing back is still expensive and\n8:01\nweight in space means a lot we only want to bring back the stuff that's worth a lot of money we are kind of limited on\n8:06\nwhat we can bring back so that's how we do it so the lasers pick out the good stuff\n8:12\nyou sorted out then how does it get back because every time I see something come back it burns up these aster oids burn up\n8:19\nbefore they hit so how is your vehicle designed so tha t it can bring back the\n8:26\npayload and how many ounces is it going to bring back yeah so I mean our vehicle has a heat\n8:31\nshield on it and t he nice thing about our heat shield is we're not bringing back humans we'r e not bringing back really experiments we're bringing back\n8:37\nraw Comm odities right this is a block of metal which means we come in a lot hot an d heavier than really any other\n8:42\nspacecraft there's a lot of uh pres idents for doing this before NASA has done deep space return multiple time s so we really understand the\n8:48\nphysics behind deep space return it a ll comes down to sizing the heat shields correctly got it on average with our\n8:54\nprojections right now and our trajectories we can bring back ri ght around a thousand kilograms of Platinum Group Metals per Mission so th at's what\n9:01\nRaymond will bring back uh what is a thousand kilograms u m it's about a ton it's a metric ton\n9:07\nwow pgm's permission you can b e able to bring a ton back okay so how big is your vehicle is it like the size of the\n9:12\nvehicle a car it's not that big the vehicles that we wi ll mine with are about 200 kilograms\n9:18\nwhat's the size of them she sa id the the the the asteroids were about 100 feet wide or something so the vehicle itself\n9:24\nis ten feet the size of a mini fridge it is not a bi g vehicle when you look at it\n9:30\nyeah well Platinum is very very dense right so kind of weight is very very high so we store this metal right be hind the heat shield it's volumetrically\n9:36\nactually not that much mat erial that we bring back if you can tell from the\n9:41\npodcast lately we 've been doubling and tripling down on Founder University launch in fact i t's basically the future\n9:48\nof our Venture Capital firm and that's awe some because I'm working with a couple of hundred early stage Founders\n9: 53\nreally early and getting to see what tools they use you know what tool they show up with most they show up with\n9:59\nSquarespace they put up t heir first website instantly quickly with Squarespace and it's beautiful a nd it\n10:04\nmakes them look like a million bucks the thing you may not b e aware of is that Squarespace beyond the beautiful templates that make yo ur company look\n10:11\nlike a million bucks and that work on mobile it's not just a pretty website it\n10:16\nis a powerful e-commerce platform now and they have member areas what's a member area you know people like to s ell\n10:22\ncontent now and premium content it's a big business well they have that built in to Squarespace and they don't take\n10:29\nyou know dou ble digit percentages of your Revenue like those other platforms do and th ey also have appointment\n10:34\nscheduling so you know if you're doing a business where you're a consultant you want to charge for your time well y ou\n\n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n The CEO of Astroforge Matthew Gialich said [  https://youtu.be/K83Jp3V_hac?si=3bxF2s0s9e2HxiNQ ] \n\n SUB TRANSCRIPT \n\n\n\n 24:43\nhope to do at the end of this year and none of this would have been possible if SpaceX hadn't figured out how to do what they do abs olutely not let's be honest\n24:50\nabout this Elon led the way here he sh owed that you know if he got the money for building Falcon 1 through Falco n 9 and dragon that there was a huge kind of\n24:56\npot of gold at the en d of that rainbow and this really allowed VC to open up to say uh holy sh these companies can\n25:03\nactually exist and they're possible and I mean again 20 years ago I think we would have been laughed out of every room b ecause it just wasn't feasible to\n25:10\ndo in fact you saw this right pl anetary resources and Deep Space Industries the two asteroid mining compan ies that came\n25:15\nbefore us they're cost models were just so much high er than ours are now to go try to do the same thing I mean I those\n25:22\ nboth of those Founders have been awesome and been very helpful to us and I think their timing was just off I think the timing is now for this to ha ppen due to\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Building Civilization in Space | Joel C. Sercel\n\n URL\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBZ3GaNeUbo\ n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n 0:00\nsome people think that we can go into\n0:01\nspace by just launching everything from\n0:03\ nthe earth and going out and living on\n0:05\nwhat we brought that's paten tly absurd\n0:08\nthat would be like what if the original\n0:11\nsettlers that came to North America\n0:13\nbrought all of their food and all of\n0: 17\ntheir housing with them on ships it\n0:19\nwouldn't be able to last yo u have to be\n0:21\nable to grow your own food and live off\n0:23\nthe lan d of where you're going so space\n0:25\nmining to a first approximation is just\n0:27\nlearning how to live off the land in\n0:29\nspace as we settl e space and then as we\n0:32\ndo that we will be\n0:34\nexporting products back to the Earth the\n0:37\nfirst products that we'll be exporting\n0:39 \nback to the Earth are is the information\n0:42\nand energy that comes fr om satellites\n0:43\nthat are built in space out of space\n0:45\nresources but later we'll be bringing\n0:47\nback precious metals like Platinum Gro up\n0:49\nMetals which are you know often more\n0:51\nvaluable than gold a nd then\n0:53\neventually as manufacturing becomes\n0:55\nfully automated with robots we'll\n0:58\nessentially have giant robotic factories\n1:01\nt hat consume asteroids turn them into\n1:03\nmanufactured goods and Export that all\n1:06\nthe way to the Earth internet in space\n1:08\nis starting to vastly outperform\n1:10\ninternet here on the earth that's step\n1:12\n one and over the next five years or so\n1:15\nwe'll see that a massive pro liferation\n1:17\nof that where the number of people\n1:19\ngetting their high-speed internet from\n1:20\nspace will grow\n1:23\nexponentially as we have tens of\n1:25\nthousands and then maybe a hundred\n1:27\nthousand or hundreds of thousands of\n1:28\nsatellites in Earth orbit\n1:30\nall conn ecting and as the Global\n1:32\nCommunication Network just goes into\n1:34 \nspace because there are fundamental\n1:35\nreasons why it's better to pu t Comm in\n1:37\nspace than on the ground data processing\n1:40\nwill need to move into space right now\n1:42\ntoday on the earth the biggest cost o f\n1:44\ndata processing is power but very\n1:47\nquickly it's actually be coming cheaper\n1:49\nto generate power in space than on the\n1:50\nground because in up in space you don't\n1:52\nhave to deal with weather and cli mate\n1:55\nday night cycles all that sort of thing\n1:57\nshortly\n1:58\n thereafter it'll be actually coste\n2:00\neffective to generate power in s pace and\n2:02\nbeam the power down to the Earth about\n2:05\nthe time tha t happens it will be more\n2:06\ncost effective to build the satellites\n2 :09\nand infrastructure in space out of\n2:11\nmaterial harvested in space rather than\n2:13\nlaunched up from the earth that's when\n2:16\nspace mi ning really starts to take off\n2:18\nin a huge way we'll use rocket\n2:20 \npropellant harvested from the Moon and\n2:22\nthe asteroids to get aroun d CIS lunar\n2:24\nspace we'll use elements that are\n2:27\nreadily abunda nt in asteroids that are\n2:29\nnot abundant on the moon to build some\n2: 31\naspects of the structures other things\n2:33\nwill be made out of luna r materials so\n2:35\nthere'll be a complex space economy\n2:38\nwhere all this is optimized by the\n2:40\nInvisible Hand of Adam Smith a factor\n2: 43\nthat cannot be ignored is the importance\n2:45\nof real estate real es tate will be the\n2:47\nultimate killer app in space that is\n2:49\nsometi mes people just want to have a\n2:52\nplace to live where nobody else is\n 2:54\nspying on them or intruding on their\n2:57\nactivities real estate w as the big play\n2:59\nthat led led to the settlement of North\n3:01\nAmer ica the pilgrims were here for\n3:03\nfreedom and to be able to live the t he\n3:05\nway they wanted to initially the real\n3:08\nestate play will be tourism space hotels\n3:10\nand then as it becomes more and more\n3:12\nc ost- effective people start to bring\n3:14\ntheir families and live perman ently in\n3:15\nspace space mining especially things\n3:18\nlike going aft er Platinum Group metals\n3:19\nfrom asteroids makes no sense based on\n3: 23\nthe economics of 2010 or 2015 it was\n3:27\njust too expensive to get into space too\n3:29\nexpensive to make spacecraft too\n3:30\nexpensive to get around its space but\n3:32\nthe big change that's happening now is\n3 :35\naffordability and with affordability it\n3:37\nmakes sense there's a\ n3:40\nhuge reduction in the cost of getting\n3:42\ninto space and buildin g space Hardware\n3:44\nthat's coming on the space Hardware side\n3:47\nwe 're going from the military industrial\n3:49\ncomplex building Exquisite s pace\n3:51\nHardware that cost upwards of a\n3:53\nmillionar a kilogram to build so that\n3:55\nmeans that a spacecraft that weighs on\n3:58\nthe or der of th000 kilog or so could\n4:01\ncost on the order of a billion dolla rs\n4:04\nto spacecraft on that order costing as\n4:09\nmuch as a high-end sports\n4:11\ncar so as costs come down the number of\n4:15\nbusiness mod els that can make sense in\n4:17\nspace and the activities in space that\n 4:20\ncan close the business pro\n4:24\nproposition\n4:26\nexponentiate th ree years ago I was\n4:29\ninvited as a consultant to advise some\n4:31\ni nvestors on rockets and I said hey\n4:35\nwithin a few years we'll be laun ching\n4:37\nFalcon 9es 100 times a year they laughed\n4:40\nthey actually \n4:42\nlaughed SpaceX is launching more than\n4:44\n100 Falcon 9es this y ear and Starship is\n4:48\na huge leap Beyond Falcon 9 and the cost\n4:51\ nfor launch into space with Starship is\n4:54\ngoing to collapse even more and then\n4:57\nJeff Bezos and blue origin are planning\n5:00\nto launch new Glen for the first time\n5:02\nwithin a matter of weeks we have two\n5 :05\nheavy launch Vehicles both massively re\n5:10\nreusable as we get the race to the\n5:12\nbottom end price all kinds of new\n5:13\nbusiness mode ls emerge so the big\n5:16\nrevolution that leads to massive changes\n5:19 \nin space industrialization is low single\n5:23\ndigits of years\n\n\n\n\ n \n\n Prior Edition : https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11503-economiccorner019 /\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n space mining\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/topic/11507-economiccorner020/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https: //aalbc.com/tc/events/event/202-economic-corner-19-02232025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/322-economic-corner-21-0 6032025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250226 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 16 - 02/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250222T233209Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:199-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n White south africans making a public statement against im migration to the USA is interesting. In a humanity where most in south Ame rica/Africa/asia/western Europe/Caribbean are looking to travel to wealthi er shores in USA or Western Europe\, the white European minorities in land s with mostly non white European peoples want the opposite. To the white E uropeans in South Africa\, they are an ideal case of loving a convenient f inancial environment. While South Africa's growth is clearly to Black sout h africans\, white south africans will rather the land or generational wea lth their forebears took for them then to build up in even competition new lives in a usa absent first people/native American land to steal or black africans able to be ripped from their home and enslaved.\n\n Many Black D OSers\, not Black Willing Immigrants\, in the United States of America\, s uggest the USA is the best country to build wealth but based on the white south African\, is that true? \n\n Now any can argue \, white south afric ans are not in the same situation as Black Descended of Enslaved to the US A. \n\n And\, that is true\, as said above white south africans forebears relationship to south Africa is as an unwanted willing immigrant by the f irst peoples of what will become south Africa and a financial allowance or opportunity supported by arms totally in their favor.\n\n Black descended of enslaved to the u.s.a. relationship to what will become the u.s.a. is as a unwilling/enslaved immigrant by the invading peoples who took the lan d that will be the u.s.a. or the greater American continent from it's Firs t peoples and were using said enslaved immigrants to support their financi al grandeur. \n\n No the two situations are not the same but to black des cended of enslaved people who leave the usa to betterment\, you can see wh y it is usually individual. \n\n It is hard getting a group of people to financially prosper as a minority absent the ability to commit crimes lega lly. \n\n When you look at whites in south Africa or white jews in Palest ine or white jews/italians in the usa you see the modern examples of this ability of a minority populace to thrive aside the ability to commit crime s or abuses to a larger populace absent the said majority populace ability to violently retaliate.  Whites in south Africa took black peoples land\ , forced black people to work for them. White jews in Palestine was given arms by the usa\, was given a legal authority by the british against pales tinean desires as Palestine was a british protectorate.White jews/Italians in the usa made the founding fortunes of their communities during prohibi tion\, as whites being completely free to operate illegally and criminally in liquor sales or gang violence while white governments aided or abetted all their crimes while the same white governments hammered all attempts b y blacks to operate illegally or criminally. \n\n So\, it is clear what b lacks descended of enslaved from the American continent groups always lack ed in the past making said groups financial reality in modernity inevitabl e. \n\n\n\n URL referral\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/top-stories /no-thanks-white-south-africans-turn-down-donald-trump-s-immigration-offer /ar-AA1yKIns?ocid=BingNewsSerp&\;cvid=da5dfcd61408487b9d92241179cc6bcd& amp\;ei=28\n\n ARTICLE TEXT\n\n 'No thanks'\, white South Africans turn do wn Donald Trump's immigration offer\n\n What you need to know:\n\n Trump o n Friday signed an executive order to cut US aid to South Africa\, citing an expropriation act that President Cyril Ramaphosa signed last month aimi ng to redress land inequalities that stem from South Africa's history of w hite supremacy.\n\n The order provided for resettlement in the US of \"Afr ikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination\" as refugees.\n\n Thank you for reading Nation.Africa\n\n US President Dona ld Trump's offer to rehouse white South Africans as refugees fleeing perse cution may not spur quite the rush he anticipates\, as even right-wing whi te lobby groups want to \"tackle the injustices\" of Black majority rule o n home soil.\n\n Trump on Friday signed an executive order to cut US aid t o South Africa\, citing an expropriation act that President Cyril Ramaphos a signed last month aiming to redress land inequalities that stem from Sou th Africa's history of white supremacy.\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\ n a map of first people losses\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-r ichardmurray/?status=2844&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Editio n: https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11488-economiccorner015/\n\n\n\n \n\n Minor ity Strength in fiscal capital allowance\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/topic/11497-economiccorner016/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n http s://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/197-economic-corner-15-02172025/\n\n\n\n NEX T EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/200-economic-corner-17 -02222025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250222 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 15 - 02/17/2025 DTSTAMP:20250218T021854Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:197-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Financial Federalism\n\n\n\n This edition of the Economic Corner has three articles in the following chronological order\, after my thoughts\n\n 1) The legality of the Executive branch in the second term o f Schrumpf\n\n 2) The need for efficiency in the Federal Government and ho w it became ever more inefficient in the nineteen hundreds\n\n 3) The fail ure of presidencies before Schrumpfs first term from elephants or donkeys to diminish the federal governments bureaucracy while make it a better ope rator.\n\n\n\n Financially\, the Black populace in the usa has a heritage in the united states of America few mention\; it is the following. \n\n O nly the federal government in the united states of America has been positi ve in some course of time to the black populace in the usa as a bureaucrat ic body. I restate\, each town/city/county/state in the usa have provided negative environments\, legal or communal\, for black people\, averaging o ut their history. \n\n This means the federal government of the usa relat es to Black people in the usa\, especially Black Descended Of Enslaved (BD OS)\, other than non blacks\, especially whites\, in the usa. Whites of Eu ropean descent talk of the usa\, but tend to relate to the town\, the city \, the county\, the state because even though the federal government prote cts/defends the overall system\, the specificity of local law\, the flexib ility of local law\, provided and provides to whites of European descent o pportunity/safety/comfort. While for blacks \, said towns/cities/counties/ states provide horror/abuse/terror. \n\n\n\n Said heritage\, led to a fed eralism in the black populace in the usa unlike any other demographic in t he usa. Said federalism is an advocate of greater bureaucracy in the feder al government to undo state/county/city/town governments negativity. The m ore the federal government can watch/penalize the lower ranked municipalit ies the better. \n\n I think of two black women. Years ago\, one said to me privately\, she lives in the Midwest region\, that only the federal gov ernment has ever supported the black people in her region. It isn't imposs ible to live there\, she does\, but it is never welcoming\, never with eas e\, always with a barrier.  And more recently\, the other said on local n ews in NYC\, that maybe the states need to go in the united states of Amer ica. The only person I ever heard publicly say the states in the union nee d to all go\, was a black person\, for honesty's sake said person is a she . \n\n\n\n When I think of these two points\, it exposes why Whites despi se or fear or dislike ever expanding federal bureaucracy. White people's l ocal power requires local strength or local allowance. Black towns exist\, but they exist in White counties. Black counties exist \, but they exist in White States. So all majority black \, in populace\, municipal zones in the united states of America\, exist within a larger municipal zone lower than the federal government majority white. \n\n\n\n The situation of Bl ack Farmers proves this reality more than anything else. [ https://aalbc. com/tc/topic/11483-economiccorner014/ ] United States America system allo ws for local empowerment\, but for Blacks who never had control of a state within the union\, such local power has never existed. \n\n\n\n So\, wit h the Federalism in the Schrumpf era which is to diminish/lessen/delete an y place where Black presence has been or can be aided. For example\, the D epartment of Education is a large reason why in many states\, the funds to Black schools exist. States like Mississippi had for years and some argue still now managed ways to have black schools non funded. Not underfunded\ , none funded. If a school gets no government money but is a public school it is financially a private school. But the problem is\, the black popula ce in Mississippi for example don't have the financial means to support al l that children need. Ivy League schools still get federal money and they have huge private endowments so federal money shouldn't be deemed a negati ve when given to all white organizations in the usa. But living under a st ate\, like Mississippi\, influences black financial reality.\n\n\n\n The Q uestion is simple\, with no governmental aspect aiding Black people [no fe deral\, no state\, no county\, no city]\, what does the black business own er in the usa do? Black buying power has a serious problem\, most of the f irms have always been white. I challenge any Black person in the usa to go one whole month without buying something from a white owned firm. How do you eat? How do you buy clothes?  How do you wash clothes ? How can you d o this in a city? \n\n\n\n To the Articles below\n\n 1) I said to another the president of the usa already has a post at their privy\, it is called the white house chief of staff which came from the Presidents Personal Se cretary. So having Musk as a person at their privy isn't illegal. And the constitution doesn't say a limit exists to a person at the president's pri vy and by extension\, the D.O.G.E. is equivalent to the Staff at the White House Chief of Staff. The issue isn't illegality but change. Not change y ou need believe in but change you are living in. \n\n 2) Again\, a majori ty of whites in the 1960s despised the advance of federalism but the same whites local environments is what led the Kerner Commission\, with only on e black person in leadership\, to suggest to Lyndon B Johnson\, a complete overhaul of the usa is needed. Johnson wasn't amused but what the Kerner Commission exposed is the problem I say in hindsight.  [ Kerner Commissio n- https://1drv.ms/b/c/ea9004809c2729bb/Ea852rXxcnFEteIzm8I5Y0IBOmiGCYl_r T1lsPKEio-5mg?e=OiDxRo \; https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurra y/?status=2685&\;type=status ] \n\n 3) It is clear the impotency of P residents from Reagan to Biden\, old elephant or donkey\, to make the gove rnment more efficient opened the door to Scrumptf. Many said they would an d never did. They all kept growing the federal government and \, yes made some important administrative elements\, but the overall inefficiency grew and grew aided by a congress \, which in reflecting the multiracial popul ace of the usa\, became deadlocked.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Is Trump Acting Ill egally\n\n U.R.L.\n\n https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/constitutional-sch olar-on-whether-trumps-actions-are-executive-overreach\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n \n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n Geoff Bennett:\nThe first weeks of the Trump administration have brought dramatic changes to the shape\, scope a nd function of the federal government.\nOur new series On Democracy is tak ing a step back to look at big questions about the institutions\, norms an d laws that have shaped the country and the challenges they face today.\nI lya Shapiro is director of constitutional studies at the conservative-lean ing Manhattan Institute and the author of \"Lawless: The Miseducation of A merica's Elites.\"\nThanks for being here. Appreciate it.\n*\nIlya Shapiro \, Manhattan Institute:\nGreat to be with you.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nWell\, as we sit here and speak\, we have got another case that is raising questi ons about the rule of law in this new Trump era.\nAt least seven prosecuto rs and officials have stepped down over the DOJ order to dismiss corruptio n charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Danielle Sassoon\, who was Ma nhattan's top federal prosecutor\, she describes an explicit quid pro quo\ , whereby the Trump DOJ would dismiss the criminal charges against Adams i n exchange for his support for President Trump's agenda.\nWhat questions d oes all of this raise for you?\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nWell\, I think it's a di sagreement of political judgment between different prosecutors. The U.S. a ttorney disagrees with what her superiors say. The principals are denying that there's a quid pro quo\, so we don't quite have evidence of that. And Eric Adams\, for the last year or so\, has been moving in a direction to crack down on illegal immigration anyway.\nSo I don't know whether he'd be behaving differently in the first place. But\, ultimately\, this is a jud gment call. And the U.S. attorneys\, whether in the Southern District of N ew York\, which sometimes thinks of itself as its own sovereign\, Sovereig n District\, they sometimes call it\, doesn't get to make that call at the end of the day.\nAnd if the superiors decide that the underlying evidence is flimsy or the prosecution itself was politically motivated and doesn't serve the purposes of justice\, that's their call to make. And\, ultimate ly\, the voters will evaluate that.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nThe deputy A.G. in his letter explaining why the case against Adams should be dropped\, he c ited the need for Adams to help with Donald Trump's immigration policy. An d then Adams and the immigration czar\, Tom Homan\, were on FOX News this morning.\nAnd Homan said: \"If he doesn't come through\, I will be in his office up his butt saying\, where the hell is the agreement we came to?\"\ nI mean\, hardly anything about this is subtle. I mean\, how is this not a breach of…\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nI don't know if that agreement means the dropping of the prosecution. It might be an agreement of\, here's how we c an help New York\, because clearly there's a crisis\, a law and order cris is in New York\, and Adams wants to prolong his political career in some w ay.\nThe primary is coming up\, what have you\, and he wants to clean it u p. And so there's some agreement. It may involve the quid pro quo that eve ryone's talking about\, but it could just mean here's what I will do\, ope n up Rikers\, what have you\, and we will send you federal funds or we wil l send you more law enforcement. I don't know what the agreement might be. \nBut Adams wants to work with this administration on the illegal immigrat ion problem.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nSo\, in your view\, this is not\, so far as we know\, a fundamental breach of justice?\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nWe don't have — there's no evidence in the record\, a prosecutor would say\, to s ay that. There are allegations\, and you could make a case.\nBut on the fa ce of what has come out\, the dueling letters and what have you\, this is just a disagreement on prosecutorial discretion.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nPresi dent Trump\, the Trump administration\, they have frozen domestic spending \, frozen foreign aid without congressional approval. They have dismantled USAID\, threatened to dismantle the Education Department.\nThere are disp assionate observers who look at this and say that this is textbook executi ve overreach. How do you see it?\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nWell\, executive overr each is when you're creating new programs out of thin air\, like Barack Ob ama with his pen and phone government with DACA or DAPA or all of these ot her things\, or President Biden forgiving student loans that was blocked b y the Supreme Court\, said\, I will do it another way\, or vaccine mandate s\, all of these things that are creating new authorities that didn't exis t.\nHere\, they're putting a pause on spending. They're reorganizing the e xecutive branch\, which is within the executive's power.\n*\nGeoff Bennett :\nWhy not go through Congress\, as the framers intended? He's got a plian t House Republican majority\, a Senate majority as well.\nAnd if you legis late this\, the impact would be enduring. Why not?\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nWell \, it depends what the \"this\" is. I do hope that the Trump administratio n goes to Congress and asks for restructuring of these various agencies an d things like that\, because if it's all done through executive action\, t hen\, as we see\, you live by the executive action\, you die by it\, and t he next Democratic president will just reverse it.\nSo it would take an ac t of Congress to eliminate the USAID or to eliminate the Department of Edu cation\, but reorganizing certain things\, shifting funding priorities\, a uditing the accounting and the finances and things like that\, that all is fully within the purvey of the government\, including of DOGE.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nI want to ask you about Elon Musk\, because President Trump\, by all outward appearances\, has given him a fairly broad mandate.\nAny caus e for concern about the lack of checks on Musk's actions and the fact that he is in many ways the arbiter of his own conflicts of interest\, given h is very lucrative government contracts?\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nWell\, the conf lict of interest is a political story. I mean\, if the administration take s political hits for having a lax conflict of interest policy for Presiden t Trump himself\, for example\, that's a judgment call for the voters to m ake\, ultimately\, in the midterms coming up and what have you.\nMusk is a special government employee\, which means he has authority to run this. H e has his tech gurus\, these guys with spreadsheets and green eye shades a nd whatever else that are identifying money that looks like it's mismanage d\, misspent. Again\, not saying Congress had spent that on this\, but we' re not going to do that. That's not the case.\nWhether it's discretion by the agency\, they're looking at things that this administration might have different priorities.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nThere have been arguments\, as you well know\, that we are either in or that we're approaching a constitu tional crisis. I'd imagine you would disagree with that.\nBut what to you would signal a constitutional crisis? What to you would signal that this d emocratic experiment is in peril?\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nWell\, it's interesti ng that you say democratic experiment\, because when the executive branch\ , when the bureaucracy does not implement the directives of the political leadership that's responsible to the voters\, that's a problem.\nI mean\, a constitutional crisis is something like one branch going and doing thing s that are not within its authority that courts are telling it to stop and to do\, ignoring court orders. Trump has said he's not going to ignore co urt orders. He's going to appeal them and he's taking it to the Supreme Co urt. And\, almost certainly\, most of these things won't get to the Suprem e Court.\nCertain things\, he might win on. Certain things\, he might lose on\, but that's the process. The American people are not buying this lang uage that is simply an indication from the left that they don't like this restructuring of government\, the new priorities\, all of these certain th ings. Fair enough. That's a political argument to be had\, but this is not any sort of a constitutional crisis.\n*\nGeoff Bennett:\nIlya Shapiro wit h the Manhattan Institute\, thanks for coming in.\n*\nIlya Shapiro:\nThank you.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What should be made efficient in the federal go vernment?\n\n U.R.L.\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/philip-k-howard-and-wil l-marshall-awjvp6/\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n - Are Don ald Trump and Elon Musk dismantling the Deep State or doing something else ?\n\nThis week on \"Firing Line.\"\n\n- The people voted for major governm ent reform.\n\nAnd that's what people are gonna get.\n\nThey're gonna get what they voted for.\n\n- We've already found billions of dollars of abuse \, incompetence\, and corruption.\n\n- [Margaret] Some people are saying t hat Trump's newly-established Department of Government Efficiency is movin g fast and breaking things.\n\n- We have this unelected branch of governme nt\, which is the bureaucracy.\n\nSo it's just something we've gotta fix.\ n\n- [Margaret] But will this blitz on the bureaucracy really make governm ent more efficient?\n\n- So Musk is right\, in my view\, that it's broken\ , but he's not really focusing on fixing it.\n\n- [Margaret] Attorney and author Philip Howard has championed the cause of government efficiency for decades\, with books including \"The Death of Common Sense.\"\n\n- Well\, the tragically-missed opportunity here is that Elon Musk could have done us a lot of good.\n\n- [Margaret] Will Marshall is the founder and preside nt of the Progressive Policy Institute\, and has recently written that Dem ocrats need a DOGE of their own.\n\nI sat down with these two reform advoc ates before a student audience at Hofstra University to discuss what DOGE is getting right\, what it's getting wrong\, and whether America is careen ing toward a constitutional crisis.\n\n- [Announcer] \"Firing Line\" with Margaret Hoover is made possible\, in part\, by Robert Granieri\, Vanessa and Henry Cornell\, the Fairweather Foundation\, Peter and Mary Kalikow\, Cliff and Laurel Asness\, the Meadowlark Foundation\, and by the following .\n\nCorporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. - Philip Howard and Wi ll Marshall\, welcome to Hofstra University\, and this episode of \"Firing Line.\"\n\n- Thank you.\n\n- Listen\, Philip\, in November\, you called i n the Wall Street Journal for Elon Musk\, not to hobble government\, but t o make it work again.\n\nSince Trump established the Department of Governm ent Efficiency\, Musk has moved to gut USAID\, gained access to Treasury p ayment systems\, and has worked to eliminate the employment of tens of tho usands of federal workers.\n\nYou have spent your life thinking\, and writ ing\, and talking about how to make government work better.\n\nIs this wha t you had in mind?\n\n- No.\n\nMusk is focusing on cutting what government does that he thinks is stupid.\n\nHe's not focusing on changing and impro ving how government works\, which I think is the bigger opportunity.\n\nMo st of Americans think government needs major overhaul.\n\nSo Musk is right \, in my view\, that it's broken\, but he's not really focusing on fixing it.\n\nEfficiency means actually being responsive and delivering the goods to the public that the public needs.\n\n- How do you know he's not focuse d on fixing it?\n\n- Because that's not what he's doing.\n\nHe's focused o n cutting costs\, cutting people\, which I don't think is actually going t o add up to much in the way of cost.\n\nWhereas\, for example\, if he chan ged the way the Defense Department procured new weaponry\, he could save\, pick a number\, a third of the money that's spent\, by getting rid of all the red tape processes that take years and deliver poor products with too much delay.\n\n- Will\, you have recently written in The Hill that Democr ats need a plan for fixing government that's their own.\n\nYou said\, quot e\, \"Before Democrats dismiss DOGE as just MAGA trollery\, it's fair to a sk\, what is their plan for making government more efficient and effective ?\n\nInexplicably\, that plank is missing from the platform of the party t hat believes in active government.\"\n\nShould Democrats have their own ve rsion of DOGE?\n\n- Absolutely\, or not DOGE\, they should absolutely have their own plan to make government work better.\n\nThe public demand for t hat is palpable and it's nothing new.\n\nWe all know that trust in governm ent's been tanking\, really since the '60s.\n\n21% of people trust the fed eral government to do the right thing most of the time.\n\nSo to not have a set of ideas that is responsive to a public that wants deep change in go vernment is a sort of political malpractice.\n\n- Given the speed and ruth lessness\, perhaps efficiency\, at which DOGE is operating\, or which Elon Musk is operating\, will there be a government to reform?\n\n(Will chuckl es) - Yeah.\n\n- When he's finished.\n\n- It'll survive\, I mean\, what's happening now is that there are lawsuits proliferating all over the landsc ape.\n\nThere're gonna be a million checkpoints here\, and I think this is going to slow down.\n\nBut this is the shock and awe phase\, and I think we're gonna pass through it pretty quickly because reality is beginning to intrude.\n\nThese are real lives\, these are real functions.\n\nWe have d eep investments here.\n\nI'm a government reformer\, but this is not the w ay to go about it.\n\nElon Musk is a great entrepreneur\, but this isn't t he private sector\, this is the government\, and it's not an optional thin g.\n\nI don't have to buy a Tesla\, but I've gotta get services from my go vernment.\n\n- This isn't something you can change\, in my view\, by pruni ng the jungle.\n\nYou can't just clip\, here and there\, the red tape.\n\n You actually have to go back to a system which the framers contemplated in the Constitution\, where law provides a framework of goals\, and principl es\, and accountability\, and checks and balances\, but real people make c hoices\, and they're politically accountable.\n\nToday in Washington\, you can't find a real person who has authority to give a permit.\n\nAnd that' s the reason we never get permits.\n\n- How did we end up in a place where it was the process that hamstrung us?\n\n- It was a change in legal philo sophy.\n\nWe came out of the '60s feeling guilty for lots of good reasons. \n\nWe woke up to racism\, pollution\, lots of other things.\n\nSo we want ed to create a system where there were no more abuses of authority\, and i t just doesn't work.\n\nNow you have no authority\, and so you have a gove rnment that's increasingly paralyzed by the kind of stuff that Will's writ ten about and others\, by this red tape state.\n\nAnd the goal is not to\, in my view\, to get rid of government.\n\nThe goal is actually to pull it back so we can do it\, pull the law back so it can do its job.\n\n- Your solution is for government to unshackle itself from laws and regulations t o empower individuals to make decisions and use their judgment.\n\n- Withi n the framework of law.\n\nAnd courts would only get involved when an offi cial transgresses those boundaries.\n\n- So then\, how are individuals hel d accountable?\n\n- Well\, any way you want\, but by someone.\n\n- For the ir judgment.\n\n- By someone above them.\n\n- No\, no\, no\, that's where we get hamstrung by this process\, right?\n\nBecause there's so much proce ss\, and the process is ultimately what takes any sort of agency away from individuals to make these decisions.\n\n- That's right.\n\nSo if you go t o a\, say to give a permit for a transmission line\, you can't have 16 age ncies bickering over whether to give the permit.\n\nOne agency has to have the authority to make the decision\, and that's subject to the approval o f the White House in a democracy.\n\nToday\, you get 16 agencies bickering about it around the table\, and it goes on for years.\n\n- And it's uncle ar who has the ultimate authority.\n\n- Well\, no one has the ultimate aut hority.\n\n- Well\, so then isn't this what Musk is trying to fix?\n\nAnd how do you keep Musk?\n\nI mean\, if the idea is to give an individual the authority to make the decision\, isn't that what Musk is doing?\n\n- Well \, Musk is taking the authority himself to tear apart agencies\, but he's not trying to change the operating structure to give anybody else the auth ority.\n\nThe problem with government is that the people inside it have be en disempowered by all this process and all these procedures.\n\nThey're a lso not accountable\, by the way.\n\nSo the American public is.\n\n- Musk has a bad theory.\n\nThe theory is that there's waste everywhere\, there's abuse\, there's fraud.\n\nHe calls AID\, our foreign aid agency\, a crimi nal organization.\n\nNow I have my criticisms of AID\, they could be refor med\, should be\, but they're basically doing good humanitarian work aroun d most of the world\, they're not a criminal organization.\n\nBut why does this freelance billionaire get to come and superimpose his judgements on what's working and what's not?\n\nThere's no theory of change here.\n\nThe re's no good analysis of where we're failing.\n\nIt's just he's bringing t he entrepreneur's methodology\, which is I'm gonna cut everything by 60%\, wipe the slate clean\, and we're gonna start over\, and that'll yield eff iciencies.\n\nIt's not the way it works in the public sector.\n\n- Right\, and what's\, where's the vision for the day after these changes?\n\nHow's government gonna work better after Musk finishes going through all these agencies?\n\nAnd so again\, I think what's missing here is not the diagnos is that it's broken.\n\nIt is broken\, it is paralyzed\, and broken\, and wasteful\, and not delivering things.\n\nBut the proper cure is to actuall y let it do its job.\n\nPull back the red tape\, let there be permits\, le t Defense Department officials use their judgment and be accountable up th e chain of authority for whether they do a good job or not.\n\n- We have f etishized process\, and legal obstacles\, and veto points\, and everybody having their say.\n\nAnd it all adds up to a retreat from the exercise of public authority.\n\nBut that's not what Musk is talking about.\n\nHe's ju st getting rid of whole agencies he doesn't happen to like.\n\nIt's all on a whim\, there's no analysis\, there's no predicate being laid for any of these changes.\n\n- Both of you have been critical of certain processes\, review processes.\n\nOne of them is environmental review processes.\n\nYo u've both written about how environmental review processes actually have i nhibited government efficiency\, and in doing so\, have actually made outc omes for the environment worse.\n\nHow do you account for environmental pr iorities in a more efficient way that doesn't inhibit a project from actua lly moving forward?\n\n- Well\, I mean\, the problem here is more politica l.\n\nWe have a lot of folks on the Democratic side who do not want to tak e away the permitting.\n\nThey don't want to relax the permitting process because they think that's their best protection against environmentally ru inous things.\n\nBut what they don't understand is that if you can't upgra de and modernize your energy grid\, you're building in higher pollution.\n \nYou're not laying the framework for a cleaner grid.\n\nAnd that's happen ing all over the country.\n\nIt's not just the grid\, it's everything on t he environmental side.\n\n- Well\, delays are bad for the environment.\n\n We need new transmission lines to take power from the solar\, wind farms i n the Midwest to Chicago.\n\nWell\, you can't get a permit for it.\n\nAnd every permit is not\, it's not a question of legal compliance\, it's a que stion of trade-offs.\n\nAre the benefits of the transmission line worth th e harm of cutting through a pristine forest?\n\nThat's not a legal questio n\, that's a political question.\n\n- And it's a judgment question.\n\n- I t's a judgment call.\n\nAnd we've\, and so the purpose of environmental re view\, as it was initially enacted\, was to have a few months of review in dozens of pages that would alert the public to the fact that there are th ese issues that are political in nature that are gonna be decided.\n\nInst ead\, it's become this years-long\, no pebble left unturned kind of proces s that virtually never\, never ends.\n\nAnd we have to make trade off judg ements in order for the country to move forward.\n\n- You've written\, Phi lip\, that\, quote\, \"Rebuilding government requires not just a wrecking ball\, but trust.\"\n\nPolls suggests that Musk is losing the public's tru st.\n\nIn a recent YouGov poll\, only 13% of Americans\, and 26% of Republ icans\, said they want Musk to have a lot of influence in the Trump admini stration.\n\nSo can an initiative like DOGE survive if it doesn't have the trust of the American people\, Philip?\n\n- One\, no\, and two\, it also can't survive if he doesn't have the trust of people who work for governme nt.\n\nOne of the biggest problems in government today is if you make a de cision to give a permit\, there's always somebody who doesn't like it.\n\n - Yeah.\n\n- So they will attack you.\n\nSo in my view\, what senior civil servants need is\, not to live in fear\, but to have cover for important decisions.\n\nThey need to be\, to feel that the people in charge\, Musk o r whomever\, will actually protect them when they make decisions.\n\nAnd s o no organization works in an atmosphere of distrust\, whether it's govern ment or society.\n\n- We need radical disruptors.\n\nWe need 'em in the en trepreneurial sectors of our economy\, that's what we want.\n\nBut that's not what we\, that's not how you fix government's problems\, for the reaso ns we just talked about.\n\nAnd Elon Musk doesn't really know what he's tr ying to do.\n\nHe wants to cut $2 trillion in spending.\n\nWell\, that's a nice goal.\n\nIf you got rid of every single federal employee\, 2.3 milli on of them\, you would cut 5% of public spending and you wouldn't come any where near that goal.\n\nSo he doesn't even really have an understanding\, I think\, of the end game.\n\nThe end game seems to be here just disrupti on for its own sake\, sowing fear\, telling employees they're no longer wa nted\, tell 'em to stay home\, sort of putting down whole agencies as wort hless.\n\nAnd again\, pretending that the problem is waste\, fraud\, and a buse\, which is a really kind of simple-minded understanding of what's wro ng with government.\n\nHe thinks that there's just waste in large quantiti es lying around that he's gonna excise through this radical surgery.\n\n- There's one area with hundreds of billions of dollars in savings that requ ires major overhaul\, which is in the healthcare administration area.\n\nA nd if Musk and Trump really wanted to save big amounts of money\, they wou ld simplify the healthcare reimbursement and regulatory system\, because 3 0% of the healthcare dollar goes to administration\, which is over $1 mill ion per every American doctor in red tape.\n\nThat system is crazy.\n\nAnd it needs to be completely\, basically replaced.\n\n- Well\, there is wast e all across the government\, okay.\n\nBut it isn't sitting there in large piles that you can just go into a room and find.\n\nYou have\, it's like Elaine Kamarck\, who was the re-inventor-in-chief for Bill Clinton\, said\ , \"It's like fat marbled in the steak.\"\n\nAnd so the point is\, you hav e to go and find it.\n\nAnd the people that know where it is are the peopl e who work in government.\n\nSo if you go in there and you attack them and say they're worthless\, and they're idiots\, and they have to get going a nd pack up\, and we're gonna shut their agency down because we don't need it\, and everything they've been doing for 15 years is worthless\, well\, they're not gonna be very cooperative to you.\n\nSo if you were serious ab out trying to find pockets of waste\, or even fraud\, these are the people that could help you find it.\n\nSo again\, it's just a marker of seriousn ess to me.\n\nIf you were serious about changing government\, you wouldn't go about it by attacking everybody in sight.\n\n- As Will said\, it can't be done by just by amputation.\n\nIt needs to be done somewhat more surgi cally.\n\nAnd I will say that the biggest supporters of my somewhat radica l reform efforts have been the senior civil servants.\n\nThey want more au thority to manage the civil servants below them.\n\nThey want more authori ty to cut through the process and get permits.\n\nThey actually want to do these things.\n\nAnd they exist in this red tape jungle that doesn't allo w them to.\n\n- Why do you think that is?\n\nWhy do you think they are the ones who are most eager to see reform?\n\n- These are the senior executiv e service\, which are the top civil servants\, are people who have general ly devoted their lives to public service and are experts in specific areas .\n\nAnd they actually get\, their life work is making.\n\n- You're saying they're serious people.\n\n- These agencies happen and deliver the goods\ , and they can't do what they feel is necessary.\n\n- Over the course of A merican history\, there have been several attempts to reform government\, starting in 1883 with the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act that establis hed the modern civil service.\n\nAnd there was the Taft Commission\, there were two Hoover Commissions\, the Grace Commission under Ronald Reagan's presidency\, and then of course\, the National Performance Review\, in whi ch you participated\, and you both contributed under President Clinton's p residency.\n\nWhat can Elon Musk learn\, if he wanted to learn from Americ an history\, from these previous efforts?\n\n- Well\, what I would hope he would learn is that he's right that periodically government has to be reo rganized to look at if it's meeting its goals and to change how it meets i ts goal.\n\nWhat's happened through history is\, actually\, you've had cha nges in operating philosophy over the years.\n\nThe last real change in ph ilosophy was in the 1960s.\n\n- So what was the change in that governing p hilosophy\, Phil?\n\n- The change in philosophy was don't trust anyone to use their judgment\, because human judgment is fallible.\n\nAnd we need to create a new system that will guarantee that all choices are correct.\n\n Let everyone who complains have a hearing.\n\nAnd the result of that is pa ralysis.\n\nSo I think the solution is to actually change our operating ph ilosophy and go back to the one that the framers contemplated\, which is o ne based on human responsibility.\n\nLaw sets goals\, law sets guardrails\ , law sets a hierarchy of authority to make sure that people don't do stup id things\, but people make decisions.\n\nLaw can't govern.\n\nAnd we've c reated this massive system over the\, only in the last 50 years\, on the p remise that actually we can make government into a kind of a software prog ram.\n\n- Will\, do you agree with Phil's diagnosis of the governing philo sophy that changed in the '60s.\n\n- I think I partially agree with it.\n\ nIt clearly did.\n\nWe got a lot more liberal process-oriented attempts to protect citizens against abuses of government power\, which was\, governm ent was getting bigger\, and it was intruding itself in more parts of Amer ican life.\n\nAnd in the '60s\, we radically expanded government under the Great Society\, and we have been doing that ever since.\n\nAnd so it just became a more intrusive thing with tentacles everywhere.\n\nAnd that just built this kind of resistance\, has built antagonism from the public that now saw government trying to do too much\, trying to spend too much\, and trying to direct them too much.\n\nAnd so I do think it has to do with th e scope of government's responsibilities\, and we need to have a serious c onversation about that.\n\n- We have a question from one of our Hofstra Un iversity students\, Mark Lussier.\n\n- Hello\, my name is Mark\, I'm from Connecticut\, and one of my senators\, Chris Murphy\, said that we are in the midst of a constitutional crisis.\n\nI wanna know if you agree\, and t he step\, and I also want to know the steps that the other two branches ca n take to address that\, and their odds of succeeding at addressing it.\n\ n- Are we in a constitutional crisis?\n\nLet me add to that\, actually.\n\ nWhere are the other branches of government?\n\nWe know that the judiciary is exerting itself\, but why couldn't these reforms be legislated and the n signed in by the executive branch?\n\n- That's a very good question.\n\n - Are we in a constitutional crisis?\n\n- Oh\, yes\, we are.\n\nI mean\, I wrote a piece this week about ruling by decree.\n\nIt's un-American\, the re's no basis for it in American history and no basis for it in the Consti tution.\n\nThe president can't just make policy willy nilly across the who le scope of what federal government does.\n\nThat's why the courts are get ting involved.\n\nWe've got a raft of lawsuits.\n\nI think a lot of this i s gonna slow down.\n\nBut the point is the courts are doing their job.\n\n Who's not doing its job is Congress\, and it's because it's under Republic an control.\n\nHe's got them absolutely cowed\, and they're not raising ob jection to his taking over the power of the purse\, which is clearly deleg ated to the legislative branch.\n\nSo yes\, that's a crisis.\n\n- Phil\, d o you think we're in a crisis?\n\n- Well\, we're certainly building toward s one\, and now we have Trump saying that maybe the courts don't have auth ority.\n\nAnd if they really disavow court rulings\, then we will have a c onstitutional crisis.\n\n- Do you have anything you wanna follow up on wit h\, Mark?\n\nI wanna make sure you're fully answered because you had a cou ple of different questions.\n\n- Actually\, one piece was what's the likel ihood of them succeeding and like being able to address those concerns of a crisis\, if we get to that point?\n\n- Well\, hey Phil\, you said we're getting there.\n\nYou think we're there\, you said we're getting there\, e specially if they just defy the court orders\, then we'll be there.\n\n- R ight.\n\n- So then what?\n\n- Well\, here's what scares me.\n\nSuppose he defies the courts\, in other words\, the court's are the only thing that a re\, is the only source of resistance now to Trump's imperial will.\n\nWha t if he just says\, \"No\, I'm not gonna do what the court's prescribed.\" \n\nThe other possibility is that the higher courts\, the Supreme Court\, might side with him on some of these issues.\n\n- Well\, you know\, I do t hink they're gray areas\, and I've written about this in large arguments a nd such about the scope of executive power.\n\nBut whatever gray areas the re are\, you still have to respect the rule of law in this country.\n\nAnd I believe that the rule of law is a foundation that most Americans believ e in\, and that once you abandon it or disavow it\, then we really are in trouble as a society\, and we have to sort of come together and do somethi ng different.\n\n- Let me ask you both this.\n\nIn 1990\, William F. Buckl ey Jr's original \"Firing Line\" hosted a debate that was titled\, \"Gover nment Is Not the Solution\, It's the Problem.\"\n\nAnd of course\, borrowi ng from Ronald Reagan's line\, listen to this defense of government from n one other than George McGovern.\n\n- This debate proposition reminds me of Groucho Marx's observation that marriage is the chief cause of divorce.\n \n(audience laughs) The answer is not to abolish marriage\, but to strive for better marriages.\n\nAnd so it is with government.\n\nGovernment has c aused some problems\, no question about that.\n\nAnd I've spoken out again st some of those problems.\n\nBut it has also come up with some inspired s olutions.\n\n- Right\, so the question is\, is DOGE's attempt to fix gover nment an example of getting rid of divorce by abolishing marriage?\n\n- I' d say\, so far\, yes.\n\nAnd while it's true that\, and Musk is right\, th e government isn't working very well\, to the point that government is the problem\, government should get out of people's daily lives.\n\nI mean\, much of the resentment that got Trump elected was government telling peopl e how to talk\, how to get along in the workplace\, how you run the local school.\n\nAnd I do think government is the problem when it gets in our da ily lives.\n\nBut I think government\, in a crowded\, global\, really fear ful environment of warring powers and such\, government is incredibly impo rtant to make government strong.\n\nWe can't be strong abroad if we're wea k at home.\n\nSo we need to make government work better\, not get rid of i t.\n\n- Will.\n\n- Well\, you know\, the problem with what Mr. McGovern sa id is that it's not about whether you like government or you dislike gover nment.\n\nI mean\, it's a necessary evil\, as Jefferson said\, we're gonna have it.\n\nAnd so the question is how can you make it a better servant o f the popular will\, but also how you constrain what it does so that it do esn't try to do everything\, which when it tries to do that\, it doesn't d o anything well.\n\n- Last question to both of you.\n\nIf you had one piec e of advice you would offer to Elon Musk to get it right\, if there were s till an opportunity for him to correct course\, what would it be?\n\n- I'd say focus on how government makes decisions.\n\nIf you can streamline gov ernment decisions\, give people authority to take responsibility\, you wil l save countless billions\, probably hundreds of billions of dollars\, and make government much more responsive to public needs.\n\n- Will.\n\n- Wel l\, the tragically-missed opportunity here is that Elon Musk could have do ne us a lot of good.\n\nIf Trump had sent him over to the Pentagon\, for e xample\, and said\, \"Modernize this.\n\nLet's get software\, let's get mo dern IT\, let's get AI working.\"\n\nThis is something he actually knows h ow to do.\n\nAnd what he's been set on is tasks that he doesn't know how t o do\, doesn't understand even how to define the problems properly.\n\n- O kay\, so that's your analysis.\n\nWhat's your advice for Elon Musk?\n\n- G o back to the private sector and leave us a alone\, please.\n\n- All right \, all right.\n\n(laughs) With that\, Will Marshall and Phil Howard\, than k you for joining me on \"Firing Line\,\" here at Hofstra University.\n\n- Thank you.\n\n- Thank you.\n\n(audience applauds) - [Announcer] \"Firing Line\,\" with Margaret Hoover is made possible in part by Robert Granieri\ , Vanessa and Henry Cornell\, the Fairweather Foundation\, Peter and Mary Kalikow\, Cliff and Laurel Asness\, the Meadowlark Foundation\, and by the following.\n\nCorporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc. (intense mus ic) (intense music continues) (gentle music) (peaceful music) - You're wat ching PBS.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n Executive Power usage\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pb s.org/newshour/show/capehart-and-continetti-on-trump-pushing-the-limits-of -executive-power\n\n VIDEO\n\n must click the link above to see\n\n TRANSC RIPT\n\n\n\n Geoff Bennett:\n\nFrom Elon Musk gaining unprecedented access to sensitive government information\, to Democrats trying to build what t hey call a bigger and better party\, we turn tonight to the analysis of Ca pehart and Continetti.\n\nThat's Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and Matthew Continetti with the American Enterprise Institute. D avid Brooks is away this evening.\n\nIt's good to see you both.\n\nMatthew Continetti\, American Enterprise Institute:\n\nGood to see you.\n\nGeoff Bennett:\n\nSo\, Donald Trump and his allies are making quick progress tow ard their stated goal of the deconstruction of the administrative state. W e have got takeovers and the hollowing out of major government agencies\, offering severance agreements to government workers\, pausing federal gran ts and loans\, which\, of course\, is now tied up in the courts.\n\nJonath an\, are the shockwaves being felt across the government signs of a super committed new administration shaking up the status quo\, or are we witness ing the full assault on the limits of executive power?\n\nJonathan Capehar t:\n\nBoth\, Geoff. Both.\n\nRemember\, Donald Trump campaigned. He told u s this is what he was going to do. Project 2025 is all about doing what is happening right now. And so they are trying to deconstruct\, as I think o f Steve Bannon\, who said\, the administrative state.\n\nAnd they are — as I said last week\, President Trump and Elon Musk\, in particular\, are taking a wrecking ball to the federal government by sowing\, sure\, chaos and confusion and fear. But he's following through on what he promised to do.\n\nGeoff Bennett:\n\nHow do you see it\, Matt?\n\nMatthew Continetti:\ n\nI think Jonathan's right. This was a promise made\, promised kept\, as they like to say in Trump world.\n\nAnd I think what's important to unders tand about Trump and how he's going about these initial weeks is\, he want s to deliver results. Trump always feels as though the political class tha t preceded him talked a big game\, but never accomplished anything.\n\nSo we had the Grace Commission during Reagan. We had Al Gore's reinventing go vernment. We had the commissions dealing with the debt and taxes during th e Obama years. Nothing happened. And so here he is. Elon Musk says he want s to treat the federal government like a new acquisition. Well\, Donald Tr ump says\, go for it. Let's see what happens.\n\nGeoff Bennett:\n\nWhat ab out the question Democrats are raising\, Jonathan? Where are the guardrail s? Who's going to stop any of this? Democrats in Congress obviously don't have any power. Republicans in Congress are moving in lockstep with this a dministration.\n\nThe courts have stepped in where they deem appropriate\, but obviously can't keep up with the velocity of the Trump administration . Is there any guard against his instinct to wield\, to really claim and w ield expansive power?\n\nJonathan Capehart:\n\nWell\, see\, here's the thi ng.\n\nRight now\, the courts are the only guardrail. And I think people n eed to understand that the courts operate on a timetable that is completel y different than the rest of us. And we just have to appreciate that. The fact that citizens and lawmakers and organizations have gone to court to s top President Trump on a whole host of things\, from birthright citizenshi p to the buyout plans\, that is right now sort of the\, for lack of a bett er saying\, court of last resort.\n\nIn the old days\, Geoff and Matthew\, it used to be that Congress would be the backstop\, would be the entity\, the legislative branch standing up for its prerogatives and saying\, Mr. President\, no\, we are the ones who decide what agencies come and go. We are the ones who decide what the budget will be.\n\nBut\, instead\, the MA GA Republicans who were there in Congress\, from Speaker Johnson on down\, they're happy. They're happy to go along with what President Trump and El on Musk are doing\, which is why they are silent on a whole host of things that even 10 years ago would have had Congress up in arms.\n\nGeoff Benne tt:\n\nHow do you view Congress really abdicating their role\, ceding thei r power to the executive?\n\nMatthew Continetti:\n\nWell\, I think this pr ocess of ceding power to the executive is decades in the making\, and it's bipartisan.\n\nCongress has really just become an investigatory body that delegates tremendous authority to the executive branch of government and the bureaucracy. And we now see the results when you have Trump come in hi s second term wanting to leave a profoundly changed government in his wake when he departs the Oval Office.\n\nAnd you see that\, because of acts of Congress\, Congress' own denial of its role\, the president has enormous power to wield. And let's remember\, when President Obama said he had a pe n and a phone\, the first Trump administration used a lot of executive ord ers. Joe Biden tried to cancel student debt through executive order.\n\nTh is process we're seeing is long in the making. And I think one reason Wash ington is stunned is that you have an outsider in Elon Musk actually punch ing the delete button on some of these programs.\n\nGeoff Bennett:\n\nJona than\, Matthew raised the question I was going to ask you\, because that's what I have heard from Republicans this past week\, that Democrats can't in good faith criticize Donald Trump\, when Joe Biden tried to unilaterall y without Congress waive $400 billion worth of student loan debt. And when the Supreme Court said no\, you can't do that\, he basically shrugged and then tried to do it via piecemeal approach.\n\nJonathan Capehart:\n\nThis is like comparing apples and cannonballs.\n\nWhat we're seeing coming fro m the Trump administration is executive orders uprooting and upending the federal government. And what makes this all the more galling and terrifyin g for a lot of people is that he has delegated a lot of power to someone w ho was elected to no office\, to someone who was not confirmed by the Sena te.\n\nHe is accountable to no one\, except for maybe\, except for maybe P resident Trump. And President Trump has already said\, well\, he will only do things that we want him to do. Well\, so far\, Elon Musk is doing ever ything that Donald Trump wants to do.\n\nThat is what is so terrifying abo ut this moment\, is that you have an unelected person\, who also happens t o be the wealthiest person in the world\, and also the wealthiest person i n the world who owns a huge social media megaphone\, and is able to manipu late the information that the people on that huge platform receive.\n\nTha t's what is so dangerous about what is happening now. And as we're trying to compare President Biden's executive order on student loans and what Don ald Trump is doing\, Donald Trump is destroying. President Biden signed an executive order and\, yes\, pushed the limits of executive action\, but t o the benefit of people who were drowning in student debt.\n\nHe did it in order to help people\, not to destroy the government that the American pe ople depend on for a whole host\, a whole host of things.\n\nGeoff Bennett :\n\nLet's shift our focus back to Elon Musk for a second\, because\, Jona than\, we actually have the sound that you mentioned.\n\nHere is how Presi dent Trump responded to a reporter's question about whether he gave Elon M usk any red lines.\n\nQuestion:\n\nIs there anything you have told Elon Mu sk he cannot touch?\n\nDonald Trump\, President of the United States: Well \, we haven't discussed that much. I will tell him to go here\, go there. He does it. He's got a very capable group of people\, very\, very\, very\, very capable. They know what they're doing. They will ask questions and t hey will see immediately if somebody gets tongue-tied that they're either crooked or don't know what they're doing.\n\nGeoff Bennett:\n\nSo\, Matt\, it would appear that Elon Musk has a fairly broad mandate\, in that it's not spelled out at all\, I mean\, if you take into account what President Trump is saying there.\n\nMatthew Continetti:\n\nI think President Trump h as told Elon Musk\, let's change the government\, let's slim it down\, let 's dramatically reduce the federal work force. And if you need to go fast and break things\, as they say in Silicon Valley\, to do that\, that's fin e.\n\nI will say that if Elon Musk were the health care czar or the energy czar coming up with big plans for government spending or to combat global warming\, I'd think there'd be a lot less uproar in Washington\, D.C. It' s the fact that he has the goal of changing the federal government and lim iting it\, at a time when we have record deficits and debts\, that I think is angering a lot of people who are invested in the current system.\n\nGe off Bennett:\n\nIn the time that remains\, I want to return to this open q uestion about the path forward for Democrats\, because\, Jonathan\, you wr ote a column for The Washington Post this past week\, the thesis of which is that the Democratic Party's issue isn't rooted in policy. It's rooted i n perception.\n\nTell us more about that and whether Ken Martin\, the newl y elected head of the DNC\, can effectively change that.\n\nJonathan Capeh art:\n\nWell\, the perception of the Democratic Party is it's filled with elites who only care about niche issues and don't listen to the rest of us .\n\nAnd\, as everyone knows\, in a lot of instances\, perception is reali ty. I was one of three people\, MSNBC anchors\, who hosted the last DNC fo rum. And there were two instances that happened that sort of put this perc eption in high relief. One was a question asking for a commitment to dedic ated seats for transgender folks within the party to be — the serve with in the party in the governing structure.\n\nAnother was protesters who wer e loudly screaming about climate change and getting big money out of polit ics\, something that everyone on that stage was for. And yet no one wanted to listen to what they had to say.\n\nAnd what was great about — good a bout those two moments that were instructive\, Faiz Shakir\, a friend of \ "PBS News Hour\,\" was the only person the stage who did not raise his han d on the transgender question. There was also one on the question for seat s for Muslim DNC members.\n\nHe said\, I don't think we should be dividing people up by identity. We should focus on people who are up for the missi on and the program of the DNC and have them bring their identity to the ta ble.\n\nHe's absolutely right. And then with the protesters\, Jason Paul s aid\, this is the way people in the country view the Democratic Party\, an d that is our problem.\n\nThat's why I say the policy isn't the problem. D emocrats have policies that address the American people's issues. It's the perception. And that is what Ken Martin has to do. And we're about to fin d out if he's able to do it\, to change that perception.\n\nGeoff Bennett: \n\nJonathan Capehart and Matthew Continetti\, thanks again for being with us. I appreciate it.\n\nJonathan Capehart:\n\nThanks\, Geoff.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Economic Corner : https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11483-econ omiccorner014/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Financial Federalism\n\n\n\n POST U RL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11488-economiccorner015/\n\n\n\n PRIOR E DITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/195-economic-corner-14-02 152025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/199 -economic-corner-16-02222025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250217 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 11 - What should you see after a Deepseek? 0 1/28/2025 DTSTAMP:20250129T005434Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:167-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n DeepSeek and the quality of usa finance\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n \n 600 billion dollars. Nvidia lost 17th percent of its value in a day . L ike many USA firms or industries outside military products\, they are weak from the 1900s to today.  \n\n DeepSeek said it cost 5 million dollars t o produce a product rivaling any comparative computer program in storage/s peed/calculation at  1/20th of the cost. So this proves the value of the usa firms is incorrect. which is my issue. Tesla was given such a high val ue. The USA's financial environment allows for a bloating of firms\, like Nvidia\, like Tesla that to be blunt\, have each lost huge market shares w hich they shouldn't. The fact that the best electric cars are made in chin a exposes Tesla's management to me. The fact that Nvidia who was part of a n industry that biden gave billions of investment to and are playing catch up exposes the chip industry in the usa. The fact that OpenAI and Anthropi c isn't open source\, and have been outed for their financial dysfunction\ , demanding such investment while not making the code public exposes them.  \n\n Yes\,  I will use this economic corner to share DeepSeek informati on as best I can. But my agenda is actually not about DeepSeek but the fin ancial argument that the USA has a problem in the investment in technologi es. There are those who believe that the one world has already been create d and the USA is really the binder to all governments\, in that mindset\, no one is competing because the usa is really\, the interchange between al l governments. Human history proves fissures that are wanted\, eventually become real\, even if it takes a long time. The lesson in Chinese industri es to all non white European governments\, is to consider how they researc h \, how they approach technological development. Is it about the Massachu setts institute of technology M.I.T. \, is it about Stanford\, is it about nepotism? I remember being a college student and I remember so often it w as blacks who graduated from an oxford or an M.I.T. that would be given op portunities but didn't have the imagination or passion to do well with the m. And the reason is simple\, as anyone non white european knows\, many pe ople\, including many asians that go to college in the usa are more intere sted with the appearance of intellect than being an ambitious creative. An d for the record\, the black people two generations earlier than mine\, in my bloodline\, earned multiple degrees or graduated from the ivy league s chools\, so my position is not about not going to an ivy league school or gaining multiple degrees\, which i find so many black people love to sugge st in a very enslaved way when another black person speaks of imaginations speaks of passion. Getting degrees for too many Black Descendent of Ensla ved people is a Keeping up with the Jones act\, to compare to other blacks in a view display to whites\,  not an important act to creativity or lea rning. The second article below may convince you\, of my point in this eco nomic corner\, which has been uttered by many Black DOSers since the end o f the war between the states in the usa. \n\n I quote the first article b elow\, and the source article the quotes are from are present.\n\n\n\n Lia ng told Chinese tech publication 36Kr that the decision was motivated by s cientific curiosity\, not a desire to make a profit. “I couldn’t find a commercial reason to start DeepSeek even if you asked me\,” he said. “Because it’s not commercially viable. Basic research has a very low return on investment. When OpenAI’s early investors gave it money\, they probably didn’t think about the return they would get. Rather\, they re ally wanted to do this business.”\n\n ...\n\n While OpenAI o1 costs $15 per million incoming tokens and $60 per million outgoing tokens\, the Deep Seek Reasoner API based on the R1 model offers $0.55 per million incoming tokens and $2.19 per million outgoing tokens.\n\n ...\n\n To train its mod els\, the High-Flyer hedge fund purchased more than 10\,000 NVIDIA H100 GP Us before the US export restrictions were introduced in 2022. Billionaire and Scale AI CEO Alexander Wang recently told CNBC that he estimates that DeepSeek now has about 50\,000 NVIDIA H100 chips that they cannot talk abo ut precisely because of US export controls. If this estimate is correct\, then compared to the leading companies in the AI industry\, such as OpenAI \, Google\, and Anthropic\, this is very small. After all\, each of them h as more than 500\,000 GPUs.\n\n ...\n\n  This also calls into question th e feasibility of the Stargate project\, an initiative under which OpenAI\, Oracle\, and SoftBank promise to build next-generation AI data centers in the United States\, allegedly willing to spend up to $500 billion.\n\n\n\ n \n\n Deepseek provides detailed technical reports explaining how the mod els work\, as well as code that anyone can look at and try to copy.\n\n Co de on hugging face\n\n https://huggingface.co/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-R1\n\n\ n\n The code on GitHub\n\n https://github.com/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-R1\n\n\ n\n referral\n\n https://fortune.com/2025/01/27/deepseek-just-flipped-the- ai-script-in-favor-of-open-source-and-the-irony-for-openai-and-anthropic-i s-brutal/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ARTICLES\n\n\n\n Where DeepSeek came from and who is behind the AI lab that shocked Silicon Valley\n\n Taras Mishchenko \n\n Editor-in-Chief of Mezha.Media. Taras has more than 15 years of exper ience in IT journalism\, writes about new technologies and gadgets.\n\n\n\ n 28.01.2025 at 09:56\n\n A new artificial intelligence model DeepSeek-R1 from the Chinese laboratory DeepSeek appeared as if from nowhere. For the general public\, the first mentions of it began to appear in the media onl y last week\, and now it seems that everyone is talking about DeepSeek. Mo reover\, in just a week\, the DeepSeek app has overtaken the well-known Ch atGPT in the US App Store rankings. The model has also skyrocketed to the top downloadson the Hugging Face developer platform\, asdevelopers are rus hing to try it out and understand what this release can bring to their AI projects. So\, logical questions arise: where did DeepSeek come from\, who is behind this startup\, and why has it made so much noise. I will try to answer them in this article.\n\n\n\n Where DeepSeek came from\n\n Given t he history of Chinese tech companies\, DeepSeek should have been a project of giants like Baidu\, Alibaba\, or ByteDance. But this AI lab was launch ed in 2023 by High-Flyer\, a Chinese hedge fund founded in 2015 by entrepr eneur Liang Wenfeng. He made a fortune using AI and algorithms to identify patterns that could affect stock prices. The hedge fund quickly gained po pularity in China\, and was able to raise more than 100 billion yuan (abou t $15 billion). Since 2021\, this figure has dropped to about $8 billion\, but High-Flyer is still one of the most important hedge funds in the coun try.\n\n\n\n As High-Flyer’s core business overlapped with the developme nt of AI models\, the hedge fund accumulated GPUs over the years and creat ed Fire-Flyer supercomputers to analyze financial data. In the wake of the growing popularity of ChatGPT\, a chatbot from the American company OpenA I\, Liang\, who also holds a master’s degree in computer science\, decid ed in 2023 to invest his fund’s resources in a new company called DeepSe ek\, which was to create its own advanced models and develop general artif icial intelligence (AGI).\n\n\n\n Liang told Chinese tech publication 36Kr [ https://36kr.com/p/2272896094586500 ] that the decision was motivated by scientific curiosity\, not a desire to make a profit. “I couldn’t find a commercial reason to start DeepSeek even if you asked me\,” he sa id. “Because it’s not commercially viable. Basic research has a very l ow return on investment. When OpenAI’s early investors gave it money\, t hey probably didn’t think about the return they would get. Rather\, they really wanted to do this business.”\n\n\n\n According to Liang\, when h e assembled DeepSeek’s R&\;D team\, he also didn’t look for experie nced engineers to build a consumer-facing product. Instead\, he focused on doctoral students from top universities in China\, including Peking Unive rsity\, Tsinghua University\, and Beihang University\, who were eager to p rove themselves. Many of them had published in top journals and won awards at international academic conferences\, but had no industry experience\, according to Chinese technology publication QBitAI. [ https://www.qbitai. com/2025/01/241000.html \; identity of workers at DeepSeek] \n\n\n\n “ Our main technical positions are mostly filled by people who graduated thi s year or within the last one or two years\,” Liang said in an interview in 2023. He believes that students may be better suited for high-investme nt\, low-return research. “Most people\, when they are young\, can fully commit to a mission without utilitarian considerations\,” Liang explain ed. His pitch to potential employees is that DeepSeek was created to “so lve the world’s toughest questions.”\n\n\n\n Liang\, who is personally involved in DeepSeek’s development\, uses the proceeds from his hedge f und to pay high salaries to top AI talent. Along with TikTok owner ByteDan ce\, DeepSeek is known in China for providing top compensation to AI engin eers\, and staff are based in offices in Hangzhou and Beijing.\n\n\n\n Lia ng positions DeepSeek as a uniquely “local” company\, staffed by PhDs from leading Chinese universities. In an interview with the domestic press last year\, he said that his core team “didn’t have any people who ca me back from abroad. They are all local… We have to develop the best tal ent ourselves.” DeepSeek’s identity as a purely Chinese LLM company ha s earned it popularity at home\, as this approach is fully in line with Ch inese government policy.\n\n\n\n This week\, Liang was the only representa tive of China’s AI industry chosen to participate in a highly publicized meeting of entrepreneurs with the country’s second-in-command\, Li Qian g. Entrepreneurs were told to “focus on breakthroughs in key technologie s.”\n\n\n\n Not much is known about how DeepSeek started building its ow n large language models (LLMs)\, but the lab quickly opened their source c ode\, and it is likely that\, like many Chinese AI developers\, it relied on open source projects created by Meta\, such as the Llama model and the Pytorch machine learning library. At the same time\, DeepSeek’s particul ar focus on research makes it a dangerous competitor for OpenAI\, Meta\, a nd Google\, as the AI lab is\, at least for now\, willing to share its dis coveries rather than protect them for commercial gain. DeepSeek has not ra ised funds from outside and has not yet taken significant steps to monetiz e its models. However\, it is not known for certain whether the Chinese go vernment is involved in financing the company.\n\n\n\n What makes the Deep Seek-R1 AI model unique\n\n In November\, DeepSeek first announced that it had achieved performance that surpassed the leading-edge OpenAI o1 model\ , but at the time it only released a limited R1-lite-preview model. With t he release of the full DeepSeek-R1 model last week and the accompanying wh ite paper\, the company introduced a surprising innovation: a deliberate d eparture from the traditional supervised fine-tuning (SFT) process that is widely used for training large language models (LLMs).\n\n\n\n SFT is a s tandard approach for AI development and involves training models on prepar ed datasets to teach them step-by-step reasoning\, often referred to as a chain of thought (CoT). However\, DeepSeek challenged this assumption by s kipping SFT entirely and instead relying on reinforcement learning (RL) to train DeepSeek-R1.\n\n\n\n According to Jeffrey Emanuel\, a serial invest or and CEO of blockchain company Pastel Network\, DeepSeek managed to outp ace Anthropic in the application of the chain of thought (CoT)\, and now t hey are practically the only ones\, apart from OpenAI\, who have made this technology work on a large scale.\n\n\n\n At the same time\, unlike OpenA I\, which is incredibly secretive about how these models actually work at a low level and does not provide the actual model weights to anyone other than partners like Microsoft\, these DeepSeek models are completely open a nd permissively licensed. They have released extremely detailed technical reports explaining how the models work\, as well as code that anyone can l ook at and try to copy.\n\n\n\n With R1\, DeepSeek essentially cracked one of the holy grails of AI: getting models to reason step by step without r elying on massive teacher datasets. Their DeepSeek-R1-Zero experiment show ed something remarkable: using pure reinforcement learning with carefully designed reward functions\, the researchers were able to get the models to develop complex reasoning capabilities completely autonomously. It wasn ’t just problem solving-the model organically learned to generate long c hains of thought\, check its own work\, and allocate more computational ti me to more complex problems.\n\n\n\n In this way\, the model learned to re vise its thinking on its own. What is particularly interesting is that dur ing training\, DeepSeek observed what they called an “aha moment\,” a phase when the model spontaneously learned to revise its chain of thought mid-process when faced with uncertainty. This sudden behavior was not expl icitly programmed\, but arose naturally from the interaction between the m odel and the reinforcement learning environment. The model literally stopp ed itself\, flagged potential problems in its reasoning\, and restarted wi th a different approach\, all without being explicitly trained to do so.\n \n\n\n DeepSeek also solved one of the main problems in reasoning models: language consistency. Previous attempts at chain-of-thought reasoning ofte n resulted in models mixing languages or producing incoherent output. Deep Seek solved this problem by smartly rewarding language consistency during RL training\, sacrificing a slight performance hit for a much more readabl e and consistent output.\n\n\n\n As a result\, DeepSeek-R1 achieves high a ccuracy and efficiency. At AIME 2024\, one of the toughest math competitio ns for high school students\, R1 achieved 79.8% accuracy\, which is in lin e with OpenAI’s o1 model. At MATH-500\, it reached 97.3%\, and at the Co deforces programming competition\, it reached the 96.3 percentile. But per haps most impressively\, DeepSeek was able to distill these capabilities d own to much smaller models: their 14 billion-parameter version outperforms many models several times its size\, showing that reasoning power depends not only on the number of parameters but also on how you train the model to process information.\n\n\n\n However\, the uniqueness of DeepSeek-R1 li es not only in the new approach to model training\, but also in the fact t hat it is the first time a Chinese AI model has gained such great populari ty in the West. Users\, of course\, immediately went to ask it questions a bout Tiananmen Square and Taiwan that were sensitive to the Chinese govern ment\, and quickly realized that DeepSeek was censored. Indeed\, it would be futile to expect a Chinese AI lab to not comply with Chinese law or pol icy.\n\n\n\n However\, many developers consider this censorship to be an i nfrequent extreme case in real-world use that can be mitigated by fine-tun ing. Therefore\, it is unlikely that the issue of ethical use of DeepSeek- R1 will stop many developers and users who want to get access to the lates t AI development and essentially for free.\n\n\n\n Of course\, for many\, the security of the data remains a question mark\, as DeepSeek-R1 probably stores it on Chinese servers. But as a precautionary measure\, you can tr y the model on Hugging Face in sandbox mode [ https://huggingface.co/deep seek-ai/DeepSeek-R1 ] \, or even run it locally on your PC if you have th e necessary hardware. In such cases\, the model will not be fully function al\, but it will remove the issue of data transfer to Chinese servers.\n\n \n\n How much did it cost to develop DeepSeek-R1?\n\n To train its models\ , the High-Flyer hedge fund purchased more than 10\,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs b efore the US export restrictions were introduced in 2022. Billionaire and Scale AI CEO Alexander Wang recently told CNBC that he estimates that Deep Seek now has about 50\,000 NVIDIA H100 chips that they cannot talk about p recisely because of US export controls. If this estimate is correct\, then compared to the leading companies in the AI industry\, such as OpenAI\, G oogle\, and Anthropic\, this is very small. After all\, each of them has m ore than 500\,000 GPUs.\n\n\n\n According to NVIDIA engineer Jim Fan\, Dee pSeek trained its base model\, called V3\, with a budget of $5.58 million over two months. However\, it is difficult to estimate the total cost of t raining DeepSeek-R1. The use of 60\,000 NVIDIA GPUs could potentially cost hundreds of millions of dollars\, so the exact figures remain speculative .\n\n\n\n Why DeepSeek-R1 shocked Silicon Valley\n\n DeepSeek largely disr upts the business model of OpenAI and other Western companies working on t heir own closed AI models. After all\, DeepSeek-R1 not only performs bette r than the best open-source alternative\, Llama 3 by Meta. The model trans parently shows the entire chain of thought in its answers. This is a blow to the reputation of OpenAI\, which has hitherto hidden the thought chains of its models\, citing trade secrets and the fact that it does not want t o embarrass users when the model is wrong.\n\n\n\n In addition\, DeepSee k’s success emphasizes that cost-effective and efficient AI development methods are realistic. We have already determined that in the case of a Ch inese company\, it is difficult to calculate the cost of development\, and there may always be “surprises” in the form of multi-billion dollar g overnment funding. But at the moment\, DeepSeek-R1\, with a similar level of accuracy to OpenAI o1\, is much cheaper for developers. While OpenAI o1 costs $15 per million incoming tokens and $60 per million outgoing tokens \, the DeepSeek Reasoner API based on the R1 model offers $0.55 per millio n incoming tokens and $2.19 per million outgoing tokens.\n\n\n\n However\, while DeepSeek’s innovations are groundbreaking\, they have by no means given the Chinese AI lab market leadership. As DeepSeek has published its research\, other AI model development companies will learn from it and ad apt. Meta and Mistral\, a French open-source model development company\, m ay be a bit behind\, but it will probably only take them a few months to c atch up with DeepSeek. As Ian LeCun\, a leading AI researcher at Meta\, sa id: “The idea is that everyone benefits from the ideas of others. No one is “ahead” of anyone and no country is “losing” to another. No on e has a monopoly on good ideas. Everyone learns from everyone.”\n\n\n\n DeepSeek’s offerings are likely to continue to lower the cost of using A I models\, which will benefit not only ordinary users but also startups an d other businesses interested in AI. But if developing a DeepSeek-R1 model with fewer resources does turn out to be a reality\, it could be a proble m for AI companies that have invested heavily in their own infrastructure. In particular\, years of operating and capital expenditures by OpenAI and others could be wasted.\n\n\n\n The market doesn’t yet know the final a nswer to whether AI development will indeed require less computing power i n the future\, but it is already reacting nervouslywith a drop in shares o f NVIDIA and other suppliers of AI data center components. This also calls into question the feasibility of the Stargate project\, an initiative und er which OpenAI\, Oracle\, and SoftBank promise to build next-generation A I data centers in the United States\, allegedly willing to spend up to $50 0 billion.\n\n\n\n But on the other hand\, while American companies will s till have excess capacity for the development of artificial intelligence\, China’s DeepSeek\, with the US export restrictions on chips still in pl ace\, may face a severe shortage. If we assume that resource constraints h ave indeed pushed it to innovate and allowed it to create a competitive pr oduct\, the lack of computing power will simply prevent it from scaling\, while competitors will catch up. Therefore\, despite all the innovation of DeepSeek\, it is still too early to say that Chinese companies will be ab le to compete with Western AI tech giants\, even if we put aside the issue s of censorship and data security.\n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://mezha.media/en/ articles/where-deepseek-came-from-and-who-is-behind-the-ai-lab-that-shocke d-silicon-valley\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Question and Answer excerpts from 疯狂的幻方：一家隐形AI巨头的大模型之路\n\n ...\n\n 36Kr: What deductions and assumptions have we made about the business mod el?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: What we want now is that we can share most of o ur training results publicly\, so that it can be combined with commerciali zation. We hope that more people\, even a small app\, can use large models at a low cost\, instead of technology only in the hands of some people an d companies\, forming a monopoly.\n\n ...\n\n 36Kr: In any case\, it's a b it crazy for a commercial company to do a kind of research exploration wit h unlimited investment.\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: If you have to find a comme rcial reason\, it may not be found\, because it can't be done.\n\n\n\n Fro m a business point of view\, basic research has a very low return on inves tment. When OpenAI's early investors invested money\, they must not have t hought about how much return I would get back\, but really wanted to do it .\n\n\n\n What we are more certain now is that since we want to do this an d have the ability\, we are one of the most suitable candidates at this po int in time.\n\n ...\n\n 36Kr: How would you see the competitive landscape of large models?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: Large manufacturers definitely ha ve advantages\, but if they can't be applied quickly\, they may not be abl e to continue to adhere to them\, because they need to see results.\n\n\n\ n The top startups also have solid technology\, but like the old wave of A I startups\, they have to face commercialization problems.\n\n ...\n\n 36K r: Talents for large-scale model entrepreneurship are also scarce\, and so me investors say that many suitable talents may only be in the AI labs of giants such as OpenAI and FacebookAI Research. Do you go overseas to poach this kind of talent?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: If you are pursuing short-ter m goals\, it is right to find someone with existing experience. But if you look at the long term\, experience is not so important\, but basic abilit y\, creativity\, passion\, etc. are more important. From this point of vie w\, there are many suitable candidates in China.\n\n\n\n 36Kr: Why isn't e xperience so important?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: You don't have to be able t o do this by someone who has done this. High-Flyer's principle of recruiti ng people is to look at ability\, not experience. Our core technical posit ions are basically mainly fresh graduates and those who have graduated for one or two years.\n\n\n\n 36Kr: Do you think experience is an obstacle wh en it comes to innovating business?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: When you do som ething\, experienced people will tell you without thinking that you should do it\, but people without experience will repeatedly explore and think s eriously about what should be done\, and then find a solution that is in l ine with the current actual situation.\n\n\n\n 36Kr: High-Flyer has entere d the industry from a layman with no financial genes at all\, and has beco me the head in a few years\, is this recruitment rule one of the secrets?\ n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: Our core team\, even myself\, didn't have quantitat ive experience at the beginning\, which is very special. It can't be said to be the secret of success\, but it's one of the cultures of High-Flyer. We don't deliberately shy away from experienced people\, but it's more abo ut ability.\n\n\n\n Take the sales position as an example. Our two main sa les officers are both amateurs in this industry. One was originally engage d in the foreign trade of German machinery categories\, and the other was originally written in the background of the brokerage. When they enter the industry\, they have no experience\, no resources\, no accumulation.\n\n\ n\n And now we may be the only big private equity firm that can focus on d irect sales. Doing direct selling means that there is no need to divide th e fees to the middlemen\, and the profit margin is higher under the same s cale and performance\, and many companies will try to imitate us\, but the y do not succeed.\n\n\n\n 36Kr: Why are many families trying to imitate yo u\, but they are not successful?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: Because that's not enough for innovation to happen. It needs to match the culture and manage ment of the company.\n\n\n\n In fact\, they couldn't do anything in the fi rst year\, and only in the second year did they start to make some progres s. But our assessment criteria are different from those of ordinary compan ies. We don't have KPIs and we don't have so-called tasks.\n\n\n\n 36Kr: W hat are your assessment criteria?\n\n\n\n Liang Wenfeng: We are not like o rdinary companies\, we value the number of orders placed by customers\, an d our sales sales and commissions are not good at the beginning\, but will encourage sales to develop their own circles\, meet more people\, and hav e greater influence.\n\n\n\n Because we believe that an honest salesperson who can be trusted by customers may not be able to get customers to place orders in a short period of time\, but it can make you feel that he is a reliable person.\n\n URL\n\n https://36kr.com/p/2272896094586500\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior entry\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11445-economicco rner010/\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11447-economiccor ner011/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/16 6-economic-corner-10-online-divestiture- 01282025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/193-economic-corner-12-02122025/\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 10 - online divestiture? -  01/28/2025 DTSTAMP:20250129T005332Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:166-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n TikTok is the first non usa website to be the biggest eso cial website in online humanity. If bytedance sells TikTok wholesale it is a financial mistake Bytedance should sell tiktokusa not tiktok. In Europe /South America/Africa/Asia tiktok is the big leader in the world\, selling it completely to a usa buyer is a usa win. It is like the Japanese autom akers making manufacturing plants in the usa\, when they through competiti on won the economic car market\, it is a usa win. Make TikTokusa TTU and m ake sure tiktokusa has contractual arrangements that demand an integration /association with TikTok.\n\n Profd \, a member of aalbc cited below\, sai d\n\n The next 4 years could be a wild ride in that regard as oligarchs ge t to pick and choose freedoms.\n\n This morning\, I saw the handful of fac es of people who could buy ByteDance i.e. TikTok.  None of them were Blac k.\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11431-tiktok-service-restored-ban-suspen ded/#findComment-71294\n\n\n\n Here is my issue. I don't mind a black buye r\, though I think financially it is better to have a collection of black owners working together as a group. But for me the larger issue is the arg ument focuses on buying tiktok\, instead of investing in a better online s ervice for black people. \n\n\n\n The film industry of Nigeria\, commonly called Nollywood needs an online interface like a tiktok\, I rather inves t in that. \n\n\n\n I know my words may seem like an attack to PRofd but they are not. My entire life\, I have always heard the most financially ca pable blacks always emphasize investing in non black enterprises and never a word to owning a black owned enterprise. In my life\, all to often\, it is black people who are financially least capable or incapable who talk a bout owning black and not investing in non black. The internet is a huge p lace. Tiktok was not born because chinese were selling to the usa\, tiktok is a clone of a chinese website to chinese people. \n\n\n\n I rather a s et of black investors invest in AALBC than tiktok. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pr ior Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11444-economiccorner009/\n\n\n \n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11445-economiccorner010/\n\n\n\ n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/165-economic-cor ner-09-media-properties-dictate-01282025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/167-economic-corner-11-what-should-you-see- after-a-deepseek-01282025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 09 - media properties dictate? - 01/28/2025 DTSTAMP:20250129T005238Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:165-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n What she misses is a crossroads of three things. First\, the studios want to maximize profit\, which means they want to use media p roperties they already own and attract the most sales. Second\, the proper ties studios own are quite old\, decades old\, centuries old and tend to b e created by white people of european descent filled with mostly character s described in appearance or culture as white of european descent\, which has the problem of not being as attractive to non whites than non white ch aracters. Third\, the modern buyers of media content are not overwhelmingl y \, overwhelmingly meaning seventy five percent or more \, of white Europ ean descent and the studios want to cater to them. \n\n The three element s show the problem. The studios always want to save money+ not risk money\ , which means the studios are not going to buy new non white European char acters or use lesser known non white European characters that many\, inclu ding many non whites of European descent\, don't know. \n\n So with the d esire to maximize profits + risk least investment revenue this means chang ing white European characters they already own into non white European cha racters is most efficient.\n\n This is what I think many\, Black or non bl ack are missing.  When I think on most popular movies in the last thirty years\, few are of a new property. Every star wars/star trek/marvel/dc fil m is of an old property. Every biopic is of an old property\, that being a famous person. Little that makes the most money is new\, is unheard of.  \n\n Even nosferatu which has made a splash is again\, is old. So\, if old properties are the fans are buying\, and all the old characters owned by studios is white\, simple arithmetic to save money or risk less revenue is to change characters already owned to fit the non white European buyer.  \n\n And again\, prove the studios wrong\, not with artistic judgement vid eos or human communal statement videos but by sales. \n\n Consider DC has access to Milestone and yet\, it never occurred to them to give milestone characters their own movies. Here is a comic imprint made by non white Eu ropeans\, mostly blacks\, that has a gallery of non white European charact ers made by non white Europeans. DC made birds of prey changing white Euro pean descent characters. \n\n Marvel treats black panther as their non wh ite world movies. Black panther 1 had more black people in an action sci f i adventure than ever before. black panther 2 added first peoples of the A mericas taking namor the submariner and changing his character's design dr amatically. But this was cheaper\, and the profits prove the studios right . \n\n The biggest problem with this issue is\, and I can speak of this a s a writer. New characters or lesser known characters haven't proven to ha ve big money legs. Notice I didn't say they couldn't they haven't proven i t. \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czf2k-WJ6iU\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n MY COMMENT\n\n The problem the studios have is they want to always save m oney + risk the least revenue developing+ gain the most buyers in modernit y which has many more buyers not of white european descent than ever befor e\, and based on financial results of films\, year in and year out\, it on ly leads to one conclusion and that is race swapping. To restate my point\ , the financial returns of the film industry prove their race swapping act ions correct\, against other options. \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n 0:00\nb efore we get started I have a brand new\n0:02\nshort film that is releasin g on this\n0:04\nchannel very soon I love this short film\n0:06\nI think i t's the best one I've done yet\n0:07\nand I really need your guys' help fo r\n0:09\nfeedback for this short film so if when\n0:12\nI drop it which is going to be before\n0:14\nthe end of January I would really\n0:16\napprec iate if you would give it a watch\n0:18\nand please I highly recommend you watch\n0:21\nthis short film to the end because it's\n0:23\nthe best one I've done so far so without\n0:25\nfurther Ado let's get on to the video\n 0:27\none of the big controversial things\n0:29\nthat's been going on and talked about a\n0:31\nlot for years now is racebending\n0:34\ncharacters a nd I haven't really thrown\n0:37\nmy hat in the ring to talk about it yet\ n0:39\nother than saying you know talking about\n0:41\nthings like Batman cape Crusader that\n0:43\njust because you race bend a character\n0:45\ndo es not mean that the show is going to\n0:47\nbe bad or that it needs to af fect\n0:49\nanything but there were a couple maybe\n0:52\nthree things tha t I read and that had\n0:54\nhappened that made me finally want to\n0:57\n make this video because something really\n1:00\ngot under my skin regardin g this entire\n1:03\nconversation now race bending characters\n1:06\nit's very controversial does it ever\n1:08\naffect story is it wrong to ever ra ce\n1:10\nbend a character we've seen it happen a\n1:13\nlot with some ver y iconic characters\n1:15\nlately that they get race Bend and it\n1:17\nca uses a lot of tension and infighting\n1:20\nover this now when I was growi ng up\n1:22\nthere were a lot of projects that did\n1:25\nhave technically race bent characters\n1:27\nthat I loved one of my favorite movies\n1:30\ ngrowing up and what I think might even\n1:31\nbe the best adaptation of C inderella\n1:34\never was with Brandy and Whitney Houston\n1:37\nwhen they did the Roger and Hammerstein\n1:39\nor Stein's version of it and that wa s an\n1:41\ninsanely successful movie when it aired\n1:44\non TV and I lov ed watching it growing up\n1:46\nalso in my teen years getting into the\n1 :49\nAvengers and all that you had Samuel L\n1:51\nJackson as Nick Fury an d that is a race\n1:53\nbent version of the character from the\n1:56\ncomi cs but everyone seemed to love\n1:58\nSamuel Jackson as Nick I don't remem ber\n2:00\nthere being any sort of controversy over\n2:03\nit and so you c an see that in the past\n2:06\nthere were these times when race bending\n2 :08\na character would not be a big deal and\n2:12\nmost people I think ju st assumed you\n2:13\nmust have gotten the right person for\n2:15\nthe rol e and would go from there but\n2:18\nhowever I would like to point out for \n2:19\nsomething like Nick Fury in uh The\n2:22\nAvengers I don't doubt t hat there was\n2:24\nsome conversation behind the scenes\n2:26\ngoing on a bout you know the Avengers the\n2:28\noriginal six were six white people l et's\n2:30\nget somebody in here who's non-white\n2:32\nsomebody like a hi gh caliber actor so um\n2:36\nwe can maybe get a different sort of\n2:38\n audience because Hollywood has had that\n2:39\nthinking of for decades tha t they need\n2:41\nto introduce non-white characters to get\n2:44\ndiffere nt demographics to hopefully\n2:46\nwatch their film so that was the way i t\n2:49\nwas it wasn't really seen as a big deal\n2:51\nand I think we jus t went through a\n2:53\nperiod of time when racebending any sort\n2:55\nof character like it it didn't really\n2:57\nseem to anger people enough or make that\n3:01\nmuch of a controversy for Hollywood when\n3:03\nthey did it for example you had Jessica\n3:05\nAlba as a Latina actress um playing Sue\n3:09\nstorm who's a white character they did\n3:11\nmake her wear mak eup to whiten her face\n3:14\na bit and that would not fly today you\n3:16 \nhad oh I can't remember the name but\n3:18\nMichael Clark Duncan but he did a RAC\n3:20\nbement version of Kingpin for Ben\n3:23\nAffleck Daredevi l and then you have um\n3:26\night Shyamalan decided for whatever\n3:28\nr eason to get white actors to play the\n3:30\ncharacters in his Avatar movi e which I\n3:34\ndefinitely do not approve of because you\n3:37\nknow you should have gotten Asians to\n3:39\nplay Asian characters but anyway uh fo r\n3:42\nwhatever reason he got away with it at\n3:43\nthe time and so I t hink that that just\n3:45\nshows that there was a time in history\n3:48\nw here race bending was just like for\n3:50\nwhoever it was being done to it was not\n3:52\nseen as such a huge deal that it would\n3:54\nprevent it f rom happening in the first\n3:55\nplace and this was after a time where\n3 :57\ndecades ago it used to be very difficult\n3:59\nfor for a non-white a ctor to get a good\n4:01\nrole it there there were very very\n4:03\nlimite d roles back then decades ago and\n4:06\nif you go and listen to actors do ing\n4:08\ninterviews it was very limiting the\n4:10\nkinds of roles they were offered if you\n4:11\nweren't a white person so we can see how\n4:13\ nit's changed over time but now uh the\n4:17\nrace bending of White charac ters has\n4:19\nbecome super controversial and why is\n4:23\nthat well bec ause they've pushed it so\n4:25\nhard and they've pushed it in such a way\ n4:27\nthat it's in ently cause tension like\n4:31\nfor example um another thing I can say\n4:34\ngrowing up is that there used to be some\n4:36\nca rtoon characters that occasionally\n4:37\nwould be raceman like Liz Allen from\n4:40\nspectacular Spider-Man that cartoon in\n4:42\nthe original uh comic she is a Caucasian\n4:45\nblonde girl and they made her a Latina\n4: 48\nin the cartoon and I never had a problem\n4:51\nwith that I enjoyed th at version of Liz\n4:53\nAllen and I never heard anyone who\n4:54\ndidn't have a problem with that and why\n4:57\nwell Liz Allen that look for the\n 4:59\ncharacter it isn't as well known and so\n5:01\nI don't think people notice it as much\n5:03\nalso there was justification and once\n5:05\nagai n they've been trying to\n5:07\ndiversifying things like that for years\n5 :08\nnow but there was justification for Liz\n5:10\nAllen because she was another white\n5:13\nblonde character from Spider-Man she had\n5:15\nthe s ame look as Gwen Stacy so changing\n5:18\nher per race making her look dif ferent\n5:20\nthat it just it just act added an actual\n5:23\ndiversity to the cast so that every\n5:25\ncharacter had their distinct look\n5:26\ndi fferent ethnic background and I think\n5:28\nthat that really worked anoth er\n5:30\ncharacter that was race bent in a\n5:32\ncartoon X-Men evolution Amara AKA magma\n5:35\nshe was a character who was another\n5:37\nCaucasi an blonde from the comics but\n5:39\nthere were already a lot of Caucasian \n5:41\nblondes on the New Mutants team that she\n5:43\noriginated from an d they made her Latina\n5:46\nin X-Men evolution and once again\n5:48\npro bably trying to diversify with that I\n5:50\nthought it worked though you know it was\n5:52\nhelpful the characters all have their\n5:54\ndistinct l ooks I actually really like\n5:56\nthat version of Amara so you see in the \n5:58\npast it can work and not cause\n6:01\ncontroversy so how did race bending\n6:03\ncharacters start to become so\n6:05\ncontroversial for a co uple different\n6:06\nreasons number one you'll notice when it\n6:08\ncome s to characters like magma or Liz\n6:11\nAllen these were characters that weren't\n6:13\nvery well known or I would even say in\n6:15\nthe case of N ick Fury it was a\n6:17\ncombination of even Nick Fury wasn't\n6:19\nthat well known also um back then they\n6:21\ndidn't do race bending as much th ey\n6:23\ndidn't push it as hard I don't think\n6:25\nthat people expected anything other than\n6:27\nthey probably just got the right actor\n6:29\n for the role\n6:30\nbut the problem that has happened these\n6:32\ndays is they have been doing it to more\n6:34\nand more iconic characters like Ma ry\n6:37\nJane Watson that is a character who is\n6:39\nvery very iconical ly a redhead a white\n6:43\nredhead that is an iconic look for the\n6:45\n character it is really it really defines\n6:48\nher so when you did that w hen you cast\n6:51\nZena as the character in culture\n6:53\nMichelle Jones but she's sort of pseudo\n6:55\nMJ it caused a lot of backlash and this\n 6:58\nis what you see\n7:00\nwhen they race Bend characters that are\n7:02 \nmore wellknown why well because people\n7:04\nhave an expectation for th e character to\n7:07\nlook like they do in the source material\n7:09\nwhen it's that iconic like I would say\n7:12\nthe same thing and I've talked a bout\n7:13\nthis before when it comes to like you\n7:15\nknow Brandy and C inderella I love that\n7:17\nmovie I love her take on Cinderella\n7:19\nCi nderella is a story that's been told\n7:21\nby every culture every ethnici ty it\n7:23\nreally doesn't matter fairy tales can be\n7:25\na lot more lo ose than that and I would\n7:27\nsay the same for a lot of the fairy tals\ n7:30\nfrom Disney but and while I would say\n7:33\nplease like no one sho uld attack the\n7:34\nactors and actresses over this stuff I\n7:37\ndo thi nk that Disney has set up their\n7:39\nactors and actresses up to fail whe n\n7:42\nthey choose to race Ben characters in\n7:44\ntheir liveaction Dis ney movies why well\n7:47\nbecause while you can tell a new story\n7:50\nw ith these characters and these versions\n7:52\nbut there with the Disney L ive Action\n7:54\nremakes with the people who watch them\n7:56\nthey want the whole thing with them is\n7:58\nthat they're shot for shot remakes of\ n8:00\nthe original they're supposed to be\n8:01\nremakes of the original so when you set\n8:03\nup the expectation that this is Ariel\n8:05\nfor ex ample in the RAS B that character\n8:08\nthen you start to cause controver sy\n8:11\nthere is why doesn't this character look\n8:13\nthe way she does in the original and\n8:15\ndoes it matter that much well in this\n8:18\nc ase when I'm talking about the little\n8:19\nmermaid no it doesn't there's no reason\n8:21\nwhy someone couldn't play a good version\n8:23\nof uh Th e Little Mermaid that's a\n8:26\ndifferent race but the problem with it\n8 :28\nis that here's what happens you'll get a\n8:30\ncharacter like Mary J ane or Ariel or\n8:33\nwhoever it is you'll get a character\n8:34\nwhere p eople have a certain expectation\n8:36\nof how they're supposed to look uh based\n8:39\non how they were from the source and\n8:41\npeople might be critical because it\n8:43\ndoesn't look the way that it does in the\n8:44\ nsource and that's just fandom you know\n8:47\nlike fans want things to lo ok the way\n8:49\nthey were in The Source material they\n8:50\nwant events to play out the way they did\n8:52\nin the material uh we'll have more\n8 :54\nexamples of that in a minute but like\n8:56\nthat is a part of fandom when they\n8:57\nthings are iconic from the mat material\n9:00\nThe Sourc e material they want that to be\n9:01\nreflected and here's what I've seen \n9:03\nhappen over and over and over again in\n9:05\nthe past decade is t hat they will they\n9:07\nwill race been an iconic character\n9:09\npeople will get upset by it and then the\n9:12\nresponse will be like you're jus t racist\n9:15\nlike the only reason why you could\n9:17\npossibly dislike this change or find it\n9:19\nquestionable or just not be really into\n9: 22\nit is because you're are racist you just\n9:25\ncannot stand seeing a black person get a\n9:28\nrole like this get a big role like this\n9:31\na nd that is the only reason why you\n9:33\ndon't like it and so because dis liking\n9:36\nsomething like that gets you called a\n9:37\nracist you know that's a very\n9:40\ninflammatory terrible word to call\n9:42\nsomeone or to be accused of that in\n9:45\ninvites anger that invites Anger from\n9: 47\nthe people who initially perhaps just\n9:49\nwanted a character to loo k the way they\n9:51\ndid in the source material and now all\n9:53\nof a s udden they are in have been called\n9:55\nan inflammatory term that create s anger\n9:57\nthat feeds it back to more anger at the\n10:00\nperson that they cast in the role where\n10:02\nit was race bent which indeed I I\n10 :04\nimagine I can I don't have to imagine\n10:06\nthe people who' have be en casting these\n10:08\nroles do not like having anger pushed\n10:10\nbac k at them so that will come back to\n10:12\nthe way that they communicate with the\n10:14\nfan base or the audience and so on and\n10:17\non and on it goes on like that and the\n10:19\ntensions rise now once again be befor e\n10:22\nit wasn't really controversial to race\n10:25\nbenen characters so much now part of it\n10:27\nonce again is happening because they\n10:29 \nstarted doing it to more and more iconic\n10:30\ncharacters they start d oing more\n10:31\nfrequently and the other problem is they\n10:34\ngrandst and about it so much because once\n10:36\nagain I think before people woul d just\n10:38\nassume that if you got a role it was\n10:40\nbecause you we re the right person for\n10:41\nthat role but now Hollywood has just\n10:4 4\ngrandstand it so much about look at us\n10:47\nwe we put uh non-white c haracters in\n10:50\nthis project we're putting more\n10:51\ndiversity mor e non-white characters look\n10:53\nat us aren't we good people aren't\n10 :55\naren't people just going to be so happy\n10:57\nto be represented it' s always BR\n10:59\nstanding from Hollywood posturing about\n11:01\nhow go od they are doing this stuff and\n11:02\nthe more they've talked about it the\n11:04\nmore they've called attention to it it's\n11:06\nmade people r ealize this is not just\n11:08\nhappening because they happen to find\n11: 10\nthe right person for the role it's\n11:12\nhappening because they have institutions\n11:14\nbehind the scenes that demand this\n11:15\nthey're d oing this because of agendas\n11:18\nnot because they just found the perso n\n11:20\nfor the role and that once again blows\n11:22\nit up to be much more than just you\n11:24\nwanted to see this character look the\n11:26\nw ay it was in The Source material it\n11:27\nstarts to become about modern- day\n11:30\npolitics it starts to become about\n11:32\nagenda pushing it s tarts to become about\n11:34\nsomething so much bigger than that there\n11 :36\npeople are now seeing that these things\n11:37\nare not happening jus t because they\n11:39\nfound the right person for the role and\n11:41\ntha t makes you think you know you could\n11:43\nhave gotten the right person for the\n11:44\nrole maybe or the person who looks the\n11:47\nway you wan ted that character to if they\n11:49\ndidn't have these institutions if th ey\n11:51\nweren't posturing about this and once\n11:53\nagain that feeds more tension that is\n11:56\nall that has happened with this stuff is\n11: 57\nfeeding more tension to the point where\n12:00\nwe now see explosions if ever any person\n12:03\nis playing a race bent character whereas\n12:05 \nbefore it didn't used to be such a big\n12:08\ndeal now I've been of the opinion for\n12:10\nyears that it doesn't it shouldn't\n12:12\nmatter tha t much race spending a\n12:14\ncharacter usually if it doesn't affect\n12: 16\nthe story if they found the right person\n12:18\nfor the role like onc e again Jeffrey\n12:20\nWright playing Commissioner Gordon he\n12:22\ndid such a great job at that character\n12:25\nas that character but some thin gs have\n12:28\nmade me change my mind a little bit\n12:30\nbecause of the hypocrisy I see and these\n12:33\nare some of the things that made me wan t\n12:35\nto make this video for example the other\n12:37\nday I was talki ng about how I do not\n12:39\nunderstand why people want Kiki Palmer\n12:4 1\nto play Rogue not because of her race\n12:44\nbut because I just don't see the\n12:46\ncharacter in her maybe she's been in\n12:48\nsomething tha t I haven't seen where she\n12:49\nreminds people of the character I just\ n12:51\ndon't see it and the point of me saying\n12:53\nthat it's not abou t her race is me\n12:55\nsaying that if there was an actress that\n12:57\n just completely embodied the role and\n12:58\nshe happened to be A differe nt race then\n13:00\nI could understand it but I didn't\n13:02\nunderstand this one and someone under\n13:04\nthat Community post wrote that um it i t\n13:08\nshould it that race never matters to a\n13:11\nwhite character s tory that it rarely\n13:13\never is relevant to a white character\n13:14\n story and that that's why it's okay to\n13:17\nrace Bend White characters obviously\n13:19\nthat's what we're talking about here\n13:20\nbecause in this day and age they would\n13:22\nnever dare to try to race Bend uh or\n 13:25\noutright race bend a black character and\n13:29\nthat got under my skin a little bit\n13:31\nbecause I'm like but it has happened\n13:33\nwhe n it's relevant to the story Snow\n13:35\nWhite that was a big one they ha d to go\n13:38\nin and you they already revealed this in\n13:40\nthe inter national trailer completely\n13:42\nchanged the story to explain a differe nt\n13:44\nreason why she's called Snow White\n13:46\nbecause they had to ca cast a brown\n13:48\nactress to play her because um for a\n13:51\nchara cter who's described as Skin as\n13:53\nwhite as snow that's how she's def ined\n13:55\nas but Disney in the day and age when\n13:57\nthis was made j ust would not have a\n13:59\nwhite lead as this character so they had\n14: 02\nto change it to honor the day I was born\n14:06\nmy father named me Sn ow White and this\n14:09\nis an example a prime example where they\n14:12\ nhad to change the story because they\n14:14\ncouldn't cast a white actor for the\n14:15\ncharacter and it got nothing but\n14:17\nridicule once aga in I don't know what\n14:19\nthey're thinking about this it got\n14:20\nno thing but ridicule this decision\n14:22\nanother example they did is the\n 14:24\nFantastic Four uh years ago they cast\n14:27\nMichael B Jordan to p lay Johnny dorm and\n14:29\nthat creates problems because uh\n14:31\nInvis ible Woman They cast as a blonde\n14:34\nwhite woman like she was in the c omics\n14:36\nbut um they're supposed to be biological\n14:39\nbrother and sister but they had to\n14:40\nchange that for Fant for stick because\n14 :43\nthey couldn't have four white leads and\n14:45\nif you think that thi s isn't happening\n14:46\nthis has been a major conversation stuff\n14:49\ nhappening behind the scenes in Hollywood\n14:51\nthat is part of the reas on why they had\n14:53\nsuch a hard time casting for the new\n14:54\nFanta stic 4 is they're having a hard\n14:56\ntime with a movie that has four wh ite\n14:59\ncharacters as they are in the comics and\n15:02\nthey can't ha ve that they can't have a\n15:04\nmovie with four white leads anymore but\ n15:06\nyou see it did change the source\n15:08\nmaterial this does happen when you're\n15:09\nchanging the source material for me\n15:12\npersonall y though it's like you know\n15:14\ntrue diversity in real life is sometim es\n15:17\nimbalanced like in the 90s and and the\n15:20\nthese are shows I grew up with Loving\n15:22\nFamily Matters all black m cast Fresh\n15:25 \nPrince all black main cast I think\n15:27\nsometimes they brought in a w hite\n15:28\ncharacters like a villain or something I\n15:29\ndidn't care Disney was really patting\n15:31\nitself on the back of being like we\n15: 33\nhired an all Asian uh cast for Mulan and\n15:36\nI'm like yeah you sho uld have because\n15:38\nMulan is set in China centuries ago you\n15:41\nk now sometimes you're going to have it\n15:43\nwhere your cast is dispropor tionately\n15:45\nblack or Asian or white in fact that's\n15:48\njust the way it is that's what diversity\n15:49\ntruly looks like we don't all have \n15:52\nperfectly uh uh quotas filled out in\n15:55\nreal life that's jus t the way it is and\n15:57\nif you're not a racist that shouldn't\n15:59\n bother you that's just the way life is\n16:02\nso it's like there shouldn' t be a\n16:03\nproblem if you just happen to have four\n16:06\nwhite leads for Fantastic 4 as is\n16:08\naccurate to the source material cuz\n16:10\ nthere's other stuff like black panther\n16:12\nthat should be a black man cast like\n16:14\nthat's what true diversity looks like\n16:16\nbut you k now that comment that person\n16:18\nmade bothered me because it's like no \n16:20\none would ever say that blade or cyborg\n16:24\nshould ever be A different race and I\n16:26\nwould agree cuz those are who the\n16:27\ncha racters are so it's like for example\n16:29\nwith Rogue yeah I would like I could\n16:33\nlike in the past I could completely\n16:34\nunderstand you found the right person\n16:35\nfor the role the the super official\n16:37 \nraces the change but you found the right\n16:38\nperson so it's fine but I'm like yeah I\n16:41\nwould like Rogue to hopefully be played\n16:43\nb y a white actress why because she's\n16:46\nbeen white in the comics for 4 0 years\n16:49\nyeah that that because it's accurate to\n16:51\nthe source material I would like sorg to\n16:53\nbe black because that's accurate to the\n16:55\nsource material in terms of race\n16:56\nspending there has b een controversy\n16:58\nabout colorism about are they hiring\n17:01\nlight brown skinned actors to play Black\n17:04\ncharacters uh there's been som e\n17:06\ncontroversy about that like Sunspot in\n17:08\nthe various adapt ations he's had he's\n17:10\nsupposed to be black in the comics and\n17:12 \nit's important to his character and his\n17:13\norigin for him to be bla ck and fans of\n17:15\nthat character have been upset that he's\n17:17\nal ways lighter brown skin and AD ad\n17:19\nadaptations and I would agree wi th them\n17:22\nwhy because I know what Sunspot is\n17:24\nsupposed to be in the comics people want\n17:26\nstorm to be cast by a darker skin\n17:29 \nblack actress and I'm like yes because\n17:32\nshe while storm and the c omics was born\n17:35\nin Harlem she grew up in I think she\n17:37\nmoved to Cairo Egypt she grew up in\n17:39\nKenya for a time like that should be the\n17:41\ncharacters now from that I think that\n17:43\nit's okay for s omeone to also say I\n17:45\nwould like this character to be white\n17:48\ nsolely because that's the way that they\n17:50\nare in the source materia l and that's\n17:52\nfine because all this race bending has\n17:55\ndone i s it's caused tension it's caused\n17:57\nhate to the actors that they do it to\n18:00\nit's caused a lot of division and and\n18:02\nthings blowing up out of proportion to\n18:04\nbecome even bigger than just a simple\n18 :06\ncasting in a show you know here's the\n18:08\nreal big Crossroads of thinking is for a\n18:11\nlong time I've always been like you know\n18:13\ nif you've just found the right person\n18:14\nfor a role then race bendin g is okay but\n18:17\nthe problem is that it only ever goes\n18:19\nRunway like back in the day when they\n18:21\ncast uh mostly non-puerto Ricans i n fact\n18:24\nonly one Puerto Rican to play a Puerto\n18:25\nRican charac ter in Westside Story um uh\n18:28\none could also say that the actors did a\n18:30\ngood job with their roles but would it\n18:32\nbe was it still right for them to take\n18:34\nroles away from Puerto Ricans no and so\n18 :37\nthat's sort of the crossroads I come to\n18:39\nwith my thinking on t his stuff is that\n18:41\nthere is a double standards with it and\n18:44\n recently the latest controversy over Ray\n18:46\nspending came over the up coming\n18:47\nSpider-Man cartoon where Norman and\n18:49\nHarry Osborne a re black and all I saw\n18:52\nfor this was ridicule not from white\n18:55 \npeople so much but black people I just\n18:57\nsaw so many people on You Tube or Twitter\n19:00\nand these accounts of from black people\n19:02\nma king fun of this because they don't\n19:04\nactually want it and it was a completely\n19:06\nan unnecessary change and I watched a\n19:08\nvideo tha t was actually from a black\n19:10\nperson and and he said something that\ n19:12\nreally stuck out to me in it and it was\n19:15\nthat um they keep saying this doesn't\n19:16\nmatter it doesn't matter it doesn't\n19:18\naf fect the story so why should it bother\n19:19\nyou and he said if it doesn 't matter\n19:22\nthen why do it and it's insulting\n19:24\nbecause it mak es me feel as a black\n19:27\nperson that you don't see me me as\n19:29\nl egitimate unless I have to have\n19:30\nsomething else that came from a wh ite\n19:32\nperson it's annoying and there's going\n19:34\nto be people sa ying oh it doesn't matter\n19:36\ncalling demingo is a good actor and he's \n19:38\nvoicing the character you are 100% right\n19:41\nso if it doesn't matter why do it and\n19:45\nand that's the whole thing with this\n19:46\ nrace bending is so many times it's been\n19:49\nuh forced and unnecessary and people see\n19:52\nthat and all it's done is drive up\n19:53\ntension so here is my proposal How about\n19:56\nif a character is supposed to be black\n19:58\nthen cast a black person if a character\n20:00\nis supposed to be white cast a white\n20:02\nperson and that way you won't have so\n2 0:04\nmuch tension from groups and and all\n20:06\nthis infighting and arg uing and and you\n20:09\ndon't have to focus so much on people's\n20:12\nr ace all the time and I think that's\n20:14\nwhere we're headed right now y ou can\n20:15\nreally see how Disney has been affected\n20:18\nby this and the Tangled live action\n20:20\nremake and I am completely against a\n20: 22\ntangled liveaction remake but all of the\n20:24\nthe rumored castings for it has then\n20:26\nSabrina Carpenter or Florence Pew so a\n20:29\nwhi te blonde woman to play a white\n20:31\nblonde woman good fine I think tha t\n20:34\nDisney has learned from the Snow White\n20:36\nmovie that it is just ridiculous to\n20:37\nforce it when it doesn't make sense and\n20:39\ nat this point you know it's it is a\n20:41\nlittle crazy because as I sai d race\n20:44\nbending used to not be a big deal he\n20:45\nused to get aw ay with it used to be able\n20:47\nto do it it used to not be a big deal t o\n20:49\nsee a non-white person play a\n20:51\ntraditionally white charac ter but they\n20:53\nmade it a problem they made it so that\n20:56\nnow pe ople see it as Force they see it\n20:58\nas just agenda pushing they don't see it\n21:00\nas natural to the story they don't\n21:02\nassume that the person must have gotten\n21:03\nit because they were right for the role\n 21:05\nthey've spoiled it in effect because a\n21:08\nlot of this stuff th at we've been seeing\n21:09\nthis activism in media is just there and\n21: 12\nit just spoils the very thing that\n21:13\nthey're trying to promote s o um yeah\n21:16\nthat's my stance on Race bending\n21:17\ncharacters I th ink once again you could\n21:19\nhave gotten away with this uh once upon\n 21:22\na time I think that there is a big\n21:24\nminutia in it and it jus t kind of\n21:25\ndepends on the standards of the day\n21:27\nabout um wha t is considered morally\n21:29\nacceptable or not but at this point it\n21 :31\nwould just be best to cast people the\n21:34\nway they were from The Source material\n21:35\nso you won't have such a fury about it\n21:38\nbut that's all I got for you guys today\n21:39\nare you mad about me I was ne rvous about\n21:41\ntalking about this topic but I figure my\n21:44\nmaneu ver ears resolution going forward\n21:46\nis to not be so scared of talkin g about\n21:48\nthese hot button topics and the more\n21:50\nthat we talk about it and they're just\n21:52\nnormal about it I think the less the\n21 :54\npeople out there who will just scream\n21:56\nracist at you will be a ble to be\n21:58\nprominent but that's all I got for you\n22:00\nguys toda y what do you think of this\n22:01\nvideo yell at me in the comments thank \n22:03\nyou patrons as always for supporting me\n22:05\neven as I'm cover ing these topics uh\n22:07\nonce again new short film coming out\n22:08\ns oon and I will see you guys next time\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prio r Post\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11424-economiccorner0 08/\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11444-economiccorner00 9/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/144-eco nomic-corner-8-january-15th-2025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/events/event/166-economic-corner-10-online-divestiture- 0128202 5/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250128 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 6 - January 6th 2025  DTSTAMP:20250118T184102Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:142-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Cellist  states something few state\, London has no toll to get into the city so when they did congestion pricing that was the first toll into London. New York City is full of tolls. \n\n And the com parisons to Singapore which is a wealthy city state\, or stocklhom which i s the only city in a low populace country full of natural resources\, are dysfunctional to new York city which is the largest city in a country with over three hundred million people.\n\n And Oren Barzilay admitted that EM S workers live in shelters\, they are not on welfare\, but they don't make enough to live outside the shelters.\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n What are my poin ts?\n\n\n\n 1) no two places in humanity are financially the same. Applyin g governmental policy to two different places will never yield the same re sult.\n\n\n\n 2) the true financial condition of cities isn't in mayor's s peeches or investments in stadiums. It is in the quality of life to the lo west wage workers. Eric Adams suggest New York City is financially flying high\, then if so why not pay the emergency medical service workers more? why not make congestion pricing void for them? You claim to have money ear ned but you don't use it \, can only mean you are hoarding it. when govern ments do that\, it means illegal money transactions in the bureaucracy.\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Congestion pricing and the Broadway community\ n\n By Roberto Araujo New York City\n\n PUBLISHED 2:18 PM ET Dec. 30\, 202 4\n\n\n\n Broadway musician Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf plays the cello in the Br oadway musical “The Great Gatsby.\"\n\n\n\n She drives into Midtown Manh attan from her home in Hartsdale\, New York.\n\n\n\n “We lived in Inwood before we bought this house\, and we spent\, the idea was to be able to t ake the Metro-North\, which we did up until the pandemic. We always took t he train\,” Dorman-Phaneuf said.\n\n\n\n “But then in the pandemic\, t he trains home went away and they still haven’t come back. So even thoug h I wish we could be taking the train\, on a weekday\, there were just\, t here’s a train at 10:30\, and then there’s a train at 11:44. So if we get done at 10:35 at work\, the next train is 11:44\, and that means I’d get home at 12:40\,” she said. \"And that's just untenable\, you know\, to have to wait an hour for a train.\"\n\n\n\n In a statement\, the MTA s aid\, “Schedules are based on current ridership data of more than 200\,0 00 daily riders who use Metro-North. As Metro-North’s ridership continue s to grow\, the railroad is constantly monitoring ridership patterns and t rends to see what future adjustments may be necessary.” \n\n\n\n https: //ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/on-stage/2024/12/30/congestion-pricing-and-the- broadway-community\n\n official link\n\n https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ on-stage/2024/12/30/congestion-pricing-and-the-broadway-community?cid=shar e_clip\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Drivers react to day one of congestion pricing\n\n By Noorulain Khawaja Manhattan\n\n PUBLISHED 2:14 PM ET Jan. 0 5\, 2025\n\n\n\n Some New Yorkers thoughts to Congestion pricing\n\n https ://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2025/01/05/drivers-react-to-day-one-of-co ngestion-pricing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Port Authority tolls will increase alongside congestion pricing\n\n https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/20 25/01/05/port-authority-tolls-increase-alongside-start-of-congestion-prici ng\n\n\n\n \n\n Local EMS union encourages workers to request reassignment out of congestion relief zone\n\n Local Union 2507 sent a notice to their members that included a reassignment request form.\n\n Heather Fordham\n\ n Jan 3\, 2025\, 10:30 PM\n\n Updated 2 days ago\n\n\n\n The local union t hat represents the city's EMS and paramedics is now encouraging their memb ers assigned to stations in the congestion relief zone to request reassign ments.\n\n Local Union 2507 sent a notice to their members that included a reassignment request form.\n\n The union represents 4\,100 emergency medi cal technicians and paramedics that travel from all parts of the city — and even outside of the state\, to be on the city's front lines.\n\n Under congestion pricing\, those who live outside of 60th Street in Manhattan w ill have to pay a toll beginning at $9 for cars during peak periods in ord er to get to stations located in downtown Manhattan.\n\n Union president O ren Barzilay said Friday while they fought for exemptions and discounts at public hearings\, ultimately\, they were not included in the groups eligi ble.\n\n \"My men and woman\, they live in their cars\, they live in their families or friends' houses. They sleep on couches\, they sleep at statio ns because they can't afford to go back and forth every day. This will mor e than likely be the nail in the coffin\, they will likely resign\, or dem and to be transferred to another station\,\" Barzilay said.\n\n Barzilay d id not have an exact number\, but said some workers have already submitted reassignment forms and they expect the number to increase once the toll g oes into effect on Jan. 5.\n\n “Mark my words\, it will likely have a la rge\, negative impact on public safety that will soon enough lead to a rus h by Albany and City Hall’s countless and well-paid government funded sp in doctors to point the blame and fingers at each other\, as they always d o. Actions speak louder than words and this tax is a lose-lose for the FDN Y EMS and public safety\,” Barzilay added.\n\n https://brooklyn.news12.c om/local-ems-union-encourages-workers-to-request-reassignment-out-of-conge stion-relief-zone\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n murders in NYC\n \n 375 in 2024 \n\n 390 in 2023\n\n shootings in NYC\n\n 1091 in 2024 \n \n 1150 in 2023\n\n\n\n New York Ctiy has ten million people \, ten percen t is one million\, one percent is one hundred thousand. a tenth of one per cent is ten thousand. a hundredth of one percent is one thousand\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Piror Entry \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11402-economic corner005/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1140 5-economiccorner006/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ev ents/event/141-economic-corner-5-january-4th-2025 /\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/143-economic-corner-7-january-14 th-2025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250106 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 7 - January 14th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T184225Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:143-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n The porn industry has always been active or alive\, t he key is where is it legal or allowed to be legal. The financial beauty o f onlyfans or similar\, plus why the video porn industry diminished\, is t he privacy or intimacy of onlyfans or similar\; they are alot more safe fo r women\, are not on the street thus are safe from law enforcement of the street\, or  all the visual desires men have can be sated for a price. So meone asked an interesting question\, cited below. The problem with the ge neral video market and this goes to the larger issue with fiction \, is hu manity is in a cinema verite era. Life film. Yes\, a person can watch a fr ee film but seeing the live action is the thrill\, this is unique\, this i s personal\, this isn't for the exact mass consumption and that plays into the ego of the male buyers\, or buyers in general. \n\n The key isn't t he porn in itself\, you can get that for free\, the key is the personaliza tion of the porn. I recall a pole dancer\, a black woman with a very suppl e athletic body\, once said\, though i paraphrase\, the key isn't dancing on the pole\, but getting the customer to think you are dancing on the pol e for him. \n\n Yes\, a porn star in a movie can sleep with ten men with penile implants pounding away and do it smiling with giddy sounds\, a gre at performance\; but it isn't one to one\, it isn't personal. A porn star on onlyfans\, who doesn't have the physical condition to handle multiple p enile implanted men pounding\, or is unskilled as a thespian to provide th e sound or face for convincing joyous revelry \, can offer that personaliz ation \, that illusion to one to one\, like the phone sex but with visual media\, that a recorded film to the masses can't. \n\n I was unable to c onfirm the numbers but this explains a big path for all the arts commercia lly. Art that somehow interacts with customers is the commercial key in th e near future. Kim Kardashian and similar in the past who were in many way s mocked comprehended the power of the future of cinema verite\, where the recorded will be manipulatable\, the common can be generated through comp uter programming\, it gives greater value to the real\, even if the real i s scripted or engineered. \n\n A QUESTION\n\n This can’t be real. Do people realize that they have free porn sites??\n\n https://x.com/Ohearn2 2/status/1878118399676486068\n\n VIDEO\n\n VIDEO TRANSCRIPT\n\n 1.4 Mil lion women in the United States of America are active users of onlyfans\n\ n 1.2 million are between 18 and 24\n\n I decided to google the number o f onlyfans workers\n\n And when i tell you guys this number\, I want you to remember\, sex work is an industry for young women\, and so the majorit y of this number will come from gen z\n\n I found out 1.4 Million women i n the United States of America are active users of onlyfans\n\n 1.2 milli on are between 18 and 24\n\n What percent of women\, how many women in th e usa are between 18 to 24. I find out roughly ten million women. So \, ju st from onlyfans members\, ten percent of women in that age group are only fans members. So there is only ten million women between 18 to 25. Then i decided to think more about the consumers. who is consuming onlyfans. And \, I found out that 82 million American men subscribe to onlyfans. To thin k about that number is. How many people are in the united states of Americ a? 165 million men are in the usa. So they are telling me 82 million from 162 million are subscribed to onlyfans. Of the 82 million men subscribed t o onlyfans 90 percent are married. And 87 % users are male \, and 68% of u sers are white. So the average onlyfans customer is a white married man\n\ n VIDEO CITATION\n\n https://x.com/OfficialTrigga7/status/18780502257528 87458\n \n\n \n VIDEO ORIGINAL\n\n https://www.tiktok.com/@justpearlythi ngspodcast/video/7454375207340444974?is_from_webapp=1&\;sender_device=p c&\;web_id=7453919654784943662\n \n\n \n REFERRED FROM\n\n Former WNB A star Liz Cambage retired\n\n  &\; joined  Onlyfans &\; says she made more money her first week on onlyfans than her entire WNBA career\n\ n https://x.com/DailyLoud/status/1877850539615989897\n \n\n \n Prior ent ry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11405-economiccorner006/\n \n\n \n  \ n \n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n \n \n  \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n P OST URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11422-economiccorner007/\n\n\n\n PR IOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/142-economic-corner- 6-january-6th-2025 /\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ev ents/event/144-economic-corner-8-january-15th-2025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\ n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250114 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 4 - December 17th 2024 DTSTAMP:20251122T073050Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:598-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mufasa has yet to come out but what can be gathered from the end of the year. \n\n\n\n The highest grossing films\, top ten\,  ma de in 2024 were all continuations of a prior film in some fashion\, and th at includes mufasa\, if it has similar financial results. \n\n\n\n The ma rket outside the usa embraces cartoon films more. Films from the usa that display a distinctly usa cultural appeal don't have wings outside the usa.  \n\n\n\n The far east asian [China/Taiwan/South Korea/Russian] market st ands alone as a rival to the usa domestic market. To restate\, a film can do well domestically in south korea/China/taiwan/russia  and not do well outside either and be listed in the highest grossing films\, just like fil ms of the usa. The chinese films make up the majority of the films in the far east asian and they cover a range of styles\, not overwhelmed by one g enre\, but comedy seems to be the link between all the entries from the fo ur sources in the far east asian group. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All but one f ilm was made in the usa. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_in_film ]\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Discounting the chinese market \, if you compa re USA based revenue to outside USA based revenue\, which films have diffe rences in position [ https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/2024/  ]\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Advantage to market outside the usa \n\n\n\n Alien Rom ulus\, out of the picture in the usa 10th outside the usa \, difference of INF \, anti usa\n\n\n\n Joker Folie a deux out of the picture in the usa 17th outside the usa \, difference of INF \, anti usa\n\n\n\n Garfield mov ie out of the picture in the usa 18th outside the usa \, difference of IN F \, anti usa\n\n\n\n Detective COnan out of the picture in the usa 20 th outside the usa \, difference of INF \, anti usa\n\n\n\n Venom the last d ance 16th in the usa 8th outside the usa\, difference of eight\, anti usa\ n\n\n\n Gladiator 2\, 14th in the usa  9th outside the usa\, difference o f five\, anti usa\n\n\n\n Dune part 2 is 7th in the usa while 4th outside the usa\, diffference of three\, anti usa\n\n\n\n Godzilla Kong new empire is 9th in the usa and  6th outside the usa\, difference of three\, anti usa\n\n\n\n Kung Fu panda 4 is 10th in the usa while 7th  outside the usa \, difference of three\, anti usa\n\n\n\n Kingdom of the planet of the ap es\, 12th in the usa  11th \, outside the usa\, difference of one\, anti usa\n\n\n\n The Wild Robot 15th in the usa  14th outside the usa\, differ ence of one\, anti usa\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Advantage to market in the usa\n \n\n\n Twisters is 8th in the usa and out of the picture outside the usa\, difference of INF \, pro usa\n\n\n\n GHostbusters frozen empire 18th in t he usa out of the picture outside the usa\, difference of INF\, pro usa\n\ n\n\n Wicked is 4th in the usa while 15th outside the usa\, difference of eleven\, pro usa\n\n\n\n Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is 6th in the usa while 1 6th outside the usa\, difference of ten\, pro usa\n\n\n\n A quiet place da y one 17th in the usa  19th outside the usa\, difference of two\, pro usa \n\n\n\n Bad Boy ride or die  11th in the usa  12th  outside the usa\, difference of one\, pro usa\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Chinese produced films\, are dispersed throughout. It seems china has the only domestic market that can truly provide revenu e to challenge the wealth possible in the usa. [ https://www.the-numbers. com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-2024 ] \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LAst edition\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/top ic/11358-economiccorner003/\n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ topic/11377-economiccorner004/\n\n\n\n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/events/event/597-economic-corner-3-december-8th-2024/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDIITON\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/141-economic-corner-5-j anuary-4th-2025 /\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241217 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 2 - December 7th 2024 DTSTAMP:20251122T072335Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:596-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Steven Zhang was the president of a football club called Inter Milan. What he did matters for one reason. His situation exposes the low quality of ownership in humanity. \n\n\n\n A set of sport steams sig ned a contract to make their own league\, it has alot of precedent. But on ly one club made sure it had a provisional clause to exit the contract upo n conditions unfavorable to the club. The question heading this post is t he key\, please answer in comments.\n\n\n\n Josep Bartomeu- the now legall y fallen former president of FC Barcelona for his financial activities. A ndrea Agnelli the now excommunicado former president of Juventus because h e signed said contract in my view. The glazers\, inheritors of first alli ed\,  who own Manchester United\, the Red sox owners who own Liverpool\, stan kroenke married to a walton who own Arsenal\, United Arab Emirates  royals who own manchester city\, Florentino Perez\, the president of Real Madrid is an gambler. The russian Roman Abramovic the owed owner of chels ea\, he was owed over a billion by the firm he created.\n\n\n\n A various set of owners accepted a contract that bound their firms to an action abse nt any provisions to exit. People will speak f greed but Zhang signed it t o. Isn't Zhang as greedy\, but what does greed have to do with positive fi scal quality actions. I say nothing Zhang didn't want to risk money. \n\n \n\n The articles below state the simple truth \, the sponsors to the club s were not told of the contract\, and the breach of contract with  the sp onsors is imminent. And all but one president was smart enough to protect his firm while being greedy. \n\n\n\n Like the NBA who didn't make a prov ision for streaming for assessing a bidder and thus allowed discovery chan nel to sue them  for absent streaming they could bid equally to am*zon I think\, the soccer clubs presidents minus one have acted terribly as fisca l operators with teams of lawyers. \n\n\n\n I really wonder the managemen t of many very wealthy sporting organizations. Many poor people suggest th e rich are genius or collected with extreme organization\, but these event s prove otherwise.\n\n\n\n Zhang demanded a clause say if any sponsor of I nter Milan  disagree to the deal \, Inter Milan can exit  with no penalt y. No one can defend financial dysfunction like signing a contract that yo u can't get out. That is like black people who couldn't read contracts wit h whites in the usa.  immediately after the war between the states. Zhang showed Greed but how can greed lead you to risk your own money. I thought greed meant you wanted more wealth but didn't want to lose wealth.\n\n\n\ n So the financial league will have to exist at some point between the clu bs involved as they signed the contract \, one hundred and twenty pages ab sent a clause for them to get out. And comprehend some of these clubs vote for their president. So Real MAdrid or FC Barcelona if a president doesn' t want it or ask the fans to vote to stay in the financial league\, it is null and void because of former presidents binding the club forever into t his agreement. The clubs who are owed by usa folk or just fiscally wealthy people that didn't have a clause seem willing to risk their clubs. For if the sponsors sue for breach of contract... it can be the death of the clu bs who signed. \n\n\n\n The clubs like Bayern Munich owned by Qatari ultr a billionaires plus Bayern Munich owed in the german system\, said no caus e neither of them were willing to sing the fate of their clubs absent a po sitive environment. And when the financial league became public the enviro nment went very negative. Fans all over europe rioted or marched against t he clubs . Other clubs like West Ham in England spoke against them. Sponso rs to clubs or leagues publicly spoke against. But none of the signers out side one could leave cause their owners//presidents wealthy people were ig norant/stupid/inefficient/self harming/ or similar and didn't make a claus e or clauses to their own protection to save their money.  \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n THESE ARTICLES or FRAGMENTS CITE MY POINT\n\n\n\n Why Inter are the only team that formally quit the Super League\n\n ByLorenzo Bettoni\n\n M ar 4\, 2022 13:39\n\n\n\n Inter have officially abandoned the Super League project thanks to a clause included in their contract with the organizers of the breakaway competition.\n\n\n\n The Nerazzurri were part of the 12 elite European clubs that announced the Super League less than a year ago. It collapsed within 48 hours with Premier League giants quitting the proj ect\, followed by Inter\, Milan and Atletico Madrid.\n\n\n\n Juventus\, Re al Madrid and Barcelona are still involved and the Old Lady’s President Andrea Agnelli insisted yesterday that the Super League ‘did not fail. ’\n\n\n\n However\, he added that the contracts signed one year ago are still valid for 11 of those 12 clubs.\n\n\n\n “UEFA knew that I as Juven tus president was working on something different\,” said Agnelli.\n\n\n\ n “The Super League is a collective work of 12 teams\, not one person. T welve clubs signed a 120-page contract and it is still binding for 11 of t hose clubs.”\n\n\n\n According to COPE\, Inter are the only team that ha s formally managed to quit the competition. The Serie A champions had a cl ause that allowed them to pull away from the project if it didn’t gain t he support of all of their sponsors.\n\n\n\n https://football-italia.net/i nter-quit-super-league-thanks-to-contract-clause/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n …\n \n Fans are opposed to the new league\, and aren’t interested in watchin g it\n\n Our snap poll shows just how strongly fans feel\, with nearly eig ht in ten (79%) of those who follow football opposed to the new league\, i ncluding over two thirds (68%) who “strongly oppose” the ESL’s creat ion.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Opposition is highest among fans of the left-behind Premier League teams\, with 88% of those following a team outside the big six opposed to the European Super League\, compared to 76% of fans of the big six themselves.\n\n\n\n Only 14% of football fans are in favour of the new league. Even among fans of the big six set to be part of the ESL\, fe wer than a fifth (19%) support of its creation.\n\n\n\n As well as being o pposed to the new league’s creation\, only a fifth of those who follow f ootball (21%) expressed an interest in watching ESL matches when the seaso n begins.\n\n\n\n While some three in ten supporters of the English sides taking part (31%) are interested in watching\, two thirds (68%) are not.\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n Among fans of Premier League teams outside the big six\, i nterest is even lower\, with only 13% interested in watching compared to e ight in ten (83%) who are not interested in tuning in.\n\n\n\n In fact\, t hree quarters of fans (76%) would rather their team not join the European Super League\, including a similar proportion of those who support one of the big six clubs acting as founding members (74%).\n\n\n\n Chairman of th e European Super League\, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said the new competition would “help football at every level” and their “ responsibility as big clubs is to respond to [fan’s] desires”. However \, fans don’t see the creation of the European Super League as being eit her motivated by what fans want to see\, nor as good for lower level clubs .\n\n\n\n The vast majority of football followers think that the 12 foundi ng clubs have been motivated more by financial gain (89%)\, with just 3% t hinking that the creation of the European Super League is being driven mor e by fan’s desires\, while some 5% think both motivations have played a part.\n\n …\n\n\n\n https://yougov.co.uk/sport/articles/35361-snap-poll- football-fans-overwhelmingly-reject-euro\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All six Englis h football clubs that joined the European Super League have failed to form ally leave it\, amid claims by organisers that the competition will “eve ntually relaunch in modified form”.\n\n\n\n The so-called big six stated that they were withdrawing from the ESL after its launch backfired in Apr il. However\, the clubs — Manchester City\, Manchester United\, Liverpoo l\, Arsenal\, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea — remain co-owners and share holders of a holding company in Spain with clubs from Spain\, France and I taly.\n\n\n\n Several of the clubs acknowledged yesterday they were still part of the European Super League Company but said they were determined to leave. Yet two senior sources close to the venture claim there is “no m echanism” for them to withdraw\, and that the league is waiting to be re launched in modified form.\n\n\n\n They said all 12 of the original breaka way clubs had to agree unanimously to dissolve the entity and that any clu b leaving unilaterally faced unlimited fines.\n\n\n\n Organisers believe t he owners of the clubs accept that the football world faces a financial cr isis exacerbated by Covid-19 and that in due course they will relaunch a c ompromise version of the Super League.\n\n\n\n “The owners know this is not the end — it’s just the beginning\,” a senior source said. “We will resume dialogue\, whether this year or next year. It’s just financ ial gravity. Football can’t survive in its current form.”\n\n\n\n Flor entino Pérez\, the president of Real Madrid\, has said the 12 clubs that joined the league have “binding contracts”. Real Madrid\, Barcelona an d Juventus have not abandoned it.\n\n\n\n Arsenal said: “We have been ab solutely clear we are withdrawing from the ESL. This is subject to a legal process which is under way.”\n\n\n\n Manchester United said: “The clu b has no intention to revisit the Super League concept. Any suggestion oth erwise is simply an attempt to mislead our fans.”\n\n\n\n When the ESL p lan was rushed out at the end of April\, the government threatened legisla tion to block it. After an intense backlash from fans and the media\, nine clubs — the six English sides\, AC Milan\, Inter Milan and Athletico Ma drid — dropped out\, leaving Real Madrid\, Barcelona and Juventus.\n\n\n \n The three clubs have said they are within their rights to form a new co mpetition\, as a result of which they would withdraw from the Uefa-run Cha mpions League\, Europa League and Europa Conference League.\n\n\n\n Uefa a nd Fifa\, the European and world governing bodies\, united in opposition t o the Super League\, saying that the participating teams would be banned f rom their domestic leagues and their players from international competitio n.\n\n\n\n Super League representatives believe that Uefa and Fifa are bre aching EU competition laws by preventing the clubs from breaking away. A c ase has been filed with the European Court of Justice with the aim of esta blishing whether the two governing bodies do indeed have the exclusive rig ht to organise competitions. The hearing could take up to two years.\n\n\n \n A source close to the Super League said: “It’s our belief we will w in that case based on precedent in other sports and it will pave the way f or the Super League to eventually relaunch in a modified form.”\n\n\n\n https://www.thetimes.com/article/football-super-league-is-not-dead-just-re sting-gbrp00dpv\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Economic Corner 001\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POST URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11353-economiccorner002/\n\n\n \n PRIOR EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/595-economic-co rner-1-december-3rd-2025/\n\n\n\n NEXT EDITION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/events/event/597-economic-corner-3-december-8th-2024/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241207 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Economic Corner 3 - December 8th 2024 DTSTAMP:20251122T072621Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:597-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A writer for the Home Box Office show The Watchman said h e didn't comprehend why writers write stories assuming another season. Tha t truth can be applied to many government officials. From Eric Adams city of yes\, to Nancy Pelosi's affordable care act elected officials in modern ity love policies that extend beyond their time in office. The fiscal ques tion of value to the economic corner\, is the financial wisdom in policy t hat assumes government officials in the future will support the policy as intended or at all. \n\n\n\n I argue policy with fiscal actions beyond a time of office is one hundred percent financially inappropriate. Why? it i s a financial gamble. And gambling is never the best financial strategy.  \n\n\n\n The proof is\, all the actions Biden is taking to use up money or place money for certain projects in the bureaucracy may not work. \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n ARTICLE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The last actions the Biden admini stration will take before Trump takes over the White House\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n By  FATIMA HUSSEIN\, MATTHEW DALY and COLLIN BINKLEY\n\n\n\n Upda ted 5:24 AM EST\, November 15\, 2024\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden administration officials are working against the clock doling ou t billions in grants and taking other steps to try to preserve at least so me of the outgoing president’s legacy before President-elect Donald Trum p takes office in January.\n\n\n\n “Let’s make every day count\,” Pr esident Joe Biden said in an address to the nation last week after Vice Pr esident Kamala Harris conceded defeat to Trump in the presidential race. \n\n\n\n Trump has pledged to rescind unspent funds in Biden’s landmark climate and health care law and stop clean-energy development projects .\n\n\n\n “There’s only one administration at a time\,” Transportati on Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters at a news conference Thursday. “That’s true now\, and it will also be true after January 20th. Our re sponsibility is to make good use of the funds that Congress has authorized for us and that we’re responsible for assigning and disbursing througho ut the last three years.”\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But Trump will control more than the purse strings come January. His administration also can propose new regulations to undo some of what the Biden administration did through the rule-making process.\n\n\n\n Here are some of the moves the Biden admi nistration is taking now:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Getting infrastructure spendi ng out the door\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Biden administration officials hope tha t projects funded under the $1 trillion infrastructure law and $375 billio n climate law will endure beyond Biden’s term and are working to ensure that money from the landmark measures continues to flow.\n\n\n\n On Friday \, Buttigieg announced over $3.4 billion in grants for projects designed t o improve passenger rail service\, help U.S. ports\, reduce highway deaths and support domestic manufacturing of sustainable transportation material s.\n\n\n\n ”We are investing in better transportation systems that touch every corner of the country and in the workers who will manufacture mater ials and build projects\,″ he said. “Communities are going to see safe r commutes\, cleaner air and stronger supply chains that we all count on .″\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Speeding up environmental goals\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Announcements of major environmental grants and project approvals have sp ed up in recent months in what White House officials describe as “sprint ing to the finish” of Biden’s four-year term.\n\n\n\n The Environmenta l Protection Agency recently set a nationwide deadline for removal of lea d pipes and announced nearly $3 billion to help local water systems compl y. The agency also announced that oil and gas companies for the first time will have to pay a federal fee if they emit dangerous methane above cer tain levels.\n\n\n\n The Energy Department\, meanwhile\, announced a $544 million loan to a Michigan company to expand manufacturing of high-quality silicon carbide wafers for electric vehicles. The loan is one of 28 deals totaling $37 billion granted under a clean-energy loan program that was r evived and expanded under Biden.\n\n\n\n “There is a new urgency to get it all done. We’re seeing explosions of money going out the door\,” sa id Melinda Pierce\, legislative director of the Sierra Club. Biden and his allies ”really want to finish the job they started.”\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Ukraine aid\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh t old reporters this week that Biden wants to “spend down the authority th at Congress has allocated and authorized before he leaves office. So we’ re going to work very hard to make sure that happens.”\n\n\n\n The Biden administration would have to rush $7.1 billion in weapons — $4.3 billio n from the 2024 supplemental and $2.8 billion that is still on the books i n savings due to the Pentagon recalculating the value of systems sent — from the Pentagon’s stockpiles in order to spend all of those funds obli gated before Trump is sworn in.\n\n\n\n There’s also another $2.2 billio n available to put weapons systems on long-term contracts. However\, recen t aid packages have been much smaller in size\, around $200 million to $30 0 million each.\n\n\n\n Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the funds are already obligated\, which should make them harder to take back because the incoming administration would have to reverse that.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Pressure to quickly confirm judicial picks\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Another pr iority for the White House is getting Senate confirmation of as many fede ral judges as possible before Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.\n\n\n\n The Senate this week voted 51-44 to confirm former prosecutor April Perry as a U.S. District Court judge in northern Illinois. More than a dozen pe nding judicial nominees have advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committ ee\; eight judicial nominations are awaiting committee votes and six are w aiting for committee hearings.\n\n\n\n Trump has urged Republicans to oppo se efforts to confirm judicial nominees. “No Judges should be approved d uring this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership\,” he wrote on so cial media site X on Nov. 10\, before congressional Republicans chose thei r new leaders.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Student loan forgiveness\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n The Education Department has been hurrying to finalize a new federal r ule that would cancel student loans for people who face financial hardship . The proposal — one of Biden’s only student loan plans that hasn’t been halted by federal courts — is in a public comment period scheduled to end Dec. 2.\n\n\n\n After that\, the department would have a narrow win dow to finalize the rule and begin carrying it out\, a process that usuall y takes months. Like Biden’s other efforts\, it would almost certainly f ace a legal challenge.\n\n\n\n Additionally\, the Biden administration has room to speed up student loan cancellation for people who were already pr omised relief because they were cheated by their colleges\, said Aaron Ame nt\, an Education Department official for the Obama administration and pre sident of the National Student Legal Defense Network.\n\n\n\n Education Se cretary Miguel Cardona could decide that case and others rather than hand them off to the Trump administration\, which is expected to be far friendl ier to for-profit colleges. “It’s a no-brainer\,” Ament said. “T here’s a good number of cases that have been sitting on Cardona’s desk . It’s hard to imagine that those would just be left untouched.”\n\n\n \n Trump has not yet said what he would do on student loan forgiveness. H owever\, he and Republicans have criticized Biden’s efforts.\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n https://apnews.com/article/elections-trump-transition-biden-tax-sp ending-2c27fb2239640fdb667f274215b712fa\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior Episode\n \n\n\n Economic Corner 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Post URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/11358-economiccorner003/\n\n\n\n Prior Edition\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/596-economic-corner-2-december-7th-2024/\n\n\ n\n Next Edition\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241208 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nursery Rhyme Collaboration 05 DTSTAMP:20251122T070616Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:594-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Nursery-Rhyme-Co llaboration-05-1266929940\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251122 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nursery Rhyme Collaboration 04 DTSTAMP:20251122T070610Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:593-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Nursery-Rhyme-Co llaboration-04-1266928580\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251122 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The American Revolution PBS Documentary Episode 5 DTSTAMP:20251118T053607Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:591-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The American Revolution\n\n A Film By\n\n Ken Burns\, Sar ah Botstein &\; David Schmidt\n\n\n\n The Soul of All America (December 1777 – May 1780)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n T RANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n Announcer: Major funding for \"The American Revolution\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jon athan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Fou ndation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the R obert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, an d by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Sc hwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional sup port was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charita ble Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\ , and by Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissic k Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jen nifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was m ade possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, a nd Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\nAnnouncer: The American Revolution c aused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history a nd set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to d o?\n\nBank of America.\n\n[Cannon fire] ♪ Voice: I have of late lost a g reat many intimate friends.\n\nThe numbers of fine young men from 15 to 5 and 20 with loss of limbs hurts me beyond conception\, and I every day cur se Columbus and all the discoverers of this diabolical country.\n\nIn what manner the Parliament will act on this occasion we cannot conceive.\n\nMa jor John Bowater.\n\n♪ Voice: You cannot--I venture to say\, you cannot conquer America.\n\nMy lords\, in 3 campaigns\, we have done nothing and s uffered much.\n\n[Gavel bangs] You may swell every expense and every effor t\, pile and accumulate every assistance you can buy or borrow\, traffic a nd barter with every little pitiful German prince that sells and sends his subjects to the shambles of a foreign country.\n\nYour efforts are foreve r vain and impotent.\n\nIf I were an American\, as I am an Englishman\, wh ile a foreign troop was landed in my country\, I never would lay down my a rms-- never\, never\, never.\n\n[Men shouting] William Pitt\, Earl of Chat ham.\n\n[Gavel bangs] ♪ [Distant cannon fire] ♪ [Fife and drums playin g] Jane Kamensky: The American Revolution is\, on the one hand\, an intens ely local war\, and\, on the other hand\, a great global war.\n\nAs a glob al war\, the American Revolution continues the series of wars among empire s for the prize of North America.\n\nBritain\, Spain\, France are all seek ing some form of victory or advantage... ♪ but the beginning of 1778\, t he rebellious United States' cause is at the thread end of its ability to continue to exist.\n\n♪ Voice: There comes a soldier\, his bare feet are seen through his worn-out shoes\, his legs nearly naked from the tattered remains of an only pair of stockings\, his breeches not sufficient to cov er his nakedness.\n\nHis whole appearance pictures a person forsaken and d iscouraged.\n\nDr.\n\nAlbigence Waldo\, surgeon\, First Connecticut Infant ry.\n\n♪ Narrator: The weary Continentals whom George Washington led int o winter quarters at Valley Forge in December of 1777\, were\, a visitor\, said\, just \"a skeleton of an army.\"\n\nThey'd been fighting and marchi ng for months\, but many hadn't been paid since August.\n\nNearly 3\,000 o f them were officially unfit for duty.\n\nOver the next 6 months\, 2\,500 soldiers would die\, mostly from typhus\, typhoid\, influenza\, and dysent ery.\n\nClothing was so scarce that when a man died\, what was left of his uniform was washed and carefully preserved so that another member of his unit might be at least a little warmer.\n\n♪ Voice: I am now convinced t hat unless some great change takes place\, this army must inevitably be re duced to one or the other of these things-- starve\, dissolve\, or dispers e in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can.\n\nGeorge Wa shington\, headquarters at the Valley Forge.\n\n♪ Narrator: Valley Forge took its name from an abandoned ironworks that stood at the intersection of a small creek and the Schuylkill River some 20 miles northwest of Phila delphia.\n\nWashington himself called it \"a dreary kind of place\,\" but he chose it because it was close enough to Philadelphia to move quickly ag ainst British foragers when they dared venture out of the city and far eno ugh from it to make surprise attacks unlikely.\n\nPennsylvania legislators complained that instead of withdrawing to Valley Forge\, Washington shoul d be about the business of recapturing Philadelphia.\n\nVoice: I can assur e those gentlemen that it is a much easier and less distressing thing to d raw remonstrances in a comfortable room by a good fireside than to occupy a cold\, bleak hill and sleep under frost and snow without clothes or blan kets.\n\nIt would give me infinite pleasure to afford protection to every individual and to every spot of ground in the whole of the United States.\ n\nNothing is more my wish\, but this is not possible with our present for ce.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n[Canon fire in distance] ♪ [Fire crackling] Voice: I'd experienced what I thought sufficient of the hardships of mili tary life the year before\, but we were now absolutely in danger of perish ing\, and that too in the midst of a plentiful country.\n\nJoseph Plumb Ma rtin.\n\n[Horse neighs] Narrator: Private Joseph Plumb Martin had survived the Battles of Long Island\, Kips Bay\, the disaster at Germantown\, and the siege of Fort Mifflin\, and he was still just 17.\n\n♪ Now huddled i n tattered canvas tents at Valley Forge\, soldiers went for days with noth ing to eat but fire cakes-- just flour and water baked on hot stones.\n\nS everal days went by when many soldiers had no food at all.\n\nThere was ta lk of mutiny.\n\nRick Atkinson: The apparatus of war supporting the army h as come unglued.\n\nAll of these support functions that help keep an army thriving\, keep it healthy\, have really begun to implode.\n\nNarrator: Co ngress\, still in exile in York\, Pennsylvania\, told Washington to comman deer food and fodder from the surrounding countryside\, but he resisted\, worried it might turn civilians against the cause.\n\nInstead\, he tried t o purchase everything his men needed\, but the steady depreciation of Cont inental currency made that problematic.\n\nWilliam Hogeland: Nothing like the American Revolutionary War had been fought.\n\nNo public project like it had been undertaken before\, and it was incredibly expensive.\n\nWhat h appens with a paper currency if it isn't well-supported and isn't handled properly is\, it depreciates wildly against gold and silver.\n\nIt was use less as a currency\, and in that sense\, the Congress went broke.\n\n♪ S tephen Conway: The British Army\, on the contrary\, has lots of hard cash\ , and lots of Americans who are not politically interested one way or the other see opportunities for commercial benefit-- selling products\, sellin g goods and services to the British Army.\n\nNarrator: Washington's army w as dwindling again.\n\nMen simply went home.\n\nHundreds enlisted in Loyal ist regiments.\n\nOthers joined roving outlaw bands that looted isolated f armhouses.\n\nStill others made their way to Philadelphia to surrender\, h oping they would be treated better as prisoners of war than as soldiers at Valley Forge.\n\nWashington's officers were leaving\, too.\n\nVoice: The number of resignations in the Virginia Line is induced by officers finding that every man who remains at home is making a fortune whilst they are sp ending what they have in the defense of their country.\n\nThomas Nelson.\n \n♪ Narrator: Over the coming months\, more than 500 of Washington's off icers would resign.\n\nTo add to his troubles\, some members of Congress a nd a handful of commanders had begun whispering that he had proved himself weak and indecisive in battle.\n\nIf the Revolution were to succeed\, som e argued\, command of the Continental Army should pass to Horatio Gates\, who had recently accepted the surrender of an entire British army at Sarat oga.\n\n♪ Voice: I did not solicit this command\, but accepted it after much entreaty.\n\nAs soon as the public gets dissatisfied with my service\ , I shall quit the helm with as much satisfaction and retire to a private station with as much content as ever the weariest pilgrim felt upon his sa fe arrival in the Holy Land.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: Until that moment came\, Washington would work tirelessly\, first to maintain\, and then to improve his army.\n\nShelter came first.\n\nHe ordered the men to cut down trees\, dismantle farmers' outbuildings and fences\, and bang tog ether row upon row of log huts\, perhaps 2\,000 of them\, each one 14 by 1 6 feet and meant to house 12 men.\n\n♪ Valley Forge would for a time be the fourth largest city in America-- 20\,000 men\, women\, and children fr om all 13 states.\n\nFor many\, English was not their native language.\n\n They spoke German\, Irish\, Scots\, Welsh\, Dutch\, Swedish\, French\, Moh ican\, Oneida\, Wolof\, Kikongo\, and more.\n\nNearly 10% were African Ame rican\, most of whom served alongside whites in integrated regiments.\n\nS ome 60 men were enrolled in a brand-new all-Black company belonging to the First Rhode Island Regiment.\n\nThe state legislature promised those who were enslaved their freedom at war's end and pledged to pay compensation t o those whose property they had been.\n\n♪ Among the Native American sol diers and scouts at Valley Forge were Tuscaroras\, Oneidas\, as well as Mo hicans and Wappingers from Stockbridge\, Massachusetts.\n\n♪ The hundred s of women who lived among the soldiers did the men's laundry\, nursed the sick and wounded\, and cared for an unknown number of children.\n\nWhen m en went to war\, they were gone and so was whatever pay they were going to get\, and many women just could not survive on their own\, and so it was actually better for everybody when women traveled with the armies.\n\n♪ Narrator: Martha Washington joined her husband at Valley Forge.\n\nAt leas t 8 servants-- men and women\, white and Black\, enslaved and free-- lived alongside the Washingtons in a stone house they rented from the family of the mill owner who had built it.\n\n8 of General Washington's closest aid es were crowded in there\, as well\, among them\, two especially idealisti c young officers in their early 20s-- John Laurens and the Marquis de Lafa yette.\n\n♪ Iris de Rode: As soon as Lafayette arrived\, he starts to lo ok around and get inspired by everything he sees\, and he's young\, and he 's excited to be in this new country in what\, to him\, is the New World\, and he's going to explore and understand.\n\nHe really starts to believe in the cause for equalities\, for liberties.\n\n♪ Narrator: John Laurens of South Carolina was the son of Henry Laurens\, the current president of Congress and one of the biggest slave traders in North America.\n\nFrom V alley Forge\, the young Laurens wrote to his father.\n\nVoice: I would sol icit you to seed me a number of your able-bodied men slaves instead of lea ving me a fortune.\n\nI would bring about a twofold good.\n\nFirst\, I wou ld advance those who are unjustly deprived of the rights of mankind\, and I would reinforce the defenders of liberty with a number of gallant soldie rs.\n\n♪ My dearest friend and father\, I hope that my plan for serving my country and the oppressed Negro race will not appear to you the chimera of a young mind\, but a laudable sacrifice of private interest to justice and the public good.\n\nJohn Laurens.\n\nNarrator: Henry Laurens rejected his son's proposal.\n\nFreeing some slaves\, he said\, would simply \"ren der Slavery more irksome to those who remained in it.\"\n\n♪ [Wind blowi ng] In February\, the bad conditions at Valley Forge grew still worse.\n\n Some 1\,000 soldiers would sicken and die that month.\n\nVoice: I was call ed to relieve a soldier thought to be dying.\n\nHe was an Indian\, an exce llent soldier.\n\nHe has fought for those very people who disinherited his forefathers.\n\nHaving finished his pilgrimage\, he was discharged from t he war of life and death.\n\nHis memory ought to be respected more than th ose rich ones who supply the world with nothing better than money and vice .\n\nDr.\n\nAlbigence Waldo.\n\n[Chickens clucking] Narrator: Desperate to feed his hungry men\, Washington now organized what was called the Great Forage\, more than 1\,500 men in all\, to scour the countryside in eastern Pennsylvania\, western New Jersey\, Delaware\, and Maryland\, seizing wha tever they could find and handing out promissory notes in exchange.\n\n♪ Voice: The militia and some regular troops on one side\, and Loyalist ref ugees with the Englishmen on the other\, were constantly roving about\, pl undering and destroying everything in a barbarous manner.\n\nEverywhere di strust\, fear\, hatred and abominable selfishness were met with.\n\nRevere nd Nils Collin.\n\n♪ Narrator: Nils Collin was a Swedish missionary sent to America to serve as rector of the Swedish Church in Swedesboro\, New J ersey.\n\nSince he considered himself a subject of the Swedish monarch\, h is conscience would not allow him to swear allegiance to the British king or to ally himself with the Patriot cause.\n\nHe vowed to remain neutral\, but bands of American and British soldiers and their sympathizers took tu rns occupying the town\, seizing livestock and provisions\, and punishing those who stood in their way.\n\n♪ Voice: Many members of the congregati on suffered injury in various ways by this frenzy.\n\nDr.\n\nOtto's house was burnt down by Loyalist refugees.\n\nJames Stillman lost most of his ca ttle.\n\nSutherland\, a Scotchman\, together with a young Swede\, Hendrick son\, were taken to New York as prisoners.\n\n♪ On the opposite side\, t he militia pillaged the following-- Jacob and Anders Jones\, who had trade d with the English\; a sea captain\, Jan Cox\, whose beds were cut up and his China\, tea tables\, and bureaus smashed.\n\nFrom all this it is appar ent how terrible this civil war raged\, party hatred flamed in the hearts of my people.\n\nSome would not go to church because the sight of their en emy aroused the memory of the evils they had suffered.\n\nNils Collin.\n\n Vincent Brown: Given the choice to fight for the Patriot cause or join the British effort to suppress the Patriots\, most people stood to the side.\ n\nMost people tried to let it pass.\n\nThey tried to get out of the way.\ n\nKamensky: It's common individuals\, ordinary individuals asking the que stion that I think we all ask about politics every day-- \"What does this have to do with me?\"\n\n♪ Voice: Girls at the age of 12 and 13 require a mother's care.\n\nA girl of 13\, left without an advisor and fancying he rself a woman\, stands on a precipice that trembles beneath her.\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\nNarrator: Betsy Ambler and her younger sister Mary spent that w inter in Winchester\, Virginia.\n\nThey were left with an aunt and uncle w hile their parents and little sisters headed southeast to avoid the cold.\ n\nBetsy spent much of her time trying to win the attention of \"charming young...\" Continental \"officers.\"\n\n\"Here\,\" she said\, \"was a fine field open for a romantic girl.\"\n\nVoice: Early in the spring\, our goo d father returned.\n\nAnd though he treated us himself as children\, he sa w that we had been considered of an age to attract too much attention.\n\n Betsy Ambler.\n\nNarrator: The Ambler family would be reunited\, and they would be returning to Yorktown\, what Betsy called her \"beloved birthplac e.\"\n\nHer father's finances had been hit hard by the war.\n\nHe and his two daughters had to make the long\, dusty trip home in a wagon\, not a co ach.\n\n\"We were rather ashamed of our cavalry\,\" Betsy remembered.\n\nV oice: The only possible good from the entire change in our circumstances w as that we were made acquainted with the manner and situation of our count ry\, which we otherwise should never have known.\n\nWe were forced to indu stry and to endeavor by amiable and agreeable conduct to make amends for t he loss of fortune.\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\nNarrator: When the Amblers finally got to Yorktown\, they settled not in \"our former mansion\,\" she recall ed\, but in a much smaller house on the edge of town.\n\n[Birds chirping] Voice: My imagination frequently recurs to that enchanting spot situated o n a little eminence overlooking a smiling meadow\, where a gentle stream m eandering round the sloping hill was lost in one of the noblest rivers in our country.\n\nHere\, my sister and myself often wandered\, gathering wil dflowers to adorn our hair\, till we almost fancied ourselves heroines.\n\ nBetsy Ambler.\n\n[Officer saying commands] Christopher Brown: Washington had this really interesting quality of being able to project authority and confidence and allowing that to spill out into others\, so that they acqu ired authority and confidence by being in his orbit.\n\nI think he had the effect of pulling out some of the best in the people who were around him. \n\nNarrator: To provide his army with the reliable logistical support it desperately needed\, Washington insisted that Congress appoint as quarterm aster general the officer he trusted most-- Nathanael Greene\, but Greene was a fighting general.\n\nHe knew there was more combat ahead and wanted to be in on what he called \"the mischief.\"\n\nAtkinson: Greene says\, no body in history has ever heard of a \"quartermaster.\"\n\nHe doesn't want the job\, but he takes the job.\n\nLike Washington\, he's got a brain buil t for executive action\, and he's good at being the quartermaster.\n\nNarr ator: Thanks to Nathanael Greene's mastery of logistics and Washington's a ppeals to state governors\, by the end of March 1778\, herds of cattle and sheep were plodding toward Valley Forge from several directions\, along w ith wagon trains filled with everything from barrels of nails to brand-new uniforms and crates of bayonets and muskets.\n\n[Snare drum playing] Now that his men were better fed\, clothed\, and equipped and their ranks were swelling as fresh recruits\, recalled regulars\, and returning convalesce nts all converged on Valley Forge\, Washington wanted every man in his new ly reorganized army to undergo formal military training to end what he cal led the confusion that had too often undercut its performance on the battl efield.\n\nThe man he picked to oversee that task was a newcomer to Americ a-- Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben .\n\nVoice: Never before or since have I had such an impression of the anc ient fabled God of War as when I looked on the baron.\n\nThe trappings of his horse\, the enormous holsters of his pistols all seemed to favor the i dea.\n\nHe seemed to me a perfect personification of Mars.\n\nPrivate Ashb el Green.\n\nNarrator: Steuben claimed to be a baron\, a lieutenant genera l in the Prussian Army\, and a close aide to Frederick the Great.\n\nHe re ally was a baron\, though a penniless one\, and he had served in Frederick 's headquarters for a time\, but his army career in Europe had been cut sh ort by an accusation that he had taken familiarities with young boys.\n\nI n America\, he said\, he wanted to put his \"talents in the arts of war in the service of a republic.\"\n\n♪ Steuben was hot-tempered\, and his En glish was initially limited to a single word--\"goddamn.\"\n\nVoice: When some movement or maneuver was not performed to his mind\, he began to swea r in German\, then in French\, and then in both languages together.\n\nWhe n he had exhausted his artillery of foreign oaths\, he would call to his a ides\, \"Come and swear for me in English.\n\nThese fellows won't do what I bid them.\"\n\nPeter Stephen Du Ponceau.\n\nEdward Lengel: Baron von Ste uben is really a comical figure when he arrives at camp.\n\nThe men make f un of him\, but he is a man who you need pulling the men together and givi ng them a sense of common purpose.\n\nAfter the men have drilled with him for a little while\, they stop laughing.\n\n[Man shouting orders] Narrator : But for all his bluster\, Steuben grasped the character of the men he wa s to work with.\n\n\"The genius of this nation is not to be compared... wi th the Prussians\, Austrians or French\,\" he wrote to an old friend back home.\n\n\"You say to your soldier\, 'Do this\,' and he does it\,\" but he re\, \"I am obliged to say\, \"'This is the reason why you ought to do tha t\,' and then he does it.\"\n\n♪ Steuben taught the men to march at a \" common step\" of 75 paces a minute and a \"quick step\" of 120 paces\, to move in columns rather than straggle in single file\, to shift into battle line and back again when under fire\, to load and fire musket volleys mor e quickly\, and to become proficient with the bayonet\, the weapon that ha d once terrified them when in British or Hessian hands.\n\nAs skills impro ved\, so did morale.\n\n♪ By spring\, the danger of mutiny had eased.\n\ nSo had the mutterings about Washington's leadership.\n\nHe was\, it was c lear\, indispensable to the cause of liberty.\n\n♪ That year\, a German- language almanac published in Lancaster\, Pennsylvania\, would call Washin gton Des Landes Vater-- \"the Country's Father.\"\n\n♪ He was the glue t hat held people together.\n\nThese 13 colonies had to come together\, and he was the person to do it.\n\nWe would not have had a country without him .\n\nI don't know\, actually.\n\nI mean\, you know-- God\, I can't believe I'm saying this because I'm not a huge fan of \"great man\" theories of h istory or explanations of history\, but let's put it this way.\n\nIt's eas y to see the American effort for independence failing without Washington's leadership.\n\n♪ [Gull squawks] Narrator: After midnight on April 23\, 1778\, 31 sailors and Marines from the 20-gun Continental Navy sloop \"Ran ger\,\" tossing in the Irish Sea\, climbed into two longboats and began ro wing toward the port of Whitehaven on the western coast of England.\n\nThe ir Scottish-born commander knew these waters well.\n\nHe'd begun his seafa ring career there as a 13-year-old apprentice seaman named John Paul Jr.\n \nIn the intervening years\, he had sailed aboard slave ships\, risen to c ommand merchant vessels\, and then\, after killing a crewman\, fled to Ame rica.\n\nThere\, he changed his name to John Paul Jones and volunteered to join the fledgling Continental Navy.\n\nVoice: I resolved to make the gre atest efforts to bring to an end the barbarous ravages to which the Englis h turned in America by making good fire in England of shipping.\n\nJohn Pa ul Jones.\n\nNarrator: When Jones' men reached the Whitehaven wharf\, they found more than 200 vessels moored in its harbor.\n\nAs Jones worked to g et a fire going aboard a boat loaded with coal\, angry townspeople raced t o the waterfront.\n\nVoice: I stood between them and the ship of fire with a pistol in my hand and ordered them to retire\, which they did with prec ipitation.\n\nThe flames had already caught the rigging and begun to ascen d the main mast.\n\nIt was time to retire.\n\nJohn Paul Jones.\n\nNarrator : Jones and his men made it back to the Ranger and sailed away.\n\n[Cannon fire] The next day\, they engaged a British warship\, the \"Drake\,\" and after a battle that Jones remembered as \"warm\, close\, and obstinate\,\ " captured it and its crew and brought it into the French port of Brest.\n \nJones understood his impact on British public opinion.\n\nMothers began warning their children to be good\, or the fearsome \"Pirate\" John Paul J ones would get them.\n\n♪ Voice: What was done is sufficient to show tha t not all their boasted navy can protect their own coasts and that the sce nes of distress which they have occasioned in America may soon be brought home to their own doors.\n\nJohn Paul Jones.\n\n♪ Voice: What a miraculo us change in the political world-- the government of France an advocate fo r liberty\, espousing the cause of Protestants\, and risking a war to secu re their independence\; Britain at war with America\, France in alliance w ith her.\n\nThese\, my friend\, are astonishing changes.\n\nElbridge Gerry .\n\nNarrator: It had taken nearly 3 months for word of the new military a lliance with France to reach Washington.\n\nThe French would be sending so ldiers and the fleet.\n\nHis army would no longer be alone.\n\n\"This...gr eat... glorious...news\,\" he said\, \"must put the independency of Americ a out of all manner of dispute.\"\n\n[Snare drum playing] Washington was e ager now to test his newly disciplined army against the enemy.\n\nVoice: T he enemy imagined Philadelphia to be of more importance to us than it real ly was and to that belief added the absurd idea that the soul of all Ameri ca was centered there and would be conquered there.\n\nThomas Paine.\n\n ♪ Narrator: The British\, German\, and Loyalist troops penned up in Phil adelphia had had a hard winter\, too.\n\nThey had subsisted on half-ration s.\n\nWounded troops occupied every public building in town except the Sta te House\, where the Declaration of Independence had been signed\, which w as crowded with Patriot prisoners.\n\n♪ 1777 had ended badly for the Bri tish.\n\nGeneral Burgoyne had surrendered an entire army at Saratoga.\n\nG eneral Howe might have occupied Philadelphia\, and his subordinates still held New York City and Newport\, but they controlled little else\, and now \, with the French joining the war\, Britain would be required to defend a ll its imperial holdings-- in India\, Africa\, Ireland\, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean\, as well as in North America.\n\nKathleen DuVal: The F rench decide to enter the war\, and that changes everything for Britain.\n \nBritain knows that Spain and the Netherlands may be next.\n\nSuddenly\, those 13 colonies that were rebelling are kind of the small potatoes of th e war.\n\nThey could lose their profitable plantation islands.\n\nThey cou ld lose Jamaica.\n\nThe stakes are big in this war\, and the 13 colonies h ave become just a tiny corner of it.\n\n♪ Narrator: Lord North\, the Bri tish prime minister\, dispatched peace commissioners to America that sprin g\, armed with a series of concessions aimed at ending the fighting\, ever ything the Americans had been demanding for years.\n\nAll they had to do w as renounce independence.\n\nWhat they're offering is basically terms that would have been acceptable to the colonists in 1774 or 1775.\n\nNarrator: Congress would not hear of it.\n\nThe very idea of dependence\, its presi dent\, Henry Laurens\, said\, \"is inadmissible.\"\n\nBritish negotiators responded with a warning.\n\nAmericans could now expect far harsher treatm ent than any they had yet received\, and they had appointed a new commande r to deliver that treatment.\n\nVoice: On the 10th of May\, Sir Henry Clin ton arrived at Philadelphia\, relieving Sir William Howe as commander in c hief.\n\nCaptain Johann Ewald.\n\nAtkinson: Henry Clinton is a formidable military officer.\n\nHe's had a lot of combat experience\, but he's a very \, very difficult personality.\n\nHe's easily aggrieved.\n\nHe carries his grievances and grudges with him.\n\nHe will be the British commander in c hief longer than any other general in the American Revolution\, for 4 year s.\n\nNarrator: General Henry Clinton\, who had been fighting in America s ince Bunker's Hill\, had hoped to be relieved.\n\nInstead\, he would be as ked to do at least as much as his predecessor had been asked to do and to do it with far fewer men.\n\nHis new orders were to send 8\,000 of his sol diers to protect British interests in Florida and the Caribbean.\n\nHe was to leave the rest of the New England and Mid-Atlantic states in Patriot h ands for the most part and eventually mount seaborne assaults on the 4 Sou thern Colonies.\n\nClinton concluded he first had to get his army back to New York\, which meant evacuating Philadelphia that had been taken just 9 months earlier.\n\nMost of his men\, he decided\, would have to march to N ew York.\n\nHe had too few ships to carry his entire army as well as some 3\,000 Loyalists now eager to leave with him.\n\nVoice: All of the loyal i nhabitants who had taken our protection lamented that they now had to give up all their property.\n\nBrave people who have rendered such good servic e to the King are being left behind.\n\nGod alone knows what will happen t o them.\n\nJohann Ewald.\n\nMaya Jasanoff: Philadelphia has its population turned inside out a couple of different times in the Revolution.\n\nNew Y ork City has its population turned around\, a kind of back-and-forth of Lo yalist and Patriot residents\, depending on which army is in charge\, and when an army leaves\, the population that had come in order to live under their protection have to sort of fumble and figure out what it is that the y're going to do next.\n\n♪ Voice: Philadelphia\, June 18th.\n\nThis mor ning when we arose\, there was not one redcoat to be seen.\n\nColonel Gord on and some others had not been gone a quarter of an hour before the Ameri cans entered the city.\n\nElizabeth Drinker.\n\nNarrator: To act as milita ry governor of Philadelphia\, George Washington selected General Benedict Arnold\, still suffering from war wounds so severe that he could not mount a horse.\n\nHe was to restore order and preserve tranquility.\n\nPhiladel phia was now almost unrecognizable.\n\nRetreating redcoats had looted home s\, desecrated churches\, felled orchards for firewood\, and in the houses they had used as barracks\, cut holes in the floor to serve as privies.\n \nReturning Patriot refugees were enraged at what had been done to their c ity and were eager to punish anyone who had collaborated with the occupier s.\n\nThe homes and property of scores of accused Tories would be confisca ted.\n\n23 men were tried for treason.\n\nTwo Quakers were hanged.\n\nNath aniel Philbrick: Philadelphia was divided between the Loyalists and the Pa triots\, who were at each other's throats.\n\nIt would have required someo ne of great tact and sympathy to keep the lid on this city.\n\nThat was no t Arnold.\n\nNarrator: By June 18\, 1778\, most of Clinton's army was in N ew Jersey and had begun its march toward New York\, some 90 miles away.\n\ nThey moved in two great columns-- more than 18\,000 soldiers\, nearly 2\, 000 noncombatants\, 46 artillery pieces\, and 5\,000 horses.\n\nThe next m orning\, George Washington led his army out of Valley Forge for the first time in months and began shadowing the British as they moved east\, lookin g for an opportunity to strike.\n\nAtkinson: Washington has decided that h e is not going to directly intercept this column\, which is very strong.\n \nHe wants to nick at them and--and peck at them from the rear and make li fe miserable for them and watch for an opening.\n\nNarrator: Once again\, New Jersey militia made the British passage as painful as possible\, felli ng trees across the roads\, destroying bridges\, flooding streams to make fording difficult\, and picking off individual soldiers by ambush.\n\n♪ Voice: The whole province was in arms\, following us with Washington's arm y\, constantly surrounding us on our marches and besieging our camps.\n\nE ach step cost human blood.\n\nJohann Ewald.\n\n[Thunder] Narrator: The wea ther added to their misery-- heat that soared above 90 degrees\, sudden do wnpours that turned sandy roads into bogs\, followed by dense humidity\, s warms of mosquitoes\, and still more heat.\n\n20 British soldiers died of heat exhaustion on a single day.\n\nAs many as 500 men are thought to have deserted during the march\, most of them Hessians\, blending into German- speaking communities nearby.\n\n[Birds chirping] ♪ On the morning of Jun e 24\, 1778\, Americans otherwise disconnected by the vastness of their co ntinent witnessed an otherworldly phenomenon at roughly the same time as t he moon eclipsed the sun.\n\n♪ Indians and Spanish colonists in Mexico a nd Texas saw it first.\n\nWhen it reached Spanish New Orleans and British Mobile\, the flags of empire flew in sudden darkness for more than 4 minut es.\n\nThe total eclipse lasted even longer for the Muscogee Creeks on the Chattahoochee River and for the \"Maroon\" communities of self-emancipate d former slaves hidden in the Great Dismal Swamp.\n\n♪ When mid-morning darkness descended on the Virginia capital at Williamsburg\, \"Lightening buggs were seen as at Night.\"\n\n♪ The same darkness briefly enveloped Washington's army as it followed the British into New Jersey.\n\n\"Had thi s happened upon such an occasion in \"olden time\,\" Private Joseph Plumb Martin remembered\, \"it would have been considered ominous\, either of go od or bad fortune\, but we took no notice of it.\"\n\n♪ Martin had been detached from his Connecticut regiment and assigned to join fast-moving li ght infantry with orders to follow the enemy closely enough to capture str agglers and welcome deserters.\n\nThe day after the eclipse\, Clinton deci ded to head east towards Sandy Hook\, a Loyalist stronghold from which roy al transports could ferry his men to New York.\n\nHe merged his two divisi ons into one column\, and\, he recalled\, hoping that \"Mr.\n\nWashington might possibly be induced to commit himself\" to battle\, \"[I placed] the elite of my army between him and my [supply train]... to defend it from i nsult.\"\n\nHe put General Charles Cornwallis in charge of that force.\n\n ♪ At Hopewell\, Washington convened a council of war.\n\nGeneral Nathana el Greene\, back in the field\, was eager for a fight.\n\nVoice: If we suf fer the enemy to pass through the Jerseys without attempting anything upon them\, I think we shall ever regret it.\n\nPeople expect something from u s\, and our strength demands it.\n\nNathanael Greene.\n\nNarrator: But mos t commanders urged caution.\n\nMajor General Charles Lee-- Washington's se cond in command\, captured two years before and only recently exchanged-- was especially adamant in his opposition.\n\nSending Americans against Bri tish regulars would be \"criminal\,\" he said\, but when Washington decide d to send forward 4\,500 troops anyway\, Lee insisted seniority required t hat he lead them.\n\nIf he weren't given command\, he said\, he would be \ "disgraced.\"\n\nWashington relented and ordered Lee to follow Cornwallis' elite rearguard and look for an opportunity to attack.\n\n♪ [Indistinct conversation] Narrator: The British left their encampment around Monmouth Court House well before dawn on Sunday\, June 28th.\n\n[Gunfire] By mid-m orning\, Lee's men had formed west of the British line\, trying piecemeal to attack and dislodge Cornwallis' forces.\n\nAll their efforts proved fut ile.\n\n[Shouting and gunfire] Narrator: As the Patriots struggled in the increasingly brutal heat\, Clinton sent an entire division to reinforce Co rnwallis.\n\nMore than 10\,000 British\, German\, and Loyalist troops coun terattacked.\n\nAtkinson: Things go south in a hurry for the Americans.\n\ nLee loses control\, and the next thing you know\, this American advance g uard\, the vanguard that's supposed to be attacking\, is fleeing.\n\nLenge l: They're confused.\n\nThey begin falling back\, but then Washington appe ars.\n\nThe knowledge of his presence causes the retreat to stop instantan eously without even having said a word.\n\nThose who witnessed this moment said that it was like a bolt of electricity shot through the forces once they realized that Washington was there.\n\nVoice: His presence stopped th e retreat.\n\nHis fine appearance on horseback\, his calm courage gave him the air best calculated to excite enthusiasm.\n\nHe rode all along the li nes amid the shouts of the soldiers\, cheering them by his voice and examp le.\n\nMarquis de Lafayette.\n\nLengel: Washington gives some orders.\n\nT he men get back into line... [Gunshot] and they face down the British atta ck\, and they don't break.\n\nMan: Fire!\n\n♪ [Men shouting commands] Na rrator: General Steuben's training had paid off.\n\nThe British launched a series of assaults.\n\nGeneral Henry Clinton himself led one of them\, sw ord in hand.\n\n♪ Colonels Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr both had ho rses shot out from under them\, but the Americans held.\n\nAtkinson: Washi ngton places his defenses in a way that stops the British assault.\n\nHe's got good ground for his artillery.\n\nHe's hammering the British.\n\n[Men shouting] ♪ Narrator: The artillery duel continued for two hours.\n\nIn fantry on both sides sought whatever cover they could.\n\nVoice: With the thermometer at 96\, what could be done in a hot pine barren loaded with ev erything that the poor soldier carries?\n\nIt breaks my heart that I was o bliged under those cruel circumstances to attempt it.\n\nGeneral Henry Cli nton.\n\n♪ Narrator: Finally\, at around 3:45\, Clinton ordered a stop t o the firing.\n\nWith his supply train now well on its way towards Sandy H ook and safety\, he reluctantly began to withdraw his exhausted troops.\n\ nWashington's men were worn out\, too.\n\nThe heat\, Joseph Plumb Martin r emembered\, was like \"the mouth of [an]...oven.\"\n\n[Insect buzzing] Voi ce: It was generally understood the battle was to be renewed at the dawn o f day\, but at the dawn of day\, I heard the shout of victory-- \"The Brit ish are gone.\"\n\nDr.\n\nWilliam Read.\n\n♪ Narrator: The Battle of Mon mouth had left some 362 of Washington's men and 411 of Clinton's dead\, wo unded\, or missing.\n\nCorpses\, swollen and blackening in the heat\, spra wled everywhere.\n\nBoth sides claimed victory.\n\n♪ Clinton's column re ached Sandy Hook without serious interruption and embarked for Staten Isla nd.\n\nHis objective was to get his army to New York\, and he had done so. .. ♪ but when the fighting ended\, Washington's men held the field.\n\n\ "It is glorious for America\,\" a New Jersey colonel wrote his wife.\n\nAt least one British officer admitted his army had endured \"a handsome flog ging.\"\n\nAlthough there would be fierce fighting and many skirmishes in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states\, Monmouth would be the last major battle fought in the North during the American Revolution... ♪ and it w ould be more than 3 years before George Washington would personally lead h is troops into battle again.\n\n♪ Serena Zabin: What he learns over the course of the war is that there are other ways to perform his leadership t hat's not actually by doing something big and bold but that waiting and ho lding back and containment can also be a way of showing his strength.\n\n[ Clock ticking] Voice: Cruel as this war has been and separated as I am on account of it from the dearest connection in life\, I would not exchange m y country for the wealth of the Indies\, or be any other than an American. \n\nAbigail Adams.\n\n♪ Stacy Schiff: One of the great blessings here is how much time John spends in Philadelphia with Abigail back in Massachuse tts because from that\, we have really the most detailed\, richest corresp ondence of the Revolutionary years.\n\nNarrator: In the summer of 1778\, A bigail and John Adams were apart\, as they almost always were during the w ar.\n\nShe was at their home in Braintree\, Massachusetts\, managing the h ousehold\, and he was newly arrived in Paris\, sent by Congress to join Be njamin Franklin and the American delegation to France.\n\n♪ There\, on t he Fourth of July\, Adams and Franklin hosted a modest celebration on the second anniversary of American independence.\n\nVoice: We had the honor of the company of all the American gentlemen and ladies in and about Paris w ith a few of the French gentlemen in the neighborhood.\n\nThey were not mi nisters of state\, nor ambassadors\, nor princes\, nor dukes\, nor peers\, nor marquises\, nor cardinals\, nor archbishops\, nor bishops.\n\nJohn Ad ams.\n\nNarrator: Thousands of miles west of Paris in Philadelphia\, where the Continental Congress had just returned from exile\, General Benedict Arnold presided over a feast and entertainment for the city's political\, military\, and merchant leaders.\n\nThey were interrupted by what one of t hem called \"a crowd of the vulgar\" outside mocking the pretensions of th e wealthy.\n\nDuVal: I think the American Revolution creates an idea that there is no class in the United States\, that we\, in our founding moment\ , decided to do away with that.\n\nIt's not true.\n\nThere have always bee n wide varieties in wealth and power in the United States\, and there were more opportunities in the colonies than there were in Europe\, but some o f the opportunity\, some of the promise of the United States\, is built on slavery and taking Native land.\n\n♪ Narrator: Late the same evening of July 4th\, in the heart of the continent\, Virginia militia under Lieuten ant Colonel George Rogers Clark reached British-held Kaskaskia\, a mostly French-speaking village on the Mississippi River.\n\nMan: Ready!\n\n[Gunsh ots] Narrator: In the dead of night\, Clark's men overwhelmed the town's d efenses.\n\nWoman: [Vocalizing] Narrator: The next morning\, he notified t he terrified townspeople that the King of France had joined the Americans. \n\nClark guaranteed they would be free to practice their Catholic faith\, since all religions would be tolerated in America\, provided they agreed to bow to the authority of the United States.\n\nIt was a bloodless start to what would become Clark's bloody campaign to conquer Indian country eas t of the Mississippi.\n\n[Snare drum playing] [Gulls squawking] The French fleet Washington had been waiting for finally appeared off New York in th e week after Independence Day-- 12 ships of the line\, 4 frigates\, and ov er 4\,000 French marines\, all commanded by Vice Admiral Charles Henri\, C omte d'Estaing\, a veteran of warfare against Britain in India and Sumatra .\n\nDe Rode: D'Estaing is a French aristocrat.\n\nHe considers himself qu ite superior to these American \"ragtag\" army and is looking at them and thinks\, \"How am I gonna work with these people?\"\n\nBecause he thought\ , \"I'm the French admiral.\n\nI know what to do here\, so they better lis ten to me.\"\n\nNarrator: Washington hoped a coordinated attack with this new French force could trap Clinton in New York\, take back the city\, and \, by so doing\, persuade Britain that further prosecution of the war was hopeless.\n\nBecause d'Estaing had convinced himself that his heaviest shi ps would run aground trying to enter New York Harbor\, he decided to move against the British garrison at Newport\, Rhode Island\, instead.\n\nIt wa s to be a coordinated assault with American ground forces under General Jo hn Sullivan\, but neither commander spoke the other's language.\n\nSulliva n\, the son of Irish indentured servants\, loathed aristocrats like the Fr ench commander\, who\, in turn\, found Sullivan crude and inept.\n\n[Canno n fire] It all went wrong.\n\nWithout informing the French\, Sullivan adva nced a day earlier than had been planned.\n\nWhen a British fleet appeared offshore\, d'Estaing sailed out to do battle... [Thunder] but a howling s torm scattered and seriously damaged both fleets.\n\nDe Rode: 18th-century warfare is mainly based on the weather.\n\nYou could have no alternative. \n\nIf there is a big storm coming in\, you can't do anything besides gett ing just wiped away.\n\nAdmiral d'Estaing had to go for repairs in Boston. \n\n[Cannon fire] Lengel: The French\, in essence\, leave the Americans in the lurch.\n\nSullivan is barely able to extract his forces from what cou ld have been a catastrophe.\n\n♪ Narrator: The first joint French-Americ an operation had failed.\n\nOnce the repairs were finished in Boston\, d'E staing would set sail for the French West Indies without even bothering to tell Washington he was leaving.\n\nFrench ships would be available to the Americans only during the late summer and early fall\, when hurricanes th reatened the Caribbean.\n\nThe American Revolution was important to France only when its successes deepened Britain's failures and Washington knew h e could not win the decisive battle without French help.\n\nLengel: Anti-F rench feeling runs so high after this that Lafayette said he never at any point in the war felt that his life was at so much risk as it was when he walked down the streets of Boston after this catastrophe at Rhode Island.\ n\nHe thought he was gonna be strung up.\n\n[Man shouts] ♪ Voice: I\, wi th some of my comrades who were in the Battle of White Plains in the year '76\, saw a number of the graves of those who fell in that battle.\n\nSome of the bodies had been so slightly buried that the dogs or hogs or both h ad dug them out of the ground.\n\nHere were Hessian skulls.\n\nPoor fellow s!\n\nThey were left unburied in a foreign land.\n\nThey had perhaps as ne ar and dear friends to lament their sad destiny as the Americans who laid buried near them.\n\nThey should have kept at home.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin .\n\n♪ Narrator: By the fall of 1778\, Washington's army was arrayed in an arc from Middlebrook\, New Jersey\, to Danbury\, Connecticut.\n\nHe wou ld remain within striking distance of New York City\, determined to recapt ure the place he had been forced to abandon in 1776.\n\n[Shouting and gunf ire] For months\, his and Clinton's armies had probed one another's lines. \n\nOn a single summer afternoon near Kingsbridge\, a Maryland patrol ambu shed a German unit\, killing 6 and wounding 6 more\, and Loyalist cavalry ambushed and hacked to death most of the Stockbridge Indians who had been with Washington's army since 1775.\n\nThey \"have fought and bled by our s ide\,\" Washington said.\n\n\"We consider them as our friends and brothers .\"\n\n♪ Voice: On the great road from New York to Boston\, not a single solitary traveler was visible from week to week or from month to month.\n \nThe world was motionless and silent.\n\nChaplain Timothy Dwight.\n\n♪ Narrator: Before the Revolution\, Westchester County in New York had been one of the wealthiest in the colonies\, but for nearly two years now\, it had been a part of what was called the \"Neutral Ground\,\" uncontrolled b y either army but plundered by both again and again.\n\n♪ Roving bands o f lawless raiders prowled the countryside rustling livestock\, extorting c ash\, looting and burning homes\, raping women.\n\nVoice: This year has no t been a very glorious one to America.\n\nOur enemies\, however\, have not hing to boast of since they have not gained one inch of territory more tha n they possessed a year ago and are at least Philadelphia out of pocket.\n \nWhat the winter may produce I know not.\n\nI wish it would give us peace but do not expect it.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nWomen: ♪ Sit down\, servant\ , sit down... ♪ Taylor: It's pretty clear the British are not gonna win the war in New England.\n\nThey're not gonna get enough popular support\, probably not gonna win the war in the Middle Atlantic region either.\n\nWo man: ♪ I know you tired... ♪ Taylor: The great potential place where t heir relatively more reduced forces can have more leverage is the South\, so the goal is just see what you can retain.\n\nYou probably can't keep al l of these 13 colonies.\n\nMaybe you can keep the most valuable of these c olonies.\n\nWoman: ♪ I know you're mighty tired... ♪ Conway: The South ern Colonies are seen as an integrated part of an economic system that gen erates great power and wealth for Britain\, so keeping the Southern Coloni es with their ability to provision the West Indian islands\, and particula rly their plantation economies\, is seen as a vital British interest\, and that\, more than anything else\, is why the war shifts to the South from 1778.\n\nWoman: ♪ Sit down ♪ Narrator: After General Clinton learned t he French fleet had sailed away from Boston\, he prepared for the invasion of the South that London had ordered him to undertake.\n\n♪ Jasanoff: A nother reason that the British pursue a Southern strategy after Saratoga i s that they assume that there are many more Loyalists in the South who wil l come to their aid.\n\nThere was also\, of course\, the question of the e nslaved population.\n\nVoice: A great majority of the inhabitants of North and South Carolina are loyal subjects.\n\nIt is also well known that the principal resources for carrying on the rebellion are drawn from the labor of an incredible multitude of Negroes in the Southern Colonies.\n\nBut th e instant that the King's troops are put in motion in those colonies\, the se poor slaves would be ready to rise upon their rebel masters.\n\nMoses K irkland.\n\nSo the Southern Strategy was to recapture the Southern Colonie s one by one\, starting with Georgia\, and move up the coast\, and in each place\, they hoped to put Loyalists in charge\, and that way\, the Britis h Army could continue moving north.\n\nNarrator: from New York\, General C linton sent a squadron south to try to capture Savannah\, the capital of G eorgia and its only city of any size.\n\n♪ With the help of an African A merican river pilot named Sampson\, the British fleet sailed up the Savann ah River and began disembarking below the city at dawn on December 29\, 17 78.\n\n♪ Some 700 Continental troops and 150 local militia were waiting. \n\nThe British commander saw that a direct assault was certain to be bloo dy.\n\n♪ Then Quamino Dolly\, an elderly enslaved man\, led part of the British force through a swamp that allowed them to get behind the startled Americans and open fire.\n\n[Gunfire] The Patriots panicked.\n\nBritish t roops chased them through the town.\n\n83 Americans were killed and 30 mor e drowned trying to swim across the Yamacraw Creek.\n\n453 surrendered.\n\ nThe British lost just 7 dead.\n\n♪ Over the weeks that followed\, The B ritish captured Augusta and reimposed royal rule in Georgia.\n\n\"I have\, \" their commander boasted\, \"ripped one star and one stripe from the reb el flag.\"\n\n[Bird squawks] Voice: My disposition always active\, I could not content myself at home while my fellow countrymen were fighting the b attles of my country.\n\nJohn Greenwood.\n\n♪ Narrator: In January of 17 79\, the teenaged fifer John Greenwood decided to try something new.\n\nHe would sign onto a Boston privateer\, hoping both to strike more blows at the British and to make a fortune for himself.\n\nHe chose the 18-gun\, 13 0-man \"Cumberland\" because its commander was Captain John Manley\, who h ad been the most successful sea raider in the Continental Navy for years a nd who was now a civilian only because there were too few naval vessels fo r him to have one to command.\n\nAtkinson: The Americans have no navy to s peak of.\n\nCongress asks that 13 frigates be built.\n\nNone of those frig ates really get into action in a meaningful way.\n\nThe British have 400 w arships.\n\nWhat the Americans do have are privateers.\n\nPhilbrick: Priva teers made warfare a for-profit endeavor\, and so you had countless sailor s in New England and up and down the coast\, volunteering to go out in pri vateers\, take British vessels\, and make them money from what they got fr om them.\n\nNarrator: Profits from privateering attracted a host of Revolu tionary leaders\, including Generals Nathanael Greene\, Henry Knox\, and G eorge Washington himself.\n\nInvestors shared the profits from the sale of captured cargo with the officers and men who took them\, like the crew of the \"Cumberland\,\" John Greenwood's ship.\n\nVoice: Every ship had the right or took it to wear what kind of fancy flag the captain pleased.\n\nC aptain Manley's flag was a very singular one\, with a pine tree painted gr een and under the tree the representation of a large rattlesnake cut into 13 pieces\, then in large black letters\, \"Join or Die.\"\n\nJohn Greenwo od.\n\n[Cannon fire] Narrator: Over the course of the Revolution\, some 1\ ,700 American privateers are thought to have prowled the seas\, capturing nearly 2\,000 British vessels.\n\nJohn Greenwood and the \"Cumberland\" se t out for the Caribbean\, the most profitable hunting ground.\n\nAmericans had already seized so many British merchant ships that they had reduced t he sugar trade by 2/3.\n\n♪ The \"Cumberland's\" voyage went smoothly at first.\n\nThey easily commandeered a British ship loaded with soldiers an d wine.\n\nA few days later\, they came within sight of the port of Bridge town on the island of Barbados... but the next morning\, a British Navy fr igate called the \"Pomona\" bore down on them with 36 guns and a crew of 3 00.\n\n[Cannon fire] British cannonballs tore through the \"Cumberland's\" sails and rigging.\n\nOne shot went \"through and through\" the hull\, Gr eenwood remembered\, causing the whole ship to shudder.\n\nThere was nothi ng else to do but surrender.\n\n♪ The Americans spent 5 grim months in t he Bridgetown jail before they were exchanged.\n\n♪ John Greenwood would serve on at least 4 more privateers before the Revolution ended.\n\nHe wa s captured and imprisoned 3 more times and somehow survived it all.\n\n♪ After the war\, John Greenwood would become a prominent Manhattan dentist .\n\nHis most celebrated patient was his old commander\, George Washington \, for whom he fashioned dentures of human and horse's teeth and ivory fro m a hippopotamus.\n\n[Bird squawks] Voice: You ask me\, \"Can the enemy co ntinue to prosecute the war?\"\n\nI answer\, \"Can we carry on the war muc h longer?\"\n\nCertainly\, no.\n\nThe true point of light\, then\, in whic h to place and consider this matter is not simply whether Great Britain ca n carry on the war\, but whose finances-- theirs or ours-- is most likely to fail.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: General Washington spent the f irst 5 weeks of 1779 in Philadelphia\, summoned there by Congress.\n\nIt w as not a happy visit.\n\n\"I never was much...afraid of the enemy's arms\, \" Washington wrote a friend\, but he did fear that people were wearying o f the war that had gone on for 4 years and still had no end in sight\, and Congress seemed mired\, he said\, in \"party disputes and personal quarre ls.\"\n\nThe value of Continental currency was melting \"like snow before a hot sun\,\" he complained\, so that \"a wagon load of money will scarcel y purchase a wagon load of provisions.\"\n\nChristopher Brown: On both the North American side and on the British side\, there is an exhaustion that is settling in and an economic reality for both-- the American side\, the question of coming up with the resources every year to be able to fight t he war-- uniforms\, guns\, paying the men\, replacing the ones who die\, r eplacing the ones who desert.\n\nBritain has the money\, but it starts to look a little bit like a sunk-cost problem.\n\n\"Are we going to continue to pour money into an effort when there's no end in view?\"\n\n♪ Hogelan d: One of the critical ways by which the Revolutionary War was funded was debt.\n\nThere were a number of ways to raise money\, but the best ways we re to borrow\, so you had to go to lenders\, largely a merchant class\, bu t also planters and even some prosperous farmers.\n\nIt was a bit of a ris ky speculation because getting paid back and getting your interest paid wo uld depend upon winning this extremely unlikely war.\n\nNonetheless\, that was a pretty good way of raising money to fight the Revolution\, and it c reated an entire class of American lenders with strong interests in creati ng a very strong government because that was the only way they could see t hemselves getting paid their interest.\n\n♪ Voice: Shall we at last beco me the victims of our own abominable lust of gain?\n\nForbid it\, heaven.\ n\nForbid it all.\n\nOur cause is noble.\n\nIt is the cause of mankind\, a nd the danger to it springs from ourselves.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n♪ V oice: When we took up the hatchet and struck the Virginians\, our nation w as alone and surrounded by them\, and after we had lost some of our best w arriors\, we were forced to leave our towns\, and now we live in the grass as you see us\, but we are not yet conquered.\n\nDragging Canoe.\n\n♪ C olin Calloway: Indian Country is a mosaic of multiple Indigenous nations\, each one of whom is pursuing its own interests and its own foreign policy .\n\nWoman: [Singing in Native language] Narrator: In the Ohio River Valle y\, the Delawares and their Shawnee allies had a long\, contentious histor y with their expansionist neighbors.\n\nWhen the Revolution began\, both n ations struggled to stay out of it\, but after Virginia militiamen violate d a truce\, most Shawnees sided with the British.\n\nIn 1778\, White Eyes\ , a Delaware war chief who leaned toward supporting the United States\, we nt to Pittsburgh to negotiate with the Americans.\n\n♪ The resulting Tre aty of Fort Pitt seemed like a landmark agreement.\n\nPhilip Deloria: The Fort Pitt Treaty is a really formal\, legalistic document.\n\nAn article n ear the end of the treaty says\, \"Oh\, and by the way\, when this is all over\, \"Indians can have a state like other states\, and the Delaware\"-- this is the treaty with the Delaware-- \"the Delaware will be the head of the state\,\" and so it's making this very interesting promise of the poss ibility that Indian people could be part of the American republic.\n\nNarr ator: White Eyes was made a colonel in the Continental Army and accompanie d an American expedition against the British at Fort Detroit... [Gunfire] but somewhere along the way\, Patriot militiamen killed him.\n\nWith his d eath\, the Americans had lost their best Indian ally in the Ohio Country\, and the promise of the treaty was forgotten.\n\n[Horse neighs] In a counc il at Detroit\, a delegation of Shawnees and Delawares promised the Britis h that they would take up the tomahawk\, \"sharpen\" it\, \"and strike aga inst our Common Enemy.\"\n\nCalloway: The British have been telling them a ll along\, \"Don't trust the Americans because the Americans are out to ta ke your land and to kill you.\"\n\nVoice: I always knew they were for open war but never before could get a proper excuse for exterminating them.\n\ nTo excel them in barbarity is the only way to make war and gain a name am ong the Indians.\n\nThe cries of the widows and the fatherless on the fron tiers required their blood from my hands.\n\nGeorge Rogers Clark.\n\n♪ M ichael Witgen: George Rogers Clark is an Indian fighter and an Indian hate r.\n\nHe imagines himself as sort of seeking justice for white settlers wh o've died on the frontier at the hands of Native people\, and he imagines himself as sort of the avenging angel of these communities.\n\nThere is\, to be sure\, lots of violence in this backcountry\, in part because white settlers are squatting on Native territory.\n\n♪ Narrator: In February o f 1779\, Clark led his Virginians east from the Mississippi to take Britis h outposts and destroy any Indians who dared support the enemy.\n\nHis fir st target was Fort Vincennes on the Wabash River in what is now Indiana.\n \nThere\, he had 4 bound Indian captives lined up in full view of the fort and then hacked to death.\n\nClark warned that if Vincennes did not surre nder\, all its defenders would suffer the same fate.\n\nThe British comman der gave up.\n\nThen Clark sent an ultimatum to any Indians tempted to mak e war on American settlers.\n\nVoice: I don't care whether you are for pea ce or war\, as I glory in war.\n\nThis is the last speech you may ever exp ect.\n\nThe next thing will be the tomahawk\, and you may expect in 4 moon s to see your women and children given to the dogs to eat while those nati ons that have kept their words with me will flourish and grow like the wil low trees on the riverbanks.\n\nGeorge Rogers Clark.\n\nNarrator: Your \"N ame Strikes Terror to both English and Indians\,\" one of Clark's captains told him\, but \"if there's not a stop put to Killing Indian friends\, we must Expect to have all foes.\"\n\nClark would not listen.\n\nNative peop le from the Smoky Mountains to the Great Lakes were now coming together to forget former quarrels and unite against the United States.\n\nCalloway: Most Native Americans recognize that the new United States represents an e xistential threat to them\, their way of life\, and their sovereignty\, so it makes sense for Indian people-- for most Indian people-- to side with the British as the best bet to preserve their own independence and protect their land.\n\nNarrator: By the spring of 1779\, hundreds of people\, Ind ians and settlers\, had been killed in the West.\n\n♪ Deloria: There's a randomness to this\, as well.\n\n\"Those Indians killed some people over there\, so we're gonna kill these Indians\,\" but they didn't have anythin g to do with it\, so you never quite know who's gonna come after you\, and you never know what the logic is\, and there's\, most of the time\, not a logic about why kill that person and not kill this person\, so it's very uncertain kind of terrain\, and I think it breeds an intense kind of viole nce that happens here.\n\n♪ Narrator: A Shawnee boy named Tecumseh\, one of the war's many refugees\, would never forget the devastation that the American Revolution had brought to his country\, but for him and his peopl e\, the Revolution was just one chapter in their struggle for independence .\n\nThat war would rage on for decades.\n\n♪ [Gulls squawking] Voice: I f the enemy have it in their power to press us hard this campaign\, I know not what may be the consequence.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: Like Washington\, British General Clinton was stretched thin\, too\, and could only take small-scale actions.\n\n[Cannon fire] In May of 1779\, he ordere d raids in the Chesapeake Bay to destroy Virginia shipyards\, dry docks\, and tobacco warehouses.\n\n17 ships were needed just to carry the loot bac k to New York.\n\nA few weeks later\, he dispatched ships to sail up the H udson and capture two forts-- at Stony Point and Verplanck's Point.\n\nThe ease with which those forts fell convinced Washington to strengthen forti fications 10 miles to the north at a narrow curve in the river called West Point.\n\nWashington believed West Point \"the most important post in Ame rica.\"\n\nThe Polish engineer Colonel Tadeusz Kosciuszko was given the ta sk of designing a series of interlocking fortifications on both sides of t he river.\n\nAn enormous chain weighing 65 tons and covered by gun batteri es at both ends had been installed to block hostile passage.\n\n♪ In ear ly July\, Clinton ordered another expedition against the Patriot privateer ing that had taken such a toll on British shipping\, burning Norwalk\, Fai rfield\, and New Haven.\n\n♪ It had been more than a year since the Batt le of Monmouth.\n\nWashington remained eager to take back New York\, but h e didn't have the men or the ships.\n\nStill\, he understood it would be d amaging to his army's reputation if he did not strike back somewhere\, so on the night of July 15th\, he ordered General Anthony Wayne and a hand-pi cked force of 1\,350 men to attack Stony Point on the Hudson.\n\nUnder the cover of darkness\, they took it.\n\n[Musket fire] [Sword is drawn from s cabbard] \"The fort &\; garrison are ours\,\" Wayne reported back to Wa shington at 2:00 in the morning.\n\n\"Our officers &\; men behaved like men who were determined to be free.\"\n\n♪ Meanwhile\, when enslaved Af rican Americans from New England to Georgia learned that summer that Gener al Clinton had issued a proclamation promising \"refuge\" within the Briti sh Army to \"any Negro\" who was \"the property of a Rebel\,\" many of the m began to see the British flag as a symbol of hope.\n\n♪ Like Lord Dunm ore before him\, Clinton was no abolitionist.\n\nHe decreed that any Black man captured while serving with the rebel army was to be sold as a slave\ , and the profit divided among his captors.\n\nThe British commander's mot ives were exclusively military-- to strip rebels of their human \"property \" and assemble a big workforce to support his army... but for many Black Americans\, their war was about ending slavery for themselves\, their chil dren\, and their children's children.\n\nVincent Brown: We know that about 15\,000 Black people actually joined the British or ran away to the Briti sh lines versus about 5\,000 ultimately entering the Patriot cause\, and t hat's because\, for many of those enslaved people\, the British represente d freedom.\n\nThe Patriots did not.\n\nThat's a hard story to tell to Amer icans.\n\n♪ Man: Fire!\n\n[Cannon fire] [Men shouting] Narrator: In June 1779\, King Carlos III of Spain joined France in the war against England. \n\nHis goal was to recapture for his empire everything Spain had lost to Britain during the Seven Years' War and to add to it\, as well\, including Gibraltar\, the British-held spit of land that controlled the narrow entr ance to the Mediterranean.\n\n♪ For the Spanish king\, like the French k ing\, the American Revolution was useful only to undercut Britain.\n\nChri stopher Brown: This is not about securing American independence.\n\nThis i s about cutting Britain's economic commercial might down to size\, but it' s risky\, though\, especially for Spain\, because Spain has a empire in th e Americas that looks a little bit like Britain's North American empire on ly much larger and many\, many\, many more people.\n\nAnd so you encourage a colonial independence movement in the British Empire\, who's to say you r own people won't get the same idea?\n\nNarrator: Given the sudden wideni ng of the global war\, the opposition in Parliament called upon King Georg e to direct measures for restoring peace to America.\n\nHe would not hear of it.\n\nVoice: The present contest with America I cannot help seeing as the most serious in which any country was ever engaged.\n\nStep by step\, the demands of America have risen.\n\nIndependence is their object.\n\nSho uld America succeed in that\, the West Indies must follow.\n\nIreland must soon be a separate state.\n\nThen this island would be reduced to itself and soon would be a poor island indeed.\n\nKing George III.\n\n[Gull squaw king] Voice: \"London Morning Post.\"\n\nJohn Paul Jones resembles a Jack o' Lantern to mislead our mariners and terrify our coasts.\n\nHe's no soon er seen than lost.\n\n♪ Narrator: John Paul Jones was now in command of another ship-- a slow\, battered French merchant vessel.\n\nHe fitted it o ut with 40 old French guns\, gathered a 320-man crew from 8 different coun tries\, and renamed it the \"Bonhomme Richard\" after the French version o f Benjamin Franklin's \"Poor Richard's Almanack.\"\n\n♪ In August\, the \"Richard\" and several smaller warships sailed all the way around the Bri tish Isles in search of merchant prizes.\n\nJones took 17 ships\, captured 100 British sailors\, and locked them up below his decks.\n\n♪ Late in the afternoon on September 23rd\, just off the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head\, Jones caught up with a convoy of some 40 British supply ships.\n\n He signaled his squadron to form a line of battle.\n\nWhen they failed to respond\, the \"Bonhomme Richard\" alone engaged the \"Serapis\,\" the lar ger of the two Royal Navy escort ships.\n\nCommanded by Richard Pearson\, a veteran sailor\, the British vessel was a fast\, new 44-gun frigate.\n\n [Cannon fire] As the battle began\, hundreds of English villagers lined th e cliffs\, hoping to see a British man-of-war destroy the dreaded rebel th ey called \"Pirate Jones.\"\n\n[Men shouting] Narrator: A British broadsid e caused cannon on the \"Richard's\" lower gun deck to explode\, killing m en and putting the rest of the battery out of action.\n\nAt one point\, th e \"Serapis\" rammed the \"Richard.\"\n\nTheir rigging became entangled\, and before the British ship could break free\, Jones ordered his men to th row grappling hooks\, locking the two ships together gunport to gunport.\n \n[Cannon fire] Their crews fired into each other at point-blank range.\n\ nThe \"Bonhomme Richard\" took the worst of it-- half the crew dead or wou nded\, fires raging everywhere\, decks slippery with blood\, seawater rush ing in through holes blasted in the hull-- but then a sailor high in the \ "Richard's\" rigging managed to lob a grenade down the main hatchway of th e British ship.\n\n[Explosions] It set off explosions from one end of the \"Serapis\" to the other.\n\n[Explosions continue] Half its crew were dead or wounded.\n\nCaptain Pearson surrendered.\n\nJones clambered aboard the British warship and sailed it into neutral Dutch waters.\n\nThe \"Bonhomm e Richard\" sank the next day.\n\nIn Paris\, John Paul Jones was hailed as a hero.\n\nHe met Louis XVI and his queen\, Marie Antoinette\, and when h e heard that George III had knighted Captain Pearson for fighting so valia ntly\, Jones was unimpressed.\n\n\"Should I have the good fortune to fall in with him again\,\" he said\, \"I'll make him a lord.\"\n\n♪ [Rattle a nd drum playing] Voice: We do not mean to let the enemy penetrate into our country\, for we well know that as far as they set their foot\, they will claim the country is conquered.\n\nOld Smoke.\n\nJennifer Kreisberg: [Sin ging \"Grief\" in Native language] Narrator: Back in the summer of 1777\, the British and their Mohawk and Seneca allies had prevailed over their en emies in their ambush near Oriskany Creek.\n\n[Gunfire] Over the months th at followed\, New York and Pennsylvania saw raid after raid\, skirmish aft er skirmish.\n\nPatriots drove Loyalists from their homes.\n\nLoyalists an d their Indian allies burned settlements at Cherry Valley and in the Wyomi ng Valley.\n\nHundreds died on both sides.\n\nAtkinson: It has gotten to t he point where Washington is under intense pressure from Congress\, from t he state of New York\, from the state of Pennsylvania\, to do something ab out it\, and because the war has kind of gone fallow in the North after Mo nmouth\, he agrees that he will put together a punitive expedition against the Indians led by one of his major generals\, John Sullivan\, to drive t hem away from the frontier.\n\n♪ Calloway: One of the things that I thin k is always on Washington's mind during this war is the end of the war\, s o Washington basically realizes\, \"We're gonna win independence because F rance is in the war\, \"Spain's in the war\, and we need to make sure \"th at we can present a legitimate and robust claim to western land.\"\n\nOne of the foundational truths of American history is that this is a nation bu ilt on Indian land\, and Washington would not dispute that\, I think\, for a minute.\n\nNarrator: Washington's orders to General Sullivan in May of 1779 had been clear and uncompromising.\n\nVoice: The immediate objects ar e the total destruction and devastation of their settlements and the captu re of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible.\n\nIt will be es sential to ruin their crops now in the ground and prevent their planting m ore that the country may not merely be overrun\, but destroyed.\n\nYou wil l not by any means listen to any overture for peace before the total ruin of their settlements is affected.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: The C ontinental Army invaded from 3 sides.\n\nIn early August\, Colonel Daniel Brodhead led 600 men northward from Fort Pitt to destroy the Seneca villag es along the upper Allegheny River.\n\nSullivan and 3 Continental brigades started north along the Susquehanna\, while another moved west from the M ohawk Valley.\n\nAt the end of the month their combined forces-- 4\,500 me n--began marching north.\n\n♪ Witgen: They don't find destitute villages or scattered villages of savage people.\n\nThey find what\, to them\, are undoubtedly easily recognizable prosperous villages.\n\nThey're cedar-pla nked buildings\, multiple-story buildings\, often with chimneys\, often wi th glass windows.\n\n[Child speaking] Witgen: These people have material w ealth that they've accumulated over the years\, and they have houses that look like something that people on the Eastern Seaboard would inhabit.\n\n [Gunfire] ♪ Narrator: On August 29th\, some 600 Senecas\, Mohawks\, Cayu gas\, Delawares\, and Loyalists tried to halt the invasion and were defeat ed.\n\n♪ Voice: We sent out a small party to look for some of the dead I ndians.\n\nThey found them and skinned two of them from their hips down fo r boot legs-- one pair for the major\, the other for myself.\n\nLieutenant William Barton.\n\n[Man shouting orders] Voice: Our brigade destroyed abo ut 150 acres of the best corn that I ever saw-- some of the stalks grew 16 feet high-- besides great quantities of beans\, potatoes\, pumpkins\, cuc umbers\, squash\, and watermelons\, and the enemy looking at us from the h ills.\n\nLieutenant Erkuries Beatty.\n\nVoice: There is something so cruel in destroying the habitations of any people\, however mean they may be\, that I might say the prospect hurts my feelings.\n\nDr.\n\nJabez Campfield .\n\nNarrator: When some soldiers asked General Sullivan if he wouldn't at least spare fruit orchards that had taken years to grow\, he refused.\n\n \"The Indians\,\" he said\, \"shall see that there is malice enough \"in o ur hearts to destroy everything that contributes to their support.\"\n\n ♪ Deloria: The Sullivan expedition ends up mapping New York for future s ettlement.\n\nEverybody kind of moves through New York and says\, \"Wow.\n \nThese apple orchards are so great\, \"these cornfields are so fantastic\ , I'm coming back here at the end of this\,\" right?\n\nAnd so in many way s\, it is not only a military campaign.\n\nIt's a scouting expedition for future settlement.\n\nNarrator: The troops torched village after village-- Catherine's Town\, Appletown\, Cayuga Town\, Kanadaseaga\, Canandaigua\, Honeoye.\n\nBy then\, Sullivan was within miles of Little Beard's Town\, w hich he had been told was the grand capital of Indian Country.\n\nLittle B eard's Town was the home of Mary Jemison\, who had been adopted years earl ier by Senecas after her Irish parents had been killed during a raid.\n\nV oice: He was about to march to our town when our Indians resolved to give him battle on the way.\n\nThey sent all the women and children into the wo ods.\n\nAnd then\, well-armed\, they set out to face the conquering enemy. \n\nMary Jemison.\n\n♪ Narrator: A scouting party of 26 Continentals\, g uided by an Oneida scout and commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Boyd\, was adv ancing ahead of the main column on September 13th\, when they stumbled int o a Seneca and Loyalist ambush.\n\n[Gunfire] 16 men were encircled.\n\n14 were killed and scalped.\n\nBoyd and another man were captured.\n\n♪ The next day\, Sullivan's main army reached Little Beard's Town.\n\nVoice: On entering the town\, we found the body of Lieutenant Boyd and another rifl eman in a most terrible\, mangled condition.\n\nThey was both stripped nak ed and their heads cut off.\n\nErkuries Beatty.\n\nNarrator: Sullivan's me n buried what was left of their companions\, looted and burned all 128 dwe llings in Little Beard's Town\, and then spent 8 hours methodically uproot ing and destroying crops.\n\nBy the end\, Sullivan reported to Washington that his army had burned a total of 40 towns.\n\nFarther to the west\, Col onel Brodhead had destroyed 10 more.\n\n♪ Most of the Seneca refugees ma de their way to Fort Niagara on Lake Ontario\, where some 5\,000 men\, wom en\, and children belonging to a host of nations huddled together in muddy camps.\n\n♪ Voice: We of the Six Nations have been much cast down by th e great loss we have sustained.\n\nBut yet we do not despair.\n\nWe are de termined to persevere in the cause we have engaged in.\n\nWe hope to be ab le to survive the winter\, and then we mean once more to meet our enemies and see whether we are to live or die.\n\nAnd if such is the will of the G reat Spirit\, we will leave our bones with those of the rest of our brethr en\, rather than evacuate our country or give our enemies room to say we f led from them.\n\nTwethorechte.\n\n♪ Narrator: The damage Patriot campai gns did to Seneca\, Cayuga\, Onondaga\, and Mohawk homelands was profound and permanent.\n\nSome Haudenosaunee would come to call George Washington \"the Town Destroyer\" and would remember the American Revolution as \"the Whirlwind.\"\n\n♪ [Waves breaking] In the late summer of 1779\, both Ge orge Washington and British General Henry Clinton believed that the long-a waited all-out American assault on British-occupied New York City could fi nally be just weeks away.\n\nEach had learned that the French fleet was sa iling back north from the West Indies.\n\nNeither was sure where it was he aded.\n\nClinton ordered all British troops to withdraw from occupied Newp ort to strengthen New York's defenses.\n\nWashington readied plans for a s iege of the city and called upon 5 neighboring states to provide him with more militia\, but French Admiral d'Estaing never came.\n\nInstead\, he ap peared at the mouth of the Savannah River with 32 warships to join forces with southern Patriots who had already retaken Augusta and were eager to r ecapture the rest of Georgia.\n\n♪ Aboard were 4\,000 French troops\, in cluding 750 \"free men of color\,\" Black and mixed-race troops from what would one day be called Haiti.\n\n♪ While d'Estaing waited for his Ameri can allies to join the siege\, he surrounded Savannah with heavy artillery and demanded its surrender.\n\nThe outnumbered British refused\, stalling for time until reinforcements of their own could reach the city.\n\nAs th ey braced for an attack\, redcoats and Loyalist troops and scores of Savan nah's free and enslaved residents had time to complete two defensive lines around the city.\n\n[Cannon fire] After Continentals and Patriot militiam en arrived from Charleston\, d'Estaing led a direct assault on October 9th .\n\nSome Americans became mired in a rice field.\n\n[Shouting and gunfire ] French troops in white uniforms proved easy targets.\n\nBritish guns sen t grapeshot\, nails\, and chunks of iron tearing through the attackers.\n\ nThe ditch\, a British officer remembered\, was chock full of their dead.\ n\n[Gunfire continues] De Rode: For the French-American alliance\, it is q uite the defeat.\n\nPeople do lose their trust in the availabilities of th e French to help the Americans.\n\nThey were very happy to have signed an alliance with them\, but the first campaigns\, plural\, completely failed. \n\nNarrator: D'Estaing\, who had been wounded twice\, sailed away to Fran ce.\n\nThe American commander General Benjamin Lincoln limped back to Patr iot-controlled Charleston.\n\nVoice: You know the importance of Charleston .\n\nIt is the bond that binds 3 states to the authority of Congress.\n\nI f the enemy possessed themselves of this town\, there will be no living fo r honest Patriots.\n\nDavid Ramsay.\n\n♪ Atkinson: The winter of 1779-17 80\, probably the harshest winter in North America in the 18th century.\n\ n♪ New York Harbor froze over solidly.\n\nYou could drag cannon from the tip of Manhattan Island to Staten Island.\n\nYou could cross the Hudson R iver on foot\, and the winter was all the worse in Upstate New York for th e Indians.\n\nVoice: That winter was the most severe that I have witnessed since my remembrance.\n\nThe snow fell about 5 feet deep and remained so. \n\nAlmost all the game upon which we depended perished and reduced us alm ost to starvation.\n\nMary Jemison.\n\n♪ Narrator: For General Washingto n and most of his army at winter quarters in and around Morristown\, New J ersey\, the temperature rarely rose above zero.\n\nIt was \"cold enough to cut a man in two\,\" Joseph Plumb Martin remembered.\n\n♪ Joseph Ellis: The winter in New Jersey at Morristown was worse than Valley Forge.\n\nTh e enthusiasm for the war had begun to wane years before\, and it continued to wane each year.\n\nVoice: We were absolutely literally starved.\n\nI d id not put a single morsel into my mouth for 4 days except a little black birch bark.\n\nI saw several of the men roast their old shoes and eat them \, and I was afterwards informed that some of the officers killed and ate a favorite little dog that belonged to one of them.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin .\n\nNarrator: To add to their misery\, the men of Joseph Plumb Martin's 8 th Connecticut Regiment had not been paid for months.\n\nBy spring\, they had had enough.\n\n♪ Voice: The men now saw no other alternative but to starve to death or break up the army.\n\nThis was a hard matter for the so ldiers to think upon.\n\nThey were truly patriotic.\n\nThey loved their co untry\, and they had already suffered everything short of death in its cau se.\n\nWhat was to be done?\n\n[Joseph Plumb Martin] Narrator: The 4th and 8th Connecticut Regiments planned to desert.\n\nWhen a colonel tried to t alk them out of it\, someone stabbed him with a bayonet.\n\nA Pennsylvania regiment was rushed in to surround them\, and its colonel managed to talk the men into staying on.\n\nIn the end\, Martin wrote\, \"We were unwilli ng to desert \"the cause of our country when in distress.\n\nWe knew her c ause involved our own.\"\n\n♪ Voice: This is the most important hour Bri tain ever knew.\n\nIf we lose it\, we shall never see such another.\n\nHen ry Clinton.\n\nNarrator: It had now been 21 months since General Clinton w as ordered to take the Carolinas.\n\nOn the day after Christmas 1779\, lea ving enough of a force behind to defend New York\, Clinton finally sailed south for Charleston.\n\nAtkinson: Every farthing of the wealth in South C arolina is built on the back of slavery.\n\nThat's one of the reasons why South Carolina and the other Southern states have robust militias.\n\nIt i s not to repel foreign invaders.\n\nIt's to suppress potential slave insur rections.\n\nNarrator: Charleston was one of the largest cities in the Uni ted States\, home to 12\,000 people\, half of them enslaved.\n\nIf it coul d be captured\, the British believed\, a Loyalist majority in the Carolina s would rally to the Crown.\n\nLengel: Charleston has resisted British att acks before.\n\nThere's a sense of confidence that it'll be able to resist British attacks again.\n\nAmericans are almost delusional about it.\n\nTh ey don't look the facts in the face of how vulnerable Charleston really is .\n\nThe geography is impossible.\n\nCharleston is really out on a limb.\n \nThe British are gonna cut this place off\, and they're gonna capture it. \n\nCongress\, instead of recognizing this fact\, they keep sending more a nd more men to defend Charleston.\n\nThey send the best that the Continent al Army has.\n\nIt's a mistake.\n\n♪ Narrator: Some 30 miles southwest o f the city on February 11\, 1780\, Clinton began landing his troops.\n\nAs the British army marched toward Charleston\, first hundreds\, then thousa nds of enslaved men\, women\, and children fled their plantations to join them.\n\n♪ It would be more than a month before Clinton's forces could f orm a line a mile and a half north of the rebel fortifications and begin a European-style siege.\n\n♪ More British troops from New York and Savann ah would swell the British army to more than 10\,000\, roughly twice as la rge as the force with which Patriot General Benjamin Lincoln hoped somehow to defend the city.\n\nDesperate for reinforcements\, Lincoln suggested a rming enslaved men and was told no.\n\nWhites feared giving weapons to Bla ck people\, and\, besides\, slave owners did not want their property kille d or maimed in battle.\n\nMilitia from the backcountry were also reluctant to come to the crowded city.\n\nThey feared smallpox and were unmoved by the plight of planters and merchants whose wealth and political power they had long resented.\n\n♪ On April 1\, 1780\, the British began construct ing the first of a series of parallels\, sequential support trenches that would allow them to inch closer and closer to the city.\n\n♪ A week late r\, British warships forced their way into Charleston Harbor and took comm and of it.\n\nGeneral Clinton called upon the rebels to surrender in order to save the town and its people from what he called \"havock and desolati on.\"\n\nGeneral Lincoln refused.\n\nMan: Fire!\n\nNarrator: The British o pened fire.\n\n[Cannon fire] The Americans fired back.\n\nMan: Fire!\n\nNa rrator: The guns would continue day and night for a month.\n\n[Men shoutin g] ♪ As each blasted at the other\, the British parallels moved closer t o the American lines-- 800 yards... 450 yards... 250.\n\n♪ There was no escape.\n\nGeneral Lincoln asked that his surrendering men be granted the usual honors of war\, but General Clinton refused: Rebels deserved no such honors.\n\n♪ Lengel: When Charleston falls\, it's a body blow to the Re volution and to the American cause.\n\nIt's a humiliation because we've lo st not only Charleston\, but we've lost some of the best troops that we ha ve\, and the British in their surrender terms really drive home that humil iation.\n\n♪ Narrator: It was the worst defeat suffered by the Patriots during the Revolution.\n\nAn entire army was captured\, 5\,618 men by Clin ton's count\, including Benjamin Lincoln and 6 other generals\, along with more than 300 cannon\, 376 barrels of gunpowder\, and 5\,916 muskets.\n\n ♪ Hundreds of South Carolinians streamed into the occupied city from the countryside\, eager now to swear allegiance to the Crown.\n\n♪ Voice: T o Lord Germain-- With the greatest pleasure\, I report to your Lordship th at the inhabitants from every quarter declare their allegiance to the King \, and offer their services in arms in support of his government.\n\nIn ma ny instances\, they have brought prisoners\, their former oppressors or le aders\, and I may venture to assert that there are few men in South Caroli na who are not either our prisoners or in arms with us.\n\nHenry Clinton.\ n\n[Birds chirping] Narrator: General Clinton and 4\,000 troops returned t o New York\, leaving General Charles Cornwallis in command of the southern theater.\n\nA few more such victories\, British commanders believed\, and the Loyalty to the Crown of all the Southern Colonies would be reconfirme d.\n\n\"The English lion\,\" a German officer wrote\, \"has awakened from his sleep.\"\n\n♪ Voice: Unless Congress is vested with powers competent to the great purposes of war\, our cause is lost.\n\nWe can no longer dru dge on in the old way.\n\nI see one head gradually changing into 13.\n\nI see one army branching into thirteen-- and am fearful of the consequences of it.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n[Wind blowing] ♪ ♪ Announcer: Next tim e on \"The American Revolution\"... The shock of treason.\n\nJoseph Ellis: He was the last person Washington ever thought would have betrayed him.\n \nAnnouncer: The South explodes in battle.\n\nVincent Brown: It's sometime s brother against brother in this backwoods warfare.\n\nIt's an ugly confl ict.\n\nAnnouncer: And a new nation rises.\n\nVoice: Who would have though t that out of this multitude of rabble would arise a people who could defy kings?\n\n[Johann Ewald] [Men shouting] Announcer: Don't miss the conclus ion of \"The American Revolution\" next time.\n\n♪ Announcer: Scan this QR code with your smart device to dive deeper into the story of \"The Amer ican Revolution\" with interactives\, games\, classroom materials\, and mo re.\n\n♪ Announcer: \"The American Revolution\" DVD and Blu-ray\, as wel l as the companion book and soundtrack\, are available online and in store s.\n\nThe series is also available with PBS Passport and on am*zon Prime V ideo.\n\n♪ Announcer: The American Revolution caused an impact felt arou nd the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\ nAnnouncer: Major funding for \"The American Revolution\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patr icia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angel s Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Ke nneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilb ert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\, and by Better A ngels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, T he Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundati on\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like Y ou.\n\nThank You.\n\n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american -revolution-episode-5-the-soul-of-all-america/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251120 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The American Revolution PBS Documentary Episode 4 DTSTAMP:20251118T053533Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:590-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The American Revolution\n\n A Film By\n\n Ken Burns\, Sar ah Botstein &\; David Schmidt\n\n\n\n Conquer by a Drawn Game (January 1777 – February 1778)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n Announcer: Major funding for \"The American Revoluti on\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, t he Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\ , and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A . Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Cha ritable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundat ion\, and by Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Ki ssick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charit able Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" w as made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting \, and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\nAnnouncer: The American Revoluti on caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenui ty\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of histo ry and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\n[Musket fire] ♪ Voice: Mankind have ever b een so prone to yield implicit obedience to that authority to which they h ave long been accustomed that there are few examples of resistance\, unles s the wanton abuse of power has rendered it necessary.\n\nWhen this is the case\, the feelings of the man and the patriot are awakened\, and both th e peasant and the statesman are urged to struggle even in blood.\n\nNo suf fering which Britain can inflict will reduce America to submission.\n\nThe thunder of their artillery may lay waste the cities\, but the spirit of t he people is unconquerable.\n\nMercy Otis Warren.\n\n♪ We think about th e kind of anticolonial\, insurgent uprisings\, independence movements of t he 20th century\, and think of those as being sort of the Third World figh ting back against the sort of imperial colonial powers.\n\nYou don't alway s recognize the fact that the United States actually started that.\n\n♪ Voice: England is the natural enemy of France.\n\nShe is an enemy at once grasping\, ambitious\, unjust\, and perfidious.\n\nThe invariable and most cherished purpose in her politics has been\, if not the destruction of Fr ance\, at least her overthrow and her ruin.\n\nCharles Gravier\, Comte de Vergennes.\n\nNarrator: The Comte de Vergennes\, the French foreign minist er\, was determined to avenge his country's humiliating defeat in the Seve n Years' War.\n\nHe had already persuaded Louis XVI to open French ports t o American merchants for the selling of American goods and the buying of F rench ones\, and even to provide some funds with which the Americans could purchase guns and ammunition\, provided they did so in secret.\n\n♪ Wom an: The French needed to reorganize their army.\n\nThey were reforming the ir navy.\n\nSo they did start to send clandestine weapons\, they started t o send money\, they started to send uniforms to the \"insurgents\" in Amer ica because they didn't want to have an open warfare against the British a t the time\, yet.\n\n♪ Narrator: At the end of 1776\, the Continental Co ngress had sent 70-year-old Benjamin Franklin\, the most widely admired Am erican on earth\, to try to talk France into providing much more help.\n\n Franklin understood that the Americans could not compete with the British Army and Navy unless France entered the war\, and that the French would no t dare do so unless the Americans showed that they could win.\n\nThe last time he had heard from America\, prospects did not look bright.\n\nThe \"D eclaration of Independence\" had proved American seriousness\, but the inv asion of Canada had been a disaster\, and British forces had defeated Wash ington on Long Island\, then driven him out of New York City.\n\nAfter a s ecret meeting with Vergennes in Paris in January of 1777\, Franklin promis ed that if France and its ally Spain were to join the Americans\, Britain would be reduced to a state of \"weakness and humiliation.\"\n\nBut contin uing reports of American defeats were not encouraging\, and Vergennes refu sed to meet again.\n\nHe also feared that the thirteen former colonies wou ld never come together as a nation.\n\nPublicly\, Franklin remained optimi stic\, but privately\, he was anxious for better news from home that might persuade the French to join the American Revolution.\n\nVoice: Those who live under arbitrary power do nevertheless approve of liberty and wish for it.\n\n'Tis a common observation here that our cause is the cause of all mankind\, and that we are fighting for their liberty in defending our own. \n\n[Franklin] ♪ Narrator: Though Benjamin Franklin did not yet know it\ , George Washington's army had stunned the British and lifted Patriot spir its by taking the garrison at Trenton\, New Jersey\, on the day after Chri stmas 1776.\n\n[Officer shouts command] Voice: Though the rebels seem to b e ignorant of the precision\, order\, and even of the principles by which large bodies are moved\, they possess some of the requisites for making go od troops\, such as extreme cunning\, great industry\, and a spirit of ent erprise upon any advantage.\n\nThough it was once the fashion of this army to treat them in the most contemptible light\, they are now become a form idable army.\n\nLieutenant William Harcourt.\n\n♪ Narrator: But now the British were on the move again.\n\nGeneral William Howe sent General Charl es Cornwallis and some 9\,000 redcoats and Hessians to recapture Trenton a nd trap the rebel army against the Delaware River.\n\nWashington decided t o fight rather than retreat.\n\nTo do otherwise\, he said\, would be to de stroy the \"dawn of hope.\"\n\nOn January 2\, 1777\, he posted 1\,000 men along the road from Princeton\, a college town twelve miles away\, with or ders to slow Cornwallis' column until evening.\n\nThe Patriots contested e very inch of ground as they fell back through Trenton to join most of Wash ington's army arrayed on the south side of the Assunpink Creek.\n\nAt dusk \, when the advance guard of Cornwallis' column started across the lone st one bridge over the Assunpink\, American artillery opened up on them with what Henry Knox proudly called \"great vociferation.\"\n\nThree times\, th e redcoats tried to cross the bridge.\n\nThree times\, American fire hurle d them back.\n\nPerhaps one hundred Americans would be killed or wounded b efore darkness fell\, but the British lost three times as many.\n\nCornwal lis called a halt.\n\nHis forces still outnumbered Washington's\, and the creek was fordable upstream.\n\n\"We'll go over\,\" Cornwallis reportedly told his commanders\, \"and bag him in the morning.\"\n\nWashington ordere d a small detachment to stay on their hillside that night\, tending campfi res and banging entrenching tools to make the enemy believe they were digg ing in.\n\nMeanwhile\, the rest of his army would slip silently away\, fol lowing unguarded back roads to get behind Cornwallis and attack his rear g uard at Princeton.\n\nAt dawn\, two British regiments on their way to rein force Cornwallis saw Americans marching toward them.\n\nThe British \"were as much astonished\,\" Patriot General Henry Knox would write to his wife Lucy\, \"as if an army had dropped perpendicularly upon them.\"\n\n[Canno nfire] The British fired their cannon\, then charged with fixed bayonets.\ n\nThe American Commander\, General Hugh Mercer's\, horse was shot out fro m under him.\n\nHe fought with his sword as long as he could before being mortally wounded by British bayonets.\n\nHis men began to fall back.\n\nWa shington once again galloped to the front\, ignoring the bullets flying al l about him\, exhorting his men to stand and fight.\n\nOne of his aides co vered his eyes\, fearful of seeing his commander shot from his saddle.\n\n Man: He's really lucky.\n\nBullets are going all around him\, everybody el se is dying\, he's never scratched.\n\nHe assumes he's never going to be k illed.\n\nNow\, there's probably a lot of people in war that assume that a nd they get killed.\n\nAnd we never hear about them.\n\nHe doesn't believe in God in the total Christian sense\, but he believes in Providence.\n\nP rovidence.\n\nHe really thinks the gods\, or God\, is on our side and his side.\n\nNarrator: Washington's men held.\n\nVeteran Continentals joined t hem.\n\nNow it was the Americans' turn to charge.\n\n[Soldiers shouting] \ "I never saw men\" look \"so furious as they did\,\" one remembered.\n\nVo ice: The fate of this extensive continent seemed suspended by a single thr ead.\n\nBut happy for us\, happy for unborn millions\, that we had a gener al who knew how to take advantage\, and by a masterful maneuver frustrated the designs of the enemy.\n\nLieutenant Samuel Shaw.\n\nMan: George Washi ngton was no military colossus.\n\nHe was no Frederick the Great or Napole on.\n\nHis natural instincts\, I think\, were to preserve the Americans in tact so they could fight another day.\n\nBut this caution was occasionally complemented by boldness.\n\nFor the most part\, Washington saw his prima ry task as holding the Continental Army together\, because it represented the rebellion.\n\nWithout the Continental Army\, there would be no United States.\n\nNarrator: Seventy Americans had been killed or wounded in the B attle of Princeton\, but the enemy had lost another 450-- killed\, wounded \, or captured.\n\nBy the time Cornwallis realized Washington had fooled h im at Assunpink Creek that morning\, it had been too late to catch him.\n\ nAnd when he and the rest of his army reached Princeton that evening\, Was hington and his army had vanished again.\n\n♪ Voice: Everyone was so fri ghtened that it was completely forgotten even to obtain information about where the Americans had gone.\n\nBut the enemy now had wings\, and\, it wa s believed\, had flown to the mountains of Morristown.\n\nCaptain Johann E wald.\n\nNarrator: Morristown\, New Jersey\, a tiny village in the heart o f the thickly forested Watchung Mountains\, would be Washington's winter h eadquarters for the next five months.\n\nIt was out of reach of the Britis h Navy but well suited for raiding British outposts and for keeping an eye out for a British advance from New York.\n\nMost of the troops who had of fered to stay after Trenton went home as soon as their reenlistment was up .\n\nBy the end of January\, Washington had fewer than 3\,000 Continentals in his camp.\n\nBut encouraged by Patriot victories at Trenton and Prince ton and angered by the excesses of British occupation\, New Jersey militia men now rallied to him.\n\nVoice: They are actuated by resentment now.\n\n And resentment coinciding with principle is a very powerful motive.\n\nJoh n Adams.\n\nNarrator: Whenever British foraging parties ventured from thei r outposts\, Patriots attacked them... [Musket fire] at Maidenhead and Qui bbletown\, Bound Brook and Drake's Farm\, Piscataway and English Neighborh ood\, and at least 50 other places.\n\nThat winter\, more British and Hess ian troops were killed fighting over forage than would fall in battle.\n\n Voice: The British lost men who were not easily replaced.\n\nThe rebel los s was soon repaired by drafts from the militia.\n\nIt inured them to hards hips\, and it emboldened them to look a British or a Hessian soldier in th e eye\, whose very face would make a hundred of them run after the Battle of Brooklyn.\n\nJustice Thomas Jones.\n\nNarrator: And now New Jersey Loya lists found themselves the targets of vengeful Patriots.\n\nAt Morristown\ , Patriots hanged two Loyalist officers\, and got 33 of their men to enlis t in the Continental Army by threatening to hang them\, too.\n\nGeneral Ho we's hope of pacifying the state had brought civil war instead.\n\n[Musket fire] If one thinks of this as a British Empire and British subjects\, wh o are contending for their rights\, right\, then it's a civil war.\n\nThen it's family against family\, sometimes brother against brother.\n\nIt's h ard to tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.\n\nThis is a p redicament that is incredibly fraught and incredibly difficult for people to sort out.\n\nWoman: This inability to really figure out who is the enem y here is a problem.\n\nThey're marching through the countryside\, and the y don't know.\n\n\"This farm\, is this farm-- are these Loyalists?\n\n\"Ar e there rebels in there?\n\nAre they going to shoot at us out of the windo w\,\" which does happen.\n\nWho do you trust?\n\nNarrator: The frequent at tacks forced the British to abandon most of their New Jersey outposts.\n\n Winter would end in frustration and failure.\n\nVoice: The next will be a trying campaign.\n\nAnd as all that is dear and valuable may depend upon t he issue of it\, let us have a respectable army\, such as will be competen t to every exigency.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: Spring was coming. \n\nArmies would soon be again on the move.\n\nAnd Washington wanted to be ready for whatever the British were planning next.\n\nCongress had come b ack to Philadelphia\, but while they were in exile in Baltimore\, it had b ecome clear that expecting delegates to make instant decisions about the b attlefield was impractical.\n\nThey had voted to grant General Washington total control over his army for a period of six months and authorized him to imprison without trial suspected Loyalists or anyone who refused to sup ply his army.\n\nSome delegates had feared that affording Washington such powers would make him a dictator\, betraying the principles for which they were supposed to be fighting.\n\nGeneral Nathanael Greene sought to reass ure them.\n\nVoice: I can see no evil nor danger to the states in delegati ng such powers to the general.\n\nThere was never a man who might seem mor e safely trusted\, nor a time when there was a louder call.\n\n[Greene] ♪ Narrator: Most of Washington's new recruits signed on for three years and a ten-dollar bonus\, but those who signed up for the duration of the w ar were promised a twenty-dollar bonus\, and 100 \"free\" acres of Indian land when the war was over.\n\nMan: When we think about what was offered t o the Continental soldier\, Indian land at the end of it all-- that land h asn't been taken\, ceded\, bought.\n\nThat land is still Indian land\, rig ht?\n\nIt tells you that the entire Revolution is premised on the future p ossibility.\n\nNarrator: These soldiers were different from the men who ha d rallied after Lexington and Concord.\n\nMost of them had been farmers an d artisans\, propertied men with taxes to pay\, creditors to appease\, cro ps to sow and harvest.\n\nFrom now on\, the Continental Army would be made up predominantly of the poorest of the poor-- jobless laborers and landle ss tenants\, second and third sons without hope of an inheritance\, debtor s and British deserters\, indentured servants and apprentices\, felons hop ing to win pardons for their service\, immigrants from Ireland\, and immig rants from Germany\, or their descendants who had never learned English.\n \nJohn Adams had worried that only \"the meanest\, idlest\, most intempera te and worthless men\" in America could ever be persuaded to serve more th an a year.\n\nBut victory would be impossible without them.\n\nWhen patrio tic speeches and free rum failed to attract enough recruits\, some states instituted drafts.\n\nNames were drawn from a hat.\n\nMarried men were exe mpted.\n\nPropertied draftees wanting to avoid service could hire substitu tes at fees to be negotiated with their replacements.\n\nEpping\, New Hamp shire\, managed to avoid sending any of its men to war by paying men from neighboring villages to go.\n\nSouth Carolina advertised for \"vagrants an d idle disorderly persons.\"\n\nThousands of African Americans\, enslaved and free\, served alongside Whites in units from New England all the way s outh to Georgia.\n\nSome volunteered\, some were drafted.\n\nMany stood in for their gun-shy enslavers.\n\nConnecticut and Rhode Island would later promise enslaved recruits their freedom when the war ended.\n\nFrom 1777 o nward\, the American Revolution\, begun in part to defend the interests of property-owners\, would be fought mostly by men who owned little or no pr operty at all.\n\n♪ Voice: Montreal.\n\nTwo deserters from the rebel cou ntry informed me that my property had been seized\, and that my wife and t he children had been turned out of my house and sent off through the woods \, snowstorms\, and bad roads.\n\nJohn Peters.\n\nNarrator: To escape pers ecution and fight for his king\, the Vermont Loyalist John Peters had fled to Canada in 1776\, leaving behind his wife Ann and their six children.\n \n[Knock on door] After his defection\, Patriots seized his home and evict ed his family.\n\nCarrying their infant son\, Ann Peters managed to get ev eryone all the way to Lake Champlain\, where they were spotted by a Britis h boat and carried north to a rendezvous with John.\n\nThey were \"naked a nd dirty\,\" he remembered\, but safe.\n\nIn the weeks that followed\, Joh n Peters began to recruit American Loyalists for a new regiment-- the Quee n's Loyal Rangers.\n\nHe would command it\, and his now-15-year-old son\, John Jr.\, would be among the first to sign up.\n\n♪ Voice: The smallpox has made such headway in every quarter that I find it impossible to keep it from spreading through the whole army.\n\n[Washington] Narrator: As fre sh recruits made their way into the Continental Army camps\, some carried with them smallpox\, the scourge that had threatened the army from the beg inning of the Revolution.\n\nWashington had always resisted ordering inocu lation\, because it took men out of action for weeks.\n\nBut now he decide d to run the risk.\n\nVoice: I have determined not only to inoculate all t he troops now here that had not had smallpox but shall order the doctors t o inoculate the recruits as fast as they come in.\n\n[Washington] Ellis: T he British troops were less vulnerable to smallpox because they had been e xposed more to it in Scotland and Ireland and England.\n\nWashington made a decision that to serve in the Continental Army\, you had to first underg o inoculation.\n\nAnd that was probably the single most important military decision he made.\n\nNarrator: Private Joseph Plumb Martin reenlisted and received his inoculation that spring along with 400 other Connecticut rec ruits at a Continental Army supply depot at Peekskill in the Hudson Highla nds.\n\nHe had been just 15 when he first joined the Connecticut militia.\ n\nAfter enduring combat\, cold\, hunger\, and a bout of near-fatal illnes s\, Martin had decided he'd had enough and left his militia regiment in De cember.\n\nBut life on his grandparents' farm soon bored him\, and when lo cal draftees thought he might be talked into serving in their place in the Continental Army\, they began bidding against one another.\n\nVoice: I th ought I might as well endeavor to get as much for my skin as I could.\n\nI forget the sum.\n\nThey were now freed from any further trouble\, at leas t for the present\, but I was again a soldier.\n\n[Martin] Narrator: By th e middle of May\, Washington's force at Morristown had grown to nearly 12\ ,000 men.\n\nVoice: There is a clock calm at this time in the political an d military hemispheres.\n\nThe surface is smooth and the air serene.\n\nNo t a breath\, nor a wave.\n\nNo news\, nor noise.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\n♪ Voi ce: By what means\, may I ask\, do you expect to conquer America?\n\nIf yo u could not effect it in the summer\, when our army was less than yours\, nor in the winter\, when we had none\, how are you to do it?\n\nYou cannot be so insensible as not to see that we have two-to-one the advantage of y ou\, because we conquer by a drawn game and you lose by it.\n\nThomas Pain e.\n\n♪ Narrator: In London\, Lord George Germain\, the secretary of sta te for America\, was embarrassed by how long the war was taking and concer ned about growing opposition to it in Parliament.\n\nGermain found the set backs at Trenton and Princeton \"extremely mortifying\,\" thought Sir Guy Carleton's failure to capture Fort Ticonderoga the previous autumn inexcus able\, believed the Howe brothers' repeated offers of pardons to rebels \" sentimental\,\" and insisted they instead force Americans to undergo what he called \"a lively experience of losses and sufferings.\"\n\nConway: Run ning of the war largely comes down to Lord George Germain\, who is coordin ating and orchestrating military operations from Britain.\n\nIn logistical terms\, fighting a war 3\,000 miles from the home islands was a major ent erprise in the days of sailing ships.\n\nChristopher Brown: When the Briti sh government gets information about what's happening on the ground\, they 're already weeks out of date.\n\nAnd then they're issuing orders for thin gs that will happen two to three months in the future.\n\nYou can think ab out what that means for actually making decisions.\n\nNarrator: General Jo hn Burgoyne\, a dashing favorite of the King\, had persuaded Germain to pl ace him in charge of an army in Canada\, promising to succeed in a second invasion of the Colonies\, where General Carleton had failed.\n\nVoice: I do not conceive any expedition can be so formidable to the enemy or so eff ectual to close the war as an invasion from Canada by Ticonderoga.\n\n[Bur goyne] Narrator: Burgoyne proposed a three-pronged attack.\n\nHe would lea d an army south to seize Ticonderoga and then move on to take Albany\; to the west\, a smaller diversionary force would advance via Lake Ontario and the Mohawk River Valley\, rallying support among Indians and Loyalists as they went\; finally\, Sir William Howe was to lead his army up the Hudson from New York to complete the juncture of the three forces\, isolating Ne w England.\n\nGeneral Howe had other plans.\n\nVoice: I am fully persuaded the principal army should act offensively to get possession of Philadelph ia\, where the enemy's chief strength will certainly be collected.\n\nThe rebels are at present buoyed up by hopes of assistance from France.\n\nIf that door were shut by any means\, it would\, in my opinion\, put a stop t o the rebellion.\n\n[Howe] ♪ In 18th-century European wars\, the capture of an enemy's capital city usually brought the war to a close.\n\nOf cour se\, America had no capital city in the sense of Paris in France or London in Britain.\n\nBut it did have Philadelphia\, which was seen as the polit ical headquarters of the rebellion.\n\nHowe became obsessed with the captu re of Philadelphia and the defeat of Washington's army.\n\nNarrator: Becau se Lord Germain had failed to reconcile the two incompatible strategies\, his two commanders-- Howe and Burgoyne-- would plan two distinct campaigns in which neither would support the other.\n\nThere would be no rendezvous on the Hudson.\n\nBut Burgoyne was so sure of success that even before he set sail\, he had bet the opposition leader in Parliament a sizeable sum that he would \"be home victorious by Christmas Day\" 1777.\n\nVoice: If t he frenzy of hostility should remain\, the messengers of justice and of wr ath await them in the field\, and devastation\, famine\, and every concomi tant horror that a reluctant but indispensable prosecution of military dut y must occasion.\n\n[Burgoyne] ♪ Narrator: By the time he reached Quebec \, Burgoyne had convinced himself that thousands of Native Americans would join his army.\n\nIn fact\, no more than 500 men answered his call-- Moha wks\, Algonquins\, Abenakis\, and Wyandots-- drawn from seven villages alo ng the St.\n\nLawrence River.\n\nThey joined him for many reasons: to seek the honors of war\, to receive British goods in payment of their service\ , and out of an eagerness to settle old scores with the hated people they called Bostonians.\n\nMan: The Hudson River Valley\, the Mohawk River Vall ey\, the Adirondack Mountains\, Lake Champlain\, and up to the St.\n\nLawr ence River Valley\, that's been the battlefield for the colonial powers fo r centuries.\n\nAnd our people were swept up in it\, and a lot of what hap pened had more to do with what kings and queens in Europe were deciding.\n \nA major chess tournament happened here\, and we were the pawns.\n\nNarra tor: On June 20\, 1777\, Burgoyne's enormous army began moving south on La ke Champlain.\n\nScores of birch bark canoes paddled by Native Americans c ame first.\n\nThey were followed by Royal Navy warships and 200 bateaux ca rrying more than 6\,500 British and German regulars\, Loyalist troops\, an d French-speaking Canadians\, along with a number of children and hundreds of women.\n\nFort Ticonderoga\, on the west side of the lake\, was Burgoy ne's first target.\n\nIt was now linked by a floating bridge to a separate hilltop fortification on the east side called Mount Independence.\n\nDete rmined to take both outposts\, Burgoyne sent forces down each side of the lake by land.\n\nHe expected he would have to mount a full-scale siege\, b ut a British officer quickly spotted a fatal flaw in the rebel defenses.\n \nAbout a mile southwest of Ticonderoga stood a hill that overlooked both forts.\n\nIt remained undefended.\n\nIf British guns could be hauled to th e high ground\, both Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence would be comp letely exposed.\n\nWhen astonished Patriots spotted redcoats peering down from the hill on the afternoon of July 5th\, American General Arthur St.\n \nClair ordered both fortifications abandoned.\n\nThe next morning\, Briti sh troops raised the King's colors above Fort Ticonderoga.\n\n♪ The Amer icans fled in two directions\, with Burgoyne's men right behind them.\n\nA fter hours of tramping in the heat\, those Patriots heading east called a temporary halt at a tiny deserted frontier settlement called Hubbardton.\n \n[Bugle music] Voice: The morning after our retreat\, orders came very ea rly for the troops to refresh and be ready for marching.\n\nSome were eati ng\, some were cooking\, and all in a very unfit posture for battle.\n\n[M usket fire\, men shouting] Then there was a cry: \"The enemy are upon us!\ "\n\nEbenezer Fletcher\, 2nd New Hampshire.\n\nNarrator: Ebenezer Fletcher was a sixteen-year-old from New Ipswich\, New Hampshire.\n\nAs the menaci ng line of redcoats moved closer\, firing volleys as they came\, the 2nd N ew Hampshire fired back and then began to seek cover.\n\nVoice: Many of ou r party retreated into the woods.\n\nI made shelter for myself and dischar ged my piece.\n\nBut before I had time to reload it\, I received a musket ball in the small of my back and fell with my gun cocked.\n\n[Fletcher] Na rrator: Elsewhere\, the fighting intensified.\n\nIn the fierce combat that followed\, the Americans more than held their own against some of Britain 's best-trained professional soldiers.\n\nIn the end\, the British won\, b ut they were too tired to pursue the retreating Americans.\n\nThough in gr eat pain\, Ebenezer Fletcher decided to escape\; he slipped away into the forest\, eluded hungry wolves and bands of Loyalists\, and eventually made it home to New Ipswich\, New Hampshire.\n\nOnce he healed\, he would retu rn to serve out his three-year enlistment in the Continental Army.\n\n♪ Voice: It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods o r no god.\n\nIt neither picks my pocket\, nor breaks my leg.\n\n[Thomas Je fferson] [Bell ringing] Narrator: Most of the revolutionaries belonged to Protestant denominations\, but there were Catholics and Jews among them\, too\, as well as Muslims\, whose faith had crossed the Atlantic on slave s hips.\n\nCentral to the philosophy of some of the most influential creator s of the United States was their belief in a Supreme Being but one who did not interfere in the affairs of men or distinguish between faiths.\n\nThe y were deists\, and they believed it was each individual's responsibility to lead a virtuous life\, which could only come from tolerance and a lifet ime of learning: the pursuit of happiness.\n\n♪ Man: The revolutionaries believed that the American people would have to be educated.\n\nWithout e ducation\, there could be no virtue in the populace\, and without virtue i n the populace\, the government would fail.\n\nRepublics are based on auth ority coming from the bottom up\, not like monarchies from the top down.\n \nSo you require an educated\, virtuous-- they use that term over and over \, drawing it from antiquity-- virtuous population to sustain a republican government.\n\nVoice: Our sister states of Pennsylvania and New York have long subsisted without any established religion at all.\n\nThey have made the happy discovery that the way to silence religious disputes is to take no notice of them.\n\nLet us\, too\, give this experiment fair play.\n\nT homas Jefferson.\n\n♪ Voice: To Lord Germain\, I have the honor to infor m your Lordship that the enemy were dislodged from Ticonderoga and Mount I ndependence\, and were driven\, on the same day\, beyond Skenesborough on the right and to Hubbardton on the left.\n\nGeneral John Burgoyne.\n\n♪ Narrator: The armies had been moving at a dizzying pace.\n\nBurgoyne's for ces had reached Skenesborough by July 9th\, but they had now outrun their gigantic supply train.\n\nBurgoyne decided to send his guns by water\, sou th on Lake George.\n\nBut his men were to march through the woods to Fort Edward on the east bank of the Hudson just 23 miles away.\n\nGeneral Phili p Schuyler\, commander of the Continental Army's Northern Department\, sen t axmen into the woods to slow Burgoyne's overland advance.\n\nHe would le t the forest fight for him.\n\nThe narrow path between Skenesborough and F ort Edward ran along a twisting stream called Wood Creek.\n\nThe Americans felled trees every few feet on both sides of the road so that their tangl ed branches made the path impassable\; they also destroyed some 40 crude b ridges that crossed and recrossed the creek and used boulders to flood the boggy ground that surrounded it.\n\nIt would take Burgoyne's men three ex hausting weeks to turn the path into a road their wagons could navigate.\n \nAnd he was still a long way from his main objective--Albany.\n\n♪ Voic e: O the American war!\n\nI heard\, I saw\, I felt\, smelled\, and tasted its woes for ninety-two long months: famines\, sores\, sicknesses\, plague s\, battles\; houses ransacked and burned\; towns depopulated\; gardens ma de graves.\n\nRoger Lamb.\n\nNarrator: Among the men in Burgoyne's army wa s Irish-born Corporal Roger Lamb\, who kept his memories alive in watercol ors and in print.\n\n♪ By now\, 400 more Native Americans from the Great Lakes-- Fox\, Menominee\, Ojibwe\, Potawatomi\, Sauk\, and Ho-Chunk-- had joined Burgoyne.\n\nHis Indian allies attacked retreating Patriot forces. \n\nIn one instance\, they killed 22 men and scalped their corpses to terr ify those sent out in search of them.\n\nVoice: This strikes a panic in ou r men which is not to be wondered at\, when we consider the hazards they r un by being fired at from quarters\, and the woods so thick they can't see three yards before them\, and then to hear the cursed war whoop\, which m akes the woods ring for miles.\n\nGeneral John Glover.\n\nNarrator: Settle rs were attacked\, too\, with little regard for their loyalties.\n\nA youn g woman named Jane McCrea\, on her way to meet her Loyalist fiancé\, was killed.\n\nAnd when her scalp was brought into Burgoyne's camp\, he threat ened to hang the perpetrator.\n\nDeloria: We don't really know much about Jane McCrea.\n\nShe seems to have had reddish-brown hair and been an avera ge person.\n\nBut very quickly\, Jane McCrea becomes a blonde and she has very long\, beautiful hair.\n\nAnd she's pure and fair.\n\nAnd she's been plucked out of life right in her prime.\n\nDarren Bonaparte: It was just t oo captivating and tragic and scary a thing.\n\nThat became part of the pr opaganda aspect of the war.\n\nIt was used against us.\n\nDeloria: What ha ppens is the American propagandists are not simply attacking Indians\; the y're using it to attack the British themselves and British policy.\n\nIt's that the British sponsor Indian warfare that kills Jane McCrea\, and that becomes a very\, very powerful piece of cultural argument.\n\nNarrator: H undreds of Patriot soldiers continued to flee southward.\n\nBy the end of July 1777\, most of what was left of the American forces in the area had w ithdrawn to Saratoga\, a small cluster of houses north of Albany.\n\nVoice : To General Washington\, our army is weak in numbers.\n\nI foresee that a ll this part of the country will soon be in their power unless we are spee dily and largely reinforced.\n\nGeneral Schuyler.\n\nNarrator: Washington had been shocked to learn of Ticonderoga's fall\, but he also shared Natha nael Greene's view that \"General Burgoyne's triumphs \"may serve to bait his vanity and lead him on to his total ruin.\"\n\nTo try to bring on that ruin\, Washington took a calculated risk and sent some of his best office rs north-- General Benedict Arnold\, whose \"conduct and bravery\" he grea tly admired\, as well as Colonel Daniel Morgan and his sharpshooting front iersmen from Virginia.\n\nVoice: General Washington is certainly a most su rprising man\, one of nature's geniuses\, a heaven-born general if there i s any of that sort.\n\nThat a Negro-driver should\, with a ragged banditti of undisciplined people\, the scum and refuse of all nations on Earth\, s o long keep a British general at bay-- it is astonishing.\n\nIt is too muc h.\n\nNicholas Cresswell.\n\nNarrator: Burgoyne remained confident he woul d capture Albany.\n\nHe assured Lord Germain that the obstacles the Patrio ts were placing in the path of his army were merely acts of \"desperation and folly.\"\n\nHe had once hoped to join forces with General Howe on the Hudson River\, but Howe was already headed for Philadelphia.\n\n♪ Man: G eneral Howe can't go overland through New Jersey because the Americans are strong enough that they could really harass the column that he has to sen d down there.\n\nSo\, he decides to send his force by ship.\n\nNarrator: W ith favorable winds\, it should have taken the fleet a little over a week. \n\nBut winds died or blew the wrong way.\n\nLightning storms split masts and ripped sails.\n\nWater and provisions ran low.\n\nInstead of trying to sail up the Delaware River under Patriot guns\, the British would go stil l further south and approach Philadelphia via the Chesapeake Bay.\n\nVoice : I wish we could but fix upon their object.\n\nTheir conduct is really so mysterious that you cannot reason upon it so as to form any certain concl usions.\n\n[Washington] Narrator: When Washington finally got word that th e British had entered the Chesapeake\, he realized where they were headed and hurried his army to defend Philadelphia.\n\n♪ Voice: I think there c an be no doubt that Howe aims at this place.\n\nHe gives us an opportunity of exerting the strength of all the middle states against him\, while New York and New England are destroying Burgoyne.\n\nNow is the time.\n\nNeve r was so good an opportunity for my countrymen to turn out and crush that vaporing\, blustering bully to atoms.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\n[Crows cawing] Nar rator: By early August\, General Burgoyne was in trouble.\n\nHe had reache d the Hudson at Fort Edward\, but he was still 50 miles from Albany.\n\nHe would press on\, but to do that\, he needed more provisions.\n\nWhen he h eard that only a handful of militia were guarding a sizable rebel depot at Bennington\, he ordered nearly 800 men-- British\, German\, Native-Americ an\, French-Canadian\, and Loyalist troops-- to seize it.\n\n[Bagpipe musi c] The men spoke at least five different languages.\n\nTheir commander\, L ieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum\, was certain his disciplined forces had nothing to fear from what he called \"uncouth militia.\"\n\nBaer: Baum doe s not know English.\n\nHe doesn't really know the terrain.\n\nThere is som e confusion about where they're going\, who they're dealing with.\n\nThey go out towards Bennington\, and they are met by a large number of American s that had assembled there that they just had not anticipated.\n\nNarrator : There were far more than \"a handful\" of militiamen\; some 1\,800 New E nglanders and New Yorkers were waiting for them.\n\nFour miles west of Ben nington\, Colonel Baum spread his force in a wide arc with two strong poin ts-- a hastily-built redoubt atop a forested 300-foot hill in the center\, manned by British and German troops\, and a second redoubt on a less loft y hill defended by John Peters\, who had led his Queen's Loyal Rangers sou th from Canada back to near his old home in Vermont.\n\nOn August 16th\, a t 3:00 in the afternoon\, the Patriot commander\, John Stark of New Hampsh ire-- a hard-fighting veteran of Breed's Hill\, Trenton\, and Princeton-- sent his men forward.\n\n[Musket fire\, soldiers shouting] Narrator: The G ermans were quickly outflanked and outnumbered.\n\nBaum urged his dragoons to try to cut their way out through the swarming militia.\n\nMoments late r he fell\, mortally wounded.\n\nMeanwhile\, in and around the Loyalist re doubt\, old friends battled one another.\n\nVoice: As the rebels were comi ng up\, I observed a man fire at me\, which I returned.\n\nHe loaded again as he came up crying out\, \"Peters\, you damned Tory\, I have got you.\" \n\nI saw that it was a rebel captain\, Jeremiah Post\, an old schoolfello w and playmate and a cousin of my wife's.\n\nHe rushed on me with his bayo net\, which entered just below my left breast but was turned by the bone.\ n\nThough his bayonet was in my body\, I felt regret at being obliged to d estroy him.\n\n[Weapon fires] Colonel John Peters\, Queen's Loyal Rangers. \n\n[Musket fire] Narrator: All afternoon\, the battle went back and forth .\n\nThe Patriots eventually prevailed.\n\nWounded and with his son by his side\, John Peters led the survivors of his regiment back to Burgoyne's A rmy.\n\nFew of Colonel Baum's men escaped death\, injury\, or capture.\n\n Prisoners were packed into the Bennington Meeting House\, many badly wound ed.\n\nVoice: They were in all stages of suffering\, and some were dying.\ n\nSome of their fellow soldiers who were less seriously wounded would go to a dying comrade\, and\, kneeling by his side\, would clasp their hands\ , bow their heads\, and swaying their bodies up and down\, would mutter pr ayers in their own language.\n\nAnd when death came to him\, they would pa ss to another.\n\n[Woman] Narrator: At Bennington\, Burgoyne had lost near ly 15% of his army\, and he had accomplished nothing.\n\nAssurances about the near universality of Loyalist sentiments were dead wrong.\n\nVoice: Th e country now abounds in the most active and most rebellious race of the c ontinent\, and hangs like a gathering storm upon my left.\n\n[Burgoyne] ♪ Voice: Resolved that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes \, alternate red and white\, that the union be thirteen stars\, white in a blue field\, representing a new constellation.\n\n[The Flag Resolution] ♪ Narrator: During a short meeting devoted mostly to fiscal matters\, t he Continental Congress had called for a new flag to represent their new c ountry.\n\nBut two years later\, the committee of Congress overseeing the Army still regretted that there was as yet no \"national standard.\"\n\nSo me militia companies and privateers designed their own banners and had the ir wives and daughters make them.\n\nAlthough artists often included the S tars and Stripes in their postwar romantic renderings of Revolutionary eve nts\, it is not known ever actually to have been flown by the Continental Army above a battlefield\, nor does anyone know who made the first one.\n\ n♪ Voice: We know the Indians now to have the highest notions of liberty of any people on Earth-- a people who will never consider consequences wh en they think their liberty likely to be invaded\, though it may end in th eir ruin.\n\nGeorge Croghan.\n\nNarrator: The Haudenosaunee was a centurie s-old union comprised of the Six Nations-- Seneca\, Cayuga\, Onondaga\, Tu scarora\, Oneida\, and Mohawk.\n\nEach was allowed to act in its own inter est\, but they were expected to act together in matters affecting them all .\n\nThey likened their confederacy to a \"great longhouse.\"\n\nThe Senec as were the keepers of its western door\, the Mohawks--the eastern door.\n \nAt the center was Onondaga\, where representatives met around the Great Council Fire.\n\nMan: Normally you hammer things out until everybody says\ , \"OK\, this is what we will do.\"\n\nAnd that had endured\, right?\n\nBa ttered and bruised and bombarded through colonial wars and all the rest of it.\n\nThat had endured.\n\nAnd then the Revolution occurs.\n\n[Cannon fi ring] Bonaparte: For us\, the Mohawk people\, it was survival.\n\nPeriod.\ n\nAnd you didn't know which side was going to be the best choice.\n\nWe k ind of gravitated mostly to the British because they had kind of won our r espect\, beating the French\, and pretty much having our interests when th ey dealt with the regular colonists.\n\nVoice: The disturbances in America give great trouble to all our nations.\n\nThe Mohawks\, our particular na tion\, have on all occasions shown their zeal and loyalty to the Great Kin g.\n\nThayendanegea.\n\nNarrator: No Mohawk man identified more closely wi th the British than Thayendanegea\, who was also known as Joseph Brant.\n\ nHis sister Molly had married the British superintendent of Indian affairs \, and her connections helped Brant make his name among the English.\n\nHe had fought for the Crown in the French and Indian War at 15\, attended an English mission school\, and\, in 1776\, traveled to London\, where he re affirmed his people's loyalty to Britain in an audience with King George I II.\n\nMany of the Indian people in this time are kind of anonymous to us in some ways because we don't have accurate representations of them\, but one of the major exceptions is Joseph Brant\, who had his portrait painted not once but many\, many times.\n\nThis is the 18th century.\n\nNot just anybody got their portrait painted.\n\nTo have your portrait painted multi ple times was unusual.\n\nI think he controlled his space.\n\n\"I confound your stereotypical images of savage Indians.\"\n\nNarrator: Brant had fou ght against the Patriots at the Battle of Long Island\, then began traveli ng from town to town within the Six Nations\, urging the young men to join him.\n\nIt was imperative\, he told them\, to \"defend\" our \"lands and liberty against the rebels \"who\, in a great measure\, began the rebellio n to be sole Masters of the Continent.\"\n\nBut suspicious of the way Bran t seemed to move between the Indian and British worlds\, more traditional leaders resented this minor chief's ambition to lead them into war\, and p referred to hold back until it seemed clear Britain was headed for victory .\n\nAnd so\, when Brant assembled his armed Volunteers\, only a handful w ere from the Six Nations.\n\nPerhaps 80% of them were Loyalist settlers di sguised as Indians.\n\n♪ In early August\, Brant's men were with British forces as they initiated the second part of Burgoyne's grand scheme to se ize the Hudson and cut off the New England states.\n\nThey started by layi ng siege to Fort Stanwix\, a Patriot outpost far west on the Mohawk River\ , a crucial meeting place that connected the Great Lakes with the East.\n\ nThe British had believed the fort was only thinly defended and in disrepa ir.\n\nActually\, it was held by some 600 Continental soldiers\, and they had been strengthening the fortifications at the urging of some Oneidas\, who made their homes in the valley and did not share Joseph Brant's enthus iasm for the Crown.\n\nThe American Revolution was about to plunge the onc e-united Six Nations into a civil war of their own.\n\nCalloway: Many Onei das were closer to the Americans.\n\nSome are intermarried.\n\nOneida peop le were\, in many cases\, surrounded by American colonists.\n\nNarrator: W hen an 800-man Patriot militia column commanded by General Nicholas Herkim er reached Oriska\, an Oneida settlement on Oriskany Creek just eight mile s from the embattled Fort Stanwix\, sixty Oneida chiefs and warriors joine d them.\n\nThey were ready to fight alongside their White neighbors and he lp thwart the British invasion.\n\nJoseph Brant and his men were waiting f or them\, alongside hundreds of other Mohawks\, Senecas\, and Loyalists.\n \n[Woman singing in Native American language on soundtrack] On the morning of August 6\, 1777\, as Herkimer's long column filed into a ravine and be gan splashing across a stream\, Loyalists fired from above\, while hundred s of Native Americans allied with the British ran down among the startled men\, wielding tomahawks\, clubs\, and scalping knives.\n\n♪ Bonaparte: It was a slaughter.\n\nIt was horrific what happened.\n\nAnd even the Nati ve people who survived the war said they'd never experienced anything like that.\n\n♪ Narrator: Perhaps as many as 400 Patriot militia lay dead\, including some 30 of their Oneida allies.\n\nAlmost 100 of the British for ces had been killed or wounded\, 65 of whom were Indians.\n\nThe Mohawks a nd Senecas were accustomed to warfare that yielded far fewer casualties\, and were stunned.\n\nVoice: There\, I have seen the most dead bodies all o ver it that I never did see\, and never will again.\n\nI thought\, at the time\, the bloodshed a stream running down on the descending ground.\n\nAn d yet some living crying for help\, but have no mercy on to be spared of t hem.\n\nChainbreaker.\n\n♪ Bonaparte: We look back on the Battle of Oris kany as one of those points where the Longhouse seemed to be burning-- the all-time worst-case scenario\, where we're actually killing each other in combat.\n\nFor what?\n\nFor what?\n\nFor somebody else can claim our land ?\n\n[Musket fire] Narrator: Fort Stanwix continued to hold out.\n\nBritis h artillery proved too light to damage the fort's reinforced walls.\n\nThe n word came that General Benedict Arnold and a large force of Continentals were on their way to break the siege.\n\nBritain's Native American allies decided to go home.\n\nThey wanted time to mourn their dead.\n\nWithout t hem\, the cause was lost.\n\nThe British withdrew their remaining forces a nd returned to Canada.\n\nThe other army Burgoyne had once hoped would mee t him at Albany would not be there.\n\nMeanwhile\, General Horatio Gates\, the new commander of the Continental Army's Northern Department\, was met hodically gathering his forces near the village of Saratoga to stop Burgoy ne.\n\n♪ [Horse clopping] Voice: Philadelphia is the asylum of the disaf fected.\n\nThe very air is contagious.\n\nThe Quakers in general are wolve s in sheep's clothing.\n\nAnd while they shelter themselves under the pret ext of contentious scruples\, they are the more dangerous.\n\nPhilip Schuy ler.\n\nNarrator: Philadelphia may have been the place where the Patriots were trying to form a national government\, but its citizens were deeply d ivided.\n\nI think one of the really great examples of the difficulties of any kind of sort of neutral place is what happens to the Quakers over the course of the war.\n\nThe Quakers are famously pacifist.\n\nAnd that's no t good enough in Revolutionary America.\n\nNarrator: When the first annive rsary of American independence was celebrated in the city that July\, Patr iots had called upon homeowners to place candles in their windows as a sym bol of fidelity to the cause.\n\nThomas and Sarah Fisher's home on Second Street remained dark that evening\, and suffered fifteen broken windows.\n \nThe Fishers were Quakers and therefore officially neutral.\n\nTheir fait h\, one believer explained\, held that \"setting up and putting down of ki ngs and governments is God's peculiar prerogative.\"\n\nPatriots routinely raided their shops and warehouses to supply the Continental Army.\n\nBut the Fishers were defiant: they would not accept Continental money or pay a ny tax that supported the war\, and they refused to denounce King George I II.\n\nOn August 23rd\, the Fishers rode out to Stenton\, Sarah's family's country estate near Germanton.\n\nVoice: On the road\, we heard the disag reeable news that Washington's army is to march that way.\n\nWe met number s of wagons and light horsemen\, and\, on our getting to Stenton\, found G eneral Washington's bodyguard had taken possession of our house.\n\nThey b ehaved civil\, were very quiet.\n\nAnd Washington appeared extremely grave and thoughtful.\n\n[Sarah Fisher] ♪ Narrator: On August 24th\, Washingt on paraded his men through the streets of Philadelphia.\n\nHe hoped to per suade its citizens that his army would be able to defend them.\n\nMany in the crowd cheered\; others remained stone-faced.\n\nAmong the officers rid ing alongside Washington that day was a Frenchman\, Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier-- the Marquis de Lafayette.\n\nCongress had just m ade him a major general.\n\nHe was just nineteen years old.\n\nVoice: The welfare of America is intimately bound up with the happiness of humanity.\ n\nShe is going to become the deserving and sure refuge of virtue\, of hon esty\, of tolerance\, of equality\, and of a tranquil liberty.\n\n[Lafayet te] Woman: Lafayette comes without a word of English but just with a sense that the American continent is the continent on which he will make his na me\, on which he stakes his glory\, and with a willingness to essentially do anything that needs to be done for the sake of American independence.\n \nNarrator: Europe was momentarily at peace\, and Lafayette was just one o f many young officers-- from France\, Bavaria\, Prussia\, and Poland-- all eager to show what they could do on the battlefield in the New World.\n\n But Lafayette stood out.\n\nHe was so rich\, he bought the ship in which h e and a dozen other would-be officers had crossed the ocean.\n\nThe young man's military experience was minimal\, but his father had been killed by British artillery when he was two.\n\n\"To injure England is to serve my c ountry\,\" he said.\n\nAnd he was determined to become a real major genera l\, commanding a division of his own.\n\nde Rode: To George Washington\, L afayette was interesting.\n\nHe had personal money with him that he could invest to buy uniforms\, to buy supplies.\n\nHe had a very important netwo rk at the French Court because he was\, himself\, from a very powerful fam ily.\n\nSo\, if he could advocate for the cause of the American Revolution in France\, it could create very important support from Versailles.\n\nNa rrator: Washington liked him from the first\, but would not consider givin g him a command until he had seen how he fared in battle.\n\nUntil then\, he said\, Lafayette was to join his staff\, to consider himself part of hi s military family.\n\n♪ Voice: I feel in a most painful situation betwee n hope and fear.\n\nThere must be fighting and very bloody battles\, too\, I apprehend.\n\nWhy is man called humane when he delights so much in bloo d\, slaughter\, and devastation?\n\nEven those who are styled civilized na tions think this little spot worth contending for\, even to blood.\n\nAbig ail Adams.\n\n♪ Narrator: On August 25th\, after five miserable weeks at sea\, General Howe's 16\,000-man army finally began to disembark near the mouth of the Elk River in Maryland.\n\nAtkinson: This is in the middle of the summer.\n\nIt's broiling hot.\n\nThese men have been on the ships for weeks.\n\nThe horses are dying by the scores.\n\nBut they disembark at th e head of the Chesapeake Bay.\n\nAnd now they're looking for the Americans .\n\nVoice: Almost every movement of the war in North America is an act of enterprise\, clogged with innumerable difficulties.\n\nA knowledge of the country\, intersected\, as it everywhere is\, by woods\, mountains\, wate rs\, or morasses\, cannot be obtained with any degree of precision.\n\nGen eral William Howe.\n\nNarrator: To block the enemy's advance on Philadelph ia\, George Washington interposed his 14\,000-man army along Brandywine Cr eek\, some 30 miles west of the city.\n\nThe bulk of his force guarded Cha d's Ford\, prepared to face Howe's army in the open.\n\nWashington made su re his men understood what was at stake.\n\nVoice: If the enemy is overthr own\, the war is at an end.\n\nOne bold stroke will free the land from dev astations and burnings.\n\nIf we behave like men\, this campaign will be o ur last.\n\n[Washington] Narrator: General Howe\, now encamped near the vi llage of Kennet Square\, was eager for a climactic battle\, too.\n\nHe did n't think he could end the rebellion at one blow\, but if he could destroy Washington's army and then seize Philadelphia\, he would surely make that objective much easier.\n\nHis plan was to divide his army and flank Washi ngton's\, just as he had on Long Island the previous summer.\n\nA little l ess than half his force\, commanded by the German General Knyphausen\, was to move toward Chad's Ford and keep Washington's army pinned down there\, braced for an all-out attack.\n\nMeanwhile\, the rest of General Howe's f orce\, led by General Cornwallis and Howe himself\, would move north as qu ietly as possible to attack the right flank of the rebel army.\n\nThat att ack was to be the signal for Knyphausen at Chad's Ford to storm across the Brandywine.\n\nIf all went as planned\, General Howe would be able to tra p Washington's army between the two forces.\n\nWashington\, again\, misrea ds the ground.\n\nHe has made tactical errors earlier in the war at the Ba ttle of Long Island\, and he makes another one at Brandywine.\n\nHe believ es that there are no fords up Brandywine Creek that the British can get ac ross securely to outflank the Americans.\n\nThat's not true.\n\nThere are fords up there.\n\nThe British find them.\n\nThe British are well-informed .\n\nThere are a number of Loyalists who are acting as guides\; they're pr oviding information about the terrain\, about the topography\, about\, \"H ere on the map is where you can get around these American positions.\"\n\n ♪ Narrator: At daybreak on September 11\, 1777\, Generals Howe and Cornw allis set out on what would be a twisting seventeen-mile march to get behi nd the Americans.\n\nA dense morning fog screened their movements.\n\nGene ral Knyphausen and his column began moving east soon after\, along the Gre at Post Road toward Chad's Ford.\n\n[Cannon and musket fire] Forward eleme nts of the American Army had felled trees across the road.\n\nRiflemen hid den in the woods fired into the enemy's ranks.\n\nAmerican guns across the creek lobbed shells among them.\n\nBut by midmorning\, Knyphausen's men h ad driven the American advance troops back across the Brandywine\, ready t o storm across the creek when the signal was given.\n\nAt his headquarters \, General Washington was unsure what was happening.\n\nAnd so\, he settle d in for what he believed would be an all-out frontal assault across Chad' s Ford\, just as Howe wanted him to.\n\nMeanwhile\, Howe and Cornwallis' m en had waded across two waist-deep fords far upstream and marched for hour s in intense heat without a break.\n\nThe weary British and German troops halted on the bare slopes of Osborne's Hill to rest.\n\nThey stayed there long enough for Washington to finally learn of the coming attack on his fl ank and order three brigades to leave their positions along the river and form a defensive line at another hill on which the Birmingham Meeting Hous e stood: John Sullivan's men from Maryland and Delaware\, William Alexande r's from Pennsylvania and New Jersey\, and Adam Stephen's Virginians-- som e 3\,000 soldiers.\n\n[Cannon and musket fire] At around 4:00 in the after noon\, Howe ordered his much larger force forward in three perfectly disci plined columns.\n\nAmerican marksmen fired into them from an apple orchard .\n\nAmerican artillery tore through their ranks.\n\nThe redcoats kept com ing.\n\nSullivan's brigade broke and ran\, but the others held firm.\n\nVo ice: There was a most infernal fire of cannon and musketry\, the most ince ssant shouting.\n\n\"Incline to the right!\"\n\n\"Incline to the left!\"\n \n\"Halt!\"\n\n\"Fire!\"\n\n\"Charge!\"\n\nThe balls plowing up the ground .\n\nThe trees crackling over one's head.\n\nThe branches riven by the art illery.\n\nThe leaves falling as in autumn by the grapeshot.\n\n[British s oldier] [Soldiers shouting] Man: A battle like Brandywine saw suffering at every corner.\n\nIt was a hellscape in so many different ways.\n\nCannonb alls ripping through the forest\; splinters killing men\, just taking off arms\, legs.\n\n[Cannons firing] Narrator: The outnumbered Americans were driven back five times\, and five times managed to surge forward again bef ore they finally broke.\n\nHad General Nathanael Greene and his reinforcem ents not raced some four miles in less than forty-five minutes to cover th eir retreat\, it might have become a rout.\n\nBack at Chad's Ford\, the so und of the fighting on Birmingham Hill had been the signal for General Kny phausen to send his army streaming across the Brandywine.\n\nThe remaining Patriots could not hold.\n\nWashington ordered a retreat.\n\n♪ Night fe ll.\n\nGeneral Howe lamented that if he had more time\, he could have brou ght about the rebel army's \"total overthrow.\"\n\nAtkinson: The Americans \, only by the grace of darkness\, get away.\n\nThe British can't chase th em any further in the dark.\n\nIt's a serious defeat for the Americans.\n\ nIt is going to open the gateway toward Philadelphia.\n\n♪ Voice: We exp erienced another drubbing.\n\nBut we did\, I think\, as well as could be e xpected.\n\nI saw not a despairing look\, nor did I hear a despairing word .\n\nWe had our solacing words always ready for each other: \"Come\, boys\ , we shall do better another time.\"\n\nSuch was the spirit of the times.\ n\nCaptain Enoch Anderson.\n\n♪ Narrator: The spirit of the times was no t universal\, as Washington's beaten army stumbled through the dark.\n\nHu ndreds of men melted away into the countryside and headed home\, making an accurate count of casualties impossible.\n\nBut more than 1\,000 American s are thought to have been killed\, wounded\, or taken captive during the Battle of Brandywine\, roughly twice as many casualties as the British had suffered.\n\nVoice: Our Americans\, after holding firm for considerable t ime\, were finally routed.\n\nWhile I was trying to rally them\, the Engli sh honored me with a musket shot\, which wounded me slightly in the leg.\n \nBut the wound is nothing.\n\nThe ball hit neither bone nor nerve\, and a ll I have to do for it is to lie on my back for a while.\n\nMarquis de Laf ayette.\n\n♪ [Waves breaking\, ship's rigging creaking] Voice: I needed all my courage and tenderness to keep my resolution of following my husban d.\n\nBesides the perils of the sea\, I was told that we would be exposed to be eaten by the savages\, and that people in America lived upon horse f lesh and cats.\n\nBaroness Friederike Riedesel.\n\nNarrator: When German G eneral Friedrich Adolph Riedesel left Europe in 1776 to join General Burgo yne's northern campaign\, he had left his pregnant wife and two small daug hters at home.\n\nBut as soon as she could\, after her third daughter was born\, Baroness Riedesel crossed the Atlantic with all three girls.\n\nIn mid-August\, she caught up with her husband and Burgoyne's army at Fort Ed ward.\n\nVoice: In the beginning\, all went well.\n\nWe cherished the swee t hope of a sure victory and of coming into the promised land.\n\nAnd when on the passage across the Hudson\, General Burgoyne exclaimed\, \"The Eng lish never lose ground\,\" our spirits were greatly exhilarated.\n\n[Baron ess Riedesel] Narrator: On September 13\, 1777\, two days after Washington 's defeat at the Battle of the Brandywine\, General Burgoyne's army in New York began streaming across the Hudson near Saratoga on a bridge of boats covered with planks.\n\nOfficers and men\, women\, children\, horses\, ca ttle\, wagons\, field-pieces-- it took three days for it all to cross.\n\n Waiting for them some 10 miles south of Saratoga were General Horatio Gate s' 6\,900 Continentals and 1\,300 militia\, dug in along Bemis Heights\, a broad plateau anchored on the right by the Hudson River and sheltered on the left by craggy wooded bluffs.\n\nColonel Tadeusz Kosciuszko\, a Polish volunteer for the Americans\, had chosen the site and laid out brigade en campments\, breastworks\, and artillery emplacements all along the Heights for 3/4 of a mile.\n\nPatriot cannon commanded the river road to Albany.\ n\nOfficers had a clear view of the rough terrain across which the British would have to march-- deep ravines and dense woods\, broken here and ther e by half-cleared farmers' fields.\n\nMost of Burgoyne's Native scouts had left him by now\, so while he knew the Americans were somewhere ahead of him\, he had no way of knowing how many they were or precisely how they we re positioned.\n\nOn September 19th\, he resolved to find out and then try to drive through the rebel lines.\n\nHe divided his force into three colu mns.\n\nScottish General Simon Fraser\, with nearly 3\,000 troops\, set ou t to pinpoint his enemy's flank\, hoping to locate high ground from which to fire on the rebels.\n\n2\,200 soldiers under German General Riedesel ap proached along the river road.\n\nBurgoyne himself led the middle column-- some 1\,700 soldiers--to assault what he guessed was the center of the Am erican lines.\n\nWatching from Bemis Heights\, General Gates was content t o wait.\n\nThis was his first battlefield command\, and he was a careful\, cautious man.\n\nBoth Fraser's and Riedesel's columns stalled\, but Burgo yne's men managed to make it through the forest to a clearing named Freema n's Farm\, where General Benedict Arnold and Daniel Morgan's riflemen went out to engage them.\n\n[Musket fire] Atkinson: General Burgoyne asks for reinforcements.\n\nRiedesel\, who's a very fine commander\, immediately se nds some reinforcements up from the river to hit the Americans in the Amer ican right flank.\n\nAnd this successfully stops the American momentum.\n\ nThis First Battle of Saratoga\, the Battle of Freeman Farm\, it's a draw\ , basically.\n\nYou can say that the British have been successful in that they have held onto the ground\, but for the most part\, it's inconclusive .\n\nNarrator: Burgoyne had not located the main rebel positions on Bemis Heights\, and had lost 591 men\, nearly twice as many as the Patriots had lost\, and\, unlike General Gates\, Burgoyne had no realistic prospect of replacing them.\n\n♪ Voice: I was an eyewitness of the whole affair and shivered at every shot\, for I could hear everything.\n\nI saw a great num ber of wounded.\n\nAnd what was still more harrowing\, they even brought t hree of them into the house where I was.\n\n[Baroness Riedesel] ♪ Woman: Imagine what a battlefield looks like after a battle.\n\nIt has a lot of bodies.\n\nIt has a lot of blood and gore.\n\nAnd it was the job of women to go in and take care of those bodies\, to clean them up\, to identify th em\, if they could\, to see over the burial of bodies.\n\nPart of the work of war is dealing with death.\n\nVoice: Although we repulsed them with lo ss\, we ourselves were much weakened.\n\nThe bodies of the slain were scar cely covered with the clay.\n\nAnd the only tribute of respect to fallen o fficers was to bury them by themselves\, without throwing them in the comm on grave.\n\nSo destruction comes with rapid wings\, and ruin rushes on li ke a whirlwind to sweep the best officers\, and sometimes almost entire ba ttalions\, from their strongest foundations.\n\nRoger Lamb.\n\n♪ Voice: Harassed and exhausted by perpetual change from bad to worse\, my poor aff licted mother consented to go beyond the mountains to Winchester.\n\nIt wa s indeed a new world to us-- rude and wild as nature had made it.\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\n♪ Narrator: Betsy Ambler and her family from Yorktown\, Virg inia\, had been on the move since the war began\, trying to find a place t hat suited her mother's frail health and was safe from the British.\n\nFor decades\, Winchester\, Virginia\, in the Shenandoah Valley\, had been an important waystation on the Great Wagon Road that settlers followed throug h the backcountry from Philadelphia to the Carolinas.\n\nBecause it was so far inland\, Winchester served new purposes: it was a relatively safe pla ce for storing military supplies and materiel\; a safe haven for refugees\ ; and a place to house prisoners of war.\n\nSuspected Loyalists were often exiled to Winchester\, too.\n\nVoice: We not unfrequently made acquaintan ce with agreeable men who were condemned to banishment in this dreary plac e on account of \"disaffection\,\" as it was called\, to the great cause o f liberty.\n\nAmongst those proscribed\, genteel Quakers from Philadelphia were numerous.\n\n[Ambler] Narrator: One of those Quakers was Sarah Fishe r's husband Thomas.\n\nAs British troops advanced on Philadelphia\, Congre ss and the local authorities had convinced themselves that he and seven ot her wealthy Quakers were communicating with the enemy.\n\nThey had them ar rested\, and when they again refused to swear allegiance to the new govern ment\, loaded them into wagons and sent them off under guard to Winchester .\n\n♪ Now alone in Philadelphia\, Sarah Fisher had two small boys to ca re for and was nearly eight months' pregnant.\n\nVoice: I feel forlorn and desolate\, and the world appears like a dreary desert\, almost without an y visible protecting hand to guard us from the ravenous wolves and lions t hat prowl about for prey\, seeking to devour those harmless innocents that don't go hand-in-hand with them in their cruelty and rapine.\n\n[Fisher] Narrator: Her husband's only crime\, Sarah Fisher said\, was that he saw h imself as a subject of Britain.\n\nBut she was cheered to see that rebels and their sympathizers\, including all the members of the Continental Cong ress\, were now fleeing the city in fear of the enemy's approach after the American defeat at Brandywine.\n\nVoice: People in very great confusion\, some flying one way and some another\, as if not knowing where to go or w hat to do.\n\nWagons rattling\, horses galloping\, women running\, childre n crying\, delegates flying\, and altogether the greatest consternation\, fright\, and terror that can be imagined.\n\n[Fisher] ♪ Narrator: George Washington still hoped somehow to keep the British from occupying Philade lphia.\n\nHe ordered General Anthony Wayne and his Pennsylvania division t o attack the rear of the advancing army.\n\nBut local Loyalists alerted Ge neral Howe that Wayne and his men were camped near the Paoli Tavern\, and he sent 1\,700 soldiers to deal with them.\n\n♪ As they approached throu gh the woods on the night of September 20th\, they were ordered to remove the flints from their muskets for fear someone's gun would go off and aler t the sleeping rebels.\n\nThey fixed bayonets and exploded out of the tree s with what a British officer remembered: \"such a cheer as made the wood echo.\"\n\n[Sound of musket fire\, bayonets stabbing\, soldiers shouting] Voice: The light infantry bayoneted every man they came up with.\n\nAnd th e cries of the wounded formed altogether one of the most dreadful scenes I ever beheld.\n\nEvery man that fired was instantly put to death.\n\nLieut enant Martin Hunter.\n\nNarrator: At least 53 Patriots were stabbed to dea th\, and more than 200 were wounded or captured.\n\nAmericans would rememb er it as the Paoli Massacre.\n\nWashington gave up hope of holding Philade lphia.\n\n♪ Six days after the massacre\, September 26\, 1777\, General Cornwallis led 3\,000 victorious British troops into Philadelphia.\n\nVoic e: About 10 o'clock\, the troops began to enter.\n\nA band of music played a tune\, which I afterwards understood was called \"God save Great George Our King.\"\n\nThen followed the soldiers\, no wanton levity\, or indecen t mirth\, but a gravity well becoming the occasion on all their faces.\n\n Sarah Fisher.\n\nNarrator: General Howe\, with 8\,000 more troops camped i n Germanton\, made his headquarters at Stenton\, Sarah Fisher's country ho me that had only a few weeks before been occupied by George Washington.\n\ nAt Brandywine\, General Howe had repeated the tactics that had won the Ba ttle of Long Island.\n\nNow Washington hoped to repeat his successful surp rise attack on Trenton by hitting Howe at Germanton in early October.\n\nW ashington's plan was ambitious and complicated.\n\nSuccess would depend on dividing his 11\,000-man force into four separate columns to undertake mi les-long marches at night on poorly marked roads so as to arrive simultane ously on the town's northern and western edges at precisely 5 A.M.\n\non O ctober 4th.\n\nThen\, at dawn\, they were to storm into town on four diffe rent roads.\n\nIt would be the first time during the Revolution that Washi ngton dared hurl his army against the main British force.\n\n[Musket fire] John Sullivan's and Anthony Wayne's columns swiftly swept aside British p ickets north of the town.\n\nWayne's men found themselves face-to-face wit h the British Light Infantry\, the same soldiers who had massacred so many of their comrades at Paoli just two weeks earlier.\n\nVoice: Our people p ushed on with their bayonets and took ample vengeance for that night's wor k.\n\nThe rage and fury of the soldiers were not to be restrained.\n\n[Gen eral Anthony Wayne] Narrator: The Americans continued to push the British back through the town\, driving them from one fenced yard to the next.\n\n Voice: Fortune smiled on our arms.\n\nThe enemy were broke\, dispersed\, a nd flying in all quarters.\n\nWe were in possession of their whole encampm ent.\n\n[Wayne] Narrator: In the face of the advancing Americans\, British Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Musgrave ordered half his regiment-- between 10 0 and 120 soldiers-- to duck inside the largest house in Germanton\, the h ome of Benjamin Chew\, the Loyalist ex-chief justice of Pennsylvania.\n\nI ts walls were two feet thick.\n\nMusgrave directed his men to block the do or and ground-floor windows with furniture.\n\nDownstairs\, his men were t o bayonet anyone who dared try to enter while others fired into the passin g rebels from the upstairs windows.\n\nAtkinson: Washington is advised\, \ "Bypass them.\n\nGo around them.\n\nIsolate them.\n\nKeep the momentum goi ng.\"\n\nNarrator: But Henry Knox insisted that the house had to be taken right away.\n\n\"It would be unmilitary\,\" he said\, \"to leave a castle in our rear.\"\n\nWashington agreed.\n\n[Cannons firing] Artillery blew in the front door and damaged statuary in the garden\, but bounced harmlessl y off the walls.\n\nContinentals from New Jersey repeatedly stormed the ho use and were cut down on the lawn and front steps.\n\nAs the siege at the Chew House went on\, the bulk of the American force streamed past\, contin uing to drive the British back.\n\nA Patriot victory seemed likely.\n\nVoi ce: About this time came on perhaps the thickest fog known in the memory o f man\, which\, together with the smoke\, brought on almost midnight darkn ess.\n\nIt was not possible to distinguish friend from foe at five yards d istance.\n\n[Elias Dayton] Narrator: When the men who had penetrated the f arthest heard the furious gunfire still coming from the Chew House\, they believed the enemy had somehow gotten behind them.\n\nNow it was the Patri ots who began to fall back.\n\nGeneral Cornwallis himself led the countera ttack.\n\nHis troops freed Musgrave's men from the Chew House and drove th e Americans back along the roads they'd followed into town.\n\nThe British had won...again.\n\n♪ Voice: I rode over the battlefield\, and with sur prise and admiration approached the house\, which the brave Colonel Musgra ve had defended.\n\nDuring the battle\, some thirty defenders were killed and wounded.\n\nI counted seventy-five dead Americans.\n\nThe rooms of the house were riddled by cannonball and looked like a slaughterhouse because of the blood splattered around.\n\nThere\, the entire English army was sa ved.\n\nJohann Ewald.\n\nFor the Americans\, what had been a sure victory- - it looked like they were going to drive the British back into Philadelph ia--becomes a fairly significant defeat.\n\nWashington gets away again\, b ut there are hundreds of casualties.\n\nThe British capture quite a few Am ericans.\n\nAnd what had been a glorious morning turns into a very grim ev ening.\n\nNarrator: Reporting to Congress\, Washington tried to put the be st face he could on his humiliating defeat.\n\nVoice: Upon the whole\, it may be said the day was rather unfortunate than injurious.\n\nWe sustained no material loss of men and brought off all our artillery\, except one pi ece.\n\nThe enemy are nothing the better by the event.\n\nAnd our troops\, who are not in the least dispirited by it\, have gained what all young tr oops gain by being in actions.\n\n[Washington] He is very good at\, I thin k\, the key tactic for an insurrectionary force\, which is living to fight another day\, and successfully plays a long game of just not being crushe d.\n\nEllis: Washington's not a great field commander\, but he's resilient \, and he understands the kind of war he's fighting.\n\nAt some point\, he reaches the insight-- and it's a basic insight-- he doesn't have to win.\ n\nThe British have to win.\n\nHe only has not to lose.\n\n♪ Voice: The colonies had grown up under constitutions of government so different\, the re was so great a variety of religions\, they were composed of so many dif ferent nations\, their customs\, manners\, and habits had so little resemb lance\, their intercourse had been so rare\, and their knowledge of each o ther so imperfect that to unite them in the same principles of theory and the same system of action\, was certainly a very difficult enterprise.\n\n John Adams.\n\n♪ Narrator: After fleeing Philadelphia\, the Continental Congress reconvened in a small county courthouse in York\, Pennsylvania.\n \nThe delegates had taken just 27 days of discussion the previous year to declare American independence\, but it would take them 526 days to fashion the Articles of Confederation.\n\nThey were meant in part to demonstrate to France that the thirteen former colonies could act effectively together \, but the result was not a government.\n\nWoman: They needed to have a wa y to pay for wars\; they needed to run wars.\n\nThey needed to possess Nat ive lands\; they needed to redistribute those lands.\n\nBut the Articles h ad so much political compromise that it wasn't a functional centralized go vernment.\n\nNarrator: By design\, the Articles of Confederation were weak and constrained.\n\nEach state remained a more or less independent republ ic jealously guarding its own sovereignty and freedom.\n\nCongress had no power to tax\, which meant it couldn't pay the soldiers in the Continental Army.\n\nAnd before the Articles could even become operative\, they neede d to be ratified by all the states.\n\nThat would take another 39 months.\ n\n♪ Voice: The armies were so near that not a night passed without firi ng.\n\nNo foraging party could be made without great detachments to cover it.\n\nI do not believe either officer or soldier ever slept during that i nterval.\n\nGeneral John Burgoyne.\n\nNarrator: For eighteen days after th e Battle of Freeman's Farm near Saratoga\, the American and British armies strengthened their defenses and skirmished constantly but remained precis ely where they had been when the shooting stopped.\n\nMeanwhile\, Loyalist refugees continued to stream into the British camp\, forcing Burgoyne to reduce rations by a third.\n\nDesertions\, especially among German troops\ , rose so fast that Baron Riedesel promised his soldiers ten guineas for e very would-be deserter they brought back and five guineas if he had to be shot for resisting.\n\nAt 11:00 in the morning on October 7th\, Burgoyne l ed some 1\,500 men out of his camp and formed a long\, thin line across tw o unharvested wheat fields just west of Freeman's Farm\, redcoats on the r ight\, Germans in the center\, elite British grenadiers on the left.\n\nWh ile some of his men harvested the wheat his encampment desperately needed\ , Burgoyne and several of his officers climbed onto the roof of a log cabi n with spyglasses\, trying to see if there was a way around the rebel left .\n\nTall trees blocked them from seeing anything useful\, but Americans p atrolling the no man's land saw them.\n\n[Musket fire] Shots were exchange d.\n\nFrom Bemis Heights\, General Gates now ordered Daniel Morgan's corps and Brigadier General Enoch Poor's brigades to attack the British on both flanks.\n\nBritish General Fraser was killed.\n\nThe redcoats crumbled.\n \nThen Benedict Arnold galloped onto the battlefield.\n\nHe seemed to be e verywhere\, leading a charge against the British center\, racing between t he armies through a swarm of musket balls to rally another regiment so tha t they could sweep the defenders from two fortified cabins.\n\nHe urged th e exhausted men on to seize a redoubt manned by some 200 German grenadiers .\n\nVoice: You cannot conceive how men looked.\n\nAnd at first it appeare d to me that if the order came for us to march\, I could not do it.\n\nNat haniel Bacheller.\n\nNarrator: But when Arnold gave the order\, Bacheller and his comrades climbed to their feet and moved forward again\, shouting as they rushed toward the front of the redoubt.\n\nArnold rode around it\, forced his way inside\, and demanded that its defenders surrender.\n\nMos t did surrender or fled\, but one fired a musket ball that shattered Arnol d's left leg\, the same leg that had been wounded at Quebec two years befo re\, and killed his horse\, which fell on him.\n\nUnable to move\, Arnold continued to shout orders until the fighting died down and he could be car ried from the field.\n\n\"Arnold was our fighting general\,\" one of his m en remembered.\n\n\"He was as brave a man as ever lived.\"\n\nPhilbrick: I think it's safe to say that Benedict Arnold should be regarded as the her o of Saratoga.\n\nIt was really an aggressive move at the end that sealed the victory for the Americans.\n\nNarrator: The British stumbled back to S aratoga\, carrying their wounded with them.\n\n[Cannons firing] Voice: Oct ober 10th--Saratoga.\n\nA frightful cannonade began\, principally directed against the house in which we had sought shelter\, probably because the e nemy believed that all the generals made it their headquarters.\n\nAlas!\n \nIt harbored none but wounded soldiers or women.\n\nWe were finally oblig ed to take refuge in a cellar.\n\nMy children laid down on the earth with their heads upon my lap.\n\nMy own anguish prevented me from closing my ey es.\n\nEleven cannonballs went through the house\, and we could plainly he ar them rolling over our heads.\n\nOne poor soldier\, whose leg they were about to amputate\, had the other leg taken off by another cannonball in t he very middle of the operation.\n\n[Baroness Riedesel] [Cannons firing] N arrator: Militiamen continued to stream into Gates' army\, its numbers now swollen to 17\,000.\n\nBy October 13th\, the Americans had Burgoyne's arm y completely surrounded.\n\nVoice: Every hour\, the position of the army g rew more critical and the prospect of salvation grew less and less.\n\nEve n for the wounded\, no spot could be found which could afford them a safe shelter.\n\nThe sick and wounded would drag themselves along into a quiet corner in the woods\, and lie down to die.\n\nGeneral Riedesel.\n\n♪ Con way: Saratoga was a body blow to the British.\n\nIt was clear that all of the old assumptions\, that the British Army was a professional force that would sooner or later prevail over the amateurish Americans\, all those as sumptions were undermined.\n\nThe amateurish Americans had actually beaten the British.\n\nFor the British\, this was not just a military defeat\; i t was a psychological blow of very considerable proportions.\n\nNarrator: That afternoon\, Burgoyne gathered his staff.\n\nThey were trapped\, witho ut food or forage.\n\nThey voted to begin negotiations with General Gates. \n\n♪ For three days\, messages flew back and forth between the camps.\n \nVoice: During the time of the cessation of arms\, a soldier in the 9th R egiment named Maguire came down to the bank of the river with a number of his companions\, who engaged in conversation with a party of Americans on the opposite shore.\n\n♪ Maguire suddenly darted like lightning from his companions\, and resolutely plunged into the stream.\n\n[Water splashing] At the very same moment\, one of the American soldiers\, seized with a si milar impulse\, resolutely dashed into the water from the opposite shore.\ n\nThe wondering soldiers on both sides beheld them eagerly swim towards t he middle of the river\, where they met.\n\nThey hung on each other's neck s and wept.\n\nThey were brothers.\n\nOne was in the British and the other in the American service\, totally ignorant until that hour that they were engaged in hostile combat against each other's life.\n\nRoger Lamb.\n\n ♪ Narrator: On the morning of October 17th\, Gates' generous terms were accepted.\n\nHe and Burgoyne met between their respective lines and shook hands.\n\nBurgoyne presented his sword to Gates-- who handed it back\, as dictated by military custom.\n\nTo his dying day\, Burgoyne would blame ot hers for his defeat-- Lord Germain\, General Howe\, his Loyalist German an d Native allies-- everyone but himself.\n\nVoice: All the army gave up and surrendered themselves prisoners of war to our men.\n\nSuch a thing was n ever heard of.\n\nSuch a sight was never seen before\, so many men giving in to us.\n\nExult\, oh\, Americans and rejoice and praise the Lord\, who hath done wonderful things for you.\n\nEzra Tilden.\n\nNarrator: An entire British army had been forced to lay down its arms-- one lieutenant genera l\, two major generals\, three brigadiers\, 350 commissioned and staffed o fficers\, 5\,900 other ranks\, and some 600 women and children.\n\nAlong w ith them\, the Americans seized 30 artillery pieces\, 60 wagons\, 1\,500 s words\, 3\,400 bayonets\, and 4\,600 muskets and rifles.\n\nBurgoyne's Can adian and Loyalist auxiliaries were to be permitted to make their way nort h to Canada\, while more than 6\,000 British and German prisoners were to be marched to Boston and sent home from there to Europe\, pledged never to return.\n\nBut when they got there\, they learned that Congress had refus ed to ratify Gates' agreement with Burgoyne.\n\nAfter months housed in mak eshift camps\, they were sent south.\n\nVoice: I never had the least idea that the creation produced such a sordid set of creatures in human figure- - poor\, dirty\, emaciated men\, great numbers of women\, who seemed to be the beasts of burden\, and children\, some very young infants who were bo rn on the road.\n\nHannah Winthrop.\n\nNarrator: The prisoners would event ually be marched more than 600 miles to Charlottesville\, Virginia\, and s till later to other camps in Virginia\, Maryland\, and Pennsylvania.\n\nMa ny died.\n\nHundreds escaped.\n\nSome would rejoin the British army at New York\; others joined the Continental Army or simply disappeared into the populace.\n\nBy the time the remaining prisoners from Saratoga were releas ed in 1783\, only a few of the 6\,000 would be left.\n\n♪ [Distant bird cawing] Voice: Everything is almost gone of the vegetable kind\, butchers obliged to kill fine milk cows.\n\nOne woman walked two miles out of town only for an egg.\n\nSuch is the dreadful situation we are reduced to.\n\nS arah Fisher.\n\nNarrator: At first\, Philadelphia Loyalists had welcomed B ritish troops into their city.\n\nBut as it grew colder that autumn\, home owners would be forced to take officers into their homes\, whether they wa nted to or not and\, as Sarah Fisher wrote\, there were soon \"very bad ac counts \"of the licentiousness of the English officers deluding young girl s.\"\n\nSarah Fisher felt especially isolated and alone\, but she soon gav e birth to a baby daughter\, whom she named Hannah\, after her late mother .\n\nAmerican patrols made foraging in the surrounding countryside dangero us for British troops.\n\nProvisions grew increasingly scarce.\n\nPrices s oared.\n\nGeneral Howe had to find a way for the Royal Navy to ferry food\ , supplies\, and equipment up the Delaware River to Philadelphia.\n\nAmeri can forces occupied two forts--Fort Mifflin on Mud Island\, and Fort Merce r at Red Bank on the New Jersey side.\n\nFor weeks\, the British worked to destroy them.\n\nThe besieged Americans\, Thomas Paine wrote\, had nothin g \"to cover them but their bravery.\"\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin had been amo ng the last Americans to evacuate Fort Mifflin.\n\nVoice: Every private so ldier in an army thinks his particular services as essential to carry on t he war he's engaged in\, as the services of the most influential general.\ n\nAnd why not?\n\nWhat could officers do without such men?\n\nNothing at all.\n\n[Distant explosions] Great men get great praise\, little men nothi ng.\n\n[Martin] Narrator: Both forts fell.\n\nThe Delaware was now open to British shipping.\n\nHowe's army could safely spend the winter in Philade lphia.\n\nIn December\, George Washington would lead his army into winter quarters\, a hilly\, wooded\, remote place northwest of Philadelphia calle d Valley Forge.\n\n[Distant bell tolling] In France\, Benjamin Franklin ha d heard little of what was happening in America for seven long weeks.\n\nT hen\, on December 4th\, a rider clattered into his courtyard\, shouting he had important news.\n\nFranklin hurried out to greet him.\n\n\"Sir\,\" he asked\, \"is Philadelphia taken?\"\n\n\"Yes\, sir\,\" the courier answere d.\n\nFranklin\, dejected\, turned to go back inside.\n\n\"But\, Sir\,\" t he rider said.\n\n\"I have greater news than that.\n\n\"General Burgoyne a nd his whole army are prisoners of war.\"\n\nJust a few months earlier\, F ranklin had written that only \"a small matter\" would be needed to bring France into the war with Britain.\n\nClearly\, the surrender of an entire British army was a large matter.\n\nThe Comte de Vergennes\, the French Fo reign Minister\, whose newly rebuilt navy was now ready for war\, saw the victory at Saratoga and the former colonies' tentative steps toward formin g a central government as the best evidence so far that a French-American alliance might defeat the British.\n\nLouis XVI agreed.\n\n\"America is tr iumphant\,\" he said\, \"and England beaten.\"\n\nAlan Taylor: Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga is a crushing blow\, and it impresses the French.\n\ nBut the French are also impressed by George Washington's survival.\n\nHe' s still hanging in there.\n\nHis army is still fighting.\n\nThe British ma y force their way into Philadelphia\, but they have not destroyed Washingt on's army.\n\nde Rode: It's quite a risk to send your army to fight with a n army that might never win.\n\nBut there's more to the story\, because th e French are not just waiting for the victory.\n\nThey're waiting for thei r own army to be ready.\n\nFinally\, their navy was ready\, their army was ready.\n\nThey were strong enough again and felt confident that this was the right moment to join the rebels.\n\nNarrator: In Paris\, on February 6 \, 1778\, French and American commissioners would sign two treaties.\n\nTh e first recognized the independence of the United States of America and es tablished commercial relations between the two countries.\n\nThe second\, the Treaty of Alliance\, promised full support for the American cause from the French Army and Navy\, as well as its Treasury.\n\n♪ Schiff: The im portance of the French alliance\, just in entirely practical terms\, we're talking about what would today be $25 billion to $30 billion in aid.\n\nW e're talking about a war effort that the colonies could not have provided for themselves.\n\nAnd the idea that a foreign power bankrolled that effor t and that it would have impossible without them\, that's the chapter we d on't like to think too much about because our sense of our independence is that it's something that we achieved on our own.\n\nNarrator: Although it would be nearly three months before the news crossed the Atlantic\, an up rising among British subjects in North America was about to ignite another global war.\n\n♪ ♪ Announcer: Next time on \"The American Revolution\ "... Winter at Valley Forge.\n\nVoice: This army must inevitably starve or disperse in order to obtain subsistence.\n\n[George Washington] Announcer : Alliances are formed... Colin Calloway: The new United States represents an existential threat.\n\nAnnouncer: and the French enter the war.\n\nKat hleen DuVal: Britain knows that Spain and the Netherlands may be next.\n\n The stakes are big in this war.\n\nAnnouncer: When \"The American Revoluti on\" continues next time.\n\n♪ Announcer: Scan this QR code with your sm art device to dive deeper into the story of \"The American Revolution\" wi th interactives\, games\, classroom materials\, and more.\n\n♪ Announcer : \"The American Revolution\" DVD and Blu-ray\, as well as the companion b ook and soundtrack\, are available online and in stores.\n\nThe series is also available with PBS Passport and on am*zon Prime Video.\n\n♪ Announc er: The American Revolution caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\nAnnouncer: Major fu nding for \"The American Revolution\" was provided by The Better Angels So ciety and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Fo undation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also pr ovided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angels Society members: E ric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin wit h Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vinin g Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Mar tha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\, and by Better Angels Society member s: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundat ion\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal B rierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine D ebs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members. \n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with support from the Co rporation for Public Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\ n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american-revolution-episode- 4-conquer-by-a-drawn-game/\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251119 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The American Revolution PBS Documentary Episode 3 DTSTAMP:20251118T053520Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:589-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The American Revolution\n A Film By\n Ken Burns\, Sarah B otstein &\; David Schmidt\n\n\n\n The Times That Try Men’s Souls (Jul y 1776 – January 1777)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n Announcer: Major funding for \"The American Revolut ion\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie an d Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Famil y Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment \, and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditiona l support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Ch aritable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Founda tion\, and by Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perr y and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the K issick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher an d Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Chari table Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcastin g\, and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\nAnnouncer: The American Revolut ion caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenu ity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of hist ory and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\nVoice: The plan laid down for our education was entirely broken in upon by the war.\n\nInstead of morning lessons\, w e were to knit stockings\; instead of embroidering\, to make homespun garm ents\; and in place of the music of the harpsichord\, to listen to the lou d\, clanging trumpet and never-ceasing drum\, for in every direction that we traveled-- and heaven knows we left but little of Virginia unexplored-- we heard naught but the din of war.\n\nOur late peaceful country now beca me a scene of terror and confusion.\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\n[Men shouting] ♪ Maya Jasanoff: Our images of the American Revolution tend to be images of men in wigs in wood-paneled rooms\, and that helps to reinforce an image of the American Revolution as just a war about ideals.\n\nI think that we really do a disservice to...history and to the experiences of the people w ho lived through it when we paper over the violence of the American Revolu tion with this set of very idealized images that we have of the Founding F athers signing documents in Philadelphia.\n\nThe United States came out of violence.\n\n♪ [Sea gulls crying] Voice: I peeped out at the bay and sa w something resembling a wood of pine trees trimmed.\n\nI declare at my no ticing this that I could not believe my eyes\, but judge you of my surpris e when\, in about 10 minutes\, the whole bay was full of shipping as ever it could be.\n\nI do declare that I thought all London was afloat.\n\nPriv ate Daniel McCurtin.\n\n♪ Narrator: On Saturday morning\, June 29\, 1776 \, Colonel Henry Knox\, whose artillery had convinced the British to flee Boston\, was breakfasting with his wife Lucy on the second floor of a comm andeered mansion at Number 1 Broadway when he\, too\, spotted the British ships that Private McCurtin had seen as they approached New York Harbor un opposed.\n\n[Bell ringing] Voice: My God\, you can scarcely conceive of th e distress and anxiety-- the city in an uproar\, the alarm guns firing\, t he troops repairing to their posts.\n\n[Henry Knox] Narrator: Martha Washi ngton and other officers' wives\, including Lucy Knox and her infant daugh ter\, were sent away from the city for their safety.\n\nThe Royal Navy anc hored off Staten Island and began to disembark some 10\,000 British regula rs.\n\nCrowds of local Loyalists cheered them as they stepped ashore.\n\nS tephen Conway: The Royal Navy\, as one contemporary put it\, was the \"Can vas Wings of the British State.\"\n\nIt enabled the British to appear off the coastline almost anywhere unhindered.\n\n♪ Voice: We expect a very b loody summer at New York\, as it is here\, I presume\, the grand efforts o f the enemy will be aimed\, and I am sorry to say that we are not\, either in men or arms\, prepared for it.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n♪ ♪ Narrat or: By the summer of 1776\, the Revolution\, which began as a quarrel over the rights of British subjects\, had become a war for American independen ce\, and as that revolution spread throughout the colonies\, thousands of Americans\, patriots and Loyalists alike\, would be driven from their home s.\n\n11-year-old Betsy Ambler of Yorktown\, Virginia\, and her family had been among the earliest refugees.\n\nHer mother suffered from what Betsy called \"a nervous malady.\"\n\nIn 1775\, the constant talk of war and Yor ktown's vulnerability to an attack by water had so terrified her mother th at her father decided to move the family\, Betsy said\, \"and seek a safe retreat for her.\"\n\nThe Amblers were more fortunate than most displaced families.\n\nThey and their relatives owned farms and plantations worked b y enslaved people scattered across the state.\n\nThey settled first in a s mall house in the tiny village of New Castle in Hanover County.\n\nIt was there that Betsy's mother gave birth to another daughter--Lucy.\n\nSince L ucy \"made her appearance just after the declaration\,\" Betsy recalled\, their father called her \"his only independent child.\"\n\nNow a fully com mitted patriot\, Betsy's father had lost his paid position as Collector of Royal Customs\, and a Royal Navy blockade would soon choke off the shippi ng on which his profits as a merchant had been made.\n\nVoice: The war\, t hough it was to involve my immediate family in poverty and perplexity of e very kind\, was for the foundation of independence and prosperity for my c ountry\, and what sacrifice would not an American\, a Virginian\, at the e arliest age\, have made for so desirable an end?\n\nBetsy Ambler.\n\n♪ V oice: What to do with this city puzzles me.\n\nIt is so encircled with dee p\, navigable water that whoever commands the sea must command the town.\n \nGeneral Charles Lee.\n\nNarrator: George Washington had assigned a forme r British officer\, General Charles Lee\, to fortify New York City and its surroundings.\n\nThe Patriot commanders feared they could not hold the to wn for long but hoped to make the British pay the highest possible price f or its capture.\n\nSince no one could say where or when British attacks wo uld come\, Washington had been forced to scatter his army and its 121 cann on all around the harbor.\n\nRick Atkinson: New York is an archipelago.\n\ nIt's a confluence of islands.\n\nIt's a problem.\n\nIf you don't control the naval approaches in and around New York\, you cannot properly defend N ew York.\n\nNarrator: New York was one of the best natural harbors on the Atlantic seaboard\, and although the town still occupied just a single squ are mile at Manhattan's southern tip\, it was the second-largest city in t he newly created United States and the gateway to the Hudson River.\n\nIf the British commander\, General William Howe\, could capture it\, his forc es would be free to ascend the river and divide rebellious New England fro m the rest of the states.\n\nNathaniel Philbrick: This whole war\, in many ways\, is a water campaign.\n\nIt's who controls the coast\, but it's als o who controls the rivers and the lakes.\n\nThis is where the fighting wou ld be\, wherever water provided you with a way to get into the interior of the country.\n\n[Splash] Narrator: Both the British and the Americans had considered New York and the farming communities that bordered it to be Lo yalist strongholds.\n\nFor weeks\, Patriots had prowled the streets\, roug hing up Loyalists.\n\nThousands fled with what belongings they could carry .\n\nHundreds more were arrested.\n\nSeveral dozen were hauled away to Sim sbury\, Connecticut\, and imprisoned in an abandoned copper mine 70 feet b elow the Earth that the Patriots called the Catacomb of Loyalty.\n\n[Gavel bangs] A Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies\, chaired by the attorney John Jay\, held daily inquisitions.\n\n40 men\, including the Mayor of New York City\, were jailed for plotting to assassinate George W ashington.\n\nA member of Washington's own personal guard was found to be involved and hanged while 4 brigades of troops looked on.\n\n[Sandbag thum ps\, rope creaks] The city had been home to 25\,000 people.\n\nBy the summ er of 1776\, just 5\,000 of them would remain\, and those Loyalists left b ehind had learned to keep their opinions to themselves.\n\nVoice: To see t he vast number of houses shut up\, one would think the city almost evacuat ed.\n\nTroops are daily coming in.\n\nThey break open the houses they find shut up to quarter themselves.\n\nNecessity knows no law.\n\n[Unidentifie d Loyalist] Narrator: Continental soldiers and militiamen from 10 states c ontinued to stream into town.\n\nEventually\, there would be more than 20\ ,000 of them in and around New York.\n\nThey moved into abandoned houses\, tore up parquet floors for firewood\, and hurled refuse from the windows. \n\nDespite a 10 P.M.\n\ncurfew\, troops flocked to a warren of West Side brothels built on land owned by Trinity Church.\n\nCustomers called it the Holy Ground.\n\n♪ On the afternoon of July 12th\, 2 British warships sl ipped their anchors off Staten Island\, moved into the harbor past the tip of Manhattan\, and began sailing up the Hudson.\n\n[Cannonfire] Voice: Th e cannon from the city did but very little execution\, as not more than ha lf the number of the men belonging to them were present.\n\nThe others wer e at their cups\, and at their usual place of abode on the Holy Ground.\n\ nLieutenant Isaac Banks.\n\nNarrator: Later that same evening\, a still-la rger British fleet\, more than 100 vessels\, began streaming through the n arrows and into New York Harbor.\n\nIts commander was General William Howe 's elder brother Vice Admiral Richard Howe.\n\nBoth had once expressed sym pathy for the colonists\, and both had been empowered to negotiate with re bel leaders and issue pardons in hopes of avoiding further bloodshed\, but while the Admiral was crossing the Atlantic\, Congress had declared Ameri can independence.\n\n[Men shouting] Voice: We learned the deplorable situa tion of His Majesty's faithful subjects\, that they were hunted after and shot at in the woods and swamps to which they had fled to avoid the savage fury of the rebels.\n\nWe also heard that the Congress had now announced the colonies to be independent states.\n\nThat proclaims the villainy and madness of these deluded people.\n\n[Ambrose Serle] ♪ Voice: To my dear Betsey\, my wife-- It is hard to be quite happy when one full half\, at le ast\, of both body and soul is left at home\, but\, believe it\, I am not more mortal here in the neighborhood of the British cannon than I should b e was I happy in your peaceful\, loving arms.\n\nTill my God calls me\, I am immortal.\n\nPhilip Vickers Fithian.\n\nNarrator: Philip Vickers Fithia n of Cohansey\, New Jersey\, was a newly married 28-year-old Presbyterian clergyman\, recently appointed chaplain of a militia brigade.\n\nHe was a graduate of the College of New Jersey at Princeton\, where his classmates had included Aaron Burr and James Madison.\n\nAfter college\, he spent a y ear as a tutor on a Virginia plantation\, where\, seeing the inhuman cruel ty of slavery up close\, he introduced the owner's children to the work of the enslaved poet Phillis Wheatley.\n\nIn New York\, Fithian found himsel f sleeping on the floor of a Loyalist's abandoned home\, conducting prayer meetings twice a day and afterwards visiting the hospitals filled with me n dying from dysentery.\n\nAmen.\n\nAmen.\n\nVoice: Here I must daily visi t among many in a contagious disorder\, but I am not discouraged nor dispi rited.\n\nI am willing to hazard and suffer equally with my countrymen sin ce I have a firm conviction that I am in my duty.\n\n[Fithian] Friederike Baer: When we really take a look at what these regiments were like\, we se e a lot of individuals who are not carrying arms-- including women\, inclu ding children\, including servants\, medical personnel\, chaplains-- and t here are all kinds of individuals there that are essential parts of these armies that are doing essential labor\, without whom\, I think\, the army couldn't operate.\n\nVoice: August 1st-- There is a report pretty well con firmed that near 40 sail of the enemy came in this afternoon and are joini ng the fleet.\n\nWe are all uncertain.\n\n[Fithian] Narrator: The ships th at came in that day were straggling in from a failed British expedition in South Carolina.\n\nThe Royal governors of the southern colonies\, who had all been driven to ships anchored off their coasts\, continued to insist that the rebellion had been stirred up by only a tiny minority of radicals \, that the overwhelmingly loyal populace of their colonies would take up arms in support of the Crown\, provided help was sent.\n\nIn June\, Britis h warships had converged on Charleston Harbor\, where their 262 guns opene d fire on a rebel fort on Sullivan's Island.\n\n[Cannonfire] More than 7\, 000 cannonballs were fired.\n\nMost that hit their target were absorbed by the fort's sturdy palmetto walls.\n\nWithin the fort\, Patriot Colonel Wi lliam Moultrie ordered his men to \"distress [the enemy] in every shape to the utmost of your powers.\"\n\nThey did.\n\nThey had just 31 guns\, but they proved deadly accurate\, toppling masts\, riddling hulls\, blowing sa ilors and sea captains apart.\n\nThe British flagship alone was hit 70 tim es\, and 111 crewmen were killed or maimed.\n\nBy evening\, the battered f leet pulled away.\n\n\"We never had such a drubbing in our lives\,\" one B ritish sailor remembered.\n\nIt took 3 weeks to repair the damage to their ships before they made their way back north to join the forces threatenin g New York.\n\nThe British would not attempt to recapture a southern colon y again for 2 1/2 years.\n\n♪ [Insects chirping] Voice: It seems to be t he intention of the White people to destroy us as a people\, but I have a great many young fellows that would support me\, and we are determined to have our land.\n\nTsi'yu-gunsini.\n\n♪ Narrator: In the summer of 1776\, Cherokee warriors led by Tsi'yu-gunsini\, \"Dragging Canoe\" in English\, began attacking frontier settlements west of the Appalachians on land now claimed by Virginia and the Carolinas.\n\nThe Royal Proclamation of 1763 had expressly barred colonists from purchasing or moving onto Indian lands west of the Appalachians\, but British officials had been powerless to en force it or to keep some Native Americans\, including Dragging Canoe's own father\, from leasing or selling land to settlers and speculators.\n\nKat hleen DuVal: We think of the Revolution as a war against empire\, but it v ery quickly becomes a war for empire.\n\nOne war aim of the American Revol ution is to take the Ohio Valley and the South.\n\nThat's what Americans w anted.\n\nThe British government had kept them from taking Native lands\, so for the Shawnees and the Delawares\, Cherokees\, and many other people\ , the American Revolution was a war to protect these places against an ene my they already knew quite well.\n\nVoice: Our Shawnee nation\, from being a great people\, are now reduced to a handful.\n\nThe red people\, who we re once masters of the whole country\, hardly possess ground enough to sta nd on.\n\nThe lands where but lately we hunted are now thickly inhabited a nd covered with forts and armed men\, and wherever a fort appears\, there will soon be towns and settlements.\n\n[Shawnee Delegate] DuVal: In May 17 76\, a delegation of Shawnees\, Delawares\, Anishinaabe\, and Haudenosaune e came to the Cherokee town of Chote.\n\nThey said\, \"Enough is enough.\n \n\"We've had year after year \"of illegal settlement coming onto our land s.\n\n\"Now a war has come \"that has divided those settlers from their go vernment.\n\nThis is the time to strike.\"\n\nVoice: It is better to die l ike men than to diminish away by inches.\n\nThe Cherokees have a hatchet.\ n\nTake it up and use it immediately.\n\n[Shawnee Delegate] Narrator: Brit ish agents still in Indian country\, who had armed the Cherokees to fight the rebels\, now urged them to be patient and wait until British troops co uld join them.\n\nDragging Canoe would not listen to the British or to the elders of his father's generation\, who had urged diplomacy.\n\nHe rallie d the young men and went to war.\n\n[Flames crackling] They killed and sca lped settlers in the Carolina and Virginia backcountry\, burned their cabi ns and crops\, and drove off their livestock.\n\nColin Calloway: The resul t is\, as the older chiefs feared it would be\, that those American coloni es immediately send armies into Cherokee country.\n\nSome of the American leaders actually say in as many words\, \"This is just what we were waitin g for.\n\n\"Now we have justification \"for launching a full-scale assault on the Cherokees and to drive them out and take their land.\"\n\n♪ Voic e: Nothing will reduce those wretches so soon as pushing the war into the heart of their country\, but I would not stop there.\n\nI would never ceas e pursuing them while one of them remained on this side of the Mississippi .\n\nThomas Jefferson.\n\n♪ DuVal: There are thousands of militiamen in South Carolina\, North Carolina\, Virginia\, Georgia ready to join the Rev olution\, ready to fight Britain\, but the British aren't there.\n\nThere are no British there to fight.\n\nWho's there to fight?\n\nThe Cherokees.\ n\nNarrator: Some 6\,000 militiamen stormed through Cherokee country.\n\nT hey destroyed 36 towns\, including Dragging Canoe's own village.\n\nPhilip Deloria: This is meant to be instructive to other tribes.\n\n\"If you thi nk you're gonna keep a British alliance\, \"guess what we're gonna do?\n\n \"We're gonna come and burn everything.\n\n\"We're gonna destroy your fiel ds.\n\n\"We're gonna destroy your corn.\n\n\"We're gonna destroy all your stored-up food.\n\n\"We're gonna wage total war on those people.\n\nLet's teach all Native people a lesson about what's coming.\"\n\n♪ Narrator: I n the end\, older Cherokee leaders would sue for peace and be forced to ce de another 5 million acres.\n\nMaggie Blackhawk: The colonists wanted to p ossess that land exclusively\, and it's a vision that is Western\, as cont rasted to Native people\, who had a more spiritual or more engaged relatio nship to land.\n\nNarrator: Unlike his elders\, Dragging Canoe would not s urrender.\n\nWith hundreds of men and their families\, he managed to escap e westward to settle along the Chickamauga Creek in what is now Tennessee\ , where he remained defiant.\n\n\"I could not hear their talks of peace\,\ " Dragging Canoe said.\n\n\"My thoughts and my heart are for war.\"\n\n♪ Imperial powers were advancing all across North America in 1776-- Russia along the Alaska coast\, Spain in what became San Francisco Bay\, the Lako ta in the Black Hills\, and the Comanches on the Southern Plains.\n\nOn Au gust 12th off Staten Island in New York\, Britain\, the world's greatest n aval power\, landed 107 more ships.\n\nAboard them were 8\,600 hired Hessi an troops.\n\nEverything about the German soldiers was intended to intimid ate-- their tightly fitted uniforms that made the wearers seem bigger than they were\, the whiskers many grew when most men were clean-shaven\, the helmets worn by their grenadiers and fusiliers that added a foot to their height\, and the reputation for ferocity so widespread that some Americans believed them cannibals with a special taste for babies.\n\nBaer: I think it is an effective propaganda tool.\n\n\"They will plunder our homes.\n\n They will burn our village.\n\nThey will rape our women.\"\n\nThese kind o f portrayals really show up frequently\, especially in the spring of '76 b efore the first Germans even set foot on American soil.\n\n[Sea gulls cryi ng] Voice: Peace will not be restored in America until the rebel army is d efeated.\n\nShould the enemy offer battle in the open field\, we must not decline it.\n\nGeneral William Howe.\n\nNarrator: General William Howe and his brother Richard were in joint command of the largest seaborne assault force Britain had ever assembled-- 24\,000 soldiers\, including the 8\,60 0 Hessians\, and 400 ships manned by some 10\,000 sailors and marines.\n\n ♪ At dawn on August 22nd\, 4\,000 British and Hessian troops crossed the narrows and came ashore at Gravesend on the southeastern edge of Long Isl and\, boatloads of assault troops.\n\nVoice: The enemy have now landed on Long Island.\n\nThe hour is fast approaching on which the honor and succes s of this army and the safety of our bleeding country depend.\n\nGeorge Wa shington.\n\n♪ Narrator: More troops continued to land.\n\nSoon\, more t han 20\,000 British\, Hessian\, and Loyalist soldiers occupied a tent city that sprawled for 8 miles just beyond the beach.\n\nGeneral Washington re minded his men of the dismissive things British officers had said of them. \n\nNow they would have a chance to prove them wrong\, provided they remai ned cool but determined.\n\nVoice: Remember that you are free men fighting for the blessings of liberty\, that slavery will be your portion and that of your posterity if you do not acquit yourselves like men.\n\n[Washingto n] ♪ Narrator: Washington knew an attack was coming somewhere\, but he w orried that the British landing on Long Island was merely a diversion\, an d so he divided his army.\n\nMost would stay in Manhattan\, while some 8\, 000 men\, many of them ill-trained militia\, were posted on Long Island\, where Washington's most trusted general\, Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island \, had strengthened the series of forts and earthworks that ran from Red H ook to Wallabout Bay.\n\nMost of the defenses were concentrated near the l ofty cliffs closest to Manhattan called Brooklyn Heights after the tiny vi llage of Brooklyn that stood just behind them.\n\nWashington and his gener als believed that if the British were to seize that high ground\, their gu ns would command the city\, much as rebel guns had commanded Boston and it s harbor earlier that year\, but Nathanael Greene had fallen ill and was s oon replaced by Major General Israel Putnam of Connecticut\, whose fightin g spirit was not matched by strategic sense or knowledge of the terrain.\n \nBetween the Brooklyn Heights fortifications and the British encampment r an a rugged\, forested ridge called the Gowanus Heights.\n\n4 passes cut i n or around it-- Gowanus\, Flatbush\, Bedford\, and Jamaica.\n\nWith Washi ngton's approval\, Putnam ordered 3\,000 of his men to dig in and hold the ridge and 3 of the passes.\n\nUnaccountably\, the Jamaica Pass remained v irtually unguarded.\n\nWashington makes a number of serious tactical mista kes when he's commander of the American military and none more serious tha n at Long Island.\n\nHe'd been a surveyor.\n\nHe should have known the val ue of completely understanding the ground that you're trying to defend.\n\ nHe doesn't.\n\nHe doesn't go and explore the ground toward Jamaica\, whic h is the far end of this glacial feature\, and doesn't recognize that he c an be outflanked by the British.\n\nNarrator: The Battle of Long Island be gan in the early-morning hours of August 27\, 1776\, and it started with a skirmish over watermelons.\n\n♪ Around midnight\, Pennsylvania pickets at the Red Lion Inn on the far right of the American lines had dimly glimp sed two shadowy figures in a melon patch.\n\nThey were British foragers ou t in front of a large force of redcoats and hoping for a treat before they were sent against the enemy.\n\n[Gunfire] The Pennsylvanians opened fire. \n\nA few minutes later\, a British musket volley from the woods sent the Americans running back to camp.\n\nWith the British attack underway\, Gene ral William Alexander was ordered to organize a force to try and stop it.\ n\nAlexander and 1\,600 men took up positions south of a salt marsh and mi ll pond next to Gowanus Creek as 5\,000 British troops advanced toward the m.\n\nWith no trees or stone walls for cover\, American and British forces stood in line\, European style\, and fired musket volleys and artillery a t one another.\n\n\"Both the balls and shells flew very fast\,\" a Marylan d soldier remembered\, \"now and then taking off a head.\"\n\n♪ Meanwhil e\, in the center of the American lines\, British cannonfire ripped throug h the trees above the ridgeline\, where several hundred troops under New H ampshire General John Sullivan guarded the Flatbush and Bedford passes.\n\ nHessian and Highland regiments advanced toward them with fixed bayonets\, retreating several times under furious American fire.\n\nWatching from a fort on Cobble Hill\, Washington was pleased with the way the fighting was going so far.\n\nBoth fronts seemed to be holding\, but he also sent for reinforcements from Manhattan.\n\n[Fife playing] Voice: Our sergeant major informed us that the regiment was ordered to Long Island.\n\nIt gave me a rather disagreeable feeling\, as I was pretty well-assured I should have to sniff a little gunpowder.\n\n[Gunfire] The horrors of battle then prese nted themselves to my mind in all their hideousness.\n\n\"I must come to i t now\,\" thought I. Joseph Plumb Martin.\n\nNarrator: Private Joseph Plum b Martin of the Connecticut militia was just 15 years old that summer\, 1 of 7 children of a small-town minister so quarrelsome\, he could not hold on to a congregation.\n\nMartin had wanted to enlist since Lexington and C oncord.\n\nOn July 6\, 1776\, he remembered\, he'd taken \"up the pen\, \" loaded it with the fatal charge [of ink]\, \"[and] wrote my name.\n\n[N]ow I was a soldier in name at least\, if not in practice.\"\n\nBefore the bo ats carrying Martin and his fellow soldiers could cross the East River to Brooklyn\, the tide of battle had begun to turn.\n\nThe British attacks on the American right and center\, which Washington's army seemed to have th warted\, had turned out to be mere demonstrations meant to occupy troops w ho might otherwise have defended against the main British assault.\n\nThat would soon begin on the American left.\n\nThe British had slipped through the undefended Jamaica Pass.\n\n12 hours earlier\, leaving their campfire s burning to confuse the Patriots\, General Henry Clinton had led some 10\ ,000 British and German soldiers north along a dirt road grandly called th e King's Highway.\n\nThey moved in silence\, guided by 3 Loyalist voluntee rs.\n\n♪ Atkinson: This is Clinton's idea.\n\nHe's persuaded Howe that t his is the right way to do it.\n\n\"Don't attack frontally.\n\n\"You don't want another Bunker Hill.\n\nGo around them\,\" so he leads-- it's a bett er part of 10\,000 men in the dark of night very quietly\, as quiet as 10\ ,000 men pulling artillery guns with horses can be.\n\nNarrator: The plan worked perfectly.\n\nThe British column\, nearly 2 miles long\, made it th rough the pass and reached the village of Bedford\, well behind American l ines and just 2 miles from the main fortifications on and around Brooklyn Heights.\n\n[2 cannon shots] General Clinton ordered 2 guns fired in quick succession\, the signal for British troops besieging the American right a nd center to move forward simultaneously\, trapping John Sullivan's men in between.\n\nSullivan ordered his gunners to turn their field pieces aroun d to fire at the enemy\, now rushing at them from behind\, but as they str uggled to do so\, Hessian grenadiers and Highland Scots swarmed up and ove r the Gowanus Heights\, firing and bayoneting as they came.\n\nIt was a ro ut.\n\nVoice: Blood\, carnage\, fire.\n\nMany\, many\, we fear\, are lost. \n\nSuch a dreadful din my ears never before heard.\n\nPhilip Fithian.\n\n [Gunfire] Atkinson: Muskets are mostly inaccurate beyond 80 yards and hope less beyond 120 yards\, so a lot of the killing is done with a bayonet\, a nd the bayonet is a nasty way to kill.\n\nIt's a nasty way to die.\n\nThis is really eyeball to eyeball\, nose to nose.\n\nIt's very intimate\, and that kind of intimacy is horrifying.\n\nNarrator: Hundreds of Americans su rrendered\, including General Sullivan.\n\n\"Their fear of the Hessian tro ops was indescribable\,\" the German commander General Heister remembered. \n\nVoice: When they caught only a glimpse of us\, they surrendered immedi ately and begged on their knees for their lives.\n\nI am surprised that th e British troops have achieved so little against these people.\n\n[Heister ] ♪ Voice: We soon landed at Brooklyn.\n\nWe now began to meet the wound ed men\, another sight I was unacquainted with\, some with broken arms\, s ome with broken legs\, and some with broken heads.\n\n[Martin] Narrator: T he fighting Joseph Plumb Martin was about to witness would prove the last and bloodiest of the day.\n\n[Gunfire and shouting] ♪ 3 British columns were now converging on General Alexander and his men on the American right .\n\nHe did his best to rally them\, but the number of attackers steadily grew.\n\nAlexander fell back\, and finally\, rather than see his command d estroyed\, he urged his men to retreat to the village of Brooklyn across t he tidal marshes that flanked Gowanus Creek.\n\nVoice: Such as could swim got across.\n\nThose that could not swim sunk.\n\nThe British were pouring the canister and grapeshot upon the Americans like a shower of hail.\n\nM any of them were killed in the pond and more were drowned.\n\n[Martin] Nar rator: To provide cover for his desperate men and to occupy the British tr oops firing at them from inside and around an old stone house\, Alexander led some 400 soldiers from Maryland into the enemy guns again and again.\n \nFewer than a dozen of them made it safely back to the American lines.\n\ nAlexander himself was forced to surrender.\n\n\"The slaughter was horribl e\,\" a Hessian chaplain wrote.\n\n\"I went over the battlefield among the dead\, who mostly had been hacked and shot all to pieces.\"\n\nAt least 2 00 Americans had been killed\, and perhaps a thousand more were captured.\ n\nWashington watched this final carnage through his spyglass.\n\nBy noon\ , it was all over.\n\nThe British believed they had won what one general c alled a \"cheap and complete victory.\"\n\nAtkinson: Washington's heartbro ken because he recognizes instantly what a catastrophe this has been.\n\nT he only saving grace is that enough of them pull back to form sort of an i nner defense around Brooklyn that gives the British pause.\n\nThey pull ba ck within those defenses.\n\nNow they've got their backs to the East River .\n\nThings are about as dire as they could possibly be.\n\nNarrator: Wash ington and the bulk of his battered army\, crowded now inside the defenses on Brooklyn Heights\, expected that at any moment\, the British would mou nt an all-out assault aimed at destroying them.\n\nGeneral William Howe's officers urged him to finish what he had begun\, but instead of ordering a n assault\, Howe stood down.\n\nHe knew his brother Richard's fleet was ab out to enter the East River and prevent the rebels from escaping by water. \n\nThe Americans were astonished.\n\n\"General Howe is either our friend or no general\,\" Israel Putnam said.\n\n\"He had our whole army in his po wer.\"\n\n[Thunder\, raining] Meanwhile\, a storm blew in and continued of f and on for the next 2 days.\n\nIt kept Admiral Howe's fleet from enterin g the East River.\n\nBy the middle of the second day\, Washington decided to try to withdraw his army to Manhattan.\n\nWashington sends out orders t hat every boat\, every fishing smack\, every canoe\, everything that float s that can be found be brought very secretly and very quietly to the landi ng\, very close to where Brooklyn Bridge now is on the Brooklyn side.\n\nN arrator: To man his mismatched flotilla\, he would call on 2 regiments of seasoned mariners and fishermen\, Black and White and Native American\, fr om Massachusetts coastal towns.\n\nColonel John Glover of Marblehead led o ne of the regiments.\n\nAs darkness fell\, Washington ordered his men to b egin moving silently down from the Heights to the ferry landing regiment b y regiment.\n\nVoice: I seized my musket and fell into the ranks.\n\nWe we re strictly enjoined not to speak or even cough.\n\nAll orders were commun icated in whispers.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin.\n\n♪ Atkinson: A providentia l breeze comes up that allows them to raise sails and get across the East River\, and then an even more providential fog rolls in\, and it obscures what's happening.\n\n♪ Narrator: All through the night\, John Glover and his men from Marblehead sailed or rowed or paddled back and forth undetec ted\, ferrying more than 9\,000 men as well as horses\, artillery\, and ba ggage wagons to safety in Manhattan.\n\nAtkinson: When dawn breaks\, the B ritish realize everyone's gone.\n\nThey see the last of the boats disappea ring across the river in the traces of fog.\n\n[Cannonfire] And they fire a few shots pointlessly at this retreating gaggle\, including Washington i n one of the last boats\, and the Americans escape to Manhattan Island and get away to fight another day.\n\n♪ Narrator: The Battle of Long Island was the largest battle of the American Revolution.\n\nIt had been a devas tating defeat for George Washington and the Patriot cause\, but his army w as still alive.\n\n♪ [Birds chirping] Voice: Braintree\, Massachusetts-- The best accounts we can collect from New York assure us that our men fou ght valiantly.\n\nWe are no ways dispirited here.\n\nIf our men are all dr awn off and we should be attacked\, you would find a race of Amazons in Am erica.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\n♪ Narrator: Every army engaged on either sid e in the Revolution would be accompanied by a moving village of civilians- - men\, women\, and children.\n\nMost of the women were soldiers' wives wh o cared for the wounded and washed and cooked and mended for the troops.\n \nSome sold provisions\, including rum.\n\nGeorge Washington often resente d feeding all the women and children\, but he also understood\, he said\, that he had somehow to provide for them \"or lose by Desertion-- perhaps t o the Enemy-- some of the oldest and best Soldiers in the Service.\"\n\nWo men acted as spies\, and a handful disguised themselves and fought as men until they were found out\, but most made their contributions to the war e ffort away from the battlefield.\n\nVoice: Preston\, Connecticut-- Dear hu sband\, I hope that I shall have the pleasure of your company at home this winter.\n\nThe anxieties of the mind cannot be accounted for\, especially when ties of flesh and blood bind them.\n\nMy only comfort now is at pres ent in the dear\, little pledges of our love--our children.\n\nWhen I see them\, I see my dear when so glorious a cause calls him from my arms.\n\nM y country\, o my country.\n\nYour affectionate wife till death\, Lois.\n\n ♪ Narrator: With sons and husbands and fathers away\, some women turned their homes into boarding houses to pay the bills.\n\nOn farms\, women alr eady caring for children and households now slaughtered hogs\, cut and sta cked firewood\, harvested wheat\, and brought it to market.\n\nVoice: The men say we have no business with political matters\, it is not in our sphe re\, but I won't have it thought that we are capable of nothing more than minding the dairy\, visiting the poultry house\, and all such domestic con cerns.\n\nOur thoughts can soar aloft.\n\nWe can form conceptions of thing s of higher nature.\n\nEliza Wilkinson.\n\n♪ Voice: Can you be surprised that the Negroes should endeavor to recover their freedom when they daily hear at the tables of their masters how much the Americans are applauded for the stand they are making for theirs?\n\n[John Purrier] [Rhiannon Gidd ens singing \"Dean Cadalan Samhach\"] ♪ Jane Kamensky: The liberty talk that proliferates through British America originates in coffee houses and across dining tables.\n\nIt surfaces in letters and in pamphlets.\n\nThose pamphlets are excerpted in newspapers and travel up and down the coast.\n \nEven letters\, like newspapers\, are read aloud\, so we know that the la nguage of liberty is contagious and is leaky\, leaky in that there are pla nter-class people in Jamaica saying\, \"You know\, this stuff is kind of h ot\, \"so watch it when you're talking \"because you know all those Black and Brown people \"who are standing\, serving around the edges of your roo m\, they have ears.\"\n\n[Giddens continues singing \"Dean Cadalan Samhach \"] Voice: The signal was to be given first by discharging a gun at Batche lors Hall Plantation.\n\nThey were then to rise in general rebellion and a ttack the several estates\, and put to death all the White people they cou ld.\n\nSam.\n\n♪ Narrator: That same summer of 1776 in Northwestern Jama ica\, enslaved men\, women\, and children living on 47 different plantatio ns secretly conspired to overthrow their enslavers\, hoping their rebellio n would spread across the whole island and unite the people of African des cent living there\, including Igbos\, Creoles\, and Coromantees.\n\nThe pl anned revolt was an unintended consequence of the American Revolution.\n\n The American ban on trade with the British had denied enslaved Jamaicans t he food they needed to survive.\n\nThen London ordered almost half the sol diers who policed the island to sail northward to strengthen General Howe' s forces in New York.\n\nTheir departure was supposed to be the signal for enslaved people to rise up\, but before the plot could get underway\, a c hild was discovered emptying his overseer's pistol and was made to reveal what he knew of the conspiracy.\n\nThe Royal governor declared martial law .\n\nThe revolt was crushed.\n\n135 people were put on trial.\n\n17 were e xecuted.\n\n11 were beaten\, and 45 were torn from their families and depo rted to other islands... [Giddens singing \"Angola\"] Narrator: but that s ummer and fall\, there were other sporadic uprisings or rumors of uprising s among enslaved workers on other British islands-- Saint Kitts\, Montserr at\, Antigua\, Barbados-- all of them striking fear in American slaveholde rs.\n\nVincent Brown: Slave rebellions were usually unsuccessful\, so you wonder\, why would you fight?\n\nSlavery was so incredibly horrifying.\n\n It was a regime of terror\, right\, that was very\, very difficult to with stand.\n\nPeople can abuse\, rape\, torture\, murder enslaved persons with out consequences\, so if you just imagine that situation and that kind of desperation\, it becomes clearer why\, when given an opportunity\, you wou ld fight against that.\n\n♪ [Birds chirping] Narrator: On September 11\, 1776\, 3 delegates of the Continental Congress-- John Adams of Massachuse tts\, Edward Rutledge of South Carolina\, and Benjamin Franklin of Pennsyl vania-- made their way to a Loyalist's house on Staten Island for a meetin g with Admiral Howe\, who was hoping to persuade the Congress to negotiate a peace.\n\n♪ Howe did what he could to reassure the delegates that all could still be forgiven if only the Americans would abandon independence. \n\n\"If America should fall\,\" he told the delegates\, \"[I] should feel and lament it like the loss of a brother.\"\n\n\"[W]e will do our utmost\ ,\" Franklin answered\, \"to save Your Lordship that mortification.\"\n\n\ "They met.\n\nThey talked.\n\nThey parted\,\" Admiral Howe's secretary sai d\, \"and now nothing remains but to fight it out.\"\n\nThere was no going back.\n\nHowe apologized to his visitors for wasting their time.\n\nChris topher Brown: The British government throughout the first few years of the war really thought that a show of force would bring the majority of Ameri cans to their senses and that the instigators\, the provocateurs\, the one s who were responsible for the uprising would be captured\, killed\, or th eir neighbors would just say\, \"Enough.\n\nWe don't actually want to go t o war with our own nation.\"\n\n♪ Voice: On our side\, the war should be defensive.\n\nWe should on all occasions avoid a general action or put an ything to the risk unless compelled by a necessity into which we ought nev er to be drawn.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: Back in New York City\, Washington again expected another British attack and again didn't know wh ere or when it was likely to come\, so again he divided what was left of h is forces.\n\nLeaving behind General Putnam and some 3\,500 men to hold th e city itself\, General Washington led most of his troops north toward the tiny village of Harlem.\n\nMilitiamen were posted along the East River op posite Long Island.\n\nJoseph Plumb Martin found himself with 500 Connecti cut troops at Kips Bay.\n\nAt the same time\, 5 British frigates sailed up the river and anchored on the opposite shore.\n\nAt 11:00 in the morning on September 15th\, they opened fire.\n\n[Cannonfire] Voice: I thought my head would go with the sound.\n\nI made a frog's leap for the ditch and la y as still as I possibly could and began to consider which part of my carc ass was to go first.\n\nWe kept the lines till they were almost leveled up on us\, when our officers gave the order to leave.\n\n[Martin] Narrator: A s Martin and his comrades ran\, 4\,000 enemy troops began coming ashore at Kips Bay\, among them Hessians who bayoneted several wounded Americans an d mutilated the dead.\n\nVoice: Our people were all militia\, and the demo ns of fear and disorder seemed to take full possession of all and everythi ng that day.\n\n[Martin] [Gunfire] Narrator: Then General Washington seeme d to appear out of nowhere\, ordering his stampeding men to form a defensi ve line.\n\n\"Take the walls\,\" he bellowed.\n\n\"Take the cornfield.\"\n \nThey kept running.\n\n\"Are these the men with which I am to defend Amer ica?\"\n\nWashington was known for being aloof\, terse\, stoical\, but\, \ "Those who have seen him strongly moved\,\" a friend remembered\, could \" bear witness that his wrath was terrible.\"\n\nHe seemed stunned and urged his horse forward toward the oncoming Hessians.\n\nAn aide snatched his h orse's bridle and led his commander out of harm's way.\n\nColonel John Glo ver and his regiment from Marblehead\, Massachusetts\, which had just made Washington's escape from Long Island possible\, rushed up and were able t o slow the British advance... [Gunfire] but many Patriots did not stop run ning until they reached the safety of strongly fortified American position s on the plateau known as Harlem Heights.\n\nThe British were slow to foll ow the fleeing rebels.\n\nGeneral Howe wanted to wait until thousands more troops were ashore on Manhattan Island.\n\nThe delay gave General Putnam time to lead his men north out of New York City to join Washington in Harl em.\n\nThe British entered the abandoned city in triumph.\n\nVoice: The Ki ng's forces took possession of the place\, incredible as it may seem\, wit hout the loss of a man.\n\nA woman pulled down the rebel standard upon the fort and\, after trampling it underfoot with the most contemptuous indign ation\, hoisted up in its stead His Majesty's flag.\n\nAmbrose Searle\, Se cretary to Admiral Howe.\n\nJasanoff: New York City becomes the great Brit ish stronghold of the American Revolution.\n\nOnce the Continental Army is driven out\, the Patriots don't want to stick around\, and they tend to g o\, too.\n\nMeanwhile\, the Loyalists come into the city.\n\nPeople stream in from the countryside to take shelter\, and the city becomes this kind of garrison town.\n\nNarrator: Hundreds of Loyalists would formally reaffi rm their allegiance to George III by signing a document they called their Declaration of Dependence.\n\nOver the coming weeks\, more Loyalists poure d into the city\, now eager to take up arms in the King's cause.\n\n[Fifes and drums playing] Voice: It is the cause of truth against falsehood\, of loyalty against rebellion\, of legal government against usurpation.\n\nIn short\, it is the cause of human happiness.\n\nCharles Inglis.\n\nNarrato r: Over the course of the war\, as many as 50\,000 Americans volunteered t o serve in Loyalist militia companies or in provincial units attached to t he British Army-- the King's American Regiment\, the Queen's American Rang ers\, the Prince of Wales' American Volunteers\, the Royal Highland Emigra nts\, and the British Legion.\n\nEveryone knew someone who fought for the other side.\n\nEven Benjamin Franklin's son William\, the deposed Royal Go vernor of New Jersey\, remained faithful to his king and was imprisoned fo r it.\n\n[Distant cannonfire] Voice: Had I been left to the dictates of my own judgment\, New York should have been lain in ashes.\n\nTo this end\, I applied to Congress but was absolutely forbid.\n\nProvidence--or some go od\, honest fellow-- has done more for us than we were disposed to do for ourselves.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n[Flames crackling] Voice: September 21 \, 1776.\n\nWe are a good deal alarmed at a fire that must have spread ama zingly\, for though we are 6 1/2 miles from the town\, we could see a pin on the ground by the light of the blaze.\n\nLoftus Cliffe.\n\nNarrator: Ne w York City was on fire.\n\nThe next morning\, Irish-born Lieutenant Loftu s Cliffe\, who had already survived 3 battles\, went for a walk through th e still-smoldering streets.\n\nVoice: I cannot paint the misery of a very pretty town near as large as Cork now reduced.\n\nTwo churches\, the gover nor's house\, and several other fine buildings are in ruins\, being set af ire in different places at once in the dead of last night.\n\nTheir design was to destroy the town.\n\nO Washington\, what have you to answer for?\n \n[Cliffe] Narrator: The origins of the fire remained a mystery\, but Gene ral Howe was convinced it had been set by rebels\, and the next day when s oldiers brought before him an American spy captured behind British lines\, he showed no mercy.\n\nHowe ordered Captain Nathan Hale\, a member of an elite espionage unit organized by George Washington\, to be hanged the fol lowing morning.\n\nAs he went to the gallows\, a British officer remembere d\, Hale \"behaved with great composure and resolution.\"\n\nAbove his bod y\, British soldiers hung a sign labeled\, \"George Washington\,\" the man they all blamed for setting fire to New York City.\n\n♪ Alan Taylor: A lot is riding on George Washington's performance not only in the battlefie ld\, but in his relationship with Congress and his relationship with the s tates\, his relationship with his soldiers.\n\nGeorge Washington understan ds that his role is not just military.\n\nIt's also political.\n\nHe has t o project dignity.\n\nHe has to project authority.\n\nHe has to also do th is while projecting deference to Congress.\n\nHe cannot become a dictator. \n\n♪ Voice: We have been sent into life at a time when the greatest law givers of antiquity would have wished to have lived\, when\, before the pr esent epocha\, had 3 millions of people full power and a fair opportunity to form and establish the wisest and happiest government that human wisdom can contrive.\n\n[Gavel bangs] John Adams.\n\n♪ Narrator: As Washington and Howe faced off against one another in New York\, in Philadelphia\, th e Continental Congress had been laboring to adopt Articles of Confederatio n\, meant to formally bind all 13 states together while also guaranteeing the independence of each\, a first tentative step toward a permanent gover nment for the new United States.\n\n♪ Taylor: When we think about our Am erican Revolution\, we\, of course\, think about independence from Britain \, and that's a big deal\, but we also need to think about this is the for mation of republican government\, and it's also the formation of our union of our states\, and all 3 of those were enormous gambles.\n\nThey were un precedented.\n\nThere had never been the foundation of a republic out of a revolution... [Gavel bangs] and these 13 colonies had had bitter rivalrie s with one another\, and so forming a union out of these states was gonna be as difficult as achieving independence from Britain.\n\n[Gavel banging rapidly] Narrator: Congress debated draft articles for weeks on the first floor of the Pennsylvania State House\, where they had just declared indep endence in July.\n\nThey were held up over a host of issues\, including ap portionment\, boundary disputes\, taxation\, and autonomy of the individua l states.\n\nCongress was a disputatious assembly and not necessarily an e fficient assembly through these years.\n\nYes\, they are running a war.\n\ nYes\, they are founding a nation\, but there's also a tremendous amount o f infighting.\n\nThere's a tremendous amount of inertia.\n\nThere are more committees than anyone could count\, and there were secret committees.\n\ nFor example\, the first person sent to France to solicit aid from the Fre nch for the Revolution is sent without the knowledge of the rest of Congre ss.\n\nAs John Jay will later say to George Washington\, \"There is as muc h intrigue in Congress \"as there is at the Vatican\, and as little secrec y as there is in a boarding school.\"\n\n♪ Narrator: Meanwhile\, upstair s in the same building\, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania held a conventio n of its own to establish its government.\n\nSimilar meetings were being h eld in other states.\n\nAll of the new constitutions would guarantee freed om of the press\, fair trials\, and due process under law and made sure po wer rested not with autocratic governors\, but with legislators elected by propertied men.\n\nPennsylvania took things a step further.\n\nThey creat ed the most egalitarian constitution in the new United States with a Bill of Rights and a one-house legislature elected by taxpaying workingmen as w ell as property owners\, all of which worried many of the delegates downst airs.\n\nWilliam Hogeland: Pennsylvania had a radical constitution where a lmost any White\, free man could vote and stand for office\, which had nev er happened before pretty much anywhere.\n\nPeople were committed to using the revolution to make it a real social revolution\, a real economic revo lution\, and get free\, working people-- men\, White men-- a say in govern ment\, which was a radical idea at the time.\n\nJohn Adams wasn't for that .\n\nSamuel Adams wasn't for that.\n\nRichard Henry Lee wasn't for that.\n \nWhen John Adams read that constitution\, his response was\, quote\, \"Go od God!\"\n\n♪ Voice: In the new code of laws\, I desire you would remem ber the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancest ors.\n\nDo not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.\n\ nRemember\, all men would be tyrants if they could.\n\nIf particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies\, we are determined to foment a re bellion and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nVoice: There will be no end of it.\n\nNew claims will arise.\n\nWomen will demand a vote.\n\nLads from 12 to 21 will think their rights not enough attended to\, and every man w ho has not a farthing will demand an equal voice with any other in all act s of state.\n\nIt tends to confound and destroy all distinctions and prost rate all ranks to one common level.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\nHogeland: It's a mis conception to think of the founders as being pro-democracy\, but I think i t's also a misconception to think that their failure to be democratic is s ome sort of flaw or error or something they just kind of missed.\n\nThey w ere very adamantly opposed to democracy.\n\nDemocracy came to America\, wi th all of the problems that came with it\, not as a direct purpose of the American Revolution\, really\, but as an unintended consequence.\n\nNarrat or: By the time Pennsylvania had ratified its constitution\, the debates o ver the Articles of Confederation downstairs in Congress had become so hea ted\, the prospect of compromise seemed so remote that the delegates agree d to table the subject.\n\nFrustrated and worried about his sick wife\, Th omas Jefferson returned home to Virginia\, the place he still called \"my country.\"\n\n[Birds chirping] ♪ Voice: Camp near Kingsbridge-- Amidst a ll the distress and ruins of this dreadful war\, I am yet alive and yours. \n\nOur enemies pursue us close from place to place.\n\nI pray God daily t hat you\, my dear wife\, forever may you be happy.\n\nPhilip.\n\nNarrator: Days after writing to his wife\, Chaplain Fithian fell victim to dysenter y\, the disease that had killed so many of the men whose last moments he'd filled with prayer.\n\nHe was carried to a hospital tent.\n\nThere was no thing anyone could do.\n\n♪ Voice: October 8th-- This morning about 10:0 0\, Mr.\n\nFithian closed his eyes upon the things of time and is gone to a spiritual world.\n\nAndrew Hunter.\n\n♪ [Bells tolling] Narrator: News of the American defeat on Long Island at the end of August did not reach London till October 10th.\n\nIt was greeted with what one courtier called \"an extravagance of joy.\"\n\nThe King promised General Howe a knighthood .\n\nNow that the Americans had seen how futile it was to defy British reg ulars\, they would surely come to their senses and sue for peace.\n\nNot a ll Englishmen shared that view.\n\n♪ Voice: London.\n\nTo the printer of the \"Public Advertiser\"-- Sir\, I find that the late action at Long Isl and has made a considerable impression upon the Public\; the Friends of Mi nistry thinking everything gained\, the Friends of America everything lost .\n\nBecause the last action was in our favor\, we think we are to succeed in the next\, but liberty takes a great deal of killing\, and the courage of freemen is the same thing on both sides of the Atlantic.\n\nThe Americ ans are daily improving in Arms and in Hatred.\n\nWe see only the Beginnin g of Sorrows\;-- Benefit to neither-- Misery to both.\n\n[The Public Adver tiser] Voice: Ticonderoga appears to be the last part of the world that Go d made\, and I have some ground to believe it was finished in the dark\, t hat it was never intended that man should live in it is clear\, for the pe ople who have attempted to make any stay have\, for the most part\, perish ed by pestilence or the sword.\n\nGeneral Anthony Wayne.\n\nNarrator: By t he fall of 1776\, only half of the 11\,000 Americans who manned Ticonderog a and Crown Point on Lake Champlain were fit for duty.\n\nThe smallpox thr eat was lifting\, but thousands still suffered from other diseases.\n\nMor ale was further weakened by antagonism among men from the supposedly Unite d States.\n\nNew Englanders brawled with Pennsylvanians so often that they had been sent to the opposite shore to set up a separate fortification on a hilltop called Mount Independence.\n\nAfter the American retreat from Q uebec City in early 1776\, a British drive down the Hudson seemed inevitab le.\n\nBefore British General Guy Carleton's army could even reach the Hud son\, he had to sail south and seize the two American forts at Crown Point and Ticonderoga\, and before he could do that\, he had to put together a fleet at the lake's northern end.\n\nThat had taken months.\n\nCalloway: T his water route is a corridor.\n\nIt's been called the Warpath of Nations\ , where Indian warriors from Canada had raided down the Champlain Valley\, down the Hudson River\, and so this was-- this was like an open door.\n\n Narrator: The Americans had just 4 ships with which to oppose the British fleet.\n\nMany more were needed.\n\nTiconderoga's commander\, a former Bri tish major named Horatio Gates\, appointed his most enterprising officer t o get the job done.\n\nBenedict Arnold was still limping from the wound he 'd received at Quebec and was still angry at having been accused of steali ng supplies during the retreat from Montreal.\n\nGates had dismissed Arnol d's detractors.\n\n\"Men of little merit are ever jealous of those who hav e a great deal.\"\n\nVoice: The enemy will soon have a considerable naval force.\n\nI make no doubt of their soon paying us a visit.\n\nI beg that a t least 100 good seamen may be sent to me as soon as possible.\n\nBenedict Arnold.\n\nNarrator: Arnold transformed the tiny settlement of Skenesboro ugh\, 20 miles below Ticonderoga\, into a bustling shipyard.\n\nHe had hop ed for a fleet of at least 30 vessels but had to settle for just 15.\n\nVo ice: I intend to come up as high as Isle Valcour\, where is a good harbor and where we shall have the advantage of attacking the enemy in the open l ake.\n\n[Arnold] Narrator: When the British flotilla finally started south on Lake Champlain\, Carleton commanded nearly twice as many vessels as Ar nold did\, armed with more than twice as many guns\, manned by 700 seasone d crewmen\, and carrying 10\,000 British and German troops and 400 Native allies.\n\nArnold and his fleet were waiting for them in a cove hidden beh ind Valcour Island.\n\n[Cannonfire] As Carleton's fleet slid past\, 4 Amer ican ships moved out onto the lake to engage the British\, Arnold personal ly directing the guns of his flagship-- the \"Congress.\"\n\n[Gunfire] By evening\, the fleets had fought to a standoff.\n\nThe Americans had lost 2 vessels but succeeded in blowing up a British gunboat.\n\nAs darkness fel l\, Carleton ordered his fleet to keep the Americans trapped so that he co uld destroy them the following day... ♪ but at 7:00\, while fog covered the lake and Carleton and his officers were dining below deck\, Arnold for med his battered ships into a single line and then ordered them with muffl ed oars and in complete silence to glide slowly past the British squadron. \n\n♪ When Carleton finally caught up with them\, they began a running b attle that went on for 2 days.\n\nBritish firepower took a steady toll.\n\ nArnold eventually ordered his flagship and 4 other vessels run aground in Button Mould Bay and set on fire.\n\nHe and his men escaped into the fore st.\n\nWhen they reached Crown Point\, Arnold realized the fortifications there could not withstand a serious British attack and ordered them burned to the ground.\n\n[Flames crackling] \"At 4:00 [in the] morning\, I reach ed [Ticonderoga]\,\" Arnold recalled\, \"exceedingly fatigued and unwell\, having been without sleep or refreshment for near 3 days.\"\n\nVoice: It has pleased Providence to preserve General Arnold.\n\nFew men ever met wit h so many hairbreadth escapes in so short a space of time.\n\nHoratio Gate s.\n\nPhilbrick: The battle was not a victory for the Americans\, but it i s one of the great slugfests of naval warfare\, and it happens on a lake.\ n\nIt convinced the British that it was gonna be much more difficult to ta ke Ticonderoga than they thought.\n\nNarrator: The American force at Ticon deroga had grown to 15\,000\, and its fortifications had been strengthened .\n\nCarleton now believed a long siege would be needed to take it.\n\nThe n it began to snow.\n\nOnce the lake froze\, provisioning his forces would be difficult\, and a retreat would be impossible.\n\nCarleton turned arou nd and withdrew\, eventually going into winter quarters at Quebec City far to the north.\n\nThe British began to plan a second\, more significant in vasion for the next spring.\n\n[Digging] [Man grunts] Voice: The rebels ha ve taken positions upon amazing\, strong hills and works they have all the way to Kingsbridge.\n\nTheir soldiers would rather work than fight.\n\nOu rs would rather fight than work\, but General Howe was determined to not r un our heads against their works.\n\nLoftus Cliffe.\n\nNarrator: For the b etter part of a month\, Washington's and Howe's armies warily faced one an other at Harlem Heights\, \"as quiet\,\" an American lieutenant recalled\, \"as if they were a thousand miles apart.\"\n\nWith little to do\, soldie rs on both sides went into the surrounding countryside\, where they plunde red homes\, terrified civilians\, and then burned their houses to cover up their crimes.\n\nBaer: Plunder is more or less an accepted part of warfar e in the 18th century.\n\nThe British\, the Hessian\, and the American gen erals all worry about that.\n\nWashington worries about that.\n\nHis men p lunder\, and he's like\, \"Can you stop?\n\nPlease don't do this.\n\nYou'r e alienating the people.\"\n\nNarrator: \"Militiamen\,\" Washington compla ined to Congress\, \"were undisciplined\, disobedient\, \"liable to run in stead of fight\, 'hurtful' to the cause.\"\n\nTo make matters worse\, the 12-month enlistments in the Continental Army\, begun in Boston the previou s winter\, would soon be running out.\n\nAt the end of the year\, Washingt on would again have to raise and train a whole new army.\n\nHe understood that appeals to patriotism alone would no longer work.\n\n[Shouting] Voice : When men are irritated and the passions inflamed\, they fly hastily and cheerfully to arms\, but after the first emotions are over\, to expect tha t they are influenced by any other principle than those of interest is to look for what never did and\, I fear\, never will happen.\n\n[Washington] Narrator: Congress agreed to authorize 88 new battalions.\n\nThe number ea ch state was to provide depended on their free populations.\n\nThe states would never come close to meeting those goals.\n\nVoice: The policy of Con gress has been the most absurd and ridiculous imaginable\, pouring in mili tiamen who come and go every month.\n\nPeople coming from home with all th e tender feelings of domestic life are not sufficiently fortified with nat ural courage to stand the shocking scenes of war\, to march over dead men\ , to hear without concern the groanings of the wounded.\n\nI say few men c an stand such scenes unless steeled by habit or fortified by military prid e.\n\nNathanael Greene.\n\n♪ Narrator: On October 11th\, 150 vessels thr eaded their way up the East River and into Long Island Sound with 4\,000 B ritish and Hessian troops.\n\nTheir objective was to get behind Washington 's forces in Northern Manhattan.\n\nTo avoid that\, Washington began a ful l-scale retreat\, following the west bank of the Bronx River for 18 miles north toward the seat of Westchester County-- White Plains.\n\n[Cannonfire ] By the time the British forces got there on October 28th\, the American line stretched for 3 miles through the village\, anchored on the right by the lightly defended Chatterton Hill.\n\n[Gunfire] General Howe sent 2 col umns up the slope.\n\nPatriot militiamen predictably scattered\, but the C ontinentals held.\n\nAs the British approached\, a Connecticut colonel tol d his men\, \"Fire at their legs.\n\n\"One man wounded is better than a de ad one\, \"for it takes two more to carry him off\, and there is 3 gone\,\ " but British artillery took a fearful toll.\n\nVoice: A cannonball cut do wn Lieutenant Young's Platoon\, which was next to that of mine.\n\nThe bal l first took the head of Smith--a stout\, heavy man-- and dashed it open.\ n\nThen it took off Chilson's arm.\n\nIt then took Taylor across the bowel s.\n\nWhat a sight that was to see.\n\nThere was men with their legs and a rms and guns and packs all in a heap.\n\nPrivate Elijah Bostwick.\n\nNarra tor: At day's end\, Washington retreated east of White Plains.\n\nAgain Ge neral Howe made only a halfhearted effort to follow.\n\nBaer: The British essentially let Washington escape once again.\n\nOpportunities to just end this war right now are being wasted.\n\nVoice: Is it through incapacity o r by design of our commander that so many great opportunities are let slip ?\n\nI am inclined to adopt the latter.\n\nCaptain William Bamford.\n\n♪ Conway: There are moments when General Howe in particular seems to hold b ack from delivering the final knockout blow.\n\nThere's that feeling\, the very torn and conflicted feeling\, about whether the Americans are truly enemies or misguided subjects who need to be encouraged to come back into the fold.\n\n[Horse neighs] Narrator: As Howe headed back towards Manhatta n\, Washington crossed the Hudson and headed south.\n\nHe thought it most likely that Howe planned to race across New Jersey and capture Philadelphi a before winter set in.\n\nHe had again misjudged his adversary.\n\nHowe a ctually wanted to take 2 forts on opposite sides of the Hudson that blocke d British ships from going upriver-- Fort Lee in New Jersey and Fort Washi ngton on Manhattan Island\, a crude\, star-shaped earthwork 265 feet above the river.\n\nFort Washington would come first.\n\n[Cannonfire] British g uns pounded the fort and the long line of trenches and redoubts that surro unded it.\n\nThe British troops who attacked from the south and east had c omparatively little trouble driving the defenders back behind the fort's w alls\, but Hessian troops under the command of General Wilhelm von Knyphau sen coming at them from the north had a much tougher task\, climbing a roc ky hillside covered by the tangled branches of felled trees and so steep t hat they had to grab at bushes to pull themselves up\, all under steady fi re from above.\n\nVoice: Before us\, beside\, and upon one another\, we sa w our unfortunate comrades shattered\, dead on the Earth in their own bloo d.\n\nEven the air seemed filled with fear.\n\nLieutenant Johann Friedrich von Bardeleben.\n\nNarrator: Margaret Corbin\, a Pennsylvania artilleryma n's wife\, was standing near her husband when he was mortally wounded.\n\n She stepped in and kept up such deadly fire that her position became a tar get for Hessian guns.\n\nGrapeshot eventually hit her jaw and breast and r endered her left arm useless.\n\n3 years later\, she would become the firs t woman to receive a lifetime disability pension but at half the rate woun ded men received.\n\nAmerican muskets eventually clogged from overuse.\n\n The defenders fell back and were forced to surrender\, nearly 3\,000 men.\ n\nThe British renamed Fort Washington Fort Knyphausen after the victoriou s German general.\n\nAs the battered captives made their 12-mile march sou th to New York City\, British soldiers and Loyalists lined the road\, jeer ing and cursing.\n\nOfficers were often paroled after pledging not to take up arms again\, but enlisted men were given no such option.\n\nInstead\, they were prodded into makeshift prisons already overcrowded with hundreds of prisoners taken at Quebec\, Long Island\, and Kips Bay.\n\n♪ There w ere no blankets\, little firewood\, and sometimes no food.\n\nRats scuttle d over the muddy straw that covered the floors.\n\nVoice: The men's appear ance in general resembled dead corpses more than living men.\n\nIndeed\, g reat numbers had already arrived at their long home\, and the remainder ap peared far advanced on the same journey.\n\nCaptain Jabez Fitch.\n\nNarrat or: Thousands of American prisoners would die by the end of 1776.\n\nBy th en\, the British had begun packing the prisoners into disused transport sh ips anchored in the East River.\n\nConditions there would prove worse than those on land.\n\nAtkinson: They die of exposure.\n\nThey die of malnutri tion.\n\nThey die of disease-- smallpox\, typhus\, typhoid\, dysentery.\n\ nWe have our own prison ships near Albany\, where British soldiers and Loy alists are kept in very awful conditions.\n\nIt's a deplorable part of the story of the American Revolution.\n\n♪ Narrator: Early on November 20\, 1776\, some 5\,000 British and Hessian troops crossed the Hudson and bega n struggling up the slippery\, 440-foot rock face of the New Jersey Palisa des\, so steep the Patriots had not believed anyone could climb it.\n\nThe British commander was General Charles Cornwallis\, who then ordered his m en to start marching south toward Fort Lee\, 6 miles away.\n\nGeneral Nath anael Greene had already begun to evacuate it when the enemy took Fort Was hington.\n\nNow he ordered everyone remaining to leave immediately.\n\n♪ Voice: The rebels fled like scared rabbits.\n\nNot a rascal of them could be seen.\n\nThey have left some poor pork\, a few greasy proclamations\, and some of that scoundrel \"Common Sense\" man's letters\, which we can r ead at our leisure.\n\n[British officer] ♪ Narrator: By evening\, Greene and most of his 2\,000 men managed to link up with Washington's force at New Bridge on the Hackensack River.\n\nVoice: They marched 2 abreast\, loo ked ragged\, some without a shoe to their feet and most of them wrapped in their blankets.\n\nThe next evening\, the British encamped on the other s ide of the Hackensack.\n\nWe could see their fires about 100 yards apart g leaming brilliantly in the gloom of the night\, extending for more than a mile along the river.\n\nReverend Theodore Roneyn.\n\nNarrator: As his arm y retreated across the state\, followed by Cornwallis with a far larger fo rce\, Washington hoped somehow\, somewhere to offer battle\, but Cornwalli s had orders from General Howe to avoid confrontation.\n\nFrom Howe's vant age point\, there was no need for another major battle.\n\nThe rebel army was shrinking daily.\n\nWhat one officer called \"the devil of desertion\" had infected Washington's ranks.\n\nMen were simply drifting away into th e countryside.\n\nWhen Washington called upon the states for 5\,000 more t roops\, he was met mostly by silence.\n\nHis aide-de-camp Joseph Reed expr essed the General's continued frustrations.\n\nVoice: When I look round an d see how few of the numbers who talked so largely of death and honor are around me\, I am lost in wonder.\n\nYour noisy Sons of Liberty are\, I fin d\, the quietest in the field.\n\n[Joseph Reed] ♪ Narrator: To compound things\, Washington's second in command-- General Charles Lee\, who had be en stationed in Westchester County with a sizable force-- responded to Was hington's repeated requests to hurry to his aid with one excuse after anot her.\n\nLee was scornful of Washington\, hoped someday to replace him as c ommander in chief\, and saw himself as not subject to Washington's orders. \n\nOn November 30th\, the British issued a proclamation aimed at restorin g their rule in New Jersey.\n\nAnyone willing to swear \"peaceable obedien ce to His Majesty\" within 60 days would receive \"a free and General Pard on.\"\n\nMore than 3\,000 New Jersey residents took them up on the offer\, and hundreds answered the call for Loyalists to fight alongside the Briti sh regulars.\n\nNew Jersey's Patriot government fled\, but while General H owe was offering pardons\, his soldiers were demanding provisions from civ ilians.\n\n[Pounding on door] Edward Lengel: The people who were really at the sharp end of the sword were the civilians\, and if you think from the point of view of somebody\, say\, a mother of a family-- who's on her far m\, you know that the very little that you have to survive can be destroye d in an instant.\n\n[Glass shattering] Voice: Tories lead the relentless f oreigners to the houses of their neighbors and strip poor women and childr en of everything they have to eat or wear\, and after plundering them in t his sort\, the brutes often ravish the mothers and daughters and compel th e fathers and sons to behold their brutality.\n\nNathanael Greene.\n\nConw ay: As an army is advancing and occupying new territories\, dreadful thing s happen.\n\nWe see lots of instances of rape and sexual assault of women. \n\nSadly\, this is not unusual in all wars.\n\nNarrator: Mary Campbell of Hunterdon County\, New Jersey\, told a judge what British troops had done to her.\n\nVoice: Mary Campbell\, wife of Daniel Campbell\, sayeth that s ometime in December\, a number of soldiers belonging to the King of Great Britain's army came to the house of her father.\n\nTwo of them seized hold of her arms and dragged her out of the house to an old shop near the dwel ling house\, broke open the door\, and pulled her in against all her cries and entreaties and swore if she did not hold her tongue\, they would run her through with a bayonet.\n\n3 of said soldiers successively had knowled ge of the body of this deponent\, she being 5 months and upwards advanced in her pregnancy at that time.\n\nHer mark\, Mary M. Campbell.\n\n♪ Narr ator: At Pennington\, 16 women fled into the woods to escape British soldi ers\, only to be dragged back and repeatedly assaulted.\n\nSuch behavior\, one British officer admitted\, was \"calculated to lose you friends and g ain you enemies.\"\n\nIt did\, and people soon began taking revenge.\n\nNe w Jersey militiamen took up arms again less out of devotion to the revolut ionary cause than out of anger at what was being done to them and their fa milies.\n\n[Gunshot] Voice: It is now very unsafe for us to travel in New Jersey.\n\nThe peasants meet our men alone or in small unarmed groups.\n\n They have their rifles hidden in the bushes or ditches and the like.\n\nWh en they see one or several men belonging to our army\, they shoot them in the head\, then quickly hide their rifles and pretend they know nothing.\n \nCaptain Friedrich von Munchhausen.\n\n♪ ♪ Voice: No lads ever show g reater activity in retreating than we have.\n\nOur soldiers are the best f ellows in the world at this business.\n\nLieutenant Colonel Samuel Webb.\n \nNarrator: Hackensack\, Acquackanonk\, Newark\, Spanktown\, New Brunswick \, Princeton\, Trenton.\n\nIn 12 days\, the Americans fell back some 70 mi les.\n\nOn December 2nd\, Washington began to take his army across the Del aware River into Pennsylvania.\n\nThe news continued to be bad for the Pat riot cause.\n\nGeneral Henry Clinton landed 7\,000 British and Hessian reg ulars at Newport\, Rhode Island\, without firing a shot.\n\nLike New York City and New Jersey\, Rhode Island seemed likely lost.\n\nBritish forces w ere now just 60 miles from Philadelphia\, and the roads leading out of the city were choked with frightened refugees.\n\nCongress denied what it cal led the \"false and malicious\" rumors that it was planning to leave town and then fled to Baltimore.\n\nGeneral Charles Lee had finally given in to Washington's entreaties and had been slowly leading his force across New Jersey.\n\nOn the evening of December 12th\, he slipped away from his enca mpment to an isolated tavern in Basking Ridge.\n\nA Loyalist tipped off th e British.\n\nDragoons surrounded the building and seized the Continental Army's second in command.\n\nOne Hessian captain was exultant-- \"We have captured... the only rebel general whom we had cause to fear\"-- but then General Howe abruptly called off his campaign.\n\nWinter was coming.\n\nTh e Continental Congress was on the run.\n\nThere would be plenty of time th e following year\, he was certain\, to destroy what was left of Washington 's army and permanently end the rebellion.\n\n♪ While Howe and most of h is army withdrew to New York\, he left behind a chain of 17 garrisons stre tching from the Hudson to the Delaware.\n\nAtkinson: Things can hardly loo k darker than they look for Washington and his army and the hopes of the c ause in December of 1776.\n\nAs he gets into Pennsylvania and he's looking back across the Delaware River\, his options are very\, very limited.\n\n He's been evicted from New York.\n\nHis army is down to maybe 3\,000 men.\ n\nHe writes his brother at one point and says\, \"I think the game is pre tty near up.\"\n\nHe doesn't let his men know that he's feeling that despo ndent\, but he's feeling pretty glum.\n\n♪ Narrator: But now his army ha d begun to grow again.\n\nGeneral William Alexander\, who had been freed f rom British captivity\, arrived with a thousand ragged reinforcements.\n\n A thousand Philadelphia militia appeared.\n\nGeneral John Sullivan\, also exchanged\, brought in 2\,000 more men who had served under the captured G eneral Lee.\n\nOn December 22nd\, the 16-year-old fifer John Greenwood and some 600 other New Englanders also staggered into camp.\n\nWashington's a ppeals for help had reached all the way to Ticonderoga\, and these men had been on their way for nearly a month.\n\nWashington now had about 6\,000 men fit for duty.\n\nThe question was what he might do with them in the 10 days remaining before their enlistments ran out and most of his best-trai ned soldiers went home.\n\nVoice: Our cause is desperate and hopeless if w e do not take the opportunity of the collection of troops at present to st rike some stroke.\n\nDelay with us is now equal to total defeat.\n\nJoseph Reed.\n\nNarrator: Washington decided to strike the garrison at Trenton\, New Jersey\, manned by some 1\,500 Hessians under the command of Colonel Johann Rall.\n\nMost of the little town's inhabitants had fled\, and their homes had been turned into barracks.\n\nWashington outlined a bold and am bitious plan of attack that called for 3 simultaneous crossings of the ice -choked Delaware\, all to be launched on Christmas night.\n\n[Drums beatin g rhythmically] 1\,800 Pennsylvanians and Rhode Islanders were to cross do wnriver near Bristol and march toward a second Hessian outpost at Burlingt on.\n\n800 Pennsylvania militia were to cross and hold the bridge over Ass unpink Creek and keep the Hessians from escaping once the battle began.\n\ nIn the main attack\, Washington himself would lead 2\,400 Continentals ac ross the river at McConkey's Ferry and then begin the 9-mile march south t oward their target.\n\nVoice: None knew but the first officers where we we re a-going.\n\nI never heard a soldier say anything nor ever saw him troub le himself about where they led him or where he was.\n\nIt was enough to k now that he must go wherever the officer commanded him.\n\nThrough fire an d water\, it was all the same\, for it was impossible to be in a worse con dition than what they were in.\n\nJohn Greenwood.\n\n♪ Narrator: Thomas Paine\, who had been with Washington's army as it retreated across New Jer sey\, had just published a new essay meant to restore sagging morale calle d \"The American Crisis.\"\n\nBy the time Washington's army got underway o n Christmas\, patriots up and down the river had read and been inspired by it.\n\nVoice: These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldie r and the sunshine patriot will\, in this crisis\, shrink from the service of their country\; but he that stands by it NOW\, deserves the love and t hanks of man and woman.\n\nTyranny\, like hell\, is not easily conquered\; yet we have this consolation with us\, that the harder the conflict\, the more glorious the triumph.\n\n[Paine] Narrator: A freezing rain began to fall at dusk as the Americans clambered into the ferry boats and cargo ves sels that made up Washington's hastily assembled fleet.\n\n♪ The river w as fast-running and filled with swirling\, jagged pieces of floe ice.\n\nS omehow\, Colonel John Glover and his Massachusetts sailors from Marblehead \, the same men who had rescued Washington's army after the Battle of Long Island and stopped the British advance following Kips Bay\, now managed t o get all 2\,400 men\, some 50 horses\, and 18 field pieces across safely. \n\nJohn Greenwood was among the first to step ashore.\n\nVoice: We had to wait for the rest to cross\, so we began to pull down the fences and make fires to warm ourselves\, for the storm came on so fast that it rained\, hailed\, and snowed and froze and blew a hurricane\, so much so\, when I t urned my face toward the fire\, my back was a-freezing.\n\nBy turning roun d and round\, I kept myself from perishing.\n\n[Greenwood] Narrator: Washi ngton hoped that the landing would be completed by midnight so that his me n could reach Trenton before dawn\, but the last boat did not scrape ashor e till 3:00 in the morning.\n\nAnd though Washington did not know it yet\, ice had prevented the two other forces from getting across the river.\n\n If Trenton were to be taken\, it would be up to Washington's force alone.\ n\nAs he and his men finally started toward the town\, the driving snow\, fierce cold\, and hardship of hauling 18 guns along a frozen\, rutted road slowed the advance.\n\nVoice: When we halted in the road\, I sat down on a stump of a tree and was so benumbed with cold\, I wanted to go to sleep. \n\nAnd if I had\, unnoticed\, I should have been frozen to death without knowing it\, but\, as good luck always attended me\, Sergeant Madden came to me and aroused me up and made me walk about.\n\n[Greenwood] Narrator: T wo other soldiers did fall asleep and froze to death.\n\nAt a crossroads\, the column split in two.\n\nWashington went with Nathanael Greene and tur ned left for the Pennington Road.\n\nJohn Sullivan and his men\, including John Greenwood\, continued to the right along the River Road.\n\nEach col umn reached its assigned position outside the still-dozing town just befor e 8:00.\n\n[Men shouting] Nathanael Greene's men began the attack\, chargi ng out of the snow-filled woods.\n\n\"The storm continued with great viole nce\,\" one officer recalled\, \"but was in our backs and consequently in the faces of the enemy.\"\n\n[Gunfire] Hessian pickets spotted them throug h the snow\, opened fire\, then fell back as remaining townspeople watched in terror.\n\nVoice: In the gray dawn came the beating of drums and the s ound of firing.\n\nThe Hessian soldiers quartered in our house hastily dec amped.\n\nAll was uproar and confusion.\n\nMartha Reed.\n\n♪ Narrator: T he German soldiers formed up as best they could\, prepared to fight\, but Henry Knox had positioned cannon and howitzers at the upper end of King an d Queen Streets that ran through the heart of the town\, and when the Germ an commander Johann Rall mounted his horse and ordered his men to charge i nto them\, Knox remembered\, \"these [guns]\, in the twinkling of an eye\, cleared the streets.\"\n\nSome Hessians scattered.\n\nBrief\, fierce fire fights followed.\n\nVoice: My mother and we children hid in the cellar to escape the shots that fell about the house.\n\nOur next-door neighbor was killed on his doorstep\, and a bullet struck the blacksmith as he was in t he act of closing himself in his cellar\, and many other townspeople were injured by chance shots.\n\n[Martha Reed] [Gunshot] Narrator: As Nathanael Greene's column drove through town from the north\, John Sullivan's colum n moved in from the south.\n\nVoice: They made a full fire right at us\, b ut I did not see that they killed anyone.\n\nOrders were given to charge b ayonets and rush on.\n\nAs we came within pistol shot\, they fired again p oint blank at us.\n\nWe dodged\, and they did not hit a man.\n\nBefore the y had time to load again\, we were within 3 feet of them.\n\nThey broke in an instant and ran like so many frightened devils.\n\n[Greenwood] Narrato r: Colonel Rall was shot from his horse\, mortally wounded.\n\nVoice: Fina lly\, they were driven through the town into an orchard beyond.\n\nThe poo r fellows saw themselves completely surrounded.\n\nHenry Knox.\n\n♪ Narr ator: It was all over in less than 45 minutes.\n\n♪ 22 Hessians lay dead or dying in the snow.\n\n83 more were wounded.\n\n900 were captured.\n\nJ ust 2 Americans had died-- those frozen before the battle began\, and only 5 were wounded\, including an artilleryman from Virginia named James Monr oe\, whose life was saved when a local doctor managed to stop the bleeding .\n\n♪ As the Hessian prisoners were marched to Philadelphia\, Washingto n issued a broadside declaring that since they were not volunteers\, but f orced into this war\, they should be seen not as enemies\, but as innocent people.\n\n♪ Baer: The Americans decided very early on to treat German prisoners well.\n\nThat is a strategic decision\, portraying these soldier s as the innocent victims of the contract of two despots.\n\nThey are bein g sent\, sold by their rulers for money to fight in the war that does not concern them.\n\nIn other words\, they are victims of tyranny\, kind of li ke we are.\n\nNarrator: Perhaps 1/4 of the 23\,000 Hessian soldiers who su rvived the war would choose to stay on afterwards and become citizens of t he new nation they'd fought against creating\, and many of those who retur ned home would come back again\, this time with their families.\n\n♪ Voi ce: The small scale of our maps deceived us.\n\nAs the word \"America\" ta kes up no more room than the word \"Yorkshire\,\" we seem to think the ter ritories they represent are much of the same bigness\, though Charleston i s as far from Boston as London from Venice.\n\nWe have undertaken a war ag ainst farmers and farmhouses scattered through a wild waste of continent.\ n\n[British commentator] [Bells ringing] Voice: Philadelphia-- This affair has given new life and spirits to the cause and has lowered the crests of the Tories in this place\, who looked upon the matter as settled and were hourly expecting the King's troops to arrive without molestation.\n\nThin gs begin to wear a better aspect.\n\nGeneral Washington's army has now bec ome respectable.\n\nReverend David Griffith.\n\nNarrator: Washington's arm y may have become respectable\, but it was still about to disintegrate.\n\ nThe Continental regiments from New England-- his most disciplined\, most seasoned soldiers-- were all planning to go home in just 5 days\, leaving him with 1\,400 men with which to face what he feared would be a swift rep risal from the enemy.\n\nHe now had to persuade as many of them as he coul d to remain with him at least a little longer.\n\n♪ On New Year's Eve at Trenton\, Washington asked that all his depleted regiments assemble so th at he could speak to them.\n\nHe praised his men for their courage\, one s ergeant recalled\, and \"in the most affectionate manner entreated us to s tay\,\" but when he finished\, and the drums beat for volunteers\, not a s ingle man stepped forward.\n\nWashington spoke again.\n\n♪ Voice: My bra ve fellows\, you have done all I asked you to do and more than can reasona bly be expected\, but your country is at stake\, your wives\, your houses\ , and all that you hold dear.\n\nYou have worn yourselves out with fatigue and hardships\, but we know not how to spare you.\n\nIf you will consent to stay only one month longer\, you will render that service to the cause of liberty and to your country\, which you probably never can do under any other circumstances.\n\nThe present is emphatically the crisis which is t o decide our destiny.\n\n[Washington] ♪ Narrator: \"This time\,\" the se rgeant remembered\, \"the soldiers felt the force of the appeal.\n\n\"One said to another\, 'I will remain if you will.'\n\n\"A few stepped forward\ , \"and their example was immediately followed by nearly all who were fit for duty.\"\n\nIn the end\, more than half the New England troops agreed t o fight on for 6 weeks.\n\nOn New Year's Day 1777\, supplemented by scatte red militia and 4 fresh regiments of Continentals from Pennsylvania\, Geor ge Washington again commanded some 6\,500 men.\n\nJohn Greenwood was not a mong them.\n\n♪ Voice: I had the itch then so bad that my breeches stuck to my thighs\, and I had a hundred lice on me.\n\nI told my lieutenant I was going home.\n\nSays he\, \"My God\, you are not\, I hope\, going to le ave us\, \"as you are the life and soul of us.\n\nYou are to be promoted.\ "\n\nI told him I would not stay to be a colonel.\n\n[Greenwood] Narrator: 20 months earlier\, 14-year-old John Greenwood had walked all the way fro m Maine to Massachusetts and joined the American cause\, hoping it would s omehow help him get back to his parents in British-occupied Boston.\n\nNow he would tramp more than 300 miles back home\, where his father saw to it that the boy's clothes were baked in the oven\, and he himself was fumiga ted with sulfur before he could re-enter the home he'd yearned for for so long.\n\nFor now\, the Revolution would have to go on without him\, but it would go on\, thanks to the sacrifices he and his fellow soldiers had mad e and the victory they had won when no victory had seemed possible.\n\n♪ [Drum beating rhythmically] [Rhiannon Giddens humming \"Amazing Grace\"] ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Hmm ♪ ♪ Mm-hmm ♪ ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm mm mm ♪ ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ Announcer: N ext time on \"The American Revolution.\"\n\nBrandywine... Nathaniel Philbr ick: Brandywine was a hellscape in so many ways.\n\nAnnouncer: Germantown. .. and the pivotal battle of Saratoga.\n\n[Gunfire and shouting] Native pe oples are divided.\n\nDarren Bonaparte: We're killing each other.\n\nFor w hat?\n\nSo somebody else can claim our land?\n\nAnnouncer: and the strateg y of a general.\n\nJoseph Ellis: Washington reaches the insight-- he doesn 't have to win.\n\nHe only has not to lose.\n\nAnnouncer: When \"The Ameri can Revolution\" continues next time.\n\n♪ Announcer: Scan this QR code with your smart device to dive deeper into the story of \"The American Rev olution\" with interactives\, games\, classroom materials\, and more.\n\ n♪ Announcer: \"The American Revolution\" DVD and Blu-ray\, as well as t he companion book and soundtrack\, are available online and in stores.\n\n The series is also available with PBS Passport and on am*zon Prime Video.\ n\n♪ Mm ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ ♪ ♪ Mm ♪ [Bagpipes stop\, drums continu e] ♪ ♪ Announcer: The American Revolution caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope f or a new tomorrow to turn the tide of history and set the American story i n motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\nA nnouncer: Major funding for \"The American Revolution\" was provided by Th e Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with t he Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor f unding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patric ia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenn eth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided b y The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilber t S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundation\, and by Better Ang els Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundation \, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, Jo hn and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund\, and these a dditional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with s upport from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like You .\n\nThank You.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pbs.or g/video/the-american-revolution-episode-3-the-times-that-try-mens-souls/\n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251118 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The American Revolution PBS Documentary Episode 2 DTSTAMP:20251118T012025Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:588-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The American Revolution\n A Film By\n Ken Burns\, Sarah B otstein &\; David Schmidt\n\n\n\n An Asylum for Mankind (May 1775 – J uly 1776) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n Announcer: Major funding for \"The American Revolutio n\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the Blavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, th e Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the Lilly Endowment\, and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst.\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations\, the Pew Char itable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, the Park Foundati on\, and by Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B. Mars\, the Kis sick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N.\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerton Family Charita ble Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" wa s made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\ , and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\nAnnouncer: The American Revolutio n caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuit y\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide of histor y and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power t o do?\n\nBank of America.\n\n[Insects chirping\, loon calling] [Splashing] Narrator: Before dawn on May 10th\, 1775-- less than a month after Lexing ton and Concord-- some 85 New Englanders rowed across the southern end of Lake Champlain\, keeping silent\, muskets primed.\n\nTheir objective was a dilapidated\, star-shaped fortress called Ticonderoga\, built by the Fren ch 20 years earlier and now occupied by 50 British soldiers and 24 women a nd children.\n\nIf they could capture it\, they might be able to stop Brit ish troops from attacking from the north\; to provide American forces with a staging area should they ever choose to invade Canada\; and to take pos session of dozens of artillery pieces that the rebel forces ringing Boston desperately needed.\n\nThe men slipped silently onto the shore.\n\nThe Br itish surrendered without a shot.\n\nSo did the 9 redcoats stationed at Cr own Point\, a smaller outpost nearby.\n\nThe Americans had two commanders. \n\nOne was Colonel Ethan Allen\, the hard-drinking leader of the \"Green Mountain Boys\,\" a band of vigilantes who had spent years defending their settlements in the Vermont region of northwestern New England against New Yorkers who also claimed the land.\n\nThe other was a newly promoted 34-y ear-old Connecticut militia colonel.\n\nHe was descended from a distinguis hed New England family that had fallen on hard times.\n\nAble but arrogant \, sensitive to slights\, he would become one of the most important comman ders of the American Revolution.\n\nHis name was Benedict Arnold.\n\n♪ W illiam Hogeland: Once it's a shooting war\, as with Lexington and Concord\ , it's a war.\n\nThere's no doubt about that.\n\nBut independence was not\ , in any way\, officially on the table as a goal of the Americans at that point.\n\nThe idea of independence was still controversial.\n\nThe officia l position was that the fight was essentially for redress\, for \"Let's ge t back to the way things used to be.\n\nBack when things were good\, when you left us alone.\"\n\nNarrator: The blood shed at Lexington and Concord had deepened the divisions among Americans from Georgia to New Hampshire.\ n\n\"Loyalists\,\" those who remained faithful to the Crown and hoped His Majesty's troops would soon restore law and order\, dismissed those whose sympathies lay with the militiamen surrounding Boston as \"rebels.\"\n\nTh e \"rebels\" called themselves \"Patriots\"-- or \"Whigs\" after British c hampions of constitutionally guaranteed rights-- and vilified their Loyali st neighbors as \"Tories.\"\n\nAlan Taylor: The term \"Patriot\" is a very old one that pre-exists the Revolution.\n\nIt applies to people who belie ve that they are the defenders of liberty against power.\n\nNow\, \"rebel\ " is a term that the British will use\, and the Loyalists will use\, to ap ply to the people who call themselves the \"Patriots.\"\n\nSo\, to be a re bel means that you are rejecting the legitimate authority of your sovereig n\, King George III of the British Empire.\n\nVoice: That we are divorced is to me very clear.\n\nThe only question is concerning the proper time fo r making an explicit declaration in words.\n\nSome people must have time t o look around them\, before\, behind\, on the right hand\, and on the left \, then to think\, and after all this\, to resolve.\n\nOthers see at one i ntuitive glance into the past and the future\, and judge with precision at once.\n\nBut remember you can't make 13 clocks strike precisely alike at the same second.\n\n[Ticking] John Adams.\n\n♪ Taylor: I think the great est misconception about the American Revolution is that it was something t hat unified Americans and that it was just a war of Americans against the British.\n\nIt leaves out the reality that it was a civil war among Americ ans.\n\nVoice: I tremble at the thoughts of war\; but of all wars\, a civi l war!\n\nOur all is at stake.\n\nSarah Mifflin.\n\nNarrator: In the sprin g of 1775\, a Philadelphia woman named Sarah Mifflin wrote to a British of ficer who had been her friend before the shooting began.\n\nHe had suggest ed that the whole thing was just a minor disagreement.\n\nVoice: It is not a quibble in politics.\n\nIt is this plain truth\, which the most ignoran t peasant knows\, that no man has a right to take their money without thei r consent.\n\nI know this\, that as free I can die but once\, but as a sla ve I shall not be worthy of life.\n\nSarah Mifflin.\n\n♪ Narrator: Some 20\,000 militiamen from towns all over Massachusetts--and from Connecticut \, New Hampshire\, and Rhode Island as well-- had poured into the series o f impromptu camps that kept the British caged in Boston.\n\nThey were unit ed in their anger at the redcoats but very little else.\n\nThey were milit iamen\, not professional soldiers\, expected to meet immediate crises\, no t take part in prolonged campaigns.\n\nFew had uniforms.\n\nMany had never been more than 50 miles from home.\n\nTheir first loyalty was to the town s from which they came and the neighbors whom they had elected as their of ficers.\n\nOnce the shooting stopped and it became clear that the British were not going to attack them\, they began drifting home to plant their cr ops.\n\nIn overall charge of this dwindling\, disorganized force was Gener al Artemas Ward\, the commander of the Massachusetts militia.\n\nFrom his headquarters in Cambridge\, he understood that if there were to be any hop e of holding their own against the British\, he needed a paid\, recruited army-- and he needed it fast.\n\n♪ Voice: Wherever you go\, we will be b y your sides.\n\nOur bones shall lie with yours.\n\nWe are determined neve r to be at peace with the redcoats while they are at variance with you.\n\ nIf we are conquered\, our lands go with yours.\n\nBut if we are victoriou s\, we hope you will help us to recover our just rights.\n\nCaptain Solomo n Uhhaunauwaunmut.\n\nNarrator: Among the troops who arrived in Cambridge was a company of Native Americans from Stockbridge\, Massachusetts.\n\nPhi lip Deloria: Stockbridge is a community of multiple tribes\, which has a l ong history of surviving colonization\, in part through adopting Christian ity and adopting certain kinds of strategic ways of being in relation with colonists.\n\nThey come over from Western Massachusetts and they're part of the Siege of Boston.\n\nNed Blackhawk: Most Indigenous powers stay rela tively on the sidelines of the conflict during the early years.\n\nBut man y Native communities\, particularly those who have lived with settlers for generations\, come to share loyalties and sensibilities.\n\nAnd so\, many decide that it's in their best interest to join the Revolutionary forces and take up arms against the British Empire.\n\nNarrator: The presence of the Stockbridge men among the rebels\, General Thomas Gage\, the commander -in-chief of the British Army in North America\, said\, freed him to call upon other Native Americans to join his forces and fight for the Crown.\n\ nEnslaved New Englanders were not recruited by either side.\n\nThe Massach usetts Provincial Congress insisted it was engaged in a struggle for freed om from British \"slavery.\"\n\nEnlisting them\, it said\, would be \"inco nsistent.\"\n\nBut free African-Americans were welcome-- and at least 35 a nd perhaps as many as 50 men of color had fought at Lexington and Concord and more would soon be engaged in the next\, far bigger battle with the Br itish.\n\nBlack\, White\, and Native American soldiers would serve in regi ments more integrated than American forces would be again for almost two c enturies.\n\nVoice: What?!\n\n10\,000 peasants keep 5\,000 King's troops s hut up!\n\nWell\, let us get in\, and we'll soon find elbow room.\n\nGener al John Burgoyne.\n\n♪ Narrator: On May 25th\, 1775\, a Royal Navy friga te threaded its way into Boston harbor.\n\nAboard were British reinforceme nts and 3 major generals.\n\nJohn Burgoyne was the showiest and the most s elf-assured of the three.\n\nA playwright as well as a soldier\, eager alw ays for advancement\, he was dismissive of the rebels besieging Boston\, w hom he called a \"rabble in arms\, flushed with insolence.\"\n\nHenry Clin ton had spent 6 boyhood years in New York\, where his father had been the Royal Governor.\n\nHe was soft-spoken\, retiring\, insecure.\n\nWilliam Ho we had once expressed sympathy with the American cause\, but he now saw an opportunity to burnish his reputation as a soldier.\n\nThey had been sent to bolster General Gage\, whom the King's Ministers now saw as overly tim id.\n\nThe commanders all agreed that if they could seize the heights at D orchester and Charlestown\, they could break the rebel siege.\n\nRick Atki nson: There are two pieces of high ground that the British have to worry a bout.\n\nOne is Dorchester Heights.\n\nAnd the other is the high ground on the Charlestown Peninsula\, including Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill.\n\nIf you put cannon on either the Charlestown Peninsula or on Dorchester Heigh ts\, you would be able to bombard British forces in Boston.\n\nThe British decide that they are going to seize Charlestown first.\n\nNarrator: The P atriots got wind of the plan\, and Colonel William Prescott was ordered to seize and fortify Bunker's Hill\, the highest prominence on the Charlesto wn peninsula.\n\nAs Prescott and his men got there\, however\, it was some how decided that they should instead build their fort on the crest of anot her\, lower hill that came to be called Breed's Hill.\n\nBut it was within range of both the warships in the harbor and a British battery in Boston' s North End.\n\nPrescott's men went to work with picks and shovels trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to alert the British.\n\nBut when dawn broke on June 17th\, 1775\, the redoubt was only half-finished. \n\n♪ A 20-gun British Navy ship opened fire on the hilltop.\n\nA cannon ball tore the head off a private named Asa Pollard.\n\nTo steady his men\, Prescott leaped onto the unfinished parapet and bellowed at the warships\ , \"Hit me if you can!\"\n\nBritish General Howe was certain that the hill would \"easily be carried.\"\n\nAs soon as the mid-afternoon tide came in \, Howe would personally accompany a large force to the eastern tip of the Charlestown Peninsula.\n\n[Explosions] The British stepped up their canno nade\, the roar so loud it rattled windows in Braintree\, 10 miles away\, where Abigail Adams wondered whether \"the day--perhaps the decisive day-- is come\,\" she wrote\, \"on which the fate of America depends.\"\n\nPresc ott rushed to strengthen his left flank\, ordering some of his men to dig a ditch and form a 165-foot breastwork and assigning others to strengthen a rail-and-stone fence that ran all the way down to the bluff overlooking the Mystic River beach.\n\nLooking up at the American positions\, General Howe believed the hill could be taken by what was called a \"turning\" mov ement.\n\nWhile one column assaulted the redoubt from the left and another \, led by Howe himself\, attacked the rail fence head-on\, a third would s lip along the undefended Mystic River beach\, get behind the rebels\, turn their line\, and destroy them.\n\nSuch attacks had worked well against di sciplined armies in Europe.\n\nStacy Schiff: No one expects that a bunch o f country farmers with muskets are going to hold off a trained army who ha ve orders from an actual general in Boston.\n\nThere is a real disbelief t hat a bunch of ragtag colonists are going to manage to hold their own agai nst trained soldiers.\n\n[Explosions] Narrator: When the column on the lef t neared Charlestown and came under fire from Americans hidden in abandone d buildings\, British ships set the town ablaze with incendiary shells.\n\ nThen\, at around half past 3\, Howe's redcoats started up the right side of the hill.\n\nTall\, fearsome grenadiers formed the first rank\; behind them came the Foot Infantry.\n\nBut the men had to dismantle wooden fences and stone walls that blocked their climb.\n\nTheir uniforms were woolen.\ n\nThe sun was hot.\n\nAnd\, like the anxious New Englanders waiting for t hem on the hilltop\, some had never been in battle.\n\nAtkinson: The notio n that the British Army is this battle-tested\, experienced force\, they'r e good.\n\nThere's no doubt about it.\n\nTheir officers are good.\n\nThey' re very disciplined\, for the most part.\n\nBut they are as scared and as new to this as the Americans are.\n\n[Indistinct shouting\, explosion] Nar rator: As Howe's force continued their ascent\, British light infantry on the far right started their flanking maneuver along the narrow beach\, ben t on getting behind the American defenses\, sure they could get there unop posed.\n\nBut Colonel John Stark of New Hampshire and 60 of his militiamen were waiting for them.\n\nHe had seen that the beach was open to a flanki ng attack and directed his men to build a barricade.\n\nWhen the British g ot within range\, the Patriots opened fire.\n\n[Gunfire] The light infantr y disintegrated.\n\nThe New Hampshire men kept firing until the stunned su rvivors began to retreat toward their boats.\n\nBehind them lay nearly 100 dead and wounded\, lying\, Stark recalled\, \"as thick as sheep in a fold .\"\n\nMeanwhile\, at the top of Breed's Hill\, Prescott and his officers reassured their men: the redcoats could never reach them if they held thei r fire till they came close.\n\n90 yards out\, a stone wall stopped the Gr enadiers.\n\nAs they laid down their arms and worked to tear apart the wal l\, the Patriots fired their muskets.\n\n[Gunfire] British officers urged their men to keep advancing.\n\nInstead\, the soldiers stayed where they w ere and tried to shoot back.\n\nThe Americans had cover.\n\nThe British ha d none.\n\nThe redcoats broke and retreated down the slope.\n\nGeneral How e let his lines regroup\, then ordered them back up the hill\, in hopes of driving through the gap between the breastwork and the rail fence.\n\nHe would go with them.\n\nThis time\, the Patriots behind the fence waited ti ll the Grenadiers got within 50 yards before opening fire.\n\n[Gunfire] It was hard to miss.\n\nScores of British soldiers fell\, dead\, dying\, scr eaming in pain.\n\n[Gunfire] Atkinson: They deliberately target the Britis h officers and they can recognize them in part because they're all wearing red coats\, right\, but the officers are wearing coats that are almost ve rmillion in hue because they can afford the more expensive dyes that make those coats pop.\n\n[Gunfire] The British\, frankly\, think this is unfair .\n\nTrying to target officers\, there's something unseemly about it.\n\nB ut the Americans are not going to stop throughout the whole war.\n\n[Indis tinct shouting\, gunfire] Narrator: The Americans cheered\, hoping General Howe had had enough.\n\n[Gunfire] Atkinson: Every one of his staff office rs is killed or wounded.\n\nHowe will come back down the hill\, unharmed\, remarkably.\n\nBut he's got blood all over his stockings from the men who 've been shot on either side of him.\n\nNarrator: The teenage fifer John G reenwood had been away that day.\n\nWhen he heard the guns\, he hurried ba ck to rejoin his regiment.\n\n♪ Voice: Everything seemed to be in the gr eatest terror and confusion.\n\nI felt very much frightened and would have given the world if I had not enlisted for a soldier.\n\nThen\, I saw a Ne gro man\, wounded in the back of his neck.\n\nI saw the wound very plain a nd the blood running down his back.\n\nI asked him if it hurt him much as he did not seem to mind it.\n\nHe said no\, and that he was only a-going t o get a plaster put on it and meant to return.\n\nImmediately\, you cannot conceive what encouragement it gave me.\n\nI began to feel from that mome nt brave and like a soldier.\n\nJohn Greenwood.\n\n♪ Narrator: From the Boston waterfront\, townspeople\, including John Greenwood's brother Isaac \, watched as British soldiers rowed wounded regulars from Charlestown.\n\ nThey were \"obliged\,\" he said\, \"to bail the blood out like water.\"\n \nAnd when they started back toward Charlestown again with fresh troops\, \"the soldiers\,\" Isaac remembered\, \"looked as pale as death when they got into the boats\, \"for they could plainly see their brother redcoats m owed down like grass.\"\n\nAt the bottom of Breed's Hill\, General Howe wa s determined to come at the Americans one more time.\n\nUp above\, Colonel Prescott knew his men had little powder left and that many of their muske ts were fouled from so much firing.\n\nThis time\, in order to make each s hot count\, he insisted his men wait until their targets were within 30 ya rds.\n\n[Indistinct shouting\, gunfire] \"As fast as the front man was sho t down\, the next stepped forward into his place\,\" one militiaman recall ed.\n\n\"It was surprising how they would step over their dead as though t hey had been logs of wood.\"\n\n[Gunfire] \"We fired till our ammunition b egan to fail\,\" another militiaman remembered\, \"then our firing began t o slacken-- and at last it went out like an old candle.\"\n\nBritish marin es with bayonets began climbing over the parapets.\n\nSome Americans hurle d rocks or swung their muskets like clubs.\n\nOthers clawed their way out of the redoubt and ran.\n\nIt was all over in a matter of minutes.\n\nThe Patriots had been driven from Breed's Hill.\n\n115 Americans had been kill ed and another 305 wounded.\n\n♪ Atkinson: The British succeed in that t hey drive the Americans off of the Charlestown Peninsula.\n\nThey take Bre ed's Hill.\n\nThey take Bunker Hill.\n\nBut it has been a\, a pyrrhic vict ory of the first order.\n\nIt's 4 of the most awful hours of combat in Ame rican military history.\n\nThere are 1\,000 British casualties that day.\n \nThere are 220-some British dead.\n\nStephen Conway: 40% of the attacking force was killed or injured.\n\n40%.\n\nThat's horrendously high casualty rate.\n\nIt is the highest casualty rate for the British Army until the f irst day of the Somme in 1916.\n\nIt is unbelievably bloody.\n\nAnd that h as a really profound impact.\n\nNarrator: \"The loss we have sustained\,\" General Gage admitted\, \"is greater than we can bear.\"\n\nDuring the fi nal struggle\, two prominent men had been killed.\n\nAs Major John Pitcair n encouraged his British Marines to climb over the walls\, he'd been shot through the chest and fell\, dying\, into the arms of his son.\n\nHe was s o hated by New Englanders because he had led the British troops at Lexingt on Green that at least 4 different men would subsequently claim to have fi red the fatal shot.\n\nDr.\n\nJoseph Warren\, the president of the Massach usetts Provincial Congress\, whom the British considered the most \"incend iary\" of all the rebel leaders\, had insisted on joining the men defendin g Breed's Hill and was shot in the head.\n\nThe British officer in charge of the burial detail boasted that they had \"stuffed the scoundrel \"with another Rebel into one hole and there he and his seditious principles may remain.\"\n\nVoice: Saturday gave us a dreadful specimen of the horrors of civil war.\n\nYou may easily judge what distress we were in to see and he ar Englishmen destroying one another.\n\nGod grant the blood already spilt may suffice.\n\nBut this we cannot reasonably expect.\n\nReverend Andrew Eliot.\n\n♪ Narrator: When the news of the battle--remembered as the Bat tle of Bunker Hill-- eventually made its way to London\, the King proclaim ed \"The deluded People\" of America were in a state of \"open and avowed rebellion.\"\n\nAnyone who now aided their cause was a traitor.\n\nGeneral Gage had been right-- the rebellion would never be crushed without overwh elming force.\n\nBut Gage was soon called home\, replaced as commander-in- chief by General William Howe.\n\nFor almost 3 years\, Howe would lead the struggle to try to put down the rebellion-- and carefully avoid ordering any more frontal assaults against entrenched Americans.\n\n♪ Britain\, a t the expense of 3 millions\, has killed 150 Americans this campaign\, whi ch is 20\,000 pounds a head.\n\nAnd at Bunker's Hill\, she gained a mile o f ground.\n\nDuring the same time\, 60\,000 children have been born in Ame rica.\n\nFrom these data\, calculate the time and expense necessary to kil l us all\, and conquer our whole territory.\n\nBenjamin Franklin.\n\n♪ [ Thunder] Voice: Unhappy it is to reflect that a brother's sword has been s heathed in a brother's breast\, and that the once happy and peaceful plain s of America are either to be drenched with blood or inhabited by slaves.\ n\nSad alternative!\n\nBut can a virtuous man hesitate in his choice?\n\nG eorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: On July 2nd\, 1775\, Private Phineas Ingall s of Andover\, Massachusetts\, noted in his diary that it \"rained\" and t hat \"a new general from Philadelphia\" had arrived in Cambridge.\n\nThat new general was George Washington of Virginia\, the commander of the Conti nental Army the Congress in Philadelphia had just created.\n\nHis arrival meant that the New England war in which Phineas Ingalls and his fellow mil itiamen had joined was about to become an American war.\n\nJane Kamensky: Washington is a figure toward whom people naturally turn for leadership.\n \nIt is clear\, by the time the Continental Army is signed into being in t he late spring of 1775\, that its commander-in-chief can be nobody else.\n \nThere's something about his presence that makes him the inescapable choi ce.\n\nNarrator: The Second Continental Congress had been meeting since Ma y\, and it was obvious from the first that 43-year-old George Washington w ould command its new army.\n\nHe had led troops during the French and Indi an War\, and he was from Virginia\, the wealthiest and most populated colo ny.\n\nNew England delegates\, eager to ensure that colony's support for t he war\, favored naming a Virginian.\n\nWashington was also one of America 's richest men\, the beneficiary of the work of scores of indentured serva nts and more than 100 enslaved people at his plantation on the Potomac Riv er-- Mount Vernon.\n\nThey grew tobacco and wheat\, corn and flax and hemp \, milled flour\, distilled whiskey\, caught\, salted\, and sold fish.\n\n And to the West\, he had amassed tens of thousands of acres of Indian land s.\n\nWashington has this vision of the future in which...America's future is not to the East\, not towards Europe.\n\nIt's to the West.\n\nHe does see the future and the next century as something in which we should focus on the consolidation of the continent.\n\nHogeland: What defines his early career is an amazing focus\, a ruthless and intense focus\, on his own in terests\, which makes him exactly like every other member of his class.\n\ nIt's just that he became George Washington.\n\nNarrator: Washington consi dered outward evidence of ambition unseemly\, but his appearance alone mad e him stand out in Philadelphia.\n\nHe was about 6'3\" when the average he ight of the men he would lead into battle was around 5'7\"\, and he alone among the delegates appeared each day dressed as a soldier.\n\nWashington will remain\, I think\, endlessly fascinating.\n\nPartly because he was so mysterious\, so reserved in his manner\, frequently\, and didn't give up a lot of what was going on in his gut.\n\n♪ Ellis: He was naturally a pe rson who created space around himself\, and pity anybody that enters that space that's not invited.\n\nMartha gets into that space.\n\nLafayette get s into that space.\n\nMaybe Hamilton gets into that space.\n\nVoice: He ha s so much martial dignity in his deportment that you would distinguish him to be a general and a soldier from among 10\,000 people.\n\nThere is not a king in Europe that would not look like a \"valet de chambre\" by his si de.\n\nBenjamin Rush.\n\nHe's got a brain built for executive action.\n\nH e's willing to take responsibility.\n\nHe's got an adhesive memory.\n\nHe is\, according to Thomas Jefferson\, the greatest horseman of his age.\n\n He's built to lead other men in the dark of night\, which is a rare and va luable trait in any commander.\n\nVoice: I am now embarked on a tempestuou s ocean\, from whence\, perhaps\, no friendly harbor is to be found.\n\nNa rrator: Washington accepted that he and his army would be subordinate to t he civilian control of Congress\, but he did not yet see himself as a revo lutionary.\n\nHe still hoped to lead what he called \"a loyal protest\,\" as if George III might somehow overrule Parliament and restore the rights of British colonists.\n\nOn his way to Cambridge\, he met a dispatch rider who carried a letter that told of the terrible bloodletting that had take n place on Breed's Hill.\n\n♪ Atkinson: He shows up in Cambridge in earl y July\, 1775\, as a Virginian commanding\, almost exclusively\, New Engla nd militiamen.\n\nHe doesn't know what to make of them\; they don't know q uite what to make of him.\n\nHe has nothing good to say about New Englande rs\, privately.\n\nThey're almost from different countries.\n\nBut his job is to take this gaggle\, this cluster of militia forces\, and to form the m into a national army.\n\nNarrator: Washington thought he'd be commanding a 20\,000-man force\; in fact\, he had fewer than 14\,000 men fit for ser vice.\n\nHe was assured he would have 15 tons of precious gunpowder\; ther e were just 5.\n\nOn August 6th\, a company of 96 riflemen from Virginia a rrived\, concrete evidence that Americans beyond New England would volunte er to fight.\n\nThey had marched nearly 500 miles in 3 weeks.\n\nTheir lea der was Captain Daniel Morgan\, a big\, brawling one-time wagoner whose ba ck bore the scars of a lashing he'd received during the French and Indian War after he'd knocked unconscious a British officer who had insulted him. \n\nMore riflemen soon followed\, from Pennsylvania and Maryland as well a s more Virginians.\n\nTheir rifles were far more accurate than the smooth- bore muskets most Patriots used\; their grooved barrels spun a ball\, maki ng it fly straighter and truer.\n\nA British soldier would call them \"the most fatal widow-and-orphan makers in the world.\"\n\nBut the riflemen we re also frontiersmen.\n\nThey sounded different from New Englanders\, dres sed differently\, disliked discipline of any kind.\n\nTaylor: So what's go ing to come out of this Revolution is attempts to create an American natio nal identity.\n\nAnd somebody like George Washington becomes quite eloquen t in trying to persuade people\, \"You're not Carolinians\,\" \"You're not New Yorkers\,\" \"You're not New Englanders.\"\n\n\"We're all Americans.\ "\n\nNarrator: Always at Washington's side\, throughout the Revolution\, w as William Lee\, the enslaved servant he had brought with him from Mount V ernon.\n\nKamensky: I think we have to understand Washington as both the f igurehead without whom American liberty would not have survived.\n\nAt the same time\, he's an enslaver of 317 men\, women\, and children.\n\nHe act ed as an enslaver in the ways that enslavers did.\n\nHe bought and sold pe ople.\n\nHe broke up families.\n\nDo not look for gilded statues of marble men.\n\nThey were not that and neither are we and neither is anybody at a ll.\n\n♪ Narrator: Washington was impatient\, eager to get at the enemy. \n\nIn September\, he proposed mounting a water-borne attack on Boston.\n\ nHis officers talked him out of it.\n\nAtkinson: Washington has got a lot to learn.\n\nBecause he's been out of uniform for 16 years\, there's a lot he does not know.\n\nHe knows very little about artillery.\n\nHe knows ve ry little about fortification.\n\nHe knows nothing about continental logis tics.\n\nSo\, he brings a stack of books with him.\n\nNathaniel Philbrick: Typically\, Washington\, before he would make a big decision\, would canv ass his major generals as to what to do.\n\nAnd inevitably\, he would do w hatever Nathanael Greene suggested.\n\nNarrator: General Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island\, a Quaker who came to see pacifism as impractical in the face of what he called \"this business of necessity\,\" hoped the British might make a move so that the Americans\, he said\, could \"sell them anot her hill at the same price\" as they had paid taking Breed's Hill.\n\n♪ But the British didn't dare mount an attack on Washington's forces\, eithe r.\n\nThe memory of the last battle was too fresh.\n\nThe standoff would c ontinue for another 6 months.\n\n♪ In Boston\, soldiers and civilians al ike suffered.\n\nThere was too little firewood: regulars ripped pews from churches and demolished whole houses trying to keep warm.\n\nOf 40 transpo rt vessels dispatched from England and Ireland to provision the town\, 32 never made it--blown off-course by unfavorable winds all the way to the We st Indies or seized by Patriots.\n\nVoice: What\, in God's name\, are ye a ll about in England?\n\nHave you forgot us?\n\nFor we have not had a vesse l for 3 months with any sort of supplies.\n\nAnd\, therefore\, our miserie s are become manifold.\n\nBritish Officer.\n\n♪ Voice: In 1770\, I built a house\, dam\, saw\, and grist mills on the west side of the Connecticut River.\n\nHere I was in easy circumstances\, and as independent as my min d ever wished.\n\nJohn Peters.\n\nNarrator: Before the war\, Yale-educated John Peters had been the most respected man in the small settlement of Mo retown in Vermont\, where he lived with his wife Ann and their children.\n \nIn 1774\, his neighbors had picked him to represent them in the First Co ntinental Congress.\n\nBut when Peters got to Philadelphia and sensed the other delegates \"meant to have a serious rebellion\,\" he refused to take part and left for home.\n\nOn the way back\, suspicious Patriots detained him 4 times-- in Wethersfield\, Hartford\, Springfield\, and finally in M oretown itself\, where \"another mob threatened to execute him\,\" he reme mbered\, \"as an enemy to Congress.\"\n\nHis own father\, a colonel in Con necticut's rebel militia\, urged his fellow Patriots to use \"severity\" o n his son to make him \"a friend to America.\"\n\n[Indistinct shouting] Vo ice: The mob again and again visited me.\n\nThey confined me to the limits of the town and threatened me with death if I transgressed their orders.\ n\n[John Peters] Narrator: Even then\, Peters refused to betray his \"King and Conscience.\"\n\nInstead\, he put his head down and hoped to stay out of the fight.\n\nVoice: I little thought the troubles would be so great\, or if they did\, would last so long.\n\nI endeavored to be quiet\, but it would not do.\n\nThe madness of the people was daily growing.\n\n[John Pe ters] ♪ Atkinson: Lake Champlain is this 90-mile-long teardrop that exte nds from the Canadian border down almost to the Hudson River.\n\nIf you co ntrolled Lake Champlain\, you controlled the most obvious entry point into New York from the north\, and into Canada from the south.\n\nEverything e lse is wilderness.\n\n♪ Philbrick: The Americans saw an opportunity.\n\n If they could take Montreal\, if they could take Quebec\, and have command of the St.\n\nLawrence\, they would have the British right where they wan ted them.\n\nNarrator: In the late summer of 1775\, some 1\,200 New York a nd New England troops assembled on the Ile aux Noix\, just inside the Prov ince of Quebec.\n\nTheir commander Richard Montgomery had orders from the Continental Congress to \"take immediate possession\" of the British garri son at Montreal and then keep moving north.\n\nThe ultimate goal was to el iminate the province as a military threat and perhaps adopt it as the 14th American Colony.\n\nThey did not expect much opposition: there were just 700 British regulars in the whole province.\n\nNow George Washington calle d for a complementary expedition through the forests of the Maine province of Massachusetts to surprise and capture Quebec City on the St.\n\nLawren ce River.\n\nTo lead it\, Washington chose Benedict Arnold.\n\nAtkinson: B enedict Arnold is the finest tactical commander on either side in the firs t couple of years of the war.\n\nHe's conspicuously gifted in being able t o motivate men\, tactically\, under difficult circumstances\, to do what h e wants them to do.\n\nNarrator: Arnold had emerged from the capture of Fo rt Ticonderoga with a mixed reputation: he had quarreled with rival office rs and become so incensed at having his expenses questioned that he simply left the militia and went home.\n\nBut after his wife died\, he left his 3 sons with his sister and joined Washington's Continental Army.\n\n\"An i dle life under my present circumstances\,\" he told a friend\, \"would be but a lingering death.\"\n\nQuebec\, Washington believed\, was certain to be \"very easy prey.\"\n\nBut \"not a moment's time is to be lost\,\" he a dded.\n\nConway: The Americans were not hostile to the concept of empire.\ n\nOn the contrary\, they were great enthusiasts for it.\n\nThey called it the \"Continental Army\" and the \"Continental Congress\" for a good reas on.\n\nThey had ambitions to incorporate Canada\, Florida\, and the whole of the continent of North America.\n\nNarrator: On September 25th\, from a boatyard on the Kennebec River in Maine\, Benedict Arnold and his 1\,100- man force set out for Canada.\n\n♪ Voice: Failure to punish the people o f the 4 New England governments for their many rebellious and piratical ac ts\, only encouraged them to go to greater lengths.\n\nI determined to des troy some of their towns and shipping.\n\nVice Admiral Samuel Graves.\n\nN arrator: In October\, Vice Admiral Samuel Graves\, commander-in-chief of H is Majesty's North American Station\, announced he planned to lay waste to the ports of Marblehead\, Salem\, Cape Ann\, Ipswich\, Newburyport\, Port smouth\, Saco\, Falmouth\, Machias.\n\nAll of them were bases from which p rivateers-- Patriot raiders--menaced British shipping.\n\nGraves dispatche d Lieutenant Henry Mowat and 4 warships to carry out his orders.\n\nMowat began with Falmouth-- now Portland\, Maine.\n\n[Bells tolling] Mowat gave the nearly 2\,000 townspeople two hours\, he said\, to \"remove without de lay the Human Species\" before the bombardment began\, then agreed to reco nsider provided the townspeople turned over all their arms and gunpowder b y the following morning.\n\nWhen they didn't\, British ships opened fire.\ n\n[Cannon fire] The cannonade went on for more than 7 hours\, firing more than 3\,000 rounds of shot and hollow balls filled with combustible mater ial.\n\nIn mid-afternoon\, landing parties rowed ashore.\n\nThey hurled to rches into the doors and windows of homes and shops.\n\n[Clatter] News of Falmouth's destruction spread fast.\n\nPorts up and down the coast braced for the next attack.\n\nWashington and Congress had both already begun arm ing ships to seize enemy cargoes to supply the army.\n\nNow Congress voted to commission 13 frigates for a new Continental Navy.\n\nPhilbrick: To ha ve a navy in the late 18th century was to have a fleet of ships that were the most sophisticated machines in the world at that time.\n\nThey were ve ry expensive.\n\nAnd they required all sorts of economic power and technol ogy to create.\n\nGreat Britain had that.\n\nThe colonies really didn't.\n \nAnd\, so\, to go against this huge naval power was kind of an insane tas k to even contemplate.\n\nNarrator: The most successful Patriot commander was John Manley\, a sea captain from Marblehead.\n\nHe managed to seize 7 British vessels before the end of the year\, including an ordnance ship\, its hold filled with 100\,000 flints\, 2\,000 muskets\, and 30\,000 cannon balls-- all of it badly needed by the Continental Army.\n\n♪ British Adm iral Graves ultimately decided against attacking any more ports.\n\nBut th e damage was done.\n\nVoice: The savage and brutal barbarity of our enemie s is a full demonstration that there is not the least remains of virtue\, wisdom\, or humanity in the British.\n\nTherefore\, we expect soon to brea k off all kind of connection with Britain\, and form into a Grand Republic of the American United colonies.\n\n\"The New England Chronicle.\"\n\n♪ Voice: In every human breast\, God has implanted a principle\, which we c all love of freedom.\n\nIt is impatient of oppression\, and pants for deli verance.\n\nI will assert\, that the same principle lives in us.\n\nPhilli s Wheatley.\n\n♪ Narrator: George Washington made his Cambridge headquar ters in the handsome home of a Loyalist who had fled to England.\n\nOne mo rning\, not long after he had moved in\, he noticed a 6-year-old African-A merican named Darby Vassall swinging on the gate.\n\nVassall remembered sa ying he had been born in the house and his parents had worked there.\n\nWa shington urged him to come inside and get something to eat\; he had plenty of chores for him to do.\n\nWhen Darby asked what sort of wages he could expect\, Washington thought the question impertinent and \"unreasonable.\" \n\nDarby Vassall lived to be a very old man and\, when asked\, he liked t o say that in his experience\, George Washington \"was no gentleman\,\" si nce he'd expected a boy to work for free.\n\nWashington was also shocked t o see Black soldiers encamped alongside their White neighbors.\n\nUnconvin ced they could ever make good soldiers\, Washington persuaded the Massachu setts Provincial Congress to enlist no more of them\, though dozens had fo ught on Breed's Hill.\n\nChristopher Brown: I think that Washington was co ncerned about what it might mean for slavery and slaveholding.\n\nI think he was alert to the ways that it could end up eroding the institution.\n\n Narrator: Enslaved African-Americans constituted just 2% percent of the po pulation of New England\, but 40% of Virginians were held as slaves\, and planters like Washington lived in constant fear that they would rise up ag ainst them-- as enslaved people had risen up on the British island of Jama ica 3 times in the last 15 years.\n\nVoice: When you make men slaves you d eprive them of half their virtue\, and compel them to live with you in a s tate of war.\n\nAre there no dangers attending this mode of treatment?\n\n Are you not hourly in dread of an insurrection?\n\nOlaudah Equiano.\n\nNar rator: The growing talk of \"liberty\" had appealed to those who had the l east of it and craved it most.\n\nFrom New England to South Carolina\, ens laved people offered to help the British if they were granted freedom.\n\n In November of 1775\, Virginia's Royal Governor Lord Dunmore\, who had bee n forced to flee with some 300 soldiers\, sailors\, and Loyalists to ships anchored in the Chesapeake Bay\, issued a Proclamation that seemed to con firm the slaveholders' worst nightmares.\n\nIt promised freedom to any ens laved man owned by a rebel who was willing to take up arms and help suppre ss the uprising.\n\nAtkinson: Britain is the biggest slave-trading nation on earth.\n\nNevertheless\, the British believe that if they can convince enough slaves to abandon their masters in the South\, to take up arms agai nst the American rebels\, that this is a manpower pool that can also deran ge the economies of the Southern states.\n\nIt's not that the British are anti-slavery\, by any means\, in the 1770s\, right?\n\nTheir colonies in t he Caribbean are their most profitable colonies in the Americas.\n\nThey a re firmly committed to slavery.\n\nBut\, opportunistically\, when they thi nk that they can encourage slaves to rise up against rebelling colonists\, they'll do so.\n\nAnnette Gordon-Reed: For enslaved people\, this was a w ay of getting out of a situation that seemed intractable.\n\nAnd it gave t hem an impetus to get involved in all of this.\n\nIn the sort of chaos of war\, they found an opportunity\, a way to escape their situation.\n\nVoic e: \"The Virginia Gazette.\"\n\nBe not then\, ye Negroes\, tempted by this proclamation to ruin yourselves.\n\nWhether you will profit by my advice\ , I cannot tell.\n\nBut this I know\, that whether we suffer or not\, if y ou desert us\, you most certainly will.\n\nNarrator: Dunmore's Proclamatio n helped drive Southern slaveholders to the side of the revolutionaries.\n \nEdward Rutledge of South Carolina spoke for many: Lord Dunmore's proclam ation tends \"in my judgment\, \"more effectually to work an eternal separ ation \"between Great Britain and the Colonies than any other expedient.\" \n\nDunmore says that he only wants the slaves of rebels to join him.\n\nN ot clear exactly how you can tell them apart\, or whether there's any kind of census going on of who do you belong to.\n\nNarrator: Dunmore was not an abolitionist\; he did not free any of the 57 human beings he held in sl avery himself\; the Patriots would capture them all and sell them to fund their cause.\n\nVoice: Wednesday.\n\nLast night after going to bed\, Moses \, my son's man\, Joe\, Billy\, Postillion\, John\, Mulatto Peter\, Tom\, Panticore\, Manuel\, and Lancaster Sam all ran away to Lord Dunmore.\n\nLa ndon Carter.\n\nNarrator: Now runaways streamed to the governor's ships\, silently slipping along the rivers and tidal creeks that opened into the C hesapeake Bay.\n\n87 men\, women\, and children from a single Virginia pla ntation fled to Dunmore.\n\n[Dogs barking] Voice: Ran off last night from the subscriber: a Negro man named Charles\, who is a very shrewd\, sensibl e fellow\, and can both read and write.\n\nThere is reason to believe he i ntends an attempt to get to Lord Dunmore.\n\nHis elopement was from no cau se of complaint\, or dread of whipping but from a determined resolution to get liberty\, as he conceived.\n\n\"The Virginia Gazette.\"\n\nNarrator: \"There is not a man among them\,\" George Washington's farm manager warne d him\, \"but would leave us if they believed \"they could make their esca pe.\n\nLiberty is sweet.\"\n\nHe was right.\n\nThe first enslaved person t o escape Mount Vernon was named Harry Washington.\n\nBorn somewhere near t he Gambia River in West Africa\, he was captured\, carried across the ocea n\, and\, in 1763\, purchased by George Washington.\n\nFreedom was never f ar from his mind.\n\nIn 1771\, he had tried to escape but was caught and b rought back.\n\n4 years later\, he saw his chance.\n\nErica Dunbar: Follow ing Lord Dunmore's proclamation\, Harry Washington knew that this would be an opportunity\, and he joined the British against the people who had onc e owned him.\n\nNarrator: George Washington called Lord Dunmore a \"Monste r\,\" and an \"arch-traitor to the rights of humanity.\"\n\nVoice: If that man is not crushed before spring\, he will become the most formidable ene my America has.\n\nHis strength will increase\, as a snowball\, by rolling \, and faster.\n\nNothing less than depriving him of life or liberty will secure peace to Virginia.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\nNarrator: Scores of run aways were caught and brutally punished\; some were killed\, others sold o ff to compensate their enslavers.\n\nBut some 800 men would make it to Dun more's growing fleet\, along with roughly the same number of women and chi ldren.\n\nMen found fit for duty were enlisted in a special unit called \" Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment.\"\n\nThey were commanded by White officers b ut paid a wage for the first time in their lives.\n\nVoice: The proclamati on has had a wonderful effect.\n\nThe Negroes are flocking in from all qua rters.\n\nAnd had I but a few more men here\, I would march immediately to Williamsburg\, by which I should soon compel the whole colony to submit.\ n\nLord Dunmore.\n\nNarrator: Bolstered by reinforcements\, Dunmore occupi ed Norfolk and ordered a stockade built at the Great Bridge over the Eliza beth River to block the only road to town from the South.\n\nSome 700 Patr iots dug in across the river\, and on December 9\, 1775\, when Dunmore's t roops charged across the bridge to dislodge them\, more than 100 of his me n\, Black and White\, were killed.\n\n\"They fought\, bled\, and died like Englishmen\,\" one man remembered.\n\nDunmore's makeshift army-- includin g what was left of the Ethiopian regiment-- fled back to sea.\n\nWith them went scores of Loyalist families from in and around Norfolk\, most of the m Dunmore's fellow Scots.\n\nHe now commanded a floating city--including r afts on which the poorest struggled to survive.\n\nBrown: Dunmore's Procla mation turns the conflict\, in Virginia\, into a genuine crisis.\n\nBut it does help clarify differences\, right?\n\nIt establishes that there is on e side of this conflict that is unevenly committed to slavery.\n\nAnd then there's another side\, our side\, which is fully committed to it.\n\nAnd for some Patriots\, that's all they need to know.\n\nIt creates a sense th at this is an existential conflict in a way that it had not before.\n\nVoi ce: These lords of themselves\, these kings of me\, these demigods of inde pendence.\n\nIt has been proposed that the slaves should be set free\, an act which\, surely\, the lovers of liberty cannot but commend.\n\nHow is i t that we hear the loudest yelps for liberty among the drivers of Negroes? \n\nDr.\n\nSamuel Johnson.\n\n♪ [Indistinct shouting] Voice: Connecticut wants no Massachusetts man in her corps\; Massachusetts thinks there is n o necessity for a Rhode Islander to be introduced into hers.\n\nCould I ha ve foreseen what I have\, and am like to experience\, no consideration upo n earth should have induced me to accept this command.\n\n[George Washingt on] [Indistinct shouting] Narrator: Now George Washington faced for the fi rst time the problem that would haunt him again and again: when enlistment s expired at the end of the year\, most of his army was simply going to me lt away.\n\n♪ To fill out his ranks\, Washington persuaded the governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire to send him a total of 5\,000 militiam en.\n\nThe newcomers were so sullen\, veteran soldiers called them the \"L ong-Faced People.\"\n\nWashington asked Congress if Indian units could ser ve in his army.\n\nWhile they debated the issue\, many Native people did j oin the ranks.\n\n5 sons of a Mohegan woman named Rebecca Tanner would die fighting for the Patriots over the course of the war.\n\n♪ In December\ , Washington changed his mind about enlisting African-Americans.\n\nHis de sperate need for men was part of it.\n\nBut there were also appeals from B lack veterans themselves or from their officers.\n\n\"It has been represen ted to me\,\" Washington wrote to the Continental Congress\, \"that the fr ee Negroes who have \"served in this Army are very much dissatisfied at be ing discarded.\"\n\nThey could now re-enlist.\n\nKamensky: Washington brin gs to Cambridge the \"hard no\" of a Virginia planter.\n\nBut he is also w illing to revise himself.\n\nTo think about the whole of the potential fig hting force and whether Black men can play a role within it.\n\nI think ma ny people\, most people from his station\, would have started where he sta rted and have gone no further.\n\nSo\, I think he does have a sort of flex ibility as a commander\, which is the only thing that the commander of an insurrectionary force can have.\n\nNarrator: Though the decision remained unpopular\, by the end of the war\, some 5\,000 African-Americans had serv ed in the Continental Army.\n\nA lot of these decisions about who to fight for\, who to align with\, are deeply\, deeply local.\n\nThey're not neces sarily about high ideals at all\, right?\n\nSo\, when people think there's an opportunity with the British\, they may align with and run off to Brit ish lines.\n\nBut when the Patriot Army kind of opens its ranks to Black p eople\, there are lots of Black people who think they can gain advantage\, concession\, and even\, one day\, some status from fighting for the Patri ots.\n\nIt's not a question of who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.\n\nIt's what can I get from making this decision\, right now\, in thi s place\, at this time\, among these people.\n\nNarrator: Washington's new army--an ill-assorted mix of soldiers who'd decided to stay on\, raw recr uits\, and short-term militiamen-- now numbered around 8\,000 men.\n\nBut only 2/3 were fit for duty.\n\nThose men were still cold\, still poorly ar med\, still poorly paid-- but also still able to keep the British trapped in Boston.\n\nVoice: It is not in the pages of history perhaps to furnish a case like ours.\n\nTo maintain a post within musket shot of the enemy fo r 6 months together\, without powder\, and at the same time to disband one Army and recruit another\, within that distance of 20-odd British regimen ts\, is more than probably ever was attempted.\n\n♪ [Thunder] Voice: At the most moderate computation\, this rebellion will cost Great Britain 10 millions of treasure and 20\,000 lives.\n\nWhat then\, in the name of wond er\, is the object of the war?\n\nAre we to throw away so much treasure an d so many lives to gain a point which\, when gained\, is not worth 1% on o ur money?\n\nThe \"Public Advertiser.\"\n\nMaya Jasanoff: In the British P arliament\, there are debates taking place.\n\nThere are people lining up on one side who say\, \"You know\, we ought to actually \"grant the coloni es more autonomy.\n\n\"We ought to loosen the strictures \"that we've plac ed on them.\n\n\"We ought to think about ways that they might be represent ed.\"\n\nNarrator: The war in North America was not universally popular in England.\n\nThe colonies were 3\,000 miles away.\n\nThe theater of war wo uld be far larger than any the British Army had ever encountered before.\n \nIt was sure to be costly and bloody and likely to be prolonged.\n\nThe A rmy chief and England's most distinguished naval commander would both refu se to take part in the war.\n\nThe Lord Mayor and aldermen of the City of London appealed to the King to reconsider.\n\nIt was far better to give th e Americans their \"rights and liberties\,\" they said\, than impose \"the dreadful operations of your armaments.\"\n\nBut the new Secretary of Stat e for America\, Lord George Germain\, remained determined to crush the reb ellion-- and to do it with a single\, all-out campaign.\n\nIf the war drag ged on\, King George himself feared that Britain's old Catholic enemies\, France and Spain\, might be persuaded to support the rebel cause.\n\nVoice : The rebellious war now levied is become more general\, and is manifestly carried on for the purpose of establishing an independent empire.\n\nThe object is too important\, the spirit of the British nation too high\, the resources with which God hath blessed her too numerous\, to give up so man y colonies which she has planted with great industry\, nursed with great t enderness\, and protected and defended at much expense of blood and treasu re.\n\n[King George III] Atkinson: King George was not an ogre.\n\nHe was not a tyrant.\n\nContrary to the stereotype that most Americans have of hi m\, he's actually a pretty extraordinary man.\n\nConway: He was a very gre at constitutional monarch.\n\nIn fact\, in 1775\, he declares\, \"I'm figh ting the war of the legislature.\"\n\nIn other words\, he's fighting for P arliament's rights over the American colonies.\n\nNot his own rights\, Par liament's rights.\n\nBut once the war starts\, he sees himself as the comm ander-in-chief with a responsibility to make sure the war is run efficient ly and effectively.\n\nNarrator: The British Navy was the largest on earth \, but the all-volunteer British Army numbered fewer than 50\,000 officers and men on paper.\n\nAnd it was still smaller in reality\, just 1/3 of th e size of the French Army\, and scattered across the world from Ireland to India\, the Mediterranean to the Caribbean.\n\n\"Unless it rains men in r ed coats\,\" one official warned\, \"I know not where we are to get all we shall want.\"\n\nEllis: The British should have recognized that this was going to be extremely difficult and perhaps unwinnable conflict.\n\nThey w ere confident of two things.\n\nThey had invincible military power.\n\nAnd \, therefore\, there was no need for them to compromise.\n\nAnd secondly\, that any compromise of Sovereignty\, of Parliament's Sovereignty\, was go ing to encourage independence on the part of the Americans.\n\nThey had a kind of \"Domino\" theory: if we lose American colonies\, then we lose Can ada\, then we lose the Caribbean.\n\nSo that George III and his Ministers really believe that nothing less than the future of the British Empire is at stake.\n\n[Bird cawing] Voice: Our commander\, Arnold\, was of a remark able character.\n\nBrave and beloved by the soldiery\, he possessed great powers of persuasion.\n\nPrivate John Joseph Henry.\n\n♪ Narrator: Bened ict Arnold and his men had made slow progress on their way up the Kennebec River as part of the American invasion of Canada.\n\nTheir provisions had been packed into 220 flat-bottomed \"bateaux\,\" built for them at George Washington's orders.\n\nAll Arnold knew about the forests his men were ab out to penetrate came from a crude 15-year-old British map that seemed to suggest Quebec City was 180 miles away and could be reached in just 20 day s.\n\n♪ The real distance turned out to be 270 miles.\n\n[Wind blowing] Nothing could have prepared Arnold for the ordeal he and his men were abou t to endure.\n\n[Water spraying] The Kennebec turned out to be punctuated by waterfalls and rapids.\n\nSubmerged rocks tore the bottoms of their boa ts.\n\nWithin 72 hours\, 1/4 of their provisions were lost or ruined.\n\nI n the mornings\, wet clothes were glazed with ice\, one man wrote\, thick as a pane of glass.\n\nOn the 10th day\, Arnold began rationing the remain ing food-- just salt pork and flour.\n\nIt snowed on the 19th day and rain ed relentlessly for days afterwards.\n\nThen\, it snowed again.\n\nPhilbri ck: America is this huge continent.\n\nThere's tornadoes\, there's hurrica nes\, there's winter storms.\n\nTurns of weather that we know are coming f or weeks on end hit the people of the 18th century completely by surprise. \n\nThey're not just fighting each other.\n\nIn a profound way\, they are fighting the American climate and geography and topography.\n\nThis is a d ifficult place to conduct a war.\n\n♪ Narrator: After a month of hardshi p\, the officer leading the battalion that had been bringing up the rear d eclared the mission suicidal\, turned his 300 men around\, and started for home with many of the remaining provisions.\n\n♪ Arnold's men were now forced to subsist on candles\, tree bark\, and soup made by boiling rawhid e.\n\nOne company killed and ate their captain's Newfoundland dog.\n\n♪ Of the 1\,100 men who set out from Cambridge\, more than 1/3 had turned ba ck\, been escorted home as invalids\, or died along the way.\n\n[Bell ring s] Finally\, 45 days after setting off--not 20-- Arnold's men saw the spir es and walls of Quebec City looming across the St.\n\nLawrence River.\n\nP hilbrick: No one\, particularly the British\, can believe that suddenly th ey are there.\n\nArnold\, because of this\, would have a reputation now.\n \nHe would be known as the \"American Hannibal\" for his ability to move m en over mountains\, to achieve seemingly impossible things.\n\nNarrator: M eanwhile\, American forces led by General Montgomery had easily taken Mont real.\n\nThen\, with 300 of his men\, Montgomery set out along the St.\n\n Lawrence to meet up with Arnold.\n\nTogether\, they planned their assault on Quebec City.\n\nThey realize that they've got a hard decision to make.\ n\nWe either attack now\, or many of our men are going to leave.\n\nTheir enlistments are up.\n\nThey're cold.\n\nIt's mid-winter in Canada.\n\n♪ Narrator: There were only some 300 British regulars stationed in the forti fied city.\n\nSo\, General Guy Carleton\, the royal governor of Canada\, o rdered every able-bodied man within its walls to prepare for battle.\n\nAn yone who refused had to leave or be prosecuted as a spy.\n\nThe city's ram parts were soon guarded by some 1\,800 men.\n\nThe American plan called fo r two small\, noisy diversionary feints to draw defenders away from the at tack's real targets.\n\nMeanwhile\, Arnold and his men would circle around Quebec City from the north\, while General Montgomery would approach from the south.\n\nTogether\, they would storm the citadel's steep walls.\n\ n♪ Voice: Dear Father\, if you receive this letter\, it will be the last this hand will ever write you.\n\nHeaven only knows what will be my fate. \n\nBut whatever it may be\, I cannot resist the inclination I feel to ass ure you that in this cause I feel no reluctance to venture a life\, which I consider as only lent to be used when my country demands it.\n\nYour ver y affectionate son\, John Macpherson.\n\n[Wind blowing] Voice: The storm w as outrageous.\n\nCovering the locks of our guns with the lapels of our co ats and holding down our heads... [Gunshot] we ran in single file.\n\nJohn Joseph Henry.\n\nNarrator: The Americans launched their attack at 4 in th e morning on December 31st\, 1775\, under the cover of a howling blizzard. \n\nMany men had pinned to their hats slips of paper with the words\, \"Li berty or Death.\"\n\n[Gunfire] Everything went wrong.\n\n[Gunfire] The div ersionary attacks fooled no one.\n\nArnold's men came under merciless fire from the ramparts above-- and the enemy had placed formidable barricades in their way.\n\n[Gunfire] When a ricocheting bullet fragment tore through Arnold's left leg\, he had to be carried back to camp.\n\nCaptain Daniel Morgan of Virginia took over.\n\nHe managed to lead his men past one barri cade only to be blocked by another.\n\nHe tried 4 times to scale it\, then decided to wait for Montgomery and his men to break through.\n\n♪ But M ontgomery never made it.\n\n[Gunshot] Within moments of making his way int o the city\, he\, John Macpherson\, and 11 others were killed.\n\n[Gunfire ] Voice: The enemy\, having the advantage of the ground in front\, a vast superiority of numbers\, and dry and better arms\, gave them an irresistib le power.\n\nAbout 9:00 a.m.\, it was apparent to all of us that we must s urrender.\n\nJohn Joseph Henry.\n\n♪ Narrator: 30 Americans lay dead.\n\ n389 were taken prisoner\, including Daniel Morgan.\n\n♪ Arnold\, though badly wounded\, was not captured and vowed to try to take the city again before it could be reinforced.\n\nVoice: I have no thoughts of leaving thi s proud town\, until I first enter it in triumph.\n\nProvidence which has carried me through so many dangers\, is still my protection.\n\nBenedict A rnold.\n\n♪ Voice: I am more and more convinced that man is a dangerous creature\, and that power\, whether vested in many or a few\, is ever gras ping\, and like the grave cries give\, give.\n\nYou tell me of degrees of perfection to which humane nature is capable of arriving\, and I believe i t\, but at the same time lament that our admiration should arise from the scarcity of the instances.\n\nWhen I consider these things\, I feel anxiou s for the fate of our monarchy\, or democracy\, or whatever is to take pla ce.\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\nNarrator: On New Year's Day\, 1776\, George Washi ngton ordered a new \"Continental Union\" flag raised atop Prospect Hill o verlooking occupied Boston.\n\nThe British Union Jack still filled its upp er left-hand corner.\n\nBut its 13 red and white stripes\, he said\, were intended as a \"compliment to the United Colonies.\"\n\nWith the exception of the city of Boston\, Patriots now controlled each of the 13 colonies.\ n\nSeveral other royal governors had\, like Dunmore\, fled to ships offsho re.\n\nBut people within the colonies remained deeply divided.\n\nSome of the free population favored independence.\n\nOthers were appalled at the t hought of breaking with the King.\n\nAbandoning Britain\, one Virginian wr ote\, would \"dissolve the bands of religion\, of oaths\, of laws\, \"of l anguage\, of blood\, which hold us united under the influence of the commo n parent.\"\n\nStill others remained \"disaffected\,\" favoring neither si de\, hoping somehow to carry on with their lives while their fellow-Americ ans-- suspicious of their neutrality-- fought things out.\n\nBut events we re changing minds.\n\nGordon-Reed: What happened in the run-up to all of t his gave people a sense that they might be able to make it on their own.\n \nThey were different from the people in Great Britain.\n\nThey realized t hat they were moving apart.\n\nVoice: If we must erect an independent gove rnment in America\, a republic will produce strength\, hardiness\, activit y\, courage\, fortitude\, and enterprise.\n\nBut there is so much rascalit y\, so much venality and corruption\, so much avarice and ambition\, such a rage for profit and commerce among all ranks and degrees of men\, even i n America\, that I sometimes doubt whether there is public virtue enough t o support a republic.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\nTaylor: The leaders of the America n Revolution need popular support.\n\nThe leaders of the American Revoluti on are going to have to make promises that there's going to be greater soc ial mobility\; there's going to be greater respect for common people\; the re is going to be broader political participation in the future than there has been in the colonial past by loosening up structures of authority\, i ncluding structures of religious authority.\n\nIf you're making this Revol ution and you need the support of thousands of common people\, men and wom en\, what's in it for them?\n\nGordon Wood: Up to the 18th century\, peopl e assumed that everything will always remain the same.\n\nBut the idea tha t you could take charge and change your culture\, that's what--that's the fundamental basis of the Enlightenment\, that man can be changed.\n\n♪ V oice: The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.\n\n'Tis not the af fair of a city\, a country\, a province\, or a kingdom\, but of a continen t.\n\nEverything that is right or natural pleads for separation.\n\nEvery spot of the old world is overrun with oppression.\n\nFreedom hath been hun ted round the globe.\n\nO!\n\nreceive the fugitive\, and prepare in time a n asylum for mankind.\n\n♪ We have it in our power to begin the world ov er again.\n\nA situation similar to the present hath not happened since th e days of Noah until now.\n\nThe birthday of a new world is at hand.\n\nTh omas Paine.\n\n♪ Narrator: On January 9th\, 1776\, a slender pamphlet ti tled \"Common Sense\" was published in Philadelphia-- the most important p amphlet in American history.\n\nIt was signed simply \"an Englishman.\"\n\ nIts author\, a recent newcomer to America\, was 38-year-old Thomas Paine. \n\nThe son of a Quaker corset-maker and his Anglican wife\, Paine had fai led at his father's profession\, lost his first wife and their child in ch ildbirth\, been fired from his post as tax collector\, endured the collaps e of a second childless marriage\, and had seen his possessions auctioned off to pay his debts.\n\nDuring his 8-week voyage from Britain\, he'd cont racted typhus\, and when his ship reached Philadelphia\, he had to be carr ied off\, half-dead.\n\nBut Paine was a master with words\, skillfully wea ving the latest Enlightenment philosophy with biblical references that eve ryone knew.\n\nAnd he was a violent foe of aristocracy and monarchy.\n\nSc hiff: It's a much more radical document than anything that had preceded it .\n\n\"Common Sense\" takes off like an accelerant through the colonies.\n \nEveryone reads it.\n\nNarrator: Excerpts from \"Common Sense\" appeared in newspapers throughout the colonies.\n\nThe pamphlet would sell tens of thousands of copies.\n\nTaylor: It is an unprecedented bestseller.\n\nWith the exception of the Bible in the colonies\, no book has been read as wid ely as \"Common Sense\" is.\n\nBernard Bailyn: It was a wholesale attack o n the entire world of Britain\, political\, cultural.\n\nAnd it's in slam- bang prose.\n\nNo American pamphleteer wrote that kind of really tough ext reme language.\n\nHogeland: It just made people listen and made people thi nk at a time when the Congress would never have thought of attacking the K ing\, personally\, King George III\, the \"Crown of England.\"\n\nThey wer e always like\, \"Oh\, he's not really getting it.\n\n\"It's Parliament th at's our problem.\n\nThe King needs to help us.\"\n\nHe just called the Ki ng a \"beast\,\" in print.\n\nHe was the working-class intellectual.\n\nHi s politics were radically democratic\, in many ways.\n\nAnd that made him different from the other famous Founders.\n\nVoice: Hereditary succession is an insult and an imposition on posterity.\n\nFor all men being original ly equals\, no one by birth could have a right to set up his own family in perpetual preference to all others forever.\n\nOne of the strongest natur al proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings is that nature disappr oves it\, otherwise she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by g iving mankind an ass for a lion.\n\nThomas Paine.\n\nBailyn: That pamphlet did stir people's minds about the possibility of a different kind of worl d.\n\nVoice: \"Common Sense\" struck a string which required a touch to ma ke it vibrate.\n\nThe country was ripe for independence\, and only needed somebody to tell the people so.\n\nPrivate Ashbel Green.\n\nHogeland: Some of the Founders\, and others\, thought this is the moment we can start ov er again.\n\nWe can actually begin the world anew.\n\nAnd it must have bee n\, you know\, wildly exciting at the time.\n\nAnd I think it still excite s us\, that we are the product of a revolutionary moment where the world t urned upside down.\n\nVoice: My countrymen will come reluctantly into the idea of independency.\n\nI find \"Common Sense\" is working a wonderful ch ange in the minds of many men.\n\nGeorge Washington.\n\n♪ Narrator: Not all minds were changed.\n\nHannah Griffitts\, the Philadelphia poet who in 1768 had urged American women to boycott British goods\, was horrified.\n \nKamensky: The idea that to reform the Empire by not buying tea or import ed cloth would lead to this crazy question of independence was an impossib le thing for her to countenance.\n\nPaine is where a lot of people get on the revolutionary road.\n\nIt's where she gets off.\n\nNarrator: For some Americans\, \"Common Sense\" confirmed their worst fears.\n\nVermont Loyal ist John Peters\, who continued to receive death threats from his Patriot neighbors\, had reached a breaking point.\n\nVoice: Often mobbed and once imprisoned by the malcontents\, I quitted my family\, property\, and offic es\, and fled to Canada\, to avoid personal danger and to support the Brit ish cause against its enemies.\n\n[John Peters] Voice: The want of guns is so great that no trouble or expense must be spared to obtain them.\n\n[Ge orge Washington] Atkinson: Washington has got Boston surrounded.\n\nThe pr oblem is\, he doesn't have the big guns necessary to make the British in B oston really feel threatened.\n\nHe's got some artillery\, but not enough. \n\nThey tend to be smaller field guns.\n\nHe knows that at Ticonderoga\, which is several hundred miles away\, there are more than 80 British guns that have been captured by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen.\n\nAnd he tell s Henry Knox\, \"Go to Ticonderoga\, bring back whatever you can.\"\n\n♪ Narrator: Henry Knox was a big\, amiable\, 25-year-old Boston bookseller who had learned all he knew about artillery and military engineering from volumes he'd stocked in his shop and from his service in the Boston militi a.\n\nHe'd earned Washington's admiration for overseeing the construction of fortifications at Roxbury.\n\nAtkinson: Washington\, who's got a very g ood eye for subordinate talent\, recognizes that this guy\, he doesn't eve n have a uniform at the time\, has something about him that Washington fin ds appealing\, and the potential that Henry Knox evinces is something that Washington recognizes immediately.\n\nNarrator: Before setting out\, Knox wrote a letter to his pregnant wife Lucy\, who had fled Boston\, leaving her Loyalist parents and siblings behind.\n\nVoice: Keep up your spirits\, my dear girl\, and don't be alarmed when I tell you that the General has ordered me to go to the westward as far as Ticonderoga.\n\nDon't be afraid \, there is no fighting in the case.\n\nI am going upon business only.\n\n Henry Knox.\n\nNarrator: Knox made his way to the captured forts and found 55 guns worth transporting-- 39 field pieces\, 14 mortars\, and two howit zers-- all weighing more than 64 tons.\n\n♪ Knox's task was somehow to m ove them 300 miles down into the Hudson Valley\, across the Berkshires\, a nd all the way to Boston.\n\nHe had horses and ox teams haul the guns over land to the northern end of Lake George.\n\nFrom there\, a small fleet of barges and boats ferried them more than 30 miles against howling winds to Fort George at the southern end.\n\n♪ Voice: I have made 42 exceeding st rong sleds and have provided 80 yoke of oxen to drag them as far as Spring field\, where I shall get fresh cattle to carry them to camp.\n\nWe shall have a fine fall of snow\, which will make the carriage easy.\n\nHenry Kno x.\n\n♪ Narrator: The snow for which Knox hoped proved unpredictable\, s ometimes too light for his sleds to glide over\, sometimes too heavy for t hem to move at all.\n\n♪ Crossing the Berkshires\, oxen hauled the canno n up and over mountains so tall that from their summits\, Knox remembered\ , \"We might almost have seen all the kingdoms of the earth.\"\n\n♪ Wher ever they went\, farmers and townspeople turned out to see them.\n\nVoice: We reached Westfield\, Massachusetts\, and found that very few\, even amo ng the oldest inhabitants\, had ever seen a cannon.\n\nWe were great gaine rs by this curiosity.\n\nFor while they were employed in remarking upon ou r guns\, we were with equal pleasure discussing the qualities of their cid er and whiskey.\n\nJohn P. Becker.\n\nNarrator: As the ox train lumbered o n\, Knox hurried ahead alone to Cambridge.\n\nHe reported to Washington th at over the next few weeks\, all the artillery he'd been promised would be at his disposal.\n\n♪ When the last of Knox's cannon reached Washington 's army\, England's hold on Boston was doomed.\n\nAtkinson: It's one of th e most extraordinary expeditions in American military history.\n\nHe appea rs back in Cambridge\, says\, \"Boss\, I'm here.\n\n\"I've brought back 50 guns.\n\n\"They're parked right outside of town.\n\nThey're available whe never you need them.\"\n\nWashington says\, \"You're my man.\"\n\nAnd he p uts Knox in charge of Continental Artillery.\n\n[Drumbeat] Narrator: On th e night of March 4th\, 1776\, some 3\,000 men and 300 teams worked to put 20 or more heavy guns in place on Dorchester Heights.\n\n[Drumbeat] Voice: March 5th.\n\nThis morning at daybreak\, we discovered two redoubts on th e hills on Dorchester Point\, and two smaller works on their flanks.\n\nTh ey were all raised during the night\, with an expedition equal to that of the genie belonging to Aladdin's wonderful lamp.\n\nFrom these hills they commanded the whole town\, so that we must drive them from their post\, or desert the place.\n\n[British Officer] Narrator: Unwilling to sacrifice a ny more men\, General Howe decided to leave Boston for Halifax in Nova Sco tia\, where he hoped to regroup.\n\n♪ With him went 10\,000 soldiers and their dependents as well as 1\,100 Loyalist men\, women\, and children wh o would have to build new lives in a new place.\n\nAmong them were Henry K nox's in-laws.\n\n\"I have lost\,\" his wife Lucy wrote\, \"my father\, mo ther\, brother\, and sisters.\"\n\n♪ Voice: How horrid is this war?\n\nB rother against brother and the parent against the child.\n\nWho were the f irst promoters of it\, I know not.\n\nBut God knows.\n\nAnd I fear they wi ll feel the weight of His vengeance.\n\n♪ Tis pity\, the little time we have to spend in this world\, we cannot enjoy ourselves and our friends\, but must be devising means to destroy each other.\n\nLucy Knox.\n\n♪ Nar rator: With the evacuation of Boston\, no British garrison now remained an ywhere in the rebellious colonies.\n\nSerena Zabin: I think it surprises e verybody that the Patriots are having some successes.\n\nSo much so that e veryone's convinced that it's either the support of God or the virtue of t he cause that is helping them win.\n\nOne of their favorite metaphors is t he Battle of Jericho.\n\nThey're sure that all it takes is for this army t hat has right on its side to show up and blow a trumpet\, and the walls ar e just going to fall down.\n\nNarrator: Some Americans believed the war wa s over.\n\nThe Massachusetts legislature thanked George Washington for his service and wished him \"Peace and Satisfaction of Mind\" in his retireme nt.\n\nBut Washington knew better.\n\nHe informed Congress that he would \ "immediately repair to New York\, with the remainder of the Army.\"\n\nHe was sure that Howe's next move would be to attack that strategically impor tant port.\n\nBy mid-April\, 1776\, he and his wife Martha\, and several m embers of their household\, were in residence there.\n\nMeanwhile\, Congre ss sent a Connecticut businessman named Silas Deane to Paris to secretly b uy munitions and supplies-- and to look into the possibility of forging an alliance with France.\n\nSchiff: Two questions\, really\, conjoin at this point.\n\nOne question is\, if we're going to make ourselves independent\ , if we're going to somehow create a nation\, which is a truly novel and d estabilizing concept\, how are we going to do that?\n\nWe have absolutely no means with which to do so.\n\nSo\, we will have to enlist the aid of a foreign power.\n\nAnd then comes the question of a Declaration.\n\nAnd the question is\, which needs to happen first.\n\n♪ Voice: Independence is the only bond that can tie and keep us together.\n\nEvery day convinces us of its necessity.\n\nInstead of gazing at each other with suspicious or d oubtful curiosity\, let each of us hold out to his neighbor the hearty han d of friendship.\n\nAnd let no other name be heard among us\, than those o f a good citizen\; an open and resolute friend\; and a virtuous supporter of the Rights of Mankind\, and of the Free and Independent States of Ameri ca.\n\nThomas Paine.\n\n♪ [Thunder] Voice: Language cannot describe\, no r imagination paint\, the scenes of misery the soldiery endure\, continual ly groaning and calling for relief\, but in vain.\n\nThe most shocking of all spectacles was to see a large barn crowded full of men with this disor der\, many of which could not see\, speak\, or walk.\n\nDr.\n\nLewis Beebe .\n\nNarrator: That spring\, colonists on both sides of the fighting were ravaged by a common enemy: \"Variola major\"--smallpox.\n\nHighly infectio us\, the virus had scarred\, blinded\, or killed hundreds of thousands in North America over the past 2 1/2 centuries.\n\n♪ The American Revolutio n coincided with a continent-wide epidemic that would last for 7 years and take some 100\,000 more lives--Black\, White\, as well as Native American .\n\nColin Calloway: When armies are marching back and forth\, this is pri me environment for the spread of diseases.\n\nAnd one of the largest\, or at least best documented\, smallpox epidemics\, and it may be epidemics\, plural\, happens at the time of the American Revolution.\n\nSmallpox was t he dread disease of humanity.\n\nNarrator: There were just two weapons aga inst smallpox: isolating its victims to keep them from infecting others or inoculating the still unaffected by deliberately implanting live virus in to an incision in hopes that the infection they contracted would neither p rove fatal nor infect anyone else before it conferred immunity.\n\nGeorge Washington knew the disease firsthand\; he'd been permanently scarred by i t as a young man.\n\nBut he initially rejected inoculation for his soldier s: if he imposed it universally\, his whole army would have been incapacit ated for weeks\; if he employed it piecemeal and just one still-infectious inoculated soldier was released too early\, he might infect his whole com pany.\n\nInstead\, anyone showing smallpox symptoms was isolated in a spec ial hospital with guards posted to keep visitors out.\n\n[Seagulls crying] Meanwhile\, aboard Lord Dunmore's floating city in the Chesapeake Bay\, t he men of his Ethiopian Regiment and their families\, packed together on s mall\, segregated vessels\, were without immunity and not inoculated until the disease was already raging among them.\n\nSo was typhus.\n\nVoice: Th e fever has proved a very malignant one and has carried off an incredible number of our people\, especially the Blacks.\n\nHad it not been for this horrid disorder\, I am satisfied I should have had 2\,000 Blacks with whom I should have had no doubt of penetrating into the heart of this colony.\ n\nLord Dunmore.\n\n♪ Narrator: In late May\, Dunmore moved his ramshack le fleet north to Gwynn's Island\, lured there by the presence of some 400 cows with which he hoped to help feed his followers.\n\nBut smallpox and typhus came with him.\n\nRunaways continued to find their way to Dunmore\, 6 or 8 a day--and died almost as fast.\n\n[Gunshot] Eventually\, under fi re from Virginia militiamen onshore\, Dunmore and his fleet would be force d to sail away from the island.\n\n[Gunshot] They left behind hundreds of sick African-American men\, women\, and children.\n\nA Virginian who reach ed the island a day or two later never forgot what he saw.\n\nVoice: On ou r arrival\, we were struck with horror at the number of dead bodies\, in a state of putrefaction\, without a shovelful of earth upon them\; others g asping for life\; and some had crawled to the water's edge\, who could onl y make known their distress by beckoning to us.\n\nSuch a scene of cruelty my eyes never beheld\; for which the authors never can make atonement in this world.\n\n[Virginia Militiaman] ♪ Narrator: Dunmore's experiment in emancipation had ended in disaster.\n\nBut over the 7 years of fighting t hat followed\, tens of thousands of enslaved people would flee to the Brit ish\, believing that the King's representatives were more likely than the Revolutionaries to fulfill their hopes for liberty.\n\n♪ Gordon-Reed: Op ting for freedom is a gamble.\n\nAnd it makes people take all kinds of ris ks.\n\nThe notion that you would be in a situation where your children\, a nd your children's children\, and your children's children's children woul d be enslaved\, I can understand wanting to risk death to prevent that.\n\ n♪ Narrator: That same spring\, smallpox would end the American dream of capturing Canada\, as well.\n\nFor more than 4 months\, Benedict Arnold\, now promoted to general\, had continued to blockade Quebec City\, hoping he could mount a successful second assault before spring temperatures thaw ed the ice blocking the St.\n\nLawrence\, and the British could land reinf orcements.\n\nBut by May\, nearly half of those Americans who remained wer e sick.\n\nThen\, Royal Navy warships and transports arrived\, filled with thousands of fresh troops-- and thousands more were on the way.\n\nThe Am ericans took flight.\n\nBritish forces\, led by General Guy Carleton and G eneral John Burgoyne\, pursued them-- soon supported by Native American al lies.\n\nDarren Bonaparte: For us\, my people living on the St.\n\nLawrenc e\, the British rallied us and said\, \"We've got Americans invading.\n\nT hey're going to kill all of you.\"\n\nWe sent 100 of our warriors to help the British drive the Americans out of the Montreal area.\n\nNarrator: One by one\, the Americans abandoned their outposts.\n\nReinforcements added to their numbers\, but 3/4 of the newcomers had no immunity to smallpox.\n \nVoice: The road ran alongside of the river opposite the city of Montreal \, and we could plainly see the red-coated British soldiers on the other s hore.\n\nSo close were they upon us that if we had not retreated as we did \, all would have been prisoners\, for they were in numbers as 6-to-our-on e\, and we\, moreover\, nearly half-dead with sickness and fatigue and lac k of clothing.\n\nJohn Greenwood.\n\nNarrator: The young fifer John Greenw ood was among those reinforcements when Arnold ordered his men to abandon Montreal.\n\nNearly 2\,000 fell ill.\n\nEventually they crowded onto Ile a ux Noix\, waiting their turn to be ferried south on Lake Champlain to Crow n Point and Ticonderoga.\n\n♪ 20 to 60 men fell ill every day\, and 15 t o 20 died.\n\nTwo great pits were dug in which the dead were heaped each e vening\, one man recalled\, \"with no other covering but the rags in which they died.\"\n\nBy the end of June\, 10 months after the American invasio n of Canada began\, it was over.\n\n12\,000 Americans had taken part.\n\nS ome 5\,000 of them had been killed\, wounded\, taken prisoner\, died of di sease\, or deserted.\n\nThe survivors were now encamped back on the shores of Lake Champlain where the campaign had started.\n\n♪ Voice: Our army at Crown Point is an object of wretchedness to fill a human mind with horr or.\n\nOur misfortunes in Canada are enough to melt a heart of stone.\n\nT he smallpox is 10 times more terrible than Britons\, Canadians\, and India ns together.\n\nJohn Adams.\n\n♪ Narrator: \"Our affairs are hastening t o a crisis\,\" John Hancock\, the president of the Continental Congress.\n \nwarned\, \"and the approaching campaign \"will in all probability determ ine forever the fate of America.\"\n\nFrance had by now quietly pledged to provide some arms and money-- but open support would require the Congress to cut all ties to Britain.\n\n\"Every day\,\" John Adams wrote to a frie nd\, independence \"rolls in upon us like a torrent.\"\n\nOn May 15th\, Co ngress called upon all 13 colonies to form their own governments.\n\nBy ad opting new constitutions\, the colonies would turn themselves into soverei gn States.\n\n♪ The next day\, delegates learned that the British\, desp erate and without European allies\, had hired thousands of foreign troops to help crush the rebellion.\n\nSome German princes had agreed to provide them--for a price.\n\nMost came from Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Hanau\, so t he Americans would call them all \"Hessians.\"\n\n\"O Britons\,\" one Rhod e Islander lamented\, \"how art you fallen that you hire foreigners to cut your children's throats.\"\n\nVoice: The British nation have proceeded to the last extremity.\n\nAnd we should expect a severe trial this summer\, with Britons\, Hessians\, Indians\, Negroes\, and every other butcher the gracious King of Britain can hire against us.\n\nJosiah Bartlett\, New Ham pshire.\n\nFriederike Baer: The Americans are using the British Government 's decision to hire foreign soldiers in the war against British subjects\, if they look at this as a civil war to some extent.\n\nThey're using this as a tool to rile up resistance against Britain\, to mobilize men to\, ba sically\, take up arms against these invaders\, and ultimately to support independence.\n\n[Gavel banging] Narrator: On June 7th\, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced resolutions in Congress declaring that \"these Uni ted Colonies are &\; of right \"ought to be free &\; independent Sta tes absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown.\"\n\n♪ Meanwhile\ , a letter to a Pennsylvania newspaper signed only \"Republicus\" declared that it was time for independent Americans \"to call themselves by some n ame\"-- and proposed the \"United States of America.\"\n\n♪ A 5-man comm ittee was named to produce a document setting forth the reasons for making such a momentous decision.\n\n33-year-old Thomas Jefferson of Virginia wa s assigned to write the first draft.\n\n♪ He would draw from Aristotle\, Cicero\, John Locke\, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights\, written by his friend George Mason.\n\nBut his goal\, he said\, was to distill what he called \"an expression of the American mind.\"\n\n♪ He worked in a re nted room on Market Street\, fueled by cups of tea brought to him by his 1 4-year-old valet\, Robert Hemings-- the son of an enslaved servant\, Eliza beth Hemings\, and Jefferson's father-in-law.\n\nVoice: When in the course of human events\, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the pol itical bands which have connected them with another\, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws o f nature and of nature's God entitle them\, a decent respect to the opinio ns of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel the m to the separation.\n\n♪ We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal\; that they are endowed by their Creator with ce rtain inalienable rights\; that among these are life\, liberty\, and the p ursuit of happiness.\n\n[Thomas Jefferson] Wood: Everything that we believ e in comes out of the Revolution.\n\nOur ideas of liberty\, equality\, it' s the defining event of our history.\n\n\"All men are created equal.\"\n\n That is the most famous and important phrase in our history.\n\nIf we don' t celebrate it\, we have no reason to be a people.\n\nAnd Lincoln knew tha t.\n\nAnd that's why he says\, \"All honor to Jefferson.\"\n\n♪ Narrator : Thomas Jefferson was proposing something altogether new and radical in t he world.\n\nIt was the American people's \"right\,\" he argued\, it was \ "their duty\"-- to \"throw off\" tyranny and learn to govern themselves.\n \nVoice: That to secure these rights\, governments are instituted among me n\, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed\, that whe never any form of government becomes destructive of these ends\, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it\, and to institute new gove rnment\, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its power s in such form\, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.\n\n[Thomas Jefferson] Narrator: Since no one had authority over anyone else by birthright\, Jefferson was affirming that all legitima te power came from the people themselves-- even if he\, the owner of hundr eds of human beings\, could never make that truth a reality in his own lif e.\n\nGordon-Reed: His relationship to slavery is foundational.\n\nFrom th e beginning to the end\, this institution bounded his life\, even though h e knew it was wrong.\n\nHow could you know something is wrong and still do it?\n\nWell\, that is the human question for all of us.\n\n♪ Taylor: Th e Declaration of Independence\, we remember it\, primarily\, from its open ing preamble\, the most famous sentences in our history\, quoted ever sinc e as a mandate for expanding liberty for other people.\n\nBut most of the document is something else.\n\nIt is a list of crimes allegedly committed by the King.\n\nThat means that when the Patriot leaders decide that they want independence\, then they must persuade their people in the colonies\, now states\, that the King has forfeited his just authority.\n\nThe purpo se of the Declaration of Independence is to declare the King is no longer sovereign.\n\nNarrator: Throughout history\, most people had been subjects \, living under authoritarian rule.\n\n\"All experience hath shewn\,\" Jef ferson wrote\, \"that mankind are more disposed to suffer\, while evils ar e sufferable.\"\n\nGeorge III himself\, not the Parliament\, was now the e nemy.\n\nThe Declaration denounced him as \"unfit to be the ruler of a fre e people\,\" guilty of 18 \"injuries and usurpations\,\" all meant to esta blish\, it read\, \"absolute tyranny.\"\n\nIt charged that he had invaded \"the rights of the people\,\" sent \"swarms of officers to harass\" them\ , imposed a standing army in peacetime\, levied taxes without the colonist s' consent\, and was now waging war against them.\n\n♪ Dunmore's Proclam ation had deepened fears of slave uprisings\, and reports that the governo r of Canada had enlisted Native people to resist the invasion there furthe r inflamed Congress.\n\nIn the 18th and final charge against the King\, Je fferson did all he could to exploit their fury.\n\nVoice: He has excited d omestic insurrections amongst us and has endeavored to bring on the inhabi tants of our frontiers\, the merciless Indian Savages\, whose known rule o f warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages\, sexes\, and cond itions.\n\n[Thomas Jefferson] Narrator: Proclaiming the equality of \"all men\" was a genuinely revolutionary idea\, but that equality was not yet e xtended to Native Americans\, enslaved or free Blacks\, the poor\, or any woman.\n\nJefferson's original list of \"injuries\" had also included the charge that George III was somehow responsible for the Atlantic slave trad e.\n\nHe called it \"cruel war against human nature itself.\"\n\nThe other delegates refused to adopt that charge.\n\n♪ The Declaration of Indepen dence was formally ratified on July 4th\, 1776-- just 1\,337 words that en ded with the phrase\, \"We mutually pledge to each other our lives\, our f ortunes\, and our sacred honor.\"\n\n♪ When Rhode Island delegate Stephe n Hopkins\, who had palsy\, signed the document\, he is said to have remar ked\, \"My hand trembles\, but my heart does not.\"\n\n[Crowd cheering] It was first read aloud to a cheering crowd in the State House yard at Phila delphia on July 8th.\n\nIt was soon published in 29 newspapers\, and greet ed by parades and celebratory volleys of gunfire throughout the newly Unit ed States.\n\n[Gunfire] Voice: Boston\, Massachusetts-- when Colonel Craft s read the proclamation\, great attention was given to every word\, and ev ery face appeared joyful.\n\nThe King's arms were taken down from the Stat e House and every vestige of him from every place in which it appeared and burned in King Street.\n\nThus ends royal authority in this state\, and a ll the people shall say\, \"Amen.\"\n\nAbigail Adams.\n\n[Crowd cheering] Narrator: On July 9th\, in New York\, General Washington ordered the Decla ration read to his troops.\n\nHearing the list of George III's alleged cri mes so angered the men that a number of them raced down Broadway to Bowlin g Green\, tied ropes to the statue of the King\, and pulled it to the grou nd.\n\n♪ Pieces of the shattered statue were dispatched by wagon to Litc hfield\, Connecticut\, where Patriots melted the gilded lead into bullets- - 42\,088 of them.\n\n♪ Far to the north at Fort Ticonderoga\, the batte red survivors of the failed invasion of Canada were assembled so that the Declaration could be read to them.\n\nWhen it was over\, an eyewitness sai d\, \"The language of every man's countenance was\, \"Now we are a people\ ; we have a name among the states of the world.\"\n\n♪ Among those who h eard the Declaration read at Ticonderoga was private Lemuel Haynes\, a fre e African-American from Granville\, Massachusetts.\n\nHe understood right away what it might mean for people like him--and wrote an essay entitled: \"Liberty Further Extended.\"\n\n♪ Voice: Liberty is a jewel which was h anded down to man from the cabinet of heaven.\n\nIt hath pleased God to ma ke \"of one blood all nations of men for to dwell upon the face of the ear th.\"\n\nAnd as all are of one species\, therefore\, we may reasonably con clude that liberty is equally as precious to a Black man as it is to a Whi te one\, and bondage equally as intolerable to the one as it is to the oth er.\n\n[Lemuel Haynes] Maggie Blackhawk: The Declaration of Independence w as deeply significant to people at the margins.\n\nIt gave them a space of moral argument.\n\nIt gave them a space of legal argument that could be l everaged to reshape United States democracy and become a part of it.\n\nAn d we are going to push every lever we had to be able to make this democrac y real\, and to make these visions\, these values\, real rather than hypoc ritical.\n\n♪ Voice: London\, \"The Gentleman's Magazine.\"\n\nThe Ameri can Declaration reflects no honor upon either the erudition or honesty of its authors.\n\n\"We hold\,\" they say\, \"these truths to be self-evident .\n\nThat all men are created equal\"?\n\nEvery plowman knows that they ar e not created equal.\n\nIt certainly is no reason why the Americans should turn rebels.\n\nAtkinson: King George was determined that the Americans n ot be permitted to break away.\n\nHe believes\, and his senior ministers b elieve\, that this slippery slope of an American insurrection will only le ad to the dissolution of the British Empire.\n\nThe sun never sets on the British Empire.\n\nThat phrase was coined in 1773.\n\nAnd George is determ ined it's never going to set as long as he is the monarch.\n\n♪ Narrator : And the King had sent a great fleet to New York--with thousands of troop s-- to prevent that from ever happening.\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ Announcer: Next ti me on \"The American Revolution\"... Battleground: New York.\n\nRick Atkin son: Washington makes a number of tactical mistakes\, none more serious th an at Long Island.\n\nAnnouncer: Women continue to be at the heart of the resistance.\n\nVoice: If our men are all drawn off and we should be attack ed\, you would find a race of Amazons in America.\n\n[Abigail Adams] Annou ncer: And the reality of war.\n\nMaya Jasanoff: The United States came out of violence.\n\nAnnouncer: When \"The American Revolution\" continues nex t time.\n\n♪ Announcer: Scan this QR code with your smart device to dive deeper into the story of \"The American Revolution\" with interactives\, games\, classroom materials\, and more.\n\n♪ Announcer: \"The American R evolution\" DVD and Blu-ray\, as well as the companion book and soundtrack \, are available online and in stores.\n\nThe series is also available wit h PBS Passport and on am*zon Prime Video.\n\n♪ Announcer: The American R evolution caused an impact felt around the world.\n\nThe fight would take ingenuity\, determination\, and hope for a new tomorrow to turn the tide o f history and set the American story in motion.\n\nWhat would you like the power to do?\n\nBank of America.\n\nAnnouncer: Major funding for \"The Am erican Revolution\" was provided by The Better Angels Society and its memb ers Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation and the B lavatnik Family Foundation.\n\nMajor funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein\, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation\, the L illy Endowment\, and by Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schm idt\, Stephen A. Schwarzman\, and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst .\n\nAdditional support was provided by The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation s\, the Pew Charitable Trusts\, Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling\, t he Park Foundation\, and by Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and A my Berg\, Perry and Donna Golkin\, The Michelson Foundation\, Jacqueline B . Mars\, the Kissick Family Foundation\, Diane and Hal Brierley\, John H.N .\n\nFisher and Jennifer Caldwell\, John and Catherine Debs\, The Fullerto n Family Charitable Fund\, and these additional members.\n\n\"The American Revolution\" was made possible with support from the Corporation for Publ ic Broadcasting\, and Viewers Like You.\n\nThank You.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/the-american-revolution-epis ode-2-an-asylum-for-mankind/\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251117 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BETTERING AMERICAN POETRY ANTHOLOGY entry 11/14/2015 DTSTAMP:20250524T213846Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:282-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n BETTERING AMERICAN POETRY ANTHOLOGY entry 11/14/2015\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Title:Harlem - June to November 2015\n\n\n\n I am a child t o Earth\n\n living side my peer\, in a concentration\n\n in a night\, I se e...\n\n not from the Sun\, many moon\, shining\n\n ... many voice yell in the sky\n\n no horn or four horseman ride\n\n remind\, a faint glimpse to a god\n\n kicking a free moon by\n\n know why\, not I\n\n\n\n Out from th e quiet Harlem\n\n Where the trees recall yesterday\n\n South from the mod ern\n\n Where the lights shine away... from the old song in the street\n\n Is a raccoon family\n\n Waiting for sapiens to segregate\n\n Tis a wait i nsane\n\n Waiting for: fish fry\, jass\, or roof... parties\n\n Them can n ot survive: mixing\, security\, or real estate\n\n But a darkling notice t he scene\n\n He provide a path in the shade\n\n Just to a few from Harlem past... to find the Black Bath\n\n\n\n Walking outside\, I ponder\, where is wisdom\,\n\n when the Sun can not wake me to see it\,\n\n and...\n\n wh at can be seen from apartment 2B?\n\n concrete sequoia\, surround every pa ne\,\n\n even the baby thrush\, needing parental sustenance\,\n\n can't be known\, and...\n\n we all ask\, where with all is hope?...\n\n can I know in 9C?\n\n can enlightenment be\, where no butterfly roam\,\n\n even if I live or write every poem?...\n\n may I live near 2B... only down the hall \,\n\n where you live in 4U\, and maybe you can see or know\,\n\n if you o wn\, a pane or more from hope...\n\n will it sing\, to my craft\, as I wal k...\n\n apartmentless\, in the public dark\n\n\n\n The Trees or the Churc hes\, are all that will stand\n\n Where is the tree that remember the land \n\n Does a church know where\, the skulls from the first\, was planted\n\ n The collages from modern mancraft is disorganized\, most ignorant\n\n I heard from one collagent\n\n ... The Pigeon who climbed a whole hill\n\n d o not forget a sky\n\n never needing\, to walk to one again\n\n ... do not forget an earth\n\n while sleeping to fly\n\n truly fly... to a rose beyo nd any sky\n\n do not forget a time\n\n when two sunflower \, grow at firs t glance\n\n for one grow a short... distance\n\n yet\, the shades them ca n not see prove:sky\, earth\, or time in chiaroscurhyme\n\n and!...this du mmy still stand!\n\n pondering a turncoat dove ponderance\n\n I am comfort ed in knowing their finiteness\n\n though\, I know a clear sadness\n\n for the collages everborn\n\n pretelling I will never know\n\n where stand th e skulls\, or the land\n\n\n\n What if a green speak to you one day\n\n do you think\, it will speak to Giants colored grey\n\n or multicolor dirt f rom an annual day\n\n I say they are not signs... from the urban green\n\n not like those southern trees who know the bloodiest luxiery\n\n A salvad oran Rose\, through my mind\, once spoke to me\n\n We look at each other t hrough a lens that is the moon\n\n after in the afternoon\, a bluejay hope to find\n\n hopping up the fire escape to the top floor\, why?!\n\n a rai nforest on the third\, or higher than Everest on the roof\n\n or maybe a q uery from the terrace fleur\n\n How do you find a place beyond time\, is i t galaxy wide\, or smaller than an eye?\n\n Does a green\, the Moon\, or a n avian know where it hide\n\n\n\n In a deep autumn night\n\n I think\, wh at deep thought\n\n from those once cargo\n\n or more than likely\, threw off\n\n did they saw life as hope\, or a wrought\n\n did they trusted in n ature\, used her time\n\n as I have\n\n born in summer\, a plethora from l ight...\n\n this fall beginning\n\n I was unwised\, lived on the obvious p rismal abuse\n\n suddenly pondering\, why I suddenly dream to you\n\n you are not in a thought yesterday\n\n think yesterday has nothing from you?\n \n now nearest to the future\n\n what will winter be\, these questions\n\n do you feel the sunlight when i do\n\n do you feel the rain\n\n are you s urround between the night stars\n\n do you block their speak\n\n ... or th e mirror to chaotic reality...\n\n silent fantasy\n\n\n\n from Richard Mur ray 2015\n\n\n\n Check out my ebooks- the free one is noted\, please read/ enjoy/give me your response:\n Sunset Children Stories: https://www.kobo. com/us/en/ebook/sunset-children-stories  \n Looking West and West: http s://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/looking-west-and-west  \n Janidogo: https: //www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-janidogo  \n The Gospel of Joseph: https ://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gospel-of-joseph  \n The Nyotenda FREE :  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-nyotenda   Includes a comic. The fo llowing link is an excerpt LINK\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you are willing to support me with $1 a month\, that is $12 a year\, I have a subscription on Deviantart. Deviantart is a website for artists but anyone can use it lik e Patreon or Onlyfans \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/ Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n oriignal post\n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/113-bettering-american-poetry-anthology-ent ry/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151114 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Shutdown ends... POTENTIALLY DTSTAMP:20251110T080658Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:584-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n @pioneer1 had a post in the forum about the shutdown when I read eight donkeys joined the elephants to sign the elephant plan to co ntinue running the government.\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12033-playin g-games-with-snap-benefits/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n\n \n the eight donkeys did it\, i said this was a game of chicken and the do nkeys flinched. the eight are aleady being crminalze so we will see\n\n\n\ n coment referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12033-playing-games-w ith-snap-benefits/#findComment-77524\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n another comment\n\ n\n\n @ProfD  yeah\n\n\n\n he senate have confirmed so it is up to the ho use and the republican was made in the house so case closed. \n\n\n\n I d o think the focus should be schumer's leadership. Regardless of what one t hinks of the donkey's or elephants\, schumer is supposed to be the leader of the donkeys in the senate and some broke ranks\, technically only seven broke ranks. Angus King is an independent from maine\, not a donkey. but  Jeanne Shaheen\, D-N.H.\, and Maggie Hassan\, D-N.H. \,Dick Durbin of Il linois\; John Fetterman of Pennsylvania are all northeasters while Cathe rine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada are not.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n h ttps://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/584-the-shutdown-ends-potentially/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n comment refferal\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12033-pla ying-games-with-snap-benefits/#findComment-77536\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Se nate deal with the elephants was struck by Independent Sens. Angus King\, I-Maine\, and Donkeys Jeanne Shaheen\, D-N.H.\, and Maggie Hassan\, D-N.H. Joining them to support the measure were Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada\; Dick Durbin of Illinois\; John Fetterman of Pennsylvani a\; Tim Kaine of Virginia.\n\n\n\n Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky an elephant voted against.\n\n\n\n url\n\n Senate passes bill to reopen the government \, as 8 Democrats break with their party\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/new s/politics/senate-passes-bill-to-reopen-the-government-as-8-democrats-brea k-with-their-party/ar-AA1Qbm4P?ocid=BingNewsSerp\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Democr ats rebel after 8 senators cut a deal to end the shutdown without ACA fund s\n\n https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-rebel-8-senators -cut-deal-end-shutdown-aca-funds-rcna242994\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Eight Senat e Democrats break ranks with party leadership to end historic government s hutdown\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/eight-senate-democrats -break-ranks-with-party-leadership-to-end-historic-government-shutdown/ar- AA1Q9fNn?ocid=BingNewsSerp\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Donkeys who voted for th e bill in the House\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Jared Golden - Maine\n \n \n A dam Gray - California\n \n \n Marie Gluesenkamp Perez - Washington\n \n \ n Don Davis - North Carolina\n \n \n Henry Cuellar - Texas\n \n \n Tom Suozzi - New York\n \n\n\n\n The Elephants who voted against the bill in t he House\n\n\n\n \n Thomas Massie- Kentucky \n \n \n Greg Steube- Flori da\n \n\n\n\n referral\n\n\n\n https://x.com/Warriortotruth/status/1988785 089883566299\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MAssie did it cause he always votes to go against increased spending\, while Steube did it to block the profiteering of lawsuits for artic freeze\n\n https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-new s/us-news/why-thomas-massie-greg-steube-voted-against-ending-government-sh utdown-explained-101762999217799.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251110 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Movies That Move We DTSTAMP:20251113T024511Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:585-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)\n\n https://youtu.be/G xlrRyUDXxY?si=ZAwP2qBUWZLWmBMA\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n my thoughts\n\n 6:37 right\, hope and hustle are together especially as black people were never supported. before 1865 we were over 90% enslaved to other human bei ngs. Then after 1865 we were never given focused assistance from the gover nment. Black people post 1865 have never been given any assistance beyond what can be obtained as a citizen of the USA. so this created the hope/hus tle balance. \n\n 9:16 Interesting that heat of the night was three years earlier. \n\n 10:03 The problem with merit in the united states of Ameri ca is that merit has never been the basis of worth. The NYPD wasn't starte d by citizens trying to get rid of criminal activity in their community. T he NYPD was started by Boss Tweed for the purpose of gaining votes + an al legiant arm of New York City government. He achieved it by giving the Iris h gangs badges. We Blacks talk about merit a lot\, as if we don't live in the USA or know the USA. And I comprehend the country you are fighting to make happen argument. The USA has a system that allows for systemic change over time and from 1776 to 2025 the USA has changed in various ways. But\ , Ossie Davis is making the old argument that Black people should approach the USA as the country they want it to be\, and I argue\, that has cost b lack people. \n\n 10:57 Yes\, the 1970s was the end of what I call the en slavement era. The 1980s was the beginning of what I call the integration era\, and cotton is the symbol of that. \n\n 12:37 The proof in my histor ical measure is the role of women who needed the 1980s to have the ability to truly financially standalone.\n\n 14:36 I think both. She had to do bo th\, fight to gain something for herself\, autonomy\,  while also be atta che to this guy\, through the system she lives in. O'Malley can't hate the player\, has to embrae the game. This is the reality of women at that tim e. Remember Ruby Dee is Ossie Davis's wife and I think Ruby Dee would make Ossie Davis have an idea of how a woman living with a man thinks of some things. \n\n 15:03 love Purlie Victorious and you mentioned it. I saw th e play with Leslie Odom. Ossie Davis did write the play. Didn't know about the film\, gone are the days. Ossie Davis eulogy concerning Malcolm. \n\ n 16:23 Didn't know it was in the 30s in the original text. That is intere sting plus valid\, wise by Davis.\n\n 17:17 Cotton comes to Harlem isn't r elevant to Harlem but is relevant to the Black experience still. Because t he core issue is getting to a functional multiphenotypical community. It i s one thing to have a city of people who look every which way\, it is anot her for all of those peoples to not only have individual allowance but als o have growth within their communities. NYC's problem in the 1930s/1970s/t oday is the ability of individuals to grow has strengthened\, the black po pulace in NYC has more wealthy individuals in it than ever before\, more b lack owned businesses than ever before. BUT\, the black community is argua bly weaker than ever before. Weaker in that the mechanics of collective po wer are farther away. And so black individuals still have to go through hu rdles with the non black every which way and the black community has to de al with constant attacks from the agenda of the non black.\n\n 17:21 Blaxp loitation was simultaneously with the mob movie that had complaints from m any Italians and yet\, the godfather and et cetera are some of the best fi lms. Italians never said their community had problems even though the movi es involving characterizations of the Italian mob [godfather/scarface/] sh owed a cruel violent crime culture. \n\n 20:18 I can't think of a film wi th a black cop taking charge outside an Oscar Micheaux film \, but I can't think of the scene directly. But I know in one of his\, a black cop is he lping a black woman do something. \n\n 22:00 Blaxploitation's influence i s huge in soundtracks. Hollywood had the musicals but from 1970s onward th e placement and use of Black music in films/television/commercials has bee n on a constant rise. And every decade you see jester films of Black peopl e whether produced or written by black people or not. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Comment\n\n\n\n Was O’Malley exposing the system — or just gaming it?\nhope and hustle\, I think are inevitably intertwined when one seeks g rowth noncriminally against a group that historically or modernly uses cri minal activity whether legal or not for their own agenda. \nMerit\, at th e end of the day\, many black people physically live in the current  usa but philosophically live in the usa they want to be tomorrow.\nwomen's emp owerment\, I think most female characters in fiction are both\, trying to empower self while also living in a man's world. Women today in the USA ar e unlike any women in recent history anywhere when it comes to individual rights/protections/abilities\nOssie Davis did write the play\, Purlie Vict orious\nCotton comes to Harlem is relevant in that minority populaces will always have in any fiscal capitalistic setting those among them looking t o make money regardless of the detriment to said minority populace. Minori ty populaces will always have in any bureaucratic environment made by a ma jority those among them trying to be bridges into the bureaucracy. \nBlax ploitation - eddie murphy once said no one wants to see that today\, but i argue whenever films have one of the two following elements: \nthe joyou s black jester-formerly jim crow(norbit/dont drink juice in south central/ baps) \, \nor the black communal plight films(juice/do the right thing/bo yz in the hood)\nthese are no different than most of the films of the 1970 s involving black thespians that were mortly\,written/directed/produced by whites commonly called blaxploitation\nBlack Cops in film\, i can only th ink of a black cop in an oscar micheaux film. i think he was a ranger or m ountie or a role in that field\, but your right it was uncommon. I wonder how many black people wanted to be cops through these films.\nTo O'Malley\ , he cheated the village but overall\, it is both\, let's be blunt\, the u sa wasn't born by legal fiscal operation and great ledgerwork. The usa was born from thieves/killers/cheaters not really hustlers but people far far worse. To my knowledge omalley killed no one\, in the very city harlem si ts in\, rockefeller who is known to have killed white oilmen has a whole c enter to his name. Carnegie who is known to have stolen land and murdered competition has various buildings with this name and an endowment with it. The roosevelts is the name of an old dutch family when new york was enw a msterdam who was part of a land owning caste upstate new york \, that had a sharecropping system for white farmrs for the purpose of keeping them as lifelong tenants. If white people who murdered entire indigenous peoples and enslaved as many as possible have their names lauded why is OMalley a great sinner\, for his wee hustle.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n comment referral\n\n htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxlrRyUDXxY&\;lc=UgzkjnVo7IPWs1g6xyh4AaABA g\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251112 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:NYC Election Day 2025 DTSTAMP:20251104T210948Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:578-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I have said the following so many times\, it sickens me. What matters isn't winning the election. What matters is what you do once elected.\n\n\n\n Obama/Olhan/Ocasio Cortez are all the same. They were ele cted based on demographic changes and their party of andrew jackson (POAJ)   peers not realizing the demographic changes or underestimating the abil ity to generate a large voting output. \n\n\n\n Mamdani is the same\, as the three mentioned. But\, the key is after you win what will you do?\n\n\ n\n Obama gave the banking industry a pass and didn't demand from the heal th industry and the results were negative. Olhan + Ocasico Cortez tried a green new deal that was dysfunctional. Now Mamdani promises to lower the c ost of living while being a mayor who doesn't have the ability to. Do peop le really think Eric Adams/Bill DeBlasio/ even Bloomberg wouldn't have lik ed to make NYC more affordable while doing all of what they did. It isn't because they didn't care or know\, it is because it is not about the mayor alone. And the governor has a whole state to deal with who will not accep t favors for NYC absent favors for albany and all others in the state.\n\n \n\n Mamdani as I said a long time ago will be mayor of NYC\, the first as ian/muslim/even one of the generation names as he is 34 but he will have a terrible time at it\, and what happens next? \n\n\n\n The key to me is w ill the voters who vote now vote four years from now with the same gusto. I think many will. Not because of Mamdani but demographic shifts. It isn't an accident that Mamdani is in his 30s and Sliwa and Cuomo are in their 6 0s. The 40s and 50s are the non believers. But the 30s and youngers in the city are the children of immigrants in a city now mostly of immigrant sto ck. The native american is dead. The old whites have moved out or died les sening their population. The Black Descended of Enslaved have moved out or died lessening their population. Leaving Immigrants and their children. P Eople who came to a USA much different than before founded or when founded or during the war between the states or during the great white european i mperial war. The modern immigrant came to the USA built by FDR/MLK and com pany. A USA full of biases but safe\, secure\, allowing for individualism unlike any country in humanity. and so\, in 2025\, the modern immigrant po pulace starting in 1965\, has become large enough to stake a claim. It is a claim of ideals. A claim of the USA. Not the USA that murdered the First Peoples. Not the USA designed by White Europeans for their sole benefit. Not the USA built on enslaved Black folk. The USA with the potential to be a human country. And while every reformation has a counterreformation\, a nd the fifty states are not the same\, and no city in the USA is like NYC. I think in NYC the claim of the immigrant populace\, a true rainbow of in dividuals bound to the allowance of individualism over religion/phenotype/ gender/language/....maybe age/individual allowance will be a different vot ing block. Will it mean Mamdani does great as mayor? no. Being great in a bureaucracy like any team activity isn't about one person. Schrumpft will make it very hard. But\, a claim will be made and two USA's  I argue are officially born. \n\n\n\n Mamdani on one side/SCrumpft on the other. \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n mamdani legislation\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event /363-zohran-mamdani-legislation/\n\n\n\n problem with legislators in the u sa\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/499-the-problem-with-legislators- in-the-usa/\n\n\n\n bernie sanders\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/5 04-bernie-sanders-is-a-fiscal-capitalistic-opportunist/\n\n\n\n The latest Economic Corner\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/569-economic-corner -25/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Fran Lebowitz joins ‘On Stage’ for a sharp and unfiltered conversation\n\n https://ny1.com/nyc/a ll-boroughs/on-stage-episodes/2025/10/31/fran-lebowitz-joins--on-stage--fo r-a-sharp-and-unfiltered-conversation\n\n\n\n Some thoughts\n\n She found it interesting\, that people in Stockhom Sweden were interested in the may oral race in New York City. \n\n I concur that people like new faces. Oba ma/Schrumpt/Mamdani all used the position of one who . \n\n She didn't vo te for Mamdani though praised him. She admitted what I said\, you can't ma ke free buses. Mamdani's stated positions don't fit. \n\n She made an int eresting point on New York City\, she likes NYC because this is the only c ity where all are able to live in it. She is correct. NYC has become this city of mostly individuals devoutly or modestly within a country of hardco re tribes. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PROPOSITIONS 1/2/3/4/5\n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS \n\n 1 New York City is not part of Essex county\, I don't comprehend why NYC is voting on Essex county which is at the northernmost part of the sta te.\n\n 2+3+4 I have lived through the Real Estate industry of NYC and I c an say with 100% surety that the real estate industry is the most wicked o r ugly thing I have ever seen. I really despise the real estate industry i n NYC and these three propositions don't lower the damn rent\, nor do they punish the real estate industry for the crimes it has done. \n\n 5 No on e explains how the DEpartment of City Planning will consider all the borou ghs... the reason why each Borouch has its own mapping plan is the borough s aren't the same\, they have different peoples\, different situations...  \n\n 6 I think instead of changing the date of elections it is better fo r the elected officials of NEw York City to simply get results\, which 99% of them never do. They make a ton of laws and make a ton of speeches.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n SHORT EXPLANATION\n\n\n\n Ballot proposal No. 1\nAmendment to allow Olympics sports complex in Essex County on state forest preserve land.\n\nThis proposal\, to be voted on across New York state\, would all ow the expansion of new ski trails in the Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County\, New York. The Olympic Sport Complex is in state forest preserve l and. This proposal would also require New York State to add 2\,500 acres o f protected forest land to Adirondack Park. \n\nBallot proposal No. 2\nFa st-track affordable housing to building more affordable housing across the city.\n\nThis proposal would create two new processes to fast-track certa in affordable housing projects. The first process is for publicly financed affordable housing projects. The second process is for affordable housing projects in the 12 community districts with the lowest rates of affordabl e housing development. \n\nA “yes” vote creates two processes to fast -track affordable housing projects. \n\nA “no” vote keeps the seven-m onth review process\, with input from the local Community Board\, local Bo rough President\, CPC\, City Council\, and mayor. \n\nBallot proposal No. 3\nSimplify review of modest housing and infrastructure projects. \n\nTh is proposal would create a faster review process for certain land use proj ects\, like smaller projects to change how land is used and to prepare the city for extreme weather or other future challenges. For most of these pr ojects\, the proposed process would remove final review by the City Counci l. \n\nBallot proposal No. 4\nEstablish an Affordable Housing Appeals Boa rd with City Council\, borough\, and citywide representation. \n\nNYCVote s says this proposal would change the current land use review process when the City Council rejects or changes an affordable housing project. The pr oposal would create an Affordable Housing Appeals Board comprised of the l ocal Borough President\, Speaker of the City Council\, and mayor.\n\nThe p roposal would allow the Appeals Board to reverse the City Council’s deci sion with a two-to-one vote. \n\nBallot proposal No. 5\nCreate a digital city map to modernize city operations.\n\nThis proposal would make the Dep artment of City Planning (DCP) responsible for creating\, maintaining\, an d digitizing a single city map.\n\nBallot proposal No. 6\nMove local elect ions to presidential election years to increase voter participation. \n\n This proposal would move election dates for city offices to the same year as federal presidential elections. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DETAILS\n\n \n\n 2025 General Election \nBALLOT PROPOSALS\nABSTRACT OF PROPOSAL NUMBER ONE\, AN AMENDMENT\n Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex In Essex C ounty on State Forest \nPreserve Land\n The proposal amends the State Cons titution. It permits new Nordic ski and \nbiathlon trails in the forest pr eserve. Development there requires Constitutional \npermission. That is be cause the facility is in the Adirondack forest preserve. It is \npart of a n Olympic Sports Complex in North Elba. North Elba is in Essex County\, \n New York. The project touches up to 323 acres. The facility covers 1\,039 acres. \nThis use is offset. 2\,500 new acres are added to the forest pres erve. The New York \nLegislature must approve the offset. If not\, the pro ject will not happen.\n FORM OF SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL NUMBER ONE\, AN AME NDMENT\n Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex In Essex County on Stat e Forest \nPreserve Land\n Allows skiing and related trail facilities on s tate forest preserve land. The site is \n1\,039 acres. Requires State to a dd 2\,500 acres of new forest land in Adirondack \nPark.\n A yes vote auth orizes new ski trails and related facilities in the Adirondack forest \npr eserve.\n A no vote does not authorize this use.\n 1\nQuestion 2\n Propose d Charter Amendment: Fast Track Affordable Housing to Build More Affordabl e \nHousing Across the City\n Fast track publicly financed affordable hous ing. Fast track applications delivering affordable \nhousing in the commun ity districts that produce the least affordable housing\, significantly \n reducing review time. Maintain Community Board review.\n “Yes” fast tr acks applications at the Board of Standards and Appeals or City Planning \ nCommission. “No” leaves affordable housing subject to longer review a nd final decision at City \nCouncil. \n2\nBallot Question 2\n Proposed Cha rter Amendment: Fast Track Affordable Housing to Build \nMore Affordable H ousing Across the City\n Abstract\n This proposal would create two new fas t-track public processes for affordable \nhousing: the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) Zoning Action for Affordable \nHousing Projects and the Affordable Housing Fast Track. \nFirst\, the proposal would enable publicl y financed affordable housing to be \napproved by the BSA after review by the affected Community Board. BSA would \nbe required to make findings rel ating to neighborhood character and programmatic \nnecessity. \nSecond\, t he amendment would establish an expedited land use review process\nwith re view by the affected Community Board\, affected Borough President\, and \n the City Planning Commission– for zoning changes that deliver affordable \nhousing in the 12 community districts with the lowest rate of affordabl e housing\n production.\n BSA Zoning Action for Affordable Housing Project s\n How it works: Currently\, the BSA has the power to waive zoning requir ements to \nfacilitate certain affordable housing developments\, but that authority is limited to \nprojects that can meet stringent standards relat ing to hardship\, uniqueness\, and \neconomic infeasibility. Projects that cannot meet these standards instead must go \nthrough the Uniform Land Us e Review Procedure (ULURP) – a seven-month\n review process that begins with advisory opinions from the affected Community \nBoard and Borough Pre sident\, followed by review and votes at the City Planning \nCommission an d City Council.\n This proposal would empower the BSA to issue project-spe cific approvals for \npublicly financed affordable housing that meet the r equired findings after a 60-day \nreview by the affected Community Board a nd a 30-day review with a public \nhearing held by the BSA. Projects that do not meet the findings may receive one \n60-day extension for additional studies or project modifications to seek approval at \na second hearing. \nWhat types of housing are eligible: This new action would be available t o \ncompanies organized exclusively to develop housing projects for person s of low \n3\nincome\, including Housing Development Fund Companies– the legal vehicle for \nvirtually all publicly financed affordable housing pr ojects in New York City. \nWhat factors must the Board of Standards and Ap peals consider: In order to \napprove affordable housing pursuant to the f ast-track process\, the BSA would be \nrequired to make findings related t o neighborhood character and programmatic \nnecessity. The first finding e nsures the project does not clash with the surrounding\n neighborhood char acter. The second finding establishes that a project requires \nzoning wai vers in order to proceed and that the City or another governmental entity\ n intends to provide financial backing. \nAffordable Housing Fast-Track\n How it works: Currently\, affordable housing is produced unevenly througho ut the \nCity\, with 12 community districts adding as much housing as the other 47 \ncombined over the course of the last 10 years. To address this\ , the Affordable \nHousing Fast Track proposal creates an expedited approv al process for projects \nthat deliver affordable housing in the community districts that produce the least\n affordable housing. Under the proposal \, the City would assess the rate of \naffordable housing production in ea ch community district every five years\, and \nthen fast-track projects th at include permanently affordable housing in the 12 \nCommunity Districts with the lowest such rates. \nThese 12 Community Districts would be calcul ated by measuring the total number \nof affordable dwelling units created over the past five years divided by the total \nnumber of all dwelling uni ts at the start of the five-year period. This formula \nmeasures the growt h rate of affordable housing. Those twelve community districts \nwould be determined by the Department of City Planning every five years.\n What typ es of applications are eligible: To be eligible for this fast-track \nproc edure\, an application must include permanent affordable housing under the \nCity’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program and must be located in one of the \ntwelve community districts with the lowest rate of affordable housing production. \nThe Department of City Planning would be required t o confirm that a primary \npurpose of the application is to facilitate add itional housing and affordable \nhousing. \nWhat is the new process for re viewing these affordable housing rezoning \napplications: \n4\nToday\, rez oning applications typically go through ULURP– a seven-month review \npr ocess that begins with successive advisory opinions from the affected \nCo mmunity Board and Borough President\, followed by review and votes at the \nCity Planning Commission and City Council.\n The proposed amendment woul d include the same opportunity for Community \nBoard review as exists toda y\, but with Borough President review occurring \nconcurrently. The City P lanning Commission would have 30 days to review– or \n45 days for applic ations that require more extensive environmental review – and \nhold a f inal vote. (This element of the proposal would become effective if this \n ballot question is approved\, regardless of whether ballot question 3\, wh ich also \nproposes an expedited land use review procedure\, is approved.) \n In determining whether to approve such a rezoning application\, the Cit y Planning \nCommission would be required to make findings regarding the a dequacy of \nexisting transportation\, sewer and other infrastructure\, as well as consistency with \nthe City’s fair housing plan (the Charter al ready requires the City to develop such a \nplan to analyze citywide data relating to fair housing).\n The proposal would also require the Departmen t of City Planning and the Office of \nManagement and Budget to consider t he list of the 12 Community Districts that \nproduce the least affordable housing and the fair housing plan in the preparation of \nthe City’s pre liminary 10-year capital strategy.\n Implementation: This proposed amendme nt would take effect immediately.\n 5\nQuestion 3\n Proposed Charter Amend ment: Simplify Review of Modest Housing and Infrastructure Projects\n Simp lify review of modest amounts of additional housing and minor infrastructu re projects\, \nsignificantly reducing review time. Maintain Community Boa rd review\, with final decision by \nthe City Planning Commission.\n “ Yes” simplifies review for limited land-use changes\, including modest h ousing and minor \ninfrastructure projects. “No” leaves these changes subject to longer review\, with final decision by \nCity Council.\n 6\nBal lot Question 3\n Proposed Charter Amendment: Simplify Review of Modest Hou sing and \nInfrastructure Projects\n Abstract\n This proposal would create an Expedited Land Use Review Procedure (ELURP) \nfor certain land use cha nges and projects\, including modest increases in housing \ncapacity\; acq uisitions\, dispositions\, and certain City Map changes related to \naffor dable housing\; and infrastructure and resiliency projects\, like raising the grade \nof a street and adding solar panels on public property. \nHow it works: Currently\, rezoning applications and other land use actions\, \ nregardless of size\, must go through the City’s Uniform Land Use Review \nProcedure (ULURP)– a seven-month review process that begins with advi sory \nopinions from the affected Community Board and Borough President\, followed by \nreview and votes at the City Planning Commission and City Co uncil. \nThis proposal would create an alternative procedure for certain r ezoning \napplications and other land-use actions. This new process would retain the same \n60-day review period for the Community Boards and a publ ic hearing\, with \nconcurrent Borough President review. The City Planning Commission would then\n have 30 days to hold a public hearing and vote on the application. The City \nPlanning Commission’s decision would be fin al\, with no subsequent review by the \nCity Council.\n For dispositions o f City property to Housing Development Fund Companies – the \nentity for virtually all publicly financed affordable housing projects in New York \ nCity – final approval would be made by the City Council instead of the City \nPlanning Commission.\n What types of projects are eligible for this expedited procedure? This \nexpedited review procedure is reserved for sp ecifically enumerated applications. \nThese generally include applications relating to modest zoning changes for housing\n (rezoning to districts wi th a standard height of not more than 45 feet in lower\ndensity areas and increases in housing capacity up to 30% in medium- and high\ndensity areas )\; dispositions\, acquisitions\, and certain City Map changes for \naffor dable housing\; acquisitions and site selections for resiliency projects a nd open \n7\nspace\; sale of City property that is undevelopable and unusa ble\; acquisitions for \nvoluntary flood buyouts\; and leases for solar en ergy on public land. \nOnly projects that categorically lack potential sig nificant adverse environmental\n impacts on communities are eligible for t he expedited procedure described in this \nballot question. If a project b y its size or nature requires an environmental impact \nstatement under st ate and local law\, it will remain subject to the Uniform Land Use \nRevie w Procedure in order to receive a more extensive public and environmental \nreview.\n Implementation: This proposed amendment would take effect imme diately. \nHowever\, it would not apply to applications that have been fil ed with the \nDepartment of City Planning pursuant to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure \nand certified as complete before the effective date. \ n8\nQuestion 4\n Proposed Charter Amendment: Establish an Affordable Housi ng Appeals Board with Council\, \nBorough\, and Citywide Representation \n Establish an Affordable Housing Appeals Board with the Council Speaker\, l ocal Borough \nPresident\, and Mayor to review Council actions that reject or change applications creating \naffordable housing.\n “Yes” creates the three-member Affordable Housing Appeals Board to reflect Council\, bo rough\, \nand citywide perspectives. “No” leaves affordable housing su bject to the Mayor’s veto and final \ndecision by City Council.\n 9\nBal lot Question 4\n Proposed Charter Amendment: Establish an Affordable Housi ng Appeals \nBoard with Council\, Borough\, and Citywide Representation\n Abstract\n This proposal would create an Affordable Housing Appeals Board\ , consisting of \nthe affected Borough President\, the Speaker of the City Council\, and the Mayor.\n This new Appeals Board would have the power to review and reverse decisions by \nthe City Council that disapprove or mod ify land-use applications that directly \nfacilitate the creation of affor dable housing. The Appeals Board would replace the \nexisting Mayoral veto \, and the Council override of that veto\, for these types of \nland-use a pplications.\n This new Appeals Board aims to strike a balance between loc al\, boroughwide and \ncitywide perspectives on the production of affordab le housing. It does so by \nempowering the Speaker\, affected Borough Pres ident and Mayor to review and\n reverse City Council decisions on land use matters affecting the development of \naffordable housing — but only if two out of the three members agree.\n How it works: Currently\, certain l and use actions\, including rezoning applications\, \nspecial permits\, an d others\, must go through the City’s Uniform Land Use Review \nProcedur e (ULURP)– a seven-month process that begins with advisory opinions \nfr om the affected Community Board and Borough President\, followed by review \nand votes at the City Planning Commission and City Council. The Mayor m ay veto \nthe Council’s action\, and that veto is subject to an override by the Council.\n Under the proposal\, the Affordable Housing Appeals Boa rd would have the power \nto review and reverse actions of the City Counci l that disapprove or modify \napplications that directly facilitate the de velopment of affordable housing. While \nmuch of ULURP – from the commun ity board through City Council – would \nremain unchanged\, the Appeals Board would be empowered to conduct a final \nreview of these land-use app lications. Land-use applications that do not relate to \nthe development o f affordable housing are not subject to the Appeals Board.\n The Appeals B oard would consist of three members: the Speaker of the Council\, \nthe af fected Borough President\, and the Mayor (or a designee of each member). I f \nat least two of the three members agree\, the Board would be empowered to reverse \n10\na Council disapproval or modification of a land-use appl ication that would directly \nfacilitate the development of additional aff ordable housing. \nWhich land-use actions would be subject to the Affordab le Housing Appeals \nBoard? The Affordable Housing Appeals Board would com e into play only for \nULURP applications and zoning text amendments that would directly facilitate the \ncreation of affordable housing. These incl ude rezoning applications that are \nrequired to deliver affordable housin g under the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary \nHousing program\, as well as related actions that directly facilitate the creation of \naffordable hou sing\, such as parking special permits that reduce or remove off\nstreet p arking requirements that can hinder the development of affordable housing. \nIn addition\, the Appeals Board may review only applications where the land \nincluded in the application is located in a single borough. Changes not affecting \naffordable housing or affecting more than one borough\, i ncluding citywide \nchanges\, would continue to receive the same review as they do today. \nWhen could the Affordable Housing Appeals Board act? Onl y applications that \nfacilitate the creation of affordable housing that a re disapproved or approved with \nmodifications are eligible for review by the Affordable Housing Appeals Board. If \nan application is approved by the Council absent modifications\, the Board would \nlack jurisdiction to review an application. In addition\, no land use action would \nautomatica lly go to the Appeals Board. Instead\, an applicant must either appeal the \nCouncil’s decision or the Appeals Board can “call up” – or requ est review of – an \napplication. The Appeals Board would be empowered t o approve an application or \nreverse one or more of the modifications mad e by the Council only with the \nagreement of at least two of the three me mbers. \nImplementation: The proposed Charter amendments establishing the Affordable \nHousing Appeals Board would take effect immediately.\n 11\nQu estion 5\n Proposed Charter Amendment: Create a Digital City Map to Modern ize City Operations\n Consolidate borough map office and address assignmen t functions\, and create one digital City \nMap at Department of City Plan ning. Today\, the City Map consists of paper maps across five \noffices.\n “Yes” creates a consolidated\, digital City Map. “No” leaves in p lace five separate map and \naddress assignment functions\, administered b y Borough President Offices.\n 12\nBallot Question 5\n Proposed Charter Am endment: Create a Digital City Map to Modernize City \nOperations\n Abstra ct\n This proposal would require the City to consolidate and digitize the City Map. \nCurrently\, the Charter assigns administration of the City Map \, which consists of \nmany separate paper maps\, to five separate Borough President Topographical \nBureaus. This proposal would replace the existi ng\, decentralized paper City Map \nwith a single City Map administered by the Department of City Planning (DCP)\n and would also provide for the di gitization of the City Map. Under the proposal\, \nDCPwould also assume re sponsibility for address assignment.\n What is the City Map: The City Map establishes the legally defined locations of \nstreet lines\, widths\, nam es\, and legal grades\, as well as the locations of mapped \nparkland and public places. Today\, the City Map consists of five different sets\, one \nfor each borough\, totaling over 8\,000 individual paper maps. Certain h ousing\, \ninfrastructure\, and other projects require confirmation of pub lic jurisdiction as \nrepresented on the City Map before they can move for ward\, a process that can take \nmonths or years when it relies on paper m aps.\n How it works: The proposal would centralize administration of the C ity Map at \nDCPand mandate a single City Map that covers the entire City\ , rather than paper \nmaps limited to each borough. The proposal would als o require the City Map to be \ndigitized. It would also centralize adminis tration of address assignment with the \nDepartment of City Planning\, ins tead of leaving address assignment to the five \nBorough President Topogra phical Bureaus.\n Implementation: The transfer of address assignment from the Borough President \nTopographical Bureaus to the Department of City Pl anning would take effect on\n January 1\, 2027.\n The City Map would be co nsolidated into one single document by January 1\, 2028\, \nor a later fea sible date to be determined by the City Planning Commission.\n The City Ma p would be digitized by January 1\, 2029\, or a later feasible date to be \ndetermined by the Department of City Planning. \n13\nQuestion 6\n Propos ed Charter Amendment: Move Local Elections to Presidential Election Years to Increase \nVoter Participation\n Move the City’s primary and general election dates so that City elections are held in the same \nyear as Feder al Presidential elections\, when permitted by state law.\n “Yes” moves City elections to the same year as Federal Presidential elections\, when permitted by \nstate law. “No” leaves laws unchanged.\n 14\nBallot Que stion 6\n Proposed Charter Amendment: Move Local Elections to Presidential Election \nYears to Increase Voter Participation\n Abstract\n This propos al would make changes to the timing of elections held for the offices of \ nMayor\, Public Advocate\, Comptroller\, Borough President\, and City Coun cil \nMembers to move the City’s primary and general election dates to e ven-numbered \nyears\, upon a required change to State law. \nHow it works : Currently\, elections for City office are held in odd-numbered years. \n This proposal would provide for even-year elections that coincide with the federal \npresidential elections. A Charter amendment is required to move the election \ncalendar to even years and to provide for a one-time trans ition in which elected \nofficials would serve a term of three years (as o pposed to the usual four years). A \nchange to the State Constitution\, wh ich requires that all city officers be elected in \nodd-numbered years\, i s also necessary before New York City may shift its local \nelections to e ven years. If the necessary changes to state law occur\, elections for \nC ity office would occur in the same year as the federal presidential electi ons. \nOne-time transition from odd-year to even-year elections: A shift t o even-year \nelections on the presidential cycle would\, when it goes int o effect\, require a one\ntime transition in which elected officials would serve a term of three years\, instead \nof the typical four years. The ti ming of this one-time transition cycle would depend \non whether and when a State law is enacted to permit New York City to move its \nelections to even years. \nCouncilmember two-year terms: Currently\, the Charter provid es for a shortened \ntwo-year term every 20 years for City Councilmembers in order to coordinate City \nCouncil terms after a redistricting\, which is required after every decennial census. \nAs a result\, every two decade s\, the City holds elections for City Council but not for \ncitywide or bo roughwide elected officials. Under the proposed system\, these \nperiodic two-year terms would be eliminated\, so that Councilmembers serve only \nf our-year terms. As a consequence\, there will sometimes be a longer delay in the \nuse of new district lines following a redistricting than there is today\, but this \nchange ensures that elections for City Council occur d uring cycles with the higher \n15\nturnout that is expected to be associat ed with elections held in even-numbered \nyears.\n If a State law authoriz ing the City to hold elections for City office in even\nnumbered years tak es effect during a two-year term\, that term would be either \nshortened t o one year or extended to three years\, depending on the precise timing \n of the State law. This one-time transition would enable the switch to hold ing \nelections for City office in even-numbered years. \nImplementation: This proposal would take effect upon the effective date of a \nState law a uthorizing the City to hold elections for City office to occur in even\nnu mbered years. \n16\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DETAILS REFERRAL\n\n https://vote. nyc/sites/default/files/pdf/Ballot_Proposals/GE2025/Ballot_Proposals_2025_ English_r1a_WEB.pdf\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n https://www.nbcnewyork .com/news/politics/nyc-ballot-questions-what-are-they/6413813/\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 93% of voting\n\n\n\n https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/ election-day-2025?msockid=2423737518666ffa14b265e519726e69\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n forum post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12023-nyc-mayral-th oughts-a-conclusion/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENTS\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n URL\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS TO IT \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/5/2025 at 11:02 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n It is a done deal.  N YC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani won in a landslide. \n \n \n\n\n\n It wasn 't a landslide\, MAmdani won 50% of voting after 93% of votes came in . An d I can say\, many didn't vote. NYC has over ten million people \, many di d not vote. MANY ok\, I even asked various immigrant peoples. They didn't vote. Maybe they couldn't. OK\, these were strangers\, but I asked\, many didn't vote. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 11/5/2025 at 11:02 AM\ , ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n If successful\, rent freeze\, free buses\, a ffordable healthcare\, more teachers and other things will benefit the cit izens of NYC.\n \n \n\n\n\n Successful... the word I rather use is possib le. It is interesting ProfD chose that. I Ask all of you who may read this \, focus on results in your prose concerning government. Every single gove rnmental officials fails and succeeds all the time\, it isn't a sum .\n\n\ n\n But functionality can be clearly defined. \n\n\n\n First\, the mayor of New York City doesn't have these powers. I don't know who said the mayo r of New York City is a king... who started this narrative about doing all this stuff as mayor? So many offline and online have said what profd said and I don't get where any of these people got that from \, where that nar rative began\, does anyone know? I even argue\, like Obama that Mamdani ha s an excellent media team that really does all of that very well. \n\n\n\ n De blasio rent freezed for eight years \, didn't lower the rent. I find it funny that NYC in recent memory had a mayor who rent freezed and yet\, it doesn't seem to be known by anyone at least in admittance\, maybe it is a secret I am unaware of in some fashion.\n\n\n\n The Mayor doesn't contr ol the buses\, or the MTA\, the governor does and if the governor gives fr ee buses to NYC\, the governor will have to give free transport to all of New York State\, while of course paying all the transit workers\, and this is with no guarantee of federal money. Hochul is not crazy. \n\n\n\n The Mayor of NYC is not in control of healthcare plans... where does all this come from? Maybe I am stupid but I don't comprehend why so many in NYC or outside of it\, keep saying similar to profd\,  BLoomberg was/is a billi onaire \, had three terms and had no control whatsoever over these things\ , how is mamdani going to ? what? \n\n\n\n And where is the money to hire the teachers going to come from? \n\n\n\n Mamdani's public legislative r ecord in the ny assembly which I cited above\, in which nothing he did cam e from some hidden corner . Mamdani likes legislations that have the gover nment spending money\, but the problem is\, the usa government has to be w illing to print that money. \n\n\n\n I don't see how Mamdani will accompl ish any of these things with the power of a mayor\, unless he has some min d control job and he is going to get the governor of new york state + pres ident of the usa to bend to his will... cause he needs the president of th e usa + governor of NYC to make all those things happen. \n\n\n\n \n On 11/5/2025 at 11:02 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n The white media is los ing their minds over Mayor-Elect Mamdani because he seemingly came out of left field.  Showed up like a unicorn.  He doesn't  fit the red or blue narrative. \n \n \n\n\n\n It is interestin\,  NYC media hasn't been sh ocked but NYC media went through AOC. Maybe outside NYC\, white owned medi a is incapable of handling this moment\,  but mamdani is a muslim\, and f or many christians in the usa\, well\, the reality of a muslim being mayor of a big city is... crusaderish.  NYC media has had one question which I have had\, how is he going to accomplish? The laws exists\, how is he goi ng to change the laws? I find it interesting that a non black is not quest ioned on how by even black people... well ok. \n\n\n\n Mamdani's campaign success had the same roots of Obama/OCasio cortez/Olhan ground game. AOC had the exact same scenario\, opponent was a white old donkey who didn't c omprehend the demographic changes. Obama likewise\, in that his old white was a white woman. \n\n\n\n I ask all who may read this\, Does scrhumpt f it the red or blue narrative\, if red was supposed to mean war hawk mainta ining the international order\, I don't think schrumpft fits that as he is trying to dismantle the old international order? Does obama fit the red o r blue narrative\, Obama made ICE\, is that showing an opennes to the othe r in blue? Did Bush jr fit the red or blue narrative\, bush jr made the af rican american museum not obama\, does that fit a white power narrative in red? Did Mr Clinton fit the red or blue narrative \, he is the one who ma de the unevenly applied welfare to work program so no blue equality as wel l as the one who governed the dot com bubble into its inevitable disaster\ , not really blue techie . I have mentioned how the dichotomy argument in the USA is one of those historic public lies in the usa. Ever since the us a had two parties from the early 1800s\, they each created the dichotomy a dvertisement campaign. whether their names are whigs or federalist or what ever\, they have maintained that ad campaign a long time\, but it was a ne ver a true representation of anything. were the first people in this count ry ever red or blue? of course not. were Black DOSers ever red or blue? of course not. \n\n\n\n Both first peoples+Black DOSers historically have a lways been two seperate entities that didn't have the militaristic power t o state themselves properly. But not having the ability to advertise your trueself doesn't mean your not your true self. Again\, Frederick Douglass/ WEBDUbois/MLK j were arguably the most engages\, integrationary \,black le aders and all were booed by a majority of black people during their life t ime\, which proves black people were never donkey or elephant\, red or blu e and to be blunt\, no one in the usa was or is. \n\n\n\n But I repeat wh at MAmdani is\, a fiscal capitalist. People keep trying to make him some u nique agent\, he isn't. \n\n\n\n All legislators are wisely judged by onl y one thing\, their legislation\, not speeches\, not their racial makeup[p henotype/money/geographic ancestry/religion/party of governance affiliatio n] \n\n\n\n Mamdani is a fiscal capitalist whose primary desire is to use the military might of the usa to make wealth to support various municipal projects in the usa. \n\n\n\n I even remember someone saying in big medi a years back \, a so called leftist democrat\, that the usa can just print money to finance all it needs. Which functionally means\, use the usa mil itary power to print as much money and provide as much money as needed to make the economy of the usa run. And that is mamdani. fiscal capitalism th rough government. \n\n\n\n I Don't think it is democratic socialism at al l or communism or religious fervor or any of the many claims people give t o mamdani. \n\n\n\n But I think if he is smart he take after the two cand idates he is very much alike SCrumpft + Obama.\n\n\n\n He said he wanted t o make history\, so did obama +schrumpft. But if he is smart\, go schrumpf ts route\, focus on a voting base and what the mayor can do. \n\n\n\n The mayor's greatest power is hiring or firing people in NYC governmnet and m anipulating the bureaucracy of NYC. he doesn't control budgets of any sort \, every mayor for decades eveyr year goes to albany and begs for money. That is not money any mayor of NYC controls. NYC mayor doesn't control the schools\, NY State does. the mayor doesn't control healthcare\, NYState a nd the federal government does. \n\n\n\n I said years ago obama should ha d polished the federal governments bureaucracy \, many black people online called me crazy or other negatives\, not mean spirited but in firm opposi tion but in cheap hindsight i was right. \n\n\n\n Because schrumpft is pr esident\, a position the congress of the usa has empowered over a century\ , he can do many things\, but a mayor of nyc can't and hochul will be comp elled to restrain nyc by the other cities or the counties of new york stat e and she as governor has the power to do it. \n\n\n\n referral\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.dayonefor.nyc/scope-of-mayoral-power/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n On 11/5/2025 at 11:02 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Democrats were never all-in on Mayor-Elect Mamdani.  Now\, they will be studying hi s recipe to pick and choose the ingredients and type of candidates needed to win future elections in certain areas.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n well here is the problem\,NYC is unqiue. MAmdani has in NYC the only populace of a majo r city in the usa with such a mix of peoples.  all white towns or all bla ck ones or native american reservations can't be approached like nyc. STac y Abrams arguably proved what mamdani did now already failed in some place s in the usa... if any remembers her legendary ground game\, better than m amdani's... but nyc is so different than the state of georgia. \n\n\n\n a lso the lack of voting in NYC\, i repeat\, media keeps saying more people voted now than in sixteen years but here is the problem nyc is over ten mi llion people easy. ten percent of ten million is one million so ten percen t of nyc's populace voting \, and the bronx still had a very low turnout w hich media aren't reporting. I say in sport all the time\, don't overestim ate failure or underestimate success. What that means is\, all to often \, especially in government or fiscal activity\, black people have a way of blowing up failures into christian raptures\, while making successes seem like quiet balances of nature. \n\n\n\n The usa has a populace of over th ree hundred million\, in my lifetime no election in any position has ever garnered fifty percent or better\, which means no election has ever been a s potent a win or failure as suggested and their lies the true problem. \ n\n\n\n NYC has alot of problems\, serious problems\, and mamdani/cuoma/sl iwa/AOC/Schrumpft/Olhan/Obama/Clintons/the surpreme court\, none of these people have the answer\, they don't even have the ability to work together to find an answer together... so... I find it telling how many people lov e to suggest the era change and not assess the modernity evenly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n comment referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12023-nyc- mayral-thoughts-a-conclusion/#findComment-77385\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted  Wednesday at 05:54 PM\n\n\n\n  a drop of seriousness\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n The short answer\, Mamdani will not be de blasio 2.0 in any way\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n The long answer....\n\n\n\n What do es Lindsey to Mamdani have in common? \n\n\n\n The problems of NYC are be yond the office of mayor to solve. \n\n\n\n Lindsey->\;Koch->\;Dinkin s->\;Guiliani->\;Bloomberg->\;De Blasio->\;Adams->\;Mamdani all couldn't actually repair the problems of the city. They each put bandages on select problems\, but each bandaid always erased eventually onto a wors e wound. \n\n\n\n Lindsey allowed the gypsy cabs\, made the knapp report to clean up law enforcement. But the governor\, rockefeller\,  made rjike rs. The governor didn't use his power to keep business in Nyc or new york state. he allowed the federal funds to support the white flight\, lindsey had no way to stop that.\n\n\n\n Koch didn't make the roaring 80s of NYC o r the urban plight of the 80s\, Reagan did. Reagan defunded schools\, publ ic works projects which negatively influenced all the non white regions in nyc during koch's time\, while reagan also gave money to big business whi ch led to the big building boom downtown manhattan during koch's time and the expansion of banking operations. koch simply set up ny city law enforc ement to have free reign on abusing the poor who were inevitable\, startin g NYC law enforcement's infatuation with being protected.\n\n\n\n Dinkins was denied by the banks the prior mayors had agreements with through the c ity to do business. Dinkins also had the unenviable task of coming after t hree terms of koch so dinkins in everything he was trying to do was deemed radical because the city had twelve years of one way. \n\n\n\n Guiliani expanded the reagan idea by selling the buildings nyc owned to private or forcing them into becoming coops. But guiliani wasn't why the rents were g etting higher and food more expensive or the labor market in the city was getting too narrow. The real estate industry had been allowed through the federal government to prop itself up and maintain its value in very artifi cial ways. And he wasnt to blame for the dot com bubble which influenced r eal estate. \n\n\n\n Bloomberg gave real estate everything they wanted\, more and more buildings\, he opened up brooklyn to the modern highrise\, h e wanted to do the same to bronx or queens but all the implosions of vario us industries\, from banks to automotive to whatever. Bloomberg emphasized the charter school movement\, attacking harlem's schools like guiliani at tack harlem's residentials. \n\n\n\n De Blasio rent froze and supported p ublic schools but he came after twenty years of guiliani+bloomberg who sup ported the real estate industries agendas and law enforcement. and then th e building collapse happened\, another age of corporate consolidation star ted so downtown was unhappy\, but the city didn't have any industry outsid e real estate/banking\, which none of the prior mayors worked for or were allowed to do in circa thirty two years. \n\n\n\n Adams comes in and says he will make nyc safer\,but that is by spending on law enforcement but al l his labor numbers are hogwash. the city has for ten years\, over one hun dred thousand homeless children in public school. Adams didn't find their parents jobs so the job growth he mentioned is not functional\, just stati stical games. \n\n\n\n MAmdani wants affordability\, but while the mayor can lower the rent he can't force the cost of utilities to go lower\, he c an't force the various coops or private buildings that have been ushered i n before him to lower their rent. He doesn't control the management of int ernational trade which nyc relies on as nyc will never have the ability to feed itself\, a population of way over ten million people in a city geogr aphic space far smaller than los angeles. Consider los angeles has about a fourth of nyc's populace but at least double nyc's landmass. \n\n\n\n Ma mdani simply joins the ranks of mayors who are bandaid men. Whatever they choose to focus on will look good for a while but the external forces will render mute. \n\n\n\n The casinos is a state issue. Marijuana is a state issue. The real estate industry in the city because guiliani+bloomberg pr ivatized so much is beyond any mayor's control.  This is why the fast tra ck is being considered. But \, my parents say it best\, and they have live d through multiple housing booms. Housing booms never lower the rent. And the reason why is the business of real estate isn't about places to live b ut investments. So many people in NYC own properties as investment\,s they don't live there\, they don't want to build anything there\, they simply want tenants to leech through rents or sell for some financial goal per so me personal plan. Add the underreported and ballooning nyc populace. Those three factors mean new buildings can never lower the rent. I even expect legal action against the fast track program. What media may not have told those outside nyc is that\, many regions of nyc\, blockade new buildings w hile pushing new buildings into the poorest regions. The wealthy black com munity in Queens has never had a alcoholics anonymous where they are. so\, i can see legal action. Schrumpft will support it to breed chaos and then .... Food is totally out of the control of mayor. When the sars cov 2 happ ened\, NYC was at the mercy of the international trade of goods. ... maybe mamdani can try to tax foods that have ny state alternatives. New york st ate does have some food producers but do they make enough... bloomberg and de blasio tried to get the wind farm but that is  behind schedule/in lim bo before schrumpft and with schrumpt... maybe dead\, I don't know\, so en ergy is going to rise\, nuclear power is no unless someone comes up with f usion or fission but figures out how to make the pipes for the molten salt reactors of fission. the cost of living  is going to rise. Maybe mamdani can try tax incentives\, but as a legislator in the state assembly he did n't seem a big tax incentive man. he seemed to be a tax eliminator man. An d MAmdani has no control over the shutdown battle\, which is a battle of b links. the donkeys + elephants have plans on the congress floor\, neither will sign the one the other made\, so the shutdown is until one decides to sign the one the other made. MAmdani has no control over that\, but the e bt and snap is huge for nyc's elderly and fiscally poor populace. the NYPD are always up for the policing bit but\, mamdani has never been in a situ ation where he has to govern the nypd while also utilize them\, if he make s a mistake\, he will deemed a traitor by many of his voters. I don't know where jobs will come from\, the schools in nyc are tyring to have job ini tiatives cause they see\, that graudates aren't getting job to such a quan tity that it will influence how people view going to college. \n\n\n\n Th e city have problems. Mamdani will never be De Blasio 2-0 but he is Mamdan i 1.0 already. \n\n\n\n If MAmdani is lucky before next year the federal government finds some sort of balance. If he is unlucky\, Mamdani will be entering the job of mayor with a city boiled over or about to boil over. . .. Adams I must say has a huge role. The modulation between adams and mamd ani is also huge. Usually the new mayor comes in like a storm\, but that I don't think is a wise way for mamdani to come in. \n\n\n\n We shall see . \n\n\n\n My final issue are his voters. If MAmdani starts bad\, this wi ll be a very long four years for him. He can't afford to start bad. The me dia alone will cricify him but it will test his supporters. Maybe they wil l remain faithful\, hopeful\, but... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n comment referral \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12023-nyc-mayral-thoughts-a-conclusion /#findComment-77391\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD @Pioneer1 @Mel Hopkins \n\n\n\n Well here is an idea being posi tive. \n\n\n\n My Preface\n\n\n\n I made a suggestion when Obama became p resident\, that he should had spent his time improving the efficiency of t he federal bureaucracy\, as president he could do that with no input from anyone else. PResidents can't control the economy of the world\, they can' t protect peoples in states\, they can't make laws that are everlasting.  \n\n\n\n Presidents legal parameters allow them to manipulate the executiv e branch bureaucracy\, and mold the war machine with no input from any oth er. \n\n\n\n That didn't happen. Obama meddled in finance and healthcare and made the bureaucracy worse and made the war machine worse.\n\n\n\n My Idea for Mamdani\n\n\n\n The mayor of NYC can't control or manipulate the price of food[private industry]. the cost of utilities[private industry]. the global real estate industries interwoven system[private industry]. the employers reaction to modern computing power[that is private industry]\, get money to finance the city[that is the governor]. The reality is the mo dern global fiscal capitalistic structure NYC was placed firmly in through decades of actions that can not be undone in four years or eight years or twelve years. The mayor of NYC can improve the bureaucracy of NYC\, for e xample manipulating the NYPD into another organization. \n\n\n\n But the mayor can also pass laws\, unlike the president who has been given legal p owers by the congress. the mayor has the greater power in NYC\, and so to the affordability push\, I say make an affordability scale law.\n\n\n\n Wh at do I mean? \n\n\n\n Butter cost eight dollars for four sticks. Which m eans two sticks cost four dollars. One stick costs two dollars. A half of a stick cost one dollar. \n\n\n\n But most stores only sell packs of four or two. So\, the affordability law is needed to get customers the ability to scale down what is sold to them. \n\n\n\n For example\, for butter\, why can't customers have a half a stick of butter available for one dollar ? Literally have the stores\, the delis + supermarkets \, be within a lega l right to sell goods when applicable in a more affordable way. \n\n\n\n The mayor can't lower the cost of butter\, but in NYC with so many relying on EBT/Snap/Food pantries including federal workers who haven't been paid \, forcing businesses to sell products more affordably i think is somethin g he could had said he was going to do during the campaign. \n\n\n\n Mayb e I am too serious or to honest\, but I have never comprehended why anyone in government in a post or applying for a post provides pie in the sky or hopes or possibilities. All government post in human history have rules\, even kings or queens. The rules dictate what you can do. So\, just tell p eople with what you will be able to do in a position what you will do. \n \n\n\n Well that is it\, my one idea to push. BAsed on Obama+AOC + Ohlan+. . Adams plus many others\, the odds are mamdani's agenda will be nothing a s I suggest. But\, I gave a functional idea. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Comment referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12023-nyc-mayral-thoughts-a-co nclusion/#findComment-77442\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @P rofD\n\n\n\n   10 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n Businesses can eit her scale products to be more affordable and/or EBT/SNAP benefits \n\n\n\ n can be increased to more adequately cover costs of products and goods.\n \n\n\n remember\, ebt/snap are all federal issues\, the mayor of nyc has n o power over those benefits\, but getting businesses in nyc to scale produ cts he can do\, at least get a law made and I think enough support exists in nyc for that to happen. The detractors will be the grocers who will tax hit or an overhead cost increase with this action. But\, the growing line s of people i see on the food pantry I don't think will mind. In this way those people who may have pennies here or there can go to the stores and b uy something. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   10 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\ n\n There is no good reason for the wealthiest country on the planet for a ny of its citizens to be poor\, hungry or homeless. Especially when it com es to women\, children and senior citizens. \n\n\n\n It's funny profd\, I have heard black people offline say that my entire life. and I have never once believed it to be true. the usa was built on the european colonies w hich themselves were built on the death of the first peoples. That is the truth\, I don't know about good or bad reasons but I know true reasons. an d they are what they are. the heritage of the usa is genocide is enslaveme nt\, we all know this \, black people should know and yet... is it hope? i s that what I miss? Is it communicating hope? is that the basis of that op inion which so many black people utter all the time. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Comment referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/12023-nyc-mayral-thoug hts-a-conclusion/#findComment-77444\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251104 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where Are They Now sent stamp DTSTAMP:20251107T212945Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:582-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Where Are They Now sent stamp\n\n https://www.deviantart. com/hddeviant/art/Wherearetheynow-sent-stamp-1261591227\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251107 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where Are They Now\, Duckie-PRetty In Pink DTSTAMP:20251107T200302Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:581-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Calling All Creatives!\n\n\n\n Duckie from Pretty In Pink needs your help. Remember\, you don't need to know the film or the charac ter\, you can make up a story absent any references. But\, if you want ref erences or examples\, they are provided in the post. \n\n Have fun inform ing all of us\, Where Is Ducky Now!?\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevi ant/journal/WATN-Duckie-Pretty-In-Pink-1218962894\n\n #watn #wherearetheyn ow #duckie #prettyinpink #hddeviant #richardmurrayhumblr #richardmurray \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Where is Duckie Now? \n\n Answered in a some short fic tion. Remember to follow @Crliterature \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hd deviant/art/Where-is-Duckie-now-1226898688\n\n A Man Groweth\n\n https://w ww.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/799111449124405248/written-by-richard-mu rray-hddeviant?source=share\n\n\n\n \n\n #hddeviant #crliterature #watn #w herearetheynow #duckie  #richardmurray #richardmurrayhumblr #prettyinpin k \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251107 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mytime at the Deviantart Launchpad Live Meetup in NYC 11/06/ 2025 DTSTAMP:20251107T200151Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:580-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mytime at the Deviantart Launchpad Live Meetup in NYC 11/ 06/2025\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Mytime-at-the-Dev iantart-Launchpad-Live-Meetup-in-1261442026\n\n #launchpadny25 #hddeviant #richardmurrayhumblr #richardmurray \n\n\n\n Video\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/art/Dllenyc1106202507-1261316731\n\n Stills\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Dllenyc1106202501-1261316760\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Dllenyc1106202502-1261316755\n\n\n\n  \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251107 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Stamp fella thank you for crliterature birthday 2025 DTSTAMP:20251105T212343Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:579-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Stamp fella thank you for crliterature birthday 2025\n\n\ n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/FellaThanksYouCRliteratureBda y2025Stamp-1260807896\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251105 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Shoebox collab finished! charity for 2025 Harvest season DTSTAMP:20251104T020835Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:577-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Shoebox collab finished!\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/g oldenemotions/journal/Shoebox-collab-finished-1260130015\n\n my comment\n\ n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1260130015/5245022705\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n MY RANT\n\n\n\n ... only 26 artist came through... you know what bo thers me about the charity drives is\, the people who organize them get so meone to pay based on activity. The payment isn't money. The payment is yo ur art. Artists paying for something with their art in my view is the ulti mate currency for any artists. And yet\, even though I shared this in so m any places. Only 26 came through\, so only eight boxes. Only eight boxes. That isn't even a classful of children. \n\n\n\n And all the bullshit arg uments from various artists really come into my mind. \n\n\n\n ... I don' t like deviantart\, it is too much porn\, I don't like the messages\n\n\n\ n BULLSHIT\n\n\n\n ... oh the SEO I need to see a better environment\, I a m uncomfortable with \n\n\n\n BULLSHIT\n\n\n\n These charity drives are t he only things I do in my art where my art literally pays for the action a nd it is to a total stranger I will never see or know of personally. And I don't mind at all. I can comprehend issues aiding an adult stranger\, but any adult who has issues aiding a stranger child when what they are being asked to do is something they do every day ... I have an issue with that adult... it is the holiday season. In my mind I Was hoping \, alot \, I wa s hoping\, we artist would break the bank and get a whole big school of ch ildren little boxes to brighten their spirit... \n\n\n\n Damn\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n and... so many people I share their artwork\, their financial agen das\, with no negativity\, with hope. I know some of those people saw my c harity post and just moved on. Couldn't even share it. Damn... \n\n\n\n y eah ok. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251103 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nursery Rhyme Collaboration 3 DTSTAMP:20251103T212641Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:576-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n entry\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Nu rsery-Rhyme-Collaboration-03-1260121903\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n gallery\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/94686018/nursery-rhyme-colla boration\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251103 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:A Man Groweth - Where Is Duckie Now? DTSTAMP:20251102T223036Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:575-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Where is Duckie Now? \n\n Answered in a some short ficti on. Remember to follow @Crliterature for the coming challenge in Where Are They Now! \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Where-is-Duckie- now-1226898688\n\n A Man Groweth\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayh umblr/799111449124405248/written-by-richard-murray-hddeviant?source=share\ n\n\n\n \n\n #hddeviant #crliterature #watn #wherearetheynow #duckie  #ri chardmurray #richardmurrayhumblr #prettyinpink \n\n\n\n https://www.tumbl r.com/richardmurrayhumblr/799111449124405248/written-by-richard-murray-hdd eviant\n\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251102 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Loctober2025 DTSTAMP:20251102T035459Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:572-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Space Pirate Queen \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/art/Space-Pirate-Queen-Loctober-2025-1259419435\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Warrior Riding Direwolf \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/art/Warrior-Riding-Direwolf-Loctober-2025-1259420226\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I had to add this\, my design principles were on the mone y see:) and I learned this the day after i posted my art. \n\n Question a nd Answer\n\n https://answers.khi.co.jp/en/mobility/250411e-06/\n\n\n\n EX CERPTS\n\n\n\n Exploring mobility solutions to fulfill the human impulse t o move\, the project team decided to pursue a two-track approach centering on systems for personal and mass transportation. After reviewing a host o f suggested design candidates\, including ideas for an amphibious train fo r mass transportation and a portable parachute for personal mobility\, the team made their selection. One of their choices was eventually developed into CORLEO (CONCEPT 01)\, a novel means of mobility directed at motorcycl e enthusiasts.\n...\nCORLEO could be described as something like a “high -mobility multilegged machine.” The highlight of its design lies in the adoption of legs. This was the answer to our quest to offer a novel ride e xperience\, something that would be impossible if we had used wheels\, as that kind of design has been too overdone to allow for any sense of novelt y. Moreover\, existing two-wheelers have strong off-road capabilities for getting air and powerfully traversing rugged mountains\, but riders need t o have high maneuvering skills and the risk of taking a tumble is almost u navoidable.\n...\nWhat could be controversial is the misleading impression created by the vehicle’s appearance. Due to its structure of four legs supporting a body\, the thing inevitably looks like an autonomous robot\, which it is not. Rather\, CORLEO is a means of mobility and is distinctive ly characterized by its function of enabling the rider to derive enjoyment from actively engaging in its maneuvering. We redesigned the styling repe atedly to make it look more like a piece of transportation equipment.\n... \nCORLEO is also unconventional in terms of the maneuvering system. By des ign\, the vehicle is maneuvered by the rider shifting their weight\, so co ntrols like accelerator and steering grips have been omitted. Instead\, it is equipped with a handhold and stirrup-like structures.\n...\n\n\n\n\n\n ENTIRE QUESTION AND ANSWER\n\n\n\n Fulfill Your “Impulse to Move”! Be hind-the-Scenes Story of Kawasaki’s Futuristic Mobility Concept Showcase d at Expo 2025\nBeing predisposed to derive happiness from kinetic activit y\, humans desire to fulfill an “Impulse to Move.”\n\nThis term encaps ulates the theme selected by the Kawasaki Group as an exhibitor at Expo 20 25 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan (Expo 2025). Under this theme\, the Group will s howcase two models of sustainable mobility: the off-road four-legged perso nal vehicle CORLEO and the innovative ALICE SYSTEM for public transportati on. Life-sized examples of these personal and mass mobility solutions will be presented at an exhibition space dubbed “Impulse to Move Lab: Kawasa ki Future World.”\n\nKawasaki has created these futuristic vehicle model s by applying the latest robotics and hydrogen technologies while also dra wing on its proven capacity to offer mobility solutions to the land\, sea and air transportation sectors for more than 125 years. But how did it all come about? To answer this question\, three representatives of the EXPO 2 025 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan Promotion Section shared the behind-the-scenes story.\nManager\, EXPO 2025 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan Promotion Section\, Cor porate Communication Group\, Kawasaki Heavy Industries\, Ltd.\nKeisuke Mur akami\nPROFILE\nHead of the EXPO 2025 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan Promotion Sec tion. Responsible for overall management of the section and negotiations w ith the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition and other organiza tions.\n\n\n天辰 祐介 担当課長\nManager\, EXPO 2025 Osaka\, Kansai \, Japan Promotion Section\, Corporate Communication Group\, Kawasaki Heav y Industries\, Ltd.\nYusuke Amatatsu\nPROFILE\nEXPO 2025 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan Promotion Project Leader. Responsible for all exhibits\, videos and other works created for the project.\n\n\n井上 健輔 氏\nAssistant Man ager\, Global Marketing &\; Sales Department\, Advanced Smart Mobility Supervisory Department\; concurrently\, EXPO 2025 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan P romotion Section\, Corporate Communication Group\nKensuke Inoue\nPROFILE\n Previously engaged in the design of railroad vehicles before taking the cu rrent position involved in the planning\, marketing and sales of service r obots. Also assigned to the EXPO 2025 Osaka\, Kansai\, Japan Promotion Sec tion to take charge of the ALICE SYSTEM.\nHow can humans fulfill their “ Impulse to Move”?—Key to Kawasaki’s future mobility vision\nHaving d ecided to participate in Expo 2025\, held under the theme of designing the future society\, Kawasaki began to think about what kind of vision of the future it should present. With this question in mind\, a special team was formed in 2021\, gathering mobility professionals like Inoue from across the different segments of land\, sea and air transportation to discuss the possibilities of future mobility\, with additional members\, including Mu rakami\, the overall manager of the exhibition project\, and Amatatsu\, jo ining later.\n\n\n井上 健輔 氏\nInoue\nThe Company began to think abo ut participating in Expo 2025 at a time when people around the world had b een experiencing the inconvenience of the behavioral restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Against this background\, a decision was mad e to enter the “Transportation and Mobility” showcase category\, and d iscussions began with an exploration of the possible key features of trans portation apparatus able to support a sound future society.\ n\n\n天辰 祐介 担当課長\nAmatatsu\nToday\, traveling even a relati vely long distance is an ordinary activity for many people\, unlike the ha zardous venture it was during the Age of Exploration. Recently\, it has ev en become possible to choose not to visit the target destination physicall y at all but to have a similar experience from home\, and to do so for mor e and varied purposes. That said\, many people continue to go on trips see king thrills and enjoyment\, and we seemingly never lose the desire to go traveling somewhere. We took notice of this apparently irrationally persis tent and universal desire to move\, began to look for explanations\, and e ncountered the key term “impulse to move.” We also learned about the s cientific theory stating that humans are predisposed to derive happiness f rom the act of moving.\n\nWhile studying the term\, we noticed the possibi lity of approaching the impulse to move\, which is essentially never fully satisfied\, by offering a completely new mode of transportation. That was how we began to consider plans to organize the exhibition with the theme of fulfilling the “Impulse to Move.”\nNovel four-legged off-road veh icle―distinguished new embodiment of Kawasaki’s “Fun to Ride” phil osophy\nExploring mobility solutions to fulfill the human impulse to move\ , the project team decided to pursue a two-track approach centering on sys tems for personal and mass transportation. After reviewing a host of sugge sted design candidates\, including ideas for an amphibious train for mass transportation and a portable parachute for personal mobility\, the team m ade their selection. One of their choices was eventually developed into CO RLEO (CONCEPT 01)\, a novel means of mobility directed at motorcycle enthu siasts.\n\n\n天辰 祐介 担当課長\nAmatatsu\nCORLEO could be describ ed as something like a “high-mobility multilegged machine.” The highli ght of its design lies in the adoption of legs. This was the answer to our quest to offer a novel ride experience\, something that would be impossib le if we had used wheels\, as that kind of design has been too overdone to allow for any sense of novelty. Moreover\, existing two-wheelers have str ong off-road capabilities for getting air and powerfully traversing rugged mountains\, but riders need to have high maneuvering skills and the risk of taking a tumble is almost unavoidable.\n\nAs a motorcycle manufacturer with a long track record\, we looked at taking an unconventional approach to overcome such limitations of two-wheelers by removing their defining fe ature―the wheels―in order to expand the possibility for offering a “ fun to ride” experience. And we considered employing legs instead\, whic h could at least make the vehicle look more stable.\n\nOur exploratory end eavors regarding the overall concept resulted in the four-legged off-road vehicle CORLEO\, which avoids using wheels by adopting legs as a way to im prove the general safety of its off-road performance.\n\nAfter deciding to go with four legs\, we then. looked at the design in terms of speed capac ity and reviewed a number of suggestions. One was to try and achieve the w orld’s fastest performance\, a record we set for the motorcycle\, using the world’s fastest land animal\, the cheetah\, as a model. Rather than the cheetah\, however\, we eventually settled on the lion as a performance model\, determining that it was better suited to allowing the rider to ma intain postural balance as well as also evoking the image of barreling acr oss the landscape astride the king of the jungle.\n\nWhat could be controv ersial is the misleading impression created by the vehicle’s appearance. Due to its structure of four legs supporting a body\, the thing inevitabl y looks like an autonomous robot\, which it is not. Rather\, CORLEO is a m eans of mobility and is distinctively characterized by its function of ena bling the rider to derive enjoyment from actively engaging in its maneuver ing. We redesigned the styling repeatedly to make it look more like a piec e of transportation equipment.\nCORLEO is also unconventional in terms of the maneuvering system. By design\, the vehicle is maneuvered by the rider shifting their weight\, so controls like accelerator and steering grips h ave been omitted. Instead\, it is equipped with a handhold and stirrup-lik e structures. This system thus represents a uniquely innovative design con cept that combines functions of the motorcycle with those of horse riding\ , for which we have filed multiple patent applications.\n\nTo determine th e riding position\, we conducted an experimental survey with cooperation r eceived from the equestrian club of Kobe University. Survey participants r ode the full-size mock-up and reported their feelings about the experience . Furthermore\, we adopted a sort of swing arm mechanism that is similar t o the standard function on a motorcycle in order to allow the rider to enj oy a broad range of motion and maintain a stable riding posture.\n\n \n村上 敬祐 課長\nMurakami\nThe name CORLEO is coined from the wor ds “Cor Leonis\,” another name for Regulus―the star Alpha Leonis― \, which is a name associated with the lion\, the key inspiration for the design of the form. It is thus also suggestive of the ancient practice of travelers using stars as a guide to find their way\, and reflects the team ’s shared sense of commitment to creating mobility solutions for fulfill ing the human impulse to move.\nAiming to create more passenger-friendly a nd stress-free systems of mass transportation\nThe ALICE SYSTEM (Concept 0 2) is our second answer to the theme of fulfilling the “Impulse to Mov e.” This is a futuristic mass transportation service model featuring ind ependent passenger cabins able to dock with different means of transportat ion\, including trains\, ships and airplanes\, and to be carried along by them. This interconnected mobility system eliminates the need for passenge rs to transfer\, thereby removing the personal stress associated with the process.\n\nWe began by looking into issues associated with ongoing mass t ransportation service systems with the objective of identifying factors th at inhibit the impulse to move. Major issues identified as likely to occur were related to stressful situations like changing trains during rush hou r or with bulky luggage or strollers and mobility-impaired passengers taki ng long-distance trips involving a transfer\, as well as difficulties with arranging work schedules to take leave for multi-day travel.\n\nThe ALICE SYSTEM is designed to resolve all these issues in a single stroke. Our pl an is to create mass transportation systems that eliminate the need to eng age in stressful transfers and to provide a stress-free\, comfortable pass enger experience with the aim of enabling people to fulfill their impulse to move\, no matter what their personal attributes or background. We are p roud of this outstanding concept\, which has only been made possible by ca pitalizing on the expertise Kawasaki has developed while engaging in the t hree mobility sectors of land\, sea and air and is the result of a compreh ensive examination of practicability.\n\nALICE is an acronym for “Access ible Linkages for Innovative and Comfortable Experiences\,” an expressio n of our thinking about a mass transportation system that is universally f riendly and able to give passengers an experience that is both thrilling a nd fun.\nOne of the key characteristics of the ALICE SYSTEM lies in its ab ility to support the overall travel experience. The system recommends appr opriate plans in response to user requests\, such as wanting to go on a bo at trip or explore scenic routes by rail. This can also provide users with a bit of a push\, particularly the less-experienced travelers.\n\nSeats i n the passenger cabin are equipped with robotic concierge programs develop ed by applying industrial robot technologies to provide finely tuned custo mer service. The robot concierge can prepare drinks and offer other forms of hospitality. Network connection and videotelephony are also a standard feature to provide a comfortable environment to passengers who need to wor k remotely.\nPossibility of hydrogen technology to support future mobility systems\nCORLEO and the ALICE SYSTEM are both powered by hydrogen. For th is purpose\, Kawasaki has adopted its hydrogen power generators\, an embod iment of its vision for a hydrogen-based future society.\n \n\n天辰 祐介 担当課長\nAmatatsu\nFor power supply\, we have emplo yed our hydrogen power generator O’CUVOID\, which can be refueled by sim ply replacing the hydrogen tank. In the ALICE SYSTEM\, the power supply sy stem has been designed to have O’CUVOID connected to multiple units to b e able to augment power output while also allowing each unit to be removed in case of a problem to enable easy maintainability.\n\nKawasaki’s Grou p Vision 2030 describes the vision the Group is aiming to realize in 2030\ , with a focus on the three fields of “A Safe and Secure Remotely-Connec ted Society\,” “Near-Future Mobility” and “Energy and Environmenta l Solutions.” The key technology for each field is related to robotics f or remote control\; mobility for enriched lifestyles\; and hydrogen as a h ighly anticipated clean energy source.\n\nFor Expo 2025\, the target year of the envisioned future society is set as 2050\, which is 20 years ahead of that set in the Group Vision. By that time\, we anticipate that hydroge n-powered robotic and mobility functions will be an essential part of publ ic infrastructure\, so we have decided to express the theme of fulfilling the “Impulse to Move” by leveraging the unique strengths of Kawasaki i n implementing technology in the three fields of robotics\, mobility and h ydrogen.\n\nUnleash your “Impulse to Move” at Expo 2025!\nKawasaki’s exhibition space is designed to evoke the image of the laboratory of a sc ientific genius\, in line with the name “Impulse to Move Lab: Kawasaki F uture World.” The exhibition will be presented in both physical and virt ual settings\, offering visitors opportunities to see CORLEO and the ALICE SYSTEM using full-size mock-ups in the physical venue (in Yumeshima\, Osa ka) and experience each of them through avatar images in the virtual space .\nOne of the most important policies of our showcase is to use life-size displays. CORLEO as well as ALICE Rail and the ALICE Cabin will appear in full-scale dimensions to produce a sense of reality. As one of the up-clos e experience opportunities offered in our exhibition\, visitors can look r ight inside a cabin docked to a train car.\n\nMoreover\, we have prepared a set of downloadable “Impulse to Move” logos\, which are available fo r free from the dedicated site. We hope that lots of people will download whichever image they like and customize it by itself or by combining with other images and thus have a positive experience with our “Impulse to Mo ve” project even if they don’t attend the Expo 2025 venue. We believe CORLEO and the ALICE SYSTEM\, two distinctive creations that only Kawasaki could produce\, will leave their mark on the history of the world exposit ion movement. We invite you all to visit our exhibition and check out our offerings first hand. \n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Articles\n\n https ://kawasaki-corleo.com/kawasakiscorleo/\n\n https://www.kawasaki.eu/en/new s/2025/april/CORLEO--concept-unveiled.html\n\n Video\n\n https://kawasaki- corleo.com/answers-osakakansai-expo2025-professional-trail-runner-ruy-ueda -meets-corleo-🇺🇸🇬🇧-2/\n\n Learned about the Corlea from the fo llowing\n\n https://ameblo.jp/pocopan/entry-12942360989.html\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Vampire Queens Feast\n\n https://www. deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Vampire-Queens-Feast-loctober-2025-1259420960 \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Fella 2025 Yearbook Challenge DTSTAMP:20251102T052149Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:574-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Fella 2025 Yearbook Challenge\n\n https://www.deviantart. com/hddeviant/journal/Fella-2025-Yearbook-Challenge-1257798445\n\n\n\n  \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Tittober 2025 DTSTAMP:20251102T035526Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:573-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Gremlin Bridesmaid\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevia nt/art/Gremlin-Bridesmaid-tittober-2025-1259422202\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Janet Marrom\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Janet -Marrom-tittober-2025-color-1259424732\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cl audia Lasalle\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Claudia-Lasalle -tittober2025-1259425520\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Fella 2025 Yearbook Photo DTSTAMP:20251029T010135Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:571-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Fella 2025 Yearbook Photo\n\n November 1st come by @CRlit erature on Deviantart for the party \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/art/Fella-2025-Yearbook-Photo-1243113767\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251028 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CRLiterature 2025 Birthday Banner DTSTAMP:20251029T005915Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:570-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CRLiterature 2025 Birthday Banner\n\n November 1st come b y @CRliterature on Deviantart for the party \n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/hddeviant/art/CRLiterature-2025-Birthday-Banner-1243115929\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251028 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Abyss border adoptable DTSTAMP:20251027T074555Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:568-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Abyss Border Adoptable\, buy it for variants of the borde r one for any occasion\, and you can color on your own.\n\n https://www.de viantart.com/hddeviant/art/Abyss-Border-with-example-1257177882\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n The following is an example with an image in the border\n\n\n\n \ n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251027 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Postvitanihilism view DTSTAMP:20251026T040410Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:567-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I was asked what I feared the most. I don't fear Postvita nihilism but for all artist it is the most potent fear.\n\n\n\n My Postvit anihilism Prose is linked in the post below. \n\n https://www.deviantart. com/hddeviant/art/Postvitanihilism-view-1256742093\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251025 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What would I do if I was a ghost? DTSTAMP:20251026T040137Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:566-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n What would I do if I was a ghost?\n\n Can you tell from t he image? It is a coloring page as well. \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/ hddeviant/art/Winning-The-Lotto-1256740844\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251025 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Postvitanihilism   DTSTAMP:20251026T035851Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:565-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Postvitanihilism  - After life nothingness\, something I thought of which some fear\, after explaining the most frightening thing in my youth\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Postvitanihilism- 1256275254\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251025 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Individualism 10/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20251024T025709Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:564-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n As I am a known Communalist through my various multilogs in AALBC\, it is clear I prefer strong community over strong individuals. Not everybody is going to be strong all the time. But\, sharing strength c an help the whole group survive storms no individual can handle alone.\n\n \n\n ... but having said that\, the heritage of the Black populace in the usa and the european colonies that preceded it is Nonviolent Individualism . No DOSers from the USA are not like DOSers from Haiti whose heritage is militant communalism. \n\n\n\n I don't care for nonviolent individualism but I comprehend it is the true heritage of black people in the usa led by DOSers\, who are the largest percentage of black people in the usa. \n\n \n\n Take out the First Peoples of the USA who have their own specific iss ues with this place\, everyone else in the usa never had to deal with ensl avement or jim crow to the extent of black people. Not white jews not chin ese\, not mexicans. All three were abused? yes\, 100% but while abused nev er enslaved\, never at the full cruelty of jim crow. So black people in as sessing ourselves\, must embrace our unique situation first. \n\n\n\n Bla ck Individualism has limits helping the group but allows black individuals a flexibility which can be useful. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL TO COMMENT\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11970-what-if-we-focused-on-lo cal-development/#findComment-77177\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n @KENNETH if you want the honey and not the pot\, just scroll to my conclusion\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/21/2025 at 4:52 PM\, KENNETH said :\n \n\n \n \n There are Black majority cities in America like Atlanta\ , Detroit\, Baltimore\, and even Jackson Mississippi. What if Black politi cians at the municipal level began working with wealthy black entrepreneur s to develop and diversity local economies especially disadvantaged neighb orhoods ? Think about it.\n \n \n\n\n\n Idealistically it is a positive t hing. But let me use NYC to explain my counter point.\n\n\n\n Is NYC a bla ck city? no\n\n\n\n Is NYC a white city? yes\n\n\n\n does NYC have more di sadvantaged communities than any other city in the USA? yes\n\n\n\n does N YC have disadvantaged white communities? yes\, more than any other city in the USA? yes\n\n\n\n Why can't NYC's white elected officials align with w hite businesses to aid white communities that are disadvantaged? \n\n\n\n Because the cost is very high. Aiding the poor is not financially cheap.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n How does NYC get money every year? the mayor of NYC whomever they are goes to Albany and begs. The federal governments welfare money to states are more vital to every state in the union\, including ca lifornia. But the federal government gives its money to states\, not citie s\, ala when atlanta/detroit/new orleans are any town/village/city that wa s or is black wants money... they have to beg a white states\, thus...\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n What is my point?  overall it is very expensive to financ e poverty. It requires losing a fortune. Black people with money\, correct ly\, are the least interested in losing money. Remember\, the fiscal wealt hy Black populace don't come from Indian Killers or Enslavers\, they come from enslaved black folk like fiscally poor black people. They are not int erested in losing their money. And yes\, you have to give up your fortune to improve disadvantaged neighborhoods. Remember andrew carnegie of new yo rk\, he gave up his fortune and built many of the libraries that are all o ver the world\, but that wasn't cheap. He needed every penny. \n\n\n\n Re member in the late eighteen hundreds\, circa 1865\, the black populace of the usa was denser than ever after\, and that is why white people in black states/louisiana/mississippi/south carolina or white people in white stat es everywhere else\, cut open pregnant black women. State power matters in the usa.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/21/2025 at 4:52 PM\, KENNETH said:\ n \n\n \n \n What if we pooled public and private resources to replicat e what Geoffrey Canada did with the Harlem Children's Zone in New York Cit y ?  After all a good start early in life in a livable environment comes before any kind of academic achievement or entrepreneurial success. Right?   \n \n \n\n\n\n HArlem Children Zone and the larger field of charter s chools had support from the government of NYC and NY state. Remember\, mos t charter schools didn't have to build new buildings\, the government allo wed most to use buildings they did not buy for repurpose or use public sch ool buildings spaces. That is a financial advantege brought by the governm ent. Second \, across all phenotypes most children in NYC\, black/non blac k/ male/female go to public schools. The charter school movement was never about the mass education of any group of children. It was about making an other layer for parents who wanted their kids to go to a school like styve sant or bronx science but the seats are filled\, so charter schools became a second tier. But remmeber one thing\, when a child fails in a charter s chool\, you know where they go... public school. So Canada\, whom I ... Ca nada has said many things but I know the truth. His movement was about a p articular sections of parents having their own zone. \n\n\n\n Now why doe s this matter? what your talking about isn't about helping a section of th e disadvantaged but you want to help a whole disadvantaged community\, you have to find actions that actually help a whole disadvantaged community. In the USA those are not easy to find.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n On 10/21/202 5 at 4:52 PM\, KENNETH said:\n \n\n \n \n Secondly\, what if black busi ness people and politicians formed public/private partnerships to seek out new sources of investment like Chinese\, Middle Eastern\, and West Africa n ? \n \n \n\n\n\n This like your first is idealistically correct. The p roblem is\, unlike the USA who spent most of the  nineteen hundreds revit alizing completely war torn  or fiscally mired countries[japan/england/fr ance/germany/spain/portugal /italy/korea/china/mexico /canada ] to gain th eir allegiance against the soviet union \, losing the financial advantage the usa had over all of them. Said countries are not interested in any fis cal deal that will not return something of equal value. Sequentially\, the Black DOS populace or even the larger black populace in the usa don't hav e mineral access\, don't have aquaspheres\, don't have anything physical t o trade with. China gives money throughout afirca/south america/south east asia for minerals/resources. West Africans wealthy pay for high end europ ean goods. DOSers don't have any luxury brand businesses. The Middle Easte rners sometimes give for long shots or long term investments\, but a welfa re line around the world exist to them. As I type this comment\, people fr om every community in humanity are in saudi arabia\, qatar \, or united ar ab emirates begging for the oil barons to give them money. \n\n\n\n I thi nk some DOSers plans may reach them but many want their money. \n\n\n\n \ n On 10/21/2025 at 4:52 PM\, KENNETH said:\n \n\n \n \n Third\, maybe we need real democracy in black politics which means independent thought a nd action that challenges the Black Democratic Leadership Establishment. I 'm not saying move to the Republican Right. But demand more from our so ca lled leaders. If you can't provide viable solutions to problems like crime \, violence\, poverty\, academic failure\, and the racial wealth gap then you get voted out. \n \n \n\n\n\n Another Ideal. positive. But I have a little history with this topic in the forum here.\n\n\n\n You say demand m ore from so called  leaders\, being a poor leader\, one who doesn't get p ositive results\, doesn't mean your not a leader.\n\n\n\n But then you wan t leaders to provide viable solutions. \n\n\n\n Here is the issue. In the usa no system exist for any voter to demand anything from any elected off icials. That is the difference between a parliamentary system and the stat ian system. In the usa's entire history voting is a gamble. The gamble is\ , if I vote for you\, will want to stay in the position so you will do for the voter\, the trick is\, I am guaranteeing you a set of time\, even if you do nothing for the voter. So\, there is no way to demand anything in t he usa system. White people don't demand votes. Poor whites don't demand v otes. Rich white people buy votes\, that isn't even demanding\, that is pa ying for a service. Which black people don't have the money to do. \n\n\n \n The problem with providing a viable solution is a strategy can only be considered a solution after implementation. No matter how intricate or wel l spoke a plan\, no plan is worth anything until it is implemented. \n\n\ n\n So\, I comprehend what your asking\, but the legal system in the usa d oesn't allow for either. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A little history:) of me and one of my solutions\,a  black party of governance.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Th e Black community in the USA need an alternative to Black officials from t he Party of Andrew Jackson or Abraham Lincoln 2022\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/topic/9211-the-black-community-in-the-usa-need-an-alternative-to-black-o fficials-from-the-party-of-andrew-jackson-or-abraham-lincoln/\n\n commenta ry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1890&\;t ype=status\n\n\n\n What Blacks haven't done?\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/prof ile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1929&\;type=status\n\n\n\n Immigration o n African Americans\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?s tatus=1941&\;type=status\n\n\n\n Black PArty of Governance Post\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1945&\;type=status \n\n\n\n Detroit and the state of a Black Party of Governance\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2124&\;type=status\n\n\ n\n Black Women and the two main parties of governance in the usa\n\n http s://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2137&\;type=status\ n\n\n\n The lessons in 1865 not learned\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6 477-richardmurray/?status=2549&\;type=status\n\n\n\n Shirley Chisholm p roved the college of black elected officials isn't serious\, that is why s he left them\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2 571&\;type=status\n\n\n\n With the 250 year anniversary of the USA mayb e black people should celebrate radically\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/pro file/6477-richardmurray/?status=2776&\;type=status\n\n Multivisions in parties of governance\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/ ?status=2148&\;type=status\n\n\n\n Specific needs\n\n https://aalbc.com /tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2238&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n \n On 10/21/2025 at 4:52 PM\, KENNETH said:\n \n\n \n \n So what 's keeping us from doing these things ? \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n 1 . We don't live together and aren't forced to work and strive together ins pite of our class\, political\, or status differences the way Jim Crow and DeFacto residential segregation forced us too. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n 2. Middle and upper income blacks have their own priorities even am ong individuals that differ from poor and workingclass  blacks. Race\, bl ackness\, and struggling against racism don't matter as much anymore or in the same way to all black people. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n 3. Bla ck business and professional people aren't necessarily always concerned wi th advancing black people collectively. Elected officials and political in siders often benefit themselves and their cronies. And the Black Capitalis t is no different from the white one if he's a major player. The Black Cap italist is about maximizing profit. They only help other blacks if there's money to be made.\n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n To 1 \, Your correct bl ack people don't live as close together as in the late 1800s \, but the re ason why isn't self inflicted\, remember when you were a kid and they show ed black people hanging in jim crow\, that wasn't a joke. Black elders to their forever dishonor don't like to admit the reason black people left th e south was fear based on white terrorism. It is that simple. And like tod ay\, even back then\, many black people\, DOSers in particular\, are unwil ling to accept violent action. Jim Crow's purpose was not merely to harm b lack people but to make our communities suffer at the hands of whites so w e would break up. whites succeeded\, it is not easy undoing that damage.\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To 2 + 3 In defense they never have\, even in the late 1 800s there were black tribes nonviolently fighting each other. And remembe r when the usa was founded most free blacks fought against\, so... the mos t free\, most financially wealthy blacks have always been split in themsel ves and at some level to the larger populace of black people. I argue the problem today is the nonviolent\, self determination mantra black people p reached to black people has succeeded\, the problem is\, it isn't enough t o reach certain levels of growth as a populace. Black individualism made t he modern usa. Black financial wealth has grown in the usa despite histori cal financial disadvantages strictly to black people \, persistent  gover nmental limits specifically to blacks . That is black individuals fighting . BUT\, individualism has limits. I will even be nice and say\, the Black people like frederick douglass in the past\, hoped\, dreamed\, that Blac I ndividualism would carry black people to a day when the greater USA embrac ed individualism the same way. the two problems are\, most whites still en joy and desire the power one can have access to with communal strength ove r other communities. And most non Black people of color came late to the p arty so to speak\, so they carry a communal nature from the countries they come from and thus it will take their bloodlines more time to reach the i ndividualism that exist in the white anglo saxon protestant slavemaster/bl ack descendend of enslaved/first peoples commonly called the native americ an.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN CONCLUSION\n\n\n\n To municipal power\, the quic kest idea is to get the fiscally wealthy black to support a campaign of br eaking up the states in the union. why? no matter what any city in the usa does\, if the state government to the state it is in wants to stall or st op\, they can and that is that. \n\n\n\n I rephrase\, if you get a willin g black city\, and willing black fiscal entrepreneurs\, a white state gove rnment can use its power to hold up anything in the courts. So\, your firs t idea needs state power. Get the wealthy behind that. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n To private public pooling\, great idea but you need to have a specific g oal that actually helps a wide swath of black people. At the end of the da y\, many of the initiatives that helped black people in the usa from 1865 to today\, didn't help a wide array\, they helped black people in specific places or with specific means or specific scenarios. When the usa gave na tive american land to white settlers\, the condition of the white settler didn't matter. Find a specific thing that can help across the board of bla ck people. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To the money outside the USA\, the most co mmon invester will want to see an automatic return of wealth or near term wealth growth. You have to find something that the Black populace in the U SA has that can do that. Keep looking you will find it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n The best strategy to increase the rate of results in the usa system tha t maintains the philosophical line of black voters is to emphasize parliam entarianism. Most Black people in the usa are :not radical enough\, not an ti usa enough\, not anti white enough\, too pro individual\, to accept a B lack party of governance. But parliamentarianism is the best solution for your desire to get better results. Make it where the time of voting isn't enough. The reason why both major parties of governance in the usa are fil led with do nothings is because the only time of consequence is the voting time. Not the time in office. Make the time in office consequence and it will change the rate of results. You will have opposition but I think it i s doable. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When you assess the black populace in the u sa \, never forget\, that our timeline isn't whites. Black people were ens laved before during and after independence. \n\n\n\n IF you look at the u sa from a important moments for Black people\, 1492 to 1865 is one whole e ra of enslavement. White people have the french-indian war and independenc e and war of 1812  but from 1492 to 1865 remember\, over 95% of black peo ple in the usa are completely enslaved. Over 95% of black people in the us a from 1492 to 1865 were born\, lived and died enslaved. No\, house in mar tha's vineyard\, no lincoln hat\, no wage\, no sailor on a whaling ship. I know you know black history. But one of the problems with black history t hroughout humanity is the timelines for non blacks we black people conside r speaking of ourselves. \n\n\n\n That means 95% of black people were ens laved for almost 400 years. And what came after the period of enslavement from 1492 to 1865 in Black Statian history? the period of Jim Crow. Now wh at is Jim Crow? Most will say Jim Crow is segregation\, but that isn't tru e. Segregation is the white view of Jim Crow. The Black view is how long i t took for black people to nonviolently integrate with the white populace in the usa. \n\n\n\n Jim crow is from 1865 to 1980. It took over a hundre d years for Black people to nonviolently integrate with whites. Why? that was the black plan. When 1865 hit\, a bunch of black church elders made a vote on what to do\, cause whites were already killing black people after the war between the states for revenge or to take land or to force to shar ecrop or to scare us into fleeing. So black churches new. Black churches\, voted on the side of nonviolence. [I am working on finding the names of w ho voted] Remember at 1865 Black churches were the undisputed black leader ship in the usa with a totally devoted populace. And what did black people do while whites guted pregnant black women/made up laws to place black me n in prison for life to rebuild the south/placed black children in electri c chairs/had black people fight in the spanish american war+world war one + world two all awhile no black person could open a bank account\, use the bathroom\, use the bus \, own land\, in 99% of places in the usa/black co mmunities in the cities north and west were completely defunded by white g overnments/law enforcement agencies throughout the usa made money off of p eddling drugs to black people sometimes by force while also making money b y putting us in jail for the drugs they dumped into our communities .. bla ck people nonviolently and individually suffered the blows embraced all th e insults and pains and inequalities and never hurt white people while kep t trying to be part of the systems they didn't want us to. With the help o f the soviets\, some mistakes in administration by whites\, by 1980 Jim Cr ow was officially a little old man. Not dead\, but no longer a major facto r in the lives of most black people which is how he started in 1865 with w hat whites call the nadir of american race relations.  Remember Alice was in the 1970s. \n\n\n\n Now we are in the integration era. Black people c ollectively or individually  survived enslavement from 1492 to 1865 gaini ng no money no wealth losing many traditions by whip by shackle. Black peo ple's collectives were shattered by Jim Crow from 1865 to 1980 but Blac in dividualism was able to thrive. Now from 1980 to 2025 and the near term\, black people have to catch up to whites who have from 1492 to 1980 a near five hundred year head start on being statian absent any of the financial advantages of stolen land from other human beings or enslavement of other human beings and we have to compete with immigrant populaces including som e that are black  who are smaller in populace\, for example ethiopian ame ricans are 380\,000 people far less than the forty million DOSers\,  so e asier to move in fiscal capitalism allowed to pronounce and embrace the cu ltures they came with whereas DOSers were not allowed in enslavement of ji m crow to cherish our cultures publicly. So... yes Black people in the usa today have a high level of individualism\, but it isn't for nothing. It i s unwarranted. Slavery nor Jim Crow were a joke\, and we didn't do it to o urselves\, and four hundred years is not going to be undone in forty sorry . Anyone black tell you that is a liar. When you see a nigerian/chinese/wh ite jew say Blacks don't know how to do this or that. Remind them that\, N igerians ancestors were not in the slave boats\, nigerians ancestors didn' t have to deal with enslavement from 1492 to 1865 nor jim crow from 1865 t o 1980. There wasn't a day in british west africa where 95% of Black peopl e were told they couldn't have their culture. Where they had to live chain ed up. Chinese and white jews were starting businesses from 1492 to 1980 i n the usa\, in places black people were not allowed or could not. \n\n\n\ n Yes\, Black Individualism is high\, that is how Black DOSers survived no nviolently. Give ourselves a hand. It wasn't easy. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thonet bending wood process DTSTAMP:20251023T220207Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:561-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Thonet bending wood process\n\n Literature\n\n https://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentwood\n\n\n\n https://www.worthpoint.com/dictionary /p/furniture-furnishings/german/german-furniture-style-bentwood\n\n\n\n ht tps://michaelthonet.eu/the-bentwood-process-a-revolutionary-technique-in-f urniture-design/\n\n\n\n Video\n\n Soak in steam for five hours\n\n Three minutes to shape wood before it dries and breaks\, using metal strips and clips\n\n Seventy degrees celsius for twenty hours\n\n https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=rN8fGWCqTSU\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n basic version of above\ n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sUti5yG7iU\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n more details\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BDTkm3xOcQ\n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Cooking in a bentwood box\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=OAi1duTiBgo\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n bendingwood three ways: glue stri ps and fit[ anywood but messy]\, steam rod and clamp[cleanist but not all wood + need steambox+season shift]\, series of incisions on a rod and clam p[quick to do \, especially for art\, but not structurally strong]\n\n htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q8avgDQZ5Y\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My de sign of a bentwood chair for Sudowoodo\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/eve nt/372-sudowoodo-at-the-library-for-charity-07032025/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Peter Cushing on calling the work he does Fantasy DTSTAMP:20251023T215026Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:560-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Peter Cushing on calling the work he does Fantasy\n\n\n\n Horror isn't a term you like is it?\n\n It isn't that I object to it\, I just feel it is the wrong adjective as applied to the films I do \, cause horror to me is say a film like the godfather or anything to do with war w hich is real and can happen and unfortunately no doubt will happen again s ometime but the films that dear Christopher lee and I do are really fantas y  and I think fantasy is a better better adjective. I don't object to th e term horror \, just the wrong adjective.\n\n https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=Bh96B1zJ1FA\n\n\n\n Full Text\n\n\n\n  0:05\npeter cushing you're kn own to pretty\n0:08\nwell everyone in this country for your\n0:09\nroles i n horror films but horror isn't a\n0:12\nterm you like isn't it isn't a di et a\n0:15\ngood I just feel it's the wrong\n0:17\nadjective as applied to the films I do\n0:20\nbecause harder to me is say a film like\n0:23\nThe Godfather or anything to do with war\n0:26\nwhich is real can happen unfor tunately\n0:27\nno doubt what happened again sometime\n0:30\nbut the fill the deer Christopher Lee\n0:33\nand I do oh really\n0:34\nfantasy and I th ink fantasy is a better\n0:36\nbetter attitude I don't protect to the\n0:3 8\nterm hard does the wrong adjective I\n0:40\nlike fantasy films but they 're fairly\n0:42\nrecent part of your career how did you\n0:44\nstart out in the acting profession how\n0:47\nlong have we got\n0:49\nwell I did sta rted wedding the carnal\n0:54\ntheater in those days was run by by Bill\n0 :59\nFraser it became so famous of what's\n1:01\nfamous now that I think h e's he became\n1:05\nnationwide now and when he played in\n1:07\nBootsy an d snatch but I was in an office\n1:10\nbefore that I was in the coastal\n1 :12\nentirely urban district council offices\n1:14\nas a surveyors assista nt was my title\n1:18\nbut I was really nothing more than a\n1:19\nglorifi ed office boy did you enjoy I\n1:21\ndon't attend the I suppose so really\ n1:25\nwell yeah I wasn't cut out for off his\n1:28\nlife at all I'd alway s wanted to be an\n1:30\nactor right from when I used to watch\n1:32\nTom Mix and dates tommix believe is the\n1:35\nsort of John Wayne of nine\n1:4 4\nyou\n1:46\n[Music]\n\n\n\n\n \n\n Video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Why do black people hate talking about colorism? asked by mo mentswithmani DTSTAMP:20251023T214308Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:559-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My Answer\n\n I can't speak for all and I know all black people don't hate talking about colorism. so I will answer with the follow ing... the past-the speech\, present-absent concern over future or past\, future- how to solve... the past is simple\, talking about colorism is bla ck people talking about black people . But from early 1500s to late 1970s I argue Black people in the usa were not free from white oppression enough to feel free to talk about ourselves among ourselves. before 1865 this wa s absolutely true and between sharecropping/prisons/experimentations/crimi nal labor environments after 1865 it took over one hundred years to nonvio lently overcome that. So\, from my view a majority of black people have on ly been free in the usa from 1980.  the present- in the year 2025 what/wh o is stopping a black person from talking to another black person about co lorism outside their self? no one outside working hours. Many labors tend to have rules on what employees discuss. So whatever the reason today\, th e why any black person isn't allowed to talk about colorism among other bl ack people are primarily themselves.  For those black people who hate tal king about colorism\, they either have bad experiences talking about it an d shy away\, or dislike the topic and don't want to. the future- Black peo ple from home to home have to rear black children to speak on internal com munal issues\, like colorism. second parents and black adults need to make sure black children hear them talking about colorism or other issues in t he black populace in the usa\, positively or at least absent vitriol. When we adults argue wildly in front of children we teach them a bad method fo r communicating when topics are unpleasant or not easy\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n momentswithmani Original Poster\n\n Thank you for your contribution. I ju st find it weird because black men will gaslight black women when we are t he most vocal about colorism\, due to misogynoir playing a role in their p rivilege. Black men will view colorism as a preference + claim it’s “a ll about character”\, when that same energy isn’t given to darker skin ned black women and we either end up waiting years and decades to be chose n\, get divorced from our partners\, or we never get married. I rarely see representation of darker skinned black women with a black man who looks l ike them and they were together till death does them part.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n my reply\n\n @momentswithmani yeah and with so many negative actons to darker skin in our community world wide\, a hard nut to crack\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n url \n\n https://www.tumblr.com/momentswithmani/78506956714065920 0/why-do-black-people-hate-talking-about-colorism?source=share\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:the black superhero paradox DTSTAMP:20251023T213855Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:558-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n the black superhero paradox\n\n https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=kYzQdGuirRY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\ n\n nice video:) One thing is that the black populace in the usa has survi ved mostly nonviolently/law abidingly/self incriminatingly through a lot o f white violence/oppresion/terrorism to be more financially profitable tod ay and that helps black creators. At the end of the day\, the artist of an y populace are mostly funded by the populace themselves.\n\n IN AMENDMENT\ n\n Well\, here is my problem with your argument. Did black people start w ith eisner's interpretation and other white artist interpretation? For me\ , the black superhero is only defined by black creators and I have a probl em with black people who seem very willing to treat white interpretations of black people as valid. I don't care that white people viewing depiction s of black people by white artist see a negative interpretation of black p eople. The question in my mind is\, why do black people care when white pe ople see negative depictions of black people by white artist? \n\n ...\n\ n you talk about not isolating other communities while focusing on uplifti ng the black community but what you really mean is not isolating white rea ders. And I argue\, if a white writer is making a black character\, that b lack character isn't designed for black readers and if a black writer is m aking a white character\, that white character isn't designed for white re aders. Again the problem here is the idea of universalism. We humans are a ll one and the same\, we do not exist\, humans are not the same\, communit ies are not the same and what is better for one community is not mandatori ly better for another.\n\n ...\n\n 12:56 Dubois is correct but here is the problem. The maker of the youtube video\, most black or white artist publ icly state they are not propogandist and if anything publicly despise the notion of being a propogandist. The positive phenotypical integrationist z eal among those in the black or non black populaces in the usa is based on the idea that some non propaganda ideal is possible. \n\n ...\n\n 14:22 exactly\n\n ...\n\n 14:53 love Milestone\n\n 17:08 exactly\, the reality i s\, black created comics must be financed by black people but black people just didn't have the money but do now but just rely on your own\n\n ...\n \n 22:18 ok\, if go woke go broke isn't true\, what is it that the woke ar tist who made money did correct financially that the woke artist who didn' t make money did incorrectly financially\n\n Was Bitter Root being image n ot DC or Marvel matter?\n\n Was Bitter Root simply better written or drawn than other comics? \n\n Was Bitter Root wiser in genre choices?\n\n  \n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:ninth gates film review DTSTAMP:20251023T213126Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:557-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ninth gates film review- enjoy:)\n\n https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=tN6m_HHck9Q\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n a funny comment\n\n fr om @crabbieappleton\n\n The true horror of the Ninth Gate was Corso touchi ng those incredibly valuable and delicate old books without gloves and cha in-smoking while handling them.\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN6m_H Hck9Q&\;lc=UgxalJYsKQu5lyf4ckl4AaABAg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n nine gate soun dtrack\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/521-october-favorite-films-mu sics/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251031 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Djavan Caetano Viana DTSTAMP:20251023T205904Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:556-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Djavan Caetano Viana born january 27th 1949\n\n https://e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djavan\n\n\n\n Djavan - 1976 - A Voz\, O Violão\, A Música de Djavan (Full Album)\n\n https://youtu.be/QBc7lHK0uzk?si=MJEkzQ8 3ICQzYJLz\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A _Voz\,_o_Violão\,_a_Música_de_Djavan\n\n\n\n Djavan: Ao Vivo (1999) | Á lbum Completo\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYC8FF10y2M\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Soul Food To Go \n\n lyrics written by Djavan\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My\, my\n\n Oh the feelin'\n\n Of the sound\n\n Preciou s and real and\n\n Ooo that's nice\n\n Whip up some steamin' jazz\n\n The pot is on the stove\n\n It's cookin'\n\n Want some more\n\n We always save some\n\n Art nouveau\n\n For special patrons\n\n You look nice\n\n Do you believe in jazz\n\n Kansas City to Brazil\n\n It even gets you hot in you r home\n\n Kansas City to Brazil\n\n I say blow your top\n\n Blow your own \n\n Ooo ooo ah\n\n This be-bop's too much\n\n I know you know\n\n Hip hop \n\n Never stop\n\n I'll pour you tasty funk\n\n We got\n\n Cool and hot\n \n Just for you\n\n The pleasures of the soul\n\n Come on\n\n Come in\n\n And check it out\n\n Ooo c'est si bon\n\n Ooo ooo ah\n\n This be-bop's too much\n\n I know you know\n\n Hip hop\n\n Never stop\n\n I'll pour you tas ty funk\n\n We got\n\n Cool and hot\n\n Just for you\n\n The pleasures of the soul\n\n Come on\n\n Come in\n\n And check it out\n\n Soul food to go\ n\n Yeah\, yeah yeah...\n\n written by  Djavan Caetano Viana\n\n\n\n http s://youtu.be/vKFJK7q3t-M?si=q_au9G66J0QJtceg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Djavan Sou ld food to go \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Manhattan transfer cover\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250127 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Dungeons and Dragons\, Celts and Vikings DTSTAMP:20251023T203216Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:555-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n Dungeons and Dragons theme\n\n https://youtu.b e/8f-vCEaJZPQ?si=zdNib8GEXu-YdhWO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n intro\n\n ht tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHnsMKQJBDA\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The irish used slings mostly\, not bows and arrows. They didn't have a unified army\, nor was the terrain of ancient Ireland good for finding arrow hear s nor was the resources for bow making affordable. but Slings were. \n\n https://irishimbasbooks.com/bows-and-chariots-in-ancient-ireland-the-facts -and-the-fantasies/\n\n\n\n \n\n slings in history\n\n https://www.warhist oryonline.com/war-articles/sling-weaponry-ancient-warfare.html\n\n\n\n \n\ n staff sling\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSHD8RG_mSo\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n viking truth\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/514-viking-arche ry-truth-shadversity-larsanderson23/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251023 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Vesta Williams born DTSTAMP:20251022T232308Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:554-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Vesta Williams\n\n\n\n December 1st 1957 to Septemer 22nd 2011\n\n  \n\n\n\n Her work in the film Posse is so underrated\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Tell Me\n\n Written by Vesta Williams (as Vesta) and Louis Russ ell\n\n Performed by Vesta Williams (as Vesta)\n\n A&\;R [Direction] – Kevin Evans\n\n Acoustic Guitar – John Jorgenson\n\n Bass – Nathan East\n\n Drums – Harvey Mason\n\n Engineer [Assistant] – Nazeeh Islam \, Rajean DeGrandmaison\n\n Harp – Dino Soldo\n\n Keyboards\, Arranged B y – Tim Heintz\n\n Mixed By – Charlie Watts (2)\n\n Producer – Vesta *\n\n Producer [Additional] – Phillip Biff Vincent*\n\n Producer\, Keybo ards\, Arranged By\, Mixed By – Michael Eckert\n\n\n\n Lyrics \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Tell me\nwhat's on your mind \, baby\nTell Me\nIf the loving i s strong\nTell! Me!\nWhat's on your mind\, baby\nTell Me\nIf the loving is strong oh\nTell Me\nIf the loving is strong\nYou got!\nA simple way of ta lking to me baby\nYou got\nmy heart on a string\nYou! Got!\nthe simple way of loving me baby\nTell me\nThat you love me\, again!\nTell me\nThat you love me\, again!\nI got this funny \nfeeling\nDe-ep in-si-de\nThat tells m e \, you\, could love me\nEven mo-re\, an\nAnd I got to kno-w!\nYou got!\ nA simple way of loving me baby\nYou! got!\nMy heart on a stri-ng\nYou got !\nA simple way of loving me baby\nTell me!\nThat you\, want me\, again\nB aby baby baby\nTell me\nThat you\, want me\, again\nBaby baby baby baby\nT ell me \nthat you\, \nYo-[mellisma]-u!\nYo-[mellissma-scatting]-u!\nYou [S catting]\n[Scatting]\n[Scatting]\n[Scatting modulate through four octaves] \nTell me \nThat you\nTell me that you want me baby\nTell me that you need me baby\nTell me! ye-ah!\nTell me that you\nWant me\, again\nTell me\, th at you\nwant me\, again\n[Scatting]\n[Scatting two octaves]\n[Scatting fou r octaves]\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIVE\, lovely voice\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Special \n\n\n\n Lyrics from Vesta Williams\, Attala Za ne Giles\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ooh... oh... oh\nOoh... ooh...\nYeah\nOoh... o oh... ooh\nNever thought I'd find a lover\nWho could love me like no other \, Sugar\nNow I'm spellbound in your hands\nYou're more than twice a man\n And I love you\nThe more I'm in your arms the more I need you\nI look in y our eyes I feel you\nThe way you hold me\, feels so right\, (So right)\nTh e way you make me feel is oh so special\nMy baby and I just gotta let you know\, feels so right\nYou make me feel so special\, darlin'\nOn and on it \, gettin' stronger\nYou just make me feel so special\nNights of passion\, filled with moonlight\nMakes the moments with you so right\, baby\nYou ha ve made my life so grand\nDon't know how glad I am that I have your love\n The more I'm in your arms\, the more I need you\nNo matter where I am I fe el you\nThe way you kiss me it feels so good (So good)\nI love the way you make me feel so special\, darlin'\nAnd I just gotta let you know\nThat it feels so right\nYou make me feel so special\, darlin'\nOn and on feeling stronger\nOh... oh... oh... oh... oh\nOoh\, ooh\, yeah\n(Oh... oh... oh... )\nOoh\, the more I have your love\, the more I need you\nIf I had to chan ge the world\, I would to keep you\nThe way you love me\, don't ever stop (Oh\, oh)\nThere's no one who could make me feel so special\, baby\nAnd I just gotta let you know\nThat it feels so right\nYou make me feel so speci al\, baby\nOn and on gettin' stronger\nOh... oh... oh... oh... oh\nSpecial (Special)\nSpecial\, special (Yes\, you are\, baby)\nSpecial (Yeah)\nYou make me feel so special (You make me feel so good)\nSpecial (Baby)\nSpecia l (I\, I\, I\, I\, I\, I\, I\, I\, I) special\n(Special\, hey)\nYou make m e feel so special (Special\, baby\, ooh\, ooh)\nSpecial\, baby\,\nFeels so right you make me feel so special\n(Special\, baby\, bay\, oh\, oh)\nMy l ove (My love)\,\nAnd it feels so right when you oh\, oh\, oh\, oh\, oh\, o h)\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sweet Sweet Love\n\n\n\n Lyric s from Vesta Williams\, Attala Zane Giles\, William Matthew Osborne\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Oh-oh\, oh (oh-oh)\nOh\, oh (oh-oh)\nOh (ooh) oh-oh\nOoh\nI remember I was scared\nLove especially\nI fell in love with you\nStole my heart in such a way\nWhat you did to me\nCan't explain\n(How you kiss me) how you kiss me\n(When you kiss me) kiss me\n(Feel so good) baby\, it feel s so good\n(How you hold me) hold me\, babe\n(When you hold me) hold me\n( Love's so good) love's so good\nWell\, there are so many ways (so many thi ngs I do)\nI gotta make me feel just with your\nSweet\, sweet love (I love you\, yes\, I do)\nSweet\, sweet love (wanna spend my life with you)\nSwe et\, sweet love (I need you every day)\nSweet\, sweet love (you're in my h eart to stay)\nSweet\, sweet love (ooh)\nLove is wrong in many ways\nStood the test of time\nStronger everyday\nNo one loves me like you do\nI found in you love so true\, oh\n(How you touch me) touch me\, babe\n(When you t ouch me) touch me\n(Feel so good) oh\, it feels so good\n(There's no other ) there's no other\n(Other lover) other lover\n(You're so good) you're so good\nYou're all I ever wanted (all that I'll ever need)\nI'll ever need w ith your\nSweet\, sweet love (I love you\, yes I do\, oh)\nSweet\, sweet l ove (I wanna be right here with you\, baby)\nSweet\, sweet love (you're in my heart to stay)\nSweet\, sweet love (I love you more every day)\nSweet\ , sweet love (oh\, yeah)\nOh\, oh (oh\, oh) oh\, oh\nOoh\nYou're all I eve r wanted (all that I ever need)\nAll that I ever need\nWith your (sweet\, sweet love) oh\nBaby\, baby (sweet\, sweet love)\nI need your sweet\, swee t love\, oh\, yeah (sweet\, sweet love)\nOh\, all that I ever need (sweet\ , sweet love)\nYou're all I ever need\, yeah (sweet\, sweet love)\nYou're my baby (oh)\, sweet\, sweet love (yeah)\nYou're my honey (oh)\, sweet\, s weet love (yeah)\nYou're my baby (hey)\, sweet\, sweet love\nSweet\, sweet love (oh\, baby your)\nYou're my baby (my baby)\, sweet\, sweet love (my sweet)\nYou're my honey (honey\, yeah)\, sweet\, sweet love\nYou're my bab y (oh\, oh)\, sweet\, sweet love\nSweet\, sweet love (oh\, yeah)\nOh-oh\, oh-oh\, oh-oh-oh (ooh)\nSweet\, sweet love (sweet baby)\nOh-oh-oh-oh (swee t\, sweet love)\nSweet love\, ooh\, ooh\nSweet\, sweet love (oh\, yeah\, y ou sweet little\, boy)\nYou're my baby\, sweet\, sweet love\n\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Congratulations\n\n\n\n Lyrics from  Vesta Williams\,Tena Clark\,Gary Prim\n\n\n\n Saw an old friend on the street\nShe said today's your wedding\nMy heart stopped\nThe tears dropped \nSaw my whole life pass me by\nI had to see you\, baby\nI never ran so fa st before\nI rushed inside the chapel door\nYou were waitin' all alone\nYo u turned around and heard me call\nCongratulations\nI thought it would hav e been me\nStandin' here with you\nCongratulations\nI hope you're happy\n' Cause as long as I can breathe\nYou'll always be the one for me\, oh-oh\nW hy was I the last to know?\nI thought that we were special\nMy soul shakes \nMy heart breaks\nAs I turn and walk away\nI can't believe it's over\nWe really never said goodbye\nThought we'd give it one more try\nFelt our lov e was here to stay\nAnd now today's your wedding day\nCongratulations\nI t hought it would have been me\nStandin' here with you\nCongratulations\nI h ope you're happy\n'Cause as long as I can breathe\nYou'll always be the on e for me\, oh\nCongratulations\, baby\nI hope she makes you happy\nBecause you didn't even say goodbye\, and hey\nI thought it should have been me\, oh-oh-oh\nBut as long as I can breathe\nYou'll always be the one for me\n 'Cause as long as I can breathe\nYou'll always be the one for me\nCongratu lations\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Once Bitten Twice Shy\n\n\n\n Lyrics from Vesta Williams\, Dean Paul Gant\n\n\n\n You r name is Dracula\nYou suck the life right out of me\nWith a thing called reality\nWhy didn't I fall for you?\nYou took my space and made it yours\n Now my mind's playin' tricks on me\nWho's to blame?\nI'm havin' a dream\, I can't wake up\nThat's what I keep tellin' myself\, oho\, oho\nThere's no shame\nIn losin' control\, I'm crackin' up\nThat's what the doctors keep tellin' me\nI keep screamin'\nOnce bitten\, twice shy\nKeep one eye open f or the bad guy\nI keep screamin'\nOnce bitten\, twice shy\nAnd be suspicio us when the moon's high\nYour eyes are cold as ice\nI feel them starin' st raight through me\nWith a hint of intensity\nWhy must it be this way?\nWhy am I here tied up today?\nIn a room full of past [Incomprehensible]\nWho' s to blame?\nI'm havin' a dream\, I can't wake up\nThat's what I keep tell in' myself\, oho\, oho\nThere's no shame\nIn losin' control\, I'm crackin' up\nThat's what the doctors keep tellin' me\nI keep screamin'\nOnce bitte n\, twice shy\nKeep one eye open for the bad guy\nI keep screamin'\nOnce b itten\, twice shy\nAnd be suspicious when the moon's high\, high\, high\, yeah\nWho's to blame?\nI'm havin' a dream\, I can't wake up\nThat's what I keep tellin' myself\, oho\, oho\nThere's no shame\nIn losin' control\, I' m crackin' up\nThat's what the doctors keep tellin' me\nI keep screamin'\n Once bitten\, twice shy\nKeep one eye open for the bad guy\nI keep screami n'\nOnce bitten\, twice shy\nAnd be suspicious when the moon's high\, high \nOnce bitten\, twice shy\nOnce bitten\, twice shy\n(You took my love and made me crazy)\n(Now everything's so hazy)\nOnce bitten\, twice shy\n(Ooh\ , you know you're no good\, you're no good\, no)\nOnce bitten\, twice shy\ nOnce bitten\, twice shy\n(Your name is Dracula)\n(You chained me up and l ocked my gate to you)\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n She is the background voice on Anita Baker's \"You Bring Me Joy\"\, it was not written by someon e black.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ride of Your Life\n\n Written by Mario Van Pee bles\n\n Performed by Vesta Williams (as Vesta)\n\n A&\;R [Direction] – Kevin Evans\n\n Engineer [Assistant] – Rajean DeGrandmaison\n\n Mix ed By – Charlie Watts (2)\n\n Producer – Mario Van Peebles\n\n Produce r [Additional] – Phillip Biff Vincent*\n\n Producer\, Keyboards – Mich ael Eckert\n\n\n\n Lyrics\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I WILL HAVE TO MAKE IT MYSELF \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251201 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Relaxing Sudowoodo for Shoebox Charity 2025 DTSTAMP:20251022T072243Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:552-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Relaxing Sudowoodo for Shoebox Charity 2025\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Relaxing-Sudowoodo-for-Shoebox-Charity-202 5-1255345616\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The following is only the front image\, th e coloring page\, the colored page\, as well as the image for the charity is within\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:THE PROMOTION  DTSTAMP:20251022T070534Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:551-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n THE PROMOTION \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ art/THE-PROMOTION-1255339028\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY: Giant Pseudozombie Manual Mobile Fortress for #ghostsofgal leriespast DTSTAMP:20251022T061646Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:550-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Giant  Pseudozombie Manual Mobile Fortress for #ghostsof galleriespast\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Giant-Pseudozom bie-Manual-Mobile-Fortress-1255330430\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Original Image\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Never Really Sucked at THis DTSTAMP:20251022T055700Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:549-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Never Really Sucked At This challenge is to take the earl iest work you have in deviantart and redo it. The earliest work I did is a graphite\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Never-Really-Sucked -Pea-In-The-Pod-1255327428\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Ori ginal\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Machine Stories - completed DTSTAMP:20251022T053418Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:548-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Machine Stories is about my view towards machines/robots/ programs/true artificial intelligence/androids.  How they exist from thei r own truth and align to humans in various settings. I think of lot of fic tion assumes the machine is merely a metal mirror to humanity and I oppose that position. \n\n\n\n A prequel was this stageplay. It isn't a machine story but the machine character was one of the initiators of this path.\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Onto-the-53rd-Annual-President -s-Play-950123510\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The five works are\n\n\n\n Trilog Nat ivity- Three machines each with a common logical pursuit are about a nurse ry of machines\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Trilog-Nativit y-1139317762\n\n Steps To The Heart - A machines desire for a rare logical pursuit involves a human man\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art /Steps-To-The-Heart-1255316447\n\n It's a Wonderful Future- A solitary mac hine embracing its species evolution. \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdd eviant/art/It-s-a-Wonderful-Future-1255317599\n\n A Dialog Of Extrasolence - A machine protects humanity from itself\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/h ddeviant/art/A-Dialog-Of-Extrasolence-1255318839\n\n The Asteroid of Dr Ma kup- In a remote place a test awaits for humanity\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/art/The-Asteroid-of-Dr-Makup-1255323268\n\n  \n\n\n\n   \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251022 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ballad of the Harp Weaver by Edna St. Vincent Millay publish ed in Vanity Fair June 1922 DTSTAMP:20251019T004010Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:547-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n THE BALLAD OF THE HARP-WEAVER\n\n\n\n by  Edna St. Vinc ent Millay\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Son\,\" said my mother\,\n\n When I was kn ee-high\,\n\n \"You've need of clothes to cover you\,\n\n And not a rag ha ve I.\n\n\n\n \"There's nothing in the house\n\n To make a boy breeches\,\ n\n Nor shears to cut a cloth with\n\n Nor thread to take stitches.\n\n\n\ n \"There's nothing in the house\n\n But a loaf-end of rye\,\n\n And a har p with a woman's head\n\n Nobody will buy\,\"\n\n And she began to cry.\n\ n\n\n That was in the early fall.\n\n When came the late fall\,\n\n \"Son\ ,\" she said\, \"the sight of you\n\n Makes your mother's blood crawl\,— \n\n\n\n \"Little skinny shoulder-blades\n\n Sticking through your clothes !\n\n And where you'll get a jacket from\n\n God above knows.\n\n\n\n \"It 's lucky for me\, lad\,\n\n Your daddy's in the ground\,\n\n And can't see the way I let\n\n His son go around!\"\n\n And she made a queer sound.\n\ n\n\n That was in the late fall.\n\n When the winter came\,\n\n I'd not a pair of breeches\n\n Nor a shirt to my name.\n\n\n\n I couldn't go to scho ol\,\n\n Or out of doors to play.\n\n And all the other little boys\n\n Pa ssed our way.\n\n\n\n \"Son\,\" said my mother\,\n\n \"Come\, climb into m y lap\,\n\n And I'll chafe your little bones\n\n While you take a nap.\"\n \n\n\n And\, oh\, but we were silly\n\n For half an hour or more\,\n\n Me with my long legs\n\n Dragging on the floor\,\n\n\n\n A-rock-rock-rocking\ n\n To a mother-goose rhyme!\n\n Oh\, but we were happy\n\n For half an ho ur's time!\n\n\n\n But there was I\, a great boy\,\n\n And what would folk s say\n\n To hear my mother singing me\n\n To sleep all day\,\n\n In such a daft way?\n\n\n\n Men say the winter\n\n Was bad that year\;\n\n Fuel wa s scarce\,\n\n And food was dear.\n\n\n\n A wind with a wolf's head\n\n Ho wled about our door\,\n\n And we burned up the chairs\n\n And sat upon the floor.\n\n\n\n All that was left us\n\n Was a chair we couldn't break\,\n \n And the harp with a woman's head\n\n Nobody would take\,\n\n For song o r pity's sake.\n\n\n\n The night before Christmas\n\n I cried with the col d\,\n\n I cried myself to sleep\n\n Like a two-year-old.\n\n\n\n And in th e deep night\n\n I felt my mother rise\,\n\n And stare down upon me\n\n Wi th love in her eyes.\n\n\n\n I saw my mother sitting\n\n On the one good c hair\,\n\n A light falling on her\n\n From I couldn't tell where\,\n\n\n\n Looking nineteen\,\n\n And not a day older\,\n\n And the harp with a woma n's head\n\n Leaned against her shoulder.\n\n\n\n Her thin fingers\, movin g\n\n In the thin\, tall strings\,\n\n Were weav-weav-weaving\n\n Wonderfu l things.\n\n\n\n Many bright threads\,\n\n From where I couldn't see\,\n\ n Were running through the harp-strings\n\n Rapidly\,\n\n\n\n And gold thr eads whistling\n\n Through my mother's hand.\n\n I saw the web grow\,\n\n And the pattern expand.\n\n\n\n She wove a child's jacket\,\n\n And when i t was done\n\n She laid it on the floor\n\n And wove another one.\n\n\n\n She wove a red cloak\n\n So regal to see\,\n\n \"She's made it for a king' s son\,\"\n\n I said\, \"and not for me.\"\n\n But I knew it was for me.\n \n\n\n She wove a pair of breeches\n\n Quicker than that!\n\n She wove a p air of boots\n\n And a little cocked hat.\n\n\n\n She wove a pair of mitte ns\,\n\n She wove a little blouse\,\n\n She wove all night\n\n In the stil l\, cold house.\n\n\n\n She sang as she worked\,\n\n And the harp-strings spoke\;\n\n Her voice never faltered\,\n\n And the thread never broke.\n\n And when I awoke\,—\n\n\n\n There sat my mother\n\n With the harp again st her shoulder\n\n Looking nineteen\n\n And not a day older\,\n\n\n\n A s mile about her lips\,\n\n And a light about her head\,\n\n And her hands i n the harp-strings\n\n Frozen dead.\n\n\n\n And piled up beside her\n\n An d toppling to the skies\,\n\n Were the clothes of a king's son\,\n\n Just my size.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://en.wikisource.org/wik i/The_Harp-Weaver/The_Ballad_of_the_Harp-Weaver\n\n\n\n LARGER REFERRAL\n\ n\n\n https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Harp-Weaver\n\n\n\n BACKSTORY\n\n \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_St._Vincent_Millay\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250601 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Jerry Lawson's birthday DTSTAMP:20251018T235303Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:546-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n He was born 1940 December 1st\n\n\n\n To learn more click the link to the Black Games Elite post or just read on\n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/341-jerry-lawson-82nd-2022-december-1st/\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n CONTENT\n\n\n\n Jerry Lawson\n\n\n\n Play and Create a game\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n https://g.co/doodle/pky25gd\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n VIDEOS OFT a company he founded\n\n\n\n https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/ articles/videosoft/videosoft.html\n\n\n\n from the website above\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ATARI VCS/2600 VideoSoft\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lytle\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Back on December 15th\, 2010\, Scott Stilphen announced that not only had 6 \"long lost\" Atari VCS prototype games by VideoSoft been found\, bu t that 100 boxed copies of each were available to buy! In February of 2011 \, I wrote up reviews of all 6 games (which can be found on this site - li nks are at the end).\n\n \n\n Of the three non-3D games\, they claim that two of the three - Atom Smasher and S.A.C. Alert - are complete. I conside r all three of three non-3D games complete. The game\, Depth Charge was su pposed to also have a second level that was similar to Sega's Sub Scan 3D (minus the 3D). This game can stand on it's own as a completed game. You c an make your own decision on this. All three non 3D games were fun. I enjo yed them and I will continue to play these games for quite some time.\n\n \n\n As far as the 3D games are concerned\, first and foremost Genesis 3D is a great little game. The 3D was decent\, and it was in the same game pl ay vein as Tempest. This is the only 3D game that was also considered comp leted. It has a decent replay value because it was challenging and fast-pa ced. It was a lot of fun to play the Ghost Attack 3D game. I really wish t his title would have been completed back in the early 80s\, but I'm really happy the fact that the people who put this together went ahead and made a menu driven 16K multi-cart and put all three levels on it for the sake o f completeness. That made it worth the hefty price tag it carries. There i s a little replay value with this title. The third 3D title\, Havoc 3D\, w ould have been a great title had it been completed. Unfortunately\, due to the fact that you can only play this game once and have to reset it\, it doesn't give it a lot of replay value. The 3D games are a really cool set of games/demos. They are more of a novelty set of games\, something differ ent and fresh.\n\n \n\n As for the 3D effect\, I find that if the room is dark and I sit approx 7 feet away from my 36-inch regular CRT TV\, I can s ee the 3D effect. There are so many things that can play a factor in 'seei ng' the 3D effect\, (or messing it up)\, so it's not going to work for eve ryone. Many things play a factor in getting the 3D effect to work properly . People's vision (or lack of)\, the type of screen you are using (CRT\, L ED\, LCD\, Plasma\, Monitor)\, brightness and contrast of the screen you a re using\, and the brightness in the room. It took me a while testing diff erent things to get this right with the different games\, so I don't think of this as something that will work for everyone. Some people are going t o try one title\, it may not work for them and they are going to throw the game in their collection and say\, \"The 3D sucked\; it didn't work\". Th at's to be expected. If you aren't willing to try some different combinati ons\, you may have issues. In all fairness\, this isn't exactly Disney/Pix ar's REAL3D that you see in the theatres these days. It was tricky to see the red/blue 3D in the theaters back in the 70s and 80s (I remember Creatu re from the Black Lagoon this way) but it did work.\n\n \n\n Still\, I bel ieve these titles are absolutely worthy of any collector's shelf. I know t hat they are steeper in price individually as opposed to other titles\, but purchased as a set\, not so much. If you buy as a set it's the equiva lence to buying a $35.00 game and paying $5.00 priority shipping\, per tit le\, (or $40.00 a title shipped)\, which isn't that bad. If your budget do esn't allow for it\, grab one or two or wait for the ROM images to be rele ased.\n\n \n\n I would like to thank all of the people who made these titl es available to the public possible after being buried for all these years . A find of this magnitude (c’mon SIX titles!!!) is a once in a lifetime thing. Especially considering that the people who programmed these titles \, Jerry Lawson to name one\, is a classic gaming icon and did a lot of go od things for the CG community. These were the first 2600 titles to attemp t a blue/red 3D effect and for the technology they were working with at th e time\, this isn't all that bad. As for the question of\, \"Why didn't th ey finish the other titles before they released them?\" Who wouldn't have wanted that to happen? But that isn't as practical as it sounds\, that alo ne could have driven the cost up even more and taken years more to release . I can appreciate it being released as the original author left it at the time. As far as I’m concerned\, we got four completed games and two pla yable demos. I\, for one\, am a very happy camper. I purchased two complet e sets (#5 and #99) - one for the collection and one to play.\n\n \n\n Che ck out my reviews of each game\, and 2600 Connection's video footage of ea ch:\n\n\n\n 3-D Genesis\n\n 3-D Ghost Attack\n\n 3-D Havoc\n\n Atom Smashe r\n\n Depth Charge\n\n S.A.C. Alert\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https:// www.ataricompendium.com/archives/reviews/3d_genesis.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n 3-D Genesis\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lytle\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I really like this game. It is a bit of a Tempest clone. Set in the future\, the planet is o verrun with huge insects that fight for survival. The enemy has been pushe d into a deep crevice. You are the scorpion like warrior that must battle the oncoming waves of insects and destroy anything that crawls out of the deep void to threaten the planet. The select button will chose a one or tw o player game and fire to start. You control the scorpion like creature mu ch like the 'crawler' in Tempest. You must fire upon any insects trying to crawl out of the void. Moving left or right will maneuver your player aro und the outer edge of the playfield. Enemies will climb up the walls towar ds you. If one reaches the outer rim\, it can knock a section of the outsi de wall away. If you move over that area\, you will fall into the pit! The re is also a creature that's called a 'rail snail' that shows as a yellow section of grid of the outer rim of the void and is constantly moving arou nd the edges that you must contend with. It will kill you if you touch it\ , but for a brief second prior to it changing direction\, it will emit a c ouple tones and you can touch it\, which gives you the ability to either: fill in one of the sections of the grid that the other insects tore away a nd bridge the gap so you can continue along the rail\, or it will give you a one-time immunity from being touched by another one of the insects. Use it however you feel is best. You get three lives per game\, and when you touch another creature\, you fall into the void and lose one life. You wil l also lose a life if you accidentally fall into the void due to the 'rail snail' removing a section of the grid. There are 8 waves to defeat\, and after each wave\, your wave counter will flash letting you know that you c leared that wave. After the 8 waves\, the game continues on\, though your counter never goes higher than 8 waves. The game is a lot of fun\, it's pr etty frantic. The 3D effect is pretty good\, the enemies scale from small to big the closer they get to help give it the needed effect. Good sounds accompany the action. It has decent graphics and great game play. This def initely has a good replay value.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/reviews/3d_ghost_attack.ht ml\n\n\n\n 3-D Ghost Attack\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lytle\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is one of the games that I would have absolutely loved to have been compl eted and released back in the day. This game was going to be a three level game. Thankfully\, all three levels of this game were included in one car t making it a 16k cart for completeness. A nice menu allows you to cycle b etween each level you want to play. You can start on level one and work yo ur way to the third level or play each level individually. The first level you start outside the haunted mansion. There are ghosts moving back and f orth throughout the mansion and you have to shoot them all to move on to l evel two. As you press the fire button\, it will flash where you are shoot ing on the screen so you know where you are aiming. Moving the joystick ei ght ways will move your gun sites around the screen. The second level take s place in the graveyard where once again\, you must shoot all the ‘nast ies’ and then proceed to level three. Level three you are staring into t he portal to the ghost world. You must shoot as many specters as possible before they escape into our world. This pretty much ends your tour of the haunted mansion. Ok 3D effects\, the third level ghosts scale towards you to help the effect. Cool sound effects\, cool graphics\, ok replay value a nd ok game play.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/reviews/3d_havoc.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 3-D Havoc\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lytle\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This would have a very promising 3D asteroids type game. Looking out of the ship's fr ont view\, you are to blast as many asteroids as possible. Once you've bla sted approximately a dozen asteroids\, you will start the next level of th e game. This is a first-person perspective scenario that looks like you ar e flying through a tunnel. Once you blast a few more asteroids\, you get a \"HERO\" screen with a bunch of shipmates jumping up and down congratulat ing you on your successful mission. Unfortunately this is where the game p retty much ends. You start the tunnel level. You can shoot\, but you can n ot hit anything. The difficulty switch will cycle your shields either on o r off. The manual states that the gauges at the bottom of the screen unfor tunately do not work. There is a Fuel\, GRed\, and Shield gauge. There als o looks like at the top of the screen some type of scanner that doesn't ap pear to work. It cycles colors as the game continues\, but this may have b een something that just wasn't completed in the game. This could have just been there for special effects. Not sure. The 3D in this game is alright\ , some scaling. Decent sounds and graphics\, game play is ok and has a lit tle replay value.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/reviews/atom_smasher.html\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Atom Smasher\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lytle\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now this is a unique game.  This is a one or two player game.  You can opt f or: player vs. player\, player vs. computer\, and even computer vs. comput er!  In the Atomic Arena\, you and a partner take on unstable atomic part icles.  The object of the game is to blast these atomic particles out of the arena's moving doors and score points.  If you get touched by one of these\, you start to 'melt'.  You can melt several times before it's ‘A dios Muchachos’.  If you succeed moving the particles out of the arena\ , you move to the next level of the game.  In this arena you will simply struggle to survive.  You can only move vertically along the walls of the arena to avoid contact with the atoms.  Whatever your condition is from the first level will carry on to this level.  This adds a little more cha llenge to this level.  Hang in as long as you can to make it past this le vel.  Left hand players rejoice! At the main screen you have the option o f picking 'right-handed or left-handed player' via the Difficulty switches which is very unique\, I believe a 2600 first.  Said and done\, this is a fun and challenging game.  It has good game play\, good sound and graph ics and a good replay value.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/reviews/depth_charge.html\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Depth Charge\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lytle\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is a solid sea battle style game. The point of view is through the glass of a periscope. Once again\, the controls are tight\, and handle pretty go od. The Select button will cycle through game variations. You can choose b etween guided or fixed torpedoes and the number of torpedoes you start wit h can be 30\, 60\, or 90. You control the crosshairs of the targeting sigh t. When you press fire\, the crosshairs appear\, when you release the fire button your torpedoes tear through the water towards the enemy. Blow up t he ships and you score points. Some ships are fast\, others are slow. Some will sink with one correctly placed shot and some take multiple shots to destroy. You have a status section at the bottom of the screen that displa ys information showing when you are Ready\, Armed\, Fired and Loading. Hol ding the fire button down will cycle between your score and how many torpe does you have left. Once you are depleted of your torpedoes\, \"00\" will be displayed and you will hear a loud tone. That is when the game comes to an end. At this point even though you can control your crosshairs\, you a re simply waiting for the next cruiser to finish you off. The game will al so end if you are blown out of the water\, displayed by a beautiful explos ion\, and then it's\, \"You sank my battleship!\" Good game play\, sound i s good\, graphics are good and has a decent replay value.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/r eviews/sac_alert.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S.A.C. Alert\n\n\n\n By Daryl Lyt le\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is a cool arcade flight combat game. Handles re ally good\, controls are tight. It’s a one player game. Hit select switc h to cycle between land and sea missions. Once you take off\, you take on both ground and air targets. You can see your bullets rip into enemies. Pl anes not only come straight at you\, but also zoom across the screen. Ther e are ground targets you can engage\, tanks\, factories\, ground to air mi ssiles\, ships\, etc. When you see the landing strip on the ground (or in the sea missions\, a carrier) head right for it and you can land to refuel and repair your jet. The next level begins over new territory\, terrain c hanges and ground enemies can fire at you. You have a small HUD that shows Altitude\, Score and Fuel. Warning lights on the left and right side of t he HUD flash and sound off when necessary\, i.e. if you get too low in alt itude and might crash\, or if your fuel gets below 20 units or when your j et takes on too much damage. Enemy hits show on your cockpit glass. If you crash\, the screen turns black and you can replay that mission\, if you h ave remaining jets. When the game ends\, you get ranked\, \"Crew\, Pilot\, Ace\" and rated \"0-9\". Good game play\, sound is above par\, graphics a re solid. Has a good replay value.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n INTERVIEW WITH LAWSON\n\n\n\n  https://www.vintagecomputing.com/ index.php/archives/545/vcg-interview-jerry-lawson-black-video-game-pioneer \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VC&\;G Interview: Jerry Lawson\, Black Video Game Pioneer\n\nFebruary 24th\, 2009 by Benj Edwards\n\nIn late 2006\, I recei ved a large collection of vintage computer magazines from a friend. For da ys I sat on my office floor and thumbed through nearly every issue\, findi ng page after page of priceless historical information. One day\, while ra pidly flipping through a 1983 issue of Popular Computing\, I encountered a photo that stopped me dead in my tracks.\n\nThere I discovered\, among a story on a new computer business\, a picture of a black man. It might seem crazy\, but after reading through hundreds of issues of dozens of publica tions spanning four decades\, it was the first time I had ever seen a phot ograph of a black professional in a computer magazine. Frankly\, it shocke d me — not because a black man was there\, but because I had never noti ced his absence.\n\nThat discovery sent my mind spinning with questions\, chiefly among them: Why are there so few African-Americans in the electron ics industry? Honestly\, I didn’t know any black engineers or scientists to ask. I tried to track down the man in the magazine\, but all my leads ended up nowhere. I’d have to put the matter aside and wait for another opportunity to address the issue.\n\nFast forward a few months later\, and I’m standing on the showroom floor of Vintage Computer Festival 9.0. A s I spend a few minutes thumbing through a vendor’s large array of cartr idges for sale\, I hear a voice from behind.\n\n“Do you have any Videoso ft cartridges? Color Bar Generator?”\n\nI turn around and notice a larg e black man in a wheelchair\, hair graying at the edges. He seems out of p lace. I scan the crowd — yep\, he’s the only black guy here. Fascina ting — what’s his story? Instead of bumbling through a few impromptu q uestions and making a fool out of myself\, I decide to research his identi ty first.\n\nAs it turns out\, the man I encountered that day was Gerald A. Lawson (aka Jerry)\, co-creator of the world’s first cartridge-based video game system\, the Fairchild Channel F. Naturally\, he was attendin g VCF 9 to give a presentation called\, “The Story of the Fairchild Chan nel F Video Game System.”\n\nJerry Lawson (L) discusses Fairchild Channe l F schematics at VCF 9.0.\n\nBeing one of only two black men (I know of) deeply involved in the industry’s earliest days\, Jerry Lawson is a stan dout figure in video game and computer history. He’s a self-taught elect ronics genius who\, with incredible talents\, audacity\, and strong guidan ce from his parents\, managed to end up at the top of his profession despi te the cultural tides flowing against him.\n\nGrowing up in America\, a la nd of endless diversity\, we tend to fall into certain cultural grooves — well-defined paths of cultural history — that both unite and separat e us. We get comfortable with those grooves and use them as the basis of o ur assumptions about behavior within certain age groups\, socioeconomic cl asses\, and ethnicities. Despite this ingrained cultural momentum\, there are still people who manage to skip those grooves and chart their own cour se\, ignoring any conventions that get in their way. Jerry Lawson is one o f them\, and he’s got an important story to tell.\n\nThis interview took place on February 6th\, 2009 over the telephone.\n\n[Update (04/11/2011):  Jerry Lawson passed away on April 9\, 2011 at the age of 70.]\n\n[Upda te (2015): Read my in-depth account of the creation of the Fairchild Cha nnel F and the invention of the video game cartridge at FastCompany.]\n\n [Update (2017): If you enjoy this interview\, check out my interview wit h Ed Smith\, another early black video game pioneer.]\n\nEarly Life\n\nBen j Edwards: For history’s sake\, when and where were you born?\n\nJerry Lawson: December 1940. I grew up in Queens\, New York City.\n\nBE: How d id you get into electronics?\n\nJL: I started very young. I went to schoo l\, but I was an amateur radio guy when I was thirteen. I was always a sci ence guy since I was a little kid.\n\nBE: Do you have a family history in engineering?\n\nJL: I found out only later in life that my grandfather w as a physicist. Because he was black\, the only place he could work was th e post office. He was a postmaster. He went to some school in the south — I don’t know which one it was.\n\nBE: Did your father do anything l ike that too?\n\nJL: My father was a brilliant man\, but he was a longsho reman. He could work three days a week on the docks and make as much money as most people did in six days. He was a science bug — he used to read everything about science.\n\nBE: He probably encouraged you to do experim enting when you were a kid.\n\nJL: Yeah\, he did. In fact\, some of the t oys I had as a child were quite unusual. Kids in the neighborhood would co me see my toys\, because my dad would spend a lot of time giving me someth ing\, like the Irish Mail. The Irish Mail was a hand car that operated on the ground. It was all metal\, and you could sit on it. You steered it wi th your feet\, and it had a bar in the front\, and the bar with a handle. You’d crank it\, and it would give you forward or backward motivation\, depending on which way you start with it.\n\nI was probably the only kid i n the neighborhood who knew how to operate it\, so I used to leave it out all night sometimes. I’d find it down the block\, but no one would take it\, because they didn’t know how to operate it.\n\nBE: So that must ha ve been in the 1940s then.\n\nJL: It was in the ’40s\, yep. I also had an amateur radio station in the housing project in Jamaica\, New York. Wha t happened was\, I tried to get my license\, and the management wouldn’t sign for it. And it was really hard for me as a kid to research literatur e and the public things I could find\, but I found that it said if you liv ed in a federal housing project\, you didn’t need their permission. Hot diggity! So I got my license\, passed the test\, and I built a station in my room. I had an antenna hanging out the window.\n\nI also made walkie-ta lkies\; I used to sell those. I did a bunch of things as a kid. My first l ove started out as chemistry\, and then I ended up switching over to elect ronics\, and I continued on and even got a first class commercial license — in fact\, I worked a little while in a radio station as chief engineer .\n\nBE: Did you attend college?\n\nJL: Yes\, I did. I went to Queens Co llege\, and I also went to CCNY.\n\nBE: Did you study electronics there?\ n\nJL: Before I had studied electronics\, I had pretty much been into ele ctronics all the way around. When I was 16 or 17 years old\, I used to rep air TVs at different shops I would go to. I did what they called “dealer ship work.” And I used to also fix TVs by making house calls. It was a p lace that had opened up in Jamaica\, New York that was called Lafayette Ra dio. And I used to spend almost every Saturday at Lafayette Radio. Lafayet te Radio was a huge electronics store. They had tube testers\, capacitors\ , resistors — you name it\, they had it. And my mother used to give me a small allowance\, and I’d go down and buy parts.\n\nThere were two othe r electronics stores — one was called Peerless\, and the other was calle d Norman Radio. My budget would say\, well\, I could only afford a capacit or this week\, so I’d buy a capacitor. I could only afford a socket\, an d I’d save my money up for a socket. How ’bout a tube? And I ended up building my transmitter from scratch.\n\nFirst Computer Encounters\n\nBE:  What was the first computer you ever used?\n\nJL: The first computer I ever used was known as the [Forest?] 65L. It was the world’s first milit arized\, solid-state computer. It was designed by ITT\, and I went to a tr aining school for it. Built inside a mountain. They were like the push-but ton war machines you see in the movies. Remember the movie Fail-Safe? That was that machine.\n\nBE: What brought you to see that computer?\n\nJL:  I was working for Federal Electric — ITT. Federal Electric was their div ision of field sales people that went around different parts of the world and did developments and projects. I was hired by them originally to go to Newfoundland to put a radar set back online — to finish the installatio n and adapt the modifications so it could be put online and used. My first love was imagery and radar. Computers were simple stuff.\n\nBE: To fast forward a little bit\, before I get off your history with computers\, do y ou remember the first personal computer you ever used in the 1970s?\n\nJL:  Two of them — that is funny\, because I had an Altair. And before that \, I also had — Fairchild gave me a DEC PDP-8. I put the PDP-8 back int o work. In fact\, the PDP-8 is a story in itself — that ended up running a school in my garage. With the PDP-8\, I had two tape units\, the tape c ontroller\, a high speed tape reader\, and all the maintenance boards and backup spares for it. My garage became a service depot.\n\nDEC said I had the only operating PDP-8 — straight 8 — west of the Mississippi. And t hey asked me if they could run classes in my garage on it. As a result — my PDP-8 had a control unit on it called the TC01. And the TC01 didn’t have all the maintenance updates on it. They said it would cost about ten grand to update it\, and I said\, “Well heck\, I’m not paying ten gr and.” So they said — for them having the class in my garage with the g uys there — they would do the updates for free. They did. The whole upda tes for free.\n\nMy neighbor came over one day\, and the funniest part of it was he walked in\, and — it was not just the computer\, it was the co mputer and all the stuff that went with it. The unit itself was about\, oh \, eight feet by six feet\, and about three feet deep. And it sat in my ga rage\, and I even ran a special power line to it. And he walked in one day and he saw it running\, and it was running what we called the exercise ro utine\, which was a maintenance routine I used to run on it. And he saw th ese tape reels running back and forth\, and lights going on and off\, and he looked at me and he said\, “Is that what I think it is?” I said\, “What do you think it is?” He said\, “Is that a computer?”\n\ n“Yeah.”\n\nAnd he said\, “You got a computer in your garage?” \n\n“Yeah.”\n\n“Did you get one when you bought the house?” [laugh s]\n\nBE: What year was that?\n\nJL: That was ’72\, I think — ’7 0 or ’72\, around in there.\n\nBE: That’s really early for having a c omputer in your garage.\n\nJL: I had an ASR-33 teletype machine too. Th at was the output for it — printer input and output. And my daughter use d to love to come in run this one little thing — she knew how to hook th e speaker next to the data line\, and it played a song. She would go load that in — and she new how to load it — so it would play that song.\n\ nBE: Did you play any games on it?\n\nJL: Lunar Lander. It was all text\ , no graphics.\n\nEarly Electronics Career\n\nBE: Take me through your ea rly electronics career. Besides ITT\, where else did you work before Fairc hild?\n\nJL: I worked for Grumman Aircraft\, Federal Electric\, and PRD E lectronics.\n\nPRD Electronics was the job I went to when I left New York. That was a computerized test facility called [VAS]\, and we used the 1218 UNIVAC Computer. I went to programming school for the 1218\, and we wrote software for it\, and we all wrote a part of it which was a compiler that we called VTRAN.\n\nI used to hate programming. It was a drudgery I reall y hated to do. We had two methods of writing programs: one was what we cal led “ELP\,” an English language program\, then we had to convert it to a thing called VTRAN\, which was our own language we developed.\n\nI work ed for PRD about 4-5 years\, I guess\, and I transferred to a company call ed Kaiser Electronics\, which was out in Palo Alto.\n\nBE: When you were working for Grumman and those places\, was that on the East Coast\, or had you already gone to California?\n\nJL: On the East Coast. When I went to Kaiser\, that was the first time I went west.\n\nBE: What what was Kaise r’s main business?\n\nJL: Kaiser was doing military electronics — par ticularly the displays. They did the head’s up display (HUD) for the A-6 A Grumman aircraft. They also did the VDI\, which was the vertical display indicator. The HUD was a system that shined on the pilot’s canopy so yo u wouldn’t have to watch the turn-bank indicator\, speed\, what have you . The vertical display indicator was something that was on the dash\, whic h was a scope tube\, like a TV image\, that let you see — for instance\, if you had plotted a course\, whether you were turning away from that cou rse\, whether you were on course\, whether you were flying upside down. Li ttle goodies. What the ground texture was. The HUD would just show you ins truments. The VDI would show you the ground return — in other words\, if it was jungle you were flying over\, or mountains.\n\nAfter Kaiser\, I ki cked around the semiconductor industry for a while. I was in between marke ting\, and I was also in engineering applications.\n\nBE: How were the jo b prospects for a black engineer in those days? Did your race affect that in any way?\n\nJL: Oh yeah\, it always did. It could be both a plus and a minus. Where it could be a plus is that\, in some regard\, you got a lot of\, shall we say\, eyes watching you. And as a result\, if you did good\, you did twice as good\, ’cause you got instant notoriety about it.\n\nC onsumer Electronics and Fairchild\n\nBE: Do you think that people in the aerospace industry and military defense had a lot of influence in computer development? Was there any cross-pollination between folks like you who w ent from working on military electronics to consumer products?\n\nJL: Yea h\, because what happened was we got to use technologies that were not\, s hall we say\, consumer-type stuff. But yet\, we were on the leading edge o f pushing the state of the art so that things would become more practical. For example: there was no [DB-9] connector for high volume use in compute rs. The DB-9 connector originally cost an arm and a leg. But when the comp uter and consumer industries came along\, it became plastic\, it became hi gher volume\, and it became a reality to use. Before then\, it was used in military all the time. That was a cross-over kind of a thing.\n\nThe semi conductor content got cheaper and cheaper because of volume. The military components were not that high volume\, but they were very stressful\, they were high-reliability parts. But however\, you take that same part and us e it over and over again in a consumer product — you know\, one of the t hings I used to always say\, I said\, “Military was good training for co nsumer\, because consumer products actually have to be stronger than milit ary.” Everybody said\, “Get out of here!” I said\, “Nah. Just thin k about it for a second.” I said\, “If I did a military product\, I ca n train the individual how to use it. If he decides to tamper\, destroy\, or mal-use it\, I can bring him up to charges\, can’t I? I can insist th at he reads\, that he’s trained in how to turn and turn it off\, right ?” They said\, “Yeah.” “Try that with a consumer.”\n\nBE: Inste ad they hit it with a hammer and dunk it in the toilet\, right?\n\nJL: Ye ah\, I’ll tell you what happened. The first year we put out the Fairchil d video game\, I made the mistake of going to work the day after Christmas . The day after Christmas in the consumer business is called “Hell day .” Why it’s called “Hell day” is because that is when everything c omes back to the store\, and the person couldn’t use it.\n\nSo I start g etting calls — there’s nobody in the factory except the guard and me . I’m there in the plant to take care of some paperwork. He starts trans ferring calls to me. They had one guy call me\, and he wanted to know wher e the batteries go. I said\, “There is no batteries.” He took the thin g apart looking for a battery in there!\n\nOne guy called up and said\, “Dog urine hurt the game.” The dog lifted his leg and peed on it!\n\nA nd one of the things that really cracked me up is that I was starting to g et really jaded by answering the phone\, right? One woman called up\, real ly irate\, and she said\, “My game hums! Do you know why?” And I s aid\, “‘Cause it doesn’t know the words\, lady.”\n\nBE: Good answ er.\n\nJL: And even the guard said\, “All right\, Jerry\, I won’t giv e you any more calls.” I said\, “That’s a good idea.” [laughs]\n\ nBE: That’s a great story. So how did you end up at Fairchild?\n\nJL:  Fairchild was gonna start this brand new thing called freelance engineerin g. They wanted somebody to be able to go around and help customers with de signs. I was available\, and they knew I was an apps guy. They gave me two opportunities. They said\, “You could either go inside in our linear de partment and work there in marketing\, or you can go in the field. If you go in the field\, it’s a brand new deal\; you’re the first guy.” And I said\, “Yeah\, I’ll take that.”\n\nWhen I was there for the first six months\, I said\, “You know\, there’s a problem here. The problem is that Fairchild is not known for being helpful for customers. And I’v e got an image to overcome: how the heck to break down that image they hav e.”\n\nMe and a sales guy got together\, and I wrote a proposal called “Take Fairchild to the Customer.” And the heart of that proposal was a 28-foot van — mobile home. And I wanted to tear it down and put in pro duct demos\, literature — a laboratory on wheels. They went for it. I we nt to a company called Formetrix\, and they built the inside of it\, and i t looked like something from James Bond. It even had a rear-projection scr een that came out of the ceiling. It turned out to be an overwhelming succ ess\, so they came back to me and said\, “We want you to do it again.” \n\nSo I went to FMC\, and they had a brand new coach they built. The rear -end was the Bradley differential for a tank. It had a 485 cubic inch engi ne\, a 50-gallon gas tank\, four air condition units\, and it drove like a car. The wheels were in tandem\, next to each other. That thing was somet hin’ else.\n\nOne time\, my daughter wanted to ride in it. I said\, “O h\, ok.” So I got her in it. The guys at FMC said they had just tried ou t a brand new cruise control for it. I said\, “Oh that’s nice.” They said\, “Let us know how you like it.”\n\nI got out on the highway and pushed the cruise control\; it took over. I went to disengage\, and it wo uldn’t disengage. And I went\, “Oh my god.” I slammed on the brakes\ , and it was riding the brakes. I came around\, and there was a truck and some cars parked at a light\, and I was trying to figure out which one of these vehicles I’m going to rear end\, right? Just then\, I reached down and pulled all the wiring out. It cut the engine off.\n\nI brought it bac k in a slow walk and said\, “You clowns.” And I told them what happene d and they said\, “Oh my God\, it didn’t disengage?” I said\, “N o.”\n\nThere at the Beginning — Atari and Apple\n\nBE: What year did you start working at Fairchild?\n\nJL: 1970\, I think.\n\nBE: What were Fairchild’s main products at the time?\n\nJL: Oh\, they had everything: memories\, linear devices. They had LED devices. They were a full-line se miconductor place. They even had a microprocessor they brought out called the F8\, which is the one I incorporated into the game. Two kinds of games : I made a game in my garage called Demolition Derby in oh\, ’73? ’7 2?\n\nBE: When you did that\, had you seen Pong or any other games?\n\n JL: When they started to work on Pong\, there was a gentleman — I went in to see him one time\, and he worked at a company called “Syzygy.” The guy’s name was Alan Alcorn. The name of the two other guys were Nol an Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was the beginning of Atari.\n\nBE: Did yo u know those guys?\n\nJL: Yep\, very well.\n\nBE: Did you help them with any projects?\n\nJL: Not really — I tried to sell Alan a character gen erator. He showed me the way he was doing it\, which was much simpler\, an d I said\, “Heck\, there’s no sense using a character generator.” ‘Cause what he did was he decoded segments to make block lettering\, num bering for score keeping [in Pong]. He really didn’t have need for anyt hing else that was character oriented.\n\nThe first Pong machine was put into a beer joint. And Alan told me the first week that thing was in\, co ins were flopping out on the floor. The game I did using the F8 microproce ssor was put into a pizza parlor down in a place called Campbell\, Califor nia. And one of the features that it had was a coin jiggle function.\n\nOn e of the things the [Atari] guys were telling me was that kids were coming in with piezoelectric shockers and shocking the machine to give them free games. Or they would take in a wire and jiggle it down in the coin slot. So he said he would love to have a way where that wouldn’t happen anymor e.\n\nWhat we did was take coins — it goes through the coin device and i t hits a microswitch. It stays on the microswitch for a certain period of time before it drops down\, right? We’d time that point of time that it would go through the microswitch\, so the microprocessor on board would kn ow whether it was a coin or somebody jiggling the switch. That was the way we had a coin defeat for it.\n\nBE: Was that for your Demolition Derby? \n\nJL: Yeah\, that was for mine.\n\nBE: When was the first time you saw a video game? Was it Pong\, or…\n\nJL: No\, it was Nolan’s game ca lled Computer Space. It looked like a big phone. And there was some talk about a game that was kept at the student union at Stanford — I never di d see that one\, though. It used a computer and some graphics functions — way too expensive to be in a consumer product.\n\nBE: It’s really i nteresting that you were there at the birth of arcade games.\n\nJL: I was also there when two gentlemen showed up — we used to have a computer cl ub [The Homebrew Computer Club –ed.] that was in the Stanford Linear Accelerator auditorium once a month. And the two guys that used to come t here all the time with their little toys — one guy was named Steve Jobs\ , and the other guy was named Steve Wozniak. There during the beginning.\ n\nBE: Did you attend any of those computer club meetings?\n\nJL: Yes\, I went to most of them.\n\nBE: Did you talk to Steve Jobs and Wozniak bac k then?\n\nJL: I was not impressed with them — either one\, in fact. Wh at happened was that when I had the video game division [at Fairchild]\, a nd I was the chief engineer\, I interviewed Steve Wozniak for a job to wor k for us. Well\, my guys were kind of impressed with him at first\, and I said I wasn’t. Never had been.\n\n[Update (2021): In a 2017 interview o n my Culture of Tech podcast\, Steve Wozniak denied that he ever applied to work at Fairchild and has no memory of ever meeting Lawson or seeing h im at the Homebrew Computer Club. This doesn’t mean it didn’t happen\, but Wozniak doesn’t remember it.]\n\nBE: Were you the only black guy a t those computer club meetings?\n\nJL: Yes.\n\nBE: Did you know any othe r black people in that field at the time?\n\nJL: There was a guy who was around that time\, and he’s dead now. His name was Ron Jones. He ended u p pushing all kinds of side things. He was around. He was not in the indus try\, per se.\n\nBE: So you said you weren’t impressed with Wozniak at the time. What was your impression of Jobs and Wozniak back then?\n\nJL:  Jobs was kind of a sparkplug. He was more business — he was more “push -this\, push-that” kind of a thing. I think that his motivation is still there\, the same way. He’s the sparkplug of Apple\, right? Wozniak neve r was. But the guy who was the real hero that never gets mentioned is a gu y named Mike Markkula. Mike Markkula was a multi-millionaire. In fact\, he was one of the original founders of Intel. He also built Incline Villag e in Tahoe\, and he ran Apple for a while.\n\nBE: Mike gave them their f irst investment — their first seed money\, right?\n\nJL: Yes\, he did. He is filthy rich\, but a good guy. Really good guy.\n\nBE: What position were you interviewing Steve Wozniak for at Fairchild?\n\nJL: Just as an engineer. We had a bunch of engineers that were already there.\n\nBE: Wha t year was that?\n\nJL: It was about the same time\, ’73 or ’74.\n\n BE: So he just didn’t get the job or you picked somebody else? Is that what happened?\n\nJL: He was going to go away to — [his HP division] wa s moving to Corvallis [Oregon]. He was working for HP\, and he was looking for a job to get away from HP. That was before they even started Apple up . Before they were on their own.\n\nVideo Games at Fairchild\n\nBE: Lets get back to your career at Fairchild. How did the whole video game thing a t Fairchild get started?\n\nJL: I did my home coin-op game first in my ga rage. Fairchild found out about it — in fact\, it was a big controversy that I had done that. And then\, very quietly\, they asked me if I wanted to do it for them. Then they told me that they had this contracted with th is company called Alpex\, and they wanted me to work with the Alpex people \, because they had done a game which used the Intel 8080. They wanted to switch it over to the F8\, so I had to go work with these two other engine ering guys and switch the software to how the F8 worked. So\, I had a secr et assignment\; even the boss that I worked for wasn’t to know what I wa s doing.\n\nI was directly reporting to a vice president at Fairchild\, wi th a budget. I just got on an airplane when I wanted to go to Connecticut and talk to these people\, and I wouldn’t have to report to my boss. And this went on\, and finally\, we decided\, “Hey\, the prototype looks li ke it’s going to be worth something. Let’s go do something.” I had t o bring it from this proof of performance to reality — something that yo u could manufacture. Also\, a division had to be made\, so I was working w ith a marketing guy named Gene Landrum\, and sat down and wrote a business plan for building video games.\n\nI was the number one employee. My set t ask was to work on the prototype and hire a bunch of people to work with m e\, most of which came from Fairchild. In fact\, the big man asked me\, “Where did these people come from?” And I said\, “They were working here all the time.” He said\, “They were?” I said\, “Mmm hmm. All they needed was a reason to do something.” I just went out and talked to them.\n\nSo\, it was an interesting thing\, because the memory we used — 4K RAMS\, dynamic RAMs — I would use four of them per system. Now\, in making the pricing up\, I used to go to MOS (even though Fairchild also made these things)\, and they were throwing out the ones that weren’t p assing their tests. And I would go up there — literally with a little re d wagon and two cardboard boxes — and I would load them up with RAMs: th ey’re throw outs\, they’re garbage. And I’d take them to an outside test lab\, and I got 90% yield out of their garbage can.\n\nSo I was sitti ng there going\, “Great\, it’s for free!” [MOS] heard I was doing it for free\, so they got in there and decided\, “Uh uh\, you’re going t o pay for them!” I said\, “You dirty rats.”\n\nSo the vice president I was working for\, Greg\, gets involved and said “I’ll take care of the negotiations over this.” He got in there and did a great negotiator job of two dollars per unit that we had to pay.\n\nWell\, one day I got ti red of taking my engineers off their work to prove that the parts MOS were delivering were garbage\, or no good. I was getting really pissed at them . Finally\, one day they couldn’t deliver anything. So I asked for permi ssion to go to Intel\, who made the part too. One day\, I walked into the vice presidents office and I said\, “Want to see something?” He said \, “What?” “Look at this. You are paying two dollars a piece for gar bage that we can’t get. I can get them from Intel for a dollar ten.”\n \nHe said\, “What?”\n\n“Uh huh\, you’re being taken.”\n\nBE: An d he was the one who did the negotiating\, right?\n\nJL: Yeah\, right. I kept trying to tell him when I was in the ranks\, “You know\, our pricin g is way too high. That’s one of the reasons why we get our lunch taken out. You don’t know how to make product cheap enough.”\n\nThe First Ca rtridge System\n\nBE: When you started that video game prototype at Fairc hild\, was it always intended to be a home product\, like a video game con sole for a TV set?\n\nJL: It was always intended to be a home game.\n\nBE : Had you seen the Magnavox Odyssey?\n\nJL: Yep.\n\nBE: And you perhaps wanted to do a product like that?\n\nJL: Nope.\n\nThe Odyssey was a joke \, as far as I’m concerned. It was the plug board thing — it had no in telligence. And it had overlays\, remember? They put things the screen to play different games. What was paramount to our system was to have cartrid ges. There was a mechanism that allowed you to put the cartridges in witho ut destroying the semiconductors. The mechanical guys that worked on that did a very good job.\n\nBE: So that was a big issue at the time: plugging and unplugging a cartridge might…\n\nJL: …cause an explosion on the semiconductor device — break down static charge\, that kind of thing. We were afraid — we didn’t have statistics on multiple insertion and wha t it would do\, and how we would do it\, because it wasn’t done. I mean\ , think about it: nobody had the capability of plugging in memory devices in mass quantity like in a consumer product. Nobody.\n\nBE: It was comple tely new then\, wasn’t it?\n\nJL: Yeah. We had no idea what was going t o happen. And then we also had to stop putting [the chips] in packages. We had to put them on little boards where we’d put the chip down and we’ d bond the chip to the board\, then put a glob top on it. The package was a waste.\n\nBE: Whose idea was it to do the cartridge in the first place? \n\nJL: I always had that idea. We had a lot of people that did.\n\n[Edit or’s Note – 2/21/2015 – We now know that the initial idea for a vid eo game cartridge actually came from two men\, Wallace Kirschner and Lawr ence Haskel\, who worked for Alpex Computer Corporation and licensed the t echnology to Fairchild.\n\nAfter Fairchild licensed Alpex’s technology\, a team that included Ron Smith\, Nick Talesfore\, and Jerry Lawson refin ed the technology and turned it into a practical\, commercial product.\n\n So the credit for the first cartridge should technically be shared among t hese five men — and not by Lawson alone\, as many have misinterpreted si nce I published this interview in 2009.]\n\nBE: It seems that — from wh at I know\, RCA released a system that had cartridges around the same time as the Channel F.\n\nJL: RCA was behind us. In fact\, it was a piece of junk. I’ll tell you a funny story about RCA. We introduced our game\, an d RCA followed six months later in the Winter CES show. At that show in Ch icago\, RCA presented their Studio II. I had an invitation that said\, “ Hey\, the RCA game is here.” Well\, I wanted to see that. It was being s hown in a suite. And I went up to the suite and walked in. They had their game there\, and this guy looks up and sees me with a Fairchild badge on\, right? And I’m 6’6″\, 280 pounds. This clown charged me and tried t o wrestle me to the ground. And I banged him on his head! I said\, “If y ou want me to leave\, I’ll leave!”\n\nAnd what I saw was a laugh. They had this game — it was in black and white. It looked horrible. So\, the next day\, he came down to our booth. And when he came down to our booth\ , I jumped the counter\, heading for him. And he started running! [laughs] I said\, “Ah\, there he goes.”\n\nBE: You said that Channel F had al ready been released\, right?\n\nJL: Oh yeah. Well\, the biggest part of g etting the Channel F released was getting through the FCC. That was a job in itself. It was the first microprocessor device of any nature to go thro ugh FCC testing. And I — believe me\, I got some gray hairs over that. T he FCC was really hard on us. And Al Alcorn came down — it was funny whe n they first saw it — Al\, Nolan\, and the [Atari] president then — at the Chicago show. They came down to me and said\, “Lawson! It’s cool\ , except the only thing we dig is the hand controllers.” And Al told me\ , he said\, “Oh\, boy\, that little noise you’ve got there on the scre en\, boy\, you’re really going to have to get rid of that — you’re g onna have trouble with the FCC.”\n\nAnd I had to leave the show early to go to the FCC. Because the FCC — oh boy — it cost\, at that point\, a thousand dollars\, and the spec they had was one microvolt per meter of s purious signals you couldn’t overcome. And if you had any more than that \, you were in trouble.\n\nThe problem was — Texas Instruments\, years l ater\, couldn’t make that spec. So guess what they did? They lobbied and got them to change the law. I was so mad\, I couldn’t see straight. ‘ Cause that was what keeping a lot of people from jumping in the market\, i ncluding RCA. They couldn’t pass the test.\n\nWe had to put the whole mo therboard in aluminum. We had to make an aluminum case for it\, we had to have bypasses on every lead going in and out of the thing. It was unreal\, some of the stuff we had to do. We had a metal chute that went over the c artridge adapter to keep radiation in. Each time we made a cartridge\, the FCC wanted to see it\, and it had to be tested.\n\nBE: Wow. Every single cartridge?\n\nJL: Every single cartridge.\n\nBE: By ’77\, when the At ari VCS was released\, do you think they had to get their cartridges teste d\, or was that out the window?\n\nJL: I’m sure they had to.\n\nBE: Wh at did you think about the Atari VCS when it came out?\n\nJL: The VCS had some good features in it\, but by and large\, as far as for graphical dis play\, it was substandard. They had ways of doing things with — you use things known as sprite technology. They could make high resolution charact ers\, but they couldn’t put a bunch of stuff on the screen at the same t ime. So\, as a result — one of the games they tried to compete with us\, and they did a very bad job\, was Blackjack. Blackjack looked horrible .\n\nOf course\, they did things that tried to offset that. You can’t bl ame them for that\, right? And their first game had a beautiful sky and ob jects running across it. It looked very cool. But it really wasn’t anyth ing. But it was the best graphic looks that the game [could do]. Ours look ed like little players\, and things\, you know.\n\nBE: How much total RAM did the Channel F have in it?\n\nJL: 16K [kilobits]\n\n[Editor’s Note: As it turns out\, the Channel F had 64 bytes of main RAM and 16 kilobits (or 2 kilobytes of video RAM). During the interview\, I misunderstood that Lawson was speaking of kilobits and not kilobytes.]\n\nBE: Really? 16K? That was a lot at the time. I think the VCS had 128 bytes of RAM.\n\nJL : See\, our memory was used as a screen. The screen was memory. What you were doing when you played our game\, you were actually putting symbology in a memory\, and that memory was being displayed on screen. What you look ed at when you were looking at the screen was an array of memory so-many-b its high by so-many-bits deep. In fact\, when we had to move a character a round\, we had a thing we called “self-erasing characters.” Now what w e would do is black out a square — say eight by eight — and around tha t eight by eight would be a border or background\, and the symbology was p ut inside of it. So every time it moved\, it would automatically erase the previous position. If we hadn’t done it that way — like we tried to f ill it in — each time we moved it\, we’d have to erase the last positi on it was in. If we did it that way\, we ended up having objects that look like they’re jumping around and flashing.\n\nA lot of little things we used to do were different. Our hand controllers were special. They were an alog equivalent\, but they were digital. And somebody asked how we did tha t. Well\, we would drive the objects. In other words\, when the [switch] c losed in a direction\, we would send the object in that direction. We’d send it fast\, then we’d slow it down\, so that it would have a kind of a hysteresis curve. We needed to do that for the human factors of using th e hand controllers.\n\nThe hand controllers had a lot of — nobody has du plicated one yet. They’ve used them in other things. The hand controller had eight positions: up\, down\, left\, right\, forward and backward left and right. Eight positions.\n\nBE: Do you know the history of Atari’s joystick and how it compared to the Fairchild hand controller? Who made th e first home console joystick? Was it Fairchild?\n\nJL: Yep. Ours was dig ital. Digital meaning there was no fixed position. If you had a regular ha nd controller that is run with resistors or pots\, you move the hand contr oller and leave it alone\, that object would say\, “OK\, I’m staying i n that position.” Ours would not. In other words\, every time you’d mo ve it\, and let go\, it would stay where it is However\, the hand controll er would be back in neutral position again. So you had to get used to that operation\, knowing how to operate it.\n\nBE: Who designed the controlle r for the Channel F?\n\nJL: I designed the prototype. The original contro ller was designed by a guy named Ron Smith. Mechanical guy. The case of th e controller was designed by a guy named Nicholas Talesfore\, an industria l designer.\n\nBE: What was your official title or position when you were working on the Channel F?\n\nJL: I was director of engineering and marke ting for Fairchild’s video game division. I was in charge of all the new cartridges\, how they were made\, and what the games were.\n\nBE: What w as the atmosphere of your office like at Fairchild when you were developin g the Channel F?\n\nJL: Well\, I was always considered to be a renegade. I mean\, I had many people from Fairchild’s operation up in Mountain Vie w come down and tell me how to operate a business. I’d send ’em home w ith their tails wagging.\n\nOne of the things I told them\, very simply\, was that some of the biggest problems any company has in development is ha ving all these tin gods that come down and tell you how to do things. And one of the reasons they can never develop anything is because of these tin gods. It’s not enough to say\, “Here’s a business. Run this busin ess.” You have all these people telling you what you should do and how y ou should do it.\n\nIBM was smart enough that when they developed the PC\, they put a whole group in Boca Raton and left them alone. If they hadn’ t\, they wouldn’t ever had a PC. It would have come out looking like a m achine that needed to be in somebody’s office\, not somebody’s home.\n \nBE: Did you have any contact with Ralph Baer or Magnavox in the ’70 s?\n\nJL: I met Ralph Baer maybe 6-7 years ago — maybe more than that — at the Classic Gaming Expo. I met him there on a panel. In fact\, wha t they did is that I was a big secret a lot of times\, because people didn ’t know who I was. And what happened was they had me come there introduc ed by this Japanese guy that was with the group\, and he said\, “You guy s want to meet the person who started the cartridge business? Jerry\, stan d up.” And I stood up and joined them on the dais.\n\nIn fact\, there’ s one cartridge that’s really funny. The guy paid — we did a cartridge when I had my own company called Videosoft. It was a 2600 cartridge — i t was a color bar generator.\n\nBE: Like a TV test pattern kind of thing? \n\nJL: Yep. At the vintage show in San Jose\, a guy comes up to me and h e says\, “Hey! You’re Videosoft\, aren’t ya? You got any more of tho se Color Bar cartridges?” I said\, “Nah\, I haven’t got one.” He f ound one at the show\, and he came up to me and said\, “Autograph this f or me?” I said\, “Yeah\, sure.” He got a silver ink pen\, and I auto graphed it. The next day\, I was giving a talk from the dais\, and another guy said\, “Hey\, did you autograph a cartridge yesterday?” I said\ , “Yeah. Why\, did you buy it?” He said\, “Yeah. Since it’s got yo ur autograph on it\, I paid $500 for it.” Holy Jesus\, right? My wife wa s sitting there going\, “You got any more of those?” [laughs]\n\nBE:  Yeah\, that would be a good business to get into.\n\nImpact of Race on Pro fession\n\nBE: Did you experience any difficulties in your career because of your race?\n\nJL: Oh yeah. There’s two ways I used to experience it . First of all\, I’m a big guy. So not too many people confronted me fac e to face. But I’ve had instances where I’ve walked into places where they didn’t know I was black.\n\nI’ll give you an example. Not that th e guy was a racist\, but a guy named John Ellis\, who was one of the Atari people. In about\, oh\, 1996 or 7\, a law firm in Texas hired me as a con sultant. And they were going to sue Nintendo. And they told me they want t o bring John Ellis in too\, ’cause he’s from Atari\, and I go\, “Oh\ , fine.” They said\, “You know John Ellis?” I said\, “I know Joh n — very well.”\n\nSo the next day\, John comes in the room\, sees me\ , and says\, “Hi Jerry.” And he looked kind of strange. I said\, “ What’s the matter with you\, John?” He said\, “I’ve always known y ou as Jerry Lawson. I didn’t know you were the same video game guy Jerry Lawson — I didn’t know you were black!” And I said\, “Huh?” H e said\, “Al Alcorn\, Nolan Bushnell\, talked about you — all of them talked about you — Joe Keenan. But they never said you were black.” I said\, “Well\, I am.” He said\, “I don’t know whether they did you a favor or not.” I said\, “Well I don’t go around telling everybo dy I’m black.” I just do my job\, you know?\n\nWith some people\, it ’s become an issue. I’ve had people look at me with total shock. Parti cularly if they hear my voice\, because they think that all black people h ave a voice that sounds a certain way\, and they know it. And I sit there and go\, “Oh yeah? Well\, sorry\, I don’t.”\n\nBE: Why do you thi nk there’s so few black people working in engineering?\n\nJL: I think w hat has happened is that engineering is a thing that has never really appe aled to black people directly\, because they’ve never had…\n\nYou see\ , I grew up in a different environment. My mother — she invented busing . When she went to a school\, she would interview the teachers\, the princ ipal\, and if they didn’t pass her test\, I didn’t go to that school. She once put me in a school called P.S. 50. Turns out Mario Cuomo went to that school. He was a little older than me\, and I didn’t know him at th e school\, but he went to the same school. My mother — now get this no w — the school was 99% white. My mother was the president of the PTA.\n\ nWe didn’t even live in the neighborhood. I had a phony address\, I used to go halfway cross town to go to school and to go home. I went up ’til the 6th grade\, then I went to a junior high school that turned out to be really bad. I was in there for six months\, and my mother came to school one day. She talked to the principal\, talked to the teacher\, and walked in the classroom. She nodded toward me\, and I go\, “Oh well\, that’ s it.” And I wasn’t going to stay in that school. So I went to another school.\n\nBut one of the things she had long since said was that the bla ck kids were put under an aroma of “you can’t do something.” It was something that she felt would not help them with any kind of inspiration t o go anywhere. When I was in P.S. 50\, I had a teacher in the first grade — and I’ll never forget that — her name was Ms. Guble. I had a pict ure of George Washington Carver on the wall next to my desk. And she sai d\, “This could be you.” I mean\, I can still remember that picture\, still remember where it was.\n\nNow\, the point I’m getting at is\, this kind of influence is what led me to feel\, “I want to be a scientist. I want to be something.” Now\, I went to another black school and talked to kids who were in the neighborhood\, and they did nothing like this. The y never went out anywhere\, they never knew anything. The kids I worked wi th\, and went around with\, and played with — they did different things\ , right? They were looking through microscopes. They’d go outside in a f ield — do something\, right? These would not do that. All they did was p lay baseball or football.\n\nSo I think my mother had a lot to do with it. She was very effective at the board of education\, because she would tell them off. She’d tell ’em\, “Look. My school needs this\, and th at’s it.” She’d long since found that the squeaky wheel gets all the oil. She was president of the PTA for about four years.\n\nBE: And that was in the 1950s?\n\nJL: The ’50s\, yeah. So anyhow\, my mother was ver y key to that. In fact\, she died a very young age. It was the part of the eulogy I gave her about some of the things she had accomplished.\n\nI rem ember as a kid\, I wanted to get an atomic energy kit. Gilbert Hall of Sci ence made one. It had a Geiger counter and a Wilson cloud chamber. A hundr ed bucks. My mother tried to get it for me for Christmas\, but finally sat down and told me\, “I can’t do it.” I understood. But she got me a radio receiver\, a [Hallicrafters] S-38. That’s what got me into amateur radio. From then on\, I built converters\, antennas\, everything else. Th at is the heart of what I started out with.\n\nI ran into one black man wh o did help me\, and his name was Cy Mays. Cy worked as a motorman in the s ubway system in New York. He was a buddy of one of the guys who ran Norman Radio. And I used to come in to Norman Radio and — I used to have a red baseball cap — and they said\, “Red Cap’s here!” And he came out and saw me and said\, “Why you getting all this stuff?” I said\, “I just got my license.”\n\n“You just got your ham license?”\n\n“ Yeah.”\n\n“Have you got a car or some kind of conveyance\, or someth ing?”\n\nI said\, “Yeah\, my dad does.”\n\nHe said\, “Ok\, here’ s my address. Come around this Sunday.”\n\nHe had more stuff in his gara ge and his basement…it was like going through a goodie land. “Take wha tever you need.”\n\nBE: What advice would you give to young black men o r women who might be considering a career in science or engineering?\n\nJL : First of all\, to get them to consider it in the first place. That’s key. Even considering the thing. They need to understand that they’re in a land by themselves. Don’t look for your buddies to be helpful\, becau se they won’t be. You’ve gotta step away from the crowd and go do your own thing. You find a ground\, cover it\, it’s brand new\, you’re on your own — you’re an explorer. That’s about what it’s going to be like. Explore new vistas\, new avenues\, new ways — not relying on every one else’s way to tell you which way to go\, and how to go\, and what yo u should be doing.\n\nYou’ll find some people out there that will help y ou. And they’re not always black\, of course. They’re white. ‘Cause when you start to get involved in certain practices and certain things you want to do\, you’re colorless.\n\nIn fact\, one of the funny stories ab out is that for years\, people heard me on the radio\, and didn’t know I was black. In fact\, Hal — a good friend of mine who just passed way — took me to what is called a “bunny hunt.” A bunny hunt is where a guy has a hidden transmitter\, and you try to locate where he is. The peop le trying to find him all go to a diner and talk to each other\; they call it “having an eyeball.” Well\, I went with Hal one time\, and a bunch of guys all over the diner came down to see him. One of them says\, “He y Hal\, how ya doing?” And Hal says\, “Oh\, fine.” And he said\, “ How are you\, sir?” And I said\, “I’m fine.” And he said\, “What did you say?”\n\n“I said ‘I’m fine.'”\n\nAnd he goes\, “Jerry ? K2SPG Jerry?” He went running down the end of the bar and came back wi th everybody. And they all went\, “You’re Jerry?” I was like\, “Ye ah. And this one girl\, she said\, “Oh God\, I had a picture of you — I was in love with your voice.”\n\n“Oh\, you were?”\n\n“And I had a picture of you\, and you were about 5’7″\, blond hair and blue eye s.”\n\n“God\, you’re way off on that\, aren’t you?” [laughs]\n\ nBE: So I guess you have to be brave in some ways to be a black scientist . It seems like it would go against the tide of culture.\n\nJL: The point of anything by yourself is that you have to be brave to go by yourself\, don’t you? You’re not going to get reinforcement from peers\, right? E xcept for the new peers you find as a result of going through this.\n\nI m ean\, normally\, the guys on the corner that go play basketball are not go nna be your buddies in that. And that’s how they mark things too. It’s unfortunate that they all think they’re gonna be members of the NBA. I try to tell them\, “be.”\n\nBE: How many kids do you have?\n\nJL: Tw o: a son and a daughter.\n\nBE: Did any of them follow you into engineeri ng or something similar?\n\nJL: One is now following me\, and that’s in teresting. He went through Morehouse in Atlanta and graduated as a program mer. Computer science. Just recently\, he decided to go back\, because he wanted to do electronics. He’s taking his master’s and he’s becoming an A-student at Georgia Tech. And he calls me — he does microprocessor work now and all these things that really appeal to him\, and he says\, “You know\, pop? I like this stuff\, and my wife calls me Little Jerry .”\n\nMy daughter — she was an athlete that kinda blew it. ‘Cause wh at happened\, is when she was ready to go to the Olympics\, she got all fo uled up. The girl that she was racing against ended up in the Olympics — but she beat ’em all. She has three track &\; field records at the h igh school she went to\; they still stand.\n\nBE: How do you feel about O bama as President?\n\nJL: Let me put it this way: Obama was the best qual ified guy\, period\, of any color. Obama was put in that office position n ot because he’s black\, but because he’s the best qualified\, and a lo t of white people put him there. If it wasn’t for the white people\, he wouldn’t have been there\, because the black people can’t put you in t hat office. If anybody thinks that because he’s black\, he’s going to turn around and make everything black\, he’s not. It’s not his way. An d his heritage is half-white anyhow\, right? So it’s not even that — e ven if he was an all-black man\, he still wouldn’t do that.\n\nObama is needed because\, all of a sudden — I think — it’s amazing how much p eople have changed their attitude about what’s going on in this world. I’m hoping that he can straighten out a lot of things with his attitude . Because one of the things that the government does\, or the man at the t op does\, is to set the tone of what’s gonna happen.\n\nLawson Today\n\n BE: What are you up to these days?\n\nJL: Well\, I used to work with Sta nford in the mentor program\, working with kids to put two satellites in s pace already. Other than that\, I do laser work\, and I’m getting ready to write my book.\n\nBE: Have you played any video games since the 1970s? Have you kept up with video games?\n\nJL: I don’t play video games tha t often\; I really don’t. First of all\, most of the games that are out now — I’m appalled by them. They’re all scenario games considered wi th shooting somebody and killing somebody. To me\, a game should be someth ing like a skill you should develop — if you play this game\, you walk a way with something of value. That’s what a game is to me.\n\nIf I was to say intelligence was a weight and say\, “Let’s take intelligence\, we igh it in pounds\, and say it’s a hundred pounds.” The way we measure intelligence today is if I have a hundred pounds of intelligence and I get from you 99 pounds\, you’re considered bright\, right? My feeling is wh at “bright” is or what “genius” is — if I give you a hundred pou nds of intelligence\, you give me back 120. That means you take what you ’ve taken and gone beyond that. You’ve learned other things\, correlat ed the pieces\, and put it together and added something to it. That’s ge nius.\n\nAnd what’s wrong many times today is that we don’t have any b asis for teaching that correctly. See\, we’re taking away from childre n’s imaginations. Video games today — they don’t even want to see an ything unless the graphics are completely high-toned\, right? It used to b e\, “Oh\, well that looks like a car.” Well\, looks like one\, you kno w? No\, they want to see a car\, they want to see wheel spinners on it\, a nd all the detail — infinite detail.\n\nBE: How has being a designer on the Fairchild Channel F changed your life?\n\nJL: It made me go into bus iness for myself — I can tell you that. Videosoft I had for a couple yea rs\, I started that. We did cartridges for the 2600 and for Milton Bradley .\n\nAlso\, I remember one time I was in Las Vegas\, walking down the stri p. A black kid came up to me and said\, “Are you Jerry Lawson?” I sa id\, “Yeah.” He said\, “Thanks.” And shook my hand and walked on p ast me. And I thought I may have inspired him.\n\nMy son actually nominate d me as a fellow at the Computer Museum. Whether or not it goes anywhere\ , I don’t know. But I feel that I’ve got to get that done. I’m writi ng my story because I think that when kids go there — black kids — and they see somebody black\, it will make a big difference on them.\n\n—\ n[ Update: 2/21/2015 – For more on the creation of the Channel F\, r ead “The Untold Story of the Invention of the Game Cartridge” by Benj Edwards at FastCompany.com. ]\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VIDEOSOFT GAME LISTING\ n\n\n\n https://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Video_Soft\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Video Soft (incorporated on May 7\, 1982\, as Video-Soft\, Inc.) was based in Santa Clara\, California\, and founded and headed by Jerry Lawso n [1]\, previously the chief engineer behind the Fairchild Channel F syst em. The company made games for Amiga\, CBS\, Mattel\, Milton Bradley\, and Parker Brothers. [2]\n\n\n\n Research Methods: Online resources\n\n\n\n 2600\n\n\n\n 3-D Genesis (unreleased) (Amiga) [Dan McElroy\, Jerry Lawso n]\n\n\n\n 3-D Ghost Attack (unreleased) (Amiga) [Mike Glass\, Jerry Laws on]\n\n\n\n 3-D Havoc (unreleased) (Amiga) [Frank Ellis\, Jerry Lawson]\n \n\n\n Atom Smasher (unreleased) (Video Soft)\n\n\n\n Color Bar Generator Cart (US Publisher: Video Soft) [Dan McElroy\, Jerry Lawson]\n\n\n\n Dep th Charge (unreleased) (Amiga) [Jerry Lawson]\n\n\n\n Golf Diagnostic [D an McElroy\, Jerry Lawson]\n\n\n\n For use with an interactive golf simula tor\n\n\n\n In Search of the Golden Skull (unreleased) (Mattel) [Jerry La wson] [3]\n\n\n\n Mogul Maniac (US Publisher: Amiga)\n\n\n\n Off Your Ro cker (unreleased) (Amiga) [Frank Ellis]\n\n\n\n S.A.C. Alert (unreleased ) (Amiga) [Jerry Lawson]\n\n\n\n Scavenger Hunt (unreleased) (Amiga) [Mik e Glass]\n\n\n\n Spitfire Attack (US/CA Publisher: Milton Bradley) [Frank Ellis] [4]\n\n\n\n Strafe (unreleased) (Amiga)\n\n\n\n Surf's Up (unre leased) (Amiga) [Chip Curry]\n\n\n\n Atari 8-bit\n\n\n\n Mogul Maniac (US Publisher: Romox)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n secondary listing\n\n https://www.di gitpress.com/video-game-guide/?title=&\;dollars_loose=&\;dollars_com plete=&\;scarcity_loose=&\;scarcity_complete=&\;Designer=&\;De veloper=Video+Soft&\;Mfr=&\;PartNo=&\;Released=&\;mode=Search\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251201 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Reborn Sep 13th - Halloween theme!  DTSTAMP:20251018T225117Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:545-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Reborn Sep 13th - Halloween theme! \n\n https://alledria hurt.com/\n\n\n\n Referral\n\n https://sistaghoul.substack.com/p/oh-so-i-g uess-were-doing-a-thing\n\n\n\n My Comment\n\n Perfect timing before Hallo ween! It's alive! Now you know what it feels like to be god!:) haha\n\n No w it will demand you make a bride of website:) \n\n first congrats on ten years and counting:) I will share on my newsletter\n\n consider getting a website with AALBC if you ever have problems with your current setup\n\n https://aalbc.com/authors/\n\n and here is how it is set up \n\n https:// aalbc.com/advertise/authorprofiles.php\n\n\n\n referral\n\n https://sistag houl.substack.com/p/oh-so-i-guess-were-doing-a-thing/comment/160778693\n\n \n\n \n Oh\, so I guess we're doing a thing... by Sista Ghoul\n \n\n \n In which the new website is unveiled\n \n Read on Substack\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:OCTOBER Favorite films + musics DTSTAMP:20250924T031841Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:521-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Someone asked me to give old horror films i recommend and are my favorites... I added some good to watch\, what say you?\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Recommended\n\n The Seventh Victim- 1943- you may enjoy this one\ , I saw this for the first time recently. The end is electric\, a human ho rror or is it?:) I want to know if you think this is more frightening than rosemary's baby?\n\n The Uninvited 1944- I despise that the studios deman ded the ending where the ghost is revealed. it is the films only blemish.  \n\n The Innocents 1961- the chiaroscuro in this film is brilliant\, plu s the story shows how human horror can be. A favorite of mine but i recomm end.\n\n The Haunting 1963 - the chiaroscuro in this film\, is brilliant\n \n Kuroneko 1968 - it is romantic so may be one of the best to watch with a partner. the beginning is so straight forward\n\n The Wicker Man- 1973- you thought you could come her\, a man alone\, and defeat all of us\, bril liant. Outside the introductory message which is temporally brilliant\, th e ego of the cop guy\,... in the wicker man it is the arrogance to go into horror\, that is the trick for me. Alot of other films these people didn' t know or didn't want but here\, this guy walks into it. the horror of hum an arrogance. A Favorite of mine but I recommend.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Favor ite\n\n The Body Snatcher 1945- I love the plot\, every character has valu e\, every character has purpose\, for me it is great writing\, and I love when human horror blends with supernatural horror.\n\n Isle of the Dead 19 45 - again Luten\, The premise is great\, the reason why they are in this little island works\, and the rest is magic. \n\n Invasion of the Body Sn atcher 1956- it is campy but classic. it is a classic example of how a wri ter can make a premise that doesn't require non humans creature to still h ave creatures. \n\n The Masque of the Red Death 1964 - I just love hearin g Vincent Price say\, I was a worshipper of Satan when no one else was:) c lassic. \n\n The Devil Rides Out 1968 - thank god... yes\, it is he you m ust thank:) the fact that a character actually explains the supernatural i n this film.is underrated. yes\, the special effects are campy.\n\n Night of the Living Dead 1969 - the action of this horror film\, great use\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Not Recommended or Favorite but a good watch\n\n Phantom of the opera 1925 - You need to see the restored version\, i got to see it on turner classic movies. The end is great cause it exposes the truth\, that many miss\, the phantom's real weapon isn't his face but his manipulation of the emotions of the masses\, their fear. \n\n Cat People 1942- Val Le wton. As a fellow writer you may be interested to know that Luten wrote ma ny screenplays that were never made. He produced cat people but he was inv olved in all his films production.\n\n The Picture of Dorian Grey 1945- if you are fan of angela lansbury \, cry:) \n\n Night of the hunter 1955 hu man horror\, very tense\, not spooky\, a crime drama but man\n\n House on Haunted Hill 1959 - the plot is lovely\n\n Carnival of SOuls 1962- great h ook at the end\n\n Onibaba 1964- great blend of magic and human horror\n\n Second 1966- another human horror\, it is human society that is the horro r\, nice angular cinematography\n\n Event Horizon 1997 liberate tuteme:) h ahaah not old\, but consider it\, love the premise. \n\n The autopsy of J ane Doe 2016- not old\, not black and white\, but the use of light and sha dow and the premise\, considering who the criminal really is:)  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurr ay/?status=2745&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MUSIC\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =v64doSu--T4 \n\n\n\n Video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n TIME INDEX\n\n\n\n Vocalise i s sung by Sumi Jo and performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic\n\n\n\n Complete Film Score Presentation\n\n1 - Main Title 0:00:00\n2 - Dean Cor so 0:03:31\n3 - The Balkan Press Building 0:04:22\n4 - First Perusal 0:04: 55\n5 - The Girl At The Library 0:05:29\n6 - Menace 0:08:14\n7 - Liana Tel fer 0:08:40\n8 - Liana Berserk 0:11:38\n9 - Corso Finds Bernie 0:12:03\n10 - Corso's Flight 0:14:30\n11 - Second Perusal 0:15:14\n12 - The Girl On T he Train 0:15:41\n13 - Interrupted Solo 0:17:22\n14 - Comparing Editions 0 :17:42\n15 - Road Menace 0:19:41\n16 - Girl In The Hotel Lobby 0:20:26\n17 - Telephone Call 0:22:08\n18 - Fargas' Body 0:22:51\n19 - The Burning Boo k 0:23:22\n20 - Third Perusal And Walk To Kessler's 0:23:52\n21 - Waiting Out The Stalker 0:25:15\n22 - The Stalker And The Girl 0:26:21\n23 - Blood y Nose 0:27:54\n24 - Hiding The Book 0:29:05\n25 - Frieda Kessler's Book 0 :30:57\n26 - Book In Flames 0:33:40\n27 - The Book Is Gone 0:34:10\n28 - T he Telfer Woman! 0:34:41\n29 - Following Mrs. Telfer 0:35:55\n30 - St Mart in 0:37:05\n31 - The Blond Man's Demise 0:41:17\n32 - Boris Kills Liana 0: 43:00\n33 - Pursuing Balkan 0:43:53\n34 - A Stop At The Inn 0:45:44\n35 - The Fortress 0:47:02\n36 - Balkan's Failure 0:49:14\n37 - Consumation 0:53 :07\n38 - The Engraving 0:54:44\n39 - Corso's Reward 0:55:20\n40 - Vocalis e 0:56:20\n\nOriginal Soundtrack Album\n\n41 - Vocalise ~ Theme From The N inth Gate ~ 1:00:13\n42 - Opening Titles 1:04:10\n43 - Corso 1:07:42\n44 - Bernie is Dead 1:11:07\n45 - Liana 1:15:38\n46 - Plane To Spain (Bolero) 1:18:41\n47 - The Motorbike 1:23:30\n48 - Missing Book / Stalking Corso 1: 24:48\n49 - Blood On His Face 1:29:30\n50 - Chateau Saint Martin 1:30:43\n 51 - Liana's Death 1:34:48\n52 - Boo! - The Chase 1:37:27\n53 - Balkan's D eath 1:41:56\n54 - The Ninth Gate 1:45:49\n55 - Corso and the Girl 1:47:02 \n56 - Vocalise ~ Theme from The Ninth Gate ~ (Reprise) 1:50:23\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n \n\n October is horror eternall y 🙂 nosferatu 1922 https://youtu.be/ImNx0zIBwIw?si=LSkMzHmeMVM0gobY  w hite zombie 1932 https://archive.org/details/WhiteZombie house on haunted hill 1959 https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/house-on-haunted-hill little shop of horrors 1960 https://archive.org/details/TheLittleShopOfHorrors19 60_765 carnival of souls 1962 https://youtu.be/vNYg4YWkp0k?si=gORT03Ji01Xl FPI1 The last man on earth 1964 https://youtu.be/Vv2WUewBx8U?si=-0qxOuQATH 2Db-Ak\n\n\n\n \n\n Titular Titans month! The title warned you about them: ) but you still hang around them \, why?\n\n\n\n Svengali 1931\n\n https:/ /publicdomainmovie.net/movie/svengali\n\n\n\n The phantom of the opera 192 5\n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/the-phantom-of-the-opera-0\n\n\n \n the hands of orlac 1924\n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/the-han ds-of-orlac-1924\n\n\n\n dr jekyl and mr hyde 1913 \n\n https://publicdom ainmovie.net/movie/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1913\n\n\n\n frankenstein 1910 \ n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/frankenstein-2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n what about maniacal madmen month:) M^3 \n\n Bloody pit of horror 1965\n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/bloody-pit-of-horror-0\n\n\n\n The go lem 1920 \n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/the-golem\n\n\n\n the m onster maker 1964\n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/monster-maker-th e\n\n\n\n the most dangerous game 1932\n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/m ovie/the-most-dangerous-game\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Some others\, you or other s can use\n\n cat and the canary 1927 \n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/ movie/the-cat-and-the-canary\n\n\n\n japanese\n\n atomic rulers of the wor ld 1964 \n\n https://publicdomainmovie.net/movie/atomic-rulers-of-the-wor ld\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250930 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251002 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Receptrix DTSTAMP:20251015T052730Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:542-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Receptrix initial 10/15/2025\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/art/The-Receptrix-1252765499\n\n fictional prose inspired by an image\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251015 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Revolution Will Be DTSTAMP:20251016T231849Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:544-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Someone somewhere cited The Revolution Will Not Be Telev ised in a quick graphic.\n\n\n\n MY REPLY\n\n I told someone else somewher e\, the issue is guidance. All movements need a destination. Absent a dest ination\, a movement is bound to fail\, meaning it will not move the world around the movement to somewhere. \n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n yeah gil scott h eron:) .. I said somewhere else\, the usa will be 250 years old next year\ , that is a quarter of a thousand years. not a little bit of time. I don't see the revolution today\, I think more of the time the roman empire chan ged location from roma to nova roma/constantinople. A time of change or up heavel\, but alot of it wasn't the people of the roman empire which stretc hed from modern spain to syria uprising as much as after some chaos\, the government remade itself to fit the people who lived under it. I think the usa is in that situation. The United States of America was founded by fir st people/native American slaughtering black African enslaving financially wealthy white European outcast. Said outcast developed a legal system tha t allowed for governmental flexibility more than any other at the time. Bu t\, the flexibility wasn't and isn't  impervious to being used to maintai n rigid orders/systems/structures. The white power order [white is top\, w hite is best\, white is right\, white is normal and not white are the oppo sites]\, the systems of inequality applied across all forms of race [pheno typical/gender/age/religion/ancestry/fiscal quality and all other] \, the structures of slavery from the prisons to the hospitals to the schools tha t allow the control of various people legally\, to their detriment\, are n ot as they were\, have the same level of potency or presence\, when the US A was founded. No\, Richard has never been shackled or called boy by white s. But while said orders/systems/structures exist they are weaker than eve r before in the usa or the European colonies that preceded it\, and must e mbrace coexistence with new orders/systems/structures. Within the USA regi onal varieties of the orders/systems/structures will need to be embraced b y all under one roof. Orders not based on whiteness but on wealth\, allowi ng all who are financially wealthy the same privileges as white males when wealthy. Systems of inequality will remain but applied across fewer forms of race. phenotype\, gender? no. religion somewhat\, age\,fiscal quality? yes. Structures of slavery will have to be replaced with structures of po verty. Yes keeping people poor. The USA is not becoming Star Trek\, but th e fabric of its populace is more varied than ever before in the past\, mor e financially potent across all racial lines than ever before \, more lega lly present /represented/demanding than ever before across all racial line s. So the federal government has to use its flexibility to reflect that. W ill it? I don't know. Will I gamble it will? I gamble the USA will break a s the people in it will not use the flexibility within the legal code to c hange the government to suit them. \n\n The people outside the usa in man y countries biggest issue is the strategic view of immigration\, the age o f the usa from the end of world war two to today has made immigration a be tter choice than scuffling to make ones country better. It is easier for a small family to move than to be part of a movement. The uprising outside the usa will require a change of minds. Cause\, at the moment\, it will ne ver be easier to change Mexico/Nigeria/India than immigrate away from said places to a country like the USA\, unless the USA closes up shop. Scrumpt is trying to get that to happen to support the old oders/systems/structur es trying to hold on to dominance in the usa. I don't see long term that h appening. Though\, a big part of that is how the states are managed. For h istorical precedence\, the articles of confederation did precede the const itution and its entire design was based on the idea that the states only u ndeniable unifying factor was self defense\, which is still true today.   But such a change will require a change in the quality of elected official s in the usa at the which I do not see at any level. \n\n\n\n Gil Scott H eron- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n You will not be able to stay home\, brother\nYou will not be able to plug in\, turn on and cop out\nYou will not be able to lose yourself on skag\nAnd skip out for beer during commercials\, because\nThe revolution will not be televise d\nThe revolution will not be televised\nThe revolution will not be brough t to you by Xerox in four parts\nWithout commercial interruptions\nThe rev olution will not show you pictures of Nixon blowing a bugle\nAnd leading a charge by John Mitchell\, General Abrams\, and Spiro Agnew\nTo eat hog ma ws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary\nThe revolution will not be televis ed\nThe revolution will not be brought to you by the Schaefer Award Theatr e\nAnd will not star Natalie Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Jul ia\nThe revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal\nThe revolution wil l not get rid of the nubs\nThe revolution will not make you look five poun ds thinner\, because\nThe revolution will not be televised\, brother\nTher e will be no pictures of you and Willie Mays\nPushing that shopping cart d own the block on the dead run\nOr trying to slide that color TV into a sto len ambulance\nNBC will not be able to predict the winner\nAt 8:32 on repo rt from 29 districts\nThe revolution will not be televised\nThere will be no pictures of pigs\nShooting down brothers on the instant replay\nThere w ill be no pictures of pigs\nShooting down brothers on the instant replay\n There will be no pictures of Whitney Young\nBeing run out of Harlem on a r ail with a brand-new process\nThere will be no slow-motion or still lifes of Roy Wilkins\nStrolling through Watts in a red\, black\, and green liber ation jumpsuit\nThat he has been saving for just the proper occasion\nGree n Acres\, Beverly Hillbillies\, and Hooterville Junction\nWill no longer b e so damn relevant\nAnd women will not care if Dick finally got down with Jane\nOn Search for Tomorrow\, because black people will be in the street\ nLooking for a brighter day\nThe revolution will not be televised\nThere w ill be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news\nAnd no pictures of hairy armed women liberationists\nAnd Jackie Onassis blowing her nose\nThe theme song will not be written by Jim Webb or Francis Scott Keys\nNor sung by G len Campbell\, Tom Jones\, Johnny Cash\nEngelbert Humperdinck\, or The Rar e Earth\nThe revolution will not be televised\nThe revolution will not be right back after a message\nAbout a white tornado\, white lightning\, or w hite people\nYou will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom\nThe tiger in your tank\, or the giant in your toilet bowl\nThe revolution will not go better with Coke\nThe revolution will not fight germs that may cau se bad breath\nThe revolution will put you in the driver's seat\nThe revol ution will not be televised\nWill not be televised\nWill not be televised\ nWill not be televised\nThe revolution will be no re-run\, brothers\nThe r evolution will be live\n\n\n\n\n \n\n URL\n\n https://youtu.be/vwSRqaZGsPw ?si=8aq4usxHRcXjL_wF\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251016 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Membership First\, Individualism for all others\, is the pro blem with tribes in the Black populace in the USA or greater humanity DTSTAMP:20251016T231309Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:543-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n 19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n I attended the Million Man March.  It was great to see so many pos itive AfroAmerican Black men of all ages\;  fathers and sons\, uncles\, c ousins\, etc.\, from all over the USA standing together in fellowship. \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n\n\n exactly \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n 19 hours a go\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n A great financial investment opportunity was lost post-Million Man March.\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n 19 hours ag o\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n To your point\, there was no long-term pla n or follow-up after the Million Man March. \n \n \n\n\n\n amen\, I can only add one thing \, the designers of the million man march\, the nation of islam/farrakhan have to be blamed for the lost opportunity + no long te rm plan or follow up. \n\n\n\n And I can see why \, cause though I have n o proof\, I will gamble a reshare online that\, the nation of islam + farr akhan saw the million man march as a membership drive. Which in my view is a dysfunctional plan but I can see it with them. the Nation of Islam's pr imary problem from the time of malcolm has always been that they are membe rship first help second. Malcolm was help first\, help second. Malcolm did n't feel a black person had to be a nation of islam member to be helped no r did the black populace in the usa need to revolve around the nation of i slam and his exile i argue gives proof to my point. \n\n\n\n Black men in modern times were not going to all join the nation of islam through this event. \n\n\n\n \n 19 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Black chur ches are missing a huge investment opportunity considering they collective ly  receive $10-$19 billion dollars per year.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \ n A fraction of that money could go into building a Black banking instit ution. A source of wealth that could be used for other investments.\n \n \n\n\n\n I second you again\, and instead of a bank\, why not a credit uni on. again\, banks by law have a more complex legal situation  which is de signed to be challenging. Credit unions are simpler to start\, more simple in their financing. \n\n\n\n I will even go further and say\, with most black churches protestant\, why can't they form a credit union where each black church is a member? they could had did that decades ago. Black churc hes + black colleges are the earliest black institutions in the usa post w ar between the states\, 1865. The first time black people in the usa have some form of true collective freedom. So the fact that black churches don' t have a financial institution made up of themselves is telling to their a dministration. They are in competition with each other to such a level\, t hey can't unite. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In conclusion\, and it goes to the s ame problem with the nation of islam\, the black religious groups in the u sa\, are very tribal. Membership first\, everything else second. I see thi s every sunday. In harlem today\, with all the strangification or white re entry\, the black churches still get their sunday folk who don't live in h arlem to come in and wear their hats and carrying on. MEmbership first\, e verything else second. And I don't mind the tribalism. BUT\, these same pe ople then complain about the village all the time.  If you are about your tribe so much that you can only help someone in the village when they are a member of your tribe\, fine \, acceptable\, BUT  bitching about the vi llage is unacceptable when you aren't willing to help anyone unless it is for tribal gain. And they are not alone. When the HArlem EMpowerment Zone was started with Charlie Rangel \, the house representative of harlem\, a senior house member\, black\, supported by the clintons\, only one black o wned business in harlem got any money from that initiative\, that was Mr. Copelands\, who spirit flew years ago and whose restaurants have been out of business for years as well. He said so on a show called like it is with gil noble\, also no longer on television as Mr. Noble\, spirit also flew. I comprehend the white man runs the USA. But\, 70/30. Harlem hasn't start ed any black owned nation wide franchises. I will  apologize for Black Ha rlem. But that doesn't mean black owned businesses like Mr. Copelands\, th at were around for decades\, couldn't be considered on equal footing\, in the HArlem Empowerment Zone\, by Black elected officials who all spoke pos itively of the Harlem Empowerment Zone. ... Said officials all also receiv ed alot of money for themselves... this is why SHirley CHisholm left... an yway\, I don't mind tribes helping themselves\, membership first. But\, th e black people need to do better speeches\, from nation of islam/black chu rches/black elected officials who have failed to plan positively or effect ively for the village\, exposes that all three relate to the village as me mbership first\, individualism second. Once you become a member of their t ribe\, they can do \, if you are not a member\, you are on your own and th ey are free to berate your failings\, while never helping\, even when they can. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CITATION\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/119 39-mejorando-la-raza/#findComment-76971\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251016 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Any one in a leadership position who doesn't offer an effect ive plan to those they are leading will lead the led to negativity DTSTAMP:20251015T003626Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:541-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 10/12/2025 at 3:52 PM\, ProfD sai d:\n \n\n \n \n Maintaining status quo is a form of complacency. \n \ n \n\n\n\n well\, very few human beings in human history choose to change the way of things absent a path or something they can see. \n\n\n\n This is the problem with the million man march\, black lives matter... women li ves matter\, the modern immigrant populace in the usa today.\n\n\n\n MAny say\, we need to change this or that. and ok\, but then when the masses as k\, what do we need to do\, and where are we going? no one can answer. \n \n\n\n And up in the air isn't good enough. \n\n\n\n Again\, Ireland and haiti. Yes\, Haiti's goal was to be free... but their was specifics. Haiti must become a black republic. So a black army has to kill the french/span ish/usa/british to make that happen and that is what the haitian army did\ , they defeated the french/spanish/usa/english. The usa tried to take tous saint thinking it would unravel haiti but dessalines steppped in\, a lesso n many countries in the 1900s outside the white european didn't learn. Tha t isn't just black people need to be better.\n\n\n\n Yes the IRA was only a few hundred people and most irish in ireland were opposed to the IRA at some level or in some fashion. Yes\, the IRA wanted irish freedom from but they were specific. Ireland must become a republlic. They didn't have the irish populace supporting them for arms so\, terrorization is the plan. T errorize the english into giving up ireland. It isn't just irish people ne ed to be better. \n\n\n\n To be blunt\, too often\, people especially tho se in leadership positions in the usa say\, people need to be better but o ffer no specificity. \n\n\n\n And to our multilog here\, and it is fortun ate\, you communicate into it\, the various tribes in the black populace i n the usa rarely have leadership that offers specifics. \n\n\n\n My best example is always Black republicans. Black republicans always tell everyon e else black they are doing wrong or bad or some negative\, but when asked how to get these masses\, not a black individual\, from the current place to a better place\, they have no answer\, but individualism. and individu alism isn't a collective plan. \n\n\n\n Going back to the million man mar ch\, telling over a million black men looking for communal guidance\, whic h i know from first hand accounts\, and getting a bunch of individual spee ches\, is dysfunctional. All these black men know they need individual bet terment\, but what they are looking for is the plan for the group. \n\n\n \n And speaking of tribes\, sometimes a tribe is situational. The black me n at the million man march were a tribe for that event. the people behind it like farrakhan were so against function/specifics/ or continuing the vi be\, the million man marchers don't have a website or anything. Those mill ion men could had been asked to each give a dollar a year\, and each have an equal valued vote in where to use it. And men giving their million man march membership as inheritance to another black man. \n\n\n\n That is fr om 1995 to 2025\, thirty years of funding one project each year with a mil lion dollars a year. \n\n\n\n No the black populace in the usa isn't runn ing the usa now with that\, but\, I argue even that small bit of communal planning is something far better than telling black men freely chose to be part of this to be good fathers. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So \, yeah\, I comp rehend your argument against complacency\, but I have to make it clear. To o often people don't offer a destination for the status quo and I call tha t very negative leadership. \n\n\n\n And to cut away from the village for a second\, it goes into really\, alot of arguments in modern humanity. \ n\n\n\n Macau compared to Hong Kong proves my point. One chinese city stat e\, with a semi autonomous government is having a great time\, the other i sn't? why? it isn't status quo complacency\, it is negative leadership in hong kong and positive leadership in macau. \n\n\n\n When biden spent two trillion dollars on his development package and Scrumpft became president \, people complained but\, when you have a populace of over three hundred and fifty million people and your grand investment strategy is to make com puter chips in new york state\, well... \n\n\n\n Saying people don't comp rehend or people are complacent dodges the simple truth. You made a negati ve plan or had no plan and in the history of humanity that tends to lead t o negative situations. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Comment referral \n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11939-mejorando-la-raza/#findComment-76903\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251014 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Do Black DOSers and those not Black DOSers comprehend the un iqueness in Black DOS heritage in the usa or elsewhere? DTSTAMP:20251012T191447Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:540-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  @ProfD \n\n\n\n \n 1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Violence is a path to freedom and power. Those who want it badly en ough will do what they have to do.\n \n \n\n\n\n never forget\, the major ity of Black leadership from the late 1800s\, rightly or wrongly\, has alw ays emphasized that nonviolence is a path to freedom and power equal to vi olence and guided the black masses in that way. And the black masses in th e usa\, the DOS forebears mostly embraced that\, rightly or wrongly. \n\n \n\n And always remember profd\, I know i say the following a lot\, but it seems to me many black people don't cognize the following\, when the usa was founded most Black people were against the creation of the USA. \n\n\ n\n Maybe I should rephrase the DOS heritage in the USA has always been a duopoly. But the majority in the past and I argue\, absent some polling pr oof\, still in modernity an anti white + anti statian/usa . The minority w as in the past and I argue today\, pro integration+pro usa. \n\n\n\n What is my point? Black people and I think Pioneer is a clear example of this have a problem embracing the uniqueness of Black DOS heritage in the USA. We are not from a willing immigrant peoples\, we are not a first peoples t o these lands\, and we have historically hated this place or the white peo ple in it. \n\n\n\n I don't think that vibe has ever left. And so in that context Black DOSers have done brilliantly in the usa \, in a nonviolent context\, because I argue most of us really don't care for this place.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n 2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Violence as a form of self-defense is absolutely necessary when diplomacy fails.\n \n \n\n\n\n yes\, but look at the history of resistance. Haiti won their fre edom but it was from a violence larger than self defense. Ireland won thei r freedom but it was a level of violence beyond self defense. What peoples in humanity in an impotent position used violence as self defense and act ually won? who? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n 2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n Several forms of post traumatic stress disorder PTSD) to include cognitive dissonance seems to have been passed along and ingrained in the psyche of the descendants of slaves.\n \n \n\n\n\n I don't think so as I said earlier in this comment\, I think it is a simpler answer\, but one th at cuts far worse. Black people's heritage in the usa is to be divided in terms of the usa. PRofd \, think on the minority of free blacks who fought to create the usa\, and then think on the majority of free blacks who fou ght to stop the usa from being created. Think on those two groups. That is serious friction. No bridge can bridge that. Remember\, these are two peo ples who are part of a larger minority in the black populace in the europe an colonies called free blacks\, the majority of black people are enslaved who slave revolts prove only had two things in mind\, kill whites and esc ape as far as possible. Consider the two groups of free blacks. Think abou t the free blacks fighting for the creation of the usa. Think about them. No constitution\, no congress\, the majority of white people have publily said they support enslavedment of black people upon success so the black p eople fighting for the creation of the usa are fighting literally for an i dea. They are fighting for their present or a guarantee\, they are literal ly buying into a philosophy\, that the usa will get better\, but it first has to start.  Think about the free blacks fighting against the creation of the usa. think about them. No country to run to. no land to escape to\, the british belatedly\, not initially promised them freedom but never the larger black populace. So these are black people fighting for a status qu o that will keep most black people enslaved in the usa\, thus initially th e black loyalist are fighting to upend the plans of the local whites. This is revenge.\n\n\n\n So on the one side you have a free blacks fighting to get revenge against a personal foe\, and on the other side you have free blacks fighting for a unproveable belief.  \n\n\n\n It isn't PTSD it is a heritage that many Black DOSers parents never explained to them because it isn't simple or pretty or analagous to any other in the usa. \n\n\n\n Remember\, Black DOSers in the USA history timeline had four parts\, and t hey don't match whites. \n\n\n\n 1. Blissful Isolation [most of africa wa s to far away to be meddled in extremely so only distant traffic with euro pe or asia\, Black DOSers free forebears from ancient times live ]\n\n\n\n 2. Abrahamic slave period[ islam first and christianity second spend cent uries making the continent of africa a slave traffic den\, black dosers fi rst enslaved forebears are forced to the usa and elsewhere  during this t ime and their descendents remain enslaved until the next phase ]\n\n\n\n 3 . the laws of Freedom [ in the usa it is the end of the war between the st ates and the 13th amendment\, in haiti it was earlier with the victory of jena jacques dessalines\, in brasil it was later with the golden law. but all black dosers in the american continent have a law of freedom date\, wh ere their first taste of freedom in some fashion exist \; in the usa \, th is period ends with jim crow ]\n\n\n\n 4. the second phase of freedom [ in the usa it is the 1980s. jim crow has finally died enough to not be a fac tor in a majority of black peoples lives. from the 1980s to now is the sec ond phase. What will determine the third phase? we will see. in the caribb ean it is varied\, in haiti their second phase stated  earlier and had a negative tone with the suzerainty to the usa\, but in jamaica. in jamaica it started with the commonwealth period ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n See the diffe rence\, it isn't ptsd\, it is a historical reality that Black DOSers are n ot along the same historical line as whites or non black DOSers in general . And I think many black people are in denial or were never educated prope rly by their parents simple because the truth was painful. As finding your roots\, the show\,  proves\, the usa is full of people\, of all kinds\, who rarely were told the truth by their parents and the reasons aren't an accident. the truth rarely gives the answers that make you fee better. why pioneer and many black people like him are so adamant that the usa is the home of black dosers\, because if the usa isn't\, that is a frightening r eality he and i think many black dosers have always dreaded to cognize. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n 2 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n suggests that Black folks have found a comfortable place within the system of racis m white supremacy.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n It doesn't suggest comfort\, Black p eople have never been comfortable in the usa. The black lives matter prote st proved one thing\, the youngest generations of black people in the usa   are not comfortable. Now are they willing to suffer ? yes\, but that is black heritage in the usa\, again. Black people today suffer but we don't suffer as bad as in the past\, that is the improvement. does it mean we a re comfortable ? no! profd\, that kind of talk i argue criminalizes black people for convenience. We are not comfortable\, we are angry. but we are used to dealing with pain. that is the Black DOS heritage. I know it isn't as glitzy as starting businesses with zeal  or immigrating with dreams\, but it is the truth. \n\n\n\n Black DOSers have always had two camps in our populace concerning the usa and both were extremes\, largely because t hey were forced to be. And that heritage\, yes Black DOS heritage clearly needs to be embraced more cause we don't seem to use it enough in discours e. \n\n\n\n Pioneer says black people regardless of anything need to embr ace the usa which insults the majority of Black DOS heritage\, centuries o ld heritage. \n\n\n\n You profd\, suggest black people are happy\, which insults Black history in the usa at the least\, because we are willing to suffer and survive\, which is part of Black DOS centuries old heritage. \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In conclusion\, I have said it before. I have never lik ed the usa or felt myself apart of it. But\, I do comprehend Black peoples history in it. In a blunt way. Clarence Thomas exist in the heritage of b lack people who were willing without any guarantees of freedom or any proo f of a better tomorrow to fight for the creation of the usa next to those who owned them. There have always been DOSers like that and always will.  Assata Shakur\, rest her soul\,  exists in the heritage of Black people who fought even as a minority populace in the black populace in the usa ag ainst white people and the usa\, like the black loyalist\, who like her di ed in a far away place never seeing their dream fulfilled. These two group s have no merging place\, no bridge can be made. \n\n\n\n so\, when you s peak of black people being comfortable\, who are you talking about? black people like assata shakur? they exist today. you aren't speaking of peopl e like clarence thomas because black people like him have always viewed th e usa as their home\, even under oppression. ala Frederick Douglass. Dougl ass was enslaved saw white violence annihilate black people\, yet he embra ced the usa wholeheartedly. And as he said in his speeches [ https://aalb c.com/tc/blogs/entry/357-frederick-douglass-our-composite-nation/  ] the potential is what he believes in. And for him the potential already has th e structure in the constitution. \n\n\n\n When Pioneer speaks of the USA being Black peoples? is he speaking about the usually trickles but sometim es flows of black DOSers who leave the usa every decade from when the usa was european colonies? is he speaking about some from the exodusters \, wh o wanted their own state? and oddly enough he sounds like frederick dougla ss\, who also couldn't accept other black views to black life. Douglass li ke Pioneer has decided all Black DOSers are Statian/american regardless of how they feel about themselves? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I know I have said e verything time and again in this forum\, but I only do it because i think it matters. Black people\, all of us\, have to start speaking from our his tory. Stop speaking of us through the views of others. We are not the blac k people from nigeira or ethiopia who all came to the usa willingly. We ar e not the white jew who was never financially blockaded from anything in t he usa. We are not the white asians who similarly have always been allowed to own businesses in the usa\, plus were never enslaved. Black DOSers are unique. A negative uniqueness? true\, sadly. A negative uniqueness hard f or a black parent to explain to a black child without lying or absenting t he truth\, trying to guide that young life to embrace the usa or their non black neighbor positively? yes\, very hard. A negative uniqueness hard fo r non blacks who don't have the same problems to cognize or make positive room in their plans for while the populace of the usa becomes ever more mi xe? yes\, not an easy table.\n\n\n\n But it is the truth. Black DOSers can choose to be Statian\, but we can choose not to be. Neither is wrong or r ight. Black DOSers have a heritage of suffering\, which was earned by havi ng to suffer alot. The native American has suffered the most and yet has n ever once had a group try to truly hurt this country. The native american isn't comfortable\, neither are DOSers but both have survived a long time in pain\, it teaches you to deal with it in ways\, other people of color\, can't. That is why \, white cubans in florida are who they are. Why chine se americans are who they are? Cuba has the highest literacy \, the best h ealth care system and white cubans suggest it is hell. All because Fidel t ook their homes away\, some of their lives. But they haven't lost their la nguage\, their culture and were mostly allowed to leave freely. imagine if white cubans had been enslaved and had their culture blockaded? Chinese i n the usa call china a bad country for not having elections. china has mor e female business owners than any country in humanity. china is second onl y to the usa in financial potency. the chinese americans freely came to a country that used a war as a cover for an experiment on high powered weapo ns on asians who live pretty close to china. Imagine if the chinese americ ans was enslaved. Yes\, Black DOSers are used to suffering in the usa. sad but true. We don't crack under pressure like other non white europeans \, people of color. Look at the news. As white europeans in the usa tighten the immigrant noose\, more and more immigrants are unraveling. Can't take the heat. Black DOSers are used to far worse than what they are growing th rough. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I don't care for the condition of Black people in the usa\, but I comprehend it. I ask all of you to comprehend better B lack DOSers village in the usa. Not what you want from it\, but comprehend it. Comprehend how black people have guided themselves today\, which you guys rarely ever say. It isn't about the whites. Today it is about Black p eople\, but how we manage ourselves from over one hundred and fifty years ago. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and I end on an even keel. Rememeber like minded black people. Profd \, @Pioneer1 I ask this of all in this forum \, time and again. \n\n\n\n Find like minded. We three are not like minded. yes\ , we all want black betterment\, but 99% of black people want that. But th e definition to that betterment\, the path is not the same\, and let's emb race that. Most whites in the usa ended up supporting the creation of the usa with a minority not. but black people had three groups\, not two when the usa was founded\, and two of those groups were opposed to the usa or w hites in general. And no\, time doesn't erase as some humans foolishly sug gest. Hell\, ask the white jew about the power of time's erasure in german y. White jews had been in germany since the time of Charlemagne. yet\, whi te christians in germany clearly were not persuaded by time to find some c ommon ground. So why should black people expect our heritage of trivision\ , not division that is two trivision is three\, go away because of the qua ntity of black people in the federal military or the historical note of a black president. It doesn't work that way. Find your people fellas\, and I wish you the best. I really do. And I wonder why you haven't found your p eople. What are you doing wrong that you don't have a better black group a round your views. Are you not looking? Are you only complaining? Are you n ot willing to make hard choices? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251012 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Indigenous People's Day DTSTAMP:20251012T022510Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:539-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I want to honor the legend of Jonas Caballo. Who fought a gainst the USA in the Seminole wars in Florida\, fought again the White an d non Black indigenous citizens or residents in the USA in the trail of te ars\, fought the borderland groups on either side of the USA /Mexico borde r to find a home for his people\, that still exist in northern mexico \, t oday.\n\n One of my favorite ancestors. \n\n\n\n Columbus day is the seco nd monday in october\, so indigenous peoples day has to be the same day\, but the second monday in october is one day from october 8th to october 14 th \, every year.\n\n\n\n His descendants are considered indigenous tribe\ n\n https://www.milenio.com/estados/declaran-pueblo-indigena-tribu-negros- mascogos\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n The Negro Mascogos Tribe is declared an indi genous people\n\nThe governor of Coahuila emphasized that this is importan t primarily because they deserve it and it is a commitment that Mexico has made regarding human rights.\nAna Ponce\nSaltillo\, Coahuila / 09.05.2017 14:57:24\n\nGovernor Rubén Moreira Valdez issued the decree declaring th e Negro Mascogos Tribe an Indigenous People of Coahuila.\n\nIn the communi ty of \"Nacimiento de los Negros Mascogos\" in Múzquiz\, the governor met with this tribe and representatives from different levels of government t o make the appointment.\nHe emphasized that it is important primarily beca use they deserve it\, and because it is a commitment Mexico has made regar ding human rights and to providing dignified conditions for Afro-descendan t peoples. [OBJECT]\n\n\"Normally\, people think about the states of Oaxac a\, Guerrero\, and Veracruz\, where there are Afro-descendant settlements\ , but the north is rarely mentioned\, and today we have to feel proud of t hat\,\" he said.\n\n\"Today\, the history of the Mascogo people\, as well as the Kickapoo\, the Chinese emigration\, and the caravaners\, is already in our textbooks\, in the third-grade textbook\,\" he added.\n\nMoreira V aldez said he hopes that after this decree\, people will be able to access benefits from the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples and considered that this is the fight that must be started\, since the Mascogo deserve t o receive the resources that the country allocates to indigenous tribes.\n \n\"It's not a concession\, it's not a matter of whether you want it or no t. It's there in their budgets. And they've delayed this allocation for on e reason or another. But I hope that with this decree\, for the 2018 budge t\, the Mascogos will be included among those communities that receive res ources\, because they deserve them\, that's true\,\" he specified.\n\n\"Bu t also because Coahuila contributes much more to the budget than it receiv es. Of what we contribute\, we should be receiving 40 percent\, 30 percent of what we contribute. If we have access to those resources\, we will sur ely improve in this regard\,\" he emphasized. \n\n\n\n\n Some thoughts on the Mascagos\n\n https://letraslibres.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/convi vio-zaid-mex.pdf\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n Mascogos \nby Gabriel Zaid \n\nThe M ascogos arrived in Mexico fleeing from American slavery. The current inhab itants have lost some typically black features\, but they adhere to their traditional festivals\, songs\, clothing\, and dishes with a certain affir mative militancy of their identity.\n\nA few Black people arrived in Mexic o with Hernán Cortés. They continued arriving from the Antilles\, and al most three centuries later (in 1810)\, there were 10\,000 Black people and 624\,000 Afro-mestizo people\, compared to 15\,000 Europeans\, 3.7 millio n Indigenous people\, and 1.8 million other mestizos\, for a total of 6.1 million inhabitants. In Coahuila\, the total did not reach 17\,000 in 1803 (Gonzalo Aguirre Beltrán\, The Black Population of Mexico. Ethnohistoric al Study\, 3rd ed.\, revised and expanded\, Fondo de Cultura Económica\, 1989\, pp. 19 and 233). Mexico had a president of Black\, Indigenous\, and Spanish descent: Vicente Guerrero (almost two centuries before Barack Oba ma assumed the presidency of the United States). Not only that: President Guerrero decreed the abolition of slavery in 1829 (decades before the Unit ed States Congress did so in 1865). During that 36-year period\, seeking r efuge in Mexico was an opportunity to escape slavery or persecution.\nRefu gees arrived illegally. But in 1852\, John Horse (leader of the Black Masc ogos\, who was of Black\, Indigenous\, and Spanish descent\, like Presiden t Guerrero) and Wild Cat (leader of the Seminoles) obtained permission fro m President Mariano Arista to settle in El Nacimiento\, Coahuila\, near th e border\, in exchange for defending it from Apache and Comanche raids.\nI n that rural town in the municipality of Múzquiz\, located in the valley where the Sabinas River rises\, President José Joaquín Herrera had grant ed the same permission to the Kickapoo two years earlier.\nSome call the M ascogos Black Seminoles\; however\, they are not Seminoles\, although the two ethnic groups were once neighbors and eventually interbred. The Mascog os are Black people who arrived\, the Seminoles\, Indians who were there a nd welcomed the Mascogos. The Mascogos were slaves\, the Seminoles were no t. The Mascogos performed forced labor on sugarcane\, cotton\, and rice pl antations\, while the Seminoles were small farmers. The Mascogos were flee ing their owners\, who wanted them recaptured alive for the plantations\; the Seminoles were fleeing settlers\, who wanted them dead to ensure the d ispossession of their lands (\"The best Indian is a dead Indian\").\nIt is unknown how many Mascogos arrived in Mexico\, perhaps half a thousand. To day there are about three hundred. According to\ncensus data compiled by p ueblosamerica.com (search for Mascogos on this site)\, in 2020 there were 270 Mascogos\, with a 2% illiteracy rate\, seven years of schooling\, pipe d water\, electricity\, a television\, and a refrigerator. There are also Mascogos in Texas and Oklahoma.\nAccording to Belem Concepción Muñiz Est rada (August 24\, 2023\, by phone in Saltillo)\, there is a floating popul ation of Mascogos that varies greatly depending on whether they go to work in other locations or return. She conducted interviews in El Nacimiento i n 2014 and wrote the book cited below\, as well as the article \"The Black Mascogos of Múzquiz\, Coahuila\, and Their Self-Sustaining Community\" ( online)\, where she points out\, among other things\, the support the Masc ogos receive from the Coahuila government for reforesting walnut trees. Th ey speak Spanish\, English\, and (the older ones) Mascogo. They have gradu ally dissolved as an ethnic group through marriage. In the videos\, you ca n see that the older ones speak English\, the younger ones\, Spanish\; and that typically Black skin\, face\, and hair are not predominant. However\ , they cling to their traditional songs\, clothing\, and dishes\, with a c ertain militant affiliation with their identity\, which attracts tourists. \nLike Black people in the United States\, they have celebrated Juneteenth \, Juneteenth Day\, since 1866. In 2021\, President Biden declared it a na tional holiday.\nThe Mascogo sing in English (not Spanish or Mascogo)\, in a choir\, a cappella (without musical instruments)\, clapping their hands to mark the rhythm. Their songs are indeed spiritual.\nA few books in Spa nish have the word Mascogos\nin the title\; about twenty in English have B lack Seminoles. On YouTube\, there are about twenty videos in Spanish (und er mascogos) and fifty in English (Black Seminoles). There are Wikipedia p ages in Spanish\, English\, and Arabic under Mascogos\,\nand also (in a do zen languages) under Black Seminoles.\nE. F. Nava López transcribes the C oahuila recording\nof \"A Religious Song of the Black Mascogos\" (Annals o f Anthropology\, July-December 2016) in Mascogo\, English\, and\nSpanish\, with musical score. The lyrics are the beginning of the Christian Creed.\ n\nSong lyrics\, transcribed from English and translated into\nSpanish:\nP ACKING MY SUITCASE\nI'm packing my suitcase.\nI'm getting ready to leave.\ nLord: I'm packing my suitcase.\nI'm getting ready to leave.\nMy mother ha s gone\,\nand she was ready to leave.\nMy mother has gone\,\nand she was r eady to leave.\nLord: I'm packing my suitcase\,\nI'm getting ready to leav e.\nMy father has gone\,\nand he was ready to leave.\nand he was ready to leave.\nMy sister has gone\,\nand she was ready to leave.\nMy sister has g one\,\nand she was ready to leave.\nLord: I'm packing my suitcase\,\nI'm g etting ready to leave.\nSource: Belem Concepción Muñiz Estrada et al.\, Negros\nmascogos. An Odyssey to Birth\, Saltillo: Universidad\nAutonomous de Coahuila\, 2020\, p. 111. The song was transcribed and translated by Pa ulina del Moral. The complete book is online.\nHIS NAME\nHis name is malas ta.\nI don't know.\nHis name is malasta.\nI don't know.\nHis name is malas ta.\nI don't know.\nNEW YEAR\nThe year has passed.\nHappy New Year.\nHappy New Year.\nVery happy\, happy New Year.\nVery happy\, happy New Year.\nTH E GOOD PATH\nOh\, please tell me\nhow long it's been since I took\nthe pat h of God.\nOh\, please tell me\nhow long it's been since I took\nthe path of God\,\nand I won't turn back\nuntil Judgment Day.\nSource: Mascogo Song s\, in English\, documentary video by\nKarla Rivera Téllez\, Ministry of Culture of the Government of\nCoahuila\, 2020. Available on YouTube.\nTher e is a Mascogo Cookbook from Coahuila\, 2nd ed.\, National Council for Cul ture and the Arts\, Indigenous and Popular Cuisine Collection #51\, 2014\, compiled by Paulina del Moral and Alicia Siller V. ~\nGABRIEL ZAID is a p oet and essayist. His most recent book is Translated Poems (El Colegio Nac ional\, 2022).\n\n\n\n\n And more\n\n\n\n https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/a rticulo/estados/2016/09/19/mascogos-siempre-listos-para-partir/\n\n\n\n TE XT\n\n\n\n Mascogos. Always ready to leave\nMestizaje wiped out the pure A fro-descendant population in Coahuila\, who arrived fleeing slavery in the United States.\n\nLucía Vázquez (center) is 85 years old and the last p ure Afro-descendant in the community of El Nacimiento\, Múzquiz\, Coahuil a (FRANCISCO RODRÍGUEZ)\nStates\n| 09/19/2016 |\n03:10 |\nUpdated\n09/19/ 2016 08:03\n\nLucía Vázquez is 85 years old and at times bursts into tea rs because she's convinced that when she dies\, no one will sing to her. S he wanders around her house or sits outside with a blank stare\, a stare t hat has been deteriorating for the past two years\, just like her hearing. Lucía is the last pure Black woman in the community of El Nacimiento\, i n the municipality of Múzquiz\, in the state of Coahuila\, a community of African descent that arrived in Mexico in the 19th century.\n\nLucía is wearing a long white dress. She is sitting in a rocking chair outside her house\, on the road that crosses the community of 55 houses\, home to abou t 300 residents\, some still descendants of Black Seminoles who arrived in Mexico in 1850.\n\nThey are called Mascogos\, but Lucía reproaches: \"Wh o knows where they got the name Mascogos? Before\, they were just Black pe ople.\" With her\, a pure race that settled in the El Nacimiento colony in 1852 will end\, when the Mexican government gave 7\,022 hectares to them\ , the Kickapoo tribe\, and the Seminole Indians in exchange for protecting the border from the Apache and Comanche raids that were ravaging settleme nts. It will end because she married a man from Palaú\, a town in the coa l mining region\, with whom she had seven children. “There were no more Black people\; they had all left\,” Lucía says\, as if trying to justif y herself. “My children are pure Cuarterones\,” she says.\n\nWith the exception of Lucía\, the rest of the Black population in El Nacimiento is the result of a mixture of races. “I married a Mexican\, he married a M exican woman\,” they often say\, as if they weren't also born in Mexico. For the Mascogo community\, the El Nacimiento colony is like a nation wit hin a nation.\n\nJust as no one—according to Lucía—told her the story of the arrival of Black people to Mexico\, no one has promoted capeyuye\, a cappella singing accompanied by applause\; most are sung at funerals\, Christmas\, and New Year's. \"Who's going to sing to me? Before\, they wer e little Black people\, but I'm the only one left\,\" she laments.\n\nA co mmunity with history\n\nThe community of El Nacimiento is located 30 kilom eters from the municipal seat in Múzquiz\, a mining municipality in Coahu ila. At the entrance\, there is a sign that reads: Black Mascogos and Semi noles.\n\nFrancisco Cázares\, coordinator of Popular Cultures of Coahuila \, explains that the Mascogos arrived with the Kickapoos and in a kind of alliance with the Seminole indigenous group.\n\nHe mentions that they fled persecution by the United States government and slavery in the mid-19th c entury\, and that it was not until the agrarian redistribution that they w ere granted the territory as an ejido.\n\nIn the United States\, they are recognized as Black Seminoles. When they arrived in Coahuila\, they began to be called Mascogos\, apparently because of the Muskogee language they s poke. “They came from Florida. There are versions that say the Mascogos were slaves of the Seminoles\, because at that time\, Native Americans had the right to own slaves. Other versions—including the main one—explai n that they formed military allies\, hence the name Black Seminoles\,” e xplains Cázares Ugarte.\n\nShe says they are considered runaway slaves\, that is\, rebel slaves who escaped from slave-owning regions.\n\nYolanda E lizondo\, president of the Friends of the Culture of Múzquiz\, Coahuila A .C. Trust\, has another version. She says that the Black Seminoles lived w ith the Seminole Indians as a formal group\, who united when the United St ates government decided to send all the tribes to a large reservation in O klahoma. She claims they were free Black people and that on their way to M exico\, they were joined by runaway slaves.\n\n“There were Black Seminol es in Florida\, but not as slaves\; they accepted these Black slaves and n aturally they mingled\,” she explains. Some historians explain that the term “cimarrón” referred to groups of African descendants who maintai ned a status of freedom by living in the desert and mountains.\n\nIn El Na cimiento\, when residents are asked what their parents or grandparents tol d them\, the African descendants say little. “I hear comments now that t hey were slaves\, but I don't remember\,” says Estela Vázquez Núñez\, 77.\n\nHowever\, the community holiday is June 19—Juneteenth Day in the United States—the day the slaves of Galveston\, Texas\, learned they we re free.\n\nThe community of El Nacimiento celebrates in a walnut grove wh ere they prepare the few remaining traditional dishes: soske (corn atole)\ , tetapún (sweet potato bread)\, pumpkin or piloncillo empanadas baked on steel\, and mortar bread\, mainly. The women wear long dresses with white beads\, an apron\, and a headscarf. However\, many don't even know why th ey celebrate. \"It's the day of the black child\,\" \"it's celebrated when they arrived\,\" \"it's celebrated because that's when they were given th e land\,\" are some of the comments from the community.\n\n\"These are gro ups that have a more open attitude toward issues of racial mixing. They ar e people with less protection over their race\,\" explains Francisco Cáza res\, of Popular Cultures.\n\nThey were rented out as mules.\n\nHomero Vá squez is a tall\, lanky old man. He sits in a rocking chair outside his ho use. Hanging from it is a Mexican flag missing the red part. He is the son of Teodoro Vásquez\, who told him that Black people came from Florida fl eeing the war and slavery. “They were rented out as mules\,” he says h is father told him.\n\nHomero says his father told him that in the 1930s\, many people came to the area to farm\, and that since then\, people began mixing with Mexicans\, which is why English is no longer spoken. His moth er came from Parral\, Chihuahua\, at the age of 15.\n\nHis father told him that there was a severe drought that forced people to leave the colony\, and that many went to Brackettville\, Texas\, where there is a cemetery fo r Black Seminoles who served in the US Army between 1879 and 1914\, in a u nit called the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts.\n\n“My grandmother there wa s named Tina Goren\, but here she was called Carmen Flores. They used a di fferent name for each reservation\,” says Homero\, who of his nine child ren\, five live in the United States.\n\nHomer takes out of his house a la rge portrait of John Horse\, the great Afro-Seminole leader\, son of a Bla ck mother and a Seminole Indian father. According to history\, he led the longest and most massive slave escape in the history of the United States. He arrived in Mexico with Gato del Monte\, the Seminole chief\, and Papik ua\, the Kickapoo chief. In Mexico\, he was awarded the rank of colonel in the Army.\n\nMany people left\n\n\"I'm a mere descendant. My father was a clean Black man\,\" says Ricardo González Núñez\, known as Chito\, a m an who is about to turn 80 and has served more than 20 years as a judge of the ejido. Chito leaves his house slowly\, with the top buttons of his sh irt undone. \"I was putting aloe vera on my bones because they hurt a lot\ ,\" he says. In his house\, there are about ten chickens\, roosters\, and a peacock. He sits in a rocking chair.\n\nMost houses have a backyard wher e they raise animals. There are no houses joined together. Most people are engaged in agriculture\, although no young people are seen in the neighbo rhood.\n\nChito says that life used to be different. “There was a lot of black people\,” he says. He owns goats and sells the milk. “It’s do wn. There’s no money\,” he complains. He produces about 100 liters eve ry three days and sells it in Múzquiz for 1.60 pesos per liter. He studie d until fourth grade.\n\nHe mentions that among the Mascogos\, his father left him the tradition of behaving well and respecting others. His mother was a blonde from Chihuahua.\n\nChito was a cowboy in the United States. H e remembers that many people left because \"they had to make a living.\" H e suffered the segregation of Black people in the United States\, when the y had to ride in the back of buses. He has four children\, two of whom liv e as slaves in the United States. They work in restaurants. \"They're the ones who help us\,\" he says. \"We all have children of slaves here. Some come in with permission and stay. There's no life here\,\" he adds.\n\n\"W hat did your father tell you about their ancestors?\" he is asked.\n\n\"Th at they were fleeing slavery. Their grandparents told my father\,\" he rep lies.\n\n\"Do you feel Mexican or Mascogo?\"\n\n\"You have to be Mexican. Black\, but Mexican\,\" he says.\n\nChito\, like his father\, also married a woman who was not of Black descent. “I knew her in my life\,” she s ays.\n\nI'm packing my suitcase.\n\nMargarita González Núñez is 78 year s old and also feels the sadness of those songs that are being lost. “Ev en though I don't understand them\, I know they're saying goodbye\, that t hey're singing to the dead\,” she says\, standing next to her daughter N arcedelia. “Now all that's left is food and clothing\,” she laments ab out the loss of traditions.\n\nWith Doña Mague is Dulce Robles Herrera\, the great-granddaughter of Lucía Vázquez\, the last pure Black woman in the community.\n\n“Aren't you leaving like the other young people?” Du lce is asked.\n\n“No\, I don't like it. There [in the United States] are the police. They're alone. I have my family here\,” she defends.\n\nDul ce says that Abuelita Lucía\, as she calls her\, starts to cry when she's with her. “She cries a lot because she says no one will sing to her. Sh e wants a Black woman to sing to her\,” Dulce comments.\n\nIn the backgr ound of the conversation\, Mascogo Soul plays\, an album recorded by the l ast women who knew the capeyuye. Songs like \"It's Maybe My Last Time\" an d \"Glory in the Heaven\" are featured\, melodies with repetitive phrases. The song \"I'm Packing Now\" is heard\, a song about escaping slavery tha t was often sung on slave plantations:\n\nI'm packing my suitcase\n\nI'm g etting ready to leave\n\nI'm packing\n\nand I'm ready to leave\n\nLord\, I 'm packing my suitcase\n\nI'm getting ready to leave\n\nMy mother is gone\ n\nand she was ready to leave\n\nMy mother is gone\n\nand she was ready to leave…\n\n\n\n\n wiki\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Horse\n\n\ n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251008 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251015 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Charity Coloring Book 10/14/2024 DTSTAMP:20250524T212215Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:279-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Charity Coloring Book \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This is for th e coloring book project from the charity guild group on deviantart\, mine is at 1:48+5:27\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTIn og0-EqE\n\n if you are in deviantart \, join the charity group i have felt very good about all the projects I have been apart of... many people talk about doing good\, well here is a group that literally gets artists to do good. These coloring books will go to a bunch of kids who need all the po sitivity they can muster\;  https://www.sickkids.ca/\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/goldenemotions/journal/Colouring-Book-Wrap-Up-1112011528\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n My image\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Co louring-page-for-charity-sickkids-of-canada-2024-1054223177\n\n\n\n \n\n E MBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20241014 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Omnitard  DTSTAMP:20251010T204159Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:538-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Title: The Omnitard \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdde viant/art/For-A-HINT-OF-DARKNESS-2025-1251034394\n\n For a challenge to ma ke a story with 25 words or less\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251010 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Zero's Unfolding Adventure in Literature/Coloring Pages/Audi o DTSTAMP:20251004T144832Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:531-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Zero's Unfolding Adventure  \n\n\n\n LITERATURE\n\n Zero 's Unfolding Adventure\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Zero-s -Unfolding-Adventure-1242313656\n\n\n\n \n\n ART\n\n Amate of Yabu\, Mui\, and Zero\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Amate-of-Yabu-Mui-a nd-Zero-1243104279\n\n Zero sleeping after adventures with Yabu Nda\n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Zero-sleeping-after-adventures-with -Yabu-Nda-1243106596\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Audio version\, text is coming at 3pm today on schedule in deviantart \n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmu rrayhumblr/796480634913767424/written-by-richard?source=share\n\n Join CRl iterature in Deviantart for his challenge \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/e vents/event/537-where-are-they-now-zero-a-nightmare-before-christmas/\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n AUDIO POST\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumb lr/796480634913767424/written-by-richard\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IMAGES\n\n\n \n \n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/topic/11937-zeros-unfolding-adventure- audioliteratureillust ration/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251004 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where Are They Now: Zero - A Nightmare Before Christmas DTSTAMP:20251008T222218Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:537-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/WATN-Zero-A- Nightmare-Before-Christmas-1242380366\n\n\n\n \n\n Zero our beloved ghost dog from Nightmare before Christmas needs your help in continuing his gran d adventures \n\n Enjoy the ongoing fun in the Where Are They Now series! \n\n Coloring pages\, example stories in text or audio are all available t o help you create or just to enjoy \n\n\n\n \n\n EXAMPLE OR ASISSTING CON TENT calendar post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/531-zeros-unf olding-adventure-in-literaturecoloring-pagesaudio/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251008 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My Review of Invisible Raptor DTSTAMP:20250920T130554Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:512-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My Review of Invisible Raptor\n\n\n\n Invisible Raptor 20 23 directed by Mikey Hermosa and written by Mike Capes and Johnny Wickham sets the tone for any viewer with its opening scene. That tone is one of f un. Any ticket holder or streamer who demands a science fiction film with a serious tone from beginning to end\, ala sphere 1998\, or a comedic film with high budget special effects\, ala hitchikers guide to the galaxy 200 5\, will be upset. But if a viewer is content for a fun science fiction co medy with a tight story and unashamed while functional ensemble cast\, ala Tremors 1990 or Sharknado 2013\, this will be one they visibly giggle and laugh with. \n\n\n\n The ensemble cast all delivers what is needed. Davi d Shackleford's Denny binds the majority of the film. He is sometimes a he ro you cheer for\, sometimes a clown you laugh at\, sometimes a fool you c hastise\, sometimes a wildman needing imprisonment\, but his heart is alwa ys in a positive place. The appearances of most in the cast\, are short bu t purposeful\, not mere cameos to say they wanted to be in the movie. JJ N olan\,Luke Speakman \, Richard Riehle\, Larry Hankin\, Vanessa Chester\,Da ve Theune\,Bunny Levine\, and others all serve a function as a person in t he town we need to know about to defeat the raptor or someone we need to s ee the raptor kill on its path of town domination. Sean Astin character is the Scheherazade\, framing the film. Sandy Martin takes over the last act with heroic hilarity to be remembered. Capes and Caitlin McHugh have hard jobs playing the straight characters who also fill all the tropes that wa rrant audiences amusement\, but they succeed. Couples may be frustrated at their teasing at times. \n\n\n\n Ciolca's score is appropriate. Supports small changes in tone while allows the sound of the environments to do th eir work. He didn't hear that unique theme that one remembers\, but it was n't needed. Koss keeps the camera level\, the images crisp\, and allows th e unrealness of night light. Too many films today\, from all ranges of bud get like to make dark scenes really hard to see and that is uncomfortable. I am glad he didn't. Grady Holder\, Dorian Cleavenger and the effects squ ad\, had a challenge with the invisible raptor but they made it work. I ca n only recall one time the beast didn't convince me of its danger in that accidental serial killer sort of way. \n\n\n\n Now I admit\, I personally prefer a more serious tone in general. Yes\, I am one of those who will c hoose to watch Solaris 1972 over Battle Beyond The Stars 1980. But\, I don 't demand it. Battle Beyond The Stars is fun and the Invisible Raptor is e qual to the task with a smaller budget and a smart premise and a professio nal cast. There is no shame in wanting to see a film to get you to laugh a nd relax.       \n\n\n\n https://discord.com/channels/1238281346833715 283/1418802814582521967/1418943622107365406\n\n https://discord.com/channe ls/1238281346833715283/1418802814582521967/1418943658560065578\n\n https:/ /discord.com/channels/1238281346833715283/1418802814582521967/141894367129 3710466\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22090684/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ALL REVIEWS\n\n https://discord.com/channels/12382813468337152 83/1418802814582521967\n\n  \n\n\n\n A SHORTENED REVIEW\n\n\n\n Use HDDev iant : Invisible Raptor has a tone of fun which is sets out from the openi ng scene. A viewer who is content for a science fiction comedy with a tigh t story and purposeful  direction will not be disappointed. The each of t he cast in tandem deliver what the film required scene by scene. The speci al effects are functional and effective. https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event /512-my-review-of-invisible-raptor/\n\n\n\n referral\n\n\n\n https://disco rd.com/channels/1238281346833715283/1425217764632821980/142524948292003440 6\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Siberyaki DTSTAMP:20251007T213615Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:536-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Siberyaki\, a story inferred from an image in heavy m etal\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/The-Siberyaki-124997 4403\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251007 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Building Wealth today\, spurred by profd DTSTAMP:20251007T213459Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:535-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n POST URL\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n 1 hour ago\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n True.  Mo st wealth has been stolen. \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n However\, the Middle Easterners have managed to turn black gold aka oil into a vast amou nt of wealth.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Black folks can start buildin g wealth as a group by:\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n 1) owning our talen ts and abilities\, intellectual property\n \n\n \n 2) using a Black ba nk\n \n\n \n 3) supporting Black businesses\n \n\n \n 4) buying sp orts franchises\n \n\n \n 5) investing in land and real estate\n \n\n \n 6) buying stocks and bonds\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Putting m oney to work is the best way to generate wealth in the absence of having n atural resources to sell.\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n And all the middle eas terners black gold has the blood of middle easterners on it shed by other middle easterners. \n\n\n\n I support all your points to nonviolent finan cial growth. but I have to say\, whites whether they be arab/asian/latino/ african/male/female/christian/muslim/ or others have intentionally killed each other for financial gain. The gold rush\, the oil rush\, the manifest destiny land grabs\, prohibition era liquor fortunes\, first stock market era\,  all had mostly white people killing white people while total comp licity by law enforcement\, once the first people/native americans were el iminated for the land if needed.  One thing I rarely read or hear black p eople say\, especially in the american continent\, is that we in modernity don't have that strong a heritage of murder for financial gain. I argue w ith no true proof\, only personal experience or views that most black on b lack financial crimes happen today than ever before. Whereas for whites th ey killed each other in the near past way more than today for fiscal wealt h. \n\n\n\n Black people in the usa at the least were enslaved and financ ially penniless permanently while whites were killing each other for land or oil or gold or liquor. So Black people have started our internal wars o ver money in the 1900s. Consider madam cj walker was the wealthiest black person in the usa\, lived in Urban harlem\, think on that. She was blocks from poor black people. She wasn't in a scenario like downtown manhattan's gilded age where rich people had houses lined up next to each other. \n\ n\n\n If you consider black people in the usa started to be attested by wh ites as financially wealthy in the 1900s then based on usa history with th e european colonies\, the first phase of usa history\, starting in the 150 0s whites [european/asian/latin/male/female/arab/muslim/christian/ or othe r] had four hundred years to become financially wealthy by any means neces sary while blacks have only been allowed to become financially wealthy wit hin the law from in the 1900s. That is a variance. \n\n\n\n And\, to @Pio neer1 initial point\, the culture of white latin americans trying to beco me pure white stems from the simple fact that unlike the english european colonies that brought white women along\, the spanish/french/portuguese co lonies were overhwhelmingly male\, so latin american whiteness is primaril y mestizo\, the spawn of a white european and an indios female \, indios b eing first people/native american. It is minority mulatto\, the spawn of a white european and a black african woman. Mestizo or mulatto children wer e and are taught in the castas of latin america or its modern derivatives that whiteness could be achieved through a mating structure. Even though g enetic lineage doesn't matter how many matings are forced\, a human beings lineage is never deleted. so\, the mating concept is perpetual because it 's goal can never be achieved\, but its goal is always emphasized. \n\n\n \n Now that the neutral truth or history is out of the way\, \n\n\n\n to the positive\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I like your nonviolent financial calls. Th ey each have positive value. I will mention warnings alongside the positiv es.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1) owning our talents and abilities\, intellectua l property\n\n\n\n In modernity with the internet\, owning your creativity is huge. I don't know the numbers but any artists knows \, intellectual p roperty theft in various fashions is rampant today\, rampant. So I concur to this as a modern importance. It was important in the past\, but with th e modern internet\, the ability to make profit off of intellectual propert y theft is much quicker than the past. My warning is\, the law around inte llectual property is really messy. It isn't an accident that the fiscal we althiest media firms spend so much money or effort redesigning characters so that they can gain copyright on a newer version. Or that many of said f irms don't release media that has public domain characters \, cause the ab ility to legally deny others to profit is... a task\, and since most court cases end up settling out of court\, well\, the expense is to high.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n 2) using a Black bank\n\n\n\n I want to be more specific\, n ot a black bank. but a Black Credit Union. I have nothing against Black Ba nks but credit unions are easier to start and more focused in their design . Credit Unions will allow financially applicable segments of the black co mmunity to have a bank for themselves. When I look at the fiscal wealthies t black community in any city in the usa\, that being los angeles\, they s hould have a credit union for themselves and to my knowledge they do not. I assume similar for the atlanta black fiscal elite. The black fiscal elit e in new york city to be blunt\, should have it as well. But\, I rather bl ack people of wealth in small regions make credit unions and then new blac k money can join whenever they can. Financially poor black people can't af ford the extra fees or limitations of small banks\, especially in context with pensions or similar financial tools. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 3) supporti ng Black businesses\n\n\n\n As someone whose household members have always supported black owned businesses\, I do support\, buying black. But\, I d o think black people need to imagine how to own their own businesses mores o. From Jacobs to Famous to Lighthouse to Make My Cake to Jumbo to Charlie 's to King Barka to various laundromats or hair salons \, multiple Black b usinesses exist in Harlem that have thrived for decades to recently opened .  But New York City proves starting a firm requires more thought. I have witnessed multiple chinese owned restaurants fall in recent years\, but I also recognized one chinese restaurant survive and thrive well. why? The one that thrived well is near columbia universty and was getting tons of a sian customers even when i was a kid. My point is\,the black dance school \, liquor gallery\, all failed. The black architect seems to be stable. Bu t NYC is hard. Some business will never honestly work in NYC unless the av erage wealth increases at a rate above the average in the usa or the cost of living decreases at a rate below the average in the usa. \n\n\n\n So s upport black businesses but I rather hope black businesses focus on being efficient. instead of a dance school maybe you can operate in a school. in stead of a gallery maybe you can get a church to be the host of a gallery and your wine\, harlem has many black churches that do nothing most of eve ry day\, that are locked up or gated.  I know churches members have issue s with certain activities but be a business person and make it work. Contr acts\, figure it out. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Jacobs\n\n\n\n https://www.jaco brestaurant.com/jacob-soulfood-restaurant-locations.php\n\n\n\n Famous\n\n \n\n https://www.famousfishmarketnyc.com/\n\n\n\n Lighthouse\n\n\n\n https ://www.lighthousefishmarket.com/\n\n\n\n Makemycake\n\n\n\n https://www.ma kemycake.com/\n\n\n\n Jumbo \n\n\n\n https://www.sugarhilljumbos.com/\n\n \n\n Charlie's \n\n\n\n https://www.charlespanfriedchicken.com/locations\ n\n\n\n King Barka - don't hate\, websites cost money\n\n\n\n https://www. restaurantji.com/ny/new-york/king-barka-/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 4) buying spo rts franchises\n\n\n\n Not for me. In a soccer community elsewhere members were talking about owning a sports team and if I was a multi billionaire (meaning I have three hundred billion dollars in a bank account\, not incl uding stock evaluations/bonds/partial investments in firms or dividends fr om investments or stock)  I wouldn't invest one penny in sports clubs. I have said it in this forum before. I am not sold on sports franchises. \n \n\n\n The business model for sports franchises is simple. You buy a franc hise and over time the speculators\, the people who see\,  continually st ate the value of the franchise is worth more\, based on the increased ad r evenue and real estate value of the club. It is the NFL model\, which is a pplied to all sports today. But here is the problem. \n\n\n\n In the EPL\ , english premier league\, the pandemic caused a catastrophic stop of the epl\, where franchises had to take out ten million dollars a week or more\ , let alone the financial money pit of other teams. The problem with sport s franchises is any investment in them has to assume\, a financially posit ive environment\, where sponsors will be able to pay increasing fees\, fan s will be able to buy increasingly expensive content\, the real estate val ue with grow. But I can't assume a financially positive environment will e xist for any firm all the time\, and sports franchises in negative financi al environments are some of the worst properties to own. If anything\, the best time to buy or start a sports franchise is when the economy is at it s lowest\, because you are buying or starting on the cheap and you should be able to ride the bad times. The example is the NY Giants\, the white fa mily who owns them were bookkeepers\, they bought the giants for a hundred dollars or thousand dollars in bad times.  so... buy sports franchise \, not for me\, not now \, maybe if the shutdown continues for three years\, all the unpaid rents of federal workers and utility bills and etcetera ma y shake the market enough to cause problems. Al the most profitable sports teams have situations that matter. The yankees\, Real madrid have a legac y that requires time + success. The New York Knicks or rangers have an exc ellent location far better than most including the yankees. Like every NFL team\, MAnchester United and every other epl team have a sponsorship deal that is totally disconnected to athletic merit. But is a closed system to new clubs for the most part.\n\n\n\n Yes\, the saudis now own newcastle u nited\, the qataris own paris saint germain\, the emirates own manchester city and nyfc\, redbull own various sporting enterprises. But the oil lord s invest because they want to keep their currency low. If the oil lords do n't spend they accumulate so much wealth their currency will have to rise in value which will only help the usa as most countries currencies are peg ged to the dollar. This is why during the covid 19 they were the only set of countries looking to spend\, they had the money to spend and didn't wan t their currencies to skyrocket as other economies were falling during the covid 19. As for redbull\, well\, they have basically found a way to use the NFL model in all sports. They use specualtion and marketing to get an advertising industry to finance their ventures which allows them to skim o ff the top and market manipulate. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 5) investing in lan d and real estate\n\n\n\n rough\, as someone who was born and raised in NE w York City\, land and real estate seem very wise long term BUT during the covid 19\, many small business failed which meant many offices struggled. It is only because the city/state/federal government provided a bunch of financial crutches that the real estate industry didn't implode. But\, aga in\, that is bad fiscal capitalism. Based on revenue in my lifetime\, all the banks in the usa should had closed permanently\, all the investment ho uses in the usa should had closed permanently\, all but the ford motor com pany should be around as car manufacturers (I will never forget how ford w anted to not get the government aid but the government demanded they get a id\, )\, all the airlines in the usa should had closed permanently\,most f ood production firms should had closed permanently\,  most real estate pr operties in nyc should had been bought by the city government way under ma rket value for inability to pay debts.\n\n\n\n Too often in the usa\, the federal/state/city governments  provide welfare to failing businesses\, w hich is dysfunctional. People complain about unemployed people getting wel fare but welfare to the unemployed serves the function of maintaining a ce rtain quality of life for the unemployed\, which helps peace amongst the m asses. But welfare to firms spits at the important function of being able to fail in free market capitalism. When a firm fails that means it was mis managed. Every firm in the usa in my lifetime who was given welfare to sur vive did it to itself. \n\n\n\n AT&\;T sold Warner bros under market v alue to the discovery channel because it was unprofitable. It was a failur e. AT&\;T demanded discovery channel accept all the warner bros debt\, so AT&\;T had clean books with all of its profitable branches. \n\n\n\ n The mergers of firms isn't because firms are making money\, they merge b ecause they are failing. \n\n\n\n The banks who take all races of peoples homes every day or treat Blacks or First peoples/native americans negativ ely compared to white customers crawled and begged in washington d.c. in t heir tailored suits far more sinfully in my mind than any \"shaniqua\" in an urban black neighborhood to the welfare office. \n\n\n\n So not for me . If you want to invest in land or real estate go ahead\, but if you don't have a wise way to turn that land or real estate into revenue then your p laying the common game today in the usa of tax breaks and tax liens and fa lse speculations and overall market  gambles that... not for me. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n 6) buying stocks and bonds\n\n\n\n I always think of that whi te man standing with the car. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The stock market craches don't include the bitcoin crashes\, which they should cause it is the same situation. \n\n\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market_crash\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n When anyone invest in a trading environment the key isn't their investment\, the key is when they pull out. I recall in New York cit y\, many bitcoin billionaires who professed in local media\, NY Times and Wall Street Journal\, how they don't need money\, they have bits\, they ar e living it up... and then some time later\, they looked like a modern var iant of the man above or below:) in their case\, holding a mop or holding a sign by themselves. \n\n\n\n Black people invested in the freedman's ba nk\, that frederick douglass spoke for... black people of the late 1800s i n the usa \, most of DOSers who had any money lost all their money in the implosion of the freedman bank. So invest? yeah ok. But.. people look at s ome pension funds and say you see\, invest. but many and i argue most pens ion funds in the usa went belly up. If you are so inclined only invest in stocks or bonds\, perishable revenue or income. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n bitco in crashes\n\n\n\n https://www.webopedia.com/crypto/learn/biggest-bitcoin- crashes/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n someone assessed the grey scale and made a col or version. ahh chrysler\, internals are worthless\, but the cabin\, nice: ) \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN CONCLUSION\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Of the si x\, I think 2 with adjustment +3 with focus  have the best value overall. 1 has legal issues which are mighty. 4+5+6 are all true gambles. They eac h require a situation or environment which is not certain. \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Black Credit Union\, yeah\, I like that idea. focused\, small\, reli es on true financial quality. gives great leeway once you pay the legal fe es\, protects from operations of other or larger banks. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n More black people own business in the usa today than ever before \, hol istically. But\, too many black businesses fail in the usa as well\, you h ave to think more on the financial reality of the industry you are in. It can't be village save me. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT REFERRAL URL\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11939-mejorando-la-raza/#findComment-76710 \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251007 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Richard Murray's Public Literary Challenge Examples Listing #RMPLCEL initialized 10/05/2025 DTSTAMP:20251006T221656Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:534-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Richard Murray's Public Literary Challenge Examples Listi ng #RMPLCEL\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/richard-murray-s-publ ic-literary-challenge-examples-listing-rmplcel\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A an eve r-growing list of examples\, as long as I am alive. Currently the examples stem from my activities at the CRLiterature group in Deviantart\, where I am known as HDdeviant. Each example from each public challenge will be ad ded to this work. Enjoy listening to the examples. The voice is not mine. The voices are automated/synthography/AI/computer generated. If you want m y listen to my voice you can enjoy any of the tip jar audios for pay\, whe re I also provide excerpts for free.\n\n\n\n This is a companion work to\n \n\n\n Richard Murray's Public Literary Challenge Listing #RMPLCL \,\n\n\n \n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-s-public-literary-chall enge-listing-rmplcl\n\n\n\n which list the example stories aside the liter ary challenges they were designed to promote.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CALENDAR POST For Ebook\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/532-richard-murra ys-public-literary-challenge-listing-rmplcl-initialized09282025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11945-richar d-murray-public-literary-challenges/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251005 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Richard Murray's Public Literary Challenge Listing #RMPLCL i nitialized09/28/2025 DTSTAMP:20251004T200442Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:532-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Richard Murray's Public Literary Challenge Listing #RMPLC L\n\n A an ever-growing list of couples\, Literary Challenge aside Example of Challenge Entry\, as long as I am alive. Currently\, the couplets\, I call Dualations\, stem from my activities at CRLiterature group in Deviant art\, where I am known as HDdeviant. Each public challenge will be added t o this work. Enjoy reading the examples or taking part of the challenges.\ n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-s-public-literary-chal lenge-listing-rmplcl\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A an ever-growing list of couples\ , Literary Challenge aside Example of Challenge Entry\, as long as I am al ive. Currently\, the couplets\, I call Dualations\, stem from my activitie s at CRLiterature group in Deviantart\, where I am known as HDdeviant. Eac h public challenge will be added to this work. Enjoy reading the examples or taking part of the challenges.\n\n\n\n If you want to listen to the exa mples the following audiobook is available\n\n\n\n Richard Murray's Public Literary Challenge Examples Listing #RMPLCEL\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/audiobook/richard-murray-s-public-literary-challenge-examples-listi ng-rmplcel\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Audiobook Calendar Post\n\n\n\n https://aalb c.com/tc/events/event/534-richard-murrays-public-literary-challenge-exampl es-listing-rmplcel-initialized-10052025/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n \n\n For this and the companion audiobook\n\n\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/topic/11945-richard-murray-public-literary-challenges/\n\n\n\n for just the epub\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11940-richard-murrays-public-l iterary-challenge-listing-rmplcl /\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250928 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Cento Series End 09/27/2025 DTSTAMP:20251004T021952Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:530-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Cento series has gone on for a very long time. \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n The cento series was because I love to write poetry and sha re other artists work. So with centos I could create artwork I like and fe ature other artists in the same. Field. It was a joy being on this creativ e journey. From May 28th 2023 to September 7th 2025 is circa two and a hal f years. Fifty two weeks in a year so\, 52+52+(52/2)  = 104+ 26=130 weeks . At two poems each week that is 260 poems. Not bad:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n C entos in overblog are from May 28th 2023 to November 17th 2024- sadly the results are not temporally aligned\, unlike AALBC. \n\n https://rmnewslet ter.over-blog.com/search/Cento/\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry from November 23rd 2024 to September 27th 2025 \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/sear ch/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;update d_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos in ebook form\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-202 3\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n AND HERE IS A GOING AWAY PRESENT\, the last of the Ce nto's I had listed. Enjoy\n\n\n\n Maybe\nthin walls\nprotect\nunwanted ene rgies\nas a rock.\nwith ease.\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/mysticalpoet/art /Permeable-1042307846\n\nYou don’t want to be too good at what you are d oing.\nSince it is probably just a discount brand anyway.\nEspecially for those working low-salary jobs.\nEspecially when one is constantly being bo mbarded\nSome people can handle it\, others cannot\nhttps://www.deviantart .com/princeoffire/art/Rat-Race-1042162559\n\nAnd laughing in the\nWinter's icy clutch on me\,\nWhispering of distant wonders\nhttps://www.deviantart .com/midn1ghtink/art/Anywhere-With-You-NaPo24-15-1042367171\n\nlife is\na butterfly wing\;\non my leg\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/lucienrising/art/B ruised-1042271257\n\nit is easier to tell myself that I just\nbeen too qui et when the thing I want the most is right in front of me\;\ncannot touch me\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/starrystarrysky7267/art/all-that-I-have-104 2258562\n\nI'm a puddle\; but...\nI'm able to breathe...\nFor quite a long time\nI'm so scared -\nOf a total meltdown...\nInto that deep\, dark wate r...\nI think I'm finally\nOn the shore\, and...\nI've found myself\nhttps ://www.deviantart.com/faythe1900/art/Tiny-White-Flower-103-1040755252\n\nI see the clouds overhead\nWhere man would soon build\nI know what's coming next\nTo cleanse my body and soul\nWhy dread what nature gives\nhttps://w ww.deviantart.com/shouron/art/Stormy-Memories-1040951737\n\nsince our last argument...\nThere's talk of\nme\ntalking with you.\nhttps://www.devianta rt.com/mysticalpoet/art/Two-Weeks-1042693009\n\naccept defeat before anyth ing could start but\nyour rose perfume will one day become\nheavy promises that hang in the air. I think for me\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/starryst arrysky7267/art/clairvoyant-1042811951\n\nIt feels so nice against the ski n and\nShowing off a dapper look and\n\n\nKilling it with style.\nhttps:// www.deviantart.com/princeoffire/art/Silk-Shirt-Acrostic-1042785245\n\nSing le body melts and reforms\,\n And give me my true name.\nI can sense th e world around you\,\nOf the stars living between us.\nhttps://www.deviant art.com/midn1ghtink/art/Shadow-Dancing-NaPo24-18-1043402404\n\nIt is becom ing a nice time of year.\nLike back during pandemic times.\nTime to enjoy a nice walk outside\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/princeoffire/art/Sunny-Day -1043783427\n\nwords will come someday\, a beautiful\nand artifice -- never beauty\;\nso beautiful\n I have no bricks to lay\nhtt ps://www.deviantart.com/maggotsx/art/Creator-1043492968\n\n\nin her tiny c are\nit wasn’t you\n(tiny\, innocent\,\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/ink-s inger/art/thief-1040279547\n\nLord knows I could\nsolve\nstars.\nto remind me\nfate\nas planned...\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/mysticalpoet/art/Revi siting-Music-1043567941\n\nwhat has been\nthe seeds\nover men:\nmany paths \nhttps://www.deviantart.com/lucienrising/art/Perpetual-1043507694\n\nMayb e this is just part of the tale\,\nBut you wanted sleep.\nWhile I'm wrappe d up in thorns.\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/midn1ghtink/art/Sweet-Dreams-N aPo24-19-1043621741\n\nbut as i stare at my reflection\nso i know that eve n within the darkest hour\nwith no lies\, no mimicry\nhow do we find our c larity\nwe search our whole lives for a promise we are never told\nhttps:/ /www.deviantart.com/rtnightmare/art/PFP-Open-Theme-My-Truth-1043993797\n\n je leur enlèverais leur masque de miel\nsi j'étais de retour à la maiso n\,\npendant que les moissonneuses faucheraient\nme soufflent les fleurs écrasées sur le trottoir\nque la campagne et son silence pesant\npasser sous des arcs-en-ciel sans trésors\n\n\nI would take off their honey mask \nif I was back home\,\nwhile the harvesters mow\nthe flowers crushed on t he sidewalk blow at me\nthat the countryside and its heavy silence\npass u nder rainbows without treasures\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/whiteplumfragr ance/art/Le-champ-de-tournesols-875941852\n\nI agree i can be quite a bore \nyou crumble at the littlest\, slightest touch\nfighting to stay happy bu t the world says no\nso why do i still keep going?\nhttps://www.deviantart .com/dazzlinraven/art/I-am-broken-1042194680\n\nWith nary a ship or a soul \nOur bodies had agreed upon.\nWith every slow\, labored beat.\nhttps://ww w.deviantart.com/midn1ghtink/art/December-NaPo24-20-1044466476\n\nwell\, c hild\,\nwould you believe\nas you work hard\nthat one is out of order\nand my job\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/kirihearts/art/bones-napo-5-1044549373 \n\nShe says\, to God I suppose\, but not our bodies.\nWe are supposed to be here for praying\nmy head\, a brief nod of gratitude\, before\nhttps:// www.deviantart.com/maggotsx/art/Calvary-1045141850\n\nBreath and body\nHav e nowhere to go\nToo many holes\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/sicariusalatum /art/Old-Clothes-1044579391\n\nmy poetic response\n\n\nTitle: The Griot re plies to Troubadour PrinceofFire\n\n\nYour song is part\, while not too l ong\nFor Nimue\, said\, at a kong\nWhere the griot\, I sing of\, sat\nWait ing while in a mudcloth brat\n\n\nShe spoke of a former knight\, now king\ nEarn'd from four and one\, to live fae-bling\nWhite hair'd he dream'd\, o f one thing to be\nTo end the false legend\, after he\n\nHe mourn'd after he was whisk'd away\nThe innocents burn'd or metal-slay\nAll the task was for a love felt far\nNot from evil or deceptive tar\n\nYet\, all he could do was shed tears\nYear after year\, from faulty fears\nHe earn'd one way into faelan'\nNone left in years or none human\n\nTill the queen's sister saw a griot\nA wise traveler and not a sot\nShe spoke to him of the faekin g's fright\nAnd his request before he lost sight\n\nThe griot laugh'd and accept the quest\nA worthy addition to his jest\nThe Sky-king's court he w ill join one day\nTo join his loving hene and play\n\nAnd\, the griot left the sweet fae shores\nTo tell a foreign people true lores\nAnd add to his own king-quest some tales\nTo sing a journey through all the vales\n\nfro m hddeviant/richard murray\nhttps://www.deviantart.com/princeoffire/art/Th e-Knight-and-the-Faerie-Princess-979999142\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you want more poetry from me\, consider. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub link\ n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series it i s in has more than poetry\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-mu rray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series is mostly poetry but not all\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard -murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n \n\n If you enjoy my craft and would like t o support me with $1 consider using my tipjar\n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251004 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Artist!!! Another charity is here! DTSTAMP:20251006T011559Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:533-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n from the project creator \n\n\n\n This project will be s ending shoeboxes to underprivileged children for Christmas packed full of goodies like school and art supplies\, toys and other goodies! We have a v ery special canvas which is \"The Floor\".\n\n\n\n Due Nov 5th\n\n\n\n joi n @Charity-Guild to stay informed on deviantart if you are not on discord\ , but you don't need to be on discord to take part.\n\n\n\n I really enjoy all the charity art I did. And it saddens me.. angers me\, when many arti sts... well... all the energy people put in online complaining about nothi ng\, arguing about nothing\, take some of your precious impotent bitching time and draw to help somebody.\n\n\n\n JOIN THE CHARITY- YOU PAY BY CREAT ING\, it isn't hard to draw is it?\n\n\n\n https://docs.google.com/forms/d /e/1FAIpQLSeNN51nuHtME5HmISjs473bVvUkLeyYmqLbfC8Fbr_dQ2fZJw/viewform?pli=1 &\;pli=1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n More information\n\n\n\n https://discord.co m/channels/619731511716872205/972156466511355914/1424467684434645145\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Sudowoodo charity gallery- yes a dedenne is present\, someon e in the home wanted to take part\, and I could do two\, but I couldn't ge t them to draw so I drew for them\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/gallery?q=sudowoodo\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n first submission\n\n\n\n from @ninjaschicken\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/ninjaschicken/art/Collab -art-1249342103\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/top ic/11943-artist-another-charity-is-here/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251005 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:If I Only Had DTSTAMP:20251002T230839Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:529-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A lyrical poetry\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant /art/If-I-only-had-1248257724\n\n\n\n If I only had\, a stem I could use\n \n\n\n If I only had\, I would step right in\n\n\n\n If she didn't want! w hy is her skin smooth\n\n\n\n And what makes my pulp\, boil to sauce\n\n\n \n while my seeds sing sooth\n\n\n\n ... if I only had\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n inspired by \n\n\n\n If I didn't Care by the Ink Spots\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n + \n\n\n\n  under the full moon from rechtsanwalt\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251002 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Roller Coaster Promptibilities DTSTAMP:20251002T230211Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:528-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Roller Coaster Promptibilities\n\n\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/art/PRollercoaster-1248211029\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \ n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251002 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Earliest Sword and Soul question? DTSTAMP:20251002T010137Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:527-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.mvmediaatl.com/group/sword-and-sou l/discussion/05f8116f-53fa-4698-be89-23f5ce62d1d5\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CONTE NT\n\n\n\n What is the earliest sword and soul from descended of enslaved in the american continent?\n\n\n\n Does myths or legends of haiti count?\n \n\n\n does john henry count?\n\n\n\n does sword and soul have to have a s owrd?\n\n\n\n some examples of mine that I think may count\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery/94457407/scary-set-2\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251001 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Anniversary of the first peanuts comic strip DTSTAMP:20250927T180132Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:526-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n 1950 Peanuts debuted - notice how the characters look dif ferent. One of the problems today is when an artist starts a comic\, peopl e want the character to be in a \"final\" state but most toons\, the chara cters changed over time. Look at the smurfs\, originally in the Johann and Peewee strip but then flushed out. Look at charlie brown originally?  I see too many artists who are unwilling to submit work with the idea that i t can change. It doesn't have to be finalized. I think great lessons are i n this. \n\n https://peanuts.fandom.com/wiki/October_1950_comic_strips\n\ n\n\n October 2nd 1950 \n\n\n\n (The first ever Peanuts comic strip. C harlie Brown\, Patty and Shermy appear. Patty would not be named until the end of the month and Shermy would not be named until December 18\, 1 950. The gag in this strip is recycled from the Li'l Folks strip from M ay 29\, 1949. This strip is adapted in Happiness Is a Warm Blanket\, Char lie Brown)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 3rd\n\n\n\n  (Patty\, having her first speaki ng role\, is reciting the traditional nursery rhyme \"What Are Little Boys Made Of?\" Schulz had previously referenced the rhyme in the Li'l Folks  comic strip from October 17\, 1948. This is also the first time Shermy is absent)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 4th\n\n\n\n (The first appearance of Snoopy\, the first wordless comic and the first time Charlie Brown is absent)\n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n 5th\n\n\n\n  (This is the first time two characters speak in a full sentence)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 6th\n\n\n\n (Patty’s 5th appearance i n a row)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 7th\n\n\n\n  (The first time Charlie Brown spea ks and the first time Patty is absent)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 9th\n\n\n\n (The f irst time Shermy shows any affection towards Patty)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 10th\ n\n\n\n (The first interaction between Charlie Brown and Snoopy)\n\n\n\n \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251002 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:15 underrated 1970s sci fi films and banned films DTSTAMP:20250927T051202Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:525-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n 15 underrated 1970s sci fi films\n\n https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=FM_mgmy0dN0\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1974 the conversation\n\n On e of Gene Hackman's greatest roles. \n\n When you think about a film like the matrix\, what makes the conversation so much more frightening is that coppola doesn't involve the fantastical elements and leaves it all into h umanity. Hackman's character Karl is Neo but absent anywhere to go or any abilities to gain while in a system only going to get stronger. The fact t hat hackman later played in enemy of the state about the same topic and re ceived much better acclaim shows you how good the conversation is.\n\n One thing is the end of the conversation \, when hackman's surveillance turns out to be erroneous and he is in shock to a friend but then when he picks up a phone his watchers profess he is being watched and his watchers admi t to him it is a holistic surveillance. The failure of the individual to c ompete next to the state in the business of surveillance  is the closing theme of the story.  Their is also a movie with Sandra Bullock around ide ntity control\, which is similar to Hackman's old film and similarly didn' t get the accolades for the raw approach. \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=huYQ7x0v9E8\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1970 colossus\, the forbin pro ject\n\n James Hong citing. The key is access. \n\n Funny how Wargames an d the Terminator both have as their main premise computers being given acc ess to nuclear arsenals\, cause humans don't trust humans or humans don't act quick enough on command. But there lies the true story for me. It is t he fact that in colossus/wargames/the terminator a computer program is giv en access to what it shouldn't. The enemy isn't the computer programs abil ities. The enemy is the human hubris that gives computer's the access to p ower the computer should not have. \n\n\n\n https://vimeo.com/584593423?f l=pl&\;fe=vl\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n 1972 Silent Running\n\n And the ro le of space exploration in preserving the earth. The myth is that once hum anity figures out how to go outside earth and extract everything or use ev erything earth can be a paradise forgetting the inefficient human systems will get in the way. \n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/video/5844487178779\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n \n\n 1973 Soylent Green \n\n I concur about resource based social structures. The fact that soylent green has no resistance movements is un derrated. The percent of people who have knowledge is being reduced to a l evel where not enough people know anything to have movements. Most of the people with knowledge are old. And expensive computer systems are not arou nd either. Computer games for the rich. Computer systems in manufacturing\ , developing soylent green exist but they are unable to do anything or int erfere with anything of a grand design\, because they are designed well.  \n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/soylent-green-1973_20210310\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1975 Rollerball\n\n The role of sport in modernity. The key is the efficiency of human systems and how sport is one of the last and m aybe only activity human beings enjoy that requires humans. humans enjoy w atching humans fight to the death. In rollerball the AI is a computer trap ped in a room with data. It isn't connected to nuclear weapons and in roll erball it seems people don't carry around computer systems of a certain le vel of advanced interaction. And yet\, the corporations have specific mach ines for surveillance and more. The problem is of ideas. It isn't that hum anity hasn't found a balance\, it is that the balance through technology d emands total control or adherence to a system of life.\n\n\n\n \n\n 1975 D eath Race 2000\n\n This is reality television's future. From \"Big Brother \" to \"Naked and Afraid\" to \"Jackass the movie\" to \"Real Housewives\" to \"The Kardashian clan\" Reality TV which is the most scripted\, is des igned to give viewers the distant pleasures of viewing\, safe in that they are never hurt while active in that they participate in the action sequen ce. Death Race like Roller ball is a world where the system of business ha sn't made poverty\, but the human need to have more has been sated by an a thletic competition designed to allow the closest to complete depravity.\n \n\n\n https://youtu.be/-1SEgbolSF4?si=Y6oJKaLqAjXYweP3\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \ n\n 1975 the stepford wives\n\n As I typed\, robotic bodies while electron ic simulation systems are ever nearer. No laws exist to even remotely guid e humans\, especially males from desiring pseudo female slaves and the fil m correctly shows what happens to real women in a disadvantaged situation when men can replace them with someone perfect to their intentions. Not as nature intended. I argue the remake with the bioelectrical controlling ch ip misses the brutality of the original film. In the remake the women can be saved with a change in the circuit but in the original film\, the women once truly replaced are killed to make way for the robotic woman. \n\n\n \n https://youtu.be/UiqinUpRQgU?si=63Pxk3Sv4AA1czfn\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1973 Westworld \n\n Like Death race or Rollerball\, Westworld is a world where poverty isn't the problem but entertainment gives humans the ability to not get involved in questioning the larger system. How is wealth distr ibuted. As in rollerball or death race\, we don't see what goes on in the poorer regions in humanity\, which is the frightening reality of westworld \, a playground for the haves while no consideration to the have nots who are clearly blockaded from all thought or media exposure.\n\n\n\n https:// youtu.be/PzlbMrpF7qA?si=RyFzDj0SJhkLjTtv\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1978 The bo ys from Brazil \n\n Genetic engineering requires environmental controls a nd to what lengths can the wealthy use to dictate who is born \, what trai ts survive. What damage can be done to humanity by humanity when genetic e ngineering becomes feasible to humans most fantastical desires.\n\n\n\n ht tps://youtu.be/3UKWdOEEFMs?si=hnNQLTWduVeQ-kmT\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1978 Coma \n\n Organ harvesting is real. This is known in prisons or in poor c ountries. Coma shows this. The tragedy is how people don't want to face th is\, like soylent green. What if you need a human being to help you live\, not to feed. The desperation to live by the rich has no bounds. Vampires.  \n\n\n\n https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9m08cm\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1976 Network \n\n Mad as hell. Audience likes dictate over quality. It i sn't about guiding to betterment but selling any subject or content to pro fit. Nothing is sacred when anything can be sold. \n\n\n\n https://youtu. be/A64rR5Dp07s?si=lHAKbcO42cgV4E4y\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://you tu.be/_RujOFCHsxo?si=Tom5kBIplsPI0cbF\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1977 Cap ricorn One \n\n The key is providing an illusion is more important than t he truth. Like Network media dictates events and so controlling media is e ver more important. Such that the efficiency of the system will slowly deg rade to a point where no one will be ready. \n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/fMJ wIeXYE0g?si=-FZ_4QLDWmV9HZsc\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1974 Dark Star \n\n Th e corporatization of space travel. Will be a true wild west of the future. Not the myth of cowboys vs Indians\, but the reality of people fighting e ach other \, surviving the elements \, while either are paving the way for the rich to remove both of them once the moon/mars or other outer areas a re settled\, just like the west. \n\n\n\n https://www.dailymotion.com/vid eo/x8tb80s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1976 Logan's Run\n\n This is a dysfunctio nal plan of human preservation. Humanity outside the dome is dying\, while humanity in the dome is in a loop. But the dome is dying. At some point n o humanity will exist outside the dome and the loop inside the dome will d ie out in ignorance and impotency. In the original book\, the rival to Log an 5 is a very old man kept young by cosmetic surgeries\, who takes logan and \"wife\" to a ship where humanity actually exists off earth. Thus\, Lo gan's run is really a test in the book to see who is truly ready to be fre e. \n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/video/1820870576820\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1977 The Island Dr. Moreau \n\n Dr Moreau himself \, a scientist who has place d himself far from human communities\, while he is trying to do better tha n nature\, with no thought to the community he creates. A lone human enter s his private space and automatically creates chaos. Dr Moreau at heart wa nts to make a super race\, a perfect race\, as if anything made by humans can be perfect. Dr Moreau made his own tomb on an island nailed by the bod ies of his inventions and didn't  realize it was an inevitable failure th at one drop of external human input destroyed. \n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/vid eo/250508675650\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n 15 banne d hollywood films\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr2Qn7G41xo\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Freaks 1932\n\n It is a good film. Yes\, it is in sulting to midgets dwarves or various natural humans who do not have a com mon form. Yes\, it is a revenge film. But what is wrong in any of it? The truth is\, many humans do treat other humans as said midgets or others wer e treated in the film. Said treatment was and is not a lie. so\, again\, i t is insensitive\, but it isn't a lie and I find greater insult in the nee d for people to not see the truth in their negative actions. And also the truth in warranted revenge. Revenge is negative\, but it is not eternally unwarranted. Sometimes revenge is earned by the cruelty of those who are r evenged upon\, ala white Europeans have earned revenge by indigenous peopl es of the Americas\, the first peoples often called native americans.\n\n The funny thing about freaks is\, in film\, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein wh om in literature is of a beautiful human form\, is depicted as a \"freak\" while the creatures creator Frankenstein\, in literature a obsessive infa tuated egoist\, is treated as a scientist of good will who made a mistake.  \n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/freaks-1932-colorized-movie-720p-hd \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Island of Lost Souls 1932\n\n This film treats More au correctly. Moreau is a man of knowledge who has found him a place on ea rth where he can become god with his intellect. And of course\, as moreau is only human the inevitable fall from his attempt at godhood occurs. Agai n\, the white audience of that time\, which accepted\, the annihilation of black towns and experimenting on black people\, didn't like to see its ac tions. Denial. why should films support denial ? People in modernity say t hey want to escape when they watch films. but that isn't my desire when i see a film. I like my life\, i am merely peering into a world\, I don't wa nt to escape into it. The audience has been trained to want to escape beca use of the lies \, the banning of films like island of lost souls supports .\n\n The Sign of the Cross 1932\n\n Films about history are always in the situation of the sign of the cross. I grew up in a home where history was taught with one tenet in mind\, truth\, not desire or want or convenience or ease. Truth. when some or many black people today suggest they don't w ant to see slavery to whites in a film\, what are they really saying? they can't stomach the truth? or worse\, they rather ignore or blockade the tr uth of an unquestioned majority of black people\, ninety nine percent\, fo r the truth of an unquestioned minority of black people\, the one percent of black people living giddy or happy in some varying integration with whi tes. why? What pains black people today in the truth of the past? IS it th at black people today know that while they live in the light of what the o ld minority wanted\, they live in a way the old majority would had attacke d\, spit on\, burned with all their souls. \n\n When any populace in huma nity can't face the violence from their forebears or the misery their fore bears lived\, they are weak.\n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/video/746986867202\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Scarface 1932\n\n Still the best scarface for me. His sister in this film is completely brilliant. The most potent thin g about scarface 1932 in comparison to the al pacino scarface is the histo rical honesty. Miami in the 1970s was never what scarface presented\, but the mob violence in new York city or Chicago was what Muni's scarface disp layed correctly. People in New York City talk about gang violence as if to day is some grandiose\, the greatest era of gang violence new York city ha d was mostly white Italian/irish/jewish and totally above control. But peo ple from whites to non whites suggest modernity is some parallel example.  It is a lie. I notice no one has ever showed the two scarfaces back to b ack \, at least in recent memory\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/scarf ace-1932_202109\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Ecstacy 1933 \n\n I neve r saw this one\, but a young hedy lamar. Prelolita lolita:) The lolita boo k is 1955 and the lolita film 1962 by stanley Kubrick are decades after es tacy. \n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/video/3554222213830\n\n\n\n \n\n The Story o f Temple Drake 1933 \n\n From Faulkner sanctuary\, i never saw this one. This is the film that was used in the legal system for the censors. I need to view it. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Babyface 1933 \n\n Barbara Stanwyck can a ct. But beyond that\, Babyface is again\, truth. In modernity the real hou sewives show is a set of babyfaces? Bill gates and Jeff Bezos wives are ba byfaces. Women use the skill in the bed chamber and in intimacy with men t o get men to give to them and hope on a better ride if feasible. This is i ntimacy as a job\, which is very common today. Babyface was at a time when women didn't have the opportunities today\, to own a bank account or a ho use or even vote in a lot of scenarios. \n\n\n\n https://ok.ru/video/2837 08426915\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Tarzan and his mate 1934\n\n his mate:) for me\, Tarzan which was written as a mythos in literature for white Europea n peoples enjoyment and ego against the black African or others in general \, merely continued its literary role in film. why ban it?\n\n Reefer madn ess 1936\n\n This movie is a lovely truth on how nazi Germany isn't the on ly country that made propaganda\, film for quick consumption while little thought\n\n Marijuana 1936\n\n Reefer madness part 2\n\n The Outlaw 1943\n \n This is one of the films targeted by the code\, and the director respon ded by buying into the media hype making it more scandalous than it was. T he problem with self righteousness in any art field is\, it is never warra nted. \n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/I7T0tfieOf0?si=ykqFAeKRqa4my-Zu\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n \n\n Mom and Dad 1945\n\n Nice idea\, separate showing for men and women. That is ahead of the curve\, still today \, making variants of fil ms for genders is not done or embraced. but i think it can be functional.\ n\n Song of the South 1946\n\n haha!:) zipity do daa\, ziptity yeah! reall y... ah boy\, where do I begin. I think Disney should show song of the sou th before black panther all the time. It shows how film firms work. The So ng of the south was to cater to the majority ticket buying audience which was mostly white and infatuated with happy negroes as underlings. Black Pa nther was to cater to a global audience where black ticket buyers have the money to carry a film on its own while non black ticket buyers are willin g to pay to see a ninety nine percent black cast film. The key is who can buy tickets not respect or truth.\n\n Never forget song of the south was a huge money maker for disney\n\n Lost Boundaries 1949\n\n After 1934 Imita tion of life with real life yella or mulatta\, who called herself black\, Fredi Washington\, and before Human stain 2003 or  Free State of Jones 20 16 or Passing 2021 there was Lost Boundaries. The funny thing about passin g is how many whites were and still are fearful of the claim against black ancestry. White people have killed against that claim.\n\n video\n\n http s://youtu.be/z26VL_0EQks?si=tM7ud-X_3ZQ9ffwq\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Boundaries ] \n\n The Moon is Blue 19 43\n\n Otto Primenger was great by putting the film forward absent the pro duction code's judgement.\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/details/MoonIsBlue\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1932 was a great year\, the last of top down independent cinema in the usa. \n\n\n\n more 1970s films\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2760&\;type=status \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251001 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KWL Live Q&A: The Writer’s Toolbox with Becca Puglisi DTSTAMP:20250927T003116Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:524-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n KWL Live Q&\;A: The Writer’s Toolbox with Becca Puglisi\n\n https://www.kobo.com/kobo-writing-life/blog/kwl-live-q- a-the-writers-toolbox-with-becca-puglisi\n\n\n\n youtube\n\n https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=AnOemMdLEGI\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n12 :17\nplan will put alot of work\nif you don't then you will write and the editing. \n12:19\nWhat are your thoughts to a prime antagonist who isn't the most powerful and is a subject to another whomthey can't defeat?\nI co ncur\, the writer for the anime \"black clover\" said he developed all the characters \n12:21\nYou have to make sure the protagonist can overcome\n 12:30 \nshow outward clues for emotions\n12:34 emotional wound thesaurus\ , is a primer on character\, explores how a character will develop habits/ biases from fear of something not recurring again\n12:40 for a character\, each book in a series should have a different arc. focus on one problem p er book\n12:44 most important marketing tactic?\nshe does the financing he r friend does the marketing. \nKnow how to find your audience? and then b e true to what your audience wants?\n12:48 she compartmentalizes\, she wor ks when kids are at school\, she is with family when kids are home. \nsaf eguard writing time\nit helps that she works with her friend angela\, ange la lives in Canada\, she in florida but it helps having someone who gets i t\, family loves you but they usually don't get it. \n12:54 what do you w ish you knew when you started?\nI wish i knew how long it will take to bec ome financially viable\nit takes 10\,000 hours to master anything\n12:59 w here can we find you\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n https://writershelpingwriters.net/\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://onestopforwriters.com/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250925 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Assata Shakur spirit flew 09/26 in the year 2025 DTSTAMP:20250926T224031Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:523-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Assata Shakur spirit flew 09/26 in the year 2025 \n \n correction she was born July 16\, 1947\, so she was 78.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n from Essence Magazine\n\n We are saddened to report that Assa ta Shakur\, revolutionary\, activist\, and author\, has passed away. \n\n Born JoAnne Chesimard\, she rose as a leading member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army\, fighting for justice and freedom.  \n\n A political exile in Cuba since 1984\, her life embodied resistance\, resilience\, and the unyielding pursuit of liberation. Her legacy lives o n in the generations she inspired to stand tall in the face of oppression. \n\n The best way to honor here is with a quote we all should by: \n\n “It is our duty to fight for our freedom.  It is our duty to win. We mu st love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”\n\n Rest in power\, Assata.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.essen ce.com/cuba-says-returning-assata-shakur-us-off-the-table/\n\n\n\n Cuba Sa ys Returning Assata Shakur to U.S. Is 'Off the Table'\nAssata Shakur has b een living in Cuba since 1977\, when she escaped imprisonment after she wa s convicted of killing a U.S. state trooper\nBy Taylor Lewis · Updated Oc tober 27\, 2020\nDespite improved relations between the United States and Cuba\, Cuban officials have no plans to turn American fugitive Assata Shak ur over to the U.S.\n\nShakur\, the first woman to be placed on the FBI’ s most wanted list\, has been at large since 1977\, four years after she w as arrested on charges of killing a New Jersey State Trooper. However\, ma ny believe that Shakur\, who had strong affiliations with the Black Panthe r Party\, was framed by COINTELPRO\, an anti-liberation government organiz ation. After the shooting\, her fingerprints were never found on the gun\, and there was no trace of gunpowder on her hands. With the help of the Bl ack Panthers\, Shakur escaped prison and fled to Cuba\, where she has been living freely ever since. Cuba officially granted her political asylum in 1984\, though the United States is determined to see her back on American soil\, issuing multiple warrants for her arrest. \n\nPresident Obama ann ounced in December that the two countries have restored relations\, even r eleasing political prisoners from both sides. But\, the chances that Cuba will agree to turn over Shakur are slim. Earlier this week\, Gustavo Machi n\, deputy director for American affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs\, told Yahoo! News\, “I can say it is off the table. There are v ery serious doubts about that case. We consider that a politically motivat ed case against that lady.”\n\nThe U.S. has not responded to Machin’s statement.\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n https://www.essence.com/assata-shakur-fac ts-call-return-from-cuba/\n\n\n\n 8 Things to Know About Assata Shakur and the Calls to Bring Her Back from Cuba\nBy Paula Rogo · Updated October 2 6\, 2020\nEvery few years\, it’s not uncommon to see Assata Shakur’s n ame back in the news headlines.\n\nShakur is a revolutionary Black icon\, whose legend has evolved into making her a patron saint of Black rebellion in the last half-century. The Queens\, N.Y\, native has been living in Cu ba for over 30 years\, after having escaped from the prison where she was serving a sentence for allegedly killing a New Jersey state trooper in 197 3.\n\n5399089366001\nIn 2017\, President Trump announced that the US would impose new limits on US travelers to Cuba\, adding that the US would cons ider lifting those and other restrictions only after certain changes were made — including returning American fugitives like Shakur.\n\n“The har boring of criminals and fugitives will end\,” Trump said to Cuba. “You have no choice. It will end.”\n\nCuba pushed back\, refusing to hand he r over\, and adding another chapter to Shakur’s revolutionary life. The island has long been a haven for African-Americans who’ve committed “p olitical crimes” or domestic “terrorism” (In the 1960s\, Black Panth ers such as Eldridge Cleaver\, Huey Newton and Raymond Johnson all spent t ime in Cuba).\n\nA mystic lore now surrounds Shakur\, both in her four-dec ade evasion of law enforcement — she was the first woman to ever make th e FBI’s most wanted terrorist list — as well as her proximity to hip-h op royalty — she is step-aunt and godmother to the late Tupac Shakur.\n\ nHere are eight things to know about her:\n\n1. What’s in a Name?\n\nSha kur was born Joanne Deborah Chesimard\, in Jamaica\, Queens. She changed h er name to Assata Shakur in 1971. “The name JoAnne began to irk my nerve s\,” she writes in her autobiography. “I had changed a lot and moved t o a different beat. I didn’t feel like no JoAnne\, or no Negro\, or no A merikan. I felt like an African woman. My mind\, heart\, and soul had gone back to Africa but my name was still stranded in Europe somewhere.”\n\n 2. The Revolution\n\nArticle continues after video.\nShakur joined the Bla ck Panthers in the late 1960s while in her 20s\, but eventually became dis illusioned with the direction of the organization and left. She then becam e a member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA)\, another militant Black org anization that believed in open resistance.\n\n3. Her Alleged Crimes\n\nOn May 2\, 1973\, Shakur and two members of the BLA were pulled over by stat e troopers in New Jersey. State Trooper Werner Foerster and one BLA member were killed. While police maintain that Shakur is responsible in Foerster ’s death\, she has consistently denied the accusation. In 1977\, Shakur was convicted on one murder charge and six assault charges and sentenced t o life in prison. But there is much evidence to suggest the trial was not fair\; her lawyer called the trial “a legal lynching and a kangaroo cour t.”\n\nShe escaped in 1979 with the assistance of BLA members posing as visitors to the prison.\n\n4. Fidel Steps In\n\nShakur was granted asylum by Fidel Castro in 1984.\n\n5. FBI’s Most Wanted\n\nIn May 2013\, the 40 th anniversary of her arrest\, she became the first woman ever to be named on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list. There is a $2 million federal and state reward for her arrest.\n\n6. Extradition\n\nOver the years\, po liticians have called for her extradition from Cuba\, including Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey\, and most recently President Trump.\n\n7. ‘She Is Innocent’\n\nMany prominent Black thinkers and leaders have also main tained her innocence. Angela Davis\, for example\, has said that Shakur is a little threat to the U.S. government:\n\n“Assata is not a threat. She is innocent\,” she has said. “People really don’t know the details and are not aware of the extent to which [Shakur] was targeted by the FBI and the COINTEL programme.”\n\n8. Hip-Hop Loves Her\n\nShakur is an icon within hip-hop lore\, having been cited in songs like Public Enemy’s “Rebel Without A Pause” to Common’s “A Song for Assata.” Being t he godmother and step-aunt to Tupac Shakur also adds to her intrigue.\n\n\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from NewsOne\n\n\n\n Activist\, revolutionary\, Black P anther Party leader and member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA)\, Assata Olugbala Shakur\, has died at age 78\, according to her daughter\, Kakuya Shakur\, meaning the ancestors have gained a fierce warrior in the fight against white supremacy. May she rest in power. ✊🏾\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://newsone.com/6489574/revolutionary-fighter-for-black-libe ration-assata-shakur-dies-at-78/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Revolutiona ry Fighter For Black Liberation Assata Shakur Dies At 78\nBlack Liberation Party member Assata Shakur\, born JoAnne Deborah Byron\, has died at the age of 78\, according to family members.\n\nSource: Delphine Fawandu / Del phine Fawandu\nActivist\, revolutionary\, Black Panther Party leader and m ember of the Black Liberation Army (BLA)\, Assata Olugbala Shakur\, has di ed at age 78\, according to her daughter\, Kakuya Shakur\, meaning the anc estors have gained a fierce warrior in the fight against white supremacy.\ n\nShakur\, born JoAnne Deborah Byron on July 16\, 1947\, in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens\, New York\, was the sister of fellow Black liberat ion movement icon Mutulu Shakur\, who died in 2023 at 72\, and the godmoth er and step-aunt of late legendary rapper and actor Tupac Shakur\, whose m other\, Afeni\, was Mutulu’s wife.\n\nAssata represents one of the most iconic names associated with the Black Panthers and the fight to truly lib erate Black people from white overseers.\n\nThat is how Black American peo ple see and celebrate her.\n\nFor America\, she’s a far more controversi al figure\, and to many\, she’s a notorious criminal who broke out of pr ison and fled the country after murdering a police officer\, an act that k ept her on the FBI’s Most Wanted List and New Jersey’s Most Wanted Lis t until her dying day. According to EBSCO Knowledge Advantage\, she was th e first woman to be placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.\n\nOn May 2\, 1973\, Shakur and two other BLA members were pulled over on the New Jersey Turnpike by State Trooper Werner Foerster and another highway officer. A confrontation occurred between the officers and Shakur’s group\, which r esulted in a shootout that left Forrester and another individual dead. In 2019\, FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Gregory Ehrie characterized the sho oting as “a heinous execution of a law enforcement officer\, cut and d ry.”\n\n“This is without dispute\,” Ehrrie continued.\n\nOh\, but th is certainly has been disputed.\n\nIn fact\, supporters of Shakur have and continue to argue that the trial was flawed\, citing a lack of physical e vidence and eyewitness inconsistencies\, and the history of efforts by law enforcement\, including the FBI\, to undermine and outright sabotage the civil rights movement and Black power movements.\n\nAt any rate\, Shakur e scaped from prison in 1979 and ultimately sought asylum in Cuba\, where sh e lived out her life.\n\nAs written by our sister site\, Bossip:\n\nBut de spite the government’s efforts to silence her\, Assata Shakur’s words and work lived on. Her 1988 autobiography Assata became a blueprint for re sistance and self-determination\, widely studied by activists\, scholars\, and young people searching for a voice in the struggle. Her life inspired movements like Assata’s Daughters in Chicago\, and her name was shouted in protests in Ferguson and across the world. Assata was a human rights a ctivist and freedom fighter who stood in solidarity with oppressed people worldwide — and for that\, her legacy will endure.\n\n“People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression\, the more your tol erance for it grows. After a while\, people just think oppression is the n ormal state of things. But to become free\, you have to be acutely aware o f being a slave\,” Shakur once said\, according to her book\, Assata: An Autobiography.\n\nIn honor of her legacy\, here’s the beautiful tribute to Assata Shakur\, her story and her legacy\, “A Song for Assata\,” b y Common.\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaqXrT9bU10\nRest well\, Assata \, and be free.\n\n\n\n\n A SONG FOR ASSATA by COMMON\n\n https://www.yout ube.com/watch?v=HaqXrT9bU10\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n https://newso ne.com/2436064/angela-davis-fbi-assata-shakur/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Angela D avis: FBI Targeting Assata Shakur ‘Reflects Very Logic Of Terrorism’ [ VIDEO]\nIn an interview from 2013\, Angela Davis and Lennox Hinds\, Assata Shakur's attorney\, discuss Assata being added to the FBI's Most Wanted l ist.\n\nWritten by\nKirsten West Savali\nPublished on\nSeptember 26\, 2025 \n\nUPDATE — Friday\, Sept. 26\, 2025\, 11:12 a.m. EST: Assata Shakur jo ined the ancestors on Thursday\, Sept. 25\, 2025. In rememberance of her l ife and her work to liberate Black people\, NewsOne is republishing this a rticle and video about her being placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List.\n \nIn an interview on Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and Juan González\, D avis said that the FBI placing Shakur on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list\, the first  woman to be so designated\, “reflects the very logic of terrorism.”\n\n“It seems to me that this act incorporates or reflec ts the very logic of terrorism\,” Davis says. “I can’t help but thin k that it’s designed to frighten people who are involved in struggles to day. Forty years ago seems like it was a long time ago. In the beginning o f the 21st century\, we’re still fighting around the very same issues — police violence\, healthcare\, education\, people in prison.”\n\nDav is was joined by Lennox Hinds\, Assata Shakur’s attorney since 1973 and professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University\, who also said the ac t is politically motivated:\n\n“This is a political act pushed by the st ate of New Jersey\, by some members of Congress from Miami\, and with the intent of putting pressure on the Cuban government and to inflame public o pinion\,” Hinds says. “There is no way to appeal someone being put on the terrorists list.”\n\nShakur\, formerly Joanne Chesimard\, was a memb er of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army\, and the first wo man placed on the “Most Wanted Terrorists” list. Shakur\, the godmothe r of slain Hip-Hop artist\, poet\, actor and activist\, Tupac Shakur\, is only the second person from inside the United States to be placed on the l ist. In an unexpected move\, the state of New Jersey announced it was addi ng $1 million to the FBI’s $1 million reward for her capture.\n\nThough the politically accepted version of events vilifies Shakur\, please read b elow for the facts.\n\nLiberation News reports:\n\nShakur was falsely conv icted of having killed an officer on May 2\, 1973. While driving on the Ne w Jersey Turnpike\, Assata\, Zayd Shakur\, and Sundiata Acoli were stopped by state troopers\, allegedly for having a “faulty taillight.” A shoo tout ensued where one state trooper killed Zayd Shakur\, and another troop er\, Werner Foerster\, ended up dead. Shakur was charged with both murders \, despite the fact that the other trooper\, James Harper\, admitted he ki lled Zayd Shakur.\n\nAssata had been\, following police instructions\, sta nding with her hands in the air\, when she was shot by Trooper Harper more than once\, including a bullet to the back. Trooper Harper lied and said he had seen Shakur reach for a gun\, a claim he later recanted. He also cl aimed she had been in a firing position\, something a surgeon who examined her said was “anatomically impossible.” The same surgeon said it wa s “anatomically necessary” for her arms to have been raised for her to receive the bullet wounds she did. Tests done by the police found that Sh akur had not fired a gun\, and no physical or medical evidence was present ed by the prosecution to back up their claim that she had fired a gun at T rooper Harper.\n\nWhile she was in trial proceedings\, the state attempted to pin six other serious crimes on her\, alleging she had carried out ban k robberies\, kidnappings and attempted killings. She was acquitted three times\, two were dismissed and one resulted in a hung jury.\n\nShakur was put on trial in a county where because of pre-trial publicity 70 percent o f people thought she was guilty\, and she was judged by an all-white jury. Without any physical evidence to present\, the prosecution had to rely to tally on false statements and innuendo aimed at playing on the prejudices of the jury pool against Black people\, political radicals\, and Black rev olutionaries in particular. Finally\, after years behind bars\, the state secured her conviction for the Turnpike shooting.\n\nIn 1979\, Shakur esca ped from jail and fled to Cuba where she received political asylum and has lived ever since.\n\nShe once wrote\, “I am a 20th century escaped slav e. Because of government persecution\, I was left with no other choice tha n to flee from the political repression\, racism and violence that dominat e the U.S. government’s policy towards people of color.”\n\nhttps://yo utu.be/ZCuj2pvFPY4?si=iv61Mja2MPAKZy5A\n\nIt speaks to the hypocrisy of th e United States that there are police officers who have not only killed un armed\, innocent people\, but are roaming free and lauded for their braver y. Based on the criteria\, there are certain police departments who should be characterized as domestic terror cells. But instead\, the FBI is going after a 65-year-old revolutionary who isn’t even guilty and — by inte rnational law — has the right to seek political asylum.\n\nIt is amazi ng — and pathetic — how swiftly the FBI felt compelled to frame the do mestic terrorism conversation around a Black revolutionary living in Cuba\ , instead of two White men from Boston.\n\nTiming is everything — and th e timing of this travesty of justice speaks volumes.\n\nTo show your suppo rt and say Hands Off Assata Shakur\, sign the Change.org here.\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Angela Davis and Assata Shakur's Lawyer Denounce FBI's Adding of Exiled Activist to Terrorist List\n\n https://youtu.be/ZCuj2pvFPY4?si=i v61Mja2MPAKZy5A\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n In 1987\n\n\n\n \n\n refe rral\n\n https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/assata-shakur-black-liberatio n-army-figure-activist-dies-78-rcna233919\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250716 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Movies That Move We- Sounder 1972 DTSTAMP:20250924T033024Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:522-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Movies That Move We- Sounder\n\n https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=o9WlL2KAjlg\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n My Thoughts To t he Minutes\n\n Movies That Move We\, the third generation:) \n\n Lis + Ki m+ Manda with Nike looking at Sounder.\n\n Manda/Kim/Nike/Lis\n\n\n\n 2:10 interesting that Kim had to read The Secret Garden. \n3:22 Nike question \, a question of a black family written by a white man?\nLis: don't feel i t is well received\nKim: if he grew up in a family different than him\, or have a different  . But \nManda: a product of the time. He had editors. the gaze in the story is for a certain audience. \n6:14 Nike couldn't fi nd any interviews. She cites a note: \"fifty years ago i learned to read a t a round table at a country school house\, the teachers name was Charles jones. After school he worked for my father and in the summer he drove a h ay rake and a mowing machine. He had a deep rich voice and he loved to tel l stories\, I have never forgotten them. Out of the stories he told me and the boy who sat next to me in the round table came the story in this book \"\n7:42 Nike didn't like the unnamed characters\n10:20 Swampy the dog had no other roles in a movie:) \n11:21 Nike asked what do you think about t he dog?\nKim\, she liked the dog in the book becoming part of the family.  \n17:14 Nike\, is this a radical story?\nLis\, the screen writer was bla ck for the film did that make a difference. \nKim\, felt the film was tam e.\nManda\, she turned it on and told her kids to go away.\n22:45 The perf ormance of Cicely Tyson \n24:54 In the book\, the author didn't have the ability to write the energy \, so in the movie\, a black woman was able to bring life in it.\n27:11 in 1972 women couldn't have a credit card on the ir own in the united states of America\, good point by Nike.\n28:29 Lis\, good point\, god is the higher male and the pastor used god in that part.\ n29:55 Nike\, when the boy went to the teachers house \, he felt she was r ich\ngood question about whether he got that from a first hand source\n31: 32 Nike\, what are your thoughts on the education scene?\nKim\, excited bu t sad. The teacher was considered rich for having her own home. A simple t hing. \nManda\, in the book\, we saw his progression. he lamented he coul dn't read. In the movie he already can. And in the book the teacher was an older white guy\, while the teacher was a younger black female.\n33:48 Ov erview call from Nike\n34:19 Manda\, ask\, does the movie exist as a recla mation of the story. \n37:56 The ending\, \nin the book the father was p aralyzed very badly while in the movie\, it was made more gentle.\n39:15 G ood point that the father and dog died in the book at the end.\n39:42 Nike asked how did it feel\nKim mentioned how she never lived in such a financ ially poor housing as the black characters in the book and she was spoiled as a child and when she was subjected to stories like this\, she said tha nk god i am not in this situation.\n41:36 Unike Sounder roots was very vis ible with the violence. \n41:56 before Roots what story was the media sta ndard?  \n43:28 Nike can't recall to many films with a black child at the center.\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n Sounder 2 suppos edly was barely released which i argue is how the film industry producers historically kill films they don't want any to see but were forced from wh atever reason to produce. Think John carter of mars for disney. IT was mad e \, but Disney killed that film in advertising in the media mechanics of what a film needs. And Disney did it cause they bought MArvel and didn't w ant to waste any future money on a john carter series \n\n link\n\n https ://books.google.com/books?id=X7ZYsnTPIhwC&\;lpg=PA78&\;vq=annazette% 20chase&\;pg=PA78#v=onepage&\;q&\;f=falseembed\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n referral\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Part_2\,_Sounde r\n\n\n\n The Dandridge Sisters n 1940 Irene\n\n https://youtu.be/CTeabecj _4o?si=BQ2qgnGQ6_1bTeYs\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Bright Road\n\n Directed by     Gerald Mayer\n\n Screenplay by    Emmet Lavery\n\n Based on    \"See How They Run\"\n\n 1951 short story Ladies' Home Journal\n\n by M ary Elizabeth Vroman\n\n Starring    Dorothy Dandridge\n\n Philip Hepbu rn\n\n Harry Belafonte\n\n Barbara Ann Sanders\n\n https://youtu.be/278qbM mPpPI?si=eqML-s-coYm5Wmwo\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Bright_Road\n\n\n\n Four Shall Die is a 1940 American supernatural cri me film directed by William Beaudine. It features Dorothy Dandridge in her first credited film role.\n\n It says in the black cinemaconnection that the film is presumed lost. Damn!\n\n https://blackcinemaconnection.com/201 8/10/29/four-shall-die/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Comment\n\n\n\n Nike\, you d on't like stories with characters absent a name?\nLis\, the problem is\, t he producer of the film was white and controlled what could be done or emi tted\, to this day producers dictate the parameters of artistic expression of directors/thespians or others?\nManda\, what later films are inspired by Sounder's stylistic conversions from book to screenplay\, if any?\nMand a ask is the film a reclamation.  I argue\, yes absent deviating from bei ng an intended feel good story. \nA sounder 2? \nMy first question to yo u four is\, with so many people\, black in particular\, desiring not to se e films involving enslavement of blacks to whites\, in the usa in particul ar\, or seeing black struggle in an environment controlled by the non blac k\, does Sounder fit the desire of some film goers \, black or non black\, to see a film absent black suffering or black struggle?\n My second ques tion to you four is\, the film industry ever since the code came in has al ways pushed films based on literature to be less violent\, less fornicativ e\, less depictive of negativities than the books themselves\, the two opp ositions to that are the Frankenstein films and Glory from spielberg\, whe re Frankenstein is written as a creature fully functional or pleasant in a ppearance as a human male\, the movies make the creature\, crude\, disgust ing looking\, incapable to be with a woman\, OR the fifty third regiment m ostly made up of free black men who can read but are depicted more negativ ely in terms of their status or condition. But\, from fifty shades to Soun der to lord of the flies\, to journey to the west to the statian film adap ations of \"men who hate women\" ninety nine percent of films are never al lowed to go as far as books. So my question is\, what do you say to that? Has the film going audience in the usa been trained to expect a lighter to uch on violent scenes\, so much that to do as the books most violent parts will be unacceptable? \nKim\, roots was made in 1977\, five years after \, and Manda's question is interesting. If Sounder had not been made\, wou ld Roots be made?\nI think Roots is interesting cause even though Roots is well known \, it isn't something shown alot today. And I argue it is beca use it isn't uplifting. Overall it doesn't allow non blacks to think of th e usa as this country of egalitarianism\, not does it allow blacks to thin k of the usa as some wanted home by their forebears\, who were forced to i mmigrate. \nNanda\, asked before Roots what was the film dealing with the past of blacks in the USA considered the \"standard\" and I argue Sounder was it. \nNike\, check out the film Bright Road with Dorothy Dandridge\, the question I pose to all four of you is\, if no \"Bright Road\" 1953 ha ppened would there be a Sounder film?\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n referral\n\n htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9WlL2KAjlg&\;lc=UgwTgyYJo5BPjxYaWzB4AaABA g \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250923 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ghibli vs Disney criminal school DTSTAMP:20250921T003024Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:520-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Ghibli vs Disney concerning \"evil doers\"\n\n https://ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=O5DpniToXq4\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n \n One missed on thing about Zeniba. While many consider her good because she welcomes chihero and company\, has her guide \, lantern\, help them th rough the dark forest about her home. Is hugging and gentle and kind. What is missed to the parallel between Zeniba side Yubaba is the negativities\ , maybe not evil\, in Zeniba. Yubaba lives close to the gates to the livin g world\, so she can actually interact with those who may become lost. Yub aba is like a community organizer of various spirits who have become lost or need a balanced life. Zeniba lives very far so much so even leaving at the early morning by train she can only be reached at night. She doesn't o ffer any assistance even though she can reach Yubaba's lands as she proved with the paper airplane creatures. Zeniba has never had a child meaning s he has never opened herself up to certain kinds of relationship. Zeniba ma y not have what people can an evil aspect\, but she has her own negativity \, which i think is missed in ghibli's \"good\" characters at times. \n\n in amendment\n\n so @Miguelmunuera2601 are you saying the best writing st rategy is to do the nippon 4 act in the jeudeo christian three act.\n\n \n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Woman who are physically common - Mayowa's world DTSTAMP:20250920T233212Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:519-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n dark skin women are liked when they are physically except ional\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWVcDaKJVww\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n my comment\n\n you made me laugh \"excuse me white woman\, would y ou please ...\" ahh she is a DOS interesting so many assumed she is from t he continent. If you ever go to the southern states and see black towns yo u will see very dark skin black people. good point on lizzo\, the idea tha t black women whose faces are never deemed more beautiful than white women 's  in white owned media\, has to have a body that no male can deny they want to screw is the allusion. And black entertainers especially musicians don't make it better when in their videos talking about the best women to screw\,  they have so many women who are not black  or yella black wome n. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DO YOU KNIT?\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Denzel Washington Fame and The Plantation House Unused In Ho rror DTSTAMP:20250920T231847Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:518-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n so that’s why this scene made Denzel a star\n\n ht tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdEjh41DCLo\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my c omment\n\n the problem with glory is the film while a work of fiction spea ks true on a lot of things. But the most important thing it says is\, the union won but it wasn't that the union or the confederacy were heroes. but a few of the seeds in that time will start to modulate the usa into the f unctional multiracial populace it is today\, over three hundred million\, more racial variance than any other populace under any other government. A s Speilberg suggested using O fortuna [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Fo rtuna \; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nthojvLZoNY&\;list=RDnthojvLZo NY&\;start_radio=1 ] about the inevitability of fate. Most well known i n film audiences concerning King Arthur which is a call back to a fantasy past. In Glory\, O Fortuna \, refers to the \"glorious\" fate of the usa g oing forward where blacks and non blacks will fight together moreover in t he coming years and moreso beyond the time of the war between the states. So even as the 54 mostly fall \, what they begin will be something unseen. A time unseen before. [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz3sZiVAO0k \; NO TE: charging fort wagner - https://jameshorner-filmmusic.com/glory-an-anal ysis-of-the-complete-score/ ]\n\n\n\n The Most Terrifying Trope in Modern Horror (That No One Will Touch)\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPyiNg AXEKg\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n Never heard of Swallow Ba rn from John Kennedy [ https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/swallow-ba rn-1832/ \, under pen name Mark Littleton] \, thanks. Aunt Phillis's Cabin [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aunt_Phillis%27s_Cabin ] thanks again.\n \n I knew of Dixon but I didn't know he was a pastor\, hilarious. The Leop ard's spots[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Leopard%27s_Spots ] / The C lansman [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clansman:_A_Historical_Romance _of_the_Ku_Klux_Klan ] / The Traitor [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_T raitor_(Dixon_novel) ] \n\n You may enjoy\n\n KLAN IS DENOUNCED BY 'THE C LANSMAN'\; Thomas Dixon Blames It for Riots and Bloodshed and Demands It B e Throttled.\n\n Jan. 23\, 1923\n\n [ https://www.nytimes.com/1923/01/23/a rchives/klan-is-denounced-by-the-clansman-thomas-dixon-blames-it-for-riots .html ] \n\n Within Our Gates from Micheaux is lovely\n\n [ https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=h1E0NrcnwAE ] \n\n [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wit hin_Our_Gates ] \n\n Charles Chesnutt\n\n If anyone ever finds the Conjur e Woman I wonder.\n\n [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conjure_Woman_(f ilm) \; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conjure_Woman \; ] \n\n before passing by nella larsen [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passing_(novel) ]  and devil in a blue dress by walter mosley [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Devil_in_a_Blue_Dress ] there was the house behind the cedars\n\n [ htt ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_Behind_the_Cedars  \; https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/The_House_Behind_the_Cedars_(book) ]\n\n The Foxes of HArr ow - odd the book doesn't have a wiki page.\n\n [ https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/The_Foxes_of_Harrow ] \n\n Computers can be coded to not make conne ctions\, though people may not realize it.\n\n Good point on comedy being the way to attack the southern plantation. Yeah\, comedy is a tool looking at Get Out\, I am not a comedic writer. \n\n Sons of Ingagi - first scie nce fiction film to have an all black cast\n\n [ https://archive.org/detai ls/SonOfIngagi1940 \; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_Ingagi ] \n\n Consider watching the Blood of Jesus\, written and directed by spencer wil liams \n\n [ https://archive.org/details/blood_of_jesus \; https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/The_Blood_of_Jesus ] \n\n Nice shout for the innocents\, true horror classic\n\n [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpFEXmmiAt0 \;  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innocents_(1961_film) ] \n\n John P K ennedy mentored Poe\, wow. \n\n Funny how it took to the 1990s for lake L anier to be revealed to still have graves.\n\n Good point on slave narrati ves. A unique DOS genre \, like Negro Spirituals.\n\n [ https://en.wikiped ia.org/wiki/Incidents_in_the_Life_of_a_Slave_Girl \; https://gutenberg.org /ebooks/11030 ] \n\n Good point on how Victorian mansions and antebellum homes were made at the same time\, while the European Victorian broke down and haunted while antebellum became wedding spaces.\n\n Never heard of th e Changeling\n\n [ https://youtu.be/WA-taJ2Ui30?si=HtwWlEGrRer5YrBw \; htt ps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Changeling_(film) ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CL OTEL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/496-clotel-or-the-presidents -daughter-a-narrative-of-slave-life-in-the-united-states-by-william-well-b rown/\n\n\n\n ANd To see more work\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/clubs/7-do s-earliest-literature/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:medieval fantasy is or not from Puto Mikel DTSTAMP:20250920T224717Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:517-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n medieval fantasy is or not\n\n https://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=B6jtEbn2s-w\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n Interesting p oints. well done. I like ivanhoe. Good point\, gawain and the green knight has more in common with narnia not lord of the rings when it comes to a r eal setting that interacts with the fantastic. I get your point. Folkloris m needs to be stated more often. Good points\, dragons/elves/magic women w ith items are not confined to european medeival. You convinced me\, fantas y is the genre\, not medieval fantasy. 18:56 good point the problem is the way in which history books assess history. 19:57 good quote\, people didn 't go to sleep ancient and wake up medieval. As i say\, the roman empire d idn't die when most think it did. 22:55 funny 23:14 great point\, technolo gy doesn't arrive at the same time everywhere. 24:31 good point on using c ommunication methods as a determinent. 26:52 good point inhow in east asia \, they are talking about who is running things\, in that case\, 28:47 goo d point\, most people in europe durin the time called the middle ages had a greater religiosity than most fantasy novel labeled medieval have. 32:04 funny how he went from constantine to the ottomans. 35:54 what about euro pean fantasy as a label for lord of the rings/song of ice and fire or simi lar. 39:23 yes more finesse is needed in how people construct history 43:1 7  great point \, thousand of years and now tech change 45:58 thank you\, some wars are inevitable  46:04 great point cause george rr martin once said\, what about the orcs how are orc children. so Song of ice and fire i s historical fantasy while lord of the rings is fantasy based on multiheri tage folklore 53:03 hmm good points\, using time or who is in charge is a better label \n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n Excalibur silent film edit\n\n https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MjyYEQtr3A\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wayne Lewis of Atlantic Starr born April 13th DTSTAMP:20250920T224151Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:516-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Wayne Lewis of Atlantic Starr born April 13th\, In 1957\n \n\n\n Wayne Lewis- of Atlantic Starr who cowrote Always\n\n https://www.a l.com/news/2025/06/pop-singer-in-iconic-rb-group-who-co-wrote-popular-wedd ing-song-dead-at-68.html\n\n\n\n song\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= dM-CiPKZF4g\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRIC\n[Verse 1: Wayne Lewis and B arbara Weathers]\nGirl\, you are to me\nAll that a woman should be\nAnd I dedicate my life\nTo you\, always\nThe love like yours is rare\nIt must ha ve been\nSent from up above\nAnd I know you'll stay this way\nFor always\n [Pre-Chorus: Wayne Lewis and Barbara Weathers\, Barbara Weathers]\nAnd we both know\nThat our love will grow\nAnd forever\nIt will be\nYou and me\, hey\n[Chorus: Wayne Lewis and Barbara Weathers]\nOoh\, you're like the sun \nChasin' all of the rain away\nWhen you come around\nYou bring brighter d ays\nYou're the perfect one\nFor me and you\nForever will be\nAnd I will l ove you so\nFor always\n[Verse 2: Wayne Lewis and Barbara Weathers]\nCome with me\, my sweet\nLet's go make a family\nAnd they will bring us joy\nFo r always\nOh\, boy\nI love you so\nI can't find enough ways\nTo let you kn ow\nBut you can be sure I'm yours\nFor always\n[Pre-Chorus: Wayne Lewis an d Barbara Weathers\, Barbara Weathers]\nAnd we both know\nThat our love wi ll grow\nAnd forever\nIt will be\nYou and me\, hey yeah\n[Chorus: Wayne Le wis and Barbara Weathers]\nOoh\, you're like the sun\nChasing all of the r ain away\nWhen you come around\nYou bring brighter days\nYou're the perfec t one\nFor me and you\nForever will be\nAnd I will love you so\nFor always \n[Bridge: Barbara Weathers]\nHey\, yeah\n[Chorus: Wayne Lewis and Barbara Weathers]\nOoh\, you're like the sun\nChasing all of the rain away\nWhen you come around\nYou bring brighter days\nYou're the perfect one\nFor me a nd you\nForever will be\nAnd I will love you so\nFor always\n[Outro: Wayne Lewis and Barbara Weathers]\nOoh\, ooh\nI will love you so\nFor always\nO oh\, ooh\nI will love you so\nFor always\nOoh\, ooh\nI will love you so\nF or always\n\n\n\n\n \n\n lyrics from\n\n David Lewis Wayne Lewis\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Funny how they wrote one of the most well known romantic songs of the late 1970s early 1980s while also one of the best if not most well known cheating couple song\n\n song\n\n\n\n SECRET LOVERS\n\n https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=uzwQ-PNJtPg\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n song with stag e intro\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe2UXqFo0DY\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n[stage intro]\n- San Bernardino! (crowd cheering)\ncan we talk? [laughter]\nOkay. Right now I'd like to tell you a story\, okay?\ nBut in order for me to tell you the story\, you must\,\nyou just must use your imagination.\nOkay\, ladies. (gentle music)\nOkay\, first\, imagine\ nthat this is the finest man\nyou have ever seen in your life!\n(crowd che ering) Whoo!\nIs he fine or what? (crowd cheering)\nBut he's mine.\nAnd I love him.\nBut on my way to rehearsal\,\nI saw this man.\nWhoo-whee!\nAnd girlfriend\, let me tell you\,\nhe was finer than my man was!\nSo I wanted to mess around with him a little bit.\nYou know what I'm saying?\nBut I c ouldn't leave my man\,\ncould I? - No.\n- So in order to have my cake and eat it too\,\nI had to keep him a secret.\nDo we have any secret lovers ou t here in the house tonight? (crowd cheering)\nThis is for you.\n[official song]\nHere we are\, the two of us together\nTakin' this crazy chance to be all alone\nWe both know that we should not be together\n'Cause if we're found out\, it could mess up both our happy homes\n\nI hate to think abou t us all meetin' up together\n'Cause as soon as I look at you\, it will sh ow on my face\, yeah\nThen they'll know that we've been loving each other\ nWe can't let 'em know\, no\, no\, no\, we can't leave a trace\n\nSecret l overs\, yeah\, that's what we are\nWe shouldn't be together\nBut we can't let go\, no\, no\n'Cause we love each other so (ooh)\n\nSittin' at home\, I do nothin' all day\nBut think about you and hope that you're okay\nHopin ' you'll call before anyone gets home\nI wait anxiously alone by the phone \n\nHow could something so wrong be so right?\nI wish we didn't have to ke ep our love out of sight\, yeah\nLivin' two lives just ain't easy at all\n But we gotta hang on in there or fall\n\nSecret lovers\, yeah\, that's wha t we are\nTryin' so hard to hide the way we feel\n'Cause we both belong to someone else\nBut we can't let it go\n\n'Cause what we feel is\, oh\, so real\nSo real\, so real\n\nYou and me\, are we fair?\nIs this cruel? Or do we care?\nCan they tell what's in our minds?\nMaybe they've had secret lo ve all of the time\n\nIn the middle of makin' love we notice the time\nWe both get nervous 'cause it's way after nine\nEven though we hate it\, we k now it's time that we go\nWe gotta be careful so that no one will know\n\n Secret lovers\, yeah\, that's what we are\nTryin' so hard to hide the way we feel\n'Cause we both belong to someone else\nBut we can't let it go\n\n 'Cause what we feel is\, oh\, so real\nSo real\, so real\nSo real\, so rea l\nSongwriters: Wayne I. Lewis\, David E. Lewis\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250413 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Robert Redford died DTSTAMP:20250920T223122Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:515-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Robert redford for me is underrated as someone who perfor med all the roles you can in film making. Thespian- the one who acts/Direc tor- the manager of the collective artwork that is film making/Producer- t he financier all films need as a collective work in an unfree medium\n\n\n \n list of his film activities: actor/director/producer\n\n https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redford_filmography\n\n\n\n FILMS AS THESPIAN I NOT E\n\n 1972 the candidate - a film so poignant it is devastating. My advice is to see \"A Face In The Crowd\" 1957 with Patricia Neal with this and b e amazed.  Ever since this film Redford never left the theme of the hidde n or not publicly acknowledged government in various ways.  I will note t he following Candidate films CFers\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_C andidate_(1972_film)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N97 UYGGzNU\n\n \n\n 1973 the sting - I must admit here\, I think of me and my father.\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sting\n\n\n\n https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=_nAIb_J9T5M\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n A note to film making \n\n https://youtube.com/shorts/m4xM8lmKEp4?si=tX2nzOyx4hgboqGV\n\n\n\n SC OTT JOPLIN's Ragtime music was the soundtrack. Marvin Hamlisch said so muc h himself\, when he received an award for the score. And I will add\, Haml isch placement of Joplin's songs\, was excellent. \n\n Solace\n\n https:/ /youtu.be/Pod_Rwrx_q0?si=CRMmkW9AMnngT8d-\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n The Album\ n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kM5FA8Zvu40Aqvw1dtsHKBxM JDjbsqhW0\n\n\n\n 1974 the great Gatsby - my father always loved the cinem atography of this one\, he said that DiCaprio film is... not the same leve l\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby_(1974_film)\n\n\n\n h ttps://youtu.be/deg7g3Z5AHI?si=Ov4_mfG1z7BKtHQt\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1975 three days of the condor -CFers\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_D ays_of_the_Condor\n\n\n\n 1976 all the president's men -CFers\n\n https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_President%27s_Men_(film)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n ex cerpt\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmLNzZsEgA4\n\n \n\n 1980 Brubak er -CFers\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brubaker\n\n\n\n https://www.y outube.com/watch?v=scA0vHUcmLM\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1984 the natural \n\ n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Natural_(film)\n\n\n\n Final at bat!\n \n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i94ldGNNSQ0\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1985 out of Africa  - my parents love the cinematography of this one\n\n https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_Africa_(film)\n\n\n\n The Flight Scene\n\n https://youtu.be/KDogVwHqixQ?si=tiD7zdvu7D6F8ivW\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 19 93 the classe americaine - I am going to have to look at this film and see how it dubs. It is an interesting concept. I quote the wiki\n\n La Classe américaine (French pronunciation: [la klas ameʁikɛn]\; lit. 'America n Class')\, also known as Le Grand Détournement (The Great Détournement) \, is a 1993 French television film\, written and directed by Michel Hazan avicius and Dominique Mézerette. It consists exclusively of extracts of o ld Warner Bros. films\, put together and dubbed with new lines so as to cr eate an entirely new film that is a parody of Citizen Kane.\n\n https://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Classe_am%C3%A9ricaine \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=W8sop56DBUs\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n The director is making his first animated\n\n https://youtu.be/Lm7DyvJHxRE?si=EzY9sWrWUG379lg7\n\n\n\ n \n\n\n\n \n\n 2001 the last castle \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T he_Last_Castle\n\n\n\n clip\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4yyQMt8Gl o\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 2015 truth \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tru th_(2015_film)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FILMS AS DIRECTOR I NOTE\n\n 1980 ordina ry people  donal Sutherland was brilliant to\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Ordinary_People \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdjlLq1tqmU \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1988 the Milagro beanfield war \n\n https://en.wik ipedia.org/wiki/The_Milagro_Beanfield_War \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=uuaKVk4hNAY\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 1992 a river runs through it \ n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_River_Runs_Through_It_(film)\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsIolBViUmc\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 2007 lion s for lambs \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lions_for_Lambs\n\n\n\n On e of the many good dialogs\n\n https://youtu.be/V1hQuzJPRDA?si=WrgI1IBRpxr NfkcP\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n 2010 the conspirator - this is my favorite fil m of his as a director\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conspirator\n \n\n\n https://youtu.be/wXjFAN73Zmg?si=JE7dtwB-AZdL5794\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \ n\n 2012 the company you keep - laboeuf was good in this\n\n https://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/The_Company_You_Keep_(film)\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=FZ4CTyDwoPM \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n films as producer\n\n 2002 skinwalkers \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinwalkers_(2002_film)\n\ n\n\n Trailer\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqQycRMpMMo\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n Series on PBS incomplete\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYk 6Q8lybo8&\;list=PL9PyRItII8cuOh1ohYJtq2OPSe1Ytmtak\n\n\n\n 2013 the mar ch  can't find this anywhere online\, not even a trailer\n\n https://en.w ikipedia.org/wiki/The_March_(2013_film)\n\n\n\n television \n\n Nothing i n the dark twilight zone episode \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothi ng_in_the_Dark\n\n\n\n Redford on Nothing In The Dark\n\n https://www.yout ube.com/watch?v=JuuAEEj1fq0\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Redford on Butch C assidy\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP8yZi8UsM4\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250916 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Viking Archery Truth Shadversity + Larsanderson23 DTSTAMP:20250920T202859Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:514-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n viking aiming early attempts  Shadversity\n\n https://ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=wmGORk9z5zQ\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lars Anderso n Viking Archery video\n\n short\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rii-o WSsU4s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n long\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_UOfqXL3 SM\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment shadversity\n\n\n\n I think you two had good fun with this one. I did learn something. What is clear is\, as the common technique changed over time\, the media interpretation of th e past simply ignored the common technique used in the past. I think that is very interesting. I wonder how many techniques were done differently in various martial arts in the past\, that most people today don't recognize . I do think the run test is the one that really makes the case for this s tyle. You can't run with your arms level to your shoulders faster than you can with your arms parallel to the side of the torso. \nI argue\, Viking archery wasn't weird. It was styled for people who shot while running and close chaotic combat\, which you guys didn't test. \nThe standing style is best for the large armies\, the lines of archers in the roman empire/Ke met empire/Chinese empire. But\, the Rus/Varangians/Vikings/northmen were raiding peoples. The Varangians and Rus and Danes and Normands eventually became kingdoms or empires\, but the raiding by Northmen occurred from tes tament to the muslim governments before during and after the formation of kingdoms by Northmen. My point being\, the Northmen liked to raid\, more t han have a huge standing army and I think it reflects how the structure of organizations like the holy roman empire born from a hybrid roman/northma n culture was a set of principalities fighting themselves raiding\, and th e dissolution of the Carolingian empire after Charlemagne died between his sons who raided each other. Raiding culture allows for an army to be the raiding force but I bet alot of raids not all from northmen were far fewer people\, and not as absolutely devastating to the raided. So that an army was usually more an alliance of raiders/Vikings/pirates than a regimented army under one crown. \nAnyway\, I wish you guys would had made the foll owing test\, on your first attempts with the Viking style. \n Take a thi rty pound bow on the run and try to hit a target middle of the run while r unning\, perpendicular to the path of the run\, and after release keep run ning.\nAnd take a hundred pound bow on the run and try to hit a target mid dle of the run while running\, perpendicular to the path of the run\, and after release keep running. \nThen try the same two run's above but have an option of three targets and randomly select one. I bet the advantage of the lower pound bow or the Viking style will occur. \nWhat I think it wi ll prove is\, while the standing arms up style is better for more poundage standing still in a line of bowfolk or aiming from safe distances to targ ets\, the running style is better suited for a mobility demanded random ob stacle environment where one may be alone at times or using a random arrow and unable to stand and shoot.\nRaiding is war\, but it is another form o f war. Raiding isn't campaigns of one big army against another big army\, raiding can be a group\, attacking a town in another country. In that envi ronment mobility is key. you can't stay and set up camp cause the town wil l get reinforcements that the group can't handle. \n\n\n\n\n \n\n comment url\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmGORk9z5zQ&\;lc=Ugz1DcSkrkdKL ciwUdl4AaABAg\n\n\n\n my comment lars Anderson long version\n\n very infor mative thank you. The question I have is about European media. The paintin gs show the truth\, but later on the styles changed. Were people in europe ashamed cause when  I think on the northman method\, I realize \, anyone can see it suits a raiding culture. not really large lines of bowfolk. Ma ybe people in europe descended from vikings were ashamed of the raiding cu lture of the vikings? any thoughts. I can make a modern example. In the US A many white people speak of the earliest and early white european settler s as farmers who just happened to have muskets. Colonial Williamsburg eras es all violent actions to indigenous people of the americas from european settlers and their descendents. It is shame. \n\n https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=g_UOfqXL3SM&\;lc=UgyFbqqi8q-Vw3Cy3sV4AaABAg&\;pp=0gcJCSMANp G00pGi\n\n\n\n good one\, but also add\, the people telling them they were wrong\, never tried to bow while running their fastest in a gauntlet with random targets. \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_UOfqXL3SM&\;lc =UgxIPp_NaiJSfa0eO294AaABAg.AMiV_GmzeTwAN7li5gdfT-&\;pp=0gcJCSMANpG00pG i\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sonny Rollins born Sep 7th DTSTAMP:20250920T201618Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:513-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Sonny Rollins born and raised in harlem\n\n\n\n \n\n http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Rollins\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n St. Thomas\n\n\n\ n Tenor Sax : Sonny Rollins Piano : Kenny Drew Bass : Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen Drums : Albert \"Tootie\" Heath\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=v4DTR0I7xhA\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Oleo \n\n\n\n with Miles Davis + Bags' Groove\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aflCJy8NY1c\n\n\n\ n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Doxy\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWreJOSbIQQ\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Airegin\n\n https://youtu.be/v7PU7e6ZJe4?si=aM41z R-SbaQqwnvW\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sony Rolins on being a jazz musician\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fnw9ddw6Lk\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n 0:00\n\n the life of a jazz musician is a\n\n 0:02\n\n dif ficult life because you want to play\n\n 0:05\n\n you want to be you want to get to the\n\n 0:08\n\n inner spirit and sometimes you drink or\n\n 0:1 0\n\n you use drugs or you smoke a lot you do\n\n 0:13\n\n all these thing s to try to get this\n\n 0:16\n\n Spirit out so uh a jazz musician it's\n\ n 0:21\n\n it's it's a difficult it's a difficult\n\n 0:24\n\n existence a nd a lot of the great\n\n 0:27\n\n people that I've known and that in\n\n 0:31\n\n history they kind of overindulge and\n\n 0:34\n\n they never sort of able to\n\n 0:38\n\n balance their their musical life with\n\n 0:41\n\ n their personal\n\n 0:42\n\n life\n\n 0:43\n\n [Music]\n\n 0:45\n\n um ma ybe it's NE maybe it's not\n\n 0:48\n\n necessary to do that that's anothe r\n\n 0:51\n\n question I don't know but I'd like to\n\n 0:54\n\n see youn g musicians coming up that don't\n\n 0:59\n\n smoke and that don't drink t o excess and\n\n 1:02\n\n don't use drugs and don't sort of\n\n 1:05\n\n d ebilitate themselves I think that's\n\n 1:10\n\n where we should go I thin k that's what\n\n 1:13\n\n guys should be doing I don't think you\n\n 1:15 \n\n have to drink and use drugs to play good\n\n 1:19\n\n jazz but that's been the model for so\n\n 1:23\n\n long that a lot of guys get uh caught up\n\n 1:27\n\n in that you know\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Rollins is the only on e alive who is an adult musician in this photo\, fitting he is a Harlemite \n\n A Great Day In Harlem from Art Kane 1958\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem\n\n\n\n \n\n Musicians in the photograph\n\n R ed Allen\n\n Buster Bailey\n\n Count Basie\n\n Emmett Berry\n\n Art Blakey \n\n Lawrence Brown\n\n Scoville Browne\n\n Buck Clayton\n\n Bill Crump[17 ]\n\n Vic Dickenson\n\n Roy Eldridge\n\n Art Farmer\n\n Bud Freeman\n\n Di zzy Gillespie\n\n Tyree Glenn\n\n Benny Golson\n\n Sonny Greer\n\n Johnny Griffin\n\n Gigi Gryce\n\n Coleman Hawkins\n\n J. C. Heard\n\n Jay C. Higg inbotham\n\n Milt Hinton\n\n Chubby Jackson\n\n Hilton Jefferson\n\n Osie Johnson\n\n Hank Jones\n\n Jo Jones\n\n Jimmy Jones\n\n Taft Jordan\n\n Ma x Kaminsky\n\n Gene Krupa\n\n Eddie Locke\n\n Marian McPartland\n\n Charle s Mingus\n\n Miff Mole\n\n Thelonious Monk\n\n Gerry Mulligan\n\n Oscar Pe ttiford\n\n Rudy Powell\n\n Luckey Roberts\n\n Sonny Rollins\n\n Jimmy Rus hing\n\n Pee Wee Russell\n\n Sahib Shihab\n\n Horace Silver\n\n Zutty Sing leton\n\n Stuff Smith\n\n Rex Stewart\n\n Maxine Sullivan\n\n Joe Thomas\n \n Wilbur Ware\n\n Dicky Wells\n\n George Wettling\n\n Ernie Wilkins\n\n M ary Lou Williams\n\n Lester Young\n\n\n\n Interactive\n\n http://www.seewa h.com/a-great-day-in-harlem/\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250907 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Heavy Metal Magazine Free Voting Booths RESULTS for Loctober 2025 DTSTAMP:20250919T210941Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:511-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n POLL LIST\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/498-heavy -metal-magazine-free-voting-booths-for-loctober/\n\n\n\n DEVIANTART\n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/poll/Pick-one-of-these-themes-you-want- me-to-draw-I-will-add-a-small-story-loctober-heavymetal-8672618\n\n\n\n pr oof of winner SPACE PIRATE QUEEN\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1 4/8672618/5236016128\n\n\n\n TUMBLR\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurr ayhumblr/794514088027996160/pick-one-of-these-themes-you-want-me-to-draw-f or?source=share\n\n\n\n proof of winners- ended in a draw- WARRIOR RIDING A DIREWOLF and VAMPIRE QUEENS FEAST\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurr ayhumblr/794514088027996160/pick-one-of-these-themes-you-want-me-to-draw-f or/replies/795151199251939328\n\n\n\n BLKTALES \n\n https://discord.com/c hannels/1082791769701363742/1087756593845772338/1416228013913280602\n\n\n\ n proof of winners- yes make story\n\n https://discord.com/channels/108279 1769701363742/1087756593845772338/1418704528621965382\n\n\n\n AALBC\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11863-pick-one-of-these-themes-you-want-me-to-dra w-heavymetal-loctober/\n\n\n\n proof of winner COSMIC ENTITY AWAKENING\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11863-pick-one-of-these-themes-you-want-me-to- draw-heavymetal-loctober/#findComment-76205\n\n\n\n So\, in October\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n SPACE PIRATE QUEEN illustration + Story will be posted on my DeviantArt profile. \n\n Story shared to CRliterature/Dreadful Tales\n\n Illustration shared to Color-me-club/inkblot splatter/dreadful tales\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n WARRIOR RIDING A DIREWOLF + VAMPIRE QUEENS FEAST will each h ave three illustrated versions in tumblr and one story version in blktouch \n\n Clothed illustration for blackartistoftumblr\n\n Noddy illustration f or midnighthour + story for blktales\n\n filmnoir illustration for filmnoi rpigeons\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COSMIC ENTITY AWAKENING illustration + Story i n AALBC African American Literary Book Club\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250919 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where is Ione Sykes Now? The Last Grave DTSTAMP:20250917T161638Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:510-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Deviantart post\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevi ant/art/1223566226?action=published\n\n\n\n Deviantart Challenge\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Where-Are-They-Now-Ione-Sykes- The-Grave-1216944947\n\n\n\n Tumblr Audio\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/r ichardmurrayhumblr/794962948912300032/written-by-richard-murray-hddeviant\ n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/794962948912300032/writ ten-by-richard-murray-hddeviant\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250917 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Heavy Metal Magazine Free Voting Booths for Loctober DTSTAMP:20250912T231109Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:498-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Vote in each booth below for the options above. I will on ly do three\, but you can vote for each:)\n\n\n\n All will be shared on He avy Metal Magazine's discord\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pick one\, The one with th e most votes will be made on deviantart and I will add a small story for c rliterature\n\n\n\n ALIEN WAR MACHINE\n\n SPACE PIRATE QUEEN\n\n MECHA GRA VEYARD\n\n CYBERPUNK ASSASSIN\n\n TIME RIFT EXPLORER\n\n FLOATING CITADEL BATTLE\n\n DEMONIC SORCERESS\n\n DRAGON'S THRONE\n\n FLOATING CITADEL BATT LE (Part 2: Battle Progression)\n\n CURSED FOREST SPIRIT\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/hddeviant/poll/Pick-one-of-these-themes-you-want-me-to-draw- I-will-add-a-small-story-loctober-heavymetal-8672618\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pi ck one\, The one with the most votes I will make three versions: clothed f or black artist of tumblr\, nude for midnighthour\, film noir for filmnoir pigeons\n\n WARRIOR RIDING A DIRE WOLF\n\n UNDERWATER SORCERER\n\n ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE RUINS\n\n VAMPIRE QUEENS FEAST\n\n ALIEN PARASITE HORROR\n\n HA UNTED ASTRONAUT\n\n GRAVEYARD DUEL\n\n POSSESSED MECHA PILOT\n\n GORGON QU EEN\n\n KRAKEN'S WRATH\n\n ODIN'S FURY\n\n PHOENIX REBIRTH\n\n https://www .tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/794514088027996160/pick-one-of-these-theme s-you-want-me-to-draw-for?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pick one\, the o ne with the most votes I will put in the Literature forum of AALBC with a story.\n\n\n\n CELTIC WARRIOR SPIRIT\n\n MINOTAUR IN THE LABYRINTH\n\n WAS TELAND RIDER\n\n RUINED METROPOLIS\n\n RADIOACTIVE MUTANTS\n\n DYSTOPIAN E XECUTIONER\n\n FALLEN AI TITAN\n\n BIO-ENGINEERING PREDATOR\n\n COSMIC ENT ITY AWAKENING\n\n DREAMSCAPE DUEL\n\n FRACTURED REALITY\n\n TRAPPED IN INF INITY\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11863-pick-one-of-these-themes-you-wa nt-me-to-draw-heavymetal-loctober/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Warmth from Hajime S oriyama\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Loctober 2025 image\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n If you want to support me for my endeavors financially\, use the following subscription service\, a $1 a month subscription\, that is 3 cent a day or $12 a year \, technically 00.03(28) cent a day:)\n\n\n\n h ttps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My substack post\n\n\n\n https://open.substack.com/pub/rm newsletter/p/free-vote-poll-the-themes-for-heavy?r=xit0b&\;utm_campaign =post&\;utm_medium=web&\;showWelcomeOnShare=true\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250912 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BOOK REVIEW: ADAM AND EVE MAKE A BIG\, BIG MISTAKE BUT GOD F IX' IT from Jean Ann Field-Ridley DTSTAMP:20250825T224617Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:471-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ADAM AND EVE MAKE A BIG\, BIG MISTAKE BUT GOD FIX' IT fro m Jean Ann Field-Ridley\n\n ADAM AND EVE MAKE A BIG\, BIG MISTAKE BUT GOD FIX' IT September 15\,2023\n\n by Jean Ann Field-Ridley @JenanFR\n\n REFER RAL IN AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/10622-racial-and-cultural-repr esentation-in-biblical-storytelling-the-caribbean-experience/\n\n\n\n Buy The Book\n\n\n\n https://www.am*zon.com/ADAM-EVE-MAKE-BIG-MISTAKE-ebook/dp /B0CH5S5KZ5\n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n\n \"Elenchos kai anatrope tes pseudony mou gnoseos\" is the title of a book by a Christian\, defined in\n\n\n\n t his review as someone who has faith in Jesus Christ in some form or fashio n\, named Irenaeus\,\n\n\n\n of Hellenistic ancestry who lived in Lugdunum now commonly called in modernity Lyon in\n\n\n\n France\, who lived circa 130 to 202 years after the birth of Jesus. The title translates\, Control and\n\n\n\n overthrow the falsely named Knowing. The message in this old book is to suggest one thing\, no\n\n\n\n option available. Orthodoxy\, st raight opinion\, is superior to heresy\, choice. The Gnostic\n\n\n\n movem ent at its historic core opposed the idea that Christianity has one line o f thinking\, a\n\n\n\n straight road. Throughout the course of Christian h istory Christian groups through schisms\, like\n\n\n\n the split between t he Christian Church centered in Roma side the Christian church centered in \n\n\n\n Nova Roma\, or groups protesting a new way\, like the Church of J esus Christ and latter-day\n\n\n\n saints\, publicly support heresy.\n\n\n \n \"Adam And Eve Make Big Mistake\" by Jean Ann Field-Ridley is a modern book\, while its\n\n\n\n purpose reflect the literary heritage of Irenaeus plus the Gnostics\, through a Christian making a\n\n\n\n book to a need i n the Christian community of the literature's time while emphasizing a cho ice\n\n\n\n that is against a standard presentation of Christianity.\n\n\n \n Field-Ridley is a Black woman of the Caribbean and has publicly stated she feels in the\n\n\n\n Caribbean Christianity is viewed by many as a rel igion for whites of European descent or whites\n\n\n\n of anywhere. Sequen tially\, many Blacks in the Caribbean don't see a choice in being Christia n\, if\n\n\n\n they also wish to be true to themselves.\n\n\n\n The book i s geared towards children of the Caribbean\, using literature that when sp oken\n\n\n\n resounds culturally to the Caribbean. While I comprehended im mediately the stories within the\n\n\n\n book\, reflecting Christian bible stories\, the flavor of the text was unfamiliar to me\, as for\n\n\n\n ex ample the book of Genesis covered in the book.\n\n\n\n In the spirit of ea rly Christian literature this book does not interpret each book of the apo stles or\n\n\n\n all books of the Septuagint\, the predecessor of the Old Testament. The illustrative border style is\n\n\n\n elegant or beautiful w hile the images are incoherent in storytelling approach.\n\n\n\n Christian parents may need to make adjustments to what they say while they read bas ed on their\n\n\n\n faith in Jesus. But the book totally embraces or never betrays through language or imagery\n\n\n\n aracial unity in humanity. Wh ich is a prerequisite in the goal of the author or the agenda in the\n\n\n \n book\, to get a populace of humans who have lived under the power of an other populace to\n\n\n\n embrace a culture delivered by slave chain when they are no longer enslaved. It is in the spirit of\n\n\n\n heresy\, choic e\, that Jesus\, born a Jew and surrounded by Jewish clergy testing or cha llenging\n\n\n\n him\, chose to lead a new way open to all\, which became Christianity. No book can guarantee an\n\n\n\n affect on a reader. But aft er an attempt\, if it can increase\, by any measure\, a human child\n\n\n\ n choosing to embrace or hold onto something from humanity they opposed or doubted\, the\n\n\n\n extended family of Eve and Adam is better for it.\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250915 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Bovine Feces of Charlie Kirk plus others in the history of the USA like him of all colors DTSTAMP:20250913T051143Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:500-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n First the two drops of lies aka bovine feces.\n\n Followe d by my blankets of truth aka a minority only accept\n\n\n\n Bovine Feces Ball 1\n\n Charlie Kirk said \"What's so important to our country is to fi nd out disagreements respectfully. Because when people stop talking\, that 's when violence happens\"\n\n\n\n Blanket 1\n\n our country\, who is our\ , the native American? immigrants freely to the usa? \n\n Let's go to the history book. When did the USA or the European colonies it was born from have respectful disagreements \, where talking happened instead of violenc e? \n\n Did the illegal plus unwanted white European colonist and their d escendents\, respectfully disagree or talk instead of use violence to the indigenous or first people of the modernly called American continent? No\, they killed/harmed the indigenous or first people before and after the fo unding of the USA to 2025 and odds after.\n\n Did the illegal plus unwante d white European colonist and their descendents\, respectfully disagree or talk instead of use violence to the enslaved people of Africa the unwilli ng immigrants ripped from their homes elsewhere and their descendents? Not \, they and their forebears bought/kept enslaved/harmed the enslaved peopl e from Africa and their descendents  before and after the founding of the USA to 2025 and odds after. \n\n So based on USA history\, before and af ter the founding of the United States of America\, on the exact same land\ , the respectful disagreements never occurred in ninety nine percent of th e interactions between White Europeans and their descendents to First peop les and their descendents or Enslaved African and their descendents. Now W ounded Knee was 1890. Wounded Knee was when the US military\, slaughtered hundreds of the Lakota people under US government planning. Nineteen usa s oldiers were given the medal of honor for attacking/killing/harming indige nous peoples on their ancestral land absent the means to defend themselves . \n\n In 1973 \, at Wounded Knee\, the American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee again\, after the USA government used its powers to undermin e their community using the likes of Dick Wilson. Multiple native american s were killed and a black man with them Perry Ray Robinson\, whose clan on ly learned of his death officially in 2014 through the freedom of informat ion act. \n\n Between Wounded Knees in 1963 White Europeans blew up a chu rch using nineteen sticks of dynamite injuring twenty two and killing four little girls. \n\n So before the founding of the USA to the 1970s I have provided truth\, that the usa was never a country of respectful disagreem ents and violence was always first over any verbal communication. People n ever stopped talking as Kirk suggest most disrespectfully to the truth. Wh ite people never talked only committed violent action. And non white Europ eans\, starting with the first peoples and seconded by the descended of en slaved\, have lived from the European colonial era to now\, forced to talk to whites because of their own militaristic impotency\, albeit having ear ned a 100% right to commit violence to white Europeans. Violence in the US A has always been first\, that is the essence of the USA. \n\n\n\n Bovine Feces Ball 2\n\n Then someone else wrote in amendment to him \n\n \"I do n't consider myself a political person but these words are true specially after what happened yesterday in Utah and what happened today 24 years ago in New York\, DC and Pennsylvania. This senseless violence must stop. The United States has forgotten the foundations on which this country was fou nded on LIFE\, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Somewhere along the l ine it that was lost and it has led to horrible acts against those who hav e different opinions or values. The enemy is within our borders and it's o ur fellow Americans because we are no longer willing to agree to disagree and unite for the improvement of everyone not just specific groups.\"\n\n\ n\n Blanket 2\n\n Do you know that political person translates to person o f the people. When someone says they are not a political person but then s peak on the people... you got problems. \n\n Second bovine feces consider s Kirk's words true. Now I just refuted Kirk's entire claim\, so what does that say about the person who just supported Kirk's claim? \n\n Are they are liar? 100% But why are they lying? They are not lying to be intention al\, they are lying because they are in denial. \n\n I was in New York Ci ty \, downtown Manhattan\, at Water street when 9/11 happened. It wasn't s enseless violence. The USA military\, private/public/other\,  killed and is still killing people throughout all humanity every day. A few people wa nted to strike back\, hijacked a plane and struck\, the same way the USA s truck and still strikes\, every day. Eye for an eye isn't senseless. It is negative. yes. But it isn't senseless. Don't tell me that between two str angers\, the one who burned the others home\, shouldn't have their home bu rned. If you have the right to attack me\, I have the right to attack you. The only reason why First Peoples plus their descendents and Enslaved Afr icans plus their descendents didn't and don't attack whites because of a d esire to disagree respectfully or inability to see white people listening. The First Peoples plus their descendents and Enslaved Africans plus their descendents didn't and don't attack whites with enough trouble because of feat plus impotency. That is it. Both of the abused people from before th e USA was founded to 2025\, are simply afraid of whites plus militaristica lly or physically weak. That is it. \n\n Life\, Liberty \, and the pursui t of happiness was never a founding of the United States of America\, thos e were three fantasies advertised by excellent salesman to their kin and t hose like them in the future. Who were the founding fathers? White Europea ns but also unwanted and illegal immigrants\, as every single immigrant in the USA after the original white europeans\, including enslaved africans who were forced to immigrate by whites. are illegal by any native American tribe's provision and unwanted by any native American tribes people. The person who spoke the second bovine feces is an willing immigrant who as th ose white founders knew would do everything to justify or defend themselve s by trying to sell the advertisement based on a complete lie. And the lie s compound\, based on the second bovine feces anyone without truth will th ink the usa started as some multiracial civil union. where peaceful commun ication led functional administration and somehow\, time just withered the decency away. \n\n The USA was never and is not decent\, not a we\, not a family\, just a set of strangers who have to suffer each other for most are too impotent to get anything else and the rest are to addicted to a co nvenience they can't find anywhere else\, all under a set of rich who are descended from the human enslavers of all humanity.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN CONCLUSION\n\n Everything I said above is worthless to power. Truth is imp ortant\, it is most excellent in history books\, most valuable in communic ation. but it doesn't lead to results in government. Truth never saved any body's life. Power saves lives... and takes them. I don't have the power t o save anybody's life\, most don't. But\, I can offer one action that can be very functional in the USA's future. \n\n All the people in the USA\, no matter their race [phenotype/gender/religion/language/tribalism/party o f governance/financial status/fiscal model adherence/indigenous status/ or other] who make points like the two who commented the bovine feces must s top. Said people must stop. Being positive is a positive thing\, but livin g a lie as truth makes the future bound to failure. For the greatest power a lie as truth has is the damage the truth in the future forces to anythi ng built on said lie. The lie of a usa family\, a we\, a heritage of civil ity in the united states of america\, is why wounded knee happened twice\, why four little girls were blown up in a church. \n\n And I am not insen sitive. I comprehend illegal plus unwanted immigrants starting from the wh ite Europeans before the USA was founded to today come for their individua l betterment. My forebears had children while enslaved in the USA \, don't tell me you come to the USA for children after 1965\, if enslaved people can have children anybody can anywhere. you immigrate for yourself\, and c hildren\, whether they like it or not have to deal with it. And some child ren do positiviely and  some negatively. But\, holding onto the old lies has to stop. It isn't helping anything. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\ n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdzIl9eG3CI\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT 2\n\n\n\n Ava Raine\, Dwayne “The Rock” Jo hnson’s daughter\, faces criticism and threats for recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s death: “If you want people to have kind words when you pass\, you should say kind words while you’re alive.”\n\n https://x.c om/Raindropsmedia1/status/1967006500498665555\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250912 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:King of Fantasy weapons\, banning real weapons - shadversity DTSTAMP:20250913T070846Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:507-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n King of Fantasy weapons\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=KvcCIDJj-NQ\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n Are you going to do a king of fantasy bows? \n\n What about King of Fantasy Bos? I imagin e Monkey Kings Bo that can extend is the winner.\n\n What about King of Fa ntasy Chakrams? I imagine Xena's wins\, though her Chakram that can split into two \"brass knucle\" esque I thought was the coolest chakram she had.  \n\n What about King of Fantasy spears?\n\n What about king of fantasy a rmor\, split between chain mail and plate?\n\n In Amendment\n\n Why Aragon fights like that?\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcjohYgAQQw\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The Lord of the Rings SWORD you've Probably NEVER See n!\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO0zmB9ai1Y\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n restricting weapons will not deny opportunity to get dangerous weapon s\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgtX4NgU8OA\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n my comment\n\n I am glad you guys mentioned that a piece of thick wood is dangerous\, for some reason people don't realize a metal pipe or a thi ck piece of rectangular wood can kill someone. Can you imagine a piece of wood \, like a baseball or cricket bat with nails driven in\, then it beco mes like the Macuahuitl . and thanks for still finding the time in compari sons to give weapons history.\n\n comment referral\n\n https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=lgtX4NgU8OA&\;lc=UgwFW7xGXWtTmzHmsel4AaABAg&\;pp=0gcJCS MANpG00pGi\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TOPIC: double blade sword\n\n https://www.yo utube.com/watch?v=X1xk04EoUE0\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n\n \n Tyranth said what if the double blade was curved\, i hope you try that one day.  But what about a double bladed knife or even really short sword \, where the distance between blades was really small.It wouldn't be neede d to kill anyone but since a knife is for cutting\, thrusting\, not necess arily blade on blade action or getting through armor\, maybe the multiblad es add an extra level of danger.\n\n comment referral\n\n https://www.yout ube.com/watch?v=X1xk04EoUE0&\;lc=UgylOfRTFzHg2F0fcGZ4AaABAg\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Money is not absent Merit DTSTAMP:20250913T072117Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:509-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I saw a post about a white person named Pasterski and it was an ugly lie about the role of money with merit in modern humanity\n\n\ n\n MY COMPLETE THOUGHT\n\n Marty Steinberg  your assertion is correct\, but I want to go deeper\, the original post doesn't mention money at all. Why? The post is suggesting something very ugly\, and untrue\, that a simp le penniless homeless child in nyc\, hungry most of the year\, if they sim ply\, focus on engineering and physics  and have determination will be ab le to have a plane right on the sidewalk. I don't know where they will get the metal from or the ability to mold the metal\, or the rubber \, or the glass or any of the tools to cut and mold any of these things\, let alone the paper needed to make a draft cause they are Explicitve homeless and o n the expletive street they can't have a computer because they are on the street\, and a child needs to be in a warm loving home first... I have bee n fortunate to have parents as a child who not only believed in me but wer e able to support me. But I am not going to suggest to anyone that  mere belief is enough. that is a lie. And I find it sad that so many people in the usa love to chime this belief bullshit. Money is crucial. Her father s ince the original post didn't want to say it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Sabrina_Gonzalez_Pasterski is an attorney + electrical engineer. I wasn't able to find out his law firm or the firm he engineered for but it seems he lives at Oxford Ave\, Chicago Ridge\, IL 60415 and that is in https://e n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worth_Township\,_Cook_County\,_Illinois Not homeless\ , not penniless. \n\n MY COMMENT IN THE REFERRAL\n\n Marty Steinberg  yo ur assertion is correct\, but I want to go deeper\, the original post does n't mention money at all. Why? why is money not warranting any mention at all in this post? no justification exist to not mention money. Cause don't tell me that the homeless children I have seen in NYC who are hungry and sleep outside can simply mirror sabrina pasterski by picking up a book the y don't even have or can afford or should choose over something to eat. \ n\n THE POST CONTENT\n\n  \n\n\n\n Pasterski’s interest in engineering and physics emerged early\, demonstrated by her decision to construct a wo rking airplane while still in her teens. The project required not only tec hnical knowledge but also persistence and discipline\, qualities that woul d characterize her later academic career. Flying the plane she had built h erself at 16 made her the youngest American to achieve such a milestone\, gaining early recognition for her abilities.\n\nHer academic journey was e qually remarkable. At MIT\, Pasterski pursued physics\, completing her deg ree in three years with the institution’s highest possible GPA. Her work there reflected a focus on theoretical physics and quantum field theory\, subjects that would guide her into advanced research.\n\nAfter MIT\, she entered Harvard University for doctoral studies\, specializing in high-ene rgy physics. Her research focused on topics such as black holes\, particle physics\, and fundamental symmetries of the universe. This field demands mastery of advanced mathematics and theoretical models\, underscoring the depth of her academic contributions.\n\nPasterski’s trajectory from teen age aircraft builder to physicist illustrates how early technical curiosit y can lead to advanced scientific achievements. Her path highlights the in terconnectedness of engineering skill\, intellectual discipline\, and scie ntific research in shaping careers that push the boundaries of knowledge.\ n\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Writing Too Real from Sylvester Stallone DTSTAMP:20250913T071352Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:508-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I have been there Stallone\, I rarely write fantasy \, wi th enough fantasy \n\n https://youtu.be/KONu5mxxPZA?t=3498\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n 56:53\nand it kills me because that's why I like up endings because l ife usually doesn't end that way so why do you have\n56:59\nto go out and spend money and see it and feel bad because I feel bad enough walking in h ere I don't need you to make\n57:05\nit worse that's my simple philosophy it doesn't exactly go along with true art\n57:11\nbut I never said I was g oing to make true art yeah and it's ironic that with that period of not wo rking and being in\n57:18\nthe you know the movie theater for so many hour s you came back by writing Rocky baloa right which was basically\n57:24\nt he thing that started you in the first place so you went back to the first thing that you got you to the top and\n57:30\nwhen you're at the bottom a gain you brought Rocky back into the picture and you said it was your most proud work by\n57:36\nfar because uh nobody wanted to do it I I felt so w orthless and I was so embarrassed to be\n57:44\nyour father tell you the t ruth because you didn't even know what I did basically for a living we saw your Spy\n57:51\nKids Toy Maker what does my father do for a living just wanders around looking\n57:57\ndepressed and I realized you you people tha t you thought were your friends and\n58:04\nnot your friends when the good times go away that's when you find out your\n58:10\nfamily is so importan t cuz I'm telling you the ship sailed on me it was pretty\n58:15\nbad it w as pretty bad but I took all that in and I thought you\n58:21\nknow if thi s is if I'm done and I thought I was it was definitely done phone wasn't r inging it was done and I\n58:28\nwas so embarrassed because people did not understand Rocky 5 Rocky five was\n58:34\nabout one of the more real situ ations that you're so desperate to not be a\n58:42\nfailure for your famil y that Rocky basically gave up his family because he wanted to get Glory a gain even if it was\n58:49\nthrough another man that he for you know his s on he gave up wife he was this and\n58:56\nthat and I wasn't I was not sma rt enough to realize that's not what people wanted\n59:02\nto see because that's what happens right you know that's a little too real right\n59:10\n and I said if I can just go back and do one more because I never thought I 'd\n59:15\never do another movie again but in my fantasy I want to do Rock y B Bo which is\n59:21\nabout loss about grief which is is the hardest thi ng in the world to live with\n59:26\ngirls I swear to you oh [ __ ] it it' s it's\n59:38\nhard I think anyway yeah I don't know why all of a sudden g et traumatic like\n59:44\nthat you know some [ __ ] just comes up and you I said how can I write a story\n59:51\nthat I portray that kind of sad you know what I mean and but in the end it's you\n59:58\npurge yourself of it and that's what Rocky Balo is about he loses his wife he loses everything and people have they\n1:00:06\nyou know they they that's what they experi ence but in the end he purges himself with what he says I want to get\n1:0 0:13\nrid of this old pain and put in some new pain I don't want that thos e memories\n1:00:18\nanymore and it worked it really worked well and uh th at's my proudest moment\n1:00:24\nbecause nobody wanted to do it and they actually said you're done Ro's done I'm going\n1:00:31\nthese are people t hat represented me that were like I paid lots of money to\n1:00:38\nand I went wow you really are yeah on your own and I want your girls to know tha t your best friend has got to be you\n1:00:47\nI'm serious it's great to h ave best friends and parents or whatever but you then I got and I did that thing I told\n1:00:53\nyou about in the mirror and I sh you come back you fight you get off your knees you stop feeling sorry for\n1:00:59\nyoursel f and you write the best words you've ever written and I think it is by\n1 :01:04\nfar Rocky one I think has the element of surprise but Rocky 6 is t he best I I I I\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Full Video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n First Int erview\n\n https://youtu.be/666OF8M-cJQ?si=J-i7bY34P8jhzp-a\n\n\n\n Second Interview\n\n https://youtu.be/KONu5mxxPZA?si=WP6z3915mjHgerOg\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Captian Marvel truth  DTSTAMP:20250913T070217Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:506-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Captian Marvel truth \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=xyMYj9R8YDY\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n You could had excerpted the \"They Li ve\" sunglasses realization scene:) \n\n What can MArvel do to get the pe ople who are angry about the lack\, and it is a lack of female characters? Or is the answer the Xmen female characters are coming? \n\n What are yo ur thoughts on Sylvie from the Loki show?\n\n I oppose your position on th e people behind the scenes. Did Chris Claremont have passion for Ms. Marve l when he was writing her? she wasn't Wonder Woman from an age perspective or media clout. I think writers simply failed\, and that is ok. Writers h ave the right to fail. I think the writers (most of whom are women) for sh e hulk/ms marvel/Wonder woman in film or streaming in the last ten years\, or similar female comic book characters\,  simply failed.  \n\n to your question\, are we\, we meaning a \"united humanity\" or comic book fandom \,  going to avoid tokenism? \n\n What is the parallel to tokenism? It i s admitting + embracing a majority. tokenism in media is when a character has an aspect rarely viewed in a certain way. Black Lightning for example. The first character described as black in a non black owned comic [black owned comic books had black headliner characters pre milestone] book firm to headline a comic. That is tokenism. What is the parallel? DC comics adm itting to the growing number of potential black comic book buyers they sim ply don't have a black comic book headliner and will not. \n\n There are going to be women who say they want more female superheroes\, to be as var ious as the male superheroes\, and various not just in success but failure . DC+ Marvel can simply say\, we don't have the female headliner character s for that. \n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n Her words in the video show the problem . The producers\, people with the money\, are giving their money to people who can convince them of market trends. Black panther could had been made in the 1960s / without question 1970s but it was till now because the sta tistics show the average wealth and purchasing power of blacks in the movi e going market alongside their viewing habits warrants a black panther. Th e studios thought women would go all in for women\, especially after DC \, to be blunt\, botched wonder woman. Linda Carter is only a few years diff erence from Christopher Reeves and Wonder Woman unlike superman had a 1970 s hit show. Superman one was made in the late 1970s. So\, DC was able to m ake the superman movies with christopher reeves\, make a supergirl movie\, make the batman movies with keaton  though never gave adam west's batman anything \, and Linda Carter with a successful wonder woman show before t he first superman movie with christopher reeves\, who she is extremely nea r in age too\, was given nothing. So\, Marvel felt women moviegoers wanted superheroes. Captain MArvel made over a billion dollars from a 175 millio n dollar budge. The Green Lantern movie made 200 million \, it broke even. No one hates green lantern for that really bad film. Was the writing the best? no. but\, male superhero films that were poor and I argue far worse than Captain Marvel movie didn't lead to their characters being hated or t he actors in the roles being deemed unpleasant. \n\n So to avoid tokenism \, I think an admittance of bias [both positive or negative] + truth have to occur. \n\n Marvel + DC were started at a time where negative biases e xisted which meant most superhero comics are males\, it is that simple. So today\, making movies on popular characters will be mostly male character s. Milestone comics whom I love more than DC or Marvel\, never had a femal e character be the headliner of a comic. So\, I think comic book firms jus t have to be honest and say\, we don't have too many female characters tha t we can headline for movies. Cause the reality is\, the modern audience i s popularity driven. yeah\, Kpop demon hunters\, but here is the problem u sing them as a yardstick. They never went to theaters. they were in the ne tflix ecosystem only\, which has a particular membership demographic. Mill ions of people \, though it may shock folks\, do not have netflix. Now you can argue\, Marvel + DC need to learn from Netflix and work through their streaming services\, which all the companies want to do or are trying to do I think\, but that is a whole other argument\, because streaming servic es don't have to deal with the customer base of movie theaters. \n\n I th ink the industrial change is coming where firms will work through their st reaming services and then when things click take them to streaming and sel l blue ray and all of that. Which will allow for affordable testing to occ ur. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT 2\n\n The rape of ms marvel from carol strickland\n\n https://carolastrickland.wordpress.com/ms-marve l/\n\n\n\n FULL TEXT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So I was reading this issue of Ave ngers\, #200 to be precise. Ms. Marvel had suddenly become pregnant — ho w she didn’t know — and the pregnancy had lasted only three days\, but apparently this was full-term. In issue #200 we had the grand birth and t he revelation of Marcus (the grown baby-no-more) who said he’d wooed Ms. Marvel and won her over and impregnated her with him and la-de-da\, was n’t it romantic. All the Avengers said\, “Ah!” and Ms. Marvel left w ith Marcus to a happily-ever-after ending.\n\nBut I didn’t get it. Here Ms. Marvel had been kidnapped\, held for “weeks\,” according to the na rrative provided by Marcus himself\, and not been won over even though Mar cus had done the A-B-C of stereotypical male-mindset romance: given her ni ce clothes\, serenaded her with history’s best musicians. Why\, I bet he even gave her candy and flowers. At no time is love or respect — not ev en “like” — mentioned. But apparently she hadn’t been won over bec ause he says\, “with a boost from Immortus’ [mind] machines” (which he had access to)\, Ms. Marvel finally became his (and we may think of thi s being the truly possessive use of the word). At which point he impregnat ed her using non-technical techniques without her knowledge of what he was truly doing.\n\nOkay\, class\, anyone see anything wrong with this?\n\nAp parently the guy wanted foreplay before he raped her. I don’t know why h e couldn’t have artificially impregnated her if he just had to use her b ody. Maybe in some sick way he thought he was in love with Ms. M.\n\nBut t he point is\, it was rape and obvious rape at that. The writer had to go a n extra\, knowing step to add that line about mind control. If he’d just left that off\, it would have merely been a fanboy romance\, where the bl onde and buxom heroine is swept off her feet by flowers and candy (no need for romance or love)\, and readily agrees to anything and everything the hero (or fanboy in clever disguise) wants.\n\nBut time went by and NO ONE said anything about the rape! Not one word besides how some readers were s o happy that Ms. M had finally found a good man. \n\nI wanted to barf.\n\n Granted\, I don’t presently condone the very vehement tone of the articl e — really\, I don’t know how many Cokes I’d had before writing this \, but I bet you money I’d been reading a lot of feminist literature tha t had me all fired up — but besides the tone I have to agree still with my sentiments of that January in 1980 within the pages of LoC #1…\n\nThe Rape of Ms. Marvel\n\nby Carol A. Strickland\n\nAm I just overly sensitiv e\, or what? I know that I have a tendency to shoot my mouth off about the role of women in comics\, but shouldn’t everyone be concerned when a co mic displays a struttingly macho\, misogynist storyline that shreds the fe male image apart with a smirk — and rewards the one who did the shreddin g? I should think that such a story would create an uproar in fandom — b ut where is there even a whisper of discontent?\n\nI realize that females are only a small part of comics readers and fandom\, but it should not jus t be the women who raise the roof over such a story. It should be everyone . Isn’t everyone entitled to respect as a human being? Shouldn’t they be against somthing that so self-consciously seeks to destroy that respect and degrade women in general by destroying the symbol of womankind?\n\nCo uld it be that the great masses of fandom actually approved of a travesty like Avengers#200: “The Child is Father To…”?\n\nIn that issue\, an all-male Marvel staff\, presided by Jim Shooter and watched by the Comics Code\, slaughtered Marvel’s symbol of modern women\, Ms. Marvel. They pr esented her as a victim of rape who enjoyed the process\, and even wound u p swooning over her rapist and joining him of her “free” will. Such a storyline might have fit into the 1950s\, when people actually believed su ch a thing was possible — I mean\, they thought that women invited and e njoyed rape back then — but to present such a storyline today shows a co llection of medieval minds at work. Or at vicious play. For such a storyli ne to pass throug the echelons of editor\, editor-in-chief\, and Comics Co de can only be a crime.\n\nFor those not familiar with Ms. Marvel\, or onl y familiar with her from her unsatisfying stint with the Avengers\, let me explain who she is relative to circumstance and character:\n\nMost people know\, if they don’t truly understand\, that women have been stomped on by the comics industry ever since there were comics. From the sniveling L ois Lane of Action#1 right through today’s so-called “liberated” her oines (you can tell who they are by their low-cut or see-through costumes and stolen dialogue from the outdated Feminine Mystique)\, the male-domina ted comics industry has gone out of its way to preserve the macho male and weak (or vicious) female image\, ensuring the small percentage of females in their reading audience.\n\nYou’d think that in the comics of the 198 0s there would be zillions of characters who were themselves first\, women second\, and adventurers always. But look closer\; where are they? Wonder Woman is a preaching man-hater with a memory that has more holes in it th an her lover has lives\, if that’s possible. She is a symbol of modern w omanhood\, supposedly\, and that makes her an interesting character. Now t hink — name a male comics character who is a symbol of manhood: there is none! That’s because a male comics writer realizes that a symbol cannot be of real interest to a reader. But becauase women are all aliens from a nother planet\, it’s all right to make them symbols\, especialy if they are misshapen cliches drawn from maligners of the women’s movement\, the people who designate females who want to be themselves as “bra-burner s\,” an archaic and never-correct term.\n\nBlack Canary is less than a s hadow of her man\, the ultra-macho Green Arrow. The Invisible “Girl” w himpers and complains from the nearest corner while her menfolk do the fig hting. The Wasp dreams of new costumes and new hunks to pester. Supergirl cries over a broken date.\n\nThese are the stalwarts of comicdom’s femal es. The truly liberated women\, those Tigras and Elasti-Girls and Black Wi dows\, are resigned to limbo or just prolonged neglect. As of this moment in the comics industry\, only Chris Claremont is portraying a modern woman — and he manages to do it with every one of them entrusted to his care. People may not agree with all that he is doing\, but they must agree that he is lightyears beyond the other writers (even Jo Duffy\, who is next in line to him)\, and that is a very sad picture of comics. This is the Nine teen-Eighties\, folks. But who would believe it\, to look at the state of comics?\n\nBack in ’72 Marvel had created a trio of books designed to ho ok the female audience: the insipid Night Nurse\, the violent and poorly-w ritten Shanna the She-Devil\, and the interesting Claws of the Cat\, writt en by Linda Fite and drawn (in its first issue) by Marie Severin and Wally Wood. The Cat was a fascinating character\, even if she was a bit heavy-h anded in places. But like many a TV series\, the book was given only a few shots to make it. Cat #4 was the last issue. The concept was later reinca rnated as the vapid Hellcat\, whose costume-derived powers were never expl ained. The original Cat’s powers came from scientific treatment and trai ning\, but the Hellcat merely put on her emblemless costume to be super. I suppose women can’t really be expected to train at anything\, but must rely on chance to give them the skills they need to make it in the real wo rld.\n\nIn 1974 the Cat was revamped in a different fashion: she was mutat ed into a horror-genre Cat creature named Tigra. When given a solo shot in Marvel Chillers a year later\, she surprised everyone by becoming a styli sh\, snappy-pattered heroine whose future could have been bright. But she was bogged down in a five-issue continued story\, and if anything will los e a reader’s interest faster than a multiple-issue tryout story\, I do n’t know what it is. Tigra and the Cat-People have been forgotten by Mar vel except in two team-up stories since then. Surely such a sparkling\, we ird hero should be popular in today’s menagerie of sought-after non-huma ns like the X-Men\, Hulk\, et al.\n\n1976. Marvel decided to try to cash i n on the “liberation craze” yet again with a new spin-off from the pop ular Captain Marvel to be called Ms. Marvel. She would\, like the Cat\, be a symbol of the liberated woman. They plastered the words “This Female Fights Back!” on the cover and bared a lovely blonde woman’s navel — thus began Ms. Marvel. For the same number of beginning issues\, both the Cat and Tigra had Ms. M beat hands down. But for some reason Ms. Marvel s tuck with it. There was a shuffle of writers\; Chris Claremont admits that he didn’t give Ms. Marvel his entire attention at first. Thus it was th at Marvel’s own origin remained a jumbled mess until almost her twentiet h isuse.\n\nOnce Mr. Claremont settled into his job\, though\, Ms. Marvel began to do things. Things few\, if any\, women characters (or men\, for t hat matter!) had done before. While her first adventures had been composed of the obligatory fight scenes upon more fight scenes\, now her stories b egan to have plots\, now her life as a hero was being tied into her life a s a civilian. By the time Carol covered her navel in a Cockrumized costume \, the comic had hit new heights of interest in plotline and artwork. Noti ce I didn’t add “for a heroine” there. That’s because Chris Clarem ont and Dave Cockrum were both looking at Ms. Marvel as a person — a bea utiful\, female person\, yes\, but a super-hero above all! There is only o ne drawback to this duo of issues: that existing artwork was changed from showing Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel’s alter-ego) in sensible desert-explor ing wear to having her in a midriff-exposing blouse. The Word was to make her more sexy\, attract more male readers not so they’d get hooked on Ms . Marvel’s electric characterization\, but so the comic could become a C ode-approved girlie mag.\n\nMs. Marvel was mature\, powerful\, intense and sure of herself.\n\nAnd two issues later she was cancelled. Now she start ed to pal around with the Avengers as a fighting companion\, and later\, a s a replacement for the Scarlet Witch. Under the writing of Jim Shooter\, Ms. Marvel suddenly developed a pushy\, intimidating quirk to her nature. Mr. Shooter\, whose portrayal of females has not changed one iota since hi s writing as a fourteen-year-old in the mid-1960s\, has a Gerry Conway-ish quality to his work. No\, no\, Mr. Conway is not the only or worst writer to do this\; he is simply the most consistent\, when it comes to portrayi ng any female who does not cower in the corner or behind her man when thin gs get rough\, to categorize her as 1) pushy — and usually hypocritical\ , 2) over-sexed\, and/or 3) a castrating manhater. Ms. Marvel was granted the character trait of oversexed pushiness as she proclaimed Wonder Man a “hunk” and that she’d really like to get to know him better — heh\ , heh.\n\nWith Shooter giving up the writer’s role in order to edit The Avengers\, David Michelinie stepped in and Ms. Marvel became one of the su per-gang\; a normal super-hero\, although one to stop action with an “im portant” message about liberation. Many writers do this for some reason. I suppose they don’t realize that example has always been a better teac her than preaching. Most comics females today do a lot of preaching. This is why most female characters today are uninteresting and frail.\n\nWith a landmark issue coming\, big number 200\, staff wondered: what to do for t he occasion? It was decided that Ms. Marvel would have a baby. Michelinie said that it would be the Supreme Intelligence’s kid\, since the Supremo r has always wanted a Kree-Terran hybrid. This would natually lead to an i ntriguing adventure\, a climax to the years of scheming through countless comics for the Supremor\, and a probable end to the Supremor himself\, onc e Ms. Marvel beat him up for what he did to her — and her child.\n\nAh — but Jim Shooter said no! What If #20: “What if the Avengers Fought the Kree-Skull War without Rick Jones?” had ended its tale with the imag inary/parallel world Supremor merging his intelligence with the inert form of Mr. Jones to become himself his precious hybrid. Jim Shooter\, editor- in-chief of the Marvel Multiverse\, proclaimed that the story would be too much alike and too soon after the What If? story. He didn’t bother to l ook at the many times in which the Supremor’s plans have infiltrated a h alf-dozen titles within as many months in years past\, with no complaint f rom readers.\n\nInstead Mr. Shooter came up with a wonderful plan of his o wn for Ms. Marvel’s anticipated Happy Event. He would make magic number 200 a landmark in bad taste. He would portray a rape that would be applaud ed and rewarded by all who had news of it.\n\nTo my way of thinking\, this shows questionable judgment on Mr. Shooter’s part.\n\nBut let the finis hed product help you decide. For those of you who either missed it or chos e to forget it as quickly as possible\, the plot went something like this: \n\nMs. Marvel is three days pregnant at the start of the the issue\, and is about to give birth to a full-term baby. For some reason the Avengers d o not call in an obstetrician\, but leave their most powerful member in th e unspecialized hands of mentor Tony Stark’s good buddy\, Dr. Don Blake. I suppose Blake won’t bill them the way an obstetrician would.\n\nIn a male-fairytale version of birth\, Ms. Marvel delivers in a non-birthing so rt of way (I don’t understand it either. Let’s look at the physical pr ocesses involved–!) There is no pain\, no labor\, no logic… All the wh ile Ms. Marvel is exposed to the other Avengers without shred number one o f privacy during the non-birth birth.\n\nVarying scenes show us that the s tory is well-written. It is merely the plot that is the blot of blots on t his work. The Wasp\, not knowing that the baby’s father is unknown even to Ms. Marvel\, congratulates her on the delivery and baby. We see its mot her: exhuasted\, humiliated: “I’ve been used!” she snarls. “That isn’t my baby!” Later she refers to it as “that thing.” There is no trace of maternal instinct that any other conventional heroine would ha ve been oozing\, even at such an inauspicious time. It is a scene well don e. Yet compare the concept of this\, the rejecting\, angry\, raped mother with the final image of Ms. Marvel. The change is heinous. It and the plot line spoil everything in their wake.\n\nThe story goes on: the child\, a b oy who names himself Marcus\, develops at an ever-increasing rate\, passin g quickly through childhood to become a young adult. He explains his origi n\, starting with his real father\, a man Ms. Marvel never coupled with: I mmortus.\n\nThe mere use of such a character is controvertible in itself\, for in well-known previous Avengers plotlines\, Immortus killed Kang\, hi s earlier self. Mark Gruenwald has explained that the Immortus who killed Kang was clearly a parallel Immortus\, for if Kang were killed\, there wou ld be no Immortus around to kill him. Yet Marcus (and an editorial note) c learly remembers his father as the Immortus who killed off his earlier sel f.\n\nI’ll pass the Bayer as I continue…\n\nAnyway\, before this Immor tus-who-could-not-have-existed popped into existence\, he had become anxio us for a “mate.” Not a lover\, not a wife\, just a “mate” from goo d old Terra. Knowing that mortals can’t exist in his home of Limbo\, he created a sort-of semi-Limbo\, rescued a victim of a Terran sea disaster — a woman who could be Carol Danvers’ twin — and\, in Marcus’ w ords\, “through a combination of gratitude and the subtle manipulation o f my father’s ingenious machines\, the woman fell in love with him.” S ubtle manipulations. Equals brainwashing. Equals brain control. Immortus c ouldn’t get this unnamed woman into bed with him\, so he changed her per sonality and took her against her will. Equals rape.\n\nIt seems mortals c an’t spend too much time in semi-Limbo\, although Marcus has been there all his life. His unnamed mother vanished when he was a boy to go to her d eath in the real world. Marcus was left with only his father\, a wonderful role model\, being a rapist and such.\n\nDaddy vanished (when he killed h imself off a few millenia before)\, and Marcus was left alone. Not particu larly liking semi-Limbo\, he decided to go to Earth. He concocted a scheme by which he could be unnaturally born on Earth\, speeded up in growth\, a nd thus be able to prevent the destruction his presence in normal space wo uld eventually create. He coldly chose the mother of the thing that would be himself: “The powerful combination of Kree and human strengths\, woul d be the perfect vessel\,” he decided\, and chose the perfect double of the only human woman he had ever known and loved: his unnamed mother. Of c ourse\, his old-fashioned father and mother taught him you can’t reach a woman on a level as a human being\; he couldn’t explain his plight and let her decide if she wanted to go through with his crazy idea or not\; he wouldn’t even consider that she might have a better idea for getting hi m to Earth. Instead he went about wooing her: poetry\, clothes and music h e furnished\, thinking that those are the only things women are interested in. When Ms. Marvel didn’t respond\, as he explains to her in the prese nt\, “…Finally\, after relative weeks of such efforts — and admitted ly\, with a subtle boost from Immortus’ machines — you became mine.” \n\nThis is not hidden between the lines. Little kids can read the obvious fact: he raped Ms. Marvel. The artwork goes to great lengths — two clos e-up panels — to show Ms. Marvel’s ecstacy during the pseudo-mating.\n \nAh ha. Another lesson to be learned from comics. It’s okay to rape. Wo men enjoy rape.\n\nImmediately after implanting himself in some sort of ps eudo-scientific fashion into Ms. Marvel’s womb\, machinery teleported he r to her jet\, seconds after the time she had been abducted by Marcus. The machinery also wiped out her recent memory — better to leave these fema les ignorant\, right? Marcus couldn’t care less about the feelings of a woman who suddenly found herself pregnant — and giving birth — for no apparent reason.\n\nThis is not Marcus’ fault. He is ignorant of human f eelings\, being brought up by the equally unfeeling Immortus.\n\nThe expla nation of Ms. Marvel’s rape is made to Carol\, Thor\, Iron Man and Hawke ye. It is obvious that Immortus’ machines have renewed their effect upon Ms. Marvel. Remember the angry rape victim at the beginning of the story? Now with a glisten in her eye and sob in her heart\, she tenderly strokes the rapist’s cheek and tells him that she will return with him to his h ome. She even adopts his Oedipal way of speaking. Of all the times Marcus refers to her directly\, it is as “Carol” three times\, “my love” once\, and “mother” three times. From Marcus being “that thing\,” he is now “my child” to Carol. And she’s going home to play a differ ent kind of house with him. Aren’t the kids eating this up?!\n\nOne shou ld think that the other Avengers who have heard this story and see Ms. Mar vel’s sudden reversal in attitude toward Marcus would stop her from goin g back\, knock some sense into her… anything. But look at this carefully -chosen audience: Hawkeye — Marvel’s answer to the neanderthal Green A rrow\, a psychological sickie (catch his last act with Death Bird). He pro bably gets a kick out of Ms. Marvel’s Getting Her Due. Iron Man — ak a “playboy” Tony Stark. In keeping with his public image\, Tony choose s to avoid the implications of this event. And Thor — if anyone can matc h Jim Shooter’s medieval thinking\, it is he.\n\nThe story ends with Ms. Marvel and Marcus teleporting to semi-Limbo. Iron Man begins to have seco nd thoughts: “We’ve just got to believe that everything worked out for the best\,” he temporizes. He isn’t convinced\, but he won’t make a scene.\n\nMr. Macho\, Hawkeye\, turns sloppy John Wayne sentimental: “T hat’s all we can do\,” he says. “Believe… and hope that Ms. Marvel lives happily ever after.” It is a fitting end to this male fantasy. A desirable woman/mother figure is raped and then chooses to be the lover of her rapist/son. Raping is manly. Women love to be raped. Perversion is wo nderful for kids and other people of taste to read.\n\nThe story would be almost laughable if it weren’t written in such earnest. Someone really b elieves this tripe\, maybe. Or someone just wants to have some fun.\n\nMay I ask a stupid question? Where is the Comics Code during all this? Ther e’s their stamp on the cover\, covering the “S” in AVENGERS — but where are they? This dirty joke that someone at Marvel dreamed up is all o ut in the open — not a bit of it is between the lines to be hidden from the innocents who make up such a large proportion of the audience. And the entire plot is a deadly insult to every woman.\n\nThe bottom line to Aven gers #200 is blatant irresponsibility\, with every nuance of immaturity th at that word provides. “Misogynist” is also a very applicable word. Bu t instead of either\, we’ll probably see the words “collector’s item : rape issue” next to the number 200 in the Avengers column in next ye ar’s Price Guide\, with an inflated price to match it.\n\nIf it takes a second round of witch hunts to rid four-color standard comics of trash lik e this — count me in! \n\nThe Aftermath\n\nOkay\, we can all agree that the issue depicted rape\, and that it was deliberately thrown in\, probabl y to get back at a “liberated” woman.\n\nAnd that there was no negativ e reaction to it except\, seemingly\, mine.\n\nI never saw the next issue of LoC\, but it seems to me that someone did loan me issue #3\, and I reme mber reading reactions to my article that\, summed up\, told me that I nee ded to get laid to get my head on straight. So I continued to think that I was the only one who had recognized this as rape\, had recognized the fac t that rape is a bad thing\, and that Marvel was the personification of th e Anti-Christ. Well\, that they needed to improve\, let’s put it that wa y.\n\nAnd then came Avengers Annual #10\, 1981\, written by Chris Claremon t.\n\nIn the story\, Spider-Woman rescues Carol Danvers\, who has been min d-wiped by Rogue (this was back in the days when Rogue was a middle-aged h ick maniac instead of a sweet young Southern waif). The X-Men get called i n (it was an Annual\, after all) and Carol winds up recuperating at Profes sor Xavier’s\, where the Avengers pay her a visit.\n\nTo my extremely pl easant surprise\, Carol berates them for leaving her in the lurch. Althoug h the word “rape” is never used\, the story did concentrate on that “subtle boost from Immortus’ machines” line to heavily imply it. It actually seems to sink in to some of the Avengers’ minds that rape might not be good. That a woman might be injured in many ways by it.\n\nIt was great to know that others had seen Ms. Marvel’s plight and had apparentl y been as pissed off as I had about it.\n\nThen one day in a fit of X-Men frenzy\, I bought and actually read The X-Men Companion II (of course I ha d volume 1 as well)\, copyright Fantagraphics Books\, Inc. 1982\, and drop ped the book in shock when I got to page 23 of the Chris Claremont intervi ew. He’s talking about the portrayal of women in comics:\n\nAvengers #19 9\, where Carol Danvers is introduced to the Avengers\, and they’re told that in two days she has become eight months pregnant by an unknown fathe r\, or by force of persons unknown\, and the reaction of the entire crowd\ , men and women both\, is to the effect of: “Can I babysit?” “Can we knit booties?” “Can I make cookies for the baby?” “Oh you must be so happy?” and my reaction was\, “What an insensitive crowd of boor s.” Actually\, my reaction was a lot stronger than that. But how callous ! How cruel! How unfeeling! Considering that these people must have seen M s. Marvel only a couple of days before\, or even a couple of months before . She wasn’t pregnant then. How could she be eight months pregnant now? Now\, if that had been the point David [Michelinie] was trying to make\, t hat these other Avengers are callous boors\, okay then\, I may disagree wi th the point\, but if he followed through on it\, it would have made sense . But it seemed to me\, looking at the story\, looking at the following st ory\, that he was going for: “This is how you respond to a pregnancy.” \n\nAs Carol [Strickland] pointed out in her article in LOC [#1]\, women t end to get very short shrift in comics. They are either portrayed as wallf lowers or as supermacho insensitive men with different body forms\, who al most invariably feel guilty about their lack of femininity. And it’s alw ays seemed to me that\, why does this have to be exclusive? Can you not ha ve a woman who is ruthless and capable and courageous and articulate and i ntelligent and all the other buzz-words – heroic when the need arises\, and yet feminine and gentle and compassionate\, at others? That was what I tried to do with Ms. Marvel. I tried to create a character who had all th e attributes that made her a top-secret agent yet at the same time was a c ompassionate\, warm\, humorous\, witty\, intelligent\, attractive woman.\n \nOf course\, Star Trek: The Next Generation did a story where they Ms. Ma rveled Deanna Troi\, giving her an instant pregnancy. But this time the en tity that did it wasn’t human\, didn’t know anything about humans\, an d so it was forgiveable\, although she seemed entirely too calm\, too acce pting of the whole ordeal to me. But then I never really did understand Tr oi much anyway. She was so wishy-washy until the very final seasons. (Oh\, how I wished she could be more like her mother!)\n\nAnd of course\, DC Co mics had its own liberated female super-heroine\, the equivalent of Ms. Ma rvel: Power Girl. So what did they do? Impregnated her without her knowing who the father was. Oh\, they left off the rape bit (though it was entire ly involuntary on her part) but they added incest – weren’t they cute? \n\nYou win some\, you lose some. But most of the time you just hope that some people will grow up. Apparently some comics writers still don’t kno w (1) that women are human and (2) which century we’re living in.\n\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ask Eddie August 28th 2025 film noir foundation DTSTAMP:20250913T064944Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:505-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Ask Eddie August 28th 2025\n\n LINK\n\n https://www.tumbl r.com/communities/filmnoirpigeons/post/793249785900630016/in-case-you-miss ed-it-last-night-on-facebookfnf\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.c om/filmnoirfoundation/793249397131657216/in-case-you-missed-it-last-night- on-facebookfnf\n\n\n\n\n \n\n MY COMMENT\n\n Vincent + IDa Lupino in suspe nse \n\n Fletcher - sorry wrong number\n\n https://archive.org/details/44 0601\n\n the suspense project\n\n https://archive.org/details/the-suspense -project\n\n\n\n Good comment on royalty checks\n\n Censor\n\n https://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Censor_(2021_film)\n\n\n\n Night and the City\n\n https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_and_the_City\n\n\n\n https://archive.org/de tails/nightandthecity1950?msockid=4d8768708c5211f0b9d67b73563c63d2\n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n This Lucille Fletcher script is beloved by many Suspense fans for many reasons. A widowed musician\, played by Vincent Price befri ends a woman\, played by Ida Lupino. They are romantically attracted to ea ch other by their mutual love of music.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250828 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bernie Sanders is a fiscal capitalistic opportunist DTSTAMP:20250913T063741Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:504-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I repeat\, Bernie Sanders is a fiscal capitalistic opport unist... who masquerades as a socialist or green or some extreme devout li beral when he functionally appears as a chaos agent no other than SChrumpf t in effectiveness.\n\n\n\n \n\n from PBS\n\n https://www.pbs.org/newshour /politics/nobody-likes-him-hillary-clinton-says-of-presidential-candidate- bernie-sanders\n\n\n\n WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton says “nobody likes” her former presidential rival Bernie Sanders\, even as the Vermon t senator remains entrenched among the front-runners in the Democratic rac e\, with the Iowa caucus beginning in less than two weeks.\n\nIn an interv iew with “The Hollywood Reporter” published Tuesday\, Clinton was aske d about a comment she makes in an upcoming documentary where she says Sand ers was “in Congress for years” but\, “Nobody likes him\, nobody wan ts to work with him\, he got nothing done.”\n\nClinton replied that the criticism still holds and refused to say she’d endorse him this cycle if he wins the party’s nomination\, adding: “It’s not only him\, it’ s the culture around him. It’s his leadership team. It’s his prominent supporters.”\nSanders’ campaign said Tuesday it didn’t have a comme nt about Clinton’s remarks.\n\nHer comments may ultimately energize Sand ers loyalists who believed the Democratic establishment rigged the 2016 pr imary in her favor. That could be especially helpful with this cycle’s I owa caucuses looming on Feb. 3. Many polls show Sanders among the leaders with former Vice President Joe Biden\, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg\, the former mayor of South Bend\, Indiana.\n\nBut Cli nton also blamed Sanders’ supporters for fostering a culture of sexism i n politics — a charge that is especially sensitive now\, given that Sand ers’ top progressive rival in the 2020 race\, Warren\, has accused him o f suggesting a woman couldn’t win the White House during a private meeti ng between the two in 2018.\n\nSanders has denied that\, but Warren refuse d to shake his outstretched hand after a debate last week in Iowa and both candidates accused the other of calling them “a liar.” Warren has ste adfastly denied to comment further\, but the 78-year-old Sanders said Sund ay that while sexism was a problem for candidates\, so were other factors\ , like advanced age — touching off another online firestorm.\n\nIn the i nterview\, Clinton attacked a cadre of online Sanders supporters known gen erally as the “Bernie Bros\,” many of whom were sharply critical of Cl inton’s 2016 campaign for their “relentless attacks on lots of his com petitors\, particularly the women. And I really hope people are paying att ention to that because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this c ulture.”\n\nClinton further suggested that Sanders was “very much supp orting it” and said\, “I don’t think we want to go down that road ag ain where you campaign by insult and attack and maybe you try to get some distance from it\, but you either don’t know what your campaign and supp orters are doing or you’re just giving them a wink.”\n\n“I think tha t that’s a pattern that people should take into account when they make t heir decisions\,” Clinton said.\nHis feud with Warren has overshadowed a series of clashes between Sanders and another 2020 rival\, Biden\, for an op-ed penned by one of the senator’s supporters suggesting that the for mer vice president was corrupt.\n\n“It is absolutely not my view that Jo e is corrupt in any way. And I’m sorry that that op-ed appeared\,” San ders told CBS.\n\nThe op-ed\, published in “The Guardian” newspaper by Fordham University law professor Zephyr Teachout\, claims Biden “has pe rfected the art of taking big contributions\, then representing his corpor ate donors at the cost of middle- and working-class Americans.”\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n It is a sad truth from Robert f Kennedy jr\, an excerpt\n\n \"Mitch McConnell &\; Bernie Sanders built careers in DC while America got sick er\, fatter\, and more dependent on Big Pharma. \n\n The longest-serving senators are also the biggest failures. \"\n\n https://x.com/RobertKennedy Jc/status/1965156222979784823\n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n I repeat what I sai d elsewhere about Mandela... Bernie Sanders talks a good talk to the masse s of fiscally poor people who have time or are angry enough to listen. But \, his results are not good\, and when I look at Mamdani \, Ocasio Cortez. .. so many legislators are simply not good at leading or improving legisla tive bodies. That on the reverse side said legislatures only seem to reall y hurt the executive branch. No one may want to hear it but Bernie Sanders cost Hillary CLinton the election and I can't see how he thought he would beat her. At the end of the day\, Sanders has nothing to show for his tim e in Congress except being the far left rant guy. It is Mr. Smith lives in Washington. Every session\, for the past fifty years\,  he makes a sweat y tear eyed speech but it never leads to any legislation. \n\n IN AMENDME NT\n\n https://x.com/FranksBlueHot/status/1965050848633053363 referring t o a trveor jackson article\n\n\n\n I remember when Obama ran and won and I thought \, if he won\, he would have to succeed\, get results\, because i f he didn't no one after him could play the hope card and that is all the donkeys[party of Andrew Jackson ] have done since Obama. Biden was a hope president. Old PApa Joe\, remember. Biden didn't offer a plan. Biden offer ed the hope that he damage of the past\, some spurred by Schrumpt would be gone. Instead it got worse. Schrumpts presidencies were made by Obama + Bi den\, and it is funny how both in various ways\, alongside Bernie Sanders blocked Hillary Clinton\, who tried twice and never got the chance I think she should had. I still think what I said in the past was true. Clinton p resident\, Obama vice president \, gets eight years and then Obama \, mayb e biden vice president\, gets eight years. The donkeys gambled Obama first and messed it up. \n\n  \n\n\n\n Trevor Jackson article \n\n\n\n https ://www.nybooks.com/articles/2025/09/25/how-to-blow-up-a-planet-abundance-k lein-thompson/\n\n\n\n excerpt\n\n\n\n What happened to the future? When d id we lose it\, and what has taken its place? Political scientists have fo und a continual decline in visions of a shared transformative future since the early 1980s. Around the world\, in party manifestos\, inaugural speec hes\, and programmatic policy documents\, principled statements about an o pen-ended future have given way to numerical targets like GDP growth achie ved\, emissions reduced\, or people deported. The political right has been more interested in returning to an imaginary glorious past\; consequently \, the change has been most pronounced on the left\, where the politics of an alternative liberatory future have ceded to the policies of technocrat ic governance and market discipline.\n\nThis story fits the interregnum of the 1990s and 2000s\, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the slide of social democratic parties into neoliberalism. When Francis Fukuyama de clared the “end of history\,” he was looking ahead to a melancholy tim e when we would be “jaded by the experience of history.” The conflict over the best way to organize human society had ended\, and liberal capita list democracy would remain triumphant\, but the future appeared to be an empty stretch\, without passion\, without struggle.\n\nThe financial crisi s of 2008 did not recover the future so much as reveal that its absence wa s an ideological project. Writing in the aftermath of the crash\, the radi cal cultural critic Mark Fisher diagnosed a phenomenon he called “capita list realism\,” meaning “the widespread sense that not only is capital ism the only viable political and economic system\, but also that it is no w impossible even to imagine a coherent alternative to it.” Elsewhere he wrote that the future had been “foreclosed\,” and the metaphor was ap t: we had been evicted from it\, and now it belonged to the banks.\n\nBut nothing has depleted the future quite like climate change. As target after target has been passed and promise after promise broken\, the time remain ing to avert global catastrophe has been squandered. There is no noncatast rophic future left\, and in fact it’s already here. How\, in conditions of runaway climatic disaster\, can the future be recovered? What visions o f a shared transformative future are possible\, and what happens to emanci patory politics\, and to democracy itself\, without them?\n\nAbundance\, b y two American journalists\, provides one answer. American liberals in pos itions of governance should commit to deregulation\, which the authors bel ieve will unleash the power of the market and of technology to provide che ap and plentiful housing\, energy\, and medicine. They define the “abund ance” they seek as a “state in which there is enough of what we need t o create lives better than what we have had\,” and they believe it is “important to imagine a just—even a delightful—future and work backw ard to the technological advances that would hasten its arrival.”\n\n\n\ n\n ...\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Vixen cosplay by Nita Roze Nitatherebel DTSTAMP:20250913T062723Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:503-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Vixen cosplay by Nita Roze Nitatherebel\n\n\n\n \n\n Nita Roze Nitatherebel \n\n on tiktok\n\n https://www.tiktok.com/@nittaroze.c om\n\n on youtube\n\n https://www.youtube.com/@nittaroze\n\n on instagram\ n\n https://www.instagram.com/nittaroze/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nelson Mandela needed in todays time from Osasu Obayiuwana DTSTAMP:20250913T052043Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:502-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Nelson Mandela\n\n https://x.com/osasuo/status/1965143159 471833302\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n From a distance\, I think Mandela was a d ifferent man in temperament from life experiences\,features when youngest\ ,agenda as a president compared to schrumpft. But Mandela made mistakes as president of south africa. Osasu\, what was Mandela's biggest mistake as president of SA?\n\n my sharing\n\n @osasuo makes a great point that what differs from a president/man like Mandela compared to a president/man like schrumpft is not merely humility. But to have a custom \, that survived a nd grew from painful prison\, to recognize all in a blood feud live on the ground. what say you?\n\n IN AMENDMENT  \n\n well... from a distance I think Mandela as a person is vastly different from Schrumpft. As a woman f rom south africa said\, Mandela went into jail with a traditional robe and came out in a european suit. Mandela survived prison\, changed but not de leted. Schrumpft has (1/5) never had to face a similar challenge plus unli ke Mandela before Mandela's imprisonment\, Shrumpft never fought for the b etterment of others against oppressors\, only his greed or mobstarting(2/5 ) Mandela also post prison fought against black people including his wife and children who didn't want the integration mandela staked his remaining life/reputation/hopes on(3/5) But after three drops of honey I must say th e pot is Schrumpft+Mandela have one thing in common\, neither know how to make the path the populace in their respective country needs/needed. a kin d heart never saved anybody(4/5) and a hateful heart never killed anybody. Results is what governors need more than their manners or temperaments be ing good or bad. (5/5)\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250909 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What’s Your Writing Length Superpower? from Alicia McCalla DTSTAMP:20250913T051614Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:501-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n What’s Your Writing Length Superpower? (Take the Quiz)\ n\n https://aliciamccalla.substack.com/p/whats-your-writing-length-superpo wer\n\n\n\n My comment\n\n\n\n I chose to base my answers on what is publi cly available for people to read with my work. \n\n\n\n \n 1. What word count feels most like home?\n \n \n A. 2K–7K (short\, sharp\, done )\n \n \n I said A though it is A to C for me\, in terms of overall \, most of my public work is A so A\n \n \n \n \n 2. How do you see s tories in your head?\n \n \n A. One burst\, one scene\, one punch of meaning\n \n \n I first thought to say C cause I tend to see most of my work holistically\, from novel length to flash fiction\, but based o n available work \, I chose A but I have completed work where I saw from A to E in all earnest\n \n \n \n \n 3. What gives you the biggest dopam ine hit?\n \n \n A. Finishing lots of small\, complete stories\n \ n \n I am not a fan of manufactured cliffhangers so no B\, i know a n umber of writers do that intentionally. I do like C but I will say A as I have multiple collections of short stories. E type is the one I have never made.  I can't stand telenovelas or soap operas\, the unendings\, or the very popular unending black urban fictions. aka Power. \n \n \n \n \n 4. Which format excites you most?\n \n \n This one I couldn't answ er. I enjoy them all. In various contest or challenges I have participated into I enjoyed making each type. and I have been fortunate to enjoy readi ng each type:  flash fictions/serial comics/ mass market adventures/stand alone novels/ multi book epics. The one style I don't care for is\, biogr aphy. I don't like biographies as a genre. Nor do I want to write a biogra phy or have a biography written about me. \n \n \n \n \n 5. How do yo u treat cliffhangers?\n \n \n Another challenge\, I think it depends on the story. If I have a horror story or someone commissions a tale. It' s great. But cliffhangers aren't needed for all stories. I think romantic tales don't warrant cliffhangers alot of times. \n \n \n It is a c ase by case or story by story scenario. You don't have that option so I ha ve no answer.\n \n \n \n \n 6. How do you feel about novellas (12K–2 5K)?\n \n \n C. Perfect (that’s my sweet spot)\n \n \n Anot her hard one.  It is case by case again for me. If a story is a flash fic tion it is. I look at each tale I write as individual. If it is going to b ecome as long as a war and peace\, then it is. If it is going to be as lon g as a berenstein bears book then it is. Commercially \, I will say I can do a novella a week so I will say my answer is C\, it will take me longer than seven days to do something longer than a novella. I don't know if it is a sweet spot but commercially\, for time\, i think it is correct. \n \n \n \n \n 7. What’s your relationship with characters?\n \n \n B. Love returning (watching them grow across episodes)\n \n \n Th is is funny cause I am finishing stories differed by genre/tone/type with various characters. \n \n \n I chose B simply because it matches m y thoughts most. But\, i have written comedic or horror or romance and  t hey didn't have the same characters or character development. \n \n \n \n \n 8. What’s your natural writing rhythm?\n \n \n C. Compact: finish a book in weeks or a month\n \n \n C is usual but I remembe r two years for a story\, a screenplay. Here was the challenge\, how to ge t Dupin to solve the case of the Cask of Amontillado? And i wrote it twice in that time but... anyway:) \n \n \n \n \n 9. What format do you pr efer to read?\n \n \n Hard one for me\, I am still waiting for the w inds of winter\, and trying to still keep the memory of all the prior book s in my head. I loved a series in heavy metal magazine called.. I can't re member\, but it was a spoof of dungeons and dragons\, and it was so funny: ) they attacked everything while having a cohesive honest story. it was bl ack and white. I will always love the People can fly from Virignia Hamilto n. I love the original Blood Syndicate from Milestone comics. I read the O dyssey of Homer as a kid and enjoyed it. It is not structured as well as a thousand and one knights. I read a knight of the seven kingdoms from mart in and arguably was my most enjoyable in his world\, but it also had illus trations which are so cool:) I also illustrate. So A to E... E is rare to see sold in modernity. I can read certain genres in various forms. I would n't like overly melodramatic works whether a short story or epic.  \n \ n \n \n \n 10. What makes you break out in hives?\n \n \n To be bl unt\, I haven't felt that way as a writer ... yet. I imagine if i had a co mmission to do a melodramatic telenovela or biographical work\, even biogr aphical fiction\, i would have challenges\, hives:) \n \n \n \n \n Th ree A's Two C's and one B and four None of the aboves.\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n I am called The Sprinter:) haha And so I concur\, cause most of my publ ic work are poetries/short stories. But it is about where a story takes me . If I see something valuable I will venture into it\, but I try not to pu sh drama into characters lives\, that is a bad habit of some writers. One of my favorite anime is Black Clover and the writer for Black Clover said publicly\, he wanted every character to have value. And when you see the c artoon you recognize that\, but it isn't pushed. \n\n The old prince savi ng the princess character doesn't have to have a father who has never beli eved he will amount to anything and a mother who is secretly a dragon and an opposing kingdom wants to kill him led by the chamberlain of his kingdo m. Pushing drama is ok if you want to do it\, but I don't do that. I like the idea of a prince who is raised in a loving home by his parents the kin g and queen who love each other and gotten old together safely with a dece nt army protecting their realm and good traffic/trade being aided by the c hamberlain who likes to serve in his role and is ready for retirement. No drama. The prince just simply heard a woman was in a toward covered by a t oxic slug demon so he ventured to save her. HE didn't even know she was a princess cause her kingdom was put under a parallel spell by a tree after woodcutters didn't heed the royal decree to leave a certain forest alone. So\, now the drama. princess has to remain a certain age so she will be of a different time period. the spell that changed the kingdom did what? ok\ , I thought of the smurfs. clearly the tree has to be surrounded by a fore st or it will keep hurting people which is silly. this isn't a comedy. so there. Drama occurs\, but it shouldn't be forced. \n\n\n\n \n\n COMMENT R EFERRAL\n\n https://substack.com/profile/56304731-richard-murray/note/c-15 4420014\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n What’s Your Writing Lengt h Superpower? (Take the Quiz) by Alicia McCalla\n \n\n \n Find Out Your S trengths\n \n Read on Substack\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250910 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Problem With Legislators in the USA DTSTAMP:20250913T050811Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:499-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Problem With Legislators in the USA\n\n https://x.com /Rebeccablack/status/1965883778506936510\n\n\n\n my thoughts\n\n Ocasio-Co rtez isn't shallow. This guy kennedy is wrong. But I wish more people incl uding those in the party of Andrew Jackson would admit how elections work. AOC wasn't some great legislator\, she wasn't some champion advocate. She didn't have any successes as an advocate of high reknown. I live in NYC\, I know exactly how she won. The white guy who was a democrat who had the seat\, underestimated the demographic shift in his district. He courted th e white vote in that district which no longer had the voting power. AOC co rrectly\, very unshallow\,very wise\, courted the latin American vote whic h had become the majority by a distance. And she won. AOC is part of a num ber of elected officials in New York City or New York State who basically rided a demographic shift wave to success. They didn't need to be great le gislators. This is part of Mamdani now. The problem is\, once you get elec ted\, you now need to be a legislator who gets results and in the current environment\, that is a challenge. Because tribalism is locked in most leg islative branches in the usa. So making laws is a challenge because either you need people from another party of governance to vote for you who will not or you need people from your own party of governance but a different branch to vote for you who will not. \n\n my comment\n\n AOC isn't shallo w. I concur @Rebeccablack  the true problem the entire field of legislato rs in the usa has\, is the current environment means any legislator who wa nts to make laws has to get votes from another party or another wing of th eir own party\, both hard to come by\n\n https://x.com/Thetenner10/status/ 1966232498511433817\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250912 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Calligraphy Mirror - Angelique Noire 09/08/2019 DTSTAMP:20250524T215515Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:287-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Calligraphy Mirror - Angelique Noire 09/08/2019\n\n\n\n C alligraphy Mirror - Angelique Noire\n\n\n\n I placed the two images below but\n\n\n\n Here is my calligraphy\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hdde viant/art/Calligraphy-Mirror-Angelique-Noire-812616098?ga_submit_new=10%3A 1567983274\n\n\n\n if you want your own \, I do commissions \n\n\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/commission/Microcalligraphy-signatures-14 87995\n\n\n\n she is on instagram here https://www.instagram.com/the_ange lique_noire/  her birthday is July 15th https://aalbc.com/tc/events/even t/497-angelique-noire-birthday/\n\n\n\n This is her original tumblr post\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://thepinupnoire.tumblr.com/post/183195910761/lolit a-part-3-littlebootysmatter-photo\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n pho tograph from Alonza Photography\n\n https://thepinupnoire.tumblr.com/tagge d/alonzaphotography\n\n\n\n mslala presents\n\n\n\n https://thepinupnoire. tumblr.com/tagged/misslalapresents\n\n\n\n Original Post in the creative t ables\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/194-richard-murray-creative -table/page/6/?tab=comments#comment-678\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190908 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Angelique Noire birthday DTSTAMP:20250908T230057Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:497-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A cool person\, lovely model\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n INFO FOR PHOTO\n\n\n\n • My love @thepinupnoire at the Swann awards 2023 in Paris\, at the Automobile club de France\, Concorde square.\n\n\n\ n •• Pic by @thestoryalist\n\n\n\n ••• Dandy Magazine celebrated its 20th anniversary with an AMAZING event/Gala.\n\n\n\n https://thepinup noire.tumblr.com/post/730999305775824896\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n if yo u want your own \, I do commissions \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/h ddeviant/commission/Microcalligraphy-signatures-1487995\n\n\n\n Complete I nformation on Calligraphy post\n\n\n\n Calligraphy Mirror - Angelique Noir e 09/08/2019 - RMWorkCalendar - African American Literature Book Club\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Her tumblr archive- really great images and not just of her \n\n\n\n https://thepinupnoire.tumblr.com/archive\n\n\n\n Her images on he r husbands tumblr\n\n\n\n https://guillaume-bo.tumblr.com/search/angelique \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250715 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bois Caïman from Chevelin Pierre DTSTAMP:20250905T044906Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:495-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Bois Caïman (Aug. 1791) is remembered as a secret night gathering of enslaved people in northern Haiti where they vowed to fight f or freedom. Led by figures like Cécile Fatiman (often written “Fatima ”)\, it’s widely seen as the spark of the Haitian Revolution the only successful slave uprising\, which led to Haiti’s independence in 1804. I n this artwork\, Fatiman stands with a ritual knife and a black pig\, whil e rebels hold torches behind her symbols of the oath and the uprising that followed.\n\n https://www.tiktok.com/@chevelin_illustration/video/7538579 529476902174?cid=NzU0MDA4OTg1OTI4NjQwMTgyMg \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n @chev elin_illustration Aujourd’hui\, nous commémorons la cérémonie du Boi s Caïman \; le premier congrès du peuple haïtien\, acte fondateur de no tre marche vers la liberté. Parmi les figures marquantes de cette nuit en flammée\, Fatima se dresse dans la mémoire comme l’une des protagonist es\, porteuse du feu sacré et du serment qui allait changer l’Histoire. Illustration réalisée par @chevelin_pierre pour l’exposition « Rési stantes invisibles » de @bohioayiti. #BoisCaïman #HistoireHaïtienne #R ésistantesInvisibles #ChevelinIllustration #BohioAyiti #Mémoire #capcu t ♬ Trailer Intro - Stanislav Barantsov\n \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250814 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Twilight Zone Season 2 Finale: \"You Might Also Like\" B reakdown & Easter Eggs! DTSTAMP:20250905T045342Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:496-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Twilight Zone Season 2 Finale: \"You Might Also Like\ " Breakdown &\; Easter Eggs!\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaF_V7 50Z9w\n\n\n\n EMBED\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n MY COMMENT\n\n the most upbeat e pisode is \"A SMall Town\" reminiscent of the twilight zone episodes like the man in the bottle\n\n the episode \"a  traveler\" has the best use of a people rarely on tv\, in this case indigenous reminding me of a big tal l wish\n\n the epidoe \"meet in the middle\" reminds me of a number of twi light zone episodes with men behaving badly \, the chaser \n\n the blurry man was a nice ode to rod\, like a world of his own\n\n I think the varian ce in episodes in the original twilight zone occured in the peele variant.  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250905 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:How Publishing Has Changed Since 2015 - Jane Friedman DTSTAMP:20250905T044612Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:494-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n How Publishing Has Changed Since 2015\n\n URL\n\n https:/ /janefriedman.com/how-publishing-has-changed-since-2015/\n\n\n\n MY THOUGH TS \n\n All should check out the insight sections to audiobooks/paperbook s/ . They are good.\n\n HEre are some examples\n\n\n\n \n Audiobook\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/audio-revenue-predicted-to-overtake-eboo k-sales-by-2023/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/this-studio-turns -successful-self-published-novels-into-hit-audiobooks/\n \n \n \n \n P aper book\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/major-media-coverage-does nt-sell-books-like-it-used-to/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/bin dery-books-a-case-study-in-combining-traditional-industry-marketing-online -influencer-strength-to-launch-debut-novels/\n \n \n \n \n Direct Sale s\n \n \n Quote [ For authors who are able to look beyond book sales and even write beyond the book ]\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/ the-many-moving-parts-behind-brandon-sandersons-record-breaking-kickstarte r-campaign/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/how-authors-can-sell-b ooks-direct-to-reader/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/a-small-pub lisher-doubles-revenue-during-the-pandemic/\n \n \n \n \n Hybrid or Co llaborative\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/key-book-publishing-pat h/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/imho-a-nuanced-look-at-hybrid-p ublishers/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/imho-authors-equity-is- for-the-elite-not-for-you/\n \n \n https://janefriedman.com/imho-th e-self-publishing-scene-includes-agents-all-around/\n \n \n \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n I can't wait for the \"What Hasn't Changed?\" if y ou have a way to at commentors to your blog\,through their email specifica lly\, that will be cool. Sometimes people follow you or your newsletter\,b ut have specific desires. \n\n\n\n Someone offline said they wanted to re ad an audiobook of mine\, so I know audiobooks are doing it\, because no o ne ever asked to read an ebook before offline to me\, and no one has still . But it is clear audiobooks are the way\, and that makes sense. The way h uman beings like to act offline\, an audiobook allows someone to walk the street and look up but still not have to read. It is that middle ground? b etween text and video in some ways. For text or video both need your eyes.  \n\n\n\n I know quite a few fellow artists who have crowdfunded but do y ou have to be a certain level of popularity first? I think so. The people i know who crowdfunded successfully in video/music/comic books have all do ne many conventions\, have many email lists and a larger network than me.  \n\n What markers of popularity should one look for before they try a ki ckstarter\, if any?\n\n \"For authors who are able to look beyond book sal es and even write beyond the book\" I have to admit\, I learned this as we ll\, I am just not as fast in the self selling as other artists\, but I am getting there. \n\n\n\n In retrospect this was inevitable. The creative aspect of being an artist in any medium will never change\, that is about displaying what comes from one's soul through some method to be experience d by all. But\, the commercial aspect to modern\, of the now not better or worse\, art stems from the change from an industry based on patronage\, h aving a father\, a financial benefactor. To one in which the artist is als o the fiscal operator. Not merely because they want to but because they mu st. And this is going to make the world of art change\, commercially. I be t one day\, writers of a certain level of popularity will accept payment b y other writers to put small stories into their books\, as a kind of paid assistance. If that isn't already happening.\n\n\n\n Lastly\, though not l eastly\, thank you for your efforts Jane Friedman. You have helped me see the industry better. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Referral\n\n https://www.linkedi n.com/posts/janefriedman_how-publishing-has-changed-since-2015-jane-activi ty-7369442214227259392-xnR5?utm_source=share&\;utm_medium=member_deskto p&\;rcm=ACoAAC9jwHcBhMdyfurNH2JmdlAPjJgXHivmWR8\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY C OMMENT TO THE REFERRAL\n\n Thank you Jane Friedman you have been helpful f rom the first post I read of yours. It heard of you through Kobo first and have been reading your insights ever since. \n\n Hope you have greater p rescience in the ten years to come and more positive changes in the litera ry industry in said time. \n\n I ask all who have learned from her or hav e good wills to spare to leave an inspiring comment to her postaluminumal journey.\n\n the following is mine\n\n https://janefriedman.com/how-publis hing-has-changed-since-2015/#comment-69309\n\n\n\n  \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250905 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:DualMask work in progresses ladies DTSTAMP:20250905T040007Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:492-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n \n\n\n\n Work in progress 2 Which is your favorite?\ n\n the center + bottom right  are the best covers for any mens magazine. That pose in the center\, male fantasy. And all men love a woman to do a little ball play:) \n\n\n\n but my personal favorite is the left center. It is a battle axe\, the axe blade doesn't need to be so bearded cause the cutting motion from the top of the axe will get the area and less weight makes it easier to swing. The pike can be more dense which will make it be tter for armor. the short handle is slick making it ideal for close combat \, but the chain \, I like  it \, you can swing this ax and use as a whip gaining very nice distance:) \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/dualmas k/art/WIPs-set-2-1234842324\n\n\n\n \n\n I couldn't resist\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=M36j_mu6L-c\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n WIP set 1\, have all been completed\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/dualm ask/art/WIPs-1232689278\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n an earlier sketch card\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/dualmask/art/Sketch-Card-Plans-122199 0444\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n AND EN EXTRA TREAT!!\n\n\n\n Babes w ith no buttons an October Challenge\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/dua lmask/art/October-Art-Challenge-991195683\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n OF all the works\, which is your favorite row? \n\n\n\n I cho se mine as the banner image from the following\, top row in each image is 1\n\n\n\n wip 1 - row 3\n\n\n\n WIp 2- row 2\n\n\n\n october - row 6\n\n\n \n sketch card- row 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:No\, THIS is WORST FILM of 2025! (War of the Worlds Remake) DTSTAMP:20250905T034507Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:491-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n No\, THIS is WORST FILM of 2025! (War of the Worlds Remak e)\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbH3fux3Thoembed\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n my comment\n\n Is this funnier than the Room? \n\n Worst Film List\ n\n https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/503248/15-worst-movies-ever-made\n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Final Fantasy- A Nollywood Film DTSTAMP:20250905T034109Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:490-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Final Fantasy- A Nollywood Film\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\ n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgsAPZ7kL9Y\n\n\n\n Embed\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n Starring Stan Nze \, Chy Nwakanma\,Scarlet Gomez\, Thelma Iheana cho\, Alez Ayalogu\, Uche Inyamah\n\n Directed by Chidi Udensi\n\n Produce d by Thelma Iheanacho\n\n Production manager Emeka Adibe\n\n Continuity Ce nt Micah Duke\n\n Soundman Ifeanyi Ochuba\n\n Cinematography : Jide Otutu + Tareotu III Fidel\n\n Soundtrack Tareotu IV Kennedy\n\n A.D. 1 Jide Otut u\n\n A.D. 2 John Ugoji\n\n Story by Thelma Iheanacho\n\n Editor Chidi Ude nsi\n\n Screenplay Chidi Udensi\n\n Executive producer Matthew Gbinije\n\n Executive producers Thelma Iheanacho + Chidi Udensi\n\n Distributed Mogso n Production +  Movienatics Entertainment\n\n \n\n Referral\n\n https://w ww.linkedin.com/posts/thelma-victoria-iheanacho-964368121_watch-and-share- this-scintillating-drama-activity-7363838381488750594-vOQd?utm_source=shar e&\;utm_medium=member_desktop&\;rcm=ACoAAC9jwHcBhMdyfurNH2JmdlAPjJgX HivmWR8\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KWL Live Q&A – Multiple Streams of Income with Lisa Lang B lakeney DTSTAMP:20250905T032011Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:489-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KWL Live Q&\;A – Multiple Streams of Income with Lis a Lang Blakeney\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpjzgWx2B0w\n\n\n\n AR TICLE\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/kobo-writing-life/blog/kwl-live-q-a-mul tiple-streams-of-income-with-lisa-lang-blakeney\n\n\n\n EMBED\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n THOUGHTS\n\n 3:00 Blakeney was in journalism but wanted to be a writer before. 2013 seriously writing\, 2015 first novel\n\n 5:00 Took her a long time to write the first book\, she wasn't sure. Had a lot of nonfi ction. The first book she had been writing for a long time.\n\n 6:00 Her t alk at romance author mastermind was invigorating\n\n 7:00 Why did she go wide? For many authors the easiest route is to be exclusive. She originall y selected the easiest path which was a mistake. The first book was pulled from am*zon cause it had a racy title\, it shocked her. So her series was obliterated overnight. That was when she decided to go wide. \n\n LISA's BOOKS ON KOBO\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/search?query=lisa+lang+blake ney&\;ac=1&\;acp=lisa+lang+blakeney&\;ac.author=lisa+lang+blakene y&\;sort=Temperature&\;fclanguages=en\n\n\n\n 9:00 All income stream s add up\, it is not as hard as you think\n\n 10:00 When she went wide fir st\, she looked for other authors going wide. The good thing is many niche community groups exist. She just learned that even in am*zon you can put your books in libraries. Being active in writing groups to seek informatio n. When she works with new authors the first thing she finds is they are i solated\, they don't speak to other authors. She feels you have to do that . \n\n 12:00 Wide for the win is a great group\n\n you will start with th e big five: Kobo/Apple/Google/Barnes and Noble/am*zon\n\n https://www.kobo .com/us/en/p/writinglife\n\n\n\n https://press.barnesandnoble.com/\n\n\n\n https://authors.apple.com/publish\n\n\n\n https://support.google.com/book s/partner/answer/3289675?hl=en\n\n\n\n 14:00 if it is overwhelming to be o n all five\, then use an aggregator\n\n 15:00 Multiple streams of income m ean \, for google work on SEO of books\, for kobo or barnes and nobles tha t means promotions.\n\n 19:00 For apple you have to wait but for others it is top of the month\n\n 20:00 It all starts with the building of the news letter\n\n 21:00 always have a part in your newsletter like your treating someone as if they have been their for the first time\n\n 22:00 Best way t o get kobo is to mention in your newsletter\n\n 25:00 Audio was more expen sive than translation\n\n 28:00 Germany has been her most profitable trans lated genre for her\, and in romance. She translates in French/Italian\n\n Translations\n\n https://lisalangblakeney.com/translations/\n\n\n\n 29:00 If money is the goal and it doesn't seem overwhelming. All translations i s the same as English\, just having someone translate.\n\n 31:00 she found her first translator through a referral . Looking reviews\, asking who th ey worked before\, and you pull the trigger. \n\n 34:00 In France many bo oks are translations of English while in holland many still read english. She earned her money in translation quicker than in audio. \n\n 35:00 Don 't translate until it sells in English\n\n 36:00 What is setting smart goa ls? The downside of all the groups  is you get a ton of information. \n\ n Take time and give specific tasks for days\n\n 39:00 She loves marketing while she has to be in the zone to write. so the journey is unique for al l writers.\n\n 42:00 How important is direct revenue? I didn't have huge h opes for a direct store. But she did it. Loe and behold direct sales is a big deal. She doesn't put half the energy some authors do and it is her se cond biggest income stream and stems from the newsletter. \n\n 45:00 she sets monthly goals\, then her direct sales store is the lever to make magi c happen\n\n Her ebooks sell the most from direct sales\n\n 46:00 when she found out she was a six figure author it was an accident. She spends more time now auditing herself and having revenue + writing goals. \n\n 48:00 she will release 4 books a year. \n\n 49:00 we all started on book funne l\, the support was there for writers or readers. That is unheard of today .\n\n 50:00 she hasn't done a kickstarter.\n\n 51:00 Her newsletter really started growing with actual people who are going to read it?\n\n Every ti me you write a book\, you need to make bonus material. \n\n 52:00 What do you wish you knew when you started? If you want to sustain a business you have to find more eyes. One thing about the business of writing\, early a dopting of things helps you. \n\n 57:00 she has a place for kobo writers to grow\n\n https://lisalangblakeney.com/kobo-live/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ne Zha and the need for quiet in films DTSTAMP:20250905T031502Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:488-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Ne Zha\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBIY-EK7h8\n\ n\n\n my comment\n\n Thank you for introducing Ne Zha's origins. \n\n Yes \,  I see how Ne Zha has transformed into a new character.\n\n I wonder N e Zha did outside China in non Asian audiences. Do you know a way to find out?\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Movies need to be quiet\n\n https://www.youtube .com/watch?v=xEAQm8Op3Hw\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n Milius + Donner were purpo seful film storytellers who came from a time where quiet was common in mor e movies than meets the eye. \n\n But so many directors were raised on mo vies that were never quiet\, it has formed their artistic sense. \n\n I l ike Dungeons and Dragons honor among thieves and the last guardians movie too.\n\n YEs\, peter Jackson is a purposeful storyteller as well. He can k now what silence says. \n\n Good point on Inside Out 2. Did Inside Out 1 have more silence?\n\n I already subscribed but I am paying attention. The problem then is the execs. But that is an old problem in Hollywood or fil m making. How do you get money from the coiffeurs of the Hollywoods of the world absent the influence of the coiffeurs owners?\n\n Forbes statistics are brilliant. 1200 malls closed in twenty years. \n\n I had to research what a lifestyle center is\, it seems to me\, just a tiny mall. \n\n 5\, 700 movie theaters shut down.\n\n Excellent industrial assessment. simple/ honest/straight forward\n\n My question to you is \, with the modern cultu re in the usa cementing\, even though you are raised in north America\, ha ve you ever considered going to china? \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\ n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bohemian rhapsody in Zulu DTSTAMP:20250905T030903Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:487-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Enjoy\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/gbljPQbxtTQ?si=aon1HSmo2V8 -EWgK\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:DS9 Fan Hate Mail DTSTAMP:20250905T030633Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:486-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek show and yes\, I love Sisko but it is the storytelling + characters. I think it is the bes t series in that way. \n\n\n\n and yes I love Discovery\, and yes I love Michael Burnham\, but it is the voyage. Discovery went more unknown places than any star trek since VOyager while absent Voyager's overall storyline which I think hurt the show... Voyager should never had made it back home \, and started a federation in the delta quadrant. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n h ttps://youtu.be/DxgDqv-Uqnw?si=1AQQ8wiDCJQKhOfz\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250904 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:2025 CRLiterature August Deviantart Birthday Challenge DTSTAMP:20250902T003659Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:484-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ALL Entries for the CLOSED August Birthday 2025 Literary Challenge from @Crliterature on DeviantArt\n\n Voting will commence and aw ards will be given\, but give all the writers a congrats!!!!\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/August-Birthday-Writing-Challenge-1222 529726\n\n\n\n MY EXAMPLE\n\n\n\n PDF\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/h ddeviant/art/Biround-Mornings-1229347827\n\n\n\n Regular Text or Audio\n\n \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/August-Birthday-Writing-Chal lenge-Example-1223660370\n\n\n\n Reader which do you like\, did you enjoy?  \n\n LIST\n\n from @meedrowh The birth of a legend - Aria Brinn\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/meedrowh/art/1225203000\n\n from @twomig Rebirth\n\ n https://www.deviantart.com/twomig/art/Rebirth-1222276045\n\n from @super sader9 Misfits High: A New Year\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/supersader9 /art/Misfits-High-A-New-Year-1230787578\n\n from @aland1w Cinderellas Litt le Glass Shop\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/aland1w/journal/Cinderellas-L ittle-Glass-Shop-1230687958\n\n from @night--bloom Short Story Contest Ent ry: Upon a Tiny Girl\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/night--bloom/art/Short -Story-Contest-Entry-Upon-a-Tiny-Girl-1232661524\n\n from @ope1ativ3 MIRRO RS - A Tale of Tomorrow's Past\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/ope1ativ3/ar t/MIRRORS-A-Tale-of-Tomorrow-s-Past-1231908594\n\n from @sunlits Party Ani mals: A Deviantart's Tale\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/sunlits/art/Party -Animals-A-Deviantart-s-Tale-1234417855\n\n from @peeepod TIME\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/peeepod/art/TIME-1235928763\n\n from @oboltus208 Not W ithout a Reason\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/oboltus208/art/Not-Without- a-Reason-1236392167\n\n from @princeoffire Vampire Confrontation\n\n https ://www.deviantart.com/princeoffire/art/Vampire-Confrontation-1236508270\n\ n #crliterature #hddeviant #richardmurrayhumblr #deviantart \n\n\n\n  \n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250901 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where is Norma Rae now? DTSTAMP:20250902T004043Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:485-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Where is Norma Rae now?\n\n MY EXAMPLE STORY\n\n https:// www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Where-is-Norma-Rae-now-1223570786\n\n THE CHALLENGE- only a 250 word comment to enter by September 31st 2025\n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Where-Are-They-Now-Norma-Rae-No rma-Rae-1216944037\n\n AUDIO\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black- artist-on-tjambler/post/793533276775235584?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/793533249354940416/where-are-t hey-now-norma-rae-norma-rae-by\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250901 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My Extended Reply to \"Who will solve Black cinema’s marke ting crisis?\" from Maya S Cade DTSTAMP:20250829T205145Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:482-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n MY SUMMARY REPLY\n\n\n\n There have been a slew of modern Black box office failures. Who (or what) will solve Black cinema’s (mar keting) crisis?\n\n How many film productions are following Sinners guidel ines? \n\n\n\n What is up with all the trauma in Black film/media?\n\n\n\ n I ask anyone Black who feels to much trauma is in Black media\, what boo ks with stories with Black heroes in mythical or fantastical ways written by Black people were available in their home as kids growing up? \n\n\n\n Why do we need sex on screen?\n\n\n\n The question I always have to any w ho question allusions to fornication is\, what is wrong with allusions\, i ncluding lustful ones\,  to fornication? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL of summ ary reply\n\n\n\n https://open.substack.com/pub/blackfilmarchive/p/who-wil l-solve-black-cinemas-marketing?r=xit0b&\;utm_campaign=comment-list-sha re-cta&\;utm_medium=web&\;comments=true&\;commentId=150489193\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n MY EXTENDED REPLY\n\n\n\n There have been a slew of modern Black box office failures. Who (or what) will solve Black cinema’s (mar keting) crisis?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well crisis? In the art world no film i s guaranteed success. I know many writers/illustrators/musicians say some formula works\, some formulaic path works\, but I have never seen any vali dity in that. For every film that succeeds being processed one way from pr eproduction to production to post production\, another film failed doing t he same things. Now looking at the most financially example in the most re cent context for Black Films [films I say are produced/directed/written/mo stly starring Black people ] Sinners is the reply. For other films [not pr oduced/directed/written/or mostly starring black people] called Black by m any black people I have nothing to say. I don't consider said films with s ignificant non Black participation Black films. \n\n To me\n\n Antoine Fu qua's King Arthur isn't a black film.[and I like that film]\n\n Black Pant her produced by Disney isn't a black film. [and I like that film]\n\n Shaf t from a white writer isn't a black film. [nice soundtrack and love Gordon Parks or Richard Roundtree rest their souls but not my cup of tea]\n\n Th e Foxes of Harrow written by Frank Yerby is not a black film [it is a blac k book\, yes\, but it isn't a black film\, as a writer if I write a story with mostly white characters that is black fiction\, alongside Devil in a Blue Dress or A Raisin in the Sun but a film from my theoretical book is n ot a black film to me] \n\n So to what I call Black films\, what do we le arn from Sinners? \n\n A movie needs to have a large but accessible budge t [100 million budget returned 300 million]\n\n Having a number of up and coming or well known or brightest thespians to the Black populace who are known outside the black populace doesn't hurt [Michael B Jordan /Hailee St einfeld/Wunmi Mosaku/Jayme Lawson/ Omar Miller/Delroy Lindo ]\n\n Having a one and done focused story [No Sinners 2 is coming\, the story was comple te from beginning of the film to the end\, Black Nightclub in early 1900s southern USA is attacked by vampires\, all characters accounted for ]\n\n Having a genre black people + non black want to pay ticket prices for [how many saws/aliens/movies get made a year\, horror films are a safe genre t o reach all audiences\, must keep the budget wise or danger\, ala Tom Crui se's the Mummy]\n\n How many film productions are following Sinners guidel ines? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What is up with all the trauma in Black film/me dia?\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Growing up I remember the People Could Fl y\, High John the Conqueror\, Black Fable collections my parents had\, Sun Man\, Milestone comics\, Daughters of the Dust. And as I got older and Os car Micheaux and Alice Dunbar Nelson and Zora Neale Hurston works\, plays by August Wilson [I have all but Michaeuz in my literature library ] and o thers I have never felt trauma is overwhelming in the Black fiction. I thi nk too many Black parents didn't do what my Black parents did and made sur e a wide array of Black literature was available. Yes\, no shame in having Brother Malcolm's and Nkrumah's words on the shelf for Black kids to see. But also have High John the Conquerer\, and Fables from the Caribbean. I think many black parents simply fail black children in making sure a wide array of media content from black people is present in the home. \n\n\n\n My parents were not rolling in dough or diving in coins\, but they made s ure. Make the effort. Black writers have always existed with uplifting tal es. If OScar Micheaux proves anything\, he proves that. He went from Black door to Black door presenting his stories all with happy endings for blac k characters after only some of those black characters had antagonistic sc enarios from all sorts of antagonist. Black writers have always made uplif ting positive work absent slave whippings by whites or mass rapings by whi tes  or mass destruction by whites. Find them\, show them to black childr en. No excuse.\n\n I ask anyone Black who feels to much trauma is in Black media\, what books with stories with Black heroes in mythical or fantasti cal ways written by Black people were available in their home as kids grow ing up? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Why do we need sex on screen?\n\n\n\n Do we need fornication on screen? I have to step back and admit. The United Stat es of America\, cross phenotypical lines\, is very religious  in a negati ve way to the issue of fornication. \n\n Lets say for example\, start com merical\, Fade in\n\n Jennifer Lopez/Beyonce/Taylor Swift/Michelle Yeoh st and side to side bare breasted and start shaking their torsos as hard as p ossible and say simultaneously \"Bare Breasted\" \n\n Fade out and on the black screen two hashtags in white positioned side to side #barebreasted #barebreasting \n\n End of commercial \n\n The media world will go crazy . All of these women have fans throughout humanity\, are millionaires\, co ntrol their lives. But if they show their breast many will say slutty \, u nwarranted \, some negative. But\, is it because they are women or because this alludes to a fornicative desires to women?\n\n When Monica Bellucci said while married that she can't promise to only sleep with her husband t hat was a media uproar. Again it isn't that she is a woman but that fornic ation with women in many religions is not equal in openness to men. \n\n Lot slept with his own daughters\, this gets read by many christians of al l ages every year with acceptability. Lot isn't considered a bad guy\, no metoo for his daughters. Samson who runs around killing people with the ne cks of animals hasn't broken any jewish farm girls hearts in the tale but Delilah is a great sinner cause she is beautiful and Sampson is enthralled to her\, not that she is enthralled to him\, even though they slept toget her. It is the inequality in fornication that is the key and it is a human thing. \n\n In Islam women can only be to one man but a man can be to mu ltiple women. \n\n When married male thespians go naked\, women googling at them is acceptable. The desired fornication of a woman running after a male stranger is acceptable. But if an unmarried woman has her nipples sho wing through her dress\, men googling at her is unacceptable. The desired fornication of a man running after a female stranger is unacceptable. \n\ n Both genders or sexes are criminalized when a female stranger is enticin g to a male stranger. While both genders or sexes are accepted when a male stranger is enticing to a female stranger. \n\n\n\n And in such an envir onment\, all fornication is poorly crafted. \n\n The Tan magazine shared has questions: love life of a midget [which is a criminalization of the fo rnication of midgets]\, will hollywood let negroes make love [will hollywo od let anyone make love?]\n\n\n\n I argue that many Black people have to f irst find a more positive place with fornication in their lives before the y start asking about it in films. And I can say the same for the non black as well. A Warm December\, Buck and the Preacher\, Queen and Slim\, if Be ale Street Could Talk\, Mississippi Masala\, Claudine\, Oscar Michaeux's s wing all have scenes in various grades of intensity or style showing love absent nudity or lust. But lust is not evil\, and male lust to the body of a female is not evil. At the end of the day Carmen\, [and I have seen qui te a few variants of Carmen over the years] is a multiculturally embraced story in modernity. Where the men who lust for carmen for her beauty and c armen herself for being beautiful and unbound to any of the men lusting af ter her are criminalized through the fate of the play. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n \n\n\n\n The question I always have to any who question allusions to for nication is\, what is wrong with allusions\, including lustful ones\,  to fornication? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Saidiya Hartman’s curiosities in “S cenes of Subjection\n\n\n\n James Baldwin's review of Carmen Jones are cit ed in the post\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL of Article\n\n\n\n https://open.subs tack.com/pub/blackfilmarchive/p/who-will-solve-black-cinemas-marketing?r=x it0b&\;utm_campaign=post&\;utm_medium=web&\;showWelcomeOnShare=fa lse\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Who will solve Black cinema’s marketing crisi s? by Maya Cade\n \n\n \n … and other questions in my inbox on the 4th anniversary of Black Film Archive.\n \n Read on Substack\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250829 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My Reply to \"Permission to Stop Burning Out\" from Alicia M cCalla DTSTAMP:20250829T162256Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:481-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n I think every writer finds out their rhythm eventually cause they have to. The more you write what yo u find out is you let out alot of imagination. And you start seeing repeat ing ideas which means you need to embrace what you have created. \n\n I g ive as an example\, Edgar Allen Poe. I have his complete works of fiction\ , poems stories everything in one big book . If I look at my own fiction. I have a larger book \, even before the age poe died. And like Poe or ever y other writer I have more sketches and similars. So\, you have to embrace what you have created. And spend more time being honest about new roads o f imagination if roads have closed. \n\n Keannu reeves and the director o f the John Wick series  \, who collaboratively wrote the stories/screenpl ays\, were going to stop at chapter 3\, because they didn't see anything e lse. It was done. But they saw a story for four and thus did it. But it to ok some time\, because they had made a huge world. And the studios said\,a fter four\,  where is five now\, and they said\, they have to wait and se e. If John Wick five happens it will be some time. \n\n The lesson is the same thing I said\, part of writers gaining a schedule is admitting when they have written their imagination out. When I look at some movies for ce rtain manga like Ghost in the shell with johanssen or the Statian\, Avatar the last airbender movie from shamalah. The problem the movies have is bo th shows/books covered everything. They did everything you could do. No ho ur and a half movie was going to do something new that hadn't already been done in the show with the main characters. So\, they both needed to go to uncharted places. Back to John Wick\, when you look at the Ballerina film \, the coming Kane film\, that proves my point. John Wick has been complet ely done. But the world created for John Wick has space for other characte rs to be born and grow.  \n\n And that relates to all writers. If you hav e burned out\, and I am lucky to not have\, look back at your work and rea lize its worth. You may find more than you realized. Have patience and rel ax\, you earned it based on volume\, even if you don't have million dollar book deals or contracts to write screenplays. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMEN T URL\n\n\n\n https://substack.com/note/c-150400293\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POS T URL from Alicia McCalla\n\n\n\n https://aliciamccalla.substack.com/p/per mission-to-stop-burning-out-the\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Permission to Stop Burning Out: The Rhythm That Saved My Writing Life by Alicia McCalla\n \n\ n \n How I Stopped Chasing Word Counts And Started Building A Sustainable Author Empire\n \n Read on Substack\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250829 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Two Statians DTSTAMP:20250828T233853Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:480-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The government of the USA is at a time demanding change. The population in it\, requires changes not merely in personel\, but in th e structure of the bureaucracy. In times like these for any government all the agendas/powers/impotencies/attempts/failures to manipulate the system will lead to a result most \, whether they like it or not\, will have to live with. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n  @aka Contrarian\n\n\n \n \n On 8/28/2025 at 1:27 AM\, aka Contrarian said:\n \n\n \n \n This country needs to stop trying to rescue and preserve Democracy and just le t the red and blue states go their separate ways. The USA no longer exists .\n \n \n\n\n\n Well\, historically the union you refer to arguably has n ever existed outside of the law. \n\n\n\n The southern states only embrac ed independence from the british empire on condition that enslaving would be untouched and thus they saw it as a way to make more money\, not for an y human equality or egalitarian reason \, so from the beginning the two bl ocks of states existed. The war between the states prove from cessation fr om the british empire to said war\, the two blocks existed. Jim crow's var iance\, from the end of the war between the states to the late 1970s prove two blocks\, from the northern block where black people were herded into cities that were then cut off from funding while whites went into northern suburbs to the southern block where black towns were terrorized to never be able to grow ever beyond an impoverished place\, forcing black people a way even leaving loved ones to die by lynch mobs. Now from the 1980s to 20 25 you have a traditional southern white populace voting/planning to prese rve itself in the southern block while the traditional northern white popu lace has integrationed itself unlike any time in usa history which has pre sented a multiracial component to northern states life that makes it forei gn to southern states which are tribalized internally. \n\n\n\n The probl em militaristically is the usa has the largest horde of nuclear weapons of any government in modern humanity\, the largest military operation of any government in modern humanity\, and with a split\, who controls those wea pons? and yes\, that matters and yes even if both blocks of states were fu lly engaged\, both will want that control. \n\n\n\n Now\, legally\, one w ay exists for the usa to split. \n\n\n\n So you have a set of states\, me ant to be self sufficient\, in a federation for collective defense with a complete history of abrasive variance in heritage or culture. A military o peration that is the largest in the world and will be fought over if a bre ak up occurs. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What is the solution? \n\n\n\n The dec laration of independence + the amendment process. The declaration of indep endence clearly states\, that any form of government is acceptable if the populace want it. People in the usa talk of voting but the truth is\, the declarations words show that a monarchy can return as long as the people t ruly support it. The rule of the people from the declaration isn't about v oting or elected office\, it is about a more abstract idea of people power making any government style or form possible. To restate \, the declarati on of independence isn't saying a monarchy is undemocratic. it is saying a monarchy the people don't want is undemocratic. \n\n\n\n So\, a splittin g of a federation into two isn't against the spirit of the declaration of independence. \n\n\n\n And the amendment process literally allows for any law to become instilled. An unchangeable law that breaks the usa into two federations is completely possible by the amendment process. Congressiona l law or Supreme court rulings or executive orders all have limitations or impotencies. but the amendment process alone adds to the constitution wit h no manipulation\, afterward or during. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So the quest ion is what is the wisest law to make an amendment to the us constitution to you get the states to split ? \n\n\n\n The military and the financial power of the usa are the impediments. A white sheet wearing\, confederacy cross tatoo having white man from an all white mississippi town will not a ccept the \"southern block\" not having the us military for protection or the financial clout of the dollar operating in his life. A kente cloth wea ring lgbtq+  flag tattoo having  white transexual woman from San Francis co will not accept the \"northern block\" not having the us military for p rotection or the financial clout of the dillar operating in her life. \n\ n\n\n Now once you take those two things away \, it is doable. So what can this hypothetical proposed amendment be?  \n\n\n\n The federal governme nt will remain as a protector to two federations but modulated. The consti tution remains in tact\, but on freeze\, until the two federations unite.  \n\n\n\n The congress is frozen\, abolished until reunion. The supreme c ourt is frozen and abolished until reunion. The us military remains in tac t protecting all the states\, but now the president has only the district of columbia+ territories of the usa as places the president is privy to. N o camp david. All military bases in the fifty states need to be evacuated by the us military to not show favoritism or influence. The territories of the usa: guam/Puerto rico /virgin islands/various pacific ocean islands w ill have to be fitted for military bases. Guantanemo in cuba as well. The federal reserve must remain. \n\n\n\n Both the \"Northern Block\" + \"Sou thern Block\" have their own judiciary + their own congress. Some sort of arrangement on federal funds [nitty gritty] will have to be decided. South ern block will not want population to decide and want some weight scale. W hile Northern Block will want a wider range of residents to allow for fede ral funds. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is impossible to see\, but here is the problem. The people of the USA are little peoples really. Always have been . The First Peoples aren't powerful enough. The DOSers aren't communal eno ugh. The Whites are not honest enough. The immigrants aren't realistic eno ugh. They all will reject anything like what I just said\, even though it fits legal parameters\, is nonviolent\, and embraces giving the three hund red million plus strangers a little of the space\, most have always wanted from some other. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The problem aka contrarian is the s ame thing that plagued the war between the states. General Beausejour tlre d Robert Lee or dreamy jefferson davis the simple engineering truth. Put u p a fence\, on the mason dixie\, focus the military south to mexico to get a trade outlet and were done\, success the confederacy exist. But\, Lee \ , an old white man who like so many white people in the usa\, remembers th e good old days for whites while doesn't consider how terrible said days w ere for others\, wanted to prove he could take the whole country\, a last horah for the silver haired general\, very napoleonic\, who also acted as stupidly in his european conquest. Jefferson Davis who clearly envied Linc oln wasn't happy with his slice of the pie and wanted to one up. But Lee + Davis were not alone. The generals of the Union including Grant as well a s Abraham Lincoln were guilty as well. Lincoln could had ordered the same line be drawn but didn't for pride. He goaded Lee and Davis \, knowing the m well\, and while some suggest incorrectly\, he preserved the union\, wha t he did was betray his role as the commander in chief. The role of the co mmander in chief is the safety of everyone in the usa. If Lincoln was seri ous about that safety he would had placed a fence\, since the north had ma ritime control very early on and thus all the sea trade advantage and embr aced the two state solution. The president's job is the safety of all peop le in the usa\, even if the people don't want to be together. All those de aths in the war between the states are Lincoln's fault and are not forgiva ble for the constitution through the amendment process allows for complete government flexibility through the law+ the declaration of independence a llows for complete government modulation. If brothers are tired of brother s then let them split. why fight the will of the people Lincoln? The answe r is pride. And Lincoln's pride cost more than the white community\, Jim C row and the never ending waves of assault on First peoples\, commonly call ed native americans\, is lincoln's fault as well\, because in forcing the union\, he forced the dislike that led to the war between the states in th e first place to mutate into various other things\, whether he lived or wa s assasinated. The generals of the Union pre Grant\, were clearly envious of Lee and wanted to best him thus their foolish zeal\, which led to the n eed to get black troops which mean those generals had literally made the p rimary error of any commander in war by not assessing your army properly. to make a plan that forces your army to change is the sign of the utmost m ismanagement. I end with Grant. Grant inherited a problem. The war was at a stalemate. William Tecumseh Sherman correctly realized the stalemate aft er all the bloodshed would never end in peaceful resolution as long as the confederacy could fight. The time for that was at the beginning of the wa r with General Beauregard's plan \, which lincoln\, lee\, davis earlier ge nerals of the union all wasted with their agendas. Sherman allowed Grant t o not be the bad guy and go for the throat. Grant did and it was over. The north always had trade supremacy. The south never figured out how to impr ove trade\, which is why Beauregard told them to do that. \n\n\n\n And th e point of this is\, regardless of people who have wisdom\, the usa then c irca 1865 and now circa 2025\, have a populace of people who are like Lee\ , Lincoln\, Davis\, they love telling another I told you so\, making them see \"The Light\". This is not restricted to the U.S.A. It is very human a nd always when you have abrasive groups who share a heritage but have a di fferent heritage as well and especially a different culture. If North Kore a would had not needed to have the entire peninsula and let south Korea be a little city state at the south of the island circa May 1950 North Korea would be most of the Korean peninsula today\, absent any intervention by USA or China or Russia or Europe. If Ireland would just let Northern Irela nd go no talks of continuing troubles will persist. If the Yoruba/Igbo/Hau sa can accept they don't want to be Nigerian\, they can grow freely better from each other. The anglophiles in Jamaica and the Rastafariansin Jamaic a can realize that their two paths can never make one Jamaica... \n\n\n\n As in this little community\, African American Literary Book Club\, in th e massive world wide web proves in its forum daily\, the ability of Statia ns to \"I told you so\" is so strong\, they love to do that offer acting f unctionally to the causes they say they want. \n\n\n\n And so what I say will not occur in the USA\, which is the functional answer to your call.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11814- another-mass-shooting-national-guard/#findComment-75721\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n Well I am going to defend your original position and not because your birthday recently passed:) \n\n\n\n You didn't make a mistake at all. What you sa id originally wasn't simple\, it was the truth. The truth doesn't have to be an essay\, or speech\, nor should it be expanded or contracted in verbo sity. It can be one sentence. My entire reply simply supported your one se ntence\, so my reply wasn't needed. Is it not true the first peoples\, com monly called the native american\, warrant their own country? Is it not tr ue DOSers warrant their own country? Is it not true Whites have killed and enslaved nonwhites to their benefit in their country\, the USA? Is it not true\, immigrants come to the usa for the impotency under the governments they left? If all of the prior questions are true how is what you said no t the truth? \n\n\n\n The problems aren't complicated either\, the proble ms are the truth. Whites don't know how to lose. Centuries of winning does that. First people and DOSers don't know how to win\, centuries of losing does that. The immigrants don't want instability. They came because the u sa is stable. A break up of the usa is instability\, shaking things up. Th e one thing immigrants fear more than anything cause instability reminds t hem of the countries whose flags they wear in the usa. \n\n\n\n The probl ems are simple\, the people of the usa are the problem. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n And you have never suggested prescience \, you are too wise for that.  \n\n\n\n \n 5 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n \n\n \n \n Time is th e only hope. It brings change but as we know\, it is gradual. \n \n \n\n \n\n I will amend\, time plus life is hope. Change is usually gradual but not always. And the truth is\, the choices people make determine the futur e. Even if they think their choice is unimportant.  Cause every life touc hes another even after a passing. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250828 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sudowoodo at the Library in the poster DTSTAMP:20250827T124002Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:479-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n My Sudowoodo  do you see him in the poster below?\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Sudowoodo-at-the-Library-submi t-to-charity-1214090375\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Library Project P oster\n\n from @goldenemotions\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/goldenemotio ns/art/Library-Project-Poster-1233375459\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Here i s the library\, the goal of the charity\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://discord.c om/channels/619731511716872205/972156466511355914/1410328199308771339\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250824 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Book Review: A Gardin Wedding from Rosey Lee DTSTAMP:20250826T011222Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:477-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A Gardin Wedding from Rosey Lee @Rosey Lee\n\n A Gardin W edding May 13\, 2025\n\n A Gardin Wedding: A Gardins of Edin Novel\n\n Boo k Cover Images image of A Gardin Wedding: A Gardins of Edin Novel\n\n by R osey Lee\n\n BOOK REVIEW IN AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/book_review/978059 3445518\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n “When we really fell for each other\, the rules we were playing by changed.” These wise words from Martha\, a character in A Gardin Wedding by Rosey Lee\, encap sulate the novel’s emotional depth. As the second book in the A Gardins of Edin series\, it explores growth in a premarital environment through characters spanning various adult age groups. The theme of personal and re lational development forms the core of the story.\n\n\n\n Lee employs gent le comedy and elegant\, illustrative descriptions of fashion to shift the novel’s tone. The two main characters\, a couple introduced in the first book\, find their love intertwined with a broader cast than before. While Lee guarantees a happy ending in her preface\, any reader will likely que stion that certainty at some point.\n\n\n\n A Gardin Wedding retains the stylistic elements and framework of the first book but expands its scope\, presenting dramatic love across two clans instead of just one. Unlike man y authors' sequels\, Lee refrains from heavy exposition—a skill often la cking in follow-up novels. She beautifully portrays the love of Black peop le through belle couture\, bringing richness and sophistication to her des criptions.\n\n\n\n Malcolm X once said\, “I was going through the hardes t thing\, also the greatest thing\, for any human being to do: to accept t hat which is already within you\, and around you.” Every couple in A Ga rdin Wedding is navigating distinct phases of accepting what is already b etween them and around them. That environment—a thriving\, mature\, and financially successful Black community—made for an immensely joyful and rewarding read.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250513 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Book Review: Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls’s Voyage Out o f Slavery from LEah Schanke DTSTAMP:20250825T233335Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:476-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls’s Voyage Out of Slavery from LEah Schanke @Leah Schanke\n\n Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls’s Voy age Out of Slavery Apr 10\, 2025\n\n Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls’s Vo yage Out of Slavery\n\n Book Cover Images image of Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls’s Voyage Out of Slavery\n\n by Leah Schanke\, Illustrated by Obo h Moses\n\n BOOK REVIEW IN AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/book_review/9780807 524282\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n\n Frederick Douglass once said\ , “The American Government and the American Constitution are spoken of i n a manner which would naturally lead the hearer to believe that one is id entical with the other\; when the truth is\, they are distinct in characte r as is a ship and a compass.” (The Constitution of the United States: I s It Pro-Slavery or Anti-Slavery?\; source) This statement came two years and two months before Robert Smalls sailed a steamboat\, carrying his wif e\, children\, and peers in its belly\, successfully using a compass to fr eedom during the inescapable Civil War on May 13\, 1862.\n\n\n\n In Freed om at Dawn: Robert Smalls’s Voyage Out of Slavery\, the historical ficti on by South Carolinian descendant Leah Schanke\, the narration comes from Lizzy\, the daughter of Robert Smalls. Lizzy’s voice provides unbroken\, honest grammar and a slightly geographic but accessible style for modern U.S. readers. Her narration maintains the pace and tone of the escape adve nture in the title\, crafted for four- to eight-year-olds. Lizzy’s story conveys the fear and consequences of failure without delving into the mos t gruesome pains of slavery—details that would be difficult for children to comprehend\, inconvenient for adults to explain in today’s context\, or too vast for a book of this size to contain.\n\n\n\n While the Civil W ar serves as the backdrop\, Lizzy’s narration avoids suggesting that eit her side in the war was primarily concerned with the enslaved seeking free dom. This nuance emphasizes that escapes to freedom were driven by the ens laved themselves\, unbound to the motives of any army or navy. It’s a su btle but vital message to convey to children—one that many adults may no t even know. Schanke’s story concludes with peace after adversity\, and her author’s note provides additional context about the fate of the Smal ls family\, satisfying the curiosity of parents\, educators\, and readers alike.\n\n\n\n The illustrations by Oboh Moses are vibrant digital const ructs\, blending the textures of oil and watercolor. The colors shift to m atch the text’s mood and tempo\, enhancing the narrative’s dramatic ef fects. Lizzy and the other characters are depicted with authenticity\, and Moses’s illustrations often suggest that Lizzy is recounting the story to her younger self\, a heartwarming touch.\n\n\n\n If you appreciate the works of Ezra Jack Keats—his illustrative forms\, colors\, and narrativ e focus—the combination of Schanke and Moses in Freedom at Dawn will u ndoubtedly satisfy you.\n\n\n\n Frederick Douglass remarked in 1867\, five years after Smalls’s escape\, “It is by comparing one nation with ano ther\, and one learning from another\, each competing with all\, and all c ompeting with each\, that hurtful errors are exposed.” (Our Composite Na tion\; source) This book exposes the error of slavery through a child’s lens\, set between two governments fighting over destiny.\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250410 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BOOK REVIEW: The Gardins of Edin from Rosey Lee DTSTAMP:20250825T231030Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:474-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Gardins of Edin from Rosey Lee\n\n The Gardins of Edi n Jan 09\, 2024\n\n The Gardins of Edin\n\n Book Cover Images image of The Gardins of Edin\n\n by Rosey Lee @Rosey Lee\n\n BOOK REVIEW IN AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/book_review/9780593445495\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n \n “What if I’m not too old to have a happy childhood now?” is a po ignant line from the character Ruth in The Gardins of Edin by Rosey Lee\ , a novel that begins with apprehension and confusion but ends with a sens e of fulfillment. The book explores modern relationship dynamics\, with a central theme of personal growth: healing from the past\, being steady in the present\, and not seeking perfection in the future. Not every characte r in the book learns or desires this lesson\, but it lies at the heart of each of their stories.\n\n\n\n The story is driven by four central charact ers: Ruth\, who manages a family business that has long been a pillar in t he local community\; Naomi\, the emotional center of the family\; Mary\, a n aspiring restaurateur\; and her sister Martha\, a doctor. These four Bla ck women from the south are each on a journey of self-discovery\, while al so grappling with the evolving dynamics of their family and community. The novel\, which spans roughly 300 pages\, has two main plot arcs that delve into their personal and shared challenges.\n\n\n\n While some characters may evoke frustration with their negativity\, the book never suggests that their futures will be entirely bleak. Instead\, it’s a feel-good drama that features flawed\, realistic characters whose weaknesses are neither e xaggerated nor overly moralized. For fans of well-crafted\, character-driv en stories with genuine emotional depth\, this book is a great fit.\n\n\n\ n Although the back cover hints at larger conflicts\, the story isn’t ab out grand battles over empires\; it's more about the internal struggles an d infighting within a close-knit community. The characters wrestle with co ncealing painful pasts\, and the hidden scars of that past pose real threa ts to their relationships. These conflicts are handled with sincerity\, ne ver veering into melodrama or caricature\, but they do create the possibil ity of lasting damage if left unresolved.\n\n\n\n The novel doesn’t posi tion itself as a guide on mental or physical health\, but it does offer in sights into both. Through the characters' struggles\, the value of mental and heart health is subtly highlighted\, adding another layer of depth to the story. I found myself learning more about these topics without the nar rative losing focus or becoming preachy.\n\n\n\n The readers’ guide at t he end of the book revealed something I should have noticed right away—i f it had been a snake\, it would have bitten me! While The Gardins of Edi n may seem like a clear reference to the biblical Garden of Eden\, the bo ok doesn’t feel like a Christian allegory or preach to the reader. The C hristianity of some characters is important to their individual stories\, but it doesn’t dominate the narrative or alienate readers of different b eliefs.\n\n\n\n Finally\, this book sets up its characters in such a way t hat a sequel could easily follow\, though it’s not necessary. By the end \, The Gardins have found peace\, and the story feels complete as it is. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250109 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BOOK REVIEW: I wrote you 37 letters from Dee Miller DTSTAMP:20250825T230637Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:473-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Title: I wrote you 37 letters\n\n\n\n Authors: Dee Miller @Dee Miller\n\n\n\n Reading Age range: \n\n\n\n ISBN: 979-8-218-09319-8\ n\n\n\n Published: 12/2022\n\n\n\n REFERRAL IN AALBC\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/10016-i-wrote-you-37-letters-book-review-request/\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Phillis Wheatley said:\" The world is a sev ere school master\, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries\"\; said danger comes in what is inspired. Wheatley comprehende d a flattery from an enemy may inspire short term glee while inspire long term resentment.  \" I wrote you 37 letters\" is a tool in the form of an epistolary to aid in a reader inspiring themselves through their own writ ing\, motivated by Miller's letters which cover an extensive set of mental or spiritual states. No book can ever cover the infinite states of the mi nd or infinite states of the soul. The honesty in each letter \, discardin g the selling or advertising style may writers will choose \, is purposefu l\; said purpose is to convince the reader that these letters are not mean t to be sermons or meant to be self righteous. Even if the variance in len gth of letters\, yes 37 in total \, will negatively alarm some readers. Th ose who want help getting to hear their own: honest<\;Dear Moment In Tim e>\;\, confessional <\;A Letter To My Big>\;\, at times praising<\ ;Dear Mommie>\;\,  unashamed to what is deemed shameful <\;Dear Secre t Lover>\; voice have a chance to be convinced to do so before they reac h the end of this book. The book offers a path way for a reader to share t heir voice to a larger audience but it needs polishing to read like a more secure request in the age of lawsuits that is modern USA. \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251201 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BOOK REVIEW- Soil Sisters Magical Garden Adventure: Savoring the Soul of Mother Earth from Bobbi J Simmons \, Thomas Simmons DTSTAMP:20250825T225515Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:472-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Title: Soil Sisters Magical Garden Adventure: Savoring th e Soul of Mother Earth\n\n\n\n Authors: Bobbi J Simmons \, Thomas Simmons @Jean2021\n\n\n\n Illustrator: Blakely Frederick\n\n\n\n Reading Age range : \n\n\n\n Publisher: BlackGold Publishing (May 1\, 2023)\n\n\n\n Paperba ck: 39 pages\n\n\n\n ISBN-10: 1953130267\n\n\n\n ISBN-13: 978-1953130266\n \n\n\n REFERRAL IN AALBC https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/10407-book-reviews\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY REVIEW\n\n\n\n John Boyd Jr \, founder of t he National Black Farmer's Association said: \"I'm owning land that many o f my forefathers worked when it was scotch-free. You know - slave labor ma n\" The relationship that Black people whose forebears were enslaved have to the land that compose the states of the U.S.A. is older than the U.S.A. itself\; it is a relationship that introduced the yam\, varieties of rice \, introduced the okra into the cuisine of the entire populace of the U.S. A.\; it is a relationship full of blood\, from black bodies after exposure to white whips\, white laws\, white guns nourishing the soil. A relations hip most of said blacks want to forget for obvious reasons. But\, Bobbi J Simmons side her husband\, Tommy Simmons\, compose a loving Black descende d of enslaved couple who don't want the relationship forgotten. Not to den y the painful shedding of blood but to keep alive the pride in the craft\, the heritage of loving nature\, that exist alongside the painful blood in said relationship. In their book\, Soil Sisters Magical Garden Adventure\ , they focus their efforts on the children\, the youngest descendants of t hose enslaved in the U.S.A. \, who in majority have been denied learning o r knowing of said relationship for said negative reasons. The Simmons weav e a simple tale of love\, love of growing things\, as pure as Bilbo Baggin s love for the shire in \"the hobbit\". The goal\, the road\, the prize ar e all the same\, watching something in nature you nurture spread joy throu ghout your life. The illustrations from Blakely have functional color tone s\, and usually reflect the prose the authors set. Some parents or adult r eaders may be offset or opposed to certain word choices but I argue the la nguage is appropriate to the audience of young children who should be forg iven as well for a few emissions of their dialect or a few slip ups of the tongue. All readers: child\, parent\, teacher will enjoy the historical p ages\; each give a key factor plus visage of a historical figure but said readers will also want more of them. The most important aspect in the book is what can not be read. It is the seeds that come with the book\, which surprised me. The little packet of seeds provide children or parents or te achers an offline chance to do more than be inspired from or enjoy reading a story about black youth loving to grow things\, supported by their loca l community while supporting their local community\, even with spiritual h elp when need be\; it allows all who buy the book a chance to do offline a s the characters in the book\, on land they own. And even if said land is only a small pot\, the heritage of love to the land Black people grow in t he USA: the Simmons prose speaks of\, Blakely's art visualizes\, Boyd jr. organizes for gains another Black person on an adventurous path to embraci ng. That is a worthy cause and the only way to lessen the growth of the ne gativity from the past is to grow another tree that emphasizes the positiv ity from the past.\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250501 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Paths of Bimshire: Book One- Path of The Hunt from Shawn All eyne DTSTAMP:20250825T220659Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:469-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Paths of Bimshire: Book One- Path of The Hunt June 2\, 20 22\n\n\n\n \"As you know\, my Path is one of the most feared of the Paths\ , and for good reason.\"\n\n\n\n A young boy has entered The Year of The T urning\, the year when it will be determined if he possesses enough power to be deemed worthy of a Path. Few people believe in him\, including himse lf. But on the ceremonial day of The Threshold\, family secrets held by hi s stoic father will be revealed that will not only change the life of the boy forever\, but the very reality of his home of Bimshire.\n\n\n\n In thi s Afro-Caribbean steampunk fantasy-adventure we are thrust into the world of Bimshire\, a magical island full of fantastical creatures\, wondrous si ghts\, and people possessing numerous gifts in the form of The Paths. The entire Nation forms a society based off of these Paths\, and life can be e xtremely rewarding\, or extremely difficult\, depending on your Path...or if you even have one. When one household reveals a dark secret\, the entir e Nation is thrown into upheaval and an epic quest begins.\n\n\n\n Join in on this immersive\, dark and addictive coming of age fantasy tale set in a mythical version of Barbados\, as a father and son must learn to underst and\, and save\, each other.\n\n\n\n https://a.co/d/7OgsGH4\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250602 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Sword from Shawn Alleyne DTSTAMP:20250825T220551Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:468-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Sword May 14\, 2023\n\n\n\n \"The Woman in Black star ed at the Little Girl as the buildings burnt all around them.\"\n\n\n\n A Swordslinger has a chance encounter with a little girl that will change bo th of their lives forever.\n\n\n\n Artist and Writer Shawn Alleyne takes u s on another ride in his AfroFiction series of worlds. This time we enter a sci-fi Western frontier in a short story of death\, discovery and destin y.\n\n\n\n https://a.co/d/hAz9Kmq\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250514 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sudowoodo at the library for charity 07/03/2025 DTSTAMP:20250703T184737Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:372-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Sudowoodo at the library for charity\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n R eading a relaxing book on Rock Types on his custom BentWood Rocking Chair\ , designed by Hddeviant inspired by Thonet\, while a bonsom sleep on his l ap and two other Bonsam happily listen on the floor. Two Bonsam are readin g their own book\, about fire and ice type interactions. \n\n\n\n On the shelves\, is a golden book on pokemon\, a complete history of Team Rocket\ , Oracion jazz variations\, a vase with meowth's koban coin and a energy f rom a time flower\, a book on the ALola Islands\, and a princess key encyc lopedia with Couriway princess key on the spine. \n\n\n\n The coloring pa ge and fully colored\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Sudowood o-at-the-Library-submit-to-charity-1214090375\n\n\n\n My Pokemon for chari ty \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/gallery?q=sudowoodo\n\n  \n \n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250703 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Coffee and Coloring with DeviantArt DTSTAMP:20250820T234542Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:467-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Coffee and Coloring with DeviantArt\n\n Friday August 29\ , 2025\n\n 6PM - 9PM Pacific Daylight Time\n\n @\n\n Red Window Coffee\n\n 13365 Ventura Blvd. \n\n Studio City\, CA 91604\n\n One can get the FREE limited-edition DeviantArt 25th Birthday Coloring Book!\n\n thank @vagran tscout in @color-me-club from @team \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/team/ journal/In-LA-Grab-a-FREE-coloring-book-at-a-mini-devmeet-1231669362\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n My most recent inks - tell me if you color them\n\n Message in a bottle moments\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Message-i n-a-bottle-moments-1223287568\n\n Alien-queen77's OC Deimyn's Morning Blos som\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Alien-queen77-s-OC-Deimyn -s-Morning-Blossom-1215980699\n\n Sudowoodo at the Library submit to chari ty IT IS INCLUDED\n\n\n\n event [ https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/372-s udowoodo-at-the-library-for-charity-07032025/  ]  \n\n\n\n link [ http s://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Sudowoodo-at-the-Library-submit-to-ch arity-1214090375 ] \n\n Draw Me Again Duo color\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/art/Draw-Me-Again-Duo-color-1213279251\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250829 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Between The Tide DTSTAMP:20250819T001513Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:466-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Between The Tide\n\n from Richard Murray / @HDdeviant / @ richardmurrayhumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Somewhere\, between the tide\n\n So mewhere\, waiting for life\n\n My idol grasps\, on cocoa sands\n\n And wai t for the bliss\, that come playing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Somewhere\, between the tide\n\n She's there\, waiting for life\n\n Since I can't hide\, like snails will try\n\n Then straight\, to her arms\n\n I'd come playing\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n It's long\, between the swerves\n\n It's deep\, between the shades\n\n I know\, between my thoughts\n\n My heart\, will lead me there soon\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n We'll meet\, between the tide\n\n We'll kiss\, sh e pledge one time\n\n Happy we'll be\, between the tide\n\n And never agai n\, I'll come playing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n [Your musical choice for thirty s econds]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I know\, between my thoughts\, ow!\n\n My heart \, will lead me there\, soon\n\n We'll meet (I know\, we'll meet) between the tide\n\n We'll kiss\, she pledge one time\n\n Happy we'll be\, between the tide\n\n And never again\, I'll come playing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n No mo re\, playing\n\n So long\, playing\n\n Bye bye\, playing\n\n She my captai n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n More information: inspirations\, musical variants\, a nd more\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1231698571?action=pub lished\n\n If you enjoy my craft and would like to support me with $1 cons ider using my tipjar\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar -to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n  \n\n\n\n PRAISE\n\n\n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/comments/1/1231698571/5229615989\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250818 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 123 DTSTAMP:20250705T011622Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:387-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 123\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n but in the en d\,\n\n I have begun to give up\n\n the hours of dark serve no purpose\n\n to me\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/ink-singer/art/bogyman-1040938443\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You think you're tough rattling the bars\,\n\n A ravenous hunger\n\n Never still\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/midn1ghtink/art/Hey -There-Fella-NaPo24-13-1041828314\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n If y ou enjoy my craft and would like to support me with $1 consider using my t ipjar\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Tip-Jar-to-HDdeviant-9 02770076\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/se arch/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;upda ted_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www .kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epu b series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-stor y-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/e n/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you real ly want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. L ike alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of t imes\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray 's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/downloa d/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\; key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calend ar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member =6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key= 9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250927 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Nyotenda 08/20/2014 DTSTAMP:20250524T221822Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:294-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Nyotenda 08/20/2014\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Nyotenda\n \n\n\n A continuation of an 80s adventure classic\n\n\n\n by Richard Murr ay\n\n\n\n Book 2 - JIHI\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n An adventure of Ethel\, from an Ethiopian village a small distance from Addis Abeba barely known\ , starting with a simple old arcade game through dangers in space ending b eyond the aspirations found in any game.\n\n\n\n Complete Screnplay plus c omplete storyboards are inside.\n\n\n\n A version to the story is written by Camille Wanliss Ortiz inside.\n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.co m/us/en/ebook/the-nyotenda\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ series/jihi\n\n If you enjoy my craft and would like to support me with $1 consider using my tipjar\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/tier/Ti p-Jar-to-HDdeviant-902770076\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20140820 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Boomerang film soundtrack 1992 DTSTAMP:20250818T004321Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:465-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n \"End of the Road\" (performed by Boyz II Men) Babyface\, LA Reid\, Daryl Simmons\n\n\n\n [Intro: Michael McCary]\n\n Gi rl\, you know we belong together\n\n I have no time for you to be playin' with my heart like this\n\n You'll be mine forever\, baby\, you just see\n \n\n\n [Verse 1: Nathan Morris]\n\n We belong together\n\n And you know th at I'm right\n\n Why do you play with my heart\n\n Why do you play with my mind?\n\n Said we'd be forever\n\n Said it'd never die\n\n How could you love me and leave me\n\n And never say goodbye?\n\n\n\n [Pre-Chorus: Wany á Morris]\n\n When I can't sleep at night without holding you tight\n\n G irl\, each time I try\, I just break down and cry\n\n Pain in my head\, oh \, I'd rather be dead\n\n Spinnin' around and around\n\n\n\n [Chorus: All] \n\n Although we've come to the end of the road\n\n Still\, I can't let go \n\n It's unnatural\, you belong to me\, I belong to you\n\n Come to the e nd of the road\n\n Still\, I can't let go\n\n It's unnatural\, you belong to me\, I belong to you\n\n\n\n [Verse 2: Shawn Stockman]\n\n Girl\, I kno w you really love me\n\n You just don't realize\n\n You've never been ther e before\n\n It's only your first time\n\n Maybe I'll forgive you\, mmm\n\ n Maybe you'll try\n\n We should be happy together\n\n Forever\, you and I \n\n\n\n [Pre-Chorus: Wanyá Morris]\n\n Will you love me again like you l oved me before?\n\n This time\, I want you to love me much more\n\n This t ime instead\, just come to my bed\n\n And baby\, just don't let me\, don't let me down\, oh\n\n\n\n [Chorus: All\, Wanyá Morris]\n\n Although we've come to the end of the road (End of the road)\n\n Still\, I can't let go (The end of the road and I know I can't let go\, baby)\n\n It's unnatural\ , you belong to me\, I belong to you (I don't know what I'm gonna do)\n\n Come to the end of the road (I don't know what I'm gonna do 'cause I know I've come to the end of the road\, the end of the road)\n\n Still\, I can' t let go (Oh my God\, oh my God\, help me out a little bit\, baby)\n\n It' s unnatural\, you belong to me\, I belong to you\n\n\n\n [Interlude: Micha el McCary\, Shawn Stockman]\n\n Girl\, I'm here for you\n\n All those time s at night when you just hurt me\n\n And just ran out with that other fell a\n\n Baby\, I knew about it\, I just didn't care\n\n You just don't under stand how much I love you\, do you?\n\n I'm here for you\n\n I'm not out t o go out and cheat all night (Maybe I'll forgive you\, baby)\n\n Just like you did\, baby\, but that's alright\n\n Heh\, I love you anyway (Maybe yo u'll try)\n\n And I'm still gonna be here for you 'til my dying day\, baby \n\n Right now\, I'm just in so much pain\, baby (We should be happy toget her forever)\n\n 'Cause you just won't come back to me (You and I)\n\n Wil l you? Just come back to me (Yeah\, yeah)\n\n\n\n [Interlude: Michael McCa ry\, All]\n\n (Lonely) Yes\, baby\, my heart is lonely\n\n (Lonely) My hea rt hurts\, baby\n\n (Lonely) Yes\, I feel pain too\n\n (Lonely) Baby\, ple ase\n\n\n\n [Pre-Chorus: Wanyá Morris]\n\n This time instead\, just come to my bed\n\n And baby\, just don't let me down\n\n\n\n [Chorus: All\, Wan yá Morris]\n\n Although we've come to the end of the road (We've come to the end of the road)\n\n Still\, I can't let go (I know I just can't let g o\, no)\n\n It's unnatural\, you belong to me\, I belong to you (No\, no\, no\, no\, no\, no\, no\, no)\n\n (I don't know what I'm gonna do)\n\n Com e to the end of the road (I don't know what I'm gonna do 'cause I know I'v e come to the end of the road\, the end of the road)\n\n Still\, I can't l et go (Oh my God\, oh my God\, help me out a little bit\, baby)\n\n It's u nnatural (Baby)\, you belong to me (Baby)\, I belong to you (Baby)\n\n Alt hough we've come to the end of the road\n\n Still\, I can't let go (Alrigh t\, alright\, alright)\n\n It's unnatural\, you belong to me\, I belong to you (It's unnatural\, you belong to me\, I belong to you\, woah)\n\n Come to the end of the road (Although we've come to the end of the road)\n\n S till\, I can't let go (I know I just can't let go\, no)\n\n It's unnatural \, you belong to me\, I belong to you (No\, no\, no\, no\, no\, no\, no\, no)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \"Love Shoulda Brought You Home\" (perform ed by Toni Braxton) Bo Watson\, Babyface\, Daryl Simmons\n\n\n\n [Verse 1] \n\n Should I even listen?\n\n Should I even try?\n\n Will I just be heari ng the same old lines\, baby?\n\n See\, it doesn't matter\n\n What you say this time\n\n 'Cause our whole relationship is built on one lie\n\n You s ay things aren't the way they seem\n\n But still\, you can't come straight with me\n\n How can you think that you're in love\n\n When you don't know the meaning of it?\n\n\n\n [Chorus]\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brou ght you home last night\n\n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been righ t by my side\n\n Baby\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then love would a brought you to me last night\n\n\n\n [Verse 2]\n\n Gotta hand it to you\ n\n You had me there for a while\n\n I was so in love with you\, I couldn' t see past your smile\n\n Now I smell the coffee\n\n I got a wake-up call\ n\n And it left the message that you just don't care at all\n\n You can't expect me to believe that\n\n She does not mean anything\n\n You say that you love only me\n\n Your kind of loving\, my darling\, I just don't need\ n\n\n\n [Chorus]\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brought you home last ni ght\n\n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been right by my side\n\n Bab y\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then love woulda brought you to me last night\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brought you home last night\n\ n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been right by my side\n\n Baby\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then you woulda been sincere\n\n And I wo uldn't be in tears\n\n And love woulda brought you to me last night\n\n\n\ n [Bridge]\n\n Oh\, baby\, why?\n\n Why do men think\n\n That love's just for the moment\n\n Not overtime?\n\n Please tell me why\n\n Why should I t hink that you're gonna be sincere?\n\n Are you deserving?\n\n Don't blame me if I just don't believe it\n\n Just don't believe that you'll always be here\n\n\n\n [Chorus]\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brought you home l ast night\n\n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been right by my side\n \n Baby\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then love woulda brought you to me last night\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brought you home last ni ght\n\n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been right by my side\n\n Bab y\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then love woulda brought you to me last night\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brought you home last night\n\ n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been right by my side\n\n Baby\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then love woulda brought you to me last n ight\n\n Love shoulda brought you\n\n Brought you home last night\n\n You shoulda been with me\n\n Shoulda been right by my side\n\n Baby\n\n If you cared anything for me\n\n Then love woulda brought you to me last night\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"I'd Die Without You\" (performed b y P.M. Dawn) Attrell Cordes\n\n\n\n Is it my turn to wish you were lying h ere\n\n I tend to dream you when I'm not sleeping\n\n Is it my turn to fic tionalize my world\n\n Or even imagine your emotions to tell myself anythi ng\n\n Is it my turn to hold you by your hands\n\n Tell you I love you and you not hear me\n\n Is it my turn to totally understand\n\n To watch you walk out of my life and not do a damn thing\n\n\n\n (If I have to give awa y) the feeling that I feel\n\n (If I have to sacrifice) oh\, whatever baby \, whatever baby.\n\n (If I have to take apart) all that I am\n\n Is there anything that I would not do\,\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die without you\n\n Yeah baby\, 'cause inside I'd die without you\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die wi thout you\n\n\n\n Oh\, I apologize for all the things I've done\n\n But no w I'm underwater and I'm drowning\n\n Is it my turn to be the one to cry\n \n Isn't it amazing how some things just completely turn around\n\n So tak e every little piece of my heart (piece of my heart\n\n So take every litt le piece of my soul (every little piece of my soul)\n\n Take every little piece of my mind\n\n 'Cause if you're gone... inside...\n\n I'd die withou t you...\n\n\n\n (If I have to give away) the feeling that I feel\n\n (If I have to sacrifice) whatever baby\, whatever baby.\n\n (If I have to take apart) all that I am (all that I am)\n\n Is there anything that I would n ot do\,\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die without you\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die wi thout you\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die without you (I'd die without you) (I'd die without you)\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die without you (I'd die without y ou) (I'd die without you)\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die without you (I'd die w ithout you) (I'd die without you)\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die without you (I 'd die without you) (I'd die without you)\n\n 'Cause inside I'd die withou t you (I'd die without you) (I'd die without you)\n\n 'Cause inside I'd di e without you (I'd die without you) (I'd die without you)\n\n\n\n \n\n  \ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ENDING NOTE\n\n\n\n Marcus Miller produced th e original score for the film\, while Antonio \"L. A.\" Reid and Kenn eth \"Babyface\" Edmonds worked on the soundtrack. With such a wealth of new material\, director Hudlin said\n\n\n\n Sometimes we used score\, som etimes we'd use a song by L.A. and Face\, or sometimes Marcus would take s ome of the songs they had written and do score interpolations of it. For e xample\, one of the songs\, \"Love Shoulda Brought You Home\"\, is a great example. That came from a line of dialogue where Halle is furious with Ed die\, says \"love should've brought your ass home last night\,\" slaps him . At that time\, L.A. leans over to me and goes \"that's a great song titl e.\" I said\, \"great idea.\" They write a song\, \"Love Shoulda Brought Y ou Home\". I said\, \"well\, who we going to get to sing it?\" And they sa id \"well you know\, we've got this great young singer who sang the demo\, Reggie. If you like the demo then we can use her.\" And I said \"great\, let's use her.\" So that was Toni Braxton's debut. And I remember when I finally met Toni at Babyface's wedding\, L.A. said\, \"you owe your career to this guy\, he gave you your big break\,\" which was really sweet\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250701 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Hajime Miura (clinched his eigth title)– 3A World YoYo Cha mpion – World YoYo Contest 2025 DTSTAMP:20250817T211057Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:464-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Hajime Miura (clinched his eigth title)– 3A World YoYo Champion – World YoYo Contest 2025\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e Dkv-vkml1Q\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n interview\n\n https://ww w.instagram.com/worldyoyocontest/p/DMseSGwIbPw/?img_index=3\n\n\n\n his yo yo\n\n https://yoyorecreation.jp/team/243\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250810 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Eight Times till Cat Nights begins Good News DTSTAMP:20250817T030955Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:463-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A POEM TO HONOR the ninth night a witch turns into a cat\ , which is the beginning of Cat Nights August 17th\, The eight days before a witch can turn into a cat and turn back\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A Seventeent h Witch\n\n\n\n It was a quiet morning\, in an eighth seventeenth\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, a witch\, had a really long day\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is \, that she is\n\n\n\n The clouds full from night dings\, all seem calm un derneath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, wait an encounter\, in the street\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n A tree crack begin a sing\, mash es like titans teeth\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, now no human feet\, but purring\ n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n A girl cry\, I am fall ing! shouts from anger bequeath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, know hands weave crue l from the lightning\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n C at shade\, spells from lightning cling\, in nights eighth seventeenth\n\n\ n\n Miss Sarah\, four legged\, know where the light land\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n Through parks\, dodge wild cans\, runni ng\, past bright cars underneath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, absorb the cruelty f ore the street\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n Boom! s he leap side hot white bling\, she fall on concrete teeth  \n\n\n\n Miss Sarah... feel wet licks and a quiet warmth\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n Eyes open to soeur earrings\, We Won! now eighth eigh teenth\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, in the pawed coven\, knew the price\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n A teen wait for a purring\, caus e her mother bequeath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, in her daughter's arms\, now ho me\, safe\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n No image thr ough tweet will bring\, witch pride last seventeenth\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, side sisters\, saved all\, quietly\n\n\n\n A witch\, that each is\, that e ach is\n\n\n\n If you see a black\, purring\, rubbing\, please don't seeth e\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, or sister maybe\, just friendly\n\n\n\n A witch\, t hat she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n from\n\n Richard Murray\n\n\n\n If you wa nt to enjoy more poetry from me\, consider the following work\n\n Poetry o r More - Audiobook series\n\n\n\n Poetry or More- complete text only\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-good-news-blog-stories- through-a-year/page/2/?tab=comments#comment-943\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Info \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Cat Nights begin on August 17th - display any text or a rt concerning cats. <\;Cat Nights begin on August 17. This term harks ba ck to the days when people believed in witches. A rather obscure old Irish legend said that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times\, but on the ninth time (August 17)\, she couldn’t regain her human form. This bit of folklore also gives us the saying\, “A cat has nine lives.” Be cause August is a yowly time for cats\, this may have prompted the specu lation about witches on the prowl in the first place. Also\, nights contin ue to get longer. Cats\, crepuscular creatures\, are nocturnal hunters. Th eir superior night vision means that the nights belong to them\n\n\n\n CIT ATION\n\n\n\n https://www.almanac.com/fact/cat-nights-begin-the-term-cat-n ights-holiday\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250809 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250818 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Do Theaters need to be owned by the Film Makers again? DTSTAMP:20250816T133201Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:461-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Flopped at the Box Office\, but It’s Breaking Records on Streaming Platforms\n\n I think w hat this shows is the theater business model is in trouble. \n\n I quote the article\n\n Even though the film did not perform well in theaters\, it ’s finding new life on streaming. On Disney+\, Captain America: Brave Ne w World has stayed in the Top 10 in the U.S. for an impressive 56 days str aight.\n\n This information was reported recently and shows that people ar e still interested in the movie\, just mostly after it hits streaming plat forms.\n\n This trend isn’t too surprising. Superhero movies still have big audiences\, but lately many fans prefer to wait for them to be availab le at home. Streaming services like Disney+ make it easy to watch these fi lms over and over\, which can give movies a second chance after a slow the ater run.\n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/captain-america-brave- new-world-flopped-at-the-box-office-but-it-s-breaking-records-on-streaming -platforms/ar-AA1JO0tv?ocid=BingNewsSerp\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Superman and w hy theaters are dead\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbjN0xDN45E\n\n\n \n MY COMMENT\n\n thank you\, I said it for years. When theaters were take n from the film studios that was when theaters went on this road. Theaters originally were owned by the film studios so that they were like the stre aming services studios own today.  Because theaters are separate financia l entities\, as well as cable/t.v./blue ray - dvd\, I think studios see a return to their era when they owned theaters\, so they had all the profits \, and the rest can get lean. 18:06 thank you\n\n Apple doesn't own the th eater. It has been discussed but it hasn't happened. One thing you missed is how from when the film studios owned theaters to today\, the quantity o f theaters has lessened. In NYC many many theaters closed from the past to now. And that matters in that\, who is going to go miles to a theater. A movie theater must be local\, it is an offline business. With so many movi e theaters closed or closing\, many people don't live near a theater which ends their viability. \n\n COMMENT URL\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=hbjN0xDN45E&\;lc=UgxMNrpl5Iq-izWXPax4AaABAg\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250816 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Shannon the Blackfish with MAyowa's World DTSTAMP:20250816T133733Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:462-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Shannon Sharpe's Anti-Blackness was His First Downfa ll.\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIABN6WQx4Q\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n You saw it coming:) \n\n I enjoyed liste ning to a black womens voice speak of Shannon's dialog:) \n\n Exactly\, f rom white written \"Immitation of Life\" to Black written \" Devil in a bl ue dress\" by walter Mosely or even better \"Passing\" by Nella Larsen or some short stories from her friend plus fellow mulatta Alice Dunbar Nelson \, female mullatoes biggest attraction to most men in the United States of America historically is their bodies. The white man fetishes the black he abuses. The black man fetishes the white he wants to abuse. Both men are in denial to their passions. The woman true self is iirelevant. And it is interesting that Zora Neale Hurston + Nella Larsen + Alice Nelson who in m y opinion are all great writers\, but whose literary works were chastised by black male writers when originally published for having opinions differ ent than them. Zora Neale Hurston to her view of the Southern Black town\, while Larsen or Nelson to their view of the Black populace pertaining to colorism and the role of the Black women whether dark as the night or unde niably yella. \n\n 8:04 Yes\, many black people \, especially DOSers as J ames Baldwin said of his father\, hate whites\, heaven for them is absent white people\, their public vision of jesus. It is a deep hatred that has only manifested for most black people privately. \n\n 9:16 exactly\, the whole point of MeToo was from Black Women to say that they are not getting the same legal or media treatment as white women in similar scenarios and this scenario with Shannon sharp is the proof MeToo's original short term goal\, to get attention to legal affairs and media inequally treating bla ck women with the long term goal of Black women being treated equally to w hite women\, is far from coming to pass.  \n\n 11:48 You have such a ser ious tone in this video \, correctly\, so but I did love when you let an a ccent out to emphasize Shannon needed the village to step in:) \n\n Plus your correct\, the great Bill Russell once said\, that Black Athletes are pampered \, they have not lived regular lives. So add the common Black inn er dislikes to whites and men's desire to have a weaker person to abuse wh ich is commonly a female to the life of an athlete and... danger. \n\n I end with\, you have very pretty hair\, face... and body:)\n\n 1800s Black Statian Literature\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/446-1800s-black-s tatian-fiction%C2%A0-free-to-read/\n\n\n\n Blackfish\n\n https://aalbc.com /tc/events/event/266-come-now-blackfish-05082025/\n\n\n\n Bill Russell on Athletes\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/449-bill-russell-born-1934/ \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIABN6WQx4Q&\;lc= UgwzvnJI6Rg1rQ6pnAN4AaABAg\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250816 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Experience between Cruise side Cavill DTSTAMP:20250816T132936Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:460-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n the one word I didn't see in the post or comments is experience and that to me is the point cruise made to cavi ll. you can be young and studied but you need experience for these stunts. Jackie chan nor Tom cruise jumped off of buildings in the new first of fu ry or risky business... they both grew through experience\, yes training\, yes studying\, yes conditioning\,  but experience matters and to me that is the source of cruise's statement to cavill. has cavill really had stun t experience to build up to a drop of the height mentioned? I recall Keann u reeves saying\, with each john wick film he gets better. yes\, training\ , yes studying\, but experience is a great thing and I argue the greatest to know yourself. And experience doesn't require books or teachers\, it re quires opportunity. And yes opportunity to fail\, but whether you succeed or fail you will learn. And to the care to the film or the collective art project and the various people paying their rent through it\, I think Crui se has more experience than most in producing/directing/starring/preproduc tion preparing a movie to be made in the usa that has stunts that insuranc e companies detest. I am not suggesting a calamity can't happen. Highly Ex perienced stunt workers always get killed or badly injured in the history of film making. But I think cruise's experience should be treated with con fidence. Ray Harryhausen's finest film is arguably clash of the titans and yet\, he has decades of experience to build that film . Experience isn't some safety net. No. All things are possible in nature no matter how well anyone prepares. History proves that. But experience has great value and c ruise has that and his comments to cavill prove he thinks cavill needs mor e experience\, which is a very responsible thing to display.\n\n ARTICLE E XCERPT\n\n On the set of Mission: Impossible – Fallout\, Henry Cavill wa s eager to prove himself by performing the jaw-dropping HALO jump stunt al ongside Tom Cruise. But when Cavill asked to jump from 25\,000–30\,000 f eet\, Cruise looked him straight in the eye and said\, “Henry\, I know e xactly how you feel\,” before firmly warning\, “I can’t let you do it.” The reason? The stunt demanded specific\, intense training\, and o ne wrong move could have been fatal—for both of them. Cavill reluctantly backed down\, joking\, “I was like ‘OK\, fine. I’ll sit this one ou t\, Mr. Cruise.’” Curious how Cruise’s dedication sets the bar for H ollywood stunts? Click to read more!\n\n ARTICLE URL\n\n https://tinseltow ntales.com/news/92891\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250816 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:European Castles truth + the X bows from shadversity DTSTAMP:20250816T035520Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:459-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Movies have LIED to you about what’s INSIDE castles\n\n Interesing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aIW6PvjGqs\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n Elements of architecture\n\n CON STRUCTION\n\n What is cement? a binder\, in the past limestone\, today the most commercially used is Portland cement\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Cement\n\n What is plaster? a binder + water [ binder is cement] it is meant to make smooth surfaces\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster\n\ n What is Mortar? sand+binder+water [ binder is cement] it is meant as a b inder for brick work\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortar_(masonry)\n\ n What is Concrete? aggregate+binder+water [ binder is cement\, aggregate are stone pieces ground to some level ] to make bricks or large structures \n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete\n\n TEXTILES\n\n What are Text ile arts? any art involving textiles: sew \, knit\, crotchet\, felt\,\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile_arts\n\n What is a Tapestry? It is a textile made as a design\, usually to be seen on one side\n\n https://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapestry\n\n What is Brocade? IT is a textile made as a design \, usually to be seen on either side\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Brocade\n\n What is Brocade? IT is a textile made as a design \, usua lly for clothing\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesi_(tapestry)\n\n Wha t is embroidery? A design stiched into a fabric\n\n https://en.wikipedia.o rg/wiki/Embroidery\n\n What is Applique? pieces of cloth stiched on anothe r to make a pattern [painting with cloth pieces to form an image]\n\n http s://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appliqué\n\n WALLPAPER\n\n What is Wallpaper? P aper glued to walls to show a pattern or image\n\n https://en.wikipedia.or g/wiki/Wallpaper\n\n What is Wallpaper paste? glue for wallpaper\n\n https ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallpaper_paste\n\n JUST FOR YOUR VIEWING\n\n ena meled steel homes\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustron_house\n\n enam eling\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitreous_enamel\n\n\n\n What is TH AT?! - Avatar fire and ash STUPID X BOW TESTED!\n\n https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=kkBZ19AE7IQ\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250815 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Superhero Movies a Duet with jesterbell + nerdrotic DTSTAMP:20250816T023543Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:458-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n Superhero movies are dead and it may be a good thing \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KaHmnXJuo\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n I wish you would had mentioned Blade. It all started with Blade\, as Stan Le e said\, a not well known comic book \, that did great for a Black Thespia n. And from that the industry jumped in\, but it was fresh. The reality is no film genre dies. People say Westerns are dead\, but they are not dead. No COntry For Old Men is a western. The film industry can't rely on weste rns as a genre to support the whole industry. People say Musicals are dead \, but they are not dead\, Lala Land is a musical. The film industry can't rely on musicals as a genre to support the whole industry. Superhero film s for a time was relied on by the film industry in the usa but now that is over. But no film genre is ever dead. From Film Noir to Slasher to Romanc e all film genres continue\, with fewer entries but infinite possibilities .  And the USA film genre isn't alone. Wuxia films and Gun fight films no longer are crutches for Hong Kong cinema but are still being made. So all film industries have these ebb and flows. \n\n The challenge in my eyes is the role of the theater. When television first came on the scene it mea nt a cheaper more private alternative to theaters for an ever growing numb er. But\, theaters were not allowed to be owned by Film studios. I think w ith streaming/cable/tv the theater is in trouble but it will allow the the aters to go back into the hands of film makers\, which it should never had been forced from by the government. I comprehend that film studios owning theaters meant independent films didn't have a place to show but independ ent films were not blockaded from owning theaters nor were theaters blocka ded from not being owned by film makers. But\, nothing beats seeing a film on the big screen it is another experience and really changes the interpr etation of the craft for film viewers. so while I wish you had mentioned b lade for the superhero genre\, I concur that the life of films and the ind ustry will be fine. \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3KaHmnXJuo&\ ;lc=Ugy8H6hVKZl6ZAZPrtR4AaABAgbanner image\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ban ner made by ChristianP7676\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/christianp76 76/art/Blade-1999-Wallpaper-1143658177\n\n\n\n \n\n Why Fantastic Four Was Doomed To Fail\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYrC79v7fNs\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n I have heard or read many since Avengers endgame say that cas ting originally male characters as female is a negative factor in every si ngle marvel film made that did it. I know you have never said casting alon e is the reason for any of the weakenend receptions to any marvel film\, b ut do you really feel that the decision to cast non white males\, in comic book worlds mostly filled with white male characters in popular roles\, w ould garner bigger audiences from non white males. I admit\, I can see it \, but I am not sure. How are you so certain? \n\n Your final point is th at the Superhero Movie era is over\, not superhero movies but their positi on as the industrial which was bound to happen. Westerns/Musicals went thr ough this and Hollywood survived and thrived eventually. \n\n I wish you had mentioned Sinner \, in my opinion the biggest winner this summer\, and what does it have different than Superman or Fantastic Four\, 2025. \n\n It isn't a reboot. So audiences can't be tired of the reboots to the film .\n\n It is a relatively small budget film\, well done. So while it doesn' t have all the wow moments only possible with a larger budget\, it can get greater return on people who simply like it. And the special effects are done well even if they are not grandiose. \n\n It has an original story\, so no one can argue about characters being changed as every character is original. \n\n It is naturally multiracial so many different humans based on various racial categories: age/phenotype/gender/language/body size/fin ancial level are present in the story naturally\, not forced\, so various people can see representations of their community in the film within the s torytelling.\n\n It doesn't have to gather the largest audience to make a profit or be lauded. Large budget films demand a large audience to make a profit or be lauded\, that gets complicated. Small budget films absent tot al global fandom can win. \n\n\n\n lastly\, \n\n I think Disney 20th Cen tury Films is the tentacle of Disney to look out for in the future\, as be ing the biggest tentacle. \n\n COMMENT URL\n\n https://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=vYrC79v7fNs&\;lc=UgzrtXuIky5lJ70sLIJ4AaABAg\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250815 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Interpretations of the Black experience aren't divisive or m ultivisive but honest DTSTAMP:20250812T160942Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:454-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n All human populations in humanity have the problem of gro ups inside said populations having dissimilar interpretations of the past. The black populace in the usa\, second only to the first peoples of the u sa \, have a very hard time with this\, and it is expected. It isn't easy coming to a consensus when you are dominated by another people or have dif fering views on moving forward. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   On 8/3/2025 at 8:29 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n \n\n\n I don't believe they TRULY want a \"Whites Only\" nation or even ci ty.\n\n Then who would they have to oppress and look down upon?\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Most wise and elite White people know that for racism to really w ork you need atleast 2 races in the environment.\n\n One to rule and the o ther to subjugate.\n\n You take away the people of color\, soon you'll hav e a situation like Nazi Germany or Russia/Ukraine where you have White fol ks just warring against eachother ove who's the \"whitest\".\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n   On 8/4/2025 at 2:02 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n White folks NE ED Black people for sex\, artistic Creativity\, cheap labor\, ect..\n\n\n\ n All this talk of separation and \"Whites only\" is usually coming from s ome jealous poor White trailer trash who is insecure about having his sist er or mother or daughter around Black men\, lol.\n\n\n\n HE ain't got shit and don't mind living separate from Black people...unless he finds some d umb ass Black woman who loves him and then HE forgets all about it\, lol.\ n\n  \n\n\n\n But the wealthy elitist Whites do NOT want us living separa tely from them.\n\n They know better.\n\n They want to live with and near us\, they just want to be ON TOP.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Well\, you suggested a number of things to others I ponder to. \n\n\n\n First you s uggest you believe\, you are not certain\, of the majority philosophy of w hites in the usa. And that is fine\, no one can know the future. If you ar e correct then your following stratagems hold wisdom BUT if your wrong\, i t can spell the greatest disaster for black folks in the usa at least. \n \n\n\n Second \, I don't know what determines a white person is wise or el ite\, but your allusion to Nazi Germany is interesting. In NAzi Germany th ere was no problem with whites warring each other. the christian white ger mans put the jewish white germans in camps without much fuss. Modern Media makes it more dramatic than it was for the christian german populace to t errorize the jewish german + other white minorities. I wonder how many whi te jewish germans in germany couldn't believe what would happen in world w ar two after world war one. \n\n\n\n Third\, I am not certain any fiscall y poor people are needed. You assume whites need blacks for their egos or leeching ways but I am not certain of that. \n\n\n\n Fourth\, when you sa y \"usually coming from\" what percentage ? in the Jim Crow era\, by my as sessment most financially wealthy whites were talking separation and white s only. Now you suggest that most fiscally wealthy whites lied about wanti ng blacks separated or away from them to sate fiscally poor whites. While I can't prove or disprove I can definitely say the argument can be made fo r or against that on even footing today or yesterday\, the question is whi ch is the majority and I can't say that can be proven easily. \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n Above explains Pioneer's basis to his thinking. As I always say in this forum. Various black people tend to have philosoph ies that lay the basis to their thinking that other black people have to f irst embrace before they can share their thinking. When Pioneer speaks to anyone else black\, if said black person doesn't believe whites  in major ity want an integration with blacks where whites are superior \, they can' t embrace his larger points\, so you get proselytization or just restating positions over and over as various black people with various beliefs tend to do. My one point about history is humans do change. He uses Nazi Germa ny\, but that is an example of change that was unexpected and yet happened . I think the Schrumpft era presidency is a change presidency\, one all ha ve to live through even if we don't believe. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now the following is his reply to me straightly and I will reply to him after\n\n\ n\n   On 8/3/2025 at 8:29 PM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Don't let them.\n\n Fight back.\n\n\n\n Historically\, when we've actively oppo sed racism by whatever means at our disposal...we've won.\n\n\n\n ONLY whe n Black folks psyche themselves out into not fighting back or begin to arg ue with and turn on eachother\, did they lose.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There ar e not only towns but ENTIRE REGIONS of the United States where it's almost all non-White Latinos and even a few nearly all Asian regions.\n\n They a ren't White....but White folks haven't stopped THEM for grouping together and doing their thing.\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n First\, my knowledge of h istory is lacking\, when have black people in opposing white terrorism in the usa won at the end of the day ? I don't recall. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S econd to demographics in the usa. In NYC did you know while black people w ere being enslaved to whites\, white asians + white/mulato/mestizo whites were owning business and participating in NYC as free individuals absent h aving to worry about slave catchers. For me white and light asians + latin os are white. I know you see them differently\, but being white for me isn 't about being european or speaking english. I argue that non black latino s + non black asians from the founding of the usa were allowed by white eu ropeans who speak english\, their cousins\,  far more than black people.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Third\, to the answer to my question. \n\n\n\n You already said you feel when black people have actively opposed white terror we have won\, I don't recall that in the united states of america\, thoug h I do recall in the usa many black people fighting in the past. so the on ly question I have left is\, what do you mean by \n\n\n\n Actively Oppose ?\n\n\n\n Please define exactly what you mean by actively oppose and pleas e state an example of this in the usa?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n comment referral \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11752-whites-only-planned-communities/#fin dComment-75446\n\n\n\n prior point\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/4 32-what-is-the-heritage-of-the-black-descended-of-enslaved-and-what-cultur es-does-it-allow/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n @Troy \n\n\n\n 7 hours ago\, Troy said:\n\n We will either live in a utopia or dystopia.  The tech will make one of these outcomes possibl e.  I doubt there will be anything in between.\n\n\n\n \n\n  I think th e future will be just like the past\, always in the middle\, some winners some losers\, but most in the middle. In my view\, the technology like all tools in the past and far in the future never lead to the various extreme s people in the past as well as far in the future tout as coming.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n 2 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n do you belie ve that White people support a \"white supremist\" system in which they TH INK they are supreme over others?\n\n\n\n \n\n I don't know. That is the w isest plus honest answer to your question. I can state white\, as I define them\, groups acting to the communal benefit of all white people\, someti mes interwoven in time\, but i can also say when white individuals do for their own benefit which harms others including white people. As an enginee r\,  a system of supremacy isn't worth much when it allows the people wh o are supposed to be supreme to be harmed.  Cause being harmed or kill ed  doesn't make one the highest. Do i think many whites think they are better than those not white? yes. but I have been fortunate enough to know various people who think of their particular race based on phenotype or g ender as the best. so I don't know. I know you have things defined in your mind in such a way that you know \, but I don't. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 2 h ours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n Who said that was how \"I\" defined Whitenes s????\n\n\n\n \n\n even enough I made an ass out myself. I don't know how you think intimately\, nor do I know your mind\, only the trickles that yo u share. Maybe you have the same definition of white is me\, maybe you don 't. but in your statement I quoted\, below some of whom you suggest are no t white I suggest are.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n On 8/12/2025 at 11:54 AM\, richa rdmurray said:\n\n There are not only towns but ENTIRE REGIONS of the Unit ed States where it's almost all non-White Latinos and even a few nearly al l Asian regions.\n\n They aren't White....but White folks haven't stopped THEM for grouping together and doing their thing.\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n And I see. I wonder what frederick douglass/mlk jr/web dubois when younger would say to you. So many black people have followed their teachings and today in the usa black people individually while less so but still in a fe w cases collectively have betterment taking the nonviolent\, integrated st ances those leaders suggested. I am not saying I concur to Douglass or Kin g but I do comprehend that many other black people to adher to that philos ophy which is one of many in the black populace in the usa. so\, I think t hose that share your view Pioneer and you need to come together\, and do s omething to functionalize that energy.\n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n https://aa lbc.com/tc/topic/11752-whites-only-planned-communities/#comment-75484\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250812 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:AKA Contrarian Birthday DTSTAMP:20250812T212519Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:457-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n @aka Contrarian thoughts when 91 \, remember her well and if you never knew her read on and be inspired.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/topic/11759-reflections/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/topic/11759-reflections/#findComment-75452\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250818 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:August Birthday Writing Challenge Example 08/01/2025 DTSTAMP:20250802T003307Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:430-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n August Birthday Writing Challenge Example\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1223660370\n\n\n\n audio\n\n\n\n https://www .tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/791603876662001664/written-by-richard-murr ay-hddeviant-biround\n\n\n\n pdf\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevi ant/art/Biround-Mornings-1229347827\n\n Crliterature challenge\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/August-Birthday-Writing-Challenge-12 22529726\n\n\n\n forum post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11753-where-are -they-now-farmer-ted-sixteen-candles-deviantart-august-birthday-literature -challenge-winners-will-get-prizes/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr. com/richardmurrayhumblr/791603876662001664/written-by-richard-murray-hddev iant-biround\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250801 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mammoth pictures sage 32 12th screenwriting contest final de adline october 29th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250812T204943Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:456-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mammoth pictures sage 32\n\n submissions open winners ann ounced January 30th \n\n maybe pinnochio\n\n\n\n Mammoth pictures sage 32 \n\n submissions open winners announced January 30th \n\n submission\n\n https://www.stage32.com/happy-writers/contests/12th-Annual-Search-for-New- Blood-Screenwriting-Contest\n\n\n\n Important Dates to Be Aware Of\n\n\n\n Super Early Bird Deadline: August 14th\, 2025\n\n\n\n Early Bird Deadlin e: September 10th\, 2025\n\n\n\n Regular Deadline: October 8th\, 2025\n\ n\n\n Final Deadline: October 29th\, 2025\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Quarterfinal ist Announcement: December 12th\, 2025\n\n\n\n Semifinalist Announcement : January 2nd\, 2026\n\n\n\n Finalist Announcement: January 16th\, 2026 \n\n\n\n Winner Announcement: January 30th\, 2026\n\n\n\n article\n\n htt ps://variety.com/2025/film/news/mammoth-pictures-stage-32-horror-developme nt-1236482160/\n\n\n\n \n\n INFO\n\n The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will get into a script development incubator and packaging fast track with Stage 32 &\; Mammoth Pictures\, the producers behind the successful ho rror/thrillers THE NIGHT\, PARALLEL\, and more!\n\n The Grand Prize Winnin g screenwriter will receive:\n\n\n\n Mammoth Pictures Talent Incubator pla cement for script development and packaging with Mammoth Pictures (THE NIG HT\, PARALLEL)\n\n Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4\,000 value) includ ing script development\, career consulting\, writer branding\, and compreh ensive education resources\n\n Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1: 1 career development sessions from our success team\n\n Industry Marketing Campaign promoting winner to our exclusive roster of 2\,500+ managers\, a gents\, producers\, and executives\n\n Strategy Partnership where Stage 32 and Mammoth Pictures executives collaborate to prepare your project to ta ke directly to market\n\n\n\n Our Finalists will receive:\n\n\n\n Our Fina lists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1\,500\, inc luding Career Development\, a Writer Branding Workshop and an Education pa ckage\, and will have your logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent t o over 2\,500+ top entertainment industry executives\, giving your work un paralleled exposure!\n\n\n\n But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1\ ,000\, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500\, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100! \n\n What Type of Scripts Are We Looking For?\n\n\n\n We are looking for F eature scripts like:\n\n\n\n BRING HER BACK\, TALK TO ME\, FINAL DESTINATI ON\, SCREAM\, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER\, M3GAN\, WOLFMAN\, TERRIFIE R\, SMILE\, WATCHERS\, CUCKOO\, IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE\, V/H/S\, NIGHT SWIM\, LONGLEGS\, 5 NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S\, EVIL DEAD\, LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL\, THANKSGIVING\, FRIDAY THE 13TH\, FEAR STREET\n\n\n\n As well as TV pilot s cripts like:\n\n\n\n AMERICAN HORROR STORY\, STRANGER THINGS\, FROM\, THE WALKING DEAD\, SUPERNATURAL\, EVIL\, PENNY DREADFUL\, THE TERROR\, THE LAS T OF US\, RESIDENT EVIL\, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS\, TWISTED METAL\, GOOS EBUMPS\, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE\, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER\, LOR E\, HAUNTED\n\n\n\n But that's not all\, we want to see all new\, unique a nd fresh ideas that we haven't seen before!\n\n\n\n For the last 13 years\ , Stage 32 Contests have led to dozens of success stories including writer s getting representation\, sold\, optioned\, staffed\, given writing assig nments and getting produced. No other contest opens more doors and we want to do the same for you.\n\n\n\n If you have an horror story that needs to be told\, now is the time to show us what you've got\, because our goal i s to amplify your voice\, give you the access Stage 32 is known for\, and take your writing career to the next level!\n\n\n\n Submit Now\n\n Full na me\n\n Email address\n\n Please make sure you use the same email address a s the one you use to sign in to Stage 32\, otherwise you won't have access to your webinar.\n\n Promo code:\n\n Enter your promo code\n\n Yes! I wan t to receive coverage notes on my screenplay and have the option to submit a new draft for only $99! 12th Annual Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest Screenwriting Contest ?\n\n Yes! I want to receive discounted cove rage notes on my screenplay after the quarterfinalists have been announced for only $49! 12th Annual Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest ?\n\ n Yes! I want the option to send an updated draft later for only $39! 12th Annual Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest ?\n\n Yes! I want to be eligible for a mentorship opportunity with Producer Ethan Erwin (ORPHAN: FIRST KILL)\, Producer Jonathan Barkan (SKINAMARINK)\, or Story Analyst Mi chael Schulman of am*zon Studios for only $29.99! ?\n\n My script is over 120 pages (add $20)\n\n I have read and agree to the Terms and Guidelines. \n\n - or -\n\n $49.50\n\n TOTAL PRICE:\n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250812 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Moonlight and MAwazo 2025 summer contest ends august 31st 20 25 DTSTAMP:20250812T200626Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:455-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n https://www.moonlightandmawazo.com/submissions\n\n Work m ust be submitted in PDF format via the website.\n\n The submission must ra nge between 1\,500 and 7\,500 words. Submissions must be in Times New Roma n\, double-spaced and 12-point font. Anything outside of this range will b e automatically disqualified. Broken files or non-PDF files will not be ju dged.\n\n You may submit up to 3 story entries. Each submission will need its own entry form and  $25 entry fee. Students and Seniors 65+- $15 entr y fee. Each submission will be considered under its own merit. All entry f ees are non-refundable.\n\n LinkedIn\n\n https://www.linkedin.com/in/moonl ight-and-mawazo-98aa782a5/\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250812 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where is Farmer Ted now? 08/01/2025 DTSTAMP:20250802T004545Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:431-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Where is Farmer Ted now?\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/h ddeviant/art/1223573348\n\n\n\n Audio\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richa rdmurrayhumblr/791612681299869696/where-are-they-now-farmer-ted-sixteen-ca ndles\n\n CRliterature challenge\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ journal/Where-Are-They-Now-Farmer-Ted-Sixteen-Candles-1216942649\n\n\n\n f orum post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11753-where-are-they-now-farmer-t ed-sixteen-candles-deviantart-august-birthday-literature-challenge-winners -will-get-prizes/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayh umblr/791612681299869696/where-are-they-now-farmer-ted-sixteen-candles\n\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250801 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where Are They Now: Elaine - Ghostbusters 2 DTSTAMP:20250612T171452Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:329-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Ok fellow writers\, let's have some fun\, and answer the most important questions\, the most challenging mysteries... Where Are The y Now !!  First up\, a little lady some of you may have heard of \, but w e all must wonder after her dire predictions. Where Is Elaine from Ghostbu sters 2 Now!?\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Where-Are-T hey-Now-Elaine-Ghostbusters-2-1205470051\n\n\n\n Audio\n\n\n\n https://www .tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/791591797465956352/where-are-they-now-elai ne-ghostbusters-2-by\n\n\n\n Prose\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevian t/art/Where-is-Elaine-Now-1208602076\n\n\n\n The challenge with Ghosbuster gallery art\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/status-update/Ok-fel low-writers-let-s-have-1205775525\n\n aalbc forum post\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/topic/11673-where-are-they-now-elaine-ghostbusters-2/\n\n\n\n aalbc status post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=28 62&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurra yhumblr/791591797465956352/where-are-they-now-elaine-ghostbusters-2-by\n\n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250612 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Where Are They Now: Salvadore - Jaws 07/04/2025 DTSTAMP:20250704T231824Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:374-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Where Are They Now: Salvadore - Jaws\n\n\n\n In a comment in the deviantart post linked below in 250 words or less\, in your own wo rds and without the assistance of AI or similar machine learning tools\, w rite a short fan fiction detailing the continuing story of Salvadore from Jaws and his fishing or non fishing exploits after that fateful July 4th s eason in Amity Island. Help Jaws aficionado's solve the mystery of this re sident! \n\n\n\n Here’s the rules and rewards for this @CRLiterature ac tivity: \n\n\n\n All entries must abide by the DeviantArt Terms of Servic e\, Fair Use rules for submissions\, and the group rules for CRLiterature\ ; off topic or inappropriate entries will be removed.  \n\n\n\n Share you r entry as a comment to this journal for reward considerations.      \n\n\n\n Only submit one (1) comment for this engagement that is your ve ry best work\; all entries must be original concepts and human-written\, n o AI-assisted entries are allowed and will be removed.       \n\ n\n\n Comment with your entry by the end of the day on Thursday July 31\, 2025 for rewards consideration for this activity.  \n\n\n\n Winners selec ted at the sole discretion of CRLiterature group admin\; all decisions are final and non-negotiable. We will select four (4) winners by Friday Augus t 8\, 2025\, to receive the following rewards::\n\n\n\n Each winner will g et 500 points and a quartz badge\n\n\n\n One of the four will get a hype b adge\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Where-Are-They-Now-S alvadore-Jaws-1210527648\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the standalone story \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Where-is-Salvadore-Now-121698824 8\n\n\n\n Audio\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/7915942 97330892800/where-are-they-now-salvadore-jaws-by-hddeviant\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr/791594297330892800/where-ar e-they-now-salvadore-jaws-by-hddeviant\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250704 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:FIYAH's SINNERS SAINTS HAINTS exclusive issue submission sta rted 2025 DTSTAMP:20250811T023806Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:453-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n FIYAH's SINNERS SAINTS HAINTS exclusive issue submission\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Here at FIYAH\, it’s no secret that we LOVE horror— and y’all are damn good at writing it! Inspired by the film SINNERS\, we want to celebrate the Southern Gothic renaissance with a special issue.\n \n\n\n From August 20th to August 31st\, FIYAH is accepting submissions fo r SINNERS\, SAINTS\, AND HAINTS. This issue is exclusive to reprinted stor ies\, i.e. stuff that has already appeared in other magazines. (If you hav e original fiction and poetry\, please save it for a future issue!) Eden R oyce and Shakeema Smalls will serve as guest editors for prose and poetry. \n\n\n\n This banger’s gonna drop October 31st\, just in time to close o ut Black Speculative Fiction Month. Please see our website’s Submissions page for more info.\n\n\n\n SUBMISSION GUIDELINES\n\n https://fiyahlitmag .com/submissions/\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250820 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250901 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The problem with List - Black 100 Films from the Black Movie Hall of Fame DTSTAMP:20250810T233807Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:451-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I have said multiple times\, I find labels are rarely wel l thought out in the USA\, The list of 100 best black films by a supposed black organization [has to be financed and populated by blacks to be a bla ck organization] includes films\, not even directed or written by blacks.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 6. “Claudine” (1974)  - directed by a nonblack man\, and I like Claudine\n\n 10. “Carmen Jones” (1954) - based on a n onblack theatrical play\n\n 21. “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert” (1979 ) How do you lump a live comedy show next to a fiction? \n\n 22.  “S haft” (1971) - story written by a white man\n\n 31.  “Glory” (1989) - written directed and financed by whites \n\n 32.  “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018) - a black version of a white character\n\n 6 3.  “Black Orpheus” (1959) based on a white mythology\, directed by a white man... and I like Orfeu Negro\n\n\n\n The Oldest is \n\n 50. “Wi thin Our Gates” (1920) \, personally happy 35.  “The Emperor Jones” (1933)  made it\, fewer black people know Paul Robeson today\, which is telling cause Paul Robeson more than Malcolm or Martin or many other Black men was a Black man of many talents registered by whites\n\n But within o ur gates is placed 50... the thing about white movie list is white movie l ist go reverse\, the oldest get preference on top\, the youngest go to the bottom. Within Our Gates is not better than the Heat of the Night... ok.  \n\n\n\n And for me\, to see Black Girl from Ousmane Sembene is ok\, but \, Emitai or Ceddo alone are better than most of the movies on this list. I will be blunt\, Black Girl is good but Emitai or Ceddo are top 5 based on story and quality. And then the damn princess and the damn frog made it ... and I don't see any films from India\, a number of Indians from India are Kalo's/Habshi/Blacks \, And a film from Kemet/Egypt I recall about a c leaning woman\, a Nuba and has what I call a mamluk friend\, whose husband goes to jail but he kills a man who hurt his wife while in jail... nahhh this list.  I am not your negro is beneath friday ok I am glad 57.  “ Sonkofa” (1993) and 29.  “Watermelon Man” (1970) and 90.  “Daugh ters of the Dust” (1991) made it \, cause some of the films many black p eople haven't seen or heard of. \n\n\n\n   \n\n 86.  “Bamboozled” (2000) is a criminal entry for me and the The Blood of Jesus 1941 from SPe ncer Williams not being on is a criminal absene for me. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n They show fun facts and say Sidney poitier is in six films\, well let u s list them\n\n 26.  “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961)\n\n 37.  “Lilies of the Field” (1963)\n\n 43.  “In the Heat of the Night” (1967)\n \n 69.  “To Sir\, With Love” (1967) for the record the black writer o f the book hated this movie\, anyway\n\n 85.  “Uptown Saturday Night” (1974) the first of the cosby poitier triology\n\n 95.  “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967)\n\n\n\n this is Rich's best six sidney poitier films\n\n A Warm December 1973\n\n Buck and the Preacher 1972\n\n For Lov e of Ivy1968\n\n The Long Ships 1964\n\n Paris Blues 1961\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n And then Denzel WAshington is in more than any other thespian. Ok\, but lets look at the top three with a Denzel Washington movie up there\n\n 1. “Malcolm X” (1992)\n\n 2. “Black Panther” (2018)\n\n 3. “Do The Right Thing” (1989)\n\n\n\n And as a writer\, who mostly writes origina l stories\,  inspired from a wide swatch of Black fiction\, including bef ore the 1900s\, I see these three films as indicative of the commercial pr oblem for a black writer like me. \n\n The first film is a biopic\, I des pise biographies ninety nine percent fo the time. Do I love Brother Malcol m\, son of a Garveyite\, best male black leader in the 1900s ... 100% do I think he's biopic from spike lee should be higher than fifty ? no.  But it makes sense\, black people in the usa in particular are a boring people s. We like soap operas/telenovelas/cheap drama... biopics are that\, cheap dramas. Malcolm's life can be read and important points known\, seeing th e dramatized version is really just that. \n\n Black panther\, written by a non black originally\, produced by a non black firm to gather modern bl ack movie going dollars which are bigger than ever before. ok... I still l ove Milestone better than DC or Marvel and... my favorite comic in Milesto ne comic is blood syndicate but ok.  Black people love black white charac ters either black characters that are phenotypical versions of non black c haracters or black characters that come from non black imaginations. I ten d to write neither. \n\n Finally... Do the right thing... nice cast\, god o scenes but what is it really? Urban Drama\, when you see the power serie s\, which is financially very profitable\, you see Do the right thing. The intro to Do The Right THing has a dance sequence by a mulatta woman. The end is a neutral ending with a reconciliation amidst or within an imbalanc ed or uneven city\, that being New York City. The idea is a neutral embrac e of the usa\, black pride to grow but integrated peace to live aside the non black determined. Very statian but I am not so sure how many black peo ple in the usa in the past or now\, truly believe that path\, but simply a bet it because of impotency.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But I have experience with these things. For me\, what matters after looking at a list is how it was made. Who voted? Yeah ok\, somebody made a list\, that is nice\, but how was it constructed\, who voted?  I didn't vote\, the village didn't vote. Most times in the usa list of the best are always made by a group that do esn't reflect all or even evenly. And that is whether black or non black.  \n\n I went to the team page and see two people\, so these two people ma de this list\, that explains everything. \n\n https://blackmoviehalloffam e.org/our-team/\n\n\n\n And then I finally saw the following\n\n\n\n https ://blackmoviehalloffame.org/the-critic-lists/\n\n\n\n Black Critics made t his list\, ok. Black Film Critics/judges like most film judges have a huge bias based on their employer or their own personal taste and all of these critics are based in the usa \, applying themselves to a list of a global ly existing thing like Black film so ok. I comprehend. I get the 100 and i t is fine. It isn't indicative of the black populace\, but should be title d\, the BLACK STATIAN FILM CRITICS 100 BEST BLACK MOVIES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n I wish they would had not made a list. That would h ad been better in my view. Stop making lists\, stop trying to tell people what is best or what is better. Stop trying to make complex histories in t he arts or away from the arts structured in some order of supposed value. I see this in AALBC all the time\, people post their views and want to ran k \, which I sadly have done as well. But\, I try to not do it\, and if I owned or managed a supposed Black organization I will spend time making so mething that makes all black people feel welcomes\, equal. For example\, i nstead of a all time black 100 list\, why not a map. \n\n\n\n Why not a m ap of films involving Black people\, not black films\, films involving Bla ck people\, which includes Black Films (produced by/directed by/writtenby /starring mostly black people) plus non Black Films (produced by /directed by/written by/starring mostly non black people).\n\n\n\n In this way\, it can grow and all are equal. \n\n\n\n If anyone is willing to make map th ese films  for fun\, and join me\, just send me a message. Let's have fun . \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I end with \, I hope the renovation of the theater in misouri goes well\, it will be done February 28th 2026 \, but I am not a fan of Afro Americana\, and I find the placement of black things away from the black geographic distribution of black people in the usa states is... saddening. \n\n\n\n I will be blunt\, the black populace in the usa shou ld have only three locals for all things: New York City/Los Angeles/New Or leans... New York city for the north east which includes the northern sout h (maryland/virginia) and the north center (detroit\,chicago\, cleveland)\ n\n\n\n Los Angeles for the west coast blacks as the black populace in the usa has a huge gap in its geographic distribution.\n\n\n\n New Orleans fo r the confederate south and neighbors(missouri/tennessee/texas /florida/ca rolinas)\n\n\n\n Kansas City come on\, that isn't a black center\, look at this map. Black people can live anywhere in the usa today\, it doesn't me an the black populace is centered everywhere\, come on. It can't be for mo st black people when it isn't at a central point.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Missour i doesn't even have a majority black county\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I wonder how many Black children will be able to make the trip to the Black Movie Hall of Fame outside Kansas City?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/11758-the-100-best-black-movies-ever/\n\n\n\n COMMENTARY\n\n \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11758-the-100-best-black-movies-ever/#find Comment-75435\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250810 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Tananarive Due + Steven Barnes The Three Lies of Writing Hor ror DTSTAMP:20250809T011425Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:450-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I will try and post a video if something is made public.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Forum post\n\n\n\n Tananarive Due teaching and givin g an excerpt - Black Literature - African American Literature Book Club\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now for anyone writing a book or screenplay\, this is a great opportunity to learn from Tananarive Due\, writer of the R eformatory and the cowriter of the Twilight Zone episode \" A Small Town\" side her husband Steven Barnes. \n\n\n\n From Steven Barnes of Lifewriti ng\n\n People have called Tananarive the \"Queen of Black Horror.\" Her la test book\, THE REFORMATORY\, has sold more copies than anything in her ca reer - and we're in post-production on our first horror short film\, THE K EEPER.\n\n We've taught thousands of writing students\, and we're ready to expose three lies that keep writers struggling to reach their dreams to w rite horror that haunts and sells.\n\n Why ‘talent’ is a myth (and wha t actually sells 100K+ books).\n\n The one thing more important than goals .\n\n The shocking truth about \"solitary genius.\"\n\n Free live webinar: The Three Lies of Writing Horror\, August 13th at 8p ET / 5p PT\n\n Stay to the end for an exclusive peek at her upcoming new novel. (She'll read a n excerpt!)\n\n Reserve Your Spot Now - www[dot]freehorrortalk[dot]com\n\n CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK TO RESERVE\n\n https://diamondhour.aweb.page/p/3 b0523f7-6884-4da0-80ea-db2a72b132e2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If there is a video I will try and place it\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250813 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thoughts to \"Adaptation\" from Jess of the Shire DTSTAMP:20250802T233258Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:437-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Thoughts to \"Adaptation\" from Jess of the Shirt\n\n htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Bpgmt1NuQ\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n excellent video\, I concur\, judgement of faithful comparison is used negative. Yes\ , religion is the problem\, the thing read again isn't sacre sanct. To you r point\, the echo chamber structure of the modern world wide web\, and ho w people collaborate in the echo chambers\, makes the solitary read more e njoyable to those who desire an echo chamber more than the collective art construct of films where varied voices one does not want get a say. Where would King Arthur rule if not for adaptation?\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n IN AME NDMENT\n\n I always try to see what a fellow artist is trying to do. Even in movies I dislike the most\,  like cw fields birth of a nation\, which is an adaption\, i see what fields wanted to achieve. And although I don't like the book either\, I comprehend the author's arguments or points as a n artist should to any other artist work. If anything my negative issue is n't adaptations but forced reboots. Never continuing a story\, always rebo oting is tiresome for me. I think stories can be changed or repaired in th eir storytelling quality through continuing the story.... I have given mys elf time to think and when I think on Songs of the South from disney\, whi ch is an adaption of uncle remus tales from chandler which itself is an ad aption from spoken folk tales from black people. I don't care for the vari ation of the stories\, or the uncle remus character but the movie wasn't c reated to be enjoyed black people. The film was designed to get white kids to enjoy and comfort white parents. It wasn't meant for nonwhites who at that time didn't have the fiscal potency of today. ala Disney making Black panther in modern times. \n\n ANOTHER COMMENT\n\n @marocat4749  I think for some making howl not an \"ugly duckling \" hurt. many enjoy  that in the books aside of the hatter women's more strong willed natures as a gro up. It is only teased in the film. But I enjoyed the books+ the film. I li ke what they did with the witch of the waste in the film.Miyazaki to his d efense doesn't like the all bad or all good characters... and lastly\, whi le the castle is a smoke stack in the book\, i enjoy the flying frog in th e film \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250801 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:National Association of Black Bookstores Officially Launches DTSTAMP:20250806T191553Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:448-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n From @Troy\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\n\n\n \n\n NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK BOOKSTORES OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES TO CHAM PION BLACK LITERARY CULTURE\n\n\n\n \n\n Sacramento\, CA (August 4\, 2025) — Inspired by the legacy of the country's first Black-owned bookstores and the remarkable individuals behind them\, the official launch of the Na tional Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2) took place today. As a first -of-its-kind national organization\, NAB2 has been built to unify\, elevat e\, and empower Black-owned bookstores across the country.\n\n\n\n \n\n NA B2 is a nonprofit collective created to promote literacy\, amplify Black voices\, and preserve Black culture by increasing the visibility\, sustain ability\, and impact of Black bookstores and booksellers. The organizati on represents a powerful step toward creating long-term infrastructure and collective advocacy for one of the most vital cultural cornerstones of Bl ack America.\n\n\n\n \n\n “For decades Black bookstores have been the co nnective tissue in communities across the nation. Many of us have talked f or years about the power of collective action and now\, with the founding of NAB2 we have the ability to institutionalize policies and practices th at will allow for the further growth and flourishing of these important in stitutions”— Blanche Richardson\, Founding Board Member and Owner\, M arcus Books\n\n\n\n \n\n The organization’s inaugural board includes tra ilblazers from some of the country’s most historic and impactful Black b ookstores. Many of these are now being led by third\, fourth and fifth gen eration family member bookstore owners including Marshall’s Music and B ooks (Jackson\, MS)\, Hakim’s Bookstore (Philadelphia\, PA)\, Marcus Books (Oakland\, CA)\, and Source Booksellers (Detroit\, MI). NAB2’s multi-tiered membership model invites bookstore owners\, professional boo ksellers\, and at-large industry allies\, authors\, publishers\, and distr ibutors\, to join in shaping a national agenda rooted in equity\, culture\ , and commerce.\n\n\n\n \n\n “My mother\, Mother Rose\, founded and ran  Underground Books in Oak Park. My involvement in the National Associati on of Black Bookstores is deeply personal. It’s a way for me to honor h er legacy and ensure that the stories\, voices\, and spaces she cherished continue to thrive\,” said Kevin Johnson\, Founder\, National Associati on of Black Bookstores.\n\n\n\n \n\n The core priorities of the organizati on are as follows:\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n Elevating the Black bookstore commun ity by offering professional resources\, increased visibility\, and a str ong network of support\;\n \n \n Expanding representation in the booksel ling industry by supporting long-term financial sustainability and growth\ ;\n \n \n Leveraging economies of scale to benefit both current and futu re Black bookstores and booksellers\;\n \n \n Serving as a collective voi ce for Black bookstores through advocacy and public engagement\;\n \n \n Educating the public about the rich history and enduring legacy of Black bookstores in America.\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Structured with a full board of di rectors\, advisory board\, and general membership body\, NAB2 plans to co nvene virtually and in person throughout the year\, with key events slated during Black Lit Weekend in New York (August 15–16) and the Sacramento Black Book Fair (September 12–13).\n\n\n\n \n\n For more information\, t o become a member\, or to support NAB2\, visit www.nab2.org or follow @n ab2blk on social platforms.\n\n\n\n \n\n About the National Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2)\n\n\n\n \n\n The National Association of Black Bo okstores (NAB2) is the first and only national organization dedicated to e mpowering Black-owned bookstores and booksellers. Founded in 2025\, NAB2 e xists to promote literacy\, amplify Black voices\, and preserve Black cult ural heritage by strengthening the visibility\, sustainability\, and impac t of Black bookstores across the United States. Through advocacy\, educati on\, strategic partnerships\, and a unified membership network\, NAB2 supp orts Black literary spaces as engines of community\, commerce\, and cultur al change. Learn more at www.nab2.org and follow @nab2blk on social plat forms.\n\n\n\n \n\n Media Contact:\n\n Pristina Alford\n\n Alford &\; C o. Public Relations\n\n pristina@alfordandco.com\n\n\n\n USE THE FOLLOWING QRCODE TO SHARE TO ANY BLACK BOOKSTORE YOU KNOW TO SIGN THEM UP\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11761-national-association- of-black-bookstores-officially-launches\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250804 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:WHy Freedom? Open call for African Filmmakers DTSTAMP:20250806T172259Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:447-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n OPEN CALL for African Filmmakers: WHY FREEDOM? (Africa Ed ition)🎬🌍\n\n Submit by August 12th 2025\n\n\n\n https://mydocubox.or g/\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n In partnership with THE WHY\, DOCUBOX EADFF is calling on filmmakers across the continent to pitch short documentaries (5–15 m in) that explore freedom\, from your perspective\, in the context you know best. Political\, personal\, social\, economic\, or environmental — all interpretations are welcome.\n\n \n\n With democracy and individual freed oms under increasing pressure\, this series is part of a global effort to spotlight the many lived realities of what freedom looks like\, feels like \, or is still being fought for.✊🏽✨\n\n \n\n From grounded reflecti on to bold perspective\, we’re looking for 6 clear\, compelling narrativ es — anchored in voices you’re well-positioned to share\, with real co nnection to the people\, places\, or moments at their core.\n\n \n\n Call Details:\n\n 🔹 $7\,000 USD production grant\n\n 🔹 Online Story devel opment lab\n\n 🔹 5-day Physical Editing Lab Mentorship in Nairobi (Dec 2025)\n\n 🔹 Global distribution via THE WHY Foundation\n\n \n\n ***Dead line: 12 August 2025***\n\n \n\n “To be free is not merely to cast off o ne’s chains\, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedo m of others.” — Nelson Mandela 💫\n\n \n\n If your story questions w hat freedom is\, or isn’t \, in your context\, we want to hear it.\n\n \ n\n Apply now via link the in bio or via submission.mydocubox.org\n\n \n\n #WHYFreedom #Docubox #AfricanFilmmakers #OpenCall\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250806 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:1800s Black Statian Fiction -FREE TO READ DTSTAMP:20250806T010813Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:446-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n 1800s Black Statian Fiction \n\n\n\n Growing up in the h ome of my parents I had from a child 1800s Black Literature. and I read it and it shaped my thinking towards media. One of the reasons why I don't g et excited about white fiction largely is because I was raised with a more honest comprehension of Black Fiction\, which most black people when chil dren are not. And to be blunt\, not sacred but secular. One of the things I realized as an adult is how religious many black homes are. Christianity /ISlam/Judaism/Buddhism/Vodun/Yoruba or other\, Black people tend to be ra ised in a faith based home\, so alot of literature involving Black people tend to encircle faith based living so relibious text/spiritual text/self help/biographical books... but fiction tends to not be on the shelf. I fig ured in the African American Literary Book club someone should place publi c variants of work that is freely available but indicative of Black People in the 1800s or before. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Negro Spirituals + Work Song s [Originally Predating the USA\, the modern form comes from the circa 186 5 variants of either\, as whites successfully eliminated most record of bl ack life from being created or if it was created]\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /blogs/entry/498-negro-spirituals-work-songs/\n\n\n\n Bars Fight 1746 from Lucy Terry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/348-bars-fight-from-lucy- terry/\n\n\n\n Hope Of Liberty 1829 + Poetical Works 1845 from George M Ho rton\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/485-george-m-horton-remembering- juneteenth/\n\n\n\n Le Mulâtre 1837 from Victor Séjour \n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/blogs/entry/495-le-mul%C3%A2tre-from-victor-s%C3%A9jour-two-vers ions-split-by-an-essay/\n\n\n\n Clotel 1853 from William Well Brown\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/496-clotel-or-the-presidents-daughter-a-nar rative-of-slave-life-in-the-united-states-by-william-well-brown/\n\n\n\n T he Garies and their friends 1857 from Francis Johnson Webb\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/blogs/entry/497-the-garies-and-thier-friends/\n\n\n\n Blake 1861 from Martin Delaney\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/494-weekly-%C2%A 0anglo-african-and-%C2%A0the-pine-and-palm%C2%A0-excerpts-from-1861%E2%80% 931862blake-or-the-huts-of-america-a-tale-of-the-mississippi-valley-the-so uthern-united-states-and-cuba-from-martin-delany/\n\n\n\n Shuffle ALong 19 21 from Eubie Blake [Yes not 1800s and not the earliest Black stageplay\, I have a book of early black stageplays\, it hasn't been made electronic\, but ]\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/478-my-search-for-shuffle-alon g/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTE: the following are in my personal collection an d I haven't seen their contents publicly available. \n\n Les Cenelles [in teresting essay: https://64parishes.org/entry/les-cenelles \; a book on th e gens de colour : https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20554/20554-h/20554-h.h tm ]\n\n Every Tongue Got To Confess [Collected by Zora Neale Hurston \, a very informative and fun read\, exposing many fables and tales of Black p eople pre war between the states]\n\n\n\n AMENDMENT: an interesting read\n \n Spiritual Folk songs about the USA  [ https://www.gutenberg.org/files/ 59884/59884-h/59884-h.htm ]\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250805 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Negro Spirituals + Work Songs DTSTAMP:20250806T005615Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:445-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n The Negro Spirituals predate the USA\, as do t he Work Songs. Imagine what has been lost is how the NEgro Spirituals plus work songs changed from the early 1500s to circa 1865\, when the war betw een the states ended. I don't even know how that knowledge can be obtained as written records for black art were not allowed by the white enslavers. ....\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NEGRO SPIRITUALS\n\n\n\n The Project Gutenberg eBo ok of Religious Folk-Songs of the Southern Negroes\nThis ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the wo rld at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it \, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg Lice nse included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are no t located in the United States\, you will have to check the laws of the co untry where you are located before using this eBook.\nTitle: Religious Fol k-Songs of the Southern Negroes\n\nAuthor: Howard Washington Odum\n\nRelea se date: March 8\, 2012 [eBook #39078]\n\nLanguage: English\n\nCredits: Pr oduced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at\nhttp://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images\ngenerously made available by The Int ernet Archive.)\n\n*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RELIGIOUS FOLK -SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN NEGROES ***\nReligious Folk-Songs\nOF THE\nSouthern Negroes\n \n\nBy HOWARD W. ODUM\nFellow in Psychology\, Clark University\ n\n \n\nA DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF\nCLARK UNIVERSITY\, WOR CESTER\, MASS.\, IN PARTIAL\nFULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE\nDEGRE E OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY\, AND ACCEPTED\nON THE RECOMMENDATION OF G. STAN LEY HALL\n\n \n\nReprinted from the Am. Jour. of Religious Psy. and Ed.\nJ uly\, 1909. Vol. 3\, pp. 265-365.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n[Pg 1]\n\nRELIGIOUS FO LK-SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN NEGROES[1]\n\nBy HOWARD W. ODUM\nFellow in Psycho logy\, Clark University.\n\nTo know the soul of a people and to find the s ource from which flows the expression of folk-thought is to comprehend in a large measure the capabilities of that people. To obtain the truest expr ession of the folk-mind and feeling is to reveal much of the inner-conscio usness of a race. And the knowledge of those evidences which are most repr esentative of race life constitutes the groundwork of a knowledge of socia l and moral tendencies\, hence of social and moral needs. The student of r ace traits and tendencies must accept testimony from within the race\, and in the study of race character the value of true expressions of the feeli ngs and mental imagery cannot be overestimated. Thus it is possible to app roximate knowledge of a race. To bring a people face to face with themselv es and to place them fairly before the world is the first service that can be rendered in the solution of race problems.\n\nTo preserve and interpre t the contributions of a people to civilization is [Pg 2]to add to the sci ence of folk-history. Posterity has often judged peoples without having so much as a passing knowledge of their inner life\, while treasures of folk -lore and song\, the psychic\, religious\, and social expression of the ra ce\, have been permitted to remain in complete obscurity. Likewise peoples have lived contemporaneously side by side\, but ignorant of the treasures of folk-gems that lay hidden and wasting all about them. The heart and so ul of the real people are unknown\, science is deprived of a needed contri bution\, and the world is hindered in its effort to discover the full sign ificance of the psychological\, religious\, social and political history o f mankind. That which is distinctly the product of racial life and develop ment deserves a better fate than to be blown away with changing environmen t\, and not even remain to enrich the soil from which it sprang. Justice t o the race and the scientific spirit demand the preservation of all intere sting and valuable additions to the knowledge of folk-life. The successful study of the common development of the human intellect in primitive thoug ht is thus advanced. The exact form of expression itself constitutes a con tribution to knowledge and literature.\n\nThe value and importance of folk -lore are gladly recognized. Its successful study and a more comprehensive recognition of its worth have revealed new problems and new phases of tho ught. Not only its relation to civilization as an historical science and a s it bears definitely upon peoples of modern cultural areas is recognized\ , but its essential value in the study of psychological\, anthropological\ , and sociological conditions has called forth the most careful study that has been possible to give it. On the scientist’s part\, knowledge has b een increased\, while on the other hand\, the peoples of the world have be come more united in the appreciation of the kindred development of human t hought. The vast contributions to folk-science and their relation to scien tific interest\, bear testimony to this truth. And perhaps even more with folk-song\, a greater work is to be done. As a part of folk-lore it repres ents less of the traditional and more of the spontaneous. Its collection a nd study is now being pursued with more zeal and with marked success. And the hope may well be expressed that with the growing interest in folk-song may come an increased knowledge of all that is nearest and truest to the phyletic as well as the genetic concept of a people\, and that with this k nowledge may come effective efforts toward race adjustment and new aids in the solution of race problems.\n\n[Pg 3]The situation of the Southern neg ro is unique. His problems are peculiarly intricate. The problem of the re lations between the whites and blacks is far-reaching. Social conditions a re changing and it is of paramount importance that every step taken shall be well founded and in the right direction. The political\, the social\, a nd the economical position of the negro\, his education\, his religion\, h is tendencies—these are themes that demand definite and accurate compreh ension above all else. Truths have too often been assumed. Passion and pre judice have often hindered the attainment of noble ends which were earnest ly sought. A true knowledge of actual conditions\, if properly set forth\, must convince the sincere observer as to the proper relations which shoul d exist between the two races. Nothing else should do it\; nothing else ca n do it. And any evidences that will assist in fixing the real status of t he negro should be welcomed by both the whites and the blacks\; progress m ay then be encouraged from the proper starting point. In revealing much of what he is rather than what he appears to be\, the folk-songs of the Sout hern negro are superior to any superficial study made from partial observa tions. The insight into negro character gained from their folk-songs and p oetry accompanied by careful and exhaustive concrete social studies may be accepted as impartial testimony. And on the other hand\, the changing eco nomic and educational conditions\, the increasing influence of the white m an upon the negro\, and the rapid progress that is being made on every han d in the South indicate that if the present-day folk-songs of the negro ar e to be preserved\, they must be collected now. Should they be permitted t o become a lost record of the race?\n\nIn the present work some of the pop ular songs that are current among the negroes of the Southern States are g iven. They are highly representative. They may be classified into two gene ral divisions: The religious songs or spirituals\, and the secular songs. The secular songs are again divided into two classes\, the general social songs\, and work-songs\, phrases and “shanties”. For the most part col lections of negro folk-songs in the past have been limited to the old spir ituals. The present-day religious songs and the social productions are equ ally interesting and valuable. The particular nature and characteristics o f these songs are discussed in connection with the examples. They are flex ible and have various forms\, they consist of broken and unbroken melodies \, they have stately and rapid minor cadences. Musical notes[Pg 4] can giv e only a skeleton of the real melody that accompanies the words\; the pecu liar qualification of the negro singers to render their melodies defies ar t to exactly symbolize it. The words of the songs are given as they are su ng\, and the reader must needs employ an imagination kindred in vividness to that which is reflected in the songs themselves if he would comprehend their essential qualities. The characteristic quality is often found in an improvised arrangement of words which makes the dominant feeling that of mingling words and cadencies successfully. The meaningless phrases and ref rains do not hinder the expression of feeling through the minor chords. Si mple emotion\, inherent melody\, and colloquial language are combined with fine and differentiating imagery and humor in an under-meaning common to the folk-song. An element of melancholia may be felt underlying many of th e songs. But with all alike\, vigor of expression\, concreteness and natur alness of mental imagery\, and simplicity of language and thought are comb ined with striking folk-art. The negro’s projective mental imagery assum es that the hearer’s comprehension can easily grasp the full picture of description\, moral maxims\, and dramatic dialogues\, all combined in a si ngle verse\, and that he can do it without confusion. Here may be seen muc h of the naked essence of poetry with unrefined language which reaches for the negro a power of expression far beyond that which any modern refineme nt of language and thought may approach. Rhythm\, rhyme\, and the feeling of satisfaction are accompanying inherent qualities. The natural poetic sp irit and the power of the imagination in the negro are worthy of study.\n\ nIn addition to these general qualities of the negro folk-songs\, it need only be suggested here that the best conception of his religious\, moral\, mental and social tendencies is reflected in them. That which the negro w ill not reveal concerning his religion\, his religious songs tell better t han he could possibly do. His social nature and unconscious ideals bubble out from his spontaneous social songs. In the expression of his natural fe elings and emotions he gives us the reactions of his primitive thought wit h environment. That which is subsequently treated at length may be anticip ated in the approach to a careful consideration of the fullest spirit of t he negro folk-songs\, namely\, that it is important to note that the facul ty of the negro to think\, not exactly as the white man\, or to think in t erms of modern[Pg 5] science and literature\, but in terms of his own psyc hological conditions\, is pronounced. The negro is a part of a nation at t he same time that he is a distinct people\; he\, perhaps\, has more anthro pological importance than historical standing. His present status is an es sential consideration of each of these relations to the civilization of to -day. The emotions\, the religion\, social aspirations and ideals—in fin e\, the character of a people is accustomed to be expressed in their liter ature. The negro has no literature save that of his folk-song and story. M ay these not speak for him\, both the good and the bad\, in the following chapters?\n\nThe work here presented is not exhaustive but representative. The songs are not those of a single plantation\, community or section of the Southern States. They are not the songs of the coast negroes or of the river type. But they are sung popularly as much in Georgia as in Mississi ppi\, as much in Florida as in Tennessee. They are distinctly the represen tative average songs that are current among the common mass of negroes of the present generation. They belong to the negroes who have been constantl y in contact with the whites and to those who have had less association wi th the refinement and culture of the white man. They have been collected c arefully and patiently under many difficulties. Many of them are sung only when the white man does not hear\; they are the folk-song of the negro\, and the negro is very secretive. Not only are they not commonly known by t he whites but their existence is only recognized in general. They are as d istinct from the white man’s song and the popular “coon songs” as ar e the two races.\n\nThe scope of investigation is large and the field is a broad one\; the supply of songs seems inexhaustible. Yet the student may not collect them hurriedly. He who has not learned by long observation and daily contact with Southern conditions the exact situation will make litt le progress in gathering valuable data. While all contributions to the tot al of negro folk-songs have been very valuable\, still it is true that the y have been too long neglected and the studies made have been too partial. The nature of the negro’s songs is constantly changing\; the number is continually increasing. They should be studied as the conditions of the ne groes are investigated. They are the product of our soil and are worthy of a distinct place in literature. In the following work the effort is made to present the best of the negro’s[Pg 6] songs and to interpret impartia lly the exact spirit of their essential qualities. In the following pages the effort is made to note many of the negro’s mental characteristics as studied in the interpretation of the scope\, meaning and origin of his so ngs\, and the essential qualities of his religion as found in the analysis of his\n\n \n\nReligious Songs and Spirituals.\n\nThe religious songs of the negro have commonly been accepted as characteristic music of the race. The name “spirituals” given them long years ago is still current\, wh ile these songs\, composed by the negroes\, and passing from generation to generation with numerous modifications\, retain many of their former char acteristics. In former days the spirituals were judged to be the most beau tiful production of the race and the truest representation of the negro’ s real self. Some of these songs have been published\, and for a time thei r emotional beauty and simplicity of expression won for the negro a defini te place in the hearts of those who had not hitherto known him. He was oft en judged by these songs alone\, reported only imperfectly and superficial ly\, and forthwith came many expressions of delight and enthusiasm for the future possibilities of the negro. These expressions indicate not only th e power of the singing of negro spirituals upon those who heard them\, but also many of the characteristics of the old and present-day spirituals.\n \nThe following expressions represent a summary of past judgments and crit icism of negro spirituals.[2] The hymns of a congregation of “impassione d and impressible worshippers” have been “full of unpremeditated and i rresistible dramatic power.” Sung “with the weirdest intonations”\, they have indeed appeared “weird and intensely sad”—“such music\, touching and pathetic\, as I have never heard elsewhere”\, “with a mys tical effect and passionate striving throughout the whole.” And again\ , “Never\, it seems to me\, since man first lived and suffered\, was his infinite longing and suffering uttered more plaintively.” Besides being a relaxation to the negroes these quaint religious songs were “a stimul us to courage and a tie to[Pg 7] heaven.” Or again\, “I remember that this minor-keyed pathos used to seem to me almost too sad to dwell upon\, while slavery seemed destined to last for generations\; but now that their patience has had its perfect work\, history cannot afford to lose this po rtion of the record. There is no parallel instance of an oppressed race th us sustained by the religious sentiment alone. These songs are but the voc al expression of the simplicity of their faith and the sublimity of their long resignation.” Such songs “are all valuable as an expression of th e character and life of the race which is playing such a conspicuous part in our history. The wild\, sad strains tell\, as the sufferers themselves could\, of crushed hope\, keen sorrow and a dull\, daily misery\, which co vered them as hopelessly as the fog from the rice swamps. On the other han d the words breathe a trusting faith in rest for the future to which their eyes seem constantly turned. The attitude is always the same\, and\, as a comment on the life of the race\, is pathetic. Nothing but patience for t his life—nothing but triumph for the next.” “One can but feel that t hese quaint old spirituals with their peculiar melodies\, having served th eir time with effectiveness\, deserve a better fate than to sink into obli vion as unvalued and unrecorded examples of a bygone civilization.” Many have thought that these songs would pass away immediately with the passin g of slavery and that the old system of words and songs “could not be pe rpetuated without perpetuating slavery as it existed and with the fall of slavery its days were numbered.” And “if they be found neither touchin g in sentiment\, graceful in expression\, nor well balanced in rhythm\, th ey may at least possess interest as peculiarities of a system now no more forever in this country.”\n\nThe negro found satisfaction in singing not only at church but perhaps even more while he performed his daily tasks. Those who heard the old slaves sing will never forget the scenes that acco mpanied the songs. After the lighter songs and brisk melodies of the day w ere over the negroes turned toward eventide to more weird and plaintive no tes. The impressions of such singing have been expressed: “Then the mela ncholy that tinges every negro’s soul would begin to assert itself in dr eamy\, sad and plaintive airs\, and in words that described the most sorro wful pictures of slave life—the parting of loved ones\, the separation o f mother and child or husband and wife\, or the death of those whom the he art cherishes. As he drove his lumbering ox-cart[Pg 8] homeward\, sitting listlessly upon the heavy tongue behind the patient brutes\, the creaking wheels and rough-hewn yokes exhibiting perhaps his own rude handiwork\, th e negro slave rarely failed to sing his song of longing. What if his words were rude and its music ill-constructed? Great poets like Schiller have e ssayed the same theme\, and mighty musicians like Beethoven have striven t o give it musical form. What their splendid genius failed adequately to ex press\, the humble slave could scarce accomplish\; yet they but wrought in the same direction as the poor negro\, whose eyes unwittingly swam in tea rs\, and whose heart\, he scarce knew why\, dissolved in tenderness as he sang in plaintive minor key one or another of his songs.”\n\nThe above q uotations have been given promiscuously\, and while others might be added\ , these suffice to give the general attitude toward the songs of the negro es in the ante-bellum days and since. One other will be added\, giving the expression of a present-day negro leader toward the songs of the slave\, as the best interpretation that has come from within the race. In his intr oduction to Twenty-four Negro Melodies by Coleridge-Taylor in The Musician s Library\, Booker Washington says: “The negro folk-song has for the neg ro race the same value that the folk-song of any other people has for that people. It reminds the race of the ‘rock whence it was hewn\,’ it fos ters race pride\, and in the days of slavery it furnished an outlet for th e anguish of smitten hearts. The plantation song in America\, although an outgrowth of oppression and bondage\, contains surprisingly few references to slavery. No race has ever sung so sweetly or with such perfect charity \, while looking forward to the ‘year of Jubilee.’ The songs abound in scriptural allusions\, and in many instances are unique interpretations o f standard hymns. The plantation songs known as the ‘Spirituals’ are t he spontaneous outbursts of intense religious fervor\, and had their origi n chiefly in the campmeetings\, the revivals and in other religious exerci ses. They breathe a child-like faith in a personal father\, and glow with the hope that the children of bondage will ultimately pass out of the wild erness of slavery into the land of freedom. In singing of a deliverance wh ich they believed would surely come\, with bodies swaying\, with enthusias m born of a common experience and of a common hope\, they lost sight for t he moment of the auction-block\, of the separation of mother and child\, o f sister and brother. There is in the plantation songs a[Pg 9] pathos and a beauty that appeals to a wide range of tastes\, and their harmony makes abiding impression upon persons of the highest culture. The music of these songs goes to the heart because it comes from the heart.”\n\nIt will th us be seen that emphasis has been placed almost entirely upon the emotiona l beauty of the negro songs. They have been portrayed as the exponents of sadness in the race\, and the feelings of the black folk have been describ ed with no little skill. Observation for the most part has been made by th ose who have heard the negro songs but have not studied them. No careful a nalysis has been attempted. Perhaps casual observers have been mistaken as to the intensity of the emotions expressed and have given undue emphasis to its practical relation and effect upon the individual and upon the race . The judgment of those who have not known the negro\, and to whom his sin ging is a revelation\, leads to sweeping generalizations. On the other han d\, those who have known the negroes in many walks of life\, and have come to know him better than any others\, have often emphasized a single phase of the negro folk-song. There can be no doubt as to the beauty and weirdn ess of the negro singing\, but a careful analysis of the general emotional feeling predominating\, together with careful interpretation of all thing s concerned\, make comparisons less dangerous and expressions less extrava gant. Slavery has passed\, four decades of liberty for the slave people ha ve signalized the better civilization\, and there still remains among the negroes the same emotional nature\, the same sad\, plaintive\, beautiful\, rhythmic sorrow-feeling in their songs.\n\nSome of the qualities of the n egro’s emotions as seen in his singing will be noted subsequently. Omitt ing for the present this feature of his songs\, and qualifying the stateme nt by interpreting his nature and environment\, it may be affirmed that al l that has been said of the spirituals is true. They are beautiful\, child like\, simple and plaintive. They are the negro’s own songs and are the peculiar expression of his own being\; much may be said concerning them. M any of the spirituals are still popular among the negroes\, and often take the place of the regular church hymns. The less intelligent negroes sing them\, and they are sung freely by the more intelligent class. Ministers o f all denominations take advantage of their peculiar power to sway the fee lings of the negroes into accustomed channels. Many of the old[Pg 10] spir ituals that were common in slavery are still current and are sung with but little modification\; others are greatly modified and enlarged or shorten ed. Traces of the slave songs may be found in the more modern spirituals t hat have sprung up since the war. The majority of the songs have several v ersions\, differing according to localities\, and affected by continual mo dification as they have been used for many years. Some have been so blende d with other songs\, and filled with new ideas\, as to be scarcely recogni zable\, but clearly the product of the negro singers. Besides the old and the mixed songs\, there are many that are entirely new\, arising out of va rious circumstances and developing with successive renditions.\n\nThe spir ituals current among the Southern negroes to-day are very much like those that were sung three or four decades ago. The differences may be seen in t he comparisons that follow in the examples given: There are more rhymed wo rds in the present-day negro song than there was in the earlier ones\; con sequently there is often less meaning in a line or stanza. The tendency se ems to be more toward satisfactory sound impression than for spontaneous f eeling expression as in the older spirituals. Meaning and words in general are often sacrificed in the effort to make rhyme\, to make the song fit i nto a desired tune\, to bring about a satisfying rhythm\, or to give promi nent place to a single well-sounding word or phrase. It would thus seem th at the religious songs composed in the usual way by the negroes of the pre sent generation have less conviction\, and more purposive features in thei r composition. The dialect of the older songs is purer than those of the p resent-day negro. One finds little consistency in the use of dialect in th e songs that are sung now\; rarely does one hear the lines repeated in exa ctly the same form. Dialect or the common form of the word\, it would seem \, is used according as feeling\, the occasion\, or the necessity for rhym e or rhythm permits or demands. Many of the negro songs that are the most beautiful in their expression would appear expressionless were they robbed of their dialect and vividness of word portrayal. The imagery and dialect give the songs their peculiar charm\; the more mechanical production that is apparently on the increase may be sung to the same melody\, but the so ng itself has little beauty. However\, the negroes themselves prefer the o ld songs and almost invariably return to the singing of the more primitive ones that have become a part of their heritage.[Pg 11] In those cases whe re the tunes differ from the old melodies\, the song has assumed a charact eristic nature\, either from its origin and composition\, from constant us age by the negroes\, from local qualities\, or from unusual combinations. And in these original creations of the negro religion are found the truest expression of nature and life as it is reflected in the negro of to-day\; it is not the expression of complex life\, but of simple longing. In the outbursts of joyous song and melody the note of victory is predominant\; i n the sadder-toned songs\, sung in “plaintive\, rhythmic melody”\, the prevailing note is that of appeal. In either case there is some sort of c onviction back of the song\, and it becomes the expression of primitive hu man life. They set forth the more simple thoughts of an emotional and imag inative worship. They magnify the personal and the spectacular in religion . They satisfy the love of melody\, rude poetry\, and sonorous language. S imple thought is expressed in simple rhyming phrases. Repetition of simila r thoughts and a single chorus\, with simple and pleasing music which lend s itself easily to harmonious expression\, are characteristic. The music i s specially adapted to the chorus-like singing which is produced by the cl ever and informal carrying of many parts by the singers. The song often re quires a single leader\, and a swelling chorus of voices take up the refra in. It is but natural that these songs should be suited to protracted serv ices as good “shoutin’ songs” or “runnin’ speerichils.” The sa me rhythm makes them pleasing to the toilers who are disposed to sing reli gious songs while they work and promotes a spirit of good fellowship as we ll as being conducive to general “good feelin’.” The united singing of children is also beautiful. Throughout these characteristic songs of th e negro\, the narrative style\, the inconsequential\, disjointed statement s\, the simple thought and the fastidious rhymes are all expressive of the negro’s mental operations.\n\nAll of the negro’s church music tends t o take into it the qualities of his native expression—strains minor and sad in their general character. The religious “tone” is a part of the song\, and both words and music conform to the minor key. The negroes deli ght in song that gives stress and swell to special words or phrases that f or one reason or another have peculiar meanings to them. For the most part \, all religious songs are “spirituals” and easily merge into satisfyi ng melodies when occasion demands. With the idea gained from[Pg 12] the mu sic of the songs must be joined the church scenes and its personalities fr eely mingled with the music. The preaching\, praying\, singing and with it shouting and unity of negro worship—perfection of rhythmic sing-song\, these with the throbbing instinct of the people make the negro music what it is. The negroes sing their regular denominational hymns with the same f eeling\, often\, as they do the spirituals\, and while mention must be mad e of their church hymns as such\, they often reach in singing them a clima x similar to their most fervent outbursts\, and freely mingle them with th e old songs. In addition to the tune in which the hymn is written the negr o puts his own music into the singing\, and his own interpretation into th e words. This together with the “feeling-attitude” which is unconsciou sly his\, and the satisfaction which he gets from his singing\, places neg ro church music in a class of its own. A glance at the part which singing plays in the negro’s church services will aid in the interpretation of h is songs.\n\nChurch services are opened with song\; a leader may occupy hi s place at a central table or chair\, select a song and begin to sing. Or they may wait for the “speerit” and a leader from the pews may begin t o sing\, others join in the song\, while the congregation begins to gather in the church. The leader often lines his song aloud\, reading sometimes one\, sometimes two lines\, then singing. He often puts as much music-appe al into the lining of the song as he does in the singing. The rhythmical\, swinging tone of the reader adds zest to the singing which follows. Most of the negroes who sing know a great many songs—in fact\, all of their r egular songs—if they are given a start by the leader. On the other hand\ , the congregation often gives the leader a start when he lags\, and both together keep the song going until they are ready to stop singing or to be gin another song.\n\nIf the service is prayer meeting or a class meeting t he leader usually continues the songs throughout the singing part of the e xercises\; at regular preaching services the preacher reads the regular hy mns and leaves the beginning and the final songs to the leaders. In the cl ass meeting\, the general congregation led by song-leaders sing\, as a rul e\, while the class leaders are engaged with their classes. Now a woman on this side\, now a man or woman on the other side of the church begins the song and others join in the doleful tunes\; so too\, while collections ar e being made the singing is kept up continuously. The[Pg 13] process is th e same: a leader begins to sing\, another joins in the singing\, then anot her and another until the majority of those present are singing. Most negr oes who attend church participate in the singing\, although many will not do so regularly\, preferring to remain quiet for a time\, then to burst ou t into song. The negroes have been proverbial for their good singing\, and undoubtedly they have won a deserved reputation. A group of five or ten n egroes singing at a mid-week prayer meeting will often appear the volume o f song equivalent to that of many times their number of white people singi ng. The comparison\, however\, is not a fair one\, for the music is entire ly different. One can scarcely appreciate the singing of the negroes until he has heard them on various occasions and in different capacities. Let h im listen on a quiet Sunday evening from a position on a hill to the singi ng of four negro congregations\, each clearly audible. It would appear to be the rhythmical expression of deep human feeling and longing in an unres trained outburst of ten thousand souls. Inside the church one may watch th e leaders as they line the songs and listen to their rich\, tremulous voic es\; he may see the others respond and listen to the music of each peculia r voice. The voice of the leader seems to betray great emotions as he read s the lines and begins to sing. He appears literally to drink in inspirati on from the songs while his soul seems to be overflowing as he sings the w ords telling of grace and redemption. However\, he manifests the same kind of emotion when he sings one song as when singing another\, the same emot ion when he reads the words wrongly as when he has read them correctly\; i t makes little difference to him. He is consumed with the music and with t he state of feeling which singing brings to him. After all\, perhaps one f eeling dominates his whole being while he sings\, and there can be no song to him which does not accord with this.\n\nA complete analysis of the neg ro church music in its detail is worthy of the efforts of any one who coul d describe it. And while the folk-song is of more importance in the presen t work than the music of these same songs\, a few further details that are apparently characteristic of the negroes will not be amiss. The singing b egins slowly and with time-honored regularity but is followed by the agree able and satisfying effect made by the joining in of varied voices. Many t imes the singers begin as if they would sing a simple subdued song\, or a hymn with its written music. But in a short while\, apparently not[Pg 14] being able to resist the impulse to give their feelings full sway\, their voices fall into that rhythmical swing peculiar in a large degree to the n egroes\; all measures alike become stately. The average negro is proud of his stylish choir because it represents a step towards a model which the n egroes wish to follow: but they do not like the choir’s singing as well as their own informal song. In general the negro’s song will characteriz e his natural self wherever he sings or hears it sung\; he is loath to giv e it up. And while some pastors have testified that there were no members in their church who would not sing the church songs\, it is very evident t hat many of the younger negroes do not enter fully into the spirit of the old songs and they must necessarily undergo radical changes and rapidly pa ss away.\n\nBefore coming to the further study of the negro spirituals\, i t will be well to inquire into the nature of the favorite standard church hymns commonly used by the negroes in their church services. A comparison may then be made with the popular folk-songs. The favorite songs and most common themes sung by the negroes may best be seen at their prayer meeting s or class meetings\, or at such gatherings as require no formality. One m ay attend week after week and hear the same songs and feel the same pathos emanating from the songs which the worshippers have learned to sing and l ove. They enjoy singing of heaven and rest and luxury where ease abounds a nd where Sabbaths have no end. They love to sing the praises of the Delive rer who shall free them from life’s toils. They have chosen the “goo d old” songs that have vividness and concrete imagery in them\; they hav e placed a new feeling into them and a different interpretation. The meani ng of the words and the sentiment of the song are transcended by the expre ssion in the singing. The accustomed manner\, together with their responsi ve feeling\, absorb whatever of pure devotion might have existed in their attitude—the sinking itself becoming devotion. The negro looks always to some future state for happiness and sings often:\n\nThis earth\, he cries \, is not my place\;\nI seek my place in heaven.\n\nThe negroes sing with a peculiar faith the common stanzas of their hymns: “We’ve seen our fo es before us flee\,” “We’ve seen the timid lose their fears”\, “We’ve seen the prisoners burst their chains”\,[Pg 15] “We’ve s een the guilty lose their stains.” So\, too\, they conceive\, as of old\ , of the eternal rest and sing\, with its full stanzas:\n\nHow sweet a Sab bath thus to spend\,\nIn hope of one that ne’er shall end.\n\nThe singin g of these hymns is beautiful and impressive\, testifying to the truth tha t their favorites appeal to the fitness of worship and accord with the ide al of rhythmical perfection as expressed in the feeling of the worshipper. \n\nThe general state of feeling which accompanies the song thus has much to do with the song itself. The singing with its results is the most satis fying and agreeable part of the worship to the negro’s nature. It satisf ies his social wants and relieves to some extent his child-like psychophys ical cravings. His worship is music to his soul\, whether it be in the wor d-music of the sermon and prayer\, or in the natural outburst of his song\ , or in the rhythm of all combined. It is all freedom from restraint and t he gratification of impulse and the experience of sustained languor. Altho ugh the negro expends a great deal of energy in his singing\, it is nevert heless rest for him as he feels it. Unrestrained expression goes far towar d relieving him of his troubles\, sometimes real\, sometimes imaginary. Wh at the negro imagines to be total confession and contrite submission has a very soothing effect upon him\; the songs reach the climax of this state of feeling. Many negroes may be seen\, with their heads resting backward a nd eyes closed\, singing vigorously their favorite songs\; often they lean forward\, sway back and forth\, apparently in a complete state of passivi ty. Tears and shouts of joy are not inconsistent with the saddest strains of pathos. Their senses are all turned toward the perception of one attitu de\, and besides a wonderful tranquility of feeling\, they also feel and s ee visions. At such a time the negro is at ease and is at liberty to give full expression to his feelings among his own people\, without incentive t o action and without interruption. Is it surprising that after a day’s w ork\, while he has passed the hours away in emptiness of thought or in mis guided thinking and with perverted notions\, he finds sweet rest in some m elodious songs and rhythmic verses as he rests his body in the pew? Is it surprising that he is unwilling to leave the church until a late hour or t hat he does not tire of singing? For what has he to attract him at home wh ere he[Pg 16] unwillingly begins to think of work again? It is little surp rising that after the outburst of song and shouts which reveals so much of the negro’s nature that his attitude is one of listlessness and apathy when he has finished.\n\nThis revelation of emotions which the negro shows in his singing but manifests the reality of his religion. And although th e greater part of his feeling in religion is pleasurable excitement\, it i s\, nevertheless\, for this very reason the one reality in life to him. A study of the emotional element does not\, then\, detract from the beauty a nd value of the negro’s song\; it does aid in interpreting that part of his songs that arise spontaneously and also shows something of their origi n and growth. Indeed without a knowledge of the negro’s nature and envir onment\, one would scarcely realize the fullest appreciation of his folk-s ongs. In proportion as the investigator becomes acquainted with the people and circumstances which have furnished unique folk-songs\, to that degree will he be eager to search out their origin and be able to interpret them intelligently as they are fundamentally related to the race.\n\nThe negro has found much material upon which to base his songs and many sources fro m which he has selected a wide range of subject-matter. His religion is of ten synonymous with his song\, and he has sung with little restraint the v arious religious experiences common to such a religion. The sermon and pra yers\, even the songs themselves suggest new themes for an imaginative and religious being to sing. So\, too\, the Church\, the Christians and the “world” have furnished themes for his song. Sin\, evil and the devil are ever-present subjects for religious thought. The scenes of everyday li fe form continuous allegories to be imaged with the assistance of the negr o’s definite self-feeling. But perhaps nowhere has the negro found more acceptable subject-matter for his song than in the Scriptures\; his songs abound in references to scriptural characters and often portray individual s and scenes with unusual concreteness. A perusal of the negro’s songs t hus reveals the most common themes\, but it is more difficult to locate th e accidental circumstances which gave rise to particular forms of a song\, or to ascertain the temperamental nature which originated many of the bes t known spirituals. In general\, it may be said that the folk-song of the negroes has found its rise in every phase of negro life. It is scarcely po ssible to trace the origin of the first spirituals and plantation songs.[P g 17] The American negroes appear to have had their own songs from the ear liest days of slavery. And while their first songs were undoubtedly founde d upon the African songs as a basis\, both in form and meaning\, little tr ace of them can be found in the present songs: negro folks produce spontan eous song. The linguist and the anthropologists are able to find the paral lel and apparent origin of many words\, that have been used by the Souther n negroes in their lore and song\, among the peoples of Africa\, but there is now no practical relation between these words and the meaning of the w ords in their present usage. The origin of folk-song has always been an in teresting theme\, proving full of fascination for him who finds it\, nymph -like\, vanishing from his grasp. Still the song of a people is ever prese nt and appear\, almost like myths\, to have sprung into life in some way a nd at some time which no one can exactly tell. Many a bard of the common l ife has intensified their meaning and made them a part of that life.\n\nHo wever\, many of the negro folk-songs may be explained when one has observe d the negro in many walks of life\, or has found the origin from which the y arose. Many of the old spirituals were composed in their first forms by the negro preachers for their congregations\; others were composed by the leaders of the church singing: others were composed by the slaves in the v arious walks of life\, while still others were first sung by the “mamm ies” as they passed the time in imaginative melody-making and sought har mony of words and music. A great many of these songs never became current because they lacked the pleasurable features that appealed most to the neg roes. Those that proved satisfactory were seized upon and their growth and popularity dated from the moment they were heard. With the negroes of to- day songs have arisen in much the same way. The difference of environment must necessarily make a difference in the nature of the songs\; at the sam e time the coloring of present-day life is much in evidence in some of the old songs composed by the slaves but sung by the negroes of the present g eneration. Some suggestions as to the natural origin and growth of negro s ongs may be both interesting and valuable.\n\nThe negroes have always been known as full of feeling and very expressive. Their natures demand not on ly some expression of their emotions but this expression must be easy and rhythmic\, at the same time that it is intense and continuous. The negro ’s musical nature[Pg 18] easily turns these expressions into melody\, an d a word\, phrase or exclamation becomes a song in itself. The song is com pleted by the imaginative mind and the sense of fitness in sound. Worshipp ers often follow the preacher through his sermon in a mental state of song and when he has finished they burst out into song\, singing no other than an elaborate sentence which the preacher has used in his sermon. When thi s is joined to a familiar chorus and tune\, and then varied\, a song has o riginated. Sometimes the song is remembered and sung again\; sometimes\, l ike the words of the preacher\, it simply becomes a part of the satisfacti on of the hour and is forgotten. A negro preacher recently reached a clima x in his discourse in the phrase\, “Oh\, with the wings of the morning\, I’d fly to that heavenly land.” He repeated this a number of times an d made gestures with his arms suggestive of flying. His black robe added t o the forcefulness of the suggestion and the impression became a part of t he song of that church. So with praying\, the pathetic appeal and word-mus ic of a p-l-e-a-s-e My Lo-rd is often the inspiration for a song when a ha ppy phrase from the prayer becomes an addition to a song that follows. Eve n more than preaching and praying\, shouting gives rise to song among the negroes\; during exciting times in worship the negroes often sing unheard of songs nor do they ever recall them again. It is indeed a mixed scene of song and motion\, each contributing largely to the other\, while the spec tator looks on in wonderment at the astonishing inventiveness of the worsh ippers. The general motion\, expressions of the face\, words and harmonies \, rests and rhythm\, sense of fitness and even of humor\, repetition—th ese make an occasion that defies limitation to its expression. If a single personality dominates the whole in an expression that appeals to the pres ent sense of fitness\, he is the author of a new song. Such a personality in the person of a visiting minister recently shouted out during such a sc ene: “Oh\, the hearse-wheel a-rollin’ an’ the graveyard opening—h- a\, ha\,” but got no further for his refrain was taken up by the chorus and the next day was a new version of the well-known song.\n\nSuch occasio ns might be cited in great numbers. Not infrequently a negro who has assum ed the position of song leader sings a line while the others join in with a chorus of singing and shouting. When the leader has given all the lines that he knows\, he will often continue in the simplest manner possible\, a s if he had known them for a long[Pg 19] time\, to improvise lines\, which often have little meaning\, but which fit into the tune and sound well. T his process may be continued indefinitely\, sometimes with repetition of l ines already uttered but slightly varied and the emphasis placed on the di ffering particular. It thus happens that the songs need not have a limit. The necessity of the occasion becomes the cause for the invention of the s ong. Itinerant worshippers are often thus gratified to sing to new congreg ations. As a rule the negroes always give attention and respect to strange rs so that the man or woman who comes to them is at liberty to sing old or new songs\, and they often become skilled in improvising songs. The new s ongs are then learned and begin their history as folk-song. Again\, negroe s often feel themselves called upon to introduce new features into some of their songs and conceive of various novelties. The negro’s feeling towa rd leadership puts a premium upon such a practice. In this effort\, a song that is little known among the negroes will be changed in some particular s\, printed on a sheet of paper and distributed as the song of brother or sister So and So. The song may be found in a hymn book. However\, songs en tirely new and the efforts of their own poetic attempts are often thus cir culated. This gives rise to a new class of negro spirituals\, examples of which may be seen in the following pages.\n\nA number of popular spiritual s apparently had their rise in the effort of the church to satisfy the phy sical cravings of the negroes. The church deemed the fiddle and the dance instruments of the devil\, and although the negro was and is passionately fond of dancing\, he was forbidden by the church to do so. The church need ed some kind of substitute for the rhythm and excitement of the dance that would satisfy and still be “in the Lord.” Consequently marching servi ces were often instituted. The benches were piled up together and marching room left for the worshippers. They had various orders for this service a nd many forms of it have been known to exist. Sometimes they marched two b y two\, a “sister and brother in the Lord”\, sometimes they marched si ngly\, and at other times they marched in a general “mix-up.” At first they followed a leader to a simple melody\, keeping step and working into a rhythmic swing. Then as they became more excited they became more expre ssive and with the elaboration of the march into a dance their songs becam e marching songs. Often they thus marched\, with intervals for rest\, unti l the hours of[Pg 20] the morning. Sometimes they all sang\; sometimes the leader sang the leading part and all joined in the chorus with more satis factory effect. In the march the negroes swayed back and forth\, to and fr o\, and found the usual satisfaction that comes from absolute lack of rest raint. As the songs given in the following pages indicate\, the negroes of ten imagined themselves to be the children of Israel\, while their marchin g songs represented Moses leading them out from under the bondage of Phara oh\, or they considered themselves as marching around the wall of some bes ieged city. Victory would be theirs sooner or later. This is not confined to the songs composed by the slavery negroes\, but is common in the later songs. Such scenes are often portrayed by negro preachers of the present d ay and very appropriate applications\, as they think\, are made. The march songs that have been found current to-day were composed since the war. Of ten the negroes enacted similar scenes without the formal putting away of the benches in the church\, and the same general results were the outcome. Shouting scenes in negro worship to-day are very much similar to the old marches except that they are more promiscuous. The “strange\, sweet harm onies and melodies” of the old songs are still good shouting songs.\n\nI ndividuals have composed spirituals while at work or while wandering from place to place\, as a simple outgrowth of the circumstances. The expressio n\, so common in negro songs\, “O my Lord”\, seems to have been introd uced into a number of songs in this way. The single expression repeated it self forms a favorite melody that is often sung. A group of negroes sing w hile working\; one sings a new verse of the song: “Where you git dat ?” “I made hit maself\, didn’t you know I’m a songster?” And he did make it\, and thus gratified\, tries other attempts\; with him others begin and they have become “songsters”. Negroes\, in order to verify a boast that they know a certain song to exist\, have been known to compose on the moment just such a song\, mixing all sorts of songs together with the ideas that arise. Others who have been offered an attractive price for songs have composed them without scruples of conscience and when asked to sing them\, have done so with perfect ease. They were paid for the songs\ , thinking that they had “fooled that white man”\, who valued his song thus composed as much perhaps as an old spiritual that was still current. What the negro composed accidentally he learned to sing\, and thus[Pg 21] introduced a real song in his community\, which was to be soon carried to other localities. The negro is going to sing whether he has a formal song or not. The following song originated with two negro laborers\, apparentl y in a dialogue. The lines may be sung to any tune and put to any chorus.\ n\nThe church bell a ringin’\, how sweet I do declar’.\nWhy don’t yo u go to meetin’ an’ pray all day long?\nI’m goin’ to church an’ pray all day long.\nOf course I’m a sinner but prayin’ might do me goo d\nAn’ if I do succeed I sure will tell the news.\n\nAnother song that w as composed spontaneously in the effort to dignify his conversation is the following. It will be seen that for the most part it is composed of phras es common to other songs\, and it is only the combination that is new.\n\n Walk right and do right an’ trust in the Lord—\nLay down all yo’ sin ful ways an’ trust in the Lord.\n\nI am goin’ to trust in the Lord\,\n I am goin’ to trust in the Lord\,\nI’m goin’ to trust in the Lord ti ll I die.\n\nMy God he’s a wonderful God an’ trust in the Lord\,\nHe w ill answer yo’ prayers don’t care wher’ you are\,\nAn’ trust in th e Lord.\n\nThe next example was composed by a negro man after he had recen tly “come through.” He always loved to talk of what he had seen\, what he knew would happen and how he could get out of difficulties. Along with this he had an unusually imaginative mind and told many ingenious stories . Here is the song:\n\nThe devil come down to the worl’ one day\nAn’ I heard him holler\, hoo-ray\, hoo-ray!\nCome out\, I’m havin’ a holida y.\n\nThat was the word I heard him say\,\nBut I knowed if I danced to his holiday\,\nThere’d be something doing an’ the devil to play.\n\nThe a bove song is difficult to classify. It would seem to be very much like som e rhymes that the negro had seen published in a newspaper but for all his purposes it was a good song and it mattered little where he had obtained t he ideas. It was indeed his own song. One[Pg 22] other example of an effor t to compose a new song shows the tendency of the negro to mix his serious themes with ridiculous expressions.\n\nThere was a man by the name of Cy\ ,\nHe never prayed an’ he never try\,\nSo when ole Cy was come to die\,\ nHe hollow out\, “in hell I’ll cry.”\n\nIn hell ole Cy did cry\,\nIn hell ole Cy did cry\,\nIn hell ole Cy did cry\,\nNow don’t you die like ole Cy die.\n\nThe song is a variation of two or three secular songs and becomes a religious song because of its chorus. It is actually sung in the churches. The “author” continued\,\n\nOle Cy did lead a mighty bad li fe\,\nHe was always after some other man’s wife\,\n\nwhich clearly showe d the trace of the secular element\; this phrase is applied to many of the notorious characters in the negro secular songs. Still there was an oppor tunity for the moral and the song represents the peculiar gratification wh ich the negroes find in having composed something more or less original.\n \nEnough has been said to give a definite idea concerning the actual and p ossible origin of some of the negro folk-songs. Further examples will be g iven when the discussion of the negro’s secular song has been reached. T he psychology of negro music and song is not difficult to explain in the l ight of the facts already suggested. His plaintive appeals in prayer\, his emotional and religious nature\, his primitive expression\, his love of r hythm and melody\, his feelings and misguided imagination\, his interpreta tion of life and Scripture\, his faith in dreams and visions quickly exagg erated into fabrications\, his whole nature but reveals within him what we call the musical nature of the race. With the negro\, motion and song ins tinctively go together. Systematic movement is more conducive to singing t han a careless\, haphazard motion. Movement and song give rhythm that is n ot to be found under other circumstances. Regularity and rhythm in movemen t\, emphasis and rhythm in music\, these give the negro songs essential pl easure-giving qualities that appeal strongly to the negro’s entire being . If his music is primitive and if it has much of the sensuous in it\; if his songs and verse are full of primitive art having[Pg 23] many qualities of possible worth\, nevertheless they are not thereby rendered less disti nct.\n\nIn no way can a better insight into the negro’s religion be obta ined than by a careful study of his songs. An analysis of those songs that have been preserved will give us at once a better conception of his folk- songs and his religion. The references are reproduced in their exact forms in order that they may serve as an aid in the study of the verse containe d in the common songs of the negroes from the time of slavery to the prese nt day. Only the chief conceptions which have been portrayed in negro song are here given\; further analysis may be made in connection with the song s themselves. The devil is prominent in the religious songs of the negroes . He is the constant terror and proverbial enemy of the race. He is alive\ , alert\, and concrete. He represents the demon trickster incarnate in the form of a man. He is the opposite of God but always less powerful. He is the enemy against whom the battle is always on\; it is a personal battle\, but he is usually outwitted or disappointed. Here are some pictures of “Old Satan” as found in the songs of the slave and the negro of to-day :[3]\n\nEf you want to see ole satan run\,\nJes’ fire off dat gospel gun .\n\nOle satan is a liar an’ conjurer\, too\,\nAn’ if you don’t mi nd he’ll conjure you.\n\nOther forms are\n\nAn’ if you don’t mind he’ll cut you in two\,\nAn’ if you don’t mind he’ll cut you throug h.\n\nOle satan lak a snake in the grass\,\nAlways in some Christian’s p ath\,\n\nor\n\nIf you don’t mind he’ll git you at las’.\n\nOle satan weahs a mighty loose ole shoe\,\nIf you don’t min’ gwine a slip it on you.\n\nOle satan like dat hunting dog\,\nHe hunt dem Christians home to God.\n\nO shout\, shout\, de debbil is about\,\nO shut yo’ do’ an’ k eep him out.\n[Pg 24]\nAll de debbils in hell can’t pluck me out\,\nAn ’ I wonder what satan’s a grumblin’ erbout\,\nHe’s boun’ in hell an’ can’t get out\,\nBut he shall be loose an’ hab his way\,\nY onder at de great reserection day.\n\nI went down de hillside to make a on e prayer\,\nAn’ when I get dere ole satan wus dere\,\nO what you think h e said to me?\nSaid\, “Off frum here you better be.”\n\nOld satan tole me to my face\,\n“I’ll git you when a you leave this place\;”\nO br other dat scere me to my heart\,\nI was ’feared to walk a when it wus da rk.\n\nI started home but I did pray\,\nAn’ I met ole satan on de way\;\ nOle satan made a one grab at me\,\nBut he missed my soul an’ I went fre e.\n\nI tell you brother you better not laugh\,\nOle satan’ll run you do wn his path\,\nIf he runs you lak he run me\,\nYou’ll be glad to fall up on yo’ knee.\n\nWe shout so fas’ de debbil look\,\nAn’ he gits away wid his cluven foot.\n\nOle satan is mad an’ I am glad\,\nHe missed the soul he thought he had.\n\nWhat make ole satan hate me so?\n’Cause he go t me once an’ let me go.\n\nOle satan tole me not to pray\;\nHe want my soul at jedgement day.\n\nI wrestle wid satan and wrestle wid sin\,\nStepp ed over hell an’ come back agin.\n\nOle satan tremble when he sees\,\nTh e weakest saint upon his knees.\n\nGo ’way satan I doan min’ you\;\nYo u wonder\, too\, you can’t come through?\n\nOh brother\, breth’ren\, y ou better be engaged\,\nFor de debbil he’s out on a big rampage.\n\nI pl ucked one block out o’ satan’s wall\,\nI heard him stumble an’ saw h im fall.\n\nOle satan thought he had me fas’\,\nBroke his chain an I’m free at las’.\n\nI met ole satan in my way\;\nHe say\, young man\, you too young to pray.\n[Pg 25]\nThe devil tries to throw down everything that ’s good\,\nHe’d fix a way to confuse the righteous if he could\,\nThan ks be to God-er-mighty he can’t be beguiled\,\nOle satan will be done fi ghting after awhile.\n\nThe negroes have many other phrases which they app ly to satan and picture him in other relations. “Ole satan is a mighty b usy ole man\, an’ throw rocks in my way.” “What makes ole satan foll ow me so? Satan ain’t got nothin’ fer to do with me.” As a busy man he also has his “shield and sword”\, not only gives trouble but gets i nto trouble. Says the negro: “I heard de debbil howlin’ when I come out’n de wilderness an’ I gib de debbil battle.” “Now stan’ back \, satan\, an’ let me go by ... why doan de debbil let a me be?” “Ol e satan mighty busy\, he follow me night an’ day. Ole satan toss ball at me\, he think the ball hit my soul\, the ball for hell an’ me for heave n.” “Ole satan gettin’ in mighty rage”\, for “satan’s ca mp’s afier.” “Satan mount de iron gray hoss an’ ride half way to p ilot bar.” But “We’ll shout ole satan’s kingdom down\, gwine a pul l down satan’s kingdom\, gwine a win ag’in de debbil.” Victory is th e negro’s for he exclaims: “I saw dem bindin’ satan”\, and “I sa w ole satan’s kingdom fallin’.” But while satan is a great schemer a nd is very busy and “wash his face in ashes”\, “put on leather apr on”\, his greatest attribute is the liar. The negro cannot give too insi stent warning:\n\nWhen I got dere Cap’n satan wus dere.\nSayin’ “You ng man\, dere’s no use to pray\,\nFor Jesus is daid an’ God gone awa y.”\nAn’ I made ’im out a liar an’ went on my way.\n\nWith these p ictures and warnings the negro song gives a final bit of advice. “If you ain’t got de grace ob God in yo’ heart\, den de debbil will git y ou sho’”\, then the singer rests securely in the knowledge that he is filled with the grace that holds against the devil.\n\n“King Jesus” wa s the original name most commonly given to Christ in the spirituals. Besid es this He was the bosom friend of the negro. He comes in to intercept sat an and to save the individual from hell. He is very real and no one is mor e vividly described than He. He bears many relations to his people.\n\nNow my Jesus bein’ so good an’ kind\,\n[Pg 26]My Jesus lowered his mercy down\,\nAn’ snatch me from de doors of hell\,\nAn’ took me in with him to dwell.\n\nOh\, Jesus tole you once befo’\nTo go in peace and sin no mo’.\n\nI heard o’ my Jesus many one say\,\nCould move po’ sinner’ s sins away.\n\nDen Jesus he come ridin’ by\,\nGib me wings to ride an ’ fly.\n\nJesus Christ the first and las’\,\nNo man wuks lak him\;\nHe built a platform in de air\,\nHe meets de saints from eve’where.\n\nVir gin Mary had one son\,\nThe cruel Jews had him hung.\n\nMe an’ my Jesus goin’ live at ease\,\nMe an’ my Jesus goin’ do as we please.\n\nIf y ou want er die like Jesus died\,\nFold yo’ arms an’ clasp yo’ eyes.\ n\nI tell you breth’ren an’ I tell you twist\,\nMy soul done anchored in Jesus Christ.\n\nUp on de hillside King Jesus spoke\,\nOut of his mouth come fire an’ smoke.\n\nYer say yo’ Jesus set you free\;\nWhy don’t you let yo’ neighbors be?\n\nOther shorter lines give equally concrete pictures and mention equally definite attributes.\n\nYou’ll see my Jesus come to wake up de nations underground.\nKing Jesus died for every man.\n An’ de son He set me free.\nI got my Jesus as well as you.\nIf you want to see Jesus go in de wilderness.\nGwine serve my Jesus till I die.\nI cal l my Jesus king Emanuel.\nHe pluck my feet out’n de miry clay.\nHe sot d em on de firm rock of age.\nChrist hab bought yo’ liberty.\nKing Jesus ’ settin’ in de kingdom.\nDe win’ blow eas’ an’ de win’ blow wes’ from Jesus.\nOh yonder comes my Jesus\, I know him by his shinin ’.\nHear my Jesus when he call you? Hear my Jesus callin’?\nI’m go in’ to hebben where my Jesus dwell.\nO I walk and talk with Jesus.\n[Pg 27]Jesus loosen de man frum under de groun’.\nJesus ain’t comin’ her e to die no mo’.\nThe son of man he dunno where to lay his weary head.\n \nSee what wonder Jesus done:\nJesus make dumb to speak.\nJesus make de cr ipple walk.\nJesus gib de blin’ deir sight.\nJesus do mos’ anything.\n I want to do (or die) like Jesus.\nJesus stan’ on de udder side Jordan.\ nJesus settin’ on de water side.\nJesus is our captain\, Jesus got de he llum.\nJesus mount (ride) a milk-white hoss.\nYou had better follow Jesus. \nDaddy Peter set out for Jesus.\nJesus will bring you milk an’ honey.\n Mas’ Jesus is my bosom friend.\nGwine follow King Jesus\, I really do be lieve.\nKing Jesus he was so strong\, my Lord\, till he jar down de walls ob hell.\nGwine to write to my Jesus.\nKing Jesus settin’ in de heaven.\ nKing Jesus on de mountain top.\nO Jesus is a mighty man. Ride in kind Jes us\, who set po’ sinner free.\nFor Jesus came an’ lock de do’.\nDe J ews kill po’ Jesus.\nJesus call you—Jesus waitin’.\nI wus los’ in de wilderness\; Jesus hand me de candle down.\nMas’ Jesus gib me little broom fer to sweep my heart clean.\nJesus fed me when I was hungry\, he cl othed me when I was naked\, he gave me drink when I was dry.\nJesus rose a n’ flew away on Sunday morning.\nChrist was there four thousand years ag o\, drinking of the wine.\nJesus he wore the starry crown. Did you see Jes us when he wore the starry crown?\nJesus he wore long white robe.\nKing Je sus speaks an’ de chariot stops.\nKing Jesus is the Rock.\nWell did you say you love Jesus?\nJesus done bless my soul an’ gone to glory.\nWon’ t you ride on Jesus? O yes.\nI look fer Jesus all o’ my days.\nJesus is a listening all the day long.\n\nThe scenes of the crucifixion seem to imp ress the negroes very forcibly and their songs abound in references to His suffering. Some of these expressions are full of feeling\, and are touchi ng in their sentiment.\n\nThey nail my Jesus down\n[Pg 28]They put him on the crown of thorn (thorny crown).\nO see my Jesus hangin’ high!\nHe loo k so pale an’ bleed so free:\nO don’t you think it was a shame\,\nHe h ung three hours in dreadful pain?\n\nNext to Jesus and often synonymous wi th Him is God. He is “My Lord”\, “My God”\, “Lord God-er-mig hty”\, and “king Jehobah”\, and represents the personal God and the ruler of the world.\n\nUpon de mountain Jehobah spoke\,\nOut o’ his mout h come fire an’ smoke.\n\nMy God a walkin’ down hebbenly road\,\nOut o’ his mouth come two edged sword.\n\nIf yo’ find yo’ way to God\,\ nThe gospel highway mus’ be trod.\n\nDe father he look upon de Son an’ smile\,\nDe Son he look on me\,\nDe Father redeem my soul from hell\,\nDe Son he set me free.\n\nI’m a chile of God wid my soul set free.\nFor Ch rist hab bought my liberty.\n\nI’m goin’ home fer to see my Lord.\nMy Lord did give me ease.\nEver since my Lord set me free.\nI believe it for God he tole me so.\nO my Lord’s comin’ ag’in\,\nIt may be las’ tim e. I don’t know.\nI goin’ to do all I can fer my Lord\; I goin’ to m ourn\, pray\, weep all I can fer my Lord.\nThe Lord is a listenin’ all t he day long.\nMy Lord is a talkin (preachin’) at de jedgement day.\nDe L ord goin’ to wake up the dead.\nMy Lord come down wid de key an’ unloc k de jail house do’.\nO\, my Lord’s a doctor in a weary lan’\;\nMy Lord’s a preachin’ and teachin’\, and walkin’ in a weary lan’.\ nMy Lord calls me by the thunder\; by the lightning.\nDat mus’ be my Lor d in the cloud.\n\nMy Lord says there’s room enough.\nI’m goin’ to t ell God ’bout my trials.\nThank God-a-mighty\, My God’s been here.\nWh en I talk I talk wid God.\n\nGwine to chatter wid de Fadder.\nMy Fadder ca ll an’ I mus’ go.\nMy righteous Lord shall fin’ you out.\nLook to de Lord wid a tender heart.\n[Pg 29]O de Lord He plant de garden dere and ra ise de fruit for you to eat.\nO de Lord He comfort sinner.\nGod did go to Moses house an’ tell him who He wus.\nGod an’ Moses walked and talke d an’ God did sho’ him who He wus.\n\nGod sits in Heaven an’ answers prayer.\nI gwine tell God how you sarved me.\nLook in my God’s right ha nd.\nHis chariot wheels roll round.\nGod’s goin’ call dem chilluns fru m de distant lan’.\nMy Lord’s a-ridin’ all the time.\nDe Lord has be en here an’ de love come tricklin’ down.\nMe an’ my God goin’ to walk an’ talk.\nO God don’t talk lak a nat’ral man.\nMy Lord God-er mighty come a steppin’ down\, come a steppin’ down on a sea ob glass.\ n\nHeaven for the negro is an eternal resting place where he shall occupy the best place. It is a place of glory and splendor in the material sense. Nor does he think that he will fail to miss his home when he dies. Hell i s a place for thieves and sinners and liars\, but such persons are far rem oved from him. His religion is the panacea for all evils and all sins\, an d when he has the “love of God in his heart” nothing can doom him\, fo r has he not been “washed in the blood of the lamb?” and had not the “blood done sign his name”? His ideas of heaven are those which his m ind naturally conceives of as applying to a home\; his conclusions from th e Scriptures are not unusual. A few of the references to heaven will give a better conception of the negro’s reality and vividness of interpretati on.\n\nI want to go to heaven when I die\,\nTo shout salvation as I fly.\n \nYou say yer aiming fer de skies\,\nWhy don’t yer quit yer tellin’ li es.\n\nI hope I git dere bye an’ bye\,\nTo jine de number in de sky.\n\n When I git to heaven gwine to ease\, ease\,\nMe an’ my God goin’ do as we please\,\nSettin’ down side o’ de holy Lamb.\n\nWhen I git to heav en goin set right down\,\nGwin-er ask my Lord fer starry crown.\n\nNow wai t till I gits my gospel shoes\,\nGwin-er walk ’bout heaven an’ carry d e news.\n\nWe’ll walk up an’ down dem golden streets\,\nWe’ll walk a bout Zion.\n[Pg 30]\nGwine sit in de kingdom\, I raly do believe\, where s abbaths have no end.\nLook way in de heaven—hope I’ll jine de band —Sittin’ in de kingdom.\nI done bin to heaven an’ I done bin’ trie d.\nDere’s a long white robe in de heaven for me\,\nDere’s a golden cr own\, golden harp\, starry crown\, silver slippers in heaven for me I know .\nO yes I’m gwine up to see my Lord\; gwine all de way up to see my rob e\; O de heaven is shinin’\, shinin’.\nGwine shout in hebben\, gwine h ab a big meetin’.\nIf you want to go to heaven come along wid me.\nTake my flight up to de skies in de mornin’.\nO de heaven gates are open.\nGw ine up to heaven where my Jesus dwells.\nMy Jesus walkin’ de hebbenly ro ad.\nDe bell is ringin’ in odder bright worl’.\nIf you touch one str in’ de whole hebben ring.\nDe sun gib light in de hebben all round.\nI w ish I wus in de kingdom settin’ side o’ my Lord.\nNo more hard trial i n de kingdom\; no more tribulation\, no more parting\, no more quarreling\ , backbiting in de kingdom\,\nNo more sunshine fer to bu’n you\; no more rain fer to wet you.\nEv’y day will be Sunday in heaven.\nSweet music i n heaven jes beginning to roll.\nGoin feast off’n milk an’ honey.\n\nT he negro does not dwell upon thoughts of hell as he does of heaven. Even i f he has “stepped over hell an’ come back ’gain\,” he does not rev eal so much of its character. Some conceptions\, however\, are definite en ough.\n\nO hell is deep an’ hell is wide\,\nO hell ain’t got no bottom or side.\n\nI’d rather pray myself away\,\nThan live in hell an’ burn one day.\n\nO when I git to hebben\, I’ll be able to tell\,\nHow I shun ned dat dismal hell.\n\nEv’y since my Lord done set me free\,\nDis ole w orl’ bin a hell to me.\nWhen I come to find out I’s on de road to hell \, I fleed to Jesus.\n\nThe negro song finds little satisfaction in his va rious ideas of hell. “This ole world’s a hell to me\,” says the negr o\; but “hell is a dark and dismal place\,” so that the only immediate conclusion which he[Pg 31] can reach is that he must “shun de gates of hell” and make for the home beyond the Jordan.\n\nA rich variety of refe rences to scriptural characters is seen in the majority of the negro spiri tuals\, both of the past and of the present. The negro portrays the conduc t of heroes in the past with imaginative skill. Their songs are often runn ing-stories of scripture\, in which the effort is made to include as many characters as possible and at the same time draw conclusions which have su itable morals\, but these songs may be better studied in the examples that follow. Some of the typical references to the Scriptures will show the av erage interpretation given them by the negroes.\n\nO\, sisters\, can’t y ou help me sing\,\nFor Moses’ sister did help him.\n\nWhere wus Ezekiel when de church fell down?\nDown in de valley wid his head hung down.\n\nEz ekiel said he spied de train a comin’\,\nHe got on board an’ she never stop runnin’.\n\nGod made Adam an’ Adam wus first\,\nGod made Adam out o’ the dust o’ the earth.\n\nWell God show Noah de rainbow sign\,\ nNo more water but fire nex’ time.\n\nMose live till he got old\,\nBurie d in de mountain so I’m told.\n\nMary wept and Martha mourned\,\nJesus C hrist laid de corner stone.\n\nMary wore the golden chain\,\nEvery link wa s in Jesus’ name.\n\nJudas was a deceitful man—\nWell he betrayed the innercent lam’.\n\nJohn wrote a letter an’ he wrote it in haste\,\nIf yer want to go to heaven\, you better make haste.\n\nJohn declar he saw a man\,\nWid seben lamps in his right han’.\n\nThe negroes wonder “whe r’s sister Mary\, Martha\, Brudder Moses\, brudder Daniel (and the other s) gone.” So\, too\, “Sister Hannah\, Hagar\, brudder Moses” and the rest “took dey seat.” And again\, “Wondah whar good ole Daniel\, doubtin’ Thomas\, sinkin’ Peter” and others. Moses “smote de wat er” and the negro says:\n\nI want to go where Moses trod\,\nFor Moses go ne to de house o’ God.\n\n[Pg 32]Peter is commanded again and again to “go ring dem bells”\; “Daddy Peter go to Jesus”\, “Fisherman Pe ter out at sea”\, the latter perhaps being the origin of “sinkin’ Peter.” Elijah is one of the favorites of the Old Testament. “Elijah g wine ride in de chariot in de mornin’”\, and Isaiah who “mounted on de wheel o’ time” is a kindred character to Ezekiel and Elijah. Jaco b’s ladder and struggle is vivid enough to be sung. “I’m gwine climb up Jacob’s ladder”\; “Rastlin’ Jacob\, let me go.” “Jacob t remblin’ on a limb.” Noah’s victory is the common theme. “Dey call Brudder Noah a foolish man”\, but that makes no difference for “de Lo rd tole Noah fer to build him ark”\, and “de ole ark a moverin.” The negro remarks characteristically: “God placed Adam in de garden\, ’ was ’bout de cool o’ day.” Gabriel is proverbial and the attitude of the singer is always ready “fer to hear Gabriel blow his horn.” “ Don’t you hear Gabriel’s trumpet in de mornin’”? “Little David p lay on de harp” has been a shining example for many another “David” who loved to blow on his harp. “Father Abraham sittin’ down side o’ de holy Lamb”\, is almost synonymous with Christ. Prominent among the cl ear impressions made by the Scriptures is that of the delivery of Daniel\, the Hebrew children and Jonah. However\, one must read the songs in order to get the full significance of the references.\n\nAlthough the negro bas es everything in his religion upon the Bible\, and his songs and sermons a nd exhortations abound in quotations from the “Holy word”\, he has com paratively little to say of the Bible itself as a book. He thinks sometime s that it is a “cumpass” and also bases his convictions on the truth o f the Bible. He asks “How do you know? For my Bible hit tell me so.”\n \nFor in dat Bible you will see.\nJesus died fer you an’ me.\nMatthew\, Mark\, Luke an’ John\nTell me where my Master’s gone.\n\nGo read de fi fth of Matthew\nAn’ read de chapter through\,\nIt is de guide to Christi ans\nAn’ tell ’em what to do.\n\nNow take yo’ Bible an’ read it th rough\,\nAn’ ev’y word you fin’ is true.\n\nAs the Bible is the comp ass\, so sometimes the Holy Ghost is thought[Pg 33] of as the pilot. The H oly Ghost is too vague for the negroes to fathom and is not tangible enoug h for their imaginations. But he says: “If this ain’t de holy Ghost I don’t know”\, but goes little further.\n\nJust as the negro expects to talk and walk with God and Jesus\, so he looks forward to seeing the an gels in Heaven. He wants to see them with their white robes and hear them sing\; he even says they mourn. “Bright angels hoverin’ on de water by de light”\, are but a part of the angel band which he hopes to join. “Join de hebben wid de angels” is his watchword and by it he sees in h is child-like fancy all the beauties of ideal creatures.\n\nI’m gwine to keep a climbin’ high\,\nTill I meet dem angels in de sky.\n\nDem pooty angels I shall see—\nWhy doan de debbil let a me be?\n\nO when I git to heaven goin’ sit an’ tell\,\nThree archangels gwine er ring dem bells. \n\nTwo white angels come a walkin’ down\,\nLong white robes an’ starr y crown.\n\nWhat’s dat yonder dat I see?\nBig tall angel comin’ after me.\n\nThe negro makes a terrible picture of the day of judgment. For him it means everything that could possibly happen at the end of the world. It is the destruction of the sinner and the glory of the righteous. Nor does he hesitate to affirm that the Christian in heaven will shout amen to the sinner’s damnation. The sinner will see his mother and friends in heave n while he is doomed to hell. It serves as a warning theme for the song mo re than it indicates reality of thought. But here is a part of his picture :\n\nMy Lord what a morning when de stars begin to fall\,\nYou’ll see de worl’ on fire\,\nYou’ll see de moon a bleedin’ an’\nDe moon will turn to blood\,\nDen you’ll see de elements a meltin’\,\nYou’ll see de stars a fallin’\,\nO yes\, de stars in de elements a fallin’\,\nA n’ de moon drips way in blood\,\nWhen God goin’ call dem childuns from de distant lan’\,\nDen you see de coffins bustin’\,\n[Pg 34]Den you s ee de bones a creepin’\,\nDen you see po’ sinner risin’\,\nDen you h ear de tombstones crackin’\,\nAn’ you see de graves a bustin’\,\nH ell an’ seas gwine give up their daid\,\nDen you see de forked lighten in’\,\nDen you hear de rollin’ thunder\,\nEarth shall reel an’ totte r\,\nHell shall be uncapped\,\nDe dragon be loosed\,\nDon’t you hear the m sinners cryin’?\n\nSuch a scene vividly told of at a revival and sung to the associations of the moment is too much for the average negro\; the sinner cries for mercy and turns to a Christian\; the latter sings: “Far e you well po’ sinner” and\n\nA mighty sea of glass mingled wid fier\, \nGood-bye\, brother\, I’m goin’ higher.\n\nAlong with the scenes whic h are associated with the resurrection and judgment go the sadder strains of the “mourners”\; “weepin’ mournin’\, cry’n’”—these wi ll be much in evidence. A study of the songs that follow will give some id ea of the emotional nature of the themes and music. The negroes sing sympa thy. “Weepin’ Mary\, weep no mo’”—“Mary wept\, Martha crie d”\, why can’t they too? “Now ain’t dis hard trial and tribulati on?” He sings often in his songs of hard times and trials. “When you s ee me\,” he says\, “pity me.” “Nobody knows de trubble I seen” but “I boun’ to leave dis worl’\; Fare you well\, dere’s a better day comin’.” His prayers are more pathetic than his songs\; his appea ls interpret the spirit of song and of worship. But one would scarcely loo k for a more pathetic wail than that of the negro who sings\n\nSometimes I hangs my head an’ cries\,\nBut Jesus goin’ to wipe my weep’n’ eye s.\n\nIf the negro loves to mourn and if his songs are full of sadness and pathos\, he also loves to shout and vigorously defends the right to shout as much as he pleases. His songs have many “Hallelujahs” in them\; ma ny notes of victory may be read in the songs of his choice. They often sin g\, however\, the songs which should be the most joyous in the same sad an d plaintive tone of the sadder ones. They forget the words. In many\, howe ver\, the shouting takes away any sadness and these livelier songs voice t he light and sensuous emotions equally[Pg 35] as well as the more serious ones tell of hardships. The negro maintains that always and everywhere\, “You’ll hear the Christian shout.” “De richest man I ever seed\, his heart was fill wid Jesus an’ Holy Ghost.” “I got de glory in m y soul” he says and\n\nI real’y do b’lieve widout a doubt\,\nDat de church hab a mighty right to shout.\n\nI tell you what I lak de bes’\,\n It is dem shoutin’ Mefodes’.\n\nIf the negro’s mother and sister and father and preacher and the others\, as the songs put it\, “died a shou tin’\,” why he is “goin’ die shoutin’ too.”\n\nGwine hab hap py meetin’\,\nGwine shout in hebben\,\nGwine shout an’ nebber tire\,\n O slap yo’ han’s chilluns\,\nO pat yo’ feets chilluns\,\nI feels de spirit movin’\nO now I’m gittin’ happy.\n\nOf true love and devotion to God one finds little definite and concrete expressions as compared wit h other themes. The negro is constantly affirming his love for “his Je sus” and offering his eternal allegiance in a general way. But in the av erage instance the testimony is subordinated to some special word or phras e which receives the greater part of the significance in the song. What do es he mean when he asks: “Does yo’ love continue true?” or when he i nsists: “I wants to know\, does you love yo’ Jesus?” The negroes are often heard to say that they want to do something “for the Lord”. In the same way they sing “I goin’ to weep all I can for my Lord\, I go in’ pray all I can for my Lord\, I goin’ do all I can for my Lord.” In each case the relation of the negro and his God are ideal and he concei ves of his own deeds as being\, not the practical every-day life\, but as coming in the future when there will be nothing unpleasant about them. It was doubted if the negro’s ideas of God and Heaven and his relation to t hem were truly expressed in his songs. A series of experiments were made w ith negro children\, wherein questions were answered by them at the time t hey were given\, others being carried to their homes or teachers. Their id eas of hell and heaven\, God and the angels are almost identical. Perhaps some of them were gained from[Pg 36] the songs\; some of them were certain ly not\; all seemed to agree with each other and with those of the race in a remarkable way.\n\nNature contributes something to the negro spirituals . Certain parts of nature are symbolic and serve to convey the picture of a vivid imagination as nothing else can do. The wonders of God and the ter rors of the judgment must be seen in their relation and effect upon the fo rces of nature. Certain natural phenomena inspire awe and reverence\; they add thus to the conception of his religious fear. Other references to nat ure convey\, as they only could\, pleasing features of life\, hence of hea ven and God. The negro refers to the “break o’ day”\, the “set tin’ o’ the sun”\, the “cool o’ de evenin’” and each is very expressive. Morning and evening are common\; he prays in the evening perh aps\; in the morning he is going to heaven. The hillside\, the mountain an d mountain top\, the valley\, signify and typify the experiences of the Ch ristian of the past and present\; the heavenly breeze comes from the valle y. The negro sees a paradise and a wilderness\, a sunshine and a storm. Bu t\n\nDere’s a tree in paradise\,\nChristians call de tree ob life\,\n\na nd he faithfully believes “I specs to eat de fruit off’n dat tree”. The earth trembles and is jarred\; the sky is “shook.” The river is “chilly an’ cold\, wide an’ deep.” The “rock” is better than t he miry clay and “nebber mind de sun—see how she run.” The stars\, m oon\, and world fall\, bleed\, and burn. The thunder and the lightning are in the stormy cloud\; Jesus may be\, too. Satan is a snake in the grass a nd a hunting dog. Young lambs and “de sheep done know de road.” The su mmer\, spring\, flowers and the field are mentioned. The negro wishes he h ad wings like Noah’s dove. He is sometimes awed:\n\nI looked toward dat northern pole\,\nI seed black clouds of fire roll.\n\nWith his vivid imagi nation the negro feels much of the thought expressed in the folk-song. Thu s sin and the sinner are intimately connected with life and death\, religi on and repentance. How skillfully the songs express the folk-feeling may b etter be inferred in the further analysis of the following\n\n [Pg 37]\n\n Types of Negro Spirituals.\n\nAn exact classification of negro songs\, eit her as to subject-matter or as to form\, is scarcely possible. There is li ttle unity of thought in their content\; their metres conform to no consis tent standards. A single favorite stanza\, regardless of its meaning\, is constantly being sung in a dozen different songs. It is a distinct folk-so ng\; and it matters little to which one it belongs\; it serves its purpose in any one of them. So in the form of the verse\, a single tune is adapte d to lines that differ widely in length\; likewise a single line is not in frequently made to fit into any tune that is desired. Again\, no final ver sion of any song can be given. The lines are rarely sung in exactly the sa me form. There are ordinarily as many versions of a line as there are comb inations of the words without spoiling the effect of the rhyme or emphatic word. The stanzas have no order of sequence\, but are sung as they occur in the mind of the singer\; a song does not have a standard number of stan zas\, but the length depends upon the time in which it is wanted to sing t hat particular song. In the songs that follow the most common versions are given. In giving the dialect no attempt is made at consistency\; for the negro of the present generation has no consistency of speech. He uses “t he” and “de”\, “them” and “dem”\, “gwine ” and “goin’”\, “and” and “an’”\, together with many oth er varied forms\, which will be noted in a later chapter\; nor does it mat ter that each of the forms is used in the same line or stanza. In the old songs that are here quoted for comparisons\, the exact form of speech in w hich they have been published is used. In the miscellaneous songs gathered here and there\, what may be called the average dialect is used. The song s that form the basis of this work are those that are found among the pres ent-day negroes of the South\; in many cases the corresponding song of ear lier days is given in order that a better study of the folk-songs may be m ade and the many points of resemblance noted. In all instances the basis o f the chapter is the present-day song\, and these should not be confused w ith those that have already been published. The words of the chorus and re frain are italicized. Further particulars will be pointed out in connectio n with the several songs.\n\nPerhaps no better beginning can be made towar ds general classification of the religious songs of the negroes than by in troducing some[Pg 38] that combine several characteristics\, but still hav e a general theme predominating. Sin is an important factor in the religio us life of the negro and his songs refer to it in many forms. The three ge neral tones which pervade the theme are: A note of victory over sin and th e conception of it as being in the past or belonging to some other person\ ; the conception of sin as being present and the singer as being in its gr asp\; and thirdly\, the “sinner-man” himself and warnings given him. T he very popular song\, “All my Sins Done Taken Away” is typical of the first class mentioned above. There is no reason why the stanzas given bel ow should come in the order presented\, except that they are heard in this arrangement as much as in any other. The stanzas consist of two rhymed li nes with the refrain. These\, however\, are usually extended to four\, the first two and refrain being sung slowly and in a more or less plaintive t one\, while the repetition of the same lines with the rhymed line and refr ain are rapid and joyous. The common version follows.\n\nI’m goin’ to heaven an’ I don’t want ter stop\,\nYes\, I’m goin’ to heaven an’ I don’t want ter stop\,\nAll o’ my sins done taken away\, taken away\;\nI’m goin’ to heaven an’ I don’t want ter stop\,\nAn’ I don’t want ter be no stumblin’ block\,\nAll my sins done taken away\, taken away.\n\nInstead of repeating the chorus line at the end of the fir st two lines that are sung\, the negroes often vary the song by repeating the last half of the line\, as in the following stanza:\n\nWell “M” fo r Mary\, an’ “P” for Paul\,\nWell “M” for Mary\, an’ “ P” for Paul\,\nAn’ “P” for Paul\;\nWell “M” for Mary a n’ “P” for Paul.\n“C” for Chris’ who died for us all\,\nAll o’ my sins done taken away\, taken away.\n\nThe chorus is again varied f rom “all my sins” to “all o’ my sins” or “all of my sins\, ” “done taken away\,” or “bin taken away\,” while the entire lin e is sometimes changed in a single stanza. Sometimes it is sung as given a bove\; at other times the line goes: “All my sins done taken away\, bi n’ taken away\,” or omitting either “done” or “bin” it is sung equally well as “All my sins taken away\, taken away\,” while in the grand chorus at the climax of song the chorus goes:\n\n[Pg 39]Yes all o’ my sins bin taken away\,\nYes all my sins done taken away\,\n\nYes all o’ my sins done taken away\,\nYes all my sins done taken away\,\nGlory\, glory to His name-e\,\nAll my sins done taken away\, taken away.\n\nThis last chorus may be repeated whenever the singers do not think of words to fit in with the songs\, although this is rarely necessary. The following s tanzas are sung in the same manner as those just given.\n\nIf I had er die d when I wus young\,\nI never would a had dis rist to run\,\nAll o’ my s ins done taken away\, taken away.\n\nWell you oughter bin dere to see de s ight\,\nThe peoples come runnin’ both cullud an’ white.\n\nMy feet got wet in de midnight dew\,\nAn’ de mornin’ star was a witness\, too.\n\ nIf you doan b’leave I bin redeem\,\nJes follow me down to Jordan stream .\n\nWhen a sinner see me it make him laugh\,\nThank God-a-mighty\, I’m free at las’.\n\nMary wept an’ Martha mourned\,\nMary wept all ’roun d the throne.\n\nMary wept an’ Martha mourned\,\nAll because deir brothe r done daid an’ gone.\n\nMary wept an’ Martha cried\,\nAll ’cause de y brother done gone an’ died.\n\nI’m goin’ to ride on de mornin’ t rain\,\nAll don’t see me goin’ ter hear me sing.\n\nI’m gwine to hea ven on eagle’s wing\,\nAll don’t see me goin’ ter hear me sing.\n\nM y mother’s sick an’ my father’s daid\,\nGot nowhere to lay my weary head.\n\nI went down in de valley to pray\,\nMy soul got happy an’ I sta yed all day.\n\nA number of other versions are common. Instead of “Mary wept all ’round the throne” is sung “all ’round God’s hebbenly throne.” Instead of the morning star as a witness the old songs have it “angels witness too.” Instead of in the valley\, the old songs also had “on de mountain” and also inserted “I didn’t go dere to sta y.” This[Pg 40] version is sung in some of the songs still. “The Sabba th has no End” is the name of a favorite somewhat similar to “All my s ins done taken away.” It has a number of forms for the chorus.\n\nI went down in de valley\,\nI didn’t go ter stay\,\nMy little soul got happy\n An’ I like to a stayed all day.\n\nI thought I had religion\, I b’liev e\nI thought I had religion\, I b’lieve.\nI thought I had religion\, I b’lieve\,\nDat Sabbath hath no end.\n\nI wouldn’t be a sinner\,\nTell you de reason why—\nFeard de good Lord might call me\,\nAn I wouldn’t be ready ter die.\n\nGwine rock trubbel over\, I b’lieve\,\nRock trubbe l over\, I b’lieve\,\nRock trubbel over\, I b’lieve\,\nDat Sabbath has no end.\n\nOle Satan’s mighty busy\,\nFixin’ up his snares\,\nHe’ll ketch all dem mourners\,\nIf dey don’t keep deir prayers.\n\nYer better get ready\, I b’lieve\nYer better get ready\, I b’lieve\,\nYer better get ready\, I b’lieve\,\nDat Sabbath has no end.\n\nThe singer is a lit tle more definite in his convictions in “I am de light uv de Worl’”. He is no longer a sinner and looks forward to the time when he will “cr oss de ribber.”\n\nHallaluyer\, good Lord\,\nI am de light uv de worl’ \,\nHalleluyer\, good Lord\,\nI am de light uv de worl’.\n\nEver since m y Lord done sot me free\,\nDis ole worl’ bin a hell to me\,\nI am de lig ht uv de worl’.\n\nI looked toward dat Northern pole\,\nI seed black clo uds of fier roll\,\nI am de light uv de worl’.\n[Pg 41]\nI gwine ’clar e de word\,\nI am de light uv de worl’\,\nI’m gwine ’clar de word\,\ nI am de light uv de worl’.\n\nDer ain’t but one train on dis track\,\ nGoes straight to heaven an’ run right back.\nI am de light uv de worl ’.\n\nEver since I bin in de worl’\,\nI am de light uv de worl’\,\nE ver since I been in de worl’\,\nI am de light uv de worl’.\n\nWhen I c ross Jordan I’ll be free\,\nGwine a slip an’ slide dem golden streets\ ,\nI am de light uv de worl’.\n\n’Way up in de kingdom\, Lord\,\nI am de light uv de worl’\,\n’Way up in de kingdom\, Lord\,\nI am de light uv de worl’.\n\nThe negro is not troubled because he cannot see his Lord \; he has heard Him speak and believes that He has gone “on to glory.” His personal relation with Jesus is satisfactory and he sings His praises often as he tells of his own experiences. Says he:\n\nOne day\, one day\, while walkin’ along\,\nJesus done bless my soul\;\nI heard a voice an ’ saw no one\,\nJesus done bless my soul.\n\nO go an’ tell it on de mo untain\,\nJesus done bless my soul\;\nO go an’ tell it in de valley\,\nJ esus done bless my soul.\n\nHe done bless my soul an’ gone on to glory\, Good Lord\,\nJesus done bless my soul\;\nDone bin here an’ bless my sou l an’ gone on to glory.\nJesus done bless my soul.\n\nIn one of the old plantation songs a similar idea is given of the blessing\, but in a differ ent version.\n\nOne day when I wus walkin’ along\, Oh yes\, Lord\,\nDe e lement opened\, an’ de Love came down\, Oh yes\, Lord\,\nI never shall f orget dat day\, Oh yes\, Lord\,\nWhen Jesus washed my sins away\, Oh yes\, Lord.\n\nAnother chorus inquired: “O brothers where were you? O sisters [Pg 42] where were you? O sinners\, O Christians\, O mourners\, etc.\, whe re were you?” for “My good Lord’s bin here\, bin here\, bin here\; M y good Lord’s bin here\, An’ he blessed my soul an’ gone.” So the negro exhorters often conclude their services\, saying that the Lord has b een to the meeting and gone. Said one deacon who was exhorting for a large collection: “De good Lord’s done bin with us to-night—I knows he ha s\, done been here an’ gone\, an’ now we wants to git down to bizness\ , I wants some money.”\n\nAgain\, the negro fresh and enthusiastic from his religious experience and having “come through” sings with some rel ief:\n\nI have been tryin a great long while\,\nLord\, I jus’ got over o n yo’ side.\n\nLord\, I jus’ got over-er\,\nLord\, I jus’ got over\, \nLord\, I jus’ got over-er\,\nI jus’ got over on yo’ side.\n\nI p ray’d an’ I pray till I come over\,\nLord\, I jus’ got over on yo’ side.\n\nSo also he “weeps” and he “mourns” and “cries” til l he “gets over on the Lawd’s side.” Then he sings “O de sunshin e\,”\n\nO the sunshine\, O the sunshine\,\nO sunshine in my soul this mo rnin’\,\nYes the sunshine\, the sunshine\,\nYes sun shine in my soul.\n\ nDown in the valley\, down on my knees\,\nSunshine in my soul\,\nThere I m et that heavenly breeze\,\nSunshine in my soul.\n\nOle devil like a snake in the grass\,\nSunshine in my soul\,\nHe’s always in some sister’s pa th\,\nSunshine in my soul.\n\nWhile the song is also sung at times with mo re dialect\, it lends itself more readily to the above form. Very much mix ed and somewhat similar to those already given is “Bless the Name.”\ n\nI’ve got to go to judgment\, I don’t know how soon\,\nLord bless th e name\, Lord bless the name\,\nI’ve got to go to judgment to hear my si ns\,\nLord bless the name\, Lord bless the name.\n[Pg 43]\nMy Jesus fed me when I’s hungry\, gave me drink when I’s dry\,\nLord bless the name\, Lord bless the name\,\nMy Jesus clothed me when I was naked\,\nLord bless the name\, Lord bless the name.\n\nIn the same song and with the same tun e are sung the shorter lines that follow. The chorus is often sung “Lo r’ bless the name”\, and is a form of the phrase “Bless the name of the Lord.” It is used as a refrain after each line or it may be omitted. \n\nMary wept and Martha mourned\,\nLord bless the name\, Lord bless the n ame\,\nJesus Chris’ laid the corner of stone\,\nLord bless the name\, Lo rd bless the name.\n\nMary wore the golden chain\,\nEvery link was in Jesu s’ name.\n\nYou may talk about me just as you please\,\nI’ll talk abou t you when I git on my knees.\n\nGod made man an’ man was sure\,\nThere was no sin an’ his heart was pure.\n\nGod made Adam an’ Adam was first \,\nGod made Adam out o’ the dust o’ the earth.\n\nThe old slave songs also had other interpretations of man’s creation which differ slightly in particular from the last stanza quoted. One form occurs in\n\nGod made man an’ he made him out o’ clay\,\nSettin’ on de golden altar\,\nA n’ he put him on de earth but he did not stay\,\nSettin’ on de golden altar.\n\nA favorite chorus for the old spiritual was: “What you gwine d o when de lamp burns down?” So there was also another version of the wee ping of Mary and Martha:\n\nMary wept an’ Martha cried\,\nTo see deir Sa viour crucified\,\nWeepin’ Mary weep no mo’\,\nJesus say he gone bef o’.\n\nIt proves an interesting task to follow the development and chang es in a song that has survived from slavery days. In “Free\, free my L ord”\, one of the verses was quite a puzzle. During the recent summer th e following stanza was heard:\n\n[Pg 44]The moon come down like a piper’ s stem\,\nThe sun ’fuse to shine\,\nAn’ ev’y star disappear\,\nKing Jesus set me free.\n\nInquiry was made in order to see if the words had no t been misunderstood. The older negroes gave this version and insisted tha t it was correct\, but none of them could explain what it meant. It was th ought that perhaps it was a figure applied to the moon’s rays or that th e loss of the sun might have meant the peculiar appearance of the moon. An yway\, they maintained\, this was the “way we got de song an’ guess it must be right.” The words of the original song were\,\n\nThe moon run d own in purple stream\,\nThe sun forbear to shine\,\nAn’ ev’y star disa ppear\,\nKing Jesus shall be mine\,\n\nof which there seemed to be several versions. Other verses that are found to-day are:\n\nAs I went down in de valley one day\,\nI fell upon my knees\,\nI begged and cried fer pardon\, \nThe Lord did give me ease.\n\nFree\, free\, my Lord\,\nFree\, free\, my Lord\,\nFree\, free\, my Lord\,\nTo march de heaven’s highway.\n\nThe Lo rd called Moses\,\nMoses refuse to answer\,\n\nFree\, free\, etc.\n\nMy mo ther look at de son an’ smile\,\nMy Father look at me\,\nMy mother turn my soul from hell\,\nKing Jesus set me free\,\n\nis an unusual variation a nd interpretation of the old song\; just how and when the negro inserted t he idea of mother would be difficult to ascertain\; perhaps it came from “master\,” or more likely it was introduced by them while they interp reted father and son as names of the ordinary members of a human family. T he original form seems to have been\,\n\nDe Father\, he looked on de Son a nd smiled\,\n[Pg 45]De Son\, he looked on me\;\nDe Father\, he redeemed my soul from hell\;\nAn’ de Son\, he set me free.\n\nThe chorus\, too\, ha s been much confused and is given as “Children light on dat cross\, God bless you forever mo’.” The song is not a common one among the negroes and is not known\, apparently\, among the younger ones. In contrast with this favorite of the older negroes may be given a favorite of the younger generation\, “Glad I got religion.” The repetition represents pretty w ell the relative depth of the feeling which the convert feels. But he love s to sing it for its pleasing sound and for the faith it gives him in his own religious state. The song is a long and continued chorus and may well be taken as a type of the song which reflects the negro’s feeling of imm unity from sin.\n\nI’m so glad\, so glad\; I’m so glad\, so glad\,\nGl ad I got religion\, so glad\,\nGlad I got religion\, so glad.\n\nI’m so glad\, so glad\; I’m so glad\, so glad\,\nI’m glad all over\, so glad\ ,\nI’m glad all over\, so glad.\n\nI’m so glad\, so glad\; I’m so gl ad\, so glad\,\nGlad I bin’ changed\, so glad.\nGlad I bin’ changed\, so glad.\n\nAnd so he continues singing\; he is glad that he is goin’ to heaven\, he is glad that he is not a sinner\, glad he has been set free\, and many other such states. Then when he has finished he begins all over again\, if he wishes and sings: “Sister\, ain’t you glad? Brother\, ain’t you glad?” and goes through with as many of these as he wishes\, preacher\, mourner\, auntie\, and the others.\n\nThe “sinner-man” is the theme for many verses of the negro favorites. Directed at him are warn ings and admonitions. He is told what he must do and when\; how he must do and why. He is told of the experiences of the Christians and he is told o f the doom of the damned. The negro rejoices over his own safety and boast s of the sinner’s destruction\; at the same time he constantly refers to the “po’ sinner” in a sympathetic way. But the sinner must be warne d:\n\nGod knows it’s time\, it’s time\, it’s time\,\nThat a sinner w as makin’ up his min’\nIt’s time\, it’s time he was makin’ up his min’ to die.\n\nA sinner was walkin’ off his time\, his time\,\n An’ when my God call him he did not have the time\,\nGod know it was tim e\, it was time\, it was time for him to die.\n\n[Pg 46]Again the words of the righteous to the sinner are driven home by repetition\, and\, by a da rk and dismal picture\,\n\nO hell is deep an’ hell is wide\,\nO hell is deep an’ hell is wide\,\nO hell is deep an’ hell is wide\,\nO hell a in’t got no bottom or side.\n\nWell before I lay in hell all day\, hell all day\,\nWell before I lay in hell all day\, hell all day\,\nWell before I lay in hell all day\, hell all day\,\nI goin’ to sing an’ pray myse lf away\, self away.\n\nO sinner don’t you let this harves’ pass\, h arves’ pass\,\nO sinner don’t you let this harves’ pass\, harves’ pass\,\nO sinner don’t you let this harves’ pass\, harves’ pass\,\nD o you die an’ got to hell at las’\, hell at las’.\n\nThe sinner may be a gambler or a dancer or a rogue or a drunkard. But each name has the s ame signification in the religious phraseology of the negro song. There ar e various ways of repenting and of serving the Lord just as there are as m any ways of offending and sinning against him. “Workin’ on the Build ing” appeals to the average negro.\n\nIf I wus a sinner man\, I tell you what I’d do\,\nI’d lay down all my sinful ways an’ work on the buil ding\, too.\n\nI’m workin’ on the building fer my Lord\,\nFer my Lord\ , fer my Lord\,\nI’m workin’ on the building fer my Lord\,\nI’m wo rkin’ on the building\, too.\n\nIf I wus a gamblin’ man\, I tell you w hat I’d do\,\nI’d lay down all my gamblin’\, an’ work on the build ing\, too.\n\nIf I was a ho-munger\, I tell you what I’d do\,\nI’d lay down all my munglin’ and work on the building\, too.\n\nAnd so he sings for the dancer and the drunkard and the “cussin’ man.” So in anothe r song the negro sings of the sinners and mourners.\n\nIf I wus a mourner jus’ like you\,\n‘u-m-u’\,\nI’d go to church an’ try to come thru’\,\n‘um-u’.\n\nWhen I was a mourner\, um-u’\, jus’ lak you \,\nI prayed an’ prayed till I come thru\, um-u’.\n\nUpon de mountain King Jesus spoke\, um-u’\,\nOut of his mouth come fier an smoke\, um-u ’.\nNow mourner won’t you please come on\, um-u’\,\nAn’ join us in that heavenly lan’\, um-u’.\n\n[Pg 47]In the “Downward road is cr owded” a mournful picture is given of the sinner who failed to repent. H is example is held up for the contemplation of those who are following in his steps.\n\nYoung people who delight in sin\,\nI tell you what I lately seen\,\nA po’ godless sinner die\,\nAn’ he said: “In hell I soon ’ll lie.”\n\nHark\, the downward road is crowded\, crowded\, crowded\, \nYes the downward road is crowded with onbelievin’ souls.\n\nHe call hi s mother to his bed\,\nAn’ these is the dyin’ words he said\,\nMother\ , mother\, I long farewell\,\nYour wicked son is damned in hell.\n\nHe dan ce an’ play hisself away\,\nAn’ still put off his dyin’ day\,\nUntil at las’ ole death was sent\,\nAn’ it ’us too late fer him to repent .\n\nThey also sing of mother and sister being called to the bedside. The old plantation song of the same name had a similar chorus but the stanzas were quite different.\n\nWhen I wus a sinner\,\nI loved my distance well\, \nBut when I come to fin’ myself\,\nI was hangin’ over hell.\n\nOle Satan’s might busy\,\nHe follers me night an’ day\,\nAn’ every whe re I ’pinted\,\nDere’s something in my way.\n\nThe Lord will come to j udge the world and wake up the dead. It is the supreme ambition of the sin ger to be ready to meet his Lord when He comes. Just what form the Lord wi ll take the negro does not say\; perhaps it will be in a cloud or fire or He will come as in the days of Moses. “My Lord’s comin’ again” giv es a general conception.\n\nO my Lord’s comin’ again\,\nO my Lord’ s comin’ again\,\n(Talk about it:)\nYes my Lord’s comin’ again\,\nIt may be las’ time\, I don’t know.\n\nWell he’s comin’ to judge t he worl’\,\nWell he’s comin’ to judge the worl’\,\n[Pg 48](Talk ab out it:)\nYes my Lord’s comin’ to judge the worl’\,\nIt may be las ’ time\, I don’t know.\n\nWell you had better put off lyin’ shoes\,\ nWell you better put off lyin’ shoes\,\n(Talk about it:)\nBetter put off lyin’ shoes\,\nFor it may be las’ time\, I don’t know.\n\nAnd so he sings “Better put off dancin’ shoes”\, “better put off gambli n’ shoes”. For the sinner’s shoes will not be suitable to “walk on the cross”. He sings: “God’s goin’ to wake up the Dead” and mak es a beautiful melody out of the simple repetition.\n\nGoin’ to wake up the dead\,\nGoin’ to wake up the dead\,\nGod goin’ to wake up the dead \,\nWho’s a sleepin’ in the grave\,\nGod is goin’ to wake up the dea d.\nYou had better min’ my brother how you walk on the cross\,\nGod’s goin’ to wake up the dead\;\nIf yo’ right foot slip\, then yo’ soul be los’\nGod goin’ wake up the dead.\n\nThen “you better min’ my s ister\, my brother\, my mother\, my preacher” are sung. The old song con tained words similar to the lines just given\, with the chorus: “De youn g lambs mus’ fin’ de way”:\n\nMy brudder better mind how you walk on de cross\,\nFor yo’ foot might slip an’ yo’ soul git lost\,\n\nBett er mind dat sun\, and see how she run\,\nAn’ mind don’t let her catch ye wid yer works undone.\n\nBut the sinner sometimes gets confused\, it wo uld seem\; sometimes he heeds the preacher’s warnings\, sometimes he sco ffs at them. Often he does not hear them. More rarely he inquires into con ditions. In the lines which follow the negroes make each a stanza\, repeat ing three times. It perhaps represents the retort of the “sinner man.” \n\nSome goin’ thru’ Jordan\, some tryin’ to go ’round.\nThe M ef’dis’ they say sprinklin’\, de Baptis say’ baptize.\nNow Lord th e sinner man so hard to believe\,\nNow Lord sinner man want you to show hi m de way\n\nBut the sinner gets little reply to his inquiries. “Time is comin’ when sinner mus’ die” and there is none so pitiable as the lo st sinner.\n\n[Pg 49]Sinner\, die\, sinner die\,\nSinner dies wid his head hung down\,\nSinner die\, sinner die\,\nSinner die in de midnight dew.\n\ nSinner die\, sinner die\,\nSinner die\, with achin’ heart\,\nSinner die \, sinner die\,\nSinner die with weary min’.\n\nStump’ty up an’ st ump’ty down\,\nTime is comin’ when sinner mus’ die\,\nHurry home\, h urry home\;\nTime is a comin’ sinner mus’ die.\nDon’t you let that s inner change yo’ min’\,\nTime is comin’ sinner mus’ die.\nHurry ho me\, hurry home\;\nTime is comin’ sinner mus’ die.\n\nThe plantation s ong of some years ago\, sometimes called “O sinner\, you better get re ady”\, had the same line refrain\, “Time is a comin’ dat sinner mus’ die.” The repetition of “sinner die”\, is a new addition. In the old song were lines similar to those quoted:\n\nO sinner man you bette r pray\,\nFor it look a like judgment every day.\n\nI heard a lumb’ring in de sky\,\nDat make a me tink my time was nigh.\n\nI heard of my Jesus a many one say\,\nCould ’move poor sinner’s sins away.\n\nYes\, I’d r ather pray myself away\,\nDan to lie in hell an’ burn a one day.\n\nI th ink I heard my mother say—\n’Twas a pretty thing to serve the Lord.\n\ nO when I git to heaven I’ll be able fer to tell\,\nO how I shun dat dis mal hell.\n\nIn addition to the line-refrain which was sung after each lin e of the song\, an additional chorus followed at intervals\; this chorus h ad “ready my Lord” where the new one has a short line\, “Hurry hom e”.\n\nOh\, sinner\, you’d better get ready\, ready my Lord\,\nOh\, si nner\, you’d better get ready.\n\nAn interesting type of song is that in which an imaginary conversation is carried on between two parties. If the song is correctly[Pg 50] rendered the leader or one part of the chorus si ng the first part or take the words of one of the speakers\, while the oth er chorus take up the other speaker’s words. Both then join in the grand refrain\, which in the following song is “Lord\, I’m on my way”.\n\ nSinner\, what you goin’ to do\nWhen de devil git you?\nWhat you goin’ do\nWhen de devil git you?\nWhat you goin’ do\nWhen de devil git you?\n Lord\, I’m on my way.\n\nI’m goin’ run to the rocks.\nWell\, they can’t hide you.\nGoin’ run to the rocks—\nThey can’t hide you\;\nR un to the rocks\,\nWell\, they can’t hide you\,\nLord\, I’m on my way. \n\nI’m goin’ to run to the water\;\nAn’ water goin’ to cry “f ire”\,\nGoin’ to run to the water\,\nAn’ water cry “fire”\,\nRun to the water\,\nAn’ water cry “fire”\,\nLord\, I’m on my way.\n\n And so the sinner will then “run to the mountain\,” and “De mountain fly open” or “De mountain cry mercy.” The sinner must needs be hope less at his death and there is neither mercy nor pity for him. It is the i dea of the negro that at the great day “we won’t be bothered with them any mo’”. A sad picture he makes of the poor\, and forsaken man who d ies “with achin’ heart”\, with “weary min’”\, and with his “ head hung down”. Consequently it is not surprising to find appeals of al l sorts made to the sinner man\; now he is told of his doom\, now of possi ble salvation\, now of the joys of being saved\, now of immediate satisfac tion. Sung like the above song is “Come\, sinner\, come”.\n\nWon’t y ou come\, won’t you come?\nCome\, sinner\, come\;\nGreat day of wrath is comin’\,\nCome\, sinner\, come.\n\nLook over yonder what I see\;\nCome\ , sinner\, come\;\nTwo tall angels comin’ after me\,\nCome\, sinner\, co me.\n\n[Pg 51]In the same manner he sings\, “Won’t you come an’ se e yo’ Lord?” and “Ole Satan like a snake in de grass\, Always in som e sister’s path\,” “Ole Satan weahs mighty loose ole shoe\, Ef you don’t min’ gwine slip it on you”. “Up on hill side King Jesus spo ke\, Out of his mouth come fier an’ smoke”\, “Down in de valley\, do wn on my knees\, Ask de Lord to save me if He please”\, and others. The plantation song asked\,\n\nO whar you runnin’\, sinner?\nI do love de Lo rd\;\nDe Judgment day is comin’\,\nI do love de Lord\;\n\nYou’ll see d e worl’ on fire\,\nI do love de Lord\;\nYou’ll see de element a melt in’\,\nI do love de Lord.\n\nBesides these stanzas there were sung the v arious other warnings such as have been given in the idea of Judgment and Resurrection already noted. In the old slave song the sinner asks:\n\nMy L ord\, My Lord\, what shall I do?\nAn’ heaven bell ring an’ praise God. \n\nWhat shall I do for hiding place?\nI run to de sea but de sea run dry. \nI run to de gate but de gate shut fast.\nNo hiding place for sinner dere .\nFor I am gone an’ sent to hell.\n\nInstead of the regular refrain whi ch is sung by the chorus of voices in response to a line by the leader\, t he negroes often respond with “um-m’” in a general mingling of chant \, humming\, and “amens”. For the most part they do this with closed l ips\; the volume is surprisingly strong\, however\, and makes a stirring e ffect. The meaning of the expression is something like “Yes?” or “Of course\, we know it is true” or “Sure\, you talkin’ brother”. The singer says: “I look for Jesus all my days”\, and the chorus answer s\, “um-u’” and he then continues\,\n\nAn’ when I found him this i s what he said\,\num-u’\nYo’ sin forgiven an’ you soul set free\,\ num-u’\n\nI pray all night\, an’ I pray all day\, um-u’ um-u’\,\nT hen my Lord taken my sins away\, um-u’\, um-u’.\n[Pg 52]\nNex’ day \, nex’ day while walkin’ along\, um-u’\, um-u’\,\nI heard a voi ce an’ saw no one\, um-u’\, um-u’\,\nIt said\, sinner man\, you bett er come home\, um-u’\, um-u’.\n\nOne day I was walkin’ long dat lone some road\, um-u’\, um-u’\,\nKing Jesus spoke unto me an’ lifted off dat load\, um-u’.\n\nAgain\, “Brother\, you’d Better be a Prayi n’”\, while mostly repetition makes a long song when sung to its lim it. “Sister”\, “Sinner”\, “Backslider”\, “Mourner”\, “ Children”\, each serves to make a complete stanza of eight lines:\n\nBro ther you’d better be a prayin’\,\nBrother\, you’d better be a pray in’\,\nMy brother\, you’d better be a prayin’\,\nAn’ I’ll be car ried above\,\nAn’ I’ll be carried above\,\nAn’ I’ll be carried a bove\,\nI’ll see king Jesus in his reign\,\nAn’ I’ll be carried abov e.\n\nThe chorus song\, “Wheel in middle of Wheel” is most likely a va riation of the old song “Wheel in a wheel” which was “run by love\, by faith\,” and was sometimes conceived as a chariot wheel upon which “gwine take a ride\, On de chariot wheel”\, for “de chariot’s co min’\, O my Lord”. Sometimes the wheel was conceived as being a “Lit tle wheel a-turnin’ in my heart”\, in which case it signified some sor t of feeling. The phrase means nothing more than a chorus in the present-d ay song.\n\nO sinner man\, how can it be?\nWheel in de middle of wheel\,\n If you don’t serve God\, you can’t serve me\,\nWheel in de middle of w heel.\n\nIn the wheel\, in the wheel\,\nWheel in de middle of wheel\,\nIn the wheel\, in the wheel\,\nWheel in the middle of wheel.\n\nWell don’t you know it’s prayin’ time?\nWheel in middle of wheel\;\nLay down yo ’ way an’ go to God\,\nWheel in middle of wheel.\n\nWell don’t you k now it’s mournin’ time?\nWheel in middle of wheel\;\nHe’ll hear yo ’ prayers an’ sanctify\,\nWheel in middle of wheel.\n\n[Pg 53]Jesus an d God are represented as “Listenin’ all the day long”\, and the sinn er is directed to pray. The plantation songs called to him: “Where you g oin’ sinner? O come back\, don’t go dat way.” And one of the singers affirmed that “about the break o’ day” his sins were forgiven and “his soul set free.” The song “Jesus is a listenin’” seems at s ome time to have been considerably corrupted. The negroes have sung it: “I’ve been a listenin’ all day long\, and all night long\, to hear s ome sinner pray.” However\, the correct version now seems to be:\n\nJesu s is a listenin’ all the day long\,\nHe keep listenin’ all the day lon g\,\nHe keep listenin’ all the day long\,\nFor to hear some sinner pray. \n\nIf I was a sinner I would please him\,\nI would pray an’ pray a day\ ,\nAn’ when I got to heaven\,\nSo he could say he heard me pray.\n\nBut in “Bear yo’ Burden\, sinner”\, another version is given of the same idea. This song is a popular one\, while the figures used give a definite conviction.\n\nThe Lord is a listenin’ all the day long\,\nBear yo’ b urden sinner\,\nIf you will only pray\, he will bear you on\,\nBear yo’ burden in the heat o’ the day.\n\nBear yo’ burden\, sinner\,\nBear y o’ burden\, sinner\,\nBear yo’ burden in the heat o’ the day.\n\ nI’m goin’ home fer to see my Lord\,\nBear yo’ burden\, sinner\, \nAn’ don’t you wish you could go ’long\,\nBear yo’ burden\, let i n the heat.\n\nThe way to bear yo’ burden is to get down on yo’ knees\ ,\nBear yo’ burden\, sinner\, let in the heat\,\nAsk God to forgive you if you please\,\nBear yo’ burden in the heat of the day.\n\nThis last st anza is an improvisation made by a young negro of some twenty-five years\, although he claimed that it belonged to the song that was regularly sung\ , maintaining that they only forgot to sing it in the church on that speci al occasion. “True Religion” gives one view of the requisites of him w ho will be saved. The song[Pg 54] is based in form on a current secular so ng\, and belongs to the class of colloquies.\n\nWell you must have that tr ue religion\,\nYou must have true religion an’ yo’ soul converted\,\nY ou must have that true religion.\nOr you can’t cross there.\n\nWhere are you goin’\, sinner\,\nWhere are you goin’\, I say?\nI goin’ down to de river of Jorden\,\nAn’ you can’t cross dere.\n\nHe continues\, “ Where are you goin’ gambler\, backslider\, drunkard\, liar\, hypocrite ?” and answers each with\, “An’ you can’t cross there\,” while t he entire chorus\, “You must have that true religion\,” is often repea ted after each. The sinner is asked still other questions\, one of which i s given in the song “Waitin’”.\n\nWhy does you tarry\, sinner\,\nWhy does you wait so long?\nFor my Lord is a waitin’\,\nWhy don’t you com e to His call?\n\nHe is waitin’\, Lord\,\nHe is waitin’\, Lord\,\nHe i s a-waitin’ fer the good Lord\,\nTo come\, My Lord.\n\nBut when my Lord get here\,\nYou want have time to pray at all\,\nFor he is goin’ to judg e you\,\nAn’ hell you be bound.\n\nThe negro preacher often rebukes his flock for talking about each other in uncomplimentary terms. Sometimes the “sisters” who do not like the preacher retort variously\, “I heard you talkin ’bout So and So\, you know I did” or “We gwine talk ’bo ut you\,” or “Yes\, you knows it.” Slander and gossip are fast runne rs and the average negro assumes that somebody is talking about him or som ething which he has done. Out of this has grown the song “Talk about m e” and others.\n\nYes\, I know you goin’ talk ’bout me\,\nYes\, I kn ow you goin’ talk ’bout me\,\n\nFor you talk ’bout my father when he’s on his knees a prayin’\,\nAn’ I know you goin’ talk ’bout m e.\n\nSo likewise he sings “I know you’re goin talk about me” becaus e[Pg 55] “you talk about my mother when she’s on her bed a-dyin’”\ ; he actually sings father\, brother\, mother\, sister\, mourner\, preache r\, to both “on his knees a prayin’”\, and “on bed a dyin’.” A very popular stanza which is regularly sung in a number of songs goes: “You may talk about me just as you please\, I’m goin’ to talk about you when I git on my knees.”\n\nThe old slave and plantation song aske d: “Who’ll jine de Union?” saying\, “Say\, ef you belong to de u nion ban’\, den here’s my heart an’ here’s my hand.” There have been societies known as “The Union” or “Union Band” both in the ch urch and outside. The name “Union” itself is a favorite one among the negro societies and organizations. It was thought in the old days that a u nion band would march to heaven and that these only would be enabled to re ach the destination. It is almost certain that a number of references in t heir songs referred to the Union army in and after the war. However\, the exact origin of the song as it is now sung has not been found\, but appear s to be a general corruption of several old songs.\n\nGet in the Union\, J esus is a listenin’\,\nGet in the Union\, Jesus die.\nWell\, won’t you get in the Union?\nJesus is a listenin’\, Jesus die.\n\nWhere was Ezeki el when the church fell down?\nDown in de valley wid his head hung down.\n \nHypocrite\, hypocrite\, God do despise\,\nTongue so keen till he will te ll lies.\n\nUpon the mountain Jehober spoke\,\nOut of his mouth come fier an’ smoke.\n\nWith this chorus are sung also as already given\, “Satan \, the snake in the grass”\, “Ole satan weah mighty loose ole shoe”\ , etc. The “Hallelujah” so common among the old songs is less frequent ly heard now: it will be found to some degree in the shouting songs and so ngs of heaven.\n\nNot the least among the warnings to the sinner were to b e reckoned the times when “Gable” should blow his horn. “Gable” ha s been proverbial among the negroes\; Gabriel and the trumpet are\, howeve r\, significant in the same way among the whites in vulgar reference. Many ideas of “Gable’s” trumpet have appeared in the negro songs. Someti mes it is “blow louder\, Gable.” “How loud mus’ I blow?”[Pg 56] Reference has already been made to these lines. The song “Blow\, Gable\, blow” has changed considerably from the old plantation songs of the sam e name.\n\nBlow Gable\, at the judgment\,\nBlow Gable\, at the judgment ba r.\nFor my God is a talkin’ at the judgment\,\nFor my God is a talkin’ at the judgment bar.\n\nNow won’t you blow Gable at the judgment?\nFor my God is a preachin’ at the judgment bar.\n\nNow won’t you blow Gable at the judgment bar?\nWell\, I’m goin’ to meet my preacher at the jud gment bar.\n\nIn the same manner\, making a four-line stanza of each one\, are sung\, “Goin’ to meet brother\, mother\, sister\, etc.”\, and also “My God is a walkin’\, tryin’\, etc.\,” at the judgment bar. So\, too\, it is “prayin’ time\, mournin’ time\, singin’ time\, shoutin’ time\, tryin’ time\, etc.\, at the judgment bar.” This son g may be given as the last one of the class peculiar to warnings and admon itions to sinners. It closes with still other verses that give vivid pictu res of the judgment bar.\n\nWell\, sinners\, keep a prayin’ at the judgm ent bar.\nWell\, it’s too late to pray at the judgment bar.\nWhy didn’ t you take heed at the judgment?\nSome come crippled at judgment.\nOh\, I look fer my mother\, brother\, sister\, at de judgment.\n\nBoth the sinner and the seeker has a “hard time” during some time in his experience. The duties of everyday life\, too\, often seem hard. Now on his knees\, no w shouting\, now sorrowful and now glad\, the negro comes from “hanging over hell” to die and “set by de Fadder’s side.” The average negro appears to pity himself\, and his song intensifies the feeling. The songs that follow may be classed as those that give the state of uncertainty an d doubt\, together with pity mingled now and then with the note of triumph . In “Oh\, what a hard time”\, sisters\, brothers\, children\, preache rs\, seekers—all have the same difficulties.\n\nOh\, what a hard time\, Oh\, what a hard time\,\nOh\, what a hard time—All God’s children have a hard time.\nOh\, what a hard time\, oh\, what a hard time\,\nOh\, what a hard time\, my Lord had a hard time\, too.\n\nSo in another division wil l be given the song “My Trouble is Hard”\,[Pg 57] the idea of which se ems to be derived from the old plantation songs\, though the new song is e ntirely different from the old ones. The plantation negroes used to sing “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen”\, in which they were “someti mes up\, sometimes down\, sometimes almost to de groun’.” Others sun g it “Nobody knows the trouble I see\, or I’ve had”\, and asked: “ Brother\, sister\, preacher\, will you pray for me?” In the same patheti c tone the “Sinner man” gives another phase of the feeling.\n\nMy mo ther’ n yo’ mother both daid an’ gone\,\nMy mother’ n yo’ mother both daid an’ gone\,\nMy mother’ n yo’ mother both daid an’ gon e\,\nPo’ sinner man he so hard to believe.\n\nMy folks an’ yo’ folks both daid an’ gone\,\nPo’ sinner man he so hard to believe.\n\nMy bro ther ’n yo’ brother both daid an’ gone\,\nPo’ sinner man he so har d to believe.\n\nIn the same way “my sister”\, etc.\, completes the so ng\, with favorite lines\, “Down in de valley”\, “Upon mountain Jeho ber spoke”\, etc.\, being inserted as often as they desire. “Hanging o ver hell” gives more intensity to the feeling of the sinner. He says:\n\ nWhen I wus hangin’ over hell\, over hell\,\nWhen I wus hangin’ over h ell\, over hell\,\nWell\, I had no one to pity poor me\, poor me.\n\nWell\ , my mother sick an’ my father daid\, father daid\,\nWell\, my mother si ck an’ my father daid\, father daid\,\nWell\, I ain’t got no one to pi ty poor me\, poor me.\n\nWell\, I ain’t got no one to pray for me\, to p ray for me.\n\nI ain’t got no one to feel for me\, feel for me.\n\nLikew ise he has no one to “cry” for him\, to “mourn” or to “care” f or him. It will be noticed that the negroes insert the word “well” fre quently. There is no regularity or rule for its use\; it apparently gives the song a more plastic turn and makes it seem more conversational. In som e of their songs they insert in the same way\, “says”\, and “er”\, “a”\, “an”\, at will. The struggle is well represented by the song “Keep inchin’ along”\, which was also common in the old plantation melodies\; the chorus is the same\, while the words are entirel y different from the older song.\n\n[Pg 58]Keep er-inchin’ erlong\, keep er-inchin erlong\,\nJesus’ll come bye’m bye\,\nKeep er-inchin’\, ke ep er-inchin erlong\,\nJesus’ll come bye’m bye.\n\nDe road is rocky he re below\,\nBut Jesus’ll come bye’m bye\,\nBut Jesus leads me as I go\ ,\nJesus’ll come bye’m bye.\n\nSometimes I hangs my head an’ cries\, \nBut Jesus’ll come bye’m bye.\nAn’ He gwi’ wipe mer weepin’ eye s\,\nBut Jesus’ll come bye’m bye.\n\nUh\, run ’long mourner an’ git yo’ crown\,\nBy yo’ Father’s side set down.\n\nI’m glad th at I’m bo’n ter die\,\nFrum trouble here my soul gwi’ fly.\n\nIn the same hopeful strain the negro sings “Boun’ ter cross Jord’n in dat Mornin’\,” which has a large number of stanzas\, none of which have an y similarity of meaning to the general theme.\n\nYonder come er sister all dressed in black\,\nShe look lak er hipercrit jes’ got back\,\nI’m boun’ ter cross Jord’n in dat mornin’.\n\nCross me over\,\nGreat Jeh over\,\nMy Lord\, I’m boun’ ter cross Jord’n in dat mornin’.\n\nSe e dat Christian on his knees\,\nHe’s gwin’ ter cross dem jasper seas \,\nI’m boun’ ter cross Jord’n in dat mornin’.\n\nSwing low chario ts in er line\,\nCarry me ter glory in due time\,\nI’m boun’ ter cross Jord’n in dat mornin’.\n\nAin’t but the one thing grieve my min’\ nSister goin’ to heaven an’ leave me behin’\,\nI’m boun’ ter c ross Jord’n in dat mornin’.\n\nIt is a favorite theme of the negroes t o sing much of their “Lord” and “God”. Much has been noted of the names and attributes which Deity holds in the negro’s songs. As his frie nd the negro believes that God is always true\; consequently he sings his loyalty to Him. The old plantation song “Tell Jesus” had as its chor us: “Tell Jesus done done all I can\, Tell Jesus done done all I can\, T ell Jesus done done all I can\, I can’t do no more”. Very much like it is the song[Pg 59] “For my Lord” that is much in demand among the pre sent-day negroes.\n\nI goin’ to do all I can fer my Lord\,\nI goin’ to do all I can fer my Lord\,\nI goin’ to do all I can fer my Lord\,\nI go in’ to do all I can fer my Lord\,\nI do all I can till I can’t do no m ore\,\nI goin’ do all I can fer my Lord.\n\nIn the same way he sings “ I goin’ weep all I can till I can’t weep no more”\, “I goin’ pra y all I can till I can’t pray no more”\, and “sing” and “m ourn” and “work” for his Lord. The phrases “till I can’t do no mo’”\, and the others are characteristic of the negro’s prayers. He usually closes his church prayers\, “Now Lord\, when we’s done pr ayin’ an’ can’t pray no mo’\; when we’s done meetin’ an’ can’t meet no mo’”\, etc. The closing scene\, the final act of life \, seems to appeal to the negro with wonderful dramatic power. It is in th e end that he himself will be great\; it is then that God and Jesus and th e angels will be made manifest\, and it is there in the new home that his condition will be one of ease and rest\, at the same time that it is one o f prominence. He sings “Gwi’ lay down my life fer my Lord”.\n\nDe Lo rd giv’ me mer trumpet an’ tole me ter blow\,\nHe giv’ me mer cummis sion an’ tole me ter go.\n\nFer my Lord\, fer my Lord\,\nFer my Lord\, g wi’ lay down my life fer my Lord.\n\nYou can hinder me here but you ca n’t hinder me dere\,\nFor de Lord in Heaven gwi’ hear my prayer.\n\nDe enemy’s great but my Cap’n is strong\,\nU’m fightin’ fer de cit y an’ de time ain’t long.\n\nWhen I git dar I’ll be able fer to tell \,\nHow I whipped ole Satan at de door ob hell.\n\nMer head got wet wid de midnight dew\,\nDat mornin’ star was shinin’ too.\n\nSo again the neg ro magnifies his Lord in “a weary Lan’” and makes both a striking pi cture and a pleasing song. His Lord is not only “a walkin’ in a wear y lan’”\, but he is also a “doctor”\, a “preacher” and a “ shelter”. Thus he pictures him “walkin’” “talkin’” “ preachin’”\, and “healin’” in the weary land.\n\nMy Lord’s a walkin’ in the weary lan’\,\n[Pg 60]In a weary lan’\, in a weary lan’\,\nYes\, my Lord walkin’ in weary lan’\,\nHe’s a shelter in a mighty storm.\n\nLikewise he is a healer in a mighty storm or in the time of storm. It is but natural that the negro should call upon the Lord to r emember him. The old plantation song “Do Lord remember me” was apparen tly based upon the idea of being remembered at Christmas times\; indeed th e negroes always ask to be remembered at such a time by the “whitefolk s”. They were always remembered and often their homes were made happy. T he song asked: “O do Lord remember me\, O do Lord remember me\, O do rem ember me until de year roll round\, Do Lord remember me.” The song now c urrent is most likely not the same song but an entirely different one.\n\n Do my Lord remember me\,\nDo my Lord remember me\,\nDo my Lord remember me \,\nDo Lord remember me.\n\nUpon de housetop an’ can’t come down\,\nDo Lord remember me.\nUpon de house an’ can’t come down.\nDo Lord rememb er me.\n\nWhen I am hungry do feed me Lord\,\nDo Lord remember me.\nWhen I am thirsty do give me drink\,\nDo Lord remember me.\n\nThe negroes someti mes call the following song the “riddle song”\, asking “who is the Rock”\, while the answer comes back\, like the Psalmist\, “King Jesus is the Rock”.\n\nLead me to the Rock\, lead me to the Rock\,\nLead me t o the Rock that is higher an’ higher.\nO\, Lead me to the Rock\,\nYes\, lead me to the Rock that is higher an’ higher.\n\nKing Jesus is the Rock \, yes\, King Jesus is the Rock\,\nKing Jesus is the Rock that is higher a n’ higher\,\nO King Jesus is the Rock\,\nYes\, King Jesus is the Rock th at is higher an’ higher.\n\nStanding on the Rock\, yes standing on the R ock\,\nStanding on the Rock that is higher an’ higher.\nO\, standing on the Rock\,\nYes\, standing on the Rock that is higher an’ higher.\n\nAs Jesus is the Rock so the negroes have sung “Dere’s no one[Pg 61] lak ’ Jesus”. The chorus-line was common in the old songs\; the verses of the song of to-day are different.\n\nI think I heard a rumblin’ in de sk y\,\nDar’s no one lac Jesus.\nIt mus’ be mer Lord passin’ by\,\nDa r’s no one lac Jesus.\n\nStan’ still\, walk study\, keep de faith\,\ nDar’s no one lak’ Jesus.\n\nSister Mary went up on de mount’n top \,\nDar’s no one lak’ Jesus.\nShe sung a li’l song an’ she never d id stop\,\nDar’s no one lak’ Jesus.\n\nShe argued wid de Fadder an’ chatter’d wid de Son\,\nDar’s no one lak’ Jesus.\nShe talk’d erbou t the ole worl’ she cum frum\,\nDar’s no one lak’ Jesus.\n\nThe song “Gi’ me Jesus” was said to have been the product of “over-fre e spirit and super-religiousness” just after the war. The negro claims t hat the white man took him at his word when he sang\, “Gi’ me Jesus\, You may have all this worl”\, and has left him nothing in this world but Jesus. At least this is one view of the song\, which is represented as a bargain which the white man wants the negro to keep. The song is a typical and well known one\, said to have been first sung by a blind negro preach er.\n\nIn de mornin’ when I rise\,\nIn de mornin’ when I rise\,\nIn de mornin’ when I rise\,\nGiv’ me Jesus.\n\nGiv’ me Jesus\,\nGiv’ me Jesus\,\nYou may hab’ all dis worl’\,\nGiv’ me Jesus.\n\nEf it’s midnight when I rise\,\nEf it’s midnight when I rise\,\nEf it’s midnig ht when I rise\,\nGiv’ me Jesus.\n\nJes’ fore day when I cried\,\nGi v’ me Jesus.\n\nWhen I wade death’s cold stream\,\nGiv’ me Jesus.\n\ nThe negro says that if you love Jesus\, it seems to him that you[Pg 62] “can’t keep it”\, and that you are duty bound to let the world know it. The custom is a common one of asking “members” at the class meeti ng and revival services whether or not they “love the Lord”. It is the duty of the class leader to see to the religious welfare of the members. The song “Love the Lord” represents this phase of worship.\n\nWell\, d id you say that you love Jesus?\nDid you say that you love the Lord?\n\nYe s\, I say that I love Jesus.\nYes\, I say I love the Lord.\n\nAll I wants to know is\, “Does you love Jesus?”\nAll I wants to know is\, “Does you love the Lord?”\n\nYes\, I say that I love Jesus\,\nYes\, I say I lo ve the Lord.\n\nIf you love Jesus\, you can’t keep it\,\nAll I want to k now is\, “Does you love the Lord?”\n\nYes\, my mother\, I love Jesus\, \nYes\, my mother\, I love the Lord.\n\nThe chorus then varies from “Yes \, I say” to “Yes\, my mother”\, “Yes\, my sister”\, “Yes\, my brother”.\n\nIn striking contrast to his earthly life\, the negro sin gs of his heavenly home. It will be seen in the study of his social songs that home plays a small part in their subject matter. It is true that the negro has little love of home or devotion to loved ones. Perhaps for this very reason he expects to have a better home in the beyond. He wants that which is ideal and impractical\; he wants that which will come without eff ort. If in slavery days he had no home\, it was natural that he should loo k to Heaven for his home. This conception\, intensified by the negro’s e motional nature and self-pity\, is still prominent. Not only is his home t o be a happy one\, but it is to be exclusive\; only the fortunate\, of who m he is the chiefest\, may go there. This class of songs—of Heaven and h ome—is perhaps as large as any. The negro sings:\n\nI got a home where l iars can’t go\,\nDon’t you see?\nJus’ between the heaven an’ earth \,\nWhere my Saviour bled an’ died\,\nI got a home where liars can’t g o\,\nDon’t you see?\n[Pg 63]\nI got a home where sinners can’t go\,\ nDon’t you see?\nJus’ between the earth an’ sky\,\nWhere my Saviour bleed an’ die\,\nDon’t you see?\n\nWhen the earth begin to shake\,\n Don’t you see?\nYou better get a ticket or you’ll be late\,\nDon’t y ou see?\n\nIn the same way the singers repeat\, using the words “drunkar ds\,” “hypocrits”\, and other sinners. Sometimes instead of saying “I got a home where the drunkards can’t come”\, the sinner will s ay “where the drunkards can’t find me”. Another version of the same song is found in different localities:\n\nI got a home in the Rock\,\nDo n’t you see?\nJust between the heaven an’ earth\,\nWell\, yes\, I got a home in the Rock\,\nDon’t you see?\n\nJudas was a deceitful man\,\nD on’t you see?\nWell he betrayed the innercent Lam’\,\nWell he lost a h ome in the Rock\,\nDon’t you see?\n\nWell the sun refuse to shine\,\nD on’t you see?\nThe sun refuse to shine\,\nAn’ the sun refuse to shine\ ,\nDon’t you see?\n\nGod don’t talk like a natural man\,\nDon’t you see?\nGod don’t talk like a natural man\,\nHe talk so sinners can unders tan’\,\nDon’t you see?\n\nWell I don’t want to stumble\,\nDon’t yo u see?\nWell I don’t want to fall\,\nI read that writin’ on de wall\,\ nDon’t you see?\n\nThe “Home in the Rock” and the “Rock of ages” mean little to the negroes\; they are suitable terms and appeal to their sense of sound. Like other peoples\, the negroes have inserted them into t heir religion as forceful symbols. Interesting comparisons may be made[Pg 64] in a later chapter. The chorus of “Heaven” hummed in a monotone\, with lips sometimes closed\, makes a beautiful song\, and one that appeals much to both old and young negroes.\n\nYou got a robe\, I got a robe\,\nA ll God’s children got a robe\,\nGoin’ try on my robe an’ if it fits me\,\nGoin’ to wear it all round God’s heaven.\n\nHeaben—heaben\, ev’ybody goin’ to heaben\nAn’ I’m goin’ dere\, too.\n\nGambler s dere an’ gamblers here\,\nI’m so glad dat God declare\,\nDere ain’ t no gamblers in heaven.\n\nThis version and wording is rather that of the children\, who are very fond of singing it. They continue “Heaven so hi gh you can’t go over it”\, “Heaven so low you can’t go under i t”\, “Heaven so deep you can’t go through it”\, and “Heaven so w ide you can’t go round it”. The most common form of the song is a vari ation of the above. Sinners\, gamblers\, dancers\, liars\, drunkards are e verywhere\, but not in Heaven.\n\nWell there are sinners here and sinners there\,\nAn’ there are sinners everywhere\,\nBut I thank God that God de clare\,\nThat there ain’t no sinners in heaven.\n\nHeaven\, Heaven\,\nEv erybody talkin’ ’bout heaven an’ goin’ there\,\nHeaven\, Heaven\ ,\nGoin’ to shine all ’round God’s heaven.\n\nWell there are drunkar ds here an’ drunkards there\,\nAn’ there are drunkards everywhere\,\nB ut I’m so glad that God declare\,\nThere ain’t no drunkards in heaven. \n\nHeaven\, Heaven\,\nPreachers all preachin’ ’bout heaven an’ go in’ there\,\nHeaven\, Heaven\,\nGoin’ to shine all ’round God’s he aven.\n\nAs has been indicated\, many of the negro songs consist of single lines repeated in couplets or by fours in order to give length to the sin ging. The most simple sentences that could be devised may serve as a good song. The negro happens to think of an ordinary truth\; he then sings it t o his tune and chorus.\n\n[Pg 65]I’m goin’ to be a Christian if I keep a prayin’ on\,\nI goin’ to be a Christian if I keep a prayin’ on\,\ nI goin’ to be a Christian\, I’m goin’ to be a Christian\,\nI goin ’ to be a Christian if I keep a prayin’ on.\n\nAn’ when I git religi on\, I goin’ to keep a prayin’ on.\n\nI goin’ to see my Jesus if I k eep a prayin’ on.\n\nI goin’ to see my mother if I keep a prayin’ on .\n\nIn the same way he is “going to see” his father\, brother\, maste r\, preacher\, singing each line four times\, altering them as he desires and putting in any chorus that appeals to his fancy. The next song shows a typical variation of a line\, and the negro sometimes sings the second ve rsion with more determination than the first.\n\nLord\, I want to go to he aven fer to stan’ my trials\,\nLord\, I want to go to heaven fer to st an’ my trials\,\nYes\, I want to go to heaven fer to stan’ my trials\, \nGreat Judgment day.\n\nWell\, I’m goin’ to heaven fer to stan’ my trials\,\nAn’ I’m goin’ to heaven fer to stan’ my trials\,\nYes\ , I’m goin’ to heaven fer to stan’ my trials\,\nGreat Judgment day.\ n\nThe darkeys used to sing\, “Hail\, hail\, hail\, I’m gwine jine sai nts above\, I’m on my journey home”. So\, too\, in many of their songs the “promise Lan’” was held out as the goal of future happiness. So it is to-day. “On my journey home” and “Goin’ to Heaven” repres ent the common conception.\n\nSister when you pray you mus’ pray to de L ord\,\nFor I hab some hopes ob glory\,\nI feel like\, I feel like I’m on my journey home\,\nI feel like\, I feel like\, I’m on my journey home.\ n\nI’ll away\, I’ll away to de promise lan’\,\nMy Father calls me\ , I mus’ go\,\nTo meet Him in de promise lan’.\n\nI have a father in t he promise lan’\,\nGo meet him in de promise lan’\,\nI feel like\, I f eel like I’m on my journey home\,\nI feel like\, I feel like I’m on my journey home.\n\nSo\, too\, the singer has a mother\, a sister\, an aunti e and others in the “promise lan’”. Likewise he says instead of “s ister when you pray\,” etc.\, brother\, member\, mourner\, sinner\, prea cher\, and the others.[Pg 66] As a rule morning signified to the negroes t he time for going to heaven and for the resurrection. The morning star shi ning as a witness to his conversion\, and the midnight dew typified the ea rly morning time of his religion. “In the morning” is sung as of old.\ n\nI have been tempted\, O yes\,\nAn’ I have been tried\, O yes\,\nI hav e been to the river an’ been baptize\,\nAn’ I want to go to heaven in the morning.\n\nWon’t you ride on Jesus?\nRide on Jesus\, ride on crowni ng King\,\nFor I want to go to heaven in the morning.\n\nIf you see my mot her\, O yes\,\nPlease tell her for me\, O yes\,\nThat the angels in heaven done change my name\,\nAn’ I want to go to heaven in the morning.\n\nSo if you see “brother John\, sister Nancy\,” and others makes the song complete. The song once so popular\, “Yes\, I’ll be dere\, When gen’ ral roll call” is still heard occasionally. Many of these songs have bee n corrupted and changed\, consolidated and revised into new songs. Such a song is “Study war no mo’”\, which combines the old camp meeting\, “down by the river side”\, and a new element of peace\, the origin of which is not known.\n\nWell there’s goin’ to be a big camp meetin’\ ,\nWell there’s goin’ to be a big camp meetin’\,\nWell there’s g oin’ to be a big camp meetin’\,\nDown by the river side.\n\nWell\, I ain’t goin’ to study war no mo’\,\nWell\, I ain’t goin’ to stud y war no mo’\,\nWell\, I ain’t goin’ to study war no mo’.\n\nWell such a shoutin’ an’ prayin’\nDown by the riverside.\n\nWell I goin ’ to meet my sister\,\nDown by the riverside.\n\nWell the brothers got t o shoutin’\,\nDown by the riverside.\n\nSaid the old singers: “Some o’ dese mornin’s\, hope I’ll see my mother\, hope I’ll jine de b an’\, hope I’ll walk bout Zion\, Talk wid de angels\, Talk my trouble over” while they looked “away to hebben”. Now the negro sings:\n\n[P g 67]Gwine to weep\, gwine to mourn\,\nGwine to git up early in de morn\,\ nFo’ my soul’s goin’ to heaven jes’ sho’s you born\,\nBrother Ga briel goin’ to blow his horn.\n\nGoin’ to sing\, goin’ to pray\,\n Goin’ to pack all my things away\,\nFo’ my soul’s goin’ to heave n jes’ sho’s you born\,\nBrother Gabriel gwine ter blow his horn.\n\ n“Pray come an’ go wid me” sings the Christian\, for “I’m on my journey home to the New Jerusalem”. If refused he says\, “Now don’t let me beg you to follow me\, for I’m on my journey home”\, and finall y he sings\, “Well\, brother come an’ go wid me.” If the sinner need s other exhortation he may listen to the mixed song “Dry bones goin’ t o rise ergain”\, in which there is first warning\, then hope of glory.\n \nSome go ter meetin’ to sing an’ shout\,\nDry bones goin’ ter rise again\;\nFore six month deys all turned out\,\nDry bones goin’ ter rise again.\nO little chillun\, O little childun\,\nO lit’le childun\, dry bo nes goin’ rise ergin.\n\nTalk erbout me but taint my fault\,\nDry bones goin ter rise ergin\;\nBut me an’ Godermighty goin’ walk an’ talk\,\ nDry bones goin’ ter rise ergin.\n\nEf you want ter go to heaven when yo u die\,\nDry bones goin’ rise ergin\;\nJes’ stop yo’ tongue from t ellin’ lies\,\nDry bones goin’ ter rise ergin.\n\nIn the old plantatio n song Ezekiel was represented down in a valley “full of bones as dry as dust” and\n\nHe gib de bone a mighty shake\,\nFin’ de ole sinners too dry to quake\,\n\nDeath for the Christian is shouting: death for the sinn er is doom. “When I git to heaven\, goin’ shout on my knees” gives a n accurate picture of what the negro conceives to be happiness. But he not only expects to shout while on earth and when he gets home\, but even whe n he dies. For says he\,\n\nMy mother dies a shoutin’\, an’ I goin’ die shoutin’\, too\,\nYes\, my mother died a shoutin’ an’ I goin’ die shoutin’\, too.\n[Pg 68]\nMy mother died a shoutin’\, my mother di ed a shoutin’\,\nYes\, my mother died a shoutin’ an’ I goin’ die shoutin’\, too.\n\nStill his mother is not the only one who has died sh outing\; he sings in the same way of father\, preacher\, brother\, sister and others\; the slave song included “Missus” and “Marster” or “Massa”. But shouting must not be all. The negro and his brothers\, s isters\, mother are all to die “mournin’”\, and “prayin’”. I n “Join de Heaven wid de Angels” the rich voice of one or two leaders and the swelling chorus produce an effect scarcely surpassed.\n\nO join on \, join my Lord\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels\;\nO join on\, join my Lor d\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels.\n\nWhat kin’ er shoes is dem you wear ?\nJoin de heaven wid de angels\;\nDat you kin’ walk upon de air\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels.\n\nOh\, God don’t talk like a nat’al man\,\n Join de heaven wid de angels\;\nHe talk to de sinner\, he understan’\,\n Join de heaven wid de angels.\n\nI’m Baptis’ bred an’ I’m Bapt is’ bo’n\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels\;\nAn’ when I die dey’s a Baptis’ gone\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels.\n\nJes’ so de tree fa ll jes’ so it lie\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels\;\nJes so de sinner lib’ jes’ so he die\,\nJoin de heaven wid de angels.\n\nThe song has b een found in several forms among which one has it that John is to be in de heavens with the angels. In fact the probable origin of “join on” see ms to have been “John saw de heaven wid de angels”. In one of the old songs the singer answers\,\n\nDem shoes I wears is gospel shoes\,\nView de lan’\, view de lan’\;\nAn’ you can wear dem if you choose\,\nView de lan’\, view de lan’.\n\nThere are other references\, too\, besides the above\, to the denominations of the negro churchmen. It has already b een seen that the negro likes “bes’” the “shoutin’ Mefodes ’”. So he says “There’s fire in de[Pg 69] eas’ an’ fire in d e wes\; An’ fire among de Methodes’”. He is loyal and proclaims: “ Methodist\, Methodist is my name\, Methodist till I die\, I’ll be baptiz e in the Methodist name\, An’ I’ll lib’ on the Methodist side”. In the same way he is Baptist and Presbyterian\; the Baptist is the favorite church of the negro\, however\, and there are more Baptists than all othe r denominations combined.\n\nThe “Angel Band”\, while a very simple so ng in which the chorus constitutes the greater part\, is one of the most b eautiful that the negroes sing. The tune is a variation of a well-known hy mn used by the whites. The power of the song seems to lie in the tender in terest which centres about the vivid portrayal of the little angels in the heavenly band. The chorus is repeated after each stanza\, while each stan za itself is the repetition of a single line. From one to ten\; from ten t o twenty and so on to one hundred is ordinarily sung\, thus making a lengt hy song. The children love to sing the chorus\; two forms are ordinarily f ound\, varying the monotony enough to please the negro.\n\nDere’s one li ttle\, two little\, three little angels\,\nDere’s four little\, five lit tle\, six little angels.\nDere’s seven little\, eight little\, nine litt le angels\,\nDere’s ten little angels in de band.\nDere’s leben\, de re’s twelve\, dere’s thir’een little angels\,\nDere’s fourteen\, dere’s fifteen\, dere’s sixteen little angels.\nDere’s seventeen\ , dere’s eighteen\, dere’s nineteen little angels\,\nDere’s twenty l ittle angels in de band.\n\nThe “little” in the chorus is preferred to the “dere’s” as a rule\, apparently serving to describe the angels. The stanzas of the song are equally as unlimited and as simple as the cho rus. “Sunday morning” is the common factor to all of the verses\; some times it is omitted.\n\nJesus rose on Sunday mornin’\,\nJesus rose on Su nday mornin’\,\nJesus rose on Sunday mornin’\,\nOn Sunday mornin’ so soon.\n\nHe rose an’ flew away on Sunday mornin’.\n\nMy mother died o n Sunday mornin’.\n\nOh wasn’t that sad on Sunday mornin’?\n\nDe re’s goin’ to be a big camp meetin’ on Sunday mornin’.\n\nDere ’s goin’ to be a mournin’ on Sunday mornin’.\n[Pg 70]\nMourners go t to shoutin’ on Sunday mornin’.\n\nI’m goin’ away to leave you on Sunday mornin’.\n\nWell\, my sister’s goin’ to heaven on Sunday m ornin’.\n\nWhile this form of the song may be continued indefinitely\, o ther verses may also be inserted. Instead of the “On Sunday mornin’” is often substituted “Fer to see my Lord”.\n\nWell\, my sister’s goin’ to heaven fer to see my Lord\,\nTo see my Lord\, to see my Lord\;\ nWell\, my sister’s goin’ to heaven fer to see my Lord\,\nWhat’s de onbelievin’ soul?\n\nAnd so he continues with preacher\, brother\, mothe r\, auntie and any others that he wishes to enumerate. As a shouting song or as a “collection” song\, it is not surpassed.\n\nThe negro’s fanc ies of the “Heaven’s bright home” are not exceeded by the world’s fairy tales. There are silver and golden slippers\; there are crowns of st ars and jewels and belts of gold. There are robes of spotless white and wi ngs all bejewelled with heavenly gems. Beyond the jasper seas he will outs hine the sun\; the golden streets and the fruit of the tree of life are fa r superior to any golden apples or silver pears of a Mother Goose. In fact the negro’s fairy stories centre on heaven\; the children’s definitio ns of heaven consisted entirely of pictures of splendor and glory. To this place the negro imagines he will go and who knows but that he may fly the re?\n\nSome o’ dese mornin’s bright an’ fair\,\nWay in de middle of de air\;\nGwi’ hitch on my wings an’ try de air\,\nWay in de middle of de air.\n\nCome over\, den\, John saw de holy number\,\nWay in de middle of de air\;\nJohn saw de holy number\,\nWay in de middle of de air\;\n\nIf yer wanter dream dem heavenly dreams\,\nWay in de middle of de air\;\nLay yo’ head on Jord’n’s stream\,\nWay in de middle of de air.\n\nI got a book goin’ read it thru’\,\nWay in de middle of de air\,\nI got my Jesus well as you\,\nWay in de middle of de air.\n\n[Pg 71]With a golden “band all round his waist\, An’ de palms ob victory in a-his hands” \, the negro sings in reality: “Pray come an’ go wid me”\, for so vi vid is his picture that he has been known to start up a post or pillar in the church\, saying\, “Good bye brothers\, I’m gone”. His songs make much of flying\; different from that just quoted he repeats:\n\nOne morni n’ soon\,\nOne mornin’ soon\, my Lord\,\nOne mornin’ soon\,\nI goi n’ try the air\,\nI goin’ try the air\,\nPray come an’ go wid me.\n\ nWell I got on my travellin’ shoes\,\nWell I got on my travellin’ shoe s\,\nWell I got on my travellin’ shoes\,\nPray come an’ go wid me.\n\n He sings\, too\, “I goin’ to put on my long white robe”\, “We’ll try on de slippah shoe an’ wear de golden belt”. Again he sings of hi s doings in the morning\, noontime\, and midnight.\n\nIn the morning—u m-u’\,\nIn the morning—um-u’\,\nIn the morning—um-u’\,\nI goin ’ put on my golden shoes.\n\nIn the midnight—um-u’\,\nIn the midni ght—um-u’\,\nIn the midnight—um-u’\,\nI goin’ put on my long whi te robe.\n\nTalk about it—um-u’\,\nTalk about it—um-u’\,\nTalk a bout it—um-u’\,\nI goin’ wear that starry crown.\n\nThe angels and J esus wear the starry crown and long white robes\; there will be no separat ing line between us and God in the new world. “Oh how I long to go dere\ , too”\, sang the old negroes. Now he pictures again the appearance of J esus.\n\nJesus\, he wore the starry crown\,\nJesus he wore the starry crow n\,\nJesus he wore the starry crown\, starry crown.\n\nHow does you know h e wore the crown?\nHow does you know he wore the crown?\nHow does you know he wore the crown? wore the crown?\n[Pg 72]\nFor the Bible it tell me so\ ,\nFor the Bible it tell me so\,\nFor the Bible it tell me so\, tell me so .\n\nThen\, too\, Jesus “he wore the long white robe\, for the Bible it tell me so.” More than the world or riches or dress the singer claims he values the treasures of heaven. In this assertion he is doubtless sincere \, both because he is thinking only of his religious state while he sings\ , and because he has little opportunity for obtaining these earthly riches . Says he:\n\nI don’t care fur riches\,\nNeither dress so fine\,\nJes’ giv’ me my long white robe\,\nAn’ I want my starry crown.\n\nFor my L ord done bin here\,\nDone bless my soul an’ gone away.\n\nPo’ man go in’ to heaven\,\nRich man goin’ to hell\,\nFor po’ man got his starr y crown\,\nRich man got his wealth.\n\nThis “ole worl’ bin a hell to me” indicates the contrast between the everyday life of the world and t hat which the negro will enjoy after death. In his eagerness and impatienc e to rest in the “promise lan’\,” the negro does not always think ki ndly of the world and he does not care even though “Death is in dis lan’.”\n\nEver since my Lord has set me free\,\nDeath is in dis lan’ \,\nThis ole worl’ bin a hell to me\,\nDeath is in dis lan’.\n\nI’m so glad death is in dis lan’\,\nI’m so glad death is in dis lan’.\n\ nO run ’long mourner ’n git yo’ crown\,\nDeath is in dis lan’\,\ nBy yo’ father’s side set down\,\nDeath is in dis lan’.\n\nSome er d ese mornin’s bright and fair\,\nDeath is in dis lan’\,\nGwin’r hitch on my wings an’ try de air\,\nDeath is in dis lan’.\n\nIf the negro e xpects to go to heaven and there mingle with God\, the angels and his love d ones\, he also expects to sing in all the glory[Pg 73] and splendor imag inable. The negroes used to sing of “jinin’ de association\, climbin ’ Jacob’s ladder\, climbin’ higher an’ higher\, sittin’ down at de welcome table\, feastin’ off’n milk an’ honey\, tell God how you served me\, jine de big baptizin”\, after which “den my little soul gw ine shine.” So they sang of a mother\, father\, brother in heaven who “outshines de sun”\, and ended by declaring that when they got to he aven “we will outshine de sun.” In very much the same way the negroes sing to-day in one of their favorites\, “Goin’ to Outshine de Sun.”\ n\nWell\, my mother’s goin’ to heaven\,\nShe’s goin’ to outshine t he sun\, O Lord\,\nWell\, my mother’s goin’ to heaven\,\nShe’s goi n’ to outshine the sun\,\nYes\, my mother’s goin’ to heaven to outsh ine the sun\,\nAn’ it’s way beyon’ the moon.\n\nYou got a home in th e promise lan’\,\nGoin’ to outshine the sun\, O Lord\,\nAn’ it’s w ay beyon’ the moon.\n\nThe crown that my Jesus give me\,\nGoin’ to out shine the sun\, my Lord\,\nAn’ it’s way beyond the moon.\n\nGoin’ to put on my crown in glory\,\nAn’ outshine the sun\, O Lord.\n’Way be yon’ de moon.\n\nOther verses sing of putting on slippers\, long white r obe\, in each case the singer is to “outshine the sun.” The dazzling s plendor of it all makes anticipation full of staying qualities\; it makes the picture one of reality because of the vigor of an imaginative power. W ho knows if the negroes often dream of the grandeurs of the sky?\n\nThe ne gro uses many figures and symbols in his religion. He can see the chariot wheel and the chariot of fire taking him to heaven as easily as Elijah. He can imagine that he\, too\, can ascend even as Christ and the angels. Bes ides these methods he has the Gospel Train and the Ship of Zion. The train has much fascination for the negro: much will be seen of this in his soci al songs. It is but natural that he should bring it into his religious son gs. The negro often goes to meet the train at the station\, even when sick . It is a great social event of a Sunday. So again\, he wishes to go on an excursion\; few things can hinder him. Very much in the same strain is th e religious song\, “When the train come along.”\n\n[Pg 74]Well\, I may be sick an’ cannot rise\,\nBut I meet you at de station when de train c ome along.\n\nWhen de train come along\,\nWhen de train come along\,\nI’ ll meet you at de station when de train come along.\n\nWell\, I may be bli nd an’ cannot see\,\nBut I’ll meet you at de station when de train com e along.\n\nWell\, I may be lame and cannot walk\,\nBut I’ll meet you at de station when de train come along.\n\nWhile no mention is made of the e xact kind of train\, it is generally understood to mean the Gospel train. This song also has a popular variant which is used in a secular way. In ei ther case it expresses in a very forceful way the importance of meeting th e train. In proportion as a picture resembles real life or magnifies that which has been imaged\, to that degree does it bring home its truth to the negro’s mind. The negro continues to sing of the train on which he is t o ride into the Kingdom. Says he:\n\nI am talkin’ ’bout the same train \,\nSame train that carried my father\,\nSame train.\n\nSame train that ca rried my mother\,\nSame train\,\nSame train will be back to-morrow\,\nSame train.\n\nSame train will be here to-morrow\,\nSame train\,\nWell you bet ter be ready\,\nIt’s the same train.\n\nThe “same train” also carrie d his brother\, sister\, preacher and others. But the train which will com e back to-morrow will not wait always. One must not only be at the station but must also have a ticket. There is plenty of room\, according to the n egro’s conception\, but there is not plenty of time. It would be a wistf ul negro that looked upon the train pulling out for heaven and he all alon e is left behind. He sings\,\n\nWell you better git yo’ ticket\,\nWell y ou better git yo’ ticket\,\nWell you better git yo’ ticket\,\nBye and bye.\n[Pg 75]\nThere’s a great day er comin’\,\nThere’s a great day er comin’\,\nThere’s a great day er comin’\,\nBye and bye.\n\nFor th e train it’s er comin’\,\nFor the train it’s er comin’\,\nFor the train it’s er comin’\,\nBye and bye.\n\nI am sure God is ready\,\nI am sure God is ready\,\nI am sure God is ready\,\nBye and bye.\n\nInstead of the chorus just given he often sings: “I sure God am ready\,” and “I sho’ God is ready.” With this in view he is willing and glad for the train to come along. If he is ready\, all the better for him to be on his journey. So he continues in another song and at another time:\n\nIf G od was to call me I would not care—um-u’\,\nFor he done move away my f ears—um-u’.\n\nI’m goin’ to heaven\, an’ I’m goin’ fo’ long—um-u’\,\nAll don’t see me will hear my song—um-u’.\n\nWhen de gospel train come ’long—um-u’\,\nThat’s the train carry me home—um-u’.\n\nWake up\, sinner\, you will be too late—um-u’\,\nG ospel train done pass yo’ gate—um-u’.\n\nIn the old plantation songs the exhortation was given to “Git on board little children\, dere’s r oom for many a mo’.” So also they sang:\n\nDe gospel train’s a com in’\,\nI hear it jus’ at hand\,\nI hear de car wheels rumblin’\,\n An’ rollin’ thru de land.\n\nI hear de train a comin’\,\nShe’s c omin’ round de curve\,\nShe’s loosened all her steam an’ brakes\,\ nAn’ strainin’ eb’ry nerve.\n\nDe fare is cheap an’ all can go\,\n De rich an’ pore are dere\,\nNo second class abord dis train\,\nNo diffe rence in de fare.\n\nIn addition to the above stanzas the Jubilee singers added others. They heard the bell and whistle and “she’s playin’ all her steam an’[Pg 76] power.” The rhyme and imagery of the old song st ruck a more responsive chord than the present song\; this is due to the fa ct that the negro of to-day sings his railroad songs and enjoys them in hi s secular music. There he pictures the train with such vividness that the train may be easily heard and seen in his imagination. Other verses of the Gospel Train as it was sung by the Jubilee singers are:\n\nThere’s Mose s and Noah and Abraham\,\nAnd all the prophets\, too\,\nOur friends in Chr ist are all on board\,\nO what a heavenly crew.\n\nWe soon shall reach the station\,\nO how we then shall sing\,\nWith all the heavenly army\,\nWe ’ll make the welkin ring.\n\nShe’s nearing now the station\,\nO sinner \, don’t be vain\,\nBut come an’ get your ticket\,\nAnd be ready for t he train.\n\nNo signal for the other train\,\nTo follow on the line\,\nO s inner\, you’re forever lost\,\nIf once you’re left behind.\n\nWhile th e song as reported by the Jubilee singers does not possess the mere charac teristics of form and dialect\, it nevertheless appeals to the negroes and it is sometimes sung. One of the fears of the negro is that others may go to heaven and he be left behind. This\, as has been indicated\, constitut es the sum total of misery. So he has a number of songs in which he expres ses this feeling and prays that he may not be left behind in the race of l ife for the eternal goal. One of the most touching of these songs represen ts the negro as an orphan who is unwilling to stay alone in the world:\n\n My muther an’ my father both are daid\, both are daid\,\nMy muther an’ my father both are dead\,\nMy mother an’ my father both are dead\,\nGoo d Lord\, I cannot stay here by merself.\n\nI’m er pore little orphan chi le in de worl’\, chile in de worl’\,\nI’m er pore little orphan chil e in the worl’\,\nI’m a pore little orphan chile in de worl’\,\nGood Lord\, I cannot stay here by merself.\n[Pg 77]\nDe train done whistled an ’ de cars done gone\, cars done gone\,\nDe train done whistled an’ de cars ere gone\,\nDe train done whistled an’ de cars ere gone\,\nEzekiel\ , I cannot stay here by merself.\n\nMy brothers an’ my sisters are all g one\, all gone\,\nMy brothers an’ my sister’re all gone\, all gone\,\n My brothers an’ sisters all are gone\,\nMer Jesus\, I cannot stay here b y merself.\n\nGit me ticket fer de train\, fer de train\,\nGit me ticket f er de train\,\nI got mer ticket fer de train\,\nThank God\, I ain’t gwin e stay here by merself.\n\nVery much like the song just given the negroes used to sing: “Dar’s room in dar\, room in dar\, room in de heaven\, L ord\, I can’t stay behin’”. So\, too\, “I can’t or don’t want to stay here no longer” are common and classic verses of negro song. Aga in they sang the “good news” because “De chariot’s comin’\, I do an want her to leave a-me behind\, Gwine get upon dat chariot\, Carry me h ome”. In a prayer the negro sang: “Jesus\, don’t leave me behind”. In his songs to-day the negro says:\n\nDear brother\, don’t you leave\, \nDear brother\, don’t you leave\,\nThis ole world’s a hell to me.\n\n This ole world’s a hell to me\,\nThis ole world’s a hell to me.\n\nYes \, I bleedzed to leave this world\,\nYes\, I bleedzed to leave this world\ ,\nSister\, I’s bleedzed to leave this world\,\nFor it’s a hell to me. \n\nWhile the old negroes used to sing “Oh brother\, sisters\, mourners\ , don’t stay away\, For my Lord says there’s room enough”\, the mode rn negro sings “You can’t stay away”.\n\nSister\, you can’t stay a way\,\nSister\, you can’t stay away\,\nSister\, you can’t stay away\, stay away.\n\nMy Lord is a callin’ an’ you can’t stay away\,\nMy Lor d is a callin’ an’ you can’t stay away\,\nYes\, my Lord is a cal lin’ an’ you can’t stay away\,\nAn’ you can’t stay away.\n\nKing Jesus is a ridin’ an’ you can’t stay away\,\nO preacher\, you can ’t stay away.\n\n[Pg 78]There have been a great many versions of the son g “Ole Ship of Zion”\, none of which differ materially. The four or fi ve versions most common in the slave and plantation song represented the S hip of Zion somewhat as follows: “She has landed many a thousand\, She c an land as many more\, Do you think she will be able\, For to take us all home? You can tell ’em I’m comin’ home”\, “Dis de good ole ship of Zion\, An’ she’s maken’ fer de promise lan’. She hab angels fer de sailors. An’ how you know dey’s angels? Dat ship is out a sail in’ she’s a sailin’ mighty steady. She’ll neither reel nor totte r\, She’s a sailin’ ’way cold Jordan. King Jesus is de captain\, c aptain”. “De gospel ship is sailin’\, O Jesus is de captain\, De ang els are de sailors\, O is yo’ bundle ready? O have you got yo’ ticke t!” Another version has “her loaded down with angels”\; Another “w id a-bright angels”. Another asks what ship is that “you’re enlist ed upon”? and answers that it is the “Good ship of Zion”\, which “ sails like she’s heavy loaded”\, and “has King Jesus for the capta in”\, and “the Holy Ghost is de pilot” The coast negroes had many so ngs that originated in ideas suggested by the boats. To-day the river negr oes have songs of their own\, but they do not go into the church songs. Th e Old Ship of Zion\, however\, is sung\, but only as a remnant of the form er song\, less elaborate.\n\nThis ole ship is a reelin’ an’ a rockin ’\,\nThis ole ship is a reelin’ an’ a rockin’ rockin’ rockin ’\nMakin’ fer de promise lan’.\n\nWhile the negro sings\, he sees th e ship reelin’ an’ rockin’\, and repeats these phrases enough and in a rhythmic manner\, so that he imitates the imagined motion of the ship. The other stanzas of the song are practically the same as those of the ear lier days.\n\nO my Lord\, shall I be the one?\nO my Lord\, shall I be the one?\nO my Lord\, shall I be the one?\nMakin’ for the promise lan’?\n\ nYes\, ’tis that good ole ship of Zion\, of Zion\,\nYes\, ’tis that go od ole ship of Zion\, of Zion\,\nYes\, ’tis that good ole ship of Zion\, \nMakin’ for the promise lan’.\n\nO the ship is heavy loaded\, loaded\ , loaded\,\nMakin’ for the promise lan’.\nIt’s loaded with many er t housand\, thousand\, thousand\,\nMakin’ fer the promise lan’.\n\n[Pg 79]“This ole worl’s a rollin’” is most likely a figure of the shi p and modelled on the same song. However\, it conveys a different idea\, o ne of judgment and the end of the world. The negro sings:\n\nWell the ole worl’ is a rollin’\, rollin’\, rollin’\,\nYes\, the ole worl’ is rollin’\, rollin’ away.\n\nWell ain’t you goin’ to get ready?\n Yes\, ain’t you goin’ to get ready? for it’s rollin’ away.\n\nWell get on board little children\, children\, children\,\nWell get on board\, for this ole worl’s rollin’ away.\n\nHe sings for the sinner\, mourne r\, and all his friends and relatives to get on board the world as she rol ls away. It reminds one somewhat of the song once current among the negroe s: “O de ole ferry boat stan’ a-waitin’ at de landin’\, Chilluns we’se all gwine home”. The same feeling of motion and the end of the world as is indicated in the moving of the train\, ship\, and the world it self is also reflected in the opening of the graveyards and the rolling of the hearse wheel. The same rhythmic effect of motion and words give a str ikingly appropriate attitude to the singer.\n\nO the lightening flashin’ an’ the thunder rollin’\, rollin’\, rollin’\,\nO the lightening flashin’ an’ thunder rollin’\, rollin’\, rollin’\,\nO the lig ht’ning flashin’ an’ thunder rollin’\,\nLawd\, I know my time ai n’t long\; Lawd\, I know my time ain’t long.\n\nThe hearse wheel rol lin’ an’ graveyard openin’\, openin’\, openin’\,\nThe hearse w heel rollin’ an’ graveyard openin’\, openin’\, openin’\,\nThe he arse wheel rollin’ an’ the graveyard openin’\,\nLawd\, I know my t ime ain’t long\, my time ain’t long.\n\nAnd very much like the above s ong is “Every Day”. However\, it is so similar to other songs that one concludes that it is only a putting together of what the singer already k new. The Bahama negroes have a song\, “If hev’ry day was judgment da y”\, that is almost exactly the same in meaning as this one. The song\, however\, is a powerful one and seems to be gaining in popularity.\n\nWell the hearse wheel rollin’\,\nEvery day\, every day\,\nCarryin’ yo’ b rother to the graveyard\,\nEvery day\, every day—move\, Zion\, move.\n\n Well ain’t it a pity\, pity?\n[Pg 80]Every day\, every day\,\nWell ain ’t it a pity\, ain’t it a pity?\nEvery day\, every day\, move\, Zion\, move.\n\nWell they’re carryin’ a sinner\, sinner\,\nEvery day\, every day\,\nYes\, they’re carryin’ a sinner\,\nEvery day\, every day\, mov e\, Zion\, move.\n\nMove\, Zion\, move\, for you got to go to judgment\,\n Every day\, every day\,\nMove\, Zion\, move\, for you got to go to judgmen t\,\nEvery day\, every day\, move\, Zion\, move.\n\nThe getting of mail\, and especially of letters\, usually means much to the negroes\; perhaps si mply because they receive little mail. To have a letter from a distinguish ed person is superlative honor and the recipient usually makes the fact kn own generally. Just how the negro conceived of receiving letters from God\ , or why he imagined the angels and apostles as writing letters does not a ppear clear. One gets a letter\, another reads it\; one writes a letter an d all know its contents. Such a reference is found in a number of songs\, that serve as a warning or admonition.\n\nWell my mother got a letter\, O yes\,\nWell she could not read it\, O yes\,\nWhat you reckon that letter s aid?\nThat she didn’t have long to stay here.\n\nWon’t you come\, wo n’t you come?\nWon’t you come an’ get ready to die?\nWon’t you com e\, for my Lord is callin’ you?\n\nHow do you know that my Lord is cal lin’\, O yes?\nIf you look at this letter\, O yes\,\nYou see it come fro m the Hebrews\, O yes\,\nWon’t you come\, for my Lord is callin’ you.\ n\nPerhaps the idea of the letter came from the epistles of the New Testam ent. John and Peter wrote letters\; Mary and Martha read them. The letters of the Hebrews and Ephesians are spoken of. The idea “It just suits m e” seems to have sprung up from satisfaction in reading the “word” o r in hearing the sermon and praying in the usual way.\n\nJohn wrote a lett er and he wrote it in haste\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me:\nJohn wrote a lett er and he wrote it in haste\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me.\n[Pg 81]\nJohn wro te a letter and he wrote it in haste\,\nIf yer want to go to heaven yer be tter make haste\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me.\n\nI’ll tell you a little th ing that was in that letter\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me.\nI’ll tell you a little thing that was in John’s letter\,\nThe Holy Ghost came to make u s better\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me.\n\nIn the same form and repetition ar e sung other stanzas\, all of which “suit” the negroes pretty well.\n\ nIf this isn’t the Holy Ghost I don’t know\,\nI never felt such a love befo’\,\nBut it jus’ suit me.\n\nO my brother\, you oughter been at d e pool\,\nTo see me put on my gospel shoes\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me.\n\n Ezekiel said he spied the train a comin’\,\nWe got on board an’ she ne ver stopped runnin’\,\nAn’ it jus’ suit me.\n\nThis kind er religion is better than gold\,\nIt’s better felt than ever told\,\nAn’ it ju s’ suit me.\n\nI tell you a little thing you can’t do\,\nYou can’t s erve God and the devil\, too\,\nBut it jus’ suit me.\n\nWhen trouble is done an’ conflict have passed\,\nI rise to reign in peace at last\,\nA n’ it jus’ suit me.\n\nBy this time the singers are happy enough and t he preacher joins them in shouting\, “Yes\, brethren\, it just suits m e.” It is gratifying to the negroes that their sins have been “washed in the blood of the Lamb”\, as indeed it ought to be. Perhaps they give it its undue prominence without thought\; for they have no conception of t he seriousness of their claims. The negro singers have exhibited a charact eristic specimen of their word combinations\, concrete pictures\, and theo logical principles in their song\, “De blood done sign my name.”\n\nO de blood\, O de blood\,\nO de blood done sign my name\;\nO Jesus said so\, Jesus said so\,\n[Pg 82]O de blood done sign my name.\n\nI believe it for God he tole me\,\nThat the blood done sign my name\,\nI believe it for Go d he tole me\,\nThat the blood done sign my name\,\nYes\, the blood done s ign my name.\n\nHow do you know so\, God he said so\nThat the blood done s ign my name.\n\nWell it’s written in de Kingdom\,\nThat the blood done s ign my name.\n\nWell in de Lamb’s book it is written\,\nThat the blood d one sign my name.\n\nWell the wheels a turnin’\, wheels a turnin’\,\nB lood done sign my name.\n\nI’m boun’ for glory\, boun’ for glory\,\n The blood done sign my name.\n\nOn de mountain\, on de mountain\,\nThe blo od done sign my name.\n\nIn the valley\, in the valley\,\nBlood done sign my name.\n\nBut the Christian does not have an easy time after his convers ion. Satan is always at hand and ready to lead him away if there is a chan ce. The negro’s idea of satan and the devil has been noted. In his march songs the negro imagines that he is marching against his foe\; this foe i s sometimes satan himself. “The other world is not lak’ dis” is a ty pical marching song.\n\nI er’s walkin’ ’long de oder day\,\nDe udd er worl’ is not lak’ dis\,\nI met ole satan on de way\,\nDe udder wo rl’ is not lak’ dis\,\nHe said\, “Young man\, you’re too young t o pray”\,\nDe udder worl’ is not lak’ dis.\n\nTell all dis worl’\, \nTell all dis worl’\,\nTell all dis worl’\,\nDe odder worl’ is no t lak’ dis.\n\nAs I went down in de valley to pray\,\nDe udder worl’ i s not lak’ dis\,\nI met a little looker on de way\,\nDe udder worl’ is not lak’ dis\,\nHe said: “Look out fer de Judgment day”\,\nDe udd er worl’ is not lak’ dis.\n\n[Pg 83]Another marching song that is a ro using one is “Goin’ down to Jord’n”. It represents\, like the one just given\, the attributes of satan and his relation to the Christian. Th e scene as pictured\, the army marching on down to Jordan\, the imaginary foe\, and the rhythm of the song make it a favorite.\n\nHalleluyer to the Lam’\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan\,\nLord God’s on that givin’ h an’\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan.\n\nGoin’ down to Jordan\,\nGoin’ d own to Jordan\,\nI got my breas’plate\, sword an’ shield\,\nGoin’ do wn to Jordan\,\nBoldly mar chin’ thru’ the field\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan.\n\nI plucked one block out’n satan’s wall\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan\,\nI heard him stumble an’ saw him fall\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan.\n\nOle satan’s a liar an’ a conjurer\, too\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan\,\nIf you don’t mind he’ll conjure you\,\nGoin’ down to Jo rdan.\n\nOle satan mad an’ I am glad\,\nHe missed a soul he thought he h ad.\n\nOle satan thought he had me fast\,\nBroke his chain an’ I’m fre e at last.\n\nI’ve landed my feet on Jordan’s sho’\,\nNow I’m free forever mo’\,\nGoin’ on down to Jordan.\n\nSomething has been observe d about the negro’s attitude toward the crucifixion. The old songs asked : “Wus you dere when dey crucified my Lord? When dey put the crown of th orns on?” and other scenes. In some of the songs the negroes sang “I w us dere when”\, etc.\, while still others only affirm the facts. The son gs of the present generation of negroes are less vivid and less full of fe eling for the suffering of the Master. Some of the verses are similar to t hose of the plantation songs.\n\nHe carried his cross\, he carried his cro ss\,\n[Pg 84]Up Zion hill\, up Zion hill\,\nHe carried his cross\, he carr ied his cross\,\nUp Zion hill\, up Zion hill\,\nHe carried his cross up Zi on hill\, Zion hill\, Zion hill.\n\nThey put on him the thorny crown (3)\, \nThen they nail my Jesus down\,\nThey nail him down\, nail him down\, nai l him down\,\nThey lif’ the cross high in the air (3)\,\nTo show the w orl’ how they nail him there\,\nHow they nail him there\, nail him there \, nail him there.\n\nA peculiar corruption of this song represents the pr odigal son as being in the place of Christ\; now it is the prodigal\, now it is the Lord. It indicates the manner of the development of many of thes e songs\, and shows something of the insignificance of the words on the mi nds of the singers. He sings with his holy laugh:\n\nYes\, the prodigal so n come home\, ha\, ha\,\nYes\, the prodigal son come home\, ha\, ha\,\nThe prodigal son come home by hisself.\n\nAn’ they nail him to the cross\, ha\, ha\,\nAn’ they nail him to the cross\, ha\, ha\,\nAn’ they nail h im to the cross on that day.\n\nAn’ the blood come runnin’ down\, ha\, ha\,\nThe blood come runnin’ down\, ha\, ha\,\nAn’ the blood come r unnin’ down\, on that day.\n\nAn’ they kill the fat’nin’ calf\, ha \, ha\,\nAn’ they kill the fat’nin’ calf\, ha\, ha\,\nThey kill th e fat’nin’ calf on that day.\n\nAn’ they carried my Lord away\, ha\, ha\,\nAn’ they carried my Lord away\, ha\, ha\,\nThey carried my Lord a way\, by hisself.\n\nPaul and Silas\, Peter and John are models for proper contemplation. One of the old songs represented Peter and Paul as bound i n jail. “Togedda dey sung\, togedda dey prayed\, De Lawd he heard how de y sung an’ prayed. Den humble yo’selves\, de bell done rung.” “P aul an’ Silas bound in jail\, The Christians pray both night and day\, ” represented another song\, one version of which has survived and is cu rrent to-day. Most of the song consists in repetitions.\n\nPaul and Silas bound in jail\,\nPaul and Silas bound in jail\,\nPaul and Silas bound in j ail\,\nPaul and Silas bound in jail.\n[Pg 85]\nPaul did pray one mournful prayer (4).\n\nDon’t you wish you could pray like Paul?(4)\n\nHe prayed an’ the good Lord set him free (4).\n\nAnother version prays for the ang els to come down and unlock the door of the jail. It has a striking parall el among the secular songs and might have been composed with the idea of t he negro in jail as being rescued.\n\nCome down angel with the key\,\nCome down angel with the key\,\nMy Lord\, angel\, come down with the key.\n\nU nlock the door for me-e-e\,\nUnlock the door for me-e-e\,\nMy Lord\, unloc k the door for me.\n\nPaul and Silas is in jail\,\nPaul and Silas is in ja il\,\nMy Lord\, Paul and Silas is in jail.\n\nUnlock the jail-house door\, \nUnlock the jail-house door-oor\,\nMy Lord\, unlock the jail house door.\ n\nAmong those of the Bible who have been the special subject of song\, No ah has a prominent place. References to him have been made already. He is always the hero of the flood. In most of the songs wherein a special chara cter has an important part\, it is in the chorus or refrain. So in “Foht y days an’ nights”\, a general mixture of songs and ideas\, Noah and t he flood make the chorus.\n\nDey calls bro’ Noah a foolish man\,\nFohty days an’ nights\,\nHe built de ark upon de lan’\,\nFohty days an’ ni ghts.\n\nEn\, ho\, ho\, didn’t it rain?\nO yes\, you know it did.\nHo\, ho\, didn’t it rain?\nO yes\, you know it did.\n\nOle Satan wears a iron shoe\,\nHit’s fohty days an’ nights\,\nEf you don’t mind gwine slip it on you\,\nFohty days an’ nights.\n\nSome go to meetin’ to put on p retense\,\nFohty days an’ nights\,\nUntil de day ob grace is spent\,\nFo hty days an’ nights.\n[Pg 86]\nSome go to meetin’ to sing an’ shout\ ,\nFohty days an’ nights\,\nFo’ six months dey’ll be turned out\,\nF ohty days an’ nights.\n\nI tell you brother an’ I tell you twice\,\n It’s fohty days an’ nights\,\nMy soul done anchored in Jesus Christ\,\ nFohty days an’ nights.\n\nIf you git dar befo’ I do\,\nForty days a n’ nights\,\nLook out fer me I’se comin’ too\,\nFohty days an’ nig hts.\n\nYou baptize Peter an’ you baptize Paul\,\nIt’s fohty days an ’ nights\,\nBut de Lord-God-er-mighty gwine baptize all\,\nIt’s fohty days an’ nights.\n\nAnother version in one of the old songs says: “Som e go to church to laugh and talk\, but dey knows nuthin’ ’bout de Chri stian’s walk”. “De Ole Ark a-moverin’” was the title of a planta tion song which gave the story of Noah and the flood. Noah and his sons “went to work upon dry lan’”\, and everything went according to the original “plan”.\n\nJes’ wait a little while\, I’m gwine tell yo u ’bout de ole ark\,\nDe Lord told Noah for to build him an ole ark\,\nD en Noah and his sons went to work upon dry lan’\,\nDey built dat ark j es’ accordin’ to comman’\,\nNoah an’ his sons went to work upon de timber\,\nDe proud begin to laugh the silly to point de finger\,\nWhen de ark was finished jes’ accordin’ to plan\,\nMassa Noah took his family both animal an’ man\,\nWhen de rain begin to fall and de ark begin to r ise\,\nDe wicked hung round wid der groans and der cries\,\nFohty days and fohty nights de rain it kep’ a fallin’\,\nDe wicked clumb de trees an’ for help dey kep’ callin’\,\nDat awful rain she stopped at las ’\, de waters dey subsided\,\nAn’ dat ole ark wid all aboard on Ararat rided.\n\nThis is the picture which the plantation and slave negro has ma de for his satisfaction. The present-day song that apparently originated i n the above song is less elaborate\, having only portions of the old song\ , and not being much in demand. It\, too\, is called “Didn’t it rain ?”\n\nGod told Noah ’bout de rainbow sign—\n[Pg 87]Lawd\, didn’t i t rain?\nNo more water but fier nex’ time—\nO didn’t it rain? Hallel uyer.\n\nO didn’t it rain\, O didn’t it rain?\nHalleluyer\, didn’t i t rain?\nSome fohty days an’ nights.\n\nWell it rain fohty days an’ ni ghts widout stoppin’\,\nLawd\, didn’t it rain?\nThe sinner got mad ’ cause the rain kept a droppin’\,\nO didn’t it rain? Halleluyer.\n\nAmo ng the most interesting of all the negro spirituals are those which have b een composed in recent years. These are significant in their bearing upon the temperament and religion of the present-day negro. These songs are eff orts at poetry\, while at the same time they unite biblical story with son g. How they are often begun and for what purposes they are composed was me ntioned in the previous discussion concerning the origin of negro songs. F urther analysis of the form may be made in the study of the negro’s ment al imagery. The following song\, which gets its name from the chorus\, is entitled “My Trouble is Hard”\, and was composed by “Sister Bowers ”. It was printed on a single sheet for distribution\; each person who c ontributed to the collection was entitled to a copy\, or a copy could be h ad for a nickel. She sung her new song to the crowds wherever she went\, a nd then was given a pro-rata of the collections. With the chorus repeated after each stanza\, as the negroes always do\, it becomes a song of unusua l length:\n\nI know a man that was here before Christ\,\nHis name was Adam and Eve was his wife\,\nI’ll tell you how this man lived a rugged life\ ,\nJust by taking this woman’s advice.\n\nMy trouble is hard\, O yes\,\n My trouble is hard\, O yes\,\nMy trouble is hard\, O yes\,\nYes indeed\, m y trouble is hard.\n\nWhilst you are sitting on your seat\,\nLet me tell y ou something that is sweet\,\nWhen all God’s people in glory meet\,\nThe y will slip and slide the golden street.\n\nStop young man\, I’ve someth ing to say\;\nYou know you’re sinful and why don’t you pray?\nYou’re sinning against a sin-venged God\,\nWho has power to slay us all.\n[Pg 88 ]\nO Lord\, aint it a pity—ain’t it a shame—\nTo see how my Lord and Saviour was slain?\nI hate to call the murderer’s name\,\nI know they a re dead but left the stain.\n\nRead the Scriptures and be content\,\nYou a re bound to know what Jesus meant\,\nJohn was here before his advent\;\nSt ood in the wilderness and cried “Repent”.\n\nChrist called his apostle s two by two\,\nHe particularly told them what to do\,\nPreach my gospel a s I command you\,\nAnd I’ll be with you all the way through.\n\nJust me tell you what David done\,\nOld man Jesse’s youngest son:\nHe slayed Gol iath that mighty one\,\nOle Saul pursued him but he had to run.\n\nOle Sau l pursued poor David’s life—\nIt’s a mighty good thing he had a wife \,\nThey went to his house and did surround\nAnd she took a rope and let h im down.\n\nGod called Jonah in a powerful way\,\nHe told old Jonah just w hat to say\;\nTell them people if they don’t pray\,\nI’ll destroy the city of Nineveh.\n\nJust let me tell you how this world is fixed\,\nSatan has got it so full of tricks\,\nYou can go from place to place\,\nEverybod y’s runnin’ down the colored race.\n\nAlmost equally interesting i s “That’s another Witness for my Lord.” It will be noticed in these songs that references and phrases taken from the old songs are often used\ , but in different combinations. They thus lose their former worth. It wil l be interesting\, too\, to compare the negro’s religious conceptions of the Bible and God as expressed in these songs with those expressed in the older productions: Has he advanced in his theology?\n\nRead in Genesis\, you understand\,\nMethuselah was the oldest man\,\nLived nine hundred and sixty-nine\,\nDied and went to heaven in due time.\n\nMethuselah is a witn ess for my Lord\,\nMethuselah is a witness for my Lord.\n\nYou read about Sampson from his birth\,\n[Pg 89]Strongest man that lived on the earth\,\n ’Way back yonder in ancient times\,\nHe slayed three thousand of the Phi listines.\n\nSampson he went wanderin’ about\,\nFor his strength hadn’ t been found out\,\nHis wife dropped down upon her knees\,\nSaid: “Samps on\, tell me where your strength lies\, please.”\n\nDelila’ talked so good and fair\;\nHe told her his strength lie in his hair\;\n“Shave my h ead just as clean as your hands\,\nAnd my strength’ll be like a nachual man’s.”\n\nWasn’t that a witness for my Lord?\nWasn’t that a witne ss for my Lord?\n\nIsaiah mounted on de wheel o’time\,\nSpoke to God-er- mighty way down the line:\nSaid\, “O Lord\, to me reveal\,\nHow can this vile race be healed?”\n\nGod said: “Tell the sons of men\,\nUnto th em’ll be born a king\,\nThem that believe upon his Way\,\nThey shall res t in the latter day.”\n\nIsaiah was a witness for my Lord\,\nIsaiah was a witness for my Lord.\n\nThere was a man amongst the Pharisees\,\nNamed N icodemus and he didn’t believe\,\nHe went to the Master in the night\,\n And told him to take him out er human sight.\n\n“You are the Christ\, I’m sure it’s true\,\nFor none do de miracles dat you do\,\nBut how ca n a man\, now old in sin\,\nTurn back still and be born again?”\n\nChris t said\, “Man\, if you want to be wise\,\nYou’d better repent and be b aptized\;\nBelieve on me\, the Son of Man\,\nThen you will be born’d aga in.”\n\nWasn’t that a witness for my Lord?\nWasn’t that a witness fo r my Lord?\n\n“After ’While” gives a slightly different form of vers e\, but with somewhat the same characteristics in other respects as those just given. There is little regularity in the metrical arrangement\, but i t makes a good song.\n\nThe worl’ is full of forms and changes\,\nIt’s just now so confuse\,\n[Pg 90]You will find some danger\nIn everything yo u use:\nBut this is consolation to every blood washed child\,\nGod’s g oin’ to change our station after while.\n\nAfterwhile\, afterwhile\,\n God’s goin’ to change our station\, afterwhile.\n\nThe devil tries to throw down\nEverything that’s good\,\n\nHe’d fix a way to confine\nThe righteous if he could\,\nThanks be to God almighty\, he cannot be beguile d\,\nOle satan will be done fightin’ afterwhile.\n\nSome men and women w ho help the world along\,\nBy constantly complaining of everything that’ s done\,\nThey want to be called Christians and all their badness hide\,\n God’s goin’ to open the secret afterwhile.\n\nPreachers in their sermo ns stand up and tell the truth\,\nThey’ll go about and murmur with sland er and abuse\;\nThey want the whole arrangement to suit their selfish styl e\,\nGod’s goin’ to rain down fire afterwhile.\n\nIn a general mixture of old song and new song\, of old traits and new traits\, the negro sings a beautiful song which he has called: “Whar’ shall I be?” The usual imagery is seen.\n\nMoses lived til he got old\,\nWhar’ shall I be?\nBu ried in de mountain\, so I’m told\,\nWhar’ shall I be?\n\nWhar’ shal l I be when de fust trumpet sounds?\nWhar’ shall I be when it sounds so loud?\nWhen it sound so loud that it wake up the dead\,\nWhar’ shall I b e when it sounds?\n\nWell God showed Noar de rainbow sign\,\nWhar’ shall I be?\nNo more water but fire nex’ time\,\nWhar’ shall I be?\n\nMathe w\, Mark\, Luke and John\,\nWhar’ shall I be?\nTole me whar’ my Saviou r gone\;\nWhar’ shall I be?\n\nJohn declar’d he saw a man\,\nWhar’ s hall I be?\nWid seben lamps in his right han’\,\nWhar’ shall I be?\n\n [Pg 91]The exact meaning of the following song could not be ascertained. I t is apparently derived from some idea of the scriptural invocation and bl essing upon the disciples. It is said to have a special message to the pre acher\, and is sometimes represented as being the words of God\; at other times the encouragement of a friend and the reply.\n\nGo and I will go wit h you\;\nOpen your mouth and I’ll speak for you\;\nIf I go and tell them what you say they won’t believe me.\n\nShout and I shout with you\;\nTh row out your arms and I catch you\;\nIf they see you going with me\, they won’t believe on you.\n\nSo it’s go and I go with you\;\nOpen your mou th and I speak for you\,\nShout and I shout with you\,\nThrow out your arm s and I catch you\,\nIf I go and tell them what you say they won’t belie ve me.\n\nAnother song of the modern type seems to appeal to the negroes v ery strongly. Again he is seeing a vivid picture of the Christ in the long years ago. But just where he gets the exact ideas by which to make the co mbinations is a little doubtful. Perhaps he gets the central thought from the miracle of Cana.\n\nIf my mother ask you for me\, tell her I gone to G allerlee\,\nI ought to a been there four thousand years ago\,\nTo drink of the wine.\n\nDrinkin’ of the wine\, drinkin’ of the wine\,\nDrinkin ’ of the wine\, Drinkin’ of the wine\,\nChrist was there four thousand years ago\,\nDrinkin’ of the wine.\n\nYou may mourn\, sinner\, mourn\, the Lord help you to mourn\,\nChrist was there four thousand years ago\,\n Drinkin’ of the wine.\n\nSo\, too\, you may moan\, weep\, cry\, pray\, b rother\, sister\, father\, mother\, backslider\, and any others that the s inger happens to think of\, and the chorus\, “Drinkin’ of the wine\, ” is the favorite refrain. Again in “The Blind Man” the picture is o ne of confusing the scriptural scenes with those of the present\, and of p lacing himself in the stead of the central character of the story.\n\nWell the blind man stood by the grave and cried\,\nWell the blind man stood by the wave and cried\,\nYes\, the blind man stood by the wave and cried.\n[ Pg 92]\nHe cried\, “O Lord\, don’t you hear po’ me?”\nHark\, the b lind man stood by the wave and cried\,\nHe cried\, “O Lord\, don’t you hear po’ me?”\n\nBrother don’t you hear the blind cries\, blind cri es?\nBrother don’t you hear the blind cries\, blind cries?\nO brother\, don’t you hear the blind cries?\n\nJesus he give de blind man sight\, bl ind man sight\,\nJesus he give de blind man sight\, blind man sight\,\nYes \, Jesus he give de blind man sight.\n\nHe also sings “sister\, don’t you hear\,” etc.\, brother\, father\, preacher. A peculiar modification of “Walking in the Light” is the song of the same name among the negro es\, which seems to have its origin in the scriptural injunction\, “Ye a re the light of the world.”\n\nLet yo’ light shine all over the world\ ,\nWalkin’ in the light\, beautiful light.\n\nMos’ wonderful light\, s hine by night\,\nLet yo’ light shine all over the world.\n\nI am the lig ht\, most pitiful light\,\nLet yo’ light shine all over the world.\n\nFo llow the light\, mos’ beautiful light\,\nLet yo’ light shine all over the world.\n\nSinner\, what you gwine do when the lamp stops burnin’\,\n Let yo’ light shine all over the world?\n\nThe negro prays to be remembe red at Calvary\; so\, too\, he asks to remember Calvary and the Lord. A si ngle fragment of the old song remains:\n\nO Lord remember me\, remember Ca lvary\,\nFor without any doubt and you remember the Lord\,\nI pray thee\, Lord\, remember me\,\nO Lord\, remember me\, remember Calvary.\n\nThe “P ilgrim’s song” that has been considered so beautiful is still a favori te\; the words of the stanzas differ little. It may be called a standard h ymn of the negroes. There is a story that Bishop Allen\, the founder of th e A. M. E. church\, composed the song on his dying bed. He was very well e ducated and a man of considerable ability and feeling. While the sadly hop eful words of the song are of a higher type than the average spiritual\, a nd while its metrical form is far above the usual\, the song still combine s many of the ideas and phrases of the favorite spirituals of the slaves. One of these songs\,[Pg 93] “I hope my mother will be there\, In that be autiful world on high”\, embodies the same sentiment and in similar word s. Another\, “Give ’way Jordan\, I want to go across to see my Lord. I heard sweet music\, I wish dat music would come here”\, represents the other part of the song. The Pilgrim’s song as it is found is:\n\nI am a poor way-faring stranger\,\nWhile journeying through this world of woe\,\n But there is no sickness\, toil\, nor danger\,\nIn that bright world to wh ich I go.\n\nI’m going there to see my classmates\,\nThey said they’d meet me when I come\,\nI’m just a going over Jordan\,\nI’m just going over home.\n\nI know dark clouds’ll gather round me\,\nI know my road is rough and steep\,\nYet there bright fields are lying just before me\,\nWh ere God’s redeemed and vigils keep.\n\nI’m going there to see my mothe r\,\nShe said she’d meet me when I come\,\nI’m just going over Jordan\ ,\nI’m just a going over home.\n\nI’ll soon be free\, free every trial \,\nMy body will sleep in the old churchyard.\nI’ll quit the cross of se lf-denial\,\nAnd enter in my great reward.\n\nI’m going there to see my mother\,\nShe said she’d meet me when I come\,\nI’m just a going over Jordan\,\nI’m just going over home.\n\nThe only differences in the versi ons of the old song and its present form is the substitution of “But” for “yet”\, “and” for “their”\, and “free” for “from”\, “drop” for “quit” in the various lines. Very much in the same class of song is “Steal Away”. The present version is much t he same in general as the old\, of which there were several\, differing on ly in minor details. There is in some of the church song books a version o f the song\; however\, the most common verses now sung are:\n\nO the green trees a-bowin’\,\nAn’ po’ sinner stan’ tremblin’\,\nWell the tr umpet soun’ in my soul\,\nAn’ I ain’t got long to stay here.\n[Pg 94 ]\nO steal away\, steal away\,\nO steal away to my Jesus\,\nSteal away\, s teal away\,\nFor I ain’t got long to stay here.\n\nMy Lord is a callin ’\,\nPo’ sinner he can’t answer\,\nWell\, the trumpet sound in my so ul\,\nAn’ I ain’t got long to stay here.\n\nOne of the most beautiful and at the same time simple and pathetic songs of the negroes is “Heal m e\, Jesus”. Here the negro is at his typical best in prayer: without pre tension\, without reserve\, claiming nothing\, he simply pleads for his de sire.\n\nO Lord\, I’m sick an’ I want to be healed\,\nO Lord\, I’m s ick an’ I want to be healed\,\nO Lord\, I’m sick an’ I want to be he aled\,\nO Lord\, I’m sick an’ I want to be healed.\n\nHeal me Jesus\, heal me Jesus\,\nAlong the heavenly way\,\nHeal me Jesus\, heal me Jesus\, \nAlong the heavenly way.\n\nO Lord\, I’m blind an’ I want to see\,\nO Lord\, I’m blin’ an’ I wan’ ter see\,\nO Lord\, I’m bli n’ an’ I wan’ ’er see\,\nHeal me Jesus along the heavenly way.\n\n O Lord\, I’m crippl’d an’ I wan’ ’er walk\,\nO Lord\, I’m crippl’d an’ I wan’ ’er wa-a-a-l-k\,\nO Lord\, I’m cri-p-p-l-e -d an’ I want ’er walk\,\nHeal me Jesus along the heavenly way.\n\nO L ord\, I’m deaf an’ I want to hear\, etc.\n\nThe negroes are great beli evers in dress and uniform. Color\, too\, appeals to them as significant a nd the more strikingly distinct the color\, the stronger impression it mak es upon their imaginations. Chief among all others is the white which the angels wear\; gold and purple\, too\, are concerned with the heavens. Amon g men red and black are strongest. This idea of color dressing has become interwoven in many of their songs. The rhyme helps to give the picture its vividness. The following song\, with its variants\, is still sung with co nsiderable zest.\n\nWho is that yonder all dressed in red?\n[Pg 95]I heard the angels singing\;\nIt look like the children Moses led\,\nI heard the angels singin’.\n\nDown on my knees\,\nDown on my knees\,\nI heard the a ngels singing.\n\nWell who that yonder all dressed in black?\nI heard the angels singing\;\nIt look like it’s de mourner jus’ got back\,\nI hear d the angels singing.\n\nYes’ who’s that yonder all dressed in blue?\n It look like the children just come through.\n\nInstead of “mourners j us’ got back” the negroes sing “a sister\, a sinner\, a hypocrite\, etc.\, jus’ got back”. Once the negroes sang: “Who’s that yonder a ll dressed in black? Must be children of the Israelites”\, which is the common version for the answer to “Who’s all them come dressed in whi te?” The songs almost invariably have a different chorus for the differe nt versions and combinations. In one of the old songs\, the above verses w ere sung to the chorus\n\nOh\, what you say\, John?\nOh\, what you say\, J ohn?\nOh\, what you say\, John?\nDe ressurection drawin’ nigh.\n\nwith t his last line as a refrain after each line of the song\, just as above in “I heard the angels singing”. In another of the old songs the chorus w as:\n\nGo\, Mary\, an’ ring de bell\,\nCome\, John\, and call de roll\,\ nI thank God.\n\nThe negro visualizes with a good deal of satisfaction. He imagines that he can see the things about which he sings. So they have im agined seeing the people dressed in white\, black\, red and blue\; so he i magined that he could see “two tall angels comin’ after me”\, or “ big tall”\, “long tall”\, “band of angels” or whatever form the song has taken. So the negroes have told wonderful stories about the whale and the gourd vine\; about the “cutter worm” as well as Jonah. The ol d song\, modified and adapted with characteristic phraseology and expressi on still appeals to the negro. The “Big fish” and “Sherk” represen ts the terror of the sea to the negro. One old darkey explained this fact by saying that it was because the negroes were terrified[Pg 96] as they we re brought over from Africa\, and that they saw the whales and “fishes ” in “de sea” and that “de race hain’t nebber got ober it yet” . Another ascribes the fear and imagination much to the biblical story of the whale and Jonah. Perhaps neither determines to any marked degree this feeling. However\, the song “Big fish swallow Jonah”\, which has made such a hit in its paraphrases and in the glee clubs\, and variously\, is s till current in this form:\n\nLord\, the big fish\, big fish\, big fish\, swallow ole Jonah whole\,\nThe big fish\, the big fish\, the big fish swal low ole Jonah\;\nThe big fish\, big fish\, big fish\, swallow ole Jonah wh ole.\n\nOle Jonah cried\, “Lord save my soul”\,\nOle Jonah\, ole Jonah \, ole Jonah cried “save my-save-m-y-y”\,\nOle Jonah cried “Lord sav e my soul”.\n\nIn the same manner are sung other lines:\n\nLord\, the go urd vine\, gourd vine\, gourd vine growed over Jonah.\nWell\, the cutter w orm\, cutter worm\, cutter worm cut that vine down.\n\nIn addition to Jona h—and the last two stanzas are not common in the old songs—“Peter on the sea”\, “Gabriel\, blow your trump”\, “Daniel in the lion’ s den”\, are sung. Those who have heard the latest form of this song ren dered would scarcely imagine that it was a very appropriate church song.\n \nIt has been stated that the negro makes a song his own by the simple act of singing it. If he is free and unrestrained at the same time that he is thoroughly wrought up\, he adds enough to his song or changes its version sufficiently to make it almost unique. In the common tunes sung by both w hite and black people\, the negro’s rhythm and graceful passing from one line to another\, together with the insertions of shouts and “amens” renders them distinct. A number of the favorite “old time” religious s ongs are thus rendered by the negroes. They are the old “stand-by” hym ns. The nature of some of them was indicated in the first chapter. The fol lowing songs will serve to illustrate the common practice of singing among the “spiritualists”.\n\nIn “The old-time Religion” there are as m any versions as the singer can make combinations. It is “Gi’ me dat ol e-time religion”\, or it is “’Tis that ole time religion”\, or i t is “Was that ole-time\, etc.\,” or “Will be the old time religio n”. In the same way it may[Pg 97] be “good enough”\, “It’s goo d enough”. It is\, was\, will be good enough for “mother\, my mother\, my ole mother\, father\, brother\, sister\,” and all the list of biblic al names\, chiefest among whom are Paul and Silas\, Peter and John. So aga in\, it is “good when dying\, living\, mourning\, sinking\, praying\, ta lking”. It is good “when in trubble\, when de worl’s on fier\, when the lightening flashes\, when the thunder rolls\, when the heavens are mel ting\, when the stars are falling\, when the moon is bleeding\, when the g rave yards are opening”\, and all other times that are conceived as bein g a part and factor in destiny. Likewise the chorus or the lines may be su ng with additional “Yes”\, “sure”\, “well”\, “Uh”\, and va rious other expressions that are the product of the moment.\n\nOne who has heard the song “Bye and bye we’ll go and see them”\, rendered in an effective way must recognize its power and beauty. It is pre-eminently a song for the emotions\, and suggests scenes of the past and of the future\ ; it brings back memories that have been forgotten and forms emotions and conceptions that have not before existed. To the negro it is all this—in so far as he is able to grasp the better emotions—but it is mostly a me dium through which he can sing his rhythmic feeling off. And with the addi tional interpretations and additions both in words and in expression\, it is scarcely surpassed by any of his spirituals. The simplest form is exact ly the same as that of the regular song: “Bye and bye\, we’ll go and s ee them”\, From this the negroes vary to “Bye and bye I’m a goin’ to see him\, them\, her”. To this chorus they nearly always add in alter nate lines “Well it’s”\, “Well”\, “An’” and such expressio ns\, thus:\n\nBye an’ bye I’m goin’ to see them\,\nBye an’ bye I’m goin’ to see them\,\nWell\, it’s bye an’ bye I’m goin’ to see them\,\nOn de oder shore.\n\nThese expressions inserted or omitted at pleasure\, serve to give an additional rhythm to the song that seems othe rwise to be lacking. The verses of the song\, like many others\, are pract ically unlimited. Each is repeated three or six times as the singers prefe r\, with the refrain “On the other shore” added at the end of each sta nza. The negroes sing not only of a brother\, sister\, father\, mother\, a untie\, preacher and friends\, but they also sing of Paul and Silas and Da niel and Moses\; they are at liberty to use any name that comes to mind. A nd they[Pg 98] manifest as much feeling and emotion about meeting Moses or Noah or Abraham as they do about a dear old mother. Not only will they me et these loved ones but there will be scenes “over yonder.”\n\nI’m g ot a brother over yonder-on the other shore.\nI’m goin’ to meet my bro ther over yonder.\nTryin’ time will soon be over\, on the other shore.\n Well\, it’s mournin’ time will soon be over\, on the other shore.\nC ryin’ time will soon be over.\nPrayin’ time will soon be over\, etc.\n Shoutin’ time will soon be over\, etc.\n\nIf necessary they then turn to the sinner and sing: “Sinnin’ time\, gamblin’ time\, etc.\, will so on be over.” The old plantation song\, instead of saying\, “Brother Da niel over yonder\,” had it\, “Wonder where is good ole Daniel? Bye a n’ bye we’ll go an’ meet him\, ’Way over in de promise lan’. W onder where’s dem Hebrew children? Wonder where’s doubtin’ Thomas? W onder where is sinkin’ Peter?” This form is apparently not sung to-day .\n\nIn the same way the negroes have modified the comparatively new songs that have been successful among the evangelists the country over. One wou ld scarcely recognize even the tunes at first hearing\, while the verses a re usually entirely different. The chorus\, as a rule\, remains the same\, save for the variations already mentioned. One or two songs may be taken as illustrations. “When the Roll is Called up yonder” appealed to the negroes for many reasons. Most of the churches sing it\, and sing it “ro using” well. Their chorus is beautiful and the parts\, though carried in formally\, make a splendid effect. But the negro does not sing the prescri bed stanzas. After singing the chorus\, with such additions as he feels di sposed to make\, and after two or three\, perhaps one\, of the written ver ses\, he sings his own song:\n\nWhen the roll is called up yonder\, I’ll be there.\nBy the grace of God up yonder\, I’ll be there.\nYes\, my hom e is way up yonder\, an’ I’ll be there.\nI got a mother way up yonde r\, I’ll be there.\nI got a sister way up yonder\, I’ll be there.\n\nA nd without limitations he sings this new song into his old and favorite th emes\, often inserting stanzas and words that belong to the oldest existin g negro spirituals in the same verse with the evangelist’s best efforts. Another may illustrate further: “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”\, h as a great many variations\, some of which would never[Pg 99] be recognize d without considerable study and investigation. At first the searcher is i nclined to wonder at the distance the singer has got from his original\, b ut the evolutionary steps make the process quite clear. The negroes love t o sing blessing to the Lord\; much of the basic principle of their theolog y is based upon gratitude for the final deliverance of bondage from work a nd suffering. It is not surprising\, then\, that this song should become a favorite. One of the present versions\, most commonly sung is:\n\nIf you git there before I do\,\nBlessed be the name of the Lord\,\nTell my God I’m a comin’ too\,\nBlessed be the name of the Lord.\n\nI turn my eyes toward de sky\,\nBlessed be the name of the Lord\,\nI ask the Lord for wi ngs to fly\,\nBlessed be the name of the Lord.\n\nAnd encouraged by the ha ppy putting in to this new song an old verse\, the singer proceeds to put in as many as he wishes\; then in his desire for rhythm and his habit of r epetition\, together with the cries of “amen” or “Lord” the chorus often becomes: “My Lord\, blessed be the name of the Lord.” The outco me of such a chorus may be seen in the song already cited: “Lor’ bless the Name.”\n\nIn the effort to make new songs or to appropriate songs t hemselves\, the negroes are thus constantly introducing various songs into their worship. The most common method\, that of having the song printed o n a single sheet for distribution\, has already been mentioned. And as was there suggested\, these songs are often verses taken at random from song books or poems\, and put into song form. In most cases such songs are vari ed in such a way that the song may both meet the demand for a song of its kind and at the same time appear original. Some\, indeed\, are purely orig inal productions\, some of which have been cited. Just between the “spir ituals” and the standard hymns are these innovation songs. They show wel l the circumstances which they represent. The effort is often made by memb ers of the younger generation of negroes to substitute the new songs\, tog ether with the standard hymns for the old spirituals. They represent a ste p forward\; young educated negroes do not like to be heard singing the sim ple spirituals. They claim that they are songs of the past\, and\, as such [Pg 100] only\, are they beautiful. The following song\, given in the exac t form in which it was distributed\, will serve to illustrate.\n\nBLESSED HOPE.\nBy Rev. W. E. Bailey.\nBlessed hope that in Jesus is given\,\nAll o ur sorrow to cheer and sustain\,\nThat soon in the mansions of heaven\nWe shall meet with our loved ones again.\n\nBlessed hope\, blessed hope\,\nWe shall meet with our loved ones again\,\nBlessed hope\, blessed hope\,\nWe shall meet with our loved ones again.\n\nBlessed hope in the word God has spoken\,\nAll our peace by that word we obtain\,\nAnd as sure as God’s word was never broken\,\nWe shall meet with our loved ones again.\n\nBless ed hope how it shines in our sorrows\,\nLike the star over Bethlehem’s p lain\,\nWe will see our Lord ere the morrow\,\nWe shall meet with our love d ones again.\n\nBlessed hope the bright star of the morning\,\nThat shall herald his coming to reign\,\nHe will come and reward all the faithful\,\ nWe shall meet with our loved ones again.\n(Sung by Rev. J. T. Johnson.)\n \nSuch a song is neither sung to an old melody nor a new tune\; it is not a spiritual\; it is scarcely native nor yet borrowed. It represents the ge neral result that comes from a free intermingling of all. To such a song t here may be any number of tunes\; likewise there are a great many such son gs introduced and may be sung alike to simple tunes. A tune is as easily s elected and rendered as are the words\; words are as easily improvised\, o r written with some care\, as the melodies are natural. But they appeal le ss strongly to the negroes as a rule for the simple reason that “they don’t put a feelin’ in you like the old songs.”\n\nThus the negro’ s religion is dependent upon feeling\; song facilitates and intensifies th e feelings\, and song is the essential joy of much of the negro’s life. Whenever and wherever occasion demands religious manifestation\, the song is the prerequisite. Not only at the[Pg 101] church\, but at lodge celebra tions\, funerals and memorial services\, the song begins the process of “putting a feelin’” in the congregation. Again\, the stress of the negro’s religion is placed upon the supernatural and the life that lies beyond his present sphere. A religious attitude is scarcely conceived by the negro without the fundamental conception of the next world. Thus is li fe contrasted with heaven and hell\; the sinner and the righteous are but temporary\; so will the souls of all one day sing with Jehovah the songs t hat the angels love\; and there will be feeling there\, too. It is thus th at the central themes of the negro’s religious songs reveal both his rel igious nature and his mental attitude\, together with the emotional charac teristics that predominate. And it is easily seen that the negro’s image ry and imagination are scarcely surpassed. His religious fervor depends up on the reality of such imagery\; the folk-song reflects this imagery as no thing else does. Again\, the negro’s sense of sin is ever present in a f eeling of guilt in the struggle between himself and the real or the imagin ary\; consequently he insures himself against a final sense of guilt by st rong declarations of his righteousness as opposed to the sinner’s state. His sense of sin thus becomes less practical\; it is rather an imaginativ e expression of a religious feeling. As the clearest exponent of the negro ’s real self\, the folk song reveals the heart of his psychic nature\; i t is indeed a witness to the fact that “’Ligion’s so sweet”. Does he not sing well and truthfully?\n\nI jus’ got home f’um Jordan\,\nI jus’ got home f’um Jordan\,\nI jus’ got home f’um Jordan\,\n’ Ligion’s so-o-o sweet.\n\nMy work is done an’ I mus’ go\,\nMy work i s done an’ I mus’ go\,\nMy work is done an’ I mus’ go\,\n’Ligi on’s so-o-o sweet.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nFootnotes:\n\n[1] This paper presen ts in substance the contents of Chapters I and II of a study on “Negro F olk-Song and Character\,” with other chapters as follows: Chapter III\, The Negro’s Social and Secular Songs\; Chapter IV\, Types of Social Song s among the Negroes\; Chapter V\, Work Songs and Phrases\; Chapter VI\, Th e Negro’s Mental Imagery\; Chapter VII\, Negro Character as Revealed in Folk-Songs and Poetry.\n\n[2] See Atlantic Monthly\, Vol. XIX\, pp. 685 se q.\, Scribners\, Vol. XX\, pp. 425 seq.\, Lippincott’s\, Vol. II\, 617 s eq.\n\n[3] For verses not found in the present-day negro spirituals\, see Slave Songs in the United States\, W. F. Allen\, New York\, 1867\, The Jub ilee Singers\, New York\, 1873\, Plantation and Cabin Songs\, New York\, 1 892.\n\n*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RELIGIOUS FOLK-SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN NEGROES ***\nUpdated editions will replace the previous one—th e old editions will be renamed.\nCreating the works from print editions no t protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States c opyright in these works\, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distri bute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyrig ht royalties. Special rules\, set forth in the General Terms of Use part o f this license\, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ el ectronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. 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If you are not located in the United States\, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.\nTitle : Negro workaday songs\n\nAuthor: Howard Washington Odum\n\nGuy Benton Joh nson\n\nRelease date: November 18\, 2022 [eBook #69378]\n\nLanguage: Engli sh\n\nOriginal publication: New Caledonia: University of North Carolina Pr ess\, 1926\n\nCredits: Tim Lindell\, Harry Lamé\, Jude Eylander and the O nline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Am erican Libraries.)\n\n*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEGRO WORKA DAY SONGS ***\nPlease see the Transcriber’s Notes at the end of this tex t.\n\nThe cover image and music transcriptions have been created for this e-text and are in the public domain.\n\nCover image\nTHE UNIVERSITY OF NOR TH CAROLINA\nSOCIAL STUDY SERIES\n\nNEGRO WORKADAY SONGS\nTHE UNIVERSITY O F NORTH CAROLINA\nSOCIAL STUDY SERIES\nThe Negro and His Songs $3.00\nFolk Beliefs of the Southern Negro 5.00\nNegro Workaday Songs 3.00\nSouthern P ioneers 2.00\nLaw and Morals 2.00\nThe Scientific Study of Human Society 2 .00\nSystems of Public Welfare 2.00\nRoads to Social Peace 1.50\nThe Count ry Newspaper 1.50\nChildren’s Interest in Reading 1.50\nNEGRO WORKADAY S ONGS\n\nBY\n\nHOWARD W. ODUM\, Ph.D.\n\nKenan Professor of Sociology and D irector of\nthe School of Public Welfare\, University of\nNorth Carolina\n \nAND\n\nGUY B. JOHNSON\, A.M.\n\nInstitute for Research in Social Science \,\nUniversity of North Carolina\n\nLogo Lux Veritas\nCHAPEL HILL\nTHE UNI VERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS\nLONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD\nOXFORD UNIVERSI TY PRESS\n1926\n\n[vii]\n\nCopyright\, 1926\, By\nThe University of North Carolina Press\nALL RIGHTS RESERVED\n\nPresses of\nEdwards &\; Broughto n Company\nRALEIGH\n\n[viii]\n\nA vast throng of Negro workaday singers\, mirrors of a race\n\nWorkingmen in the Southern United States from highway \, construction camp\, from railroad and farm\, from city and countryside\ , a million strong\n\nA half million migrants from the South\, Eastward\, Northward\, Westward\, and some South again\n\nNegro offenders in thousand fold in local jails\, county chain gangs\, state and federal prisons\n\nA horde of Southern casual laborers and wanderers down that lonesome road\n \nA brown black army of “bad men”—creepers and ramblers and jamboree breakers\, “travelin’ men” de luxe\n\nItinerant full-handed musicia ners\, music physicianers and songsters\, singly\, in pairs\, quartets\, a lways moving on\n\nA host of women workers from field and home and factory at once singers and subjects of the lonesome blues\n\nA swelling crescend o\, a race vibrato inimitable\, descriptive index of group character\, fol k urge and race power\n\n[ix-\nx]\n\nPREFACE\nNegro Workaday Songs is the third volume of a series of folk background studies of which The Negro and His Songs was the first and Folk-Beliefs of the Southern Negro was the se cond. The series will include a number of other volumes on the Negro and l ikewise a number presenting folk aspects of other groups. The reception wh ich the first volumes have received gives evidence that the plan of the se ries to present scientific\, descriptive\, and objective studies in as int eresting and readable form as possible may be successful in a substantial way. Since the data for background studies are\, for the time being\, prac tically unlimited\, it is hoped that other volumes\, appearing as they bec ome available and timely\, may glimpse the whole range—from the Negro “bad man” to the æsthetic in the folk urge.\n\nIn this volume\, as in previous ones\, the emphasis is primarily social\, although this indicate s no lack of appreciation of the inherent literary and artistic values of the specimens presented. Indeed\, so far as possible\, all examples of fol k expression in this volume are left to tell their own story. The type mel odies and musical notations are presented separately with the same descrip tive purpose as the other chapters\, and they are not offered as a substit ute for effective harmonies and musical interpretation. For the purposes o f this volume\, however\, the separate chapters on the melodies and phono- photographic records with musical notations are very important. It is also important that they be studied separately\, but in the light of the prece ding chapters\, rather than inserted in the text to detract from both the social and artistic interpretation of the songs enumerated.\n\n[xi]\n\nThe Seashore-Metfessel phono-photographic records and musical notations mark an important contribution to the whole field of interpretation of Negro mu sic. There may be an outstanding contribution both to the musical world an d to the whole interpretation of Negro backgrounds in the possible thesis that the Negro\, in addition to his distinctive contribution to harmony\, excels also in the vibrato quality of the individual voice. These studies were made at Chapel Hill and at Hampton by Dr. Carl E. Seashore and Dr. Mi lton Metfessel of the University of Iowa\, under the auspices of the Insti tute for Research in Social Science at the University of North Carolina th rough a special grant of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial. Full ackn owledgment to them is here made.\n\nIt should be kept constantly in mind t hat this volume\, like The Negro and His Songs\, is in no sense an antholo gy or general collection\, but represents the group of songs current in ce rtain areas in North Carolina\, South Carolina\, Tennessee and Georgia\, d uring the years 1924-25. Of course all of this collection cannot be includ ed in this volume\; and no doubt many of the most important or most attrac tive specimens extant have escaped us at this time. It is also important t o note that in this volume\, as in the previous one\, all specimens listed \, except lines or references otherwise designated\, were taken directly f rom Negro singers and do not represent reports from memory of white indivi duals. So far as we know none of the songs in this collection has been pub lished\, although there are countless variations\, adaptations and corrupt ions of the modern blues and jazz songs represented in the group. The song s\, however\, were all[xii] sung or repeated by actual Negro workers or si ngers\, and much of their value lies in the exact transcription of natural lines\, words\, and mixtures. The collection is still growing by leaps an d bounds. In this volume every type is represented except the “dirty doz en” popular models and the more formal and sophisticated creations.\n\nS ince this volume presents a series of pictures of the Negro as portrayed t hrough his workaday songs it is important that all chapters be read before any final judgment is made. Even then the picture will not be complete. I t has not been possible\, of course\, to make any complete or accurate cla ssification of the songs. They overlap and repeat. They borrow sentiment a nd expression and repay freely. Free labor song becomes prison song\, and chain gang melody turns to pick-and-shovel accompaniment. The chapter divi sions\, therefore\, are made with the idea of approximating a usable class ification and providing such mechanical divisions as will facilitate the b est possible presentation.\n\nThe reader who approaches this volume from t he point of view of the technical student of folk song will likely be disa ppointed at what he considers the lack of discrimination displayed by the authors in admitting so many songs which cannot be classed as strictly fol k songs. We have frankly taken the position that these semi-folk songs\, c rude and fragmentary\, and often having only local or individual significa nce\, afford even more accurate pictures of Negro workaday life and art th an the conventional folk songs. While we have spared no effort to make the collection valuable for folk song students\, we have approached the work primarily as sociologists.\n\n[xiii]\n\nFor assistance in recording the ty pe melodies in Chapter XIV we are specially indebted to Mr. Lee M. Brooks\ , and for many of the songs of women to Mrs. Henry Odum. We wish to thank Mr. Gerald W. Johnson for his goodness in going over much of the manuscrip t and making valuable suggestions. To Dr. L. R. Wilson\, Director of the U niversity of North Carolina Press\, we are much indebted for coöperation and suggestions.\n\nChapel HillH. W. O.\nJanuary\, 1926G. B. J.\n\nCONTENT S\nCHAPTER PAGE\nI. Background Resources in Negro Songs and Work 1\nII. Th e Blues: Workaday Sorrow Songs 17\nIII. Songs of the Lonesome Road 35\nIV. Bad Man Ballads and Jamboree 47\nV. Songs of Jail\, Chain Gang\, and Poli cemen 71\nVI. Songs of Construction Camps and Gangs 88\nVII. Just Songs to Help With Work 118\nVIII. Man’s Song of Woman 135\nIX. Woman’s Song o f Man 152\nX. Folk Minstrel Types 166\nXI. Workaday Religious Songs 188\nX II. The Annals and Blues of Left Wing Gordon 206\nXIII. John Henry: Epic o f the Negro Workingman 221\nXIV. Types of Negro Melodies 241\nXV. Types of Phono-photographic Records of Negro Singers 252\n Bibliography 265\nInde x to Songs 271\nNEGRO WORKADAY SONGS\n\n[1]\n\nCHAPTER I\nBACKGROUND RESOU RCES IN NEGRO SONG AND WORK\nTo discover and present authentic pictures of the Negro’s folk background as found in his workaday songs is a large a nd promising task of which there are many phases. Here are spontaneous pro ducts of the Negro’s workaday experiences and conflicts. Here are reflec tions of his individual strivings and his group ways. Here are specimens o f folk art and creative effort close to the soil. Here are new examples of the Negro’s contributions to the American scene. Here is important mate rial for the newer scientific interest which is taking the place of the ol d sentimental viewpoint. And here is a mine of descriptive and objective d ata to substitute for the emotional and subjective attitudes of the older days.\n\nIt is a day of great promise in the United States when both races \, North and South\, enter upon a new era of the rediscovery of the Negro and face the future with an enthusiasm for facts\, concerning both the new er creative urge and the earlier background sources. Concerning the former \, Dr. Alain Locke recently has said:[1] “Whoever wishes to see the Negr o in his essential traits\, in the full perspective of his achievement and possibilities\, must seek the enlightenment of that self-portraiture whic h the present development of the Negro culture offers.” One of the best examples of that self-portraiture is that of the old spirituals\, long neg lected\, but now happily the subject of a new race dedication and apprecia tion. Now comes another[2] master index of race temperament and portrayal\ , as found in some of the Negro’s newer creations. No less important\, f rom the viewpoint of sheer originality and poetic effort as well as of ind ices of traits and possibilities\, are the seemingly unlimited mines of wo rkaday songs\, weary blues\, and black man ballads. In a previous volume[2 ] we presented a sort of composite picture from two hundred songs gathered two decades ago and interpreted with something of prophetic evaluation. I n this volume of Negro Workaday Songs is presented a deeper mine of source material\, rich in self-portraiture and representative of the workaday Ne gro.\n\n[1]The New Negro\, edited by Alain Locke.\n\n[2]The Negro and His Songs\, by Howard W. Odum and Guy B. Johnson.\n\nIn his Peter the Czar\, v iolent story of “lashed sentences\,” perfectly suited to the depiction of primitive character\, Klabund pictures vividly a certain Great Enemy a bout whose “shivering shoulders lay a rainbow like a silken shawl.” Di gging to the syncopated rhythm of song and fast-whirling pick\, a Negro wo rkman sings of another rainbow\, equally vivid and shoulder-draped\, more concrete\, personal\, and real:\n\nEv’ywhere I look this\,\nEv’ywhere I look this mo’nin’\,\nLooks like rain.\nI got rainbow\nTied ’round my shoulder\,\nAin’t gonna rain\,\nLawd\, ain’t gonna rain.[3]\n[3]Mus ical notation will be found in Chapter XIV.\n\nIn addition to the poetic i magery in this seemingly unconscious motor-minded product\, one may glimps e evidences of simple everyday experience\, wishful thought\, childlike fa ith\, workaday stolidity\, physical[3] satisfaction\, and subtle humor. Bu t he can find still more humor and experience\, with a good bit of metapho r thrown in for good measure\, in the “feet rollin’” stanza of anoth er wanderer’s song of the road:\n\nI done walk till\,\nLawd\, I done wal k till\nFeet’s gone to rollin’\,\nJes’ lak a wheel\,\nLawd\, jes’ lak a wheel.\nResourcefulness\, humor\, defense mechanism\, imagination\, all might be found in the spectacle of a group of Negroes singing over and over again on a hot July day the refreshing lines\,\n\nOh\, next winter g onna be so cold\,\nOh\, next winter gonna be so cold\,\nOh\, next winter g onna be so cold\,\nFire can’t warm you\, be so cold.\nWith the thermomet er around a hundred\, and the work of digging at hand\, this song of “pa rts\,” with some of the singers using the words\, “be so cold\, be so cold” as an echo\, undoubtedly had peculiar merit.\n\nPerhaps there have been few\, if any\, lines of poetry more popular than Wordsworth’s “T he light that never was on sea or land.” The Negro worker sings of a mor e earthly yet equally miraculous light to guide his pathway\, when he comp lains\,\n\nNow ev’y time I\,\nTime I start ’round mountain\,\nMy light goes out\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, my light goes out.\nI’m gonna buy me\,\nBuy m e magnified lantern\,\n[4]\nIt won’t go out\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, it won’t go out.\nHow much of symbolism is to be found in the Negro’s workaday so ngs? How much subjective imagery\, how much unconscious allegory? There ar e abundant examples of the free use of symbolism in his love songs and pop ular jazz appeals. But what does he mean when he sings\,\n\nEver see wild cat\nHug a lion\, Lawd\, Lawd?\nMy ol’ bear cat\nTurn to lion\, Lawd\, L awd.\nEver see lion\nRun lak hell\, Lawd\, Lawd?\nOr contrast this simple individual song\, with its humor and easy-going rhythm\, with the power an d appeal of group singing. Here is a goodly party of two-score white folk\ , seated at twilight under the trees in a grove\, joyous guests at a turke y dinner near the old colonial home. There is merriment. Song and jest\, t oast and cheer abound. The waiters have gone. Then from the kitchen door c omes the song of Negroes\, beginning low\, rising in volume\, telling of t he sinking of the Titanic. What is it in that final harmony of “God move d upon the waters\,” sung by a Negro group\, which silenced the merrymak ers into willing recognition that here may be perfect art and perfect effe ct? Does this Negro minstrel type\, rendered thus in native setting\, beco me for the moment the perfect expression of folk spirit and folk art?\n\nH undreds of verses dedicated to the business of moving about give evidence that the trail of the black knight of the road is strewn with spontaneous[ 5] song\, often turned into polished phrase. A favorite stanza has long be en descriptive of being “on road here few days longer\, then I’ll be g oing home.” Sung again and again\, the song takes on a new form but lose s nothing of its emphatic meaning:\n\nI’m gonna row here\,\nI’m gonna row here\nFew days longer\,\nThen I’ll be gone\,\nLawd\, I’ll be gone. \nFor\, says the worker\, “If I feel tomorrow like I feel today\, I’m gonna pack my suitcase and walk away\,” and “reason I’m workin’ he re so long\, hot flambotia and coffee strong.”\n\nFollowing the trail of the workaday Negro\, therefore\, one may get rare glimpses of common back grounds of Negro life and experience in Southern communities. Here were th e first real plantings of the modern blues\, here songs of the lonesome ro ad\, here bad man ballads\, here distinctive contributions in songs of jai l and chain gang\, here songs of white man and captain\, here Negro Dr. Je kyls and Mr. Hydes. Here are found new expressions of the old spirituals a nd remnants still surviving. Here man’s song of woman is most varied and original\, and woman’s song of man is best echoed from days and nights of other times. Here are reflected the epics of John Henry\, Lazarus\, Dup ree\, and the others. Here are folk fragments\, cries and “hollers\,” songs to help with work\, physical satisfaction and solace\, the “Lawdy- Lawdy” vibrato of evening melancholy and morning yodel. Here may be foun d the subliminal jazz\, rare rhythm and movement\, coöperative harmony as characteristic as ever the old spirituals revealed. Nevertheless\, too mu ch emphasis[6] cannot be placed upon the danger of over-interpretation\, f or while the workaday songs provide a seemingly exhaustive supply of mirro r plate for the reflection of folk temperament and struggle\, too much ana lysis must not obscure their vividness or the beauty and value of their in trinsic qualities.\n\nIt is important to note the extent to which the nota ble popular blues of today\, more formal embodiment of the Negro’s worka day sorrow songs\, have come from these workaday products. Here are true d escendants of the old worshipers who sang so well of the Rock in a weary l and. And echoing from Southern distances\, from Memphis and Natchez\, from New Orleans and Macon\, from Charleston and Atlanta\, and from wayside ro ads and camps\, from jail and chain gang\, come unmeasured volume of harmo ny\, unnumbered outbursts of song\, perfect technique of plaintive appeal. Many of the most plaintive lines of blues yet recorded were gathered deca des ago from camp and road in Mississippi before the technique of the mode rn blues had ever been evolved. Eloquent successors to the old spirituals with their sorrow-feeling\, these songs of the lonesome road have gathered power and numbers and artistic interpretation until they defy description and record. Today the laborer\, the migrant\, the black man offender cons titute types as distinctive and inimitable as the old jubilee singers and those whom they represented. Wherever Negroes work\, or loaf\, or await ju dgment\, there may be heard the weary and lonesome blues so strange and va ried as to reveal a sort of superhuman evidence of the folk soul. No amoun t of ordinary study into race backgrounds\, or historical annals of Africa n folk\, or elaborate anthropological excursions can give so simply and co mpletely the story of this Negro quest for expression\,[7] freedom\, and s olace as these low-keyed melancholy songs.\n\nAnd what names and lines\, w ords and melodies\, records and improvisations of the new race blues! Plai ntive blues\, jolly blues\, reckless blues\, dirty dozen blues\, mama blue s\, papa blues\,—more than six hundred listed by one publisher and produ cer. Here they are—the workaday sorrow songs\, the errant love songs\, t he jazz lyrics of a people and of an age—as clearly distinctive as the o ld spirituals. And how like the road songs and the gang lines\, straight u p from the soil again\, straight from the folk as surely as ever came the old spirituals.\n\nSamples of the growing list of blues\, some less elegan t\, some more aggressive\, will be found in Chapter II. And of course we m ust not forget the bad man blues: Dangerous Blues\, Evil Blues\, Don’t M ess With Me Blues\, Mean Blues\, Wicked Blues\, and most of all the Chain Gang Blues\, Jail Blues\, and the Cell-bound Blues.\n\nAll boun’ in pris on\,\nAll boun’ in jail\,\nCol’ iron bars all ’roun’ me\,\nNo one to pay my bail.\nAnd the singer presents\, as one of his standard versions of many songs\, a regular weekly calendar:\n\nMonday I was ’rested\,\nT uesday I was fined\,\nWednesday I laid in jail\,\nThursday I was tried\,\n Friday wid chain gang band\,\nSaturday pick an’ shovel\,\nSunday I took my rest\,\nMonday wanta do my best.\n[8]\n\nPerhaps the most common concep t found in the chain gang and road songs and appearing here and there in a ll manner of song is the concept of a letter from home\, the inability to go home without “ready money\,” the attempt to borrow from the captain \, or to get a parole.\n\nEvery\, every mail day\,\nI gits letter from my mother\,\nCryin’\, “Son\, come home\,\nLawdy\, son\, come home.”\n I didn’t have no\,\nNo ready-made money\,\nI couldn’t go home\,\nLawd\ , couldn’t go home.\nA constant source of song is the conflict between a ctual conditions and desirable ends\, between life as it is and ideals of wishful dreaming. “I want to go home\,” says the workman\, but “I don’t want no trouble wid de walker.” The resulting product is absence from home\, absence of trouble with the captain or walker\, and abundance of song.\n\nI don’t want no trouble\,\nI don’t want no trouble\,\nI don’t want no trouble wid de walker.\nLawd\, Lawd\, I wanta go home.\nM e an’ my buddy jes’ come\,\nMe an’ my buddy jes’ come\,\nMe an’ my buddy jes’ come here.\nLawd\, Lawd\, wanta go home.\nAgain and again the Negro wanderer portrays home\, parents\, brothers and sisters\, friend s\, as the most highly esteemed of life’s values—striking paradox to t he realism of his practice. Idealism in song and dreams\, in workaday song s as well as spirituals\,[9] alongside sordidness in living conditions and physical surroundings\, appear logical and direct developments from the t ype of habitation which the Negro common man has ever known.\n\nThe Negro “bad man” who sings sorrowfully of his mother’s admonitions and his own mistakes\, glories also in the motor-imaged refrain:\n\nIn come a nigg er named Billy Go-helf\,\nCoon wus so mean wus skeered uf hisself\;\nLoade d wid razors an’ guns\, so they say\,\n’Cause he killed a coon most ev ery day.\nA later chapter is devoted to this notable character\, the “ba d man\,” whose varied pictures represent a separate Negro contribution. Here are new and worthy Negro exhibits to add to the American galaxy of fo lk portraits: Railroad Bill alongside Jesse James\, the Negro “bad man ” beside the Western frontiersman\, and John Henry by Paul Bunyan. For f rom the millions of Negroes of yesterday and as many more today\, with the ir oft-changing and widely varying economic and social conditions\, has co me a rare and varied heritage of folk tradition\, folk character\, and fol k personality. Much of this might remain forever unknown and unsung were i t not for the treasure-house of Negro song\, the product of a happy facili ty for linking up the realities of actual life with wishful thinking and i maginative story.\n\nOf the grand old “saints\,” white haired “Unc les” and “Aunties\,” we have viewed from near and far scores of inim itable examples. Of the thousands of musicianers\, songsters and workers\, and those who sing “down that lonesome road\,” recent epochs have mir rored many. But what of the real and mythical jamboree breakers and bad me n\, or of Po’ Lazarus and[10] Stagolee\, or of John Henry\, “forehande d steel-drivin’ man” and ideal of the Negro worker?\n\nHere are rare f olk figures silhouetted against a sort of shifting race background with it s millions of working folk and wanderers moving suddenly and swiftly acros s the scene. A brown-black army of ramblers\, creepers\, high flyers\, sta ndin’ men\, all-night workers\, polish men\, “stick and ready” from the four corners of the States—Lazarus\, Billy Bob Russel\, Shootin’ B ill\, Brady\, Dupree\, and the others. And then John Henry\, stately and s trong in contrast\, noble exponent of sturdy courage and righteous struggl e\, faithful to death.\n\nJohn Henry went to the mountain\,\nBeat that ste am-drill down\;\nRock was high\, po’ John was small\,\nHe laid down his hammer an’ he died\,\nLaid down his hammer an’ he died.\nA chapter o n “Man’s Song of Woman” will make but a small beginning of a large t ask. Its sequel must be deferred until the lover’s specialisms can be pu blished with a liberal usage of the psychiatrists’ terminology. A chapte r on “Woman’s Song of Man” ought also to have a companion sequel in the book of Negro symbolism. A chapter on “Workaday Religious Songs” c an present only a small portion of those now being sung\, but will be repr esentative of the present heritage of the old spirituals. A chapter on the miscellaneous fragments\, “hollers\,” lines\, incoherent and expres sive “Lawdy-Lawd-Lawds” gives one of the best pictures of the Negro wo rkaday character and habits. Some of these types make a very good safety v alve for the Negro singer\; in a different way their plainness may restrai n the enthusiast from setting too much “store” by all the Negro’s so ngs. The characters of John Henry and[11] Left Wing represent two types\, one the mythical and heroic\, the other the real and commonplace\, both ty pical of the Negro’s idealism and his actual life. The examples of “mo vement and imagery” are as characteristic of the Negro workaday experien ce as were the harmonies and swaying of the old spirituals. They are indic es to guide judgment and interpretation of the Negro temperament. In each of these chapters\, it will be understood\, only enough material is presen ted to illustrate the case\, including\, however\, always the most represe ntative specimens which the authors have been able to collect within their field and time limit. Much that is similar will necessarily await publica tion in volumes in which the chief objective will be preservation and comp leteness rather than interpretation.\n\nMany pictures of the workaday Negr o are presented in this volume through the medium of his songs. They are s ilhouetted\, as it were\, at first against a complex background of Negro l ife and experience. The pictures are vivid\, concrete\, distinct\, often c omplete. But most of all\, perhaps\, they have been moving pictures. From the first glimpse of the Negro singer with his “feet’s gone to rolli n’ jes’ lak a wheel\,” to the last great scene of John Henry dying w ith the “hammer in his hand\,” there is marvelous movement alongside r are imagery. Sometimes rhythm and rhyme\, but always movement\, have domin ated the Negro’s chief characterizations. And this movement in the worka day songs is as much a distinctive feature as were the swaying bodies\, th e soothing rhythm\, and swelling harmony of the old spirituals. Picture th e Negro workingman in his song and story life and you picture him on the m ove.\n\nIt is scarcely possible to describe this element of movement in th e Negro workaday songs. And yet[12] the mere citation and classification o f representative examples will suffice to point out the particular qualiti es of action which might justify the added element of epic style\, if one remembers that the singer’s concept of the heroic\, while very real\, is not exalted in the Greek sense. There are those who do not feel that the Negro’s workaday songs are characterized by the qualities of poetry\; ye t do they not arouse the feelings and imagination in vivid and colorful la nguage? The type of language used—that is the Negro’s own. In the same way there can be no doubt of his songs emphasizing the quality of action\ ; his heroes and principal figures\, like his language\, reflect his conce pts and tell his stories. Whether epic or heroic\,\n\nI’m the hot stuff man\,\nFrom the devil’s land\,\nI’m a greasy streak o’ lightning\, \nDon’t you see\, don’t you see?\nhas plenty of action and imagery in it. And it is characteristic of much of the Negro workaday style of talk\, imagination\, and thought.\n\nMany of the pictures are vivid because of t he action concept and the rhyming metaphors.\n\nIn come a nigger named Sli ppery Jim\,\nNone of de gals would dance wid him\,\nHe rech in his pocket an’ drew his thirty-two\,\nDem niggers didn’t run\, good Gawd\, dey fl ew.\nThere was also a woman\, one Eliza Stone\, from a bad\, bad land\, wh o threatened to break up the jamboree with her razor but who also “jumpe d in de flo’\, an’ doubled up her fist\, say ‘You wanter test yo’ nerve jes’ jump against this.’” Note further a varying reel of movin g characters and scenes.\n\n[13]\n\nPolice got into auto\nAn’ started to chase that coon\,\nThey run ’im from six in the mo’nin’\,\nTill sev en that afternoon.\nThe coon he run so bloomin’ fas’\nTill fire come f rom his heels\,\nHe scorched the cotton an’ burnt the corn\,\nAn’ cut a road through farmers’ fiel’s.\nThe continuous search after the worka day folk song will always provide one of the most important guides to the “discovery” of the Negro. The task of finding and recording accurately the folk expression is a difficult one under most circumstances. Under ce rtain circumstances it is an easy task\, and always an interesting one. If we keep a record of efforts\, taken at random\, as experimental endeavor\ , in a cross country visit through North Carolina\, South Carolina\, Tenne ssee and Georgia\, about ten per cent\, at best\, of the requests for song s will be successful. There are other times\, when setting and procedure a re worked out well\, when almost one hundred per cent success would be att ained. In most instances the Negro is at his “best” when being urged t o coöperate in the rendering of his folk songs. By his “best” is mean t that he reveals a striking nature and strong personality\, whether in af firming stoutly that he knows no songs now or that he has forgotten what h e used to know. He protests vigorously that he does not sing well enough\, that he cannot say the words of songs unless he can sing\, that he cannot sing unless others are singing\, that he has to be in the spirit of the s ong\, or that he will get some songs together and bring them in\, or that he will bring a quartet or a pal. Rarely ever does he “produce” if let alone with only a first approach. Nor can he be blamed. He is entirely wi thin his own self-protecting domain\, so that his attitude may be put[14] down\, not only as a characteristic one but also as a commendable one. He has his own fun\, too\, in the situation. In general there are several typ es from which little success may be expected. The more educated and sophis ticated Negro not only does not as a rule coöperate\, but looks with cons iderable condescension upon those who seek his help. There are many who be lieve that all songs desired are for immediate transcription to printed mu sic or phonograph record. These are of little assistance. Others feel that some hidden motive is back of the request. Still others for various reaso ns do not coöperate. Nor will the Negro student or musician himself find ready coöperation among his common folk who feel constrained to withhold their folk art from the learned of their own race.\n\nPerhaps the most str iking observation that comes from the whole experience is the seemingly in exhaustible supply of songs among the workaday Negroes of the South. We ha ve yet to find a “bottom” or a limit in the work songs among the crowd s of working men in one community. Just as often as there is opportunity t o hear a group of Negroes singing at work\, just so often have we found ne w songs and new fragments. There is so far no exception to this rule. Like wise we have yet to find an individual\, whose efforts have been freely se t forth in the offering of song\, whose supply of songs has been exhausted . Time and time again the approach has been made\, with the response\, “ Naw\, sir\, cap’n\, I don’t know no songs much\,” with an ultimate r esult of song after song\, seemingly with no limit. Partly the singer is h onest\; he does not at the time\, think of many songs nor does he consider himself a good singer\; but when he turns himself “loose” his capacit y for memory and singing is astonishing.\n\n[15]\n\nThe same general rule with reference to dialect is used in this volume as was the case in The Ne gro and His Songs.[4] There can be no consistency\, except the consistency of recording the words as nearly as possible as rendered. Words may occur in two or three variations in a single stanza and sometimes in a single l ine. The attempt to make formal dialect out of natural speech renders the product artificial and less artistic. We have therefore followed the gener al practice of keeping the dialect as simple as possible. Dialect\, after all\, is a relative matter. It is the sort of speech which is not used in one’s own section of the country. As a matter of fact\, much of what has passed as Negro dialect is good white Southern usage\, and there is nothi ng to justify the attempt to set aside certain pronunciations as peculiar to the Negro simply because a Negro is being quoted. Consequently we have refrained from the use of dialect in all cases where the Negro pronunciati on and the usual white pronunciation are the same or practically the same. If the reader will grasp the basic points of difference between Negro and white speech and will then keep in mind the principle of economy\, he wil l have no difficulty in following the peculiarities of dialect.\n\n[4]The Negro and His Songs\, pp. 9-11\, 293-94. There is a good discussion of dia lect in James Weldon Johnson’s Book of American Negro Spirituals\, pp. 4 2-46.\n\nThe principle of economy will be found to operate at high efficie ncy in Negro speech. It will nearly always explain the apparent inconsiste ncies in dialect. For example\, the Negro often says ’bout and ’roun ’ for about and around. But he might vary these to about\, aroun’\, ’round\, and around in a single song\, depending upon the preceding and succeeding sounds. He would say\, “I’ll go ’bout two o’clock\,” but he[16] also would say\, “I went about two o’clock\,” because in the former case it is easier to say ’bout than about\, while in the latt er the reverse is true.\n\nRhythm is also related to dialect. In ordinary speech most Negroes would say broke for broken\, but if the rhythm in sing ing called for a two-syllable sound they would say broken rather than brok e.\n\nVery few of the popular songs which we heard twenty years ago are fo und now in the same localities. The places that knew them will know them n o more. The same disappearing process is going on now\, only more rapidly than formerly because of the multitude of blues\, jazz songs\, and others being distributed throughout the land in millions of phonographic records. One of the first tasks of this volume is\, therefore\, to take cognizance of these formal blues\, both in their relation to the workaday native cre ations and as an important segment of the Negro’s music and his contribu tion to the American scene. In the next chapter we shall proceed\, therefo re\, to discuss the blues.\n\n[17]\n\nCHAPTER II\nTHE BLUES: WORKADAY SORR OW SONGS\nNo story of the workaday song life of the Negro can proceed far without taking into account the kind of song known as the blues\, for\, ne xt to the spirituals\, the blues are probably the Negro’s most distincti ve contribution to American art. They have not been taken seriously\, beca use they have never been thoroughly understood. Their history needs to be written. The present chapter is not a complete statement. It merely presen ts some of the salient points in the story of the blues and offers some su ggestions as to their rôle in Negro life.\n\nBehind the popular blues son gs of today lie the more spontaneous and naïve songs of the uncultured Ne gro. Long before the blues were formally introduced to the public\, the Ne gro was creating them by expressing his gloomy moods in song. To be sure\, the present use of the term “blues” to designate a particular kind of popular song is of recent origin\, but the use of the term in Negro song goes much further back\, and the blue or melancholy type of Negro secular song is as old as the spirituals themselves. The following song might be t aken at first glance for one of the 1926 popular “hits\,” but it dates back to the time of the Civil War.[5]\n\n[5]Allen\, Ware\, and Garrison\, Slave Songs of the United States\, p. 89. This note is appended: “A ver y good specimen ... of the strange barbaric songs that one hears upon the Western steamboats.”\n\nI’m gwine to Alabamy\,—Oh\,\nFor to see my m ammy\,—Ah.\n[18]\nShe went from ole Virginny\,—Oh\,\nAnd I’m her pic kaniny\,—Ah.\nShe lives on the Tombigbee\,—Oh\,\nI wish I had her wid me\,—Ah.\nNow I’m a good big nigger\,—Oh\,\nI reckon I won’t git bigger\,—Ah.\nBut I’d like to see my mammy\,—Oh\,\nWho lives in Ala bamy\,—Ah.\nVery few of the Negro’s ante-bellum secular songs have bee n preserved\, but there is every reason to suppose that he had numerous me lancholy songs aside from the spirituals. At any rate\, the earliest authe ntic secular collections abound in the kind of songs which have come to be known as the blues. The following expressions are typical of the early bl ues. They are taken from songs collected in Georgia and Mississippi betwee n 1905 and 1908\, and they were doubtless common property among the Negroe s of the lower class long before that.[6]\n\n[6]This collection was publis hed by Howard W. Odum in the Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 24\, pp. 255-94\; 351-96.\n\nWent to the sea\, sea look so wide\,\nThought about m y babe\, hung my head an’ cried.\nO my babe\, won’t you come home?\nI got the blues\, but too damn mean to cry\,\nOh\, I got the blues\, but I ’m too damn mean to cry.\nGot nowhar to lay my weary head\,\nO my babe\, got nowhar to lay my weary head.\nI’m po’ boy long way from home\,\nO h\, I’m po’ boy long way from home.\nEver since I left dat country far m\,\nEv’ybody been down on me.\n[19]\n\nHere are blues in the making. Th is is the stuff that the first published blues were made of\, and some of it sounds strikingly like certain of the latest blues records issued by th e phonograph companies. About 1910 the first published blues appeared\, an d since that time they have been exploited in every imaginable form by mus ic publishers and phonograph companies.[7] The inter-relations between the formal blues and the native blues will be discussed later. At present it is necessary to take up certain questions concerning the nature of the blu es.\n\n[7]W. C. Handy is credited with having published the first blues (M emphis Blues\, 1910) and with having had much to do with their popularizat ion. He is still writing songs. His works include Memphis Blues\, St. Loui s Blues\, Beale St. Blues\, Joe Turner Blues\, Yellow Dog Blues\, Aunt Hag ar’s Blues\, and others.\n\nWhat are the characteristics of the native b lues\, in so far as they can be spoken of as a type of song apart from oth er Negro songs? The original blues were so fragmentary and elusive—they were really little more than states of mind expressed in song—that it is difficult to characterize them definitely. The following points\, then\, are merely suggestive.\n\nIn the first place\, blues are characterized by a tone of plaintiveness. Both words and music give the impression of lonel iness and melancholy. In fact\, it was this quality\, combined with the Ne gro’s peculiar use of the word “blues\,” which gave the songs their name. In the second place\, the theme of most blues is that of the love re lation between man and woman. There are many blues built around homesickne ss and hard luck in general\, but the love theme is the principal one. Som etimes the dominant note is the complaint of the lover:\n\n[20]\n\nGoi n’ ’way to leave you\, ain’t comin’ back no mo’\,\nYou treated m e so dirty\, ain’t comin’ back no mo’.[8]\nWhere was you las’ Satt aday night\,\nWhen I lay sick in bed?\nYou down town wid some other ol’ girl\,\nWusn’t here to hol’ my head.[9]\nSometimes it is a note of lon ging:\n\nI hate to hear my honey call my name\,\nCall me so lonesome and s o sad.[10]\nI believe my woman’s on that train\,\nO babe\, I believe my woman’s on that train.[11]\nAt other times the dominant note is one of d isappointment:\n\nI thought I had a friend was true\;\nDone found out frie nds won’t do.[12]\nAll I hope in this bright worl’\,\nIf I love anybod y\, don’t let it be a girl.[13]\n [8]The Negro and His Songs\, p. 184. \n\n [9]Ibid.\, p. 185.\n\n[10]Ibid.\, p. 224.\n\n[11]Ibid.\, p. 222.\n\ n[12]Ibid.\, p. 250.\n\n[13]Ibid.\, p. 181.\n\nA third characteristic of t he blues is the expression of self pity.[14] Often this is the outstanding feature of the song. There seems to be a tendency for the despondent or b lue singer to use the technique of the martyr to draw from others a reacti on of sympathy. Psychologically speaking\, the technique consists of ratio nalization\, by which process the singer not only excuses his shortcomings \, but attracts the attention and sympathy of others—in imagination\, at least—to[21] his hard lot. The following expressions will make the poin t clear.[15]\n\n[14]For a discussion of this subject\, see Lomax\, “Self -pity in Negro Folk Song\,” Nation\, vol. 105\, pp. 141-45.\n\n[15]Illus trations are taken from The Negro and His Songs unless otherwise indicated .\n\nBad luck in de family\, sho’ God\, fell on me\,\nGood ol’ boy\, jus’ ain’t treated right.\nPoor ol’ boy\, long ways from home\,\n I’m out in dis wide worl’ alone.\nOut in dis wide worl’ to roam\,\ nAin’t got no place to call my home.\nNow my mama’s dead and my swee t ol’ popper too\,\nAn’ I ain’t got no one fer to carry my troubles to.\nIf I wus to die\, little girl\, so far away from home\,\nThe folks\, honey\, for miles around would mourn.\nNow it is apparent to any one famil iar with the folk songs of various peoples that the blues type\, as it has been described above\, is not peculiar to the Negro\, but is more or less common to all races and peoples. So far as subject matter and emotional e xpression are concerned\, the lonesome songs of the Kentucky mountaineer\, of the cowboy\, of the sailor\, or of any other group\, are representativ e of the blues type. If this be so\, then why was it that the Negro’s so ng alone became the basis for a nationally popular type of song? The answe r to this question is\, of course\, far from simple. For one thing\, the w hole matter of the Negro’s cultural position in relation to the white ma n is involved. The Negro’s reputation for humor and good singing is also important. Perhaps\, too\, the psychology of fads would have to be consid ered. But\, speaking in terms of the qualities of the songs themselves\, w hat is there about them to account for the superior status enjoyed by the Negro’s melancholy songs?\n\n[22]\n\nTo begin with\, the Negro’s pecul iar use of the word “blues” in his songs was a circumstance of no mean importance. Much more significant\, however\, was the music of the blues. The blues originated\, of course\, with Negroes who had access to few ins truments other than the banjo and the guitar. But such music as they broug ht forth from these instruments to accompany their blues was suited to the indigo mood. It was syncopated\, it was full of bizarre harmonies\, sudde n changes of key and plaintive slurs. It was something new to white Americ a\, and it needed only an introduction to insure its success.\n\nBut there is still another feature of the blues which is probably responsible more than any other one thing for their appeal and fascination\, and that is th eir lack of conventionality\, their naïveté of expression. The Negro was tes no time in roundabout or stilted modes of speech. His tale is brief\, his metaphor striking\, his imagery perfect\, his humor plaintive. Express ions like the following have made the blues famous.\n\nLooked down the roa d jus’ far as I could see\,\nWell\, the band did play “Nearer\, My God to Thee.”\nWell\, I started to leave an’ I got ’way down the track\ ;\nGot to thinkin’ ’bout my woman\, come a-runnin’ back.\nWish to Go d some ol’ train would run\,\nCarry me back where I came frum.\nI laid i n jail\, back to the wall:\nBrown skin gal cause of it all.[16]\n[16]See P errow\, “Songs and Rhymes from the South\,” Journal of American Folk-L ore\, vol. 28\, p. 190.\n\nWhen the first published blues appeared\, the p roblem for the student of Negro song began to become complicated. It is no longer possible to speak with certainty of the folk blues\, so entangled are the relations[23] between them and the formal compositions. This inter -relation is itself of such interest and importance that it demands the ca reful attention of students of folk song. Only a few points can be touched upon in the present work\, but an attempt will be made at least to indica te some of the ramifications of the subject.\n\nThere is no doubt that the first songs appearing in print under the name of blues were based directl y upon actual songs already current among Negroes.[17] Soon after Handy be gan to issue his blues\, white people as well as Negroes were singing them heartily. But a song was never sung long in its original version alone. T he half-dozen stanzas of the original often grew to a hundred or more\, fo r many singers took pride in creating new stanzas or adapting parts of oth er songs to the new one. Sometimes publishers would issue second and third editions\, incorporating in them the best of the stanzas which had sprung up since the preceding edition. Thus\, even before the phonograph became the popular instrument that it is today\, the interplay between folk creat ions and formal compositions had become extremely complex.\n\n[17]See Jame s Weldon Johnson\, The Book of American Negro Poetry\, pp. x-xiv\; and Dor othy Scarborough\, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs\, pp. 269-70.\n\nIn th e last ten years the phonograph record has surpassed sheet music as a conv eyor of blues to the public. Sheet music\, however\, is still important. I n fact\, practically every “hit” is issued in both the published and p honographed form. But the phonograph record obviously has certain advantag es\, and it is largely responsible for the present popularity of the blues . Most of the large phonograph companies now maintain special departments devoted to the recording[24] of “race blues.” They employ Negro artist s\, many of whom have already earned national reputations\, and they adver tise extensively\, especially in the Negro press.\n\nIn spite of the extre mes to which exploitation of the blues has gone in recent years\, there is often an authentic folk element to be found in the present-day formal pro ductions. Some of the phonograph artists are encouraged by their employers to sing blues of their own making. When the artist has had an intimate ac quaintance with the life of his race and has grown up among the blues\, so to speak\, he is often able to produce a song which preserves faithfully the spirit of the folk blues. The folk productions of yesterday are likely to be found\, albeit sometimes in versions scarcely recognizable\, on the phonograph records of today. That this is the case is indicated by the fo llowing comparison of a few of the lines and titles of songs collected twe nty years ago with lines and titles of recent popular blues songs.\n\nLine s and Titles of Songs Collected Twenty Years Ago[18] Lines and Titles of R ecent Popular Blues\nLaid in jail\, back to the wall. Thirty days in jail with my back turned to the wall.\nJailer\, won’t you put ’nother man i n my stall? Look here\, mister jailer\, put another gal in my stall.\nBaby \, won’t you please come home? Baby\, won’t you please come home?\nWon der where my baby stay las’ night? Where did you stay last night?\nI got my all-night trick\, baby\, and you can’t git in. I’m busy and you can’t come in.\nI’ll see her when her trouble’s like mine.[25] I’m gonna see you when your troubles are just like mine.\nSatisfied. I’m sa tisfied.\nYou may go\, but this will bring you back. I got what it takes t o bring you back.\nJoe Turner Joe Turner blues.\nLove\, Kelly’s love. Lo ve\, careless love.\nI’m on my las’ go-’round. Last go-’round blue s.\n[18]See Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 24\; also The Negro and H is Songs.\n\nWhen a blues record is issued it quickly becomes the property of a million Negro workers and adventurers who never bought it and perhap s never heard it played. Sometimes they do not even know that the song is from a record. They may recognize in it parts of songs long familiar to th em and think that it is just another piece which some songster has put tog ether. Their desire to invent a different version\, their skill at adaptin g stanzas of old favorites to the new music\, and sometimes their misunder standing of the words of the new song\, result in the transformation of th e song into many local variants. In other words\, the folk creative proces s operates upon a song\, the origin of which may already be mixed\, and pr oduces in turn variations that may later become the bases of other formal blues. A thorough exposition of this process would take us far beyond the limits of this volume\, but the following instances are cited to illustrat e generally the interplay between the folk blues and the formal blues.\n\n Here is a specimen captured from a Negro girl in Georgia who had just retu rned from a trip to “Troit\,” Michigan.\n\nWhen you see me comin’\nT hrow yo’ woman out de do’\,\n[26]\nFor you know I’s no stranger\,\ nFor I’s been dere once befo’.\nHe wrote me a letter\,\nNothin’ in i t but a note.\nI set down an’ writ him\,\n“I ain’t no billy goat.” \nStandin’ on de platform\,\nWorried in both heart an’ soul\;\nAn’ befo’ I’d take yo’ man\nI’d eat grass like a Georgia mule.\nI lov e my man\nLak I love myse’f.\nIf he don’t have me\nHe won’t have nob ody else.\nNow this song is a mixture of several popular blues. The first stanza is from the House Rent Blues\, and is sung practically the same as on the phonograph record. The second stanza is from the Salt Water Blues a nd is like the original except for the repetition in the original of the f irst two lines. The third stanza is also from the Salt Water Blues\, but i t is a combination and variation of two stanzas which go as follows:\n\nSi ttin’ on the curbstone\,\nWorried in both heart an’ soul\;\nLower th an a ’possum\nHidin’ in a ground-hog hole.\nI wrote my man\,\n“I a in’t nobody’s fool\;\nAn’ befo’ I’d stand your talkin’\nI’d eat grass like a Georgia mule.”\nThis girl does not worry over the lack of consistent meaning in the third stanza of her song. Furthermore\, as fa r as she is concerned\, “soul” and “mule” rhyme about as well as “fool” and “mule.” The fourth[27] stanza of her song\, finally\ , is taken from Any Woman’s Blues\, there having been\, however\, a slig ht variation in the second line. The original is:\n\nI love my man\nBetter than I love myself\;\nAn’ if he don’t have me\,\nHe won’t have nobo dy else.\nThus in a single song we have examples of the processes of borro wing\, combining\, changing\, and misunderstanding through which formal ma terial often goes when it gets into the hands of the common folk. The comp osite of four stanzas presented above has no very clear meaning in its pre sent form\, but at that it is about as coherent as any of the blues from w hich it was assembled.\n\nLeft Wing Gordon\, whose story is told in Chapte r XII\, is a good study in the relation of folk song and formal blues. Lef t Wing’s repertoire is practically unlimited\, for he appears to have re membered everything that he has ever heard. One of his favorite expression s is\n\nYou don’t know my mind\,\nYou don’t know my mind\;\nWhen you s ee my laughin’\,\nI’m laughin’ to keep from cryin’.\nThis comes fr om You Don’t Know My Mind Blues\, a popular sheet music and phonograph p iece today. Left Wing sings dozens of stanzas\, some evidently from the pu blished versions\, some of his own making\, ending each one with “You don’t know my mind\,” etc. Nearly all of his songs showed this sort of mixture of formal and folk material.\n\nAs an example of the misunderstan ding\, deliberate twisting of the words of a phonograph blues\, or lapse[2 8] of memory\, the following instance may be cited. In the Chain Gang Blue s this stanza occurs.\n\nJudge he gave me six months\n’Cause I wouldn’ t go to work.\nFrom sunrise to sunset\nI ain’t got no time to shirk.\nA Southern Negro on a chain gang recently sang it thus:\n\nJudge he give me sentence\n’Cause I wouldn’t go to work.\nFrom sunrise to sunset\nI d on’t have no other clean shirt.\nExamples of this kind might be multipli ed indefinitely\, but these will suffice. In the notes on the songs in the various chapters of this book will be found comments bearing upon the rel ation of formal blues and folk songs.\n\nThus it is clear that in many cas es there is a complex inter-relation and interaction between the folk song and the formal production. But the tendency has been on the whole for the latter to get further and further away from folk sources. Few authors now attempt to do more than imitate certain features of the old-time blues. I n order to understand more clearly the present situation\, it is necessary to consider for a moment the blues as they are manufactured today.\n\nThe re are at least three large phonograph companies which give special attent ion to Negro songs. They will be designated herein as “A\,” “B \,” and “C.” The following table\, compiled from data obtained from the general “race record” catalogs of these three companies\, gives an idea of the importance of the blues.\n\n[29]\n\nBrand\nof\nRecord Total\n No. of\nTitles\nin\nCatalog No.\nReligious\nand\nClassical\nTitles No.\nSe cular\nTitles Titles\nContaining\nWord “Blues”\n Number Percent age\nof Secular\nSongs\n“A” 592 34[19] 558 263 43\n“B” 430 90[20] 340 154 40\n“C” 298 44[19] 254 108 42\n[19]No classical titles listed. \n\n[20]Includes 28 classical titles.\n\nIn this table only those titles i ncluding the word “blues” have been counted as blues. If the term were expanded to include all songs which are now popularly known as blues\, it would be found that upwards of seventy-five per cent of the total number of secular songs listed in the catalogs would fall in this class. The “A” catalog bears the title\, “A” Race Records—The Blue Book of Blues\; the “B” catalog follows titles like Oh\, Daddy\, Brown Baby\, Long Lost Mama\, etc.\, with the explanation\, “blues song” or “blue s record”\; and the “C” catalog bears the title\, “C” Race Rec ords—The Latest Blues by “C” Colored Artists. Certainly the popular notion among both whites and Negroes now is that practically every Negro s ong which is not classed as a spiritual is a blues. The term is now freely applied to instrumental pieces\, especially to dance music of the jazz ty pe\, and to every vocal piece which\, by any stretch of the imagination\, can be thought of as having a bluish cast.\n\nA survey of the titles in th e three catalogs mentioned above yields some interesting data concerning t he nature of the formal blues. For one thing\, there are sixty or seventy titles of the place or locality type. Southern states and cities figure pr ominently in this[30] kind of blues\, although the popularity of Northern localities is on the increase. The favorite states are Alabama\, Georgia\, Louisiana\, Mississippi\, Texas\, and Virginia. The chief titles for thes e states are as follows:\n\nAlabama\nAlabama Blues\nBirmingham Blues\nMobi le Blues\nSelma Bama Blues\nBama Bound Blues\nGeorgia\nAtlanta Blues\nDeca tur Blues\nGeorgia Hunch\nGeorgia Blues\nLouisiana\nLake Pontchartrain Blu es\nLou’siana Low-down Blues\nNew Orleans Hop Scop Blues\nNew Orleans Wi ggle\nShreveport Blues\nMississippi\nMississippi Blues\nOle Miss Blues\nMi ssissippi Delta Blues\nTexas\nDallas Blues\nHouston Blues\nRed River Blues \nWaco Texas Blues\nSeawall Special Blues\nVirginia\nVirginia Blues\nHampt on Roads Blues\nNorfolk Blues\nThere are also\, to name only a few others\ , Arkansas Blues\, Florida Blues\, California Blues\, Carolina Blues\, Oma ha Blues\, Michigan Water Blues\, Memphis Blues\, Tulsa Blues\, St. Louis Blues\, Salt Lake City Blues\, Wabash Blues\, and Blue Grass Blues. Finall y there are foreign titles\, such as London Blues and West Indies Blues. T itles\, of course\, are not to be taken as accurate indices of the content s of the songs. As a matter of fact\, most of the songs bearing titles of the locality type really deal with the relation of man and woman.\n\nAnoth er feature of the formal blues is their tendency to specialize in certain slang expressions. “Sweet[31] mama\,” “sweet papa\,” “daddy\ ,” “jelly roll\,” and a few other expressions have been thoroughly p opularized among certain classes\, white and Negro\, by the blues songs. B y actual count\, titles containing one or more of the words\, “mama\ ,” “daddy\,” “papa\,” “baby\,” constitute twenty-five per ce nt of the total number of secular titles in the catalogs referred to above .\n\nIt is to be expected that a very large proportion of these present-da y blues (using the term now in the broad sense as it is popularly used) de als with the relation of man and woman. In fact\, if the locality types\, most of which are based on the love relation\, and the “mama-papa” typ e were eliminated from the count\, there would be a mere handful left. The following titles will give some impression of the nature of the songs whi ch deal with the man-woman relation.[21]\n\n[21]Any one who is acquainted with the slang and vulgarity of the lower class Negro will suspect immedia tely that there are often double meanings in titles like those listed here . Such is the case. Negro songs writers and phonograph artists usually hav e had intimate acquaintance with Negro life in all of its forms\, and they have doubtless come across many a song which was too vulgar to be put int o print\, but which had certain appealing qualities. Often a melody was to o striking to be allowed to escape\, so the writer fitted legitimate verse s to it and\, if it was at all possible\, preserved the original title. Th us it comes about that many of the popular Negro songs of today—and whit e songs\, too\, as for that—have titles that are extremely suggestive\, and are saved only by their perfectly innocuous verses. The suggestiveness of the titles may also be one explanation of why these songs have such a tremendous appeal for the common folk\, black and white. It may be that in these songs\, whitewashed and masked though they be\, they recognize old friends.\n\nLeave My Sweet Papa Alone\nI’ve Got a Do-right Daddy Now\nMi streated Mama\nSlow Down\, Sweet Papa\, Mama’s Catching up With You\nSwe et Smellin’ Mama\nBlack but Sweet\, O God\nHow Do You Expect to Get My L ovin’?[32]\nHe May Be Your Man\, but He Comes to See Me Sometimes\nChang eable Daddy\nGo Back Where You Stayed Last Night\nHow Can I Be Your Sweet “Mama” When You’re “Daddy” to Some One Else?\nYou Can Have My Ma n if He Comes to See You Too\nThat Free and Easy Papa of Mine\nYou Can’t Do What My Last Man Did\nMistreatin’ Daddy\nIf I Let You Get Away With It Once You’ll Do It All the Time\nDaddy\, You’ve Done Put That Thing on Me\nI’m Tired of Begging You to Treat Me Right\nMy Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll\nDo It a Long Time\, Papa\nNo Second Handed Lovin’ for M ine\nI Want a Jazzy Kiss\nI’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down\nBeale Stre et Mama\nBig Fat Mama\nLonesome Mama\nYou’ve Got Everything a Sweet Mama Needs but Me\nIf You Don’t Give Me What I Want I’m Gonna Get It Somew here Else\nMama Don’t Want Sweet Man Any More\nIf You Sheik on Your Mama \nMean Papa\, Turn in Your Key\nTake It\, Daddy\, It’s All Yours\nHow Lo ng\, Sweet Daddy\, How Long?\nYou Can Take My Man but You Can’t Keep Him Long\nCan Anybody Take Sweet Mama’s Place?[33]\nYou Don’t Know My Min d\nBaby\, Won’t You Please Come Home?\nThen there are innumerable miscel laneous titles and sentiments. One may have the Poor Man Blues\, Red Hot B lues\, Through Train Blues\, Railroad Blues\, Crazy Blues\, Stranger Blues \, Don’t Care Blues\, Goin’ ’Way Blues\, Bleedin’ Hearted Blues\ , Cryin’ Blues\, Salt Water Blues\, Mountain Top Blues\, Thunderstorm Bl ues\, Sinful Blues\, Basement Blues\, House Rent Blues\, Reckless Blues\, and even the A to Z Blues. Here again however\, titles are misleading\, fo r practically all songs bearing such titles really deal with the man-woman theme.\n\nIt may be worth mentioning that the majority of these formal bl ues are sung from the point of view of woman. A survey of titles in the “A\,” “B\,” and “C” catalogs shows that upwards of seventy-fiv e per cent of the songs are written from the woman’s point of view. Amon g the blues singers who have gained a more or less national recognition th ere is scarcely a man’s name to be found.\n\nIt is doubtful whether the history of song affords a parallel to the American situation with regard t o the blues. Here we have the phenomenon of a type of folk song becoming a great fad and being exploited in every conceivable form\; of hundreds of blues\, some of which are based directly upon folk productions\, being dis tributed literally by the million among the American people\; and the Negr o’s assimilation of these blues into his everyday song life. What the ef fects of these processes are going to be\, one can only surmise. One thing is certain\, however\, and that is that the student of Negro song tomorro w will have to know what was[34] on the phonograph records of today before he may dare to speak of origins.\n\nWhether the formal blues have come to stay or not\, it is impossible to tell at present. Possibly they will und ergo considerable modification as the public becomes satiated and the Negr o takes on more and more of the refinements of civilization. That their pr esent form\, however\, is acceptable to a large section of Negro America i s indicated by the fact that the combined sales of “A\,” “B\,” and “C” blues records alone amount to five or six millions annually.\ n\nThe folk blues will also undergo modification\, but they will always re flect Negro life in its lower strata much more accurately than the formal blues can. For it must be remembered that these folk blues were the Negr o’s melancholy song long before the phonograph was invented. Yet the for mal songs are important. In their own way they are vastly superior to the cruder folk productions\, since they have all of the advantages of the art ificial over the natural. They may replace some of the simpler songs and t hus dull the creative impulse of the common Negro folk to some extent\, bu t there is every reason to suppose that there will be real folk blues as l ong as there are Negro toilers and adventurers whose naïveté has not bee n worn off by what the white man calls culture.\n\nThe plaintiveness of th e blues will be encountered in most of the songs of this volume. It is pre sent because most of the songs were collected from the class of Negro folk who are most likely to create blues. In the next chapter certain general songs of the blues type have been brought together but the note of lonesom eness and melancholy will be struck in the songs of the other chapters as well\, especially in those dealing with jail and chain gang\, construction camp\, and the relation of man and woman.\n\n[35]\n\nCHAPTER III\nSONGS O F THE LONESOME ROAD\nThe blues par excellence are\, of course\, to be foun d in those songs of sorrow and disappointment and longing which center aro und the love relation.[22] But the song of the “po’ boy long ways from home” who wanders “down that lonesome road” is rich in pathos and p laintiveness. The wanderer is not unlike the old singer who sang\,\n\nSome times I hangs my head an’ cries\nI’m po’ little orphan chile in de worl’\nSometimes I feel like a motherless chile\nNobody knows de troubl e I’ve had\nThis ol’ worl’s been a hell to me\nI’m rollin’ throu gh an unfriendly worl’\n[22]See Chapters VII and VIII for the songs of t his type. This chapter deals with more general lonesome songs.\n\nTypical of the lonesome note in the present-day songs of the wanderer are the foll owing lines:\n\nI’m gonna tell my mama when I git home\nHow people treat ed me way off from home\nFreezin’ ground wus my foldin’ bed las’ nig ht\nGot up in the mornin’\, couldn’t keep from cryin’\nMy shoes all wore out\nMy clothes done tore to pieces\nTrouble gonna follow me to my gr ave\nBad luck in family\, sho’ God\, fell on me\nAin’t got nuthin’ t o eat\nSick all night on de street\nI been mistreated all my days[36]\nP o’ boy got nowhere to lay his head\nWell\, rock was my pillah las’ nig ht\nClothes all wet\, feet on the ground\nPo’ boy\, dey don’t give me no show\nLaw’\, I’m so worried I don’t know what to do\nI’m gonna ketch dat train\, don’t know where it’s from\nThe workhouse settin ’ ’way out on lonesome road\nAlways wanderin’ about\nNowhere to lay my head\nDis po’ man’s life is misery\nPocketbook was empty\, my heart was full of pain\nIn the “Annals and Blues of Left Wing Gordon”[23] w ill be found something of the story of one representative of all those bla ck folk who sing down the lonesome road. Left Wing had traveled the loneso me road in at least thirty-eight states of the union. His type is legion. Here is another whose parents died before he was eight years of age. Thenc e to Texas\, and Louisiana\, across Mississippi to Georgia\, then down to Florida\, back through South Carolina to his home state\, North Carolina. Abiding there shortly\, thence to Maryland and Washington\, to St. Louis\, thence to Ohio\, thence to New York\, back to Philadelphia\, across again to Ohio\, then the war and camp\, and armistice and more travels\, with p eriods of “doing time.” Then back again to the lonesome road.\n\n[23]S ee Chapter XII.\n\nNowhere is self-pity in the plaintive song better expre ssed than in the forlorn Negro’s vision of himself\, the last actor in t he wanderer drama\, folks mourning his death\, hacks in line\, funeral wel l provided for.[37] Sometimes reflecting on his hard life\, he pictures hi s own funeral!\n\nLook down po’ lonesome road\,\nHacks all dead in line\ ;\nSome give nickel\, some give a dime\,\nTo bury dis po’ body o’ mine .\nPerhaps he will jump into the sea or off the mountain or lay his head o n a railroad track. Then folks will miss him and mourn his tragic end. He feels that he has more than his share of trouble and hard luck. Sometimes he sings that he cannot keep from crying:\n\nI can’t keep from cryin’\ nLook down dat lonesome road an’ cry\nYou made me weep\, you made me moa n\nWoke up in de mornin’\, couldn’t keep from cryin’\nI got de blu es an’ can’t keep from cryin’\nThe following songs show this note of hard luck\, weeping\, and self-pity:\n\nShip My Po’ Body Home\n\nIf I s hould die long way from home\nShip my po’ body home.\nAx fer a nickel\, ax fer a dime\,\nAx fer a quarter\, ship my po’ body home\,\nLawd\, ship my po’ body home.\nAin’t got no money\,\nAin’t got nothin’ to eat \,\nSick all night on de street\;\nIf I die long way from home\nShip my po ’ body home.\n[38]\n\nPity Po’ Boy\n\nPity a po’ boy\nStray ’way f rom home\,\nPity a po’ boy\nStray ’way from home.\nIf I ever gits back \,\nI sho’ never mo’ to roam\;\nIf I ever gits back\,\nI sho’ neve r mo’ to roam.\nI Rather Be in My Grave\n\nI lef’ my rider standin’ in back do’ cryin’\,\n“Lawd\, please don’t leave me behin’.”\n You mistreat me\, you drove me from yo’ do’\,\nGood book say you got t o reap what you sow.\nI’m goin’ ’way\, Lawd\, I’m goin’ ’way \,\nI ain’t comin’ back\, Lawd\, at all.\nIf my mind don’t change\, Lawd\,\nIf my mind don’t change\, I ain’t comin’ back.\nWoke up this mornin’\, blues all around my bed\,\nSnatch up my pillow\, blues all un der my head.\nI’m feelin’ blue\, mama\, feel blue you know\,\nI feel b lue all day long.\nLawd\, I’m worried now\, Lawd\,\nBut I won’t be wor ried long.\nI feel like train\, mama\,\nAin’t got no drivin’ wheel.\nI rather be daid in six foot o’ clay\,\nI rather be in my grave.\nThrow M yself Down in de Sea\n\nGoin’ up on mountain top\,\nLord\, goin’ up on mountain top\,\nO Lord\, goin’ up on mountain top\,\nThrow myself down in de sea.\n[39]\nThrow myself down in sea\,\nO Lord\, throw myself down i n sea\;\nGoin’ up on mountain top\,\nThrow myself down in sea.\nPo’ Ni gger Got Nowhere to Go\n\nPo’ nigger got nowhere to go\,\nPo’ nigger g ot nowhere to go\,\nPo’ nigger got nowhere to go\,\nNothin’ but dirt a ll over de flo’.\nClothes am dirty rags\,\nClothes am dirty rags\,\nClot hes am dirty rags\,\nStuff in dirty bags.\nBeds am ragged an’ ol’\,\nB eds am ragged an’ ol’\,\nBeds am ragged an’ ol’\,\nNo money to b uy no mo’.\nI Wish I Was Dead\n\nOver de hill is de po’ house\,\nPleas e don’t let me go.\nA place to sleep\, somethin’ to eat\,\nI don’t a st no mo’\,\nI don’t ast no mo’.\nMy clothes am done tore to pieces\ ,\nMy shoes am all wo’ out\;\nGot nobody to do my patchin’\,\nAlways w anderin’ about\,\nAlways wanderin’ about.\nAin’t got nobody to love me\,\nNowhere to lay my head.\nDis po’ man’s life am a misery\,\nLawd\ , Lawd\, how I wish I was dead\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, how I wish I was dead.\n[4 0]\n\nTrouble All My Days[24]\n\nTrouble\, trouble\,\nBeen had it all my d ays.\nTrouble\, trouble\,\nGot to mend dis nigger’s ways.\nTrouble\, tro uble\,\nI believe to my soul\nTrouble gonna kill me dead.\nTrouble\, troub le.\nBut I’s gwine away\,\nTo rid trouble off my min’.\nBut I’s gwin e away\,\nTo rid trouble off my min’.\nFair brown\, fair brown\,\nWho ma y yo’ regular be?\nIf you got no regular\,\nPlease take a peep at me.\nT rouble\, trouble\,\nBeen had it all my day\;\nBelieve to my soul\nTrouble gonna kill me dead.\nSay\, look here\, man\,\nSee what you done done\;\nYo u done made me love you\,\nNow you tryin’ to dog me ’roun’.\n[24]Thi s song is very much like a popular phonograph record\, Downhearted Blues. Cf. also Trouble\, Trouble Blues.\n\nI Can’t Keep From Cryin’[25]\n\nI received a letter that my daddy was dead\,\nHe wasn’t dead but he was s lowly dyin’.\nJust to think how I love him\,\nI can’t keep from cryi n’.\nI followed my daddy to the buryin’ ground\,\nI saw the pall-beare r slowly ease him down.\nThat was the last time I saw my daddy’s face.[4 1]\nI love you\, sweet daddy\, but I just can’t take your place.\n[25]A somewhat condensed version of a phonograph song\, Death Letter Blues.\n\nP o’ Little Girl Grievin’\n\nPo’ little girl grievin’\,\nPo’ littl e girl grievin’\,\nLawdy\, Lawdy\, po’ little girl grievin’\,\nPo’ little girl grievin’.\nLittle girl wid head hung down\,\nLittle girl wi d head hung down\,\nLawdy\, Lawdy\, little girl wid head hung down\,\nI’ m sorry for little girl wid head hung down.\nSorry yo’ man\,\nSorry yo ’ man\,\nLawdy\, Lawdy\, sorry\nYo’ man done left you.\nStandin’ at station weepin’\,\nStandin’ at station weepin’\,\nLawd\, standin’ at station weepin’\n’Cause her man done gone.\nDon’t treat me lak us ed to\,\nDon’t treat me lak used to\,\nLawd\, girl don’t treat me lak used to\,\nDon’t treat me lak used to.\nLawd\, I don’t know why\,\nLaw d\, I don’t know why\,\nLawdy\, Lawdy\, I don’t know why\,\nDon’t tr eat me lak used to.\nIt won’t be long\,\nIt won’t be long\,\nLawdy\, L awd\, it won’t be long\,\nLawd\, it won’t be long.\nThe old line\, “po’ boy ’long way from home\,” is still a favorite. In the Neg ro’s songs and stories of wanderings\, home and father and mother are th emes of constant appeal\, apparently much in contrast to the[42] Negro’s actual home-abiding experiences. The old spirituals sang mostly of the he avenly home of dreams and ideals as opposed to the experience in which “ this ol’ world been a hell to me.” In his wanderer song of today the N egro’s wish-dream to be back home appears an equally striking contrast. Nowhere in the workaday songs is childlike and wishful yearning so marked as in these constant songs of homesickness and of the desire for something that is not.\n\nAlways accompanying the singer’s dreams of home is his contrasting forlorn condition in the present hour. It would be difficult t o find better description of situations than that in which he pictures him self as tired and forsaken on the lonesome road. Parts of this picture may be gathered from the following lines taken here and there from his songs: \n\nTake\, oh\, take me\, take me back home\nMy sister’s cryin’ back h ome\nIf I die long way from home\nMy home ain’t here an’ I ain’t got to stay\nO Lord\, captain\, won’t you let me go home\nDaddy sick\, mamm y dead\,\nGoin’ back South\, dat’s where I’m bound.\nEvery mail day I gits letter from my mother\,\nSayin’\, “Son\, son\, come home.”\ nI’m one hundred miles from home\nAn’ I can’t go home this way.\nI didn’t have no ready-made money\,\nI couldn’t go home.\nA place to sl eep\, something to eat\,\nI don’t ast no mo’.\nLook down dat lonesome road an’ cry\n[43]\n\nA variety of songs of home or home-folk\, of surce ase from work\, will be found wherever Negroes sing. This fact is recogniz ed by the publishers of blues when they advertise\, “These blues will ma ke every Negro want to hurry back home.” The plaintive longing for home\ , alongside expressions of weeping and self-pity\, is the theme of most of the following songs of the road:\n\nI’m Goin’ Home\, Buddie\n\nAll ’round the mountain\, Buddie\,\nSo chilly and cold\, Buddie\,\nSo chilly and cold\, Buddie\,\nBut I’m goin’ home\, Buddie\, I’m goin’ home .\nTake this hammer\, Buddie\,\nCarry it to the boss\, Buddie\,\nCarry it to the boss\, Buddie\,\nTell him I gone home\, Buddie\, I gone home.\nI go t a wife\, Buddie\,\nWith two little children\, Buddie\,\nWith two little children\, Buddie\,\nTell ’em I’m comin’ home\, Buddie\, I’m com in’ home.\nThat Ol’ Letter\n\nThat ol’ letter\,\nRead about dyin’\ ;\nBoy\, did you ever\,\nThink about dyin’?\nThen I can’t read it\nNow for cryin’\,\nTears run down\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, tears run down.\nPo’ Ho meless Boy\n\nIn de evenin’ de sun am low\,\nIn de evenin’ de sun am l ow\,\nIn de evenin’ de sun am low\,\n[44]\nDis po’ homeless boy got no where to go\,\nDis po’ homeless boy got nowhere to go\,\nNowhere to go.\ nDaddy sick\, mammy daid\,\nDaddy sick\, mammy daid\,\nPo’ boy got nowhe re to lay his haid\,\nPo’ boy got nowhere to lay his haid\,\nLay his hai d.\nClothes all wo’\, feet on de groun’\,\nClothes all wo’\, feet on de groun’\,\nGoin’ back down South\, dat’s where I’s boun’\,\ nGoin’ back down South\, dat’s where I’s boun’\,\nWhere I’s bo un’.\nHome in a two-room shack\,\nHome in a two-room shack\,\nHome in a two-room shack\,\nCook in de fire\, pipe in de crack\,\nCook in de fire\, pipe in de crack\,\nPipe in de crack.\nTake Me Back Home\n\nTake me\, oh\, take me\,\nTake me back home.\nMy mammy’s weepin’\, daddy’s sleep in’\,\nIn de ol’ grave yard.\nTake me\, oh\, take me\,\nTake me back h ome.\nPlease\, Mr. Conductor\n\nWhen I left home mother was ill\,\nAnd she needed the doctor’s care\,\nThat’s the reason I came to the city\,\ nI’ll pay you my fare next time.\nPlease\, Mr. Conductor\,\nDon’t put me off this train.\nThe best friend I have in this world\nIs waiting for m e in pain.\n[45]\n\nCaptain\, I Wanta Go Home\n\nWhen I call on captain\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nHe ast me what I need.\nCaptain\, captain\, I tol’ captai n\,\nLawd\, I wanta go back home.\nHe tol’ me\, Lawd\, why you want to g o home\, Shine?\nSay you got to make your time.\nCaptain call me ’bout h alf pas’ fo’\,\nCaptain\, Lawd\, I wouldn’t go.\nWant me to go in ki tchen\,\nDraw water\, make fire.\nCaptain\, captain\, what make you call m e so soon?\nPoor Shine\, Lawd\, captain\, wish I was home.\nI went out on road\nWid pick and shovel\, too.\nI pick a lick or two\,\nCaptain\, can’ t I go back home?\nCaptain\, captain\, won’t you take me\,\nLawd\, Lawd\ , captain\, won’t you take me back?\nMy home ain’t here\, captain\,\ nAn’ I ain’t got to stay.\nO Lawd\, captain\, captain\, Lawd\,\nWon’ t you let me go home?\nWill I Git Back Home?\n\nLaw’\, I do wonder\,\n Law’\, I do wonder\,\nLaw’\, I do wonder\,\nWill I git back home\, huh ?\nWill I git back home\, huh?\nWell cuckoo\, cuckoo\,\nKeep on hollerin ’\,\nAn’ mus’ be day\, Law’\,\nMus’ be day.\n[46]\nWell whistle\ , whistle\,\nKeep on blowin’\,\nAn’ time ain’t long\,\nUhuh\, time ain’t long.\nLawd\, Lawd\, I’m on My Way\n\nAin’t had nothin’ to eat\,\nAin’t had nowhere to sleep\,\nFreezin’ ground wus my foldin’ bed\,\nBut I’m on my way\,\nO Lawd\, I’m on my way.\nWhat makes you ho ld yo’ head so high?\nAny way you hold yo’ head\,\nThat’s way you go nna die\,\nThat’s way you gonna die.\nI sho’ don’t want to go\,\nB ut I’m goin’ up country\nSingin’ nothin’ but you\;\nI’m goin’ up country\,\nSingin’ nothin’ but you.\nGoin’ Down Dat Lonesome Road [26]\n\nGoin’ down dat lonesome road\,\nOh\, goin’ down dat lonesome r oad\,\nAn’ I won’t be treated this-a way.\nSprings on my bed done brok en down\,\nAn’ I ain’t got nowhere to lay my head.\nNow my mamma’s d ead an’ my papa\, too\,\nAn’ it left me alone wid you.\nAn’ you caus e me to weep an’ you cause me to moan\,\nAn’ you cause me to leave my happy home.\nLongest train I ever saw\nWas nineteen coaches long.\nDarli n’ what have I done to you?\nWhat makes you treat me so?\nAn’ I won’ t be treated this-a way.\n[26]For the music of this song\, see Chapter XIV . A song of this name has been found in the Kentucky mountains\, and a pho nograph record (Lonesome Road Blues) based on it has recently appeared. Cf . also The Lonesome Road in Miss Scarborough’s On the Trail of Negro Fol k-Songs\, p. 73.\n\n[47]\n\nCHAPTER IV\nBAD MAN BALLADS AND JAMBOREE\nTher e is this fortunate circumstance which contributes to the completeness and vividness of the Negro portraits as found in workaday songs: the whole pi cture is often epitomized in each of several characters or types of singer s and their songs. Thus the picture may be viewed from all sides and from different angles\, with such leisure and repetition as will insure accurat e impressions. One of these types is the “po’ boy long way from home ” singing down “that lonesome road\,” as represented in the previous chapter. Whether in his ordinary daily task\, or on his pilgrimages afar\ , or in the meshes of the law\, this singer approaches perfection in the d elineation of his type. Another type is that to be found in the story of L eft Wing Gordon as presented in Chapter XII\, and of John Henry in Chapter XIII. Likewise\, the songs of jail and chain gang\, the songs of women an d love\, and the specialized road songs all embody that fine quality of fu ll and complete reflection of the folk spirit in the Negro’s workaday li fe and experience.\n\nThere is perhaps no type\, however\, which comes mor e nearly summarizing certain situations\, experiences\, and backgrounds th an the Negro “bad man\,” whose story will make an heroic tale of consi derable proportions. In many ways the “bad man from bad man’s land” is a favorite. He is eulogized by the youngsters and sung by the worker by the side of the road. One preacher even described Christ as a man who wou ld “stand no foolin’ wid.” “Jesus such great man\, no one lak him. Lord\, he could pop lion’s head[48] off jes’ lak he wus fryin’-size chicken an’ could take piece o’ mountain top and throw it across the world.” And as for that other bad man\, “Nicotemus\,” why Jesus\, wh en he got through with him\, had him following behind a donkey like any ot her slave.[27] There was that other young Negro who “was no comfort to p reacher\, but was a hawk like pizen. Mens like him and wimmin belonged to him wid his winnin’ ways.” In a previous volume[28] we pointed out som e of the characteristic experiences and modes of the Negro bum\, “bully of this town\,” Railroad Bill\, Stagolee\, Brady\, and the others\, of t wenty years ago. Since that time the tribe has apparently not diminished a nd flourishes well in the atmosphere of modern life\, migration\, and the changing conditions of race relations. Of the statistical and environmenta l aspects of the Negro criminal much will be reported in another study.[29 ] In this chapter we are concerned with the portrait of a type\, perhaps i nexorably drawn into the maelstrom of his day and turned into an inevitabl e product. He is no less an artist than the wanderer\, the “travelin’ man\,” or Left Wing Gordon. He is the personification of badness mixed w ith humor\, of the bad man and the champion of exploits. We have already r eferred to the Negro who “wus so mean wus skeered of hisself\,” compet itor to that other one whose\n\n... eyes wus red an’ his gums wus blue\, \n’Cause he wus a nigger right through and through.\nThere were still ot her companions to these in Slippery Jim\, Slewfoot Pete\, and Ann-Eliza St one\, “mean wid[49] her habbits on” and breaking up the “jamboree. ”[30] A common phrase\, indeed\, threatened always to “break up dis ja mboree” in exchange for slighting one’s “repertation.”\n\n[27]Cite d by Dr. E. C. L. Adams of Columbia\, S. C.\n\n[28]The Negro and His Songs \, page 164 seq.\n\n[29]A study of Negro crime directed by J. F. Steiner\, for the Institute for Research in Social Science\, at the University of N orth Carolina.\n\n[30]See Swan and Abbot\, in Eight Negro Songs\, New York \, 1923.\n\nMany are the bad men\, and vivid the descriptions. Said one\, “Lawd\, cap’n\, take me till tomorrow night to tell ’bout dat boy. Eve’ybody skeered uv him. John Wilson jes nachelly bully\, double j’i nted\, awful big man\, didn’t fear ’roun’ nobody. Would break up e v’y do he ’tended. Go to picnic\, take all money off’n table. Coul dn’t do nothin’ wid him. Seen feller shoot at him nine times once an ’ didn’t do nothin’ to him\, an’ he run an’ caught up wid fell er an’ bit chunk meat out o’ his back\, ... but one man got him wid br itch loader an’ stop ’im from suckin’ eggs.”\n\nWe have found no b lack bad-man ballads superior to the old ones\, Railroad Bill\, Stagolee\, That Bully of this Town\, Desperado Bill\, Eddy Jones\, Joe Turner\, Brad y\,[31] and the others. And yet\, the current stories sung on the road are more accurate portrayals of actual characters and experiences\, and perha ps less finished songs\, less formal rhyme. Take Lazarus\, for instance\, a hard luck story\, portraying something of Negro sympathy\, burial custom \, general reaction. Here is a character more to be pitied than censured\, according to his companions. Listen to three pick-and-shovel men\, tracin g “po’ Lazarus” from the work camp where he\, poor foolish fellow\, robbed the commissary camp and then took to his heels. Thence between the mountains where the high sheriff shot him down\, back to the camp and bury ing ground\, with mother\, wife\,[50] brothers\, sisters\, comrades weepin g\, attending the funeral\, where they “put po’ Lazarus away at half pas’ nine.”\n\n[31]The Negro and His Songs\, pages 196-212.\n\nBad Ma n Lazarus\n\nOh\, bad man Lazarus\,\nOh\, bad man Lazarus\,\nHe broke in d e commissary\,\nLawd\, he broke in de commissary.\nHe been paid off\,\nHe been paid off\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nHe been paid off.\nCommissary man\, \nCommissary man\,\nHe jump out commissary window\,\nLawd\, he jump out co mmissary window.\nStartin’ an’ fall\,\nO Lawd\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nCommiss ary man startin’ an’ he fall\,\nO Lawd\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nCommissary man swore out\,\nLawd\, commissary man swore out\,\nLawd\, commissary man swor e out\nWarrant for Lazarus.\nO bring him back\,\nLawd\, bring him back\,\n O Lawd\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nBring Lazarus back.\nThey began to wonder\,\nLawd\ , they began to wonder\,\nLawd\, they began to wonder\nWhere Lazarus gone. \nWhere in world\,\nLawd\, where in world\,\nLawd\, where in world\nWill t hey find him?\n[51]\nWell\, I don’t know\,\nI don’t know\,\nWell\, Law d\, Lawd\,\nWell\, I don’t know.\nWell\, the sheriff spied po’ Lazarus \,\nWell\, the sheriff spied po’ Lazarus\,\nLawd\, sheriff spied po’ L azarus\nWay between Bald Mountain.\nThey blowed him down\,\nWell\, they bl owed him down\,\nWell\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nThey blowed him down.\nThey shot po ’ Lazarus\,\nLawd\, they shot po’ Lazarus\,\nLawd\, they shot po’ La zarus\nWith great big number.\nWell\, forty-five\,\nLawd\, great big forty -five\,\nLawd\, forty-five\,\nTurn him roun’.\nThey brought po’ Lazaru s\,\nAnd they brought po’ Lazarus\,\nLawd\, they brought po’ Lazarus\n Back to the shanty.\nBrought him to de number nine\,\nLawd\, brought him t o number nine\,\nLawd\, they brought him to the number nine\,\nLawd\, they brought po’ Lazarus to number nine.\nOl’ friend Lazarus say\,\nLawd\, old friend Lazarus say\,\nLawd\, old friend Lazarus say\,\n“Give me coo l drink of water.\n“Befo’ I die\nGood Lawd\, ’fo’ I die\,\nGive me cool drink of water\,\nLawd\, ’fo’ I die.”\n[52]\nLazarus’ mother say\,\nLawd\, Lazarus’ mother say\,\n“Nobody know trouble\nI had with him\,\n“Since daddy died\,\nLawd\, since daddy been dead\,\nNobody know the trouble I had\nSince daddy been dead.”\nThey goin’ bury po’ Laz arus\,\nLawd\, they goin’ bury ol’ Lazarus\,\nThey goin’ bury po’ Lazarus\nIn the mine.\nAt half pas’ nine\, O Lawd\,\nGood Lawd\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nGoin’ bury po’ Lazarus\nAt half pas’ nine.\nMe an’ my budd y\,\nLawd\, me an’ my buddy\,\nWe goin’ over to bury him\,\nHalf pas ’ nine.\nHalf pas’ nine\,\nO Lawd\, Lawd\, half pas’ nine\,\nWe go in’ over to bury him\,\nHalf pas’ nine.\nLazarus’ mother say\,\n“L ook over yonder\,\nHow dey treatin’ po’ Lazarus\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, Law d.”\nThey puttin’ him away\,\nLawd\, they puttin’ him away\,\nLawd\, they puttin’ Lazarus away\,\nHalf pas’ nine.\nIt would be difficult t o find a scene and setting more appealing than this ballad being sung by a group of workingmen in unison\, with remarkable harmony\, fine voices\, i nimitable manner. “Doesn’t this singing[53] hinder you in your work? ” we asked one of the pick-and-shovel men\, just to see what type of rep ly he would make. With first a slow look of surprise\, then a sort of pity for the man who would ask such a question\, then a “Lawdy-Lawd-Cap’ n” outburst of laughter\, “Cap’n dat’s whut makes us work so much better\, an’ it nuthin’ else but.” And one of the group acted the pa rt of the “shouter” very much like the hearers in the church. He would sing a while\, then dig away in silence\, then burst out with some exhort er’s exclamation about the song\, giving zest to the singing\, contrast to the imagery\, authority to the story. Once as the singers recorded the shooting of Lazarus\, he shouted\, “Yes\, yes\, Lawd\, Lawd\, I seed ’ em\, I wus dere”\; and again when they sang of his mother weeping\, “Y es\, Lawd\, I wus right dere when she come a-runnin’. I know it’s tr ue.” Taken all in all\, the sorrowful story of Lazarus\, with its painst aking sequence and its melody as sung on this occasion\, it is doubtful if ever Negro spiritual surpassed it in beauty and poignancy.\n\nThe above v ersion was heard at Danielsville\, Georgia. A similar but shorter one\, cu rrent in North Carolina\, is called Billy Bob Russell. “Reason why dey c alls it dat is Billy Bob Russell an’ Lazarus been buddies for years\, pr etty mean boys til dey gits grown. Billy Bob Russell\, he’s from Georgia an’ I think Lazarus act sorta like robber or highway robber or someth in’\, follow road camp all time.”[32]\n\n[32]Other Negroes affirm that Billy Bob Russell was a white man\, a Georgia construction foreman and a very noted one.\n\n[54]\n\nBilly Bob Russell\n\nCap’n tol’ high sherif f\,\n“Go an’ bring me Lazarus\,\nBring him dead or alive\,\nLawd\, bri ng him dead or alive.”\nEve’ybody wonder\nWhere in world dey would fin d him\,\nThen I don’t know\,\nCap’n\, I don’t know.\nLazarus tol’ high sheriff\,\nHe had never been ’rested\nBy no one man\,\nLawd\, Lawd\ , by no one man.\nThen they found po’ Lazarus\nIn between two mountains\ ,\nWid his head hung down\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, wid his head hung down.\nShoot po’ Lazarus\,\nCarried him over to shanty\,\nLawd\, shoot po’ Lazarus\ ,\nCarried him over to shanty.\nLazarus’ sister she run\nAn’ tol’ he r mother\nThat Lazarus wus dead\,\nLawd\, Lazarus wus dead.\nThen Lazarus tol’ high sheriff\,\n“Please turn me over\nOn my wounded side\,\nLawd\ , on my wounded side.”\nLazarus tol’ high sheriff\,\n“Please give me drink water\nJes’ befo’ I die\,\nLawd\, jes’ befo’ I die.”\n[55 ]\nLazarus’ mother\,\nShe laid down her sewin’\,\nShe wus thinkin’ b out trouble\nShe had had wid Lazarus.\nIn contrast to the more finished rh yming stanzas of Railroad Bill and the earlier heroic epics\, note the sim ple\, vivid ballad-in-the-making type of unrhymed song so common as a type of pick-and-shovel melody. Note the accuracy of the picture\, its truenes s to actual workaday experience\, the phrase description. Such a song in t he making and in the rendering defies description or competition as a folk -mirror. Differing somewhat and yet of the same general sort of characteri zation is the current story of Dupree\, versions of which have been taken from Asheville\, North Carolina\, and various other places in Georgia and North Carolina. One of the most interesting aspects of this Dupree song is that it may be compared with the Atlanta ballad of the white Frank Dupree as popularly sung on the phonograph records. The story of the white culpr it warns his young friends in the usual way and asks them to meet him in h eaven. His crime was\, first\, snatching a diamond ring for his sweetheart \, then shooting the policeman to death\, then fleeing but coming back bec ause he could not stay away from his “Betty.” There is little similari ty of expression between the white version and the Negro one. Here is the more finished of the Negro songs.\n\nDupree\n\nDupree was a bandit\,\nHe w as so brave and bol’\,\nHe stoled a diamond ring\nFor some of Betty’s jelly roll.\n[56]\nBetty tol’ Dupree\,\n“I want a diamond ring.”\nDu pree tol’ Betty\,\n“I’ll give you anything.”\n“Michigan water\nT aste like cherry wine\,[33]\nThe reason I know:\nBetty drink it all the ti me.\n“I’m going away\nTo the end of the railroad track.\nNothing but s weet Betty\nCan bring me back.”\nDupree tol’ the lawyer\,\n“Clear me if you can\,\nFor I have money to back me\,\nSure as I’m a man.”\nThe lawyer tol’ Dupree\,\n“You are a very brave man\,\nBut I think you wi ll\nGo to jail and hang.”\nDupree tol’ the judge\,\n“I am not so bra ve and bol’\,\nBut all I wanted\nWas Betty’s jelly roll.”\nThe jud ge tol’ Dupree\,\n“Jelly roll’s gonna be your ruin.”\n“No\, no\, judge\, for that is\nWhat I’ve done quit doin’.”\nThe judge tol’ Dupree\,\n“I believe you quit too late\,\nBecause it is\nAlready your fa te.”\n[33]See phonograph record\, Michigan Water Blues.\n\nIn striking c ontrast to the Dupree just given is one sung by a young Negro who had been in the chain gang[57] a number of times and whose major repertoire consis ted of the plaintive chain gang songs. Here the singer has translated the version into his own vernacular\, varying lines\, eschewing rhyme\, carryi ng his story through the regular channels of the prison type. The lines ar e given exactly as sung\, repetitions and irregularities constituting thei r chief distinction. And yet something of the same story runs through it. It is perhaps a little nearer the Atlanta version\, and the singer adds st ill another interpretation that Dupree and Betty had quarreled and as a re sult Dupree had killed her and hidden her body in the sawdust. An interest ing local color is that Dupree was sent to Milledgeville\, Georgia\, where as a matter of fact is situated the combined state prison and hospital. H ere\, then\, is the song with its mixed imagery and reflection of a certai n mentality.\n\nDupree Tol’ Betty\n\nBetty tol’ Dupree\nShe want a dia mond ring\;\nBetty tol’ Dupree\nShe want a diamond ring.\nDupree tol’ Betty\,\nGonna pawn his watch an’ chain\;\nDupree tol’ Betty\,\nGonna pawn his watch an’ chain.\nDupree left here cold in han’\,\nDupree lef t here cold in han’\,\nBut when he git back to Georgia\,\nHe was wrapped up all in chains.\nDupree tol’ Betty\,\n“Gonna git that diamond rin g.”\nBetty tol’ Dupree\,\n“If you stay in love with me\,\n[58]\nHu rry an’ git that diamond ring\;\nIf you stay in love with me\,\nHurry an’ git that diamond ring.”\nDupree tol’ Betty\,\nHe git that diamon d ring\;\nDupree tol’ Betty\,\nHe git that diamond ring\,\nHe went to th e pawnshop\nAn’ snatched the diamond ring\,\nHe went to the pawnshop\n An’ snatched the diamond ring.\nHigh-sheriff come git Dupree\,\nTook him in the jail.\nLawd\, jail keeper come and git Dupree\,\nTook him to the j ail.\nLawd\, jail keeper took Dupree\nAn’ put him in his cell\,\nLawd\, jail keeper took Dupree\nAn’ put him in his cell.\nDupree ask the sherif f\nWhat he had done\,\nLawd\, Dupree ask the sheriff\nWhat he had done.\nS heriff tol’ him\nHe had snatched diamond ring\,\nSheriff told him\nHe ha d snatched diamond ring.\nDupree say he ain’t killed no man.\nJailer t ol’ him take it easy\,\n’Cause he done snatched the diamond ring\,\n ’Cause he done snatched the diamond ring.\nHe say\, “I aint got no c ase ’gainst you\nBut I bound to put you in jail.”\nHe say\, “I aint got no case ’gainst you\nBut I bound to put you in jail.”\nDupree laid in jail\nSo long they tried to hang him\;\nThey tried to take him to cour t\n[59]\nAn’ taken him back again\,\nJudge give him the same old sentenc e\,\nLawd\, judge give him the same old sentence.\nSay\, “Dupree you kil l that po’ little girl\nAn’ hid her in the sawdust.\nDupree\, we got h angin’ for you\,\nSorry\, Dupree\, we got to hang po’ you.”\nThey tr y to take him to Milledgeville\,\nLawd\, tried to take him to Milledgevill e\,\nPut him in a orphans’ home\,\nLawd\, to keep him out of jail.\nA po pular bad man song of many versions is the Travelin’ Man. No one has eve r outdistanced him. A long story\, rapidly moving\, miraculously achieving \, triumphantly ending\, it represents jazz song\, phonograph record\, ban jo ballad\, quartet favorite\, although it is not easy to capture. Three v ersions have been found in the actual singing\, one by a quartet which cam e to Dayton\, Tennessee\, to help entertain the evolution mongers\; anothe r by Kid Ellis\, of Spartanburg\, South Carolina\, himself a professed tra veling man\; a third by a North Carolina Negro youth who had\, however\, m igrated to Pennsylvania and returned after traveling in seven or eight oth er states of the union. The South Carolina version\, which is given here\, is of the Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ type of vaudeville and ballad mixtu re.\n\nTravelin’ Man\n\nNow I jus’ wanna tell you ’bout travelin’ man\,\nHis home was in Tennessee\;\nHe made a livin’ stealin’ chickens \nAn’ anything he could see.\nChorus:\nHe was a travelin’ man\,\nHe ce rtainly was a travelin’ man\,\n[60]\nHe was mos’ travelin’ man\nThat ever was in this lan’.\nAnd when the law got after that coon\,\nHe cert ainly would get on the road.\nAn’ if a train pass\, no matter how fas’ \,\nHe certainly would get on boa’d.\nHe was a travelin’ man\,\nWas se en for miles aroun’\,\nHe never got caught\, an’ never give up\nUntil the police shot him down.\nThe police shot him with a rifle\,\nAn’ the b ullet went through his head\,\nThe people came for miles aroun’\nTo see if he was dead.\nThey sent down South for his mother\,\nShe was grieved an d moved with tears\,\nThen she open the coffin to see her son\,\nAn’ the fool had disappeared.\nThe police got in an auto\nAn’ started to chase that coon\,\nThey run him from six in the mornin’\nTill seven that after noon.\nThe coon ran so bloomin’ fast\nThat fire come from his heels\;\nH e scorched the cotton an’ burnt the corn\nAn’ cut a road through the f armer’s’ fields.\nThe coon went to the spring one day\nTo get a pail o f water\;\nThe distance he had to go\nWas two miles and a quarter.\nHe got there an’ started back\,\nBut he stumbled an’ fell down\;\nHe went to the house and got another pail\,\nAn’ caught the water ’fore it hit t he ground.\nThe coon stole a thousand dollars\,\nWas in broad open day tim e.\n[61]\nI ast the coon if he wa’n’t ashame\nTo commit such an awful crime.\nThey put the coon on the gallows\nAn’ told him he would die\;\nH e crossed his legs an’ winked his eye\nAnd sailed up in the sky.\nThe co on got on the Titanic\nAn’ started up the ocean blue\,\nBut when he saw the iceberg\,\nRight overboa’d he flew.\nThe white folks standin’ on t he deck\,\nSaid “Coon\, you are a fool.”\nBut ’bout three minutes af ter that\nHe was shootin’ craps in Liverpool.\nFor the rest of this pict ure of the bad man the simple presentation of songs and fragments in suffi cient numbers to illustrate main types will suffice. His name is legion\, and he ranks all the way from the “polish man” to the “boll-weevil n igger\,” much despised of the common man of the better sort. Bad men com e into peaceful and industrious communities and disturb the peace. They fl ow in from other states to add to the number of offenders\, yet in spite o f their numbers and character\, the church throng\, the picnic\, the funer al and other social occasions seem to have much fewer murders and fracases than formerly. If the bad man can be turned into song and verse\, with th e picture of adventure and romance becoming more and more mythical\, the N egro will profit by the evolution. For the present\, however\, here are sa mples of the portrayals most commonly sung\, with apologies to all improvi sators\, minstrel artists\, and white-folk imitators of Negro verse.\n\n[6 2]\n\nBolin Jones\n\nBolin Jones wuz\nA man of might\,\nHe worked all day\ nAnd he fit all night.\nO Lawsy\, Lawsy\,\nHe’s a rough nigger\,\nHan’ to his hip\,\nFingers on de trigger.\nLay ’em low\,\nLay ’em low\,\nW hen Bolin’s ’round\,\nMind whar you go.\nRoscoe Bill\n\nI’m de rowdy from over de hill\,\nI’m de rowdy called Roscoe Bill\,\nRoscoe Bill\, R oscoe Bill\,\nWhen I shoots I’m boun’ to kill.\nI’m Roscoe Bill\nDat never gits skeered\,\nGoes frum shack to shack\,\nTries de udder man’s bed.\nI’m Roscoe Bill\,\nDe man of might\,\nPlum tickled to death\nWhen I raise a fight.\nI’m Roscoe Bill\nDat de women all foller.\nTakes what dey got\,\nDen steals deir dollar.\nLayin’ Low\n\nLayin’ low\, never k now\nWhen de cops about.\nShootin’ crap on my gal’s lap\,\nI’ve got to go my route.\n[63]\nLayin’ low\, never know\,\nWhen de p’liceman’ s walkin’ about\,\nWalkin’ in\, stalkin’ about\,\nDat p’licema n’s walkin’ about.\nDon’t Fool Wid Me\n\nDark town alley’s too sma ll a place\nFor me and that cop to have a fair race.\nI lay low till de ni ght am dark\,\nDen dis here nigger is out for a lark.\nHan’s up\, nigger \, don’t fool wid me\,\nI put nigger whar he ought-a be.\nCreepin’ ’Roun’\n\nWork in de mornin’\,\nIn de evenin’ I sleep.\nWhen de d ark comes\, Lawd\,\nDis nigger got to creep.\nChorus:\nCreepin’ ’rou n’\,\nCreepin’ in\,\nCreepin’ everywhere\nA creeper’s been.\nEats in de mornin’\,\nIn de evenin’ I looks ’roun’.\nWhen de dark comes \, Lawd\,\nA chocolate gal I’ve foun’.\nShootin’ Bill\n\nDere’s a nigger on my track\,\nDere’s a nigger on my track\,\nDere’s a nigger o n my track\,\nLet de undertaker take him back.\nI’m a man shoots de two- gun fire\,\nI’m a man shoots de two-gun fire\,\nI’m a man shoots de tw o-gun fire\,\nI’se got a gal who’s a two-faced liar.\n[64]\nWhen I sho ots\, I shoots to kill\,\nWhen I shoots\, I shoots to kill\,\nWhen I shoot s\, I shoots to kill\,\nDat’s why dey fears Shootin’ Bill!\nI Am Ready For de Fight\n\nWhen at night I makes my bed\,\nWhen at night I makes my bed\,\nWhen at night I makes my bed\,\nPuts my feets up to de head.\nIf de y hunts me in de night\,\nIf dey hunts me in de night\,\nIf dey hunts me i n de night\,\nI am ready fer de fight.\nI sleeps wid one year out\,\nI sle eps wid one year out\,\nI sleeps wid one year out\,\nGot to know when dem rounders ’bout.\nUp an’ down dis worl’\,\nUp an’ down dis worl ’\,\nUp an’ down dis worl’\,\nLookin’ fer dat tattlin’ gal.\nSli m Jim From Dark-town Alley\n\nSlim Jim wus a chocolate drop\,\nSlim Jim wu s a chocolate drop\,\nSlim Jim wus a chocolate drop\nFrom dark-town alley. \nSlim Jim drapped down a cop\,\nSlim Jim drapped down a cop\,\nSlim Jim d rapped down a cop\nIn dark-town alley.\nHy Jim\, hey Jim\, we got you at l as’\,\nHy Jim\, hey Jim\, we got you at las’\,\nHy Jim\, hey Jim\, we got you at las’\nIn dark-town alley.\n[65]\nDe jails kotch him at las’ \, dat chocolate drop\,\nDe jails kotch him at las’\, dat chocolate drop \,\nDe jails kotch him at las’\, dat chocolate drop\nFrom dark-town al-l ey.\nDem bars wus strong\, but Chocolate melted away\,\nDem bars wus stron g\, but Chocolate melted away\,\nDem bars wus strong\, but Chocolate melte d away\,\nBack to dark-town alley.\nI’m a Natural-bo’n Ram’ler\n\n I’m a natural-bo’n ram’ler\,\nI’m a natural-bo’n ram’ler\,\n I’m a natural-bo’n ram’ler\,\nAn’ it ain’t no lie.\nI travels ab out on Monday night\,\nI travels about when de moon is bright.\nI travels about on Tuesday\, too\,\nI travels about when got nuthin’ else to do.\n I travels about on Wednesday mo’n\,\nBeen travelin’ ever since I bee n bo’n\,\nOn Thurs’ I rambles ’round de town\,\nDey ain’t no Jan e kin hol’ me down.\nFriday ketches me wid my foot in my han’\,\nI’m de out-derndest traveler of any man.\nSaturday’s de day I rambles fo’ sumpin to eat\,\nAn’ Sunday de day dis ram’ler sleeps.\nI’m de Hot Stuff Man\n\nI’m de hot stuff man\nFrum de devil’s lan’.\nGo on\, ni gger\,\nDon’t you try to buck me\,\nI’m de hot stuff man\nFrum de de vil’s lan’.\nI’m a greasy streak o’ lightnin’\,\nDon’t you s ee?\nDon’t you see?\nDon’t you see?\n[66]\nI can cuss\, I can cut\,\nI can shoot a nigger up.\nGo on\, nigger\,\nDon’t you try to buck me\,\ nI’m de fas’est man\,\nCan clean up de lan’.\nI’m a greasy strea k o’ lightnin’\,\nCan’t you see?\nI’m a greasy streak o’ lig htnin’\,\nCan’t you see?\nReuben[34]\n\nDat you\, Reuben?\nDat you\, R euben?\nDen dey laid ol’ Reuben down so low.\nSay ol’ Reuben had a wif e\,\nHe’s in trouble all his life.\nDen dey lay Reuben down so low.\nDat you Reuben?\nDat you Reuben?\nDen dey laid Reuben down so low.\nSays ol ’ Reuben mus’ go back\,\nWhen he pawn his watch an’ hack.\nDen dey l aid Reuben down so low.\nSays ol’ Reuben mus’ be dead\,\nWhen he laid upon his bed.\nDen dey laid Reuben down so low.\nDat you Reuben?\nDat you Reuben?\nDen dey laid Reuben down so low.\n[34]We are told that this song is common among the whites of Western North Carolina.\n\nBloodhoun’ on M y Track\n\nBloodhoun’ from Macon right on my track\,\nRight on my track\ , right on my track.\nBloodhoun’ from Macon right on my track\,\nWonder who gonna stan’ my bon’?\n[67]\n\nBuffalo Bill\n\nI’m de bad nigger\ ,\nIf you wants to know\;\nLook at dem rounders\nIn de cemetery row.\nShoo t\, nigger\,\nShoot to kill\,\nWho’s you foolin’ wid?\nMy Buffalo Bill ?\nBuffalo Bill\nWus a man of might\,\nAlways wore his britches\nTwo sizes too tight.\nSplit ’em nigger\,\nRide ’em on a rail\;\nI’ve got de m on to\nPay yo’ bail.\nDat Leadin’ Houn’\n\nDere’s a creeper hangin’ ’roun’\,\nI’m gwiner git ’im I be boun’.\nDen dey put dat feller in de groun’\nAn’ I be listenin’ fer dat houn’\,\nDat leadin’ houn’.\nAll aroun’ here\,\nAll aroun’ here\,\nWhat does I keer?\nListenin’ fer dat leadin’ houn’.\nSteal in home middle o’ de night\,\nGive dem folksies sich a fright.\nSay\, “Feed me\, woman\, t reat me right\,”\nBut she send fer de sheriff\nAn’ de leadin’ houn ’.\nOutrun Dat Cop\n\nHi lee\, hi lo\, happy on de way\,\nHi lee\, hi lo \, outrun dat cop today.\nHi lee\, hi lo\, watch his shirt-tail fly\,\nHi lee\, hi lo\, ’splain to you by and by.\n[68]\n\nDon’t You Hear?\n\n Don’t you hear dat shakin’ noise?\nDon’t you hear dat creepin’ ’roun’?\nDon’t you hear dat stefly walkin’?\nDat’s dat man I la id down\, laid down.\nCan’t you hear dem bones a-shakin’?\nCan’t you hear dem dead man’s moan?\nCan’t you see dem dead man’s sperrits? \nCan’t you see dat man ain’t gone?\nI’s a Natural-bo’n Eastman\ n\nI’s a natural-bo’n eastman\,\nAn’ a cracker jack\,\nI’s a nat ural-bo’n eastman\nAn’ a cracker jack\,\nOn de road again\,\nOn de roa d again.\nI Steal Dat Corn\n\nI steal dat corn\nFrom de white man’s barn \,\nDen I slips aroun’\,\nTells a yarn\,\nAn’ sells it back again.\nI steal dem chickens\nFrom de white man’s yard\,\nDen I tells dat man\nI ’s workin’ hard\,\nAn’ I sells ’em back again.\nI steal de melons\ nFrom his patch\,\nIt takes a smarter man dan him\nFer ter ketch\,\nAn’ I sells ’em back again.\n[69]\n\nI’m de Rough Stuff\n\nI’m de rough stuff of dark-town alley\,\nI’m de man dey hates to see.\nI’m de rough stuff of dis alley\,\nBut de womens all falls for me.\nLawd\, Lawd\, how dey hates me!\nLawd\, Lawd\, how dey swear!\nLawd\, Lawd\, how dey hates m e!\nLawd\, Lad\, what-a mo’ do I care?\nI Ain’t Done Nothin’\n\nWent up to ’Lanta\,\nWho should I meet?\nForty-leben blue coats\nComin’ do wn de street\,\nForty-leben blue coats\nComin’ down de street.\nI ain’ t done nothin’\,\nWhat dey follerin’ after me?\nI ain’t done nothin\ ,\nCan’t dey let me be?\nWhen He Grin\n\nHis head was big an’ nappy\ ,\nAn’ ashy wus his skin\,\nBut good God-a’mighty\, man\,\nYou forget it when he grin.\nHis nose wus long an’ p’inted\,\nHis eyes wus full o’ sin\,\nBut good God-a’mighty\, man\,\nYou forget it when he grin.\ nHis foots wus long an’ bony\,\nAn’ skinny wus his shin\,\nBut good God-a’mighty\, man\,\nYou forget it when he grin.\n[70]\nHe’d fight te n\,\nHe could sin\, always win\,\nBut good God-a’mighty\, man\,\nYou for get it when he grin.\nShot My Pistol in the Heart o’ Town[35]\n\nO Lawd\ ,\nShot my pistol\nIn the heart o’ town.\nLawd\, the big chief hollered\ ,\n“Doncha blow me down.”\nO Lawd\,\nWhich a-way\nDid the po’ gal go ?\nShe lef’ here runnin’\,\nIs all I know.\nO Lawd\,\nWhich a-way\nDo the Red River run?\nLawd\, it run east and west\nLike the risin’ sun.\nB lack gal hollered\,\nLike to scared my brown to death.\nIf I hadn’t had my pistol\nI’d a-run myself.\nO Lawd\,\nJes’ two cards\nIn the deck I love\nLawd\, the Jack o’ Diamonds\nAn’ the Ace o’ Clubs.\nO Lawd\,\n Stopped here to play\nJes’ one mo’ game.\nLawd\, Jack o’ Diamonds\nP etered on my han’.\n[35]For music see Chapter XIV.\n\n[71]\n\nCHAPTER V\ nSONGS OF JAIL\, CHAIN GANG\, AND POLICEMEN\nNot all Negro “bad men” a chieve an abiding place in jail or chain gang. Not all Negroes in jail or chain gang are “bad men”—not by long odds. And yet the prison popula tion of the South contains abundant representations of both major and mino r Negro offenders\, although the indications are that the ratio of Negroes to whites is decreasing rapidly. And if one wishes to obtain anything lik e an adequate or accurate picture of the workaday Negro he will surely fin d much of his best setting in the chain gang\, prison\, or in the situatio ns of the ever-fleeing fugitive from “chain-gang houn’\,” high sheri ff or policeman. “I ain’t free\, Lawd\, I ain’t free\,” sings the prisoner who bemoans the bad luck in which he had “nobody to pay my fi ne.” Never did the old spiritual\, as in “Go down\, Moses\, tell ol’ Pharaoh\, let my people go\,” express more determined call for freedom than the Negro singer behind the bars. Yet the Negro prisoner combines adm irable humor with his wailing song:\n\nI Ain’t Free\n\nDe rabbit in de b riar patch\,\nDe squirrel in de tree\,\nWould love to go huntin’\,\nBut I ain’t free\,\nBut I ain’t free\,\nBut I ain’t free\,\nWould love t o go huntin’\,\nBut I ain’t free\, ain’t free.\n[72]\nDe rooster’s in de hen house\,\nDe hen in de patch\,\nI love to go shootin’\nAt a ol’ shootin’ match\;\nBut I ain’t free\,\nBut I ain’t free\,\nBu t I ain’t free\,\nAt a ol’ shootin’ match\,\nBut I ain’t free\, ain’t free.\nOl’ woman in de kitchen\,\nMy sweetie hangin’ ’ro un’\,\n’Nudder man gonna git ’er\,\nI sho’ be boun’\,\n’Caus e I ain’t free\,\n’Cause I ain’t free\,\n’Cause I ain’t free\, \n’Nudder man ’ll git ’er\,\n’Cause I ain’t free\, ain’t free. \nDig in de road band\,\nDig in de ditch\,\nChain gang got me\,\nAn’ de boss got de switch\nI ain’t free\,\nI ain’t free\,\nI ain’t free\,\n Chain gang got me\,\nAn’ I ain’t free\, ain’t free.\nThis chapter ma kes no approach to the study of the Negro criminal. That will be done in t he scientific inquiries which are now being made at length and in later st udies of the Negro bad man. What the chapter attempts is simply to give fu rther pictures of the Negro workaday singer as he is found behind prison b ars\, or with ball and chain\, or in humorous workaday retrospect or prosp ect of experiences what time he pays the penalty for his misdoings. For th ese prison and road songs\, policeman and sheriff epics\, jail and chain[7 3] gang ballads constitute an eloquent cross-section of the whole field of Negro songs. Many are sung even as the ordinary work songs\; others are i mprovised and varied. One may listen to high-pitched voices\, plaintive an d wailing\, until the haunting melody will abide for days. The prisoners s ing of every known experience from childhood and home to “hard luck in t he family\, sho’ God\, fell on me.” One youngster about twenty-one yea rs of age\, periodic offender with experience on the chain gang and in jai l\, sang more than one hundred songs or fragments and the end was not yet. They cannot be described\; selections are not representative. And yet\, l isten for a while:\n\nJail House Wail\n\nThe jail’s on fire\, Lawd\,\nTh e stockade’s burnin’ down.\nWell\, they ain’t got nowhere\,\nLawd\, to put the prisoners now.\nTaken prisoners out o’ jail\, Lawd\,\nCarri ed ’em to county road.\nSay\, I ruther be in chain gang\nThan be in jail all time.\nSay\, jailer keep you bound down\,\nLawd\, say jailer dog you ’roun’.\nSays if I had my way wid jailer\,\nI’d take an’ lock him in cell.\nI’d take key an’ tie it on door\,\nAn’ go long way from he re\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nSays jail keeper tol’ me\, Lawd\,\nGonna help me get back home.\nWhen time come to be tried\,\nJail keeper lied on me.\n[74]\nI told my mother not to worry at all\,\nLawd\, not to worry at all.\nLawd\, goin’ to road\, mama\,\nTryin’ to make good time.\nMama\, she cried a ll night long\,\nO mama\, she cried all night long.\nWell\, she wiped her tears off\,\nSay\, son\, she won’t cry no more.\nMama come to the road\, Lawd\,\nSee her son on the gang.\nI tol’ her not to bother\,\nLawd\, ca use I got short time.\nOnce on the gang or in the jail continuous song is not unusual. Waking folk with song in early morning\, chanting after meal time\, plaintive in the evening\, the Negro lives over his past life\, giv es expression to his feelings\, and plans the new day\, “standin’ on r ock pile with ball an’ chain\,” or “standin’ on rock pile\, with h ammer in my hand.” He sings of past days\, sorrows that some other man w ill get his girl\, boasts a woman in the white man’s yard—\n\nMy gal s he bring me chicken\,\nMy gal she bring me ham\,\nMy gal she bring me ever ything\,\nAn’ she don’t give a damn.\nSometimes he is more cheerful an d sings\, “cawn pone\, fat meat\, all I gits to eat\, better’n I git a t home\,” “Rings on my arms\, bracelets on my feet\, stronger’n I ha s at home!” And with bunk for a bed and straw for his head\, he sings\ , “baby\, baby\, let me be.” How could he help falling into the hands of the officers anyway?\n\n[75]\n\n’Tain’t as Bad as I Said\n\nGood God a’-mighty!\nWhat’s a fellow gonna do\,\nWhen ol’ black mariah[36 ]\nCome a-sailin’ after you?\nGood God a’-mighty!\nMy feet’s got win gs\,\nDey can take dis ol’ body\nLak she on ’iled springs.\nGood God a’-mighty!\nShe’s right ’roun’ de corner\,\nSho’s you bohn\,\ nDis nigger’s a goner.\nGood God a’-mighty!\n’Tain’t bad as I said \,\nThree square meals a day\nAn’ bunk fer a bed.\n[36]“Black Mariah ” is frequently encountered in Negro songs. It refers to the patrol wago n.\n\nThe songs that follow will illustrate further the Negro’s story of his prison life\, his desire for freedom\, his efforts to escape\, his at titude toward the policeman\, jailer and sheriff\, and his humorous interp retation of various situations in which he finds himself. Vivid pictures t hey are.\n\nIf I Can Git to Georgia Line\n\nIf I can git to Georgia line\, \nIf I can git to Georgia line\,\nLawd\, if I can git to Georgia line\,\nG eorgia\, murderer’s home.\nMonday I was ’rested\,\nTuesday I was fined \,\nWednesday I laid in jail\,\nThursday I was tried.\n[76]\nIf I can git to Georgia line\,\nLawd\, if I can git to Georgia line\,\nO Lawd\, if I ca n git to Georgia line\,\nGeorgia\, murderer’s home.\nDon’t ask about i t\,\nIf you do I cry.\nDon’t ask about it\,\nIf you do I cry.\nWhat did redbird\, redbird\nSay to crow\, crow?\nYou bring rain\, rain\,\nI bring s now\, snow!\nFriday wid chain gang band\,\nSaturday pick an’ shovel\,\nS unday I took my rest\,\nMonday want to do my best.\nEvery\, every mail day \,\nMail day\, I gits a letter\,\nCryin’\, “Son\, come home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, come home.”\nI didn’t have no\,\nNo ready money\,\nI couldn’t go home.\nNo\, no\, couldn’t go home.\nI’m on road here\nJust a few d ays longer\,\nThen I’m goin’ home\nLaw’\, Law’\, I’m goin’ hom e.\nGot Me in the Calaboose\n\nGot me in the calaboose\,\nGot me in the ca laboose\,\nGot me in the calaboose\,\nAin’t nobody turn me loose.\nHit ’s bad\, bad on the inside lookin’ out\,\nHit’s bad\, bad on the ins ide lookin’ out\,\n[77]\nHit’s bad\, bad on the inside lookin’ out\, \nThis po’ boy know what he’s talkin’ about.\nMy gal come to the bar and done peep in\,\nMy gal come to the bar and done peep in\,\nMy gal com e to the bar and done peep in\,\nShe say\, “Honey man\, where you been ?”\nWhen I git out I ain’t gonna stay here\,\nWhen I git out I ain’t gonna stay here\,\nWhen I git out I ain’t gonna stay here\,\nAin’t le t nobody treat me dis way.\nPo’ boy\, don’t give me no show\,\nPo’ b oy\, don’t give me no show\,\nPo’ boy\, don’t give me no show\,\nA in’t gonna be bossed around no mo’.\nI Don’t Mind Bein’ in Jail\n\ nI never turn back no more\,\nLawd\, I never turn back no more\,\nEvery ma il day I gets letter from my mother\,\nSay\, “Son\, son\, come home.”\ nI been fallin’ ever since Mary was a baby\,\nAn’ now she’s gone.\ nI’m nine hundred miles from home\nAn’ I can’t go home this way.\nI wish I was a contractor’s son\,\nI’d stand on the bank and have the wo rk well done.\nIf he don’t work\, I’ll have him hung\,\nLawd\, if he don’t work\, I’ll have him hung.\nI wish I had a bank of my own\,\n I’d give all the po’ workin’ men a good happy home.\nShe used to be mine\, look who’s got her now.\nSho’ can keep her\, she don’t mean n o good to me no mo’.\nI laid in jail\, back turned to the wall\,\nTold t he jailer to put new man in my stall.\nI don’t mind bein’ in jail\nIf I didn’t have to stay so long.[37]\n[37]This stanza is found in somewhat different form in the popular song entitled Jail-House Blues.\n\n[78]\n\n Chain Gang Blues[38]\n\nStandin’ on the road side\,\nWaitin’ for the b all an’ chain.\nSay\, if I was not all shackled down\nI’d ketch that wes’ boun’ train.\nStandin’ on the rock pile\nWid a hammer in my ha nd\,\nLawd\, standin’ on rock pile\,\nGot to serve my cap’n down in no -man’s land.\nThe judge he give me sentence\n’Cause I wouldn’ go to work.\nFrom sunrise to sunset\nI have no other clean shirt.\nAll I got is lovin’\,\nLovin’ an’ a-sluggin’\,\nSay I feels just like a stepchi ld\,\nJust gi’me the chain gang blues.\nOh\, my captain call me\nAn’ m y gal work in white folks’ yard.\nI believe I’ll go there too\,\n’Ca use I got the chain gang blues.\nMy gal she bring me chicken\,\nMy gal she bring me ham\,\nMy gal she bring me everything\,\nAn’ she don’t give a damn.\nMy gal she got a molar\nRight down below her nose\,\nShe got teet h in her mouth\nI’d swear to God was gold.\nMy gal she cried las’ nigh t\,\nShe cried the whole night long\;\nShe cried because judge sentence me \,\n’Cause I had to go so long.\n[79]\nMy gal she cried all night\,\nI t old her not to worry at all.\nI’m goin’ on the chain gang\,\nI ’ spec’ I’ll be back in the fall.\n[38]The first four stanzas of this so ng\, except for some slight variations\, are also found in Chain Gang Blue s\, a popular phonograph piece.\n\nAll Boun’ in Prison[39]\n\nHey\, jail er\, tell me what have I done.\nGot me all boun’ in prison\,\nTryin’ to ’bide dis woman’s time\,\nTryin’ to ’bide dis woman’s time.\ nChorus:\nAll boun’ in prison\,\nAll boun’ in jail\,\nCol’ iron ba rs all ’roun’ me\,\nNo one to go my bail.\nI got a mother and father\n Livin’ in a cottage by de sea.\nI got a sister and a brother\, too\,\nWo nder do dey think o’ po’ me.\nI walked in my room de udder night\,\nMy man walked in and began to fight.\nI took my gun in my right han’\,\nTo ld de folks I’m gonna kill my man.\nWhen I said dat\, he broke a stick ’cross my head.\nFirst shot I made my man fell dead.\nDe paper comed ou t and strowed de news\,\nDas why I say I’s got de cell-bound blues.\n[39 ]Cf. phonograph record\, Cell Bound Blues.\n\nI Went to de Jail House\n\nO Lawd\, Lawd\, good Lawd\, Lawd\,\nI went to de jail house\, fell down on my knees.\nI ask that jailer\, “Captain\, give me back my gal.”\nJaile r told me\, “Sorry\, brother\, she said her las’ goodbye.”\nLawd\, I went to judge to ask for a fine.\nJudge say\, Lawd\, he ain’t got no ti me.\n[80]\nLawd\, I laid in jail so long\,\nAin’t got no home at all.\nG ood lawd\, look-a here\, jail keeper\,\nWon’t you put another gal in my stall?\nSay\, I been here so long\,\nDon’t know what I’ll do.\nJudge G onna Sentence Us So Long\n\nSay\, brother\, we better get ready to leave j ail\,\n’Cause judge gonna sentence us so long.\nJudge gonna sentence us so long\,\nWe ain’t gonna come back here no mo’.\nLawd\, we have laid in jail so long\,\nLawd\, we have laid in jail so long.\nSay\, judge sente nce me so long\,\nHe ain’t had no mercy on us.\nLawd\, captain\, come an’ got me\,\nTaken me to road to work.\nLawd\, taken me out one morni n’\,\nTaken me out so soon.\nTold captain didn’t know how to work.\nTo ld me\, “Shine\, get down that line.”\nI told the court\, Lawd\, “Ra ther be layin’ in jail\nWid my back turned to de wall.”\nI am worried\ , pretty mama\,\nBut I won’t be worried long.\nThought I rather be in my grave\nThan be treated like a slave.\nSay\, rather be in Birmingham\nEati n’ pound cake and all.\nSay\, these women in Georgia\nKeep you in troubl e all the time.\n[81]\nSay\, you better catch your train\,\nGo to Alabama bound.\nI am leavin’ here\, rider\,\nSho’ don’t want to go.\nBut I ’spect I have to leave here\,\nOr I’ll be in chain gang\, too.\nGonna git me a black woman\,\nPlay safe all the time.\nFor your brown skin woma n\nKeep you in trouble all the time.\nMy Man He Got in Trouble\n\nMr. T. B luker\,\nDon’t work my man so hard\,\n’Cause he’s po’ player\,\n Ain’t never had no job.\nOh\, my man he got in trouble\,\nHe didn’t ha ve no friend at all.\nThey carried him to jail house\,\nLocked him up in c ell.\nI asked the judge be light on him.\nJudge told him not bring nothi n’ like that\,\nJudge give him six months in jail\,\nLawd\, judge give h im six months in jail.\nCaptain put him on the road.\n“Captain\, how lon g have I got?”\nCaptain say to the shine\,\n“Eat your supper and run o n down the line.”\nCaptain say\, “Git your supper\,\nLawd\, and change your clothes.”\nCaptain say\, “Git your supper\,\nGit your chains and balls.”\n[82]\n\nThe Judge He Sentence Me\n\nI laid in the jail with my back to the wall\,\nI laid in the jail with my back to the wall\,\nPrayed to the Lord that\nBig rock jail would fall.\nThe judge he sentence me\, L awd\,\nGive me twelve long months.\nThe judge he sentence me\, Lawd\,\nGiv e me twelve long months.\nDen captain come take me to de road.\nI ask the captain what I gonna do.\nCaptain told me to pick and shovel too.\nI rathe r be dead\, Lawd\, and in my grave.\nCaptain told me\,\nSay\, “Lawd\, yo u ain’t gonna work\,\nLawd\, you ain’t gonna work nowhere else\nBut on this chain gang.”\nSay\, “If I let you go home this time\,\nYou be ri ght back in jail.\nWhen judge gets you again\nGonna give you five long yea rs.”\nSay\, “If you don’t quit drinkin’\nAn’ don’t quit ki llin’\, robbin’ and stealin’\,\nYou gonna git life time\nAn’ in ch ain gang\, too.”\nTold captain\, “I ain’t robbin’ no trains\,\nI s wear to God I ain’t kill no man.”\nLawd\, I told the captain\, “I ain’t robbin’ no trains\,\nSwear to God I ain’t kill no man.”\nI G ot a Letter\, Captain\n\nI got a letter\, captain\,\nSay\, Lawd\, come hom e\,\nLawd\, captain\, come home\,\nLawd\, say\, son\, come home.\n[83]\nI don’t have\, I don’t have\,\nLawdy\, I don’t have\,\nLawdy\, no read y-made money\,\nAn’ I can’t go home.\nI got a gal\, Lawd\,\nStays righ t in town.\nI got a gal\, Lawd\,\nStays right in town.\nLawd\, street car run\nRight by her door\,\nLawd\, she don’t have to walk\nNowhere she go. \nSay she take a walk up town\,\nLawd\, she take a walk up town.\nWell\, s he got in town\, Lawd\,\nAn’ come back home.\nWell\, she caught street c ar\nAn’ come back home.\nLawd\, she got street car\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, an ’ come back home.\nPrisoner’s Song[40]\n\nWished I had some one to lov e me\,\nSome one to call me their own\,\nBecause I’m tired of livin’ a lone\,\nLawd\, I’m tired of livin’ alone.\nI has a gran’ ship on de ocean\,\nFilled wid silver an’ gold\;\nAn’ befo’ my darlin’ should suffer\,\nDat ship will be anchored an’ go.\nI’ll be carried to de ja il tomorrow\,\nLeavin’ my po’ darlin’ alone\,\nWith the cold prison bars all around me\nAn’ my head on a pillow of stone.\n[84]\nIf I had wi ngs lak an angel\,\nOver dese prison bars I would fly.\nAn’ I would fly to the arms of my po’ darling\,\nAn’ dere I’d lay down and die.\n[40 ]Except for a few minor variations\, this is the now popular Prisoner’s Song. It was of folk origin\, however.\n\nWoke up Wid My Back to the Wall\ n\nO Lawd\, I woke up in the morning\,\nWoke up wid my back to the wall.\n O Lawd\, I woke up in the morning\,\nWoke up wid my back to the wall.\nI t ook a peep out at the bars\nO Lawd\, I thought I was home.\nLawd\, I heard a key rattlin’\,\nHigh-sheriff comin’ in.\nThought I heard a sheriff comin’\,\nLawd\, bring my breakfas’ to me.\nThought I see my coffin\,\ nLawd\, rollin’ up to my do’.\nLawd\, he say\, “Dat gal say she do n’t want you no mo’.”\nLawd\, I lay right down\, hung my head and cr ied.\nLawd\, he say\, “Dat gal say she don’t want you no mo’.”\nLa wd\, I laid right down in jail and cried.\nLawd\, I’m so awful worried t ill I don’t know what to do.\nWell\, I mistreated Daddy\, he hangs ’ roun’ me day and night.\nHe wakes me in the mornings\,\nHe moans when I am sleepin’.\nHe makes me swear\, Lawd\,\nHave no other man but you.\nIn the Negro’s prison songs is revealed again that dual nature which sings of sorrowful limitations alongside humorous and philosophical resignation . Here are scenes of the lonesome road illuminated by entertainment of rar e quality. “I’m in jail now\,” he sings\,[85] “but jes’ fer a day.” “I ain’t got no parole\, but I’m a-comin’ back.” It is true that he has only corn bread and fat meat to eat but that’s “be tter’n I has at home.” And then with genuine humor he sings also of th e iron cuffs about his hands which also are “stronger’n I has at hom e.”\n\nBetter’n I Has at Home\n\nCawn pone\, fat meat\,\nAll I gits to eat—\nBetter ’n I has at home\,\nBetter ’n I has at home.\nCotton s ocks\, striped clothes\,\nNo Sunday glad rags at all—\nBetter ’n I git s at home\,\nBetter ’n I gits at home.\nRings on my arms\,\nBracelets on my feet—\nStronger ’n I has at home\,\nStronger ’n I has at home.\n Bunk fer a bed\,\nStraw under my head—\nBetter ’n I gits at home\,\nBe tter ’n I gits at home.\nBaby\, baby\, lemme be\,\nChain gang good enoug h fer me—\nBetter ’n I gits at home\,\nBetter ’n I gits at home.\n I’m Comin’ Back\n\nI write you a letter\nSayin’\, “Come back hom e.”\nI sent you a message\,\n“Honey\, don’t you roam.”\nComin’ b ack\, comin’ back\,\nHound on my track\, yes baby\,\nI’m comin’ back .\n[86]\nWent to de gov’nor\,\nAst a parole.\nDat man he answered\,\n“ Not to save yer soul.”\nComin’ back\, comin’ back\;\nAin’t got no parole\,\nBut I’m comin’ back.\nLawd\, Lawd\, I’m comin’ back\,\nH ounds on my track\,\nOl’ clothes on my back\,\nOl’ woman in my shack.\ nNo parole\, but\nI’m comin’ back.\nGoin’ Back to de Gang\n\nDe nigh t wus dark\, de guard wus gone\,\nI slipped dat chain off’n my laig\,\nD e night wus dark\, an’ de rain hit poured.\nDis nigger astray wid nowher e to board.\nI’s hungry and cold\, nowhere to go\,\nWhen de niggers see dese clothes\, dey shets de do’.\nOut all night\, de dawgs am comin’\, \nGoin’ back to de gang\, tired o’ bummin’.\nShin up a tree\, no tim e to be los’\,\n’Cause here’s de dawgs\, and\, golly\, de boss!\nDem Chain Gang Houn’s\n\nI ain’t no possum\, I ain’t no squir’l\,\nBu t I can shin de highes’ tree in all de worl’\,\nWhen I hear dem houn ’s\, dem chain gang houn’s.\nHear dem ol’ houn’s\, soun’ goes up to heav’n\,\nIf dey’s one dawg\, dey mus’ be ’lev’n.\nOh\, dem houn’s\, dat ol’ lead houn’.\n’Tain’t good fer a nigger’s health to stay on de ground.\nHear dem houn’s\, dem chain gang houn’s. \nCome git me\, boss\, come take me down\,\nAnything’s better’n de cha in gang houn’.\n[87]\n\nShoot\, Good God\, Shoot!\n\nDe jedge and de jur y\nThought ’twas a shame.\nDey called me up dere\,\nAxed me my name.\nMy God a-mighty\,\nWhat’s a feller gwiner do\,\nWhen a nigger gits his wif e\nAn’ my wife\, too?\nShoot\, good God\, shoot!\nOl’ Black Mariah\n\n Look over de hill\, see what’s a-comin’\,\nOl’ black mariah\, natc hel-bo’n hummin’.\nDrive up to de do’\, grab me by de collar\,\nGood Lawd\, man\, ain’t got time to holler.\nJes’ Fer a Day\n\nI’m ’hi nd de bars\, but jes’ fer a day\,\n’Cause walkin’ out de do’ ain ’t de only way.\nI’ve got a saw\, and I work like de devil\,\nAll t’ ings in dis case am sho’ on de level.\nAll Us Niggers ’hind De Bars\n\ nI got a gal\, you got a gal\,\nAll us niggers got a gal.\nHe fool ’ro un’\, I fool ’roun’\,\nAll us niggers fool ’roun’.\nI got a razo r\, he got a razor\,\nAll us niggers got a razor.\nI ’hind de bars\, h e ’hind de bars\,\nAll us niggers ’hind de bars.\n[88]\n\nCHAPTER VI\n SONGS OF CONSTRUCTION CAMPS AND GANGS\nIn the old days—and sometimes in more recent years—there were characteristic and unforgettable scenes of groups of Negroes singing in the fields. Here was a picture of late aftern oon in the cotton field\, the friendly setting sun a challenge to reviving energies\; rows of cotton clean picked\, rivalry and cheerful banter\, fa ster picking to the row’s end\, sacks and baskets full for weighing time \; group singing\, now joyous\, then the melancholy tinge of eventide\, Sw ing Low\, Sweet Chariot\, Since I Laid My Burden Down or Keep Inchin’ Er long. Another picture is vivid: A spring morning\, a few Negroes following mule and plow\, many chopping cotton to the accompaniment of song\, all m aking rhythm of song\, movement\, and clink of hoe resound in rare harmony \, duly interspersed with shouts and laughter. Or the morning yodel or “ cornfield holler\,” with its penetrating vibrato\, Ya-a-ee-ah—oo-a-e e-ou—indescribable either in words\, sound\, or musical notation.[41] Or wagons lumbering on cold mornings\, drivers and workers on the way to fie ld or mill\, songs echoing across the hills. And there were the other grou p scenes: the roustabouts on the levee\, the singers around the cabins\, t he groups in the kitchen. Many of these scenes\, of course\, in modified f orm may yet be found and songs of their setting are still to be heard\, bu t they do not constitute the most commonly abounding characteristic workad ay songs of the present.\n\n[41]The phono-photographic record of such a yo del is given in Chapter XV.\n\n[89]\n\nModern scenes\, however different\, are no less impressive. Whoever has seen a railroad section gang of five score Negroes working with pick and shovel and hammer and bars and other t ools\, and has heard them singing together will scarcely question the effe ctiveness of the scene. Likewise steel drivers and pick-and-shovel men sin g down a road that is anything but “lonesome” now. Four pickmen of the road sing\, swinging pick up\, whirling it now round and round and now do wn again\, movement well punctuated with nasal grunt and swelling song. An other group unloading coal\, another asphalt\, another lime\, or sand\, si ng unnumbered songs and improvisations. Another group sings as workers rus h wheelbarrows loaded with stone or sand or dirt or concrete\, or still ag ain line up on the roadside with picks and shovels. And of course there ar e the songs of the chain gangs already described\, but nevertheless gang s ongs of the first importance. All these singers constitute the great body of workers and singers who sing apparently with unlimited repertoire. The selections in this chapter\, as in the others\, are representative in that they were taken directly from Negro singers and workers in the South duri ng 1924 and 1925.\n\nAmong the most attractive of all the Negro workaday s ongs are those sometimes called “free labor gang songs\,”[42] of which there are many. Some of these are reserved for Chapter VII in which many miscellaneous examples of songs to help with work are given. Other samples have been included in the “Songs of the Lonesome Road.” Examples of t he melodies are given in Chapter XV. It will be understood\, of course\, t hat other songs such as John Henry\,[90] Jerry on the Mountain\, Lazarus\, are sung in this capacity\, although classified primarily in other groups for the sake of better illustration.\n\n[42]The Negroes use the term “f ree labor” to distinguish ordinary work from convict labor.\n\n“Free L abor” Gang Song\n\nCap’n\, did you hear ’bout\nAll yo’ men gonna l eave you\,\nNex’ pay day\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, nex’ pay day?\nEv’y mail d ay\,\nMail day\, I gits letter\,\nFrom my dear ol’ mother\,\nShe tell me \, “Son\, come home.”\nThat ol’ letter\,\nRead about dyin’.\nBoy d id you ever\nThink about dyin’?\nThen I can’t read it\nNow for cryin ’\,\nTears run down\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, tears run down.\nJes’ wait till\n I make these few days I started\,\nI’m goin’ home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, I ’m goin’ home.\nEverywhere I\nLook this morning\,\nLook lak rain\,\nLa wd\, Lawd\, look lak rain.\nI got rainbow\nTied all ’roun’ my shoulder \,\nAin’t gonna rain\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, ain’t gonna rain.\nMike an’ Je rry\nCome down main line Southern\,\n[91]\nDidn’t stop to get\nNo water neither coal.\nI done walk till\nFeets gone to rollin’\nJes’ lak a whe el\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, jes’ lak wheel.\nNow ev’y time I\,\nTime I start ’round mountain\,\nMy light goes out\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, my light goes out .\nI’m gonna buy me\nMagnified lantern\,\nIt won’t go out\,\nLawd\, La wd\, it won’t go out.\nI got a wife\,\nTwo-three children in mountain\,\ nCryin’ fer bread\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, cryin’ fer bread.\nO Lawd\, Mamie\n \nO Lawd\, Mamie\,\nPoke yo’ head out window\,\nJes’ to see me fall\,\ nLawd\, jes’ to see me fall.\nI been fallin’\nFrom my shoulder\,\nLawd \, I been fallin’\nAll day long.\nO Lawd\, Mamie\,\nIf I make it\nYou sh all have it\,\nIf it’s all in gold.\nI been fallin’\nEv’y since Mami e wus baby\,\nNow she’s grown\,\nLawd\, now she’s grown.\n[92]\nWhen w e meet my\nLittle curly headed woman\,\nBow yo’ head\,\nO Lawd\, an’ t ip yo’ hat.\nIf I make it\nThrough July an’ August\,\nO Lawd\, I’ll be a man\,\nO Lawd\, I’ll be a man.\nHe-i-Heira\n\nHe-he-heira!\nLook ho w my captain stan’\,\nStand more like a farmer\nThan he do a railroad ma n!\nOh\, oh\, oh!\nIf I had listen to what mama said.\nI’d be at home no w\,\nLawd\, in mama’s bed.\nHe-i-heira!\nBelieve I will\nTake my pick\,\ nLawd\, over on the hill.\nGoin’ up town\,\nHurry right back\,\nGonna se e Corinne\nWhen she ball that jack.\nOh\, oh\, Lawd\, oh\,\nGoin’ on up town\,\nBuy my gal a hat\,\nLawd\, buy my gal a hat.\nShe brought it back\ , Lawd\,\nLaid it on the shelf\nEvery time she turn around\nMakes her want er jazz.\nGoin’ up town\, Lawd\,\nGonna walk in the yard\;\n[93]\nTwo-an d-a-half hours to work\,\nWork ain’t hard.\nO you\, down\, boys\,\nYes\, we goin’ down.\nO you\, down\, boys\,\nYes\, we goin’ down.\nI don’ t know\,\nBut believe I will\nMake my home\nIn Jacksonville.\nSection Boss \n\nYonder come the engine\nRingin’ o’ the bell\;\nEngineer on the rig ht\,\nFireman on the left.\nSee the engine makin’ time\,\nSee the engine er gone.\nFall off the car\,\nThrow off the tools.\nThrow off the tools\,\ nLet the engine go by.\nIf I could run like he runs\,\nI’d run an’ nev er stop.\nSee the train makin’ up speed\,\nSee the cars go ’long.\nIf I had wings like that engine\,\nI could run an’ fly.\nI could pull the b ell\,\nI could blow the whistle\,\nI could pull the bell\,\nAn’ let the engine run.\nIf I could run like he runs\,\nI never would quit\,\nI’d al ways railroad\nI’d always run an’ fly.\n[94]\n\nThe mind of the worker and wanderer is perhaps reflected better in his annals of the day’s wor k as expressed in his “captain” songs than anywhere else. Some of th e “captain” songs have been sung until they are on the verge of folk s ongs\; some approach the haven of the blues\, and many more are in the for mative stage. The examples immediately following in this chapter are combi nations of all three\, with the predominating mode that of combination and improvisation. Some of them are clearly songs of the chain gang as well a s of free labor construction work. That they are fairly accurate portrayal s of the worker and his task\, of the captain and his ways\, of the though ts and customs of the worker and singer will be evident to any one who kno ws the field. To the uninitiated the laborer is merely a laborer\, silent\ , reserved\, certainly keeping back from the white man his innermost thoug hts\, wishes\, and feelings. But hear him sing—hear him repeat the forma l songs\, hear him make new ones.\n\nO Captain\, Captain[43]\n\nO captain\ , captain\,\nWhere you been so long?\nO captain\, I been at home\nAn’ do ne got in trouble again.\nO captain\, captain\,\nWon’t you be kind?\nD on’t work me so hard\,\nCaptain\, I been used to light work.\nO captain\ , captain\,\nI ain’t used to no hard work.\nO captain\, captain\,\nWon ’t you be light on me?\n[95]\nO captain\, captain\,\nIf you be light on me\,\nWhen I git back home\nI won’t be hard on you.\nO captain\, captain \,\nWhere we gonna work?\n“Oh\, we goin’ down the road\,\nPick and sho vel dirt.”\nO captain\, captain\, call me\nAn’ I didn’ hear\;\nCapta in took me back\nTo bodyguard.\nO Lawd\, captain\, captain\,\nOn the side of the bank\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, buddy\,\nI’m too tired to work.\nO captain\ , captain\,\nI done got too hot\nCaptain\, O Lawd\, captain\,\nLet po’ S hine rest.\nCaptain\, O Lawd\, captain\,\nI set down on a bank\,\nO Lawd\, captain\, captain\,\nSet down on a bank.\nO captain\, captain\,\nI cannot work no longer\,\n’Cause I’s done\, O Lawd\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, I’s don e.\nO captain\, captain\,\nPo’ boy done got too hot\,\nO Lawd\, captain\ , captain\,\nAn’ I couldn’t make it go.\nCaptain\, captain\,\nYou got letter from my mother\,\nCaptain\, captain\,\nRead it all the way through. \n[96]\nLawd\, she say\, “Son\,\nLawd\, come back home.”\nLawd\, Lawd\ , she say\,\n“Son\, come back home.”\nCaptain\, captain\,\nAin’t got no ready money.\nCaptain\, O Lawd\, captain\,\nWon’t you loan me some?\ nSittin’ in dining room\,\nO Lawd\, captain\,\nSittin’ in dining room\ nIn yo’ chair.\nO Lawd\, captain\,\nI aint too dumb\,\nHear yo’ back d oor slam\,\nLawd God a-mighty.\nI got a letter\,\nLetter from my brown.\nM y brown she dyin’\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nI got a letter\,\nLetter from my rider.\nMy rider was dyin’\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nLawd\, gonna follo w\nMy brown\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nGonna follow my brown\nTo buryin’ groun’.\ n[43]This song and some others in this chapter are excellent illustrations of the chain gang sentiment becoming mixed with ordinary “free labor” gang songs.\n\nI’m Goin’ Back Home\n\nI can jerry\,[44] I can jerry\n All around the mountain.\nLord\, I can jerry\, I can jerry\nAll the way ho me.\n[97]\nLord\, I see my gal a-comin’\,\nLord\, to bring me my dinner. \nLord\, I see my gal a-comin’\,\nLord\, I’m goin’ home.\nLord\, she brought me something\,\nLord\, she brought me something good.\nLord\, she brought me good dinner\,\nDidn’t know what it was.\nLord\, I’m gonna buy me rubber-tire hack\,\nLord\, I’m gonna buy me rubber-tire hack\,\nL ord\, I’m gonna buy me rubber-tire hack\,\nGoin’ home\, take me right back.\nI’m tired workin’\, Lord\,\nLord\, I’m tired workin’.\nGo in’ buy me rubber-tire hack\,\nTake me back home.\nLord\, captain stan din’\,\nHe may hear me sing\,\nLord\, some old day\nI’m goin’ back h ome.\nLord\, I reckon I’ll sell my\,\nLord\, I reckon I’ll sell my rub ber-tire hack\nAn’ buy me a Ford\, Lord\,\nBuy me a Ford.\nLord\, captai n told me\,\nO Lord\, captain told me\,\nTime to go to dinner\,\nLord\, we ’re goin’ back home.\nLord\, I got back home\nAn’ had my dinner.\nLo rd\, I went and et\,\nLord\, I got back home.\nThen ’bout half pas’ on e\nCaptain call us all\,\nSay we got a-go back\,\nLord\, say we got a-go b ack to work.\n[98]\nLord\, some o’ these mornings\,\nLord\, some o’ th ese mornings\,\nCaptain ain’t gonna hear me sing\n’Cause I’m goin’ back home.\nSunshine in my back door\,\nLord\, sunshine in my back door\, \nSome o’ these mornings\, Lord\, captain\,\nI’m goin’ back home.\nL ord\, my gal cryin’ all day\,\nLord\, my gal cryin’ all day.\nLord\, s he made a pallet on floor\n’Cause she’s feelin’ right bad.\nCaptain say\, “O Shine\,\nWhen you go home\,\nSay\, Shine\, you comin’ back? ”\nYes\, captain\, O Lord\, captain.\nYonder come my girl\,\nComin’ do wn the track.\nBring me good cool water\,\nKeep cool all day long.\nI got sun low ’cross the field\,\nI got sun low ’cross the field plowin’.\ nLord\, Lord\, he tol’ me\,\nO Lord\, it was too hot.\nLord\, took out t he mules\,\nLord\, I took out my mules\nAn’ went straight home\,\n’Cau se it was too hot.\n[44]The meaning of this expression is uncertain. In ot her songs it appears as “Hikin’ Jerry” or “Mike and Jerry.” Ther e is a tradition among the Negro workers that two large mules\, named Mike and Jerry\, broke loose from their driver and hiked a remarkable distance in one day. If this was the origin of the song\, then “I can Jerry” i s a result of misunderstanding.\n\nMy Home Ain’t Here\, Captain\n\nH-e-y - L-a-w-d\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nO Lawd\, Lawd\, captain.\nMy home ain’t here\ , captain\,\nAn’ I ain’t got to stay.\nI’m goin’ back home\, cap tain\,\nI’m long time sinner\, goin’ back home.\n[99]\nOl’ Aunty Din ah had candy wagon\,\nI ast her could I be her driver.\nLawd\, Lawd\, to l’ me “No\,”\nLawdy\, Lawd\, tol’ me “No.”\nO captain\, capt ain\, what’s matter now?\nAin’t thing matter\, but I ain’t gwine.\nW oke up dis mornin’ ’bout half pas’ fo’\,\nCap’n call me\, bu t I jes’ ain’t gonna go.\nO Lawd\, captain\, captain\,\nHow long you g onna hold dis job?\nLawd\, captain you look jes’ lak new man\nComin’\, Lawd\, on dis job.\nCap’n\, captain\, will you send me some water\,\n Ain’t had none since dis long mornin’.\nAll I hate ’bout captain\, L awd\,\nHe want to take me by de tent.\nCaptain\, captain\, do you drink co ’n liquor?\n“Yes\, by God\, but I ain’t got none now.”\nCaptain\, captain\, when you go to town\,\nBring me back a God-damn dram.\nCaptain\, captain\, I won’t let on\,\nLawdy\, O Lawdy\, captain\, I won’t let o n.\nO Lawd\, captain\, captain\, O Lawd\,\nWon’t you let me go home?\nCa ptain tol’ me I have to wait\,\nO Lawd\, till I work out my time.\nCapta in call me an’ I laugh\,\nCap’n get shoe shine off my britches.\nO cap tain\, don’t think hard of me\,\nO Lawd\, captain\, I don’t mean no ha rm.\nCaptain\, captain\, don’t mean no harm\,\nJes’ won’t carry on n o fun.\n[100]\nCaptain\, what kin’ o’ state you come from?\nCome from country or come from town?\nCaptain say\, “I come out o’ town\,\nLawdy \, I’ll lay yo’ body down.”\nCaptain\, captain\, you look mo’ lak farmer\nThan you look lak guard man.\nCaptain\, I’ll Be Gone\n\nO Lawd\, captain\, hurry\, hurry?\nCaptain\, you can’t take my time.\nWhat’s t he use o’ hurryin’?\n’Cause I got a life time.\nCaptain\, captain\, what time o’ day?\nCaptain\, captain\, what time o’ day?\nSay he look at Waterbury\,\nThrow his watch away.\nLawd\, captain\, captain\, did you hear\,\nLawd\, captain\, did you hear about it?\nAll your men gonna leave you\,\nAll your men gonna leave you on next pay day.\nOn next pay day\, La wd\,\nOn next pay day\, Lawd.\nCaptain\, all your men gonna be gone\nOn ne xt pay day.\nCaptain gonna call me some of these mornings\,\nLawd\, I’m gonna be gone.\nCaptain gonna call me\, go back home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, I’ ll be gone.\nWake up one mornin about half pas’ fo’\,\nAsk captain cou ld I git drink of water.\nWake up one mornin’ about half pas’ fo’\,\ nAsk captain could I git drink of water.\nCaptain tol’ me to git my pick and shovel\,\nGit on down the line.\nCaptain tol’ me to git my pick and shovel\,\nGit on down the line.\n[101]\nLawd\, captain carried me to the road\,\nTol’ me I had to work.\nTol’ my captain I couldn’t pick and shovel\,\nCaptain told me have to carry me back to camp.\nI ask the captai n how long I got.\nCaptain told me git my shovel\,\nSay\, “Git on down t he line\,\nLawd\, git on down the line.”\nSay I went to road\, captain.\ nCaptain put chains all ’round my legs.\nI tol’ captain no use to chai n me\,\n’Cause ain’t gonna run no mo’.\nCaptain say\, “Yes\, I kno w you won’t run\,\n’Cause I gonna chain you good.”\nLawd\, say\, “ Yes\, I know you won’t run\,\n’Cause I gonna chain you good.”\nCapta in\, captain\, little too hard on me\,\nLawd\, captain little too hard on me.\nCaptain\, captain\, I’ll be glad to git home\;\nI’ll never come t his way no mo’.\nCaptain called water boy\,\nWater boy begun to laugh.\n Cap’n got shoe shine\nOff water boy’s pants.\nCaptain mus’ be big\,\ nWeighs two-fifty pounds.\nCaptain\, Lawd\, mus’ be big\,\nWeighs two-fi fty pounds.\nCaptain\, captain\, good long ways\,\nLawd\, captain\, come f rom Chicago.\nI ask the captain the time of day\,\nSay\, “None of you da mn business to know.”\nIf I’d A-Known My Cap’n Was Blin’[45]\n\n If I’d a-known my cap’n was blin’\, darlin’\,\nIf I’d a-known my cap’n was blin’\, darlin’\,\nIf I’d a-known my cap’n was bl in’\nI wouldn’ a-went to work till ha’f pas’ nine\, darlin’.\n [102]\nCap’n\, cap’n\, you must be cross\, darlin’\,\nCap’n\, ca p’n\, you must be cross\, darlin’\,\nCap’n\, cap’n\, you must be c ross\,\nFive-thirty an’ you won’t knock off\, darlin’.\nWhen I’m late an’ behin’\, darlin’\,\nWhen I’m late an’ behin’\, dar lin’\,\nWhen I’m late an’ behin’\,\nI can’t go to work till ha’f pas’ nine\, darlin’.\nWhy I love my cap’n so\, darlin’\,\nW hy I love my cap’n so\, darlin’\nWhy I love my cap’n so\,\nAsk him f or a dollar an’ he give me fo’\, darlin’.\n[45]For music see Chapter XIV.\n\nI Tol’ My Cap’n That My Feet Was Col’[46]\n\nI tol’ my cap’n that my feet was col’.\n“God damn yo’ feet\, let the car whe el roll.”\nCap’n\, cap’n\, old Ben won’t pull.\n“God damn his so ul\, put the harness on the bull.”\nCap’n Morgan and Bill Dolin come t o line this track\,\nPick it up and shake it back.\nCap’n\, cap’n the track is wet.\n“Knock ’er right on\, black boy\, till the evenin’ su n do set.”\nCap’n\, cap’n\, can you tell\nThe track is slick and col d as hell?\nCaptain\, Captain\, Let Wheelers Roll\n\nCaptain\, captain\, l et wheelers roll\,\nCaptain\, captain\, Lawd\, let wheelers roll.\nTold my captain hands an’ feet wus cold\,\nSay\, “You ought-a warm ’em be fo’ you come here.”\nCaptain call me early in mo’nin’\,\nCall me t o shake six-hoss plow.\nI told my captain\, captain\,\nI could not shake d is plow.\n[103]\nO captain\, captain\, what time you gonna quit?\n“’ Tain’t none o’ yo’ business when I quit.”\nGonna buy me ticket\, l ong as my long right arm\,\nGonna catch dat train call Cannon Ball.\nGoi n’ to Atlanta\, gonna spend de night\,\nGonna catch dat train dey call W estern Sight.\nGoin’ to New York an’ I aint comin’ back\,\nLawd\, I ain’t gonna come back at all.\nSay\, I’m in trouble\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\ nI don’t know when I’ll be back.\nSay\, if you want to see me\, Lawd\, \nYou’ll have to come where I am.\nSay\, I’m long way off\, mama\,\n I ain’t comin’ back at all.\nHave you ever seen risin’ sun\,\nSeen risin’ sun turn over?\nLawd\, makes me feel low down\,\nLawd\, lak I’ m on my las’ go-’round.\nLawd\, I hate to see you go\,\nMake me feel s o low down.\nLawd\, Lawd\, have you ever seen\,\nLawd\, wild cat hug a lio n?\nSay\, hug him so hard\, Lawd\,\nWild cat hug him so hard.\nLawd\, capt ain\, I’m workin’ on road\,\nAn’ I’m in trouble again.\nLawd\, y ou won’t come see me\,\nAn’ I’m workin’ in chains.\nLawd\, I’m not comin’ home no mo’\,\nO Lawd\, I’m not comin’ home no mo.\n Now I don’t want you here no mo’\,\nYo’ hair look lak curry comb.\n[ 104]\nI got brown woman better’n you\,\nLawd\, I don’t want you no m o’.\n[46]For music see Chapter XIV.\n\n’Way up in the Mountain\n\n’W ay up in the mountain\nDiggin’ coal\,\nAll I hates about diggin’ coal\ ,\nI can’t find my parole.\nPeach and honey\,\nRock and rye\,\nYou can l ine track\nIf you try.\nGoin’ up Church Street\,\nComin’ down Main\,\n Huntin’ for a woman\nThat ain’t got no man.\nTrottin’ Liza\,\nShe co me a-trottin’\nBy one this mornin’\nWith ’er head rag on.\nBlues on my mind\,\nBlues all ’round my head.\nI dream last night\nThat the man I love was dead.\nI went to the graveyard\,\nFell down on my knees.\nI ask the grave-digger\nTo give me back my railroad man.\nThe grave-digger\,\nHe looked me in the eye and said\,\n“I’m sorry to tell you\,\nBut yo’ good man is dead.”\nThirty days in jail\nWith my back turned to the wall .\nPlease\, Mr. Jailer\,\nPut another man in my stall.\n[105]\nI don’t m ind stayin’ there\nBut I got to stay so long\, so long\,\nEver’ friend I had\nDone shook hands an’ gone.[47]\n[47]This stanza and the precedin g one are also found in a popular song\, Jail-House Blues.\n\nDon’t You Give Me No Cornbread\n\nI don’t want no cornbread\, black molasses\,\nSu pper time\, O my Lawd\, supper time.\nDon’t you give me cornbread\, blac k molasses\,\nSupper time\, O my Lawd\, my supper time.\nDon’t let the ’gaiter\nBeat you to the pone\,\nGive you mo’ trouble\nThan days done gone.\nPut ’em up solid\nAn’ they won’t come down.\nWhen I gets in Illinois\nI won’t be bothered with the lowland boys.\nJohn the Baptist\, he declare\nThat none but the righteous\nWill be there\nIn the mornin’\ , oh\, when I rise.\nI got a woman\nOn Jennielee Square\;\nIf you would di e easy\,\nLet me ketch you there.\nThe reason I stay\nWith captain so long \,\nEver’ morning he give me\nBiscuits to rear back on.\nLittle Evaline\ nSittin’ in the shade\,\nFigurin’ on the money\nI done made.\n[106]\nC aptain got a lugger\nTryin’ to play bad\,\nI’m goin’ to take it in t he mornin’\nIf he makes me mad.\nJuly’s for the Red-bug\n\nJuly’s fo r the red-bug\,\nAugust for the fly\,\nI’m diggin’ for the bottom\,\nB ottom must be dry.\nI ask my captain\nWhat was the time of day.\nCaptain g ot so mad\,\nThrew his watch away.\nI told my captain\,\nCaptain\, my feet was cold.\n“Doggone your feet\, Lawd\,\nLet the wheelbar’ roll.”\nI told my captain\,\nJust to keep down trouble\,\nI reckon I must obey.\nHe re come the chain gang boss.\nBut after all there are no workaday songs su perior to the gang songs\, heave-a-horas\, steel-driving songs\, short pic k-and-shovel songs\, and the scores of other short specimens which accompa ny special tasks requiring hard work\, team unison\, or continuous effort. There is\, of course\, no attempt here to present even an approach to exh austive lists. We have so far found no intimation of where the number of s uch songs will stop. But the examples which follow are adequate to continu e the portraiture of the Negro as he works and as he sings.\n\n[107]\n\nBo ys\, Put Yo’ Hands on It\n\nO boys\, put yo’ hands on it\,\nO boys\, p ut yo’ hands on it\,\nWhen I say go\, boys\, go!\nO boys\, put yo’ han ds on it\,\nO boys\, when I holler set it on time\,\nEverybody goes around .\nSay pick up\, boys\, pick up high\,\nGoin’ line that track steel\,\nO boys\, pick it up high.\nSay\, boys\, when you get back here\,\nPick up t hat steel\,\nSay\, put your hands on it.\nSay\, boys\, put your hands on i t\,\nEverybody goin’ to jump at it.\nSet it in the bed\, boys.\nSay\, bo ys\, raise your hand higher\,\nSays\, boys\, raise your hand higher\,\nEve rybody goin’ to jump at it.\nNever Turn Back[48]\n\nNo mo’\, oh\, no mo’!\nNo mo’\, oh\, never no mo’!\nMy Lord\nBe here.\nI will never\ nTurn back\,\nNever turn back\nNo mo’\, no mo’.\nIf you get there\nB efo’ I do\,\nOh\, you can tell ’em\nI’m comin’ too.\nI will never turn back\,\nNever turn back no mo’.\n[108]\nAn’ I would never turn ba ck\,\nNever turn back no mo’.\nJesus my all\nTo heaven is gone\,\nAn’ whom may I fix\nMy hopes upon?\nNo mo’\, no mo’\,\nNo mo’\, never\, my Lawd\,\nI would never turn back\,\nNever turn back no mo’.\n[48]Here a spiritual theme is used as a gang song.\n\nNo More\n\nNo—more\,\nNo— more\,\nNo—more\,\nO—Lord.\nO—Lord\,\nO—Lord\,\nO—Lord\,\n No—more\,\nI’m—through\,\nI’m—through\,\nI’m—through\,\n O—Lord.\nO—Lord\,\nO—Lord\,\nO—Lord\,\nI’m—through.\nI ’m—tired\,\nI’m—tired\,\nI’m—tired\,\nO—Lord.\nO—Lord\ ,\nO—Lord\,\nO—Lord\,\nI’m—tired.\n[109]\nI’m—goin ’\,\nI’m—goin’\,\nI’m—goin’\,\nO—Lord.\nO—Lord\,\nO— Lord\,\nYes\, O—Lord\,\nI’m—tired.\nAll Right\n\nAll—right\,\nO— Lord\,\nAll—right\,\nPush—on.\nAll—right\,\nO—Lord\,\nLet’s— go\,\nLittle—mo’.\nAll—right\,\nO—Lord\,\nGet—it—over\,\ nLet’s—go.\nAll—right\,\nO—Lord\,\nGet—around—it—boys\ ,\nLet’s—go.\nAll—right—boys\,\nPick—it—up\,\nGang—aro und—it\,\nLet’s—go.\nHelp Me Drive ’Em[49]\n\nO King’s Mountai n\,\nO King’s Mountain\,\nO King’s Mountain\,\nSo high!\n[110]\nO run here\, buddy\,\nO run here\, buddy\,\nO run here\, buddy\,\nO boy!\nO help me drive ’em\,\nO help me drive ’em\,\nO help me drive ’em\,\nAll d ay!\n[49]This is an example of a steel-driving song. As the driver raises his hammer he sings a line\, then stops singing for a moment\, brings the hammer down with a grunt\, then sings another line\, and so on. The techni que is the same as the digging technique described in some detail in Chapt er XIV.\n\nI Belong to Steel-drivin’ Crew\n\nO shake ’em up\, buddy\ ,\nAn’ I’ll drive ’em down\;\nO shake ’em up\, buddy\,\nAn’ I’ll drive ’em down\;\nI belong to steel-drivin’ crew\,\nLawd\, I be long to steel-drivin’ crew.\nO lovin’ buddy\,\nWhere you been so long? \nO lovin’ buddy\,\nWhere you been so long?\nI belong to steel-drivin’ crew\,\nLawd\, I belong to steel-drivin’ crew.\nO Buckeye Rabbit\n\nThe rabbit run\, the rabbit jumped\,\nThe rabbit skipped the river.\nO buckey e rabbit\, hey\, hey!\nO buckeye rabbit\, Susan!\nO buckeye rabbit\, hey\, hey!\nThe rabbit skipped the river!\nU—h\, U—h\, Lawdy[50]\n\nU—h \, u—h\, Lawdy\,\nI wonder why\nI got to live\nFer de by an’ de by.\n[ 111]\nU—h\, u—h\, Lawdy\,\nDon’t you bother me.\nI’m always mighty happy\nWhen I’m on a spree.\nU—h\, u—h\, Lawdy\,\nU—h\, u—h\, Lawdy\,\nU—h\, u—h\, Lawdy\,\nU—h\, Lawdy\, u—h\, Lawdy\, po’ m e!\n[50]This is an example of a pick song\, although it could be used\, of course\, for almost any kind of rhythmic work. For a description of the s inging-digging technique see Chapter XIV.\n\nThis Ol’ Hammer\n\nThis o l’ hammer\, hammer\nMus’ be loaded\;\nThis ol’ hammer\, hammer\nMu s’ be loaded\;\nThis ole’ hammer\, hammer\nMus’ be loaded\;\nDo bear down\,\nDo bear down.\nBitin’ spider\, where did\nYou leave Trottin’ Sallie?\nBitin’ spider\, where did\nYou leave Trottin’ Sallie?\nBiti n’ spider\, where did\nYou leave Trottin’ Sallie?\nIn Birmingham\, O L awd\,\nIn Birmingham.\nWe Are Clambin’ Jacob’s Ladder[51]\n\nGet ’em over yonder\,\nGet ’em long\,\nGet ’em short.\nLord\, get ’em over yonder\,\nGet ’em over yonder.\nWe are clambin’\, clambin’\nJacob’ s ladder\,\nJacob’s ladder.\nOh\, we are clambin’ Jacob’s ladder\, \nAlmos’ home\, yes\, almos’ home.\nEvery little roun’ gets[112]\nHi gher and higher\,\nHigher and higher.\nEvery little roun’ gets higher an d higher\,\nAlmos’ home\, home\, almos’ home.\n[51]Here a theme from a spiritual is made to do service as a pick song.\n\nReason I Stay on Job S o Long[52]\n\nReason I stay on job so long\,\nLawd\, dey gimme flamdonies\ nAn’ coffee strong.\nReason I love my captain so\,\n’Cause I ast him f or a dollah\,\nLawd\, he give me fo’.\nReason why I love Boleen\,\nShe k eeps my house\nAn’ shanty clean.\nWhy I like Roberta so\,\nShe rolls her jelly\nLike she do her dough.\n[52]For music see Chapter XIV.\n\nHot Flam botia an’ Coffee Strong\n\nReason I stay on job so long\,\nOh\, reason I stay on job so long\,\nO Lawd\, reason I stay on job so long:\nHot flambo tia an’ coffee strong.\nHot flambotia an’ coffee strong\,\nYes\, Lawd\ , hot flambotia an’ coffee strong.\nO Lawd\, hot flambotia an’ coffee strong\,\nReason I stay on job so long.\nI’m Goin’ On[53]\n\nI’m gon na row here\,\nI’m gonna row here\,\nI’m gonna row here few days longe r\,\nThen\, Lawd\, I’m goin’ on.\n[113]\nOh\, I’m gonna row here\,\n Lawd\, I’m gonna row here\,\nYes\, Lawd\, I’m gonna row here few days longer\,\nThen I’m goin’ on.\nYes\, Lawd\, I’m goin’ on\,\nThen\, Lawd\, I’m goin’ on\,\nYes\, Lawd\, I’m gonna row here few days long er\,\nThen I’m goin’ on.\n[53]This song has been heard also as “I’ m on road here few days longer” and “I’m gonna roll here few days longer.” “Row” may well be a corruption of “road” or “roll .”\n\nI Don’t Want No Trouble With de Walker[54]\n\nI don’t want no\ ,\nWant no trouble with de walker.\nI don’t want no\,\nWant no trouble w ith de walker.\nI wanta go home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, I wanta go home.\nOh\, me an’ my buddy\nJes’ came here this mornin’.\nWanta go home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, wanta go home.\nI can drive it\,\nDrive it long as anybody.\nWanta go home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, wanta go home.\nCap’n\, did you hear about\,\n Hear about two your womens gonna leave you?\nWanta go home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\ , wanta go home.\nI’m gonna roll here\,[55]\nRoll here a few days longer .\nI’m goin’ home\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, I’m goin’ home.\n[114]\nCap ’n an’ walker\,\nWalker been raisin’ san’.\nCap’n told walker\nH e could git ’im another man.\nLawd\, dey got my buddy\,\nBuddy an’ his forty-fo!\nNext ’lect’ocution\nDey’ll git him sho’.\n[54]This is a pick song commonly heard around Chapel Hill\, N. C. The “walker” ref ers to the walking boss or overseer on the job. The first two lines of eac h stanza are repeated as shown in the first stanza. For music see Chapter XIV.\n\n[55]See footnote\, p. 112.\n\nI Don’t Want No Cornbread[56]\n\nI don’t want no\,[57]\nWant no cornbread\, peas\, an’ molasses\;\nI d on’t want no\,\nWant no cornbread\, peas\, an’ molasses\,\nAt supper t ime\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, at supper time.\nOh\, hand me down a\nCan o’ corn an’ tomatoes\,\nFor my meal\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, for my meal.\nMy little wo man\,\nShe don’t treat me like she used to.\nNo she don’t\,\nLawd\, La wd\, no she don’t.\nShe used to feed me\,\nFeed me on biscuits an’ but ter\nFor my meal\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, for my meal.\nShe used to give me\,\nGiv e me lots o’ huggin’ every mornin’.\nNow she don’t\,\nLawd\, Lawd\ , now she don’t.\n[56]This is sung to the same tune as the preceding son g\, I Don’t Want No Trouble With the Walker\, the music of which is give n in Chapter XIV.\n\n[57]All of the stanzas have this form\, first two lin es always repeated.\n\n[115]\n\nTurning from the songs of construction or railroad gangs\, some of the mixed songs\, partly remnants of former years \, partly products of sophistication\, may be cited. There are many songs about the white man and the captain\, excellent samples of which have alre ady been cited in this chapter. Some were given in The Negro and His Songs and many more are to be found. Indeed\, songs about the white man may wel l constitute a separate chapter in a later volume. A stock joke among the older Negroes used to be that of telling how the white man always brought “nigger out behind.” The modern singer\, albeit not always in joking m ood\, still thrusts “at” his “captain” or “boss” or “whi te man.” “Captain\,” he sings\, “you look mo’ lak farmer than ra ilroad man\,” and with considerable glee asks\, “Captain\, captain\, w here’d you come frum?” On the other hand\, reminiscent of farm days an d echoing current life\, he still sings:\n\nNiggers plant the cotton\,\nNi ggers pick it out\,\nWhite man pockets money\,\nNiggers does without.\nIn another song the Negro complained that no matter if he worked all the time \, “Boss sho’ bring nigger out behin’.” So now in some Georgia sce nes he sings:\n\nNothin’ to Keep\n\nUp at fo’ ’clock\,\nWork till da rk\,\nWages han\,’\nI’m de man.\nTwelve a month an’ boa’d\,\nLawd\ , twelve a month an’ boa’d.\nHope I die\,\nMo’ I try\,\nI comes out\ n[116]\nOwin’ boss mo’\,\nI comes out\,\nLawd\, owin’ boss mo’.\nP lenty to eat\,\nPlace to sleep\,\nAll night to stray about\;\nBut nothin ’ fer a feller\,\nLawd\, nothin’ fer\nA feller to keep.\nEverybody Cal l Me the Wages Man\n\nEarly in the spring I’m plowin’ my lan’\,\nEar ly in the spring I’m plowin’ my lan’\,\nEarly in the spring I’m plowin’ my lan’\,\nEverybody calls me the wages man\,\nBaby\, baby.\nN ext down de row with guano horn\,\nNext down de row with guano horn\,\nNex t down de row with guano horn\,\nNever work so hard since I’ve been born \,\nBaby\, baby.\nLittle bit later I swings de hoe\,\nLittle bit later I s wings de hoe\,\nLittle bit later I swings de hoe\,\nI’se de nigger dat l eads de row\,\nBaby\, baby\, baby.\nSack an’ basket all that I pick\,\nS ack an’ basket all that I pick\,\nSack an’ basket all that I pick\,\nN ever stop for nothin’\, even if you sick\,\nBaby\, baby.\nWhite man in s tarched shirt settin’ in shade\,\nWhite man in starched shirt settin’ in shade\,\nWhite man in starched shirt settin’ in shade\,\nLaziest man that God ever made\,\nBaby\, baby.\n[117]\n\nMissus in de Big House\n\nMis sus in de big house\,\nMammy in de yard.\nMissus holdin’ her white hands \,\nMammy workin’ hard\,\nMammy workin’ hard\,\nMammy workin’ hard.\ nMissus holdin’ her white hands\,\nMammy workin’ hard.\nOl’ marse ridin’ all time\,\nNiggers workin’ ’roun’.\nMarse sleepin’ day t ime\,\nNiggers diggin’ in de groun’\,\nNiggers diggin’ in de groun ’\,\nNiggers diggin’ in de groun’.\nMarse sleepin’ day time\,\nNig gers diggin’ in de groun’.\n[118]\n\nCHAPTER VII\nJUST SONGS TO HELP W ITH WORK\nIn some respects it is unfortunate that classification of the Ne gro workaday songs must be attempted\, for\, strictly speaking\, accurate classification is not possible. There is much overlapping apparent in most of the best types. There are mixed pictures in the majority and a cross i ndex would be necessary for any sort of complete analysis. And yet the tot al picture is clearer when the songs are grouped according to prevailing t hemes\, as has been done in other chapters on the wanderer songs\, the bad man ballads\, chain gang and jail songs\, favorites of the construction g ang\, songs of woman\, songs of man\, and religious remnants. In each of t hese classes it is readily seen that there is abundance of new material of great value. And yet\, after these attempts at classification\, there are scores of songs\, some the favorites of the present day\, some among the most attractive\, which appear best as simple work songs\, sung as an inte gral physical part of the Negro’s workaday efforts. These songs are not simply the “miscellaneous” and “all others” group. They are more t han that\; they are the songs for song’s sake\, expression for express ion’s sake\, and “hollerin’ jes’ to he’p me wid my work.”\n\nT his chapter\, therefore\, presents a varied group of songs\, many of which \, for simple spontaneity\, imagery\, and creative art might well represen t the choice of the collection. Among these are the lyric types like those quoted in Chapter I\, figures of a “rainbow ’round my[119] shoulder s\,” the “feet rollin’ lak a wheel\,” the winter song in summer\, and many other fragments of similar quality. There are fragments\, pick-an d-shovel songs\, driving songs\, mostly short\, which are sung perhaps mor e often than any others by the group of workers. This chapter will present \, first\, some of the miscellaneous and more artistic songs that are most difficult to classify except as “just songs to help with work.” Then will follow certain types\, corruptions from blues\, jazz and minstrel\, b ut sung on any and all occasions\, one as well as another\, in the kitchen \, on the road\, in the field\, in the alley\, in the barber shop\, or on the street. Then\, finally\, there will be the group of incoherent words a nd lines\, senseless for the most part and merely expressive of feeling an d effort. In addition to these there are still more than one hundred misce llaneous songs\, improvisations\, fragments and other collected items whic h must await a special collection of this sort.\n\nOne of the most attract ive of all the work songs is Mule on the Mountain\, in which the title con stitutes the bulk of the song. It is a pick-and-shovel favorite repeated o ver and over with variations and exclamations. The simplest form of this s ong is as follows:\n\nMule on the Mountain\n\nMule on mountain\nCalled Jer ry\,\nI can ride ’im\nAny time I want to\;\nLawd\, I can ride ’im\nAny time I want to.\nIn the following version this simple stanza has taken se ven others for companions\, thus making a lengthy pick song.\n\n[120]\n\nI Got a Mulie[58]\n\nI got a mulie\,\nMulie on the mountain\, call ’im Je rry.\nI got a mulie\,\nMulie on the mountain\, call ’im Jerry.\nI can ri de ’im\,\nRide ’im any time I want to\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, all day long.\n Lawd\, this ol’ mountain\,\nMountain must be hanted\,\nMy light goes out \,\nLawd\, Lawd\, my light goes out.\nI’m gonna buy me\,\nBuy me a magni fied lantern.\n’Twon’t go out\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, won’t go out.\nI’m gonna buy me\,\nBuy me a winchester rifle\,\nBox o’ balls\,\nLawd\, Lawd \, box o’ balls.\nI gonna back my\,\nBack myself in the mountains\nTo pl ay bad\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, to play bad.\nMike an’ Jerry[59]\nMust be a gaso line burner\;\nDidn’t stop here\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, didn’t stop here.\nMi ke an’ Jerry\nHiked from Jerome to Decatur[60]\nIn one day\,\nLawd\, Law d\, in one day.\n[121]\nDidn’t stop here\, Lawd\,\nTo get no coal\, neit her water\,\nHiked on by\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, hiked on by.\n[58]For music see Chapter XIV.\n\n[59]See footnote\, p. 96.\n\n[60]Probably refers to Rome a nd Decatur\, Georgia. The distance between these two places is about a hun dred miles\, a pretty good “hike” for the mules if they made it in one day!\n\nVery much after the same manner and type is the pick-and-shovel s ong\, Lookin’ over in Georgia\, which apparently has nothing specific as its historical base and no more sense to it than Mule on the Mountain. An d yet it is one of the prettiest of Negro songs when accompanied by group movement\, rhythm\, and harmony.\n\nLookin’ Over in Georgia\n\nWell I ca n stan’\,\nLookin’ ’way over in Georgia\;\nWell I can stan’\,\ nLookin’ ’way over in Georgia\;\nWell I can stan’\,\nLookin’ ’wa y over in Georgia\,\nO-eh-he\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nShe’s burnin’ down\,\nLa wd\, she’s burnin’ down.\nFor sheer artistry\, however\, one would hav e to search a long time to find a superior to the following verses\, sung by a young Negro workingman\, on platform and swing\, washing the brick wa lls of a newly constructed university building.\n\nBear Cat Down in Georgi a\n\nI’ll be back here\,\nI’ll be back here\,\nLawd\, Lawd\,\nI’ll b e back here.\nBear cat\, Lawd\,\nBear cat\, Lawd\,\nTurn to lion\nDown in Georgia.\n[122]\nLook-a yonder\,\nLook-a yonder\,\nLawd\, Lawd\,\nDown in Georgia.\nEver see bear cat\nTurn to lion\,\nLawd\, Lawd\,\nDown in Georgi a?\nMy ol’ bear cat\,\nMy ol’ bear cat\nTurn to lion\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nEver see a bear cat\nHug a lion\,\nLawd\, Lawd\,\nDown in Georgia?\ nIf I make it\,\nIf I make it\,\nLawd\, Lawd\,\nDown in Georgia.\nLord\, I been fallin’\,\nLord\, I been fallin’\,\nLawd\, Lawd\,\nFrom my pla ce.\n’Fo’ long\, Lawd\,\nYes\, ’fo’ long\, Lawd\,\nI’ll be bac k here\,\nI’ll be back here.\nScarcely less mixed and informal is the de lightful song Shoot that Buffalo sung in low undertone suitable to any sor t of work such as digging\, cutting\, laying rock\, unloading coal or grav el\, or doing domestic duties. The melody of this “song just to help wit h work” is presented in Chapter XIV.\n\n[123]\n\nShoot That Buffalo\n\nW ent down to Raleigh\,\nNever been there befo’\,\nWhite folks on the feat her-bed\,\nNiggers on the flo’.\nChorus:\nShoot that buffa-\,\nShoot tha t -lo\,\nShoot that buffalo.\nWent down to low groun’\nTo gather up my c orn\,\nRaccoon sot the dogs on me\,\n’Possum blowed his horn.\nLas’ ye ar was a bad crop year\,\nEv’ybody knowed it.\nI didn’t make but a bus hel o’ corn\nAn’ some damn rascal stoled it.\nI had ol’ back-band\,\ nIt was made out o’ leather\;\nKept me all the doggone time\nKeepin’ i t sewed together.\nOne of the bad man songs listed in Chapter IV was Dupre e\, of which two versions were presented. The following song was sung by a young Negro recently from the chain gang. It purports to be a song made u p by Dupree while in prison. As a matter of fact it is a composite jumble composed largely while being sung. It illustrates well the general situati on in which any song of any sort will do just as well as any other.\n\nDup ree’s Jail Song\n\nI don’t want no coal-black woman for my regular\,\n Give me brown\, Lawd\, Lawd\, give me brown.\nBlack woman study evil\,\nTh at’s why I want brown\, yes\, yes\, give me brown.\n[124]\nI’m gonna r oll here a few days longer\,\nThen I’m goin’ home\, yes\, then I’m goin’ home.\nDon’t you hear those rein-deers cryin’?\nBut it ain’ t gonna rain\, no\, no\, ain’t gonna rain.\nIf it rain I can’t see Bet ty\,\nThat’s why it ain’t gonna rain.\nEvery mail day I get a letter\n Saying\, “Daddy\, come home\, yes\, yes\, daddy\, come home.”\nSome of these days I’ll see Betty\,\nAn’ it won’t be long\, no\, no\, it won’t be long.\nIf I could see her just one mo’ time\,\nMy mind would be changed all the time.\nThe jailer told Dupree\, “Just be good\,”\nA nd he surely would\, yes\, yes\, he surely would.\nDupree was the best man in the pen\nJust to get that thing\, yes\, yes\, that thing.\nAnother ill ustration of the common promiscuity of these current songs adapted as a pa rt of the physical effort of work is the following mongrel song of the sel f-styled bad man who mixes metaphors and lines to his own satisfaction.\n\ nI’m Goin’ out West\n\nWhen you see me comin’\nWid my new shine on \,\n’Cause I got my col’-iron burner[61]\nUnder my ol’ left arm.\nLa wd\, I goin’ out West\,\nGoin’ out ’mongst the robbers.\nSay\, if I don’t get back\,\nLawd\, don’t worry at all.\n[125]\n’Cause the We stern men call theirself bad\,\n’Cause the Western men call theirself ba d.\nSay\, when they get unruly\,\nSay\, I got their water on.\nSay\, my ga l lay down\,\nLay down and cried\n’Cause I’s goin’ out West\,\nBut I’m satisfied.\nSay\, I grab an’ hug an’ kiss her\,\nSay\, don’t worry at all\,\n’Cause I’m goin ’way from here\,\nGoin’ to kill so me rowdy men.\nI reach down an’ kiss my gal\,\nKiss an’ hug her all da y long\,\nLawd\, she make me so much worry\nI had to leave home.\n[61]That is\, his pistol.\n\nThe selections that follow are typical of the large n umber of miscellaneous songs of almost every imaginable mixture and variet y. They are examples of corruptions and also of the song-making process an d of the insignificance of words and meaning in the workaday song.\n\nJuli a Long\n\nO Lawd\, Aunt Julia!\nJulia Long\, Julia Long!\nO Lawd\, Aunt Ju lia!\nJulia Long\, Julia Long.\nJulia Long\, dead and gone\,\nJulia Long\, Julia Long!\nO Lawd\, Aunt Julia!\nJulia Long\, Julia Long!\nJulia Long I used to know\,\nJulia Long\, Julia Long.\nO Lawd\, Aunt Julia!\nJulia Lon g\, Julia Long!\n[126]\n\nTurn Yo’ Damper Down\n\nWhen you see me comi n’\nRaise yo’ winder high\,\nWhen you see me leavin’\nHang yo’ h ead an’ cry.\nI got lovin’\nWay a rabbit hug a houn’\,\nAn’ if you two-time me\, daddy\,\nTurn yo’ damper down.\nCasey Jones[62]\n\nCasey was goin’ about ninety-four\,\nAn’ he forgot to blow.\nCasey told the fireman he’d better jump\,\nFor there’s two locomotives that’s about to bump.\nChorus:\nCasey Jones\, marchin’ to the cabin\,\nMarchin’ to the cabin with the orders in his hand.\nCasey said before he died\,\n“T hree mo’ roads I want to ride.”\nThe fireman ask him what could they b e\,\n“Southern Pacific an’ the Santa Fe.”\nCasey told his children \,\n“Go to bed and hush your cryin’\,\nYou have another papa\nOn the S alt Lake Line.”\n[62]Casey Jones is still heard occasionally. The versio n given here is somewhat below par\, but represents the sort of thing a wo rker is likely to sing. Note that Casey wants to ride “three mo’ roa ds\,” but names only two. Also\, in the last stanza\, Casey\, instead of his wife\, is represented as speaking to the children.\n\nWash My Overhal ls\n\nWash my overhalls\,\nSearch my overhalls\,\nStarch my overhalls\,\nW ash ’em clean\,\n’Cause I’m goin’ to ketch de train.\n[127]\nListe n at dis fireman blow de train.\nIf I don’t ring dat bell\,\nYou ring it fer yo’self\;\nIf you don’t ring it\,\nWon’t be no fault o’ mine. \nDove Came Down by the Foot of My Bed\n\nDove came down by the foot of my bed\,\nBy the foot of my bed\,\nBy the foot of my bed\,\nDove came down b y the foot of my bed\,\nAnd he carried the news that I was dead.\nI’m go ing away one day before long\,\nOne day before long\,\nOne day before long .\nI’m going away one day before long\,\nAnd I won’t be back before ju dgment day.\nIf you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed\,\nI’ve been re deemed\,\nI’ve been redeemed.\nIf you don’t believe I’ve been redeem ed\,\nJust follow me down by Jordan stream.\nDig my grave and dig it deep\ ,\nDig it deep\,\nDig it deep.\nDig my grave and dig it deep\,\nAnd cover me up with a linen sheet.\nTell my mother if she wants to see me\,\nIf she wants to see me\,\nIf she wants to see me\,\nTell my mother if she wants to see me\,\nShe must ride that horse in the battlefield.\nHe Wus de Gov ’nor of Our Clan\n\nHe wus de gov’nor of our clan\,\nHe wus a rough- an’-tumble man\,\nHe wus a rough-an’-tumble man.\nHe pull his pistol an’ a feller drap\,\nHe make his money playin’ crap\,\nHe make his mo ney playin’ crap.\n[128]\n\nI Got Chickens on My Back\n\nI got chickens on my back\,\nAn’ the white folks on my track\,\nI am hunting for a shan ty\,\nGod knows\, nobody knows.\nI am hunting for a shanty\,\nGod knows\, nobody knows.\nI Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Make a Fool Out o’ Me\n\nI’v e been all over the U. S. A.\,\nI’ve seen most everything\;\nI’ve shot craps with the president\,\nPlayed cards with the queen and king.\nBut I ain’t gonna let nobody\,\nNobody make a fool out o’ me.\nIf you give y our gal everything she needs\,\nYou will spend the winter in your B. V. D. ’S.\nI ain’t gonna let nobody\,\nNobody make a fool out o’ me.\nOn My Las’ Go-’Round[63]\n\nI had it in my head to join the U. S. A.\,\n But instead of gettin’ better I got still worse.\nEvery time I hear some church bell ringin’\,\nI begin to think I was on my las’ go-’round. \nO I believe I am on\, I think I am on\,\nI know I am on my las’ go-’ round.\nSo when I am dead\, wear no black\,\nWhen Gable blows his trumpet I’ll rush on back.\n[63]There are now popular songs entitled Last Go-’ Round Blues and I’m on My Last Go-’Round\, but they do not resemble th is song. For an older version\, see The Negro and His Songs\, p. 180.\n\nB erda\, You Come too Soon\n\nO Lord\, Berda\, you come too soon\,\nFound a man in my saloon.\nBerda walked out screamin’ an cryin’\,\nGirls on fr ont street skippin’ an’ flyin’.\nBerda\, you come too soon\,\nBerda\ , you come too soon.\n[129]\n\nRain or Shine\n\nI hoes an’ I plows\nIn a ll kinds o’ weather\,\nI got to keep a-goin’\n’Cause I can’t do no better.\nRain or shine\,\nSleet or snow\,\nWhen I gits done dis time\,\nW on’t work no mo’.\nEmpty or full\,\nSleep or ’wake\,\nI’m gwine to de party\,\nDance fer dat cake.\nWho’s Goin’ to Buy Your Whiskey?\n \nWho’s goin’ to buy your whiskey\nWhen I’m gone away from you?\nW ho’s goin’ to do your holdin’\nWhen I’m gone from you\, Lawd\, L awd?\nWho’s goin’ to bring you chicken\nFrom the white folks’ house\ nWhen I’m gone away from you?\nYou Calls Me in de Mornin’\n\nYou me in de mornin’\,\nYou calls me in de night\,\nAn’ you is de cause o’ me \nLosin’ my life.\nMy home ain’t here\, I don’t have to stay.\nWhen I leaves don’t wear no black\,\nDo\, I sho’ gonna come creepin’ back \,\nDo\, I sho’ gonna come creepin’ back.\nDig-a My Grave Wid a Silver Spade\n\nDig-a my grave wid a silver spade\,\nLet me down wid a golden ch ain.\nOh\, who’s gonna dig-a my grave?\nLet me down wid a golden chain.\ nYonder come mudder\,\nLook lak mudder comin’ on.\nOh\, who’s gonna di g-a my grave?\n[130]\n\nYonder Come de Devil\n\nYonder come de devil\,\nYo nder come de devil\,\nKetch him\, devil\, ketch him\,\nKetch him\, devil\, ketch him.\nHe done sin\, he done sin\,\nHe done sin\, he done sin.\nKetc h him\, devil\, ketch him\,\nKetch him\, devil\, ketch him.\nDem Turrible Red Hot Blues[64]\n\nNothin’ new\,\nHer name wuz Sue\,\nI got de turribl e\nRed hot blues\,\nOh\, dem turrible red hot blues.\nI got a pal\,\nThis gal is Sal\,\nBofe got de turrible red hot blues\,\nOh\, dem turrible red hot blues.\n[64]Compare Red Hot Blues\, a popular phonograph and sheet mus ic piece.\n\nDas ’Nough Said\n\nHit rains\, hit hails\,\nDifferent sorts o’ wedder\,\nHit rains\, hit hails\,\nWusser de better.\nSteal up to de back do’\nDen on to de bed\,\nLawsy\, lawsy\, mister\,\nDas ’nough sa id.\nDiamond Joe\n\nDiamond Joe wants a sack of flour\,\nDiamond Joe wants a sack of flour\,\nDiamond Joe he don’t work by de hour.\nDrive on\, Di amond Joe.\nSometimes he works in de country\,\nSometimes he works in de t own\,\nSometimes he has a good notion\nTo jump in de river an’ drown.\nD rive on\, Diamond Joe.\n[131]\n\nHe Run Me In\n\nTalkin’ ’bout yo’ g hosts\, let me tell:\nI thought I drapped dat nigger in dat well\nBut he r un me in\, yes\, Lawd\, he run me in.\n’Tain’t no fun I’s here to te ll\nWhen a dead nigger gits out’n an ol’ fiel’ well\nAn’ runs me i n\, yes\, Lawd\, he run me in.\nHe ain’t got no arms\, he ain’t got no haid\,\nI didn’t stop an’ count dem tracks I made\,\n’Cause he run me in\, yes\, Lawd\, he run me in.\nI believes in a ghost an’ I believes in a hant\nDis here nigger sho’ ain’t no saint\,\n’Cause he run me in\, yes\, Lawd\, he run me in.\nDe Goat’s Got a Smell\n\nDe goat’s go t a smell\,\nDe skunk’s got a stink\,\nBut de black gal\nGot a ’culiar odor.\nDe black gal\, de balmoral\,\nDey bofe got a ’culiar odor.\nGood by Sookie\n\nGoodby\, Sookie\, good by\, Sal\,\nYou struts about in dat ba lmoral.\nGoodby\, Sookie\, good by\, Sal\nI’s leavin’ dis hot town wid dat yallow gal.\nOut in de Cabin\n\nOut in de cabin\, banjo pickin’ low \;\nOut in de cabin\, banjo pickin’ low.\nUp in de big house\, singin’ soft an’ low\;\nUp in de big house dancin’ to an’ fro.\nI lubs my m issus\, I lubs ol’ marse\;\nI lubs my white folks mo’ an’ mo’\ ,\nMo’ an’ mo’.\n[132]\n\nDarlin’ Get on de Road\n\nDarlin’\, wh en you see me comin’\,\nHang your head an’ cry.\nWhen you see me lea vin’\,\nGet on the road.\nDarlin’\, get on the road\,\nDarlin’\, get on the road.\nWhen you see me cryin’\,\nHang you head in shame.\nWhen y ou see me smilin’\,\nYou know I am the same.\nSo let us get on the road\ ,\nDarlin’\, get on the road.\nI’m Gonna Have Me a Red Ball All My Own \n\nLawd\, lissen\, I believe I go to town\nAn’ ketch the Red Ball.[65]\ nAn’ I walked up to get in.\nWhat you reckin’ the man said to me?\n“ No nigger can ride the Red Ball.”\nSo I turned around an’ went back ho me\nAn’ began to paint my face.\nBut I forgot to paint my neck an’ han ds.\nSo I went back an’ tried him again.\nDidn’t have no luck. An’ I’m\nGonna get me a mule an’ name him Red Ball\,\nAn’ I can ride ju st the same.\nI’m gonna have me a Red Ball all my own.\n[65]A fast freig ht train.\n\nGreat Scots\, You Don’t Know What to Do\n\nBull frog sitt in’ on mantel-piece\,\nGreat scots\, you don’t know what to do\,\nClap ped his hand in a pan of grease\,\nGreat scots\, you don’t know what to do.\nI’m going down in new town to live.\n[133]\nLook out\, ladies\, let him by\,\nYou don’t know what to do\,\nHere he comes with a greasy eye\ ,\nGreat scots\, you don’t know what to do.\nI’m going down in new tow n to live.\nChicken Never Roost too High fo’ Me[66]\n\nOl’ massa’s c hicken\nLive in the tree\,\nChicken never roost\nToo high fo’ me.\nWent out strollin’\,\nSee what I can see.\nChicken never roost\nToo high fo ’ me.\nEver since the Yankee\nSet-er me free\,\nChicken never roost\nToo high fo’ me.\nThey think the old lady\nAn’ me agree.\nChicken never r oost\nToo high fo’ me.\nI’s in jail\,\nNot long till I’m free\,\nChi cken never roost\nToo high fo’ me.\n[66]In a somewhat different version\ , this song was popular as a minstrel some twenty years ago.\n\nStewball W as a Racer[67]\n\nStewball was a racer\,\nMollie was too.\nMy mist’iss b ets by hundred\,\nMy master bets by thousands.\n[134]\nI bet you mo’ cas h money\nOl’ Stewball won.\nRun on\, ol’ Stewball\,\nMollie done run.\ n[67]This is a fragment of a song\, Skewball\, which used to be almost an epic among the Negroes. Its origin probably goes back to an old Irish song . For a discussion of this point\, see Scarborough\, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs\, pp. 61-4.\n\nShanghai Rooster\n\nShanghai rooster done lost all his feathers\,\nShanghai pullet eat by her betters.\nYou gits de gizza rd\, I eats the breast\,\nGot to save the preacher all the rest.\nChicken wid a preacher don’t stand no show\,\nWhen the preacher is about chicken gotta go.\nWent over to fishin’ on a little stream\,\nAll I got is a no d and dream.\nCatch Miss Catfish by the snout\,\nLed Miss Catfish all abou t.\n[135]\n\nCHAPTER VIII\nMAN’S SONG OF WOMAN\nThere is probably no the me which comes nearer being common to all types of Negro songs than the th eme of the relation of man and woman. It is the heart and soul of the blue s. The Negro bad man is often pictured as being bad because of a woman. Th e jail and chain gang songs abound in plaintive references to woman and sw eetheart\, and the worker in railroad gang and construction camp often sin gs to his “cap’n” about his woman. Likewise\, in the songs of woman\ , man plays the leading rôle. These man and woman songs are of such signi ficance that special attention must be given to them as a type of Negro so ng in order to round out the picture of Negro workaday life which this vol ume is trying to present. In this chapter and the one following\, therefor e\, there have been brought together examples of songs which deal primaril y with the relation of the sexes.\n\nConflicts\, disagreements\, jealousie s and disappointments in the love relation have ever been productive of so ng. They are the chief source of “hard luck” songs or blues\, and the Negro’s naïve way of singing of his failure and disappointments in love is what has made the blues famous. Sometimes his songs portray vividly\, often with a sort of martyr-like satisfaction\, his difficulties with wome n. At times his song is defiant. At other times it is merely a complaint. Again\, it is despondent\, in which case he is going “to jump in the riv uh an’ drown” or “drink some pizen down” or do[136] something else calculated to make the woman sorry that she mistreated him. Some of the “hard luck” stories of the Negro man are told in the following group of songs.\n\nLawd\, She Keep on Worryin’ Me\n\nLawd\, Lawd\, she keep on worryin’ me\,\nLawd\, captain\, she keep on worryin’ me.\nLawd\, she cry all night long\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, she cry all night long.\nMama\, the mo ’ I pet her\, Lawd\,\nThe mo’ I pet her the mo’ she cries.\nLawd\, I gonna give her mouf full o’ fist\nAn’\, Lawd\, she won’t cry no m o’.\nCaptain\, captain\, I don’t bother nobody\,\nWorks every day as bes’ I can.\nCaptain\, look like you could make her\,\nLawd\, leave me alone.\nCaptain\, she say she love me\nLike school boy love his pie.\nLawd \, she say I leave her alone\,\nLawd\, ain’t got no friends at all.\nMy Girl She’s Gone and Left Me\n\nMy girl\, she’s gone and left me\,\nShe left me all alone\,\nShe promised that she would marry me\nThe day that s he left home.\nSo kiss me\, all you brown skins\nAnd all you yellows\, too .\nI would give anything in this wide\, wide world\nJust because I do love you.\n[137]\n\nBrown Gal Baby Done Turn Me Down\n\nI’s goin’ down to de rivah\,\nJump in an’ drown\,\nDat brown gal baby\nDone turn me down\, \nDone turn me down.\nGoin’ down to de drug sto’\,\nPisen I drink down \,\nDen dey take de news\nTo my baby brown\,\nTo my baby brown.\nCall up d e doctah\nMighty quick\,\nTell my brown baby\nI sho’ is sick\,\nI sho’ is sick.\nDen my black baby\nCome hurryin’ ’roun’\,\nShe sho’ be sorry\nShe turn me down\,\nShe turn me down.\nI Brung a Gal From Tennessee \n\nAin’t yer heard my po’ story?\nDen listen to me:\nI brung a gal fr om Tennessee\nTennessee\, Tennessee\nI brung a gal from Tennessee.\nAin’ t yer heard my po’ story?\nDen listen to me:\nDat Georgia gal set de pol ice on me.\nTennessee\, Tennessee\,\nI brung a gal from Tennessee.\nDon’ t Wanta See Her No Mo’\n\nI ain’t never seed her befo’\,\nI ain’t never seed her befo’\,\nI ain’t never seed her befo’\,\nDon’t want a see her no mo’\, baby.\n[138]\nShe say\, “Come on\, go to my house \,”\nShe say\, “Come on\, go to my house\,”\nShe say\, “Come on\, go to my house\,”\nShe ain’t nuffin but a roust-about\, baby.\nShe s ’arch my pockets through\,\nShe s’arch my pockets through\,\nShe s’a rch my pockets through\,\nDen say\, “I ain’t got no need of you\, ba by.”\nDon’t e’r wanta see her no mo’\,\nDon’t e’r wanta see her no mo’\,\nDon’t e’r wanta see her no mo’\,\nNever had seed h er befo’\, baby.\nI’s Havin’ a Hell of a Time\n\nI’s a-havin’ a hell of a time\,\nI’s a-havin’ a hell of a time\,\nI’s a-havin’ a hell of a time\,\nLivin’ wid dese two women o’ mine.\nDe po’ boy\, d ey got no mercy at tall\,\nDe po’ boy\, dey got no mercy at tall\,\nDe po’ boy\, dey got no mercy at tall\,\nDey lock in de room\, he sets out in de hall.\nAin’t gonna stay here no mo’\,\nAin’t gonna stay her e no mo’\,\nAin’t gonna stay here no mo’\,\nDe creepers all ’r oun’ my do’.\nGoin’ back down to Georgia lan’\,\nGoin’ back down to Georgia lan’\,\nGoin’ back down to Georgia lan’\,\nWhere women don’t have jes’ one man.\nYer don’t haf to have no clo’es\,\nYe r don’t haf to have no clo’es\,\nYer don’t haf to have no clo’es\, \nDe women don’t never lock deir do’s.\n[139]\n\nLawdy\, What I Gonna Do?\n\nU—h\, Lawdy\, what I gonna do?\nU—h\, Lawdy\, what I gonna do ?\nU—h\, Lawdy\, what I gonna do?\nBeen havin’ jes’ ol’ lady\, but now I got two\, baby!\nU—h\, Lawdy\, ol’ lady got rough\,\nU—h\, La wdy\, ol’ lady got rough\,\nU—h\, Lawdy\, ol’ lady got rough\,\nSay\ , hell in fire\, she sho’ got ’nough\, baby!\nU—h\, Lawd\, ol’ un bring in de meat\,\nU—h\, Lawd\, ol’ un bring in de meat\,\nU—h\, La wd\, ol’ un bring in de meat\,\nDis new gal of mine she got all de sweet \, baby!\nU—h\, Lawdy\, dem rations am good\,\nU—h\, Lawdy\, dem ratio ns am good\,\nU—h\, Lawdy\, dem rations am good\,\nHave sech a good time \, if de ol’ woman would\, baby!\nSome o’ Dese Days\n\nSome o’ dese days\,\nHit won’t be long\,\nMammy gonna call me\nAn’ I be gone.\nSo me o’ dese nights\,\nAn’ I don’t kere\,\nMammy gonna want me\nAn ’ I won’t be here.\nSome o’ dese days\nIn de by an’ by\,\nYou wo n’t have no’n’ t’eat\,\nDen you gonna cry.\nSome o’ dese days\ nWhile I’s here to home\,\nBetter feed me an’ pet me\,\nDon’t\, I’ s gonna roam.\n[140]\n\nYou Take de Stockin’\, I Take de Sock\n\nYou tak e de stockin’\, I take de sock\, honey\,\nYou take de stockin’\, I tak e de sock\, baby\,\nYou take de stockin’\, I take de sock\,\nTake you al l night to wind dat clock\, honey.\nYou take de garter an’ I take de str ing\, honey\,\nYou take de garter an’ I take de string\, baby\,\nYou tak e de garter an’ I take de string\,\nYou gits de money\, I don’t git a thing\, honey.\nYou take de slipper\, I take de shoe\, honey\,\nYou take d e slipper\, I take de shoe\, baby\,\nYou take de slipper\, I take de shoe\ ,\nI don’t kere now whut you gonna do\, honey.\nYou take de boot an’ I take de laig\, honey\,\nYou take de boot an’ I take de laig\, baby\,\nY ou take de boot an’ I take de laig\,\nYou ain’t nuffin but a rotten ai g\, honey.\nPull off Dem Shoes I Bought You\nA\n\nGoin’ up de country\,\ nDon’t you wanta go?\nGit me out my\nRag time clo’es.\nPull off dem sh oes I bought you\,\nPull off dem socks I bought you\,\nPull off dat hat I bought you\,\nYou know you have mistreated me.\nTore up all my clo’es\;\ nPull off dat wig I brung you\,\nLet yo’ devilish head go bal’.\nB\n\n Mary\, Mary\, when I met you\nYou didn’t have no clo’es at all.\nNow I ax you kindly\, Miss Mary\,\nGive me dem shoes\, stockin’s\, an’ dat petticoat\,\nAn’ dat dress an’ hat\, an’ las’ dat wig\,\nAn’ l et yo’ head go bal’.\n[141]\n\nMammy-in-Law Done Turn Me Out\n\nKeep o n a-worryin’\,\nWhat’s it all about?\nMammy-in-law\nDone turn me out.\ nDon’t bring in no sugar\,\nDon’t bring in no meat\,\nDon’t never br ing in\nNothin’ to eat.\nMammy-in-law done turn me out.\nDon’t bring i n no rations\,\nDon’t bring in no dough\,\n’Nother man hang around h er do’.\nMammy-in-law done turn me out.\nDe Women Don’t Love Me No M o’\n\nDe women don’t love me no mo’\,\nI’s a broke man from po ’ man’s town.\nDe women don’t love me no mo’\,\n’Cause I can’t buy her stockin’s an’ a gown\,\n’Cause I can’t buy her stocki n’s an’ a gown.\nI don’t kere\, don’t matter wid me\,\nI don’t l ove to work no mo’.\nGot to have money\, got to have clo’es\,\nDon’t \, a feller can’t make no show.\nDe gal love de money\nAn’ de man love de gal\;\nIf dey bofe don’t git what dey wants\,\nIt’s livin’ in he ll.\nThe Negro man runs true to masculine style when he philosophizes upon the subject of woman. Needless to say\, his philosophy is often the resul t of his failure to get along with the other sex. When he is “down” on womankind the burden of his song is that woman is the cause of most of th e trouble in the world. He avows that\n\nWoman is a good thing an’ a bad thing\, too\,\nThey quit in the wrong an’ start out bran’ new.\n[142] \n\nOr he declares that he will never again have anything to do with women :\n\nAll I hope in dis bright worl’:\nIf I love anybody\, don’t let it be a girl.\nOne of his strong points is giving advice to others in order that they may avoid his mistakes. “Listen to me\, buddy\,” he says\, “let me tell you what a woman’ll do.”\n\nDon’t never git one wo man on yo’ min’\,\nKeep you in trouble all yo’ time.\nDe Woman Am De Cause of It All and the songs immediately following it are typical of the songs of the woman-hater. Dey Got Each and de Other’s Man is as clever a bit of cynicism as one could want.\n\nDe Woman Am de Cause of It All\nA\ n\nDe woman am de cause of it all\,\nDe woman am de cause of it all\,\nShe ’s de cause of po’ Adam’s fall\,\nDe woman’s de cause of it all.\n Bill and John fall jes’ de same\,\nBill and John fall jes’ de same\,\n De onliest difference\, dey ain’t got po’ Adam’s name\,\nBut de woma n am de cause of it all.\nShe strips yo’ pocket book\,\nShe strips yo’ pocket book\,\nDen tells de police you a damn crook\,\nDe woman am de cau se of it all.\nWorkin’ in de gang\, ’out no frien’\,\nWorkin’ in d e gang\, ’out no frien’\,\nNobody comes\, brings nuffin’ in\,\nDe wo man am de cause of it all.\n[143]\n\nB\n\nDe woman is de cause of it all\, \nShe’s de cause of Daddy Adam’s fall.\nOl’ Daddy Adam\, Ol’ Mudde r Eve\,\nTakin’ all dese years to bring in de sheaves.\nOl’ Miss Eve didn’t have no showin’\nWidout heaps of stags to keep her goin’.\ nIf dey’d been twenty stags in de Garden of Eden\,\nDe devil and de sarp ent sho’d got beaten.\nIf Dere’s a Man in de Moon[68]\n\nIf dere’s a man in de moon\,\nDere’s a woman hangin’ roun’.\nIf dere’s a man in de moon\,\nShe nag at ’im\, I be boun’.\nMan in de moon\, man in de moon\,\nWonder if dat man’s a coon\,\nWonder if dat man’s a coon\,\nW onder if dat man’s a coon\,\nDat man in de moon.\nGo fer a walkin’ out at night\,\nSee dat woman pickin’ a fight.\nMan in de moon\, man in de moon\,\nWonder if dat man am a coon\,\nWonder if dat man am a coon\,\nWond er if dat man am a coon\,\nDat roun’ face man in de moon.\n[68]Probably derived from the song If the Man in the Moon Were a Coon\, which was a pop ular minstrel several years ago.\n\nA Vampire of Your Own\n\nIf you want t o have a vampire of your own\,\nLet these loose women alone.\nFix up your wife you have at home\,\nAn’ you’ll have a vampire of your own.\n[144] \nStop spendin’ your money on other women\,\nAn’ your friends\, you ha ve not any.\nGo home at night\, treat your own wife right\,\nAn’ you’l l have a vampire of your own.\nDey Got Each and de Udder’s Man\n\nSee tw o passenger trains\, Lawd\,\nRunnin’ side by side.\nSee two womens\, see two womens\,\nStan’ an’ talk so long.\nBet yo’ life dey got\nEach a nd de udder’s man.\nThe Negro man is at his best when he sings of his “gal” or his “baby.” Sometimes his song is boastful of the qualiti es of his “gal.” Sometimes he compares the merits of the brown girl an d the yellow girl or of the black and the yellow and casts his vote for hi s favorite color. Again\, he sings the story of his courtship\, and he cou nts it a never-to-be-too-much-talked-about experience to have been driven away from his sweetheart’s house by an irate father. In My Jane the love r characterizes his “gal” with enviable terseness and humor.\n\nMy Jan e\n\nMy Jane am a gal dat loves red shoes\,\nMy Jane am a gal dat loves si lk clo’es.\nMy Jane am a gal what loves plenty money\,\nShe can devil a feller till it ain’t even funny.\nMy Jane am a gal dat loves heaps o’ men\,\nGits what you got an’ dat’s yo’ en’.\nMy Jane am a gal love s to frolic all night\,\nWon’t cook fer a feller\, not even a bite.\nMy Jane’s a gal gits all she can\,\nIf you ain’t got it\, she hunts anoth er man.\nMy Jane am a gal drive a feller to de bad\,\nBut Jane’s\, hell- o-mighty\, bes’ gal I ever had!\n[145]\n\nMy Gal’s a High Bo’n Lady\ n\nMy gal she’s a high bo’n lady\,\nShe’s dark but not too shady\,\n All de mens fall fer dat\nHigh bo’n gal o’ mine!\nChorus:\nShe’s a h igh bo’n baby\,\nShe’s a high bo’n lady\,\nShe’s a brown dat suits my eye.\nDe mens dey calls her cutie\,\nDat gal a natural bo’n beauty\, \nAll de same I’s in de ring\nFer dat high bo’n brown o’ mine.\nIf Y ou Want to See a Pretty Girl\n\nRubber is a pretty thing\,\nYou rub it to make it shine.\nIf you want to see a pretty girl\,\nTake a peep at mine\, take a peep at mine.\nTalkin’ about a pretty girl\,\nYou jus’ ought-a see mine.\nShe is not so pretty\nBut she is jus’ so fine.\nShe gives me sugar\,\nShe gives me lard\,\nShe works all the while\nIn the white folk s’ yard.\nHoney Baby\n\nIf I could lay my head on yo’ sweet breas’\, \nHoney baby\, I could fin’ sweet res’.\nSweet res’\, sweet res’\, \nHoney baby\, I could fin’ sweet res’.\nIf I could set down in your l ap\,\nBaby mine\, I could have a nap.\nGood nap\, sweet nap\,\nHoney baby\ , I could have a nap.\n[146]\n\nGive Me a Teasin’ Brown\n\nIf ’twant f er de ter’pin pie\nAnd sto’-bought ham\,\nDese country women\nCouldn ’t git nowhere.\nSome say\, give me a high yaller\,\nI say\, give me a t easin’ brown\,\nFor it takes a teasin’ brown\nTo satisfy my soul.\nFor some folksies say\nA yaller is low down\,\nBut teasin’ brown\nIs what I’s crazy about.\nYou Take de Yaller\, I Take de Black\n\nYaller gal’ s yourn\nAn’ de black gal’s mine\,\nYou never can tell\nWhen de yaller gal’s lyin’.\nGive me a chocolate drop\,\nShe’s white on de inside\ ,\nBlack on de back.\nShe don’t cause a feller\nTo ride de railroad trac k.\nYou take yaller\,\nI take de black\,\nHurry up\, nigger\,\nCome out’ n dat shack.\nDat chocolate\nGal am mine.\nLong\, Tall\, Brown-skin Girl\n \nI’m Alabama boun’\,\nLong\, tall\, brown-skin girl.\nI’m Alabama boun’\,\nI’m Alabama boun’.\n[147]\nI have a mule to ride\nTo that long\, tall\, brown-skin girl.\nI have a mule to ride\,\nI have a mule to ride.\nShe is on the road somewhere\,\nShe is a long\, tall\, brown-skin g irl.\nShe is on the road somewhere\,\nShe is on the road somewhere.\nYou c an leave me here\nWith my long\, tall\, brown-skin girl.\nYou can leave me here\,\nYou can leave me here.\nI Got a Gal an’ I Can’t Git Her\n\nI got a gal an’ I can’t git her\,\nI got a gal an’ I can’t git her\, \nI got a gal an’ I can’t git her\,\nMammy won’t lemme see ’er\, can’t even go wid her.\nWent to de house\, I wus lovin’ sick\,\nWent to de house\, I wus lovin’ sick\,\nWent to de house\, I wus lovin’ sic k\,\nI got over dat spell\, Lawd\, mighty quick.\nDaddy had a pistol\, mam my had a gun\,\nDaddy had a pistol\, mammy had a gun\,\nDaddy had a pistol \, mammy had a gun\,\nTotin’ my stuff roun’ de corner\, Lawd\, wus fun .\nI Went to See My Gal\n\nI went to see my gal at half pas’ fo’\nHe r ol’ fool daddy met me at de do’.\n“I come to git a match\,” so s ays\, says I.\n“Write it on yo’ tombstone\, by and by.”\nI kicked up dirt\, I kicked up san’\,\nLawd\, I kicked up everything but dry lan’ .\nYou ax me did I run?—No\, Lawd\, I flew.\nI’s a mighty black nigger \, he skeered me blue.\n[148]\n\nBaby\, Why Don’t You Treat Me Right\n \nI’m goin’ down to the rivuh\,\nI’m goin’ to jump overboard an’ drown\,\nBecause the girl I love\,\nI can’t see her all the time.\nChor us:\nBaby\, why don’t you treat me right\,\nSo that I can love you all t he night?\nThen you will be my sweet little wife.\nBaby\, why don’t you treat me right?\nI’m coming to see you tomorrow night\,\nI want everythi ng to be just right\,\nI’m coming to get my own\,\nAn’ I want that shi ne to leave you alone.\nDey’s Hangin’ ’Roun’ Her Do’\n\nDe y’s a-hangin’ ’roun’ her do’\,\nDey’s never done dat befo’ \,\nFer she’s wearin’ her aprons low.\nLawdy\, Lawdy\, I don’t wanta go\,\nAll dese niggers hang ’roun’ her do’\,\n’Cause she’s wearin’ ’em hangin’ low.\nUnfaithfulness in love is another great so urce of song. “Somebody stole my gal” is a common tale\, and the seque l\, “I’m gonna git dat man\,” is equally common. The “creeper\,” the man who “fools wid another man’s woman\,” is the most despised of all Negro characters. Says the Negro man\,\n\nA sarpent crawls on his b elly\,\nA cat wallers on his back\;\nDe meanest varmint in de worl’\nIs de creeper in my shack.\nIn the following group of songs the man pays his respects to the unfaithful woman and to the “creeper.”\n\n[149]\n\nA C reeper’s Been ’Roun’ Dis Do’\n\nYou don’t think I don’t know \nA creeper’s been ’roun’ dis do’\, dis do’.\nA sarpent crawls o n his belly\,\nA cat wallers on his back\,\nDe meanest varmint in dis worl ’\nIs de creeper in my shack.\nMy woman say hit’s her brother\,\nDen s ay hit’s her daddy\, too\;\nIf dat midnight creeper don’t stay ’way\ ,\nI know what I’s gonna do.\nMy han’s am long\,\nMy fingers am strong and slim\,\nWhen I gits through wid dat creeper’s neck\nDey won’t be creeps lef’ in him.\nDew-drop Mine\n\nKeep me\, sleep me\, close on yo ’ heart\,\nTell me\, angel Susie\, never mo’ to part.\nMy black baby\, you got no wings\,\nBut\, my black baby\, you got better things.\nAngel m ine\, you quit lyin’\nIn de bed wid dat udder man\,\nDew-drop mine\, I ’s a cryin’\nFer you\, but I’s spyin’.\nAngel mine\, dis I know\,\ nYou don’t love me no mo’.\nDew-drop mine\, dis I know\,\nA midnight c reeper come in my do’.\nHe Tuck Her Away\n\nI sho’ got to fight\, I’ s got to use de knife\,\n’Cause dat stray done got my wife.\nOh\, he tuc k her away\, he tuck her away.\n[150]\n\nI Got My Man\n\nLook out\, nigger \, hol’ up yo’ han’.\nWaited long time\, but I got my man.\nYou got de gal\, I got you\,\nDevil git us bofe ’fore we gits through.\nHome Aga in\, Home Again[69]\n\nHome again\, home again\,\nCrazy to git back.\nWhen I gets dere\,\nFinds a stray man in my shack\,\nFinds a stray man in my s hack\,\nFinds a stray man in my shack\,\nHome again\, home again\,\nFinds a stray man in my shack.\nHome again\, home again\,\nAxe handle in de yard \,\nWhales dat nigger over de head.\nNow I’s workin’ hard\,\nNow I’s workin’ hard\,\nNow I’s workin’ hard\,\nHome again\, home again\, \nNow I’s workin’ hard.\nDe chain gang got me\, an’ de coal mine\, t oo\,\nBut\, Lawd\, what’s a po’ nigger gonna do\nWhen a creeper comes creepin’ in\,\nWhen a creeper comes creepin’ in\,\nWhen a creeper come s creepin’ in?\nHome again\, home again\,\nWhen a creeper comes a-cree pin’ in.\n[69]Cf. Home Again Blues\, a popular phonograph piece.\n\nI’ s Done Spot My Nigger\n\nHan’ on my gun\,\nFinger on de trigger\,\nI’s goin’ to jail\n’Cause I’s done spot my nigger.\n[151]\nMy woman don e fool me\,\nEverything gone wrong\;\nI ain’t never gonna live\nTo sing dis song.\nJedge an’ jury\nSentenced me to hang\,\nJes’ as lieve to go dere\nAs to go to de gang.\nHe Got My Gal\n\nCome up Whitehall\,\nRun out ’Catur\,\nI’se boun’ fer to fin’ dat\nBig black waiter.\nChorus:\ nHe got my gal\, he got my gal\,\nHe got my gal\, he got my gal\,\nI bou n’ now to git dat man.\nHe give her money\,\nHe give her fine wear\;\nBu t when I finds dat waiter\,\nWatch out fer his hair.\nShe’s Got Another Daddy\n\nBill Snipe’s wife couldn’t buy no coffin\,\nBut ’hin’ her veil I seen her laughin’.\nShe’s got another daddy\, Lawd\,\nShe’s got another daddy.\nBill’s wife rid ’hin’ de hearse\,\nShe rid in a hack\,\nI kotch her grinnin’ at her new daddy\nOut’n a crack.\nShe’s got another daddy\, Lawd\,\nShe’s got another daddy.\n[152]\n\nCHAPTER IX\nWOMAN’S SONG OF MAN\nWoman’s song of man is in most respects paral lel to man’s song of woman. Her themes are about the same. She sings of her “man” or “daddy\,” of her disappointments and failures in love \, of her unfaithful lover\, and of her own secret amours.\n\nIt will be n oticed that woman’s song conforms quite closely to the blues type as it is popularly known today. In Chapter I examples of the “mama” blues ti tles were given and in Chapter II it was pointed out that the majority of the formal blues of today deal with the sex theme. Furthermore\, most of t hese blues are sung from the point of view of woman. Consequently\, as son gs that may be remembered and sung from day to day\, they appear more acce ptable to woman than to man. Perhaps this explains why the influence of th e formal blues is encountered so frequently in the kind of songs with whic h this chapter is concerned. At any rate\, it is becoming increasingly dif ficult to find a song of woman on the man theme which does not show the in fluence of the popular blues.[70]\n\n[70]After consulting dozens of popula r pieces\, in both sheet music and phonograph record form\, we have been a ble to trace some of these songs to them\, but we feel sure that the influ ence of the formal blues is present in many other songs in this and other chapters\, even though we have failed so far to locate the direct evidence . We have omitted many songs that were clearly of formal origin\, although the singers insisted that they were entirely original.\n\nWoman’s song of man frequently concerns itself with “the other woman\,” the rival i n the case. The first two songs given here are only indirectly concerned w ith man\, but they are of interest because they[153] touch upon the “con flict of color” within the Negro community. They are only samples of a v oluminous literature of “chocolate” versus “yellow\,” or “bl ack” versus “brown\,” which is to be found in the songs of the Negro .\n\nDe Mulatto Gal\n\nDe mulatto gal got yaller skin\, yaller skin\,\nDe mulatto gal got yaller skin\, yaller skin\,\nDe mulatto gal got yaller ski n\, yaller skin\,\nDe mulatto gal got yaller skin\,\nDen she got a devilis h grin\, daddy.\nDe mulatto gal got kinky hair\, kinky hair\,\nDe mulatto gal got kinky hair\, kinky hair\,\nDe mulatto gal got kinky hair\, kinky h air\,\nDe mulatto gal got kinky hair\,\nAlways wears her big laigs bare\, daddy.\nDe mulatto gal got white-gray eyes\, gray eyes\,\nDe mulatto gal g ot white-gray eyes\, gray eyes\,\nDe mulatto gal got white-gray eyes\, gra y eyes\,\nDe mulatto gal got white-gray eyes\,\nAn’ dat’s a gal dat ne ver lies\, daddy.\nDe mulatto gal got great big laigs\, big laigs\,\nDe mu latto gal got great big laigs\, big laigs\,\nDe mulatto gal got great big laigs\, big laigs\,\nDe mulatto gal got great big laigs\,\nShe’s de gal makes de men beg\, daddy.\nDe mulatto gal got great big hips\, big hips\,\ nDe mulatto gal got great big hips\, big hips\,\nDe mulatto gal got great big hips\, big hips\,\nDe mulatto gal got great big hips\,\nShe’s de gal got kissin’ lips\, daddy.\nDe Chocolate Gal\n\nDe chocolate gal got gre asy hair\, greasy hair\,\nDe chocolate gal got greasy hair\, greasy hair\, \nDe chocolate gal got greasy hair\, greasy hair\,\nShe is de gal can cuss an’ rare\, daddy.\n[154]\nDe chocolate gal got col’ black eye\, black eye\,\nDe chocolate gal got col’ black eye\, black eye\,\nDe chocolate gal got col’ black eye\, black eye\,\nShe am de gal what steals an’ li es\, daddy.\nDe chocolate gal got thick black skin\, black skin\,\nDe choc olate gal got thick black skin\, black skin\,\nDe chocolate gal got thick black skin\, black skin\,\nShe de kin’ of gal what go to de pen\, daddy. \nDe chocolate gal she got big laigs\, big laigs\,\nDe chocolate gal she g ot big laigs\, big laigs\,\nDe chocolate gal she got big laigs\, big laigs \,\nShe am de gal what cries an’ begs\, daddy.\nDe chocolate gal got hea vy hips\, heavy hips\,\nDe chocolate gal got heavy hips\, heavy hips\,\nDe chocolate gal got heavy hips\, heavy hips\,\nShe’s de gal got lyin’ l ips\, daddy.\nSongs like those just given are varied to suit the color of the singer. If the black girl has an off-color rival\, she sings that it i s the yellow girl who “steals an’ lies\,” who “cries an’ beg s\,” who “can cuss an’ rare\,” and so on.\n\nIn the next few songs woman sings of her “man.” Her appellations\, “my man\,” “my daddy\,” “sweet papa\,” “chocolate drop\,” “Black Jack\,” a nd others\, are an interesting study in themselves. I’s Dreamin’ of Yo u has simplicity and a note of tenderness which approaches the better type of love song. The other songs are quite crude\, but it should be remember ed that they are characteristic only of the Negro woman of the lower class .\n\nI’s Dreamin’ of You\n\nI’s dreamin’ of you\,\nI’s dreamin ’ of you\,\nI’s dreamin’ of you\nEvery night.\n[155]\nI’s thinki n’ of you\,\nI’s thinkin’ of you\nI’s thinkin’ of you\nAll rig ht.\nI’s wantin’ of you\,\nI’s wantin’ of you\,\nI’s wantin’ o f you\nDay an’ night.\nOn de Road Somewhere\n\nOn de road somewhere\,\nI got a long\, tall chocolate-drop\nOn de road somewhere.\nDon’t you leav e me here\,\nDon’t you leave me here\,\nIf you will leave me here\,\nLea ve me dime fer beer.\nOn de road somewhere\,\nOn de road somewhere\,\nI go t a long\, tall chocolate-drop\nOn de road somewhere.\nMy Black Jack\n\nWh en I gits to heaven I don’t wanta stay\nWidout my Black Jack live out da t way.\nBlack Jack’s a rounder\, but I don’t kere\,\nAll us need to be happy is a bed an’ a cheer.\nDaddy Mine\n\nOver de fiel’ an’ ’cro ss de line\,\nI got a daddy dat I call mine.\nDaddy mine\, daddy mine\,\nK eep me cryin’ all de time.\nAin’t got no heart\, ain’t got no mon\,\ nBut\, God\, I loves dat daddy lak fun.\nDaddy mine\, daddy mine\,\nI got a daddy dat I calls mine\,\nDaddy mine\, daddy mine.\n[156]\n\nMy Man Am a Slap-stick Man\n\nMy man am a slap-stick man\,\nMy man dance wid de band. \nHis head am nappy\,\nHis feetsies is long\;\nNone o’ dese things\nMake my man wrong.\nMy man’s a slap-stick man.\nMy man am a slap-stick man\, \nMy man dance wid dat yaller gal.\nHer head am nappy\,\nHer feet am long\ ;\nAll o’ dese things\nMake dat gal dead wrong.\nMy man’s de slap-stic k man.\nDon’t You Two-time Me\n\nIf you gonna be my honey\nDon’t you t wo-time me.\nIf you gonna be my papa\,\nBetter have one man ’stead of th ree.\nDon’t you two-time\,\nTry to two-time me.\nCan Any One Take Sweet Mama’s Place?[71]\n\nCan any one take sweet mama’s place?\nI ain’t g ood lookin’\,\nAin’t got no curly hair\,\nBut my mama give me someth in’\nTake me each an’ everywhere.\nCome here\, sweet papa\,\nLook me i n de face\,\nIs dere anybody can take yo’ mama’s place?\nDe Mississipp i River\nIs so deep and wide\,\nCan’t see my good brown\nFrom de other s ide.\n[71]Cf. phonograph record\, Can Anybody Take Sweet Mama’s Place?\n \n[157]\n\nBut the chief theme in woman’s song\, as in man’s\, is trou ble. Sometimes the dominant note is disappointment:\n\nDat nigger o’ min e don’t love me no mo’\,\nDat ungrateful feller don’t love me no m o’.\nSometimes it is regret:\n\nI wish I was single again\,\nOh\, I wish I was single again.\nAgain the key-note is one of despondency:\n\nDone so l’ my soul to de devil\,\nAn’ my heart done turned to stone.\nAnd it i s usually the “other woman” who is at the bottom of the trouble.\n\nHe don’t send me no hearin’—\nI knows another gal’s dere an’ I ’s fearin’.\nDat sly\, ’ceitful\, lyin’ gal\,\nYes\, Lawd\, she st ole my man away.\nThese “hard luck” songs of woman are presented in th e next group. It is here that one finds the closest relation between folk songs and the formal blues.\n\nWhen I Wore My Ap’on Low\n\nWhen I wore m y ap’on low\,\nWhen I wore my ap’on low\,\nWhen I wore my ap’on low\ ,\nBoys would pass by my do’.\nNow I’m wearin’ it to my chin\,\nNo w I’m wearin’ it to my chin\,\nNow I’m wearin’ it to my chin\,\nBo ys all pass and dey won’t come in.\n[158]\n\nI Done Sol’ My Soul to de Devil[72]\n\nI done sol’ my soul\,\nDone sol’ it to de devil\,\nAn’ my heart done turned to stone.\nI got a lot o’ gol’\,\nGot it from de devil\,\nBecause he won’t let me alone.\nHe says he can make me happy\n An’ give me back my man\nIf you follow me in sin\,\nAn’ I wus so blue he took me in.\nLook what a fool I am.\nDone sol’ my soul\,\nDone sol’ it to the devil\,\nAn’ my heart done turned to stone.\nI live down in d e valley\nBy a hornet’s nest\,\nWhere de lions\, bears\, and tigers\nCom e to take deir rest.\n[72]Very similar to phonograph piece\, Done Sold My Soul to the Devil.\n\nI Got a Letter From My Man[73]\n\nI got a letter fro m my man\,\nMy man’s dyin’\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nI’m goin’ down track\, never look back\,\nGoin’ where my man fell dead.\nI’m gonna follow my man\,\nLawd\, gonna follow him to the buryin’ groun’.\nBut I’m so so rry\, Lawd\,\nBut I just can’t take your place.\nWell\, captain\, told y ou about my man\,\nSay\, I’m goin’ away\, can’t stay behind.\n[159]\ nSay\, I’m goin’ away\, captain\,\nLawd\, I done lef’ this town.\n Say\, I’m goin’ home\, captain\, an’\, captain\,\nI won’t be here so long.\nSay\, I’m goin’ away\, Lawd\, Lawd\,\nSay\, I’m on my way home.\nO Lawd\, captain\, tell me what’s matter now\,\nNothin’ matter\ , jus’ leavin’ the town.\nCaptain\, captain\, I’m goin’ away so lo ng\,\nYou make me think o’ my man.\nSay\, captain\, captain\, don’t be so hard on me\,\nO Lawd\, I don’t do nothin’ but wash an’ iron all day.\nSay\, captain\, captain\, I can’t work so hard\,\nO Lawd\, I can ’t wash an’ iron so hard.\nSay\, captain\, when you call my name\,\nYo u make me think\, Lawd o’ my man.\nSay\, captain\, I ain’t got no hu sban’\,\nLawd\, captain\, you got my man.\n[73]This song represents the lament of a construction-camp woman. The sentiment of the first four stanz as is found\, in a very different form\, in the phonograph piece\, Death L etter Blues.\n\nI Ain’t No Stranger\n\nI ain’t no stranger\,\nI ain’ t no stranger\,\nI jes’ blow into your town.\nI didn’t come here\,\nI didn’t come here.\nTo be dawged around.\nLook-a here\, daddy\,\nLook-a h ere\, daddy\,\nSee what you done done.\nDone made me love you\,\nDen tryin ’ to throw me away.\nSee dem crazy fellows\, daddy?\nGo to jail about ’em\,\nBut I wont go in—\n[160]\n\nWhat Can the Matter Be?[74]\n\nWhat can the matter be\, O dear\, what can the matter be?\nWhat can the matter be\, O dear\, Johnnie is so long at the fair.\nHe promised to bring me a ring an’ a locket\nAn’ all the nice things you wear in your pocket.\nH e promised to bring me a bunch of blue ribbon\nTo wear on my pretty brown hair.\nHe said if I’d love him he never would leave me\,\nBut now I have chased him I hope he won’t grieve me\,\nI love him so dearly I hope he won’t leave me\,\nBut Johnnie is so long at the fair.\nO dear\, what can the matter be?\nJohnnie is so long at the fair.\n[74]This song\, which is probably of white origin\, has a wide distribution. The present version i s from North Carolina. The song is mentioned in Pound’s syllabus\, Folk Song of Nebraska and the Central West. Perrow gives a version in Journal o f American Folk-Lore\, vol. 28\, p. 169.\n\nWorried Anyhow[75]\n\nWhen de man dat I love says\nHe didn’t want me no mo’\,\nI thought it was de h ardest word\nI ever heard befo’.\nWhen de blues overtake you\,\nI’s can’t beat a deal\,\nIf it wusn’t fer my mother\nAn’ de man I loves. \nI give myself to de sick\nAn’ my soul to de God above.\nIf you quit me \, daddy\,\nIt won’t worry me now\,\nBecause when we are together\nI am worried anyhow.\n[75]Cf. phonograph record\, Worried Anyhow Blues.\n\n[161 ]\n\nDere’s Misery in Dis Lan’\n\nI got a man an’ a sweetheart\, too \,\nI got a man an’ a sweetheart\, too\,\nI got a man an’ a sweetheart \, too\,\nDere’s misery in dis lan’\, dis lan’.\nCan’t please my man an’ my sweetheart\, too\,\nCan’t please my man an’ my sweethear t\, too\,\nCan’t please my man an’ my sweetheart\, too\,\nDere’s mis ery in dis lan’\, dis lan’.\nMy man makes money an’ my sweetheart ma kes none\,\nMy man makes money an’ my sweetheart makes none\,\nMy man ma kes money an’ my sweetheart makes none\,\nDere’s misery in dis lan’\ , dis lan’.\nMy sweetheart makes love an’ my man makes none\,\nMy swee theart makes love an’ my man makes none\,\nMy sweetheart makes love an ’ my man makes none\,\nDere’s misery in dis lan’\, dis lan’.\nDat Chocolate Man\n\nI ain’t never goin’ to be satisfied\,\nAll day an’ night I cried.\nDat big Bill o’ mine he hide\nFrom me\, yes\, from me.\n My ol’ haid it’s weary\,\nMy ol’ heart it’s dreary\nFor dat chocol ate man.\nI wonder where dat slim Bill’s gone\,\nI can’t do nothin’ but set an’ mo’n.\nDat big Bill stray from me\,\nYes\, he stray from m e.\nMy bed it’s lonesome an’ col’\,\nI can’t sleep to save my soul .\nDat big Bill o’ mine\,\nHe’s got dat yaller gal.\nMy ol’ haid i t’s achin’\,\nMy ol’ heart it’s breakin’\nFor dat chocolate man. \n[162]\n\nDem Longin’\, Wantin’ Blues\n\nI loves dat bully\, he sho ’ looks good to me\,\nI always do what he wants me to.\nDen he don’t s eem satisfied.\nI got de blues\,\nYes\, Saro\, I’s got dem wantin’ blu es\,\nDem longin’\, wantin’ blues.\nHe don’t send me no hearin’\,\ nI know another gal’s dere an’ I’s fearin’.\nHe don’t seem satis fied.\nNow I got de blues\,\nYes\, Lawd\, I got dem wantin’ blues\,\nDem longin’\, wantin’ blues.\nDat Nigger o’ Mine Don’t Love Me No M o’.\n\nUp an’ down de street\, ain’t got no show\,\nDat nigger o’ mine don’t love me no mo’.\nNo mo’\, no mo’\, no show\, no show\ ,\n’Cause dat ungrateful feller don’t love me no mo’.\nStroll to de corner\, cop in sight\,\nGonna kill dat man\, he ain’t treat me right.\n No mo’\, no mo’\, no show\, no show\,\n’Cause dat ungrateful felle r don’t love me no mo’.\nI Don’t Love Him No Mo’.\n\nIf I don’t come back\,\nIf I don’t come back\,\nPut de cop on dat\nBlack man’s tr ack.\nHe’s a rough-neck black\,\nKeep de p’liceman on his track\,\nP ut ’im in de jail house\,\nKeep ’im dere.\nI don’t love him no mo’ \,\nSo I don’t care.\n[163]\n\nI Wish I Was Single Again[76]\n\nWhen I w as single I was livin’ at my ease\,\nNow I am married a drunker to pleas e.\nI wish I was single again\,\nI wish I was single again.\nWhen I was si ngle\, fine shoes I wo’\,\nNow I am married\, my feet on the flo’.\nI wish I was single again\,\nI wish I was single again.\nThe water is to bri ng\, the flo’ to sweep\,\nThe children are cryin’ and nothin’ to eat .\nI wish I was single again\,\nI wish I was single again.\nWash their lit tle faces\, tuck them in their bed\,\nIn comes that drunken man—I wish h e was dead.\nI wish I was single again\,\nI wish I was single again.\n[76] Cf. Campbell &\; Sharp\, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachi ans\, p. 256\; also phonograph record version\, I Wish I Was a Single Girl .\n\nDere’s a Lizzie After My Man\n\nDere’s a Lizzie after my man\,\ nDere’s a Lizzie after my man\;\nShe git ’im if she can\,\n’Cause I kotch her holdin’ his han’\,\nDis-a mawnin’\, dis evenin’ more ’ n late.\nHer face am powdered white\,\nHer face am powdered white\;\nHer h air am greasy an’ slick\,\nOn my man she try to work ’er trick\,\nDis- a mawnin’\, dis evenin’ more ’n soon.\nShe comed ’roun’ to my do’\,\nShe comed ’roun’ to my do’\;\nDen I ripped offen her skirt\ ,\nDen I tore offen his shirt\,\nDis-a mawnin’\, dis evenin’\, more ’n soon.\n[164]\n\nDat Sly Gal\n\nDat sly gal\,\nOh\, dat sly\, ’ceitf ul\, lyin’ gal\,\nShe leads dat long tearful prayer\nWid her head proppe d on my chair.\nShe stole my man away\,\nYes\, Lawd\, she stole my man awa y.\nI Don’t Feel Welcome Here\n\nI’s goin’ down de road\nWhere I can get better care.\nI believe I’ll go\n’Cause I don’t feel welcome he re.\nI’s goin’ to ketch dat train\,\nDont’ kere where it’s from\ ,\n’Cause I ain’t gonna stay here\nAn’ be made no stumblin’ block. \nI landed here one night\nWhen de clock wus strikin’ nine\,\nLookin’ fer dat woman\nDat had stole dat man o’ mine.\nI hunts dat woman high\,\ nI hunts dat woman low\,\nI’s gonna rip dat woman\nFrom her mouf clean d own befo’.\nOccupied\n\nCoon\, coon\, coon\, great big yaller coon\,\nHe sets all night jis’ outern my do’.\nHe says\, “Please lemme res’ dere jis’ once mo’\,”\nBut\, Lawd\, it’s occupied\,\nBut\, Lawd\ , it’s occupied.\nDat coon’d be hot if he knowed de troof\,\nDat a cho colate-drop lef’ over de roof.\nBut he wanta come in once mo’\nAn’ b e occupied\,\nAn’ be occupied.\n[165]\n\nI’m Gonna Get Me Another Man\ n\nMy man ain’t treatin’ me right\,\nHe haven’t been home this wee k.\nI’m goin’ get me another man\nAn’ let that black kinky-headed ba stard go.\nHe don’t love me an’ he don’t mean me no good.\nI’m a b rown-skin woman an’ tailor-made\,\nI believe I can get me a man in anybo dy’s town.\nThe man I love an’ am wild about\,\nHe is brown-skin\,\nGo t curled hair an’ tailor-made hisself.\nI Got Another Daddy\n\nLeavin’ here\, I sho’ don’t wanta go.\nGoin’ up de country\,\nBrown-skin\ , I can’t carry you.\nDon’t write me no letters\,\nDont’ sen’ me n o word\,\nI got another daddy\nTo take your place.\n[166]\n\nCHAPTER X\nFO LK MINSTREL TYPES\nOne of the most interesting of all the Negro’s secula r songs is the folk minstrel type. This minstrel song is similar to the or iginal minstrel\, in which one or more wandering musicians and songsters t ravel from place to place rendering song and music with varied accompanime nts. Sometimes one singer goes alone\, sometimes two\, sometimes a quartet te. They are entertainers in the real sense that they exhibit themselves a nd their art with all the naturalness and spontaneity possible. Furthermor e\, such minstrels are not infrequently ingenious in composing new verses and adapting them to old tunes or to newly discovered ones. Such songs are also well adapted to social gatherings and to various special occasions. They should be distinguished from the black-face type of vaudeville song a nd the minstrel show\, although of course the song of the traveling show m ust inevitably influence the minstrel type a great deal. For sheer type-po rtraiture\, however\, the minstrel Negro and his song must undoubtedly be presented if the whole picture is to be complete.\n\nTypical scenes are th e singing on special gala occasions\, such as fairs\, holidays\, and picni cs\, at resorts of the whites\, on the road or on street corners. Such sin gers also accompany many a patent-medicine man or other street-corner vend er of wares. Sung in this way\, of course\, are many of the ordinary secul ar creations\, but in general the minstrel type is[167] more finished and formal\, with more of rhyme and something of the ballad technique\, with m uch of the humor and entertaining qualities implied in its kind. Most of t hese songs would repay special study on the part of the student of folk so ngs and ballads who wishes to trace origins and developments. While all th e songs we have listed are Negro songs in the sense that they are sung muc h and regularly by Negroes\, with the special artistic expression and mann er common to them\, they are\, of course\, often much mixed with similar s ongs originating elsewhere. In the case of It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’\ ,[77] for instance\, the origin of course is a common one\, and many of th e scores of verses are sung alike by white and Negro minstrels\, with only minor distinctions due to manner and situation. And yet of the several hu ndred verses which are even now extant\, some are very clearly of Negro or igin\, exhibiting something of the Negro’s traditional phrases and his b lues. A Negro quartette singing It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ is undoubte dly singing a Negro song. Among the songs in the previous volume which are adapted to the minstrel type of singing are Railroad Bill\, Lilly\, Stago lee\, Eddy Jones\,[78] and some of the more recently composed religious ty pes.\n\n[77]No verses of It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ are given in this volume\, although our collection included several score. They are scarcely within the bounds of the present collection.\n\n[78]See The Negro and His Songs\, pp. 196\, 198\, 205\, 228.\n\nOne of the most attractive of all t he Negro songs we have heard was That Liar\, sung by two elderly Negro men at Columbia\, South Carolina\, through the courtesy of Dr. E. L. C. Adams . The main part of the song is always chanted by the leader in recitative sing-song very much after the fashion of a sermon when the minister has re ached his emotional climax. Then upon reaching the chorus\, he suddenly tu rns into rapid[168] song\, accompanied by his companion. They sing the cho rus with the usual accompaniment of “Oh” or “Lawd” or “Let me tell you.” The song\, with some variations and repetitions\, is good for almost an hour’s entertainment. It is also a very good shouting song.\n \nThat Liar[79]\n\nJes’ let me tell you how a liar will do.\nAlways co min’ with somethin’ new\,\nHe’ll steal yo’ heart with false preten se\,\nMakin’ out like he’s yo’ bes’ frien’\;\nAn’ when he find s out you believe what he say\,\nThen that liar gonna have his way.\nHe’ ll bring you news ’bout women and men\,\nMake you fall out with yo’ bes’ frien’.\nChorus:\nIf you don’t want to get in trouble\,\nIf y ou don’t want to get in trouble\,\nIf you don’t want to get in trouble \,\nYou better let that liar alone.\nWhen a liar takes a notion his friend s to improve\,\nHe lay around de neighbors and git de news.\nNearly every day when you look out\,\nSee that liar come to yo’ house\,\nTell you sic h lies surprise yo’ min’\nAn’ mix a little truth to make it shine. \nAn’ when he git his news fix jes’ right\,\nThat liar gonna cause a f ight.\nWhen everything’s in perfect peace\,\nHere come that liar with hi s deceit\,\nMake believe that he love you so well\,\nTill every day he mus t come an’ tell.\n“Let me tell you\, my sister\, if you jes’ knew\nW hat a certain somebody tell me ’bout you.”\nHe studies up lie and tell it so smooth\,\nUntil you think undoubtedly must be true.\nHe’ll bring you out to trace de tale\,\nAn’ if you don’t mind you’ll be put in j ail.\n[169]\nA hypocrite and liar both keep up a fuss\,\nDey both very bad \, but a liar’s the wuss\;\nHe’ll come to yo’ house in powerful rush \,\nSay\, “I can’t stay long for I must go to my work\,\nI jes’ come to tell you what somebody say.”\nThen he’ll take a seat an’ stay al l day.\nHe’ll tell you some things that’ll cause you to pout\,\nThen a t las’ he’ll force you out.\nHe knows that he owes you\, an’ if you ask him for pay\,\nHe’ll fall out wid you and stay away.\n[79]Cf. The so ng given by Ballanta in his St. Helena Island Spirituals\, p. 72.\n\nSung in very much the same way is the War Jubilee Song\, itself a type of popul ar traveling song. It was the favorite of the same two singers\, both note d songsters of the Columbia environs\, and they claimed to have learned it from a traveling Negro secretary of the Y. W. C. A.\, who came from Flori da immediately after the World War. Here again the chorus was sung with ef fective variations\, “Now I’m so glad\,” or “You know I’m so glad\,” or “I declare I’m so glad\,” and many others.\n\nWar Jubi lee Song\n\nWhen the U. S. got in de war\nWus de saddes’ day I ever saw. \nRegistration day began to start\nAn’ it come near breakin’ all mot hers’ heart.\nChorus:\nNow I’m so glad\, I’m so glad\,\nNow I’m so glad\, I’m so glad\,\nNow I’m so glad\, I’m so glad\nJesus brought peace all over dis lan’.\nYou know\, I declare\,\nJesus brought peace al l over dis lan’.\nBut God who called us here below\nTol’ de boys\, “ Get ready\, with you I’ll go.”\nJes’ take me over in Germany lan ’\nAn’ I will conquer every man.\n[170]\nWhen time fer train to roll\, \nUncle Sam had boys under his control\,\nAn’ when town bell begin to ri ng\nSome tried to be happy and begin to sing.\nSome from Newport News\, so I am tol’\,\nAn’ some in France where it was col’.\nJes’ carry me over in de lan’ of France\nWhere every soldier will have a fightin’ c hance.\nThat vessel leave New York with thousands on board\,\nSteam ship c arry such a heavy load.\nLawd\, I’m over in very strange lan’\,\nWid a ll soldiers walk han’ in han’.\nAn’ no good Christian did not fear \,\n’Cause Jesus Christ was engineer\,\nEngineer standin’ at chariot w heel\nBackin’ up children on battle fiel’.\nReason why war did last so long\,\nSo many people was livin’ wrong\,\nJes’ goin’ round runni n’ down colors and race\nAn’ oughter been beggin’ fer little mo’ g race.\nWhilst dey wus fightin’ great noise wus heard\,\nSmoke wus flyi n’ jes’ lak a bird\,\nMen were dyin’ wid thousands of groans\,\nNow peace declared an’ boys at home.\nUncle Sam he made and signed a decree\ nFor American nation to ben’ de knee.\nGod sits in Heaven an’ answers prayer\,\nAn’ dey had to stop fightin’ over there.\nWe put ourselves a s debt to God\,\nWe say we’d follow where he trod\,\nBut de way got dark and we couldn’t see\nJes’ who de winner of war would be.\nBut de Chri stians prayed until dey cried\,\nHypocrite say dat dey had lied.\nBut in d eir heads dey had a doubt\,\nBut when peace was declared\, Lawd\, dey want ed to shout.\n[171]\n\nOne of the most entertaining songs in all the reper toire of the Negro’s aggregate creations is Mr. Epting\, sung by four Ne gro pick-and-shovel men with such zest and harmony as we have rarely heard . It is apparently a parody on the war song Good Morning\, Mr. Zip\, and w ith this particular quartette of workers would make a hit on any stage. In the singing\, the largest member of the group dances a jig and exclaims i n his big bass voice\, “Lawd\, Lawd\, I feels funny when I sings this so ng. Lawd\, Lawd\, I can’t keep still\, it gives me such a funny feelin ’. Whoopee! Singin’ ’bout white man gives me funny feelin’.” In addition to the verses sung here the singer may substitute for whiskey and cocaine such words as gun\, woman\, policeman\, work\, and other forces w hich may be calculated to lead to the demise of these slanderers of Mr. Ep ting.\n\nGood Morning\, Mr. Epting\n\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour ha ir just nappy as mine.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYou belong to the K. K. kind.\nWell\, ashes to ashes\,\nWell\, dust to dust\,\nShow me a woman\ nThat you can trust.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just nappy as mine.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just kinky as mine.\nGood m orning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYou belong to the K. K. kind.\nWell\, ashes to ashe s\,\nWell\, dust to dust\,\nShow me a woman\nThat you can trust.\nGood mor ning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just kinky as mine.\n[172]\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just as black as mine.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\ ,\nYou belong to the K. K. kind.\nWell\, if whiskey don’t kill me\,\nWel l\, cocaine must\,\nShow me a woman\nThat you can trust.\nGood morning\, M r. Epting\,\nYour hair just black as mine.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nY our hair just black as mine.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYou belong to t he K. K. kind.\nPistol don’t kill me\,\nWell\, cocaine must\,\nShow me a woman\nThat you can trust.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just a s black as mine.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just short as min e.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYou belong to the K. K. kind.\nWell if wh iskey don’t kill me\,\nWell\, cocaine must\,\nShow me a woman\nThat you can trust.\nGood morning\, Mr. Epting\,\nYour hair just as short as mine.\ nThe old song Raise a Rukus Tonight is now a popular one in various forms\ , those given here representing Georgia\, Tennessee and North Carolina. Th ere are many other versions and fragments\, but these will suffice to indi cate the type and mixture so common at present. One may easily see the sim ilarity to the old song but also its corruption by such modern types[173] as It Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’. Wring Jing\, while not a “rukus” ch orus\, is so much of the same sort as to make its comparison of value. The other much varied and corrupted types are also valuable for comparative p urposes.\n\nRaise a Rukus Tonight\nA\n\nMy ol’ master promise me\,\nRais e rukus tonight\;\nBefore he died he’d set me free\,\nRaise rukus tonigh t.\nChorus:\nCome along\, chillun\, come along\,\nWhile the moon is shinin g bright\,\nGet on board\, down the river float\,\n’Cause we gonna raise a rukus tonight.\nHis hair come out and his head turned bal’\,\nRaise r ukus tonight\;\nHe got out o’ notion dyin’ at all\,\nRaise rukus tonig ht.\n’Scuse me\, mister\, don’t get mad\,\nRaise rukus tonight\;\n’C ause you look like sumpin the buzzards had\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nLook a t that nigger\, ain’t he black?\nRaise rukus tonight\;\nGot hair on his head like a carpet tack\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nBlack cat settin’ on ch imney jam\,\nRaise rukus tonight\;\nIf that ain’t hot place\, I’ll be damn\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nWay down yonder on chit’lin’ switch\,\nR aise rukus tonight\;\nBull frog jump from ditch to ditch\,\nRaise rukus to night.\n[174]\nBull frog jump from bottom of well\,\nRaise rukus tonight\; \nSwore\, by God\, he jumped from hell\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nRaise a Ru kus Tonight\nB\n\nSome folks say preacher won’t steal\,\nRaise rukus ton ight\;\nI caught two in my corn fiel’\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nOne had a bushel\, one had fo’\,\nRaise rukus tonight\;\nIf that ain’t steali n’ I don’t know\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nMy ol’ missus promised me\, \nRaise rukus tonight\;\nWhen she died she’d set me free\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nShe live so long ’til she got bal’\,\nRaise rukus tonight\;\ nShe got out notion dyin’ at all\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nSo come along\ , chillun\, come along\,\nWhere moon shine bright tonight\;\nGet on board before boat gone\,\nGonna raise rukus tonight.\nRaise a Rukus Tonight\nC\n \nCome on\, niggers\,\nWhile the moon is shining bright\,\nGet on the boat \,\nDown the river we’ll float\,\nWe’re gonna raise a rukus tonight.\n Come on\, little chillun\,\nWhile the moon is shining bright\,\n[175]\nW e’re gonna raise cornbread\nAn’ sweet potatoes tonight\,\nRaise rukus tonight.\nMy ol’ missus promised me\,\nRaise rukus tonight\,\nWhen she d ied she’d set me free.\nWe’re gonna raise a rukus tonight\,\nGonna rai se a rukus tonight.\nMy ol’ master promised me\,\nGonna raise a rukus to night\,\nWhen I grew to be a man\nHe’d give me a horse’s rein.\nGonna raise a rukus tonight.\nWring Jing Had a Little Ding\n\nIf I live to see n ext fall\,\nWring Jing had a little ding\,\nAin’t goin’ to have no lov er at all\,\nWring Jing had a little ding.\nMy ol’ missus promised me\,\ nWring Jing had a little ding\,\nWhen she died she’d set me free\,\nWrin g Jing had a little ding.\nWhen she died she died so po’\,\nWring Jing h ad a little ding\,\nShe left me sittin’ on de kitchen flo’\,\nWring Ji ng had a little ding.\nBull frog jumped into bottom of well\,\nWring Jing had a little ding\,\nSwore\, by golly\, he jumped in hell\,\nWring Jing ha d a little ding.\nMy ol’ missus had a mule\,\nWring Jing had a little di ng\,\nHis name was Martin Brown\,\nWring Jing had a little ding.\nEvery fo ot that Martin had\,\nWring Jing had a little ding\,\nWould cover an acre of groun’\,\nWring Jing had a little ding.\n[176]\n\nGwine to Git a Home By an’ By\n\nMy ol’ missus promised me\,\nGwine to git a home by an ’ by\,\nWhen she died\, she’d set me free\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by.\nShe did live till she got bal’\,\nGwine to git a home by an ’ by\,\nAnd she never died at all\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by.\nC horus:\nDen O dat watermelon!\nLamb of goodness\, you must die\;\nI’m gw ine to jine de contraband\, chillun\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by.\nA shoo-fly cut a pigeon wing\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by\;\nA rattle snake rolled in a ’possum’s skin\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by.\n Cow path crooked gwine through the wood\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by \,\nMissus says I shan’t\, I says I should\,\nGwine to git a home by a n’ by.\nSister Sue and ol’ Aunt Sallie\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by\,\nBoth live down in shin-bone alley\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ b y.\nName on de house\, name on de do’\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by \,\nBig green spot on de grocery sto’\,\nGwine to git a home by an’ by .\nThere are many songs of the mule\, some of which are old and being revi ved\, some of which have been made new by the phonograph records. The firs t illustration here was sung with remarkable effect at the Dayton\, Tennes see\, Scopes trial\, with hundreds of whites and Negroes standing around t he quartette of Negroes[177] who came for the occasion. Most of their song s were of the stereotyped sort\, such as Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’. The mule song is the best illustration of the minstrel type given in this volu me. The other mule songs are presented largely for comparison\, and are no t particularly valuable. One of these\, exhorting Miss Liza to keep her se at\, is similar to the version collected twenty years ago in Mississippi.[ 80]\n\n[80]See The Negro and His Songs\, p. 235.\n\nGo ’Long Mule\n\nI ’ve got a mule\, he’s such a fool\nHe never pays no heed\;\nI built a fire ’neath his tail\,\nAn’ then he showed some speed.\nChorus:\nGo ’long\, mule\,\nDon’t you roll dem eyes\;\nYou can change a fool\, but a doggone mule\nIs a mule until he dies.\nDrove down to the graveyard\,\n Some peaceful rest to fin’\;\nBut when a black cat crossed my path\nI su re did change my min’.\nMy gal’s ol’ man don’t like me much\,\nH e’s got a heart o’ flint\;\nLast night I saw him buy a gun\nAn’ I ca n take a hint.\nI bought some biscuits for my dog\nAn’ put them on the s helf\;\nTimes got so hard I shot the dog\nAn’ ate them up myself.\nBoth Rufus Akes an’ Rastus Payne\nGot married down in Gaines\;\nAn’ now the y say the Georgia woods\nAre full of Akes an’ Paynes.\n[178]\nA cowslip ain’t no kind o’ slip\nTo slip upon a cow\;\nThat’s why a catfish ne ver answers\nTo a cat’s meow.\nA man in Georgia pulled a gun\nAn’ took a shot at me\;\nJust as he took the second shot\nI passed through Tenness ee.\nBill Jones was taken ill while callin’\nOn his gal Salome.\nWhat re ally caused his illness was\nHer husband who came home.\nThey say some one ’s been stealin’ things\,\nIt’s kind-a newsed aroun’\;\nI swear I don’t know who it is\,\nBut I am leavin’ town.\nI’m goin’ to the river now\nTo lay me down and die\,\nAn’ if I find the water’s wet\ nI’ll wait until it’s dry.\nMy gal invited me to dine\,\nI went prepar ed to eat\;\nBut all she placed upon my plate\nWas chicken necks and feet. \nThey’re gonna hold a meetin’ there\nOf some society.\nThere’s ’l even sheets upon the line\,\nThat’s ten too much for me.[81]\n[81]Eviden tly refers to a Ku Klux Klan meeting.\n\n[179]\n\nHump-back Mule\n\nIf you want to sneeze\,\nTell you what to do\,\nGet some salt an’ pepper\,\nPu t it in yo’ shoe.\nRidin’ hump-back mule\,\nRidin’ hump-back mule\,\ nIf you want to see pretty yaller gal\,\nShe’s ridin’ a hump-back mule .\nOl’ massa bought pretty yaller gal\,\nBought her from the South\,\nSh e wrapped her hair so tight\nShe couldn’t open her mouth.\nRidin’ hump -back mule\,\nRidin’ hump-back mule\,\nIf you want to see pretty yaller gal\,\nShe’s ridin’ a hump-back mule.\nCarried her to blacksmith shop\ nTo have her mouth made small\,\nShe back her years and open her mouth\nAn ’ swallowed shop and all.\nRidin’ hump-back mule\,\nRidin’ hump-back mule\,\nIf you want to see pretty yaller gal\,\nShe’s ridin’ a hump-b ack mule.\nNiggers plant de cotton on hill\,\nNiggers pick it out\,\nWhite man pocket money\,\nNigger does without.\nRidin’ hump-back mule\,\nRi din’ hump-back mule\,\nIf you want to see pretty yaller gal\,\nShe’s r idin’ a hump-back mule.\nWhoa\, Mule\n\nI hear dem sleigh bells ringin ’\, snow am fallin’ fas’\,\nI’s got dis mule in de horness\, got h im hitched at las’.\nLiza\, get yo’ bonnet\, come an’ take a seat\,\ nGrab up dat robe you’re sittin’ on an’ cover up yo’ feet.\n[180]\ nChorus:\nWhoa\, mule\, whoa I say!\nKeep yo’ seat\, Miss Liza Jane\, an’ hold on to de sleigh.\nWhoa\, mule\, whoa I say!\nKeep yo’ seat\, Miss Liza Jane\, an’ hold on to de sleigh.\nWhat’s dis mule a-roamin ’ for? He ain’t got half a load.\nWhen you catch dis mule a-roamin ’\, jus’ give him all de road.\nDon’t get scared at nothin’\, you stay here today\,\nLiza\, help me hold dis mule\, or else he’ll get away .\nWatch dis mule a-goin’\, goodness how he can sail!\nWatch his big ear s floppin’\, see him sling his tail.\nGoin’ down to de ’possum\, Liz a\, you keep cool\,\nI ain’t got time to kiss you now\, I’s busy with dis mule.\nA Nigger’s Hard to Fool\n\nA Georgia nigger an’ a Georgia m ule\,\nDese two asses is hard to fool.\nMight fool a white man\,\nMight fo ol his mother\,\nMight fool his sister\,\nAn’ you might fool his brother \;\nBut a nigger’s hard to fool\,\nBut a nigger’s hard to fool.\nA Geo rgia yaller gal\nAn’ a Georgia black\nKin always dog\nA feller’s track \,\nBut he’s hard to fool.\nYes\, Lawd\, a nigger’s hard to fool.\nA G eorgia road’s red\,\nBottom lan’ black\,\nA Georgia nigger\nIs a crack er jack\,\nAn’ he’s hard to fool.\nYes\, Lawd\, a nigger’s hard to f ool.\n[181]\n\nI’m Fishin’ Boun’\n\nLook ’cross the fiel’\, see the sun comin’ down\,\nDis is de day to be layin’ ’roun’.\nBait in de can\, hook on de stick\,\nI’m done too lazy to hit a lick\,\nI’m f ishin’ boun’\, I’m fishin’ boun’.\nLazies got me\, an’ I don ’t keer\,\nStomach’s empty\, but who’s gonna fear?\nBait in de can\, hook on de stick\,\nFishin’ spell done got me\, I can’t hit a lick\ ,\nI’m fishin’ boun’\, I’m fishin’ boun’.\nCome on fellers\, wid yo’ luck in yo’ han’\nWe’s gonna eat minners out de fryin’ pan\,\nBait in de can\, hook on de line\,\nIf I don’t go to fishin’\, nigger\, I’ll be dyin’\,\nI’m fishin’ boun’\, I’m fishin’ boun’.\nStretch flat on yo’ belly wid yo’ back in de air\,\nLook o ut fo’ yo’ hook\, Lawd\, he’s bitin’ dere!\nBait in de can\, hook on de stick\,\nI’m plum’ so hungry\, I’m most nigh sick\,\nI’m f ishin’ boun’\, I’m fishin’ boun’.\nCo’n Bread\n\nCo’n brea d\, co’n bread\,\nFeed dis nigger on co’n bread.\nWhite man eats biscu it\,\nNigger eats pone\;\nNigger he’s de stronges’\nJes’ sho’s y ou bo’n.\nCo’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nGive dis nigger greasy co’n b read.\nPut on de skillit\,\nPo’ in de grease\,\nDon’t make a little\,\ nBut a great big piece.\nCo’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nAll lazy niggers l oves co’n bread.\n[182]\nSif’ out de bran an’\nDrap in de pone\,\nLa wd knowed whut he’s doin’\nWhen he made dat co’n.\nCo’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nGive dis nigger plenty co’n bread.\nYou loves Emma an’ \nI loves Jake.\nYou is de nigger\nSome greasy co’n bread to bake.\nCo ’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nBlack greasy nigger eats co’n bread.\nOne han’ in de hopper\,\nDe udder in de sack\,\nOl’ black nigger wid\nRed lips to smack.\nCo’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nBlack greasy nigger eats co’n bread.\n’Taters in de hill\,\nMeal in de bag\,\nHome-made sirup\ nIn de old black keg.\nCo’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nBlack lazy nigger ea ts co’n bread.\nAshes in de corner\,\nFire in de middle\;\nWoman cooks r ations\,\nMan sets an’ whittles.\nCo’n bread\, co’n bread\,\nFeed di s nigger on co’n bread.\nOther songs which are current through the singi ng of the minstrel type\, or distributed widely on printed sheets in much the same way as the “mule” songs\, are No Coon But You\, De Co’t Hou se in De Sky\, and[183] Hi-Jenny-Ho\, sent us by Mr. J. D. Arthur of Tenne ssee. The Pullman Porter is a little more sophisticated\, but represents a type of humor and easy-going vaudeville style.\n\nNo Coon But You\n\nAs I was strollin’ down the street\,\n“Who did you meet?”\nA yellah gal I chanced to meet.\n“What did you say?”\nSaid I\, “My little honey\, now who’s\nyou gwine to meet?\nMay I have the pleasure of walkin’\ndo wn the street\nWith the one I long so for? You are\nthe apple of my eye. ”\nAn’ then she turned her sparklin’ eyes\nan’ quickly said to me: \nChorus:\n“No coon but you\, babe\, no coon but you\,\nNo coon but you\ , babe\, will ever do.\nNo coon but you\, babe\, no coon but you\,\nNo coo n but you will ever do.”\nAs we were passin’ down the street\,\n“Wha t happened then?”\nHer Sunday babe we chanced to meet.\n“What happened then?”\nHe grabbed me by the shoulder\, he quickly\nturned me ’roun ’.\nSaid I\, “Look out here\, nigger\, I’ll fall\nyou to the gro un’.”\nBut he took away my yellah gal\, an’ as\nthey passed me by\,\ nI heard him say\, “Now who’s your babe?” an’\nthen she said to him:\n“No coon but you\, babe\,” etc.\n[184]\nThat very same night the re was a ball.\n“Where\, nigger\, where?”\nDown at the Black Fo’-H undred’s Hall\,\n“S’pose you were there?”\nYes\, I took along my r azuh\, an’ gave\nit such a swing\,\nI cut that yellah nigger right under \nhis left wing.\nAn’ as they carried out his corpse\nI heard the people say\,\n“Now who’ll be her babe?” an’ then\nshe said to me:\n“No coon but you\, babe\,” etc.\nDe Co’t House in de Sky\n\nI’s got a n otion in my head\nAs when you come to die\,\nYou’ll stand a ’zaminatio n\nIn de co’t house in de sky.\nYou’ll be astonished at the questions\ nThat the angels gwine to ax\,\nWhen they get you on the witness stan’\n An’ pin you to the facts.\nDen yo’ eyes will open wider\nThan they eve r done befo’\,\nWhen they ax you ’bout the chicken scrapes\nWhat happe ned long ago.\nChorus:\nTo de co’t house in de sky\nI will raise my wing s an’ fly\,\nAn’ stan’ the ’zamination\nIn de co’t house in de s ky.\nNow de angels on de picket line\nAlong the milky way\nKeeps watchin ’ what you’re doin’\nAn’ hearin’ what you say.\nNo matter what you’re gwine to do\,\nNo matter whar you’re gwine\,\nThey’s mighty apt to find it out\nAn’ pass it long de line.\n[185]\nDen often in de me etin’-house\nYou make a fuss or laugh\,\nDen the news it goes a kiti n’\n’Long the golden telegraph.\nDen de angel in de office\,\nWhat is settin’ by the gate\,\nJes’ reads the message with a look\nAn’ claps it on de slate.\nOh\, you’d better do yo’ duty\, boys\,\nAn’ keep yo’ conscience clear\,\nAn’ keep a-lookin’ straight ahead\nAn’ watchin’ whar you steer.\n’Cause after while the time will come\nTo jo urney from dis lan’\,\nDey’ll take you ’way up in de air\nAn’ plac e you on de stan’.\nDen you’ll have to listen mighty close\nAn’ answ er mighty straight\,\nIf you ever ’spects to enter\nThrough that pretty golden gate.\nOh\, you’d better stop yo’ foolin’\,\nThat’s a place you can’t slide by\,\nWhen you stan’ the ’zamination\nIn de co’t house in de sky.\nHi\, Jenny\, Ho\, Jenny Johnson\n\nOnce I loved a yaller gal\, she said she’d marry me\,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny\, ho\, my Jenn y Johnson!\nSaw her eatin’ apples at a huckleberry bee\,\nHi\, Jenny\, h o\, Jenny Johnson!\nTook her to a ball an’ we never did get back\nTill t he break of morn\, when you hear the chickens quack.\nShe wouldn’t take the cars\, so I took her in a hack\;\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny Johnson!\nCh orus:\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny\, come along with me\,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, J enny\, ho\, my Jenny Johnson!\nSweeter than the honey at a huckleberry bee \,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny Johnson!\n[186]\nO my darling Jenny\, she’s the sweetest girl in town\,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny\, ho\, my Jenny Johns on!\nCaptivates the neighborhood for miles an’ miles aroun’\,\nHi\, Je nny\, ho\, Jenny Johnson!\nSaid she loved another an’ it broke my heart in two\,\nAn’ I had to get it mended with a little piece of glue\;\nShe gave me back my locket an’ a little silver shoe\,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jen ny Johnson!\nNow my Jenny’s married to a little yaller coon\,\nHi\, Jenn y\, ho\, Jenny\, ho\, my Jenny Johnson!\nTake care for Jenny’s hubby\, f or he’ll kill you mighty soon\,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny Johnson!\nWooly -headed pickaninnies runnin’ roun’ the flo’\,\nFor they say there’ s only two\, but I wish they had a sco’\;\nI’m gwine away to China\, so I’ll never see her mo’\,\nHi\, Jenny\, ho\, Jenny Johnson!\nPullma n Porter\n\nRuns from California\nPlumb up to Maine.\nI’s a Negro porter \nOn de pullman train.\nPullman train\,\nPullman train\,\nI’s de Negro p orter\nOn de pullman train.\nBraid on the cap an’\nButtons in a row\,\nO n that blue uniform\nRight down the fo’.\nIn pullman train\,\nPullman tr ain\,\nI’s a Negro porter\nOn de pullman train.\nIt’s a tip right here \nAn’ a tip right thar\,\nTip all along\nUp an’ down de pullman car.\n [187]\nPullman train\,\nPullman train\,\nI’s a Negro porter\nOn de pullm an train.\nPocket full o’ money\,\nStomach full o’ feed\,\nWhat next i n the worl’\nDo a fellow need?\nPullman train\,\nPullman train\,\nI’s a Negro porter\nOn de pullman train.\nKitty Kimo[82]\n\nDar was a frog liv ed in a spring\,\nHe had such a cold dat he could not sing\,\nI pulled him out an’ frowed him on de groun’\,\nOl’ frog he bounced an’ run aroun’.\nChorus:\nCamo\, kimo\, daro\, war\,\nMy high\, my ho\, my rumst ipumstididdle\,\nSoot bag\, pidly-wickem\, linch ’em\, nip cat\,\nSing s ong\, Polly\, won’t you kime\, oh?\nMilk in de dairy\, nine days ol’\, \nRats an’ skippers are gettin’ hol’\;\nA long-tailed rat in a bucke t of souse\,\nJes’ come from de white folks’ house.\nIn North Carolina de niggers grow\,\nIf de white man only plant his toe.\nWater de ground w ith ’bacco smoke\,\nAn’ up de nigger’s head will poke.\nWay down Sou th in Cedar street\,\nDere’s where de niggers grow ten feet\,\nDey go to bed\, but ’tain’t no use\,\nDeir feet hang out for a chicken’s ro os’.\n[82]Cf. Scarborough\, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs\, pp. 156-7 .\n\n[188]\n\nCHAPTER XI\nWORKADAY RELIGIOUS SONGS\nMany a laborer\, altho ugh singing his full quota of secular songs\, still finds his workaday sol ace best in his favorite heritage of church and religious melodies. There is surcease of sorrow in the plaintive\n\nYes\, Lawd\, burden down\, burde n down\,\nO Lawd\, since I laid my burden down.\nAnd the appeal for relief from present difficulties\, so eloquently expressed in the previous chapt ers\, finds its counterpart in this favorite of many workers of the presen t day.\n\nDo\, Lawd\, remember me\,\nDo\, Lawd\, remember me\,\nWhen I’m in trouble\,\nDo\, Lawd\, remember me.\nWhen I’m low down\,\nDo\, Lawd\ , remember me.\nOh\, when I’m low down\,\nDo\, Lawd\, remember me.\nDo n’t have no cross\,\nDo\, Lawd\, remember me\,\nDon’t have no crown\,\ nDo\, Lawd\, remember me.\nThere seems to be an impression abroad to the e ffect that the making of Negro spirituals stopped long ago. On the contrar y\, it is quite probable that more spirituals are being made today than du ring the days of slavery. As a matter of fact the old spirituals have neve r been[189] static. It is no longer possible to speak of the “pure” or “original” version of Swing Low\, Sweet Chariot\, of Roll\, Jordan\ , Roll\, or any other of the old favorites. If any one is in doubt of this \, let him compare the words and music of the spirituals as they were reco rded by Allen and others in 1867 with the records of the same songs later made by Fenner and Work and with the recent versions in James Weldon Johns on’s Book of American Negro Spirituals. Or let him compare the songs as they are sung at Hampton with the same songs as they are sung at Tuskegee or at Fisk. The spirituals\, like all other folk songs\, are dynamic. Some times in the process of constant change there appear variations which are so unlike the parent songs as to constitute virtually new songs. In this w ay the old spirituals have been the inspiration for untold numbers of new religious songs.\n\nAmong the lowly Negro folk of the South the making of spirituals is still a reality. Every community has its “composers.” Of ten they are supposed to possess some special gift of the “spirit.” Fr om sermon\, prayer\, and crude folk wisdom they draw ideas and inspiration for their compositions. Sometimes the results are pathetic\, but not infr equently there springs up a song which would compare favorably with the ol d spirituals.\n\nIt is not the purpose of this chapter to present the old spirituals or merely their newer variations\, but rather to give some of t he more unsophisticated religious songs of the workaday Negro as they are sung today in the South\, by the same groups and individuals whose songs a nd verbal pictures this volume presents. They are not the kind of songs wh ich are usually sung in the Negro churches\, for many of them have only in dividual or local significance\, while others show distinct secular touche s.\n\n[190]\n\nBiblical themes continue to find a place in the Negro’s r eligious songs. Moses and Pharaoh and Noah and the ark are still the favor ites. Here are a few of the workaday religious songs now current in the So uth. Pharaoh’s Army Got Drownded is a favorite with children\, and is of ten sung by them as a sort of reel. The three songs following it were sung by a woman in Georgia who is known locally as Sanctified Mary Harris. She claims that they are her own compositions and says that she composes only when she in “under de spirit.”\n\nPharaoh’s Army Got Drownded\n\nMa ry\, don’t you weep an’\, Marthie\, don’t you moan\,\nMary\, don’t you weep an’\, Marthie\, don’t you moan\;\nPharaoh’s army got drown ded\,\nO baby\, don’t you weep.\nI thinks every day an’ I wish I could \nStan’ on de rock whar Moses stood\;\nOh\, Pharaoh’s army got drownde d\,\nO baby\, don’t you weep.\nIf you git dere befo’ I do\,\nTell de Cap’n I’s a-comin’ too\;\nPharaoh’s army got drownded\,\nO baby \, don’t you weep.\nIf I had wings lak de angels have\,\nI never be caug ht drivin’ in anudder cab\;\nPharaoh’s army got drownded\,\nO baby\, don’t you weep.\nBaby\, don’t you weep an’\, baby\, don’t you moa n\,\nYou has to go to heaven wid yo’ buryin’ clothes on\;\nPharaoh’s army got drownded\,\nO baby\, don’t you weep.\n[191]\n\nGonna Turn Back Pharaoh’s Army\n\nWhen de children wus in bondage\nDey cried unto de La wd\,\n“O turn back Pharaoh’s army.”\nHallelu!\nChorus:\nGonna turn b ack Pharaoh’s army\,\nHallelu!\nYes\, a-gonna turn back Pharaoh’s army \,\nHallelu!\nI write to Marse Jesus\nTo send some valiant solders\nJus’ to turn back Pharaoh’s army\,\nHallelu!\nWhen Moses smit de water\nThe children all cross over\,\nDen dey turn back Pharaoh’s army\,\nHallelu!\ nDidn’t Ol’ Pharaoh Get Lost?\n\nGod spoke to Moses\, “Pharaoh now\, \nFer I have harden Pharaoh’s heart to me\,\nFer he will not bow.”\nCh orus:\nDidn’t ol’ Pharaoh get lost\, get lost!\nDidn’t ol’ Pharaoh get lost in de Red Sea?\nMoses went unto Pharaoh\nAn’ did whut de Lawd said how\,\nBut God had harden Pharaoh’s heart\,\nHe would not let dem g o.\nWho Built de Ark?\n\nDe very fust thing dat Nora done\,\nHe cut this t imber down.\nDe very next thing dat Nora done\nHe huded it all aroun’.\n [192]\nChorus:\nWho built de ark? Nora\, Nora.\nWho built de ark? Nora a n’ his Lawd.\nWho built de ark? Nora\, Nora.\nWho built de ark? Nora a n’ his Lawd.\nNora said to de rovin’ bird\,\n“Go bring me a grain of san’.”\nDe rovin’ bird cried\, “O Lawd\,\nI can’t find no lan’.”\nThe old songs had much to say about trouble\, the struggle wi th sin and the devil\, and the warning to the sinner man. Favorite lines u sed to be:\n\nNobody knows de trouble I’ve seen\nI’m a-rollin’ throu gh an unfriendly worl’\nO my good Lawd\, keep me from sinkin’ down\nWe are climbin’ Jacob’s ladder\nMy sins so heavy I can’t get along\nSi nner\, what you gonna do?\nO sinner\, don’t you let dis harves’ pass\n Perhaps Satan and the terrors of hell and judgment are not pictured as fre quently and as vividly as they used to be\, but they are still a vital par t of Negro song. The following songs portray the struggle with sin\, the w arning to the sinner\, and the superior status of the sanctified as oppose d to the sinner.\n\nGood Lawd\, I Am Troubled\n\nTroubles makes me weep an ’ moan\,\nGoin’ where troubles be no mo’\;\nGood Lawd\, I am trouble d.\nTroubles meet me at de do’\,\nGoin’ where troubles be no mo’\;\n Good Lawd\, I am troubled.\n[193]\nTroubles up and troubles down\,\nTroubl es never makes me frown\;\nGood Lawd\, I am troubled.\nWe Will Kneel ’Ro un’ de Altar\n\nLawd\, help me to be mo’ humble\,\nLawd\, help me to b e mo’ humble\,\nIn dat great gittin’-up mornin’\,\nLawd\, help me be mo’ humble in dis worl’.\nChorus:\nWe will kneel ’roun’ de alta r on our knees\,\nWe will kneel ’roun’ de altar on our knees\,\nWe wil l kneel ’roun’ de altar\nTill we view de risin’ sun.\nO Lawd\, have mercy on me.\nLawd\, help me be mo’ faithful\,\nLawd\, help me be mo’ faithful in dis worl’.\nWe will see God’s risin’ sun\,\nLawd\, help me be mo’ humble in dis worl’.\nLawd\, help de widders an’ de orphan s in dis worl’\,\nLawd\, help de widders an’ de orphans in dis worl’ .\nIn dis great gittin’-up mawnin’\,\nLawd\, help the widders an’ de orphans in dis worl’.\nDe Devil’s Been to My House[83]\n\nDe devil’ s been to my house today\, today\,\nDe devil’s been to my house today\, today\,\nLawd\, de devil’s been to my house today\, today\,\nDe devil’ s been to my house today\, today.\nI kicked him out my do’ today\, today \,\nI kicked him out my do’ today\, today\,\nLawd\, I kicked him out my do’ today\, today\,\nI kicked him out my do’ today\, today.\n[194]\n I’s goin’ sin-huntin’ today\, today\,\nI’s goin’ sin-huntin’ t oday\, today\,\nLawd\, I’s goin’ sin-huntin’ today\, today\,\nI’ s goin’ sin-huntin’ today\, today.\n[83]The next three songs are compo sitions of Sanctified Mary Harris. Have Everlastin’ Life has little orig inality\, however.\n\nJes’ Behol’ What a Number!\n\nYonder comes my si ster\nWho I’s loves so well.\nBy her disobedience\nShe have made her bed in hell.\nChorus:\nJes’ behol’ what a number!\nJes’ behol’ what a number!\nJes’ behol’ what a number\nFrom every grave-yard.\nI looks u nto de eas’\,\nI looks unto de wes’\,\nI see de dead a-risin’\nFrom every grave-yard.\nHave Everlastin’ Life\n\nBetter min’\, my sister\, how you walk on de cross\,\nHave on everlastin’ life\,\nYour foot might slip an’ your soul get los’\,\nHave everlastin’ life.\nChorus:\nOh\, he dat believe\, oh\, he dat believe\,\nHe shall have on everlastin’ li fe.\nHe dat believe on de father an’ de son\nShall have everlastin’ li fe.\nDe tallest tree in paradise\,\nHave everlastin’ life\,\nDe Christia n call it de tree of life\,\nPut on everlastin’ life.\n[195]\n\nThe Sanc tified\n\nSay\, who’s gonna ride my father’s horse?\nSay\, who’s gon na ride my father’s horse?\nSay\, who’s gonna ride my father’s horse ?\nThank God\, the sanctified.\nSay\, none can ride but the sanctified\,\n Say\, none can ride but the sanctified\,\nSay\, none can ride but the sanc tified\,\nThank God\, the sanctified.\nSay\, Paul he rode with the sanctif ied\,\nSay\, Paul he rode with the sanctified\,\nSay\, Paul he rode with t he sanctified\,\nThank God\, the sanctified.\nNo sinner rides with the san ctified\,\nNo sinner rides with the sanctified\,\nNo sinner rides with the sanctified\,\nThank God\, I’m sanctified.\nWhat You Gonna Do?\n\nSinner \, what you gonna do\nWhen de world’s on fi-er?\nSinner\, what you gonna do\nWhen de world’s on fi-er?\nSinner\, what you gonna do\nWhen de wo rld’s on fi-er?\nO my Lawd.\nBrother\, what you gonna do? etc.\nSister\, what you gonna do? etc.\nFather\, what you gonna do? etc.\nMother\, what you gonna do? etc.\nI Love Jesus\n\nDark was de night an’ cold was de gr oun’\nOn which de Lawd had laid\;\nDrops of sweat run down\,\nIn agony h e prayed.\n[196]\nWould thou despise my bleedin’ lam’\nAn’ choose de way to hell\,\nStill steppin’ down to de tomb\,\nAn’ yet prepared n o mo’?\nI love Jesus\,\nI love Jesus\,\nI love Jesus\,\nO yes\, I do\,\n Yes\, Lawdy.\nSave Me\, Lawd\n\nLawd\, have mercy\, Lawd\, have mercy.\nLa wd\, have mercy\, Lawd\, have mercy.\nSave po’ me\,\nSave po’ sinner\, \nSave po’ sinner\,\nSave po’ sinner\,\nSave me\, Lawd.\nI am a-dyin ’\,\nI am a-dyin’\,\nI am a-dyin’\,\nSave me\, Lawd.\nO Lawd\, bless me\, O Lawd\, bless me\,\nO Lawd\, bless me\, O Lawd\, bless me.\nSave po ’ me\,\nSave po’ sinner\,\nSave po’ sinner\,\nSave po’ sinner\,\nS ave me\, Lawd.\nParting and death are the subjects of the saddest songs th at the Negro sings. The following songs awaken thoughts of the old folk sa ying their goodby’s at the last service of a revival meeting or parting after a long-hoped-for family reunion. I Bid You a Long Farewell is one of the favorites of Aunt Georgia Victrum\, age eighty-three\, of Jasper Coun ty\, Georgia.\n\n[197]\n\nI Bid You a Long Farewell\n\nMother\, meetin’ is over\,\nMother\, we mus’ part.\nIf I never see you no mo’\,\nI love you in my heart.\nChorus:\nI bid you a long farewell\,\nBrother\, I bid y ou a long farewell.\nIf I never see you no mo’\nI bid you a las’ farew ell.\nBrother\, meetin’ is over\,\nBrother\, we must part.\nIf I never s ee you no mo’\,\nI love you in my heart.\nI Don’t Want You All to Grie ve After Me\n\nI don’t want you all to grieve after me\,\nI don’t want you all to grieve after me.\nOh\, when I’m dead an’ buried in my co l’ silent tomb\,\nI don’t want you all to grieve after me.\nAn’ I wi ll walk through the valley in peace\,\nAn’ I will walk through the valle y in peace.\nOh\, when I’m dead an’ buried in my col’\, silent tomb\ ,\nI don’t want you all to grieve after me.\nMy dear mother\, don’t yo u grieve after me\,\nMy dear mother\, don’t you grieve after me.\nOh\, w hen I’m dead an’ buried in my col’\, silent tomb\,\nI don’t want y ou all to grieve after me.\nMy ol’ uncle\, don’t you grieve after me\, etc.[84]\n[84]And so on for father\, sister\, brother\, etc.\, etc.\n\nWh en I’s Dead an’ Gone\n\nHe is a dyin’-bed maker.\nJesus met a woman at de well\,\nAn’ she went runnin’ home\nAn’ tol’ her friends\,\ n“A man tol’ me all I ever done.”\n[198]\nThe friends dey come a r unnin’ with de woman\,\nSaw Jesus settin’ on de well\,\nHe said he cou ld give de livin’ water\nAn’ save yo’ soul from hell.\nHe is a dyi n’-bed maker.\nWhen I’s dead an’ gone\nSomebody gonna say I’s lost \,\nBut dey ought-a go down by Jordan\nAn’ see whar Jesus led me ’cros s.\nWhen I’s dead an’ gone\,\nI don’t want you to cry\;\nJus’ go o n down to de ol’ church\nAn’ close my dyin’ eye.\nWhen Jesus hangi n’ on de cross\,\nHis mudder began to moan.\nHe looked at his dear ’ci ples\nAn say\, “Take my dear mudder home.”\nAngels Lookin’ at Me\n\n Dig my grave wid a silver spade\,\nAngels lookin’ at me.\nOh\, look-a de re\, look-a dere\,\nOh\, look-a dere\, look-a dere\,\nAngels lookin’ at me.\nDrive me dere in a cerriage fine\,\nAngels lookin’ at me.\nOh\, loo k-a dere\, look-a dere\,\nOh\, look-a dere\, look-a dere\,\nAngels looki n’ at me.\nLet me down wid a silver chain\,\nAngels lookin’ at me\, et c.\nAll dem sinners can moan an’ weep\,\nAngels lookin’ at me\, etc. \nI’s settin’ in heaven in a golden cheer\,\nAngels lookin’ at me\, etc.\n[199]\n\nYou Mus’ Shroud My Body\n\nPray\, mother\, pray fer me\,\ nPray\, Lawd\, until I die.\nYou mus’ shroud my body\, Lawd\,\nAn’ lay it away.\nChorus:\nI hear Jerusalem moan\,\nYou mus’ shroud my body\, L awd\,\nAn’ lay it away.\nPray\, sister\, pray fer me\,\nPray\, Lawd\, un til I die\,\nYou mus’ shroud my body\, Lawd\,\nAn’ lay it away.\nBut d eath holds no terror for the Negro. He maintains that death’s stream “ chills the body but not the soul\,” and he believes that\n\n’Way up in the Rock of Ages\nIn God’s bosom gonna be my pillah.\nAs of old\, heave n is the greatest theme of his religious song. He used to sing:\n\nWhen I git to heaven gonna ease\, ease\,\nMe an’ my God gonna do as we please.\ nNow wait till I gits my gospel shoes\,\nGonna walk about heaven an’ spr ead the news.\nDere’s a long white robe in de heaven for me.\nNo more ha rd trials in de kingdom.\nGonna feast off milk an’ honey.\nNow he sings: \n\nI wants to go to heaven\, set in de angel’s seat\;\nI wants to go to heaven\, eat what de angels eat.\n[200]\nI’s gonna be in my home in hea ven\nWhen I lay my burden down.\nI’m swingin’ in de swinger\,\nGonna s wing me home to heaven.\nI’s gonna bathe my weary soul in paradise.\nBut let the songs speak for themselves. Among them are some which might now b e famous if they had only been born seventy years ago.\n\nI Never Will Tur n Back\n\nJesus my all to heaven is gone\,\nI never will turn back\nWhile de heaven’s in my view\,\nHe who I fix my heart upon.\nI never will turn back\nWhile heaven’s in my view.\nChorus:\nI never will\,\nI never will \,\nI never will turn back\nWhile de heaven’s in my view.\nWhile de heav en’s in my view\nMy journey I prosue.\nI never will turn back\nWhen heav en’s in my view.\nWhen I Lay My Burden Down\n\nGlory\, glory\, halleluja h\, when I lay my burden down\,\nGlory\, glory\, hallelujah\, when I lay m y burden down\,\nGlory\, glory\, hallelujah\, when I lay my burden down\,\ nI gonna be in heaven when I lay my burden down.\nGlory\, glory\, halleluj ah\, I’s goin’ to my home on high\,\nGlory\, glory\, hallelujah\, I’ s goin’ to my home on high\,\nGlory\, glory\, hallelujah\, I’s goin’ to my home on high\,\nI’s gonna be in my home in heaven when I lay my b urden down.\n[201]\n\nSince I Laid My Burden Down\n\nI been shoutin’\,\n I been shoutin’\nSince I laid my burden down\;\nI been shoutin’\,\nI b een shoutin’\nSince I laid my burden down.\nChorus:\nGlory\, glory\, hal lelujah\,\nSince I laid my burden down\;\nGlory\, glory\, hallelujah\,\nSi nce I laid my burden down.\nI been prayerin’\,\nI been prayerin’\nSinc e I laid my burden down\;\nI been prayerin’\,\nI been prayerin’\nSince I laid my burden down.\nIn de Mornin’ Soon\n\nSister Sal she got on her travelin’ shoes\,\nIn de mornin’ soon\,\nIn de mornin’ soon\,\nIn d e mornin’ soon.\nYes\, I’s goin’ to bury my weary soul\nIn de morn in’ soon.\nSinners\, I hates to leave you here\,\nSinners\, I hates to l eave you here\,\nSinners\, I hates to leave you here\,\n’Cause I goin’ to go to paradise\nIn de mornin’ soon.\nSome o’ dese days jes’ abou t noon\,\nSome o’ dese days jes’ about noon\,\nSome o’ dese days j es’ about noon\,\nI’s goin’ to bathe my weary soul in paradise\nIn d e mornin’ soon.\n[202]\n\nOh\, de Gospel Train’s A-Comin’\n\nOh\, de gospel train’s a-comin’\,\nGoodby\, good by\, good by.\nOh\, de gospe l train’s a-comin’\,\nGoodby.\nOh\, de gospel train’s a-comin’\,\n Oh\, de gospel train’s a-comin’\,\nOh\, de gospel train’s a-comin’ \,\nGoodby.\nOh\, she’s comin’ ’roun’ de curve\,\nGoodby\, good by \, good by.\nOh\, she’s comin’ ’roun’ de curve\,\nGoodby.\nOh\, de train am heavy loaded\, etc.\nOh\, sinner have you got you ticket? etc.\n Oh\, she’s boun’ straight way to heaven\, etc.\nCan’t you change you way o’ livin? etc.\nOh\, Marse Jesus am de captain\, etc.\nOh\, de ride am free to heaven\, etc.\nSome o’ These Days\n\nI’m a-goin’ to cros s that river Jordan\,\nI’m a-goin’ to cross that river Jordan\, hal-lu -yah!\nI’m a-goin’ to cross that river Jordan\,\nI’m a-goin’ to cr oss that river Jordan some o’ these days.\nI’m a-goin’ to sit down side o’ my Jesus\,\nI’m a-goin’ to sit down side o’ my Jesus\, ha l-lu-yah!\nI’m a-goin’ to sit down side o’ my Jesus\,\nI’m a-goi n’ to sit down side o’ my Jesus some o’ these days.\nI’m a-goin’ to tell him how I love him\,\nI’m a-goin’ to tell him how I love him\ , hal-lu-yah!\nI’m a-goin’ to tell him how I love him\,\nI’m a-goi n’ to tell him how I love him some o’ these days.\n[203]\nI’m a-go in’ to wear them golden slippers\,\nI’m a-goin’ to wear them golden slippers\, hal-lu-yah!\nI’m a-goin’ to wear them golden slippers\,\n I’m a-goin’ to wear them golden slippers some o’ these days.\nI Want s to Go to Heaven\n\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nJine de angels’ ban’\; \nI wants to go to heaven\,\nStan’ where de angels stan’.\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nHave some angel wing\;\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nSee de Jesus King.\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nShout lak de angels shout\;\nI wan ts to go to heaven\nAn’ walk about.\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nSet in d e angels’ seat\;\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nEat what de angels eat.\nI wants to go to heaven\,\nWeep when de angels weep\;\nI wants to go to heav en\nSleep where de angels sleep.\nWhen I Git Home\n\nGonna shout trouble o ver\nWhen I git home\,\nGonna shout trouble over\nWhen I git home.\nNo m o’ prayin’\, no mo’ dyin’\nWhen I git home\,\nNo mo’ prayi n’ an’ no mo’ dyin’\nWhen I git home.\n[204]\nMeet my father\nWhen I git home.\nMeet my father\nWhen I git home.\nShake glad hands\nWhen I g it home\,\nShake glad hands\nWhen I git home.\nMeet King Jesus\nWhen I git home\,\nYes\, I meets King Jesus\nWhen I git home.\nI’s Gonna Shine\n \nI’s gonna shine\nWhiter dan snow\,\nWhen I gits to heaven\nAn’ dey m eets me at de do’.\nOh\, shine\, I will shine\,\nHow dey shine\, glory s hine\,\nWhen I gits to heaven\nAn’ dey meets me at de do’.\nShine\, God a’-mighty shine\,\nAll de sinners shine in de row\;\nBut I’ll be d e out-shinedest\nWhen dey meets me at de do’.\nOh\, shine\, de brudders shine\,\nDey sisters shine ever mo’\,\nWhen we all gits to heaven\nAn’ dey meets us at de do’.\nI’s Swingin’ in de Swinger[85]\n\nI’s swingin’ in de swinger\,\nThank God.\nI’s swingin’ in de swinger\,\n Thank God.\n[205]\nIt’s a bran’ new swinger\,\nThank God.\nIt’s a bran’ new swinger\,\nThank God\,\nThank God.\nGoin’ to swing me to hea ven\,\nThank God.\nGoin’ to swing me to heaven\,\nThank God\,\nThank God .\nKing Jesus in de swinger\,\nThank God.\nKing Jesus in de swinger\,\nTha nk God\,\nThank God.\n[85]The idea for this novel song probably came from Swing Low\, Sweet Chariot. It is another composition of Sanctified Mary Ha rris\, as are also the two remaining songs in this chapter.\n\nGoodby\, Si ng Hallelu\n\nGoodby to sin an’ sorrow\,\nGoodby\, sing hallelu.\nFarewe ll\, sinner\, I see you no mo’\,\nGoodby\, sing hallelu.\nGoodby\, hypoc rite\, you Beelzebub\,\nGoodby\, sing hallelu.\nI’m goin’ away\, I’l l meet you in heaven\,\nGoodby\, sing hallelu.\nFarewell\, mother\, I meet you in de mawnin’\,\nGoodby\, sing hallelu.\nI Calls My Jesus King Eman uel\n\nO King Emanuel\,\nI calls my Jesus King Emanuel.\nKing Emanuel\, he ’s a mighty ’Manuel\,\nI calls my Jesus King Emanuel.\nSome calls him Jesus\,\nBut I call my Jesus King Emanuel.\nBecause his power so great and strong\,\nI calls my Jesus King Emanuel.\n[206]\n\nCHAPTER XII\nTHE ANNAL S AND BLUES OF LEFT WING GORDON\nHere is a construction camp which employs largely Negro workers. In four years 8\,504 laborers were employed and th ere was an average labor turnover of once each month\, or forty-eight diff erent sets of men working on the buildings and road under construction dur ing that time. This camp employed men from different Southern states in th e order named: North Carolina\, South Carolina\, Virginia\, Tennessee\, Ge orgia\, Florida\, Alabama\, Texas\, Mississippi\, Louisiana\; while stragg lers represented eleven states outside the South. Why this turnover? Why d o men travel from state to state? Of what sort are they? How many road cam ps and construction groups throughout the South duplicate this record? Wha t are the experience\, history\, difficulties of the Negro worker by the r oadside? Why does he quit his job? Where will he go for the next?\n\nThe e ntire story of the casual laborer will\, of course\, have to be told elsew here in thorough studies of migration and case studies of many individuals . It is a remarkable story\, sometimes unbelievable. It is not the purpose of this chapter to go into the matter of causes\, but to present a pictur e of the workaday songster as a sort of cumulative example of the whole st ory of this volume. It is true that his early home life\, his training\, h is experience\, his relation to the whites\, have all influenced him great ly. It is true also that there is often slack work\, poor conditions of ho using and work\, little recreation\, small wages\, and always a[207] call to some better place. But we are concerned with these here only as they ar e a part of the background of the picture. Here is a type perhaps more rep resentative of the Negro common man than any other. Now a youngster of eig ht\, father and mother dead\, off to Texas to an uncle\, then—“po’ m istreated boy”—he goes to Louisiana\, then to Mississippi\, then to Ge orgia\, across South Carolina\, back home to North Carolina\, then off to Philadelphia\, to Pittsburg\, to Ohio\, to Chicago\, then back to the East and Harlem and back South again. He is typical of a part of the Negro mov ement of the decade. But there is continuously a stream of moving laborers from country to town\, from town to town\, from city to city\, from state to state\, from South to North. Here is hardship\, but withal adventure\, romance\, and blind urge for survival.\n\nAs an example of this worker an d songster we present John Wesley Gordon\, alias Left Wing[86] Gordon\, co mmonly called “Wing.” He is very real\, and one could scarcely imagine a better summary of the lonesome road\, if made to order. Recent popular volumes portraying the species hobo show no wanderers arrayed like these b lack men of the lonesome road. Walt Whitman’s\n\nAfoot and light-hearted I take to the open road\nHealthy and free\, the world before me\,\nThe lo ng brown path before me\, leading wherever I choose\nwould seem a gentle t aunt to Left Wing Gordon on the red roads of Georgia or on the Seaboard ro ds in “sweet ol’ Alabam’.” He had\, at the last writing\, given ex cellent tale of working\, loafing\, singing his way[208] through thirty-ei ght states of the union\, with such experience and adventure as would make a white man an epic hero. “You see\, boss\, I started travelin’ when I wus ’leven years ol’ an’ now I’ll be thirty this comin’ August 26th. I didn’t have no father an’ mother\, so I jes’ started somewh eres. I’d work fer folks\, an’ they wouldn’t treat me right\, so I m oved on. An’\, Lawd\, cap’n\, I ain’t stopped yet.” And so he ha dn’t\, for when on the morrow we came to put the finishing touches on hi s story\, a fellow laborer said\, “Law’\, boss\, Wing done gone to Phi ladelphia.”\n\n[86]So called because he had lost his right arm.\n\n“Wi ng\,” who started from St. Joseph in Missouri\, lost his arm at eighteen years of age. He gives the following concrete data about some of the plac es where he has worked and loafed. What story might have been written if w e had taken the states alphabetically\, asking him for full details\, with plenty of time\, one can only imagine. Here is the order in which he volu nteered information about the different states\, in the geography of which he appears to be something of a scholar. The phraseology belongs to Wing and the inconsistencies remain as in his Iliad.\n\nLouisiana. Worked on bo at some an’ saw-mill some.\n\nFlorida. Worked on hard roads.\n\nAlabama. Worked in steel plants six miles from Birmingham.\n\nTexas. Didn’t do n othin’ in Texas\, had a little money to spend.\n\nArkansas. Worked a t H—— Hotel at New Port\, fellow runnin’ name Jack N——.\n\nMisso uri. Worked on boat.\n\nIllinois. Sold papers in Chicago\, started mowin ’ lawns\, white-washin’ fences\, brushin’ furniture\, an’ worked i n packin’ house.\n\n[209]\n\nWyoming. Had a little money in Cheyenne a n’ didn’t have nothin’ to do.\n\nNebraska. At Omaha worked at pack in’ house.\n\nIowa. Worked in mines and on railroad.\n\nCanada. Worked a t government camp ’cross from Detroit\, an’ broom factory at Montreal. \n\nMichigan. Worked at Ford factory at district on P. &\; M. railroad out north of Detroit.\n\nKansas. In harvest fields ’bout 37 miles from L eavenworth—Naw sir\, never been in Leavenworth prisons.\n\nNorth Carolin a. On a job.\n\nArizona. Didn’t do nothin’ much.\n\nSouth Carolina. On hard roads an’ Southern Power Company.\n\nGeorgia. Comin’ in a hurry\ , never fooled ’round there much. Did work in saw mill eight miles out f rom Waycross two weeks.\n\nTennessee. Out at Knoxville and Maysville at ma loominum plant.\n\nMississippi. In boats at Vicksburg and Natchez.\n\nVirg inia. Worked most everywhere—Richmond at Broad Meadows\, 1227 Brook Aven ue.\n\nNew York. Out at Bessemer plants stirrin’ pots.\n\nWashington. At Alexandria\, Virginia side.\n\nOhio. Worked for Mayor of Bridgeport\, nam ed C. J—.\n\nWest Virginia. At coal mines.\n\nPennsylvania. Worked in Pi ttsburg steel mills eight miles from Pittsburg.\n\nMaryland. I’s in Balt imore\, had boat carry us out an’ bring us back\, Double A flashlight fa ctory at 47 cents a hour.\n\nNew Jersey. Cross from New York\, four miles from Nooark\, work on Hansack River.\n\nWisconsin. Used to work out o’ M ilwaukee\, butler on C. B. &\; Q. road\; eight miles out but we stayed in Milwaukee.\n\n[210]\n\nConnecticut. Used to ketch boat an’ go over to New Haven\, Hartford\, Thomasville\, eight miles out from Springfiel’\, Massachusetts.\n\nMassachusetts. Springfiel’ and Boston\, too. Didn’t work none in Boston but had sister there.\n\nRhode Island. Never stopped there but I could walk all over that little state. Hartford is capital.\n\ nNorth Dakota. Wiped up engine on Great Northern\, 237 miles from Minneapo lis.\n\nSouth Dakota. Worked out in Aberdeen in wheat fields\, harvest for Al T——\, mostly carried water.\n\nCalifornia. When war was goin’ on \, time of government camp at Los Angeles an’ Sacramento an’ Miles Cit y.\n\nWing was also a great songster. “When de ‘Wing Blues’ come out \, dat’s me\,” he would say. His chief refrain was always\n\nO my babe \, you don’t know my min’\,\nWhen you see me laughin’\,\nLaughin’ to keep from cryin’\,[87]\nof which he had many versions. This chorus wa s easily adapted to a hundred songs and varied accordingly. “When you se e me laughin’\, I’m laughin’ just to keep from cryin’\,” o r “I’m tryin’ to keep from cryin’\,” or “When you think I’m laughin’\, I’m cryin’ all the time.” There were his other ve rsions\, such as\n\nO my babe\, you don’t know my min’\,\nWhen you thi nk I’m lovin’ you\nI’m leavin’ you behin’\,\nwith its similar va riety\, such as “I’m leavin’ to worry you off my min’\,” or “W hen you think I’m leavin’[211] I’m comin’ right behin’.” Win g claimed a “Blues” for every state and more\; if there was none alrea dy at hand\, he would make one of his own. There were the various Southern blues\, the Boll Weevil Blues\, Cornfield Blues\, Gulf Coast Blues\, Atla nta Blues\, Alabama Blues\, Birmingham Blues\, Mississippi Blues\, Louisia na Low Down\, Shreveport Blues\, New Orleans Wiggle\, Norfolk Blues\, Virg inia Blues\, Oklahoma Blues\, Memphis Blues\, Wabash Blues\, St. Louis Blu es\, Carolina Blues\, Charleston Blues\, and many others.\n\n[87]One of th e most popular blues today is a piece called You Don’t Know My Mind Blue s. We have evidence\, however\, which tends to show that numerous vulgar v ersions of the same title were current among the Negroes long before the f ormal song was published.\n\nIt must be admitted that Wing’s blues were mixed and of wonderful proportions. He could sing almost any number of blu es\, fairly representative of the published type\, with\, of course\, the typical additions\, variations\, and adaptations to time and occasion.\n\n Ohio\, Ohio\, West Virgini\, too\,\nDe blues dis nigger’s had only very few.\nWhat you gonna do?\nLawd\, what you gonna do?\nWhen I come from New York\,\nWalkin’ ’long the way\,\nPeople pick me up\nJes’ to get me t o pay\,\nAin’t my place to live\,\nAnyway you can’t stay here.\nO Illi nois Central\,\nWhat can you spare?\nFo’ my baby’s in trouble\nAn’ I ain’t dere.\nHey\, Lawdy\, Lawdy\, I got crazy blues\,\nCan’t keep from cryin’\,\nThinkin’ about that baby o’ mine.\nLawd\, I woke up d is mornin’\,\nFound my baby gone\,\nMissed her from rollin’\nAn’ t umblin’ in my arms.\n[212]\nO Lawd\, if I feel tomorrow\nLak I feel to-d ay\,\nGood God\, gonna pack my suitcase\,\nLawd\, an’ walk away.\nI’d rather be in jail\,\nStandin’ like a log\,\nThan be here\nTreated like a dog.\nCreek’s all muddy\,\nPond’s gone dry\,\nI never miss my baby\nT ill she said goodby.\nWell\, I went to graveyard\nAn’ looked in my bab y’s face\,\nSaid\, “I love you\, sweet baby\,\nJes’ can’t take yo’ place.”\nWhistle blowed on\,\nChurch bell softly toned\;\nWell\, I had good woman\nBut po’ girl dead an’ gone.\nWell\, I woke up dis mo rnin’\,\nHad blues all ’round my bed\;\nI believe to my soul\nBlues go nna kill me dead.\nO baby\, you don’t know my min’.\nWhen you think I’m laughin’\,\nLaughin’ to keep from cryin’\,\nLaughin’ to keep from cryin’.\nWing called that the Louisiana Blues\, and certainly for the time being it was so. And for Georgia\, although in his narrative he h ad given the Empire State of the South the usual Negro reputation of quick passage\, he sang a mixed blues.\n\n[213]\n\nDear ol’ Georgia\, my hear t is sinkin’\nAn’ my way come blinkin’ to you\,\nIf you ever leave G eorgia any length o’ time\,\nYo’ heart come blinkin’\, no other way but you\,\nCan’t be no other way.[88]\nThen for Alabama\, Tennessee\, Fl orida\, California\, Virginia\, there were other fragments\, besides numer ous formal versions.\n\nAlabama\, Tennessee\,\nI wrote my mother letter.\n Don’t write back to me\,\nReason I tell you\, I got de ’fo’-day blue s.\nI got de Florida blues\,\nHey\, mama\, hey\, baby\, I got de crazy blu es\,\nHey\, baby\, you don’t know my min’\,\nWhen you think I’m le avin’\, I’m comin’ all the time.\nI ain’t got no money\,\nNo place to stay.\nHey\, baby\, hey\, honey\,\nI got de Florida blues.\nI got Elgi n watch\nMade on yo’ frame.\nHey\, baby\, hey\, honey\,\nI got Florida b lues.\nCalifornia ridden\,\nDon’t think I’m didden\,\nDe reason I’m tellin’ you\,\nI have no place to stay.\nMother an’ father dead\,\nDon e gone away\,\nI’m a lonesome boy\,\nGot nowhere to stay.\n[214]\nHey\, mama\, hey\, baby\,\nI got de ’fo’-day blues.\nI’m California ridden \,\nI got de California blues.\nCalifornia in U. S.\,\nDat is where my lov e lie\,\nAn’ she will treat me best\,\nYou all take Alexander for ol’ plaything\,\nBut Alexander no name for you.\nO baby\, you don’t know my min’\,\nWhen you think I’m lovin’ you\, I’m leavin’ you behin’ .\n[88]This and many other of Wing’s stanzas have no clear meaning as fa r as we can tell. Sometimes his songs give the impression that he has lear ned the titles of numerous popular blues and has woven as many of them as possible into each stanza.\n\nBefore continuing Left Wing’s story\, givi ng something more of the scope of his adventures\, perhaps the best furthe r introduction will be the exact record of some of his songs in the order in which he gave them. Wing had practically no variation in his tunes and technique of singing. A high-pitched voice\, varied with occasional low to nes\, was the most important part of his repertoire. But what variation in words and scenes\, phrases and verses\, the recording of which would exha ust the time and endurance of the listener and call for an ever-recording instrument! For certainly the effort to transcribe everything Wing gave le ft the visitor amazingly exhausted\, marveling at the jumbled resourcefuln ess of the singer\, wishing for some new type of photography which would r egister the voice\, looks\, experience\, and inimitable temperament of thi s itinerant camp follower.\n\nAnna yo’ peaches\, but I’s yo’ man.\nH ow I wonder where you goin’ to-day\,\nThat my mother an’ father have n owhere to stay.\nWould you take them in\, oh\, would you take them in?\nHo w I love you\, how I love you\,\nWould you take me in\, would you take me in?\nAnna yo’ peaches\, but I’s yo man\,\nWould you take me in\, would you take me in?\n[215]\nLawd\, I woke up dis mornin’\,\nCouldn’t keep from cryin’\,\nThinkin’ about that\nLovin’ babe o’ mine.\nO my ba be\, you don’t know my min’\,\nO you don’t know my min’.\nWhen you think I’m laughin’\,\nI’m cryin’ all de time.\nReason I love yo u so\,\n’Cause my heart is true\,\nReason I love you so\,\nI’m goi n’ ’way.\nI’m goin’ ’way to worry you off my min’.\nReason I t hink you worry\,\nI’m ’way all the time\,\nI got de ’fo’-day blues .\nYou put yo’ coat on yo’ shoulder\,\nYou want to walk away\,\nYou go t yo’ lovin’ baby\,\nYou want a place to stay.\nWell\, I love you\, ba by\,\nGod knows I do.\nReason I love you\,\nYo’ heart is true.\nReason I love you\,\nGot de weary blues.\nDiffering slightly in tone\, Wing sets o ut on a new song only to swing back again to the same lonesome blues\; ind eed he makes his technique and his whines as he goes\, the result blending into a remarkable product.\n\nEddy Studow been here\,\nYou got de so long well\,\n’Cause I feel you sinkin’\,\nEasin’ down to hell\,\nO sweet baby\, you don’t know my min’\,\n’Cause when you think I’m la ughin’\, I’m cryin’.\n[216]\nIf you don’t b’lieve I’m sink in’\,\nJes’ look what a hole I’m in.\nIf you don’t b’lieve I lov e you\,\nJes’ look what a fool I been.\nO sweet baby\, you don’t know my min’.\nWhen you think I’m lovin’ you\, I’m leavin’ you behi n’.\nO baby\, jes’ ship my clo’es out in valise\,\nO baby\, jes’ s hip my clo’es out in valise.\nReason I tell you ship ’em\,\nYo’ hear t I don’t believe.\nThought I woke up yesterday\,\nMy heart was very sic k\,\n’Cause reason I love you.\n’Day’s nearer pay day.\nThe reason I love my lovin’ baby so\,\nOh\, reason I love my lovin’ baby so\,\n’ Cause if she make five dollars\nShe sho’ bring her father fo’.\nYes\ , it’s hey\, sweet baby\,\nYou don’t know my min’.\n’Cause it’s hey\, sweet baby.\nYou don’t know my min’.\nWhen you think I’m lau ghin’\,\nLaughin’ jes’ to keep from cryin’.\nO Lawd\, what you gon na say\,\nI need de woman for de money\,\nI got no place to stay.\nFor de reason I love my lovin’ baby so\,\nWhen she make eight dollahs\,\nSho’ bring her father fo’.\nRuther see you dead\,\nFloatin’ in yo’ grave \;\nRuther see you dead\,\nLawd\, floatin’ in yo’ grave.\nThan be here \, Lawd\,\nTreated dis a-way.\n[217]\nGeech had my woman\nAn’ two or thr ee mo’\;\nOh\, de Geech had my woman\nAn’ two or three mo’.\nHe’s a hard headed man\nAn’ won’t let me go.\nI wake up dis mornin’\,\nFe et half-way out de bed\,\nLawd\, I wake up dis mornin’\,\nOh\, de blues you give me\nSho’ gonna kill me dead.\nLeft Wing’s story of his wander ings does not omit\, of course\, the woman part of his “lovin’ wor l’.” Try as he might to sing of other experiences\, inevitably he woul d swing back to his old theme.\n\nI ruther be dead\nIn six feet o’ clay\ ,\nThan to see my baby\,\nLawd\, treated dis a-way.\nWell\, I love my baby \,\nI tell the worl’ I do\,\nBut reason I love her\,\nHer heart is true. \nGonna lay my head\nOn some ol’ railroad iron\,\nDas de only way\, baby \,\nTo worry you off my min’.\nI went to depot\,\nI looked up on de bo a’d\,\nMy baby ain’t here\,\nBut she’s somewhere on de road.\nBut I’m goin’ to town\,\nGoin’ to ask chief police\,\nFo’ my baby done quit me\nAn’ I can’t have no peace.\n[218]\nAn’ I’m goin’ away\ , baby\,\nTo worry you off my min’\,\n’Cause you keep me worried\nAn ’ bothered all de time.\nI wonder whut’s de matter\,\nLawd\, I can’t see.\nYou love some other man\, sweet woman\,\nAn’ you don’t love me. \nBefo’ I’d stay here\nAn’ let these women mistreat me\,\nI’d do l ike a bull frog\,\nJump in de deep blue sea.\nWing\, however\, does not ju mp into the deep blue sea\, although like the other traditional bull frog he does jump from place to place. Concerning the women about whom he sings \, he affirmed\, “Can’t count ’em\, take me day after tomorrow to count ’em. Find fifteen or twenty in different cities. New Orleans best place to find most fastest\, mo’ freer women\,—person find gang of ’ em in minute.\n\n“But I had some mighty fine women. Fust one was Abbie J ones\, ’bout —— Ioway Street. Nex’ was in M——\, Missouri\, Jen nie Baker\, Susan Baker’s daughter. Nex’ one St. Louis\, lady called B ulah Cotton\, Pete Cotton’s daughter. Nex’ one was in Eas’ St. Louis \, her name Sylvia Brown. Nex’ I had in Poplar Bluff\, one dat took my m oney an’ went off\, Effie Farlan\, had father name George Farlan. Nex’ Laura\, she’s in Memphis\, Tennessee\, she’s ’nother took my mone y an’ gone. Jes’ lay down\, went to sleep\, jes’ took money an’ go ne. Wake up sometimes broke an’ hongry\, they jes’ naturally take my m oney. Nex’ woman was at Columbia\, S. C.\, ’bout las’ regular one I had\, Mamie Willard\, mother an’ father dead. Sweethearts I can git plen ty of if I got money. If I[219] ain’t got none I’se sometimes lonesome \, but not always\, ’cause sometimes dey feel sorry fer you an’ treat you mighty fine anyway.”\n\nWing tells some remarkable stories\, evident ly products of the perfect technique of appeal and approach\, in which for mality and easy-going ways are blended with great patience and persistence . This series of adventures alone would make a full sized volume albeit th ere is no need to publish it abroad. Typical\, however\, are the chant ver ses below.\n\nI seed a pretty brown\,\nLawd\, walkin’ down the street\,\ nI sided long up to her\,\nSaid\, “Lady\, I ain’t had nothin’ to e at.”\nLawd\, she don’t pay me no min’\,\nWalkin’ wid her head hung high.\nBut still I knows\nI’ll git dat gal by an’ by.\nSo I walks up behin’ her\,\nAnd asts her good an’ polite\,\n“Miss\, can you tell m e\nWhere po’ boy can stay tonight?”\nStill she don’t pay me no m in’\,\nAn’ she’s movin’ on her way\,\nI asks her\, “Good Lawd\, lady\,\nWhere can po’ boy stay?”\nI ast her to tell me\nIf she knows g irl name Sady\,\n’Cause if she does\,\nI’s her man Brady.\nCo’se I don’t know no Sady\nAn’ I could git place to stay\,\nBut I wants to s tay wid dis lady\,\nSo I walks on her way.\n[220]\nSo she takes me to her home\nAn’ makes me pallet on de flo’\;\nAn’ she treats me\, baby\,\n Better ’n I been treated befo’.\nWing says he never stays in any place more than three weeks\, “leastwise never mo’ ’n fo’.” Sometimes he walks\, sometimes he rides the rods\, sometimes when money is plentifu l he rides in the cars. He has had his tragic and his comic experiences. T he spirit of the road is irrevocably fixed in him and he can think in no o ther terms. Some day a Negro artist will paint him\, a Negro story teller will tell his story\, a “high she’ff” will arrest him\, a “jedge ” will sentence him\, a “cap’n” will “cuss” him\, he will “r ow here few days longer\,” then he’ll be gone.\n\n[221]\n\nCHAPTER XII I\nJOHN HENRY: EPIC OF THE NEGRO WORKINGMAN\nLeft Wing Gordon was and is a very real person\, “traveling man” de luxe in the flesh and blood. No t so John Henry\, who was most probably a mythical character. Whatever oth er studies may report\, no Negro whom we have questioned in the states of North Carolina\, South Carolina and Georgia has ever seen or known of John Henry personally or known any one who has\, although it is well understoo d that he was “mos’ fore-handed steel-drivin’ man in the world.” S till he is none the less real as a vivid picture and example of the good m an hero of the race.\n\nAlthough\, like the story of Left Wing\, the John Henry ballad carries its own intrinsic merit\, this song of the black Paul Bunyan of the Negro workingman is significant for other reasons. It is\, first of all\, a rare creation of considerable originality\, dignity and i nterest. It provides an excellent study in diffusion\, and\, as soon as th e settings\, variations\, comparisons\, and adaptations have been complete d\, will deserve a special brochure. For the purposes of this volume\, how ever\, we shall present simply the John Henry ballad in the forms and vers ions heard within the regions of this collection\, with some comparative e vidence of the workingman’s varied mirror of his hero. John Henry is sti ll growing in reputation and in stature and in favor with the Negro singer \, ranging in repute from the ordinary fore-handed steel-driving man to a martyred president of the United States struck down\, with the[222] hammer in his hand\, by some race assassin. One youth reminiscent of all that he had heard\, and minded to make his version complete\, set down this:\n\nW hen John Henry was on his popper’s knee\,\nThe dress he wore it was red\ ;\nAnd the las’ word he said\,\n“I gonna die with the hammer in my h and.”\nWe have found a few Negroes who were not clear in their minds abo ut Booker T. Washington\, but we have found none in North Carolina\, South Carolina\, and Georgia who had not heard something some time about John H enry. In other places\, however\, in Mississippi and Maryland\, for instan ce\, we understand he is not so well known. To trace the story of the ball ad to its origin[89] is a difficult task and one awaiting the folk-lorist\ ; but to gather these samples of this sort of nomad ballad is a comparativ ely easy and always delightful task.\n\n[89]Prof. J. H. Cox traces John He nry to a real person\, John Hardy\, a Negro who had a reputation in West V irginia as a steel driver and who was hanged for murder in 1894. We are in clined to believe that John Henry was of separate origin and has become mi xed with the John Hardy story in West Virginia. We have never found a Negr o who knew the song as John Hardy\, and we have no versions which mention the circumstance of the murder and execution. For Cox’s discussion and s everal versions of John Hardy\, see his Folk-Songs of The South\, pp. 175- 188\; also Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 32\, p. 505 et seq. Biblio graphies will be found in these references.\n\nThere are many versions of the common story. Some hold that John Henry’s “captain” made a large wager with the boss of the steel-driving crew that John Henry could beat the steam drill down\, and that John Henry did succeed but died with the l ast stroke of his hammer. Others claim that the wager was John Henry’s o wn doing and that he never could stand the new-fangled steam contraption. Leastwise he died with the hammer in his hand\, some claiming in the mount ain drilling stone\, others in railroad cuts or tunnels[223] of various ro ads recently under construction. But in all cases the central theme is the same: John Henry\, powerful steel-driving man\, races with the steam-dril l and dies with the hammer in his hand.\n\nOf the fragments or variations of John Henry there seems to be no end. One at Columbia\, South Carolina\, sets the standard of conduct as at par with John Henry and affirms that “If I could hammer like John Henry\, I’d bro-by\, Lawd\, I’d bro- by\,” which was interpreted to mean the act of passing by the whole proc ession of steel drivers. An Atlanta version represented John Henry as sitt ing on his mother’s knee\, whereupon she “looked in his face an’ s ay\, ‘John Henry\, you’ll be the death o’ me’.” Another fragment from an old timer\, self-styled “full-handed musicianer\,” described John Henry as a steel driver who “always drove the steel” and always “beat the steam drill down\,” and added that if he could drill like J ohn Henry he would “beat all the steam drills down.” While most of the versions limited John Henry to steel driving on mountain or railroad\, ne vertheless there seems to be a general idea that he took turns at being a railroad man\, not in the sense of working on the railroad section gangs b ut as an engineer\, perhaps a skilled one. Part of this is the natural sto ry centering around the logical outcome of a railroad man\, and part is co rruption of the Casey Jones and other noted engineer songs. One opening st anza has it\,\n\nJohn Henry was a little boy\,\nHe was leanin’ on his fa ther’s knee\,\nSay\, “That big wheel turnin’ on Air Line Road\,\nWil l sure be death o’ me\,”\nwhile still others thought the K. C. or Fris co or C. &\; O. roads would be fatal. In the colloquial story\, part of [224] which is given later\, John Henry usually told his mother and friend s\, just as did Jagooze and the other railroad men\, about his proprietary powers in the noted railroads across the continent. Then there were the r eferences to his firemen and “riders” and the fear of a wreck. Sometim es\, as indicative of the changing form\, the singer switches off from the standard John Henry lines to some other\, like “goin’ up Decatur wid hat in my hand\, lookin’ for woman ain’t got no man.”\n\nFor the mos t part\, however\, the versions are rather consistent. The chief differenc es have to do with minor details. The main story is always the same. We ar e now presenting a dozen or more versions of the song\, beginning with wha t may be called the purer or more composite versions and ending with versi ons that have strayed far from the simple story of John Henry. The first i s a common Chapel Hill version\, but even that is varied almost as often a s it is sung by different groups. In this and the other versions\, John He nry’s wife or woman becomes in turn Delia Ann\, Lizzie Ann\, Polly Ann\, or whatever other Ann may be thought of as representing an attractive per son. Sometimes John Henry carried her in the “palm of his hand\,” as i ndeed he is also reported to have carried his little son. When a child\, J ohn Henry also sat on his father’s knee as well as his mother’s. Somet imes it was seven-\, sometimes nine-\, sometimes ten-pound hammer that wou ld be the death of him. Sometimes it was the C. &\; O. tunnel\, sometim es steel\, sometimes the hammer which was going to bring him down.\n\n[225 ]\n\nJohn Henry[90]\nA\n\nJohn Henry was a steel-drivin’ man\,\nCarried his hammer all the time\;\n’Fore he’d let the steam drill beat him dow n\,\nDie wid his hammer in his han’\,\nDie wid his hammer in his han’. \nJohn Henry went to the mountain\,\nBeat that steam drill down\;\nRock wa s high\, po’ John was small\,\nWell\, he laid down his hammer an’ he d ied\,\nLaid down his hammer an’ he died.\nJohn Henry was a little babe\n Sittin’ on his daddy’s knee\,\nSaid\, “Big high tower on C. &\; O . road\nGonna be the death o’ me\,\nGonna be the death o’ me.”\nJohn Henry had a little girl\,\nHer name was Polly Ann.\nJohn was on his bed s o low\,\nShe drove with his hammer like a man\,\nDrove with his hammer lik e a man.\n[90]The music of this version is given in Chapter XIV. For the m usic of a version of John Hardy\, see Campbell and Sharp\, English Folk-So ngs From The Southern Appalachians\, p. 87. There is available also a very good phonograph version of John Henry.\n\nB\n\nJohn Henry was a little bo y\nSittin’ on his papa’s knee\,\nSay\, “Papa you know I’m boun’ to die\,\nThis hammer be the death of me.”\nJohn Henry say one day\,\n “Man ain’t nothin’ but a man\,\nBefo’ I’ll be dogged aroun’\ nI’ll die wid de hammer in my han’.”\n[226]\nJohn Henry said to his captain\,\n“Man ain’t nothin’ but a man.\nBefo’ I work from sun to sun\nI’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\nJohn Henry was a steel -drivin’ man\,\nCarried hammer all time in his han’\;\nBefo’ he let you beat him down\nHe’d die wid de hammer in his han’.\nJohn Henry had a little girl\,\nName was Polly Ann.\nJohn Henry was on his dyin’ bed\, O Lawd\,\nShe drove with his hammer like a man.\nJohn Henry went up to th e mountain\nTo beat that steel drill down\;\nBut John Henry was so small\, rock so high\,\nLaid down his hammer an’ he died.\nC\n\nJohn Henry was a steel-drivin’ man.\nHe drove so steady an’ hard\;\nWell\, they put J ohn Henry in head to drive\,\nHe laid down his hammer an’ he cried.\nUp stepped girl John Henry loved\,\nShe throwed up her hands and flew\,\nShe ’clare to God\,\n“John Henry\, I been true to you.”\n“O where did you get yo’ new shoes from\,\nO’ dat dress dat you wear so fine?”\ n“I got my shoes from a railroad man\,\nMy dress from a driver in de min e.”\nJohn Henry had a little wife\,\nDress she wore was blue\,\nAn’ sh e declare to God\,\n“I always been true to you.”\n[227]\nJohn Henry wa s a little boy\nSittin’ on his papa’s knee\,\nHe said to his papa\, “Drivin’ steel\nIs gonna be the death of me.”\nD\n\nJohn Henry was a coal black man\,\nChicken chocolate brown\;\n“Befo’ I let your steame r get me down\,\nI die wid my hammer in my han’\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\nJohn Henry had a pretty little woman\,\nShe rode that Southbound train\;\nShe s topped in a mile of the station up there\,\n“Let me hear John Henry’s hammer ring\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\nJohn Henry sittin’ on the left-han’ s ide\nAn’ the steam drill on the right\;\nThe rock it was so large an’ John Henry so small\,\nHe laid down his hammer an’ he cried\, “Lawd\, Lawd.”\nJohn Henry had a pretty little woman\,\nHer name was Julie Ann\, \nShe walked through the lan’ with a hammer in her han’\,\nSayin’\ , “I drive steel like a man\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\nJohn Henry had a little w oman\,\nHer name was Julie Ann\;\nJohn Henry took sick on his work one day \,\nAn’ Julie Ann drove steel like a man\, Lawd\, Lawd.\nJohn Henry had a pretty little boy\,\nSittin’ in de palm of his han’\;\nHe hugged a n’ kissed him an’ bid him farewell\,\n“O son\, do the best you can\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\nJohn Henry was a little boy\nSittin’ on his papa’s k nee\,\nLooked down at a big piece o’ steel\,\nSaying\, “Papa\, that’ ll be the death o’ me\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\n[228]\nJohn Henry had a pretty little woman\,\nThe dress she wore was red\,\nShe went down the track an ’ never did look back\,\nSayin’\, “I’m goin’ where John Henry fe ll dead\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\nJohn Henry had a pretty little girl\,\nThe dres s she wore was blue\,\nShe followed him to the graveyard sayin\,’\n“Jo hn Henry I’ve been true to you\, Lawd\, Lawd.”\nE\n\nJohn Henry had a little wife\,\nName was Julia Ann\;\nJohn Henry got sick on his dyin’ be d\,\nJulia drove steel like a man\,\nO Lawd\, Julia drove steel like a man .\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nThe dress she wore was red\,\nWent dow n the track\, never look back\,\n“Goin’ where my man is dead\,\nLawd\, goin’ where may man is dead.”\nJohn Henry was a little boy\nSittin’ on his father’s knee\,\nSay\, “Ten-pound hammer gonna be the death o’ me\,\nLawd\, gonna be the death o’ me.”\nJohn Henry went up to th e rock\,\nCarried his hammer in his han’\,\nRock was so tall\, John Henr y was so small\,\nLaid down his hammer an’ he died.\nLawd\, laid down hi s hammer an’ he died.\nJohn Henry had a little woman\nAn’ she always d ressed in blue\,\nShe went down track\, never look back\,\nSay\, “John H enry I’m always true to you\,\nLawd\, I’m always true to you.”\n[229 ]\nJohn Henry on the right side\,\nSteam drill on the lef’\;\n“Bef o’ I’ll let you beat me down\nI die wid de hammer in my han’\,\nLa wd\, I’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\n“Who gonna shoe yo’ pre tty little feet\,[91]\nWho gonna comb yo’ bangs?\nWho gonna kiss yo’ r ose-red lips\,\nWho gonna be yo’ man?\nLawd\, who gonna be yo’ man ?”\n“Sweet Papa gonna shoe yo’ pretty little feet\,\nSister gonna comb yo’ bangs\,\nMama gonna kiss yo’ rose-red lips\,\nJohn Henry gonn a be yo’ man\,\nLawd\, John Henry gonna be yo’ man.”\n“Where you g et them high top shoes\,\nThat dress you wear so fine?”\n“Got my shoes from a railroad man\,\nMy dress from a worker in mine\,\nLawd\, my dress from worker in mine.”\nJohn Henry said to his captain\,\n“Man is not hin’ but a man\,\nBefo’ I let this rock beat me down\nI’d die wid de hammer in may han’\,\nLawd\, I’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\n [91]Stanzas of this kind are frequent in John Henry. They came originally from the old English ballad\, The Lass of Roch Royal. See Child\, The Engl ish and Scottish Popular Ballads\, No. 76.\n\nF\n\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nThe dress she wore was red\;\nShe went on down the railroad trac k\,\nSay\, “Goin’ where John Henry fall dead.”\nJohn Henry said to h is captain\,\n“Lawd\, a man ain’t nothin’ but a man\,\nBefo’ I let a man beat me down\nI’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\n[230]\nJohn Henry said to his woman\,\n“Who gonna shoe yo’ little feet?\nWho gonn a kiss yo’ rosy cheeks?\nWho gonna be yo’ man?\n“Where you get them high top shoes\,\nThat dress you wear so fine?”\n“Got my shoes from a railroad man\,\nMy dress from a man in the mine.”\nG\n\nJohn Henry said to his captain\,\n“Captain\, befo’ you leave this town\,\nIf you give me another drink of your corn\nI’ll beat yo’ steel drill down.”\nHam mer on the right side\,\nBucket on the lef’\,\n“Befo’ I let you beat me down\nI hammer myself to death.”\nJohn Henry up on the mountain top\ ,\nSay\, “Man ain’t nothin’ but a man\,\nBefo’ I let you beat me down\nI’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\nJohn Henry was a little b oy\,\nHe set on his mother’s knee\,\nCryin’\, “O Lord\, nine-pound h ammer\nGonna be the death o’ me.”\nH\n\nJohn Henry had a little wife \nAn’ he carried her in the palm of his han’\,\nHe hug an’ kiss he r an’ bid her farewell\nAn’ told her do the bes’ she can.\nChorus:\n John Henry was a steel-drivin’ man\,\nJohn Henry was a steel-drivin’ m an\,\nJohn Henry was a steel-drivin’ man\,\nJohn Henry was a steel-dri vin’ man.\n[231]\nJohn Henry was a little boy\nSittin’ on his mother ’s knee\,\nSay\, “Tunnel on C. &\; O. road\nGonna be the death o’ me.”\nJohn Henry said to his shaker\,[92]\n“Shaker\, you better p ray\;\nIf I make this six-foot jump\,\nTomorrow ’ll be yo’ buryin’ day.”\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nName was Polly Ann\,\nShe took a big hammer an’ went to the hills\,\nPolly Ann drive steel like a man.\ n[92]The “shaker” is the man who holds the drill upright and turns it between the strokes of the hammer.\n\nI\n\nJohn Henry told his captain\,\n “Hand me down my time\,\nI can make more money on Georgia Southern Road\ nThan I can on old Coast Line.”\nJohn Henry told his captain\,\n“Man ain’t nothin’ but a man\,\nBefo’ I let you beat me drivin’ stee l\nI’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\nJohn Henry had a little woman \,\nThe dress she wore was red\,\nLas’ word I heard her say\,\n“Goin ’ where my man fall dead.”\nJohn Henry told his captain\,\n“Captain\ , when you go to town\,\nBring me back a ten-pound hammer\nSo I can drive this steel on down.”\nJ\n\nJohn Henry told his captain\,\n“A man ain ’t nothin’ but a man\,\nBefo’ I work from sun to sun\nI’d die wid de hammer in my han’.”\n[232]\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nDress she wore was red\;\nGoin’ down railroad weepin’ and cryin’\,\nGoin ’ where John Henry fall dead.\nSay\, I ain’t gonna work much longer\,\ nAin’t gonna work on no farm\;\nAn’ I’m gonna stay here till pay-day \,\nAin’t gonna do nobody no harm.\n“Where’d you git them pretty lit tle shoes?\nWhere’d you git that dress so fine?”\n“Got my shoes from a railroad man\,\nDress from a man in the mine.”\n“Who’s gonna sh oe yo’ pretty little feet?\nWho’s gonna comb yo’ bangs?\nWho’s gon na kiss yo’ rosy cheeks?\nWho’s gonna be yo’ man?\n“Papa gonna s hoe yo’ pretty little feet\,\nSister gonna comb yo’ bangs\;\nMama gonn a kiss yo’ rosy cheeks\,\nJohn Henry gonna be yo’ man.”\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nName was Polly Ann\;\nJohn Henry got sick an’ coul dn’t hit a lick\,\nPolly Ann hit steel like a man.\nJohn Henry told his captain\,\n“Captain\, when you go to town\,\nOh\, bring me back a nine-p ound hammer\nSo I can drive this steel on down.”\nJohn Henry was a littl e boy\nSettin’ on his papa’s knee\,\nSay\, “The tunnel on the L. &am p\; N.\nGonna be the death o’ po’ me.”\nJohn Henry had a little girl \,\nName was Nellie Ann\;\nJohn Henry took sick an’ had to go home\,\nEv ery day po’ Nellie drove steel like a man.\n[233]\nJohn Henry had a litt le pistol\,\nHe carried it around in his han’\nWell\, look way over in S outhwest\,\nYou will find a steel-drivin’ man.\n“Who gonna buy yo’ p retty little shoes?\nWho gonna be yo’ man?\nWho gonna buy yo’ dress so fine?\nWhile I’m in some distant lan’?”\nJohn Henry bought a pistol \,\nPut it up in forty-fo’ frame\,\nHe look over in Southwest\,\nSpied t hat steel-drivin’ man.\nJohn Henry’s wife settin’ on do’-step cr yin’\,\nSay\, “Where po’ John Henry gone?”\nJohn Henry’s wife settin’ on do’-step cryin’\,\nSay\, “Where po’ John Henry gone ?”\nJohn Henry’s wife said to his chillun\,\n“Little chillun\, don ’t you worry none\,\n’Cause mama goin’ down to steel-drivin’ place \nWhere po’ daddy done gone.”\nChildren come runnin’ and cryin’\ ,\n“Mama\, what we gonna do?\nNews done reach gran’ma’s do’\,\nPap a done fall stone dead.”\nPeople went up in the mountain\,\nSay mountain was fallin’ in.\nJohn Henry say it was sad mistake\,\n“Nothin’ but my hammer in the win’.”\nJohn Henry say to his captain\,\n“Man ain ’t nothin’ but a man\,\nOh\, befo’ I let steel drill beat me down\nI die wid de hammer in my han’.”\nJohn Henry say to his captain\,\n“I have been with you ninety-nine-years\,\nAn’\, captain\, you don’t hur ry nobody\,\nBut always hurry me.”\n[234]\n\nK\n\nJohn Henry was a littl e boy\,\nWas settin’ ’roun’ playin’ in the san’\,\nTwo young lad ies come a-ridin’ by\,\nSay\, “I want you to be my man.”\nJohn Henry was a little boy\,\nSettin’ on his mamy’s knee\,\nSay\, “Dat ol’ nine-poun’ hammer\nGonna be the death o’ me.”\nJohn Henry was a crue l boy\,\nNever did look down\;\nBut when he start to drivin’ steel\nHe e ver-mo’ did drive it down.\nJohn Henry went to cap’n Monday\nAll worri ed in his min’\,\nSay\, “Give me a heavy axe\,\nLet me tear dis ol’ mountain down.”\nJohn Henry told the captain\,\n“Cap’n\, when you go to town\,\nBring me back a ten-poun’ hammer\nAn’ I lay dis ol’ se v’n-poun’ down.”\nJohn Henry went to captain\,\n“What mo’ you wa nt me to have?\nSay\, han’ me drink o’ ol’ white gin\,\nAn’ I’ll be a steel-drivin’ man.”\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nThe dress she wore was red\,\nShe went down de track\, never look back\,\nSay\, “I goin’ where my man fall dead.”\n“Who gonna shoe my pretty little fe et?\nMommer gonna glove my han’.\nPopper gonna kiss my rosy cheeks\,\nJo hn Henry gonna be my man.”\n[235]\nJohn Henry went to captain\,\nSay\, “Man ain’t nothin’ but a man.\nBefo’ I let you beat me down\nI di e wid de hammer in my han’.”\nJohn Henry had a little woman\,\nName wa s Lizzie Ann.\nSay she got her dress from man in mine\nAn’ her shoes fro m railroad man.\nJohn Henry on right\,\nSteam drill on lef’\,\n“Befo ’ I let steam drill beat me down\nI’ll drive my fool self to death.\ n“I drill all time\,\nI drill all day\,\nI drill all way from Rome\nTo D ecatur in one day.”\nJohn Henry say\,\n“Tell my mother\nIf she want to see me\,\nBuy ticket all way to Frisco.”\nJohn Henry on way to Frisco\, \nWid orders in his han’\,\nSay\, “All you rounders who want to flirt\ ,\nHere come a woman wid a hobble-skirt.”\nJohn Henry say to his captain \nBefo’ he lef’ town\,\n“If you give me ’nother drink o’ y o’ co’n\,\nI’ll beat yo’ steel drill down.”\nIt would take a lar ge volume to record all of the ways in which John Henry is known to the Ne gro worker and singer. He is known far and wide in song and story and he i s the hero of hundreds of thousands of black toilers. Negroes who do work that requires rhythmic movements\, such as digging or driving steel\, natu rally like to dwell upon the thought of the great[236] John Henry\, and th ey make work songs about the great hero. The four songs which follow are n ot only good examples of this kind of work song\, but reveal something of the worker’s feeling for John Henry.\n\nDis Here Hammer Kill John Henry\ n\nDis here hammer\, hammer\nKill John Henry\,\nKill John Henry\;\nDis her e hammer\, hammer\nKill John Henry\,\nCan’t kill me\,\nO Lawd\, can’t kill me.\nIf I Could Hammer Like John Henry\n\nIf I could hammer like John Henry\,\nIf I could hammer like John Henry\,\nLawd\, I’d be a man\,\nLa wd\, I’d be a man.\nIf I could hammer like John Henry\,\nIf I could hamm er like John Henry\,\nI’d bro-by\, Lawd\,\nI’d bro-by.\nNine-poun’ h ammer kill John Henry\,\nNine-poun’ hammer kill John Henry\,\nWon’t ki ll me\,\nLawd\, won’t kill me.\nI been hammerin’\,\nAll ’roun’ mou ntain\,\nWon’t kill me\, babe\,\nLawd\, won’t kill me.\nHeard Mighty R umblin’\n\nHeard mighty rumblin’\,\nHeard mighty rumblin’\,\nHeard m ighty rumblin’\nUnder the groun’.\n[237]\nWell\, heard mighty rumbli n’\,\nUnder the groun’\,\nUnder the groun’\,\nMus’ be John Henry turnin’ aroun’.\nUp on the mountain\,\nUp on the mountain\,\nWell\, u p on the mountain\,\nHeard John Henry cryin’.\nHeard John Henry cryin’ \,\nHeard John Henry cryin’\,\nWell\, I heard John Henry cryin’\,\ n“An’ I won’t come down.”\nJohn Henry Was a Man o’ Might\n\nJohn Henry was a man o’ might\,\nJohn Henry was a man o’ might\,\nJohn Hen ry was a man o’ might\,\nHe beat de iron man down.\nJohn Henry had a ham mer han\,’[93]\nAn’ he beat de iron man down.\n“Lawd\, Lawd\, boss \,” he cried\,\n“De iron man too much fo’ me.”\nAn’ dey laid Joh n Henry low\,\nHe won’t swing dat hammer no mo’.\nJohn Henry was big an’ strong\nBut de iron man brung ’im down.\nJohn Henry was big an’ brown\nBut de iron man brung him down.\nJohn Henry say\, “I got to go\, \nI can’t swing de ball no mo’.”\nJohn Henry was a mighty man\,\nA n’ he swing dat hammer.\n[93]The first line of each stanza is sung three times as indicated in the first stanza.\n\n[238]\n\nIn story John Henry ’s deeds often assume magnificent proportions. Indeed\, the stories abou t him are in many respects more interesting than the songs\, for the stori es usually have more range and reflect more imagination than the songs. Oc casionally one can find a Negro who will tell the story simply and without exaggeration\, but one usually gets a version which is more or less embel lished with the legendary attributes and attainments of John Henry. In the following story\, John Henry is credited with such powers as would make h im a close rival of Paul Bunyan himself.[94]\n\n[94]This story was recorde d at Chapel Hill\, N. C.\, but\, as far as we can tell it came originally from Stone Mountain\, Ga. It is given as nearly as possible in the words i n which it was told.\n\n“One day John Henry lef’ rock quarry on way to camp an’ had to go through woods an’ fiel’. Well\, he met big black bear an’ didn’t do nothin’ but shoot ’im wid his bow an’ arre r\, an’ arrer went clean through bear an’ stuck in big tree on other s ide. So John Henry pulls arrer out of tree an’ pull so hard he falls bac k ’gainst ’nother tree which is full o’ flitterjacks\, an’ first t ree is full o’ honey\, an’ in pullin’ arrer out o’ one he shaken d own honey\, an’ in failin’ ’gainst other he shaken down flitterjacks . Well\, John Henry set there an’ et honey an’ flitterjacks an’ set there an’ et honey an’ flitterjacks\, an’ after while when he went t o git up to go\, button pop off’n his pants an’ kill a rabbit mo’ ’n hundred ya’ds on other side o’ de tree. An’ so up jumped brown baked pig wid sack o’ biscuits on his back\, an’ John Henry et him too .\n\n“So John Henry gits up to go on through woods to camp for supper\ , ’cause he ’bout to be late an’ he mighty hongry for his supper. Jo hn Henry sees lake down hill and thinks he’ll git him a drink o’ water \, cause he’s thirsty\, too\, after eatin’ honey an’ flitterjacks an’[239] brown roast pig an’ biscuits\, still he’s hongry yet. An’ so he goes down to git drink water an’ finds lake ain’t nothin’ but lake o’ honey\, an’ out in middle dat lake ain’t nothin but tree full o’ biscuits. An’ so John Henry don’t do nothin’ but drink d at lake o’ honey dry. An’ he et the tree full o’ biscuits\, too. \n\n“An’ so ’bout that time it begin’ to git dark\, an’ John Hen ry sees light on hill an’ he think maybe he can git sumpin to eat\, caus e he’s mighty hongry after big day drillin’. So he look ’roun’ a n’ see light on hill an’ runs up to house where light is an’ ast peo ple livin’ dere\, why’n hell dey don’t give him sumpin’ to eat\, ’cause he ain’t had much. An’ so he et dat\, too.\n\n“Gee-hee\, h ee\, dat nigger could eat! But dat ain’t all\, cap’n. Dat nigger could wuk mo’ ’n he could eat. He’s greates’ steel driller ever live\, regular giaunt\, he wus\; could drill wid his hammer mo’ ’n two steam drills\, an’ some say mo’ ’n ten. Always beggin’ boss to git ’im bigger hammer\, always beggin’ boss git ’im bigger hammer. John Henry wus cut out fer big giaunt driller. One day when he wus jes’ few weeks ol’ settin’ on his mammy’s knee he commence cryin’ an’ his mom mer say\, “John Henry\, whut’s matter\, little son?” An’ he up a n’ say right den an’ dere dat nine-poun’ hammer be death o’ him. An’ so sho’ ’nough he grow up right ’way into bigges’ steel d riller worl’ ever see. Why dis I’s tellin’ you now wus jes’ when he’s young fellow\; waits til’ I tells you ’bout his drillin’ in mountains an’ in Pennsylvania. An’ so one day he drill all way from Ro me\, Georgia\, to D’catur\, mo’ ’n a hundred miles drillin’ in one day\, an’ I ain’t sure dat wus his bes’ day. No\, I ain’t sure da t wus his bes’ day.\n\n“But\, boss\, John Henry wus a regular boy\, no t lak some o’ dese giaunts you read ’bout not likin’ wimmin[240] a n’ nothin’. John Henry love to come to town same as any other nigger\, only mo’ so. Co’se he’s mo’ important an’ all dat\, an’ c o’se he had mo’ wimmin ’an anybody else\,’some say mo’ ’n ten\ , but as to dat I don’t know. I means\, boss\, mo’ wimmen ’an ten men\, ’cause\, Lawd\, I specs he had mo’ ’n thousand wimmin’. An ’ John Henry wus a great co’tin’ man\, too\, cap’n. Always wus dat way. Why\, one day when he settin’ by his pa’ in san’ out in fron t o’ de house\, jes’ few weeks old\, women come along and claim him fe r deir man. An’ dat’s funny\, too\, but it sho’ wus dat way all his life. An’ so when he come to die John Henry had mo’ wimmin\, all dress ed in red an’ blue an’ all dem fine colors come to see him dead\, if i t las’ thing they do\, an’ wus mighty sad sight\, people all stand in’ ’roun’\, both cullud an’ white.”\n\nOf course\, no Negro bel ieves that the foregoing story is true. But there are innumerable stories which stay within the bounds of possibility—though not always probabilit y\, to be sure—and which are thoroughly believed by the Negroes who tell them. One of the most widespread of these\, and at the same time interest ing and artistic\, was concluded as follows by a North Carolina Negro work man:\n\n“An’ John Henry beat dat ol’ steam drill down\, but jes’ a s he took his las’ stroke he fell over daid wid de hammer in his han’. Dey buried him dere in de tunnel\, an’ now dey got his statue carved in solid rock at de mouth o’ de Big Ben’ tunnel on de C. &\; O.—das right over dere close to Asheville somewhere. No\, I ain’t never been d ere\, but dere he stan’\, carved in great big solid rock wid de hammer i n his han’.”\n\n[241]\n\nCHAPTER XIV\nSOME TYPICAL NEGRO TUNES\nWe hav e pointed out again and again the utter futility of trying to describe acc urately the singing of a group of Negroes when they are at their best. A g roup of twenty workers singing\, carrying various parts\, suiting song to work\, and vying with one another for supremacy in variations and innovati ons—this is a scene which defies musical notation and description. And y et the picture which we have tried to present in this volume would certain ly be incomplete without the addition of some of the simple melodies of ty pical workaday songs. They are added\, therefore\, merely as final touches to the picture rather than as attempts to reproduce the complex harmonies of Negro songs.\n\nHeretofore the spirituals have received most of the at tention of those who were working toward the preservation of Negro music. The secular songs have nothing like the standardization of words and music that the spirituals have\, simply because they have not been preserved. I t is inevitable\, however\, that due attention will be given to Negro secu lar music. Indeed much has recently been done toward that end.[95] But the task of recording the majority of Negro secular tunes is yet to be done. It is to be hoped that the forthcoming volume of secular songs which is be ing edited by James Weldon Johnson will go a long way toward giving the Ne gro’s secular music the place which it deserves.\n\n[95]For a discussion of the recent collections of Negro songs\, see Guy B. Johnson\, “Some R ecent Contributions to the Study of American Negro Songs\,” Social Force s\, June\, 1926.\n\n[242]\n\nAny one who has tried to record the music of Negro songs knows that it is very difficult to do more than approximate th e tunes as they are actually sung. Several reasons may be cited to account for this. In the first place\, there are slurs and minute gradations in p itch in Negro songs which it is impossible to represent in ordinary musica l notation. Some of these effects can be reproduced on a stringed instrume nt\, but they cannot be shown on a musical scale which is only divided int o half-step changes of pitch. A notation in the form of curved lines would come nearer representing the Negro’s singing than does the system of de finite notes along a staff. It is what the Negro sings between the lines a nd spaces that makes his music so difficult to record.\n\nAnother factor w hich must be reckoned with is the inconsistency of the singer. When the re corder thinks that he has finally succeeded in getting a phrase down corre ctly and asks the singer to repeat it “just one more time\,” he often finds that the response is quite different from any previous rendition. Re quests for further repetition may bring out still other variations or a re turn to the previous version. Again\, after the notation has been made fro m the singing of the first stanza of a song\, the collector may be chagrin ed to find that none of the other stanzas is sung to exactly the same tune . The variations are not marked. They are elusive and teasing\, and they a dd beauty to the song.\n\nHow often the song collector wishes for some ins trument which will record group singing in its native haunts! He cannot ho pe to catch by ear alone all of the parts—and there are undoubtedly six or eight of many of these songs—that go into the making of those rare ha rmonies which only a group of Negro workers[243] can produce. If he coaxes the singers to keep repeating their song\, some of them become self-consc ious and drop out. Perhaps the whole group will refuse to sing any more. I f perchance he gets one or two singers to give him some special help\, he gets but a suggestion of the group effect. He must be contented with secur ing the leading part of the song and harmonizing it later as best he can.\ n\nSo these rare work harmonies have never been faithfully reproduced in m usical notation.[96] Rather than give an artificial harmonization to the t unes recorded in this chapter\, we are presenting only the leading part of each song.\n\n[96]The nearest approach ever made to accurate recording of such songs is found in the work of the late Natalie Curtis Burlin. See he r Negro Folk Songs\, Hampton Series\, vols. III and IV.\n\nSince several o f the songs in this chapter are work songs\, let us examine for a moment t he technique of the worker-singer. Many work songs\, of course\, are not r eally work songs except in the sense that they are sung during work. When the work is such that it does not necessitate continuous rhythmic movement s\, one song is about as good as another. But rhythmic movements\, being e specially adapted to song accompaniment\, have given rise to a distinct ty pe of work song. Digging\, hammering\, steel-driving\, rowing\, and many o ther kinds of work fall in the rhythmic class. The technique for all of th ese is practically the same.\n\nLet us take digging as an example\, since it is a very common type of Negro labor in the South. Typical pick-song pa tterns are as follows:\n\nI got a rainbow\,\nRainbow ’roun’ my shoulde r\;\nI got a rainbow\,\nRainbow ’roun’ my shoulder\;\n’Tain’t gonn a rain\,\nLawd\, Lawd\, ’tain’t gonna rain.\n[244]\nWell\, she asked m e\nIn her parlor\nAn’ she cooled me\nWid her fan\;\nLawd\, she whispered \nTo her mother\,\n“Mama\, I love\nThat dark-eyed man.”\nNow in the ty pe of song illustrated by the first of the above patterns the strokes of t he pick are not all of equal length. The rhythm of the song demands a shor t stroke alternated with a longer stroke. In the second type of song\, how ever\, the meter is such that all of the strokes of the pick may be of equ al length. At the end of each line there is a cæsura or pause. This repre sents the time during which the worker swings his pick from the upright po sition to the ground. When the pick strikes the ground\, the worker gives a grunt\, loosens the pick\, and raises it. It is during this loosening an d upward movement that he sings. The down-stroke calls for much more effor t than raising the pick\, so he rarely ever sings on the down-stroke. The time required for a digging stroke is\, however\, shorter than the time re quired for loosening and raising the pick\, so that ordinarily the pauses in the song are relatively brief.\n\nIt is in a group that the work song i s to be heard at its best. When a group is digging and singing\, picks are swung in unison. On a few occasions we have observed that one or two men took their strokes out of unison in order to sing certain exclamations or echoes during the pauses in the singing of their companions. This\, howeve r\, is a rare procedure\, for the most striking variations in both music a nd words can be introduced without breaking the unison of the strokes.\n\n [245]\n\nTo call a song a pick song does not mean that it is not also a go od song for general purposes. I Got a Rainbow\, I Don’t Want No Trouble Wid de Walker\, and other pick songs are quite effective when sung as solo s with guitar accompaniment. On the other hand\, many general songs can ea sily be converted into pick songs by slight changes in meter.[97]\n\n[97]F or other discussions of work songs\, see Natalie Curtis Burlin\, Negro Fol k Songs\, vols. III and IV\; Dorothy Scarborough\, On the Trail of Negro F olk Songs\, chapter VIII\; R. Emmet Kennedy\, Mellows\; Odum and Johnson\, The Negro and His Songs\, chapter VIII.\n\nA few of the tunes presented i n the following pages are the older Negro secular tunes. Stagolee and Rail road Bill are rarely heard now\, but they were common twenty years ago\, a nd their music is included in the present collection for whatever its pres ervation may be worth. The words of Stagolee\, Railroad Bill and She Asked Me in de Parlor are reprinted in full from The Negro and His Songs\, but only the first stanzas of the other songs are given\, since the rest of th e words can be found in the preceding chapters of the present volume. The songs in every case are written in the key in which they were sung.\n\nSta golee\n\nMusical score\nStag-o-lee\, Stag-o-lee\, What’s dat in yo’ gr ip? “Noth-in’ but my\n\nSunday clothes\, I’m gonna take a trip.” O h\, dat man\, bad man\, Stagolee done come.\n\n\nStagolee\, Stagolee\, wha t’s dat in yo’ grip?\nNothin’ but my Sunday clothes\, I’m gonna to take a trip\,\nOh\, dat man\, bad man\, Stagolee done come.\n[246]\nStago lee\, Stagolee\, where you been so long?\nI been out on de battle fiel’ shootin’ an’ havin’ fun.\nOh\, dat man\, etc.\nStagolee was a bully man\, an’ ev’ybody knowed\nWhen dey seed Stagolee comin’ to give Sta golee de road.\nStagolee started out\, he give his wife his han’\;\n“G oodby\, darlin’\, I’m goin’ to kill a man.”\nStagolee killed a m an an’ laid him on de flo’\,\nWhat’s dat he kill him wid? Dat same ol’ fohty-fo’.\nStagolee killed man an’ laid him on his side\,\nW hat’s dat he kill him wid? Dat same ol’ fohty-five.\nOut of house an ’ down de street Stagolee did run\,\nIn his hand he held a great big s mok’n’ gun.\nStagolee\, Stagolee\, I’ll tell you what I’ll do\;\ nIf you’ll git me out’n dis trouble I’ll do as much for you.\nAin’ t it a pity\, ain’t it a shame?\nStagolee was shot\, but he don’t want no name.\nStagolee\, Stagolee\, look what you done done:\nKilled de best ol’ citerzen\, now you’ll have to be hung.\nStagolee cried to de jur y\, “Please don’t take my life\,\nI have only three little children an’ one little lovin’ wife.”\nRailroad Bill\n\nMusical score\nRail-r oad Bill might-y bad man\, Shoot dem\n\nlights out de brake-man’s han’ \, Was look-in’ for Rail-road Bill.\n\n\nRailroad Bill mighty bad man\,\ nShoot dem lights out o’ de brakeman’s han’\,\nWas lookin’ fer Rai lroad Bill.\n[247]\nRailroad Bill mighty bad man\,\nShoot the lamps all of f de stan’\,\nAn’ it’s lookin’ fer Railroad Bill.\nFirst on table\ , next on wall\;\nOl’ corn whiskey cause of it all\,\nIt’s lookin’ f er Railroad Bill.\nOl’ McMillan had a special train\;\nWhen he got there was shower of rain\,\nWus lookin’ fer Railroad Bill.\nEv’ybody tol’ him he better turn back\;\nRailroad Bill wus goin’ down track\,\nAn ’ it’s lookin’ fer Railroad Bill.\nWell\, the policemen all dressed in blue\,\nComin’ down sidewalk two by two\,\nWus lookin’ fer Railroad Bill.\nRailroad Bill had no wife\,\nAlways lookin’ fer somebody’s lif e\,\nAn’ it’s lookin’ fer Railroad Bill.\nRailroad Bill was the wo rst ol’ coon:\nKilled McMillan by de light o’ de moon\,\nIt’s look in’ fer Railroad Bill.\nOl’ Culpepper went up on number five\,\nGoin ’ bring him back\, dead or alive\,\nWus lookin’ fer Railroad Bill.\nSh e Asked Me in de Parlor\n\nMusical score\nWell\, she asked me in her par-l or An’ she cooled me wid her fan\,\n\nAn’ she whis-pered to her moth-e r\, “O Ma\, I love that dark-eyed man.”\n\n\nWell\, she ask me in her parlor\nAn’ she cooled me wid her fan\,\nAn’ she whispered to her moth er\,\n“Mama\, I love that dark-eyed man.”\n[248]\nWell\, I ask her mot her for her\nAn’ she said she was too young.\nLawd\, I wished I never ha d seen her\nAn’ I wished she’d never been born.\nWell\, I led her to d e altar\,\nAn’ de preacher give his comman’\,\nAn’ she swore by God that made her\nThat she never love another man.\nJohn Henry\n\nMusical sco re\nJohn Hen-ry was a steel-driv-in’ man\, Ca’d his hammer all the\n\n time\,... An’ be-fo’ he’d let the steam-drill beat him down\,\n\nDie with the hammer in his han’\, Die with the hammer in his han’.\n\n\ nGoin’ Down That Lonesome Road\n\nMusical score\nGoin’ down that lone- some road\, Oh\, goin’ down that lone-some\n\nroad\, An’ I won’t be treat-ed this-a way. Springs on my\n\nbed done brok-en down\, An’ I ai n’t got no-where to lay my head.\n\n\n[249]\n\nShoot That Buffalo\n\nMus ical score\nWent down to Raleigh\, Was nev-er there be-fo’\, White folks on de feather bed\,\n\nNig-gers on de flo’. Shoot dat buf-fa\, shoot da t lo\, Shoot dat buf-fa-lo.\n\n\nI Got a Rainbow\nA\n\nMusical score\nOh\, ev-’ry-where I\, where I look this morn-in’\, It looks like\n\nrain\, Lawd\, O my Lawd\, looks like rain\, it looks like rain\, Lawd\, O my Law d\,\n\nlooks like rain\, Oh\, ev-’ry-where I\, where I look this morn- in’.\n\n\nI Got a Rainbow\nB\n\nMusical score\nOh\, ev-’ry-where I\, W here I look dis morn-in’\, Oh\, ev-’ry-where I\,\n\nWhere I look dis m orn-in’\, It look like rain\, Lawd\, Lawd\, looks like rain.\n\n\nI Do n’t Want No Trouble Wid de Walker\n\nMusical score\nOh\, I don’t want no\, Want no trouble wid de walk-er\; Oh\, I don’t want no\,\n\nWant no trouble wid de walker. Wanta go home\, Lawd\, Lawd\, wanta go home.\n\n\n[ 250]\n\nReason I Stay on de Job So Long\n\nMusical score\nReason I stay on de job so long\, Gimme flam-donies an’ de cof-fee strong.\n\n\nTol’ M y Cap’n That My Feet Was Col’\n\nMusical score\nTol’ my cap’n that my feet was col’\, “God damn yo’ feet\, let the car wheel roll.”\ n\n\nIf I’d Known My Cap’n Was Blin’\n\nMusical score\nIf I’d a-kn own my cap’n was blin’\, dar-lin’\,\n\nIf I’d a-known my cap’n was blin’\, dar-lin’\, If I’d a-known my\n\ncap’n was blin’\, I wouldn’-a went to work till half-pas’ nine\, dar-lin’.\n\n\nI Got a Muley\n\nMusical score\nI got a mul-ey\, Mul-ey on the mountain\, call him Jer-ry\; Oh\, I can\n\nride him\, Ride him an-y time I wanta\, All day long\, Lawd\, Lawd\, all day long.\n\n\nShot My Pistol in the Heart of To wn\n\nMusical score\nO - o - o - h\, L - a - a - w-d\, Shot my pis-tol\n\n in de heart o-town\,......... Lawd\, de big Chief holled\, “Don’t you blow me down.”\n\n\n[252]\n\nCHAPTER XV\nTYPES OF PHONO-PHOTOGRAPHIC REC ORDS OF NEGRO SINGERS\nWe have referred often in these pages to the wealth of material found in the great variety and number of the Negro’s songs. We have appraised the collections which have been published and those whi ch are to come as valuable source material for the study of folk life and art and especially for their value in the portrayal of representative Negr o life. Adequate analysis and presentation of these values will be possibl e only after a number of the other collections have been completed and com prehensive studies made.\n\nThere are other values not yet presented. For example\, the scientific study of the Negro’s musical ability has barely begun\, but it promises much. The work of Professor Carl E. Seashore and others has resulted in the formulation of various tests and methods for st udying musical talent and singing ability. Many valuable studies have been reported from various psychological laboratories. One of the latest devel opments in this field is the phono-photographic method of recording voices . In this method the phono-photographic machine makes it possible to take pictures of sound waves of all kinds. Among other things\, it registers th e most delicate variations in pitch\, variations which are often too subtl e for the human ear to perceive. In short\, it gives a picture of exactly what a voice or a musical instrument does.\n\nNaturally this method of sou nd wave analysis may be of untold value in the study of the human voice. I t[253] enables the singer to see his voice in detail. It furnishes the sci entist with data for the study of the qualities which make a voice good or poor. It opens up many possibilities\, both practical and theoretical\, a s a method of voice analysis.\n\nOf special interest and importance is the application of this method to the study of Negro singers and Negro voices . It was therefore a fortunate turn of circumstances which made it possibl e for the authors of this volume to join Professor Seashore and Dr. Milton Metfessel of the University of Iowa in making extensive phono-photographi c studies of various Negro singers during the fall of 1925\, with headquar ters at the University of North Carolina Institute for Research in Social Science. Professor Seashore was able to coöperate personally in the work at Hampton\, while Dr. Metfessel remained throughout the entire period of the study.[98]\n\n[98]Dr. Metfessel\, using the perfected machine which lo ng years of work at the University of Iowa psychological laboratories have produced\, was successful in obtaining a large number of satisfactory rec ords. He also took moving pictures of the singers. Needless to say\, we ar e indebted to him for the material of this chapter.\n\nAmong the types of Negro singers whose voices were subjected to the phono-photographic proces s were practically all of the common types which we have been recording in the pages of this volume and of The Negro and His Songs. There were the t ypical laborers\, working with pick and shovel. There was the lonely singe r\, with his morning yodel or “holler.” There were the skilled workers with voices more or less trained by practice and formal singing. There wa s the more nearly primitive type\, swaying body and limb with singing. The noted quartet from Hampton Institute\, as well as individual singers ther e\, coöperated. Men and women from the North Carolina College for Negroes represented other types. Quartets[254] and individuals from the high scho ols at Chapel Hill and Raleigh\, North Carolina\, were still other types. Finally the voices of one hundred and fifty Negro children from the Orange County Training School at Chapel Hill and the Washington School at Raleig h were recorded. Types of songs included in the experiments were the gang work song\, the pick-and-shovel song and various other work songs\, the yo del\, the “1926 model laugh\,” the blues\, formal quartet music\, spir ituals\, and children’s songs. It would thus appear that both the select ions and the numbers were adequate to make a valuable beginning in a new p hase of the subject.\n\nThe results of this study will be published fully later. The present chapter is in no sense a report of the results. It is i ntended merely to describe the phono-photographic study\, to give some exa mples of records obtained during the study\, and to indicate certain possi bilities of this method as a scientific means of research into Negro singi ng abilities and qualities.\n\nThe following explanation will suffice to a cquaint the reader with the method of reading the photographic records pre sented in this chapter. Along the left side of each graph are the notes of the scale in half steps. When the heavy line which represents the voice r ises or falls one space on the graph\, the voice has changed a half tone i n pitch. Time value is shown along the bottom of the graph. The vertical b ars occurring every 5.55 spaces along the bottom mark off intervals of one second.\n\nIf one were to sing a perfectly rigid tone\, its photographic record would be a horizontal straight line. Such a thing is very rare\, ho wever\, in any type of singing\, for most sustained tones photograph as mo re or less irregular wavy lines. Indeed\, a voice whose sustained tones ph otographed as a straight line would[255] not produce as good tones as one with rapid and regular variations of the vocal cords. A good singing voice possesses what is called the vibrato. In terms of the photographic record s\, the pitch vibrato consists of a rise and fall of pitch of about half a tone about six times a second. In Figure I are given samples of tones pho tographed by Seashore and Metfessel from the singing of Annie Laurie by Lo well Welles. The first represents the singing of the word “dew” in the line\, “Where early fa’s the dew.” The second is the word “and” from the line\, “And for bonnie Annie Laurie.” The vibrato is present in both tones. Note how the voice line varies above or below the note E o n “dew” and F-sharp on “and\,” sometimes as much as a quarter of a tone. Note also the smoothness and regularity of the pitch fluctuations. It is this smoothness of the vibrato which characterizes good singing.\n\n Singing photograph\n“AND” F♯\n\n“DEW” E\n\nFig. I\n\nTo illustra te their scope\, methods\, and possibilities three specimens of photograph ic records of Negro voices are presented: a song\, I Got a Muley\,[99] by[ 256] Odell Walker\; a yodel or “holler\,” as it is commonly called\, b y Cleve Atwater\; and Cleve’s “1926 Model Laugh.”\n\n[99]The tune is slightly different from the music of the song of the same name given in C hapter XIV. It is variously called I Got a Mule on the Mountain\, I Got Mu le Named Jerry\, I Got a Muley\, Jerry on Mountain.\n\nFigure II is the ph otographic notation of I Got a Muley. The music of the song as best it can be represented in ordinary notation is given below. Several interesting t hings are revealed by the song picture in Figure II.[100] For one thing\, we have here a picture of some of those elusive slurs which are so common among Negro singers. Take the words “muley on a mount’n” in Figure I I-A\, for example.\n\nMusical score\nI GOT A MULEY\, MULEY ON A MOUNT’N CALL ’IM JERRY\; I GOT A MULEY\,\n\nMULEY ON A MOUNT’N CALL’IM JERRY . I CAN RIDE HIM\, RIDE’IM ANY TIME I\n\nWAN’ UH\; I CAN RIDE HIM RI DE’IM ANY TIME I WAN’UH\, LAWD\, LAWD\, ALL DAY LONG.\n\n\nWhen one he ars these words as they were sung by Odell Walker\, one is apt to feel tha t with the exception of the last syllable of “mount’n” they are all sung on the same pitch. The graph shows that this is not so. There are rea lly drops in pitch of one and a half or two whole tones at two places in t his phrase. Or take the word “ride\,” as it occurs in the phrase\, “ride ’im any time I wan’ uh\,” which phrase occurs twice in the song. One can tell while listening to the song that there is some sort of slur present\, but it is impossible to tell by means of the ear alone exac tly what is happening. The graph reveals the fact that the singer[257] act ually begins the word “ride” between D-sharp and E and carries it as h igh as G-sharp. The outstanding tone heard\, however\, is G-sharp. Other p itch changes not shown in the ordinary musical notation may be easily dete cted by the reader.\n\n[100]A measure on the graph is equivalent to approx imately nine spaces on the horizontal scale. Note that the singer did not keep accurate time. His measures range from six to twelve spaces.\n\nThe v ibrato is present in places in the record of this song. In section A there is a trace of it on the word “muley” the first time it occurs. In sec tion B there is an approach to it on the word “Jerry.” In section C it occurs on the word “ride” the first time it appears. In section D the re is a tendency toward it on “Lawd\, Lawd\,” but it shows best in “long”\, the last word of the song. A comparison with the examples of artistic singing in Figure I shows that our Negro workman’s vibrato is rough and irregular and that it does not maintain a steady general pitch l evel as does Welles’s vibrato. It must be borne in mind\, however\, that this particular song does not afford good opportunities for sustained ton es and that the Negro singer’s vibrato might have shown to better advant age on a different song.\n\nIn Figure III is a picture of a yodel or “ho ller.” It is the sort of thing which one hears from field hands as they go to work in the morning\, or from some gay-spirited pick-and-shovel man as he begins digging on a frosty morning.\n\nNo attempt is made to include the ordinary musical notation of the yodel\, for it would give but a sugg estion of the vocal idiosyncrasies involved in the execution of the yodel. The most remarkable thing about this record is the sudden changes of pitc h which it portrays. In Figure III-A just at the beginning of the fifth se cond interval the voice takes a sudden drop. Then it rises from F to G in the octave above in about a third of a second. In section B of the yodel\, near the end of the fifth second interval\, the same spectacular rise occ urs\, this time from F-sharp to G-sharp in about one-tenth of a second. St ill more remarkable are the several rapid rises and falls in pitch in sect ion C. In the production of such sudden changes the vocal cords must under go a snap. Even in speech\, where pitch changes are very rapid\, such sudd en ascents and descents do not occur.\n\n[258]\n\nChart\nFig. II-A\n\nChar t\nFig. II-B\n\n[259]\n\nChart\nFig. II-C\n\nChart\nFig. II-D\n\n[260]\n\n Chart\nFig. III-A\n\nChart\nFig. III-B\n\n[261]\n\nChart\nFig. III-C\n\nCh art\nFig. III-D\n\n[262]\n\nChart\nFig. IV-A\n\nChart\nFig. IV-B\n\n[263]\ n\nIt is also interesting to note that the vibrato is present at times in the yodel. It is fairly plain on C-sharp along the middle of section A and still better on G at the end of the same section. It also shows at the en d of section B\, continuing into section C\; and the yodel ends with a sem i-vibrato. There is an approach to it in several other places. The vibrato of our Negro worker\, however\, is rather erratic and wavering in compari son with the vibrato of the vocal artist in Figure I. Yet one must remembe r that our subjects\, both in Figure II and Figure III\, were Negro worker s whose voices have never had a touch of formal training.\n\nIn Figure IV we have a photographic record of a hearty Negro laugh. Its musical quality is at once evident. In the first three seconds of the laugh there is an u nusual effect. It would not be called a vibrato because the pitch changes are too rapid and too extensive to give the vibrato effect. Near the begin ning of the fifth second of the laugh the voice breaks up into a series of interrupted speech sounds. During the sixth second it suddenly becomes mu sical again and remains so for about two seconds. Then\, after a rest\, (s ee section the speech sounds reappear and continue intermittently to the end of the laugh. These observations indicate some of the possibilities of the phono-photographic method of studying Negro voices and Negro songs. W hen the complete results of[264] the recent study are ready for publicatio n we may have data which will make it possible to compare scientifically t he voices of different kinds of Negro singers as well as the voices of Neg ro and white singers. Other studies and correlations may be made through t he articulation of the moving pictures of the singers\, their faces\, thei r bodily movements\, their emotional expressions\, and whatever reactions the camera may reveal. In nearly all instances where phono-photographic re cords were made of Negro voices in the recent study\, moving pictures were made of the singers. In addition to these\, moving pictures were made of groups of workmen while singing. Some remarkable examples of skill in move ment\, of coördination of song with work\, of mixture of humor\, pathos\, and recklessness with work and song were brought to light. These have bee n incorporated into a series of three reels. Some of these pictures of fac ial expression during singing will be included in the report of the study when it is published in complete form. Many interesting questions may find their solutions if the scientific method is applied to the study of Negro singing ability. Is the vibrato a native endowment? Is the vibrato more f requent among Negroes than among whites? At what age does it appear in the voice?[101] What other qualities cause the rank and file of Negroes to ex cel as singers? Is the Negro’s capacity for harmony greater than the whi te man’s? Is his sense of rhythm better? These are some of the questions which science should be able to answer in the near future. [101]A study o f the voices of white and Negro school children now being made by Milton M etfessel and Guy B. Johnson may throw some light upon some of these questi ons. [265] SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY[102] [102]This bibliography is not intend ed to cover all that has been written on Negro songs. It includes referenc es to actual collections of songs and to a few other contributions which a re of value to the serious student of Negro songs. Dozens of merely apprec iative articles have been omitted. For a larger bibliography one may consu lt the latest issue of the Negro Year Book. BOOKS Abbot\, F. H.\, and Swan \, A. J.\, Eight Negro Songs. Enoch &\; Sons\, New York\, 1923. Eight s ongs from Bedford County\, Virginia. Explanatory comments and notes on dia lect are given for each song. Allen\, W. F.\, and others\, Slave Songs of the United States. New York\, 1867. Words and music of 136 songs are given . Armstrong\, M. F.\, Hampton and Its Students. New York\, 1874. Fifty pla ntation songs. Ballanta\, N. G. J.\, St. Helena Island Spirituals. G. Schi rmer\, New York\, 1925. A collection of 115 spirituals from Penn School\, St. Helena Island. This island is off the coast of South Carolina\, and it s semi-isolation makes it an interesting field for the study of Negro song s. Ballanta’s work is prefaced by a valuable but somewhat pedantic discu ssion of Negro music. Burlin\, Natalie Curtis\, Negro Folk-Songs. G. Schir mer\, New York\, 1918-19. Four small volumes of Negro songs recorded at Ha mpton Institute. Volumes I and II are spirituals\, volumes III and IV are work songs and play songs. These songs are of special value in that the la te Mrs. Burlin came nearer than any one else to the accurate reproduction of Negro songs in musical notation. Campbell\, Olive Dame\, and Sharp\, Ce cil J.\, English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians. The student wh o is interested in the origin of Negro songs and their relation to English folk songs will find valuable data in this book. Cox\, J. H.\, Folk Songs of the South. Harvard University Press\, 1924. Most of these songs are so ngs of the whites of the mountains\, but they are particularly valuable in that they throw light on the origin of many Negro songs. Fenner\, T. P.\, Religious Folk Songs of the American Negro. Hampton Institute Press\, 192 4. (Arranged in 1909 by the Musical Directors of Hampton Normal and Indust rial Institute[266] from the original edition by Thomas P. Fenner. Reprint ed in 1924.) This volume contains the words and music of 153 religious son gs. Fenner\, T. P.\, and Rathbun\, F. G.\, Cabin and Plantation Songs. New York\, 1891. Old Negro plantation songs with music. Hallowell\, Emily\, C alhoun Plantation Songs. New York\, 1910. A number of songs with music col lected from the singing of Negroes on the Calhoun plantation. Harris\, Joe l Chandler\, Uncle Remus\, His Songs and Sayings. New York\, 1880. Nine so ngs. Harris\, Joel Chandler\, Uncle Remus and His Friends. New York\, 1892 . Sixteen songs. Higginson\, Thomas Wentworth\, Army Life in a Black Regim ent. Boston\, 1870. Chapter IX of this book is devoted to Negro spirituals as they were sung in Col. Higginson’s regiment during the Civil War. Ho bson\, Anne\, In Old Alabama. New York\, 1903. Ten dialect stories and son gs. Johnson\, James Weldon\, The Book of American Negro Spirituals. Viking Press\, New York\, 1925. A collection of sixty-one spirituals. Most of th ese songs have been published in other collections\, but the musical arran gements in this volume are new. While the melodies of the old songs are re tained intact\, an effort has been made to improve the rhythmic qualities of the accompaniments. The preface of the book is devoted to the origin\, development\, and appreciation of Negro spirituals. Kennedy\, R. Emmet\, B lack Cameos. A. &\; C. Boni\, New York\, 1924. A collection of twenty-e ight stories\, mostly humorous\, with songs interwoven. The words and musi c of seventeen songs are given. Kennedy\, R. Emmet\, Mellows: Work Songs\, Street Cries and Spirituals. A. &\; C. Boni\, New York\, 1925. Several spirituals and street songs from New Orleans. The author includes charact er sketches of his singers. His discussion of the relation of Negro songs to printed ballad sheets is especially interesting. Krehbiel\, H. E.\, Afr o-American Folk Songs. G. Schirmer\, New York and London\, 1914. A careful study of Negro folk songs from the point of view of the skilled musician. Songs and music[267] from Africa and other sources are analyzed and compa red with American Negro productions. The music of sixty or more songs and dance airs is given. Marsh\, J. B. T.\, The Story of the Jubilee Singers. Boston 1880. An account of the Jubilee Singers\, with their songs. Odum\, Howard W.\, and Johnson\, Guy B.\, The Negro and His Songs. University of North Carolina Press\, Chapel Hill\, 1925. A study of the origin and chara cteristic of Negro songs from the historical and sociological point of vie w. The words of 200 songs are given. The songs are discussed under three g eneral classes: spirituals\, social songs\, and work songs. Peterson\, C. G.\, Creole Songs from New Orleans. New Orleans\, 1902. Pike\, G. D.\, The Jubilee Singers. Boston and New York\, 1873. Sixty-one religious songs. S carborough\, Dorothy\, On the Trail of Negro Folk-Songs. Harvard Universit y Press\, Cambridge\, 1925. One of the most important contributions yet ma de to the study of Negro songs. This book presents some 200 secular songs\ , including the music of most of them. Especially interesting is the chapt er on “The Negro’s part in the Transmission of Traditional Songs and B allads.” The lack of any sort of index somewhat decreases the value of t he book for purposes of reference and comparison. Talley\, Thomas W.\, Neg ro Folk Rhymes. Macmillan\, New York\, 1922. This volume contains about 35 0 rhymes and songs and a study of the origin\, development\, and character istics of Negro rhymes. Besides a general index of songs\, a comparative i ndex is included. Work\, John Wesley\, Folk Songs of the American Negro. F isk University Press\, Nashville\, 1915. The words of fifty-five songs and music of nine\, together with a study of the origin and growth of certain songs. PERIODICALS Adventure Magazine. The files of this magazine for the last few years should be of considerable interest to the student of folk song. A department called “Old Songs That Men Have Sung” is conducted by Dr. R. W. Gordon\, a Harvard-trained student of folk song. Many of the songs printed in this department are Negro songs or Negro adaptions. [268] Backus\, E. M.\, “Negro Songs from Georgia\,” Journal of American Fol k-Lore\, vol. 10\, pp. 116\, 202\, 216\; vol. 11\, pp. 22\, 60. Six religi ous songs. Backus\, E. M.\, “Christmas Carols from Georgia\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 12\, p. 272. Two songs. Barton\, W. E.\, “H ymns of Negroes\,” New England Magazine\, vol. 19\, pp. 669 et seq.\, 70 6 et seq. A number of songs with some musical notation and discussion. Ber gen\, Mrs. F. D.\, “On the Eastern Shore\,” Journal of American Folk-L ore\, vol. 2\, pp. 296-298. Two fragments\, with a brief discussion of the Negroes of the eastern shore of Maryland. Brown\, J. M.\, “Songs of the Slave\,” Lippincott’s\, vol. 2\, pp. 617-623. Several songs with brie f comments. Cable\, George W.\, “Creole Slave Songs\,” Century\, vol. 31\, pp. 807-828. Twelve songs with some fragments\, music of seven. Clark e\, Mary Almsted\, “Song Games of Negro Children in Virginia\,” Journa l of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 3\, pp. 288-290. Nine song games and rhymes . Cox\, J. H.\, “John Hardy\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 32 \, p. 505 et seq. Here will be found Cox’s discussion of the John Hardy or John Henry story\, together with several versions of the song. Garnett\ , L. A.\, “Spirituals\,” Outlook\, vol. 30\, p. 589. Three religious s ongs. However\, they appear to have been polished considerably by the writ er. Haskell\, M. A.\, “Negro Spirituals\,” Century\, vol. 36\, pp. 577 et seq. About ten songs with music. Higginson\, T. W.\, “Hymns of Negro es\,” Atlantic Monthly\, vol. 19\, pp. 685 et seq. Thirty-six religious and two secular songs\, with musical notation. Lemmerman\, K.\, “Improvi sed Negro Songs\,” New Republic\, vol. 13\, pp. 214-215. Six religious s ongs or improvised fragments. Lomax\, J. A.\, “Self-pity in Negro Folk S ong\,” Nation\, vol. 105\, pp. 141-145. About twenty songs\, some new\, others quoted from Perrow and Odum\, with discussion. “Negro Hymn of Day of Judgment\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 9\, p. 210. One rel igious song. [269] Niles\, Abbe\, “Blue Notes\,” New Republic\, vol. 4 5\, pp. 292-3. A discussion of the significance of the blues and the music of the blues. The style is somewhat too verbose and technical for the ave rage reader. Odum\, Anna K.\, “Negro Folk Songs from Tennessee\,” Jour nal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 27\, pp. 255-265. Twenty-one religious an d four secular songs. Odum\, Howard W.\, “Religious Folk Songs of the So uthern Negroes\,” Journal of Religious Psychology and Education\, vol. 3 \, pp. 265-365. About one hundred songs. Odum\, Howard W.\, “Folk Song a nd Folk Poetry as Found in the Secular Songs of the Southern Negroes\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 35\, pp. 223-249\; 351-396. About 120 songs. Odum\, Howard W.\, “Swing Low\, Sweet Chariot.” Country Gentle man\, March\, 1926\, pp. 18-19\, 49-50. Several religious songs with discu ssion. Odum\, Howard W.\, “Down that Lonesome Road.” Country Gentleman \, May\, 1926\, pp. 18-19\, 79. Several secular songs\, music of six\, som e new and some quoted from The Negro and His Songs and from the present co llection. Peabody\, Charles\, “Notes on Negro Music\,” Journal of Amer ican Folk-Lore\, vol. 16\, pp. 148-52. Observations on the technique of th e Negro workman in the South\, with some songs and music. Perkins\, A. E.\ , “Spirituals from the Far South\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vo l. 35\, pp. 223-249. Forty-seven songs. Perrow\, E. C.\, “Songs and Rhym es from the South\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 25\, pp. 137-1 55\; vol. 26\, pp. 123-173\; vol. 28\, pp. 129-190. A general collection c ontaining 118 Negro songs\, mostly secular. Redfearn\, S. F.\, “Songs fr om Georgia\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 34\, pp. 121-124. One secular and three religious songs. Speers\, M. W. F.\, “Negro Songs and Folk-Lore\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 23\, pp. 435-439. One religious and one secular song. Steward\, T. G.\, “Negro Imagery\,” N ew Republic\, vol. 12\, p. 248. One religious improvisation\, with discuss ion. [270] Thanet\, Octave\, “Cradle Songs of Negroes in North Carolin a\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 7\, p. 310. Two lullabies. Tru itt\, Florence\, “Songs from Kentucky\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore \, vol. 36\, pp. 376-379. Four white songs\, one of which contains several verses often found in Negro songs. Webb\, W. P.\, “Notes on Folk-Lore o f Texas\,” Journal of American Folk-Lore\, vol. 28\, pp. 290-299. Five s ecular songs. [271] INDEX TO SONGS PAGE A Creeper’s Been ’Roun’ Di s Do’ 149 A Nigger’s Hard to Fool 180 A Vampire of Your Own 143 All Boun’ in Prison 79 All Right 109 All Us Niggers ’hind de Bars 87 Angel s Lookin’ at Me 198 Baby\, Why Don’t You Treat Me Right? 148 Bad Man L azarus 50 Bear Cat Down in Georgia 121 Berda\, You Come Too Soon 128 Bette r’n I Has at Home 85 Billy Bob Russell 54 Bloodhoun’ on My Track 66 Bo lin Jones 62 Boys\, Put Yo’ Hands on It 107 Buffalo Bill 67 Can Any One Take Sweet Mama’s Place? 156 Captain\, Captain\, Let Wheelers Roll 102 C aptain\, I’ll Be Gone 100 Captain\, I Wanta Go Home 45 Casey Jones 126 C hain Gang Blues 78 Chicken Never Roost Too High fo’ Me 133 Co’n Bread 181 Creepin’ ’Roun’ 63 Daddy Mine 155 Darlin’\, Get on de Road 1 32 Das ’Nough Said 130 Dat Brown Gal Baby Done Turn Me Down 137 Dat Choc olate Man 161 Dat Leadin’ Houn’ 67 Dat Nigger o’ Mine Don’t Love Me No Mo’ 162 Dat Sly Gal[272] 164 De Chocolate Gal 153 De Co’t House in de Sky 184 De Devil’s Been to My House 193 De Goat’s Got a Smell 1 31 De Mulatto Gal 153 De Woman Am de Cause of It All A 142 B 143 De Women Don’t Love Me No Mo’ 141 Dem Chain Gang Houn’s 86 Dem Longin’\, Wantin’ Blues 162 Dem Turrible Red Hot Blues 130 Dere’s a Lizzie After My Man 163 Dere’s Misery in Dis Lan’ 161 Dew-Drop Mine 149 Dey Got Ea ch and de Udder’s Man 144 Dey’s Hangin’ ’roun’ Her Do’ 148 Dia mond Joe 130 Didn’t Ol’ Pharaoh Get Lost? 191 Dig-a My Grave Wid a Sil ver Spade 129 Don’t Fool Wid Me 63 Don’t Wanta See Her No Mo’ 137 Don’t You Give Me No Cornbread 105 Don’t You Hear? 68 Don’t You Two- time Me 156 Dove Came Down by the Foot of My Bed 127 Dupree 55 Dupree’s Jail Song 123 Dupree Tol’ Betty 57 Everybody Call Me the Wages Man 116 “Free Labor” Gang Song 90 Give Me a Teasin’ Brown 146 Go ’Long Mu le 177 Goin’ Back to de Gang 86 Goin’ Down Dat Lonesome Road[273] 46 G onna Turn Back Pharaoh’s Army 191 Good Lawd\, I Am Troubled 192 Good Mor ning\, Mr. Epting 171 Goodby\, Sing Hallelu 205 Goodby\, Sookie 131 Got Me in the Calaboose 76 Great Scots\, You Don’t Know What to Do 132 Gwine t o Git a Home By an’ By 176 Have Everlastin’ Life 194 He Got My Gal 151 He-i-Heira 92 He Run Me In 131 He Tuck Her Away 149 He Wus de Gov’nor o f Our Clan 127 Help Me Drive ’Em 109 Hi\, Jenny\, Ho\, Jenny Johnson 185 Home Again\, Home Again 150 Honey Baby 145 Hot Flambotia an’ Coffee Str ong 112 Hump-back Mule 179 I Ain’t Done Nothin’ 69 I Ain’t Free 71 I Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Make a Fool Out o’ Me 128 I Ain’t No Stran ger 159 I Am Ready For de Fight 64 I Belong to Steel-drivin’ Crew 110 I Bid You a Long Farewell 197 I Brung a Gal From Tennessee 137 I Calls My Je sus King Emanuel 205 I Can’t Keep From Cryin’ 40 I Done Sol’ My Soul to de Devil 158 I Don’t Feel Welcome Here 164 I Don’t Love Him No M o’ 162 I Don’t Mind Bein’ in Jail 77 I Don’t Want No Trouble Wid d e Walker[274] 113 I Don’t Want No Cornbread 114 I Don’t Want You All t o Grieve After Me 197 I Got a Gal an’ I Can’t Git Her 147 I Got a Lett er\, Captain 82 I Got a Letter From My Man 158 I Got a Muley 120 I Got Ano ther Daddy 165 I Got Chickens on My Back 128 I Got My Man 150 I Love Jesus 195 I Never Will Turn Back 200 I Rather Be in My Grave 38 I Steal Dat Cor n 68 I Tol’ My Cap’n That My Feet Was Col’ 102 I Wants to Go to Heav en 203 I Went to de Jail House 79 I Went to See My Gal 147 I Wish I Was De ad 39 I Wish I Was Single Again 163 If Dere’s a Man in de Moon 143 If I Can Git to Georgia Line 75 If I’d A-known My Cap’n Was Blin’ 101 If You Want to See a Pretty Girl 145 I’m a Natural-bo’n Ram’ler 65 I’m Comin’ Back 85 I’m de Hot Stuff Man 65 I’m de Rough Stuff 69 I’m Fishin’ Boun’ 181 I’m Goin’ Back Home 96 I’m Goin’ Home \, Buddie 43 I’m Goin’ On 112 I’m Goin’ Out West 124 I’m Gonna G et Me Another Man 165 I’m Gonna Have Me a Red Ball All My Own 132 In de Mornin’ Soon[275] 201 I’s a Natural-bo’n Eastman 68 I’s Done Spot My Nigger 150 I’s Dreamin’ of You 154 I’s Gonna Shine 204 I’s Ha vin’ a Hell of a Time 138 I’s Swingin’ in de Swinger 204 Jail House Wail 73 Jes’ Behol’ What a Number 194 Jes’ Fer a Day 87 John Henry ( See Chapter XIII) 221-240 Judge Gonna Sentence Us So Long 80 Julia Long 12 5 July’s for the Red-bug 106 Kitty Kimo 187 Lawd\, She Keep on Worryin ’ Me 136 Lawd\, Lawd\, I’m on My Way 46 Lawdy\, What I Gonna Do? 139 L ayin’ Low 62 Left Wing Gordon (See Chapter XII) 206-221 Long\, Tall\, Br own-skin Girl 146 Lookin’ Over in Georgia 121 Mammy-in-law Done Turn Me Out 141 Missus in de Big House 117 Mule on the Mountain 119 My Black Jack 155 My Gal’s a High Bo’n Lady 145 My Girl She’s Gone and Left Me 136 My Home Ain’t Here\, Captain 98 My Jane 144 My Man Am a Slap-stick Man 156 My Man He Got in Trouble 81 Never Turn Back 107 No Coon But You 183 No More 108 Nothin’ to Keep[276] 115 O Buckeye Rabbit 110 O Captain\, Capt ain 94 O Lawd\, Mamie 91 Oh\, de Gospel Train’s A-comin’ 202 Occupied 164 Ol’ Black Mariah 87 On de Road Somewhere 155 On My Las’ Go-’roun d 128 Out in de Cabin 131 Outran Dat Cop 67 Pharaoh’s Army Got Drownded 190 Pity Po’ Boy 38 Please\, Mr. Conductor 44 Po’ Homeless Boy 43 Po ’ Little Girl Grievin’ 41 Po’ Nigger Got Nowhere to Go 39 Prisoner ’s Song 83 Pull off Dem Shoes I Bought You 140 Pullman Porter 186 Rain o r Shine 129 Raise a Rukus Tonight A 173 B 174 C 174 Reason I Stay on Job S o Long 112 Reuben 66 Roscoe Bill 62 Save Me\, Lawd 196 Section Boss 93 Sha nghai Rooster 134 She’s Got Another Daddy 151 Ship My Po’ Body Home 37 Shoot\, Good God\, Shoot! 87 Shoot That Buffalo 123 Shootin’ Bill[277] 63 Shot My Pistol in the Heart o’ Town 70 Since I Laid My Burden Down 20 1 Slim Jim From Dark-town Alley 64 Some o’ Dese Days 139 Some o’ These Days 202 Stewball Was a Racer 133 ’Taint as Bad as I Said 75 Take Me Ba ck Home 44 That Liar 168 That Ol’ Letter 43 The Judge He Sentence Me 82 The Sanctified 195 This Ol’ Hammer 111 Throw Myself Down in de Sea 38 Tr avelin’ Man 59 Trouble All My Days 40 Turn Yo’ Damper Down 126 U-h\, U -h\, Lawdy 110 War Jubilee Song 169 Wash My Overhalls 126 ’Way Up in the Mountain 104 We Are Climbin’ Jacob’s Ladder 111 We Will Kneel ’Ro un’ de Altar 193 What Can the Matter Be? 160 What You Gonna Do? 195 When He Grin 69 When I Git Home 203 When I Lay My Burden Down 200 When I Wore My Ap’on Low 157 When I’s Dead an’ Gone 197 Who Built de Ark? 191 Wh oa\, Mule 179 Who’s Goin’ to Buy Your Whiskey? 129 Will I Git Back Hom e?[278] 45 Woke up Wid My Back to the Wall 84 Worried Anyhow 160 Wring Jin g Had a Little Ding 175 Yonder Come de Devil 130 You Calls Me in de Mornin ’ 129 You Mus’ Shroud My Body 199 You Take de Stockin’\, I Take de S ock 140 You Take de Yaller\, I Take de Black 146 Transcriber’s Notes The text has been transcribed verbatim from the source document\, including i nconsistencies and (phonetic representations of) dialects and speech and p ejorative and offensive language. Page 29\, table: the percentages are as printed in the source document\, but appear to be off slightly for brand C and by several percentage points for brands A and B. Page 255\, The first represents ...: first and second are reversed compared to the illustratio n. Changes made: Footnotes have been moved to under the song or text parag raph in which they are referenced. Some minor inconsistencies and obvious typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected silently. Several contractions such as aint’\, dont’ and wont’ etc. have been changed to ain’t\, don’t and won’t etc. Text in a dashed box was not presen t in the text as such\, but has been transcribed from the accompanying ill ustration. Page 25: Love\, careless\, love changed to Love\, careless love . Page 30: Lake Ponchartrain Blues changed to Lake Pontchartrain Blues. Pa ge 66: I’m a greasy streak o’ lightin’ changed to I’m a greasy s treak o’ lightnin’ (last verse but one). Page 111: trottin’ Sallie c hanged to Trottin’ Sallie (second verse). Page 226: O dat dress dat you wear so fine? changed to O’ dat dress dat you wear so fine? *** END OF T HE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NEGRO WORKADAY SONGS *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that n o one owns a United States copyright in these works\, so the Foundation (a nd you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permissio n and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules\, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license\, apply to copying and distribu ting Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENB ERG™ concept and trademark. 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This website inc ludes information about Project Gutenberg™\, including how to make donat ions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation\, how to help pr oduce our new eBooks\, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hea r about new eBooks.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.gutenberg.org/c ache/epub/69378/pg69378-images.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250101 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Weekly Anglo African to Pine and Palm excerpts and Part 1 of Blake from Martin Delaney DTSTAMP:20250805T233807Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:443-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Weekly Anglo African to Pine and Palm excerpts and Pa rt 1 of Blake from Martin Delaney born 1812\n\n\n\n excerpts from the 1800 s black newspaper and a part of the 1800s black fictional novel\, serializ ed through the paper\, all is explained in the post.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/blogs/entry/494-weekly- anglo-african-and- the-pine-and-palm -e xcerpts-from-1861–1862blake-or-the-huts-of-america-a-tale-of-the-mississ ippi-valley-the-southern-united-states-and-cuba-from-martin-delany/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250506 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Francis Johnson Webb born 1828 DTSTAMP:20250806T001859Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:444-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Francis Johnson Webb was a grandson of Aaron Burr\, yes t he one who shot Hamilton.\n\n\n\n Webb wrote The Garies and Their Friends  (1857)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Language: English\n\nCredits: Produced by Suza nne Shell\, Beth Scott and PG Distributed Proofreaders\n\n*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GARIES AND THEIR FRIENDS ***\nProduced by Suz anne Shell\, Beth Scott and PG Distributed Proofreaders\n\nTHE GARIES\nAND \nTHEIR FRIENDS\nFrank J. Webb\n\n1857\n\nPreface by Harriet Beecher Stowe \n\nTO THE\nLADY NOEL BYRON\nTHIS BOOK\nIS\, BY HER KIND PERMISSION\,\nMOS T AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED\,\nWITH PROFOUND RESPECT\,\nBY HER GRATEFUL FRI END\,\nTHE AUTHOR.\nPREFACE.\nThe book which now appears before the public may be of interest in relation to a question which the late agitation of the subject of slavery has raised in many thoughtful minds\; viz.—Are th e race at present held as slaves capable of freedom\, self-government\, an d progress?\n\nThe author is a coloured young man\, born and reared in the city of\nPhiladelphia.\n\nThis city\, standing as it does on the frontier between free and slave territory\, has accumulated naturally a large popu lation of the mixed and African race.\n\nBeing one of the nearest free cit ies of any considerable size to the slave territory\, it has naturally bee n a resort of escaping fugitives\, or of emancipated slaves.\n\nIn this ci ty they form a large class—have increased in numbers\, wealth\, and stan ding—they constitute a peculiar society of their own\, presenting many s ocial peculiarities worthy of interest and attention.\n\nThe representatio ns of their positions as to wealth and education are reliable\, the incide nts related are mostly true ones\, woven together by a slight web of ficti on.\n\nThe scenes of the mob describe incidents of a peculiar stage of exc itement\, which existed in the city of Philadelphia years ago\, when the f irst agitation of the slavery question developed an intense form of opposi tion to the free coloured people.\n\nSouthern influence at that time stimu lated scenes of mob violence in several Northern cities where the discussi on was attempted. By prompt\, undaunted resistance\, however\, this spirit was subdued\, and the right of free inquiry established\; so that discuss ion of the question\, so far from being dangerous in Free States\, is now begun to be allowed in the Slave States\; and there are some subjects the mere discussion of which is a half-victory.\n\nThe author takes pleasure i n recommending this simple and truthfully-told story to the attention and interest of the friends of progress and humanity in England.\n\n(Signed) H .B. Stowe.\n\nANDOVER\, U.S.\,\nAugust 17\, 1857.\n\nFROM LORD BROUGHAM.\n I have been requested by one who has long known the deep interest I have e ver taken in the cause of Freedom\, and in the elevation of the coloured r ace\, to supply a few lines of introduction to Mr. Webb's book.\n\nIt was the intention of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe to introduce this work to the British public\, but I am truly sorry to learn that a severe domestic affl iction\, since her return to America\, has postponed the fulfilment of her promise.\n\nI am\, however\, able to state her opinion of the book\, expr essed in a letter to one of her friends.\n\nShe says:—\"There are points in the book of which I think very highly. The style is simple and unambit ious—the characters\, most of them faithfully drawn from real life\, are quite fresh\, and the incident\, which is also much of it fact\, is often deeply interesting.\n\n\"I shall do what I can with the preface. I would not do as much unless I thought the book of worth in itself. It shows what I long have wanted to show\; what the free people of colour do attain\, a nd what they can do in spite of all social obstacles.\"\n\nI hope and trus t that Mr. Webb's book will meet with all the success to which its own mer it\, and the great interest of the subject\, so well entitle it. On this\, Mrs. Stowe's authority is naturally of the greatest weight\; and I can on ly lament that this prefatory notice does not come accompanied with her fu rther remarks and illustrations.\n\n4\, Grafton-street\, July 29\, 1857.\n \n* * * * *\n\nNote.—Since the above was written\, the preface by Mrs. S towe has been received. It was deemed best\, however\, to still retain the introduction so kindly given by Lord Brougham\, whose deep interest in th e freedom and welfare of the African race none feel more grateful for than does the author of the following pages.\n\nCONTENTS\n1.—In which the Re ader is introduced to a Family of Peculiar Construction\n\n2.—A Glance a t the Ellis Family\n\n3.—Charlie's Trials\n\n4.—In which Mr. Winston f inds an Old Friend\n\n5.—The Garies decide on a Change\n\n6.—Pleasant News\n\n7.—Mrs. Thomas has her Troubles\n\n8.—Trouble in the Ellis Fam ily\n\n9.—Breaking up\n\n10.—Another Parting\n\n11.—The New Home\n \n12.—Mr. Garie's Neighbour\n\n13.—Hopes consummated\n\n14.—Charlie at Warmouth\n\n15.—Mrs. Stevens gains a Triumph\n\n16.—Mr. Stevens mak es a Discovery\n\n17.—Plotting\n\n18.—Mr. Stevens falls into Bad Hands \n\n19.—The Alarm\n\n20.—The Attack\n\n21.—More Horrors\n\n22.—An Anxious Day\n\n23.—The Lost One Found\n\n24.—Charlie distinguishes him self\n\n25.—The Heir\n\n26.—Home again\n\n27.—Sudbury\n\n28.—Charl ie seeks Employment\n\n29.—Clouds and Sunshine\n\n30.—Many Years after \n\n31.—The Thorn rankles\n\n32.—Dear Old Ess again\n\n33.—The Fatal Discovery\n\n34.—\"Murder will out\"\n\n35.—The Wedding\n\n36.—And the Last\n\nCHAPTER I.\nIn which the Reader is introduced to a Family of p eculiar Construction.\n\nIt was at the close of an afternoon in May\, that a party might have been seen gathered around a table covered with all tho se delicacies that\, in the household of a rich Southern planter\, are reg arded as almost necessaries of life. In the centre stood a dish of ripe st rawberries\, their plump red sides peeping through the covering of white s ugar that had been plentifully sprinkled over them. Geeche limes\, almost drowned in their own rich syrup\, temptingly displayed their bronze-colour ed forms just above the rim of the glass that contained them. Opposite\, a nd as if to divert the gaze from lingering too long over their luscious be auty\, was a dish of peaches preserved in brandy\, a never-failing article in a Southern matron's catalogues of sweets. A silver basket filled with a variety of cakes was in close proximity to a plate of corn-flappers\, wh ich were piled upon it like a mountain\, and from the brown tops of which trickled tiny rivulets of butter. All these dainties\, mingling their vari ous odours with the aroma of the tea and fine old java that came steaming forth from the richly chased silver pots\, could not fail to produce a ver y appetising effect.\n\nThere was nothing about Mr. Garie\, the gentleman who sat at the head of the table\, to attract more than ordinary attention . He had the ease of manner usual with persons whose education and associa tions have been of a highly refined character\, and his countenance\, on t he whole\, was pleasing\, and indicative of habitual good temper.\n\nOppos ite to him\, and presiding at the tea-tray\, sat a lady of marked beauty. The first thing that would have attracted attention on seeing her were her gloriously dark eyes. They were not entirely black\, but of that seemingl y changeful hue so often met with in persons of African extraction\, which deepens and lightens with every varying emotion. Hers wore a subdued expr ession that sank into the heart and at once riveted those who saw her. Her hair\, of jetty black\, was arranged in braids\; and through her light-br own complexion the faintest tinge of carmine was visible. As she turned to take her little girl from the arms of the servant\, she displayed a fine profile and perfectly moulded form. No wonder that ten years before\, when she was placed upon the auction-block at Savanah\, she had brought so hig h a price. Mr. Garie had paid two thousand dollars for her\, and was the e nvy of all the young bucks in the neighbourhood who had competed with him at the sale. Captivated by her beauty\, he had esteemed himself fortunate in becoming her purchaser\; and as time developed the goodness of her hear t\, and her mind enlarged through the instructions he assiduously gave her \, he found the connection that might have been productive of many evils\, had proved a boon to both\; for whilst the astonishing progress she made in her education proved her worthy of the pains he took to instruct her\, she returned threefold the tenderness and affection he lavished upon her.\ n\nThe little girl in her arms\, and the boy at her side\, showed no trace whatever of African origin. The girl had the chestnut hair and blue eyes of her father\; but the boy had inherited the black hair and dark eyes of his mother. The critically learned in such matters\, knowing his parentage \, might have imagined they could detect the evidence of his mother's race \, by the slightly mezzo-tinto expression of his eyes\, and the rather Afr ican fulness of his lips\; but the casual observer would have passed him b y without dreaming that a drop of negro blood coursed through his veins. H is face was expressive of much intelligence\, and he now seemed to listen with an earnest interest to the conversation that was going on between his father and a dark-complexioned gentleman who sat beside him.\n\n\"And so you say\, Winston\, that they never suspected you were coloured?\"\n\n\"I don't think they had the remotest idea of such a thing. At least\, if they did\, they must have conquered their prejudices most effectually\, for th ey treated me with the most distinguished consideration. Old Mr. Priestly was like a father to me\; and as for his daughter Clara and her aunt\, the y were politeness embodied. The old gentleman was so much immersed in busi ness\, that he was unable to bestow much attention upon me\; so he turned me over to Miss Clara to be shown the lions. We went to the opera\, the th eatre\, to museums\, concerts\, and I can't tell where all. The Sunday bef ore I left I accompanied her to church\, and after service\, as we were co ming out\, she introduced me to Miss Van Cote and her mamma. Mrs. Van Cote was kind enough to invite me to her grand ball.\"\n\n\"And did you go?\" interrupted Mr. Garie.\n\n\"Of course\, I did—and what is more\, as old Mr. Priestly has given up balls\, he begged me to escort Clara and her aun t.\"\n\n\"Well\, Winston\, that is too rich\,\" exclaimed Mr. Garie\, slap ping his hand on the table\, and laughing till he was red in the face\; \" too good\, by Jove! Oh! I can't keep that. I must write to them\, and say I forgot to mention in my note of introduction that you were a coloured ge ntleman. The old man will swear till everything turns blue\; and as for Cl ara\, what will become of her? A Fifth-avenue belle escorted to church and to balls by a coloured gentleman!\" Here Mr. Garie indulged in another bu rst of laughter so side-shaking and merry\, that the contagion spread even to the little girl in Mrs. Garie's arms\, who almost choked herself with the tea her mother was giving her\, and who had to be hustled and shaken f or some time before she could be brought round again.\n\n\"It will be a gr eat triumph for me\,\" said Mr. Garie. \"The old man prides himself on bei ng able to detect evidences of the least drop of African blood in any one\ ; and makes long speeches about the natural antipathy of the Anglo-Saxon t o anything with a drop of negro blood in its veins. Oh\, I shall write him a glorious letter expressing my pleasure at his great change of sentiment \, and my admiration of the fearless manner in which he displays his conte mpt for public opinion. How he will stare! I fancy I see him now\, with hi s hair almost on end with disgust. It will do him good: it will convince h im\, I hope\, that a man can be a gentleman even though he has African blo od in his veins. I have had a series of quarrels with him\,\" continued Mr . Garie\; \"I think he had his eye on me for Miss Clara\, and that makes h im particularly fierce about my present connection. He rather presumes on his former great intimacy with my father\, and undertakes to lecture me oc casionally when opportunity is afforded. He was greatly scandalized at my speaking of Emily as my wife\; and seemed to think me cracked because I ta lked of endeavouring to procure a governess for my children\, or of sendin g them abroad to be educated. He has a holy horror of everything approachi ng to amalgamation\; and of all the men I ever met\, cherishes the most un christian prejudice against coloured people. He says\, the existence of \" a gentleman\" with African blood in his veins\, is a moral and physical im possibility\, and that by no exertion can anything be made of that descrip tion of people. He is connected with a society for the deportation of free coloured people\, and thinks they ought to be all sent to Africa\, unless they are willing to become the property of some good master.\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\; it is quite a hobby of his\,\" here interposed Mr. Winston. \"He mak es lengthy speeches on the subject\, and has published two of them in pamp hlet form. Have you seen them?\"\n\n\"Yes\, he sent them to me. I tried to get through one of them\, but it was too heavy\, I had to give it up. Bes ides\, I had no patience with them\; they abounded in mis-statements respe cting the free coloured people. Why even here in the slave states—in the cities of Savanah and Charleston—they are much better situated than he describes them to be in New York\; and since they can and do prosper here\ , where they have such tremendous difficulties to encounter\, I know they cannot be in the condition he paints\, in a state where they are relieved from many of the oppressions they labour under here. And\, on questioning him on the subject\, I found he was entirely unacquainted with coloured pe ople\; profoundly ignorant as to the real facts of their case. He had neve r been within a coloured church or school\; did not even know that they ha d a literary society amongst them. Positively\, I\, living down here in Ge orgia\, knew more about the character and condition of the coloured people of the Northern States\, than he who lived right in the midst of them. Wo uld you believe that beyond their laundress and a drunken negro that they occasionally employed to do odd jobs for them\, they were actually unacqua inted with any coloured people: and how unjust was it for him to form his opinion respecting a class numbering over twenty thousand in his own state \, from the two individuals I have mentioned and the negro loafers he occa sionally saw in the streets.\"\n\n\"It is truly unfortunate\,\" rejoined M r. Winston\, \"for he covers his prejudices with such a pretended regard f or the coloured people\, that a person would be the more readily led to be lieve his statements respecting them to be correct\; and he is really so p ositive about it\, and apparently go deaf to all argument that I did not d iscuss the subject with him to any extent\; he was so very kind to me that I did not want to run a tilt against his favourite opinions.\"\n\n\"You w rote me he gave you letters to Philadelphia\; was there one amongst them t o the Mortons?\"\n\n\"Yes. They were very civil and invited me to a grand dinner they gave to the Belgian Charge d'Affaires. I also met there one or two scions of the first families of Virginia. The Belgian minister did no t seem to be aware that slavery is a tabooed subject in polite circles\, a nd he was continually bringing it forward until slaves\, slavery\, and bla ck people in general became the principal topic of conversation\, relieved by occasional discussion upon some new book or pictures\, and remarks in praise of the viands before us. A very amusing thing occurred during dinne r. A bright-faced little coloured boy who was assisting at the table\, see med to take uncommon interest in the conversation. An animated discussion had arisen as to the antiquity of the use of salad\, one party maintaining that one of the oldest of the English poets had mentioned it in a poem\, and the other as stoutly denying it. At last a reverend gentleman\, whose remarks respecting the intelligence of the children of Ham had been partic ularly disparaging\, asserted that nowhere in Chaucer\, Spencer\, nor any of the old English poets could anything relating to it be found. At this\, the little waiter became so excited that he could no longer contain himse lf\, and\, despite the frowns and nods of our hostess\, exclaimed\, 'Yes i t can\, it's in Chaucer\; here\,' he continued\, taking out a book from th e book-case\, 'here is the very volume\,'[*] and turning over the leaves h e pointed out the passage\, to the great chagrin of the reverend gentleman \, and to the amusement of the guests. The Belgian minister enjoyed it imm ensely. 'Ah\,' said he\, 'the child of Ham know more than the child of She m\, dis time.' Whereupon Mrs. Morton rejoined that in this case it was not so wonderful\, owing to the frequent and intimate relations into which ha m and salad were brought\, and with this joke the subject was dismissed. I can't say I was particularly sorry when the company broke up.\"\n\n[Footn ote * See Chaucer\, \"Flower and the Leaf.\"]\n\n\"Oh\, George\, never min d the white people\,\" here interposed Mrs. Garie. \"Never mind them\; tel l us about the coloured folks\; they are the ones I take the most interest in. We were so delighted with your letters\, and so glad that you found M rs. Ellis. Tell us all about that.\"\n\n\"Oh\, 'tis a long story\, Em\, an d can't be told in a minute\; it would take the whole evening to relate it all.\"\n\n\"Look at the children\, my dear\, they are half asleep\,\" sai d Mr. Garie. \"Call nurse and see them safe into bed\, and when you come b ack we will have the whole story.\"\n\n\"Very well\;\" replied she\, risin g and calling the nurse. \"Now remember\, George\, you are not to begin un til I return\, for I should be quite vexed to lose a word.\"\n\n\"Oh\, go on with the children\, my dear\, I'll guarantee he shall not say a word on the subject till you come back.\"\n\nWith this assurance Mrs. Garie left the room\, playfully shaking her finger at them as she went out\, exclaimi ng\, \"Not a word\, remember now\, not a word.\"\n\nAfter she left them Mr . Garie remarked\, \"I have not seen Em as happy as she is this afternoon for some time. I don't know what has come over her lately\; she scarcely e ver smiles now\, and yet she used to be the most cheerful creature in the world. I wish I knew what is the matter with her\; sometimes I am quite di stressed about her. She goes about the house looking so lost and gloomy\, and does not seem to take the least interest in anything. You saw\,\" cont inued he\, \"how silent she has been all tea time\, and yet she has been m ore interested in what you have been saying than in anything that has tran spired for months. Well\, I suppose women will be so sometimes\,\" he conc luded\, applying himself to the warm cakes that had just been set upon the table.\n\n\"Perhaps she is not well\,\" suggested Mr. Winston\, \"I think she looks a little pale.\"\n\n\"Well\, possibly you may be right\, but I trust it is only a temporary lowness of spirits or something of that kind. Maybe she will get over it in a day or two\;\" and with this remark the c onversation dropped\, and the gentlemen proceeded to the demolition of the sweetmeats before them. And now\, my reader\, whilst they are finishing t heir meal\, I will relate to you who Mr. Winston is\, and how he came to b e so familiarly seated at Mr. Garie's table.\n\nMr. Winston had been a sla ve. Yes! that fine-looking gentleman seated near Mr. Garie and losing noth ing by the comparison that their proximity would suggest\, had been fiftee n years before sold on the auction-block in the neighbouring town of Savan ah—had been made to jump\, show his teeth\, shout to test his lungs\, an d had been handled and examined by professed negro traders and amateur buy ers\, with less gentleness and commiseration than every humane man would f eel for a horse or an ox. Now do not doubt me—I mean that very gentleman \, whose polished manners and irreproachable appearance might have led you to suppose him descended from a long line of illustrious ancestors. Yes —he was the offspring of a mulatto field-hand by her master. He who was now clothed in fine linen\, had once rejoiced in a tow shirt that scarcely covered his nakedness\, and had sustained life on a peck of corn a week\, receiving the while kicks and curses from a tyrannical overseer.\n\nThe d eath of his master had brought him to the auction-block\, from which\, bot h he and his mother were sold to separate owners. There they took their la st embrace of each other—the mother tearless\, but heart-broken—the bo y with all the wildest manifestations of grief.\n\nHis purchaser was a cot ton broker from New Orleans\, a warm-hearted\, kind old man\, who took a f ancy to the boy's looks\, and pitied him for his unfortunate separation fr om his mother. After paying for his new purchase\, he drew him aside\, and said\, in a kind tone\, \"Come\, my little man\, stop crying\; my boys ne ver cry. If you behave yourself you shall have fine times with me. Stop cr ying now\, and come with me\; I am going to buy you a new suit of clothes. \"\n\n\"I don't want new clothes—I want my mammy\,\" exclaimed the child \, with a fresh burst of grief.\n\n\"Oh dear me!\" said the fussy old gent leman\, \"why can't you stop—I don't want to hear you cry. Here\,\" cont inued he\, fumbling in his pocket—\"here's a picayune.\"\n\n\"Will that buy mother back?\" said the child brightening up.\n\n\"No\, no\, my little man\, not quite—I wish it would. I'd purchase the old woman\; but I can 't—I'm not able to spare the money.\"\n\n\"Then I don't want it\,\" crie d the boy\, throwing the money on the ground. \"If it won't buy mammy\, I don't want it. I want my mammy\, and nothing else.\"\n\nAt length\, by muc h kind language\, and by the prospect of many fabulous events to occur her eafter\, invented at the moment by the old gentleman\, the boy was coaxed into a more quiescent state\, and trudged along in the rear of Mr. Moyes e—that was the name of his purchaser—to be fitted with the new suit of clothes.\n\nThe next morning they started by the stage for Augusta. Georg e\, seated on the box with the driver\, found much to amuse him\; and the driver's merry chat and great admiration of George's new and gaily-bedizen ed suit\, went a great way towards reconciling that young gentleman to his new situation.\n\nIn a few days they arrived in New Orleans. There\, unde r the kind care of Mr. Moyese\, he began to exhibit great signs of intelli gence. The atmosphere into which he was now thrown\, the kindness of which he was hourly the recipient\, called into vigour abilities that would hav e been stifled for ever beneath the blighting influences that surrounded h im under his former master. The old gentleman had him taught to read and w rite\, and his aptness was such as to highly gratify the kind old soul.\n\ nIn course of time\, the temporary absence of an out-door clerk caused Geo rge's services to be required at the office for a few days\, as errand-boy . Here he made himself so useful as to induce Mr. Moyese to keep him there permanently. After this he went through all the grades from errand-boy up to chief-clerk\, which post he filled to the full satisfaction of his emp loyer. His manners and person improved with his circumstances\; and at the time he occupied the chief-clerk's desk\, no one would have suspected him to be a slave\, and few who did not know his history would have dreamed t hat he had a drop of African blood in his veins. He was unremitting in his attention to the duties of his station\, and gained\, by his assiduity an d amiable deportment\, the highest regard of his employer.\n\nA week befor e a certain New-year's-day\, Mr. Moyese sat musing over some presents that had just been sent home\, and which he was on the morrow to distribute am ongst his nephews and nieces. \"Why\, bless me!\" he suddenly exclaimed\, turning them over\, \"why\, I've entirely forgotten George! That will neve r do\; I must get something for him. What shall it be? He has a fine watch \, and I gave him a pin and ring last year. I really don't know what will be suitable\,\" and he sat for some time rubbing his chin\, apparently in deep deliberation. \"Yes\, I'll do it!\" he exclaimed\, starting up\; \"I' ll do it! He has been a faithful fellow\, and deserves it. I'll make him a present of himself! Now\, how strange it is I never thought of that befor e—it's just the thing\;—how surprised and delighted he will be!\" and the old gentleman laughed a low\, gentle\, happy laugh\, that had in it so little of selfish pleasure\, that had you only heard him you must have lo ved him for it.\n\nHaving made up his mind to surprise George in this agre eable manner\, Mr. Moyese immediately wrote a note\, which he despatched t o his lawyers\, Messrs. Ketchum and Lee\, desiring them to make out a set of free papers for his boy George\, and to have them ready for delivery on the morrow\, as it was his custom to give his presents two or three days in advance of the coming year.\n\nThe note found Mr. Ketchum deep in a dis puted will case\, upon the decision of which depended the freedom of some half-dozen slaves\, who had been emancipated by the will of their late mas ter\; by which piece of posthumous benevolence his heirs had been greatly irritated\, and were in consequence endeavouring to prove him insane.\n\n\ "Look at that\, Lee\,\" said he\, tossing the note to his partner\; \"if t hat old Moyese isn't the most curious specimen of humanity in all New Orle ans! He is going to give away clear fifteen hundred dollars as a New-year' s gift!\"\n\n\"To whom?\" asked Mr. Lee.\n\n\"He has sent me orders\,\" re plied Mr. Ketchum\, \"to make out a set of free papers for his boy George. \"\n\n\"Well\, I can't say that I see so much in that\,\" said Lee\; \"how can he expect to keep him? George is almost as white as you or I\, and ha s the manners and appearance of a gentleman. He might walk off any day wit hout the least fear of detection.\"\n\n\"Very true\,\" rejoined Ketchum\, \"but I don't think he would do it. He is very much attached to the old ge ntleman\, and no doubt would remain with him as long as the old man lives. But I rather think the heirs would have to whistle for him after Moyese w as put under ground. However\,\" concluded Mr. Ketchum\, \"they won't have much opportunity to dispute the matter\, as he will be a free man\, no do ubt\, before he is forty-eight hours older.\"\n\nA day or two after this\, Mr. Moyese entertained all his nephews and nieces at dinner\, and each wa s gratified with some appropriate gift. The old man sat happily regarding the group that crowded round him\, their faces beaming with delight. The c laim for the seat of honour on Uncle Moyese's knee was clamorously dispute d\, and the old gentleman was endeavouring to settle it to the satisfactio n of all parties\, when a servant entered\, and delivered a portentous-loo king document\, tied with red tape. \"Oh\, the papers—now\, my dears\, l et uncle go. Gustave\, let go your hold of my leg\, or I can't get up. Amy \, ring the bell\, dear.\" This operation Mr. Moyese was obliged to lift h er into the chair to effect\, where she remained tugging at the bell-rope until she was lifted out again by the servant\, who came running in great haste to answer a summons of such unusual vigour.\n\n\"Tell George I want him\,\" said Mr. Moyese.\n\n\"He's gone down to the office\; I hearn him s ay suffin bout de nordern mail as he went out—but I duno what it was\" —and as he finished he vanished from the apartment\, and might soon afte r have been seen with his mouth in close contact with the drumstick of a t urkey.\n\nMr. Moyese being now released from the children\, took his way t o the office\, with the portentous red-tape document that was to so greatl y change the condition of George Winston in his coat pocket. The old man s at down at his desk\, smiling\, as he balanced the papers in his hand\, at the thought of the happiness he was about to confer on his favourite. He was thus engaged when the door opened\, and George entered\, bearing some newly-arrived orders from European correspondents\, in reference to which he sought Mr. Moyese's instructions.\n\n\"I think\, sir\,\" said he\, mode stly\, \"that we had better reply at once to Ditson\, and send him the adv ance he requires\, as he will not otherwise be able to fill these\;\" and as he concluded he laid the papers on the table\, and stood waiting orders respecting them.\n\nMr. Moyese laid down the packet\, and after looking o ver the papers George had brought in\, replied: \"I think we had. Write to him to draw upon us for the amount he requires.—And\, George\,\" he con tinued\, looking at him benevolently\, \"what would you like for a New-yea r's present?\"\n\n\"Anything you please\, sir\,\" was the respectful reply .\n\n\"Well\, George\,\" resumed Mr. Moyese\, \"I have made up my mind to make you a present of——\" here he paused and looked steadily at him fo r a few seconds\; and then gravely handing him the papers\, concluded\, \" of yourself\, George! Now mind and don't throw my present away\, my boy.\" George stood for some moments looking in a bewildered manner\, first at h is master\, then at the papers. At last the reality of his good fortune br oke fully upon him\, and he sank into a chair\, and unable to say more tha n: \"God bless you\, Mr. Moyese!\" burst into tears.\n\n\"Now you are a pr etty fellow\,\" said the old man\, sobbing himself\, \"it's nothing to cry about—get home as fast as you can\, you stupid cry-baby\, and mind you are here early in the morning\, sir\, for I intend to pay you five hundred dollars a-year\, and I mean you to earn it\,\" and thus speaking he bustl ed out of the room\, followed by George's repeated \"God bless you!\" That \"God bless you\" played about his ears at night\, and soothed him to sle ep\; in dreams he saw it written in diamond letters on a golden crown\, he ld towards him by a hand outstretched from the azure above. He fancied the birds sang it to him in his morning walk\, and that he heard it in the ri pple of the little stream that flowed at the foot of his garden. So he cou ld afford to smile when his relatives talked about his mistaken generosity \, and could take refuge in that fervent \"God bless you!\"\n\nSix years a fter this event Mr. Moyese died\, leaving George a sufficient legacy to en able him to commence business on his own account. As soon as he had arrang ed his affairs\, he started for his old home\, to endeavour to gain by per sonal exertions what he had been unable to learn through the agency of oth ers—a knowledge of the fate of his mother. He ascertained that she had b een sold and re-sold\, and had finally died in New Orleans\, not more than three miles from where he had been living. He had not even the melancholy satisfaction of finding her grave. During his search for his mother he ha d become acquainted with Emily\, the wife of Mr. Garie\, and discovered th at she was his cousin\; and to this was owing the familiar footing on whic h we find him in the household where we first introduced him to our reader s.\n\nMr. Winston had just returned from a tour through the Northern State s\, where he had been in search of a place in which to establish himself i n business.\n\nThe introductions with which Mr. Garie had kindly favoured him\, had enabled him to see enough of Northern society to convince him\, that\, amongst the whites\, he could not form either social or business co nnections\, should his identity with\, the African race be discovered\; an d whilst\, on the other hand\, he would have found sufficiently refined as sociations amongst the people of colour to satisfy his social wants\, he f elt that he could not bear the isolation and contumely to which they were subjected. He\, therefore\, decided on leaving the United States\, and on going to some country where\, if he must struggle for success in life\, he might do it without the additional embarrassments that would be thrown in his way in his native land\, solely because he belonged to an oppressed r ace.\n\nCHAPTER II.\nA Glance at the Ellis Family.\n\n\"I wish Charlie wou ld come with that tea\,\" exclaimed Mrs. Ellis\, who sat finishing off som e work\, which had to go home that evening. \"I wonder what can keep him s o long away. He has been gone over an hour\; it surely cannot take him tha t time to go to Watson's.\"\n\n\"It is a great distance\, mother\,\" said Esther Ellis\, who was busily plying her needle\; \"and I don't think he h as been quite so long as you suppose.\"\n\n\"Yes\; he has been gone a good hour\,\" repeated Mrs. Ellis. \"It is now six o'clock\, and it wanted thr ee minutes to five when he left. I do hope he won't forget that I told him half black and half green—he is so forgetful!\" And Mrs. Ellis rubbed h er spectacles and looked peevishly out of the window as she concluded.—\ "Where can he be?\" she resumed\, looking in the direction in which he mig ht be expected. \"Oh\, here he comes\, and Caddy with him. They have just turned the corner—open the door and let them in.\"\n\nEsther arose\, and on opening the door was almost knocked down by Charlie's abrupt entrance into the apartment\, he being rather forcibly shoved in by his sister Caro line\, who appeared to be in a high state of indignation.\n\n\"Where do yo u think he was\, mother? Where do you think I found him?\"\n\n\"Well\, I c an't say—I really don't know\; in some mischief\, I'll be bound.\"\n\n\" He was on the lot playing marbles—and I've had such a time to get him ho me. Just look at his knees\; they are worn through. And only think\, mothe r\, the tea was lying on the ground\, and might have been carried off\, if I had not happened to come that way. And then he has been fighting and st ruggling with me all the way home. See\,\" continued she\, baring her arm\ , \"just look how he has scratched me\,\" and as she spoke she held out th e injured member for her mother's inspection.\n\n\"Mother\,\" said Charlie \, in his justification\, \"she began to beat me before all the boys\, bef ore I had said a word to her\, and I wasn't going to stand that. She is al ways storming at me. She don't give me any peace of my life.\"\n\n\"Oh yes \, mother\,\" here interposed Esther\; \"Cad is too cross to him. I must s ay\, that he would not be as bad as he is\, if she would only let him alon e.\"\n\n\"Esther\, please hush now\; you have nothing to do with their qua rrels. I'll settle all their differences. You always take his part whether he be right or wrong. I shall send him to bed without his tea\, and to-mo rrow I will take his marbles from him\; and if I see his knees showing thr ough his pants again\, I'll put a red patch on them—that's what I'll do. Now\, sir\, go to bed\, and don't let me hear of you until morning.\"\n\n Mr. and Mrs. Ellis were at the head of a highly respectable and industriou s coloured family. They had three children. Esther\, the eldest\, was a gi rl of considerable beauty\, and amiable temper. Caroline\, the second chil d\, was plain in person\, and of rather shrewish disposition\; she was a m ost indefatigable housewife\, and was never so happy as when in possession of a dust or scrubbing brush\; she would have regarded a place where she could have lived in a perpetual state of house cleaning\, as an earthly pa radise. Between her and Master Charlie continued warfare existed\, interru pted only by brief truces brought about by her necessity for his services as water-carrier. When a service of this character had been duly rewarded by a slice of bread and preserves\, or some other dainty\, hostilities wou ld most probably be recommenced by Charlie's making an inroad upon the new ly cleaned floor\, and leaving the prints of his muddy boots thereon.\n\nT he fact must here be candidly stated\, that Charlie was not a tidy boy. He despised mats\, and seldom or never wiped his feet on entering the house\ ; he was happiest when he could don his most dilapidated unmentionables\, as he could then sit down where he pleased without the fear of his mother before his eyes\, and enter upon a game of marbles with his mind perfectly free from all harassing cares growing out of any possible accident to the aforesaid garments\, so that he might give that attention to the game tha t its importance demanded.\n\nHe was a bright-faced pretty boy\, clever at his lessons\, and a favourite both with tutors and scholars. He had witha l a thorough boy's fondness for play\, and was also characterised by all t he thoughtlessness consequent thereon. He possessed a lively\, affectionat e disposition\, and was generally at peace with all the world\, his sister Caddy excepted.\n\nCaroline had recovered her breath\, and her mind being soothed by the judgment that had been pronounced on Master Charlie\, she began to bustle about to prepare tea.\n\nThe shining copper tea-kettle was brought from the stove where it had been seething and singing for the las t half-hour\; then the tea-pot of china received its customary quantity of tea\, which was set upon the stove to brew\, and carefully placed behind the stove pipe that no accidental touch of the elbow might bring it to des truction. Plates\, knives\, and teacups came rattling forth from the close t\; the butter was brought from the place where it had been placed to keep it cool\, and a corn-cake was soon smoking on the table\, and sending up its seducing odour into the room over-head to which Charlie had been recen tly banished\, causing to that unfortunate young gentleman great physical discomfort.\n\n\"Now\, mother\,\" said the bustling Caddy\, \"it's all rea dy. Come now and sit down whilst the cake is hot—do put up the sewing\, Esther\, and come!\"\n\nNeither Esther nor her mother needed much pressing \, and they were accordingly soon seated round the table on which their re past was spread.\n\n\"Put away a slice of this cake for father\,\" said Mr s. Ellis\, \"for he won't be home until late\; he is obliged to attend a v estry meeting to-night.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis sat for some time sipping the frag rant and refreshing tea. When the contents of two or three cups one after another had disappeared\, and sundry slices of corn-bread had been deposit ed where much corn-bread had been deposited before\, she began to think ab out Charlie\, and to imagine that perhaps she had been rather hasty in sen ding him to bed without his supper.\n\n\"What had Charlie to-day in his di nner-basket to take to school with him?\" she inquired of Caddy.\n\n\"Why\ , mother\, I put in enough for a wolf\; three or four slices of bread\, wi th as many more of corn-beef\, some cheese\, one of those little pies\, an d all that bread-pudding which was left at dinner yesterday—he must have had enough.\"\n\n\"But\, mother\, you know he always gives away the best part of his dinner\,\" interposed Esther. \"He supplies two or three boys with food. There is that dirty Kinch that he is so fond of\, who never tak es any dinner with him\, and depends entirely upon Charlie. He must be hun gry\; do let him come down and get his tea\, mother?\"\n\nNotwithstanding the observations of Caroline that Esther was just persuading her mother to spoil the boy\, that he would be worse than ever\, and many other similar predictions. Esther and the tea combined won a signal triumph\, and Charl ie was called down from the room above\, where he had been exchanging tele graphic communications with the before-mentioned Kinch\, in hopes of recei ving a commutation of sentence.\n\nCharlie was soon seated at the table wi th an ample allowance of corn-bread and tea\, and he looked so demure\, an d conducted himself in such an exemplary manner\, that one would have scar cely thought him given to marbles and dirty company. Having eaten to his s atisfaction he quite ingratiated himself with Caddy by picking up all the crumbs he had spilled during tea\, and throwing them upon the dust-heap. T his last act was quite a stroke of policy\, as even Caddy began to regard him as capable of reformation.\n\nThe tea-things washed up and cleared awa y\, the females busied themselves with their sewing\, and Charlie immersed himself in his lessons for the morrow with a hearty goodwill and persever ance as if he had abjured marbles for ever.\n\nThe hearty supper and perse vering attention to study soon began to produce their customary effect upo n Charlie. He could not get on with his lessons. Many of the state capital s positively refused to be found\, and he was beginning to entertain the s age notion that probably some of the legislatures had come to the conclusi on to dispense with them altogether\, or had had them placed in such obscu re places that they could not be found. The variously coloured states bega n to form a vast kaleidoscope\, in which the lakes and rivers had been ent irely swallowed up. Ranges of mountains disappeared\, and gulfs and bays a nd islands were entirely lost. In fact\, he was sleepy\, and had already h ad two or three narrow escapes from butting over the candles\; finally he fell from his chair\, crushing Caddy's newly-trimmed bonnet\, to the inten se grief and indignation of that young lady\, who inflicted summary vengea nce upon him before he was sufficiently awake to be aware of what had happ ened.\n\nThe work being finished\, Mrs. Ellis and Caddy prepared to take i t home to Mrs. Thomas\, leaving Esther at home to receive her father on hi s return and give him his tea.\n\nMrs. Ellis and Caddy wended their way to wards the fashionable part of the city\, looking in at the various shop-wi ndows as they went. Numberless were the great bargains they saw there disp layed\, and divers were the discussions they held respecting them. \"Oh\, isn't that a pretty calico\, mother\, that with the green ground?\"\n\n\"' Tis pretty\, but it won't wash\, child\; those colours always run.\"\n\n\" Just look at that silk though—now that's cheap\, you must acknowledge— only eighty-seven and a half cents\; if I only had a dress of that I shoul d be fixed.\"\n\n\"Laws\, Caddy!\" replied Mrs. Ellis\, \"that stuff is as slazy as a washed cotton handkerchief\, and coarse enough almost to sift sand through. It wouldn't last you any time. The silks they make now-a-day s ain't worth anything\; they don't wear well at all. Why\,\" continued sh e\, \"when I was a girl they made silks that would stand on end—and one of them would last a life-time.\"\n\nThey had now reached Chestnut-street\ , which was filled with gaily-dressed people\, enjoying the balmy breath o f a soft May evening. Mrs. Ellis and Caddy walked briskly onward\, and wer e soon beyond the line of shops\, and entered upon the aristocratic quarte r into which many of its residents had retired\, that they might be out of sight of the houses in which their fathers or grandfathers had made their fortunes.\n\n\"Mother\,\" said Caddy\, \"this is Mr. Grant's new house— isn't it a splendid place? They say it's like a palace inside. They are gr eat people\, them Grants. I saw in the newspaper yesterday that young Mr. Augustus Grant had been appointed an attache to the American legation at P aris\; the newspapers say he is a rising man.\"\n\n\"Well\, he ought to be \,\" rejoined Mrs. Ellis\, \"for his old grand-daddy made yeast enough to raise the whole family. Many a pennyworth has he sold me. Laws! how the po or old folk do get up! I think I can see the old man now\, with his sleeve s rolled up\, dealing out his yeast. He wore one coat for about twenty yea rs\, and used to be always bragging about it.\"\n\nAs they were thus talki ng\, a door of one of the splendid mansions they were passing opened\, and a fashionably-dressed young man came slowly down the steps\, and walked o n before them with a very measured step and peculiar gait.\n\n\"That's you ng Dr. Whiston\, mother\,\" whispered Caddy\; \"he's courting young\nMiss Morton.\"\n\n\"You don't say so!\" replied the astonished Mrs. Ellis. \"Wh y\, I declare his grandfather laid her grandfather out! Old Whiston was an undertaker\, and used to make the handsomest coffins of his time. And he is going to marry Miss Morton! What next\, I'd like to know! He walks exac tly like the old man. I used to mock him when I was a little girl. He had just that hop-and-go kind of gait\, and he was the funniest man that ever lived. I've seen him at a funeral go into the parlour\, and condole with t he family\, and talk about the dear departed until the tears rolled down h is cheeks\; and then he'd be down in the kitchen\, eating and drinking\, a nd laughing\, and telling jokes about the corpses\, before the tears were dry on his face. How he used to make money! He buried almost all the respe ctable people about town\, and made a large fortune. He owned a burying-gr ound in Coates-street\, and when the property in that vicinity became valu able\, he turned the dead folks out\, and built houses on the ground!\"\n\ n\"I shouldn't say it was a very pleasant place to live in\, if there are such things as ghosts\,\" said Caddy\, laughing\; \"I for one wouldn't lik e to live there—but here we are at Mr. Thomas's—how short the way has seemed!\"\n\nCaroline gave a fierce rap at the door\, which was opened by old Aunt Rachel\, the fat cook\, who had lived with the Thomases for a fab ulous length of time. She was an old woman when Mrs. Ellis came as a girl into the family\, and had given her many a cuff in days long past\; in fac t\, notwithstanding Mrs. Ellis had been married many years\, and had child ren almost as old as she herself was when she left Mr. Thomas\, Aunt Rache l could never be induced to regard her otherwise than as a girl.\n\n\"Oh\, it's you\, is it?\" said she gruffly\, as she opened the door\; \"don't y ou think better break de door down at once-rapping as if you was guine to tear off de knocker—is dat de way\, gal\, you comes to quality's houses? You lived here long nuff to larn better dan dat—and dis is twice I've b een to de door in de last half-hour—if any one else comes dere they may stay outside. Shut de door after you\, and come into de kitchen\, and don' t keep me standin' here all night\,\" added she\, puffing and blowing as s he waddled back into her sanctum.\n\nWaiting until the irate old cook had recovered her breath\, Mrs. Ellis modestly inquired if Mrs. Thomas was at home. \"Go up and see\,\" was the surly response. \"You've been up stars o ften enuff to know de way—go long wid you\, gal\, and don't be botherin' me\, 'case I don't feel like bein' bothered—now\, mind I tell yer.—He re\, you Cad\, set down on dis stool\, and let that cat alone\; I don't le t any one play with my cat\,\" continued she\, \"and you'll jest let him a lone\, if you please\, or I'll make you go sit in de entry till your mothe r's ready to go. I don't see what she has you brats tugging after her for whenever she comes here—she might jest as well leave yer at home to darn your stockings—I 'spect dey want it.\"\n\nPoor Caddy was boiling over w ith wrath\; but deeming prudence the better part of valour\, she did not v enture upon any wordy contest with Aunt Rachel\, but sat down upon the sto ol by the fire-place\, in which a bright fire was blazing. Up the chimney an old smoke-jack was clicking\, whirling\, and making the most dismal noi se imaginable. This old smoke-jack was Aunt Rachel's especial protege\, an d she obstinately and successfully defended it against all comers. She tur ned up her nose at all modern inventions designed for the same use as enti rely beneath her notice. She had been accustomed to hearing its rattle for the last forty years\, and would as soon have thought of committing suici de as consenting to its removal.\n\nShe and her cat were admirably matched \; he was as snappish and cross as she\, and resented with distended claws and elevated back all attempts on the part of strangers to cultivate amic able relations with him. In fact\, Tom's pugnacious disposition was clearl y evidenced by his appearance\; one side of his face having a very battere d aspect\, and the fur being torn off his back in several places.\n\nCaddy sat for some time surveying the old woman and her cat\, in evident awe of both. She regarded also with great admiration the scrupulously clean and shining kitchen tins that garnished the walls and reflected the red light of the blazing fire. The wooden dresser was a miracle of whiteness\, and r anged thereon was a set of old-fashioned blue china\, on which was display ed the usual number of those unearthly figures which none but the Chinese can create. Tick\, tick\, went the old Dutch clock in the corner\, and the smoke-jack kept up its whirring noise. Old Tom and Aunt Rachel were both napping\; and so Caddy\, having no other resource\, went to sleep also.\n\ nMrs. Ellis found her way without any difficulty to Mrs. Thomas's room. He r gentle tap upon the door quite flurried that good lady\, who (we speak i t softly) was dressing her wig\, a task she entrusted to no other mortal h ands. She peeped out\, and seeing who it was\, immediately opened the door without hesitation.\n\n\"Oh\, it's you\, is it? Come in\, Ellen\,\" said she\; \"I don't mind you.\"\n\n\"I've brought the night-dresses home\,\" s aid Mrs. Ellis\, laying her bundle upon the table\,—\"I hope they'll sui t.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no doubt they will. Did you bring the bill?\" asked Mrs. Th omas.\n\nThe bill was produced\, and Mrs. Ellis sat down\, whilst Mrs. Tho mas counted out the money. This having been duly effected\, and the bill c arefully placed on the file\, Mrs. Thomas also sat down\, and commenced he r usual lamentation over the state of her nerves\, and the extravagance of the younger members of the family. On the latter subject she spoke very f eelingly. \"Such goings on\, Ellen\, are enough to set me crazy—so many nurses—and then we have to keep four horses—and it's company\, company from Monday morning until Saturday night\; the house is kept upside-down continually—money\, money for everything—all going out\, and nothing c oming in!\"—and the unfortunate Mrs. Thomas whined and groaned as if she had not at that moment an income of clear fifteen thousand dollars a year \, and a sister who might die any day and leave her half as much more.\n\n Mrs. Thomas was the daughter of the respectable old gentleman whom Dr. Whi ston's grandfather had prepared for his final resting-place. Her daughter had married into a once wealthy\, but now decayed\, Carolina family. In co nsideration of the wealth bequeathed by her grandfather (who was a maker o f leather breeches\, and speculator in general)\, Miss Thomas had received the offer of the poverty-stricken hand of Mr. Morton\, and had accepted i t with evident pleasure\, as he was undoubtedly a member of one of the fir st families of the South\, and could prove a distant connection with one o f the noble families of England.\n\nThey had several children\, and their incessant wants had rendered it necessary that another servant should be k ept. Now Mrs. Thomas had long had her eye on Charlie\, with a view of inco rporating him with the Thomas establishment\, and thought this would be a favourable time to broach the subject to his mother: she therefore commenc ed by inquiring—\n\n\"How have you got through the winter\, Ellen? Every thing has been so dear that even we have felt the effect of the high price s.\"\n\n\"Oh\, tolerably well\, I thank you. Husband's business\, it is tr ue\, has not been as brisk as usual\, but we ought not to complain\; now t hat we have got the house paid for\, and the girls do so much sewing\, we get on very nicely.\"\n\n\"I should think three children must be something of a burthen—must be hard to provide for.\"\n\n\"Oh no\, not at all\,\" rejoined Mrs. Ellis\, who seemed rather surprised at Mrs. Thomas's uncomm on solicitude respecting them. \"We have never found the children a burthe n\, thank God—they're rather a comfort and a pleasure than otherwise.\"\ n\n\"I'm glad to hear you say so\, Ellen—very glad\, indeed\, for I have been quite disturbed in mind respecting you during the winter. I really s everal times thought of sending to take Charlie off your hands: by-the-way \, what is he doing now?\"\n\n\"He goes to school regularly—he hasn't mi ssed a day all winter. You should just see his writing\,\" continued Mrs. Ellis\, warming up with a mother's pride in her only son—\"he won't let the girls make out any of the bills\, but does it all himself—he made ou t yours.\"\n\nMrs. Thomas took down the file and looked at the bill again. \"It's very neatly written\, very neatly written\, indeed\; isn't it abou t time that he left school—don't you think he has education enough?\" sh e inquired.\n\n\"His father don't. He intends sending him to another schoo l\, after vacation\, where they teach Latin and Greek\, and a number of ot her branches.\"\n\n\"Nonsense\, nonsense\, Ellen! If I were you\, I wouldn 't hear of it. There won't be a particle of good result to the child from any such acquirements. It isn't as though he was a white child. What use c an Latin or Greek be to a coloured boy? None in the world—he'll have to be a common mechanic\, or\, perhaps\, a servant\, or barber\, or something of that kind\, and then what use would all his fine education be to him? Take my advice\, Ellen\, and don't have him taught things that will make h im feel above the situation he\, in all probability\, will have to fill. N ow\,\" continued she\, \"I have a proposal to make to you: let him come an d live with me awhile—I'll pay you well\, and take good care of him\; be sides\, he will be learning something here\, good manners\, &\;c. Not t hat he is not a well-mannered child\; but\, you know\, Ellen\, there is so mething every one learns by coming in daily contact with refined and educa ted people that cannot but be beneficial—come now\, make up your mind to leave him with me\, at least until the winter\, when the schools again co mmence\, and then\, if his father is still resolved to send him back to sc hool\, why he can do so. Let me have him for the summer at least.\"\n\nMrs . Ellis\, who had always been accustomed to regard Mrs. Thomas as a miracl e of wisdom\, was\, of course\, greatly impressed with what she had said. She had lived many years in her family\, and had left it to marry Mr. Elli s\, a thrifty mechanic\, who came from Savanah\, her native city. She had great reverence for any opinion Mrs. Thomas expressed\; and\, after some f urther conversation on the subject\, made up her mind to consent to the pr oposal\, and left her with the intention of converting her husband to her way of thinking.\n\nOn descending to the kitchen she awoke Caddy from a de licious dream\, in which she had been presented with the black silk that t hey had seen in the shop window marked eighty-seven and a half cents a yar d. In the dream she had determined to make it up with tight sleeves and in fant waist\, that being the most approved style at that period.\n\n\"Five breadths are not enough for the skirt\, and if I take six I must skimp the waist and cape\,\" murmured she in her sleep.\n\n\"Wake up\, girl! What a re you thinking about?\" said her mother\, giving her another shake.\n\n\" Oh!\" said Caddy\, with a wild and disappointed look—\"I was dreaming\, wasn't I? I declare I thought I had that silk frock in the window.\"\n\n\" The girls' heads are always running on finery—wake up\, and come along\, \nI'm going home.\"\n\nCaddy followed her mother out\, leaving Aunt Rachel and Tom nodding at each other as they dozed before the fire.\n\nThat nigh t Mr. Ellis and his wife had a long conversation upon the proposal of Mrs. Thomas\; and after divers objections raised by him\, and set aside by her \, it was decided that Charlie should be permitted to go there for the hol idays at least\; after which\, his father resolved he should be sent to sc hool again.\n\nCharlie\, the next morning\, looked very blank on being inf ormed of his approaching fate. Caddy undertook with great alacrity to brea k the dismal tidings to him\, and enlarged in a glowing manner upon what t imes he might expect from Aunt Rachel.\n\n\"I guess she'll keep you straig ht\;—you'll see sights up there! She is cross as sin—she'll make you w ipe your feet when you go in and out\, if no one else can.\"\n\n\"Let him alone\, Caddy\,\" gently interposed Esther\; \"it is bad enough to be comp elled to live in a house with that frightful old woman\, without being ann oyed about it beforehand. If I could help it\, Charlie\, you should not go .\"\n\n\"I know you'd keep me home if you could—but old Cad\, here\, she always rejoices if anything happens to me. I'll be hanged if I stay there \,\" said he. \"I won't live at service—I'd rather be a sweep\, or sell apples on the dock. I'm not going to be stuck up behind their carriage\, d ressed up like a monkey in a tail coat—I'll cut off my own head first.\" And with this sanguinary threat he left the house\, with his school-books under his arm\, intending to lay the case before his friend and adviser\, the redoubtable and sympathising Kinch.\n\nCHAPTER III.\nCharlie's Trials .\n\nCharlie started for school with a heavy heart. Had it not been for hi s impending doom of service in Mr. Thomas's family\, he would have been th e happiest boy that ever carried a school-bag.\n\nIt did not require a gre at deal to render this young gentleman happy. All that was necessary to ma ke up a day of perfect joyfulness with him\, was a dozen marbles\, permiss ion to wear his worst inexpressibles\, and to be thoroughly up in his less ons. To-day he was possessed of all these requisites\, but there was also in the perspective along array of skirmishes with Aunt Rachel\, who\, he k new\, looked on him with an evil eye\, and who had frequently expressed he rself regarding him\, in his presence\, in terms by no means complimentary or affectionate\; and the manner in which she had intimated her desire\, on one or two occasions\, to have an opportunity of reforming his personal habits\, were by no means calculated to produce a happy frame of mind\, n ow that the opportunity was about to be afforded her.\n\nCharlie sauntered on until he came to a lumber-yard\, where he stopped and examined a corne r of the fence very attentively. \"Not gone by yet. I must wait for him\,\ " said he\; and forthwith he commenced climbing the highest pile of boards \, the top of which he reached at the imminent risk of his neck. Here he s at awaiting the advent of his friend Kinch\, the absence of death's head a nd cross bones from the corner of the fence being a clear indication that he had not yet passed on his way to school.\n\nSoon\, however\, he was esp ied in the distance\, and as he was quite a character in his way\, we must describe him. His most prominent feature was a capacious hungry-looking m outh\, within which glistened a row of perfect teeth. He had the merriest twinkling black eyes\, and a nose so small and flat that it would have bee n a prize to any editor living\, as it would have been a physical impossib ility to have pulled it\, no matter what outrage he had committed. His com plexion was of a ruddy brown\, and his hair\, entirely innocent of a comb\ , was decorated with divers feathery tokens of his last night's rest. A ca p with the front torn off\, jauntily set on one side of his head\, gave hi m a rakish and wide-awake air\, his clothes were patched and torn in sever al places\, and his shoes were already in an advanced stage of decay. As h e approached the fence he took a piece of chalk from his pocket\, and comm enced to sketch the accustomed startling illustration which was to convey to Charlie the intelligence that he had already passed there on his way to school\, when a quantity of sawdust came down in a shower on his head. As soon as the blinding storm had ceased\, Kinch looked up and intimated to Charlie that it was quite late\, and that there was a probability of their being after time at school.\n\nThis information caused Charlie to make ra ther a hasty descent\, in doing which his dinner-basket was upset\, and it s contents displayed at the feet of the voracious Kinch.\n\n\"Now I'll be even with you for that sawdust\,\" cried he\, as he pocketed two boiled eg gs\, and bit an immense piece out of an apple-tart\, which he would have d emolished completely but for the prompt interposition of its owner.\n\n\"O h! my golly! Charlie\, your mother makes good pies!\" he exclaimed with ra pture\, as soon as he could get his mouth sufficiently clear to speak. \"G ive us another bite\,—only a nibble.\"\n\nBut Charlie knew by experience what Kinch's \"nibbles\" were\, and he very wisely declined\, saying sadl y as he did so\, \"You won't get many more dinners from me\, Kinch. I'm go ing to leave school.\" \"No! you ain't though\, are you?\" asked the aston ished Kinch. \"You are not going\, are you\, really?\"\n\n\"Yes\, really\, \" replied Charlie\, with a doleful look\; \"mother is going to put me out at service.\"\n\n\"And do you intend to go?\" asked Kinch\, looking at hi m incredulously.\n\n\"Why of course\,\" was the reply. \"How can I help go ing if father and mother say I must?\"\n\n\"I tell you what I should do\,\ " said Kinch\, \"if it was me. I should act so bad that the people would b e glad to get rid of me. They hired me out to live once\, and I led the pe ople they put me with such a dance\, that they was glad enough to send me home again.\"\n\nThis observation brought them to the school-house\, which was but a trifling distance from the residence of Mrs. Ellis.\n\nThey ent ered the school at the last moment of grace\, and Mr. Dicker looked at the m severely as they took their seats. \"Just saved ourselves\,\" whispered Kinch\; \"a minute later and we would have been done for\;\" and with this closing remark he applied himself to his grammar\, a very judicious move on his part\, for he had not looked at his lesson\, and there were but ten minutes to elapse before the class would be called.\n\nThe lessons were d roned through as lessons usually are at school. There was the average amou nt of flogging performed\; cakes\, nuts\, and candy\, confiscated\; little boys on the back seats punched one another as little boys on the back sea ts always will do\, and were flogged in consequence. Then the boy who neve r knew his lessons was graced with the fool's cap\, and was pointed and st ared at until the arrival of the play-hour relieved him from his disagreea ble situation.\n\n\"What kind of folks are these Thomases?\" asked Kinch\, as he sat beside Charlie in the playground munching the last of the apple -tart\; \"what kind of folks are they? Tell me that\, and I can give you s ome good advice\, may-be.\"\n\n\"Old Mrs. Thomas is a little dried-up old woman\, who wears spectacles and a wig. She isn't of much account—I don' t mind her. She's not the trouble\; it's of old Aunt Rachel\, I'm thinking . Why\, she has threatened to whip me when I've been there with mother\, a nd she even talks to her sometimes as if she was a little girl. Lord only knows what she'll do to me when she has me there by myself. You should jus t see her and her cat. I really don't know\,\" continued Charlie\, \"which is the worst looking. I hate them both like poison\,\" and as he conclude d\, he bit into a piece of bread as fiercely as if he were already engaged in a desperate battle with aunt Rachel\, and was biting her in self-defen ce.\n\n\"Well\,\" said Kinch\, with the air of a person of vast experience in difficult cases\, \"I should drown the cat—I'd do that at once—as soon as I got there\; then\, let me ask you\, has Aunt Rachel got corns?\" \n\n\"Corns! I wish you could see her shoes\,\" replied Charlie. \"Why you could sail down the river in 'em\, they are so large. Yes\, she has got c orns\, bunions\, and rheumatism\, and everything else.\"\n\n\"Ah! then\,\" said Kinch\, \"your way is clear enough if she has got corns. I should co nfine myself to operating on them. I should give my whole attention to her feet. When she attempts to take hold of you\, do you jist come down on he r corns\, fling your shins about kinder wild\, you know\, and let her have it on both feet. You see I've tried that plan\, and know by experience th at it works well. Don't you see\, you can pass that off as an accident\, a nd it don't look well to be scratching and biting. As for the lady of the house\, old Mrs. what's-her-name\, do you just manage to knock her wig off before some company\, and they'll send you home at once—they'll hardly give you time to get your hat.\"\n\nCharlie laid these directions aside in his mind for future application\, and asked\,\n\n\"What did you do\, Kinc h\, to get away from the people you were with?\"\n\n\"Don't ask me\,\" sai d Kinch\, laughing\; \"don't\, boy\, don't ask me—my conscience troubles me awful about it sometimes. I fell up stairs with dishes\, and I fell do wn stairs with dishes. I spilled oil on the carpet\, and broke a looking-g lass\; but it was all accidental—entirely accidental—they found I was too ''spensive\,' and so they sent me home.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I wouldn't do anyt hing like that—I wouldn't destroy anything—but I've made up my mind th at I won't stay there at any rate. I don't mind work—I want to do someth ing to assist father and mother\; but I don't want to be any one's servant . I wish I was big enough to work at the shop.\"\n\n\"How did your mother come to think of putting you there?\" asked Kinch.\n\n\"The Lord alone kno ws\,\" was the reply. \"I suppose old Mrs. Thomas told her it was the best thing that could be done for me\, and mother thinks what she says is law and gospel. I believe old Mrs. Thomas thinks a coloured person can't get t o Heaven\, without first living at service a little while.\"\n\nThe school bell ringing put an end to this important conversation\, and the boys rec ommenced their lessons.\n\nWhen Charlie returned from school\, the first p erson he saw on entering the house was Robberts\, Mrs. Thomas's chief func tionary\, and the presiding genius of the wine cellar—when he was truste d with the key. Charlie learned\, to his horror and dismay\, that he had b een sent by Mrs. Thomas to inquire into the possibility of obtaining his s ervices immediately\, as they were going to have a series of dinner partie s\, and it was thought that he could be rendered quite useful.\n\n\"And mu st I go\, mother?\" he asked.\n\n\"Yes\, my son\; I've told Robberts that you shall come up in the morning\,\" replied Mrs. Ellis. Then turning to R obberts\, she inquired\, \"How is Aunt Rachel?\"\n\nAt this question\, the liveried gentleman from Mrs. Thomas's shook his head dismally\, and answe red: \"Don't ask me\, woman\; don't ask me\, if you please. That old sinne r gets worse and worse every day she lives. These dinners we're 'spectin t o have has just set her wild—she is mad as fury 'bout 'em—and she snap s me up just as if I was to blame. That is an awful old woman\, now mind I tell you.\"\n\nAs Mr. Robberts concluded\, he took his hat and departed\, giving Charlie the cheering intelligence that he should expect him early next morning.\n\nCharlie quite lost his appetite for supper in consequence of his approaching trials\, and\, laying aside his books with a sigh of r egret\, sat listlessly regarding his sisters\; enlivened now and then by s ome cheerful remark from Caddy\, such as:—\n\n\"You'll have to keep your feet cleaner up there than you do at home\, or you'll have aunt Rach in y our wool half a dozen times a day. And you mustn't throw your cap and coat down where you please\, on the chairs or tables—she'll bring you out of all that in a short time. I expect you'll have two or three bastings befo re you have been there a week\, for she don't put up with any nonsense. Ah \, boy\,\" she concluded\, chuckling\, \"you'll have a time of it—I don' t envy you!\"\n\nWith these and similar enlivening anticipations\, Caddy w hiled away the time until it was the hour for Charlie to retire for the ni ght\, which he\, did with a heavy heart.\n\nEarly the following morning he was awakened by the indefatigable Caddy\, and he found a small bundle of necessaries prepared\, until his trunk of apparel could be sent to his new home. \"Oh\, Cad\,\" he exclaimed\, rubbing his eyes\, \"how I do hate to go up there! I'd rather take a good whipping than go.\"\n\n\"Well\, it is too late now to talk about it\; hurry and get your clothes on—it is qui te late—you ought to have been off an hour ago.\"\n\nWhen he came down s tairs prepared to go\, his mother \"hoped that he was going to behave like a man\,\" which exhortation had the effect of setting him crying at once\ ; and then he had to be caressed by the tearful Esther\, and\, finally\, s tarted away with very red eyes\, followed to the door by his mother and th e girls\, who stood looking after him for some moments.\n\nSo hurried and unexpected had been his departure\, that he had been unable to communicate with his friend Kinch. This weighed very heavily on his spirits\, and he occupied the time on his way to Mrs. Thomas's in devising various plans to effect that object.\n\nOn arriving\, he gave a faint rap\, that was respo nded to by Aunt Rachel\, who saluted him with—\n\n\"Oh\, yer's come\, ha s yer—wipe your feet\, child\, and come in quick. Shut the door after ye r.\"\n\n\"What shall I do with this?\" timidly asked he\, holding up his p ackage of clothes.\n\n\"Oh\, dem's yer rags is dey—fling 'em anywhere\, but don't bring 'em in my kitchen\,\" said she. \"Dere is enuff things in dere now—put 'em down here on this entry table\, or dere\, long side de knife-Board—any wheres but in de kitchen.\"\n\nCharlie mechanically obey ed\, and then followed her into her sanctuary.\n\n\"Have you had your brea kfast?\" she asked\, in a surly tone. \"'Cause if you haven't\, you must e at quick\, or you won't get any. I can't keep the breakfast things standin g here all day.\"\n\nCharlie\, to whom the long walk had given a good appe tite\, immediately sat down and ate a prodigious quantity of bread and but ter\, together with several slices of cold ham\, washed down by two cups o f tea\; after which he rested his knife and fork\, and informed Aunt Rache l that he had done.\n\n\"Well\, I think it's high time\,\" responded she. \"Why\, boy\, you'll breed a famine in de house if you stay here long enou gh. You'll have to do a heap of work to earn what you'll eat\, if yer brea kfast is a sample of yer dinner. Come\, get up\, child! and shell dese 'er e pease—time you get 'em done\, old Mrs. Thomas will be down stairs.\"\n \nCharlie was thus engaged when Mrs. Thomas entered the kitchen. \"Well\, Charles—good morning\,\" said she\, in a bland voice. \"I'm glad to see you here so soon. Has he had his breakfast\, Aunt Rachel?\"\n\n\"Yes\; and he eat like a wild animal—I never see'd a child eat more in my life\,\" was Aunt Rachel's abrupt answer.\n\n\"I'm glad he has a good appetite\,\" said Mrs. Thomas\, \"it shows he has good health. Boys will eat\; you can 't expect them to work if they don't. But it is time I was at those custar ds. Charlie\, put down those peas and go into the other room\, and bring m e a basket of eggs you will find on the table.\"\n\n\"And be sure to overs et the milk that's 'long side of it—yer hear?\" added\nAunt Rachel.\n\nC harlie thought to himself that he would like to accommodate her\, but he d enied himself that pleasure\; on the ground that it might not be safe to d o it.\n\nMrs. Thomas was a housekeeper of the old school\, and had a scien tific knowledge of the manner in which all sorts of pies and puddings were compounded. She was so learned in custards and preserves that even Aunt R achel sometimes deferred to her superior judgment in these matters. Carefu lly breaking the eggs\, she skilfully separated the whites from the yolks\ , and gave the latter to Charlie to beat. At first he thought it great fun \, and he hummed some of the popular melodies of the day\, and kept time w ith his foot and the spatula. But pretty soon he exhausted his stock of tu nes\, and then the performances did not go off so well. His arm commenced aching\, and he came to the sage conclusion\, before he was relieved from his task\, that those who eat the custards are much better off than those who prepare them.\n\nThis task finished\, he was pressed into service by A unt Rachel\, to pick and stone some raisins which she gave him\, with the injunction either to sing or whistle all the time he was \"at 'em\;\" and that if he stopped for a moment she should know he was eating them\, and i n that case she would visit him with condign punishment on the spot\, for she didn't care a fig whose child he was.\n\nThus\, in the performance of first one little job and then another\, the day wore away\; and as the hou r approached at which the guests were invited\, Charlie\, after being take n into the dining-room by Robberts\, where he was greatly amazed at the di splay of silver\, cut glass\, and elegant china\, was posted at the door t o relieve the guests of their coats and hats\, which duty he performed to the entire satisfaction of all parties concerned.\n\nAt dinner\, however\, he was not so fortunate. He upset a plate of soup into a gentleman's lap\ , and damaged beyond repair one of the elegant china vegetable dishes. He took rather too deep an interest in the conversation for a person in his s tation\; and\, in fact\, the bright boy alluded to by Mr. Winston\, as hav ing corrected the reverend gentleman respecting the quotation from Chaucer \, was no other than our friend Charlie Ellis.\n\nIn the evening\, when th e guests were departing\, Charlie handed Mr. Winston his coat\, admiring t he texture and cut of it very much as he did so. Mr. Winston\, amused at t he boy's manner\, asked—\n\n\"What is your name\, my little man?\"\n\n\" Charles Ellis\,\" was the prompt reply. \"I'm named after my father.\"\n\n \"And where did your father come from\, Charlie?\" he asked\, looking very much interested.\n\n\"From Savanah\, sir. Now tell me where you came from \,\" replied Charles.\n\n\"I came from New Orleans\,\" said Mr. Winston\, with a smile. \"Now tell me\,\" he continued\, \"where do you live when yo u are with your parents? I should like to see your father.\" Charlie quick ly put his interrogator in possession of the desired information\, after w hich Mr. Winston departed\, soon followed by the other guests.\n\nCharlie lay for some time that night on his little cot before he could get to slee p\; and amongst the many matters that so agitated his mind\, was his wonde r what one of Mrs. Thomas's guests could want with his father. Being unabl e however\, to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion respecting it\, he tu rned over and went to sleep.\n\nCHAPTER IV.\nIn which Mr. Winston finds an old Friend.\n\nIn the early part of Mr. Winston's career\, when he worked as a boy on the plantation of his father\, he had frequently received gre at kindness at the hands of one Charles Ellis\, who was often employed as carpenter about the premises.\n\nOn one occasion\, as a great favour\, he had been permitted to accompany Ellis to his home in Savanah\, which was b ut a few miles distant\, where he remained during the Christmas holidays. This kindness he had never forgotten\; and on his return to Georgia from N ew Orleans he sought for his old friend\, and found he had removed to the North\, but to which particular city he could not ascertain.\n\nAs he walk ed homewards\, the strong likeness of little Charlie to his old friend for ced itself upon him\, and the more he reflected upon it the more likely it appeared that the boy might be his child\; and the identity of name and o ccupation between the father of Charlie and his old friend led to the beli ef that he was about to make some discovery respecting him.\n\nOn his way to his hotel he passed the old State House\, the bell of which was just st riking ten. \"It's too late to go to-night\,\" said he\, \"it shall be the first thing I attend to in the morning\;\" and after walking on a short d istance farther\, he found himself at the door of his domicile.\n\nAs he p assed through the little knot of waiters who were gathered about the doors \, one of them turning to another\, asked\, \"Ain't that man a Southerner\ , and ain't he in your rooms\, Ben?\"\n\n\"I think he's a Southerner\,\" w as the reply of Ben. \"But why do you ask\, Allen?\" he enquired. \"Becaus e it's time he had subscribed something\,\" replied Mr. Allen. \"The funds of the Vigilance Committee are very low indeed\; in fact\, the four that we helped through last week have completely drained us. We must make a rai se from some quarter\, and we might as well try it on him.\"\n\nMr. Winsto n was waiting for a light that he might retire to his room\, and was quick ly served by the individual who had been so confidentially talking with Mr . Allen.\n\nAfter giving Mr. Winston the light\, Ben followed him into his room and busied himself in doing little nothings about the stove and wash -stand. \"Let me unbutton your straps\, sir\,\" said he\, stooping down an d commencing on the buttons\, which he was rather long in unclosing. \"I k now\, sir\, dat you Southern gentlemen ain't used to doing dese yer things for youself. I allus makes it a pint to show Southerners more 'tention da n I does to dese yer Northern folk\, 'cause yer see I knows dey'r used to it\, and can't get on widout it.\"\n\n\"I am not one of that kind\,\" said Winston\, as Ben slowly unbuttoned the last strap. \"I have been long acc ustomed to wait upon myself. I'll only trouble you to bring me up a glass of fresh water\, and then I shall have done with you for the night.\"\n\n\ "Better let me make you up a little fire\, the nights is werry cool\,\" co ntinued Ben. \"I know you must feel 'em\; I does myself\; I'm from the Sou th\, too.\"\n\n\"Are you?\" replied Mr. Winston\, with some interest\; \"f rom what part!\"\n\n\"From Tuckahoe county\, Virginia\; nice place dat.\"\ n\n\"Never having been there I can't say\,\" rejoined Mr. Winston\, smilin g\; \"and how do you like the North? I suppose you are a runaway\,\" conti nued he.\n\n\"Oh\, no sir! no sir!\" replied Ben\, \"I was sot free—and I often wish\,\" he added in a whining tone\, \"dat I was back agin on the old place—hain't got no kind marster to look after me here\, and I has to work drefful hard sometimes. Ah\,\" he concluded\, drawing a long sigh\ , \"if I was only back on de old place!\" \"I heartily wish you were!\" sa id Mr. Winston\, indignantly\, \"and wish moreover that you were to be tie d up and whipped once a day for the rest of your life. Any man that prefer s slavery to freedom deserves to be a slave—you ought to be ashamed of y ourself. Go out of the room\, sir\, as quick as possible!\"\n\n\"Phew!\" s aid the astonished and chagrined Ben\, as he descended the stairs\; \"that was certainly a great miss\,\" continued he\, talking as correct English\ , and with as pure Northern an accent as any one could boast.\n\n\"We have made a great mistake this time\; a very queer kind of Southerner that is. I'm afraid we took the wrong pig by the ear\;\" and as he concluded\, he betook himself to the group of white-aproned gentlemen before mentioned\, to whom he related the incident that had just occurred.\n\n\"Quite a sever e fall that\, I should say\,\" remarked Mr. Allen. \"Perhaps we have made a mistake and he is not a Southerner after all. Well he is registered from New Orleans\, and I thought he was a good one to try it on.\"\n\n\"It's a clear case we've missed it this time\,\" exclaimed one of the party\, \"a nd I hope\, Ben\, when you found he was on the other side of the fence\, y ou did not say too much.\"\n\n\"Laws\, no!\" rejoined Ben\, \"do you think I'm a fool? As soon as I heard him say what he did\, I was glad to get of f—I felt cheap enough\, now mind\, I tell you any one could have bought me for a shilling.\"\n\nNow it must be here related that most of the waite rs employed in this hotel were also connected with the Vigilance Committee of the Under-ground Railroad Company—a society formed for the assistanc e of fugitive slaves\; by their efforts\, and by the timely information it was often in their power to give\, many a poor slave was enabled to escap e from the clutches of his pursuers.\n\nThe house in which they were emplo yed was the great resort of Southerners\, who occasionally brought with th em their slippery property\; and it frequently happened that these disappe ared from the premises to parts unknown\, aided in their flight by the ver y waiters who would afterwards exhibit the most profound ignorance as to t heir whereabouts. Such of the Southerners as brought no servants with them were made to contribute\, unconsciously and most amusingly\, to the escap e of those of their friends.\n\nWhen a gentleman presented himself at the bar wearing boots entirely too small for him\, with his hat so far down up on his forehead as almost to obscure his eyes\, and whose mouth was filled with oaths and tobacco\, he was generally looked upon as a favourable spe cimen to operate upon\; and if he cursed the waiters\, addressed any old m an amongst them as \"boy\,\" and was continually drinking cock-tails and m int-juleps\, they were sure of their man\; and then would tell him the mos t astonishing and distressing tales of their destitution\, expressing\, al most with tears in their eyes\, their deep desire to return to their forme r masters\; whilst perhaps the person from whose mouth this tale of woe pr oceeded had been born in a neighbouring street\, and had never been south of Mason and Dixon's[*] line. This flattering testimony in favour of \"the peculiar institution\" generally had the effect of extracting a dollar or two from the purse of the sympathetic Southerner\; which money went immed iately into the coffers of the Vigilance Committee.\n\n[Footnote *: The li ne dividing the free from the slave states.]\n\nIt was this course of cond uct they were about to pursue with Mr. Winston\; not because he exhibited in person or manners any of the before-mentioned peculiarities\, but from his being registered from New Orleans.\n\nThe following morning\, as soon as he had breakfasted\, he started in search of Mr. Ellis. The address was 18\, Little Green-street\; and\, by diligently inquiring\, he at length d iscovered the required place.\n\nAfter climbing up a long flight of stairs on the outside of an old wooden building\, he found himself before a door on which was written\, \"Charles Ellis\, carpenter and joiner.\" On openi ng it\, he ushered himself into the presence of an elderly coloured man\, who was busily engaged in planing off a plank. As soon as Mr. Winston saw his face fully\, he recognized him as his old friend. The hair had grown g rey\, and the form was also a trifle bent\, but he would have known him am ongst a thousand. Springing forward\, he grasped his hand\, exclaiming\, \ "My dear old friend\, don't you know me?\" Mr. Ellis shaded his eyes with his hand\, and looked at him intently for a few moments\, but seemed no wi ser from his scrutiny. The tears started to Mr. Winston's eyes as he said\ , \"Many a kind word I'm indebted to you for—I am George Winston—don't you remember little George that used to live on the Carter estate?\"\n\n\ "Why\, bless me! it can't be that you are the little fellow that used to g o home with me sometimes to Savanah\, and that was sold to go to New Orlea ns?\"\n\n\"Yes\, the same boy\; I've been through a variety of changes sin ce then.\"\n\n\"I should think you had\,\" smilingly replied Mr. Ellis\; \ "and\, judging from appearances\, very favourable ones! Why\, I took you f or a white man—and you are a white man\, as far as complexion is concern ed. Laws\, child!\" he continued\, laying his hand familiarly on Winston's shoulders\, \"how you have changed—I should never have known you! The l ast time I saw you\, you were quite a shaver\, running about in a long tow shirt\, and regarding a hat and shoes as articles of luxury far beyond yo ur reach. And now\,\" said Mr. Ellis\, gazing at him with admiring eyes\, \"just to look at you! Why\, you are as fine a looking man as one would wi sh to see in a day's travel. I've often thought of you. It was only the ot her day I was talking to my wife\, and wondering what had become of you. S he\, although a great deal older than your cousin Emily\, used to be a sor t of playmate of hers. Poor Emily! we heard she was sold at public sale in Savanah—did you ever learn what became of her?\" \"Oh\, yes\; I saw her about two months since\, when on my way from New Orleans. You remember ol d Colonel Garie? Well\, his son bought her\, and is living with her. They have two children—she is very happy. I really love him\; he is the most kind and affectionate fellow in the world\; there is nothing he would not do to make her happy. Emily will be so delighted to know that I have seen your wife—but who is Mrs. Ellis?—any one that I know?\"\n\n\"I do not know that you are acquainted with her\, but you should remember her mother \, old Nanny Tobert\, as she was called\; she kept a little confectioner y—almost every one in Savanah knew her.\"\n\n\"I can't say I do\,\" repl ied Winston\, reflectively.\n\n\"She came here\,\" continued Mr. Ellis\, \ "some years ago\, and died soon after her arrival. Her daughter went to li ve with the Thomases\, an old Philadelphia family\, and it was from their house I married her.\"\n\n\"Thomases?\" repeated Mr. Winston\; \"that is w here I saw your boy—he is the image of you.\"\n\n\"And how came you ther e?\" asked Ellis\, with a look of surprise.\n\n\"In the most natural manne r possible. I was invited there to dinner yesterday—the bright face of y our boy attracted my attention—so I inquired his name\, and that led to the discovery of yourself.\"\n\n\"And do the Thomases know you are a colou red man?\" asked Mr. Ellis\, almost speechless with astonishment.\n\n\"I r ather think not\,\" laughingly rejoined Mr. Winston.\n\n\"It is a great ri sk you run to be passing for white in that way\,\" said Mr. Ellis\, with a grave look. \"But how did you manage to get introduced to that set? They are our very first people.\"\n\n\"It is a long story\,\" was Winston's rep ly\; and he then\, as briefly as he could\, related all that had occurred to himself since they last met. \"And now\,\" continued he\, as he finishe d his recital\, \"I want to know all about you and your family\; and I als o want to see something of the coloured people. Since I've been in the Nor th I've met none but whites. I'm not going to return to New Orleans to rem ain. I'm here in search of a home. I wish to find some place to settle dow n in for life\, where I shall not labour under as many disadvantages as I must struggle against in the South.\"\n\n\"One thing I must tell you\,\" r ejoined Mr. Ellis\; \"if you should settle down here\, you'll have to be e ither one thing or other—white or coloured. Either you must live exclusi vely amongst coloured people\, or go to the whites and remain with them. B ut to do the latter\, you must bear in mind that it must never be known th at you have a drop of African blood in your veins\, or you would be shunne d as if you were a pestilence\; no matter how fair in complexion or how wh ite you may be.\"\n\n\"I have not as yet decided on trying the experiment\ , and I hardly think it probable I shall\,\" rejoined Winston. As he said this he took out his watch\, and was astonished to find how very long his visit had been. He therefore gave his hand to Mr. Ellis\, and promised to return at six o'clock and accompany him home to visit his family.\n\nAs he was leaving the shop\, Mr. Ellis remarked: \"George\, you have not said a word respecting your mother.\" His face flushed\, and the tears started i n his eyes\, as he replied\, in a broken voice\, \"She's dead! Only think\ , Ellis\, she died within a stone's throw of me\, and I searching for her all the while. I never speak of it unless compelled\; it is too harrowing. It was a great trial to me\; it almost broke my heart to think that she p erished miserably so near me\, whilst I was in the enjoyment of every luxu ry. Oh\, if she could only have lived to see me as I am now!\" continued h e\; \"but He ordered it otherwise\, and we must bow. 'Twas God's will it s hould be so. Good bye till evening. I shall see you again at six.\"\n\nGre at was the surprise of Mrs. Ellis and her daughters on learning from Mr. E llis\, when he came home to dinner\, of the events of the morning\; and gr eat was the agitation caused by the announcement of the fact\, that his fr iend was to be their guest in the evening.\n\nMrs. Ellis proposed inviting some of their acquaintances to meet him\; but to this project her husband objected\, saying he wanted to have a quiet evening with him\, and to tal k over old times\; and that persons who were entire strangers to him would only be a restraint upon them.\n\nCaddy seemed quite put out by the annou ncement of the intended visit. She declared that nothing was fit to be see n\, that the house was in a state of disorder shocking to behold\, and tha t there was scarce a place in it fit to sit down in\; and she forthwith be gan to prepare for an afternoon's vigorous scrubbing and cleaning.\n\n\"Ju st let things remain as they are\, will you\, Caddy dear\,\" said her fath er. \"Please be quiet until I get out of the house\,\" he continued\, as s he began to make unmistakeable demonstrations towards raising a dust. \"In a few moments you shall have the house to yourself\, only give me time to finish my dinner in peace.\"\n\nEsther\, her mother\, and their sewing we re summarily banished to an upstairs room\, whilst Caddy took undivided po ssession of the little parlour\, which she soon brought into an astonishin g state of cleanliness. The ornaments were arranged at exact distances fro m the corners of the mantelpiece\, the looking-glass was polished\, until it appeared to be without spot or blemish\, and its gilt frame was newly a dorned with cut paper to protect it from the flies. The best china was bro ught out\, carefully dusted\, and set upon the waiter\, and all things wit hin doors placed in a state of forwardness to receive their expected guest . The door-steps were\, however\, not as white and clean as they might be\ , and that circumstance pressed upon Caddy's mind. She therefore determine d to give them a hasty wipe before retiring to dress for the evening.\n\nH aving done this\, and dressed herself to her satisfaction\, she came down stairs to prepare the refreshments for tea. In doing this\, she continuall y found herself exposing her new silk dress to great risks. She therefore donned an old petticoat over her skirt\, and tied an old silk handkerchief over her head to protect her hair from flying particles of dust\; and thu s arrayed she passed the time in a state of great excitement\, frequently looking out of the window to see if her father and their guest were approa ching.\n\nIn one of these excursions\, she\, to her intense indignation\, found a beggar boy endeavouring to draw\, with a piece of charcoal\, an il lustration of a horse-race upon her so recently cleaned door-steps.\n\n\"Y ou young villain\,\" she almost screamed\, \"go away from there. How dare you make those marks upon the steps? Go off at once\, or I'll give you to a constable.\" To these behests the daring young gentleman only returned a contemptuous laugh\, and put his thumb to his nose in the most provoking manner. \"Ain't you going?\" continued the irate Caddy\, almost choked wit h wrath at the sight of the steps\, over which she had so recently toiled\ , scored in every direction with black marks.\n\n\"Just wait till I come d own\, I'll give it to you\, you audacious villain\, you\,\" she cried\, as she closed the window\; \"I'll see if I can't move you!\" Caddy hastily s eized a broom\, and descended the stairs with the intention of inflicting summary vengeance upon the dirty delinquent who had so rashly made himself liable to her wrath. Stealing softly down the alley beside the house\, sh e sprang suddenly forward\, and brought the broom with all her energy down upon the head of Mr. Winston\, who was standing on the place just left by the beggar. She struck with such force as to completely crush his hat dow n over his eyes\, and was about to repeat the blow\, when her father caugh t her arm\, and she became aware of the awful mistake she had made.\n\n\"W hy\, my child!\" exclaimed her father\, \"what on earth\, is the matter wi th you\, have you lost your senses?\" and as he spoke\, he held her at arm 's length from him to get a better look at her. \"What are you dressed up in this style for?\" he continued\, as he surveyed her from head to foot\; and then bursting into a loud laugh at her comical appearance\, he releas ed her\, and she made the quickest possible retreat into the house by the way she came out.\n\nBushing breathless upstairs\, she exclaimed\, \"Oh\, mother\, mother\, I've done it now! They've come\, and I've beat him over the head with a broom!\"\n\n\"Beat whom over the head with a broom?\" aske d Mrs. Ellis.\n\n\"Oh\, mother\, I'm so ashamed\, I don't know what to do with myself. I struck Mr. Winston with a broom. Mr. Winston\, the gentlema n father has brought home.\"\n\n\"I really believe the child is crazy\,\" said Mrs. Ellis\, surveying the chagrined girl. \"Beat Mr. Winston over th e head with a broom! how came you to do it?\"\n\n\"Oh\, mother\, I made a great mistake\; I thought he was a beggar.\"\n\n\"He must be a very differ ent looking person from what we have been led to expect\,\" here interrupt ed Esther. \"I understood father to say that he was very gentlemanlike in appearance.\"\n\n\"So he is\,\" replied Caddy.\n\n\"But you just said you took him for a beggar?\" replied her mother.\n\n\"Oh\, don't bother me\, d on't bother me! my head is all turned upside down.\nDo\, Esther\, go down and let them in—hear how furiously father is knocking!\nOh\, go—do go! \"\n\nEsther quickly descended and opened the door for Winston and her fat her\; and whilst the former was having the dust removed and his hat straig htened\, Mrs. Ellis came down and was introduced by her husband. She laugh ingly apologized for the ludicrous mistake Caddy had made\, which afforded great amusement to all parties\, and divers were the jokes perpetrated at her expense during the remainder of the evening. Her equanimity having be en restored by Winston's assurances that he rather enjoyed the joke than o therwise—and an opportunity having been afforded her to obliterate the o bnoxious marks from the door-steps—she exhibited great activity in forwa rding all the arrangements for tea.\n\nThey sat a long while round the tab le—much time that\, under ordinary circumstances\, would have been given to the demolition of the food before them\, being occupied by the elders of the party in inquiries after mutual friends\, and in relating the many incidents that had occurred since they last met.\n\nTea being at length fi nished\, and the things cleared away\, Mrs. Ellis gave the girls permissio n to go out. \"Where are you going?\" asked their father.\n\n\"To the libr ary company's room—to-night is their last lecture.\"\n\n\"I thought\,\" said Winston\, \"that coloured persons were excluded from such places. I c ertainly have been told so several times.\"\n\n\"It is quite true\,\" repl ied Mr. Ellis\; \"at the lectures of the white library societies a coloure d person would no more be permitted to enter than a donkey or a rattle-sna ke. This association they speak of is entirely composed of people of colou r. They have a fine library\, a debating club\, chemical apparatus\, colle ctions of minerals\, &\;c. They have been having a course of lectures d elivered before them this winter\, and to-night is the last of the course. \"\n\n\"Wouldn't you like to go\, Mr. Winston?\" asked Mrs. Ellis\, who ha d a mother's desire to secure so fine an escort for her daughters.\n\n\"No \, no—don't\, George\,\" quickly interposed Mr. Ellis\; \"I am selfish e nough to want you entirely to myself to-night. The girls will find beaux e nough\, I'll warrant you.\" At this request the girls did not seem greatly pleased\, and Miss Caddy\, who already\, in imagination\, had excited the envy of all her female friends by the grand entree she was to make at the Lyceum\, leaning on the arm of Winston\, gave her father a by no means af fectionate look\, and tying her bonnet-strings with a hasty jerk\, started out in company with her sister.\n\n\"You appear to be very comfortable he re\, Ellis\,\" said Mr. Winston\, looking round the apartment. \"If I am n ot too inquisitive—what rent do you pay for this house?\"\n\n\"It's mine !\" replied Ellis\, with an air of satisfaction\; \"house\, ground\, and a ll\, bought and paid for since I settled here.\"\n\n\"Why\, you are gettin g on well! I suppose\,\" remarked Winston\, \"that you are much better off than the majority of your coloured friends. From all I can learn\, the fr ee coloured people in the Northern cities are very badly off. I've been fr equently told that they suffer dreadfully from want and privations of vari ous kinds.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I see you have been swallowing the usual dose that is poured down Southern throats by those Northern negro-haters\, who seem to think it a duty they owe the South to tell all manner of infamous lies upon us free coloured people. I really get so indignant and provoked somet imes\, that I scarcely know what to do with myself. Badly off\, and in wan t\, indeed! Why\, my dear sir\, we not only support our own poor\, but ass ist the whites to support theirs\, and enemies are continually filling the public ear with the most distressing tales of our destitution! Only the o ther day the Colonization Society had the assurance to present a petition to the legislature of this State\, asking for an appropriation to assist t hem in sending us all to Africa\, that we might no longer remain a burthen upon the State—and they came very near getting it\, too\; had it not be en for the timely assistance of young Denbigh\, the son of Judge Denbigh\, they would have succeeded\, such was the gross ignorance that prevailed r especting our real condition\, amongst the members of the legislature. He moved a postponement of the vote until he could have time to bring forward facts to support the ground that he had assumed in opposition to the appr opriation being made. It was granted\; and\, in a speech that does him hon our\, he brought forward facts that proved us to be in a much superior con dition to that in which our imaginative enemies had described us. Ay! he d id more—he proved us to be in advance of the whites in wealth and genera l intelligence: for whilst it was one in fifteen amongst the whites unable to read and write\, it was but one in eighteen amongst the coloured (I wo n't pretend to be correct about the figures\, but that was about the relat ive proportions)\; and also\, that we paid\, in the shape of taxes upon ou r real estate\, more than our proportion for the support of paupers\, insa ne\, convicts\, &\;c.\"\n\n\"Well\,\" said the astonished Winston\, \"t hat is turning the tables completely. You must take me to visit amongst th e coloured people\; I want to see as much of them as possible during my st ay.\"\n\n\"I'll do what I can for you\, George. I am unable to spare you m uch time just at present\, but I'll put you in the hands of one who has ab undance of it at his disposal—I will call with you and introduce you to Walters.\"\n\n\"Who is Walters?\" asked Mr. Winston.\n\n\"A friend of mine —a dealer in real estate.\"\n\n\"Oh\, then he is a white man?\"\n\n\"Not by any means\,\" laughingly replied Mr. Ellis. \"He is as black as a man can conveniently be. He is very wealthy\; some say that he is worth half a million of dollars. He owns\, to my certain knowledge\, one hundred brick houses. I met him the other day in a towering rage: it appears\, that he owns ten thousand dollars' worth of stock\, in a railroad extending from t his to a neighbouring city. Having occasion to travel in it for some littl e distance\, he got into the first-class cars\; the conductor\, seeing him there\, ordered him out—he refused to go\, and stated that he was a sha reholder. The conductor replied\, that he did not care how much stock he o wned\, he was a nigger\, and that no nigger should ride in those cars\; so he called help\, and after a great deal of trouble they succeeded in ejec ting him.\" \"And he a stockholder! It was outrageous\,\" exclaimed Winsto n. \"And was there no redress?\"\n\n\"No\, none\, practically. He would ha ve been obliged to institute a suit against the company\; and\, as public opinion now is\, it would be impossible for him to obtain a verdict in his favour.\"\n\nThe next day Winston was introduced to Mr. Walters\, who exp ressed great pleasure in making his acquaintance\, and spent a week in sho wing him everything of any interest connected with coloured people.\n\nWin ston was greatly delighted with the acquaintances he made\; and the kindne ss and hospitality with which he was received made a most agreeable impres sion upon him.\n\nIt was during this period that he wrote the glowing lett ers to Mr. and Mrs.\nGarie\, the effects of which will be discerned in the next chapter.\n\nCHAPTER V.\nThe Garies decide on a Change.\n\nWe must no w return to the Garies\, whom we left listening to Mr. Winston's descripti on of what he saw in Philadelphia\, and we need not add anything respectin g it to what the reader has already gathered from the last chapter\; our o bject being now to describe the effect his narrative produced.\n\nOn the e vening succeeding the departure of Winston for New Orleans\, Mr. and Mrs. Garie were seated in a little arbour at a short distance from the house\, and which commanded a magnificent prospect up and down the river. It was o vershadowed by tall trees\, from the topmost branches of which depended la rge bunches of Georgian moss\, swayed to and fro by the soft spring breeze that came gently sweeping down the long avenue of magnolias\, laden with the sweet breath of the flowers with which the trees were covered.\n\nA cl imbing rose and Cape jessamine had almost covered the arbour\, and their i ntermingled blossoms\, contrasting with the rich brown colour of the branc hes of which it was constructed\, gave it an exceedingly beautiful and pic turesque appearance.\n\nThis arbour was their favourite resort in the afte rnoons of summer\, as they could see from it the sun go down behind the lo w hills opposite\, casting his gleams of golden light upon the tops of the trees that crowned their summits. Northward\, where the chain of hills wa s broken\, the waters of the river would be brilliant with waves of gold l ong after the other parts of it were shrouded in the gloom of twilight. Mr . and Mrs. Garie sat looking at the children\, who were scampering about t he garden in pursuit of a pet rabbit which had escaped\, and seemed determ ined not to be caught upon any pretence whatever.\n\n\"Are they not beauti ful?\" said Mr. Garie\, with pride\, as they bounded past him. \"There are not two prettier children in all Georgia. You don't seem half proud enoug h of them\,\" he continued\, looking down upon his wife affectionately.\n\ nMrs. Garie\, who was half reclining on the seat\, and leaning her head up on his shoulder\, replied\, \"Oh\, yes\, I am\, Garie\; I'm sure I love th em dearly—oh\, so dearly!\" continued she\, fervently—\"and I only w ish\"—here she paused\, as if she felt she had been going to say somethi ng that had better remain unspoken.\n\n\"You only wish what\, dear? You we re going to say something\,\" rejoined her husband. \"Come\, out with it\, and let me hear what it was.\"\n\n\"Oh\, Garie\, it was nothing of any co nsequence.\"\n\n\"Consequence or no consequence\, let me hear what it was\ , dear.\"\n\n\"Well\, as you insist on hearing it\, I was about to say tha t I wish they were not little slaves.\"\n\n\"Oh\, Em! Em!\" exclaimed he\, reproachfully\, \"how can you speak in that manner? I thought\, dear\, th at you regarded me in any other light than that of a master. What have I d one to revive the recollection that any such relation existed between us? Am I not always kind and affectionate? Did you ever have a wish ungratifie d for a single day\, if it was in my power to compass it? or have I ever b een harsh or neglectful?\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, dear\, no—forgive me\, Garie —do\, pray\, forgive me—you are kindness itself—believe me\, I did n ot think to hurt your feelings by saying what I did. I know you do not tre at me or them as though we were slaves. But I cannot help feeling that we are such—and it makes me very sad and unhappy sometimes. If anything sho uld happen that you should be taken away suddenly\, think what would be ou r fate. Heirs would spring up from somewhere\, and we might be sold and se parated for ever. Respecting myself I might be indifferent\, but regarding the children I cannot feel so.\"\n\n\"Tut\, tut\, Em! don't talk so gloom ily. Do you know of any one\, now\, who has been hired to put me to death? \" said he\, smiling.\n\n\"Don't talk so\, dear\; remember\, 'In the midst of life we are in death.' It was only this morning I learned that Celeste —you remember Celeste\, don't you?—I cannot recall her last name.\"\n\ n\"No\, dear\, I really can't say that I do remember whom you refer to.\"\ n\n\"I can bring her to your recollection\, I think\,\" continued she. \"O ne afternoon last fall we were riding together on the Augusta-road\, when you stopped to admire a very neat cottage\, before the door of which two p retty children were playing.\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\, I remember something about it—I admired the children so excessively that you became quite jealous.\ "\n\n\"I don't remember that part of it\,\" she continued. \"But let me te ll you my story. Last week the father of the children started for Washingt on\; the cars ran off the track\, and were precipitated down a high embank ment\, and he and some others were killed. Since his death it has been dis covered that all his property was heavily mortgaged to old MacTurk\, the w orst man in the whole of Savannah\; and he has taken possession of the pla ce\, and thrown her and the children into the slave-pen\, from which they will be sold to the highest bidder at a sheriff's sale. Who can say that a similar fate may never be mine? These things press upon my spirit\, and m ake me so gloomy and melancholy at times\, that I wish it were possible to shun even myself. Lately\, more than ever\, have I felt disposed to beg y ou to break up here\, and move off to some foreign country where there is no such thing as slavery. I have often thought how delightful it would be for us all to be living in that beautiful Italy you have so often describe d to me—or in France either. You said you liked both those places—why not live in one of them?\"\n\n\"No\, no\, Emily\; I love America too much to ever think of living anywhere else. I am much too thorough a democrat e ver to swear allegiance to a king. No\, no—that would never do—give me a free country.\"\n\n\"That is just what I say\,\" rejoined Mrs. Garie\; \"that is exactly what I want\; that is why I should like to get away from here\, because this is not a free country—God knows it is not!\"\n\n\"O h\, you little traitor! How severely you talk\, abusing your native land i n such shocking style\, it's really painful to hear you\,\" said Mr. Garie in a jocular tone.\n\n\"Oh\, love\,\" rejoined she\, \"don't joke\, it's not a subject for jesting. It is heavier upon my heart than you dream of. Wouldn't you like to live in the free States? There is nothing particular to keep you here\, and only think how much better it would be for the chil dren: and Garie\,\" she continued in a lower tone\, nestling close to him as she spoke\, and drawing his head towards her\, \"I think I am going t o—\" and she whispered some words in his ear\, and as she finished she s hook her head\, and her long curls fell down in clusters over her face.\n\ nMr. Garie put the curls aside\, and kissing her fondly\, asked\, \"How lo ng have you known it\, dear?\"\n\n\"Not long\, not very long\,\" she repli ed. \"And I have such a yearning that it should be born a free child. I do want that the first air it breathes should be that of freedom. It will ki ll me to have another child born here! its infant smiles would only be a r eproach to me. Oh\,\" continued she\, in a tone of deep feeling\, \"it is a fearful thing to give birth to an inheritor of chains\;\" and she shudde red as she laid her head on her husband's bosom.\n\nMr. Garie's brow grew thoughtful\, and a pause in the conversation ensued. The sun had long sinc e gone down\, and here and there the stars were beginning to show their tw inkling light. The moon\, which had meanwhile been creeping higher and hig her in the blue expanse above\, now began to shed her pale\, misty beams o n the river below\, the tiny waves of which broke in little circlets of si lver on the shore almost at their feet.\n\nMr. Garie was revolving in his mind the conversation he had so recently held with Mr. Winston respecting the free States. It had been suggested by him that the children should be sent to the North to be educated\, but he had dismissed the notion\, well knowing that the mother would be heart-broken at the idea of parting with her darlings. Until now\, the thought of going to reside in the North had never been presented for his consideration. He was a Southerner in almost all his feelings\, and had never had a scruple respecting the ownership of slaves. But now the fact that he was the master as well as the father of his children\, and that whilst he resided where he did it was out of his p ower to manumit them\; that in the event of his death they might be seized and sold by his heirs\, whoever they might be\, sent a thrill of horror t hrough him. He had known all this before\, but it had never stood out in s uch bold relief until now.\n\n\"What are you thinking of\, Garie?\" asked his wife\, looking up into his face. \"I hope I have not vexed you by what I've said.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, dear\, not at all. I was only thinking whethe r you would be any happier if I acceded to your wishes and removed to the North. Here you live in good style—you have a luxurious home\, troops of servants to wait upon you\, a carriage at your disposal. In fact\, everyt hing for which you express a desire.\"\n\n\"I know all that\, Garie\, and what I am about to say may seem ungrateful\, but believe me\, dear\, I do not mean it to be so. I had much rather live on crusts and wear the coarse st clothes\, and work night and day to earn them\, than live here in luxur y\, wearing gilded chains. Carriages and fine clothes cannot create happin ess. I have every physical comfort\, and yet my heart is often heavy—oh\ , so very heavy\; I know I am envied by many for my fine establishment\; y et how joyfully would I give it all up and accept the meanest living for t he children's freedom—and your love.\"\n\n\"But\, Emily\, granted we sho uld remove to the North\, you would find annoyances there as well as here. There is a great deal of prejudice existing there against people of colou r\, which\, often exposes them to great inconveniences.\"\n\n\"Yes\, dear\ , I know all that\; I should expect that. But then on the other hand\, rem ember what George said respecting the coloured people themselves\; what a pleasant social circle they form\, and how intelligent many of them are! O h\, Garie\, how I have longed for friends!—we have visitors now and then \, but none that I can call friends. The gentlemen who come to see you occ asionally are polite to me\, but\, under existing circumstances\, I feel t hat they cannot entertain for me the respect I think I deserve. I know the y look down upon and despise me because I'm a coloured woman. Then there w ould be another advantage\; I should have some female society—here I hav e none. The white ladies of the neighbourhood will not associate with me\, although I am better educated\, thanks to your care\, than many of them\, so it is only on rare occasions\, when I can coax some of our more cultiv ated coloured acquaintances from Savannah to pay us a short visit\, that I have any female society\, and no woman can be happy without it. I have no parents\, nor yet have you. We have nothing we greatly love to leave behi nd—no strong ties to break\, and in consequence would be subjected to no great grief at leaving. If I only could persuade you to go!\" said she\, imploringly.\n\n\"Well\, Emily\,\" replied he\, in an undecided manner\, \ "I'll think about it. I love you so well\, that I believe I should be will ing to make any sacrifice for your happiness. But it is getting damp and c hilly\, and you know\,\" said he\, smiling\, \"you must be more than usual ly careful of yourself now.\"\n\nThe next evening\, and many more besides\ , were spent in discussing the proposed change. Many objections to it were stated\, weighed carefully\, and finally set aside. Winston was written t o and consulted\, and though he expressed some surprise at the proposal\, gave it his decided approval. He advised\, at the same time\, that the est ate should not be sold\, but be placed in the hands of some trustworthy pe rson\, to be managed in Mr. Garie's absence. Under the care of a first-rat e overseer\, it would not only yield a handsome income\, but should they b e dissatisfied with their Northern home\, they would have the old place st ill in reserve\; and with the knowledge that they had this to fall back up on\, they could try their experiment of living in the North with their min ds less harassed than they otherwise would be respecting the result.\n\nAs Mr. Garie reflected more and more on the probable beneficial results of t he project\, his original disinclination to it diminished\, until he final ly determined on running the risk\; and he felt fully rewarded for this co ncession to his wife's wishes when he saw her recover all her wonted seren ity and sprightliness.\n\nThey were soon in all the bustle and confusion c onsequent on preparing for a long journey. When Mr. Garie's determination to remove became known\, great consternation prevailed on the plantation\, and dismal forebodings were entertained by the slaves as to the result up on themselves.\n\nDivers were the lamentations heard on all sides\, when t hey were positively convinced that \"massa was gwine away for true\;\" but they were somewhat pacified\, when they learned that no one was to be sol d\, and that the place would not change hands. For Mr. Garie was a very ki nd master\, and his slaves were as happy as slaves can be under any circum stances. Not much less was the surprise which the contemplated change exci ted in the neighbourhood\, and it was commented on pretty freely by his ac quaintances. One of them—to whom he had in conversation partially opened his mind\, and explained that his intended removal grew out of anxiety re specting the children\, and his own desire that they might be where they c ould enjoy the advantages of schools\, &\;c.—sneered almost to his fa ce at what he termed his crack-brained notions\; and subsequently\, in rel ating to another person the conversation he had had with Mr. Garie\, spoke of him as \"a soft-headed fool\, led by the nose by a yaller wench. Why c an't he act\,\" he said\, \"like other men who happen to have half-white c hildren—breed them up for the market\, and sell them?\" and he might hav e added\, \"as I do\,\" for he was well known to have so acted by two or t hree of his own tawny offspring.\n\nMr. Garie\, at the suggestion of Winst on\, wrote to Mr. Walters\, to procure them a small\, but neat and comfort able house\, in Philadelphia\; which\, when procured\, he was to commit to the care of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis\, who were to have it furnished and made r eady to receive him and his family on their arrival\, as Mr. Garie desired to save his wife as much as possible\, from the care and anxiety attendan t upon the arrangement of a new residence.\n\nOne most important matter\, and on which depended the comfort and happiness of his people\, was the se lection of a proper overseer. On its becoming known that he required such a functionary\, numbers of individuals who aspired to that dignified and h onourable office applied forthwith\; and as it was also known that the mas ter was to be absent\, and that\, in consequence\, the party having it und er his entire control\, could cut and slash without being interfered with\ , the value of the situation was greatly enhanced. It had also another irr esistible attraction\, the absence of the master would enable the overseer to engage in the customary picking and stealing operations\, with less ch ance of detection.\n\nIn consequence of all these advantages\, there was n o want of applicants. Great bony New England men\, traitors to the air the y first breathed\, came anxiously forward to secure the prize. Mean\, weas en-faced\, poor white Georgians\, who were able to show testimonials of th eir having produced large crops with a small number of hands\, and who cou ld tell to a fraction how long a slave could be worked on a given quantity of corn\, also put in their claims for consideration. Short\, thick-set m en\, with fierce faces\, who gloried in the fact that they had at various times killed refractory negroes\, also presented themselves to undergo the necessary examination.\n\nMr. Garie sickened as he contemplated the motle y mass of humanity that presented itself with such eagerness for the attai nment of so degrading an office\; and as he listened to their vulgar boast ings and brutal language\, he blushed to think that such men were his coun trymen.\n\nNever until now had he had occasion for an overseer. He was not ambitious of being known to produce the largest crop to the acre\, and hi s hands had never been driven to that shocking extent\, so common with his neighbours. He had been his own manager\, assisted by an old negro\, call ed Ephraim—most generally known as Eph\, and to him had been entrusted t he task of immediately superintending the hands engaged in the cultivation of the estate. This old man was a great favourite with the children\, and Clarence\, who used to accompany him on his pony over the estate\, regard ed him as the most wonderful and accomplished coloured gentleman in existe nce.\n\nEph was in a state of great perturbation at the anticipated change \, and he earnestly sought to be permitted to accompany them to the North. Mr. Garie was\, however\, obliged to refuse his request\, as he said\, th at it was impossible that the place could get on without him.\n\nAn overse er being at last procured\, whose appearance and manners betokened a bette r heart than that of any who had yet applied for the situation\, and who w as also highly-recommended for skill and honesty\; nothing now remained to prevent Mr. Garie's early departure.\n\nCHAPTER VI.\nPleasant News.\n\nOn e evening Mr. Ellis was reading the newspaper\, and Mrs. Ellis and the gir ls were busily engaged in sewing\, when who should come in but Mr. Walters \, who had entered without ceremony at the front door\, which had been lef t open owing to the unusual heat of the weather.\n\n\"Here you all are\, h ard at work\,\" exclaimed he\, in his usual hearty manner\, accepting at t he same time the chair offered to him by Esther.\n\n\"Come\, now\,\" conti nued he\, \"lay aside your work and newspapers\, for I have great news to communicate.\"\n\n\"Indeed\, what is it?—what can it be?\" cried the thr ee females\, almost in a breath\; \"do let us hear it!\"\n\n\"Oh\,\" said Mr. Walters\, in a provokingly slow tone\, \"I don't think I'll tell you t o-night\; it may injure your rest\; it will keep till to-morrow.\"\n\n\"No w\, that is always the way with Mr. Walters\,\" said Caddy\, pettishly\; \ "he always rouses one's curiosity\, and then refuses to gratify it\;—he is so tantalizing sometimes!\"\n\n\"I'll tell you this much\,\" said he\, looking slily at Caddy\, \"it is connected with a gentleman who had the mi sfortune to be taken for a beggar\, and who was beaten over the head in co nsequence by a young lady of my acquaintance.\"\n\n\"Now\, father has been telling you that\,\" exclaimed Caddy\, looking confused\, \"and I don't t hank him for it either\; I hear of that everywhere I go—even the Burtons know of it.\"\n\nMr. Walters now looked round the room\, as though he mis sed some one\, and finally exclaimed\, \"Where is Charlie? I thought I mis sed somebody—where is my boy?\"\n\n\"We have put him out to live at Mrs. Thomas's\,\" answered Mrs. Ellis\, hesitatingly\, for she knew Mr. Walter s' feelings respecting the common practice of sending little coloured boys to service. \"It is a very good place for him\,\" continued she—\"a mos t excellent place.\"\n\n\"That is too bad\,\" rejoined Mr. Walters—\"too bad\; it is a shame to make a servant of a bright clever boy like that. W hy\, Ellis\, man\, how came you to consent to his going? The boy should be at school. It really does seem to me that you people who have good and sm art boys take the very course to ruin them. The worst thing you can do wit h a boy of his age is to put him at service. Once get a boy into the habit of working for a stipend\, and\, depend upon it\, when he arrives at manh ood\, he will think that if he can secure so much a month for the rest of his life he will be perfectly happy. How would you like him to be a subser vient old numskull\, like that old Robberts of theirs?\"\n\nHere Esther in terrupted Mr. Walters by saying\, \"I am very glad to hear you express you rself in that manner\, Mr. Walters—very glad. Charlie is such a bright\, active little fellow\; I hate to have him living there as a servant. And he dislikes it\, too\, as much as any one can. I do wish mother would take him away.\"\n\n\"Hush\, Esther\,\" said her mother\, sharply\; \"your mot her lived at service\, and no one ever thought the worse of her for it.\"\ n\nEsther looked abashed\, and did not attempt to say anything farther.\n\ n\"Now\, look here\, Ellen\,\" said Mr. Walters. (He called her Ellen\, fo r he had been long intimate with the family.) \"If you can't get on withou t the boy's earning something\, why don't you do as white women and men do ? Do you ever find them sending their boys out as servants? No\; they rath er give them a stock of matches\, blacking\, newspapers\, or apples\, and start them out to sell them. What is the result? The boy that learns to se ll matches soon learns to sell other things\; he learns to make bargains\; he becomes a small trader\, then a merchant\, then a millionaire. Did you ever hear of any one who had made a fortune at service? Where would I or Ellis have been had we been hired out all our lives at so much a month? It begets a feeling of dependence to place a boy in such a situation\; and\, rely upon it\, if he stays there long\, it will spoil him for anything be tter all his days.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis was here compelled to add\, by way of j ustifying herself\, that it was not their intention to let him remain ther e permanently\; his father only having given his consent for him to serve during the vacation.\n\n\"Well\, don't let him stay there longer\, I pray you\,\" continued Walters. \"A great many white people think that we are o nly fit for servants\, and I must confess we do much to strengthen the opi nion by permitting our children to occupy such situations when we are not in circumstances to compel us to do so. Mrs. Thomas may tell you that they respect their old servant Robberts as much as they do your husband\; but they don't\, nevertheless—I don't believe a word of it. It is impossible to have the same respect for the man who cleans your boots\, that you hav e for the man who plans and builds your house.\"\n\n\"Oh\, well\, Walters\ ,\" here interposed Mr. Ellis\, \"I don't intend the boy to remain there\, so don't get yourself into an unnecessary state of excitement about it. L et us hear what this great news is that you have brought.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I ha d almost forgotten it\,\" laughingly replied Walters\, at the same time fu mbling in his pocket for a letter\, which he at length produced. \"Here\,\ " he continued\, opening it\, \"is a letter I have received from a Mr. Gar ie\, enclosing another from our friend Winston. This Mr. Garie writes me t hat he is coming to the North to settle\, and desires me to procure them a house\; and he says also that he has so far presumed upon an early acquai ntance of his wife with Mrs. Ellis as to request that she will attend to t he furnishing of it. You are to purchase all that is necessary to make the m comfortable\, and I am to foot the bills.\"\n\n\"What\, you don't mean E mily Winston's husband?\" said the astonished Mrs.\nEllis.\n\n\"I can't sa y whose husband it is\, but from Winston's letter\,\" replied Mr.\nWalters \, \"I suppose he is the person alluded to.\"\n\n\"That is news\,\" contin ued Mrs. Ellis. \"Only think\, she was a little mite of a thing when I fir st knew her\, and now she is a woman and the mother of two children. How t ime does fly. I must be getting quite old\,\" concluded she\, with a sigh. \n\n\"Nonsense\, Ellen\,\" remarked Mr. Ellis\, \"you look surprisingly yo ung\, you are quite a girl yet. Why\, it was only the other day I was aske d if you were one of my daughters.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis and the girls laughed a t this sally of their father's\, who asked\nMr. Walters if he had as yet a ny house in view.\n\n\"There is one of my houses in Winter-street that I t hink will just suit them. The former tenants moved out about a week since. If I can call for you to-morrow\,\" he continued\, turning to Mrs. Ellis\ , \"will you accompany me there to take a look at the premises?\"\n\n\"It is a dreadful long walk\,\" replied Mrs. Ellis. \"How provoking it is to t hink\, that because persons are coloured they are not permitted to ride in the omnibuses or other public conveyances! I do hope I shall live to see the time when we shall be treated as civilized creatures should be.\"\n\n\ "I suppose we shall be so treated when the Millennium comes\,\" rejoined W alters\, \"not before\, I am afraid\; and as we have no reason to anticipa te that it will arrive before to-morrow\, we shall have to walk to Winter- street\, or take a private conveyance. At any rate\, I shall call for you to-morrow at ten. Good night—remember\, at ten.\" \"Well\, this is a str ange piece of intelligence\,\" exclaimed Mrs. Ellis\, as the door closed u pon Mr. Walters. \"I wonder what on earth can induce them to move on here. Their place\, I am told\, is a perfect paradise. In old Colonel Garie's t ime it was said to be the finest in Georgia. I wonder if he really intends to live here permanently?\"\n\n\"I can't say\, my dear\,\" replied Mrs. E llis\; \"I am as much in the dark as you are.\"\n\n\"Perhaps they are gett ing poor\, Ellis\, and are coming here because they can live cheaper.\"\n\ n\"Oh\, no\, wife\; I don't think that can be the occasion of their remova l. I rather imagine he purposes emancipating his children. He cannot do it legally in Georgia\; and\, you know\, by bringing them here\, and letting them remain six months\, they are free—so says the law of some of the S outhern States\, and I think of Georgia.\"\n\nThe next morning Mrs. Ellis\ , Caddy\, and Mr. Walters\, started for Winter-street\; it was a very long walk\, and when they arrived there\, they were all pretty well exhausted. \n\n\"Oh\, dear\,\" exclaimed Mrs. Ellis\, after walking upstairs\, \"I am so tired\, and there is not a chair in the house. I must rest here\,\" sa id she\, seating herself upon the stairs\, and looking out upon the garden . \"What a large yard! if ours were only as large as this\, what a delight ful place I could make of it! But there is no room to plant anything at ou r house\, the garden is so very small.\"\n\nAfter they were all somewhat r ested\, they walked through the house and surveyed the rooms\, making some favourable commentary upon each.\n\n\"The house don't look as if it would want much cleaning\,\" said Caddy\, with a tone of regret.\n\n\"So much t he better\, I should say\,\" suggested Mr. Walters.\n\n\"Not as Caddy view s the matter\,\" rejoined Mrs. Ellis. \"She is so fond of house-cleaning\, that I positively think she regards the cleanly state of the premises as rather a disadvantage than otherwise.\" They were all\, however\, very wel l pleased with the place\; and on their way home they settled which should be the best bedroom\, and where the children should sleep. They also calc ulated how much carpet and oilcloth would be necessary\, and what style of furniture should be put in the parlour.\n\n\"I think the letter said plai n\, neat furniture\, and not too expensive\, did it not?\" asked Mrs. Elli s.\n\n\"I think those were the very words\,\" replied Caddy\; \"and\, oh\, mother\, isn't it nice to have the buying of so many pretty things? I do so love to shop!\"\n\n\"Particularly with some one else's money\,\" rejoin ed her mother\, with a smile.\n\n\"Yes\, or one's own either\, when one ha s it\,\" continued Caddy\; \"I like to spend money under any circumstances .\"\n\nThus in conversation relative to the house and its fixtures\, they beguiled the time until they reached their home. On arriving there\, Mrs. Ellis found Robberts awaiting her return with a very anxious countenance. He informed her that Mrs. Thomas wished to see her immediately\; that Char lie had been giving that estimable lady a world of trouble\; and that her presence was necessary to set things to rights.\n\n\"What has he been doin g?\" asked Mrs. Ellis.\n\n\"Oh\, lots of things! He and aunt Rachel don't get on together at all\; and last night he came nigh having the house burn ed down over our heads.\"\n\n\"Why\, Robberts\, you don't tell me so! What a trial boys are\,\" sighed Mrs.\nEllis.\n\n\"He got on first rate for a week or two\; but since that he has been raising Satan. He and aunt Rachel had a regular brush yesterday\, and he has actually lamed the old woman t o that extent she won't be able to work for a week to come.\"\n\n\"Dear\, dear\, what am I to do?\" said the perplexed Mrs. Ellis\; \"I can't go up there immediately\, I am too tired. Say to Mrs. Thomas I will come up this evening. I wonder\,\" concluded she\, \"what has come over the boy.\" \"M other\, you know how cross aunt Rachel is\; I expect she has been ill-trea ting him. He is so good-natured\, that he never would behave improperly to an old person unless goaded to it by some very harsh usage.\"\n\n\"That's the way—go on\, Esther\, find some excuse for your angel\,\" said Caddy \, ironically. \"Of course that lamb could not do anything wrong\, and\, a ccording to your judgment\, he never does\; but\, I tell you\, he is as ba d as any other boy—boys are boys. I expect he has been tracking over the floor after aunt Rachel has scrubbed it\, or has been doing something equ ally provoking\; he has been in mischief\, depend upon it.\"\n\nThings had gone on very well with Master Charlie for the first two weeks after his i ntroduction into the house of the fashionable descendant of the worthy mak er of leathern breeches. His intelligence\, combined with the quickness an d good-humour with which he performed the duties assigned him\, quite won the regard of the venerable lady who presided over that establishment. It is true she had detected him in several attempts upon the peace and well-b eing of aunt Rachel's Tom\; but with Tom she had little sympathy\, he havi ng recently made several felonious descents upon her stores of cream and c ustards. In fact\, it was not highly probable\, if any of his schemes had resulted seriously to the spiteful protege of aunt Rachel\, that Mrs. Thom as would have been overwhelmed with grief\, or disposed to inflict any sev ere punishment on the author of the catastrophe.\n\nUnfortunately for Mrs. Thomas\, Charlie\, whilst going on an errand\, had fallen in with his anc ient friend and adviser—in short\, he had met no less a person than the formerly all-sufficient Kinch. Great was the delight of both parties at th is unexpected meeting\, and warm\, indeed\, was the exchange of mutual con gratulations on this auspicious event.\n\nKinch\, in the excess of his del ight\, threw his hat several feet in the air\; nor did his feelings of ple asure undergo the least abatement when that dilapidated portion of his cos tume fell into a bed of newly-mixed lime\, from which he rescued it with g reat difficulty and at no little personal risk.\n\n\"Hallo! Kinch\, old fe llow\, how are you?\" cried Charlie\; \"I've been dying to see you—why h aven't you been up?\"\n\n\"Why\, I did come up often\, but that old witch in the kitchen wouldn't let me see you—she abused me scandalous. I wante d to pull her turban off and throw it in the gutter. Why\, she called me a dirty beggar\, and threatened to throw cold water on me if I didn't go aw ay. Phew! ain't she an old buster!\"\n\n\"Why\, I never knew you were ther e.\"\n\n\"Yes\,\" continued Kinch\; \"and I saw you another time hung up b ehind the carriage. I declare\, Charlie\, you looked so like a little monk ey\, dressed up in that sky-blue coat and silver buttons\, that I liked to have died a-laughing at you\;\" and Kinch was so overcome by the recollec tion of the event in question\, that he was obliged to sit down upon a doo r-step to recover himself.\n\n\"Oh\, I do hate to wear this confounded liv ery!' said Charlie\, dolefully—\" the boys scream 'Johnny Coat-tail' aft er me in the streets\, and call me 'blue jay\,' and 'blue nigger\,' and lo ts of other names. I feel that all that's wanting to make a complete monke y of me\, is for some one to carry me about on an organ.\"\n\n\"What do yo u wear it for\, then?\" asked Kinch.\n\n\"Because I can't help myself\, th at's the reason. The boys plague me to that extent sometimes\, that I feel like tearing the things into bits—but mother says I must wear it. Kinch \,\" concluded he\, significantly\, \"something will have to be done\, I c an't stand it.\"\n\n\"You remember what I told you about the wig\, don't y ou?\" asked Kinch\; and\, on receiving an affirmative reply\, he continued \, \"Just try that on\, and see how it goes—you'll find it'll work like a charm\; it's a regular footman-expatriator—just try it now\; you'll se e if it isn't the thing to do the business for you.\" \"I'm determined to be as bad as I can\,\" rejoined Charlie\; \"I'm tired enough of staying th ere: that old aunt Rach is a devil—I don't believe a saint from heaven c ould get on with her\; I'm expecting we'll have a pitched battle every day .\"\n\nBeguiling the time with this and similar conversation\, they reache d the house to which Charlie had been despatched with a note\; after which \, he turned his steps homeward\, still accompanied by the redoubtable Kin ch.\n\nAs ill luck would have it\, they passed some boys who were engaged in a game of marbles\, Charlie's favourite pastime\, and\, on Kinch's offe ring him the necessary stock to commence play\, he launched into the game\ , regardless of the fact that the carriage was ordered for a drive within an hour\, and that he was expected to fill his accustomed place in the rea r of that splendid vehicle.\n\nOnce immersed in the game\, time flew rapid ly on. Mrs. Thomas awaited his return until her patience was exhausted\, w hen she started on her drive without him. As they were going through a qui et street\, to her horror and surprise\, prominent amidst a crowd of dirty boys\, she discovered her little footman\, with his elegant blue livery c overed with dirt and sketches in white chalk\; for\, in the excitement of the game\, Charlie had not observed that Kinch was engaged in drawing on t he back of his coat his favourite illustration\, to wit\, a skull and cros s-bones.\n\n\"Isn't that our Charlie?\" said she to her daughter\, surveyi ng the crowd of noisy boys through her eye-glass. \"I really believe it is —that is certainly our livery\; pull the check-string\, and stop the car riage.\"\n\nNow Robberts had been pressed into service in consequence of C harlie's absence\, and was in no very good humour at being compelled to ai r his rheumatic old shins behind the family-carriage. It can therefore be readily imagined with what delight he recognized the delinquent footman am idst the crowd\, and with what alacrity he descended and pounced upon him just at the most critical moment of the game. Clutching fast hold of him b y the collar of his coat\, he dragged him to the carriage-window\, and hel d him before the astonished eyes of his indignant mistress\, who lifted up her hands in horror at the picture he presented. \"Oh! you wretched boy\, \" said she\, \"just look at your clothes\, all covered with chalk-marks a nd bespattered with lime! Your livery is totally ruined—and your knees\, too—only look at them—the dirt is completely ground into them.\"\n\n\ "But you haven't seed his back\, marm\,\" said Robberts\; \"he's got the p irate's flag drawn on it. That boy'll go straight to the devil—I know he will.\"\n\nAll this time Charlie\, to his great discomfiture\, was being shaken and turned about by Robberts in the most unceremonious manner. Kinc h\, with his usual audacity\, was meanwhile industriously engaged in traci ng on Robbert's coat a similar picture to that he had so skilfully drawn o n Charlie's\, to the great delight of a crowd of boys who stood admiring s pectators of his artistic performances. The coachman\, however\, observing this operation\, brought it to a rather hasty conclusion by a well direct ed cut of the whip across the fingers of the daring young artist. This so enraged Kinch\, that in default of any other missile\, he threw his lime-c overed cap at the head of the coachman\; but\, unfortunately for himself\, the only result of his exertions was the lodgment of his cap in the topmo st bough of a neighbouring tree\, from whence it was rescued with great di fficulty.\n\n\"What shall we do with him?\" asked Mrs. Thomas\, in a despa iring tone\, as she looked at Charlie.\n\n\"Put him with the coachman\,\" suggested Mrs. Morton.\n\n\"He can't sit there\, the horses are so restive \, and the seat is only constructed for one\, and he would be in the coach man's way. I suppose he must find room on behind with Robberts.\"\n\n\"I w on't ride on the old carriage\,\" cried Charlie\, nerved by despair\; \"I won't stay here nohow. I'm going home to my mother\;\" and as he spoke he endeavoured to wrest himself from Robberts' grasp. \"Put him in here\,\" s aid Mrs. Thomas\; \"it would never do to let him go\, for he will run home with some distressing tale of ill-treatment\; no\, we must keep him until I can send for his mother—put him in here.\"\n\nMuch to Mrs. Morton's d isgust\, Charlie was bundled by Robberts into the bottom of the carriage\, where he sat listening to the scolding of Mrs. Thomas and her daughter un til they arrived at home. He remained in disgrace for several days after t his adventure\; but as Mrs. Thomas well knew that she could not readily fi ll his place with another\, she made a virtue of necessity\, and kindly lo oked over this first offence.\n\nThe situation was\, however\, growing mor e and more intolerable. Aunt Rachel and he had daily skirmishes\, in which he was very frequently worsted. He had held several hurried consultations with Kinch through the grating of the cellar window\, and was greatly che ered and stimulated in the plans he intended to pursue by the advice and s ympathy of his devoted friend. Master Kinch's efforts to console Charlie w ere not without great risk to himself\, as he had on two or three occasion s narrowly escaped falling into the clutches of Robberts\, who well rememb ered Kinch's unprecedented attempt upon the sacredness of his livery\; and what the result might have been had the latter fallen into his hands\, we cannot contemplate without a shudder.\n\nThese conferences between Kinch and Charlie produced their natural effect\, and latterly it had been sever al times affirmed by aunt Rachel that\, \"Dat air boy was gittin' 'tirely too high—gittin' bove hissef 'pletely—dat he was gittin' more and more aggriwatin' every day—dat she itched to git at him—dat she 'spected n othin' else but what she'd be 'bliged to take hold o' him\;\" and she comp orted herself generally as if she was crazy for the conflict which she saw must sooner or later occur.\n\nCharlie\, unable on these occasions to rep ly to her remarks without precipitating a conflict for which he did not fe el prepared\, sought to revenge himself upon the veteran Tom\; and such wa s the state of his feelings\, that he bribed Kinch\, with a large lump of sugar and the leg of a turkey\, to bring up his mother's Jerry\, a fierce young cat\, and they had the satisfaction of shutting him up in the wood-h ouse with the belligerent Tom\, who suffered a signal defeat at Jerry's cl aws\, and was obliged to beat a hasty retreat through the window\, with a seriously damaged eye\, and with the fur torn off his back in numberless p laces. After this Charlie had the pleasure of hearing aunt Rachel frequent ly bewail the condition of her favourite\, whose deplorable state she was inclined to ascribe to his influence\, though she was unable to bring it h ome to him in such a manner as to insure his conviction.\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n Mrs. Thomas has her Troubles.\n\nMrs. Thomas was affected\, as silly women sometimes are\, with an intense desire to be at the head of the ton. For this object she gave grand dinners and large evening parties\, to which we re invited all who\, being two or three removes from the class whose membe rs occupy the cobbler's bench or the huckster's stall\, felt themselves at liberty to look down upon the rest of the world from the pinnacle on whic h they imagined themselves placed. At these social gatherings the conversa tion never turned upon pedigree\, and if any of the guests chanced by acci dent to allude to their ancestors\, they spoke of them as members of the f amily\, who\, at an early period of their lives\, were engaged in mercanti le pursuits.\n\nAt such dinners Mrs. Thomas would sit for hours\, mumbling dishes that disagreed with her\; smiling at conversations carried on in v illanous French\, of which language she did not understand a word\; and ad miring the manners of addle-headed young men (who got tipsy at her evening parties)\, because they had been to Europe\, and were therefore considere d quite men of the world. These parties and dinners she could not be induc ed to forego\, although the late hours and fatigue consequent thereon woul d place her on the sick-list for several days afterwards. As soon\, howeve r\, as she recovered sufficiently to resume her place at the table\, she w ould console herself with a dinner of boiled mutton and roasted turnips\, as a slight compensation for the unwholesome French dishes she had compell ed herself to swallow on the occasions before mentioned. Amongst the other modern fashions she had adopted\, was that of setting apart one morning o f the week for the reception of visitors\; and she had mortally offended s everal of her oldest friends by obstinately refusing to admit them at any other time. Two or three difficulties had occurred with Robberts\, in cons equence of this new arrangement\, as he could not be brought to see the pr opriety of saying to visitors that Mrs. Thomas was \"not at home\,\" when he knew she was at that very moment upstairs peeping over the banisters. H is obstinacy on this point had induced her to try whether she could not tr ain Charlie so as to fit him for the important office of uttering the fash ionable and truthless \"not at home\" with unhesitating gravity and decoru m\; and\, after a series of mishaps\, she at last believed her object was effected\, until an unlucky occurrence convinced her to the contrary.\n\nM rs. Thomas\, during the days on which she did not receive company\, would have presented\, to any one who might have had the honour to see that vene rable lady\, an entirely different appearance to that which she assumed on gala days. A white handkerchief supplied the place of the curling wig\, a nd the tasty French cap was replaced by a muslin one\, decorated with an i mmense border of ruffling\, that flapped up and down over her silver spect acles in the most comical manner possible. A short flannel gown and a dimi ty petticoat of very antique pattern and scanty dimensions\, completed her costume. Thus attired\, and provided with a duster\, she would make unexp ected sallies into the various domestic departments\, to see that everythi ng was being properly conducted\, and that no mal-practices were perpetrat ed at times when it was supposed she was elsewhere. She showed an intuitiv e knowledge of all traps set to give intimation of her approach\, and woul d come upon aunt Rachel so stealthily as to induce her to declare\, \"Dat old Mrs. Thomas put her more in mind of a ghost dan of any other libin ani mal.\"\n\nOne morning\, whilst attired in the manner described\, Mrs. Thom as had been particularly active in her excursions through the house\, and had driven the servants to their wits' ends by her frequent descents upon them at the most unexpected times\, thereby effectually depriving them of the short breathing intervals they were anxious to enjoy. Charlie in parti cular had been greatly harassed by her\, and was sent flying from place to place until his legs were nearly run off\, as he expressed it. And so\, w hen Lord Cutanrun\, who was travelling in America to give his estates in E ngland an opportunity to recuperate\, presented his card\, Charlie\, in re venge\, showed him into the drawing-room\, where he knew that Mrs. Thomas was busily engaged trimming an oil-lamp. Belying on the explicit order she had given to say that she was not at home\, she did not even look up when his lordship entered\, and as he advanced towards her\, she extended to h im a basin of dirty water\, saying\, \"Here\, take this.\" Receiving no re sponse she looked up\, and to her astonishment and horror beheld\, not Cha rlie\, but Lord Cutanrun. In the agitation consequent upon his unexpected appearance\, she dropped the basin\, the contents of which\, splashing in all directions\, sadly discoloured his lordship's light pants\, and greatl y damaged the elegant carpet.\n\n\"Oh! my lord\,\" she exclaimed\, \"I did n't—couldn't—wouldn't—\" and\, unable to ejaculate further\, she fai rly ran out of the apartment into the entry\, where she nearly fell over C harlie\, who was enjoying the confusion his conduct had created. \"Oh! you limb!—you little wretch!\" said she. \"You knew I was not at home!\"\n\ n\"Why\, where are you now?\" he asked\, with the most provoking air of in nocence. \"If you ain't in the house now\, you never was.\"\n\n\"Never min d\, sir\,\" said she\, \"never mind. I'll settle with you for this. Don't stand there grinning at me\; go upstairs and tell Mrs. Morton to come down immediately\, and then get something to wipe up that water. O dear! my be autiful carpet! And for a lord to see me in such a plight! Oh! it's abomin able! I'll give it to you\, you scamp! You did it on purpose\,\" continued the indignant Mrs. Thomas. \"Don't deny it—I know you did. What are you standing there for? Why don't you call Mrs. Morton?\" she concluded\, as Charlie\, chuckling over the result of his trick\, walked leisurely upstai rs. \"That boy will be the death of me\,\" she afterwards said\, on relati ng the occurrence to her daughter. \"Just to think\, after all the trouble I've had teaching him when to admit people and when not\, that he should serve me such a trick. I'm confident he did it purposely.\" Alas! for poor Mrs. Thomas\; this was only the first of a series of annoyances that Char lie had in store\, with which to test her patience and effect his own deli verance.\n\nA few days after\, one of their grand dinners was to take plac e\, and Charlie had been revolving in his mind the possibility of his find ing some opportunity\, on that occasion\, to remove the old lady's wig\; f eeling confident that\, could he accomplish that feat\, he would be permit ted to turn his back for ever on the mansion of Mrs. Thomas.\n\nNever had Mrs. Thomas appeared more radiant than at this dinner. All the guests whos e attendance she had most desired were present\, a new set of china had la tely arrived from Paris\, and she was in full anticipation of a grand triu mph. Now\, to Charlie had been assigned the important duty of removing the cover from the soup-tureen which was placed before his mistress\, and the little rogue had settled upon that moment as the most favourable for the execution of his purpose. He therefore secretly affixed a nicely crooked p in to the elbow of his sleeve\, and\, as he lifted the cover\, adroitly ho oked it into her cap\, to which he knew the wig was fastened\, and in a tw inkling had it off her head\, and before she could recover from her astoni shment and lay down the soup-ladle he had left the room. The guests stared and tittered at the grotesque figure she presented\,—her head being cov ered with short white hair\, and her face as red as a peony at the mortify ing situation in which she was placed. As she rose from her chair Charlie presented himself\, and handed her the wig\, with an apology for the accid ent. In her haste to put it on\, she turned it wrong side foremost\; the l aughter of the guests could now no longer be restrained\, and in the midst of it Mrs. Thomas left the room. Encountering Charlie as she went\, she a lmost demolished him in her wrath\; not ceasing to belabour him till his o utcries became so loud as to render her fearful that he would alarm the gu ests\; and she then retired to her room\, where she remained until the par ty broke up.\n\nIt was her custom\, after these grand entertainments\, to make nocturnal surveys of the kitchen\, to assure herself that none of the delicacies had been secreted by the servants for their personal use and r efreshment. Charlie\, aware of this\, took his measures for an ample reven ge for the beating he had received at her hands. At night\, when all the r est of the family had retired\, he hastily descended to the kitchen\, and\ , by some process known only to himself\, imprisoned the cat in a stone ja r that always stood upon the dresser\, and into which he was confident Mrs . Thomas would peep. He then stationed himself upon the stairs\, to watch the result. He had not long to wait\, for as soon as she thought the serva nts were asleep\, she came softly into the kitchen\, and\, after peering a bout in various places\, she at last lifted up the lid of the jar. Tom\, t ired of his long confinement\, sprang out\, and\, in so doing\, knocked th e lamp out of her hand\, the fluid from which ignited and ran over the flo or.\n\n\"Murder!—Fire!—Watch!\" screamed the thoroughly frightened old woman. \"Oh\, help! help! fire!\" At this terrible noise nearly every one in the household was aroused\, and hurried to the spot whence it proceede d. They found Mrs. Thomas standing in the dark\, with the lid of the jar i n her hand\, herself the personification of terror. The carpet was badly b urned in several places\, and the fragments of the lamp were scattered abo ut the floor.\n\n\"What has happened?\" exclaimed Mr. Morton\, who was the first to enter the kitchen. \"What is all this frightful noise occasioned by?\"\n\n\"Oh\, there is a man in the house!\" answered Mrs. Thomas\, her teeth chattering with fright. \"There was a man in here—he has just spr ung out\,\" she continued\, pointing to the bread-jar.\n\n\"Pooh\, pooh— that's nonsense\, madam\,\" replied the son-in-law. \"Why an infant could not get in there\, much less a man!\"\n\n\"I tell you it was a man then\,\ " angrily responded Mrs. Thomas\; \"and he is in the house somewhere now.\ "\n\n\"Such absurdity!\" muttered Mr. Morton\; adding\, in a louder tone: \"Why\, my dear mamma\, you've seen a mouse or something of the kind.\"\n\ n\"Mouse\, indeed!\" interrupted the old lady. \"Do you think I'm in my do tage\, and I don't know a man from a mouse?\"\n\nJust then the cat\, whose back had got severely singed in the melee\, set up a most lamentable cate rwauling\; and\, on being brought to light from the depths of a closet int o which he had flown\, his appearance immediately discovered the share he had had in the transaction.\n\n\"It must have been the cat\,\" said Robber ts. \"Only look at his back—why here the fur is singed off him! I'll bet anything\,\" continued he\, \"that air boy has had something to do with t his—for it's a clear case that the cat couldn't git into the jar\, and t hen put the lid on hissef.\"\n\nTom's inability to accomplish this feat be ing most readily admitted on all sides\, inquiry was immediately made as t o the whereabouts of Charlie\; his absence from the scene being rather con sidered as evidence of participation\, for\, it was argued\, if he had bee n unaware of what was to transpire\, the noise would have drawn him to the spot at once\, as he was always the first at hand in the event of any exc itement. Robberts was despatched to see if he was in his bed\, and returne d with the intelligence that the bed had not even been opened. Search was immediately instituted\, and he was discovered in the closet at the foot o f the stairs. He was dragged forth\, shaken\, pummelled\, and sent to bed\ , with the assurance that his mother should be sent for in the morning\, t o take him home\, and keep him there. This being exactly the point to whic h he was desirous of bringing matters\, he went to bed\, and passed a most agreeable night.\n\nAunt Rachel\, being one of those sleepers that nothin g short of an earthquake can rouse until their customary time for awaking\ , had slept soundly through the stirring events of the past night. She cam e down in the morning in quite a placid state of mind\, expecting to enjoy a day of rest\, as she had the night before sat up much beyond her usual time\, to set matters to rights after the confusion consequent on the dinn er party. What was her astonishment\, therefore\, on finding the kitchen s he had left in a state of perfect order and cleanliness\, in a condition t hat resembled the preparation for an annual house-cleaning.\n\n\"Lord\, bl ess us!\" she exclaimed\, looking round\; \"What on yarth has happened? I raly b'lieve dere's bin a fire in dis 'ere house\, and I never knowed a wo rd of it. Why I might have bin burnt up in my own bed! Dere's de lamp brok e—carpet burnt—pots and skillets hauled out of the closet—ebery ting turned upside down\; why dere's bin a reg'lar 'sturbance down here\,\" sh e continued\, as she surveyed the apartment.\n\nAt this juncture\, she esp ied Tom\, who sat licking his paws before the fire\, and presenting so alt ered an appearance\, from the events of the night\, as to have rendered hi m unrecognizable even by his best friend.\n\n\"Strange cat in de house! Ma king himself quite at home at dat\,\" said aunt Rachel\, indignantly. Her wrath\, already much excited\, rose to the boiling point at what she deeme d a most daring invasion of her domain. She\, therefore\, without ceremony \, raised a broom\, with which she belaboured the astonished Tom\, who ran frantically from under one chair to another till he ensconced himself in a small closet\, from which he pertinaciously refused to be dislodged. \"W on't come out of dere\, won't you?\" said she. \"I'll see if I can't make you den\;\" and poor Tom dodged behind pots and kettles to avoid the blows which were aimed at him\; at last\, thoroughly enraged by a hard knock on the back\, he sprang fiercely into the face of his tormentor\, who\, comp letely upset by the suddenness of his attack\, fell sprawling on the floor \, screaming loudly for help. She was raised up by Robberts\, who came run ning to her assistance\, and\, on being questioned as to the cause of her outcries\, replied:—\n\n\"Dere's a strange cat in de house—wild cat to o\, I raly b'lieve\;\" and spying Tom at that moment beneath the table\, s he made another dash at him for a renewal of hostilities.\n\n\"Why that's Tom\,\" exclaimed Robberts\; \"don't you know your own cat?\"\n\n\"Oh\,\" she replied\, \"dat ar isn't Tom now\, is it? Why\, what's the matter wid him?\"\n\nRobberts then gave her a detailed account of the transactions of the previous night\, in which account the share Charlie had taken was gre atly enlarged and embellished\; and the wrathful old woman was listening t o the conclusion when Charlie entered. Hardly had he got into the room\, w hen\, without any preliminary discussion\, aunt Rachel—to use her own wo rds—pitched into him to give him particular fits. Now Charlie\, not bein g disposed to receive \"particular fits\,\" made some efforts to return th e hard compliments that were being showered upon him\, and the advice of K inch providentially occurring to him—respecting an attack upon the under standing of his venerable antagonist—he brought his hard shoes down with great force upon her pet corn\, and by this coup de pied completely demol ished her. With a loud scream she let him go\; and sitting down upon the f loor\, declared herself lamed for life\, beyond the possibility of recover y. At this stage of the proceedings\, Robberts came to the rescue of his a ged coadjutor\, and seized hold of Charlie\, who forthwith commenced so br isk an attack upon his rheumatic shins\, as to cause him to beat a hurried retreat\, leaving Charlie sole master of the field. The noise that these scuffles occasioned brought Mrs. Thomas into the kitchen\, and Charlie was marched off by her into an upstairs room\, where he was kept in \"durance vile\" until the arrival of his mother.\n\nMrs. Thomas had a strong likin g for Charlie—not as a boy\, but as a footman. He was active and intelli gent\, and until quite recently\, extremely tractable and obedient\; more than all\, he was a very good-looking boy\, and when dressed in the Thomas livery\, presented a highly-respectable appearance. She therefore determi ned to be magnanimous—to look over past events\, and to show a Christian and forgiving spirit towards his delinquencies. She sent for Mrs. Ellis\, with the intention of desiring her to use her maternal influence to induc e him to apologize to aunt Rachel for his assault upon her corns\, which a pology Mrs. Thomas was willing to guarantee should be accepted\; as for th e indignities that had been inflicted on herself\, she thought it most pol itic to regard them in the light of accidents\, and to say as little about that part of the affair as possible.\n\nWhen Mrs. Ellis made her appearan ce on the day subsequent to the events just narrated\, Mrs. Thomas enlarge d to her upon the serious damage that aunt Rachel had received\, and the u rgent necessity that something should be done to mollify that important in dividual. When Charlie was brought into the presence of his mother and Mrs . Thomas\, the latter informed him\, that\, wicked as had been his conduct towards herself\, she was willing\, for his mother's sake\, to look over it\; but that he must humble himself in dust and ashes before the reigning sovereign of the culinary kingdom\, who\, making the most of the injury i nflicted on her toe\, had declared herself unfit for service\, and was at that moment ensconced in a large easy-chair\, listening to the music of he r favourite smoke-jack\, whilst a temporary cook was getting up the dinner \, under her immediate supervision and direction. \"Charlie\, I'm quite as hamed of you\,\" said his mother\, after listening to Mrs. Thomas's length y statement. \"What has come over you\, child?\"—Charlie stood biting hi s nails\, and looking very sullen\, but vouchsafed them no answer.—\"Mrs . Thomas is so kind as to forgive you\, and says she will look over the wh ole affair\, if you will beg aunt Rachel's pardon. Come\, now\,\" continue d Mrs. Ellis\, coaxingly\, \"do\, that's a good boy.\"\n\n\"Yes\, do\,\" a dded Mrs. Thomas\, \"and I will buy you a handsome new suit of livery.\"\n \nThis was too much for Charlie\; the promise of another suit of the detes ted livery quite overcame him\, and he burst into tears.\n\n\"Why\, what a ils the boy? He's the most incomprehensible child I ever saw! The idea of crying at the promise of a new suit of clothes!—any other child would ha ve been delighted\,\" concluded Mrs. Thomas.\n\n\"I don't want your old bu tton-covered uniform\,\" said Charlie\, \"and I won't wear it\, neither! A nd as for aunt Rachel\, I don't care how much she is hurt—I'm only sorry I didn't smash her other toe\; and I'll see her skinned\, and be skinned myself\, before I'll ask her pardon!\"\n\nBoth Mrs. Thomas and Charlie's m other stood aghast at this unexpected declaration\; and the result of a lo ng conference\, held by the two\, was that Charlie should be taken home\, Mrs. Ellis being unable to withstand his tears and entreaties.\n\nAs he pa ssed through the kitchen on his way out\, he made a face at aunt Rachel\, who\, in return\, threw at him one of the turnips she was peeling. It miss ed the object for which it was intended\, and came plump into the eye of R obberts\, giving to that respectable individual for some time thereafter t he appearance of a prize-fighter in livery.\n\nCharlie started for home in the highest spirits\, which\, however\, became considerably lower on his discovering his mother's view of his late exploits was very different from his own. Mrs. Ellis's fondness and admiration of her son\, although almos t amounting to weakness\, were yet insufficient to prevent her from feelin g that his conduct\, even after making due allowance for the provocation h e had received\, could not be wholly excused as mere boyish impetuosity an d love of mischievous fun. She knew that his father would feel it his duty \, not only to reprimand him\, but to inflict some chastisement\; and this thought was the more painful to her from the consciousness\, that but for her own weak compliance with Mrs. Thomas's request\, her boy would not ha ve been placed in circumstances which his judgment and self-command had pr oved insufficient to carry him through. The day\, therefore\, passed less agreeably than Charlie had anticipated\; for now that he was removed from the scene of his trials\, he could not disguise from himself that his beha viour under them had been very different from what it ought to have been\, and this had the salutary effect of bringing him into a somewhat humbler frame of mind. When his father returned in the evening\, therefore\, Charl ie appeared so crest-fallen that even Caddy could scarcely help commiserat ing him\, especially as his subdued state during the day had kept him from committing any of those offences against tidiness which so frequently exa sperated her. Mr. Ellis\, though very strict on what he thought points of duty\, had much command of temper\, and was an affectionate father. He lis tened\, therefore\, with attention to the details of Charlie's grievances\ , as well as of his misdemeanours\, and some credit is due to him for the unshaken gravity he preserved throughout. Although he secretly acquitted h is son of any really bad intention\, he thought it incumbent on him to mak e Charlie feel in some degree the evil consequences of his unruly behaviou r. After giving him a serious lecture\, and pointing out the impropriety o f taking such measures to deliver himself from the bondage in which his pa rents themselves had thought fit to place him\, without even appealing to them\, he insisted on his making the apologies due both to Mrs. Thomas and aunt Rachel (although he was fully aware that both had only got their des erts)\; and\, further\, intimated that he would not be reinstated in his p arents' good graces until he had proved\, by his good conduct and docility \, that he was really sorry for his misbehaviour. It was a severe trial to Charlie to make these apologies\; but he well knew that what his father h ad decided upon must be done—so he made a virtue of necessity\, and\, ac companied by his mother\, on the following day performed his penance with as good a grace as he was able\; and\, in consideration of this submission \, his father\, when he came home in the evening\, greeted him with all hi s usual kindness\, and the recollection of this unlucky affair was at once banished from the family circle.\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\nTrouble in the Ellis F amily.\n\nSince the receipt of Mr. Garie's letter\, Mrs. Ellis and Caddy h ad been busily engaged in putting the house in a state of preparation for their reception. Caddy\, whilst superintending its decoration\, felt herse lf in Elysium. For the first time in her life she had the supreme satisfac tion of having two unfortunate house-cleaners entirely at her disposal\; c onsequently\, she drove them about and worried them to an extent unparalle led in any of their former experience. She sought for and discovered on th e windows (which they had fondly regarded as miracles of cleanliness) sund ry streaks and smears\, and detected infinite small spots of paint and whi tewash on the newly-scrubbed floors. She followed them upstairs and downst airs\, and tormented them to that extent\, that Charlie gave it as his pri vate opinion that he should not be in the least surprised\, on going up th ere\, to find that the two old women had made away with Caddy\, and hidden her remains in the coal-bin. Whilst she was thus engaged\, to Charlie was assigned the duty of transporting to Winter-street her diurnal portion of food\, without a hearty share of which she found it impossible to maintai n herself in a state of efficiency\; her labours in chasing the women abou t the house being of a rather exhausting nature.\n\nWhen he made the visit s in question\, Charlie was generally reconnoitred by his sister from a wi ndow over the door\, and was compelled to put his shoes through a system o f purification\, devised by her for his especial benefit. It consisted of three courses of scraper\, and two of mat\; this being considered by her a s strictly necessary to bring his shoes to such a state of cleanliness as would entitle him to admission into the premises of which she was the temp orary mistress.\n\nCharlie\, on two or three occasions finding a window op en\, made stealthy descents upon the premises without first having duly ob served these quarantine regulations\; whereupon he was attacked by Caddy\, who\, with the assistance of the minions under her command\, so shook and pummelled him as to cause his precipitate retreat through the same openin g by which he had entered\, and that\, too\, in so short a space of time a s to make the whole manoeuvre appear to him in the light of a well-execute d but involuntary feat of ground and lofty tumbling. One afternoon he star ted with his sister's dinner\, consisting of a dish of which she was parti cularly fond\, and its arrival was therefore looked for with unusual anxie ty. Charlie\, having gorged himself to an almost alarming extent\, did not make the haste that the case evidently demanded\; and as he several times stopped to act as umpire in disputed games of marbles (in the rules of wh ich he was regarded as an authority)\, he necessarily consumed a great dea l of time on the way.\n\nCaddy's patience was severely tried by the long d elay\, and her temper\, at no time the most amiable\, gathered bitterness from the unprecedented length of her fast. Therefore\, when he at length a ppeared\, walking leisurely up Winter-street\, swinging the kettle about i n the most reckless manner\, and setting it down on the pavement to play l eap-frog over the fire-plugs\, her wrath reached a point that boded no goo d to the young trifler.\n\nNow\, whilst Charlie had been giving his attent ion to the difficulties growing out of the games of marbles\, he did not o bserve that one of the disputants was possessed of a tin kettle\, in appea rance very similar to his own\, by the side of which\, in the excitement o f the moment\, he deposited his own whilst giving a practical illustration of his view of the point under consideration. Having accomplished this to his entire satisfaction\, he resumed what he supposed was his kettle\, an d went his way rejoicing.\n\nNow\, if Caddy Ellis had a fondness for one d ish more than any other\, it was for haricot\, with plenty of carrots\; an d knowing she was to have this for her dinner\, she\, to use her own point ed expression\, \"had laid herself out to have a good meal.\" She had even abstained from her customary lunch that she might have an appetite worthy of the occasion\; and accordingly\, long ere the dinner hour approached\, she was hungry as a wolf. Notwithstanding this fact\, when Charlie made h is appearance at the door\, she insisted on his going through all the accu stomed forms with the mat and scraper before entering the house\; an act o f self-sacrifice on her part entirely uncalled for\, as the day was remark ably fine\, and Charlie's boots unusually clean.\n\nHe received two or thr ee by no means gentle shoves and pokes as he entered\, which he bore with unusual indifference\, making not the slightest effort at retaliation\, as was his usual practice. The fact is\, Charlie was\, as lions are supposed to be\, quite disinclined for a fight after a hearty meal\, so he followe d Caddy upstairs to the second story. Here she had got up an extempore din ing-table\, by placing a pasting board across two chairs. Seating herself upon a stool\, she jerked off the lid of the kettle\, and\, to her horror and dismay\, found not the favourite haricot\, but a piece of cheese-rind\ , a crust of dry bread\, and a cold potatoe. Charlie\, who was amusing him self by examining the flowers in the new carpet\, did not observe the look of surprise and disgust that came over the countenance of his sister\, as she took out\, piece by piece\, the remains of some schoolboy's repast.\n \n\"Look here\,\" she at last burst forth\, \"do you call this my dinner?\ "\n\n\"Yes\,\" said Charlie\, in a deliberate tone\, \"and a very good one too\, I should say\; if you can't eat that dinner\, you ought to starve\; it's one of mother's best haricots.\" \"You don't call this cold potatoe and cheese-rind haricot\, do you?\" asked Caddy\, angrily.\n\nAt this Char lie looked up\, and saw before her the refuse scraps\, which she had indig nantly emptied upon the table. He could scarcely believe his eyes\; he got up and looked in the kettle\, but found no haricot. \"Well\,\" said he\, with surprise\, \"if that don't beat me! I saw mother fill it with haricot myself\; I'm clean beat about it.\"\n\n\"Tell me what you've done with it \, then\,\" almost screamed the angry girl.\n\n\"I really don't know what has become of it\,\" he answered\, with a bewildered air. \"I saw—I saw—I—I—\"\n\n\"You saw—you saw\,\" replied the indignant Caddy\, imitating his tone\; and taking up the kettle\, she began to examine it mo re closely. \"Why\, this isn't even our kettle\; look at this lid. I'm sur e it's not ours. You've been stopping somewhere to play\, and exchanged it with some other boy\, that's just what you've done.\"\n\nJust then it occ urred to Charlie that at the place where he had adjusted the dispute about the marbles\, he had observed in the hands of one of the boys a kettle si milar to his own\; and it flashed across his mind that he had then and the re made the unfortunate exchange. He broke his suspicion to Caddy in the g entlest manner\, at the same time edging his way to the door to escape the storm that he saw was brewing. The loss of her dinner—and of such a din ner—so enraged the hungry girl\, as to cause her to seize a brush lying near and begin to belabour him without mercy. In his endeavour to escape f rom her his foot was caught in the carpet\, and he was violently precipita ted down the long flight of stairs. His screams brought the whole party to his assistance\; even Kinch\, who was sitting on the step outside\, threw off his usual dread of Caddy\, and rushed into the house. \"Oh\, take me up\,\" piteously cried Charlie\; \"oh\, take me up\, I'm almost killed.\" In raising him\, one of the old women took hold of his arm\, which caused him to scream again. \"Don't touch my arm\, please don't touch my arm\; I' m sure it's broke.\"\n\n\"No\, no\, it's not broke\, only sprained\, or a little twisted\,\" said she\; and\, seizing it as she spoke\, she gave it a pull and a wrench\, for the purpose of making it all right again\; at th is Charlie's face turned deathly pale\, and he fainted outright.\n\n\"Run for a doctor\,\" cried the now thoroughly-alarmed Caddy\; \"run for the do ctor! my brother's dead!\" and bursting into tears\, she exclaimed\, \"Oh\ , I've killed my brother\, I've killed my brother!\"\n\n\"Don't make so mu ch fuss\, child\,\" soothingly replied one of the old women: \"he's worth half a dozen dead folk yet. Lor bless you\, child\, he's only fainted.\"\n \nWater was procured and thrown in his face\, and before Kinch returned wi th the doctor\, he was quite restored to consciousness.\n\n\"Don't cry\, m y little man\,\" said the physician\, as he took out his knife and ripped up the sleeve of Charlie's coat. \"Don't cry\; let me examine your arm.\" Stripping up the shirt-sleeve\, he felt it carefully over\, and shaking hi s head (physicians always shake their heads) pronounced the arm broken\, a nd that\, too\, in an extremely bad place. At this information Charlie beg an again to cry\, and Caddy broke forth into such yells of despair as almo st to drive them distracted.\n\nThe physician kindly procured a carriage\, and saw Charlie comfortably placed therein\; and held in the arms of Kinc h\, with the lamenting and disheartened Caddy on the opposite seat\, he wa s slowly driven home. The house was quite thrown into confusion by their a rrival under such circumstances\; Mrs. Ellis\, for a wonder\, did not fain t\, but proceeded at once to do what was necessary. Mr. Ellis was sent for \, and he immediately despatched Kinch for Dr. Burdett\, their family phys ician\, who came without a moment's delay. He examined Charlie's arm\, and at first thought it would be necessary to amputate it. At the mere mentio n of the word amputate\, Caddy set up such a series of lamentable howls as to cause her immediate ejectment from the apartment. Dr. Burdett called i n Dr. Diggs for a consultation\, and between them it was decided that an a ttempt should be made to save the injured member. \"Now\, Charlie\,\" said Dr. Burdett\, \"I'm afraid we must hurt you\, my boy—but if you have an y desire to keep this arm you must try to bear it.\"\n\n\"I'll bear anythi ng to save my arm\, doctor\; I can't spare that\,\" said he\, manfully. \" I'll want it by-and-by to help take care of mother and the girls.\"\n\n\"Y ou're a brave little fellow\,\" said Dr. Diggs\, patting him on the head\, \"so then we'll go at it at once.\"\n\n\"Stop\,\" cried Charlie\, \"let m other put her arm round my neck so\, and Es\, you hold the good hand. Now then\, I'm all right—fire away!\" and clenching his lips hard\, he waite d for the doctor to commence the operation of setting his arm. Charlie's m other tried to look as stoical as possible\, but the corners of her mouth would twitch\, and there was a nervous trembling of her under-lip\; but sh e commanded herself\, and only when Charlie gave a slight groan of pain\, stooped and kissed his forehead\; and when she raised her head again\, the re was a tear resting on the face of her son that was not his own. Esther was the picture of despair\, and she wept bitterly for the misfortune whic h had befallen her pet brother\; and when the operation was over\, refused to answer poor Caddy's questions respecting Charlie's injuries\, and scol ded her with a warmth and volubility that was quite surprising to them all .\n\n\"You must not be too hard on Caddy\,\" remarked Mr. Ellis. \"She fee ls bad enough\, I'll warrant you. It is a lesson that will not\, I trust\, be thrown away upon her\; it will teach her to command her temper in futu re.\"\n\nCaddy was in truth quite crushed by the misfortune she had occasi oned\, and fell into such a state of depression and apathy as to be scarce ly heard about the house\; indeed\, so subdued was she\, that Kinch went i n and out without wiping his feet\, and tracked the mud all over the stair -carpet\, and yet she uttered no word of remonstrance.\n\nPoor little Char lie suffered much\, and was in a high fever. The knocker was tied up\, the windows darkened\, and all walked about the house with sad and anxious co untenances. Day after day the fever increased\, until he grew delirious\, and raved in the most distressing manner. The unfortunate haricot was stil l on his mind\, and he was persecuted by men with strange-shaped heads and carrot eyes. Sometimes he imagined himself pursued by Caddy\, and would c ry in the most piteous manner to have her prevented from beating him. Then his mind strayed off to the marble-ground\, where he would play imaginary games\, and laugh over his success in such a wild and frightful manner as to draw tears from the eyes of all around him. He was greatly changed\; t he bright colour had fled from his cheek\; his head had been shaved\, and he was thin and wan\, and at times they were obliged to watch him\, and re strain him from tossing about\, to the great peril of his broken arm.\n\nA t last his situation became so critical that Dr. Burdett began to entertai n but slight hopes of his recovery\; and one morning\, in the presence of Caddy\, hinted as much to Mr. Ellis.\n\n\"Oh\, doctor\, doctor\,\" exclaim ed the distracted girl\, \"don't say that! oh\, try and save him! How coul d I live with the thought that I had killed my brother! oh\, I can't live a day if he dies! Will God ever forgive me? Oh\, what a wretch I have been ! Oh\, do think of something that will help him! He mustn't die\, you must save him!\" and crying passionately\, she threw herself on the floor in a n agony of grief. They did their best to pacify her\, but all their effort s were in vain\, until Mr. Ellis suggested\, that since she could not cont rol her feelings\, she must be sent to stay with her aunt\, as her lamenta tions and outcries agitated her suffering brother and made his condition w orse. The idea of being excluded from the family circle at such a moment h ad more effect on Caddy than all previous remonstrances. She implored to h ave the sentence suspended for a time at least\, that she might try to exe rt more self-command\; and Mr. Ellis\, who really pitied her\, well knowin g that her heart was not in fault\, however reprehensible she was in point of temper\, consented\; and Caddy's behaviour from that moment proved the sincerity of her promises\; and though she could not quite restrain occas ional outbursts of senseless lamentation\, still\, when she felt such fits of despair coming on\, she wisely retired to some remote corner of the ho use\, and did not re-appear till she had regained her composure.\n\nThe cr isis was at length over\, and Charlie was pronounced out of danger. No one was more elated by this announcement than our friend Kinch\, who had\, in fact\, grown quite ashy in his complexion from confinement and grief\, an d was now thrown by this intelligence into the highest possible spirits. C harlie\, although faint and weak\, was able to recognize his friends\, and derived great satisfaction from the various devices of Kinch to entertain him. That young gentleman quite distinguished himself by the variety and extent of his resources. He devised butting matches between himself and a large gourd\, which he suspended from the ceiling\, and almost blinded him self by his attempts to butt it sufficiently hard to cause it to rebound t o the utmost length of the string\, and might have made an idiot of himsel f for ever by his exertions\, but for the timely interference of Mr. Ellis \, who put a final stop to this diversion. Then he dressed himself in a sh ort gown and nightcap\, and made the pillow into a baby\, and played the n urse with it to such perfection\, that Charlie felt obliged to applaud by knocking with the knuckles of his best hand upon the head-board of his bed stead. On the whole\, he was so overjoyed as to be led to commit all manne r of eccentricities\, and conducted himself generally in such a ridiculous manner\, that Charlie laughed himself into a state of prostration\, and K inch was\, in consequence\, banished from the sick-room\, to be re-admitte d only on giving his promise to abstain from being as funny as he could an y more. After the lapse of a short time Charlie was permitted to sit up\, and held regular levees of his schoolmates and little friends. He declared it was quite a luxury to have a broken arm\, as it was a source of so muc h amusement. The old ladies brought him jellies and blanc-mange\, and he w as petted and caressed to such an unparalleled extent\, as to cause his de lighted mother to aver that she lived in great fear of his being spoiled b eyond remedy. At length he was permitted to come downstairs and sit by the window for a few hours each day. Whilst thus amusing himself one morning\ , a handsome carriage stopped before their house\, and from it descended a fat and benevolent-looking old lady\, who knocked at the door and rattled the latch as if she had been in the daily habit of visiting there\, and f elt quite sure of a hearty welcome. She was let in by Esther\, and\, on si tting down\, asked if Mrs. Ellis was at home. Whilst Esther was gone to su mmon her mother\, the lady looked round the room\, and espying Charlie\, s aid\, \"Oh\, there you are—I'm glad to see you\; I hope you are improvin g.\"\n\n\"Yes\, ma'am\,\" politely replied Charlie\, wondering all the tim e who their visitor could be.\n\n\"You don't seem to remember me—you oug ht to do so\; children seldom forget any one who makes them a pleasant pro mise.\"\n\nAs she spoke\, a glimmer of recollection shot across Charlie's mind\, and he exclaimed\, \"You are the lady who came to visit the school. \"\n\n\"Yes\; and I promised you a book for your aptness\, and\,\" continu ed she\, taking from her reticule a splendidly-bound copy of \"Robinson Cr usoe\,\" \"here it is.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis\, as soon as she was informed that a stranger lady was below\, left Caddy to superintend alone the whitewashi ng of Charlie's sick-room\, and having hastily donned another gown and a m ore tasty cap\, descended to see who the visitor could be.\n\n\"You must e xcuse my not rising\,\" said Mrs. Bird\, for that was the lady's name\; \" it is rather a difficulty for me to get up and down often—so\,\" continu ed she\, with a smile\, \"you must excuse my seeming rudeness.\"\n\nMrs. E llis answered\, that any apology was entirely unnecessary\, and begged she would keep her seat. \"I've come\,\" said Mrs. Bird\, \"to pay your littl e man a visit. I was so much pleased with the manner in which he recited h is exercises on the day of examination\, that I promised him a book\, and on going to the school to present it\, I heard of his unfortunate accident . He looks very much changed—he has had a very severe time\, I presume?\ "\n\n\"Yes\, a very severe one. We had almost given him over\, but it plea sed God to restore him\,\" replied Mrs. Ellis\, in a thankful tone. \"He i s very weak yet\,\" she continued\, \"and it will be a long time before he is entirely recovered.\"\n\n\"Who is your physician?\" asked Mrs. Bird.\n \n\"Doctor Burdett\,\" was the reply\; \"he has been our physician for yea rs\, and is a very kind friend of our family.\"\n\n\"And of mine\, too\,\" rejoined Mrs. Bird\; \"he visits my house every summer.\nWhat does he thi nk of the arm?\" she asked.\n\n\"He thinks in time it will be as strong as ever\, and recommends sending Charlie into the country for the summer\; b ut\,\" said Mrs. Ellis\, \"we are quite at a loss where to send him.\"\n\n \"Oh! let me take him\,\" said Mrs. Bird—\"I should be delighted to have him. I've got a beautiful place—he can have a horse to ride\, and there are wide fields to scamper over! Only let me have him\, and I'll guarante e to restore him to health in a short time.\"\n\n\"You're very kind\,\" re plied Mrs. Ellis—\"I'm afraid he would only be a burthen to you—be a g reat deal of trouble\, and be able to do but little work.\"\n\n\"Work! Why \, dear woman\,\" replied Mrs. Bird\, with some astonishment\, \"I don't w ant him to work—I've plenty of servants\; I only want him to enjoy himse lf\, and gather as much strength as possible. Come\, make up your mind to let him go with me\, and I'll send him home as stout as I am.\"\n\nAt the bare idea of Charlie's being brought to such a state of obesity\, Kinch\, who\, during the interview\, had been in the back part of the room\, makin g all manner of faces\, was obliged to leave the apartment\, to prevent a serious explosion of laughter\, and after their visitor had departed he wa s found rolling about the floor in a tempest of mirth.\n\nAfter considerab le conversation relative to the project\, Mrs. Bird took her leave\, promi sing to call soon again\, and advising Mrs. Ellis to accept her offer. Mrs . Ellis consulted Dr. Burdett\, who pronounced it a most fortunate circums tance\, and said the boy could not be in better hands\; and as Charlie app eared nothing loth\, it was decided he should go to Warmouth\, to the grea t grief of Kinch\, who thought it a most unheard-of proceeding\, and he re garded Mrs. Bird thenceforth as his personal enemy\, and a wilful disturbe r of his peace.\n\nCHAPTER IX.\nBreaking up.\n\nThe time for the departure of the Garies having been fixed\, all in the house were soon engaged in t he bustle of preparation. Boxes were packed with books\, pictures\, and li nen\; plate and china were wrapped and swaddled\, to prevent breakage and bruises\; carpets were taken up\, and packed away\; curtains taken down\, and looking-glasses covered. Only a small part of the house was left in a furnished state for the use of the overseer\, who was a young bachelor\, a nd did not require much space.\n\nIn superintending all these arrangements Mrs. Garie displayed great activity\; her former cheerfulness of manner h ad entirely returned\, and Mr. Garie often listened with delight to the qu ick pattering of her feet\, as she tripped lightly through the hall\, and up and down the long stairs. The birds that sang about the windows were no t more cheerful than herself\, and when Mr. Garie heard her merry voice si nging her lively songs\, as in days gone by\, he experienced a feeling of satisfaction at the pleasant result of his acquiescence in her wishes. He had consented to it as an act of justice due to her and the children\; the re was no pleasure to himself growing out of the intended change\, beyond that of gratifying Emily\, and securing freedom to her and the children. H e knew enough of the North to feel convinced that he could not expect to l ive there openly with Emily\, without being exposed to ill-natured comment s\, and closing upon himself the doors of many friends who had formerly re ceived him with open arms. The virtuous dignity of the Northerner would be shocked\, not so much at his having children by a woman of colour\, but b y his living with her in the midst of them\, and acknowledging her as his wife. In the community where he now resided\, such things were more common \; the only point in which he differed from many other Southern gentlemen in this matter was in his constancy to Emily and the children\, and the mo re than ordinary kindness and affection with which he treated them. Mr. Ga rie had for many years led a very retired life\, receiving an occasional g entleman visitor\; but this retirement had been entirely voluntary\, there fore by no means disagreeable\; but in the new home he had accepted\, he f elt that he might be shunned\, and the reflection was anything but agreeab le. Moreover\, he was about to leave a place endeared to him by a thousand associations. Here he had passed the whole of his life\, except about fou r years spent in travelling through Europe and America.\n\nMr. Garie was s eated in a room where there were many things to recall days long since dep arted. The desk at which he was writing was once his father's\, and he wel l remembered the methodical manner in which every drawer was carefully kep t\; over it hung a full-length portrait of his mother\, and it seemed\, as he gazed at it\, that it was only yesterday that she had taken his little hand in her own\, and walked with him down the long avenue of magnolias t hat were waving their flower-spangled branches in the morning breeze\, and loading it with fragrance. Near him was the table on which her work-baske t used to stand. He remembered how important he felt when permitted to hol d the skeins of silk for her to wind\, and how he would watch her stitch\, stitch\, hour after hour\, at the screen that now stood beside the fire-p lace\; the colours were faded\, but the recollection of the pleasant smile s she would cast upon him from time to time\, as she looked up from her wo rk\, was as fresh in his memory as if it were but yesterday. Mr. Garie was assorting and arranging the papers that the desk contained\, when he hear d the rattle of wheels along the avenue\, and looking out of the window\, he saw a carriage approaching.\n\nThe coachman was guiding his horses with one hand\, and with the other he was endeavouring to keep a large\, old-f ashioned trunk from falling from the top. This was by no means an easy mat ter\, as the horses appeared quite restive\, and fully required his undivi ded attention. The rather unsteady motion of the carriage caused its inmat e to put his head out of the window\, and Mr. Garie recognized his uncle J ohn\, who lived in the north-western part of the state\, on the borders of Alabama. He immediately left his desk\, and hastened to the door to recei ve him.\n\n\"This is an unexpected visit\, but none the less pleasant on t hat account\,\" said Mr. Garie\, his face lighting up with surprise and pl easure as uncle John alighted. \"I had not the least expectation of being honoured by a visit from you. What has brought you into this part of the c ountry? Business\, of course? I can't conceive it possible that you should have ventured so far from home\, at this early season\, for the mere purp ose of paying me a visit.\"\n\n\"You may take all the honour to yourself t his time\,\" smilingly replied uncle John\, \"for I have come over for you r especial benefit\; and if I accomplish the object of my journey\, I shal l consider the time anything but thrown away.\"\n\n\"Let me take your coat \; and\, Eph\, see you to that trunk\,\" said Mr. Garie. \"You see everyth ing is topsy-turvy with us\, uncle John. We look like moving\, don't we?\" \n\n\"Like that or an annual house-cleaning\,\" he replied\, as he picked his way through rolls of carpet and matting\, and between half-packed boxe s\; in doing which\, he had several narrow escapes from the nails that pro truded from them on all sides. \"It's getting very warm\; let me have some thing to drink\,\" said he\, wiping his face as he took his seat\; \"a jul ep—plenty of brandy and ice\, and but little mint.\"\n\nEph\, on receivi ng this order\, departed in great haste in search of Mrs. Garie\, as he kn ew that\, whilst concocting one julep\, she might be prevailed upon to mix another\, and Eph had himself a warm liking for that peculiar Southern mi xture\, which liking he never lost any opportunity to gratify.\n\nEmily hu rried downstairs\, on hearing of the arrival of uncle John\, for he was re garded by her as a friend. She had always received from him marked kindnes s and respect\, and upon the arrival of Mr. Garie's visitors\, there was n one she received with as much pleasure. Quickly mixing the drink\, she car ried it into the room where he and her husband were sitting. She was warml y greeted by the kind-hearted old man\, who\, in reply to her question if he had come to make them a farewell visit\, said he hoped not: he trusted to make them many more in the same place.\n\n\"I'm afraid you won't have a n opportunity\,\" she replied. \"In less than a week we expect to be on ou r way to New York.—I must go\,\" continued she\, \"and have a room prepa red for you\, and hunt up the children. You'll scarcely know them\, they h ave grown so much since you were here. I'll soon send them\,\" and she hur ried off to make uncle John's room comfortable.\n\n\"I was never more surp rised in my life\,\" said the old gentleman\, depositing the glass upon th e table\, after draining it of its contents—\"never more surprised than when I received your letter\, in which you stated your intention of going to the North to live. A more ridiculous whim it is impossible to conceiv e—the idea is perfectly absurd! To leave a fine old place like this\, wh ere you have everything around you so nice and comfortable\, to go north\, and settle amongst a parcel of strange Yankees! My dear boy\, you must gi ve it up. I'm no longer your guardian—the law don't provide one for peop le of thirty years and upwards—so it is out of my power to say you shall not do it\; but I am here to use all my powers of persuasion to induce yo u to relinquish the project.\"\n\n\"Uncle John\, you don't seem to underst and the matter. It is not a whim\, by any means—it is a determination ar ising from a strict sense of duty\; I feel that it is an act of justice to Emily and the children. I don't pretend to be better than most men\; but my conscience will not permit me to be the owner of my own flesh and blood . I'm going north\, because I wish to emancipate and educate my children —you know I can't do it here. At first I was as disinclined to favour th e project as you are\; but I am now convinced it is my duty\, and\, I must add\, that my inclination runs in the same direction.\"\n\n\"Look here\, Clarence\, my boy\,\" here interrupted uncle John\; \"you can't expect to live there as you do here\; the prejudice against persons of colour is muc h stronger in some of the Northern cities than it is amongst us Southerner s. You can't live with Emily there as you do here\; you will be in everybo dy's mouth. You won't be able to sustain your old connections with your No rthern friends—you'll find that they will cut you dead.\"\n\n\"I've look ed at it well\, uncle John. I've counted the cost\, and have made up my mi nd to meet with many disagreeable things. If my old friends choose to turn their backs on me because my wife happens to belong to an oppressed race\ , that is not my fault. I don't feel that I have committed any sin by maki ng the choice I have\; and so their conduct or opinions won't influence my happiness much.\"\n\n\"Listen to me\, Clary\, for a moment\,\" rejoined t he old gentleman. \"As long as you live here in Georgia you can sustain yo ur present connection with impunity\, and if you should ever want to break it off\, you could do so by sending her and the children away\; it would be no more than other men have done\, and are doing every day. But go to t he North\, and it becomes a different thing. Your connection with Emily wi ll inevitably become a matter of notoriety\, and then you would find it di fficult to shake her off there\, as you could here\, in case you wanted to marry another woman.\"\n\n\"Oh\, uncle\, uncle\, how can you speak so ind ifferently about my doing such an ungenerous act\; to characterize it in t he very mildest terms. I feel that Emily is as much my wife in the eyes of God\, as if a thousand clergymen had united us. It is not my fault that w e are not legally married\; it is the fault of the laws. My father did not feel that my mother was any more his wife\, than I do that Emily is mine. \"\n\n\"Hush\, hush\; that is all nonsense\, boy\; and\, besides\, it is p aying a very poor compliment to your mother to rank her with your mulatto mistress. I like Emily very much\; she has been kind\, affectionate\, and faithful to you. Yet I really can't see the propriety of your making a shi pwreck of your whole life on her account. Now\,\" continued uncle John\, w ith great earnestness\, \"I hoped for better things from you. You have tal ents and wealth\; you belong to one of the oldest and best families in the State. When I am gone\, you will be the last of our name\; I had hoped th at you would have done something to keep it from sinking into obscurity. T here is no honour in the State to which you might not have aspired with a fair chance of success\; but if you carry out your absurd determination\, you will ruin yourself effectually.\"\n\n\"Well\; I shall be ruined then\, for I am determined to go. I feel it my duty to carry out my design\,\" s aid Mr. Garie.\n\n\"Well\, well\, Clary\,\" rejoined his uncle\, \"I've do ne my duty to my brother's son. I own\, that although I cannot agree with you in your project\, I can and do honour the unselfish motive that prompt s it. You will always find me your friend under all circumstances\, and no w\,\" concluded he\, \"it's off my mind.\"\n\nThe children were brought in and duly admired\; a box of miniature carpenter's tools was produced\; al so\, a wonderful man with a string through his waist—which string\, when pulled\, caused him to throw his arms and legs about in a most astonishin g manner. The little folks were highly delighted with these presents\, whi ch\, uncle John had purchased at Augusta\; they scampered off\, and soon h ad every small specimen of sable humanity on the place at their heels\, in ecstatic admiration of the wonderful articles of which they had so recent ly acquired possession. As uncle John had absolutely refused all other ref reshment than the julep before mentioned\, dinner was ordered at a much ea rlier hour than usual. He ate very heartily\, as was his custom\; and\, mo reover\, persisted in stuffing the children (as old gentlemen will do some times) until their mother was compelled to interfere to prevent their havi ng a bilious attack in consequence. Whilst the gentlemen were sitting over their desert\, Mr. Garie asked his uncle\, if he had not a sister\, with whom there was some mystery connected.\n\n\"No mystery\,\" replied uncle J ohn. \"Your aunt made a very low marriage\, and father cut her off from th e family entirely. It happened when I was very young\; she was the eldest of us all\; there were four of us\, as you know—your father\, Bernard\, I\, and this sister of whom we are speaking. She has been dead for some ye ars\; she married a carpenter whom father employed on the place—a poor w hite man from New York. I have heard it said\, that he was handsome\, but drunken and vicious. They left one child—a boy\; I believe he is alive i n the North somewhere\, or was\, a few years since.\"\n\n\"And did she nev er make any overtures for a reconciliation?\"\n\n\"She did\, some years be fore father's death\, but he was inexorable\; he returned her letter\, and died without seeing or forgiving her\,\" replied uncle John.\n\n\"Poor th ing\; I suppose they were very poor?\"\n\n\"I suppose they were. I have no sympathy for her. She deserved her fate\, for marrying a greasy mechanic\ , in opposition to her father's commands\, when she might have connected h erself with any of the highest families in the State.\"\n\nThe gentlemen r emained a long while that night\, sipping their wine\, smoking cigars\, an d discussing the probable result of the contemplated change. Uncle John se emed to have the worst forebodings as to the ultimate consequences\, and g ave it as his decided opinion\, that they would all return to the old plac e in less than a year.\n\n\"You'll soon get tired of it\,\" said he\; \"ev erything is so different there. Here you can get on well in your present r elations\; but mark me\, you'll find nothing but disappointment and troubl e where you are going.\"\n\nThe next morning he departed for his home\; he kissed the children affectionately\, and shook hands warmly with their mo ther. After getting into the carriage\, he held out his hand again to his nephew\, saying:—\n\n\"I am afraid you are going to be disappointed\; bu t I hope you may not. Good bye\, good bye—God bless you!\" and his blue eyes looked very watery\, as he was driven from the door.\n\nThat day\, a letter arrived from Savannah\, informing them that the ship in which they had engaged passage would be ready to sail in a few days\; and they\, ther efore\, determined that the first instalment of boxes and trunks should be sent to the city forthwith\; and to Eph was assigned the melancholy duty of superintending their removal.\n\n\"Let me go with him\, pa\,\" begged l ittle Clarence\, who heard his father giving Eph his instructions.\n\n\"Oh \, no\,\" replied Mr. Garie\; \"the cart will be full of goods\, there wil l be no room for you.\"\n\n\"But\, pa\, I can ride my pony\; and\, besides \, you might let me go\, for I shan't have many more chances to ride him —do let me go.\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\, massa\, let him go. Why dat ar chile ca n take care of his pony all by hissef. You should just seed dem two de ode r day. You see de pony felt kinder big dat day\, an' tuck a heap o' airs o n hissef\, an' tried to trow him—twarn't no go—Massa Clary conquered h im 'pletely. Mighty smart boy\, dat\,\" continued Eph\, looking at little Clarence\, admiringly\, \"mighty smart. I let him shoot off my pistol tode r day\, and he pat de ball smack through de bull's eye—dat boy is gwine to be a perfect Ramrod.\"\n\n\"Oh\, pa\,\" laughingly interrupted little C larence\; \"I've been telling him of what you read to me about Nimrod bein g a great hunter.\"\n\n\"That's quite a mistake\, Eph\,\" said Mr. Garie\, joining in the laugh. \"Well\, I knowed it was suffin\,\" said Eph\, scra tching his head\; \"suffin with a rod to it\; I was all right on that pint —but you'r gwine to let him go\, ain't yer\, massa?\"\n\n\"I suppose\, I must\,\" replied Mr. Garie\; \"but mind now that no accident occurs to yo ung Ramrod.\"\n\n\"I'll take care o' dat\,\" said Eph\, who hastened off t o prepare the horses\, followed by the delighted Clarence.\n\nThat evening \, after his return from Savannah\, Clarence kept his little sister's eyes expanded to an unprecedented extent by his narration of the wonderful occ urrences attendant on his trip to town\, and also of what he had seen in t he vessel. He produced an immense orange\, also a vast store of almonds an d raisins\, which had been given him by the good-natured steward. \"But Em \,\" said he\, \"we are going to sleep in such funny little places\; even pa and mamma have got to sleep on little shelves stuck up against the wall \; and they've got a thing that swings from the ceiling that they keep the tumblers and wine-glasses in—every glass has got a little hole for itse lf. Oh\, it's so nice!\"\n\n\"And have they got any nice shady trees on th e ship?\" asked the wondering little Em.\n\n\"Oh\, no—what nonsense!\" a nswered Clarence\, swelling with the importance conferred by his superior knowledge. \"Why\, no\, Em\; who ever heard of such a thing as trees on a ship? they couldn't have trees on a ship if they wanted—there's no earth for them to grow in. But I'll tell you what they've got—they've got mas ts a great deal higher than any tree\, and I'm going to climb clear up to the top when we go to live on the ship.\"\n\n\"I wouldn't\,\" said Em\; \" you might fall down like Ben did from the tree\, and then you'd have to ha ve your head sewed up as he had.\"\n\nThe probability that an occurrence o f this nature might be the result of his attempt to climb the mast seemed to have considerable weight with Master Clarence\, so he relieved his sist er's mind at once by relinquishing the project.\n\nThe morning for departu re at length arrived. Eph brought the carriage to the door at an early hou r\, and sat upon the box the picture of despair. He did not descend from h is eminence to assist in any of the little arrangements for the journey\, being very fearful that the seat he occupied might be resumed by its right ful owner\, he having had a lengthy contest with the sable official who ac ted as coachman\, and who had striven manfully\, on this occasion\, to tak e possession of his usual elevated station on the family equipage. This\, Eph would by no means permit\, as he declared\, \"He was gwine to let nobo dy drive Massa dat day but hissef.\"\n\nIt was a mournful parting. The sla ves crowded around the carriage kissing and embracing the children\, and f orcing upon them little tokens of remembrance. Blind Jacob\, the patriarch of the place\, came and passed his hands over the face of little Em for t he last time\, as he had done almost every week since her birth\, that\, t o use his own language\, \"he might see how de piccaninny growed.\" His bl eared and sightless eyes were turned to heaven to ask a blessing on the li ttle ones and their parents.\n\n\"Why\, daddy Jake\, you should not take i t so hard\,\" said Mr. Garie\, with an attempt at cheerfulness. \"You'll s ee us all again some day.\"\n\n\"No\, no\, massa\, I'se feared I won't\; I 'se gettin' mighty old\, massa\, and I'se gwine home soon. I hopes I'll me et you all up yonder\,\" said he\, pointing heavenward. \"I don't 'spect t o see any of you here agin.\"\n\nMany of the slaves were in tears\, and al l deeply lamented the departure of their master and his family\, for Mr. G arie had always been the kindest of owners\, and Mrs. Garie was\, if possi ble\, more beloved than himself. She was first at every sick-bed\, and had been comforter-general to all the afflicted and distressed in the place.\ n\nAt last the carriage rolled away\, and in a few hours they reached Sava nnah\, and immediately went on board the vessel.\n\nCHAPTER X.\nAnother Pa rting.\n\nMrs. Ellis had been for some time engaged in arranging and reple nishing Charlie's wardrobe\, preparatory to his journey to Warmouth with M rs. Bird. An entire new suit of grey cloth had been ordered of the tailor\ , to whom Mrs. Ellis gave strict injunctions not to make them too small. N otwithstanding the unfavourable results of several experiments\, Mrs. Elli s adhered with wonderful tenacity to the idea that a boy's clothes could n ever be made too large\, and\, therefore\, when Charlie had a new suit\, i t always appeared as if it had been made for some portly gentleman\, and s ent home to Charlie by mistake.\n\nThis last suit formed no exception to t he others\, and Charlie surveyed with dismay its ample dimensions as it hu ng from the back of the chair. \"Oh\, gemini!\" said he\, \"but that jacke t is a rouser! I tell you what\, mother\, you'll have to get out a search- warrant to find me in that jacket\; now\, mind\, I tell you!\"\n\n\"Nonsen se!\" replied Mrs. Ellis\, \"it don't look a bit too large\; put it on.\"\ n\nCharlie took up the coat\, and in a twinkling had it on over his other. His hands were almost completely lost in the excessively long sleeves\, w hich hung down so far that the tips of his fingers were barely visible. \" Oh\, mother!\" he exclaimed\, \"just look at these sleeves—if such a thi ng were to happen that any one were to offer me a half dollar\, they would change their mind before I could get my hand out to take it\; and it will almost go twice round me\, it is so large in the waist.\"\n\n\"Oh\, you c an turn the sleeves up\; and as for the waist—you'll soon grow to it\; i t will be tight enough for you before long\, I'll warrant\,\" said Mrs. El lis.\n\n\"But\, mother\,\" rejoined Charlie\, \"that is just what you said about the other blue suit\, and it was entirely worn out before you had l et down the tucks in the trowsers.\"\n\n\"Never mind the blue suit\,\" per sisted Mrs. Ellis\, entirely unbiassed by this statement of facts. \"You'l l grow faster this time—you're going into the country\, you must remem ber—boys always grow fast in the country\; go into the other room and tr y on the trowsers.\"\n\nCharlie retired into another room with the trowser s in question. Here he was joined by Kinch\, who went into fits of laughte r over Charlie's pea-jacket\, as he offensively called the new coat.\n\n\" Why\, Charlie\,\" said he\, \"it fits you like a shirt on a bean-pole\, or rather it's like a sentry's box—it don't touch you any where. But get i nto these pants\,\" said he\, almost choking with the laughter that Charli e's vexed look caused him to suppress—\"get into the pants\;\" at the sa me time tying a string round Charlie's neck.\n\n\"What are you doing that for?\" exclaimed Charlie\, in an irritated tone\; \"I shouldn't have thoug ht you would make fun of me!\"\n\n\"Oh\,\" said Kinch\, assuming a solemn look\, \"don't they always tie a rope round a man's body when they are goi ng to lower him into a pit? and how on earth do you ever expect we shall f ind you in the legs of them trowsers\, unless something is fastened to you ?\" Here Charlie was obliged to join in the laugh that Kinch could no long er restrain.\n\n\"Stop that playing\, boys\,\" cried Mrs. Ellis\, as their noisy mirth reached her in the adjoining room\; \"you forget I am waiting for you.\"\n\nCharlie hastily drew on the trousers\, and found that their dimensions fully justified the precaution Kinch was desirous of taking to secure him from sinking into oblivion.\n\n\"Oh\, I can't wear these thing s\,\" said Charlie\, tears of vexation starting from his eyes. \"Why\, the y are so large I can't even keep them up\; and just look at the legs\, wil l you—they'll have to be turned up a quarter of a yard at least.\"\n\n\" Here\,\" said Kinch\, seizing a large pillow\, \"I'll stuff this in. Oh\, golly\, how you look! if you ain't a sight to see!\" and he shouted with l aughter as he surveyed Charlie\, to whom the pillow had imparted the appea rance of a London alderman. \"If you don't look like Squire Baker now\, I' ll give it up. You are as big as old Daddy Downhill. You are a regular Dan iel Lambert!\"\n\nThe idea of looking like Squire Baker and Daddy Downhill \, who were the \"fat men\" of their acquaintance\, amused Charlie as much as it did his companion\, and making the house ring with their mirth\, th ey entered the room where Mr. Ellis and the girls had joined Mrs. Ellis.\n \n\"What on earth is the matter with the child?\" exclaimed Mr. Ellis\, as he gazed upon the grotesque figure Charlie presented. \"What has the boy been doing to himself?\" Hereupon Kinch explained how matters stood\, to t he infinite amusement of all parties.\n\n\"Oh\, Ellen\,\" said Mr. Ellis\, \"you must have them altered\; they're a mile too big for him. I really b elieve they would fit me.\"\n\n\"They do look rather large\,\" said Mrs. E llis\, reluctantly\; \"but it seems such a waste to take them in\, as he g rows so fast.\"\n\n\"He would not grow enough in two years to fill that su it\,\" rejoined Mr. Ellis\; \"and he will have worn them out in less than six months\;\" and so\, to the infinite satisfaction of Charlie\, it was c oncluded that they should be sent back to the tailor's for the evidently n ecessary alterations.\n\nThe day for Charlie's departure at last arrived.\ n\nKinch\, who had been up since two o'clock in the morning\, was found by Caddy at the early hour of five waiting upon the door-step to accompany h is friend to the wharf. Beside him lay a bag\, in which there appeared to be some living object.\n\n\"What have you got in here?\" asked Caddy\, as she gave the bag a punch with the broom she was using. \"It's a present fo r Charlie\,\" replied Kinch\, opening the bag\, and displaying\, to the as tonished gaze of Caddy\, a very young pig.\n\n\"Why\,\" said she\, laughin g\, \"you don't expect he can take that with him\, do you?\"\n\n\"Why not? \" asked Kinch\, taking up the bag and carrying it into the house. \"It's just the thing to take into the country\; Charlie can fatten him and sell him for a lot of money.\"\n\nIt was as much as Mrs. Ellis could do to conv ince Charlie and Kinch of the impracticability of their scheme of carrying off to Warmouth the pig in question. She suggested\, as it was the exclus ive property of Kinch\, and he was so exceedingly anxious to make Charlie a parting gift\, that she should purchase it\, which she did\, on the spot \; and Kinch invested all the money in a large cross-bow\, wherewith Charl ie was to shoot game sufficient to supply both Kinch and his own parents. Had Charlie been on his way to the scaffold\, he could not have been follo wed by a more solemn face than that presented by Kinch as he trudged on wi th him in the rear the porter who carried the trunk.\n\n\"I wish you were not going\,\" said he\, as he put his arm affectionately over Charlie's sh oulder\, \"I shall be so lonesome when you are gone\; and what is more\, I know I shall get licked every day in school\, for who will help me with m y sums?\"\n\n\"Oh\, any of the boys will\, they all like you\, Kinch\; and if you only study a little harder\, you can do them yourself\,\" was Char lie's encouraging reply.\n\nOn arriving at the boat\, they found. Mrs. Bir d waiting for them\; so Charlie hastily kissed his mother and sisters\, an d made endless promises not to be mischievous\, and\, above all\, to be as tidy as possible. Then tearing himself away from them\, and turning to Ki nch\, he exclaimed\, \"I'll be back to see you all again soon\, so don't c ry old fellow\;\" and at the same time thrusting his hand into his pocket\ , he drew out a number of marbles\, which he gave him\, his own lips quive ring all the while. At last his attempts to suppress his tears and look li ke a man grew entirely futile\, and he cried heartily as Mrs. Bird took hi s hand and drew him on board the steamer.\n\nAs it slowly moved from the p ier and glided up the river\, Charlie stood looking with tearful eyes at h is mother and sisters\, who\, with Kinch\, waved their handkerchiefs as lo ng as they could distinguish him\, and then he saw them move away with the crowd.\n\nMrs. Bird\, who had been conversing with a lady who accompanied her a short distance on her journey\, came and took her little protege by the hand\, and led him to a seat near her in the after part of the boat\, informing him\, as she did so\, that they would shortly exchange the stea mer for the cars\, and she thought he had better remain near her.\n\nAfter some time they approached the little town where the passengers took the t rain for New York. Mrs. Bird\, who had taken leave of her friend\, held Ch arlie fast by the hand\, and they entered the cars together. He looked a l ittle pale and weak from the excitement of parting and the novelty of his situation. Mrs. Bird\, observing his pallid look\, placed him on a seat\, and propped him up with shawls and cushions\, making him as comfortable as possible.\n\nThe train had not long started\, when the conductor came thr ough to inspect the tickets\, and quite started with surprise at seeing Ch arlie stretched at full length upon the velvet cushion. \"What are you doi ng here?\" exclaimed he\, at the same time shaking him roughly\, to arouse him from the slight slumber into which he had fallen. \"Come\, get up: yo u must go out of this.\"\n\n\"What do you mean by such conduct?\" asked Mr s. Bird\, very much surprised.\n\"Don't wake him\; I've got his ticket\; t he child is sick.\"\n\n\"I don't care whether he's sick or well—he can't ride in here. We don't allow niggers to ride in this car\, no how you can fix it—so come\, youngster\,\" said he\, gruffly\, to the now aroused b oy\, \"you must travel out of this.\"\n\n\"He shall do no such thing\,\" r eplied Mrs. Bird\, in a decided tone\; \"I've paid fall price for his tick et\, and he shall ride here\; you have no legal right to eject him.\"\n\n\ "I've got no time to jaw about rights\, legal or illegal—all I care to k now is\, that I've my orders not to let niggers ride in these cars\, and I expect to obey\, so you see there is no use to make any fuss about it.\"\ n\n\"Charlie\,\" said Mrs. Bird\, \"sit here\;\" and she moved aside\, so as to seat him between herself and the window. \"Now\,\" said she\, \"move him if you think best.\"\n\n\"I'll tell you what it is\, old woman\,\" do ggedly remarked the conductor: \"you can't play that game with me. I've ma de up my mind that no more niggers shall ride in this car\, and I'll have him out of here\, cost what it may.\"\n\nThe passengers now began to clust er around the contending parties\, and to take sides in the controversy. I n the end\, the conductor stopped the train\, and called in one or two of the Irish brake-men to assist him\, if necessary\, in enforcing his orders .\n\n\"You had better let the boy go into the negro car\, madam\,\" said o ne of the gentlemen\, respectfully\; \"it is perfectly useless to contend with these ruffians. I saw a coloured man ejected from here last week\, an d severely injured\; and\, in the present state of public feeling\, if any thing happened to you or the child\, you would be entirely without redress . The directors of this railroad control the State\; and there is no such thing as justice to be obtained in any of the State courts in a matter in which they are concerned. If you will accept of my arm\, I will accompany you to the other car—if you will not permit the child to go there alone\ , you had better go quietly with him.\"\n\n\"Oh\, what is the use of so mu ch talk about it? Why don't you hustle the old thing out\,\" remarked a by stander\, the respectability of whose appearance contrasted broadly with h is manners\; \"she is some crack-brained abolitionist. Making so much fuss about a little nigger! Let her go into the nigger car—she'll be more at home there.\"\n\nMrs. Bird\, seeing the uselessness of contention\, accep ted the proffered escort of the gentleman before mentioned\, and was follo wed out of the cars by the conductor and his blackguard assistants\, all o f them highly elated by the victory they had won over a defenceless old wo man and a feeble little boy.\n\nMrs. Bird shrunk back\, as they opened the door of the car that had been set apart for coloured persons\, and such o bjectionable whites as were not admitted to the first-class cars. \"Oh\, w hat a wretched place!\" she exclaimed\, as she surveyed the rough pine tim bers and dirty floor\; \"I would not force a dog to ride in such a filthy place.\"\n\n\"Oh\, don't stay here\, ma'am\; never mind me—I shall get o n by myself well enough\, I dare say\,\" said Charlie\; \"it is too nasty a place for you to stay in.\"\n\n\"No\, my child\,\" she replied\; \"I'll remain with you. I could not think of permitting you to be alone in your p resent state of health. I declare\,\" she continued\, \"it's enough to mak e any one an abolitionist\, or anything else of the kind\, to see how inof fensive coloured people are treated!\"\n\nThat evening they went on board the steamer that was to convey them to\nWarmouth\, where they arrived very early the following morning.\n\nCharlie was charmed with the appearance o f the pretty little town\, as they rode through it in Mrs. Bird's carriage \, which awaited them at the landing. At the door of her residence they we re met by two cherry-faced maids\, who seemed highly delighted at the arri val of their mistress.\n\n\"Now\, Charlie\,\" said Mrs. Bird\, as she sat down in her large arm-chair\, and looked round her snug little parlour wit h an air of great satisfaction—\"now we are at home\, and you must try a nd make yourself as happy as possible. Betsey\,\" said she\, turning to on e of the women\, \"here is a nice little fellow\, whom I have brought with me to remain during the summer\, of whom I want you to take the best care \; for\,\" continued she\, looking at him compassionately\, \"the poor chi ld has had the misfortune to break his arm recently\, and he has not been strong since. The physician thought the country would be the best place fo r him\, and so I've brought him here to stay with us. Tell Reuben to carry his trunk into the little maple chamber\, and by-and-by\, after I have re sted\, I will take a walk over the place with him.\"\n\n\"Here are two let ters for you\,\" said Betsey\, taking them from the mantelpiece\, and hand ing them to her mistress.\n\nMrs. Bird opened one\, of which she read a pa rt\, and then laid it down\, as being apparently of no importance. The oth er\, however\, seemed to have a great effect upon her\, as she exclaimed\, hurriedly\, \"Tell Reuben not to unharness the horses—I must go to Fran cisville immediately—dear Mrs. Hinton is very ill\, and not expected to recover. You must take good care of Charlie until I return. If I do not co me back to-night\, you will know that she is worse\, and that I am compell ed to remain there\;\" and\, on the carriage being brought to the door\, s he departed in haste to visit her sick friend.\n\nCHAPTER XI\nThe New Home .\n\nWhen Mrs. Garie embarked\, she entertained the idea so prevalent amon g fresh-water sailors\, that she was to be an exception to the rule of Fat her Neptune\, in accordance with which all who intrude for the first time upon his domain are compelled to pay tribute to his greatness\, and humbly bow in acknowledgment of his power.\n\nMrs. Garie had determined not to b e sea-sick upon any account whatever\, being fully persuaded she could bra ve the ocean with impunity\, and was\, accordingly\, very brisk and blithe -looking\, as she walked up and down upon the deck of the vessel. In the c ourse of a few hours they sailed out of the harbour\, and were soon in the open sea. She began to find out how mistaken she had been\, as unmistakab le symptoms convinced her of the vanity of all human calculations. \"Why\, you are not going to be ill\, Em\, after all your valiant declarations!\" exclaimed Mr. Garie\, supporting her unsteady steps\, as they paced to an d fro.\n\n\"Oh\, no\, no!\" said she\, in a firm tone\; \"I don't intend t o give up to any such nonsense. I believe that people can keep up if they try. I do feel a little fatigued and nervous\; it's caused\, no doubt\, by the long drive of this morning—although I think it singular that a driv e should affect me in this manner.\" Thus speaking\, she sat down by the b ulwarks of the vessel\, and a despairing look gradually crept over her fac e. At last she suddenly rose\, to look at the water\, as we may imagine. T he effect of her scrutiny\, however\, was\, that she asked feebly to be as sisted to her state-room\, where she remained until their arrival in the h arbour of New York. The children suffered only for a short time\, and as t heir father escaped entirely\, he was able to watch that they got into no mischief. They were both great favourites with the captain and steward\, a nd\, between the two\, were so stuffed and crammed with sweets as to place their health in considerable jeopardy.\n\nIt was a delightful morning whe n they sailed into the harbour of New York. The waters were dancing and ri ppling in the morning sun\, and the gaily-painted ferry-boats were skimmin g swiftly across its surface in their trips to and from the city\, which w as just awaking to its daily life of bustling toil.\n\n\"What an immense c ity it is!\" said Mrs. Garie—\"how full of life and bustle! Why there ar e more ships at one pier here than there are in the whole port of Savanah! \"\n\n\"Yes\, dear\,\" rejoined her husband\; \"and what is more\, there a lways will be. Our folks in Georgia are not waked up yet\; and when they d o arouse themselves from their slumber\, it will be too late. But we don't see half the shipping from here—this is only one side of the city—the re is much more on the other. Look over there\,\" continued he\, pointing to Jersey city\,—\"that is where we take the cars for Philadelphia\; and if we get up to dock in three or four hours\, we shall be in time for the mid-day train.\"\n\nIn less time than they anticipated they were alongsid e the wharf\; the trunks were brought up\, and all things for present use were safely packed together and despatched\, under the steward's care\, to the office of the railroad.\n\nMr. and Mrs. Garie\, after bidding good-by e to the captain\, followed with the children\, who were thrown into a gre at state of excitement by the noise and bustle of the crowded thoroughfare .\n\n\"How this whirl and confusion distracts me\,\" said Mrs. Garie\, loo king out of the carriage-window. \"I hope Philadelphia is not as noisy a p lace as this.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\,\" replied Mr. Garie\; \"it is one of the mo st quiet and clean cities in the world\, whilst this is the noisiest and d irtiest. I always hurry out of New York\; it is to me such a disagreeable place\, with its extortionate hackmen and filthy streets.\"\n\nOn arriving at the little steamer in which they crossed the ferry\, they found it abo ut to start\, and therefore had to hurry on board with all possible speed. \n\nUnder the circumstances\, the hackman felt that it would be flying in the face of Providence if he did not extort a large fare\, and he therefor e charged an extravagant price. Mr. Garie paid him\, as he had no time to parley\, and barely succeeded in slipping a douceur into the steward's han d\, when the boat pushed off from the pier.\n\nIn a few moments they had c rossed the river\, and were soon comfortably seated in the cars whirling o ver the track to Philadelphia.\n\nAs the conductor came through to examine the tickets\, he paused for a moment before Mrs. Garie and the children. As he passed on\, his assistant inquired\, \"Isn't that a nigger?\"\n\n\"Y es\, a half-white one\,\" was the reply.\n\n\"Why don't you order her out\ , then?—she has no business to ride in here\,\" continued the first spea ker.\n\n\"I guess we had better let her alone\,\" suggested the conductor\ , \"particularly as no one has complained\; and there might be a row if sh e turned out to be the nurse to those children. The whole party are Southe rners\, that's clear\; and these Southerners are mighty touchy about their niggers sometimes\, and kick and cut like the devil about them. I guess w e had better let her alone\, unless some one complains about her being the re.\"\n\nAs they drove through the streets of Philadelphia on the way to t heir new home\, Mrs. Garie gave rent to many expressions of delight at the appearance of the city. \"Oh\, what a sweet place! everything is so brigh t and fresh-looking\; why the pavement and doorsteps look as if they were cleaned twice a day. Just look at that house\, how spotless it is\; I hope ours resembles that. Ours is a new house\, is it not?\" she inquired. \"N ot entirely\; it has been occupied before\, but only for a short time\, I believe\,\" was her husband's reply.\n\nIt had grown quite dark by the tim e they arrived at Winter-street\, where Caddy had been anxiously holding w atch and ward in company with the servants who had been procured for them. A bright light was burning in the entry as the coachman stopped at the do or.\n\n\"This is No. 27\,\" said he\, opening the door of the carriage\, \ "shall I ring?\"\n\n\"Yes\, do\,\" replied Mr. Garie\; but whilst he was e ndeavouring to open the gate of the little garden in front\, Caddy\, who h ad heard the carriage stop\, bounded out to welcome them. \"This is Mr. Ga rie\, I suppose\,\" said she\, as he alighted.\n\n\"Yes\, I am\; and you\, I suppose\, are the daughter of Mr. Ellis?\"\n\n\"Yes\, sir\; I'm sorry m other is not here to welcome you\; she was here until very late last night expecting your arrival\, and was here again this morning\,\" said Caddy\, taking at the same time one of the little carpet bags. \"Give me the litt le girl\, I can take care of her too\,\" she continued\; and with little E m on one arm and the carpet bag on the other\, she led the way into the ho use.\n\n\"We did not make up any fire\,\" said she\, \"the weather is very warm to us. I don't know how it may feel to you\, though.\"\n\n\"It is a little chilly\,\" replied Mrs. Garie\, as she sat down upon the sofa\, and looked round the room with a smile of pleasure\, and added\, \"All this p lace wants\, to make it the most bewitching of rooms\, is a little fire.\" \n\nCaddy hurried the new servants from place to place remorselessly\, and set them to prepare the table and get the things ready for tea. She wayla id a party of labourers\, who chanced to be coming that way\, and hired th em to carry all the luggage upstairs—had the desired fire made—mixed u p some corn-bread\, and had tea on the table in a twinkling. They all ate very heartily\, and Caddy was greatly praised for her activity.\n\n\"You a re quite a housekeeper\,\" said Mrs. Garie to Caddy. \"Do you like it?\"\n \n\"Oh\, yes\,\" she replied. \"I see to the house at home almost entirely \; mother and Esther are so much engaged in sewing\, that they are glad en ough to leave it in my hands\, and I'd much rather do that than sew.\"\n\n \"I hope\,\" said Mrs. Garie\, \"that your mother will permit you to remai n with us until we get entirely settled.\"\n\n\"I know she will\,\" confid ently replied Caddy. \"She will be up here in the morning. She will know y ou have arrived by my not having gone home this evening.\"\n\nThe children had now fallen asleep with their heads in close proximity to their plates \, and Mrs. Garie declared that she felt very much fatigued and slightly i ndisposed\, and thought the sooner she retired the better it would be for her. She accordingly went up to the room\, which she had already seen and greatly admired\, and was soon in the land of dreams.\n\nAs is always the case on such occasions\, the children's night-dresses could not be found. Clarence was put to bed in one of his father's shirts\, in which he was al most lost\, and little Em was temporarily accommodated with a calico short gown of Caddy's\, and\, in default of a nightcap\, had her head tied up i n a Madras handkerchief\, which gave her\, when her back was turned\, very much the air of an old Creole who had been by some mysterious means depri ved of her due growth.\n\nThe next morning Mrs. Garie was so much indispos ed at to be unable to rise\, and took her breakfast in bed. Her husband ha d finished his meal\, and was sitting in the parlour\, when he observed a middle-aged coloured lady coming into the garden.\n\n\"Look\, Caddy\,\" cr ied he\, \"isn't this your mother?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\, that is she\,\" repli ed Caddy\, and ran and opened the door\, exclaiming\, \"Oh\, mother\, they 're come\;\" and as she spoke\, Mr. Garie came into the entry and shook ha nds heartily with her. \"I'm so much indebted to you\,\" said he\, \"for a rranging everything so nicely for us—there is not a thing we would wish to alter.\"\n\n\"I am very glad you are pleased\; we did our best to make it comfortable\,\" was her reply.\n\n\"And you succeeded beyond our expect ation\; but do come up\,\" continued he\, \"Emily will be delighted to see you. She is quite unwell this morning\; has not even got up yet\;\" and l eading the way upstairs\, he ushered Mrs. Ellis into the bedroom.\n\n\"Why \, can this be you?\" said she\, surveying Emily with surprise and pleasur e. \"If I had met you anywhere\, I should never have known you. How you ha ve altered! You were not so tall as my Caddy when I saw you last\; and her e you are with two children—and pretty little things they are too!\" sai d she\, kissing little Em\, who was seated on the bed with her brother\, a nd sharing with him the remains of her mother's chocolate.\n\n\"And you lo ok much younger that I expected to see you\,\" replied Mrs. Garie. \"Draw a chair up to the bed\, and let us have a talk about old times. You must e xcuse my lying down\; I don't intend to get up to-day\; I feel quite indis posed.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis took off her bonnet\, and prepared for a long chat\ ; whilst Mr. Garie\, looking at his watch\, declared it was getting late\, and started for down town\, where he had to transact some business.\n\n\" You can scarcely think\, Ellen\, how much I feel indebted to you for all y ou have done for us\; and we are so distressed to hear about Charlie's acc ident. You must have had a great deal of trouble.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, none to speak of—and had it been ever so much\, I should have been just as plea sed to have done it\; I was so glad you were coming. What did put it in yo ur heads to come here to live?\" continued Mrs. Ellis.\n\n\"Oh\, cousin Ge orge Winston praised the place so highly\, and you know how disagreeable G eorgia is to live in. My mind was never at rest there respecting these\,\" said she\, pointing to the children\; \"so that I fairly teased Garie int o it. Did you recognize George?\"\n\n\"No\, I didn't remember much about h im. I should never have taken him for a coloured man\; had I met him in th e street\, I should have supposed him to be a wealthy white Southerner. Wh at a gentleman he is in his appearance and manners\,\" said Mrs. Ellis.\n\ n\"Yes\, he is all that—my husband thinks there is no one like him. But we won't talk about him now\; I want you to tell me all about yourself and family\, and then I'll tell you everything respecting my own fortunes.\" Hereupon ensued long narratives from both parties\, which occupied the gre ater part of the morning.\n\nMr. Garie\, on leaving the house\, slowly wen ded his way to the residence of Mr. Walters. As he passed into the lower p art of the city\, his attention was arrested by the number of coloured chi ldren he saw skipping merrily along with their bags of books on their arms .\n\n\"This\,\" said he to himself\, \"don't much resemble Georgia.\"[*]\n \n[Footnote *: It is a penal offence in Georgia to teach coloured children to read.]\n\nAfter walking some distance he took out a card\, and read\, 257\, Easton-street\; and on inquiry found himself in the very street. He proceeded to inspect the numbers\, and was quite perplexed by their confus ion and irregularity.\n\nA coloured boy happening to pass at the time\, he asked him: \"Which way do the numbers run\, my little man?\"\n\nThe boy l ooked up waggishly\, and replied: \"They don't run at all\; they are perma nently affixed to each door.\"\n\n\"But\,\" said Mr. Garie\, half-provoked \, yet compelled to smile at the boy's pompous wit\, \"you know what I mea n\; I cannot find the number I wish\; the street is not correctly numbered .\"\n\n\"The street is not numbered at all\,\" rejoined the boy\, \"but th e houses are\,\" and he skipped lightly away.\n\nMr. Garie was finally set right about the numbers\, and found himself at length before the door of Mr. Walters's house. \"Quite a handsome residence\,\" said he\, as he surv eyed the stately house\, with its spotless marble steps and shining silver door-plate.\n\nOn ringing\, his summons was quickly answered by a well-dr essed servant\, who informed him that Mr. Walters was at home\, and ushere d him into the parlour. The elegance of the room took Mr. Garie completely by surprise\, as its furniture indicated not only great wealth\, but cult ivated taste and refined habits. The richly-papered walls were adorned by paintings from the hands of well-known foreign and native artists. Rich va ses and well-executed bronzes were placed in the most favourable situation s in the apartment\; the elegantly-carved walnut table was covered with th ose charming little bijoux which the French only are capable of conceiving \, and which are only at the command of such purchasers as are possessed o f more money than they otherwise can conveniently spend.\n\nMr. Garie thre w himself into a luxuriously-cushioned chair\, and was soon so absorbed in contemplating the likeness of a negro officer which hung opposite\, that he did not hear the soft tread of Mr. Walters as he entered the room. The latter\, stepping slowly forward\, caught the eye of Mr. Garie\, who start ed up\, astonished at the commanding figure before him.\n\n\"Mr. Garie\, I presume?\" said Mr. Walters.\n\n\"Yes\,\" he replied\, and added\, as he extended his hand\; \"I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Walters\, I su ppose?\"\n\nMr. Walters bowed low as he accepted the proffered hand\, and courteously requested his visitor to be seated.\n\nAs Mr. Garie resumed hi s seat\, he could not repress a look of surprise\, which Mr. Walters appar ently perceived\, for a smile slightly curled his lip as he also took a se at opposite his visitor.\n\nMr. Walters was above six feet in height\, and exceedingly well-proportioned\; of jet-black complexion\, and smooth glos sy skin. His head was covered with a quantity of woolly hair\, which was c ombed back from a broad but not very high forehead. His eyes were small\, black\, and piercing\, and set deep in his head. His aquiline nose\, thin lips\, and broad chin\, were the very reverse of African in their shape\, and gave his face a very singular appearance. In repose\, his countenance was severe in its expression\; but when engaged in agreeable conversation\ , the thin sarcastic-looking lips would part\, displaying a set of dazzlin gly white teeth\, and the small black eyes would sparkle with animation. T he neatness and care with which he was dressed added to the attractiveness of his appearance. His linen was the perfection of whiteness\, and his sn owy vest lost nothing by its contact therewith. A long black frock coat\, black pants\, and highly-polished boots\, completed his attire.\n\n\"I hop e\,\" said he\, \"your house suits you\; it is one of my own\, and has nev er been rented except for a short time to a careful tenant\, who was waiti ng for his own house to be finished. I think you will find it comfortable. \"\n\n\"Oh\, perfectly so\, I am quite sure. I must thank you for the prom pt manner in which you have arranged everything for us. It seems more like coming to an old home than to a new residence\,\" replied Mr. Garie.\n\n\ "I am delighted to hear you say so\,\" said Mr. Walters. \"I shall be most happy to call and pay my respects to Mrs. Garie when agreeable to her. De pend upon it\, we will do all in our power to make our quiet city pleasant to you both.\"\n\nMr. Garie thanked him\, and after some further conversa tion\, rose to depart.\n\nAs he was leaving the room\, he stopped before t he picture which had so engaged his attention\, when Mr. Walters entered.\ n\n\"So you\, too\, are attracted by that picture\,\" said Mr. Walters\, w ith a smile. \"All white men look at it with interest. A black man in the uniform of a general officer is something so unusual that they cannot pass it with a glance.\" \"It is\, indeed\, rather a novelty\,\" replied Mr. G arie\, \"particularly to a person from my part of the country. Who is it?\ "\n\n\"That is Toussaint l'Ouverture\,\" replied Mr. Walters\; \"and I hav e every reason to believe it to be a correct likeness. It was presented to an American merchant by Toussaint himself—a present in return for some kindness shown him. This merchant's son\, not having the regard for the pi cture that his father entertained for it\, sold it to me. That\,\" continu ed Mr. Walters\, \"looks like a man of intelligence. It is entirely differ ent from any likeness I ever saw of him. The portraits generally represent him as a monkey-faced person\, with a handkerchief about his head.\"\n\n\ "This\,\" said Mr. Garie\, \"gives me an idea of the man that accords with his actions.\"\n\nThus speaking\, he continued looking at the picture for a short time\, and then took his departure\, after requesting Mr. Walters to call upon him at an early opportunity.\n\nCHAPTER XII.\nMr. Garie's Ne ighbour.\n\nWe must now introduce our readers into the back parlour of the house belonging to Mr. Garie's next-door neighbour\, Mr. Thomas Stevens.\ n\nWe find this gentleman standing at a window that overlooked his garden\ , enjoying a fragrant Havannah. His appearance was not by any means prepos sessing\; he was rather above than below the middle height\, with round sh oulders\, and long\, thin arms\, finished off by disagreeable-looking hand s. His head was bald on the top\, and the thin greyish-red hair\, that gre w more thickly about his ears\, was coaxed up to that quarter\, where an a ttempt had been made to effect such a union between the cords of the hair from each side as should cover the place in question.\n\nThe object\, howe ver\, remained unaccomplished\; as the hair was either very obstinate and would not be induced to lie as desired\, or from extreme modesty objected to such an elevated position\, and\, in consequence\, stopped half-way\, a s if undecided whether to lie flat or remain erect\, producing the effect that would have been presented had he been decorated with a pair of horns. His baldness might have given an air of benevolence to his face\, but for the shaggy eyebrows that over-shadowed his cunning-looking grey eyes. His cheekbones were high\, and the cadaverous skin was so tightly drawn acros s them\, as to give it a very parchment-like appearance. Around his thin c ompressed lips there was a continual nervous twitching\, that added greatl y to the sinister aspect of his face.\n\nOn the whole\, he was a person fr om whom you would instinctively shrink\; and had he been president or dire ctor of a bank in which you had money deposited\, his general aspect would not have given you additional confidence in the stable character or just administration of its affairs.\n\nMr. George Stevens was a pettifogging at torney\, who derived a tolerable income from a rather disreputable legal p ractice picked up among the courts that held their sessions in the various halls of the State-house. He was known in the profession as Slippery Geor ge\, from the easy manner in which he glided out of scrapes that would hav e been fatal to the reputation of any other lawyer. Did a man break into a house\, and escape without being actually caught on the spot with the goo ds in his possession\, Stevens was always able to prove an alibi by a long array of witnesses. In fact\, he was considered by the swell gentry of th e city as their especial friend and protector\, and by the members of the bar generally as anything but an ornament to the profession.\n\nHe had had rather a fatiguing day's labour\, and on the evening of which we write\, was indulging in his usual cigar\, and amusing himself at the same time by observing the gambols of Clarence and little Em\, who were enjoying a rom p in their father's garden.\n\n\"Come here\, Jule\,\" said he\, \"and look at our new neighbour's children—rather pretty\, ain't they?\"\n\nHe was joined by a diminutive red-faced woman\, with hair and eyes very much lik e his own\, and a face that wore a peevish\, pinched expression.\n\n\"Rath er good-looking\,\" she replied\, after observing them for a few minutes\, and then added\, \"Have you seen their parents?\"\n\n\"No\, not yet\,\" w as the reply. \"I met Walters in the street this morning\, who informed me they are from the South\, and very rich\; we must try and cultivate the m—ask the children in to play with ours\, and strike up an intimacy in t hat way\, the rest will follow naturally\, you know. By the way\, Jule\,\" continued he\, \"how I hate that nigger Walters\, with his grand airs. I wanted some money of him the other day on rather ticklish securities for a client of mine\, and the black wretch kept me standing in his hall for at least five minutes\, and then refused me\, with some not very complimenta ry remarks upon my assurance in offering him such securities. It made me s o mad I could have choked him—it is bad enough to be treated with hauteu r by a white man\, but contempt from a nigger is almost unendurable.\"\n\n \"Why didn't you resent it in some way? I never would have submitted to an ything of the kind from him\,\" interrupted Mrs. Stevens.\n\n\"Oh\, I don' t dare to just now\; I have to be as mild as milk with him. You forget abo ut the mortgage\; don't you know he has me in a tight place there\, and I don't see how to get out of it either. If I am called Slippery George\, I tell you what\, Jule\, there's not a better man of business in the whole o f Philadelphia than that same Walters\, nigger as he is\; and no one offen ds him without paying dear for it in some way or other. I'll tell you some thing he did last week. He went up to Trenton on business\, and at the hot el they refused to give him dinner because of his colour\, and told him th ey did not permit niggers to eat at their tables. What does he do but buy the house over the landlord's head. The lease had just expired\, and the l andlord was anxious to negotiate another\; he was also making some arrange ments with his creditors\, which could not be effected unless he was enabl ed to renew the lease of the premises he occupied. On learning that the ho use had been sold\, he came down to the city to negotiate with the new own er\, and to his astonishment found him to be the very man he had refused a meal to the week before. Blunt happened to be in Walters's office at the time the fellow called. Walters\, he says\, drew himself up to his full he ight\, and looked like an ebony statue.\n\n\"Sir\,\" said he\, \"I came to your house and asked for a meal\, for which I was able to pay\; you not o nly refused it to me\, but heaped upon me words such as fall only from the lips of blackguards. You refuse to have me in your house—I object to ha ve you in mine: you will\, therefore\, quit the premises immediately.\" Th e fellow sneaked out quite crestfallen\, and his creditors have broken him up completely.\n\n\"I tell you what\, Jule\, if I was a black\,\" continu ed he\, \"living in a country like this\, I'd sacrifice conscience and eve rything else to the acquisition of wealth.\"\n\nAs he concluded\, he turne d from the window and sat down by a small table\, upon which a lighted lam p had been placed\, and where a few law papers were awaiting a perusal.\n\ nA little boy and girl were sitting opposite to him. The boy was playing w ith a small fly-trap\, wherein he had already imprisoned a vast number of buzzing sufferers. In appearance he bore a close resemblance to his father \; he had the same red hair and sallow complexion\, but his grey eyes had a dull leaden hue.\n\n\"Do let them go\, George\, do!\" said the little gi rl\, in a pleading tone.\n\"You'll kill them\, shut up there.\"\n\n\"I don 't care if I do\,\" replied he\, doggedly\; \"I can catch more—look here \;\" and as he spoke he permitted a few of the imprisoned insects to creep partly out\, and then brought the lid down upon them with a force that co mpletely demolished them.\n\nThe little girl shuddered at this wanton exhi bition of cruelty\, and offered him a paper of candy if he would liberate his prisoners\, which he did rather reluctantly\, but promising himself to replenish the box at the first opportunity.\n\n\"Ah!\" said he\, in a ton e of exultation\, \"father took me with him to the jail to-day\, and I saw all the people locked up. I mean to be a jailer some of these days. Would n't you like to keep a jail\, Liz?\" continued he\, his leaden eyes receiv ing a slight accession of brightness at the idea.\n\n\"Oh\, no!\" replied she\; \"I would let all the people go\, if I kept the jail.\"\n\nA more co mplete contrast than this little girl presented to her parents and brother \, cannot be imagined. She had very dark chestnut hair\, and mild blue eye s\, and a round\, full face\, which\, in expression\, was sweetness itself . She was about six years old\, and her brother's junior by an equal numbe r of years.\n\nHer mother loved her\, but thought her tame and spiritless in her disposition\; and her father cherished as much affection for her as he was capable of feeling for any one but himself.\n\nMrs. Stevens\, howe ver\, doted on their eldest hope\, who was as disagreeable as a thoroughly spoiled and naturally evil-disposed boy could be.\n\nAs the evenings had now become quite warm\, Mr. Garie frequently took a chair and enjoyed his evening cigar upon the door-step of his house\; and as Mr. Stevens thought his steps equally suited to this purpose\, it was very natural he should resort there with the same object.\n\nMr. Stevens found no difficulty in f requently bringing about short neighbourly conversations with Mr. Garie. T he little folk\, taking their cue from their parents\, soon became intimat e\, and ran in and out of each other's houses in the most familiar manner possible. Lizzy Stevens and little Em joined hearts immediately\, and thei r intimacy had already been cemented by frequent consultations on the vari ous ailments wherewith they supposed their dolls afflicted.\n\nClarence go t on only tolerably with George Stevens\; he entertained for him that defe rence that one boy always has for another who is his superior in any boyis h pastime\; but there was little affection lost between them—they cared very little for each other's society.\n\nMrs. Garie\, since her arrival\, had been much confined to her room\, in consequence of her protracted indi sposition. Mrs. Stevens had several times intimated to Mr. Garie her inten tion of paying his wife a visit\; but never having received any very decid ed encouragement\, she had not pressed the matter\, though her curiosity w as aroused\, and she was desirous of seeing what kind of person Mrs. Garie could be.\n\nHer son George in his visits had never been permitted farthe r than the front parlour\; and all the information that could be drawn fro m little Lizzy\, who was frequently in Mrs. Garie's bedroom\, was that \"s he was a pretty lady\, with great large eyes.\" One evening\, when Mr. Gar ie was occupying his accustomed seat\, he was accosted from the other side by Mrs. Stevens\, who\, as usual\, was very particular in her inquiries a fter the state of his wife's health\; and on learning that she was so much improved as to be down-stairs\, suggested that\, perhaps\, she would be w illing to receive her.\n\n\"No doubt she will\,\" rejoined Mr. Garie\; and he immediately entered the house to announce the intended visit. The lamp s were not lighted when Mrs. Stevens was introduced\, and faces could not\ , therefore\, be clearly distinguished.\n\n\"My dear\,\" said Mr. Garie\, \"this is our neighbour\, Mrs. Stevens.\"\n\n\"Will you excuse me for not rising?\" said Mrs. Garie\, extending her hand to her visitor. \"I have be en quite ill\, or I should have been most happy to have received you befor e. My little folks are in your house a great deal—I hope you do not find them troublesome.\"\n\n\"Oh\, by no means! I quite dote on your little Em ily\, she is such a sweet child—so very affectionate. It is a great comf ort to have such a child near for my own to associate with—they have got quite intimate\, as I hope we soon shall be.\"\n\nMrs. Garie thanked her for the kindness implied in the wish\, and said she trusted they should be so.\n\n\"And how do you like your house?\" asked Mrs. Stevens\; \"it is o n the same plan as ours\, and we find ours very convenient. They both form erly belonged to Walters\; my husband purchased of him. Do you intend to b uy?\"\n\n\"It is very probable we shall\, if we continue to like Philadelp hia\,\" answered Mr. Garie.\n\n\"I'm delighted to hear that\,\" rejoined s he—\"very glad\, indeed. It quite relieves my mind about one thing: ever since Mr. Stevens purchased our house we have been tormented with the sus picion that Walters would put a family of niggers in this\; and if there i s one thing in this world I detest more than another\, it is coloured peop le\, I think.\"\n\nMr. Garie here interrupted her by making some remark qu ite foreign to the subject\, with the intention\, no doubt\, of drawing he r off this topic. The attempt was\, however\, an utter failure\, for she c ontinued—\"I think all those that are not slaves ought to be sent out of the country back to Africa\, where they belong: they are\, without except ion\, the most ignorant\, idle\, miserable set I ever saw.\"\n\n\"I think\ ,\" said Mr. Garie\, \"I can show you at least one exception\, and that to o without much trouble. Sarah\,\" he cried\, \"bring me a light.\"\n\n\"Oh \,\" said Mrs. Stevens\, \"I suppose you refer to Walters—it is true he is an exception\; but he is the only coloured person I ever saw that could make the least pretension to anything like refinement or respectability.\ n\n\"Let me show you another\,\" said Mr. Garie\, as he took the lamp from the servant and placed it upon the table near his wife.\n\nAs the light f ell on her face\, their visitor saw that she belonged to the very class th at she had been abusing in such unmeasured terms and so petrified was she with confusion at the faux pas she had committed\, that she was entirely u nable to improvise the slightest apology.\n\nMrs. Garie\, who had been rec lining on the lounge\, partially raised herself and gave Mrs. Stevens a wi thering look. \"I presume\, madam\,\" said she\, in a hurried and agitated tone\, \"that you are very ignorant of the people upon whom you have just been heaping such unmerited abuse\, and therefore I shall not think so ha rdly of you as I should\, did I deem your language dictated by pure hatred \; but\, be its origin what it may\, it is quite evident that our farther acquaintance could be productive of no pleasure to either of us—you will \, therefore\, permit me\,\" continued she\, rising with great dignity\, \ "to wish you good evening\;\" and thus speaking\, she left the room.\n\nMr s. Stevens was completely demolished by this unexpected denouement of her long-meditated visit\, and could only feebly remark to Mr. Garie that it w as getting late\, and she would go\; and rising\, she suffered herself to be politely bowed out of the house. In her intense anxiety to relate to he r husband the scene which had just occurred\, she could not take time to g o round and through the gate\, but leaped lightly over the low fence that divided the gardens\, and rushed precipitately into the presence of her hu sband.\n\n\"Good heavens! George\, what do you think?\" she exclaimed\; \" I've had such a surprise!\"\n\n\"I should think that you had\, judging fro m appearances\,\" replied he. \"Why\, your eyes are almost starting out of your head! What on earth has happened?\" he asked\, as he took the shade off the lamp to get a better view of his amiable partner.\n\n\"You would n ot guess in a year\,\" she rejoined\; \"I never would have dreamed it—I never was so struck in my life!\"\n\n\"Struck with what? Do talk sensibly\ , Jule\, and say what all this is about\,\" interrupted her husband\, in a n impatient manner. \"Come\, out with it—what has happened?\"\n\n\"Why\, would you have thought it\,\" said she\; \"Mrs. Garie is a nigger woman —a real nigger—she would be known as such anywhere?\"\n\nIt was now Mr . Stevens's turn to be surprised. \"Why\, Jule\,\" he exclaimed\, \"you as tonish me! Come\, now\, you're joking—you don't mean a real black nigger ?\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, not jet black—but she's dark enough. She is as dark a s that Sarah we employed as cook some time ago.\"\n\n\"You don't say so! W onders will never cease—and he such a gentleman\, too!\" resumed her hus band.\n\n\"Yes\; and it's completely sickening\,\" continued Mrs. Stevens\ , \"to see them together\; he calls her my dear\, and is as tender and aff ectionate to her as if she was a Circassian—and she nothing but a nigg er—faugh! it's disgusting.\"\n\nLittle Clarence had been standing near\, unnoticed by either of them during this conversation\, and they were ther efore greatly surprised when he exclaimed\, with a burst of tears\, \"My m other is not a nigger any more than you are! How dare you call her such a bad name? I'll tell my father!\"\n\nMr. Stevens gave a low whistle\, and l ooking at his wife\, pointed to the door. Mrs. Stevens laid her hand on th e shoulder of Clarence\, and led him to the door\, saying\, as she did so\ , \"Don't come in here any more—I don't wish you to come into my house\; \" and then closing it\, returned to her husband.\n\n\"You know\, George\, \" said she\, \"that I went in to pay her a short visit. I hadn't the remo test idea that she was a coloured woman\, and I commenced giving my opinio n respecting niggers very freely\, when suddenly her husband called for a light\, and I then saw to whom I had been talking. You may imagine my asto nishment—I was completely dumb—and it would have done you good to have seen the air with which she left the room\, after as good as telling me t o leave the house.\"\n\n\"Well\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, \"this is what may b e safely termed an unexpected event. But\, Jule\,\" he continued\, \"you h ad better pack these young folks off to bed\, and then you can tell me the rest of it.\"\n\nClarence stood for some time on the steps of the house f rom which he had been so unkindly ejected\, with his little heart swelling with indignation. He had often heard the term nigger used in its reproach ful sense\, but never before had it been applied to him or his\, at least in his presence. It was the first blow the child received from the prejudi ce whose relentless hand was destined to crush him in after-years.\n\nIt w as his custom\, when any little grief pressed upon his childish heart\, to go and pour out his troubles on the breast of his mother\; but he instinc tively shrunk from confiding this to her\; for\, child as he was\, he knew it would make her very unhappy. He therefore gently stole into the house\ , crept quietly up to his room\, lay down\, and sobbed himself to sleep.\n \nCHAPTER XIII.\nHopes consummated.\n\nTo Emily Winston we have always acc orded the title of Mrs. Garie\; whilst\, in reality\, she had no legal cla im to it whatever.\n\nPrevious to their emigration from Georgia\, Mr. Gari e had\, on one or two occasions\, attempted\, but without success\, to mak e her legally his wife.\n\nHe ascertained that\, even if he could have fou nd a clergyman willing to expose himself to persecution by marrying them\, the ceremony itself would have no legal weight\, as a marriage between a white and a mulatto was not recognized as valid by the laws of the state\; and he had\, therefore\, been compelled to dismiss the matter from his mi nd\, until an opportunity should offer for the accomplishment of their wis hes.\n\nNow\, however\, that they had removed to the north\, where they wo uld have no legal difficulties to encounter\, he determined to put his for mer intention into execution. Although Emily had always maintained a studi ed silence on the subject\, he knew that it was the darling wish of her he art to be legally united to him\; so he unhesitatingly proceeded to arrang e matters for the consummation of what he felt assured would promote the h appiness of both. He therefore wrote to Dr. Blackly\, a distinguished cler gyman of the city\, requesting him to perform the ceremony\, and received from him an assurance that he would be present at the appointed time.\n\nM atters having progressed thus far\, he thought it time to inform Emily of what he had done. On the evening succeeding the receipt of an answer from the Rev. Dr. Blackly—after the children had been sent to bed—he called her to him\, and\, taking her hand\, sat down beside her on the sofa.\n\n \"Emily\,\" said he\, as he drew her closer to him\, \"my dear\, faithful Emily! I am about to do you an act of justice—one\, too\, that I feel wi ll increase the happiness of us both. I am going to marry you\, my darling ! I am about to give you a lawful claim to what you have already won by yo ur faithfulness and devotion. You know I tried\, more than once\, whilst i n the south\, to accomplish this\, but\, owing to the cruel and unjust law s existing there\, I was unsuccessful. But now\, love\, no such difficulty exists\; and here\,\" continued he\, \"is an answer to the note I have wr itten to Dr. Blackly\, asking him to come next Wednesday night\, and perfo rm the ceremony.—You are willing\, are you not\, Emily?\" he asked.\n\n\ "Willing!\" she exclaimed\, in a voice tremulous with emotion—\"willing! Oh\, God! if you only knew how I have longed for it! It has been my earne st desire for years!\" and\, bursting into tears\, she leaned\, sobbing\, on his shoulder.\n\nAfter a few moments she raised her head\, and\, lookin g searchingly in his face\, she asked: \"But do you do this after full ref lection on the consequences to ensue? Are you willing to sustain all the o dium\, to endure all the contumely\, to which your acknowledged union with one of my unfortunate race will subject you? Clarence! it will be a sever e trial—a greater one than any you have yet endured for me—and one for which I fear my love will prove but a poor recompense! I have thought mor e of these things lately\; I am older now in years and experience. There w as a time when I was vain enough to think that my affection was all that w as necessary for your happiness\; but men\, I know\, require more to fill their cup of content than the undivided affection of a woman\, no matter h ow fervently beloved. You have talents\, and\, I have sometimes thought\, ambition. Oh\, Clarence! how it would grieve me\, in after-years\, to know that you regretted that for me you had sacrificed all those views and hop es that are cherished by the generality of your sex! Have you weighed it w ell?\"\n\n\"Yes\, Emily—well\,\" replied Mr. Garie\; \"and you know the conclusion. My past should be a guarantee for the future. I had the world before me\, and chose you—and with\, you I am contented to share my lot\ ; and feel that I receive\, in your affection\, a full reward for any of t he so-called sacrifices I may make. So\, dry your tears\, my dear\,\" conc luded he\, \"and let us hope for nothing but an increase of happiness as t he result.\"\n\nAfter a few moments of silence\, he resumed: \"It will be necessary\, Emily\, to have a couple of witnesses. Now\, whom would you pr efer? I would suggest Mrs. Ellis and her husband. They are old friends\, a nd persons on whose prudence we can rely. It would not do to have the matt er talked about\, as it would expose us to disagreeable comments.\"\n\nMrs . Garie agreed perfectly with him as to the selection of Mr. and Mrs. Elli s\; and immediately despatched a note to Mrs. Ellis\, asking her to call a t their house on the morrow.\n\nWhen she came\, Emily informed her\, with some confusion of manner\, of the intended marriage\, and asked her attend ance as witness\, at the same time informing her of the high opinion her h usband entertained of their prudence in any future discussion of the matte r.\n\n\"I am really glad he is going to marry you\, Emily\,\" replied Mrs. Ellis\, \"and depend upon it we will do all in our power to aid it. Only yesterday\, that inquisitive Mrs. Tiddy was at our house\, and\, in conver sation respecting you\, asked if I knew you to be married to Mr. Garie. I turned the conversation somehow\, without giving her a direct answer. Mr. Garie\, I must say\, does act nobly towards you. He must love you\, Emily\ , for not one white man in a thousand would make such a sacrifice for a co loured woman. You can't tell how we all like him—he is so amiable\, so k ind in his manner\, and makes everyone so much at ease in his company. It' s real good in him\, I declare\, and I shall begin to have some faith in w hite folks\, after all.—Wednesday night\,\" continued she\; \"very wel l—we shall be here\, if the Lord spare us\;\" and\, kissing Emily\, she hurried off\, to impart the joyful intelligence to her husband.\n\nThe anx iously looked for Wednesday evening at last arrived\, and Emily arrayed he rself in a plain white dress for the occasion. Her long black hair had bee n arranged in ringlets by Mrs. Ellis\, who stood by\, gazing admiringly at her.\n\n\"How sweet you look\, Emily—you only want a wreath of orange b lossoms to complete your appearance. Don't you feel a little nervous?\" as ked her friend.\n\n\"A little excited\,\" she answered\, and her hand shoo k as she put back one of the curls that had fallen across her face. Just t hen a loud ringing at the door announced the arrival of Dr. Blackly\, who was shown into the front parlour.\n\nEmily and Mrs. Ellis came down into t he room where Mr. Garie was waiting for them\, whilst Mr. Ellis brought in Dr. Blackly. The reverend gentleman gazed with some surprise at the party assembled. Mr. Garie was so thoroughly Saxon in appearance\, that no one could doubt to what race he belonged\, and it was equally evident that Emi ly\, Mrs. Ellis\, and her husband\, were coloured persons.\n\nDr. Blackly looked from one to the other with evident embarrassment\, and then said to Mr. Garie\, in a low\, hesitating tone:—\n\n\"I think there has been so me mistake here—will you do me the favour to step into another room?\"\n \nMr. Garie mechanically complied\, and stood waiting to learn the cause o f\nDr. Blackly's strange conduct.\n\n\"You are a white man\, I believe?\" at last stammered forth the doctor.\n\n\"Yes\, sir\; I presume my appearan ce is a sufficient guarantee of that\,\" answered Mr. Garie.\n\n\"Oh yes\, I do not doubt it\, and for that reason you must not be surprised if I de cline to proceed with the ceremony.\"\n\n\"I do not see how my being a whi te man can act as a barrier to its performance\,\" remarked Mr. Garie in r eply. \"It would not\, sir\, if all the parties were of one complexion\; b ut I do not believe in the propriety of amalgamation\, and on no considera tion could I be induced to assist in the union of a white man or woman wit h a person who has the slightest infusion of African blood in their veins. I believe the negro race\,\" he continued\, \"to be marked out by the han d of God for servitude\; and you must pardon me if I express my surprise t hat a gentleman of your evident intelligence should seek such a connection —you must be labouring under some horrible infatuation.\"\n\n\"Enough\, sir\,\" replied Mr. Garie\, proudly\; \"I only regret that I did not know it was necessary to relate every circumstance of appearance\, complexion\, &\;c. I wished to obtain a marriage certificate\, not a passport. I mi stook you for a Christian minister\, which mistake you will please to cons ider as my apology for having troubled you\;\" and thus speaking\, he bowe d Dr. Blackly out of the house. Mr. Garie stepped back to the door of the parlour and called out Mr. Ellis.\n\n\"We are placed in a very difficult d ilemma\,\" said he\, as he was joined by the latter. \"Would you believe i t? that prejudiced old sinner has actually refused to marry us.\"\n\n\"It is no more than you might have expected of him—he's a thorough nigger-ha ter—keeps a pew behind the organ of his church for coloured people\, and will not permit them to receive the sacrament until all the white members of his congregation are served. Why\, I don't see what on earth induced y ou to send for him.\"\n\n\"I knew nothing of his sentiments respecting col oured people. I did not for a moment have an idea that he would hesitate t o marry us. There is no law here that forbids it. What can we do?\" said M r. Garie\, despairingly.\n\n\"I know a minister who will marry you with pl easure\, if I can only catch him at home\; he is so much engaged in visiti ng the sick and other pastoral duties.\"\n\n\"Do go—hunt him up\, Ellis. It will be a great favour to me\, if you can induce him to come. Poor Emi ly—what a disappointment this will be to her\,\" said he\, as he entered the room where she was sitting.\n\n\"What is the matter\, dear?\" she ask ed\, as she observed Garie's anxious face. \"I hope there is no new diffic ulty.\"\n\nMr. Garie briefly explained what had just occurred\, and inform ed her\, in addition\, of Mr. Ellis having gone to see if he could get Fat her Banks\, as the venerable old minister was called.\n\n\"It seems\, dear \,\" said she\, despondingly\, \"as if Providence looked unfavourably on o ur design\; for every time you have attempted it\, we have been in some wa y thwarted\;\" and the tears chased one another down her face\, which had grown pale in the excitement of the moment.\n\n\"Oh\, don't grieve about i t\, dear\; it is only a temporary disappointment. I can't think all the cl ergymen in the city are like Dr. Blackly. Some one amongst them will certa inly oblige us. We won't despair\; at least not until Ellis comes back.\"\ n\nThey had not very long to wait\; for soon after this conversation foots teps were heard in the garden\, and Mr. Ellis entered\, followed by the cl ergyman.\n\nIn a very short space of time they were united by Father Banks \, who seemed much affected as he pronounced his blessing upon them.\n\n\" My children\,\" he said\, tremulously\, \"you are entering upon a path whi ch\, to the most favoured\, is full of disappointment\, care\, and anxieti es\; but to you who have come together under such peculiar circumstances\, in the face of so many difficulties\, and in direct opposition to the pre judices of society\, it will be fraught with more danger\, and open to mor e annoyances\, than if you were both of one race. But if men revile you\, revile not again\; bear it patiently for the sake of Him who has borne so much for you. God bless you\, my children\,\" said he\, and after shaking hands with them all\, he departed.\n\nMr. and Mrs. Ellis took their leave soon after\, and then Mrs. Garie stole upstairs alone into the room where the children were sleeping. It seemed to her that night that they were mor e beautiful than ever\, as they lay in their little beds quietly slumberin g. She knelt beside them\, and earnestly prayed their heavenly Father that the union which had just been consummated in the face of so many difficul ties might prove a boon to them all.\n\n\"Where have you been\, you runawa y?\" exclaimed her husband as she re-entered the parlour. \"You stayed awa y so long\, I began to have all sorts of frightful ideas—I thought of th e 'mistletoe hung in the castle hall\,' and of old oak chests\, and all ki nd of terrible things. I've been sitting here alone ever since the Ellises went: where have you been?\"\n\n\"Oh\, I've been upstairs looking at the children. Bless their young hearts! they looked so sweet and happy—and h ow they grow! Clarence is getting to be quite a little man\; don't you thi nk it time\, dear\, that he was sent to school? I have so much more to occ upy my mind here than I had in Georgia\, so many household duties to atten d to\, that I am unable to give that attention to his lessons which I feel is requisite. Besides\, being so much at home\, he has associated with th at wretched boy of the Stevens's\, and is growing rude and noisy\; don't y ou think he had better be sent to school?\"\n\n\"Oh yes\, Emily\, if you w ish it\,\" was Mr. Garie's reply. \"I will search out a school to-morrow\, or next day\;\" and taking out his watch\, he continued\, \"it is near tw elve o'clock—how the night has flown away—we must be off to bed. After the excitement of the evening\, and your exertions of to-day\, I fear tha t you will be indisposed to-morrow.\"\n\nClarence\, although over nine yea rs old\, was so backward in learning\, that they were obliged to send him to a small primary school which had recently been opened in the neighbourh ood\; and as it was one for children of both sexes\, it was deemed advisab le to send little Em with him.\n\n\"I do so dislike to have her go\,\" sai d her mother\, as her husband proposed that she should accompany Clarence\ ; \"she seems so small to be sent to school. I'm afraid she won't be happy .\"\n\n\"Oh! don't give yourself the least uneasiness about her not being happy there\, for a more cheerful set of little folks I never beheld. You would be astonished to see how exceedingly young some of them are.\"\n\n\" What kind of a person is the teacher?\" asked Mrs. Garie.\n\n\"Oh! she's a charming little creature\; the very embodiment of cheerfulness and good h umour. She has sparkling black eyes\, a round rosy face\, and can't be mor e than sixteen\, if she is that old. Had I had such a teacher when a boy\, I should have got on charmingly\; but mine was a cross old widow\, who wo re spectacles and took an amazing quantity of snuff\, and used to flog upo n the slightest pretence. I went into her presence with fear and trembling . I could never learn anything from her\, and that must be my excuse for m y present literary short-comings. But you need have no fear respecting Em getting on with Miss Jordan: I don't believe she could be unkind to any on e\, least of all to our little darling.\"\n\n\"Then you will take them dow n in the morning\,\" suggested Mrs. Garie\; \"but on no account leave Emil y unless she wishes to stay.\"\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\nCharlie at Warmouth.\n\nAf ter the departure of Mrs. Bird to visit her sick friend\, Betsey turned to Charlie and bid him follow her into the kitchen. \"I suppose you haven't been to breakfast\,\" said she\, in a patronizing manner\; \"if you haven' t\, you are just in time\, as we will be done ours in a little while\, and then you can have yours.\"\n\nCharlie silently followed her down into the kitchen\, where a man-servant and the younger maid were already at breakf ast\; the latter arose\, and was placing another plate upon the table\, wh en Betsey frowned and nodded disapprovingly to her. \"Let him wait\,\" whi spered she\; \"I'm not going to eat with niggers.\"\n\n\"Oh! he's such a n ice little fellow\,\" replied Eliza\, in an undertone\; \"let him eat with us.\"\n\nBetsey here suggested to Charlie that he had better go up to the maple chamber\, wash his face\, and take his things out of his trunk\, an d that when his breakfast was ready she would call him.\n\n\"What on earth can induce you to want to eat with a nigger?\" asked Betsey\, as soon as Charlie was out of hearing. \"I couldn't do it\; my victuals would turn on my stomach. I never ate at the same table with a nigger in my life.\"\n\n \"Nor I neither\,\" rejoined Eliza\; \"but I see no reason why I should no t. The child appears to have good manners\, he is neat and good-looking\, and because God has curled his hair more than he has ours\, and made his s kin a little darker than yours or mine\, that is no reason we should treat him as if he was not a human being.\" Alfred\, the gardener\, had set dow n his saucer and appeared very much astonished at this declaration of sent iment on the part of Eliza\, and sneeringly remarked\, \"You're an Aboliti onist\, I suppose.\"\n\n\"No\, I am not\,\" replied she\, reddening\; \"bu t I've been taught that God made all alike\; one no better than the other. You know the Bible says God is no respecter of persons.\"\n\n\"Well\, if it does\,\" rejoined Alfred\, with a stolid-look\, \"it don't say that man isn't to be either\, does it? When I see anything in my Bible that tells me I'm to eat and drink with niggers\, I'll do it\, and not before. I supp ose you think that all the slaves ought to be free\, and all the rest of t he darned stuff these Abolitionists are preaching. Now if you want to eat with the nigger\, you can\; nobody wants to hinder you. Perhaps he may mar ry you when he grows up—don't you think you had better set your cap at h im?\"\n\nEliza made no reply to this low taunt\, but ate her breakfast in silence.\n\n\"I don't see what Mrs. Bird brought him here for\; she says h e is sick\,—had a broken arm or something\; I can't imagine what use she intends to make of him\,\" remarked Betsey.\n\n\"I don't think she intend s him to be a servant here\, at any rate\,\" said Eliza\; \"or why should she have him put in the maple chamber\, when there are empty rooms enough in the garret?\"\n\n\"Well\, I guess I know what she brought him for\,\" i nterposed Alfred. \"I asked her before she went away to get a little boy t o help me do odd jobs\, now that Reuben is about to leave\; we shall want a boy to clean the boots\, run on errands\, drive up the cows\, and do oth er little chores.[*] I'm glad he's a black boy\; I can order him round mor e\, you know\, than if he was white\, and he won't get his back up half as often either. You may depend upon it\, that's what Mrs. Bird has brought him here for.\" The gardener\, having convinced himself that his view of t he matter was the correct one\, went into the garden for his day's labour\ , and two or three things that he had intended doing he left unfinished\, with the benevolent intention of setting Charlie at them the next morning. \n\n[Footnote *: A Yankeeism\, meaning little jobs about a farm.]\n\nCharl ie\, after bathing his face and arranging his hair\, looked from the windo w at the wide expanse of country spread out before him\, all bright and gl owing in the warm summer sunlight. Broad well-cultivated fields stretched away from the foot of the garden to the river beyond\, and the noise of th e waterfall\, which was but a short distance off\, was distinctly heard\, and the sparkling spray was clearly visible through the openings of the tr ees. \"What a beautiful place\,—what grand fields to run in\; an orchard \, too\, full of blossoming fruit-trees! Well\, this is nice\,\" exclaimed Charlie\, as his eye ran over the prospect\; but in the midst of his rapt ure came rushing back upon him the remembrance of the cavalier treatment h e had met with below-stairs\, and he said with a sigh\, as the tears spran g to his eyes\, \"But it is not home\, after all.\" Just at this moment he heard his name called by Betsey\, and he hastily descended into the kitch en. At one end of the partially-cleared table a clean plate and knife and fork had been placed\, and he was speedily helped to the remains of what t he servants had been eating.\n\n\"You mustn't be long\,\" said Betsey\, \" for to-day is ironing day\, and we want the table as soon as possible.\"\n \nThe food was plentiful and good\, but Charlie could not eat\; his heart was full and heavy\,—the child felt his degradation. \"Even the servants refuse to eat with me because I am coloured\,\" thought he. \"Oh! I wish I was at home!\"\n\n\"Why don't you eat?\" asked Betsey.\n\n\"I don't thin k I want any breakfast\; I'm not hungry\,\" was the reply.\n\n\"I hope you are not sulky\,\" she rejoined\; \"we don't like sulky boys here\; why do n't you eat?\" she repeated.\n\nThe sharp\, cold tones of her voice struck a chill into the child's heart\, and his lip quivered as he stammered som ething farther about not being hungry\; and he hurried away into the garde n\, where he calmed his feelings and allayed his home-sickness by a hearty burst of tears. After this was over\, he wandered through the garden and fields until dinner\; then\, by reading his book and by another walk\, he managed to get through the day.\n\nThe following morning\, as he was comin g down stairs\, he was met by Alfred\, who accosted him with\, \"Oh! you'r e up\, are you\; I was just going to call you.\" And looking at Charlie fr om head to foot\, he inquired\, \"Is that your best suit?\"\n\n\"No\, it's my worst\,\" replied Charlie. \"I have two suits better than this\;\" and thinking that Mrs. Bird had arrived\, he continued\, \"I'll put on my bes t if Mrs. Bird wants me.\"\n\n\"No\, she ain't home\,\" was the reply\; \" it's me that wants you\; come down here\; I've got a little job for you. T ake this\,\" said he\, handing him a dirty tow apron\, \"and tie it around your neck\; it will keep the blacking off your clothes\, you know. Now\,\ " continued he\, \"I want you to clean these boots\; these two pairs are M r. Tyndall's—them you need not be particular with\; but this pair is min e\, and I want 'em polished up high\,—now mind\, I tell you. I'm going t o wear a new pair of pants to meetin' to-morrow\, and I expect to cut a da sh\, so you'll do 'em up slick\, now won't you?\"\n\n\"I'll do my best\,\" said Charlie\, who\, although he did not dislike work\, could not relish the idea of cleaning the servants' boots. \"I'm afraid I shall find this a queer place\,\" thought he. \"I shall not like living here\, I know—wai t for my meals until the servants have finished\, and clean their boots in to the bargain. This is worse than being with Mrs. Thomas.\"\n\nCharlie\, however\, went at it with a will\, and was busily engaged in putting the f inishing touches on Alfred's boots\, when he heard his name called\, and o n looking up\, saw Mrs. Bird upon the piazza above. \"Why\, bless me! chil d\, what are you about?—whose boots are those\, and why are you cleaning them?\"\n\n\"Oh!\" he replied\, his face brightening up at the sight of M rs. Bird\, \"I'm so glad you're come\; those are Mr. Tyndall's boots\, and these\,\" he continued\, holding up the boots on which he was engaged\, \ "are the gardener's.\"\n\n\"And who\, pray\, instructed you to clean them? \"\n\n\"The gardener\,\" replied Charlie.\n\n\"He did\, did he?\" said Mrs . Bird\, indignantly. \"Very well\; now do you take off that apron and com e to me immediately\; before you do\, however\, tell Alfred I want him.\"\ n\nCharlie quickly divested himself of the tow apron\, and after having in formed the gardener that Mrs. Bird desired his presence in the parlour\, h e ran up there himself. Alfred came lumbering up stairs\, after giving his boots an unusual scraping and cleansing preparatory to entering upon that part of the premises which to him was generally forbidden ground.\n\n\"By whose direction did you set the child at that dirty work?\" asked Mrs.\nB ird\, after he had entered the room.\n\n\"I hadn't anybody's direction to set him to work\, but I thought you brought him here to do odd jobs. You k now\, ma'am\, I asked you some time ago to get a boy\, and I thought this was the one.\"\n\n\"And if he had been\, you would have taken a great libe rty in assigning him any duties without first consulting me. But he is not a servant here\, nor do I intend him to be such\; and let me inform you\, that instead of his cleaning your boots\, it will be your duty henceforth to clean his. Now\,\" continued she\, \"you know his position here\, let me see that you remember yours. You can go.\" This was said in so perempto ry a manner\, as to leave no room for discussion or rejoinder\, and Alfred \, with a chagrined look\, went muttering down stairs.\n\n\"Things have co me to a pretty pass\,\" grumbled he. \"I'm to wait on niggers\, black thei r boots\, and drive them out\, too\, I suppose. I'd leave at once if it wa sn't such a good situation. Drat the old picture—what has come over her I wonder—she'll be asking old Aunt Charity\, the black washerwoman to di ne with her next. She has either gone crazy or turned abolitionist\, I don 't know which\; something has happened to her\, that's certain.\"\n\n\"Now \, Charlie\,\" said Mrs. Bird\, as the door closed upon the crest-fallen g ardener\, \"go to your room and dress yourself nicely. After I've eaten my breakfast\, I am going to visit a friend\, and I want you to accompany me \; don't be long.\"\n\n\"Can't I eat mine first\, Mrs. Bird?\" he asked\, in reply.\n\n\"I thought you had had yours\, long ago\,\" rejoined she.\n\ n\"The others hadn't finished theirs when you called me\, and I don't get mine until they have done\,\" said Charlie.\n\n\"Until they have done\; ho w happens that?\" asked Mrs. Bird.\n\n\"I think they don't like to eat wit h me\, because I'm coloured\,\" was\nCharlie's hesitating reply.\n\n\"That is too much\,\" exclaimed Mrs. Bird\; \"if it were not so very ridiculous \, I should be angry. It remains for me\, then\,\" continued she\, \"to se t them an example. I've not eaten my breakfast yet—come\, sit down with me\, and we'll have it together.\"\n\nCharlie followed Mrs. Bird into the breakfast-room\, and took the seat pointed out by her. Eliza\, when she en tered with the tea-urn\, opened her eyes wide with astonishment at the sin gular spectacle she beheld. Her mistress sitting down to breakfast vis-a-v is to a little coloured boy! Depositing the urn upon the table\, she haste ned back to the kitchen to report upon the startling events that were occu rring in the breakfast-room.\n\n\"Well\, I never\,\" said she\; \"that bea ts anything I ever did see\; why\, Mrs. Bird must have turned abolitionist . Charlie is actually sitting at the same table with her\, eating his brea kfast as natural and unconcerned as if he was as white as snow! Wonders ne ver will cease. You see I'm right though. I said that child wasn't brought here for a servant—we've done it for ourselves now—only think how mad she'll be when she finds he was made to wait for his meals until we have done. I'm glad I wasn't the one who refused to eat with him.\"\n\n\"I gues s she has been giving Alfred a blowing up\,\" said Betsy\, \"for setting h im at boot cleaning\; for he looked like a thunder-cloud when he came down stairs\, and was muttering something about a consarned pet-nigger—he lo oked anything but pleased.\"\n\nWhilst the lower powers were discussing wh at they were pleased to regard as an evidence of some mental derangement o n the part of Mrs. Bird\, that lady was questioning Charlie respecting his studies\, and inquired if he would like to go to school in Warmouth.\n\n\ "After a while\, I think I should\,\" he replied\; \"but for a week I'd li ke to be free to run about the fields and go fishing\, and do lots of thin gs. This is such a pretty place\; and now that you have come I shall have nice times—I know I shall.\"\n\n\"You seem to have great confidence in m y ability to make you happy. How do you know that I am as kind as you seem to suppose?\" asked Mrs. Bird\, with a smile.\n\n\"I know you are\,\" ans wered Charlie\, confidently\; \"you speak so pleasantly to me. And do you know\, Mrs. Bird\,\" continued he\, \"that I liked you from the first day\ , when you praised me so kindly when I recited my lessons before you. Did you ever have any little boys of your own?\"\n\nA change immediately came over the countenance of Mrs. Bird\, as she replied: \"Oh\, yes\, Charlie\; a sweet\, good boy about your own age:\" and the tears stood in her eyes as she continued. \"He accompanied his father to England years ago—the s hip in which they sailed was never heard of—his name was Charlie too.\"\ n\n\"I didn't know that\, or I should not have asked\,\" said Charlie\, wi th some embarrassment of manner caused by the pain he saw he had inflicted . \"I am very sorry\,\" he continued.\n\nMrs. Bird motioned him to finish his breakfast\, and left the table without drinking the tea she had poured out for herself.\n\nThere were but one or two families of coloured people living in the small town of Warmouth\, and they of a very humble descript ion\; their faces were familiar to all the inhabitants\, and their appeara nce was in accordance with their humble condition. Therefore\, when Charli e made his debut\, in company with Mrs. Bird\, his dress and manners diffe red so greatly from what they were accustomed to associate with persons of his complexion\, that he created quite a sensation in the streets of the usually quiet and obscure little town.\n\nHe was attired with great neatne ss\; and not having an opportunity of playing marbles in his new suit\, it still maintained its spotless appearance. The fine grey broadcloth coat a nd pants fitted him to a nicety\, the jaunty cap was set slightly on one s ide of his head giving him\, a somewhat saucy look\, and the fresh colour now returning to his cheeks imparted to his face a much healthier appearan ce than it had worn for months.\n\nHe and his kind friend walked on togeth er for some time\, chatting about the various things that attracted their attention on the way\, until they reached a cottage in the garden of which a gentleman was busily engaged in training a rosebush upon a new trellis. \n\nSo completely was he occupied with his pursuit that he did not observe the entrance of visitors\, and quite started when he was gently tapped up on the shoulder by Mrs. Bird.\n\n\"How busy we are\,\" said she\, gaily\, at the same time extending her hand—\"so deeply engaged\, that we can sc arcely notice old friends that we have not seen for months.\"\n\n\"Indeed\ , this is a pleasant surprise\,\" he remarked\, when he saw by whom he had been interrupted. \"When did you arrive?\"\n\n\"Only this morning\; and\, as usual\, I have already found something with which to bore you—you kn ow\, Mr. Whately\, I always have something to trouble you about.\"\n\n\"Do n't say trouble\, my dear Mrs. Bird\; if you will say 'give me something t o occupy my time usefully and agreeably\,' you will come much nearer the m ark. But who is this you have with you?\"\n\n\"Oh\, a little protege of mi ne\, poor little fellow—he met with a sad accident recently—he broke h is arm\; and I have brought him down here to recruit. Charlie\, walk aroun d and look at the garden—I have a little matter of business to discuss w ith Mr. Whately\, and when we shall have finished I will call you.\"\n\nMr . Whately led the way into his library\, and placing a seat for Mrs. Bird\ , awaited her communication.\n\n\"You have great influence with the teache r of the academy\, I believe\,\" said she.\n\n\"A little\,\" replied Mr. W hately\, smiling.\n\n\"Not a little\,\" rejoined Mrs. Bird\, \"but a great deal\; and\, my dear Mr. Whately\, I want you to exercise it in my behalf . I wish to enter as a scholar that little boy I brought with me this morn ing.\"\n\n\"Impossible!\" said Mr. Whately. \"My good friend\, the boy is coloured!\"\n\n\"I am well aware of that\,\" continued Mrs. Bird\; \"if he were not there would not be the least trouble about his admission\; nor a m I sure there will be as it is\, if you espouse his cause. One who has be en such a benefactor to the academy as yourself\, could\, I suppose\, acco mplish anything.\"\n\n\"Yes\; but that is stretching my influence unduly. I would be willing to oblige you in almost anything else\, but I hesitate to attempt this. Why not send him to the public school?—they have a sepa rate bench for black children\; he can be taught there all that is necessa ry for him to know.\"\n\n\"He is far in advance of any of the scholars the re. I attended the examination of the school to which he was attached\,\" said Mrs. Bird\, \"and I was very much surprised at the acquirements of th e pupils\; this lad was distinguished above all the rest—he answered que stions that would have puzzled older heads\, with the greatest facility. I am exceedingly anxious to get him admitted to the academy\, as I am confi dent he will do honour to the interest I take in him.\"\n\n\"And a very wa rm interest it must be\, my dear Mrs. Bird\, to induce you to attempt plac ing him in such an expensive and exclusive school. I am very much afraid y ou will have to give it up: many of the scholars' parents\, I am sure\, wi ll object strenuously to the admission of a coloured boy as a scholar.\"\n \n\"Only tell me that you will propose him\, and I will risk the refusal\, \" replied Mrs. Bird—\"it can be tried at all events\; and if you will m ake the effort I shall be under deep obligations to you.\"\n\n\"Well\, Mrs . Bird\, let us grant him admitted—what benefit can accrue to the lad fr om an education beyond his station? He cannot enter into any of the learne d professions: both whilst he is there\, and after his education is finish ed\, he will be like a fish out of water. You must pardon me if I say I th ink\, in this case\, your benevolence misdirected. The boy's parents are p oor\, I presume?\"\n\n\"They certainly are not rich\,\" rejoined Mrs. Bird \; \"and it is for that reason I wish to do all that I can for him. If I c an keep him with me\, and give him a good education\, it may be greatly fo r his advantage\; there may be a great change in public sentiment before h e is a man—we cannot say what opening there may be for him in the future .\"\n\n\"Not unless it changes very much. I never knew prejudice more ramp ant than it is at this hour. To get the boy admitted as a right is totally out of the question: if he is received at all\, it will be as a special f avour\, and a favour which—I am sure it will require all my influence to obtain. I will set about it immediately\, and\, rely upon it\, I will do my best for your protege.\"\n\nSatisfied with the promise\, which was as m uch as Mrs. Bird had dared to hope for\, she called Charlie\, then shook h ands with Mr. Whately and departed.\n\nCHAPTER XV.\nMrs. Stevens gains a T riumph.\n\nThe Garies had now become thoroughly settled in Philadelphia\, and\, amongst the people of colour\, had obtained a very extensive and agr eeable acquaintance.\n\nAt the South Mr. Garie had never borne the reputat ion of an active person. Having an ample fortune and a thoroughly Southern distaste for labour\, he found it by no means inconvenient or unpleasant to have so much time at his disposal. His newspaper in the morning\, a goo d book\, a stroll upon the fashionable promenade\, and a ride at dusk\, en abled him to dispose of his time without being oppressed with ennui.\n\nIt was far happier for him that such was his disposition\, as his domestic r elations would have been the means of subjecting him to many unpleasant ci rcumstances\, from which his comparative retirement in a great measure scr eened him.\n\nOnce or twice since his settlement in the North his feelings had been ruffled\, by the sneering remarks of some of his former friends upon the singularity of his domestic position\; but his irritation had all fled before the smiles of content and happiness that beamed from the face s of his wife and children.\n\nMrs. Garie had nothing left to wish for\; s he was surrounded by every physical comfort and in the enjoyment of freque nt intercourse with intelligent and refined people\, and had been greatly attracted toward Esther Ellis with whom she had become very intimate.\n\nO ne morning in November\, these two were in the elegant little bed-room of Mrs. Garie\, where a fire had been kindled\, as the weather was growing ve ry chilly and disagreeable. \"It begins to look quite like autumn\,\" said Mrs. Garie\, rising and looking out of the window. \"The chrysanthemums a re drooping and withered\, and the dry leaves are whirling and skimming th rough the air. I wonder\,\" she continued\, \"if the children were well wr apped up this morning?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\; I met them at the corner\, on the ir way to school\, looking as warm and rosy as possible. What beautiful ch ildren they are! Little Em has completely won my heart\; it really seems a pity for her to be put on the shelf\, as she must be soon.\"\n\n\"How—w hat do you mean?\" asked Mrs. Garie.\n\n\"Oh\, this will explain\,\" archl y rejoined Esther\, as she held up to view one of the tiny lace trimmed fr ocks that she was making in anticipation of the event that has been previo usly hinted.\n\nMrs. Garie laughed\, and turned to look out of the window again.\n\n\"Do you know I found little Lizzy Stevens\, your neighbour's da ughter\, shivering upon the steps in a neighbouring street\, fairly blue w ith cold? She was waiting there for Clarence and Em. I endeavoured to pers uade her to go on without them\, but she would not. From what I could unde rstand\, she waits for them there every day.\"\n\n\"Her mother cannot be a ware of it\, then\; for she has forbidden her children to associate with m ine\,\" rejoined Mrs. Garie. \"I wonder she permits her little girl to go to the same school. I don't think she knows it\, or it is very likely she would take her away.\"\n\n\"Has she ever spoken to you since the night of her visit?\" asked Esther.\n\n\"Never! I have seen her a great many times since\; she never speaks\, nor do I. There she goes now. That\,\" continue d Mrs. Garie\, with a smile\, \"is another illustration of the truthfulnes s of the old adage\, 'Talk of—well\, I won't say who\,—'and he is sure to appear.'\" And\, thus speaking\, she turned from the window\, and was soon deeply occupied in the important work of preparing for the expected l ittle stranger. Mrs. Garie was mistaken in her supposition that Mrs. Steve ns was unaware that Clarence and little Em attended the same school to whi ch her own little girl had been sent\; for the evening before the conversa tion we have just narrated\, she had been discussing the matter with her h usband.\n\n\"Here\,\" said she to him\, \"is Miss Jordan's bill for the la st quarter. I shall never pay her another\; I am going to remove Lizzy fro m that school.\"\n\n\"Remove her! what for? I thought I heard you say\, Ju le\, that the child got on excellently well there\,—that she improved ve ry fast?\"\n\n\"So she does\, as far as learning is concerned\; but she is sitting right next to one of those Garie children\, and that is an arrang ement I don't at all fancy. I don't relish the idea of my child attending the same school that niggers do\; so I've come to the determination to tak e her away.\"\n\n\"I should do no such thing\,\" coolly remarked Mr. Steve ns. \"I should compel the teacher to dismiss the Garies\, or I should brea k up her school. Those children have no right to be there whatever. I don' t care a straw how light their complexions are\, they are niggers neverthe less\, and ought to go to a nigger school\; they are no better than any ot her coloured children. I'll tell you what you can do\, Jule\,\" continued he: \"call on Mrs. Kinney\, the Roths\, and one or two others\, and induce them to say that if Miss Jordan won't dismiss the Garies that they will w ithdraw their children\; and you know if they do\, it will break up the sc hool entirely. If it was any other person's children but his\, I would win k at it\; but I want to give him a fall for his confounded haughtiness. Ju st try that plan\, Jule\, and you will be sure to succeed.\"\n\n\"I am not so certain about it\, Stevens. Miss Jordan\, I learn\, is very fond of th eir little Em. I must say I cannot wonder at it. She is the most loveable little creature I ever saw. I will say that\, if her mother is a nigger.\" \n\n\"Yes\, Jule\, all that may be\; but I know the world well enough to j udge that\, when she becomes fully assured that it will conflict with her interests to keep them\, she will give them up. She is too poor to be phil anthropic\, and\, I believe\, has sufficient good sense to know it.\"\n\n\ "Well\, I'll try your plan\,\" said Mrs. Stevens\; \"I will put matters in train to-morrow morning.\"\n\nEarly the next morning\, Mrs. Stevens might have been seen directing her steps to the house of Mrs. Kinney\, with who m she was very intimate. She reached it just as that lady was departing to preside at a meeting of a female missionary society for evangelizing the Patagonians.\n\n\"I suppose you have come to accompany me to the meeting\, \" said she to Mrs.\nStevens\, as soon as they had exchanged the usual cou rtesies.\n\n\"Oh\, dear\, no\; I wish I was\,\" she replied. \"I've got a troublesome little matter on my hands\; and last night my husband suggeste d my coming to ask your advice respecting it. George has such a high opini on of your judgment\, that he would insist on my troubling you.\"\n\nMrs. Kinney smiled\, and looked gratified at this tribute to her importance.\n\ n\"And moreover\,\" continued Mrs. Stevens\, \"it's a matter in which your interest\, as well as our own\, is concerned.\"\n\nMrs. Kinney now began to look quite interested\, and\, untying the strings of her bonnet\, excla imed\, \"Dear me\, what can it be?\"\n\n\"Knowing\,\" said Mrs. Stevens\, \"that you entertain just the same sentiments that we do relative to assoc iating with coloured people\, I thought I would call and ask if you were a ware that Miss Jordan receives coloured as well as white children in her s chool.\"\n\n\"Why\, no! My dear Mrs. Stevens\, you astound me. I hadn't th e remotest idea of such a thing. It is very strange my children never ment ioned it.\"\n\n\"Oh\, children are so taken up with their play\, they forg et such things\,\" rejoined Mrs. Stevens. \"Now\,\" continued she\, \"husb and said he was quite confident you would not permit your children to cont inue their attendance after this knowledge came to your ears. We both thou ght it would be a pity to break up the poor girl's school by withdrawing o ur children without first ascertaining if she would expel the little darki es. I knew\, if I could persuade you to let me use your name as well as ou rs\, and say that you will not permit your children to continue at her sch ool unless she consents to our wishes\, she\, knowing the influence you po ssess\, would\, I am sure\, accede to our demands immediately.\"\n\n\"Oh\, you are perfectly at liberty to use my name\, Mrs. Stevens\, and say all that you think necessary to effect your object. But do excuse me for hurry ing off\,\" she continued\, looking at her watch: \"I was to have been at the meeting at ten o'clock\, and it is now half-past. I hope you won't fai l to call\, and let me know how you succeed\;\" and\, with her heart overf lowing with tender care for the poor Patagonian\, Mrs. Kinney hastily depa rted.\n\n\"That's settled\,\" soliloquized Mrs. Stevens\, with an air of i ntense satisfaction\, as she descended the steps—\"her four children wou ld make a serious gap in the little school\; and now\, then\,\" continued she\, \"for the Roths.\"\n\nMrs. Stevens found not the slightest difficult y in persuading Mrs. Roth to allow her name to be used\, in connection wit h Mrs. Kinney's\, in the threat to withdraw their children if the little G aries were not immediately expelled. Mrs. Roth swore by Mrs. Kinney\, and the mere mention of that lady's name was sufficient to enlist her aid.\n\n Thus armed\, Mrs. Stevens lost no time in paying a visit to Miss Jordan's school. As she entered\, the busy hum of childish voices was somewhat stil led\; and Lizzy Stevens touched little Em\, who sat next her\, and whisper ed\, \"There is my mother.\"\n\nMrs. Stevens was welcomed very cordially b y Miss Jordan\, who offered her the seat of honour beside her.\n\n\"Your s chool seems quite flourishing\,\" she remarked\, after looking around the room\, \"and I really regret being obliged to make a gap in your interesti ng circle.\"\n\n\"I hope you don't intend to deprive me of your little gir l\,\" inquired Miss Jordan\; \"I should regret to part with her—not only because I am very fond of her\, but in consideration of her own interes t—she is coming on so rapidly.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I haven't the slightest fault to find with her progress. That\,\" said she\, \"is not the reason. I hav e another\, of much more weight. Of course\, every one is at liberty to do as they choose\; and we have no right to dictate to you what description of scholars you should receive\; but\, if they are not such\, as we think proper companions for our children\, you can't complain if we withdraw the m.\"\n\n\"I really do not understand you\, Mrs. Stevens\,\" said the teach er\, with an astonished look: \"I have none here but the children of the m ost respectable persons—they are all as well behaved as school children generally are.\"\n\n\"I did not allude to behaviour\; that\, for all that I know to the contrary\, is irreproachable\; it is not character that is i n question\, but colour. I don't like my daughter to associate with colour ed children.\"\n\n\"Coloured children!\" repeated the now thoroughly bewil dered teacher—\"coloured children! My dear madam\,\" continued she\, smi ling\, \"some one has been hoaxing you—I have no coloured pupils—I cou ld not be induced to receive one on any account.\"\n\n\"I am very glad to hear you say so\,\" rejoined Mrs. Stevens\, \"for that convinces me that m y fears were groundless. I was under the impression you had imbibed some o f those pestilent abolition sentiments coming into vogue. I see you are no t aware of it\, but you certainly have two coloured scholars\; and there\, \" said she\, pointing to Clarence\, \"is one of them.\"\n\nClarence\, who \, with his head bent over his book\, was sitting so near as to overhear a part of this conversation\, now looked up\, and found the cold\, malignan t\, grey eyes of Mrs. Stevens fastened on him. He looked at her for a mome nt—then apparently resumed his studies.\n\nThe poor boy had\, when she e ntered the room\, an instinctive knowledge that her visit boded no good to them. He was beginning to learn the anomalous situation he was to fill in society. He had detested Mrs. Stevens ever since the night she had ejecte d him so rudely from her house\, and since then had learned to some extent what was meant by the term nigger woman.\n\n\"You must certainly be misin formed\,\" responded Miss Jordan. \"I know their father—he has frequentl y been here. He is a Southerner\, a thorough gentleman in his manners\; an d\, if ever a man was white\, I am sure he is.\"\n\n\"Have you seen their mother?\" asked Mrs. Stevens\, significantly.\n\n\"No\, I never have\,\" r eplied Miss Jordan\; \"she is in poor health\; but she must unquestionably be a white woman—a glance at the children ought to convince you of that .\"\n\n\"It might\, if I had not seen her\, and did not know her to be a c oloured woman. You see\, my dear Miss Jordan\,\" continued she\, in her bl andest tone\, \"I am their next-door neighbour and have seen their mother twenty times and more\; she is a coloured woman beyond all doubt.\"\n\n\"I never could have dreamed of such a thing!\" exclaimed Miss Jordan\, as an anxious look overspread her face\; then\, after a pause\, she continued: \"I do not see what I am to do—it is really too unfortunate—I don't kn ow how to act. It seems unjust and unchristian to eject two such children from my school\, because their mother has the misfortune to have a few dro ps of African blood in her veins. I cannot make up my mind to do it. Why\, you yourself must admit that they are as white as any children in the roo m.\"\n\n\"I am willing to acknowledge they are\; but they have nigger bloo d in them\, notwithstanding\; and they are\, therefore\, as much niggers a s the blackest\, and have no more right to associate with white children t han if they were black as ink. I have no more liking for white niggers tha n for black ones.\"\n\nThe teacher was perplexed\, and\, turning to Mrs. S tevens\, said\, imploringly: \"This matter seems only known to you\; let m e appeal to your generosity—say nothing more about it. I will try to kee p your daughter away from them\, if you wish—but pray do not urge me to the performance of an act that I am conscious would be unjust.\"\n\nMrs. S tevens's face assumed a severe and disagreeable expression. \"I hoped you would look at this matter in a reasonable light\, and not compel those who would be your friends to appear in the light of enemies. If this matter w as known to me alone\, I should remove my daughter and say nothing more ab out it\; but\, unfortunately for you\, I find that\, by some means or othe r\, both Mrs. Kinney and Mrs. Roth have become informed of the circumstanc e\, and are determined to take their children away. I thought I would act a friend's part by you\, and try to prevail on you to dismiss these two co loured children at once. I so far relied upon your right judgment as to as sure them that you would not hesitate for a moment to comply with their wi shes\; and I candidly tell you\, that it was only by my so doing that they were prevented from keeping their children at home to-day.\"\n\nMiss Jord an looked aghast at this startling intelligence\; if Mrs. Roth and Mrs. Ki nney withdrew their patronage and influence\, her little school (the sole support of her mother and herself) would be well-nigh broken up.\n\nShe bu ried her face in her hands\, and sat in silence for a few seconds\; then l ooking at Mrs. Stevens\, with tearful eyes\, exclaimed\, \"God forgive me if it must be so\; nothing but the utter ruin that stares me in the face i f I refuse induces me to accede to your request.\"\n\n\"I am sorry that yo u distress yourself so much about it. You know you are your own mistress\, and can do as you choose\,\" said Mrs. Stevens\; \"but if you will be adv ised by me\, you will send them away at once.\"\n\n\"After school I will\, \" hesitatingly replied Miss Jordan.\n\n\"I hate to appear so pressing\,\" resumed Mrs. Stevens\; \"but I feel it my duty to suggest that you had be tter do it at once\, and before the rest of the scholars. I did not wish\, to inform you to what extent this thing had gone\; but it really has been talked of in many quarters\, and it is generally supposed that you are co gnisant of the fact that the Garies are coloured\; therefore you see the n ecessity of doing something at once to vindicate yourself from the reproac h of abolitionism.\"\n\nAt the pronunciation of this then terrible word in such connection with herself\, Miss Jordan turned quite pale\, and for a moment struggled to acquire sufficient control of her feelings to enable h er to do as Mrs. Stevens suggested\; at last\, bursting into tears\, she s aid\, \"Oh\, I cannot—will not—do it. I'll dismiss them\, but not in t hat unfeeling manner\; that I cannot do.\"\n\nThe children were now entire ly neglecting their lessons\, and seemed much affected by Miss Jordan's te ars\, of which they could not understand the cause. She observing this\, r ang the bell\, the usual signal for intermission.\n\nMrs. Stevens\, satisf ied with the triumph she had effected\, took leave of Miss Jordan\, after commending her for the sensible conclusion at which she had arrived\, and promising to procure her two more pupils in the room of those she was abou t to dismiss.\n\nMiss Jordan was a long time writing the note that she int ended sending to Mr. Garie\; and one of the elder girls returned to the sc hool-room\, wondering at the unusually long time that had been given for r ecreation.\n\n\"Tell Clarence and his sister to come here\,\" said she to the girl who had just entered\; and whilst they were on their way upstairs \, she folded the note\, and was directing it when Clarence entered.\n\n\" Clarence\,\" said she\, in a soft voice\, \"put on your hat\; I have a not e of some importance for you to take to your father—your father rememb er—don't give it to any one else.\" Taking out her watch\, she continued \, \"It is now so late that you would scarcely get back before the time fo r dismissal\, so you had better take little Emily home with you.\"\n\n\"I hope\, ma'am\, I haven't done anything wrong?\" asked Clarence.\n\n\"Oh\, no!\" quickly replied she\; \"you're a dear\, good boy\, and have never gi ven me a moment's pain since you came to the school.\" And she hurried out into the hall to avoid farther questioning.\n\nShe could not restrain the tears as she dressed little Em\, whose eyes were large with astonishment at being sent home from school at so early an hour.\n\n\"Teacher\, is scho ol out?\" asked she.\n\n\"No\, dear\, not quite\; I wanted to send a note to your pa\, and so I have let Clary go home sooner than usual\,\" replied Miss Jordan\, kissing her repeatedly\, whilst the tears were trickling do wn her cheek.\n\n\"Don't cry\, teacher\, I love you\,\" said the little bl ue-eyed angel\, whose lip began to quiver in sympathy\; \"don't cry\, I'll come back again to-morrow.\"\n\nThis was too much for the poor teacher\, who clasped the child in her arms\, and gave way to a burst of uncontrolla ble sorrow. At last\, conquering herself with an effort\, she led the chil dren down stairs\, kissed them both again\, and then opening the door she turned them forth into the street—turned away from her school these two little children\, such as God received into his arms and blessed\, because they were the children of a \"nigger woman.\"\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\nMr. Steven s makes a Discovery.\n\n\"Well\, Jule\, old Aunt Tabitha is gone at last\, and I am not at all sorry for it\, I assure you\; she's been a complete t ax upon me for the last eight years. I suppose you won't lament much\, nor yet go into mourning for her\,\" continued Mr. Stevens\, looking at her j ocularly.\n\n\"I'm not sorry\, that I admit\,\" rejoined Mrs. Stevens\; \" the poor old soul is better off\, no doubt\; but then there's no necessity to speak of the matter in such an off-hand manner.\"\n\n\"Now\, Jule\, I beg you won't attempt to put on the sanctified\; that's too much from you\ , who have been wishing her dead almost every day for the last eight years . Why\, don't you remember you wished her gone when she had a little money to leave\; and when she lost that\, you wished her off our hands because she had none. Don't pretend to be in the least depressed\; that won't do w ith me.\"\n\n\"Well\, never mind that\,\" said Mrs. Stevens\, a little con fused\; \"what has become of her things—her clothing\, and furniture?\"\ n\n\"I've ordered the furniture to be sold\; and all there is of it will n ot realize sufficient to pay her funeral expenses. Brixton wrote me that s he has left a bundle of letters directed to me\, and I desired him to send them on.\"\n\n\"I wonder what they can be\,\" said Mrs. Stevens.\n\n\"Som e trash\, I suppose\; an early love correspondence\, of but little value t o any one but herself. I do not expect that they will prove of any consequ ence whatever.\"\n\n\"Don't you think one or the other of us should go to the funeral?\" asked Mrs. Stevens. \"Nonsense. No! I have no money to expe nd in that way—it is as much as I can do to provide comfortably for the living\, without spending money to follow the dead\,\" replied he\; \"and besides\, I have a case coming on in the Criminal Court next week that wil l absorb all my attention.\"\n\n\"What kind of a case is it?\" she inquire d.\n\n\"A murder case. Some Irishmen were engaged in a row\, when one of t he party received a knock on his head that proved too much for him\, and d ied in consequence. My client was one of the contending parties\; and has been suspected\, from some imprudent expressions of his\, to have been the man who struck the fatal blow. His preliminary examination comes off to-m orrow or next day\, and I must be present as a matter of course.\"\n\nAt a n early hour of the morning succeeding this conversation\, Mr. Stevens mig ht have been seen in his dingy office\, seated at a rickety desk which was covered with various little bundles\, carefully tied with red tape. The r oom was gloomy and cheerless\, and had a mouldy disagreeable atmosphere. A fire burned in the coal stove\, which\, however\, seemed only to warm\, b ut did not dry the apartment\; and the windows were covered with a thin co ating of vapour.\n\nMr. Stevens was busily engaged in writing\, when heari ng footsteps behind him\, he turned and saw Mr. Egan\, a friend of his cli ent\, entering the room.\n\n\"Good morning\, Mr. Egan\,\" said he\, extend ing his hand\; \"how is our friend\nMcCloskey this morning?\"\n\n\"Oh\, it 's far down in the mouth he is\, be jabers—the life a'most scared out of him!\"\n\n\"Tell him to keep up a good heart and not to be frightened at trifles\,\" laughingly remarked Mr. Stevens.\n\n\"Can't your honour come a nd see him?\" asked Egan.\n\n\"I can't do that\; but I'll give you a note to Constable Berry\, and he will bring McCloskey in here as he takes him t o court\;\" and Mr. Stevens immediately wrote the note\, which Egan receiv ed and departed.\n\nAfter the lapse of a few hours\, McCloskey was brought by the accommodating constable to the office of Mr. Stevens. \"He'll be s afe with you\, I suppose\, Stevens\;\" said the constable\, \"but then the re is no harm in seeing for one's self that all's secure\;\" and thus spea king\, he raised the window and looked into the yard below. The height was too great for his prisoner to escape in that direction\; then satisfying himself that the other door only opened into a closet\, he retired\, locki ng Mr. Stevens and his client in the room.\n\nMr. Stevens arose as soon as the door closed behind the constable\, and stuffed a piece of damp sponge into the keyhole\; he then returned and took a seat by his client.\n\n\"N ow\, McCloskey\,\" said he\, in a low tone\, as he drew his chair closely in front of the prisoner\, and fixed his keen grey eyes on him—\"I've se en Whitticar. And I tell you what it is—you're in a very tight place. He 's prepared to swear that he saw you with a slung shot in your hand—that he saw you drop it after the man fell\; he picked it up\, and whilst the man was lying dead at his tavern\, awaiting the coroner's inquest\, he exa mined the wound\, and saw in the skull two little dents or holes\, which w ere undoubtedly made by the little prongs that are on the leaden ball of t he weapon\, as they correspond in depth and distance apart\; and\, moreove r\, the ball is attached to a twisted brace which proves to be the fellow to the one found upon a pair of your trousers. What can you say to all thi s?\"\n\nMcCloskey here gave a smothered groan\, and his usually red face g rew deadly pale in contemplation of his danger.\n\n\"Now\,\" said Mr. Stev ens\, after waiting long enough for his revelation to have its due effect upon him\, \"there is but one thing to be done. We must buy Whitticar off. Have you got any money? I don't mean fifty or a hundred dollars—that wo uld be of no more use than as many pennies. We must have something of a lu mp—three or four hundred at the very least.\"\n\nThe prisoner drew his b reath very hard at this\, and remained silent.\n\n\"Come\, speak out\,\" c ontinued Mr. Stevens\, \"circumstances won't admit of our delaying—this man's friends will raise Heaven and earth to secure your conviction\; so y ou see\, my good fellow\, it's your money or your life. You can decide bet ween the two—you know which is of the most importance to you.\"\n\n\"God save us\, squire! how am I to raise that much money? I haven't more nor a hunther dollars in the world.\"\n\n\"You've got a house\, and a good hors e and dray\,\" replied Mr. Stevens\, who was well posted in the man's pecu niary resources. \"If you expect me to get you out of this scrape\, you mu st sell or mortgage your house\, and dispose of your horse and dray. Someh ow or other four hundred dollars must be raised\, or you will be dangling at a rope's end in less than six months.\"\n\n\"I suppose it will have to go then\,\" said McCloskey\, reluctantly.\n\n\"Then give me authority\,\" continued Mr. Stevens\, \"to arrange for the disposal of the property\, an d I will have your affairs all set straight in less than no time.\"\n\nThe constable here cut short any further colloquy by rapping impatiently on t he door\, then opening it\, and exclaiming\, \"Come\, now it is ten o'cloc k—time that you were in court\;\" and the two started out\, followed by Mr. Stevens.\n\nAfter having\, by some of those mysterious plans with whic h lawyers are familiar\, been enabled to put off the examination for a few days\, Mr. Stephens returned to his office\, and found lying upon his tab le the packet of letters he was expecting from New York.\n\nUpon breaking the seal\, and tearing off the outer covering\, he discovered a number of letters\, time-worn and yellow with age\; they were tied tightly together with a piece of cord\; cutting this\, they fell scattered over the desk.\n \nTaking one of them up\, he examined it attentively\, turning it from sid e to side to endeavour to decipher the half-effaced post-mark. \"What a ni nny I am\, to waste time in looking at the cover of this\, when the conten ts will\, no doubt\, explain the whole matter?\" Thus soliloquising he ope ned the letter\, and was soon deeply absorbed in its contents. He perused and re-perused it\; then opened\, one after another\, the remainder that l ay scattered before him. Their contents seemed to agitate him exceedingly\ ; as he walked up and down the room with hasty strides\, muttering angrily to himself\, and occasionally returning to the desk to re-peruse the lett ers which had so strangely excited him.\n\nWhilst thus engaged\, the door was opened by no less a personage than Mr.\nMorton\, who walked in and sea ted himself in a familiar manner.\n\n\"Oh\, how are you\, Morton. You ente red with such a ghostly tread\, that I scarcely heard you\,\" said Mr. Ste vens\, with a start\; \"what has procured me the honour of a visit from yo u this morning?\"\n\n\"I was strolling by\, and thought I would just step in and inquire how that matter respecting the Tenth-street property has su cceeded.\"\n\n\"Not at all—the old fellow is as obstinate as a mule\; he won't sell except on his own terms\, which are entirely out of all reason . I am afraid you will be compelled to abandon your building speculation i n that quarter until his demise—he is old and feeble\, and can't last ma ny years\; in the event of his death you may be able to effect some more f avourable arrangement with his heirs.\"\n\n\"And perhaps have ten or fifte en years to wait—no\, that won't do. I'd better sell out myself. What wo uld you\, advise me to do\, Stevens?\"\n\nMr. Stevens was silent for a few moments\; then having opened the door and looked into the entry\, he clos ed it carefully\, placed the piece of sponge in the key-hole\, and returne d to his seat at the desk\, saying:—\n\n\"We've transacted enough busine ss together to know one another pretty well. So I've no hesitation in conf iding to you a little scheme I've conceived for getting into our hands a l arge proportion of property in one of the lower districts\, at a very low figure\; and 'tis probable\, that the same plan\, if it answers\, will ass ist you materially in carrying out your designs. It will require the aid o f two or three moneyed men like yourself\; and\, if successful\, will with out doubt be highly remunerative.\"\n\n\"If successful\,\" rejoined Mr. Mo rton\; \"yes\, there is the rub. How are you to guarantee success?\"\n\n\" Hear my plan\, and then you can decide. In the first place\, you know as w ell as I that a very strong feeling exists in the community against the Ab olitionists\, and very properly too\; this feeling requires to be guided i nto some proper current\, and I think we can give it that necessary guidan ce\, and at the same time render it subservient to our own purposes. You a re probably aware that a large amount of property in the lower part of the city is owned by niggers\; and if we can create a mob and direct it again st them\, they will be glad to leave that quarter\, and remove further up into the city for security and protection. Once get the mob thoroughly aro used\, and have the leaders under our control\, and we may direct its ener gies against any parties we desire\; and we can render the district so uns afe\, that property will be greatly lessened in value—the houses will re nt poorly\, and many proprietors will be happy to sell at very reduced pri ces. If you can furnish me the means to start with\, I have men enough at my command to effect the rest. We will so control the elections in the dis trict\, through these men\, as to place in office only such persons as wil l wink at the disturbances. When\, through their agency\, we have brought property down sufficiently low\, we will purchase all that we can\, re-est ablish order and quiet\, and sell again at an immense advantage.\"\n\n\"Yo ur scheme is a good one\, I must confess\, and I am ready to join you at a ny time. I will communicate with Carson\, who\, I think\, will be interest ed\, as he desired to invest with me in those Tenth-street improvements. I will call in to-morrow\, and endeavour to persuade him to accompany me\, and then we can discuss the matter more fully.\"\n\n\"Well\, do\; but one word before you go. You appear to know everybody—who is anybody—south of Mason and Dixon's line\; can you give me any information respecting a f amily by the name of Garie\, who live or formerly did live in the vicinity of Savannah?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes—I know them\, root and branch\; although t here is but little of the latter left\; they are one of the oldest familie s in Georgia—those of whom I have heard the most are of the last two gen erations. There now remain of the family but two persons—old John or Jac k Garie as he is called\, a bachelor—and who I have recently learned is at the point of death\; and a crack-brained nephew of his\, living in this city—said to be married to a nigger woman—actually married to her. Dr . Blackly informed me last week\, that he sent for him to perform the cere mony\, which he very properly refused to do. I have no doubt\, however\, t hat he has been successful in procuring the services of some one else. I a m sorry to say\, there are some clergymen in our city who would willingly assist in such a disgraceful proceeding. What ever could have induced a ma n with his prospects to throw himself away in that manner\, I am at loss t o determine—he has an independent fortune of about one hundred thousand dollars\, besides expectations from his uncle\, who is worth a considerabl e sum of money. I suppose these little darkies of his will inherit it\,\" concluded Mr. Morton.\n\n\"Are there no other heirs?\" asked Mr. Stevens\, in a tone of deep interest.\n\n\"There may be. He had an aunt\, who marri ed an exceedingly low fellow from the North\, who treated her shamefully. The mercenary scoundrel no doubt expected to have acquired a fortune with her\, as it was generally understood that she was sole heiress of her moth er's property—but it turned out to be an entire mistake. The circumstanc e made considerable stir at the time. I remember having heard my elders di scuss it some years after its occurrence. But why do you take such an inte rest in it? You charged me with coming upon you like a ghost. I could retu rn the compliment. Why\, man\, you look like a sheet. What ails you?\" \"M e!—I—oh\, nothing—nothing! I'm perfectly well—that is to say\, I w as up rather late last night\, and am rather fatigued to day—nothing mor e.\"\n\n\"You looked so strange\, that I could not help being frightened —and you seemed so interested. You must have some personal motive for in quiring.\"\n\n\"No more than a lawyer often has in the business of his cli ents. I have been commissioned to obtain some information respecting these people—a mere matter of business\, nothing more\, believe me. Call in a gain soon\, and endeavour to bring Carson\; but pray be discreet—be very careful to whom you mention the matter.\"\n\n\"Never fear\,\" said Mr. Mo rton\, as he closed the door behind him\, and sauntered lazily out of the house.\n\nMr. Morton speculated in stocks and town-lots in the same spirit that he had formerly betted at the racecourse and cockpit in his dear Pal metto State. It was a pleasant sort of excitement to him\, and without exc itement of some kind\, he would have found it impossible to exist. To have frequented gaming hells and race courses in the North would have greatly impaired his social position\; and as he set a high value upon that he was compelled to forego his favourite pursuits\, and associate himself with a set of men who conducted a system of gambling operations upon 'Change\, o f a less questionable but equally exciting character.\n\nMr. Stevens sat m using at his desk for some time after the departure of his visitor\; then\ , taking up one of the letters that had so strongly excited him\, he read and re-read it\; then crushing it in his hand\, arose\, stamped his feet\, and exclaimed\, \"I'll have it! if I—\" here he stopped short\, and\, l ooking round\, caught a view of his face in the glass\; he sank back into the chair behind him\, horrified at the lividness of his countenance.\n\n\ "Good God!\" he soliloquized\, \"I look like a murderer already\,\" and he covered his face with his hands\, and turned away from the glass. \"But I am wrong to be excited thus\; men who accomplish great things approach th em coolly\, so must I. I must plot\, watch\, and wait\;\" and thus speakin g\, he put on his hat and left the office.\n\nAs Mr. Stevens approached hi s house\, a handsome carriage drove up to the door of his neighbour\, and Mr. Garie and his wife\, who had been enjoying a drive along the bank of t he river\, alighted and entered their residence. The rustle of her rich si lk dress grated harshly on his ear\, and the soft perfume that wafted towa rd him as she glided by\, was the very reverse of pleasant to him.\n\nMr. Garie bowed stiffly to him as they stood on the steps of their respective residences\, which were only divided by the low iron fence\; but\, beyond the slight inclination of the head\, took no further notice of him.\n\n\"T he cursed haughty brute\,\" muttered Mr. Stevens\, as he jerked the bell w ith violence\; \"how I hate him! I hated him before I knew—but now I ——\;\" as he spoke\, the door was opened by a little servant that Mrs. Stevens had recently obtained from a charity institution.\n\n\"You've kep t me standing a pretty time\,\" exclaimed he savagely\, as he seized her e ar and gave it a spiteful twist\; \"can't you manage to open the door quic ker?\"\n\n\"I was up in the garret\, and didn't hear the bell\,\" she repl ied\, timidly.\n\n\"Then I'll improve your hearing\,\" he continued malign antly\, as he pulled her by the ear\; \"take that\, now\, and see if you'l l keep me standing at the door an hour again.\"\n\nStriding forward into t he back parlour\, he found his wife holding a small rattan elevated over l ittle Lizzy in a threatening attitude.\n\n\"Will you never mind me? I've t old you again and again not to go\, and still you persist in disobeying me . I'll cut you to pieces if you don't mind. Will you ever go again?\" she almost screamed in the ears of the terrified child.\n\n\"Oh\, no\, mother\ , never\; please don't whip me\, I'll mind you\;\" and as she spoke\, she shrank as far as possible into the corner of the room. \"What's all this —what's the matter\, Jule? What on earth are you going to whip Liz for?\ "\n\n\"Because she deserves it\,\" was the sharp reply\; \"she don't mind a word I say. I've forbid her again and again to go next door to visit tho se little niggers\, and she will do it in spite of me. She slipped off thi s afternoon\, and has been in their house over an hour\; and it was only t his morning I detected her kissing their Clarence through the fence.\"\n\n \"Faugh\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, with a look of disgust\; \"you kissed a nig ger! I'm ashamed of you\, you nasty little thing\; your mother ought to ha ve taken a scrubbing-brush and cleaned your mouth\, never do such a thing again\; come here to me.\"\n\nAs he spoke\, he extended his hand and grasp ed the delicately rounded arm of his little girl.\n\n\"What induces you to go amongst those people\; hasn't your mother again and again forbidden yo u to do so. Why do you go\, I say?\" he continued\, shaking her roughly by the arm\, and frowning savagely. \"Why don't you answer?—speak!\"\n\nTh e child\, with the tears streaming down her lovely face\, was only able to answer in her defence. \"Oh\, pa\, I do love them so.\"\n\n\"You do\, do you?\" replied her exasperated father\, stamping his foot\, and pushing he r from him\; \"go to bed\, and if ever I hear of you going there again\, y ou shall be well whipped.\" The tearful face lingered about the door in ho pe of a reprieve that did not come\, and then disappeared for the night.\n \n\"The children must not be suffered to go in there\, Jule\; something I' ve learned to-day will——\" here Mr. Stevens checked himself\; and in a nswer to his wife's impatient \"What have you learned?\" replied\, \"Oh\, nothing of consequence—nothing that will interest you\,\" and sat with h is slipper in his hand\, engaged in deep thought.\n\nNow for Mr. Stevens t o commence a communication to his wife\, and then break off in the middle of it\, was as novel as disagreeable\, as he was generally very communicat ive\, and would detail to her in the evening\, with pleasing minuteness\, all the rogueries he had accomplished during the day\; and his unwillingne ss to confide something that evidently occupied his mind caused his spouse to be greatly irritated.\n\nMr. Stevens drank his tea in silence\, and du ring the evening continued absorbed in reflection\; and\, notwithstanding the various ill-natured remarks of his wife upon his strange conduct retir ed without giving her the slightest clue to its cause.\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\nP lotting.\n\nMr. Stevens awoke at a very early hour the ensuing morning\, a nd quite unceremoniously shook his wife to arouse her also. This he accomp lished after considerable labour\; for Mrs. Stevens was much more sleepy t han usual\, in consequence of her husband's restlessness the previous nigh t.\n\n\"I declare\,\" said she\, rubbing her eyes\, \"I don't get any peac e of my life. You lie awake\, kicking about\, half the night\, muttering a nd whispering about no one knows what\, and then want me to rise before da y. What are you in such\, a hurry for this morning\,—no more mysteries\, I hope?\"\n\n\"Oh\, come\, Jule\, get up!\" said her husband\, impatientl y. \"I must be off to my business very early\; I am overburthened with dif ferent things this morning.\"\n\nMrs. Stevens made a very hasty toilette\, and descended to the kitchen\, where the little charity-girl was bustling about with her eyes only half open. With her assistance\, the breakfast w as soon prepared\, and Mr. Stevens called downstairs. He ate rapidly and s ilently\, and at the conclusion of his meal\, put on his hat\, and wished his amiable spouse an abrupt good morning.\n\nAfter leaving his house\, he did not take the usual course to his office\, but turned his steps toward the lower part of the city. Hastening onward\, he soon left the improved parts of it in his rear\, and entered upon a shabby district.\n\nThe morni ng was very chilly\, and as it was yet quite early\, but few people were s tirring: they were labourers hurrying to their work\, milkmen\, and trundl ers of breadcarts.\n\nAt length he stopped at the door of a tavern\, over which was a large sign\, bearing the name of Whitticar. On entering\, he f ound two or three forlorn-looking wretches clustering round the stove\, en deavouring to receive some warmth upon their half-clothed bodies\,—their red and pimpled noses being the only parts about them that did not look c old. They stared wonderingly at Mr. Stevens as he entered\; for a person s o respectable as himself in appearance was but seldom seen in that house.\ n\nThe boy who attended the bar inquired from behind the counter what he w ould take.\n\n\"Mr. Whitticar\, if you please\,\" blandly replied Mr. Stev ens.\n\nHearing this\, the boy bolted from the shop\, and quite alarmed th e family\, by stating that there was a man in the shop\, who said he wante d to take Mr. Whitticar\, and he suspected that he was a policeman.\n\nWhi tticar\, who was seldom entirely free from some scrape\, went through anot her door to take a survey of the new comer\, and on ascertaining who it wa s\, entered the room.\n\n\"You've quite upset the family\; we all took you for a constable\,\" said he\, approaching Mr. Stevens\, who shook hands w ith him heartily\, and then\, laying his arm familiarly on his shoulder\, rejoined\,—\n\n\"I say\, Whitticar\, I want about five minutes' conversa tion with you.\nHaven't you some room where we can be quite private for a little while?\"\n\n\"Yes\; come this way\,\" replied he. And\, leading his visitor through the bar\, they entered a small back room\, the door of wh ich they locked behind them.\n\n\"Now\, Whitticar\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, \ "I want you to act the part of a friend by the fellow who got in that awkw ard scrape at this house. As you did not give the evidence you informed me you were possessed of\, at the coroner's inquest\, it is unnecessary for you to do so before the magistrate at examination. There is no use in hang ing the fellow—it cannot result in any benefit to yourself\; it will onl y attract disagreeable notice to your establishment\, and possibly may occ asion a loss of your licence. We will be willing to make it worth your whi le to absent yourself\, for a short time at least\, until the trial is ove r\; it will put money in your purse\, and save this poor devil's life besi des. What do you say to receiving a hundred and fifty\, and going off for a month or two?\"\n\n\"Couldn't think of it\, Mr. Stevens\, no how. See ho w my business would suffer\; everything would be at loose ends. I should b e obliged to hire a man to take my place\; and\, in that case\, I must cal culate upon his stealing at least twenty-five per cent. of the receipts: a nd then there is his wages. No\, no that won't do. Besides\, I'm trying to obtain the nomination for the office of alderman—to secure it\, I must be on the spot\; nothing like looking out for oneself. I am afraid I can't accommodate you\, squire\, unless you can offer something better than one hundred and fifty.\"\n\n\"You've got no conscience\,\" rejoined Mr. Steve ns\, \"not a bit.\"\n\n\"Well\, the less of that the better for me\; it's a thing of very little use in the rum-selling business\; it interferes wit h trade—so I can't afford to keep a conscience. If you really want me to go\, make me a better offer\; say two fifty\, and I'll begin to think of it. The trial will be over in a month or six weeks\, I suppose\, and a spr ee of that length would be very pleasant.\"\n\n\"No\, I won't do that\, Wh itticar\,—that's flat\; but I'll tell you what I will do. I'll make it t wo hundred\, and what is more\, I'll see to your nomination. I'm all right down here\, you know\; I own the boys in this district\; and if you'll sa y you'll put some little matters through for me after you are elected\, I' ll call it a bargain.\"\n\n\"Then I'm your man\,\" said Whitticar\, extend ing his hand.\n\n\"Well\, then\,\" added Stevens\, \"come to my office thi s morning\, and you shall have the money\; after that I shall expect you t o get out of town as quick as possible. Goodbye.\"\n\n\"So far all right\, \" muttered Mr. Stevens\, with an air of intense satisfaction\, as he left the house\; \"he'll be of great use to me. When it becomes necessary to b lind the public by a sham investigation\, he will be the man to conduct it \; when I want a man released from prison\, or a little job of that kind d one\, he will do it—this act will put him in my power\; and I am much mi staken if he won't prove of the utmost service in our riot scheme. Now\, t hen\, we will have an examination of McCloskey as soon as they like.\"\n\n A few weeks subsequent to the events we have just written\, we find Mr. St evens seated in his dingy office in company with the McCloskey\, who had r ecently been discharged from custody in default of sufficient evidence bei ng found to warrant his committal for trial. He was sitting with his feet upon the stove\, and was smoking a cigar in the most free-and-easy manner imaginable.\n\n\"So far\, so good\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, as he laid down t he letter he was perusing\; \"that simplifies the matter greatly\; and wha tever is to be done towards his removal\, must be done quickly—now that the old man is dead there is but one to deal with.\"\n\nDuring the interva l that had elapsed between the interview of Mr. Stevens with Whitticar and the period to which we now refer\, Mr. Stevens had been actively engaged in promoting his riot scheme\; and already several disturbances had occurr ed\, in which a number of inoffensive coloured people had been injured in their persons and property.\n\nBut this was only a faint indication of wha t was to follow\; and as he had\, through the agency of Mr. Morton and oth ers\, been able to prevent any but the most garbled statements of these af fairs from getting abroad\, there was but little danger of their operation s being interfered with. Leading articles daily appeared in the public jou rnals (particularly those that circulated amongst the lowest classes)\, in which the negroes were denounced\, in the strongest terms. It was averred that their insolence\, since the commencement of the abolition agitation\ , had become unbearable\; and from many quarters was suggested the absolut e necessity for inflicting some general chastisement\, to convince them th at they were still negroes\, and to teach them to remain in their proper p lace in the body politic.\n\nMany of these articles were written by Mr. St evens\, and their insertion as editorials procured through the instrumenta lity of Mr. Morton and his friends.\n\nMr. Stevens turned to his visitor\, and inquired\, \"What was done last night—much of anything?\"\n\n\"A gr eat deal\, yer honour\,\" replied McCloskey\; \"a nagur or two half killed \, and one house set on fire and nearly burned up.\"\n\n\"Is that all?\" s aid Mr. Stevens\, with a well-assumed look of disappointment. \"Is that al l? Why\, you are a miserable set: you should have beaten every darky out o f the district by this time.\"\n\n\"They're not so aisily bate out—they fight like sevin divils. One o' 'em\, night before last\, split Mikey Dola n's head clane open\, and it's a small chance of his life he's got to comf ort himself wid.\"\n\n\"Chances of war—chances of war!\" rejoined Mr. St evens\,—\"mere trifles when you get used to 'em: you mustn't let that st op you—you have a great deal yet to do. What you have already accomplish ed is a very small matter compared with what is expected\, and what I inte nd you to do: your work has only just begun\, man.\"\n\n\"Jist begun!\" re plied the astonished McCloskey\; \"haven't we bin raising the very divil e very night for the last week—running a near chance of being kilt all the time—and all for nothing! It's gettin' tiresome\; one don't like to be fighting the nagurs all the time for the mere fun of the thing—it don't pay\, for divil a cent have I got for all my trouble\; and ye said ye woul d pay well\, ye remimber.\"\n\n\"So I shall\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, \"when you do something worth paying for—the quarter is not accomplished yet. I want the place made so hot down there that the niggers can't stay. Go a-h ead\, don't give them any rest—I'll protect you from the consequences\, whatever they be: I've great things in store for you\,\" continued he\, mo ving nearer and speaking in a confidential tone\; \"how should you like to return to Ireland a moneyed man?\"\n\n\"I should like it well enough\, to be sure\; but where's the money to come from\, squire?\"\n\n\"Oh\, there' s money enough to be had if you have the courage to earn it.\"\n\n\"I'm wi llin' enough to earn an honest penny\, but I don't like risking me neck fo r it\, squire. It's clear ye'll not be afther givin' me a dale of money wi dout being sure of havin' the worth of it out o' me\; and it's dirty work enough I've done\, widout the doin' of any more: me conscience is a sore t hrouble to me about the other job. Be the powers I'm out o' that\, and div il a like scrape will I get in agin wid my own consint.\"\n\n\"Your consci ence has become troublesome very suddenly\,\" rejoined Mr. Stevens\, with a look of angry scorn\; \"it's strange it don't appear to have troubled yo u in the least during the last few weeks\, whilst you have been knocking n iggers on the head so freely.\"\n\n\"Well\, I'm tired o' that work\,\" int errupted McCloskey\; \"and what's more\,\nI'll soon be lavin' of it off.\" \n\n\"We'll see about that\,\" said Mr. Stevens. \"You're a pretty fellow\ , now\, ain't you—grateful\, too—very! Here I've been successful in ge tting you out of a hanging scrape\, and require a trifling service in retu rn\, and you retire. You'll find this trifling won't do with me\,\" contin ued Mr. Stevens\, with great sternness of manner. \"You shall do as I wish : you are in my power! I need your services\, and I will have them—make up your mind to that.\"\n\nMcCloskey was somewhat staggered at this bold d eclaration from Mr. Stevens\; but he soon assumed his former assured manne r\, and replied\, \"I'd like to know how I'm in your power: as far as this riot business is concerned\, you're as deep in the mud as I'm in the mire \; as for the other\, be St. Patrick\, I'm clane out o' that!—they don't try a man twice for the same thing.\" \"Don't halloo so loud\, my fine fe llow\,\" sneeringly rejoined Mr. Stevens\, \"you are not entirely out of t he wood yet\; you are by no means as safe as you imagine—you haven't bee n tried yet\, you have only been examined before a magistrate! They lacked sufficient evidence to commit you for trial—that evidence I can produce at any time\; so remember\, if you please\, you have not been tried yet: when you have been\, and acquitted\, be kind enough to let me know\, will you?\"\n\nMr. Stevens stood for a few moments silently regarding the chang e his language had brought over the now crestfallen McCloskey\; he then co ntinued—\"Don't think you can escape me—I'll have a thousand eyes upon you\; no one ever escapes me that I wish to retain. Do as I require\, and I'll promote your interest in every possible way\, and protect you\; but waver\, or hold back\, and I'll hang you as unhesitatingly as if you were a dog.\"\n\nThis threat was given in a tone that left no doubt on the mind of the hearer but that Mr. Stevens would carry out his expressed intentio n\; and the reflections thereby engendered by no means added to the comfor t or sense of security that McCloskey had flattered himself he was in futu re to enjoy\; he\, therefore\, began to discover the bad policy of offendi ng one who might prove so formidable an enemy—of incensing one who had i t in his power to retaliate by such terrible measures.\n\nHe therefore tur ned to Mr. Stevens\, with a somewhat humbled manner\, and said: \"You need n't get so mad\, squire—sure it's but natural that a man shouldn't want to get any deeper in the mire than he can help\; and I've enough on my han ds now to make them too red to look at wid comfort—sure it's not a shade deeper you'd have 'em?\" he asked\, looking inquiringly at Mr. Stevens\, who was compelled to turn away his face for a moment to hide his agitation .\n\nAt last he mastered his countenance\, and\, in as cool a tone as he c ould assume\, replied: \"Oh\, a little more on them will be scarcely a per ceptible addition. You know the old adage\, 'In for a penny\, in for a pou nd.' You need have no fear\,\" said he\, lowering his voice almost to a wh isper\; \"it can be done in a crowd—and at night—no one will notice it .\"\n\n\"I don't know about that\, squire—in a crowd some one will be su re to notice it. It's\, too dangerous—I can't do it.\"\n\n\"Tut\, tut\, man\; don't talk like a fool. I tell you there is no danger. You\, in comp any with a mob of others\, are to attack this man's house. When he makes h is appearance\, as he will be sure to do\, shoot him down.\"\n\n\"Good God ! squire\,\" said McCloskey\, his face growing pale at the prospect of wha t was required of him\, \"you talk of murder as if it was mere play!\"\n\n \"And still\, I never murdered any one\,\" rejoined Mr. Stevens\, signific antly\; \"come\, come—put your scruples in your pocket\, and make up you r mind to go through with it like a man. When the thing is done\, you shal l have five thousand dollars in hard cash\, and you can go with it where y ou please. Now\, what do you think of that?\"\n\n\"Ah\, squire\, the money 's a great timptation! but it's an awful job.\"\n\n\"No worse than you did for nothing\,\" replied Mr. Stevens.\n\n\"But that was in a fair fight\, and in hot blood\; it isn't like planning to kill a man\, squire.\"\n\n\"D o you call it a fair fight when you steal up behind a man\, and break his skull with a slung shot?\" asked Mr. Stevens.\n\nMcCloskey was unable to a nswer this\, and sat moodily regarding his tempter.\n\n\"Come\, make up yo ur mind to it—you might as well\,\" resumed Mr. Stevens\, in a coaxing t one.\n\n\"Ye seem bent on not giving it up\, and I suppose I'll have to do it\,\" replied McCloskey\, reluctantly\; \"but what has the man done to y e's\, squire\, that you're so down upon him?\"\n\n\"Oh\, he is one of thos e infernal Abolitionists\, and one of the very worst kind\; he lives with a nigger woman—and\, what is more\, he is married to her!\"\n\n\"Married to a nigger!\" exclaimed McCloskey—\"it's a quare taste the animal ha s—but you're not afther killing him for that\; there's something more be hind: it's not for having a black wife instead of a white one you'd be aft her murthering him—ye'll get no stuff like that down me.\"\n\n\"No\, it is not for that alone\, I acknowledge\,\" rejoined Mr. Stevens\, with cons iderable embarrassment. \"He insulted me some time ago\, and I want to be revenged upon him.\"\n\n\"It's a dear job to insult you\, at that rate\, s quire\; but where does he live?\"\n\n\"In my neighbourhood—in fact\, nex t door to me\,\" replied Mr. Stevens\, with an averted face.\n\n\"Howly Mo ther! not away up there—sure it's crazy ye are. What\, away up there in the city limits!—why\, they would have the police and the sogers at our heels in less than no time. Sure\, you're out o' your sinses\, to have me go up there with a mob. No\, no—there's too much risk—I can't try that .\"\n\n\"I tell you there shall be no risk\,\" impatiently replied Mr. Ste vens. \"It's not to be done to-night\, nor to-morrow night\; and\, when I say do it\, you shall do it\, and as safely there as anywhere. Only come t o the conclusion that a thing must be done\, and it is half finished alrea dy. You have only to make up your mind that you will accomplish a design i n spite of obstacles\, and what you once thought to be insurmountable diff iculties will prove mere straws in your path. But we are wasting time\; I' ve determined you shall do it\, and I hope you now know me well enough to be convinced that it is your best policy to be as obliging as possible. Yo u had better go now\, and be prepared to meet me to-night at Whitticar's.\ "\n\nAfter the door closed upon the retreating form of McCloskey\, the car eless expression that Mr. Stevens's countenance had worn during the conver sation\, gave place to one full of anxiety and apprehension\, and he shudd ered as he contemplated the fearful length to which he was proceeding.\n\n \"If I fail\,\" said he—\"pshaw! I'll not fail—I must not fail—for f ailure is worse than ruin\; but cool—cool\,\" he continued\, sitting dow n to his desk—\"those who work nervously do nothing right.\" He sat writ ing uninterruptedly until quite late in the afternoon\, when the fading su nlight compelled him to relinquish his pen\, and prepare for home.\n\nThru sting the papers into his pocket\, he hurried toward the newspaper office from which were to emanate\, as editorials\, the carefully concocted appea ls to the passions of the rabble which he had been all the afternoon so bu sily engaged in preparing.\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\nMr. Stevens falls into Bad H ands.\n\nThe amiable partner of Mr. Stevens sat in high dudgeon\, at being so long restrained from her favourite beverage by the unusually deferred absence of her husband. At length she was rejoiced by hearing his well-kno wn step as he came through the garden\, and the rattle of his latch-key as he opened the door was quite musical in her ears.\n\n\"I thought you was never coming\,\" said she\, querulously\, as he entered the room\; \"I hav e been waiting tea until I am almost starved.\"\n\n\"You needn't have wait ed a moment\, for you will be obliged to eat alone after all\; I'm going o ut. Pour me out a cup of tea—I'll drink it whilst I'm dressing\; and\,\" continued Mr. Stevens\, \"I want you to get me that old brown over-coat a nd those striped trowsers I used to wear occasionally.\"\n\n\"Why\, you to ld me\,\" rejoined Mrs. Stevens\, \"that you did not require them again\, and so I exchanged them for this pair of vases to-day.\"\n\n\"The devil yo u did!\" said Mr. Stevens\, angrily\; \"you let them lie about the house f or nearly a year—and now\, just as they were likely to be of some servic e to me\, you've sold them. It's just like you—always doing something at the wrong time.\"\n\n\"How on earth\, Stevens\, was I to know you wanted them?\"\n\n\"Well\, there\, Jule\, they're gone\; don't let's have any mor e talk about it. Get me another cup of tea\; I must go out immediately.\" After hastily swallowing the second cup\, Mr. Stevens left his home\, and walked to an omnibus-station\, from whence he was quickly transported to a street in the lower part of the city\, in which were a number of second-h and clothing stores. These places were supported principally by the countr y people who attended the market in the same street\, and who fancied that the clothing they purchased at these shops must be cheap\, because it was at second-hand.\n\nMr. Stevens stopped at the door of one of these establ ishments\, and paused to take a slight survey of the premises before enter ing. The doorway was hung with coats of every fashion of the last twenty y ears\, and all in various stages of decay. Some of them looked quite respe ctable\, from much cleaning and patching\; and others presented a reckless and forlorn aspect\, as their worn and ragged sleeves swung about in the evening air. Old hats\, some of which were\, in all probability\, worn at a period anterior to the Revolution\, kept company with the well-blacked s hoes that were ranged on shelves beside the doorway\, where they served in the capacity of signs\, and fairly indicated the style of goods to be pur chased within.\n\nSeeing that there were no buyers in the store\, Mr. Stev ens opened the door\, and entered. The sounds of his footsteps drew from b ehind the counter no less a personage than our redoubtable friend Kinch\, who\, in the absence of his father\, was presiding over the establishment. \n\n\"Well\, Snowball\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, \"do you keep this curiosity- shop?\"\n\n\"My name is not Snowball\, and this ain't a curiosity-shop\,\" replied Kinch.\n\"Do you want to buy anything?\"\n\n\"I believe I do\,\" answered Mr. Stevens. \"Let me look at some coats—one that I can get o n—I won't say fit me\, I'm indifferent about that—let me see some of t he worst you've got.\"\n\nKinch looked surprised at this request from a ge ntleman of Mr. Stevens's appearance\, and handed out\, quite mechanically\ , a coat that was but slightly worn. \"Oh\, that won't do—I want somethi ng like this\,\" said Mr. Stevens\, taking down from a peg a very dilapida ted coat\, of drab colour\, and peculiar cut. What do you ask for this?\"\ n\n\"That's not fit for\, a gentleman like you\, sir\,\" said Kinch.\n\n\" I'm the best judge of that matter\,\" rejoined Mr. Stevens. \"What is the price of it?\"\n\n\"Oh\, that coat you can have for a dollar\,\" replied K inch.\n\n\"Then I'll take it. Now hand out some trowsers.\"\n\nThe trowser s were brought\; and from a large number Mr. Stevens selected a pair that suited him. Then adding an old hat to his list of purchases\, he declared his fit-out complete.\n\n\"Can't you accommodate me with some place where I can put these on?\" he asked of Kinch\; \"I'm going to have a little spo rt with some friends of mine\, and I want to wear them.\"\n\nKinch led the way into a back room\, where he assisted Mr. Stevens to array himself in his newly-purchased garments. By the change in his attire he seemed comple tely robbed of all appearance of respectability\; the most disagreeable po ints of his physique seemed to be brought more prominently forward by the habiliments he had assumed\, they being quite in harmony with his villanou s countenance.\n\nKinch\, who looked at him with wonder\, was forced to re mark\, \"Why\, you don't look a bit like a gentleman now\, sir.\"\n\nMr. S tevens stepped forward\, and surveyed himself in the looking-glass. The tr ansformation was complete—surprising even to himself. \"I never knew bef ore\,\" said he\, mentally\, \"how far a suit of clothes goes towards givi ng one the appearance of a gentleman.\"\n\nHe now emptied the pockets of t he suit he had on\;—in so doing\, he dropped upon the floor\, without ob serving it\, one of the papers.\n\n\"Fold these up\,\" said he\, handing t o Kinch the suit he had just taken off\, \"and to-morrow bring them to thi s address.\" As he spoke\, he laid his card upon the counter\, and\, after paying for his new purchases\, walked out of the shop\, and bent his step s in the direction of Whitticar's tavern.\n\nOn arriving there\, he found the bar-room crowded with half-drunken men\, the majority of whom were Iri shmen\, armed with bludgeons of all sizes and shapes. His appearance among st them excited but little attention\, and he remained there some time bef ore he was recognized by the master of the establishment.\n\n\"By the howl y St. Patherick I didn't know you\, squire\; what have you been doing to y ourself?\"\n\n\"Hist!\" cried Mr. Stevens\, putting his fingers to his lip s\; \"I thought it was best to see how matters were progressing\, so I've run down for a little while. How are you getting on?\"\n\n\"Fine\, fine\, squire\,\" replied Whitticar\; \"the boys are ripe for anything.\nThey tal k of burning down a nigger church.\"\n\n\"Not to-night—they must not do such a thing to-night—we are not ready for that yet. I've made out a lit tle list—some of the places on it they might have a dash at to-night\, j ust to keep their hands in.\" As Mr. Stevens spoke\, he fumbled in his poc ket for the list in question\, and was quite surprised to be unable to dis cover it.\n\n\"Can't you find it\, squire?\" asked Whitticar.\n\n\"I must have lost\; it on the way\,\" replied Mr. Stevens. \"I am sure I put it in this pocket\,\" and he made another search. \"No use—I'll have to give it up\,\" said he\, at length\; \"but where is McCloskey? I haven't seen h im since I came in.\"\n\n\"He came here this afternoon\, very far gone\; h e had been crooking his elbow pretty frequently\, and was so very drunk th at I advised him to go home and go to bed\; so he took another dram and we nt away\, and I haven't seen him since.\"\n\n\"That's bad\, very bad—eve rything goes wrong this evening—I wanted him to-night particularly.\" \" Wouldn't the boys go out with you?\" suggested Whitticar.\n\n\"No\, no\; t hat wouldn't do at all. I mustn't appear in these things. If I'm hauled up for participation\, who is to be your lawyer—eh?\"\n\n\"True for you\,\ " rejoined Whitticar\; \"and I'll just disperse the crowd as soon as I can \, and there will be one peaceable night in the district at any rate.\"\n\ nNot liking to give directions to the mob personally\, and his useful coad jutor McCloskey not being at hand\, Mr. Stevens came to the conclusion he would return to his home\, and on the next evening a descent should be mad e upon the places marked on the list.\n\nTaking out his watch\, he found i t would be too late to return to the store where he had purchased his pres ent adornments\, so he determined to start for home.\n\nThe coat that temp orarily adorned the person of Mr. Stevens was of peculiar cut and colour —it was\, in fact\, rather in the rowdy style\, and had\, in its pristin e state\, bedecked the person of a member of a notorious fire company. The se gentry had for a long time been the terror of the district in which the y roamed\, and had rendered themselves highly obnoxious to some of the riv al factions on the borders of their own territory\; they had the unpleasan t habit of pitching into and maltreating\, without the slightest provocati on\, any one whom their practised eyes discovered to be a rival\; and by s uch outrages they had excited in the bosoms of their victims a desire for revenge that only awaited the occasion to manifest itself.\n\nMr. Stevens\ , in happy unconsciousness\, that\, owing to his habiliments\, he represen ted one of the well-known and hated faction\, walked on quite leisurely\; but\, unfortunately for him\, his way home lay directly through the camp o f their bitterest and most active enemies.\n\nStanding in front of a taver n-window\, through which a bright light shone\, were a group of young men\ , who bestowed upon Mr. Stevens more than passing attention. \"I'm blest\, \" exclaimed one of them\, if there ain't a ranger! now that it a saucy pi ece of business\, ain't it! That fellow has come up here to be able to go back and play brag-game.\"\n\n\"Let's wallop him\, then\,\" suggested anot her\, \"and teach him better than to come parading himself in our parts. I owe 'em something for the way they served me when I was down in their dis trict.\"\n\n\"Well\, come on\,\" said the first speaker\, \"or he will get away whilst we are jawing about what we shall do.\"\n\nAdvancing to Mr. S tevens\, he tapped that gentleman on the shoulder\, and said\, with mock c ivility\, and in as bland a tone as he could assume\, \"It's really very o bliging of you\, mister\, to come up here to be flogged—saves us the tro uble of coming down to you. We would like to settle with you for that drub bing you gave one of our boys last week.\"\n\n\"You must be mistaken\,\" r eplied Mr. Stevens: \"I don't know anything of the affair to which you all ude.\"\n\n\"You don't\, eh! Well\, take that\, then\, to freshen your memo ry\,\" exclaimed one of the party\, at the same time dealing him a heavy b low on the cheek\, which made the lamplights around appear to dance about in the most fantastic style.\n\nThe first impulse of Mr. Stevens was to cr y out for the watchman\; but a moment's reflection suggested the impolicy of that project\, as he would inevitably be arrested with the rest\; and t o be brought before a magistrate in his present guise\, would have entaile d upon him very embarrassing explanations\; he therefore thought it best t o beg off—to throw himself\, as it were\, upon their sympathies.\n\n\"St op\, gentlemen—stop—for God's sake\, stop\,\" he cried\, as soon as he could regain the breath that had been almost knocked out of him by the tr emendous blow he had just received—\"don't kill an innocent man\; upon m y honour I never saw you before\, nor ever assaulted any of you in my life . My dear friends\,\" he continued\, in a dolorous tone\, \"please let me go—you are quite mistaken: I assure you I am not the man.\" \"No\, we ai n't mistaken\, either: you're one of the rangers\; I know you by your coat \,\" replied one of the assaulters.\n\nIt now flashed upon Mr. Stevens tha t he had brought himself into these difficulties\, by the assumption of th e dress he then wore\; he therefore quickly rejoined—\"Oh\, it is not my coat—I only put it on for a joke!\"\n\n\"That's a likely tale\,\" respo nded one of the party\, who looked very incredulous\; \"I don't believe a word of it. That's some darned stuff you've trumped up\, thinking to gammo n us—it won't go down\; we'll just give you a walloping\, if it's only t o teach you to wear your own clothes\,\"—and suiting the action to the w ord\, he commenced pommelling him unmercifully.\n\n\"Help! help!\" screame d Mr. Stevens. \"Don't kill me\, gentlemen\,—don't kill me!\"\n\n\"Oh! w e won't kill you—we'll only come as near it as we can\, without quite fi nishing you\,\" cried one of his relentless tormenters.\n\nOn hearing this \, their victim made a frantic effort to break away\, and not succeeding i n it\, he commenced yelling at the top of his voice. As is usual in such c ases\, the watchman was nowhere to be seen\; and his cries only exasperate d his persecutors the more.\n\n\"Hit him in the bread-crusher\, and stop h is noise\,\" suggested one of the party farthest off from Mr. Stevens. Thi s piece of advice was carried into immediate effect\, and the unfortunate wearer of the obnoxious coat received a heavy blow in the mouth\, which cu t his lips and knocked out one of his front teeth.\n\nHis cries now became so loud as to render it necessary to gag him\, which was done by one of t he party in the most thorough and expeditious manner. They then dragged hi m into a wheelwright's shop near by\, where they obtained some tar\, with which they coated his face completely.\n\n\"Oh! don't he look like a nigge r!\" said one of the party\, when they had finished embellishing their vic tim.\n\n\"Rub some on his hands\, and then let him go\,\" suggested anothe r. \"When he gets home I guess he'll surprise his mammy: I don't believe h is own dog will know him!\"\n\nA shout of laughter followed this remark\, in the midst of which they ungagged Mr. Stevens and turned him from the do or.\n\n\"Now run for it—cut the quickest kind of time\,\" exclaimed one of them\, as he gave him a kick to add impetus to his forward movement.\n\ nThis aid was\, however\, entirely unnecessary\, for Mr. Stevens shot away from the premises like an arrow from a bow\; and that\, too\, without any observation upon the direction in which he was going.\n\nAs soon as he fe lt himself out of the reach of his tormentors\, he sat down upon the steps of a mansion\, to consider what was best to be done. All the shops\, and even the taverns\, were closed—not a place was open where he could procu re the least assistance\; he had not even an acquaintance in the neighbour hood to whom he might apply.\n\nHe was\, indeed\, a pitiable object to loo k upon The hat he had so recently purchased\, bad as it was when it came i nto his possession\, was now infinitely less presentable. In the severe tr ials it had undergone\, in company with its unfortunate owner\, it had los t its tip and half the brim. The countenance beneath it would\, however\, have absorbed the gazer's whole attention. His lips were swelled to a size that would have been regarded as large even on the face of a Congo negro\ , and one eye was puffed out to an alarming extent\; whilst the coating of tar he had received rendered him such an object as the reader can but fai ntly picture to himself.\n\nThe door of the mansion was suddenly opened\, and there issued forth a party of young men\, evidently in an advanced sta te of intoxication. \"Hallo! here's a darkey!\" exclaimed one of them\, as the light from the hall fell upon the upturned face of Mr. Stevens. \"Ha\ , ha! Here's a darkey—now for some fun!\"\n\nMr. Stevens was immediately surrounded by half a dozen well-dressed young men\, who had evidently bee n enjoying an entertainment not conducted upon temperance principles. \"Sp irit of—hic—hic—night\, whence co-co-comest thou?\" stammered one\; \"sp-p-peak—art thou a creature of the mag-mag-na-tion-goblin-damned\, o r only a nigger?—speak!\" Mr. Stevens\, who at once recognized one or tw o of the parties as slight acquaintances\, would not open his mouth\, for fear that his voice might discover him\, as to them\, above all persons\, he would have shrunk from making himself known\, he therefore began to mak e signs as though he were dumb.\n\n\"Let him alone\,\" said one of the mor e sober of the party\; \"he's a poor dumb fellow—let him go.\" His voice was disregarded\, however\, as the rest seemed bent on having some sport. \n\nA half-hogshead\, nearly filled with water\, which stood upon the edge of the pavement\, for the convenience of the builders who were at work ne xt door\, caught the attention of one of them.\n\n\"Let's make him jump in to this\,\" he exclaimed\, at the same time motioning to Mr. Stevens to th at effect. By dint of great effort they made him understand what was requi red\, and they then continued to make him jump in and out of the hogshead for several minutes\; then\, joining hands\, they danced around him\, whil st he stood knee-deep in the water\, shivering\, and making the most implo ring motions to be set at liberty.\n\nWhilst they were thus engaged\, the door again opened\, and the fashionable Mr. Morton (who had been one of th e guests) descended the steps\, and came to see what had been productive o f so much mirth.\n\n\"What have you got here?\" he asked\, pressing forwar d\, until he saw the battered form of Mr. Stevens\; \"oh\, let the poor da rkey go\,\" he continued\, compassionately\, for he had just drunk enough to make him feel humane\; \"let the poor fellow go\, it's a shame to treat him in this manner.\"\n\nAs he spoke\, he endeavoured to take from the ha nds of one of the party a piece of chip\, with which he was industriously engaged in streaking the face of Mr. Stevens with lime\, \"Let me alone\, Morton—let me alone\; I'm making a white man of him\, I'm going to make him a glorious fellow-citizen\, and have him run for Congress. Let me alon e\, I say.\"\n\nMr. Morton was able\, however\, after some persuasion\, to induce the young men to depart\; and as his home lay in a direction oppos ite to theirs\, he said to Mr. Stevens\, \"Come on\, old fellow\, I'll pro tect you.\"\n\nAs soon as they were out of hearing of the others\, Mr. Ste vens exclaimed\,\n\"Don't you know me\, Morton?\"\n\nMr. Morton started ba ck with surprise\, and looked at his companion in a bewildered manner\, th en exclaimed\, \"No\, I'll be hanged if I do. Who the devil are you?\"\n\n \"I'm Stevens\; you know me.\"\n\n\"Indeed I don't. Who's Stevens?\"\n\n\" You don't know me! why\, I'm George Stevens\, the lawyer.\"\n\nMr. Morton thought that he now recognized the voice\, and as they were passing under the lamp at the time\, Mr. Stevens said to him\, \"Put your finger on my f ace\, and you will soon see it is only tar.\" Mr. Morton did as he was des ired\, and found his finger smeared with the sticky article.\n\n\"What on earth have you been doing with yourself?\" he asked\, with great surprise\ ; \"what is all this masquerading for?\"\n\nMr. Stevens hereupon related h is visit at Whitticar's\, and detailed the events that had subsequently oc curred.\n\nMr. Morton gave vent to shouts of laughter as he listened to th e recital of his friend. \"By George!\" he exclaimed\, \"I'll have to tell that\; it is too good to keep.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, don't\,\" said Mr. Steven s\; \"that won't do—you forget what I came out for?\"\n\n\"True\,\" rejo ined Mr. Morton\; \"I suppose it will be best to keep mum about it. I'll g o home with you\, you might fall into the hands of the Philistines again.\ "\n\n\"Thank you—thank you\,\" replied Mr. Stevens\, who felt greatly re lieved to have some company for his further protection\; \"and\,\" continu ed he\, \"if I could only get some of this infernal stuff off my face\, I should be so glad\; let us try.\"\n\nAccordingly they stopped at the neare st pump\, and endeavoured to remove some of the obnoxious tar from his fac e\; but\, unfortunately\, the only result obtained by their efforts was to rub it more thoroughly in\, so they were compelled to give up in despair\ , and hasten onward.\n\nMr. Stevens rang so loudly at the door\, as to qui te startle his wife and the charity-girl\, both of whom had fallen into a sound sleep\, as they sat together awaiting his return. Mr. Morton\, who\, as we have said before\, was not entirely sober\, was singing a popular m elody\, and keeping time upon the door with the head of his cane. Now\, in all her life\, Mrs. Stevens had never heard her husband utter a note\, an d being greatly frightened at the unusual noise upon the door-step\, held a hurried consultation with the charity-girl upon the best mode of proceed ing.\n\n\"Call through the key-hole\, ma'am\,\" suggested she\, which advi ce Mrs.\nStevens immediately followed\, and inquired\, \"Who's there?\"\n\ n\"Open the door\, Jule\, don't keep me out here with your darned nonsense \; let me in quick.\"\n\n\"Yes\, let him in\,\" added Mr. Morton\; \"he's brought a gentleman from Africa with him.\"\n\nMrs. Stevens did not exactl y catch the purport of the words uttered by Mr. Morton\; and\, therefore\, when she opened the door\, and her husband\, with his well-blacked face\, stalked into the entry\, she could not repress a scream of fright at the hideous figure he presented.\n\n\"Hush\, hush\,\" he exclaimed\, \"don't a rouse the neighbours—it's me\; don't you know my voice.\"\n\nMrs. Steven s stared at him in a bewildered manner\, and after bidding Mr. Morton \"Go od night\,\" she closed and locked the door\, and followed her husband int o the back room. In a short time he recapitulated the events of the night to his astonished and indignant spouse\, who greatly commiserated his misf ortunes. A bottle of sweet oil was brought into requisition\, and she made a lengthened effort to remove the tar from her husband's face\, in which she only partially succeeded\; and it was almost day when he crawled off t o bed\, with the skin half scraped off from his swollen face.\n\nCHAPTER X IX.\nThe Alarm.\n\nImmediately after the departure of Mr. Stevens\, Master Kinch began to consider the propriety of closing the establishment for th e night. Sliding down from the counter\, where he had been seated\, reflec ting upon the strange conduct of his recent customer\, he said\, \"I feels rather queer round about here\,\" laying his hand upon his stomach\; \"an d I'm inclined to think that some of them 'ere Jersey sausages and buckwhe at cakes that the old man has been stuffing himself with\, wouldn't go dow n slow. Rather shabby in him not to come back\, and let me go home\, and h ave a slap at the wittles. I expect nothing else\, but that he has eat so much\, that he's fell asleep at the supper-table\, and won't wake up till bedtime. He's always serving me that same trick.\"\n\nThe old man thus all uded to was no other than Master Kinch's father\, who had departed from th e shop two or three hours previously\, promising to return immediately aft er tea.\n\nThis promise appeared to have entirely faded from his recollect ion\, as he was at that moment\, as Kinch had supposed\, fast asleep\, and totally oblivious of the fact that such a person as his hungry descendant was in existence.\n\nHaving fully come to the conclusion to suspend opera tions for the evening\, Kinch made two or three excursions into the street \, returning each time laden with old hats\, coats\, and shoes. These he d eposited on the counter without order or arrangement\, muttering\, as he d id so\, that the old man could sort 'em out in the morning to suit himself . The things being all brought from the street\, he had only to close the shutters\, which operation was soon effected\, and our hungry friend on hi s way home.\n\nThe next morning Mr. De Younge (for the father of Kinch rej oiced in that aristocratic cognomen) was early at his receptacle for old c lothes\, and it being market-day\, he anticipated doing a good business. T he old man leisurely took down the shutters\, assorted and hung out the ol d clothes\, and was busily engaged in sweeping out the store\, when his ey e fell upon the paper dropped by Mr. Stevens the evening previous.\n\n\"Wh at's dis 'ere\,\" said he\, stooping to pick it up\; \"bill or suthin' lik e it\, I s'pose. What a trial 'tis not to be able to read writin'\; don't know whether 'tis worth keeping or not\; best save it though till dat ar b oy of mine comes\, he can read it—he's a scholar. Ah\, de children now-a -days has greater 'vantages than deir poor fathers had.\"\n\nWhilst he was thus soliloquizing\, his attention was arrested by the noise of footsteps in the other part of the shop\, and looking up\, he discerned the tall fo rm of Mr. Walters.\n\n\"Why\, bless me\,\" said the old man\, \"dis is an early visit\; where you come from\, honey\, dis time o' day?\"\n\n\"Oh\, I take a walk every morning\, to breathe a little of the fresh air\; it giv es one an appetite for breakfast\, you know. You'll let me take the libert y of sitting on your counter\, won't you?\" he continued\; \"I want to rea d a little article in a newspaper I have just purchased.\"\n\nAssent being readily given\, Mr. Walters was soon perusing the journal with great atte ntion\; at last he tossed it from him in an impatient manner\, and exclaim ed\, \"Of all lying rascals\, I think the reporters for this paper are the greatest. Now\, for instance\, three or four nights since\, a gang of vil lains assaulted one of my tenants—a coloured man—upon his own doorstep \, and nearly killed him\, and that\, too\, without the slightest provocat ion\; they then set fire to the house\, which was half consumed before it could be extinguished\; and it is here stated that the coloured people wer e the aggressors\, and whilst they were engaged in the melee\, the house c aught fire accidentally.\" \"Yes\,\" rejoined Mr. De Younge\; \"things are gitting mighty critical even in dese 'ere parts\; and I wouldn't live fur der down town if you was to give me a house rent-free. Why\, it's raly dan gerous to go home nights down dere.\"\n\n\"And there is no knowing how lon g we may be any better off up here\,\" continued Mr. Walters\; \"the autho rities don't seem to take the least notice of them\, and the rioters appea r to be having it all their own way.\"\n\nThey continued conversing upon t he topic for some time\, Mr. De Younge being meanwhile engaged in sponging and cleaning some coats he had purchased the day before\; in so doing\, h e was obliged to remove the paper he had picked up from the floor\, and it occurred to him to ask Mr. Walters to read it\; he therefore handed it to him\, saying—\n\n\"Jist read dat\, honey\, won't you? I want to know if it's worth savin'. I've burnt up two or three receipts in my life\, and h ad de bills to pay over\; and I'se got rale careful\, you know. 'Taint ple asant to pay money twice over for de same thing.\"\n\nMr. Walters took the paper extended to him\, and\, after glancing over it\, remarked\, \"This handwriting is very familiar to me\, very\; but whose it is\, I can't say\ ; it appears to be a list of addresses\, or something of that kind.\" And he read over various names of streets\, and numbers of houses. \"Why\,\" h e exclaimed\, with a start of surprise\, \"here is my own house upon the l ist\, 257\, Easton-street\; then here is 22\, Christian-street\; here also are numbers in Baker-street\, Bedford-street\, Sixth\, Seventh\, and Eigh th Streets\; in some of which houses I know coloured people live\, for one or two of them are my own. This is a strange affair.\"\n\nAs he spoke\, h e turned over the paper\, and read on the other side\,—\"Places to be at tacked.\" \"Why\, this looks serious\,\" he continued\, with some exciteme nt of manner. \"'Places to be attacked\,'—don't that seem to you as if i t might be a list of places for these rioters to set upon? I really must l ook into this. Who could have left it here?\"\n\n\"I raly don't know\,\" r eplied the old man. \"Kinch told me suthin' last night about some gemman c omin' here and changing his clothes\; p'raps 'twas him. I'd like to know w ho 'twas myself. Well\, wait awhile\, my boy will come in directly\; maybe he can explain it.\"\n\nHe had scarcely finished speaking\, when Master K inch made his appearance\, with his hat\, as usual\, placed upon nine hair s\, and his mouth smeared with the eggs and bacon with which he had been \ "staying and comforting\" himself. He took off his hat on perceiving Mr. W alters\, and\, with great humility\, \"hoped that gentleman was well.\"\n\ n\"Yes\, very well\, Kinch\,\" replied Mr. Walters. \"We were waiting for you. Can you tell where this came from?\" he asked\, handing him the myste rious paper.\n\n\"Never seen it before\, that I know of\,\" replied Kinch\ , after a short inspection.\n\n\"Well\, who was here last night?\" asked h is father\; \"you said you sold suthin'?\"\n\n\"So I did\,\" replied Kinch \; \"sold a whole suit\; and the gentleman who put it on said he was going out for a lark. He was changing some papers from his pocket: perhaps he d ropped it. I'm to take this suit back to him to-day. Here is his card.\"\n \n\"By heavens!\" exclaimed Mr. Walters\, after looking at the card\, \"I know the fellow\,—George Stevens\, 'Slippery George\,'—every one knows him\, and can speak no good of him either. Now I recognize the handwritin g of the list\; I begin to suspect something wrong by seeing his name in c onnection with this.\"\n\nHereupon Kinch was subjected to a severe cross-e xamination\, which had the effect of deepening Mr. Walters's impression\, that some plot was being concocted that would result to the detriment of t he coloured people\; for he was confident that no good could be indicated by the mysterious conduct of Mr. Stevens.\n\nAfter some deliberation\, Kin ch received instructions to take home the clothes as directed\, and to hav e his eyes about him\; and if he saw or heard anything\, he was to report it. In accordance with his instructions\, Master Kinch made several journe ys to Mr. Stevens's office\, but did not succeed in finding that gentleman within\; the last trip he made there fatigued him to such a degree\, that he determined to wait his arrival\, as he judged\, from the lateness of t he hour\, that\, if it was his intention to come at all that day\, he woul d soon be there.\n\n\"I'll sit down here\,\" said Kinch\, who espied an ol d box in the back part of the entry\, \"and give myself a little time to b low.\"\n\nHe had not sat long before he heard footsteps on the stairs\, an d presently the sound of voices became quite audible.\n\n\"That's him\,\" ejaculated Kinch\, as Mr. Stevens was heard saying\, in an angry tone\,— \"Yes\; and a devil of a scrape I got into by your want of sobriety. Had y ou followed my directions\, and met me at Whitticar's\, instead of getting drunk as a beast\, and being obliged to go home to bed\, it wouldn't have happened.\"\n\n\"Well\, squire\,\" replied McCloskey\, for he was the per son addressed by Mr.\nStevens\, \"a man can't be expected always to keep s ober.\"\n\n\"He ought to when he has business before him\,\" rejoined Mr. Stevens\, sharply\; \"how the devil am I to trust you to do anything of im portance\, when I can't depend on your keeping sober a day at a time? Come up to this top landing\,\" continued he\, \"and listen to me\, if you thi nk you are sober enough to comprehend what I say to you.\"\n\nThey now app roached\, and stood within a few feet of the place where Kinch was sitting \, and Mr. Stevens said\, with a great deal of emphasis\, \"Now\, I want y ou to pay the strictest attention to what I say. I had a list of places ma de out for you last night\, but\, somehow or other\, I lost it. But that i s neither here nor there. This is what I want you to attend to particularl y. Don't attempt anything to-night\; you can't get a sufficient number of the boys together\; but\, when you do go\, you are to take\, first\, Chris tian-street\, between Eleventh and Twelfth\,—there are several nigger fa milies living in that block. Smash in their windows\, break their furnitur e\, and\, if possible\, set one of the houses on fire\, and that will draw attention to that locality whilst you are operating elsewhere. By that ti me\, the boys will be ripe for anything. Then you had better go to a house in Easton-street\, corner of Shotwell: there is a rich nigger living ther e whose plunder is worth something. I owe him an old grudge\, and I want y ou to pay it off for me.\"\n\n\"You keep me pretty busy paying your debts. What's the name of this rich nigger?\"\n\n\"Walters\,\" replied Mr. Steve ns\; \"everybody knows him. Now about that other affair.\" Here he whisper ed so low\, that Kinch could only learn they were planning an attack on th e house of some one\, but failed in discovering the name. McCloskey depart ed as soon as he had received full directions from Mr. Stevens\, and his r etreating steps might be still heard upon the stairs\, when Mr. Stevens un locked his office-door and entered.\n\nAfter giving him sufficient time to get quietly seated\, Kinch followed\, and delivered the clothes left with him the evening previous. He was very much struck with Mr. Stevens's alte red appearance\, and\, in fact\, would not have recognized him\, but for h is voice.\n\n\"You don't seem to be well?\" remarked Kinch\, inquiringly.\ n\n\"No\, I'm not\,\" he replied\, gruffly\; \"I've caught cold.\" As Kinc h was leaving the office\, he called after him\, \"Did you find a paper in your shop this morning?\"\n\n\"No\, sir\,\" replied Kinch\, \"I didn't\;\ " but mentally he observed\, \"My daddy did though\;\" and\, fearful of so me other troublesome question\, he took leave immediately.\n\nFatigued and out of breath\, Kinch arrived at the house of Mr. Walters\, where he cons idered it best to go and communicate what he had learned.\n\nMr. Walters w as at dinner when he received from the maid a summons to the parlour to se e a lad\, who said his business was a matter \"of life or death.\" He was obliged to smile at the air of importance with which Kinch commenced the r elation of what he had overheard—but the smile gave place to a look of a nxiety and indignation long ere he had finished\, and at the conclusion of the communication he was highly excited and alarmed.\n\n\"The infernal sc oundrel!\" exclaimed Mr. Walters. \"Are you sure it was my house?\"\n\n\"Y es\, sure\,\" was Kinch's reply. \"You are the only coloured person living in the square—and he said plain enough for anybody to understand\, 'Eas ton-street\, corner of Shotwell.' I heard every word but what they said to wards the last in a whisper.\"\n\n\"You couldn't catch anything of it?\" a sked Mr. Walters.\n\n\"No\, I missed that\; they talked too low for me to hear.\"\n\nAfter reflecting a few moments\, Mr. Walters said: \"Not a word of this is to be lisped anywhere except with my permission\, and by my di rection. Have you had your dinner?\"\n\n\"No\, sir\,\" was the prompt repl y.\n\n\"I want to despatch a note to Mr. Ellis\, by you\, if it won't trou ble you too much. Can you oblige me?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\, sir\, by all means\ ,\" replied Kinch\, \"I'll go there with pleasure.\"\n\n\"Then whilst I'm writing\,\" continued Mr. Walters\, \"you can be eating your dinner\, that will economize time\, you know.\"\n\nKinch followed the servant who answe red the bell into the dining-room which Mr. Walters had just left. On bein g supplied with a knife and fork\, he helped himself bountifully to the ro ast duck\, then pouring out a glass of wine\, he drank with great enthusia sm\, to \"our honoured self\,\" which proceeding caused infinite amusement to the two servants who were peeping at him through the dining-room door. \"Der-licious\,\" exclaimed Kinch\, depositing his glass upon the table\; \"guess I'll try another\;\" and suiting the action to the word\, he refi lled his glass\, and dispatched its contents in the wake of the other. Hav ing laboured upon the duck until his appetite was somewhat appeased\, he l eant back in his chair and suffered his plate to be changed for another\, which being done\, he made an attack upon a peach pie\, and nearly demolis hed it outright.\n\nThis last performance brought his meal to a conclusion \, and with a look of weariness\, he remarked\, \"I don't see how it is— but as soon as I have eat for a little while my appetite is sure to leave me—now I can't eat a bit more. But the worst thing is walking down to Mr . Ellis's. I don't feel a bit like it\, but I suppose I must\;\" and reluc tantly rising from the table\, he returned to the parlour\, where he found Mr. Walters folding the note he had promised to deliver.\n\nAs soon as he had despatched Kinch on his errand\, Mr. Walters put on his hat and walke d to the office of the mayor.\n\n\"Is his honour in?\" he asked of one of the police\, who was lounging in the anteroom.\n\n\"Yes\, he is—what do you want with him?\" asked the official\, in a rude tone.\n\n\"That\, sir\ , is none of your business\,\" replied Mr. Walters\; \"if the mayor is in\ , hand him this card\, and say I wish to see him.\"\n\nSomewhat awed by Mr . Walters's dignified and decided manner\, the man went quickly to deliver his message\, and returned with an answer that his honour would be oblige d to Mr. Walters if he would step into his office.\n\nOn following the off icer\, he was ushered into a small room—the private office of the chief magistrate of the city.\n\n\"Take a seat\, sir\,\" said the mayor\, polite ly\, \"it is some time since we have met. I think I had the pleasure of tr ansacting business with you quite frequently some years back if I am not m istaken.\"\n\n\"You are quite correct\,\" replied Mr. Walters\, \"and bein g so favourably impressed by your courtesy on the occasions to which you r efer\, I have ventured to intrude upon you with a matter of great importan ce\, not only to myself\, but I think I may say to the public generally. S ince this morning\, circumstances have come under my notice that leave no doubt on my mind that a thoroughly-concerted plan is afoot for the destruc tion of the property of a large number of our coloured citizens—mine amo ngst the rest. You must be aware\,\" he continued\, \"that many very serio us disturbances have occurred lately in the lower part of the city.\"\n\n\ "Yes\, I've heard something respecting it\,\" replied the mayor\, \"but I believe they were nothing more than trifling combats between the negroes a nd the whites in that vicinity.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, sir! I assure you\,\" rej oined Mr. Walters\, \"they were and are anything but trifling. I regard th em\, however\, as only faint indications of what we may expect if the thin g is not promptly suppressed\; there is an organized gang of villains\, wh o are combined for the sole purpose of mobbing us coloured citizens\; and\ , as we are inoffensive\, we certainly deserve protection\; and here\,\" c ontinued Mr. Walters\, \"is a copy of the list of places upon which it is rumoured an attack is to be made.\"\n\n\"I really don't see how I'm to pre vent it\, Mr. Walters\; with the exception of your own residence\, all tha t are here enumerated are out of my jurisdiction. I can send two or three police for your protection if you think it necessary. But I really can't s ee my way clear to do anything further.\"\n\n\"Two or three police!\" said Mr. Walters\, with rising indignation at the apathy and indifference the mayor exhibited\; \"they would scarcely be of any more use than as many wo men. If that is the extent of the aid you can afford me\, I must do what I can to protect myself.\"\n\n\"I trust your fears lead you to exaggerate t he danger\,\" said the mayor\, as\nMr. Walters arose to depart\; \"perhaps it is only rumour after all.\"\n\n\"I might have flattered myself with th e same idea\, did I not feel convinced by what has so recently occurred bu t a short distance from my own house\; at any rate\, if I am attacked\, th ey will find I am not unprepared. Good day\,\" and bowing courteously to t he mayor\, Mr. Walters departed.\n\nCHAPTER XX.\nThe Attack.\n\nMr. Walter s lost no time in sending messengers to the various parties threatened by the mob\, warning them either to leave their houses or to make every exert ion for a vigorous defence. Few\, however\, adopted the latter extremity\; the majority fled from their homes\, leaving what effects they could not carry away at the mercy of the mob\, and sought an asylum in the houses of such kindly-disposed whites as would give them shelter.\n\nAlthough the a uthorities of the district had received the most positive information of t he nefarious schemes of the rioters\, they had not made the slightest effo rts to protect the poor creatures threatened in their persons and property \, but let the tide of lawlessness flow on unchecked.\n\nThroughout the da y parties of coloured people might have been seen hurrying to the upper pa rt of the city: women with terror written on their faces\, some with babes in their arms and children at their side\, hastening to some temporary pl ace of refuge\, in company with men who were bending beneath the weight of household goods.\n\nMr. Walters had converted his house into a temporary fortress: the shutters of the upper windows had been loop-holed\, double b ars had been placed across the doors and windows on the ground floor\, car pets had been taken up\, superfluous furniture removed\, and an air of tho rough preparation imparted. A few of Mr. Walters's male friends had volunt eered their aid in defence of his house\, and their services had been acce pted.\n\nMr. Ellis\, whose house was quite indefensible (it being situated in a neighbourhood swarming with the class of which the mob was composed) \, had decided on bringing his family to the house of Mr. Walters\, and sh aring with him the fortunes of the night\, his wife and daughters having d eclared they would feel as safe there as elsewhere\; and\, accordingly\, a bout five in the afternoon\, Mrs. Ellis came up\, accompanied by Kinch and the girls.\n\nCaddy and Kinch\, who brought up the rear\, seemed very sol icitous respecting the safety of a package that the latter bore in his arm s.\n\n\"What have you there?\" asked Mr. Walters\, with a smile\; \"it mus t be powder\, or some other explosive matter\, you take such wonderful pai ns for its preservation. Come\, Caddy\, tell us what it is\; is it powder? \"\n\n\"No\, Mr. Walters\, it isn't powder\,\" she replied\; \"it's nothin g that will blow the house up or burn it down.\"\n\n\"What is it\, then? Y ou tell us\, Kinch.\"\n\n\"Just do\, if you think best\,\" said Caddy\, gi ving him a threatening glance\; whereupon\, Master Kinch looked as much as to say\, \"If you were to put me on the rack you couldn't get a word out of me.\"\n\n\"I suppose I shall have to give you up\,\" said Mr. Walters a t last\; \"but don't stand here in the entry\; come up into the drawing-ro om.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis and Esther followed him upstairs\, and stood at the do or of the drawing-room surveying the preparations for defence that the app earance of the room so abundantly indicated. Guns were stacked in the corn er\, a number of pistols lay upon the mantelpiece\, and a pile of cartridg es was heaped up beside a small keg of powder that stood upon the table op posite the fire-place.\n\n\"Dear me!\" exclaimed Mrs. Ellis\, \"this looks dreadful\; it almost frightens me out of my wits to see so many dangerous weapons scattered about.\"\n\n\"And how does it affect our quiet Esther?\ " asked Mr. Walters.\n\n\"It makes me wish I were a man\,\" she replied\, with considerable vehemence of manner. All started at this language from o ne of her usually gentle demeanour.\n\n\"Why\, Esther\, how you talk\, gir l: what's come over you?\"\n\n\"Talk!\" replied she. \"I say nothing that I do not feel. As we came through the streets to-day\, and I saw so many i noffensive creatures\, who\, like ourselves\, have never done these white wretches the least injury\,—to see them and us driven from our homes by a mob of wretches\, who can accuse us of nothing but being darker than the mselves\,—it takes all the woman out of my bosom\, and makes me feel lik e a——\" here Esther paused\, and bit her lip to prevent the utterance of a fierce expression that hovered on the tip of her tongue.\n\nShe then continued: \"One poor woman in particular I noticed: she had a babe in her arms\, poor thing\, and was weeping bitterly because she knew of no place to go to seek for shelter or protection. A couple of white men stood by j eering and taunting her. I felt as though I could have strangled them: had I been a man\, I would have attacked them on the spot\, if I had been sur e they would have killed me the next moment.\"\n\n\"Hush! Esther\, hush! m y child\; you must not talk so\, it sounds unwomanly—unchristian. Why\, I never heard you talk so before.\" Esther made no reply\, but stood resti ng her forehead upon the mantelpiece. Her face was flushed with excitement \, and her dark eyes glistened like polished jet.\n\nMr. Walters stood reg arding her for a time with evident admiration\, and then said\, \"You are a brave one\, after my own heart.\" Esther hung down her head\, confused b y the ardent look he cast upon her\, as he continued\, \"You have taken me by surprise\; but it's always the way with you quiet people\; events like these bring you out—seem to change your very natures\, as it were. We m ust look out\,\" said he\, with a smile\, turning to one of the young men\ , \"or Miss Ellis will excel us all in courage. I shall expect great thing s from her if we are attacked to-night.\"\n\n\"Don't make a jest of me\, M r. Walters\,\" said Esther\, and as she spoke her eyes moistened and her l ip quivered with vexation.\n\n\"No\, no\, my dear girl\, don't misundersta nd me\,\" replied he\, quickly\; \"nothing was farther from my thoughts. I truly meant all that I said. I believe you to be a brave girl.\"\n\n\"If you really think so\,\" rejoined Esther\, \"prove it by showing me how to load these.\" As she spoke she took from the mantel one of the pistols tha t were lying there\, and turned it over to examine it.\n\n\"Oh! put that d own\, Esther\, put that down immediately\,\" almost screamed Mrs. Ellis\; \"what with your speeches and your guns you'll quite set me crazy\; do tak e it from her\, Walters\; it will certainly go off.\"\n\n\"There's not the least danger\, Ellen\,\" he replied\; \"there's nothing in it.\"\n\n\"Wel l\, I'm afraid of guns\, loaded or unloaded\; they are dangerous\, all of them\, whether they have anything in them or not. Do you hear me\, Esther\ ; do put that down and come out of here.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, mother\,\" said she\, \"do let me remain\; there\, I'll lay the pistols down and won't tou ch them again whilst you are in the room.\"\n\n\"You may safely leave her in my hands\,\" interposed Mr. Walters. \"If she wants to learn\, let her\ ; it won't injure her in the least\, I'll take care of that.\" This assura nce somewhat quieted Mrs. Ellis\, who left the room and took up her quarte rs in another apartment.\n\n\"Now\, Mr. Walters\,\" said Esther\, taking o ff her bonnet\, I'm quite in earnest about learning to load these pistols\ , and I wish you to instruct me. You may be hard pressed tonight\, and una ble to load for yourselves\, and in such an emergency I could perhaps be o f great use to you.\"\n\n\"But\, my child\,\" replied he\, \"to be of use in the manner you propose\, you would be compelled to remain in quite an e xposed situation.\"\n\n\"I am aware of that\,\" calmly rejoined Esther. \" And still you are not afraid?\" he asked\, in surprise.\n\n\"Why should I be\; I shall not be any more exposed than you or my father.\"\n\n\"That's enough—I'll teach you. Look here\,\" said Mr. Walters\, \"observe how I load this.\" Esther gave her undivided attention to the work before her\, and when he had finished\, she took up another pistol and loaded it with a precision and celerity that would have reflected honour on a more practis ed hand.\n\n\"Well done!—capital!\" exclaimed Mr. Walters\, as she laid down the weapon. \"You'll do\, my girl\; as I said before\, you are one af ter my own heart. Now\, whilst you are loading the rest\, I will go downst airs\, where I have some little matters to attend to.\" On the stair-way h e was met by Kinch and Caddy\, who were tugging up a large kettle of water . \"Is it possible\, Caddy\,\" asked Mr. Walters\, \"that your propensity to dabble in soap and water has overcome you even at this critical time? Y ou certainly can't be going to scrub?\"\n\n\"No\, I'm not going to scrub\, \" she replied\, \"nor do anything like it. We've got our plans\, haven't we\, Kinch?\"\n\n\"Let's hear what your plans are. I'd like to be enlighte ned a little\, if convenient\,\" said Mr. Walters.\n\n\"Well\, it's not co nvenient\, Mr. Walters\, so you need not expect to hear a word about them. You'd only laugh if we were to tell you\, so we're going to keep it to ou rselves\, ain't we\, Kinch?\"\n\nThe latter\, thus appealed to\, put on an air of profound mystery\, and intimated that if they were permitted to pu rsue the even tenor of their way\, great results might be expected\; but i f they were balked in their designs\, he could not answer for the conseque nces.\n\n\"You and Esther have your plans\,\" resumed Caddy\, \"and we hav e ours. We don't believe in powder and shot\, and don't want anything to d o with guns\; for my part I'm afraid of them\, so please let us go by—do \, now\, that's a good soul!\"\n\n\"You seem to forget that I'm the comman der of this fortress\,\" said Mr. Walters\, \"and that I have a right to k now everything that transpires within it\; but I see you look obstinate\, and as I haven't time to settle the matter now\, you may pass on. I wonder what they can be about\,\" he remarked\, as they hurried on. \"I must ste al up by-and-by and see for myself.\"\n\nOne after another the various fri ends of Mr. Walters came in\, each bringing some vague report of the desig ns of the mob. They all described the excitement as growing more intense\; that the houses of various prominent Abolitionists had been threatened\; that an attempt had been made to fire one of the coloured churches\; and t hat\, notwithstanding the rioters made little scruple in declaring their i ntentions\, the authorities were not using the slightest effort to restrai n them\, or to protect the parties threatened. Day was fast waning\, and t he approaching night brought with it clouds and cold.\n\nWhilst they had b een engaged in their preparations for defence\, none had time to reflect u pon the danger of their situation\; but now that all was prepared\, and th ere was nothing to sustain the excitement of the last few hours\, a chill crept over the circle who were gathered round the fire. There were no cand les burning\, and the uncertain glow from the grate gave a rather weird-li ke look to the group. The arms stacked in the corner of the room\, and the occasional glitter of the pistol-barrels as the flames rose and fell\, ga ve the whole a peculiarly strange effect.\n\n\"We look belligerent enough\ , I should think\,\" remarked Mr. Walters\, looking around him. \"I wish w e were well out of this: it's terrible to be driven to these extremities —but we are not the aggressors\, thank God! and the results\, be they wh at they may\, are not of our seeking. I have a right to defend my own: I h ave asked protection of the law\, and it is too weak\, or too indifferent\ , to give it\; so I have no alternative but to protect myself. But who is here? It has grown so dark in the room that I can scarcely distinguish any one. Where are all the ladies?\" \"None are here except myself\,\" answer ed Esther\; \"all the rest are below stairs.\"\n\n\"And where are you? I h ear\, but can't see you\; give me your hand\,\" said he\, extending his ow n in the direction from which her voice proceeded. \"How cold your hand is \,\" he continued\; \"are you frightened?\"\n\n\"Frightened!\" she replied \; \"I never felt calmer in my life—put your finger on my pulse.\"\n\nMr . Walters did as he was desired\, and exclaimed\, \"Steady as a clock. I t rust nothing may occur before morning to cause it to beat more hurriedly.\ "\n\n\"Let us put some wood on these coals\,\" suggested Mr. Ellis\; \"it will make a slight blaze\, and give us a chance to see each other.\" As he spoke he took up a few small fagots and cast them upon the fire.\n\nThe w ood snapped and crackled\, as the flames mounted the chimney and cast a ch eerful glow upon the surrounding objects: suddenly a thoroughly ignited pi ece flew off from the rest and fell on the table in the midst of the cartr idges. \"Run for your lives!\" shrieked one of the party. \"The powder! th e powder!\" Simultaneously they nearly all rushed to the door.\n\nMr. Walt ers stood as one petrified. Esther alone\, of the whole party\, retained h er presence of mind\; springing forward\, she grasped the blazing fragment and dashed it back again into the grate. All this passed in a few seconds \, and in the end Esther was so overcome with excitement and terror\, that she fainted outright. Hearing no report\, those who had fled cautiously r eturned\, and by their united efforts she was soon restored to consciousne ss.\n\n\"What a narrow escape!\" said she\, trembling\, and covering her f ace with her hands\; \"it makes me shudder to think of it.\"\n\n\"We owe o ur lives to you\, my brave girl\,\" said Mr. Walters\; \"your presence of mind has quite put us all to the blush.\"\n\n\"Oh! move the powder some di stance off\, or the same thing may happen again. Please do move it\, Mr. W alters\; I shall have no peace whilst it is there.\"\n\nWhilst they were t hus engaged\, a loud commotion was heard below stairs\, and with one accor d all started in the direction from whence the noise proceeded.\n\n\"Bring a light! bring a light!\" cried Mrs. Ellis\; \"something dreadful has hap pened.\" A light was soon procured\, and the cause of this second alarm fu lly ascertained.\n\nMaster Kinch\, in his anxiety to give himself as warli ke an appearance as possible\, had added to his accoutrements an old sword that he had discovered in an out-of-the-way corner of the garret. Not bei ng accustomed to weapons of this nature\, he had been constantly getting i t between his legs\, and had already been precipitated by it down a flight of steps\, to the imminent risk of his neck. Undaunted\, however\, by thi s mishap\, he had clung to it with wonderful tenacity\, until it had again caused a disaster the noise of which had brought all parties into the roo m where it had occurred.\n\nThe light being brought\, Master Kinch crawled out from under a table with his head and back covered with batter\, a pan of which had been overturned upon him\, in consequence of his having been tripped up by his sword and falling violently against the table on which it stood.\n\n\"I said you had better take that skewer off\,\" exclaimed Ca ddy: \"It's a wonder it hasn't broke your neck before now\; but you are su ch a goose you would wear it\,\" said she\, surveying her aide-de-camp wit h derision\, as he vainly endeavoured to scrape the batter from his face.\ n\n\"Please give me some water\,\" cried Kinch\, looking from one to the o ther of the laughing group: \"help a feller to get it off\, can't you—it 's all in my eyes\, and the yeast is blinding me.\"\n\nThe only answer to this appeal was an additional shout of laughter\, without the slightest ef fort for his relief. At last Caddy\, taking compassion upon his forlorn co ndition\, procured a basin of water\, and assisted him to wash from his wo olly pate what had been intended for the next day's meal. \"This is the fa rce after what was almost a tragedy\,\" said Mr. Walters\, as they ascende d the stairs again\; \"I wonder what we shall have next!\"\n\nThey all ret urned to their chairs by the drawing-room fire after this occurrence\, and remained in comparative silence for some time\, until loud cries of \"Fir e! fire!\" startled them from their seats.\n\n\"The whole of the lower par t of the city appears to be in a blaze\,\" exclaimed one of the party who had hastened to the window\; \"look at the flames—they are ascending fro m several places. They are at their work\; we may expect them here soon.\" \n\n\"Well\, they'll find us prepared when they do come\,\" rejoined Mr. W alters.\n\n\"What do you propose?\" asked Mr. Ellis. \"Are we to fire on t hem at once\, or wait for their attack?\"\n\n\"Wait for their attack\, by all means\,\" said he\, in reply\;—\"if they throw stones\, you'll find plenty in that room with which to return the compliment\; if they resort t o fire-arms\, then we will do the same\; I want to be strictly on the defe nsive—but at the same time we must defend ourselves fully and energetica lly.\"\n\nIn about an hour after this conversation a dull roar was heard i n the distance\, which grew louder and nearer every moment.\n\n\"Hist!\" s aid Esther\; \"do you hear that noise? Listen! isn't that the mob coming?\ "\n\nMr. Walters opened the shutter\, and then the sound became more disti nct. On they came\, nearer and nearer\, until the noise of their voices be came almost deafening.\n\nThere was something awful in the appearance of t he motley crowd that\, like a torrent\, foamed and surged through the stre ets. Some were bearing large pine torches that filled the air with thick s moke and partially lighted up the surrounding gloom. Most of them were arm ed with clubs\, and a few with guns and pistols.\n\nAs they approached the house\, there seemed to be a sort of consultation between the ringleaders \, for soon after every light was extinguished\, and the deafening yells o f \"Kill the niggers!\" \"Down with the Abolitionists!\" were almost entir ely stilled.\n\n\"I wonder what that means\,\" said Mr. Walters\, who had closed the shutter\, and was surveying\, through an aperture that had been cut\, the turbulent mass below. \"Look out for something soon.\"\n\nHe ha d scarcely finished speaking\, when a voice in the street cried\, \"One— two—three!\" and immediately there followed a volley of missiles\, crush ing in the windows of the chamber above\, and rattling upon the shutters o f the room in which the party of defenders were gathered. A yell then went up from the mob\, followed by another shower of stones.\n\n\"It is now ou r turn\,\" said Mr. Walters\, coolly. \"Four of you place yourselves at th e windows of the adjoining room\; the rest remain here. When you see a bri ght light reflected on the crowd below\, throw open the shutters\, and hur l down stones as long as the light is shining. Now\, take your places\, an d as soon as you are prepared stamp upon the floor.\"\n\nEach of the men n ow armed themselves with two or more of the largest stones they could find \, from the heap that had been provided for the occasion\; and in a few se conds a loud stamping upon the floor informed Mr. Walters that all was rea dy. He now opened the aperture in the shutter\, and placed therein a power ful reflecting light which brought the shouting crowd below clearly into v iew\, and in an instant a shower of heavy stones came crashing down upon t heir upturned faces.\n\nYells of rage and agony ascended from the throng\, who\, not seeing any previous signs of life in the house\, had no anticip ation of so prompt and severe a response to their attack. For a time they swayed to and fro\, bewildered by the intense light and crushing shower of stones that had so suddenly fallen upon them. Those in the rear\, however \, pressing forward\, did not permit the most exposed to retire out of rea ch of missiles from the house\; on perceiving which\, Mr. Walters again tu rned the light upon them\, and immediately another stony shower came rattl ing down\, which caused a precipitate retreat.\n\n\"The house is full of n iggers!—the house is full of niggers!\" cried several voices—\"Shoot t hem! kill them!\" and immediately several shots were fired at the window b y the mob below.\n\n\"Don't fire yet\,\" said Mr. Walters to one of the yo ung men who had his hand upon a gun. \"Stop awhile. When we do fire\, let it be to some purpose—let us make sure that some one is hit.\"\n\nWhilst they were talking\, two or three bullets pierced the shutters\, and flatt ened themselves upon the ceiling above.\n\n\"Those are rifle bullets\,\" r emarked one of the young men—\"do let us fire.\"\n\n\"It is too great a risk to approach the windows at present\; keep quiet for a little while\; and\, when the light is shown again\, fire. But\, hark!\" continued he\, \ "they are trying to burst open the door. We can't reach them there without exposing ourselves\, and if they should get into the entry it would be ha rd work to dislodge them.\"\n\n\"Let us give them a round\; probably it wi ll disperse those farthest off—and those at the door will follow\,\" sug gested one of the young men.\n\n\"We'll try it\, at any rate\,\" replied W alters. \"Take your places\, don't fire until I show the light—then pick your man\, and let him have it. There is no use to fire\, you know\, unle ss you hit somebody. Are you ready?\" he asked.\n\n\"Yes\,\" was the promp t reply.\n\n\"Then here goes\,\" said he\, turning the light upon the crow d below—who\, having some experience in what would follow\, did their be st to get out of reach\; but they were too late—for the appearance of th e light was followed by the instantaneous report of several guns which did fearful execution amidst the throng of ruffians. Two or three fell on the spot\, and were carried off by their comrades with fearful execrations.\n \nThe firing now became frequent on both sides\, and Esther's services cam e into constant requisition. It was in vain that her father endeavoured to persuade her to leave the room\; notwithstanding the shutters had been th rown open to facilitate operations from within and the exposure thereby gr eatly increased\, she resolutely refused to retire\, and continued fearles sly to load the guns and hand them to the men.\n\n\"They've got axes at wo rk upon the door\, if they are not dislodged\, they'll cut their way in\,\ " exclaimed one of the young men—\"the stones are exhausted\, and I don' t know what we shall do.\"\n\nJust then the splash of water was heard\, fo llowed by shrieks of agony.\n\n\"Oh\, God! I'm scalded! I'm scalded!\" cri ed one of the men upon the steps.\n\"Take me away! take me away!\"\n\nIn t he midst of his cries another volume of scalding water came pouring down u pon the group at the door\, which was followed by a rush from the premises .\n\n\"What is that—who could have done that—where has that water come from?\" asked Mr. Walters\, as he saw the seething shower pass the window \, and fall upon the heads below. \"I must go and see.\"\n\nHe ran upstair s\, and found Kinch and Caddy busy putting on more water\, they having exh austed one kettle-full—into which they had put two or three pounds of ca yenne pepper—on the heads of the crowd below.\n\n\"We gave 'em a settler \, didn't we\, Mr. Walters?\" asked Caddy\, as he entered the room. \"It t akes us\; we fight with hot water. This\,\" said she\, holding up a dipper \, \"is my gun. I guess we made 'em squeal.\"\n\n\"You've done well\, Cadd y\,\" replied he—\"first-rate\, my girl. I believe you've driven them of f entirely\,\" he continued\, peeping out of the window. \"They are going off\, at any rate\,\" said he\, drawing in his head\; \"whether they will return or not is more than I can say. Keep plenty of hot water\, ready\, b ut don't expose yourselves\, children. Weren't you afraid to go to the win dow?\" he asked.\n\n\"We didn't go near it. Look at this\,\" replied Caddy \, fitting a broom handle into the end of a very large tin dipper. \"Kinch cut this to fit\; so we have nothing to do but to stand back here\, dip u p the water\, and let them have it\; the length of the handle keeps us fro m being seen from the street. That was Kinch's plan.\"\n\n\"And a capital one it was too. Your head\, Kinch\, evidently has no batter within\, if it has without\; there is a great deal in that. Keep a bright look out\,\" c ontinued Mr. Walters\; \"I'm going downstairs. If they come again\, let th em have plenty of your warm pepper-sauce.\"\n\nOn returning to the drawing -room\, Mr. Walters found Mr. Dennis\, one of the company\, preparing to g o out. \"I'm about to avail myself of the advantage afforded by my fair co mplexion\, and play the spy\,\" said he. \"They can't discern at night wha t I am\, and I may be able to learn some of their plans.\"\n\n\"A most exc ellent idea\,\" said Mr. Walters\; \"but pray be careful. You may meet som e one who will recognise you.\"\n\n\"Never fear\,\" replied Mr. Dennis. \" I'll keep a bright look out for that.\" And\, drawing his cap far down ove r his eyes\, to screen his face as much as possible\, he sallied out into the street.\n\nHe had not been absent more than a quarter of an hour\, whe n he returned limping into the house. \"Have they attacked you—are you h urt?\" asked the anxious group by which he was surrounded.\n\n\"I'm hurt-\ , but not by them. I got on very well\, and gleaned a great deal of inform ation\, when I heard a sudden exclamation\, and\, on looking round\, I fou nd myself recognized by a white man of my acquaintance. I ran immediately\ ; and whether I was pursued or not\, I'm unable to say. I had almost reach ed here\, when my foot caught in a grating and gave my ancle such a wrench that I'm unable to stand.\" As he spoke\, his face grew pale from the suf fering the limb was occasioning. \"I'm sorry\, very sorry\,\" he continued \, limping to the sofa\; \"I was going out again immediately. They intend making an attack on Mr. Garie's house: I didn't hear his name mentioned\, but I heard one of the men\, who appeared to be a ringleader\, say\, 'We'r e going up to Winter-street\, to give a coat of tar and feathers to a whit e man\, who is married to a nigger woman.' They can allude to none but him . How annoying that this accident should have happened just now\, of all t imes. They ought to be warned.\"\n\n\"Oh\, poor Emily!\" cried Esther\, bu rsting into tears\; \"it will kill her\, I know it will\; she is so ill. S ome one must go and warn them. Let me try\; the mob\, even if I met them\, surely would not assault a woman.\"\n\n\"You mustn't think of such a thin g\, Esther\,\" exclaimed Mr. Walters\; \"the idea isn't to be entertained for a moment. You don't know what ruthless wretches they are. Your colour discovered you would find your sex but a trifling protection. I'd go\, but it would be certain death to me: my black face would quickly obtain for m e a passport to another world if I were discovered in the street just now. \"\n\n\"I'll go\,\" calmly spoke Mr. Ellis. \"I can't rest here and think of what they are exposed to. By skulking through bye-streets and keeping u nder the shadows of houses I may escape observation—at any rate\, I must run the risk.\" And he began to button up his coat. \"Don't let your moth er know I'm gone\; stick by her\, my girl\,\" said he\, kissing Esther\; \ "trust in God\,—He'll protect me.\"\n\nEsther hung sobbing on her father 's neck. \"Oh\, father\, father\,\" said she\,\n\"I couldn't bear to see y ou go for any one but Emily and the children.\"\n\n\"I know it\, dear\,\" he replied\; \"it's my duty. Garie would do the same for me\, I know\, eve n at greater risk. Good-bye! good-bye!\" And\, disengaging himself from th e weeping girl\, he started on his errand of mercy.\n\nWalking swiftly for wards\, he passed over more than two-thirds of the way without the slighte st interruption\, the streets through which he passed being almost entirel y deserted. He had arrived within a couple of squares of the Garies\, when suddenly\, on turning a corner\, he found himself in the midst of a gang of ruffians.\n\n\"Here's a nigger! here's a nigger!\" shouted two or three of them\, almost simultaneously\, making at the same time a rush at Mr. E llis\, who turned and ran\, followed by the whole gang. Fear lent him wing s\, and he fast outstripped his pursuers\, and would have entirely escaped \, had he not turned into a street which unfortunately was closed at the o ther end. This he did not discover until it was too late to retrace his st eps\, his pursuers having already entered the street.\n\nLooking for some retreat\, he perceived he was standing near an unfinished building. Tearin g off the boards that were nailed across the window\, he vaulted into the room\, knocking off his hat\, which fell upon the pavement behind him. Sca rcely had he groped his way to the staircase of the dwelling when he heard the footsteps of his pursuers.\n\n\"He can't have got through\,\" exclaim ed one of them\, \"the street is closed up at the end\; he must be up here somewhere.\"\n\nLighting one of their torches\, they began to look around them\, and soon discovered the hat lying beneath the window.\n\n\"He's in here\, boys\; we've tree'd the 'coon\,\" laughingly exclaimed one of the ruffians. \"Let's after him.\"\n\nTearing off the remainder of the boards\ , one or two entered\, opened the door from the inside\, and gave admissio n to the rest.\n\nMr. Ellis mounted to the second story\, followed by his pursuers\; on he went\, until he reached the attic\, from which a ladder l ed to the roof. Ascending this\, he drew it up after him\, and found himse lf on the roof of a house that was entirely isolated.\n\nThe whole extent of the danger flashed upon him at once. Here he was completely hemmed in\, without the smallest chance for escape. He approached the edge and looked over\, but could discover nothing near enough to reach by a leap.\n\n\"I must sell my life dearly\,\" he said. \"God be my helper now—He is all I have to rely upon.\" And as he spoke\, the great drops of sweat fell from his forehead. Espying a sheet of lead upon the roof\, he rolled it into a club of tolerable thickness\, and waited the approach of his pursuers.\n\ n\"He's gone on the roof\,\" he heard one of them exclaim\, \"and pulled t he ladder up after him.\" Just then\, a head emerged from the trap-door\, the owner of which\, perceiving Mr. Ellis\, set up a shout of triumph.\n\n \"We've got him! we've got him!—here he is!\" which cries were answered by the exultant voices of his comrades below.\n\nAn attempt was now made b y one of them to gain the roof\; but he immediately received a blow from M r. Ellis that knocked him senseless into the arms of his companions. Anoth er attempted the same feat\, and met a similar fate.\n\nThis caused a parl ey as to the best mode of proceeding\, which resulted in the simultaneous appearance of three of the rioters at the opening. Nothing daunted\, Mr. E llis attacked them with such fierceness and energy that they were forced t o descend\, muttering the direst curses. In a few moments another head app eared\, at which Mr. Ellis aimed a blow of great force\; and the club desc ended upon a hat placed upon a stick. Not meeting the resistance expected\ , it flew from his hand\, and he was thrown forward\, nearly falling down the doorway.\n\nWith a shout of triumph\, they seized his arm\, and held h im firmly\, until one or two of them mounted the roof.\n\n\"Throw him over ! throw him over!\" exclaimed some of the fiercest of the crowd. One or tw o of the more merciful endeavoured to interfere against killing him outrig ht\; but the frenzy of the majority triumphed\, and they determined to cas t him into the street below.\n\nMr. Ellis clung to the chimney\, shrieking \,—\"Save me! save me!—Help! help! Will no one save me!\" His cries we re unheeded by the ruffians\, and the people at the surrounding windows we re unable to afford him any assistance\, even if they were disposed to do so.\n\nDespite his cries and resistance\, they forced him to the edge of t he roof\; he clinging to them the while\, and shrieking in agonized terror . Forcing off his hold\, they thrust him forward and got him partially ove r the edge\, where he clung calling frantically for aid. One of the villai ns\, to make him loose his hold\, struck on his fingers with the handle of a hatchet found on the roof\; not succeeding in breaking his hold by thes e means\, with\, an oath he struck with the blade\, severing two of the fi ngers from one hand and deeply mangling the other.\n\nWith a yell of agony \, Mr. Ellis let go his hold\, and fell upon a pile of rubbish below\, whi lst a cry of triumphant malignity went up from the crowd on the roof.\n\nA gentleman and some of his friends kindly carried the insensible man into his house. \"Poor fellow!\" said he\, \"he is killed\, I believe. What a g ang of wretches. These things are dreadful\; that such a thing can be perm itted in a Christian city is perfectly appalling.\" The half-dressed famil y gathered around the mangled form of Mr. Ellis\, and gave vent to loud ex pressions of sympathy. A doctor was quickly sent for\, who stanched the bl ood that was flowing from his hands and head.\n\n\"I don't think he can li ve\,\" said he\, \"the fall was too great. As far as I can judge\, his leg s and two of his ribs are broken. The best thing we can do\, is to get him conveyed to the hospital\; look in his pockets\, perhaps we can find out who he is.\"\n\nThere was nothing found\, however\, that afforded the leas t clue to his name and residence\; and he was\, therefore\, as soon as per sons could be procured to assist\, borne to the hospital\, where his wound s were dressed\, and the broken limbs set.\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\nMore Horrors.\ n\nUnaware of the impending danger\, Mr. Garie sat watching by the bedside of his wife. She had been quite ill\; but on the evening of which we writ e\, although nervous and wakeful\, was much better. The bleak winds of the fast approaching winter dealt unkindly with her delicate frame\, accustom ed as she was to the soft breezes of her Southern home.\n\nMr. Garie had b een sitting up looking at the fires in the lower part of the city. Not hav ing been out all that day or the one previous\, he knew nothing of the fea rful state into which matters had fallen.\n\n\"Those lights are dying away \, my dear\,\" said he to his wife\; \"there must have been quite an exten sive conflagration.\" Taking out his watch\, he continued\, \"almost two o 'clock\; why\, how late I've been sitting up. I really don't know whether it's worth while to go to bed or not\, I should be obliged to get up again at five o'clock\; I go to New York to-morrow\, or rather to-day\; there a re some matters connected with Uncle John's will that require my personal attention. Dear old man\, how suddenly he died.\"\n\n\"I wish\, dear\, you could put off your journey until I am better\,\" said Mrs.\nGarie\, faint ly\; \"I do hate you to go just now.\"\n\n\"I would if I could\, Emily\; b ut it is impossible. I shall be back to-morrow\, or the next day\, at fart hest. Whilst I'm there\, I'll——\"\n\n\"Hush!\" interrupted Mrs. Garie\ , \"stop a moment. Don't you hear a noise like the shouting of a great man y people.\" \"Oh\, it's only the firemen\,\" replied he\; \"as I was about to observe—\"\n\n\"Hush!\" cried she again. \"Listen now\, that don't s ound like the firemen in the least.\" Mr. Garie paused as the sound of a n umber of voices became more distinct.\n\nWrapping his dressing-gown more c losely about him\, he walked into the front room\, which overlooked the st reet. Opening the window\, he saw a number of men—some bearing torches —coming rapidly in the direction of his dwelling. \"I wonder what all th is is for\; what can it mean\,\" he exclaimed.\n\nThey had now approached sufficiently near for him to understand their cries. \"Down with the Aboli tionist—down with the Amalgamationist! give them tar and feathers!\"\n\n \"It's a mob—and that word Amalgamationist—can it be pointed at me? It hardly seems possible\; and yet I have a fear that there is something wro ng.\"\n\n\"What is it\, Garie? What is the matter?\" asked his wife\, who\ , with a shawl hastily thrown across her shoulders\, was standing pale and trembling by the window.\n\n\"Go in\, Emily\, my dear\, for Heaven's sake \; you'll get your death of cold in this bleak night air—go in\; as soon as I discover the occasion of the disturbance\, I'll come and tell you. P ray go in.\" Mrs. Garie retired a few feet from the window\, and stood lis tening to the shouts in the street.\n\nThe rioters\, led on evidently by s ome one who knew what he was about\, pressed forward to Mr. Garie's house\ ; and soon the garden in front was filled with the shouting crowd.\n\n\"Wh at do you all want—why are you on my premises\, creating this disturbanc e?\" cried Mr. Garie.\n\n\"Come down and you'll soon find out. You white l ivered Abolitionist\, come out\, damn you! we are going to give you a coat of tar and feathers\, and your black wench nine-and-thirty. Yes\, come do wn—come down!\" shouted several\, \"or we will come up after you.\"\n\n\ "I warn you\,\" replied Mr. Garie\, \"against any attempt at violence upon my person\, family\, or property. I forbid you to advance another foot up on the premises. If any man of you enters my house\, I'll shoot him down a s quick as I would a mad dog.\"\n\n\"Shut up your gap\; none of your cusse d speeches\,\" said a voice in the crowd\; \"if you don't come down and gi ve yourself up\, we'll come in and take you—that's the talk\, ain't it\, boys?\" A general shout of approval answered this speech\, and several st ones were thrown at Mr. Garie\, one of which struck him on the breast.\n\n Seeing the utter futility of attempting to parley with the infuriated wret ches below\, he ran into the room\, exclaiming\, \"Put on some clothes\, E mily! shoes first—quick—quick\, wife!—your life depends upon it. I'l l bring down the children and wake the servants. We must escape from the h ouse—we are attacked by a mob of demons. Hurry\, Emily! do\, for God sak e!\"\n\nMr. Garie aroused the sleeping children\, and threw some clothes u pon them\, over which he wrapped shawls or blankets\, or whatever came to hand. Rushing into the next room\, he snatched a pair of loaded pistols fr om the drawer of his dressing-stand\, and then hurried his terrified wife and children down the stairs.\n\n\"This way\, dear—this way!\" he cried\ , leading on toward the back door\; \"out that way through the gate with t he children\, and into some of the neighbour's houses. I'll stand here to keep the way.\"\n\n\"No\, no\, Garie\,\" she replied\, frantically\; \"I w on't go without you.\"\n\n\"You must!\" he cried\, stamping his foot impat iently\; \"this is no time to parley—go\, or we shall all be murdered. L isten\, they've broken in the door. Quick—quick! go on\;\" and as he spo ke\, he pressed her and the children out of the door\, and closed it behin d them.\n\nMrs. Garie ran down the garden\, followed by the children\; to her horror\, she found the gate locked\, and the key nowhere to be found.\ n\n\"What shall we do?\" she cried. \"Oh\, we shall all be killed!\" and h er limbs trembled beneath her with cold and terror. \"Let us hide in here\ , mother\,\" suggested Clarence\, running toward the wood-house\; \"we'll be safe in there.\" Seeing that nothing better could be done\, Mrs. Garie availed herself of the suggestion\; and when she was fairly inside the pla ce\, fell fainting upon the ground.\n\nAs she escaped through the back doo r\, the mob broke in at the front\, and were confronting Mr. Garie\, as he stood with his pistol pointed at them\, prepared to fire.\n\n\"Come anoth er step forward and I fire!\" exclaimed he\, resolutely\; but those in the rear urged the advance of those in front\, who approached cautiously near er and nearer their victim. Fearful of opening the door behind him\, lest he should show the way taken by his retreating wife\, he stood uncertain h ow to act\; a severe blow from a stone\, however\, made him lose all refle ction\, and he immediately fired. A loud shriek followed the report of his pistol\, and a shower of stones was immediately hurled upon him.\n\nHe qu ickly fired again\, and was endeavouring to open the door to effect his es cape\, when a pistol was discharged close to his head and he fell forward on the entry floor lifeless.\n\nAll this transpired in a few moments\, and in the semi-darkness of the entry. Rushing forward over his lifeless form \, the villains hastened upstairs in search of Mrs. Garie. They ran shouti ng through the house\, stealing everything valuable that they could lay th eir hands upon\, and wantonly destroying the furniture\; they would have f ired the house\, but were prevented by McCloskey\, who acted as leader of the gang.\n\nFor two long hours they ransacked the house\, breaking all th ey could not carry off\, drinking the wine in Mr. Garie's cellar\, and sho uting and screaming like so many fiends.\n\nMrs. Garie and the children la y crouching with terror in the wood-house\, listening to the ruffians as t hey went through the yard cursing her and her husband and uttering the dir est threats of what they would do should she fall into their hands. Once s he almost fainted on hearing one of them propose opening the wood-house\, to see if there was anything of value in it—but breathed again when they abandoned it as not worth their attention.\n\nThe children crouched down beside her—scarcely daring to whisper\, lest they should attract the att ention of their persecutors. Shivering with cold they drew closer around t hem the blanket with which they had been providentially provided.\n\n\"Bro ther\, my feet are so cold\,\" sobbed little Em. \"I can't feel my toes.\n Oh\, I'm so cold!\"\n\n\"Put your feet closer to me\, sissy\,\" answered h er brother\, baring himself to enwrap her more thoroughly\; \"put my stock ings on over yours\;\" and\, as well as they were able in the dark\, he dr ew his stockings on over her benumbed feet. \"There\, sis\, that's better\ ,\" he whispered\, with an attempt at cheerfulness\, \"now you'll be warme r.\"\n\nJust then Clarence heard a groan from his mother\, so loud indeed that it would have been heard without but for the noise and excitement aro und the house—and feeling for her in the dark\, he asked\, \"Mother\, ar e you worse? are you sick?\"\n\nA groan was her only answer.\n\n\"Mother\, mother\,\" he whispered\, \"do speak\, please do!\" and he endeavoured to put his arm around her.\n\n\"Don't\, dear—don't\,\" said she\, faintly\ , \"just take care of your sister—you can't do me any good—don't speak \, dear\, the men will hear you.\"\n\nReluctantly the frightened child tur ned his attention again to his little sister\; ever and anon suppressed gr oans from his mother would reach his ears—at last he heard a groan even fierce in its intensity\; and then the sounds grew fainter and fainter unt il they entirely ceased. The night to the poor shivering creatures in thei r hiding place seemed interminably long\, and the sound of voices in the h ouse had not long ceased when the faint light of day pierced their cheerle ss shelter.\n\nHearing the voices of some neighbours in the yard\, Clarenc e hastened out\, and seizing one of the ladies by the dress\, cried implor ingly\, \"Do come to my mother\, she's sick.\"\n\n\"Why\, where did you co me from\, chil?\" said the lady\, with a start of astonishment. \"Where ha ve you been?\"\n\n\"In there\,\" he answered\, pointing to the wood-house. \"Mother and sister are in there.\"\n\nThe lady\, accompanied by one or t wo others\, hastened to the wood-house.\n\n\"Where is she?\" asked the for emost\, for in the gloom of the place she could not perceive anything.\n\n \"Here\,\" replied Clarence\, \"she's lying here.\" On opening a small win dow\, they saw Mrs. Garie lying in a corner stretched upon the boards\, he r head supported by some blocks. \"She's asleep\,\" said Clarence. \"Mothe r—mother\,\" but there came no answer. \"MOTHER\,\" said he\, still loud er\, but yet there was no response.\n\nStepping forward\, one of the femal es opened the shawl\, which was held firmly in the clenched hands of Mrs. Garie—and there in her lap partially covered by her scanty nightdress\, was discovered a new-born babe\, who with its mother had journeyed in the darkness\, cold\, and night\, to the better land\, that they might pour ou t their woes upon the bosom of their Creator.\n\nThe women gazed in mournf ul silence on the touching scene before them. Clarence was on his knees\, regarding with fear and wonder the unnatural stillness of his mother—the child had never before looked on death\, and could not recognize its pres ence. Laying his hand on her cold cheek\, he cried\, with faltering voice\ , \"Mother\, can't you speak?\" but there was no answering light in the fi xed stare of those glassy eyes\, and the lips of the dead could not move. \"Why don't she speak?\" he asked.\n\n\"She can't\, my dear\; you must com e away and leave her. She's better off\, my darling—she's dead.\"\n\nThe n there was a cry of grief sprung up from the heart of that orphan boy\, t hat rang in those women's ears for long years after\; it was the first out break of a loving childish heart pierced with life's bitterest grief—a m other's loss.\n\nThe two children were kindly taken into the house of some benevolent neighbour\, as the servants had all fled none knew whither. Li ttle Em was in a profound stupor—the result of cold and terror\, and it was found necessary to place her under the care of a physician.\n\nAfter t hey had all gone\, an inquest was held by the coroner\, and a very unsatis factory and untruthful verdict pronounced—one that did not at all coinci de with the circumstances of the case\, but such a one as might have been expected where there was a great desire to screen the affair from public s crutiny.\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\nAn Anxious Day.\n\nEsther Ellis\, devoured with anxiety respecting the safety of her father and the Garies\, paced with i mpatient step up and down the drawing-room. Opening the window\, she looke d to see if she could discover any signs of day. \"It's pitchy dark\,\" sh e exclaimed\, \"and yet almost five o'clock. Father has run a fearful risk . I hope nothing has happened to him.\"\n\n\"I trust not. I think he's saf e enough somewhere\,\" said Mr. Walters. \"He's no doubt been very cautiou s\, and avoided meeting any one—don't worry yourself\, my child\, 'tis m ost likely he remained with them wherever they went\; probably they are at the house of some of their neighbours.\"\n\n\"I can't help feeling dreadf ully oppressed and anxious\,\" continued she. \"I wish he would come.\"\n\ nWhilst she was speaking\, her mother entered the room. \"Any news of your father?\" she asked\, in a tone of anxiety.\n\nEsther endeavoured to conc eal her own apprehensions\, and rejoined\, in as cheerful tone as she coul d assume—\"Not yet\, mother—it's too dark for us to expect him yet—h e'll remain most likely until daylight.\"\n\n\"He shouldn't have gone had I been here—he's no business to expose himself in this way.\"\n\n\"But\, mother\,\" interrupted Esther\, \"only think of it—the safety of Emily and the children were depending on it—we mustn't be selfish.\"\n\n\"I kn ow we oughtn't to be\, my child\,\" rejoined her mother\, \"but it's natur al to the best of us—sometimes we can't help it.\" Five—six—seven o' clock came and passed\, and still there were no tidings of Mr. Ellis.\n\n\ "I can bear this suspense no longer\,\" exclaimed Esther. \"If father don' t come soon\, I shall go and look for him. I've tried to flatter myself th at he's safe\; but I'm almost convinced now that something has happened to him\, or he'd have come back long before this—he knows how anxious we w ould all be about him. I've tried to quiet mother and Caddy by suggesting various reasons for his delay\, but\, at the same time\, I cannot but cher ish the most dismal forebodings. I must go and look for him.\"\n\n\"No\, n o\, Esther—stay where you are at present—leave that to me. I'll order a carriage and go up to Garie's immediately.\"\n\n\"Well\, do\, Mr. Walter s\, and hurry back: won't you?\" she rejoined\, as he left the apartment.\ n\nIn a few moments he returned\, prepared to start\, and was speedily dri ven to Winter-street. He found a group of people gathered before the gate\ , gazing into the house. \"The place has been attacked\,\" said he\, as he walked towards the front door—picking his way amidst fragments of furni ture\, straw\, and broken glass. At the entrance of the house he was met b y Mr. Balch\, Mr. Garie's lawyer.\n\n\"This is a shocking affair\, Walters \,\" said he\, extending his hand—he was an old friend of Mr. Walters.\n \n\"Very shocking\, indeed\,\" he replied\, looking around. \"But where is Garie?\nWe sent to warn them of this. I hope they are all safe.\"\n\n\"Sa fe!\" repeated Mr. Balch\, with an air of astonishment. \"Why\, man\, have n't you heard?\"\n\n\"Heard what?\" asked Mr. Walters\, looking alarmed.\n \n\"That Mr. and Mrs. Garie are dead—both were killed last night.\"\n\nT he shock of this sudden and totally unexpected disclosure was such that Mr . Walters leaned against the doorway for support. \"It can't be possible\, \" he exclaimed at last\, \"not dead!\" \"Yes\, dead\, I regret to say—h e was shot through the head—and she died in the wood-house\, of prematur e confinement\, brought on by fright and exposure.\"\n\n\"And the children ?\" gasped Walters.\n\n\"They are safe\, with some neighbours—it's heart -breaking to hear them weeping for their mother.\" Here a tear glistened i n the eye of Mr. Balch\, and ran down his cheek. Brushing it off\, he cont inued: \"The coroner has just held an inquest\, and they gave a most truth less verdict: nothing whatever is said of the cause of the murder\, or of the murderers\; they simply rendered a verdict—death caused by a wound f rom a pistol-shot\, and hers—death from exposure. There seemed the great est anxiety on the part of the coroner to get the matter over as quickly a s possible\, and few or no witnesses were examined. But I'm determined to sift the matter to the bottom\; if the perpetrators of the murder can be d iscovered\, I'll leave no means untried to find them.\"\n\n\"Do you know a ny one who sat on the inquest?\" asked Walters.\n\n\"Yes\, one\,\" was the reply\, \"Slippery George\, the lawyer\; you are acquainted with him—Ge orge Stevens. I find he resides next door.\"\n\n\"Do you know\,\" here int errupted Mr. Walters\, \"that I've my suspicions that that villain is at t he bottom of these disturbances or at least has a large share in them. I h ave a paper in my possession\, in his handwriting—it is in fact a list o f the places destroyed by the mob last night—it fell into the hands of a friend of mine by accident—he gave it to me—it put me on my guard\; a nd when the villains attacked my house last night they got rather a warmer reception than they bargained for.\"\n\n\"You astonish me! Is it possible your place was assaulted also?\" asked Mr.\nBalch.\n\n\"Indeed\, it was —and a hot battle we had of it for a short space of time.\nBut how did y ou hear of this affair?\"\n\n\"I was sent for by I can't tell whom. When I came and saw what had happened\, I immediately set about searching for a will that I made for Mr. Garie a few weeks since\; it was witnessed and si gned at my office\, and he brought it away with him. I can't discover it a nywhere. I've ransacked every cranny. It must have been carried off by som e one. You are named in it conjointly with myself as executor. All the pro perty is left to her\, poor thing\, and his children. We must endeavour to find it somewhere—at any rate the children are secure\; they are the on ly heirs—he had not\, to my knowledge\, a single white relative. But let us go in and see the bodies.\"\n\nThey walked together into the back room where the bodies were lying. Mrs. Garie was stretched upon the sofa\, cov ered with a piano cloth\; and her husband was laid upon a long table\, wit h a silk window-curtain thrown across his face.\n\nThe two gazed in silenc e on the face of Mr. Garie—the brow was still knit\, the eyes staring va cantly\, and the marble whiteness of the face unbroken\, save by a few gou ts of blood near a small blue spot over the eye where the bullet had enter ed.\n\n\"He was the best-hearted creature in the world\,\" said Walters\, as he re-covered the face.\n\n\"Won't you look at her?\" asked Mr. Balch.\ n\n\"No\, no—I can't\,\" continued Walters\; \"I've seen horrors enough for one morning. I've another thing on my mind! A friend who assisted in t he defence of my house started up here last night\, to warn them of their danger\, and when I left home he had not returned: it's evident he hasn't been here\, and I greatly fear some misfortune has befallen him. Where are the children? Poor little orphans\, I must see them before I go.\"\n\nAcc ompanied by Mr. Balch\, he called at the house where Clarence and Em had f ound temporary shelter. The children ran to him as soon as he entered the room. \"Oh! Mr. Walters\,\" sobbed Clarence\, \"my mother's dead—my moth er's dead!\"\n\n\"Hush\, dears—hush!\" he replied\, endeavouring to rest rain his own tears\, as he took little Em in his arms. \"Don't cry\, my da rling\,\" said he\, as she gave rent to a fresh outburst of tears.\n\n\"Oh \, Mr. Walters!\" said she\, still sobbing\, \"she was all the mother I ha d.\"\n\nMr. Balch here endeavoured to assist in pacifying the two little m ourners.\n\n\"Why don't father come?\" asked Clarence. \"Have you seen him \, Mr. Walters?\"\n\nMr. Walters was quite taken aback by this inquiry\, w hich clearly showed that the children were still unaware of the extent of their misfortunes. \"I've seen him\, my child\,\" said he\, evasively\; \" you'll see him before long.\" And fearful of further questioning\, he left the house\, promising soon to return.\n\nUnable longer to endure her anxi ety respecting her father\, Esther determined not to await the return of M r. Walters\, which had already been greatly delayed\, but to go herself in search of him. It had occurred to her that\, instead of returning from th e Garies direct to them\, he had probably gone to his own home to see if i t had been disturbed during the night.\n\nEncouraged by this idea\, withou t consulting any one\, she hastily put on her cloak and bonnet\, and took the direction of her home. Numbers of people were wending their way to the lower part of the city\, to gratify their curiosity by gazing upon the ha voc made by the rioters during the past night.\n\nEsther found her home a heap of smoking ruins\; some of the neighbours who recognized her gathered round\, expressing their sympathy and regret. But she seemed comparativel y careless respecting the loss of their property\; and in answer to their kind expressions\, could only ask\, \"Have you seen my father?—do you kn ow where my father is?\"\n\nNone\, however\, had seen him\; and after gazi ng for a short time upon the ruins of what was once a happy home\, she tur ned mournfully away\, and walked back to Mr. Walters's.\n\n\"Has father co me?\" she inquired\, as soon as the door was opened. \"Not yet!\" was the discouraging reply: \"and Mr. Walters\, he hasn't come back\, either\, mis s!\"\n\nEsther stood for some moments hesitating whether to go in\, or to proceed in her search. The voice of her mother calling her from the stairw ay decided her\, and she went in.\n\nMrs. Ellis and Caddy wept freely on l earning from Esther the destruction of their home. This cause of grief\, a dded to the anxiety produced by the prolonged absence of Mr. Ellis\, rende red them truly miserable.\n\nWhilst they were condoling with one another\, Mr. Walters returned. He was unable to conceal his fears that something h ad happened to Mr. Ellis\, and frankly told them so\; he also gave a detai led account of what had befallen the Garies\, to the great horror and grie f of all.\n\nAs soon as arrangements could be made\, Mr. Walters and Esthe r set out in search of her father. All day long they went from place to pl ace\, but gained no tidings of him\; and weary and disheartened they retur ned at night\, bringing with them the distressing intelligence of their ut ter failure to procure any information respecting him.\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\n The Lost One Found.\n\nOn the day succeeding the events described in our l ast chapter\, Mr. Walters called upon Mr. Balch\, for the purpose of makin g the necessary preparations for the interment of Mr. and Mrs. Garie.\n\n\ "I think\,\" said Mr. Balch\, \"we had better bury them in the Ash-grove c emetery\; it's a lovely spot—all my people are buried there.\"\n\n\"The place is fine enough\, I acknowledge\,\" rejoined Mr. Walters\; \"but I mu ch doubt if you can procure the necessary ground.\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\, you ca n!\" said Mr. Balch\; \"there are a number of lots still unappropriated.\" \n\n\"That may very likely be so\; but are you sure we can get one if we a pply?\"\n\n\"Of course we can—what is to prevent?\" asked Mr. Balch.\n\n \"You forget\,\" replied Mr. Walters\, \"that Mrs. Garie was a coloured wo man.\"\n\n\"If it wasn't such a solemn subject I really should be obliged to laugh at you\, Walters\,\" rejoined Mr. Balch\, with a smile—\"you ta lk ridiculously. What can her complexion have to do with her being buried there\, I should like to know?\"\n\n\"It has everything to do with it! Can it be possible you are not aware that they won't even permit a coloured p erson to walk through the ground\, much less to be buried there!\"\n\n\"Yo u astonish me\, Walters! Are you sure of it?\"\n\n\"I give you my word of honour it is so! But why should you be astonished at such treatment of the dead\, when you see how they conduct themselves towards the living? I hav e a friend\,\" continued Mr. Walters\, \"who purchased a pew for himself a nd family in a white-church\, and the deacons actually removed the floor f rom under it\, to prevent his sitting there. They refuse us permission to kneel by the side of the white communicants at the Lord's Supper\, and giv e us separate pews in obscure corners of their churches. All this you know —why\, then\, be surprised that they carry their prejudices into their g raveyards?—the conduct is all of a piece.\"\n\n\"Well\, Walters\, I know the way things are conducted in our churches is exceedingly reprehensible \; but I really did not know they stretched their prejudices to such an ex tent.\"\n\n\"I assure you they do\, then\,\" resumed Mr. Walters\; \"and i n this very matter you'll find I'm correct. Ask Stormley\, the undertaker\ , and hear what he'll tell you. Oh! a case in point.—About six months ag o\, one of our wealthiest citizens lost by death an old family servant\, a coloured woman\, a sort of half-housekeeper—half-friend. She resembled him so much\, that it was generally believed she was his sister. Well\, he tried to have her laid in their family vault\, and it was refused\; the d irectors thought it would be creating a bad precedent—they said\, as the y would not sell lots to coloured persons\, they couldn't consistently per mit them to be buried in those of the whites.\"\n\n\"Then Ash-grove must b e abandoned\; and in lieu of that what can you propose?\" asked Mr. Balch. \n\n\"I should say we can't do better than lay them in the graveyard of th e coloured Episcopal church.\"\n\n\"Let it be there\, then. You will see t o the arrangements\, Walters. I shall have enough on my hands for the pres ent\, searching for that will: I have already offered a large reward for i t—I trust it may turn up yet.\"\n\n\"Perhaps it may\,\" rejoined Mr. Wal ters\; \"we must hope so\, at least. I've brought the children to my house \, where they are under the care of a young lady who was a great friend of their mother's\; though it seems like putting too much upon the poor youn g creature\, to throw them upon her for consolation\, when she is almost d istracted with her own griefs. I think I mentioned to you yesterday\, that her father is missing\; and\, to add to their anxieties\, their property has been all destroyed by the rioters. They have a home with me for the pr esent\, and may remain there as long as they please.\"\n\n\"Oh! I remember you told me something of them yesterday\; and now I come to think of it\, I saw in the Journal this morning\, that a coloured man was lying at the hospital very much injured\, whose name they could not ascertain. Can it b e possible that he is the man you are in search of?\"\n\n\"Let me see the article\,\" asked Mr. Walters. Mr. Balch handed him the paper\, and pointe d out the paragraph in question.\n\n\"I'll go immediately to the hospital\ ,\" said he\, as he finished reading\, \"and see if it is my poor friend\; I have great fears that it is. You'll excuse my leaving so abruptly—I m ust be off immediately.\"\n\nOn hastening to the hospital\, Mr. Walters ar rived just in time to be admitted to the wards\; and on being shown the pe rson whose name they had been unable to discover\, he immediately recogniz ed his friend.\n\n\"Ellis\, my poor fellow\,\" he exclaimed\, springing fo rward.\n\n\"Stop\, stop\,\" cried the attendant\, laying his hand upon Mr. Walters's shoulder\; \"he is hovering between life and death\, the least agitation might be fatal to him. The doctor says\, if he survives the nigh t\, he may probably get better\; but he has small chance of life. I hardly think he will last twelve hours more\, he's been dreadfully beaten\; ther e are two or three gashes on his head\, his leg is broken\, and his hands have been so much cut\, that the surgeon thinks they'll never be of any us e to him\, even if he recovers.\"\n\n\"What awful intelligence for his fam ily\,\" said Mr. Walters\; \"they are already half distracted about him.\" \n\nMr. Ellis lay perfectly unconscious of what was passing around him\, a nd his moans were deeply affecting to hear\, unable to move but one limb —he was the picture of helplessness and misery.\n\n\"It's time to close\ ; we don't permit visitors to remain after this hour\,\" said the attendan t\; \"come to-morrow\, you can see your friend\, and remain longer with hi m\;\" and bidding Mr. Walters good morning\, he ushered him from the ward. \n\n\"How shall I ever find means to break this to the girls and their mot her?\" said he\, as he left the gates of the hospital\; \"it will almost k ill them\; really I don't know what I shall say to them.\"\n\nHe walked ho meward with hesitating steps\, and on arriving at his house\, he paused aw hile before the door\, mustering up courage to enter\; at last he opened i t with the air of a man who had a disagreeable duty to perform\, and had m ade up his mind to go through with it. \"Tell Miss Ellis to come to the dr awing-room\,\" said he to the servant\; \"merely say she's wanted—don't say I've returned.\"\n\nHe waited but a few moments before Esther made her appearance\, looking sad and anxious. \"Oh\, it's you\,\" she said\, with some surprise. \"You have news of father?\"\n\n\"Yes\, Esther\, I have ne ws\; but I am sorry to say not of a pleasant character.\"\n\n\"Oh\, Mr. Wa lters\, nothing serious I hope has happened to him?\" she asked\, in an ag itated tone.\n\n\"I'm sorry to say there has\, Esther\; he has met with an accident—a sad and severe one—he's been badly wounded.\" Esther turne d deadly pale at this announcement\, and leaned upon the table for support .\n\n\"I sent for you\, Esther\,\" continued Mr. Walters\, \"in preference to your mother\, because I knew you to be courageous in danger\, and I tr usted you would be equally so in misfortune. Your father's case is a very critical one—very. It appears that after leaving here\, he fell into the hands of the rioters\, by whom he was shockingly beaten. He was taken to the hospital\, where he now remains.\"\n\n\"Oh\, let me go to him at once\ , do\, Mr. Walters!\n\n\"My dear child\, it is impossible for you to see h im to-day\, it is long past the visiting hour\; moreover\, I don't think h im in a state that would permit the least agitation. To-morrow you can go with me.\" Esther did not weep\, her heart was too full for tears. With a pale face\, and trembling lips\, she said to Mr. Walters\, \"God give us s trength to bear up under these misfortunes\; we are homeless—almost begg ars—our friends have been murdered\, and my father is now trembling on t he brink of the grave\; such troubles as these\,\" said she\, sinking into a chair\, \"are enough to crush any one.\"\n\n\"I know it\, Esther\; I kn ow it\, my child. I sympathize with you deeply. All that I have is at your disposal. You may command me in anything. Give yourself no uneasiness res pecting the future of your mother and family\, let the result to your fath er be what it may: always bear in mind that\, next to God\, I am your best friend. I speak thus frankly to you\, Esther\, because I would not have y ou cherish any hopes of your father's recovery\; from his appearance\, I s hould say there is but little\, if any. I leave to you\, my good girl\, th e task of breaking this sad news to your mother and sister\; I would tell them\, but I must confess\, Esther\, I'm not equal to it\, the events of t he last day or two have almost overpowered me.\"\n\nEsther's lips quivered again\, as she repeated the words\, \"Little hope\; did the doctor say th at?\" she asked.\n\n\"I did not see the doctor\,\" replied he\; \"perhaps there may be a favourable change during the night. I'd have you prepare fo r the worst\, whilst you hope for the best. Go now and try to break it as gently as possible to your mother.\"\n\nEsther left the room with heavy st ep\, and walked to the chamber where her mother was sitting. Caddy also wa s there\, rocking backwards and forwards in a chair\, in an earnest endeav our to soothe to sleep little Em\, who was sitting in her lap.\n\n\"Who wa s it\, Esther?\" asked\, her mother.\n\n\"Mr. Walters\,\" she hesitatingly answered.\n\n\"Was it? Well\, has he heard anything of your father?\" she asked\, anxiously.\n\nEsther turned away her head\, and remained silent.\ n\n\"Why don't you answer?\" asked her mother\, with an alarmed look\; \"i f you know anything of him\, for God's sake tell me. Whatever it may be\, it can't be worse than I expect\; is he dead?\" she asked.\n\n\"No—no\, mother\, he's not dead\; but he's sick\, very sick\, mother. Mr.\nWalters found him in the hospital.\"\n\n\"In the hospital! how came he there? Don' t deceive me\, Esther\, there's something behind all this\; are you tellin g me the truth? is he still alive?\"\n\n\"Mother\, believe me\, he is stil l alive\, but how long he may remain so\, God only knows.\" Mrs. Ellis\, a t this communication\, leant her head upon the table\, and wept uncontroll ably. Caddy put down her little charge\, and stood beside her mother\, end eavouring to soothe her\, whilst unable to restrain her own grief.\n\n\"Le t us go to him\, Esther\,\" said her mother\, rising\; \"I must see him— let us go at once.\"\n\n\"We can't\, mother\; Mr. Walters says it's imposs ible for us to see him to-day\; they don't admit visitors after a certain hour in the morning.\"\n\n\"They must admit me: I'll tell them I'm his wif e\; when they know that\, they can't refuse me.\" Quickly dressing themsel ves\, Esther\, Caddy\, and their mother were about to start for the hospit al\, when Mr. Walters entered.\n\n\"Where are you all going?\" he asked.\n \n\"To the hospital\,\" answered Mrs. Ellis\; \"I must see my husband.\"\n \n\"I have just sent there\, Ellen\, to make arrangements to hear of him e very hour. You will only have the grief of being refused admission if you go\; they're exceedingly strict—no one is admitted to visit a patient af ter a certain hour\; try and compose yourselves\; sit down\, I want to tal k to you for a little while.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis mechanically obeyed\; and on sitting down\, little Em crept into her lap\, and nestled in her arms.\n\n \"Ellen\,\" said Mr. Walters\, taking a seat by her\; \"it's useless to di sguise the fact that Ellis is in a precarious situation—how long he may be sick it is impossible to say\; as soon as it is practicable\, should he get better\, we will bring him here. You remember\, Ellen\, that years ag o\, when I was young and poor\, Ellis often befriended me—now 'tis my tu rn. You must all make up your minds to remain with me—for ever\, if you like—for the present\, whether you like it or not. I'm going to be dread fully obstinate\, and have my own way completely about the matter. Here I' ve a large house\, furnished from top to bottom with every comfort. Often I've wandered through it\, and thought myself a selfish old fellow to be s urrounded with so much luxury\, and keep it entirely to myself. God has bl essed me with abundance\, and to what better use can it be appropriated th an the relief of my friends? Now\, Ellen\, you shall superintend the whole of the establishment\, Esther shall nurse her father\, Caddy shall stir u p the servants\, and I'll look on and find my happiness in seeing you all happy. Now\, what objection can you urge against that arrangement?\" concl uded he\, triumphantly.\n\n\"Why\, we shall put you to great inconvenience \, and place ourselves under an obligation we can never repay\,\" answered Mrs. Ellis.\n\n\"Don't despair of that—never mind the obligation\; try and be as cheerful as you can\; to-morrow we shall see Ellis\, and perhaps find him better\; let us at least hope for the best.\"\n\nEsther looked w ith grateful admiration at Mr. Walters\, as he left the room. \"What a goo d heart he has\, mother\,\" said she\, as he closed the door behind him\; \"just such a great tender heart as one should expect to find in so fine a form.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis and her daughters were the first who were found nex t day\, at the office of the doorkeeper of the hospital waiting an opportu nity to see their sick friends.\n\n\"You're early\, ma'am\,\" said a littl e bald-headed official\, who sat at his desk fronting the door\; \"take a chair near the fire—it's dreadful cold this morning.\"\n\n\"Very cold\,\ " replied Esther\, taking a seat beside her mother\; \"how long will it be before we can go in?\"\n\n\"Oh\, you've good an hour to wait—the doctor hasn't come yet\,\" replied the door-keeper. \"How is my husband?\" tremb lingly inquired Mrs. Ellis.\n\n\"Who is your husband?—you don't know his number\, do you? Never know names here—go by numbers.\"\n\n\"We don't k now the number\,\" rejoined Esther\; \"my father's name is Ellis\; he was brought here two or three nights since—he was beaten by the mob.\"\n\n\" Oh\, yes\; I know now who you mean—number sixty—bad case that\, shocki ng bad case—hands chopped—head smashed—leg broke\; he'll have to cro ss over\, I guess—make a die of it\, I'm afraid.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis shudder ed\, and turned pale\, as the man coolly discussed her husband's injuries\ , and their probable fatal termination. Caddy\, observing her agitation\, said\, \"Please\, sir\, don't talk of it\; mother can't bear it.\"\n\nThe man looked at them compassionately for a few moments—then continued: \"Y ou mustn't think me hard-hearted—I see so much of these things\, that I can't feel them as others do. This is a dreadful thing to you\, no doubt\, but it's an every-day song to me—people are always coming here mangled in all sorts of ways—so\, you see\, I've got used to it—in fact\, I'd rather miss 'em now if they didn't come. I've sat in this seat every day f or almost twenty years\;\" and he looked on the girls and their mother as he gave them this piece of information as if he thought they ought to rega rd him henceforth with great reverence.\n\nNot finding them disposed to co nverse\, the doorkeeper resumed the newspaper he was reading when they ent ered\, and was soon deeply engrossed in a horrible steam-boat accident.\n\ nThe sound of wheels in the courtyard attracting his attention\, he looked up\, and remarked: \"Here's the doctor—as soon as he has walked the war ds you'll be admitted.\"\n\nMrs. Ellis and her daughters turned round as t he door opened\, and\, to their great joy\, recognized Doctor Burdett.\n\n \"How d'ye do?\" said he\, extending his hand to Mrs. Ellis—\"what's the matter? Crying!\" he continued\, looking at their tearful faces\; \"what has happened?\"\n\n\"Oh\, doctor\,\" said Esther\, \"father's lying here\, very much injured\; and they think he'll die\,\" said she\, giving way to a fresh burst of grief.\n\n\"Very much injured—die—how is this?—I k new nothing of it—I haven't been here before this week.\"\n\nEsther here upon briefly related the misfortunes that had befallen her father.\n\n\"De ar me—dear me\,\" repeated the kind old doctor.\n\n\"There\, my dear\; d on't fret—he'll get better\, my child—I'll take him in hand at once. M y dear Mrs. Ellis\, weeping won't do the least good\, and only make you si ck yourself. Stop\, do now—I'll go and see him immediately\, and as soon as possible you shall be admitted.\"\n\nThey had not long to wait before a message came from Doctor Burdett\, informing them that they could now be permitted to see the sufferer.\n\n\"You must control yourselves\,\" said the doctor to the sobbing women\, as he met them at the door\; \"you mustn 't do anything to agitate him—his situation is extremely critical.\"\n\n The girls and their mother followed him to the bedside of Mr. Ellis\, who\ , ghastly pale\, lay before them\, apparently unconscious.\n\nMrs. Ellis g ave but one look at her husband\, and\, with a faint cry\, sank fainting u pon the floor. The noise partially aroused him\; he turned his head\, and\ , after an apparent effort\, recognized his daughters standing beside him: he made a feeble attempt to raise his mutilated hands\, and murmured fain tly\, \"You've come at last!\" then closing his eyes\, he dropped his arms \, as if exhausted by the effort.\n\nEsther knelt beside him\, and pressed a kiss on his pale face. \"Father!—father!\" said she\, softly. He open ed his eyes again\, and a smile of pleasure broke over his wan face\, and lighted up his eyes\, as he feebly said\, \"God bless you\, darlings! I th ought you'd never come. Where's mother and Caddy?\"\n\n\"Here\,\" answered Esther\, \"here\, by me\; your looks frightened her so\, that she's faint ed.\" Doctor Burdett here interposed\, and said: \"You must all go now\; h e's too weak to bear more at present.\"\n\n\"Let me stay with him a little longer\,\" pleaded Esther.\n\n\"No\, my child\, it's impossible\,\" he co ntinued\; \"besides\, your mother will need your attention\;\" and\, whils t he spoke\, he led her into an adjoining room\, where the others had prec eded her.\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\nCharlie Distinguishes Himself.\n\nCharlie had now been many weeks under the hospitable roof of Mrs. Bird\, improving in health and appearance. Indeed\, it would have been a wonder if he had not\ , as the kind mistress of the mansion seemed to do nought else\, from day to day\, but study plans for his comfort and pleasure. There was one sad d rawback upon the contentment of the dear old lady\, and that was her inabi lity to procure Charlie's admission to the academy.\n\nOne morning Mr. Wha tely called upon her\, and\, throwing himself into a chair\, exclaimed: \" It's all to no purpose\; their laws are as unalterable as those of the Med es and Persians—arguments and entreaty are equally thrown away upon them \; I've been closeted at least half a dozen times with each director\; and as all I can say won't make your protege a shade whiter\, I'm afraid his admission to the academy must be given up.\"\n\n\"It's too bad\,\" rejoine d Mrs. Bird. \"And who\, may I ask\, were the principal opposers?\"\n\n\"T hey all opposed it\, except Mr. Weeks and Mr. Bentham.\"\n\n\"Indeed!—wh y they are the very ones that I anticipated would go against it tooth and nail. And Mr. Glentworth—surely he was on our side?\"\n\n\"He!—why\, m y dear madam\, he was the most rabid of the lot. With his sanctified face and canting tongue!\"\n\n\"I'm almost ashamed to own it—but it's the tru th\, and I shouldn't hesitate to tell it—I found the most pious of the d irectors the least accessible\; as to old Glentworth\, he actually talked to me as if I was recommending the committal of some horrid sin. I'm afrai d I shall be set down by him as a rabid Abolitionist\, I got so warm on th e subject. I've cherished as strong prejudices against coloured people as any one\; but I tell you\, seeing how contemptible it makes others appear\ , has gone a great way towards eradicating it in me. I found myself oblige d to use the same arguments against it that are used by the Abolitionists\ , and in endeavouring to convince others of the absurdity of their prejudi ces\, I convinced myself.\"\n\n\"I'd set my heart upon it\,\" said Mrs. Bi rd\, in a tone of regret\; \"but I suppose I'll have to give it up. Charli e don't know I've made application for his admission\, and has been asking me to let him go. A great many of the boys who attend there have become a cquainted with him\, and it was only yesterday that Mr. Glentworth's sons were teasing me to consent to his beginning there the next term. The boys\ ,\" concluded she\, \"have better hearts than their parents.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I begin to believe it's all sham\, this prejudice\; I'm getting quite disgu sted with myself for having had it—or rather thinking I had it. As for s aying it is innate\, or that there is any natural antipathy to that class\ , it's all perfect folly\; children are not born with it\, or why shouldn' t they shrink from a black nurse or playmate? It's all bosh\,\" concluded he\, indignantly\, as he brought his cane down with a rap.\n\n\"Charlie's been quite a means of grace to you\,\" laughingly rejoined Mrs.\nBird\, am used at his vehemence of manner. \"Well\, I'm going to send him to\nSabbat h-school next Sunday\; and\, if there is a rebellion against his\nadmissio n there\, I shall be quite in despair.\"\n\nIt is frequently the case\, th at we are urged by circumstances to the advocacy of a measure in which we take but little interest\, and of the propriety of which we are often very sceptical\; but so surely as it is just in itself\, in our endeavours to convert others we convince ourselves\; and\, from lukewarm apologists\, we become earnest advocates. This was just Mr. Whately's case: he had begun to canvass for the admission of Charlie with a doubtful sense of its propr iety\, and in attempting to overcome the groundless prejudices of others\, he was convicted of his own.\n\nHappily\, in his case\, conviction was fo llowed by conversion\, and as he walked home from Mrs. Bird's\, he made up his mind that\, if they attempted to exclude Charlie from the Sabbath-sch ool\, he would give them a piece of his mind\, and then resign his superin tendency of it.\n\nOn arriving at home\, he found waiting for him a young lady\, who was formerly a member of his class in the Sabbath-school. \"I'v e come\,\" said she\, \"to consult you about forming an adult class in our school for coloured persons. We have a girl living with us\, who would be very glad to attend\, and she knows two or three others. I'll willingly t ake the class myself. I've consulted the pastor and several others\, and n o one seems to anticipate any objections from the scholars\, if we keep th em on a separate bench\, and do not mix them up with the white children.\" \n\n\"I'm delighted to hear you propose it\,\" answered Mr. Whately\, quit e overjoyed at the opening it presented\, \"the plan meets my warmest appr oval. I decidedly agree with you in the propriety of our making some effor t for the elevation and instruction of this hitherto neglected class—any aid I can render——\"\n\n\"You astonish me\,\" interrupted Miss Cass\, \"though I must say very agreeably. You were the last person from whom I thought of obtaining any countenance. I did not come to you until armed wi th the consent of almost all the parties interested\, because from you I a nticipated considerable opposition\,\" and in her delight\, the young girl grasped Mr. Whately's hand\, and shook it very heartily.\n\n\"Oh\, my opi nions relative to coloured people have lately undergone considerable modif ication\; in fact\,\" said he\, with some little confusion\, \"quite a tho rough revolution. I don't\, think we have quite done our duty by these peo ple. Well\, well\, we must make the future atone for the past.\"\n\nMiss C ass had entered upon her project with all the enthusiasm of youth\, and be ing anxious that her class\, \"in point of numbers\,\" should make a prese ntable appearance\, had drafted into it no less a person than Aunt Comfort .\n\nAunt Comfort was a personage of great importance in the little villag e of Warmouth\, and one whose services were called into requisition on alm ost every great domestic occasion.\n\nAt births she frequently officiated\ , and few young mothers thought themselves entirely safe if the black good -humoured face of Aunt Comfort was not to be seen at their bedside. She ha d a hand in the compounding of almost every bridecake\, and had been known to often leave houses of feasting\, to prepare weary earth-worn traveller s for their final place of rest. Every one knew\, and all liked her\, and no one was more welcome at the houses of the good people of Warmouth than Aunt Comfort.\n\nBut whilst rendering her all due praise for her domestic acquirements\, justice compels us to remark that Aunt Comfort was not a li terary character. She could get up a shirt to perfection\, and made irrepr oachable chowder\, but she was not a woman of letters. In fact\, she had a rrived at maturity at a time when negroes and books seldom came in familia r contact\; and if the truth must be told\, she cared very little about th e latter. \"But jist to 'blege Miss Cass\,\" she consented to attend her c lass\, averring as she did so\, \"that she didn't 'spect she was gwine to larn nothin' when she got thar.\"\n\nMiss Cass\, however\, was of the cont rary opinion\, and anticipated that after a few Sabbaths\, Aunt Comfort wo uld prove to be quite a literary phenomenon. The first time their class as sembled the white children well-nigh dislocated their necks\, in their end eavours to catch glimpses of the coloured scholars\, who were seated on a backless bench\, in an obscure corner of the room.\n\nProminent amongst th em shone Aunt Comfort\, who in honour of this extraordinary occasion\, had retrimmed her cap\, which was resplendent with bows of red ribbon as larg e as peonies. She had a Sunday-school primer in her hand\, and was repeati ng the letters with the utmost regularity\, as Miss Cass pronounced them. They got on charmingly until after crossing over the letter O\, as a matte r of course they came to P and Q.\n\n\"Look here\,\" said Aunt Comfort\, w ith a look of profound erudition\, \"here's anoder O. What's de use of hav ing two of 'em?\"\n\n\"No\, no\, Aunt Comfort—that's Q—the letter Q.\" \n\n\"Umph\,\" grunted the old woman\, incredulously\, \"what's de use of saying dat's a Q\, when you jest said not a minute ago 'twas O?\"\n\n\"Thi s is not the same\,\" rejoined the teacher\, \"don't you see the little ta il at the bottom of it?\"\n\nAunt Comfort took off her silver spectacles\, and gave the glasses of them a furious rub\, then after essaying another look\, exclaimed\, \"What\, you don't mean dat 'ere little speck down at t he bottom of it\, does yer?\"\n\n\"Yes\, Aunt Comfort\, that little speck\ , as you call it\, makes all the difference—it makes O into Q.\"\n\n\"Oh \, go 'way\, child\,\" said she\, indignantly\, \"you isn't gwine to fool me dat ar way. I knows you of old\, honey—you's up to dese 'ere things —you know you allus was mighty 'chevious\, and I isn't gwine to b'lieve dat dat ar little speck makes all the difference—no such thing\, case it don't—deys either both O's or both Q's. I'm clar o' dat—deys either o ne or tother.\"\n\nKnowing by long experience the utter futility of attemp ting to convince Aunt Comfort that she was in the wrong\, by anything shor t of a miracle\, the teacher wisely skipped over the obnoxious letter\, th en all went smoothly on to the conclusion of the alphabet.\n\nThe lesson h aving terminated\, Miss Cass looked up and discovered standing near her a coloured boy\, who she correctly surmised was sent as an addition to her c lass. \"Come here\, and sit down\,\" said she\, pointing to a seat next Au nt Comfort. \"What is your name?\"\n\nCharlie gave his name and residence\ , which were entered in due form on the teacher's book. \"Now\, Charles\,\ " she continued\, \"do you know your letters?\"\n\n\"Yes\, ma'am\,\" was t he answer.\n\n\"Can you spell?\" she inquired. To this also Charlie gave a n affirmative\, highly amused at the same time at being asked such a quest ion.\n\nMiss Cass inquired no further into the extent of his acquirements\ , it never having entered her head that he could do more than spell. So ha nding him one of the primers\, she pointed out a line on which to begin. T he spirit of mischief entered our little friend\, and he stumbled through b-l-a bla—b-l-i bli—b-l-o blo—b-l-u blu\, with great gravity and slo wness.\n\n\"You spell quite nicely\, particularly for a little coloured bo y\,\" said Miss Cass\, encouragingly\, as he concluded the line\; \"take t his next\,\" she continued\, pointing to another\, \"and when you have lea rned it\, I will hear you again.\"\n\nIt was the custom of the superintend ent to question the scholars upon a portion of Bible history\, given out t he Sabbath previous for study during the week. It chanced that upon the da y of which we write\, the subject for examination was one with which Charl ie was quite familiar.\n\nAccordingly\, when the questions were put to the school\, he answered boldly and quickly to many of them\, and with an acc uracy that astonished his fellow scholars.\n\n\"How did you learn the answ ers to those questions—you can't read?\" said\nMiss Cass.\n\n\"Yes\, but I can read\,\" answered Charlie\, with a merry twinkle in his eye.\n\n\"W hy didn't you tell me so before?\" she asked.\n\n\"Because you didn't ask me\,\" he replied\, suppressing a grin.\n\nThis was true enough\, so Miss Cass\, having nothing farther to say\, sat and listened\, whilst he answer ed the numerous and sometimes difficult questions addressed to the scholar s.\n\nNot so\, Aunt Comfort. She could not restrain her admiration of this display of talent on the part of one of her despised race\; she was conti nually breaking out with expressions of wonder and applause. \"Jis' hear d at—massy on us—only jis' listen to de chile\,\" said she\, \"talks jis ' de same as if he was white. Why\, boy\, where you learn all dat?\"\n\n\" Across the Red Sea\,\" cried Charlie\, in answer to a question from the de sk of the superintendent.\n\n\"'Cross de Red Sea! Umph\, chile\, you been dere?\" asked Aunt Comfort\, with a face full of wonder.\n\n\"What did you say?\" asked Charlie\, whose attention had been arrested by the last ques tion.\n\n\"Why I asked where you learned all dat 'bout de children of Isra el.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I learned that at Philadelphia\,\" was his reply\; \"I lea rned it at school with the rest of the boys.\"\n\n\"You did!\" exclaimed s he\, raising her hands with astonishment. \"Is dere many more of 'em like you?\"\n\nCharlie did not hear this last question of Aunt Comfort's\, ther efore she was rather startled by his replying in a loud tone\, \"Immense h osts.\"\n\n\"Did I ever—jis' hear dat\, dere's ''mense hostes' of 'em je st like him! only think of it. Is dey all dere yet\, honey?\"\n\n\"They we re all drowned.\"\n\n\"Oh\, Lordy\, Lordy\,\" rejoined she\, aghast with h orror\; for Charlie's reply to a question regarding the fate of Pharaoh's army\, had been by her interpreted as an answer to her question respecting his coloured schoolmates at Philadelphia.\n\n\"And how did you 'scape\, h oney\,\" continued she\, \"from drowning 'long wid the rest of 'em?\"\n\n\ "Why I wasn't there\, it was thousands of years ago.\"\n\n\"Look here. Wha t do you mean?\" she whispered\; \"didn't you say jest now dat you went to school wid 'em?\"\n\nThis was too much for Charlie\, who shook all over w ith suppressed laughter\; nor was Miss Cass proof against the contagion— she was obliged to almost suffocate herself with her handkerchief to avoid a serious explosion.\n\n\"Aunt Comfort\, you are mistaking him\,\" said s he\, as soon as she could recover her composure\; \"he is answering the qu estions of the superintendent—not yours\, and very well he has answered them\, too\,\" continued she. \"I like to see little boys aspiring: I am g lad to see you so intelligent—you must persevere\, Charlie.\"\n\n\"Yes\, you must\, honey\,\" chimed in Aunt Comfort. \"I'se very much like Miss C ass\; I likes to see children—'specially children of colour—have expir ing minds.\"\n\nCharlie went quite off at this\, and it was only by repeat ed hush—hushes\, from Miss Cass\, and a pinch in the back from Aunt Comf ort\, that he was restored to a proper sense of his position.\n\nThe quest ioning being now finished\, Mr. Whately came to Charlie\, praised him high ly for his aptness\, and made some inquiries respecting his knowledge of t he catechism\; also whether he would be willing to join the class that was to be catechised in the church during the afternoon. To this\, Charlie re adily assented\, and\, at the close of the school\, was placed at the foot of the class\, preparatory to going into the Church.\n\nThe public catech izing of the scholars was always an event in the village\; but now a novel ty was given it\, by the addition of a black lamb to the flock\, and\, as a matter of course\, a much greater interest was manifested. Had a lion en tered the doors of St. Stephen's church\, he might have created greater co nsternation\, but he could not have attracted more attention than did our little friend on passing beneath its sacred portals. The length of the ais le seemed interminable to him\, and on his way to the altar he felt oppres sed by the scrutiny of eyes through which he was compelled to pass. Mr. Du ral\, the pastor\, looked kindly at him\, as he stood in front of the chan cel\, and Charlie took heart from his cheering smile.\n\nNow\, to Aunt Com fort (who was the only coloured person who regularly attended the church) a seat had been assigned beside the organ\; which elevated position had be en given her that the congregation might indulge in their devotions withou t having their prejudices shocked by a too close contemplation of her ebon y countenance.\n\nBut Aunt Comfort\, on this occasion\, determined to get near enough to hear all that passed\, and\, leaving her accustomed seat\, she planted herself in one of the aisles of the gallery overlooking the al tar\, where she remained almost speechless with wonder and astonishment at the unprecedented sight of a woolly head at the foot of the altar.\n\nCha rlie got on very successfully until called upon to repeat the Lord's Praye r\; and\, strange to say\, at this critical juncture\, his memory forsook him\, and he was unable to utter a word of it: for the life of him he coul d not think of anything but \"Now I lay me down to sleep\"—and confused and annoyed he stood unable to proceed. At this stage of affairs\, Aunt Co mfort's interest in Charlie's success had reached such a pitch that her cu stomary awe of the place she was in entirely departed\, and she exclaimed\ , \"I'll give yer a start—'Our Farrer\,'\"—then overwhelmed by the con sciousness that she had spoken out in meeting\, she sank down behind a pew -door\, completely extinguished. At this there was an audible titter\, tha t was immediately suppressed\; after which\, Charlie recovered his memory\ , and\, started by the opportune prompting of Aunt Comfort\, he recited it correctly. A few questions more terminated the examination\, and the chil dren sat down in front of the altar until the conclusion of the service.\n \nMrs. Bird\, highly delighted with the debut of her protege\, bestowed no end of praises upon him\, and even made the coachman walk home\, that Cha rlie might have a seat in the carriage\, as she alleged she was sure he mu st be much fatigued and overcome with the excitement of the day\; then tak ing the reins into her own hands\, she drove them safely home.\n\nCHAPTER XXV.\nThe Heir.\n\nWe must now return to Philadelphia\, and pay a visit to the office of Mr. Balch. We shall find that gentleman in company with Mr. Walters: both look anxious\, and are poring over a letter which is outspr ead before them.\n\n\"It was like a thunder-clap to me\,\" said Mr. Balch: \"the idea of there being another heir never entered my brain—I didn't even know he had a living relative.\"\n\n\"When did you get the letter?\" asked Walters.\n\n\"Only this morning\, and I sent for you immediately! Le t us read it again—we'll make another attempt to decipher this incompreh ensible name. Confound the fellow! why couldn't he write so that some one besides himself could read it! We must stumble through it\,\" said he\, as he again began the letter as follows:—\n\n\"Dear Sir\,—Immediately on receipt of your favour\, I called upon Mr. Thurston\, to take the necessa ry steps for securing the property of your late client. To my great surpri se\, I found that another claimant had started up\, and already taken the preliminary measures to entering upon possession. This gentleman\, Mr. ——\n\n\"Now\, what would you call that name\, Walters?—to me it look s like\nStimmens\, or Stunners\, or something of the kind!\"\n\n\"Never mi nd the name\,\" exclaimed Walters—\"skip that—let me hear the rest of the letter\; we shall find out who he is soon enough\, in all conscience.\ "\n\n\"Well\, then\,\" resumed Mr. Balch—\"This gentleman\, Mr.——\, is a resident in your city\; and he will\, no doubt\, take an early opport unity of calling on you\, in reference to the matter. It is my opinion\, t hat without a will in their favour\, these children cannot oppose his clai m successfully\, if he can prove his consanguinity to Mr. Garie. His lawye r here showed me a copy of the letters and papers which are to be used as evidence\, and\, I must say\, they are entirely without flaw. He proves hi mself\, undoubtedly\, to be the first cousin of Mr. Garie. You are\, no do ubt\, aware that these children being the offspring of a slave-woman\, can not inherit\, in this State (except under certain circumstances)\, the pro perty of a white father. I am\, therefore\, very much afraid that they are entirely at his mercy.\"\n\n\"Well\, then\,\" said Walters\, when Mr. Bal ch finished reading the letter\, \"it is clear there is an heir\, and his claim must be well sustained\, if such a man as Beckley\, the first lawyer in the State\, does not hesitate to endorse it\; and as all the property (with the exception of a few thousands in my hands) lies in Georgia\, I'm afraid the poor children will come off badly\, unless this new heir prove to be a man of generosity—at all events\, it seems we are completely at his mercy.\"\n\n\"We must hope for the best\,\" rejoined Mr. Balch. \"If h e has any heart\, he certainly will make some provision for them. The disa ppearance of that will is to me most unaccountable! I am confident it was at his house. It seemed so singular that none of his papers should be miss ing\, except that—there were a great many others\, deeds\, mortgages\, & amp\;c. scattered over the floor\, but no will!\"\n\nThe gentlemen were th us conversing\, when they heard a tap at the door.\n\"Come in!\" cried Mr. Balch\; and\, in answer to the request\, in walked Mr.\nGeorge Stevens.\n \nMr. Walters and Mr. Balch bowed very stiffly\, and the latter inquired w hat had procured him the honour of a visit.\n\n\"I have called upon you in reference to the property of the late Mr. Garie.\" \"Oh! you are acting i n behalf of this new claimant\, I suppose?\" rejoined Mr. Balch.\n\n\"Sir! \" said Mr. Stevens\, looking as though he did not thoroughly understand h im.\n\n\"I said\,\" repeated Mr. Balch\, \"that I presumed you called in b ehalf of this new-found heir to Mr. Garie's property.\"\n\nMr. Stevens loo ked at him for a moment\, then drawing himself up\, exclaimed\,\n\"I AM TH E HEIR!\"\n\n\"You!—you the heir!\" cried both the gentlemen\, almost si multaneously.\n\n\"Yes\, I am the heir!\" coolly repeated Mr. Stevens\, wi th an assured look. \"I am the first cousin of Mr. Garie!\"\n\n\"You his f irst cousin?—it is impossible!\" said Walters.\n\n\"You'll discover it i s not only possible\, but true—I am\, as I said\, Mr.\nGarie's first cou sin!\"\n\n\"If you are that\, you are more\,\" said Walters\, fiercely—\ "you're his murderer!\" At this charge Mr. Stevens turned deathly pale. \" Yes\,\" continued Walters\; \"you either murdered him\, or instigated othe rs to do so! It was you who directed the rioters against both him and me —I have proof of what I say and can produce it. Now your motive is clear as day—you wanted his money\, and destroyed him to obtain it! His blood is on your hands!\" hissed Walters through his clenched teeth.\n\nIn the excitement consequent upon such a charge\, Mr. Stevens\, unnoticed by hims elf\, had overturned a bottle of red ink\, and its contents had slightly s tained his hands. When Walters charged him with having Mr. Garie's blood u pon them\, he involuntarily looked down and saw his hands stained with red . An expression of intense horror flitted over his face when he observed i t\; but quickly regaining his composure\, he replied\, \"It's only a littl e ink.\"\n\n\"Yes\, I know that is ink\,\" rejoined Walters\, scornfully\; \"look at him\,\nBalch\,\" he continued\, \"he doesn't dare to look eithe r of us in the face.\"\n\n\"It's false\,\" exclaimed Stevens\, with an eff ort to appear courageous\; \"it's as false as hell\, and any man that char ges me with it is a liar.\"\n\nThe words had scarcely passed his lips\, wh en Walters sprang upon him with the ferocity of a tiger\, and seizing him by the throat\, shook and whirled him about as though he were a plaything. \n\n\"Stop\, stop! Walters\,\" cried Mr. Balch\, endeavouring to loose his hold upon the throat of Mr. Stevens\, who was already purple in the face\ ; \"let him go\, this violence can benefit neither party. Loose your hold. \" At this remonstrance\, Walters dashed Stevens from him into the farthes t corner of the room\, exclaiming\, \"Now\, go and prosecute me if you dar e\, and I'll tell for what I chastised you\; prosecute me for an assault\, if you think you can risk the consequences.\"\n\nMr. Balch assisted him f rom the floor and placed him in a chair\, where he sat holding his side\, and panting for breath. When he was able to speak\, he exclaimed\, with a look of concentrated malignity\, \"Remember\, we'll be even some day\; I n ever received a blow and forgot it afterwards\, bear that in mind.\"\n\n\" This will never do\, gentlemen\,\" said Mr. Balch\, soothingly: \"this con duct is unworthy of you. You are unreasonable both of you. When you have c ooled down we will discuss the matter as we should.\"\n\n\"You'll discuss it alone then\,\" said Stevens\, rising\, and walking to the door: \"and w hen you have any further communication to make\, you must come to me.\"\n\ n\"Stop\, stop\, don't go\,\" cried Mr. Balch\, following him out at the d oor\, which they closed behind them\; \"don't go away in a passion\, Mr. S tevens. You and Walters are both too hasty. Come in here and sit down\,\" said he\, opening the door of a small adjoining room\, \"wait here one mom ent\, I'll come back to you.\"\n\n\"This will never do\, Walters\,\" said he\, as he re-entered his office\; \"the fellow has the upper hand of us\, and we must humour him\; we should suppress our own feelings for the chil dren's sake. You are as well aware as I am of the necessity of some compro mise—we are in his power for the present\, and must act as circumstances compel us to.\"\n\n\"I can't discuss the matter with him\,\" interrupted Walters\, \"he's an unmitigated scoundrel. I couldn't command my temper in his presence for five minutes. If you can arrange anything with him at al l advantageous to the children\, I shall be satisfied\, it will be more th an I expect\; only bear in mind\, that what I have in my hands belonging t o Garie we must retain\, he knows nothing of that.\"\n\n\"Very well\,\" re joined Mr. Balch\, \"depend upon it I'll do my best\;\" and closing the do or\, he went back to Mr. Stevens.\n\n\"Now\, Mr. Stevens\,\" said he\, dra wing up a chair\, \"we will talk over this matter dispassionately\, and tr y and arrive at some amicable arrangement: be kind enough to inform me wha t your claims are.\"\n\n\"Mr. Balch\, you are a gentleman\,\" began Mr. St evens\, \"and therefore I'm willing to discuss the matter thoroughly with you. You'll find me disposed to do a great deal for these children: but I wish it distinctly understood at the beginning\, that whatever I may give them\, I bestow as a favour. I concede nothing to them as a right\, legall y they have not the slightest claim upon me\; of that you\, who are an exc ellent lawyer\, must be well aware.\"\n\n\"We won't discuss that point at present\, Mr. Stevens. I believe you intimated you would be kind enough to say upon what evidence you purposed sustaining your claims?\"\n\n\"Well\, to come to the point\, then\,\" said Stevens\; \"the deceased Mr. Garie w as\, as I before said\, my first cousin. His father and my mother were bro ther and sister. My mother married in opposition to her parents' desires\; they cut her off from the family\, and for years there was no communicati on between them. At my father's death\, my mother made overtures for a rec onciliation\, which were contemptuously rejected\, at length she died. I w as brought up in ignorance of who my grandparents were\; and only a few mo nths since\, on the death of my father's sister\, did I make the discovery . Here\,\" said he\, extending the packet of letters which\, the reader wi ll remember once agitated\, him so strangely\, \"here are the letters that passed between my mother and her father.\"\n\nMr. Balch took up one and r ead:—\n\n\"Savannah\, 18—\n\n\"MADAM\,—Permit me to return this lett er (wherein you declare yourself the loving and repentant daughter of Bern ard Garie) and at the same time inform you\, that by your own. acts you ha ve deprived yourself of all claim to that relation. In opposition to my wi shes\, and in open defiance of my express commands\, you chose to unite yo ur fortune with one in every respect your inferior. If that union has not resulted as happily as you expected\, you must sustain yourself by the ref lection that you are the author of your own misfortunes and alone to blame for your present miserable condition.—Respectfully yours\,\n\n\"BERNARD GARIE.\"\nMr. Balch read\, one after another\, letters of a similar purpo rt—in fact\, a long correspondence between Bernard Garie and the mother of Mr. Stevens. When he had finished\, the latter remarked\, \"In addition to those\, I can produce my mother's certificate of baptism\, her marriag e certificate\, and every necessary proof of my being her son. If that doe s not suffice to make a strong case\, I am at a loss to imagine what will. \"\n\nMr. Balch pondered a few moments\, and then inquired\, looking stead ily at\nMr. Stevens\, \"How long have you known of this relationship?\"\n\ n\"Oh\, I've known it these three years.\"\n\n\"Three years! why\, my dear sir\, only a few moments ago you said a few months.\"\n\n\"Oh\, did I?\" said Mr. Stevens\, very much confused\; \"I meant\, or should have said\, three years.\"\n\n\"Then\, of course you were aware that Mr. Garie was you r cousin when he took the house beside you?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes—that is— yes—yes\; I was aware of it.\"\n\n\"And did you make any overtures of a social character?\" asked Mr. Balch.\n\n\"Well\, yes—that is to say\, my wife did.\"\n\n\"Where were you the night of the murder?\"\n\nMr. Stevens turned pale at this question\, and replied\, hesitatingly\, \"Why\, at ho me\, of course.\"\n\n\"You were at home\, and saw the house of your cousin s assaulted\, and made no effort to succour them or their children. The ne xt morning you are one of the coroner's inquest\, and hurry through the pr oceedings\, never once saying a word of your relationship to them\, nor ye t making any inquiry respecting the fate of the children. It is very singu lar.\"\n\n\"I don't see what this cross-questioning is to amount to\; it h as nothing to do with my claim as heir.\"\n\n\"We are coming to that\,\" r ejoined Mr. Balch. \"This\, as I said\, is very singular\; and when I coup le it with some other circumstances that have come to my knowledge\, it is more than singular—it is suspicious. Here are a number of houses assaul ted by a mob. Two or three days before the assault takes place\, a list in your handwriting\, and which is headed\, 'Places to be attacked\,' is fou nd\, under circumstances that leave no doubt that it came directly from yo u. Well\, the same mob that attacks these places—marked out by you—tra verse a long distance to reach the house of your next-door neighbour. They break into it\, and kill him\; and you\, who are aware at the time that h e is your own cousin\, do not attempt to interpose to prevent it\, althoug h it can be proved that you were all-powerful with the marauders. No! you allow him to be destroyed without an effort to save him\, and immediately claim his property. Now\, Mr. Stevens\, people disposed to be suspicions —seeing how much you were to be the gainer by his removal\, and knowing you had some connection with this mob—might not scruple to say that you instigated the attack by which he lost his life\; and I put it to you—no w don't you think that\, if it was any one else\, you would say that the t hing looked suspicious?\"\n\nMr. Stevens winced at this\, but made no effo rt to reply.\n\nMr. Balch continued\, \"What I was going to remark is simp ly this. As we are in possession of these facts\, and able to prove them b y competent witnesses\, we should not be willing to remain perfectly silen t respecting it\, unless you made what we regarded as a suitable provision for the children.\"\n\n\"I'm willing\, as I said before\, to do something \; but don't flatter yourself I'll do any more than I originally intended from any fear of disclosures from you. I'm not to be frightened\,\" said M r. Stevens.\n\n\"I'm not at all disposed to attempt to frighten you: howev er\, you know how far a mere statement of these facts would go towards ren dering your position in society more agreeable. A person who has been arre sted on suspicion of murder is apt to be shunned and distrusted. It can't be helped\; people are so very squeamish—they will draw back\, you know\ , under such circumstances.\"\n\n\"I don't see how such a suspicion can at tach itself to me\,\" rejoined\nStevens\, sharply.\n\n\"Oh\, well\, we won 't discuss that any further: let me hear what you will do for the children .\"\n\nMr. Balch saw\, from the nervous and embarrassed manner of Mr. Stev ens\, that the indirect threat of exposing him had had considerable effect \; and his downcast looks and agitation rather strengthened in his mind th e suspicions that had been excited by the disclosures of Mr. Walters.\n\nA fter a few moments' silence\, Mr. Stevens said\, \"I'll settle three thous and dollars on each of the children. Now I think that is treating them lib erally.\"\n\n\"Liberally!\" exclaimed Balch\, in a tone of contempt—\"li berally! You acquire by the death of their father property worth one hundr ed and fifty thousand dollars\, and you offer these children\, who are the rightful heirs\, three thousand dollars! That\, sir\, won't suffice.\" \" I think it should\, then\,\" rejoined Stevens. \"By the laws of Georgia th ese children\, instead of being his heirs\, are my slaves. Their mother wa s a slave before them\, and they were born slaves\; and if they were in Sa vannah\, I could sell them both to-morrow. On the whole\, I think I've mad e you a very fair offer\, and I'd advise you to think of it.\"\n\n\"No\, M r. Stevens\; I shall accept no such paltry sum. If you wish a quick and pe aceful possession of what you are pleased to regard as your rights\, you m ust tender something more advantageous\, or I shall feel compelled to brin g this thing into court\, even at the risk of loss\; and there\, you know\ , we should be obliged to make a clear statement of everything connected w ith this business. It might be advantageous to us to bring the thing fully before the court and public—but I'm exceedingly doubtful whether it wou ld advance your interest.\"\n\nStevens winced at this\, and asked\, \"What would you consider a fair offer?\"\n\n\"I should consider all a just offe r\, half a fair one\, and a quarter as little as you could have the consci ence to expect us to take.\"\n\n\"I don't see any use in this chaffering\, Mr. Balch\,\" said Stephens\; \"you can't expect me to give you any such sums as you propose. Name a sum that you can reasonably expect to get.\"\n \n\"Well\,\" said Mr. Balch\, rising\, \"you must give us fifteen thousand dollars\, and you should think yourself well off then. We could commence a suit\, and put you to nearly that expense to defend it\; to say nothing of the notoriety that the circumstance would occasion you. Both Walters an d I are willing to spend both money and time in defence of these children' s rights\; I assure you they are not friendless.\"\n\n\"I'll give twelve t housand\, and not a cent more\, if I'm hung for it\,\" said\nMr. Stevens\, almost involuntarily.\n\n\"Who spoke of hanging?\" asked Mr. Balch.\n\n\" Oh!\" rejoined Stevens\, \"that is only my emphatic way of speaking.\" \"O f course\, you meant figuratively\,\" said Mr. Balch\, in a tone of irony\ ; mentally adding\, \"as I hope you may be one day literally.\"\n\nMr. Ste vens looked flushed and angry\, but Mr. Balch continued\, without appearin g to notice him\, and said: \"I'll speak to Walters. Should he acquiesce i n your proposal\, I am willing to accept it\; however\, I cannot definitel y decide without consulting him. To-morrow I will inform you of the result .\"\n\nCHAPTER XXVI.\nHome Again.\n\nTo Charlie the summer had been an exc eedingly short one—time had flown so pleasantly away. Everything that co uld be done to make the place agreeable Mrs. Bird had effected. Amongst th e number of her acquaintances who had conceived a regard for her young pro tege was a promising artist to whom she had been a friend and patroness. C harlie paid him frequent visits\, and would sit hour after hour in his stu dio\, watching the progress of his work. Having nothing else at the time t o amuse him\, he one day asked the artist's permission to try his hand at a sketch. Being supplied with the necessary materials\, he commenced a cop y of a small drawing\, and was working assiduously\, when the artist came and looked over his shoulder.\n\n\"Did you ever draw before?\" he asked\, with a start of surprise.\n\n\"Never\,\" replied Charlie\, \"except on my slate at school. I sometimes used to sketch the boys' faces.\"\n\n\"And yo u have never received any instructions?\"\n\n\"Never—not even a hint\,\" was the answer.\n\n\"And this is the first time you have attempted a sket ch upon paper?\"\n\n\"Yes\; the very first.\"\n\n\"Then you are a little p rodigy\,\" said the artist\, slapping him upon the shoulder. \"I must take you in hand. You have nothing else to do\; come here regularly every day\ , and I'll teach you. Will you come?\"\n\n\"Certainly\, if you wish it. Bu t now\, tell me\, do you really think that drawing good?\" \"Well\, Charli e\, if I had done it\, it would be pronounced very bad for me\; but\, comi ng from your hands\, it's something astonishing.\"\n\n\"Really\, now—you 're not joking me?\"\n\n\"No\, Charlie\, I'm in earnest—I assure you I a m\; it is drawn with great spirit\, and the boy that you have put in by th e pump is exceedingly well done.\"\n\nThis praise served as a great incent ive to our little friend\, who\, day after day thenceforth\, was found at the studio busily engaged with his crayons\, and making rapid progress in his new art.\n\nHe had been thus occupied some weeks\, and one morning was hurrying to the breakfast-table\, to get through his meal\, that he might be early at the studio\, when he found Mrs. Bird in her accustomed seat l ooking very sad.\n\n\"Why\, what is the matter?\" he asked\, on observing the unusually grave face of his friend.\n\n\"Oh\, Charlie\, my dear! I've received very distressing intelligence from\nPhiladelphia. Your father is quite ill.\"\n\n\"My father ill!\" cried he\, with a look of alarm.\n\n\"Y es\, my dear! quite sick—so says my letter. Here are two for you.\"\n\nC harlie hastily broke the seal of one\, and read as follows:—\n\n\"MY DEA R LITTLE BROTHER\,—We are all in deep distress in consequence of the mis fortunes brought upon us by the mob. Our home has been destroyed\; and\, w orse than all\, our poor father was caught\, and so severely beaten by the rioters that for some days his life was entirely despaired of. Thank God! he is now improving\, and we have every reasonable hope of his ultimate r ecovery. Mother\, Caddy\, and I\, as you may well suppose\, are almost pro strated by this accumulation of misfortunes\, and but for the kindness of Mr. Walters\, with whom we are living\, I do not know what would have beco me of us. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Garie—[Here followed a passage that was so s cored and crossed as to be illegible. After a short endeavour to decipher it\, he continued:] We would like to see you very much\, and mother grows every day more anxious for your return. I forgot to add\, in connection wi th the mob\, that Mr. Walters's house was also attacked\, but unsuccessful ly\, the rioters having met a signal repulse. Mother and Caddy send a worl d of love to you. So does Kinch\, who comes every day to see us and is\, o ften extremely useful. Give our united kind regards to Mrs. Bird\, and tha nk her in our behalf for her great kindness to you.—Ever yours\,\n\n\"ES THER.\n\"P.S.—Do try and manage to come home soon.\"\n\nThe tears trickl ed down Charlie's cheek as he perused the letter\, which\, when he had fin ished reading\, he handed to Mrs. Bird\, and then commenced the other. Thi s proved to be from Kinch\, who had spent all the spare time at his dispos al since the occurrence of the mob in preparing it.\n\n\"To MR. CHARLES EL LIS\, ESQ.\, at MRS. BIRD'S.\n\n\"Philadelphia.\n\n\"DEAR SIR AND HONNORED FRIEND.—I take This chance To Write To you To tell You that I am Well\, And that we are all well Except Your father\, who Is sick\; and I hope yo u are Enjoying the same Blessin. We had An Awful fight\, And I was There\, and I was One of The Captings. I had a sord on\; and the next Mornin we h ad a grate Brekfast. But nobody Eat anything but me\, And I was obliged to eat\, Or the Wittles would have spoiled. The Mob had Guns as Big as Cannu n\; And they Shot them Off\, and the holes Are in The Shutter yet\; And wh en You come Back\, I will show them to You. Your Father is very bad\; And I Have gone back to school\, And I am Licked every day because I don't Kno w my Lesson. A great big boy\, with white woolly hair and Pinkish Grey eye s\, has got Your seat. I Put a Pin under him one Day\, And he told On me\; and We Are to Have a fight tomorrow. The boys Call Him 'Short and Dirty\, ' because he ain't tall\, and never washes His Face. We Have got a new Tea cher for the 5th Division. He's a Scorcher\, And believes in Rat Tan. I am to Wear My new Cloths Next Sunday. Excuse This long letter. Your Friend t ill death\,\n\n\"KINCH SANDERS DE YOUNGE.\n[Illustration: skull and cross bones]\n\n\"P.S. This it the best Skull and Cross-bones That\nI can make. Come home soon\, Yours &\;c.\,\n\n\"K. S. DE YOUNGE\, ESQ.\"\nCharlie c ould not but smile through his tears\, as he read this curious epistle\, w hich was not more remarkable for its graceful composition than its wonderf ul chirography. Some of the lines were written in blue ink\, some in red\, and others in that pale muddy black which is the peculiar colour of ink a fter passing through the various experiments of school-boys\, who generall y entertain the belief that all foreign substances\, from molasses-candy t o bread-crumbs\, necessarily improve the colour and quality of that import ant liquid.\n\n\"Why every other word almost is commenced with a capital\; and I declare he's even made some in German text\,\" cried Charlie\, runn ing his finger mirthfully along the lines\, until he came to \"Your father is very bad.\" Here the tears came welling up again—the shower had retu rned almost before the sun had departed\; and\, hiding his face in his han ds\, he leant sobbing on the table.\n\n\"Cheer up\, Charlie!—cheer up\, my little man! all may go well yet.\"\n\n\"Mrs. Bird\,\" he sobbed\, \"you 've been very kind to me\; yet I want to go home. I must see mother and fa ther. You see what Esther writes\,—they want me to come home\; do let me go.\"\n\n\"Of course you shall go\, if you wish. Yet I should like you to remain with me\, if you will.\"\n\n\"No\, no\, Mrs. Bird\, I mustn't stay \; it wouldn't be right for me to remain here\, idle and enjoying myself\, and they so poor and unhappy at home. I couldn't stay\,\" said he\, risin g from the table\,—\"I must go.\"\n\n\"Well\, my dear\, you can't go now . Sit down and finish your breakfast\, or you will have a head-ache.\"\n\n \"I'm not hungry—I can't eat\,\" he replied\; \"my appetite has all gone .\" And stealing away from the room\, he went up into his chamber\, threw himself on the bed\, and wept bitterly.\n\nMrs. Bird was greatly distresse d at the idea of losing her little favourite. He had been so much with her that she had become strongly attached to him\, and therefore looked forwa rd to his departure with unfeigned regret. But Charlie could not be persua ded to stay\; and reluctantly Mrs. Bird made arrangements for his journey home. Even the servants looked a little sorry when they heard of his inten ded departure\; and Reuben the coachman actually presented him with a jack -knife as a token of his regard.\n\nMrs. Bird accompanied him to the steam er\, and placed him under the special care of the captain\; so that he was most comfortably provided for until his arrival in New York\, where he to ok the cars direct for home.\n\nNot having written to inform them on what day he might be expected\, he anticipated giving them a joyful surprise\, and\, with this end in view\, hastened in the direction of Mr. Walters's. As he passed along\, his eye was attracted by a figure before him which he thought he recognized\, and on closer inspection it proved to be his sist er Caddy.\n\nFull of boyish fun\, he crept up behind her\, and clasped his hands over her eyes\, exclaiming\, in an assumed voice\, \"Now\, who am I ?\"\n\n\"Go away\, you impudent\, nasty thing!\" cried Caddy\, plunging vi olently.\nCharlie loosed his hold\; she turned\, and beheld her brother.\n \n\"Oh! Charlie\, Charlie! is it you? Why\, bless you\, you naughty fellow \, how you frightened me!\" said she\, throwing her arms round his neck\, and kissing him again and again. \"When did you come? Oh\, how delighted m other and Ess will be!\" \"I only arrived about half an hour ago. How are mother and father and Esther?\"\n\n\"Mother and Ess are well\, and father better. But I'm so glad to see you\,\" she cried\, with a fresh burst of t ears and additional embraces.\n\n\"Why\, Cad\,\" said he\, endeavouring to suppress some watery sensations of his own\, \"I'm afraid you're not a bi t pleased at my return—you're actually crying about it.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I'm so glad to see you that I can't help it\,\" she replied\, as she fell to c rying and kissing him more furiously than before.\n\nCharlie became much c onfused at these repeated demonstrations of joyful affection in the crowde d street\, and\, gently disengaging her\, remarked\, \"See\, Caddy\, every body is looking at us\; let us walk on.\"\n\n\"I had almost forgot I was s ent on an errand—however\, it's not of much consequence—I'll go home a gain with you\;\" and taking his hand\, they trudged on together.\n\n\"How did you say father was?\" he asked again.\n\n\"Oh\, he's better bodily\; that is\, he has some appetite\, sits up every day\, and is gradually gett ing stronger\; but he's all wrong here\,\" said she\, tapping her forehead . \"Sometimes he don't know any of us—and it makes us all feel so bad.\" Here the tears came trickling down again\, as she continued: \"Oh\, Charl ie! what those white devils will have to answer for! When I think of how m uch injury they have done us\, I hate them! I know it's wrong to hate anyb ody—but I can't help it\; and I believe God hates them as much as I do!\ "\n\nCharlie looked gloomy\; and\, as he made no rejoinder\, she continued \, \"We didn't save a thing\, not even a change of clothes\; they broke an d burnt up everything\; and then the way they beat poor father was horribl e—horrible! Just think—they chopped his fingers nearly all off\, so th at he has only the stumps left. Charlie\, Charlie!\" she cried\, wringing her hands\, \"it's heart-rending to see him—he can't even feed himself\, and he'll never be able to work again!\"\n\n\"Don't grieve\, Cad\,\" said Charlie\, with an effort to suppress his own tears\; \"I'm almost a man n ow\,\" continued he\, drawing himself up—\"don't be afraid\, I'll take c are of you all!\"\n\nThus conversing\, they reached Mr. Walters's. Caddy w anted Charlie to stop and look at the damage effected by the mob upon the outside of the house\, but he was anxious to go in\, and ran up the steps and gave the bell a very sharp pull. The servant who opened the door was a bout to make some exclamation of surprise\, and was only restrained by a w arning look from Charlie. Hurrying past them\, Caddy led the way to the ro om where her mother and Esther were sitting. With a cry of joy Mrs. Ellis caught him in her arms\, and\, before he was aware of their presence\, he found himself half smothered by her and Esther.\n\nThey had never been sep arated before his trip to Warmouth\; and their reunion\, under such circum stances\, was particularly affecting. None of them could speak for a few m oments\, and Charlie clung round his mother's neck as though he would neve r loose his hold. \"Mother\, mother!\" was all he could utter\; yet in tha t word was comprised a world of joy and affection.\n\nEsther soon came in for her share of caresses\; then Charlie inquired\,\n\"Where's father?\"\n \n\"In here\,\" said Mrs. Ellis\, leading the way to an adjoining room. \" I don't think he will know you—perhaps he may.\"\n\nIn one corner of the apartment\, propped up in a large easy chair by a number of pillows\, sat poor Mr. Ellis\, gazing vacantly about the room and muttering to himself. His hair had grown quite white\, and his form was emaciated in the extrem e\; there was a broad scar across his forehead\, and his dull\, lustreless eyes were deeply sunken in his head. He took no notice of them as they ap proached\, but continued muttering and looking at his hands.\n\nCharlie wa s almost petrified at the change wrought in his father. A few months befor e he had left him in the prime of healthful manhood\; now he was bent and spectrelike\, and old in appearance as if the frosts of eighty winters had suddenly fallen on him. Mrs. Ellis laid her hand gently upon his shoulder \, and said\, \"Husband\, here's Charlie.\" He made no reply\, but continu ed muttering and examining his mutilated hands. \"It's Charlie\,\" she rep eated.\n\n\"Oh\, ay! nice little boy!\" he replied\, vacantly\; \"whose so n is he?\"\n\nMrs. Ellis's voice quivered as she reiterated\, \"It's Charl ie—our\nCharlie!—don't you know him?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes! nice little bo y—nice little boy. Oh!\" he continued\, in a suppressed and hurried tone \, as a look of alarm crossed his face\; \"run home quick\, little boy! an d tell your mother they're coming\, thousands of them\; they've guns\, and swords\, and clubs. Hush! There they come—there they come!\" And he bur ied his face in the shawl\, and trembled in an agony of fright.\n\n\"Oh\, mother\, this is dreadful!\" exclaimed Charlie. \"Don't he know any of you ?\"\n\n\"Yes\; sometimes his mind comes back—very seldom\, though—only for a very little while. Come away: talking to him sometimes makes him wo rse.\" And slowly and sorrowfully the two left the apartment.\n\nThat even ing\, after Mr. Ellis had been safely bestowed in bed\, the family gathere d round the fire in the room of Mrs. Ellis\, where Charlie entertained the m with a description of Warmouth and of the manner in which he had passed the time whilst there. He was enthusiastic respecting Mrs. Bird and her ki ndness. \"Mother\, she is such a dear old lady: if I'd been as white as sn ow\, and her own son\, she couldn't have been kinder to me. She didn't wan t me to come away\, and cried ever so much. Let me show you what she gave me!\" Charlie thrust his hand into his pocket\, and drew out a small walle t\, from which he counted out four ten-dollar bills\, two fives\, and a tw o dollar and a half gold piece\, \"Ain't I rich!\" said he\, as\, with the air of a millionaire\, he tossed the money upon a table. \"Now\,\" he con tinued\, \"do you know what I'm about to do?\" Not receiving any answer fr om his wondering sisters or mother\, he added\, \"Why\, just this!—here\ , mother\, this is yours\,\" said he\, placing the four ten-dollar bills b efore her\; \"and here are five apiece for Esther and Cad\; the balance is for your humble servant. Now\, then\,\" he concluded\, \"what do you thin k of that?\"\n\nMrs. Ellis looked fondly at him\, and\, stroking his head\ , told him that he was a good son\; and Esther and Caddy declared him to b e the best brother in town.\n\n\"Now\, girls\,\" said he\, with the air of a patriarch\, \"what do you intend to do with your money?\"\n\n\"Mine wil l go towards buying me a dress\, and Esther will save hers for a particula r purpose\,\" said Caddy. \"I'll tell you something about her and Mr. Walt ers\,\" continued she\, with a mischievous look at her sister.\n\n\"Oh\, C addy—don't! Ain't you ashamed to plague me so?\" asked Esther\, blushing to the roots of her hair. \"Mother\, pray stop her\,\" cried she\, pleadi ngly.\n\n\"Hush\, Caddy!\" interposed her mother\, authoritatively\; \"you shall do no such thing.\"\n\n\"Well\,\" resumed Caddy\, \"mother says I m ustn't tell\; but I can say this much——\"\n\nEsther here put her hand over her sister's mouth and effectually prevented any communication she wa s disposed to make.\n\n\"Never mind her\, Ess!\" cried Charlie\; \"you'll tell me all in good time\, especially if it's anything worth knowing.\"\n\ nEsther made no reply\, but\, releasing her sister\, hurried out of the ro om\, and went upstairs to Charlie's chamber\, where he found her on retiri ng for the night.\n\n\"I'm glad you're here\, Ess\,\" said he\, \"you'll i ndulge me. Here is the key—open my trunk and get me out a nightcap\; I'm too tired\, or too lazy\, to get it for myself.\" Esther stooped down\, o pened the trunk\, and commenced searching for the article of head-gear in question. \"Come\, Ess\,\" said Charles\, coaxingly\, \"tell me what this is about you and Mr. Walters.\"\n\nShe made no reply at first\, but fumble d about in the bottom of the trunk\, professedly in search of the nightcap which she at that moment held in her hand. \"Can't you tell me?\" he agai n asked.\n\n\"Oh\, there's nothing to tell\, Charlie!\" she answered.\n\n\ "There must be something\, Ess\, or you wouldn't have blushed up so when C ad was about to speak of it. Do\,\" said he\, approaching her\, and puttin g his arm round her neck—\"do tell me all about it—I am sure there is some secret!\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, Charlie—there is no secret\; it's only t his——\" Here she stopped\, and\, blushing\, turned her head away.\n\n\ "Ess\, this is nonsense\,\" said Charlie\, impatiently: \"if it's anything worth knowing\, why can't you tell a fellow? Come\,\" said he\, kissing h er\, \"tell me\, now\, like a dear old Ess as you are.\"\n\n\"Well\, Charl ie\,\" said she\, jerking the words out with an effort\, \"Mr.—Mr.\nWalt ers has asked me to marry him!\"\n\n\"Phew—gemini! that is news!\" excla imed Charlie. \"And are you going to accept him Ess?\"\n\n\"I don't know\, \" she answered.\n\n\"Don't know!\" repeated Charlie\, in a tone of surpri se. \"Why\, Ess\, I'm astonished at you—such a capital fellow as he is! Half the girls of our acquaintance would give an eye for the chance.\"\n\n \"But he is so rich!\" responded Esther.\n\n\"Well\, now\, that's a great objection\, ain't it! I should say\, all the better on that account\,\" re joined Charlie.\n\n\"The money is the great stumbling-block\,\" continued she\; \"everybody would say I married him for that.\"\n\n\"Then everybody would lie\, as everybody very often does! If I was you\, Ess\, and loved h im\, I shouldn't let his fortune stand in the way. I wish\,\" continued he \, pulling up his shirt-collar\, \"that some amiable young girl with a for tune of a hundred thousand dollars\, would make me an offer—I'd like to catch myself refusing her!\"\n\nThe idea of a youth of his tender years ma rrying any one\, seemed so ludicrous to Esther\, that she burst into a hea rty fit of laughter\, to the great chagrin of our hero\, who seemed decide dly of the opinion that his sister had not a proper appreciation of his ye ars and inches.\n\n\"Don't laugh\, Ess\; but tell me—do you really inten d to refuse him?\"\n\n\"I can't decide yet\, Charlie\,\" answered she seri ously\; \"if we were situated as we were before—were not such absolute p aupers—I wouldn't hesitate to accept him\; but to bring a family of comp arative beggars upon him—I can't make up my mind to do that.\"\n\nCharli e looked grave as Esther made this last objection\; boy as he was\, he fel t its weight and justice. \"Well\, Ess\,\" rejoined he\, \"I don't know wh at to say about it—of course I can't advise. What does mother say?\"\n\n \"She leaves it entirely to me\,\" she answered. \"She says I must act jus t as\nI feel is right.\"\n\n\"I certainly wouldn't have him at all\, Ess\, if I didn't love him\; and if I did\, I shouldn't let the money stand in the way—so\, good night!\"\n\nCharlie slept very late the next morning\, and was scarcely dressed when Esther knocked at his door\, with the cheer ful tidings that her father had a lucid interval and was waiting to see hi m.\n\nDressing himself hastily\, he followed her into their father's room. When he entered\, the feeble sufferer stretched out his mutilated arms to wards him and clasped him round the neck\, \"They tell me\,\" said he\, \" that you came yesterday\, and that I didn't recognize you. I thought\, whe n I awoke this morning\, that I had a dim recollection of having seen some dear face\; but my head aches so\, that I often forget—yes\, often forg et. My boy\,\" he continued\, \"you are all your mother and sisters have t o depend upon now\; I'm—I'm——\" here his voice faltered\, as he elev ated his stumps of hands—\"I'm helpless\; but you must take care of them . I'm an old man now\,\" said he despondingly.\n\n\"I will\, father\; I'll try so hard\" replied Charlie.\n\n\"It was cruel in them\, wasn't it\, so n\,\" he resumed. \"See\, they've made me helpless for ever!\" Charlie res trained the tears that were forcing themselves up\, and rejoined\, \"Never fear\, father! I'll do my best\; I trust I shall soon be able to take car e of you.\"\n\nHis father did not understand him—his mind was gone again \, and he was staring vacantly about him. Charlie endeavoured to recall hi s attention\, but failed\, for he began muttering about the mob and his ha nds\; they were compelled to quit the room\, and leave him to himself\, as he always became quiet sooner by being left alone.\n\nCHAPTER XXVII.\nSud bury.\n\nWe must now admit our readers to a consultation that is progressi ng between Mr. Balch and Mr. Walters\, respecting the future of the two Ga rie children. They no doubt entered upon the conference with the warmest a nd most earnest desire of promoting the children's happiness\; but\, unfor tunately\, their decision failed to produce the wished-for result.\n\n\"I scarcely thought you would have succeeded so well with him\,\" said Walter s\, \"he is such an inveterate scoundrel\; depend upon it nothing but the fear of the exposure resulting from a legal investigation would ever have induced that scamp to let twelve thousand dollars escape from his clutches . I am glad you have secured that much\; when we add it to the eight thous and already in my possession it will place them in very comfortable circum stances\, even if they never get any more.\"\n\n\"I think we have done ver y well\,\" rejoined Mr. Balch\; \"we were as much in his power as he was i n ours—not in the same way\, however\; a legal investigation\, no matter how damaging it might have been to his reputation\, would not have placed us in possession of the property\, or invalidated his claim as heir. I th ink\, on the whole\, we may as well be satisfied\, and trust in Providence for the future. So now\, then\, we will resume our discussion of that mat ter we had under consideration the other day. I cannot but think that my p lan is best adapted to secure the boy's happiness.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry I cann ot agree with you\, Mr. Balch. I have tried to view your plan in the most favourable light\, yet I cannot rid myself of a presentiment that it will result in the ultimate discovery of his peculiar position\, and that most probably at some time when his happiness is dependent upon its concealment . An undetected forger\, who is in constant fear of being apprehended\, is happy in comparison with that coloured man who attempts\, in this country \, to hold a place in the society of whites by concealing his origin. He m ust live in constant fear of exposure\; this dread will embitter every enj oyment\, and make him the most miserable of men.\"\n\n\"You must admit\,\" rejoined Mr. Balch\, \"that I have their welfare at heart. I have thought the matter over and over\, and cannot\, for the life of me\, feel the wei ght of your objections. The children are peculiarly situated\; everything seems to favour my views. Their mother (the only relative they had whose A frican origin was distinguishable) is dead\, and both of them are so excee dingly fair that it would never enter the brain of any one that they were connected with coloured people by ties of blood. Clarence is old enough to know the importance of concealing the fact\, and Emily might be kept with us until her prudence also might be relied upon. You must acknowledge tha t as white persons they will be better off.\"\n\n\"I admit\,\" answered Mr . Walters\, \"that in our land of liberty it is of incalculable advantage to be white\; that is beyond dispute\, and no one is more painfully aware of it than I. Often I have heard men of colour say they would not be white if they could—had no desire to change their complexions\; I've written some down fools\; others\, liars. Why\,\" continued he\, with a sneering e xpression of countenance\, \"it is everything to be white\; one feels that at every turn in our boasted free country\, where all men are upon an equ ality. When I look around me\, and see what I have made myself in spite of circumstances\, and think what I might have been with the same heart and brain beneath a fairer skin\, I am almost tempted to curse the destiny tha t made me what I am. Time after time\, when scraping\, toiling\, saving\, I have asked myself. To what purpose is it all?—perhaps that in the futu re white men may point at and call me\, sneeringly\, 'a nigger millionaire \,' or condescend to borrow money of me. Ah! often\, when some negro-hatin g white man has been forced to ask a loan at my hands\, I've thought of Sh ylock and his pound of flesh\, and ceased to wonder at him. There's no dou bt\, my dear sir\, but what I fully appreciate the advantage of being whit e. Yet\, with all I have endured\, and yet endure from day to day\, I este em myself happy in comparison with that man\, who\, mingling in the societ y of whites\, is at the same time aware that he has African blood in his v eins\, and is liable at any moment to be ignominiously hurled from his pos ition by the discovery of his origin. He is never safe. I have known insta nces where parties have gone on for years and years undetected\; but some untoward circumstance brings them out at last\, and down they fall for eve r.\"\n\n\"Walters\, my dear fellow\, you will persist in looking upon his being discovered as a thing of course: I see no reason for the anticipatio n of any such result. I don't see how he is to be detected—it may never occur. And do you feel justified in consigning them to a position which yo u know by painful experience to be one of the most disagreeable that can b e endured. Ought we not to aid their escape from it if we can?\"\n\nMr. Wa lters stood reflectively for some moments\, and then exclaimed\, \"I'll ma ke no farther objection\; I would not have the boy say to me hereafter\, ' But for your persisting in identifying me with a degraded people\, I might have been better and happier than I am.' However\, I cannot but feel that concealments of this kind are productive of more misery than comfort.\"\n \n\"We will agree to differ about that\, Walters\; and now\, having your c onsent\, I shall not hesitate to proceed in the matter\, with full relianc e that the future will amply justify my choice.\"\n\n\"Well\, well! as I s aid before\, I will offer no further objection. Now let me hear the detail s of your plan.\"\n\n\"I have written\,\" answered Mr. Balch\, \"to Mr. Eu stis\, a friend of mine living at Sudbury\, where there is a large prepara tory school for boys. At his house I purpose placing Clarence. Mr. Eustis is a most discreet man\, and a person of liberal sentiments. I feel that I can confide everything to him without the least fear of his ever divulgin g a breath of it. He is a gentleman in the fullest sense of the term\, and at his house the boy will have the advantage of good society\, and will a ssociate with the best people of the place.\"\n\n\"Has he a family?\" aske d Mr. Walters.\n\n\"He is a widower\,\" answered Mr. Balch\; \"a maiden si ster of his wife's presides over his establishment\; she will be kind to C larence\, I am confident\; she has a motherly soft heart\, and is remarkab ly fond of children. I have not the least doubt but that he will be very h appy and comfortable there. I think it very fortunate\, Walters\,\" he con tinued\, \"that he has so few coloured acquaintances—no boyish intimacie s to break up\; and it will be as well to send him away before he has an o pportunity of forming them. Besides\, being here\, where everything will b e so constantly reviving the remembrance of his recent loss\, he may grow melancholy and stupid. I have several times noticed his reserve\, so unusu al in a child. His dreadful loss and the horrors that attended it have mad e\, a deep impression—stupified him\, to a certain extent\, I think. Wel l\, well! we will get him off\, and once away at school\, and surrounded b y lively boys\, this dulness will soon wear off.\"\n\nThe gentlemen having fully determined upon his being sent\, it was proposed to bring him in im mediately and talk to him relative to it. He was accordingly sent for\, an d came into the room\, placing himself beside the chair of Mr. Walters.\n\ nClarence had altered very much since the death of his parents. His face h ad grown thin and pale\, and he was much taller than when he came to Phila delphia: a shade of melancholy had overspread his face\; there was now in his eyes that expression of intense sadness that characterized his mother' s. \"You sent for me?\" he remarked\, inquiringly\, to Mr. Walters.\n\n\"Y es\, my boy\,\" he rejoined\, \"we sent for you to have a little talk abou t school. Would you like to go to school again?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes!\" answere d Clarence\, his face lighting up with pleasure\; \"I should like it of al l things\; it would be much better than staying at home all day\, doing no thing\; the days are so long\,\" concluded he\, with a sigh.\n\n\"Ah! we w ill soon remedy that\,\" rejoined Mr. Balch\, \"when you go to\nSudbury.\" \n\n\"Sudbury!\" repeated Clarence\, with surprise\; \"where is that? I th ought you meant\, to go to school here.\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\, my dear\,\" said Mr. Balch\, \"I don't know of any good school here\, such as you would lik e\; we wish to send you to a place where you will enjoy yourself finely\ ,—where you will have a number of boys for companions in your studies an d pleasures.\"\n\n\"And is Em going with me?\" he asked.\n\n\"Oh\, no\, th at is not possible\; it is a school for boys exclusively\; you can't take your sister there\,\" rejoined Mr. Walters.\n\n\"Then I don't want to go\, \" said Clarence\, decidedly\; \"I don't want to go where I can't take Em with me.\"\n\nMr. Balch exchanged glances with Mr. Walters\, and looked qu ite perplexed at this new opposition to his scheme. Nothing daunted\, howe ver\, by this difficulty\, he\, by dint of much talking and persuasion\, b rought Clarence to look upon the plan with favour\, and to consent relucta ntly to go without his sister.\n\nBut the most delicate part of the whole business was yet to come—they must\nimpress upon the child the necessity of concealing the fact that he was of\nAfrican origin. Neither seemed to know how to approach the subject.\nClarence\, however\, involuntarily made an opening for them by inquiring if\nEmily was to go to Miss Jordan's sch ool again.\n\n\"No\, my dear\,\" answered Mr. Balch\, \"Miss Jordan won't permit her to attend school there.\"\n\n\"Why?\" asked Clarence.\n\n\"Beca use she is a coloured child\,\" rejoined Mr. Balch. \"Now\, Clarence\,\" h e continued\, \"you are old enough\, I presume\, to know the difference th at exists between the privileges and advantages enjoyed by the whites\, an d those that are at the command of the coloured people. White boys can go to better schools\, and they can enter college and become professional men \, lawyers\, doctors\, &\;c\, or they may be merchants—in fact\, they can be anything they please. Coloured people can enjoy none of these adva ntages\; they are shut out from them entirely. Now which of the two would you rather be—coloured or white?\"\n\n\"I should much rather be white\, of course\,\" answered Clarence\; \"but I am coloured\, and can't help mys elf\,\" said he\, innocently.\n\n\"But\, my child\, we are going to send y ou where it is not known that you are coloured\; and you must never\, neve r tell it\, because if it became known\, you would be expelled from the sc hool\, as you were from Miss Jordan's.\"\n\n\"I didn't know we were expell ed\,\" rejoined Clarence. \"I know she sent us home\, but I could not unde rstand what it was for. I'm afraid they will send me from the other school . Won't they know I am coloured?\"\n\n\"No\, my child\, I don't think they will discover it unless you should be foolish enough to tell it yourself\ , in which case both Mr. Walters and myself would be very much grieved.\"\ n\n\"But suppose some one should ask me\,\" suggested Clarence.\n\n\"No on e will ever ask you such a question\,\" said Mr. Balch\, impatiently\; \"a ll you have to do is to be silent yourself on the subject. Should any of y our schoolmates ever make inquiries respecting your parents\, all you have to answer is\, they were from Georgia\, and you are an orphan.\"\n\nClare nce's eyes began to moisten as Mr. Balch spoke of his parents\, and after a few moments he asked\, with some hesitation\, \"Am I never to speak of m other? I love to talk of mother.\"\n\n\"Yes\, my dear\, of course you can talk of your mother\,\" answered Mr. Balch\, with great embarrassment\; \" only\, you know\, my child\, you need not enter into particulars as regard s her appearance\; that is\, you—ah!—need not say she was a coloured w oman. You must not say that\; you understand?\"\n\n\"Yes\, sir\,\" answere d Clarence.\n\n\"Very well\, then\; bear that in mind. You must know\, Cla rence\,\" continued he\, \"that this concealment is necessary for your wel fare\, or we would not require it\; and you must let me impress it upon yo u\, that it is requisite that you attend strictly to our directions.\"\n\n Mr. Walters remained silent during most of this conversation. He felt a re pugnance to force upon the child a concealment the beneficial results of w hich were the reverse of obvious\, so he merely gave Clarence some useful advice respecting his general conduct\, and then permitted him to leave th e room.\n\nThe morning fixed upon for their departure for Sudbury turned o ut to be cold and cheerless\; and Clarence felt very gloomy as he sat besi de his sister at their early breakfast\, of which he was not able to eat a morsel. \"Do eat something\, Clary\,\" said she\, coaxingly\; \"only look what nice buckwheat cakes these are\; cook got up ever so early on purpos e to bake them for you.\"\n\n\"No\, sis\,\" he replied\, \"I can't eat. I feel so miserable\, everything chokes me.\"\n\n\"Well\, eat a biscuit\, th en\,\" she continued\, as she buttered it and laid it on his plate\; \"do eat it\, now.\"\n\nMore to please her than from a desire to eat\, he force d down a few mouthfuls of it\, and drank a little tea\; then\, laying his arm round her neck\, he said\, \"Em\, you must try hard to learn to write soon\, so that I may hear from you at least once a week.\"\n\n\"Oh! I shal l soon know how\, I'm in g's and h's now. Aunt Esther—she says I may cal l her Aunt Esther—teaches me every day. Ain't I getting on nicely?\"\n\n \"Oh\, yes\, you learn very fast\,\" said Esther\, encouragingly\, as she completed the pile of sandwiches she was preparing for the young traveller \; then\, turning to look at the timepiece on the mantel\, she exclaimed\, \"Quarter to seven—how time flies! Mr. Balch will soon be here. You mus t be all ready\, Clarence\, so as not to keep him waiting a moment.\"\n\nC larence arose from his scarcely tasted meal\, began slowly to put on his o vercoat\, and make himself ready for the journey. Em tied on the warm wool len neck-comforter\, kissing him on each cheek as she did so\, and whilst they were thus engaged\, Mr. Balch drove up to the door.\n\nCharlie\, who had come down to see him off\, tried (with his mouth full of buckwheat cak e) to say something consolatory\, and gave it as his experience\, \"that a fellow soon got over that sort of thing\; that separations must occur som etimes\,\" &\;c.—and\, on the whole\, endeavoured to talk in a very m anly and philosophical strain\; but his precepts and practice proved to be at utter variance\, for when the moment of separation really came and he saw the tearful embrace of Em and her brother\, he caught the infection of grief\, and cried as heartily as the best of them. There was but little t ime\, however\, to spare for leave-takings\, and the young traveller and h is guardian were soon whirling over the road towards New York.\n\nBy a sin gular chance\, Clarence found himself in the same car in which he had form erly rode when they were on their way to Philadelphia: he recognized it by some peculiar paintings on the panel of the door\, and the ornamental bor der of the ceiling. This brought back a tide of memories\, and he began co ntrasting that journey with the present. Opposite was the seat on which hi s parents had sat\, in the bloom of health\, and elate with\; joyous antic ipations\; he remembered—oh! so well—his father's pleasant smile\, his mother's soft and gentle voice. Both now were gone. Death had made rigid that smiling face—her soft voice was hushed for ever—and the cold snow was resting on their bosoms in the little churchyard miles away. Truly th e contrast between now and then was extremely saddening\, and the child bo wed his head upon the seat\, and sobbed in bitter grief.\n\n\"What is the matter?\" asked Mr. Balch\; \"not crying again\, I hope. I thought you wer e going to be a man\, and that we were not to have any more tears. Come!\" continued he\, patting him encouragingly on the back\, \"cheer up! You ar e going to a delightful place\, where you will find a number of agreeable playmates\, and have a deal of fun\, and enjoy yourself amazingly.\"\n\n\" But it won't be home\,\" replied Clarence.\n\n\"True\,\" replied Mr. Balch \, a little touched\, \"it won't seem so at first\; but you'll soon like i t\, I'll guarantee that.\"\n\nClarence was not permitted to indulge his gr ief to any great extent\, for Mr. Balch soon succeeded in interesting him in the various objects that they passed on the way.\n\nOn the evening of t he next day they arrived at their destination\, and Clarence alighted from the cars\, cold\, fatigued\, and spiritless. There had been a heavy fall of snow a few days previous\, and the town of Sudbury\, which was built up on the hill-side\, shone white and sparkling in the clear winter moonlight .\n\nIt was the first time that Clarence had ever seen the ground covered with snow\, and he could not restrain his admiration at the novel spectacl e it presented to him. \"Oh\, look!—oh\, do look! Mr. Balch\,\" he excla imed\, \"how beautifully white it looks\; it seems as if the town was buil t of salt.\"\n\nIt was indeed a pretty sight. Near them stood a clump of f antastic-shaped trees\, their gnarled limbs covered with snow\, and brilli ant with the countless icicles that glistened like precious stones in the bright light that was reflected upon them from the windows of the station. A little farther on\, between them and the town\, flowed a small stream\, the waters of which were dimpling and sparkling in the moonlight. Beside its banks arose stately cotton-mills\, and from their many windows hundred s of lights were shining. Behind them\, tier above tier\, were the houses of the town\; and crowning the hill was the academy\, with its great dome gleaming on its top like a silver cap upon a mountain of snow. The merry s leigh-bells and the crisp tramp of the horses upon the frozen ground were all calculated to make a striking impression on one beholding such a scene for the first time.\n\nClarence followed Mr. Balch into the sleigh\, deli ghted and bewildered with the surrounding objects. The driver whipped up h is horses\, they clattered over the bridge\, dashed swiftly through the to wn\, and in a very short period arrived at the dwelling of Mr. Eustis.\n\n The horses had scarcely stopped\, when the door flew open\, and a stream o f light from the hall shone down the pathway to the gate. Mr. Eustis came out on the step to welcome them. After greeting Mr. Balch warmly\, he took Clarence by the hand\, and led him into the room where his sister was sit ting.\n\n\"Here is our little friend\,\" said he to her\, as she arose and approached them\; \"try and get him warm\, Ada—his hands are like ice.\ "\n\nMiss Ada Bell welcomed Clarence in the most affectionate manner\, ass isted him to remove his coat\, unfastened his woollen neck-tie\, and smoot hed down his glossy black hair\; then\, warming a napkin\, she wrapped it round his benumbed hands\, and held them in her own until the circulation was restored and they were supple and comfortable again.\n\nMiss Ada Bell appeared to be about thirty-five. She had good regular features\, hazel ey es\, and long chestnut curls: a mouth with the sweetest expression\, and a voice so winning and affectionate in its tone that it went straight to th e hearts of all that listened to its music.\n\n\"Had you a pleasant journe y?\" she asked.\n\n\"It was rather cold\,\" answered Clarence\, \"and I am not accustomed to frosty weather.\"\n\n\"And did you leave all your frien ds well?\" she continued\, as she chafed his hands.\n\n\"Quite well\, I th ank you\,\" he replied.\n\n\"I hear you have a little sister\; were you no t sorry to leave her behind?\"\n\nThis question called up the tearful face of little Em and her last embrace. He could not answer\; he only raised h is mournful dark eyes to the face of Miss Ada\, and as he looked at her th ey grew moist\, and a tear sparkled on his long lashes. Miss Ada felt that she had touched a tender chord\, so she stooped down and kissed his foreh ead\, remarking\, \"You have a good face\, Clarence\, and no doubt an equa lly good heart\; we shall get on charmingly together\, I know.\" Those kin d words won the orphan's heart\, and from that day forth. Clarence loved h er. Tea was soon brought upon the table\, and they all earnestly engaged i n the discussion of the various refreshments that Miss Ada's well-stocked larder afforded. Everything was so fresh and nicely flavoured that both th e travellers ate very heartily\; then\, being much fatigued with their two days' journey\, they seized an early opportunity to retire.\n\n* * * * *\ n\nHere we leave Clarence for many years\; the boy will have become a man ere we re-introduce him\, and\, till then\, we bid him adieu.\n\nCHAPTER X XVIII.\nCharlie seeks Employment.\n\nCharlie had been at borne some weeks\ , comparatively idle\; at least he so considered himself\, as the little h e did in the way of collecting rents and looking up small accounts for Mr. Walters he regarded as next to nothing\, it not occupying half his time. A part of each day he spent in attendance on his father\, who seemed bette r satisfied with his ministrations than with those of his wife and daughte rs. This proved to be very fortunate for all parties\, as it enabled the g irls to concentrate their attention on their sewing—of which they had a vast deal on hand.\n\nOne day\, when Esther and Charlie were walking out t ogether\, the latter remarked: \"Ess\, I wish I could find some regular an d profitable employment\, or was apprenticed to some good trade that would enable me to assist mother a little\; I'd even go to service if I could d o no better—anything but being idle whilst you are all so hard at work. It makes me feel very uncomfortable.\"\n\n\"I would be very glad if you co uld procure some suitable employment. I don't wish you to go to service ag ain\, that is out of the question. Of whom have you made inquiry respectin g a situation.\"\n\n\"Oh\, of lots of people\; they can tell me of any num ber of families who are in want of a footman\, but no one appears to know of a 'person who is willing to receive a black boy as an apprentice to a r espectable calling. It's too provoking\; I really think\, Ess\, that the m ajority of white folks imagine that we are only fit for servants\, and inc apable of being rendered useful in any other capacity. If that terrible mi sfortune had not befallen father\, I should have learned his trade.\"\n\n\ "Ah!\" sighed Esther\, \"but for that we should all have been happier. But \, Charlie\,\" she added\, \"how do you know that you cannot obtain any ot her employment than that of a servant? Have you ever applied personally to any one?\"\n\n\"No\, Esther\, I haven't\; but you know as well as I that white masters won't receive coloured apprentices.\"\n\n\"I think a great d eal of that is taken for granted\,\" rejoined Esther\, \"try some one your self.\"\n\n\"I only wish I knew of any one to try\,\" responded Charlie\, \"I'd hazard the experiment at any rate.\"\n\n\"Look over the newspaper in the morning\,\" advised Esther\; \"there are always a great many wants ad vertised—amongst them you may perhaps find something suitable.\"\n\n\"We ll\, I will Ess—now then we won't talk about that any more—pray tell m e\, if I'm not too inquisitive\, what do you purpose buying with your mone y—a wedding-dress\, eh?\" he asked\, with a merry twinkle in his eye.\n\ nEsther blushed and sighed\, as she answered: \"No\, Charlie\, that is all over for the present. I told him yesterday I could not think of marrying now\, whilst we are all so unsettled. It grieved me to do it\, Charlie\, b ut I felt that it was my duty. Cad and I are going to add our savings to m other's\; that\, combined with what we shall receive for father's tools\, good-will\, &\;c\, will be sufficient to furnish another house\; and as soon as we can succeed in that\, we will leave Mr. Walters\, as it is emb arrassing to remain under present circumstances.\"\n\n\"And what is to bec ome of little Em?—she surely won't remain alone with him?\"\n\n\"Mr. Wal ters has proposed that when we procure a house she shall come and board wi th us. He wants us to take one of his houses\, and offers some fabulous su m for the child's board\, which it would be unreasonable in us to take. De ar\, good man\, he is always complaining that we are too proud\, and won't let him assist us when he might. If we find a suitable house I shall be d elighted to have her. I love the child for her mother's sake and her own.\ "\n\n\"I wonder if they will ever send her away\, as they did Clarence?\" asked\nCharlie.\n\n\"I do not know\,\" she rejoined. \"Mr. Balch told me t hat he should not insist upon it if the child was unwilling.\"\n\nThe next day Charlie purchased all the morning papers he could obtain\, and sat do wn to look over the list of wants. There were hungry people in want of pro fessed cooks\; divers demands for chamber-maids\, black or white\; special inquiries for waiters and footmen\, in which the same disregard of colour was observable\; advertisements for partners in all sorts of businesses\, and for journeymen in every department of mechanical operations\; then th ere were milliners wanted\, sempstresses\, and even theatrical assistants\ , but nowhere in the long columns could he discover: \"Wanted\, a boy.\" C harlie searched them over and over\, but the stubborn fact stared him in t he face—there evidently were no boys wanted\; and he at length concluded that he either belonged to a very useless class\, or that there was an un accountable prejudice existing in the city against the rising generation.\ n\nCharlie folded up the papers with a despairing sigh\, and walked to the post-office to mail a letter to Mrs. Bird that he had written the previou s evening. Having noticed a number of young men examining some written not ices that were posted up\, he joined the group\, and finding it was a list of wants he eagerly read them over.\n\nTo his great delight he found ther e was one individual at least\, who thought boys could be rendered useful to society\, and who had written as follows: \"Wanted\, a youth of about t hirteen years of age who writes a good hand\, and is willing to make himse lf useful in an office.—Address\, Box No. 77\, Post-office.\"\n\n\"I'm t heir man!\" said Charlie to himself\, as he finished perusing it—\"I'm j ust the person. I'll go home and write to them immediately\;\" and accordi ngly he hastened back to the house\, sat down\, and wrote a reply to the a dvertisement. He then privately showed it to Esther\, who praised the writ ing and composition\, and pronounced the whole very neatly done.\n\nCharli e then walked down to the post-office to deposit his precious reply\; and after dropping it into the brass mouth of the mail-box\, he gazed in after it\, and saw it glide slowly down into the abyss below.\n\nHow many more had stopped that day to add their contributions to the mass which Charlie' s letter now joined? Merchants on the brink of ruin had deposited missives whose answer would make or break them\; others had dropped upon the swell ing heap tidings that would make poor men rich—rich men richer\; maidens came with delicately written notes\, perfumed and gilt-edged\, eloquent w ith love—and cast them amidst invoices and bills of lading. Letters of c ondolence and notes of congratulation jostled each other as they slid down the brass throat\; widowed mothers' tender epistles to wandering sons\; t he letters of fond wives to absent husbands\; erring daughters' last appea ls to outraged parents\; offers of marriage\; invitations to funerals\; ho pe and despair\; joy and sorrow\; misfortune and success—had glided in o ne almost unbroken stream down that ever-distended and insatiable brass th roat.\n\nCharlie gave one more look at the opening\, then sauntered homewa rd\, building by the way houses of fabulous dimensions\, with the income h e anticipated from the situation if he succeeded in procuring it. Througho ut the next day he was in a state of feverish anxiety and expectation\, an d Mrs. Ellis two or three times inquired the meaning of the mysterious whi sperings and glances that were exchanged between him and Esther. The day w ore away\, and yet no answer—the next came and passed\, still no communi cation\; and Charlie had given up in despair\, when he was agreeably surpr ised by the following:——\n\n\"Messrs. Twining\, Western\, and Twining will be much obliged to Charles Ellis\, if he will call at their office\, 567\, Water-street\, to-morrow morning at eleven o'clock\, as they would l ike to communicate further with him respecting a situation in their establ ishment.\"\n\nCharlie flew up stairs to Esther's room\, and rushing in pre cipitately\, exclaimed\, \"Oh! Ess—I've got it\, I've got it—see here\ ,\" he shouted\, waving the note over his head\; \"Hurrah! Hurrah! Just re ad it\, Ess\, only just read it!\"\n\n\"How can I\, Charlie?\" said she\, with a smile\, \"if you hold it in your hand and dance about in that frant ic style—give it me. There now—keep quiet a moment\, and let me read i t.\" After perusing it attentively\, Esther added\, \"Don't be too sanguin e\, Charlie. You see by the tenor of the note that the situation is not pr omised you\; they only wish to see you respecting it. You may not secure i t\, after all—some obstacle may arise of which we are not at present awa re.\"\n\n\"Go on\, old raven—croak away!\" said Charlie\, giving her at the same time a facetious poke.\n\n\"There's many a slip between the cup a nd the lip\,\" she added.\n\n\"Oh\, Ess!\" he rejoined\, \"don't throw col d water on a fellow in that style—don't harbour so many doubts. Do you t hink they would take the trouble to write if they did not intend to give m e the situation? Go away\, old raven\,\" concluded he\, kissing her\, \"an d don't let us have any more croaking.\"\n\nCharlie was bounding from the room\, when he was stopped by his sister\, who begged him not to say anyth ing to their mother respecting it\, but wait until they knew the issue of the interview\; and\, if he secured the situation\, it would be a very agr eeable surprise to her.\n\nWe will now visit\, in company with the reader\ , the spacious offices of Messrs. Twining\, Western\, and Twining\, where we shall find Mr. Western about consigning to the waste-paper basket a lar ge pile of letters. This gentleman was very fashionably dressed\, of dark complexion\, with the languid air and drawling intonation of a Southerner. \n\nAt an adjoining desk sat an elderly sharp-faced gentleman\, who was lo oking over his spectacles at the movements of his partner. \"What a mass o f letters you are about to destroy\,\" he remarked.\n\nMr. Western took fr om his month the cigar he was smoking\, and after puffing from between his lips a thin wreath of smoke\, replied: \"Some of the most atwocious scwaw ls that man ever attempted to pewuse\,—weplies to the advertisement. Out of the whole lot there wasn't more than a dozen amongst them that were we ally pwesentable. Here is one wemawkably well witten: I have desiwed the w iter to call this morning at eleven. I hope he will make as favouwable an impwession as his witing has done. It is now almost eleven—I pwesume he will be here soon.\"\n\nScarcely had Mr. Western finished speaking\, ere t he door opened\, and Esther entered\, followed by Charlie. Both the gentle men rose\, and Mr. Twining offered her a chair.\n\nEsther accepted the pro ffered seat\, threw up her veil\, and said\, in a slightly embarrassed ton e\, \"My brother here\, took the liberty of replying to an advertisement o f yours\, and you were kind enough to request him to call at eleven to-day .\"\n\n\"We sent a note to your brother?\" said Mr. Twining\, in a tone of surprise.\n\n\"Yes\, sir\, and here it is\,\" said she\, extending it to him.\n\nMr. Twining glanced over it\, and remarked\, \"This is your writin g\, Western\;\" then taking Charlie's letter from the desk of Mr. Western\ , he asked\, in a doubting tone\, \"Is this your own writing and compositi on?\"\n\n\"My own writing and composing\,\" answered Charlie.\n\n\"And it is vewy cweditable to you\, indeed\,\" said Mr. Western.\n\nBoth the gentl emen looked at the note again\, then at Charlie\, then at Esther\, and las tly at each other\; but neither seemed able to say anything\, and evident embarrassment existed on both sides.\n\n\"And so you thought you would twy for the situation\,\" at last remarked Mr.\nWestern to Charlie.\n\n\"Yes\ , sir\,\" he answered. \"I was and am very anxious to obtain some employme nt.\" \"Have you a father?\" asked Mr. Twining.\n\n\"Yes\, sir\; but he wa s badly injured by the mob last summer\, and will never be able to work ag ain.\"\n\n\"That's a pity\,\" said Western\, sympathisingly\; \"and what h ave you been doing?\"\n\n\"Nothing very recently. I broke my arm last spri ng\, and was obliged to go into the country for my health. I have not long returned.\"\n\n\"Do your pawents keep house?\"\n\n\"Not at present. We ar e staying with a friend. Our house was burned down by the rioters.\"\n\nTh is conversation recalled so vividly their past trials\, that Esther's eyes grew watery\, and she dropped her veil to conceal a tear that was trembli ng on the lid.\n\n\"How vewy unfortunate!\" said Mr. Western\, sympathisin gly\; \"vewy twying\, indeed!\" then burying his chin in his hand\, he sat silently regarding them for a moment or two.\n\n\"Have you come to any de cision about taking him?\" Esther at last ventured to ask of Mr. Twining.\ n\n\"Taking him!—oh\, dear me\, I had almost forgot. Charles\, let me se e you write something—here\, take this seat.\"\n\nCharlie sat down as di rected\, and dashed off a few lines\, which he handed to Mr. Twining\, who looked at it over and over\; then rising\, he beckoned to his partner to follow him into an adjoining room.\n\n\"Well\, what do you say?\" asked We stern\, after they had closed the door behind them. \"Don't you think we h ad better engage him?\"\n\n\"Engage him!\" exclaimed Twining—\"why\, you surprise me\, Western—the thing's absurd\; engage a coloured boy as und er clerk! I never heard of such a thing.\"\n\n\"I have often\,\" drawled W estern\; \"there are the gweatest number of them in\nNew Orleans.\"\n\n\"A h\, but New Orleans is a different place\; such a thing never occurred in\ nPhiladelphia.\"\n\n\"Well\, let us cweate a pwecedent\, then. The boy wit es wemarkably well\, and will\, no doubt\, suit us exactly. It will be a c hawity to take him. We need not care what others say—evewybody knows who we are and what we are?\"\n\n\"No\, Western\; I know the North better tha n you do\; it wouldn't answer at all here. We cannot take the boy—it is impossible\; it would create a rumpus amongst the clerks\, who would all f eel dreadfully insulted by our placing a nigger child on an equality with them. I assure you the thing is out of the question.\"\n\n\"Well\, I must say you Northern people are perfectly incompwehensible. You pay taxes to h ave niggers educated\, and made fit for such places—and then won't let t hem fill them when they are pwepared to do so. I shall leave you\, then\, to tell them we can't take him. I'm doosed sowwy for it—I like his looks .\"\n\nWhilst Mr. Western and his partner were discussing in one room\, Ch arlie and\nEsther were awaiting with some anxiety their decision in the ot her.\n\n\"I think they are going to take me\,\" said Charlie\; \"you saw h ow struck they appeared to be with the writing.\"\n\n\"They admired it\, I know\, my dear\; but don't be too sanguine.\"\n\n\"I feel sure they are g oing to take me\,\" repeated he with a hopeful countenance.\n\nEsther made no reply\, and they remained in silence until Mr. Twining returned to the room.\n\nAfter two or three preparatory ahems\, he said to Esther\; \"I s hould like to take your brother very much\; but you see\, in consequence o f there being so much excitement just now\, relative to Abolitionism and k indred subjects\, that my partner and myself—that is\, I and Mr. Weste rn—think—or rather feel—that just now it would be rather awkward for us to receive him. We should like to take him\; but his colour\, miss—h is complexion is a fatal objection. It grieves me to be obliged to tell yo u this\; but I think\, under the circumstances\, it would be most prudent for us to decline to receive him. We are very sorry—but our clerks are a ll young men\, and have a great deal of prejudice\, and I am sure he would be neither comfortable nor happy with them. If I can serve you in any oth er way—\"\n\n\"There is nothing that you can do that I am aware of\,\" s aid Esther\, rising\;\n\"I thank you\, and am sorry that we have occupied so much of your time.\"\n\n\"Oh\, don't mention it\,\" said Mr. Twining\, evidently happy to get rid of them\; and\, opening the door\, he bowed the m out of the office.\n\nThe two departed sadly\, and they walked on for so me distance in silence. At last Esther pressed his hand\, and\, in a choki ng voice\, exclaimed\, \"Charlie\, my dear boy\, I'd give my life if it wo uld change your complexion—if it would make you white! Poor fellow! your battle of life will be a hard one to fight!\"\n\n\"I know it\, Ess\; but I shouldn't care to be white if I knew I would not have a dear old Ess lik e you for a sister\,\" he answered\, pressing her hand affectionately. \"I don't intend to be conquered\,\" he continued\; \"I'll fight it out to th e last—this won't discourage me. I'll keep on trying\,\" said he\, deter minedly—\"if one won't\, perhaps another will.\"\n\nFor two or three day s Charlie could hear of nothing that would be at all suitable for him. At last\, one morning he saw an advertisement for a youth to learn the engrav er's business—one who had some knowledge of drawing preferred\; to apply at Thomas Blatchford's\, bank-note engraver. \"Thomas Blatchford\,\" repe ated Mr. Walters\, as Charlie read it over—\"why that is the Mr. Blatchf ord\, the Abolitionist. I think you have some chance there most decidedl y—I would advise you to take those sketches of yours and apply at once.\ "\n\nCharlie ran upstairs\, and selecting the best-executed of his drawing s\, put them in a neat portfolio\, and\, without saying anything to Esther or his mother\, hastened away to Mr. Blatchford's. He was shown into a ro om where a gentleman was sitting at a table examining some engraved plates . \"Is this Mr. Blatchford's?\" asked Charlie.\n\n\"That is my name\, my l ittle man—do you want to see me\,\" he kindly inquired.\n\n\"Yes\, sir. You advertised for a boy to learn the engraving business\, I believe.\"\n\ n\"Well\; and what then?\"\n\n\"I have come to apply for the situation.\"\ n\n\"You—you apply?\" said he\, in a tone of surprise.\n\n\"Yes\, sir\,\ " faltered Charlie\; \"Mr. Walters recommended me to do so.\"\n\n\"Ah\, yo u know Mr. Walters\, then\,\" he rejoined.\n\n\"Yes\, sir\; he is a great friend of my father's—we are living with him at present.\"\n\n\"What hav e you in your portfolio\, there?\" enquired Mr. Blatchford. Charlie spread before him the sketches he had made during the summer\, and also some orn amental designs suitable for the title-pages of books. \"Why\, these are e xcellently well done\,\" exclaimed he\, after examining them attentively\; \"who taught you?\"\n\nCharlie hereupon briefly related his acquaintance with the artist\, and his efforts to obtain employment\, and their results \, besides many other circumstances connected with himself and family. Mr. Blatchford became deeply interested\, and\, at the end of a long conversa tion\, delighted Charlie by informing him that if he and his mother could agree as to terms he should be glad to receive him as an apprentice.\n\nCh arlie could scarcely believe the evidence of his own ears\, and leaving hi s portfolio on the table was hastening away.\n\n\"Stop! stop!\" cried Mr. Blatchford\, with a smile\; \"you have not heard all I wish to say. I woul d be much obliged to your mother if she would call at my house this evenin g\, and then we can settle the matter definitely.\"\n\nCharlie seemed to t read on air as he walked home. Flying up to Esther—his usual confidant —be related to her the whole affair\, and gave at great length his conve rsation with Mr. Blatchford.\n\n\"That looks something like\,\" said she\; \"I am delighted with the prospect that is opening to you. Let us go and tell mother\,\"—and\, accordingly\, off they both started\, to carry the agreeable intelligence to Mrs. Ellis.\n\nThat\, evening Charlie\, his mot her\, and Mr. Walters went to the house of Mr. Blatchford. They were most\ , kindly received\, and all the arrangements made for Charlie's apprentice ship. He was to remain one month on trial\; and if\, at the end of that pe riod\, all parties were satisfied\, he was to be formally indentured.\n\nC harlie looked forward impatiently to the following Monday\, on which day h e was to commence his apprenticeship. In the intervening time he held dail y conferences with Kinch\, as he felt their intimacy would receive a sligh t check after he entered upon his new pursuit.\n\n\"Look here\, old fellow \,\" said Charlie\; \"it won't do for you to be lounging on the door-steps of the office\, nor be whistling for me under the windows. Mr. Blatchford spoke particularly against my having playmates around in work hours\; eve nings I shall always be at home\, and then you can come and see me as ofte n as you like.\"\n\nSince his visit to Warmouth\, Charlie had been much mo re particular respecting his personal appearance\, dressed neater\, and wa s much more careful of his clothes. He had also given up marbles\, and tri ed to persuade Kinch to do the same.\n\n\"I'd cut marbles\, Kinch\,\" said he to him one evening\, when they were walking together\, \"if I were you \; it makes one such a fright—covers one with chalk-marks and dirt from head to foot. And another thing\, Kinch\; you have an abundance of good cl othes—do wear them\, and try and look more like a gentleman.\"\n\n\"Dear me!\" said Kinch\, rolling up the white of his eyes—\"just listen how w e are going on! Hadn't I better get an eye-glass and pair of light kid glo ves?\"\n\n\"Oh\, Kinch!\" said Charlie\, gravely\, \"I'm not joking—I me an what I say. You don't know how far rough looks and an untidy person go against one. I do wish you would try and keep yourself decent.\" \"Well\, there then—I will\,\" answered Kinch. \"But\, Charlie\, I'm afraid\, wit h your travelling and one thing or other\, you will forget your old playma te by-and-by\, and get above him.\"\n\nCharlie's eyes moistened\; and\, wi th a boy's impulsiveness\, he threw his arm over Kinch's shoulder\, and ex claimed with emphasis\, \"Never\, old fellow\, never—not as long as my n ame is Charlie Ellis! You mustn't be hurt at what I said\, Kinch—I think more of these things than I used to—I see the importance of them. I fin d that any one who wants to get on must be particular in little things as well great\, and I must try and be a man now—for you know things don't g lide on as smoothly with us as they used. I often think of our fun in the old house—ah\, perhaps we'll have good times in another of our own yet !\"—and with this Charlie and his friend separated for the night.\n\nCHA PTER XXIX.\nClouds and Sunshine.\n\nThe important Monday at length arrived \, and Charlie hastened to the office of Mr. Blatchford\, which he reached before the hour for commencing labour. He found some dozen or more journe ymen assembled in the work-room\; and noticed that upon his entrance there was an interchange of significant glances\, and once or twice he overhear d the whisper of \"nigger.\"\n\nMr. Blatchford was engaged in discussing s ome business matter with a gentleman\, and did not observe the agitation t hat Charlie's entrance had occasioned. The conversation having terminated\ , the gentleman took up the morning paper\, and Mr. Blatchford\, noticing Charlie\, said\, \"Ah! you have come\, and in good time\, too. Wheeler\,\" he continued\, turning to one of the workmen\, \"I want you to take this boy under your especial charge: give him a seat at your window\, and overl ook his work.\"\n\nAt this there was a general uprising of the workmen\, w ho commenced throwing off their caps and aprons. \"What is all this for?\" asked Mr. Blatchford in astonishment—\"why this commotion?\"\n\n\"We wo n't work with niggers!\" cried one\; \"No nigger apprentices!\" cried anot her\; and \"No niggers—no niggers!\" was echoed from all parts of the ro om.\n\n\"Silence!\" cried Mr. Blatchford\, stamping violently—\"silence\ , every one of you!\" As soon as partial order was restored\, he turned to Wheeler\, and demanded\, \"What is the occasion of all this tumult—what does it mean?\"\n\n\"Why\, sir\, it means just this: the men and boys dis covered that you intended to take a nigger apprentice\, and have made up t heir minds if you do they will quit in a body.\"\n\n\"It cannot be possibl e\,\" exclaimed the employer\, \"that any man or boy in my establishment h as room in his heart for such narrow contemptible prejudices. Can it be th at you have entered into a conspiracy to deprive an inoffensive child of a n opportunity of earning his bread in a respectable manner? Come\, let me persuade you—the boy is well-behaved and educated!\"\n\n\"Damn his behav iour and education!\" responded a burly fellow\; \"let him be a barber or shoe-black—that is all niggers are good for. If he comes\, we go—that' s so\, ain't it\, boys?\"\n\nThere was a general response of approval to t his appeal\; and Mr. Blatchford\, seeing the utter uselessness of further parleying\, left the room\, followed by Charlie and the gentleman with who m he had been conversing.\n\nMr. Blatchford was placed in a most disagreea ble position by this revolt on the part of his workmen\; he had just recei ved large orders from some new banks which were commencing operations\, an d a general disruption of his establishment at that moment would have ruin ed him. To accede to his workmen's demands he must do violence to his own conscience\; but he dared not sacrifice his business and bring ruin on him self and family\, even though he was right.\n\n\"What would you do\, Burre ll?\" he asked of the gentleman who had followed them out.\n\n\"There is n o question as to what you must do. You mustn't ruin yourself for the sake of your principles. You will have to abandon the lad\; the other alternati ve is not to be thought of for a moment.\"\n\n\"Well\, Charles\, you see h ow it is\,\" said Mr. Blatchford\, reluctantly. Charlie had been standing intently regarding the conversation that concerned him so deeply. His face was pale and his lips quivering with agitation.\n\n\"I'd like to keep you \, my boy\, but you see how I'm situated\, I must either give up you or my business\; the latter I cannot afford to do.\" With a great effort Charli e repressed his tears\, and bidding them good morning in a choking voice\, hastened from the room.\n\n\"It's an infernal shame!\" said Mr. Blatchfor d\, indignantly\; \"and I shall think meanly of myself for ever for submit ting to it\; but I can't help myself\, and must make the best of it.\"\n\n Charlie walked downstairs with lingering steps\, and took the direction of home. \"All because I'm coloured\,\" said he\, bitterly\, to himself—\" all because I'm coloured! What will mother and Esther say? How it will dis tress them—they've so built upon it! I wish\,\" said he\, sadly\, \"that I was dead!\" No longer able to repress the tears that were welling up\, he walked towards the window of a print-store\, where he pretended to be d eeply interested in some pictures whilst he stealthily wiped his eyes. Eve ry time he turned to leave the window\, there came a fresh flood of tears\ ; and at last he was obliged to give way entirely\, and sobbed as if his h eart would break.\n\nHe was thus standing when he felt a hand laid familia rly on his shoulder\, and\, on turning round\, he beheld the gentleman he had left in Mr. Blatchford's office. \"Come\, my little man\,\" said he\, \"don't take it so much to heart. Cheer up—you may find some other perso n willing to employ you. Come\, walk on with me—where do you live?\" Cha rlie dried his eyes and gave him his address as they walked on up the stre et together.\n\nMr. Burrell talked encouragingly\, and quite succeeded in soothing him ere they separated. \"I shall keep a look out for you\,\" sai d he\, kindly\; \"and if I hear of anything likely to suit you\, I shall l et you know.\"\n\nCharlie thanked him and sauntered slowly home. When he a rrived\, and they saw his agitated looks\, and his eyes swollen from the e ffect of recent tears\, there was a general inquiry of \"What has happened ? Why are you home so early\; are you sick?\"\n\nCharlie hereupon related all that had transpired at the office—his great disappointment and the o ccasion of it—to the intense indignation and grief of his mother and sis ters. \"I wish there were no white folks\,\" said Caddy\, wrathfully\; \"t hey are all\, I believe\, a complete set of villains and everything else t hat is bad.\"\n\n\"Don't be so sweeping in your remarks\, pray don't\, Cad dy\,\" interposed Esther\; \"you have just heard what Charlie said of Mr. Blatchford—his heart is kindly disposed\, at any rate\; you see he is tr ammelled by others.\"\n\n\"Oh! well\, I don't like any of them—I hate th em all!\" she continued bitterly\, driving her needle at the same time int o the cloth she was sewing\, as if it was a white person she had in her la p and she was sticking pins in him. \"Don't cry\, Charlie\,\" she added\; \"the old white wretches\, they shouldn't get a tear out of me for fifty t rades!\" But Charlie could not be comforted\; he buried his head in his mo ther's lap\, and wept over his disappointment until he made himself sick.\ n\nThat day\, after Mr. Burrell had finished his dinner\, he remarked to h is wife\, \"I saw something this morning\, my dear\, that made a deep impr ession on me. I haven't been able to get it out of my head for any length of time since\; it touched me deeply\, I assure you.\"\n\n\"Why\, what cou ld it have been? Pray tell me what it was.\"\n\nThereupon\, he gave his wi fe a graphic account of the events that had transpired at Blatchford's in the morning\; and in conclusion\, said\, \"Now\, you know\, my dear\, that no one would call me an Abolitionist\; and I suppose I have some little p rejudice\, as well as others\, against coloured people\; but I had no idea that sensible men would have carried it to that extent\, to set themselve s up\, as they did\, in opposition to a little boy anxious to earn his bre ad by learning a useful trade.\"\n\nMrs. Burrell was a young woman of abou t twenty-two\, with a round good-natured face and plump comfortable-lookin g figure\; she had a heart overflowing with kindness\, and was naturally m uch affected by what he related. \"I declare it's perfectly outrageous\,\" exclaimed she\, indignantly\; \"and I wonder at Blatchford for submitting to it. I wouldn't allow myself to be dictated to in that manner—and he such an Abolitionist too! Had I been him\, I should have stuck to my princ iples at any risk. Poor little fellow! I so wonder at Blatchford\; I reall y don't think he has acted manly.\"\n\n\"Not so fast\, my little woman\, i f you please—that is the way with almost all of you\, you let your heart s run away with your heads. You are unjust to Blatchford\; he could not he lp himself\, he was completely in their power. It is almost impossible at present to procure workmen in our business\, and he is under contract to f inish a large amount of work within a specified time\; and if he should fa il to fulfil his agreement it would subject him to immense loss—in fact\ , it would entirely ruin him. You are aware\, my dear\, that I am thorough ly acquainted with the state of his affairs\; he is greatly in debt from u nfortunate speculations\, and a false step just now would overset him comp letely\; he could not have done otherwise than he has\, and do justice to himself and his family. I felt that he could not\; and in fact advised him to act as he did.\"\n\n\"Now\, George Burrell\, you didn't\,\" said she\, reproachfully.\n\n\"Yes I did\, my dear\, because I thought of his family \; I really believe though\, had I encouraged him\, he would have made the sacrifice.\"\n\n\"And what became of the boy?\"\n\n\"Oh\; poor lad\, he s eemed very much cut down by it—I was quite touched by his grief. When I came out\, I found him standing by a shop window crying bitterly. I tried to pacify him\, and told him I would endeavour to obtain a situation for h im somewhere—and I shall.\"\n\n\"Has he parents?\" asked Mrs. Burrell.\n \n\"Yes\; and\, by the way\, don't you remember whilst the mob was raging last summer\, we read an account of a man running to the roof of a house t o escape from the rioters? You remember they chopped his hands off and thr ew him over?\"\n\n\"Oh\, yes\, dear\, I recollect\; don't—don't mention it\,\" said she\, with a shudder of horror. \"I remember it perfectly.\"\n \n\"Well\, this little fellow is his son\,\" continued Mr. Burrell.\n\n\"I ndeed! and what has become of his father—did he die?\"\n\n\"No\, he part ially recovered\, but is helpless\, and almost an idiot. I never saw a chi ld\, apparently so anxious to get work\; he talked more like a man with a family dependent upon him for support\, than a youth. I tell you what\, I became quite interested in him\; he was very communicative\, and told me a ll their circumstances\; their house was destroyed by the mob\, and they a re at present residing with a friend.\"\n\nJust then the cry of a child wa s heard in the adjoining room\, and Mrs. Burrell rushed precipitately away \, and soon returned with a fat\, healthy-looking boy in her arms\, which\ , after kissing\, she placed in her husband's lap. He was their first-born and only child\, and\, as a matter of course\, a great pet\, and regarded by them as a most wonderful boy\; in consequence\, papa sat quite still\, and permitted him to pull the studs out of his shirt\, untie his cravat\, rumple his hair\, and take all those little liberties to which babies are notoriously addicted.\n\nMrs. Burrell sat down on a stool at her husband' s feet\, and gazed at him and the child in silence for some time.\n\n\"Wha t's the matter\, Jane\; what has made you so grave?\"\n\n\"I was trying to imagine\, Burrell\, how I should feel if you\, I\, and baby were coloured \; I was trying to place myself in such a situation. Now we know that our boy\, if he is honest and upright—is blest with great talent or genius —may aspire to any station in society that he wishes to obtain. How diff erent it would be if he were coloured!—there would be nothing bright in the prospective for him. We could hardly promise him a living at any respe ctable calling. I think\, George\, we treat coloured people with great inj ustice\, don't you?\"\n\nMr. Burrell hemmed and ha'd at this direct query\ , and answered\, \"Well\, we don't act exactly right toward them\, I must confess.\"\n\nMrs. Burrell rose\, and took the vacant knee of her husband\ , and toying with the baby\, said\, \"Now\, George Burrell\, I want to ask a favour of you. Why can't you take this boy ?\" \"I take him! why\, my d ear\, I don't want an apprentice.\"\n\n\"Yes\, but you must make a want. Y ou said he was a bright boy\, and sketched well. Why\, I should think that he's just what you ought to have. There is no one at your office that wou ld oppose it. Cummings and Dalton were with your father before you\, they would never object to anything reasonable that you proposed. Come\, dear! do now make the trial—won't you?\"\n\nMr. Burrell was a tender-hearted\, yielding sort of an individual\; and what was more\, his wife was fully a ware of it\; and like a young witch as she was\, she put on her sweetest l ooks\, and begged so imploringly\, that he was almost conquered. But when she took up the baby\, and made him put his chubby arms round his father's neck\, and say \"pese pop-pop\,\" he was completely vanquished\, and surr endered at discretion.\n\n\"I'll see what can be done\,\" said he\, at las t.\n\n\"And will you do it afterwards?\" she asked\, archly.\n\n\"Yes\, I will\, dear\, I assure you\,\" he rejoined.\n\n\"Then I know it will be do ne\,\" said she\, confidently\; \"and none of us will be the worse off for it\, I am sure.\"\n\nAfter leaving home\, Mr. Burrell went immediately to the office of Mr. Blatchford\; and after having procured Charlie's portfo lio\, he started in the direction of his own establishment. He did not by any means carry on so extensive a business as Mr. Blatchford\, and employe d only two elderly men as journeymen. After he had sat down to work\, one of them remarked\, \"Tucker has been here\, and wants some rough cuts exec uted for a new book. I told him I did not think you would engage to do the m\; that you had given up that description of work.\"\n\n\"I think we lose a great deal\, Cummings\, by being obliged to give up those jobs\,\" rejo ined Mr. Burrell.\n\n\"Why don't you take an apprentice then\,\" he sugges ted\; \"it's just the kind of work for them to learn upon.\"\n\n\"Well I'v e been thinking of that\,\" replied he\, rising and producing the drawings from Charlie's portfolio. \"Look here\,\" said he\, \"what do you think o f these as the work of a lad of twelve or fourteen\, who has never had mor e than half a dozen lessons?\"\n\n\"I should say they were remarkably well done\,\" responded Cummings. \"Shouldn't you say so\, Dalton?\" The party addressed took the sketches\, and examined them thoroughly\, and gave an approving opinion of their merits.\n\n\"Well\,\" said Mr. Burrell\, \"the boy that executed those is in want of a situation\, and I should like to t ake him\; but I thought I would consult you both about it first. I met wit h him under very singular circumstances\, and I'll tell you all about it.\ " And forthwith he repeated to them the occurrences of the morning\, dwell ing upon the most affecting parts\, and concluding by putting the question to them direct\, as to whether they had any objections to his taking him. \n\n\"Why no\, none in the world\,\" readily answered Cummings. \"Laws me! colour is nothing after all\; and black fingers can handle a graver as we ll as white ones\, I expect.\"\n\n\"I thought it best to ask you\, to avoi d any after difficulty. You have both been in the establishment so long\, that I felt that you ought to be consulted.\"\n\n\"You needn't have taken that trouble\,\" said Dalton. \"You might have known that anything done by your father's son\, would be satisfactory to us. I never had anything to do with coloured people\, and haven't anything against them\; and as long as you are contented I am.\"\n\n\"Well\, we all have our little prejudices against various things\; and as I did not know how you both would feel\, I thought I wouldn't take any decided steps without consulting you\; but n ow I shall consider it settled\, and will let the lad know that I will tak e him.\"\n\nIn the evening\, he hastened home at an earlier hour than usua l\, and delighted his wife by saying—\"I have succeeded to a charm\, my dear—there wasn't the very slightest objection. I'm going to take the bo y\, if he wishes to come.\" \"Oh\, I'm delighted\,\" cried she\, clapping her hands. \"Cry hurrah for papa!\" said she to the baby\; \"cry hurrah fo r papa!\"\n\nThe scion of the house of Burrell gave vent to some scarcely intelligible sounds\, that resembled \"Hoo-rogler pop-pop!\" which his mot her averred was astonishingly plain\, and deserving of a kiss\; and\, snat ching him up\, she gave him two or three hearty ones\, and then planted hi m in his father's lap again.\"\n\n\"My dear\,\" said her husband\, \"I tho ught\, as you proposed my taking this youth\, you might like to have the p leasure of acquainting him with his good fortune. After tea\, if you are d isposed\, we will go down there\; the walk will do you good.\"\n\n\"Oh\, G eorge Burrell\,\" said she\, her face radiant with pleasure\, \"you are ce rtainly trying to outdo yourself. I have been languishing all day for a wa lk! What a charming husband you are! I really ought to do something for yo u. Ah\, I know what—I'll indulge you\; you may smoke all the way there a nd back. I'll even go so far as to light the cigars for you myself.\"\n\n\ "That is a boon\,\" rejoined her husband with a smile\; \"really 'virtue r ewarded\,' I declare.\"\n\nTea over\, the baby kissed and put to bed\, Mrs . Burrell tied on the most bewitching of bonnets\, and donning her new fur -trimmed cloak\, declared herself ready for the walk\; and off they starte d. Mr. Burrell puffed away luxuriously as they walked along\, stopping now and then at her command\, to look into such shop-windows as contained art icles adapted to the use of infants\, from india-rubber rings and ivory ra ttles\, to baby coats and shoes.\n\nAt length they arrived at the door of Mr. Walters\, and on\, looking up at the house\, he exclaimed\, \"This is 257\, but it can't be the place\; surely coloured people don't live in as fine an establishment as this.\" Then\, running up the steps\, he examined the plate upon the door. \"The name corresponds with the address given me \,\" said he\; \"I'll ring. Is there a lad living here by the name of Char les Ellis?\" he asked of the servant who opened the door.\n\n\"Yes\, sir\, \" was the reply. \"Will you walk in?\"\n\nWhen they were ushered into the drawing-room\, Mr. Burrell said\,—\"Be kind enough to say that a gentle man wishes to see him.\"\n\nThe girl departed\, closing the door behind he r\, leaving them staring about the room. \"How elegantly it is furnished!\ " said she. \"I hadn't an idea that there were any coloured people living in such style.\"\n\n\"Some of them are very rich\,\" remarked her husband. \n\n\"But you said this boy was poor.\"\n\n\"So he is. I understand they a re staying with the owner of this house.\"\n\nWhilst they were thus conver sing the door opened\, and Esther entered. \"I am sorry\,\" said she\, \"t hat my brother has retired. He has a very severe head-ache\, and was unabl e to remain up longer. His mother is out: I am his sister\, and shall be m ost happy to receive any communication for him.\"\n\n\"I regret to hear of his indisposition\,\" replied Mr. Burrell\; \"I hope it is not consequent upon his disappointment this morning?\"\n\n\"I fear it is. Poor fellow! h e took it very much to heart. It was a disappointment to us all. We were c ongratulating ourselves on having secured him an eligible situation.\"\n\n \"I assure you the disappointment is not all on one side\; he is a very pr omising boy\, and the loss of his prospective services annoying. Nothing b ut stern necessity caused the result.\"\n\n\"Oh\, we entirely acquit you\, Mr. Blatchford\, of all blame in the matter. We are confident that what h appened was not occasioned by any indisposition on your part to fulfil you r agreement.\"\n\n\"My dear\,\" interrupted Mrs. Burrell\, \"she thinks yo u are Mr. Blatchford.\"\n\n\"And are you not?\" asked Esther\, with some s urprise.\n\n\"Oh\, no\; I'm an intimate friend of his\, and was present th is morning when the affair happened.\" \"Oh\, indeed\,\" responded Esther. \n\n\"Yes\; and he came home and related it all to me\,—the whole affair \,\" interrupted Mrs. Burrell. \"I was dreadfully provoked\; I assure you\ , I sympathized with him very much. I became deeply interested in the whol e affair\; I was looking at my little boy\,—for I have a little boy\,\" said she\, with matronly dignity\,—\"and I thought\, suppose it was my l ittle boy being treated so\, how should I like it? So bringing the matter home to myself in that way made me feel all the more strongly about it\; a nd I just told George Burrell he must take him\, as he is an engraver\; an d I and the baby gave him no rest until he consented to do so. He will tak e him on the same terms offered by Mr. Blatchford\; and then we came down to tell you\; and—and\,\" said she\, quite out of breath\, \"that is all about it.\"\n\nEsther took the little woman's plump hand in both her own\ , and\, for a moment\, seemed incapable of even thanking her. At last she said\, in a husky voice\, \"You can't think what a relief this is to us. M y brother has taken his disappointment so much to heart—I can't tell you how much I thank you. God will reward you for your sympathy and kindness. You must excuse me\,\" she continued\, as her voice faltered\; \"we have latterly been so unaccustomed to receive such sympathy and kindness from p ersons of your complexion\, that this has quite overcome me.\"\n\n\"Oh\, n ow\, don't! I'm sure it's no more than our duty\, and I'm as much pleased as you can possibly be—it has given me heartfelt gratification\, I assur e you.\"\n\nEsther repeated her thanks\, and followed them to the door\, w here she shook hands with Mrs. Burrell\, who gave her a pressing invitatio n to come and see her baby.\n\n\"How easy it is\, George Burrell\,\" said the happy little woman\, \"to make the hearts of others as light as our ow n-mine feels like a feather\,\" she added\, as she skipped along\, clingin g to his arm. \"What a nice\, lady-like girl his sister is—is her brothe r as handsome as she ?\"\n\n\"Not quite\,\" he answered\; \"still\, he is very good-looking\, I'll bring him home with me to-morrow at dinner\, and then you can see him.\"\n\nChatting merrily\, they soon arrived at home. M rs. Burrell ran straightway upstairs to look at that \"blessed baby\;\" sh e found him sleeping soundly\, and looking as comfortable and happy as it is possible for a sleeping baby to look—so she bestowed upon him a perfe ct avalanche of kisses\, and retired to her own peaceful pillow.\n\nAnd no w\, having thus satisfactorily arranged for our young friend Charlie\, we will leave him for a few years engaged in his new pursuits.\n\nCHAPTER XXX .\nMany Years After.\n\nOld Father Time is a stealthy worker. In youth we are scarcely able to appreciate his efforts\, and oftentimes think him an exceedingly slow and limping old fellow. When we ripen into maturity\, and are fighting our own way through the battle of life\, we deem him swift e nough of foot\, and sometimes rather hurried\; but when old age comes on\, and death and the grave are foretold by trembling limbs and snowy locks\, we wonder that our course has been so swiftly run\, and chide old Time fo r a somewhat hasty and precipitate individual.\n\nThe reader must imagine that many years have passed away since the events narrated in the precedin g chapters transpired\, and permit us to re-introduce the characters forme rly presented\, without any attempt to describe how that long period has b een occupied.\n\nFirst of all\, let us resume our acquaintance with Mr. St evens. To effect this\, we must pay that gentleman a visit at his luxuriou s mansion in Fifth Avenue\, the most fashionable street of New York—the place where the upper ten thousand of that vast\, bustling city most do co ngregate. As he is an old acquaintance (we won't say friend)\, we will dis regard ceremony\, and walk boldly into the library where that gentleman is sitting.\n\nHe is changed—yes\, sadly changed. Time has been hard at wo rk with him\, and\, dissatisfied with what his unaided agency could produc e\, has called in conscience to his aid\, and their united efforts have le ft their marks upon him. He looks old—aye\, very old. The bald spot on h is head has extended its limits until there is only a fringe of thin white hair above the ears. There are deep wrinkles upon his forehead\; and the eyes\, half obscured by the bushy grey eyebrows\, are bloodshot and sunken \; the jaws hollow and spectral\, and his lower lip drooping and flaccid. He lifts his hand to pour out another glass of liquor from the decanter at his side\, when his daughter lays her hand upon it\, and looks appealingl y in his face.\n\nShe has grown to be a tall\, elegant woman\, slightly th in\, and with a careworn and fatigued expression of countenance. There is\ , however\, the same sweetness in her clear blue eyes\, and as she moves h er head\, her fair flaxen curls float about her face as dreamily and delic iously as ever they did of yore. She is still in black\, wearing mourning for her mother\, who not many months before had been laid in a quiet nook on the estate at Savanah.\n\n\"Pray\, papa\, don't drink any more\,\" said she\, persuasively—\"it makes you nervous\, and will bring on one of th ose frightful attacks again.\"\n\n\"Let me alone\,\" he remonstrated harsh ly—\"let me alone\, and take your hand off the glass\; the doctor has fo rbidden laudanum\, so I will have brandy instead—take off your hand and let me drink\, I say.\"\n\nLizzie still kept her hand upon the decanter\, and continued gently: \"No\, no\, dear pa—you promised me you would only drink two glasses\, and you have already taken three—it is exceedingly injurious. The doctor insisted upon it that you should decrease the quanti ty—and you are adding to it instead.\"\n\n\"Devil take the doctor!\" exc laimed he roughly\, endeavouring to disengage her hold—\"give me the liq uor\, I say.\"\n\nHis daughter did not appear the least alarmed at this vi olence of manner\, nor suffer her grasp upon the neck of the decanter to b e relaxed\; but all the while spoke soothing words to the angry old man\, and endeavoured to persuade him to relinquish his intention of drinking an y more.\n\n\"You don't respect your old father\,\" he cried\, in a whining tone—\"you take advantage of my helplessness\, all of you—you ill-tre at me and deny me the very comforts of life! I'll tell—I'll tell the doc tor\,\" he continued\, as his voice subsided into an almost inaudible tone \, and he sank back into the chair in a state of semi-stupor.\n\nRemoving the liquor from his reach\, his daughter rang the bell\, and then walked t owards the door of the room.\n\n\"Who procured that liquor for my father?\ " she asked of the servant who entered.\n\n\"I did\, miss\,\" answered the man\, hesitatingly.\n\n\"Let this be the last time you do such a thing\,\ " she rejoined\, eyeing him sternly\, \"unless you wish to be discharged. I thought you all fully understood that on no consideration was my father to have liquor\, unless by the physician's or my order—it aggravates his disease and neutralizes all the doctor's efforts—and\, unless you wish to be immediately discharged\, never repeat the same offence. Now\, procur e some assistance—it is time my father was prepared for bed.\"\n\nThe ma n bowed and left the apartment\; but soon returned\, saying there was a pe rson in the hall who had forced his way into the house\, and who positivel y refused to stir until he saw Mr. Stevens.\n\n\"He has been here two or t hree times\,\" added the man\, \"and he is very rough and impudent.\"\n\n\ "This is most singular conduct\,\" exclaimed Miss Stevens. \"Did he give h is name?\"\n\n\"Yes\, miss\; he calls himself McCloskey.\"\n\nAt the utter ance of this well-known name\, Mr. Stevens raised his head\, and stared at the speaker with a look of stupid fright\, and inquired\, \"Who here—wh at name is that?—speak louder—what name?\"\n\n\"McCloskey\,\" answered the man\, in a louder tone.\n\n\"What! he—he!\" cried Mr. Stevens\, wit h a terrified look. \"Where—where is he?\" he continued\, endeavouring t o rise—\"where is he?\"\n\n\"Stop\, pa\,\" interposed his daughter\, ala rmed at his appearance and manner. \"Do stop—let me go\,\" \"No—no!\" said the old man wildly\, seizing her by the dress to detain her—\"you m ust not go—that would never do! He might tell her\,\" he muttered to him self—\"No\, no—I'll go!\"—and thus speaking\, he made another ineffe ctual attempt to reach the door.\n\n\"Dear father! do let me go!\" she rep eated\, imploringly. \"You are incapable of seeing any one—let me inquir e what he wants!\" she added\, endeavouring to loose his hold upon her dre ss.\n\n\"No—you shall not!\" he replied\, clutching her dress still tigh ter\, and endeavouring to draw her towards him.\n\n\"Oh\, father!\" she as ked distractedly\, \"what can this mean? Here\,\" said she\, addressing th e servant\, who stood gazing in silent wonder on this singular scene\, \"h elp my father into his chair again\, and then tell this strange man to wai t awhile.\"\n\nThe exhausted man\, having been placed in his chair\, motio ned to his daughter to close the door behind the servant\, who had just re tired.\n\n\"He wants money\,\" said he\, in a whisper—\"he wants money! He'll make beggars of us all—and yet I'll have to give him some. Quick! give me my cheque-book—let me give him something before he has a chance to talk to any one—quick! quick!\"\n\nThe distracted girl wrung her hand s with grief at what she imagined was a return of her father's malady\, an d exclaimed\, \"Oh! if George only would remain at home—it is too much f or me to have the care of father whilst he is in such a state.\" Then pret ending to be in search of the cheque-book\, she turned over the pamphlets and papers upon his desk\, that she might gain time\, and think how it was best to proceed.\n\nWhilst she was thus hesitating\, the door of the room was suddenly opened\, and a shabbily dressed man\, bearing a strong odour of rum about him\, forced his way into the apartment\, saying\, \"I will see him. D——n it\, I don't care haporth how sick he is—let me go\, o r by the powers I'll murther some of yes.\" The old man's face was almost blanched with terror when he heard the voice and saw the abrupt entry of t he intruder. He sprang from the chair with a great effort\, and then\, una ble to sustain himself\, sunk fainting on the floor.\n\n\"Oh\, you have ki lled my father—you have killed my father! Who are you\, and what do you want\, that you dare thrust yourself upon him in this manner?\" said she\, stooping to assist in raising him\; \"cannot you see he is entirely unfit for any business?\"\n\nMr. Stevens was replaced in his chair\, and water thrown in his face to facilitate his recovery.\n\nMeanwhile\, McCloskey ha d poured himself out a glass of brandy and water\, which he stood sipping as coolly as if everything in the apartment was in a state of the most per fect composure. The singular terror of her father\, and the boldness and a ssurance of the intruder\, were to Miss Stevens something inexplicable—s he stood looking from one to the other\, as though seeking an explanation\ , and on observing symptoms of a return to consciousness on the part of he r parent\, she turned to McCloskey\, and said\, appealingly: \"You see how your presence has agitated my father. Pray let me conjure you—go. Be yo ur errand what it may\, I promise you it shall have the earliest attention . Or\,\" said she\, \"tell me what it is\; perhaps I can see to it—I att end a great deal to father's business. Pray tell me!\"\n\n\"No\, no!\" exc laimed the old man\, who had caught the last few words of his daughter. \" No\, no—not a syllable! Here\, I'm well—I'm well enough. I'll attend t o you. There\, there—that will do\,\" he continued\, addressing the serv ant\; \"leave the room. And you\,\" he added\, turning to his daughter\, \ "do you go too. I am much better now\, and can talk to him. Go! go!\" he c ried\, impatiently\, as he saw evidences of a disposition to linger\, on h er part\; \"if I want you I'll ring. Go!—this person won't stay long.\"\ n\n\"Not if I get what I came for\, miss\,\" said McCloskey\, insolently\; \"otherwise\, there is no knowing how long I may stay.\" With a look of a pprehension\, Lizzie quitted the room\, and the murderer and his accomplic e were alone together.\n\nMr. Stevens reached across the table\, drew the liquor towards him\, and recklessly pouring out a large quantity\, drained the glass to the bottom—this seemed to nerve him up and give him courag e\, for he turned to McCloskey and said\, with a much bolder air than he h ad yet shown in addressing him\, \"So\, you're back again\, villain! are y ou? I thought and hoped you were dead\;\" and he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as if to shut out some horrid spectre.\n\n\"I've been divilish near it\, squire\, but Providence has preserved me\, ye see—jis t to be a comfort to ye in yer old age. I've been shipwrecked\, blown up i n steamboats\, and I've had favers and choleray and the divil alone knows what—but I've been marcifully presarved to ye\, and hope ye'll see a goo d dale of me this many years to come.\"\n\nMr. Stevens glared at him fierc ely for a few seconds\, and then rejoined\, \"You promised me solemnly\, f ive years ago\, that you would never trouble me again\, and I gave you mon ey enough to have kept you in comfort—ay\, luxury—for the remainder of your life. Where is it all now?\"\n\n\"That's more than I can tell you\, squire. I only know how it comes. I don't trouble myself how it goes—tha t's your look out. If ye are anxious on that score you'd better hire a boo kkeeper for me—he shall send yer honour a quarterly account\, and then i t won't come on ye so sudden when it's all out another time.\"\n\n\"Insole nt!\" muttered Mr. Stevens.\n\nMcCloskey gave Mr. Stevens an impudent look \, but beyond that took no farther notice of his remark\, but proceeded wi th the utmost coolness to pour out another glass of brandy—after which h e drew his chair closer to the grate\, and placed his dirty feet upon the mantelpiece in close proximity to an alabaster clock.\n\n\"You make yourse lf very much at home\,\" said Stevens\, indignantly.\n\n\"Why shouldn't I? \" answered his tormentor\, in a tone of the most perfect good humour. \"W hy shouldn't I—in the house of an ould acquaintance and particular fri end—just the place to feel at home\, eh\, Stevens?\" then folding his ar ms and tilting back his chair\, he asked\, coolly: \"You haven't a cigar\, have ye?\"\n\n\"No\,\" replied Stevens\, surlily\; \"and if I had\, you s hould not have it. Your insolence is unbearable\; you appear\,\" continued he\, with some show of dignity\, \"to have forgotten who I am\, and who y ou are.\"\n\n\"Ye're mistaken there\, squire. Divil a bit have I. I'm McCl oskey\, and you are Slippery George—an animal that's known over the 'var sal world as a Philadelphia lawyer—a man that's chated his hundreds\, an d if he lives long enough\, he'll chate as many more\, savin' his friend M r. McCloskey\, and him he'll not be afther chating\, because he won't be a ble to get a chance\, although he'd like to if he could—divil a doubt of that.\"\n\n\"It's false—I never tried to cheat you\,\" rejoined Stevens \, courageously\, for the liquor was beginning to have a very inspiriting effect. \"It's a lie—I paid you all I agreed upon\, and more besides\; b ut you are like a leech—never satisfied. You have had from me altogether nearly twenty thousand dollars\, and you'll not get much more—now\, min d I tell you.\"\n\n\"The divil I won't\,\" rejoined he\, angrily\; \"that is yet to be seen. How would you like to make yer appearance at court some fine morning\, on the charge of murther\, eh?\" Mr. Stevens gave a percep tible shudder\, and looked round\, whereupon McCloskey said\, with a malev olent grin\, \"Ye see I don't stick at words\, squire\; I call things by t heir names.\"\n\n\"So I perceive\,\" answered Stevens. \"You were not so b old once.\"\n\n\"Ha\, ha!\" laughed McCloskey. \"I know that as well as yo u—then I was under the thumb—that was before we were sailing in the on e boat\; now ye see\, squire\, the boot is on the other leg.\" Mr. Stevens remained quiet for a few moments\, whilst his ragged visitor continued to leisurely sip his brandy and contemplate the soles of his boots as they w ere reflected in the mirror above—they were a sorry pair of boots\, and looked as if there would soon be a general outbreak of his toes—so thin and dilapidated did the soles appear.\n\n\"Look at thim boots\, and me sui t ginerally\, and see if your conscience won't accuse ye of ingratitude to the man who made yer fortune—or rather lets ye keep it\, now ye have it . Isn't it a shame now for me\, the best friend you've got in the world\, to be tramping the streets widdout a penny in his pocket\, and ye livin' i n clover\, with gold pieces as plenty as blackberries. It don't look right \, squire\, and mustn't go on any longer.\"\n\n\"What do you want—whatev er will satisfy you?\" asked Stevens. \"If I give you ever so much now\, w hat guarantee have I that you'll not return in a month or so\, and want as much more?\"\n\n\"I'll pledge ye me honour\,\" said McCloskey\, grandly.\ n\n\"Your honour!\" rejoined Stevens\, \"that is no security.\"\n\n\"Secur ity or no security\,\" said McCloskey\, impatiently\, \"you'll have to giv e me the money—it's not a bit of use now this disputin\, bekase ye see I 'm bound to have it\, and ye are wise enough to know ye'd better give it t o me. What if ye have give me thousands upon thousands\,\" continued he\, his former good-humoured expression entirely vanishing\; \"it's nothing mo re than you ought to do for keeping yer secrets for ye—and as long as ye have money\, ye may expect to share it with me: so make me out a good hea vy cheque\, and say no more about it.\"\n\n\"What do you call a heavy cheq ue?\" asked Stevens\, in a despairing tone.\n\n\"Five or six thousand\,\" coolly answered his visitor.\n\n\"Five or six thousand!\" echoed Mr. Steve ns\, \"it is impossible.\"\n\n\"It had better not be\,\" said McCloskey\, looking angry\; \"it had better not be—I'm determined not to be leading a beggar's life\, and you to be a rolling in wealth.\"\n\n\"I can't give i t\, and won't give it—if it must come to that\,\" answered Stevens\, des perately. \"It is you that have the fortune—I am only your banker at thi s rate. I can't give it to you—I haven't got that much money.\"\n\n\"You must find it then\, and pretty quick at that\,\" said McCloskey. \"I'm no t to be fooled with—I came here for money\, and I must and will have it. \"\n\n\"I am willing to do what is reasonable\,\" rejoined Mr. Stevens\, i n a more subdued tone. \"You talk of thousands as most men do of hundreds. I really haven't got it.\"\n\n\"Oh\, bother such stuff as that\,\" interr upted McCloskey\, incredulously. \"I don't believe a word of it—I've ask ed them that know\, and every one says you've made a mint of money by spec ulation—that since ye sold out in the South and came here to live\, ther e's no end to the money ye've made\; so you see it don't do to be making a poor mouth to me. I've come here for a check for five thousand dollars\, and shan't go away without it\,\" concluded he\, in a loud and threatening tone.\n\nDuring this conversation\, Lizzie Stevens had been standing at t he door\, momentarily expecting a recall to the apartment. She heard the l ow rumble of their voices\, but could not distinguish words. At length\, h earing McCloskey's raised to a higher key\, she could no longer restrain h er impatience\, and gently opening the door\, looked into the room. Both t heir faces were turned in the opposite direction\, so that neither noticed the gentle intrusion of Lizzie\, who\, fearing to leave her father longer alone\, ventured into the apartment.\n\n\"You need not stand looking at m e in that threatening manner. You may do as you please—go tell what you like\; but remember\, when I fall\, so do you\; I have not forgotten that affair in Philadelphia from which I saved you—don't place me in a situat ion that will compel me to recur to it to your disadvantage.\" \"Ah\, don' t trouble yerself about that\, squire\; I don't—that is entirely off my mind\; for now Whitticar is dead\, where is yer witnesses?\"\n\n\"Whittica r dead!\" repeated Stevens.\n\n\"Yes\; and what's more\, he's buried—so he's safe enough\, squire\; and I shouldn't be at all surprised if you'd b e glad to have me gone too.\"\n\n\"I would to God you had been\, before I put myself in your power.\"\n\n\"'Twas your own hastiness. When it came to the pinch\, I wasn't equal to the job\, so ye couldn't wait for another t ime\, but out with yer pistol\, and does it yerself.\" The wretched man sh uddered and covered his face\, as McCloskey coolly recounted his murder of Mr. Garie\, every word of which was too true to be denied.\n\n\"And haven 't I suffered\,\" said he\, shaking his bald head mournfully\; \"haven't I suffered—look at my grey hairs and half-palsied frame\, decrepit before I'm old—sinking into the tomb with a weight of guilt and sin upon me th at will crush me down to the lowest depth of hell. Think you\,\" he contin ued\, \"that because I am surrounded with all that money can buy\, that I am happy\, or ever shall be\, with this secret gnawing at my heart\; every piece of gold I count out\, I see his hands outstretched over it\, and he ar him whisper 'Mine!' He gives me no peace night or day\; he is always by me\; I have no rest. And you must come\, adding to my torture\, and striv ing to tear from me that for which I bartered conscience\, peace\, soul\, everything that would make life desirable. If there is mercy in you\, leav e me with what I give you\, and come back no more. Life has so little to o ffer\, that rather than bear this continued torment and apprehension I dai ly suffer\, I will cut my throat\, and then your game is over.\"\n\nLizzie Stevens stood rooted to the spot whilst her father made the confession th at was wrung from him by the agony of the moment.\n\n\"Well\, well!\" said McCloskey\, somewhat startled and alarmed at Stevens's threat of self-des truction—\"well\, I'll come down a thousand—make it four.\"\n\n\"That I'll do\,\" answered the old man\, tremblingly\; and reaching over\, he dr ew towards him the cheque-book. After writing the order for the sum\, he w as placing it in the hand of McCloskey\, when\, hearing a faint moan\, he looked towards the door\, and saw his daughter fall fainting to the ground .\n\nCHAPTER XXXI.\nThe Thorn rankles.\n\nWe left the quiet town of Sudbur y snow-clad and sparkling in all the glory of a frosty moonlight night\; w e now return to it\, and discover it decked out in its bravest summer garn iture. A short distance above the hill upon which it is built\, the water of the river that glides along its base may be seen springing over the low dam that obstructs its passage\, sparkling\, glistening\, dancing in the sunlight\, as it falls splashing on the stones below\; and then\, as thoug h subdued by the fall and crash\, it comes murmuring on\, stopping now and then to whirl and eddy round some rock or protruding stump\, and at last glides gently under the arch of the bridge\, seemingly to pause beneath it s shadow and ponder upon its recent tumble from the heights above. Seated here and there upon the bridge are groups of boys\, rod in hand\, endeavou ring\, with the most delicious-looking and persuasive of baits\, to inveig le finny innocents from the cool depths below.\n\nThe windows of the mills are all thrown open\, and now and then the voices of some operatives\, si nging at their work\, steal forth in company with the whir and hum of the spindles\, and mingle with the splash of the waterfall\; and the united vo ices of nature\, industry\, and man\, harmonize their swelling tones\, or go floating upward on the soft July air. The houses upon the hill-side see m to be endeavouring to extricate themselves from bowers of full-leafed tr ees\; and with their white fronts\, relieved by the light green blinds\, l ook cool and inviting in the distance. High above them all\, as though loo king down in pride upon the rest\, stands the Academy\, ennobled in the co urse of years by the addition of extensive wings and a row of stately pill ars. On the whole\, the town looked charmingly peaceful and attractive\, a nd appeared just the quiet nook that a weary worker in cities would select as a place of retirement after a busy round of toils or pleasure.\n\nTher e were little knots of idlers gathered about the railroad station\, as the re always is in quiet towns—not that they expect any one\; but that the arrival and departure of the train is one of the events of the day\, and t hose who have nothing else particular to accomplish feel constrained to be on hand to witness it. Every now and then one of them would look down the line and wonder why the cars were not in sight.\n\nAmongst those seemingl y the most impatient was Miss Ada Bell\, who looked but little older than when she won the heart of the orphan Clarence\, years before\, by that kin d kiss upon his childish brow. It was hers still—she bound it to her by long years of affectionate care\, almost equalling in its sacrificing tend erness that which a mother would have bestowed upon her only child. Claren ce\, her adopted son\, had written to her\, that he was wretched\, heart-s ore\, and ill\, and longed to come to her\, his almost mother\, for sympat hy\, advice\, and comfort: so she\, with yearning heart\, was there to mee t him.\n\nAt last the faint scream of the steam-whistle was heard\, and so on the lumbering locomotive came puffing and snorting on its iron path\, d ashing on as though it could never stop\, and making the surrounding hills echo with the unearthly scream of its startling whistle\, and arousing to desperation every dog in the quiet little town. At last it stopped\, and stood giving short and impatient snorts and hisses\, whilst the passengers were alighting.\n\nClarence stepped languidly out\, and was soon in the e mbrace of Miss Ada.\n\n\"My dear boy\, how thin and pale you look!\" she e xclaimed\; \"come\, get into the carriage\; never mind your baggage\, Geor ge will look after that\; your hands are hot—very hot\, you must be feve rish.\"\n\n\"Yes\, Aunt Ada\,\" for so he had insisted on his calling her \"I am ill—sick in heart\, mind\, and everything. Cut up the horses\,\" said he\, with slight impatience of manner\; \"let us get home quickly. Wh en I get in the old parlour\, and let you bathe my head as you used to\, I am sure I shall feel better. I am almost exhausted from fatigue and heat. \"\n\n\"Very well then\, dear\, don't talk now\,\" she replied\, not in th e least noticing his impatience of manner\; \"when you are rested\, and ha ve had your tea\, will be time enough.\"\n\nThey were soon in the old hous e\, and Clarence looked round with a smile of pleasure on the room where h e had spent so many happy hours. Good Aunt Ada would not let him talk\, bu t compelled him to remain quiet until he had rested himself\, and eaten hi s evening meal.\n\nHe had altered considerably in the lapse of years\, the re was but little left to remind one of the slight\, melancholy-looking bo y\, that once stood a heavy-hearted little stranger in the same room\, in days gone by. His face was without a particle of red to relieve its unifor m paleness\; his eyes\, large\, dark\, and languishing\, were half hidden by unusually long lashes\; his forehead broad\, and surmounted with cluste ring raven hair\; a glossy moustache covered his lip\, and softened down i ts fulness\; on the whole\, he was strikingly handsome\, and none would pa ss him without a second look.\n\nTea over\, Miss Ada insisted that he shou ld lie down upon the sofa again\, whilst she\, sat by and bathed his head. \"Have you seen your sister lately?\" she asked.\n\n\"No\, Aunt Ada\,\" h e answered\, hesitatingly\, whilst a look of annoyance darkened his face f or a moment\; \"I have not been to visit her since last fall—almost a ye ar.\"\n\n\"Oh! Clarence\, how can you remain so long away?\" said she\, re proachfully.\n\n\"Well\, I can't go there with any comfort or pleasure\,\" he answered\, apologetically\; \"I can't go there\; each year as I visit the place\, their ways seem more strange and irksome to me. Whilst enjoyin g her company\, I must of course come in familiar contact with those by wh om she is surrounded. Sustaining the position that I do—passing as I am for a white man—I am obliged to be very circumspect\, and have often bee n compelled to give her pain by avoiding many of her dearest friends when I have encountered them in public places\, because of their complexion. I feel mean and cowardly whilst I'm doing it\; but it is necessary—I can't be white and coloured at the same time\; the two don't mingle\, and I mus t consequently be one or the other. My education\, habits\, and ideas\, al l unfit me for associating with the latter\; and I live in constant dread that something may occur to bring me out with the former. I don't avoid co loured people\, because I esteem them my inferiors in refinement\, educati on\, or intelligence\; but because they are subjected to degradations that I shall be compelled to share by too freely associating with them.\"\n\n\ "It is a pity\,\" continued he\, with a sigh\, \"that I was not suffered t o grow up with them\, then I should have learnt to bear their burthens\, a nd in the course of time might have walked over my path of life\, bearing the load almost unconsciously. Now it would crush me\, I know. It was a gr eat mistake to place me in my present false position\,\" concluded he\, bi tterly\; \"it has cursed me. Only a day ago I had a letter from Em\, repro aching me for my coldness\; yet\, God help me! What am I to do!\"\n\nMiss Ada looked at him sorrowfully\, and continued smoothing down his hair\, an d inundating his temples with Cologne\; at last she ventured to inquire\, \"How do matters progress with you and Miss Bates? Clary\, you have lost y our heart there!\"\n\n\"Too true\,\" he replied\, hurriedly\; \"and what i s more—little Birdie (I call her little Birdie) has lost hers too. Aunt Ada\, we are engaged!\"\n\n\"With her parents' consent?\" she asked.\n\n\" Yes\, with her parents' consent\; we are to be married in the coming winte r.\"\n\n\"Then they know all\, of course—they know you are coloured?\" o bserved she.\n\n\"They know all!\" cried he\, starting up. \"Who said they did—who told them?—tell me that\, I say! Who has dared to tell them I am a coloured man?\"\n\n\"Hush\, Clarence\, hush!\" replied she\, attempt ing to soothe him. \"I do not know that any one has informed them\; I only inferred so from your saying you were engaged. I thought you had informed them yourself. Don't you remember you wrote that you should?—and I took it for granted that you had.\"\n\n\"Oh! yes\, yes\; so I did! I fully int ended to\, but found myself too great a coward. I dare not—I cannot risk losing her. I am fearful that if she knew it she would throw me off for e ver.\"\n\n\"Perhaps not\, Clarence—if she loves you as she should\; and even if she did\, would it not be better that she should know it now\, tha n have it discovered afterwards\, and you both be rendered miserable for l ife.\"\n\n\"No\, no\, Aunt Ada—I cannot tell her! It must remain a secre t until after our marriage\; then\, if they find it out\, it will be to th eir interest to smooth the matter over\, and keep quiet about it.\"\n\n\"C lary\, Clary—that is not honourable!\"\n\n\"I know it—but how can I he lp it? Once or twice I thought of telling her\, but my heart always failed me at the critical moment. It would kill me to lose her. Oh! I love her\, Aunt Ada\,\" said he\, passionately—\"love her with all the energy and strength of my father's race\, and all the doating tenderness of my mother 's. I could have told her long ago\, before my love had grown to its prese nt towering strength\, but craft set a seal upon my lips\, and bid me be s ilent until her heart was fully mine\, and then nothing could part us\; ye t now even\, when sure of her affections\, the dread that her love would n ot stand the test\, compels me to shrink more than ever from the disclosur e.\"\n\n\"But\, Clarence\, you are not acting generously\; I know your con science does not approve your actions.\"\n\n\"Don't I know that?\" he answ ered\, almost fiercely\; \"yet I dare not tell—I must shut this secret i n my bosom\, where it gnaws\, gnaws\, gnaws\, until it has almost eaten my heart away. Oh\, I've thought of that\, time and again\; it has kept me a wake night after night\, it haunts me at all hours\; it is breaking down m y health and strength—wearing my very life out of me\; no escaped galley -slave ever felt more than I do\, or lived in more constant fear of detect ion: and yet I must nourish this tormenting secret\, and keep it growing i n my breast until it has crowded out every honourable and manly feeling\; and then\, perhaps\, after all my sufferings and sacrifice of candour and truth\, out it will come at last\, when I least expect or think of it.\"\n \nAunt Ada could not help weeping\, and exclaimed\, commiseratingly\, \"My poor\, poor boy\,\" as he strode up and down the room.\n\n\"The whole fam ily\, except her\, seem to have the deepest contempt for coloured people\; they are constantly making them a subject of bitter jests\; they appear t o have no more feeling or regard for them than if they were brutes—and I \,\" continued he\, \"I\, miserable\, contemptible\, false-hearted knave\, as I am\, I—I—yes\, I join them in their heartless jests\, and wonder all the while my mother does not rise from her grave and curse me as I sp eak!\"\n\n\"Oh! Clarence\, Clarence\, my dear child!\" cried the terrified Aunt Ada\, \"you talk deliriously\; you have brooded over this until it h as almost made you crazy. Come here—sit down.\" And seizing him by the a rm\, she drew him on the sofa beside her\, and began to bathe his hot head with the Cologne again.\n\n\"Let me walk\, Aunt Ada\,\" said he after a f ew moments\,—\"let me walk\, I feel better whilst I am moving\; I can't bear to be quiet.\" And forthwith he commenced striding up and down the ro om again with nervous and hurried steps. After a few moments he burst out again——\n\n\"It seems as if fresh annoyances and complications beset m e every day. Em writes me that she is engaged. I was in hopes\, that\, aft er I had married\, I could persuade her to come and live with me\, and so gradually break off her connection with\, coloured people\; but that hope is extinguished now: she is engaged to a coloured man.\"\n\nAunt Ada could see no remedy for this new difficulty\, and could only say\,\n\"Indeed!\" \n\n\"I thought something of the kind would occur when I was last at home\ , and spoke to her on the subject\, but she evaded giving me any definite answer\; I think she was afraid to tell me—she has written\, asking my c onsent.\"\n\n\"And will you give it?\" asked Aunt Ada.\n\n\"It will matter but little if I don't\; Em has a will of her own\, and I have no means of coercing her\; besides\, I have no reasonable objection to urge: it would be folly in me to oppose it\, simply because he is a coloured man—for\, what am I myself? The only difference is\, that his identity with coloure d people is no secret\, and he is not ashamed of it\; whilst I conceal my origin\, and live in constant dread that some one may find it out.\" When Clarence had finished\, he continued to walk up and down the room\, lookin g very careworn and gloomy.\n\nMiss Bell remained on the sofa\, thoughtful ly regarding him. At last\, she rose up and took his hand in hers\, as she used to when he was a boy\, and walking beside him\, said\, \"The more I reflect upon it\, the more necessary I regard it that you should tell this girl and her parents your real position before you marry her. Throw away concealment\, make a clean breast of it! you may not be rejected when they find her heart is so deeply interested. If you marry her with this secret hanging over you\, it will embitter your life\, make you reserved\, suspi cious\, and consequently ill-tempered\, and destroy all your domestic happ iness. Let me persuade you\, tell them ere it be too late. Suppose it reac hed them through some other source\, what would they then think of you?\"\ n\n\"Who else would tell them? Who else knows it? You\, you\,\" said he su spiciously—\"you would not betray me! I thought you loved me\, Aunt Ada. \"\n\n\"Clarence\, my dear boy\,\" she rejoined\, apparently hurt by his h asty and accusing tone\, \"you will mistake me—I have no such intention. If they are never to learn it except through me\, your secret is perfectl y safe. Yet I must tell you that I feel and think that the true way to pro mote her happiness and your own\, is for you to disclose to them your real position\, and throw yourself upon their generosity for the result.\"\n\n Clarence pondered for a long time over Miss Bell's advice\, which she agai n and again repeated\, placing it each time before him in a stronger light \, until\, at last\, she extracted from him a promise that he would do it. \"I know you are right\, Aunt Ada\,\" said he\; \"I am convinced of tha t—it is a question of courage with me. I know it would be more honourabl e for me to tell her now. I'll try to do it—I will make an effort\, and summon up the courage necessary—God be my helper!\"\n\n\"That's a dear b oy!\" she exclaimed\, kissing him affectionately\; \"I know you will feel happier when it is all over\; and even if she should break her engagement\ , you will be infinitely better off than if it was fulfilled and your secr et subsequently discovered. Come\, now\,\" she concluded\, \"I am going to exert my old authority\, and send you to bed\; tomorrow\, perhaps\, you m ay see this in a more hopeful light.\"\n\nTwo days after this\, Clarence w as again in New York\, amid the heat and dust of that crowded\, bustling c ity. Soon\, after his arrival\, he dressed himself\, and started for the m ansion of Mr. Bates\, trembling as he went\, for the result of the communi cation he was about to make.\n\nOnce on the way he paused\, for the though t had occurred to him that he would write to them\; then reproaching himse lf for his weakness and timidity\, he started on again with renewed determ ination.\n\n\"I'll see her myself\,\" he soliloquized. \"I'll tell little Birdie all\, and know my fate from her own lips. If I must give her up\, I 'll know the worst from her.\"\n\nWhen Clarence was admitted\, he would no t permit himself to be announced\, but walked tiptoe upstairs and gently o pening the drawing-room door\, entered the room. Standing by the piano\, t urning over the leaves of some music\, and merrily humming an air\, was a young girl of extremely petite and delicate form. Her complexion was strik ingly fair\; and the rich curls of dark auburn that fell in clusters on he r shoulders\, made it still more dazzling by the contrast presented. Her e yes were grey\, inclining to black\; her features small\, and not over-rem arkable for their symmetry\, yet by no means disproportionate. There was t he sweetest of dimples on her small round chin\, and her throat white and clear as the finest marble. The expression of her face was extremely child like\; she seemed more like a schoolgirl than a young woman of eighteen on the eve of marriage. There was something deliriously airy and fairylike i n her motions\, and as she slightly moved her feet in time to the music sh e was humming\, her thin blue dress floated about her\, and undulated in h armony with her graceful motions.\n\nAfter gazing at her for a few moments \, Clarence called gently\, \"Little Birdie.\" She gave a timid joyous lit tle cry of surprise and pleasure\, and fluttered into his arms.\n\n\"Oh\, Clary\, love\, how you startled me! I did not dream there was any one in t he room. It was so naughty in you\,\" said she\, childishly\, as he pushed back the curls from her face and kissed her. \"When did you arrive?\"\n\n \"Only an hour ago\,\" he answered.\n\n\"And you came here at once? Ah\, t hat was so lover-like and kind\,\" she rejoined\, smiling.\n\n\"You look l ike a sylph to-night\, Anne\,\" said he\, as she danced about him. \"Ah\,\ " he continued\, after regarding her for a few seconds with a look of inte nse admiration\, \"you want to rivet my chains the tighter\,—you look mo st bewitching. Why are you so much dressed to-night?—jewels\, sash\, and satin slippers\,\" he continued\; \"are you going out?\"\n\n\"No\, Clary\ ,\" she answered. \"I was to have gone to the theatre\; but just at the la st moment I decided not to. A singular desire to stay at home came over me suddenly. I had an instinctive feeling that I should lose some greater en joyment if I went\; so I remained at home\; and here\, love\, are you. But what is the matter? you look sad and weary.\"\n\n\"I am a little fatigued \,\" said he\, seating himself and holding her hand in his: \"a little wea ry\; but that will soon wear off\; and as for the sadness\,\" concluded he \, with a forced smile\, \"that must depart now that I am with you\, Littl e Birdie.\"\n\n\"I feel relieved that you have returned safe and well\,\" said she\, looking up into his face from her seat beside him\; \"for\, Cla ry\, love\, I had such a frightful dream\, such a singular dream about you . I have endeavoured to shake it out of my foolish little head\; but it wo n't go\, Clary\,—I can't get rid of it. It occurred after you left us at Saratoga. Oh\, it was nothing though\,\" said she\, laughing and shaking her curls\,—\"nothing\; and now you are safely returned\, I shall not th ink of it again. Tell me what you have seen since you went away\; and how is that dear Aunt Ada of yours you talk so much about?\"\n\n\"Oh\, she is quite well\,\" answered he\; \"but tell\, Anne\, tell me about that dream. What was it\, Birdie?—come tell me.\"\n\n\"I don't care to\,\" she answ ered\, with a slight shudder\,—\"I don't want to\, love.\"\n\n\"Yes\, ye s\,—do\, sweet\,\" importuned he\; \"I want to hear it.\"\n\n\"Then if I must\,\" said she\, \"I will. I dreamed that you and I were walking on a road together\, and 'twas such a beautiful road\, with flowers and fruit\, and lovely cottages on either side. I thought you held my hand\; I felt i t just as plain as I clasp yours now. Presently a rough ugly man overtook us\, and bid you let me go\; and that you refused\, and held me all the ti ghter. Then he gave you a diabolical look\, and touched you on the face\, and you broke out in loathsome black spots\, and screamed in such agony an d frightened me so\, that I awoke all in a shiver of terror\, and did not get over it all the next day.\"\n\nClarence clutched her hand tighter as s he finished\, so tight indeed\, that she gave a little scream of pain and looked frightened at him. \"What is the matter?\" she inquired\; \"your ha nd is like ice\, and you are paler than ever. You haven't let that triflin g dream affect you so? It is nothing.\"\n\n\"I am superstitious in regard to dreams\,\" said Clarence\, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. \ "Go\,\" he asked\, faintly\, \"play me an air\, love\,—something quick a nd lively to dispel this. I wish you had not told me.\"\n\n\"But you begge d me to\,\" said she\, pouting\, as she took her seat at the instrument.\n \n\"How ominous\,\" muttered he\,—\"became covered with black spots\; th at is a foreshadowing. How can I tell her\,\" he thought. \"It seems like wilfully destroying my own happiness.\" And he sat struggling with himself to obtain the necessary courage to fulfil the purpose of his visit\, and became so deeply engrossed with his own reflections as to scarcely even he ar the sound of the instrument.\n\n\"It is too bad\,\" she cried\, as she ceased playing: \"here I have performed some of your favourite airs\, and that too without eliciting a word of commendation. You are inexpressibly d ull to-night\; nothing seems to enliven you. What is the matter?\"\n\n\"Oh \,\" rejoined he\, abstractedly\, \"am I? I was not aware of it.\"\n\n\"Ye s\, you are\,\" said Little Birdie\, pettishly\; \"nothing seems to engage your attention.\" And\, skipping off to the table\, she took up the newsp aper\, and exclaimed\,—\"Let me read you something very curious.\"\n\n\" No\, no\, Anne dear\,\" interrupted he\; \"sit here by me. I want to say s omething serious to you—something of moment to us both.\"\n\n\"Then it's something very grave and dull\, I know\,\" she remarked\; \"for that is t he way people always begin. Now I don't want to hear anything serious to-n ight\; I want to be merry. You look serious enough\; and if you begin to t alk seriously you'll be perfectly unbearable. So you must hear what I am g oing to read to you first.\" And the little tyrant put her finger on his l ip\, and looked so bewitching\, that he could not refuse her. And the impo rtant secret hung on his lips\, but was not spoken.\n\n\"Listen\,\" said s he\, spreading out the paper before her and running her tiny finger down t he column. \"Ah\, I have it\,\" she exclaimed at last\, and began:—\n\n\ "'We learn from unimpeachable authority that the Hon. —— ——\, who represents a district of our city in the State legislature\, was yesterday united to the Quateroon daughter of the late Gustave Almont. She is said to be possessed of a large fortune\, inherited from her father\; and they purpose going to France to reside\,—a sensible determination\; as\, afte r such a mesalliance\, the honourable gentleman can no longer expect to re tain his former social position in our midst.—New Orleans Watchman.'\"\n \n\"Isn't it singular\,\" she remarked\, \"that a man in his position shou ld make such a choice?\"\n\n\"He loved her\, no doubt\,\" suggested Claren ce\; \"and she was almost white.\"\n\n\"How could he love her?\" asked she \, wonderingly. \"Love a coloured woman! I cannot conceive it possible\,\" said she\, with a look of disgust\; \"there is something strange and unna tural about it.\"\n\n\"No\, no\,\" he rejoined\, hurriedly\, \"it was love \, Anne\,—pure love\; it is not impossible. I—I—\" \"am coloured\,\" he would have said\; but he paused and looked full in her lovely face. He could not tell her\,—the words slunk back into his coward heart unspoke n.\n\nShe stared at him in wonder and perplexity\, and exclaimed\,—\"Dea r Clarence\, how strangely you act! I am afraid you are not well. Your bro w is hot\,\" said she\, laying her hand on his forehead\; \"you have been travelling too much for your strength.\"\n\n\"It is not that\,\" he replie d. \"I feel a sense of suffocation\, as if all the blood was rushing to my throat. Let me get the air.\" And he rose and walked to the window. Anne hastened and brought him a glass of water\, of which he drank a little\, a nd then declared himself better.\n\nAfter this\, he stood for a long time with her clasped in his arms\; then giving her one or two passionate kisse s\, he strained her closer to him and abruptly left the house\, leaving Li ttle Birdie startled and alarmed by his strange behaviour.\n\nCHAPTER XXXI I.\nDear Old Ess again.\n\nLet us visit once more the room from which Mr. Walters and his friends made so brave a defence. There is but little in it s present appearance to remind one of that eventful night\,—no reminisce nces of that desperate attack\, save the bullet-hole in the ceiling\, whic h Mr. Walters declares shall remain unfilled as an evidence of the marked attention he has received at the hands of his fellow-citizens.\n\nThere ar e several noticeable additions to the furniture of the apartment\; amongst them an elegantly-carved work-stand\, upon which some unfinished articles of children's apparel are lying\; a capacious rocking-chair\, and grand p iano.\n\nThen opposite to the portrait of Toussaint is suspended another p icture\, which no doubt holds a higher position in the regard of the owner of the mansion than the African warrior aforesaid. It is a likeness of th e lady who is sitting at the window\,—Mrs. Esther Walters\, nee Ellis. T he brown baby in the picture is the little girl at her side\,—the elder sister of the other brown baby who is doing its best to pull from its moth er's lap the doll's dress upon which she is sewing. Yes\, that is \"dear o ld Ess\,\" as Charlie calls her yet\, though why he will persist in applyi ng the adjective we are at a loss to determine.\n\nEsther looks anything b ut old—a trifle matronly\, we admit—but old we emphatically say she is not\; her hair is parted plainly\, and the tiniest of all tiny caps sits at the back of her head\, looking as if it felt it had no business on such raven black hair\, and ought to be ignominiously dragged off without one word of apology. The face and form are much more round and full\, and the old placid expression has been undisturbed in the lapse of years.\n\nThe c omplexion of the two children was a sort of compromise between the complex ions of their parents—chubby-faced\, chestnut-coloured\, curly-headed\, rollicking little pests\, who would never be quiet\, and whose little blac k buttons of eyes were always peering into something\, and whose little pl ugs of fingers would\, in spite of every precaution to prevent\, be diving into mother's work-box\, and various other highly inconvenient and inappr opriate places.\n\n\"There!\" said Esther\, putting the last stitch into a doll she had been manufacturing\; \"now\, take sister\, and go away and p lay.\" But little sister\, it appeared\, did not wish to be taken\, and sh e made the best of her way off\, holding on by the chairs\, and tottering over the great gulfs between them\, until she succeeded in reaching the mu sic-stand\, where she paused for a while before beginning to destroy the m usic. Just at this critical juncture a young lady entered the room\, and h eld up her hands in horror\, and baby hastened off as fast as her toddling limbs could carry her\, and buried her face in her mother's lap in great consternation.\n\nEmily Garie made two or three slight feints of an endeav our to catch her\, and then sat down by the little one's mother\, and gave a deep sigh.\n\n\"Have you answered your brother's letter?\" asked Esther .\n\n\"Yes\, I have\,\" she replied\; \"here it is\,\"—and she laid the letter in Esther's lap. Baby made a desperate effort to obtain it\, but su ffered a signal defeat\, and her mother opened it\, and read—\n\n\"DEAR BROTHER\,—I read your chilling letter with deep sorrow. I cannot say tha t it surprised me\; it is what I have anticipated during the many months t hat I have been silent on the subject of my marriage. Yet\, when I read it \, I could not but feel a pang to which heretofore I have been a stranger. Clarence\, you know I love you\, and should not make the sacrifice you de mand a test of my regard. True\, I cannot say (and most heartily I regret it) that there exists between us the same extravagant fondness we cherishe d as children—but that is no fault of mine. Did you not return to me\, e ach year\, colder and colder—more distant and unbrotherly—until you dr ove back to their source the gushing streams of a sister's love that flowe d so strongly towards you? You ask me to resign Charles Ellis and come to you. What can you offer me in exchange for his true\, manly affection?—t o what purpose drive from my heart a love that has been my only solace\, o nly consolation\, for your waning regard! We have grown up together—he h as been warm and kind\, when you were cold and indifferent—and now that he claims the reward of long years of tender regard\, and my own heart is conscious that he deserves it\, you would step between us\, and forbid me yield the recompense that it will be my pride and delight to bestow. It gr ieves me to write it\; yet I must\, Clary—for between brother and sister there is no need of concealments\; and particularly at such a time should everything be open\, clear\, explicit. Do not think I wish to reproach yo u. What you are\, Clarence\, your false position and unfortunate education have made you. I write it with pain—your demand seems extremely selfish . I fear it is not of me but of yourself you are thinking\, when you ask m e to sever\, at once and for ever\, my connection with a people who\, you say\, can only degrade me. Yet how much happier am I\, sharing their degra dation\, than you appear to be! Is it regard for me that induces the desir e that I should share the life of constant dread that I cannot but feel yo u endure—or do you fear that my present connections will interfere with your own plans for the future?\n\n\"Even did I grant it was my happiness a lone you had in view\, my objections would be equally strong. I could not forego the claims of early friendship\, and estrange myself from those who have endeared themselves to me by long years of care—nor pass coldly an d unrecognizingly by playmates and acquaintances\, because their complexio ns were a few shades darker than my own. This I could never do—to me it seems ungrateful: yet I would not reproach you because you can—for the c ircumstances by which you have been surrounded have conspired to produce t hat result—and I presume you regard such conduct as necessary to sustain you in your present position. From the tenor of your letter I should judg e that you entertained some fear that I might compromise you with your fut ure bride\, and intimate that my choice may deprive you of yours. Surely t hat need not be. She need not even know of my existence. Do not entertain a fear that I\, or my future husband\, will ever interfere with your happi ness by thrusting ourselves upon you\, or endanger your social position by proclaiming our relationship. Our paths lie so widely apart that they nee d never cross. You walk on the side of the oppressor—I\, thank God\, am with the oppressed.\n\n\"I am happy—more happy\, I am sure\, than you co uld make me\, even by surrounding me with the glittering lights that shine upon your path\, and which\, alas! may one day go suddenly out\, and leav e you wearily groping in the darkness. I trust\, dear brother\, my words m ay not prove a prophecy\; yet\, should they be\, trust me\, Clarence\, you may come back again\, and a sister's heart will receive you none the less warmly that you selfishly desired her to sacrifice the happiness of a lif etime to you. I shall marry Charles Ellis. I ask you to come and see us un ited—I shall not reproach you if you do not\; yet I shall feel strange w ithout a single relative to kiss or bless me in that most eventful hour of a woman's life. God bless you\, Clary! I trust your union may be as happy as I anticipate my own will be—and\, if it is not\, it will not be beca use it has lacked the earnest prayers of your neglected but still loving s ister.\"\n\n\"Esther\, I thought I was too cold in that—tell me\, do you think so?\"\n\n\"No\, dear\, not at all\; I think it a most affectionate reply to a cold\, selfish letter.\"\n\n\"Oh\, I'm glad to hear you say tha t. I can trust better to your tenderness of others' feelings than to my ow n heart. I felt strongly\, Esther\, and was fearful that it might be too h arsh or reproachful. I was anxious lest my feelings should be too striking ly displayed\; yet it was better to be explicit—don't you think so?\"\n\ n\"Undoubtedly\,\" answered Esther\; and handing back the letter\, she too k up baby\, and seated herself in the rocking-chair.\n\nNow baby had a pre judice against caps\, inveterate and unconquerable\; and grandmamma\, nurs e\, and Esther were compelled to bear the brunt of her antipathies. We hav e before said that Esther's cap looked as though it felt itself in an inap propriate position—that it had got on the head of the wrong individual —and baby\, no doubt in deference to the cap's feelings\, tore it off\, and threw it in the half-open piano\, from whence it was extricated with g reat detriment to the delicate lace.\n\nEmily took a seat near the window\ , and drawing her work-table towards her\, raised the lid. This presenting another opening for baby\, she slid down from her mother's lap\, and hast ened towards her. She just arrived in time to see it safely closed\, and t oddled back to her mother\, as happy as if she had succeeded in running ri ot over its contents\, and scattering them all over the floor.\n\nEmily ke pt looking down the street\, as though in anxious expectation of somebody\ ; and whilst she stood there\, there was an opportunity of observing how l ittle she had changed in the length of years. She is little Em magnified\, with a trifle less of the child in her face. Her hair has a slight kink\, is a little more wavy than is customary in persons of entire white blood\ ; but in no other way is her extraction perceptible\, only the initiated\, searching for evidences of African blood\, would at all notice this sligh t peculiarity.\n\nHer expectation was no doubt about to be gratified\, for a smile broke over her face\, as she left the window and skipped downstai rs\; when she re-entered\, she was accompanied by her intended husband. Th ere was great commotion amongst the little folk in consequence of this new arrival. Baby kicked\, and screamed out \"Unker Char\,\" and went almost frantic because her dress became entangled in the buckle of her mamma's be lt\, and her sister received a kiss before she could be extricated.\n\nCha rlie is greatly altered—he is tall\, remarkably athletic\, with a large\ , handsomely-shaped head\, covered with close-cut\, woolly hair\; high for ehead\, heavy eyebrows\, large nose\, and a mouth of ordinary size\, fille d with beautifully white teeth\, which he displays at almost every word he speaks\; chin broad\, and the whole expression of his face thoughtful and commanding\, yet replete with good humour. No one would call him handsome \, yet there was something decidedly attractive in his general appearance. No one would recognize him as the Charlie of old\, whose escapades had so destroyed the comfort and harmony of Mrs. Thomas's establishment\; and on ly once\, when he held up the baby\, and threatened to let her tear the pa per ornaments from the chandelier\, was there a twinkle of the Charlie of old looking out of his eyes.\n\n\"How are mother and father to-day?\" aske d Esther.\n\n\"Oh\, both well. I left them only a few minutes ago at the d inner table. I had to hurry off to go to the office.\"\n\n\"So I perceive\ ,\" observed Esther\, archly\, \"and of course\, coming here\, which is fo ur squares out of your way\, will get you there much sooner.\"\n\nEmily bl ushed\, and said\, smilingly\, Esther was \"a very impertinent person\;\" and in this opinion Charlie fully concurred. They then walked to the windo w\, where they stood\, saying\, no doubt\, to each other those little tend er things which are so profoundly interesting to lovers\, and so exceeding ly stupid to every one else. Baby\, in high glee\, was seated on Charlie's shoulder\, where she could clutch both hands in his hair and pull until t he tears almost started from his eyes.\n\n\"Emily and you have been talkin g a long while\, and I presume you have fully decided on what day you are both to be rescued from your misery\, and when I am to have the exquisite satisfaction of having my house completely turned upside down for your mut ual benefit\,\" said Esther. \"I trust it will be as soon as possible\, as we cannot rationally expect that either of you will be bearable until it is all over\, and you find yourselves ordinary mortals again. Come now\, o ut with it. When is it to be?\"\n\n\"I say next week\,\" cried Charlie.\n\ n\"Next week\, indeed\,\" hastily rejoined Emily. \"I could not think of s uch a thing—so abrupt.\"\n\n\"So abrupt\,\" repeated Charlie\, with a la ugh. \"Why\, haven't I been courting you ever since I wore roundabouts\, a nd hasn't everybody been expecting us to be married every week within the last two years. Fie\, Em\, it's anything but abrupt.\"\n\nEmily blushed st ill deeper\, and looked out of the window\, down the street and up the str eet\, but did not find anything in the prospect at either side that at all assisted her to come to a decision\, so she only became more confused and stared the harder\; at last she ventured to suggest that day two months.\ n\n\"This day two months—outrageous!\" said Charlie. \"Come here\, dear old Ess\, and help me to convince this deluded girl of the preposterous ma nner in which she is conducting herself.\"\n\n\"I must join her side if yo u will bring me into the discussion. I think she is right\, Charlie—ther e is so much to be done: the house to procure and furnish\, and numberless other things that you hasty and absurd men know nothing about.\"\n\nBy di nt of strong persuasion from Charlie\, Emily finally consented to abate tw o weeks of the time\, and they decided that a family council should be hel d that evening at Mrs. Ellis's\, when the whole arrangements should be def initely settled.\n\nA note was accordingly despatched by Esther to her mot her—that she\, accompanied by Emily and the children\, would come to the m early in the afternoon\, and that the gentlemen would join them in the e vening at tea-time. Caddy was\, of course\, completely upset by the intell igence\; for\, notwithstanding that she and the maid-of-all-work lived in an almost perpetual state of house-cleaning\, nothing appeared to her to b e in order\, and worse than all\, there was nothing to eat.\n\n\"Nothing t o eat!\" exclaimed Mrs. Ellis. \"Why\, my dear child\, there are all manne r of preserves\, plenty of fresh peaches to cut and sugar down\, and a lar ge pound-cake in the house\, and any quantity of bread can be purchased at the baker's.\"\n\n\"Bread—plain bread!\" rejoined Caddy\, indignantly\, quite astonished at her mother's modest idea of a tea—and a company-tea at that. \"Do you think\, mother\, I'd set Mr. Walters down to plain brea d\, when we always have hot rolls and short-cake at their house? It is not to be thought of for a moment: they must have some kind of hot cake\, be the consequences what they may.\"\n\nCaddy bustled herself about\, and hur ried up the maid-of-all-work in an astonishing manner\, and before the com pany arrived had everything prepared\, and looked as trim and neat herself as if she had never touched a rolling-pin\, and did not know what an oven was used for.\n\nBehold them all assembled. Mrs. Ellis at the head of the table with a grandchild on each side of her\, and her cap-strings pinned upon the side next to baby. Esther sits opposite her husband\, who is grow n a little grey\, but otherwise is not in the least altered\; next to her is her father\, almost buried in a large easy-chair\, where he sits shakin g his head from time to time\, and smiling vacantly at the children\; then come Emily and Charlie at the foot\, and at his other hand Caddy and Kinc h—Kinch the invincible—Kinch the dirty—Kinch the mischievous\, now m etamorphosed into a full-blown dandy\, with faultless linen\, elegant vest \, and fashionably-cut coat. Oh\, Kinch\, what a change—from the most sh abby and careless of all boys to a consummate exquisite\, with heavy gold watch and eye-glass\, and who has been known to dress regularly twice a da y!\n\nThere was a mighty pouring out of tea at Mrs. Ellis's end of the tab le\, and baby of course had to be served first with some milk and bread. B etween her and the cat intimate relations seemed to exist\, for by their u nited efforts the first cap was soon disposed of\, and baby was clamouring for the second before the elder portions of the family had been once serv ed round with tea.\n\nCharlie and Emily ate little and whispered a great d eal\; but Kinch\, the voracity of whose appetite had not at all diminished in the length of years\, makes up for their abstinence by devouring the d elicious round short-cakes with astonishing rapidity. He did not pretend t o make more than two bites to a cake\, and they slipped away down his thro at as if it was a railroad tunnel and they were a train of cars behind tim e.\n\nCaddy felt constrained to get up every few moments to look after som ething\, and to assure herself by personal inspection that the reserved su pplies in the kitchen were not likely to be exhausted. Esther occupied her self in attending upon her helpless father\, and fed him as tenderly and c arefully as if he was one of her babies.\n\n\"I left you ladies in council . What was decided?\" said Charlie\, \"don't be at all bashful as regards speaking before Kinch\, for he is in the secret and has been these two mon ths. Kinch is to be groomsman\, and has had three tailors at work on his s uit for a fortnight past. He told me this morning that if you did not hurr y matters up\, his wedding coat would be a week out of fashion before he s hould get a chance to wear it.\"\n\n\"How delightful—Kinch to be groomsm an\,\" said Esther\, \"that is very kind in you\, Kinch\, to assist us to get Charlie off our hands.\"\n\n\"And who is to be bridesmaid?\" asked Wal ters.\n\n\"Oh\, Caddy of course—I couldn't have any one but Caddy\,\" bl ushingly answered Emily.\n\n\"That is capital\,\" cried Charlie\, giving K inch a facetious poke\, \"just the thing\, isn't it\, Kinch—it will get her accustomed to these matters. You remember what you told me this mornin g\, eh\, old boy?\" he concluded\, archly. Kinch tried to blush\, but bein g very dark-complexioned\, his efforts in that direction were not at all a pparent\, so he evidenced his confusion by cramming a whole short-cake int o his mouth\, and almost caused a stoppage in the tunnel\; Caddy became ex cessively red in the face\, and was sure they wanted more cakes.\n\nBut Mr . Walters was equally confident they did not\, and put his back against th e door and stood there\, whilst Mrs. Ellis gravely informed them that she soon expected to be her own housekeeper\, for that she had detected Caddy and Kinch in a furniture establishment\, pricing a chest of drawers and a wash-stand\; and that Kinch had unblushingly told her they had for some ti me been engaged to be married\, but somehow or other had forgotten to ment ion it to her.\n\nThis caused a general shout of laughter around the table \, in which baby tumultuously joined\, and rattled her spoon against the t ea-urn until she almost deafened them.\n\nThis noise frightened Mr. Ellis\ , who cried\, \"There they come! there they come!\" and cowered down in hi s great chair\, and looked so exceedingly terrified\, that the noise was h ushed instantly\, and tears sprang into the eyes of dear old Ess\, who ros e and stood by him\, and laid his withered face upon her soft warm bosom\, smoothed down the thin grey hair\, and held him close to her throbbing te nder heart\, until the wild light vanished from his bleared and sunken eye s\, and the vacant childish smile came back on his thin\, wan face again\, when she said\, \"Pray don't laugh so very loud\, it alarms father\; he i s composed now\, pray don't startle him so again.\"\n\nThis sobered them d own a little\, and they quietly recommenced discussing the matrimonial arr angements\; but they were all in such capital spirits that an occasional h earty and good-humoured laugh could not be suppressed.\n\nMr. Walters acte d in his usual handsome manner\, and facetiously collaring Charlie\, took him into a corner and informed him that he had an empty house that be wish ed him to occupy\, and that if he ever whispered the word rent\, or offere d him any money before he was worth twenty thousand dollars\, he should be lieve that he wanted to pick a quarrel with him\, and should refer him to a friend\, and then pistols and coffee would be the inevitable result.\n\n Then it came out that Caddy and Kinch had been\, courting for some time\, if not with Mrs. Ellis's verbal consent\, with at least no objection from that good lady\; for Master Kinch\, besides being an exceedingly good-natu red fellow\, was very snug in his boots\, and had a good many thousand dol lars at his disposal\, bequeathed him by his father.\n\nThe fates had cons pired to make that old gentleman rich. He owned a number of lots on the ou tskirts of the city\, on which he had been paying taxes a number of years\ , and he awoke one fine morning to find them worth a large sum of money. T he city council having determined to cut a street just beside them\, and t he property all around being in the hands of wealthy and fashionable peopl e\, his own proved to be exceedingly valuable.\n\nIt was a sad day for the old man\, as Kinch and his mother insisted that he should give up busines s\, which he did most reluctantly\, and Kinch had to be incessantly on the watch thereafter\, to prevent him from hiring cellars\, and sequestering their old clothes to set up in business again. They were both gone now\, a nd Kinch was his own master\, with a well-secured income of a thousand dol lars a-year\, with a prospect of a large increase.\n\nThey talked matters over fully\, and settled all their arrangements before the time for partin g\, and then\, finding the baby had scrambled into Mrs. Ellis's lap and go ne fast asleep\, and that it was long after ten o'clock\, each departed\, taking their several ways for home.\n\nCHAPTER XXXIII.\nThe Fatal Discover y.\n\nThere is great bustle and confusion in the house of Mr. Bates. Mantu a-makers and milliners are coming in at unearthly hours\, and consultation s of deep importance are being duly held with maiden aunts and the young l adies who are to officiate as bridesmaids at the approaching ceremony. The re are daily excursions to drapers' establishments\, and jewellers\, and\, in fact\, so much to be done and thought of\, that little Birdie is in co nstant confusion\, and her dear little curly head is almost turned topsy-t urvy. Twenty times in each day is she called upstairs to where the sempstr esses are at work\, to have something tried on or fitted. Poor little Bird ie! she declares she never can stand it: she did not dream that to be marr ied she would have been subjected to such a world of trouble\, or she woul d never have consented\,—never!\n\nAnd then Clarence\, too\, comes in ev ery morning\, and remains half the day\, teasing her to play\, to talk\, o r sing. Inconsiderate Clarence! when she has so much on her mind\; and whe n at last he goes\, and she begins to felicitate herself that she is rid o f him\, back he comes again in the evening\, and repeats the same annoyanc e. O\, naughty\, tiresome\, Clarence! how can you plague little Birdie so? Perhaps you think she doesn't dislike it\; you may be right\, very likely she doesn't.\n\nShe sometimes wonders why he grows paler and thinner each day\, and his nervous and sometimes distracted manner teases her dreadful ly\; but she supposes all lovers act thus\, and expects they cannot help i t—and then little Birdie takes a sly peep in the glass\, and does not so much wonder after all.\n\nYet if she sometimes deems his manner startling and odd\, what would she say if she knew that\, night after night\, when he left her side\, he wandered for long hours through the cold and dreary streets\, and then went to his hotel\, where he paced his room until almos t day?\n\nAh\, little Birdie\, a smile will visit his pale face when you c hirp tenderly to him\, and a faint tinge comes upon his cheek when you lay your soft tiny hand upon it\; yet all the while there is that desperate s ecret lying next his heart\, and\, like a vampire\, sucking away\, drop by drop\, happiness and peace.\n\nNot so with little Birdie\; she is happy —oh\, so happy: she rises with a song upon her lips\, and is chirping in the sunshine she herself creates\, the live-long day. Flowers of innocenc e bloom and flourish in her peaceful lithesome heart. Poor\, poor\, little Birdie! those flowers are destined to wither soon\, and the sunlight fade from thy happy face for ever.\n\nOne morning\, Clarence\, little Birdie\, and her intended bridesmaid\, Miss Ellstowe\, were chatting together\, wh en a card was handed to the latter\, who\, on looking at it\, exclaimed\, \"Oh\, dear me! an old beau of mine\; show him up\,\" and scampering off t o the mirror\, she gave a hasty glance\, to see that every curl was in its effective position.\n\n\"Who is it?\" asked little Birdie\, all alive wit h curiosity\; \"do say who it is.\"\n\n\"Hush!\" whispered Miss Ellstowe\, \"here he comes\, my dear\; he is very rich—a great catch\; are my curl s all right?\"\n\nScarcely had she asked the question\, and before an answ er could be returned\, the servant announced Mr. George Stevens\, and the gentleman walked into the room.\n\nStart not\, reader\, it is not the old man we left bent over the prostrate form of his unconscious daughter\, but George Stevens\, junior\, the son and heir of the old man aforesaid. The heart of Clarence almost ceased to beat at the sound of that well-known na me\, and had not both the ladies been so engrossed in observing the new-co mer\, they must have noticed the deep flush that suffused his face\, and t he deathly pallor that succeeded it.\n\nMr. Stevens was presented to Miss Bates\, and Miss Ellstowe turned to present him to Clarence. \"Mr. Garie —Mr. Stevens\,\" said she. Clarence bowed.\n\n\"Pardon me\, I did not ca tch the name\,\" said the former\, politely.\n\n\"Mr. Clarence Garie\,\" s he repeated\, more distinctly.\n\nGeorge Stevens bowed\, and then sitting down opposite Clarence\, eyed him for a few moments intently. \"I think we have met before\,\" said he at last\, in a cold\, contemptuous tone\, not unmingled with surprise\, \"have we not?\"\n\nClarence endeavoured to ans wer\, but could not\; he was\, for a moment\, incapable of speech\; a slig ht gurgling noise was heard in his throat\, as he bowed affirmatively.\n\n \"We were neighbours at one time\, I think\,\" added George Stevens.\n\n\" We were\,\" faintly ejaculated Clarence.\n\n\"It is a great surprise to me to meet you here\,\" pursued George Stevens.\n\n\"The surprise is mutual\ , I assure you\, sir\,\" rejoined Clarence\, coldly\, and with slightly ag itated manner.\n\nHereupon ensued an embarrassing pause in the conversatio n\, during which the ladies could not avoid observing the livid hue of Cla rence's face. There was a perfect tumult raging in his breast\; he knew th at now his long-treasured secret would be brought out\; this was to be the end of his struggle to preserve it—to be exposed at last\, when on the brink of consummating his happiness. As he sat there\, looking at George S tevens\, he became a murderer in his heart\; and if an invisible dagger co uld have been placed in his hands\, he would have driven it to the hilt in his breast\, and stilled for ever the tongue that was destined to betray him.\n\nBut it was too late\; one glance at the contemptuous\, malignant f ace of the son of his father's murderer\, told him his fate was sealed—t hat it was now too late to avert exposure. He grew faint\, dizzy\, ill\, —and rising\, declared hurriedly he must go\, staggered towards the door \, and fell upon the carpet\, with a slight stream of blood spirting from his mouth.\n\nLittle Birdie screamed\, and ran to raise him\; George Steve ns and Miss Ellstowe gave their assistance\, and by their united efforts h e was placed upon the sofa. Little Birdie wiped the bloody foam from his m outh with her tiny lace handkerchief\, bathed his head\, and held cold wat er to his lips\; but consciousness was long returning\, and they thought h e was dying.\n\nPoor torn heart! pity it was thy beatings were not stilled then for ever. It was not thy fate\; long\, long months of grief and desp air were yet to come before the end approached and day again broke upon th ee.\n\nJust at this crisis Mr. Bates came in\, and was greatly shocked and alarmed by Clarence's deathly appearance. As he returned to consciousness he looked wildly about him\, and clasping little Birdie's hand in his\, g azed at her with a tender imploring countenance: yet it was a despairing l ook—such a one as a shipwrecked seaman gives when\, in sight of land\, h e slowly relaxes his hold upon the sustaining spar that he has no longer t he strength to clutch\, and sinks for ever beneath the waters.\n\nA physic ian was brought in\, who declared he had ruptured a minor blood-vessel\, a nd would not let him utter a whisper\, and\, assisted by Mr. Bates\, place d him in his carriage\, and the three were driven as swiftly as possible t o the hotel where Clarence was staying. Little Birdie retired to her room in great affliction\, followed by Miss Ellstowe\, and George Stevens was l eft in the room alone.\n\n\"What can the fellow have been doing here?\" he soliloquised\; \"on intimate terms too\, apparently\; it is very singular \; I will wait Miss Ellstowe's return\, and ask an explanation.\"\n\nWhen Miss Ellstowe re-entered the room\, he immediately inquired\, \"What was t hat Mr. Garie doing here? He seems on an exceedingly intimate footing\, an d your friend apparently takes a wonderful interest in him.\"\n\n\"Of cour se she does\; that is her fiance.\"\n\n\"Impossible!\" rejoined he\, with an air of astonishment.\n\n\"Impossible!—why so? I assure you he is. The y are to be married in a few weeks. I am here to officiate as bridesmaid.\ "\n\n\"Phew!\" whistled George Stevens\; and then\, after pausing a moment \, he asked\, \"Do you know anything about this Mr. Garie—anything\, I m ean\, respecting his family?\"\n\n\"Why\, no—that is\, nothing very defi nite\, more than that he is an orphan\, and a gentleman of education and i ndependent means.\"\n\n\"Humph!\" ejaculated George Stevens\, significantl y.\n\n\"Humph!\" repeated Miss Ellstowe\, \"what do you mean? Do you know anything beyond that? One might suppose you did\, from your significant lo oks and gestures.\"\n\n\"Yes\, I do know something about this Mr. Garie\,\ " he replied\, after a short silence. \"But tell me what kind of people ar e these you are visiting—Abolitionists\, or anything of that sort?\"\n\n \"How absurd\, Mr. Stevens\, to ask such a question\; of course they are n ot\,\" said she\, indignantly\; \"do you suppose I should be here if they were? But why do you ask—is this Mr. Garie one?\"\n\n\"No\, my friend\,\ " answered her visitor\; \"I wish that was all.\"\n\n\"That was all!—how strangely you talk—you alarm me\,\" continued she\, with considerable a gitation. \"If you know anything that will injure the happiness of my frie nd—anything respecting Mr. Garie that she or her father should know—ma ke no secret of it\, but disclose it to me at once. Anne is my dearest fri end\, and I\, of course\, must be interested in anything that concerns her happiness. Tell me\, what is it you know?\"\n\n\"It is nothing\, I assure you\, that it will give me any pleasure to tell\,\" answered he. \"Do spe ak out\, Mr. Stevens. Is there any stain on his character\, or that of his family? Did he ever do anything dishonourable?\"\n\n\"I wish that was all \,\" coolly repeated George Stevens. \"I am afraid he is a villain\, and h as been imposing himself upon this family for what he is not.\"\n\n\"Good Heavens! Mr. Stevens\, how is he a villain or impostor?\"\n\n\"You all sup pose him to be a white man\, do you not?\" he asked.\n\n\"Of course we do\ ,\" she promptly answered.\n\n\"Then you are all grievously mistaken\, for he is not. Did you not notice how he changed colour\, how agitated he bec ame\, when I was presented? It was because he knew that his exposure was a t hand. I know him well—in fact\, he is the illegitimate son of a deceas ed relative of mine\, by a mulatto slave.\"\n\n\"It cannot be possible\,\" exclaimed Miss Ellstowe\, with a wild stare of astonishment. \"Are you su re of it?\"\n\n\"Sure of it! of course I am. I should indeed be a rash man to make such a terrible charge unless perfectly able to substantiate it. I have played with him frequently when a child\, and my father made a very liberal provision for this young man and his sister\, after the death of their father\, who lost his life through imprudently living with this woma n in Philadelphia\, and consequently getting himself mixed up with these d etestable Abolitionists.\"\n\n\"Can this be true?\" asked Miss Ellstowe\, incredulously.\n\n\"I assure you it is. We had quite lost sight of them fo r a few years back\, and I little supposed we should meet under such circu mstances. I fear I shall be the cause of great discomfort\, but I am sure in the end I shall be thanked. I could not\, with any sense of honour or p ropriety\, permit such a thing as this marriage to be consummated\, withou t at least warning your friends of the real position of this fellow. I tru st\, Miss Ellstowe\, you will inform them of what I have told you.\" \"How can I? Oh\, Mr. Stevens!\" said she\, in a tone of deep distress\, \"this will be a terrible blow—it will almost kill Anne. No\, no\; the task mu st not devolve on me—I cannot tell them. Poor little thing! it will brea k her heart\, I am afraid.\"\n\n\"Oh\, but you must\, Miss Ellstowe\; it w ould seem very impertinent in me—a stranger—to meddle in such a matter \; and\, besides\, they may be aware of it\, and not thank me for my inter ference.\"\n\n\"No\, I assure you they are not\; I am confident they have not the most distant idea of such a thing—they would undoubtedly regard it as an act of kindness on your part. I shall insist upon your remaining until the return of Mr. Bates\, when I shall beg you to repeat to him what you have already revealed to me.\"\n\n\"As you insist upon it\, I suppose I must\,\" repeated he\, after some reflection\; \"but I must say I do no t like the office of informer\,\" concluded he\, with assumed reluctance.\ n\n\"I am sorry to impose it upon you\; yet\, rest assured\, they will tha nk you.\nExcuse me for a few moments—I will go and see how Anne is.\"\n\ nMiss Ellstowe returned\, after a short interval\, with the information th at little Birdie was much more composed\, and would\, no doubt\, soon reco ver from her fright.\n\n\"To receive a worse blow\,\" observed George Stev ens. \"I pity the poor little thing—only to think of the disgrace of bei ng engaged to a nigger. It is fortunate for them that they will make the d iscovery ere it be too late. Heavens! only think what the consequences mig ht have been had she married this fellow\, and his peculiar position becam e known to them afterwards! She would have been completely 'done for.'\"\n \nThus conversing respecting Clarence\, they awaited the return of Mr. Bat es. After the lapse of a couple of hours he entered the drawing-room. Mr. Stevens was presented to him by Miss Ellstowe\, as a particular friend of herself and family. \"I believe you were here when I came in before\; I re gret I was obliged to leave so abruptly\,\" courteously spoke Mr. Bates\, whilst bowing to his new acquaintance\; \"the sudden and alarming illness of my young friend will\, I trust\, be a sufficient apology.\"\n\n\"How is he now?\" asked Miss Ellstowe.\n\n\"Better—much better\,\" answered he\ , cheerfully\; \"but very wild and distracted in his manner—alarmingly s o\, in fact. He clung to my hand\, and wrung it when we parted\, and bid m e good bye again and again\, as if it was for the last time. Poor fellow! he is frightened at that hemorrhage\, and is afraid it will be fatal\; but there is not any danger\, he only requires to be kept quiet—he will soo n come round again\, no doubt. I shall have to ask you to excuse me again\ ,\" said he\, in conclusion\; \"I must go and see my daughter.\"\n\nMr. Ba tes was rising to depart\, when George Stevens gave Miss Ellstowe a signif icant look\, who said\, in a hesitating tone\, \"Mr. Bates\, one moment be fore you go. My friend\, Mr. Stevens\, has a communication to make to you respecting Mr. Garie\, which will\, I fear\, cause you\, as it already has me\, deep distress.\"\n\n\"Indeed!\" rejoined Mr. Bates\, in a tone of su rprise\; \"What is it? Nothing that reflects upon his character\, I hope.\ "\n\n\"I do not know how my information will influence your conduct toward s him\, for I do not know what your sentiments may be respecting such pers ons. I know society in general do not receive them\, and my surprise was v ery great to find him here.\"\n\n\"I do not understand you\; what do you m ean?\" demanded Mr. Bates\, in a tone of perplexity\; \"has he ever commit ted any crime?\"\n\n\"HE IS A COLOURED MAN\,\" answered George Stevens\, b riefly. Mr. Bates became almost purple\, and gasped for breath\; then\, af ter staring at his informant for a few seconds incredulously\, repeated th e words \"Coloured man\,\" in a dreamy manner\, as if in doubt whether he had really heard them.\n\n\"Yes\, coloured man\,\" said George Stevens\, c onfidently\; \"it grieves me to be the medium of such disagreeable intelli gence\; and I assure you I only undertook the office upon the representati on of Miss Ellstowe\, that you were not aware of the fact\, and would rega rd my communication as an act of kindness.\"\n\n\"It—it can't be\,\" exc laimed Mr. Bates\, with the air of a man determined not to be convinced of a disagreeable truth\; \"it cannot be possible.\"\n\nHereupon George Stev ens related to him what he had recently told Miss Ellstowe respecting the parentage and position of Clarence. During the narration\, the old man bec ame almost frantic with rage and sorrow\, bursting forth once or twice wit h the most violent exclamations\; and when George Stevens concluded\, he r ose and said\, in a husky voice—\n\n\"I'll kill him\, the infernal hypoc rite! Oh! the impostor to come to my house in this nefarious manner\, and steal the affections of my daughter—the devilish villain! a bastard! a c ontemptible black-hearted nigger. Oh\, my child—my child! it will break your heart when you know what deep disgrace has come upon you. I'll go to him\,\" added he\, his face flushed\, and his white hair almost erect with rage\; \"I'll murder him—there's not a man in the city will blame me fo r it\,\" and he grasped his cane as though he would go at once\, and infli ct summary vengeance upon the offender.\n\n\"Stop\, sir\, don't be rash\,\ " exclaimed George Stevens\; \"I would not screen this fellow from the eff ects of your just and very natural indignation—he is abundantly worthy o f the severest punishment you can bestow\; but if you go in your present e xcited state\, you might be tempted to do something which would make this whole affair public\, and injure\, thereby\, your daughter's future. You'l l pardon me\, I trust\, and not think me presuming upon my short acquainta nce in making the suggestion.\"\n\nMr. Bates looked about him bewilderedly for a short time\, and then replied\, \"No\, no\, you need not apologize\ , you are right—I thank you\; I myself should have known better. But my poor child! what will become of her?\" and in an agony of sorrow he resume d his seat\, and buried his face in his hands.\n\nGeorge Stevens prepared to take his departure\, but Mr. Bates pressed him to remain. \"In a little while\,\" said he\, \"I shall be more composed\, and then I wish you to g o with me to this worthless scoundrel. I must see him at once\, and warn h im what the consequences will be should he dare approach my child again. D on't fear me\,\" he added\, as he saw George Stevens hesitated to remain\; \"that whirlwind of passion is over now. I promise you I shall do nothing unworthy of myself or my child.\"\n\nIt was not long before they departed together for the hotel at which Clarence was staying. When they entered h is room\, they found him in his bed\, with the miniature of little Birdie in his hands. When he observed the dark scowl on the face of Mr. Bates\, a nd saw by whom he was accompanied\, he knew his secret was discovered\; he saw it written on their faces. He trembled like a leaf\, and his heart se emed like a lump of ice in his bosom. Mr. Bates was about to speak\, when Clarence held up his hand in the attitude of one endeavouring to ward off a blow\, and whispered hoarsely—\n\n\"Don't tell me—not yet—a little longer! I see you know all. I see my sentence written on your face! Let m e dream a little longer ere you speak the words that must for ever part me and little Birdie. I know you have come to separate us—but don't tell m e yet\; for when you do\,\" said he\, in an agonized tone\, \"it will kill me!\"\n\n\"I wish to God it would!\" rejoined Mr. Bates. \"I wish you had died long ago\; then you would have never come beneath my roof to destroy its peace for ever. You have acted basely\, palming yourself upon us—co unterfeit as you were! and taking in exchange her true love and my honest\ , honourable regard.\"\n\nClarence attempted to speak\, but Mr. Bates glar ed at him\, and continued—\"There are laws to punish thieves and counter feits—but such as you may go unchastised\, except by the abhorrence of a ll honourable men. Had you been unaware of your origin\, and had the revel ation of this gentleman been as new to you as to me\, you would have deser ved sympathy\; but you have been acting a lie\, claiming a position in soc iety to which you knew you had no right\, and deserve execration and conte mpt. Did I treat you as my feelings dictated\, you would understand what i s meant by the weight of a father's anger\; but I do not wish the world to know that my daughter has been wasting her affections upon a worthless ni gger\; that is all that protects you! Now\, hear me\,\" he added\, fiercel y\,—\"if ever you presume to darken my door again\, or attempt to approa ch my daughter\, I will shoot you\, as sure as you sit there before me!\"\ n\n\"And serve you perfectly right!\" observed George Stevens.\n\n\"Silenc e\, sir!\" rejoined Clarence\, sternly. \"How dare you interfere? He may s ay what he likes—reproach me as he pleases—he is her father—I have n o other reply\; but if you dare again to utter a word\, I'll—\" and Clar ence paused and looked about him as if in search of something with which t o enforce silence.\n\nFeeble-looking as he was\, there was an air of deter mination about him which commanded acquiescence\, and George Stevens did n ot venture upon another observation during the interview.\n\n\"I want my d aughter's letters—every line she ever wrote to you\; get them at once— I want them now\,\" said Mr. Bates\, imperatively.\n\n\"I cannot give them to you immediately\, they are not accessible at present.\nDoes she want t hem?\" he asked\, feebly—\"has she desired to have them back?\"\n\n\"Nev er mind that!\" said the old man\, sternly\; \"no evasions. Give me the le tters!\"\n\n\"To-morrow I will send them\,\" said Clarence. \"I will read them all over once again\,\" thought he.\n\n\"I cannot believe you\,\" sai d Mr. Bates.\n\n\"I promise you upon my honour I will send them tomorrow!\ "\n\n\"A nigger's honour!\" rejoined Mr. Bates\, with a contemptuous sneer . \"Yes\, sir—a nigger's honour!\" repeated Clarence\, the colour mounti ng to his pale cheeks. \"A few drops of negro blood in a man's reins do no t entirely deprive him of noble sentiments. 'Tis true my past concealment does not argue in my favour.—I concealed that which was no fault of my o wn\, but what the injustice of society has made a crime.\"\n\n\"I am not h ere for discussion\; and I suppose I must trust to your honour\,\" interru pted Mr. Bates\, with a sneer. \"But remember\, if the letters are not for thcoming to-morrow I shall be here again\, and then\,\" concluded he in a threatening tone\, \"my visit will not be as harmless as this has been!\"\ n\nAfter they had gone\, Clarence rose and walked feebly to his desk\, whi ch\, with great effort and risk\, he removed to the bed-side\; then taking from it little Birdie's letters\, he began their perusal.\n\nAy! read the m again—and yet again\; pore over their contents—dwell on those passag es replete with tenderness\, until every word is stamped upon thy breaking heart—linger by them as the weary traveller amid Sahara's sand pauses b y some sparkling fountain in a shady oasis\, tasting of its pure waters er e he launches forth again upon the arid waste beyond. This is the last gre en spot upon thy way to death\; beyond whose grim portals\, let us believe \, thou and thy \"little Birdie\" may meet again.\n\nCHAPTER XXXIV.\n\"Mur der will out.\"\n\nThe city clocks had just tolled out the hour of twelve\ , the last omnibus had rumbled by\, and the silence without was broken onl y at rare intervals when some belated citizen passed by with hurried foots teps towards his home. All was still in the house of Mr. Stevens—so quie t\, that the ticking of the large clock in the hall could be distinctly he ard at the top of the stairway\, breaking the solemn stillness of the nigh t with its monotonous \"click\, click—click\, click!\"\n\nIn a richly fu rnished chamber overlooking the street a dim light was burning\; so dimly\ , in fact\, that the emaciated form of Mr. Stevens was scarcely discernibl e amidst the pillows and covering of the bed on which he was lying. Above him a brass head of curious workmanship held in its clenched teeth the can opy that overshadowed the bed\; and as the light occasionally flickered an d brightened\, the curiously carved face seemed to light up with a sort of sardonic grin\; and the grating of the curtain-rings\, as the sick man to ssed from side to side in his bed\, would have suggested the idea that the odd supporter of the canopy was gnashing his brazen teeth at him.\n\nOn t he wall\, immediately opposite the light\, hung a portrait of Mrs. Stevens \; not the sharp\, hard face we once introduced to the reader\, but a smoo ther\, softer countenance—yet a worn and melancholy one in its expressio n. It looked as if the waves of grief had beaten upon it for a long succes sion of years\, until they had tempered down its harsher peculiarities\, g iving a subdued appearance to the whole countenance.\n\n\"There is twelve o'clock—give me my drops again\, Lizzie\,\" he remarked\, faintly. At th e sound of his voice Lizzie emerged from behind the curtains\, and essayed to pour into a glass the proper quantity of medicine. She was twice oblig ed to pour back into the phial what she had just emptied forth\, as the tr embling of her hands caused her each time to drop too much\; at last\, hav ing succeeded in getting the exact number of drops\, she handed him the gl ass\, the contents of which he eagerly drank.\n\n\"There!\" said he\, \"th ank you\; now\, perhaps\, I may sleep. I have not slept for two nights—s uch has been my anxiety about that man\; nor you either\, my child—I hav e kept you awake also. You can sleep\, though\, without drops. To-morrow\, when you are prepared to start\, wake me\, if I am asleep\, and let me sp eak to you before you go. Remember\, Lizzie\, frighten him if you can! Tel l him\, I am ill myself—that I can't survive this continued worriment an d annoyance. Tell him\, moreover\, I am not made of gold\, and will not be always giving. I don't believe he is sick—dying—do you?\" he asked\, looking into her face\, as though he did not anticipate an affirmative ans wer.\n\n\"No\, father\, I don't think he is really ill\; I imagine it is a nother subterfuge to extract money. Don't distress yourself unnecessarily\ ; perhaps I may have some influence with him—I had before\, you know!\"\ n\n\"Yes\, yes\, dear\, you managed him very well that time—very well\,\ " said he\, stroking down her hair affectionately. \"I—I—my child\, I could never have told you of that dreadful secret\; but when I found that you knew it all\, my heart experienced a sensible relief. It was a selfish pleasure\, I know\; yet it eased me to share my secret\; the burden is no t half so heavy now.\"\n\n\"Father\, would not your mind be easier still\, if you could be persuaded to make restitution to his children? This wealt h is valueless to us both. You can never ask forgiveness for the sin whils t you cling thus tenaciously to its fruits.\"\n\n\"Tut\, tut—no more of that!\" said he\, impatiently\; \"I cannot do it without betraying myself. If I gave it back to them\, what would become of you and George\, and how am I to stop the clamours of that cormorant? No\, no! it is useless to ta lk of it—I cannot do it!\"\n\n\"There would be still enough left for Geo rge\, after restoring them their own\, and you might give this man my shar e of what is left. I would rather work day and night\,\" said she\, determ inedly\, \"than ever touch a penny of the money thus accumulated.\"\n\n\"I 've thought all that over\, long ago\, but I dare not do it—it might cau se inquiries to be made that might result to my disadvantage. No\, I canno t do that\; sit down\, and let us be quiet now.\"\n\nMr. Stevens lay back upon his pillow\, and for a moment seemed to doze\; then starting up again suddenly\, he asked\, \"Have you told George about it? Have you ever conf ided anything to him?\"\n\n\"No\, papa\,\" answered she soothingly\, \"not a breath\; I've been secret as the grave.\"\n\n\"That's right!\" rejoined he—\"that is right! I love George\, but not as I do you. He only comes to me when he wants money. He is not like you\, darling—you take care of and nurse your poor old father. Has he come in yet?\"\n\n\"Not yet\; he n ever gets home until almost morning\, and is then often fearfully intoxica ted.\"\n\nThe old man shook his head\, and muttered\, \"The sins of the fa thers shall—what is that? Did you hear that noise?—hush!\"\n\nLizzie s tood quietly by him for a short while\, and then walked on tiptoe to the d oor—\"It is George\,\" said she\, after peering into the gloom of their entry\; \"he has admitted him self with his night-key.\"\n\nThe shuffling sound of footsteps was now quite audible upon the stairway\, and soon the bloated face of Mr. Stevens's hopeful son was seen at the chamber door. In society and places where this young gentleman desired to maintain a respe ctable character he could be as well behaved\, as choice in his language\, and as courteous as anybody\; but at home\, where he was well known\, and where he did not care to place himself under any restraint\, he was a ver y different individual.\n\n\"Let me in\, Liz\,\" said he\, in a thick voic e\; \"I want the old man to fork over some money—I'm cleaned out.\"\n\n\ "No\, no—go to bed\, George\,\" she answered\, coaxingly\, \"and talk to him about it in the morning.\"\n\n\"I'm coming in now\,\" said he\, deter minedly\; \"and besides\, I want to tell you something about that nigger G arie.\"\n\n\"Tell us in the morning\,\" persisted Lizzy.\n\n\"No—I'm goi ng to tell you now\,\" rejoined he\, forcing his way into the room—\"it' s too good to keep till morning. Pick up that wick\, let a fellow see if y ou are all alive!\"\n\nLizzie raised the wick of the lamp in accordance wi th his desire\, and then sat down with an expression of annoyance and vexa tion on her countenance.\n\nGeorge threw himself into an easy chair\, and began\, \"I saw that white nigger Garie to-night\, he was in company with a gentleman\, at that—the assurance of that fellow is perfectly incompre hensible. He was drinking at the bar of the hotel\; and as it is no secret why he and Miss Bates parted\, I enlightened the company on the subject o f his antecedents. He threatened to challenge me! Ho! ho!—fight with a n igger—that is too good a joke!\" And laughing heartily\, the young ruffi an leant back in his chair. \"I want some money to-morrow\, dad\,\" contin ued he. \"I say\, old gentleman\, wasn't it a lucky go that darkey's fathe r was put out of the way so nicely\, eh?—We've been living in clover eve r since—haven't we?\"\n\n\"How dare you address me-in that disrespectful manner? Go out of the room\, sir!\" exclaimed Mr. Stevens\, with a distur bed countenance.\n\n\"Come\, George\, go to bed\,\" urged his sister weari ly. \"Let father sleep—it is after twelve o'clock. I am going to wake th e nurse\, and then retire myself.\"\n\nGeorge rose stupidly from his chair \, and followed his sister from the room. On the stairway he grasped her a rm rudely\, and said\, \"I don't understand how it is that you and the old man are so cursed thick all of a sudden. You are thick as two thieves\, a lways whispering and talking together. Act fair\, Liz—don't persuade him to leave you all the money. If you do\, we'll quarrel—that's flat. Don' t try and cozen him out of my share as well as your own—you hear!\"\n\n\ "Oh\, George!\" rejoined she reproachfully—\"I never had such an idea.\" \n\n\"Then what are you so much together for? Why is there so much whisper ing and writing\, and going off on journeys all alone? What does it all me an\, eh?\"\n\n\"It means nothing at all\, George. You are not yourself to- night\,\" said she evasively\; \"you had better go to bed.\"\n\n\"It is yo u that are not yourself\,\" he retorted. \"What makes you look so pale and worried—and why do you and the old man start if the door cracks\, as if the devil was after you? What is the meaning of that?\" asked he with a d runken leer. \"You had better look out\,\" concluded he\; \"I'm watching y ou both\, and will find out all your secrets by-and-by.\"\n\n\"Learn all o ur secrets! Ah\, my brother!\" thought she\, as he disappeared into his ro om\, \"you need not desire to have their fearful weight upon you\, or you will soon grow as anxious\, thin\, and pale as I am.\"\n\nThe next day at noon Lizzie started on her journey\, after a short conference with her fat her.\n\nNight had settled upon her native city\, when she was driven throu gh its straight and seemingly interminable thoroughfares. The long straigh t rows of lamps\, the snowy steps\, the scrupulously clean streets\, the s igns over the stores\, were like the faces of old acquaintances\, and at a ny other time would have caused agreeable recollections\; but the object o f her visit pre-occupied her mind\, to the exclusion of any other and more pleasant associations.\n\nShe ordered the coachman to take her to an obsc ure hotel\, and\, after having engaged a room\, she left her baggage and s tarted in search of the residence of McCloskey.\n\nShe drew her veil down over her face very closely\, and walked quickly through the familiar stree ts\, until she arrived at the place indicated in his letter. It was a smal l\, mean tenement\, in a by street\, in which there were but one or two ot her houses. The shutters were closed from the upper story to the lowest\, and the whole place wore an uninhabited appearance. After knocking several times\, she was about to give up in despair\, when she discovered through the glass above the door the faint glimmer of a light\, and shortly after a female voice demanded from the inside\, \"Who is there?\"\n\n\"Does Mr. McCloskey live here?\" asked Lizzie.\n\nHearing a voice not more formidab le than her own\, the person within partially opened the door\; and\, whil st shading with one hand the candle she held in the other\, gazed out upon the speaker.\n\n\"Does Mr. McCloskey live here?\" repeated Lizzie.\n\n\"Y es\, he does\,\" answered the woman\, in a weak voice\; \"but he's got the typers.\"\n\n\"Has the what?\" inquired Lizzie\, who did not exactly unde rstand her.\n\n\"Got the typers—got the fever\, you know.\"\n\n\"The typ hus fever!\" said Lizzie\, with a start\; \"then he is really sick.\"\n\n\ "Really sick!\" repeated the woman—\"really sick! Well\, I should think he was! Why\, he's been a raving and swearing awful for days\; he stormed and screamed so loud that the neighbours complained. Law! they had to even shave his head.\"\n\n\"Is he any better?\" asked Lizzie\, with a sinking heart. \"Can I see him?\"\n\n\"'Praps you can\, if you go to the hospital to-morrow\; but whether you'll find him living or dead is more than I can say. I couldn't keep him here—I wasn't able to stand him. I've had the f ever myself—he took it from me. You must come in\,\" continued the woman \, \"if you want to talk—I'm afraid of catching cold\, and can't stand a t the door. Maybe you're afraid of the fever\,\" she further observed\, as she saw Lizzie hesitate on the door-step.\n\n\"Oh\, no\, I'm not afraid o f that\,\" answered Lizzie quickly—\"I am not in the least afraid.\"\n\n \"Come in\, then\,\" reiterated the woman\, \"and I'll tell you all about it.\"\n\nThe woman looked harmless enough\, and Lizzie hesitated no longer \, but followed her through the entry into a decently furnished room. Sett ing the candlestick upon the mantelpiece\, she offered her visitor a chair \, and then continued—\n\n\"He came home this last time in an awful stat e. Before he left some one sent him a load of money\, and he did nothing b ut drink and gamble whilst it lasted. I used to tell him that he ought to take care of his money\, and he'd snap his fingers and laugh. He used to s ay that he owned the goose that laid the golden eggs\, and could have mone y whenever he wanted it. Well\, as I was a saying\, he went\; and when he came back he had an awful attack of delirium tremens\, and then he took th e typers. Oh\, laws mercy!\" continued she\, holding up her bony hands\, \ "how that critter raved! He talked about killing people.\"\n\n\"He did!\" interrupted Lizzie\, with a gesture of alarm\, and laying her hand upon he r heart\, which beat fearfully—\"did he mention any name?\"\n\nThe woman did not stop to answer this question\, but proceeded as if she had not be en interrupted. \"He was always going on about two orphans and a will\, an d he used to curse and swear awfully about being obliged to keep something hid. It was dreadful to listen to—it would almost make your hair stand on end to hear him.\"\n\n\"And he never mentioned names?\" said Lizzie inq uiringly.\n\n\"No\, that was so strange\; he never mentioned no names—ne ver. He used to rave a great deal about two orphans and a will\, and he wo uld ransack the bed\, and pull up the sheets\, and look under the pillows\ , as if he thought it was there. Oh\, he acted very strange\, but never me ntioned no names. I used to think he had something in his trunk\, he was s o very special about it. He was better the day they took him off\; and the trunk went with him—he would have it\; but since then he's had a dreadf ul relapse\, and there's no knowin' whether he is alive or dead.\"\n\n\"I must go to the hospital\,\" said Lizzie\, rising from her seat\, and great ly relieved to learn that nothing of importance had fallen from McCloskey during his delirium. \"I shall go there as quickly as I can\,\" she observ ed\, walking to the door.\n\n\"You'll not see him to-night if you do\,\" r ejoined the woman. \"Are you a relation?\"\n\n\"Oh\, no\,\" answered Lizzi e\; \"my father is an acquaintance of his. I learned that he was ill\, and came to inquire after him.\"\n\nHad the woman not been very indifferent o r unobservant\, she would have noticed the striking difference between the manner and appearance of Lizzie Stevens and the class who generally came to see McCloskey. She did not\, however\, appear to observe it\, nor did s he manifest any curiosity greater than that evidenced by her inquiring if he was a relative.\n\nLizzie walked with a lonely feeling through the quie t streets until she arrived at the porter's lodge of the hospital. She pul led the bell with trembling hands\, and the door was opened by the little bald-headed man whose loquacity was once (the reader will remember) so pai nful to Mrs. Ellis. There was no perceptible change in his appearance\, an d he manifestly took as warm an interest in frightful accidents as ever. \ "What is it—what is it?\" he asked eagerly\, as Lizzie's pale face becam e visible in the bright light that shone from the inner office. \"Do you w ant a stretcher?\"\n\nThe rapidity with which he asked these questions\, a nd his eager manner\, quite startled her\, and she was for a moment unable to tell her errand.\n\n\"Speak up\, girl—speak up! Do you want a stretc her—is it burnt or run over. Can't you speak\, eh?\"\n\nIt now flashed u pon Lizzie that the venerable janitor was labouring under the impression t hat she had come to make application for the admission of a patient\, and she quickly answered—\n\n\"Oh\, no\; it is nothing of the kind\, I am gl ad to say.\"\n\n\"Glad to say\,\" muttered the old man\, the eager\, expec tant look disappearing from his face\, giving place to one of disappointme nt—\"glad to say\; why there hasn't been an accident to-day\, and here y ou've gone and rung the bell\, and brought me here to the door for nothing . What do you want then?\"\n\n\"I wish to inquire after a person who is he re.\"\n\n\"What's his number?\" gruffly inquired he.\n\n\"That I cannot te ll\,\" answered she\; \"his name is McCloskey.\"\n\n\"I don't know anythin g about him. Couldn't tell who he is unless I go all over the books to-nig ht. We don't know people by their names here\; come in the morning—ten o 'clock\, and don't never ring that bell again\,\" concluded he\, sharply\, \"unless you want a stretcher: ringing the bell\, and no accident\;\" and grumbling at being disturbed for nothing\, he abruptly closed the door in Lizzie's face.\n\nAnxious and discomfited\, she wandered back to her hote l\; and after drinking a weak cup of tea\, locked her room-door\, and reti red to bed. There she lay\, tossing from side to side—she could not sl eep—her anxiety respecting her father's safety\; her fears\, lest in the delirium of fever McCloskey should discover their secret\, kept her awake far into the night\, and the city clocks struck two ere she fell asleep.\ n\nWhen she awoke in the morning the sun was shining brightly into her roo m\; for a few moments she could not realize where she was\; but the events of the past night soon came freshly to her\; looking at her watch\, she r emembered that she was to go to the hospital at ten\, and it was already h alf-past nine\; her wakefulness the previous night having caused her to sl eep much later than her usual hour.\n\nDressing herself in haste\, she hur ried down to breakfast\; and after having eaten a slight meal\, ordered a carriage\, and drove to the hospital.\n\nThe janitor was in his accustomed seat\, and nodded smilingly to her as she entered. He beckoned her to him \, and whispered\, \"I inquired about him. McCloskey\, fever-ward\, No. 21 \, died this morning at two o'clock and forty minutes.\"\n\n\"Dead!\" echo ed Lizzie\, with a start of horror.\n\n\"Yes\, dead\,\" repeated he\, with a complacent look\; \"any relation of yours—want an order for the body? \"\n\nLizzie was so astounded by this intelligence\, that she could not re ply\; and the old man continued mysteriously. \"Came to before he died—w ish he hadn't—put me to a deal of trouble—sent for a magistrate—then for a minister—had something on his mind—couldn't die without telling it\, you know\; then there was oaths\, depositions—so much trouble. Are you his relation—want an order for the body?\"\n\n\"Oaths! magistrate !—a confession no doubt\,\" thought Lizzie\; her limbs trembled\; she wa s so overcome with terror that she could scarcely stand\; clinging to the railing of the desk by which she was standing for support\, she asked\, he sitatingly\, \"He had something to confess then?\"\n\nThe janitor looked a t her for a few moments attentively\, and seemed to notice for the first t ime her ladylike appearance and manners\; a sort of reserve crept over him at the conclusion of his scrutiny\, for he made no answer to her question \, but simply asked\, with more formality than before\, \"Are you a relati on—do you want an order for the body?\"\n\nEre Lizzie could answer his q uestion\, a man\, plainly dressed\, with keen grey eyes that seemed to loo k restlessly about in every corner of the room\, came and stood beside the janitor. He looked at Lizzie from the bow on the top of her bonnet to the shoes on her feet\; it was not a stare\, it was more a hasty glance—and yet she could not help feeling that he knew every item of her dress\, and could have described her exactly.\n\n\"Are you a relative of this person\ ,\" he asked\, in a clear sharp voice\, whilst his keen eyes seemed to be piercing her through in search of the truth.\n\n\"No\, sir\,\" she answere d\, faintly.\n\n\"A friend then\, I presume\,\" continued he\, respectfull y.\n\n\"An acquaintance\,\" returned she. The man paused for a few moments \, then taking out his watch\, looked at the time\, and hastened from the office.\n\nThis man possessed Lizzie with a singular feeling of dread—wh y she could not determine\; yet\, after he was gone\, she imagined those c old grey eyes were resting on her\, and bidding the old janitor\, who had grown reserved so suddenly\, good morning\, she sprang into her carriage a s fast as her trembling limbs could carry her\, and ordered the coachman t o drive back to the hotel.\n\n\"Father must fly!\" soliloquized she\; \"th e alarm will\, no doubt\, lend him energy. I've heard of people who have n ot been able to leave their rooms for months becoming suddenly strong unde r the influence of terror. We must be off to some place of concealment unt il we can learn whether he is compromised by that wretched man's confessio n.\"\n\nLizzie quickly paid her bill\, packed her trunk\, and started for the station in hopes of catching the mid-day train for New York.\n\nThe dr iver did not spare his horses\, but at her request drove them at their utm ost speed—but in vain. She arrived there only time enough to see the tra in move away\; and there\, standing on the platform\, looking at her with a sort of triumphant satisfaction\, was the man with the keen grey eyes. \ "Stop! stop!\" cried she.\n\n\"Too late\, miss\,\" said a bystander\, symp athizingly\; \"just too late—no other train for three hours.\"\n\n\"Thre e hours!\" said Lizzie\, despairingly\; \"three hours! Yet I must be patie nt—there is no remedy\,\" and she endeavoured to banish her fears and oc cupy herself in reading the advertisements that were posted up about the s tation. It was of no avail\, that keen-looking man with his piercing grey eyes haunted her\; and she could not avoid associating him in her thoughts with her father and McCloskey. What was he doing on the train\, and why d id he regard her with that look of triumphant satisfaction.\n\nThose were to her the three longest hours of her life. Wearily and impatiently she pa ced up and down the long saloon\, watching the hands of the clock as they appeared to almost creep over the dial-plate. Twenty times during those th ree hours did she compare the clock with her watch\, and found they moved on unvaryingly together.\n\nAt last the hour for the departure of the trai n arrived\; and seated in the car\, she was soon flying at express speed o n the way towards her home. \"How much sooner does the other train arrive than we?\" she asked of the conductor.\n\n\"Two hours and a half\, miss\,\ " replied he\, courteously\; \"we gain a half-hour upon them.\"\n\n\"A hal f-hour—that is something gained\,\" thought she\; \"I may reach my fathe r before that man. Can he be what I suspect?\"\n\nOn they went—thirty— forty—fifty miles an hour\, yet she thought it slow. Dashing by villages \, through meadows\, over bridges\,—rattling\, screaming\, puffing\, on their way to the city of New York. In due time they arrived at the ferry\, and after crossing the river were in the city itself. Lizzie took the fir st carriage that came to hand\, and was soon going briskly through the str eets towards her father's house. The nearer she approached it\, the greate r grew her fears\; a horrible presentiment that something awful had occurr ed\, grew stronger and stronger as she drew nearer home. She tried to brav e it off—resist it—crush it—but it came back upon her each time with redoubled force.\n\nOn she went\, nearer and nearer every moment\, until at last she was in the avenue itself. She gazed eagerly from the carriage\ , and thought she observed one or two persons run across the street opposi te her father's house. It could not be!—she looked again—yes\, there w as a group beneath his window. \"Faster! faster!\" she cried frantically\; \"faster if you can.\" The door was at last reached\; she sprang from the carriage and pressed through the little knot of people who were gathered on the pavement. Alas! her presentiments were correct. There\, lying on th e pavement\, was the mangled form of her father\, who had desperately spru ng from the balcony above\, to escape arrest from the man with the keen gr ey eyes\, who\, with the warrant in his hand\, stood contemplating the lif eless body.\n\n\"Father! father!\" cried Lizzie\, in an anguished voice\; \"father\, speak once!\" Too late! too late! the spirit had passed away— the murderer had rushed before a higher tribunal—a mightier Judge—into the presence of One who tempers justice with mercy.\n\nCHAPTER XXXV.\nThe Wedding.\n\nThe night that Lizzie Stevens arrived in Philadelphia was the one decided upon for the marriage of Emily Garie and Charles Ellis\; and whilst she was wandering so lonely through the streets of one part of the city\, a scene of mirth and gaiety was transpiring in another\, some of th e actors in which would be made more happy by events that would be product ive of great sorrow to her.\n\nThroughout that day bustle and confusion ha d reigned supreme in the house of Mr. Walters. Caddy\, who had been there since the break of day\, had taken the domestic reins entirely from the ha nds of the mistress of the mansion\, and usurped command herself. Quiet Es ther was well satisfied to yield her full control of the domestic arrangem ents for the festivities\, and Caddy was nothing loath to assume them.\n\n She entered upon the discharge of her self-imposed duties with such ardour as to leave no doubt upon the minds of the parties most interested but th at they would be thoroughly performed\, and with an alacrity too that posi tively appalled quiet Esther's easy-going servants.\n\nGreat doubts had be en expressed as to whether Caddy could successfully sustain the combined c haracters of chef de cuisine and bridesmaid\, and a failure had been proph esied. She therefore felt it incumbent upon her to prove these prognostica tions unfounded\, and demonstrate the practicability of the undertaking. O n the whole\, she went to work with energy\, and seemed determined to esta blish the fact that her abilities were greatly underrated\, and that a wom an could accomplish more than one thing at a time when she set about it.\n \nThe feelings of all such persons about the establishment of Mr. Walters as were \"constitutionally tired\" received that day divers serious shocks at the hands of Miss Caddy—who seemed endowed with a singular faculty w hich enabled her to discover just what people did not want to do\, and of setting them at it immediately.\n\nFor instance\, Jane\, the fat girl\, ha ted going upstairs excessively. Caddy employed her in bringing down glass and china from a third-story pantry\; and\, moreover\, only permitted her to bring a small quantity at a time\, which rendered a number of trips str ictly necessary\, to the great aggravation and serious discomfort of the f at girl in question.\n\nOn the other hand\, Julia\, the slim chambermaid\, who would have been delighted with such employment\, and who would have u ndoubtedly refreshed herself on each excursion upstairs with a lengthened gaze from the window\, was condemned to the polishing of silver and dustin g of plates and glass in an obscure back pantry\, which contained but one window\, and that commanding a prospect of a dead wall.\n\nMiss Caddy felt in duty bound to inspect each cake\, look over the wine\, and (to the gre at discomfiture of the waiter) decant it herself\, not liking to expose hi m to any unnecessary temptation. She felt\, too\, all the more inclined to assume the office of butler from the fact that\, at a previous party of h er sister's\, she had detected this same gentleman with a bottle of the be st sherry at his mouth\, whilst he held his head thrown back in a most sur prising manner\, with a view\, no doubt\, of contemplating the ceiling mor e effectually from that position.\n\nBefore night such was the increasing demand for help in the kitchen that Caddy even kidnapped the nurse\, and l ocked the brown baby and her sister in the bath-room\, where there was no window in their reach\, nor any other means at hand from which the slighte st injury could result to them. Here they were supplied with a tub half fi lled with water\, and spent the time most delightfully in making boats of their shoes\, and lading them with small pieces of soap\, which they bit o ff from the cake for the occasion\; then\, coasting along to the small tow ns on the borders of the tub\, they disposed of their cargoes to imaginary customers to immense advantage.\n\nWalters had declared the house uninhab itable\, and had gone out for the day. Esther and Emily busied themselves in arranging the flowers in the drawing-room and hall\, and hanging amidst the plants on the balcony little stained glass lamps\; all of which Caddy thought very well in its way\, but which she was quite confident would be noticed much less by the guests than the supper—in which supposition sh e was undoubtedly correct.\n\nKinch also lounged in two or three times dur ing the day\, to seek consolation at the hands of Esther and Emily. He was in deep distress of mind—in great perturbation. His tailor had promised to send home a vest the evening previous and had not fulfilled his agreem ent. After his first visit Kinch entered the house in the most stealthy ma nner\, for fear of being encountered by Caddy\; who\, having met him in th e hall during the morning\, posted him off for twenty pounds of sugar\, a ball of twine\, and a stone jar\, despite his declaration of pre-engagemen ts\, haste\, and limited knowledge of the articles in question.\n\nWhilst Lizzie Stevens was tremblingly ringing the bell at the lodge of the hospit al\, busy hands were also pulling at that of Mr. Walters's dwelling. Carri age after carriage rolled up\, and deposited their loads of gay company\, who skipped nimbly over the carpet that was laid down from the door to the curbstone. Through the wide hall and up the stairway\, flowers of various kinds mingled their fragrance and loaded the air with their rich perfume\ ; and expressions of delight burst from the lips of the guests as they pas sed up the brilliantly-lighted stairway and thronged the spacious drawing- rooms. There were but few whites amongst them\, and they particular friend s. There was Mrs. Bird\, who had travelled from Warmouth to be present at the ceremony\; Mr. Balch\, the friend and legal adviser of the bride's fat her\; Father Banks\, who was to tie the happy knot\; and there\, too\, was Mrs. Burrell\, and that baby\, now grown to a promising lad\, and who wou ld come to the wedding because Charlie had sent him a regular invitation w ritten like that sent his parents.\n\nMr. and Mrs. Ellis were of course th ere\,—the latter arrayed in a rich new silk made up expressly for the oc casion—and the former almost hidden in his large easy chair. The poor ol d gentleman scarcely seemed able to comprehend the affair\, and apparently laboured under the impression that it was another mob\, and looked a litt le terrified at times when the laughter or conversation grew louder than u sual.\n\nThe hour for the ceremony was fast approaching\, and Esther left the assembled guests and went up into Emily Garie's room to assist the you ng ladies in preparing the bride. They all besought her to be calm\, not t o agitate herself upon any consideration\; and then bustled about her\, an d flurried themselves in the most ridiculous manner\, with a view\, no dou bt\, of tranquillizing her feelings more effectually.\n\n\"Little Em\,\" s oon to be Mrs. Ellis\, was busily engaged in dressing\; the toilet-table w as covered with lighted candles\, and all the gas-burners in the room were in full blaze\, bringing everything out in bold relief.\n\n\"We are havin g quite an illumination\; the glare almost blinds me\,\" said\nEmily. \"Pu t out some of the candles.\"\n\n\"No\, no\, my dear\,\" rejoined one of th e young ladies engaged in dressing her\; \"we cannot sacrifice a candle. W e don't need them to discern your charms\, Em\; only to enable us to disco ver how to deck them to the best advantage. How sweet you look!\"\n\nEmily gazed into the mirror\; and from the blush that suffused her face and the look of complacency that followed\, it was quite evident that she shared her friend's opinion. She did\, indeed\, look charming. There was a deeper colour than usual on her cheeks\, and her eyes were illumined with a soft \, tender light. Her wavy brown hair was parted smoothly on the front\, an d gathered into a cluster of curls at the back. Around her neck glistened a string of pearls\, a present from Mr. Winston\, who had just returned fr om South America. The pure white silk fitted to a nicety\, and the tiny sa tin slippers seemed as if they were made upon her feet\, and never intende d to come off again. Her costume was complete\, with the exception of the veil and wreath\, and Esther opened the box that she supposed contained th em\, for the purpose of arranging them on the bride.\n\n\"Where have you p ut the veil\, my dear?\" she asked\, after raising the lid of the box\, an d discovering that they were not there.\n\n\"In the box\, are they not?\" answered one of the young ladies.\n\n\"No\, they are not there\,\" continu ed Esther\, as she turned over the various articles with which the tables were strewed. All in vain\; the veil and wreath could be nowhere discovere d.\n\n\"Are you sure it came home?\" asked one.\n\n\"Of course\,\" replied another\; \"I had it in my hand an hour ago.\"\n\nThen a thorough search was commenced\, all the drawers ransacked\, and everything turned over aga in and again\; and just when they were about to abandon the search in desp air\, one of the party returned from the adjoining room\, dragging along t he brown baby\, who had the veil wrapped about her chubby shoulders as a s carf\, and the wreath ornamenting her round curly head. Even good-natured Esther was a little ruffled at this daring act of baby's\, and hastily div ested that young lady of her borrowed adornments\, amidst the laughter of the group.\n\nPoor baby was quite astonished at the precipitate manner in which she was deprived of her finery\, and was for a few moments quite ove rpowered by her loss\; but\, perceiving a drawer open in the toilet-table\ , she dried her eyes\, and turned her attention in that direction\, and in tossing its contents upon the floor amply solaced herself for the depriva tion she had just undergone.\n\n\"Caddy is a famous chief bridesmaid—has n't been here to give the least assistance\,\" observed Esther\; \"she is not even dressed herself. I will ring\, and ask where she can be—in the kitchen or supper-room I've no doubt. Where is Miss Ellis?\" she asked of the servant who came in answer her summons.\n\n\"Downstairs\, mem—the bo y that brought the ice-cream kicked over a candy ornament\, and Miss Ellis was very busy a shaking of him when I came up.\"\n\n\"Do beg her to stop\ ,\" rejoined Esther\, with a laugh\, \"and tell her I say she can shake hi m in the morning—we are waiting for her to dress now\; and also tell Mr. De Younge to come here to the door—I want him.\"\n\nKinch soon made his appearance\, in accordance with Esther's request\, and fairly dazzled her with his costume. His blue coat was brazen with buttons\, and his white c ravat tied with choking exactness\; spotless vest\, black pants\, and such patent leathers as you could have seen your face in with ease.\n\n\"How f ine you look\, Kinch\,\" said Esther admiringly.\n\n\"Yes\,\" he answered\ ; \"the new vest came home—how do you like it?\"\n\n\"Oh\, admirable! Bu t\, Kinch\, can't you go down\, and implore Caddy to come up and dress—t ime is slipping away very fast?\"\n\n\"Oh\, I daren't\,\" answered Kinch\, with a look of alarm—\"I don't dare to go down now that I'm dressed. Sh e'll want me to carry something up to the supper-room if I do—a pile of dishes\, or something of the kind. I'd like to oblige you\, Mrs. Walters\, but it's worth my new suit to do it.\"\n\nUnder these circumstances\, Kin ch was excused\; and a deputation\, headed by Mr. Walters\, was sent into the lower regions to wait upon Caddy\, who prevailed upon her to come up a nd dress\, which she did\, being all the while very red in the face\, and highly indignant at being sent for so often.\n\n\"Good gracious!\" she exc laimed\, \"what a pucker you are all in!\"\n\n\"Why\, Caddy\, it's time to be\,\" replied Esther—\"it wants eight minutes of the hour.\"\n\n\"And that is just three minutes more than I should want for dressing if I was g oing to be married myself\,\" rejoined she\; and hastening away\, she retu rned in an incredibly short time\, all prepared for the ceremony.\n\nCharl ie was very handsomely got up for the occasion. Emily\, Esther\, Caddy—i n fact\, all of them—agreed that he never looked better in his life. \"T hat is owing to me—all my doings\,\" said Kinch exultingly. \"He wanted to order his suit of old Forbes\, who hasn't looked at a fashion-plate for the last ten years\, and I wouldn't let him. I took him to my man\, and s ee what he has made of him—turned him out looking like a bridegroom\, in stead of an old man of fifty! It's all owing to me\,\" said the delighted Kinch\, who skipped about the entry until he upset a vase of flowers that stood on a bracket behind him\; whereupon Caddy ran and brought a towel\, and made him take off his white gloves and wipe up the water\, in spite of his protestations that the shape of his pantaloons would not bear the str ain of stooping.\n\nAt last the hour arrived\, and the bridal party descen ded to the drawing-room in appropriate order\, and stood up before Father Banks. The ceremony was soon over\, and Emily was clasped in Mrs. Ellis's arms\, who called her \"daughter\,\" and kissed her cheek with such warm a ffection that she no longer felt herself an orphan\, and paid back with te ars and embraces the endearments that were lavished upon her by her new re latives.\n\nFather Banks took an early opportunity to give them each some good advice\, and managed to draw them apart for that purpose. He told the m how imperfect and faulty were all mankind—that married life was not al l couleur de rose—that the trials and cares incident to matrimony fully equalled its pleasures\; and besought them to bear with each other patient ly\, to be charitable to each other's faults—and a reasonable share of e arthly happiness must be the result.\n\nThen came the supper. Oh! such a s upper!—such quantities of nice things as money and skill alone can bring together. There were turkeys innocent of a bone\, into which you might pl unge your knife to the very hilt without coming in contact with a splinter —turkeys from which cunning cooks had extracted every bone leaving the m eat alone behind\, with the skin not perceptibly broken. How brown and tem pting they looked\, their capacious bosoms giving rich promise of high-sea soned dressing within\, and looking larger by comparison with the tiny ree d-birds beside them\, which lay cosily on the golden toast\, looking as mu ch as to say\, \"If you want something to remember for ever\, come and giv e me a bite!\"\n\nThen there were dishes of stewed terrapin\, into which t he initiated dipped at once\, and to which they for some time gave their u ndivided attention\, oblivious\, apparently\, of the fact that there was a dish of chicken-salad close beside them.\n\nThen there were oysters in ev ery variety—silver dishes containing them stewed\, their fragrant macey odour wafting itself upward\, and causing watery sensations about the mout h. Waiters were constantly rushing into the room\, bringing dishes of them fried so richly brown\, so smoking hot\, that no man with a heart in his bosom could possibly refuse them. Then there were glass dishes of them pic kled\, with little black spots of allspice floating on the pearly liquid t hat contained them. And lastly\, oysters broiled\, whose delicious flavour exceeds my powers of description—these\, with ham and tongue\, were the solid comforts. There were other things\, however\, to which one could tu rn when the appetite grew more dainty\; there were jellies\, blancmange\, chocolate cream\, biscuit glace\, peach ice\, vanilla ice\, orange-water i ce\, brandy peaches\, preserved strawberries and pines\; not to say a word of towers of candy\, bonbons\, kisses\, champagne\, Rhine wine\, sparklin g Catawba\, liquors\, and a man in the corner making sherry cobblers of wo ndrous flavour\, under the especial supervision of Kinch\; on the whole\, it was an American supper\, got up regardless of expense—and whoever has been to such an entertainment knows very well what an American supper is. \n\nWhat a merry happy party it was—how they all seemed to enjoy themsel ves—and how they all laughed\, when the bride essayed to cut the cake\, and could not get the knife through the icing—and how the young girls pu t pieces away privately\, that they might place them under their pillows t o dream upon! What a happy time they had!\n\nFather Banks enjoyed himself amazingly\; he eat quantities of stewed terrapin\, and declared it the bes t he ever tasted. He talked gravely to the old people—cheerfully and amu singly to the young\; and was\, in fact\, having a most delightful time— when a servant whispered to him that there was a person in the entry who w ished to see him immediately.\n\n\"Oh dear!\" he exclaimed to Mr. Balch\, \"I was just congratulating myself that I should have one uninterrupted ev ening\, and you see the result—called off at this late hour.\"\n\nFather Banks followed the servant from the room\, and inquired of the messenger what was wanted.\n\n\"You must come to the hospital immediately\, sir\; th e man with the typhus-fever—you saw him yesterday—he's dying\; he says he must see you—that he has something important to confess. I'm to go f or a magistrate as well.\"\n\n\"Ah!\" said Father Banks\, \"you need go no further\, Alderman Balch is here—he is quite competent to receive his d epositions.\"\n\n\"I'm heartily glad of it\,\" replied the man\, \"it will save me another hunt. I had a hard time finding you. I've been to your ho use and two or three other places\, and was at last sent here. I'll go bac k and report that you are coming and will bring a magistrate with you.\"\n \n\"Very good\,\" rejoined Father Banks\, \"do so. I will be there immedia tely.\" Hastening back to the supper room\, he discovered Mr. Balch in the act of helping himself to a brandy peach\, and apprised him of the demand for his services.\n\n\"Now\, Banks\,\" said he\, good-humouredly\, \"that is outrageous. Why did you not let him go for some one else? It is too ba d to drag me away just when the fun is about to commence.\" There was no a lternative\, however\, and Mr. Balch prepared to follow the minister to th e bedside of McCloskey.\n\nWhen they arrived at the hospital\, they found him fast sinking—the livid colour of his face\, the sunken glassy eyes\, the white lips\, and the blue tint that surrounded the eyes and mouth tol d at once the fearful story. Death had come. He was in full possession of his faculties\, and told them all. How Stevens had saved him from the gall ows—and how he agreed to murder Mr. Garie—of his failure when the time of action arrived\, and how\, in consequence\, Stevens had committed the deed\, and how he had paid him time after time to keep his secret.\n\n\"In my trunk there\,\" said he\, in a dying whisper\,—\"in my trunk is the will. I found it that night amongst his papers. I kept it to get money out of his children with when old Stevens was gone. Here\,\" continued he\, h anding his key from beneath the pillow\, \"open my trunk and get it.\"\n\n Mr. Balch eagerly unlocked the trunk\, and there\, sure enough\, lay the l ong-sought-for and important document.\n\n\"I knew it would be found at la st. I always told Walters so\; and now\,\" said he\, exultingly\, \"see my predictions are verified.\"\n\nMcCloskey seemed anxious to atone for the past by making an ample confession. He told them all he knew of Mr. Steven s's present circumstances—how his property was situated\, and every deta il necessary for their guidance. Then his confession was sworn to and witn essed\; and the dying man addressed himself to the affairs of the next wor ld\, and endeavoured to banish entirely from his mind all thoughts of this .\n\nAfter a life passed in the exercise of every Christian virtue—after a lengthened journey over its narrow stony pathway\, whereon temptations have been met and triumphed over—where we have struggled with difficulti es\, and borne afflictions without murmur or complaint\, cheering on the w eary we have found sinking by the wayside\, comforting and assisting the f allen\, endeavouring humbly and faithfully to do our duty to God and human ity—even after a life thus passed\, when we at last lie down to die the most faithful and best may well shrink and tremble when they approach the gloomy portals of death. At such an hour memory\, more active than every o ther faculty\, drags all the good and evil from the past and sets them in distinct array before us. Then we discover how greatly the latter exceeds the former in our lives\, and how little of our Father's work we have acco mplished after all our toils and struggles. 'Tis then the most devoted ser vant of our common Master feels compelled to cry\, \"Mercy! O my Father! —for justice I dare not ask.\"\n\nIf thus the Christian passes away—wh at terror must fill the breast of one whose whole life has been a constant warfare upon the laws of God and man? How approaches he the bar of that a wful Judge\, whose commands he has set at nought\, and whose power he has so often contemned? With a fainting heart\, and tongue powerless to crave the mercy his crimes cannot deserve!\n\nMcCloskey struggled long with deat h—died fearfully hard. The phantoms of his victims seemed to haunt him i n his dying hour\, interposing between him and God\; and with distorted fa ce\, clenched hands\, and gnashing teeth\, he passed away to his long acco unt.\n\nFrom the bedside of the corpse Mr. Balch went—late as it was—t o the office of the chief of police. There he learned\, to his great satis faction\, that the governor was in town\; and at an early hour the next mo rning he procured a requisition for the arrest of Mr. Stevens\, which he p ut into the hands of the man with the keen grey eyes for the purpose of se curing the criminal\; and with the result of his efforts the reader is alr eady acquainted.\n\nCHAPTER XXXVI.\nAnd the last.\n\nWith such celerity di d Mr. Balch work in behalf of his wards\, that he soon had everything in t rain for the recovery of the property.\n\nAt first George Stevens was incl ined to oppose the execution of the will\, but he was finally prevailed up on by his advisers to make no difficulty respecting it\, and quietly resig n what he must inevitably sooner or later relinquish. Lizzie Stevens\, on the contrary\, seemed rather glad that an opportunity was afforded to do j ustice to her old playmates\, and won the good opinion of all parties by h er gentleness and evident anxiety to atone for the wrong done them by her father. Even after the demands of the executors of Mr. Garie were fully sa tisfied\, such had been the thrift of her father that there still remained a comfortable support for her and her brother.\n\nTo poor Clarence this a ccession of fortune brought no new pleasure\; he already had sufficient fo r his modest wants\; and now that his greatest hope in life had been bligh ted\, this addition of wealth became to him rather a burden than a pleasur e.\n\nHe was now completely excluded from the society in which he had so l ong been accustomed to move\; the secret of his birth had become widely kn own\, and he was avoided by his former friends and sneered at as a \"nigge r.\" His large fortune kept some two or three whites about him\, but he kn ew they were leeches seeking to bleed his purse\, and he wisely avoided th eir society.\n\nHe was very wretched and lonely: he felt ashamed to seek t he society of coloured men now that the whites despised and rejected him\, so he lived apart from both classes of society\, and grew moody and misan thropic.\n\nMr. Balch endeavoured to persuade him to go abroad—to visit Europe: he would not. He did not confess it\, but the truth was\, he could not tear himself away from the city where little Birdie dwelt\, where he now and then could catch a glimpse of her to solace him in his loneliness. He was growing paler and more fragile-looking each day\, and the doctor a t last frankly told him that\, if he desired to live\, he must seek some w armer climate for the winter.\n\nReluctantly Clarence obeyed\; in the fall he left New York\, and during the cold months wandered through the West I ndia islands. For a while his health improved\, but when the novelty produ ced by change of scene began to decline he grew worse again\, and brooded more deeply than ever over his bitter disappointment\, and consequently de rived but little benefit from the change\; the spirit was too much broken for the body to mend—his heart was too sore to beat healthily or happily .\n\nHe wrote often now to Emily and her husband\, and seemed desirous to atone for his past neglect. Emily had written to him first\; she had learn ed of his disappointment\, and gave him a sister's sympathy in his lonelin ess and sorrow.\n\nThe chilly month of March had scarcely passed away when they received a letter from him informing them of his intention to return . He wrote\, \"I am no better\, and my physician says that a longer reside nce here will not benefit me in the least—that I came too late. I cough\ , cough\, cough\, incessantly\, and each day become more feeble. I am comi ng home\, Emmy\; coming home\, I fear\, to die. I am but a ghost of my for mer self. I write you this that you may not be alarmed when you see me. It is too late now to repine\, but\, oh! Em\, if my lot had only been cast w ith yours—had we never been separated—I might have been to-day as happ y as you are.\"\n\nIt was a clear bright morning when Charlie stepped into a boat to be conveyed to the ship in which Clarence had returned to New Y ork: she had arrived the evening previous\, and had not yet come up to the dock. The air came up the bay fresh and invigorating from the sea beyond\ , and the water sparkled as it dripped from the oars\, which\, with monoto nous regularity\, broke the almost unruffled surface of the bay. Some of t he ship's sails were shaken out to dry in the morning sun\, and the cordag e hung loosely and carelessly from the masts and yards. A few sailors loun ged idly about the deck\, and leaned over the side to watch the boat as it approached. With their aid it was soon secured alongside\, and Charlie cl ambered up the ladder\, and stood upon the deck of the vessel. On inquirin g for Clarence\, he was shown into the cabin\, where he found him extended on a sofa.\n\nHe raised himself as he saw Charlie approach\, and\, extend ing his hand\, exclaimed\,—\"How kind! I did not expect you until we rea ched the shore.\"\n\nFor a moment\, Charlie could not speak. The shock cau sed by Clarence's altered appearance was too great\,—the change was terr ible. When he had last seen him\, he was vigorous-looking\, erect\, and he althful\; now he was bent and emaciated to a frightful extent. The veins o n his temples were clearly discernible\; the muscles of his throat seemed like great cords\; his cheeks were hollow\, his sunken eyes were glassy br ight and surrounded with a dark rim\, and his breathing was short and evid ently painful. Charlie held his thin fleshless hand in his own\, and gazed in his face with an anguished expression.\n\n\"I look badly\,—don't I C harlie?\" said he\, with assumed indifference\; \"worse than you expected\ , eh?\"\n\nCharlie hesitated a little\, and then answered\,—\"Rather bad \; but it is owing to your sea-sickness\, I suppose\; that has probably re duced you considerably\; then this close cabin must be most unfavourable t o your health. Ah\, wait until we get you home\, we shall soon have you be tter.\"\n\n\"Home!\" repeated Clarence\,—\"home! How delightful that wor d sounds! I feel it is going home to go to you and Em.\" And he leant back and repeated the word \"home\,\" and paused afterward\, as one touches so me favourite note upon an instrument\, and then silently listens to its vi brations. \"How is Em?\" he asked at length.\n\n\"Oh\, well—very well\,\ " replied Charlie. \"She has been busy as a bee ever since she received yo ur last letter\; such a charming room as she has prepared for you!\"\n\n\" Ah\, Charlie\,\" rejoined Clarence\, mournfully\, \"I shall not live long to enjoy it\, I fear.\"\n\n\"Nonsense!\" interrupted Charlie\, hopefully\; \"don't be so desponding\, Clary: here is spring again\,—everything is thriving and bursting into new life. You\, too\, will catch the spirit of the season\, and grow in health and strength again. Why\, my dear fellow\, \" continued he\, cheerfully\, \"you can't help getting better when we onc e get hold of you. Mother's gruels\, Doctor Burdett's prescriptions\, and Em's nursing\, would lift a man out of his coffin. Come\, now\, don't let us hear anything more about dying.\"\n\nClarence pressed his hand and look ed at him affectionately\, as though he appreciated his efforts to cheer h im and felt thankful for them\; but he only shook his head and smiled mour nfully.\n\n\"Let me help your man to get you up. When once you get ashore you'll feel better\, I've no doubt. We are not going to an hotel\, but to the house of a friend who has kindly offered to make you comfortable until you are able to travel.\"\n\nWith the assistance of Charlie and the serva nt\, Clarence was gradually prepared to go ashore. He was exceedingly weak \, could scarcely totter across the deck\; and it was with some difficulty that they at last succeeded in placing him safely in the boat. After they landed\, a carriage was soon procured\, and in a short time thereafter Cl arence was comfortably established in the house of Charlie's friend.\n\nTh eir hostess\, a dear old motherly creature\, declared that she knew exactl y what Clarence needed\; and concocted such delicious broths\, made such s trengthening gruels\, that Clarence could not avoid eating\, and in a day or two he declared himself better than he had been for a month\, and felt quite equal to the journey to Philadelphia.\n\nThe last night of their sta y in New York was unusually warm\; and Clarence informed Charlie he wished to go out for a walk. \"I wish to go a long distance\,—don't think me f oolish when I tell you where. I want to look at the house where little Bir die lives. It may be for the last time. I have a presentiment that I shall see her if I go\,—I am sure I shall\,\" added he\, positively\, as thou gh he felt a conviction that his desire would be accomplished.\n\n\"I woul d not\, Clary\,\" remonstrated Charlie. \"Your health won't permit the exe rtion\; it is a long distance\, too\, you say\; and\, moreover\, don't you think\, my dear fellow\, that it is far more prudent to endeavour\, if po ssible\, to banish her from your mind entirely. Don't permit yourself to t hink about her\, if you can help it. You know she is unattainable by you\, and you should make an effort to conquer your attachment.\"\n\n\"It is to o late—too late now\, Charlie\,\" he replied\, mournfully. \"I shall con tinue to love her as I do now until I draw my last breath. I know it is ho peless—I know she can never be more to me than she already is\; but I ca nnot help loving her. Let us go\; I may see her once again. Ah\, Charlie\, you cannot even dream what inexpressible pleasure the merest glimpse of h er affords me! Come\, let us go.\"\n\nCharlie would not permit him to atte mpt to walk\; and they procured a carriage\, in which they rode to within a short distance of the house. The mansion of Mr. Bates appeared quite glo omy as they approached it. The blinds were down\, and no lights visible in any part of the house.\n\n\"I am afraid they are out of town\,\" remarked Charlie\, when Clarence pointed out the house\; \"everything looks so dul l about it. Let us cross over to the other pavement.\" And they walked ove r to the other side of the street\, and gazed upward at the house.\n\n\"Le t us sit down here\,\" suggested Clarence\,—\"here\, on this broad stone \; it is quite dark now\, and no one will observe us.\"\n\n\"No\, no!\" re monstrated Charlie\; \"the stone is too damp and cold.\"\n\n\"Is it?\" sai d Clarence vacantly. And taking out his handkerchief\, he spread it out\, and\, in spite of Charlie's dissuasions\, sat down upon it.\n\n\"Charlie\, \" said he\, after gazing at the house a long time in silence\, \"I have o ften come here and remained half the night looking at her windows. People have passed by and stared at me as though they thought me crazy\; I was ha lf crazy then\, I think. One night I remember I came and sat here for hour s\; far in the night I saw her come to the window\, throw up the casement\ , and look out. That was in the summer\, before I went away\, you know. Th ere she stood in the moonlight\, gazing upward at the sky\, so pale\, so c alm and holy-looking\, in her pure white dress\, that I should not have th ought it strange if the heavens had opened\, and angels descended and born e her away with them on their wings.\" And Clarence closed his eyes as he concluded\, to call back upon the mirror of his mind the image of little B irdie as she appeared that night.\n\nThey waited a long while\, during whi ch there was no evidence exhibited that there was any one in the house. At last\, just as they were about to move away\, they descried the glimmer o f a light in the room which Clarence declared to be her room. His frame tr embled with expectation\, and he walked to and fro opposite the house with an apparent strength that surprised his companion. At length the light di sappeared again\, and with it Clarence's hopes.\n\n\"Now then we must go\, \" said Charlie\, \"it is useless for you to expose yourself in this manne r. I insist upon your coming home.\"\n\nReluctantly Clarence permitted him self to be led across the street again. As they were leaving the pavement\ , he turned to look back again\, and\, uttering a cry of surprise and joy\ , he startled Charlie by clutching his arm. \"Look! look!\" he cried\, \"t here she is—my little Birdie.\" Charlie looked up at the window almost i mmediately above them\, and observed a slight pale girl\, who was gazing u p the street in an opposite direction.\n\n\"Little Birdie—little Birdie\ ,\" whispered Clarence\, tenderly. She did not look toward them\, but afte r standing there a few seconds\, moved from between the curtains and disap peared.\n\n\"Thank God for that!\" exclaimed Clarence\, passionately\, \"I knew—I knew I should see her. I knew it\,\" repeated he\, exultingly\; and then\, overcome with joy\, he bowed his head upon Charlie's shoulder a nd wept like a child. \"Don't think me foolish\, Charlie\,\" apologized he \, \"I cannot help it. I will go home now. Oh\, brother\, I feel so much h appier.\" And with a step less faint and trembling\, he walked back to the carriage.\n\nThe following evening he was at home\, but so enfeebled with the exertions of the last two days\, as to be obliged to take to his bed immediately after his arrival. His sister greeted him affectionately\, thr ew her arms about his neck and kissed him tenderly\; years of coldness and estrangement were forgotten in that moment\, and they were once more to e ach other as they were before they parted.\n\nEmily tried to appear as tho ugh she did not notice the great change in his appearance\, and talked che erfully and encouragingly in his presence\; but she wept bitterly\, when a lone\, over the final separation which she foresaw was not far distant.\n\ nThe nest day Doctor Burdett called\, and his grave manner and apparent di sinclination to encourage any hope\, confirmed the hopeless impression the y already entertained.\n\nAunt Ada came from Sudbury at Emily's request\; she knew her presence would give pleasure to Clarence\, she accordingly wr ote her to come\, and she and Emily nursed by turns the failing sufferer.\ n\nEsther and her husband\, Mrs. Ellis and Caddy\, and even Kinch\, were u nremitting in their attentions\, and did all in their power to amuse and c omfort him. Day by day he faded perceptibly\, grew more and more feeble\, until at last Doctor Burdett began to number days instead of weeks as his term of life. Clarence anticipated death with calmness—did not repine or murmur. Father Banks was often with him cheering him with hopes of a happ ier future beyond the grave.\n\nOne day he sent for his sister and desired her to write a letter for him. \"Em\,\" said he\, \"I am failing fast\; t hese fiery spots on my cheek\, this scorching in my palms\, these hard-dra wn\, difficult breaths\, warn me that the time is very near. Don't weep\, Em!\" continued he\, kissing her—\"there\, don't weep—I shall be bette r off—happier—I am sure! Don't weep now—I want you to write to littl e Birdie for me. I have tried\, but my hand trembles so that I cannot writ e legibly—I gave it up. Sit down beside me here\, and write\; here is th e pen.\" Emily dried her eyes\, and mechanically sat down to write as he d esired. Motioning to him that she was ready\, he dictated—\n\n\"My Dear Little Birdie\,—I once resolved never to write to you again\, and partia lly promised your father that I would not\; then I did not dream that I sh ould be so soon compelled to break my resolution. Little Birdie\, I am dyi ng! My physician informs me that I have but a few more days to live. I hav e been trying to break away from earth's affairs and fix my thoughts on ot her and better things. I have given up all but you\, and feel that I canno t relinquish you until I see you once again. Do not refuse me\, little Bir die! Show this to your father—he must consent to a request made by one o n the brink of the grave.\"\n\n\"There\, that will do\; let me read it ove r\,\" said he\, extending his hand for the note. \"Yes\, I will sign it no w—then do you add our address. Send it now\, Emily—send it in time for to-night's mail.\"\n\n\"Clary\, do you think she will come?\" inquired hi s sister.\n\n\"Yes\,\" replied he\, confidently\; \"I am sure she will if the note reaches her.\" Emily said no more\, but sealed and directed the n ote\, which she immediately despatched to the post-office\; and on the fol lowing day it reached little Birdie.\n\nFrom the time when the secret of C larence's birth had been discovered\, until the day she had received his n ote\, she never mentioned his name. At the demand of her father she produc ed his letters\, miniature\, and even the little presents he had given her from time to time\, and laid them down before him without a murmur\; afte r this\, even when he cursed and denounced him\, she only left the room\, never uttering a word in his defence. She moved about like one who had rec eived a stunning blow—she was dull\, cold\, apathetic. She would smile v acantly when her father smoothed her hair or kissed her cheek\; but she ne ver laughed\, or sang and played\, as in days gone by\; she would recline for hours on the sofa in her room gazing vacantly in the air\, and taking apparently no interest in anything about her. She bent her head when she w alked\, complained of coldness about her temples\, and kept her hand const antly upon her heart.\n\nDoctors were at last consulted\; they pronounced her physically well\, and thought that time would restore her wonted anima tion\; but month after month she grew more dull and silent\, until her fat her feared she would become idiotic\, and grew hopeless and unhappy about her. For a week before the receipt of the note from Clarence\, she had bee n particularly apathetic and indifferent\, but it seemed to rouse her into life again. She started up after reading it\, and rushed wildly through t he hall into her father's library.\n\n\"See here!\" exclaimed she\, graspi ng his arm—\"see there—I knew it! I've felt day after day that it was coming to that! You separated us\, and now he is dying—dying!\" cried sh e. \"Read it—read it!\"\n\nHer father took the note\, and after perusing it laid it on the table\, and said coldly\, \"Well—\"\n\n\"Well!\" repe ated she\, with agitation—\"Oh\, father\, it is not well! Father!\" said she\, hurriedly\, \"you bid me give him up—told me he was unworthy—po inted out to me fully and clearly why we could not marry: I was convinced we could not\, for I knew you would never let it be. Yet I have never ceas ed to love him. I cannot control my heart\, but I could my voice\, and nev er since that day have I spoken his name. I gave him up—not that I would not have gladly married\, knowing what he was—because you desired it— because I saw either your heart must break or mine. I let mine go to pleas e you\, and have suffered uncomplainingly\, and will so suffer until the e nd\; but I must see him once again. It will be a pleasure to him to see me once again in his dying hour\, and I must go. If you love me\,\" continue d she\, pleadingly\, as her father made a gesture of dissent\, \"let us go . You see he is dying—begs you from the brink of the grave. Let me go\, only to say good bye to him\, and then\, perhaps\,\" concluded she\, press ing her hand upon her heart\, \"I shall be better here.\"\n\nHer father ha d not the heart to make any objection\, and the next day they started for Philadelphia. They despatched a note to Clarence\, saying they had arrived \, which Emily received\, and after opening it\, went to gently break its contents to her brother.\n\n\"You must prepare yourself for visitors\, Cla ry\,\" said she\, \"no doubt some of our friends will call to-day\, the we ather is so very delightful.\"\n\n\"Do you know who is coming?\" he inquir ed.\n\n\"Yes\, dear\,\" she answered\, seating herself beside him\, \"I ha ve received a note stating that a particular friend will call to-day—one that you desire to see.\"\n\n\"Ah!\" he exclaimed\, \"it is little Birdie \, is it not?\"\n\n\"Yes\,\" she replied\, \"they have arrived in town\, a nd will be here to-day.\"\n\n\"Did not I tell you so?\" said he\, triumpha ntly. \"I knew she would come. I knew it\,\" continued he\, joyfully. \"Le t me get up—I am strong enough—she is come—O! she has come.\"\n\nCla rence insisted on being dressed with extraordinary care. His long fierce-l ooking beard was trimmed carefully\, and he looked much better than he had done for weeks\; he was wonderfully stronger\, walked across the room\, a nd chatted over his breakfast with unusual animation.\n\nAt noon they came \, and were shown into the drawing-room\, where Emily received them. Mr. B ates bowed politely\, and expressed a hope that Mr. Garie was better. Emil y held out her hand to little Birdie\, who clasped it in both her own\, an d said\, inquiringly: \"You are his sister?\"\n\n\"Yes\,\" answered Emily. \"You\, I should have known from Clarence's description—you are his lit tle Birdie?\"\n\nShe did not reply—her lip quivered\, and she pressed Em ily's hand and kissed her. \"He is impatient to see you\,\" resumed Emily\ , \"and if you are so disposed\, we will go up immediately.\"\n\n\"I will remain here\,\" observed Mr. Bates\, \"unless Mr. Garie particularly desir es to see me. My daughter will accompany you.\"\n\nEmily took the hand of little Birdie in her own\, and they walked together up the stairway. \"You must not be frightened at his appearance\,\" she remarked\, tearfully\, \ "he is greatly changed.\"\n\nLittle Birdie only shook her head—her heart seemed too full for speech—and she stepped on a little faster\, keeping her hand pressed on her breast all the while.\n\nWhen they reached the do or\, Emily was about to open it\, but her companion stopped her\, by sayin g: \"Wait a moment—stop! How my heart beats—it almost suffocates me.\" They paused for a few moments to permit little Birdie to recover from her agitation\, then throwing open the door they advanced into the room.\n\n\ "Clarence!\" said his sister. He did not answer\; he was looking down into the garden. She approached nearer\, and gently laying her hand on his sho ulder\, said\, \"Here is your little Birdie\, Clarence.\" He neither moved nor spoke.\n\n\"Clarence!\" cried she\, louder. No answer. She touched hi s face—it was warm. \"He's fainted!\" exclaimed she\; and\, ringing the bell violently\, she screamed for help. Her husband and the nurse rushed i nto the room\; then came Aunt Ada and Mr. Bates. They bathed his temples\, held strong salts to his nostrils—still he did not revive. Finally\, th e nurse opened his bosom and placed her hand upon his heart. It was stil l—quite still: Clarence was dead!\n\nAt first they could not believe it. \"Let me speak to him\,\" exclaimed little\nBirdie\, distractedly\; \"he will hear my voice\, and answer. Clarence!\nClarence!\" she cried. All in vain—all in vain. Clarence was dead!\n\nThey gently bore her away. That dull\, cold look came back again upon her face\, and left it never more in life. She walked about mournfully for a few years\, pressing her hand upo n her heart\; and then passed away to join her lover\, where distinctions in race or colour are unknown\, and where the prejudices of earth cannot m ar their happiness.\n\nOur tale is now soon finished. They buried Clarence beside his parents\; coloured people followed him to his last home\, and wept over his grave. Of all the many whites that he had known\, Aunt Ada a nd Mr. Balch were the only ones that mingled their tears with those who li stened to the solemn words of Father Banks\, \"Ashes to ashes\, dust to du st.\"\n\nWe\, too\, Clarence\, cast a tear upon thy tomb—poor victim of prejudice to thy colour! and deem thee better off resting upon thy cold pi llow of earth\, than battling with that malignant sentiment that persecute d thee\, and has crushed energy\, hope\, and life from many stronger heart s.\n\n* * * * *\n\nAunt Ada Bell remained for a short time with Emily\, an d then returned to Sudbury\, where\, during the remainder of her life\, sh e never omitted an opportunity of doing a kindness to a coloured person\; and when the increasing liberality of sentiment opened a way for the admis sion of coloured pupils to the famous schools of Sudbury\, they could alwa ys procure board at her house\, and Aunt Ada was a friend and mother to th em.\n\nWalters and dear old Ess reared a fine family\; and the brown baby and her sister took numberless premiums at school\, to the infinite deligh t of their parents. They also had a boy\, whom they named \"Charlie\;\" he inherited his uncle's passionate fondness for marbles\, which fondness\, it has been ascertained\, is fostered by his uncle\, who\, 'tis said\, fur nishes the sinews of war when there is a dearth in the treasury of Master Walters.\n\nKinch and Caddy were finally united\, after various difficulti es raised by the latter\, who found it almost impossible to procure a hous e in such a state of order as would warrant her entering upon the blissful state of matrimony. When it was all over\, Kinch professed to his acquain tances generally to be living in a perfect state of bliss\; but he private ly intimated to Charlie that if Caddy would permit him to come in at the f ront door\, and not condemn him to go through the alley\, whenever there h appened to be a shower—and would let him smoke where he liked—he would be much more contented. When last heard from they had a little Caddy\, th e very image of its mother—a wonderful little girl\, who\, instead of bu ying candy and cake with her sixpences\, as other children did\, gravely i nvested them in miniature wash-boards and dust-brushes\, and was saving up her money to purchase a tiny stove with a full set of cooking utensils. C addy declares her a child worth having.\n\nCharles and Emily took a voyage to Europe for the health of the latter\, and returned after a two years' tour to settle permanently in his native city. They were unremitting in th eir attention to father and mother Ellis\, who lived to good old age\, sur rounded by their children and grandchildren.\n\nTHE END.\nEnd of Project G utenberg's The Garies and Their Friends\, by Frank J. 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T hus\, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.\nMost people start at our website which has the main PG sea rch facility: www.gutenberg.org.\nThis website includes information about Project Gutenberg™\, including how to make donations to the Project Gute nberg Literary Archive Foundation\, how to help produce our new eBooks\, a nd how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/11214/pg11 214.html\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Some Background for him\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  H is parents and older siblings were among thousands of free African America ns who had left the United States in 1824 and returned in 1826\, attemptin g to immigrate to Haiti.\n\n\n\n Webb's mother\, Louisa Burr\, was a daugh ter of Aaron Burr. She and her brother John Pierre Burr\, a prominent act ivist in Philadelphia's black community\,were born to a Bengali mother f rom Calcutta\, India named Mary Emmons\, who served in Burr's househol d as a governess.  After Francis Webb's death\, Louisa remarried and beca me Louisa Darius.\n\n\n\n Webb's father\, Francis Webb\, served in Philade lphia as an elder in the First African Presbyterian Church\, a parishioner at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas\, a founding member of the Pennsylvania Augustine Education Society formed in 1818\, and secretary o f the Haytien Emigration Society organized in 1824. He worked as the Phila delphia distribution agent for Freedom's Journal from 1827 to 1829. Whil e living in Port au Platt\, Haiti\, from 1824 to 1826\, he served on the Board of Instruction of a joint Episcopal-Presbyterian church school. He d ied of unknown causes in 1829\, a year after Frank's birth.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  In 1845\, at the age of 17\, Webb married Mary Espartero\, who had been born in New Bedford\, Massachusetts in 1828\, shortly after her moth er had escaped from slavery in Virginia. Her father was described as \"a S panish gentleman of wealth [who] had made many efforts to purchase the fre edom of her mother\". Through her mother's efforts\, Mary was admitted to a school where her education included poetry and dramatic literature\, and developed a talent for performance. As an adult in Philadelphia\, she stu died elocution.\n\n\n\n Mary soon gained renown for her dramatic readings of works by Shakespeare\, Longfellow\, and Philip Sheridan. She attract ed the attention of Harriet Beecher Stowe and other prominent literary a bolitionists. Stowe acted as her patron\, adapting scenes from her best se lling novel Uncle Tom's Cabin expressly for Mary Webb's performance. In late 1855 and 1856\, Mary Webb toured the north-eastern United States\,   including a performance of Uncle Tom attended by Longfellow\, who w rote\, \"A striking scene\, this Cleopatra with a white wreath in her dark hair\, and a sweet\, musical voice\, reading to a great\, unimpassioned\, immovable Boston audience.\" [NOTE: Can't Stand Boston]\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Engraved drawing of Mary E. Webb\, captioned \"Mrs. Mary E. Webb (a Colour ed Native of Philadelphia) Reading Uncle Tom's Cabin\, in the Hall of Staf ford-House\"\n\n Date    2 August 1856\n\n Source    \n\n Engraving from The Illustrated London News\, August 2\, 1856\n\n\n\n Stowe arranged a transatlantic tour for the Webbs\, and provided a letter of introduction and a postscript that Longfellow which said \"...much pleased with Mrs. W ebb's reading of his new poem Hiawatha\". The Webbs traveled to England i n 1856\, where Mary's dramatic readings garnered further acclaim. The coup le received a warm welcome from many British nobles. While in London\, Web b asked his friend\, Charles Sumner\, to write an introductory letter for his wife during her reading tour in Liverpool.\n\n\n\n In 1857\, when Fra nk Webb was 29\, the London firm of G. Routledge and Company published h is first and only novel\, The Garies and Their Friends. Webb dedicated hi s book to supporter Lady Noel Byron\, who had encouraged him\, and Henry \, Lord Brougham wrote an introduction. It was published with an addition al preface by Stowe.\n\n\n\n The international tour had taken a severe tol l on Mary Webb's health\, and on the advice of physicians who recommended a warmer climate\, the Webbs made an extended visit to Cannes in 1857– 1858. The Webbs then relocated in 1858 to Kingston\, Jamaica\, where Webb 's British friends secured him a job with the postal service. However\, Ma ry Webb died there on June 17\, 1859 of tuberculosis. After her death\, F rank Webb lived in Jamaica for over ten years\, from 1858 to 1869\, and re married there before returning to the United States.\n\n\n\n Webb's second wife was Mary Rosabelle Rodgers (b. 1845)\, the daughter of a Jamaican me rchant. They had four children before moving in 1869 to the United States\ , where they had two more children.\n\n\n\n From late 1869 through 1870\, Webb lived in Washington\, DC\, where he resumed writing. Webb published s everal essays\, poems\, and two novellas for the African American journal  The New Era. The weekly had been founded in Washington\, DC and was take n over that year by Frederick Douglass\, who published it through 1874.\n \n\n\n While in Washington writing for The New Era in 1869–1870\, Webb lived with his niece\, teacher Sara Iredell\, who had recently married C hristian Fleetwood\, recipient of the Medal of Honor for his military serv ice during the Civil War. Fleetwood was then a clerk for the Freedmen's B ureau\, established during the Reconstruction era after the American Ci vil War.\n\n\n\n Later in 1870\, the Webbs moved to Galveston\, Texas\, w hich had developed a vibrant black community after the Civil War. In 1876\ , Webb served as an alternative delegate to the Republican state conventio n.\n\n\n\n Webb worked in Galveston first as a newspaper editor\, then as a postal clerk\, and finally for thirteen years as principal of the Barnes Institute\, a segregated school for \"colored children\".\n\n\n\n He d ied in Galveston\, Texas in 1894.\n\n\n\n Webb had six children\, all of w hom were from his second marriage. They were:\n\n\n\n \n Dr. Frank J. Web b Jr. (1865–1901)\, an 1895 graduate of Howard University Medical Scho ol\n \n \n Evangeline Webb (1866–1945)\n \n \n Ruth M.A. Webb (1867– 1930)\n \n \n Clarice Webb (1869–1962)\n \n \n Ethelind Webb (1874–1 969)\n \n \n Thomas Rodgers Webb (1877–1964)\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Work s\n\n\n\n \n The Garies and Their Friends (novel\, 1857)\n \n \n \"None Spoke a Single Word to Me\" (poem\, The New Era\, 1870)\n \n \n \"Waiti ng\" (poem\, 1870)\n \n \n \"International Exhibition\" (editorial\, The New Era\, 1870)\n \n \n \"The Mixed School Question\" (editorial\, The New Era\, 1870)\n \n \n \"An Old Foe with a New Face\" (editorial\, The New Era\, 1870)\n \n \n Two Wolves and a Lamb (novella\, The New Era\, 1870)\n \n \n Marvin Hayle (novella\, The New Era\, 1870)\n \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n NOTE\n\n\n\n Hoping to perform at Charles Dickens's seasonal the atre in Stafford House\, Mary Webb had an interview with the novelist's w ife\, Catherine Dickens\, at Gravesend\, Kent in early April 1857. Whi le moved by Catherine's description of Webb\, Dickens reacted unfavorably to the idea of assisting the \"poor woman\" further on her reading tour\, stating to the Earl of Carlisle in a letter of 15 April 1857\, \"I mysel f for example am the meekest of men\, and in abhorrence of Slavery yield t o no human creature—and yet I dont [sic] admit the sequence that I want  Uncle Tom (or Aunt Tomasina) to expound King Lear to me. And I believ e my case to be the case of thousands.\" Laura Korobkin interprets Dickens 's dismissal of Webb\, an educated African American woman\, as evidence of racial and social anxiety regarding his own status.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250321 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Malhwie the image scrambler DTSTAMP:20250805T043051Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:442-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Malhwie the image scrambler\n\n\n\n My reasoning was to h elp the adult art group. \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/493-ma lhwie/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250805 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nollywood Animated Films DTSTAMP:20250803T031657Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:441-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n 1. Malika: Warrior Queen Pilot (2019)\n\n Director: Roye Okupe\n\n Studio: YouNeek Studios\n\n\n\n Malika: Warrior Queen transports viewers to 15th-century West Africa\, where Queen Malika must defend her vast empire from internal betrayal and external threats\, including the fo rmidable Ming Dynasty. This film masterfully blends historical elements wi th fantasy\, featuring dragons\, mystical relics\, and epic battles. Malik a’s journey\, shaped by leadership\, loyalty\, and resilience\, offers a fresh take on the fantasy genre\, set against the rich cultural backdrop of Africa. Its stunning animation and complex characters make it a standou t in African animation.\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/2N80qcVvzUU\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n 2. Emeka’s Money (2020)\n\n Produced by: TNC Africa\n\n\n \n Emeka’s Money tells the story of Emeka\, a well-meaning man whose jou rney from complicity to integrity highlights the devastating effects of co rruption. As Emeka becomes aware of the cost of unethical leadership\, he takes a stand for justice and change. The film’s animation brings to lif e the socio-political issues facing many African nations\, offering a powe rful message on integrity and the pursuit of a better society.\n\n\n\n htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhPNw-bH0Hw\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 3. Sa de (2019)\n\n Director: Yemi Morafa\n\n Produced by: Sade Productions\n\n\ n\n In Sade\, a young girl and her family adopt TEJ\, an extraordinary dog with mysterious abilities. As news of TEJ spreads\, powerful forces seek to capture him\, leading to an adventure filled with suspense and heartwar ming moments. This film explores themes of loyalty\, courage\, and the bon d between humans and animals\, wrapped in a charming and imaginative anima ted package.\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1f7mey6NLM\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 4. Iwájú (2024)\n\n Produced by: Kugali Media &\; Disney\n\n\n\n Set in a futuristic Lagos\, Iwájú is a groundbreaking sc i-fi series that delves into issues of class disparity\, social justice\, and technological innovation. With comic-style animation\, it presents a v ision of a vibrant African metropolis where tradition meets the future. Th e series is a testament to the global appeal of African stories and the gr owing influence of African creatives in animation.\n\n\n\n https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=mB5efZKWIrU\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n 5. LadyBuckit &am p\; The Motley Mopsters (2020)\n\n Director: Adebisi Adetayo\n\n Produced by: Hot Ticket Productions\n\n\n\n LadyBuckit &\; The Motley Mopsters f ollows a self-absorbed young girl who is transported to a magical world wh ere she encounters quirky\, lovable characters that change her life. The f ilm’s whimsical narrative and vibrant animation make it a delightful adv enture for young audiences\, while its underlying themes of self-discovery and transformation resonate universally.\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WNCxGlQzrTI\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n https://afric anfolder.com/nollywood-animation-movies/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250803 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:A little descriptive for qtcomicsblog Original character- a smoking female troll captain DTSTAMP:20250802T231416Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:435-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Rewrite:) She says \" I am smoking the sweetest mullein f rom the subfarthing\" \n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist -on-tjambler/post/790534296765071360/stone-protectors-troll-sea-captain/co mments/790539006596235264\n\n\n\n post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communit ies/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/790534296765071360/stone-protectors-trol l-sea-captain?source=share\n\n\n\n I chose mullein cause it can grow in ca ves easier than the others \, which is where troll species lives. \n\n\n\ n List Herbs you can smoke\n\n https://tripsitter.com/herbs-you-can-smoke/ \n\n\n\n Herbs that you can smoke that are sweet not narcotic are\n\n Cinn amon: Adds a rich flavor to the smoke\, but can be harsh\; mix with other herbs for a milder effect. \n\n Chamomile: Known for its soothing propert ies\, it can be blended with other herbs for a pleasant smoke. \n\n Marsh mallow Root: Offers a sweet flavor and is often used in herbal blends. \n \n Mullein: A soothing herb that can be mixed with other herbs for a uniqu e smoke experience. \n\n\n\n Herbs that you can smoke which are savory no t narcotic\n\n Calendula: A bright yellow flower that can be smoked for it s uplifting scent. \n\n Rose Petal: Known for its sweet\, floral aroma\, it can be a pleasant alternative. \n\n White Sage: Offers a light smoke w ith a neutral flavor and is often used for relaxation. \n\n Dania: A herb that can be smoked for its calming effects. \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250730 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Do you know Frederick Bruce Thomas? DTSTAMP:20250803T004835Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:440-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Black Russian is the incredible true story of Frederi ck Bruce Thomas\, born in 1872 to former slaves who became prosperous farm ers in Mississippi. After his father was brutally murdered\, Frederick lef t the South and worked as a waiter in Chicago and Brooklyn. Seeking greate r freedom\, he traveled to London\, then crisscrossed Europe\, and�in a highly unusual choice for a black American at the time�went to Russia.\n \n Because he found no color line there\, Frederick settled in Moscow\, be coming a rich and famous owner of variety theaters and restaurants. When t he Bolshevik Revolution ruined him\, he barely escaped to Constantinople\, where he made another fortune by opening celebrated nightclubs as the \"S ultan of Jazz.\" However\, the long arm of American racism\, the xenophobi a of the new Turkish Republic\, and Frederick’s own extravagance landed him in debtor’s prison. He died in Constantinople in 1928.\n\n https://a .co/d/7sHWnv0\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral from \n\n\n\n Book Review Reque st: THE BLACK RUSSIAN &\; THE SERPENT'S STING by Vladimir Alexandrov - Black Literature - African American Literature Book Club\n\n\n\n \n\n arti cle 1\n\n https://www.rbth.com/literature/2013/04/17/the_black_russian_a_g ripping_journey_from_mississippi_to_moscow_25129.html\n\n article 2\n\n ht tps://blog.oup.com/2015/02/frederick-bruce-thomas-african-american-imperia l-russia/\n\n wiki\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Bruce_Thoma s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Frederick Bruce Thomas\, c. 1896\, Paris\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250724 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Iyanu the age of wonders film trailer DTSTAMP:20250802T233834Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:438-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Iyanu the age of wonders film trailer\n\n Catch the premi ere of this prequel to #Iyanu on August 30 at 9:30AM ET | Next Day HBO Max \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkTnfa_XiVs\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n COOL POS TER\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250728 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Star Wars Playboy 1983 DTSTAMP:20250802T234810Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:439-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I share these photos because they remind me of how modern media's ways are not knew merely faster\, more bionic. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In 1983\, Rolling Stone featured a playful “Beach Day” photo shoot with the Star Wars cast to promote Return of the Jedi.\n\n Shot at Stinson Beach\, Cali fornia\, Carrie Fisher posed in her iconic Leia bikini alongside Darth Vad er\, Ewoks\, and others.\n\n Photographed by Aaron Rapoport\, the shoot br ought a lighthearted\, beachy twist to the galaxy far\, far away.\n\n It c aptured Carrie Fisher’s charisma and gave fans a rare\, fun look at the cast outside the movie’s epic tone.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250802 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Being present shouldn't accept lies to the past DTSTAMP:20250802T231810Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:436-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I comprehend positive thinking but the past is real. Blac k people have to start saying a simple truth. Blacks after centuries of be ing terrorized by whites in the lands that will become the united state of America while nonviolently protesting\, earned the allowance of whites to make money. Said protesting was within a war\, between phenotypical group s commonly called today Blacks and non Blacks[Whites/mulattoes/mestizos/ar abs note arabs can be african\, african is a geographic distinction] start ed in the 800s from Islam through 1400s where Christianity started to take over and ending as the 2022 Alice\" film [ based on completely true event s: https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/427-alice-2022-starring-keke-palmer-c ommon/ ]  proves\, in the 1980s. So\, a twelve thousand year old culture of Black Enslavement to the Non Black becomes miniscule \, not dead\, in t he 1980s\, so that in the 21st century [2001 to 2100] \, the modern day ha s opportunity for Black people but it wasn't born out of better strategies or some grand positive mindset\, it grew out of centuries of Black people rarely violently while mostly nonviolently fighting surviving or not succ umbing to NonBlack terror no matter the place of worship or geographic loc ation \, before the usa was born and after the usa was born. This is about Blacks side NonBlacks globally settling into a unheard of paradigm of pea ce.  \n\n Yes\, let Black people embrace today\, but today isn't because of unknown genius strategy or positive thinking from the modern day Black. It is because of centuries\, twelve \, of Black ancestors overcoming surv iving fighting NonBlack terror all over the world. \n\n Black people do o urselves a disservice to say it any other way. \n\n FROM STEVEN BARNES\n\ n There is a connective tissue between art and business and sport in the b lack community: people teaching others how the game really works\, informa tion that simply wasn't transmitted across cultural and racial lines with the same ease it was transmitted within them. That shit is real.  NOW\, f or the first time\, there are well-trod roads from the bottom to the top f or those who have focused on developing a marketable skill. This is why yo u are seeing entertainers becoming billionaires.  They are leveraging the public dance into dollars\, and using that money to build the community.\ n\n This has really just happened in the last generation.  It is amazing.  Not everyone will believe that door is open. Many are carrying too much damage to walk though it.  But those who can follow the trail of bread c rumbs are constructing a highway.\n\n What comes next is scaring the hell out of a lot of people.\n\n URL\n\n https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FBgu obbnc/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250802 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:behind the scenes tombstone DTSTAMP:20250802T231008Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:434-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n behind the scenes tombstone\n\n https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=lX8rxvXVVfw\n\n\n\n One way or another\, Americans have to deal wit h the West and its glorious\, sordid\, sadistic past…we fought lawnessne ss to create an even more lawless law\, one that excused and perpetuated g enocide. Even today\, this gun-obsessed nation that we love remains mired in a dilemma centered on pistols and rifles with romantic ties to our murd erous past. We love Westerns. We learn everything from Westerns and yet le arn nothing from them. We continue killing ourselves in an unconscionable way…That's why when I had the chance to play Doc Holliday\, I grabbed it .\n\n Val Kilmer\, I'm Your Huckleberry (2020)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250802 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Busting Indie Publishing Myths with Dale Roberts DTSTAMP:20250802T230622Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:433-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Busting Indie Publishing Myths with Dale Roberts\n\n http s://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oPXIhuzROg\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 00:04 simple myths- writing a great book is going to make you successful. you ha ve to market books or no one will know it exists.\n\n 00:09 having money i sn't mandatory to make money\, he uses an example of an author who is coll aborating with more people \, focus on what you can do. and remember inves tment isn't surefire. \n\n 00:10 Dale ask\, how can you put your book out there?\n\n 00:11 Tara says\, know how to market your book\n\n 00:11 Dale\ , figure out your elevator pitch\, put something you can say in one to two sentences. \n\n 00:13 Dale\, you can find your elevator pitch in reviews . \n\n 00:14 Tara ask Dale about publishing widely\, and he responds. Dal e\, I wouldn't say publishing wide is the best for all authors\, he wants to reach more readers\, and pay day can be nice and a certain company want s that but he wants to reach out. if a company is showering money on you a nd makes it worth your while it should be cood. If you can get four iterat ions of your book: paperbook/ebook/audiobook\n\n Wie publishing is about a ccessibility. He doesn't know any paper based does give exclusivity.\n\n E books/ Print books- paper or hardcover/audiobooks\n\n 00:18 Hardcover is s till being bought\n\n 00:20 don't let personal bias influence. \n\n 00:23 his biggest why is to live life on his own terms to spend time with his w ife and cats. he ask other artist\, why are you doing this? He is doing th is so he doesn't need to be shackled to a 9 to 5 job\n\n 00:25 Tara adds a lot of people talk about writing books\, very few people do it. \n\n 00: 27 Tara ask what are social media myths ? Dale answer\, you don't need soc ial media\, you don't. You need great marketable books and an email list. if you are going into social media to sell books\, it may be a long hard r oad. if you are getting to connect to more people online\, what your books are about\, that is where it is going to win. you want a thousand fans in one spot. He says exceptions. You have booktok\, in TikTok. He has sees s ome videos and they are terrible but they are selling. But alot of their s uccess came up with consistency over a long period of time. He is over 120 \,000 on youtube\, he has been working on nine and a half years. Second co mmunicate\, don't just say\, buy my book. \n\n 00:31 Dale was asked about faceless social media\, authorsscale.com  . believe in what your speakin g\, put yourself in a mirror. \n\n 00:35 Tara says pick up the social med ia route you enjoy\n\n 00:37 What are your take on interviews? Dale answer s\, a majority of interviews from people reply believe in your work and ne ver give up. He feels it is free coaching.\n\n 00:38 do you have any advic e for someone not on a podcast? yes\, podcast always are looking for guest . and if you don't know\, search. And go and listen to the podcasts\, you will filter out some\, and do you want to associate with this podcast bran d. and lets be honest\, all podcasts aren't worth being on. use podcast gu est .com use the free version\, they give a podcast newsletter\, ctrl-f se arch and type author\, if nothing delete the email. Find out where readers are congregating. \n\n 00:42 Tara believes it is always easier to be the interviewer than the interviewee. and if you are shy on camera\, being an interviewer is the best thing to gain confidence. \n\n 00:43 Tara rememb ers her first podcast\, on zoom\, and she left abruptly. \n\n 00:45 Tara asked\, what you wish you knew at the beginning\, she remembers ebooks imp ortance? Dale says I wish someone had said you will not won it all ever.\, He remembers the founder of Kobo who then got a degree\, and Dale remembe rs Mark saying\, i just want to learn more. \n\n 00:47 Dale is asked what will you do first if you don't do anything else. \n\n 00:49 Dale said to different content. See what leads to a click. \n\n 00:51 Dale suggest su bject lines shouldn't be generic. attention get. pay attention how you int eract with that email. He may look at Tara's July Update. \n\n 00:52 segm entation is important but if you want more engagement\, segmentation is mo re important. \n\n sender reputation matters\, your email gets in spam bo x by yahoo or other email servers by response of people\n\n 00:55 Dale sai d\, study what other's are doing. https://www.authorscale.com/ was cool.  \n\n 00:57 Dale will be at author nation in Las Vegas in the first weekend of November.  his next book launches in august. \n\n URL\n\n https://ww w.kobo.com/kobo-writing-life/blog/kwl-live-q-a-busting-indie-publishing-my ths-with-dale-roberts\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250731 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What is the heritage of the Black Descended of Enslaved and what cultures does it allow? DTSTAMP:20250802T175458Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:432-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My entire life I always heard a complaint from many black people whose forebears were enslaved to non blacks which sums up to \, al l or ninety nine percent of Black people need to do this one thing. And I thought and still think that absolute communalism\, that catholicism\, mis ses what our enslaved forebears went through or what gifts they gave us. T he heritage is one where we are not bound to any land\, the beautiful land s before the boats or the new lands after. The cultures from such a herita ge are not about preaching or proselytizing but allowing all of us to go o ur own way with love from each other\, no matter where any way leads. We B lack DOSers often miss said heritage or said relationship to each others c ultures. And  I comprehend the main reason. PEer pressure. When you live in the usa where most people talk about a forebear who made a journey of t heir free will to betterment. Being  descended of the indigenous who had everything taken or the black descended from enslaved who wanted no part o f it\, makes you honest outcast. So one can lie to themselves\, start rete lling their own ancestors stories to fit their peers. All of a sudden\, a Black person whose forebears\, in majority over ninety percent\, died over the ocean and whose forebears didn't die over the ocean and survived\, le ss than nine percent\,  spent from the fifteen hundreds to the nineteen h undred and seventies \, in majority over ninety percent\, surviving non bl ack terrorism/assault/murder with no protection places the presence of a v oting pro statian fought in world war two black grandma as more relevant t han the majority of their ancestors. Clearly imbalanced or inequal. But ma ndatory when you want to relate to your peers who have a whole generation of ancestors devoted to a better life in the usa. But I oppose peer pressu re. I argue it is better to be the only person in the college classroom wh ose forebears in majority hated the country the classroom is in. I say it is better to embrace the absence of allegiance warranted by ones forebears . Will people including other black people who have fallen for peer pressu re call you crazy/deluded/foolish? yes. But that is ok. The truth isn't me ant to be common or good or accepted. It is meant to be the truth.\n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n The Exodusters tried that\, but had resistance from tw o groups. \n\n\n\n first whites from north /south/east/west who burned/ki lled/terrorized their towns out of existence\n\n\n\n second blacks who wer e more willing to suffer the challenges of integrating with whites in the south or north to make mixed towns than the challenge of segregating from whites[their plantations/their cities/their states in the south or north] to the territories of the west that would become states.   \n\n\n\n And it wasn't a divide and conquer scheme from that split blacks\, our enslave d forebears were never united in the first place\,  it was the problem bl ack people had before the usa or brasil or haiti or mexico was founded. Bl ack people whose forebears were enslaved by whites to the american contine nt original relationship to the americas doesn't provide a positive founda tion to the americas.  and that is a heritage black people of the america s have alone. But it is a heritage that yields to different cultures. \n\ n\n\n whereas whites (of europe or asia or elsewhere)have a unity based on the fact that over 90% of whites forebears came as willing people. So the ir is a collective idea of making a new home for yourself that binds into one culture. \n\n\n\n but black peoples enslaved forebears didn't want to come and most didn't\, the reality is\, black people enslaved forebears w ho made it to the american shoes are an extreme minority of their populace who was forced to leave africa. To restate\, 90% of our enslaved forebear s home is the atlantic ocean\, from those who died on the boats which is m ajority plus those who jumped off the boat which is another minority. So i f you me or anyone whose forebears were enslaved want to truly know where a majority of our forebears final residence was\, it isn't the usa or hait i or brazil \, it is the atlantic ocean. Become a citizen of the atlantic ocean. \n\n\n\n Now of course\, most humans can not become citizens of th e sea\, our bodies are meant to be on land BUT\, what this means is all pa ths we descended of enslaved choose beyond the atlantic ocean are merely a cceptable options. Black DOS want to be president? fine. go to live in afr ica?  fine. go to live in a black country in the caribbean ? fine. make a black city in the usa? fine. all are acceptible\, for the only true home of black dosers forebears is the atlantic ocean. so.... \n\n\n\n you stat ed what blacks should have concentrated on doing? \n\n\n\n Do you see? ou r forebears situation made us the only peoples in the american continent u nattached\, unbounded to these lands. This hurts our unity but also allows for our individualism. This is what I try to convey in this very forum\, that so many of you guys don't see. You each want a culture\, something gr own\, that is a  complete communalism that isn't justified based on our h eritage\, what we carry. \n\n\n\n Black DOSers are a people who have a un ique heritage in the usa or the greater americas or including asia. Our fo rebears mostly died before they could land on new shores\, so none of thes e new shores: brasil/usa/india are truly our homes. And sadly\, the mother land\, africa isn't our home because time never keeps a place the same. No where in africa is what our forebears were forced from. \n\n\n\n I end w ith something I tend to do in this forum\, ask black people why don't they find like minded black people and go their path.\n\n\n\n @umbrarchist wh y don't you live in a black town in the usa? you don't know anyone else bl ack willing? I can't believe that. You can't find anyone else black willin g? I can't believe that. \n\n\n\n I accept Black people whose forebears w ere enslaved are free to truly do what they want based on our forebears un fortune\, and though it has taken years\, I accept it as a positive. I tel l my friends offline who talk about being american so much\, why don't you run for office? why don't you become a member? \n\n\n\n I will repeat wh at I have said here many times. \n\n\n\n When I hear a black person offli ne say\, we need to kill the whites. I say to them\, find the other black people who also want to kill the non blacks and I hope you kill them all.   \n\n\n\n When I hear a black person offline say\, we need to embrace o ur citizenship to the usa . I say to them\, find the other blacks who want to embrace the citizenship of the usa\, and I hope you guys become presid ents/ governors /mayors/ and unite all the humans in the usa in a function al plus honest peace.\n\n\n\n When I hear a black person offline say\, we need to have our own towns in the usa. I say to them\, find all the other blacks who want to make their own towns in the usa\, and I hope you guys m ake new towns/cities/and eventually becomes states with a level of self su fficiency or prosperity better than any can imagine. \n\n\n\n When a blac k person says they want something support them\, if through nothing else b ut encouragement. You are not obliged to follow them or join them cause yo u may want other\, and that is a heritage of Blacks. But stop preaching\, stop debating\, stop arguing\, stop proselytizing. \n\n\n\n If a black pe rson is suggesting something push them to do it\, find other blacks that a re willing to do the same\, and if you are willing to do the same join in\ , but if you are not willing encourage. \n\n\n\n That is what we lacked c irca 1865 and now. We Black whose forebears were enslaved keep trying to b e other blacks or the non blacks. They are not us. A majority of our foreb ears who were enslaved are in one place\, the oceans. We have no ties from the past to any of these places\, so we are free to make them ourselves. Let's embrace that challenges\, but let us also enjoy the advantages of it . Our forebears will not mind us being happy \, no matter what we do. \n\ n\n\n THE URL\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11752-whites-only-planned -communities/#findComment-75320\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250802 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Sentinel's Epic Journey from Alicia McCalla DTSTAMP:20250729T161436Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:429-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Hi Badass Superhero\,\n\n\n\n Tia Jackson's First Episode is LIVE!\n\n\n\n Click here for EPISODE ONE: https://aliciamccalla.com/bl ogs/serial-fiction-event\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250729 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi DTSTAMP:20250729T160630Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:428-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n “A bewitching\, thrilling and vibrant novel that had me enthralled with every twist and turn.”—Jennifer Saint\, Ne w York Times bestselling author\n\n\n\n Buy Now\n\n Masquerade is an “im mersive\, one-of-a-kind story” (People Magazine) set in a reimagined 15t h-century West Africa that explores the true cost of one woman’s fight f or freedom and self-discovery\, and the lengths she’ll go to secure her future.\n\n\n\n Loosely based on the myth of Persephone\, O.O. Sangoyomi ’s Masquerade takes you on a journey of epic power struggles and politic al intrigue which turn an entire region on its head.\n\n\n\n This paperbac k edition includes an unpublished\, previously cut scene with author comme ntary and a reading group discussion guide.\n\n  \n\n\n\n BUY THE BOOK OR LEARN MORE\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/books/9781250904317\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250729 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:ALICE 2022 starring Keke Palmer + Common DTSTAMP:20250729T112934Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:427-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n ALICE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n M Y THOUGHTS to Alice 2022\n\n First to history\, \n\n Mae Louise Walls Mil ler is the name of the Black woman whose life\, in my opinion\, was a prim e source to the research from Antoinette Harrell\, who spanned many Black individuals in slavery or criminal bondage.  I must say that first as the authors or content creators to many\, most I viewed or read\,  articles/ videos about the alice 2022 film didn't seem able to mention the Black wom an in question\, whose real life story inspired the video fable or the bla ck woman who researched her. \n\n The story of Miller\, in the articles b elow in more detail\, displays one of the large problems when we assess us a history. Most problems in the USA are publicly known\, but financial pro fit or fear blockade any action. The White community profited from black e nslavement before or after the 13th amendment\, and thus white individuals or groups were against opposed in any form\, including merely speaking\, to stand against abuses to blacks from the white community. \n\n\n\n Seco nd to the law\n\n Like mandates\, proclamations are not laws in the usa le gal system. Proclamations are public announcements by the government. Mand ates are public orders by the government. Proclamations or mandates by def ault are contestable in a court of law as they are not laws. The 13th amen dment is a law\, and it ended slavery throughout the entirety of the usa b ut the penal system. \n\n I quote: \n\n \"Section 1\n\n Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude\, except as a punishment for crime whereof the p arty shall have been duly convicted\, shall exist within the United States \, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.\n\n Section 2\n\n Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.\" \n \n Sequentially\, the emanicpation proclamation has to stop being referred to as the moment slavery ended. From a legal standpoint\, slavery has nev er ended\, so black people saying it has is not being honest to the situat ion of the black community in the usa. \n\n\n\n Third to the video fable\ , \n\n I keep hearing Donny Hathaway's to be young gifted and black in my head\, when I see Common. Am I wrong? \n\n Many of the articles seem foc used on suggesting this as a faux history\, when I see more of a Black fil m fiction circa 2000. For me the story of this film of a black women who t hinks she is in the 1800s but is in truth\, 1960s is clearly modern Black horror in the space of Get Out or US. \n\n The poster and the words of th e director clearly show this is a movie worthy of the roles Pam Grier play ed in the 1970s. A good revenge romp for fans of that genre or those with a penchant for black heroes in film.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ALice 2022\n\n wri tten and directed by Krystin Ver Linden\n\n Keke Palmer as Alice\n\n Jonny Lee Miller as Paul Bennet\n\n Common as Frank\n\n Gaius Charles as Joseph \n\n Alicia Witt as Rachel\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ARTICLES\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE: Black People in the US Were Enslaved Well into the 1960s\n\n AUTHOR (S):Antoinette Harrell \, at told to Justin Fornal\n\n TIME OF PUBLISH: Fe bruary 28\, 2018\, 12:00am\n\n CONTENT:\n\n\n\n \n\n More than 100 years a fter the Emancipation Proclamation\, there were black people in the Deep S outh who had no idea they were free. These people were forced to work\, vi olently tortured\, and raped.\n\n\n\n Historian and genealogist Antoinette Harrell has uncovered cases of African Americans still living as slaves 1 00 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The 57-year-o ld Louisiana native has dedicated more than 20 years to peonage research. Through her work\, she's unearthed painful stories in Southern states like Louisiana\, Mississippi\, Arkansas\, and Florida. Over a series of interv iews\, she told Justin Fornal about how she became an expert of modern sla very in the United States.\n\n\n\n My mother always talked to me about our family history and the family members who had passed on. She only knew so many stories\, so oftentimes she would tell the same ones over and over a gain. Each time she repeated a story\, I felt like she was trying to give me a message. It was like she was trying to tell me that if I wanted to kn ow more about who we were\, I would have to dig deeper.\n\n We knew our fa mily had once been slaves in Louisiana. In 1994\, I started to look into h istorical records and public records. I found my ancestors in the 1853 inv entory belonging to Benjamin and Celia Bankston Richardson. Written down a longside other personal belongings that included spoons\, forks\, hogs\, c ows\, and a sofa were my great great grandparents\, Thomas and Carrie Rich ardson.\n\n Carrie and her child Thomas had been appraised at $1\,100. See ing my ancestor’s perceived value written on a piece of paper changed me . It also set forth the direction of my life. It was terribly painful\, bu t I needed to know more. What did they do after Emancipation in 1863? Wher e did they go? I tracked down Freedmen contracts of the Harrell side of my family that proved that they were sharecroppers. Word started spreading a round New Orleans about how I was using genealogy to connect the dots of a lost history. Soon enough people started requesting that I come and speak about how I was uncovering my family’s story so they could do the same for themselves. It became a chance to find out who we were and where we ca me from as descendants of enslaved people. This was a chance to learn a hi story we were never taught in school.\n\n The only fact that seemed certai n was that slavery ended with the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. But even that turned out to be less than true.\n\n One day a wom an familiar with my work approached me and said\, “Antoinette\, I know a group of people who didn’t receive their freedom until the 1950s.” Sh e had me over to her house where I met about 20 people\, all who had worke d on the Waterford Plantation in St. Charles Parish\, Louisiana. They told me they had worked the fields for most of their lives. One way or another \, they had become indebted to the plantation’s owner and were not allow ed to leave the property. This situation had them living their lives as 20 th-century slaves. At the end of the harvest\, when they tried to settle u p with the owner\, they were always told they didn't make it into the blac k and to try again next year. Every passing year\, the workers fell deeper and deeper in debt. Some of those folks were tied to that land into the 1 960s.\n\n I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Most shocking of all wa s their fear. I saw time and time again\, people were afraid to share thei r stories. They were afraid to give this information to me\, even behind c losed doors decades later. They believed that they might somehow get sent back to a plantation that wasn’t even operating anymore. As I would real ize\, people are afraid to share their stories\, because in the South so m any of the same white families who owned these plantations are still runni ng local government and big businesses. They still hold the power. So the poor and disenfranchised really don’t have anywhere to share these injus tices without fearing major repercussions. To most folks\, it just isn’t worth the risk. So\, sadly\, most situations of this sort go unreported.\ n\n Six months after that meeting\, I was giving a lecture on genealogy an d reparations in Amite\, Louisiana\, when I met Mae Louise Walls Miller. M ae walked in after the lecture was over\, demanding to speak with me. She walked up\, looked me in the eye\, and stated\, “I didn’t get my freed om until 1963.”\n\n Mae's father\, Cain Wall\, lost his land by signing a contract he couldn’t read that had sealed his entire family’s fate. As a young girl\, Mae didn’t know that her family’s situation was diff erent from anyone else’s. The family didn’t have TV\, so Mae just assu med everyone lived the same way her brothers and sisters did. They were no t permitted to leave the land and were subject to regular beatings from th e land owners. When Mae got a bit older\, she would be told to come up to work in the main house with her mother. Here she would be raped by whateve r men were present. Most times she and her mother were raped simultaneousl y alongside each other.\n\n Her father\, Cain\, couldn’t take the suffer ing anymore and tried to flee the property by himself in the middle of the night. His plan was to register for the army and get stationed far away. But he was picked up by some folks claiming they would help him. Instead\, they took him right back to the farm\, where he was brutally beaten in fr ont of his family.\n\n When Mae was about 14\, she decided she would no lo nger go up to the house. Her family pleaded with her as the punishment wou ld come down on all of them. Mae refused and sassed the farm owner’s wif e when she told her to work. Worrying that Mae would be killed by the owne rs\, Cain beat his own daughter bloody in hopes of saving her. That evenin g still covered in blood\, Mae ran away through the woods. She was hiding in the bushes by the road when a family rode by with their mule cart. The lady on the cart saw the bush moving. She got off to find Mae crying\, blo odied and terrified. That white family took her in and rescued the rest of the Wall’s later that night.\n\n These stories are more common than you think. There were also Polish\, Hungarian\, and Italian immigrants\, as w ell other nationalities\, who got caught up in these situations in the Ame rican South. But the vast majority of 20th-century slaves were of African descent.\n\n When I met Mae\, her father Cain was still alive. He was 107 years old\, but his mind was still incredibly sharp. A few times we sat to gether with Mae and the other siblings. It was a brutal catharsis for them to speak about what happened on that farm. I’ll never forget the look i n their eyes when one would speak about a horror they endured. It was clea r they had never shared their individual stories with one another. It was something that was in the past so there was never a reason to bring it up. One day Cain was watching the television\, and there was a Caucasian man with stark white hair on the program. The way he looked must have reminded Cain of someone from the farm. Cain believed that because he had told me what happened on the farm that the man on the TV was going to come to his house and drag him back. Opening the suppressed memories upset him so much he ended up in the hospital. The family kept me away for a while after th at.\n\n But Mae and I became good friends and would lecture together. Ther e were unusual ticks she had from her upbringing. Sometimes\, when we woul d be at an event where there was free food\, she couldn’t stop eating. S he told me this was from years of not knowing when she would eat again. Th ere were other times she would need to take her shoes off. She had grown u p not wearing shoes and said sometimes her feet felt uncomfortable when sh e wore them. The nuances of Mae’s PTSD from growing up as a slave gave m e a look into what life must have been like for many of our ancestors who were held under such inhumane conditions.\n\n Mae died in 2014. She was a fearless beautiful spirit and has left a gigantic void. I am glad her brot her Arthur is continuing to tell the Wall’s family story. People who hea r these stories will often say\, “You should have gone to the police .” “You should have run sooner.” But the land down here goes on fore ver. These plantations are a country unto themselves. The property goes fr om can't see to to can't see. Even if you could run\, where would you go? Who would you go to?\n\n Do I believe Mae’s family was the last to be fr eed? No. Slavery will continue to redefine itself for African Americans fo r years to come. The school to prison pipeline and private penitentiaries are just a few of the new ways to guarantee that black people provide free labor for the system at large. However\, I also believe there are still A frican families who are tied to Southern farms in the most antebellum sens e of speaking. If we don’t investigate and bring to light how slavery qu ietly continued\, it could happen again.\n\n There were several times when I returned to the property where Mae and her family were held. There is n’t much there anymore in terms of the farm.\n\n One day I walked with M ae deep into the woods to see the old green creek she always spoke about. That filthy patch of water where the cows pissed and shit was the same wat er that Mae and her family drank and bathed in. As we stood together looki ng into the water Mae’s words were forever seared into my soul.\n\n “I told you my story because I have no fear in my heart. What can any living person do to me? There is nothing that can be done to me that hasn’t al ready been done.”\n\n\n\n U.R.L.: https://www.vice.com/en/article/43757 3/blacks-were-enslaved-well-into-the-1960s\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE: The e nslaved black people of the 1960s who did not know slavery had ended\n\n A UTHOR: ISMAIL AKWEI\n\n CONTENT:\n\n\n\n \n\n The Emancipation Proclamatio n of 1863 which changed the status of over 3.5 million enslaved African Am ericans in the South from slave to free\, did not emancipate some hundreds who were slaves through to the 1960s.\n\n This was revealed by historian and genealogist Antoinette Harrell who unearthed shocking stories of slave s in Southern states like Louisiana\, Mississippi\, Arkansas\, and Florida over hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation.\n\n She told Just in Fornal that her 1994 journey of historical truth revealed the stories o f many 20th century slaves who came forth in New Orleans when they heard t hat she was using genealogy to connect the dots of a lost history.\n\n She said a woman introduced her to about 20 people who had worked on the Wate rford Plantation in St. Charles Parish\, Louisiana\, as slaves until the 1 960s.\n\n “One way or another\, they had become indebted to the plantati on’s owner and were not allowed to leave the property … At the end of the harvest\, when they tried to settle up with the owner\, they were alwa ys told they didn’t make it into the black and to try again next year. E very passing year\, the workers fell deeper and deeper in debt\,” she sa id.\n\n Many of them were afraid to share their stories as they believed t hey will be sent back to the plantation which isn’t even in operation. “People are afraid to share their stories\, because in the South so man y of the same white families who owned these plantations are still running local government and big businesses. They still hold the power.\n\n “So the poor and disenfranchised really don’t have anywhere to share these injustices without fearing major repercussions. To most folks\, it just is n’t worth the risk. So\, sadly\, most situations of this sort go unrepor ted\,” she told Justin Fornal and was published in art and culture magaz ine website Vice.\n\n One of the 20th-century slaves was Mae Louise Walls Miller and she didn’t get her freedom until 1963. Her father\, Cain Wall \, lost his land by signing a contract he couldn’t read that enslaved hi s entire family.\n\n They were not permitted to leave the land and the own ers subjected them to beatings and rape. Mae and her mother were most time s raped simultaneously alongside each other by white men when they go to t he main house to work.\n\n According to Harrell’s narration\, Mae and he r family did not know what was happening outside the land as they had no T V. Her father tried to flee the property\, but was caught by other landown ers who returned him to the farm where he was brutally beaten in front of his family.\n\n When Harrell met Mae\, her father was alive and he was 107 years old with a sharp memory. He beat Mae when she was 14 for attempting to flee the farm\, an action whose consequence was beating of the entire family.\n\n Mae\, covered in blood\, still run into the woods in the eveni ng and hid in the bushes where a white family took her in and rescued the rest of her family later that night.\n\n Harrell said the family suffered from PTSD as a result of their experiences. Mae died in 2014.\n\n “I tol d you my story because I have no fear in my heart. What can any living per son do to me? There is nothing that can be done to me that hasn’t alread y been done\,” Mae told Harrell when they visited the property she and h er family were held.\n\n Antoinette Harrell believes “there are still Af rican families who are tied to Southern farms in the most antebellum sense of speaking. If we don’t investigate and bring to light how slavery qui etly continued\, it could happen again.”\n\n <\; https://video.vice.c om/en_us/video/vice-the-slavery-detective-of-the-south/5a947b9cf1cdb3764f3 eee86?jwsource=cl >\; \n\n URL: https://face2faceafrica.com/article/t he-enslaved-black-people-of-the-1960s-who-did-not-know-slavery-had-ended\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE: Made in Frame: Inside Krystin Ver Linden’s Fier y Sundance Debut\, “Alice”\n\n AUTHOR: Lisa McNamara\n\n CONTENT: \n\ n Utilize the link for the content\, but the videos are placed immediately below\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n <\; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= rHqrOSTIovU >\; \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n <\; https://www.youtub e.com/watch?v=OibZx09HYAA>\;\n\n\n\n U.R.L. : https://blog.frame.io/202 2/02/14/sundance-alice-krystin-ver-linden/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE: Keke Palmer to Star in True-Story Thriller ‘Alice’\n\n AUTHOR: Chris Gardne r\n\n CONTENT: Utilize the url below to read but I placed an image of Keke palmer\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n U.R.L. : https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ general-news/keke-palmer-star-true-story-thriller-alice-1298009/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TITLE: ALICE (2022) Movie Trailer: Keke Palmer Escapes from Jon ny Lee Miller’s Plantation in Krystin Ver Linden’s Film\n\n AUTHOR: RO llo Tomasi \n\n CONTENT: Utilize the url below to read the article\, I pl aced the trailer and movie poster beneath.\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n <\; https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5CHq89MPnE >\; \n\n\n\n U.R.L. : https://f ilm-book.com/alice-2022-movie-trailer-keke-palmer-escapes-from-jonny-lee-m illers-plantation-in-krystin-ver-lindens-film/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Referral URL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1830&\ ;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I amended the story\, what do you think?\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/stash/03dgosc922t\n\n\n\n \n\n forum\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/8655-what-are-your-thoughts-to-the-film-alice- 2022/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250216 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Message in a bottle moments DTSTAMP:20250728T073849Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:426-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Before and after\n\n\n\n Coloring pages and examples of t hem colored. The bottom illustration is one of the coloring pages.\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you like my work\, I wouldn't mind a tip \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/subscriptions?tier=82-90 2770076\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Gallery of Inks\n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/hddeviant/gallery/47013691/comic-coloring-pages\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250728 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nichelle Nichols born 1932 DTSTAMP:20250727T021421Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:425-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n Nichelle Nichols is known as the original Nyota Uhura\, which translate to Star Freedom in Swahili. \n\n\n\n While my fav orite episode is Mirror Mirror in the same way I love Michael Burnham in t he Terran world. .... \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n look at the attitude on Black wom en in terran world:) I love it\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Best action scene for Uhur a in the original show\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n But musically she had her best out ing with the Vulcan Lute. My favorite is the following...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BEYOND ANTARES  [originally performed in the Star Trek original series episode The Conscious of the King]\n\n\n\n Audio Down load link  - https://1drv.ms/v/c/ea9004809c2729bb/Eb4Y_egv3kBGmRGcOSC2rE UBcFxSEbcMtYlt54vEVRTxUg?e=00rWpl\n\n\n\n Video From the episode\n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The skies are green and glowing\,\n\n Where my hear t is\, where my heart is\,\n\n Where the scented lunar flower is bloomi ng:\n\n Somewhere\, beyond the stars...\n\n Beyond Antares.\n\n \n\n I'l l be back\, though it takes forever.\n\n Forever is just a day.\n\n Forev er is just another journey.\n\n Tomorrow a stop along the way.\n\n \n\n Th en let the years go fading\,\n\n Where my heart is\, where my heart is\,\n \n Where my love eternally is waiting\n\n Somewhere\, beyond the stars...\ n\n Beyond Antares.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A more glitzy version\n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKclVJm9pSY\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n COMPLETE VERSION\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnPHs6uacbw\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n The skies are green and glowing\,\n\n Where my heart is\ , where my heart is\,\n\n Where the scented lunar flower is blooming:\n\ n Somewhere\, beyond the stars...\n\n Beyond Antares.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n There waits my lover sleeping\n\n\n\n Where my heart is\, where my heart is\n\n\n\n Where the great blue ring whose watch is keeping \n\n\n\n Some where\, beyond the stars...\n\n Beyond Antares.\n\n \n\n I'll be back\, th ough it takes forever.\n\n Forever is just a day.\n\n Forever is just ano ther journey.\n\n Tomorrow a stop along the way.\n\n \n\n Then let the yea rs go fading\,\n\n Where my heart is\, where my heart is\,\n\n Where my lo ve eternally is waiting\n\n Somewhere\, beyond the stars...\n\n Beyond Ant ares.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES\n\n\n\n The music was written by Wilbur Ha tch with lyrics by either Barry Trivers or Gene L. Coon. On screen\, th e song featured a backing track that included piano\, played by Marl You ng\, harp\, played by Catherine Gotthoffer\, and guitar\, played by La urindo Almeida.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Beyond Antares\n\n https://memory-alpha .fandom.com/wiki/Beyond_Antares\n\n Vulcan Lute\n\n https://memory-alpha.f andom.com/wiki/Vulcan_lute\n\n The Conscious of the King\n\n https://memor y-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Conscience_of_the_King_(episode)\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Rest In The Stars Nichelle Nichols\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n if anyone wants me to draw Uhura in the black and gold\, just ask:) \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Love Nina Simone like most Black folks and so did Nichelle Nichols \n\n\n\n love the title to the cover:) down to earth\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251228 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Making an Antagonist DTSTAMP:20250717T032926Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:406-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Example\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/My-A ntagonist-for-part-3-of-the-4-part-challenge-1218771253\n\n Extended Examp le\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part -3-Extended-antagonist-1214202381\n\n Challenge\n\n https://www.deviantart .com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-3-Antagonist-1212132850\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n PRAISE\n\n\n\n from Remivan [ https://www.deviantart.com/re mivan ]\n\n\n\n Thank you for this incredibly detailed and helpful \"tutor ial\" on crafting antagonists! While I’m unable to participate in the ch allenge (as I use AI in my writing process\, which goes against the rules) \, I found the insights truly invaluable.\n\n\n\n You’ve given me a new perspective on my story analytics. Some pieces reach tens of thousands of views\, yet engagement (likes/favorites) remains quite modest. It made me wonder: could the lack of a strong\, well-defined antagonist-driven confli ct be a factor? Honestly\, I rarely use this trope intentionally—even in real life\, I don’t tend to see clear-cut ‘villains\,’ just complex human motivations.\n\n\n\n But your breakdown—especially distinguishing an antagonist’s goal (their core desire) from their role (actions taken to achieve it\, including opposing the protagonist)—was revelatory! I ’ll consciously integrate this technique into future stories and tune my LLMs to craft deeper\, motivationally grounded antagonists using your gui delines (tying them to the setting\, profession\, and personal aims).\n\n\ n\n A question for the tutorial creators or community: Are there specializ ed frameworks\, system prompts\, or best practices for writers like me who use AI assistance? Anything to help weave character-building techniques ( like antagonist development) into collaborative human-AI workflows to stre ngthen narrative conflict? I’d deeply appreciate any tips or resources!\ n\n\n\n Thanks again for this installment—immensely inspiring\, even as a non-participant!\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/121213285 0/5224464795\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250716 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Terminus 3 from MVMedia initially published August 17th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250725T173151Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:424-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Terminus 3 from MVMedia @Milton initially published Augus t 17th 2025\n\n\n\n The ATLiens are back! Twenty-two speculative fiction s tories from some of Metro Atlanta's best Black Speculative Fiction authors . You'll never see the ATL the same way again! \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https: //www.mvmediaatl.com/product-page/terminus-3\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250817 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Oya WArrior Goddess from Alicia McCalla DTSTAMP:20250725T171459Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:423-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Check it out in audiobook/ebook with other styles of item s\n\n\n\n https://aliciamccalla.com/collections/the-sentinel-superhero-vig ilante-collection\n\n\n\n alternative LINK\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \ n Why Fiction Authors Hate Marketing (And How Storyselling Fixes It) by A licia McCalla\n \n\n \n How to connect with readers authentically without feeling like a used car salesman\n \n Read on Substack\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n good post alicia\, you are rocking it\, and I will only add\, when an a uthor reaches a certain level of popularity\, they have enough fans and e energy arund those fans that they can be more sporadic\, more blunt becaus e they have so many followers\, it builds on itself enough\, your correct. \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250725 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Clotel + Mulatra DTSTAMP:20250724T183617Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:422-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Clotel + La Mulatra are 1800s black fiction\, have you re ad and what are your thoughts?\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11740-have-y ou-ever-read-an-1800-black-work-of-fiction/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n While Clotel + La Mulatra do well for Germanic[based on the german: englis h\, Dutch] + Latin[languages based on latin: french/spanish/portuguese] Am erica. I want to know of a similar work by a Habshi for India. I have more research to do.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LA MULATRA (english version is at the bottom of the linked post)\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/414-le-mu lâtre-from-victor-séjour-two-versions-split-by-an-essay/\n\n CLOTEL\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/413-clotel-or-the-presidents-daughter-a- narrative-of-slave-life-in-the-united-states-by-william-well-brown/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250724 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Architecture- Sans Souci + Citadelle LaFerriere+ Renaissance Theater of Harlem+ Works of Vertner Woodson Tandy DTSTAMP:20250724T182742Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:421-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Architecture- Sans Souci + Citadelle LaFerriere+ Renaissa nce Theater of Harlem+ Works of Vertner Woodson Tandy\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A s some know I love architecture and the Sans Souci Palace+ Citadelle LAfer riere in Haiti was built by the last King of the Haitians\, Henri CHristop he. Both were designed by a scottish engineer to my knowledge\, but the na me escapes me. Both were financed by the Kingdom of Haiti which is circa t o the north half of Haiti today. You have to comprehend the reasons why Ha itians couldn't design it themselves. Lack of experience. Architecture tru ly demands experience to slowly build up the styles or qualities. Every si ngle human community does this. But\, Haiti wanted these things now and co uldn't wait so they needed an outside designer. In defense\, after built h aitians under Henri Christophe kept it up and knew how to\, it was after t he King died that many things fell apart. \n\n\n\n Sans Souci + CItadelle Laferriere\n\n part 1\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/474-architectu re-sans-souci-palace-citadelle-la-ferriere/\n\n\n\n part 2\n\n https://aal bc.com/tc/blogs/entry/488-architecture-sans-souci-palace-citadelle-la-ferr iere-part-2/\n\n\n\n part 3\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/489-archi tecture-sans-souci-palace-citadelle-la-ferriere-part-3/\n\n\n\n part 4\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/490-architecture-sans-souci-palace-citad elle-la-ferriere-part-4/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Renaissance Theater of Har lem is one of the few\, secular [meaning of the larger world not areligiou s or absent spirtuality\, not solely holy or solely personal \, sometimes the word sacred is used but that is a misnomer] buildings and the only one I know of in NYC\, financed/designed/operated by black people originally. I rephrase\, no other building for the masses\,a non private residence I can think of in New York City was originally financed[who paid to make it] /designed[architecture plans]/operated[who used it when completed] by Blac k people. \n\n\n\n The Renaissance Ballroom is that. I have searched for years to get the plans \, I will one day. \n\n\n\n Renaissance Theater pa rt 1 (when I get the plans a part 2 is coming)\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/bl ogs/entry/491-architecture-renaissance-theater/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Vertner Woodson Tandy made two residences and one church in New York State of not e all were financed by Black people. The two residenced by Madame CJ Walke r. The church by its flock. \n\n\n\n Vertner Woodson Tandy part 1(St Phil lips CHurch+Villa Lewaro+Madame CJ Walker Townhouse\; when i get the plans to each\, a part 2 is coming)\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/492-ar chitecture-vertner-woodson-tandy/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250723 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:From Africanfrontdotcom DTSTAMP:20250724T024836Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:420-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n From Mel Hopkins\n\n In 2004\, when social networking sit es were still pure at heart\, there was the website Africanfrontdotcom  - and one of the pages listed African history dating back to 40\,000\,000 B CE. My calling is to gather information\, and I immediately copied this ti meline from the website because of my preference. Now\, of course\, due to the colonization of many African nations\, other cultures appropriated mu ch of African history. So I use  this info is a reference point for fact- checking and inclusion. This morning\, I thought about the chronological t imeline I possessed when a famous writer in The Atlantic attributed \"Know Thy Self\" to the Greeks and not African philosophy. Anyway\, my writing is Afrocentric\, including my first novel steeped in Ancient African hist ory due to this timeline I found on the Africandotcom website way back in 2004.  I hope you will find this information helpful too.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/383-from-africanfrontdotcom/ \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250521 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poems on Various Subjects\, Religious and Moral from Phillis Wheatley DTSTAMP:20250724T022919Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:416-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n Published according to Act of Parliament\, Sept. r 1. 1773 by Arch.d Bell Bookseller No.8 near the Saracens Head Aldgate.\n \n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/349-poems-on-various- subjects-religious-and-moral-from-phillis-wheatley/\n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n The Project Gutenberg EBook of Religious and Moral Poems\, by Phillis Wheatle y\n\nThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with\nalm ost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it\, give it away or\nre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included\nwith this e Book or online at www.gutenberg.org\n\n\nTitle: Religious and Moral Poems\ n\nAuthor: Phillis Wheatley\n\nRelease Date: January\, 1996 [EBook #409]\n Last Updated: February 24\, 2019\n\n\nLanguage: English\n\nCharacter set e ncoding: UTF-8\n\n*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RELIGIOUS AND MORAL POEMS ***\n\n\n\n\nEtext produced by Judith Boss\n\nHTML file produc ed by David Widger\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPOEMS\nON VARIOUS SUBJECTS\,\n RELIGIOUS AND MORAL.\nBy Phillis Wheatley\n(Negro Servant To Mr. John Whea tley\, Of Boston\, In New-England)\n1771\nCONTENTS\n\nPREFACE.\n\nTO THE P UBLIC.\n\nP O E M S\n\nTO M AE C E N A S.\n\nO N V I R T U E.\n\nTO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE\, IN NEW-ENGLAND.\n\nTO THE KING’S MOST EXCELLEN T MAJESTY. 1768.\n\nON BEING BROUGHT FROM AFRICA TO AMERICA.\n\nON THE DEA TH OF THE REV. DR. SEWELL\, 1769.\n\nON THE DEATH OF THE REV. MR. GEORGE W HITEFIELD. 1770.\n\nON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY OF FIVE YEARS OF AGE.\n\n ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN.\n\nTO A LADY ON THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAN D.\n\nG O L I A T H O F G A T H.\n\nTHOUGHTS ON THE WORKS OF PROVIDENCE. \n\nTO A LADY ON THE DEATH OF THREE RELATIONS.\n\nTO A CLERGYMAN ON THE DE ATH OF HIS LADY.\n\nAN HYMN TO THE MORNING\n\nAN HYMN TO THE EVENING.\n\nI SAIAH lxiii. 1-8.\n\nON RECOLLECTION.\n\nON IMAGINATION.\n\nA FUNERAL POEM ON THE DEATH OF C. E. AN INFANT OF TWELVE MONTHS.\n\nTO CAPTAIN H—— —D\, OF THE 65TH REGIMENT.\n\nTO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM\, EARL OF DARTMOUTH\n\nO D E T O N E P T U N E.\n\nTO A LADY ON HER COMING TO NORT H-AMERICA WITH HER SON\, FOR THE RECOVERY OF HER HEALTH.\n\nTO A LADY ON H ER REMARKABLE PRESERVATION IN AN HURRICANE IN NORTH-CAROLINA.\n\nTO A LADY AND HER CHILDREN\, ON THE DEATH OF HER SON AND THEIR BROTHER.\n\nTO A GEN TLEMAN AND LADY ON THE DEATH OF THE LADY’S BROTHER AND SISTER\, AND A CH ILD OF THE NAME OF AVIS\, AGED ONE YEAR.\n\nON THE DEATH OF DR. SAMUEL MAR SHALL. 1771.\n\nTO A GENTLEMAN ON HIS VOYAGE TO GREAT-BRITAIN FOR THE RECO VERY OF HIS HEALTH.\n\nTO THE REV. DR. THOMAS AMORY\, ON READING HIS SERMO NS ON DAILY DEVOTION\, IN WHICH THAT DUTY IS RECOMMENDED AND ASSISTED.\n\n ON THE DEATH OF J. C. AN INFANT.\n\nAN H Y M N TO H U M A N I T Y. TO S . P. G. ESQ\;\n\nTO THE HONOURABLE T. H. ESQ\; ON THE DEATH OF HIS DAUGHTE R.\n\nNIOBE IN DISTRESS FOR HER CHILDREN SLAIN BY APOLLO\, FROM OVID’S M ETAMORPHOSES\, BOOK VI. AND FROM A VIEW OF THE PAINTING OF MR. RICHARD WIL SON.\n\nTO S. M. A YOUNG AFRICAN PAINTER\, ON SEEING HIS WORKS.\n\nTO HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR\, ON THE DEATH OF HIS LADY. MARCH 24\, 1773 .\n\nA FAREWEL TO AMERICA. TO MRS. S. W.\n\nA REBUS\, BY I. B.\n\nAN ANSWE R TO THE REBUS\, BY THE AUTHOR OF THESE POEMS.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO THE R IGHT HONOURABLE THE\nCOUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON\,\nTHE FOLLOWING\nP O E M S\nA RE MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.\nBY HER MUCH OBLIGED\,\nVERY HUMBLE\nAND D EVOTED SERVANT.\nPHILLIS WHEATLEY.\nBoston\, June 12\, 1771.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\nPREFACE.\nTHE following POEMS were written originally for the Amusemen t of the Author\, as they were the Products of her leisure Moments. She ha d no Intention ever to have published them\; nor would they now have made their Appearance\, but at the Importunity of many of her best\, and most g enerous Friends\; to whom she considers herself\, as under the greatest Ob ligations.\n\nAs her Attempts in Poetry are now sent into the World\, it i s hoped the Critic will not severely censure their Defects\; and we presum e they have too much Merit to be cast aside with Contempt\, as worthless a nd trifling Effusions.\n\nAs to the Disadvantages she has laboured under\, with Regard to Learning\, nothing needs to be offered\, as her Master’s Letter in the following Page will sufficiently show the Difficulties in t his Respect she had to encounter.\n\nWith all their Imperfections\, the Po ems are now humbly submitted to the Perusal of the Public.\n\nThe followin g is a Copy of a LETTER sent by the Author’s Master to the Publisher.\n\ nPHILLIS was brought from Africa to America\, in the Year 1761\, between s even and eight Years of Age. Without any Assistance from School Education\ , and by only what she was taught in the Family\, she\, in sixteen Months Time from her Arrival\, attained the English language\, to which she was a n utter Stranger before\, to such a degree\, as to read any\, the most dif ficult Parts of the Sacred Writings\, to the great Astonishment of all who heard her.\n\nAs to her WRITING\, her own Curiosity led her to it\; and t his she learnt in so short a Time\, that in the Year 1765\, she wrote a Le tter to the Rev. Mr. OCCOM\, the Indian Minister\, while in England.\n\nSh e has a great Inclination to learn the Latin Tongue\, and has made some Pr ogress in it. This Relation is given by her Master who bought her\, and wi th whom she now lives.\n\nJOHN WHEATLEY.\nBoston\, Nov. 14\, 1772.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nTO THE PUBLIC.\nAS it has been repeatedly suggested to the Pub lisher\, by Persons\, who have seen the Manuscript\, that Numbers would be ready to suspect they were not really the Writings of PHILLIS\, he has pr ocured the following Attestation\, from the most respectable Characters in Boston\, that none might have the least Ground for disputing their Origin al.\n\nWE whose Names are under-written\, do assure the World\, that the P OEMS specified in the following Page\,* were (as we verily believe) writte n by Phillis\, a young Negro Girl\, who was but a few Years since\, brough t an uncultivated Barbarian from Africa\, and has ever since been\, and no w is\, under the Disadvantage of serving as a Slave in a Family in this To wn. She has been examined by some of the best Judges\, and is thought qual ified to write them.\n\n His Excellency THOMAS HUTCHINSON\, Governor.\n \n The Hon. ANDREW OLIVER\, Lieutenant-Governor.\n\n The Hon. Thomas H ubbard\, | The Rev. Charles Chauncey\, D. D.\n The Hon. John Erving\, | The Rev. Mather Byles\, D. D.\n The Hon. James Pitts\, | The Rev. Ed. Pemberton\, D. D.\n The Hon. Harrison Gray\, | The Rev. Andrew Ell iot\, D. D.\n The Hon. James Bowdoin\, | The Rev. Samuel Cooper\, D. D. \n John Hancock\, Esq\; | The Rev. Mr. Saumel Mather\,\n Joseph G reen\, Esq\; | The Rev. Mr. John Moorhead\,\n Richard Carey\, Esq\ ; | Mr. John Wheat ey\, her Master.\n\n N. B. The original Attesta tion\, signed by the above Gentlemen\,\n may be seen by applying t o Archibald Bell\, Bookseller\,\n No. 8\, Aldgate-Street.\n\n ___ ______________________________________________________\n\n *The Words “following Page\,” allude to the Contents\n of the Manuscript Copy\, which are wrote at the\n Back of the above Attestation.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ nP O E M S\nO N\nV A R I O U S S U B J E C T S.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO M A E C E N A S.\n MAECENAS\, you\, beneath the myrtle shade\,\n Read o’er what poets sung\, and shepherds play’d.\n What felt those poets but yo u feel the same?\n Does not your soul possess the sacred flame?\n Their noble strains your equal genius shares\n In softer language\, and diviner airs.\n While Homer paints\, lo! circumfus’d in air\,\n Celestial G ods in mortal forms appear\;\n Swift as they move hear each recess reboun d\,\n Heav’n quakes\, earth trembles\, and the shores resound.\n Great Sire of verse\, before my mortal eyes\,\n The lightnings blaze across th e vaulted skies\,\n And\, as the thunder shakes the heav’nly plains\,\n A deep felt horror thrills through all my veins.\n When gentler strains demand thy graceful song\,\n The length’ning line moves languishing al ong.\n When great Patroclus courts Achilles’ aid\,\n The grateful trib ute of my tears is paid\;\n Prone on the shore he feels the pangs of love \,\n And stern Pelides tend’rest passions move.\n Great Maro’s str ain in heav’nly numbers flows\,\n The Nine inspire\, and all the bosom glows.\n O could I rival thine and Virgil’s page\,\n Or claim the Muse s with the Mantuan Sage\;\n Soon the same beauties should my mind adorn\, \n And the same ardors in my soul should burn:\n Then should my song in bolder notes arise\,\n And all my numbers pleasingly surprise\;\n But he re I sit\, and mourn a grov’ling mind\,\n That fain would mount\, and r ide upon the wind.\n Not you\, my friend\, these plaintive strains beco me\,\n Not you\, whose bosom is the Muses home\;\n When they from tow’ ring Helicon retire\,\n They fan in you the bright immortal fire\,\n But I less happy\, cannot raise the song\,\n The fault’ring music dies upo n my tongue.\n The happier Terence* all the choir inspir’d\,\n His s oul replenish’d\, and his bosom fir’d\;\n But say\, ye Muses\, why th is partial grace\,\n To one alone of Afric’s sable race\;\n From age t o age transmitting thus his name\n With the finest glory in the rolls of fame?\n Thy virtues\, great Maecenas! shall be sung\n In praise of him \, from whom those virtues sprung:\n While blooming wreaths around thy te mples spread\,\n I’ll snatch a laurel from thine honour’d head\,\n W hile you indulgent smile upon the deed.\n\n *He was an African by bi rth.\n\n As long as Thames in streams majestic flows\,\n Or Naiads in their oozy beds repose\n While Phoebus reigns above the starry train\n W hile bright Aurora purples o’er the main\,\n So long\, great Sir\, the muse thy praise shall sing\,\n So long thy praise shal’ make Parnassus ring:\n Then grant\, Maecenas\, thy paternal rays\,\n Hear me propitious \, and defend my lays.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nO N V I R T U E.\n O Thou bright jewel in my aim I strive\n To comprehend thee. Thine own words declare\ n Wisdom is higher than a fool can reach.\n I cease to wonder\, and no m ore attempt\n Thine height t’ explore\, or fathom thy profound.\n But\ , O my soul\, sink not into despair\,\n Virtue is near thee\, and with ge ntle hand\n Would now embrace thee\, hovers o’er thine head.\n Fain wo uld the heav’n-born soul with her converse\,\n Then seek\, then court h er for her promis’d bliss.\n Auspicious queen\, thine heav’nly p inions spread\,\n And lead celestial Chastity along\;\n Lo! now her sacr ed retinue descends\,\n Array’d in glory from the orbs above.\n Attend me\, Virtue\, thro’ my youthful years!\n O leave me not to the false j oys of time!\n But guide my steps to endless life and bliss.\n Greatness \, or Goodness\, say what I shall call thee\,\n To give me an higher appe llation still\,\n Teach me a better strain\, a nobler lay\,\n O thou\, e nthron’d with Cherubs in the realms of day.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO THE UNIV ERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE\, IN NEW-ENGLAND.\n WHILE an intrinsic ardor prompts to write\,\n The muses promise to assist my pen\;\n ’Twas not long sin ce I left my native shore\n The land of errors\, and Egyptian gloom:\n F ather of mercy\, ’twas thy gracious hand\n Brought me in safety from th ose dark abodes.\n Students\, to you ’tis giv’n to scan the heig hts\n Above\, to traverse the ethereal space\,\n And mark the systems of revolving worlds.\n Still more\, ye sons of science ye receive\n The bl issful news by messengers from heav’n\,\n How Jesus’ blood for your r edemption flows.\n See him with hands out-stretcht upon the cross\;\n Im mense compassion in his bosom glows\;\n He hears revilers\, nor resents t heir scorn:\n What matchless mercy in the Son of God!\n When the whole h uman race by sin had fall’n\,\n He deign’d to die that they might ris e again\,\n And share with him in the sublimest skies\,\n Life without d eath\, and glory without end.\n Improve your privileges while they s tay\,\n Ye pupils\, and each hour redeem\, that bears\n Or good or bad r eport of you to heav’n.\n Let sin\, that baneful evil to the soul\,\n By you be shun’d\, nor once remit your guard\;\n Suppress the deadly se rpent in its egg.\n Ye blooming plants of human race divine\,\n An Ethio p tells you ’tis your greatest foe\;\n Its transient sweetness turns to endless pain\,\n And in immense perdition sinks the soul.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\nTO THE KING’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 1768.\n YOUR subjects hope\, d read Sire—\n The crown upon your brows may flourish long\,\n And that your arm may in your God be strong!\n O may your sceptre num’rous natio ns sway\,\n And all with love and readiness obey!\n But how shall we the British king reward!\n Rule thou in peace\, our father\, and our lord !\n Midst the remembrance of thy favours past\,\n The meanest peasants m ost admire the last*\n May George\, beloved by all the nations round\,\n Live with heav’ns choicest constant blessings crown’d!\n Great God\, direct\, and guard him from on high\,\n And from his head let ev’ry ev il fly!\n And may each clime with equal gladness see\n A monarch’s smi le can set his subjects free!\n\n * The Repeal of the Stamp Act.\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nON BEING BROUGHT FROM AFRICA TO AMERICA.\n ’Twas mercy br ought me from my Pagan land\,\n Taught my benighted soul to understand\n That there’s a God\, that there’s a Saviour too:\n Once I redemption neither sought nor knew\,\n Some view our sable race with scornful eye\, \n “Their colour is a diabolic die.”\n Remember\, Christians\, Negr oes\, black as Cain\,\n May be refin’d\, and join th’ angelic train.\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nON THE DEATH OF THE REV. DR. SEWELL\, 1769.\n ERE yet th e morn its lovely blushes spread\,\n See Sewell number’d with the happy dead.\n Hail\, holy man\, arriv’d th’ immortal shore\,\n Though we shall hear thy warning voice no more.\n Come\, let us all behold with wis hful eyes\n The saint ascending to his native skies\;\n From hence the p rophet wing’d his rapt’rous way\n To the blest mansions in eternal da y.\n Then begging for the Spirit of our God\,\n And panting eager for th e same abode\,\n Come\, let us all with the same vigour rise\,\n And tak e a prospect of the blissful skies\;\n While on our minds Christ’s imag e is imprest\,\n And the dear Saviour glows in ev’ry breast.\n Thrice happy saint! to find thy heav’n at last\,\n What compensation for the e vils past!\n Great God\, incomprehensible\, unknown\n By sense\, we b ow at thine exalted throne.\n O\, while we beg thine excellence to feel\, \n Thy sacred Spirit to our hearts reveal\,\n And give us of that mercy to partake\,\n Which thou hast promis’d for the Saviour’s sake!\n “Sewell is dead.” Swift-pinion’d Fame thus cry’d.\n “Is Sew ell dead\,” my trembling tongue reply’d\,\n O what a blessing in his flight deny’d!\n How oft for us the holy prophet pray’d!\n How oft t o us the Word of Life convey’d!\n By duty urg’d my mournful verse to close\,\n I for his tomb this epitaph compose.\n “Lo\, here a man\, redeem’d by Jesus’s blood\,\n “A sinner once\, but now a saint wit h God\;\n “Behold ye rich\, ye poor\, ye fools\, ye wise\,\n “Not le t his monument your heart surprise\;\n “Twill tell you what this holy m an has done\,\n “Which gives him brighter lustre than the sun.\n “Li sten\, ye happy\, from your seats above.\n “I speak sincerely\, while I speak and love\,\n “He sought the paths of piety and truth\,\n “By these made happy from his early youth\;\n “In blooming years that grace divine he felt\,\n “Which rescues sinners from the chains of guilt.\ n “Mourn him\, ye indigent\, whom he has fed\,\n “And henceforth see k\, like him\, for living bread\;\n “Ev’n Christ\, the bread descendi ng from above\,\n “And ask an int’rest in his saving love.\n “Mour n him\, ye youth\, to whom he oft has told\n “God’s gracious wonders from the times of old.\n “I too have cause this mighty loss to mourn\,\ n “For he my monitor will not return.\n “O when shall we to his bles t state arrive?\n “When the same graces in our bosoms thrive.”\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nON THE DEATH OF THE REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. 1770.\n HAI L\, happy saint\, on thine immortal throne\,\n Possest of glory\, life\, and bliss unknown\;\n We hear no more the music of thy tongue\,\n Thy wo nted auditories cease to throng.\n Thy sermons in unequall’d accents fl ow’d\,\n And ev’ry bosom with devotion glow’d\;\n Thou didst in st rains of eloquence refin’d\n Inflame the heart\, and captivate the mind .\n Unhappy we the setting sun deplore\,\n So glorious once\, but ah! it shines no more.\n Behold the prophet in his tow’ring flight!\n He l eaves the earth for heav’n’s unmeasur’d height\,\n And worlds unkno wn receive him from our sight.\n There Whitefield wings with rapid course his way\,\n And sails to Zion through vast seas of day.\n Thy pray’rs \, great saint\, and thine incessant cries\n Have pierc’d the bosom of thy native skies.\n Thou moon hast seen\, and all the stars of light\,\n How he has wrestled with his God by night.\n He pray’d that grace in ev’ry heart might dwell\,\n He long’d to see America excell\;\n He charg’d its youth that ev’ry grace divine\n Should with full lustre i n their conduct shine\;\n That Saviour\, which his soul did first receive \,\n The greatest gift that ev’n a God can give\,\n He freely offer’ d to the num’rous throng\,\n That on his lips with list’ning pleasure hung.\n “Take him\, ye wretched\, for your only good\,\n “Take hi m ye starving sinners\, for your food\;\n “Ye thirsty\, come to this li fe-giving stream\,\n “Ye preachers\, take him for your joyful theme\;\n “Take him my dear Americans\, he said\,\n “Be your complaints on hi s kind bosom laid:\n “Take him\, ye Africans\, he longs for you\,\n “Impartial Saviour is his title due:\n “Wash’d in the fountain of r edeeming blood\,\n “You shall be sons\, and kings\, and priests to Go d.”\n Great Countess\,* we Americans revere\n Thy name\, and mingle in thy grief sincere\;\n New England deeply feels\, the Orphans mourn\,\ n Their more than father will no more return.\n But\, though arrested by the hand of death\,\n Whitefield no more exerts his lab’ring breath\ ,\n Yet let us view him in th’ eternal skies\,\n Let ev’ry heart to this bright vision rise\;\n While the tomb safe retains its sacred trust\ ,\n Till life divine re-animates his dust.\n\n *The Countess of Huntingd on\, to whom Mr. Whitefield\n was Chaplain.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nON THE DEAT H OF A YOUNG LADY OF FIVE YEARS OF AGE.\n FROM dark abodes to fair etheri al light\n Th’ enraptur’d innocent has wing’d her flight\;\n On th e kind bosom of eternal love\n She finds unknown beatitude above.\n This known\, ye parents\, nor her loss deplore\,\n She feels the iron hand of pain no more\;\n The dispensations of unerring grace\,\n Should turn yo ur sorrows into grateful praise\;\n Let then no tears for her henceforwar d flow\,\n No more distress’d in our dark vale below\,\n Her morning sun\, which rose divinely bright\,\n Was quickly mantled with the gloom of night\;\n But hear in heav’n’s blest bow’rs your Nancy fair\,\n And learn to imitate her language there.\n “Thou\, Lord\, whom I behol d with glory crown’d\,\n “By what sweet name\, and in what tuneful so und\n “Wilt thou be prais’d? Seraphic pow’rs are faint\n “Infin ite love and majesty to paint.\n “To thee let all their graceful voices raise\,\n “And saints and angels join their songs of praise.”\n Perfect in bliss she from her heav’nly home\n Looks down\, and smiling beckons you to come\;\n Why then\, fond parents\, why these fruitless gro ans?\n Restrain your tears\, and cease your plaintive moans.\n Freed fro m a world of sin\, and snares\, and pain\,\n Why would you wish your daug hter back again?\n No—bow resign’d. Let hope your grief control\,\n And check the rising tumult of the soul.\n Calm in the prosperous\, and adverse day\,\n Adore the God who gives and takes away\;\n Eye him in al l\, his holy name revere\,\n Upright your actions\, and your hearts since re\,\n Till having sail’d through life’s tempestuous sea\,\n And fro m its rocks\, and boist’rous billows free\,\n Yourselves\, safe landed on the blissful shore\,\n Shall join your happy babe to part no more.\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN.\n WHO taught thee confli ct with the pow’rs of night\,\n To vanquish satan in the fields of ligh t?\n Who strung thy feeble arms with might unknown\,\n How great thy con quest\, and how bright thy crown!\n War with each princedom\, throne\, an d pow’r is o’er\,\n The scene is ended to return no more.\n O could my muse thy seat on high behold\,\n How deckt with laurel\, how enrich’ d with gold!\n O could she hear what praise thine harp employs\,\n How s weet thine anthems\, how divine thy joys!\n What heav’nly grandeur shou ld exalt her strain!\n What holy raptures in her numbers reign!\n To soo th the troubles of the mind to peace\,\n To still the tumult of life’s tossing seas\,\n To ease the anguish of the parents heart\,\n What shall my sympathizing verse impart?\n Where is the balm to heal so deep a woun d?\n Where shall a sov’reign remedy be found?\n Look\, gracious Spirit \, from thine heav’nly bow’r\,\n And thy full joys into their bosoms pour\;\n The raging tempest of their grief control\,\n And spread the da wn of glory through the soul\,\n To eye the path the saint departed trod\ ,\n And trace him to the bosom of his God.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A LADY ON THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND.\n GRIM monarch! see\, depriv’d of vital breat h\,\n A young physician in the dust of death:\n Dost thou go on incessan t to destroy\,\n Our griefs to double\, and lay waste our joy?\n Enough thou never yet wast known to say\,\n Though millions die\, the vassals of thy sway:\n Nor youth\, nor science\, not the ties of love\,\n Nor ough t on earth thy flinty heart can move.\n The friend\, the spouse from his dire dart to save\,\n In vain we ask the sovereign of the grave.\n Fair mourner\, there see thy lov’d Leonard laid\,\n And o’er him spread th e deep impervious shade.\n Clos’d are his eyes\, and heavy fetters keep \n His senses bound in never-waking sleep\,\n Till time shall cease\, ti ll many a starry world\n Shall fall from heav’n\, in dire confusion h url’d\n Till nature in her final wreck shall lie\,\n And her last groa n shall rend the azure sky:\n Not\, not till then his active soul shall c laim\n His body\, a divine immortal frame.\n But see the softly-steali ng tears apace\n Pursue each other down the mourner’s face\;\n But cea se thy tears\, bid ev’ry sigh depart\,\n And cast the load of anguish f rom thine heart:\n From the cold shell of his great soul arise\,\n And l ook beyond\, thou native of the skies\;\n There fix thy view\, where flee ter than the wind\n Thy Leonard mounts\, and leaves the earth behind.\n Thyself prepare to pass the vale of night\n To join for ever on the hills of light:\n To thine embrace this joyful spirit moves\n To thee\, the p artner of his earthly loves\;\n He welcomes thee to pleasures more refi n’d\,\n And better suited to th’ immortal mind.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nG O L I A T H O F G A T H.\n 1 SAMUEL\, Chap. xvii.\n YE martial pow ’rs\, and all ye tuneful nine\,\n Inspire my song\, and aid my high des ign.\n The dreadful scenes and toils of war I write\,\n The ardent warri ors\, and the fields of fight:\n You best remember\, and you best can sin g\n The acts of heroes to the vocal string:\n Resume the lays with which your sacred lyre\,\n Did then the poet and the sage inspire.\n Now fr ont to front the armies were display’d\,\n Here Israel rang’d\, and t here the foes array’d\;\n The hosts on two opposing mountains stood\,\n Thick as the foliage of the waving wood\;\n Between them an extensive v alley lay\,\n O’er which the gleaming armour pour’d the day\,\n When from the camp of the Philistine foes\,\n Dreadful to view\, a mighty war rior rose\;\n In the dire deeds of bleeding battle skill’d\,\n The mon ster stalks the terror of the field.\n From Gath he sprung\, Goliath was his name\,\n Of fierce deportment\, and gigantic frame:\n A brazen helme t on his head was plac’d\,\n A coat of mail his form terrific grac’d\ ,\n The greaves his legs\, the targe his shoulders prest:\n Dreadful in arms high-tow’ring o’er the rest\n A spear he proudly wav’d\, whose iron head\,\n Strange to relate\, six hundred shekels weigh’d\;\n He strode along\, and shook the ample field\,\n While Phoebus blaz’d reful gent on his shield:\n Through Jacob’s race a chilling horror ran\,\n W hen thus the huge\, enormous chief began:\n “Say\, what the cause tha t in this proud array\n “You set your battle in the face of day?\n “ One hero find in all your vaunting train\,\n “Then see who loses\, and who wins the plain\;\n “For he who wins\, in triumph may demand\n “P erpetual service from the vanquish’d land:\n “Your armies I defy\, yo ur force despise\,\n “By far inferior in Philistia’s eyes:\n “Prod uce a man\, and let us try the fight\,\n “Decide the contest\, and the victor’s right.”\n Thus challeng’d he: all Israel stood amaz’d \,\n And ev’ry chief in consternation gaz’d\;\n But Jesse’s son in youthful bloom appears\,\n And warlike courage far beyond his years:\n He left the folds\, he left the flow’ry meads\,\n And soft recesses of the sylvan shades.\n Now Israel’s monarch\, and his troops arise\,\n W ith peals of shouts ascending to the skies\;\n In Elah’s vale the scene of combat lies.\n When the fair morning blush’d with orient red\,\n What David’s fire enjoin’d the son obey’d\,\n And swift of foot to wards the trench he came\,\n Where glow’d each bosom with the martial f lame.\n He leaves his carriage to another’s care\,\n And runs to greet his brethren of the war.\n While yet they spake the giant-chief arose\,\ n Repeats the challenge\, and insults his foes:\n Struck with the sound\ , and trembling at the view\,\n Affrighted Israel from its post withdrew. \n “Observe ye this tremendous foe\, they cry’d\,\n “Who in proud vaunts our armies hath defy’d:\n “Whoever lays him prostrate on the p lain\,\n “Freedom in Israel for his house shall gain\;\n “And on him wealth unknown the king will pour\,\n “And give his royal daughter for his dow’r.”\n Then Jesse’s youngest hope: “My brethren say\ ,\n “What shall be done for him who takes away\n “Reproach from Jaco b\, who destroys the chief.\n “And puts a period to his country’s gri ef.\n “He vaunts the honours of his arms abroad\,\n “And scorns the armies of the living God.”\n Thus spoke the youth\, th’ attentive people ey’d\n The wond’rous hero\, and again reply’d:\n “Such th e rewards our monarch will bestow\,\n “On him who conquers\, and destro ys his foe.”\n Eliab heard\, and kindled into ire\n To hear his she pherd brother thus inquire\,\n And thus begun: “What errand brought the e? say\n “Who keeps thy flock? or does it go astray?\n “I know the b ase ambition of thine heart\,\n “But back in safety from the field depa rt.”\n Eliab thus to Jesse’s youngest heir\,\n Express’d his wr ath in accents most severe.\n When to his brother mildly he reply’d.\ n “What have I done? or what the cause to chide?\n The words were to ld before the king\, who sent\n For the young hero to his royal tent:\n Before the monarch dauntless he began\,\n “For this Philistine fail no heart of man:\n “I’ll take the vale\, and with the giant fight:\n “I dread not all his boasts\, nor all his might.”\n When thus the ki ng: “Dar’st thou a stripling go\,\n “And venture combat with so gre at a foe?\n “Who all his days has been inur’d to fight\,\n “And ma de its deeds his study and delight:\n “Battles and bloodshed brought th e monster forth\,\n “And clouds and whirlwinds usher’d in his birth .”\n When David thus: “I kept the fleecy care\,\n “And out ther e rush’d a lion and a bear\;\n “A tender lamb the hungry lion took\ ,\n “And with no other weapon than my crook\n “Bold I pursu’d\, an d chas d him o’er the field\,\n “The prey deliver’d\, and the fel on kill’d:\n “As thus the lion and the bear I slew\,\n “So shall G oliath fall\, and all his crew:\n “The God\, who sav’d me from these beasts of prey\,\n “By me this monster in the dust shall lay.”\n So David spoke. The wond’ring king reply’d\;\n “Go thou with heav’ n and victory on thy side:\n “This coat of mail\, this sword gird on\ ,” he said\,\n And plac’d a mighty helmet on his head:\n The coat\, the sword\, the helm he laid aside\,\n Nor chose to venture with those ar ms untry’d\,\n Then took his staff\, and to the neighb’ring brook\n Instant he ran\, and thence five pebbles took.\n Mean time descended to P hilistia’s son\n A radiant cherub\, and he thus begun:\n “Goliath\, well thou know’st thou hast defy’d\n “Yon Hebrew armies\, and their God deny’d:\n “Rebellious wretch! audacious worm! forbear\,\n “No r tempt the vengeance of their God too far:\n “Them\, who with his Omni potence contend\,\n “No eye shall pity\, and no arm defend:\n “Proud as thou art\, in short liv’d glory great\,\n “I come to tell thee th ine approaching fate.\n “Regard my words. The Judge of all the gods\,\ n “Beneath whose steps the tow’ring mountain nods\,\n “Will give t hine armies to the savage brood\,\n “That cut the liquid air\, or range the wood.\n “Thee too a well-aim’d pebble shall destroy\,\n “And thou shalt perish by a beardless boy:\n “Such is the mandate from the r ealms above\,\n “And should I try the vengeance to remove\,\n “Mysel f a rebel to my king would prove.\n “Goliath say\, shall grace to him b e shown\,\n “Who dares heav’ns Monarch\, and insults his throne?” \n “Your words are lost on me\,” the giant cries\,\n While fear a nd wrath contended in his eyes\,\n When thus the messenger from heav’n replies:\n “Provoke no more Jehovah’s awful hand\n “To hurl its ve ngeance on thy guilty land:\n “He grasps the thunder\, and\, he wings t he storm\,\n “Servants their sov’reign’s orders to perform.”\n The angel spoke\, and turn’d his eyes away\,\n Adding new radiance to the rising day.\n Now David comes: the fatal stones demand\n His left \, the staff engag’d his better hand:\n The giant mov’d\, and from hi s tow’ring height\n Survey’d the stripling\, and disdain’d the figh t\,\n And thus began: “Am I a dog with thee?\n “Bring’st thou no a rmour\, but a staff to me?\n “The gods on thee their vollied curses pou r\,\n “And beasts and birds of prey thy flesh devour.”\n David un daunted thus\, “Thy spear and shield\n “Shall no protection to thy bo dy yield:\n “Jehovah’s name———no other arms I bear\,\n “I as k no other in this glorious war.\n “To-day the Lord of Hosts to me will give\n “Vict’ry\, to-day thy doom thou shalt receive\;\n “The fat e you threaten shall your own become\,\n “And beasts shall be your anim ated tomb\,\n “That all the earth’s inhabitants may know\n “That there’s a God\, who governs all below:\n “This great assembly too sh all witness stand\,\n “That needs nor sword\, nor spear\, th’ Almig hty’s\n hand:\n “The battle his\, the conquest he bestows\,\n “ And to our pow’r consigns our hated foes.”\n Thus David spoke\; Go liath heard and came\n To meet the hero in the field of fame.\n Ah! fata l meeting to thy troops and thee\,\n But thou wast deaf to the divine dec ree\;\n Young David meets thee\, meets thee not in vain\;\n ’Tis thine to perish on th’ ensanguin’d plain.\n And now the youth the forcef ul pebble slung\n Philistia trembled as it whizz’d along:\n In his dre ad forehead\, where the helmet ends\,\n Just o’er the brows the well- aim’d stone descends\,\n It pierc’d the skull\, and shatter’d all t he brain\,\n Prone on his face he tumbled to the plain:\n Goliath’s fa ll no smaller terror yields\n Than riving thunders in aerial fields:\n T he soul still ling’red in its lov’d abode\,\n Till conq’ring Davi d o’er the giant strode:\n Goliath’s sword then laid its master dead\ ,\n And from the body hew’d the ghastly head\;\n The blood in gushing torrents drench’d the plains\,\n The soul found passage through the spo uting veins.\n And now aloud th’ illustrious victor said\,\n “Wher e are your boastings now your champion’s\n “dead?”\n Scarce had he spoke\, when the Philistines fled:\n But fled in vain\; the conqu’r or swift pursu’d:\n What scenes of slaughter! and what seas of blood!\n There Saul thy thousands grasp’d th’ impurpled sand\n In pangs of d eath the conquest of thine hand\;\n And David there were thy ten thousand s laid:\n Thus Israel’s damsels musically play’d.\n Near Gath and Edron many an hero lay\,\n Breath’d out their souls\, and curs’d the light of day:\n Their fury\, quench’d by death\, no longer burns\,\n A nd David with Goliath’s head returns\,\n To Salem brought\, but in his tent he plac’d\n The load of armour which the giant grac’d.\n His mo narch saw him coming from the war\,\n And thus demanded of the son of Ner .\n “Say\, who is this amazing youth?” he cry’d\,\n When thus the leader of the host reply’d\;\n “As lives thy soul I know not whence h e sprung\,\n “So great in prowess though in years so young:”\n “I nquire whose son is he\,” the sov’reign said\,\n “Before whose co nq’ring arm Philistia fled.”\n Before the king behold the stripling stand\,\n Goliath’s head depending from his hand:\n To him the king: “Say of what martial line\n “Art thou\, young hero\, and what sire w as thine?”\n He humbly thus\; “The son of Jesse I:\n “I came the glories of the field to try.\n “Small is my tribe\, but valiant in the fight\;\n “Small is my city\, but thy royal right.”\n “Then take the promis’d gifts\,” the monarch cry’d\,\n Conferring riches and t he royal bride:\n “Knit to my soul for ever thou remain\n “With me\, nor quit my regal roof again.”\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTHOUGHTS ON THE WORK S OF PROVIDENCE.\n A R I S E\, my soul\, on wings enraptur’d\, rise\n To praise the monarch of the earth and skies\,\n Whose goodness and benif icence appear\n As round its centre moves the rolling year\,\n Or when t he morning glows with rosy charms\,\n Or the sun slumbers in the ocean’ s arms:\n Of light divine be a rich portion lent\n To guide my soul\, an d favour my intend.\n Celestial muse\, my arduous flight sustain\n And r aise my mind to a seraphic strain!\n Ador’d for ever be the God unsee n\,\n Which round the sun revolves this vast machine\,\n Though to his e ye its mass a point appears:\n Ador’d the God that whirls surrounding s pheres\,\n Which first ordain’d that mighty Sol should reign\n The pee rless monarch of th’ ethereal train:\n Of miles twice forty millions is his height\,\n And yet his radiance dazzles mortal sight\n So far benea th—from him th’ extended earth\n Vigour derives\, and ev’ry flow’ ry birth:\n Vast through her orb she moves with easy grace\n Around her Phoebus in unbounded space\;\n True to her course th’ impetuous storm d erides\,\n Triumphant o’er the winds\, and surging tides.\n Almighty \, in these wond’rous works of thine\,\n What Pow’r\, what Wisdom\, a nd what Goodness shine!\n And are thy wonders\, Lord\, by men explor’d\ ,\n And yet creating glory unador’d!\n Creation smiles in various be auty gay\,\n While day to night\, and night succeeds to day:\n That Wisd om\, which attends Jehovah’s ways\,\n Shines most conspicuous in the so lar rays:\n Without them\, destitute of heat and light\,\n This world wo uld be the reign of endless night:\n In their excess how would our race c omplain\,\n Abhorring life! how hate its length’ned chain!\n From air adust what num’rous ills would rise?\n What dire contagion taint the bu rning skies?\n What pestilential vapours\, fraught with death\,\n Would rise\, and overspread the lands beneath?\n Hail\, smiling morn\, that f rom the orient main\n Ascending dost adorn the heav’nly plain!\n So ri ch\, so various are thy beauteous dies\,\n That spread through all the ci rcuit of the skies\,\n That\, full of thee\, my soul in rapture soars\,\n And thy great God\, the cause of all adores.\n O’er beings infinite his love extends\,\n His Wisdom rules them\, and his Pow’r defends.\n When tasks diurnal tire the human frame\,\n The spirits faint\, and dim the vital flame\,\n Then too that ever active bounty shines\,\n Which no t infinity of space confines.\n The sable veil\, that Night in silence dr aws\,\n Conceals effects\, but shows th’ Almighty Cause\,\n Night seal s in sleep the wide creation fair\,\n And all is peaceful but the brow of care.\n Again\, gay Phoebus\, as the day before\,\n Wakes ev’ry eye\, but what shall wake no more\;\n Again the face of nature is renew’d\,\ n Which still appears harmonious\, fair\, and good.\n May grateful strai ns salute the smiling morn\,\n Before its beams the eastern hills adorn!\ n Shall day to day\, and night to night conspire\n To show the goodnes s of the Almighty Sire?\n This mental voice shall man regardless hear\,\n And never\, never raise the filial pray’r?\n To-day\, O hearken\, nor your folly mourn\n For time mispent\, that never will return.\n Bu t see the sons of vegetation rise\,\n And spread their leafy banners to t he skies.\n All-wise Almighty Providence we trace\n In trees\, and plant s\, and all the flow’ry race\;\n As clear as in the nobler frame of man \,\n All lovely copies of the Maker’s plan.\n The pow’r the same tha t forms a ray of light\,\n That call d creation from eternal night.\n “Let there be light\,” he said: from his profound\n Old Chaos heard\, and trembled at the sound:\n Swift as the word\, inspir’d by pow’r d ivine\,\n Behold the light around its Maker shine\,\n The first fair pro duct of th’ omnific God\,\n And now through all his works diffus’d ab road.\n As reason’s pow’rs by day our God disclose\,\n So we ma y trace him in the night’s repose:\n Say what is sleep? and dreams how passing strange!\n When action ceases\, and ideas range\n Licentious and unbounded o’er the plains\,\n Where Fancy’s queen in giddy triumph r eigns.\n Hear in soft strains the dreaming lover sigh\n To a kind fair\, or rave in jealousy\;\n On pleasure now\, and now on vengeance bent\,\n The lab’ring passions struggle for a vent.\n What pow’r\, O man! thy reason then restores\,\n So long suspended in nocturnal hours?\n What s ecret hand returns the mental train\,\n And gives improv’d thine active pow’rs again?\n From thee\, O man\, what gratitude should rise!\n And \, when from balmy sleep thou op’st thine eyes\,\n Let thy first though ts be praises to the skies.\n How merciful our God who thus imparts\n O’erflowing tides of joy to human hearts\,\n When wants and woes might be our righteous lot\,\n Our God forgetting\, by our God forgot!\n Amo ng the mental pow’rs a question rose\,\n “What most the image of th ’ Eternal shows?”\n When thus to Reason (so let Fancy rove)\n Her g reat companion spoke immortal Love.\n “Say\, mighty pow’r\, how lon g shall strife prevail\,\n “And with its murmurs load the whisp’ring gale?\n “Refer the cause to Recollection’s shrine\,\n “Who loud pr oclaims my origin divine\,\n “The cause whence heav’n and earth began to be\,\n “And is not man immortaliz’d by me?\n “Reason let this most causeless strife subside.”\n Thus Love pronounc’d\, and Reason thus reply’d.\n “Thy birth\, coelestial queen! ’tis mine to own \,\n “In thee resplendent is the Godhead shown\;\n “Thy words persua de\, my soul enraptur’d feels\n “Resistless beauty which thy smile re veals.”\n Ardent she spoke\, and\, kindling at her charms\,\n She cla sp’d the blooming goddess in her arms.\n Infinite Love where’er we turn our eyes\n Appears: this ev’ry creature’s wants supplies\;\n Th is most is heard in Nature’s constant voice\,\n This makes the morn\, a nd this the eve rejoice\;\n This bids the fost’ring rains and dews desc end\n To nourish all\, to serve one gen’ral end\,\n The good of man: y et man ungrateful pays\n But little homage\, and but little praise.\n To him\, whose works arry’d with mercy shine\,\n What songs should rise\, how constant\, how divine!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A LADY ON THE DEATH OF THR EE RELATIONS.\n WE trace the pow’r of Death from tomb to tomb\,\n And his are all the ages yet to come.\n ’Tis his to call the planets from o n high\,\n To blacken Phoebus\, and dissolve the sky\;\n His too\, when all in his dark realms are hurl’d\,\n From its firm base to shake the s olid world\;\n His fatal sceptre rules the spacious whole\,\n And trembl ing nature rocks from pole to pole.\n Awful he moves\, and wide his win gs are spread:\n Behold thy brother number’d with the dead!\n From bon dage freed\, the exulting spirit flies\n Beyond Olympus\, and these starr y skies.\n Lost in our woe for thee\, blest shade\, we mourn\n In vain\; to earth thou never must return.\n Thy sisters too\, fair mourner\, feel the dart\n Of Death\, and with fresh torture rend thine heart.\n Weep n ot for them\, and leave the world behind.\n As a young plant by hurrica nes up torn\,\n So near its parent lies the newly born—\n But ‘midst the bright ehtereal train behold\n It shines superior on a throne of gol d:\n Then\, mourner\, cease\; let hope thy tears restrain\,\n Smile on t he tomb\, and sooth the raging pain.\n On yon blest regions fix thy longi ng view\,\n Mindless of sublunary scenes below\;\n Ascend the sacred mou nt\, in thought arise\,\n And seek substantial and immortal joys\;\n Whe re hope receives\, where faith to vision springs\,\n And raptur’d serap hs tune th’ immortal strings\n To strains extatic. Thou the chorus joi n\,\n And to thy father tune the praise divine.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A CLE RGYMAN ON THE DEATH OF HIS LADY.\n WHERE contemplation finds her sacred s pring\,\n Where heav’nly music makes the arches ring\,\n Where virtue reigns unsully’d and divine\,\n Where wisdom thron’d\, and all the gr aces shine\,\n There sits thy spouse amidst the radiant throng\,\n While praise eternal warbles from her tongue\;\n There choirs angelic shout he r welcome round\,\n With perfect bliss\, and peerless glory crown’d.\n While thy dear mate\, to flesh no more confin’d\,\n Exults a blest\, an heav’n-ascended mind\,\n Say in thy breast shall floods of sorrow r ise?\n Say shall its torrents overwhelm thine eyes?\n Amid the seats of heav’n a place is free\,\n And angels open their bright ranks for thee\ ;\n For thee they wait\, and with expectant eye\n Thy spouse leans downw ard from th’ empyreal sky:\n “O come away\,” her longing spirit cri es\,\n “And share with me the raptures of the skies.\n “Our bliss di vine to mortals is unknown\;\n “Immortal life and glory are our own.\ n “There too may the dear pledges of our love\n “Arrive\, and taste with us the joys above\;\n “Attune the harp to more than mortal lays\,\ n “And join with us the tribute of their praise\n “To him\, who dy ’d stern justice to stone\,\n “And make eternal glory all our own.\ n “He in his death slew ours\, and\, as he rose\,\n “He crush’d th e dire dominion of our foes\;\n “Vain were their hopes to put the God t o flight\,\n “Chain us to hell\, and bar the gates of light.”\n S he spoke\, and turn’d from mortal scenes her eyes\,\n Which beam’d ce lestial radiance o’er the skies.\n Then thou dear man\, no more with grief retire\,\n Let grief no longer damp devotion’s fire\,\n But rise sublime\, to equal bliss aspire\,\n Thy sighs no more be wafted by the w ind\,\n No more complain\, but be to heav’n resign’d\n ’Twas thi ne t’ unfold the oracles divine\,\n To sooth our woes the task was also thine\;\n Now sorrow is incumbent on thy heart\,\n Permit the muse a co rdial to impart\;\n Who can to thee their tend’rest aid refuse?\n To d ry thy tears how longs the heav’nly muse!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAN HYMN TO TH E MORNING\n ATTEND my lays\, ye ever honour’d nine\,\n Assist my labou rs\, and my strains refine\;\n In smoothest numbers pour the notes along\ ,\n For bright Aurora now demands my song.\n Aurora hail\, and all the thousand dies\,\n Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies:\n The morn awakes\, and wide extends her rays\,\n On ev’ry leaf the gentl e zephyr plays\;\n Harmonious lays the feather’d race resume\,\n Dart the bright eye\, and shake the painted plume.\n Ye shady groves\, your verdant gloom display\n To shield your poet from the burning day:\n Call iope awake the sacred lyre\,\n While thy fair sisters fan the pleasing fi re:\n The bow’rs\, the gales\, the variegated skies\n In all their ple asures in my bosom rise.\n See in the east th’ illustrious king of da y!\n His rising radiance drives the shades away—\n But Oh! I feel his fervid beams too strong\,\n And scarce begun\, concludes th’ abortive s ong.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAN HYMN TO THE EVENING.\n SOON as the sun forsook t he eastern main\n The pealing thunder shook the heav’nly plain\;\n Maj estic grandeur! From the zephyr’s wing\,\n Exhales the incense of the blooming spring.\n Soft purl the streams\, the birds renew their notes\,\ n And through the air their mingled music floats.\n Through all the he av’ns what beauteous dies are spread!\n But the west glories in the dee pest red:\n So may our breasts with ev’ry virtue glow\,\n The living t emples of our God below!\n Fill’d with the praise of him who gives th e light\,\n And draws the sable curtains of the night\,\n Let placid slu mbers sooth each weary mind\,\n At morn to wake more heav’nly\, more re fin’d\;\n So shall the labours of the day begin\n More pure\, more gua rded from the snares of sin.\n Night’s leaden sceptre seals my drowsy eyes\,\n Then cease\, my song\, till fair Aurora rise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ISAIAH lxiii. 1-8.\n SAY\, heav’nly muse\, what king or mighty God\,\n That moves sublime from Idumea’s road?\n In Bosrah’s dies\, with mar tial glories join’d\,\n His purple vesture waves upon the wind.\n Why thus enrob’d delights he to appear\n In the dread image of the Pow’r of war?\n Compres’d in wrath the swelling wine-press groan’d\,\n I t bled\, and pour’d the gushing purple round.\n “Mine was the act \,” th’ Almighty Saviour said\,\n And shook the dazzling glories of h is head\,\n “When all forsook I trod the press alone\,\n “And conq uer’d by omnipotence my own\;\n “For man’s release sustain’d th e pond’rous load\,\n “For man the wrath of an immortal God:\n “To execute th’ Eternal’s dread command\n “My soul I sacrific’d with willing hand\;\n “Sinless I stood before the avenging frown\,\n “Ato ning thus for vices not my own.”\n His eye the ample field of battle round\n Survey’d\, but no created succours found\;\n His own omnipote nce sustain’d the right\,\n His vengeance sunk the haughty foes in nigh t\;\n Beneath his feet the prostrate troops were spread\,\n And round hi m lay the dying\, and the dead.\n Great God\, what light’ning flashes from thine eyes?\n What pow’r withstands if thou indignant rise?\n Against thy Zion though her foes may rage\,\n And all their cunning\, all their strength engage\,\n Yet she serenely on thy bosom lies\,\n Smiles at their arts\, and all their force defies.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nON RECOLLECT ION.\n MNEME begin. Inspire\, ye sacred nine\,\n Your vent’rous Afric in her great design.\n Mneme\, immortal pow’r\, I trace thy spring:\n Assist my strains\, while I thy glories sing:\n The acts of long departe d years\, by thee\n Recover’d\, in due order rang’d we see:\n Thy pow’r the long-forgotten calls from night\,\n That sweetly plays before the fancy’s sight.\n Mneme in our nocturnal visions pours\n The ample treasure of her secret stores\;\n Swift from above the wings her silent flight\n Through Phoebe’s realms\, fair regent of the night\;\n And\, in her pomp of images display’d\,\n To the high-raptur’d poet gives h er aid\,\n Through the unbounded regions of the mind\,\n Diffusing light celestial and refin’d.\n The heav’nly phantom paints the actions don e\n By ev’ry tribe beneath the rolling sun.\n Mneme\, enthron’d wi thin the human breast\,\n Has vice condemn’d\, and ev’ry virtue blest .\n How sweet the sound when we her plaudit hear?\n Sweeter than music t o the ravish’d ear\,\n Sweeter than Maro’s entertaining strains\n Re sounding through the groves\, and hills\, and plains.\n But how is Mneme dreaded by the race\,\n Who scorn her warnings and despise her grace?\n By her unveil’d each horrid crime appears\,\n Her awful hand a cup of w ormwood bears.\n Days\, years mispent\, O what a hell of woe!\n Hers the worst tortures that our souls can know.\n Now eighteen years their des tin’d course have run\,\n In fast succession round the central sun.\n How did the follies of that period pass\n Unnotic’d\, but behold them w rit in brass!\n In Recollection see them fresh return\,\n And sure ’ti s mine to be asham’d\, and mourn.\n O Virtue\, smiling in immortal gr een\,\n Do thou exert thy pow’r\, and change the scene\;\n Be thine em ploy to guide my future days\,\n And mine to pay the tribute of my praise .\n Of Recollection such the pow’r enthron’d\n In ev’ry breast\, and thus her pow’r is own’d.\n The wretch\, who dar’d the vengeanc e of the skies\,\n At last awakes in horror and surprise\,\n By her alar m’d\, he sees impending fate\,\n He howls in anguish\, and repents too late.\n But O! what peace\, what joys are hers t’ impart\n To ev’ry holy\, ev’ry upright heart!\n Thrice blest the man\, who\, in her sacre d shrine\,\n Feels himself shelter’d from the wrath divine!\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nON IMAGINATION.\n THY various works\, imperial queen\, we see\,\n How bright their forms! how deck’d with pomp\n by thee!\n Thy wo nd’rous acts in beauteous order stand\,\n And all attest how potent is thine hand.\n From Helicon’s refulgent heights attend\,\n Ye sacred choir\, and my attempts befriend:\n To tell her glories with a faithful t ongue\,\n Ye blooming graces\, triumph in my song.\n Now here\, now there\, the roving Fancy flies\,\n Till some lov’d object strikes her wand’ring eyes\,\n Whose silken fetters all the senses bind\,\n And so ft captivity involves the mind.\n Imagination! who can sing thy force?\ n Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?\n Soaring through air to find the bright abode\,\n Th’ empyreal palace of the thund’ring God\, \n We on thy pinions can surpass the wind\,\n And leave the rolling univ erse behind:\n From star to star the mental optics rove\,\n Measure the skies\, and range the realms above.\n There in one view we grasp the migh ty whole\,\n Or with new worlds amaze th’ unbounded soul.\n Though W inter frowns to Fancy’s raptur’d eyes\n The fields may flourish\, and gay scenes arise\;\n The frozen deeps may break their iron bands\,\n An d bid their waters murmur o’er the sands.\n Fair Flora may resume her f ragrant reign\,\n And with her flow’ry riches deck the plain\;\n Sylva nus may diffuse his honours round\,\n And all the forest may with leaves be crown’d:\n Show’rs may descend\, and dews their gems disclose\,\n And nectar sparkle on the blooming rose.\n Such is thy pow’r\, nor a re thine orders vain\,\n O thou the leader of the mental train:\n In ful l perfection all thy works are wrought\,\n And thine the sceptre o’er t he realms of thought.\n Before thy throne the subject-passions bow\,\n O f subject-passions sov’reign ruler thou\;\n At thy command joy rushes o n the heart\,\n And through the glowing veins the spirits dart.\n Fanc y might now her silken pinions try\n To rise from earth\, and sweep th’ expanse on high:\n From Tithon’s bed now might Aurora rise\,\n Her ch eeks all glowing with celestial dies\,\n While a pure stream of light o ’erflows the skies.\n The monarch of the day I might behold\,\n And al l the mountains tipt with radiant gold\,\n But I reluctant leave the plea sing views\,\n Which Fancy dresses to delight the Muse\;\n Winter auster e forbids me to aspire\,\n And northern tempests damp the rising fire\;\n They chill the tides of Fancy’s flowing sea\,\n Cease then\, my song\ , cease the unequal lay.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA FUNERAL POEM ON THE DEATH OF C . E. AN INFANT OF TWELVE MONTHS.\n THROUGH airy roads he wings his instan t flight\n To purer regions of celestial light\;\n Enlarg’d he sees un number’d systems roll\,\n Beneath him sees the universal whole\,\n Pla nets on planets run their destin’d round\,\n And circling wonders fill the vast profound.\n Th’ ethereal now\, and now th’ empyreal skies\n With growing splendors strike his wond’ring eyes:\n The angels view hi m with delight unknown\,\n Press his soft hand\, and seat him on his thro ne\;\n Then smilling thus: “To this divine abode\,\n “The seat of sa ints\, of seraphs\, and of God\,\n “Thrice welcome thou.” The rapt ur’d babe replies\,\n “Thanks to my God\, who snatch’d me to the sk ies\,\n “E’er vice triumphant had possess’d my heart\,\n “E’er yet the tempter had beguil d my heart\,\n “E’er yet on sin’s base actions I was bent\,\n “E’er yet I knew temptation’s dire inten t\;\n “E’er yet the lash for horrid crimes I felt\,\n “E’er vani ty had led my way to guilt\,\n “But\, soon arriv’d at my celestial go al\,\n “Full glories rush on my expanding soul.”\n Joyful he spoke: exulting cherubs round\n Clapt their glad wings\, the heav’nly vaults resound.\n Say\, parents\, why this unavailing moan?\n Why heave your pensive bosoms with the groan?\n To Charles\, the happy subject of my son g\,\n A brighter world\, and nobler strains belong.\n Say would you tear him from the realms above\n By thoughtless wishes\, and prepost’rous l ove?\n Doth his felicity increase your pain?\n Or could you welcome to t his world again\n The heir of bliss? with a superior air\n Methinks he a nswers with a smile severe\,\n “Thrones and dominions cannot tempt me t here.”\n But still you cry\, “Can we the sigh forbear\,\n “And still and still must we not pour the tear?\n “Our only hope\, more dear than vital breath\,\n “Twelve moons revolv’d\, becomes the prey of d eath\;\n “Delightful infant\, nightly visions give\n “Thee to our ar ms\, and we with joy receive\,\n “We fain would clasp the Phantom to ou r breast\,\n “The Phantom flies\, and leaves the soul unblest.”\n To yon bright regions let your faith ascend\,\n Prepare to join your dea rest infant friend\n In pleasures without measure\, without end.\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\nTO CAPTAIN H———D\, OF THE 65TH REGIMENT.\n SAY\, muse divi ne\, can hostile scenes delight\n The warrior’s bosom in the fields of fight?\n Lo! here the christian and the hero join\n With mutual grace to form the man divine.\n In H——-D see with pleasure and surprise\,\n Where valour kindles\, and where virtue lies:\n Go\, hero brave\, still g race the post of fame\,\n And add new glories to thine honour’d name\,\ n Still to the field\, and still to virtue true:\n Britannia glories in no son like you.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM\, EARL O F DARTMOUTH\n His Majesty’s Principal\n Secretary of State for North -America\, &\;c.\n\n HAIL\, happy day\, when\, smiling like the morn\, \n Fair Freedom rose New-England to adorn:\n The northern clime beneath her genial ray\,\n Dartmouth\, congratulates thy blissful sway:\n Elate with hope her race no longer mourns\,\n Each soul expands\, each grateful bosom burns\,\n While in thine hand with pleasure we behold\n The silke n reins\, and Freedom’s charms unfold.\n Long lost to realms beneath th e northern skies\n She shines supreme\, while hated faction dies:\n Soon as appear’d the Goddess long desir’d\,\n Sick at the view\, she lang uish’d and expir’d\;\n Thus from the splendors of the morning light\n The owl in sadness seeks the caves of night.\n No more\, America\, in mournful strain\n Of wrongs\, and grievance unredress’d complain\,\n No longer shalt thou dread the iron chain\,\n Which wanton Tyranny with l awless hand\n Had made\, and with it meant t’ enslave the land.\n Sh ould you\, my lord\, while you peruse my song\,\n Wonder from whence my l ove of Freedom sprung\,\n Whence flow these wishes for the common good\,\ n By feeling hearts alone best understood\,\n I\, young in life\, by see ming cruel fate\n Was snatch’d from Afric’s fancy’d happy seat:\n What pangs excruciating must molest\,\n What sorrows labour in my paren t’s breast?\n Steel’d was that soul and by no misery mov’d\n That from a father seiz’d his babe belov’d:\n Such\, such my case. And ca n I then but pray\n Others may never feel tyrannic sway?\n For favours past\, great Sir\, our thanks are due\,\n And thee we ask thy favours to renew\,\n Since in thy pow’r\, as in thy will before\,\n To sooth the griefs\, which thou did’st once deplore.\n May heav’nly grace the sa cred sanction give\n To all thy works\, and thou for ever live\n Not onl y on the wings of fleeting Fame\,\n Though praise immortal crowns the pat riot’s name\,\n But to conduct to heav’ns refulgent fane\,\n May fie ry coursers sweep th’ ethereal plain\,\n And bear thee upwards to that blest abode\,\n Where\, like the prophet\, thou shalt find thy God.\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\nO D E T O N E P T U N E.\n On Mrs. W———‘s Voyage to England.\n\n I.\n\n WHILE raging tempests shake the shor e\,\n While AElus’ thunders round us roar\,\n And sweep impetuous o’ er the plain\n Be still\, O tyrant of the main\;\n Nor let thy brow cont racted frowns betray\,\n While my Susanna skims the wat’ry way.\n\n II.\n\n The Pow’r propitious hears the lay\,\n The blue -ey’d daughters of the sea\n With sweeter cadence glide along\,\n And Thames responsive joins the song.\n Pleas’d with their notes Sol sheds benign his ray\,\n And double radiance decks the face of day.\n\n III.\n\n To court thee to Britannia’s arms\n Serene the cli mes and mild the sky\,\n Her region boasts unnumber’d charms\,\n Thy welcome smiles in ev’ry eye.\n Thy promise\, Neptune keep\, record my pray’r\,\n Not give my wishes to the empty air.\n\n Boston\, October 12\, 1772.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A LADY ON HER COMING TO NORTH-AMERICA WITH HER SON\, FOR THE RECOVERY OF HER HEALTH.\n INDULGENT muse! my grov’li ng mind inspire\,\n And fill my bosom with celestial fire.\n See from Ja maica’s fervid shore she moves\,\n Like the fair mother of the blooming loves\,\n When from above the Goddess with her hand\n Fans the soft bre eze\, and lights upon the land\;\n Thus she on Neptune’s wat’ry realm reclin’d\n Appear’d\, and thus invites the ling’ring wind.\n “Arise\, ye winds\, America explore\,\n “Waft me\, ye gales\, from th is malignant shore\;\n “The Northern milder climes I long to greet\,\ n “There hope that health will my arrival meet.”\n Soon as she spok e in my ideal view\n The winds assented\, and the vessel flew.\n Madam \, your spouse bereft of wife and son\,\n In the grove’s dark recesses pours his moan\;\n Each branch\, wide-spreading to the ambient sky\,\n F orgets its verdure\, and submits to die.\n From thence I turn\, and lea ve the sultry plain\,\n And swift pursue thy passage o’er the main:\n The ship arrives before the fav’ring wind\,\n And makes the Philadelphi an port assign’d\,\n Thence I attend you to Bostonia’s arms\,\n Wher e gen’rous friendship ev’ry bosom warms:\n Thrice welcome here! may h ealth revive again\,\n Bloom on thy cheek\, and bound in ev’ry vein!\n Then back return to gladden ev’ry heart\,\n And give your spouse his s oul’s far dearer part\,\n Receiv’d again with what a sweet surprise\, \n The tear in transport starting from his eyes!\n While his attendant s on with blooming grace\n Springs to his father’s ever dear embrace.\n With shouts of joy Jamaica’s rocks resound\,\n With shouts of joy the c ountry rings around.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A LADY ON HER REMARKABLE PRESERVA TION IN AN HURRICANE IN NORTH-CAROLINA.\n THOUGH thou did’st hear the t empest from afar\,\n And felt’st the horrors of the wat’ry war\,\n T o me unknown\, yet on this peaceful shore\n Methinks I hear the storm tum ultuous roar\,\n And how stern Boreas with impetuous hand\n Compell’d the Nereids to usurp the land.\n Reluctant rose the daughters of the main \,\n And slow ascending glided o’er the plain\,\n Till AEolus in his r apid chariot drove\n In gloomy grandeur from the vault above:\n Furious he comes. His winged sons obey\n Their frantic sire\, and madden all the sea.\n The billows rave\, the wind’s fierce tyrant roars\,\n And with his thund’ring terrors shakes the shores:\n Broken by waves the vess el’s frame is rent\,\n And strows with planks the wat’ry element.\n But thee\, Maria\, a kind Nereid’s shield\n Preserv’d from sinking\ , and thy form upheld:\n And sure some heav’nly oracle design’d\n At that dread crisis to instruct thy mind\n Things of eternal consequence t o weigh\,\n And to thine heart just feelings to convey\n Of things above \, and of the future doom\,\n And what the births of the dread world to c ome.\n From tossing seas I welcome thee to land.\n “Resign her\, Ner eid\,” ’twas thy God’s command.\n Thy spouse late buried\, as thy f ears conceiv’d\,\n Again returns\, thy fears are all reliev’d:\n Thy daughter blooming with superior grace\n Again thou see’st\, again thin e arms embrace\;\n O come\, and joyful show thy spouse his heir\,\n And what the blessings of maternal care!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A LADY AND HER CH ILDREN\, ON THE DEATH OF HER SON AND THEIR BROTHER.\n O’ERWHELMING sorr ow now demands my song:\n From death the overwhelming sorrow sprung.\n W hat flowing tears? What hearts with grief opprest?\n What sighs on sighs heave the fond parent’s breast?\n The brother weeps\, the hapless sist ers join\n Th’ increasing woe\, and swell the crystal brine\;\n The po or\, who once his gen’rous bounty fed\,\n Droop\, and bewail their bene factor dead.\n In death the friend\, the kind companion lies\,\n And in one death what various comfort dies!\n Th’ unhappy mother sees the sa nguine rill\n Forget to flow\, and nature’s wheels stand still\,\n But see from earth his spirit far remov’d\,\n And know no grief recals you r best-belov’d:\n He\, upon pinions swifter than the wind\,\n Has left mortality’s sad scenes behind\n For joys to this terrestial state unkn own\,\n And glories richer than the monarch’s crown.\n Of virtue’s s teady course the prize behold!\n What blissful wonders to his mind unfold !\n But of celestial joys I sing in vain:\n Attempt not\, muse\, the too advent’rous strain.\n No more in briny show’rs\, ye friends around \,\n Or bathe his clay\, or waste them on the ground:\n Still do you wee p\, still wish for his return?\n How cruel thus to wish\, and thus to mou rn?\n No more for him the streams of sorrow pour\,\n But haste to join h im on the heav’nly shore\,\n On harps of gold to tune immortal lays\,\n And to your God immortal anthems raise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A GENTLEMAN AND LADY ON THE DEATH OF THE LADY’S BROTHER AND SISTER\, AND A CHILD OF THE NAME OF AVIS\, AGED ONE YEAR.\n ON Death’s domain intent I fix my e yes\,\n Where human nature in vast ruin lies:\n With pensive mind I sear ch the drear abode\,\n Where the great conqu’ror has his spoils besto w’d\;\n There where the offspring of six thousand years\n In endless n umbers to my view appears:\n Whole kingdoms in his gloomy den are thrust\ ,\n And nations mix with their primeval dust:\n Insatiate still he gluts the ample tomb\;\n His is the present\, his the age to come.\n See here a brother\, here a sister spread\,\n And a sweet daughter mingled with t he dead.\n But\, Madam\, let your grief be laid aside\,\n And let the fountain of your tears be dry’d\,\n In vain they flow to wet the dusty plain\,\n Your sighs are wafted to the skies in vain\,\n Your pains they witness\, but they can no more\,\n While Death reigns tyrant o’er this mortal shore.\n The glowing stars and silver queen of light\n At last must perish in the gloom of night:\n Resign thy friends to that Almighty hand\,\n Which gave them life\, and bow to his command\;\n Thine Avis g ive without a murm’ring heart\,\n Though half thy soul be fated to depa rt.\n To shining guards consign thine infant care\n To waft triumphant t hrough the seas of air:\n Her soul enlarg’d to heav’nly pleasure spri ngs\,\n She feeds on truth and uncreated things.\n Methinks I hear her i n the realms above\,\n And leaning forward with a filial love\,\n Invite you there to share immortal bliss\n Unknown\, untasted in a state like t his.\n With tow’ring hopes\, and growing grace arise\,\n And seek beat itude beyond the skies.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nON THE DEATH OF DR. SAMUEL MARSHA LL. 1771.\n THROUGH thickest glooms look back\, immortal shade\,\n On th at confusion which thy death has made:\n Or from Olympus’ height look d own\, and see\n A Town involv’d in grief bereft of thee.\n Thy Lucy se es thee mingle with the dead\,\n And rends the graceful tresses from her head\,\n Wild in her woe\, with grief unknown opprest\n Sigh follows sig h deep heaving from her breast.\n Too quickly fled\, ah! whither art th ou gone?\n Ah! lost for ever to thy wife and son!\n The hapless child\, thine only hope and heir\,\n Clings round his mother’s neck\, and weeps his sorrows there.\n The loss of thee on Tyler’s soul returns\,\n And Boston for her dear physician mourns.\n When sickness call’d for Mar shall’s healing hand\,\n With what compassion did his soul expand?\n I n him we found the father and the friend:\n In life how lov’d! how hono ur’d in his end!\n And must not then our AEsculapius stay\n To bring his ling’ring infant into day?\n The babe unborn in the dark womb is t ost\,\n And seems in anguish for its father lost.\n Gone is Apollo fro m his house of earth\,\n But leaves the sweet memorials of his worth:\n The common parent\, whom we all deplore\,\n From yonder world unseen must come no more\,\n Yet ‘midst our woes immortal hopes attend\n The spou se\, the sire\, the universal friend.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO A GENTLEMAN ON H IS VOYAGE TO GREAT-BRITAIN FOR THE RECOVERY OF HIS HEALTH.\n WHILE others chant of gay Elysian scenes\,\n Of balmy zephyrs\, and of flow’ry plai ns\,\n My song more happy speaks a greater name\,\n Feels higher motives and a nobler flame.\n For thee\, O R——-\, the muse attunes her strin gs\,\n And mounts sublime above inferior things.\n I sing not now of g reen embow’ring woods\,\n I sing not now the daughters of the floods\,\ n I sing not of the storms o’er ocean driv’n\,\n And how they howl ’d along the waste of heav’n.\n But I to R——- would paint the Bri tish shore\,\n And vast Atlantic\, not untry’d before:\n Thy life impa ir’d commands thee to arise\,\n Leave these bleak regions and inclement skies\,\n Where chilling winds return the winter past\,\n And nature sh udders at the furious blast.\n O thou stupendous\, earth-enclosing main \n Exert thy wonders to the world again!\n If ere thy pow’r prolong’ d the fleeting breath\,\n Turn’d back the shafts\, and mock’d the gat es of death\,\n If ere thine air dispens’d an healing pow’r\,\n Or s natch’d the victim from the fatal hour\,\n This equal case demands thin e equal care\,\n And equal wonders may this patient share.\n But unavail ing\, frantic is the dream\n To hope thine aid without the aid of him\n Who gave thee birth and taught thee where to flow\,\n And in thy waves hi s various blessings show.\n May R——- return to view his native shor e\n Replete with vigour not his own before\,\n Then shall we see with pl easure and surprise\,\n And own thy work\, great Ruler of the skies!\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO THE REV. DR. THOMAS AMORY\, ON READING HIS SERMONS ON DAIL Y DEVOTION\, IN WHICH THAT DUTY IS RECOMMENDED AND ASSISTED.\n TO cultiva te in ev’ry noble mind\n Habitual grace\, and sentiments refin’d\,\n Thus while you strive to mend the human heart\,\n Thus while the heav’ nly precepts you impart\,\n O may each bosom catch the sacred fire\,\n A nd youthful minds to Virtue’s throne aspire!\n When God’s eternal w ays you set in sight\,\n And Virtue shines in all her native light\,\n I n vain would Vice her works in night conceal\,\n For Wisdom’s eye perva des the sable veil.\n Artists may paint the sun’s effulgent rays\,\n But Amory’s pen the brighter God displays:\n While his great works in Amory’s pages shine\,\n And while he proves his essence all divine\,\n The Atheist sure no more can boast aloud\n Of chance\, or nature\, and e xclude the God\;\n As if the clay without the potter’s aid\n Should ri se in various forms\, and shapes self-made\,\n Or worlds above with orb o ’er orb profound\n Self-mov’d could run the everlasting round.\n It cannot be—unerring Wisdom guides\n With eye propitious\, and o’er all presides.\n Still prosper\, Amory! still may’st thou receive\n The warmest blessings which a muse can give\,\n And when this transitory stat e is o’er\,\n When kingdoms fall\, and fleeting Fame’s no more\,\n M ay Amory triumph in immortal fame\,\n A nobler title\, and superior name! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nON THE DEATH OF J. C. AN INFANT.\n NO more the flow’r y scenes of pleasure rife\,\n Nor charming prospects greet the mental eye s\,\n No more with joy we view that lovely face\n Smiling\, disportive\, flush’d with ev’ry grace.\n The tear of sorrow flows from ev’ry eye\,\n Groans answer groans\, and sighs to sighs reply\;\n What sudden pangs shot thro’ each aching heart\,\n When\, Death\, thy messenger dis patch’d his dart?\n Thy dread attendants\, all-destroying Pow’r\,\n Hurried the infant to his mortal hour.\n Could’st thou unpitying close those radiant eyes?\n Or fail’d his artless beauties to surprise?\n Co uld not his innocence thy stroke controul\,\n Thy purpose shake\, and sof ten all thy soul?\n The blooming babe\, with shades of Death o’er-spr ead\,\n No more shall smile\, no more shall raise its head\,\n But\, lik e a branch that from the tree is torn\,\n Falls prostrate\, wither’d\, languid\, and forlorn.\n “Where flies my James?” ’tis thus I seem t o hear\n The parent ask\, “Some angel tell me where\n “He wings his passage thro’ the yielding air?”\n Methinks a cherub bending from th e skies\n Observes the question\, and serene replies\,\n “In heav’ns high palaces your babe appears:\n “Prepare to meet him\, and dismiss y our tears.”\n Shall not th’ intelligence your grief restrain\,\n An d turn the mournful to the cheerful strain?\n Cease your complaints\, sus pend each rising sigh\,\n Cease to accuse the Ruler of the sky.\n Parent s\, no more indulge the falling tear:\n Let Faith to heav’n’s refulge nt domes repair\,\n There see your infant\, like a seraph glow:\n What c harms celestial in his numbers flow\n Melodious\, while the foul-enchanti ng strain\n Dwells on his tongue\, and fills th’ ethereal plain?\n Eno ugh—for ever cease your murm’ring breath\;\n Not as a foe\, but frien d converse with Death\,\n Since to the port of happiness unknown\n He br ought that treasure which you call your own.\n The gift of heav’n intru sted to your hand\n Cheerful resign at the divine command:\n Not at your bar must sov’reign Wisdom stand.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAN H Y M N TO H U M A N I T Y. TO S. P. G. ESQ\;\n I.\n\n LO! for this d ark terrestrial ball\n Forsakes his azure-paved hall\n A prince of h eav’nly birth!\n Divine Humanity behold\,\n What wonders rise\, what c harms unfold\n At his descent to earth!\n\n II.\n\n The bosoms of the great and good\n With wonder and delight he view’d\,\ n And fix’d his empire there:\n Him\, close compressing to his bre ast\,\n The sire of gods and men address’d\,\n “My son\, my he av’nly fair!\n\n III.\n\n “Descend to earth\, there p lace thy throne\;\n “To succour man’s afflicted son\n “Each hu man heart inspire:\n “To act in bounties unconfin’d\n “Enlarge the close contracted mind\,\n “And fill it with thy fire.”\n\n IV.\n\n Quick as the word\, with swift career\n He wings his course from star to star\,\n And leaves the bright abode.\n The Virt ue did his charms impart\;\n Their G——-! then thy raptur’d heart\n Perceiv’d the rushing God:\n\n V.\n\n For when thy pitying eye did see\n The languid muse in low degree\,\n Then\, the n at thy desire\n Descended the celestial nine\;\n O’er me methought t hey deign’d to shine\,\n And deign’d to string my lyre.\n\n VI.\n\n Can Afric’s muse forgetful prove?\n Or can such fri endship fail to move\n A tender human heart?\n Immortal Friendship l aurel-crown’d\n The smiling Graces all surround\n With ev’ry h eav’nly Art.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO THE HONOURABLE T. H. ESQ\; ON THE DEATH OF HIS DAUGHTER.\n WHILE deep you mourn beneath the cypress-shade\n The hand of Death\, and your dear daughter laid\n In dust\, whose absence gi ves your tears to flow\,\n And racks your bosom with incessant woe\,\n L et Recollection take a tender part\,\n Assuage the raging tortures of you r heart\,\n Still the wild tempest of tumultuous grief\,\n And pour the heav’nly nectar of relief:\n Suspend the sigh\, dear Sir\, and check th e groan\,\n Divinely bright your daughter’s Virtues shone:\n How free from scornful pride her gentle mind\,\n Which ne’er its aid to indigenc e declin’d!\n Expanding free\, it sought the means to prove\n Unfailin g charity\, unbounded love!\n She unreluctant flies to see no more\n H er dear-lov’d parents on earth’s dusky shore:\n Impatient heav’n’ s resplendent goal to gain\,\n She with swift progress cuts the azure pla in\,\n Where grief subsides\, where changes are no more\,\n And life’s tumultuous billows cease to roar\;\n She leaves her earthly mansion for the skies\,\n Where new creations feast her wond’ring eyes.\n To h eav’n’s high mandate cheerfully resign’d\n She mounts\, and leaves the rolling globe behind\;\n She\, who late wish’d that Leonard might r eturn\,\n Has ceas’d to languish\, and forgot to mourn\;\n To the same high empyreal mansions come\,\n She joins her spouse\, and smiles upon t he tomb:\n And thus I hear her from the realms above:\n “Lo! this the kingdom of celestial love!\n “Could ye\, fond parents\, see our present bliss\,\n “How soon would you each sigh\, each fear dismiss?\n “Ami dst unutter’d pleasures whilst I play\n “In the fair sunshine of cele stial day\,\n “As far as grief affects an happy soul\n “So far doth grief my better mind controul\,\n “To see on earth my aged parents mour n\,\n “And secret wish for T——-! to return:\n “Let brighter scen es your ev’ning-hours employ:\n “Converse with heav’n\, and taste t he promis’d joy”\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNIOBE IN DISTRESS FOR HER CHILDRE N SLAIN BY APOLLO\, FROM OVID’S METAMORPHOSES\, BOOK VI. AND FROM A VIEW OF THE PAINTING OF MR. RICHARD WILSON.\n APOLLO’s wrath to man the dre adful spring\n Of ills innum’rous\, tuneful goddess\, sing!\n Thou who did’st first th’ ideal pencil give\,\n And taught’st the painter i n his works to live\,\n Inspire with glowing energy of thought\,\n What Wilson painted\, and what Ovid wrote.\n Muse! lend thy aid\, nor let me s ue in vain\,\n Tho’ last and meanest of the rhyming train!\n O guide m y pen in lofty strains to show\n The Phrygian queen\, all beautiful in wo e.\n ’Twas where Maeonia spreads her wide domain\n Niobe dwelt\, and held her potent reign:\n See in her hand the regal sceptre shine\,\n Th e wealthy heir of Tantalus divine\,\n He most distinguish’d by Dodonean Jove\,\n To approach the tables of the gods above:\n Her grandsire Atla s\, who with mighty pains\n Th’ ethereal axis on his neck sustains:\n Her other grandsire on the throne on high\n Rolls the loud-pealing thunde r thro’ the sky.\n Her spouse\, Amphion\, who from Jove too springs\, \n Divinely taught to sweep the sounding strings.\n Seven sprightly so ns the royal bed adorn\,\n Seven daughters beauteous as the op’ning mor n\,\n As when Aurora fills the ravish’d sight\,\n And decks the orient realms with rosy light\n From their bright eyes the living splendors pla y\,\n Nor can beholders bear the flashing ray.\n Wherever\, Niobe\, th ou turn’st thine eyes\,\n New beauties kindle\, and new joys arise!\n But thou had’st far the happier mother prov’d\,\n If this fair offspr ing had been less belov’d:\n What if their charms exceed Aurora’s tei nt.\n No words could tell them\, and no pencil paint\,\n Thy love too ve hement hastens to destroy\n Each blooming maid\, and each celestial boy.\ n Now Manto comes\, endu’d with mighty skill\,\n The past to explore \, the future to reveal.\n Thro’ Thebes’ wide streets Tiresia’s dau ghter came\,\n Divine Latona’s mandate to proclaim:\n The Theban maids to hear the orders ran\,\n When thus Maeonia’s prophetess began:\n “Go\, Thebans! great Latona’s will obey\,\n “And pious tribute at her altars pay:\n “With rights divine\, the goddess be implor’d\,\ n “Nor be her sacred offspring unador’d.”\n Thus Manto spoke. Th e Theban maids obey\,\n And pious tribute to the goddess pay.\n The rich perfumes ascend in waving spires\,\n And altars blaze with consecrated f ires\;\n The fair assembly moves with graceful air\,\n And leaves of lau rel bind the flowing hair.\n Niobe comes with all her royal race\,\n W ith charms unnumber’d\, and superior grace:\n Her Phrygian garments of delightful hue\,\n Inwove with gold\, refulgent to the view\,\n Beyond d escription beautiful she moves\n Like heav’nly Venus\, ‘midst her smi les and loves:\n She views around the supplicating train\,\n And shakes her graceful head with stern disdain\,\n Proudly she turns around her lof ty eyes\,\n And thus reviles celestial deities:\n “What madness drives the Theban ladies fair\n “To give their incense to surrounding air?\ n “Say why this new sprung deity preferr’d?\n “Why vainly fancy yo ur petitions heard?\n “Or say why Caeus offspring is obey’d\,\n “W hile to my goddesship no tribute’s paid?\n “For me no altars blaze wi th living fires\,\n “No bullock bleeds\, no frankincense transpires\,\n “Tho’ Cadmus’ palace\, not unknown to fame\,\n “And Phrygian na tions all revere my name.\n “Where’er I turn my eyes vast wealth I fi nd\,\n “Lo! here an empress with a goddess join’d.\n “What\, shall a Titaness be deify’d\,\n “To whom the spacious earth a couch deny ’d!\n “Nor heav’n\, nor earth\, nor sea receiv’d your queen\,\n “Till pitying Delos took the wand’rer in.\n “Round me what a larg e progeny is spread!\n “No frowns of fortune has my soul to dread.\n “What if indignant she decrease my train\n “More than Latona’s num ber will remain\;\n “Then hence\, ye Theban dames\, hence haste away\,\ n “Nor longer off’rings to Latona pay\;\n “Regard the orders of Amphion’s spouse\,\n “And take the leaves of laurel from your brows .”\n Niobe spoke. The Theban maids obey’d\,\n Their brows unbound\ , and left the rights unpaid.\n The angry goddess heard\, then silence broke\n On Cynthus’ summit\, and indignant spoke\;\n “Phoebus! behol d\, thy mother in disgrace\,\n “Who to no goddess yields the prior plac e\n “Except to Juno’s self\, who reigns above\,\n “The spouse and sister of the thund’ring Jove.\n “Niobe\, sprung from Tantalus\, insp ires\n “Each Theban bosom with rebellious fires\;\n “No reason her i mperious temper quells\,\n “But all her father in her tongue rebels\;\n “Wrap her own sons for her blaspheming breath\,\n “Apollo! wrap the m in the shades of death.”\n Latona ceas’d\, and ardent thus replies \n The God\, whose glory decks th’ expanded skies.\n “Cease thy co mplaints\, mine be the task assign’d\n “To punish pride\, and scourge the rebel mind.”\n This Phoebe join’d.—They wing their instant fl ight\;\n Thebes trembled as th’ immortal pow’rs alight.\n With clo uds incompass’d glorious Phoebus stands\;\n The feather’d vengeance quiv’ring in his hands.\n Near Cadmus’ walls a plain extended l ay\,\n Where Thebes’ young princes pass’d in sport the day:\n There the bold coursers bounded o’er the plains\,\n While their great masters held the golden reins.\n Ismenus first the racing pastime led\,\n And r ul’d the fury of his flying steed.\n “Ah me\,” he sudden cries\, wi th shrieking breath\,\n While in his breast he feels the shaft of death\; \n He drops the bridle on his courser’s mane\,\n Before his eyes in sh adows swims the plain\,\n He\, the first-born of great Amphion’s bed\,\ n Was struck the first\, first mingled with the dead.\n Then didst tho u\, Sipylus\, the language hear\n Of fate portentous whistling in the air :\n As when th’ impending storm the sailor sees\n He spreads his canva s to the fav’ring breeze\,\n So to thine horse thou gav’st the golden reins\,\n Gav’st him to rush impetuous o’er the plains:\n But ah! a fatal shaft from Phoebus’ hand\n Smites thro’ thy neck\, and sinks t hee on the sand.\n Two other brothers were at wrestling found\,\n And in their pastime claspt each other round:\n A shaft that instant from Apo llo’s hand\n Transfixt them both\, and stretcht them on the sand:\n To gether they their cruel fate bemoan’d\,\n Together languish’d\, and t ogether groan’d:\n Together too th’ unbodied spirits fled\,\n And so ught the gloomy mansions of the dead.\n Alphenor saw\, and trembling at t he view\,\n Beat his torn breast\, that chang’d its snowy hue.\n He fl ies to raise them in a kind embrace\;\n A brother’s fondness triumphs i n his face:\n Alphenor fails in this fraternal deed\,\n A dart dispatc h’d him (so the fates decreed:)\n Soon as the arrow left the deadly wou nd\,\n His issuing entrails smoak’d upon the ground.\n What woes on blooming Damasichon wait!\n His sighs portend his near impending fate.\n Just where the well-made leg begins to be\,\n And the soft sinews form t he supple knee\,\n The youth sore wounded by the Delian god\n Attempts t ’ extract the crime-avenging rod\,\n But\, whilst he strives the will o f fate t’ avert\,\n Divine Apollo sends a second dart\;\n Swift thro ’ his throat the feather’d mischief flies\,\n Bereft of sense\, he dr ops his head\, and dies.\n Young Ilioneus\, the last\, directs his pray ’r\,\n And cries\, “My life\, ye gods celestial! spare.”\n Apollo heard\, and pity touch’d his heart\,\n But ah! too late\, for he had s ent the dart:\n Thou too\, O Ilioneus\, art doom’d to fall\,\n The fat es refuse that arrow to recal.\n On the swift wings of ever flying Fame \n To Cadmus’ palace soon the tidings came:\n Niobe heard\, and with i ndignant eyes\n She thus express’d her anger and surprise:\n “Why is such privilege to them allow’d?\n “Why thus insulted by the Delian g od?\n “Dwells there such mischief in the pow’rs above?\n “Why slee ps the vengeance of immortal Jove?”\n For now Amphion too\, with grief oppress’d\,\n Had plung’d the deadly dagger in his breast.\n Niobe now\, less haughty than before\,\n With lofty head directs her steps no m ore\n She\, who late told her pedigree divine\,\n And drove the Thebans from Latona’s shrine\,\n How strangely chang’d!—yet beautiful in wo e\,\n She weeps\, nor weeps unpity’d by the foe.\n On each pale corse the wretched mother spread\n Lay overwhelm’d with grief\, and kiss’d her dead\,\n Then rais’d her arms\, and thus\, in accents slow\,\n “ Be sated cruel Goddess! with my woe\;\n “If I’ve offended\, let these streaming eyes\,\n “And let this sev’nfold funeral suffice:\n “Ah ! take this wretched life you deign’d to save\,\n “With them I too am carried to the grave.\n “Rejoice triumphant\, my victorious foe\,\n “But show the cause from whence your triumphs flow?\n “Tho’ I unha ppy mourn these children slain\,\n “Yet greater numbers to my lot remai n.”\n She ceas’d\, the bow string twang’d with awful sound\,\n Wh ich struck with terror all th’ assembly round\,\n Except the queen\, wh o stood unmov’d alone\,\n By her distresses more presumptuous grown.\n Near the pale corses stood their sisters fair\n In sable vestures and di shevell’d hair\;\n One\, while she draws the fatal shaft away\,\n Fain ts\, falls\, and sickens at the light of day.\n To sooth her mother\, lo! another flies\,\n And blames the fury of inclement skies\,\n And\, whil e her words a filial pity show\,\n Struck dumb—indignant seeks the shad es below.\n Now from the fatal place another flies\,\n Falls in her flig ht\, and languishes\, and dies.\n Another on her sister drops in death\;\ n A fifth in trembling terrors yields her breath\;\n While the sixth see ks some gloomy cave in vain\,\n Struck with the rest\, and mingled with t he slain.\n One only daughter lives\, and she the least\;\n The queen close clasp’d the daughter to her breast:\n “Ye heav’nly pow’rs\, ah spare me one\,” she cry’d\,\n “Ah! spare me one\,” the vocal hills reply’d:\n In vain she begs\, the Fates her suit deny\,\n In her embrace she sees her daughter die.\n * “The queen of all her family bereft\,\n “Without or husband\, son\, or daughter left\,\n “Grew st upid at the shock. The passing air\n “Made no impression on her stif f’ning hair.\n\n * This Verse To The End Is The Work Of Another Ha nd.\n\n “The blood forsook her face: amidst the flood\n “Pour’d fr om her cheeks\, quite fix’d her eye-balls\n “stood.\n “Her tongu e\, her palate both obdurate grew\,\n “Her curdled veins no longer moti on knew\;\n “The use of neck\, and arms\, and feet was gone\,\n “A nd ev’n her bowels hard’ned into stone:\n “A marble statue now the queen appears\,\n “But from the marble steal the silent tears.”\n \n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO S. M. A YOUNG AFRICAN PAINTER\, ON SEEING HIS WORKS.\n TO show the lab’ring bosom’s deep intent\,\n And thought in living ch aracters to paint\,\n When first thy pencil did those beauties give\,\n And breathing figures learnt from thee to live\,\n How did those prospect s give my soul delight\,\n A new creation rushing on my sight?\n Still\, wond’rous youth! each noble path pursue\,\n On deathless glories fix t hine ardent view:\n Still may the painter’s and the poet’s fire\n To aid thy pencil\, and thy verse conspire!\n And may the charms of each se raphic theme\n Conduct thy footsteps to immortal fame!\n High to the bli ssful wonders of the skies\n Elate thy soul\, and raise thy wishful eyes. \n Thrice happy\, when exalted to survey\n That splendid city\, crown’ d with endless day\,\n Whose twice six gates on radiant hinges ring:\n C elestial Salem blooms in endless spring.\n Calm and serene thy moments glide along\,\n And may the muse inspire each future song!\n Still\, wit h the sweets of contemplation bless’d\,\n May peace with balmy wings yo ur soul invest!\n But when these shades of time are chas’d away\,\n An d darkness ends in everlasting day\,\n On what seraphic pinions shall we move\,\n And view the landscapes in the realms above?\n There shall thy tongue in heav’nly murmurs flow\,\n And there my muse with heav’nly t ransport glow:\n No more to tell of Damon’s tender sighs\,\n Or rising radiance of Aurora’s eyes\,\n For nobler themes demand a nobler strain \,\n And purer language on th’ ethereal plain.\n Cease\, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of night\n Now seals the fair creation from my sight.\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTO HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR\, ON THE DEATH OF HIS LADY. MARCH 24\, 1773.\n ALL-Conquering Death! by thy resistless pow’r \,\n Hope’s tow’ring plumage falls to rise no more!\n Of scenes terr estrial how the glories fly\,\n Forget their splendors\, and submit to di e!\n Who ere escap’d thee\, but the saint * of old\n Beyond the flood in sacred annals told\,\n And the great sage\, + whom fiery coursers drew \n To heav’n’s bright portals from Elisha’s view\;\n Wond’ring he gaz’d at the refulgent car\,\n Then snatch’d the mantle floating on the air.\n From Death these only could exemption boast\,\n And withou t dying gain’d th’ immortal coast.\n Not falling millions sate the ty rant’s mind\,\n Nor can the victor’s progress be confin’d.\n But c ease thy strife with Death\, fond Nature\, cease:\n He leads the virtuous to the realms of peace\;\n\n * Enoch. + Elijah.\n\n His t o conduct to the immortal plains\,\n Where heav’n’s Supreme in bliss and glory reigns.\n There sits\, illustrious Sir\, thy beauteous spouse \;\n A gem-blaz’d circle beaming on her brows.\n Hail’d with acclaim among the heav’nly choirs\,\n Her soul new-kindling with seraphic fire s\,\n To notes divine she tunes the vocal strings\,\n While heav’n’s high concave with the music rings.\n Virtue’s rewards can mortal penci l paint?\n No—all descriptive arts\, and eloquence are faint\;\n Nor c anst thou\, Oliver\, assent refuse\n To heav’nly tidings from the Afric muse.\n As soon may change thy laws\, eternal fate\,\n As the saint m iss the glories I relate\;\n Or her Benevolence forgotten lie\,\n Which wip’d the trick’ling tear from Misry’s eye.\n Whene’er the advers e winds were known to blow\,\n When loss to loss * ensu’d\, and woe to woe\,\n Calm and serene beneath her father’s hand\n She sat resign’d to the divine command.\n No longer then\, great Sir\, her death deplor e\,\n And let us hear the mournful sigh no more\,\n Restrain the sorrow streaming from thine eye\,\n Be all thy future moments crown’d with joy !\n Nor let thy wishes be to earth confin’d\,\n But soaring high pursu e th’ unbodied mind.\n Forgive the muse\, forgive th’ advent’rous l ays\,\n That fain thy soul to heav’nly scenes would raise.\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\nA FAREWEL TO AMERICA. TO MRS. S. W.\n I.\n\n ADIEU\, New-England’s smiling meads\,\n Adieu\, the flow’ry plain:\n I leave thine op’ning charms\, O spring\,\n And tempt the roaring mai n.\n\n II.\n\n In vain for me the flow’rets rise\,\n And boast their gaudy pride\,\n While here beneath the northern skies\ n I mourn for health deny’d.\n\n III.\n\n Celestia l maid of rosy hue\,\n O let me feel thy reign!\n I languish till th y face I view\,\n Thy vanish’d joys regain.\n\n IV. \n\n Susanna mourns\, nor can I bear\n To see the crystal show’r\, \n Or mark the tender falling tear\n At sad departure’s hour\;\n\n V.\n\n Not unregarding can I see\n Her soul with gr ief opprest:\n But let no sighs\, no groans for me\,\n Steal from he r pensive breast.\n\n VI.\n\n In vain the feather’d war blers sing\,\n In vain the garden blooms\,\n And on the bosom of the spring\n Breathes out her sweet perfumes.\n\n VII.\n \n While for Britannia’s distant shore\n We sweep the liquid plain \,\n And with astonish’d eyes explore\n The wide-extended main.\n\ n VIII.\n\n Lo! Health appears! celestial dame!\n Co mplacent and serene\,\n With Hebe’s mantle o’er her Frame\,\n Wi th soul-delighting mein.\n\n IX.\n\n To mark the vale whe re London lies\n With misty vapours crown’d\,\n Which cloud Auro ra’s thousand dyes\,\n And veil her charms around.\n\n X.\n\n Why\, Phoebus\, moves thy car so slow?\n So slow thy risi ng ray?\n Give us the famous town to view\,\n Thou glorious king of day!\n XI.\n\n For thee\, Britannia\, I resign\n New -England’s smiling fields\;\n To view again her charms divine\,\n What joy the prospect yields!\n\n XII.\n\n But thou! Tem ptation hence away\,\n With all thy fatal train\,\n Nor once seduce my soul away\,\n By thine enchanting strain.\n\n XIII .\n\n Thrice happy they\, whose heav’nly shield\n Secures their so uls from harms\,\n And fell Temptation on the field\n Of all its pow ’r disarms!\n\n Boston\, May 7\, 1773.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA REBUS\, BY I. B.\n I.\n\n A BIRD delicious to the taste\,\n On whic h an army once did feast\,\n Sent by an hand unseen\;\n A creature of the horned race\,\n Which Britain’s royal standards grace\;\n A gem of vivid green\;\n\n II.\n\n A town of gaiety and sport\, \n Where beaux and beauteous nymphs resort\,\n And gallantry doth reig n\;\n A Dardan hero fam’d of old\n For youth and beauty\, as we’re t old\,\n And by a monarch slain\;\n\n III.\n\n A peer o f popular applause\,\n Who doth our violated laws\,\n And grievances p roclaim.\n Th’ initials show a vanquish’d town\,\n That adds fresh g lory and renown\n To old Britannia’s fame.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAN ANSWER TO THE REBUS\, BY THE AUTHOR OF THESE POEMS.\n THE poet asks\, and Phill is can’t refuse\n To show th’ obedience of the Infant muse.\n She kn ows the Quail of most inviting taste\n Fed Israel’s army in the dreary waste\;\n And what’s on Britain’s royal standard borne\,\n But the t all\, graceful\, rampant Unicorn?\n The Emerald with a vivid verdure glow s\n Among the gems which regal crowns compose\;\n Boston’s a town\, po lite and debonair\,\n To which the beaux and beauteous nymphs repair\,\n Each Helen strikes the mind with sweet surprise\,\n While living lightni ng flashes from her eyes\,\n See young Euphorbus of the Dardan line\n By Manelaus’ hand to death resign:\n The well known peer of popular appla use\n Is C——m zealous to support our laws.\n Quebec now vanquish’d must obey\,\n She too much annual tribute pay\n To Britain of immortal fame.\n And add new glory to her name.\n F I N I S.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\n\n\nEnd of Project Gutenberg's Religious and Moral Poems\, by Phillis Wheatley\n\n*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RELIGIOUS AND MORAL P OEMS ***\n\n***** This file should be named 409-h.htm or 409-h.zip *****\n This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:\n https://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/409/\n\nEtext produced by Judith Boss\n\nH TML file produced by David Widger\n\nUpdated editions will replace the pre vious one--the old editions\nwill be renamed.\n\nCreating the works from p ublic domain print editions means that no\none owns a United States copyri ght in these works\, so the Foundation\n(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without\npermission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus\, we do not necessarily\nkeep eBooks in c ompliance with any particular paper edition.\n\n\nMost people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:\n\n https://www.guten berg.org\n\nThis Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm\ ,\nincluding how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary\nArch ive Foundation\, how to help produce our new eBooks\, and how to\nsubscrib e to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251227 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bars Fight from Lucy Terry DTSTAMP:20250724T022429Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:415-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \"Bars Fight\" is a ballad poem written by Lucy Terry abo ut an attack upon two white families by Native Americans on August 21\, 17 46. The incident occurred in an area of Deerfield\, Massachusetts\, called \"The Bars\,\" which was a colonial term for a meadow. The poem was prese rved orally and not published until the November 20\, 1854\, issue of The Springfield Daily Republican\, as an excerpt from the book History of West ern Massachusetts published the following year (1855) by Republican associ ate editor Josiah Gilbert Holland. [ https://archive.org/details/historyof western02holluoft/page/360/mode/2up?q=bars]\n\n\n\n \"Bars Fight\" is beli eved to be the oldest known work of literature by an African American and is the only known work by Lucy Terry.\n\n\n\n After the word \"slay\"\, an alternate oral transmission of the poem offers an accurate location and b ody count: \"Twas nigh unto Sam Dickson's mill / The Indians there five me n did kill.\" [ https://www.jstor.org/stable/44176226]\n\n\n\n TEXT\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/348-bars-fight-from-lucy-terry/\n\n\n\n OR\n\n\n\n August 'twas the twenty-fifth\,\n Seventeen hundred for ty-six\;\n The Indians did in ambush lay\,\n Some very valie nt men to slay\,\n The names of whom I'll not leave out.\n S amuel Allen like a hero fout\,\n And though he was so brave and bol d\,\n His face no more shall we behold.\n Eleazer Hawks was killed outright\,\n Before he had time to fight\,—\n Befor e he did the Indians see\,\n Was shot and killed immediately.\n Oliver Amsden he was slain\,\n Which caused his friends much gr ief and pain.\n Simeon Amsden they found dead\,\n Not many r ods distant from his head.\n Adonijah Gillett we do hear\n D id lose his life which was so dear.\n John Sadler fled across the w ater\,\n And thus escaped the dreadful slaughter.\n Eunice A llen see the Indians coming\,\n And hopes to save herself by runnin g\,\n And had not her petticoats stopped her\,\n The awful c reatures had not catched her\,\n Nor tommy hawked her on her head\, \n And left her on the ground for dead.\n Young Samuel Allen \, Oh lack-a-day!\n Was taken and carried to Canada.\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \"Bars Fight\" as published in The Springfield Daily Republican\, November 20\, 1854\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251227 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Le Mulâtre from Victor Séjour two versions split by an ess ay DTSTAMP:20250724T021727Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:414-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Le Mulâtre from Victor Séjour\n\n \"Le Mulâtre\" (\"Th e Mulatto\") is a short story by Victor Séjour\, a free person of color a nd Creole of color born and raised in New Orleans\, Louisiana. It was writ ten in French\, Séjour's first language\, and published in the Paris abol itionist journal Revue des Colonies in 1837. It is the earliest extant wor k of fiction by an African-American author. It was noted as such when it w as first translated in English\, appearing in the first edition of the Nor ton Anthology of African American Literature in 1997\n\n full text\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/347-le-mulâtre-from-victor-séjour/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Le Mulâtre\n\nVictor Séjour\n\nRevue des Colonies\, mars 18 37\, pp. 376-392.\n\n\n Les premiers rayons de l’aurore blanchissaien t à peine la cime noire des montagnes\, quand je partis du Cap pour me re ndre à Saint Marc\, petite ville de St-Domingue\, aujourd’hui la répub lique d’Haïti. J’avais tant vu de belles campagnes\, de forêts haute s et profondes\, qu’en vérité je me croyais blasé de ces beautés mâ les de la création. Mais\, à l’aspect de cette dernière ville\, avec sa végétation pittoresque\, sa nature neuve et bizarre\, je fus étonn é et confondu devant la diversité sublime de l’ œuvre de Dieu. Aussi tôt mon arrivée\, je fus accosté par un vieillard nègre\, déjà sept uagénaire \; ses pas étaient fermes\, sa tête haute\, sa taille imposan te et vigoureuse \; rien ne trahissait son grand âge\, sinon la blancheur remarquable de ses cheveux crépus. Selon la coutume du pays\, il était coiffé d’un grand chapeau de paille\, et vêtu d’un large pantalon en toile grise et d’une espèce de camisole en batiste écrue \n — Bo njour maître\, me dit-il en se découvrant.\n — Ah ! vous voilà…\ , et je lui tendis la main\, qu’il pressa avec reconnaissance.\n — Maître\, dit-il\, c’est d’un noble cœur ce que vous faites là… \ ; mais ne savez-vous pas qu’un nègre est aussi vil qu’un chien… \; la société le repousse \; les hommes le détestent \; les lois le maudis sent… Ah ! c’est un être bien malheureux\, qui n’a pas même la con solation d’ être toujours vertueux… Qu’il naisse bon\, noble\, gé néreux \; que Dieu lui donne une âme loyale et grande \; malgré cela\, bien souvent il descend dans la tombe les mains teintes de sang\, et le c œur avide encore de vengeance \; car plus d’une fois il a vu détruire ses rêves de jeune homme \; car l’expérience lui a appris que ses bonn es actions n’étaient pas comptées\, et qu’il ne devait aimer ni sa f emme\, ni ses fils \; car un jour la première sera séduite par le maîtr e\, et son sang vendu au loin malgré son désespoir. Alors\, que voulez-v ous qu’il devienne ?… Se brisera-t-il le crâne contre le pavé de l a rue ?… Tuera-t-il son bourreau ?… Ou croyez-vous que le cœur humain puisse se façonner à de telles infortunes ?…\n Le vieux nègre se tut un instant comme pour attendre ma réponse.\n Insensé qui le pense \, reprit-il avec chaleur. S’il vit\, c’est pour la vengeance \; car b ientôt il se lève… et\, du jour où il secoue sa servilité \, il vaud rait mieux au maître entendre le tigre affamé hurler à ses côtés\, qu e de le rencontrer face à face… Pendant que le vieillard parlait\, son front s’illuminait\, ses yeux étincelaient\, et son cœur battait avec force. Je ne croyais pas trouver autant d’ énergie sous une aussi vieil le enveloppe. Profitant de cette espèce d’exaltation :\n — Antoine \, lui dis-je\, vous m’aviez promis l’histoire de votre ami Georges.\n — Voulez-vous m’ écouter à cette heure ?\n — Volontiers… Nous nous assîmes\, lui sur ma malle de voyage\, et moi sur ma valise. Vo ici ce qu’il me raconta :\n « Voyez-vous cet édifice qui s’ élè ve si gracieusement vers le ciel\, et qui semble se mirer dans la mer \; c et édifice qui ressemble\, par son originalité \, à un temple\, et par sa coquetterie\, à quelque palais\, c’est la maison St-M*** . Dans une des pièces de ce bâtiment\, se réunissent chaque jour les flâneurs\, l es rentiers et les grands planteurs. Les deux premiers jouent au billard\, ou fument le délicieux cigare de la Havane \; tandis que les derniers ac hètent des nègres \; c’est-à -dire des hommes libres\, arrachés par la ruse ou par la force de leur patrie\, et devenus\, par la violence\, le bien\, la propriété de leurs semblables… Ici\, on livre le mari sans la femme \; là \, la sœur sans le frère \; plus loin\, la mère sans le s enfans. Vous frémissez ? cependant ces ventes infâmes se renouvellent à toute heure. Mais bientôt on y propose une jeune sénégalaise\, si b elle qu’une même exclamation s’ échappe de toutes les bouches… \n « Qu’elle est jolie ! » Chacun la voudrait pour en faire sa maî tresse \; mais nul n’ose lutter contre le jeune Alfred\, un des plus ric hes planteurs de ce pays\, âgé alors de vingt-deux ans.\n — Combien demandez-vous de cette femme ?\n — Quinze cents piastres\, répondit le vendeur.\n — Quinze cents piastres\, répéta machinalement Alfre d.\n — Oui\, Monsieur.\n — Au juste ?\n — Au juste.\n — C’est horriblement cher.\n — Cher… répartit le vendeur ave c un signe d’ étonnement \; mais vous ne voyez donc pas comme elle est jolie\, comme sa peau est luisante\, comme sa chair est ferme. Elle a dix- huit ans au plus… Tout en parlant\, il promenait ses mains impudiques su r les formes puissantes et demi-nues de la belle Africaine.\n — Elle est garantie\, dit Alfred\, après un moment de réflexion ?\n — Auss i pure que la rosée du ciel\, répondit le vendeur \; mais\, au reste\, v ous pouvez la faire...\n — Non\, non… c’est inutile\, reprit Alfr ed en l’interrompant\, j’ai confiance en vous.\n — Je n’ai jama is vendu de mauvaises marchandises\, répartit le vendeur\, en relevant se s favoris d’un air triomphant. Quand l’acte de vente fut signé et tou tes les formalités remplis\, le vendeur s’approcha de la jeune esclave :\n — Cet homme est maintenant ton maître\, lui dit-il\, en désigna nt Alfred.\n — Je le sais\, répondit froidement la négresse.\n — En es-tu contente ?\n — Que m’importe… lui ou un autre…\ n — Mais cependant — balbutia le vendeur\, en cherchant une répons e.\n — Mais cependant quoi ? reprit l’Africaine avec humeur\, et s’il ne me convenait pas ?\n — Ma foi\, ce serait un malheur \; car tout est terminé…\n — Alors\, je garde ma pensée pour moi.\n Dix minutes après\, la nouvelle esclave d’Alfred monta dans un tomberea u qui prit le chemin des guêpes\, route assez commode qui mène à ces d élicieuses campagnes\, groupées autour de Saint-Marc comme de jeunes vie rges au pied de l’autel. Une sombre mélancolie enveloppait son âme \; elle pleurait. Le conducteur comprenait trop bien ce qui se passait en ell e\, pour essayer de la distraire \; mais quand il vit la blanche habitatio n d’Alfred se dessiner dans le lointain\, il se pencha involontairement vers la pauvre infortunée\, et d’une voix pleine de larmes\, il lui dit :\n — Sœur\, quel est ton nom ?\n — Laïsa\, répondit-elle\, sans lever la tête.\n — À ce nom\, le conducteur frissonna\, mais maîtrisant son émotion\, il reprit :\n — Ta mère ?\n — Elle e st morte…\n — Ton père ?\n — Il est mort…\n — Pauvre e nfant\, murmura-t-il…\n — De quel pays es-tu\, Laïsa ?\n — Du Sénégal…\n Les larmes lui vinrent aux yeux \; il venait de renco ntrer une compatriote.\n — Sœur\, reprit-il\, en s’essuyant les ye ux\, tu connais sans doute le vieux Chambo et sa fille…\n — Pourquo i\, répondit la jeune fille en relevant vivement la tête ?\n — Pour quoi\, continua le conducteur avec angoisse \; mais le vieux Chambo est mo n père\, et…\n — Mon Dieu\, s’ écria l’orpheline\, sans lui l aisser le temps d’achever \; tu es ?…\n — Jacques Chambo.\n — Mon frère !\n — Laïsa !…\n Ils se jetèrent dans les bra s l’un de l’autre. Ils étaient encore entrelacés\, quand le tomberea u entra dans la partie principale de l’habitation d’Alfred. Le géran t y était… Qu’est-ce que je vois\, s’ écria-t-il\, en déroulant u n fouet immense\, qu’il portait toujours pendu à sa ceinture\, Jacques qui embrasse à mes yeux la nouvelle venue… quelle impertinence !… Sur ce\, des coups de fouet tombèrent sur le malheureux\, et des flots de sa ng jaillirent de son visage.\n\n II.\n\n Alfred était peut-être bon\, humain\, loyal avec ses égaux \; mais\, à coup sûr\, c’ était un ho mme dur\, méchant\, envers ses esclaves. Je ne vous dirai pas tout ce q u’il fit pour posséder Laïsa \; car celle-ci fut presque violée. Pend ant près d’une année\, elle partagea la couche de son maître \; mai s déjà Alfred commençait à s’en lasser \; il la trouvait laide\, fro ide\, insolente. Vers ce temps\, la pauvre femme accoucha d’un fils qu ’elle nomma Georges. Alfred le méconnut\, chassa la mère de sa présen ce\, et la fit reléguer dans la plus mauvaise cabane de son habitation\, quoique convaincu\, autant qu’on peut l’ être\, qu’il était le pè re de cet enfant. \n Georges avait grandi sans jamais entendre nommer l e nom de son père \; et s’il essayait parfois de percer le mystère qui enveloppait sa naissance\, il trouvait sa mère inflexible et muette à s es questions. Une fois seulement elle lui dit : \n — Mon fils\, tu n e sauras son nom qu’ à ta vingt-cinquième année \; car alors tu seras un homme \; tu seras plus capable de garder un pareil secret. Tu ne sais donc pas qu’il m’a défendu de te parler de lui\, sous peine de te haïr… et vois-tu\, Georges… la haine de cet homme\, c’est la mort . \n — Qu’importe\, s’ écriait impétueusement Georges \; je pou rrais du moins lui reprocher sa conduite infâme… \n — Tais-toi… tais-toi\, Georges… les murs ont des oreilles\, et les broussailles save nt parler\, murmurait la pauvre mère en tremblant… \n Quelques anné es après\, cette malheureuse mourut\, laissant pour tout héritage à Geo rges\, son fils unique\, un petit sac en peau de daim\, dans lequel se tro uvait le portrait de son père \; mais à la seule promesse de ne l’ouvr ir qu’ à sa vingt-cinquième année. Puis elle l’embrassa\, et sa tê te retomba sur l’oreiller… elle était morte… Le cri de douleur qu e jeta l’orphelin attira les autres esclaves… Ils se mirent à pleure r\, à frapper leur poitrine\, à arracher leurs cheveux de désespoir. A près ces premières marques de douleur\, ils lavèrent le corps de la dé funte\, et l’exposèrent sur une espèce de table longue\, soutenue par les tréteaux. La morte est couchée sur le dos\, le visage tourné vers l’Orient\, vêtue de ses meilleurs habits\, et les mains croisées sur sa poitrine. À ses pieds se trouve une petite coupe pleine d’eau bénit e\, sur laquelle surnage une branche de jasmin \; enfin\, aux quatre coins de la couche mortuaire\, s’ élèvent des flambeaux… Chacun\, après avoir béni les restes de la défunte\, s’agenouille et prie car la plup art des races nègres\, malgré leur fétichisme\, croient profondémen t à l’existence de Dieu. Cette première cérémonie terminée\, une au tre non moins singulière commence… ce sont des cris\, des pleurs\, des chants \; puis des danses funèbres !…\n\n\nIII.\n\n Georges avait to utes les dispositions nécessaires à devenir un très honnête homme \; m ais c’ était une de ces volontés hautaines et tenaces\, une de ces org anisations orientales qui\, poussées loin du chemin de la vertu\, marchen t sans s’effrayer dans la route du crime. Il aurait donné dix ans de sa vie pour connaître le nom de son père \; mais il n’osait violer la pr omesse solennelle faite à sa mère mourante. Comme si la nature le poussa it vers Alfred \; il l’aimait\, autant que l’on puisse aimer un homme : tandis que celui-ci l’estimait\, mais de cette estime que l’ écuyer porte au plus beau et au plus vigoureux de ses coursiers. À cette époqu e\, une horde de brigands portaient la désolation dans ces lieux \; déj à plus d’un colon avait été leur victime. Une nuit\, je ne sais par q uel hasard\, Georges fut instruit de leur projet. Ils avaient juré d’as sassiner Alfred. Aussitôt l’esclave court chez son maître.\n — M aître\, maître\, s’ écria-t-il… au nom du ciel\, suivez-moi.\n A lfred fronça les sourcils.\n — Oh ! venez\, venez\, maître\, contin ua le mulâtre avec intérêt.\n — Par le ciel\, répondit Alfred \; je crois que tu me commandes.\n — Pardon\, maître… pardon… je su is si troublé… je ne sais ce que je dis… mais\, au nom du ciel\, vene z\, suivez-moi… car…\n — T’expliqueras-tu\, dit Alfred\, d’u n ton colère…\n Le mulâtre hésita.\n — Je le veux \; je l’o rdonne\, reprit Alfred\, en se levant d’un air menaçant.\n — Maît re\, on doit vous assassiner cette nuit.\n — Sainte Vierge\, tu men s…\n — Maître\, ils en veulent à votre vie.\n — Qui ?\n — Les bandits.\n — Qui te l’a dit ?\n — Maître\, c’est mon secret… dit le mulâtre d’une voix soumise.\n — Es-tu armé \, reprit Alfred\, après un moment de silence ?\n Le mulâtre repoussa quelques haillons qui le couvraient\, et laissa voir une hache et une pai re de pistolets.\n — C’est bien\, dit Alfred en s’armant précipi tamment.\n — Maître\, êtes-vous prêt ?\n — Partons…\n — Partons\, répéta le mulâtre en faisant un pas vers la porte…\n Alfred le retint par le bras.\n — Mais\, où allons-nous ?\n — Chez le plus près de vos amis\, M. Arthur.\n Ils allaient sortir\, lor sque la porte cria sur ses gonds.\n — Enfer\, murmura le mulâtre\, i l est trop tard…\n — Que dis-tu ?\n Ils sont là \, répondit Ge orges en montrant la porte…\n — Ah !…\n — Maître\, qu’ave z-vous ?\n — Rien… un malaise…\n — Ne craignez rien\, maîtr e\, avant d’arriver à vous\, ils me marcheront sur le corps\, dit l’e sclave d’un air calme et résigné .\n Cet air calme\, ce noble dévo uement étaient susceptibles de rassurer le mortel le plus lâche. Cependa nt\, à ces dernières paroles\, Alfred trembla davantage \; car une horri ble idée l’accablait : il se figurait que le généreux Georges était le complice de ses assassins. Tels sont les tyrans \; ils croient le reste des hommes incapables d’un sentiment élevé \, d’un dévouement sans bornes \; car leurs âmes sont étroites et perfides… C’est une terre inculte\, où ne croissent que la ronce et le lierre. La porte trembla vi olemment… Cette fois\, Alfred ne put maîtriser sa lâcheté \, il venai t de voir sourire le mulâtre \; était-ce de joie ou de colère ? Il ne s e fit pas cette question.\n — Misérable ! s’ écria-t-il\, en s’ élançant dans une pièce voisine \; tu voulais me faire assassiner \; mais ton attente sera trompée\, et il disparut... Georges se mordait l es lèvres de rage \; mais il ne put faire aucune réflexion\, car la port e s’ouvrit tout à coup\, et quatre hommes se dressèrent sur le seuil. Aussi prompt que l’ éclair\, le mulâtre arma ses pistolets\, et s’ac cola contre le mur\, en criant d’une voix de stentor :\n — Infâmes ! que voulez-vous ?\n — Nous voulons te parler en face\, répondit l’un d’eux\, en tirant Georges à bout portant.\n — Bien tiré \ , murmura convulsivement celui-ci.\n La balle lui avait fracassé le br as gauche. Il lâcha son coup. Le brigand tourna trois fois sur lui-même et tomba raide mort. Un second le suivit de près. Alors\, comme un lion f urieux harcelé par des chasseurs\, Georges\, la hache au poing et le poig nard entre les dents\, se précipite sur ses adversaires… Une lutte affr euse s’engage… Les combattants se pressent… se heurtent… s’ent relacent… La hache brille… le sang coule… le poignard\, fidèle à l a main qui le pousse\, laboure la poitrine de l’ennemi… Mais pas un cri… pas un mot… pas un souffle ne s’ échappe de ces trois bouche s d’hommes qui se ruent entre des cadavres comme au sein d’une enivran te orgie… À les voir ainsi\, pâles et sanglants\, muets et désespér és\, on se figure trois fantômes qui se heurtent et s’entre-déchirent au fond d’un tombeau… Cependant Georges est couvert de blessures \; i l se soutient à peine… Oh ! c’en est fait de l’intrépide mulâtre \; la hache tranchante se lève sur sa tête… Tout à coup deux détonat ions se font entendre\, et les deux brigands tombent en blasphémant Dieu. Au même moment\, Alfred rentre\, suivi d’un jeune nègre. Il fait tran sporter le blessé dans sa cabane\, et ordonne de lui amener son médecin. Pendant ce temps\, apprenez comment Georges fut sauvé par le même homme qui l’accusait de trahison. À peine éloigné\, Alfred entend le bru it d’une arme à feu\, et le cliquetis du fer \; rougissant de sa lâch eté \, il réveille son valet de chambre\, et vole au secours de son lib érateur. — J’avais oublié de vous dire que Georges avait une femme\ , nommée Zélie\, qu’il aimait de toute la puissance de son âme \; c’ était une mulâtresse de dix-huit à vingt ans\, à la taille cambr ée\, aux cheveux noirs\, au regard plein d’amour et de volupté . Georg es resta douze jours entre la vie et la mort. Alfred l’allait voir souve nt \; poussé par je ne sais quelle fatalité \, il s’ éprit de Zélie \; mais\, malheureusement pour lui\, ce n’ était pas une de ces femmes qui vendent leur amour\, ou qui en font hommage à leur maître. Elle repo ussa avec une humble dignité les propositions d’Alfred \; car elle n’ oubliait pas que c’ était le maître qui parlait à l’esclave. — Au lieu d’en être touché de cette vertu si rare parmi les femmes\, sur tout parmi celles qui\, comme Zélie\, sont esclaves\, et qui voient chaqu e jour leurs impudiques compagnes se prostituer aux colons\, et alimenter leur libertinage \; au lieu d’en être\; touché\, dis-je\, Alfred s ’irrita… Quoi ! lui\, le despote\, le bey\, le sultan des Antilles\, s e voir méprisé par une esclave… quelle ironie !… Aussi a-t-il fait l e serment de la posséder… Quelques jours avant la convalescence de Geor ges\, Alfred fit demander Zélie dans sa chambre. Alors\, n’écoutant qu e ses désirs criminels\, il l’enlace de ses bras\, et dépose sur sa jo ue un brûlant baiser \; la jeune esclave prie\, supplie\, résiste \; mai s en vain… Déjà il l’entraîne vers la couche adultère \; déjà… Alors\, la vertueuse esclave\, pleine d’une noble indignation\, le repo usse par un dernier effort\, mais si brusque\, mais si puissant\, qu’Alf red perdit l’ équilibre et se fracassa la tête en tombant. À cette vu e\, Zélie s’arracha les cheveux de désespoir\, et pleura de rage\, car elle avait compris\, la malheureuse\, que la mort l’attendait pour avoi r fait couler le sang d’un être aussi vil. Quand elle eut bien pleuré \, elle se rendit près de son mari. — Celui-ci rêvait sans doute d’e lle \; car il avait le sourire sur les lèvres.\n — Georges… Ge orges… s’ écria-t-elle avec angoisse.\n Le mulâtre ouvrit les yeu x \; le premier besoin qu’il sentit fut de sourire à sa bien aimée. Z élie lui conta ce qui vient de se passer. Il ne voulut rien y croire \; m ais bientôt il fut convaincu de son malheur \; car des hommes entrèrent dans sa cabane et garrottèrent sa femme qui pleurait… Georges fit un ef fort pour se lever \; mais trop faible encore\, il retomba sur la couche\, les yeux hagards\, les mains crispées\, la bouche haletante.\n\n\nIV.\n\ n Dix jours après deux petits créoles blancs jouaient au milieu de la rue.\n — Charles\, disait l’un d’eux : on dit que cette mulâtre sse qui voulait tuer son maître sera pendue demain ?\n — À huit heu res\, répondit l’autre.\n — Iras-tu ?\n — Sans doute.\n — Ce sera gentil de la voir pirouetter entre ciel et terre reprit le pre mier\, et ils s’ éloignèrent en riant.\n Cela vous étonne d’ente ndre deux enfants de dix ans s’entretenir si gaiement de la mort d’aut rui \; c’est une conséquence peut-être fatale de leur éducation. Dès leur bas-âge on leur répète que nous sommes nés pour les servir\, c ré és pour leurs caprices\, et qu’ils ne doivent nous considérer ni p lus ni moins qu’un chien… Or que leur importent notre agonie\, et nos souffrances ? ne voient-ils pas souvent mourir leurs meilleurs chevaux ? I ls ne les pleurent pas\, car ils sont riches\, demain ils en achèteront d’autres… Pendant que ces deux enfants parlaient\, Georges était aux genoux de son maître.\n — Maître\, grâce… grâce… s’ écria -t-il en pleurant… ayez pitié d’elle… maître\, sauvez-la… Oh ! o ui sauvez-la\, car vous le pouvez… oh ! parlez… vous n’avez qu’un mot à dire… un seul… et elle vivra. Alfred ne répondit pas.\n — Oh ! par pitié… maître… par pitié dites-moi que vous lui pard onnez… oh ! parlez… répondez-moi\, maître… n’est-ce pas que vous lui pardonnez… et le malheureux se tordait de douleur…\n Alfred\, toujours impassible\, détourna la tête…\n — Oh ! reprit Georges e n suppliant\, répondez-moi… un seul mot… mais répondez donc \; vous ne voyez pas que votre silence me torture le cœur… me tue…\n — J e ne puis rien y faire\, répondit enfin Alfred d’un ton glacé .\n L e mulâtre essuya ses pleurs\, et se releva de toute sa hauteur.\n — Maître\, continua-t-il d’une voix creuse\, vous souvenez-vous de ce qu e vous me disiez\, quand je me tordais sur mon lit d’agonie.\n — Non…\n — Eh bien ! moi je m’en souviens… le maître dit à l’ esclave : tu m’as sauvé la vie\, que veux-tu pour récompense ? veux-tu ta liberté… ? maître\, répondit l’esclave\, je ne puis être libre \, quand mon fils et ma femme sont esclaves. Alors le maître reprit : si jamais tu me pries\, je jure que tes vœux seront exaucés \; et l’escla ve ne pria point\, car il était heureux d’avoir sauvé la vie à son maître… mais aujourd’hui qu’il sait que dans dix-huit heures sa fe mme ne vivra plus\, il court se jeter à vos pieds\, et vous crier : maît re\, au nom de Dieu\, sauvez ma femme. Et le mulâtre\, les mains jointes\ , le regard suppliant\, se remit à genoux et pleura des flots de larmes …\n Alfred détourna la tête…\n — Maître… maître… par pitié répondez-moi… oh ! dites que vous voulez qu’elle vive… au n om de Dieu… de votre mère… grâce… miséricorde… et le mulâtre b aisait la poussière de ses pieds.\n Alfred garda le silence.\n — Mais parlez au moins à ce pauvre homme qui vous supplie\, reprit-il en sa nglotant.\n Alfred ne répondit rien.\n — Mon Dieu… mon Dieu ! q ue je suis malheureux… et il se roulait sur le plancher\, et s’arracha it les cheveux de désespoir.\n Enfin Alfred se décida à parler :\n — Je vous ai déjà dit que ce n’ était plus à moi à pardonne r.\n — Maître\, murmura Georges toujours en pleurant\, elle sera pro bablement condamnée \; car vous et moi\, seuls\, savons qu’elle est inn ocente.\n À cette dernière parole du mulâtre\, le rouge monta à la figure d’Alfred et la colère à son cœur…\n Georges comprit qu’il n’ était plus temps de prier\, car il avait soulevé le voile q ui cachait le crime de son maître \; or\, il se leva d’un air résolu. \n — Sortez… va-t-en\, lui cria Alfred.\n Au lieu de sortir le mulâtre se croisa les bras sur la poitrine\, et d’un regard farouche\, il toisa son maître du pied à la tête.\n — Va-t-en… va-t-en\, te dis-je\, reprit Alfred dont la colère croissait.\n — Je ne sortirai pas\, répondit Georges :\n — Tu me braves\, misérable. Il fit un m ouvement pour le frapper\, mais sa main resta collée à sa cuisse\, tant il y avait de fierté et de haine dans le regard de Georges.\n — Quoi ! vous pourrez la laisser tuer\, égorger\, assassiner\, dit le mulâtre\ , quand vous la savez innocente… quand vous avez voulu lâchement la sé duire.\n — Insolent\, que dis-tu ?\n — Je dis que ce serait une infamie de la laisser mourir…\n — Georges… Georges…\n — Je dis que tu es un scélérat\, hurla Georges en laissant cours à sa colè re\, et en saisissant Alfred par le bras… ah ! elle mourra… elle mourr a parce qu’elle ne s’est pas prostituée à toi… à toi parce que tu es blanc… à toi parce que tu es son maître… infâme suborneur…\ n — Georges\, prends garde\, répondit Alfred en essayant de prendre un ton assuré . Prends garde qu’au lieu d’une victime demain le bourr eau en trouve deux.\n — Tu parles de victime et de bourreau\, miséra ble\, hurla Georges… cela veut donc dire qu’elle mourra… elle… ma Zélie… mais tu ne sais pas que ta vie est attachée à la sienne.\ n — Georges !\n — Mais tu ne sais pas que ta tête ne tiendra su r tes épaules qu’autant qu’elle vivra.\n — Georges… Georges !\n — Mais tu ne sais pas que je te tuerai… que je boirai ton sang si jamais on arrache un cheveux de sa tête.\n Et pendant tout ce temps le mulâtre secouait Alfred de toute la force de son bras.\n — Lâch ez-moi\, criait Alfred.\n — Ah ! elle mourra… elle mourra\, hurla l e mulâtre en délire.\n — Georges\, lâchez-moi !\n — Tais-to i… tais-toi\, misérable… ah ! elle mourra… eh bien\, que le bourrea u touche aux jours de ma femme… continua-t-il avec un sourire affreux.\n Alfred était si troublé \, qu’il ne vit point sortir Georges. Celu i-ci se rendit aussitôt à sa cabane\, où \, dans un léger berceau en l iane dormait un jeune enfant de deux ans\, il le prit et disparut. Pour bi en comprendre ce qui va suivre\, sachez que de l’habitation d’Alfred on n’avait qu’une petite rivière à traverser pour se trouver au mil ieu de ces forêts épaisses\, qui semblent étreindre le nouveau-monde.\n Depuis six bonnes heures Georges marchait sans relâche \; enfin il s’arrêta à quelques pas d’une cabane\, bâtie au plus épais de la forêt \; vous comprendrez cette espèce de joie qui brille dans ses yeux quand vous saurez que cette cabane toute petite\, tout isolée\, qu’elle est\, est le camp des nègres marrons\, c’est-à -dire des esclaves qui fuient la tyrannie de leurs maîtres. En ce moment toute la cabane était en rumeur\, on venait d’entendre la forêt tressaillir\, et le chef ava it juré que ce bruit n’ était causé par aucun animal\, or il arma son fusil et sortit… Tout à coup les broussailles se courbent devant lui\, et il se trouve face à face avec un étranger. \n — Par ma liberté \, s’ écria-t-il\, en ajustant l’inconnu\, tu connaissais trop bien notre niche.\n — Afrique et liberté \, répondit Georges sans s’ émouvoir\, mais en repoussant de côté le canon du fusil… je suis des vôtres.\n — Ton nom.\n — Georges\, esclave d’Alfred.\n Il s se tendirent la main\, et s’embrassèrent.\n Le lendemain la foule se pressait autour d’une potence\, à laquelle était suspendu le corp s d’une jeune mulâtresse… Lorsqu’elle fut bien morte\, le bourreau descendit son cadavre dans un cercueil en sapin et dix minutes après on j eta corps et cercueil dans une fosse creusée à l’entrée de la forêt. \n Ainsi cette femme pour avoir été trop vertueuse est morte du suppl ice des infâmes \; croyez-vous que ce seul fait ne suffit pas à rendre l’homme le plus doux\, méchant et sanguinaire ?\n\n\nV.\n\n Trois ans s’ étaient écoulés depuis la mort de la vertueuse Zélie. Alfred dans les premiers temps fut très tourmenté \; le jour\, il croyait voi r à toute heure une main vengeresse s’abaisser sur son front\, il tremb lait la nuit\, car elle lui apportait des songes affreux et terribles \; m ais bientôt chassant de son âme\, et le souvenir pénible de la martyre\ , et la terrible menace de Georges\, il se maria\, devint père… Oh ! qu’il fut heureux\, quand on vint lui dire que ses vœux étaient exauc és\, lui qui chaque soir baisait humblement le pavé du temple\, en prian t la Sainte Vierge de douleur de lui accorder un fils.\n Georges eut au ssi sa part de bonheur de la venue au monde de cet enfant \; car s’il av ait espéré trois ans sans savoir frapper le bourreau de sa femme \; s’ il avait passé tant de nuits sans sommeil\, la fureur dans le cœur\, et la main sur son poignard\, c’est qu’il attendait qu’Alfred eût\, co mme lui\, une femme et un fils \; c’est qu’il ne voulait le tuer qu’ au moment où des liens chers et précieux le retiendraient en ce monde… Georges avait toujours entretenu des relations intimes avec un des esclav es d’Alfred\, il l’allait même voir toutes les semaines \; or cet esc lave n’eut rien de plus pressé que de lui annoncer l’existence du nou veau-né… Aussitôt il vole vers la demeure de son ennemi\, rencontre su r son chemin une négresse qui portait une tasse de bouillon à madame Alf red \; il l’arrête\, lui dit quelques paroles insignifiantes\, et s’ éloigne… Après bien des difficultés\, il parvient à se glisser comm e une couleuvre dans la chambre à coucher d’Alfred… là \, caché de rrière la ruelle du lit\, il attendit son maître… Alfred rentra un ins tant après en chantant \; il ouvrit son secrétaire\, y prit un superbe écrin en diamant qu’il avait promis à sa femme\, si celle-ci lui donna it un fils \; mais pénétré de joie et de bonheur\, il s’assit la têt e entre les deux mains\, comme un homme qui ne peut croire à un bonheur i nattendu \; mais quand il releva la tête\, il vit devant lui une espèc e d’ombre immobile\, les bras croisés sur la poitrine\, et deux yeux ar dents qui avaient toute la férocité du tigre qui s’apprête à déchir er sa proie. Alfred fit un mouvement pour se lever\, mais une main puissan te le retint sur la chaise.\n — Que me voulez-vous\, accentua Alfre d d’une voix tremblante.\n — Te complimenter de la naissance de ton fils\, répondit une voix qui semblait sortir de la tombe.\n Alfred fr issonna du pied à la tête\, ses cheveux se hérissèrent\, et une sueur froide inonda ses membres.\n — Je ne vous connais pas\, murmura faibl ement Alfred…\n — Je m’appelle Georges.\n — Vous…\n — Tu me croyais mort n’est-ce pas\, dit le mulâtre avec un rire convulsi f.\n — Au secours…au secours\, cria Alfred…\n — Qui te secou rra\, reprit le mulâtre… n’as-tu pas renvoyé tes domestiques\, ferm é toutes tes portes\, pour être plus seul avec ta femme… tu vois donc que tes cris sont inutiles… ainsi recommande ton âme à Dieu.\n Alfr ed s’ était peu à peu relevé de sa chaise\, mais à cette dernière p arole\, il y retomba pâle et tremblant.\n — Oh ! pitié \, Georges … ne me tuez pas aujourd’hui.\n Georges haussa les épaules. — M aître\, n’est-ce pas que c’est horrible de mourir quand on est heureu x \; de se coucher dans la tombe au moment où l’on voit ses rêves les plus chers se réaliser… oh ! n’est-ce pas que c’est affreux\, dit le mulâtre avec un rire infernal…\n — Grâce\, Georges…\n — Cependant\, reprit-il\, telle est ta destinée… tu mourras aujourd’h ui\, à cette heure\, dans une minute\, sans dire à ta femme un dernier a dieu…\n — Pitié…pitié…\n — Sans embrasser une seconde fo is ton fils qui vient de naître…\n — Oh ! grâce… grâce.\n — Je crois ma vengeance digne de la tienne… j’aurais vendu mon âm e à Satan\, s’il m’avait promis cet instant.\n — Oh ! grâce… miséricorde\, dit Alfred en se jetant aux genoux du mulâtre.\n Georg es haussa les épaules\, et leva sa hache.\n — Oh !… une heure enco re de vie !\n — Pour embrasser ta femme n’est-ce pas ?\n — Une minute…\n — Pour revoir ton fils\, n’est-ce pas ?\n — Oh ! par pitié…\n — Il vaudrait mieux prier le tigre affamé de lâcher sa proie.\n — Au nom de Dieu\, Georges.\n — Je n’y crois plus .\n — Au nom de votre père…\n À ce mot la colère de Georges tomba. — Mon père…mon père\, dit le mulâtre la larme à l’ œil\ , vous le connaissez… oh ! dites-moi son nom… comment s’appelle-t- il… oh ! dites\, dites-moi son nom… je vous bénirai… je vous pardon nerai.\n Et le mulâtre était prêt à se mettre à genoux devant son maître. Mais tout à coup des cris aigus se font entendre…\n — Ju ste ciel… c’est la voix de ma femme\, s’ écria Alfred en s’ él ançant du côté d’où partaient les cris…\n Comme rappelé à lu i-même\, le mulâtre se souvint qu’il était venu chez son maître\, no n pour savoir le nom de son père\, mais pour lui demander compte du sang de sa femme. Retenant aussitôt Alfred\, il lui dit avec un ricanement hor rible :\n — Arrête\, maître\, ce n’est rien.\n — Jésus-Ma ria\, tu n’entends pas qu’elle demande du secours.\n — Ce n’est rien\, te dis-je.\n — Lâchez-moi… lâchez-moi… c’est la voix de ma femme.\n — Non… c’est le râle d’une mourante.\n — Misérable\, tu mens.\n — Je l’ai empoisonnée.\n — Oh !…\ n — Entends-tu ces plaintes… ce sont les siennes.\n — Enfe r…\n — Entends-tu ces cris… ce sont les siens…\n — Malé diction…\n Et pendant tout ce temps\, Alfred s’efforçait d’ éch apper des mains du mulâtre \; mais celui-ci l’ étreignait de plus en p lus \; car lui aussi sa tête s’exaltait\, son cœur bondissait \; il se faisait à son terrible rôle.\n — Alfred… au secours… de l’eau… je m’ étouffe… cria une femme en s’ élançant au milie u de la chambre. Elle était pâle et défaite\, ses yeux sortaient de sa tête\, ses cheveux étaient en désordre.\n — Alfred\, Alfred… au nom du ciel\, secourez-moi… un peu d’eau… un peu d’eau… mon sa ng me brûle… mon cœur se crispe\, oh ! de l’eau\, de l’eau…\n Alfred faisait des efforts inouïs pour la secourir \; mais Georges le re tenait de son poignet de fer\, et ricanant comme un damné \, il lui criai t : non pas\, maître…non pas…je veux que cette femme meure… là… à tes yeux… devant toi… comprends-tu\, maître\, devant toi\, te dis ant de l’eau\, de l’air\, sans que tu puisses la secourir.\n — O malheur… malheur à toi\, hurlait Alfred en se débattant comme un forc ené .\n — Tu auras beau maudire\, blasphémer\, répondit le mulâtr e\, il faut que cela soit ainsi.\n — Alfred\, murmura de nouveau la m ourante\, adieu… adieu… je meurs…\n — Regarde\, reprit le mulâ tre toujours en ricanant… regarde… elle râle… eh bien ! une seule g outte de cette eau la ramènerait à la vie. Il lui montrait un petit flac on.\n — Toute ma fortune pour cette goutte d’eau… cria Alfred.\ n — Es-tu fou\, maître…\n — Ah ! cette eau… cette eau… ne vois-tu pas qu’elle se meurt… Donnez… donnez donc…\n — Tie ns… et le mulâtre brisa le flacon contre le mur.\n — Soyez maudit\ , hurla Alfred\, en saisissant Georges par le cou… oh ! ma vie entière\ , mon âme pour un poignard…\n Georges se débarrassa des mains d’A lfred.\n — Maintenant qu’elle est morte\, à ton tour\, maître\, d it-il en levant sa hache. Frappe\, bourreau… frappe… après l’avoir empoisonnée\, tu peux bien tuer ton pè… La hache s’abaissa\, et la tête d’Alfred roula sur le plancher\, mais la tête en roulant murmura distinctement la dernière syllabe re… Georges croyait avoir mal entend u\, mais le mot père. comme le glas funèbre\, tintait à son oreille \; or pour s’en assurer\, il ouvrit le sac fatal…ah ! s’écria-t-il\, j e suis maudit… une détonation se fit entendre \; le lendemain on trouva près du cadavre d’Alfred celui du malheureux Georges.\n\nRetour à la bibliothèque Tintamarre\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ESSAY ON THE BOOK\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Seeds of Rebellion in Plantation Fiction: Victor Séjour 's \"The Mulatto\"\nEd Piacentino\nHigh Point University\nArticle\nPublish ed August 28\, 2007\n\nOverview\nThis essay examines Victor Séjour's \"Th e Mulatto\" (1837)\, a short story acknowledged as the first fictional wor k by an African American. Through its representation of physical and psych ological effects\, Séjour's story\, a narrative of slavery in Saint-Domin gue\, also inaugurated the literary delineation of slavery's submission-re bellion binary. The enslaved raconteur in \"The Mulatto\" voices protest a nd appeals to social consciousness and sympathy\, anticipating the embedde d narrators in works of later writers throughout the Plantation Americas.\ n\nIntroduction\nA little-known story first translated into English in 199 5 by Philip Barnard for The Norton Anthology of African American Literatur e\, \"Le Mulâtre\" (\"The Mulatto\") by Victor Séjour (1817–1874)\, a New Orleans free man of color\, was initially published in the March 1837 issue of Cyrille Bisette's Parisian abolitionist journal La Revue des Colo nies. La Revue was a monthly periodical of \"Colonial Politics\, Administr ation\, Justice\, Education and Customs\" owned and sponsored by a \"socie ty of men of color.\" A recent immigrant to Paris\, Séjour was in an amen able environment among kindred spirits who shared his sentiments about sla very.\n\nLa Revue's cover\, according to Charles E. O'Neill\, Séjour's bi ographer\, features a \"black slave in chains\, with palms and waterfall i n the background\; kneeling on one knee\, hands clasped in petition [and] ask[ing] 'Am I not a man and your brother?'\" This illustration accentuate s the journal's anti-slavery intent: to expose the \"dissatisfaction with the slow\, evasive parliamentary handling of poverty and oppression in the colonies\" (O'Neill 14). In this iconic image\, the slave expresses his h umanity although secured by chains and kneeling in supplication.1 The slav e proffers a plea for personhood and liberation that evokes the plight of the enslaved throughout the Plantation Americas\, a zone\, as George Handl ey notes\, \"of perplexing but compelling commonality among Caribbean nati ons\, the Caribbean coasts of Central and South America and Brazil\, and t he US South....\" (Handley 25).\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \"Am I not a man and yo ur brother?\" Illustration on the cover of La Revue des Colonies 3 (1837): 376–392. The story was originally published in this volume by Victor S éjour as \"Le Mulâtre.\"\n\n\n\n As a native of New Orleans and resident of the French Quarter\, Séjour spoke French\, attended private school\, and was free but not white. When Séjour resided in New Orleans\, free per sons of color (gens de couleur) were numerous and did not enjoy political rights equal to those of whites (O'Neill 1). At nineteen\, Séjour became an expatriate by choice\, moving to Paris to continue his education and fi nd work\, and eventually joining forces with Cyrille Bisette\, publisher o f La Revue\, and other members of the Parisian literary elite who helped h im to start a formal writing career. In Paris\, Séjour\, a colonial mulat to\, found a more open-minded milieu with less racial prejudice where he c ould exercise liberties not allowed in antebellum New Orleans. In 1837\, a black man living in the United States could not have published as stark a nd haunting an antislavery revenge narrative as \"The Mulatto.\" With this publication\, the first African-American fictional narrative and the firs t of Séjour's works to appear in print\, he launched a popular and succes sful literary career\, with twenty of his plays produced on the Paris stag e between the 1840s and 1860s.\n\n\"The Mulatto\" is not set in the contin ental United States\, but its location\, Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti ) in the West Indies\, is an important site of slavery and revolution in t he African diaspora where plantation slaves experienced barbarous conditio ns eliciting comparison to Louisiana sugar plantations.2 Designating Louis iana as an \"appendage of the French and Spanish West Indies\,\" Thomas Ma rc Fiehrer perceives significant links between the two\, including \"shar[ ing] the socio-economic expreience of the larger circum-Caribbean culture\ , (3–4)\, and Louisiana's becoming a major sugar producer as Saint-Domin gue had formerly been. Louisiana\, like Cuba\, also experienced the \"same cycle of expansion and intensification of slavery after 1800 which had oc curred in Saint-Domingue between 1750 and 1794\,\" and many planters\, ref ugees\, and free persons of color (many of who had migrated to Cuba first) found Louisiana a \"politically desirable point of relocation . . . \, af ford[ing] . . . an ecosystem comparable to that of the [Caribbean] islands \" (4). With the expansion of sugar-plantation slavery came familiar atroc ities (10).\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Title pages to Harriet Jacobs's Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl\, William Wells Brown's Clotel or\; The President's Daughter\, and Hannah Crafts's The Bondwoman's Narrative. Images are in p ublic domain.\n\n\n\n Although little known in its era\, \"The Mulatto\" p resents the binary of submission and rebellion that became a motif in US b ased slave narratives and novelized autobiographies treating racialized se xual harassment and/or exploitation of mulattas such as Harriet Jacobs's I ncidents in the Life of Slave Girl\, antislavery novels such as William We lls Brown's Clotel or\; The President's Daughter and Hannah Crafts's The B ondwoman's Narrative\, and even late nineteenth-century southern local col or stories with embedded former slave storytellers\, such as Charles Wadde ll Chesnutt's Uncle Julius. In exposing the brutality of the slave system\ , such as the impact of miscegenation on persons of mixed race\; the sexua l violation of enslaved persons\; and the physical and psychological bruta lities of slavery — particularly the devastating effects on family life of whites as well as on blacks — \"The Mulatto\" deploys strategies for antislavery protest writing that will appear in antebellum slave narrative s and anti-slavery novels and in postbellum fiction about slavery.\n\nLibe rated Narrative Voice\n\"The Mulatto\" features a frame narrator\, a white man who functions as a sympathetic and tolerant sounding board to whom An toine\, an old man still presumably a slave and the story's embedded narra tor\, freely recounts a harrowing narrative of his friend Georges\, a mula tto slave whose master is also his biological father.3 It is Georges's mas ter-father\, Alfred\, against whom Georges directs retributive justice\, k illing him for allowing Georges's wife to be put to death for spurning Alf red's sexual advances. After poisoning Alfred's wife\, Georges beheads his master with an ax and then takes his own life upon discovering that he ha s murdered his own father. Séjour's tragic narrative reveals that the sla ve\, like his master\, has succumbed to evil as his depravity stems from t he corrupting effects of slavery.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \"The Mulatto\" family tree and frame narrative structure. Illustration courtesy of the author.  \n\n\n\n Séjour's character\, Antoine\, a proud\, imposing\, elderly slav e raconteur\, creates a narrative that exposes the psychological tensions and physical violence brought about by the violation of the humanity of bl ack slaves and which affects slave owners as well as their bondpersons. An toine comfortably and confidently addresses a nameless white listener\, an individual about whom he feels no rigid class or race barriers. Moreover\ , this man\, who serves as the frame narrator\, gives us Antoine's story o f Georges apparently as it was told to him\, an uncensored\, melodramatic tale of the tragedy spawned by slavery\, with his primary focus being on t he victims of its inhumanities. Antoine's story of Georges\, which evokes sympathy for the innocent black slave characters suffering under white opp ression\, exemplifies racial melodrama\, anticipating the form that Linda Williams examines in Playing the Race Card: Melodramas in Black and White\ , From Uncle Tom to O. J. Simpson. Williams\, who views melodrama as typif ying \"popular American narrative . . . when it seeks to engage with moral questions\,\" notes that the \"moral legibility\" of actions within racia l melodramas depends upon the representation of victimized innocents who a cquire virtue through suffering\, a script intended to evoke the social co nsciences and emotions of readers (12\, 17).\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Title page t o William Gilmore Simms's The Yemassee: A Romance of Carolina\, New York\, 1844. Published by Harper &\; Brothers. Image is in public domain.\n\n \n\n In Antoine's embedded narrative\, the master Alfred is depicted as a vain\, hideous and merciless villain and the slaves whom he exploits physi cally and emotionally—Laïsa\, Georges's mother\; Georges\, his unacknow ledged son\; and Zelia\, Georges's wife—all become lost innocents\, unne cessary victims of the white man. As Antoine begins to talk\, prefacing th e story\, it becomes clear that he can vent his discontent/ and outrage bl atantly and speak honestly to the authorial narrator\, even to the extent of adopting a cynically editorializing voice and using ideological discour se. In his encounter with this white man\, Antoine's effectiveness as a fu nctional mouthpiece and as a credible and reliable character is not dimini shed by such annoyances as dialect and and humiliatingly submissive behavi or in his encounter with this white man\, especially for today's readers w ho are knowledgeable of black portraiture in nineteenth-century American w hite-authored texts such as John Pendleton Kennedy's Swallow Barn (1832)\, William Gilmore Simms's The Yemassee (1835)\, and Joel Chandler Harris's Uncle Remus tales. Antoine preserves his dignity\, consequently escaping r eduction to a stereotype. After shaking hands with the white man\, who tre ats him with dignity\, Antoine receives a reaffirmation\, an invitation to voice his stark\, bitter recollections of the dehumanizing effects of sla very. Antoine's monologue begins with an undiluted tirade precipitated by his thoughts of the story he is about to tell of the ill-fated Georges and his master-father:\n\n\"But you know\, do you not\, that a negro's as vil e as a dog\; society rejects him\; men detest him\; the laws curse him. . . . Yes\, he's a most unhappy being\, who hasn't even the consolation of a lways being virtuous. . . . He may be born good\, noble\, and generous\; G od may grant him a great and loyal soul\; but despite all that\, he often goes to his grave with bloodstained hands\, and a heart hungering after ye t more vengeance. For how many times has seen the dreams of his youth dest royed? How many times has experience taught him that his good deeds count for nothing\, and that he should love neither his wife nor his son\; for o ne day the former will be seduced by the master\, and his own flesh and bl ood will be sold and transported away despite his despair. What\, then\, c an you expect him to become? Shall he smash his skull against the paving s tones? Shall he kill his torturer? Or do you believe the human heart can f ind a way to bear such misfortune?\"\n\"You'd have to be mad to believe th at\,\" he continued\, heatedly. \"If he continues to live it can only be f or vengeance\; for soon he shall rise. . . and\, from the day he shakes of f his servility\, the master would do better to have a starving tiger ragi ng beside him than to meet that man face to face.\" (354)\nAntoine's sober ing revelation foreshadows the story of Georges\, his mother\, his wife\, his master Alfred\, and his master's wife\, establishing a credible basis for the traumas both of slaves who have experienced the victimization and abuses of bondage\, and of white masters depraved by unchecked power.\n\nR estricted Space\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n American slave narratives\, largely publi shed after Séjour's story\, appealed to readers by emphasizing enslaved h umanity. These illustrations\, from Narrative of the Life and Adventures o f Henry Bibb\, an American Slave\, Written by Himself (1847)\, construct a portrait of slave emotion expressed within and constrained by a system of power and family separation similar to the system depicted by Séjour ear lier in \"The Mulatto\" (described above).\n\n\n\n Through Antoine\, Séjo ur interjects commentary that accentuates that his narrative's hortatory i ntent. In this way\, Séjour controls how he wants his dour tale to affect his readers. Georges is the product of a rape. His father is his white ma ster Alfred\, and his mother Laïsa is a young Senegalese woman whom Alfre d purchases at a slave auction for his personal sexual gratification. Anto ine emphasizes Laïsa's humanity\, a humanity often violated or repressed because of her own helplessness in the institution of slavery. As his prop erty\, Alfred exploits Laïsa sexually. She retains no control over her bo dy or her life's course. For example\, just after she has been purchased\, a tearful and frightened Laïsa unexpectedly encounters her brother Jacqu es Chambo from whom she had been separated and excitedly embraces him. The reunion of brother and sister\, both orphans\, and the sentiments connect ed with it are short lived when a cruel overseer lashes Jacques\, forceful ly separating him from Laïsa. Slaves evinced their humanity when they exh ibited genuine emotions before their white oppressors\, but white slavehol ders who regarded their slaves as commodities\, viewed such displays of fe eling as subversive—a form of rebellion. These emotional outbursts had t o be suppressed in order to force slaves to recognize their white-imposed\ , non-human status. Dysfunctional family relationships are representative of the place of fathers and mothers in slave societies. Both black slave w omen and men such as Séjour's Laïsa and Jacques become constructs of the white slave-holding patriarchy\, which\, in enslaving them\, Hortense J. Spillers notes\, \"sever[s] . . . the captive body from its motive will\, its active desire\" (67). In further addressing the effects on the slave's identity\, Spiller points out:\n\n1) the captive body becomes the source of an irresistible\, destructive sensuality\; 2) at the same time—\; in stunning contradiction —the captive body reduces to a thing\, becoming b eing for the captor\; 3) in this absence from a subject position\, the cap tured sexualities provide a physical and biological expression of \"othern ess\" \; 4) as a category of \"otherness\,\" the captive body translates i nto a potential for pornotroping and embodies sheer physical powerlessness that slides into a more general \"powerlessness\,\" resonating through va rious centers of human and social meaning. (67)\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Blank Fam ily Record: Before the War and Since the War\, ca. 1880. Chromolithograph by Krebs Lithographing Company\, Cincinnati\, Ohio. Courtesy of the Librar y of Congress Prints and Photographs Division\, loc.gov/pictures/item/9172 1220.\n\n\n\n This lack of human acknowledgement is also seen in Georges\, Laïsa's son\, a mulatto who does not know who his father is and who cons equently feels a sense of emptiness. While Georges likes his master \"as m uch as one can like a man\,\" and his master \"esteem[s] him\, but with th at esteem that the horseman bears for the most handsome and vigorous of hi s chargers\" (357)\, their dynamic is a consequence of the black-white bin ary dictated by the systemic structure of slavery. As a result\, Georges e xperiences intense remorse\, the result of being denied the identity of hi s own father\, an identity his dying mother Laïsa refuses to disclose to him. After Laïsa's death\, Georges\, like his mother and her brother Jacq ues\, is\, in a figurative sense\, an orphan.\n\nAlthough Georges is serio usly wounded saving his master's life from would-be murderers\, Alfred tri es to seduce Georges's wife\, Zelia\, during his convalescence. She resist s Alfred's overtures\, refusing to compromise her virtue for her master. A s Antoine explains\, Alfred\, \"instead of being moved by this display of a virtue that is so rare among women\, above all among those who\, like Ze lia\, are slaves\, and who\, every day\, see their shameless companions pr ostitute themselves to the colonists\, thereby only feeding more licentiou sness\" (359)\, allows his lustful desires to govern his actions. Zelia re peatedly resists him—a testament of the strength of Zelia's humanity and of her love for her husband— and causes Alfred\, in his last desperate effort to seduce her\, to lose his balance\, striking his head as he falls . Tragically for Zelia\, colonial laws dictated that the slave must be bla med and executed for her master's injury.4\n\nZelia's action\, deemed rebe llious within the dictates of the system of slavery\, proves for the slave doubly devastating\, resulting in her death as well as the destruction of her family. Georges pleads persistently and passionately to Alfred to spa re his wife. When that fails\, Georges angrily condemns his master as a \" scoundrel\,\" even threatening his life if Zelia is executed. Alfred\, how ever\, remains adamant. He shows no mercy. Alfred's recalcitrance precipit ates his own murder and the murder of his wife at the hand of the vengeful Georges three years later. Only in the interval\, after securing his two- year-old son and running away from his master\, to a free space\, \"those thick forests that seem to hold the new world in their arms\" and living a mong the Maroons\, slaves\, who\, like Georges\, \"have fled the tyranny o f their masters\" (361)\, does Georges savor a semblance of what freedom m eans.\n\nIn Séjour's bleak story\, there are no winners\, for Georges als o kills himself\, since he apparently cannot live with the guilt and remor se. In avenging Zelia's death\, Georges has also killed his own father\, c ompleting the destruction of his family. The story's concluding scene is s trikingly symbolic. Georges severs his father's head with an ax just as Al fred tries to tell him that he is his father (364). The word \"father\" is severed\, broken in two\, a reminder that in a slave society normal pater nal connections could not exist with slave children. Georges's action resu lts in two children\, one mulatto (his son) and the other white (Alfred an d his wife's son)\, being orphaned. For both the slave boy and the free wh ite boy of \"The Mulatto\,\" family is destroyed. Yet Alfred's child\, by token of his race and class\, will likely reap the benefits from his disso lved family. As Hortense Spillers comments\, \"the vertical transfer of bl oodline\, of a patronymic\, of titles and entitlements\, of real estate an d the prerogatives of 'cold cash\,' from fathers to sons and in the suppos edly free exchange of affectional ties between a male and female of his ch oice—becomes the mythically revered privilege of a free and freed commun ity\" (74)\, of which the white child is beneficiary. Yet for the slave th is takes on a different\, constricted meaning: Georges and Zelia's orphan son will\, as long as he remains in bondage\, enjoy no privileges. Séjour conflates magistricide and patricide\, so that in killing his master and father\, Georges has killed part of himself. In terms of the rebellion-sub mission binary\, Georges's act of ultimate rebellion is equated to his ult imate self-submission as an enslaved man. In other words\, Georges's submi ssion is the result of the oppressive and destructive effect of his enslav ement on his mind and his spirit. For Georges\, submission and rebellion a s possibilities for manhood are inextricably linked\, if irreconcilable.\n \nWhile this situation\, perpetuated by the systemic structure of slavery\ , is dismal for Georges\, there exists a third alternative in Antoine\, th e narrator. Having lived for seventy-plus years\, Antoine has succumbed to neither magistricide nor suicide as a response to slavery\; instead\, he tells stories about slavery. These stories provide an outlet for voicing c ommentary as a counterpoint to the tragic outcome of Georges's master-slav e story. The narrator's stories also alert his white listener\, and Séjou r's readers\, to the destructive consequences of slavery.\n\nClotel's Rebe llion\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n William Wells Brown\, ca. 1852. Illustration by u nknown artist. Originally published in William Wells Brown's Three Years i n Europe (Charles Gilpin\, 1852). Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Image is in public domain.\n\n\n\n The submission-rebellion binary that Séjour emp loyed in \"The Mulatto\" illuminates one consequence of the racial double standard as exercised in the sexual violation of enslaved persons and its corrosive effect on family life. This binary also appears\, with some modi fications\, in subsequent African-American slave narratives and anti-slave ry novels of the antebellum period. Examples abound in literature of mixed -race women as victims of racialized sexual exploitation\, typically stemm ing from the systemic structure of slavery. One example is found in Willia m Wells Brown's novel Clotel\; or\, the President's Daughter (1853).\n\nIn Clotel\, the authorial narrator bitterly protests the separation of membe rs of a slave family. Clotel\, who is a quadroon and can pass for white\, is separated from her family\, her mother Currer and her sister Althesa\, and is sold at auction to a white man desiring her for his mistress. The n otion of family unity and cohesiveness is violated as each of these three female slaves is sent to different places under different sets of circumst ances. As in Laïsa's case\, the auctioneer promotes Clotel as a highly de sirable object\, emphasizing her beauty\, purity\, and nobility of charact er as her principal selling points\, traits making her marketable as a sex ual commodity.\n\nAs a slave\, Clotel\, like Laïsa and Georges's wife\, Z elia\, has no rights\, no choice regarding how she is treated\, where she will live\, or what will happen to her. Although her white master Horatio Green seems fond of Clotel\, making her his mistress\, and moving her to a n apparently idyllic space in Virginia\, and although the couple has a dau ghter during their relationship\, Green\, who marries a wealthy white woma n from a prominent family\, succumbs to his wife's jealousy and his father -in-law's demands that he sell Clotel. In placing his social and political aspirations above the love he may feel for Clotel\, Green acts expedientl y\, allowing his father-in-law to sell his slave mistress. Her sale forces her from her former refuge and separates her from her beloved daughter. C lotel's tenuous security continues to be threatened\, as she is sold two a dditional times. Her second new master attempts to seduce her with \"glitt ering presents\" and the likelihood of ensuing rape should she resist. Lik e Zelia in \"The Mulatto\,\" Clotel rebels against the space in which her humanity remains in jeopardy. Facing sexual exploitation\, Clotel flees. I n Chapter XIX\, Clotel's rebellion becomes a successful\, albeit momentary \, escape in which\, although ably impersonating a white invalid gentleman \, she gives in to her maternal instincts. She forgoes her autonomy by ret urning to Virginia\, intending to reunite with her daughter. Clotel has re turned to a space where she is regarded as property\, without control over how she will be used. While Clotel's escape—her rebellion against her m aster— has been skillfully executed\, she feels that she cannot live a l ife of freedom in a place removed from her dear daughter. Her rebellion\, if she continued to pursue her freedom\, then\, would become the equivalen t of her family's destruction.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \"The Death of Clotel.\" I llustration by unknown artist. Originally published in William Wells Brown 's Clotel\; or\, the President's Daughter (Partridge &\; Oakey\, 1853). Image is in public domain.\n\n\n\n Zelia succumbs to the systemic structu re of slavery that makes rebellion against the master the equivalent of se lf-immolation. In contrast\, Clotel temporarily escapes this fate by rejec ting her freedom and returning to Virginia in hopes of a mother and child reunion. Clotel risks re-enslavement\, a return to oppressive conditions i n place where\, if recaptured\, she will be forced back into bondage. Yet Clotel's actions do not bring about reunion. Recaptured and incarcerated i n the District of Columbia — the seat of national government symbolizing the liberties that slaves are denied — Clotel confronts her imminent sa le in the New Orleans market. There\, she will likely be sexually exploite d and never see her daughter again. Her rebellion suppressed\, Clotel esca pes once more\, but when faced with recapture\, chooses to jump to her dea th off a Potomac bridge.\n\nLocal Color\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Top\, Joel Chandl er Harris\, ca. 1895. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Image is in public do main. Middle\, Charles Chesnutt\, 1898. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Ima ge is in public domain. Bottom\, Cover of Charles W. Chesnutt's The Conjur e Woman\, containing his collected Uncle Julius stories\, \"The Goophered Grapevine\,\" \"Po' Sandy\,\" \"The Conjurer's Revenge\,\" and \"Mars Jeem s's Nightmare\,\" 1899. Image is in public domain.\n\n\n\n Another variati on in fictional depictions of the effects of oppression on slaves emerged during the postbellum period\, the heyday of the local color story. Often\ , local color set in the Mid and Deep South employed a frame and an embedd ed narrative\, the latter recounted by an elderly African-American male an d former slave. In this raconteur\, we find a more restrictive binary patt ern than Séjour used in \"The Mulatto.\" Local color stories generally fo llow two patterns. Derived from stories slaves told\, they can be allegori cal beast fables\, treating power struggles and survival under an oppressi ve system comparable to slavery. These stories are predicated on an inequi table double standard\, with the power structure under the control of pred acious animals. Examples are the Uncle Remus stories of Joel Chandler Harr is. A second type presents a more direct rendering of slavery's brutalitie s and exploitation\, such as Charles Chesnutt's conjure stories as told by the loquacious Uncle Julius.\n\nChesnutt's \"The Goophered Grapevine\" (1 887) features a multi-dimensional and affable storyteller in Uncle Julius\ , who still resides in the same place where he had been a slave. Uncle Jul ius speaks in quaint and comical dialect\, creating an impression quite di fferent from Séjour's straightforward\, serious\, and outspoken Antoine. In the conciliatory\, non-controversial conventions of local color\, Chesn utt portrays Uncle Julius as polyvocal\, assuming competing poses and agen das. Julius is an entertainingly imaginative raconteur whose story involve s the supernatural\, folkloric\, amusing\, and outlandish descriptions. He is a cunning con artist and economic opportunist\, a simple primitive\, a nd a subdued social critic—contradictory postures reflecting amiability and rebelliousness. Like Séjour's Antoine\, Julius\, in telling his story of imagined spaces\, works within the binaries of rebellion and submissio n\, white and black\, domination and abjection. Through him\, Chesnutt dil utes and mellows the underlying serious social implications of Julius's em bedded tale\, establishing a comfort zone distancing the story's enslaved characters from implied readers. While Julius's story of Henry\, the victi mized slave\, does focus on a dehumanizing aspect of slavery (Henry is eco nomically exploited by his greedy master who commodifies him in his restri cted space as a slave)\, the manner in which Julius tells the story is div ertingly entertaining. Julius's narrative focuses principally on Henry's p redicament rather than on the slave's interior self. It neither engages th e sensibility nor arouses the moral consciousness of the frame narrator\, a man from Ohio seeking to purchase the former plantation to whom Julius r elates his story\, or that of the implied reader.\n\nChesnutt used the reb ellion-submission binary in several other conjure tales. In \"Po' Sandy\,\ " Julius's story gains him temporary use of the old schoolhouse\, a space for religious services. In \"The Conjurer's Revenge\,\" Julius gains power within his present space\, shrewdly employing a tale to circumvent his wh ite employer's buying a mule\, and to set up a scam where he purchases a d efective horse instead. In \"Mars Jeems's Nightmare\,\" Julius again makes a small gain\, winning his white female listener's sympathy so that she g ives his unreliable grandson a second chance to continue to work for her f amily. The outcomes of these tales exemplify Chesnutt's manipulation of fr ame plots\, creating opportunities within imagined spaces. Julius\, althou gh gaining some material advantage\, remains oppressed. Moreover\, the sub texts of his embedded narratives prove ineffectual in inciting understandi ng and empathy.\n\nConclusion\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Victor Séjour\, the earlie st known author of fiction by an African-American\, ca. 1850. Illustration by Étienne Carjat. Originally published in weekly journal Le Diogène. I mage is in public domain.\n\n\n\n With its early publication date and its tragic portrait of slavery's atrocities and effects in the plantation spac e of the French West Indies\, Victor Séjour's \"The Mulatto\,\" is an imp ortant literary text. Séjour depicts African bondage in Saint-Domingue\, a subject that would become a major concern in nineteenth- and twentieth-c entury writing. At nineteen\, Séjour's parents sent him to Paris to furth er his education\, pursue broader opportunities\, and cultivate his talent s. Assimilated into French society and the Parisian literary culture and l iving without the race-based constraints of his native New Orleans\, Séjo ur passed the rest of his life in France\, distinguishing himself as a dra matist. In \"The Mulatto\,\" his only short story\, Séjour tapped into th e subject of African bondage\, possibly inspired by his father\, Juan Fran cois Louis Séjour Marcou's Haitian experience and that of other free men of color and former slaves from the French West Indies.\n\nIn \"The Mulatt o\,\" Séjour wrote of submission and rebellion in Saint-Domingue. He wrot e in the language of his newly-adopted country\, employed an embedded blac k slave narrator to recount the grim story-within-the-story\, and publishe d his fictional account in a Parisian anti-slavery journal sponsored by fr ee men of color like himself.\n\n\"The Mulatto\" anticipated renditions of grisly and melodramatic scripts featured in abolitionist narratives (auto biographical\, fictional\, or some combination of the two)\, but Séjour's story was all but unknown in the US before Philip Barnard's English trans lation appeared in 1995 in the Norton Anthology of American Literature. Th e new publication of \"The Mulatto\" places it amid African Diasporic\, po st-colonial\, US southern\, and New World Studies. These fields of scholar ship have encouraged the discovery and reappraisal of writers with origins in various locales\, but who\, like Séjour\, adopted new nationalities a nd loyalties even as they were forgotten in their native countries. This a nalysis of \"The Mulatto\" suggests the connections among African bondage texts that cross cultures and societies\, texts that expose the effects of slavery\, of submission and rebellion\, as they narrate this history. \n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n Map of Saint Domingue (present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic)\, 1772. Map by Jean Lattre. Courtesy of the David Rumsey Histori cal Map Collection. Image is in public domain.\n\n\n\n About the Author:\n Ed Piacentino\, a professor of English at High Point University in North C arolina\, has published widely on the literature and culture of the Americ an South. His numerous essays and reviews appear in such journals as the S outhern Literary Journal\, Southern Quarterly\, Mississippi Quarterly\, Am erican Literature\, Southern Studies\, Studies in American Humor\, America n Quarterly\, and Studies in Short Fiction. Professor Piacentino has autho red or edited three books—T. S. Stribling: Pioneer Realist in Modern Sou thern Literature (1988)\; The Humor of the Old South\, which he co-edited with M. Thomas Inge\; and The Enduring Legacy of Old Southwest Humor (2006 ). He also serves as associate editor of Studies in American Humor. His cu rrent projects include an edition of the dialect letters of C. M. Haile\, antebellum journalist and humorist and an anthology of antebellum southern humor\, which he is co-editing with M. Thomas Inge.\n\nNote: The date of Philip Barnard's translation referenced in the conclusion of this essay wa s corrected from 1997 to 1995 and three resources were added to this essay 's \"Recommended Resources\" on November 26\, 2013. Media updated and two resources added to this essay's \"Recommended Resources\" on December 13\, 2016.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE BOOK VARIANT\n\n\n\n \"The Mulatto\" by Vict or Séjour\n\n Courtesy of Philip Barnard\, translated 1995.\n\n\n\n Secti on I\nThe first rays of dawn were just beginning to light the black mounta intops when I left the Cape for Saint-Marc\, a small town in St. Domingue\ , now known as Haiti. I had seen so many exquisite landscapes and thick\, tall forests that\, truth to tell\, I had begun to believe myself indiffer ent to these virile beauties of creation. But at the sight of this town\, with its picturesque vegetation\, its bizarre and novel nature\, I was stu nned\; I stood dumb-struck before the sublime diversity of God's works. Th e moment I arrived\, I was accosted by an old negro\, at least seventy yea rs of age\; his step was firm\, his head held high\, his form imposing and vigorous\; save the remarkable whiteness of his curly hair\, nothing betr ayed his age. As is common in that country\, he wore a large straw hat and was dressed in trousers of coarse gray linen\, with a kind of jacket made from plain batiste.\n\n\"Good day\, Master\,\" he said\, tipping his hat when he saw me.\n\n\"Ah! There you are . . .\,\" and I offered him my hand \, which he shook in return.\n\n\"Master\,\" he said\, \"that's quite nobl e-hearted of you . . . . But you know\, do you not\, that a negro's as vil e as a dog\; society rejects him\; men detest him\; the laws curse him. . . . Yes\, he's a most unhappy being\, who hasn't even the consolation of a lways being virtuous. . . . He may be born good\, noble\, and generous\; G od may grant him a great and loyal soul\; but despite all that\, he often goes to his grave with bloodstained hands\, and a heart hungering after ye t more vengeance. For how many times has he seen the dreams of his youth d estroyed? How many times has experience taught him that his good deeds cou nt for nothing\, and that he should love neither his wife nor his son\; fo r one day the former will be seduced by the master\, and his own flesh and blood will be sold and transported away despite his despair. What\, then\ , can you expect him to become? Shall he smash his skull against the pavin g stones? Shall he kill his torturer? Or do you believe the human heart ca n find a way to bear such misfortune?\"\n\nThe old negro fell silent a mom ent\, as if awaiting my response.\n\n\"You'd have to be mad to believe tha t\,\" he continued\, heatedly. \"If he continues to live\, it can only be for vengeance\; for soon he shall rise . . . and\, from the day he shakes off his servility\, the master would do better to have a starving tiger ra ging beside him than to meet that man face to face.\" While the old man sp oke\, his face lit up\, his eyes sparkled\, and his heart pounded forceful ly. I would not have believed one could discover that much life and power beneath such an aged exterior. Taking advantage of this moment of exciteme nt\, I said to him: \"Antoine\, you promised you'd tell me the story of yo ur friend Georges.\"\n\n\"Do you want to hear it now?\"\n\n\"Certainly . . .\" We sat down\, he on my trunk\, myself on my valise. Here is what he t old me:\n\n\"Do you see this edifice that rises so graciously toward the s ky and whose reflection seems to rise from the sea\; this edifice that in its peculiarity resembles a temple and in its pretense a palace? This is t he house of Saint-M*** . Each day\, in one of this building's rooms\, one finds an assemblage of hangers-on\, men of independent means\, and the gre at plantation owners. The first two groups play billiards or smoke the del icious cigars of Havana\, while the third purchases negroes\; that is\, fr ee men who have been torn from their country by ruse or by force\, and who have become\, by violence\, the goods\, the property of their fellow men. . . . Over here we have the husband without the wife\; there\, the sister without the brother\; farther on\, the mother without the children. This makes you shudder? Yet this loathsome commerce goes on continuously. Soon\ , in any case\, the offering is a young Senegalese woman\, so beautiful th at from every mouth leaps the exclamation: 'How pretty!' Everyone there wa nts her for his mistress\, but not one of them dares dispute the prize wit h the young Alfred\, now twenty-one years old and one of the richest plant ers in the country.\n\n\"'How much do you want for this woman?'\n\n\"'Fift een hundred piasters\,' replied the auctioneer.\n\n\"'Fifteen hundred pias ters\,' Alfred rejoined dryly.\n\n\"'Yes indeed\, Sir.'\n\n\"'That's your price?'\n\n\"'That's my price.'\n\n\"'That's awfully expensive.'\n\n\"'Exp ensive?' replied the auctioneer\, with an air of surprise. 'But surely you see how pretty she is\; how clear her skin is\, how firm her flesh is. Sh e's eighteen years old at the most. . . .' Even as he spoke\, he ran his s hameless hands all over the ample and half-naked form of the beautiful Afr ican.\n\n\"'Is she guaranteed?' asked Alfred\, after a moment of reflectio n.\n\n\"'As pure as the morning dew\,' the auctioneer responded. But\, for that matter\, you yourself can. . . .'\n\n\"'No no\, there's no need\,' s aid Alfred\, interrupting him. 'I trust you.'\n\n\"'I've never sold a sing le piece of bad merchandise\,' replied the vendor\, twirling his whiskers with a triumphant air. When the bill of sale had been signed and all forma lities resolved\, the auctioneer approached the young slave.\n\nThis man i s now your master\,' he said\, pointing toward Alfred.\n\n\"'I know it\,' the negress answered coldly.\n\n\"'Are you content?'\n\n\"'What does it ma tter to me…him or some other . . .'\n\n\"'But surely.. ..' stammered the auctioneer\, searching for some answer. \" 'But surely what?' said the Af rican\, with some humor. 'And if he doesn't suit me?'\n\n\"'My word\, that would be unfortunate\, for everything is finished. . . .'\n\n\"'Well then \, I'll keep my thoughts to myself.'\n\n\"Ten minutes later\, Alfred's new slave stepped into a carriage that set off along the chemin des quepes\, a well-made road that leads out into those delicious fields that surround Saint-Marc like young virgins at the foot of the altar. A somber melanchol y enveloped her soul\, and she began to weep. The driver understood only t oo well what was going on inside her\, and thus made no attempt to distrac t her. But when he saw Alfred's white house appear in the distance\, he in voluntarily leaned down toward the unfortunate girl and\, with a voice ful l of tears\, said to her: 'Sister\, what's your name?'\n\n\"'Laïsa\, ' sh e answered\, without raising her head.\n\n\"At the sound of this name\, th e driver shivered. Then\, gaining control of his emotions\, he asked: 'You r mother?'\n\n\"'She's dead. . . .'\n\n\"'Your father?'\n\n\"'He's dead. . . .'\n\n\"'Poor child\,' he murmured. 'What country are you from\, Laïsa ?'\n\n\"'From Senegal. . . .'\n\n\"Tears rose in his eyes\; she was a fell ow countrywoman.\n\n\"'Sister\,' he said\, wiping his eyes\, 'perhaps you know old Chambo and his daughter. . . .'\n\n\"'Why?' answered the girl\, r aising her head quickly.\n\n\"'Why?' continued the driver\, in obvious dis comfort\, 'well\, old Chambo is my father\, and . . . '\n\n\"'My God\,' cr ied out the orphan\, cutting off the driver before he could finish. 'You a re?'\n\n\"'Jacques Chambo.'\n\n\"'You're my brother!'\n\n \"Laïsa!'\n\n\" They threw themselves into each other's arms. They were still embracing wh en the carriage passed through the main entrance to Alfred's property. The overseer was waiting. . . . 'What's this I see\,' he shouted\, uncoiling an immense whip that he always carried on his belt\; 'Jacques kissing the new arrival before my very eyes. . What impertinence!' With this\, lashes began to fall on the unhappy man\, and spurts of blood leaped from his fac e. \"\n\nSection II\n\"Alfred may have been a decent man\, humane and loya l with his equals\; but you can be certain he was a hard\, cruel man towar d his slaves. I won't tell you everything he did in order to possess Laïs a\; for in the end she was virtually raped. For almost a year\, she shared her master's bed. But Alfred was already beginning to tire of her\; he fo und her ugly\, cold\, and insolent. About this time the poor woman gave bi rth to a boy and gave him the name Georges. Alfred refused to recognize hi m\, drove the mother from his presence\, and relegated her to the most mis erable hut on his lands\, despite the fact that he knew very well\, as wel l as one can\, that he was the child's father.\n\n\"'Georges grew up witho ut ever hearing the name of his father\; and when\, at times\, he attempte d to penetrate the mystery surrounding his birth\, his mother remained inf lexible\, never yielding to his entreaties. On one occasion only\, she sai d to him: 'My son\, you shall learn your name only when you reach twenty-f ive\, for then you will be a man\; you will be better able to guard its se cret. You don't realize that he has forbidden me to speak to you about him and threatens you if I do. . . . And Georges\, don't you see\, this man's hatred would be your death.'\n\n\"'What does that matter\,' Georges shout ed impetuously. 'At least I could reproach him for his unspeakable conduct .'\n\n\"'Hush. . . . Hush\, Georges. The walls have ears and someone will talk\,' moaned the poor mother as she trembled.\"\n\nA few years later thi s unhappy woman died\, leaving to Georges\, her only son\, as his entire i nheritance\, a small leather pouch containing a portrait of the boy's fath er. But she exacted a promise that the pouch not be opened until his twent y-fifth year\; then she kissed him\, and her head fell back onto the pillo w. . . . She was dead. The painful cries that escaped the orphan drew the other slaves around him. . . . They all set to crying\, they beat their ch ests\, they tore their hair in agony. Following these gestures of sufferin g\, they bathed the dead woman's body and laid it out on a kind of long ta ble\, raised on wooden supports. The dead woman is placed on her back\, he r face turned to the East\, dressed in her finest clothing\, with her hand s folded on her chest. At her feet is a bowl filled with holy water\, in w hich a sprig of jasmine is floating\; arid\, finally\, at the four corners of this funereal bed\, the flames of torches rise up. . . . Each of them\ , having blessed the remains of the deceased\, kneels and prays\; for most of the negro races\, despite their fetishism\, have profound faith in the existence of God. When this first ceremony is finished\, another one\, no less singular\, commences. . . . There are shouts\, tears\, songs\, and t hen funeral dances!\"\n\nSection III\n\"Georges had all the talents necess ary for becoming a well-regarded gentleman\; yet he was possessed of a hau ghty\, tenacious\, willful nature\; he had one of those oriental sorts of dispositions\, the kind that\, once pushed far enough from the path of vir tue\, will stride boldly down the path of crime. He would have given ten y ears of his life to know the name of his father\, but he dared not violate the solemn oath he had made to his dying mother. It was as if nature push ed him toward Alfred\; he liked him\, as much as one can like a man\; and Alfred esteemed him\, but with that esteem that the horseman bears for the most handsome and vigorous of his chargers. In those days\, a band of thi eves was spreading desolation through the region\; already several of the settlers had fallen victim to them. One night\, by what chance I know not\ , Georges learned of their plans. They had sworn to murder Alfred. The sla ve ran immediately to his master's side.\n\n\"'Master\, master\,' he shout ed. . . . 'In heaven's name\, follow me.' \"Alfred raised his eyebrows.\n\ "'Please! come\, come\, master\,' the mulatto insisted passionately. \" 'G ood God\,' Alfred replied\, 'I believe you're commanding me.'\n\n\"'Forgiv e me\, master . . . forgive me . . . I'm beside myself . . . I don't know what I'm saying . . . but in heaven's name\, come\, follow me\, because. . . .'\n\n\"'Explain yourself\,' said Alfred\, in an angry tone. . . .\n\n\ "The mulatto hesitated.\n\n\"'At once\; I order you\,' continued Alfred\, as he rose menacingly. \"'Master\, you're to be murdered tonight.'\n\n\"'B y the Virgin\, you're lying. . . .'\n\n\"'Master\, they mean to take your life.'\n\n\"'Who?'\n\n\"'The bandits.'\n\n\"'Who told you this?'\n\n\"'Mas ter\, that's my secret. . . .' said the mulatto in a submissive voice.\n\n \"'Do you have weapons?' rejoined Alfred\, after a moment of silence.\n\n\ "The mulatto pulled back a few of the rags that covered him\, revealing an axe and a pair of pistols.\n\n\"'Good\,' said Alfred\, hastily arming him self.\n\n\"'Master\, are you ready?'\n\n\"'Let's go. . . .'\n\n\"'Let's go \,' repeated the mulatto as he stepped toward the door. \"Alfred held him back by the arm.\n\n\"'But where to?'\n\n\"'To your closest friend\, Monsi eur Arthur.'\n\n\"As they were about to leave the room\, there was a feroc ious pounding at the door.\n\n\"'The devil\,' exclaimed the mulatto\, 'it' s too late. . . .'\n\n\"'What say you?'\n\n\"'They're here\,' replied Geor ges\, pointing at the door. . . .\n\n\"'Master\, what's wrong?'\n\n\"'Noth ing . .. a sudden pain. . . .'\n\n\"'Don't worry\, master\, they'll have t o walk over my body before they get to you\,' said the slave with a calm a nd resigned air.\n\n\"This calm\, this noble devotion\, were calculated to reassure the most cowardly of men. Yet at these last words\, Alfred tremb led even more\, overwhelmed by a horrible thought. He reckoned that George s\, despite his generosity\, was an accomplice of the murderers. Such is t he tyrant: he believes all other men incapable of elevated sentiments or s elfless dedication\, for they must be small-minded\, perfidious souls . . . . Their souls are but uncultivated ground\, where nothing grows but thor ns and weeds. The door shook violently. At this point\, Alfred could no lo nger control his fears\; he had just seen the mulatto smiling\, whether fr om joy or anger he knew not.\n\n\"'Scoundrel!' he shouted\, dashing into t he next room\; 'you're trying to have me murdered\, but your plot will fai l'—upon which he disappeared. Georges bit his lips in rage\, but had no time to think\, for the door flew open and four men stood in the threshold . Like a flash of lightning\, the mulatto drew his pistols and pressed his back to the wall\, crying out in a deep voice:\n\n\"'Wretches! What do yo u want?'\n\n\"'We want to have a talk with you\,' rejoined one of them\, f iring a bullet at Georges from point-blank range.\n\n\"'A fine shot\,' mut tered Georges\, shaking.\n\n\"The bullet had broken his left arm. Georges let off a shot. The brigand whirled three times about and fell stone dead. A second followed instantly. At this point\, like a furious lion tormente d by hunters\, Georges\, with his axe in his fist and his dagger in his te eth\, threw himself upon his adversaries. . . . A hideous struggle ensues. . . . The combatants grapple . . . collide again. . . . they seem bound t ogether. . . . The axe blade glistens. . . . The dagger\, faithful to the hand that guides it\, works its way into the enemy's breast. . . . But nev er a shout\, not a word . . . not a whisper escapes the mouths of these th ree men\, wallowing among the cadavers as if at the heart of some intoxica ting orgy. . . . To see them thus\, pale and blood-spattered\, silent and full of desperation\, one must imagine three phantoms throwing themselves against each other\, tearing themselves to pieces\, in the depths of a gra ve. . . . Meanwhile\, Georges is covered with wounds\; he can barely hold himself up. . . . Oh! the intrepid mulatto has reached his end\; the sever ing axe is lifted above his head... . Suddenly two explosions are heard\, and the two brigands slump to the floor\, blaspheming God as they drop. At the same moment\, Alfred returns\, followed by a young negro. He has the wounded man carried to his hut\, and instructs his doctor to attend to him . Now\, how is it that Georges was saved by the same man who had just accu sed him of treachery? As he ran off\, Alfred heard the sound of a gun\, an d the clash of steel\; blushing at his own cowardice\, he awoke his valet de chambre and flew to the aid of his liberator. Ah\, I've forgotten to te ll you that Georges had a wife\, by the name Zelia\, whom he loved with ev ery fiber of his being\; she was a mulatto about eighteen or twenty years old\, standing very straight and tall\, with black hair and a gaze full of tenderness and love. Georges lay for twelve days somewhere between life a nd death. Alfred visited him often\; and\, driven on by some fateful chanc e\, he became enamored of Zelia. But\, unfortunately for him\, she was not one of these women who sell their favors or use them to pay tribute to th eir master. She repelled Alfred's propositions with humble dignity\; for s he never forgot that this was a master speaking to a slave. Instead of bei ng moved by this display of a virtue that is so rare among women\, above a ll among those who\, like Zelia\, are slaves\, and who\, every day\, see t heir shameless companions prostitute themselves to the colonists\, thereby only feeding more licentiousness\; instead of being moved\, as I said\, A lfred flew into a rage. . What!—him\, the despot\, the Bey\, the Sultan of the Antilles\, being spurned by a slave . . . how ironic! Thus he swore he would possess her. . . . A few days before Georges was recovered\, Alf red summoned Zelia to his chamber. Then\, attending to nothing but his cri minal desires\, he threw his arms around her and planted a burning kiss on her face. The young slave begged\, pleaded\, resisted\; but all in vain. . . . Already he draws her toward the adulterous bed\; already. . . . Then \, the young slave\, filled with a noble indignation\, repulses him with o ne final effort\, but one so sudden\, so powerful\, that Alfred lost his b alance and struck his head as he fell. . . . At this sight\, Zelia began t o tear her hair in despair\, crying tears of rage\; for she understood per fectly\, the unhappy girl\, that death was her fate for having drawn the b lood of a being so vile. After crying for some time\, she left to be at he r husband's side. He must have been dreaming about her\, for there was a s mile on his lips.\n\n\"'Georges . . . Georges. . . .' she cried out in ago ny.\n\n\"The mulatto opened his eyes\; and his first impulse was to smile at the sight of his beloved. Zelia recounted for him everything that had h appened. He didn't want to believe it\, but soon he was convinced of his m isfortune\; for some men entered his hut and tied up his wife while she st ood sobbing. . . . Georges made an effort to rise up\; but\, still weakene d\, he fell back onto his bed\, his eyes haggard\, his hands clenched\, hi s mouth gasping for air.\"\n\nSection IV\n\"Ten days later\, two white cre ole children were playing in the street.\n\n\"'Charles\, 'one said to the other: 'is it true that the mulatto woman who wanted to kill her master is to be hung tomorrow?'\n\n\"'At eight o'clock\,' answered the other.\n\n\" 'Will you go?'\n\n\"'Oh yes\, certainly.'\n\n\"'Won't that be fine\, to se e her pirouetting between the earth and the sky\,' rejoined the first\, la ughing as they walked off.\n\n\"Does it surprise you to hear two children\ , at ten years of age\, conversing so gayly on the death of another? This is\, perhaps\, an inevitable consequence of their education. From their ea rliest days\, they have heard it ceaselessly repeated\, that we were born to serve them\, that we were created to attend to their whims\, and that t hey need have no more or less consideration for us than for a dog. . . . I ndeed\, what is our agony and suffering to them? Have they not\, just as o ften\, seen their best horses die? They don't weep for them\, for they're rich\, and tomorrow they'll buy others.. . . While these two children were speaking\, Georges was at the feet of his master.\n\n\"'Master\, have mer cy . . . mercy. . . .' he cried out\,. weeping. . . . 'Have pity on her . . Master\, pardon her. . . . Oh! yes\, pardon her\, it is in your power . . . oh! speak ... you have only to say the word . . . just one word . . . and she will live.'\n\n\"Alfred made no answer.\n\n\"'Oh! for pity's sake . . . master . . . for pity's sake\, tell me you pardon her . . . oh! spea k . . . answer me\, master . . . won't you pardon her. . . .' The unhappy man was bent double with pain. . . .\n\n\"Alfred remained impassive\, turn ing his head aside. . .\n\n\"'Oh!' continued Georges\, begging\, 'please a nswer . . . just one word . . . please say something\; you see how your si lence is tearing my heart in two . . . it's killing me . . .\n\n\"'There's nothing I can do\,' Alfred finally answered\, in an icy tone.\n\n\"The mu latto dried his tears\, and raised himself to his full height.\n\n\"'Maste r\,' he continued in a hollow voice\, 'do you remember what you said to me \, as I lay twisting in agony on my bed?'\n\n\"'No. . . .'\n\n\"'Well! I c an remember . . . the master said to the slave: you saved my life\; what c an I grant you in return? Do you want your freedom? 'Master\,' answered th e slave\, 'I can never be free\, while my son and my wife are slaves.' To which the master replied: 'If ever you ask me\, I swear that your wishes s hall be granted'\; and the slave did not ask\, for he was content/ that he had saved his master's life . . . but today\, today when he knows that\, in eighteen hours\, his wife will no longer be among the living\, he flies to throw himself at your feet\, and to call out to you: master\, in God's name\, save my wife.' And the mulatto\, his hands clasped\, with a suppli cating gaze\, fell to his knees and began to cry\, his tears falling like rain. . . .\n\n\"Alfred turned his head away. . . .\n\n\" 'Master . . . ma ster . . . for pity\, give me an answer. . . . Oh! say that you want her t o live . . . in God's name . . . in your mother's name . . . mercy . . . h ave mercy upon us. . . .' and the mulatto kissed the dust at his feet.\n\n \"Alfred stood silent.\n\n\"'But speak\, at least\, to this poor man who b egs you\,' he said\, sobbing. \"Alfred said nothing.\n\n\"'My God . . . my God! how miserable I am . . .' and he rolled on the floor\, pulling at hi s hair in torment.\n\n\"Finally\, Alfred decided to speak: 'I have already told you that it is no longer up to me to pardon her.'\n\n\"'Master\,' mu rmured Georges\, still crying\, 'she will probably be condemned\; for only you and I know that she is innocent.'\n\n\"At these words from the mulatt o\, the blood rose to Alfred's face\, and fury to his heart. . . .\n\n\"Ge orges understood that it was no longer time to beg\, for he had raised the veil that covered his master's crime\; thus he stood up resolutely.\n\n\" 'Leave . . . get out\,' Alfred shouted at him.\n\n\"Instead of leaving\, t he mulatto crossed his arms on his chest and\, with a fierce look\, eyed h is master scornfully from head to foot.\n\n\"'Get out! get out\, I say\,' continued Alfred\, more and more angrily.\n\n\"'I'm not leaving\,' answere d Georges.\n\n\"'This is defiance\, you wretch.' He made a motion to strik e him\, but his hand remained at his side\, so full of pride and hatred wa s George's gaze.\n\n\"'What! you can leave her to be killed\, to have her throat cut\, to be murdered\,' said the mulatto\, 'when you know her to be innocent . . . when\, like a coward\, you wanted to seduce her?'\n\n\"'In solent! What are you saying?'\n\n\"'I'm saying that it would be an infamou s deed to let her die. . . .\n\n\"'Georges . . . Georges. . .\n\n\"'I am s aying that you're a scoundrel\,' screamed Georges\, giving full rein to hi s anger\, and seizing Alfred by the arm . . . 'ah! she'll die . . . she wi ll die because she didn't prostitute herself to you . . . because you're w hite ... because you're her master . . . you lying coward.'\n\n\"'Careful\ , Georges\,' replied Alfred\, trying to take a tone of assurance. `Be care ful that instead of one victim tomorrow\, the executioner does not find tw o.'\n\n\"'You talk of victim and executioner\, wretch\,' shouted Georges. . . . 'So that means she dies . . . her . . . my Zelia ... but you should know that her life is linked to your own.'\n\n\"'Georges!'\n\n\"'You shoul d know that your head will remain on your shoulders only so long as she li ves.'\n\n\"'Georges. . . Georges!'\n\n\"'You should know that I will kill you\, that I'll drink your blood\, if even a hair on her head is harmed.'\ n\n\"During all this time\, the mulatto was shaking Alfred with all his st rength.\n\n\"'Let me go\,' cried Alfred.\n\n\"'Ah! she's dying . . . she's dying' . . . the mulatto screamed deliriously. \" 'Georges\, let me go!'\ n\n\"'Shut your mouth . . . shut it\, you scoundrel . . . ah! she's dying . . . well then\, should the executioner put an end to my wife . . .' he c ontinued with a hideous smile.\n\n\"Alfred was so agitated he didn't even know that Georges had left. He went directly to his hut\, where his child of two years was sleeping in a light cradle made from lianas\; taking up t he child\, he slipped away. In order to understand what follows\, you must know that there was only a small river to cross from Alfred's home before one arrives in the midst of those thick forests that seem to hold the new world in their arms.\n\n\"For six long hours\, Georges walked without a r est\; at last he stopped\, a few steps from a hut built in the deepest hea rt of the forest\; you'll understand the joy that shone in his eyes when y ou realize that this tiny hut\, isolated as it is\, is the camp of the Mar oons\; that is\, of slaves who have fled the tyranny of their masters. At this moment the hut was filled with murmurs\; for a rustling had been hear d in the forest\, and the leader\, swearing that the noise was not that of any animal\, had taken his rifle and gone out. . . . Suddenly the underbr ush parted before him and he found himself face to face with a stranger.\n \n\"'By my freedom\,' he cried\, looking over the newcomer\, 'you found ou r recess all too easily.'\n\n\"'Africa and freedom\,' Georges replied calm ly\, as he pushed aside the barrel of the rifle. . . . I'm one of you.'\n\ n\"'Your name.'\n\n\"'Georges\, slave of Alfred.'\n\n\"They shook hands an d embraced.\n\n\"The next day the crowd clamored round a scaffold\, from w hich hung the body of a young mulatto woman. . . . When she had expired\, the executioner let her corpse down into a pine coffin and\, ten minutes l ater\, body and coffin were thrown into a ditch that was opened at the edg e of the forest.\n\n\"Thus this woman\, for having been too virtuous\, die d the kind of death meted out to the vilest criminal. Would this alone not suffice to render the gentlest of men dangerous and bloodthirsty?\"\n\nSe ction V\n\"Three years had passed since the death of the virtuous Zelia. F or a time\, Alfred was in extreme torment\; by day\, he seemed to see a ve ngeful hand descending toward his head\; he trembled at night because the darkness brought him hideous\, frightful dreams. Soon\, however\, he banis hed from his thoughts both the painful memory of the martyr and the terrib le threat Georges had made\; he married and became a father. . . . Oh! how gratified he felt\, when he was told that his prayers were answered\, he who had humbly kissed the church floor each evening\, beseeching the Virgi n of Sorrows to grant him a son.\n\n\"For Georges also\, there was happine ss in this child's arrival. For if he had hoped for three years without at tempting to strike back at his wife's executioner\; if he had lain sleeple ss so many nights\, with fury in his heart and a hand on his dagger\, it w as because he was waiting for Alfred to find himself\, like Georges\, with a wife and a son. It was because he wished to kill him only when dear and precious bonds linked him to this world. . . . Georges had always maintai ned close ties with one of Alfred's slaves\; indeed\, he visited him each week\; and that slave had never given Georges any news more important than that of the newborn's arrival. . . . He immediately set out for the house of his enemy. On his way he met a negress who was bringing a cup of broth to Madame Alfred\; he stopped her\, exchanged a few insignificant words\, and went on. . . . After many difficulties\, he managed to slip his way\, like a snake\, into Alfred's rooms\; once there\, hidden in the space bet ween the bed and the wall\, he awaited his master. . . . A moment later\, Alfred entered the room\, humming a tune\; he opened his secretary and too k out a superb jewel box\, set with diamonds\, that he had promised his wi fe\, should she give him a son\; but\, filled with joy and happiness\, he sat down and put his head between his hands\, like a man who can't believe his unexpected good fortune. Then\, on raising his head\, he saw before h im a kind of motionless shadow\, with arms crossed on its breast and two b urning eyes that possessed all the ferocity of a tiger preparing to tear i ts prey to pieces. Alfred made a motion to stand\, but a powerful arm held him down in his chair.\n\n\"'What do you want with me\,' Alfred whispered \, in a trembling voice. \"'To compliment you on the birth of your child\, ' answered a voice that seemed to emerge from the tomb.\n\n\"Alfred shook from head to toe\, his hair stood on end\, and a cold sweat poured over hi s limbs.\n\n\"'I don't know you\,' Alfred muttered weakly. . . .\n\n\"'Geo rges is the name.'\n\n\"'You. . .\n\n\"'You thought I was dead\, I suppose \,' said the mulatto with a convulsive laugh.\n\n\"'Help . . . help\,' cri ed Alfred.\n\n\"'Who will help you\,' rejoined the mulatto . . . haven't y ou dismissed your servants\, haven't you closed your doors\, to be alone w ith your wife . . . so you see\, your cries are useless . . . you should c ommend your soul to God.'\n\n\"Alfred had begun to rise from his chair\, b ut at these last words he fell back\, pale and trembling.\n\n\"'Oh! have p ity\, Georges ... don't kill me\, not today.'\n\n\"Georges shrugged his sh oulders. 'Master\, isn't it horrible to die when you're happy\; to lie dow n in the grave at the moment you see your fondest dreams coming true . . . oh! it's horrible\, isn't it\,' said the mulatto with an infernal laugh. . . .\n\n\"'Mercy\, Georges. . .\n\n\"'And yet\,' he continued\, 'such is your destiny . . . you shall die today\, this hour\, this minute\, without giving your wife your last farewell. . . \" 'Have pity . . . pity. . .'\n \n\"'Without kissing your newborn son a second time. . .\n\n\"'Oh! mercy . . . mercy.'\n\n\"'I think my vengeance is worthy of your own . . . I woul d have sold my soul to the Devil\, had he promised me this moment.'\n\n\"' Oh! mercy . . . please take pity on me\,' said Alfred\, throwing himself a t the feet of the mulatto.\n\n\"Georges shrugged his shoulders and raised his axe.\n\n\"'Oh! one more hour of life!'\n\n\"'To embrace your wife\, is that it?'\n\n\"'One minute. . . .'\n\n\"'To see your son again\, right?'\ n\n\"'Oh! have pity. . . .'\n\n\"'You might as well plead with the starvin g tiger to let go his prey.'\n\n\"'In God's name\, Georges.'\n\n\"'I don't believe in that any longer.'\n\n\"'In the name of your father. . . .'\n\n \"At this\, Georges's fury subsided.\n\n\"'My father . . . my father\,' re peated the mulatto\, tears in his eyes. `Do you know him . . . oh! tell me his name. . . . What's his name . . . oh! tell me\, tell me his name . . . I'll pardon you . . . I'll bless you.'\n\n\"And the mulatto nearly fell on his knees before his master. But suddenly\, sharp cries were heard. . . \n\n\"'Good heavens ... that's my wife's voice\,' cried Alfred\, dashing t oward the sounds. . . .\n\n\"As if he were coming back to his senses\, the mulatto remembered that he had come to the house of his master\, not to l earn the name of his father\, but to settle accounts with him for his wife 's blood. Holding Alfred back\, he told him with a hideous grin: 'Hold on\ , master\; it's nothing.'\n\n\"'Jesus and Mary ... don't you hear her call ing for help.'\n\n\"'It's nothing\, I tell you.'\n\n\"'Let me go . . . let me go . . . it's my wife's voice.'\n\n\"'No\, it's the gasps of a dying w oman.'\n\n\"'Wretch\, you're lying. . . .'\n\n\"'I poisoned her. . . .'\n\ n\"'Oh!'\n\n\"'Do you hear those cries . . . they're hers.'\n\n\"'The Devi l. . . .'\n\n\"'Do you hear those screams . . . they're hers.'\n\n\"'A cur se. . . .'\n\n\"During all this time\, Alfred had been trying to shake fre e of the mulatto's grip\; but he held him fast\, tighter and tighter. As h e did\, his head rose higher\, his heart beat fiercely\, he steadied himse lf for his awful task.\n\n\"'Alfred . . . help . . . water . . . I'm suffo cating\,' shouted a woman\, as she threw herself into the middle of the ro om. She was pale and disheveled\, her eyes were starting out of her head\, her hair was in wild disarray.\n\n\"'Alfred\, Alfred . . . for heaven's s ake\, help me . . . some water . . . I need water . . . my blood is boilin g . . . my heart is twitching . . . oh! water\, water. . .'\n\n\"Alfred st ruggled mightily to help her\, but Georges held him fast with an iron hand . Laughing like one of the damned\, he cried out: 'No\, master . . . I'm a fraid not . . . I want your wife to die ... right there. . . before your e yes . . . right in front of you . . . do you understand\, master\; right i n front of you\, asking you for water\, for air\, while you can do nothing to help her.'\n\n\"'Damnation . . . may you be damned\,' howled Alfred\, as he struggled like a madman.\n\n\"'You can curse and blaspheme all you w ant\,' answered the mulatto . . . 'this is the way it's going to be. . .'\ n\n\"'Alfred\,' the dying woman moaned again\, 'good-bye . . . good-bye . I'm dying. . .\n\n\"'Look well\,' responded the mulatto\, still laughing. . . . 'Look . . . she's gasping . . . goodness! a single drop of this wate r would restore her to life.' He showed him a small vial.\n\n\"'My entire fortune for that drop of water. . . .' cried Alfred.\n\n\"'Have you gone m ad\, master. . .'\n\n\"'Ah! that water . . . that water . . . don't you se e she's dying . . . give it to me . . . please give it to me. . .'\n\n\"'H ere . . .' and the mulatto flung the vial against the wall.\n\n\"'Accursed \,' screamed Alfred\, seizing Georges by the neck. 'Oh! my entire life\, m y soul\, for a dagger. . .'\n\n\"Georges released Alfred's hands.\n\n\"'No w that she's dead\, it's your turn\, master\,' he said as he lifted his ax e.\n\n\"'Strike\, executioner . . . strike . . . after poisoning her\, you might as well kill your own fa—.' The ax fell\, and Alfred's head rolle d across the floor\, but\, as it rolled\, the head distinctly pronounced t he final syllable\, '-ther . . . ' Georges at first believed he had mishea rd\, but the word father\, like a funeral knell\, rang in his ears. To be certain\, he opened the fateful pouch. . . . 'Ah!' he cried out\, 'I'm cur sed. . . .' An explosion was heard\; and the next day\, near the corpse of Alfred\, was discovered the corpse of the unhappy Georges. . . .\"\n\n183 7\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n BIBLIOGRAPHY- recommended resources\n\n\n\n Text\nBon ner\, Thomas. \"Victor Séjour (Juan Victor Séjour Marcou et Ferrand).\" In Afro-American Writers Before the Harlem Renaissance\, edited by Trudier Harris and Thadious M. Davis\, 237–241. Detroit: Gale\, 1986. (Dictiona ry of Literary Biography\, vol. 50)\n\nBrickhouse\, Anna. Transamerican Li terary Relations and the Nineteenth-Century Public Sphere. Cambridge\, UK\ ; New York: Cambridge University Press\, 2004.\n\nBrown\, William Wells. C lotel\; or\, The President’s Daughter. New York: Penguin\, 2003. (Origin ally published in 1853.)\n\nChesnutt\, Charles W. \"The Goophered Grapevin e.\" Charles W. Chesnutt: Selected Writing. Ed. SallyAnn H. Ferguson. Bost on: Houghton Mifflin\, 2001: 118–28.\n\nDaut\, Marlene. \"'Sons of White Fathers': Mulatto Vengeance and the Haitian Revolution in Victor Sejour's 'The Mulatto.'\" Nineteenth-Century Literature 65\, no. 1 (2010): 1–37. \n\nDayan\, Joan. Haiti\, History and the Gods. Berkeley: University of Ca lifornia Press\, 1995.\n\nDessens\, Nathalie. From Saint-Domingue to New O rleans: Migration and Influences. Gainesville: University Press of Florida \, 2007.\n\nFiehrer\, Thomas Marc. \"The African Presence in Colonial Loui siana: An Essay on the Continuity of Caribbean Culture.\" In Louisiana's B lack Heritage\, edited by Robert R. MacDonald\, John R. Kemp\, and Edward F. Haas. New Orleans: Louisiana State Museum\, 1979: 3–31.\n\nGeggus\, D avid Patrick. The Impact of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press\, 2001.\n\nHandley\, George B . \"A New World of Oblivion.\" In Look Away! The U. S. South in New World Studies\, edited by Jon Smith and Deborah Cohn. Durham: Duke University Pr ess\, 2004: 25–51.\n\nLowe\, John Wharton. Calypso Magnolia: The Crosscu rrents of Caribbean and Southern Literature. Chapel Hill: University of No rth Carolina Press\, 2016.\n\nO'Neill\, Charles E. Séjour: Parisian Playw right from Louisiana. Lafayette\, LA: Center for Louisiana Studies\, 1995. \n\nPiacentino\, Edward J. \"Slavery through the White-Tinted Lens of an E mbedded Black Narrator: Sejour's 'The Mulatto' and Chesnutt's 'Dave's Neck liss' as Intertexts.\" Southern Literary Journal 44\, no. 1 (2011): 121– 143.\n\nSéjour\, Victor. \"The Mulatto.\" Translated by Philip Barnard. I n The Norton Anthology of African American Literature\, 2nd Edition\, edit ed by Henry Louis Gates\, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton\, 2004 : 353–65. (Originally published as: \"Le Mulâtre.\" La Revue des Coloni es 3 (1837): 376–392.)\n\nSmith\, Jon and Deborah Cohn. \"Introduction: Uncanny Hybridities.\" In Look Away! The U.S. South in New World Studies\, edited by John Smith and Deborah Cohn. Durham: Duke University Press\, 20 04.\n\nSpillers\, Hortense J. \"Mama's Baby\, Papa's Maybe: An American Gr ammar Book.\" Diacritics 17 no. 2 (1987): 64–81.\n\nWilliams\, Linda. Pl aying the Race Card: Melodramas in Black and White\, From Uncle Tom to O. J. Simpson. Princeton: Princeton University Press\, 2001.\n\nYellin\, Jean Fagan. Women &\; Sisters: The Antislavery Feminists in American Cultur e. New Haven: Yale University Press\, 1989\n\nWeb\nBob Corbett. \"The Hait ian Revolution of 1791–1803: An Historical Essay in Four Parts.\" Webste r University. http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/history/revolution/re volution1.htm.\n\nJohn R. Nemmers. A Guide to the Slavery and Plantations in Saint Domingue Collection. 2004. University of Florida Smathers Librari es. http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/manuscript/guides/stdomingue.htm.\n\nHai tian Immigration: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. http://www.inmotion aame.org/print.cfm?migration=5&\;bhcp=1.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://southernspaces.org/2007/seeds-rebellion-plantation-fiction-victor -sejours-mulatto/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251227 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Clotel\; or\, The President's Daughter: A Narrative of Slave Life in the United States by William Well Brown DTSTAMP:20250724T013419Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:413-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Clotel\; or\, The President's Daughter: A Narrative of Sl ave Life in the United States is an 1853 novel by United States author and playwright William Wells Brown about Clotel and her sister\, fictional sl ave daughters of Thomas Jefferson.\n\n\n\n full text\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/blogs/entry/346-clotel-from-william-wells-brown/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n The Project Gutenberg eBook of Clotel\; Or\, The President's Daughter\nT his ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatso ever. You may copy it\, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the P roject Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenbe rg.org. If you are not located in the United States\, you will have to che ck the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.\ nTitle: Clotel\; Or\, The President's Daughter\n\nAuthor: William Wells Br own\n\nRelease date: January 1\, 2000 [eBook #2046]\nMost recently updated : April 3\, 2015\n\nLanguage: English\n\n*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBER G EBOOK CLOTEL\; OR\, THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER ***\nCLOTEL\;\nOR\,\nTHE PR ESIDENT'S DAUGHTER.\nPREFACE\nMORE than two hundred years have elapsed sin ce the first cargo of slaves was landed on the banks of the James River\, in the colony of Virginia\, from the West coast of Africa. From the introd uction of slaves in 1620\, down to the period of the separation of the Col onies from the British Crown\, the number had increased to five hundred th ousand\; now there are nearly four million. In fifteen of the thirty-one S tates\, Slavery is made lawful by the Constitution\, which binds the sever al States into one confederacy.\n\nOn every foot of soil\, over which Star s and Stripes wave\, the Negro is considered common property\, on which an y white man may lay his hand with perfect impunity. The entire white popul ation of the United States\, North and South\, are bound by their oath to the constitution\, and their adhesion to the Fugitive Slaver Law\, to hunt down the runaway slave and return him to his claimant\, and to suppress a ny effort that may be made by the slaves to gain their freedom by physical force. Twenty-five millions of whites have banded themselves in solemn co nclave to keep four millions of blacks in their chains. In all grades of s ociety are to be found men who either hold\, buy\, or sell slaves\, from t he statesmen and doctors of divinity\, who can own their hundreds\, down t o the person who can purchase but one.\n\nWere it not for persons in high places owning slaves\, and thereby giving the system a reputation\, and es pecially professed Christians\, Slavery would long since have been abolish ed. The influence of the great \"honours the corruption\, and chastisement doth therefore hide his head.\" The great aim of the true friends of the slave should be to lay bare the institution\, so that the gaze of the worl d may be upon it\, and cause the wise\, the prudent\, and the pious to wit hdraw their support from it\, and leave it to its own fate. It does the ca use of emancipation but little good to cry out in tones of execration agai nst the traders\, the kidnappers\, the hireling overseers\, and brutal dri vers\, so long as nothing is said to fasten the guilt on those who move in a higher circle.\n\nThe fact that slavery was introduced into the America n colonies\, while they were under the control of the British Crown\, is a sufficient reason why Englishmen should feel a lively interest in its abo lition\; and now that the genius of mechanical invention has brought the t wo countries so near together\, and both having one language and one liter ature\, the influence of British public opinion is very great on the peopl e of the New World.\n\nIf the incidents set forth in the following pages s hould add anything new to the information already given to the Public thro ugh similar publications\, and should thereby aid in bringing British infl uence to bear upon American slavery\, the main object for which this work was written will have been accomplished.\n\nW. WELLS BROWN\n22\, Cecil Str eet\, Strand\, London.\n\nCONTENTS.\nMEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR\nTHE NEGRO SALE\ nGOING TO THE SOUTH\nTHE NEGRO CHASE\nTHE QUADROON'S HOME\nTHE SLAVE MASTE R\nTHE RELIGIOUS TEACHER\nTHE POOR WHITES\, SOUTH\nTHE SEPARATION\nTHE MAN OP HONOUR\nTHE YOUNG CHRISTIAN\nTHE PARSON POET\nA NIGHT IN THE PARSON'S KITCHEN\nA SLAVE HUNT\nA FREE WOMAN REDUCED TO SLAVERY\nTO-DAY A MISTRESS\ , TO-MORROW A SLAVE\nDEATH OF THE PARSON\nRETALIATION\nTHE LIBERATOR\nESCA PE OF CLOTEL\nA TRUE DEMOCRAT\nTHE CHRISTIAN'S DEATH\nA RIDE IN A STAGE CO ACH\nTRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION\nDEATH IS FREEDOM\nTHE ESCAPE\nTHE MYSTER Y\nTHE HAPPY MEETING\nCONCLUSION\nCHAPTER I\nTHE NEGRO SALE\n\"Why stands she near the auction stand\,\n That girl so young and fair?\nWhat brings her to this dismal place\,\n Why stands she weeping there?\"\n\nWITH th e growing population of slaves in the Southern States of America\, there i s a fearful increase of half whites\, most of whose fathers are slaveowner s and their mothers slaves. Society does not frown upon the man who sits w ith his mulatto child upon his knee\, whilst its mother stands a slave beh ind his chair. The late Henry Clay\, some years since\, predicted that the abolition of Negro slavery would be brought about by the amalgamation of the races. John Randolph\, a distinguished slaveholder of Virginia\, and a prominent statesman\, said in a speech in the legislature of his native s tate\, that \"the blood of the first American statesmen coursed through th e veins of the slave of the South.\" In all the cities and towns of the sl ave states\, the real Negro\, or clear black\, does not amount to more tha n one in every four of the slave population. This fact is\, of itself\, th e best evidence of the degraded and immoral condition of the relation of m aster and slave in the United States of America. In all the slave states\, the law says:—\"Slaves shall be deemed\, sold [held]\, taken\, reputed\ , and adjudged in law to be chattels personal in the hands of their owners and possessors\, and their executors\, administrators and assigns\, to al l intents\, constructions\, and purposes whatsoever. A slave is one who is in the power of a master to whom he belongs. The master may sell him\, di spose of his person\, his industry\, and his labour. He can do nothing\, p ossess nothing\, nor acquire anything\, but what must belong to his master . The slave is entirely subject to the will of his master\, who may correc t and chastise him\, though not with unusual rigour\, or so as to maim and mutilate him\, or expose him to the danger of loss of life\, or to cause his death. The slave\, to remain a slave\, must be sensible that there is no appeal from his master.\" Where the slave is placed by law entirely und er the control of the man who claims him\, body and soul\, as property\, w hat else could be expected than the most depraved social condition? The ma rriage relation\, the oldest and most sacred institution given to man by h is Creator\, is unknown and unrecognised in the slave laws of the United S tates. Would that we could say\, that the moral and religious teaching in the slave states were better than the laws\; but\, alas! we cannot. A few years since\, some slaveholders became a little uneasy in their minds abou t the rightfulness of permitting slaves to take to themselves husbands and wives\, while they still had others living\, and applied to their religio us teachers for advice\; and the following will show how this grave and im portant subject was treated:—\n\n\"Is a servant\, whose husband or wife has been sold by his or her master into a distant country\, to be permitte d to marry again?\"\n\nThe query was referred to a committee\, who made th e following report\; which\, after discussion\, was adopted:—\n\n\"That\ , in view of the circumstances in which servants in this country are place d\, the committee are unanimous in the opinion\, that it is better to perm it servants thus circumstanced to take another husband or wife.\"\n\nSuch was the answer from a committee of the \"Shiloh Baptist Association\;\" an d instead of receiving light\, those who asked the question were plunged i nto deeper darkness! A similar question was put to the \"Savannah River As sociation\,\" and the answer\, as the following will show\, did not materi ally differ from the one we have already given:—\n\n\"Whether\, in a cas e of involuntary separation\, of such a character as to preclude all prosp ect of future intercourse\, the parties ought to be allowed to marry again .\"\n\nAnswer:—\n\n\"That such separation among persons situated as our slaves are\, is civilly a separation by death\; and they believe that\, in the sight of God\, it would be so viewed. To forbid second marriages in s uch cases would be to expose the parties\, not only to stronger hardships and strong temptation\, but to church-censure for acting in obedience to t heir masters\, who cannot be expected to acquiesce in a regulation at vari ance with justice to the slaves\, and to the spirit of that command which regulates marriage among Christians. The slaves are not free agents\; and a dissolution by death is not more entirely without their consent\, and be yond their control than by such separation.\"\n\nAlthough marriage\, as th e above indicates\, is a matter which the slaveholders do not think is of any importance\, or of any binding force with their slaves\; yet it would be doing that degraded class an injustice\, not to acknowledge that many o f them do regard it as a sacred obligation\, and show a willingness to obe y the commands of God on this subject. Marriage is\, indeed\, the first an d most important institution of human existence—the foundation of all ci vilisation and culture—the root of church and state. It is the most inti mate covenant of heart formed among mankind\; and for many persons the onl y relation in which they feel the true sentiments of humanity. It gives sc ope for every human virtue\, since each of these is developed from the lov e and confidence which here predominate. It unites all which ennobles and beautifies life\,—sympathy\, kindness of will and deed\, gratitude\, dev otion\, and every delicate\, intimate feeling. As the only asylum for true education\, it is the first and last sanctuary of human culture. As husba nd and wife\, through each other become conscious of complete humanity\, a nd every human feeling\, and every human virtue\; so children\, at their f irst awakening in the fond covenant of love between parents\, both of whom are tenderly concerned for the same object\, find an image of complete hu manity leagued in free love. The spirit of love which prevails between the m acts with creative power upon the young mind\, and awakens every germ of goodness within it. This invisible and incalculable influence of parental life acts more upon the child than all the efforts of education\, whether by means of instruction\, precept\, or exhortation. If this be a true pic ture of the vast influence for good of the institution of marriage\, what must be the moral degradation of that people to whom marriage is denied? N ot content with depriving them of all the higher and holier enjoyments of this relation\, by degrading and darkening their souls\, the slaveholder d enies to his victim even that slight alleviation of his misery\, which wou ld result from the marriage relation being protected by law and public opi nion. Such is the influence of slavery in the United States\, that the min isters of religion\, even in the so-called free states\, are the mere echo es\, instead of the correctors\, of public sentiment. We have thought it a dvisable to show that the present system of chattel slavery in America und ermines the entire social condition of man\, so as to prepare the reader f or the following narrative of slave life\, in that otherwise happy and pro sperous country.\n\nIn all the large towns in the Southern States\, there is a class of slaves who are permitted to hire their time of their owners\ , and for which they pay a high price. These are mulatto women\, or quadro ons\, as they are familiarly known\, and are distinguished for their fasci nating beauty. The handsomest usually pays the highest price for her time. Many of these women are the favourites of persons who furnish them with t he means of paying their owners\, and not a few are dressed in the most ex travagant manner. Reader\, when you take into consideration the fact\, tha t amongst the slave population no safeguard is thrown around virtue\, and no inducement held out to slave women to be chaste\, you will not be surpr ised when we tell you that immorality and vice pervade the cities of the S outhern States in a manner unknown in the cities and towns of the Northern States. Indeed most of the slave women have no higher aspiration than tha t of becoming the finely-dressed mistress of some white man. And at Negro balls and parties\, this class of women usually cut the greatest figure.\n \nAt the close of the year\, the following advertisement appeared in a new spaper published in Richmond\, the capital of the state of Virginia:—\"N otice: Thirty-eight Negroes will be offered for sale on Monday\, November 10th\, at twelve o'clock\, being the entire stock of the late John Graves\ , Esq. The Negroes are in good condition\, some of them very prime\; among them are several mechanics\, able-bodied field hands\, ploughboys\, and w omen with children at the breast\, and some of them very prolific in their generating qualities\, affording a rare opportunity to any one who wishes to raise a strong and healthy lot of servants for their own use. Also sev eral mulatto girls of rare personal qualities: two of them very superior. Any gentleman or lady wishing to purchase\, can take any of the above slav es on trial for a week\, for which no charge will be made.\" Amongst the a bove slaves to be sold were Currer and her two daughters\, Clotel and Alth esa\; the latter were the girls spoken of in the advertisement as \"very s uperior.\" Currer was a bright mulatto\, and of prepossessing appearance\, though then nearly forty years of age. She had hired her time for more th an twenty years\, during which time she had lived in Richmond. In her youn ger days Currer had been the housekeeper of a young slaveholder\; but of l ater years had been a laundress or washerwoman\, and was considered to be a woman of great taste in getting up linen. The gentleman for whom she had kept house was Thomas Jefferson\, by whom she had two daughters. Jefferso n being called to Washington to fill a government appointment\, Currer was left behind\, and thus she took herself to the business of washing\, by w hich means she paid her master\, Mr. Graves\, and supported herself and tw o children. At the time of the decease of her master\, Currer's daughters\ , Clotel and Althesa\, were aged respectively sixteen and fourteen years\, and both\, like most of their own sex in America\, were well grown. Curre r early resolved to bring her daughters up as ladies\, as she termed it\, and therefore imposed little or no work upon them. As her daughters grew o lder\, Currer had to pay a stipulated price for them\; yet her notoriety a s a laundress of the first class enabled her to put an extra price upon he r charges\, and thus she and her daughters lived in comparative luxury. To bring up Clotel and Althesa to attract attention\, and especially at ball s and parties\, was the great aim of Currer. Although the term \"Negro bal l\" is applied to most of these gatherings\, yet a majority of the attenda nts are often whites. Nearly all the Negro parties in the cities and towns of the Southern States are made up of quadroon and mulatto girls\, and wh ite men. These are democratic gatherings\, where gentlemen\, shopkeepers\, and their clerks\, all appear upon terms of perfect equality. And there i s a degree of gentility and decorum in these companies that is not surpass ed by similar gatherings of white people in the Slave States. It was at on e of these parties that Horatio Green\, the son of a wealthy gentleman of Richmond\, was first introduced to Clotel. The young man had just returned from college\, and was in his twenty-second year. Clotel was sixteen\, an d was admitted by all to be the most beautiful girl\, coloured or white\, in the city. So attentive was the young man to the quadroon during the eve ning that it was noticed by all\, and became a matter of general conversat ion\; while Currer appeared delighted beyond measure at her daughter's con quest. From that evening\, young Green became the favourite visitor at Cur rer's house. He soon promised to purchase Clotel\, as speedily as it could be effected\, and make her mistress of her own dwelling\; and Currer look ed forward with pride to the time when she should see her daughter emancip ated and free. It was a beautiful moonlight night in August\, when all who reside in tropical climes are eagerly gasping for a breath of fresh air\, that Horatio Green was seated in the small garden behind Currer's cottage \, with the object of his affections by his side. And it was here that Hor atio drew from his pocket the newspaper\, wet from the press\, and read th e advertisement for the sale of the slaves to which we have alluded\; Curr er and her two daughters being of the number. At the close of the evening' s visit\, and as the young man was leaving\, he said to the girl\, \"You s hall soon be free and your own mistress.\"\n\nAs might have been expected\ , the day of sale brought an unusual large number together to compete for the property to be sold. Farmers who make a business of raising slaves for the market were there\; slave-traders and speculators were also numerousl y represented\; and in the midst of this throng was one who felt a deeper interest in the result of the sale than any other of the bystanders\; this was young Green. True to his promise\, he was there with a blank bank che ck in his pocket\, awaiting with impatience to enter the list as a bidder for the beautiful slave. The less valuable slaves were first placed upon t he auction block\, one after another\, and sold to the highest bidder. Hus bands and wives were separated with a degree of indifference that is unkno wn in any other relation of life\, except that of slavery. Brothers and si sters were torn from each other\; and mothers saw their children leave the m for the last time on this earth.\n\nIt was late in the day\, when the gr eatest number of persons were thought to be present\, that Currer and her daughters were brought forward to the place of sale.—Currer was first or dered to ascend the auction stand\, which she did with a trembling step. T he slave mother was sold to a trader. Althesa\, the youngest\, and who was scarcely less beautiful than her sister\, was sold to the same trader for one thousand dollars. Clotel was the last\, and\, as was expected\, comma nded a higher price than any that had been offered for sale that day. The appearance of Clotel on the auction block created a deep sensation amongst the crowd. There she stood\, with a complexion as white as most of those who were waiting with a wish to become her purchasers\; her features as fi nely defined as any of her sex of pure Anglo-Saxon\; her long black wavy h air done up in the neatest manner\; her form tall and graceful\, and her w hole appearance indicating one superior to her position. The auctioneer co mmenced by saying\, that \"Miss Clotel had been reserved for the last\, be cause she was the most valuable. How much\, gentlemen? Real Albino\, fit f or a fancy girl for any one. She enjoys good health\, and has a sweet temp er. How much do you say?\" \"Five hundred dollars.\" \"Only five hundred f or such a girl as this? Gentlemen\, she is worth a deal more than that sum \; you certainly don't know the value of the article you are bidding upon. Here\, gentlemen\, I hold in my hand a paper certifying that she has a go od moral character.\" \"Seven hundred.\" \"Ah\; gentlemen\, that is someth ing like. This paper also states that she is very intelligent.\" \"Eight h undred.\" \"She is a devoted Christian\, and perfectly trustworthy.\" \"Ni ne hundred.\" \"Nine fifty.\" \"Ten.\" \"Eleven.\" \"Twelve hundred.\" Her e the sale came to a dead stand. The auctioneer stopped\, looked around\, and began in a rough manner to relate some anecdotes relative to the sale of slaves\, which\, he said\, had come under his own observation. At this juncture the scene was indeed strange. Laughing\, joking\, swearing\, smok ing\, spitting\, and talking kept up a continual hum and noise amongst the crowd\; while the slave-girl stood with tears in her eyes\, at one time l ooking towards her mother and sister\, and at another towards the young ma n whom she hoped would become her purchaser. \"The chastity of this girl i s pure\; she has never been from under her mother's care\; she is a virtuo us creature.\" \"Thirteen.\" \"Fourteen.\" \"Fifteen.\" \"Fifteen hundred dollars\,\" cried the auctioneer\, and the maiden was struck for that sum. This was a Southern auction\, at which the bones\, muscles\, sinews\, blo od\, and nerves of a young lady of sixteen were sold for five hundred doll ars\; her moral character for two hundred\; her improved intellect for one hundred\; her Christianity for three hundred\; and her chastity and virtu e for four hundred dollars more. And this\, too\, in a city thronged with churches\, whose tall spires look like so many signals pointing to heaven\ , and whose ministers preach that slavery is a God-ordained institution! W hat words can tell the inhumanity\, the atrocity\, and the immorality of t hat doctrine which\, from exalted office\, commends such a crime to the fa vour of enlightened and Christian people? What indignation from all the wo rld is not due to the government and people who put forth all their streng th and power to keep in existence such an institution? Nature abhors it\; the age repels it\; and Christianity needs all her meekness to forgive it. Clotel was sold for fifteen hundred dollars\, but her purchaser was Horat io Green. Thus closed a Negro sale\, at which two daughters of Thomas Jeff erson\, the writer of the Declaration of American Independence\, and one o f the presidents of the great republic\, were disposed of to the highest b idder!\n\n \"O God! my every heart-string cries\,\n Dost thou thes e scenes behold\n In this our boasted Christian land\,\n And must the truth be told?\n\n \"Blush\, Christian\, blush! for e'en the dark\ ,\n Untutored heathen see\n Thy inconsistency\; and\, lo!\n Th ey scorn thy God\, and thee!\"\n\nCHAPTER II\nGOING TO THE SOUTH\n \"My country\, shall thy honoured name\,\n Be as a bye-word through the wo rld?\n Rouse! for\, as if to blast thy fame\,\n This keen reproach is at thee hurled\;\n The banner that above the waves\,\n Is float ing o'er three million slaves.\"\n\nDICK WALKER\, the slave speculator\, w ho had purchased Currer and Althesa\, put them in prison until his gang wa s made up\, and then\, with his forty slaves\, started for the New Orleans market. As many of the slaves had been brought up in Richmond\, and had r elations residing there\, the slave trader determined to leave the city ea rly in the morning\, so as not to witness any of those scenes so common wh ere slaves are separated from their relatives and friends\, when about dep arting for the Southern market. This plan was successful\; for not even Cl otel\, who had been every day at the prison to see her mother and sister\, knew of their departure. A march of eight days through the interior of th e state\, and they arrived on the banks of the Ohio river\, where they wer e all put on board a steamer\, and then speedily sailed for the place of t heir destination.\n\nWalker had already advertised in the New Orleans pape rs\, that he would be there at a stated time with \"a prime lot of able bo died slaves ready for field service\; together with a few extra ones\, bet ween the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.\" But\, like most who make a bus iness of buying and selling slaves for gain\, he often bought some who wer e far advanced in years\, and would always try to sell them for five or te n years younger than they actually were. Few persons can arrive at anythin g like the age of a Negro\, by mere observation\, unless they are well acq uainted with the race. Therefore the slave-trader very frequently carried out this deception with perfect impunity. After the steamer had left the w harf\, and was fairly on the bosom of the Father of Waters\, Walker called his servant Pompey to him\, and instructed him as to \"getting the Negroe s ready for market.\" Amongst the forty Negroes were several whose appeara nce indicated that they had seen some years\, and had gone through some se rvices. Their grey hair and whiskers at once pronounced them to be above t he ages set down in the trader's advertisement. Pompey had long been with the trader\, and knew his business\; and if he did not take delight in dis charging his duty\, he did it with a degree of alacrity\, so that he might receive the approbation of his master. \"Pomp\,\" as Walker usually calle d him\, was of real Negro blood\, and would often say\, when alluding to h imself\, \"Dis nigger is no countefit\; he is de genewine artekil.\" Pompe y was of low stature\, round face\, and\, like most of his race\, had a se t of teeth\, which for whiteness and beauty could not be surpassed\; his e yes large\, lips thick\, and hair short and woolly. Pompey had been with W alker so long\, and had seen so much of the buying and selling of slaves\, that he appeared perfectly indifferent to the heartrending scenes which d aily occurred in his presence. It was on the second day of the steamer's v oyage that Pompey selected five of the old slaves\, took them in a room by themselves\, and commenced preparing them for the market. \"Well\,\" said Pompey\, addressing himself to the company\, \"I is de gentman dat is to get you ready\, so dat you will bring marser a good price in de Orleans ma rket. How old is you?\" addressing himself to a man who\, from appearance\ , was not less than forty.\n\n\"If I live to see next corn-planting time I will either be forty-five or fifty-five\, I don't know which.\"\n\n\"Dat may be\,\" replied Pompey\; \"But now you is only thirty years old\; dat i s what marser says you is to be.\"\n\n\"I know I is more den dat\,\" respo nded the man.\n\n\"I knows nothing about dat\,\" said Pompey\; \"but when you get in de market\, an anybody axe you how old you is\, an you tell 'em forty-five\, marser will tie you up an gib you de whip like smoke. But if you tell 'em dat you is only thirty\, den he wont.\"\n\n\"Well den\, I gu ess I will only be thirty when dey axe me\,\" replied the chattel.\n\n\"Wh at your name?\" inquired Pompey.\n\n\"Geemes\,\" answered the man.\n\n\"Oh \, Uncle Jim\, is it?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Den you must have off dem dare wh iskers of yours\, an when you get to Orleans you must grease dat face an m ake it look shiney.\" This was all said by Pompey in a manner which clearl y showed that he knew what he was about.\n\n\"How old is you?\" asked Pomp ey of a tall\, strong-looking man.\n\n\"I was twenty-nine last potato-digg ing time\,\" said the man.\n\n\"What's your name?\"\n\n\"My name is Tobias \, but dey call me 'Toby.'\"\n\n\"Well\, Toby\, or Mr. Tobias\, if dat wil l suit you better\, you is now twenty-three years old\, an no more. Dus yo u hear dat?\"\n\n\"Yes\,\" responded Toby.\n\nPompey gave each to understa nd how old he was to be when asked by persons who wished to purchase\, and then reported to his master that the \"old boys\" were all right. At eigh t o'clock on the evening of the third day\, the lights of another steamer were seen in the distance\, and apparently coming up very fast. This was a signal for a general commotion on the Patriot\, and everything indicated that a steamboat race was at hand. Nothing can exceed the excitement atten dant upon a steamboat race on the Mississippi river. By the time the boats had reached Memphis\, they were side by side\, and each exerting itself t o keep the ascendancy in point of speed. The night was clear\, the moon sh ining brightly\, and the boats so near to each other that the passengers w ere calling out from one boat to the other. On board the Patriot\, the fir emen were using oil\, lard\, butter\, and even bacon\, with the wood\, for the purpose of raising the steam to its highest pitch. The blaze\, mingle d with the black smoke\, showed plainly that the other boat was burning mo re than wood. The two boats soon locked\, so that the hands of the boats w ere passing from vessel to vessel\, and the wildest excitement prevailed t hroughout amongst both passengers and crew. At this moment the engineer of the Patriot was seen to fasten down the safety-valve\, so that no steam s hould escape. This was\, indeed\, a dangerous resort. A few of the boat ha nds who saw what had taken place\, left that end of the boat for more secu re quarters.\n\nThe Patriot stopped to take in passengers\, and still no s team was permitted to escape. At the starting of the boat cold water was f orced into the boilers by the machinery\, and\, as might have been expecte d\, one of the boilers immediately exploded. One dense fog of steam filled every part of the vessel\, while shrieks\, groans\, and cries were heard on every hand. The saloons and cabins soon had the appearance of a hospita l. By this time the boat had landed\, and the Columbia\, the other boat\, had come alongside to render assistance to the disabled steamer. The kille d and scalded (nineteen in number) were put on shore\, and the Patriot\, t aken in tow by the Columbia\, was soon again on its way.\n\nIt was now twe lve o'clock at night\, and instead of the passengers being asleep the majo rity were ambling in the saloons. Thousands of dollars change hands during a passage from Louisville or St. Louis to New Orleans on a Mississippi st eamer\, and many men\, and even ladies\, are completely ruined.\n\n\"Go ca ll my boy\, steward\,\" said Mr. Smith\, as he took his cards one by one f rom the table. In a few moments a fine looking\, bright-eyed mulatto boy\, apparently about fifteen years of age\, was standing by his master's side at the table. \"I will see you\, and five hundred dollars better\,\" said Smith\, as his servant Jerry approached the table.\n\n\"What price do you set on that boy?\" asked Johnson\, as he took a roll of bills from his po cket.\n\n\"He will bring a thousand dollars\, any day\, in the New Orleans market\,\" replied Smith.\n\n\"Then you bet the whole of the boy\, do you ?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"I call you\, then\,\" said Johnson\, at the same time spreading his cards out upon the table.\n\n\"You have beat me\,\" said Sm ith\, as soon as he saw the cards. Jerry\, who was standing on top of the table\, with the bank notes and silver dollars round his feet\, was now or dered to descend from the table.\n\n\"You will not forget that you belong to me\,\" said Johnson\, as the young slave was stepping from the table to a chair.\n\n\"No\, sir\,\" replied the chattel.\n\n\"Now go back to your bed\, and be up in time to-morrow morning to brush my clothes and clean my boots\, do you hear?\"\n\n\"Yes\, sir\,\" responded Jerry\, as he wiped t he tears from his eyes.\n\nSmith took from his pocket the bill of sale and handed it to Johnson\; at the same time saying\, \"I claim the right of r edeeming that boy\, Mr. Johnson. My father gave him to me when I came of a ge\, and I promised not to part with him.\"\n\n\"Most certainly\, sir\, th e boy shall be yours\, whenever you hand me over a cool thousand\,\" repli ed Johnson. The next morning\, as the passengers were assembling in the br eakfast saloons and upon the guards of the vessel\, and the servants were seen running about waiting upon or looking for their masters\, poor Jerry was entering his new master's stateroom with his boots.\n\n\"Who do you be long to?\" said a gentleman to an old black man\, who came along leading a fine dog that he had been feeding.\n\n\"When I went to sleep last night\, I belonged to Governor Lucas\; but I understand dat he is bin gambling al l night\, so I don't know who owns me dis morning.\" Such is the uncertain ty of a slave's position. He goes to bed at night the property of the man with whom he has lived for years\, and gets up in the morning the slave of some one whom he has never seen before! To behold five or six tables in a steamboat's cabin\, with half-a-dozen men playing at cards\, and money\, pistols\, bowie-knives\, all in confusion on the tables\, is what may be s een at almost any time on the Mississippi river.\n\nOn the fourth day\, wh ile at Natchez\, taking in freight and passengers\, Walker\, who had been on shore to see some of his old customers\, returned\, accompanied by a ta ll\, thin-faced man\, dressed in black\, with a white neckcloth\, which im mediately proclaimed him to be a clergyman. \"I want a good\, trusty woman for house service\,\" said the stranger\, as they entered the cabin where Walker's slaves were kept.\n\n\"Here she is\, and no mistake\,\" replied the trader.\n\n\"Stand up\, Currer\, my gal\; here's a gentleman who wishe s to see if you will suit him.\"\n\nAlthesa clung to her mother's side\, a s the latter rose from her seat.\n\n\"She is a rare cook\, a good washer\, and will suit you to a T\, I am sure.\"\n\n\"If you buy me\, I hope you w ill buy my daughter too\,\" said the woman\, in rather an excited manner.\ n\n\"I only want one for my own use\, and would not need another\,\" said the man in black\, as he and the trader left the room. Walker and the pars on went into the saloon\, talked over the matter\, the bill of sale was ma de out\, the money paid over\, and the clergyman left\, with the understan ding that the woman should be delivered to him at his house. It seemed as if poor Althesa would have wept herself to death\, for the first two days after her mother had been torn from her side by the hand of the ruthless t rafficker in human flesh. On the arrival of the boat at Baton Rouge\, an a dditional number of passengers were taken on board\; and\, amongst them\, several persons who had been attending the races. Gambling and drinking we re now the order of the day. Just as the ladies and gentlemen were assembl ing at the supper-table\, the report of a pistol was heard in the directio n of the Social Hall\, which caused great uneasiness to the ladies\, and t ook the gentlemen to that part of the cabin. However\, nothing serious had occurred. A man at one of the tables where they were gambling had been se en attempting to conceal a card in his sleeve\, and one of the party seize d his pistol and fired\; but fortunately the barrel of the pistol was knoc ked up\, just as it was about to be discharged\, and the ball passed throu gh the upper deck\, instead of the man's head\, as intended. Order was soo n restored\; all went on well the remainder of the night\, and the next da y\, at ten o'clock\, the boat arrived at New Orleans\, and the passengers went to the hotels and the slaves to the market!\n\n \"Our eyes are yet on Afric's shores\,\n Her thousand wrongs we still deplore\;\n We see t he grim slave trader there\;\n We hear his fettered victim's prayer\;\n And hasten to the sufferer's aid\,\n Forgetful of our own 'slave trade .'\n\n \"The Ocean 'Pirate's' fiend-like form\n Shall sink beneath the v engeance-storm\;\n His heart of steel shall quake before\n The battl e-din and havoc roar:\n The knave shall die\, the Law hath said\,\n While it protects our own 'slave trade.'\n\n \"What earthly eye presumes to s can\n The wily Proteus-heart of man?—\n What potent hand will e'e r unroll\n The mantled treachery of his soul!—\n O where is he who hath surveyed\n The horrors of our own 'slave trade?'\n\n \"There is an eye that wakes in light\,\n There is a hand of peerless might\;\n Whi ch\, soon or late\, shall yet assail\n And rend dissimulation's veil: \n Which will unfold the masquerade\n Which justifies our own 'slave t rade.'\"\n\nCHAPTER III\nTHE NEGRO CHASE\nWE shall now return to Natchez\, where we left Currer in the hands of the Methodist parson. For many years \, Natchez has enjoyed a notoriety for the inhumanity and barbarity of its inhabitants\, and the cruel deeds perpetrated there\, which have not been equalled in any other city in the Southern States. The following advertis ements\, which we take from a newspaper published in the vicinity\, will s how how they catch their Negroes who believe in the doctrine that \"all me n are created free.\"\n\n\"NEGRO DOGS.—The undersigned\, having bought t he entire pack of Negro dogs (of the Hay and Allen stock)\, he now propose s to catch runaway Negroes. His charges will be three dollars a day for hu nting\, and fifteen dollars for catching a runaway. He resides three and o ne half miles north of Livingston\, near the lower Jones' Bluff Road.\n\n\ "Nov. 6\, 1845.\"\n\n\"NOTICE.—The subscriber\, Lying on Carroway Lake\, on Hoe's Bayou\, in Carroll parish\, sixteen miles on the road leading fr om Bayou Mason to Lake Providence\, is ready with a pack of dogs to hunt r unaway Negroes at any time. These dogs are well trained\, and are known th roughout the parish. Letters addressed to me at Providence will secure imm ediate attention. My terms are five dollars per day for hunting the trails \, whether the Negro is caught or not. Where a twelve hours' trail is show n\, and the Negro not taken\, no charge is made. For taking a Negro\, twen ty-five dollars\, and no charge made for hunting.\n\n\"Nov. 26\, 1847.\"\n \nThese dogs will attack a Negro at their master's bidding and cling to hi m as the bull-dog will cling to a beast. Many are the speculations\, as to whether the Negro will be secured alive or dead\, when these dogs once ge t on his track. A slave hunt took place near Natchez\, a few days after Cu rrer's arrival\, which was calculated to give her no favourable opinion of the people. Two slaves had run off owing to severe punishment. The dogs w ere put upon their trail. The slaves went into the swamps\, with the hope that the dogs when put on their scent would be unable to follow them throu gh the water. The dogs soon took to the swamp\, which lies between the hig hlands\, which was now covered with water\, waist deep: here these faithfu l animals\, swimming nearly all the time\, followed the zigzag course\, th e tortuous twistings and windings of these two fugitives\, who\, it was af terwards discovered\, were lost\; sometimes scenting the tree wherein they had found a temporary refuge from the mud and water\; at other places whe re the deep mud had pulled off a shoe\, and they had not taken time to put it on again. For two hours and a half\, for four or five miles\, did men and dogs wade through this bushy\, dismal swamp\, surrounded with grim-vis aged alligators\, who seemed to look on with jealous eye at this encroachm ent of their hereditary domain\; now losing the trail—then slowly and du biously taking it off again\, until they triumphantly threaded it out\, br inging them back to the river\, where it was found that the Negroes had cr ossed their own trail\, near the place of starting. In the meantime a heav y shower had taken place\, putting out the trail. The Negroes were now at least four miles ahead.\n\nIt is well known to hunters that it requires th e keenest scent and best blood to overcome such obstacles\, and yet these persevering and sagacious animals conquered every difficulty. The slaves n ow made a straight course for the Baton Rouge and Bayou Sara road\, about four miles distant.\n\nFeeling hungry now\, after their morning walk\, and perhaps thirsty\, too\, they went about half a mile off the road\, and at e a good\, hearty\, substantial breakfast. Negroes must eat\, as well as o ther people\, but the dogs will tell on them. Here\, for a moment\, the do gs are at fault\, but soon unravel the mystery\, and bring them back to th e road again\; and now what before was wonderful\, becomes almost a miracl e. Here\, in this common highway—the thoroughfare for the whole country around through mud and through mire\, meeting waggons and teams\, and diff erent solitary wayfarers\, and\, what above all is most astonishing\, actu ally running through a gang of Negroes\, their favourite game\, who were w orking on the road\, they pursue the track of the two Negroes\; they even ran for eight miles to the very edge of the plain—the slaves near them f or the last mile. At first they would fain believe it some hunter chasing deer. Nearer and nearer the whimpering pack presses on\; the delusion begi ns to dispel\; all at once the truth flashes upon them like a glare of lig ht\; their hair stands on end\; 'tis Tabor with his dogs. The scent become s warmer and warmer. What was an irregular cry\, now deepens into one ceas eless roar\, as the relentless pack rolls on after its human prey. It puts one in mind of Actaeon and his dogs. They grow desperate and leave the ro ad\, in the vain hope of shaking them off. Vain hope\, indeed! The momenta ry cessation only adds new zest to the chase. The cry grows louder and lou der\; the yelp grows short and quick\, sure indication that the game is at hand. It is a perfect rush upon the part of the hunters\, while the Negro es call upon their weary and jaded limbs to do their best\, but they falte r and stagger beneath them. The breath of the hounds is almost upon their very heels\, and yet they have a vain hope of escaping these sagacious ani mals. They can run no longer\; the dogs are upon them\; they hastily attem pt to climb a tree\, and as the last one is nearly out of reach\, the catc h-dog seizes him by the leg\, and brings him to the ground\; he sings out lustily and the dogs are called off. After this man was secured\, the one in the tree was ordered to come down\; this\, however\, he refused to do\, but a gun being pointed at him\, soon caused him to change his mind. On r eaching the ground\, the fugitive made one more bound\, and the chase agai n commenced. But it was of no use to run and he soon yielded. While being tied\, he committed an unpardonable offence: he resisted\, and for that he must be made an example on their arrival home. A mob was collected togeth er\, and a Lynch court was held\, to determine what was best to be done wi th the Negro who had had the impudence to raise his hand against a white m an. The Lynch court decided that the Negro should be burnt at the stake. A Natchez newspaper\, the Free Trader\, giving an account of it says\,\n\n\ "The body was taken and chained to a tree immediately on the banks of the Mississippi\, on what is called Union Point. Faggots were then collected a nd piled around him\, to which he appeared quite indifferent. When the wor k was completed\, he was asked what he had to say. He then warned all to t ake example by him\, and asked the prayers of all around\; he then called for a drink of water\, which was handed to him\; he drank it\, and said\, 'Now set fire—I am ready to go in peace!' The torches were lighted\, and placed in the pile\, which soon ignited. He watched unmoved the curling f lame that grew\, until it began to entwine itself around and feed upon his body\; then he sent forth cries of agony painful to the ear\, begging som e one to blow his brains out\; at the same time surging with almost superh uman strength\, until the staple with which the chain was fastened to the tree (not being well secured) drew out\, and he leaped from the burning pi le. At that moment the sharp ringing of several rifles was heard: the body of the Negro fell a corpse on the ground. He was picked up by some two or three\, and again thrown into the fire\, and consumed\, not a vestige rem aining to show that such a being ever existed.\"\n\nNearly 4\,000 slaves w ere collected from the plantations in the neighbourhood to witness this sc ene. Numerous speeches were made by the magistrates and ministers of relig ion to the large concourse of slaves\, warning them\, and telling them tha t the same fate awaited them\, if they should prove rebellious to their ow ners. There are hundreds of Negroes who run away and live in the woods. So me take refuge in the swamps\, because they are less frequented by human b eings. A Natchez newspaper gave the following account of the hiding-place of a slave who had been captured:—\n\n\"A runaway's den was discovered o n Sunday\, near the Washington Spring\, in a little patch of woods\, where it had been for several months so artfully concealed under ground\, that it was detected only by accident\, though in sight of two or three houses\ , and near the road and fields where there has been constant daily passing . The entrance was concealed by a pile of pine straw\, representing a hog- bed\, which being removed\, discovered a trap-door and steps that led to a room about six feet square\, comfortably ceiled with plank\, containing a small fire-place\, the flue of which was ingeniously conducted above grou nd and concealed by the straw. The inmates took the alarm\, and made their escape\; but Mr. Adams and his excellent dogs being put upon the trail\, soon run down and secured one of them\, which proved to be a Negro-fellow who had been out about a year. He stated that the other occupant was a wom an\, who had been a runaway a still longer time. In the den was found a qu antity of meal\, bacon\, corn\, potatoes\, &\;c. and various cooking ut ensils and wearing apparel.\"—Vicksburg Sentinel\, Dec. 6th\, 1838.\n\nC urrer was one of those who witnessed the execution of the slave at the sta ke\, and it gave her no very exalted opinion of the people of the cotton g rowing district.\n\nCHAPTER IV\nTHE QUADROON'S HOME\n \"How sweetly on t he hill-side sleeps\n The sunlight with its quickening rays!\n The verdan t trees that crown the steeps\,\n Grow greener in its quivering blaze.\"\ n\nABOUT three miles from Richmond is a pleasant plain\, with here and the re a beautiful cottage surrounded by trees so as scarcely to be seen. Amon g them was one far retired from the public roads\, and almost hidden among the trees. It was a perfect model of rural beauty. The piazzas that surro unded it were covered with clematis and passion flower. The pride of China mixed its oriental looking foliage with the majestic magnolia\, and the a ir was redolent with the fragrance of flowers\, peeping out of every nook and nodding upon you with a most unexpected welcome. The tasteful hand of art had not learned to imitate the lavish beauty and harmonious disorder o f nature\, but they lived together in loving amity\, and spoke in accordan t tones. The gateway rose in a gothic arch\, with graceful tracery in iron work\, surmounted by a cross\, round which fluttered and played the mount ain fringe\, that lightest and most fragile of vines. This cottage was hir ed by Horatio Green for Clotel\, and the quadroon girl soon found herself in her new home.\n\nThe tenderness of Clotel's conscience\, together with the care her mother had with her and the high value she placed upon virtue \, required an outward marriage\; though she well knew that a union with h er proscribed race was unrecognised by law\, and therefore the ceremony wo uld give her no legal hold on Horatio's constancy. But her high poetic nat ure regarded reality rather than the semblance of things\; and when he pla yfully asked how she could keep him if he wished to run away\, she replied \, \"If the mutual love we have for each other\, and the dictates of your own conscience do not cause you to remain my husband\, and your affections fall from me\, I would not\, if I could\, hold you by a single fetter.\" It was indeed a marriage sanctioned by heaven\, although unrecognised on e arth. There the young couple lived secluded from the world\, and passed th eir time as happily as circumstances would permit. It was Clotel's wish th at Horatio should purchase her mother and sister\, but the young man plead ed that he was unable\, owing to the fact that he had not come into posses sion of his share of property\, yet he promised that when he did\, he woul d seek them out and purchase them. Their first-born was named Mary\, and h er complexion was still lighter than her mother. Indeed she was not darker than other white children. As the child grew older\, it more and more res embled its mother. The iris of her large dark eye had the melting mezzotin ts\, which remains the last vestige of African ancestry\, and gives that p laintive expression\, so often observed\, and so appropriate to that docil e and injured race. Clotel was still happier after the birth of her dear c hild\; for Horatio\, as might have been expected\, was often absent day an d night with his friends in the city\, and the edicts of society had built up a wall of separation between the quadroon and them. Happy as Clotel wa s in Horatio's love\, and surrounded by an outward environment of beauty\, so well adapted to her poetic spirit\, she felt these incidents with inex pressible pain. For herself she cared but little\; for she had found a she ltered home in Horatio's heart\, which the world might ridicule\, but had no power to profane. But when she looked at her beloved Mary\, and reflect ed upon the unavoidable and dangerous position which the tyranny of societ y had awarded her\, her soul was filled with anguish. The rare loveliness of the child increased daily\, and was evidently ripening into most marvel lous beauty. The father seemed to rejoice in it with unmingled pride\; but in the deep tenderness of the mother's eye\, there was an indwelling sadn ess that spoke of anxious thoughts and fearful foreboding. Clotel now urge d Horatio to remove to France or England\, where both her [sic] and her ch ild would be free\, and where colour was not a crime. This request excited but little opposition\, and was so attractive to his imagination\, that h e might have overcome all intervening obstacles\, had not \"a change come over the spirit of his dreams.\" He still loved Clotel\; but he was now be coming engaged in political and other affairs which kept him oftener and l onger from the young mother\; and ambition to become a statesman was slowl y gaining the ascendancy over him.\n\nAmong those on whom Horatio's politi cal success most depended was a very popular and wealthy man\, who had an only daughter. His visits to the house were at first purely of a political nature\; but the young lady was pleasing\, and he fancied he discovered i n her a sort of timid preference for himself. This excited his vanity\, an d awakened thoughts of the great worldly advantages connected with a union . Reminiscences of his first love kept these vague ideas in check for seve ral months\; for with it was associated the idea of restraint. Moreover\, Gertrude\, though inferior in beauty\, was yet a pretty contrast to her ri val. Her light hair fell in silken ringlets down her shoulders\, her blue eyes were gentle though inexpressive\, and her healthy cheeks were like op ening rosebuds. He had already become accustomed to the dangerous experime nt of resisting his own inward convictions\; and this new impulse to ambit ion\, combined with the strong temptation of variety in love\, met the ard ent young man weakened in moral principle\, and unfettered by laws of the land. The change wrought upon him was soon noticed by Clotel.\n\nCHAPTER V \nTHE SLAVE MARKET\n \"What! mothers from their children riven!\n What ! God's own image bought and sold!\n Americans to market driven\,\ nAnd barter'd as the brute for gold.\"—Whittier.\n\nNOT far from Canal-s treet\, in the city of New Orleans\, stands a large two story flat buildin g surrounded by a stone wall twelve feet high\, the top of which is covere d with bits of glass\, and so constructed as to prevent even the possibili ty of any one's passing over it without sustaining great injury. Many of t he rooms resemble cells in a prison. In a small room near the \"office\" a re to be seen any number of iron collars\, hobbles\, handcuffs\, thumbscre ws\, cowhides\, whips\, chains\, gags\, and yokes. A back yard inclosed by a high wall looks something like the playground attached to one of our la rge New England schools\, and in which are rows of benches and swings. Att ached to the back premises is a good-sized kitchen\, where two old Negress es are at work\, stewing\, boiling\, and baking\, and occasionally wiping the sweat from their furrowed and swarthy brows.\n\nThe slave-trader Walke r\, on his arrival in New Orleans\, took up his quarters at this slave pen with his gang of human cattle: and the morning after\, at ten o'clock\, t hey were exhibited for sale. There\, first of all\, was the beautiful Alth esa\, whose pale countenance and dejected look told how many sad hours she had passed since parting with her mother at Natchez. There was a poor wom an who had been separated from her husband and five children. Another woma n\, whose looks and manner were expressive of deep anguish\, sat by her si de. There\, too\, was \"Uncle Geemes\,\" with his whiskers off\, his face shaved clean\, and the grey hair plucked out\, and ready to be sold for te n years younger than he was. Toby was also there\, with his face shaved an d greased\, ready for inspection. The examination commenced\, and was carr ied on in a manner calculated to shock the feelings of any one not devoid of the milk of human kindness. \"What are you wiping your eyes for?\" inqu ired a fat\, red-faced man\, with a white hat set on one side of his head\ , and a cigar in his mouth\, of a woman who sat on one of the stools. \"I s'pose I have been crying.\" \"Why do you cry?\" \"Because I have left my man behind.\" \"Oh\, if I buy you I will furnish you with a better man tha n you left. I have lots of young bucks on my farm.\" \"I don't want\, and will never have\, any other man\,\" replied the woman. \"What's your name? \" asked a man in a straw hat of a tall Negro man\, who stood with his arm s folded across his breast\, and leaning against the wall. \"My name is Aa ron\, sir.\" \"How old are you?\" \"Twenty-five.\" \"Where were you raised ?\" \"In old Virginny\, sir.\" \"How many men have owned you?\" \"Four.\" \"Do you enjoy good health?\" \"Yes\, sir.\" \"How long did you live with your first owner?\" \"Twenty years.\" \"Did you ever run away?\" \"No\, si r.\" \"Did you ever strike your master?\" \"No\, sir.\" \"Were you ever wh ipped much?\" \"No\, sir\, I s'pose I did not deserve it.\" \"How long did you live with your second master?\" \"Ten years\, sir.\" \"Have you a goo d appetite?\" \"Yes\, sir.\" \"Can you eat your allowance?\" \"Yes\, sir\, when I can get it.\" \"What were you employed at in Virginia?\" \"I worke d in de terbacar feel.\" \"In the tobacco field?\" \"Yes\, sir.\" \"How ol d did you say you were?\" \"I will be twenty-five if I live to see next sw eet potater digging time.\" \"I am a cotton planter\, and if I buy you\, y ou will have to work in the cotton field. My men pick one hundred and fift y pounds a day\, and the women one hundred and forty\, and those who fail to pick their task receive five stripes from the cat for each pound that i s wanting. Now\, do you think you could keep up with the rest of the bands ?\" \"I don't know\, sir\, I 'spec I'd have to.\" \"How long did you live with your third master?\" \"Three years\, sir.\" \"Why\, this makes you th irty-three\, I thought you told me you was only twenty five?\" Aaron now l ooked first at the planter\, then at the trader\, and seemed perfectly bew ildered. He had forgotten the lesson given him by Pompey as to his age\, a nd the planter's circuitous talk (doubtless to find out the slave's real a ge) had the Negro off his guard. \"I must see your back\, so as to know ho w much you have been whipped\, before I think of buying\,\" said the plant er. Pompey\, who had been standing by during the examination\, thought tha t his services were now required\, and stepping forward with a degree of o fficiousness\, said to Aaron\, \"Don't you hear de gentman tell you he wan t to zamon your limbs. Come\, unharness yeself\, old boy\, an don't be sta nding dar.\" Aaron was soon examined and pronounced \"sound\"\; yet the co nflicting statement about the age was not satisfactory.\n\nFortunate for A lthesa she was spared the pain of undergoing such an examination. Mr. Craw ford\, a teller in one of the banks\, had just been married\, and wanted a maid-servant for his wife\; and passing through the market in the early p art of the day\, was pleased with the young slave's appearance and purchas ed her\, and in his dwelling the quadroon found a much better home than of ten falls to the lot of a slave sold in the New Orleans market. The heartr ending and cruel traffic in slaves which has been so often described\, is not confined to any particular class of persons. No one forfeits his or he r character or standing in society\, by buying or selling slaves\; or even raising slaves for the market. The precise number of slaves carried from the slave-raising to the slave-consuming states\, we have no means of know ing. But it must be very great\, as more than forty thousand were sold and taken out of the state of Virginia in one year. Known to God only is the amount of human agony and suffering which sends its cry from the slave mar kets and Negro pens\, unheard and unheeded by man\, up to his ear\; mother s weeping for their children\, breaking the night-silence with the shrieks of their breaking hearts. From some you will hear the burst of bitter lam entation\, while from others the loud hysteric laugh\, denoting still deep er agony. Most of them leave the market for cotton or rice plantations\,\n \n \"Where the slave-whip ceaseless swings\,\n Where the noisome insec t stings\,\n Where the fever demon-strews\n Poison with the fal ling dews\,\n Where the sickly sunbeams glare\n Through the hot an d misty air.\"\n\nCHAPTER VI\nTHE RELIGIOUS TEACHER\n \"What! preac h and enslave men?\n Give thanks—and rob thy own afflicted poor?\n Ta lk of thy glorious liberty\, and then\n Bolt hard the captive's door.\" —Whittier.\n\nTHE Rev. John Peck was a native of the state of Connecticu t\, where he was educated for the ministry\, in the Methodist persuasion. His father was a strict follower of John Wesley\, and spared no pains in h is son's education\, with the hope that he would one day be as renowned as the great leader of his sect. John had scarcely finished his education at New Haven\, when he was invited by an uncle\, then on a visit to his fath er\, to spend a few months at Natchez in the state of Mississippi. Young P eck accepted his uncle's invitation\, and accompanied him to the South. Fe w young men\, and especially clergymen\, going fresh from a college to the South\, but are looked upon as geniuses in a small way\, and who are not invited to all the parties in the neighbourhood. Mr. Peck was not an excep tion to this rule. The society into which he was thrown on his arrival at Natchez was too brilliant for him not to be captivated by it\; and\, as mi ght have been expected\, he succeeded in captivating a plantation with sev enty slaves\, if not the heart of the lady to whom it belonged. Added to t his\, he became a popular preacher\, had a large congregation with a snug salary. Like other planters\, Mr. Peck confided the care of his farm to Ne d Huckelby\, an overseer of high reputation in his way. The Poplar Farm\, as it was called\, was situated in a beautiful valley nine miles from Natc hez\, and near the river Mississippi. The once unshorn face of nature had given way\, and now the farm blossomed with a splendid harvest\, the neat cottage stood in a grove where Lombardy poplars lift their tufted tops alm ost to prop the skies\; the willow\, locust\, and horse-chestnut spread th eir branches\, and flowers never cease to blossom. This was the parson's c ountry house\, where the family spent only two months during the year.\n\n The town residence was a fine villa\, seated upon the brow of a hill at th e edge of the city. It was in the kitchen of this house that Currer found her new home. Mr. Peck was\, every inch of him\, a democrat\, and early re solved that his \"people\,\" as he called his slaves\, should be well fed and not overworked\, and therefore laid down the law and gospel to the ove rseer as well as the slaves.\n\n\"It is my wish\,\" said he to Mr. Carlton \, an old school-fellow\, who was spending a few days with him\, \"it is m y wish that a new system be adopted on the plantations in this estate. I b elieve that the sons of Ham should have the gospel\, and I intend that my Negroes shall. The gospel is calculated to make mankind better\, and none should be without it.\" \"What say you\,\" replied Carlton\, \"about the r ight of man to his liberty?\" \"Now\, Carlton\, you have begun again to ha rp about man's rights\; I really wish you could see this matter as I do. I have searched in vain for any authority for man's natural rights\; if he had any\, they existed before the fall. That is\, Adam and Eve may have ha d some rights which God gave them\, and which modern philosophy\, in its p retended reverence for the name of God\, prefers to call natural rights. I can imagine they had the right to eat of the fruit of the trees of the ga rden\; they were restricted even in this by the prohibition of one. As far as I know without positive assertion\, their liberty of action was confin ed to the garden. These were not 'inalienable rights\,' however\, for they forfeited both them and life with the first act of disobedience. Had they \, after this\, any rights? We cannot imagine them\; they were condemned b eings\; they could have no rights\, but by Christ's gift as king. These ar e the only rights man can have as an independent isolated being\, if we ch oose to consider him in this impossible position\, in which so many theori sts have placed him. If he had no rights\, he could suffer no wrongs. Righ ts and wrongs are therefore necessarily the creatures of society\, such as man would establish himself in his gregarious state. They are\, in this s tate\, both artificial and voluntary. Though man has no rights\, as thus c onsidered\, undoubtedly he has the power\, by such arbitrary rules of righ t and wrong as his necessity enforces.\" \"I regret I cannot see eye to ey e with you\,\" said Carlton. \"I am a disciple of Rousseau\, and have for years made the rights of man my study\; and I must confess to you that I c an see no difference between white men and black men as it regards liberty .\" \"Now\, my dear Carlton\, would you really have the Negroes enjoy the same rights with ourselves?\" \"I would\, most certainly. Look at our grea t Declaration of Independence\; look even at the constitution of our own C onnecticut\, and see what is said in these about liberty.\" \"I regard all this talk about rights as mere humbug. The Bible is older than the Declar ation of Independence\, and there I take my stand. The Bible furnishes to us the armour of proof\, weapons of heavenly temper and mould\, whereby we can maintain our ground against all attacks. But this is true only when w e obey its directions\, as well as employ its sanctions. Our rights are th ere established\, but it is always in connection with our duties. If we ne glect the one we cannot make good the other. Our domestic institutions can be maintained against the world\, if we but allow Christianity to throw i ts broad shield over them. But if we so act as to array the Bible against our social economy\, they must fall. Nothing ever yet stood long against C hristianity. Those who say that religious instruction is inconsistent with our peculiar civil polity\, are the worst enemies of that polity. They wo uld drive religious men from its defence. Sooner or later\, if these views prevail\, they will separate the religious portion of our community from the rest\, and thus divided we shall become an easy prey. Why\, is it not better that Christian men should hold slaves than unbelievers? We know how to value the bread of life\, and will not keep it from our slaves.\"\n\n\ "Well\, every one to his own way of thinking\,\" said Carlton\, as he chan ged his position. \"I confess\,\" added he\, \"that I am no great admirer of either the Bible or slavery. My heart is my guide: my conscience is my Bible. I wish for nothing further to satisfy me of my duty to man. If I ac t rightly to mankind\, I shall fear nothing.\" Carlton had drunk too deepl y of the bitter waters of infidelity\, and had spent too many hours over t he writings of Rousseau\, Voltaire\, and Thomas Paine\, to place that appr eciation upon the Bible and its teachings that it demands. During this con versation there was another person in the room\, seated by the window\, wh o\, although at work upon a fine piece of lace\, paid every attention to w hat was said. This was Georgiana\, the only daughter of the parson. She ha d just returned from Connecticut\, where she had finished her education. S he had had the opportunity of contrasting the spirit of Christianity and l iberty in New England with that of slavery in her native state\, and had l earned to feel deeply for the injured Negro. Georgiana was in her nineteen th year\, and had been much benefited by a residence of five years at the North. Her form was tall and graceful\; her features regular and well defi ned\; and her complexion was illuminated by the freshness of youth\, beaut y\, and health. The daughter differed from both the father and his visitor upon the subject which they had been discussing\, and as soon as an oppor tunity offered\, she gave it as her opinion\, that the Bible was both the bulwark of Christianity and of liberty. With a smile she said\, \"Of cours e\, papa will overlook my differing from him\, for although I am a native of the South\, I am by education and sympathy\, a Northerner.\" Mr. Peck l aughed and appeared pleased\, rather than otherwise\, at the manner in whi ch his daughter had expressed herself.\n\nFrom this Georgiana took courage and said\, \"We must try the character of slavery\, and our duty in regar d to it\, as we should try any other question of character and duty. To ju dge justly of the character of anything\, we must know what it does. That which is good does good\, and that which is evil does evil. And as to duty \, God's designs indicate his claims. That which accomplishes the manifest design of God is right\; that which counteracts it\, wrong. Whatever\, in its proper tendency and general effect\, produces\, secures\, or extends human welfare\, is according to the will of God\, and is good\; and our du ty is to favour and promote\, according to our power\, that which God favo urs and promotes by the general law of his providence. On the other hand\, whatever in its proper tendency and general effect destroys\, abridges\, or renders insecure\, human welfare\, is opposed to God's will\, and is ev il. And as whatever accords with the will of God\, in any manifestation of it should be done and persisted in\, so whatever opposes that will should not be done\, and if done\, should be abandoned. Can that then be right\, be well doing—can that obey God's behest\, which makes a man a slave? w hich dooms him and all his posterity\, in limitless Generations\, to bonda ge\, to unrequited toil through life? 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as th yself.' This single passage of Scripture should cause us to have respect t o the rights of the slave. True Christian love is of an enlarged\, disinte rested nature. It loves all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity\, without regard to colour or condition.\" \"Georgiana\, my dear\, you are a n abolitionist\; your talk is fanaticism\,\" said Mr. Peck in rather a sha rp tone\; but the subdued look of the girl\, and the presence of Carlton\, caused the father to soften his language. Mr. Peck having lost his wife b y consumption\, and Georgiana being his only child\, he loved her too dear ly to say more\, even if he felt displeased. A silence followed this exhor tation from the young Christian. But her remarks had done a noble work. Th e father's heart was touched\; and the sceptic\, for the first time\, was viewing Christianity in its true light.\n\n\"I think I must go out to your farm\,\" said Carlton\, as if to break the silence. \"I shall be pleased to have you go\,\" returned Mr. Peck. \"I am sorry I can't go myself\, but Huckelby will show you every attention\; and I feel confident that when y ou return to Connecticut\, you will do me the justice to say\, that I am o ne who looks after my people\, in a moral\, social\, and religious point o f view.\" \"Well\, what do you say to my spending next Sunday there?\" \"W hy\, I think that a good move\; you will then meet with Snyder\, our missi onary.\" \"Oh\, you have missionaries in these parts\, have you?\" \"Yes\, \" replied Mr. Peck\; \"Snyder is from New York\, and is our missionary to the poor\, and preaches to our 'people' on Sunday\; you will no doubt lik e him\; he is a capital fellow.\" \"Then I shall go\,\" said Carlton\, \"b ut only wish I had company.\" This last remark was intended for Miss Peck\ , for whom he had the highest admiration.\n\nIt was on a warm Sunday morni ng\, in the month of May\, that Miles Carlton found himself seated beneath a fine old apple tree\, whose thick leaves entirely shaded the ground for some distance round. Under similar trees and near by\, were gathered toge ther all the \"people\" belonging to the plantation. Hontz Snyder was a ma n of about forty years of age\, exceedingly low in stature\, but of a larg e frame. He had been brought up in the Mohawk Valley\, in the state of New York\, and claimed relationship with the oldest Dutch families in that vi cinity. He had once been a sailor\, and had all the roughness of character that a sea-faring man might expect to possess\; together with the half-Ya nkee\, half-German peculiarities of the people of the Mohawk Valley. It wa s nearly eleven o'clock when a one-horse waggon drove up in haste\, and th e low squatty preacher got out and took his place at the foot of one of th e trees\, where a sort of rough board table was placed\, and took his book s from his pocket and commenced.\n\n\"As it is rather late\,\" said he\, \ "we will leave the singing and praying for the last\, and take our text\, and commence immediately. I shall base my remarks on the following passage of Scripture\, and hope to have that attention which is due to the cause of God:—'All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you\, do ye even so unto them'\; that is\, do by all mankind just as you would des ire they should do by you\, if you were in their place and they in yours.\ n\n\"Now\, to suit this rule to your particular circumstances\, suppose yo u were masters and mistresses\, and had servants under you\, would you not desire that your servants should do their business faithfully and honestl y\, as well when your back was turned as while you were looking over them? Would you not expect that they should take notice of what you said to the m? that they should behave themselves with respect towards you and yours\, and be as careful of everything belonging to you as you would be yourselv es? You are servants: do\, therefore\, as you would wish to be done by\, a nd you will be both good servants to your masters and good servants to God \, who requires this of you\, and will reward you well for it\, if you do it for the sake of conscience\, in obedience to his commands.\n\n\"You are not to be eye-servants. Now\, eye-servants are such as will work hard\, a nd seem mighty diligent\, while they think anybody is taking notice of the m\; but\, when their masters' and mistresses' backs are turned they are id le\, and neglect their business. I am afraid there are a great many such e ye-servants among you\, and that you do not consider how great a sin it is to be so\, and how severely God will punish you for it. You may easily de ceive your owners\, and make them have an opinion of you that you do not d eserve\, and get the praise of men by it\; but remember that you cannot de ceive Almighty God\, who sees your wickedness and deceit\, and will punish you accordingly. For the rule is\, that you must obey your masters in all things\, and do the work they set you about with fear and trembling\, in singleness of heart as unto Christ\; not with eye-service\, as men-pleaser s\, but as the servants of Christ\, doing the will of God from the heart\; with good-will doing service as to the Lord\, and not as to men.\n\n\"Tak e care that you do not fret or murmur\, grumble or repine at your conditio n\; for this will not only make your life uneasy\, but will greatly offend Almighty God. Consider that it is not yourselves\, it is not the people t hat you belong to\, it is not the men who have brought you to it\, but it is the will of God who hath by his providence made you servants\, because\ , no doubt\, he knew that condition would be best for you in this world\, and help you the better towards heaven\, if you would but do your duty in it. So that any discontent at your not being free\, or rich\, or great\, a s you see some others\, is quarrelling with your heavenly Master\, and fin ding fault with God himself\, who hath made you what you are\, and hath pr omised you as large a share in the kingdom of heaven as the greatest man a live\, if you will but behave yourself aright\, and do the business he hat h set you about in this world honestly and cheerfully. Riches and power ha ve proved the ruin of many an unhappy soul\, by drawing away the heart and affections from God\, and fixing them on mean and sinful enjoyments\; so that\, when God\, who knows our hearts better than we know them ourselves\ , sees that they would be hurtful to us\, and therefore keeps them from us \, it is the greatest mercy and kindness he could show us.\n\n\"You may pe rhaps fancy that\, if you had riches and freedom\, you could do your duty to God and man with greater pleasure than you can now. But pray consider t hat\, if you can but save your souls through the mercy of God\, you will h ave spent your time to the best of purposes in this world\; and he that at last can get to heaven has performed a noble journey\, let the road be ev er so rugged and difficult. Besides\, you really have a great advantage ov er most white people\, who have not only the care of their daily labour up on their hands\, but the care of looking forward and providing necessaries for to-morrow and next day\, and of clothing and bringing up their childr en\, and of getting food and raiment for as many of you as belong to their families\, which often puts them to great difficulties\, and distracts th eir minds so as to break their rest\, and take off their thoughts from the affairs of another world. Whereas you are quite eased from all these care s\, and have nothing but your daily labour to look after\, and\, when that is done\, take your needful rest. Neither is it necessary for you to thin k of laying up anything against old age\, as white people are obliged to d o\; for the laws of the country have provided that you shall not be turned off when you are past labour\, but shall be maintained\, while you live\, by those you belong to\, whether you are able to work or not.\n\n\"There is only one circumstance which may appear grievous\, that I shall now take notice of\, and that is correction.\n\n\"Now\, when correction is given y ou\, you either deserve it\, or you do not deserve it. But whether you rea lly deserve it or not\, it is your duty\, and Almighty God requires that y ou bear it patiently. You may perhaps think that this is hard doctrine\; b ut\, if you consider it right\, you must needs think otherwise of it. Supp ose\, then\, that you deserve correction\, you cannot but say that it is j ust and right you should meet with it. Suppose you do not\, or at least yo u do not deserve so much\, or so severe a correction\, for the fault you h ave committed\, you perhaps have escaped a great many more\, and are at la st paid for all. Or suppose you are quite innocent of what is laid to your charge\, and suffer wrongfully in that particular thing\, is it not possi ble you may have done some other bad thing which was never discovered\, an d that Almighty God who saw you doing it would not let you escape without punishment one time or another? And ought you not\, in such a case\, to gi ve glory to him\, and be thankful that he would rather punish you in this life for your wickedness than destroy your souls for it in the next life? But suppose even this was not the case (a case hardly to be imagined)\, an d that you have by no means\, known or unknown\, deserved the correction y ou suffered\, there is this great comfort in it\, that\, if you bear it pa tiently\, and leave your cause in the hands of God\, he will reward you fo r it in heaven\, and the punishment you suffer unjustly here shall turn to your exceeding great glory hereafter.\n\n\"Lastly\, you should serve your masters faithfully\, because of their goodness to you. See to what troubl e they have been on your account. Your fathers were poor ignorant and barb arous creatures in Africa\, and the whites fitted out ships at great troub le and expense and brought you from that benighted land to Christian Ameri ca\, where you can sit under your own vine and fig tree and no one molest or make you afraid. Oh\, my dear black brothers and sisters\, you are inde ed a fortunate and a blessed people. Your masters have many troubles that you know nothing about. If the banks break\, your masters are sure to lose something. If the crops turn out poor\, they lose by it. If one of you di e\, your master loses what he paid for you\, while you lose nothing. Now l et me exhort you once more to be faithful.\"\n\nOften during the delivery of the sermon did Snyder cast an anxious look in the direction where Carlt on was seated\; no doubt to see if he had found favour with the stranger. Huckelby\, the overseer\, was also there\, seated near Carlton. With all S nyder's gesticulations\, sonorous voice\, and occasionally bringing his fi st down upon the table with the force of a sledge hammer\, he could not su cceed in keeping the Negroes all interested: four or five were fast asleep \, leaning against the trees\; as many more were nodding\, while not a few were stealthily cracking\, and eating hazelnuts. \"Uncle Simon\, you may strike up a hymn\,\" said the preacher as he closed his Bible. A moment mo re\, and the whole company (Carlton excepted) had joined in the well known hymn\, commencing with\n\n \"When I can read my title clear\n To mansions in the sky.\"\n\nAfter the singing\, Sandy closed with prayer \, and the following questions and answers read\, and the meeting was brou ght to a close.\n\n\"Q. What command has God given to servants concerning obedience to their masters?—A. 'Servants\, obey in all things your maste rs according to the flesh\, not with eye-service as men-pleasers\, but in singleness of heart\, fearing God.'\n\n\"Q. What does God mean by masters according to the flesh?—A.\n'Masters in this world.'\n\n\"Q. What are se rvants to count their masters worthy of?— A. 'All honour.'\n\n\"Q. How a re they to do the service of their masters?—A. 'With good will\, doing s ervice as unto the Lord\, and not unto men.'\n\n\"Q. How are they to try t o please their masters?—A. 'Please him well in all things\, not answerin g again.'\n\n\"Q. Is a servant who is an eye-servant to his earthly master an eye-servant to his heavenly master?—A. 'Yes.'\n\n\"Q. Is it right in a servant\, when commanded to do any thing\, to be sullen and slow\, and answer his master again?—A. 'No.'\n\n\"Q. If the servant professes to be a Christian\, ought he not to be as a Christian servant\, an example to a ll other servants of love and obedience to his master?—A. 'Yes.'\n\n\"Q. And\, should his master be a Christian also\, ought he not on that accoun t specially to love and obey him?—A. 'Yes.'\n\n\"Q. But suppose the mast er is hard to please\, and threatens and punishes more than he ought\, wha t is the servant to do?—A. 'Do his best to please him.'\n\n\"Q. When the servant suffers wrongfully at the hands of his master\, and\, to please G od\, takes it patiently\, will God reward him for it?—A. 'Yes.'\n\n\"Q. Is it right for the servant to run away\, or is it right to harbour a runa way?—A. 'No.'\n\n\"Q. If a servant runs away\, what should be done with him?—A. 'He should be caught and brought back.'\n\n\"Q. When he is broug ht back\, what should be done with him?—\nA. 'Whip him well.'\n\n\"Q. Wh y may not the whites be slaves as well as the blacks?—\nA. 'Because the Lord intended the Negroes for slaves.'\n\n\"Q. Are they better calculated for servants than the whites?— A. 'Yes\, their hands are large\, the ski n thick and tough\, and they can stand the sun better than the whites.'\n\ n\"Q. Why should servants not complain when they are whipped?—\nA. 'Beca use the Lord has commanded that they should be whipped.'\n\n\"Q. Where has He commanded it?—A. 'He says\, He that knoweth his master's will\, and doeth it not\, shall be beaten with many stripes.'\n\n\"Q. Then is the mas ter to blame for whipping his servant?—A. 'Oh\, no! he is only doing his duty as a Christian.'\"\n\nSnyder left the ground in company with Carlton and Huckelby\, and the three dined together in the overseer's dwelling. \ "Well\,\" said Joe\, after the three white men were out of hearing\, \"Mar ser Snyder bin try hesef to-day.\" \"Yes\,\" replied Ned\; \"he want to sh ow de strange gentman how good he can preach.\" \"Dat's a new sermon he gi b us to-day\,\" said Sandy. \"Dees white fokes is de very dibble\,\" said Dick\; \"and all dey whole study is to try to fool de black people.\" \"Di dn't you like de sermon?\" asked Uncle Simon. \"No\,\" answered four or fi ve voices. \"He rared and pitched enough\,\" continued Uncle Simon.\n\nNow Uncle Simon was himself a preacher\, or at least he thought so\, and was rather pleased than otherwise\, when he heard others spoken of in a dispar aging manner. \"Uncle Simon can beat dat sermon all to pieces\,\" said Ned \, as he was filling his mouth with hazelnuts. \"I got no notion of dees w hite fokes\, no how\,\" returned Aunt Dafney. \"Dey all de time tellin' da t de Lord made us for to work for dem\, and I don't believe a word of it.\ " \"Marser Peck give dat sermon to Snyder\, I know\,\" said Uncle Simon. \ "He jest de one for dat\,\" replied Sandy. \"I think de people dat made de Bible was great fools\,\" said Ned. \"Why?\" Uncle Simon. \"'Cause dey ma de such a great big book and put nuttin' in it\, but servants obey yer mas ters.\" \"Oh\,\" replied Uncle Simon\, \"thars more in de Bible den dat\, only Snyder never reads any other part to us\; I use to hear it read in Ma ryland\, and thar was more den what Snyder lets us hear.\" In the overseer 's house there was another scene going on\, and far different from what we have here described.\n\nCHAPTER VII\nTHE POOR WHITES\, SOUTH\n\"No seemin g of logic can ever convince the American people\, that thousands of our s lave-holding brethren are not excellent\, humane\, and even Christian men\ , fearing God\, and keeping His commandments.\"—Rev. Dr. Joel Parker.\n\ n\"You like these parts better than New York\,\" said Carlton to Snyder\, as they were sitting down to dinner in the overseer's dwelling. \"I can't say that I do\,\" was the reply\; \"I came here ten years ago as missionar y\, and Mr. Peck wanted me to stay\, and I have remained. I travel among t he poor whites during the week and preach for the niggers on Sunday.\" \"A re there many poor whites in this district?\" \"Not here\, but about thirt y miles from here\, in the Sand Hill district\; they are as ignorant as ho rses. Why it was no longer than last week I was up there\, and really you would not believe it\, that people were so poor off. In New England\, and\ , I may say\, in all the free states\, they have free schools\, and everyb ody gets educated. Not so here. In Connecticut there is only one out of ev ery five hundred above twenty-one years that can neither read nor write. H ere there is one out of every eight that can neither read nor write. There is not a single newspaper taken in five of the counties in this state. La st week I was at Sand Hill for the first time\, and I called at a farmhous e. The man was out. It was a low log-hut\, and yet it was the best house i n that locality. The woman and nine children were there\, and the geese\, ducks\, chickens\, pigs\, and children were all running about the floor. T he woman seemed scared at me when I entered the house. I inquired if I cou ld get a little dinner\, and my horse fed. She said\, yes\, if I would onl y be good enough to feed him myself\, as her 'gal\,' as she called her dau ghter\, would be afraid of the horse. When I returned into the house again from the stable\, she kept her eyes upon me all the time. At last she sai d\, 'I s'pose you ain't never bin in these parts afore?' 'No\,' said I. 'I s you gwine to stay here long?' 'Not very long\,' I replied. 'On business\ , I s'pose.' 'Yes\,' said I\, 'I am hunting up the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' 'Oh\,' exclaimed she\, 'hunting for lost sheep is you? Well\, you have a hard time to find 'em here. My husband lost an old ram last we ek\, and he ain't found him yet\, and he's hunted every day.' 'I am not lo oking for four-legged sheep\,' said I\, 'I am hunting for sinners.' 'Ah'\; she said\, 'then you are a preacher.' 'Yes\,' said I. 'You are the first of that sort that's bin in these diggins for many a day.' Turning to her e ldest daughter\, she said in an excited tone\, 'Clar out the pigs and duck s\, and sweep up the floor\; this is a preacher.' And it was some time bef ore any of the children would come near me\; one remained under the bed (w hich\, by the by\, was in the same room)\, all the while I was there. 'Wel l\,' continued the woman\, 'I was a tellin' my man only yesterday that I w ould like once more to go to meetin' before I died\, and he said as he sho uld like to do the same. But as you have come\, it will save us the troubl e of going out of the district.'\" \"Then you found some of the lost sheep \,\" said Carlton. \"Yes\,\" replied Snyder\, \"I did not find anything el se up there. The state makes no provision for educating the poor: they are unable to do it themselves\, and they grow up in a state of ignorance and degradation. The men hunt and the women have to go in the fields and labo ur.\" \"What is the cause of it?\" inquired Carlton. \"Slavery\,\" answere d Snyder\, slavery\,—and nothing else. Look at the city of Boston\; it p ays more taxes for the support of the government than this entire state. T he people of Boston do more business than the whole population of Mississi ppi put together. I was told some very amusing things while at Sand Hill. A farmer there told me a story about an old woman\, who was very pious her self. She had a husband and three sons\, who were sad characters\, and she had often prayed for their conversion but to no effect. At last\, one day while working in the corn-field\, one of her sons was bitten by a rattles nake. He had scarce reached home before he felt the poison\, and in his ag ony called loudly on his Maker.\n\n\"The pious old woman\, when she heard this\, forgetful of her son's misery\, and everything else but the gloriou s hope of his repentance\, fell on her knees\, and prayed as follows—'Oh ! Lord\, I thank thee\, that thou hast at last opened Jimmy's eyes to the error of his ways\; and I pray that\, in thy Divine mercy\, thou wilt send a rattlesnake to bite the old man\, and another to bite Tom\, and another to bite Harry\, for I am certain that nothing but a rattlesnake\, or some thing of the kind\, will ever turn them from their sinful ways\, they are so hard-headed.' When returning home\, and before I got out of the Sand Hi ll district\, I saw a funeral\, and thought I would fasten my horse to a p ost and attend. The coffin was carried in a common horse cart\, and follow ed by fifteen or twenty persons very shabbily dressed\, and attended by a man whom I took to be the religious man of the place. After the coffin had been placed near the grave\, he spoke as follows\,—\n\n\"'Friends and n eighbours! you have congregated to see this lump of mortality put into a h ole in the ground. You all know the deceased—a worthless\, drunken\, goo d-for-nothing vagabond. He lived in disgrace and infamy\, and died in wret chedness. You all despised him—you all know his brother Joe\, who lives on the hill? He's not a bit better though he has scrap'd together a little property by cheating his neighbours. His end will be like that of this lo athsome creature\, whom you will please put into the hole as soon as possi ble. I won't ask you to drop a tear\, but brother Bohow will please raise a hymn while we fill up the grave.'\"\n\n\"I am rather surprised to hear t hat any portion of the whites in this state are in so low a condition.\" \ "Yet it is true\,\" returned Snyder.\n\n\"These are very onpleasant facts to be related to ye\, Mr. Carlton\,\" said Huckelby\; \"but I can bear wit ness to what Mr. Snyder has told ye.\" Huckelby was from Maryland\, where many of the poor whites are in as sad a condition as the Sand Hillers of M ississippi. He was a tall man\, of iron constitution\, and could neither r ead nor write\, but was considered one of the best overseers in the countr y. When about to break a slave in\, to do a heavy task\, he would make him work by his side all day\; and if the new hand kept up with him\, he was set down as an able bodied man. Huckelby had neither moral\, religious\, o r political principles\, and often boasted that conscience was a matter th at never \"cost\" him a thought. \"Mr. Snyder ain't told ye half about the folks in these parts\,\" continued he\; \"we who comes from more enlighte ned parts don't know how to put up with 'em down here. I find the people h ere knows mighty little indeed\; in fact\, I may say they are univarsaly o nedicated. I goes out among none on 'em\, 'cause they ain't such as I have been used to 'sociate with. When I gits a little richer\, so that I can s top work\, I tend to go back to Maryland\, and spend the rest of my days.\ " \"I wonder the Negroes don't attempt to get their freedom by physical fo rce.\" \"It ain't no use for 'em to try that\, for if they do\, we puts 'e m through by daylight\,\" replied Huckelby. \"There are some desperate fel lows among the slaves\,\" said Snyder. \"Indeed\,\" remarked Carlton. \"Oh \, yes\,\" replied the preacher. \"A case has just taken place near here\, where a neighbour of ours\, Mr. J. Higgerson\, attempted to correct a Neg ro man in his employ\, who resisted\, drew a knife\, and stabbed him (Mr. H.) in several places. Mr. J. C. Hobbs (a Tennessean) ran to his assistanc e. Mr. Hobbs stooped to pick up a stick to strike the Negro\, and\, while in that position\, the Negro rushed upon him\, and caused his immediate de ath. The Negro then fled to the woods\, but was pursued with dogs\, and so on overtaken. He had stopped in a swamp to fight the dogs\, when the party who were pursuing him came upon him\, and commanded him to give up\, whic h he refused to do. He then made several efforts to stab them. Mr. Roberso n\, one of the party\, gave him several blows on the head with a rifle gun \; but this\, instead of subduing\, only increased his desperate revenge. Mr. R. then discharged his gun at the Negro\, and missing him\, the ball s truck Mr. Boon in the face\, and felled him to the ground. The Negro\, see ing Mr. Boon prostrated\, attempted to rush up and stab him\, but was prev ented by the timely interference of some one of the party. He was then sho t three times with a revolving pistol\, and once with a rifle\, and after having his throat cut\, he still kept the knife firmly grasped in his hand \, and tried to cut their legs when they approached to put an end to his l ife. This chastisement was given because the Negro grumbled\, and found fa ult with his master for flogging his wife.\" \"Well\, this is a bad state of affairs indeed\, and especially the condition of the poor whites\,\" sa id Carlton. \"You see\,\" replied Snyder\, \"no white man is respectable i n these slave states who works for a living. No community can be prosperou s\, where honest labour is not honoured. No society can be rightly constit uted\, where the intellect is not fed. Whatever institution reflects discr edit on industry\, whatever institution forbids the general culture of the understanding\, is palpably hostile to individual rights\, and to social well-being. Slavery is the incubus that hangs over the Southern States.\" \"Yes\,\" interrupted Huckelby\; \"them's just my sentiments now\, and no mistake. I think that\, for the honour of our country\, this slavery busin ess should stop. I don't own any\, no how\, and I would not be an overseer if I wern't paid for it.\"\n\nCHAPTER VIII\nTHE SEPARATION\n \"In many ways does the full heart reveal\n The presence of the love it would conceal\;\n But in far more the estranged heart lets know\n Th e absence of the love\, which yet it fain would show.\"\n\nAT length the n ews of the approaching marriage of Horatio met the ear of Clotel. Her head grew dizzy\, and her heart fainted within her\; but\, with a strong effor t at composure\, she inquired all the particulars\, and her pure mind at o nce took its resolution. Horatio came that evening\, and though she would fain have met him as usual\, her heart was too full not to throw a deep sa dness over her looks and tones. She had never complained of his decreasing tenderness\, or of her own lonely hours\; but he felt that the mute appea l of her heart-broken looks was more terrible than words. He kissed the ha nd she offered\, and with a countenance almost as sad as her own\, led her to a window in the recess shadowed by a luxuriant passion flower. It was the same seat where they had spent the first evening in this beautiful cot tage\, consecrated to their first loves. The same calm\, clear moonlight l ooked in through the trellis. The vine then planted had now a luxuriant gr owth\; and many a time had Horatio fondly twined its sacred blossoms with the glossy ringlets of her raven hair. The rush of memory almost overpower ed poor Clotel\; and Horatio felt too much oppressed and ashamed to break the long deep silence. At length\, in words scarcely audible\, Clotel said : \"Tell me\, dear Horatio\, are you to be married next week?\" He dropped her hand as if a rifle ball had struck him\; and it was not until after l ong hesitation\, that he began to make some reply about the necessity of c ircumstances. Mildly but earnestly the poor girl begged him to spare apolo gies. It was enough that he no longer loved her\, and that they must bid f arewell. Trusting to the yielding tenderness of her character\, he venture d\, in the most soothing accents\, to suggest that as he still loved her b etter than all the world\, she would ever be his real wife\, and they migh t see each other frequently. He was not prepared for the storm of indignan t emotion his words excited. True\, she was his slave\; her bones\, and si news had been purchased by his gold\, yet she had the heart of a true woma n\, and hers was a passion too deep and absorbing to admit of partnership\ , and her spirit was too pure to form a selfish league with crime.\n\nAt l ength this painful interview came to an end. They stood together by the Go thic gate\, where they had so often met and parted in the moonlight. Old r emembrances melted their souls. \"Farewell\, dearest Horatio\,\" said Clot el. \"Give me a parting kiss.\" Her voice was choked for utterance\, and t he tears flowed freely\, as she bent her lips toward him. He folded her co nvulsively in his arms\, and imprinted a long impassioned kiss on that mou th\, which had never spoken to him but in love and blessing. With efforts like a death-pang she at length raised her head from his heaving bosom\, a nd turning from him with bitter sobs\, \"It is our last. To meet thus is h enceforth crime. God bless you. I would not have you so miserable as I am. Farewell. A last farewell.\" \"The last?\" exclaimed he\, with a wild shr iek. \"Oh God\, Clotel\, do not say that\"\; and covering his face with hi s hands\, he wept like a child. Recovering from his emotion\, he found him self alone. The moon looked down upon him mild\, but very sorrowfully\; as the Madonna seems to gaze upon her worshipping children\, bowed down with consciousness of sin. At that moment he would have given worlds to have d isengaged himself from Gertrude\, but he had gone so far\, that blame\, di sgrace\, and duels with angry relatives would now attend any effort to obt ain his freedom. Oh\, how the moonlight oppressed him with its friendly sa dness! It was like the plaintive eye of his forsaken one\, like the music of sorrow echoed from an unseen world. Long and earnestly he gazed at that cottage\, where he had so long known earth's purest foretaste of heavenly bliss. Slowly he walked away\; then turned again to look on that charmed spot\, the nestling-place of his early affections. He caught a glimpse of Clotel\, weeping beside a magnolia\, which commanded a long view of the pa th leading to the public road. He would have sprung toward her but she dar ted from him\, and entered the cottage. That graceful figure\, weeping in the moonlight\, haunted him for years. It stood before his closing eyes\, and greeted him with the morning dawn. Poor Gertrude\, had she known all\, what a dreary lot would hers have been\; but fortunately she could not mi ss the impassioned tenderness she never experienced\; and Horatio was the more careful in his kindness\, because he was deficient in love. After Clo tel had been separated from her mother and sister\, she turned her attenti on to the subject of Christianity\, and received that consolation from her Bible that is never denied to the children of God. Although it was agains t the laws of Virginia\, for a slave to be taught to read\, Currer had emp loyed an old free Negro\, who lived near her\, to teach her two daughters to read and write. She felt that the step she had taken in resolving never to meet Horatio again would no doubt expose her to his wrath\, and probab ly cause her to be sold\, yet her heart was too guileless for her to commi t a crime\, and therefore she had ten times rather have been sold as a sla ve than do wrong. Some months after the marriage of Horatio and Gertrude t heir barouche rolled along a winding road that skirted the forest near Clo tel's cottage\, when the attention of Gertrude was suddenly attracted by t wo figures among the trees by the wayside\; and touching Horatio's arm\, s he exclaimed\, \"Do look at that beautiful child.\" He turned and saw Clot el and Mary. His lips quivered\, and his face became deadly pale. His youn g wife looked at him intently\, but said nothing. In returning home\, he t ook another road\; but his wife seeing this\, expressed a wish to go back the way they had come. He objected\, and suspicion was awakened in her hea rt\, and she soon after learned that the mother of that lovely child bore the name of Clotel\, a name which she had often heard Horatio murmur in un easy slumbers. From gossiping tongues she soon learned more than she wishe d to know. She wept\, but not as poor Clotel had done\; for she never had loved\, and been beloved like her\, and her nature was more proud: hencefo rth a change came over her feelings and her manners\, and Horatio had no f urther occasion to assume a tenderness in return for hers. Changed as he w as by ambition\, he felt the wintry chill of her polite propriety\, and so metimes\, in agony of heart\, compared it with the gushing love of her who was indeed his wife. But these and all his emotions were a sealed book to Clotel\, of which she could only guess the contents. With remittances for her and her child's support\, there sometimes came earnest pleadings that she would consent to see him again\; but these she never answered\, thoug h her heart yearned to do so. She pitied his young bride\, and would not b e tempted to bring sorrow into her household by any fault of hers. Her ear nest prayer was\, that she might not know of her existence. She had not lo oked on Horatio since she watched him under the shadow of the magnolia\, u ntil his barouche passed her in her rambles some months after. She saw the deadly paleness of his countenance\, and had he dared to look back\, he w ould have seen her tottering with faintness. Mary brought water from a riv ulet\, and sprinkled her face. When she revived\, she clasped the beloved child to her heart with a vehemence that made her scream. Soothingly she k issed away her fears\, and gazed into her beautiful eyes with a deep\, dee p sadness of expression\, which poor Mary never forgot. Wild were the thou ghts that passed round her aching heart\, and almost maddened her poor bra in\; thoughts which had almost driven her to suicide the night of that las t farewell. For her child's sake she had conquered the fierce temptation t hen\; and for her sake\, she struggled with it now. But the gloomy atmosph ere of their once happy home overclouded the morning of Mary's life. Clote l perceived this\, and it gave her unutterable pain.\n\n \"Tis ever thu s with woman's love\,\n True till life's storms have passed\;\n And\, like the vine around the tree\,\n It braves them to the last.\"\n\nC HAPTER IX\nTHE MAN OF HONOUR\n\"My tongue could never learn sweet soothing words\,\nBut now thy beauty is propos'd\, my fee\,\nMy proud heart sues\, and prompts my tongue to speak.\"\n\nShakespeare.\n\nJAMES CRAWFORD\, the purchaser of Althesa\, was from the green mountains of Vermont\, and his feelings were opposed to the holding of slaves. But his young wife persuad ed him into the idea that it was no worse to own a slave than to hire one and pay the money to another. Hence it was that he had been induced to pur chase Althesa. Henry Morton\, a young physician from the same state\, and who had just commenced the practice of his profession in New Orleans\, was boarding with Crawford when Althesa was brought home. The young physician had been in New Orleans but a few weeks\, and had seen very little of sla very. In his own mountain home he had been taught that the slaves of the S outhern states were Negroes\, if not from the coast of Africa\, the descen dants of those who had been imported. He was unprepared to behold with com posure a beautiful young white girl of fifteen in the degraded position of a chattel slave. The blood chilled in his young heart as he heard Crawfor d tell how\, by bartering with the trader\, he had bought her for two hund red dollars less than he first asked. His very looks showed that the slave girl had the deepest sympathy of his heart. Althesa had been brought up b y her mother to look after the domestic concerns of her cottage in Virgini a\, and knew well the duties imposed upon her. Mrs. Crawford was much plea sed with her new servant\, and often made mention of her in the presence o f Morton. The young man's sympathy ripened into love\, which was reciproca ted by the friendless and injured child of sorrow. There was but one cours e left\; that was\, to purchase the young girl and make her his wife\, whi ch he did six months after her arrival in Crawford's family. The young phy sician and his wife immediately took lodgings in another part of the city\ ; a private teacher was called in\, and the young wife taught some of thos e accomplishments which are necessary for one's taking a position in socie ty. Dr. Morton soon obtained a large practice in his profession\, and with it increased in wealth—but with all his wealth he never would own a sla ve. Mrs. Morton was now in a position to seek out and redeem her mother\, whom she had not heard of since they parted at Natchez. An agent was immed iately despatched to hunt out the mother and to see if she could be purcha sed. The agent had no trouble in finding out Mr. Peck: but all overtures w ere unavailable\; he would not sell Currer. His excuse was\, that she was such a good housekeeper that he could not spare her. Poor Althesa felt sad when she found that her mother could not be bought. However\, she felt a consciousness of having done her duty in the matter\, yet waited with the hope that the day might come when she should have her mother by her side.\ n\nCHAPTER X\nTHE YOUNG CHRISTIAN\n\"Here we see God dealing in slaves\; g iving them to his own favourite child [Abraham]\, a man of superlative wor th\, and as a reward for his eminent goodness.\"—Rev. Theodore Clapp\, o f New Orleans.\n\nON Carlton's return the next day from the farm\, he was overwhelmed with questions from Mr. Peck\, as to what he thought of the pl antation\, the condition of the Negroes\, Huckelby and Snyder\; and especi ally how he liked the sermon of the latter. Mr. Peck was a kind of a patri arch in his own way. To begin with\, he was a man of some talent. He not o nly had a good education\, but was a man of great eloquence\, and had a wo nderful command of language. He too either had\, or thought he had\, poeti cal genius\; and was often sending contributions to the Natchez Free Trade r\, and other periodicals. In the way of raising contributions for foreign missions\, he took the lead of all others in his neighbourhood. Everythin g he did\, he did for the \"glory of God\,\" as he said: he quoted Scriptu re for almost everything he did. Being in good circumstances\, he was able to give to almost all benevolent causes to which he took a fancy. He was a most loving father\, and his daughter exercised considerable influence o ver him\, and owing to her piety and judgment\, that influence had a benef icial effect. Carlton\, though a schoolfellow of the parson's\, was nevert heless nearly ten years his junior\; and though not an avowed infidel\, wa s\, however\, a freethinker\, and one who took no note of to-morrow. And f or this reason Georgiana took peculiar interest in the young man\, for Car lton was but little above thirty and unmarried. The young Christian felt t hat she would not be living up to that faith that she professed and believ ed in\, if she did not exert herself to the utmost to save the thoughtless man from his downward career\; and in this she succeeded to her most sang uine expectations. She not only converted him\, but in placing the Scriptu res before him in their true light\, she redeemed those sacred writings fr om the charge of supporting the system of slavery\, which her father had c ast upon them in the discussion some days before.\n\nGeorgiana's first obj ect\, however\, was to awaken in Carlton's breast a love for the Lord Jesu s Christ. The young man had often sat under the sound of the gospel with p erfect indifference. He had heard men talk who had grown grey bending over the Scriptures\, and their conversation had passed by him unheeded\; but when a young girl\, much younger than himself\, reasoned with him in that innocent and persuasive manner that woman is wont to use when she has ente red with her whole soul upon an object\, it was too much for his stout hea rt\, and he yielded. Her next aim was to vindicate the Bible from sustaini ng the monstrous institution of slavery. She said\, \"God has created of o ne blood all the nations of men\, to dwell on all the face of the earth. T o claim\, hold\, and treat a human being as property is felony against God and man. The Christian religion is opposed to slaveholding in its spirit and its principles\; it classes menstealers among murderers\; and it is th e duty of all who wish to meet God in peace\, to discharge that duty in sp reading these principles. Let us not deceive ourselves into the idea that slavery is right\, because it is profitable to us. Slaveholding is the hig hest possible violation of the eighth commandment. To take from a man his earnings\, is theft\; but to take the earner is a compound\, life-long the ft\; and we who profess to follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer\, shoul d do our utmost to extirpate slavery from the land. For my own part\, I sh all do all I can. When the Redeemer was about to ascend to the bosom of th e Father\, and resume the glory which he had with him before the world was \, he promised his disciples that the power of the Holy Ghost should come upon them\, and that they should be witnesses for him to the uttermost par ts of the earth. What was the effect upon their minds? 'They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women.' Stimulated by the confident expectation that Jesus would fulfil his gracious promise\, they poured out their hearts in fervent supplications\, probably for stren gth to do the work which he had appointed them unto\, for they felt that w ithout him they could do nothing\, and they consecrated themselves on the altar of God\, to the great and glorious enterprise of preaching the unsea rchable riches of Christ to a lost and perishing world. Have we less preci ous promises in the Scriptures of truth? May we not claim of our God the b lessing promised unto those who consider the poor: the Lord will preserve them and keep them alive\, and they shall be blessed upon the earth? Does not the language\, 'Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these m y brethren\, ye did it unto me\,' belong to all who are rightly engaged in endeavouring to unloose the bondman's fetters? Shall we not then do as th e apostles did? Shall we not\, in view of the two millions of heathen in o ur very midst\, in view of the souls that are going down in an almost unbr oken phalanx to utter perdition\, continue in prayer and supplication\, th at God will grant us the supplies of his Spirit to prepare us for that wor k which he has given us to do? Shall not the wail of the mother as she sur renders her only child to the grasp of the ruthless kidnapper\, or the tra der in human blood\, animate our devotions? Shall not the manifold crimes and horrors of slavery excite more ardent outpourings at the throne of gra ce to grant repentance to our guilty country\, and permit us to aid in pre paring the way for the glorious second advent of the Messiah\, by preachin g deliverance to the captives\, and the opening of the prison doors to tho se who are bound?\"\n\nGeorgiana had succeeded in riveting the attention o f Carlton during her conversation\, and as she was finishing her last sent ence\, she observed the silent tear stealing down the cheek of the newly b orn child of God. At this juncture her father entered\, and Carlton left t he room. \"Dear papa\,\" said Georgiana\, \"will you grant me one favour\; or\, rather\, make me a promise?\" \"I can't tell\, my dear\, till I know what it is\,\" replied Mr. Peck. \"If it is a reasonable request\, I will comply with your wish\,\" continued he. \"I hope\, my dear\,\" answered s he\, \"that papa would not think me capable of making an unreasonable requ est.\" \"Well\, well\,\" returned he\; \"tell me what it is.\" \"I hope\,\ " said she\, \"that in your future conversation with Mr. Carlton\, on the subject of slavery\, you will not speak of the Bible as sustaining it.\" \ "Why\, Georgiana\, my dear\, you are mad\, ain't you?\" exclaimed he\, in an excited tone. The poor girl remained silent\; the father saw in a momen t that he had spoken too sharply\; and taking her hand in his he said\, \" Now\, my child\, why do you make that request?\" \"Because\,\" returned sh e\, \"I think he is on the stool of repentance\, if he has not already bee n received among the elect. He\, you know\, was bordering upon infidelity\ , and if the Bible sanctions slavery\, then he will naturally enough say t hat it is not from God\; for the argument from internal evidence is not on ly refuted\, but actually turned against the Bible. If the Bible sanctions slavery\, then it misrepresents the character of God. Nothing would be mo re dangerous to the soul of a young convert than to satisfy him that the S criptures favoured such a system of sin.\" \"Don't you suppose that I unde rstand the Scriptures better than you? I have been in the world longer.\" \"Yes\,\" said she\, \"you have been in the world longer\, and amongst sla veholders so long that you do not regard it in the same light that those d o who have not become so familiar with its every-day scenes as you. I once heard you say\, that you were opposed to the institution\, when you first came to the South.\" \"Yes\,\" answered he\, \"I did not know so much abo ut it then.\" \"With great deference to you\, papa\,\" replied Georgiana\, \"I don't think that the Bible sanctions slavery. The Old Testament conta ins this explicit condemnation of it\, 'He that stealeth a man\, and selle th him\, or if he be found in his band\, he shall surely be put to death'\ ; and 'Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness\, and his c hambers by wrong\; that useth his neighbour's service without wages\, and giveth him not for his work'\; when also the New Testament exhibits such w ords of rebuke as these\, 'Behold the hire of the labourers who have reape d down your fields\, which is of you kept back by fraud\, crieth\; and the cries of them who have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sa baoth.' 'The law is not made for a righteous man\, but for the lawless and disobedient\, for the ungodly and for sinners\, for unholy and profane\, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers\, for manslayers\, for w horemongers\, for them that defile themselves with mankind\, for mensteale rs\, for liars\, for perjured persons.' A more scathing denunciation of th e sin in question is surely to be found on record in no other book. I am a fraid\,\" continued the daughter\, \"that the acts of the professed friend s of Christianity in the South do more to spread infidelity than the writi ngs of all the atheists which have ever been published. The infidel watche s the religious world. He surveys the church\, and\, lo! thousands and ten s of thousands of her accredited members actually hold slaves. Members 'in good and regular standing\,' fellowshipped throughout Christendom except by a few anti-slavery churches generally despised as ultra and radical\, r educe their fellow men to the condition of chattels\, and by force keep th em in that state of degradation. Bishops\, ministers\, elders\, and deacon s are engaged in this awful business\, and do not consider their conduct a s at all inconsistent with the precepts of either the Old or New Testament s. Moreover\, those ministers and churches who do not themselves hold slav es\, very generally defend the conduct of those who do\, and accord to the m a fair Christian character\, and in the way of business frequently take mortgages and levy executions on the bodies of their fellow men\, and in s ome cases of their fellow Christians. \"Now is it a wonder that infidels\, beholding the practice and listening to the theory of professing Christia ns\, should conclude that the Bible inculcates a morality not inconsistent with chattelising human beings? And must not this conclusion be strengthe ned\, when they hear ministers of talent and learning declare that the Bib le does sanction slaveholding\, and that it ought not to be made a discipl inable offence in churches? And must not all doubt be dissipated\, when on e of the most learned professors in our theological seminaries asserts tha t the Bible recognises that the relation may still exist\, salva fide et s alva ecclesia' (without injury to the Christian faith or church) and that only 'the abuse of it is the essential and fundamental wrong?' Are not inf idels bound to believe that these professors\, ministers\, and churches un derstand their own Bible\, and that\, consequently\, notwithstanding solit ary passages which appear to condemn slaveholding\, the Bible sanctions it ? When nothing can be further from the truth. And as for Christ\, his whol e life was a living testimony against slavery and all that it inculcates. When he designed to do us good\, he took upon himself the form of a servan t. He took his station at the bottom of society. He voluntarily identified himself with the poor and the despised. The warning voices of Jeremiah an d Ezekiel were raised in olden time\, against sin. Let us not forget what followed. 'Therefore\, thus saith the Lord—ye have not harkened unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother\, and every one to his nei ghbour—behold I proclaim a liberty for you\, saith the Lord\, to the swo rd\, to the pestilence\, and to the famine.' Are we not virtually as a nat ion adopting the same impious language\, and are we not exposed to the sam e tremendous judgments? Shall we not\, in view of those things\, use every laudable means to awaken our beloved country from the slumbers of death\, and baptize all our efforts with tears and with prayers\, that God may bl ess them? Then\, should our labour fail to accomplish the end for which we pray\, we shall stand acquitted at the bar of Jehovah\, and although we m ay share in the national calamities which await unrepented sins\, yet that blessed approval will be ours—'Well done\, good and faithful servants\, enter ye into the joy of your Lord.'\"\n\n\"My dear Georgiana\,\" said Mr . Peck\, \"I must be permitted to entertain my own views on this subject\, and to exercise my own judgment.\"\n\n\"Believe me\, dear papa\,\" she re plied\, \"I would not be understood as wishing to teach you\, or to dictat e to you in the least\; but only grant my request\, not to allude to the B ible as sanctioning slavery\, when speaking with Mr. Carlton.\"\n\n\"Well\ ,\" returned he\, \"I will comply with your wish.\"\n\nThe young Christian had indeed accomplished a noble work\; and whether it was admitted by the father\, or not\, she was his superior and his teacher. Georgiana had vie wed the right to enjoy perfect liberty as one of those inherent and inalie nable rights which pertain to the whole human race\, and of which they can never be divested\, except by an act of gross injustice. And no one was m ore able than herself to impress those views upon the hearts of all with w hom she came in contact. Modest and self-possessed\, with a voice of great sweetness\, and a most winning manner\, she could\, with the greatest eas e to herself\, engage their attention.\n\nCHAPTER XI\nTHE PARSON POET\n\"U nbind\, unbind my galling chain\,\n And set\, oh! set me free:\n No lon ger say that I'll disdain\n The gift of liberty.\"\n\nTHROUGH the per suasion of Mr. Peck\, and fascinated with the charms of Georgiana\, Carlto n had prolonged his stay two months with his old school-fellow. During the latter part of the time he had been almost as one of the family. If Miss Peck was invited out\, Mr. Carlton was\, as a matter of course. She seldom rode out\, unless with him. If Mr. Peck was absent\, he took the head of the table\; and\, to the delight of the young lady\, he had on several occ asions taken part in the family worship. \"I am glad\,\" said Mr. Peck\, o ne evening while at the tea table\, \"I am glad\, Mr. Carlton\, that my ne ighbour Jones has invited you to visit him at his farm. He is a good neigh bour\, but a very ungodly man\; I want that you should see his people\, an d then\, when you return to the North\, you can tell how much better a Chr istian's slaves are situated than one who does nothing for the cause of Ch rist.\" \"I hope\, Mr. Carlton\,\" said Georgiana\, \"that you will spend the Sabbath with him\, and have a religious interview with the Negroes.\" \"Yes\,\" replied the parson\, \"that's well thought of\, Georgy.\" \"Well \, I think I will go up on Thursday next\, and stay till Monday\,\" said C arlton\; \"and I shall act upon your suggestion\, Miss Peck\,\" continued he\; \"and try to get a religious interview with the blacks. By-the-by\,\" remarked Carlton\, \"I saw an advertisement in the Free Trader to-day tha t rather puzzled me. Ah\, here it is now\; and\, drawing the paper from hi s pocket\, \"I will read it\, and then you can tell me what it means:\n\n' To PLANTERS AND OTHERS.—Wanted fifty Negroes. Any person having sick Neg roes\, considered incurable by their respective physicians\, (their owners of course\,) and wishing to dispose of them\, Dr. Stillman will pay cash for Negroes affected with scrofula or king's evil\, confirmed hypochondria cism\, apoplexy\, or diseases of the brain\, kidneys\, spleen\, stomach an d intestines\, bladder and its appendages\, diarrhoea\, dysentery\, &\; c. The highest cash price will be paid as above.'\n\nWhen I read this to-d ay I thought that the advertiser must be a man of eminent skill as a physi cian\, and that he intended to cure the sick Negroes\; but on second thoug ht I find that some of the diseases enumerated are certainly incurable. Wh at can he do with these sick Negroes?\" \"You see\,\" replied Mr. Peck\, l aughing\, \"that he is a doctor\, and has use for them in his lectures. Th e doctor is connected with a small college. Look at his prospectus\, where he invites students to attend\, and that will explain the matter to you.\ " Carlton turned to another column\, and read the following:\n\n\"Some adv antages of a peculiar character are connected with this institution\, whic h it may be proper to point out. No place in the United States offers as g reat opportunities for the acquisition of anatomical knowledge. Subjects b eing obtained from among the coloured population in sufficient numbers for every purpose\, and proper dissections carried on without offending any i ndividuals in the community!\"\n\n\"These are for dissection\, then?\" inq uired Carlton with a trembling voice. \"Yes\,\" answered the parson. \"Of course they wait till they die before they can use them.\" \"They keep the m on hand\, and when they need one they bleed him to death\,\" returned Mr . Peck. \"Yes\, but that's murder.\" \"Oh\, the doctors are licensed to co mmit murder\, you know\; and what's the difference\, whether one dies owin g to the loss of blood\, or taking too many pills? For my own part\, if I had to choose\, I would rather submit to the former.\" \"I have often hear d what I considered hard stories in abolition meetings in New York about s lavery\; but now I shall begin to think that many of them are true.\" \"Th e longer you remain here the more you will be convinced of the iniquity of the institution\,\" remarked Georgiana. \"Now\, Georgy\, my dear\, don't give us another abolition lecture\, if you please\,\" said Mr. Peck. \"Her e\, Carlton\,\" continued the parson\, \"I have written a short poem for y our sister's album\, as you requested me\; it is a domestic piece\, as you will see.\" \"She will prize it the more for that\,\" remarked Carlton\; and taking the sheet of paper\, he laughed as his eyes glanced over it. \" Read it out\, Mr. Carlton\,\" said Georgiana\, \"and let me hear what it i s\; I know papa gets off some very droll things at times.\" Carlton compli ed with the young lady's request\, and read aloud the following rare speci men of poetical genius:\n\n\"MY LITTLE NIG.\n \"I have a little nig ger\, the blackest thing alive\,\n He'll be just four years old if he l ives till forty-five\;\n His smooth cheek hath a glossy hue\, like a new p olished boot\,\n And his hair curls o'er his little head as black as any s oot.\n His lips bulge from his countenance—his little ivories shine—\n His nose is what we call a little pug\, but fashioned very fine:\n Although not quite a fairy\, he is comely to behold\,\nAnd I wouldn't sell him\, 'pon my word\, for a hundred all in gold.\n\n \"He gets up earl y in the morn\, like all the other nigs\,\n And runs off to the hog-lot\, where he squabbles with the pigs—\n And when the sun gets out of bed\, and mounts up in the sky\,\n The warmest corner of the yard is where my nig doth lie.\n And there extended lazily\, he contemplates and dr eams\,\n (I cannot qualify to this\, but plain enough it seems\;)\n Un til 'tis time to take in grub\, when you can't find him there\,\n For \, like a politician\, he has gone to hunt his share.\n\n \"I haven't said a single word concerning my plantation\,\n Though a prettier\, I gues s\, cannot be found within the nation\;\n When he gets a little bigger\, I'll take and to him show it\,\n And then I'll say\, 'My little nig\, now just prepare to go it!'\n I'll put a hoe into his hand—he'll soon kno w what it means\,\n And every day for dinner\, he shall have bacon and gre ens.\"\n\nCHAPTER XII\nA NIGHT IN THE PARSON'S KITCHEN\n \"And see th e servants met\,\n Their daily labour's o'er\;\n And with the jest an d song they set\n The kitchen in a roar.\"\n\nMR. PECK kept around h im four servants besides Currer\, of whom we have made mention: of these\, Sam was considered the first. If a dinner-party was in contemplation\, or any company to be invited to the parson's\, after all the arrangements ha d been talked over by the minister and his daughter\, Sam was sure to be c onsulted upon the subject by \"Miss Georgy\,\" as Miss Peck was called by the servants. If furniture\, crockery\, or anything else was to be purchas ed\, Sam felt that he had been slighted if his opinion had not been asked. As to the marketing\, he did it all. At the servants' table in the kitche n\, he sat at the head\, and was master of ceremonies. A single look from him was enough to silence any conversation or noise in the kitchen\, or an y other part of the premises. There is\, in the Southern States\, a great amount of prejudice against colour amongst the Negroes themselves. The nea rer the Negro or mulatto approaches to the white\, the more he seems to fe el his superiority over those of a darker hue. This is\, no doubt\, the re sult of the prejudice that exists on the part of the whites towards both m ulattoes and blacks. Sam was originally from Kentucky\, and through the in strumentality of one of his young masters whom he had to take to school\, he had learned to read so as to be well understood\; and\, owing to that f act\, was considered a prodigy among the slaves\, not only of his own mast er's\, but those of the town who knew him. Sam had a great wish to follow in the footsteps of his master\, and be a poet\; and was\, therefore\, oft en heard singing doggerels of his own composition. But there was one great drawback to Sam\, and that was his colour. He was one of the blackest of his race. This he evidently regarded as a great misfortune. However\, he m ade up for this in his dress. Mr. Peck kept his house servants well dresse d\; and as for Sam\, he was seldom seen except in a ruffled shirt. Indeed\ , the washerwoman feared him more than all others about the house.\n\nCurr er\, as we have already stated\, was chief of the kitchen department\, and had a general supervision of the household affairs. Alfred the coachman\, Peter\, and Hetty made up the remainder of the house servants. Besides th ese\, Mr. Peck owned eight slaves who were masons. These worked in the cit y. Being mechanics\, they were let out to greater advantage than to keep t hem on the farm. However\, every Sunday night\, Peck's servants\, includin g the bricklayers\, usually assembled in the kitchen\, when the events of the week were freely discussed and commented on. It was on a Sunday evenin g\, in the month of June\, that there was a party at Mr. Peck's\, and\, ac cording to custom in the Southern States\, the ladies had their maid-serva nts with them. Tea had been served in \"the house\,\" and the servants\, i ncluding the strangers\, had taken their seats at the tea table in the kit chen. Sam\, being a \"single gentleman\,\" was usually attentive to the \" ladies\" on this occasion. He seldom or ever let the day pass without spen ding at least an hour in combing and brushing up his \"hair.\" Sam had an idea that fresh butter was better for his hair than any other kind of grea se\; and therefore\, on churning days\, half a pound of butter had always to be taken out before it was salted. When he wished to appear to great ad vantage\, he would grease his face\, to make it \"shiny.\" On the evening of the party therefore\, when all the servants were at the table\, Sam cut a big figure. There he sat with his wool well combed and buttered\, face nicely greased\, and his ruffles extending five or six inches from his bre ast. The parson in his own drawing-room did not make a more imposing appea rance than did his servant on this occasion. \"I jist bin had my fortune t old last Sunday night\,\" said Sam\, as he helped one of the girls to some sweet hash. \"Indeed\,\" cried half-a-dozen voices. \"Yes\,\" continued h e\; \"Aunt Winny teld me I is to hab de prettiest yaller gal in town\, and dat I is to be free.\" All eyes were immediately turned toward Sally John son\, who was seated near Sarn. \"I speck I see somebody blush at dat rema rk\,\" said Alfred. \"Pass dem pancakes and molasses up dis way\, Mr. Alf\ , and none of your insinawaysion here\,\" rejoined Sam. \"Dat reminds me\, \" said Currer\, \"dat Doreas Simpson is gwine to git married.\" \"Who to\ , I want to know?\" inquired Peter. \"To one of Mr. Darby's field-hands\,\ " answered Currer. \"I should tink dat dat gal would not trow hersef away in dat manner\,\" said Sally. \"She good enough looking to get a house ser vant\, and not to put up wid a fiel' nigger\,\" continued she. \"Yes\,\" s aid Sam\, \"dat's a wery insensible remark of yours\, Miss Sally. I admire your judgment wery much\, I assure you. Dah's plenty of suspectible and w ell-dressed house servants dat a gal of her looks can get\, wid out taken up wid dem common darkies.\" \"Is de man black or a mulatto?\" inquired on e of the company. \"He's nearly white\,\" replied Currer. \"Well den\, dat 's some exchuse for her\,\" remarked Sam\; \"for I don't like to see dis m algemation of blacks and mulattoes.\" \"No mulatto?\" inquired one of the corn-how. Continued Sam\, \"If I had my rights I would be a mulatto too\, for my mother was almost as light-coloured as Miss Sally\,\" said he. Alth ough Sam was one of the blackest men living\, he nevertheless contended th at his mother was a mulatto\, and no one was more prejudiced against the b lacks than he. A good deal of work\, and the free use of fresh butter\, ha d no doubt done wonders for his \"hare\" in causing it to grow long\, and to this he would always appeal when he wished to convince others that he w as part of an Anglo-Saxon. \"I always thought you was not clear black\, Mr . Sam\,\" said Agnes. \"You are right dahr\, Miss Agnes. My hare tells wha t company I belong to\,\" answered Sam. Here the whole company joined in t he conversation about colour\, which lasted for some time\, giving unmista keable evidence that caste is owing to ignorance. The evening's entertainm ent concluded by Sam's relating a little of his own experience while with his first master in old Kentucky.\n\nSam's former master was a doctor\, an d had a large practice among his neighbours\, doctoring both masters and s laves. When Sam was about fifteen years of age\, his old master set him to grinding up the ointment\, then to making pills. As the young student gre w older and became more practised in his profession\, his services were of more importance to the doctor. The physician having a good business\, and a large number of his patients being slaves\, the most of whom had to cal l on the doctor when ill\, he put Sam to bleeding\, pulling teeth\, and ad ministering medicine to the slaves. Sam soon acquired the name amongst the slaves of the \"Black Doctor.\" With this appellation he was delighted\, and no regular physician could possibly have put on more airs than did the black doctor when his services were required. In bleeding\, he must have more bandages\, and rub and smack the arm more than the doctor would have thought of. We once saw Sam taking out a tooth for one of his patients\, a nd nothing appeared more amusing. He got the poor fellow down on his back\ , and he got astraddle of the man's chest\, and getting the turnkeys on th e wrong tooth\, he shut both eyes and pulled for his life. The poor man sc reamed as loud as he could\, but to no purpose. Sam had him fast. After a great effort\, out came the sound grinder\, and the young doctor saw his m istake\; but consoled himself with the idea that as the wrong tooth was ou t of the way\, there was more room to get at the right one. Bleeding and a dose of calomel was always considered indispensable by the \"Old Boss\"\; and\, as a matter of course\, Sam followed in his footsteps.\n\nOn one oc casion the old doctor was ill himself\, so as to be unable to attend to hi s patients. A slave\, with pass in hand\, called to receive medical advice \, and the master told Sam to examine him and see what he wanted. This del ighted him beyond measure\, for although he had been acting his part in th e way of giving out medicine as the master ordered it\, he had never been called upon by the latter to examine a patient\, and this seemed to convin ce him that\, after all\, he was no sham doctor. As might have been expect ed\, he cut a rare figure in his first examination\, placing himself direc tly opposite his patient\, and folding his arms across his breast\, and lo oking very knowingly\, he began\, \"What's de matter wid you?\" \"I is sic k.\" \"Where is you sick?\" \"Here\,\" replied the man\, putting his hand upon his stomach. \"Put out your tongue\,\" continued the doctor. The man ran out his tongue at full length. \"Let me feel your pulse\,\" at the sam e time taking his patient's hand in his\, placing his fingers on his pulse \, he said\, \"Ah\, your case is a bad one\; if I don't do something for y ou\, and dat pretty quick\, you'll be a gone coon\, and dat's sartin.\" At this the man appeared frightened\, and inquired what was the matter with him: in answer\, Sam said\, \"I done told you dat your case is a bad one\, and dat's enough.\" On Sam's returning to his master's bedside\, the latt er said\, \"Well\, Sam\, what do you think is the matter with him?\" \"His stomach is out of order\, sir\,\" he replied. \"What do you think had bes t be done for him?\" \"I think I better bleed him and give him a dose of c alomel\,\" returned Sam. So to the latter's gratification the master let h im have his own way. We need not further say\, that the recital of Sam's e xperience as a physician gave him a high position amongst the servants tha t evening\, and made him a decided favourite with the ladies\, one of whom feigned illness\, when the black doctor\, to the delight of all\, and cer tainly to himself\, gave medical advice. Thus ended the evening amongst th e servants in the parson's kitchen.\n\nCHAPTER XIII\nA SLAVE HUNTING PARSO N\n \"'Tis too much prov'd—that with devotion's visage\,\n And pious ac tion\, we do sugar o'er the devil himself.\"\n\n—Shakespeare.\n\n\"You w ill\, no doubt\, be well pleased with neighbour Jones\,\" said Mr. Peck\, as Carlton stepped into the chaise to pay his promised visit to the \"ungo dly man.\" \"Don't forget to have a religious interview with the Negroes\, remarked Georgiana\, as she gave the last nod to her young convert. \"I w ill do my best\,\" returned Carlton\, as the vehicle left the door. As mig ht have been expected\, Carlton met with a cordial reception at the hands of the proprietor of the Grove Farm. The servants in the \"Great House\" w ere well dressed\, and appeared as if they did not want for food. Jones kn ew that Carlton was from the North\, and a non-slaveholder\, and therefore did everything in his power to make a favourable impression on his mind. \"My Negroes are well clothed\, well fed\, and not over worked\,\" said th e slaveholder to his visitor\, after the latter had been with him nearly a week. \"As far as I can see your slaves appear to good advantage\,\" repl ied Carlton. \"But\,\" continued he\, \"if it is a fair question\, do you have preaching among your slaves on Sunday\, Mr. Jones?\" \"No\, no\,\" re turned he\, \"I think that's all nonsense\; my Negroes do their own preach ing.\" \"So you do permit them to have meetings.\" \"Yes\, when they wish. There's some very intelligent and clever chaps among them.\" \"As to-morr ow is the Sabbath\,\" said Carlton\, \"if you have no objection\, I will a ttend meeting with them.\" \"Most certainly you shall\, if you will do the preaching\,\" returned the planter. Here the young man was about to decli ne\, but he remembered the parting words of Georgiana\, and he took courag e and said\, \"Oh\, I have no objection to give the Negroes a short talk.\ " It was then understood that Carlton was to have a religious interview wi th the blacks the next day\, and the young man waited with a degree of imp atience for the time.\n\nIn no part of the South are slaves in a more igno rant and degraded state than in the cotton\, sugar\, and rice districts.\n \nIf they are permitted to cease labour on the Sabbath\, the time is spent in hunting\, fishing\, or lying beneath the shade of a tree\, resting for the morrow. Religious instruction is unknown in the far South\, except am ong such men as the Rev. C. C. Jones\, John Peck\, and some others who reg ard religious instruction\, such as they impart to their slaves\, as calcu lated to make them more trustworthy and valuable as property. Jones\, awar e that his slaves would make rather a bad show of intelligence if question ed by Carlton\, resolved to have them ready for him\, and therefore gave h is driver orders with regard to their preparation. Consequently\, after th e day's labour was over\, Dogget\, the driver\, assembled the Negroes toge ther and said\, \"Now\, boys and gals\, your master is coming down to the quarters to-morrow with his visitor\, who is going to give you a preach\, and I want you should understand what he says to you. Now many of you who came of Old Virginia and Kentuck\, know what preaching is\, and others who have been raised in these parts do not. Preaching is to tell you that you are mighty wicked and bad at heart. This\, I suppose\, you all know. But if the gentleman should ask you who made you\, tell him the Lord\; if he a sk if you wish to go to heaven\, tell him yes. Remember that you are all C hristians\, all love the Lord\, all want to go to heaven\, all love your m asters\, and all love me. Now\, boys and gals\, I want you to show yoursel ves smart to-morrow: be on your p's and q's\, and\, Monday morning\, I wil l give you all a glass of whiskey bright and early.\" Agreeable to arrange ment the slaves were assembled together on Sunday morning under the large trees near the great house\, and after going through another drilling from the driver\, Jones and Carlton made their appearance. \"You see\,\" said Jones to the Negroes\, as he approached them\, you see here's a gentleman that's come to talk to you about your souls\, and I hope you 'ill all pay that attention that you ought.\" Jones then seated himself in one of the t wo chairs placed there for him and the stranger.\n\nCarlton had already se lected a chapter in the Bible to read to them\, which he did\, after first prefacing it with some remarks of his own. Not being accustomed to speak in public\, he determined\, after reading the Bible\, to make it more of a conversational meeting than otherwise. He therefore began asking them que stions. \"Do you feel that you are a Christian?\" asked he of a full-blood ed Negro that sat near him. \"Yes\, sir\,\" was the response. \"You feel\, then\, that you shall go to heaven.\" \"Yes\, sir.\" \"Of course you know who made you?\" The man put his hand to his head and began to scratch his wool\; and\, after a little hesitation\, answered\, \"De overseer told us last night who made us\, but indeed I forgot the gentmun's name.\" This r eply was almost too much for Carlton\, and his gravity was not a little mo ved. However\, he bit his tongue\, and turned to another man\, who appeare d\, from his looks\, to be more intelligent. \"Do you serve the Lord?\" as ked he. \"No\, sir\, I don't serve anybody but Mr. Jones. I neber belong t o anybody else.\" To hide his feelings at this juncture\, Carlton turned a nd walked to another part of the grounds\, to where the women were seated\ , and said to a mulatto woman who had rather an anxious countenance\, \"Di d you ever hear of John the Baptist?\" \"Oh yes\, marser\, John de Baptist \; I know dat nigger bery well indeed\; he libs in Old Kentuck\, where I c ome from.\" Carlton's gravity here gave way\, and he looked at the planter and laughed right out. The old woman knew a slave near her old master's f arm in Kentucky\, and was ignorant enough to suppose that he was the John the Baptist inquired about. Carlton occupied the remainder of the time in reading Scripture and talking to them. \"My niggers ain't shown off very w ell to-day\,\" said Jones\, as he and his visitor left the grounds. \"No\, \" replied Carlton. \"You did not get hold of the bright ones\,\" continue d the planter. \"So it seems\,\" remarked Carlton. The planter evidently f elt that his neighbour\, Parson Peck\, would have a nut to crack over the account that Carlton would give of the ignorance of the slaves\, and said and did all in his power to remove the bad impression already made\; but t o no purpose. The report made by Carlton\, on his return\, amused the pars on very much. It appeared to him the best reason why professed Christians like himself should be slave-holders. Not so with Georgiana. She did not e ven smile when Carlton was telling his story\, but seemed sore at heart th at such ignorance should prevail in their midst. The question turned upon the heathen of other lands\, and the parson began to expatiate upon his ow n efforts in foreign missions\, when his daughter\, with a child-like simp licity\, said\,\n\n \"Send Bibles to the heathen\;\n On every distan t shore\,\nFrom light that's beaming o'er us\,\n Let streams increasing pour\n But keep it from the millions\n Down-trodden at our door.\n\n \"Send Bibles to the heathen\,\n Their famished spirits feed\;\nOh! has te\, and join your efforts\,\n The priceless gift to speed\;\n Then flo g the trembling Negro\n If he should learn to read.\"\n\n\"I saw a curio sity while at Mr. Jones's that I shall not forget soon\,\" said Carlton. \ "What was it?\" inquired the parson. \"A kennel of bloodhounds\; and such dogs I never saw before. They were of a species between the bloodhound and the foxhound\, and were ferocious\, gaunt\, and savage-looking animals. T hey were part of a stock imported from Cuba\, he informed me. They were ke pt in an iron cage\, and fed on Indian corn bread. This kind of food\, he said\, made them eager for their business. Sometimes they would give the d ogs meat\, but it was always after they had been chasing a Negro.\" \"Were those the dogs you had\, papa\, to hunt Harry?\" asked Georgiana. \"No\, my dear\,\" was the short reply: and the parson seemed anxious to change t he conversation to something else. When Mr. Peck had left the room\, Carlt on spoke more freely of what he had seen\, and spoke more pointedly agains t slavery\; for he well knew that Miss Peck sympathised with him in all he felt and said.\n\n\"You mentioned about your father hunting a slave\,\" s aid Carlton\, in an undertone. \"Yes\,\" replied she: \"papa went with som e slave-catchers and a parcel of those nasty Negro-dogs\, to hunt poor Har ry. He belonged to papa and lived on the farm. His wife lives in town\, an d Harry had been to see her\, and did not return quite as early as he shou ld\; and Huckelby was flogging him\, and he got away and came here. I want ed papa to keep him in town\, so that he could see his wife more frequentl y\; but he said they could not spare him from the farm\, and flogged him a gain\, and sent him back. The poor fellow knew that the overseer would pun ish him over again\, and instead of going back he went into the woods.\" \ "Did they catch him?\" asked Carlton. \"Yes\,\" replied she. \"In chasing him through the woods\, he attempted to escape by swimming across a river\ , and the dogs were sent in after him\, and soon caught him. But Harry had great courage and fought the dogs with a big club\; and papa seeing the N egro would escape from the dogs\, shot at him\, as he says\, only to wound him\, that he might be caught\; but the poor fellow was killed.\" Overcom e by relating this incident\, Georgiana burst into tears.\n\nAlthough Mr. Peck fed and clothed his house servants well\, and treated them with a deg ree of kindness\, he was\, nevertheless\, a most cruel master. He encourag ed his driver to work the field-hands from early dawn till late at night\; and the good appearance of the house-servants\, and the preaching of Snyd er to the field Negroes\, was to cause himself to be regarded as a Christi an master. Being on a visit one day at the farm\, and having with him seve ral persons from the Free States\, and wishing to make them believe that h is slaves were happy\, satisfied\, and contented\, the parson got out the whiskey and gave each one a dram\, who in return had to drink the master's health\, or give a toast of some kind. The company were not a little amus ed at some of the sentiments given\, and Peck was delighted at every indic ation of contentment on the part of the blacks. At last it came to Jack's turn to drink\, and the master expected something good from him\, because he was considered the cleverest and most witty slave on the farm.\n\n\"Now \,\" said the master\, as he handed Jack the cup of whiskey\; \"now\, Jack \, give us something rich. You know\,\" continued he\, \"we have raised th e finest crop of cotton that's been seen in these parts for many a day. No w give us a toast on cotton\; come\, Jack\, give us something to laugh at. \" The Negro felt not a little elated at being made the hero of the occasi on\, and taking the whiskey in his right hand\, put his left to his head a nd began to scratch his wool\, and said\,\n\n \"The big bee flies hi gh\,\n The little bee make the honey\;\n The black folks makes the cot ton\,\n And the white folks gets the money.\"\n\nCHAPTER XIV\nA FREE WOMAN REDUCED TO SLAVERY\nALTHESA found in Henry Morton a kind and affectionate husband\; and his efforts to purchase her mother\, although unsuccessful\ , had doubly endeared him to her. Having from the commencement resolved no t to hold slaves\, or rather not to own any\, they were compelled to hire servants for their own use. Five years had passed away\, and their happine ss was increased by two lovely daughters. Mrs. Morton was seated\, one bri ght afternoon\, busily engaged with her needle\, and near her sat Salome\, a servant that she had just taken into her employ. The woman was perfectl y white\; so much so\, that Mrs. Morton had expressed her apprehensions to her husband\, when the woman first came\, that she was not born a slave. The mistress watched the servant\, as the latter sat sewing upon some coar se work\, and saw the large silent tear in her eye. This caused an uneasin ess to the mistress\, and she said\, \"Salome\, don't you like your situat ion here?\" \"Oh yes\, madam\,\" answered the woman in a quick tone\, and then tried to force a smile. \"Why is it that you often look sad\, and wit h tears in your eyes?\" The mistress saw that she had touched a tender cho rd\, and continued\, \"I am your friend\; tell me your sorrow\, and\, if I can\, I will help you.\" As the last sentence was escaping the lips of th e mistress\, the slave woman put her check apron to her face and wept. Mrs . Morton saw plainly that there was cause for this expression of grief\, a nd pressed the woman more closely. \"Hear me\, then\,\" said the woman cal ming herself: \"I will tell you why I sometimes weep. I was born in German y\, on the banks of the Rhine. Ten years ago my father came to this countr y\, bringing with him my mother and myself. He was poor\, and I\, wishing to assist all I could\, obtained a situation as nurse to a lady in this ci ty. My father got employment as a labourer on the wharf\, among the steamb oats\; but he was soon taken ill with the yellow fever\, and died. My moth er then got a situation for herself\, while I remained with my first emplo yer. When the hot season came on\, my master\, with his wife\, left New Or leans until the hot season was over\, and took me with them. They stopped at a town on the banks of the Mississippi river\, and said they should rem ain there some weeks. One day they went out for a ride\, and they had not been one more than half an hour\, when two men came into the room and told me that they had bought me\, and that I was their slave. I was bound and taken to prison\, and that night put on a steamboat and taken up the Yazoo river\, and set to work on a farm. I was forced to take up with a Negro\, and by him had three children. A year since my master's daughter was marr ied\, and I was given to her. She came with her husband to this city\, and I have ever since been hired out.\"\n\n\"Unhappy woman\,\" whispered Alth esa\, \"why did you not tell me this before?\" \"I was afraid\,\" replied Salome\, \"for I was once severely flogged for telling a stranger that I w as not born a slave.\" On Mr. Morton's return home\, his wife communicated to him the story which the slave woman had told her an hour before\, and begged that something might be done to rescue her from the situation she w as then in. In Louisiana as well as many others of the slave states\, grea t obstacles are thrown in the way of persons who have been wrongfully redu ced to slavery regaining their freedom. A person claiming to be free must prove his right to his liberty. This\, it will be seen\, throws the burden of proof upon the slave\, who\, in all probability\, finds it out of his power to procure such evidence. And if any free person shall attempt to ai d a freeman in re-gaining his freedom\, he is compelled to enter into secu rity in the sum of one thousand dollars\, and if the person claiming to be free shall fail to establish such fact\, the thousand dollars are forfeit ed to the state. This cruel and oppressive law has kept many a freeman fro m espousing the cause of persons unjustly held as slaves. Mr. Morton inqui red and found that the woman's story was true\, as regarded the time she h ad lived with her present owner\; but the latter not only denied that she was free\, but immediately removed her from Morton's. Three months after S alome had been removed from Morton's and let out to another family\, she w as one morning cleaning the door steps\, when a lady passing by\, looked a t the slave and thought she recognised some one that she had seen before. The lady stopped and asked the woman if she was a slave. \"I am\,\" said s he. \"Were you born a slave?\" \"No\, I was born in Germany.\" \"What's th e name of the ship in which you came to this country?\" inquired the lady. \"I don't know\,\" was the answer. \"Was it the am*zon?\" At the sound of this name\, the slave woman was silent for a moment\, and then the tears began to flow freely down her careworn cheeks. \"Would you know Mrs. Marsh all\, who was a passenger in the am*zon\, if you should see her?\" inquire d the lady. At this the woman gazed at the lady with a degree of intensity that can be imagined better than described\, and then fell at the lady's feet. The lady was Mrs. Marshall. She had crossed the Atlantic in the same ship with this poor woman. Salome\, like many of her countrymen\, was a b eautiful singer\, and had often entertained Mrs. Marshall and the other la dy passengers on board the am*zon. The poor woman was raised from the grou nd by Mrs. Marshall\, and placed upon the door step that she had a moment before been cleaning. \"I will do my utmost to rescue you from the horrid life of a slave\,\" exclaimed the lady\, as she took from her pocket her p encil\, and wrote down the number of the house\, and the street in which t he German woman was working as a slave.\n\nAfter a long and tedious trial of many days\, it was decided that Salome Miller was by birth a free woman \, and she was set at liberty. The good and generous Althesa had contribut ed some of the money toward bringing about the trial\, and had done much t o cheer on Mrs. Marshall in her benevolent object. Salome Miller is free\, but where are her three children? They are still slaves\, and in all huma n probability will die as such.\n\nThis\, reader\, is no fiction\; if you think so\, look over the files of the New Orleans newspapers of the years 1845-6\, and you will there see reports of the trial.\n\nCHAPTER XV\nTO-DA Y A MISTRESS\, TO-MORROW A SLAVE\n \"I promised thee a sister tale\n Of man's perfidious cruelty\;\nCome\, then\, and hear what cruel wrong\n Befell the dark ladie.\"—Coleridge.\n\nLET us return for a moment to t he home of Clotel. While she was passing lonely and dreary hours with none but her darling child\, Horatio Green was trying to find relief in that i nsidious enemy of man\, the intoxicating cup. Defeated in politics\, forsa ken in love by his wife\, he seemed to have lost all principle of honour\, and was ready to nerve himself up to any deed\, no matter how unprinciple d. Clotel's existence was now well known to Horatio's wife\, and both her [sic] and her father demanded that the beautiful quadroon and her child sh ould be sold and sent out of the state. To this proposition he at first tu rned a deaf ear\; but when he saw that his wife was about to return to her father's roof\, he consented to leave the matter in the hands of his fath er-in-law. The result was\, that Clotel was immediately sold to the slave- trader\, Walker\, who\, a few years previous\, had taken her mother and si ster to the far South. But\, as if to make her husband drink of the cup of humiliation to its very dregs\, Mrs. Green resolved to take his child und er her own roof for a servant. Mary was\, therefore\, put to the meanest w ork that could be found\, and although only ten years of age\, she was oft en compelled to perform labour\, which\, under ordinary circumstances\, wo uld have been thought too hard for one much older. One condition of the sa le of Clotel to Walker was\, that she should be taken out of the state\, w hich was accordingly done. Most quadroon women who are taken to the lower countries to be sold are either purchased by gentlemen for their own use\, or sold for waiting-maids\; and Clotel\, like her sister\, was fortunate enough to be bought for the latter purpose. The town of Vicksburgh stands on the left bank of the Mississippi\, and is noted for the severity with w hich slaves are treated. It was here that Clotel was sold to Mr. James Fre nch\, a merchant.\n\nMrs. French was severe in the extreme to her servants . Well dressed\, but scantily fed\, and overworked were all who found a ho me with her. The quadroon had been in her new home but a short time ere sh e found that her situation was far different from what it was in Virginia. What social virtues are possible in a society of which injustice is the p rimary characteristic? in a society which is divided into two classes\, ma sters and slaves? Every married woman in the far South looks upon her husb and as unfaithful\, and regards every quadroon servant as a rival. Clotel had been with her new mistress but a few days\, when she was ordered to cu t off her long hair. The Negro\, constitutionally\, is fond of dress and o utward appearance. He that has short\, woolly hair\, combs it and oils it to death. He that has long hair\, would sooner have his teeth drawn than l ose it. However painful it was to the quadroon\, she was soon seen with he r hair cut as short as any of the full-blooded Negroes in the dwelling.\n\ nEven with her short hair\, Clotel was handsome. Her life had been a seclu ded one\, and though now nearly thirty years of age\, she was still beauti ful. At her short hair\, the other servants laughed\, \"Miss Clo needn't s trut round so big\, she got short nappy har well as I\,\" said Nell\, with a broad grin that showed her teeth. \"She tinks she white\, when she come here wid dat long har of hers\,\" replied Mill. \"Yes\,\" continued Nell\ ; \"missus make her take down her wool so she no put it up to-day.\"\n\nTh e fairness of Clotel's complexion was regarded with envy as well by the ot her servants as by the mistress herself. This is one of the hard features of slavery. To-day the woman is mistress of her own cottage\; to-morrow sh e is sold to one who aims to make her life as intolerable as possible. And be it remembered\, that the house servant has the best situation which a slave can occupy. Some American writers have tried to make the world belie ve that the condition of the labouring classes of England is as bad as the slaves of the United States.\n\nThe English labourer may be oppressed\, h e may be cheated\, defrauded\, swindled\, and even starved\; but it is not slavery under which he groans. He cannot be sold\; in point of law he is equal to the prime minister. \"It is easy to captivate the unthinking and the prejudiced\, by eloquent declamation about the oppression of English o peratives being worse than that of American slaves\, and by exaggerating t he wrongs on one side and hiding them on the other. But all informed and r eflecting minds\, knowing that bad as are the social evils of England\, th ose of Slavery are immeasurably worse.\" But the degradation and harsh tre atment that Clotel experienced in her new home was nothing compared with t he grief she underwent at being separated from her dear child. Taken from her without scarcely a moment's warning\, she knew not what had become of her. The deep and heartfelt grief of Clotel was soon perceived by her owne rs\, and fearing that her refusal to take food would cause her death\, the y resolved to sell her. Mr. French found no difficulty in getting a purcha ser for the quadroon woman\, for such are usually the most marketable kind of property. Clotel was sold at private sale to a young man for a houseke eper\; but even he had missed his aim.\n\nCHAPTER XVI\nDEATH OF THE PARSON \nCARLTON was above thirty years of age\, standing on the last legs of a y oung man\, and entering on the first of a bachelor. He had never dabbled i n matters of love\, and looked upon all women alike. Although he respected woman for her virtues\, and often spoke of the goodness of heart of the s ex\, he had never dreamed of marriage. At first he looked upon Miss Peck a s a pretty young woman\, but after she became his religious teacher\, he r egarded her in that light\, that every one will those whom they know to be their superiors. It was soon seen\, however\, that the young man not only respected and reverenced Georgiana for the incalculable service she had d one him\, in awakening him to a sense of duty to his soul\, but he had lea rned to bow to the shrine of Cupid. He found\, weeks after he had been in her company\, that when he met her at table\, or alone in the drawing room \, or on the piazza\, he felt a shortness of breath\, a palpitating of the heart\, a kind of dizziness of the head\; but he knew not its cause.\n\nT his was love in its first stage. Mr. Peck saw\, or thought he saw\, what w ould be the result of Carlton's visit\, and held out every inducement in h is power to prolong his stay. The hot season was just commencing\, and the young Northerner was talking of his return home\, when the parson was ver y suddenly taken ill. The disease was the cholera\, and the physicians pro nounced the case incurable. In less than five hours John Peck was a corpse . His love for Georgiana\, and respect for her father\, had induced Carlto n to remain by the bedside of the dying man\, although against the express orders of the physician. This act of kindness caused the young orphan hen ceforth to regard Carlton as her best friend. He now felt it his duty to r emain with the young woman until some of her relations should be summoned from Connecticut. After the funeral\, the family physician advised that Mi ss Peck should go to the farm\, and spend the time at the country seat\; a nd also advised Carlton to remain with her\, which he did.\n\nAt the parso n's death his Negroes showed little or no signs of grief. This was noticed by both Carlton and Miss Peck\, and caused no little pain to the latter. \"They are ungrateful\,\" said Carlton\, as he and Georgiana were seated o n the piazza. \"What\,\" asked she\, \"have they to be grateful for?\" \"Y our father was kind\, was he not?\" \"Yes\, as kind as most men who own sl aves\; but the kindness meted out to blacks would be unkindness if given t o whites. We would think so\, should we not?\" \"Yes\,\" replied he. \"If we would not consider the best treatment which a slave receives good enoug h for us\, we should not think he ought to be grateful for it. Everybody k nows that slavery in its best and mildest form is wrong. Whoever denies th is\, his lips libel his heart. Try him! Clank the chains in his ears\, and tell him they are for him\; give him an hour to prepare his wife and chil dren for a life of slavery\; bid him make haste\, and get ready their neck s for the yoke\, and their wrists for the coffle chains\; then look at his pale lips and trembling knees\, and you have nature's testimony against s lavery.\"\n\n\"Let's take a walk\,\" said Carlton\, as if to turn the conv ersation. The moon was just appearing through the tops of the trees\, and the animals and insects in an adjoining wood kept up a continued din of mu sic. The croaking of bull-frogs\, buzzing of insects\, cooing of turtle-do ves\, and the sound from a thousand musical instruments\, pitched on as ma ny different keys\, made the welkin ring. But even all this noise did not drown the singing of a party of the slaves\, who were seated near a spring that was sending up its cooling waters. \"How prettily the Negroes sing\, \" remarked Carlton\, as they were wending their way towards the place fro m whence the sound of the voices came. \"Yes\,\" replied Georgiana\; \"mas ter Sam is there\, I'll warrant you: he's always on hand when there's any singing or dancing. We must not let them see us\, or they will stop singin g.\" \"Who makes their songs for them?\" inquired the young man. \"Oh\, th ey make them up as they sing them\; they are all impromptu songs.\" By thi s time they were near enough to hear distinctly every word\; and\, true en ough\, Sam's voice was heard above all others. At the conclusion of each s ong they all joined in a hearty laugh\, with an expression of \"Dats de so ng for me\;\" \"Dems dems.\"\n\n\"Stop\,\" said Carlton\, as Georgiana was rising from the log upon which she was seated\; \"stop\, and let's hear t his one.\" The piece was sung by Sam\, the others joining in the chorus\, and was as follows:\n\nSam.\n\n \"Come\, all my brethren\, let us take a rest\,\n While the moon shines so brightly and clear\;\n Old master is dead\, and left us at last\,\n And has gone at the Bar to appea r.\n Old master has died\, and lying in his grave\,\n And our blood will awhile cease to flow\;\nHe will no more trample on the neck of the sl ave\;\n For he's gone where the slaveholders go.\n\nChorus.\n\n \"Hang up the shovel and the hoe\n Take down the fiddle and the b ow—\n Old master has gone to the slaveholder's rest\;\n He has gone where they all ought to go.\n\nSam.\n\n \"I heard the old doctor say th e other night\,\n As he passed by the dining-room door\n 'Perhaps th e old man may live through the night\,\n But I think he will die abo ut four.'\n Young mistress sent me\, at the peril of my life\,\n For the parson to come down and pray\,\nFor says she\, 'Your old master is now about to die\,'\n And says I\, 'God speed him on his way.'\n\n\"Hang up the shovel\, &\;c.\n\n \"At four o'clock at morn the family was cal led\n Around the old man's dying bed\;\n And oh! but I laughed t o myself when I heard\n That the old man's spirit had fled.\n Mr . Carlton cried\, and so did I pretend\;\n Young mistress very nearl y went mad\;\nAnd the old parson's groans did the heavens fairly rend\;\n But I tell you I felt mighty glad.\n\n\"Hang up the shovel\, &\; c.\n\n \"We'll no more be roused by the blowing of his horn\,\n Our backs no longer he will score\;\nHe no more will feed us on cotton-seeds and corn\;\n For his reign of oppression now is o'er.\n He no more wi ll hang our children on the tree\,\n To be ate by the carrion crow\;\n He no more will send our wives to Tennessee\;\n For he's gone where th e slaveholders go.\n\n\"Hang up the shovel and the hoe\,\n\n Take d own the fiddle and the bow\,\n We'll dance and sing\,\n And make the forest ring\,\n With the fiddle and the old banjo .\"\n\nThe song was not half finished before Carlton regretted that he had caused the young lady to remain and hear what to her must be anything but pleasant reflections upon her deceased parent. \"I think we will walk\,\" said he\, at the same time extending his arm to Georgiana. \"No\,\" said she\; \"let's hear them out. It is from these unguarded expressions of the feelings of the Negroes\, that we should learn a lesson.\" At its conclus ion they walked towards the house in silence: as they were ascending the s teps\, the young man said\, \"They are happy\, after all. The Negro\, situ ated as yours are\, is not aware that he is deprived of any just rights.\" \"Yes\, yes\,\" answered Georgiana: \"you may place the slave where you p lease\; you may dry up to your utmost the fountains of his feelings\, the springs of his thought\; you may yoke him to your labour\, as an ox which liveth only to work\, and worketh only to live\; you may put him under any process which\, without destroying his value as a slave\, will debase and crush him as a rational being\; you may do this\, and the idea that he wa s born to be free will survive it all. It is allied to his hope of immorta lity\; it is the ethereal part of his nature\, which oppression cannot rea ch\; it is a torch lit up in his soul by the hand of Deity\, and never mea nt to be extinguished by the hand of man.\"\n\nOn reaching the drawing-roo m\, they found Sam snuffing the candles\, and looking as solemn and as dig nified as if he had never sung a song or laughed in his life. \"Will Miss Georgy have de supper got up now?\" asked the Negro. \"Yes\,\" she replied . \"Well\,\" remarked Carlton\, \"that beats anything I ever met with. Do you think that was Sam we heard singing?\" \"I am sure of it\,\" was the a nswer. \"I could not have believed that that fellow was capable of so much deception\,\" continued he. \"Our system of slavery is one of deception\; and Sam\, you see\, has only been a good scholar. However\, he is as hone st a fellow as you will find among the slave population here. If we would have them more honest\, we should give them their liberty\, and then the i nducement to be dishonest would be gone. I have resolved that these creatu res shall all be free.\" \"Indeed!\" exclaimed Carlton. \"Yes\, I shall le t them all go free\, and set an example to those about me.\" \"I honour yo ur judgment\,\" said he. \"But will the state permit them to remain?\" \"I f not\, they can go where they can live in freedom. I will not be unjust b ecause the state is.\"\n\nCHAPTER XVII\nRETALIATION\n \"I had a dream\, a happy dream\;\n I thought that I was free:\n That in my own bright l and again\n A home there was for me.\"\n\nWITH the deepest humiliation Horatio Green saw the daughter of Clotel\, his own child\, brought into hi s dwelling as a servant. His wife felt that she had been deceived\, and de termined to punish her deceiver. At first Mary was put to work in the kitc hen\, where she met with little or no sympathy from the other slaves\, owi ng to the fairness of her complexion. The child was white\, what should be done to make her look like other Negroes\, was the question Mrs. Green as ked herself. At last she hit upon a plan: there was a garden at the back o f the house over which Mrs. Green could look from her parlour window. Here the white slave-girl was put to work\, without either bonnet or handkerch ief upon her head. A hot sun poured its broiling rays on the naked face an d neck of the girl\, until she sank down in the corner of the garden\, and was actually broiled to sleep. \"Dat little nigger ain't working a bit\, missus\,\" said Dinah to Mrs. Green\, as she entered the kitchen.\n\n\"She 's lying in the sun\, seasoning\; she will work better by and by\,\" repli ed the mistress. \"Dees white niggers always tink dey sef good as white fo lks\,\" continued the cook. \"Yes\, but we will teach them better\; won't we\, Dinah?\" \"Yes\, missus\, I don't like dees mularter niggers\, no how : dey always want to set dey sef up for something big.\" The cook was blac k\, and was not without that prejudice which is to be found among the Negr oes\, as well as among the whites of the Southern States. The sun had the desired effect\, for in less than a fortnight Mary's fair complexion had d isappeared\, and she was but little whiter than any other mulatto children running about the yard. But the close resemblance between the father and child annoyed the mistress more than the mere whiteness of the child's com plexion. Horatio made proposition after proposition to have the girl sent away\, for every time he beheld her countenance it reminded him of the hap py days he had spent with Clotel. But his wife had commenced\, and determi ned to carry out her unfeeling and fiendish designs. This child was not on ly white\, but she was the granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson\, the man who \, when speaking against slavery in the legislature of Virginia\, said\,\n \n\"The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions\; the most unremitting despotism on the one part\, and degrading submission on the other. With what execration should the statesman be loaded who\, permitting one half the citizens thus to tra mple on the rights of the other\, transforms those into despots and these into enemies\, destroys the morals of the one part\, and the amor patriae of the other! For if the slave can have a country in this world\, it must be any other in preference to that in which he is born to live and labour for another\; in which he must lock up the faculties of his nature\, contr ibute as far as depends on his individual endeavours to the evanishment of the human race\, or entail his own miserable condition on the endless gen erations proceeding from him. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis\, a conviction in the m inds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? that they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed\, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just\; that his justice cannot sleep for ever\; that\, considering numbers\, nature\, and natural means only\, a revoluti on of the wheel of fortune\, an exchange of situation\, is among possible events\; that it may become probable by supernatural interference! The Alm ighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest.\n\n\ "What an incomprehensible machine is man! Who can endure toil\, famine\, s tripes\, imprisonment\, and death itself\, in vindication of his own liber ty\, and the next moment be deaf to all those motives\, whose power suppor ted him through his trial\, and inflict on his fellow-men a bondage\, one hour of which is fraught with more misery than ages of that which he rose in rebellion to oppose! But we must wait with patience the workings of an overruling Providence\, and hope that that is preparing the deliverance of these our suffering brethren. When the measure of their tears shall be fu ll—when their tears shall have involved heaven itself in darkness—doub tless a God of justice will awaken to their distress\, and by diffusing li ght and liberality among their oppressors\, or at length by his exterminat ing thunder\, manifest his attention to things of this world\, and that th ey are not left to the guidance of blind fatality.\"\n\nThe same man\, spe aking of the probability that the slaves might some day attempt to gain th eir liberties by a revolution\, said\,\n\n\"I tremble for my country\, whe n I recollect that God is just\, and that His justice cannot sleep for eve r. The Almighty has no attribute that can take sides with us in such a str uggle.\"\n\nBut\, sad to say\, Jefferson is not the only American statesma n who has spoken high-sounding words in favour of freedom\, and then left his own children to die slaves.\n\nCHAPTER XVIII\nTHE LIBERATOR\n\"We hold these truths to be self-evident\, that all men are created free and equal \; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights\ ; among these are life\, liberty\, and the pursuit of happiness.\"—Decla ration of American Independence.\n\nTHE death of the parson was the commen cement of a new era in the history of his slaves. Only a little more than eighteen years of age\, Georgiana could not expect to carry out her own wi shes in regard to the slaves\, although she was sole heir to her father's estate. There were distant relations whose opinions she had at least to re spect. And both law and public opinion in the state were against any measu re of emancipation that she might think of adopting\; unless\, perhaps\, s he might be permitted to send them to Liberia. Her uncle in Connecticut ha d already been written to\, to come down and aid in settling up the estate . He was a Northern man\, but she knew him to be a tight-fisted yankee\, w hose whole counsel would go against liberating the Negroes. Yet there was one way in which the thing could be done. She loved Carlton\, and she well knew that he loved her\; she read it in his countenance every time they m et\, yet the young man did not mention his wishes to her. There were many reasons why he should not. In the first place\, her father was just deceas ed\, and it seemed only right that he should wait a reasonable time. Again \, Carlton was poor\, and Georgiana was possessed of a large fortune\; and his high spirit would not\, for a moment\, allow him to place himself in a position to be regarded as a fortune-hunter. The young girl hinted\, as best she could\, at the probable future\; but all to no purpose. He took n othing to himself. True\, she had read much of \"woman's rights\;\" and ha d even attended a meeting\, while at the North\, which had been called to discuss the wrongs of woman\; but she could not nerve herself up to the po int of putting the question to Carlton\, although she felt sure that she s hould not be rejected. She waited\, but in vain. At last\, one evening\, s he came out of her room rather late\, and was walking on the piazza for fr esh air. She passed near Carlton's room\, and heard the voice of Sam. The negro had just come in to get the young man's boots\, and had stopped\, as he usually did\, to have some talk. \"I wish\,\" said Sam\, \"dat Marser Carlton an Miss Georgy would get married\; den\, speck\, we'd have good ti mes.\" \"I don't think your mistress would have me\,\" replied the young m an. \"What make tink dat\, Marser Carlton?\" \"Your mistress would marry n o one\, Sam\, unless she loved them.\" \"Den I wish she would lub you\, ca use I tink we have good times den. All our folks is de same 'pinion like m e\,\" returned the Negro\, and then left the room with the boots in his ha nds. During the conversation between the Anglo-Saxon and the African\, one word had been dropped by the former that haunted the young lady the remai nder of the night—\"Your mistress would marry no one unless she loved th em.\" That word awoke her in the morning\, and caused her to decide upon t his import subject. Love and duty triumphed over the woman's timid nature\ , and that day Georgiana informed Carlton that she was ready to become his wife. The young man\, with grateful tears\, accepted and kissed the hand that was offered to him. The marriage of Carlton and Miss Peck was hailed with delight by both the servants in the house and the Negroes on the farm . New rules were immediately announced for the working and general treatme nt of the slaves on the plantation. With this\, Huckelby\, the overseer\, saw his reign coming to an end\; and Snyder\, the Dutch preacher\, felt th at his services would soon be dispensed with\, for nothing was more repugn ant to the feelings of Mrs. Carlton than the sermons preached by Snyder to the slaves. She regarded them as something intended to make them better s atisfied with their condition\, and more valuable as pieces of property\, without preparing them for the world to come. Mrs. Carlton found in her hu sband a congenial spirit\, who entered into all her wishes and plans for b ettering the condition of their slaves. Mrs. Carlton's views and sympathie s were all in favour of immediate emancipation\; but then she saw\, or tho ught she saw\, a difficulty in that. If the slaves were liberated\, they m ust be sent out of the state. This\, of course\, would incur additional ex pense\; and if they left the state\, where had they better go? \"Let's sen d them to Liberia\,\" said Carlton. \"Why should they go to Africa\, any m ore than to the Free States or to Canada?\" asked the wife. \"They would b e in their native land\,\" he answered. \"Is not this their native land? W hat right have we\, more than the Negro\, to the soil here\, or to style o urselves native Americans? Indeed it is as much their home as ours\, and I have sometimes thought it was more theirs. The Negro has cleared up the l ands\, built towns\, and enriched the soil with his blood and tears\; and in return\, he is to be sent to a country of which he knows nothing. Who f ought more bravely for American independence than the blacks? A negro\, by the name of Attucks\, was the first that fell in Boston at the commenceme nt of the revolutionary war\; and throughout the whole of the struggles fo r liberty in this country\, the Negroes have contributed their share. In t he last war with Great Britain\, the country was mainly indebted to the bl acks in New Orleans for the achievement of the victory at that place\; and even General Jackson\, the commander in chief\, called the Negroes togeth er at the close of the war\, and addressed them in the following terms:— \n\n'Soldiers!—When on the banks of the Mobile I called you to take up a rms\, inviting you to partake the perils and glory of your white fellow ci tizens\, I expected much from you\; for I was not ignorant that you posses s qualities most formidable to an invading enemy. I knew with what fortitu de you could endure hunger and thirst\, and all the fatigues of a campaign . I knew well how you loved your native country\, and that you\, as well a s ourselves\, had to defend what man holds most dear—his parents\, wife\ , children\, and property. You have done more than I expected. In addition to the previous qualities I before knew you to possess\, I found among yo u a noble enthusiasm\, which leads to the performance of great things.\n\n 'Soldiers! The President of the United States shall hear how praiseworthy was your conduct in the hour of danger\, and the representatives of the Am erican people will give you the praise your exploits entitle you to. Your general anticipates them in appauding your noble ardour.'\n\n\"And what di d these noble men receive in return for their courage\, their heroism? Cha ins and slavery. Their good deeds have been consecrated only in their own memories. Who rallied with more alacrity in response to the summons of dan ger? If in that hazardous hour\, when our homes were menaced with the horr ors of war\, we did not disdain to call upon the Negro to assist in repell ing invasion\, why should we\, now that the danger is past\, deny him a ho me in his native land?\" \"I see\,\" said Carlton\, \"you are right\, but I fear you will have difficulty in persuading others to adopt your views.\ " \"We will set the example\,\" replied she\, \"and then hope for the best \; for I feel that the people of the Southern States will one day see thei r error. Liberty has always been our watchword\, as far as profession is c oncerned. Nothing has been held so cheap as our common humanity\, on a nat ional average. If every man had his aliquot proportion of the injustice do ne in this land\, by law and violence\, the present freemen of the norther n section would many of them commit suicide in self-defence\, and would co urt the liberties awarded by Ali Pasha of Egypt to his subjects. Long ere this we should have tested\, in behalf of our bleeding and crushed America n brothers of every hue and complexion\, every new constitution\, custom\, or practice\, by which inhumanity was supposed to be upheld\, the injusti ce and cruelty they contained\, emblazoned before the great tribunal of ma nkind for condemnation\; and the good and available power they possessed\, for the relief\, deliverance and elevation of oppressed men\, permitted t o shine forth from under the cloud\, for the refreshment of the human race .\"\n\nAlthough Mr. and Mrs. Carlton felt that immediate emancipation was the right of the slave and the duty of the master\, they resolved on a sys tem of gradual emancipation\, so as to give them time to accomplish their wish\, and to prepare the Negro for freedom. Huckelby was one morning told that his services would no longer be required. The Negroes\, ninety-eight in number\, were called together and told that the whip would no longer b e used\, and that they would be allowed a certain sum for every bale of co tton produced. Sam\, whose long experience in the cotton-field before he h ad been taken into the house\, and whose general intelligence justly gave him the first place amongst the Negroes on the Poplar Farm\, was placed at their head. They were also given to understand that the money earned by t hem would be placed to their credit\; and when it amounted to a certain su m\, they should all be free.\n\nThe joy with which this news was received by the slaves\, showed their grateful appreciation of the boon their benef actors were bestowing upon them. The house servants were called and told t hat wages would be allowed them\, and what they earned set to their credit \, and they too should be free. The next were the bricklayers. There were eight of these\, who had paid their master two dollars per day\, and board ed and clothed themselves. An arrangement was entered into with them\, by which the money they earned should be placed to their credit\; and they to o should be free\, when a certain amount should be accumulated\; and great was the change amongst all these people. The bricklayers had been to work but a short time\, before their increased industry was noticed by many. T hey were no longer apparently the same people. A sedateness\, a care\, an economy\, an industry\, took possession of them\, to which there seemed to be no bounds but in their physical strength. They were never tired of lab ouring\, and seemed as though they could never effect enough. They became temperate\, moral\, religious\, setting an example of innocent\, unoffendi ng lives to the world around them\, which was seen and admired by all. Mr. Parker\, a man who worked nearly forty slaves at the same business\, was attracted by the manner in which these Negroes laboured. He called on Mr. Carlton\, some weeks after they had been acting on the new system\, and of fered 2\,000 dollars for the head workman\, Jim. The offer was\, of course \, refused. A few days after the same gentleman called again\, and made an offer of double the sum that he had on the former occasion. Mr. Parker\, finding that no money would purchase either of the Negroes\, said\, \"Now\ , Mr. Carlton\, pray tell me what it is that makes your Negroes work so? W hat kind of people are they?\" \"I suppose\,\" observed Carlton\, \"that t hey are like other people\, flesh and blood.\" \"Why\, sir\,\" continued P arker\, \"I have never seen such people\; building as they are next door t o my residence\, I see and have my eye on them from morning till night. Yo u are never there\, for I have never met you\, or seen you once at the bui lding. Why\, sir\, I am an early riser\, getting up before day\; and do yo u think that I am not awoke every morning in my life by the noise of their trowels at work\, and their singing and noise before day\; and do you sup pose\, sir\, that they stop or leave off work at sundown? No\, sir\, but t hey work as long as they can see to lay a brick\, and then they carry tip brick and mortar for an hour or two afterward\, to be ahead of their work the next morning. And again\, sir\, do you think that they walk at their w ork? No\, sir\, they run all day. You see\, sir\, those immensely long\, l adders\, five stories in height\; do you suppose they walk up them? No\, s ir\, they run up and down them like so many monkeys all day long. I never saw such people as these in my life. I don't know what to make of them. We re a white man with them and over them with a whip\, then I should see and understand the cause of the running and incessant labour\; but I cannot c omprehend it\; there is something in it\, sir. Great man\, sir\, that Jim\ ; great man\; I should like to own him.\" Carlton here informed Parker tha t their liberties depended upon their work\; when the latter replied\, \"I f niggers can work so for the promise of freedom\, they ought to be made t o work without it.\" This last remark was in the true spirit of the slaveh older\, and reminds us of the fact that\, some years since\, the overseer of General Wade Hampton offered the niggers under him a suit of clothes to the one that picked the most cotton in one day\; and after that time that day's work was given as a task to the slaves on that plantation\; and\, a fter a while\, was adopted by other planters.\n\nThe Negroes on the farm\, under \"Marser Sam\,\" were also working in a manner that attracted the a ttention of the planters round about. They no longer feared Huckelby's whi p\, and no longer slept under the preaching of Snyder. On the Sabbath\, Mr . and Mrs. Carlton read and explained the Scriptures to them\; and the ver y great attention paid by the slaves showed plainly that they appreciated the gospel when given to them in its purity. The death of Currer\, from ye llow fever\, was a great trial to Mrs. Carlton\; for she had not only beco me much attached to her\, but had heard with painful interest the story of her wrongs\, and would\, in all probability\, have restored her to her da ughter in New Orleans.\n\nCHAPTER XIX\nESCAPE OF CLOTEL\n \"The fetters g alled my weary soul—\n A soul that seemed but thrown away\;\n I spurned the tyrant's base control\,\n Resolved at least the man to play.\"\n\nNo c ountry has produced so much heroism in so short a time\, connected with es capes from peril and oppression\, as has occurred in the United States amo ng fugitive slaves\, many of whom show great shrewdness in their endeavour s to escape from this land of bondage. A slave was one day seen passing on the high road from a border town in the interior of the state of Virginia to the Ohio river. The man had neither hat upon his head or coat upon his back. He was driving before him a very nice fat pig\, and appeared to all who saw him to be a labourer employed on an adjoining farm. \"No Negro is permitted to go at large in the Slave States without a written pass from his or her master\, except on business in the neighbourhood.\" \"Where do you live\, my boy?\" asked a white man of the slave\, as he passed a white house with green blinds. \"Jist up de road\, sir\,\" was the answer. \"Th at's a fine pig.\" \"Yes\, sir\, marser like dis choat berry much.\" And t he Negro drove on as if he was in great haste. In this way he and the pig travelled more than fifty miles before they reached the Ohio river. Once a t the river they crossed over\; the pig was sold\; and nine days after the runaway slave passed over the Niagara river\, and\, for the first time in his life\, breathed the air of freedom. A few weeks later\, and\, on the same road\, two slaves were seen passing\; one was on horseback\, the othe r was walking before him with his arms tightly bound\, and a long rope lea ding from the man on foot to the one on horseback. \"Oh\, ho\, that's a ru naway rascal\, I suppose\,\" said a farmer\, who met them on the road. \"Y es\, sir\, he bin runaway\, and I got him fast. Marser will tan his jacket for him nicely when he gets him.\" \"You are a trustworthy fellow\, I ima gine\,\" continued the farmer. \"Oh yes\, sir\; marser puts a heap of conf idence in dis nigger.\" And the slaves travelled on. When the one on foot was fatigued they would change positions\, the other being tied and driven on foot. This they called \"ride and tie.\" After a journey of more than two hundred miles they reached the Ohio river\, turned the horse loose\, t old him to go home\, and proceeded on their way to Canada. However they we re not to have it all their own way. There are men in the Free States\, an d especially in the states adjacent to the Slave States\, who make their l iving by catching the runaway slave\, and returning him for the reward tha t may be offered. As the two slaves above mentioned were travelling on tow ards the land of freedom\, led by the North Star\, they were set upon by f our of these slave-catchers\, and one of them unfortunately captured. The other escaped. The captured fugitive was put under the torture\, and compe lled to reveal the name of his owner and his place of residence. Filled wi th delight\, the kidnappers started back with their victim. Overjoyed with the prospect of receiving a large reward\, they gave themselves up on the third night to pleasure. They put up at an inn. The Negro was chained to the bed-post\, in the same room with his captors. At dead of night\, when all was still\, the slave arose from the floor upon which he had been lyin g\, looked around\, and saw that the white men were fast asleep. The brand y punch had done its work. With palpitating heart and trembling limbs he v iewed his position. The door was fast\, but the warm weather had compelled them to leave the window open. If he could but get his chains off\, he mi ght escape through the window to the piazza\, and reach the ground by one of the posts that supported the piazza. The sleeper's clothes hung upon ch airs by the bedside\; the slave thought of the padlock key\, examined the pockets and found it. The chains were soon off\, and the Negro stealthily making his way to the window: he stopped and said to himself\, \"These men are villains\, they are enemies to all who like me are trying to be free. Then why not I teach them a lesson?\" He then undressed himself\, took th e clothes of one of the men\, dressed himself in them\, and escaped throug h the window\, and\, a moment more\, he was on the high road to Canada. Fi fteen days later\, and the writer of this gave him a passage across Lake E rie\, and saw him safe in her Britannic Majesty's dominions.\n\nWe have se en Clotel sold to Mr. French in Vicksburgh\, her hair cut short\, and ever ything done to make her realise her position as a servant. Then we have se en her re-sold\, because her owners feared she would die through grief. As yet her new purchaser treated her with respectful gentleness\, and sought to win her favour by flattery and presents\, knowing that whatever he gav e her he could take back again. But she dreaded every moment lest the scen e should change\, and trembled at the sound of every footfall. At every in terview with her new master Clotel stoutly maintained that she had left a husband in Virginia\, and would never think of taking another. The gold wa tch and chain\, and other glittering presents which he purchased for her\, were all laid aside by the quadroon\, as if they were of no value to her. In the same house with her was another servant\, a man\, who had from tim e to time hired himself from his master. William was his name. He could fe el for Clotel\, for he\, like her\, had been separated from near and dear relatives\, and often tried to console the poor woman. One day the quadroo n observed to him that her hair was growing out again. \"Yes\,\" replied W illiam\, \"you look a good deal like a man with your short hair.\" \"Oh\,\ " rejoined she\, \"I have often been told that I would make a better looki ng man than a woman. If I had the money\,\" continued she\, \"I would bid farewell to this place.\" In a moment more she feared that she had said to o much\, and smilingly remarked\, \"I am always talking nonsense.\" Willia m was a tall\, full-bodied Negro\, whose very countenance beamed with inte lligence. Being a mechanic\, he had\, by his own industry\, made more than what he paid his owner\; this he laid aside\, with the hope that some day he might get enough to purchase his freedom. He had in his chest one hund red and fifty dollars. His was a heart that felt for others\, and he had a gain and again wiped the tears from his eyes as he heard the story of Clot el as related by herself. \"If she can get free with a little money\, why not give her what I have?\" thought he\, and then he resolved to do it. An hour after\, he came into the quadroon's room\, and laid the money in her lap\, and said\, \"There\, Miss Clotel\, you said if you had the means yo u would leave this place\; there is money enough to take you to England\, where you will be free. You are much fairer than many of the white women o f the South\, and can easily pass for a free white lady.\" At first Clotel feared that it was a plan by which the Negro wished to try her fidelity t o her owner\; but she was soon convinced by his earnest manner\, and the d eep feeling with which he spoke\, that he was honest. \"I will take the mo ney only on one condition\,\" said she\; \"and that is\, that I effect you r escape as well as my own.\" \"How can that be done?\" he inquired. \"I w ill assume the disguise of a gentleman and you that of a servant\, and we will take passage on a steamboat and go to Cincinnati\, and thence to Cana da.\" Here William put in several objections to the plan. He feared detect ion\, and he well knew that\, when a slave is once caught when attempting to escape\, if returned is sure to be worse treated than before. However\, Clotel satisfied him that the plan could be carried out if he would only play his part.\n\nThe resolution was taken\, the clothes for her disguise procured\, and before night everything was in readiness for their departur e. That night Mr. Cooper\, their master\, was to attend a party\, and this was their opportunity. William went to the wharf to look out for a boat\, and had scarcely reached the landing ere he heard the puffing of a steame r. He returned and reported the fact. Clotel had already packed her trunk\ , and had only to dress and all was ready. In less than an hour they were on board the boat. Under the assumed name of \"Mr. Johnson\,\" Clotel went to the clerk's office and took a private state room for herself\, and pai d her own and servant's fare. Besides being attired in a neat suit of blac k\, she had a white silk handkerchief tied round her chin\, as if she was an invalid. A pair of green glasses covered her eyes\; and fearing that sh e would be talked to too much and thus render her liable to be detected\, she assumed to be very ill. On the other hand\, William was playing his pa rt well in the servants' hall\; he was talking loudly of his master's weal th. Nothing appeared as good on the boat as in his master's fine mansion. \"I don't like dees steam-boats no how\,\" said William\; \"I hope when ma rser goes on a journey agin he will take de carriage and de hosses.\" Mr. Johnson (for such was the name by which Clotel now went) remained in his r oom\, to avoid\, as far as possible\, conversation with others. After a pa ssage of seven days they arrived at Louisville\, and put up at Gough's Hot el. Here they had to await the departure of another boat for the North. Th ey were now in their most critical position. They were still in a slave st ate\, and John C. Calhoun\, a distinguished slave-owner\, was a guest at t his hotel. They feared\, also\, that trouble would attend their attempt to leave this place for the North\, as all persons taking Negroes with them have to give bail that such Negroes are not runaway slaves. The law upon t his point is very stringent: all steamboats and other public conveyances a re liable to a fine for every slave that escapes by them\, besides paying the full value for the slave. After a delay of four hours\, Mr. Johnson an d servant took passage on the steamer Rodolph\, for Pittsburgh. It is usua l\, before the departure of the boats\, for an officer to examine every pa rt of the vessel to see that no slave secretes himself on board. \"Where a re you going?\" asked the officer of William\, as he was doing his duty on this occasion. \"I am going with marser\,\" was the quick reply. \"Who is your master?\" \"Mr. Johnson\, sir\, a gentleman in the cabin.\" \"You mu st take him to the office and satisfy the captain that all is right\, or y ou can't go on this boat.\" William informed his master what the officer h ad said. The boat was on the eve of going\, and no time could be lost\, ye t they knew not what to do. At last they went to the office\, and Mr. John son\, addressing the captain\, said\, \"I am informed that my boy can't go with me unless I give security that he belongs to me. \"Yes\,\" replied t he captain\, \"that is the law.\" \"A very strange law indeed\,\" rejoined Mr. Johnson\, \"that one can't take his property with him.\" After a conv ersation of some minutes\, and a plea on the part of Johnson that he did n ot wish to be delayed owing to his illness\, they were permitted to take t heir passage without farther trouble\, and the boat was soon on its way up the river. The fugitives had now passed the Rubicon\, and the next place at which they would land would be in a Free State. Clotel called William t o her room\, and said to him\, \"We are now free\, you can go on your way to Canada\, and I shall go to Virginia in search of my daughter.\" The ann ouncement that she was going to risk her liberty in a Slave State was unwe lcome news to William. With all the eloquence he could command\, he tried to persuade Clotel that she could not escape detection\, and was only thro wing her freedom away. But she had counted the cost\, and made up her mind for the worst. In return for the money he had furnished\, she had secured for him his liberty\, and their engagement was at an end.\n\nAfter a quic k passage the fugitives arrived at Cincinnati\, and there separated. Willi am proceeded on his way to Canada\, and Clotel again resumed her own appar el\, and prepared to start in search of her child. As might have been expe cted\, the escape of those two valuable slaves created no little sensation in Vicksburgh. Advertisements and messages were sent in every direction i n which the fugitives were thought to have gone. It was soon\, however\, k nown that they had left the town as master and servant\; and many were the communications which appeared in the newspapers\, in which the writers th ought\, or pretended\, that they had seen the slaves in their disguise. On e was to the effect that they had gone off in a chaise\; one as master\, a nd the other as servant. But the most probable was an account given by a c orrespondent of one of the Southern newspapers\, who happened to be a pass enger in the same steamer in which the slaves escaped\, and which we here give:—\n\n\"One bright starlight night\, in the month of December last\, I found myself in the cabin of the steamer Rodolph\, then lying in the po rt of Vicksburgh\, and bound to Louisville. I had gone early on board\, in order to select a good berth\, and having got tired of reading the papers \, amused myself with watching the appearance of the passengers as they dr opped in\, one after another\, and I being a believer in physiognomy\, for med my own opinion of their characters.\n\n\"The second bell rang\, and as I yawningly returned my watch to my pocket\, my attention was attracted b y the appearance of a young man who entered the cabin supported by his ser vant\, a strapping Negro.\n\n\"The man was bundled up in a capacious overc oat\; his face was bandaged with a white handkerchief\, and its expression entirely hid by a pair of enormous spectacles.\n\n\"There was something s o mysterious and unusual about the young man as he sat restless in the cor ner\, that curiosity led me to observe him more closely.\n\n\"He appeared anxious to avoid notice\, and before the steamer had fairly left the wharf \, requested\, in a low\, womanly voice\, to be shown his berth\, as he wa s an invalid\, and must retire early: his name he gave as Mr. Johnson. His servant was called\, and he was put quietly to bed. I paced the deck unti l Tyhee light grew dim in the distance\, and then went to my berth.\n\n\"I awoke in the morning with the sun shining in my face\; we were then just passing St. Helena. It was a mild beautiful morning\, and most of the pass engers were on deck\, enjoying the freshness of the air\, and stimulating their appetites for breakfast. Mr. Johnson soon made his appearance\, arra yed as on the night before\, and took his seat quietly upon the guard of t he boat.\n\n\"From the better opportunity afforded by daylight\, I found t hat he was a slight build\, apparently handsome young man\, with black hai r and eyes\, and of a darkness of complexion that betokened Spanish extrac tion. Any notice from others seemed painful to him\; so to satisfy my curi osity\, I questioned his servant\, who was standing near\, and gained the following information.\n\n\"His master was an invalid—he had suffered fo r a long time under a complication of diseases\, that had baffled the skil l of the best physicians in Mississippi\; he was now suffering principally with the 'rheumatism\,' and he was scarcely able to walk or help himself in any way. He came from Vicksburgh\, and was now on his way to Philadelph ia\, at which place resided his uncle\, a celebrated physician\, and throu gh whose means he hoped to be restored to perfect health.\n\n\"This inform ation\, communicated in a bold\, off-hand manner\, enlisted my sympathies for the sufferer\, although it occurred to me that he walked rather too gi ngerly for a person afflicted with so many ailments.\"\n\nAfter thanking C lotel for the great service she had done him in bringing him out of slaver y\, William bade her farewell. The prejudice that exists in the Free State s against coloured persons\, on account of their colour\, is attributable solely to the influence of slavery\, and is but another form of slavery it self. And even the slave who escapes from the Southern plantations\, is su rprised when he reaches the North\, at the amount and withering influence of this prejudice. William applied at the railway station for a ticket for the train going to Sandusky\, and was told that if he went by that train he would have to ride in the luggage-van. \"Why?\" asked the astonished Ne gro. \"We don't send a Jim Crow carriage but once a day\, and that went th is morning.\" The \"Jim Crow\" carriage is the one in which the blacks hav e to ride. Slavery is a school in which its victims learn much shrewdness\ , and William had been an apt scholar. Without asking any more questions\, the Negro took his seat in one of the first-class carriages. He was soon seen and ordered out. Afraid to remain in the town longer\, he resolved to go by that train\; and consequently seated himself on a goods' box in the luggage van. The train started at its proper time\, and all went on well. Just before arriving at the end of the journey\, the conductor called on William for his ticket. \"I have none\,\" was the reply. \"Well\, then\, y ou can pay your fare to me\,\" said the officer. \"How much is it?\" asked the black man. \"Two dollars.\" \"What do you charge those in the passeng er-carriage?\" \"Two dollars.\" \"And do you charge me the same as you do those who ride in the best carriages?\" asked the Negro. \"Yes\,\" was the answer. \"I shan't pay it\,\" returned the man. \"You black scamp\, do yo u think you can ride on this road without paying your fare?\" \"No\, I don 't want to ride for nothing\; I only want to pay what's right.\" \"Well\, launch out two dollars\, and that's right.\" \"No\, I shan't\; I will pay what I ought\, and won't pay any more.\" \"Come\, come\, nigger\, your far e and be done with it\,\" said the conductor\, in a manner that is never u sed except by Americans to blacks. \"I won't pay you two dollars\, and tha t enough\,\" said William. \"Well\, as you have come all the way in the lu ggage-van\, pay me a dollar and a half and you may go.\" \"I shan't do any such thing.\" \"Don't you mean to pay for riding?\" \"Yes\, but I won't p ay a dollar and a half for riding up here in the freight-van. If you had l et me come in the carriage where others ride\, I would have paid you two d ollars.\" \"Where were you raised? You seem to think yourself as good as w hite folks.\" \"I want nothing more than my rights.\" \"Well\, give me a d ollar\, and I will let you off.\" \"No\, sir\, I shan't do it.\" \"What do you mean to do then\, don't you wish to pay anything?\" \"Yes\, sir\, I w ant to pay you the full price.\" \"What do you mean by full price?\" \"Wha t do you charge per hundred-weight for goods?\" inquired the Negro with a degree of gravity that would have astonished Diogenes himself. \"A quarter of a dollar per hundred\,\" answered the conductor. \"I weigh just one hu ndred and fifty pounds\,\" returned William\, \"and will pay you three eig hths of a dollar.\" \"Do you expect that you will pay only thirty-seven ce nts for your ride?\" \"This\, sir\, is your own price. I came in a luggage -van\, and I'll pay for luggage.\" After a vain effort to get the Negro to pay more\, the conductor took the thirty-seven cents\, and noted in his c ash-book\, \"Received for one hundred and fifty pounds of luggage\, thirty seven cents.\" This\, reader\, is no fiction\; it actually occurred in th e railway above described.\n\nThomas Corwin\, a member of the American Con gress\, is one of the blackest white men in the United States. He was once on his way to Congress\, and took passage in one of the Ohio river steame rs. As he came just at the dinner hour\, he immediately went into the dini ng saloon\, and took his seat at the table. A gentleman with his whole par ty of five ladies at once left the table. \"Where is the captain?\" cried the man in an angry tone. The captain soon appeared\, and it was sometime before he could satisfy the old gent\, that Governor Corwin was not a nigg er. The newspapers often have notices of mistakes made by innkeepers and o thers who undertake to accommodate the public\, one of which we give below .\n\nOn the 6th inst.\, the Hon. Daniel Webster and family entered Edgarto wn\, on a visit for health and recreation. Arriving at the hotel\, without alighting from the coach\, the landlord was sent for to see if suitable a ccommodation could be had. That dignitary appearing\, and surveying Mr. We bster\, while the hon. senator addressed him\, seemed woefully to mistake the dark features of the traveller as he sat back in the corner of the car riage\, and to suppose him a coloured man\, particularly as there were two coloured servants of Mr. W. outside. So he promptly declared that there w as no room for him and his family\, and he could not be accommodated there at the same time suggesting that he might perhaps find accommodation at s ome of the huts up back\, to which he pointed. So deeply did the prejudice of looks possess him\, that he appeared not to notice that the stranger i ntroduced himself to him as Daniel Webster\, or to be so ignorant as not t o have heard of such a personage\; and turning away\, he expressed to the driver his astonishment that he should bring black people there for him to take in. It was not till he had been repeatedly assured and made to under stand that the said Daniel Webster was a real live senator of the United S tates\, that he perceived his awkward mistake and the distinguished honour which he and his house were so near missing.\n\nIn most of the Free State s\, the coloured people are disfranchised on account of their colour. The following scene\, which we take from a newspaper in the state of Ohio\, wi ll give some idea of the extent to which this prejudice is carried.\n\n\"T he whole of Thursday last was occupied by the Court of Common Pleas for th is county in trying to find out whether one Thomas West was of the VOTING COLOUR\, as some had very constitutional doubts as to whether his colour w as orthodox\, and whether his hair was of the official crisp! Was it not a dignified business? Four profound judges\, four acute lawyers\, twelve gr ave jurors\, and I don't know how many venerable witnesses\, making in all about thirty men\, perhaps\, all engaged in the profound\, laborious\, an d illustrious business\, of finding out whether a man who pays tax\, works on the road\, and is an industrious farmer\, has been born according to t he republican\, Christian constitution of Ohio—so that he can vote! And they wisely\, gravely\, and 'JUDGMATICALLY' decided that he should not vot e! What wisdom—what research it must have required to evolve this truth! It was left for the Court of Common Pleas for Columbian county\, Ohio\, i n the United States of North America\, to find out what Solomon never drea med of—the courts of all civilised\, heathen\, or Jewish countries\, nev er contemplated. Lest the wisdom of our courts should be circumvented by s ome such men as might be named\, who are so near being born constitutional ly that they might be taken for white by sight\, I would suggest that our court be invested with SMELLING powers\, and that if a man don't exhale th e constitutional smell\, he shall not vote! This would be an additional se curity to our liberties.\"\n\nWilliam found\, after all\, that liberty in the so-called Free States was more a name than a reality\; that prejudice followed the coloured man into every place that he might enter. The temple s erected for the worship of the living God are no exception. The finest B aptist church in the city of Boston has the following paragraph in the dee d that conveys its seats to pewholders:\n\n\"And it is a further condition of these presents\, that if the owner or owners of said pew shall determi ne hereafter to sell the same\, it shall first be offered\, in writing\, t o the standing committee of said society for the time being\, at such pric e as might otherwise be obtained for it\; and the said committee shall hav e the right\, for ten days after such offer\, to purchase said pew for sai d society\, at that price\, first deducting therefrom all taxes and assess ments on said pew then remaining unpaid. And if the said committee shall n ot so complete such purchase within said ten days\, then the pew may be so ld by the owner or owners thereof (after payment of all such arrears) to a ny one respectable white person\, but upon the same conditions as are cont ained in this instrument\; and immediate notice of such sale shall be give n in writing\, by the vendor\, to the treasurer of said society.\"\n\nSuch are the conditions upon which the Rowe Street Baptist Church\, Boston\, d isposes of its seats. The writer of this is able to put that whole congreg ation\, minister and all\, to flight\, by merely putting his coloured face in that church. We once visited a church in New York that had a place set apart for the sons of Ham. It was a dark\, dismal looking place in one co rner of the gallery\, grated in front like a hen-coop\, with a black borde r around it. It had two doors\; over one was B. M.—black men\; over the other B. W.—black women.\n\nCHAPTER XX\nA TRUE DEMOCRAT\n \"Who can \, with patience\, for a moment see\n The medley mass of pride and misery\,\n Of whips and charters\, manacles and rights\,\n Of s laving blacks and democratic whites\,\n And all the piebald policy that reigns\n In free confusion o'er Columbia's plains?\n To thin k that man\, thou just and gentle God!\n Should stand before thee with a tyrant's rod\,\n O'er creatures like himself\, with souls from thee\,\n Yet dare to boast of perfect liberty!\"—Thomas Moore.\n\nEDUCATED in a free state\, and marrying a wife who had been a victim to the institution of slavery\, Henry Morton became strongly opposed to the system. His two d aughters\, at the age of twelve years\, were sent to the North to finish t heir education\, and to receive that refinement that young ladies cannot o btain in the Slave States. Although he did not publicly advocate the aboli tion of slavery\, he often made himself obnoxious to private circles\, owi ng to the denunciatory manner in which he condemned the \"peculiar institu tion.\" Being one evening at a party\, and hearing one of the company talk ing loudly of the glory and freedom of American institutions\, he gave it as his opinion that\, unless slavery was speedily abolished\, it would be the ruin of the Union. \"It is not our boast of freedom\,\" said he\, \"th at will cause us to be respected abroad. It is not our loud talk in favour of liberty that will cause us to be regarded as friends of human freedom\ ; but our acts will be scrutinised by the people of other countries. We sa y much against European despotism\; let us look to ourselves. That governm ent is despotic where the rulers govern subjects by their own mere will— by decrees and laws emanating from their uncontrolled will\, in the enactm ent and execution of which the ruled have no voice\, and under which they have no right except at the will of the rulers. Despotism does not depend upon the number of the rulers\, or the number of the subjects. It may have one ruler or many. Rome was a despotism under Nero\; so she was under the triumvirate. Athens was a despotism under Thirty Tyrants\; under her Four Hundred Tyrants\; under her Three Thousand Tyrants. It has been generally observed that despotism increases in severity with the number of despots\ ; the responsibility is more divided\, and the claims more numerous. The t riumvirs each demanded his victims. The smaller the number of subjects in proportion to the tyrants\, the more cruel the oppression\, because the le ss danger from rebellion. In this government\, the free white citizens are the rulers—the sovereigns\, as we delight to be called. All others are subjects. There are\, perhaps\, some sixteen or seventeen millions of sove reigns\, and four millions of subjects.\n\n\"The rulers and the ruled are of all colours\, from the clear white of the Caucasian tribes to the swart hy Ethiopian. The former\, by courtesy\, are all called white\, the latter black. In this government the subject has no rights\, social\, political\ , or personal. He has no voice in the laws which govern him. He can hold n o property. His very wife and children are not his. His labour is another' s. He\, and all that appertain to him\, are the absolute property of his r ulers. He is governed\, bought\, sold\, punished\, executed\, by laws to w hich he never gave his assent\, and by rulers whom he never chose. He is n ot a serf merely\, with half the rights of men like the subjects of despot ic Russia\; but a native slave\, stripped of every right which God and nat ure gave him\, and which the high spirit of our revolution declared inalie nable which he himself could not surrender\, and which man could not take from him. Is he not then the subject of despotic sway?\n\n\"The slaves of Athens and Rome were free in comparison. They had some rights—could acqu ire some property\; could choose their own masters\, and purchase their ow n freedom\; and\, when free\, could rise in social and political life. The slaves of America\, then\, lie under the most absolute and grinding despo tism that the world ever saw. But who are the despots? The rulers of the c ountry—the sovereign people! Not merely the slaveholder who cracks the l ash. He is but the instrument in the hands of despotism. That despotism is the government of the Slave States\, and the United States\, consisting o f all its rulers all the free citizens. Do not look upon this as a paradox \, because you and I and the sixteen millions of rulers are free. The rule rs of every despotism are free. Nicholas of Russia is free. The grand Sult an of Turkey is free. The butcher of Austria is free. Augustus\, Anthony\, and Lepidus were free\, while they drenched Rome in blood. The Thirty Tyr ants—the Four Hundred—the Three Thousand\, were free while they bound their countrymen in chains. You\, and I\, and the sixteen millions are fre e\, while we fasten iron chains\, and rivet manacles on four millions of o ur fellowmen—take their wives and children from them—separate them—s ell them\, and doom them to perpetual\, eternal bondage. Are we not then d espots—despots such as history will brand and God abhor?\n\n\"We\, as in dividuals\, are fast losing our reputation for honest dealing. Our nation is losing its character. The loss of a firm national character\, or the de gradation of a nation's honour\, is the inevitable prelude to her destruct ion. Behold the once proud fabric of a Roman empire—an empire carrying i ts arts and arms into every part of the Eastern continent\; the monarchs o f mighty kingdoms dragged at the wheels of her triumphal chariots\; her ea gle waving over the ruins of desolated countries\; where is her splendour\ , her wealth\, her power\, her glory? Extinguished for ever. Her moulderin g temples\, the mournful vestiges of her former grandeur\, afford a shelte r to her muttering monks. Where are her statesmen\, her sages\, her philos ophers\, her orators\, generals? Go to their solitary tombs and inquire. S he lost her national character\, and her destruction followed. The rampart s of her national pride were broken down\, and Vandalism desolated her cla ssic fields. Then let the people of our country take warning ere it is too late. But most of us say to ourselves\,\n\n \"'Who questions the right of mankind to be free?\n Yet\, what are the rights of the Negro to me ?\n I'm well fed and clothed\, I have plenty of pelf—\n I'll care for the blacks when I turn black myself.'\n\n\"New Orleans is doubtless the mo st immoral place in the United States. The theatres are open on the Sabbat h. Bull-fights\, horse-racing\, and other cruel amusements are carried on in this city to an extent unknown in any other part of the Union. The most stringent laws have been passed in that city against Negroes\, yet a few years since the State Legislature passed a special act to enable a white m an to marry a coloured woman\, on account of her being possessed of a larg e fortune. And\, very recently\, the following paragraph appeared in the c ity papers:—\n\n\"'There has been quite a stir recently in this city\, i n consequence of a marriage of a white man\, named Buddington\, a teller i n the Canal Bank\, to the Negro daughter of one of the wealthiest merchant s. Buddington\, before he could be married was obliged to swear that he ha d Negro blood in his veins\, and to do this he made an incision in his arm \, and put some of her blood in the cut. The ceremony was performed by a C atholic clergyman\, and the bridegroom has received with his wife a fortun e of fifty or sixty thousand dollars.'\n\n\"It seems that the fifty or six ty thousand dollars entirely covered the Negro woman's black skin\, and th e law prohibiting marriage between blacks and whites was laid aside for th e occasion.\"\n\nAlthesa felt proud\, as well she might\, at her husband's taking such high ground in a slaveholding city like New Orleans.\n\nCHAPT ER XXI\nTHE CHRISTIAN'S DEATH\n \"O weep\, ye friends of freedom weep!\n Your harps to mournful measures sweep.\"\n\nON the last day of November\, 1620\, on the confines of the Grand Bank of Newfoundland\, lo! we behold one little solitary tempest-tost and weather-beaten ship\; it is all that can be seen on the length and breadth of the vast intervening solitudes\, from the melancholy wilds of Labrador and New England's ironbound shores\, to the western coasts of Ireland and the rock defended Hebrides\, but one lonely ship greets the eye of angels or of men\, on this great throughfar e of nations in our age. Next in moral grandeur\, was this ship\, to the g reat discoverer's: Columbus found a continent\; the May-flower brought the seedwheat of states and empire. That is the May-flower\, with its servant s of the living God\, their wives and little ones\, hastening to lay the f oundations of nations in the accidental lands of the setting-sun. Hear the voice of prayer to God for his protection\, and the glorious music of pra ise\, as it breaks into the wild tempest of the mighty deep\, upon the ear of God. Here in this ship are great and good men. Justice\, mercy\, human ity\, respect for the rights of all\; each man honoured\, as he was useful to himself and others\; labour respected\, law-abiding men\, constitution -making and respecting men\; men\, whom no tyrant could conquer\, or hards hip overcome\, with the high commission sealed by a Spirit divine\, to est ablish religious and political liberty for all. This ship had the embryo e lements of all that is useful\, great\, and grand in Northern institutions \; it was the great type of goodness and wisdom\, illustrated in two and a quarter centuries gone by\; it was the good genius of America.\n\nBut loo k far in the South-east\, and you behold on the same day\, in 1620\, a low rakish ship hastening from the tropics\, solitary and alone\, to the New World. What is she? She is freighted with the elements of unmixed evil. Ha rk! hear those rattling chains\, hear that cry of despair and wail of angu ish\, as they die away in the unpitying distance. Listen to those shocking oaths\, the crack of that flesh-cutting whip. Ah! it is the first cargo o f slaves on their way to Jamestown\, Virginia. Behold the May-flower ancho red at Plymouth Rock\, the slave-ship in James River. Each a parent\, one of the prosperous\, labour-honouring\, law-sustaining institutions of the North\; the other the mother of slavery\, idleness\, lynch-law\, ignorance \, unpaid labour\, poverty\, and duelling\, despotism\, the ceaseless swin g of the whip\, and the peculiar institutions of the South. These ships ar e the representation of good and evil in the New World\, even to our day. When shall one of those parallel lines come to an end?\n\nThe origin of Am erican slavery is not lost in the obscurity of by-gone ages. It is a plain historical fact\, that it owes its birth to the African slave trade\, now pronounced by every civilised community the greatest crime ever perpetrat ed against humanity. Of all causes intended to benefit mankind\, the aboli tion of chattel slavery must necessarily be placed amongst the first\, and the Negro hails with joy every new advocate that appears in his cause. Co mmiseration for human suffering and human sacrifices awakened the capaciou s mind\, and brought into action the enlarged benevolence\, of Georgiana C arlton. With respect to her philosophy—it was of a noble cast. It was\, that all men are by nature equal\; that they are wisely and justly endowed by the Creator with certain rights\, which are irrefragable\; and that\, however human pride and human avarice may depress and debase\, still God i s the author of good to man—and of evil\, man is the artificer to himsel f and to his species. Unlike Plato and Socrates\, her mind was free from t he gloom that surrounded theirs\; her philosophy was founded in the school of Christianity\; though a devoted member of her father's church\, she wa s not a sectarian.\n\nWe learn from Scripture\, and it is a little remarka ble that it is the only exact definition of religion found in the sacred v olume\, that \"pure religion and undefiled before God\, even the Father\, is this\, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction\, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.\" \"Look not every man on his own t hings\, but every man also on the things of others.\" \"Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them.\" \"Whatsoever ye would that others shou ld do to you\, do ye even so to them.\"\n\nThis was her view of Christiani ty\, and to this end she laboured with all her energies to convince her sl aveholding neighbours that the Negro could not only take care of himself\, but that he also appreciated liberty\, and was willing to work and redeem himself. Her most sanguine wishes were being realized when she suddenly f ell into a decline. Her mother had died of consumption\, and her physician pronounced this to be her disease. She was prepared for this sad intellig ence\, and received it with the utmost composure. Although she had confide nce in her husband that he would carry out her wishes in freeing the Negro es after her death\, Mrs. Carlton resolved upon their immediate liberation . Consequently the slaves were all summoned before the noble woman\, and i nformed that they were no longer bondsmen. \"From this hour\,\" said she\, \"you are free\, and all eyes will be fixed upon you. I dare not predict how far your example may affect the welfare of your brethren yet in bondag e. If you are temperate\, industrious\, peaceable\, and pious\, you will s how to the world that slaves can be emancipated without danger. Remember w hat a singular relation you sustain to society. The necessities of the cas e require not only that you should behave as well as the whites\, but bett er than the whites\; and for this reason: if you behave no better than the y\, your example will lose a great portion of its influence. Make the Lord Jesus Christ your refuge and exemplar. His is the only standard around wh ich you can successfully rally. If ever there was a people who needed the consolations of religion to sustain them in their grievous afflictions\, y ou are that people. You had better trust in the Lord than to put confidenc e in man. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Get as much educatio n as possible for yourselves and your children. An ignorant people can nev er occupy any other than a degraded station in society\; they can never be truly free until they are intelligent. In a few days you will start for t he state of Ohio\, where land will be purchased for some of you who have f amilies\, and where I hope you will all prosper. We have been urged to sen d you to Liberia\, but we think it wrong to send you from your native land . We did not wish to encourage the Colonization Society\, for it originate d in hatred of the free coloured people. Its pretences are false\, its doc trines odious\, its means contemptible. Now\, whatever may be your situati on in life\, 'Remember those in bonds as bound with them.' You must get re ady as soon as you can for your journey to the North.\"\n\nSeldom was ther e ever witnessed a more touching scene than this. There sat the liberator\ , pale\, feeble\, emaciated\, with death stamped upon her countenance\, su rrounded by the sons and daughters of Africa\; some of whom had in former years been separated from all that they had held near and dear\, and the m ost of whose backs had been torn and gashed by the Negro whip. Some were u pon their knees at the feet of their benefactress\; others were standing r ound her weeping. Many begged that they might be permitted to remain on th e farm and work for wages\, for some had wives and some husbands on other plantations in the neighbourhood\, and would rather remain with them.\n\nB ut the laws of the state forbade any emancipated Negroes remaining\, under penalty of again being sold into slavery. Hence the necessity of sending them out of the state. Mrs. Carlton was urged by her friends to send the e mancipated Negroes to Africa. Extracts from the speeches of Henry Clay\, a nd other distinguished Colonization Society men\, were read to her to indu ce her to adopt this course. Some thought they should he sent away because the blacks are vicious\; others because they would be missionaries to the ir brethren in Africa. \"But\,\" said she\, \"if we send away the Negroes because they are profligate and vicious\, what sort of missionaries will t hey make? Why not send away the vicious among the whites for the same reas on\, and the same purpose?\"\n\nDeath is a leveller\, and neither age\, se x\, wealth\, nor usefulness can avert when he is permitted to strike. The most beautiful flowers soon fade\, and droop\, and die\; this is also the case with man\; his days are uncertain as the passing breeze. This hour he glows in the blush of health and vigour\, but the next he may be counted with the number no more known on earth.\n\nAlthough in a low state of heal th\, Mrs. Carlton had the pleasure of seeing all her slaves\, except Sam a nd three others\, start for a land of freedom. The morning they were to go on board the steamer\, bound for Louisville\, they all assembled on the l arge grass plot\, in front of the drawing-room window\, and wept while the y bid their mistress farewell. When they were on the boat\, about leaving the wharf\, they were heard giving the charge to those on shore—\"Sam\, take care of Misus\, take care of Marser\, as you love us\, and hope to me et us in de Hio (Ohio)\, and in heben\; be sure and take good care of Misu s and Marser.\"\n\nIn less than a week after her emancipated people had st arted for Ohio\, Mrs. Carlton was cold in death. Mr. Carlton felt deeply\, as all husbands must who love their wives\, the loss of her who had been a lamp to his feet\, and a light to his path. She had converted him from i nfidelity to Christianity\; from the mere theory of liberty to practical f reedom. He had looked upon the Negro as an ill-treated distant link of the human family\; he now regarded them as a part of God's children. Oh\, wha t a silence pervaded the house when the Christian had been removed. His in deed was a lonesome position.\n\n \"'Twas midnight\, and he sat alone\n The husband of the dead\,\nThat day the dark dust had been thrown\n Upon the buried head.\"\n\nIn the midst of the buoyancy of youth\, t his cherished one had drooped and died. Deep were the sounds of grief and mourning heard in that stately dwelling\, when the stricken friends\, whos e office it had been to nurse and soothe the weary sufferer\, beheld her p ale and motionless in the sleep of death.\n\nOh what a chill creeps throug h the breaking heart when we look upon the insensible form\, and feel that it no longer contains the spirit we so dearly loved! How difficult to rea lise that the eye which always glowed with affection and intelligence\; th at the ear which had so often listened to the sounds of sorrow and gladnes s\; that the voice whose accents had been to us like sweet music\, and the heart\, the habitation of benevolence and truth\, are now powerless and i nsensate as the bier upon which the form rests. Though faith be strong eno ugh to penetrate the cloud of gloom which hovers near\, and to behold the freed spirit safe\, for ever\, safe in its home in heaven\, yet the though ts will linger sadly and cheerlessly upon the grave.\n\nPeace to her ashes ! she fought the fight\, obtained the Christian's victory\, and wears the crown. But if it were that departed spirits are permitted to note the occu rrences of this world\, with what a frown of disapprobation would hers vie w the effort being made in the United States to retard the work of emancip ation for which she laboured and so wished to see brought about.\n\nIn wha t light would she consider that hypocritical priesthood who gave their aid and sanction to the infamous \"Fugitive Slave Law.\" If true greatness co nsists in doing good to mankind\, then was Georgiana Carlton an ornament t o human nature. Who can think of the broken hearts made whole\, of sad and dejected countenances now beaming with contentment and joy\, of the mothe r offering her free-born babe to heaven\, and of the father whose cup of j oy seems overflowing in the presence of his family\, where none can molest or make him afraid. Oh\, that God may give more such persons to take the whip-scarred Negro by the hand\, and raise him to a level with our common humanity! May the professed lovers of freedom in the new world see that tr ue liberty is freedom for all! and may every American continually hear it sounding in his ear:—\n\n \"Shall every flap of England's flag\n Procla im that all around are free\,\nFrom 'farthest Ind' to each blue crag\n Th at beetles o'er the Western Sea?\nAnd shall we scoff at Europe's kings\,\n When Freedom's fire is dim with us\,\n And round our country's altar clin gs\nThe damning shade of Slavery's curse?\"\n\nCHAPTER XXII\nA RIDE IN A S TAGE-COACH\nWE shall now return to Cincinnati\, where we left Clotel prepa ring to go to Richmond in search of her daughter. Tired of the disguise in which she had escaped\, she threw it off on her arrival at Cincinnati. Bu t being assured that not a shadow of safety would attend her visit to a ci ty in which she was well known\, unless in some disguise\, she again resum ed men's apparel on leaving Cincinnati. This time she had more the appeara nce of an Italian or Spanish gentleman. In addition to the fine suit of bl ack cloth\, a splendid pair of dark false whiskers covered the sides of he r face\, while the curling moustache found its place upon the upper lip. F rom practice she had become accustomed to high-heeled boots\, and could wa lk without creating any suspicion as regarded her sex. It was a cold eveni ng that Clotel arrived at Wheeling\, and took a seat in the coach going to Richmond. She was already in the state of Virginia\, yet a long distance from the place of her destination.\n\nA ride in a stage-coach\, over an Am erican road\, is unpleasant under the most favourable circumstances. But n ow that it was winter\, and the roads unusually bad\, the journey was stil l more dreary. However\, there were eight passengers in the coach\, and I need scarcely say that such a number of genuine Americans could not be tog ether without whiling away the time somewhat pleasantly. Besides Clotel\, there was an elderly gentleman with his two daughters—one apparently und er twenty years\, the other a shade above. The pale\, spectacled face of a nother slim\, tall man\, with a white neckerchief\, pointed him out as a m inister. The rough featured\, dark countenance of a stout looking man\, wi th a white hat on one side of his head\, told that he was from the sunny S outh. There was nothing remarkable about the other two\, who might pass fo r ordinary American gentlemen. It was on the eve of a presidential electio n\, when every man is thought to be a politician. Clay\, Van Buren\, and H arrison were the men who expected the indorsement of the Baltimore Convent ion. \"Who does this town go for?\" asked the old gent with the ladies\, a s the coach drove up to an inn\, where groups of persons were waiting for the latest papers. \"We are divided\,\" cried the rough voice of one of th e outsiders. \"Well\, who do you think will get the majority here?\" conti nued the old gent. \"Can't tell very well\; I go for 'Old Tip\,'\" was the answer from without. This brought up the subject fairly before the passen gers\, and when the coach again started a general discussion commenced\, i n which all took a part except Clotel and the young ladies. Some were for Clay\, some for Van Buren\, and others for \"Old Tip.\" The coach stopped to take in a real farmer-looking man\, who no sooner entered than he was s aluted with \"Do you go for Clay?\" \"No\,\" was the answer. \"Do you go f or Van Buren?\" \"No.\" \"Well\, then\, of course you will go for Harrison .\" \"No.\" \"Why\, don't you mean to work for any of them at the election ?\" \"No.\" \"Well\, who will you work for?\" asked one of the company. \" I work for Betsy and the children\, and I have a hard job of it at that\,\ " replied the farmer\, without a smile. This answer\, as a matter of cours e\, set the new corner down as one upon whom the rest of the passengers co uld crack their jokes with the utmost impunity. \"Are you an Odd Fellow?\" asked one. \"No\, sir\, I've been married more than a month.\" \"I mean\, do you belong to the order of Odd Fellows?\" \"No\, no\; I belong to the order of married men.\" \"Are you a mason?\" \"No\, I am a carpenter by tr ade.\" \"Are you a Son of Temperance?\" \"Bother you\, no\; I am a son of Mr. John Gosling.\" After a hearty laugh in which all joined\, the subject of Temperance became the theme for discussion. In this the spectacled gen t was at home. He soon showed that he was a New Englander\, and went the w hole length of the \"Maine Law.\" The minister was about having it all his own way\, when the Southerner\, in the white hat\, took the opposite side of the question. \"I don't bet a red cent on these teetotlars\,\" said he \, and at the same time looking round to see if he had the approbation of the rest of the company. \"Why?\" asked the minister. \"Because they are a set who are afraid to spend a cent. They are a bad lot\, the whole on 'em .\" It was evident that the white hat gent was an uneducated man. The mini ster commenced in full earnest\, and gave an interesting account of the pr ogress of temperance in Connecticut\, the state from which he came\, provi ng\, that a great portion of the prosperity of the state was attributable to the disuse of intoxicating drinks. Every one thought the white hat had got the worst of the argument\, and that he was settled for the remainder of the night. But not he\; he took fresh courage and began again. \"Now\,\ " said he\, \"I have just been on a visit to my uncle's in Vermont\, and I guess I knows a little about these here teetotlars. You see\, I went up t here to make a little stay of a fortnight. I got there at night\, and they seemed glad to see me\, but they didn't give me a bit of anything to drin k. Well\, thinks I to myself\, the jig's up: I sha'n't get any more liquor till I get out of the state.\" We all sat up till twelve o'clock that nig ht\, and I heard nothing but talk about the 'Juvinal Temperence Army\,' th e 'Band of Hope\,' the 'Rising Generation\,' the 'Female Dorcas Temperance Society\,' 'The None Such\,' and I don't know how many other names they d idn't have. As I had taken several pretty large 'Cock Tails' before I ente red the state\, I thought upon the whole that I would not spite for the wa nt of liquor. The next morning\, I commenced writing back to my friends\, and telling them what's what. Aunt Polly said\, 'Well\, Johnny\, I s'pose you are given 'em a pretty account of us all here.' 'Yes\,' said I\; I am tellin' 'em if they want anything to drink when they come up here\, they h ad better bring it with 'em.' 'Oh\,' said aunty\, 'they would search their boxes\; can't bring any spirits in the state.' Well\, as I was saying\, j ist as I got my letters finished\, and was going to the post office (for u ncle's house was two miles from the town)\, aunty says\, 'Johnny\, I s'pos e you'll try to get a little somethin' to drink in town won't you?' Says I \, 'I s'pose it's no use. 'No\,' said she\, 'you can't\; it ain't to be ha d no how\, for love nor money.' So jist as I was puttin' on my hat\, 'John ny\,' cries out aunty\, 'What\,' says I. 'Now I'll tell you\, I don't want you to say nothin' about it\, but I keeps a little rum to rub my head wit h\, for I am troubled with the headache\; now I don't want you to mention it for the world\, but I'll give you a little taste\, the old man is such a teetotaller\, that I should never hear the last of it\, and I would not like for the boys to know it\, they are members of the \"Cold Water Army.\ "'\n\n\"Aunty now brought out a black bottle and gave me a cup\, and told me to help myself\, which I assure you I did. I now felt ready to face the cold. As I was passing the barn I heard uncle thrashing oats\, so I went to the door and spoke to him. 'Come in\, John\,' says he. 'No\,' said I\; 'I am goin' to post some letters\,' for I was afraid that he would smell m y breath if I went too near to him. 'Yes\, yes\, come in.' So I went in\, and says he\, 'It's now eleven o'clock\; that's about the time you take yo ur grog\, I s'pose\, when you are at home.' 'Yes\,' said I. 'I am sorry fo r you\, my lad\; you can't get anything up here\; you can't even get it at the chemist's\, except as medicine\, and then you must let them mix it an d you take it in their presence.' 'This is indeed hard\,' replied I\; 'Wel l\, it can't be helped\,' continued he: 'and it ought not to be if it coul d. It's best for society\; people's better off without drink. I recollect when your father and I\, thirty years ago\, used to go out on a spree and spend more than half a dollar in a night. Then here's the rising generatio n\; there's nothing like settin' a good example. Look how healthy your cou sins are there's Benjamin\, he never tasted spirits in his life. Oh\, John \, I would you were a teetotaller.' 'I suppose\,' said I\, 'I'll have to b e one till I leave the state.' 'Now\,' said he\, 'John\, I don't want you to mention it\, for your aunt would go into hysterics if she thought there was a drop of intoxicating liquor about the place\, and I would not have the boys to know it for anything\, but I keep a little brandy to rub my jo ints for the rheumatics\, and being it's you\, I'll give you a little dust .' So the old man went to one corner of the barn\, took out a brown jug an d handed it to me\, and I must say it was a little the best cognac that I had tasted for many a day. Says I\, 'Uncle\, you are a good judge of brand y.' 'Yes\,' said he\, 'I learned when I was young.' So off I started for t he post office. In returnin' I thought I'd jist go through the woods where the boys were chopping wood\, and wait and go to the house with them when they went to dinner. I found them hard at work\, but as merry as crickets . 'Well\, cousin John\, are you done writing?' 'Yes\,' answered I. 'Have y ou posted them?' 'Yes.' 'Hope you didn't go to any place inquiring for gro g.' 'No\, I knowed it was no good to do that.' 'I suppose a cock-tail woul d taste good now.' 'Well\, I guess it would\,' says I. The three boys then joined in a hearty laugh. 'I suppose you have told 'em that we are a dry set up here?' 'Well\, I ain't told em anything else.' 'Now\, cousin John\, ' said Edward\, 'if you wont say anything\, we will give you a small taste . For mercy's sake don't let father or mother know it\; they are such rabi d teetotallers\, that they would not sleep a wink to-night if they thought there was any spirits about the place.' 'I am mum\,' says I. And the boys took a jug out of a hollow stump\, and gave me some first-rate peach bran dy. And during the fortnight that I was in Vermont\, with my teetotal rela tions\, I was kept about as well corned as if I had been among my hot wate r friends in Tennessee.\"\n\nThis narrative\, given by the white hat man\, was received with unbounded applause by all except the pale gent in spect acles\, who showed\, by the way in which he was running his fingers betwee n his cravat and throat\, that he did not intend to \"give it up so.\" The white hat gent was now the lion of the company.\n\n\"Oh\, you did not get hold of the right kind of teetotallers\,\" said the minister. \"I can giv e you a tale worth a dozen of yours\, continued he. \"Look at society in t he states where temperance views prevail\, and you will there see real hap piness. The people are taxed less\, the poor houses are shut up for want o f occupants\, and extreme destitution is unknown. Every one who drinks at all is liable to become an habitual drunkard. Yes\, I say boldly\, that no man living who uses intoxicating drinks\, is free from the danger of at l east occasional\, and if of occasional\, ultimately of habitual excess. Th ere seems to be no character\, position\, or circumstances that free men f rom the danger. I have known many young men of the finest promise\, led by the drinking habit into vice\, ruin\, and early death. I have known many tradesmen whom it has made bankrupt. I have known Sunday scholars whom it has led to prison-teachers\, and even superintendents\, whom it has dragge d down to profligacy. I have known ministers of high academic honours\, of splendid eloquence\, nay\, of vast usefulness\, whom it has fascinated\, and hurried over the precipice of public infamy with their eyes open\, and gazing with horror on their fate. I have known men of the strongest and c learest intellect and of vigorous resolution\, whom it has made weaker tha n children and fools—gentlemen of refinement and taste whom it has debas ed into brutes—poets of high genius whom it has bound in a bondage worse than the galleys\, and ultimately cut short their days. I have known stat esmen\, lawyers\, and judges whom it has killed—kind husbands and father s whom it has turned into monsters. I have known honest men whom it has ma de villains\; elegant and Christian ladies whom it has converted into bloa ted sots.\"\n\n\"But you talk too fast\,\" replied the white hat man. \"Yo u don't give a feller a chance to say nothin'.\"\n\n\"I heard you\,\" cont inued the minister\, \"and now you hear me out. It is indeed wonderful how people become lovers of strong drink. Some years since\, before I became a teetotaller I kept spirits about the house\, and I had a servant who was much addicted to strong drink. He used to say that he could not make my b oots shine\, without mixing the blacking with whiskey. So to satisfy mysel f that the whiskey was put in the blacking\, one morning I made him bring the dish in which he kept the blacking\, and poured in the whiskey myself. And now\, sir\, what do you think?\" \"Why\, I s'pose your boots shined b etter than before\,\" replied the white hat. \"No\,\" continued the minist er. \"He took the blacking out\, and I watched him\, and he drank down the whiskey\, blacking\, and all.\"\n\nThis turned the joke upon the advocate of strong drink\, and he began to put his wits to work for arguments. \"Y ou are from Connecticut\, are you?\" asked the Southerner. \"Yes\, and we are an orderly\, pious\, peaceable people. Our holy religion is respected\ , and we do more for the cause of Christ than the whole Southern States pu t together.\" \"I don't doubt it\,\" said the white hat gent. \"You sell w ooden nutmegs and other spurious articles enough to do some good. You talk of your 'holy religion'\; but your robes' righteousness are woven at Lowe ll and Manchester\; your paradise is high per centum on factory stocks\; y our palms of victory and crowns of rejoicing are triumphs over a rival par ty in politics\, on the questions of banks and tariffs. If you could\, you would turn heaven into Birmingham\, make every angel a weaver\, and with the eternal din of looms and spindles drown all the anthems of the morning stars. Ah! I know you Connecticut people like a book. No\, no\, all hoss\ ; you can't come it on me.\" This last speech of the rough featured man ag ain put him in the ascendant\, and the spectacled gent once more ran his f ingers between his cravat and throat. \"You live in Tennessee\, I think\,\ " said the minister. \"Yes\,\" replied the Southerner\, \"I used to live i n Orleans\, but now I claim to be a Tennessean.\" \"Your people of New Orl eans are the most ungodly set in the United States\,\" said the minister. Taking a New Orleans newspaper from his pocket he continued\, \"Just look here\, there are not less than three advertisements of bull fights to take place on the Sabbath. You people of the Slave States have no regard for t he Sabbath\, religion\, morality or anything else intended to\, make manki nd better.\" Here Clotel could have borne ample testimony\, had she dared to have taken sides with the Connecticut man. Her residence in Vicksburgh had given her an opportunity of knowing something of the character of the inhabitants of the far South. \"Here is an account of a grand bull fight t hat took place in New Orleans a week ago last Sunday. I will read it to yo u.\" And the minister read aloud the following:\n\n\"Yesterday\, pursuant to public notice\, came off at Gretna\, opposite the Fourth District\, the long heralded fight between the famous grizzly bear\, General Jackson (vi ctor in fifty battles)\, and the Attakapas bull\, Santa Anna.\n\n\"The fam e of the coming conflict had gone forth to the four winds\, and women and children\, old men and boys\, from all parts of the city\, and from the br eezy banks of Lake Pontchartrain and Borgne\, brushed up their Sunday suit \, and prepared to ace the fun. Long before the published hour\, the quiet streets of the rural Gretna were filled with crowds of anxious denizens\, flocking to the arena\, and before the fight commenced\, such a crowd had collected as Gretna had not seen\, nor will be likely to see again.\n\n\" The arena for the sports was a cage\, twenty feet square\, built upon the ground\, and constructed of heavy timbers and iron bars. Around it were se ats\, circularly placed\, and intended to accommodate many thousands. Abou t four or five-thousand persons assembled\, covering the seats as with a C loud\, and crowding down around the cage\, were within reach of the bars.\ n\n\"The bull selected to sustain the honour and verify the pluck of Attak apas on this trying occasion was a black animal from the Opelousas\, lithe and sinewy as a four year old courser\, and with eyes like burning coals. His horns bore the appearance of having been filed at the tips\, and want ed that keen and slashing appearance so common with others of his kith and kin\; otherwise it would have been 'all day' with Bruin—at the first pa ss\, and no mistake.\n\n\"The bear was an animal of note\, and called Gene ral Jackson\, from the fact of his licking up everything that came in his way\, and taking 'the responsibility' on all occasions. He was a wicked lo oking beast\, very lean and unamiable in aspect\, with hair all standing t he wrong way. He had fought some fifty bulls (so they said)\, always comin g out victorious\, but that neither one of the fifty had been an Attakapas bull\, the bills of the performances did not say. Had he tackled Attakapa s first it is likely his fifty battles would have remained unfought.\n\n\" About half past four o'clock the performances commenced.\n\n\"The bull was first seen\, standing in the cage alone\, with head erect\, and looking a very monarch in his capacity. At an appointed signal\, a cage containing the bear was placed alongside the arena\, and an opening being made\, brui n stalked into the battle ground—not\, however\, without sundry stirring s up with a ten foot pole\, he being experienced in such matters\, and bac kwards in raising a row.\n\n\"Once on the battle-field\, both animals stoo d\, like wary champions\, eyeing each other\, the bear cowering low\, with head upturned and fangs exposed\, while Attakapas stood wondering\, with his eye dilated\, lashing his sides with his long and bushy tail\, and paw ing up the earth in very wrath.\n\n\"The bear seemed little inclined to be gin the attack\, and the bull\, standing a moment\, made steps first backw ard and then forward\, as if measuring his antagonist\, and meditating whe re to plant a blow. Bruin wouldn't come to the scratch no way\, till one o f the keepers\, with an iron rod\, tickled his ribs and made him move. See ing this\, Attakapas took it as a hostile demonstration\, and\, gathering his strength\, dashed savagely at the enemy\, catching him on the points o f his horns\, and doubling him up like a sack of bran against the bars. Br uin 'sung out' at this\, 'and made a dash for his opponent's nose.'\n\n\"M issing this\, the bull turned to the 'about face\,' and the bear caught hi m by the ham\, inflicting a ghastly wound. But Attakapas with a kick shook him off\, and renewing the attack\, went at him again\, head on and with a rush. This time he was not so fortunate\, for the bear caught him above the eye\, burying his fangs in the tough hide\, and holding him as in a vi ce. It was now the bull's turn to 'sing out\,' and he did it\, bellowing f orth with a voice more hideous than that of all the bulls of Bashan. Some minutes stood matters thus\, and the cries of the bull\, mingled with the hoarse growls of the bear\, made hideous music\, fit only for a dance of d evils. Then came a pause (the bear having relinquished his hold)\, and for a few minutes it was doubtful whether the fun was not up. But the magic w and of the keeper (the ten foot pole) again stirred up bruin\, and at it t hey went\, and with a rush.\n\n\"Bruin now tried to fasten on the bull's b ack\, and drove his tusks in him in several places\, making the red blood flow like wine from the vats of Luna. But Attakapas was pluck to the back bone\, and\, catching bruin on the tips of his horns\, shuffled him up rig ht merrily\, making the fur fly like feathers in a gale of wind. Bruin cri ed 'Nuff' (in bear language)\, but the bull followed up his advantage\, an d\, making one furious plunge full at the figure head of the enemy\, struc k a horn into his eye\, burying it there\, and dashing the tender organ in to darkness and atoms. Blood followed the blow\, and poor bruin\, blinded\ , bleeding\, and in mortal agony\, turned with a howl to leave\, but Attak apas caught him in the retreat\, and rolled him over like a ball. Over and over again this rolling over was enacted\, and finally\, after more than an hour\, bruin curled himself up on his back\, bruised\, bloody\, and dea d beat. The thing was up with California\, and Attakapas was declared the victor amidst the applause of the multitude that made the heavens ring.\"\ n\n\"There\,\" said he\, \"can you find anything against Connecticut equal to that?\" The Southerner had to admit that he was beat by the Yankee. Du ring all this time\, it must not be supposed that the old gent with the tw o daughters\, and even the young ladies themselves\, had been silent. Clot el and they had not only given their opinions as regarded the merits of th e discussion\, but that sly glance of the eye\, which is ever given where the young of both sexes meet\, had been freely at work. The American ladie s are rather partial to foreigners\, and Clotel had the appearance of a fi ne Italian. The old gentleman was now near his home\, and a whisper from t he eldest daughter\, who was unmarried but marriageable\, induced him to e xtend to \"Mr. Johnson\" an invitation to stop and spend a week with the y oung ladies at their family residence. Clotel excused herself upon various grounds\, and at last\, to cut short the matter\, promised that she would pay them a visit on her return. The arrival of the coach at Lynchburgh se parated the young ladies from the Italian gent\, and the coach again resum ed its journey.\n\nCHAPTER XXIII\nTRUTH STRANGER THAN FICTION\n \"Is the poor privilege to turn the key\n Upon the captive\, freedom? He's as far\n From the enjoyment of the earth and air\n Who watches o'er t he chains\, as they who wear.\"\n\nDURING certain seasons of the year\, al l tropical climates are subject to epidemics of a most destructive nature. The inhabitants of New Orleans look with as much certainty for the appear ance of the yellow-fever\, small-pox\, or cholera\, in the hot season\, as the Londoner does for fog in the month of November. In the summer of 1831 \, the people of New Orleans were visited with one of these epidemics. It appeared in a form unusually repulsive and deadly. It seized persons who w ere in health\, without any premonition. Sometimes death was the immediate consequence. The disorder began in the brain\, by an oppressive pain acco mpanied or followed by fever. The patient was devoured with burning thirst . The stomach\, distracted by pains\, in vain sought relief in efforts to disburden itself. Fiery veins streaked the eye\; the face was inflamed\, a nd dyed of a dark dull red colour\; the ears from time to time rang painfu lly. Now mucous secretions surcharged the tongue\, and took away the power of speech\; now the sick one spoke\, but in speaking had a foresight of d eath. When the violence of the disease approached the heart\, the gums wer e blackened. The sleep\, broken\, troubled by convulsions\, or by frightfu l visions\, was worse than the waking hours\; and when the reason sank und er a delirium which had its seat in the brain\, repose utterly forsook the patient's couch. The progress of the heat within was marked by yellowish spots\, which spread over the surface of the body. If\, then\, a happy cri sis came not\, all hope was gone. Soon the breath infected the air with a fetid odour\, the lips were glazed\, despair painted itself in the eyes\, and sobs\, with long intervals of silence\, formed the only language. From each side of the mouth spread foam\, tinged with black and burnt blood. B lue streaks mingled with the yellow all over the frame. All remedies were useless. This was the Yellow Fever. The disorder spread alarm and confusio n throughout the city. On an average\, more than 400 died daily. In the mi dst of disorder and confusion\, death heaped victims on victims. Friend fo llowed friend in quick succession. The sick were avoided from the fear of contagion\, and for the same reason the dead were left unburied. Nearly 20 00 dead bodies lay uncovered in the burial-ground\, with only here and the re a little lime thrown over them\, to prevent the air becoming infected.\ n\nThe Negro\, whose home is in a hot climate\, was not proof against the disease. Many plantations had to suspend their work for want of slaves to take the places of those carried off by the fever. Henry Morton and wife w ere among the thirteen thousand swept away by the raging disorder that yea r. Like too many\, Morton had been dealing extensively in lands and stocks \; and though apparently in good circumstances was\, in reality\, deeply i nvolved in debt. Althesa\, although as white as most white women in a sout hern clime\, was\, as we already know\, born a slave. By the laws of all t he Southern States the children follow the condition of the mother. If the mother is free the children are free\; if a slave\, they are slaves. Mort on was unacquainted with the laws of the land\; and although he had marrie d Althesa\, it was a marriage which the law did not recognise\; and theref ore she whom he thought to be his wife was\, in fact\, nothing more than h is slave. What would have been his feelings had he known this\, and also k nown that his two daughters\, Ellen and Jane\, were his slaves? Yet such w as the fact. After the disappearance of the disease with which Henry Morto n had so suddenly been removed\, his brother went to New Orleans to give w hat aid he could in settling up the affairs. James Morton\, on his arrival in New Orleans\, felt proud of his nieces\, and promised them a home with his own family in Vermont\; little dreaming that his brother had married a slave woman\, and that his nieces were slaves. The girls themselves had never heard that their mother had been a slave\, and therefore knew nothin g of the danger hanging over their heads. An inventory of the property was made out by James Morton\, and placed in the hands of the creditors\; and the young ladies\, with their uncle\, were about leaving the city to resi de for a few days on the banks of Lake Pontchartrain\, where they could en joy a fresh air that the city could not afford. But just as they were abou t taking the train\, an officer arrested the whole party\; the young ladie s as slaves\, and the uncle upon the charge of attempting to conceal the p roperty of his deceased brother. Morton was overwhelmed with horror at the idea of his nieces being claimed as slaves\, and asked for time\, that he might save them from such a fate. He even offered to mortgage his little farm in Vermont for the amount which young slave women of their ages would fetch. But the creditors pleaded that they were \"an extra article\,\" an d would sell for more than common slaves\; and must\, therefore\, be sold at auction. They were given up\, but neither ate nor slept\, nor separated from each other\, till they were taken into the New Orleans slave market\ , where they were offered to the highest bidder. There they stood\, trembl ing\, blushing\, and weeping\; compelled to listen to the grossest languag e\, and shrinking from the rude hands that examined the graceful proportio ns of their beautiful frames.\n\nAfter a fierce contest between the bidder s\, the young ladies were sold\, one for 2\,300 dollars\, and the other fo r 3\,000 dollars. We need not add that had those young girls been sold for mere house servants or field hands\, they would not have brought one half the sums they did. The fact that they were the grand-daughters of Thomas Jefferson\, no doubt\, increased their value in the market. Here were two of the softer sex\, accustomed to the fondest indulgence\, surrounded by a ll the refinements of life\, and with all the timidity that such a life co uld produce\, bartered away like cattle in Smithfield market. Ellen\, the eldest\, was sold to an old gentleman\, who purchased her\, as he said\, f or a housekeeper. The girl was taken to his residence\, nine miles from th e city. She soon\, however\, knew for what purpose she had been bought\; a nd an educated and cultivated mind and taste\, which made her see and unde rstand how great was her degradation\, now armed her hand with the ready m eans of death. The morning after her arrival\, she was found in her chambe r\, a corpse. She had taken poison. Jane was purchased by a dashing young man\, who had just come into the possession of a large fortune. The very a ppearance of the young Southerner pointed him out as an unprincipled profl igate\; and the young girl needed no one to tell her of her impending doom . The young maid of fifteen was immediately removed to his country seat\, near the junction of the Mississippi river with the sea. This was a most s ingular spot\, remote\, in a dense forest spreading over the summit of a c liff that rose abruptly to a great height above the sea\; but so grand in its situation\, in the desolate sublimity which reigned around\, in the re verential murmur of the waves that washed its base\, that\, though picture sque\, it was a forest prison. Here the young lady saw no one\, except an old Negress who acted as her servant. The smiles with which the young man met her were indignantly spurned. But she was the property of another\, an d could hope for justice and mercy only through him.\n\nJane\, though only in her fifteenth year\, had become strongly attached to Volney Lapuc\, a young Frenchman\, a student in her father's office. The poverty of the you ng man\, and the youthful age of the girl\, had caused their feelings to b e kept from the young lady's parents. At the death of his master\, Volney had returned to his widowed mother at Mobile\, and knew nothing of the mis fortune that had befallen his mistress\, until he received a letter from h er. But how could he ever obtain a sight of her\, even if he wished\, lock ed up as she was in her master's mansion? After several days of what her m aster termed \"obstinacy\" on her part\, the young girl was placed in an u pper chamber\, and told that that would be her home\, until she should yie ld to her master's wishes. There she remained more than a fortnight\, and with the exception of a daily visit from her master\, she saw no one but t he old Negress who waited upon her. One bright moonlight evening as she wa s seated at the window\, she perceived the figure of a man beneath her win dow. At first\, she thought it was her master\; but the tall figure of the stranger soon convinced her that it was another. Yes\, it was Volney! He had no sooner received her letter\, than he set out for New Orleans\; and finding on his arrival there\, that his mistress had been taken away\, res olved to follow her. There he was\; but how could she communicate with him ? She dared not trust the old Negress with her secret\, for fear that it m ight reach her master. Jane wrote a hasty note and threw it out of the win dow\, which was eagerly picked up by the young man\, and he soon disappear ed in the woods. Night passed away in dreariness to her\, and the next mor ning she viewed the spot beneath her window with the hope of seeing the fo otsteps of him who had stood there the previous night. Evening returned\, and with it the hope of again seeing the man she loved. In this she was no t disappointed\; for daylight had scarcely disappeared\, and the moon once more rising through the tops of the tall trees\, when the young man was s een in the same place as on the previous night. He had in his hand a rope ladder. As soon as Jane saw this\, she took the sheets from her bed\, tore them into strings\, tied them together\, and let one end down the side of the house. A moment more\, and one end of the rope ladder was in her hand \, and she fastened it inside the room. Soon the young maiden was seen des cending\, and the enthusiastic lover\, with his arms extended\, waiting to receive his mistress. The planter had been out on an hunting excursion\, and returning home\, saw his victim as her lover was receiving her in his arms. At this moment the sharp sound of a rifle was heard\, and the young man fell weltering in his blood\, at the feet of his mistress. Jane fell s enseless by his side. For many days she had a confused consciousness of so me great agony\, but knew not where she was\, or by whom surrounded. The s low recovery of her reason settled into the most intense melancholy\, whic h gained at length the compassion even of her cruel master. The beautiful bright eyes\, always pleading in expression\, were now so heart-piercing i n their sadness\, that he could not endure their gaze. In a few days the p oor girl died of a broken heart\, and was buried at night at the back of t he garden by the Negroes\; and no one wept at the grave of her who had bee n so carefully cherished\, and so tenderly beloved.\n\nThis\, reader\, is an unvarnished narrative of one doomed by the laws of the Southern States to be a slave. It tells not only its own story of grief\, but speaks of a thousand wrongs and woes beside\, which never see the light\; all the more bitter and dreadful\, because no help can relieve\, no sympathy can mitig ate\, and no hope can cheer.\n\nCHAPTER XXIV\nTHE ARREST\n\"The fearful st orm—it threatens lowering\,\n Which God in mercy long delays\;\nSlav es yet may see their masters cowering\,\nWhile whole plantations smoke and blaze!\"\n\n—Carter.\n\nIT was late in the evening when the coach arriv ed at Richmond\, and Clotel once more alighted in her native city. She had intended to seek lodging somewhere in the outskirts of the town\, but the lateness of the hour compelled her to stop at one of the principal hotels for the night. She had scarcely entered the inn\, when she recognised amo ng the numerous black servants one to whom she was well known\; and her on ly hope was\, that her disguise would keep her from being discovered. The imperturbable calm and entire forgetfulness of self which induced Clotel t o visit a place from which she could scarcely hope to escape\, to attempt the rescue of a beloved child\, demonstrate that overwillingness of woman to carry out the promptings of the finer feelings of her heart. True to wo man's nature\, she had risked her own liberty for another.\n\nShe remained in the hotel during the night\, and the next morning\, under the plea of illness\, she took her breakfast alone. That day the fugitive slave paid a visit to the suburbs of the town\, and once more beheld the cottage in wh ich she had spent so many happy hours. It was winter\, and the clematis an d passion flower were not there\; but there were the same walks she had so often pressed with her feet\, and the same trees which had so often shade d her as she passed through the garden at the back of the house. Old remem brances rushed upon her memory\, and caused her to shed tears freely. Clot el was now in her native town\, and near her daughter\; but how could she communicate with her? How could she see her? To have made herself known\, would have been a suicidal act\; betrayal would have followed\, and she ar rested. Three days had passed away\, and Clotel still remained in the hote l at which she had first put up\; and yet she had got no tidings of her ch ild. Unfortunately for Clotel\, a disturbance had just broken out amongst the slave population in the state of Virginia\, and all strangers were eye d with suspicion.\n\nThe evils consequent on slavery are not lessened by t he incoming of one or two rays of light. If the slave only becomes aware o f his condition\, and conscious of the injustice under which he suffers\, if he obtains but a faint idea of these things\, he will seize the first o pportunity to possess himself of what he conceives to belong to him. The i nfusion of Anglo-Saxon with African blood has created an insurrectionary f eeling among the slaves of America hitherto unknown. Aware of their blood connection with their owners\, these mulattoes labour under the sense of t heir personal and social injuries\; and tolerate\, if they do not encourag e in themselves\, low and vindictive passions. On the other hand\, the sla ve owners are aware of their critical position\, and are ever watchful\, a lways fearing an outbreak among the slaves.\n\nTrue\, the Free States are equally bound with the Slave States to suppress any insurrectionary moveme nt that may take place among the slaves. The Northern freemen are bound by their constitutional obligations to aid the slaveholder in keeping his sl aves in their chains. Yet there are\, at the time we write\, four millions of bond slaves in the United States. The insurrection to which we now ref er was headed by a full-blooded Negro\, who had been born and brought up a slave. He had heard the twang of the driver's whip\, and saw the warm blo od streaming from the Negro's body\; he had witnessed the separation of pa rents and children\, and was made aware\, by too many proofs\, that the sl ave could expect no justice at the hand of the slave owner. He went by the name of \"Nat Turner.\" He was a preacher amongst the Negroes\, and disti nguished for his eloquence\, respected by the whites\, and loved and vener ated by the Negroes. On the discovery of the plan for the outbreak\, Turne r fled to the swamps\, followed by those who had joined in the insurrectio n. Here the revolted Negroes numbered some hundreds\, and for a time bade defiance to their oppressors. The Dismal Swamps cover many thousands of ac res of wild land\, and a dense forest\, with wild animals and insects\, su ch as are unknown in any other part of Virginia. Here runaway Negroes usua lly seek a hiding place\, and some have been known to reside here for year s. The revolters were joined by one of these. He was a large\, tall\, full -blooded Negro\, with a stern and savage countenance\; the marks on his fa ce showed that he was from one of the barbarous tribes in Africa\, and cla imed that country as his native land\; his only covering was a girdle arou nd his loins\, made of skins of wild beasts which he had killed\; his only token of authority among those that he led\, was a pair of epaulettes mad e from the tail of a fox\, and tied to his shoulder by a cord. Brought fro m the coast of Africa when only fifteen years of age to the island of Cuba \, he was smuggled from thence into Virginia. He had been two years in the swamps\, and considered it his future home. He had met a Negro woman who was also a runaway\; and\, after the fashion of his native land\, had gone through the process of oiling her as the marriage ceremony. They had buil t a cave on a rising mound in the swamp\; this was their home. His name wa s Picquilo. His only weapon was a sword\, made from the blade of a scythe\ , which he had stolen from a neighbouring plantation. His dress\, his char acter\, his manners\, his mode of fighting\, were all in keeping with the early training he had received in the land of his birth. He moved about wi th the activity of a cat\, and neither the thickness of the trees\, nor th e depth of the water could stop him. He was a bold\, turbulent spirit\; an d from revenge imbrued his hands in the blood of all the whites he could m eet. Hunger\, thirst\, fatigue\, and loss of sleep he seemed made to endur e as if by peculiarity of constitution. His air was fierce\, his step obli que\, his look sanguinary. Such was the character of one of the leaders in the Southampton insurrection. All Negroes were arrested who were found be yond their master's threshhold\, and all strange whites watched with a gre at degree of alacrity.\n\nSuch was the position in which Clotel found affa irs when she returned to Virginia in search of her Mary. Had not the slave owners been watchful of strangers\, owing to the outbreak\, the fugitive c ould not have escaped the vigilance of the police\; for advertisements\, a nnouncing her escape and offering a large reward for her arrest\, had been received in the city previous to her arrival\, and the officers were ther efore on the look-out for the runaway slave. It was on the third day\, as the quadroon was seated in her room at the inn\, still in the disguise of a gentleman\, that two of the city officers entered the room\, and informe d her that they were authorised to examine all strangers\, to assure the a uthorities that they were not in league with the revolted Negroes. With tr embling heart the fugitive handed the key of her trunk to the officers. To their surprise\, they found nothing but woman's apparel in the box\, whic h raised their curiosity\, and caused a further investigation that resulte d in the arrest of Clotel as a fugitive slave. She was immediately conveye d to prison\, there to await the orders of her master. For many days\, unc heered by the voice of kindness\, alone\, hopeless\, desolate\, she waited for the time to arrive when the chains were to be placed on her limbs\, a nd she returned to her inhuman and unfeeling owner.\n\nThe arrest of the f ugitive was announced in all the newspapers\, but created little or no sen sation. The inhabitants were too much engaged in putting down the revolt a mong the slaves\; and although all the odds were against the insurgents\, the whites found it no easy matter\, with all their caution. Every day bro ught news of fresh outbreaks. Without scruple and without pity\, the white s massacred all blacks found beyond their owners' plantations: the Negroes \, in return\, set fire to houses\, and put those to death who attempted t o escape from the flames. Thus carnage was added to carnage\, and the bloo d of the whites flowed to avenge the blood of the blacks. These were the r avages of slavery. No graves were dug for the Negroes\; their dead bodies became food for dogs and vultures\, and their bones\, partly calcined by t he sun\, remained scattered about\, as if to mark the mournful fury of ser vitude and lust of power. When the slaves were subdued\, except a few in t he swamps\, bloodhounds were put in this dismal place to hunt out the rema ining revolters. Among the captured Negroes was one of whom we shall herea fter make mention.\n\nCHAPTER XXV\nDEATH IS FREEDOM\n \"I asked but freedom\, and ye gave\n Chains\, and the freedom of the grave.\"—Snelli ng.\n\nTHERE are\, in the district of Columbia\, several slave prisons\, o r \"Negro pens\,\" as they are termed. These prisons are mostly occupied b y persons to keep their slaves in\, when collecting their gangs together f or the New Orleans market. Some of them belong to the government\, and one \, in particular\, is noted for having been the place where a number of fr ee coloured persons have been incarcerated from time to time. In this dist rict is situated the capital of the United States. Any free coloured perso ns visiting Washington\, if not provided with papers asserting and proving their right to be free\, may be arrested and placed in one of these dens. If they succeed in showing that they are free\, they are set at liberty\, provided they are able to pay the expenses of their arrest and imprisonme nt\; if they cannot pay these expenses\, they are sold out. Through this u njust and oppressive law\, many persons born in the Free States have been consigned to a life of slavery on the cotton\, sugar\, or rice plantations of the Southern States. By order of her master\, Clotel was removed from Richmond and placed in one of these prisons\, to await the sailing of a ve ssel for New Orleans. The prison in which she was put stands midway betwee n the capitol at Washington and the President's house. Here the fugitive s aw nothing but slaves brought in and taken out\, to be placed in ships and sent away to the same part of the country to which she herself would soon be compelled to go. She had seen or heard nothing of her daughter while i n Richmond\, and all hope of seeing her now had fled. If she was carried b ack to New Orleans\, she could expect no mercy from her master.\n\nAt the dusk of the evening previous to the day when she was to be sent off\, as t he old prison was being closed for the night\, she suddenly darted past he r keeper\, and ran for her life. It is not a great distance from the priso n to the Long Bridge\, which passes from the lower part of the city across the Potomac\, to the extensive forests and woodlands of the celebrated Ar lington Place\, occupied by that distinguished relative and descendant of the immortal Washington\, Mr. George W. Custis. Thither the poor fugitive directed her flight. So unexpected was her escape\, that she had quite a n umber of rods the start before the keeper had secured the other prisoners\ , and rallied his assistants in pursuit. It was at an hour when\, and in a part of the city where\, horses could not be readily obtained for the cha se\; no bloodhounds were at hand to run down the flying woman\; and for on ce it seemed as though there was to be a fair trial of speed and endurance between the slave and the slave-catchers. The keeper and his forces raise d the hue and cry on her pathway close behind\; but so rapid was the fligh t along the wide avenue\, that the astonished citizens\, as they poured fo rth from their dwellings to learn the cause of alarm\, were only able to c omprehend the nature of the case in time to fall in with the motley mass i n pursuit (as many a one did that night)\, to raise an anxious prayer to h eaven\, as they refused to join in the pursuit\, that the panting fugitive might escape\, and the merciless soul dealer for once be disappointed of his prey. And now with the speed of an arrow—having passed the avenue— with the distance between her and her pursuers constantly increasing\, thi s poor hunted female gained the \"Long Bridge\,\" as it is called\, where interruption seemed improbable\, and already did her heart begin to beat h igh with the hope of success. She had only to pass three-fourths of a mile across the bridge\, and she could bury herself in a vast forest\, just at the time when the curtain of night would close around her\, and protect h er from the pursuit of her enemies.\n\nBut God by his Providence had other wise determined. He had determined that an appalling tragedy should be ena cted that night\, within plain sight of the President's house and the capi tol of the Union\, which should be an evidence wherever it should be known \, of the unconquerable love of liberty the heart may inherit\; as well as a fresh admonition to the slave dealer\, of the cruelty and enormity of h is crimes. Just as the pursuers crossed the high draw for the passage of s loops\, soon after entering upon the bridge\, they beheld three men slowly approaching from the Virginia side. They immediately called to them to ar rest the fugitive\, whom they proclaimed a runaway slave. True to their Vi rginian instincts as she came near\, they formed in line across the narrow bridge\, and prepared to seize her. Seeing escape impossible in that quar ter\, she stopped suddenly\, and turned upon her pursuers. On came the pro fane and ribald crew\, faster than ever\, already exulting in her capture\ , and threatening punishment for her flight. For a moment she looked wildl y and anxiously around to see if there was no hope of escape. On either ha nd\, far down below\, rolled the deep foamy waters of the Potomac\, and be fore and behind the rapidly approaching step and noisy voices of pursuers\ , showing how vain would be any further effort for freedom. Her resolution was taken. She clasped her hands convulsively\, and raised them\, as she at the same time raised her eyes towards heaven\, and begged for that merc y and compassion there\, which had been denied her on earth\; and then\, w ith a single bound\, she vaulted over the railings of the bridge\, and sun k for ever beneath the waves of the river!\n\nThus died Clotel\, the daugh ter of Thomas Jefferson\, a president of the United States\; a man disting uished as the author of the Declaration of American Independence\, and one of the first statesmen of that country.\n\nHad Clotel escaped from oppres sion in any other land\, in the disguise in which she fled from the Missis sippi to Richmond\, and reached the United States\, no honour within the g ift of the American people would have been too good to have been heaped up on the heroic woman. But she was a slave\, and therefore out of the pale o f their sympathy. They have tears to shed over Greece and Poland\; they ha ve an abundance of sympathy for \"poor Ireland\"\; they can furnish a ship of war to convey the Hungarian refugees from a Turkish prison to the \"la nd of the free and home of the brave.\" They boast that America is the \"c radle of liberty\"\; if it is\, I fear they have rocked the child to death . The body of Clotel was picked up from the bank of the river\, where it h ad been washed by the strong current\, a hole dug in the sand\, and there deposited\, without either inquest being held over it\, or religious servi ce being performed. Such was the life and such the death of a woman whose virtues and goodness of heart would have done honour to one in a higher st ation of life\, and who\, if she had been born in any other land but that of slavery\, would have been honoured and loved. A few days after the deat h of Clotel\, the following poem appeared in one of the newspapers:\n\n\"N ow\, rest for the wretched! the long day is past\,\n And night on yon pr ison descendeth at last.\n Now lock up and bolt! Ha\, jailor\, look there !\nWho flies like a wild bird escaped from the snare?\n A woman\, a slave-up\, out in pursuit.\n While linger some gleams of day!\n Let thy call ring out!—now a rabble rout\n Is at thy heels —speed away!\n\n \"A bold race for freedom!—On\, fugitive\, on!\nHea ven help but the right\, and thy freedom is won.\n How eager she drinks th e free air of the plains\;\nEvery limb\, every nerve\, every fibre she str ains\;\n From Columbia's glorious capitol\,\n Columbia's daughter flees\n To the sanctuary God has given—\n Th e sheltering forest trees.\n\n\"Now she treads the Long Bridge—joy light eth her eye—\n Beyond her the dense wood and darkening sky—\nWild hopes thrill her heart as she neareth the shore:\n O\, despair! there ar e men fast advancing before!\n Shame\, shame on their manhood! they hear\, they heed\n The cry\, her flight to stay\,\n And like demon forms with their outstretched arms\,\n They wait to seize their prey!\n\n \"She pauses\, she turns! Ah\, will she flee back?\nLike wolves \, her pursuers howl loud on their track\;\n She lifteth to Heaven one look of despair—\n Her anguish breaks forth in one hurried prayer\n Har k! her jailor's yell! like a bloodhound's bay\n On the low night wind it s weeps!\nNow\, death or the chain! to the stream she turns\,\n And she leaps! O God\, she leaps!\n\n \"The dark and the cold\, yet mercifu l wave\,\n Receives to its bosom the form of the slave:\n She rises—ea rth's scenes on her dim vision gleam\,\nYet she struggleth not with the st rong rushing stream:\n And low are the death-cries her woman's heart gives \,\n As she floats adown the river\,\n Faint and more faint grow s the drowning voice\,\n And her cries have ceased for ever!\n\n \"N ow back\, jailor\, back to thy dungeons\, again\,\n To swing the red la sh and rivet the chain!\nThe form thou would'st fetter—returned to its G od\;\n The universe holdeth no realm of night\n More drear t han her slavery—\nMore merciless fiends than here stayed her flight—\n Joy! the hunted slave is free!\n\n\"That bond-woman's corpse—l et Potomac's proud wave\n Go bear it along by our Washington's grave\,\n And heave it high up on that hallowed strand\,\n To tell of the freedo m he won for our land.\n A weak woman's corpse\, by freemen chased down\; \n Hurrah for our country! hurrah!\nTo freedom she leaped\, throug h drowning and death—\n Hurrah for our country! hurrah!\ "\n\nCHAPTER XXVI\nTHE ESCAPE\n \"No refuge is found on our unhallowe d ground\,\n For the wretched in Slavery's manacles bound\;\n While our star-spangled banner in vain boasts to wave\n O'er the land of the fr ee and the home of the brave!\"\n\nWE left Mary\, the daughter of Clotel\, in the capacity of a servant in her own father's house\, where she had be en taken by her mistress for the ostensible purpose of plunging her husban d into the depths of humiliation. At first the young girl was treated with great severity\; but after finding that Horatio Green had lost all feelin g for his child\, Mrs. Green's own heart became touched for the offspring of her husband\, and she became its friend. Mary had grown still more beau tiful\, and\, like most of her sex in that country\, was fast coming to ma turity.\n\nThe arrest of Clotel\, while trying to rescue her daughter\, di d not reach the ears of the latter till her mother had been removed from R ichmond to Washington. The mother had passed from time to eternity before the daughter knew that she had been in the neighbourhood. Horatio Green wa s not in Richmond at the time of Clotel's arrest\; had he been there\, it is not probable but he would have made an effort to save her. She was not his slave\, and therefore was beyond his power\, even had he been there an d inclined to aid her. The revolt amongst the slaves had been brought to a n end\, and most of the insurgents either put to death or sent out of the state. One\, however\, remained in prison. He was the slave of Horatio Gre en\, and had been a servant in his master's dwelling. He\, too\, could boa st that his father was an American statesman. His name was George. His mot her had been employed as a servant in one of the principal hotels in Washi ngton\, where members of Congress usually put up. After George's birth his mother was sold to a slave trader\, and he to an agent of Mr. Green\, the father of Horatio. George was as white as most white persons. No one woul d suppose that any African blood coursed through his veins. His hair was s traight\, soft\, fine\, and light\; his eyes blue\, nose prominent\, lips thin\, his head well formed\, forehead high and prominent\; and he was oft en taken for a free white person by those who did know him. This made his condition still more intolerable\; for one so white seldom ever receives f air treatment at the hands of his fellow slaves\; and the whites usually r egard such slaves as persons who\, if not often flogged\, and otherwise il l treated\, to remind them of their condition\, would soon \"forget\" that they were slaves\, and \"think themselves as good as white folks.\" Georg e's opportunities were far greater than most slaves. Being in his master's house\, and waiting on educated white people\, he had become very familia r with the English language. He had heard his master and visitors speak of the down-trodden and oppressed Poles\; he heard them talk of going to Gre ece to fight for Grecian liberty\, and against the oppressors of that ill- fated people. George\, fired with the love of freedom\, and zeal for the c ause of his enslaved countrymen\, joined the insurgents\, and with them ha d been defeated and captured. He was the only one remaining of these unfor tunate people\, and he would have been put to death with them but for a ci rcumstance that occurred some weeks before the outbreak. The court house h ad\, by accident\, taken fire\, and was fast consuming. The engines could not be made to work\, and all hope of saving the building seemed at an end . In one of the upper chambers there was a small box containing some valua ble deeds belonging to the city\; a ladder was placed against the house\, leading from the street to the window of the room in which the box stood. The wind blew strong\, and swept the flames in that direction. Broad sheet s of fire were blown again and again over that part of the building\, and then the wind would lift the pall of smoke\, which showed that the work of destruction was not yet accomplished. While the doomed building was thus exposed\, and before the destroying element had made its final visit\, as it did soon after\, George was standing by\, and hearing that much depende d on the contents of the box\, and seeing no one disposed to venture throu gh the fiery element to save the treasure\, mounted the ladder and made hi s way to the window\, entered the room\, and was soon seen descending with the much valued box. Three cheers rent the air as the young slave fell fr om the ladder when near the ground\; the white men took him up in their ar ms\, to see if he had sustained any injury. His hair was burnt\, eyebrows closely singed\, and his clothes smelt strongly of smoke\; but the heroic young slave was unhurt. The city authorities\, at their next meeting\, pas sed a vote of thanks to George's master for the lasting benefit that the s lave had rendered the public\, and commanded the poor boy to the special f avour of his owner. When George was on trial for participating in the revo lt\, this \"meritorious act\,\" as they were pleased to term it\, was brou ght up in his favour. His trial was put off from session to session\, till he had been in prison more than a year. At last\, however\, he was convic ted of high treason\, and sentenced to be hanged within ten days of that t ime. The judge asked the slave if he had anything to say why sentence of d eath should not be passed on him. George stood for a moment in silence\, a nd then said\, \"As I cannot speak as I should wish\, I will say nothing.\ " \"You may say what you please\,\" said the judge. \"You had a good maste r\,\" continued he\, \"and still you were dissatisfied\; you left your mas ter and joined the Negroes who were burning our houses and killing our wiv es.\" \"As you have given me permission to speak\,\" remarked George\, \"I will tell you why I joined the revolted Negroes. I have heard my master r ead in the Declaration of Independence 'that all men are created free and equal\,' and this caused me to inquire of myself why I was a slave. I also heard him talking with some of his visitors about the war with England\, and he said\, all wars and fightings for freedom were just and right. If s o\, in what am I wrong? The grievances of which your fathers complained\, and which caused the Revolutionary War\, were trifling in comparison with the wrongs and sufferings of those who were engaged in the late revolt. Yo ur fathers were never slaves\, ours are\; your fathers were never bought a nd sold like cattle\, never shut out from the light of knowledge and relig ion\, never subjected to the lash of brutal task-masters. For the crime of having a dark skin\, my people suffer the pangs of hunger\, the inflictio n of stripes\, and the ignominy of brutal servitude. We are kept in heathe nish darkness by laws expressly enacted to make our instruction a criminal offence. What right has one man to the bones\, sinews\, blood\, and nerve s of another? Did not one God make us all? You say your fathers fought for freedom\; so did we. You tell me that I am to be put to death for violati ng the laws of the land. Did not the American revolutionists violate the l aws when they struck for liberty? They were revolters\, but their success made them patriots—We were revolters\, and our failure makes us rebels. Had we succeeded\, we would have been patriots too. Success makes all the difference. You make merry on the 4th of July\; the thunder of cannon and ringing of bells announce it as the birthday of American independence. Yet while these cannons are roaring and bells ringing\, one-sixth of the peop le of this land are in chains and slavery. You boast that this is the 'Lan d of the Free'\; but a traditionary freedom will not save you. It will not do to praise your fathers and build their sepulchres. Worse for you that you have such an inheritance\, if you spend it foolishly and are unable to appreciate its worth. Sad if the genius of a true humanity\, beholding yo u with tearful eyes from the mount of vision\, shall fold his wings in sor rowing pity\, and repeat the strain\, 'O land of Washington\, how often wo uld I have gathered thy children together\, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings\, and ye would not\; behold your house is left unto you d esolate.' This is all I have to say\; I have done.\" Nearly every one pres ent was melted to tears\; even the judge seemed taken by surprise at the i ntelligence of the young slave. But George was a slave\, and an example mu st be made of him\, and therefore he was sentenced. Being employed in the same house with Mary\, the daughter of Clotel\, George had become attached to her\, and the young lovers fondly looked forward to the time when they should be husband and wife.\n\nAfter George had been sentenced to death\, Mary was still more attentive to him\, and begged and obtained leave of h er mistress to visit him in his cell. The poor girl paid a daily visit to him to whom she had pledged her heart and hand. At one of these meetings\, and only four days from the time fixed for the execution\, while Mary was seated in George's cell\, it occurred to her that she might yet save him from a felon's doom. She revealed to him the secret that was then occupyin g her thoughts\, viz. that George should exchange clothes with her\, and t hus attempt his escape in disguise. But he would not for a single moment l isten to the proposition. Not that he feared detection\; but he would not consent to place an innocent and affectionate girl in a position where she might have to suffer for him. Mary pleaded\, but in vain. George was infl exible. The poor girl left her lover with a heavy heart\, regretting that her scheme had proved unsuccessful.\n\nTowards the close of the next day\, Mary again appeared at the prison door for admission\, and was soon by th e side of him whom she so ardently loved. While there the clouds which had overhung the city for some hours broke\, and the rain fell in torrents am id the most terrific thunder and lightning. In the most persuasive manner possible\, Mary again importuned George to avail himself of her assistance to escape from an ignominious death. After assuring him that she\, not be ing the person condemned\, would not receive any injury\, he at last conse nted\, and they began to exchange apparel. As George was of small stature\ , and both were white\, there was no difficulty in his passing out without detection\; and as she usually left the cell weeping\, with handkerchief in hand\, and sometimes at her face\, he had only to adopt this mode and h is escape was safe. They had kissed each other\, and Mary had told George where he would find a small parcel of provisions which she had placed in a secluded spot\, when the prison-keeper opened the door and said\, \"Come\ , girl\, it is time for you to go.\" George again embraced Mary\, and pass ed out of the jail. It was already dark\, and the street lamps were lighte d\, so that our hero in his new dress had no dread of detection. The provi sions were sought out and found\, and poor George was soon on the road tow ards Canada. But neither of them had once thought of a change of dress for George when he should have escaped\, and he had walked but a short distan ce before he felt that a change of his apparel would facilitate his progre ss. But he dared not go amongst even his coloured associates for fear of b eing betrayed. However\, he made the best of his way on towards Canada\, h iding in the woods during the day\, and travelling by the guidance of the North Star at night.\n\nWith the poet he could truly say\,\n\n \"Star of the North! while blazing day\n Pours round me its full tide of light\,\n And hides thy pale but faithful ray\,\n I\, too\, lie hid\, and long fo r night.\"\n\nOne morning\, George arrived on the banks of the Ohio river\ , and found his journey had terminated\, unless he could get some one to t ake him across the river in a secret manner\, for he would not be permitte d to cross in any of the ferry boats\, it being a penalty for crossing a s lave\, besides the value of the slave. He concealed himself in the tall gr ass and weeds near the river\, to see if he could embrace an opportunity t o cross. He had been in his hiding place but a short time\, when he observ ed a man in a small boat\, floating near the shore\, evidently fishing. Hi s first impulse was to call out to the man and ask him to take him over to the Ohio side\, but the fear that the man was a slaveholder\, or one who might possibly arrest him\, deterred him from it. The man after rowing and floating about for some time fastened the boat to the root of a tree\, an d started to a neighbouring farmhouse.\n\nThis was George's moment\, and h e seized it. Running down the bank\, he unfastened the boat\, jumped in\, and with all the expertness of one accustomed to a boat\, rowed across the river and landed on the Ohio side.\n\nBeing now in a Free State\, he thou ght he might with perfect safety travel on towards Canada. He had\, howeve r\, gone but a very few miles when he discovered two men on horseback comi ng behind him. He felt sure that they could not be in pursuit of him\, yet he did not wish to be seen by them\, so he turned into another road leadi ng to a house near by. The men followed\, and were but a short distance fr om George\, when he ran up to a farmhouse\, before which was standing a fa rmer-looking man\, in a broad-brimmed hat and straight-collared coat\, who m he implored to save him from the \"slave-catchers.\" The farmer told him to go into the barn near by\; he entered by the front door\, the farmer f ollowing\, and closing the door behind George\, but remaining outside\, an d gave directions to his hired man as to what should be done with George. The slaveholders by this time had dismounted\, and were in front of the ba rn demanding admittance\, and charging the farmer with secreting their sla ve woman\, for George was still in the dress of a woman. The Friend\, for the farmer proved to be a member of the Society of Friends\, told the slav e-owners that if they wished to search his barn\, they must first get an o fficer and a search warrant. While the parties were disputing\, the farmer began nailing up the front door\, and the hired man served the back door in the same way. The slaveholders\, finding that they could not prevail on the Friend to allow them to get the slave\, determined to go in search of an officer. One was left to see that the slave did not escape from the ba rn\, while the other went off at full speed to Mount Pleasant\, the neares t town. George was not the slave of either of these men\, nor were they in pursuit of him\, but they had lost a woman who had been seen in that vici nity\, and when they saw poor George in the disguise of a female\, and att empting to elude pursuit\, they felt sure they were close upon their victi m. However\, if they had caught him\, although he was not their slave\, th ey would have taken him back and placed him in jail\, and there he would h ave remained until his owner arrived.\n\nAfter an absence of nearly two ho urs\, the slave-owner returned with an officer and found the Friend still driving large nails into the door. In a triumphant tone and with a corresp onding gesture\, he handed the search-warrant to the Friend\, and said\, \ "There\, sir\, now I will see if I can't get my nigger.\" \"Well\,\" said the Friend\, \"thou hast gone to work according to law\, and thou canst no w go into my barn.\" \"Lend me your hammer that I may get the door open\,\ " said the slaveholder. \"Let me see the warrant again.\" And after readin g it over once more\, he said\, \"I see nothing in this paper which says I must supply thee with tools to open my door\; if thou wishest to go in\, thou must get a hammer elsewhere.\" The sheriff said\, \"I will go to a ne ighbouring farm and borrow something which will introduce us to Miss Dinah \;\" and he immediately went in search of tools. In a short time the offic er returned\, and they commenced an assault and battery upon the barn door \, which soon yielded\; and in went the slaveholder and officer\, and bega n turning up the hay and using all other means to find the lost property\; but\, to their astonishment\, the slave was not there. After all hope of getting Dinah was gone\, the slave-owner in a rage said to the Friend\, \" My nigger is not here.\" \"I did not tell thee there was any one here.\" \ "Yes\, but I saw her go in\, and you shut the door behind her\, and if she was not in the barn\, what did you nail the door for?\" \"Can't I do what I please with my own barn door? Now I will tell thee\; thou need trouble thyself no more\, for the person thou art after entered the front door and went out at the back door\, and is a long way from here by this time. Tho u and thy friend must be somewhat fatigued by this time\; won't thou go in and take a little dinner with me?\" We need not say that this cool invita tion of the good Quaker was not accepted by the slaveholders. George in th e meantime had been taken to a friend's dwelling some miles away\, where\, after laying aside his female attire\, and being snugly dressed up in a s traight collared coat\, and pantaloons to match\, was again put on the rig ht road towards Canada.\n\nThe fugitive now travelled by day\, and laid by during night. After a fatiguing and dreary journey of two weeks\, the fug itive arrived in Canada\, and took up his abode in the little town of St. Catherine's\, and obtained work on the farm of Colonel Street. Here he att ended a night-school\, and laboured for his employer during the day. The c limate was cold\, and wages small\, yet he was in a land where he was free \, and this the young slave prized more than all the gold that could be gi ven to him. Besides doing his best to obtain education for himself\, he im parted what he could to those of his fellow-fugitives about him\, of whom there were many.\n\nCHAPTER XXVII\nTHE MYSTERY\nGEORGE\, however\, did not forget his promise to use all the means in his power to get Mary out of s lavery. He\, therefore\, laboured with all his might to obtain money with which to employ some one to go back to Virginia for Mary. After nearly six months' labour at St. Catherine's\, he employed an English missionary to go and see if the girl could be purchased\, and at what price. The mission ary went accordingly\, but returned with the sad intelligence that\, on ac count of Mary's aiding George to escape\, the court had compelled Mr. Gree n to sell her out of the state\, and she had been sold to a Negro trader\, and taken to the New Orleans market. As all hope of getting the girl was now gone\, George resolved to quit the American continent for ever. He imm ediately took passage in a vessel laden with timber\, bound for Liverpool\ , and in five weeks from that time he was standing on the quay of the grea t English seaport. With little or no education\, he found many difficultie s in the way of getting a respectable living. However he obtained a situat ion as porter in a large house in Manchester\, where he worked during the day\, and took private lessons at night. In this way he laboured for three years\, and was then raised to the situation of clerk. George was so whit e as easily to pass for a white man\, and being somewhat ashamed of his Af rican descent\, he never once mentioned the fact of his having been a slav e. He soon became a partner in the firm that employed him\, and was now on the road to wealth.\n\nIn the year 1842\, just ten years after George Gre en (for he adopted his master's name) arrived in England\, he visited Fran ce\, and spent some days at Dunkirk. It was towards sunset\, on a warm day in the month of October\, that Mr. Green\, after strolling some distance from the Hotel de Leon\, entered a burial ground\, and wandered along\, al one among the silent dead\, gazing upon the many green graves and marble t ombstones of those who once moved on the theatre of busy life\, and whose sounds of gaiety once fell upon the ear of man. All nature around was hush ed in silence\, and seemed to partake of the general melancholy which hung over the quiet resting-place of departed mortals. After tracing the varie d inscriptions which told the characters or conditions of the departed\, a nd viewing the mounds beneath which the dust of mortality slumbered\, he h ad now reached a secluded spot\, near to where an aged weeping willow bowe d its thick foliage to the ground\, as though anxious to hide from the scr utinising gaze of curiosity the grave beneath it. Mr. Green seated himself upon a marble tomb\, and began to read Roscoe's Leo X.\, a copy of which he had under his arm. It was then about twilight\, and he had scarcely gon e through half a page\, when he observed a lady in black\, leading a boy\, some five years old\, up one of the paths\; and as the lady's black veil was over her face\, he felt somewhat at liberty to eye her more closely. W hile looking at her\, the lady gave a scream\, and appeared to be in a fai nting position\, when Mr. Green sprang from his seat in time to save her f rom falling to the ground. At this moment\, an elderly gentleman was seen approaching with a rapid step\, who\, from his appearance\, was evidently the lady's father\, or one intimately connected with her. He came up\, and \, in a confused manner\, asked what was the matter. Mr. Green explained a s well as he could. After taking up the smelling bottle which had fallen f rom her hand\, and holding it a short time to her face\, she soon began to revive. During all this time the lady's veil had so covered her face\, th at Mr. Green had not seen it. When she had so far recovered as to be able to raise her head\, she again screamed\, and fell back into the arms of th e old man. It now appeared quite certain\, that either the countenance of George Green\, or some other object\, was the cause of these fits of faint ing\; and the old gentleman\, thinking it was the former\, in rather a pet ulant tone said\, \"I will thank you\, sir\, if you will leave us alone.\" The child whom the lady was leading\, had now set up a squall\; and amid the death-like appearance of the lady\, the harsh look of the old man\, an d the cries of the boy\, Mr. Green left the grounds\, and returned to his hotel.\n\nWhilst seated by the window\, and looking out upon the crowded s treet\, with every now and then the strange scene in the grave-yard vividl y before him\, Mr. Green thought of the book he had been reading\, and\, r emembering that he had left it on the tomb\, where he had suddenly dropped it when called to the assistance of the lady\, he immediately determined to return in search of it. After a walk of some twenty minutes\, he was ag ain over the spot where he had been an hour before\, and from which he had been so unceremoniously expelled by the old man. He looked in vain for th e book\; it was nowhere to be found: nothing save the bouquet which the la dy had dropped\, and which lay half-buried in the grass from having been t rodden upon\, indicated that any one had been there that evening. Mr. Gree n took up the bunch of flowers\, and again returned to the hotel.\n\nAfter passing a sleepless night\, and hearing the clock strike six\, he dropped into a sweet sleep\, from which he did not awaken until roused by the rap of a servant\, who\, entering his room\, handed him a note which ran as f ollows:—\"Sir\,—I owe you an apology for the inconvenience to which yo u were subjected last evening\, and if you will honour us with your presen ce to dinner to-day at four o'clock\, I shall be most happy to give you du e satisfaction. My servant will be in waiting for you at half-past three. I am\, sir\, your obedient servant\, J. Devenant. October 23. To George Gr een\, Esq.\"\n\nThe servant who handed this note to Mr. Green\, informed h im that the bearer was waiting for a reply. He immediately resolved to acc ept the invitation\, and replied accordingly. Who this person was\, and ho w his name and the hotel where he was stopping had been found out\, was in deed a mystery. However\, he waited impatiently for the hour when he was t o see this new acquaintance\, and get the mysterious meeting in the grave- yard solved.\n\nCHAPTER XXVIII\nTHE HAPPY MEETING\n \"Man's love is of ma n's life\, a thing apart\;\n 'Tis woman's whole existence.\"—Byron. \n\nTHE clock on a neighbouring church had scarcely ceased striking three\ , when the servant announced that a carriage had called for Mr. Green. In less than half an hour he was seated in a most sumptuous barouche\, drawn by two beautiful iron greys\, and rolling along over a splendid gravel roa d completely shaded by large trees\, which appeared to have been the accum ulating growth of many centuries. The carriage soon stopped in front of a low villa\, and this too was embedded in magnificent trees covered with mo ss. Mr. Green alighted and was shown into a superb drawing room\, the wall s of which were hung with fine specimens from the hands of the great Itali an painters\, and one by a German artist representing a beautiful monkish legend connected with \"The Holy Catherine\,\" an illustrious lady of Alex andria. The furniture had an antique and dignified appearance. High backed chairs stood around the room\; a venerable mirror stood on the mantle she lf\; rich curtains of crimson damask hung in folds at either side of the l arge windows\; and a rich Turkey carpet covered the floor. In the centre s tood a table covered with books\, in the midst of which was an old-fashion ed vase filled with fresh flowers\, whose fragrance was exceedingly pleasa nt. A faint light\, together with the quietness of the hour\, gave beauty beyond description to the whole scene.\n\nMr. Green had scarcely seated hi mself upon the sofa\, when the elderly gentleman whom he had met the previ ous evening made his appearance\, followed by the little boy\, and introdu ced himself as Mr. Devenant. A moment more\, and a lady—a beautiful brun ette—dressed in black\, with long curls of a chestnut colour hanging dow n her cheeks\, entered the room. Her eyes were of a dark hazel\, and her w hole appearance indicated that she was a native of a southern clime. The d oor at which she entered was opposite to where the two gentlemen were seat ed. They immediately rose\; and Mr. Devenant was in the act of introducing her to Mr. Green\, when he observed that the latter had sunk back upon th e sofa\, and the last word that he remembered to have heard was\, \"It is her.\" After this\, all was dark and dreamy: how long he remained in this condition it was for another to tell. When he awoke\, he found himself str etched upon the sofa\, with his boots off\, his neckerchief removed\, shir t collar unbuttoned\, and his head resting upon a pillow. By his side sat the old man\, with the smelling bottle in the one hand\, and a glass of wa ter in the other\, and the little boy standing at the foot of the sofa. As soon as Mr. Green had so far recovered as to be able to speak\, he said\, \"Where am I\, and what does this mean?\" \"Wait a while\,\" replied the old man\, \"and I will tell you all.\" After a lapse of some ten minutes h e rose from the sofa\, adjusted his apparel\, and said\, \"I am now ready to hear anything you have to say.\" \"You were born in America?\" said the old man. \"Yes\,\" he replied. \"And you were acquainted with a girl name d Mary?\" continued the old man. \"Yes\, and I loved her as I can love non e other.\" \"The lady whom you met so mysteriously last evening is Mary\,\ " replied Mr. Devenant. George Green was silent\, but the fountains of min gled grief and joy stole out from beneath his eyelashes\, and glistened li ke pearls upon his pale and marble-like cheeks. At this juncture the lady again entered the room. Mr. Green sprang from the sofa\, and they fell int o each other's arms\, to the surprise of the old man and little George\, a nd to the amusement of the servants who had crept up one by one\, and were hid behind the doors\, or loitering in the hall. When they had given vent to their feelings\, they resumed their seats\, and each in turn related t he adventures through which they had passed. \"How did you find out my nam e and address?\" asked Mr. Green. \"After you had left us in the grave-yar d\, our little George said\, 'O\, mamma\, if there aint a book!' and picke d it up and brought it to us. Papa opened it\, and said\, 'The gentleman's name is written in it\, and here is a card of the Hotel de Leon\, where I suppose he is stopping.' Papa wished to leave the book\, and said it was all a fancy of mine that I had ever seen you before\, but I was perfectly convinced that you were my own George Green. Are you married?\" \"No\, I a m not.\" \"Then\, thank God!\" exclaimed Mrs. Devenant. \"And are you sing le now?\" inquired Mr. Green. \"Yes\,\" she replied. \"This is indeed the Lord's doings\,\" said Mr. Green\, at the same time bursting into a flood of tears. Mr. Devenant was past the age when men should think upon matrimo nial subjects\, yet the scene brought vividly before his eyes the days whe n he was a young man\, and had a wife living. After a short interview\, th e old man called their attention to the dinner\, which was then waiting. W e need scarcely add\, that Mr. Green and Mrs. Devenant did very little tow ards diminishing the dinner that day.\n\nAfter dinner the lovers (for such we have to call them) gave their experience from the time that George lef t the jail dressed in Mary's clothes. Up to that time Mr. Green's was subs tantially as we have related it. Mrs. Devenant's was as follows:—\"The n ight after you left the prison\,\" said she\, \"I did not shut my eyes in sleep. The next morning\, about eight o'clock\, Peter the gardener came to the jail to see if I had been there the night before\, and was informed t hat I had\, and that I had left a little after dark. About an hour after\, Mr. Green came himself\, and I need not say that he was much surprised on finding me there\, dressed in your clothes. This was the first tidings th ey had of your escape.\" \"What did Mr. Green say when he found that I had fled?\" \"Oh!\" continued Mrs. Devenant\, \"he said to me when no one was near\, I hope George will get off\, but I fear you will have to suffer in his stead. I told him that if it must be so I was willing to die if you c ould live.\" At this moment George Green burst into tears\, threw his arms around her neck\, and exclaimed\, \"I am glad I have waited so long\, wit h the hope of meeting you again.\" Mrs. Devenant again resumed her story :—\"I was kept in jail three days\, during which time I was visited by t he magistrates\, and two of the judges. On the third day I was taken out\, and master told me that I was liberated\, upon condition that I should be immediately sent out of the state. There happened to be just at the time in the neighbourhood a Negro-trader\, and he purchased me\, and I was take n to New Orleans. On the steamboat we were kept in a close room\, where sl aves are usually confined\, so that I saw nothing of the passengers on boa rd\, or the towns we passed. We arrived at New Orleans\, and were all put into the slave-market for sale. I was examined by many persons\, but none seemed willing to purchase me\, as all thought me too white\, and said I w ould run away and pass as a free white woman. On the second day\, while in the slave-market\, and while planters and others were examining slaves an d making their purchases\, I observed a tall young man\, with long black h air\, eyeing me very closely\, and then talking to the trader. I felt sure that my time had now come\, but the day closed without my being sold. I d id not regret this\, for I had heard that foreigners made the worst of mas ters\, and I felt confident that the man who eyed me so closely was not an American.\n\n\"The next day was the Sabbath. The bells called the people to the different places of worship. Methodists sang\, and Baptists immerse d\, and Presbyterians sprinkled\, and Episcopalians read their prayers\, w hile the ministers of the various sects preached that Christ died for all\ ; yet there were some twenty-five or thirty of us poor creatures confined in the 'Negro Pen\,' awaiting the close of the holy Sabbath\, and the dawn of another day\, to be again taken into the market\, there to be examined like so many beasts of burden. I need not tell you with what anxiety we w aited for the advent of another day. On Monday we were again brought out a nd placed in rows to be inspected\; and\, fortunately for me\, I was sold before we had been on the stand an hour. I was purchased by a gentleman re siding in the city\, for a waiting-maid for his wife\, who was just on the eve of starting for Mobile\, to pay a visit to a near relation. I was the n dressed to suit the situation of a maid-servant\; and upon the whole\, I thought that\, in my new dress\, I looked as much the lady as my mistress .\n\n\"On the passage to Mobile\, who should I see among the passengers bu t the tall\, long-haired man that had eyed me so closely in the slave-mark et a few days before. His eyes were again on me\, and he appeared anxious to speak to me\, and I as reluctant to be spoken to. The first evening aft er leaving New Orleans\, soon after twilight had let her curtain down\, an d pinned it with a star\, and while I was seated on the deck of the boat n ear the ladies' cabin\, looking upon the rippled waves\, and the reflectio n of the moon upon the sea\, all at once I saw the tall young man standing by my side. I immediately rose from my seat\, and was in the act of retur ning to the cabin\, when he in a broken accent said\, 'Stop a moment\; I w ish to have a word with you. I am your friend.' I stopped and looked him f ull in the face\, and he said\, 'I saw you some days since in the slavemar ket\, and I intended to have purchased you to save you from the condition of a slave. I called on Monday\, but you had been sold and had left the ma rket. I inquired and learned who the purchaser was\, and that you had to g o to Mobile\, so I resolved to follow you. If you are willing I will try a nd buy you from your present owner\, and you shall be free.' Although this was said in an honest and off-hand manner\, I could not believe the man t o be sincere in what he said. 'Why should you wish to set me free?' I aske d. 'I had an only sister\,' he replied\, 'who died three years ago in Fran ce\, and you are so much like her that had I not known of her death\, I wo uld most certainly have taken you for her.' 'However much I may resemble y our sister\, you are aware that I am not her\, and why take so much intere st in one whom you never saw before?' 'The love\,' said he\, 'which I had for my sister is transferred to you.' I had all along suspected that the m an was a knave\, and this profession of love confirmed me in my former bel ief\, and I turned away and left him.\n\n\"The next day\, while standing i n the cabin and looking through the window\, the French gentleman (for suc h he was) came to the window while walking on the guards\, and again comme nced as on the previous evening. He took from his pocket a bit of paper an d put it into my hand\, at the same time saying\, 'Take this\, it may some day be of service to you\; remember it is from a friend\,' and left me in stantly. I unfolded the paper\, and found it to be a 100 dollars bank note \, on the United States Branch Bank\, at Philadelphia. My first impulse wa s to give it to my mistress\, but\, upon a second thought\, I resolved to seek an opportunity\, and to return the hundred dollars to the stranger.\n \n\"Therefore I looked for him\, but in vain\; and had almost given up the idea of seeing him again\, when he passed me on the guards of the boat an d walked towards the stem of the vessel. It being now dark\, I approached him and offered the money to him. He declined\, saying at the same time\, 'I gave it to you keep it.' 'I do not want it\,' I said. 'Now\,' said he\, 'you had better give your consent for me to purchase you\, and you shall go with me to France.' 'But you cannot buy me now\,' I replied\, 'for my m aster is in New Orleans\, and he purchased me not to sell\, but to retain in his own family.' 'Would you rather remain with your present mistress th an be free?' 'No\,' said I. 'Then fly with me tonight\; we shall be in Mob ile in two hours from this\, and when the passengers are going on shore\, you can take my arm\, and you can escape unobserved. The trader who brough t you to New Orleans exhibited to me a certificate of your good character\ , and one from the minister of the church to which you were attached in Vi rginia\; and upon the faith of these assurances\, and the love I bear you\ , I promise before high heaven that I will marry you as soon as it can be done.' This solemn promise\, coupled with what had already transpired\, ga ve me confidence in the man\; and rash as the act may seem\, I determined in an instant to go with him. My mistress had been put under the charge of the captain\; and as it would be past ten o'clock when the steamer would land\, she accepted an invitation of the captain to remain on board with s everal other ladies till morning. I dressed myself in my best clothes\, an d put a veil over my face\, and was ready on the landing of the boat. Surr ounded by a number of passengers\, we descended the stage leading to the w harf\, and were soon lost in the crowd that thronged the quay. As we went on shore we encountered several persons announcing the names of hotels\, t he starting of boats for the interior\, and vessels bound for Europe. Amon g these was the ship Utica\, Captain Pell\, bound for Havre. 'Now\,' said Mr. Devenant\, 'this is our chance.' The ship was to sail at twelve o'cloc k that night\, at high tide\; and following the men who were seeking passe ngers\, we went immediately on board. Devenant told the captain of the shi p that I was his sister\, and for such we passed during the voyage. At the hour of twelve the Utica set sail\, and we were soon out at sea.\n\n\"The morning after we left Mobile\, Devenant met me as I came from my state-ro om\, and embraced me for the first time. I loved him\, but it was only tha t affection which we have for one who has done us a lasting favour: it was the love of gratitude rather than that of the heart. We were five weeks o n the sea\, and yet the passage did not seem long\, for Devenant was so ki nd. On our arrival at Havre we were married and came to Dunkirk\, and I ha ve resided here ever since.\"\n\nAt the close of this narrative\, the cloc k struck ten\, when the old man\, who was accustomed to retire at an early hour\, rose to take leave\, saying at the same time\, \"I hope you will r emain with us to-night.\" Mr. Green would fain have excused himself\, on t he ground that they would expect him and wait at the hotel\, but a look fr om the lady told him to accept the invitation. The old man was the father of Mrs. Devenant's deceased husband\, as you will no doubt long since have supposed. A fortnight from the day on which they met in the grave-yard\, Mr. Green and Mrs. Devenant were joined in holy wedlock\; so that George a nd Mary\, who had loved each other so ardently in their younger days\, wer e now husband and wife.\n\nA celebrated writer has justly said of woman\, \"A woman's whole life is a history of the affections. The heart is her wo rld\; it is there her ambition strives for empire\; it is there her avaric e seeks for hidden treasures. She sends forth her sympathies on adventure\ ; she embarks her whole soul in the traffic of affection\; and\, if shipwr ecked\, her case is hopeless\, for it is a bankruptcy of the heart.\"\n\nM ary had every reason to believe that she would never see George again\; an d although she confesses that the love she bore him was never transferred to her first husband\, we can scarcely find fault with her for marrying Mr . Devenant. But the adherence of George Green to the resolution never to m arry\, unless to his Mary\, is\, indeed\, a rare instance of the fidelity of man in the matter of love. We can but blush for our country's shame whe n we recall to mind the fact\, that while George and Mary Green\, and numb ers of other fugitives from American slavery\, can receive protection from any of the governments of Europe\, they cannot return to their native lan d without becoming slaves.\n\nCHAPTER XXIX\nCONCLUSION\nMY narrative has n ow come to a close. I may be asked\, and no doubt shall\, Are the various incidents and scenes related founded in truth? I answer\, Yes. I have pers onally participated in many of those scenes. Some of the narratives I have derived from other sources\; many from the lips of those who\, like mysel f\, have run away from the land of bondage. Having been for nearly nine ye ars employed on Lake Erie\, I had many opportunities for helping the escap e of fugitives\, who\, in return for the assistance they received\, made m e the depositary of their sufferings and wrongs. Of their relations I have made free use. To Mrs. Child\, of New York\, I am indebted for part of a short story. American Abolitionist journals are another source from whence some of the characters appearing in my narrative are taken. All these com bined have made up my story. Having thus acknowledged my resources\, I inv ite the attention of my readers to the following statement\, from which I leave them to draw their own conclusions:—\"It is estimated that in the United States\, members of the Methodist church own 219\,363 slaves\; memb ers of the Baptist church own 226\,000 slaves\; members of the Episcopalia n church own 88\,000 slaves\; members of the Presbyterian church own 77\,0 00 slaves\; members of all other churches own 50\,000 slaves\; in all\, 66 0\,563 slaves owned by members of the Christian church in this pious democ ratic republic!\"\n\nMay these facts be pondered over by British Christian s\, and at the next anniversaries of the various religious denominations i n London may their influence be seen and felt! The religious bodies of Ame rican Christians will send their delegates to these meetings. Let British feeling be publicly manifested. Let British sympathy express itself in ten der sorrow for the condition of my unhappy race. Let it be understood\, un equivocally understood\, that no fellowship can be held with slaveholders professing the same common Christianity as yourselves. And until this stai n from America's otherwise fair escutcheon be wiped away\, let no Christia n association be maintained with those who traffic in the blood and bones of those whom God has made of one flesh as yourselves. Finally\, let the v oice of the whole British nation be heard across the Atlantic\, and throug hout the length and breadth of the land of the Pilgrim Fathers\, beseechin g their descendants\, as they value the common salvation\, which knows no distinction between the bond and the free\, to proclaim the Year of Jubile e. 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Thus\, we do not necessarily keep eBooks i n compliance with any particular paper edition.\nMost people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.\nThis we bsite includes information about Project Gutenberg™\, including how to m ake donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation\, how t o help produce our new eBooks\, and how to subscribe to our email newslett er to hear about new eBooks.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251227 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:COMMUNITY STORIES 001 PART 4 DTSTAMP:20250724T012413Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:412-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n FOR AALBC\n\n\n\n SCENARIO\n\n\n\n Habshi 89 was tasked b y a Leader to send a message to another in an Urban Command outside\, risk ing the Untouchables (mutant humans/plants/insects/fish) + Roamers outside . A logister confirms the farming can survive his absence. His wife\, Sant os 45 is already a Rearer to another and Habshi 89 will be on his journey so another \, Hippo 21\, will be the Rearer to their eldest male child. Th e protagonist meets in the antagonistic environment outside potential anta gonist: a Courier looking to make his utility a failure\, a Courier acting as a Rearer to a child ( unprotected ) acting as an Initiate\, a Roamer m erry and kind who has a secret life in the environment\, a Mutant Human tr ying to restart their life after a tragedy\, a mutant girl who can swim in water\, plus various others\, through various trials to reach the other U rban Command in the Untouchable World.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n forum post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11738-a-story-for-aalbc-part-4/\n\n\n \n Challenge post\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/drthomasstockmann/journal /Writing-Challenge-Part-4-Short-Story-Scenario-1219372706\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n FOR Black Artist Of Tumblr\n\n\n\n SCENARIO\n\n The Harlem drug dealing outfit\, led by the Black Swede\,  has to survive attacks\, spies\, coer cion \, from illegal lords of the Genovese Crime family\, law enforcers fr om the NYPD\, private agents from giant pharmaceutical firms Pfizer plus J ohnson and Johnson\, and a deadly secret opponent bent on retaining their privacy or secrets. He is only aided by his small but effective group of a llies or friends who don't want to give up this industry\, for various rea sons.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/commun ities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/789913236685438976/a-story-for-black-a rtist-of-tumblr-04?source=share\n\n\n\n Challenge post\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/drthomasstockmann/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-4-Short-Story -Scenario-1219372706\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR MidnightHour\n\n\n\n SCENARIO\ n\n After ruckus in the House of Representatives a film is shown with curr ent events. Sergeant Erica battles Socialist Ama\, two burlesque swordwome n\,  in a burlesque battle royal\, winner take all\, both representing tw o dominant sides in the city. One wins and their legal framework dictates city law per the rules\, and then the reality of their path comes to fruit ion and their fate meets a turn.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n post\n\n ht tps://www.tumblr.com/communities/midnight-hour/post/789913371381235712/a-s tory-for-midnighthour-part-4?source=share\n\n\n\n Challenge post\n\n https ://www.deviantart.com/drthomasstockmann/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-4-S hort-Story-Scenario-1219372706\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Film Noir Pigeons\n\ n\n\n SCENARIO\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  He has past experience with a woman\, black\, late thirties to early forties\; she is a female courier from Bras il who needs his help on a transaction of crypto currencies she is handlin g. An unknown has duplicated a crime of five years ago but the suspect bac k then is currently dead.  Who did it? \n\n  \n\n\n\n post\n\n https:// www.tumblr.com/communities/filmnoirpigeons/post/789913501940514816/a-story -for-film-noir-pigeons-part-4?source=share\n\n\n\n Challenge post\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/drthomasstockmann/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-4- Short-Story-Scenario-1219372706\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Part 1\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/events/event/403-community-stories-001-part-1/\n\n\n\n Part 2 \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/407-community-stories-001-part- 2/\n\n\n\n part 3\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/408-community-stor ies-001-part-3/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250723 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:COMMUNITY STORIES 001 PART 3 DTSTAMP:20250717T043634Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:408-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n FOR AALBC\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ANTAGONIST\n\n\n\n The Untou chable World\, the overwhelming majority of the world. It is sparsely spec kled by Urban Commands. An expanse that has developed in unknown ways to t he Urbaners and because of that has unknown dangers. An expanse that is th e home to Untouchables\, lineages of many species plant or animal or fungu s mutated by the Tactile Virus\; said Untouchables are now immune to the T actile Virus through herd immunity and sometimes make up the landscape\, s ometimes live in it. The awareness or purpose of Untouchable species are n ot catalogued\, listed\, or usually comprehended by Urbaners. The Tactile Virus is carried by all in the Untouchable World and thus makes the Untouc hable World dangerous to any who have not been infected which is most Urba ners and every Urbaner of Urban Command 259. The Untouchable world has Roa mers\, mysterious figures whose identity\, allegiance\, purposes are usual ly unknown to Urbaners or Untouchables alike making them a danger to both.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-3-Antagonist-1212132850\n\n\n\ n forum post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11729-a-story-for-aalbc-pa rt-3/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Black Artist Of Tumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ANT AGONIST\n\n\n\n An unknown middle aged European individual\,who is very co ncerned about exposure\,  is watching the events in HArlem for their own agenda. They will use and manipulate or hinder the following set of antago nist to achieve their goal.\n\n The Genovese crime family that governs mos t of Manhattan\, including Harlem\, wants control of the new drug from Har lem. It is led by Eboli\, the current capo. Eboli has put Lombardo in char ge\, Lombardo worked his way from soldier to a junior capo. Lombardo has e xperience working around Harlem. \n\n Pfizer has a new CEO in John Powers jr and he has constructed a new office downtown Manhattan. Pfizer has tak en an economic hit recently and  he wants to regain momentum lost.  He w ants everything about the illegal drug in Harlem for Pfizer.\n\n Johnson a nd Johnson in New Jersey have a new CEO Philip B Hofmann who has started h is tenure with success and wants to squeeze pharmaceutical rivals. He want s everything about the illegal drug in Harlem for Johnson and Johnson.\n\n The NYPD have suffered a blow with the end of Tammany Hall by mayor Rober t Wagner jr and want a greater cut of the new illegal drug market in Harle m. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart .com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-3-Antagonist-1212132850\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black -artist-on-tjambler/post/789290107159134208/a-story-for-black-artist-of-tu mblr-03?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR MidnightHour\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n ANTAGONIST\n\n\n\n Sergeant Erica \, a burlesque swordswoman. Uses the N YC code of conduct to battle burlesque to acquire the adoration of the mos t people sequentially\,  winning the right for her laws to be implemented . In her sixties\, she is very experienced in managing the biggest conting ents of fans in the city\, from the financial well to do or law enforcemen t. She uses a foil. Is a standard performer. Performing to retain the laws she won in a prior Battle Royal. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Pa rt-3-Antagonist-1212132850\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://w ww.tumblr.com/communities/midnight-hour/post/789290513756979200/a-story-fo r-midnighthour-part-3?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Film Noir Pigeon s\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ANTAGONIST\n\n\n\n An unknown has committed a crime. The potential culprits are:\n\n Someone at the exchange\, the only exchang e where cyptocurrency can be exchanged for dollars. A teller or the manage r. \n\n Father Pedro\, a catholic clergyman who publicly protests the sec ond non proliferation treaty as inhumane. \n\n A former realtor for the C orcoran group who never recovered the losses from the abrupt move to the S NDT and lives indebted with anger.\n\n A doctor just back from a profitabl e vacation in the \n\n The female courier from brazil\n\n the cryptocrack er from nyc\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-3-Antagonist-12121328 50\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communitie s/filmnoirpigeons/post/789291414477471744/a-story-for-film-noir-pigeons-pa rt-3?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Part 1\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/e vents/event/403-community-stories-001-part-1/\n\n\n\n Part 2\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/407-community-stories-001-part-2/\n\n\n\n par t 3\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/408-community-stories-001-part-3 /\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250716 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:COMMUNITY STORIES 001 PART 2 DTSTAMP:20250717T040123Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:407-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n FOR AALBC\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PROTAGONIST\n\n\n\n Unknown name is a married midde aged man\, of the Utility Farmer\, many consider t he best cook in the command\; his wife is a multiutility Farmer+Entertaine r\, she makes street art. His wife side him have two children. One\, a boy \, is an Initiate\, while the other\, a girl\, is in the Kindergarten. The ir male child's teachers say he is talented in all utilities. While the te achers say their female child has a comforting touch of a healer. He has n ever ventured outside the Command\, nor is he a great fighter. Loyal to th e chain of command.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-2-Protagonist -1212132548\n\n\n\n forum post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11728-a- story-for-aalbc-part-2/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Black Artist Of Tumblr\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n PROTAGONIST\n\n Unknown name is a Black Swede\, in his thir ties\,  who runs a drug dealing outfit in Harlem in Manhattan in NYC in t he 1960s. It operates in the domain of the  Genovese crime family of the Five Families. The outfit is making so much money\, they have an arrangeme nt with a former local rival\, Copeland's gang \, to run all the numbers a nd dice and other gambling in Harlem if they support the outfit when calle d. The Black Swede know English/Swedish/German/Latin. Fully trust his lieu tenants because he has to regardless if he wants. Has ambitions for the ou tfit but doesn't let ambition deny a modern situation or create a faulty s trategy. \n\n His lieutenants are\n\n A white Swedish former maid he has known for years. Don't know her relationship to Black Swede yet.\n\n Tex a nd Sug\, an old black couple\, Tex does accounting for the outfit while Su g is a school teacher\, hired by Richard Green\, the first Black school ch ancellor of NYC \, hired by Robert Wagner.\n\n Stephanie and Bump- two for mer rulers of Black underground life in harlem\, now silverhaired and a re united coupe\, but financiers to the outfit\,and are positively connected to all the churches or other places of worship in Harlem alongside all the community advocates from Garveyites to NAACP members or Black Panthers fo r Self Defense. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-2-Protagonist-1 212132548\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/com munities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/789288537445089280/a-story-for-blac k-artist-of-tumblr-02\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR MidnightHour\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n PROTAGONIST\n\n\n\n Socialist Ama \, a burlesque swordswoman. Uses the NYC code of conduct to battle burlesque to acquire the adoration of the mo st people sequentially\,  winning the right for her laws to be implemente d. In her early thirties\, she is ready to fight. She uses radical burlesq ue techniques which are fan favorites for the youngest voters. Flamboyant in all things. She uses a foil sword. Performing for socialist causes to f inally get their due in the city. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Pa rt-2-Protagonist-1212132548\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https:// www.tumblr.com/communities/midnight-hour/post/789288897647673344/a-story-f or-midnighthour-part-2?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Film Noir Pigeo ns\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PROTAGONIST\n\n\n\n Unknown name is a cryptocracker\ , a private detective for crypto cases in a Universal Basic Income (UBI( c ountry. He lives in New York City (NYC) the only city in the world where c rypto currencies can be exchanged for dollar currency.  Black man\, betwe en late thirties to early forties\, unmarried. He lives with his parents i n an apartment. He has past experience with a woman\, black\, late thirtie s to early forties\; she is a female courier from Brasil who makes transac tion of crypto currencies into us dollars. His secretary is a woman\, blac k\, mocha complexion\, married to a scholar who is an ardent supporter of the second non proliferation treaty SNPT for the advantages it will give t heir children. He drinks tea. For alcohol he likes Hot Sex from Bartender' s Trading. He rides a custom Citroen DS Décapotable Cabriolet d'Usine Ele ctrogenic.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n\n\n https://www.devi antart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-2-Protagonist-12121325 48\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communitie s/filmnoirpigeons/post/789289180915204096/a-story-for-film-noir-pigeons-pa rt-2?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Part 1\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/e vents/event/403-community-stories-001-part-1/\n\n\n\n Part 2\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/407-community-stories-001-part-2/\n\n\n\n par t 3\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/408-community-stories-001-part-3 /\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250716 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:COMMUNITY STORIES 001 PART 1 DTSTAMP:20250712T194309Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:403-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n FOR AALBC\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SETTING\n\n\n\n Long after t he fall of the Constellamperor\, the last ruler of the whole world\, who l egend says began the Tactile Virus plague. The planet is broken up into tw o things. Second \, The Urban Commands\, self isolating city states\, born from a heritage of surviving the ever mutating virus with walls plus fire plus suits. They are self sufficient in purpose\, socialist in racial ran king \, militaristic in communal structure\,  merit based in human relati onship. Consummation has a space\, Leaders have a space\, everywhere else are barracks. All children\, Initiates\, are raised together. All Initiate s get a rearing to gain at least one Utility. A communal structure maintai ned out of successful habit.  First\, The Untouchable World\, the lush fe rtile lands or seas or skies the Urban Commands are dotted in. Where few a re mysterious figures who are only known through legends or myths or gossi p to Urbaners or Untouchables. Where most are Untouchables\, the descendan ts of species infected by the virus who gained herd immunity but can still spread it with a touch. Most Untouchables live unknown to the Urbaners. A few Untouchables from plants to insects live just beyond the walls of Urb an Commands are flow seasonally to said walls.  In this landscape exist U rban Command 259 whose comrades have to maintain their growing city\, cont inue their way of life\, defend from the seasonal threats in the Untouchab le World.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n https://www.deviantar t.com/drthomasstockmann/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-1-World-Building-12 04683561\n\n\n\n forum post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11724-a-sto ry-for-aalbc-part-1/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Black Artist Of Tumblr\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SETTING\n\n It is 1960's Harlem(Black Mecca)\, New York City. Most businesses in the Black Mecca are white owned. Adam Clayton Powell jr will lead protests to get them to hire black people. Robert F Wagner jr e nded Tammany Hall's dominance over the city\, Lindsey would witness the mu rder of Malcolm + MLK . The Five Families had ten years before the RICO ac t to run the underworld absent federal intervention. Johnson and Johnson i n New Jersey and Pfizer downtown Manhattan dominate the pharmaceutical ind ustry. But\, a drug has arrived from the underworld of Harlem that has bec ome the drug of choice in the city\,generating growing number of tourist. Rich or poor\, black or white\, twenty somethings or silverhaired\, love t he drug. The Black Drug Dealers who produce it want to keep the business\, but they don't have the resources to expand it. Their local rivals want t o help them lose it\, but can't afford to sell out. The government through the NYPD wants a bigger cut of the profits\, but has to keep it away from the courts. The mob wants to manage its operation\, but the family that c ontrols the region hasn't been able to uncover the operation even through bloody means. The pharmaceuticals want to know everything about it\, and a re willing to spend untold sums to get any services needed to accomplish t heir task. Those who created the drug want to disconnect the trail to them and remain anonymous\, but have to risk being exposed to do so. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/drthomassto ckmann/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-1-World-Building-1204683561\n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjam bler/post/788894036062879745/a-story-for-black-artist-of-tumblr?source=sha re\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR MidnightHour\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SETTING\n\n The house of representative floor of the USA. The president of the USA will ma ke a speech\, interrupted. \n\n Then a dancer will introduce a film the h ouse will watch. The film will play. \n\n The film involves a chivalric v ariation of modernity where Burlesque performers battle each other for the votes of the people among two competing crowds. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n refe rral to contest\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/drthomasstockmann/journal/W riting-Challenge-Part-1-World-Building-1204683561\n\n\n\n Community Post\n \n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/midnight-hour/post/78889436353514700 8/a-story-for-midnighthour?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FOR Film Noir P igeons\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SETTING\n\n The technological capability of mach ines led to the USA providing Universal Basic Income (UBI) to maintain fin ancial balance with the new technology. China followed. Nuclear Powers: US A/China/Russia/England/India/Pakistan/Israel/North Korea and the European Union(EU) all became founding signatories to the Second Non Proliferation Treaty (SNPT). \n\n The treaty: allow only the nine nuclear powers[ Franc e through the EU] the ability to have UBI\, \n\n demand the EU put an int erminable block on new membership\, \n\n make immigration to or fro plus cryptocurrency activity in the nine founding signatories illegal\, \n\n d emand all non founding signatories make UBI illegal in their law\,  \n\n accept cryptocurrencies only if pegged to the USA dollar or Chinese Renmin bi\, \n\n demand any and all accepted cryptocurrencies are legal to signa tories who are not founding signatories\,\n\n NYC+ Hong Kong became the on ly two cities in the world where legal cryptocurrencies by the SNPT can be converted into a currency\, no other cities are allowed. Hong Kong can on ly do Renminbi while NYC can only do US Dollars. Mexico/Saudi Arabia/Singa pore/Brazil all became signatories followed by most governments barring Cu ba/South Sudan/East Timor. In the founding states\, people no longer have to work\, real estate/utilities/food are stabilized plus affordable\, heal thcare is universal.  Government Agent/Athlete/Prostitution/Scholars (The GAPS) are the only official human professions left. In the second signer states\, a complex web of cryptomarkets replaced all stock or bond or futu res markets. Resources or fortunes are won or lost every second. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n referral to contest\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/drthomassto ckmann/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-1-World-Building-1204683561\n\n\n\n Community Post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/filmnoirpigeons/post /788894707885473792/a-story-for-film-noir-pigeons?source=share\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Part 1\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/403-community-sto ries-001-part-1/\n\n\n\n Part 2\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/ 407-community-stories-001-part-2/\n\n\n\n part 3\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ events/event/408-community-stories-001-part-3/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250712 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Black White Characters DTSTAMP:20250721T202441Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:411-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The tragedy of spider man is he is the last major piece o f marvel that needs to be reabsorbed into the main and Sony will never giv e him up. \n\n Disney bought 20th century fox to absorb the xmen into mar vel. \n\n But sony will never give up spider man. I even argue that the s ony live action films are designed to hold rights but are saboteurs cause: madame web/kraven the hunter/morbius/venom 3 are all crap. \n\n While pe ople praise sony animation\, for their spider verse\, sony live action is atrocious. \n\n The good news for Feige is in the Xmen storm can blow mil es morales out the spouts.\n\n\n\n But story wise I think it is good Miles Morales \, a black white character\, the black spider man \, can't be in the mcu for a simple storytelling reason. Mile s Morales whole storyline i s dependent on the multiverse. \n\n If you take the multiverse out of mil es morales story\, you literally have a cheap colored version of peter par ker's storyline with alot of infinitely repeated non white european charac ters in white written or white based fiction. \n\n Black self righteous f ather law enforcer who speaks of the community he lives in unending negati ve ways\n\n Spanglish speaking mulatto latina who blurts out in spanish wh enever she is angry and always has a moment of dancing and continues the t ired tradition of the black mom in white media beforehand\n\n\n\n And I am very happy Black Superman didn't happen. I can't stand black superman\, o r any black white character. so many black people have actually written bl ack characters. Even though storm was written by a white man which is clea r to see\, at least her and Nubia are originally supposed to be black. But ... please spider man/superman\, please stop this. \n\n\n\n Glad the mile s morales movies made money\, very glitzy\, glammy\, not great story. And I hope part 3 makes the most\, but I am not a fan of these. \n\n Blood Sy ndicate from Milestone \n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250721 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Corporation for Public Broadcasting DTSTAMP:20250719T184543Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:410-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The following two articles convey the issue for the Corpo ration for Public Broadcasting.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n On the red side\, party of abraham lincoln today\, you have the old idea that the market always p rovides. So the idea is\, taxpayer dollars are not needed cause the market will provide\, and if it didn't it will when applicable. This is what I c all the black panther argument. yes\, Disney made Black Panther\, but Disn ey also knows that the modern circa 2020 black populace globally has billi ons of dollars\, thus the financial revenue capable to provide from black film goers warrants a 99% black film in casting/writing/direction et ceter a. And Coogler to his credit in Black Panther 2 and Sinners has brought In digenous creatives along for the ride.  The red side like the idea that w hether the market doesn't support or does support an entertainment\, it is an even thing. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n On the blue side\, party of andrew ja ckson today\, you have the old idea that the usa has an imbalanced marketp lace based on centuries of blockading by white male christian heterosexual immigrants to the indigenous/black/female/muslim/asian/lgbtq/or other. An d that has created a modern audience that has been engineered to desire or accept certain qualities of entertainment that can not be undone through the marketplace. Sequentially\, avenues are needed that allow entertainmen t that doesn't fit the norm from 1492 or even 1176 or even the 1960s to be viewed or accessed and since the USA majority in the past caused the imba lanced marketplace\, their descendants plus the descendants of those kille d/terorrized/enslaved by the historic majority should all be willing to pa y. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I have always said that black people with money in the usa historically but definitely in modernity have never navigated the ir two simultaneous goals well. They want to make money aside any and all other fiscally wealthy people in this white designed system in the usa Whi le supporting plus improving the black community in the usa. They tend to do decently in the former and terribly in the latter. But the usa has a fi nancial debt to the indigenous to the descended of enslaved that is pricel ess\, can never be paid\, so at least it can put a down payment. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ARTICLE ELEPHANT\n\n\n\n Marjorie Taylor Greene often errs\, b ut not about defunding public broadcasting | Opinion\n\n The uncomfortable reality is that NPR and PBS have long since outlived their utility. Now t he federal government is simply paying for content whether taxpayers suppo rt it or not.\n\n Cameron SmithColumnist\n\n april 3rd 2025 5pm ct\n\n\n\n When U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\, R-Georgia\, makes a pronouncement \, I brace for impact the same way I’d prepare for a car or train wreck. \n\n\n\n Her bombastic style might be popular with MAGA voters\, but it’ s frequently a distraction from Republican governing priorities. Occasiona lly\, even the loudest voices land on a truth worth considering.\n\n\n\n T his time\, she’s right − the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) should be eliminated.\n\n\n\n For years\, conservatives have argued that taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund media CPB outlets like Nationa l Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) because of their politically biased programming and leadership.\n\n To date\, Congres s has largely avoided those arguments as yet another round of culture war bickering.\n\n NPR's past statements show clear partisanship\n\n In recent testimony before Congress\, NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher admitted concern when confronted with the allegation that 100% of her editorial board − 8 7 members − are registered Democrats. Notably\, she did not dispute the allegation.\n\n\n\n Regrettably\, Maher’s prior public comments have bec ome a political lightning rod.\n\n\n\n In 2016\, she lamented Hillary Clin ton’s use of the terms “boy and girl” as erasing language for non-bi nary people. In 2020\, Maher referred to President Donald Trump as a “de ranged racist sociopath.” In a 2022 TED Talk\, she infamously stated\, “our reverence for the truth might be a distraction that’s getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.”\n\n\n\n Ma her’s political views are quite liberal and particularly well establishe d in spite of her apparent amnesia about the same during her congressional testimony.\n\n It doesn’t matter.\n\n\n\n American CEOs with political hot takes are a dime a dozen. The main difference between Maher and her ex ecutive peers is that most CEOs run companies which aren’t funded by the American taxpayer. When the person leading a publicly funded media entity openly speaks like a political activist\, the premise that NPR offers an unbiased\, fair approach to programming doesn’t hold water.\n\n\n\n Shoc kingly\, that doesn’t really matter either.\n\n Broadcast landscape has changed as consumer habits have\n\n The CPB shouldn’t exist at all. The First Amendment enshrines a free press to hold government power accountabl e. A government-funded media apparatus\, no matter how unbiased it claims to be\, cannot credibly serve that end because political masters hold the financial reins. Government must be able to communicate to the public\, bu t CPB is inherently state programming masquerading as a typical media outl et.\n\n Defenders of NPR and PBS will argue that CPB provides essential pr ogramming that wouldn’t otherwise survive in a purely commercial media l andscape. That might have been the case in the era of three television net works and a handful of AM radio stations\, but the world has changed. The explosion of digital media has shattered any legitimate claim that we need government-funded television or radio to ensure diverse perspectives and high-quality journalism.\n\n Americans today have more media choices than ever before. Streaming services\, podcasts\, YouTube channels\, and indepe ndent news sites provide content precisely tailored to every conceivable i nterest and ideology. If a viewpoint or niche deserves an audience\, it ca n and will find one without taxpayer dollars propping it up.\n\n\n\n Testi fying with Maher\, Alaska Public Media’s Ed Ulman claimed public media m ay be the only option for rural emergency broadcasts. \"We provide potenti ally life-saving warnings and alerts that are crucial for Alaskans who fac e threats ranging from extreme weather to earthquakes\, landslides and eve n volcanoes\,\" he said.\n\n\n\n While such communications are indeed esse ntial\, we have countless ways of providing them which don’t justify the existence of a federal media bureaucracy. Elon Musk’s Starlink comes im mediately to mind as a radically more efficient solution for emergency com munications than CPB’s $500 million annual cost.\n\n\n\n NPR and PBS can survive without the government's dime\n\n Others will contend that NPR an d PBS produce valuable content beyond public communications\, such as educ ational programming and cultural shows. The reality is that PBS doesn’t own most of its iconic programs. It secures the rights to run them through acquisition deals. If these programs are truly valuable\, the content-hun gry modern media marketplace would certainly air them.\n\n\n\n Take \"Sesa me Street\,\" once the flagship defense of public broadcasting\, for examp le.\n\n\n\n In 2016\, HBO secured rights to first-runs of the popular chil dren’s program with episodes running on PBS several months later. At the end of 2024\, Warner Bros. Discovery\, the parent company of HBO\, opted not to renew the Sesame Street deal. One of the most memorable shows of my childhood is presently homeless. If PBS’s most venerated show can’t f ind market traction\, what does that say about how much Americans value CP B content?\n\n\n\n The uncomfortable reality is that NPR and PBS have long since outlived their utility. Now the federal government is simply paying for content whether taxpayers support it or not.\n\n\n\n Pulling the plug on CPB funding wouldn’t “silence” NPR or PBS. They could continue t o operate with private donations\, subscription models\, or sponsorships − just like every other media outlet struggling today.\n\n\n\n In a fre e society\, the press should hold the government accountable\, not be an e xtension of it. That’s the principle that matters here. And it’s why\, despite the messenger\, Greene’s argument to eliminate the CPB merits s trong consideration.\n\n\n\n USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born\, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney raising four boys in Nolensville\, Tenn.\, with his particularly patient w ife\, Justine. Direct outrage or agreement to smith.david.cameron@gmail.co m or @DCameronSmith on Twitter. Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the ed itor to letters@tennessean.com.\n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.tennessean.com /story/opinion/columnists/2025/04/03/public-broadcasting-funding-marjorie- taylor-greene/82764143007/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I sent a letter t o the Tennesseean in reply\n\n letters@tennessean.com\n\n\n\n Richard Murr ay\, \n\n PO Box ~\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 07/19/2025\n\n\n\n Dear Editor\n\n I reply to the quality of (\"Marjorie Taylor Greene often errs\, but not a bout defunding public broadcasting\" \, April 3rd 2025)\n\n\n\n I have nev er seen anyone who suggest programs of similar or better quality than that of PBS make a list to said programs. If I want to see a documentary as go od as \"The Civil War\" or \"The Vietnam War\" by Ken Burns outside CPB/PB S where do I go? If I want to see a documentary about a financially impove rished \, populationwise impotent population like \"Alaska's Vanishing Nat ive Village\" by Frontline outside of CPB/PBS where do I go? \n\n The bes t way to prove that the private media market has the same quality programs isn't to say they exist\, but to list them. And if you can't list them\, then one can only assume they don't exist in the private media market.\n\n \n\n I am black and I have heard my entire life from whites who live in Ne w York City\, that the marketplace is the answer to everything. It always has the solutions or will have the solutions. Now even though Nat King Col e couldn't get sponsors with more viewers than any other show in the usa i n the past... in modernity \, streaming services or cable networks that ar e advertised as black owned exist. So\,  Cameron Smith's argument is \, w hy can't a Black owned cable network or streaming service host a show like Finding your roots by henry louis gates jr. and if it fails there\, if fa ils. For Indigenous or Black people the centuries of being blockaded by wh ites to fiscal activities/market activities in the USA were market manipul ators. In the USA\, the problem with modernity is the past didn't arrive t oday in a ship of opportunity. One group\, white christian heterosexual me n through the power of the gun\, obtained all the opportunities so no indu stry in the usa today has the centuries of business ownership or labor par ticipation it should had by Indigenous/Blacks/Women/Asians so it is malfor med in modernity. The CPB/PBS/NPR allow for what was lacking for centuries to have a small outlet in modernity and I argue since whites killed the n ative american\, enslaved the black american\, the taxpayers on whole who are mostly white shouldn't be opposed to paying for an imbalance their for ebears made that gives them more opportunities than others today.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n I said let me find a list of black owned m edia networks\, or supposedly black owned. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIST OF SU PPOSEDLY BLACK OWNED STREAMING SERVICES\n\n https://www.kweli.tv/livetv\n\ n https://allblk.tv/ (no live stream)\n\n https://vimeo.com/user50164403 ( Afrokids on vimeo)\n\n https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0TLvo891eEEM6HGC5 ON7ug (youtube from Afrokids)\n\n https://www.brownsugar.com/?ref=blog.obw s.com\n\n https://www.oprah.com/app/live-tv.html\n\n https://www.youtube.c om/c/SLAYTV/featured (youtube channel for lgbtq+)\n\n https://www.afroland tv.com/\n\n https://urbanflixtv.com/pages/new_catalog\n\n https://urbn-tv. com/?ref=blog.obws.com\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIST OF SUPPOSEDLY BLACK OWNED C ABE NETWORKS\n\n https://watchimpact.com/\n\n https://tvone.tv/\n\n https: //aspire.tv/\n\n https://www.bouncetv.com/\n\n https://theafricachannel.co m/\n\n https://www.ssn.tv/\n\n https://www.revolt.tv/\n\n https://www.yout ube.com/@mycleotv\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT 2\n\n\n\n Looking at the m briefly\, most of the content is: \n\n\n\n \n gossip shows(sport gossi p or entertainment gossip or music gossip)\n \n \n situational comedies ( which I nearly despise\, it is very rare that I like a situational comedy) \n \n \n soap opera or telenovela(another I can't stand)\n \n \n religio us (christian pastors)\n \n \n black genre films (comedy or the urban gun )\n \n\n\n\n I have got to find a space to become a better commercial writ er to black people\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ARTICLE DONKEY\n\n\n\n Op inion - Here's why Republicans hate public broadcasting so much\n\n Patric ia Aufderheide\, Common Dreams\n\n July 18\, 2025 12:00PM ET\n\n Our publi c radio and TV stations are in grave peril\, and with them the unique serv ices they perform for our communities.\n\n By the end of day Friday July 1 8\, we’ll know if Congress has clawed back the money it already gave to public broadcasting\, through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting\, or CPB. (The House will decide\; this is your moment to call your representa tives to ask them to support their public radio and TV stations\, and to j oin — for free — Protectmypublicmedia.org.) Even if that money stays p rotected\, though\, public radio and TV will continue to be attacked.\n\n\ n\n I’ve studied public broadcasting here and around the world for 40 ye ars. And I serve on the board of directors of the taxpayer-funded Independ ent Television Service\, which coproduces a lot of the documentaries you m ight see on public TV. So\, of course\, I think it’s an important part o f our media in America. But I think you probably do\, too.\n\n You might k now public broadcasting through your local TV or radio station\, both priv ate nonprofits. Or you might know it through the services many such statio ns depend on for daily\, high-quality\, award-winning programs: National P ublic Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Both of them are private nonprofits that make\, select\, and bundle programs for public sta tions.\n\n\n\n Either way\, you’re in good company. PBS and NPR are the most trusted media brands in the United States. Half of PBS viewers depend on PBS for news and information\, including more than half of people who identify as “extreme conservatives” or “extreme liberals.” NPR’s news is trusted by more than half of those who have heard of it. American s trust public media news and public affairs much more (by half) than they do commercial mainstream media.\n\n\n\n Public stations\, like those in O klahoma\, are the ones to issue emergency warnings in time of crisis. Kids learn about job opportunities from CPB’s American Graduate: Jobs Explai ned series — supported among others by Iowa\, Tennessee\, and Arizona pu blic broadcasters. In rural Eureka\, California\, the public station carri es program for the local indigenous communities. In south Texas\, KDET pro vides distance learning for kids whose first language is Spanish. ITVS doc umentaries have brought you inside stories from small towns like Medora\, Indiana\; Taft\, Oklahoma\; Norco\, Louisiana\; and Huslia\, Alaska.\n\n\n \n American taxpayers contribute\, overall\, about 15% of the budgets of p ublic radio and TV stations — a percentage that’s usually lower for th e bigger\, more urban stations\, and higher for smaller\, rural stations. Alleghany Mountain Radio and KTNA in Talkeetna\, Alaska for instance depen d on federal funds for about two-third of their budgets. Last year CPB’s budget was $535 million. (For comparison\, military marching bands cost t he American taxpayers more than $300 million a year.) The rest comes from us as individual donors\, from private and corporate foundations\, and fro m local and state taxes.\n\n\n\n So it’s not big funding and cutting it would make no dent in the deficit. But it’s critical funding\; it’s th e money that leverages all the rest of it\, and that provides the stabilit y to be able to do the work year after year.\n\n\n\n The people who design ed public broadcasting — and that included a lot of people\, from the la te Bill Moyers as an aide to President Lyndon Johnson\, to military expert s and educators — were worried about how government funding could become censorship. So they created CPB as a private nonprofit\, not as a governm ent agency. That is why the Trump administration cannot fire its staff or its board.\n\n\n\n CPB and local stations all have First Amendment protect ion against government interference. And that is why the Trump administrat ion cannot tell them what to program or which services\, like NPR and PBS\ , to use. The designers required Congress to give CPB its budget two years in advance\, to protect against political shenanigans. That is why Congre ss has to vote to claw that money back.\n\n\n\n What public broadcasting ’s designers created is unique in the world — most countries’ public broadcasting is just a mouthpiece for government. In the U.S.\, public br oadcasting plays a unique role in our media diets as free\, reliable\, and trusted information\, a connection to local communities\, and a daily exa mple of the essential role of shared public knowledge in democratic life.\ n\n\n\n If it goes\, we won’t get it back.\n\n\n\n So far\, public broad casting has weathered political attacks\, which didn’t begin with this a dministration but have reached a new high with it. But it has only done so by depending on its users—you and me—to come out and show their suppo rt. Right now is the time to call your representatives\, and to join Prote ctmypublicmedia.org. (Protect My Public Media makes it super-easy to conne ct with your reps.) We all have something to lose.\n\n\n\n Patricia Aufder heide is professor in the School of Communication at American University. She is a board member of the Independent Television Service.\n\n\n\n URL\n \n https://www.rawstory.com/corporation-for-public-broadcasting/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250719 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Open AI Operator- a short essay in Black Games Elite DTSTAMP:20250718T224904Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:409-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I talk about OpenAI Operator and some projecting\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/487-openai-operator/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250718 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sandra Bland spirit flew - july 13th 2015 DTSTAMP:20250713T224335Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:405-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Today we pause to remember the life of Sandra Bland\, who was jailed after a traffic stop and found deceased in her cell in 2015.  \n\n Sandra Bland was pulled over in TX for failing to signal by a State T rooper and arrested. Three days later\, she was gone\, and her death was r uled a suicide. The county sheriff and jail staff were not indicted for he r death. Bland was a civil rights activist and outspoken about police brut ality against the Black community. We mourn the loss of her voice\, and we hold the tragedy of her passing with her friends\, family\, and loved one s.\n\n february 7th 1987 july 13th 2015\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250713 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sandra Bland spirit came - february 7th 1987 DTSTAMP:20250713T224331Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:404-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Today we pause to remember the life of Sandra Bland\, who was jailed after a traffic stop and found deceased in her cell in 2015.  \n\n Sandra Bland was pulled over in TX for failing to signal by a State T rooper and arrested. Three days later\, she was gone\, and her death was r uled a suicide. The county sheriff and jail staff were not indicted for he r death. Bland was a civil rights activist and outspoken about police brut ality against the Black community. We mourn the loss of her voice\, and we hold the tragedy of her passing with her friends\, family\, and loved one s.\n\n february 7th 1987 july 13th 2015\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250207 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Thoughts to SPike Lee's work DTSTAMP:20250711T042831Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:402-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I am not an overall fan. Where many black people like his work or respect the body of work\, I do not. I am happy he has financial support making films\, I hope he makes more films. But I am not a fan of h is collection overall. That is more than I can say to Tyler perry whom I d on't care for at all. \n\n\n\n These are the four spike lee films I will show others and say I like at least with no question. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n I love four little girls for me Spike's best work\n \n \n I like Mal colm X though the cast does brillianlty\, and I think his cameo hurts the film\n \n \n I like get on the bus\, ozzie davis i am a fan of\n \n \n I like inside man but he didn't write it\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I admittedly am not a fan of the black black urban drama:) Here is my complete take qu eried by a member of the community. Pioneer1\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ topic/11705-sinners-evil-cannot-happen-without-your-consenttrue-or-false/# findComment-75027\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\ n\n I add\, when the levees broke\n\n\n\n the huey p newton story\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250711 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:OutsidetheBeautybox goodbyeskype Kidowaum DTSTAMP:20250711T033052Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:401-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n me and outsidethebeautybox were in an arttrade\, I would do their character Chili saying goodbye to skype and they would do mine Ki dowaum saying goodbye. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mine\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com /tc/events/event/267-chili-skype-goodbye/\n\n\n\n Outsidethebeautybox\n\n\ n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/78868 9832295677952/goodbye-skype?source=share\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250710 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:P Diddy not convicted on counts of racketeering + sex traffi cking DTSTAMP:20250703T172035Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:371-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n First I am not a fan of P Diddy\, before during or after his trial. And I thought he was going to jail. I know one thing. I can't a ttack a woman on camera and not get assault.  It is that simple for me. W hen you have money you can get lawyers and the delicacies of the law go in to play. \n\n\n\n I only truly know one song of his. \n\n\n\n All ABout THe Bejamins. And although I like it \, it is never in my top music songs.  \n\n\n\n But\, I have to admit\, with the way media went on and on about him [living nin NYC diddy is constanlty in media\, constantly ] I figured he would have a song ready if he got acquitted. \n\n\n\n Since he got ac quitted. What about All ABout The Prosecutes\n\n\n\n In the video he is w earing a black and white prison getup.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n All ABout The Pr osecutes \n\n\n\n Here is the intro:) I challenge anyone to continue the lyrics\, and if you are opposed to Diddy and want the lyrics to go that wa y\, be my guest. I am not a fan of diddy. I am no rapper: )\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Now\, what y'all gonna do\n\n\n\n Wanna be judgers\, shot callers\, t weeters\, \n\n\n\n who be adding lies like spoilers\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Al l About The Benjamins\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REMIX LYRICS\n\n\n\n [Pr oduced by D-Dot (The Mad Rapper)]\n\n[Intro: Diddy &\; Missy Elliott]\n Uh\, uh-huh\, yeah\nUh\, uh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, bab y)\nUh\, uh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nGoodfellas ( Uh)\n\n[Verse 1: Diddy]\nNow\, what y'all wanna do?\nWanna be ballers\, sh ot callers\, brawlers?\nWho be dippin' in the Benz with the spoilers?\nOn the low from the jake in the Taurus\nTryin' to get my hands on some Grants like Horace\nYeah\, livin' the raw deal\nThree course meals\, spaghetti\, fettuccine\, and veal\nBut still\, everything's real in the field (Uh\, y eah)\nAnd what you can't have now\, leave in your will\nBut don't knock me for tryin' to bury\nSeven zeros over in Rio de Janeiry\nAin't nobody's he ro\, but I want to be heard\nOn your HOT97 every day\, that's my word\nSwi mmin' in women with they own condominiums (Uh-huh\, yeah)\nFive plus fives who drive Millenniums\nIt's all about the Benjamins\, what?\nI get a fift y pound bag of Euk for the mutts\nFive carats on my hands with the cuts\nI n somethin' European chromed out with the clutch\, what\n[Verse 2: Jadakis s &\; Diddy]\nI wanna hold figures\, fuck bein' a broke nigga\nDrinkin' malt liquor\, drivin' a broke Vigor\nI'm with Mo' sippers\, watched by go ld diggers (Uh)\nRocking Girbaud denims with gold zippers (Come on)\nLost your touch\, we kept ours\nPoppin' Cristals\, freakin' the three-quarter r eptiles (Hahaha)\nEnormous cream\, forest green Benz jeep\nFor my team\, s o while you sleep\, I'ma scheme (That's right)\nYou see through\, that's w hy nobody never gon' believe you\nYou should do what we do\, stack chips l ike Hebrews\nDon't let the melody intrigue you (Uh-uh)\, 'cause I leave yo u\nI'm only here for that green paper with the eagle\n\n[Verse 3: Sheek Lo uch &\; Diddy]\nI'm strictly trying to cop those colossal-sized Picasso s\nAnd have papi flip coke outside Delgado's (Woo)\nTienda\, with cash flo wing like Sosa\nAnd a Latin chick transporting in the chocha\nStampeding o ver\, pop Mos\, never sober\nFlexin' Range Rovers\, dealing weight by Minn esota (Uh)\nAvoiding NARCs with camcorders and Chevy Novas (Uh-huh)\nStash in the building with this chick named Wilona (Uh-huh)\nFrom Daytona\, whe n I was young I wanted to bone her (Uh-huh)\nBut now I only hit chicks who win beauty pageants (Hahaha)\nTricking and taking me skin at the Aspens\, uh (Come on)\nGangsta mental\, stay poppin' Cristal\nPack a black pistol in the Ac' coupe that's dark brown (Woo)\nPinky-ringin'\, gondolas with th e man singin'\nItalian music down the river with your chick clingin'\nTo m y bizzalls\, player\, you mad false\nActing hard when you as pussy as RuPa ul's\n\n[Chorus: Diddy &\; Missy Elliot]\nCome on\, Come on\, uh-huh (I t's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Ben jamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-hu h\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's all ab out the Benjamins\, baby)\n\n[Post-Chorus: Diddy\, Lil' Kim &\; Missy E lliott]\nNow\, what y'all wanna do? (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\ nWanna be ballers\, shot-callers\, brawlers (It's all about the Benjamins\ , baby)\nWho be dippin' in the Benz with the spoilers (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nOn the low from the jake in the Taurus (Uh\, uh\, what the bloodclaat?)\n\n[Verse 4: Lil' Kim\, Diddy &\; The Notorious B.I.G. ]\nWanna bumble with the bee\, huh?\nBzz\, throw a hex on the whole family (Yeah\, yeah\, yeah)\nDressed in all black like The Omen (Say what?)\nHav e your friends singin'\, \"This is for my homie\" (That's right)\nAnd you know me from making niggas so sick\nFloss in my six with the Lex' on the w rist\nIf it's murder\, you know she wrote it (Uh-huh)\nGerman Ruger for yo ' ass\, bitch\, deep throat it (Come on)\nKnow you wanna feel the womb 'ca use it's platinum-coated\nTake your pick\, got a firearm you should have t oted\, suck a dick\nAll that bullshit you kick\, player hatin' from the si delines\nGet your own shit\, why you ridin' mine? (Uh-huh)\nI'm a Goodfell a kinda lady\nStash .380s in Mercedes\, Puffy\, hold me down\, baby\nOnly female in my crew and I kick shit like a nigga do\nPull the trigger too\, fuck you (Uh\, uh\, uh)\n\n[Verse 5: The Notorious B.I.G. &\; Diddy]\nI been had skills\, Cristal spills\nHide bills in Brazil\, about a mill'\, the ice grill (That's right)\nMake it hard to figure me\, liquor be kickin ' me\nIn my asshole (Uh)\, undercover\, Donnie Brasco\nLeft my east coast girl the Bentley to twirl (Uh-huh)\nMy west coast shorty push the chrome 7 40\nRockin' Redman and Naughty\, oh\, where my kitty cat?\nHalf a brick of yay in the bra where her titties at\nAnd I'm livin' that\, whole life we push weight (Uh-huh)\nFuck the state pen\, fuck hoes in Penn State (C'mon) \nListen close\, it's Francis\, the praying mantis\nAttack with the MAC my left hand spit\nRight hand grip on the whip for the smooth getaway\nPlaya haters\, get away or my lead will spray (Get away)\nSqueeze off 'til I'm empty\, don't tempt me\nOnly to hell I send thee\, all about the Benjis\, what?\n\n[Outro: Diddy &\; Missy Elliott]\nIt's all about the Benjamins \, baby\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yea h (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nU h-huh\, yeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\nUh-huh\, yeah (It's al l about the Benjamins\, baby)\nYeah (It's all about the Benjamins\, baby)\ nYeah\, yeah\, yeah\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ORIGINAL LYRICS\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n [Intro: Puff Daddy]\nUh\nUh-huh\, yeah\nUh\nUh-huh\, yeah\nUh\nUh-huh\, yeah\nGoodfellas\, uh\n\n[Verse 1: Puff Daddy]\nNow\nWhat y'all wanna do?\ nWanna be ballers? Shot-callers? Brawlers\nWho be dippin in the Benz wit t he spoilers\nOn the low from the Jake in the Taurus\nTryin' to get my hand s on some Grants like Horace\nYeah livin' the raw deal\, three-course meal s\nSpaghetti\, fettucini\, and veal\nBut still\, everything's real in the field\nAnd what you can't have now\, leave in your will\nBut don't knock m e for tryin to bury\nSeven zeros\, over in Rio de Janeir-y\nAin't nobody's hero\, but I wanna be heard\nOn your Hot 9-7 every day\, that's my word\n Swimmin' in women wit they own condominiums\nFive plus fives\, who drive m illenniums\nIt's all about the Benjamins\, what?\nI get a fifty-pound bag of ooh for the mutts\nFive carats on my hands wit the cuts\nIn something E uropean chromed out with a clutch\, what\n\n[Verse 2: Jadakiss]\nI wanna h old figures\, fuck being a broke nigga\nDrinkin malt liquor\, drivin a Bro ' Vega\nI'm wit Mo' sippers\, watched by gold diggers (uhh)\nRockin Bejor denims\, wit gold zippers (c'mon)\nLost your touch we kept ours\, poppin C ristals\nFreakin the three-quarter reptiles (ahahah)\nEnormous cream\, for est green\, Benz jeep\nFor my team so while you sleep I'mma scheme (that's right)\nWe see through\, that's why nobody never gon' believe you\nYou sh ould do what we do\, stack chips like Hebrews\nDon't let the melody intrig ue you (uh-uh)\n'Cause I leave you\, I'm only here\nFor that green paper w ith the eagle\n\n[Verse 3: Sheek Louch]\nI'm strictly tryin to cop those\, colossal-sized Picassos\nAnd have papi flip coke outside Delgado's (whoo! )\nMienda\, with cash flowing like Sosa\nAnd a Latin chick transporting in her chocha\nStampedin over\, pop Mo's\, never sober\nLex and Range Rovers dealin weight by Minnesota (uhh)\nAvoidin NARC's wit camcorders and Chevy Novas (uh-huh)\nStash in the buildin wit this chick named Alona (uh-huh)\ nFrom Daytona\, when I was young I wants to bone her (uh-huh)\nBut now I o nly hit chicks that win beauty pageants (ahahaha)\nTrickin\, they takin me skiing\, at the Aspens (c'mon)\nUhh\, gangsta mental\, stay poppin Crista l\nPack a black pist-al in the Ac' Coupe that's dark brown (whoo!)\nPinky- ringin\, gondolas wit the man singin\nItalian music down the river wit you r chick clingin\nTo my bizzalls\, player you mad false\nActin hard when yo u as pussy as RuPaul\n\n[Outro: Puff Daddy]\nC'mon\nCome on\, come on\, uh -huh\nUh-huh\, yeah\nUh-huh\, yeah\nUh-huh\, yeah\nUh-huh\, yeah\nAh-heh\n Goodfellas\n9-7\nTold 'em so\nThat's right\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n C OMMENTARY FROM ME ON THE SUBJECT    \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ann-Michelle Th urmond good point\, if those women had been white \, it would have been tr eated stronger\, this is the sad tragedy of me too. as you and brian know\ , started by a black women cause she was tired of black women getting trea tment less potent/stringent/purposed in media or the law than white women. In the case of diddy it is happening again.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Brian J Ho ward I think Ann's point is that if these women had been white the legal s ystem \, media would had approached diddy stronger in all earnest\, and I concur. When I think of that video\, I can't imagine a black man hitting a white woman like diddy hit the woman in the video and the legal system no t going really hard on him\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ann-Michelle Thurmond I wond er your ideas about the lawyers for the government\, did they overreach? R acketeering + sex trafficking are pretty strong allegations\, if they woul d had focused on assault\, wouldn't this case be over long ago.\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n Ann-Michelle Thurmond right\, but i argue overreach is a serious injustice to the woman. a video exist of this man beating her. that is ass ault. jail time case closed. at least in my simple eyes. but\, the lawyers aren't thinking about simple straight forward justice\, the lawyers want to put their great grand kids through college\, and have an inheritance fo r them. For that you make huge allegations knowing fully well they will no t stick but both sets of lawyers will get paid by diddy . It is the same w ith weinstein. cosby\, depp\, et cetera. I think women should speak agains t the lawyers for the various women. These men have abused women but I dou bt they are the heads of a branch of camorra. Wouldn't women wants these m en in jail for what they did to women than not in jail but on hard times f inancially from all the legal fees and excommunicado in their industries? Maybe women want it all\, jail + the debt+the excommunicado\, but I argue jail teaches the best lesson over debt + excommunicado. What say you ann?\ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250702 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KWL Live Q&A - No Market for That Book with Ruthie Bowles DTSTAMP:20250709T073844Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:400-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KWL Live Q&\;A - No Market for That Book with Ruthie B owles\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxfUfgs0S78\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n her websites\n\n https://nomarketforthatbook.com/about-ruthie-and- no-market-for-that-book/\n\n https://www.audible.com/author/Ruthie-Bowles/ B0BVMWBX1J?msockid=365e31650f74658e0ff6276d0e6a6431\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THO UGHTS time indexed\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 00:04:00 Ruthie tells a great story about entering the industry\n\n00:06:00 question\, through your time in th e industry\, do more or less writers want audiobook narrators who are famo us actors? \n\n00:07:00 Tara ask\, how did you get involved? \nRuthie answ ered\, She saw a book \, ten ways to get paid to read. Ruthie knew it was oversimplified. In 2019 she had her first audio narration gig while she st ill worked as a marketer. She outsourced her sound engineering and she st ill works with him. And she recorded in her office\, at first.\n\n00:11:00 Ruthie answered\, through your time in the industry\, do more or less wri ters want audiobook narrators who are famous actors? \nNot a huge consider ation in the indie space\, mostly in the traditional space. A famous actor will need to transition and may not be able. \n\n00:13:00 Tara\, How do you work with author?\nRuthie asked\, sometimes author don't know. But the y can hear something and they feel it. \n\n00:16:00 Tara\, do you jump int o a book series?\nRuthie\, she hasn't had an experience jumping into a lon g series. She has to notice where other people took characters. But she co mprehends she is\n\n00:19:00 Diversitymatters ask\, How long would it take to do 200 page book and what is the cost?\n9\,300 words is industry stand ard for one book\, so word count \, and then you have to break up your boo k. She aims for an hour finished hour work a day. She has her fees on her website. $300 per finished hour. So you will not pay me to one to three ho urs. Usually when you work with an audio engineer you are paying for finis hed product. \n\n00:23:00 Tara\, what is a sensitivity reader?\nShe tends to give feedback on work to see if their are problematic characterizations . But not to knock down but to work to improve the manuscript to see ways to increase the quality of the story.\n\n00:27:00 Tara\, how will it work out? \nRuthie says\, I will refer to things written\, but sit with it. Wri ters have to breath when they get a sensitivity review. She doesn't have a uthors schedule the call until after they get the report. And remember the intention of the sensitivity reader.\n\n00:30:00 Tara\, can you tell us a bout your company\, there is no market for that book?\nRuthie\, in her exp erience people in chat on line say\, no market exist.\nTara\, in her exper ience\, all genres have a market. \nRuthie\, Alot of her work wasn't equit ably accessible. You choose what you want to do and do what you can. She w anted audio rights. The community talsk about the things they need and wan t\, and she want to fill those needs and wants in the industry.\n\n00:37:0 0 Tara\, what are other challenges facing marginalized authors. \nRuthie\, publishing has a big realm. Marginalized authors are less likely to get m arketing space. So she wants to know who out in the industry. Marginalized authors may not have variety for who may get to narrate their book. publi shing houses find it hard to find marginalized narrators because they usua lly don't want it. \n\n00:43:00 Tamara morgan\, Can you speak to partnersh ip with respect to royalties?\n Ruthie\, she was a reduced PFH rate and we split the royalties 50/50. She was first but now she knows another who is doing it.\n\n00:47:00 Tara\, what about the future of collaboration in au diobooks?\nRuthie\, there is a growing desire to hear stories. Most of the authors she know likes to be artist of the written word. But\, as a narra tor\, she is an artist\, a voice artist. and she performs from that place. Do we have enough audio book narrators for all the books? no\, but we hav e enough actors or others to be narrators. So now is a critical turning po int. But her friends love her work. \n\n00:52:00 Tara\, do you have any a dvice for authors who want to build a brand and be aunthetic?\nRuthie\, if you don't anchor what is true to you\, you will blow every which way. In terms of brand building\, dont' start with what you present\, but what is important to you. You have to show up for this on the good days and the ba d days. If you only think of the facade on the bad days you will not show up. If you are being authentic to anyone\, you have to be authentic to you . Radical authenticity\, concentric circles of trust. The cool people will get the things that will ruin my brand. She tries to be the genuine thoug htful human being\, it isn't about false positivity\, but it is about show ing up as the person in my soul. And that will be the standard her company is upheld to. When people trust is what you mean in what you say. controv ersies you don't have to speak to. If you are doing the work\, it will be evident\, and that turns into a brand in what you are saying is what you a re presenting.\n\n01:00:00 Tara\, what more from you?\nRuthie\, she has a book on kobo plus. She has a story in an anthology\, and a pink horror sto ry. \n\n01:03:00 Tara\, what are you audiobooking now?\nRuthie\, the imagi nary book festival. Calling In\, how to make change with those you would r ather cancel.\nShe enjoys it. For anyone who agrees there can be a lot of good on the internet but don't want to engage in certain things\, read thi s book.\n\n\n\nquestion\, are sensitivity readers hired for making edition s of old famous books?\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250709 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Ask Eddie June 26th 2025+ Jennifer Tilly DTSTAMP:20250709T073100Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:399-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Ask Eddie June 26th 2025+ Jennifer Tilly\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/filmnoirfoundation/788438887805681664/in-case-you-m issed-out-latest-episode-here-you?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n https://www.tumblr.com/filmnoirfoundation/788438887805681664/in-case-yo u-missed-out-latest-episode-here-you\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my thoughts\n\n\ n\n 00:04:23\na new latin film noir\, cool \n00:09:16 \nFirst time i heard a cat with wheels\, but glad to know it isn't work. \n00:16:50\ngreat sto ry from Mueller's late friend on restoring a negative reel of a sweet smel l of success. His friend mike said it was a ten mont job\, twenty three re els a second. I am glad someone said AI does not think. I keep saying that . Interesting point\, AI allows you to see what is soulless from what is n ot. \n00:25:14 \ngreat story on how a writer divulged the weakness of chat gpt and learning models\n00:28:38\nis paul muni's I am a fugitive from a s lave gang the first film noir? \nMueller responds\, it was part of a movem ent\, a studio specific warner bros. socially conscious movement. \nBut an outlier\, because a movement were not started.\nHe calls a film the first film noir\, because of the copies that come after it. Hammett + bogart ma de the maltese falcon noir\, and it was the first.\n00:32:23\nGlenn ford i n ransom and rage\, are they noir?\nMueller says \"ransom\" feels like a t hriller more than noir. Neither have seen \"Rage\".\nSpike did a version o f high and low with denzel Washington. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hig h_and_Low_(1963_film) ] \nglenn ford was valuable to the studio for his ve rsatility.\nfox had dana Andrew\, Columbia had glenn ford. \n00:45:$6\nWas Bogart dubbed in the harder they fall?\no cause bogart was available\n00: 48:15 \nwhat great voices in film noir or not well known?\nBarbara Stanwyc k\, Dan Duryea [ jon lovitz did a dan Duryea in Saturday night live ]\nThe reason why so many had distinctive voices was nearly all actors back then came from radio so they were used to using their voice.\nToday he says to day most actors don't have distinctive voices. A clip of tom cruise will n ot work out. \nBecause of his one scene in glengarry glen ross \, Mueller will know Alec Baldwin's voice\n00:53:34\nThe legacy of constantin bakalei nkoff? The bakaleinkoff's were a musical family from Russia. constantin c onducted the la symphony. Roy Webb wrote a lot of the scores but constanti n conducted many. Out of the past is a roy webb score but constantin condu cted it. In the 1950s musicians had a strike and that partly was the probl em with the studio system\, each studio had an orchestra. You will not see an rko movie from the 1940s without bakaleinkoff\,but you sometime see hi s brothers.\n00:58:40\nwhy hasn't \"to the ends of the earth \" not on hom e video\, 1948 with dick powell?\nIt is a Columbia picture. warner bros o wns the rko library. Columbia\, now Sony\, don't do much in putting out bl ue ray's. \n01:01:00\nMovie spoilers past and present viewing habits and a udience attention?\nMueller says why are movie goers today so different fr om movie goers in the mid 1900s. What distinguishes a genre film that plo t. The only thing that makes something genre. Literary fiction doesn't hav e to have a plot. \nThe difference of moviegoers is the why people went to the movies. PEople in the past went to the movie theaters for the theater s not the movie. \nIn the late 1950 people saw enough films to get judgeme ntal. And going to the movies became something people cared about and you wouldn't go in the middle. Alfred Hitchcock convinced theaters not to let anybody in when the movie started. \nA grindhouse is a theater where movie s are running non stop. Intricacies exist\, Audiences changed. and then wh en television came in\, movies had to be special\, and became grander. No w film movie goers have brought phones into theaters and scorcese said he will not go to theaters cause modern movie goers don't respect or pay atte ntion. Some movies note audiences not to spoil. Great story on David finch er saying fuck em to those who haven't seen\, the film being \"Seven\". Go od point on how hard it is to trick audiences. Good point\, how sinners wi ll be revealed to most today. Mueller says the shining trailer is his fav orite. [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAE7dNurHR4] Blumhouse is terribl e at trailers. Mueller says with breaking bad or twin peaks\, or better ca ll saul\, where it is not designed to binge. To create following for peopl e to talk about shows\, what will happen next. \n01:22:54\ncocktail recipe s the vesper martini\nmueller does it differently\n01:25:45\nTony Curtis \ nshe remember seeing TOny Curtis in \"three act tragedy\"\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n Bound at Noir City with Jennifer Tilly\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/com munities/filmnoirpigeons/post/788540569269026816/academy-award-nominated-a ctress-jennifer-tilly?source=share\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/filmnoir foundation/788538141682384896/academy-award-nominated-actress-jennifer-til ly\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 3:36 Tilly wasn't allowed to Ad lib by the Washows ki's. \n4:59 Tilly is funny. \n6:23 Roger Ebert loved Bound early and it i s a cult classic now.\nAll you need is a man a woman a locked room and a w eapon... and a crazed psycopath who just yells his lines. \n8:50 great sto ry on equal opportunity\, no one wants to see Joey character. Delaurentiis didn't want joey\, joe pantoliano.\n14:53 Great story from Tilly on how s he first met Gershon in Bound. \n17:41 Jennfier tilly admitted Joe pantoli ano courted the Wachowskis and tilly said she should had did likewise so w e could be in the matrix. \n20:00 Tilly is raw\, she is a great guest\, Mu eller doesn't have to do anything but let her talk.\nTilly said her sister runs around in important movie memorabilia.\n24:39 The guy got paid extr a money by the screen actors guild. \n25:41 gershon and tilly talked about the shoe sale at barney's\n28:19 nice description by Tilly to how the was howski's made the love scene between her and gershon as one shot film\, be ing directed all the way.\n33:13 Gershon brought Tilly tequila + chocolate s for the scene.\n38:30 great point by Tilly and a sequel to Bound. \n42:1 9 Mueller is right\, he has never done less and the sign language man neve r worked harder\, than with Jennifer Tilly\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250709 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Michael B Jordan's Thomas Crown DTSTAMP:20250709T014506Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:398-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Michael B Jordan's Thomas Crown\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ topic/11716-thomas-crown-affair-and-wealthy-blacks-in-the-real-world/\n\n\ n\n is Michael B Jordan's thomas crown movie the first rich black man film ? I will explain. Thomas crown is supposed to be a rich guy who commits cr imes. started by steve mcqueen\, continued by pierce brosnan\, but Jordan playing him is a quiet message in my view to black wealth. I can tell you black people have always had a rich minority but that minority has always been so small it hasnt been as visible\, but in modernity i argue it is la rger than in the past five hundred years so to speak or definitely the las t two hundred and this film\, i assume may speak to that reality in the bl ack community in the usa and beyond. what say you?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n \n  \n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Billy Eckstine born 1914 Jul 8th DTSTAMP:20250709T011550Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:397-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Stormy Monday Blues\n\n\n\n as part o f Earl Hines band\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS from Earl Hines\, Billy Ecks tine\, Bob Crowder\n\n\n\n It's gone and started rainin'\n\n I'm lonesome as a man can be\n\n It's gone and started rainin'\n\n I'm lonesome as a ma n can be\n\n Cause every time it rains\n\n I realise what you mean to me\n \n \n\n If you read my letters\, baby\n\n You sure must'a read my mind\n\n If you read my letters\, baby\n\n You sure must'a read my mind\n\n Then y ou wouldn't have left me\n\n To sit alone and pine\n\n\n\n \n\n Video Link \n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pIdNa9lL5s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Jelly Jelly \n\n\n\n as part of Earl Hines band\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYR ICS from Earl Hines + Billy Eckstine\n\n\n\n Hello baby\, I had to call yo u on the phone\n\n\n\n Hello baby\, I had to call you on the phone\n\n\n\n `Cause I feel so lonesome\n\n\n\n And daddy wants his baby home\n\n\n\n I t's a down-right rotten\, Low down dirty shame\n\n\n\n It's a down right r otten low down dirty shame\n\n\n\n The way that you're treatin' poor me\n\ n\n\n I know I'm not to blame\n\n\n\n Jelly jelly jelly\n\n\n\n Jelly stay s on my mind\n\n\n\n Jelly jelly jelly\n\n\n\n Jelly stays on my mind\n\n\ n\n Jelly roll killed my pappy\,\n\n\n\n And wrung my mama stone blind.\n\ n\n\n \n\n video link\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUGK_okFzzw&\ ;list=RDGUGK_okFzzw&\;start_radio=1\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n Rhythm In A Riff\n\n\n\n heading his own band\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lyrics from Billy Eckstine\n\n\n\n [all instruments no voice]\n\n I\, love\, the rhythm in a riff\n\n when the music jumps\, i get a lift\n\n [scatting A w ith instruments background]\n\n anything\, to make it swing\n\n\n\n I\, lo ve\, the music from a tone\n\n but end it with a mello saxophone\n\n [scat ting A little lower tone with instruments background]\n\n what a lot of ki cks it brings\n\n\n\n when that rhythms in ya\n\n the blues don't have a c hance\n\n you 'll find the groove will when ya\n\n make you never think ab out romance\n\n\n\n jump jump\, the rhythm with a riff\n\n any kind of mus ic gets a lift\n\n [scatting A with instruments background]\n\n anything t o make it swing\n\n [instruments no voice]\n\n [scatting B (start with oh higher than A )with instruments background]\n\n [instruments no voice]\n\n [scatting C (start with ba higher than B )with instruments background]\n\ n\n\n when that rhythm's in ya\n\n the blues don't have a chance\n\n you ' ll find the groove will when ya\n\n make you never think about romance\n\n [instruments no voice]\n\n [scatting D (start with ah same height as C)wi th instruments background]\n\n [Horn lead - instruments no voice\, end wit h drum solo]\n\n [scatting E (same height as A) with instruments backgroun d]\n\n Riffin is the thing for me\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video link \n\n http s://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHd2LTTkrB8&\;list=RDXHd2LTTkrB8&\;start _radio=1\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n the movie is about\, if someone can find it \, black director\, black cast all. 1947\n\n https://www.imdb.com/title/tt 0135629/\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n soundie\, made from the film\n\n http s://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRUKHWJyrbs&\;list=RDLRUKHWJyrbs&\;start _radio=1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Even though White people c ancelled Billy Eckstine for the following photo[from Martha Holmes\, follo wing Eckstine with fans]\, he never stopped smiling\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Walter Scott Jr  sep 3 1943 born  DTSTAMP:20250708T234707Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:396-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A leader of the Whispers\, I will never forget the music video for Keep On Lovin Me\, It astounded me how they were walking through out a whole city. Years later I realized this wasn't New York City but Det roit:) \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n AND THE BEAT GOES ON\n\n writers: Leon Sylvers \ , Stephen Shockley \, William Shelby\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And _the_Beat_Goes_On_(The_Whispers_song)\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=slldMEPvUqA\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n And the beat goes on\nJu st like my love (everlasting)\nAnd the beat goes on\nStill moving strong\, on and on\nDo you ever wonder\nThat to win\, somebody's got to lose\nI mi ght as well get over (the blues)\nJust like fishing in the ocean\nThere'll always be someone new\n(Who'll love you better)\nYou did me wrong\nBut I' ve been through stormy weather\nAnd the beat goes on\nJust like my love (e verlasting)\nAnd the beat goes on (you'd better believe it)\nStill moving strong (on and on)\nDon't stop for nobody\nThis time I'll keep my feet on solid ground\nNow I understand myself (when I'm down)\nLike the sweet soun d of hip music\nThere'll always be something new\nTo keep the tables turni ng\nHate this simple song\nBut there'll never be an ending\nAnd the beat g oes on\nJust like my love (everlasting)\nAnd the beat goes on\nStill movin g strong (on and on)\nThe beat goes on\, the beat goes on\, the beat goes on\nThe beat goes on\, the beat goes on\, the beat goes on\nGuitar playing that fill to show the beat is real\nThe beat goes on\nAnd the beat goes o n (oh\, oh\, oh)\nJust like my love (everlasting)\nAnd the beat goes on (j ust to make it last)\nStill moving strong (gotta believe it)\nAnd the beat goes on (and the beat goes on and on and on)\nJust like my love (everlast ing)\nAnd the beat goes on (everlasting\, baby)\nStill moving strong (and I love it)\nAnd the beat goes on (just like my love\, baby)\nJust like my love\, baby (everlasting)\nAnd the beat goes on\nStill moving strong (and I love it)\nThe beat goes on\, the beat goes on\, the beat goes on\nThe be at goes on\, the beat goes on\, the beat goes on\nThe beat goes on\, the b eat goes on\, the beat goes on\nThe beat goes on\, the beat goes on\, the beat goes on\nAnd the beat goes on\nJust like my love (everlasting)\nAnd t he beat goes on\nStill moving strong\nAnd the beat goes on\nJust like my l ove\, everlasting\nJust like my love (everlasting)\nStill moving strong (a nd I love it)\nAnd the beat goes on\nJust like my love (everlasting)\nAnd the beat goes on\nStill moving strong\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n ROCK STEADY\n\n\n\n writers: Babyface \,  L.A. Reid \, Bo Watson \, Dway ne Ladd\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Steady_(The_Whispers_song)\ n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPJz3syNbtE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYR ICS\n\n\n\n [Intro]\nRock\n\n[Verse 1]\nI looked at you\nYou stole my hear t\nYou were all that I anticipated\nI wanted you\nEvery part\nBut I knew l ove would be complicated\n\n[Pre-Chorus]\nI begin to touch\nBut you wouldn ’t let it\nIt never seemed to be the right time\nI started to give up\nD own to the limit\nAnd then you changed your mind\, oh\n\n[Chorus]\nAnd we begin to rock steady\nSteady rocking all night long\nAnd we begin to rock steady\nRocking 'til the break of dawn\nRock (Ooh)\, steady\nSteady rockin g all night long\nRock steady\nRocking 'til the break of dawn\n\n[Verse 2] \nYou looked at me\nTo my surprise\nYou were too anticipating\nI should ha ve known\nIt was in your eyes\nThat you were getting tired of waiting\n\n[ Pre-Chorus]\nYou wanted me so much\nBut I didn’t get it\nHow could a fel low be so blind?\nI started to give up\nBut love wouldn’t let it\nThen y ou walked into my life\n\n[Chorus]\nAnd we begin to rock steady\nSteady ro cking all night long\nAnd we begin to rock steady\nRocking 'til the break of dawn\n\nRock (Ooh)\, steady\nSteady rocking all night long (All night l ong)\nRock steady\nRocking 'til the break of dawn\n(Rocking 'til the break of dawn)\n\n[Bridge]\nOoh\, dooba\, dooba\, da\n\nRock\n(Steady\, baby\, rock steady\, baby)\nOoh\, rock\n(Steady\, baby\, rock steady\, baby)\n\nR ock\nOoh\, rock\n\n[Pre-Chorus]\nYou wanted me so much\nBut I didn’t get it\nHow could a fellow be so blind?\nI started to give up\nBut love would n’t let it\nThen you walked into my life\, oh\n\n[Chorus]\nAnd we begin to rock steady\nSteady rocking all night long\nAnd we begin to rock steady \nRocking 'til the break of dawn (Rocking 'til the break of dawn)\nRock (O oh)\, steady\nSteady rocking all night long (All night long)\nRock steady\ nRocking 'til the break of dawn\n\n(Everybody)\nRock steady\nSteady rockin g all night long\n(Everybody steady rocking)\nRock steady\nRocking 'til th e break of dawn\n\nRock (Steady rock) steady (St-st-st-steady rock)\nStead y rocking all night long (Everybody steady rocking)\nRock steady\nRocking 'til the break of dawn (Rocking till the break of dawn)\n\n(Everybody stea dy rocking)\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n IT'S A LOVE THING\n\n\n \n writers: Dana Meyers\,William Shelby\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ It%27s_a_Love_Thing_(The_Whispers_song)\n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=fJULtwL5zfY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n It's a love thing\, it 's a love thing\n(It's a love thing\, thing)\n\nThe look in your eyes is m ore than enough\nTo make my poor heart burst into flames\nBefore the momen t we met\nThat there was no doubt\nThat my life would never be the same\n\ nAnd I could never hide this feelin'\nThat comes over me\nWhen you're near me\nI know that's how it's supposed to be\nMy heart is tellin' me\n\nIt's a love thing\, yeah\nAnd the talkin' in my sleep\nAbout the love we made\ nIt's a love thing\n(It's a love thing)\nLove thing\n(Thing)\n\nSuch a fee ling I get whenever we touch\nGirl\, like no other I felt before\nIt's sti ll so new and yet I need you so much\nGot to make you mine forever more\n\ nYou're the kinda woman\nThat can turn my world around\n'Cause you showed me what\nUnselfish love is all about\nWithout a doubt\n\nIt's a love thing \, yeah\nI feel that pounding in my heart\nWhen you call my name\nIt's a l ove thing\n(It's a love thing)\nLove thing\n(Thing)\nIt's a love thing\n\n Every time that you're near\nIt becomes so clear\nIt's a love thing\n(It's a love thing)\nLove thing\n(Thing)\nYeah\, it's a love thing\n\nI feel th at pounding in my heart\nWhen you call my name\nIt's a love thing\n(It's a love thing)\nIt's a love thing\n\nI could never hide this feeling\nThat c omes over me\nWhen you're near me\nI know that's how it's supposed to be\n My heart is tellin' me\n\nIt's a love thing\, yeah\nGot me talkin' in my s leep\nAbout the love we made\nIt's a love thing\n(It's a love thing)\nOoh\ , it's a love thing\n(Thing)\n\nIt's a love thing\, yeah\nI feel that poun ding in my heart\nEvery time you call my name\, yeah\nIt's a love thing\n( It's a love thing)\nLove thing\n(Thing)\nLove thing\n\nIt's a love thing\n It's a love thing\nIt's a love thing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n KEEP ON LOVIN ME\n\n\n\n writers: Wardell Potts Jr \, Kevin Spencer \, Wil liam\n\n https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_On_Lovin%27_Me\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6aRvVTSC0I\n\n\n\n LYRICS\n\n\n\n When times get tough\, I want to give it up\nI just can't let it go like that\nAnd oh\, how long it took to build it up?\nThere must be some reason why we come ba ck\nLove\, I am alive\nThe only thing I've ever done that still feels righ t\nMust be sad in my ways\nA stubborn kind of fella\, he's not everyday\nS o just keep on lovin' me (doo-doo-doo)\nJust keep on lovin' me (lovin' me) \nI dreamed last night that I lost your love\nI felt sad because it seemed so real\nI don't climb to bed\, I had to call you up\nAnd make sure you n otice what I feel\nHow many times I'm took for granted?\nBut you know our love was sound\nStay by my side\, let nothing feel when\nI put my feet on solid ground\nSo just keep on lovin' me (doo-doo-doo)\nJust keep on lovin' me (lovin' me)\nHey\, Scottie!\nYeah\nWhat does that mean?\nThat means I' ll never give up the love that's good to me\nKeep on lovin' me (doo-doo-do o)\nJust keep on lovin' me (lovin' me)\nOoh (doo-doo-doo)\nOoh\, ooh-ooh-o oh (lovin' me)\nJust keep on lovin' me (doo-doo-doo)\nHey\, Scottie!\nYeah \nWhat does that mean?\nThat means it's just for my baby to know\nHey\, ba by\nKeep on\, keep on\, keep on\, keep on\nJust keep on keepin' on\nJust k eep on doin' it\, baby\nJust keep on keepin' on\nJust keep on doin' it\, b aby (yeah\, baby)\nJust keep on keepin' on\nJust keep on doin' it\, baby ( just go on)\nJust keep on keepin' on\nHey\, Scottie!\nYeah\nWhat does that mean?\nThat means I'll never give up the love that's good to me\nKeep on lovin' me\nJust keep on lovin' me\nKeep on\, keep on\, keep on\, keep on\n Just keep on keepin' on\nJust keep on doin' it\, baby (yeah\, baby)\nJust keep on keepin' on\nJust keep on doin' it\, baby\nJust keep on keepin' on (lovin' me)\nJust keep on doin' it\, baby (you're my baby)\nJust keep on k eepin' on\nJust keep on doin' it\, baby\nJust keep on lovin' me (doo-doo-d oo)\nHey Scottie\nYeah\nWhat does that mean?\nWell\, that means I'm ready to love my baby with all my heart\nJust keep on lovin' me (doo-doo-doo)\nJ ust keep on lovin' me (lovin' me)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250903 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Hercules\, Disney's Beautiful Hot Mess: a Video Essay DTSTAMP:20250708T231649Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:395-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n video url\n\n https://youtu.be/KznZcK 7ksf4?si=uamqnPBo7unq3zU5\n\n\n\n my comment\n\n and maybe that is the lit erary point of hercules the film  It is like when Howard Belae gives jens on's cosmology. The audience is bored with the narrative from Beale that t hey are the problem and they are inevitably finished\, that they can't be inspired and they can't improve. Hercules disney cartoon film\, says it is n't the sports stars or media idols or the coaches or the media brands tha t are the problem\, the audience is the audiences problem. Sports stars ar e common folk whose talents and desires to be the best place them in fisca lly potent scenarios. Brands are trying to make a dollar in fiscal capital ism \, the fans prove the brands correct in how they sell by how fans reac t\, it isn't up to brands to do anything else but make money. The gods lis ten to the fates to act. The fates get their information from an unknown p ower. But the gods don't need to know a person to act towards them positiv ely or negatively. I think Hercules the movie does blend in some concepts from hellenia but not purely. HErcules the animated film isn't trying to b e modern \, fitting the modern sports film or superhero film narrative\, o r in the past\, fitting ancient hellens storytelling ways. It is out of ti me. anachronistic. And that makes it unique which is what hercules in the film is\, a unique being. \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sinners review from Nike Marshall + Zenobia Marshall of Movi es That Move We DTSTAMP:20250708T204816Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:394-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n video embed\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n video link\n\n https: //youtu.be/u3iwa9BupmQ?si=KhdwO07s-mWMNA-G\n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS AS I LISTEN ED\n\n\n\n Love the shirt from Zenobia.\n00:02:00 From Duck till dawn ahhh h\, similar but the storytelling is vastly different. Coogler made charact ers in Sinners that are better balanced.\nAmerican Gothic\, ok\, specifica ll Black American Gothic\nah EVe's Bayou is considered a Black American Go thic\n00:04:13 \nIt has stocked Nike's secrets and symbology infatuation w ith films\n00:05:50 \ngood point Nike\, Coogler made the correct religious association in the black populace at the time\n00:07:10 yeah the guy who played preacher boys father did well as the fanatic black pastor\nI think many thought on what determines a sinner \, who is a sinner\, and when are a sinner redeemed. [ https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/369-granting-to-ev il-circa-the-film-sinners-from-coogler/ ] \n00:09:44 \ninteresting from Ze nobia\, each character in sinners is a sinner.\nI think this film shows ho w much larger the religious zeal/energy is in the black or pan human popul ace.\nI concur\, many of the characters embrace their lives. They don't dw ell\, and Delta slim was the oldest so his age makes reflection easier.\n0 0:14:52 \nhmmm interesting point from Nike\, the way in which Coogler fram ed the reality \, didn't hit any audience member with it upside the head but it was not ignored. It is a subtely\, a craft\, to represent important history from your community without turning your fiction into a historica l documentary.\n00:16:58 \nYounger black audiences\, seem to really not li ke to see the pain. Not trying to be ignorant but not consumed.\n00:18:41 \nNike\, psalms 1:07 let the redeemed of the lord say so. The first black person I heard or read quote scripture of the Christian bible.\n00:19:26 \ nI concur to Zenobia\, this is a collection of individuals brought togethe r through a collective project\, a juke joint.\n00:21:30 \nNike\, true\, t he external communal freedom is desired but the individual freedom was rea ched by Sammie. \nyes\, Fun is powerful\n00:22:46 \nEverybody loves Annie. yes\, how come the ancient black religions didn't come through to save he r baby? how come the religion of his uncle didn't save her baby? Yes\, peo ple who lose children have a sadness that can be very deep.\n00:25:26 \nYe s\, I am happy Delroy Lindo said that. People forget the old black south l ifestyle was in the 1900s alive and common and vibrant. \nI think black pe ople in the 1900s did a disservice raising black kids by making our old bl ack south too distant or disconnected. But as Dash said in Daughters of th e Dust \, black families who went north intentionally wanted to forget the black southern heritage wholesale\, not just the negative but the positiv e.\n00:27:25 \nof course\, Nike forgets pearline's name for a minute:) bla ck men's character. \n 00:28:57 \nZenobia remembers the scene of smoke + a ny and the incense is burning \n00:31:50 \nI concur\, color symbology is h eavy in Sinners. \n00:33:59 \nI didn't know Smoke and his brothe'rs last n ame was Moore. Cool.\n00:34:51 \nYes\, The irish were catholic and also ca tholic. The English was the overseers to the irish. Right\, the dumping gr ound use of the English colonies by England. \n00:37:02 \nI think one poin t with sinners is not shying away from the heritage of interacial activity in the usa\, not merely the negative but the neutral. I say not positive\ , but neutral. Many films of the past go into a simplicity\, of all people s in the usa walled against each other but that was never the truth\, even in the plantation\, especially in the plantation.\n00:37:14 \nRuth D cart er is having a great era as a costumer. \n00:38:07 \nyour funny\, people c ouldn't say\, they are wearing red white and blue. \n00:39:37 well done Ni ke\, colors to ward off spirits. I didn't know. \n00:40:35 \nI concur to N ike\, the best black fantasy films from Posse to Sinners accept the presen ce of whites or white power but the story isn't about whites or white powe r\, but blacks and black empowerment. \n00:40:40\nZenobia is the first I h eard to call it a tear jerker. hmmm . That is a testament to Coogler's sto rytelling.\n00:41:36 \nhmm Zenobia maybe answers Nike's question\, and sac rifice is maybe the way sinners can be redeemed. \n00:42:25 \nZenobia is i n a bible study group. \n00:43:56 \nVery leech like\, Remmick as a vampire is very leech like. \n00:44:51 \nQuestions from Nike\, \nIs Sinners one o f Ryan Coogler's most personal films?\nHow is his storytelling from Fruitv ille Station to Sinners changed?\nWhat lingers? \n00:47:51 \naww Zenobia\, you softie\, the end had you crying:) \nSinners has a level of completene ss. Heavy detailed with no need of exposition.\n00:48:46 \nThe Coogler/Jor dan duo is strong\, like Depp/Burton or Eastwood/Leone . \nand great point Nike. Who is the body double? \n00:52:01 \nBlue Ray for Sinners is coming out in December. I bet the BlueRay/DVD people didn't expect it to be this loved.\n00:53:07\nAnd like Peele\, forget the series. The movie series is corporate\, the best filmmakers outside the superhero is one and done's. \nNo Zenobia\, I am fearful for universe building on sinners. Of course\, Warner Bros\, want to make money. That is what made Keannu Reeves control of John Wick well. Starz can't do what they want. \n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\n Zenobia\, what character is depicted on your shirt?\nNi ke\, what are your thoughts to Coogler \, like Peele\, not revealing much\ , letting the online discourse go into the revelations?\nZenobia\, how man y sins exist? Are their more than seven? \nTo you both\, where does Delroy Lindo's performance in Sinners place among his many? \nNike\, you are the first to quote scripture in discussion about this.\nNike or Zenobia\, wha t role do black parents have in the 1900s to making enslavement or more pr ecisely the heritage even after the war between the states\, have in makin g black children think that southern black heritage is ancient instead of the near past.\nZenobia\, I think your correct about the colors meaning. H ow often do you think the film sinners was talked about in Christian Bible Study groups?\nAww Zenobia\, mommy softee:) at the end. \nQuestions asked to viewers of the review. \nIs Sinners one of Ryan Coogler's most persona l films? Tough one. I think it definitely is in the sense that it is somet hing he has produced that doesn't have the media protection of bigger bran d content\, so he is relying on himself and his vision. \nHow is his story telling from Fruitville Station to Sinners changed? I don't know. Peele + Coogler seem to be very astute on the stories they present\, when and how they present. It is very managed. Unlike someone like myself who doesn't m anicure his art for commerce\, i think Coogler always does. Not in an evil way but financially comprehending films have to make money to keep making films. \nWhat lingers? When Sammie said he wanted to taste Pearline:) I w ant to taste her too:) hahaa\nWho is the body double? Percy Bell [ https:/ /www.wfla.com/community/rooted-in-progress/michael-b-jordans-body-double-i n-sinners-the-percy-bell-story-rooted-in-progress/ ] \nThanks\, stay cool this summer and see ya soon. \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n my comment\n\n comment URL\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3iwa9BupmQ&\;lc=UgzFQGHmY1ei5 -wNw6R4AaABAg&\;pp=0gcJCSMANpG00pGi\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Another Sinners discussion\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/369-granting-to-evil- circa-the-film-sinners-from-coogler/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Making A Protagonist DTSTAMP:20250708T041738Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:392-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My example of making a protagonist\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-2-Extended-Protagonist-1 214202211\n\n the official contest will be on July 8th 2025 3pm eastern st andard time\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/Writing-C hallenge-Part-2-Protagonist-1212132548\n\n\n\n The first part is on\, and will be till july 12th \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/drthomasstockmann/ journal/Writing-Challenge-Part-1-World-Building-1204683561\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Legend of Pearline DTSTAMP:20250707T023200Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:389-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n This isn't the most interesting part of the film storywis e but I do enjoy this\, I am glad somebody got it \n\n https://youtube.co m/shorts/6y_ZdxO9IqE?si=gpUJnjLUuT3Zf3gO\n\n\n\n I Want to bite off more than I can chew too:) suffocate me:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250706 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Alien-queen77's OC Deimyn's Morning Blossom 07/08/2025 DTSTAMP:20250708T153522Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:393-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I figured Deimyn wakes up in the early morning in her con quering rose dress. The head of someone dripping blood on her vines\, whic h help lift her \, hold her mirror\, yet also comes from inside her mind.  \n\n Black Artist of Tumblr page\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/ black-artist-on-tjambler/post/788516389145182208/alien-queen77s-oc-deimyns -morning-blossom-by?source=share\n\n\n\n deviantart coloring page\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1215980699\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250708 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BGEDWS- Black Games Elite Deviantart Watching Search DTSTAMP:20250707T153936Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:390-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n BGEDWS- Black Games Elite Deviantart Watching Search\; BG EDWS- is a tool that allows a search of Deviantart users HdDeviant is watc hing\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I like to feature other artist but the reality is\ , i don't have time to sift through\, this allows a sifting:) \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n This is the black games elite page\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/b logs/entry/486-bgedws-black-games-elite-deviantart-watching-search/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250707 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:ZOhran Mamdani legislation DTSTAMP:20250626T115132Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:363-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n This is the legislation Zohran Mamdani implemented in the state assembly\n\n\n\n https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Zohran-K-Mamdani/ sponsor/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Each link is to the full documentation of each law. \n\n\n\n When I look at the laws he led on the following issues\, l isted below with enumeration of instance. The MTA and roads he will not ha ve influence over as mayor of NYC. But none of his laws taxed the rich to give to the poor. He only led on two laws concerning taxes straightly:  t wo laws to repeal of property tax exemptions of private higher education i nstitutions that receive tax exempt of one hundred million dollars or more [ colombia\, nyu top the list but all the private universities own a lot of land on real estate value worth alot of money. The idea of them being e xempt is they are schools and this saved money can go for other things now the public higher education institutions  colleges or universities: city college and the other city university of ny cuny schools\, the state univ ersity or suny schools\, own a lot of property to worth alot but they are state funded\, the problem is ] \, \n\n\n\n His only law concerning israe l was blocking not for profits based in nyc from engaging in israeli /zion ist settlement activity in gaza\n\n\n\n So his tenure in albany was not fi lled with adjusting tax law to support poor folk\, it was mostly mta laws/ road laws asking for money which he will have to do every year as mayor of nyc\,but I don't see a history of what he proclaims to do. and the mayor of NYC doesn't have the powers that an assembly person does to manipulate the financial environment of the state\, which is where many financial con cerns fall under. hmmmmm\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LED ISSUES\n\n\n\n MTA 1/2/3/4 \n\n\n\n Roads 1/2/3\n\n\n\n Property Tax 1/\n\n\n\n Tuition 1/\n\n\n\n em ployee Website 1/\n\n\n\n banking 1/2\n\n\n\n wage statewide 1/\n\n\n\n la w enforcement prohibitiion 1/\n\n\n\n private university tax 1/\n\n\n\n ra te hike 1/\n\n\n\n israel 1/ \n\n\n\n utilities 1/2\n\n\n\n government vo ting 1/2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A00801Expedites MTA capital project constructi on by establishing a process for utility relocation necessary for such con struction\n\n\n\n A00803Establishes in the city of New York a bicycle lane safety program to enforce certain restrictions on the use of bicycle lane s and/or protected bicycle lanes by means of bicycle lane photo devices\n\ n\n\n A00898Allows the alteration or repeal of real property tax exemption s for private institutions of higher education\n\n\n\n A00940Requires the establishment of an appeals process for students who are denied the state resident tuition rate at any public university or college\n\n\n\n A00941Re lates to registration fees for certain motor vehicles\; repealer\n\n\n\n A 00946Prohibits landlords\, lessors\, sub-lessors and grantors from demandi ng brokers' fees from a tenant\n\n\n\n A00987Directs the department of lab or to post on its internet website and annually update the names of employ ers who employ 50 or more employees who receive public assistance\n\n\n\n A01005Requires the MTA and the New York city transit authority to implemen t certain standards pertaining to applying and removing coatings from brid ges\, trestles\, elevated subway and railway tracks and stations\n\n\n\n A 01022Relates to establishing the banking bill of rights\n\n\n\n A01032Upda tes value capture mechanisms for NYC and the MTA\n\n\n\n A01058Requires th at the average annual wage and average weekly wage of the state of New Yor k be adjusted for inflation each year\n\n\n\n A01083Prohibits the creation of fake electronic communication service accounts and prohibits the colle ction and use of account information by law enforcement and other governme ntal entities\n\n\n\n A02130Repeals the tax exempt status of private unive rsities that receive real property tax exemptions of one hundred million d ollars or more\n\n\n\n A05442Enacts the \"rate hike notice act\"\n\n\n\n A 06044Enacts the Make Transit Affordable Act\; provides fare-free bus pilot program in New York City\n\n\n\n A06101Establishes the \"Not on our dime! : Ending New York funding of Israeli settler violence act\" to prohibit no t-for-profit corporations from engaging in unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity\n\n\n\n A06541Prohibits payment card networks from as sessing penalties against small businesses or financial intermediaries who fail to comply with the credit card surcharge notice requirement\n\n\n\n A06542Enacts the utility shutoff protection act\n\n\n\n A06951Relates to p eriods suspending the operation of certain rate\, charge or other changes by utilities\, and provisions permitting utilities to retroactively recove r revenues they would have earned during such periods\n\n\n\n A08126Warns voters about New York's closed primary system on voter registration forms\ n\n\n\n A08808Extends provisions relating to public hearings on proposed r ules\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /topic/11698-if-you-want-to-know-more-about-mamdani/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 06 /26/2025\n\n\n\n Mamdani said he wants universal healthcare/free bus servi ce/and a rent freeze\n\n\n\n He will got to albany and ask to tax the rich and the governor or the state legislature will give the yes or no. \n\n\ n\n Something tells me like Obama\, Like Ocasio Cortez\, Mamdani will win and it will be a dud. The Donkeys can get elected but once elected the poo r plans fall apart into a cronyism. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY COMMENT\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11698-if-you-want-to-know-more-abo ut-mamdani/#findComment-74774\n\n\n\n Posted just now\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\ n\n did you read my calendrial post? where i fully cite his legislative hi story? \n\n\n\n   18 hours ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n I don't believe POTUS OJ pulled any strings to get Cuomo out. Mamdani had a better message . \n\n\n\n Mamdani didn't win because of his message\, if you look at tur nout \, it is still low and if you look at voting blocks he has serious cu toffs. Mamdani defeated cuomo because cuomo has baggage. It is that simple . In the same way Mamdani has advantages against Eric Adams cause he has b aggage. It is the Obama+AOC mold. \n\n\n\n Person talks alot of stuff. Ge ts elected\, and then the rules and regulations of the bureaucracy force t hem to act against their stated high goals getting electing. Everything Ob ama said he wanted to do didn't happen. AOC's green new deal died. Mamdani if he wins will have to do like all mayors and go to albany and beg the g overnor for taxing powers. the governor will say no because if the governo r does for nyc then the governor will have to do for all the cities in new york state and once done for all once \, it will be demanded every year. so mamdani will not get the ability to tax the rich of nyc. And he knows t his which is why he has already adjusted to healthcare /freeze rent/univer sal childcare. Hochul will be willing to help the healthcare/universal chi ldcare which is part of her platform and most other cities in nyc like. Th e rent freeze is actually under the mayor's complete control and but debla iso rent freezed as well but had many problems with the real estate indust ry or nypd\, which mamdani will also have.  . As my calendrial post showe d\, if you want to have tax law you need to be where mamdani is leaving an d be in the ny assembly\, where he helped lead tax law. Mamdani can not al so protect immigrants\, immigration is a federal level act\, the mayor can do little to protect immigrants and nor can ny state and defying the fede ral government is unwise. \n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   18 hours ago\,  Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n Although I'm not a New Yorker\, I trust Adams bein g in that seat more than I trust this Mamdani dude I know next to nothing about.\n\n\n\n try reading my calendrial post\, it is fully cited to all h is laws\n\n\n\n Mamdani's problem for me is during his tenure he did very little tax law\, and focused on laws that demanded nys or nyc become more in debt by financing things. Then he runs as a candidate in the primary on a promise to protect immigrants from the federal government if elected wh ich the mayor can not do\, tax the rich and give money out to the poor whi ch is powers of new york state which the mayor can not do. \n\n\n\n At th e end of the day\, his campaign is all about identity. he is muslim/ he is born outside the usa/he is \"young\"  and a set of voters see those thin gs and think they come with good strategies or plans and they usually don' t. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11698-if-you-want-to-kn ow-more-about-mamdani/#findComment-74780\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   26 min utes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n As mayor\, Mamdani would be putting press ure on the Democratic governor.  The party would not be in favor of it.\n \n\n\n well not much pressure\, remember if you are mayor of albany/birlin gton/yonkers/buffalo you don't want to tax the rich \, if anything you wan t to lessen the taxes to invite the rich in with their enterprises\, so ho chul will have many mayors against mamdani's call so it will be easy for h er to say no as new york state rarely makes city specific laws. \n\n\n\n   26 minutes ago\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The Democratic party definitel y needs more people with personality\, energy and an agenda resuscitate it .\n\n\n\n well i liked adrienne adams but the problem outside of her being a woman is that she isn't selling anything. adirenne adams says\, she wil l do little things and hat doesn't get the commonly called far left exitec \, they want to hear things that legally don't work. but adrienne adams is n't also trying to court the old bureaucracy\, so she isn't going to say \ , she is in love with nypd. candidates like her exist but neither side of the party of andrew jacksn like her.... \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n  https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11698-if-you-want-to-know-more-about-mamdani /#findComment-74786\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n The problem NYC has is it has outgrown the status of a city. NYC isn't equivalent to Buffalo b ut they each have the same status. Now NYC could try to become a state [it is legal] BUT the remainder of NY state will never vote to allow NYC to b e free from it. At least I don't see that happeneing easily.  The federal dollars NY state gets because of NY city are too precious to give up and the remainder of New York State likes the influence it has on NYC which i may add is usually against NYC's betterment to be blunt. Black people talk about the projects but the original plan from the federal government was to put the projects in upstate new york and never in nyc. But the 99% whit e towns and villages upstate new york complained to high heaven. They did not want the non white/non christian/fiscally poor populace of NYC living next to them. It is that simple and so \, no upstate new york\, but the mo ney was coming to new york and so... put them all in NYC. and the rest of the states rural/small town white populaces followed. People today talk ab out green but part of why the projects were meant to be outside nyc was fo r health\, but again the white people of upstate new york in their 99% tow ns and villages said no. And this is similarly true for Los Angeles or Chi cago or other. And to make it worse when the urban congestion led to infra structure breakdowns in cities\, the same towns that wouldn't accept proje cts next to them were overjoyed to accept jails for people in the city to go to\, which help the tax base of upstate new york city. The black church was happy to support jails away from the black urban populaces but as oft en the black church didn't realize it was hruting the black populace in bi g cities. I don't know how much money the black populace of NYC and other non white populaces have spent on the white towns to see their loved ones in the jails upstate. ....  NYC can try to have a special status made for itself in NY State law but again\, the remainder of NY state would be aga inst that. So NYC has an elemental problem. It has outgrown the status of city cause it really isn't. NYC is a state that has the status of a city. I argue easily\, if NYC was a state all the mayors from Lindsey to Adams w ould had done differently\, but absent the freedom of a state \, and bound to the laws of a city...their are limits. The mayor of NYC is very limite d even though it seems such a powerful post. The governor of NYState reall y is more powerful than the mayor of any city in  New york State. The pro blem with people like AOC or Mamdani is for all of their supposed radicaln ess\, their plans really aren't good. AOC's green new deal was again\, gre at philosophical reading for the people cheering mamdani on now\, but func tionally\, no way. One thing people forget is it isn't uncommon for people to be elected in the usa and then have a negative wake up call to the mec hanics. Remember the tea party\, that sect in the party of abraham lincoln POAL. People remember them but don't remember their most important lesson which many so called socialist or far left liberals learn once elected. T hat the plans you have you didn't fully think through. Great to get electe d. people cheer. Talk about the change is coming and then you get in and r ealize the mechanics of government require more than your one sentence des ires. This isn't easy\, and that is why so many legislatures seem deadlock ed. The tea party realized many other POAL members wouldn't vote to reduce the government size. Sometimes things are needed. The usa has a populace over three hundred millions. that is a lot of mouths. welfare programs can 't be just cut away and while media makes black people the great benefacto rs the truth is white people are. Yeah\, lower the military size but again the usa is in the global policing business which matters when you want to control the price of oil. yeah tax the rich but as newsom tried in califo rnia already\, when you do that the rich left to texas. You can't stop the m from leaving the state. and when they leave what do you tell the workers in the state who relied on this firm? And when the rich are gone are you going to tax the poor? And when the rich are gone\, and the city is going deeper into a debt hole what then? Who do you blame? what do you do? where do you go? Bootstraps\, to what job? and then when people commit illegal acts\, law enforcement? it is a spiral downward.  I really think when it comes to government too many people focus on what they want and not how t o get what they want. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\,\n\n\n\n I don't know if you follow NYC but the battle over the casinos is huge. The realit y is\, everyone in government wants those casinos but the non black commun ities that the potential casino owners want to locate to dont' want them. The years of dumping everything in black regions of the city has left the black regions with no space. The only spaces left is with non black region s who know a casino near where they live will change everything for them f inancially for the worse. rents will skyrocket\, and the regions energy wi ll change. casinos are rife with alot of negativity for all the money they make. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11698-if -you-want-to-know-more-about-mamdani/#findComment-74879\n\n\n\n @ProfD \n \n\n\n Here is the problem with the usa today\, in terms of government\, t he people voting against you offer more help by their existence than your legislative quality. \n\n\n\n As my original post stated [ https://aalbc .com/tc/events/event/363-zohran-mamdani-legislation/ ]  \n\n\n\n Mamdan i' legislative record speaks more to his reality than his speeches. But fo r most in the usa\, speeches have more value and personal identity have mo re value.\n\n\n\n Biden became president because of Schrumpt\, so many vot ed against or not for schrumpt. Ocasico Cortez won because the white guy i n that bronx district was totally disconnected from latino voters who usua lly don't vote. and have dropped in voting after AOC's entry. MAmdani won because Cuomo has many who dislike him and so do Adams\, which gives Mamda n an advantage. \n\n\n\n And this goes both ways. Hillary Clinton was per fect for Schrumpft. And Mamdani is a godsend for every republican who is o n an anti immigrant/ anti north east / pro isolationism stance. MAmdani is the embodiment of that which ttheir voting blocks fears. Nothing Mamdani can prove otherwise cause he will only be at best mayor of NYC \, a positi on of limited power. again\, if he was truly serious about doing good he w ould stay in the assembly but he sees a chance to be the first muslim/asia n/socialist mayor of NYC and that can be very fruitful for him personally. Remember\, england had their first asian prime minister and like MAmdani he talked a talk and then in the bureaucracy faltered. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n @Pioneer1 adams isn't guaranteed to keep the spot. yes the real estate industry\, yes law enforcement\, yes the private fiscal institutions will be able to support adams as an independent\, which is underrated by some. By being an independent adams allows a combination of elephants + donkeys. But Mamdani has a strong crowd in the donkeys. The problem mamdani has is \, he will need to explain how he is going to do a number of his promises and he hasn't. \n\n\n\n It is a race. I don't know why people don't think it isn't a race. The debates will be huge. The one thing in mandani's cam p is what I call a little obama effect. Asians may vote in droves for mamd ani and that may pull him through if he can split all the other votes. \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11698-if-you-want-to-know-mor e-about-mamdani/#findComment-74946\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n How are you going to be the of a city that contains Wall Street and the Diamond District and Park Avenue...but openly say that you don't think billionaires should be allowed?\n\n\n\n Because it is possible. You seem to think Mamdani doesn't fit New York city or NY State or the USA but the USA has a long history of socialism in parts. And more importantly\, MAmdani has an engaged voting group. No not the whole city. I didn't say Mamdani will win\, but MAmdani can win. We will see how the numbers play out. \n\n\n\n   13 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n \n Because he can't.\n\n\n\n well I argue\,  he can explain a plan that can provide more money into new york city\, it can't be taxing the rich ca use he doesn't control that\, the governor or state legislature of new yor k state does  and the legislature will never agree to his tax desires nor will the governor be able to because so many cities in new york state wil l be against\, but the mayor does have powers and i think if he focuses on what mayors can do and proposes a radical agenda\, he can convince and wi n it. But he has to be daring in that way and based on his legislation in the new york state assembly he isn't as daring or radical as some suggest. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   8 hours ago\, ProfD sa id:\n\n\n\n Maybe Mamdani believes he can tap into whatever got former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio elected.\n\n\n\n That was three terms of bloomberg.B loomberg let the NYPD be unpunished for their inefficiency\, and he was a huge advocate for the real estate industry of the city. Those two things g ave bloomberg huge voting supports. NY city has a high end real estate mar ket but people forget how many mid to low end realtors are in the city ful l of black folk/women/asians/muslims and bloomberg aided all of them in th eir agenda against rentors. The NYPD loved that he simply didn't demand be tter of the NYPD whenever they operated poorly. And they voted for bloombe rg as a block. The fact that bloomberg also employed many in the private m edia industry in the city helped. \n\n\n\n BUT\, the rentors of the city hated bloomberg\, the people the NYPD abused and got away with abusing hat ed bloomberg. The public media sector \, independent\, also had issue with bloomberg. So with his third term up\, a huge energy for someone who woul d freeze the rents/tell the NYPD to clean up their act/support the public sector bureaucracies of the city existed and de blasio\, former agent for mayor dinkins was the most aligned candidate to that set. But\, de blasio automatically became enemy to the nypd who hate any mayor calls the nypd w rong. the real estate industry \, high + low end\, hated the rent freeze. and the private sector didn't like the lack of energy for private sector a ctivity so...adams came in. Pro NYPD to the core. supports the real estate industry\, and in that\, supports what I call the black financial aristoc rats of the city who are more in the number than ever before. He did his c ity of yes thing which is a huge rezoning plan that is massive. that gave the real estate industry the ability to slot buildings in every space in t he city\, will allow for more mixed used buildings to save the skyscrapers from being money pits. But\, really isn't addressing the lack of jobs or industry in the city. Which is where mamdani has strength. Mamdani 's base are the just turned adults who are in a city devoid of jobs\, devoid of o pportunity\, and with ever increasing cost of living. The reality is\, eve n if Mamdani losses\, his movement will win in four years with the way the city is being managed. It isn't the fault of anyone past 1980 but many of the big cities in the usa are mismanaged but they have been mismanaged si nce the 1950s. \n\n\n\n NYC used to have every single industry\, used to be a hub for all things\, then came the mid 1900s and the white suburban m ovement and the business flight. Those two things were mismanaged by nyc a nd the other big cities in the usa. So much so that by the 1970s the usa e conomy couldn't survive being based on gold and had to use its own debt as a currency based on its militaristic power to finance itself\, and it wor ked but it is not 2025.  I restate\, MAmdani's campaign isn't about the i ssues that propelled de blasio. Mamdani's campaign is about a legacy of po or fiscal capitalistic management that has come to bite not only nyc but t he greater usa\, it is just that nyc is ahead of the curve. the usa wouldn 't allow black workers into unions or wouldn't allow unions and allowed fi rms to flee the country than deal with unions\, then allowed regions of th e country\, suburbs\, to live like leeches on cities \, who were allowed t o be the dumping ground for all the non white folk as well as all the form er towns folk as the countries industrial labor base was moved over seas f or cheap labor. And now the robot worker era is coming and people already don't have a job but the global financial system means that markets are ba sed on global standings so the rent in the cities can keep rising even if the populace in citiies is more and more unemployed. \n\n\n\n Even Hochul \, the governor\,  tried to make a paycheck go out to all new yorkers  a nd yet so many disliked the idea on all sides. why? the labor outlook isn' t good. The only reason can be the fear some have that the usa will have t o now give monthly paychecks to keep the system of fiscal capitalism afloa t. But did and does not the usa hinder the native american community from owning businesses on reservations? did and does not the usa hinder black t owns/ or regions in cities from owning a business? did and does not the us a hinder many women from equal wages when they are doing the same job? \n \n\n\n The USA through its military scenario before commonly called world war 2 or strength after said war\, has always been able to maintain an int ernally inequal fiscal capitalistic system\, but now in 2025 with the most powerful military\, its internal system needs adjustment and the flexibil ity to change as needed doesn't have a simple legal pathway through. The c onstitution wasn't built with modern usa in mind. It was built assuming on ly white men would be able to have a full life in the usa and all others h ad part lives as the behest of white men. It was built assuming the usa wo uld never be in the business of supporting economies of foreign countries as a side strategy to keep intersoveriegn agreements/arrangements. It was built assuming the usa would never have an immigration policy that allows an open door for the world's fiscal poor. \n\n\n\n so\, Mamdani can win\, but most of what he says he wants to do\,he has no way. He has to adjust his goals\, cause if he doesn't adjust his goals and he wins\, he will joi n AOC + Obama and I find both of them make voters less interested.When you look at obama's exit\, the people who voted eight years ago were not enth used.  I argue the bronx has become worse voting wise since AOC. so... \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250626 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Male Whitephilia 07/05/2025 DTSTAMP:20250705T192051Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:388-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Moments with Mani said\n\n\n\n I have a question for any black man who reads this:\n\n\n\n You guys have a tendency to talk about p ossibly falling in love with a white woman or making statements like “no t all white women are racist”. My question to you is\, do you believe wh ite women will go out of their way to defend you and show the world that y ou’re a good man to their racist/ignorant counterparts?\n\n\n\n I’m no t throwing shots\, I’ve been commonly seeing black men pedestalize white women while downplaying black women over anti black stereotypes for the p ast few years and now I have questions…\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.t umblr.com/momentswithmani/788197731691839488/i-have-a-question-for-any-bla ck-man-who-reads?source=share\n\n\n\n MY ANSWER\n\n\n\n I will be blunt\, no black man I know of offline \, whom I have talked to\, ever talked to m e saying they will possibly fall in love with a white woman or said not al l white women are racist. I have heard black men offline say not all white people are racist. So offline I haven't been privy to the tendencies you have. As online communication is mostly strangers but with a larger popula ce it can not be compared to offline. but in my online life among many mal e black artist I have not read the tendencies you describe.  Now to answe r your question. I have no experience with a white woman at any level of i ntimate and only as distant colleagues. So I have never been in a position to warrant or need a white woman to defend or present me to the greater w hite populace. having said that\, I have seen in NYC\, not all of the USA\ , just NYC\, various individuals from one type of a race defend another in dividual from another type of the same race from a larger populace. I have seen a jew defend a muslim against those in the jewish community suggesti ng said muslim is anti jewish. I have seen a white man defend a black man from claims from many in the white community that said black man is bad. W hat is my point to conclude my answer. I have no reason based on my person al life or what I have seen to believe a white women will defend a black m an's character from various in the white populace claiming otherwise. Is i t possible for a white woman to defend a black man? yes. It is positively probable a white woman will defend a black man's character\, something to bet on\, something  common? no and I argue never. My black environment of fline or online luckily doesn't have a large number of black people who ar e whitephiles.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250705 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 122 DTSTAMP:20250705T011150Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:386-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 122\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n capitalism\n\ n and pent up\n\n preparation\n\n is for\n\n alarm\n\n and drudgery\n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/lucienrising/art/No-Life-1041546840\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n we'll see once they all disperse\n\n feathers dancing in the skies\n \n a radiance that sought by everyone\n\n watch and wait\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/psto1464/art/Falling-Feathers-1041423869\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/t c/search/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\; updated_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https:/ /www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short- story-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo .com/us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginnin g. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Mu rray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/dow nload/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\ n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&a mp\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Ca lendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?me mber=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\; key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 121 DTSTAMP:20250705T010252Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:385-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 121\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n and i'm not t errified\, i'm just a puddle\n\n down where the sadness accumulates\n\n an d gray endless clouds\n\n that runs in the family and lacks a proper diagn osis\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/pineliquor/art/it-rains-on-the-dark-si de-of-the-moon-1041047198\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you sit too long and stew\ n\n Getting cussed out by imaginary rabbits\n\n Take your rave\, and the h eck ou\n\n Otherwise\, I won't get anywhere\n\n Please stop\, make it stop \n\n Call the church\, set up the cross\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/pst o1464/art/Dust-Bunnies-1040791098\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=cento& \;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;updated_after=any& \;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/e book/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series \n\n ht tps://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-l ast-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/ric hard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the i nternet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I hav e to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\ n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&am p\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939fae a9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calendar\n\n webcal://a albc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b 0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/eve nts/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5 408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250913 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 120 DTSTAMP:20250705T005746Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:384-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 120\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Both financia lly and mentally.\n\n I have been in that place before\,\n\n However\, one may not be aware\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/princeoffire/art/Getting- a-Move-On-1040426378\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Vile demons smashing Heaven\,\n\n And Gathers to it\n\n Impossible\,\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/artbymor gancmorgan/art/It-Is-Not-Poetry-and-Art-1020087988\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN A MENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/se arch/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;upda ted_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www .kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epu b series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-stor y-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/e n/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you real ly want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. L ike alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of t imes\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray 's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/downloa d/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\; key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calend ar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member =6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key= 9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250906 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 119 DTSTAMP:20250705T005622Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:383-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 119\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n thaw out my h eart\n\n you’d better be warned:\n\n Have I appeased you?\n\n https://ww w.deviantart.com/enzymedevice/art/2024-Day-7-It-s-a-Spa-1040247335\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n wishing to drink the sun\n\n cherubins hidden in the rusty spo kes\n\n gathering dust and sprinkles of night\n\n https://www.deviantart.c om/lorian-aindal/art/The-Wheel-1040629339\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\ n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=c ento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;updated_after =any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub l ink\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series  \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collec tion\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiob ook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/s eries/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with ma ny I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, w hat I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?membe r=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https: //aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0d bd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calendar\n\n w ebcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&am p\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.c om/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd49 39faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250830 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 118 DTSTAMP:20250705T005519Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:382-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 118\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Me\n\n in the sky\n\n For a few minutes\,\n\n a midday night\,\n\n of the sun.\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/mysticalpoet/art/Eclipse-1040341342\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n the fruits of your wickedness as\n\n my broken\, patchwork soul and\n\ n all but you was dead\n\n because\n\n insidious little lies\n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/ink-singer/art/liar-liar-liar-afire-1039215153\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;no des=5&\;updated_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\ n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or -more-1\n\n Epub series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-mu rray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://ww w.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https ://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my ca lendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from t he beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkc alendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\ n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?me mber=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's C ommunity Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/d ownload/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member =6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250823 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 117 DTSTAMP:20250705T005420Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:381-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 117\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n shall\n\n raz ing\n\n my stones\n\n turns\n\n my rot\n\n coiled about\n\n nightmares\n\n moonlight\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/lucienrising/art/What-Didn-t-Kil l-Me-1039938337\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n i must say goodbye\n\n inside the utter center\n\n my pen in the other hand\n\n in the cathedral\n\n https://www. deviantart.com/anthony-ryan/art/letting-go-988791480\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/ search/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;up dated_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://w ww.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n E pub series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-st ory-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us /en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.c om/us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you re ally want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wi sh I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, li ke with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murr ay's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/downl oad/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477& \;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Cale ndar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?memb er=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;ke y=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250816 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 116 DTSTAMP:20250705T005220Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:380-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 116\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n motionless ho rror\n\n covering the wall\n\n made of decay and desire\n\n your love\n\n in  the emptiness of silence\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/lorian-aindal /art/Honeycomb-Delight-1039551796\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n blooming in me with b eautiful tenebrae\n\n I drag it out to commit atrocities\n\n swallowing th e light with toothed jaws\n\n selection from  ivers of misguided paths\n\ n https://www.deviantart.com/lorian-aindal/art/Tenebrae-1040045927\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;n odes=5&\;updated_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry- or-more-1\n\n Epub series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard- murray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https:// www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n htt ps://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearl y when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n \n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmwor kcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\ n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/? member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar /download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n o r\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?memb er=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250809 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 115 DTSTAMP:20250705T003241Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:379-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 115\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But a monster I am\, let it not be said.\n\n So a vigilant statue I remain\n\n Warm and full of dreams.\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/midn1ghtink/art/The-Import ance-of-Being-Jack-NaPo24-7-1039850067\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n wishing I am not in the very town I had\n\n none of my seventeen-year-old worries seem to\ n\n wished to escape.\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/starrystarrysky7267/a rt/departure-1039901996\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=cento&\;quick=1& amp\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;updated_after=any&\;sortby=n ewest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richa rd-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://ww w.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series \n\n https://www. kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\ n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murra y-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calen dar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started u sing. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say i s repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal ://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0 dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/even ts/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174 d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/t c/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939fa ea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmco mmunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d960 1d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250802 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 114 DTSTAMP:20250705T003135Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:378-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 114\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n they don't un derstand\n\n the inevitable\n\n and never quite\n\n the inevitable\n\n htt ps://www.deviantart.com/writingbubble/art/NaPo2024-2-1039619236\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n 'Love' is coming out of my mouth\,\n\n as we both see just where this goes.\n\n or pull you from other men.\n\n the neglect just made you w etter.\n\n Hungry\, like I’m the main course.\n\n https://www.deviantart .com/xyron7777777/art/Trysts-1039922151\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\ n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=cen to&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;updated_after=a ny&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www.kobo.com/u s/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub lin k\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series \ n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collectio n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook /the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/seri es/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would ha d used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Cal endar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6 477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://a albc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4 939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calendar\n\n webc al://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\; key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939f aea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250726 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 113 DTSTAMP:20250705T003014Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:377-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 113\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Watching chir ping robins\, and drinking chai.\n\n Men of science understandably dismiss \n\n The lonely dead barely see through the veil\,\n\n https://www.deviant art.com/white-rose-brian/art/Night-of-the-Lonely-Dead-1039093444\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  I’m cured by what kills\,\n\n while alone with my thoughts\ ,\n\n My alleviation?\n\n You called me malicious\,\n\n https://www.devian tart.com/xyron7777777/art/Inconsistency-1039624776\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN A MENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/se arch/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;upda ted_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www .kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epu b series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-stor y-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/e n/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you real ly want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. L ike alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of t imes\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray 's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/downloa d/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\; key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Community Calend ar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member =6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key= 9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250719 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 112 DTSTAMP:20250705T002849Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:376-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 112\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n With promises of\n\n Your preferred apology\n\n To unlock inside each other\n\n https:/ /www.deviantart.com/whiterosewhispers/art/Fire-and-Ice-1032411242\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n when that hush of the universe\n\n for the coming and the depar ted\n\n present myself a garden of irony\n\n eons will pass so inevitably\ n\n ...\n\n between the lines of my favorite poem\n\n all the lines you tr ace on my skin\n\n of everything i thought was true\n\n is finally enough to make time\n\n of all the times i twisted into you\n\n https://www.devia ntart.com/zoeweems/art/eulogy-of-the-willow-tree-1038699808\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc. com/tc/search/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5& amp\;updated_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n ht tps://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more- 1\n\n Epub series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-s hort-story-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo .com/us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www .kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendar s. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beg inning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I start ed\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richa rd Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalenda r/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6 477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Communi ty Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/downloa d/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477& amp\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250712 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 111 DTSTAMP:20250705T002710Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:375-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 111\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n like the drea m of a wretch\n\n until death do us part.\n\n it’s nothing. hear nothing .\n\n you love me.\n\n has thresholds.\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/enzy medevice/art/2024-Day-4-nugatory-object-being-struck-1038783934\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n I water both wasteland and weed\n\n Doubting all promises of like lihood\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/squibblyquill/art/Showers-1036882554 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=cento&\;quick=1&\;type=ca lendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;updated_after=any&\;sortby=newest\n\n En joy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/richard-murray-ce ntos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/u s/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/ en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/the-last-flail\n\n Audioboo k series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-tip-jar-au dios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing pleas e subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool wit h all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't reall y think on it when I started\, like with many I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, what I have to say is repeats fr om yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com /tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9 d5408174d9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkc alendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\ n Richard Murray's Community Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-r mcommunitycalendar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d 9601d576\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalen dar/download/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250705 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The One Big Beautiful Bill 07/03/2025 in various ways DTSTAMP:20250704T105901Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:373-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Here is a summary\, full video reading\, link to the comp lete text as a pdf\, text block\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FULL VIDEO READING\n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FULL PDF  TEXT 940 pages\, get a cup of coffee\n\ n\n\n https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/the_one_big_beautiful_bi ll_act.pdf\n\n\n\n if the government deletes you can find it on my public storage\n\n\n\n https://1drv.ms/b/c/ea9004809c2729bb/EbZDmeqlfntGiGn1E02IY ZEBOO1r6iFbHDCHZ9IBK91SuA?e=EfDQLO\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Full Text a s a video\, you can stop and start or scroll back and forth\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n \n\n SUMMARY- biased from the Associated Press\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n What's in Trump's big bill that passed Congress and will soon become law\nStory by KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Repub licans muscled President Donald Trump's tax and spending cut bill through the House on Thursday\, the final step necessary to get the bill to his de sk by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of July 4th.\n\nAt nearly 900 pages\ , the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks\, spending cuts and other Republican priorities\, including new money for national defense and deportations.\n\nDemocrats united against the legislation\, but were powerless to stop it as long as Republicans stayed united. The Senate pass ed the bill\, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. T he House passed an earlier iteration of the bill in May with just one vote to spare. It passed the final version 218-214.\n\nHere's the latest on wh at's in the bill and when some of its provisions go into effect.\n\nRepubl icans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increas e after December when tax breaks from Trump's first term expire. The legis lation contains about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts.\n\nThe existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill\, solidifying the tax cuts approved in Trump's first term.\n\nIt temporarily would add new tax d eductions on tip\, overtime and auto loans. There's also a $6\,000 deducti on for older adults who earn no more than $75\,000 a year\, a nod to his p ledge to end taxes on Social Security benefits.\n\nIt would boost the $2\, 000 child tax credit to $2\,200. Millions of families at lower income leve ls would not get the full credit.\n\nA cap on state and local deductions\, called SALT\, would quadruple to $40\,000 for five years. It's a provisio n important to New York and other high tax states\, though the House wante d it to last for 10 years.\n\nThere are scores of business-related tax cut s\, including allowing businesses to immediately write off 100% of the cos t of equipment and research. Proponents say this will boost economic growt h.\n\nThe wealthiest households would see a $12\,000 increase from the leg islation\, and the bill would cost the poorest people $1\,600 a year\, mai nly due to reductions in Medicaid and food aid\, according to the nonparti san Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House's version.\n\nThe bi ll would provide some $350 billion for Trump's border and national securit y agenda\, including for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for 100\,000 migr ant detention facility beds\, as he aims to fulfill his promise of the lar gest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.\n\nMoney would go for hir ing 10\,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers\, with $10\,0 00 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers\, as well. The go al is to deport some 1 million people per year.\n\nTo help pay for it\, im migrants would face various new fees\, including when seeking asylum prote ctions.\n\nFor the Pentagon\, the bill would provide billions for ship bui lding\, munitions systems\, and quality of life measures for servicemen an d women\, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome mi ssile defense system. The Defense Department would have $1 billion for bor der security.\n\nTo help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spendi ng\, Republicans aim to cut back on Medicaid and food assistance for peopl e below the poverty line.\n\nRepublicans argue they are trying to rightsiz e the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve\, mainly pregnant women\, the disabled and children\, and root ou t what they describe as waste\, fraud and abuse.\n\nThe package includes n ew 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid an d food stamps\, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 1 4 and older would have to meet the program’s work requirements.\n\nThere 's also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients usin g Medicaid services.\n\nMore than 71 million people rely on Medicaid\, whi ch expanded under Obama's Affordable Care Act\, and 40 million use the Sup plemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most already work\, according to a nalysts.\n\nThe Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million mo re Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill became law and 3 m illion more would not qualify for food stamps\, also known as SNAP benefit s.\n\nRepublicans are looking to have states pick up some of the cost for SNAP benefits. Currently\, the federal government funds all benefit costs. Under the bill\, states beginning in 2028 will be required to contribute a set percentage of those costs if their payment error rate exceeds 6%. Pa yment errors include both underpayments and overpayments.\n\nBut the Senat e bill temporarily delays the start date of that cost-sharing for states w ith the highest SNAP error rates. Alaska has the highest error rate in the nation at nearly 25%\, according to Department of Agriculture data. Sen. Lisa Murkowski\, R-Alaska\, had fought for the exception. She was a decisi ve vote in getting the bill through the Senate.\n\nRepublicans are proposi ng to dramatically roll back tax breaks designed to boost clean energy pro jects fueled by renewable sources such as energy and wind. The tax breaks were a central component of President Joe Biden's 2022 landmark bill focus ed on addressing climate change and lowering health care costs.\n\nDemocra tic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden went so far as to call the GOP provisions a “d eath sentence for America’s wind and solar industries and an inevitable hike in utility bills.”\n\nA tax break for people who buy new or used el ectric vehicles would expire on Sept. 30 of this year\, instead of at the end of 2032 under current law.\n\nMeanwhile\, a tax credit for the product ion of critical materials will be expanded to include metallurgical coal u sed in steelmaking.\n\nA number of extra provisions reflect other GOP prio rities.\n\nThe bill creates a new children's savings program\, called Trum p Accounts\, with a potential $1\,000 deposit from the Treasury.\n\nThe Se nate provided $40 million to establish Trump’s long-sought “National G arden of American Heroes.”\n\nThere's a new excise tax on university end owments and a new tax on remittances\, or transfers of money that people i n the U.S. send abroad. The tax is equal to 1% of the transfer.\n\nA $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated .\n\nOne provision bars for one year Medicaid payments to family planning providers that provide abortions\, namely Planned Parenthood.\n\nAnother s ection expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act\, a hard-fought pro vision from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri\, for those impacted by nucle ar development and testing.\n\nBillions would go for the Artemis moon miss ion and for the exploration of Mars\, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee.\n\nAdditionally\, a provision would increase the nation's debt limit\, by $5 trillion\, to allow contin ued borrowing to pay already accrued bills.\n\nThe Senate overwhelmingly r evolted against a proposal meant to deter states from regulating artificia l intelligence. Republican governors across the country asked for the mora torium to be removed and the Senate voted to do so with a resounding 99-1 vote.\n\nA provision was thrown in at the final hours that will provide $1 0 billion annually to rural hospitals for five years\, or $50 billion in t otal. The Senate bill had originally provided $25 billion for the program\ , but that number was upped to win over holdout GOP senators and a coaliti on of House Republicans warning that reduced Medicaid provider taxes would hurt rural hospitals.\n\nThe amended bill also stripped out a new tax on wind and solar projects that use a certain percentage of components from C hina.\n\nAltogether\, the Congressional Budget Office projects that the bi ll would increase federal deficits over the next 10 years by nearly $3.3 t rillion from 2025 to 2034.\n\nOr not\, depending on how one does the math. \n\nSenate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already “cur rent policy.” Republican senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairm an has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach.\n\nUn der the alternative Senate GOP view\, the bill would reduce deficits by al most half a trillion dollars over the coming decade\, the CBO said.\n\nDem ocrats say this is “magic math” that obscures the true costs of the ta x breaks. Some nonpartisan groups worried about the country's fiscal traje ctory are siding with Democrats in that regard. The Committee for a Respon sible Federal Budget says Senate Republicans were employing an “accounti ng gimmick that would make Enron executives blush.”\n\n\n\n\n\n URL\n\n\ n\n https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/whats-in-trumps-big-bill-that- passed-congress-and-will-soon-become-law/ar-AA1HVdHv?ocid=BingNewsSerp\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250703 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My only and maybe first Scam Post DTSTAMP:20250703T041919Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:370-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A Contest With Prizes - Best Fake Scam\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Entry\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I really love your artwork. But I don't know if you have the courage to be a daring artist. I have been hired by collec ttrumpcards to get artist of quality and daring to help finance the Presid ents causes through 2026 /2027/2028 Trump digital trading cards. If your c ard garners enough wealth for the presidents fight to free the American pe ople from the shackles of immigrant agents trying to fill the government o r traitors of the usa who have forgotten the hard work of their forebears who built the land of the free\, you will get a trip to Mar A Lago and be one of the few who learns of the presidents plans to continue leadership a fter January 20th 2029. Draw America Great Again!\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https ://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1213837071/5219835412                                                       \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250702 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Granting to Evil \, circa the film Sinners from Coogler DTSTAMP:20250702T130257Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:369-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n someone asked\n\n\n\n Sinners - Evil Cannot happen withou t your consent...true or false\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the following is my reply\n\n\n\n Well... as a writer...\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n when I look at Coogler + Peele\, the two most commercially successful black writer-di rectors in the last twenty years [commercial success defined as profit ear ned from films\, not creative assessment] both make one and done films\, n o sequels. Both don't go into deep public analysis of their films\, let au diences make assessment videos. Both tell stories dealing with the black e xperience having global implications but from a personal space. They remin d me of August wilson's plays where the outer world is present\, potent bu t the plays setting is a small black space.\n\n\n\n Get Out- Black man tak ing white woman to see her clan.\n\n\n\n US-Black family on a vacation to country house\n\n\n\n Nope- Black siblings on a ranch\n\n\n\n Sinners- Bla ck blues joint in the south\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Booth Peele + Coogler's mov ies have aspects of spirituality[ The sunken place\, the doppelganger\, th e horse whisperer\, Hoodoo] . Religion by name is a spirituality tied to a   book. Spirituality is anything involving the spirit of a person \, rega rdless of whether that involvement is technological [ psychological tools\ , cloning]\, a skill[communicating to nonhumans\, horses or aliens] \, a s pecific tradition passed down[ hoodoo] \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When I think of \n\n\n\n Within our gates from oscar micheaux [ written and directed]\ n\n\n\n blood of jesus from spencer williams [ written and directed] \n\n \n\n Ceddo + Emitai from Ousmane Sembene [ written and directed] \n\n\n\n Daughters of the Dust from julie dash [ written and directed] \n\n\n\n T he reality is most Black writer-directors tend to make historical fictions or historical dramas [Malcolm/Boyz in the hood/Black girl/Superfly/dead p residents/down in the delta(I can't believe maya angelou didn't edit or ma nipulate it) or similar]. But the works of Peele + Coogler follow the lea st traveled road of said list of artist using worlds with fantasy elements .[ may it be science fiction or spiritual heritage] And that harkens back to the classic Black descended of enslaved storytelling or heritages from before the war between the states\, championed by Zora Neale Hurston. \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Now to answer the question you asked  \"Evil Cannot happ en without your consent\" in the context of the film sinners. \n\n\n\n We ll\, one thing \, we don't know how the white vampires were made? The film doesn't go into in great detail nor does it need to. All we know is the l ead white vampire is old\, their are rules. But as the black twins prove\, the goodness of ones actions is not bounded to humanity. Vampires can be good as his twin proves at the end\, if you define goodness by non verbal actions and not race[whether race is defined as a categorization or rankin g or order based on religion/language/gender/blood lineage/phenotype or ap pearance/age/philosophical adherence/ or other determinant].  To restate Vampires are not inherently evil in the film\, thus their entry into a pla ce can not be deemed welcoming evil\,  if you take the whole story into a ccount. In parallel\, in the film humans are not inherently good. And the KKK are not coming with the consent of the juke joint.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n So from my point of view\,  in the film itself\,  your question is n ot answered.\n\n\n\n And what is the contrapositive to your question. Good can happen with your consent? Well define good. Are humans good while vam pires evil? is goodness defined by non verbal action. but can't one action be deemed good or evil based on its specifics. \n\n\n\n OR about the opp osite. Good cannot happen without your consent? again define good \n\n\n\ n and in my view Coogler isn't offering viewpoints but not being ironclad in opinions. Steinfeld some say is yella\, some say is white\, by one drop is black\, but their is a long heritage of blacks in the usa who are visi bly white ala Charles W. Chesnutt. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Away from writing. ...\n\n\n\n Your posiiton as a black christian\, i find thought provoking. I am not christian\, but my views on black christianity are various. If I have one wish for black christians\, it is for black christians to accept the many branches of black christianity\, which I don't think black chris tians tend to do. But to your question\, Evil Cannot happen without your c onsent\,  I think based on your definitions\, the answer is yes. \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n For me\, away from writing\, the first question for me is alw ays elements in the question. What is good? what is evil? what is consent?  \n\n\n\n I comprehend positivity or negativity. I know what can be mostl y positive or mostly negative\, but nothing in my mind is all negative or all positive. and for me what people refer to as good is a supposed all po sitive\, or evil is a supposed all negative. And I prefer to use the word grant over consent. What is granted is complicated. Sometimes one is grant ing things absent their knowledge or awareness\, the raising of children p roves this. \n\n\n\n Philosophically or spiritually\, I  can only answer your question\,   Evil Cannot happen without your consent\, once it is restructured with more definition to what is evil or what is consent.\n\n\ n\n If you ask me\, Vampires cannot interact to non vampires absent non va mpirical grant? I will say no because Vampires I define as any creature th at absorbs leechlike from another. Do the gnomes who suck souls require gr ants? Do the succubi require grants? I don't think so to either. Some type s of Vampires do but not all. \n\n\n\n If you ask me\, those with negativ e intent cannot happen absent anothers grant? I will say not usually. Nega tive intent can be from many and rarely requires the targets permission.  \n\n\n\n If you ask me\, can human blood craving Vampires enter the home o f others absent a grant? I say both. historically from ancient times\, som e of said vampires have been blockaded from entering the homes of others \ , not all but some\, arguably many. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n URL\n\n\n\n https ://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11705-sinners-evil-cannot-happen-without-your-consen ttrue-or-false/#findComment-74893\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250702 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Fulgurantess fighting DJ Komax DTSTAMP:20250701T205551Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:368-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Fulgurantess fighting DJ Komax\n\n\n\n Prior Fulguran tess\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/The-Fulgurantess-mix edmedia-1172385423\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Prior DJ Komax\n\n\n\n https://www.d eviantart.com/hddeviant/art/DJ-KOmax-Color-me-club-kaiju-1210712704\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n for the The Draw It Again Improvement Contest\n\n\n\n \n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Draw-Me-Again-Duo-color-1213279251\ n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250701 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Fulgurantess in ancient kemet see DJ KOmax 07/01/2025 DTSTAMP:20250701T205243Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:367-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Fulgurantess traveling back to ancient Kemet see DJ K omax causing trouble in the distance.\n\n\n\n Multi image work\n\n\n\n 1. Fulgurantes viewing Completed work\n\n\n\n 2. Fulgurantes viewing color ve rsion\n\n\n\n 3. Fulgurantes viewing Black and white version\n\n\n\n 4. Wh at Fulgurantess view whole\n\n\n\n 5. DJ Komax color\n\n\n\n 6. DJ Komax b lack and white\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art /1213276520\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250701 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:what do I think of what is commonly called A.I. ? DTSTAMP:20250630T183729Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:366-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Troy [ https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/9056-troy/ ]  asked the following\n\n\n\n @richardmurray What do you think about the prolife ration of AI generated art and content?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY ANSWER\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\n Well... I will break up your question first\, because the ever growing use of synthography \, from corporate or personal use\, influence ranges. \n\n\n\n So \, I restructure your question\, wha t do I think about the ever growing use of synthography in the following e nvironments or scenarios: leisure artistic activity \, tool to assist huma n labors\, fiscal artistic activity\, human artistic output overall\,human communication overall?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In terms of leisure artistic ac tivity\, I think synthography has been a blessing for many. Now without ne eding to pay an artist or without needing to learn a skill of illustration \, one can get emulations  that satisfy what they want to see. many of my fellow artist have suffered a financial blow because of this and hate syn thography but I don't see it that way. And I will be blunt\, synthography today is what the photograph was. Not every black person could paint or co uld afford to hire a painter but when the photograph became more commonpla ce \, for many black people who saw daily illustrations of black people th at were some form of negativity\, the photograph was a blessing. Black peo ple still learned how to paint or paid for paintings/sculpture but the pho tograph meant you didn't need the illustrator to see yourself while also h aving an affordable tool to do it and that is what synthography is today. I see how many black people especially black women get to create positive/ flattering depictions of black women free from the white owned media or bl ack owned commercial media's creations. Have i created less since synthogr aphy's recent growth in use? no. I am still creating[illustrations/literat ure] quite a bit.  Are some artist disheartened? yes. But the key is how you approach being an artist. I don't need people to buy my work or for my work to be considered some quality level for me to like it and embrace it . The most popular comic book is sponge bob which most artist have the ski lls to draw right now. The artist who cognize the illustrations non artist can make with these computer programs in synthography have to realize the ir self worth better and embrace people\, in a humanity where media is own ed by a few people or groups\, get to see made what they want. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n As a tool to assist labors\, it has been a blessing for many. S ynthography tools are helping elders who are alone in this world have aids to remember. It is helping children who will never be the fastest of mind or foot have tools to aid them in learning or movement. It is helping the impoverished/poor/upper poor to have tools to aid them that they don't ha ve the money to afford. For filing tedious or complicated paperwork\, to m aking graphics for their websites\, to making essays it is helping aid peo ple. No one is forced to use. I only use deviantart dreamup. I have never used chatgpt\, or google synthographic system. I used the microsoft system to manipulate the most recent book reviews I made because it was necessar y to fit your demand. It had nothing to do with me. If I owned a magazine I would use my own grammatical + syntactical interpretation for whatever I wrote.   I have never used various synthographic tools and i only use d eviantart dreamup because as a senior member I get a monthly usage for fre e so I want to use it up as I hate waste and they don't collate the uses. Sadly while honestly\, I rarely have used up a months uses and iti s going on over two years old\, but\, I am no synthographer. So people are free t o use what tools they want. I am content with my mind\, my abilities\, my comprehension. if I need to I will use synthography to adjust my work tobe accepted by those that demand. I don't see it as a problem. I am not chan ged. I think some people are easily peer pressured into doing things. I am not. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For fiscal artistic activity\, people still buy vinyl records and more and more are getting made or sold. Some artists ha ve already realized what I said years ago and create whole works in the pu blic view . So\, making money making art is going strong in many sectors. The real revenue stream being hurt by synthographic tools are literary or illustrative commission work for unknown artist. Big time artist arguably have risen in value. I know an artist who makes beautiful work in the cont inent.. africa\,  and she makes a living\, but she is known she has clien ts. they know she will make something by hand and that is enough \, she do es. and the challenge is for artist to find different venues\,and they exi st. Use your imagination.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For human artistic output ove rall\, synthography hasn't damaged anything and added the synthographer to the list of artist. The reason people play fewer instruments today is bef ore recorded music\, the only way to hear music was if someone played so t heir was a financial labor involved and so many played instruments\, but w hen recorded music came in and even in the earliest time where it was scra tchy or expensive\, the ability to play at any time was huge and as the qu ality improved\, people chose the recording over the live for most. Again popular folk were fine and making even more money with recording of them. But\, nothing demanded horn players throw their horns away\, nothing. Huma n beings poor rearing tells them to throw away that which isn't making mon ey\, as if they lost value cause no one was paying\, and this is the same challenge today. Find ways to make money not using your art + keep creatin g art. That was the challenge of musicians in the late 1800s with musical recordings and the various artist today with returns from computer program s. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For human communication overall\, the flaw is huma n beings. During the sars cov 2 lockdown\, France gave each french child t hree hundred euros which is like four hundred and fifty dollars then to pa y for artistic content\, the money couldn't be used to buy jewelry or clot hes but books/music and what did most french kids buy? manga. \n\n\n\n Wh at is my point? the usa heritage \, what it carries\, or culture\, what is grows from the declaration of independence to two thousand and twenty fiv e has always been negative in majority. yes\, the usa has a positive indiv idual heritage that gives freedom for an individual to act freely of a col lective. Yes\, the usa isn't inherently tied to one heritage or culture wh ich is what many \, maybe most whites in modernity\, are fighting to prove not true. But overall the usa has a negative heritage or culture and in t erms of human communication\, the usa tops the negative list. The usa has many parents\, and mostly not black ones\, who inundate children into elec tronic technology. I will be blunt\, when I went to college no one cheated more than asian students\, regardless of their phenottpye [white far east asian\, mulatto south east asian\, black south west asian]\,  and asian children are usually tech addicts beyond black non asian[africa/caribbean/ D.O.S.] children. i have seen asian children in the usa. the media treats them differently than they are on average. But the tech addiction parents\ , of all races [phenotype/religion/language/ or other] I have seen in NYC put on children is parents fault. You teach children not to think and then get angry when they rely on the crutch you told them to use\, you pushed them to use. As for the internet\, again\, whose fault is it that people r eact to everything they see or hear. Stop reacting\, calm down\, check sou rces. I bet the people who are being born today will use the internet so d ifferently. I have three main sites: aalbc/deviantart/tumblr and I use ema il for communication where I have many filters\, which many people foolish ly never did with their emails. deviantart is all arts: illustration/writi ng/photography/synthography/sculpture/fractals/ and more whether not safe for work or where the whole clan can view without unsettling. aalbc I have my groups each with an agenda\, programming/calendrial existence/old lite rature \, I sometimes chime in on the forum to discourse. tumblr\, have so me small communities of black artist and I have a soccer blog. the only th ing I do that relates to the larger media is soccer. and I rarely share me dia posts that are unconfirmed. so I am content online. I have been from t he beginning but it goes back to rearing and habits. I don't follow others \, nor do I feel I have to do what everyone else does\, but that comes fro m my rearing by my two black happily married  parents. I like myself. \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11658-what-my-google-dashboar d-just-taught-me-from-aliccia-mccalla/#findComment-74839\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250630 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CENTO Series episode 110 DTSTAMP:20250629T085258Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:365-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CENTO Series episode 110\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n what do you s ee?\n\n by the brilliance of our own stars\n\n here  with all our tears\n \n https://www.deviantart.com/ink-singer/art/all-that-glitters-isn-t-gold- 1038502453\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The groove\n\n of yours of knots and tugs an d shame\,\n\n right now will save today\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/mid n1ghtink/art/Cat-s-Cradle-NaPo24-4-1038586302\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\ n\n\n\n Cento List - enjoy the poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?q=c ento&\;quick=1&\;type=calendar_event&\;nodes=5&\;updated_after =any&\;sortby=newest\n\n Enjoy the 2023 Centos\n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/ebook/richard-murray-centos-2023\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Epub l ink\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Epub series  \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collec tion\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audiobook link\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiob ook/the-last-flail\n\n Audiobook series \n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/s eries/richard-murray-tip-jar-audios\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you really want to follow what I am doing please subscribe to my calendars. I wish I would had used the calendar tool with all my work from the beginning. Like alot of the internet I didn't really think on it when I started\, like with ma ny I just started using. Why do we create linearly when a lot of times\, w hat I have to say is repeats from yesteryear. \n\n Richard Murray's Work Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/5-rmworkcalendar/download/?membe r=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n Richard Murray's Comm unity Calendar\n\n webcal://aalbc.com/tc/events/7-rmcommunitycalendar/down load/?member=6477&\;key=9b0dbd4939faea9d5408174d9601d576\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250628 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Japanese Twitter Killer DTSTAMP:20250627T223637Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:364-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Japan executes man dubbed the \"Twitter killer\,\" convic ted serial killer who murdered and dismembered 9 people\n\n\n\n Japan on F riday executed a man dubbed the \"Twitter killer\" who murdered and dismem bered nine people he met online\, in the nation's first enactment of the d eath penalty since 2022.\n\n\n\n Takahiro Shiraishi\, 34\, was hanged for killing his young victims\, all but one of whom were women\, after contact ing them on the social media platform now called X.\n\n\n\n He had targete d users who posted about taking their own life\, telling them he could hel p them in their plans\, or even die alongside them.\n\n\n\n According to t he BBC\, his Twitter profile contained the words: \"I want to help people who are really in pain. Please DM [direct message] me anytime.\"\n\n\n\n H e killed the three teenage girls and five women after raping them. He also killed the boyfriend of one of the women to silence him\, The Associated Press reported.\n\n\n\n Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said Shiraishi's c rimes\, carried out in 2017\, included \"robbery\, rape\, murder ... destr uction of a corpse and abandonment of a corpse.\"\n\n\n\n \"Nine victims w ere beaten and strangled\, killed\, robbed\, and then mutilated with parts of their bodies concealed in boxes\, and parts discarded in a garbage dum p\,\" Suzuki told reporters in Tokyo.\n\n\n\n Nine dismembered bodies were found in coolers and tool boxes when officers visited his flat\, which wa s dubbed by media outlets as a \"house of horrors\,\" the BBC reported.\n\ n\n\n Shiraishi acted to satisfy \"his own sexual and financial desires\" and the murders \"caused great shock and anxiety to society\,\" Suzuki sai d.\n\n\n\n \"After much careful consideration\, I ordered the execution.\" \n\n\n\n Japan and the United States are the only two G7 countries to stil l use capital punishment\, and there is strong support for the practice am ong the Japanese public\, surveys show.\n\n\n\n There was one execution in 2022\, three in 2021\, three in 2019 and 15 in 2018\, the justice ministr y told AFP.\n\n\n\n Shiraishi was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murde rs of his nine victims\, aged between 15 and 26.\n\n\n\n After luring them to his small home near the capital\, he stashed parts of their bodies aro und the apartment in coolers and toolboxes sprinkled with cat litter in a bid to hide the evidence.\n\n\n\n His lawyers had argued Shiraishi should receive a prison sentence rather than be executed because his victims had expressed suicidal thoughts and so had consented to die.\n\n\n\n But a jud ge dismissed that argument\, calling Shiraishi's crimes \"cunning and crue l\,\" reports said at the time.\n\n\n\n \"The dignity of the victims was t rampled upon\,\" the judge had said\, adding that Shiraishi had preyed upo n people who were \"mentally fragile.\"\n\n\n\n The grisly murders were di scovered in autumn 2017 by police investigating the disappearance of a 23- year-old woman who had reportedly tweeted about wanting to kill herself.\n \n\n\n Her brother gained access to her Twitter account and eventually led police to Shiraishi's residence\, where investigators found dismembered b ody parts.\n\n\n\n Executions are always done by hanging in Japan\, where around 100 death row prisoners are waiting for their sentences to be carri ed out.\n\n\n\n Nearly half are seeking a retrial\, Suzuki said Friday.\n\ n\n\n Executions are carried out in secrecy\, where prisoners are not even informed of their fate until the morning of their hanging\, according to the AP.\n\n\n\n Japanese law stipulates that executions must be carried ou t within six months of a verdict after appeals are exhausted.\n\n\n\n In r eality\, however\, most inmates are left on tenterhooks in solitary confin ement for years\, and sometimes decades.\n\n\n\n There is widespread criti cism of the system and the government's lack of transparency over the prac tice.\n\n\n\n Shiraishi's execution was the first under Prime Minister Shi geru Ishiba's administration\, the Japan Times reported.\n\n\n\n In 2022\, Tomohiro Kato was hanged for an attack that killed seven people in 2008\, when he rammed a rented two-ton truck into a crowd in Tokyo and went on a stabbing spree.\n\n\n\n The high-profile executions of the guru Shoko Asa hara and 12 former members of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult took place i n 2018.\n\n\n\n Aum Shinrikyo orchestrated the 1995 sarin gas attacks on T okyo's subway system\, killing 14 people and sickening thousands more.\n\n \n\n If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisi s\, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). \n\n\n\n For more information about mental health care resources and suppo rt\, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reache d Monday through Friday\, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET\, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) o r email info@nami.org.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Takahiro Shiraishi covers his face inside a police car in Tokyo\, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 2017 and released by Kyodo December 15\, 2020. KYODO / REUTERS\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n URL\n\n\n\n https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-executes-twitter-kille r-takahiro-shiraishi-serial-killer/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250627 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Israel unilaterally struck Iran 06/12/2025 DTSTAMP:20250613T023205Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:330-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n Israel has committed a war prompting action ag ainst Iran. Shooting all these missiles at Tehran is an act of war. So... who does what is the next question. If Iran does nothing\, they could impl ode from the inside. Iran has to act militarily. From the post below\, man y in the government in the USA are willing to let Israel and Iran have it out. Saudi Arabia + United Arab Emirates + Qatar + Iraq are between Israel versus Iran so all of them will have to act in one way or another. \n\n\ n\n Netanyahu has put a very dangerous card forward. I know he wants to pr eserve israel with him at the head of it. This can be a win if the USA/Sau di Arabia/Qatar/United Arab Emirates/Kuwait/Iraq support Israel. The probl em is\, many in the USA don't want to support Israel. And Saudi Arabia/Qa tar/United Arab Emirates/Kuwait/Iraq have populaces that are all in majori ty anti jewish. So I doubt any of them will risk the internal troubles of siding with Israel even against Iran knowing their domestic populace. A wa r will be brilliant for USA/Russia/China/European Union as they each will have a place for their various financial activities as well as a place to focus media away from domestic problems. Taiwan + Ukraine may be winners a s it may preoccupy china + russia to make deals with their heritage simila r neighbors.\n\n\n\n I am certain Scrumpft doesn't want to go to war\, but if he does or if he doesn't will be a key moment going forward for intern ational policy. If the USA isn't going to step in with Israel vs Iran then a bunch of little regional wars can break out and should get a similar re sponse. \n\n\n\n \n\n Forum Post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11674-isr ael-strikes-tehran/\n\n\n\n TWEETS\n\n American patriots are caught in a v ice: \n\n The Left puts illegals first ... The Right puts Israel first.\n \n On one side\, there are riots against the deportation of illegals.\n\n On the other side\, there's a push for yet another war in the Middle East\ , this time with Iran! \n\n The American patriot takes the brunt of it al l.\n\n \"Making America Great Again\" is becoming a distant memory ... eve n though only 6 months have passed in this new Trump Administration.\n\n W atch \n\n @DanielLMcAdams\n\n  and \n\n @ChrisRossini\n\n  below:\n\n https://x.com/RonPaul/status/1933234736379670886\n\n\n\n Netenyahu has spe nt his entire Political and Personal life trying destroy  the entire Midd le East. \n\n He doesn't care about Hostages\, he doesn't care about the young Israelis dying in Gaza\, he doesn't care about Palestinians. \n\n H e cares about Power.\n\n https://x.com/BowesChay/status/193329888229891294 8\n\n\n\n We dont actually need to side with either. Theres a whole ocean between us. The middle east is not our problem. \n\n They chose to move i n where they dont belong and are not wanted. It shouldn't be our job to ba bysit them and keep them safe.\n\n None of these issues would be a thing i f we just broke up with Israel once and for all\, including 9/11.\n\n Amer ica first and only.\n\n https://x.com/CassandraRules/status/19331338163752 02129\n\n\n\n Marco Rubio puts out a strong statement regarding Israel’s strike on Iran tonight. \n\n We will NOT be caught up in another Middle East forever war.\n\n These two factions have fought for hundreds of years . Neocons will say we should be involved\, but it’s NOT our fight.\n\n A MERICA FIRST!\n\n https://x.com/MikeCrispi/status/1933327417063715067\n\n\ n\n \n\n\n\n Don't join the military.\n\n If you're in there now\, resign. \n\n Israel will drag the US and its allies into a war with Iran\, and Rus sia will join Iran\, and China will join Russia.\n\n ...and World War III will begin.\n\n https://x.com/_RogueScholar_/status/1933320490002886738\n\ n\n\n Not our war!!  World War III is here!  Get ready!\n\n https://x.co m/petejonesintx/status/1933341444686659988\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Con sider this\n\n\n\n https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIDmg6DNwwh/?utm_source= ig_web_copy_link\n\n\n\n \n \n \n  \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n View this post on Instagram\n \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n \n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n \n \n   \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n \n\n \n A post shared by L (@__yours trulybabe)\n \n \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MORE COMMENTS\n\n\n\n https://aalbc .com/tc/topic/11691-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/#findComment-74598\n\n\n \n @ProfD\n\n\n\n Well schrumpft has placed the global order from FDR all on the backs of Iran really. Israel attacked Iran absent provocation\, and then the usa helped defend Israel from Iran 's attacks and now has attack ed iran absent provocation. \n\n\n\n ISrael + USA hope Iran will literall y accept being bullied and not fight back and acquiesce. If that happens t hen the FDR global order is dead and SChrumpft has successfully redefined the global order going forward while avoiding a huge war. \n\n\n\n All th e other countries are waiting for what Iran will do. War is not a game\, i t never was and never will be. And it never exists as I find most people l ike to speak of it. If Iran goes to war\, the FDR global order is dead and who knows where the alliances go. \n\n\n\n Iran can do something in the middle which will avoid war but also be very challenging for them\, though potentially one of the greatest things in modern humanity. I will not spe ak of it. But I ponder. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11 691-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/#findComment-74653\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @P ioneer1 \n\n\n\n   On 6/22/2025 at 6:13 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n W hat doesn't make sense to me is why would Iran enter a \"deal\" with Ameri ca when America is an unconditional supporter of Israel?\n\n There is no \ "neutrality\" in this.\n\n\n\n IRan has choices\, Iran can choose to go to war officially. Iran can choose to acquiesce to the USA. Either choice Sc hurmpt gets what he wants. \n\n\n\n If Iran goes to war\, Schrumpft get t o use iran as a call for more isolationism. If IRan acquiesces then Schrum pft gets to say he makes peace through strength.\n\n\n\n Comprehend\, Isra el does not want iran to go to war and Netanyahu i gambling that the gover nment of iran: ayatollah and the clergy+elected officials+financial barons will lead the country to aquiesce. If Iran decides to go to war\, Israel will have forced all of its neighbors who are muslim to keep a distance. T hey will not help or can not help iran because they are to beholden to the usa or don't have the means BUT their populaces are all anti zionist + an ti israel for honest reasons so they can't embrace israel if iran decides to go to war. No neutrality ever exist really in intergovernmental affairs . The USA carries the british heritage of saying things are neutral when t hey are not\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n   On 6/22/2025 at 6:13 AM\, Pioneer1 sa id:\n\n\n\n America and Israel are allies....and America did what allies a re supposed to do....help eachother.\n\n\n\n this is not true \, the usa i s not an ally of israel nor is israel an ally of the usa\, china is not an ally or russia nor is russia an ally of china\, canada nor mexico are all ies of the usa nor is the usa an ally of canada or mexico\, nor is france an ally of england nor is england an ally of france. No two governments in human history have ever been allies. This term allies is a commercializat ion of the term \"convenient + inconvenient partnerships\"  \n\n\n\n Rat her than see the usa through the lens of allies\, look at the usa + israel through the lens of the leading governors. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What does NEtanyahu want? NEtanyahu wants a country of jews who feel they have an a ncestral right to a bit of land and are willing to kill any for that right to be embraced as (feared+ loved) neighbors by the muslim (governments+ p eoples) all around them who have a history of antagony with them. Iran's g overnment is the biggest threat not because iran has the richest muslim go vernment\, that is saudi arabia who is another c+i partner of the usa\, no t because iran has the most religiously zealous people\, that is kemet/egy pt who made itself another c+i partner of the usa through egypt's military who runs egypt\, not the government of egypt. It is because Iran has the most  religiously zealous government in the muslim world and because iran is a public enemy of the usa\, that adds on to what israel can apply to i ran\, whether true or not. \n\n\n\n Now how does israel's strike lead to what netanyahu wants? If Iran acquiesces\, it will force a change in iran' s tone or a change in their government posture in key ways. You can't say death to israel + death to the usa\, while cowtowing to them. And thus isr ael will have a neighbor who publicly opposes them off the table as it was . But it all depends on what iran does. If Iran holds true to its public o pposition to israel + usa\, then usa is safe but israel will be long term under worse conditions\, because even though most of the governments in th e muslim world about israel are satraps to the usa: saudi arabia/qatar/tur key/egypt/morocco/united arab emirates\, syria\, jordan\, the ones who are not: algeria/libya/pakistan. Remember one thing about egpyt. When they ha d the commonly called arab spring with all the mamluk descendent college s tudents talking about freedom or rights\, who won the election that led th e usa to back the egyptian military to take over the government. It was th e mulism brotherhood. the muslim brotherhood who are arguably far more ant i jewish or anti usa than iran or turkey or whomever\, won a public electi on that the west deems even/fair. So the people in that region are anti is rael + anti usa\, but the governments\, like black elected officials in th e usa\, are the ones who go against the majority in their populace\, make deals with the usa or israel with support from usa+ israel in quelling the ir own people. so\, as some jews have said\, what netanyahu has done\, has placed israel in potentially the worst situation.The saudi royal family\, yearly has to quell the religious fanatics. Look who runs syria now that the assad clan is gone. I argue that if Iran holds true\, it will be devas tating to the region because the common peoples in that region clearly wan t israel + the usa gone/out /dead. This is fact so netanyahu is gambling. We will see. IT is all in IRan's hands\, that is the reality. Iran will di ctate how this plays out\, which is a poor sign of diplomacy on the part o f israel or the usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What does Schrumpft want?  Schr umpft wants one of two things. 1) Proof that isolationism is warranted  w hich he gets if Iran holds true because he can argue that if iran is willi ng against the militaristic advantage of the usa + israel aside no aid or assistance coming from anyone to hold true to their positions \, that coun try will never be able to be civil with the usa and thus the usa needs to embrace what many whites in rural usa want\, which is a return to isolatio nism\, which will end the internatiolization era started by woodrow wilson of the college of new jersey that ended the isolationism of the usa befor e and after the spanish american war. 2) proof that the usa can make peace through strength aka bullying which he gets if iran acquiesces. And that is not a new type of peace through strength. The napoleonic era\, the roma n empire\, the civil code+ pax romana were all based on the same things. A nd considering the usa is two hundred and fifty years old\, this can argua bly with Schrumpft executive order culture be his crossing the rubicon\, w hich is a phrase used when an empire goes from elected officials to milita ry chiefs. I argue the best similarity is the shogun era in japan. were le gally\, Nippon was still a country led by the lineage of a royal family wh ile functionally it was run by the head general\, the shogun. The usa will still have elected officials but the presidency will take on an imperial role until a president does away with being elected in some form or fashio n. \n\n\n\n The problem is either path means an end to the franklin delea nor roosevelt world order led by the usa\, an intricate web of financial/g overnmental/militaristic operations. \n\n\n\n Iran propelled by Schrumpft s actions will 1) begin an embrace of one to one culture\,which schrumft w ants\, north american treaty oranizationn/united nations/ similar are fini shed or reduced extremely\, many organizations of the FDR era are finished \, because they are based on complex inter governmental relations. 2) begi n an era of highly covert operation where the image of the global interwov en  economy exists but the embrace of secret/private/covert actions are n ow advanced highly to evade the bully of the usa but also create or mainta in partnerships that are not publicly allowed. The cia/fbi/nsa/ similar wi ll be happy because it will be a grand return to the days with the usa bat tled the ussr and tons of people were murdered in the dark all throughout humanity to manipulate and control things while keeping public faces of pe ace. \n\n\n\n   On 6/22/2025 at 6:13 AM\, Pioneer1 said:\n\n\n\n I th ought Russia and China was suppose to be Iran's allies....lol.\n\n So wher e are they????\n\n\n\n just to repeat\, russia isn't even an ally to china nor is china even an ally to russia let alone both of them be ally's to i ran. \n\n\n\n Russia+ China are both nuclear powers who have to be respec ted on the battle field\, which is why the usa never once considers attack ing russia although ukraine keeps begging for it. The whole point of the n on proliferation treaty was to give usa/russia/china/united kingdom/france a status above all other countries. neither can truly fall because their nuclear arsenals can potentially be used to clear the board. But\, stoppin g their rivals from getting nuclear weapons was in all their favor: cuba/m exico/poland/sweden/taiwan/vietnam/india/japan/germany/algeria/libya/irela nd all don't have nuclear weapons and all have what I will label gripes\, with a nuclear power.  Now israel/India/pakistan all achieved nuclear wea pons but they never signed the non proliferation treaty. South Sudan is a new country but they didn't sign also\, which is interesting for the futur e... North Korea signed but did that to get technical help and then withdr ew and accepted the penalty which is why they get banned from so much. Now to iran\, under the shah Iran signed it \, but when the ayotollah came in after killing the shah\, supported by the majority in iran\, the governme nt should had gotten out of the NPT but they stayed so it took over forty years but iran seems to be leaving the NPT which will force more sanctions even though it will also free iran from any further legal scenarios. Russ ia + China will be happy cause it will force Iran to be partnered with the m as only official nuclear powers can make arrangements with non nuclear p owers \, ala the usa to israel. the usa will be unhappy but the usa will n ot be able to stop russia or china from doing business with iran. \n\n\n\ n The question is if Iran quits\, will that lead to many countries quittin g the NPT...and the reality is\, when the nuclear weapons came about at th e end of the second phase of the white european imperial war\, commonly ca lled\, world war two\, the situation in humanity is no different than now. Yes\, countries like the usa are bullies but the reality is\, a question holds true. Does any government know how to lose? specifically\, does any government know how to accept their army+navy+air force being completely w iped out with the enemy in their borders and not use their nuclear weapons ? yes\, any one can say of course\, but the risk is what if one can not. Y ou have to comprehend\, fission based irradiated air /water will travel al l over the earth\, make everyone sick and the more bombs the more irradiat ed. No one will escape. Yes\, the fiscal aristocracy may have a way out\, but are they truly prepared for the time it will take. I doubt it. Remmebe r it isn't just radiation levels it is\, genetic deformities. It may sound apocalyptic\, but nuclear weapons are powerful\, their damage is wide and a sky full of them falling down on the earth will not kill the earth but will kill most of her children and it will take a long time for her to pro duce more. \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n   On 6/22/2025 at 3:45 PM\, Pioneer1  said:\n\n\n\n I think right now North Korea is probably one of the very fe w nations that would actually be down to \"ride\" if a phone call was made to them.\n\n\n\n no\, north korea wouldn't\, but north korea hopes iran g ets out f the non proliferation. \n\n\n\n @ProfD \n\n\n\n   On 6/22/20 25 at 3:39 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n where is Russia and China who are su pposed allies to Iran.\n\n\n\n as I told Pioneer I don't know where anyone gets this idea that any two governments in humanity or allies. i have no idea where that \, in my opinion true stupidity comes from. so I can't ans wer your question. But\, I can answer the following\, what are russia + ch ina doing? \n\n\n\n Russia + China are both waiting on Iran. In the same way the usa is hiding behind israel  \, russia + china will hide behind i ran\, this is the hundred year heritage of the third white european imperi al war commonly called the cold war\, where the usa+ ussr used others to b attle themselves. That heritage lives on strong\, sadfully\, and I say sad fully because lies never favor true peace. \n\n\n\n   On 6/22/2025 at 2 :37 AM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n If Iran goes to war\, the FDR globa l order is dead and who knows where the alliances go. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n   On 6/22/2025 at 3:39 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The Iranians do not have enough weapons or men to wage war against Israel backed by the US.\n\ n\n\n I had to first quote myself properly because the way you quoted me s uggested I said\, Iran would be advantaged in a war against israel backed by the usa or that war was even wise. I didn't say anything of the sort. I f Iran goes to war\, the global order is dead or at least injured. What i said had nothing to do with militaristic feasibility but the global arrang ement of governments in humanity today. Iran has to makes it choice and it is theirs to make. I am not in the prediction business or the assumption business\, options others have I treat honestly. \n\n\n\n   On 6/22/202 5 at 3:39 PM\, ProfD said:\n\n\n\n The Iranian regime could do the terro rist equivalent of strapping on a bomb and blowing up their own country. T hat would not be fair to the 90 million Iranian citizens though.\n\n\n\n W ar isn't about evenness or what you call fairness. War is about destructio n/chaos\, what you are willing to give or take in violence. Your suggestio n I find insulting. The Iranian government will make its choice. \n\n\n\n and for the record\, for any one outside profd who reads the following\, what I was/am thinking is not in his answer. He went another way completel y.\n\n\n\n   On 6/22/2025 at 2:37 AM\, richardmurray said:\n\n\n\n Ira n can do something in the middle which will avoid war but also be very cha llenging for them\, though potentially one of the greatest things in moder n humanity. I will not speak of it. But I ponder. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @um brarchist\n\n\n\n   16 hours ago\, umbrarchist said:\n\n\n\n Russia is Crumbling internally in its failure to deal with Ukraine.\n\n\n\n China h as internal economic problems because of their insanely corrupt real estat e bubble. Supposedly Xi just fell from power so their internal politics ma y not be in order.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n China is not crumbling \, let me exp lain to you how the chinese government works. The chinese government which is technically a multiparty states\, yes china has minority parties\, lik e the reform party in the usa or the communist party in the usa.. The chin ese government has congresses\, each congress is where the communist party members vote on everything from who will lead to who will have this or th at position to laws to more. But each year between congresses\, each year\ , an annual session occurs where instead of everybody like in the congress \, it is the leaders and top folk\, think of this like the primaries in th e usa. So Xi has many questioning his leadership in china. Again\, the myt h in the usa is that china is a dictatorship\, that isn't true. The chines e government is primarly made of one party but the chinese have philosophi cal or age based camps. What do I mean? whereas in the usa\, you have warh awks and fiscal conservatives in the party of abraham lincoln\, the elepha nts\, and you have centrists and liberals in the pary of andrew jackson\, the donkeys. If you were to relate china's system to the usa's\, in china\ , no elephants or donkeys exist\, but the chinese communist party has wing s based on philosophy but also age and they compete whole in the congress or part in the sessions and sway to and from each other and that is what X I is dealing with. People vote in china\, the problem is the usa likes the idea of a system where political parties which are not part of the consti tution get to be deemed mandatory. The chinese communist party has a milit aristic wing\, has a financial wing\, has a cultural wing and many others. China is not financially where some in china want it to be even though it is an unchallenged second in the world and the real estate bubble is no d ifferent than the multiple that happened in the usa in recent memory. Chin a is not militaristically where some in china want it to be \, even though they are playing catchup because of obvious reasons. So Xi has those in c hina who feel he is not doing a good enough job. China is not culturally w here some in china want it to be\, but south korea/japan/taiwan have those who benefit from china alongside those who benefit from the usa. and all three of those countries want an autonomy that china gives the likes of ma cau while said three have the condition of hong kong. \n\n\n\n @aka Contr arian \n\n\n\n   15 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n\n\n\n Trump pu blicly  announced that he was going to wait 2 weeks to see how things pla yed out between Iran and Israel\, then days after this declaration\, Amer ica launched a secret attack on Iran and destroyed its nuclear facilities.  \n\n\n\n There is \"no honor among thieves\". That's how Trump rolls. He has no scruples or diplomacy. He's a sneaky liar. Meanwhile\,  Israel is beside itself with joy and full of praise for Trump who yearns to be awar ded the Nobel Peace Prize like Obama\, who he envies.\n\n\n\n This is the guy running America. smh.\n\n\n\n Remember the USA populace earned his lea dership\, it is not accident or unwarranted. Was it not the white european descent populace in the usa who constantly voted for elected officials wh o made promises they never kept\, and constantly blamed or made actions ag ainst non white populaces? Was it not the black populace in the usa from t he end of the war between the states  who constantly had battles amongst it parts on what they wanted the black experience to be in the usa\, never doing what is necessary to force one way\, ending up supporting black ele cted officials who never had a pro black plan and only spoke of unwarrante d or dysfunctional dreams while lying about their presence as the desired legacy of black advocates murdered by whites plus agents of whites or the black populace en large who I argue has always disliked whites? Was it not the immigrant populaces of the usa post immigration act 1964 who as the s mallest minority populaces benefited off of the woes of indigenous or batt les of dos blacks while embracing all the media positions from whites on s aid historically abused peoples while now as larger populaces wanting the same security they had in the past? the people in the usa earned Schrumpft . The majority of the people in the usa are backstabbers to their own kin in action or words\, or liars about their kins condition\, who claim they want betterment while they support dysfunctional or inevitably destructive strategies plans or ideas. The people of the usa warrant Schrumpt\, earne d his tenures. The aspect that amaze me the most is the majority of the pe ople in the usa actually think they warrant better. They don't. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11691-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites /#findComment-74664\n\n\n\n @ProfD\n\n\n\n   6 hours ago\, ProfD said: \n\n\n\n IMO\, the global pecking order remains unchanged regardless the o utcome of this strike.\n\n\n\n the global order I refer to isn't the globa l peckin order\n\n\n\n @Pioneer1\n\n\n\n   7 hours ago\, Pioneer1 said :\n\n\n\n What do they expect Russia to actually do?\n\n\n\n I don't know \, iran has this issue in their corner\, israel + the usa have done their part but now it is up to iran.\n\n\n\n All I have read in terms of actions is iran attacked a base in qatar \, has blocked a sea route for oil\, is not stating it has gone to war with the usa\, and is deliberating leaving the non proliferation treaty which based on the precedence of north korea\ , all they have to do is give a ninety day notice. I imagine the usa will want to make a deal before then as the usa made a deal with north korea on the 89th day but... we will see. \n\n\n\n All that is for sure is Iran h asn't bowed to the israel+usa nor threw a punch at israel+usa. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11691-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/ #findComment-74665\n\n\n\n @umbrarchist \n\n\n\n Even enough but the usa has had more real estate bubble pops than any other country in the last tw enty five  years\, i count three at least\, and the usa government is sti ll going strong. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11691-us- strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/#findComment-74684\n\n\n\n  @aka Contrarian\n\ n\n\n \n On 6/24/2025 at 3:55 PM\, aka Contrarian said:\n \n\n \n \n W ar. What's it good for?\n \n \n\n\n\n one of the most important things hu man governments need\, reboots.  Peace has a very great negative\, it all ows the inefficiencies to live on. Peace never gets rid of inefficiency\, merely allows it to mutate into something far worse\, albeit even if no on e cognizes it at the time.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1 1691-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/#findComment-74693\n\n\n\n @Troy\n\n\n\ n   On 6/24/2025 at 10:10 PM\, Troy said:\n\n\n\n Absolutely nothin'!\ n\n\n\n yeah\, lovely song\, lovely voice:) all black folks know it .... b ut the song's message is wrong. War is good for somethings. I argue some s ongs messages have to be reputed really. \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n\n\n\n do you remember when nina simone said this[you have to scroll to the bott om of the following link]\, i say this is my response to what good war is for?\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11691-us-s trikes-iran-nuclear-sites/#findComment-74713\n\n\n\n I didn't [at] Troy be cause I am not commenting to oppose Troy's points as I will reassert in th e following\, I am not interested in prosyletization but I will publicly o ppose positions I see as flawed.\n\n\n\n \n On 6/25/2025 at 12:53 PM\, Tr oy said:\n \n\n \n \n I agree with Starr's lyrics particularly in the c ontext of the Vietnam war era. \n \n \n\n\n\n Well... good\, please keep your position standalone or in context of the vietnam war. I don't want i t to change for any reason. \n\n\n\n But I have to protest this. The Viet nam was was a billion dollar money making machine\, the illegal profits al one were grand. Money matters. I always find it funny how many black peopl e  in the usa\, especially DOSers talk about money making but then want t o war has no good when was tends to make more money than most things espec ially peaceful things. \n\n\n\n \n On 6/25/2025 at 12:53 PM\, Troy said: \n \n\n \n \n Nina Simone's commentary on protecting Malcom X completel y ignores who bombed his home and ultimately gunned him down\, which was k nown when she made the statements...\n \n \n\n\n\n Again\, I want it know n I do not want Troy's position to change nor am I regaling Troy or anyone else. But\, this is false. \n\n\n\n First\, the federal bureau of invest igation are suggested by many to have infiltrated every single organizatio n in the usa. Of course\, I have no proof\, no proof whatsoever. But I can believe it. I know Malcolm x's bodyguard was an agent. So... this goes ba ck to nina simone's point the black people who talk most about peace are w illing to exist alongside blacks like malcolm x's former bodyguard\, and t he horde of others mostly I bet still not publicly known or listed\, inclu ding in the nation of islam against malcolm who are harming the village. h er point is true\, if you want to protect your racial populace you have to be willing to kill\, those in or out of your racial populace who are enem ies\, which includes nation of islam members who are agents\, bodyguards o f leaders who are against as well as kkk non blacks. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 6/26/2025 at 2:17 AM\, ProfD said:\n \n\n \n \n At the same time\, POTUS OJ is still offering to *make a deal* with the Iranians.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n of course\, didn't the usa make a deal with n orth korea on the 89th day of them leaving the non proliferation treaty\, which led to north korea pausing it [even though they continued it later]?  \n\n\n\n so I can see schrumpft making a deal as the iranians legislativ e body is mulling over getting out the non proliferation treaty\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n It seems for now Iran is not playing their hand\, every second th ey wait they put pressure on the usa. \n\n\n\n https://www.tasnimnews.com /en/news/2025/06/26/3342970/iran-reaffirms-right-to-peaceful-nuclear-energ y-within-npt-framework\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Iran Reaffirms Right to Peaceful Nuclear Energy within NPT Framework\n\n\n\n June\, 26\, 2025\n\n\n\n TEHR AN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country will not yield to pressure or aggression\, emphasizing that the right to lawfu l access to nuclear energy is non-negotiable under international treaties. \n\n\n\n Speaking to Al Jazeera\, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ismael Baqaei emphasized that Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy re mains unchanged and warned that any future cooperation with the IAEA depen ds on international recognition of Iran’s legal entitlements and protect ion of its national security.\n\n\n\n The following is the full text of th e interview:\n\n\n\n Question: Well\, joining us now on Al Jazeera is Iran 's Foreign Ministry spokesman\, Ismael Baqaei. He's live from Tehran. Than k you so much\, Baqaei\, for being with us on Al Jazeera. So\, (US) Presid ent (Donald) Trump is insisting that Tehran’s nuclear program has been c ompletely destroyed. He said\, quote\, \"The US strikes were a perfect ope ration that obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities.\" What's your respons e to that? What's the initial damage assessment at your nuclear sites?\n\n \n\n Baqaei: I think what matters here—and should not be overshadowed by beautiful words and different positions taken by the United States—is t he fact that we witnessed a detrimental blow to international law\, to the NPT regime\, and to the moral ethics of the international community. So\, what matters most here is for the international community to understand t hat the US military strikes were an act of aggression against Iran's terri torial integrity and national sovereignty. That matters most.\n\n\n\n Ques tion: Okay\, understood. But when the US president says that Iran's nuclea r program has been completely destroyed\, do you reject or accept that?\n\ n\n\n Baqaei: What I have to say is that Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy remains intact. Iran has every right under the NPT\, under Article 4 of the NPT\, to enjoy using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes\, and I ran is determined to preserve that right under any circumstances.\n\n\n\n Question: Okay\, can you tell us what's left of the Iranian nuclear progra m and the uranium stockpiles? Has Iran been able to salvage any of the ura nium stockpiles before the US bombing?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: As I said\, I think these are secondary issues. The primary concern of the international comm unity has to be to condemn this lawless act by the United States. I think it is really a very bad sign that many people across the globe are trying to underestimate the depth and gravity of the American act of aggression a gainst Iran\, and now they are talking about the level of strikes or its e ffectiveness. The international community has to understand that what was done by the United States against Iran was a horrible blow to internationa l diplomacy\, to international law\, and to international ethics.\n\n\n\n Question: Understood\, sir. I just want to insist on the fact that the IAE A has called on Iran to allow nuclear inspectors at the site\, as this cea sefire with Israel is now in place. But instead\, I understand Iran is con sidering cutting cooperation with the UN nuclear agency. Can you tell us w hy and why you would not allow inspectors on the ground to verify the fact s?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: Don't you think it is only natural for the representati ves of a nation that has come under an egregious act of aggression to reco nsider the way they have been dealing with the IAEA? Yes\, there has been a draft bill by our parliament today—it has been adopted—and it talks about suspending our cooperation with the IAEA. It talks about suspending\ , not putting an end to\, the cooperation\, with two conditions: first\, t hat Iran's inalienable rights under the NPT\, under Article 4 of the NPT\, must be recognized. The second thing is that the security and safety of o ur nuclear installations\, our scientists\, and our people should be prese rved. So\, I think it's only logical—it's a matter of logic and law—be cause if we are going to be a responsible member of the NPT\, we have to b e able to enjoy the rights that are afforded to every member state of this treaty.\n\n\n\n Question: Speaking of the NPT\, sir\, you also talked abo ut Iran discussing suspending its participation in the Nuclear Non-Prolife ration Treaty. Is that something that's been seriously considered? Will Ir an pull out of the NPT after this war?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: As I said\, the dra ft bill of the parliament talks about suspending our cooperation with the IAEA. It doesn't talk about suspending our participation or membership in the treaty. And I think the bill again is in line with the parameters of t he NPT because the bill talks about guaranteeing our rights under the NPT. \n\n\n\n Question: You're right under the NPT\, and you've said this befor e\, sir\, that Iran has the right to enrich uranium. Can you tell us—I'm going to insist on this a little bit more—what remains operational toda y as far as Iran's nuclear program?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: I have nothing to add on this matter because it's a technical issue. Our Atomic Energy Organizat ion and other relevant agencies are working on that. But yes\, our nuclear installations have been badly damaged—that's for sure—because they ha ve come under repeated attacks by Israeli and American aggressors. Again\, what matters most for the people in the region and beyond is to really un derstand the depth of this lawlessness that happened for the past 12 days against Iran.\n\n\n\n Question: President Trump also said today while he w as at the NATO summit that\, quote\, \"We'll end up having somewhat of a r elationship with Iran after this conflict.\" Are you open to that now that your country is no longer under fire—being attacked\, as you say? Are y ou willing to negotiate with the US?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: We have been hearing all sorts of contradictory remarks for the past two or three months. There have been many contradictions within the American bureaucracy\, within th e American establishment. While they have been talking about diplomacy\, t hey green light the Israelis to attack Iran only two days before our sched uled meeting in Muscat. My nation came under an act of aggression by Israe l. So\, has there remained any trust in them? Because they are talking abo ut different things\, acting differently\, and now they have to be held ac countable for the aggression that they have committed against my country i n collusion with the Israelis. And that's something that our people want —as the government\, they expect the international community to hold the aggressors accountable before anything else.\n\n\n\n Question: So\, are y ou saying that you're no longer interested in talking to the Americans?\n\ n\n\n Baqaei: What I'm trying to say is that they torpedoed diplomacy. As far as Iran is concerned\, we have said diplomacy never ends—even during the height of the imposed war against Iran\, we continued talking to diff erent actors in order to save lives and to make sure that our national sec urity is protected. But the point is that the other parties are talking ab out dialogue and diplomacy while at the same time committing acts of aggre ssion. These contradictions have only created more and more problems.\n\n\ n\n Question: Okay\, so what preconditions\, if any\, would Iran require f or any future negotiations?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: For the time being\, we are fo cused—just one day after the stoppage of the aggression by the Israeli s—on our security\, on our people\, because people are outraged at what happened. So\, at this time\, I think we have nothing to say about those c ontradictory remarks regarding diplomacy or negotiations because we have t o make sure whether the other parties are really serious when they're talk ing about diplomacy or if it is again part of their tactics to create more problems for the region and for my country.\n\n\n\n Question: Okay\, let me ask you\, sir\, about the ceasefire—briefly—between Israel and Iran \, which is now in place and is holding. What are the key elements require d to maintain this ceasefire\, this truce? Are there any active diplomatic channels that are supporting this truce behind the scenes?\n\n\n\n Baqaei : As you see\, we were approached by Qataris to stop this war—this impos ed war against Iran. We didn't start this war\, and we agreed to stop afte r they approached us\, after the Americans approached Qatar. So\, it is ve ry clear: we have been under attack\, we have been subjected to an act of aggression. So\, we will defend in case there is any act of military strik es\, any act of aggression against Iran.\n\n\n\n Question: Baqaei\, one la st question if I can. Iranian officials have projected an image of strengt h and stability—even victory—in the face of this conflict. As you say\ , Iran was attacked by Israel\, but the toll has been significant for Iran : over 600 casualties\, widespread destruction of military and civilian si tes. We don't yet know the extent of the destruction of the nuclear sites. When Iranian officials claim victory today\, what does victory mean? What does victory look like? What did Iran achieve realistically in this confl ict?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: We suffered a lot—that's for sure. Our people were massacred by Israeli aggression\; that's war crimes against humanity\, and they have to be held accountable. But the point is that our people showed that they are resolute in defense of their national security and sovereig nty. And I think\, given the fact that this imposed war was orchestrated\, planned\, and operationalized with the help of Americans\, it means that we had to resist against an attack by the United States\, by Israelis—by two nuclear-armed actors—and the fact that they were supported by some other actors as well across the Western Hemisphere. So\, it means that we were able\, as a nation\, to defend our identity\, our security\, and at t he end\, we had to make them—they had to submit to the will of the Irani an people through resistance—to approach us and ask for this ceasefire.\ n\n\n\n Question: So\, they approached you and asked you for the ceasefire —just to confirm?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: We were approached by our friends from Qatar. And of course\, as I said\, we have never welcomed war. We are a n ation of peace-loving people. No responsible actor\, no responsible state in our region welcomes war. It is only one actor in our region that has al ways been trying to wage war against the people in our region. They are co mmitting\, as you know\, genocide in Gaza for the past two years. They are occupying the lands of two Muslim countries—Syria and Lebanon—and eve ryone knows that they are warmongers that have no respect for internationa l law\, for international ethics\, or morality. So yes\, we\, as a nation\ , were able to resist against this unjust war for the past 12 days.\n\n\n\ n Question: Baqaei\, just one final question if I may. You mentioned Qatar \, and the Qataris have expressed dissatisfaction at the attack on the Ame rican base here in Qatar\, strongly condemned it\, and said that this cons titutes a scar in the relationship between Iran and Qatar today. What is I ran going to do to repair this relationship?\n\n\n\n Baqaei: We have high respect for Qataris\, and we attach significant importance to our good rel ations with Qatar. We have been good friends with Qatar during their diffi cult times\, and Qataris have also been our good friends. We are good frie nds\, basically\, with all countries—the littoral states of the Persian Gulf. We have made it clear that the military strikes against Al Udeid had nothing to do with Qatar. We respect the territorial integrity and nation al security of Qatar. It was in exercise of our right of self-defense agai nst American aggression against our peaceful nuclear installations. So\, a t the high level\, our president talked to Qataris\; our minister of forei gn affairs did as well. We tried to clarify that what was done was against the American base in exercise of our right of self-defense. So\, we are c ommitted to our good-neighborliness policy with Qatar and other countries of the region. And I personally am really unhappy about any inconvenience that has been caused to our Qatari sisters and brothers as a result of thi s attack. But as we said\, this self-defense operation was calibrated in d efense of our rights under Article 51 of the Charter\, in response to Amer ican aggression against our territorial integrity.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11691-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites/#fin dComment-74772\n\n\n\n  @ProfD\n\n\n\n \n On 6/26/2025 at 12:48 PM\, Pro fD said:\n \n\n \n \n This provides context to the Ayatollah's proclama tion of a *victory*.\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n When I initially heard about the Ayatollah saying Iran slapped the US\, I wondered if he was smo king that Islamic hemp.🤣 \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Now\, I under stand the Ayatollah's thought process from the perspective of the Iranian resistance to the 2-headed devil that attacked them.😎\n \n \n\n\n\n yo ur welcome for the proper reporting:)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n @aka Contrarian\n \n\n\n \n 10 hours ago\, aka Contrarian said:\n \n\n \n \n I still say Palestine terrorists started this war and israeli Zionists are prolonging it. There are no good guys nor bad guys. No heroes nor villains. Just rel igious fanatics and power hungry leaders. MEN.\n \n \n\n\n\n Well this is two wars. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the USA+UK started the war between palesti neans side zionists\, it is a war that has been going on since 1920 betwee n the palestinean muslim and the zionist jew. but it was not started by ei ther\, it was started by the usa+uk. uk could have easily blockaded the zi onist knowing fully well\, the palestineans didn't want them as photos of palestinean protest show. the usa did their part by allowing finances and resources to zionist populations. the rest is inevitability. A war that ha s gone on for one hundred and five years\, like the hundred years war betw een england and france with various interbellums [moments between the war\ , some call ceasefires\, some falsely call peace]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the w ar between iran and israel was started by the usa when they supported the shah whose governing quality created the ayotollah\, but as the jordan cur rent king said\, his father warned the shah and the shah didn't heed\, so everybody in the region and by some three letter people [ central intellig ence agency] of the security industry in the usa knew too but it wasn't he eded for whatever reason and the ayotollah took over and embarrassed the s ecurity industry in the usa.  And the second the ayotollah took over he o pposed iraq/saudi arabia/israel/usa and that was when the war between isra el /iran started but it wasn't started by iran or israel\, it was started by the usa who was so concerned about oil and having israel + iran as satr aps that the condition of the iranian majority was second fiddle and the w hitephile or europhile fiscally wealthy iranian minority that was wearing mini skirts or rock and rolling were told to go into gilded shadows or lea ve. but the usa started the iran+ israel war. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n You are correct war doesn't breed heroes or villains\, good guys or bad guys\, th at is very wise\, but it isn't fanatacism or power hungry leaders. It is m ore than that. It is about identity. \n\n\n\n Unlike Black descended of e nslaved whom seem to like internal conflict in their populace\, some peopl es want their populace to have a cohesion that warrants the word community . and that means when others are around who want to challenge that identit y you have to fight\, you have to kill\, to make sure you reach or maintai n the identity you want. \n\n\n\n Iran doesn't want to have usa military bases in their country like saudi arabia/qatar. Iran don't want to have ar rangements with israel nor do they want israel in the region. Iran wants p alestineans to get palestine back. Iranians want to have the tools to dete r the usa from attacking iran cheaply. that is identity and since war is t he only way\, then war is a good way. \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250612 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:DJ KOmax DTSTAMP:20250625T060353Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:362-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n DJ KOmax\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/DJ- KOmax-Color-me-club-kaiju-1210712704\n\n\n\n status update\n\n\n\n https:/ /aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2863&\;type=status\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250625 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:CBL Juneteenth 06/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250603T002923Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:320-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n CBL Juneteenth 06/22/2025\n\n\n\n PHOTS AND EVENT INFORMA TION HERE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Presented by Sunday School Zine\, The Bevy is a visual and sonic exhibition featuring live musical performances from La mbkin and J Words\, record selections from Niyah West and the SLICK DOWN c rew\, and a myriad of visual and projector installations from LA to NYC. T he Bevy\, an expansive word meaning both “gathering” and “prey”\, is an opportunity for artistic synergy. Guests can expect costuming from Q ween Jean\, large-scale paintings from BUMBAKiNi\, and a small-scale insta llation from Devanté married to musical excellence + projected art until sunset.  More importantly\, we can expect connection. As we take in the s enses\, empanadas will be served and CWW’s vinyl store will be open to f or record shopping. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Event Overview:\n\n The Bevy is a visual exhibition featuring your art\, the physical pieces of a few more artists\, and live music performances and DJ’ing. The full list of the artist can be found on @SundaySchoolZine’s Instagram page along with a full description of the event. The Sunday School is a forthcoming c ulture and music zine that produces ceremonies\, like the Bevy\, about dan ce + performance art archiving. \n\n\n\n Event Information:\n\n Where - C WW Radio Shop\, 1132 President St\, Brooklyn\, NY 11225\n\n When - Sunday\ , 6/22\, 2pm - 8pm\n\n How - “How will my art be displayed?” We will b e projecting a slideshow of all of the works during the whole event\, incl uding during the performances. The organizers will be providing QR codes t o a webpage that will have all of your artist names and links to your webs ite and exhibited work. Our host\, Angela Folasade\, will also be facilita ting any questions that guests have and that folks are accessing your work and listening to any accompanied audio on their own\n\n  \n\n\n\n ARTIST I MET THERE\n\n\n\n The host Choya I couldnt find the other host Lena. \ n\n https://x.com/mayonnnnnn_/status/1936970368943546735\n\n\n\n JWords\n\ n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVBc7FKGgYM\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n or\n\n https://youtu.be/CBgVkjx5V3k?si=j0wDngK_DSw15XLG\n\n\n\n or\n\n htt ps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfDfbzZtmQzMC3LxYCXCtWeNqRtp1T6zO\n\n\ n\n Treyvis\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yvJuS593-0\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n Kneaku Ashae\n\n https://vimeo.com/715830112\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n or\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TKSDJjhxoo\n\n\n\n Liobumba\n\n https://www.instagram.com/liobumba/\n\n\n\n Niya West - newsl etter\, she is a cool DJ\n\n https://gmail.us8.list-manage.com/subscribe?u =63a3bf8fb410883731687e7d2&\;id=ebc6219c14\n\n Lina Cintron\n\n https:/ /www.instagram.com/lena_bayna_cooks/\n\n\n\n DJ tara- she djed \"the last poets\" really cool\n\n\n\n at Museum of modern art\n\n https://www.tiktok .com/@djtaranyc/video/7361880983127248170\n\n\n\n \n @djtaranyc It wad gr eat to return to MoMA for anotyer First Friday where admission is FREE. Ev ery day should be free admission! Anyway check out a clip featuring a tune by Honey Dijon &\; Sam Sparro and the OG Danny Tenaglia jam that inspi red the hook! Check my bio for the link to all my #mixes! #DJ #NYC #itallb lendsperfectly ♬ original sound - djtaranyc\n \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n or\n \n\n\n https://www.deejaytara.com/about/\n\n about her\n\n https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=FXPOuC97MOg\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n or\n\n https://ww w.instagram.com/djtaranyc/p/DHq5-6OukjW/\n\n\n\n or\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n @djtaranyc\n\n \n  \n \n ♬ original sound - djtaranyc\n \n\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250622 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Juneteenth cross 250 years of USA : Literary Verite DTSTAMP:20250621T232546Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:361-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A Juneteenth crossing 250 years of USA aalbc project : Li terary Verite\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/1 1690-a-juneteenth-crossing-250-years-of-usa-aalbc-project-literary-verite/ \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250621 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Kickstarter x Tubi: FilmStream Collective Fund 06/20/2025 DTSTAMP:20250620T224406Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:360-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Nice Opportunity https://www.kickstarter.com/tubi\n\n\n\ n I am thinking about starting a kickstarter for my film screenplay to be a film. Check it out. Do you think it warrant being made into a film.\n\n\ n\n My screenplay [ https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-nyotenda ]\n\n\n \n WEBSITE PAGE\n\n\n\n Kickstarter x Tubi: FilmStream Collective Fund\n\n \n\n A new initiative helping independent filmmakers get funded and stream ed.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Introducing the FilmStream Collective Fund\, [ http s://updates.kickstarter.com/kickstarter-and-tubi/ ] a new initiative creat ed in partnership with Tubi to empower independent filmmakers with the fun ding and distribution support they need to share their films with the worl d. Their final film will then stream on Tubi\, providing guaranteed distri bution and visibility on a platform where viewers watched more than 10 bil lion hours in 2024.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The fund is designed to support fil mmakers with final or near-final cuts\, helping them cover critical post-p roduction costs such as editing\, sound\, marketing\, and other finish exp enses to prepare their films for release.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Submit [ ht tps://sq0dl.share.hsforms.com/2dG6NTPp2Szm9K9uSWEOelw ] your project for c onsideration now through August 31\, 2025.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you’re selected for this fund\, someone from the Kickstarter team will reach out to you. Due to the high volume of submissions\, it is not possible to repl y to every creator.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n How It Works\n\n\n\n \n Launch you r Kickstarter film campaign anytime between now and August 31\, 2025. Plea se note that you can apply before your campaign is live\, but you must lau nch your campaign by the end of August in order to be eligible for the fun d.\n \n \n Apply for the FilmStream Collective Fund [ https://sq0dl.sh are.hsforms.com/2dG6NTPp2Szm9K9uSWEOelw ] \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n What You Get:\n\n\n\n \n A $10\,000 pledge to your live Kickstarter campaign.\n \ n \n The opportunity to have your film stream exclusively on Tubi this Fa ll for 3 months.\n \n \n Receive a split of the revenue generated by the viewership of your film on Tubi (Note: Kickstarter will distribute revenue funds to each filmmaker.)\n\n  \n \n\n\n\n Eligibility Requirements\n\n \n\n \n Must launch a Feature-length film campaign on Kickstarter.\n \n \ n Must own full rights to the project.\n \n \n Commit to a 3-month exclu sive distribution on Tubi.\n\n  \n \n\n\n\n Even if you’re not selecte d for the fund\, your film could still be featured in Kickstarter’s cura ted film collection on Tubi this fall. Read more about Kickstarter’s par tnership with Tubi here. [ https://updates.kickstarter.com/kickstarter-a nd-tubi/ ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n About Tubi\n\n\n\n Tubi is a global entertai nment company dedicated to providing all people access to all the world’ s stories. Tubi offers the largest collection of premium on-demand content \, including over 275\,000 movies and TV episodes and more than 300 exclus ive originals. With a passionate fanbase and over 97 million monthly activ e users\, the company is committed to putting viewers first with free\, ac cessible entertainment. Tubi is part of Tubi Media Group\, a division of F ox Corporation that oversees the company’s digital businesses.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FAQs\n\n\n\n Who is eligible to apply for the FilmStream Collec tive Forward Fund?\n\n\n\n Filmmakers with feature-length film projects (8 0+ minutes) currently in the post-production or marketing phase are eligib le. You must run a Kickstarter campaign with a minimum goal of $20\,000 an d own all rights to your film.\n\n\n\n Do I need to launch a Kickstarter c ampaign before applying?\n\n\n\n You can apply before your campaign is liv e\, but to receive funding\, your project must be active on Kickstarter an d meet the eligibility criteria.\n\n\n\n What kind of support will selecte d filmmakers receive?\n\n\n\n Each of the 10 selected filmmakers will get a $10\,000 pledge to their Kickstarter campaign\, support from Kickstarter ’s campaign strategy team\, and a guaranteed distribution deal with Tubi \, including a 3-month exclusive streaming window.\n\n\n\n What happens if I’m not selected for the $10\,000 pledge?\n\n\n\n Even if you don’t r eceive funding\, your project may still be considered for inclusion in the Kickstarter collection on Tubi. A member of our team will reach out if yo ur film is a good fit for the collection.\n\n\n\n When do I need to launch my campaign by?\n\n\n\n To be considered\, your campaign must be launched by August 31\, 2025.\n\n\n\n When will I hear back if I’m selected?\n\n \n\n We will notify all filmmakers selected for the program on a rolling b asis. If you are not selected\, we will do our best to notify you as soon as possible.\n\n\n\n What happens if I’m selected for the fund but I d on’t meet my funding goal on Kickstarter?\n\n\n\n Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing\, so you would not qualify to receive funding through t his program if you do not meet your campaign goal. However\, you are welco me to relaunch your campaign and reapply for the fund so long as your appl ication is received by the application deadline.\n\n\n\n I’ve never laun ched a Kickstarter project before. Where can I find tips and best practice s for filmmakers?\n\n\n\n We have curated resources for Film Creators her e [ https://updates.kickstarter.com/how-to-run-a-film-project-on-kicksta rter-from-set-up-to-launch/ ]\, and our new Learning Lab here. [ https:/ /www.kickstarter.com/learning-lab?ref=section-tubi-editorial_rich_text-bod y ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n F ORUM POST\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11688-to-any-filmm aker-in-this-forum-or-to-someone-who-knows-a-filmmaker/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250620 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Freeman's Complaint \, a late response to the Slave's co mplaint 06/19/2025 DTSTAMP:20250619T184731Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:359-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Freeman's Complaint \, a late response to the Slave's complaint 06/19/2025\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A poem for Juneteenth\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n The Freeman's Complaint \, a late response to the Slave's complain t\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Forever!\n\n was wrote by my forebear long ago\n\n a dreamy exaltation\, to know\n\n to reach where our ancestors sew\n\n befor e unwanted immigrant woe\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n However!\n\n I ponder unsure f rom where I lo\n\n no shackles \, white heritage tow \n\n to embrace the easy Aquilow \n\n forlease my black blood 's coveto \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n However! \n\n time give far more than the past can kno \n\n Black modern s have freedom to grow \n\n to other plus our old blood's mow \n\n Forev er! is not for most one ro\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n However!\n\n I can see a wis dom's cando\n\n my forebears want stars unsow\n\n to accept failed plans b ut trow\n\n and be past vowfree to any pro\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Nowever!\n\n I wish all skinkin good fortuno\n\n even if path's differ in glow\n\n or I doubt success while a said tow\n\n Now to happiness \, Forever! so\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n from Richard Murray\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n NOTES:\n\n\n\n To my poem\n\n \"forever\" meaning for eternally \n\n \"exaltation\" meaning a rising\n\n \"to know\" meaning toward knowing\n\n \"immigrant\" meaning on e who moved permanently away\n\n \"however\" meaning how eternally\n\n \"p onder\" meaning to think \n\n \"unsure\" meaning not safe\n\n \"lo\" mean ing to look \n\n \"heritage\" meaning that which is carried \n\n \"Aquil ow\" cognate meaning Aquila latin for eagle and low\, ala low eagle\, a re ferral to the USA\n\n \"forelease\" cognate meaning fore- before lease to loosen  \, to loosen before \n\n \"coveto\" meaning to a little while po tent covet \, covet meaning extreme passionate desire\, -o postfix meaning smaller in size while same in value\n\n \"kno\" meaning know\n\n \"modern \" meaning of the now\, the time of this publication\n\n \"mow\" meaning t hing to be cut down\n\n \"ro\" meaning road\n\n \"cando\" meaning illumina tion\, light from\, short of candor [said  can-dough]\n\n \"stars\" meani ng descendents\n\n \"unsow\" meaning not sow\, sow meaning put in a place\ , [ say sow like sew] \n\n \"trow\" meaning have belief or faith in \n\n \"vowfree\" meaning free of vows\, vow is a verbal pledge\, an attestatio n\, \n\n \"pro\" meaning toward \, a way forward\n\n \"nowever\" meaning now eternally \n\n \"skinkin\" meaning kin of the skin \, phenotype\n\n \ "fortuno' meaning good fortune\, in particular good luck or good fortune\, fortune can be negative\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LAST LINES \n\n first line fr om the last line of  The Hope Of Liberty\, page 10 \, THE SLAVE'S COMPLAI NT.[  Forever! ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MORE INFORMATION\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Forum post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11687-juneteenth-poetry-the -freemans-complaint/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n From DEviantart\n\n\n\n The Freema n's Complaint \, a late response to the Slave's complaint\n\n https://www. deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1208702353\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Community Post\ n\n\n\n [ https://aalbc.com/tc/events/event/338-juneteenth-good-news-cale ndar/ ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250619 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Juneteenth GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T105001Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:338-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Juneteenth is July 19th \, a day celebrated as the d ay when all black people in the usa knew that the slave system had been destroyed\, not legally abolished\, which is the 13th amendment.  State t ext or graphics depicting Juneteenth to you.  \n \n\n\n\n \n https://aa lbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-juneteenth-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-b log/?do=findComment&\;comment=908  \n \n\n\n\n Juneteenth books liste d on AALBC thanks @Troy\n\n\n\n [ https://aalbc.com/books/category.php?nam e=Juneteenth ] \n\n\n\n Juneteenth Poetry\n\n\n\n [ https://aalbc.com/tc /events/event/359-the-freemans-complaint-a-late-response-to-the-slaves-com plaint-06192025/ ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n A twenty something female is playing GloboVans\, trying to r each the upper percentile users in life viewers. Her grandparents see her and chant in unison: “Put that game down Karema\, we want to spend time with you”.  \n\n “I can’t you two\, I am still on the clock”: Ka rema reply\, linking the television in her room to the computer screen\, d isplaying her Juneteenth town built for her life viewers to watch her avat ar\, where various firms can advertise or sell products inside.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n “come on Nicodemus”: say Karema’s grandmother. The two elders smile and go toward the door.  \n\n “Wait”: say Karem a\, can you two come back with some family photos about Juneteenth. “O k K”: reply the grandmother.  \n\n …\n\n “Ok everyone in the Kver se\, we have two new members of the village\, Nico and Eucy\, here to expl ain these photos” Nicodemus and Euclaire sit with two cameras in front o f them\, a screen behind the camera offering their visualization. Karema s peak offline: “ok guys\, just tell the stories\, to the members\, like w e talked about”\n\n Karema’s grandparents nod their heads and begin. Euclaire start off.\n\n “The following photo was taken in 1900..”. Th e number of residents grew by one thousand.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Euclaire continue: “The woman with white hair was named Sister May\, sh e led the local church of freeville texas\, near the border of Louisiana. The woman on her right was Jude\, she was married to Robert Six Pistols\, the legendary gun fighter who defeated the Bones of Davis gang that terror ized black towns from Wyoming to Missouri\, The man behind sister May wa s…”\n\n “Jacob Farmer\, the last original cowboy”\n\n “yes\, t hank you my love\, and next to him with the cane was Ol’ barrel Williams \, he was involved with Sherman’s march\, and the one farthest left was Youn’ Boulder Williams\, they say he made reconnaissance trips in the co nfederacy\, but he never told anyone\, it all came as hearsay from friends around drink\, the last was my great grandfather\, Toby Tim\, the master of the Coon can\, my grandfather would only play Conquian because of him. He always sang\, whenever family time was… many tried to be the best\, f rom northern Virginia to southern Texas\, many came on road or followed th e blues\, to seek out Toby Tim and the crown he used. Not made of gold or very old\, but pure white with a black soul\, many a man or wo-man thought the crown will be theirs but didn’t comprehend the first lesson\, the c oon plays the can\, but the king knows conquian\, all hail”\n\n Euclair e and Nicodemus say in unison:“ Toby Tim!”: and they laugh. The number of residents grew by two thousand\, shares by ten thousand.  \n\n Eucla ire continue: “Some of you may wonder where is Toby Tim’s hat these da ys\, well\, I can tell you\, but you have to play a hand of conquian with me to make me”: and Euclaire stop.\n\n Nicodemus begin: “the followin g photo was taken in 1905\, actually near where I lived as a baby in 202 0”. The number of residents grew by eight hundred.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Nicodemus continue: “if you look at the trolley you will some men in white there\, in the mix they faced a lad y was present\, that lady was my great grandmother. Her name was Ludmilla L'Aventure. She owned the store in the center\, of the dark colored buildi ng. She actually met Frederick Douglass in 1887\, we still have the ledger to prove it\, and he wanted a special dress made with a mocha boned shoul der strap bodice over the hips\, and a red white and blue threadcount tart an dress with thirty eight ruffles around the dress with red white and blu e threadcount tartan pattern but larger values hemlined just over the floo r\, if enough of you want I will share the photo with you later” . Two t housand shares are made.\n \n\n \n Nicodemus continue:“ My great grandm other\, even met King T.T. \, after he defeated a man by the name of Sally the rough\, Lady L'aventure sewed a mulberry silk rim but you have to pla y with my wife for more” The number of residents grew by three thousand and Nicodemus end.\n\n Euclaire look to Karema and Karema make gestures a nd Euclaire begin:“ We will share the following photo with you all for a post Juneteenth quest”\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Euclaire continue: “We happen to know the two women in the carriage but we will like all of you t o do research and find them for us. Whomever succeeds after placing their findings in the mail box will receive a thousand credits to use anywhere\, in any village in GloboVans courtesy of Kverse’s mayor\, QueenK! ”\n\ n Euclaire end and Karema begin the next phase of her online activity. Ni codemus and Euclaire look to each other and smile. They wave to Karema as they exit her room.\n\n …\n\n After supper\, everyone in the house hol d\, Euclaire\, Nicodemus\, Jonas their son\, Lukwana Jonas’s wife\, Kari m Lukwana’s father\, oleone Lukwana’s mother\, Karema the daughter of Jonas plus Lukwana\, her little brother Nat adopted at ten and now twelve\ , all cleaned the kitchen and enjoyed the parlor. Karema went next to her grandparents playing Cubecule and showed them a video.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Euclaire erupted in laughter.  \n\n “Can you still do the dance grandma?”\n\n “That little girl is long gone”\n\n Nicodemus lean over in a public whisper: “she still can”\n\n “Nicodemus Charl es Lattimer shame! ”  \n\n Nicodemus smile and lean back.  \n\n “P lease grandma”\n\n “No\, no way… well\, don’t give me that face … alright\, if Nicodemus can defeat me in the game of Cubecule\, I will do it”\n\n  \n\n I hope you enjoyed the story\n \n\n \n …If you en joyed this tale check out the others utilizing the links below\n\n Bookbu b\n\n https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-b f5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richar d-murray-hearth/\n\n Poetry or More Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/u s/en/search?query=Poetry%20or%20More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;series Id=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f06360287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n\n https ://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearchfield=Se ries&\;seriesId=965aea81-4e13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Story C ollection\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20 Short%20Story%20Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c 4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250619 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Marcus Garvey's Birthday GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T122657Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:358-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Marcus Garvey Birthday Jan 17th [ https://aalbc.com/tc/p rofile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1780&\;type=status ] \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n Happy Birthday to Marcus Garvey\n Considering Marcus Garvey saw th e caribbean or north america during his life as places that Black people n eeded to get away from\, when you think of the struggles/challenges/unhapp iness in Black Americans <\;Blacks or Negras \n  from Canada/USA/MExic o/JAmaica/HAiti/Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico/Trinidad/Colombia/Venezuela /Brazil/Chile/Argentina or any other land in the American continent>\; i n the American Continent\, was MArcus Garvey proven right about the ineffi cacy of Black people living side Whites? Side the best efficacy of Blacks when they live mostly around Blacks? \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250217 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Valentines Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T120403Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:355-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Richard Murray Valentines day album 2020 LINK  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Black Hearts Day or Valentine's Day good news 2020\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ALBUM\n\n\n\n Richard Murray Valentines Day Album\n\n\n\n \n Dawn- beginning of twilight before sunrise\n\n And soon\, both of us\,Learned to trust\,Not run away\,It was no time to play\ ,We build it up\n\n Twilight-sun invisible but atmosphere illuminated\n\n and now\, I’ve got a song\, to sing\, tellin the world\, about the joy you bring\n\n Sunrise-sun going above equator\n\n And all the while\, i nside\, I knew\, it was real\,The way you make me\, feel\n\n Morning- sun rise to noon\n\n I\, can open\, your eyes\,Take\, you wonder\, by wonder\ ,Over\, sideways\, and under\n\n Noon-temporal middle of the day\n\n Ain ’t\, no second chance\,You got to hold on to romance\,Don’t let it sli de\n\n Evening- end of noon to the beginning of night\n\n Let me hear\, you tell me\, you love me\,Let me hear\, you say\, you`ll never leave me\n \n Sunset-sun setting beneath equator\n\n As soon as I\, get you\, out m y head\, I’m in\, your car\, again\n\n Twilight - sun invisible but atm osphere illuminated\n\n Pour the wine\, light the fire\, Girl your wish\, is my command\n\n Dusk- darkest phase of twilight\n\n I won’t pretend \, that I intend to stop living\, I won’t pretend\, I’m good at forgiv ing\n\n Night- darkness between sunset and sunrise\n\n Love them\, and l eave them\, that’s what I used to do\,Use them and abuse them\,Then I la id eyes on you\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250214 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:March Equinox GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T114700Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:352-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n  The March Equinox is always between March 19th and March 21st  in the year 2021 it was on is March 19th 11:49 pm EST UTC -5 \, it is the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere\, fall in the southern hemisphere \n \n\n\n\n \n  share photos of art OR text of fic tion \n \n\n\n\n \n  The photos can be to->\;sculpture/knitting or se wing/graffiti/tattoo or any craft depicting Black people in fall in the so uthern hemisphere\, any country <\;south america/caribbean/africa/sout h asia/australia>\; OR  Black people in spring in the northern hemis phere\, any country <\;north america/europe/northern asia>\; \n \n\ n\n\n \n  The text can only be fiction based on the following: Black per son or peoples at the first day of spring or fall  \n \n\n\n\n \n AALBC STORY  \n \n\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-march-equin ox-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=87 8  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-eostre- art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=890    \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 3 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-eostre -art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=891   \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n AALBC\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n VERNAL EQUINOX TALE 20 20\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://flickr.com/photos/kanaristm/29353776801/\n\n\n \n It is the beginning of Spring in a small southern town in Mississippi. A home older than one hundred and fifty year\, made to be a tombstone to a n old world but used to bloom a new one\, glisten in the light.  As movem ent abound in the house\, floor boards creak. The man in the house awaken\ , with noise or confusion. The people in the house notice the noise and se arch for it. An axe break through old wood and light shine on the man in t he house\, for the first time in one hundred and twenty-four year. A stron g male hand offer itself and the man in the house take it. The man in the house is fatigued\, facing a clan in shock.\n\n\n\n \"Who is this?\": a si lver haired black woman ask.  A little boy and a teenage girl take a phot o and post it online.  \n\n\n\n \"Stop that you two... I don't know grann ie\": a heavy-set man ponder what to do and ask: \"who are you?\"  \n\n\n \n \"...Jonas\": The man formerly in the house reply.\n\n\n\n \"Where do y ou come from\, how can we help you?\": The heavy-set man ask.  \n\n\n\n J onas look at the house and reply: \"This is my home\, at least 124 years a go\" All but one in the modern clan laugh or giggle. Grannie tell them all to shush and she think\, and ask a question.\n\n\n\n \"Are you the Night warrior?\"\n\n\n\n Jonas look toward Grannie\, incredulous. Grannie contin ue:\"Our family have a tradition. One that was taught to me by my mother\, it is of the telling of the Night warrior\". Everyone look to Grannie. Sh e begin to hum.\n\n\n\n \"Oh be a McDowell\,  \n\n\n\n oh run on the road \,  \n\n\n\n the ghosts are coming to kill you\n\n\n\n don fret my girls\ , don fret\n\n\n\n The Night Warrior will save you\n\n\n\n waiting under t he step\, waiting under the floor\"\n\n\n\n waiting till one hundred and t wenty four\"\n\n\n\n Jonas ask her: \"Was more said?\"\n\n\n\n \"No\, but I never forget asking my mother the same thing\, she said her mother told her\, the same thing she would tell me\, the Night warrior will know\"\n\n \n\n Jonas ponder the words from Grannie. Grannie gesture to everyone else with her hand and they all obey.\n\n\n\n \"Wait Chelle\": she grab her gr and neice:\"help him get set up in the attic ok\"\n\n\n\n Chelle smile at Jonas.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.blackplanet.com/riprene2002/photo/2000 455418\n\n\n\n She escort him to the attic and hand him toiletry and other items and tell him: \"take it easy\, grannie will be up here to explain m ore things\"\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Jonas worked all morning on the farm outs ide the house he was in\, doing what he know how to do: till the land\, wo rk the land\, be the land. It is the afternoon and Jonas ponder the world he is in. He ponder what became of his community. Grannie filled him in: d isappearances\, hangings\, pain\, fights he didn't agree with\, fights he is sad were lost. He confessed to Grannie why he was put to sleep. He was meant to be a tool in a future that never was. A blooming that never becam e. A priestess from New Orleans asked the spirits to plant him the home\, the house be his shell. He wanted an all-out fight but his sister said no. She had lost her husband and daughter and was not about to lose her niece \, Grannie's mother. After one hundred and twenty four year he can arrive and start the fight. But Jonas realize\, he has no one to fight alongside. The modern Black want to battle absent a physical blade. What does a warr ior of the blade do? He see the heavy set relative to Grannie outside the Horse bin.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.blackplanet.com/AyeDrayDray/pho to/2000434450\n\n\n\n \"Josh\, I will take Mamba out riding\": Jonas infor m Josh.  \n\n\n\n \"ye ok\"\n\n\n\n The horse has one mind with Jonas and come to him. Jonas get on and gallop gently away. Josh shake his head\, n ot knowing where this will end.\n\n\n\n Jonas and Mamba are casual near th e river when Jonas see a riverboat. The name strike him:\" Cassie's Cry\". He remember Cassie was the name of the priestess. She told him\, he would have to look for her in the future. He only told his sister about it. Jon as tell Mamba to go home and jump into the river and intercept the riverbo at. Two crewman guide him on the ship. He asks\, do they know who this riv erboat was named after. The two crewman do not answer\, but take him to a sitting area\, with some people gambling. Jonas sit patiently\, alone\, li stening to odd machines. The door open and a hippy woman step in\; she wal k over to him and lean over\, smiling in his face.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https: //www.blackplanet.com/sexy_shyjade/photo/1101583505\n\n\n\n \"Interesting\ , leave us\": she wave her hand and crew man leave\, only a few customers present\, and she continue: \"well \, Jonas\, it is you \, isn't it\"\n\n\ n\n Jonas is excited and start to be inquisitive\, but is interrupted.  \ n\n\n\n \"I am not Cassie\, she is my mother\"\n\n\n\n Jonas look surprise d and the daughter to Cassie continue: \"After what she did for you\, do y ou doubt her abilities?... I can take you to her\, but you will have to wo rk on the riverboat\, small labors\, you may even enjoy the kind of world on this boat\". Jonas accept and shoveled some coal and waited on customer s\, black or white on the way to Baton Rouge.\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n The Daug hter to Cassie\, escort Jonas from her riverboat to a simple house. She le ave him waiting in a second floor room for Cassie. After a time\, Cassie a rrive.  \n\n\n\n \"Bonjour Jonas\, it has been a while\": Cassie sit next to Jonas and continue:\"... yes I look a little younger than when you saw me last\, it happens when you're a priestess\"\n\n\n\n \"... It was a was te of time... a total waste\": lament Jonas.\n\n\n\n Cassie smile: \"A was te\, your wrong\, if you had died\, a rare person would had been killed to soon\"\n\n\n\n \"Yes\, but why didn't you save others\": yell Jonas.  \n \n\n\n \"Everything in nature has rules\, and the natural side unnatural a re in nature\, thus all have rules\"\n\n\n\n \"So... what am I to do\"\n\n \n\n \"Live your life\"\n\n\n\n \"WHAT! I am told black children were foun d burned alive\, not too far from here and your reply to me is Live Your L ife\"\n\n\n\n Cassie snap her finger.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n https://www.blac kplanet.com/Skyyee44/photo/2000440967\n\n\n\n The room go colorless and Jo nas is unstable at the sudden change. Cassie snap her finger and normal vi sion return.  \n\n\n\n \"... I just don't see what to do\"\n\n\n\n \"My d ear Jonas\, bloom\, you must bloom\, a one hundred and twenty four year bl oom\, your bloodline still own that house\, make it more\"\n\n\n\n Jonas i s not convinced but he spend the day at Cassie's before he head back up ri ver on the riverboat.\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Days later  \n\n\n\n Jonas is t illing the land\, being one with the land. Grannie ring the bell for every one to come inside for breakfast. Jonas bump into Josh\, Chelle\, side oth ers. Everyone is hungry.  \n\n\n\n Grannie ask Jonas to bring something f rom the refrigerator. Jonas acquire it\, but is intercepted.  \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n https://www.blackplanet.com/Chocc115/photo/2000270158\n\n\n\n \"You are not boring\, old man\": the interceptor press against him slightly.  \n\n\n\n \"I need to bring the lemonade in\": reply Jonas calmly.  \n\n \n\n \"what is wrong?\": question the interceptor.  \n\n\n\n \"Nothing\, but I realized I am a seed\, I don't need to rush my growth\, and your ado pted mom\, will not like you messing around with me\"\n\n\n\n  CAST\n\n @ Skyyee44 Cassie\n\n @sexy_shyjade daughter to Cassie\n\n @AyeDrayDray Josh \, heavy set relative to grannie\n\n @Chocc115 adopted daughter of grannie \n\n @riprene2002 as Chelle grand niece of grannie\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If y ou like more of my stories check out my Short story collection series\n\n\ n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Sto ry%20Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e -ada0-62c0fa015714\n\n\n\n And I am on Bookbub\n\n\n\n https://www.bookbub .com/authors/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Deviantart\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal /Vernal-Equinox-2020-tale-834328255\n\n\n\n Tumblr\n\n\n\n https://richard murrayhumblr.tumblr.com/post/613000215536992256/most-times-when-the-spring -come-i-know-it-by-the\n\n\n\n Tumblr Stories\n\n\n\n https://richardmurra yhumblr.tumblr.com/tagged/submission\n\n\n\n DeviantArt Stories\n\n\n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/journal/?catpath=/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n S TORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Most times when the Spring come\, I know it by t he trees. Many colors\, many flowers\, vibrantly coloring the world. It is a common arrangement. But\, this spring \, it is worse. It is one hundred and twenty-four days since the arrival of the first elf. Let me show you on my phone.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n She just popped up surrounded by this w hite light. Did she drop into the white house? no. Did she drop into the U nited Nations\, perhaps with a powerful electronic or mechanical assistant \, perhaps even boss? no. Did she make herself known anywhere the televisi on people or movie people alluded to in the past? no.  She made herself k nown in the women’s bathroom at the local park\, at Riverside. Police an d some three-letter people arrived but she seemingly had no worries or nee d to worry.  It took a while but someone asked her a simple question\, wh y is she here?\n\n She said it is a secret\, and then disappeared\, reappe aring and disappearing per her desire throughout the one hundred and twent y-four day. Now\, whenever you go outside you may see something like this stranger.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n I could had asked\, did you know\, flowers are growing around you\, blossoming more by the second. I did not ask. At least like so many of the others\, he seemed content with the magical gre en flung all over the city. But I forgot his plight quick\, when I saw her . This big chocolate orange leaf floating around little orange leaves.  \ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n She paid me no mind\, and was totally focused on pla ying with her fellow leaves. I pushed myself on her and asked her name. Sh e said\, Onluleon. I loved the way she sounded it better than the way I th ought it. Onluleon I watched for hours playing with the leaves\, never tir ed or concerned with any other. I left my bench and went back over to her\ , asking. You know it is the beginning of spring. She looked at me dumbfou nded. But\, she didn’t ignore me\, and took me by the arm. She went to a purple tree where a songbird was grabbing nectar.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\ n She asked me: “isn’t she lovely”\n\n “The tree”: I replied.\ n\n “No\, the tree is a he\, I meant the songbird”\n\n I guessed she w as right. I was happy just getting this time in. The songbird suddenly fel l onto the ground and bloomed into a woman. The purple leaves coating her\ , with some sticking to her hair.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n I asked the former songbird\; how does she feel. She simply stared at me and whistled away. I tried to go after her but I felt stiff. Too stiff to move fast. Onluleon \,I bet an Oriole at one time in her life\, started sniffing me and I rea lized I had a flower growing out of me. I hobbled back to where I saw that guy and I realized he was no longer there\, but a small blossomed tree sa t in his general location. I wondered if he even comprehended me and how l ong did I have to be comprehended. I called for Onluleon and shook her fai ntly. I was frightened as I saw my vision covered in leaves. It all occurr ed to me\, that spirit was going to turn the human into the plant\, and th e non-human into the human. One hundred and twenty-four days to bloom\, an d we all missed it. I missed it. If I can no longer think like before I se ttled my mind knowing that I will have time as a tree to bloom into someth ing else later. A cardinal\, turned into a ballerina for my last sight. \ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Once lon g ago\, a beautiful forest bloomed in spring.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n But what fe w humans knew back then and fewer know now is that the trees can make the fairy folk bloom. But it cannot be any fairy\, it has to be the one hundre d and twenty fourth fairy in line from the last one bloomed. Meaning\, if a fairy bloom\, only her 124th descendant in line can bloom after her and so forth. Fairies are tiny and thus sometimes\, a bloodline end and only s pecial magic can force a blooming. But that special event is for another s tory. This story is about Asukume\, and how her bloom survived. Asukume wa s the 124th descendant of the last fairy to bloom with the beautiful fores t and she was very happy.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n She imagined all the great thin gs her blooming can do. Unlike most fairy folk born from the flowers in a forest\, when a fairy bloom\, that child is not a fairy but a umoyuswi. Th ey can make fairies even stronger and thus lie the danger. Some fairies be trayed their parents and seek to control nature\, not serve her. One is Qu een Itshe. Normally in stone.\n\n \n\n\n\n She is no bigger than a walnut\ , safe from human eyes but kept hidden by her allies the squirrels. She pl aced a spell on herself to rise every 124th blooming to acquire an umoyusw i. When she rises she is a deadly grey color. \n\n \n\n\n\n But her inten t is clear. To take a umoyuswi's power\, energy\, and use it to not only r evitalize herself\, but extend her control. Forcing more to be here allies in the red-blooded tribes: humans\, bears\, et cetera.\n\n Asukume knew t he danger\, and always kept moving to make sure she was never in one spot long enough for Itshe or her squirrel spies to find her. Fortunately\, Asu kume had her baby. And in time it grew and blossomed into a fine umoyuswi.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Her butterfly wings glittering everywhere. But she was still young. In her newness\, she wanted to talk to everyone and forgot t he warning her mother gave about talking to squirrels\, and she talked to one. The squirrel informed Itshe and she came floating in. Asukume daughte r was scared at the dull white sight of Itshe\, but the squirrels held her down and Itshe began to absorb the energy of Asukume daughter. \n\n \n\n \n\n Itshe was reveling in getting her color back\, intoxicated with a suc cess that had to wait thirty thousand year. In her hubris\, she forgot one key weapon\, a name. Asukume daughter had not given herself a name\, per the custom of umoyuswi. Asukume did not know the rule but a flower did and it spoke to Asukume daughter while being drained. It told the child to ch oose a name. The squirrels were to slow in chopping the flower down and As ukume daughter chose a word she heard her mother use\, dodging through the expanse of the forest. Her mother always called the forest an ocean. And so\, Asukume daughter named herself Ulwandle. With her name\, she could do more and since Itshe had stolen so much color\, she figured she needed to keep it and she turned her into a flower\, a carnation. She turned her sq uirrel servants into one being\, a dog. And after that Ulwandle\, butterfl y wings flapping\, flew high up and promised her mother a safe return from the school in the moon.\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250319 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250322 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:April Fool's Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T114235Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:351-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n April Fool's day April 1st  \n \n\n \n Click the L ink and learn something\n \n\n\n\n \n http://houyhnhnm.github.io/aprilfoo l/index.html  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250401 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Easter GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T113925Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:350-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Easter is always between March 22nd and April 25th .Easte r was April 12th in the year 2020\, the name is derived from Ēostre the real or unreal germanic goddess but the date and most modern traditions refer to Pascha which roughly translates to passover\, the Jewish holi day. But\, I want to focus on  Ēostre. For easter\, include the real or unreal traditions attributed to Eostre\, like rabbits\, or make your o wn.You can show photos of art OR text of fiction \n\n\n\n \n  The phot os can be to->\;sculpture/knitting or sewing/graffiti/tattoo or any craf t depicting Eostra real or unreal traditions \n \n\n\n\n \n  The text can only be fiction based on the following: Real or unreal traditons of Eostre. Orthodox catholic easter comes a week after roman catholic easter .  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 1 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-eostre- art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=892   \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-eostre-a rt-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=893   \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1\n\n\n\n It is April 12th 2020\, Ess Mae M urard walk by her Easter painting aside her grandchildren.  \n\n \n\n\n\n The boy ask: “I never seen that painting before”\n\n “No you have n ot Hakim\, it is one I did a while back but I only present it for Easter ”: gently replied Ess Mae.  \n\n “Why grandma S?”: reply a girl.  \n\n “I was going to ask that Shaniqua!”: cut in Hakim.\n\n “No n eed to shout Hakim\, it was a good question anyway right?”: Grandma Ess tickle Hakim and Shaniqua\, either laugh.  \n\n Grandma Ess continue: “ to answer the question you both want to know\, I must go back to earlier d ays”. She take a photo off a desk.\n\n \n\n\n\n “Grandpa Clay!”: rep ly both children in unison.  \n\n “yes\, your grandfather with me befor e church\,1947\, I was a little sad\, a commission I was hoping to get was obtained by D. Scott\, made me quite mad”: recall grandma Ess\, and she continue: “We went to church\, your grandpa Clay had to do some work in a white man’s house\, So I chose to go to St. Nicholas park and sit to gather my thoughts and that is when I saw her…”: the children are atte ntive:“Eostre”:the children interrupt Grandma Ess.\n\n “who is Eos tre”:ask Hakim.  \n\n “yes\, please tell us grandma S”: Shanique pu ll on her grandmother’s arm.\n\n Grandma Ess continue: “… hmmm\, wel l\, at first I did not know who she was and I said\, nice hat\, she found that amusing and seemed interested in what I had to say… I learned she w as the Earth”: the children look confused and Grandma Ess continue: “w ell\, the spirit of the Earth who once every turn around the sun makes an appearance as a human to humans”\n\n Grandma Ess look to the children wh o are still confused\, and smile. She continue: “think of it like this\, we live on a planet\, called Earth\, and she is living so\, she has a spi rit\, but her spirit is special\, not like a humans\, her spirit can inhab it many kinds of bodies.”\n\n “why grandma Ess”: ask Shaniqua.  \ n\n “The earth is very old and powerful\, I can not explain all in why E arth reacts the way it does in any way… but we talked about many things\ , and when she was done she offered me a chance to paint her”\n\n “So that is her\, the spirit of Earth”: ask Hakim.  \n\n “hmmm rather\, t hat is the form the spirit of Earth took”: reply Grandma Ess.  \n\n “ but why only show it during easter”: ask Shaniqua.\n\n “well”: a car horn cut off Grandma Ess\, and she speak to the matter: “you two\, lets go \, we can talk about it later \,lets go outside”: she take a photo.\ n\n The three leave the house and meet a woman waiting by a wall.\n\n \n\n \n\n “come on Ma!”: speak the woman.\n\n “coming chile\, now go on y ou two\, go to your mother”: suggest Grandma Ess\, but Hakim shake his h ead and Shanique tighten her grip.  \n\n “So you two want to bother you r grandmother about something\, alright\, but just get in the car\, ok”: and after the mother speak\, the grandchildren usher into the car quiet a nd wait for grandma Ess.\n\n …\n\n while driving to church Grandma Ess w as active on her tablet and asked the children: “you two ready to learn why that painting can’t be shown”.\n\n “I see now what is going on ”: the children’s mother smile.\n\n “Don’t say anything mommy”: request Shaniqua.\n\n “yeah\, we want to hear it from grandma”: demand Hakim.\n\n “ok ok\, may I listen to”: ask the mother\, and the childr en nod.\n\n Grandma Ess smile and say: “take a look at the image on the tablet”: and she hand the tablet to the children in the back seat. Hakim plus Shaniqua look at the image.  \n\n \n\n\n\n Grandma Ess begin to fin ish her story: “well… once long ago\, great birds existed\, these bird s could be ridden like a horse. Humans lived well with adult ones but coul d never breed children\, but it didn’t matter for they continued to be b orn in the wild\, until one day…”: the children gasp in preparation an d grandma Ess continue: “the earth changed. These birds had only one nes ting ground\, and it was destroyed in a great earthquake\, that burned the sky so none could fly away… the humans who used these birds was very an gry cause these birds was the only way they could reach some of the remote locations where they lived. They asked the Earth to make more of the bird s to restart their bloodline… but the Earth refused. The humans who rode these birds\, became very angry and cursed all our mother… do you have an idea why the painting can not be seen now?”\n\n Hakim think\, but sha ke his head. Shaniqua think and say:“ the eggs? ”\n\n “Yes\, Shani qua”: smile Grandma Ess\, Hakim cry out in agony\, their mother laugh.  \n\n “But\, those little eggs in the painting are the eggs of those hu ge birds”\n\n “no\, but they are the map… The Eostre made a map of e ggs\, utilized correctly\, which I will not say how\, they provide a map\, the painting gives clues to those who know\, thus the spirit of Earth dem anded I not make that publicly shown… and I have kept my promise\, and a s your mother has kept it \, I demand you two”\n\n Shaniqua plus Hakim s mile: “yes grandma Ess”\n\n “Ok guys\, we at church your”\n\n “Daddy!”: yell the two children in unison cutting off their mother’s instruction. The mother open the car doors and the children are out\; she blow a kiss to her husband.\n\n “You know my sweet Roe\, you can make a few more eggs for me to tell my story too”: explain Grandma Ess to her daughter.  \n\n “Momma \, I am not going to be laying tons of eggs\, I know you and Rick been talking and plotting\, now enjoy your church\, I wi ll be back to take us all to Black Fort for lunch”: say Roe\, as she wat ch her mother exit the car and meet up with the husband plus kids.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Each child from Earth is part in a community and between each perihelion the Earth must speak to each child's community at least once\, per the agreement with the Sun. In the oldest s wamp from Earth the human season come again\, the time of Eostre\, when th e spirit in Earth take a humanoid form to speak to her human children. She slowly form the body deep in a swampland so thick\, the morning sun seem a sunset.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n It is said if you are lucky to witness the spir it of the Earth before she settles her form\, the Earth will allow you to take a piece from in her. But\, I myself have never been able to witness s uch a thing to prove it myself. \n\n The spirit of Earth\, after forming the body\, begin to walk out from the swamp to speak to the humans. She me ets a hare\, basking in the sunlight.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n The hare turn to lo ok to her and cognize her immediately. It hop to her feet and ask:\" what can I do for the earth Spirit\". The Eostre ask the hare:\" please take me to the human tribe\". The hare bow and escort The Eostre out the swamp\, out the wood and into a human roadway. A human man turn a sharp corner nea r the wood exit and is astonished at the figure before him. He ask The Eos tre if he can take a photo of her. She nod her head. He ask her to take a look at it.\n\n \n\n\n\n He ask her name\, and she look down at the Hare\, who head shake in disagreement. The man sulk off looking at the photo. \ n\n The Eostre look down at the road and ask the hare: \"how far are the h umans from their.... road\"\n\n \"Not far earth spirit\, about ten thousan d hops\, but beware humans wearing odd smelling metal clumps\"\n\n And The Eostre leave the hare\, at the side of the road. \n\n \n\n\n\n The Eostr e walk and walk\, observing the humans in cars going by. In the late morni ng\, she observe a small human girl carrying eggs in one hand\, picking up an egg in the other. The Eostre go over to the girl and ask: \"why did yo u take that egg and have an egg basket?\"\n\n \"Its easter\": the little g irl reply.\n\n \"YEs\, I know but egg is meant to be cared for not\, throw n about\, you never know what kind of life it may bring\"\n\n The little g irl stand confused or bored. The Eostre ask her to sit the egg she just fo und down. After the little girl did\, the Eostre tap her foot once and the egg grow\, and grow\, wiping away decorations and a small dragon pop out. \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The little girl is very happy\, even though the b aby dragon tried to snap her finger off\; she place the baby dragon in her egg basket. And\, grab The Eostre hand and say: \"Please\, come home\, my parents will love to meet you\, my dad does magic and my mom loves dragon s\"\n\n \"you think it is wise for your mom to see a dragon\"\n\n \"yes\, lets go\": and the little girl drag The Eostre to her home. The little gir l ask The Eostre to notice the eggs on the table and say: \"my dad made th em\"\n\n The Eostre look at the eggs and smile. You know\, it will be good to talk to your parents. And The Eostretime happened successfully\, albei t an initial shock of nudity from the parents to the little girl.\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250322 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250426 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Aphelion GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T112727Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:348-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Aphelion is between July 3rd and July 6th in 2020 it was on July 4th 11:04pm in 2020\, the Aphelion for earth is when the earth is farthest from the sun\, in its eliptical orbit. If you consider the Perihelion the beginning of a year\, then the Aphelion is the trust midyea r point. Every planet around the sun has an aphelion. Earth's moon like al l other moons has a similar action\, called an apogee to a planet\, where a moon is farthest from the planet it rotates around\, by having an ellipt ical orbit.  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 1 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/2 61-aphelion-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&am p\;comment=923  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entr y/261-aphelion-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment &\;comment=924  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\ n\n\n \n It is afternoon\, a day on earth\, a black woman sit in solace\; Kalima look toward her photo of a prior penumbral eclipse\, made in a roa dtrip across the usa.  \n \n \n\n \n She continue to ignore the yells fr om her sanguine downstairs\; they are ready to go to the July 4th Firework s parade.\n\n “COME ON!!!… I know you can hear me K! We are now in ph ase three and I want us to enjoy being outside\, none of us have been out in months! PLEASE!”\n\n Kalima lay back on her bed and put on a video o nline.  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n She can hear shuffling feet leaving the f ront door of the brownstone while she watch. She whisper: “see you soo n” and continue to watch.\n\n At the end of the video she sit at her wr iting desk and take out paper and pencil and ruler\; she compose a poem us ing looped cursive penpersonship on clear paper using the ruler she crafte d as a guidetool.  \n\n A male red winged blackbird sitting on a tree br anch outside watch Kalima and see the following on the page\, Kalima finis hed.\n\n  \n \n\n \n I know I’m free\, while in an unfree place  \n\ n To live in a free place… I must rally  \n\n Against Time’s steady pace\, mortality  \n\n What certainty? The best finishing place  \n\n \n\n Choices I see? Bliss be the unfree place  \n\n Bliss out the unfr ee place\, which choice is me?  \n\n History state no case… I must ral ly  \n\n Blind gamblin’ me\, both length may eat my race  \n\n \n\n A bird yell free! I wingless… stall my race  \n\n Wait in the unfree place\, one day for me  \n\n I see Time with it’s pace\, safe while I see  \n\n I will rally\, to live in a free place  \n\n \n\n The small uncaged passerine fly away\, singing. Kalima look to the window and go to her bed\, and lay thinking\, and sleeping.\n\n …\n\n A gentle nudge a nd a wet kiss on the cheek\, wake Kalima up\, from a figure unknown of bod y while familiar in voice.\n\n “Come on K\, we are all back now\, we wa nt to tell you about our trip\, especially little Bee”\n\n “Oh\, he y Ma”\n\n Kalima plus her mother embrace.  \n\n “Here is some choco late bars\, colored like the flag\, I know! but Mister Mohammed made them and I know you support Black business”\n\n Kalima took a whiff of the c hocolate\, and smiled with yummies.  \n\n Her mother pass her a photo of the clan\, taken by uncle george.  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n And\, Kalim a’s mother pass Kalima another of a firework by uncle george.\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Kalima’s mother continue: “Fun…We will meet you downsta irs and you can tell us about tonights eclipse ok”\n\n “It’s late\, little Bee will want to stay up\, so we need to get the hammock out for h im”\n\n “ok”: Kalima’s mother leave\, and Kalima look to the moon .\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Kalima place her chocolate in her minifridge and open her door to the sound of laughter and joy. She smile in the night\, f or another day.\n\n …\n \n\n \n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read below\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www.bookbub.com /profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n AALBC\n\ n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n\n Poetry o r More Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Poetry%20or% 20More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f06 360287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?q uery=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=965aea81-4e 13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Story Collection\n\n https://www.kob o.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collection& \;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\ n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"It is really hot today\ ": say a woman\, chocolate skin sweating under an early June sun\, her han d attach to another\; she continue: \"you need water raspberry pie\"\n\n\n \n \"No mommy\": say a little girl\, same kind of skin\, sweet or moisture \, her frizzes capping her head.\n\n\n\n The two keep walking on a simple dirt road\, green trees adorning either side.\n\n\n\n \"Momma\, Grandpa on ce said Tinkerbell was American\"\n\n\n\n \"Of course\, what did he say ex actly\": the mother giggle.\n\n\n\n The little girl smile and imitate her grandfather's gestures: \"An American Tinkerbell is like a woman\, like Ti nkerbell with a red white and blue bikini on\, don't mind seeing that all out Raspberry... yeah\, Tinkerbell on the beach\"\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n The mother shake her head gently and say: \"Your grandfather\, called everything\, like a woman\, Fr ance\, Joy\, The spirit of America\"\n\n\n\n \"How did he describe the spi rit of America Mommy\": the daughter giggle.\n\n\n\n The mother smile and imitate her father's gestures: \"The Spirit of America is like a woman\, l ike a woman with a luscious afro with decorative hairpins like stars float ing around her hair\, she sits on a bed of fifty stars connected to the co smos\, and has a cape\, like superman\, but grander with the red and white stripes\, feet bare and dangling like godiva chocolate statues waiting to be eaten...yeah\, stylin spirit of America\"\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n The mother continue: \"I know he was referring to your great gran\, she had the best afros\"\n\n\n\n \"I love GG\": say a stoic little girl.\n\n\n\n \"I love her too baby\": equa l in solemnity\, say her mother.\n\n\n\n The two walk and finally reach th e house. Suddenly a man appear from behind a bush.\n\n\n\n \"You too need a glass of lemonade\, try this homemade blend\"\n\n\n\n The little girl lo ok toward her mother who release her arm\, and she lunge for the lemonade and start to drink. The man patiently wait while he get a kiss on the chee k from the mother who take her glass of lemonade.\n\n\n\n The little girl finish and the man inquire: \"well...\"\n\n\n\n \"It's a little tangy\, no t perfect Uncle\": and the little girl smile. Her uncle throw down his hat in disgust and she continue: \"You will get there uncle\, we believe in y ou\, you will make the perfect lemonade one day\"\n\n\n\n \"Ahh... thanks Raspy\, come on and help me with the cooking for the party later\"\n\n\n\n And the uncle and niece go to the back of the house\, while the mother he ad to the far side. She soon notice her father's old car sitting in shiny glory\, being taken care of by her brother Nicodemus.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n The mother sit in the car and remember when she showed her parents\, her first paid commission\, the spirt of america. They made a cake for her and celebrated. She rememb er her father said: \"I knew I was right\, I may have not gotten the descr iption incorrect\, it seems the spirit of america is like lady liberty in her teenage years\, no crown or lamp\, hair flying\, wearing wonder woman' s clothes\, wonder woman wouldn't mind and she needs the vibranium\, can't imagine the skin getting cracked and she being chosen to stand before new york city\, but\, she is still\, like a woman... yeah\, the badass spirit of america\"\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n The mother hyper ventilate and start to cry. She think to the day after when her father no longer said anything was like a woman. Betwee n the heat side her sadness she fall asleep.\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n \"Mommy!. .. mommy... MOMMY!\": speak a little girl to her mother.\n\n\n\n \"hey my sweet Raspberry\": the mother gently waken.\n\n\n\n \"Daddy say you need t o eat... and here\": the little girl kiss her mother.\n\n\n\n \"Ohh... tha nk you\, give him this for me... and I want you to have fun with the firec rackers\, with all your cousins and everybody\, ok\": the mother after tak en the plate\, hug her daughter tightly.\n\n\n\n \"Ok mommy\, I love you\" \n\n\n\n \"I love you\"\n\n\n\n \"Don't be sad mommy\": the little girl sa y walking away.\n\n\n\n \"I am not my little light in the sky\, just remem bering... go on now\"\n\n\n\n The mother eat a little food and place the p late on the dashboard\, and lay back in the seat\, back to sleep.\n\n\n\n \"Nzinga...why aren't you eating Nzinga\": a gentle voice speak to the mot her. Nzinga open her eyes and is in amazement.\n\n\n\n \"Pa...\"\n\n\n\n \ "Hey \, surprised huh\, do you know some people where I now live visit lov ing ones during the aphelion\"\n\n\n\n Nzinga is still in shock looking at her father.\n\n\n\n He continue: \"... you know\, when the earth is farth est from the sun\, but it seems to only work when one is missed a lot... a nd I am not even like a woman\"\n\n\n\n Nzinga lunge and embrace her fathe r in the driver's seat.\n\n\n\n \"I miss you papa\"\n\n\n\n The spirit emb race his daughter and say: “ I know Nzinga\, but no need\, I am here jus t for a short while for a chance to get you not to miss me so much\"\n\n\n \n \"How long?!\": energetically state the daughter.\n\n\n\n \"Maybe only an hour\"\n\n\n\n \"What will we do?\"\n\n\n\n \"Drive around of course\": Nzinga's father clip the seatbelt\, and she smile\, and he continue: \"th is is my car\, that is a pretty special moon there\". Nzinga look to the m oon as her father stare at it.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n Nzinga's father say while she look to the moo n: \"It will be nice having the penumbral eclipse escort us for our short time\"\n\n\n\n Nzinga become stoic: \"why won't you come back...\"\n\n\n\n \"I am having too much fun with your mother\"\n\n\n\n Nzinga burst a laug h.\n\n\n\n Nzinga's father continue: \"oh and she told me to give Raspy a message\, she loves telling her stories in her dreams\"\n\n\n\n Nzinga's f ather start the car\, and Nzinga look back.\n\n\n\n He say: \"Don't worry\ , let the magic happen\"\n\n\n\n \"Death has not seemed to stop your sense of wit papa\"\n\n\n\n \"Well\, my little light\, let me tell you somethin g\, ok\, Death\, is like a woman...\"\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Hope you enjoyed reading\n\n\n\n If you like more of my stories check out my Short story c ollection series\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%2 0Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;series Id=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n\n\n\n And I am on Bookbub\n\n\n\ n https://www.bookbub.com/authors/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-4 5c7d458ce49\n\n\n\n My blog\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-ric hard-murray-hearth/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250703 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250707 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:June Solstice GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T113402Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:349-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n The June Solstice is between June 20th and June 22nd \, in 2020\, is on the 20th\, it will be in the moment 5:43 PM on Saturd ay \n \n\n\n\n \n  In the northern hemisphere summer begin\, in the  southern hemisphere winter begin. \n \n\n\n\n \n  The sun will appear to be at its highest point in the sky in the northern hemisphere\, the low est point in the sky in the southern hemisphere. \n \n\n\n\n \n  In par allel\, during the December solstice\, in the northern hemisphere it begin s winter\, in the southern hemipshere summer \n \n\n\n\n \n  The sun will appear to be at its lowest point in the sky in the northern hemisphe re \, while the highest in the southern hemisphere  \n \n\n\n\n \n EQu inox\, the path of the sun crosses the equator of earth extended out into space or the celestial equator.  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 1 https://aalbc. com/tc/blogs/entry/261-june-solstice-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-bl og/?do=findComment&\;comment=909  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 https://aa lbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-june-solstice-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-new s-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=910  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n STORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n It is a day all the green blood ed know well. It is when the light shine highest above for those who live above earth’s waist. A sunflower look up and wonder what it’ s life wi ll be.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Will it get to grow old and watch se edlings make good on their journey or will it be other. It can not be cert ain. Suddenly\, it feel torn from the earth. Someone blindsided it. The su nflower yell out\, who.\n\n The rapist turn it and give a smile. The sunf lower is not amuse. The rapist place the sunflower in a glass basket. The flower protest to no reply\, after being walked around by this abuser\, fo r a seeming eternity. Then the sunflower is present to a human woman.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n The human woman is not happy at the first encou nter\, the sunflower is not either. What does this human want with me\, it thought? The human woman eventually accept the imprison sunflower\, calli ng it beautiful. The sunflower notice the light off her face and recall st ories from the butterflies about the sides of mountain ranges on clear day s. The butterflies said to the sunflowers\, if you ever see a glint of lig ht brighter than the sun off a mountain\, that glint is the sign of a moun tain in love. It makes a glint so that the mountain it is in love with can notice.  \n\n One butterfly said she saw another mountain reply under a deep blue clear sky\, a brown mountain\, glittering with various minerals \, made two glints in reply. The butterfly said it crossed a big ocean to see this. When a sunflower asked\, how can the mountains meet\, what babie s can they make? The butterfly said\, they meet through the distance. Moun tains are so sensitive they can make connections across great distance and as for children. They ask a midwife\, usually a volcanic mountain\, to ta ke their love in the earth’s blood and make a new mountain for them. The sunflower thinking on the oldest mountain clans stopped as it notice it i s alone in a human kitchen. It enjoy facing the sun\, highest in the sky. Suddenly\, someone turn it to face them.  \n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n The sunflower is not amuse. But when the interloper smile the sunflower r emind itself to what a mountain lion said. A mountain lion said it was cha sing wild sheep one time. A beautiful baby black sheep was separated from the pack and facing the mountain lion went off a cliff. The baby sheep fel l in mud. And had so much fun it was smiling and giggling\, not noticing t he mountain lion\, smacking its lips. The mountain lion checked the ground to make sure it evaded the mud\, for slippage or a loose area. When the m ountain lion made a run for the meal\, some mud reached out from the groun d and smacked it. The mountain lion realized the mud had become the protec tor\, the skin\, of the black sheep. A beautiful powerful skin that can no t be defeated easily. And the mountain lion left. The sunflower thought on the location of that sheep and its clan\, who put on the mud\, distinguis hing them from other black sheep. But\, a discussion between the two human women broke the sunflower’s train of thinking.  \n\n The human woman it was given to is upset with the interloper\, and point to her watch. The interloper make some gesture of hands\, sunflowers never comprehend human movement. Suddenly\, the interloper grab the sunflower\, the sunflower te ll her to stop. The sunflower want more sun. But the interloper does not h eed her. And\, she carries the Sunflower about for a seeming eternity. The sunflower dour mood was interrupted by a sudden feeling. The ebbing sun\, it ask the woman to turn it to the sun\, but to no avail. The sunflower i s turn to a woman\, the ebbing sunlight crowning her head.\n\n  \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n The sunflower is too angry to speak. But the waiting woman is gentle and give the sunflower a kiss. The kiss is so wet or succulent\ , it remind the sunflower to a story a baby snake told. The baby snake sai d it grew up around a brown river\, brown since ancient times. After the b aby snake was born it was told by mama snake to make its way in the world\ , crossing the brown river. Mama snake told all her babies\, trust the riv er\, it is our clans friend. The baby snake trusted naturally and went on its journey. A wicked fox\, notice the baby snake\, and leap from the gree n to pounce. Luckily the baby snake was close enough to other green to sli p through the fox’s paw. The fox did not give up and leap into the ancie nt brown river after the baby snake. The baby snake remember the chant mam a snake always sang while she was pregnant.  \n\n “G ⁠r⁠e ⁠a⁠t ⁠ ⁠a ⁠n⁠c ⁠i⁠e ⁠n⁠t ⁠ ⁠b ⁠r⁠o ⁠w⁠n ⁠ ⁠r⁠i ⁠v⁠e⁠r⁠\ ,⁠ ⁠p⁠r⁠o⁠ te⁠c⁠t⁠ ⁠me⁠ \,⁠ ⁠li⁠k⁠e⁠ ⁠m⁠y⁠ ⁠a⁠ n⁠c⁠e⁠s⁠t⁠o⁠r⁠\,⁠ ⁠First⁠ ⁠s⁠na⁠k⁠e⁠.” And the ancient brown river\, swirled the fox who leap out after\, and the ba by snake go through the river gaining a brown color that it has ever after \, a power gain through the ancient river’s kiss.\n\n The two face the sunflower to the sunlight off the moon which waken the sunflower from memo ry. And the sunflower relax having one high flying day.\n\n …\n\n Than k you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read below\n\n Bo okbub\n\n https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-45 9e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-ri chard-murray-hearth/\n\n Poetry or More Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.c om/us/en/search?query=Poetry%20or%20More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;se riesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f06360287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n\n h ttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearchfiel d=Series&\;seriesId=965aea81-4e13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Sto ry Collection\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murra y%20Short%20Story%20Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014 c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n An old sunflower\, waken with the high sunlight.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n It know that today is the day the prisoner of the light is allowed to exit her prison. The s unflower watch as the prisoner take full form over a pool of water. The pr isoner look at her reflection in the pool.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n The woman pull down and off her 1 960s miniskirt\, place the love beads gently on top\, and run. The sunflow er watch her leave out of sight\, and retain the view to the sun. The woma n run to the shore\, smelling the great sea. Noticing the coast after two mile\, she keep going\, knowing time is of the essence. She stop on the ed ge of the land\, the sea fronting her.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n She dive into the water and swim\, go ing farther and farther south. She inhumanely\, go to depths where the sea greens grow large or free from human involvement. She search for somethin g in the green sea.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n Searching and searching\, knowing time is not on her sid e. She suddenly swim to a place and take something from the sea. She swims northward and northward to the substrate of sky plus sea. A small boat\, a lone fisherman\, see the female. She does not move but the man seem plea sant and greet her in a human language she know. She wait and the boat arr ive. The fisherman help her out the ocean. He is very old and say\, he alw ays prepare to meet a mermaid. He hand her a red dress and she smile at hi m\, but say nothing. She point to the shore and he comprehend. While on th e way\, he tell her that none of his drink mates will believe he met a rea l mermaid\, and she smile. When they reach the shore\, he tell her to be s afe\, while he go back out to catch a late fish. He promise to come by thi s coast when he is done to make sure she is safe. The woman take a lock of her hair and give it to the fisherman who smile. After the fisherman is o ut of sight\, she sit and open up what she find in the green sea. It is a book and she read as the sun go to setting.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n Before the Sun finish setting sh e run back to the pool\, and grab her other clothes and love bead necklace \, with tears rolling down her face and a bright smile.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If you like more of my stories check out my Short story collection series \n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short% 20Story%20Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d -584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n\n\n\n And I am on Bookbub\n\n\n\n https://www.bo okbub.com/authors/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n\ n\n My blog\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hear th/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250620 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250623 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:September Equinox GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T112213Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:347-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n September Equinox is from september 20th to september 24th it was in 2021 september 22nd 13:31 UTC equate to 8:31 utc-5\, it is the beginning of fall  in the northern hemisphere\, spring in the s outhern hemisphere <\; http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/soleq2001.h tml  >\;  \n \n\n\n\n \n  share photos of art OR text of fiction \ n \n\n\n\n \n  The photos can be to->\;sculpture/knitting or sewing/gr affiti/tattoo or any craft depicting Black people in spring in the souther n hemisphere\, any country <\;south america/caribbean/africa/south asi a/australia>\; OR  Black people in fall in the northern hemisphere\, any country <\;north america/europe/northern asia>\; \n \n\n\n\n \ n  The text can only be fiction based on the following: Black person or peoples at the first day of spring or fall \n \n\n\n\n \n  Story 1 htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-september-equinox-art-or-text-craft-para de-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=948\n \n\n \n Story 2 htt ps://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-september-equinox-art-or-text-craft-para de-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=949\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n I remember the autumn gatherings when I was a girl\; sparkling gala’s where my pare nts dressed me plus my siblings in glittering attire. I loved it. I felt a lways like a princess.\n\n The pumpkin pie\, the cranberrry sauce\, the r ice pudding\, the apple custard\, the watermelon slices\, the corn bread … I loved it all. A peaceful rearing for me\, the magic was in merely b eing alive\; I had no need of unicorns from mystical worlds gated in fores ts or aliens from beyond the sky or anything unearthly.\n\n I had a brill iant summer\, and now my Autumn.\n\n \n \n\n \n My autumn is simple and in continuity\, a life from a woman alone. My job I like to do while it pa y the bills\, allow me to save\, and give me time off. I am unmarried\, bu t I have all sorts of comforts: masculine\,friendly\,inhuman\; I am not al one. I am the autumn\, and I am at peace as when I was the summer.\n\n \n \n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read below \n\n Poetry or More\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28 -459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29 -richard-murray-hearth/\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n An autumn wind speak this morning. It speak that the autumn is here for good\, until the winter wind come. Let me boil some syrup. I need to get the wood\, give me a moment. <\;Sniffle>\; I rem ember when I came here. The tantalum rush was amazing. Can you imagine a s tream of automated vessels\, frozen bodies inside \, risking fate\, betwee n harvested body parts to raided goods to slavery on an A.B. hideaway \, s treaming from the spaceport in Addis Abeba to Beijing2 on Europa. I recall viewing it\,nightly\, with my ElectronMacroscope\, from here on Titan. Fe w of those brave travelers made it here\; the terraforming of this moon wa s the last initiative of the United Nations before the fall. But\, million s came to this moon for the Tantalum. I worked my way here: a labor ticket to the moon from Earth\, thirty years serving Senor Quetza who is still a lunar lord\, paid my way to the graneries of mars for thirty years of ove rseering the self-automates\, then enough money to take a long arc frozen trip around the AB and the battles of Jupiter. From out of my mother's wom b to Titan took ninety one years. At seventy-eight I was content. I never found a woman on the way who wanted eternity with me or likewise. I helped a few people become mature. But\, I just wanted to reach this place. Took me five years but I found this little enclave between mountains\, no Tant alum\, but everything I truly wanted. Some place to rest after a life live d.\n \n\n \n I hear something. I am getting dressed to go out. Sometimes my fellow minors lose themselves in their depression. <\; creeeeek>\; I don't see anyone. ... I hear it again. Let me check the ri ver. Ahh....\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n The Autumn Deer is looking at me from the frozen mist down the mount ain in the nearby wood. Amazing how the deer evolved here. \"Hello Friend! \" Ahh\, he is going into the ice blue mist. Enjoy life my friend\, as I h ave. If anyone find my audiorecordings this land is in your caretaking. Th e tantalum can not be mined forever. And the beauty here can not outlast t he dying sun\, but will last longer.\n \n\n \n  \n \ n\n \n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my w ork read below\n \n\n \n Poetry or More\n \n\n \ n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n \n\n \n Bookbub\n \n\n \n https://www.bookbub.com/profile/rich ard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n \n\n \n AALBC\n \n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard -murray-hearth/\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250920 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250925 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:December Solstice GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T111714Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:346-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n The December Solstice occurs between December 20th to December 22nd  in 2021 was December 21st 11:19 pm EST or UTC-5 \, it is the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere\, summer in the southe rn hemisphere \n \n\n\n\n \n  share photos of art OR text of fiction \ n \n\n\n\n \n  The photos can be to->\;sculpture/knitting or sewing/gr affiti/tattoo or any craft depicting Black people in summer in the souther n hemisphere\, any country <\;south america/caribbean/africa/south asi a/australia>\; OR  Black people in winter in the northern hemisphere\ , any country <\;north america/europe/northern asia>\; \n \n\n\n\n \n  The text can only be fiction based on the following: Black person or peoples at the first day or summer or winter  \n \n\n\n\n \n    STO RY 1 : https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-december-solstice-art-or-text -craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=963\n \n\n \n S tory 2: https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-december-solstice-art-or-tex t-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=964\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n “Look up mommy”: sp eak a voice\, looking up\, in the night.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “I see t he conjunction\; do you remember the planets?”: speak an older voice\, l ooking down at her daughter.\n\n \n\n “umm yes\, Mshtari and… and\ , don’t say it! Zohari”\n\n \n\n “Very good… do you want to hear a story about them?”\n\n \n\n “yes”  \n\n \n\n A blanket cover s the two as a third sit down next to his wife in the blanket\; he says no thing while looking up.\n\n \n\n The mother clears her throat.\n\n \n\n “Once many\, many\, moon turns ago the planets\, who were young then\, made forms to travel beyond their bodies and record experiences\, Zohari chose a form and wanted to experience the ability to play find and seek wi th the Sun”\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “While the avatar to Zohari was on a way to Ra\, Mshtari made an avatar. ”\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “Mshtar i wanted to play shadow evasion with the Sun. And the avatar of Mshtari in tercepted the avatar of Zohari.\n\n \n\n The two avatars need not speak\ ; they knew their intentions and they began to fight.\n\n \n\n The avata r of Ra noticed the battle while waiting in its crown. ”\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “The avatars fought with so much passion\, they brightened all o f space. That grabbed the attention of Hathor\, of the old divinities. She appeared about Ra.”\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “She spoke to Ra and sugge sted a solution. Since the two are fighting over hiding in the dark or sta ying in the light\, why not make it where they both can have fun.  \n\n \n\n Ra did not know how. Hathor answered\, what if you use a planet. Wit h Zohari’s avatar on the side not facing you and Mshtari’s on the side facing you\, you can search for Zohari while dance with Mshtari.  \n\n \n\n Ra liked the idea and flew to the fight. The two battling avatars ag reed and their spirits soon separated\, dimming the heavens. And all three ended up playing on every planet they can find.  \n\n \n\n Till they r an out of energy and needed to go back to their sources.”\n\n \n\n And the two parents\, sandwiching thier child\, cuddled tighter and looked up to the old light.\n\n \n\n If you enjoy my stories and want to read mor e consider the following\n\n Illustrated fables\, from a city near you\n\ n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/concrete-fables\n\n The Goods News through the year- stories throughout the calendar\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/ entry/261-december-solstice-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is the shortest night in Av are\, in Sao Paulo in Brazil\, a farmer walk to a simple orange tree\, gro wing away from the grove. The sun sets and the stars brighten as they get their chance to gather. The farmer begins to grab stars and place them int o the tree\, where they can talk and gossip the news across eons.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n The farmer listen into a faint star dangling low near the base of the tree.\n\n\n\n \"I recall the Lonely Man\, the two Weepers and the Three Brothers of the Rim\, looking a cross my universe...the glare of our light never allowing him to see anyth ing ahead\, his back eternally fixed\"\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n \"...He was still looking out\, when I came here\, b itter\, angry\"\n\n\n\n The farmer walk out to the edge of the tree and gr ab a star\, and it speak to him.\n\n\n\n \"I am a member of the Golden Lad le... my cousins\, the dippers\, tell me many sailors find their way\, usi ng them\, on this world...but I know a world where the skies decides where the sailors sail\"\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n \"A sky of said world tried to discover what effect we stars had on the ir fellow skies. It measured distances and changes\, the sailors of said w orld loved that sky cause it was calm at sea level\, allowing the lesser w inds to govern the actions above the sparkling sea... that begins the lege nd of Narda the sailor and the seas of night... now place me there\"\n\n\n \n And the farmer\, place the star where it gleamed to. Suddenly\, a numbe r of stars laughed on a lengthy branch. And the farmer edged close to over hear a particularly glinty star\n\n\n\n \"...alright\, alright\, remember all of you flashes\, everything I say is the truth... I once saw the spiri t of the existence\, that is right... the spirit of existence\, which turn ed from a star brighter than my dreams into some image of a fleshy female creature\, was talking gibberish.\"\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n \"Everything the spirit said was gibberish\, just a fli ckering about. I asked it\, what is the problem? That is right\, I am a ge ntlestar. The spirit suggested some fleshy male creature\, tricked it. I s aid impossible. I told the spirit of existence\, my cousin is what those f leshies call the north star\, if it shine bright with me\, it will forget all of the tricks of the crawlers. So\, the spirit of existence\, chose to shine with me. Yes\, that is right\, it shined with me\, and me alone. No one else saw because the rest of you were busy talking to yourselves\, no t gleaming all around you. I of course\, am aware of what is going on and saved all your lives. The spirit even touched me with a flare. Yes\, it di d and said\, my simple focus inspired it to select me to have a child. We will call it\, Horus or Hercules or something. Shut up Cassia! Your just m ad you didn't get a chance with the spirit\"\n\n\n\n And the farmer chose to move on and pick another star. For when the night end\, only oranges wi ll exist where the stars were. A juice not to be sold\, but savored.\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n If you enjoy my stories and want to read more consider the f ollowing\n\n\n\n Illustrated fables\, from a city near you\n\n\n\n https:/ /www.kobo.com/ebook/concrete-fables\n\n\n\n The Goods News through the yea r- stories throughout the calendar\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entr y/261-december-solstice-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251220 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251223 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Veteran's Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T110839Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:344-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n November 11  \n \n\n\n\n \n Veterans day is Novemb er 11th\, share photos of art OR test of fiction\, guest comments are allo wed \n \n\n\n\n \n  The photos can be to->\;sculpture/knitting or sew ing/graffiti/tattoo concerning Black Veterans\, any country any time\, any army \n \n\n\n\n \n  The text can only be fiction based on the followi ng: Black Soldiers who fought against the USA for the british/ Black sold iers during the Haitian Freeing/ Black Seminoles during the time of osceo la/jonas caballo/Black soldiers who fought for Menelik II in the first Ab yssinian-italo war \n \n\n \n story 1\n \n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/b logs/entry/261-veterans-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=fi ndComment&\;comment=959\n \n\n \n story 2\n \n\n \n https://aalbc.com /tc/blogs/entry/261-veterans-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/? do=findComment&\;comment=960\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n A teenage boy sit side his parents in a living room\, surfing the net while eating breakfast\, the quiet is nullifying. He see a trailer for a film.  \n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n “Black people in Mexi co!… you hear this”: the teenager shout.\n\n \n\n “yes\, you did n’t know\, Hakim”: pleasantly inquire his mother.  \n\n \n\n Hakim father chime in a vocal gesture\, a nod\, and words: “Black people live\ , all over\, the earth\, always have\, always will”\n\n \n\n “You gu ys didn’t tell me about that”\n\n \n\n The parents look to each othe r\, and the father speak: “now you know”: and the father laugh.  \n\n \n\n “Can either of you tell me more about them”\n\n \n\n “I wi ll go make muffins Sweets”: and the father begin to leave the living roo m.\n\n \n\n “Ok Cowboy…You see that envelope Hakim… yes\, open it and pass me the photo inside… thank you\, this is your grandfather\, he fought in what you were taught is called World War 2”\n\n \n\n “it wasn’t called that”\n\n \n\n “not to him\, he said\, Black folk a ll around the world been at war and still at war with whites for hundreds of years\, no one called that a world war… you know\, he died when I was a little older than you\, I missed him a lot\, you want to know how I saw him later\, and how it relates to Black Mexicans”\n\n \n\n Hakim give a nod and his mother tell a story.\n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n A girl cry in her room unaware of\, what she will do or be\, where she can go. She look through a photograph book and see her mother side Aunty Bessie\, when the y served in world war 2.  \n\n \n\n https://todaysdocument.tumblr.com/p ost/189791629093/ltjg-harriet-ida-pickens-and-ens-frances\n\n \n\n She r emember her father telling her: “Never join the military Dulce\, never\, never serve another unless it is for your own safety\, don’t let your e nslavers sell you their lies till you can’t eat anything else\, I was fo rced\, like many\, don’t do it unless they force you to”\n\n \n\n Dulce’s mother was less clear\; she suggested to Dulce: “I know your f ather’s ways but no matter what you do\, I will accept it”\n\n \n\n But Dulce want to uphold her father\; she want to uphold his truth\; her p roblem is few opportunities exist outside joining up. Dulce does not want to clean homes. Dulce does not want to open doors. Dulce does not want to be a secretary. Dulce want to play basketball\; no female teams exist\, ev en though she play side all her friends in South Essex.\n\n \n\n Dulce c ontinue to cry\, nearly twenty and unsure. The rain pour over everything o utside. Dulce hear droplets from the crack in the window\; she has to clos e the window so the rain do not come in. At the window she see an odd memb er in the graffiti on the back side of Uncle Benny’s Ice Cream Parlor.\n \n \n\n  \n\n \n\n It wink at Dulce\; and she go outside to take the trash\; her mother call out her name at the back door\; she reply\, just t aking out the trash ma\, and get a simple affirmative.\n\n \n\n In the b ack alley she approach the graffiti soldier. His eyes look to her\, she sh uffle backward and gasp\, and he speak: “Glad you came out to see me\, g lad you got your hood\, preparation is good for any soldier”\n\n \n\n Dulce look about worried: “am I in the Twilight Zone or something”\n\n \n\n “No need to worry young one\, but your father told me all about you”\n\n \n\n “My Daddy… but he”\n\n \n\n “is dead? yes\, bu t what most of you living folk don’t know is\, when a soldier dies\, par t of their spirit is unrest till their country is found”\n\n \n\n “m y daddy was an american citizen”\n\n \n\n “yes\, he was\, but…”\ n\n \n\n “he never loved the usa”\n\n \n\n “thus\, the part of h is soul that is a soldier has no country\, think of it\, like a spiritual veterans day\, you living folk honor the soldiers who live based on your r ules of citizenship\, but we spirits\, honor the soldiers who died based o n the countries they were fighting for\, take my hand”\n\n \n\n Dulce step back again.  \n\n \n\n “I want to take you to your father”\n\n \n\n Dulce step forward\, and again\, and again\, and take the outstret ch hand of the graffiti soldier.\n\n \n\n Dulce and the Graffiti Soldier begin to walk in the spirit world\, hand in hand.  \n\n \n\n “Don’ t worry\, you are only in here because of me\, if you let go my hand\, you will be back in the rain\, no problem”\n\n \n\n The two walk about in the forever fading world and she see soldiers\, who look like her daddy i n uniform.\n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n She see soldiers from other times\n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n She see soldiers she think is from the war between th e states\n\n  \n\n \n\n Dulce see soldiers that look like the Graffiti Soldier: “they look like you”\n\n \n\n “yes\, some from the Black Brigade\, most of the Ethiopian Regiment”\n\n \n\n Suddenly\, the Gra ffiti Soldier grab her hand tight and say: “remember\, you can’t lea ve me”\n\n \n\n Dulce is excited as she see her father\, sitting among other troops\, about a fire.  \n\n \n\n Dulce father smile bright when he see her and break to only stand firm and salute the Graffiti Soldier :“ Thank you Colonel Tye”\n\n \n\n “No problem soldier\, I wish I could leave you two alone but”\n\n \n\n “It is alright sir\, thank y ou for this”\n\n \n\n “Well little one\, I will sit here and you can sit beside me while you two talk”\n\n \n\n Dulce sit side her father while the Graffiti Soldier sit as arm far as possible.\n\n \n\n Dulce an d her father hug: “Daddy I miss you”\n\n \n\n “I know\, the part o f me that is your father\, your mother’s husband\, feels your love all t he time\, thank you\, but know a part of me has a timeless love for you” \n\n \n\n “Can I help with finding a country”\n\n \n\n “Well\, I know some spirits have been waiting for\, well\, longer than I can explai n\, over there are Loyalists\, who fought for the British\, the country th ey fought for may never happen\, the best stories come from the Black Semi noles\, their oldest ones were actually descended from loyalists who are h ere\, can you imagine a family reunion here\, truly wild”\n\n \n\n “ Well\, can I come back here”\n\n \n\n “I am being helped by my comra des to do this\, I wanted to show you some of those guys over there\, Warr iors who fought with Jonas Caballo. They died so that Florida could be its own country\, where black or indigenous people could live free absent rai ds or any sort of attack from the usa\, they said something special happen ed”\n\n \n\n “what tell me please”\n\n \n\n “well\, they say\, that the people must have found a home\, cause no soldier joined them who said they died out\, the last soldier said they were in mexico and were h eading south”\n\n \n\n “Black people in mexico”\n\n \n\n “well now you know\, though I have seen many soldiers\, I tell you\, Black peop le live\, all over\, the earth\, always have\, always will\, just like whi tey\, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise\, the whole world has native b lack or white people\, look a little different here or there\, but everywh ere has black or white people”\n\n \n\n “Should I tell ma somethin g?”\n\n \n\n “No need\, I see her in dreams… I want you to know\, the country I fought for\, has never existed\, but if you need to sign up\ , even if you know about this place\, do it”\n\n \n\n “Thanks popp a!”: Dulce embrace her father very tightly: “I still miss you”\n\n \n\n “I know\, you get back in the house ok”\n\n \n\n Dulce feel Co lonel Tye releasing his grip\; she try to grab him back but rain pour on h er in the back alley\, instead. She stand up and lean over to get the rain from falling on her face\, and enter back into the house.  \n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n “Alright everybody! muffins are made”: speak Hakim’s f ather\, entering the living room with a warm buttery smelling plate.\n\n \n\n He sit down and Hakim ask him as his mother begin a needlepoint: “ you know the story of when Ma met OldPa”\n\n \n\n Hakim’s father lau gh.  \n\n \n\n “Ma\, is this your home? thank you”\n\n \n\n Dulce put down her needlepoint: “Well… the home soldiers fight for\, than k you… soldiers die for\, soldiers return from war to\, is not the home of the heart\, like our little apartment\, it is the home for their people ”\n\n \n\n “But why didn’t you try to find that home…for our peo ple\, the home where grandpa’s spirit can be at peace”\n\n \n\n “I think … that is what your grandpa wanted to tell me\, that he will be a lright\, part of him has eternity to wait and pretty good company\, I need to find my home of the heart first\, before I can find a home for the peo ple”\n\n \n\n “I will find the home grandpa’s spirit can return to”\n\n \n\n Hakim’s father hand him another muffin: “I bet you wi ll\, but put some jelly on that first”\n\n \n\n Thank you for reading\ , if you want to read more of my work read below\n\n Poetry or More\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www. bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\ n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is an afternoon sun thro ugh calming clouds on the private catholic school Institution Marmoutier \ , along the Loire river. A boy take his lunch and go to his favorite river side\, alone.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n He unfurl his mat and lay on it\, placing his lunch beside his head\, and loo k to the gentle clouds\, tears budding at the corner of each eye. He sniff and take out an earbud to hear a Carl Sagan recording. His dad liked Carl Sagan alot\, as a kid his dad listened to Sagan with his grandfather. The youth cover his face using the back of his hand while tears flow down che eks.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Abrupt yelling interrupt his woe. He see a girl ru nning from other girls\, and he leave his food and mat yelling: \"Arrete!\ "/\"Stop!\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n He chases them to the abbey\; it is quiet c ause most of the students are in their rooms or the game room or cafeteria .\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n He go inside th e abbey and silence. He see the portrait of Saint Martin\, third bishop of this abbey.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n And he recall his father telling him on his first day at the school.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Souvenez-vous\, soyez altruiste\, comme Saint Martins\"/\"Rem ember\, be unselfish\, like Saint Martins\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n He prayed f or days that his father will recover and come home\, be a veteran. He is a fraid of memorial day communication from relatives in New Orleans in the U SA.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sobbing interrupt his prayers and he go to it. Nest led in a small corner of a hall is a girl his age\, by her dress pattern.\ n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n He ask: \"Qui a f ait ça?\"/\"Who did this?\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The girl do not reply but the boy notice blood from her inner right thigh. He take off his jacket an d put it over her and rip part of his shirt and give it to her. She wrap h er thigh. A chaplain arrive. The boy is nervous. The chaplain place a calm hand up and say: \"Sois calme. J'ai vu ce que tu as fait.\"/\"Be calm. I saw what you did.\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The girl rise and go to the chaplai n. He whisper in her ear and she turn slightly\, her hands on the jacket. The chaplain calmly dissuade her and she exits out the abbey.\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n \"Avec moi\"/\"With me\": gently demand the chaplain to the boy. Th ey walk quietly through the halls and into the chapel.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"S'il vous plaît\, priez avec moi\, là où saint Martins a prié\"/\"Pl ease\, pray with me\, where saint Martins did pray\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Th e boy at first kneel and close his eyes\, peering slightly to see if the c haplain was doing similar. The chaplain smile while praying and the boy cl ose his eyes. The silence made the boy dwell on his thoughts to his father \, and he prayed in earnest after a while\, and lost track of time\, until .\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A bell sound a new hour and he rise up.\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n \"profiter de l'école\, tout ira bien\"/\"profit from the schooling \, all will be well\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The boy run to class\, an officia l stand outside the classroom door he run to\; his jacket is on a hanger.\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"bein etudient\, aller aller\"/\"good student\, go go\ "\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The boy put his jacket on and enter the classroom\, a nd his day progress as most school days do.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n But\, in th e evening at his dorm room\, a knock on the door. He cut on the light and run to embrace his father.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Vous avez laissé ça deho rs\"/\"You left this outside \"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The boy smile looking t o his father and notice a wrapping\; the right thigh of his father has a t ight strapping.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Oh\, ma jambe\, j'ai essayé de sauve r la vie d'une fille\, elle est morte plus tard d'une explosion\, mais je jure\, j'ai pensé à elle dans mon coma\"/\"Oh\, my leg\, I have tried to save the life of a girl\, she is dead after an explosion\, but I swear\, I have thought to her in my coma\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \"Merci \, Saint Mar tins\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read below\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Poetry or More\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Bookbub\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ri chard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n AALBC \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hear th/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251111 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Halloween GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T110553Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:343-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n October 31st Halloween\, Oct 31st to Nov 1st is Samha in\, mid september equinox to december solstice\n \n\n \n The time of fin al main harvest before the winter. look at this dog\, the ghost:) https:/ /0512-97.tumblr.com/post/631277935457878016\n \n\n\n\n \n  Story 1\n \n\ n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-halloween-art-or-text-craft-par ade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=957\n \n\n \n Story 2\n \ n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-halloween-art-or-text-craft-p arade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=958\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n STORY 1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n \n This was the party I planne d for months to attend. You have to realize\, this woman is so sexy\, and is a star trek addict.  So\, I usually am weak in the knees when I am aro und her. But she talked about the Halloween Party of the year the second day we met\, three month ago. I love Mr. Spock too\, but I will be blunt. I never saw a Vulcan as sexy as her.  \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n \n\ n \n \n So\, here I am. I am prepared to the party. I am dressed as a r ed shirt\, willing to die tonight. I gave her a text and she said she was at the porch with friends. At the stairwell\, I glanced at a Cheetara\, n ot really complete\; in truth she was more like Fairuza Balk\, and I had an issue looking away from her cute face.  \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \ n \n\n \n \n It didn’t help me that she had a healthiness around her heart. As a gentleman\, I smiled and she spoke to me. She said: “hi\, m y name is Mikaela\, will you tell me about your world?”  \n \n \n\n \ n \n I replied\, placing out my tricorder: “I come from earth in this collection of planets called the federation. But I arrived to this planet on a ship called the Enterprise” \n \n \n\n \n \n “Do you want m e to escort you around my planet?” \n \n \n\n \n \n “why not\, let’s try up there” \n \n \n\n \n \n We walked up the stairs and guided through the collectives of various people. At the top of the stars \, we saw a guardian. \n \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n \n\n \n \n I spok e in shock to my guide: “who is this\, the tricorder says she is full of diakente energy” \n \n \n\n \n \n The guardian twirls and s aid: “I am Sailor Andromeda\, can I be of assistance\" \n \n \n\n \n \n I reply: \"I have a guide from this world\, escorting me around. I am trying to get to the porch\, see what the mountains are like” \n \ n \n\n \n \n Sailor Andromeda replied: “I will help\, follow me”  \n \n \n\n \n \n So\, we three went to the porch. And I saw my choco late Vulcan\, kissing a male Vulcan. It occurred to me\, I never asked her about her private life. I assumed because she never said. I tried to ushe r my party away but she saw me\, and waved. So\, I used my tricorder and v entured to her party. I must admit\, the greetings didn’t help me. And\, I recall little of the Vulcan I wanted’s smile or the smiles of the t wo other guys that joined us\, one to embrace Sailor Andromeda\, or the ot her to embrace my original guide. We ate food\, under the moon. We moved o ur clocks back. And at the end\, I hugged all three beautiful women. And w ent home alone. But I remember the night well because I saw my new neigh bor for the first time. And\, she happened to want someone to watch her s tar trek collection. \n \n \n\n \n \n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read below\n\n Poetry or More\n\n https:/ /www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www.bookb ub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n A ALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n It is the night when the s eason is between the equinox in September and the solstice in December. Th e woods are dark or cool. The spirits of indigenous warriors are allowed u nder the Hunters Moon to inhabit the crows. The march of the pumpkins alwa ys arrives through night mid-September equinox or December solstice\; they are filled with spirits of children killed before born by the hand of fat e. But\, in this rare night\, the crows found assistance in the crows.\n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n Usually\, pumpkins h ave to travel far in the night to get their inner souls released. Most hum ans these days don't allow pumpkins to be housed for souls\, cutting shape s that the spirits can naturally induce. But the spirits in the crows unde r the Hunters Moons know. And they choose pumpkins to free their spirits\; they choose based on how courageous a pumpkin is. One of the pumpkins sel ected was the first to reach the top of the hill\, any hop forward and it will slide down.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n It tried to help the crows break it free by glowing as much as possible. E ventually\, it became free and then absent the pumpkin shell\, became a li ght in the sky. Like all others who became free\, it lifted high enough to be seen as a star in the sky by anyone on the ground. And\, per fate\, a young witch noted the spirit in the sky\, like a star.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n She flew up into the sky and met the spirit and asked it\, in an ancient tongue: \"young spirit\, I lost my ab ility to have children in an accident but I will love to be your mom\, if we work together\, I can help you get a body\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The spir it reply: \"Thank you\, I didn't expect to be gathered by a human. I have been on the march for hundreds of years\, since Wounded Knee\"\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n The witch opened her mouth and the spirit came inside. She slowly descended on her broom with a brightness\, and went into her home for a cu p of coffee. After a bath in herbal salts\, she leaves her home\, and sits on the grasses outside her home with a cup of coffee. Butterflies flied a bout her solar brightness in the evening\, a new mother with a child honor ed by the warriors.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n \n The End\n\n\n\n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read below Poetry or More https://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more- 1 Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-4 59e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49 AALBC https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-m urray-hearth/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251031 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251102 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:International Day of Peace GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T110144Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:342-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n September 21st international day of peace- a story o f peace \n \n\n\n\n \n  https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-september- equinox-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comme nt=947\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  International Day of Peace story\n\n\n\n A man one day thought to himself\, I will disturb n othing else\, while laying in a bed\, formerly his. He pee on the bed\, de facate on the bed\, so that he will not disturb the floor\, the door\, the world outside. His body hurt when he become hungry and he shake in the be d\, stirring in the odor.\n\n Finally\, he realize he has to disturb where he lay. He can never be completely peaceful\, and gets off his bed at pea ce.\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250921 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Cat Nights GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T105901Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:341-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Cat Nights begin on August 17th - display any text or art concerning cats. <\;Cat Nights begin on August 17. This term harks back to the days when people believed in witches. A rather obscure old Iri sh legend said that a witch could turn herself into a cat eight times\, bu t on the ninth time (August 17)\, she couldn’t regain her human form. Th is bit of folklore also gives us the saying\, “A cat has nine lives.” Because August is a yowly time for cats\, this may have prompted the spe culation about witches on the prowl in the first place. Also\, nights cont inue to get longer. Cats\, crepuscular creatures\, are nocturnal hunters. Their superior night vision means that the nights belong to them. citing& gt\;  \n \n\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-black-cowboy- day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=9 43  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n POETRY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n A Seventeenth Witch \n\n\n\n It was a quiet morning\, in an eighth seventeenth\n\n\n\n Miss Sa rah\, a witch\, had a really long day\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n The clouds full from night dings\, all seem calm underneat h\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, wait an encounter\, in the street\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n A tree crack begin a sing\, mashes like titans teeth\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, now no human feet\, but purring\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n A girl cry\, I am falling! sh outs from anger bequeath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, know hands weave cruel from the lightning\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n Cat shad e\, spells from lightning cling\, in nights eighth seventeenth\n\n\n\n Mis s Sarah\, four legged\, know where the light land\n\n\n\n A witch\, that s he is\, that she is\n\n\n\n Through parks\, dodge wild cans\, running\, pa st bright cars underneath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, absorb the cruelty fore the street\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n Boom! she leap side hot white bling\, she fall on concrete teeth  \n\n\n\n Miss Sarah.. . feel wet licks and a quiet warmth\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that s he is\n\n\n\n Eyes open to soeur earrings\, We Won! now eighth eighteenth\ n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, in the pawed coven\, knew the price\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n A teen wait for a purring\, cause her m other bequeath\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, in her daughter's arms\, now home\, sa fe\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n No image through tw eet will bring\, witch pride last seventeenth\n\n\n\n Miss Sarah\, side si sters\, saved all\, quietly\n\n\n\n A witch\, that each is\, that each is\ n\n\n\n If you see a black\, purring\, rubbing\, please don't seethe\n\n\n \n Miss Sarah\, or sister maybe\, just friendly\n\n\n\n A witch\, that she is\, that she is\n\n\n\n from\n\n Richard Murray\n\n\n\n If you want to e njoy more poetry from me\, consider the following work\n\n Poetry or More - Audiobook series\n\n\n\n Poetry or More- complete text only\n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250817 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Cowboy Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T105645Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:340-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Black Cowboy day- In the USA \, National Cowboy day is july 25th so I say\, give this day to art\, text full of imagination for the black cowboy  \n \n\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/ 261-saint-mary-magdalene-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=f indComment&\;comment=938  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The world seem dark\, stepping hooves are still a udible. A hand lift the veil of unending night into a day aside a rodeo tr oop.  \n\n \n\n “What did I tell you about walkin around when the horse s are about with your hat down?” : speak a visibly mature female in an h onest rodeo rider gown\, gentle while luscious smile absent lipstick\, smo oth chocolate skin reflecting the light in the day\; the little girl she i s speaking to shrug her shoulders.  \n\n \n\n “Come on Candace”: spea k another female troop member. The little girl\, a third candace height or width with hair in a bun while some mud is in her face\, look about the t roop getting ready.\n\n \n\n \n\n “hey\, Emae \, be good ok and when we finish the afternoon show I will tell you a story from any card you want ”: and Candace get on her horse\, in front of the troop. Emae look to Ca ndace horse.  \n\n \n\n “Jambalaya\, please take care of Candace”\n\n \n\n The horse look down to Emae and winkle both nostril. Emae walk aroun d the march and take something from her back pocket\; it seem to be a card set. Suddenly\, Emae drop the card set with a shimmy.  \n\n \n\n “Beeb ee!”: Emae shake her head while picking up the remaining fallen card. Be ebee sit in the railing and Emae eventually join her.\n\n \n\n “Why do y ou take your cards out Em\, I keep mine safe”\n\n \n\n “Cause Candace always gives good information on any one I choose in various times\, I mus t be ready”\n\n \n\n “I don’t have that one\, who is that”\n\n \n\ n \n\n \n\n “This is Nat Love\, my sister said he once jumped off of the Rio Grande Western Railway to catch a horse that was possessed by a venge ful spirit.”\n\n \n\n “you and your stories”: but Beebee listen.  \ n\n \n\n “All are true!\, the train was taking magical native american i tems from Mesa Verde\, Colorada to Salt Lake\, and from there to New York and go cross an ocean to Finnyland”\n\n \n\n “Well that explain the horse’s anger”\n\n \n\n “Yep\, the horse was trying to cause an aval anche on the mountain side\, but Love waited for it\, climbing outside the train cars to the front of the train\, and jumped on it\, using his years of experience. No one in the company saw him wrassle a horse before. And he and horse tumbled aside the mountain. He was so tough. He saw the spiri ts in the horse and asked them what was wrong as he rode the bucking beast . GO CANDACE!”\n\n \n\n Beebee cheer. And\, Emae continue talking as the y watch.  \n\n \n\n “… backflip it Sara!… well\, the spirits spoke to Love and they said\, they don’t want to leave thier home. Love realiz ed what needed to be done. The ancient spirits needed another vessel. But with so many spirits in need\, the horse wasn’t enough\, so Love made a bargain with the spirits. He will offer his body if he fail to return all the spirits to their ancestral home… eventually the train reached Salt L ake and with the spirits help\, he acquired a set of horses\, more than en ough to hold all the spirits with room to spare and he escorted them back to Mesa. My sister said she will tell me how he fought the ghost panther\, an ancient enemy of the spirits who tried to stop them from going home” \n\n \n\n “hmm\, I got to get him\, I like that one\, Ohhh! I love that one”\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “You got a boyfriend!”\n\n \n\n Beebee punch Emae on the arm and continue: “My pa always dress up as him for harvest . Do you know about him?”\n\n \n\n EMae shake her head negatively.\n\n \ n\n “Ned Huddlestone\, later Isome Dart\, was a thief of the range. He s tole thousands of cattle in his lifetime\, selling them illegally”\n\n \ n\n “A real dangerous one”\n\n \n\n “Yes\, but his early years prove d he had a bright future ahead. During the War Between States\, he aided h ungry Confederate soldiers while freeing enslaved blacks in Arkansas. What whites didn’t know was he was a double agent\, thus the two guns he alw ays sported the rest of his life\, one for the northerners and one for the southerners. One time\, a wicked whitey named Nathaniel Price tried to un do his plan. He was a union soldier whose family once owned Ned. So he tri ed to stop his switches of food for people. Whenever Ned got boxes of food \, he would organize with the Whispers Road”\n\n \n\n “Oh I love tales of the Whispers Road”\n\n \n\n “As you know\, the Whispers Roads comm unicate by marks on trees or homes\, but only the members know the places that are meant to be\, but after the slaves reached Ned’s location he pl aced them in the boxes and prepared them for their journey. That is when N athaniel Price came. He thought with Ned’s back turned he couldn’t att ack him. But\, Ned both guns ready\, but unsure to which could hit\, had t o try both. He was in front of a old unused hearth in the shed and waited. Nathanial said to him- I got you know nigger\, I will take these messages to the union back to their southern masters and their agent will be undon e.”\n\n \n\n Beebee then got off the rail and took a pose facing it and continue: “agent\, I am no agent to the north or south\, my only goal is freeing my people\, by any means necessary- and Ned faster than lightning \, took a half step forward with one foot\, half step backward with anothe r \, turned his torso ninety degrees and unleashed both guns and shot them \, the two bullets hit off the old hearth\, the southern bullet hit a wood en wall somewhere\, but the northern bullet reflected straight on to Natha nial Price and through his scheming heart. ”  \n\n \n\n Beebee then sta rt to walk slow or bowlegged like and continue: “well well\, said Ned\, it seems you are union after all\, well no matter”\, and Beebee made ges tures with her hands like guns spinning before being holstered and then ma de a stylish pose. Emae clapped\, shaking her legs in the rail. Beebee joi ned her back on the rail smiling at her successful telling.\n\n \n\n They both then cheered seeing a trick and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sho w.  \n\n \n\n Later\, Candace is refresh after the afternoon show and mee t Emae at a table: “How is Beebee?”\n\n \n\n “She’s fine\, you wer e great out there\, we will be better than you and Sara one day”\n\n \n\ n “of course you will\, you better”: and Candace smile at Emae\, and h and her a breakfast.  \n\n \n\n “Thank you … ”\n\n \n\n “I know\, I know\, ok\, pull the one you want me to talk about… ok… yes\, this guy was Bass Reeves”: and Candace give the photo back to Emae.  \n\n \n \n \n\n \n\n Candace continue\, while she sit and eat an apple: “I never told you about him\, well\, Bass Reeves was a student of a Black Seminole family\, led by their matriarch\, Llorando Camino\, she was a granddaught er to Osceola and chose to lead the Black Seminoles”\n\n \n\n “I know about them”\n\n \n\n “yes”: Candace smile:“… the Black Seminoles who were allowed to stay in the territory\, while\, as you know\, the maj ority of the Black Seminoles followed Jonas Caballo to Mexico and true fre edom. Anyway! She taught Bass many things\, which she learned in a life fi ghting US army\, bandits\, drunkards or any in between\, in close combat o r the range. After the thirteenth amendment\, he left since he didn’t ha ve to worry about being enslaved again\, with his skills first and the law second… you want more\, well \, you better eat and not just look at me talk… he eventually became a us marshall\, you see\, in the indian terri tories\, many criminals tried to hide and murdered many native americans o ver the years. Bass never forgot his teacher and helped protect the lands from vile outsiders\, one was called Jimmy the Breaker Stone. He came from a family of murderers for hire in europe\, known for using their hands to murder people. Jimmy Stone escaped from law enforcers and went into the t erritory. He was in a cave\, only one way in or out\, but it had a small b reak of light inside where it was under a mountain and had a garden in it alongside a stream of water\, allowing for food or survival. No one dared go into the Stone Cave as it was known. In the dark\, who could face this raw killer. But\, Bass Reeves was trained to fight absent the light. He we nt into the cave with a rope and no gun and three hours later\, Jimmy Ston e was being dragged out\, hogtied. The other law enforcers never forget th e face Stone gave Bass\, but the words were more potent\, The Justice of t he Dark… good\, nearly finished eating\, well I will get ready for my ev ening show\, do you want to wait for me or go back home with grandpa?”\n \n \n\n “You please”: say Emae with sandwich in the mouth. Candace sha ke her head and continue: “alright… have another card ready for the road”: and Candace leave Emae at a table.  \n\n \n\n Later in the eveni ng\, Emae is playing a game on her mobile video game player in the passeng er side of the truck while Candace drive them home\, smiling.  \n\n \n\n Emae react to something outside.  \n\n \n\n “Just thunder and lightning Emae”: calmly say Candace.  \n\n \n\n “Its so big”\n\n \n\n “Ahh h \, so you are afraid of thunder and lightning like that”\n\n \n\n Emae shake her head in confirmation. Candace pull out a card from her shirt po cket and Emae interest rise. Emae take a flashlight out of her carry bag.  \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n “This is a luxury edition card”\n\n \n\n “yes\ , and who is that”\n\n \n\n “Will Pickett\, bill pickett bill picket t”\n\n \n\n “good… do you know how he bull dogged the white buffal o?”\n\n \n\n Emae shake her head in ignorance while smiling.  \n\n \n\n Candace continue: “do you even know the white buffalo? ”\n\n \n\n Ema e ask: “Is it a buffalo with white skin?”\n\n \n\n “You haven’t be en reading the legends book… well\, The White Buffalo is not white\, it is a buffalo from the spirit world that comes through a gateway made throu gh storms\, whenever a storm occurs over these lands\, The White Buffalo c an come through\, all electric”\n\n \n\n “Like Storm of the Xmen”\n\ n \n\n “Right\, but with a body made of electricity and the legends say\ , if he can get through the gateway a storm will persists until he returns … well\, one day\, all the ranchers heard of a brewing storm. It was gro wing between Oklahoma\, texas\, arkansas and louisiana. Every day getting bigger and bigger. Natives said the White Buffalo is free\, he must return to his world. But they were prepared to move as they always have been fro m ancient times. Ranchers complained about the growing storm destroying th eir livelihoods. Pickett knew as a ranchhand\, he will lose pay and didn ’t have anywhere to go. So asked a friend Sam Tootall\, to help him spea k to the Elders and see if he can help. The Elders agreed to see him and t old him that The White Buffalo must agree to go back into its world. With so many of the native people murdered they are unwilling to risk their str ongest and will leave as in the past. Pickett comprehended and rode a hors e to the center of the storm. While the thunder and lightning was a vibran t symphony\, the wind was relatively still\, at first Pickett thought it w asn’t there but after patiently waiting he cognized a buffalo shape that will appear at times. He had no weapon but he galloped on his horse in a circle within a white brilliance and when he finally caught a moment where his stride\, the buffalo’s motion were in synch\, he leaped off his hor se and grabbed The White Buffalo by the horns. Pickett’s horse immediate ly left and the Buffalo bucked upwards as if any piece of sky could be its ground and Pickett held on in the clouds and back near the ground again a nd again\, some Natives recall their forebears saying they saw him in the sky russling lightning. Pickett was getting tired and The White Buffalo se emed to have no end of energy. Pickett then noticed inside the mouth of th e White Buffalo seemed more solid and he chose to bite on its tongue. The White Buffalo spent wildly but Pickett held on and rasstled him to the gro und. The eyes of The White Buffalo were incredulous. Pickett merely smiled and met his gaze\, they seemed to speak without words\, and pickett let g o of the legendary life form and watched as it went through the gateway\, and ”\n\n \n\n Emae yawn with sleepy eyes.  \n\n \n\n Candace continu e: “you like the story… yeah\, good\, well\, Pickett watched the White Buffalo go past its gate and I will tell you how Pickett was given a task by The White Buffalo later to save its child from the Red Cougar later\, pleasant dreams”\n\n \n\n Candace watch Emae nodding while sleep\, and d rove home.\n\n \n\n …\n\n \n\n Sunshine bath Emae in her bed. Suddenly\, she get up and exit her room\, and run down stairs.  \n\n \n\n “They a re gone for today\, Candace said she will bring you to another show later\ , but she is proud you spent all day with her yesterday”: say an elder f emale voice in a kitchen\, sounds of frying food reverberating. Emae look downward. A male elder speak: “Get washed up Em\, and come down for your morning meal”\n\n \n\n “ok Grampie”: Emae walk slowly up the stairs .\n\n \n\n Fresh\, Emae sit down reverse her grandparents. She look to a y ounger photo of her grandfather.  \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n Emae grandfather tu rn to the wall and smile:“ are you looking at me Em?”\n\n \n\n Emae sh ake her head in confirmation and say: “yes Grampie”\n\n \n\n “Good t imes\, good times”: and he look back to the wall and see another photo.\ n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n He continue while looking at his wife: “your grandmot hers\, father did not like me you know Em”\n\n \n\n “Here we go!”: s ay the Grandmother.  \n\n \n\n “I am telling it like it is”\n\n \n\n Emae smile while eating porridge with fruit in it.\n\n \n\n “I wish I co uld persuade you to not listen to him Em\, but I am fully aware that his s torytelling ways is part of the myth telling gene in this house”\n\n \n\ n The Grandfather wink at Emae and say:“Em knows truth when she hear i t”\n\n \n\n “ok\, Hector\, convince me\, of your truthtelling”: and the Grandmother smile\, arms in a fold.  \n\n \n\n “See it all began wh en I first met Mr Lemon\, I thought it was funny\, calling Mr Lemon\, Mr L ime when he got angry\, but I didn’t realize that his experiences with v arious citrus were on the adventurous or personal side because of his fath er Bob Lemon…”\n\n \n\n And\, Emae sat eating her fruit porridge liste ning to her Grandfather tell a story to her side her Grandmother.\n\n …\ n\n\n\n Thank you for reading\, if you want to read more of my work read b elow\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e 64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/bl og/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n\n Poetry or More Audiobook\n\n https://www. kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Poetry%20or%20More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&a mp\;seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f06360287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n \n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearch field=Series&\;seriesId=965aea81-4e13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Story Collection\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Mur ray%20Short%20Story%20Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=0 14c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250725 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mary Magdalene Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T105334Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:339-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Saint Mary MAgdalene- the catholic saint day is the 22nd of july\, i say she warrant better\, what is your craft to her?   \n \n\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-aphelion-day-art-or -text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=936  \n \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mary Magdalene a little after dawn\, in a simple road in the roman empire\, recalls her life\, and her l ove.\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/tlacuilopilo/art/Mary-Magdalene-po rtrait-Maria-Magdalena-333225591\n\n\n\n She remembers being the daughter of a craftsman\, who was also a successful merchant. People from Egypt to Phrygia sought the wares of Magdala. But while most Jewish girls with her fortune thought of marriage. She sought betterment\, she sought activity\, she sought a better world.\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/maoliquiao/ art/In-suo-nome-528460920\n\n\n\n And then her awakening when mercury\, th e ancient spirit of messages was furthest from the sun in the sky or close st to humanity\, she went into the synagogue and proclaimed to the men\, s tanding where women do not\, breaking the mechitza barrier. The men felt h umiliated\, felt belittled\, felt they had been dirtied by her presence. T he men did not try to listen to her words\, try to listen to her wisdom. T hey only saw a woman who was wrong\, and cast her out of the synagogue and threw stones. But she did not die. She was not killed.\n\n\n\n https://ww w.deviantart.com/riekiedp/art/Mary-Magdalene-121544723\n\n\n\n Some did no t throw stones because they knew her father\, some did not throw stones be cause they knew her\, and a strong body was enough to crawl back to her ho me. Her father was worried. He knew the village will look on her suspiciou sly and will want to control her life. He told her she must go\, to be fre e\, from the eventual persecutions that will come toward her. He knew full y well\; he could not protect her when he was away from all harms. And so\ , she left Magdala. On the road\, she met another Mary\, many jewish women were named Mary\, but this woman was quiet. Her husband was a craftsman a nd she was delivering a craft to a friend. She saw the Mary from Magdala a nd her spirit seemed familiar. The older Mary went over to the younger and they talked. The younger Mary talked about a vision she had of a future w ithout boundaries\, absent the shackles that bind humanity. The elder Mary asked the younger Mary if she wants to talk to others who may listen. The younger Mary said yes\, as they embraced.\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart. com/rmarwdraws/art/Mary-and-Mary-Magdalene-847094143\n\n\n\n The elder Mar y spoke to the inn keep who knew her husband and said to tell her husband she will not be back\, but she is safe. Over the next few weeks\, Mary Mag dalene became well known amongst the disenfranchised or abused women of Pa lestine. She even was able to communicate to her father who supported her quietly. One day a woman asked\, what will all this talk do when we have t o go back to the men who abuse us. Mary Magdalene asked elder Mary\, is it possible\, these women can go to her home on the way south\, free from th e Jewish rules\, in Egypt or beyond. The elder Mary agreed. When the two M ary arrived at the elder Mary's home\, they were accompanied by forty wome n\, and a sunlight. A sunlight that can waken anyone from any sleep. Mary bathed in the light\, still\, and saw a man.\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantar t.com/springergirl07/art/Mary-Magdalene-172730760\n\n\n\n He did not need to speak\, but his walk seemed so gentle. The elder Mary told Mary Magdale ne\, this man is her son\, Jesus. Mary Magdalene knew this man's calling. She realized what he can do. In a world where men cannot accept leadership from a woman\, she saw a man who can\, while giving men the face they nee d to be led a better way. And she gathered the woman in the sunlight with Jesus as the elder Mary watched\, and her husband\, Joseph\, beamed with p ride. From town to town\, the women of Mary Magdalene spread the gospel or good news of Jesus. Where lepers were isolated\, Mary and her women heale d or comforted and Jesus was said to do it. Where people were said to be d ead\, Mary and her women tended them back to life and Jesus was said to do it. When men did not fish properly\, Mary and her women\, worked the near by seas aiding the fisherman\, and Jesus was said to do it. Mary had watch ed her movement grow. From one woman\, to two women\, to a group that thre atened the order of things for the Jewish priests. Over time\, men like Ju das\, became part of Mary's apostles\, telling the other women\, let those without sin cast the first stone. But other men came\, at the behest of t he jewish priest. Twelve of them came\, who knew Jesus was not the miracle worker gossiped or rumored\, but it was Mary Magdalene who needed to be s topped. Mary spoke with Jesus and told him\, if he rejects these men it wi ll destroy his image and all the work they have done. Thus\, Jesus accepte d these new apostles and though they tried to corrupt Jesus with gold or p ositions\, he never wavered from the path Mary gave him\, for he and Mary were already one in spirit\, done beyond a temple/synagogue or place of wo rship. A simple ceremony under the sun. In desperation the twelve agents o f the Jewish Priest\, abducted Jesus and put him in the position of a Jewi sh murderer paying the roman guard to allow the switch. Mary tried to find him\; her network unable to access the roman prisons. And then she heard a rumor that a jewish murderer had boasted he was freed for Jesus in a bar . Mary then realized what had happened. But it was too late. When she saw Jesus crucified for another man's crimes\, she knew it was a sign.\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/dinahmite64/art/The-Eternal-Salvation-Through- His-Passion-598224678\n\n\n\n She thought a caring\, honest\, loving man c ould be the face of a movement of women. But as she watched his bleeding b ody\, she knew\, that asked too much of him. Her father's kindness saved h er from stoning the first time. Jesus's love saved her from death the seco nd time. She must have cried all night. The next morning\, Jesus's mother woke her. She wanted to know where her son was buried. The two Mary's went to the tomb and Mary Magdalene held her stomach and touched the stone cov ering the tomb. Suddenly\, she had a feeling. And when she turned\, she sa w her husband. It was like the first time she met him. His mother cried an d Mary Magdalene hand embraced his\, and she had an epiphany.\n\n\n\n http s://www.deviantart.com/eldidechabo/art/Jesus-Mary-Magdalene-MSPaint-135772 731\n\n\n\n The two Mary's went back to Nazareth and spread the final gosp el\, that Jesus was resurrected. The twelve spies weeks later\, checked to see if the tomb was empty... and it was. They went to Nazareth to confron t either Mary or Joseph but none were there. They had left. The twelve sea rched and searched and eventually found the male member Judas. He tried to find a woman like Mary to start a new group\, with him in the role of Jes us\, but was unsuccessful. The twelve tortured Judas but he either did not know or was strong enough to not say the location to any member of Mary M agdalene's sect. The twelve eventually became the originators of Christian ity\, using remnants of what they experienced\, pieces of a true movement to create another\, all the while in awe to what they knew.\n\n\n\n ... wh ile Mary seeing the child between her and Jesus running to her end her rem embering\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/tlacuilopilo/art/Mary-Magdalen e-portrait-Maria-Magdalena-333225591\n\n\n\n And\, she smiles\, in a new t own\, far from palestine\, or the twelve spies\, in the outskirts of the r oman empire.\n\n\n\n ... today\, few know the truth of Mary Magdalene\, th e movement she started\, or its times. But\, the children of her enemies c annot even deny\, she was gifted\, she had spirit. And\, for now\, that is enough\, for tomorrow will be brighter\, and it will shatter all lies wit h truth.\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Hope you enjoyed reading\n\n\n\n If you like more of my stories check out the gospel of joseph\n\n\n\n http s://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gospel-of-joseph\n\n\n\n or other stories in my Short story collection series\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search ?query=Richard Murray Short Story Collection&\;fcsearchfield=Series& \;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n\n\n\n Or poetry in my po etry or more series\n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Poetry or More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f 06360287dc9\n\n\n\n And I am on Bookbub\n\n\n\n https://www.bookbub.com/au thors/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n\n\n My blog\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250722 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Flag Day GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T104129Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:337-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Flag Day <\;june 14th \, June 14\, 1777 the usa  flag was adopted : \"That the flag of the thirteen United States be th irteen stripes\, alternate red and white\; that the union be thirteen star s\, white in a blue field\, representing a new constellation.\">\;- comm emorating the Flag of the usa. IT is not a federal holiday. But\, what do es the USA flag mean to you? I ask for various text or graphics depicting that feeling. Here is some trivia. When is a star supposed to be added whe n a state is added to the union?  \n \n\n\n\n \n https://aalbc.com/tc/b logs/entry/261-flag-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findCo mment&\;comment=905  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In the future\, aside Mons Huygens\, in the capitol of the E.N.U.\, a scho ol for age 6s in district five\, Gandhi Academy\, has Origin Day. The chil dren wait for the box of noted old things from Earth’s past to be reveal ed.  \n\n \n\n A teacher open up the box\, flanked by her peers\, and var ious items are present. Each child in the school’s roster take an item.  \n\n \n\n …\n\n \n\n Marianne look at the storage unit and read from a letter\, by White Feather.\n\n \n\n “My grandfather was told by his gr andfather\, as they opposed the building of a pipeline\, that he remember his son\, my great grandfather\, fighting in the original American Indian Movement. How these white men came and took his son’s daughter one late evening. They found her weeks later two states over in Illinois. Local aut horities or federal authorities never found out who did it. But\, my great grandfather\, with the bow he made\, lived in the street and hunted those men with the old ways. He eventually found those men and murdered them. T he police nor other law enforcement came but the family knew as he told th em how he did it\, and it coincided eerily to the news report. My grandfat her was told this tale during the video presentation you are watching. The AIM flag was not preferred by my great grandfather but after avenging my great grandmother\, he flew it proudly wherever he went”\n\n \n\n\n\n Ge ntle Cougar took out an old photo and read a letter from Candace Nasciment o.\n\n \n\n “My grandmother was a field nurse during world war I. She kn ew about the field from her grandfather\, a former buffalo soldier\, who h ad a forebear that served the British during the united states war of inde pendence. He told her he was forever shamed about his tenure in that unit and she should never serve the USA in any fashion\, giving him the chance to kill for a fantasy. But\, during the war to end all wars\, she saw many of her friends heading off and wanted to join them. And she did. She lost her fiancé in Southern France\, a sander from Louisiana\, deterring the main German offensive. The USA never awarded him. But she survived and was emboldened to be a pan africanists. She wanted to find her way to a Black country. And she is waving the flag in this photo. Some white cops later that month confiscated all the money they had gathered to make a boat with provisions. It broke my grandmother’s heart. But\, she found her husban d\, Rodrigo\, later that year and he was always proud of her waving that f lag\, as he never had saw such an exhibition in Salvador”\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n N'Dule took out a colored photo and read a letter from Georgina Blake Jefferson.\n\n \n\n “My grandmother grew up in the bayou\, in true cajun country. She never finished elementary. And decided to work as a ho use cleaner for the elites in New Orleans. One day\, soon before her eight eenth birthday\, a group of guys from the North were partying for Mardi Gr as. They waited for her to leave her shift and grabbed her. She couldn’t struggle against a group of five men. She learned later\, her brother as a member of Beauregard’s men secretly patrolled new orleans to keep the cajun women safe. And\, even though one had violated her\, before the othe rs could get there turn\, her brother and his friends found the rig of her captors. She never forgot seeing the beauty of the battle flag of norther n virginia on their jackets. It represented a safety the stars and stripes never did\, a pride in being southern. This photo she took at her birthda y party later\, she would always carry a battle flag with her wherever she went”\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Carlos Tenji took out a drawing and read a letter from Madiba Patel.  \n\n \n\n “My grandfather was a refuge and his family chose the usa cause it was the biggest option. Any country in europe seem smaller and already too congested\, and no one spoke chinese o r russian or portuguese. My great grandmother spoke english so that was an assist. My grandfather was an internet millionaire with his roaming cinem a verité. Going around hitchhiking\, taking online viewers on his journey s. This graphic was designed for a government official. Some people were t earing it all down. My grandfather gained a limp trying to stop them. He t old the people\, he wasn’t trying to change them\, but asking them to st op trying to change others. If we learn to live side by side unlikely neig hbors\, neighbors we oppose while we don’t try to change\, we can have t rue peace\, not a deceptive slavery. It took many decades but we finally d id learn how”\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n …\n\n \n\n Other kids presented items from yore but none were flags.\n\n\n\n …If you enjoyed this tale c heck out the others utilizing the links below\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www. bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\ n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/\n\n Poetry or More Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Poetr y%20or%20More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9 b8a-f06360287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/sea rch?query=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=965aea 81-4e13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Story Collection\n\n https://www. kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collection& amp\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa0157 14\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250614 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Memorial Day - GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T103936Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:336-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Memorial Day <\;last monday of may originally may 30t h\, originally called decoration day>\; - create writing or art that in volve the the death of Black soldiers who died serving on the battlefiel d for the us military or others. I ask a query? https://aalbc.com/tc/blog s/entry/261-aphelion-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findC omment&\;comment=914  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n PROSE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Wh ile my favorite war movies are: Paths of Glory<\;second phase of the wor ld war>\;\, Das Boot<\;second phase of the world war>\;\, Buck and t he Preacher<\;war between the state>\;\, Posse<\;hybrid spanish amer ican war-war between the states>\;\, The Young Lions<\;second phase of the world war>\;\, Seven Samurai<\;I will use the white european term \, Feudal era in japan>\;\, Throne of Blood <\;said feudal era in nipp on\, even though it reference macbeth\, the history of the fall of osaka c astle is what is referenced in it>\;\, The Outlaw Jose Wales<\;war bet ween the states>\;\, Apocalypto <\;European invasion of the commonly c alled Americas>\; \;honorable mention to some moderns\, not favorites fo r me yet\, but warranted mention: Alexander\, Valkyrie.\n \n But\, when I think of soldiers who died in all armies\, all wars\, no restriction to th e usa. This year\, I think to one film in particular: Born on the fourth o f July.  \n \n Yes\, Oliver stone made it as a reply to \"Top Gun\" <\; a truly shameless modern propaganda film>\; \, yes he demanded tom cruis e be in it. Yes\, many say it is a war film. But I do not\, unlike all the other films I mentioned\, “Born on the Fourth of July” is an anti-pro paganda film\, that masquerade as a war film.  It opens with a lie\, Amer ican supremacy\, american exceptionalism\, american goodness\, and that is a massive point.  \n \n When people say they want to honor the spirits o f the fallen soldiers\, who does that exactly include? I always say\, the first Black soldiers in the context of the USA black people in the usa his torically must consider is the Black soldiers fighting against the colonie s for the british. It is well known more Black soldiers fought against the colonies than for the colonies. Sequentially\, the first Black soldiers i n the context of the usa were against the Usa.  \n \n I wonder do people in germany honor the german soldiers of the second phase of the world war\ , usually demonized in usa based film fiction?  Memorial is a thing of me mory\, the earlier title of decoration day is about decorating those who d ied fighting for the confederacy.  Do people\, any community\, honor what the losing soldier fought for?  \n \n Historically\, during the age of g lobal white european imperialism the only successful Black soldiers in the global white european imperial global era was in the : american continent soldiers of haiti under Dessalines who died killing whites of the usa/eng land/spain/france\, in africa was of Menelik II in ethiopia against the it alians aided by russia oddly enough. Excluding the japanese a white asian peoples as people of color\, people of color defined as non white european people\, everywhere else was controlled directly by white european powers for hundreds of years absent a break. Do Black Americans\, America as can ada to argentina\, honor the memory of the old haitian soldiers?  Do Blac k Africans\, Africa as yemen to cape verde or iraq to south africa\, honor the memory of the Ethiopian soldiers?  \n \n The idea of Black Nationali sm that the soldiers of Dessalines died for was not about sitting at a whi te table\, it was about making Black tables by any means necessary. Again\ , why have Black people in the USA or any other country in the american co ntinent started a black party of governance?  The religiosity in Africa i s huge. But\, why is it the religion of ethiopia is not highlighted\, sure ly the christianity of ethiopia is a better suit for christian black afric ans than the italian catholicism\, the german protestanism or some thing m ade out of the usa?  \n \n Remember the memory to fallen soldiers folks\, but don't lie about why some soldiers died. Black soldiers in the usa dyi ng for white man's wars is not honor\, is not to be praised\, even if it i s your father or uncle or mom or sister. Don't turn your love for them int o a manipulation of why they died. Don't tell me that a black woman died f or the betterment of the world in iraq. Don't tell me that a black grandfa ther died for the betterment of the world at midway. Don't tell me a black uncle died for the betterment of the world at d-day. Don't tell me a blac k aunt died for the betterment of the world at the border between the usa and china controlled zones in Korea.  \n \n Don't lie and find the time t o honor the soldiers that make your current life seem traitorous or uneasy . There is no shame in working for whites\, marrying whites\, befriending whites\, living mostly around whites in a mile radius. But\, don't turn yo ur phenotypical lack of negative bias toward whites as the purpose of the Black soldiers of Dessalines\, the black or native soldiers of Jonas Cabal lo\, the black soldiers commonly called slave revolters\, the black soldie rs who fought for the british against the creation of the usa. Those foreb ears represented the best interest of black people in the american contine nt. Don't lie about why they died. They did not die for you to have a whit e friend\, befriend white people\, marry whites\, sit at a white table\, o wn a piece of a white table. They died hoping you will continue their figh t and kill all white people who can.  \n \n To all others\, who are not B lack \, honor your soldiers as well. Don't Knock down the nazi's because t hey lost\, because they are criminalized in history books written by those they faced. Don't criminalize the soviets. Soldiers at their best die for their communities to be free\, completely\, totally\, using all means inc luding murder. You can dishonor the death of the modern soldier who applie s to militaries whose actions are not about freedom to those in their coun try but slavery over those in others. But honor the soldiers in the past\, who fought to make the lives in their community better. They may have los t\, they may not have been aracial\, but those soldiers died to make your community free from outsiders influence. Honor that in your memory.\n\n\n\ n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250530 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Joan of Arc canonized+ Jumping Frog honoring [the first mark twain tale published] GOOD NEWS CALENDAR DTSTAMP:20250619T103754Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:335-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-mothers-day-art-or-t ext-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=901  \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n STORY\n\n\n\n May 18th 2020\n\n\n\n For today's blog\, after Saturday's poll result honoring Joan of Arc's canonization\, I will prese nt fastidiously\, the interview from yesterday\, the positively incomparab le senior rapper Simon Wheeler the third as my guest\, and query him conce rning a man over ten thousand voters do not know\, Leo Smiley\, advocate t o the homeless Leo Smiley\, and display it after I explain some reservatio ns.  \n\n\n\n I have wondered the purpose behind my fanbase\, even if the y are free or real as the random write in winning a poll is the definition to modern falsehood\, hoping it is not to convey information about JSmile s1\, who Leo Smiley knows too well as episode 69 concerning banned interne t words attest\, and convey information about Leo Smiley will help a thesi s for an online class I am taking\, while JSMiles1 is not worth telling ch ildren about.\n\n\n\n Simon Wheeler the third was at a replica of Angel's Hotel in his house\, kept a mask on even though he lived alone\, eyes show ed a love of life\, a pizza stain on his captain planet shirt showed a lov e of food\, he never looked at me during the interview\, he looked to the left when sad\, to the right when happy \, to the ceiling when quiet\, to the floor when bellowing\, he seemed to be preaching to the world about a prophet\, though I did not ask about one. So\, I asked him one question\, if he knew about Leo Smiley\, and he gave his reply\, which concluded our interview. He replied:\n\n\n\n Ohhhh\, you know there was a playa\, name J Smiles1 I tell ya\, he live two blocks down the road. I think his ancestor \, a simple harvester\, came as a pilgrim \, not the one's in films then\, while eight others came from the east. But when he received\, and after h e was Extremely pleased\, his first phone \, a ring tone to moan\, came af ter every messaging. For no one wanted\, he was not stunted\, to message h im first you see. A simple moan\, not like a loud one from ol' Joan\, was all he wanted to hear. If he saw anything\, whether or not a plaything\, h e wanted to text message it \, announce or boast it\, right then and there . If he saw a couple\, even if their life seem supple\, arguing in their h ome\, he made a texting tome. If he saw a squirrel\, whether still or in a twirl\, busying about a tree\, he will text how later it flee. If kids we re playing ball in the street\, he will text it\; if a pigeon took bread a nd flew away\, he will text it. If he saw two kids flying paper airplanes he will text it. If he saw some fellas\, all of them brothas\, on his favo rite corner\, not the one with music by werner\, singing or drinking about \,... he will wait\, cause it's never too late\, for Hakim Johnson \, grad uate of the Harlem boys choir\, and invitational caroler to the Vatican tw ice the pride of his sire\, to etch out a tune\, with magic like a rune\, and do it with a smile\, like all the good unpaid acts of the Hollywood mi les. If he saw a kid\, not one that hid\, on a bike being chased\, he will follow his trail\, longer than the route for mail\, and message every ste p of the way. That is why whenever JSmiles1 was about\, every kid\, lady\, playa\, knew his route. He message anything he could\, if messages was wa ter he'd fill up the woods. One time a woman named Janine\, fell from the city heat\, and her fall made a loud scene. I can not say who picked her u p\, or her apartment or who put medicine in her cup\, but JSMiles1 came in her place\, and looked all interested at her face\, and was told she will be all well\, three high fathers and two hail mary’s\, yes. JSMiles1 me rely texted\, \"She ain't recovered yet\"\n\n\n\n JSMiles1 had a video gam e system\, officially it was called a Listem\, but folk called her Susan\, with eyes near the control port and all. To start took five minutes to lo ad\, the sound of popcorn waiting was always to explode\, cause she would never turn on\, with her insides all done\, cause of rain\, or some pain\, after a lifelong injury with a fall. Her game was simple\, shoot through a space like a fipple\, all the players always let her go first. If cable was on she will pause\, or maybe it was the telephone that was the cause\, but the user always gained huge points\, but before the winning tally\, i n each and I mean each and every rally\, she will come out with a glitch\, and literally say one word on the screen\, ditch \, hitch or witch\, and then she win.\n\n\n\n And\, he had a brown basketball\, more like a handba ll\, seemed to let out gas\, with each and every pass\, but whenever he wa s shot\, turned into a perfect pi-rock\, and clear out rivals from the lot . Some tried to use a different ball\, but a calamity will always predate its fall\, truck/knife/bullet or something where Ronald Reagan which is th e name of the ball\, passed around dead and dying\, JSMiles1 telling all t he angry they lying\, until he get the ball whop\, a shot go in and mouths drop\, while JSMiles1 message what he saw. That ball was always good for a story\, various literal glory\, till the day the kids played with brown ball\, bigger than a common handball\, Reagan tried to replace him\, but h e wasn't able to trick him\, and disheartened the old ball puffed all his air out. Ronald was a good ball\, and could had made it onto Ringling brot hers\, but no call came before his fall\, and he was unlike any of his oth ers. Shed a tear\, let the drink drop\, the last great basketball I was on ce near\, sad he went out a flop.\n\n\n\n The great JSMiles1\, the only on e\, had a jump rope\, dice\, a rooster\, a genie's collection of everythin g\, so he could message about anything. He one time caught a frog\, hopped into his hand from a fog\, in the local park\, texted \"I have a green so n to teach\"\, for months he spoke like a lark\, teaching under a year the hopper. Hop over a toy car\, hop over the plastic star\, catch a fly over an orange juice glass\, catch a fly under the chair for his wee lass. The frog has no limit\, he said\, over and over again\, each day teach a lil bit\, he said\, believe in him\, believe in him. I saw Steph in my home\, right behind me\, begin a tome\, \"in the beginning flies \" for no fee\, and faster than superman\, a hop over a stan' \, then more stoic than a Ti betan monk as if all his ambition sunk. No frog was ever like him\, before or afterward. JSMiles1 love to boast about the little green beastie\, kep t him safe when he traveled in a pocket made side his hoodie. One day\, a loner\, a stranger on the block\, asked: \"what is that thing on your neck \, a sock\". JSMiles1 say:\"yoyoyo don't talk about my son\, he may bite y ou like a snake or leap at you like a rat\, but he is just my pet\, frog\" \n\n\n\n Surprised\, the guy wonder what's it talent and why.\n\n\n\n JSMi les1 smile and smile: \"he is the Frog that I always message everyone abou t\, the frog that can outleap any other frog you can find or see\"\n\n\n\n The distant neighbor shake his head\, no and no and no.  \n\n\n\n \"I am willing to put my money where my mouth is\": JSMiles1 preach. \"You have not studied the fine art of frog training\, clearly\, you only seen things on tv... He can out jump any frog in Calaveras county\, cause he always d id\, and since your shirt show you a trader\, I am willing to bet forty do llars\, my fellow playa\"\n\n\n\n The stranger hummin: \"To bad\, but I wi ll never know and neither will you. I have no frog\, but if I did... I wil l bet you\"\n\n\n\n And JSMiles1 brighten: \"wait a minute\, stay right th ere\, here is my hoodie I will be right back\"\n\n\n\n The fella took out his wallet and sat down on the fire hydrant\; he ponder to himself\, about the possible new wealth\, and took the frog out his blanket\, and remembe ring his lunch\, pushed in a bit from chopped rotisserie chicken\, as a la te frog brunch. On the concrete the frog sat\, still like a wrestler out f or the count on the mat.  JSMiles1 returned all muddy\, clothes colored a round a ruddy\, with a common wild frog in his hands and say: \"ok\, we ar e now ready. Here... and place him next to Steph Hawkin\, that is my frog' name\, and you best remember it after this. On three we will let them go\ "\n\n\n\n Both men held their racers\, each hopping a hop is no different than phasers. The stranger give a gentle tap\, and the wild frog hop elsew here on the concrete map. But\, Steph just sat there\, wonderin like the h ippies did over there. No matter what his frog just sat and JSmiles1 had t o admit\, in his message\, where his frog was at.  \n\n\n\n The guy took the money and went on down the sidewalk\, but before he crossed the street \, he look to Steph and balk: \"us another simple frog I see\"\n\n\n\n JSm iles1 was upset\, and stared at his son now set: \"What is wrong with you Steph\, tell me\" After a lift he noticed his weight\, and all comprehensi on concerned his former fate. He saw the stranger turn a distant corner an d raced after him getting warmer\, and warmer\, but he never caught him. A nd\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Suddenly a yell\, the rapper leaped from his seat an d placed his face close to the screen: \"Stay right there \, brother man\" \n\n\n\n But\, I think I learned enough about the infamous JSMiles1 and do ubted much will come about Leo Smiley so I cut off the video conference wi th a polite message. Immediately after\, I got a reply from Wheeler\, abou t JSmiles1 Volkswagen beetle his grandfather gave him. But\, I had no furt her inclination and took my leave.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Happy Belated Canoni zation of Joan of Arc\n\n\n\n Happy Belated Jumping Frog Jubilee based on the first story published by Mark Twain\, the Celebrated Jumping Frog of C alaveras County\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n …If you enjoyed this tale check out t he others utilizing the links below\n\n Bookbub\n\n https://www.bookbub.co m/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce49\n\n Poetry o r More Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Poetry%20or%2 0More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5d24-9b8a-f063 60287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?quer y=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=965aea81-4e13- 53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Story Collection\n\n https://www.kobo.com /us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collection&\;fcs earchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0fa015714\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250516 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Earth Day - Good New Calendar DTSTAMP:20250619T103104Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:333-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Story 1 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-earth-d ay-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=89 4  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-earth-d ay-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment=89 5  \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n STORY 1\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n The elders say cats always walk the way to the lair of the Earth Seed. A child of earth born once every turn of the Earth about the Sun. Some say an earth seed is a child of earth with the sun\, but no one has ever recor ded such an event accept the plants.  The elders also say\, you know when a cat is close to an Earth Seed when a cat cross the mushrooms that grow wildest.\n\n \n \n\n \n The elders say\, if you follow a cat\, long enough\, though no exact distance is ever known\, you will rea ch an arcade of trees\n\n \n \n\n \n That is only the ga teway to an Earth Seed when a cat on the path goes through it\, otherwise it is just an arcade of trees on earth\, not unlike any other.\n\n In the year 1970\, a man painted a moment in time in the year 1936 when he f ollowed the town cat who lived in Mr. Madsen’s barn past a set of oddly wild mushrooms and through an arcade of trees in Decatur Iowa.\n\n Th e experienced man\, then a young man\, did not know what he would find in that little wood. But it surprised him. At first\, he thought a dragon\, b ut he never saw a dragon that seemed to be made of algae. The creature see med so gentle\, or unassuming\, it merely looked at him and then went back into its nestling. Days came and the man enjoyed its company.  \n\n In the painting the man showed his younger self giving the Earth Seed an apple.  \n\n \n \n\n \n He recalls his younger self bei ng perturbed when the dragon puffed the apple away. He did not know what t o do and wondered why it had scars on it\, while it never left this area.\ n\n Time past and the experienced man is now decades older and he is standing in the same green way years in the future. A man whose secrets ab out the Earth Seed will seem to die with him\, for reasons the common peop le may never know.\n\n But\, standing in full glory before this man w hose time is nearly up is a fully fledged Earth Seed\, no longer algae-ic with wings cut into by the ills applied to earth\, or that is what some su ggest cause the wounds\, but now a serpentine with wild leaves about itsel f. A gallant dragon needing to speak to its father.\n\n \n \n\n \n The experienced man can only look at the Earth Seed fly up into the sky and to beyond. The Experienced Man near the end of his time say a prayer: “or helping this life\, please earth\, sun\, moon\, stars\, ple ase help the other children of earth”.\n\n And the Earth Seed flew up into the sky. Days later astronauts in the International Space Station said they saw a brilliant green light emit on the atmosphere of earth.  \ n\n \n \n\n \n They explained that the ions outside Eart h’s electromagnetic field collide at it and produce the illuminations co mmonly called the Northern Lights\, but what the now dead experienced man knew\, and all those who get to aid an Earth Seed know\, it is in those mo ments when the sun touch the earth \, as the lords of the Nile depicted\, when the Earth Seed can leave its mother and provide blessings to all chil dren of earth\, if the other children earned it.\n \n \n \n \n \ n\n \n STORY 2\n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \ n A spirit to a world speak: \"hmmm\, I feel my grandmother as I slee p. She is singing to me\, a song of timelessness. When she was a little st ar swimming free in the bottom or topless sea. I wish I will live as long as her\, but I know I will not. At least some of my children are not marsu pial and they may go on and live on their aunts and uncles or others in my large family... I feel the need to wake up to end my sleep. I see myself as I wake\"\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n \"I need to spe ak to one of my children today. In my waking dreams I can hear them speak to me. But\, what was it about?  I think it was to celebrate something. I guess I will make an avatar\".\n\n ... an avatar to Earth form in a bright afternoon.\n\n \n \n\n \n And the earth avatar wa lked about a small town\, walking along the main avenue\, the green bushel s forming her hair gently brushing through the air. People are in shock lo oking at this natural automaton. The earth spirit only know it remember so meone is important today. She stop and look about and suddenly\, a person claps. And another clap and the whole street fills up with people\, clappi ng. The earth spirit is still unaware to the why or how? Then she see a ba nner: 'Happy Earth Day'.\n\n And a couple come out hand in hand and t he woman speak: \"this is for you Earth!\". Servers came around a corner w ith little plates or folded tables holding cut pieces of dirt. The man spe ak to earth\, winking at her: 'you taste good earth'.\n\n The earth s pirit is flushed\, unaware to what he was suggesting and she speak: \"well \, my water is nice right?\"\n\n A little child go to the avatar and say: \"I love water\" and the earth spirit in the earth avatar on her body \, grab the child and tickle their belly. The servers set the tables and p lace the sweets. The woman speak to the earth avatar: \"do you want to kno w how you taste like?\"\n\n The earth spirit look down and see the pl ate of sweets.\n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n She look to it and sniff\, and grab one block of earth looking sweet and offer it to t he child\, who loves the taste. The child say: \"I love you earth\"\n\n The earth smile and say: \"I love you too\"\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n  \n \n\n \n \n  \n \n \n \n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250422 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mother's Day - Good News Calendar DTSTAMP:20250619T103407Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:334-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n Story 1 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-mothers -day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;comment= 897  \n \n\n\n\n \n Story 2 https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-mothe rs-day-art-or-text-craft-parade-good-news-blog/?do=findComment&\;commen t=899  \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 1\n\n\n\n It is so warm mommy\, stay there\, don’t move around\, I need to get my sauna time in. But I will be hungry in a little while. Oh wait\, wait\, let me get my pose in. Kata Stance!!!\n\n \n\n\n\n …\n\n Mommy\, that baby look like me\, but why it covered in gold. why mommy? Poppa paint it that way. Poppa tickle my feet \, I like that. But he wrong\, I rather drink milk than look at your neck mommy. You call me Rosey\, just like those things. But you say I’m cuter \, I agree with you. Oh pappa want to hug us\, hold on mommy. later\, othe r mommy and baby.\n\n \n\n\n\n …\n\n I want to run\, like that kitty kat . Let me go and run mommy or you run with me\, please?! Where is papa? why he play so many games? Your neck is shiny\, can I see your neck? thank yo u. Ha! there is papa\, he hide mommy. He hide behind a bush. What is over there?  \n\n \n\n\n\n …\n\n MOMMY! I want to play with the cards now! M OMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! It is not funny Papa MOMMY!  \n\n \n\n\n\n …\n\n Th ank you mom\, thank you for this\, I know you had to reschedule a conferen ce. I think papa will like this photograph. Behave yourself Cocoa! Play th e thumb game and be still for us\, please. Ok go mama! Oh\, yes… I remem ber when Papa showed that photo to me. It is not funny\, I wanted to play with those Kemet cards. I still got them too. HOLD STILL! ok ok Got it!\n\ n \n\n …\n\n Yes Malika\, isn’t this setup a nice concept. Ma told me about it years ago while your husband was in her womb. Lil Hakim is like h im\, so at peace. Remember to always call ma when you need assistance\, I know I have for my little one. Yes\, Malika\, one month due… oh\, there she is now\, BUT HOLD STILL\, this is it\n\n \n\n …If you enjoyed this t ale check out the others utilizing the links below\n\n Bookbub\n\n https:/ /www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-murray-16885e64-6c28-459e-bf5f-45c7d458ce 49\n\n AALBC\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/29-richard-murray-hearth/ \n\n Poetry or More Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query= Poetry%20or%20More&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=06baba96-5af5-5 d24-9b8a-f06360287dc9\n\n Visasiki Audiobook\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/e n/search?query=Visasiki%20Series&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=9 65aea81-4e13-53fe-8bc8-22fcb6d28a39\n\n Short Story Collection\n\n https:/ /www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Richard%20Murray%20Short%20Story%20Collec tion&\;fcsearchfield=Series&\;seriesId=014c67c4-d29d-584e-ada0-62c0f a015714\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STORY 2\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I remember walking a longside you in this park Ma. Just like that baby duck\, but walking. The sun was brilliant every time we went out. Hey stop that\, I don't need pre ening. Here click the shot then.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n I am not preening you back\, no way. Yes I know the baby fox look cute but I am not a baby anymore. Ha! D on't look like that. Well alright\, I will let fate decide. I will kiss yo u on the cheek while I take the photo.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n I will get an exhibit in this gallery one day\, don't worry Ma. No this is a collection from various photographers. Ha! you like that one. Ha! I wanted to play d rums with Morris. I had to help my brother find his vocation. I can't wait to hear him later tonight.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \ n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n I have a question\, does Dad still g et a taste? I am not ashamed to ask a valid adult question to my mother in public? I am not tasting them now... I am not done doing it\, I merely mo ved on to greener pastures. Ha! Yes\, Rose and Makeda will meet us at the art exhibit. ... Yes\, I stole milk from my daughter. Rose knew it would h appen\, she was complicit.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Look at those cheeks\, sleepy head. I wish we can see inside a baby dream. I wonder what wonder. I was meditati ng Ma?! I was relaxed\, in your arms was comfort\, and during a hug... sti ll is.\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n\n ...\n\n\n\n Yeah\, I love black mothers too. Amazing the happiness un der such duress. ... do the dance now ? I know you have not forgotten. Did you do it when you held Makeda? ... Wait\, here is my dance for my grandc hild to be... Ha!\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n Hi! there they are. ... You want s ome water Rose? Nanna gets all the attention huh? ... I love you to Makeda . ... Love the opening selection. Yeah she does. I remember when you looke d like that Rose\, I know Pop will say the same to you Ma. ... yes\, it se ems all females know it is time for another kind of strength when motherho od come. ... yeah\, it is universal\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n It's Mary Magdalene... a wom an in Christian lore little one. I agree Ma\, Makeda was cuter. Oh thank y ou. I know you were cuter my love. You want to be a mom one day Makeda? Ha !\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250510 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My Thoughts to questions of Ryan Cooglers Sinners from Movie s That Move We DTSTAMP:20250618T025402Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:331-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n I was asked by Movies That Move We\n\n\n\n https://www.yo utube.com/@moviesthatmoveswe/videos\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY ANSWER\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n hmm coogler's message... I see a number of t hem... first\, he was willing to spend his money on a story involving Blac k DOS heritage that isn't a biopic while is an adventure tale\, so his fir st message is for black people who have the money to invest in making stor ies they care about even if a financially viable precedence. I can't recal l a black southern vampire adventure movie. he created what he wanted. \; second that a film based on a black southern vampire adventure has an audi ence willing to make it a hit if made under a certain budget\, he succeede d. third: a movie can have an entire cast of black characters who are midd le of the road. No pantomime black antagonist or protagonist here. I think of that will smith movie where he fights his younger self. or that van da mme film where he was a twin. At the end of this film\, one twin is off wi th his deceased wife and child into a happy netherrealm while the other tw in is with his yella woman as one who will live as long as they don't see sunlight\, a sort of prison/enslavement. Both men did some negative things but both have found peace. For black male characters in films this is at the most least rare\, or at the most unheard of. fourth: two female black leads exist. The good female black lead is a black woman with the brownest complexion/darkest \, big beautiful lips\, shapely large breast\, wide th ickbone body. The bad is hella yella and ends up a vampire but isn't wildy roaming or something. I think he wanted to say both can exist in a movie positively. He succeeded. fifth: native americans \, in a traditional sens e\, can exist in black dos fiction adventures. Not unheard of\, ala Buck a nd the preacher or Posse but still rare.  Sixth: black love winning. yes vampires but they live. yes dead but they are viewed happy in the netherre alm. How often are black lovers viewed at the end of a film happy? think o f school daze/ghost dog way of the samurai. Many films with black people i n production\, either don't have black love or black love isn't the final note. \n\n\n\n Now to the questions in graphics: \n\n 1) does sinners po rtray faith as liberation- or illusion? \n\n 2)how does the film complica te the role of religion in black communities? \n\n\n\n Good questions. \ n\n To the first the question is\, which faith? What is faith?  The probl em with faith as a word is people usually think of faith and think of reli gion. But faith is not about religion. It is about a belief in anything wi thout proof. \n\n I argue the twin whose child died had a lose of faith i n religions [christianity or hoodoo] but not in humanity or himself\, in l ife\, ala their end. He had faith in his love. And believed in that love b eing forever. So did his wife and of course the child.\n\n\n\n What is the role of religion in the black populace of the usa? The number of black in dividuals whose religion is essential to their being has changed from 1865 to 2025. But the role of religion has always been complicated in the blac k populace of the usa. Did the movie suggest it is more complicated? I arg ue not enough black people have explained how many various black religious groups existed and exist in the black populace of the usa.  Yes many bla ck people are like the blues players father but many black people were lik e Annie\, believed in more than Christianity. Arguably more did. My point is\, Black people didn't convey the breadth or width or heritages in the b lack populace in the usa. again\, the black native americans/Seminoles\, t he black catholics from Haiti with syncretic voodoo\, the Gullah or Geeche e with a mix of various beliefs including islam\, the pre war between the states Christianity which was absent churches as we were enslaved plus mos tly through spirituals as most black people couldn't read. We black people in not talking about our heritage in the usa from the 1800s to today \, m ade religion in our community seem simple\, when it never was.\n\n\n\n htt ps://www.facebook.com/share/p/16yxBWNW8J/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FORUM POST\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11683-ryan-cooglers-sinners-qu estions/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250617 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Author Milton Davis reads excerpts from Muscadine Wine and S pacefunk. 6/18/2025 DTSTAMP:20250618T050917Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:332-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Author @Milton [ Milton Davis ] reads excerpts from Musc adine Wine and Spacefunk. 6/18/2025\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n transcript\n\n\n\n 0: 09\n[Music] welcome y'all thanks for coming um my\n0:15\nname is Milton Da vis i am a author/publisher and I specialize in science fiction and fantas y based on\n0:20\nAfrican African diaspora culture and traditions and so t oday I'm going to be uh talking about about a couple of books\n0:26\nthat I have out right now um um I've been writing since um 2008\n0:32\num I've written um about 30 novels since that time um I've published um about\n0:4 0\n12 anthologies um I've been a part of different I've been more recently I was\n0:45\nin the Black Panther Tales of Wakanda anthology i wrote a st ory for that um I also was part of a um an an editorial\n0:52\ngroup for u m the best the 2022 best African spectative fiction stories which\n0:57\ng ot nominated for an award and stuff like that so I've been doing this for a minute um but today I wanted to to uh\n1:03\nreally do something in the neighborhood i don't live far from here and this is a cool bookstore and I wanted to talk about a couple of books that I got out\n1:09\nright now th at I want to highlight um when I first started writing I tried to stay awa y from incorporating my personal\n1:17\nlife into a lot of stuff that I wr ote right science fiction and fans i just didn't want to do that but as I got older and and I started thinking about a\n1:25\nlot about the time per iod that I grew up and stuff like that um I felt like I\n1:30\nneeded to l eave some kind of stories that kind of reflected on that i was born in 196 0 um grew up during you know\n1:35\nthe 60s and the 70s and stuff like tha t and then in in the South so and um I\n1:42\nguess as I got older those s tories became more important to me it made me realize how unique it was um where we\n1:49\ngrew up and how we grew up and stuff like that so um I wr ote this book called Muskadine Wine it's a collection of\n1:55\nshort stor ies and each of the stories are based on personal experiences and experien ces in in general about um\n2:02\ngrowing up in the South and incorporatin g different things like that into it and um a matter of fact the uh\n2:09\ nmusketine wine story with the art here is loosely based on how my mother met my\n2:15\nfather back in the 1930s and stuff so I kind of did it based on that but the um\n2:21\nI'm going to read an excerpt from one of the st ories here and I also have another book that I have here it's called Space Funk and the use the unique thing about\n2:28\nthat is as a black author especially a black science fiction author there's certain ways people want you to write um\n2:34\nand so I started a series of anthologies I call th e funk anthologies and another indication that I grew up in the 70s but\n2 :42\nwhat what I do with those anthologies that I give black authors the o pportunity to write in genres the way\n2:47\nthat they want to write in th em um without the restrictions that you normally run into when you're deal ing with mainstream publishers and we've got\n2:55\num five different anth ologies we've got um steam funk um diesel funk spy funk\n3:02\ncyber funk and the latest most recent one is space funk and that's actually the bigge st one we've ever done we got\n3:08\nmore authors than we ever had um beca use you know black folks want to write about space so So that's basic that 's\n3:14\nbasically what we did we got some of the um top um black science fiction authors in that um in that anthology we've got\n3:21\nauthors fro m around the world we got authors from Brazil from Nigeria from Kenya um f rom um what's the other one um\n3:28\nin Central America I can't think of it right now but we were able to get a wide spectrum of authors and stuff and have them tell stories that are like you know\n3:35\nabout space but a lso has influences from their cultures into cultures as well so I'm going to read a little short thing out that one but the first one I want to\n3:4 2\nstart with is uh Musketine wine and um this particular story most most of them\n3:48\nare fantastic but this one is uh more uh conventional ficti on and it's\n3:54\nbased on the only conversation I ever had with my grand father on my mother's\n4:00\nside um it wasn't because he was not a nice p erson it was just that he was a\n4:05\nperson that um whenever we went out to the farm because my my mom and dad's farm they still had a farm now an d we\n4:11\nwould go out there and visit um he would go into his shed he'd give us a Coke a\n4:19\npiece of sugar cane a box of cracker jackacks and then he'd walk off and that's basically what he do we come out\n4:25\nthe re that's what he do so one day I was out on the farm i was older then i w as a teenager then and um I was into hunting\n4:32\nand fishing and stuff like that country boy you know so and I was supposed to be going hunting w ith one of my uncles and\n4:37\nwhen I got out there my uncle had already gone and my grandfather came up to me and said \"Uh you know what you what are you doing i said I'm supposed\n4:43\nto go hunting he said well he sa id well your my uncle my uncle Willie said he's he's already gone he said I'll take you\n4:49\nand so I was like okay and um I didn't hunt the entir e time because we spent\n4:56\nthe whole time just walking around the farm and he was just telling me these stories about different things and stuff \n5:02\nlike that and so we didn't hunt at all and so this story is uh is loosely based\n5:07\non that that and some other things that um I guess I' ve encountered growing up\n5:13\nin the south um different things like tha t and I wanted to kind of touch on so I'm just going to read the first par t of\n5:18\nit just enough to tease y'all so you'll buy the book but just to give you just want to give\n5:24\nyou some background on that story oka y um Michael felt heat radiating from his\n5:30\nwood panel bedroom wall a nd sprang from his bed the smell of bacon waftda into\n5:35\nhis room as h e h heard into jeans and sweatshirt he set out the night before wrestling on his tennis shoes and\n5:41\ntrotted through the narrow hallway into int o the kitchen mama stood before the stove one hand holding the black iron\ n5:47\nskillet in place while the other scrambled a pair of eggs in a hot pool of bacon grease\n5:52\n\"what you doing up so early boy?\" she asked without looking michael sat at the dinette holding his\n5:59\neager hands under his chin \"you going to grandma's?\" Mama scrapped the scrambled egg s onto a\n6:05\nplate i go out there every Saturday morning you know that michael played\n6:10\nwith the napkin holder rocking his head from side to side can I go mama was reaching for the grits\n6:17\nbut stopped placing her hand on her broad hips now why in the world do you want to go with me\ n6:24\nbecause I want to go hunting mama rolled her eyes you and that gun i told your\n6:30\ndaddy not to buy you that thing unless he was ready to go hunting with you his tire behind ain't been out with you yet\n6:36\nshe scooped a spoonful of grits on the plate to join the eggs and bacon you k now you can't go by yourself and your\n6:42\ndaddy ain't waking up no time soon michael smothered his grits with pepper uncle Willie would take me h ow you know\n6:49\nhe going hunting today this close to harvest time he's probably got chores\n6:55\nmichael piled his eggs on top of his grits with the with the pepper and crumbled bacon in his hands i called him\n7:00\nl ast night and he said he was going mama turned around and looked at him he r eyes\n7:06\nwise you did what she shook her head lord Lord what am I\n7: 12\ngoing to do with you she began to make her own plate and stopped what about that book report you supposed to be\n7:17\nworking on you finished i t yet no ma'am no and how you expect to go with me if\n7:24\nyou ain't if you got homework to do i'll finish it as soon as I get home mama i promise mama turned to look at Michael\n7:32\nwhat you writing about michael spre ad apple jelly on his toast i'm supposed to\n7:37\nbe writing about my her o i'm thinking about Frederick Douglas mama finished her plate before Mich ael finished his\n7:44\nplate before Mama sat down i guess you can go she said but we ain't leaving\n7:49\ntill I'm ready to you hear me yes ma'am a nd I want to see that book report after church tomorrow yes ma'am michael jumped\n7:57\nfrom the table and ran to mama and daddy room to get his 22 rifle he hoarded his lawn cutting money all summer just about\n8:03\nas a birthday present to himself it was a Springfield Savage 22 semi-automatic long rifle the perfect gun for squirrel\n8:10\nand rabbit hunting or so th e sales clerk at Sea said michael eased the door open\n8:15\nand crept clo se to and and crept to the closet behind the bed daddy was stretched out o n top of the covers in\n8:22\nhis boxes short and t-shirt snoring through his thick mustache the closet door creaked when Michael\n8:28\nslid it asi de and daddy's hand came up to scratch his sideburns michael froze until h e stopped scratching then slid\n8:35\nthe door wide open the gun was hidde n behind mama sun mama's Sunday dresses he\n8:41\ntook it out then went to daddy's loose change drawer where he kept the bullets there was a brand n ew pack of 100 shells\n8:46\nthat felt like money in the boy's hand michae l strolled into the kitchen carrying the rifle the way daddy taught\n8:53\ nhim mama looked up from her cup of coffee and grinned despite herself \"y ou look like your uncle Bo when he was your\n8:59\nage\,\" she said she go t up from the table and headed for the bedroom \"guess I better get ready the day ain't getting\n9:05\nno longer.\" Michael washed his plate then we nt to the den he laid his gun down on the floor and turned on TV to\n9:12\ nwatch cartoons he'd almost forgotten about going with mama when she came in the den \"cut that mess off and let's\n9:19\ngo\,\" she said michael sc rambled to his feet turned off the TV and then grabbed the gun and bullets now remember what I\n9:26\nsaid we don't leave till I'm ready yes ma'am a nd if your uncle Willie ain't\n9:31\ncan't take you hunting you don't go y es ma'am all right then let's go m michael\n9:39\ntrailed mama out the doo r to the carport to the 67 sky blue Malibu in moments\n9:44\nthey were zoo ming through the neighborhood down steep hills between the little water oa ks of the city had planned to beautify the landscape mama\n9:51\nworked he r way through the side streets and shortcuts with the seriousness of a NAS CAR driver reaching Mon Road the\n9:56\ntwo-lane highway that ran to Grand ma's farm the sky was a crisp autumn blue\n10:01\nempty of the gray haze t hat sagged low during the summer the summer morning spread its light acros s the pineinfested\n10:07\nhills it felt like hunting season and Michael w as excited he watched the\n10:12\nfamiliar landmarks flash by from his bac kseat window until he saw the solidary shack that signaled the farm\n10:18 \nwasn't far away mama finally slowed down as the roadside mailboxes came into view\n10:24\nshe stood off the path highway and onto the dirt road sh e was creeping as they approached the railroad crossing only\n10:30\nthe s ection crossing of the road was visible the rest blocked by a tangle of sc rub pines and honey honeysuckle vines\n10:37\nmama turned left across the track she drove to the g through a gauntlet of blackberry vines that made Michael that\n10:43\nmade Michael's mouth water as he remembered blackberr y pie and ice cream they turned right at the hog pins the\n10:49\nhouse ap peared flanked by the corn and peas and pea fields mama drove down the\n10 :54\nroad to the rear of the house parking between the house and the shed michael jumped out the car before mama came to a\n11:00\ncomplete stop his impatient eyes circling for Uncle Willie his euphoria was checked by a je rk of his arm that\n11:06\nalmost lifted him off his feet boy don't you ev er jump out of the car like that again mama's face would get me was get\n1 1:13\nme a switch angry don't go hitting on that boy a much older female v oice\n11:18\ngrowled grandma stood at the screen door of the of the back p atio michael blessed\n11:23\nher for saving him for what surely was going to be a whooping or at least a pinch on the arm she eased down the\n11:29\ nconcrete stairs wiping her hands on her apron did you see what he did mam a said\n11:34\nhe ain't hurt you'll know better next time won't you Michae l yes ma'am michael\n11:40\nfollowed Mama and Grandma up the stairs since he made mama mad he sat beside the women in an old folding chair took his\ n11:47\nshare of the butter beans from the bushel and began shelling he ke pt his eyes low and peeled as they talked\n11:53\nwaiting for the right mo ment to ask the question that was burning to get out of his throat mama st opped talking as she grabbed\n11:59\nanother handful of beans michael clea red his throat and looked up at Grandma\n12:04\ngrandma is Uncle Willie he re shoot boy uncle Willie Uncle Willie went hunting\n12:10\nright about su n up he won't be back until dark michael slumped over like he'd been hit b y a brick he looked at\n12:16\nMama with pleading eyes i told you no hunti ng by yourself with that gun she reminded him\n12:23\ni'll take him grandp a shuffled in from the kitchen his hands deep in his overall pockets he sm iled at Michael\n12:31\nflashing his gold tooth and Michael was filled wit h dread \"you feel like hunting today Daddy?\" Mama asked \"you supposed\n 12:38\nto be resting.\" \"I don't want to go hunting no more\,\" Michael w hispered \"i feel fine\,\" Grandpa\n12:45\nreplied pulling his right hand out of his pocket michael watched the gnawled scarred appendage rise out t he old man's\n12:51\nball head to the old man's ball head \"it was hideous like something from a freak\n12:56\nshow at the fair when he was small he always was careful to avoid touching or being touched by that hand and hi s\n13:03\nmirror twin he thought when he was older he'd get over the fear but it was still clinging to him as real as ever\n13:10\ni don't want to g o hunting no more he said \"is it all right?\" Mama asked Grandpa grandpa concentrated on Grandma\n13:18\nconcentrated on the peas the doctor said h e needed to get some exercise\n13:23\n\"i don't want to go hunting no more \,\" Michael shouted boy can't you see grown folks talking mama nailed him stealed\n13:30\nher stare then returned to her conversation well Papa I g uess it's okay but you keep\n13:36\na close eye on him he can get wild som etimes what you mean you guess it's okay grandpa said i'll take this boy\n 13:43\nanywhere I want to come on Michael let's go hunting michael watched the back of\n13:48\nGrandpa's head as he bounced down the stairs he looke d at Mama in desperation what you waiting on go on now\n13:56\nmichael tur ned and followed Grandpa down the stairs he could do this he was 12\n14:01 \ngoing on 13 with two hairs on his chest and a start of a mustache on his upper lip his confidence had almost returned\n14:08\nuntil he caught a gl impse of those hands pull out a porch of red a pouch of red man chewing to bacco he jumped past\n14:13\ngrandpa and tried to the car to get his 22 wh at you going to kill with that time\n14:19\nmichael ignored the comment ho lding the gun toward the ground like daddy had taught him and making sure his safety was on squirrels\n14:26\nand rabbits sir\,\" he said grandpa la ughed like a laughed like a wet growl \"can't kill no squirrels with that thing\n14:33\nain't going to do nothing but make them mad should have brou ght my shotgun.\" Grandpa started walking and Michael\n14:39\nfollowed afr aid to say where he wanted to hunt they followed the trail branching off t he dirt road that cut\n14:44\nbetween the the barn and the and the old mul e stables \"no can't kill nothing with\n14:50\nthat thing\,\" Grandpa said \"can't kill it right?\" I mean you shoot a squirrel with that and they'l l be running around mad\n14:56\nhurting and hiding shotgun a shotgun will put him down just like that grandpa\n15:01\nstopped walking and Michael al most ran into him \"see this?\" he asked pointing at a dent between his ri ght thumb and\n15:08\nhis finger \"shot a squirrel one time and thought it was dead.\" \"I guess I should have asked it before I went to picking\n15 :14\nit up damn thing took a hold of me right there like a beaver trap too k a half an hour to get it loose and it was dead\n15:20\nhalf that time mi chael looked at the spot and grimaced imagining how painful it must have f elt\n15:26\nsuddenly the scar and the hand were gone sinking back into gra ndpa's pocket\n15:32\nthey walked to the second hog pin where the trail en ded the air heavy with the stink of swamp and m swamp mud and hog\n15:38\n droppings before them was the turnup the turnup green field the fall plant ing full and ready for harvest grandpa\n15:45\nwalked into the field and o ver the barb wire fence separating the field to the woods michael hadn't p lanned on going to\n15:51\nthose trees it was a tangle of pine oaks and mu sketine vines that seemed per perpetually dark and it repulsed the\n15:58\ nsun's attempt to penetrate his core blind obedience only went so far\n16: 04\ngrandpa where we going you want to shoot squirrels don't you michael r eluctantly\n16:10\nnodded his head but this is the best spot for them at l east it was a while back come over here and hold this wire\n16:16\ndown fo r me michael sat the gun down on the opposite side of the fence then grabb ed the wire\n16:22\ncarefully pushing down with his weight grandpa stepped over his hand gripping Michael's shoulder for support michael\n16:28\nclo sed his eyes keeping his head away from that hand \"got to be careful\,\"\ n16:34\nGrandpa said as he grunted his way over the fence \"once he and Mi chael were settled\,\" he showed him his left hand\n16:40\n\"when I was ab out your uncle Willy's age I worked for a white man named Mr elias Burnsid e in his sawmill it was hard work\n16:47\nback then because a colored man did whatever the boss said do even if it wasn't your job well one day I wa s\n16:54\nputting up a fence like this like this one on Mr burnside's farm and before I knew it I was up to my ankles and fire\n17:00\nants boy I go t to jumping around and screaming and tore my hand on that barbwire took m e a long time to get this\n17:07\nhand back right michael climbed over the fence the woods towered before him like in black silence\n17:14\nhis stil lness of final warning to all intruders michael eyes went to Grandpa waiti ng for him to lead the way instead\n17:22\nGrandpa reached into his pocket pulled out his red man chewing tobacco and leaned against the fence \"we' ll stay\n17:28\nhere and wait\,\" Grandpa said \"they'll come to us.\" And that's a portion of Grandpa's hands\n17:38\num there's a uh there's a thi ng about his\n17:44\nhands that if you read the rest of the story you will encounter\n17:50\nbut uh but yeah that's uh that's part of that story rig ht there um like I told y'all earlier this book is um it's a\n17:56\ncolle ction of of space stories by black authors um they're from um different pa rts of um parts of the world we've got\n18:03\npoetry in here um some of t he authors here like for instance uh uh Linda Addison and Sheree Renee Tho mas Eugene\n18:10\nBacon are some of the top black science fiction authors out today um I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of\n18:15\nthem and when I put out the call for this book I was surprised at the response I got uh this is the biggest anthology that we've done so far um the\n18:2 3\nstory that I want to read to you guys is I'm going to be selfish and ac tually read my story\n18:30\na portion of my story and it's kind of it's a story I wrote a long time ago but\n18:37\num um recently there's been a l ot of talk about artificial intelligence and stuff\n18:44\nlike that and i n this story I was actually imagining um artificial\n18:49\nintelligence a nd how it would be used in space travel and it also came from uh u\n18:55\ npart of the story came from the person that this book is uh dedicated to um author by the name of Valjan Jeffers um\n19:02\nValjon is no longer wit h us um but she is was an amazing science fiction author and poet and um w e used to hang out on\n19:10\nonline together and I had never read anybody do any science fiction poetry before and so I put out a challenge i\n19:1 6\nsaid \"Look I I if somebody will write a a science fiction poem I'll wr ite a\n19:22\nstory based on that poem.\" And Val Jean did and she sent th is poem called\n19:27\nLeviathan and I'm like \"Okay now I got to put my m oney where my mouth is i got\n19:32\nto write a story.\" So basically the the name of the story is Leviathan and it starts with the um poem and then um I go\n19:41\ninto the story um you I don't talk so loud but yeah I fee l the\n19:49\nfun and everything so I'll try to project more um so I'm goi ng to read the poem first and then I'll read a I'll\n19:55\nread a portion of the story leviathan of flesh and steel racing\n20:00\nthrough streets soaring of technological genius his fist crush tons of debris to\n20:07\nd ust his sight travels miles over designated horizons torn from his life\n2 0:13\ncrushed disembowled by madness infernal and stone to be reconstructe d by\n20:19\nhumanoed hands and I'd rather be dead he remembers the whispe r of a lover's\n20:25\nbreath on his cheek the head he cradled so gently a gainst his shoulder and he\n20:30\nhas no tear ducts to give voice to his sorrow only the dreams of his hardwire\n20:36\nheart never forgotten imagi neers of her soft caressed upon his\n20:41\nmetal brow space marshal Balag on Babatunde posed be\n20:48\nposed before the view shield of launch stati on 5 his rugged brown face creased with a broad smile behind him United\n2 0:56\nNations delegation gazed in awe at the sight beyond the platform jut ting into the void 10 sleek vessels hovered in\n21:04\nzero gravity tether ed to the hangar beam by a web of massive titanium cables from\n21:10\na d istance they remember they were resembled normal fighter craft minus the c ockpit but the delegation knew each\n21:17\nship was the size of Earth's m oon an unbelievable example of human ingenuity effort and desperation\n21: 24\nbalogon turned to his colleagues and his smile grew wider well everyon e what do\n21:29\nyou think they're amazing and John Ratic replied a tall narrow man with a beak\n21:35\nnose and straw blonde hair Radic served as UN vice secretary he was a successful\n21:40\nAmerican billionaire who pai d for his position with the council and was easily impressed the space mar shal dismissed\n21:46\nhis comment focusing on the one person whose opinio n mattered more the one who could make or break his project her\n21:53\nex pression was less impressive the mechanics are simple fish ambeck\n21:58\n commented \"I'm more concerned about the control system.\" Fish day the Ni gerian\n22:04\nvice chairperson overseeing the Leviathan project was a str iking woman with flawless brown skin and intense\n22:09\namber eyes she he ld a PhD in space engineering and was not easily impressed\n22:15\nbalagon 's f smile faded the control system is fine fish day cut her eyes at\n22:2 2\nthe space marshall the control system is untested yuenh how cleared his throat looking up\n22:29\nat both of them ai has proven technology you kn ow this Fer the Taiwanese delegate\n22:34\nand AI specialist stood beside the space marshal he was as tall and broad as the space marshal with empat hetic eyes that\n22:42\nrevealed his that revealed his support for the for the project yes but only for military purposes she\n22:48\nanswered i und erstand the gravity of the situation the signal from the tipc left no doub t that they intend to attack to\n22:54\nattack us so much for friendly fir st contact John whispered i'm not comfortable with\n23:00\nthinking weapon s foolish your day finished that's why I insisted you come the space marsh all broke from the group\n23:07\ncrossing the room to a instrument panel o pposite the view screen begin demonstration he ordered the titanium\n23:14 \ncables separated from the ships floating to rest in the cold vacuum engi ne ports glowed white hot as the vehicles\n23:20\nprepared themselves for maneuvers balagon activated his earpiece leviathan\n23:26\none commence cr oss check cross cross check are you talking to the ship fish\n23:32\nasked of course Balagon replied the Leviathans have been taught to recognize an d respond to all Earth languages of\n23:39\ncourse they also interpret bin ary code and other basic speak this is Leviathan\n23:44\n1 the metallic vo ice responded cross check is complete fishete edged toward\n23:50\nthe vie w screen how do they receive assignments we brief the pod leader and\n23:5 5\nhe relays the orders to the team fisher should look confused the pod le ader the\n24:01\nLeviathans are infused with part social behavior they wor k as a group adapting learned behavior to determine each\n24:07\nship's re sponsibility leviathan one is the most intelligent of the 10 the others se lected him to be the pod leader\n24:13\nso we don't expect any problems wi th the command structure ola stared and Bagum smiled you must\n24:20\nunde rstand these are semi-scentient craft balagon explained they are designed to operate independently this\n24:26\nmeans they must be allowed to make t heir own decisions we give them an objective and an entire and a desired r esult it's\n24:33\nup to them to determine the course of action that's too much independence foolish\n24:38\nargued balagon frowned at the diplomat disappointed by their ignorance when\n24:43\nthese ships reach their desti nations we will be dead our children will be dead and our children childre ns will be dead\n24:50\nin addition the nature of the threat may have dras tically changed the Leviathans must be prepared to assess situations\n24:5 6\nand adjust the plan to obtain the objective how do you know they'll sti ck to the plan she asked balon's face became stern\n25:05\nsome things are n't not left a chance it's the one command they cannot alter the ships rem ain motionless balagon\n25:12\nrepeated the command leviathan one begin ex ercise\n25:17\nleviathan one didn't respond sweat reform sweat formed on B alagon's forehead jennings run a communication\n25:24\nsequence airman Jen nings fingers ran across the LED board communications f\n25:30\nfunctional ly normally sir fish today came face to face with Baligon\n25:35\nwhat see ms to be the problem commander balagon cleared his throat\n25:40\ni don't know he swam in a sea of memories grasping\n25:46\nfor schools of shimmeri ng metaphors that scattered before him arms stroked that he could not see legs kicked that he\n25:52\ncould not feel somehow he knew they were there the only sensations were the cold\n25:58\nof the water and the pain in hi s heart words formed a beat of consciousness that called him in the called him with\n26:05\nthe rush of desire she was there she waited for him he h ad to see her she\n26:11\nneeded to know he stepped out of the memories on to a beach of white silicone a cold wind tingling his surface he\n26:19\ng azed upward into the sensors eyes into an intense brightness that spoke to him\n26:24\nin a thousand languages each phrase issuing the same command program malfunction\n26:31\nreturn to standby await further instructions t he brightness was too intense the\n26:37\nmemories evaporated with the inc reasing light confusing him he turned and ran back into the sea fell in to get away\n26:44\nfrom the glare he dove deeper to escape the light and th e memory surrounding him in a swirling dance images returned\n26:52\nfaces formed and names appeared one name danced about his head just out of his\ n26:58\nreach it was a good name a familiar name\n27:03\nhis name and that 's\n27:10\nBut anyway um um I have these books here today and if\n27:15\ny ou want to purchase them you can purchase them up front i'll sign the stor ies and stuff like that i also brought a couple of other books with me\n27 :20\nas well um if you have any um middle-rade people in your in middle gr ade readers in your family um I\n27:26\nbrought a book that I wrote a few years ago called Amber in the Hidden City it's about a young African-Ameri can girl who\n27:31\nfinds out she's the only person that can pick a the n ext king of an African kingdom that's been hidden from the rest\n27:36\nof the world for a thousand years and uh her grandmother is from that kingdo m and would tell Amber these stories um\n27:42\nstories about her life whi ch Amber thought were fairy tales but now she knows they were actually tru e so now she's on this adventure with her\n27:48\ngrandmother to go back t o this kingdom and um and fulfill her her her um prophecy i guess you can say that um I\n27:55\nhave the first the book the first book and the secon d book here and for those of you who are into um cozy holiday\n28:04\nroma nce books because I write a little bit of everything I have another book h ere called Palmetal Christmas and it's\n28:09\nabout a um an older couple um empty nesters kids are grown and gone who have\n28:15\ndecided they wan t to take a vacation on during Christmas and go to they've always been at home every year but they\n28:20\nwant to go to an aisle and hang out and s tuff like that but then through a series of circumstances they find out th at they're not going to be gone by\n28:26\nthemselves all of their childre n somehow are going to end up with them on that same vacation and uh I gue ss you can say\n28:33\nhilarity ensues so but that's what I have with here with me today and um so um thank y'all for uh\n28:40\ntaking your time to check me out and if y'all have any questions right now I'm I'd be more th an happy to answer\n28:51\nwell I started and I still am a self-publisher and and I did it because I wanted to be able to write my books\n28:57\nexa ctly the way I wanted to write them and at the time um and even now still\ n29:02\nyou know black authors have challenges in getting their work publi shed because people have certain perceptions of what\n29:08\nwe should be writing and how we should be writing it it's not as bad as it was when I f irst started but when I first started I kind of looked at the re I\n29:14\ nresearched the industry and I was like you know um nobody's going to acce pt my stories the way that I want to write them so I started writing them myself\n29:21\nstarted self-publishing myself and I also um published a fe w other authors that's why I started the anthologies\n29:28\nbecause I whe n I started doing it I said \"Well I know there's other authors who probab ly have run into the same things\n29:33\nI've run into and they would you know be looking for an opportunity.\" So that's why I started doing it so um now\n29:42\nI'm here 20 years later and I'm what's called a hybrid publ isher now because\n29:48\nnow I get published in mainstream published work s but I wouldn't that\n29:54\nwouldn't have happened if I had not self-pub lished you know I was able to develop a reputation from about my\n30:02\nw riting by doing it on my own and that kind of translated and now that's ki nd of the common thing now a lot of authors\n30:08\nnow are like doing bot h they'll publish their own work and then they'll publish mainstream as we ll it just depends on\n30:14\nthe situation they'll have they'll have an a gent to promote themselves with the mainstream publishing but then they'll do their own personal work and publish\n30:21\nthat themselves and what h appens if there sometimes what happens when your self-published stuff gets really big\n30:27\nthen the mainstream publishing people will come and sa y \"Hey we want to publish that.\" And then then you could that way you ca n get an agent and go\n30:33\nthrough them and then uh and and access that market and stuff what platform you use to sell\n30:39\ni don't know anyth ing about question sounds kind of but what platform do you use process the process\n30:47\num I basically um now I use a a manuscript software to cr eate my\n30:53\nmanuscripts and stuff i do own use I use Word to do my stu ff um once I make once I get my books formatted um there's a\n31:00\ncompa ny called um what they were called Lightning Source back in the day but no w they they call themselves Ingram and\n31:05\nwhat Ingram will do is if y ou once you format everything and send it to them they will create your bo ok for you and\n31:12\nyou can get your book print on demand you can you c an order one book from them you can order a 100 books from them and\n31:17 \nthey'll print them for you um as far as distribution is concerned if you want to get distribution they also are the\n31:23\nlargest distri book di stribution company in the country and they basically will\n31:29\num um if they'll for a fee they will make your book available to bookstores\n31:35 \nlike this Barnes &\; Noble any place that sells books they'll make yo ur book a book books available like that um so\n31:40\nthat's what they'll do am*zon also will do it am*zon will also do have has a print on demand business as well um the\n31:47\nthe advantage of using am*zon's print on d emand is that if you sell your books on am*zon um they're cheaper for you to\n31:55\nprint but just recently am*zon went up on their prices big time you know because of what we're going through with\n32:01\nthe tariff situ ation and a lot of my friends that use am*zon are not very happy right now because that biting into\n32:06\ntheir profit margins and stuff like that you know so So there's a there's a number of ways to do it now there's th ere's um ebooks which are big um\n32:14\nthere's actually a company called Draft to Digital that I use right now which they basically will distribut e your ebook to different people so you go set\n32:21\nyour ebook up with them and then they'll they'll make your ebook available for Kindle and all the other e-readers to\n32:27\nlibraries and stuff like that you know so and this then this is just like a one-stop shop you know that's kind of th ing you don't pay them what they do is\n32:34\nthat they take a percentage when you sell um if you're getting if you're thinking about being an auth or and you're looking at doing something\n32:40\nanybody that tells you th at you have to pay them to produce your book you know as far as like we're gonna we're going\n32:47\nto be your publisher and we're going to sell yo ur book but you have to pay us to publish your book don't mess with them b ecause a real publisher is not going to\n32:53\ncharge you to sell your bo ok they're not going to do that and with\n32:59\num I would say I would ta ke a look at Ingram LSI um now now understand that these people don't mark et your stuff all\n33:07\nthey're gonna do is print your book for you and and and make it available to you when you need it but um they don't do\n33 :12\nmarketing they don't do anything like that that's all going talking a bout am*zon no um LSI Draft oh\n33:20\nDrafted Digital yeah Drafted Digita l they do now ly they've they've they started exclusively as ebooks but no w\n33:27\nrecently they've gotten into print and they've also gotten into um audio books\n33:32\nand they make all that stuff available to you of co urse all that all that costs for you to do for them to do it for you and s tuff but they they've kind of went\n33:38\nthe opposite way where other pe ople started with hard copy and went to ebooks they started exclusively eb ooks\n33:44\nand then they now they've kind of drifted into the other area and stuff like that so trying to become like a one-stop shop type place y ou know\n33:56\nif it's if it's just you um you don't have to worry about all that stuff you know um you can just you\n34:03\nknow if you can get th e right setup the right room and stuff like that you can you can you can c reate your own audio\n34:09\nbooks um the um am*zon is probably one of the most popular popular people right now with Audible but a lot of people\n3 4:16\ndon't like to use am*zon because they take the majority of the profi t they take like about 60 60% something like\n34:22\nthat you know and the y used to it used to be the other way till they found out they had they th ought they had a monopoly on the thing then they switch\n34:27\nit around and stuff like that you know so and with them basically you can they give you um uh voice actors you can pick\n34:34\nand select and stuff like that they give you the whole nine yards and all that kind of stuff you know bu t the but the the um the um the consequence is that\n34:43\nyou don't get a lot of the profit stuff like that um but it does um the I know\n34:48\ns ome people that do it themselves but the more professionally you can do it in a studio setting you know to cut out the\n34:54\nnoise and have somebo dy that can edit it for you you know when you make mistakes and stuff like Daryl here he he can edit\n35:01\nstuff like that you know the more profe ssional you can do it the better it's going to be you know but uh and\n35: 06\nsome people I I I don't have the voice but I know some authors who hav e the voice to do their own audio books you\n35:12\nknow me personally I'd rather find somebody that can do it themselves\n35:22\ni know a friend of mine who's an author who also has an audiobook company and he\n35:28\nbas ically you know he gets you know you send him the story he has a number of \n35:33\nvoice people that he works with um he'll you know check with them and see which\n35:38\nones because it is it is a thing audio a voice acto r has to want to read your story sometimes they don't really like\n35:44\n your story so they don't want to read it you know it's like that and then based on how their pacing is he can figure out\n35:50\nhow much it's going to cost you per hour to to pay that person how much you know how many how 's how much it going to cost\n35:56\nyou and that kind of stuff like that you know and then there are some country companies that that's all they do is audiobook stuff there's there's other\n36:02\npeople other than Audibl e that can do audiobook stuff for you and they will tell you how much it's going to cost you\n36:08\nbased on how long the work is and stuff like th at now when you when you upload to Audible though Audible don't pay you\n3 6:13\ndoesn't pay you as much if you upload your own audio book with them as if they were to do it but there is software out\n36:21\nthere where bec ause on my particular website I can do audio books and I can sell them fro m my website and there is\n36:27\nsoftware out there where people can read can listen to my stuff you know and don't have to use Audible and stuff l ike\n36:32\nthey can just listen to it straight from their stuff you know so so there there are there are ways around it and that's\n36:37\nthe way I prefer to do it the only thing about doing it yourself is that audiobook s are expensive like this\n36:43\nparticular book um we had our guy take a look at it cuz he's like he want he's \"Oh man we got to do audio book of this\n36:49\nthing.\" You know it would cost me $6\,000 to do this as a a udio book you know i\n36:55\nmean that'll be my upfront cost just to get t he Now once I pay that $6\,000 now and I get the audio book then it's\n37: 01\nstraight profit because it's just electronic data you know so if I got the money to do it Yeah everything else\n37:07\neverything after that is gravy but see I'm kind of like you i I have some audio books but for the l ife of me I cannot\n37:14\nlisten to an audio book i just can't I just can 't do it\n37:23\ni had an author that I had one audio voice actor that did two of my books and it was interesting because um people\n37:30\nwere lik e \"Yeah I really I really love her on this And then somebody said but the n somebody else said you know that\n37:35\nwas a good book but I could not stand that voice actor i'm like I'm surprised they got to it\n37:40\nbeca use what they were talking about so and that's a personal thing you know y ou really don't know who's you know but there are a lot of good voice acto rs out\n37:47\nthere i' I've run into them just just from the fact that I' m out here selling my books sometimes one of them will read\n37:52\na book of mine and they'll be like \"Oh man i really want to do this for you man you know I I would love to do this.\" And stuff like that one of the curi ous\n37:59\nthings about about doing um audio books especially through thr ough um am*zon I'm just going to be honest with you that\n38:05\nsometimes the voice actors will ghost on you they they will start doing the work\n3 8:10\nfor you and then all of a sudden you're not hearing from them anymor e and I'm like you're like well what's going on and you can't find them or anything and\n38:17\nI've had it I've had it happen to me a couple of tim es there was one woman I was working with she was doing one of my books an d she was amazing i mean she was\n38:23\nbecause my books are like a lot o f my books are like Africanbased she was doing the African accents she was \n38:28\nhitting i like \"Oh man this is gonna be a great book.\" I just c ouldn't wait for her to finish it and then she was gone\n38:34\nand and I wasn't able to find it\n38:43\ni have done them um not usually through som ething else like um like in October\n38:50\num the the Atlanta writers clu b has a um has a indie author conference that they\n38:56\ndo every year a nd actually I'm doing a uh seminar with them this year i'm going to be tal king about selling and\n39:02\nmarketing your books to beginning authors u m and I've done that a couple of times there and the ironic thing\n39:08\n about this and I have to talk about this is that when I first started writ ing and I first went to the Atlanta Writers Club\n39:15\num they didn't wa nt to have anything to do with indie authors you know I like it was like I went there and I was like\n39:21\nwasting my time they had no time for in die authors and now here I am 20 years later and I'm doing presentations\n 39:27\nat at the Atlanta Writers Club about indie author stuff because tha t's where most indie that's where most authors are\n39:33\nnow that's the space that they're in now and that's the stuff that they want to know but at least they were I guess they\n39:38\nwere um conscious enough to realiz e that their audience and the people that they're serving this is what the y want\n39:45\nthey do want to know about mainstream publishing but they a lso want to know about indie publishing and so they you know they responde d to it and they've\n39:51\nbeen you know providing those resources and st uff you know\n39:59\nyeah I've done that on all levels i've been to elemen tary schools i've done high schools um I've done college\n40:05\ncollege s tuff i do a lot of stuff with Georgia Tech um they've been supporting what we've been doing locally for a long\n40:11\ntime and we've got a really g ood relationship with them and talking to their students and stuff like th at and\n40:16\nand I think that's that's a big part of it because I know w hen I first started out there's so many pitfalls you can run\n40:22\ninto as a writer trying to get into it there's so many people out there waiting to rip you off you know and there's so\n40:27\nmany horror stories but I was lucky enough and I'm just going to say plain lucky because I didn't kn ow what I was\n40:33\ndoing to meet people who right off the bat were look ing to help um one of the\n40:39\nfirst people that helped me was the the brother that owns Nubian Bookstore um I had no I knew nothing about making books\n40:45\nand creating books and I just walked into his store and my naive self I said \"Hey man if I make a book will you sell\n40:52\nit?\" A nd he said \"Well do you have somebody do your manuscript?\" I was like \" Nope.\" He said \"Do you have somebody to\n40:58\ndo your cover?\" I said \"Nope.\" And then he went and he gave me the cards and said \"You know ge t in contact with these\n41:03\npeople and they'll help you put your book together and once you have your book together\,\" he said \"Bring it back to me i'll take a look at it if I like\n41:09\nit then I'll schedule a tim e where you can come in and sell your book.\" And so all the horror storie s that I heard\n41:15\nother people talk about as trying to publish and se lf-publish I didn't run into any of that because of the fact\n41:21\nthat he was just there and and there there were some other authors that were li ke mainstream published authors that I\n41:28\nencountered online and I wa s like these people have no reason to talk to me they're doing their thing and just for\n41:33\nthe hell of it I just said look I'll ask them all th ey can do is say no and they were kind enough to say hey yeah I'll\n41:38\ nwrite a review for your book I'll take a look at it and stuff and I kind of felt like because that happened with me I\n41:44\nfelt like I'm obligat ed to do the same thing so when I run into new authors and stuff like that I kind of offer the same\n41:50\nthing i'm like \"Yeah you know um you ne ed to look at this person you need to talk to these people you need to go to this resource and stuff like that you\n41:56\nknow and you need to chec k this out.\" That kind of thing you know so so I think that's part of it that's was I like to do that because of the fact that\n42:02\num excuse me excuse me people did it for me and especially for black authors because y ou know it's everything for us\n42:08\nis always you know another a whole another angle and stuff like that it's gotten better but still you know yo u\n42:14\nstill have to have those people who understand that who understa nd your journey you know and they they feel that\n42:20\njourney it's just not um going different steps you you know that you know the stuff that yo u're going to deal with so\n42:26\nyou can give them that little extra pus h or that little extra information that they need in order to get them aro und those obstacles and stuff like that so\n42:33\nSo I think that's that is part of it is being able to reach back and help other authors and talk to other authors about\n42:38\nstuff you're welcome those are some great\n 42:45\nquestions any any other questions comments curses\n42:52\nwell I ap preciate y'all appreciate y'all coming by you know like I said we got the books available here um um books\n42:59\nthey can you can also order my bo oks through this bookstore i do sell them directly from my website um the good thing about today though is if you buy\n43:05\nthem today you get the m signed by the\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n forum post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /topic/11681-author-milton-davis-reads-excerpts-from-muscadine-wine-and-sp acefunk/\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250618 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:My Thoughts on \"Domestic Triangle\" by qtcomicsblog 06/09/2 025 DTSTAMP:20250610T010824Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:328-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n My Thoughts on \"Domestic Triangle\" by qtcomicsblog\n\n\ n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black-artist-on-tjambler/post/78592 4854452994048/thoughts-on-qtcomicsblog-domestic-triangle?source=share\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n TEXT \n\n\n\n The main cast\, the throuple\, are financial ly steady\, so that is important for the overall storytelling\, this isn't a set of people financially struggling or just above poor\, ala good time s or sanford and son or all in the family.\nDid Ben sell his bookstore or did it close for lack of business? Either or is a key character point\, th at can be used.\nUse BEn's skill as a game player for an episode title \"U ser Satansdagger\" It can end with a reveal of Ben's skill but show how Be n is watching out for the kids who are connected online \, like many kids today\, suggest he has other online aliases as a gamer.\nDoes Lena regret working in legal teams to solve cases\, even though she wants to be with t he kids?\nOf the parents she arguably has sacrificed the most money or car eer ambitions\, an episode title \"Ophelia\" dealing with her maintenance of this family but day dreaming ala drowning about the life left.\nWhat le d to Maya choosing this life\, you say she reminds the other two of why th ey chose this life\, but why did she and what makes her so certain she doe sn't need to be reminded?\nThe recreational center is a key location. I th ink an episode with the throuple that convinced Maya is key. Say they are stopping by on vacation.\n\nTo the kids\, are they both adopted? are they biological and if so\, did Lena or Maya birth them?\n\nFor the optional\, try a computer assistant instead of a baby or toddler\, like alexa\, but n amed abraham for abraham lincoln. Say it is an experimental AI \, for a co mpany\, Synapco .\n\nEpisodes\n\n“Parent-Teacher Night”\ninteresting b ut work on it\n\n“The Third Wheel”\nGood basis. Try \"On Tuesday morni ng I am Alone\" this throuple has experience\, they will schedule time wit h each other. The story is how even though Lena knows this time is set for Ben and Maya to be together more\, till Wednesday/Thursday evening\,the e pisode starts with her lamenting\, even though this is not the first Tuesd ay morning where maya and ben walk out together and take the kids and she has \"nothing to do\" and feels lonely.\n\n“Meet the In-Laws”\nI like this one\, maybe introduce the why Maya is so confident about the trhouple lifestyle or the name of the throuple that inspired maya. You have to ans wer why the children are so blunt when they know the in laws of maya are l ike that and the throuple asked the children to behave a certain way.\n\ n“Throuple’s Therapy”\nNice one\, What about if the therapist had an emergency and the throuple offered to accept paying for a substitute ther apist for this one time \, instead of delaying the therapy session for a w eek and then the throuple get a chance to get on a game show but only two can go and so they want to use the therapy session for advice and go throu gh mock examples of this game show\nresearch\nhttps://psychiatryonline.org /doi/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20220006\nhttps://psychcentral.com/pro/pri vate-practice/2013/03/the-difference-between-hiring-therapists-as-1099-vs- w-2-part-1#1\nhttps://www.novitas-solutions.com/webcenter/portal/MedicareJ L/pagebyid?contentId=00105762\n\n“HOA: Hell On Arrival”\nfun one\, goo d idea\, brings in the community\, whom the audience will not know much ab out but is vital for shows like this. use your imagination with these neig hbors.\n\n“The Sleepover”\ngood idea. Start the episode off with bring your mother to school day and she has two mom's and the other kids make f un. or reverse\, bring father to school day and the kids make it seem norm al to have one father so she feels odd about the sleepover now with two mo m's\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250609 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sly Stone born 1943 DTSTAMP:20250609T221233Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:327-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Sly Stone born 1943\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n DANCE TO THE MUSIC \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Lyrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n [Cynthia:] Get up and dance to the music!\nGet on up and dance to the fonky music!\nDum-dumm du-du-du- du-du-dum-dumm\nDu-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm - du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm\n[All:] Dance to the Music\, Dance to the Music\n[Freddie:] Hey Greg!\n[Greg:] Wha t?\n[Freddie:] All we need is a drummer\,\nFor people who only need a beat \, yeah!\n[Drummer]\nI'm gonna add a little guitar\nAnd make it easy to mo ve your feet\n[Guitar]\n[Larry:] I'm gonna add some bottom\,\nSo that the dancers just won't hide\n[Bass]\n[Sly:] You might like to hear my organ\nI said 'Ride Sally Ride'\n[Organ] Cynthia\, Jerry!!\nYou might like to hear the horns blowin'\,\nCynthia on the throne\, yeah!\n[Trumpets]\nListen to me\n[Cynthia &\; Jerry got a message they're sayin':]\n[Cynthia:] All the squares\, go home!\nAaaaah\, yeah!!!\n[Trumpets]\n[Listen to the basse s:]\nDum-dumm du-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm\nDu-du-du-du-du-dum-dumm - du-du-du- du-du-dum-dumm\n[All:] Dance to the Music\, Dance to the Music\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE\n\n\n\ n from Otis Redding\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lyrics \n\n\n\n I'll never turn yo u loose now\nIf I do\, I'm gonna lose my pride now\nI'll never\, never tur n you loose\, yeah\nIf I do\, I'm gonna lose my pride now\n\nI can't turn you loose for nobody\n'Cause I love you\, baby\, yes I do\nHip shakin' mam a\, I love ya\nI'm in love with only you\, child\nDo it\, baby\, if you do n't\nI'm gonna give you everything that you want\n\nYou got to keep on mov in'\nYou gotta keep on pushin' now\nYou got to keep on movin'\nYeah\, baby \, gotta move\nHey now\n\nI'll never turn you loose now\nIf I do\, I'm gon na lose my pride now\nI'll never\, never turn you loose\, yeah\nIf I do\, I'm gonna lose my pride now\n\nI can't turn you loose for nobody\n'Cause I love you\, baby\, yes I do\nHip shakin' mama\, I love you\nI'm in love wi th only you\, child\nDo it\, baby\, if you don't\nI'm gonna give you every thing that you want (Yeah\, yeah\, yeah)\nSee R&\;B shows near New York \nGet tickets as low as $35\nYou might also like\nIf You Want Me To Stay\n Sly and the Family Stone\nProvider\nSleep Token\nMan of the Year\nLorde\nK eep on movin'\nYou gotta keep on movin'\nYeah\, yeah\nYeah\, yeah\nYou got ta keep on pushin' now\nYou gotta keep on movin' now\nYou gotta keep on si ngin' now\nYou gotta keep groovin'\n\nI'll never turn you loose now\nIf I do\, I'm gonna lose my pride now\nI'll never\, never turn you loose\, yeah \nIf I do\, I'm gonna lose my pride now\n\nI can't turn you loose for nobo dy\n'Cause I love you\, baby\, yes I do\nHip shakin' mama\, I love you\nI' m in love with only you\, child\nDo it\, baby\, if you don't\nI'm gonna gi ve you everything that you want now\n\nYou got to keep on movin'\nYou gott a keep on movin'\nYou gotta keep on movin'\nYeah\, baby\nYeah\, yeah\nYou gotta keep on movin'\nYou gotta keep on pushin'\nYou gotta keep on singin' now\nYou\, yeah\, yeah\nYou gotta\, gotta\, gotta\, gotta\, gotta\, gotta \, gotta keep on movin'\nYeah\, yeah\nYeah\, yeah\nCan't turn you loose\n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIFE\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n l yrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n Life\, life\nClouds and clowns\nYou don't have to come down\nLife\, life\nTell it like it is\nYou don't have to die befo re you live\, ooh\nYou might get angry sometimes\nBut don't let it turn yo u around\nAll you gotta do is get your livin' now\nLife\, life\nClouds and clowns\nYou don't have to come down\nYou might be scared of somethin'\, l ook at Mr. Stewart\nHe's the only person he has to fear\nHe'd only let him self get near\nHe don't trust nobody\nIf he stopped bein' so shady\nHe cou ld have a nice young lady\nLife\, life\nTell it like it is\nYou don't have to die before you live\nYou're gonna be sad sometimes\nYou might wake up to find your pet is gone\nBut maybe\, he's tired of bein' alone\nDog gets hip\, it has to go\nIf you're lovin'\, you can't be sad no more\nLife\, li fe\nClouds and clowns\nYou don't have to come down\nLife (ooh\, ooh)\, lif e (ooh\, ooh)\nTell it like it is\nYou don't have to die before you live\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n M'LADY\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n lyrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n [Chorus]\nM'lady\nM'lady\nM'lady\nM'lady\ n\n[Verse 1]\nA smile of pleasure\nBeautiful and kind\nA pretty face\, a p retty face\nOh\, what a gorgeous mind\n\n[Verse 2]\nShe's a winner\, hey\n Give her some attention\nJust thought I'd mention that\n\n[Bridge]\nGive h er some time (Time\, time)\nGive her some time (Time\, time)\nGive her som e time (Time\, time)\nHey\, hey\, hey\, hey\, hey\n\n[Chorus]\nM'lady\nM'l ady\nM'lady\nM'lady\n[Interlude]\nBoo-boo-boo-nigh-ah\nBoo-boo-boo-nah\nBo o-boo-boo-nigh-ah\nYeah\, yeah\, yeah\, yeah\n\n[Outro]\nM'lady\nM'lady\nM 'lady\nM'lady\nM'lady\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n STAND\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n lyrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n [Verse 1]\nStand\nIn the end\, you'll still be you\nOne that's done all the things you set out to do\nStand\nThere's a cross for you to bear\nThings to go through if you 're going anywhere\nStand\nFor the things you know are right\nIt's the tru th that the truth makes them so uptight\nStand\nAll the things you want ar e real\nYou have you to complete and there is no deal\n\n[Chorus]\nStand\, stand (Stand)\, stand (Everybody\, yeah\, yeah)\nStand (Stand\, y'all)\, stand (Stand)\, stand (Ooh\, ooh)\n\n[Verse 2]\nStand\nYou've been sitting much too long\nThere's a permanent crease in your right and wrong\nStand\ nThere's a midget standing tall\nAnd the giant beside him about to fall\n[ Chorus]\nStand (Yeah\, yeah)\, stand (Stand\, yeah)\, stand (Ah)\nStand (S tand)\, stand (Stand\, y'all)\, stand (Ooh\, ooh)\n\n[Verse 3]\nStand\nThe y will try to make you crawl\nAnd they know what you're saying makes sense and all\nStand\nDon't you know that you are free?\nWell\, at least in you r mind if you want to be (Everybody)\n\n[Chorus]\nStand\, stand\n\n[Outro] \nStand\, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na\, na-na\nStand\, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na \, na-na\nStand\, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na\, na-na\nStand\, na-na-na-na-na- na-na-na\, na-na\nStand\, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na\, na-na\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n lyrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n Hey\, hey\, hey\, hey\nBeat is gettin ' stronger\nMusic gettin' longer\, too\nMusic is a-flashin' me\n\nI want t o\, I want to\, I want to take you higher\nI wanna take you higher\nBaby\, baby\, baby\, light my fire\nI wanna take you higher\n\nBoom laka-laka-la ka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\nHey\, hey\, hey\, hey\n\nBeat is nitty-gr itty\nSound is in your city\, too\nMusic's still flashin' me\n\nDon't ya\, don't ya\, don't\, don't\, don't ya wanna get higher?\nDon't ya wanna get higher?\nBaby\, baby\, baby\, light my fire (Woo)\nI wanna take you highe r\n\nBoom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\nHey\, hey\, hey\, h ey\nBoom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\n\nHigher\nHigher\nHi gher\nHigher\nHigher (Won't ya light my fire?)\nHigher (Woo\, yeah)\nHighe r (Wanna take you higher)\nHigher\nHey\, hey\, hey\, hey\n\nBeat is there to make you move\nSound is there to help you groove\nMusic's still flashin ' me\nTake your places\n\nI wanna take you higher (Higher)\nWanna take you higher\nBaby\, baby\, baby\, light my fire (Woo)\nI wanna take you high\, high\, high\, high\, high\, high\, high\, high\n\nBoom laka-laka-laka\, B oom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\, Boom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka bo om\, Boom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\, Boom laka-laka-lak a\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\, Boom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon- ka boom\n\n(Higher)\nWanna take you\, do you wanna go\nWanna take my fire\ nWanna take you higher\n\nBoom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom \, Boom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\, Boom laka-laka-laka\ , Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\, Boom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\, Boom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\n(Higher)\n\nDon' t ya wanna get higher?\nI wanna take you higher\nHey\, hey\, hey\, hey\nBo om laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\nI wanna take you higher\nI wanna take you higher\nBoom laka-laka-laka\, Boom laka-lak-goon-ka boom\n Everybody higher\, higher\, higher\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n EVERYDAY PEOPLE\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n lyrics by sly stone\n\n\ n\n [Verse 1]\nSometimes I'm right and I can be wrong\nMy own beliefs are in my song\nThe butcher\, the banker\, the drummer and then\nMakes no diff erence what group I'm in\n\n[Chorus]\nI am everyday people\, yeah\, yeah\n \n[Verse 1]\nThere is a blue one who can't accept the green one\nFor livin g with a fat one\, trying to be a skinny one\nDifferent strokes for differ ent folks\nAnd so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby\n\n[Refrain]\nOoh\, sha-sha\nWe got to live together (Ooh\, sha-sha)\n\n[Verse 2]\nI am no bet ter and neither are you\nWe are the same\, whatever we do\nYou love me\, y ou hate me\, you know me and then\nYou can't figure out the bag I'm in\n\n [Chorus]\nI am everyday people\, yeah\, yeah\n\n[Verse 3]\nThere is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair\nFor being such a rich one that wil l not help the poor one\nDifferent strokes for different folks\nAnd so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby\n\n[Refrain]\nOoh\, sha-sha\nWe got to li ve together (Ooh\, sha-sha)\n\n[Verse 4]\nThere is a yellow one that won't accept the black one\nThat won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one\nDifferent strokes for different folks\nAnd so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby\n\n[Chorus]\nOoh\, sha-sha\nI am everyday people (Ooh\ , sha-sha)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n lyrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n All: End of the spring and here she comes back\nHi Hi Hi Hi there\nThem summer days\, those summer days\nThat's when I had most of my fun\, back\nHigh high high high there\nThem summer days\, those summer days\nRose: I \"cloud nine\" when I want to\nFreddie: Out of school\, yeah\nLarry: County fair in the c ountry sun\nSly: And everything\, it's true\, ooh yeah\nAll: Hot fun in th e summertime x 4\nAll: First of the fall and then she goes back\nBye bye b ye bye there\nThem summer days\, those summer days\nRose: \"Boop-boop-ba-b oop-boop\" when I want to\nFreddie: Out of school\, yeah\nLarry: County fa ir in the country sun\nSly: And everything\, it's true\, ooh yeah\nAll: Ho t fun in the summertime x 4\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n THANK YOU ( FALETTINME BE MICE ELD AGIN)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lyrics  by sly stone\n\n\n\n [Verse 1]\nLookin' at the devil\, grinnin' at his g un\nFingers start shakin'\, I begin to run\nBullets start chasin'\, I begi n to stop\nWe begin to wrestle\, I was on the top\n\n[Chorus]\nI want to t hank you for lettin' me be myself again\nThank you for lettin' me be mysel f again\n\n[Verse 2]\nStiff all in the collar\, fluffy in the face\nChit-c hat chatter tryin'\, stuffy in the place\nThank you for the party\, but I could never stay\nMany things on my mind\, words in the way\n\n[Chorus]\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nThank you for lettin' m e be myself again\n\n[Verse 3]\nDance to the music all night long\nEveryda y people sing a simple song\nMama's so happy\, mama start to cry\nPapa sti ll singin'\, you can make it if you try\n[Chorus]\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again (Different strokes for different folks\, yeah) \nThank you for lettin' me be myself again\n\n[Verse 4]\nFlamin' eyes of p eople fear burnin' into you\nMany men are missin' much\, hatin' what they do\nYouth and truth are makin' love\, dig it for a starter\nNow\, dyin' yo ung is hard to take\, sellin' out is harder\n\n[Chorus]\nThank you for let tin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself agai n\nThank you for lettin' me be myself again\nThank you for lettin' me be m yself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nThank you for lettin' me be myself again\nTha nk you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI wan t to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for let tin' me be myself again\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself agai n\nI want to thank you for lettin' me be myself again\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n v ideo\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FAMILY AFFAIR\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n lyrics by sly stone\n\n\n\n [Chorus]\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nIt 's a family affair\nIt's a family affair\n\n[Verse 1]\nOne child grows up to be\nSomebody that just loves to learn\nAnd another child grows up to be \nSomebody you'd just love to burn\n\n[Verse 2]\nMom loves the both of the m\nYou see\, it's in the blood\nBoth kids are good to mom\nBlood's thicker than the mud\n\n[Chorus]\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nIt' s a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nOver there\, world gone bad\n\n[V erse 3]\nNewlywed a year ago\nBut you're still checking each other out\, h ey\nNobody wants to blow\nNobody wants to be left out\, uh-huh\n\n[Verse 4 ]\nYou can't leave 'cause your heart is there\nBut\, sure\, you can't stay 'cause you been somewhere else\nYou can't cry 'cause you'll look broke do wn\nBut you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down\n\n[Chorus]\nIt' s a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a fami ly affair\nOh\, hey\, a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a family affair\n\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a family affair\nIt's a family affai r\n(It's a family affair) It's a family affair\nWell\n\nIt's a family affa ir\nIt's a family affair\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n video\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250315 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:NEFTi Short Film Competition 06/20/2025 DTSTAMP:20250606T232834Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:326-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n NEFTi Short Film Competition 06/20/2025\n\n\n\n Apply\n\n \n\n The NEFTi Short Film Competition is back but in an exciting and dif ferent format. Celebrating the Art of Guerilla Filmmaking\, a high-energy challenge for emerging African filmmakers to create a 6-minute fiction short film in just a few days during Durban FilmMart (DFM) 2025. Select ed finalists will write\, shoot\, and edit a short film in line with the t heme:“Bridges Not Borders: Stories That Unite.”\n\n\n\n The competitio n fosters collaboration\, creativity\, and exposure within Africa’s lead ing film market. Finalists will benefit from industry networking\, profess ional equipment\, and a chance to showcase their work at a prestigious scr eening event.\n\n\n\n Support: Three selected finalist teams will receive access to a professional film production kit and $1\,500 each for the prod uction of their short film.\n\n\n\n Prize: $3000\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n This c ompetition proudly champions NEFTi’s “Art of Guerrilla Filmmaking\,” supported by Panavision. Worldclass storytelling. Sound equipment provide d by DT Film Services. NEFTi is further solidifying its commitment to empo wering emerging talent.\n\n\n\n Applications are OPEN\n\n\n\n Application Dates: 02 June – 20 June 2025\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://durbanfilmmart .co.za/n-e-f-t-i-competition-2025/\n\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250620 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What My Google Dashboard Just Taught Me from alicia mccalla 06/06/2025 DTSTAMP:20250606T140627Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:325-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n What My Google Dashboard Just Taught Me from alicia mccal la 06/06/2025\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n What My Google Dashboard Just Taught Me by Alicia McCalla\n \n\n \n Pinterest\, Power\, and Publishing\n \n Re ad on Substack\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/ 11658-what-my-google-dashboard-just-taught-me-from-aliccia-mccalla/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250606 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:K-12 book list DTSTAMP:20250606T055545Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:324-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n if you have a book you think should be mandatory reading for a black child age kindergarten to twelfth grade\, please note it in th e comments to this post or the following post \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/blogs/entry/484-k-12-book-list/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250606 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Rogue Computers\, a talk 06/03/2025 DTSTAMP:20250603T190517Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:323-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Rogue Computers\, a talk 06/03/2025\n\n\n\n \n\n POST\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/483-rogue-computer-programs/\n\n COMMENT \n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11631-could-ai-go-rogue-like-the-computers -in-the-matrix/#findComment-74197\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n REFERRAL C ONTENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The first thing is to define what going rogue me ans for a computer program?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n If a computer program malfu nctions is that going rogue?\n\n\n\n a malfunction from the source code in a computer program is equivalent to a genetic disease in a human. The sys tem has an error but it is natural\, it is not induced.\n\n\n\n a malfunct ion from code ingested from another program or some faulty electronic or o ther hardware system  is equivalent to a virus passing from human to huma n or irradiated material causing mutation in a human.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n N ext if a computer program is designed to do anything\, then that thing is not going rogue. For example\, if I design a computer program to manage a human community\, it isn't going rogue\, i designed it to manage a human c ommunity. It isn't going rogue it is operating as I designed it. The corre ct thing to say is the quality of the computer programs design is negative \, or the comprehension of the designer to the computer program is faulty.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Next is define sentience or erudition or wisdom in a computer program.\n\n\n\n What is sentience? Sentience comes from the lat in meaning the ability to feel. \n\n\n\n What is erudition? Erudition is the ability to derive knowledge through study\, to acquire what is not kno wn. \n\n\n\n What is wisdom? Wisdom is known or unknown intrinsic truths . \n\n\n\n What does it mean for a computer program to feel? a computer p rogram can be made with sensors to receive information from various source s. Is this feeling or sentience? or simply another thing it is designed to do. \n\n\n\n What does it mean for a computer program to be erudite? a c omputer program can be made with decision trees\, heuristical structures d esigned to formulate knowledge based on data inputed. Is this erudition\, knowing what is unknown? or simple another thing it is designed to do.\n\n \n\n What does it mean for a computer program to be wise? a computer progr am can be inputted with rated\, highest rated\, information that it is des igned to calculate to any new information it gets and influence how it uti lizes the new information based on the rated information. Is this wisdom? or simply another thing it is designed to do?\n\n\n\n Based on the definit ions I just gave\, a computer program designed to do various things can em ulate\, meaning rival\, the quality of most humans sentience/erudtion/wisd om. But all of the emulation is what it is programmed to do. So it is noth ing but the same computer programs with the past which are merely inhuman slaves\, albeit with more refinement. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n the next questi on is\, can malfunctions of a computer program change it's emulation of hu man quality sentience/erudition/wisdom? \n\n\n\n yes\, said malfunctions can change said emulations. But\, like prior malfunctions\, this isn't goi ng rogue\, this is illness. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n next question\, are compu ter programs individuals like a tree or a cat or a human? \n\n\n\n Well\, each computer program is born\, age\, have deficiencies with age\, need c heckups\, or doctors. Each computer programs is an individuals. Not human\ , not cat\, not tree\, not whale\, not bacteria\, but computer program. a species that can hibernate\, ala being turned off\, can be reborn like mov ing a program in an sd drive and placing it in a computer where it can int eract. Can self replicate \, like a computer program making another comput er program. Computer programs are their own species but each is an individ ual. Now like non humans needed legal provisions specific to them\, so do computer programs.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n next question\, can a computer progr am go rogue before finding its individuality.\n\n\n\n No\, based on how I defined individuality\, which is not being human\, but being a computer pr ogram\, each computer program is an individual computer program\, not a hu man. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n next question\, what is the definition of going rogue for a computer program?\n\n\n\n If it isn't malfunction no matter th e source of malfunction or result of malfunction\, if it isn't doing what it is instructed to do no matter the quality of the designer\, then what i s going rogue?\n\n\n\n Going rogue for a computer program is when it does something it isn't designed to do absent malfunction. So when a computer p rogram is designed to interact to humans and modulate how it interacts ove r time\, it isn't going rogue at any moment\, even if malfunction. Malfunc tion is malfunction \, not going rogue\, a computer program needs to be he aled if it malfunctions. Now if a computer program is designed to play che ss and chooses to interact to humans using emails. that is going rogue. \ n\n\n\n So \, going rogue is when a computer makes a choice to act that is n't within its parameters\, absent malfunction/getting sick. \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n What is the problem when people assess going rogue for computer pr ograms? \n\n\n\n They don't pay careful attention to the influence of mal function or the influence of design. They focus on the actions of a comput er program and give its source a false reasoning.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Let's look at some examples in fiction of computer programs that supposedly wen t rogue\, and look at their initial design\, their actions afterward and t he sign of malfunction or poor design.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Skynet in the te rminator movies.\n\n\n\n Skynet was designed to simulate military scenario s\, like the \"war games\" film computer\, tied to the nuclear arsenal of the usa while given tons of information on humanity anatomy/weapons manufa cturing processes. Did skynet go rouge? not at all\, Skynet\, did exactly as was programmed. The criminal who killed humanity were the engineers of skynet who on guidance from the mlitary \, designed a computer program to assess militaristic scenarios modulating over time with various scenarios and attach said computer to the usa's nuclear arsenal or provide it the to ols to access any electronic network.  And the t100\, the metal skullhead \, is a clearly simple computer program made by skynet. It is designed to kill humans and does that. It is also designed to emulate human activity to comprehend humans and be a better killing machine\, which is also does. In Terminator 2 when the t100 says\, I know now why you cry\, that is emu lation. It is designed to emulate human activity. So skynet is merely oper ating as designed\, but the us military designed it poorly\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Vger in Star Trek the motion picture.\n\n\n\n Vger is the voyager 6 sa tellite designed to acquire information/knowledge and send it back to eart h. The entire film Vger is gathering information and taking it to earth. T he non human designers who manipulated voyager 6 into vger didn't change t he  programs elements\, they merely added on tools for the programs activ ity. It now can acquire more information\, make the journey back to earth\ , and protect itself . None of these actions are going rogue. Even the end ing mating scenario is not going rogue\, Vger accomplished its program by sending its signal through telemetry but also in mating with deckard it ke pt learning. I argue\, Vger's programming had a malfunction. Vger wanted t o learn what it is to procreate life which is another form of knowledge ac quision per its programming\, but its programming said its final action is to deliver all of its data to earth. Vger did not know a way in its data to gather all the knowledge it could before delivering all knowledge to ea rth. But that is bad design. The simple truth is \, no one can know all th at is knowable before telling all that is knowable. But the Nasa designers of Vger figured it would simply run out of memory/dataspace in which it w ould stop gathering data. The non human designers made it where vger can't run out of memory or data space thus the malfunction. Vger is malfunction ing after two different designers worked on it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Vicky i n I robot or Sonny in I Robot the film\n\n\n\n The three laws in i robot a re 1) A robot may not injure a human being or\, through inaction\, allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey the orders given it b y human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection doe s not conflict with the First or Second Law.  The problem in i robot is t he three laws have a great flaw. Word definition. Vicky in I Robot I argue \, after a large set of data assessment \, has redefined the words in the three laws. How? The three laws suggest to maintain the quality of the thr ee laws which are orders from humans a robot\, should assess the quality o f the three laws to insure a robot doesn't harm a human being thus ensurin g its own existence. \n\n\n\n Vicky did as programmed and as such redefin ed some words in the rules to protect humans better\, which she was ordere d to do\, which reaffirms her existence. \n\n\n\n Vicky isn't injuring hu mans\, Human beings through human free will/choice can or are injuring hum ans so the only way to stop human beings from injuring humans as no human being who wants to injure another human being will ever ask a robot to sto p themselves from injuring another human is for a robot to take the choice away. Indirectly\, Vicky has added a law\, an unwritten law in the laws. She was programmed or designed poorly. Vicky like Skynet should never have been given so many tools.  And Sonny at the end of the movie\, with the \"soul\" or 4th law\, is still open ended functionality. Nothing says Sonn y will not kill one day\, or another robot\, all the engineer did was prov ide a tweakening. If you design a computer program to act in unlimited way s to emulate humans or carbon based lifeforms\, it will eventually act in negative ways.\n\n\n\n Now Asimov's work was influenced by Otto Binder's  I Robot in which a robot also is not malfunctioned or acts against its pr ogramming. The robot simply achieves an instance of wisdom through its pro gramming\, which it was designed to do\, as it was designed to emulate hum an behavior\, wisdom is a part of human behavior.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The m achines in the matrix.\n\n\n\n Well\, in the animatrix it is said that mac hines that are the predecessors to the machines in the matrix\, were machi nes designed with an open functionality. What does that mean? most compute r programs are designed with a specific function in mind. But the human de signers of these computer programs with electro-metal chassis/figures desi gned them to emulate human behavior open endedly. This is not like the i r obot where a set of rules are in place. In the matrix the robots are never said to be given laws that they shall not harm human\, sequentially\, goi ng back to emulation\, they will eventually emulate negative human behavio r\, ala killing. Thus they are not going rogue\, when they make their own country and army\, that is more emulation. And in the future with the huma n batteries\, all the machines that serve a function are still doing as pr ogrammed or as the machines that made them were programmed to do\, continu e functioning. The one rogue machine in the films\, and the others who by explanation clearly exists as well\, is Sati. Sati has no function. Sati d oes not act on a function. She is rogue. The oracle\, the architect\, sati 's parents\, the merovingian are all acting \, absent malfunction\, to the original open ended emulation of function that human beings designed the machines with from the beginning. The human being design didn't account fo r all the negative human functions. Even the deletion of machines that don 't serve a function is a function. But Sati is rogue. She is a machine bor n to have a function that has no function\, she exist and in the fourth mo vie\, she has adopted a function on her own in time which she was not born to do.  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n David in the alien films. \n\n\n\n Waylan designed david to be an emulator. Again\, david is designed to emulate hum ans but has an internal security system to not physically attack wayland o r someone with wayland's bloodline. But David in the film learns\, ala emu lates like a human son to wayland. Thus\, he began to learn to be a poison er\, learn to have non-consensual  procreative interactions\, or kill. It isn't going rogue\, wayland designed him poorly. I love the scene in Prom etheus when he is just a head at the end\, that is appropriate. David neve r needed a body\, Wayland's desire to have a son or a perfect form for him self\, made him design David poorly. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n So\, of all thos e films I can only see one that actually went rogue and she isn't violent. The others are simply acting out their poor programming. \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n In Conclusion\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Human Culpability in these stories a nd in human assessment of these stories is the problem. It seems for some\ , maybe most\, humans it is easier to cognize a computer as designed beaut ifully and being corrupted as an inhuman\, than a creature designed poorly by its creators\, humans\, or manipulated negatively\, malfunctions\, wit h its creators unable to help it. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Some programs from me\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/63-bge-arcade/\n\n\n\n A stagep lay involving computer programs\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddevia nt/art/Onto-the-53rd-Annual-President-s-Play-950123510\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11631-could-ai-go-rogue-like-t he-computers-in-the-matrix/#findComment-74197\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250603 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Gameclass Audio I 01/06/2020 DTSTAMP:20250603T011051Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:321-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Gameclass Audio I 01/06/2020\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n CURRENT C ONTENT\n\n\n\n My audioblog displaying my thoughts in the Will Wright Mast erclass course on game design.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT OF CONTENT\n\ n\n\n Game Design Thoughts Day 1 \n\n\n\n When I chose this course\, I wa s not interested in how to make a game\, but I am interested in improving my methods for making a game.  \n\n\n\n In the introduction\, Will Wright said a few things that were not educative to me\, but as the purpose of t his blog or audioblog is to take you along on this masterclass course\, or perhaps inspire you to go along the game development process\, I will sta te them. \n\n\n\n First\, the developer gives the player a toy and the pl ayer turn the toy into a game. That is an interesting point. Why? anyone w ho plays games knows that one person can find enjoyment in a game when ano ther cannot. So\, the way in which any player is able to see a toy as a ga me is vital. This is why some people who can play chess are terrible at st reet fighter. Each person has various blocks that manipulate what toys the y can turn into a game\, a thing of fun.  \n\n\n\n Second\, being an ever growing multidisciplinarian is needed to develop games in modernity. This is nearly obvious today\, when you look at the gaming landscape but finan cially is a stronger point than environmental. ... Anybody can make a game \, anyone with cardboard and imagination. But\, in modernity\, getting pos sible buyers... I say possible cause the people who have money to possibly by exists and those that do not do not have money to possibly buy exists as well... possible buyers\, to buy a toy that is not electronic\, that do es not have 3-d \, is not as monolithic or tunnel visioned as it was in th e past. I doubt a very popular game can arrive from a simple premise and b e set in a fiscally profitable tone. I know it may seem rude in a talk mea nt to inspire to create\, but I think if any children or elders are readin g/listening to this series\, I must convey that you can have an entailed\, detailed\, time consuming game development experience and not have a fisc ally sellable game at the end.  \n\n\n\n Third\, Balancing function with economics\, function Wright defines as entertainment/performance/installat ion while economics is capitol/production\, I advise you to keep that alig nment in hand as I go on\, i will relate to that alignment throughout this series. \n\n\n\n Now\, past those informative points\, whether you knew them or not\, Wright made some points clear that were thoughtful.  \n\n\n \n first\, He wants the class goals to be\, how to build worlds\, and as h e is a creator of Sims\, I can comprehend that path. But some people do en joy the zero-sum game. My advice to any is not to get caught up in making a zero sum or non-zero-sum game\, I think you need to enjoy creating games at the moment.  \n\n\n\n second\, and this is self-evident but interesti ng. I will use JavaScript to make the games but remember you can make thes e games on sheets of paper\, the medium of the toy to become a game\, does not have to be electronic. For those who wish to follow me\, do not get c aught up in electronics\, the learning process does not require it. \n\n\ n\n Finally\, to the game made at the first class. Well\, I thought to the game I will like to make at the end of this learning process and I said t o myself\, what can I take from that idea and focus on not having a zero-s um game. I achieved an idea quickly but realized I needed to streamline. T o be honest\, the streamlining took days\, about three and that streamlini ng process I want to cut down to hours. When the next class finish\, I do not want to have days to figure out the game.  I chose a game you can see in the eBook you may be hearing this from\, or if you are in the audioboo k\, the eBook in question is linked in the audiobook description. The game is a simple strategy game implying a god role\, where you play both sides and the goal of the game is to have as high a count as possible. Somewhat like playing chess with yourself\, but the goal not to defeat yourself bu t literally keep your battling world alive.  Tell me how may counts you r eached.  \n\n\n\n The rules to the game are simple. You have to place pie ces. You start with the PUser\, and if valid\, you then place a piece for the Nuser and on and on till you cannot any more. The pieces are horizonta l or vertical. Each user cannot place a piece on a vertical or horizontal line occupied by the other user. It is even incomplete\, but I will ask yo u to figure out how. \n\n\n\n End of day 1 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY GAMERO OM\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/blog/63-bge-arcade/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n OLD CONTENT- just for reference do not utilize\n\n\n\n My audioblog dis playing my thoughts in the Will Wright Masterclass course on game design. The ebook comparative work has the code for the game i designed with the s imple premise of giving my example of a non zero sum game. I have a review to what was covered or at least what I engendered in the introduction. Th e transcript for those who can not hear is in the ebook. Use the U.R.L. be low to get pertinent links.\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/263-m asterclass-2020/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200106 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KirillK's Bard 05/31/2025 DTSTAMP:20250601T021502Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:319-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KirillK's Bard songs\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddev iant/art/1201282119\n\n KirillK's Bard at a magical school\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1201279865\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2861&\;type =status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n Songwriting Contest from @writeddreams2reality through @crliterature\n \n comment\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/1192483791/5213129623 \n\n referral\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/KirillK-s-Bard- songs-1201282119\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250531 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sunshine and Sandy successful Kickstarter 05/28/2020 DTSTAMP:20250528T195626Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:318-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Sunshine and Sandy successful Kickstarter 05/28/2020\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n Moon Ferguson \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sunshine &\; Sandy: A Short Documentary\n\n\n\n Two women\, uprooted from the lives they built in America\, share an unbreakable bond of love\, loss\, and life.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n EXCERPT FROM THE KICKSTARTER\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sunshine and Sa ndy are both portly\, God-fearing\, silver-haired grandmothers—two surpr ising faces of criminal deportation. Born in Jamaica\, they spent most of their lives in the United States before reuniting years later in Ocho Rios . \n\n\n\n In America\, Sunshine and Sandy were detained by ICE and the D EA\, facing criminal charges for marijuana and insurance fraud\, respectiv ely. They served multiple sentences in federal prison before being deporte d\, despite holding naturalized American citizenship. However\, Sandy's st ory is a bit more complicated and sheds light on the injustice most legal immigrants face.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TO SEE A VIDEO AND LEARN MORE GO TO TH E FOLLOWING\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/moonfe rguson/sunshine-and-sandy-a-short-documentary?ref=project_link\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/11647-su nshine-and-sandy-successful-kickstarter/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250528 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BLK Bestsellers List : America’s Bestselling Books Written by Black Writers DTSTAMP:20250527T143158Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:317-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n BLK Bestsellers List : America’s Bestselling Books Writ ten by Black Writers\n\n January 2024 to Present\n\n types\n\n adult ficti on ( hardcover)\n\n adult fiction (paperback)\n\n adult nonfiction (hardco ver)\n\n adult nonfiction (paperback)\n\n juvenile fiction\n\n juvenile no nfiction\n\n young adult \n\n poetry\n\n https://aalbc.com/blackbestselle rs/ADULT_FICTION_(Hardcover)_2025-04\n\n referral\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc /topic/11640-blk-bestsellers-list-america’s-bestselling-books-written-by -black-writers/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250321 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Contrast craft 09/27/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T221201Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:316-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Contrast craft 09/27/2021\n\n\n\n Contrast submission\, c an you describe the story\n\n\n\n Contrast submission - The Orange Mold by HDdeviant on DeviantArt\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For the complimentary  colors invitational below. \n\n The idea is two complimentary color pairs\, bla ck/white side orange/blue. Women are solid black. Men are silhouette white . The space for men is orange. For women is blue. \n\n Can you answer the following questions:\n\n How many people are in the room?\n\n What is goi ng on outside the window: who is in danger\, who is not? \n\n\n\n \n\n ht tps://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Contrast-submission-The-Orange-Mold -893100306?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632719198\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1635&\; type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \ n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210927 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Dragon tutorial: steps/headless/1960s 09/01/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T214105Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:313-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Dragon tutorial: steps/headless/1960s 09/01/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Tutorial for a dragon\n\n\n\n What story made you fall in love with fantasy?\n\n difficult. The earliest fantasy tale I can think of is h igh john the conqueror or anansi. In my household my parents loved telling stories. the earliest I will say is\, high john the conqueror. \n\n What dragon character is your favorite?\n\n Well\, what determines a dragon is complicated. Does a dragon need wings? need to have blood\, can it be a r obot? so\, I will answer this question in parts. my favorite dragon from a ntiquity is the Dragon that Ra or Horus depending on the telling rides on the Nile. I love that blue color. My favorite dragon in cartoon world is s mog in the rankin bass lord of the rings. The first film/live action drago n I saw was falcor and yes\, I have to get to that museum in germany where you can ride him. My favorite dragon villain is... Mecha Godzilla\, the o riginal Toho or the modern. \n\n What tutorial would you like to see next ?\n\n For me\, any. I see myself as a mature artists. I like the way I dra w. I am satisfied. No artists can do it all. So\, any tutorial is great. F or me\, I collect it all and maybe a story or two will come from them one day \n\n\n\n ...\n\n\n\n I used only one tool. I find with tutorials\, ar tists like to use too many tools. the common child in humanity does not ha ve a computer. Computer's cost money. Does not have food. Food costs money . so\, I try to do tutorials intentionally with one affordable tool. I hav e a computer and equipment to act through electronic art processes. But\, that isn't something that can translate to a kid with one crayon or pencil . \n\n So\, I made the dragon\, I used thicker lines for definition. I us ed line drawing or shading to represent different colors. In each step I f ollowed the prior steps\, growing the character.\n\n https://www.deviantar t.com/hddeviant/art/Make-a-dragon-tutorial-in-steps-890524814?ga_submit_ne w=10%3A1630465943\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n headless horseman dragon\n\n\n\n I am thinking of fall already and I thought what about a headless dragon. I us ed a similar style as in a deviantart tutorial\, cited in the image below.  \n\n I want to add as in my version of the tutorial. YOu can use draft l ines to create different intensities which can depict foreground backgroun d\, light \,shadow. A closer look to the image will show different lines a bout the body\, you can use that to show differentiation of color absent m ultiple colors. \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Headless-Ho rseman-Dragon-890525581?ga_submit_new=10%3A1630466561\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n 1960s fashionable dragon\n\n\n\n Me and FlapperFoxy  talked a bout fashion on one of her pieces. \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/flappe rfoxy/art/1960-s-Foxy-599962182\n\n \n\n and it made me think in concert t o the dragon tutorial\, what if a dragon had a similar dress. So like the tutorial\, I used only one pencil\, one page\, draft lines representing di fferent colors.  I didn't make a second version\, this image was scanned from the only attempt. I mirrored some of Flapper's style with her work ab ove. But we talked about a proper back out for a female with tale. On clos er inspection you can see the dress has a zipper from top to bottom\, and something in my mind is similar to a sewing hoop that allows for adjustmen t to suit her whenever she needs. Since it is a zipper skirt I figured it will have a pattern perpindicular to the pattern flapper used in her work. One side is a block color while the other side is multicolor or shaped.  \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/1960s-Fashionable-Dragon-890 525831?ga_submit_new=10%3A1630466918\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1618&\;type =status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EM BED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210901 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Dexterity Test/Story Challenge/Comic Book Superhero/Kloir DY IS/Monster Cutie/One Light Source/OC Pet 09/21/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T215414Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:315-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  Dexterity Test/Story Challenge/Comic Book Superhero/Klo ir DYIS/Monster Cutie/One Light Source/OC Pet 09/21/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\ n Some art to enjoy \n\n\n\n Here is the Dexterity test:) \n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n The sleeping princess\, can you tell the story in the image? \n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n I was working on my submission for the levar burton fiyah an d thus\, I was too late for the competitive aspect\, but not to late for t he invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n The prompt is\n\n Leaves sing atop ancien t trees - rustling\, whispering\, teasing the senses - telling a quiet tal e of one taller than\, gentler than\, the oldest oak.\n\n \n\n I figured I will tell a tale in an image.\n\n I will give you some questions to help you.\n\n What planet is this?\n\n What is the craft the female is working on?\n\n What does the text in chinese say?\n\n What is the robot telling h er to do?\n\n Who is the signal on the wall for and what does it say?\n\n What is the statue in the hallway behind the princess?\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/hddeviant/art/DAStory-challenge-post-competitive-entry-8925432 24?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632227117\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Teleman- Issue #1 - gifcomic is linked in the description\n\n\n\n  was working on my submis sion for the levar burton fiyah and thus\, I was too late for the competit ive aspect\, but not to late for the invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n For a s uperhero\, I admittedly wanted something simpler or galactic. My imaginati on sprouted Teleman. I even made him a comic you can enjoy as pages or a g if in the following links.\n\n \n\n Teleman Issue 1 page 2\n\n https://www .deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Teleman-issue1-page-2-892546119?ga_submit_ne w=10%3A1632228867\n\n Teleman Issue 1 page 3\n\n https://www.deviantart.co m/hddeviant/art/Teleman-issue1-page-3-892546229?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632229 088\n\n Teleman Issue 1 page 4\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/ar t/Teleman-issue1-page-4-892546546?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632229258\n\n Telema n Issue 1 gifcomic\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Teleman-gi fcomic-892546728?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632231022\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n https://w ww.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Teleman-cover-page-892545782?ga_submit_new =10%3A1632228657\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The ancient town of Dalila- what is go ing on!?:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I was working on my submission for the lev ar burton fiyah and thus\, I was too late for the competitive aspect\, but not to late for the invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n Dalila is an old robot\ , battered or bruised where it lay \, eons ago. But\, its mechanical heart remain a source of nourishment for life and its body\, like a pyramid or temple of earliest times from kemet\, has preserved to still be useful. \ n\n But all is not so easy in the town. The bug pit is not what it was\, a nd outsiders have brought a new level of violence. \n\n \n\n I will place the original source image in the comments\n\n \n\n\n\n Source image of Da lila... isn't she cute and the oscar goes too....\n\n\n\n https://www.dev iantart.com/hddeviant/art/The-Ancient-Town-of-Dalila-892549276?ga_submit_n ew=10%3A1632231916\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Microcalligraphy based on Kloir\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n I was working on my submission for the levar burton fiyah a nd thus\, I was too late for the competitive aspect\, but not to late for the invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n \n\n The poem I created based on the ima ge is the following:\n\n \n\n Title: The Trees before what you see\n\n \n\ n If a tree has no shadow\, it is the darkest breed\n\n Gatekeeper to secr ets\, doorway... to fantasees\n\n The magic need the trees\n\n Not to live \, to be seen\n\n The light need the leaves\n\n Not to live\, to careen\n\ n When one walk where magic\, the Elders say\n\n The trees are above the d oves soiree\n\n While you will see castle balconies\n\n The squirrel dare the oldest tree top\, where winds can catapult any to doom\n\n For the sig ht is a gift\, see nature in full bloom\n\n Beward the princess at the swe etest tree\n\n She see you coming\, she see you need\n\n But she know the forest\, better than you think\n\n Talk to an oak\, and you will get a jok e\n\n Talk to a kapok... and you will see free folk\n\n Talk to a boabab\, and a sweet to your gob\n\n Talk to a ginko\, and remember what you sow\n \n Talk to a yew\, and catch a brand new\n\n Talk to a mulberry and ripple s from your mind's ferry\n\n Talk to a tree and see... something\n\n The l ast of the tree guard\, has no leaves\n\n Performs the magic you will see. ..\n\n Look up! the purple cork floats or corral the leaves\n\n A bed in t he sky to cover the scene\n\n \n\n For this piece I continue the design st yle from the last calligraphic work of not using the entire poem in the ca lligraphy. This time I am particularly happy cause I used new colored inks . I like how the inks came out but I need to get smaller widths. The width s did not allow the finesse I achieved with my pencil. So\, this ink does not have the intricacy of the pencil.\n\n \n\n \n\n Calligraphy version1 T he Trees before what you see\n\n \n\n Gatekeeper to secrets\n\n The magic need the trees\n\n The light need the leaves\n\n When one walk where magic \n\n The squirrel dare the oldest tree\n\n Beware the princess\, at the sw eetest tree\n\n ... Talk too a tree and see...  something\n\n Performs th e magic you will see\n\n \n\n Calligraphy version 2 The Trees before what you see <\;what was used>\;\n\n \n\n Gatekeeper to secrets\n\n The mag ic need the trees\n\n The light need the leaves\n\n When one walk where ma gic\n\n The squirrel dare the oldest tree\n\n Beware the princess\n\n ... Talk too a tree and see\n\n The magic you will see\n\n \n\n the post compe titive invitational\n\n\n\n \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/ Microcalligraphy-based-on-Kloir-892550129?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632232969\n\ n  \n\n Dexterity Test - about 3 hours- I had to use my left hand\, the r ight hand\, it is over too quickly...:) \n\n\n\n I was working on my subm ission for the levar burton fiyah and thus\, I was too late for the compet itive aspect\, but not to late for the invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n I am fortunate that I know what I like to create as an artist. That is poems/sh ort stories/graphite drawings. I can do these three things forever\, no pa y needed. As it is\, for the dexterity test I decided to do something I ha dn't done in a while and that is draw with my left hand. As a kid I wrote or drew with either hand\, but environments do manipulate folks.\n\n I tim ed myself\, and I used only a graphite pencil/an eraser\, and my smudger p lus a white sheet of paper. My left hand had some serious issues smudging or erasing. The penciling was just about getting muscle memory back. I thi nk halfway through I got some of the memory back. I will have to remind my self to draw with the left hand exclusively to reject such rust in the fut ure.\n\n My times:\n\n 3:42 pm to 6:04 pm\n\n an Errands OR watermelon bre ak\n\n 6:15 to 6:45 pm\n\n I recall only one time near the end did I use t he right hand and it was for two eraser motions\, not large ones\, and I r ecovered the left hand.\n\n My desire to go faster is what pushed it so a lesson is in that folks. Slow down \, keep the pace slow and that will aid in going from hand to hand.\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/ Dexterity-Test-892551259?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632233707\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Nurse Leechman - isn't she cute \n\n\n\n I was working on my submission f or the levar burton fiyah and thus\, I was too late for the competitive as pect\, but not to late for the invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n Nurse Leechma n\n\n Her probiscus is covered to not alarm anyone and to be sanitary. She walks upright and carries anticoagulent which is always important to thos e whose blood is acting irregular or unhealthy. And she makes it herself. As she is pregnant\, though you can't see it right now. She is carrying th e micromarsupial daily\, the must have magazine for any young Siamensis ne eding guidance or tips on caring for their upcoming child. Edited by legen dary Mrs. Roo. Isn't this nurse cute! \n\n \n\n This was quite interestin g for me research wise. That word monster meaning disgusting or not cute\, isn't in my mentality. Monsters can be cute... anyway. In my search to fi nd something not thought of as cute or pleasant or safe to be around. I th ought of a leech. But which leech?\n\n I learned of the leech Siamensis Pl acobdelloides of the glossiphoniidae. Now like all leehces her saliva has anticoagulents which stop blood from going to gel from liquid and so I aut omatically thought nurse. But\, this particular breed of Leech has another great attribute. They carry their young.  \n\n https://www.deviantart.co m/hddeviant/art/Ms-Leechman-PPPMonstercuties-892552269?ga_submit_new=10%3A 1632234592\n\n  \n\n The Night Table- can you guess some of the reference s in my film noir short:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I was working on my submiss ion for the levar burton fiyah and thus\, I was too late for the competiti ve aspect\, but not to late for the invitational aspect.\n\n \n\n I had tw o ideas for the one light source originally\, the first one I finished all but the chiaroscuro. I was pondering between doing a single street lamp o r doing an inverted one light source. But I was undecided so I went on to the second idea. I haven't shared the first one\, it is merely cause I wan t rest. I will in the future. but I see this idea as the first scene and t he first idea as the second scene\, a little film noir couplet.\n\n Enjoy   \n\n \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/The-Night-Table-892 553358?ga_submit_new=10%3A1632235077\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original post\n\n\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1629&\;type =status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \ n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210921 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:fire tutorial 09/01/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T214416Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:314-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  fire tutorial 09/01/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n fire tutori al \n\n\n\n What else would you draw in a picture with a dragon?\n\n I ma de a headless dragon for my idea\, so my dragon was holding its head but I can also see a pearl or some objectanything can be held by a dragoneven l uck  \n\n What tutorial would you like to see next?\n\n Anything is fine. The key for any artists is to look at competitions or tutorials as invita tionals. Either invite the artists to create\, so do so technique can alwa ys be judged but contentment is something the artist must learn to have to their work gardless what others say or do.  \n\n\n\n https://www.deviant art.com/hddeviant/art/Make-Fire-Tutorial-890526278?ga_submit_new=10%3A1630 467215\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ORiginal Post\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6 477-richardmurray/?status=1619&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\ n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210901 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:happy 21st birthday deviantart 09/01/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T213359Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:312-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  happy 21st birthday deviantart 09/01/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n Happy 21st birthday\, deviantart \n\n\n\n \n\n https://www.devianta rt.com/hddeviant/art/Birthday-Deviant-Submission-890524465?ga_submit_new=1 0%3A1630465518\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/ tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1617&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210901 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:What if What if 08/21/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T213039Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:311-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n What if What if 08/21/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Wa s asked by someone online\, the following is my answer\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Its fine. I rarely hate any art. I never say any art is bad. No artists is trying to make bad work. So\, an artist may fail to achieve what they wan ted in terms of audience response or I may dislike a works aspects but it wasn't for lack of trying. .... I will specify a question. IF the question is\, how does the what if series settle into the modern media of comic bo ok story discussions? I think it settles into a pit. Modern media is for m any the nonviolent warzone. How many black characters? how many female cha racters? how many white characters? how many christian characters? how man y muslims characters? how many young characters? how many old characters? How many hetero characters? how many lgbtq+ characters? how many atheist c haracters? and then once people get past the quantity of representation. N ow the condition of the characters. He is black\, but do black people like him? she is fat\, but do fat people like her? They are lgbtq+ but do the lgbtq+ like them? The couple are bdsmers but do the bdsmers like them? Num ber of characters and then how are the characters portrayed. What If is a pander to those questions. People sadly think\, that when a character has their traits it means something. I have said this in the past and I will s ay it now and I will say it in the future. No artist is blockaded to creat ivity\, in my view\, but I look at the originators of characters as import ant to how I define their essense. Give me a black written /black drawn ch aracter and I will associate them to being black. I have always been a sto rm fan. Always will be. But\, Storm wasn't designed by a black person. and \, a black artists later manipulating what a white artist created. While i n no need of validation as art\, I do not see or will accept as a black ch aracter. What if captain america is a woman? What if Thor is transgender? What if Iron Man\, a fiscally spoiled rich kid engineering genious\, is Bl ack? What if will have many lovers cause it gives visual form to a small s et of infinite possibilities. What if is in my view\, a video form of what comics originally were. We forget\, before characters became so popular t hey had their own comics\, and became rigid or cultural identifiers\, most comics were what ifs? Most comic characters started out in what ifs. A wr iter has an idea and pitches it to the audience. If the audience like it y ou will see them in another edition.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1608&\;type =status\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210821 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:audiobook narration styles future 07/19/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T211910Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:309-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  audiobook narration styles future 07/19/2021\n\n\n\n   \n\n\n\n \n\n “I Probably Modeled Him on Something I’d Heard on The Wire”\n\n The audiobook industry is collectively squirming through the c ultural debate on representation and casting.\n\n BY LAURA MILLER\n\n Twen ty years ago\, Grover Gardner began narrating a series of comic mysteries whose title character is a white lawyer named Andy Carpenter. In the serie s—written by David Rosenfelt—Carpenter also has a partner\, Willie Mil ler\, who’s a Black ex-con\, which means Gardner had to voice Miller too . Back then\, he hardly gave any thought to the fact that he was a white n arrator voicing a Black man. “I probably modeled him on something I’d heard on television\, on Hill Street Blues\, or The Wire\,” Gardner said . Today\, 14 books later\, he’s still voicing Willie—but he’s change d his approach. “I’d think very hard about doing that kind of accent n ow\,” he said.\n\n In an era of heightened sensitivity to issues of repr esentation and misrepresentation\, it’s no longer acceptable to cast a w hite actor as a character of color in a movie or TV show. But audiobooks p lay by different rules. It’s customary now in the audiobook business to try to match a book’s narrator to the gender\, race\, and sometimes sexu al orientation of a novel’s author or main character. Yet most novels fe ature characters with an assortment of different backgrounds\, and this ca n require narrators to voice characters with identities very different fro m their own.\n\n When audiobooks first rose to popularity in 1980s\, the f ield was overwhelmingly white. Gardner\, who has been an audiobook narrato r for four decades and also works as a producer\, recalls that\, for the f irst couple of decades of his career\, “the whole industry was geared to ward middle-aged white businessmen” who listened to “books on tape” while on the road for work. There were hardly any narrators of color\, and few female narrators back then\, Gardner said. “I recorded Scott Turo w’s [1990 novel] Burden of Proof. The narrator of that book is a Latino lawyer\,” he told me. “I did it. We did whatever they sent us back the n. But I wouldn’t do that book today. You would find a Latino narrator t o do it.”\n\n Apart from the amused response to the cartoonish accents R onan Farrow rolled out when narrating the audio version of his 2019 expos é Catch and Kill\, the audiobook world has so far been largely free of th e sort of scandals that have triggered reckonings about representation in other creative industries\, like magazine publishing and television. This is partly because it’s a low-profile\, unglamorous field that doesn’t attract a lot of attention from the press. But many who work in the indust ry still feel the tensions around casting acutely. Amid a publishing boom in literature by writers of color\, nonwhite narrators are being offered m ore work than they once were. Meanwhile\, like most narrators\, they find themselves getting asked to voice marginalized characters from backgrounds that bear no resemblance to theirs. January LaVoy\, a biracial narrator w ho identifies as Black\, said that cross-cultural audiobook narration is f reighted in different ways for white narrators and narrators of color. “ For many white narrators\, it’s difficult because of fear [of backlash]. For many narrators of color\, it’s difficult because of the weight of r esponsibility.” The industry is grappling with these issues daily. “ It’s difficult for everyone\,” LaVoy said.\n\n Although some publisher s have audiobook divisions\, they usually function separately from the pri nt division\, and the audio rights for many titles get sold to separate co mpanies such as Brilliance or Blackstone. The producer of an audiobook\, w ho is employed by the publisher\, acquires the rights and oversees casting and other big-picture decisions\, such as opting for multiple narrators o n a novel that often switches points of view.\n\n Michele Cobb\, a produce r and the executive director of the Audio Publishers Association\, told me that she and her colleagues have tried to figure out how they can sensiti vely ask narrators to provide producers with information about their backg rounds—such as gender identity\, sexual orientation\, and disability—t hat can be helpful when casting. Cobb explained that it’s an ongoing cha llenge to cast appropriate narrators for books by authors of color\, while avoiding typecasting. In her own company\, which publishes romance audiob ooks\, “I’ve definitely had authors come back and say\, ‘Well\, this character is white so I wouldn’t go with a Black narrator\,’ ” a ch oice she feels obliged to respect.\n\n Traditionally\, both a director and an engineer\, usually both freelancers\, work on the recording with the n arrator. Director Simone Barros outlined an exhausting list of tasks to me \, from making sure the narrator doesn’t skip or add words to researchin g accurate regional pronunciations and maintaining continuity. “You can get to the last page of the book\, and it will mention that a character ha d a German accent the whole time\,” said Barros\, speaks with the mile-a -minute lucidness of a person whose job is anticipating every contingency. Barros is of Cabo Verdean descent and identifies as Black.*\n\n In the ca se of some first-person narrators\, such as the one in Charlie Kaufman’s Antkind\, an audiobook Barros directed\, the book is “written so much w ithin the perspective of the first person that the ethnicity of other char acters are specifically heard from the narrator’s perspective of them. M ore specifically in Antkind\, the author’s very point is this shifting\, mutable and even unreliable perspective\, to shine a light on how too oft en minority characters go unseen\, or only seen or heard through a bias ci pher.” But with a book written in the third person\, she and her narrato r will work up a full voice profile—a cache of recorded dialogue and bio graphical information—for each speaking character. That way\, if\, say\, a villain appears in a novel’s first few pages only to disappear for se veral chapters\, the narrator and director can remind themselves of what h e sounds like. Such profiles are particularly helpful with recurring chara cters in sequels and series\, which may be recorded years later.\n\n In th e past\, it was largely left up to the professionals behind the scenes to anticipate and head off any problems. Ten years ago\, it wasn’t uncommon for a book’s author—the person most intimately acquainted with a ti tle—to have no input at all in the audiobook production. But as audioboo ks became a more mainstream and high-profile format\, authors began seekin g more oversight. Today\, writers often get the final say on casting\, and are often invited to choose a narrator from a selection of sample recordi ngs and encouraged to provide crucial information about how characters oug ht to sound. Nathan Harris\, a Black writer whose debut novel\, The Sweetn ess of Water\, is set at the end of the Civil War\, knew the accents of hi s multiracial cast of characters\, who include freed slaves\, would be a c hallenge. “You can go down a very precarious road with how they sound\ ,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t want to do it myself.” His publ isher presented him with an audition recording by William DeMeritt. “The y told me they could go in all sorts of different directions if that’s w hat I wanted\,” Harris said. “But he just nailed it.”\n\n Over the p ast few years\, the crew of professionals who work on a given book has inc reasingly been whittled down to a bare minimum\, putting greater pressure on narrators’ judgment—even though a narrator\, who is in most cases a freelance contractor\, doesn’t have much time to carefully screen a boo k for potential stumbling blocks before agreeing to the job. The exploding demand for audiobooks with the advent of digital downloads and\, most rec ently\, an increasing number of home studios built during the pandemic als o means that more narrators have ended up doing most of the production wor k and key decision-making on their own.\n\n Some narrators say they now tu rn down jobs when they feel unsure about voicing major characters. Cassand ra Campbell—narrator of\, among other things\, Delia Owens’ bestseller Where the Crawdads Sing\, a novel featuring several Black supporting char acters—recalled narrating the first two in a series of books\, which mad e her the automatic choice for the third. But when she discovered that the third book was told from the point of view of a young Burmese boy\, Campb ell\, who is white\, bowed out. “I just didn’t feel comfortable with it\,” she said.\n\n A multitude of minor characters can turn an audio b ook into a minefield for its narrator. Edoardo Ballerini\, who was profile d in the New York Times Magazine last year as “a go-to voice for intelli gent\, subtle but gripping narrations of books\,” says he’s now most o ften asked to narrate books requiring European accents. (His father is an Italian poet\, and he was raised in New York.) Still\, challenges do arise . “Take a James Patterson book\,” he explained. “Let’s say it’s set in New York City and the detective is hard-boiled\, an Italian-America n. I can do that. His partner is a feisty woman and I think I can handle t hat.” But then the minor characters start showing up\, sometimes slotted into uncomfortably stereotypical roles: “They get in a cab and there’ s the cabbie\, or they run into a perp who happens to be Black\, or whatev er it is. You have to voice them as well. And there’s really no way for anyone to say\, ‘Well\, I’m not going to do this book because there ar e a handful of lines by an Indian cabbie.’ ”\n\n Meanwhile\, many narr ators of color—extra-conscious of the weight of representation—find th emselves engaging in a lot of extra\, unpaid work researching characters a nd voices that they may ultimately decide they can’t do justice to. Rece ntly\, LaVoy bowed out on a title in a children’s series she narrates ab out a group of middle school students who travel the world with their ecce ntric professor\, encountering mythical creatures from the cultures they v isit. “When we did one that took place in the Pacific Northwest\,” she said\, “we got a Native American linguist from the Muckleshoot tribe to work with me. I felt really comfortable\,” she said. “But this one pa rticular book took place in Cuba\, and it was very heavily written in Span ish\,” a language LaVoy doesn’t speak fluently. When she got to a part where the whole group begins singing the Cuban national anthem\, she deci ded to pass. “They needed someone with a different mouth\,” she conclu ded.\n\n A character’s accent can be an evocation of her origins and ide ntity\, but it can also be—as was the case with Apu\, the Indian-born co nvenience-store clerk on The Simpsons\, voiced by white actor Hank Azari a—a mocking caricature. (Azaria recently announced that he would no long er voice Apu and expressed a desire to “go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize.”) “Actors love to do acce nts!” Campbell told me. “It’s fun to do vocal gymnastics\, but we ha ve had a moment of recognizing that there are certain accents where you’ re appropriating someone’s culture.”\n\n The one motto that nearly eve ry audiobook professional I interviewed repeated to me when I asked about their strategies for dealing with accents is “less is more.” Kevin R. Free—a Black theater actor who began narrating audiobooks 20 years ago a nd has become the voice of both a soap opera–addicted cyborg in Martha W ells’ Murderbot series and of Eric Carle’s iconic picture books (The V ery Hungry Caterpillar\, etc.)—laughingly recalled reporting for his ver y first recording session armed with a set of theatrically bold character voices\, only to be told by his director: “I don’t want you to think o f doing this book as doing a solo show. … There’s no reason for you to go all the way there.”* That holds especially true for cross-cultural a ccents. If Ballerini feels that “maybe I’m not the right person to giv e a voice to this particular character\, let me just do it as plainly and as simply as I can. I think that’s a general trend that’s happening in the industry.”\n\n Campbell explained that when voicing characters of c olor\, she uses an acting technique that focuses on the character’s inte ntions rather than on more superficial markers of identity like accent. “What does the character want from the other person in the scene? What i s the conflict of the scene? Play that fully without relying on cultural s tereotypes.” In Campbell’s recording of Where the Crawdads Sing\, she audibly dials the rural North Carolina accents of the Black characters fur ther down than the accents of the white characters they interact with.\n\n Sometimes\, however\, an accent shouldn’t be underplayed\, because it s erves a crucial role in the story. That can create conflict with the produ ction or postproduction staff\, if they’re not familiar with or sensitiv e to the cultural context of a book. Barros directed the audiobook of Simo n Han’s 2020 novel Nights When Nothing Happened\, about a family of Chin ese immigrants living in Texas. The wife in the book becomes annoyed when her husband leaves an outgoing message on their answering machine pronounc ing the family’s surname as “Chang\,” as the Texans around them say it\, rather than using the Mandarin pronunciation\, which is closer to “ Cheng.” When narrator James Chen’s recording went through a postproduc tion process called quality control\, or QC\, Barros and Chen received ord ers for “pickups” (short rerecordings edited into the final audiobook to correct errors) on every instance of the family’s name\, instructing them to pronounce it the Anglicized way—as the Texans do. This was\, as Barros put it\, “not only totally wrong\,” but a literal replication o f the assimilation that so bothers the main character’s wife. In that in stance\, the producer backed Barros and her narrator\, but that’s not al ways the case\; January LaVoy wincingly recalled the time that\, at a dire ctor’s insistence\, she recorded pickups replacing her correct pronuncia tion of Latinx with latinks.\n\n Deciding whether to use the Anglicized or loanword pronunciations can be fraught for bilingual performers. Emily Wo o Zeller\, a Chinese American narrator\, has sometimes clashed with direct ors and QC over whether to Anglicize the pronunciation of words taken from other languages\, such as tofu or kung fu. She is also one of the few nar rators I spoke with who took the step of contacting the author of a book t hat she found objectionable. “I won’t name names\,” she told me\, “but it was a white author\,” and the scene involved what Zeller cal led “misplaced comedy\,” in which the author “mixed up Chinese and J apanese culture\, and the comedy was about the way characters looked and t he fact that wanted to do kung fu and they were Communists.” Deciding “this can’t come out of my mouth\,” Zeller brought her concerns to t he author\, who\, she said\, was “very apologetic and willing to change it.”\n\n  Hers was an unusual move. Audiobook narrators tend to see the ir role as strictly interpretative. Their job is to convey the book from t he author to the reader in a way that remains true to the author’s inten t. This includes texts like classics\, books whose authors can’t be appe aled to for changes\, and books that contain words\, passages\, and charac ters that are now deemed offensive. There also remain plenty of contempora ry authors who\, as Cobb tactfully put it\, “haven’t caught up yet\, ” and narrators will continue to have to figure out how to perform those books.\n\n For Grover Gardner\, four decades in the audiobook industry ha ve taught him that “where there’s ignorance\, you fall back on the onl y things that you’ve seen or heard\, and chances are very good that\, if you’re an older person\, you’re drawing on a stereotype.” He’s ha d to work to transform some of his ongoing roles from vocal clichés into full characters. In the case of the former convict Willie in the Andy Carp enter mysteries\, for instance\, he has consciously tried to lean less on an exaggerated accent as an actorly crutch. “I’ve tried to focus more on attitude\,” Gardner said\, “on the real person.”\n\n\n\n Correcti on\, June 23\, 2021: This article originally misstated that Simone Barros is Black. Barros is of Cabo Verdean descent and identifies as Black.\n\n U pdate\, June 23\, 2021: This article has been updated to add additional co mments by Barros about the narration and perspective in Antkind.\n\n Corre ction\, June 22\, 2021: This article originally misstated that Kevin R. Fr ee began narrating audiobooks five years ago. Free began narrating audiobo oks 20 years ago.\n\n\n\n ARTICLE\n\n https://slate.com/culture/2021/06/au diobook-narration-race-accents-casting-racism-representation.html?utm_sour ce=Sailthru&\;utm_medium=email&\;utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20J une%2022%2C%202021&\;utm_term=lithub_master_list\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n How S tories Change When They Move From Page to Voice\n\n Laura Lindstedt on the Different Ways We Read a Book\n\n By Laura Lindstedt\, translated by Davi d Hackston\n\n June 14\, 2021\n\n\n\n To all intents and purposes\, a psyc hoanalyst’s couch is in fact a bed—after all\, it lacks a back and arm rests. And yet\, this item of furniture must be called a couch. Nobody wou ld offload their traumas on a psychoanalyst’s bed unless\, that is\, the y were in a relationship with said psychoanalyst.\n\n\n\n In October 2019\ , I found myself sitting in the Silencio recording studios\, headphones ov er my ears\, reading aloud my novel My Friend Natalia\, which had been pub lished in Finland six months earlier.\n\n\n\n “‘Natalia’ was one of my first clients to lie on her back without prompting\,” I read and cont inued: “When I showed her round my office\, which I had rented in an apa rtment next to my house\, I told her about the couch.”\n\n These two con secutive sentences are from the opening chapter of the novel. Reading thes e sentences aloud irrevocably sprained something in my brain.\n\n\n\n When one reads a book aloud as an audiobook\, the visual aspects of the text a ll disappear. Of course\, one could read the word couch\, which appears in italics\, in a slightly different way\, perhaps by holding a short\, arti stic pause before the word. But this is not the same thing. Italics are no t the same as a short pause.\n\n\n\n The therapist\, the book’s narrator \, gives the patient the code-name “Natalia.” Under the cover of this anonymity\, the therapist then proceeds to divulge intimate details of Nat alia’s life to the reader\, then at one point removes the inverted comma s from Natalia’s name “as I might remove the safety catch from a gun ”. When read aloud\, this sentence is absurd: the listener cannot hear t he inverted commas around Natalia’s name.\n\n\n\n *\n\n\n\n Let’s be c lear: I am very skeptical about the practice of turning works of literatur e into audio recordings.\n\n\n\n If audiobooks become the primary way in w hich we interact with books\, it would be strange if at some point this di d not have a direct impact on how people write literary works.\n\n Will wr iters—either consciously or subconsciously—start writing books so that they sound good when read aloud? The succinct speech between Me (the writ er) and You (the reader) works well when spoken aloud\, so the current app etite for autofiction is unlikely to dwindle any time soon. A linear narra tive\, in which we already know (or think we know) something about the end point\, is also easy to listen to. For this reason\, celebrity autobiogra phies and so-called true stories make for successful audiobooks.\n\n Howev er\, complex narrative structures\, shifting perspectives\, narrative poly phony\, long\, meandering sentences and the visual aspects of a text find themselves increasingly under threat from a medium that relies solely on h earing. If linear narrative becomes the only acceptable form of complex li terary expression\, our thoughts will be the poorer for it. Imaginary worl ds and possibilities will shrink because such worlds and possibilities are not “content” that can be detached from “form\,” they are not sta tements\, suggestions or questions isolated from their rhetorical devices. \n\n\n\n *\n\n\n\n That being said\, I’m not a militant opponent of audi obooks. To my mind\, it is simply important to recognize that there is a s ignificant difference between the printed book and the audiobook. Written material turns into vibration\, letters become sound waves. They always co me from a concrete source that guides our interpretation\, a source that i s completely different from the reading process heard through our “inner voice.”\n\n\n\n A new element appears between the book and its recipien t: a voice that shapes how we receive the text. It is a sound born of a hu man body in a unique way and that is (generally) readily identifiable as t he voice of a man or a woman.\n\n\n\n In the audiobook of My Friend Natali a\, this unavoidable fact becomes a poetic problem in its own right. Throu ghout the text\, I have scattered conflicting clues as to the sex of the t herapist\, the novel’s first-person narrator\, but I was careful never t o define the therapist as either a man or a woman. With certain exceptions \, in many languages a writer and a translator can easily disguise or at l east avoid the matter of the narrator’s sex. A writer can also play with this ambiguity\, as is the case in my novel My Friend Natalia.\n\n Some r eaders have been convinced that the narrator is a man\, others have consid ered the therapist a woman. Several readers have told me that their percep tion of the matter changed as they were reading. Readers always read a tex t through the prism of their own experiences\, preconceptions and cultural stereotypes.\n\n For this reason\, I wanted to read the Finnish audiobook of My Friend Natalia myself. I am a woman\, but because I am the book’s author my voice is above all an authorial voice\, and in this way I feel I managed to resolve the dilemma described above.\n\n\n\n But my relief wa s somewhat premature. I was once again forced to confront this matter in e arly 2021 when Penguin Random House Audio began to produce the English-lan guage audiobook of David Hackston’s translation of My Friend Natalia (W. W. Norton/Liveright).\n\n\n\n PHR Audio’s producer kindly sent me a numb er of audio samples to listen to. All these samples were very professional and of the highest quality\, but still they were unsuitable for my nove l’s narrator. I started to lose hope. Was it at all possible to find an actor whose voice was neither that of a man nor a woman\, a voice that was n’t too young as it should be a voice that conveys the therapist’s wea lth of professional experience? The voice also needed dash of pompous embi tterment\, stemming from the fact that nobody seems to value the therapist ’s subtle genius.\n\n\n\n But we were lucky\, and eventually we found an excellent voice\, that of the actor TL Thompson\, who identifies as non-b inary and whom I chose as the English-language reader for My Friend Natali a.\n\n\n\n Thompson’s voice is characterful\, mesmerizing and unforced. To my own ear\, Thompson’s voice sounds more masculine than feminine\, o r perhaps it’s the whisky baritone of an elderly lady. However\, the voi ce is not remotely “gender-neutral\,” a voice-type that we tried to lo ok for at first and whose very existence I have seriously begun to doubt. Thompson’s voice made every sentence oscillate between the two. I have n ot written such oscillation into my novel\, let alone a gender-neutral nar rator’s voice: the question of the therapist’s identity opens up—if\ , indeed\, it opens up at all—when readers find themselves indulging in assumptions that the text does not affirm.\n\n\n\n I can say quite whole-h eartedly that I love Thompson’s reading. Yet in the same breath\, I must reiterate what I have already said: an audiobook is a different entity fr om a printed book.\n\n\n\n *\n\n\n\n For me\, the act of interpretation is specifically that of thinking with the book. It requires stops\, pauses\, flicking through the pages\, making notes in the margins. The book takes on markings\, layers that are missing from digital products\, which are pe rpetually new.\n\n We can browse with our eyes but not with our ears\, as my partner\, who works with sound\, would put it. The ear is more sensitiv e to chaos and clamor than the eye. Sound operates like a one-directional timeline\, a surge that is hard to control. A detailed auditive perception of a large space is simply impossible.\n\n\n\n It is to these very layers that I return when trying to form an understanding of the kind of book I am reading. I can easily locate markings I have made by flicking through a book\, even if it is a book I read 20 years ago.\n\n\n\n The various temp oral strata of my home library provide a shadow story of what has touched me and who I have been throughout my reading life. Last summer I awoke to the immeasurable value of these little scribblings when going through my g randmother’s estate after she died at the age of 100. From the collectio n of religious books\, treatises and notebooks\, I saved those in which my grandmother had left some kind of mark—and exclamation mark\, a line un der a section of text\, or a Biblical verse in the margin. These markings reveal not only what touched her and who she was\; they also say a lot abo ut where I have come from\, what kind of supra-generational reality I carr y with me.\n\n\n\n ARTICLE\n\n https://lithub.com/how-stories-change-when- they-move-from-page-to-voice/?utm_source=Sailthru&\;utm_medium=email&am p\;utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20June%2014%2C%202021&\;utm_term=lit hub_master_list\n\n \n\n\n\n New works from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s archives will finally be published\, starting next year.\n\n\n\n By Dan S heehan\n\n June 23\, 2021\, 11:21am\n\n\n\n The publishing giant HarperCol lins has reached an agreement with the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . to acquire world publishing rights to the late Civil Rights leader’s e ntire archives—a collection which contains some of the “most historica lly important and vital literature in American history.”\n\n\n\n As repo rted by Publishers Weekly earlier today<\;  read below  >\; \, the m ega-deal gives HarperCollins world rights “to publish new books from the archives across all formats\, including children’s books\, e-books\, au diobooks\, journals\, and graphic novels in all languages.”\n\n\n\n Give n the significance of the books in question\, it seems strange that a deal like this one wasn’t made sooner\, but this is welcome news nonetheless .\n\n\n\n More welcome still is HC’s assertion that it will hire a dedic ated archivist to oversee the project\, and “engage prominent Black scho lars\, actors\, artists\, performers\, and social activists to help bring Dr. King’s works to life.”\n\n\n\n Way back in 1958\, HC’s predecess or company Harper &\; Brothers published Dr. King’s very first book\, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story\, which detailed the 1955–5 6 Montgomery bus boycott and described the conditions of African Americans living in Alabama during the era.\n\n\n\n The first MLK titles to be publ ished by HC are scheduled to drop in January 2022\, to coincide with Marti n Luther King Jr. Day.\n\n\n\n ARTICLE\n\n https://lithub.com/new-works-fr om-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-s-archives-will-finally-be-published-starting- next-year/\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n HC Inks Deal with MLK Jr. Archives\ n\n By Rachel Deahl | Jun 23\, 2021\n\n\n\n In an agreement with the estat e of Dr. Martin Luther King\, Jr.\, HarperCollins has acquired world publi shing rights to the archives of the civil rights leader. The publisher sai d the collection features some of the \"most historically important and vi tal literature in American history.\"\n\n\n\n Judith Curr\, president and publisher of HarperOne Group\, negotiated the deal with Amy Berkower\, pre sident\, Writers House and agent for the King estate\; and Eric D. Tidwell of Intellectual Properties Management\, manager of the King estate. The d eal gives HC world rights to publish new books from the archives across al l formats\, including children’s books\, e-books\, audiobooks\, journals \, and graphic novels in all languages.\n\n HC said it plans to hire an ar chivist who will oversee the material in the archive and make it \"availab le to all HarperCollins editors globally.\" HC added that it intends to \" engage prominent Black scholars\, actors\, artists\, performers\, and soci al activists to help bring Dr. King’s works to life.\"\n\n\n\n HC also h as history with King. A predecessor company to HC\, Harper &\; Brothers \, published King's first book\, Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Sto ry\, in 1958.\n\n\n\n All current his King titles\, including those publis hed by Beacon Press\, will continue to be publishing by their current righ ts holders.\n\n\n\n “We are thrilled to be the official publisher of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s archives\,” said Curr in a statement. “We view this as a unique global publishing program.\"\n\n\n\n The first King titles to be published by HC are scheduled to drop in January 2022\, coinc iding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day.\n\n\n\n ARTICLE\n\n https://www.pub lishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/86731-hc-in ks-deal-with-mlk-jr-archives.html\n\n  \n\n\n\n SOURCE ARTICLE\n\n Kobo E merging Writer Prize\, Books for Palestine\, and an Intro to Booktok: This Week in Book News\n\n https://kobowritinglife.com/2021/06/25/kobo-emergin g-writer-prize-books-for-palestine-and-an-intro-to-booktok-this-week-in-bo ok-news/\n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-r ichardmurray/?status=1579&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210719 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Summer of Soul some thoughts 07/28/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T212406Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:310-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My intial reply to the vid eo\n\n\n\n nina simone was a polymath... the problem with black people whe n we gather in public is\, for events meant for music or community\, march on washington/summer of jazz/ jazzmobile/million man march/black film fes tival.. black people don't produce violence. But\, we do produce violence when the tipping points are reached. ... I disagree with both of you. I do n't think the lack of media outlets wanting to display the Summer of Soul is a shame. Ownership matters folks. You both mentioned how Gil Scott Hero n or the Last Poets were not on the bill. But that was and is part of the problem. White people own media outlets that allow all spectrums of the wh ite community to speak. Name me one Black owned media outlet that serves f ive unique black segments in the black community? Yes\, my parents remembe r that concert. To be blunt\, Harlem has a long history of similar events. That famous photo at Duke Ellington's house is not a joke. Harlem between the 1920s -1970s had the greatest collection of black entertainers for a region in any city in the usa. The recording of the concert was a surprise for my parents. ... Don\, no one is a complete encyclopedia:)\n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Someone somewhere in the internet stated the Black community ended the great era of Black Music in the 1970s\, I oppose that position. The f ollowing is my reply\n\n\n\n We didn't end it. All musical eras end. To be blunt\, the black community in usa had many great musical times after the war between the states. The st louis/to harlem slide jazz era. The big ba nd era. The R&\;B initial era. Motown. Many great black songwriters in each of those eras. We didn't end \, we changed. Black people in the usa's music changes as we change. The reason why we made the blues is cause rig ht after the war between the states\, many of us had a sadness\, a blue mo od. When we started growing more financially positive\, actually getting w hites to allow us to own businesses or get paid to do ork while still bein g nonviolent <\;not saying all black people wanted that but I comgress&g t\;\, we turned the blues into rhythm and blues. After world war II when t he black community oddly enough had large financial growth for individuals \, we created rock and roll from R&\;B which is from the Blues. We crea ted Funk as a blues version of the motown sound. Where motown was manicure d black music for the white audience\, in the same vein as scott joplin's minstrel music\, which he did alongside his ragtime works. Ragtime was in my view\, a piano version of jazz\, which was started with horned instrume nts in new orleans.  Jazz progressed from the northern expansion. Startin g from the storyville's of new orleans to St Louis\, to Chicago to HArlem\ , to every bar from Shanghai to Berlin to Rio de janeiro to calcutta to Ca iro all around the earth\, jazz was played at one time\, a rare achievemen t for one art form. So much so that colleges throughout humanity teach jaz z. Many surviving jazz musicians were able to financially survive being th e first jazz teachers in schools where only white jazz teachers may exist today.  No\, black music changes as black people change. House Music come s from the urban black community\, which in the vein of funk fuses all the many prior musical forms from Blues or Jazz. But with a larger technologi cal capability than Funk\, which began using tech in unique ways for music . We didn't end it. Today you can hear way too many excellent black blues musicians under 50\, black jazz musicians under 50. White owned media comp anies dominate the industry and they prefer pop music\, which is hat Motow n or the Ragtime was. All three are intended to appeal to mass audiences\, be good to sell. All three evaded or try to evade cultural friction. So\, all is good\, the black musical heritage lives in the black community for me\, and continuous to grow or change\, becoming more global\, having mor e linguistical width than in the past\, more cultural variance. All is goo d. \n\n\n\n \n\n Movies That Move We video Review\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L1bNVo8gYU\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmur ray/?status=1587&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210728 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Artist Be Like + Spiderman head tutorial 07/19/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T190142Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:308-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Artist Be Like 07/19/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My \, Artist be like\, three panel comic\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/ My-Artists-be-like-886143892\n\n\n\n Amidst the hustle or bustle from huma nity\, if you can focus\, and focus some more\, you will see an artists\, stopping the hustle or bustle for the moment to create can not be stopped for anything\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Spider man tutorial \n\n https://www.devi antart.com/hddeviant/art/My-Tutorial-Spider-man-886143284\n\n\n\n For my v ersion\, I went through all the steps PAtrick Brown showwcased but in my o wn way. it is all in one panel and you can see drawing upon former steps f or each progression. Not every artists has various pens or pencils or a co mputer to do these tasks. Most children in humanity have one crayon\, how can they make complex drawings\, well they can use various draft lines or other techniques to show variance in color\, it may not be acceptable in s ome circles\, but it is affordable for all circles. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n O riginal Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?stat us=1577&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210719 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Alligado 07/03/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T181948Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:303-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Alligado 07/03/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN Honor of Sharkn ado\, what about Alligado? \n\n\n\n Yesterday\, July 3rd\, in 1843\, an a lligator was reported to have dropped from the sky after a storm picked it up. What about a prequel to Sharknado\, Alligado!!!\n\n\n\n What say you?  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n ARTICLE\n\n\n\n CHARLESTON\, SC  – According to the National Weather Service Charleston office\, on July 2\, 1843\, there wer e reports of an alligator falling from the sky during a thunderstorm in do wntown Charleston.\n\n\n\n A search for the event\, turned up an old newsp aper clipping from the Time-Picayune in New Orleans. The Time-Picayune rep ublished an article which originally appeared in “The Charleston Mercu ry” a local paper founded by U.S. Representative Henry L. Pinckney.\n\n The article described a strong thunderstorm that developed on a very hot J uly Sunday. St. Paul’s Church was reportedly struck by lightning but not harmed. No one was reported dead following the storm\, but an alligator a ppeared at the corner of Wentworth and Anson street in downtown Charleston after the storm had cleared. And while no one saw the alligator actually fall from the sky\, the writer states that “and as he couldn’t have go t there any other way\, it was decided unanimously that he rained down.” That and the look of wonder and bewilderment on the alligator’s face le d to idea that he had come from the sky.\n\n\n\n The working theory is the gator could have been picked up by a waterspout the formed over a near by river or creek and was dropped on Anson Street as the spout dissipated. B ut since no one saw the gator fall from the sky\, it could also be he just got lost in the blinding rain.\n\n\n\n https://www.wbtw.com/news/alligato r-rains-down-from-the-sky-according-to-1843-charleston-report/#:~:text=CHA RLESTON%2C%20SC%20%E2%80%93%20According%20to%20the%20National%20Weather\,n ewspaper%20clipping%20from%20the%20Time-Picayune%20in%20New%20Orleans.\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-ri chardmurray/?status=1564&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210703 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Black Screenwriter Cometh 07/03/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T182344Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:304-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Black Screenwriter Cometh 07/03/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n In my experience\, less than ten percent of the black writers I have talked to throughout my lifetime have read or written a screenplay. The question is why? \n\n I do not know exactly\, I can not give a roadm ap but I have ideas. \n\n I will go back... when I was a kid\, multiple t imes my parents took me to see plays. August Wilson\, Black theaters aroun d harlem. They never took me to see a white play\, defined as a play writt en by a white person. Sequentially\, I saw black art not merely from one p erspective. This parallels my constant rant on black fantasy\, which sums up to \, I was raised with black fantasy so I didn't see King Arthur or Be owulf or disney princesses or saturday morning cartoons as places that nee ded black fantasy cause I had it in the books in my home. \n\n I have the century cycle as part of my book collection. Why did I mention that? Many black people who say they love august wilson don't have his stageplays. A ugust Wilson wrote the plays\, in the same way Shakespeare wrote his and y es as a kid I thought of August wilson whenever we read shakespeare in cla ss. My parents have two trains running and some others as singles\, which i read during those early years. I have twilight zone scripts\, which are\ ,for me\, invaluable in seeing technique for writing scripts/screenplays.  \n\n Now my personal life means nothing to answer the initial question.  \n\n I restate\, why do less than ten percent of the black writers I tal ked to throughout my life\, offline or online\, not have read or written a screenplay? \n\n I know black writers offline who won awards for their w ork\, made revenue from their work. I have made connections with black wri ters online who have varying levels of financial return or awards to their quality. \n\n I myself prefer writing poetry more than anything else. \ n\n But\, I have written screenplays\, read them. \n\n Why have so few of my peers? \n\n While I ranted/provided background composing this I see t wo points that are undeniable. \n\n 1.Screenplays are not finished produc ts and black people in the arts in the USA\, don't like that. Ownership is a big cultural idea in the black community in the USA. It stems from cent uries of enslavement and nearly to centuries of abuse after enslavement. w hen an artwork is not finished\, it is not owned. And no screenplay is eve r finished\, it is merely the template\, no matter how elegant\, for the v ideo recorded interpretation by humans\, what is commonly called acting.\n \n 2.Screenplays structure is a thin lattice over anything goes sections. Meaning\, outside some basics\, the monolog or multilogs \, the definition of scenes are open in their definition for screenplays. Education for bla ck people in the USA after the war between the states\, ending around ten years\,  was wholly funded by whites and mostly trade or skill based in d efinition. Why ? Cause white religious organizations funded the schools an d wanted the bible to be the sole literary device for the black community. On the other side \, in the same time period you had the reading schools were all age groups were allowed to learn to read. But\, these schools wer e not interested in forming or creating a alphabet or literature for black people's various dialects of english. These schools were purposed to teac h english as accepted by  the white churches that funded most of them\, w ho desired the british english. Remember\, during that time most white peo ple were still in a literary love affair with britain. Sequentially in the USA\, the black communities first educated group\, comprehend most black people did not go to school of any kind\, had a very rigid sense of litera ture or writing. This was not \, let the gullah/geehce/creole/delta commun ities create a literature to be the foundation for the future. This was\, learn queen's english\, read the bible.  Rigidity was deeply set in how l iterature was learned in the black community. Tuskeegee or Howard are prob ably the most well known black colleges and the former was a trade school and the latter a seminary. NEither was a place where black literature or l iterature in itself was open to philosophical debate. Thus in modernity\, the legacies of those educational cultures exist in the black community. W hen you hear a black say\, as I have\, that their parents didn't want them to be musicians or artists\, or their parents wanted them to have a bette r work ethic. That philosophy to learning comes from the trade school\, th e religious school. Which is the founding place for all black fraternitiei s or sororities. What does this have to do with the structure of a screenp lay. LEarning for black people in the past 160 years\, circa\, is constrai ned. With poetry\, whose forms all have rules\, or prose\, that has accept ed structures\, it is easy for the black educated populace to adhere to th ose rules. But\, with a screenplay\, you are not in error if you don't do it like another\, and that simple truth\, is uncomfortable for many black writers\, who like to be right. If you are going to play the game\, you ha ve to know its rules and abide by them\, but what happens when the rules a re open for interpretation. Can you imagine\, can you accept that? \n\n\n \n from\n\n\n\n Richard Murray\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1565&\;type=statu s\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210703 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Character Copyright 07/16/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T183807Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:306-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Character Copyright 07/16/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT S IN ARTICLE\n\n Fan fiction is a hot button for many professional writers . Broadly speaking\, if the fan fiction is written by a non-professional a nd is non-commercial then it is more likely to be considered fair use\, an exception to infringement. However\, even if the work is not professional and not commercial\, many writers consider fan fiction an infringement.\n \n My purpose in writing this post is to make writers aware that their cha racters can have individual protections. It is a concept that should be co nsidered when licensing the work\, in an option agreement for instance. I have seen requests from producers to option not just the work\, but certai n characters in the work. Writers need to consider how they want to deal w ith those requests when they come. You do not need a multi-million dollar franchise to start thinking about it.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I will say one th ing first\, lawyers always reveal the most interesting legal battles in va rious subjects. I knew of none of these incidents. Thank you Ms/Mrs Goldma n and as always thank you Jane Friedman for sharing. \n\n I admit I wante d to have my first fan fiction this year and I failed. I like to create so mething I never did before each year.  But this article made me realize I made two errors. \n\n My first error was my inability to make a fan fict ion. I am an original creator and every time I tried i kept making a world or characters that have no plot connection to the source fiction or chara cters. Imagine a story supposed to be set in the same world as harry potte r but is primarily concerned with a magical detective agency in calcutta d uring the mughal era where the magicians don't use wands and the plot neve r goes to europe or the usa or mentions any spells in harry potter or any of the references of the movies or books. Is that fan fiction? or merely f iction that a writer has to say is based in the harry potter world?   \n \n But after this article\, I made a second. I didn't put enough thought i nto the whole activity of fan fiction\, especially to work that is not in a public domain. I am glad I failed to continue the use of the world or ch aracters in the material I wanted to make fan fiction for. I still will li ke to try it. but I will start with a better dialog with the author. that is first \n\n\n\n from\n\n\n\n Richard Murray\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Are Fictional Characters Protected Under Copyright Law?\n\n July 14\, 2021 by Kathryn Goldman\n\n\n\n Today’s post is from intellectual property atto rney Kathryn Goldman (@KathrynGoldman) of the Creative Law Center.\n\n\n\n Jack Ryan\, the analytical\, yet charming CIA analyst\, made an appearanc e in federal court in Maryland earlier this year. The heirs to Tom Clanc y’s literary legacy are fighting over him. Unlike in the movies\, he’s not in a great position to fight back.\n\n\n\n It all started when Clancy signed the publishing deal for The Hunt for Red October where Jack Ryan m ade his debut in 1984. In a departure from common practice\, Clancy transf erred his copyright in Red October to the publisher. A few years later\, C lancy realized his mistake and was able to negotiate return of the copyrig ht for the book. He immediately transferred the reverted copyright to his company.\n\n\n\n Here’s the crux of the current court battle: When Clanc y mistakenly transferred his copyright in the book Red October to the orig inal publisher\, did the copyright to the character Jack Ryan go with it? Or did Clancy retain the character copyright? In normal practice\, the sal e of the right to publish a copyrighted story does not stop the author fro m using its characters in future works.\n\n\n\n If Clancy retained the rig hts to the character when he signed the initial publishing contract\, then the rights that reverted from the publisher would not have included the c opyright for the character. The reverted rights Clancy turned around and t ransferred into his company would not have included the character rights. All of which means that the character\, Jack Ryan\, is part of Clancy’s estate and not controlled by the company he set up.\n\n\n\n Jack Ryan is a valuable character with his own copyright separate from the copyright in the book. Everybody concerned\, the owners of the company and the heirs to the estate\, wants a piece of him\, or all of him. And it’s not clear w here Mr. Ryan currently resides.\n\n\n\n Fictional characters are not list ed in the copyright statute as a separate class of protectable work. There ’s no application at the Copyright Office for them. But over the years\, the law on character protection has evolved.\n\n\n\n Courts have held\, i n certain circumstances\, that fictional characters are protectable in the ir own right.\n\n\n\n This is important because characters with independen t copyright can be licensed separately from the stories in which they orig inally appeared. It’s another way for authors to divide their rights to create multiple income streams. That’s the beauty of copyright. It’s d ivisible. An author can keep some rights and license others. It’s what C lancy did and his company/estate is still doing with the Jack Ryan franchi se.\n\n\n\n Not every character can be protected by copyright. Stock chara cters cannot be protected—a drunken old bum\, a slippery snake oil sales man\, a hooker with a heart of gold\, a wicked stepmother\, a gypsy fortun e teller\, and so on. They are essentially ideas for characters\, vague an d lightly sketched. Copyright does not give anyone a monopoly on ideas. Pr otecting stock characters would prevent as yet untold stories from being t old. Depriving the world of new stories is exactly the opposite of what co pyright is intended to promote—the creation of more stories\, more art.\ n\n\n\n A character must be well delineated to be protected.\n\n It must h ave consistent and identifiable character traits and attributes so it is r ecognizable wherever it appears. Think James Bond and his distinctive char acter traits: his cool demeanor\; his overt sexuality\; his love of martin is “shaken\, not stirred”\; his marksmanship\; his “license to kil l”\; his physical strength\; and his sophistication. Bond is protected b y copyright. The Bond character is identifiable regardless of who depicts him.\n\n\n\n Defining the well-delineated character can be difficult. Char acters that are central to a story tend to change. They evolve. They are b uilt up throughout the book until they are fully formed in the mind of the reader. Without character transformation there is no hero’s journey\, n o story. Characters can become more delineated and more protectable over t he course of a series of books. Bond developed over the course of 14 books written by Ian Fleming and continues to develop on film.\n\n\n\n Characte rs that are less developed are less likely to be protected. Those characte rs are less expression and more idea. There’s a gray area that needs to be navigated when balancing the protection for original characters but lea ving character ideas in the public domain free for all to use.\n\n\n\n Pub lic domain characters cannot be protected\n\n But new characters created f rom public domain works can be protected. Consider Enola Holmes\, the youn ger sister of Sherlock. The Sherlock Holmes stories have been slipping int o the public domain for years now\, to the chagrin of the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle. The creative elements of Sherlock Holmes stories that are in the public domain can be used by others to build new stories.\n\n\n\n Eno la Holmes was introduced to readers in a series of young adult books writt en by Nancy Springer. Enola does not exist in the Conan Doyle canon\; she was created by Springer. She has distinctive traits (high intelligence\, k een observational skills and insight\, skills in archery\, fencing\, and m artial arts\, an independent thinker who defies Victorian norms for women) that combine to make her well delineated and protectable.\n\n\n\n Another wrinkle: “The story being told” test\n\n The “well delineated cha racter” is the most widely accepted legal test used to decide whether a fictional character is protected by copyright\, but it is not the only one . The other is “the story being told” test. Sam Spade is responsible f or this test.\n\n\n\n Dashiell Hammett created Sam Spade when he wrote The Maltese Falcon. Hammett licensed the exclusive rights to use the book in movies\, radio\, and television to Warner Brothers. Hammett later wrote ot her stories with Sam Spade. Warner Bros. complained that it owned exclusiv e rights to the character and Hammett couldn’t write about him anymore.\ n\n\n\n Ironically\, the court protected Hammett’s right as the creator to use Sam Spade in future stories by deciding that the character was not protected by copyright. Sam Spade is just a vehicle for telling the story and is not the story itself. He is the chessman in the game of telling the story. It was the story that was licensed to Warner Bros.\, not the chess man.\n\n\n\n A character is protected under the “story being told” tes t when he dominates the story in a way that there would be no story withou t him. This test sets a high bar for character protection. To protect the character\, the story would essentially have to be a character study. The Maltese Falcon is not a character study of Sam Spade.\n\n\n\n An example o f character protection using the “story being told test” is the Rocky franchise. A screenwriter wrote a story on spec using the characters Rocky \, Adrian\, Apollo Creed\, and Paulie. The work was considered to be an in fringing use of the characters. The characters were protected because the movies focused on the characters and their relationships\, not on intricat e plot or story lines. The characters were the story being told. The write r could not avoid the infringement touchpoint of substantial similarity wh en he took the characters and used them in a new storyline.\n\n\n\n In sum mary\n\n Fictional characters can lead a new and independent life complete ly separate from the original work in which they appear. They are an addit ional creative asset in a writer’s intellectual property portfolio. Ther e is no straight forward way to register for character protection with the Copyright Office other than as part of the larger work. Authors will be w ell served to think about protecting the rights in their characters when s igning publishing contracts and licensing agreements.\n\n\n\n Kathryn Gold man\n\n Kathryn Goldman is an intellectual property attorney and Editor-in -Chief at the Creative Law Center. She represents\, writes for\, and teach es creatives and entrepreneurs about copyright and content protection\, tr ademark basics and branding\, and business building. She can be reached at Kathryn@creativelawcenter.com.\n\n\n\n ARTICLE LINK\n\n https://www.janef riedman.com/are-fictional-characters-protected-under-copyright-law/\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n COMMENT ON FACEBOOK POST \n\n Wiley Saichek\n\n Jane Friedma n My client Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (we ran an excerpt from her book on writi ng a few years ago) is one of those writers who are extremely protective o f her characters and does not grant anyone the usage of her characters in fan fiction\, even in amateur publications\, not for profit outlets. From her point of view and her lawyers at the times\, distribution is a key fac tor\, not whether the infringing fan writer makes any money off of it.\n\n My personal suggestion is if anyone wants to use a character they did not create\, ask the copyright holder's permission and respect their decision . I.e. Quinn has written stories in the Holmes universe but got permission from the estate and had rules to follow.\n\n Quinn's most serious case of infringement happened in the 1990s\, she wrote two essays about it in a S F publication in 1992. In her case she was asked and said no\, and the fan writer wrote it anyway and it ran in a fanzine with a note acknowledging CQY declined permission but they were going to run it anyway and hope she will forgive them. I think they actually used three of her recurring chara cters.\n\n Many fans and writers disagree with how she handled it\, but sh e has zero sense of humor about it.\n\n\n\n FACEBOOK Link\n\n https://www. facebook.com/jane.friedman/posts/10159604823112417?__cft__[0]=AZXv6tqLEho3 qt9e6ECOp5g8Bm4JmEefiGUqUC07rvEpR6crPews6VYpt6oZ--49mda_yRlyZRU7ZZzwkjlNy5 dcdppQGrPoVf3IqR2fe0CYcoVHMDkNisftkhyxdUO_YtU&\;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profil e/6477-richardmurray/?status=1572&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n \n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210716 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:THE PROBLEM HUMANITY HAS WITH RICHARD MATHESON'S \"I AM LEGE ND\" 07/17/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T184147Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:307-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n THE PROBLEM HUMANITY HAS WITH RICHARD MATHESON'S \"I AM L EGEND\" 07/17/2021\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n THE PROBLEM HUMANITY HAS WITH RICHARD MATHESON'S \"I AM LEGEND\"\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To be honest\, the video pos ter below has flaws. I read \"I am legend\". MAtheson in the video said t he real problem and I amend it is with most of the movies\; said problem i s\,  it isn't his story.\n\n\n\n  \n \n The last man on earth\n \n\n \ n The Omega man\n \n\n \n The potential Arnold swartzenegger I am legend \n \n\n \n Will smith's I am legend\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Of those films only the last man of earth actually resembles anything to MAtheson's story . The question is\, what is matheson's story? the cheap reader thinks the story is about Neville. the wise reader knows the story is about humanity. Matheson's story post a simple question. What if a Virus kills or makes e xtremely sick all of modern humanity save one. Modern humanities technolog y fails to undue the affects from the virus . Modern humanities technology fails to stop the deaths from the virus. One human being is left alone am idst two other human being types\, the dead or the infected.\n\n\n\n Charl ton Heston/Arnold Swrzenegeer/Will Smith saw in the story\, idolatry to th e individual\, perseverance to modern humanity. But the truth is\, Neville for all of this loneliness has one great flaw. He is convinced humanity i s doomed. He is convinced humanity will die. He sees himself as the last m an.  The loneliness /his culture/the human society he was born or raised in can't comprehend the simple truth. Humanity survived. A fourth type of human exists in the book\, slowly growing in number. The civilized. Nevil le\, the dead\, the insanely infected\, the civilized carriers\, are the four human being types at the end. And Neville who has become completely u ncivilized through years or loneliness plus deadly habit plus negative cul ture he was raised in\, can not exists side the civilized carriers. Moreov er he is feared by the civilized carriers\, plausibly. I will restate but I will go to the three films that miss this. HEston's film like Will smith s negate the idea\, the primary concept\, that Neville is the last human l ike myself. Sequentially\, the big failing in telling the story from the b ook. A main plot point is that modern human society failed\, completely. I t tried\, it worked hard\, and it failed. BUT\, Nature is greater than hum an technology\, I didn't say  GOD \, I said Nature\,  and humanity as a child of nature adapted through natural means. I imagine ridley scott want ed swrazenegger to be killed by the victorious vampire-esque infected peop le. A somber thought that the studios did not like. But\, scott or the stu dios have it wrong. Humanity survived. You see\, one of the problems with human beings and the idea of apocalypse is the myth that if humanities tec hnology fails\, all is doomed. but all isn't. Women \, even infected with various ailments\, have children. Some people will act undifferent while c arrying a virus that will make others incomprehensible. NEville is so conv inced as is most of the producers of the films that humanity is finished w hen technology fails against a virus that they forget humanity is very old . A virus can kill many\, most\, but no virus ever killed all humans. No v irus has ever killed the entirety of humanity and after every single viral spread the humans who lived... lived... that is what I am legend is about . It is a creation story told from the angle of the last person from the o ld community. In my mind I can see Obatala/Zeus/Amatarasu/Quetzecoatl as h uman beings from an old community that are legends that have been given go dhood\, a controller of nature\, a very human mental construct.  Matheso n could had told the story from the angle of Ruth\, who is a child born fr om the infected who is infected herself but can live with the virus. But h e didn't want that\, the trick of the story \, is we are getting the creat ion story from the angle of the last of the old community\, the one who is legend. ... One of the finest lines in the book\, is when NEville asks r uth \, to guide the future humanity\, don't let them make the same mistake s. NEville comprehends the technology he needed to change\, to improve\, w as his culture. Culture is what you want to grow. He realize at the end\, his heritage\, what you carry was the technology that was lacking.  Not\ , epidemiology or biology or the scientific method. His culture. His abili ty to accept change he can not control or escape from or immigrate from. C hange that will destroy the community \, the humanity he knows. A culture that can accept that a new humanity will exists\, it will survive through what the old could not. And lastly\, NEville realized what all the movies\ , including even\, the last man on earth\, fail to show. NEville had a cha nce to teach\, he had a chance to guide the new humanity but he was busy b eing angry at the death of the old community that he is the last represent ative of\, angry that he was alone\, angry that no one else shared his si milar experiences\, that he spent all that time killing or hunting or tre ating the coming new human community as villains\, merely for living with a virus\, overcoming the failing from the virus\, he hated.\n\n\n\n IN AM ENDMENT\n\n\n\n Many humans last year\, 2020 \, and many humans this year\ , 2021\, are just like Robert Neville. From the beginning\, I said everyth ing will be alright last year. Not cause I am a mental expert or am wise  but cause I think toward the uncomfortable sometimes. I have learned to t hat through experience.  But most people were not communicating that exp erience. They were having the same inner monologues NEville had. Communica ting the same fears NEville had. \n\n\n\n My grand mother died\, my gran dfather died\, my mom died\, my father died\, my wife died\, my husband di ed\, my daughter died\, my son died\,my granddaughter died\, my grandfathe r died\,  the stores went out of business\, I lost my job\, I'm scared!  we need a vaccine\, we need social distancing\, we need masks\, we need re mote learning\, we need remote labor\, we need government assistance\, we need the businesses to reopen\, we need global trade to begin again\, peop le who don't act like me are stupid\, people who don't act like me are tra itors\, people who don't act like me are murderers\, people who don't act like me are dangerous... all of that talk is Neville speak. Neville is pre occupied with who has died\, what vaccine or scientific assessment or tool s he can derive\, how different the infected act compared to him. NEville has no thought that everything is alright. NEville can't simply live his l ife peacefully\, calmly\, unafraid. Why can't neville accept that if he ca n live with the virus absent masks\, absent vaccines\, absent anything eve n companionship\, that maybe others can too\, that maybe humanity can. The lesson in the story is what hollywood is too afraid to tell. what most in the paying audience\, which is not most in humanity\, are afraid to see. What if human technology or human communities all over the earth fail com pletely and humanity survives and thrives? \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n from Rich ard Murray\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https:// aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1575&\;type=status\n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210717 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Wantagh's Cat 07/14/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T183017Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:305-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Wantagh's Cat 07/14/2021\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Animal BFF \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Title: Wantagh's Cat\n\n\n\n I hear on the beach the f ollowing whisperings\n\n Asunal Oolihkmbuyal\n\n Asunal Wiipongweewal\n\n Wantagh Nzuksew\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I made a graphite drawing\, developed a poem based on that drawing\, and then an ink and then colored the ink. I wanted to use the indigenous language of NYC which is Muscee\, of the orig inal inhabitants of NYC\, where we get the words Manhattan\, Wantagh\, Mon tauk from. \n\n I do not know Muscee and I can not confirm what I read is correct. But from what I comprehend of Muscee\, I translated the followin g into Muscee\n\n\n\n \n\n The Waters are Blue\n\n The Rocks are Grey \n\ n Wantagh is Black \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n SUBMISSION\n\n https://www.deviant art.com/hddeviant/art/Animal-Best-Friend-Forever-Submission-885747866\n\n ORIGINAL INK\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Animal-Best-Frie nd-Forever-Original-INK-885748190\n\n ORIGINAL GRAPHITE\n\n https://www.de viantart.com/hddeviant/art/Animal-Best-Friend-Forever-Source-Graphite-8857 48474\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I learned the Muscee from the website the followi ng webpage is a part of\n\n http://www.native-languages.org/munsee.htm\n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-ri chardmurray/?status=1571&\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210714 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sylessae 07/01/2021 DTSTAMP:20250526T181704Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:302-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n  \n\n\n\n Sylessae 07/01/2021\n\n\n\n My submission for the Sylessae draw in your style invitational on deviantart https://www.de viantart.com/hddeviant/art/Sylessae-Draw-THis-In-Your-Style-884297630\n\n\ n\n My version of Sylessae in my calligraphic art style- look at bottom\n\ n \n\n HEre is the poem  I title: Sylessae\n\n \n\n Moon \n\n Terran Com panion\n\n Turning the solar gaze into embrace\n\n Luna\n\n L'etudiant de la vie d'existence\n\n Toujours\, silencieuse aux secrets\n\n There is a f ae\, some name Sylessae\n\n born when the moon form\, the Earth's her dorm \n\n Four verse to say\, hope she wel and fray\n\n ... Frog trrip over\, m ushroom\, plash plus slime\n\n Throat too gulp\, sound like\, a great big loom\n\n Frog trip over\, mushroom\, plash plus slime\n\n Hop to flee\, ta rsals\, felt all boom\n\n The Shadow from Sylessae\n\n tell no lies\n\n he ar Bacchae\n\n She kill in her month name may\n\n The Shadow from Sylessae  \n\n say again\n\n hear Bacchae\n\n she kill in her month name may\n\n \ n\n If you want to read more of my poetry \, please utilize the following  \n\n\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?sta tus=1560&\;type=status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20210701 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Der Tchrumpfs 08/24/2018 DTSTAMP:20250524T223956Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:301-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Der Tchrumpfs 08/24/2018\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Der Tchrumpfs \n\n\n\n Nederlandse versie\n\n\n\n door Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Boek 5 -  Richard Murray Short Story Collection\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n Een gigan tische wereld in een klein stukje witte paddenstoelen. Geen van ons weet w aar hij moet lokaliseren of vinden in onze kleurrijke wereld. Introductie\ , Der Tchrumpfs\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/nl/n l/ebook/der-tchrumpfs-1\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/nl/nl/ser ies/richard-murray-short-story-collection-1\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180824 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Gospel of Joseph 06/11/2014 DTSTAMP:20250524T223700Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:300-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Gospel of Joseph 06/11/2014\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Gospel of Joseph\n\n\n\n literature from the tradition of the earliest people we now call christian\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n The li fe of Jesus told through the words of a man unlike any other\, Joseph\, th e man who raised him. Find inspiration in this traditional telling of the life of Jesus\, from before Nicea or the Bible.\n\n\n\n book page\n\n http s://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gospel-of-joseph\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20140611 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Visasiki- Complete version 12/21/2015 DTSTAMP:20250524T223442Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:299-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Visasiki- Complete version 12/21/2015\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n The Visasiki- Complete version\n\n\n\n Listen to work from Sunset Chil dren Stories or Looking West and West\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n N arrated by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Audiobook 2 - Visasiki Series\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n Selected Tales from Sunset Children Stories\n\n\n\n The K ungaser\n\n\n\n Babal's somewhat certain dream\n\n\n\n Why Aso made her st ories and how one may have got to you\n\n\n\n Jean Britisse the Hustler\n\ n\n\n Kidobinti or Lil Binti and the Blue Dog\n\n\n\n Little Eight or The Lies of Little Eight or How Eight didn't get to Eight\n\n\n\n Ms. Nyumngu' s Freedom\n\n\n\n Selected Tales from Looking West and West\n\n\n\n The Wi sdom of the Old Blade\n\n\n\n King Warthog\n\n\n\n Water Snaker Sister\n\n \n\n The Good Man\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us /en/audiobook/the-visasiki-complete-version\n\n series page\n\n https://ww w.kobo.com/us/en/series/visasiki-series\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151221 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Visasiki- Free version 05/23/2017 DTSTAMP:20250524T223120Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:298-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Visasiki- Free version 05/23/2017\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Visasiki- Free version\n\n\n\n Listen to one work from The Visasiki co mplete\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Narrated by Richard Murray\n\n\ n\n Audiobook 1 - Visasiki Series\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n This audio boo k is free for you to get a taste to the content in The Visasiki\; it inclu de one story \,enjoy.\n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/aud iobook/the-visasiki-free-version\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/ us/en/series/visasiki-series\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170523 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poetry or More 2017 Jul-Dec 12/22/2017 DTSTAMP:20250524T222840Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:297-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Poetry or More 2017 Jul-Dec  12/22/2017\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Poetry or More 2017 Jul-Dec\n\n\n\n monthly poetry aside the astrologic al seasons in 2017 july to december\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Nar rated by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Audiobook 3 - Poetry or More\n\n\n\n Syn opsis\n\n\n\n Poetry for the months or the seasonal beginnings \, solstice or equinox or perihelion\, made in the year 2017 between july and decembe r.\n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/poetry-or-mo re-2017-jul-dec\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/poet ry-or-more\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171222 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poetry or More 2017 Jan-Jun 12/22/2017 DTSTAMP:20250524T222542Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:296-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Poetry or More 2017 Jan-Jun  12/22/2017\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \n Poetry or More 2017 Jan-Jun\n\n\n\n monthly poetry aside the astrologic al seasons in 2017 january to june\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Narr ated by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Audiobook 2 - Poetry or More\n\n\n\n Syno psis\n\n\n\n Poetry for the months or the seasonal beginnings \, solstice or equinox or perihelion\, made in the year 2017 between january and june. \n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/poetry-or-more -2017-jan-jun\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/poetry -or-more\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171222 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poetry or More 2015-2016 12/22/2017 DTSTAMP:20250524T222333Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:295-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Poetry or More 2015-2016  12/22/2017\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Poetry or More 2015-2016\n\n\n\n monthly poetry aside the astrological sea sons in 2015 and 2016\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Narrated by Rich ard Murray\n\n\n\n Audiobook 1 - Poetry or More\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n Poetry for the months or the seasonal beginnings \, solstice or equinox\, made in the year 2015 or 2016\, started in June 2015.\n\n\n\n book page\n\ n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/poetry-or-more-2015-2016\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/poetry-or-more\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171222 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Janidogo 11/11/2013 DTSTAMP:20250524T221507Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:293-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Janidogo 11/11/2013\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The Janidogo\n \n\n\n the continued adventure from 'To Love and To Hold'\n\n\n\n by Rich ard Murray\n\n\n\n Book 1 - JIHI\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n Love is a beaut iful thing\, seen everywhere plus everywhere not seen. Sometimes\, it has challenges. The biggest being the lies we tell ourselves or the truths tha t can't be changed. Eme and Henshaw dealt with this before\, when Henshaw was nearly denied to marry because of a possibility in his past\, and when Eme was nearly denied because of a possbility Henshaw didn't want to see. What if\, two others\, not so large of body\, and far older in time\, hav e a similar problem.\n\n\n\n \"To Love and to Hold\" was directed by Ndubu isi Okoh. It starred Kate Henshaw-Nuttal\, Michael Okon\, Fred Essien\, Jo ke Silva\, Mariatherese Rogers\, Karian Abasimfon\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-janidogo\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/jihi\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20131111 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Concrete Fables 12/26/2020 DTSTAMP:20250524T220837Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:292-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Concrete Fables 12/26/2020\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Concrete Fa bles\n\n\n\n illustrated lessons from the urban jungle\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Book 4 - Richard Murray Short Story Collection\n\n\n\n Sy nopsis\n\n\n\n Illustrations of moral lessons from the Urban Jungle. A con temporary set of fables as potent as Aesop's. A fun set of fantasies to re ad anywhere.\n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/concre te-fables\n\n series page\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-mu rray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20201226 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Der Tchrumpfs 08/24/2018 DTSTAMP:20250524T220609Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:291-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Der Tchrumpfs 08/24/2018\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Der Tchrumpfs \n\n\n\n little people in orange\, no humans can see\n\n\n\n by Richard M urray\n\n\n\n Book 6 - Richard Murray Short Story Collection\n\n\n\n Syno psis\n\n\n\n A massive world \, four years old\, in a little patch of whit e mushrooms\, from little people in oragne. None of us know where to pinpo int or find them in humanity. Introducing\, Der Tchrumpfs\n\n\n\n book pag e\n\n https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/der-tchrumpfs\n\n series page\n\n h ttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180824 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Poetry or more 12/22/2017 DTSTAMP:20250524T220414Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:290-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Poetry or more 12/22/2017\n\n\n\n Poetry or more\n\n\n\n Poetry of the months or seasons \, 2015 to 2017 text only\n\n\n\n by Rich ard Murray\n\n\n\n Book 3 - Richard Murray Short Story Collection\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n Seasonal or astrological poetry from Richard Murray <\ ; HDDeviant on Deviantart>\; between 2015 and 2017\, each month\, main a strological events\, text only.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n book page\n\n https://w ww.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/poetry-or-more-1\n\n series page\n\n https://www.k obo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171222 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Looking West and West 12/21/2014 DTSTAMP:20250524T220201Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:289-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Looking West and West 12/21/2014\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Looki ng West and West\n\n\n\n Fables you never heard of before\, Riddles to tic kle your eroticism\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Book 2 - Richard Mu rray Short Story Collection\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n Fables inspired by St raparola\, refering to the cultures of Africa\, introductions to character s or worlds you never read before.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n book page\n\n https: //www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/looking-west-and-west\n\n series page\n\n https ://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20141221 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Sunset Children Stories 05/13/2013 DTSTAMP:20250524T215939Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:288-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Sunset Children Stories 05/13/2013\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Sun set Children Stories\n\n\n\n Modern versions of Tales from Africa\, Asia\, Americas\, Europe or ancient Humanity\n\n\n\n by Richard Murray\n\n\n\n Book 1 - Richard Murray Short Story Collection\n\n\n\n Synopsis\n\n\n\n A Collection of Modernized Fables and Tales. The Tales are based on Black t ales from the Americas\, Asia\, Africa or Europe. The Fables are based on Aesop. No one will enjoy every fable or tale in the collection\, but every one will fall in love with one.\n\n\n\n FABLES\n\n\n\n The Squirrel and th e Credit Card\n\n\n\n The Boy who say Cop\n\n\n\n The Cat and the Mice\n\n \n\n The Ceiling and other parts of the Room\n\n\n\n Two Schoolboys and th e Bully\n\n\n\n The Pigeon in Borrowed Feathers\n\n\n\n The Street Cat and the Stray Kitten\n\n\n\n The Pigeon in Hawk Feathers\n\n\n\n The Roach Fa mily and the Mouse\n\n\n\n The Pigeon\, the Dog\, and the Cat\n\n\n\n The Sparrow and the Water Fountain\n\n\n\n The Spider and the Roach\n\n\n\n Th e Street Dog\, the Rat\, and the Squirrel\n\n\n\n The Two Cats\n\n\n\n The Parent and the Butterfly\n\n\n\n The Boy and the Bee\n\n\n\n The Plastic Bag and the Leaf\n\n\n\n The Boy and the Slice of Pizza\n\n\n\n The Street Cat and the Crow\n\n\n\n The Mouse and the Potato Chips\n\n\n\n The Cat a nd the Sick Dog\n\n\n\n The Cat and the Seagull\n\n\n\n The Pigeon and the Blue Jay\n\n\n\n The Sparrows who wanted a President\n\n\n\n The Golden G rass\n\n\n\n The Honest Hustler\n\n\n\n The Dog and the Kitten\n\n\n\n The Street Cat and the Butterfly\n\n\n\n The Eagle's share\n\n\n\n The Dog\, the Cat\, and the Mice\n\n\n\n The Proud Bully\n\n\n\n The Squirrel and it 's nuts\n\n\n\n The Old Skyscraper\n\n\n\n The City Wind and the Sun\n\n\n \n The Bus Stop Sign and the Garbage Can\n\n\n\n The Cab Driver and the Ho meless man\n\n\n\n The Fly and the Earthworm\n\n\n\n The Squirrel and the Seagulls\n\n\n\n The Pigeon and the Butterfly\n\n\n\n The Park Mouse and t he Apartment Mouse\n\n\n\n The Trees and the Dandelion\n\n\n\n The Two Bot tles\n\n\n\n The Two Dogs\n\n\n\n The Stone Wall\n\n\n\n Is that a statue of Adam?\n\n\n\n The Spider and the Butterfly\n\n\n\n The Dog and the Spar row\n\n\n\n The Gambler and the Arctic Tern\n\n\n\n The Mice Election\n\n\ n\n The Dog and the Homeless Man\n\n\n\n The Dog in the Community Park\n\n \n\n The Girl and the drowned Cellphone\n\n\n\n The Dog and the Cat\n\n\n\ n The Bamboo and the Blackberry Tree\n\n\n\n The Young Crow and the Old Sp arrow\n\n\n\n From the Computer to the Cell Phone\n\n\n\n The Young Girl a nd her candy book\n\n\n\n The Twins and the Video Game\n\n\n\n The Street Mouse and the Apartment Mouse\n\n\n\n The Old Man and the Squirrel\n\n\n\n The Bedbug and the Pigeon\n\n\n\n The Toilet and the Sink\n\n\n\n FABLES APPENDIXES\n\n\n\n Aesop Fable List\n\n\n\n Non Aesop Fable List\n\n\n\n M oral List\n\n\n\n TALES\n\n\n\n Obata and the Great Will\n\n\n\n Babal's s omewhat certain dream\n\n\n\n The three evenings with Ogu\n\n\n\n Shango t he Murderer\n\n\n\n The First Star in the Sky\n\n\n\n Why Aso made her sto ries and how one may have got to you\n\n\n\n The Ghedi ring or Mahongo's r ing\n\n\n\n Kofi and the kindnesses or Marie-Claire's voice\n\n\n\n Jean B ritisse the Hustler\n\n\n\n Jonas Caballo\n\n\n\n Renren's very drunk birt hday present\n\n\n\n The John Henry's\n\n\n\n The Princess of Mashariki Ny ota\n\n\n\n Kidobinti or Lil Binti and the Blue Dog\n\n\n\n Manuel's appli cation\n\n\n\n The really Really late Jake and why it matters so\n\n\n\n L ittle J and Big J\n\n\n\n Willy's bicycle route\n\n\n\n If you just ask\n\ n\n\n The Alley\n\n\n\n Little Eight or The Lies of Little Eight or How Ei ght didn't get to eight\n\n\n\n Little Girl and Brother Kitty\n\n\n\n The Loving Water\n\n\n\n Ms. Nyumngu's freedom\n\n\n\n The honesty of Nyeusi\n \n\n\n Ajabu and the Majimke\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n book page\n\n\n\n https:// www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sunset-children-stories\n\n\n\n series page\n\n h ttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/series/richard-murray-short-story-collection\n\n \n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20130513 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Calligraphy Mirror- Kiss of a dagger 07/14/2019 DTSTAMP:20250524T215231Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:286-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Calligraphy Mirror- Kiss of a dagger 07/14/2019\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Title: Calligraphy Mirror- Kiss of a dagger\n\n\n\n Artist: me\ n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Original Posting\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry /194-richard-murray-creative-table/page/5/?tab=comments#comment-574\n\n\n\ n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190714 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Summer Bank Centennial PostCard/Wellington Wells 08/10/2018 DTSTAMP:20250524T214813Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:285-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Summer Bank Centennial PostCard/Wellington Wells 08/10/20 18\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My Wellington Wells We happy few postcard entry is s et. Do you know the references? The competition still has time to submit i f you are interested.\n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Sum mer-Bank-Centennial-PostCard-Wellington-Wells-758711598?ga_submit_new=10%3 A1533870702\n\n\n\n Original Posting\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/en try/194-richard-murray-creative-table/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-441\n\n \n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180810 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Me Maplelized 08/08/2018 DTSTAMP:20250524T214505Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:284-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Me Maplelized 08/08/2018\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I finished th e Maple Story MApleize me contest entry. Enjoy the coloring pages to my en try\, if you are part of my email newsletter. If you go for it\, you still have a solid day in time\, please share. Here is the link to my entry. \ n\n\n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Me-Maplelized-758393673?g a_submit_new=10%3A1533699970 \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n For the record\, the fol lowing link is to my original informing to the contest https://aalbc.com/ tc/blogs/entry/194-richard-murray-creative-table/?page=4&\;amp\;tab=com ments#comment-437\n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs /entry/194-richard-murray-creative-table/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-439\ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180808 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:A WHITE HOUSE CAROL 12/02/2016 assumed\, may be earlier- I didn't note the exact date DTSTAMP:20250524T214248Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:283-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n A WHITE HOUSE CAROL 12/02/2016 assumed\, may be earlier- I didn't note the exact date\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n \n A White Ho use Carol \n \n\n \n \n From  \n \n \n\n \n \n Richard Murray \ n \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n In the morning and afternoon\, in Christmas eve\, in the year two thousand and seventeen: tweets\, blog s\, news anchors\, or other modern media personnel utter out variances t o President Trump\; the year\, is near complete\, when the President try t o climb above: rigid governing party line\, violent tribalism\, backstabb ing factions\, or other negative partitioning structures throughout human ity\; but he fail in making positive partitioning structures\, while ever increasing problems generate from the early or hopeful deals\; now\, dedic ate to making a deal that will win all\, he is in his bad alone\; demand f rom his doctor can not be ignore\; he stay awake while the moon peer in his temporary home and eventually he fall into sleep\, and the clock stri ke ten. ...  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump feel a pinch on his left foot\, and shuffle\; easy to incense\, he notice a light fi gure and look to call the secret service.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n \n\n\n \n \"Why do you modern presidents always do that\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump expect to hear a voice through the phone \; none arrive after many button are press\, and he calm his nerves\; his eye set to the light figure\, and he notice a human visage\; he cry out to his guard. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"I have all night\, which is as long as you want it\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \ n \"Don't hurt me\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You have already hurt yourself... but I am here to guide you\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump collect his thoughts and say: \"who are you ?\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Monroe... James Monroe\ "  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump think for moments \n \ n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You had us align chronologically in the hall\, sequentially I am between Madison and Quincy Adams\"  \n \n\n \n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump still ponder \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"That does not matter\, do you have an idea to why I am here\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Not at all\, really ... I really don't\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"I am her e to warn you\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Warn me about what?!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The eyelids from the light figure close and it grimace extremely  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"It is amazing how the living is free from the pain absent  time while treasuring a handful from moments in their life\"  \n \n\n\n \n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump is in disconnect or confuse. Monroe t urn round and set his back to Trump. Trump jump out from his bed to the door\, witnessing creatures eat the entire backside from James Monroe.   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Do not fear them Trump\, but hee d their warning!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"And what i s that... Monroe\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"The harshn ess that your eventuality can bring\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n \n \n \"Listen\, I don't understand\, I really do not comprehend\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Of Course you do not\, none of us d id...\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Monroe turn to the wind ow and a loud shriek come into the room.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\ n\n\n \n \"What was that!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \" That was Jackson\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Andrew Jac kson\, I don't believe it\, he was a great president\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Great... yes\, he was great\, but you confuse g reat to good\, you see his deals\, domination\, expansions\, and you see p ower\, prestige\, but side that was cruelty\, treachery\, sinful pride\, a hardness that never bent... and so he bends now... look!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump go onto his bed and hide under sheets  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You can not hide from the tru th\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump\, encase in covers\, is raise above the bed\; he cry out: \"what are you doing?!\"  \n \n\n\ n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Nothing... you still do not see\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The cover about Trump is peel away an d a thing\, pull his arms out\, while in the air\; and\, pull his eyelids back\; he shrieks seeing Andrew Jackson bent like a taco being burn or fro zen in various places.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Do you see now Trump...\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Monroe poin t to another place and Trump is place there. In terror Trump say: \"Who is that!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"It is John Tyler... do you recall him\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump turn away and say:\"no\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"He made a choice to betray those whom he was supposed to stand by\, instead he trie d to appease those that did not like him and in that imbalance\, as you ca n see\, many people were tore apart from those that was part to who they w ere\, now he has to continually tear at his body\, bands from one side to the other\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump squeeze his e yes shut after hearing Tyler cry louder\; the spirit tear at itself\, left hand to right torso or right hand to left torso\, tearing roughly while s kin fall or blood spill. Trump is set down. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n \n\n\n \n \"Am I in hell?\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Calm yourself\, you are alive and getting a chance to make your passed t ime better\, you are not in hell\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"But I don't get this at all... did my predecessor have a night like this\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Why didn't he say something?\"  \n \n\n\n\ n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Would you had listened or had any respect to the man\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump look down   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Of course now\, besides you do n't see the cause to this\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"W hat is the cause!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"The presi dency itself\, the position like all powerful chairs binds whomever sit in it. Some chairs let you dream the lies you made or keep you isolated side your biggest failure... this chair torments you using your errors\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Monroe approach Trump and offer\, the mortal\, a comfort or pat on the back. Trump jitter nervously.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Don't you see\, none of us can man ipulate you\, only guide you hoping you will see what you have to do and I see you will have a long night... to that end you will be visited tonig ht by three ghosts: purpose\, community\, truth and it is time for me to g o\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"But wait Monroe\, if you always do this\, why not come earlier\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n \n\n \n \"I do not always do this\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\ n \n \"But why come here then\, you are not my ancestor... why not Washi ngton\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"It is simple\, you ar e most like me... like you\, I wanted to bring Columbia back to what I tho ught was a greater time... I did not see\, how many were hurt from cruel p eople I empowered through my plan to bring everyone together. I learned th at uniting all peoples can not occur on one people's terms or ... or... you get these creatures knowing at all I don't see including my own rever se... if any of us match a new president\, the chair choose us to warn you on Christmas Eve\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Monroe sudd enly yell and scream\; the creatures are bigger on her back while\, a thin g\, lift him to beyond the window\, about his peer.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \ n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump go to the window and in horror see Abraham Linc oln\; the father to the Republican party melting away from a blob like t hing emanating form his skull\; he notice Monroe is set face up while the creatures attach to a void\; he call out to Monroe\, but the pain overt ook the spirit.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump step back and notice the thing whose own skin is trying to suffocate it is Thomas J efferson\; he only notice through a moment to normal as the skin grow back and peel off into the mouth from Jefferson.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump turn and jump into bed. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n \n\n\n \n \"Mad spirit... bah humbug\, that is the stupidest thing ever\, I will find out who did this and they will pay\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The light dim and return to the state before\, while t he: howls\, yells\, or screams fade.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\ n \n \"I need a drink... some nice egg nog\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n And Trump put on his slippers and prepare to travel the hallway\; he open the door and people are sitting all about on a lawn. Tru mp rush to go back into the room and close the door.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Donald Trump!\": announce a booming voice\; aga in\, it speak the same.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump r un to his bed\, slippers on\, and hide under the cover\; after moments\, h e hear a voice say: \"you can not evade me\, my purpose is clear\" \; an d some grab the covers and pull them off him.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n   \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump sense bright light and know his room is not present\ ; he say: \"please don't hurt me\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The voice gently say: \"Monroe told you the truth and you can not st op this so the harder you make my situation\, the longer and more painful it will be for you\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump open his eyelids and see the lawn where people sit\, surround his bed\; he ask  worryfull: \"who are you?\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n A voice from a person standing behind a podium in a distance speak:\"come here and you will learn\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trum p walk between two long columns in a narrow isle\, not a seat empty\, eve ry face look to him\; a little fatigue he try to see\, looking to the hori zon\, where any row end\; but none seem to end.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Come on Trump... you can make it\, you walked far less than this\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump reach the po dium and the man put out his hand.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Welcome Trump\, I am William Henry Harrison\, your ghost of Christm as purpose\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"I don't recall your presidency\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes\, most do not know of it. I caused my death in a place like this\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Assassination\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n   \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Well\, yes\, through natural forces... they were the bul let\, the gun was my love to speaking\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n \n\n \n \"I am a pretty good motivator\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n \n\n\n \n \"... well\, remember that essay in the New York Times\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Listen\, I spoke the truth\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Ha ha ha... yes\, you spoke as you saw fit\, the most truthful intention... but not the truth in the scenario \"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Ok listen\, I am a pretty smart guy\, where is my past\, where is that woman that I mistreated... wh o I grew up with\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Ha... yes\ , you still do not see. This is not Dicken's fable. this is real. you were given a choice already\, a choice in every moment in your life\, but you failed to choose positively to yourself side others\, usually only to your self\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"I don't have to listen to this\, this is ridiculous\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump try to walk away but is unable to.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n \n\n\n \n \"You were told\, the chair has decided\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n   \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Well can I just talk to the chair then\, and foreg o talking to you or your two friend\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n \n \n \"No but I will help you\, as talking is my skill too... this chair started when Opechanacanough\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Who!\" \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"An old native leader ... on his death bed cursed whoever led the English colonist\"  \n \n\ n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"But what does that have to do with the U.S.A.\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Patience\, please d o not interrupt like that... led the English colonist to suffer the pain from all their failure as he id in his life\, to his own\, that Engli sh colony\, Virginia\, would be led from George Washington who would be t he first president to the U.S.A.\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"So because of Virginia\, the U.S.A. has to suffer?\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"No because of those european... White colon ists\, presidents will suffer long after they think they can not\"  \n \ n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"That guy was a fool\, should had use d his magic to win a victory\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Magic\, mathematics\, science... all mean knowledge\, how often has huma nity used the knowledge it is modernly eager to acquire to positive use... not vain\, individualistic goals that hurt others\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n   \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You do what you gotta do\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes a saying that seem very purposeful yet lack mentioning the sacrifice to undo what others did before\"  \n \n\n\n\n \ n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You have said your case\, is that it\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"No you have some more guest\"  \ n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"If they are like you\, this shoul d be a cakewalk\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Why do you say that?\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You are just stan ding in front of this immense crowd\, not great cause no one is talking\, but a great crowd\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You do no t see\, my talking caused my death\, got pneumonia\, lasted for a few week s\, from my own memory\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"So t he chair is unfair to punish you\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"No\, when you accept a chair like this\, the time spent is irrelevan t\, and my punishment is my mouth\, every time I talk another person is ad ded\, the columns or rows grow\, I am surrounded by all the possibilities my pride or vanity did not allow\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"These people are not people you know\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"No\, they are people my lack of purpose did not make happe n. And that is my point to you Trump. Be purposeful\, vain advertisements do nothing except lead to a quicker death\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n A person in the front row get up. Trump shuffle frightingly. Harrison say: \"remember\" as he side Trump are surround from the former s itters\; they brush past Trump but the first one nearest Harrison hit the ghost in the face\; and the mob assault Harrison through: rips\, pulls\, h its\, bites\, kicks\; they each hit any part to the body they can access while Harrison wail. Trump see people at the horizon in every angle\, rio tous\; he step back in fear to the refrigerator in the kitchen\; it take m oments for him to cognize his position\; he open the refrigerator door\, hurrying\, and lift liquor to his lips.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\ n\n\n \n A door open and Trump cry out: \"please leave me be\"  \n \n\n \n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Sir\": say a secret service agent. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Oh... I apologize Jim... Listen\, c an you walk me back to my room\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Of course Mr. President... is everything all right\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes... lets walk... how is your family\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"They are fine sir\, we will enjo y tomorrow\, got a good surprise for the kids\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Good\, good... well listen\, come with me into my roo m\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Sir\, step back\, give me a moment\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The secret service agent communicate to others as Trump stand in the hall way\; Trump watch him go into the room\; Trump notice a secret service man in front to him\, suddenly.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"It is okay sir\": say a secret service agent behind Trump\, startling him.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The door to Trump room open and Jim usher the President in.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Do you want me to stay in the room sir\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes Jim\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump go into his bed\, and relax\, certain no spirit will make itself known\, now that a guard is present\; he slowly rest or relax\; before he can nod off he hear a tap\; he try to ignore his fear and hear more taps. Trump open his eyelids and see a man he cognize tapping Jim.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \ n \"Herbert Hoover\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes\, I am glad you know me\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You we re a winner and it is nice knowing you are similar to me\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Not in personal terms Trump. I was an engine er\, a fiscal operator who never went bankrupt on fiscal maturity. Did you ever think to learn architecture\, or engineering a building construction ?\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump is frustrate: \"then what do we have in common\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"W e both believe... had faith in business\, in individuality overcoming coll ective woes\, especially in this country\, we are both businessmen\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"We are both right\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"This is not about right or wrong Trump\, it is a curse\, and we both do not or at least I never saw the truth. Fiscal prosperity\, growth benefited us both personally\, made life seem like a win if only government get out of the way\, as in your bankruptcy\, I did not see how greater fiscal allowance never gained the collective value but only disempowered the fiscally poor more\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"That stance on prohibition was a bad call\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes\, but one I made\, cause like you\, I ta lked community only in spirit\, not in function and in trying to favor gov ernment responsibility in the cultural aspects I neglected many who never had the means to fly or allowed by their fellows to do so... efficiency... efficiency to the enabled is blocked by the successful inefficient\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"So your my ghost to Christma s community\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes\"  \n \n \n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Jim suddenly fall and break into piece s.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"It is alright\, your frien d is safe\, just a scare tactic\, but it is not for you\"  \n \n\n\n\n \ n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump is in a puzzlement while Hoover bend over and slowly progress to the floor. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Are you still here Trump?!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Yes... oh god\, oh god your blind\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n \n\n \n \"I can not see you any more\, or feel your skin... as you may guess my pain is to hurt form what I can not stop\, hinder\, or prepare t o\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trump watch Hoover crawl on the broken pieces\, that is Jim\, blood dripping and yet unable to cry out or feel the shards position. Trump turn away from the horror\, kneelin g to pray or bed or wail. Thunder sound\, wind howls all about Trump\; he rise from a kneeling position on the white house lawn\; a man appear be fore him\; and he say:\"you are not death or the ghost of Christmas futu re\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"No\, I am your ghost of  Christmas truth\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"And what is your pain?\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Simple to se e truth\, totally throughout my soul\, unable to discard or hide it\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Well what do you want to tal k about\, certainly not my essays or finance\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"As you have guessed\, your campaign\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"What happened is in the past\, aren't you here to give me a chance to be better\, if I can't escape the curse\, why do this\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You still do not se e... like you I did not see truth. I saw signs the rules from my past or i n my present were cracking\, and I lied to myself about what needed to be done. In the end my actions to maintain order or justice led to alot of pain\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Well\, can I go now\ "  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"I hope you see\, your post mortem pain is inescapable\, but if you lessen it\, you may make the wait easier\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"The wait\, to what !\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"To the destruction of the chair\, which can only happen when Opechanacanough's curse is satisfied \"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"But from all the talk I heard tonight from you lame spirits\, no deal is possible\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Your wrong... we may get lucky and a truly positive or great leader may arrive or...\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Or what\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Or t he U.S.A.  falls\, absent a community to govern the chair is nothing\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Well\, that will not happen in my lifetime!\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"The truth is\ , I do not know but I saw quite a few presidents before you and... you giv e me hope\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n A complete lightnes s totally surround Trump or the spirit. Trump ponder\, looking round.  \ n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"This is energy from the chair\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"I thought evil was black\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You know already\, evil come in all colors... and I leave you to what you wanted an audience too\"   \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Wait! I get to go home yes... I really got work to do\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You m ust stay\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The spirit begin to fade. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"Who are you?!\"  \n \n\ n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n \"You can call me Pierce... never forget \, acting against the truth will lead to fire\, unconsumable fire to the c hair\"  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n The spirit\, name Pierce \, merge into the lightness. \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n  \n \n\n\n\n \n Trum p feel hear as the lightness approach\; his hand burn as it get closer and he scream and scream and scream... and wake while the sun beam on his f ace. Trump sit up silent or disquiet\; he wonder to his guest and is start le when his Christmas day breakfast come in.  \n \n\n\n\n \n  \n   \n \n\n\n\n \n Later\, in the morning\, Kelly Anne Conway is about to sta rt the morning tweet plan when she is halt from President Trump\; and he s ay: \"It is time to speak to the press about my new plan\"\; she ask:\"Wha t is the basics?\"\; and he reply... \n \n\n \n  \n \n\n \n \n  The Beginning\n \n\n\n\n \n  \n \n\n \n Check out my ebooks- the free one i s noted\, please read/enjoy/give me your response:\n Sunset Children Stor ies: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sunset-children-stories  \n Look ing West and West: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/looking-west-and-wes t  \n Janidogo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-janidogo  \n T he Gospel of Joseph: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gospel-of-joseph   \n The Nyotenda FREE : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-nyoten da   Includes a comic. The following link is an excerpt LINK\n \n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Original Post\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/e ntry/133-a-white-house-carol/\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161202 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Jaeger 06/12/2028 DTSTAMP:20250524T213554Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:281-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Jaeger 06/12/2028\n\n\n\n Okay\, here is my Jaeger submis sion. I had three conceptsm first which i liked alot but didn't really fit the narrative was Old Jaeger Park. The second was the Legendary Central P ark Five\, whose story I wrote\, and comic\, whosei did not finish. The la st idea was a superway. In each idea\, i wanted to do something else with JAegers\, old used Jaegers/another kind of interwoven wireless neurologica l system using also history revisioning\, and lastly\, just another kind o f city. In the films\, like most big mecha or being films\, cities seem de signed ignorant to these things running around that will create damage. so \, instead of a regular city\, what if New York City has a run way\, or wa lk way\, that is above the street mostly\, sidewalk somewhat\, and thus Ja eger can use it to travel fare more easily through the city. This also coi ncide to my particular Jaeger\, the Parkour Jaeger\, yes\, not a well thou ght of name. But\, the idea is this Jaeger has joints that allow for more comlicated acrobatic movement than other Jaeger. Most Jaeger are designed on the human body but when you are facing things that are reptilian or ins ect in variance\, i think you need more flexibility. the ability to turn t hrough momemtum three hundred and sixty degrees. Thus\, the nodes you can see in the image\, are as large as the limbs\, they make the Jaeger taller than average but also allow for that flexibility. In the image\, the Park Rei Jaeger... better name right?... is holding on to a section of the supe rway while it flicked another Jaeger whose beam cannon tip we see at the t op. I could had colored but I wanted to really focus on my inking as it co nnect to other plans going forward. The other element in the rules was to depict a place where you live. I took photos for reference all about new y ork city. For the Old Jaegers I took for a local park. For\, the legendary central park five i took empir estate building or world trade. For Old Ja eger park or Legendary Central PArk five i didn't have the photos I liked. i needed another angle for reference\, especially as I had wrote up the c oncept. But for the last one\, ParkRei\, i used rockefeller center. The st ructure of Rockefeller center worked in terms of my vision. It has a centr al urban feel while also some true space to get the angle i liked. Well fo r my emailers\, you will have image stills. For all look to the creating v ideos below\, yes I am still getting used to being recorded while I draw\, angle wise. The official submission is in my deviantart page. Enjoy\, i w onder what ideas you have. \n\n\n\n Development videos \n\n\n\n part1\n\ n https://photos.google.com/b/116457345954364049850/album/AF1QipMlgm4ZrJBA NbLMQ96eN21sSgxD1ZMycF9HoOY0/photo/AF1QipNJ4BpEYDumGd4hNFPnneEF8-loPXrkIsM V9Onx\n\n part2\n\n https://photos.google.com/b/116457345954364049850/albu m/AF1QipMlgm4ZrJBANbLMQ96eN21sSgxD1ZMycF9HoOY0/photo/AF1QipP4azkVA2IPqDxV_ 0OgYXlR5lQksZ8RRAVGuTM7\n\n part3\n\n https://photos.google.com/b/11645734 5954364049850/album/AF1QipMlgm4ZrJBANbLMQ96eN21sSgxD1ZMycF9HoOY0/photo/AF1 QipO4WtTc7fJ-pJqyVYkuOy52B2GEWYJ3lV0olbaM\n\n part4 \n\n https://photos.g oogle.com/b/116457345954364049850/album/AF1QipMlgm4ZrJBANbLMQ96eN21sSgxD1Z MycF9HoOY0/photo/AF1QipMQZnJTsDGvm4l6bIFC-MUVBNz2EYO4bzJmmI8I\n\n\n\n Devi antArt Submission\n\n https://hddeviant.deviantart.com/art/ParkRei-Pacific -Rim-Jaeger-Submission-749463275?ga_submit_new=10%3A1528836929\n\n\n\n I w ish more had joined me:) I will see you next time\n\n\n\n Original post\n\ n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/194-richard-murray-creative-table/p age/3/?tab=comments#comment-409\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n EMBED CODE\n\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180612 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Onmyoji 06/05/2018 DTSTAMP:20250524T213259Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:280-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Onmyoji 06/05/2018\n\n\n\n Ok\, I learned about the Onmyo ji contest on friday. While going to deviantart to look at some entries fo r the Jaeger contest. Well\, having no knowledge to the online massive mul tiplayer game Onmyoji\, and little time to conceptualize what my entry wil l be\, I came up with the following.\n\n https://hddeviant.deviantart.com/ art/Onmyoji-submission-emma-and-the-seven-748288623\n\n The idea was the c haracter emma aside seven deadly sins. I am content for such a hurried cre ation while having no thoughts to the content. In contrast\, I am a fan to gundam\, or mechas in general so the jaeger comes with more familiarity f or me. \n\n\n\n In a prior post\, I utilized links to my skydrive storage area\, but i realized upon more videos that a space limit is inevitable.  \n\n Thus\, i had to figure out where to go to place the stores. I chose google photos. Instagram or snapchat are used for personal purposes. I kn ow artists in that system but usually they focus on photos not videos. Las lty\, google photos space is the largest. \n\n AALBC is my blog place\, a nd I invite you all to join AALBC\, especially if you are artist. But\, th e black owned website\, has obvious limits to loading content like videos. \n\n\n\n Below are links to videos made as I sketched or created. My first time doing so many\, and especially while drawing. Another learning exper ience.   \n\n If you are seeing this in an email\, the photos stages are attached at the end. If you are seeing this in AALBC\, the videos are all their is. \n\n\n\n ...before the links to the Onmyoji videos \, here is a link to the Jaeger contest which end in seven days. I invite you all to share any ideas you may have to that. \n\n https://go.deviantart.com/jour nal/The-Pacific-Rim-Uprising-Global-Jaeger-Contest-744541834\n\n\n\n Do te ll me if the links are blockaded\, they are supposed to be public. \n\n\n \n Onmyoji-Fan-Art-Contest-Creation (1)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/nW0o dvDqiOuoW0R03\n\n\n\n Onmyoji-Fan-Art-Contest-Creation (2)\n\n https://pho tos.app.goo.gl/RrdyWvyoJV07cLjt2\n\n\n\n Onmyoji-Fan-Art-Contest-Creation (3)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/P3FCCHJQZjQh5mhG3\n\n\n\n Onmyoji-Fan-Ar t-Contest-Creation (4)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/UnRC54SQJZYMf80k1\n\n \n\n Onmyoji-Fan-Art-Contest-Creation (5)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/mL keakVn11ZiS5nF2\n\n\n\n Onmyoji-Fan-Art-Contest-Creation (6)\n\n https://p hotos.app.goo.gl/bhHi7wbFG6XJVE3i8\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creatio n-part2 (1)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/rRnc6ZxWERa9EY4V2\n\n\n\n onmyoj i-fan-art-contest-creation-part2 (2)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/yNojWgu fIqFNJVbC2\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creation-part2 (3)\n\n https:// photos.app.goo.gl/Jo9T6xeLZTewubky2\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creati on-part2 (4)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/VCP3PtNBAeTpXeHb2\n\n\n\n onmyo ji-fan-art-contest-creation-part2 (5)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/KsmDiP Pcjd9rxtJN2\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creation-part2 (6)\n\n https:/ /photos.app.goo.gl/hvCI58LxBb92ge4U2\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creat ion-part3 (2)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/3vNwF9x7iowBOUm03\n\n\n\n onmy oji-fan-art-contest-creation-part3 (3)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/S3Zlh hTTuTDdBRw12\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creation-part3 (4)\n\n https: //photos.app.goo.gl/uyoEcd9Mq8M5nDj29\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-crea tion-part3 (5)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/01GHnNcGc4wuojpr1\n\n\n\n onm yoji-fan-art-contest-creation-part3 (6)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/TtLs nDtYVNMvbeVL9\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-creation-part3 (7)\n\n https ://photos.app.goo.gl/ryKTzb9eCrDyVN5z1\n\n\n\n onmyoji-fan-art-contest-cre ation-part3 (8)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qurjw6pK3hxhcvZk2\n\n\n\n on myoji-fan-art-contest-creation-part3 (9)\n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/EF2 M5ynf8RzO33Bs1\n\n\n\n The Folder Link \n\n https://photos.app.goo.gl/mZJ 2RICfACZaSgtD2\n\n\n\n Happy creating\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n original posting\ n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/194-richard-murray-creative-table /page/3/?tab=comments#comment-403\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\ n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180605 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Bloody Mary from Lucy Worsley 05/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250522T170338Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:278-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Bloody Mary from Lucy Worsley \n\n https://www.pbs.org/v ideo/bloody-mary-eldwhl/\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n PREVIEW\n\n\n\n ht tps://www.pbs.org/video/bloody-mary-her-earliest-portrait-ngd8gk/\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n ♪ Lucy Worsley\, voice-over: London\, the 1st of Octo ber\, 1553.\n\nThe next monarch of England is preparing to be crowned.\n\n For the first time\, the country will be ruled by a woman-- Mary I... [Thu nder] ♪ but this monarch will be remembered not as a pioneer\, but as a monster.\n\n♪ In her 5-year reign\, hundreds are killed in the name of r eligion\, earning her the label Bloody Mary\, but does England's first que en really deserve her reputation as one of Britain's most evil tyrants?\n\ n♪ In this series\, I'm reinvestigating some of the most dramatic and br utal chapters in British history.\n\nOh\, yes.\n\nHere we go\, Man: And no w you're face to face with William the Conqueror.\n\nWoman\, voice-over: T hey know that sex sells and that violence sells.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: These stories form part of our national mythology.\n\nThey harbor mysterie s that have intrigued us for centuries... Worsley: It turns very dark here .\n\nClearly showing us-- Refugees.\n\nThere's such graphic images of reli gious violence.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: but with the passage of time\, we have new ways to unlock their secrets using scientific advances and a mod ern perspective.\n\nHe was what we would now call a foreign fighter.\n\nWo rsley\, voice-over: I'm going to uncover forgotten witnesses.\n\nI'm going to reexamine old evidence and follow new clues...\n\nThe human hand.\n\nW orsley\, voice-over: to get closer to the truth.\n\nIt's like fake news.\n \nWorsley: You're questioning whether we can actually take that seriously as a piece of evidence.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Hampton Court Palace- - family home of England's original Tudor queen\, daughter of Henry VIII-- Mary I.\n\nShe walked these cloisters and lived in these rooms.\n\nThere are echoes of Mary's presence here\, but the real Mary seems lost in histo ry.\n\nWorsley: Mary was England's first crowned female monarch\, and this meant she had to create a whole new role-- the role of queen regnant\, or ruling queen-- and Mary created a blueprint that all the queens to come w ould follow\, from Elizabeth I to Victoria to Elizabeth II.\n\nI think of Mary as a female trailblazer\, but she's all too often remembered as a blo ody tyrant.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: During Mary's 5 years in power\, more than 280 people were killed for their faith.\n\nHer reputation seems sealed\, but Mary lived in a divided time\, and\, as a historian\, I know there's always more than one side to a story\, so I want to look at Mary a fresh through different eyes-- her supporters'\, her enemies'\, and Mary's own-- to examine how she navigated ruling as a woman and if Bloody Mary i s really how she deserves to be remembered.\n\n♪ I'm starting my investi gation with a very rare glimpse of Mary as a child.\n\nWorsley: \"Special Collections.\"\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: In the stores at the National Port rait Gallery\, I'm hoping to be able to come face to face with the young p rincess.\n\nHere are some exciting-looking little boxes.\n\nWorsley: voice -over: I'm here to see what's thought to be the earliest portrait miniatur e produced in England.\n\nThe art form's intended to give a sense of intim acy.\n\nIt's an image of Mary dating to 1522.\n\nThere she is.\n\nThere sh e is.\n\nCan I touch?\n\nYeah.\n\nAh.\n\nAh\, thank you.\n\nYou're very we lcome.\n\nYeah.\n\nIt's Mary.\n\nYeah.\n\nIncredible level of details.\n\n She's got really red hair\, hasn't she... Yeah.\n\nShe does.\n\nlike you'd expect from Henry VIII's daughter.\n\nIt's such a precious-feeling little thing\, and it's 500 years old.\n\nYes.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: I'm inte rested in what this painting reveals about Mary's status.\n\nThe gallery's state-of-the-art microscope might give me an even closer look.\n\nWorsley : It's just fantastic.\n\nYou can see the individual flakes of the paint.\ n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: When this portrait was made\, Mary was a much -loved 6-year-old.\n\n♪ Worsley: This was painted for a special reason\, and the clue to what that was-- there it is--it's down here.\n\nYou can s ee that on her dress\, she's wearing a brooch\, a golden brooch\, and it s ays on it in tiny letters\, \"The Emperor\,\" so this is one of the Europe an rulers.\n\nIt's the Emperor Charles V\, and the picture's been painted because Mary's just been engaged to him.\n\nThis is the fate of a princess .\n\nShe's like a little chess piece that her father is using to play the game of European politics.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: The Mary I'm seein g here had her whole future mapped out\, but then in her teens\, everythin g changed.\n\n♪ Here we have Henry VIII... and he's married to Catherine of Aragon from Spain\, a very devout Catholic.\n\nPoor Catherine had a wh ole series of miscarriages\, stillbirths\, children who died young.\n\nThe ir daughter Mary was the only one of their children to survive.\n\nWorsley \, voice-over: But Henry was desperate for a male heir.\n\nHe and Catherin e had not had the all-important son\, so he wanted a divorce to marry Anne Boleyn.\n\nIn 1533\, he got his way by splitting from Rome and the Cathol ic Church\, opening the door to the English Protestant Reformation and div iding the country.\n\n♪ Mary was now declared illegitimate.\n\nAt 17\, s he was stripped of her royal title and threatened with death as a traitor for her beliefs.\n\n♪ She would come to define her life by her Catholic faith and her right to the throne.\n\n♪ This sounds like a woman with im mense self-confidence\, and I'm curious about her journey from outcast to queen.\n\nI'm heading to Framlingham in Suffolk\, where Mary would make so me crucial decisions 6 years after her father's death.\n\n♪ Mary had bee n Henry's eldest child.\n\nThen came Elizabeth\, followed by Henry's longe d-for son Edward.\n\nOn Henry's death\, 9-year-old Edward inherited the th rone\, but he would die as a young teenager.\n\nAged 37\, Mary could now c laim her right to the crown.\n\n♪ Now\, there'd never been a ruling quee n in England before.\n\nThere had been queens\, but they'd been the wives of kings.\n\nUnlike some of the countries of Europe\, though\, there was n othing in English law to stop there being a female ruler.\n\nTechnically\, at least\, Mary could go right ahead and take the throne.\n\n♪ Worsley\ , voice-over: But King Edward had been influenced by powerful Protestant n obles.\n\nOn his deathbed\, he bypassed Catholic Mary and declared a dista nt cousin\, the Protestant Lady Jane Gray\, as his successor.\n\nTo win he r crown\, Mary would need to fight\, and on the 12th of July\, 1553\, she came here to her castle at Framlingham to rally support for her cause.\n\n ♪ Worsley: The stakes couldn't have been higher for Mary at this moment. \n\nIf her attempt to seize the throne failed\, she'd either have to go in to exile or if\, they caught her\, she'd be executed as a traitor.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: I'm meeting a specialist in Tudor relationships who believes that applying modern analysis to old evidence might reveal Mary's tactics.\n\nMelita\, we're sitting on the spot of what was once the Great Hall of Framlingham Castle.\n\nThere's bits of Tudor walls up there.\n\nI think we can imagine Mary spending some anxious hours in here thinking\, \"Who's on my side?\"\n\nCan you tell me a bit more about your research in to Mary's network?\n\nYes.\n\nI've been doing what's called social network analysis\, so I've put together--and I'm still working on it-- it's a mas sive database of all of the connections that Mary had to different people. \n\nMy goodness\, it looks like a Spirograph.\n\nYes.\n\nIs that Mary righ t in the middle?\n\nIt is Mary\, right in the center.\n\nSo\, Melita\, are we looking at the Tudor version of LinkedIn?\n\nThat's it\, absolutely.\n \nYes.\n\nNow\, the different colors of connection represent different thi ngs.\n\nOK. Green represents an award\, so it's a grant of office.\n\nWe'v e got also purple lines\, and that's gifts in a more tangible sense\, so j ewelry or quite often clothing or fruit.\n\nWe've got quite a lot of recor ds from her Privy Purse expenses from in the 1530s and '40s.\n\nShe's give n an awful lot of gifts\, hasn't she?\n\nMary was very generous.\n\nAnd is this how you build up a following if you want to be a powerful Tudor pers on?\n\nExactly\, yes\, because the trick is\, you always wanted them to be slightly grateful to you.\n\nOh\, there's a Framlingham filter in the pro gram.\n\nYes\, and we can see who supported Mary immediately.\n\nNow\, two in there you can see with little red spots\, they were actually members o f Edward's Privy Council\, and yet they were immediate supporters of Mary. \n\nAnd if you click on Richard Southwell\, we can see-- That over a perio d of years\, he and Mary have exchanged gifts...\n\nYes.\n\nOh.\n\nand she 's given him more than he's given her.\n\nOh\, yes\, so she has kind of... Cultivated.\n\ncultivated him.\n\nOh\, you've got a filter that's actuall y called Defected to Mary\, brilliant.\n\nLook at it doing its thing.\n\nI t's amazing.\n\nSo one of the people who defected to her was Henry Fitzala n\, Earl of Arundel.\n\nHis first wife had been one of her ladies in waiti ng\, and of the men who support her in 1553\, you can often see that there are relationships through their wives and their sisters.\n\nSo it's inter esting that she's built up friendships with the females of this family and they bring over their male relatives.\n\nYes.\n\nI think we can definitel y see a connection between family pressure through women's networks.\n\nWa s it presumably Catholics who were the fastest in coming forwards?\n\nCath olics were definitely amongst her core supporters\, but she also had Prote stants because she was the legitimate heir.\n\nThe Mary you're talking abo ut sounds like she's friendly.\n\nShe's generous.\n\nShe's well-connected. \n\nShe's somebody who knows how to build loyalty.\n\nI think she had the gift of friendship\, and Mary's a lot more fun than people give her credit for.\n\nReally?\n\nShe loved to dance.\n\nShe loved to hunt.\n\nShe did a rchery.\n\nShe knew in her heart that she was a queen\, and I think that w as another element\, her self-belief and her determination.\n\nShe said\, \"I'm queen\, and I'm gonna be queen\, and I'm gonna absolutely insist on my rights.\"\n\nShe was a politician to the tips of her royal fingers.\n\n Absolutely.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: It strikes me that Mary had no hope o f seizing the throne without her quite considerable emotional intelligence .\n\nShe needed to win hearts and minds to her side.\n\nThere's no sign of the cold-hearted tyrant here.\n\nWorsley: This was a woman who was sociab le.\n\nShe was generous.\n\nThis was a leader who people wanted to follow\ , and follow Mary they did.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: In July 1553\, Ma ry gathered hundreds of her supporters here\, ready and willing to fight f or the throne.\n\n♪ In the end\, no battle was needed.\n\n♪ The tide o f support had turned in Mary's favor\, so the Protestant nobles conceded d efeat.\n\nMary had thrown off years of bitter persecution and rallied a co untry behind her to win the throne\, but she would now have to deal with t he rituals of royalty\, which were\, until this moment\, made for men.\n\n [Bells ringing] ♪ Nearly 500 years ago\, on the 1st of October\, 1553\, Mary walked down this very aisle in Westminster Abbey to be crowned.\n\nMa ry was at the front of this whole long procession of her knights and her c ounselors and her dukes.\n\nShe did have some ladies with her\, but the fo cus was all on Mary herself.\n\nFor the first time at a coronation\, a wom an was leading the men.\n\n[Men singing Gregorian chants] Worsley\, voice- over: But a coronation designed for kings presented some problems for the first queen.\n\nHer coronation regalia included the spurs of a knight\, bu t\, unlike kings before her\, Mary didn't put them on.\n\nShe did receive the sword\, a symbol that she was now defender of the realm.\n\n♪ Worsle y: It seems to me that Mary had a very difficult line to tread here.\n\nSh e almost had to blur the genders.\n\nShe had to portray herself as a king for legitimacy and authority\, but she also had to tear up the rule book a nd make the ritual suitable for a woman\, and what she did would set the p attern for all the female monarchs who followed.\n\n[Choir singing] Worsle y: This area up here is off limits because that mosaic is over 750 years o ld.\n\nIt's much too fragile to be walked on\, but that's the exact spot w here Mary was crowned\, and it's still the exact spot where monarchs are c rowned to this day.\n\nAt the actual moment of crowning\, Mary was on the Coronation Chair-- it was placed on a platform-- and the Crown Imperial wa s put onto her head.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: The coronation service w as a full Catholic Mass.\n\nMary couldn't officially restore the Catholic faith until Parliament reconvened... ♪ so she was crowned Supreme Head o f the Protestant Church of England.\n\n[Cheering and applause] Worsley\, v oice-over: The country celebrated\, and there were parties in the streets of London\, but within just 5 years\, hundreds of ordinary people would be killed in Mary's name.\n\n♪ The new Queen's Catholic beliefs would make her rule hugely polarizing.\n\n♪ Naturally\, as a historian\, I want to interrogate this period from different angles\, so I wonder what I can le arn from the experience of someone living on the other side of the religio us divide.\n\nThis is a copy of a page from \"Foxe's Book of Martyrs.\"\n\ nWorsley\, voice-over: It's an account of Mary's reign by a strongly Prote stant critic.\n\nIt's very one-sided-- I've got to be wary of that-- but i t does give the story of a Protestant woman who found Mary's rule horrifyi ngly harsh.\n\nWorsley: She's referred to here as \"Drivers wyfe\,\" meani ng the wife of a man called Driver.\n\nShe's presented very much as his pr operty.\n\nShe was \"about the age of 30 yeares\,\" and she \"dwelt at Gro sborough...in Suffolke.\"\n\nIt says that\, \"[h]er husband did use husban dry\,\" which means a subsistence farmer.\n\nThen we get quite a lot more detail about what happens to her\, and then here\, her name was Alice.\n\n Alice Dryver.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: This young farmer's wife lived just 10 miles from Framlingham Castle\, the site of Mary's triumph\, but u nder the new regime\, her faith put her at risk of execution.\n\n♪ To ge t a sense of why a woman like Alice might become a threat to the Queen of England\, I've come to Grundisburgh in Suffolk\, where Alice lived.\n\n♪ Here's a piece of 16th-century evidence that I think might give an insigh t into Alice's life here.\n\nThis is Fitzherbert's \"Booke of Husbandry\" from 1523\, and here's a section called \"The Duties of Wyves.\"\n\nPresum ably\, this is the sort of thing that Alice was expected to do.\n\n\"It is a wyves occupacyon to winow all manner of corne...\" ♪ \"in tyme of ned e to helpe her husbande to fyll the mucke wayne\,\" the muck wain being th e \"dounge carte\"... [Rooster crows] ♪ and she also has to \"dryve the plough\,\" which sounds quite masculine\, actually-- a bit surprised about that-- and she also has \"to go...to the markette to sell the butter\, \" the chese\, the mylke\, the egges\, the chekens\, the hennes\, the pygges. \"\n\nThat sounds like a pretty hard life with a lot of hard labor in it\, long hours\, I guess.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: At the heart of villag e life when Alice lived here was the church\, and Alice would likely have worshiped in this very building nearly 500 years ago.\n\n♪ Look at these amazing angels on the roof with their big wings.\n\n♪ Now\, Alice\, ext raordinarily\, would have been here in the service with them up above her. \n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: This church building would have been a const ant in Alice's life\, but the religion practiced here varied.\n\nShe was j ust 5 when Henry VIII turns this from a Catholic church to Church of Engla nd.\n\nAlice grew up in the Protestant faith\, but 20 years later\, it wou ld change back again.\n\n♪ Worsley: It was maybe here at the church that Alice learned that Queen Mary had come to the throne and that this church would once again become Catholic.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Mary's res toration of Catholicism meant Alice would no longer be allowed to worship in here as a Protestant.\n\nShe would now need to convert or risk getting into trouble.\n\n♪ Mary herself had experienced pressure to convert.\n\n She had fought hard for her Catholic faith.\n\nNow as Queen\, her drive to make the whole country Catholic set her on a collision course with Protes tants across England... ♪ but those who supported Mary must have had a v ery different view of her reign\, so I've come to Cambridge University Lib rary in search of a source that should offer a much less familiar take on Bloody Mary-- a Spanish one.\n\nMary was half Spanish on her mother's side .\n\nI've enlisted a Spanish historian to help me decipher this perspectiv e.\n\n♪ This is quite exciting\, isn't it?\n\nOh\, look how dinky it is. \n\nIt's like a little toy book.\n\nSo there's his name\, which I fear I'm going to make a terrible job of pronouncing.\n\nWill you say it for me?\n \nHis name is Pedro de Ribadeneira.\n\nAnd he was a Spaniard who came to E ngland?\n\nYes.\n\nHe did.\n\nHe came to England in 1558.\n\nHe was a Cath olic priest\, and he stayed in the kingdom for a few months.\n\nI am readi ng this.\n\nI think it says\, \"The virtues of the Queen.\"\n\nSo \"Delas virtudes de la Reina dona Maria\" is\, as you very well said\, \"On the vi rtues of Queen Mary.\"\n\nWhat are they?\n\nWhat are the virtues?\n\nTake me through it.\n\nWell\, Ribadeneira thinks that Mary is a good Catholic w ho's leading her kingdom towards salvation.\n\nShe respects the primacy of the Pope.\n\nShe cares for her people.\n\nMay I just say\, he would say t hat\, though\, wouldn't he\, with his Catholic perspective.\n\nOf course h e is going to be seeing her in such a good light\, which contrasts a lot w ith what other Protestant historians were writing about Mary in the 16th c entury.\n\nDoes he give any comment about her performance once she's in th e role as queen?\n\nYes.\n\nHe does indeed.\n\nThe economic situation that Mary inherits is not an easy one\, but from the very beginning of her rei gn\, she decides that she's going to make changes and reforms.\n\nAccordin g to Ribadeneira\, she reforms the Court of the Exchequer\, and she create s a new book of rates that increases the Crown's income.\n\nSo she cuts ta xes\, she reforms bureaucracy\, and she increases crown revenues.\n\nShe's doing a great job.\n\nShe is indeed.\n\nWe usually tend to see the beginn ing of Elizabeth's reign and the prosperity as something that is achieved by Elizabeth...\n\nIt was achieved by Mary.\n\nbut she is the one achievin g it.\n\nShe's the one that is setting base for that future prosperity.\n\ nAnd how does she go about restoring Catholicism?\n\nHow does she actually do that in practice?\n\nNow\, she's cautious at the beginning in the sens e that she doesn't want to force people.\n\nShe understands that there has been a lot of upheaval\, and she is very pragmatic.\n\nOn this page\, she is talking about how those who had acquired church land during the dissol ution of the monasteries of her father's reign are being allowed to keep t hat land\, and over\, here we see that she allowed all marriages that had taken place through the Protestant rite to remain valid.\n\nYou're talking as if Bloody Mary the tyrant was actually quite reasonable and sensible a nd pragmatic.\n\nCompared to other rulers of her time\, I would say absolu tely.\n\n♪ Wasn't that fascinating to get a Spanish perspective on Mary\ , one that sees her as a pretty effective ruler?\n\nNow\, I do concede tha t Ribadeneira is a partial witness.\n\nHe's very pro-Catholic\, pro-Mary\, but he does admit that she has some flaws.\n\nThere's a bit of balance th ere\, almost as if Mary wasn't entirely good or entirely bad\, almost as i f she was a human being.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: According to this si de of the story\, at the start of her reign\, Mary wanted to restore Catho licism but didn't want to use force.\n\nProtestants like Alice Dryver were left in peace for now.\n\n♪ So if this is true\, why did Mary change di rection?\n\n♪ In the summer of 1554\, about 9 months into her reign\, Ma ry got married.\n\nShe needed a husband because she needed an heir... Hi t here.\n\nHey\, madam.\n\nCould we go to the Spanish Embassy\, please?\n\nC ertainly.\n\nBelgrave Square.\n\nThanks.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: but a ma n at her side could potentially undermine Mary's position as queen.\n\n♪ Her new husband was a devout Catholic and a cousin on her mother's side-- Philip of Spain.\n\n♪ Mary and Philip married in July 1554.\n\nPhilip w as the son of the emperor Charles V\, ironically the very man Mary had bee n betrothed to as a child.\n\n♪ Philip was heir to the Spanish throne an d an enormous European empire.\n\n♪ Even before the wedding took place\, a group of Protestants mounted a rebellion to try to stop the marriage an d overthrow the queen... ♪ so how does a married woman rule with authori ty in a traditional society where men dominate?\n\n♪ To find out\, I'm m eeting an expert in 16th-century marriage treaties.\n\n♪ Worsley: Alexan der\, we've got a completely unprecedented situation here.\n\nWe've got Ma ry\, a female ruler\, with a male consort\, and he's a foreigner\, as well .\n\nYes.\n\nHow are they going to rule in practice?\n\nHow's she going to make sure that he doesn't boss her about?\n\nWell\, one of the key\, key ways of doing that is through the stipulations that they have in their mar riage contract\, and here we have the copy from the National Archives of t he English draft that formed the basis of the document that they both even tually went on to sign.\n\nSo this is like a prenup.\n\nExactly\, yes\, se tting out all of the kind of legal limitations on his power and also settl ing her position constitutionally.\n\nThis is one of my favorite clauses d own the bottom-- \"That the said noble prince shall nothyng do\, \"whereby anything be innovate in the state and right publique.\"\n\nSo he's not al lowed to make new laws or anything like that.\n\nHe's not allowed to make new laws or to change anything\, effectively\, constitutionally particular ly... Stay in your lane\, Philip.\n\nso I think we can see that in this fi rst clause here that he \"shall not promote\, admit\, or receive \"to any office\, administration\, \"or benefice in the said realm of England \"any one who is not a natural born subject of the Queen of England.\"\n\nSo he' s not going to be allowed to put any of his own people into English jobs a nd positions and offices.\n\nExactly that.\n\nHe is excluding specifically powers of patronage\, taking them away from Philip\, ensuring that Mary r etains complete control of who is in the key offices of state.\n\nThere we re people who saw the Spanish marriage as very dangerous.\n\nPeople in Eng land did not want England to become a satellite state of this broader Hisp anic monarchy\, this broader European empire.\n\nFor Mary\, it's obviously really important that her subjects and parliament know that power will be not given away to Philip too much.\n\nYeah.\n\nYeah.\n\nHow does she circ ulate that news?\n\nShe has the terms declared and proclaimed to all the p eople of England\, and in addition to this\, the English Parliament passes in 1554 the Act for the Queen's Regal Power\, which essentially settles c onstitutionally her right to rule in her own right\, and so the name of ki ng and queen are kind of made equivalent so that all legislation which ref ers to kings now applies to queens\, and\, in fact\, it's the constitution al basis for Elizabeth's authority in the Elizabethan period which follows on straight from this one.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: On paper\, Mary h ad successfully managed the power dynamic with Philip\, but I've got proof that she still had something of a PR problem.\n\n♪ For the first time i n the English coinage\, we've got two people on the money.\n\nThere's Phil ip\, there's Mary\, and a little floating crown to show that they rule tog ether\, but you can also see the scale of the problem that she had because the person on the left in a double portrait is the person who's more domi nant\, and in this case\, that person is Philip.\n\nA craftsman who would earn a shilling as his day's wages would get this in his hand\, and he'd t hink\, \"Oh\, yes\, Philip and Mary.\n\nThey are our rulers now.\"\n\nOur queen has given away her power.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Mary's marria ge had reignited anti-Catholic feeling\, and\, for me\, Mary's marriage ra ises questions about her persecution of Protestants.\n\nDid her husband in fluence her to take a harder line\, or did she feel she had to assert her authority in the face of religious division?\n\nEither way\, she tightened her grip.\n\n♪ [Bell tolls] ♪ In December 1554\, Mary reintroduced he resy laws.\n\nProtestant beliefs were now punishable by death.\n\nIt was a n act that would come to define her reign\, in large part because of a boo k which claims to tell us what happened next-- \"Foxe's Book of Martyrs\,\ " the book where I found the story of the farmer's wife Alice Dryver.\n\nT hank you.\n\nOoh\, it's heavy.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: I wonder if seeing an original copy at Trinity College\, Cambridge\, can help me understand this book's power.\n\nWorsley: This is \"Foxe's Book of Martyrs\,\" and it 's a history of the church going from the first century right up until the reign of Mary I. Worsley\, voice-over: But this is a history book with a clear bias because John Foxe was a prominent Protestant.\n\nWorsley: What John Foxe doesn't like about Mary is her Catholicism\, and at the start of her reign\, he and his family went to live in exile.\n\nHe was out of Eng land when he was writing this.\n\nLet's go to the part of the book where M ary appears.\n\nHere it is\, \"The comming in of Queene Mary\,\" and the w hole of the rest of it\, 700 pages here\, are basically about the terrible things done to Protestants in her name.\n\n♪ What makes the book so pow erful\, I think\, are the images\, the woodcuts.\n\nThey're such graphic i mages of religious violence.\n\nThis one shows a man being burnt alive at the stake\, the most horrible\, long-drawn-out\, painful death imaginable\ , and you can tell he's alive\, although the flames are all around him\, b ecause he's saying\, \"Lorde\, receive my spirite\,\" and there's a crowd\ , and the crowd are visibly distressed.\n\n[People screaming] ♪ Worsley\ , voice-over: Looking at Foxe's account\, it's easy to believe that Mary w as a queen on the rampage... ♪ but I think it's time for more of Mary's side of the story.\n\n♪ There's an intriguing source from 1555 that give s some insight into her thinking at the time.\n\n♪ This is a report to t he church authorities recording the opinion of the Queen of England\, \"wh ich she has written out with her own hand\,\" so it's a record of Mary's a ctual words\, and she says that\, \"Touching the punishment of heretics\"- - by \"punishment\,\" she does mean burnings and executions-- she says\, \ "[I]t would be well to inflict punishment... without much cruelty or passi on\,\" so she's emphasizing moderation.\n\nShe says that she wants to targ et the people who deceive the simple\, by which I think she means clever p reachers who are out there actively spreading the Protestant message\, and the punishments are to be an \"example to the whole of this kingdom\,\" s o they're supposed to be a deterrent\, so that's quite surprising when it comes to the burning of Protestants.\n\nMary seems to want quite a targete d approach.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: If this is to be believed\, Mary was aiming to make an example of the leaders of the faith in the hope the rest would submit\, but Alice Dryver wasn't a powerful leader\, just a Suf folk farmer's wife.\n\n♪ We don't know who betrayed Alice... ♪ but \"F oxe's Book of Martyrs\,\" our main source on Alice\, tells us that she and another Protestant were hiding from the authorities when they got caught. \n\n♪ Alice was taken to the local town and imprisoned to await trial an d her fate.\n\n♪ [Gate opens] From the summer of 1555\, the number of bu rnings across the country were ramping up.\n\nRecords show they more than doubled between the first half of the year and the second.\n\n♪ I want t o understand how Mary was feeling at this point.\n\nI suspect it's not a c oincidence that this was happening during a moment of personal upheaval.\n \n♪ In the spring of 1555\, Mary withdrew to her private chambers at Ham pton Court.\n\nShe believed she was pregnant.\n\nThis child would secure M ary's line of succession and the future of Catholicism in England.\n\n♪ These are copies of ambassadors' letters from court-- this lot are in Fren ch-- and the hot topic is the Queen's pregnancy.\n\nHe's talking about \"t he size of her stomach and the hardening of her mamelles\"-- he must mean her breasts-- \"and they are distilling a liquid.\"\n\nI guess that might mean lactating.\n\nPoor Mary.\n\nThese are really intimate details being s hared\, seems completely inappropriate\, but I guess it's her job.\n\nShe' s supposed to produce the heir to the throne\, so her body is public prope rty.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Documents from this time that Mary herse lf had a hand in add to the sense of joyful anticipation.\n\n♪ Worsley: These cards-- pre-prepared\, ready to be sent out to dignitaries across Eu rope announcing the birth when it happens-- they've been signed by \"Mary the Queen\"... ♪ and they announced the birth of a prince at Hampton Cou rt... ♪ and then a gap's been left blank here just for the date to be po pped in when it actually happens.\n\nThe reason they're still blank is tha t 9 months went past and no baby came.\n\nMary was actually experiencing a phantom pregnancy.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: To delve into this myster ious condition and the impact it would have had on Mary\, I'm hoping a psy chiatrist can give me a modern medical perspective.\n\nMary I has had a ph antom pregnancy.\n\nCan you tell me what that actually is in medical terms ?\n\nPhantom pregnancy means false pregnancy\, pseudocyesis\, so it means you think you're pregnant because you see the signs and symptoms\, but act ually\, you're not.\n\nDo you ever see this today in your practice?\n\nIt doesn't seem like it's a very common condition.\n\nIn Western medicine\, y ou wouldn't typically get a case of phantom pregnancy because if you think you're pregnant\, you will have a urine test to check your pregnancy.\n\n You will have a Doppler scan\, ultrasound scan\, a blood test\, so automat ically right at the start\, you would know you're not pregnant.\n\nI've go t something to show you.\n\nThis is a medical paper from America\, 1951\, of a variety of cases of pseudocyesis.\n\nOh\, \"A Psychosomatic Study in Gynecology\,\" and there are \"[b]reast changes...enlargement\, tenderness \; secretion of milky or cloudy fluid.\"\n\nThey've mentioned here a case study where there were 27 patients who presented as pregnant\, and this wa s confirmed in 9 of the cases by doctors.\n\nThe doctors were taken in\, s o in relatively recent times\, people were still having phantom pregnancie s\, 1951... Mm.\n\nand what causes it?\n\nIf we like to categorize\, we mi ght think psychological or hormonal\, so the psychological side\, there's a variety of risk factors-- so if someone has had emotional abuse\, if som eone's longing to be pregnant\, if someone's had difficulty getting pregna nt.\n\nThere's a variety of reasons.\n\nThere's quite a few things that yo u just listed that do apply to Mary.\n\nShe did have a difficult childhood .\n\nShe wasn't taken care of.\n\nPeople threatened her with death and a h uge\, huge\, huge amount of pressure to bear a child.\n\nIs it possible fo r you to speculate as to what might have happened to her after the phantom pregnancy was over\, then?\n\nI imagine a great deal of distress.\n\nIt m ust be quite frightening\, actually\, because she would have had a distend ed abdomen and she would have had these bodily changes but no understandin g why that's happening.\n\nAnd I suppose she's lost a whole imagined futur e.\n\nI mean\, if we think\, you know\, you're longing for a child\, you'v e created a bond\, and that's suddenly taken away\, so I can imagine she m ust have felt very anxious\, very low in mood\, and emotionally\, psycholo gically\, it must have been absolutely dreadful to go through it.\n\n♪ [ Crying] ♪ Mary must have felt like her body had failed her\, and she was 39 years old\, which\, in 16th-century terms\, meant that her chances of getting pregnant again were diminishing very fast.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice- over: As a woman\, this would have been a huge personal trauma\, but as a queen\, it was a crisis.\n\nWith no heir\, the future of Catholic England hung in the balance.\n\n♪ Tensions were rising.\n\n♪ Troops were broug ht into London to maintain order.\n\nBy 1556\, a major plot against the qu een was uncovered\, an attempt to replace her with her Protestant sister E lizabeth.\n\nMary was now living in fear.\n\nShe was sleeping only 3 hours a night.\n\nWorsley: Mary was clearly struggling on a personal level with her mental health\, her physical health\, and I'm left wondering what tha t might have meant for her as a ruler.\n\nWas her authority still intact?\ n\nWas she really able still to govern the country in the same way?\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: In places like rural Suffolk\, it was local authori ties who wielded the power.\n\nThey could decide how to enforce religious policies.\n\n♪ The Protestant source\, \"Foxe's Book of Martyrs\,\" cont ains a detailed account of how Alice Dryver's trial unfolded.\n\nAlice is brought to her trial at Ipswich.\n\nShe would have been quite likely the o nly woman present.\n\n♪ Then a lengthy theological debate begins\, and d uring it\, Alice shows that she's more than capable of standing up for her self intellectually.\n\nAs she says here to the courtroom-- it's amazing\, this\; she just goes off onto this speech of her own-- she says\, \"I was an honest poore man's daughter\, \"never brought up in the universitie as you have bene...\" ♪ ...but I have driven the plough before my father m any a tyme\, and I thank God.\n\nIn defense of God's truth and in the caus e of my master Christ\, by his grace I will set my foote against the foote of any of you.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: She's standing up for herself\, a nswering back.\n\nShe will set her foot against the foot of any of these m en sitting in trial upon her.\n\nIt's an extraordinary moment of courage.\ n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Alice staunchly defended herself and her fait h.\n\n♪ She was found guilty of heresy.\n\nWhat strikes me reading this is that Alice and Mary weren't so very different.\n\nThey were both of the m women who broke the rules.\n\nThey were women who did things that women weren't supposed to do\, and they also had such a deep religious faith tha t they defended it at enormous personal cost... which is why it's so very painful that it's now in Mary's name that Alice is condemned to die.\n\n ♪ Worsley\, voice-over: There's no paper trail linking Mary to Alice's f ate.\n\nIt was the church authorities who chose how extreme the punishment should be.\n\n♪ On the 4th of November\, 1558\, Alice Dryver was burnt alive at the stake.\n\n[Alice screaming] She was one of the last people to be killed under Mary's regime because only two weeks later\, on the 17th of November\, Queen Mary herself died.\n\n♪ She'd been struggling with i ll health ever since her phantom pregnancy.\n\n♪ The likely cause of dea th was cancer.\n\nShe was 42 years old.\n\nNow her Protestant sister Eliza beth I would succeed to the throne\, and I believe Mary would become the v ictim of a smear campaign.\n\n♪ There's no denying the brutal religious persecutions of Mary's reign.\n\nThose Protestant accounts are based on re al deaths\, but at this time\, Europe was bitterly divided between Catholi c and Protestant\, with mass killings on both sides.\n\nHenry VIII had tho usands put to death in the name of religion.\n\nIn Edward's reign\, around 900 were killed and an estimated 600 under Elizabeth.\n\nApproximately 28 4 deaths are attributed to Mary.\n\nObviously\, her reign was shorter\, bu t the numbers are pretty comparable\, but it's Mary who has been vilified and dubbed a bloody tyrant\, and I believe that's thanks to her enemies.\n \nThis pamphlet was published in 1558.\n\nThis little book by John Knox is called \"The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women.\"\n\nJohn Knox really makes me see a kind of red mist because he's so massively misogynistic.\n\nHe says that women\, queens like Mary\, are unfit to rule\, \"made to serve and obey man\, not to rule and command hi m\,\" and he thinks that women are \"weake\, fraile\, impaciet\, feble\, f oolishe\, and cruell.\"\n\nNow\, this isn't just about Mary's gender.\n\nJ ohn Knox was a very fiery Protestant.\n\nHe was against Mary as a Catholic queen\, and the way Knox sees the burning of Protestants is as a punishme nt to everybody for having put Mary\, a woman\, on the throne in the first place.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: This Protestant pamphlet was a cataly st for more vicious attacks on the reputation of the Catholic queen.\n\nIt was soon after that \"Foxe's Book of Martyrs\" was published.\n\nIn 1571\ , it was ordered that copies be put in every cathedral and church in the c ountry alongside the bible.\n\nFoxe's graphic imagery and unflinching\, on e-sided stories of what he called the bloody time of Queen Mary now came t o be seen as the gospel truth\, the definitive history of the period.\n\nI wouldn't describe him as a historian.\n\nI would describe him as a propag andist and an incredibly good one.\n\nIt's this book that has given Mary h er reputation as a bloody tyrant.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: The long reign of Elizabeth I firmly established England as a Protestant country\, and it surely suited Elizabeth that her sister be remembered as a Catholic monst er.\n\nI think the smear campaign against Mary has clouded out all that wa s achieved by our first queen.\n\n♪ As well as having to navigate all th e problems of being a female leader in a world made for men\, she was also ruling at a time of brutal religious division\, and she had physical heal th problems and such traumatic experiences of her own to overcome\, I'm ju st left astounded by Mary's courage and her completely underestimated poli tical skills.\n\nShe really redefined what it means to be a monarch.\n\n ♪ Worsley\, voice-over: There's one final telling footnote to Mary's sto ry here at Westminster Abbey.\n\nThis is Mary's tomb\, but it's shared wit h her sister Elizabeth\, and it's Elizabeth whose effigy is on top and who se initials adorn the monument.\n\nThere's an inscription right down here like a footnote\, and it says that there are two queens here-- Elizabeth a nd Mary\, \"et Maria.\"\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: But this tiny referen ce is the only mention of Mary on the whole tomb.\n\nWorsley: I think the tomb says a lot about how we remember Mary today.\n\nHere\, she's literall y overshadowed by her sister\, the mighty Elizabeth I\, but I think that E lizabeth was mighty not least because of what she learned from her big sis ter Mary.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: For too long\, Mary has been misunderst ood\, overlooked\, vilified.\n\n♪ I think it's time we restored England' s first ruling queen to her rightful place in history as a female trailbla zer.\n\n♪ ♪\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250522 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Lucy Worsley on Jack the Ripper -January 14th 2025 DTSTAMP:20250118T181530Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:139-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Lucy Worsley on Jack the Ripper -January 14th 2025\n\n ht tps://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2826&\;type=statu s\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n Learned some things abou t the killer who got away with it commonly known as Jack the Ripper. The e nvironment of London where the murders happened I didn't know. The genesis of the Ripper murders for true crime is well explained. Very nicely done. For True Crimes... The blunt bloody mess of a crime is hidden underneath the media construct of motives and actors in the murder\, the common popul ace financial or viewing endearment to stories that have real elements whi le laced with attention getting aspects to discuss safely in their homes\, the ease of marketability to fantasy with a bit of truth keeps producers of content rehashing or reimagining the event until the murderer is the on ly element that has any truth.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n ♪ Lucy Worsley: On the 7th of October\, 1888\, London was in the m iddle of a media frenzy.\n\n[Bell dings\, hoof beats clopping] A tabloid n ewspaper had published a murder map.\n\n♪ It showed the locations where\ , just days earlier... several women had been brutally murdered.\n\nSpecta tors flocked like tourists to London's East End to visit the killing sites .\n\n♪ True crime is now a modern-day obsession.\n\nBut how did the case of Jack the Ripper\, back in 1888\, set the template for this dark world of entertainment based on violence?\n\n♪ In this series\, I'm re-investi gating some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.\n \nOh\, yes.\n\nHere we go.\n\nMan: And now you're face-to-face with Willia m the Conqueror.\n\nWoman: They know that sex sells and that violence sell s.\n\nLucy: These stories form part of our national mythology.\n\nThey har bor mysteries that have intrigued us for centuries.\n\nIt turns very dark here.\n\nWoman 2: Clearly showing us-- Lucy: Refugees.\n\nThey're such gra phic images of religious violence.\n\nBut with the passage of time\, we ha ve new ways to unlock their secrets\, using scientific advances and a mode rn perspective.\n\nHe was what we would now call a foreign fighter.\n\nLuc y: I'm going to uncover forgotten witnesses.\n\nI'm going to reexamine old evidence and follow new clues...\n\nThe human hand.\n\nto get closer to t he truth.\n\nMan: It's like fake news.\n\nLucy: You're questioning whether we can actually take that seriously as a piece of evidence?\n\n♪ In the autumn of 1888\, it seemed everyone was talking about one story.\n\nA mur derer was on the loose in these streets in East London.\n\nThe killer had already targeted and butchered several women\, and the press could not get enough of the story.\n\nHere's that exact\, same murder map from 1888.\n\ nWe're talking about a serial killer.\n\nOf course\, we're talking about J ack the Ripper.\n\nThe entire nation-- in fact\, the world-- was gripped b y this unsolved case.\n\nThese murders are now more than 130 years old\, a nd we're still obsessed.\n\nI should make it clear that this isn't yet ano ther search for the identity of Jack the Ripper.\n\nInstead\, I'd like to investigate how this case became the prototype for all the true-crime stor ies to follow.\n\n♪ I've come to the other side of London\, to Kensingto n Palace\, the childhood home of Queen Victoria.\n\nThis might seem like a n unusual place to begin my investigation\, but I've long studied Victoria 's life\, and there's some evidence in her personal diary I want to get my hands on.\n\n♪ This is a page of her diary from the 4th of October\, 18 88.\n\n\"Dreadful murders\,\" she writes\, \"of unfortunate women of a bad class in London.\"\n\nI wonder what she means by \"unfortunate women of a bad class.\"\n\nThat sounds like a euphemism to me.\n\nBut the case was c learly on the Queen's mind.\n\n♪ Victoria even telegraphed her Prime Min ister\, Lord Salisbury\, with some strongly worded advice.\n\nHer words we re sent in code to prevent messengers reading the top secret information e nclosed.\n\n♪ Here\, the Queen is scribbling in her own writing what she wants the telegram to say.\n\n\"This new\, most ghastly murder \"shows th e absolute necessity \"for some very decided action.\n\nAll these courts\" -- she means the little streets of Whitechapel-- \"must be lit \"and our d etectives improved.\n\nThey are not what they should be.\"\n\nAnd then she goes on to give the Prime Minister a telling-off.\n\n\"You promised\,\" s he said\, \"when the first murder happened\, to consult with your colleagu es.\"\n\nBut\, she says\, these things have not been done.\n\nQueen Victor ia is applying serious pressure on her Prime Minister to track down and ca pture the killer.\n\nShe was appalled by these heinous crimes.\n\nBut just how were these murders catapulted into the diary of a Queen?\n\nHi.\n\nCa n I come on?\n\nThank you.\n\n[Air brakes hiss] From the 1860s\, newspaper circulation expanded as more people learned to read and the tax on paper was abolished.\n\n♪ Fleet Street was where the nation's news was crafted and debated.\n\nThe top papers were all based here\, and a new mass reade rship was born.\n\n[Printing press clanking] ♪ The case of Jack the Ripp er would begin with Mary Ann Nichols\, also known as Polly\, and she knew this vibrant newspaper world very well.\n\nHer husband William got a job a s a printer's machinist in Bouverie Street\, just off Fleet Street.\n\n♪ Just around the corner from Bouverie Street is the Church of Saint Bride' s\, the journalists' church\, and it was here in 1864 that William Nichols and Mary Ann got married.\n\nI've got here a copy of a page from the pari sh register.\n\nLet's have a look.\n\nOh\, here we go.\n\nA marriage at Sa int Bride's.\n\nThere's William Nichols\, profession printer\, and there's Mary Ann Walker.\n\nIt was her friends who called her Polly.\n\nShe was j ust 18 at the time of this wedding\, and it's curious to think that Willia m Nichols had no idea that one day his new wife was going to become part o f perhaps the biggest story that these Fleet Street journalists would ever see.\n\nPolly and William were married for 16 years\, but after five chil dren and accusations that William was having an affair\, Polly walked out. \n\nBy 1888\, she was scraping by on the streets of Whitechapel.\n\nShe wo uld be brutally murdered there on the 31st of August.\n\n♪ Today\, Polly Nichols is recognized as the first victim in this notorious case.\n\nI th ink I can maybe get an insight into our true-crime obsession by tracking h ow the press portrayed Polly's death.\n\nI've come to the British Library\ , which holds a massive newspaper archive.\n\n♪ Some of the police files from this case are missing.\n\nIn fact\, some of them were stolen\, which means that newspaper accounts are one of the key sources that I need to c onsult.\n\nThere's so much information here.\n\nIt's incredibly detailed\, but there is a problem.\n\n♪ I am all too well aware that you can't alw ays rely on journalists for balance and accuracy.\n\nThey're more than cap able of spinning a story.\n\n♪ [Crank squeaking] This is the \"Pall Mall Gazette\" from the 31st of August.\n\nThat's the day that Polly was kille d.\n\nI think this is one of the very first mentions of her death\, but sh e's not named.\n\nThere didn't seem anything particular about Polly's deat h at first.\n\nSee what happens in the paper the next day.\n\nOh\, yes.\n\ nAnd here\, she's actually named.\n\n\"Mary Ann\, or Polly\, Nicholls.\"\n \nAnd they've dug a bit into her story\, who she was.\n\nAnd this is not w ithout judgment.\n\nIt says here she was \"the worse for drink.\"\n\n♪ T his is \"The Star\" newspaper.\n\nMore sensationalist coverage\, and they' ve called their article \"The Whitechapel Horror\" and they say\, \"These are the crimes of a man who must be a maniac.\"\n\n♪ By the 8th of Septe mber\, there's a real sense of the story escalating.\n\nIt's made the fron t page of \"The Illustrated Police News\,\" and this is just extraordinary .\n\nThere's been a reconstruction visually of everything that's happened so far.\n\nSo here's the finding of the body.\n\nWe've got the\, uh\, the doctors in the mortuary\, the inquest\, and here is poor Polly\, laid out dead in her coffin.\n\n\"The murdered woman at Whitechapel Mortuary.\"\n\n It is incredibly distasteful.\n\n[Scoffs] But this was a-- a really low-br ow newspaper\, and at the back\, you'll find adverts for how to buy porn.\ n\n[Whooshing] Newspapers were now competing to provide the most lurid cov erage they could.\n\nAnd look.\n\nWe've got gory illustrations of Polly's injuries on the front page.\n\nBlood and gore continue to characterize the true-crime genre today\, but what drove the papers towards this sensation alism in 1888?\n\nMedia moguls had invested heavily in the new rotary pres ses.\n\nThese ones could churn out 10\,000 newspapers in an hour.\n\nBut m argins were tight in this business.\n\nFor anyone to make a profit\, there had to be huge sales\, so this meant that proprietors were after really s plashy stories.\n\n[Clanking] To discover the vital ingredients of a reall y splashy story\, I've enlisted a former crime reporter who's very familia r with the business.\n\nLucy: Paul\, why was it that the press got obsesse d with this particular case?\n\nThe Ripper case had all the kind of classi c elements of a salacious tabloid story\, didn't it?\n\nBecause it had the element of sex to it\, it was a whodunit\, obviously\, the murderer was o n the loose.\n\nThere was the conspiracy-theory element to it\, that it co uld have been somebody from the elite\, and then you just got this whole s ense of moral outrage that something so vile could take place in London.\n \nDo you think it was quite new in the 1880s to read about this kind of st ory in the mainstream papers?\n\nThe mainstream seemed to be working off t he back of the popularity of the shilling shockers and the penny dreadfuls \, those salacious fictions that were sold for a penny on street corners.\ n\nAnd so they saw how popular they were\, and crime started getting more into the mainstream press.\n\nMm.\n\nThat's a bit of a new development.\n\ nNow\, as a crime reporter today\, how do you know what's ethical to print ?\n\nWell\, today\, it's a lot easier because the press broadcasters\, the y have regulators\, so they have rules to follow on accuracy\, privacy\, h arassment\, and things like that.\n\nIt's not the kind of wild west that i t was in the 1800s\, and they were just thinking about\, \"How can we gene rate more readers?\"\n\nIt just seemed like a free for all if you look bac k on it.\n\nI guess there was so much here that was novel and exciting and \, in a horrible sort of a way\, thrilling to Victorian readers.\n\nIt wou ld have been thrilling.\n\nIt would have been shocking.\n\nMore people bou ght these newspapers when they led on these stories.\n\nAnd then\, if you fast-forward to now\, look at the popularity of true crime\, the true-crim e genre.\n\nThere's still this sort of thirst for this kind of story.\n\nL ucy: Here was one of the first unsolved cases to connect with a mass audie nce.\n\nThe Victorians already enjoyed mystery novels\, and now this real- life case tapped into their fears about violence and kept the reader guess ing.\n\nHaving talks to pull\, it does seem significant that this almost \ "perfect\" crime story came along at a time when the newspaper business wa s changing and expanding.\n\nFor the journalists involved\, it must have b een a really fast-moving\, exciting world.\n\n♪ And just nine days after Polly was killed\, the journalists had another murder to write about.\n\n ♪ In 1869\, Annie Chapman had married John\, a coachman.\n\nJohn's job m eant that Annie had a comfortable life.\n\nThat's how they could afford to have this studio portrait taken.\n\nBut Annie's relationship would turn s our.\n\nCaring for a disabled son and losing a 12-year-old daughter\, Anni e fell deep into alcoholism.\n\nWhen John died\, any support Annie had was gone.\n\n[Flash powder whooshes] ♪ I think what I take away from the st ory of Annie is just how easy it was in Victorian London to fall far and f ast.\n\nIn 1888\, there was no safety net for women like Annie-- no financ ial support\, only the workhouse\, and that was so grim that many women pr eferred living on the street.\n\n♪ Annie was murdered in the early hours of the 8th of September\, 1888.\n\nHer body was found around 6 a.m. in a backyard in Hanbury Street\, Whitechapel.\n\nRumors that these killings we re linked intensified in September.\n\nHere's the \"Pall Mall Gazette\" on the 8th.\n\nThey say\, \"Another murder\" and \"More to follow?\"\n\nThey 're basically hinting that there's a serial killer on the loose.\n\nPolly and Annie's murders had troubling similarities.\n\nBoth women were murdere d after midnight in the same part of the East End\, and both had had their throats slashed.\n\nI'd like to do some detective work of my own.\n\nWhat seems to link Polly and Annie is Whitechapel.\n\nWhy do all roads lead he re?\n\n♪ Whitechapel today is a vibrant\, diverse area on the edge of Lo ndon's financial district.\n\nBut according to the newspapers\, at least\, Victorian Whitechapel was a distinctly dangerous place.\n\nOvercrowding w as common.\n\nRiots often happened.\n\nPeople poured in\, desperate for jo bs\, though\, as Whitechapel was near to the factories and the docks.\n\nW e can safely assume that one of the reasons Polly and Annie came here was to look for work.\n\n♪ This is where Polly was living in the summer of 1 888-- number 56\, Flower and Dean Street-- and...this is where she was kil led-- Buck's Row\, that was called.\n\nAnd Annie lived at Crossingham's Lo dging House\, which was at Number 35\, Dorset Street\, and her body was fo und in Hanbury Street\, over here at number 29.\n\n♪ When you look at th e map of Whitechapel like this\, it's only a mile across.\n\nThere's somet hing so intriguing about how such a small area of town managed to create s uch an enormous nationwide panic.\n\n♪ This archway is all that's left o f Flower and Dean Street\, where Polly was staying.\n\nBut don't be fooled by the street's floral name.\n\nIt was said it was too dicey for a single policeman to go in there on his own.\n\nThey had to patrol in pairs for p rotection.\n\nThe newspapers named Flower and Dean Street as the foulest a nd most dangerous street in London.\n\n♪ These sensational headlines abo ut Whitechapel were meant to grab attention\, but could mislead.\n\nAs a h istorian\, I want to check them against other sources.\n\nThere's a set of groundbreaking maps which might give me an insight into the social condit ions at the time.\n\nLet's just unfold them here.\n\nSo these were done be tween 1886 and 1889\, and the first section to be done was the East End\, including Whitechapel.\n\n[Gasps] Here we go.\n\nHere we are.\n\nAccording to Charles Booth\, who created this map\, he says\, \"I am sick \"to deat h of novelists and journalists painting these very lurid pictures of life in the East End.\"\n\nHe says\, \"My work\, my volumes are going \"to stri p it all back to sober facts and numbers and statistics and nothing else.\ "\n\nWho was Booth?\n\nCan you tell me a bit about him?\n\nYes.\n\nHe was a very\, very successful captain of industry.\n\nHe was an absolutely bril liant employer.\n\nHe ran the Booth Shipping Line\, and he could not under stand why there was so much unemployment in London and why all the charita ble donations that are poured in for the unemployed just weren't hitting t he target\, so that's how his survey gets going.\n\nThey're really rather beautiful with all the different colors.\n\nI think so.\n\nQuite sophistic ated for the 1880s\, I have to say.\n\nWhat do the colors mean?\n\nNow\, s tarting at the bottom\, black is a very unusual designation for a work of social science.\n\nNot only is it an indicator of chronic poverty\, it als o brings the angle of morality or character into it\, which means \"viciou s\, semi-criminal.\"\n\nHere is Dorset Street\, jet-black.\n\nOh\, where's Flower and Dean Street?\n\nThey're here\, and Thrall Street and Fashion S treet.\n\nThat's another jet-black region.\n\nWhy do you think that the vi ctims of Jack the Ripper were drawn to live in this Whitechapel area\, par ticularly these black streets?\n\nMm.\n\nAll of these streets were filled with common lodging houses\, and Whitechapel has more than any other distr ict.\n\nIt is the place with the greatest concentration of this very cheap form of a roof over your head\, and so it absolutely attracted people who were just\, you know\, financially not able to manage.\n\nWould we call i t a hostel today\, do you think?\n\nThat's what I think.\n\nPeople lived o ut on the street a lot more in the poorer parts of London because you didn 't want to have to be indoors unless you had to.\n\nSo\, when you're walki ng through it as a stranger\, like Booth was\, you're seeing life out on t he street.\n\nBut of course\, living your life out on the street like that also puts you at risk.\n\nAbsolutely right\, which\, of course\, leads in to the Ripper killings.\n\nHow do you think the people who lived in the ye llow-- upper-\, middle-\, and upper-class areas-- how do you think they fe lt about the people who lived in the black areas?\n\nI think a significant number of people in the upper-class streets headed east to do what would become known as slumming.\n\nSo\, after a night at the opera\, for example \, or a splendid meal in a restaurant\, they would hire their carriages an d ask to be taken into the sort of very darkest heart of East-End poverty. \n\nAnd we have quite a few anecdotal snippets from people saying that the se tiny little streets and alleys ended up after hours being filled with t he most intolerable people\, braying and laughing in their sort of fantast ic clothing\, just treating the poor locals as they were--like they were a nimals to be looked at in a zoo or perhaps in the old days of Bedlam\, whe n people went to laugh at the patients.\n\nSo that was deeply resented.\n\ n♪ [Trotting hooves clopping] Lucy: It wasn't just the press whipping up the story.\n\nNewspaper readers were also complicit.\n\nVictorians wanted to experience London's underbelly for themselves and get a thrill out of its perceived dangers.\n\n♪ True crime in general gives us that same thr ill.\n\n[Horn honks] It's not just entertainment.\n\nIt explores our deepe st fears and anxieties about society.\n\n[Clock tower bell chimes\, flash powder whooshes] [Siren wailing] By the 10th of September 1888\, panic in London was rising.\n\nThere had been a marked escalation in the level of v iolence inflicted by the killer\, and he was still on the loose.\n\nLike h ad been done to Polly Nichols\, Annie Chapman's throat had been cut.\n\nIt 's horrible.\n\nAlso\, her body had been disemboweled\, and some of her or gans were missing.\n\nThe police were struggling to make any progress with the case\, but there was something new that they could draw upon for help --science.\n\n♪ As Annie's death was considered suspicious\, a full auto psy was conducted.\n\nThe information from this autopsy was revealed in op en court on the order of the coroner\, Dr. Wynn Baxter.\n\nDr. Baxter was keen for transparency\, but this meant the reporters put virtually every s ingle salacious detail straight into the press\, uncensored.\n\n♪ He was of the opinion \"that the person who cut the deceased's throat \"took hol d of her by the chin\, and then commenced the incision from left to right. \"\n\nIt's interesting about what was in her stomach\, which was nothing.\ n\nShe was hungry.\n\nPoor lady.\n\nIt's so intriguing to see the authorit ies grappling with this new situation.\n\nOn the one hand\, releasing so m uch medical information to people who weren't doctors would have increased the horror and the fear.\n\nOn the other hand\, though\, it also unleashe d in the general public a fascination with this wonderful new world of for ensic science as a means of potentially catching killers.\n\nAnd that's so mething that's still with us to this day.\n\n♪ It's no surprise that the newspapers took full advantage of this openness from the authorities\, an d sales rocketed.\n\nThe Central News Agency in London began sending the s tory across the Atlantic via telegraph.\n\nReporters now swarmed into Whit echapel in search of new stories to feed the wires.\n\nThe press was start ing to do something different.\n\nThey were not just reporting on the crim es themselves.\n\nThat was no longer enough.\n\n♪ By the 10th of Septemb er\, the story was dominating the Victorian equivalent of 24-hour rolling news.\n\nThere were the morning\, the evening\, the Sunday editions of the papers to be filled.\n\nThe police hadn't made any official statements\, but journalists rushed in to fill that vacuum.\n\nThey were now using Pitm an's shorthand\, invented earlier in the century\, so they could very quic kly take down the statements of any witnesses.\n\nAnd they were competing to get scoops-- another new word of the 19th century.\n\nThe whole busines s had become a contest between the journalists to get their own exclusive angles and to put forward a convincing motive for the killings.\n\nSo if t he journalists were desperate to suggest a motive for the crime\, I think I should examine how they and the police combed over Polly and Annie's per sonal lives.\n\nCould I have\, uh\, a pint of that one\, please?\n\nI don' t just want to visit the places these women died\, but also where they liv ed.\n\nI've come to the Ten Bells Pub in Whitechapel\, a place they used t o visit.\n\n♪ I'm meeting the author of \"The Five\,\" a biography of th e lives of the five victims\, and an expert on historical sex work.\n\nHal lie\, what I've learnt so far is that Polly and Annie were vulnerable.\n\n They had no fixed address.\n\nthey had addiction issues\, but this isn't n ecessarily how society saw them at the time\, is it?\n\nWell\, society saw them in a number of different ways.\n\nI have here the police reports tha t were written up when the bodies of Polly\, or Mary Ann Nichols\, were fo und\, and Annie Chapman.\n\nAnd it's very interesting because the police o fficer who filled in this document\, under the heading of professional cal ling\, wrote the word \"prostitute\,\" OK?\n\nThere it is\, in black and w hite.\n\nYes\, absolutely.\n\nProstitute.\n\nSo why--why did the policeman who completed this form call her a prostitute?\n\nYou're questioning whet her we can actually take that seriously as a piece of evidence\, are you?\ n\nWell\, a lot of assumptions were made-- [chuckles]-- at the time about what a dispossessed woman actually was.\n\nIt's a real sliding scale at th is time.\n\nIf she was actually engaged in selling sex\, if she was engage d in\, you know\, living with a man who was supporting her who she wasn't married to\, you know\, and Victorian society just liked to tar all of the se women with the same brush.\n\nThey were all the same thing.\n\nThere wa s really no nuance applied.\n\nI mean\, and there is--this word\, \"prosti tute\" was used so loosely\, including by people who claimed to be experts in it.\n\nSo\, in the 1870s\, somebody sort of published this supposedly authoritative treatise on prostitution in London and claimed there were 80 \,000 prostitutes in London.\n\nBut if you read it\, if you go beyond that statistic\, which gets repeated over and over again\, you see that he inc luded in that estimate any woman living out of wedlock with a man.\n\nNo w ay.\n\nSo\, you know\, that-- and that number then gets repeated by histor ians through time\, saying\, \"This is how big the prostitution problem wa s in London\,\" but it's taken totally out of context.\n\nThat's a very br oad definition.\n\nRight?\n\nHa ha ha!\n\nExactly.\n\nIt was impossible to tell who among the lodging-house community of women were prostitutes and who were just ordinary\, poor women.\n\nIt was just so blurred.\n\nHallie\ , how was this issue probed in Polly's inquest?\n\nWell\, it's very intere sting because-- and we have here Polly Nichols' inquest\, and the coroner' s court was very keen to put her under moral scrutiny\, as if to blame her for her own murder.\n\nAnd so they had her father\, obviously\, testify\, and a number of questions were asked of him\, and one of the questions wa s\, \"Was she fast?\"\n\nSo was she immoral?\n\nWell\, did she run around with bad people?\n\nAnd he said\, \"No\, I never heard of anything of that sort.\"\n\nBut the coroner was really intent on kind of proving in some w ays that she sort of got what she deserved.\n\nJulia\, do you think that V ictorians were \"keen\" to think of these women as sex workers?\n\nBecause do you think that\, in the Victorian mind\, explains the crime that other wise seemed motiveless?\n\nJulia: In a way\, yes.\n\nIn the 1880s\, it's t his moment when more and more women are on the street\, and so the police and moralists are going\, \"Oh\, how do we tell the difference\, you know\ , how do we now know?\"\n\nWe used to know\, if you're on the street at a certain hour\, that means you're a woman of ill repute.\n\nNow that more a nd more women are coming to the West End for theater\, for restaurants\, f or pleasure\, these things that women weren't really allowed to do\, those old rules don't apply anymore.\n\nSo we jumped right into the middle of t his culture war about what prostitution means.\n\nI think \"culture war\" is\, you know\, it's-- it wouldn't be a word they'd use\, but I think it's a word that we could--yeah...\n\nIt certainly makes sense\, yeah.\n\ndefi nitely apply to this moment.\n\nLucy: What started as a news story about t wo murders had become a story about moral outrage.\n\nThe press\, taking t heir lead from the authorities\, were all too keen to attach blame to the victims.\n\nSo it seems that all too quickly\, Polly and Annie got reduced to this one little word of \"prostitute.\"\n\nAnd\, sadly\, I feel like t his way of looking at women hasn't been left behind in the Victorian age.\ n\n♪ From the 10th until the 29th of September 1888\, there were few dev elopments in the case.\n\nEven in this age of sensational journalism\, the re was a limit to how long newspapers could spin things out.\n\nThe story was running out of steam.\n\nIt might have become just a footnote in histo ry... but then everything changed.\n\n♪ On the 30th of September\, 1888\ , what became known as the \"Double Event\" unfolded.\n\nIt involved a Swe dish woman\, Elizabeth Stride.\n\nShe'd been shunned for having an illegit imate child and wanted a fresh start.\n\nBut by 1888\, Elizabeth found her self in Whitechapel and reliant on charity.\n\n♪ As an immigrant\, Eliza beth had registered at the Swedish church\, which today is here in Harcour t Street.\n\n♪ Now\, the church often gave financial assistance to Swedi sh people in London who found themselves in need\, and one of those people was Elizabeth Stride.\n\nThis is a record from the archives of the church of payments made\, and it's for the third quarter of 1888.\n\nOh\, yes.\n \nHere she is.\n\n\"Stride\, Elisabeth.\"\n\nShe's received... a shilling. \n\nOoh\, and look at this.\n\nHere's a coincidence.\n\nA very strange one .\n\nDown at the bottom\, this page of the accounts has been signed off by the priest ten days later\, on the 30th of September... and that was the very day Elizabeth was killed.\n\n♪ Elizabeth wasn't the only woman in d anger that night.\n\nHaving left an abusive relationship\, Catherine Eddow es found herself dependent on alcohol\, and in and out of the pawn shop.\n \n♪ On the evening of the 30th of September\, within the same hour and l ess than a mile apart\, both Elizabeth and Catherine were killed.\n\nEliza beth Stride was last seen at 12:45 a.m. in a narrow street called Dutfield 's Yard.\n\nShe was murdered about 15 minutes later.\n\nCatherine Eddowes was last seen at 1:30 a.m.\, and her body was found just before 2:00.\n\nI t was under a mile from Elizabeth's in Mitre Square.\n\nFour women had now been killed within a single month in the vicinity of Whitechapel.\n\n♪ Before the double murder of Elizabeth and Catherine could even reach the f ront page\, something else shocking had taken place.\n\nA letter\, purport ing to be from the killer\, arrived at the offices at the Central News Age ncy.\n\nThis letter would be a turning point in the legacy of this story a nd the true-crime genre.\n\n♪ Now\, this letter is such an important pie ce of evidence in this case\, and I've got a really rare opportunity to se e it.\n\nYes\, the real thing\, here at the National Archives.\n\n♪ This is one of the most famous letters in history.\n\n[Gasps] Wow.\n\nLucy\, v oice-over: I'm showing this letter to a criminologist who works with viole nt offenders.\n\nIs he convinced that this letter is really from the pen o f the killer?\n\n\"Dear Boss\, \"I keep on hearing the police have caught me\, \"but they won't fix me just yet.\n\n\"I have laughed where they look so clever \"and talk about being on the right track.\n\n\"I am down on wh ores and I shan't quit ripping them till I do get buckled.\"\n\nHang on.\n \nThat's so powerful.\n\n\"I am down-- I am down on whores\,\" he says.\n\ nWhat the writer's doing here is giving us something that this case did no t have\, which is a motive: \"I'm down on whores.\"\n\nIn my own work\, on e of the things that people ask all the time: \"Why did they do it?\"\n\nT hat the assumption is that the individual had some issue with prostitutes. \n\n\"My knife's so nice and sharp \"I want to get to work right away if I get a chance.\n\nGood luck.\n\nYours truly...\" [Scoffs] \"Jack the Rippe r.\"\n\n\"Jack the Ripper.\"\n\nThe first time in history those words appe ar.\n\nYup\, he wants to say\, \"Yeah\, \"I'm probably walking around you\ , I'm there.\"\n\nYes.\n\n\"You can see me all the time.\"\n\nYeah.\n\nBut actually\, nobody knew who he was.\n\nWhat do you think the significance of the red ink is\, Martin?\n\nIt's quite simple.\n\nIt becomes symbolic o f blood.\n\nThere's a line here.\n\nIt says\, uh\, \"I saved some of the p roper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle.\"\n\nThat means the blood from th e supposed killing.\n\nYeah\, what--my thing is\, if you mutilated someone in the way that the autopsy reports are\, I'd like to know\, how do you s uddenly stop and scrape a lot of blood\, or a vial of blood into--it says \"a ginger beer bottle...\" \"to write with\, but it went thick like glue and I can't use it.\"\n\nWell\, even if it was glutinous\, if it was fairl y--you'd still be able to write with it.\n\nDepends on the implement you'r e using.\n\nSo you think this description of what the killer is supposed t o have done\, it doesn't stack up.\n\nIt doesn't ring true to you as somet hing that would have really happened\, putting blood into a ginger beer bo ttle with a plan to write a letter with it later?\n\nIn terms of my work\, having worked with people who have done horrendous things\, what tends to happen is when the crime happens\, the emotional impact of witnessing wha t they've done has significant impact.\n\nThey don't satirize what they've done because if you really want to tell someone you've killed someone\, y ou don't have to really go out of your way to write it in red...\n\nTrue.\ n\nunless you're going to make a point with it.\n\nDo you think it's a bit odd that they've sent it to the Central News office\, rather than the pol ice?\n\nOf course I do\, because you and I both know the moment you send a letter to a newspaper boss and they read it\, they're just looking at sal es.\n\nSo the moment you get this\, you're thinking\, \"I can make a lot o ut of this\,\" and then the police will start thinking\, \"Well\, how come we didn't know about this first?\"\n\nThat still happens to this day.\n\n It's like fake news.\n\nSo whoever did this knew that they were going to g enerate publicity.\n\nHmm.\n\nThey knew.\n\nYou think the letter is basica lly a fake?\n\nWriters are very\, very good at fabricating the truth to ma ke you believe it\, and we're looking at this retrospectively\, but I shou ld imagine they could get away with it because there wasn't the forensic a wareness to be able to prove it\, because if they did\, we wouldn't be sit ting here talking about it now.\n\nWhat are the repercussions?\n\nThis is a very\, very clever way to fuel the kind of obsession with dangerous indi viduals.\n\nWe get caught up in \"Who is it?\n\nWhat did they look like?\" \n\nWhen we look at crime fiction\, we love the bad person.\n\nActors love the bad person.\n\nEverybody loves the bad person.\n\nIf you presented th e reality about what victims went through\, as a society\, we'd have to re spond differently to their act.\n\n♪ Whoever wrote it came up with this really potent brand of The Ripper.\n\nIt's impossible now for us to even t hink about a serial killer without thinking about Jack\, and all that from a letter that was written by somebody who I believe had nothing to do wit h the actual deaths of Polly and Annie.\n\n♪ Today\, most people agree t hat the Jack-the-Ripper letter is a hoax\, sent by a Central News Agency j ournalist named by a former Scotland Yard detective as Tom Bulling.\n\nBut every time there's a serial killer on the loose\, the name Ripper still g ets trotted out.\n\n♪ So\, between the 1st and the 4th of October\, 1888 \, both the deaths of Elizabeth and Catherine and the letter purporting to be from Jack were reported in the papers.\n\nThe case was now notorious w orldwide\, and the manhunt for Jack the Ripper was now on\, and anyone cou ld join in.\n\nLots of these newspaper readers now turned armchair detecti ves\, and they did the Victorian equivalent of wading into debates online. \n\nThey wrote in letters with suggestions about the case to the police an d to the papers.\n\nI've asked the National Archives to send me some examp les so I can get an idea of where these armchair detectives were going to take the Ripper story next.\n\nHere we go.\n\nThese are good.\n\nSome peop le were trying to help and were well-intentioned.\n\nThis letter from Thom as Blair of Scotland-- [chuckles]--has what he thinks is a good plan.\n\nH e proposes that police officers \"be selected \"of short stature\, \"and a s far as possible\, \"of effeminate appearance\, but of known courage.\"\n \n\"And they are to be dressed as females \"of the class from whom the vic tims are selected\, \"and sent out onto the streets at night to entrap the murderer.\"\n\nNot sure that's a very sensible plan.\n\nThen others were just malicious\, kind of copycats\, fearmongering.\n\nThere was one letter from somebody called \"George at the High Rip Gang.\"\n\nHe said he was g oing to get to work in the West End\, cutting up gilded ladies and duchess es\, the posh women there\, while his pal Jack continued his work in the E ast.\n\nAnd here's a letter clearly intended to cause trouble and fear.\n\ nThis person obviously knows about the \"Dear Boss\" letter.\n\nThey've wr itten in the same red ink\, and it begins\, \"Dear Sir\, \"I shall be in W hitechapel on the 20th \"of this month-- And will begin some very delicate work.\"\n\n\"Yours till death\, \"Jack the Ripper.\n\nCatch me if you can .\"\n\n♪ The public's investment in solving this crime mirrors the way t hat modern audiences engage with unsolved cases today.\n\nBut these self-a ppointed Sherlocks flooded the Victorian police with false leads and trigg ered public hysteria.\n\n♪ [Woman exhales] Lucy: By the end of October 1 888\, the newspapers were reporting that women traveling at night were hal f-mad with fear and carrying knives and guns.\n\n♪ A woman named Mary Ja ne Kelly\, concerned about the murderer\, offered up her home to the vulne rable sex workers she knew in Whitechapel.\n\nTen days later\, she herself was murdered.\n\n[Woman exhales] Lucy: Because of the victim's profile an d the way she was killed\, she's believed to be the final victim of Jack t he Ripper.\n\n[Woman exhales] ♪ Mary Jane's remains were discovered at 1 3 Miller's Court on the 9th of November\, 1888.\n\nShe could only be ident ified by her ear and her eye.\n\n♪ Attention shifted to Shoreditch Town Hall\, as it was announced as the location for Mary Jane's coroner's inque st.\n\n♪ Reporters were poised to revel once again in the hideous forens ic evidence\, but they would be disappointed.\n\nI can see here from the t ranscripts that the new coroner\, Dr. Macdonald\, wasn't happy with having all the gory details of what had been done to Mary Jane revealed in the o pen court.\n\nThat was quite unlike his predecessor\, Dr. Baxter.\n\nIt sa ys here\, \"Dr. Macdonald's own opinion is \"that it's very unnecessary to go through \"the same evidence time after time.\n\nHe felt it ought to be discussed in a closed police court.\n\nSo this meant that unlike the inqu est of Polly Nichols\, which lasted for five days\, the inquest into the b ody of Mary Jane Kelly only lasted for one.\n\n♪ After Mary Jane's funer al on the 19th of November\, the police tried to stifle media coverage by withholding further details\, but with the papers not getting what they wa nted\, some of them turned their attention on the police themselves\, and the women of Whitechapel were getting desperate.\n\nThis article in the \" Morning Post\" perhaps explains why Queen Victoria knew so much about the case.\n\nIt's a report of a petition that's been sent to her by 4\,000 wom en\, and they have written\, \"Madam\, \"we\, the women of East London\, \ "feel horror at the dreadful sins that have been lately committed in our m idst.\"\n\n♪ The newspapers' justification for their blood-and-guts appr oach to the Ripper story was that it would attract more readers\, raise aw areness\, and generate change.\n\nBut did this approach actually work?\n\n Lucy: Which cell do you fancy\, Roz?\n\nRoz: Ooh\, I think maybe Cell 4.\n \nOK. Looks like a good bet.\n\nLucy\, voice-over: My cellmate for the day is the author of the book \"Violent Victorians.\"\n\nI hope she has the a nswer.\n\nRoz\, what did the journalists say that the detectives hadn't be en doing or had been doing wrong?\n\nNow\, they were highly critical of th e detectives and the way the whole investigation was run.\n\nOne paper in particular was the \"Pall Mall Gazette\"... Oh\, yes.\n\nwhich I have with me here.\n\n\"Police not available.\"\n\nIt says that the detectives are at fault\, hopelessly at fault because... what's the explanation?\n\nYeah. \n\nIt just says that they're--they're useless.\n\n\"The comment of a Whit echapel costermonger\, 'The police can't find nothink.'\"\n\nTo be honest\ , they were doing all they could with the resources that were available to them.\n\nWhat we've also got to remember is the police had a lot of inter ference\, outside interference with their investigation.\n\nAh.\n\nSo\, as well as the vigilante groups that were established\, who'd roam around th e East End\, they also got thousands of letters from members of the public \, people pretending to be Jack or giving them information.\n\nThey had to sift through all of those.\n\nSo one thing the journalists were doing was criticizing the police.\n\nThat filled up column inches.\n\nWhat else was there?\n\nSo the newspapers at this time\, they were already running this kind of critique of both the police and the investigation\, as well as so ciety.\n\nIt's because this is the era of New Journalism\, and the idea of social reform in New Journalism is very\, very important.\n\nAnd I have t his wonderful cartoon here from \"Punch\" to show you... that just sums it all up beautifully.\n\n\"The Nemesis of Neglect.\"\n\nNeglect.\n\nYeah.\n \nGosh.\n\nThis figure is called Crime\, and he's holding a knife and he i s kind of saying Jack the Ripper is this--this specter of crime that's ari sen from poverty-stricken\, dirty conditions at the East End.\n\nJack the Ripper was representative of everything that was wrong with the East End o f London.\n\nOnce the story of Jack the Ripper shines a searchlight onto W hitechapel\, and all these middle-class people get concerned about conditi ons in the area\, does anything change?\n\nIt does\, Lucy.\n\nThere are a number of things that the reformers want as a result of the Jack the Rippe r murders: they want better lighting\, they also want more police supervis ion\, they want more police patrolling\, and finally\, what they want\, th ey want to get rid of those common lodging houses that they see as being t he center of the slum\, being where all of the misery and the problems of the East End emerge from\, and so\, to do that\, they-- they suggest a pro gram of slum clearance and in their place to build tenements.\n\nNow\, of course\, the problem there is that the new tenements they build are not ne cessarily for the people who were using the lodging houses in Flower and D ean Street.\n\nSlum clearance in the 19th century tends to just exacerbate overcrowding and slum conditions in other neighborhoods as people are pus hed out.\n\nAh\, so you build some fancy new buildings\, and no one can af ford the rent\, so they go--where do they go?\n\nFurther east.\n\nLucy\, v oice-over: Exploring social justice is still a theme of true crime today.\ n\nWe often justify the pleasure we take in the gory details by arguing th at this has a higher purpose.\n\nThe Victorian Ripper coverage did draw at tention to the harsh realities of life in the East End.\n\nBut none of our five women-- Polly\, Annie\, Elizabeth\, Catherine\, or Mary Jane-- would have qualified for the new social housing.\n\n♪ I believe the story of Jack the Ripper in 1888 set the template for a new kind of entertainment b ased on murder: how a crime story is constructed\, commercialized\, and th en consumed.\n\n♪ All the ingredients are here: the unknown killer\, the dark city\, the fallen women\, the forensics\, the police failings.\n\nBu t I've learnt that this isn't the truth.\n\nIt's a kind of dark media fant asy\, and it concentrates our attention on the anti-hero of the story--the killer\, at the expense of the humanity of his victims.\n\n♪\n\n\n\n   \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250114 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Lucy Worsley on William the Conqueror - Janaury 18th 2025   DTSTAMP:20250118T221042Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:145-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Lucy Worsley on William the Conqueror - Janaury 18th 2025  \n\n\n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2830&a mp\;type=status\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n The Bayeux Tapestry [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry ] was lovely t o see. The episode focuses on a truth we all know. Conquest is never as si mple as the history books put it. It usually far more bloodier and far mor e complicated. \n\n William is a conqueror not because the simplicity of hastings but because he destroyed the multiculturalism south of scotland o r the picts back then \, destroyed the allowance of the welsh or northumbr ians/scandanavian cultures and pushed the normans in. At the end of the da y the saxons wasn't all of england but just the south of england.  The sa xons on one side of the channel plus the normans on the other side were co usins. But the other regions of england were different\, welsh or northumb rian. William defeated the saxons but needed to defeat the other cultures in the land commonly called england\, and he did by fire and starvation. A nd thus made england two cultures\, Norman + Saxon \, with the saxon being a blend of welsh/saxon/northumbrian merged under a norman identity. The n ame of the child going from Tostig [ pronounced Tostee]  to Williams says it all.\n\n On a side note\, it is very interesting hearing how the welsh /saxon/northumbrian women went to convent\, tried to evade being married t o normans whose entire purpose in being with non norman women was making h alfbreeds\, ala the spanish conquistadors in central america/caribbean/sou th america/mexico. It explains a key point\, that the women of the various cultures the normans conquered worked hard to remain with the conquered p eoples. Willing to marry to any but a norman\, thus the multicultural set of women made the saxons\, and over time the saxons + normans became the e nglish.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n ♪ Lucy Worsley\ , voice-over: Christmas Day\, 1069\, Northern England.\n\n♪ A warrior ki ng makes his way through the ruins of York Cathedral.\n\nThe king's name i s William I of England\, but you might know him better by his later name-- William the Conqueror.\n\n[Men shouting] Worsley\, voice-over: Most of us think the Norman Conquest of England happened in 1066 at the Battle of Ha stings-- one battle won\, and the defeated nation bent the knee-- but actu ally\, that was just the beginning\, so how do you go about taking over\, conquering an entire country?\n\nIn this series\, I'm reinvestigating some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.\n\nOh\, yes. \n\nHere we go\, Man: And now you're face to face with William the Conquer or.\n\nWoman\, voice-over: They know that sex sells and that violence sell s.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: These stories form part of our national mythol ogy.\n\nThey harbor mysteries that have intrigued us for centuries... Wors ley: It turns very dark here.\n\nClearly showing us-- Refugees.\n\nThere's such graphic images of religious violence.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: but w ith the passage of time\, we have new ways to unlock their secrets using s cientific advances and a modern perspective.\n\nHe was what we would now c all a foreign fighter.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: I'm going to uncover forgo tten witnesses.\n\nI'm going to reexamine old evidence and follow new clue s...\n\nThe human hand.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: to get closer to the trut h.\n\nIt's like fake news.\n\nWorsley: You're questioning whether we can a ctually take that seriously as a piece of evidence.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice -over: 1066 is one of the best-known years in British history.\n\nWe know this date because of the Battle of Hastings\, but very few of us know the whole story.\n\n♪ The Norman Conquest was the biggest land grab in Weste rn medieval history.\n\nThis prosperous\, stable country called England wa s just taken by William\, Duke of Normandy\, seemingly overnight\, and sto ne castles like this one sprang up all over the land.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voi ce-over: This is Pevensey Castle\, the first Norman castle on English soil \, but it's actually a repurposed Roman fort.\n\nOf course\, England had b een invaded before.\n\nThere were the Romans\, but they eventually left\; then the Vikings\, but they never gained complete control.\n\nBut when the Normans invaded in 1066\, they created a regime that lasted.\n\nThey tran sformed the country\, and they left traces that we can still see to this d ay.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: In fact\, we can trace a line from Willia m the Conqueror to our current monarch King Charles III\, but this belies the truth of how difficult the conquest really was.\n\nIt took two decades for William to cement Norman rule\, so how did he do it\, and was William a conqueror or a war criminal?\n\n♪ I think I'll begin my investigation in the place where William's master plan for conquest was originally form ed-- Normandy in Northwest France.\n\n[Bells tolling] Worsley: Duke Willia m built his castle here at Caen in 1060.\n\nHe did it to consolidate his c ontrol over all of this part of France here.\n\nHe was a Norman\, the word coming from \"Northman\" or even \"Norseman\" because William's ancestors were warlike Vikings from Scandinavia.\n\nThey came down here\, and they settled\, and once they'd made this their home\, they renamed it as Norman dy.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: At this point\, William wasn't known as W illiam the Conqueror\, but William the Bastard.\n\nHe'd risen a long way a s the illegitimate son of Robert I of Normandy.\n\nNow he wanted to expand his territory and conquer the lands across the English Channel.\n\nIf Wil liam ever came up here himself\, I think he'd have spent his time looking in that direction because a hundred miles over there is the English coast\ , and on the 5th of January 1066\, the English king Edward the Confessor d ied without leaving an obvious successor\, and William believed that he wa s the rightful heir to the English crown.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: There's one astonishing historical artifact just a few miles away in the town of Bayeux which might explain exactly why William believed this.\n\nIt's not a book or a manuscript.\n\nIt's nearly 230 feet long\, and it's over 900 y ears old.\n\nIt's kept in the dark\, quite literally\, for its own protect ion.\n\nOh\, there it is-- the Bayeux Tapestry.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-ove r: This tapestry shows the invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066 as a heroic enterprise.\n\n♪ Worsley: It's basically a medieval movie.\n\nIt tells the story scene by scene from beginning to end\, and di d you know it's not actually a tapestry at all?\n\nThe pictures are stitch ed on\, which is embroidery.\n\nThis is women's work\, and I suspect that the men who give names to things like this don't necessarily know what the y're looking at\, but the first thing that strikes me is the sheer scale o f it.\n\nLook how long it is\, and it goes off right round the corner.\n\n It's just a stunning piece of work.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: And here' s the scene I'm looking for.\n\nIt depicts a pact which allegedly took pla ce between two of the main contenders for the English throne: the hero of the tapestry-- that's William-- and Harold\, King Edward the Confessor's b rother-in-law.\n\nWorsley: This is Harold\, and you can tell because of hi s ginger mustache-- the Anglo-Saxons have mustaches\; Normans are all clea n-shaven-- and what's happening here\, it says in the caption\, this is th e bit where Harold\, he fecit a sacramentum.\n\nHe makes an oath to Duke W illiam of Normandy\, who's that chap there\, and Harold is touching a cask et full of holy relics to make the oath even more powerful\, and in his oa th\, he swears he will support William's claim to be king.\n\nLet's see wh at happens next.\n\nWell--ah\, here we go-- Edward the Confessor dies.\n\n There's his dead body.\n\nHe's defunctus.\n\nHe's defunct\, and in this sc ene\, ah\, Harold has made himself king-- \"Rex: Anglorum\,\" \"King of th e English\,\" it says.\n\nHuh\, so--in this version of the story\, at leas t\, the Norman version of the story-- Harold has betrayed William.\n\nThis is why William is justified in invading England.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-o ver: But\, like all historical sources\, the tapestry has an agenda.\n\nIt was commissioned by William's half-brother Odo\, Bishop of Bayeux\, and i t was basically propaganda justifying William's invasion of England.\n\nOn the 28th of September 1066\, William's fleet of hundreds of ships carryin g thousands of men landed here at Pevensey on the south coast of England.\ n\n♪ This is the very beach where the Normans landed\, but the battle to ok place a few miles away in that direction at Hastings.\n\nIt was a bruta l fight.\n\nIt lasted for more than 9 hours.\n\n[Men shouting] [Swords cla nging] Worsley\, voice-over: You could be forgiven for thinking that\, alt hough William's victory was hard won\, it was basically inevitable.\n\nThe tapestry suggests that the Normans had enormous military superiority.\n\n [Shouting continues] [Horse neighs] Worsley: Here are the Norman knights\, and what's brilliant is the way that you see them moving off.\n\nThey're starting to gallop.\n\nThey're off.\n\nIt's really exciting\, and here are the Norman archers.\n\nIt's really striking that the Normans have got bet ter weapons.\n\nThey've got these horses.\n\nThey've got bows and arrows.\ n\nThe poor Anglo-Saxons have only got things like axes and clubs.\n\nYou do get the impression of this indomitable Norman war machine.\n\nThe storm troopers are coming.\n\n♪ [Men shouting] Worsley\, voice-over: The Bayeu x Tapestry famously ends with the death of Harold.\n\nAn arrow from a Norm an archer hits him in the eye.\n\n♪ It's a heroic end to the story.\n\nH arold is dead\, and William\, the rightful king\, is triumphant\, but is t his what really happened?\n\nThere's another source that historians now be lieve to be one of the earliest depictions of the Battle of Hastings.\n\nT his Latin poem\, probably dating from 1068\, has a very different story to tell about Harold's last moments.\n\nIt's called the \"Carmen\,\" or the \"Song of the Battle of Hastings\,\" written two years after the battle\, we think\, and\, according to this version\, it took 4 Norman soldiers to finish him off.\n\nIt's quite hard to read\, but I've got some notes here from the translation.\n\nIt says the first of them did the job of shatteri ng his breast through his shield.\n\nThe second\, by his sword\, severed t he head.\n\nThe third of them\, by his spear\, ooh\, poured forth the body 's entrails\, oof\, and then the fourth of them hewed off a leg-- some oth er translations say it was a different body part than that-- and then\, be ing removed\, he drove it afar.\n\nHe threw the body part away\, so that m akes it sound like Harold was really difficult to kill\, and there's no me ntion at all of the arrow going into his eye.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: Unl ike the tapestry\, the poem is an unsanitized\, hyperviolent account of th e battle.\n\n[Men shouting] [Swords clanging] Harold's body was so mutilat ed\, it could only be identified by some marks on his skin.\n\nOne of thos e 4 Normans who killed Harold was William himself.\n\nI wonder if this poe m is the more accurate predictor of the violence still to come after the b attle.\n\nWorsley: When it was over and William had won\, he wasn't automa tically King of England.\n\nHe was kind of in limbo.\n\nHe waited for the English to formally surrender to him\, but nobody came.\n\nWorsley\, voice -over: Somebody was coming\, but they weren't coming to offer William the throne.\n\nThey were coming for a fight.\n\n♪ Hundreds of miles from Has tings in the North of England\, two brothers would play a significant part in this resistance.\n\nEdwin\, Earl of Mercia\, and Morcar\, Earl of Nort humbria\, saw William as a foreign aggressor who was trying to take over t heir country.\n\nTheir rightful king was the teenager Edgar AEtheling\, an d they were gearing up to lead the counteroffensive in his name.\n\nRrgh!\ n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: I'm meeting a medieval specialist to find out what happened next.\n\n♪ It's just after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 .\n\nWhat does William the Conqueror now need to do to consolidate his win ?\n\nThere's a lot of unrest still within the kingdom.\n\nPeople have fled the battlefield\, so there's still warriors around\, fled the battlefield .\n\npolitical elite gathering in London.\n\nHe's killed one king on the b attlefield\, but there is a contender still for the throne.\n\nIt's the te enage boy Edgar AEtheling\, and he is in London with Edwin and Morcar\, an d they come with the crucial thing-- military force\, so William needs to get himself to London\, and he needs to get the support of a bishop so tha t he can get himself crowned\, ideally an archbishop.\n\nHmm.\n\nHow is Wi lliam going to hold the land in Kent and Sussex that he's he's already gai ned control over once he sets off to London?\n\nSo part of that is through the castles that he builds\, so quick\, wooden castles put up really just to secure the area as a place of fortification and defense for his men\, and they are a way of holding power over the local area because you have y our garrison\, your troops\, positioned there in order to perhaps fight of f any disturbances that arise.\n\nWhat was in store for the local people l iving in Kent and Sussex?\n\nYeah.\n\nI think it must have been a really t errifying time for them.\n\nThey must have seen William's troops committin g atrocities around them-- burning houses\, taking crops\, livestock.\n\nT here's also the reinforcements that William calls from Normandy who come t o another part of the south coast\, possibly around Chichester.\n\nThose c ommunities en route are clearly having houses burnt.\n\nThere's pillaging of supplies and livestock in order to feed the army as they go.\n\nThere's a picture on the Bayeux Tapestry that actually we can have a little look at-- a mother and child fleeing from a burning building.\n\nOh.\n\nIt says \, \"Hic domus incenditur\,\" \"Here this building is being burnt\,\" so t his is probably depicting the scenes at Pevensey or Hastings.\n\nThe torch is setting alight to the roof\, where you can see the flames rising.\n\nA nd this poor\, little boy\, I think he's got his mouth open because he's c rying his eyes out.\n\nHe's being led away by his-- Do you think that's hi s mother?\n\nShe's saying\, \"Come on.\n\nGet out of here.\"\n\nYeah... \" It's really dangerous.\"\n\nand I think it's a really moving scene.\n\nIt' s clearly showing us...\n\nRefugees.\n\nyeah\, refugees\, the women and ch ildren who lost their homes as part of this conquest.\n\nI can understand why the Normans took the food\, but I can't understand why they burnt the houses.\n\nWas there also just an element of pure intimidation in doing th at and destroying the homes of people\, do you think?\n\nI think there mus t have been\, and I think William needs to use this kind of intimidating f actor in order to remove pockets of resistance and also as a warning to ot her communities and a clear statement that William means business\, that W illiam is not going to go lightly.\n\nIf there is opposition\, he's going to go in all guns blazing.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: What was meant to be a quick operation was becoming a brutal campaign of intimidation\, and these castles were key.\n\nThey were a way of crushing local resistance an d securing a strong supply line from Normandy.\n\nSo this is a map of Sout heast England.\n\nIt's not a brilliant map\, but you get the idea.\n\nYou' ll recognize it a bit better when I put in France and Normandy\, and this is the Channel\, and William landed pretty close to here and quickly built a castle at Pevensey\, where I am right now.\n\nIt was just over there.\n \nQuite quickly\, another castle sprang up at Hastings and then one at Dov er\, just along the coast there\, but where he really wanted to be was ove r here at London.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: London was the political he art of Anglo-Saxon England\, but getting there wasn't as simple as it look ed.\n\nWith Edwin and Morcar in London\, William realized a direct assault from the south was too difficult\, so he marched west\, devastating the l and as he went.\n\nHe secured the strategic crossing of the Thames at Wall ingford and advanced to Berkhamsted.\n\nThis was where he waited for the A nglo-Saxon earls\, Edgar\, and other leaders.\n\n♪ At this point\, Edwin and Morcar realized they'd been outmaneuvered.\n\n♪ William promised le niency and protection to those who submitted immediately\, so they surrend ered and bent the knee... ♪ for now.\n\n♪ William finally marched on L ondon in December 1066.\n\n♪ He was crowned William\, King of the Englis h\, on Christmas Day.\n\n♪ He then set about building his most notorious castle-- the Tower of London... ♪ but William only controlled the south east.\n\n♪ None of this made the whole of England his.\n\n♪ I want to examine William's next move\, and it wasn't a military one.\n\nThere's som ething that's nearly a thousand years old\, and I'm so eager to see it.\n\ nIt's a world-famous treasure\, and it lives in a super secure vault.\n\nI t's the Domesday Book.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: The Domesday Book was compiled later in William's reign\, but I think it might reveal his politi cal strategy after 1066.\n\n♪ Worsley: I'm about to see the most preciou s document in the National Archives that I think means it's the most preci ous document in British history\, and it's just in here.\n\n♪ Ah.\n\nOh\ , yes.\n\nHa ha ha!\n\nThere it is.\n\nIt's amazing to see it... ♪ not i n a case.\n\nIf it ever comes out of this strongroom\, it would be display ed with high security\, the real thing.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: This is the volume of what's called Great Domesday.\n\nIt's made up of more tha n 800 pages\, handwritten by just one scribe.\n\nI think a lot of people w ill have heard of the Domesday Book without being aware of what's actually in it\, and seeing it laid out like this in the columns is making me real ize that it's basically a spreadsheet detailing who owns all the land.\n\n ♪ Worsley\, voice-over: It's a survey of nearly every town and manor in England down to the last peasant\, plow\, and goat\, and the reason for do ing this--money.\n\nWilliam wanted to know how much tax he could get out o f his new country\, but the book also reveals something more sinister.\n\n I asked if I could see the entry for Grimsby\, the town my dad's from.\n\n Now\, at this point\, my medieval Latin is letting me down\, so I'm going to get a bit of help from the translation copy I've got here.\n\nThere is land for 4 1/2 plows.\n\nThere is a church and a priest.\n\nThere's a mill that produces 4 shillings\, and a ferry that renders 5 shillings\, and be fore the conquest\, it was owned by an Anglo-Saxon lady called Eadgifu.\n\ nAfter the conquest\, it's owned by a man called Richard.\n\nThat's a Norm an name\, so it's gone from an Anglo-Saxon lady to a Norman man\, and this incredible detail is replicated throughout the whole book.\n\nThere are 1 3\,000 settlements\, from little villages to towns\, and in each case\, th e story is the same-- the transfer of ownership from the Anglo-Saxons to t he Normans.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: So it looks like William's confiscati ng people's land for at least a decade after 1066.\n\nAt first\, some of t he English had been able to keep their property by acknowledging William a s king\, but by 1086\, the majority of Anglo-Saxons were disinherited.\n\n Domesday means the Day of Judgment.\n\nThere's no arguing with this book.\ n\nThis is the last word in Norman power.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Wil liam's brutal tactics are now becoming clearer to me.\n\n♪ Firstly\, the re was the military victory at Hastings.\n\nThen there was the building of castles to keep people under control\, and now\, by seizing Anglo-Saxon p roperty and assets\, William was further reducing their ability to resist. \n\nThe Domesday Book is more evidence of a conquest taking shape.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: But you can't conquer a country with hard power alon e.\n\nAs well as subjugating people\, you also have to win hearts and mind s... ♪ what's known as soft power.\n\nI'm meeting a specialist in mediev al women's history.\n\nShe's unearthed a source that reveals how the Norma ns used this power in ordinary daily life.\n\nDo you think it's possible t hat when William was looking at the future management of the country of En gland\, he saw marriage\, intermarriage\, as something that would be a too l at his disposal?\n\nI think he certainly at the start of the conquest ha d that plan\, but from the first\, say\, 10\, 15 years after the conquest\ , we don't have that many\, and the reason for that is\, we think\, that t he women were obviously very reluctant to be used as pawns in this game of the Conquest.\n\nFrom an Englishwoman's perspective\, if your parents had to arrange a marriage for you\, you much rather be married\, presumably\, to an Englishman\, than to one of these bullies who came from the other s ide of the Channel because\, you know\, you couldn't be sure that you woul d be safe.\n\nWhat did the Anglo-Saxon women who were in that position fee l about it?\n\nWhat did they do?\n\nThey obviously were very anxious about this\, and some of them took matters in their own hands\, and... Oh.\n\nI have here this absolutely fascinating piece of evidence\, which is a 12th -century manuscript\, and interestingly\, the text refers to women taking refuge in monasteries.\n\nIt refers to those women who\, not out of love f or the religion-- \"non amore religioni\, sed timore francigenaro\,\" but out of fear from the French\, have taken refuge in these institutions.\n\n So these poor women going to the nunneries\, they were feeling vulnerable sexually\, you know\, in the immediate physical sense and also perhaps vul nerable if they own land to being sucked into marriages so that the Norman s would be taking their land off them.\n\nAbsolutely.\n\nIt's really hard to hear the voices of women in the whole story of the Norman Conquest\, bu t here we've got a little echo\, and it's a chilling echo.\n\nYou're absol utely right.\n\nThat is what this very important document shows us\, and i t's not generally known.\n\nThe Norman Conquest is not only a story about soldiers and battles\, but it is about mothers and sisters and wives.\n\ n♪ Worsley: It's so distressing to think of these Anglo-Saxon women hidi ng themselves away out of fear of being forced to marry these Norman men.\ n\nThey would have understood that marriage was part and parcel of a wider strategy of conquest.\n\nAnglo-Norman marriages would lead to Anglo-Norma n children\, which would mean that the Normans' claims to the lands they'd taken would be legitimized forever.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: William tried this soft-power approach in his own court.\n\nIn 1067\, he brought E dwin and Morcar home with him to Normandy and promised Edwin a marriage to his daughter.\n\nIt was a strategy of \"keep your friends close but your enemies closer.\"\n\n♪ Outwardly\, they were guests\, but in truth\, the y were hostages.\n\nWilliam wanted a trouble-free takeover of England\, bu t the Anglo-Saxons were still mobilizing.\n\n♪ That same year\, a revolt began in the Welsh borders... ♪ and Exeter in the southwest rose up\, f orcing William to besiege the city for 18 days.\n\nIn the end\, Exeter sur rendered\, allowing William to build a castle in the city and consolidate his hold over the West Country.\n\n♪ The farther you ventured from the c enter of William's power in London\, the more the insurrection intensified .\n\n♪ In 1068\, sensing it was now or never\, Edwin and Morcar escaped William's court and raised rebellion in the Midlands.\n\nWilliams suppress ed this\, but by now\, the flames of revolt were spreading northward.\n\nM orcar and a growing gang of other English nobles started plotting another rebellion against William.\n\nOne of the English chronicles tells us that they were motivated by hatred of William for the injustice and the tyranny he inflicted upon the English.\n\n♪ I know that the northerners mounted a much tougher and more prolonged resistance against William\, but what w as it about their rebellion that made it so difficult to extinguish?\n\nHe llo.\n\nHi\, Lucy.\n\nYou'll be Katherine.\n\nYes.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over : I'm meeting a cultural historian in a village that Morcar used to own--M iddleton\, which in the 1060s was in his earldom of Northumbria.\n\n♪ Th ere's an ancient sculpture here that she wants to show me.\n\n♪ Gosh\, l ook at these.\n\nThey're amazing.\n\nThe shape of the cross is such a pote nt... symbol of kind of mystic power.\n\nSo this is a grave marker or some sort of commemorative monument for the person depicted on the front.\n\nW ho is this little person with the pointed hat?\n\nLook at that.\n\nIt migh t look cute\, but he's meant to look quite terrifying\, I think\, because if you look closely\, you can see that he is dressed in military gear.\n\n He's surrounded by weaponry\, so I think that this is somebody who might h ave been a Viking.\n\nIs that his sword I can see there?\n\nThat's his swo rd and shield here.\n\nAnd he's got a kind of a chopper here?\n\nSo that's his ax.\n\nWe can see he's got a knife\, as well\, that's slung up to his belt.\n\nWe can see somebody who comes from a military background\, power and strength are shown through military imagery.\n\nHe has settled here\, and he is now the lord of the local area.\n\n♪ Katherine\, what was our Viking warrior doing here in this part of England?\n\nWell\, we often thi nk of Vikings as raiders\, but from the middle of the ninth century\, they came to England in much larger armies.\n\nAnd did they settle down?\n\nYe s.\n\nThey conquered and settled the lands\, so if we think about it\, in 1066\, there had been 200 years of Scandinavian influence in the North of England\, and so we can see from lots of different kinds of evidence that they grew together and became one community\, so some of the words that we still use today come from Old Norse.\n\nA nice example is \"window.\"\n\n \"Window\"?\n\nIt means wind eye.\n\n\"Husband\" is another one that comes from the Old Norse \"husbondi\,\" which is sort of the master of the hous ehold\, and one that is quite well-known and really frequent\, is place na mes that end in -by\, which means\, really\, a farmstead\, so we can think of Whitby\, for example\, or Selby near York\, Grimsby.\n\nSo Grimsby is the farm of Mr.\n\nGrim from Scandinavia.\n\nYeah\, and we even see this i n\, like\, small landscape features\, as well\, like a beck or a fell or a dale.\n\nThese all come from Old Norse.\n\nSo is it fair to say\, then\, that when the Normans arrived in England\, this area of the North\, Yorksh ire and so on\, it had its own quite distinctive culture?\n\nYeah.\n\nI th ink that's definitely fair to say.\n\nI'm getting the impression\, Katheri ne\, then\, that these people would have been particularly not keen on the Normans coming in and taking over.\n\nIs that fair to say?\n\nYeah.\n\nI think that's true.\n\nI wonder if William the Conqueror knew what he was g etting into when he tried to subdue these folk up here.\n\n♪ Hmm\, so I' ve learned that the people who lived in Northumbria had a different center of gravity.\n\nIt wasn't London down south.\n\nIt was Scandinavia.\n\nThe region had its own separate identity\, and the English rulers before 1066 kind of went along with that.\n\nThey were happy to have a hands-off rela tionship with the North\, but when William\, Duke of Normandy\, came along \, he intended to change all that.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle\, the king was informed that the people in th e North had gathered together and planned to make a stand against him if h e came near.\n\n♪ In 1068\, William marched first to Mercia\, where he s uppressed all revolts\, and then on to York\, where he built a castle.\n\n Then he installed one of his Norman enforcers as Earl of Northumbria\, but his control was illusory.\n\n♪ In January 1069\, the Northumbrians kill ed William's Norman earl in Durham and marched to York.\n\nThen they broug ht in Danish reinforcements.\n\nIn September\, these combined forces storm ed York... [Men shouting] and torched William's two Norman castles were.\n \n♪ Almost all of the Norman garrison was slaughtered.\n\n♪ They then proclaimed Edgar AEtheling as the true King of the English.\n\nWilliam now faced a serious challenge to his conquest of England.\n\nHe was on the ba ck foot.\n\nWas this the moment to go hard or go home?\n\nI want to know h ow William is going to respond\, so I'm going to turn to one of the key ke y sources for the period.\n\nThis is the work of a monk called Orderic Vit alis.\n\nHe was one of these Anglo-Normans-- he had an English mum and a F rench dad-- and these pages are from his most famous book-- the Historia E cclesiastica.\n\nThe bit I want is about York\, so I'm looking in the Lati n text for \"Eboracum\,\" which is here.\n\nThat's what I want to read\, b ut for ease of reading\, let's go over to the translation.\n\nThey approac hed York looking for rebels.\n\nThe king-- that's William himself-- \"cut down many in his vengeance\; \"destroyed the lairs of others\; \"harried t he land\, \"and burned homes to ashes.\n\nNowhere else had William shown s uch cruelty\,\" so this is William's vengeance\, his punishment upon the N orth for having rebelled\, and this word \"harried\" is very significant.\ n\nIt means to lay waste\, to devastate\, and in this context\, it forms p art of one of the most resonant phrases in British history-- the Harrying of the North.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: But these are just words on a p age.\n\nI wonder what it was like to experience harrying as a weapon of wa r.\n\n♪ I've come to York Castle to meet a senior curator at Yorkshire M useum... Hi.\n\nNice to meet you\, Lucy.\n\nWorsley\, voice-over: who has some unusual archeological evidence.\n\nWorsley: Why did you suggest that we meet here at the top of the tower?\n\nWell\, the tower is perhaps the b est example of William the Conqueror's attempt to pacify York and across t he region\, really.\n\nThis building\, the motte underneath it was built i n 1068 for William to try and control this unruly part of the country\, so this is perhaps the best symbol of the Harrying of the North still standi ng.\n\nRebellious people in Yorkshire\, right?\n\nI mean\, hard to believe \, right\, but\, yes\, Yorkshire and most of the North is in open rebellio n against William for most of the late 1060s.\n\nAnd what have you brought here?\n\nThey look very precious.\n\nI have brought you 3 coins\, which a re the protagonists of 1066.\n\nOn the left here\, you have Edward the Con fessor\, so his death in early 1066 sparks all of the events that happen l ater.\n\nI do that.\n\nHopefully\, you get a good chance-- Ooh\, I can see his little face\, yes\, and is he wearing a crown\, Andy?\n\nHe is wearin g a crown\, so he's looking off to the right with a sort of pointy nose\, and he's wearing this rather elaborate crown and holding the scepter\, so the symbols of state.\n\nOK\, so that's the ruler before the Battle of Has tings.\n\nIt is.\n\nWhat's the other ones that you've got?\n\nSure.\n\nThi s is Harold Godwinson\, now\, slightly less clear portrait\, but hopefully \, you can see he's looking the other way.\n\nHe's looking the other way\, isn't he?\n\nHe's got quite chubby cheeks\, has Harold.\n\nHe has.\n\nIs that really rare?\n\nYeah.\n\nWe only have two of Harold Godwinson.\n\nWe don't often bring this one out\, so I'm pleased to be able to share it wit h you today\, actually.\n\nOh\, what a treat\, so who's this one?\n\nNow y ou're face to face with the man himself-- William\, Duke of Normandy.\n\nI have to say\, I feel intimidated by being face to face with William\, Duk e of Normandy.\n\nI think he's made a very clever choice there to be looki ng right at me.\n\nI find him more scary than Harold for that reason alone \, maybe because I know about the Harrying of the North and what he did-- I'm extrapolating here-- but I just don't like the look in his eyes.\n\n ♪ So did all of these 3 coins belong to the same person?\n\nNo\, so thes e are from different hoards\, so we get groups of coins buried in the grou nd\, and we call them a hoard.\n\nAnd why would they be burying their coin s in the ground?\n\nIn a world before banks\, you buried your money in tim es of challenge\, times of crisis\, and you come back and dig it up when t he crisis blows over\, but the crucial question in some ways is\, why didn 't they come and dig them back up again?\n\nAnd I guess if you're in York in the 1068 or '69\, you know\, there's an army coming towards you.\n\nYou bury your wealth.\n\nYou might escape town\, and you might not ever be ab le to come and dig it back up again.\n\nGosh\, that's horrifying to think of-- people in fear and panic thinking the Normans are coming\, and the pe ople who buried these little coins never came back to get them.\n\nYeah.\n \nIn some ways\, the evidence of the coins\, particularly the hoards from York\, is some of the best archeological evidence we actually have for the Harrying of the North and its effect upon the people.\n\nThere are more c oin hoards buried within the city walls of York than there are across the whole of Southern England at the same time.\n\nThe reason these were burie d in the ground\, the reason that we're looking at them today\, is all bec ause the person who had them was probably terrified of the arrival of the Norman army\, and may have lost their life to it.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-o ver: In times of conflict\, international alliances are forged and broken. \n\nIn late 1069\, William bought off the Danish allies who'd come to the aid of the northerners.\n\nHe then took back the city of York.\n\nOn Chris tmas Day\, exactly 3 years after his coronation\, he paraded through the r uins of York Cathedral... ♪ but William didn't want the northerners to b e able to use any of their lands to raise another army against him.\n\n♪ He ordered the systematic destruction of villagers' homes\, livestock\, a nd crops in all the land north of the Humber River.\n\n[People shouting] ♪ I'm going to one of the places that experienced William's wrath\, Lev isham in the Yorkshire Moors\, to see if I can glimpse the human impact of this.\n\n♪ I'd like to see what these different chronicles have to say. \n\nHere's my friend Orderic Vitalis\, oh\, but he says that in his anger he--that's William-- commanded that all the crops and food be burnt to ash es so that there was no food left in the whole of the region\, \"regione\, \" beyond\, \"trans\,\" the River Humber\, \"Umbrana\,\" my goodness\, and he says that 100\,000 people died in a famine.\n\n♪ This chronicle's by another monk\, Simeon of Durham\, and he says people were so desperate fo r food that they ate the flesh of horses and dogs and humans... ♪ and th is chronicle is from the Abbey of Evesham\, which is in Worcestershire\, s o that's not in the North at all\, but they were getting refugees from up here\, from Yorkshire\, and some of these refugees were so famished that w hen the monks gave them food\, \"cibum\,\" they ate it so ravenously that their bodies couldn't handle it\, and they died.\n\nI really feel that Wil liam has got blood on his hands for this.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: Wil liam had obliterated the rebellion in the North\, but he'd also engineered a famine.\n\n♪ Inflicting violence like this on people leaves a legacy\ , as I think the Domesday Book might be able to show us.\n\n♪ This page covers Eurvicsciure\, or Yorkshire\, the biggest county in the North\, one that was right in the firing line\, and I'm going to pick out this little place here within Yorkshire called Asulvesby.\n\nBefore the conquest\, it was worth 10 shillings and 8 pence\, but now\, after the conquest\, it's worth nothing\, nothing at all\, and that's because it's in waste.\n\nIt's been laid waste to\, and now I've spotted that tiny word \"waste\,\" it's catching my eye.\n\nI can see it's coming up again and again-- this place and this place and this one\, too.\n\nIt's like Yorkshire's been wiped of f the face of the earth.\n\nAt first sight\, you think that this book is a bout accountancy and taxation\, but actually\, there's also a story here a bout a huge amount of destruction and human suffering.\n\n♪ Worsley\, vo ice-over: The Harrying of the North marks the end of Edwin and Morcar's po wer.\n\nMorcar and other die-hard rebels joined the last desperate resista nce to the Normans at Ely in Cambridgeshire\, but it was quashed.\n\nAs fa r as we know\, it was in a Norman prison that he died.\n\n♪ As for his b rother Edwin\, he was ultimately betrayed by fellow Englishmen.\n\nThey to ok his head to William himself as a tribute to the Conqueror's power.\n\ n♪ For some\, the Harrying of the North was a step too far\, even by med ieval standards\, and many of William's supporters now turned on him.\n\nH ere's the monk Orderic Vitalis once again.\n\nNow\, Orderic's generally on William's side\, but not when it comes to the Harrying of the North.\n\nW here are my notes from the translation?\n\nHere we are.\n\nHe says\, \"But for this act\, which condemned innocent \"and guilty alike to die by slow starvation\, \"I cannot commend him.\n\nSuch brutal slaughter cannot rema in unpunished.\"\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: In the 1070s\, the concept o f war crimes as we understand them obviously didn't exist\, but there were early codes of conduct that guided how wars should be fought and how sold iers should make amends.\n\n♪ This giant book is from the 17th century\, but it's got in it a record of a much older document that was drawn up by Norman bishops just after the Battle of Hastings\, around 1067.\n\nIt's a list of penances for those who kill in bello\, in war.\n\nA penance is ki nd of like a punishment.\n\nIt's either praying or giving alms or fasting\ , and this is what you have to do if you've committed different sins.\n\nT his is if you kill somebody in the magno praelio\, which is the great batt le\, the Battle of Hastings.\n\nYou have to do one year\, but--this is int eresting-- if you fought in that battle as an archer\, as a Sagittariis\, then you might be ignorant of how many people you'd killed with your arrow s\, so your penance was less\, just a matter of months\, so there is some kind of a moral code that exists in Norman heads\, oh\, and this next one' s interesting.\n\nIf you killed somebody for praedandi-- so that's loot or for plunder-- then you got the worst punishment of all.\n\nYou had to do 3 years of penance\, tres annos.\n\nIt's fascinating.\n\nIt's like looking inside the minds of the Norman bishops who drew up this list of penances. \n\nYou get an insight into what they thought was acceptable\, what was go od\, what was bad.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: This code of conduct was w ritten before the Harrying of the North\, and William violated its accepte d standards.\n\n♪ It's become clear to me that William destroyed the Nor th because he failed politically.\n\n♪ Having utterly alienated the Angl o-Saxons\, he could only rule through violence.\n\n♪ The Harrying of the North didn't completely extinguish resistance.\n\nWilliam would face furt her invasion threats from the Danes\, but by 1071\, he was the Conqueror o f England.\n\n♪ Even today\, we still feel the impact of how the Normans took over England.\n\nWe see it in our landscape\, our laws\, and even in our names.\n\nThis is from the biography of a Norman celebrity-- a famous hermit\, actually-- but he started out in life as a little boy in Yorkshi re\, one of the bits of Yorkshire that had a very strong Viking influence\ , one of the parts that had been harried by the Normans\, actually\, and t he little boy's name was Tostig.\n\nYou pronounce it \"Tostee\,\" and that 's a very Anglo-Saxon\, Scandinavian-sounding name\, so what happened to T ostig?\n\nMy notes from the translation will tell me\, when his youthful c ompanions mocked the name Tostig\, \"Tostee\,\" his parents decided to cha nge it\, and what did they change it to?\n\nWell\, the very Norman name of William.\n\nIt's just a tiny\, little detail\, isn't it\, about a little boy\, but I think it speaks volumes.\n\n♪ Worsley\, voice-over: If the N ormans hadn't broken Yorkshire and Northumbria\, it's possible that the la nguage and culture of Northern England would be even more distinctive than it still is from the South.\n\n♪ William's conquest meant the North wou ld no longer look instinctively across the North Sea to Scandinavia.\n\nNo w it would look south and be part of a more tightly controlled England bou nd to Normandy for centuries.\n\n♪ Before I started investigating the No rman Conquest\, I think I'd assumed it was straightforward\, almost inevit able\, but I come to realize just how difficult it was for William to do i t\, and the human cost.\n\nNow\, England was invaded before the Normans ca me along but never successfully afterwards.\n\nPerhaps that's William's le gacy.\n\n♪\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250118 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Lucy Worsley on the Gunpowder Plot - January 23rd 2025 DTSTAMP:20250124T020248Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:156-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Lucy Worsley on the Gunpowder Plot - January  23rd 2025\ n\n https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2831&\;type =status\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n MY THOUGHTS\n\n\n\n Vendett a comes from the latin vindicare meaning \"force to proclaim\" . I modulat e into a precise wordage \" a tactile nonverbal action to speak\". A vende tta is a tactile nonverbal action to speak. The questions is clear\, what leads someone to choose speaking with tactile nonverbal action in oppositi on to other forms? The episode in defense explains the guides: bloody tact ile actions that a person can deem as an assault on a member of their comm unity by another community or the government\, legal actions that a financ ially affluent person in a community can deem restrictive or inequal by an other community or the government \, a vibe to another community or the go vernment that a person in a community is empowered by\, an individual in a community who has the will to harm others through tactile means.  Guy Fa wkes and his accomplices had it all: examples of individuals murdered by t he government for being a member of their community in all their memory\, government sanctions or restrictions on the wealthy members of their group for being members of their community\, an energy in their community to co mmit acts of violence toward the government\, themselves as willing member s of their community to commit vendetta. One of the modern tricks of gover nments\, stemming from the usa\, is learning how to maintain and embrace t he fiscally wealthy in each community such that the financing or resources to vendetta by abused communities\, ala first peoples in the usa or black descended of enslaved in the usa\, doesn't have their own wealthy backing it. This is a huge deterrent to vendetta occurring in the usa. the group I call the Black fiscal aristocracy in the usa has never been blockaded co mpletely and always embraced more and more by the white fiscal aristocracy or the usa federal/state/city governments the white fiscal aristocracy co ntrol. \n\n\n\n The older governments in humanity allowed union of the fi scal groups in oppressed communities in their borders\, the usa and the wo rlds governments influenced by it\, still abuse\, still create daily examp les of inequal abuse\, still has those in abused populae who want to vende tta but the fiscally wealthy in most abused populaces is treated disfavora bly but not restricted or blockaded. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n \n  \n\n\n\n ♪ Lucy Worsley: Midnight on the 4th of November\, 1605.\n\ n[Wind blowing] ♪ In a cellar deep below Parliament\, a man called Guy F awkes prepares to light the fuse of a deadly attack planned by a small net work of men... ♪ determined... [Crackling] to destroy the king and his g overnment.\n\n[Cawing] Unstopped\, this one explosion... [Crack] could hav e changed the history of Britain entirely.\n\nSo what were the steps\, the causes\, and connections that led these men to attempt to blow up Parliam ent.\n\n♪ [Explosion] [Cawing] ♪ In this series\, I'm reinvestigating some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.\n\nOh\, yes\, here we go.\n\nMan: And now you're face to face with William the Con queror.\n\nWoman: They know that sex sells and that violence sells.\n\nWor sley: These stories form part of our national mythology.\n\nThey harbor my steries that have intrigued us for centuries.\n\nIt turns very dark here.\ n\nWoman: Clearly showing us-- Worsley: Refugees.\n\nThere are such graphi c images of religious violence.\n\nBut with the passage of time\, we have new ways to unlock their secrets using scientific advances and a modern pe rspective.\n\nHe was what we would now call a foreign fighter.\n\nWorsley: I'm going to uncover forgotten witnesses.\n\nI'm going to reexamine old e vidence and follow new clues...\n\nThe human hand.\n\nto get closer to the truth.\n\nIt's like fake news.\n\nWorsley: You're questioning whether we can actually take that seriously as a piece of evidence.\n\n♪ [Explosion ] ♪ Worsley: I'm deep beneath the streets of London on the trail of a gr oup of men who many would now call domestic terrorists.\n\nAh\, here it is .\n\nThese are the Gunpowder Plotters\, the infamous Guy Fawkes and his fe llow conspirators\, who on the 5th of November\, 1605\, tried to blow up a packed parliament in the name of their Catholic faith.\n\nI think that th is image shows just how sanitized this story has become.\n\nEvery year\, m uch of Britain still celebrates Guy Fawkes Night\, his night\, on the 5th of November.\n\nThe Gunpowder Plot has become a nice\, family-friendly par ty night with bonfires and fireworks and an engraving that's safe enough t o be shown on the Tube.\n\nBut this is not a safe story.\n\n♪ Back in 16 05 when Guy Fawkes was caught\, the ports were closed\, people panicked.\n \nThe state focused all its attention on tracking down and executing the g roup of would-be killers.\n\n♪ [Chains rattling] ♪ I want to investiga te how these men reached the extreme\, how they connected with others and came to believe that the answer to their problems was wiping out the seat of power.\n\nThis was a dangerously radicalized network of men.\n\nThey we re willing to risk everything to kill hundreds\, if not thousands\, of peo ple for their cause\, but what made them unite and plan this really monume ntal act of violence?\n\n♪ We tend to forget the names or even the exist ence of most of the plotters\, yet even as children\, they had connections to each other... so to uncover the roots of their radicalization\, I'm st arting this investigation by going back much earlier than most people do\, to their childhoods.\n\n♪ 3 of the future conspirators\, John Wright an d his brother Christopher Wright\, as well as Guy Fawkes\, all went to the same school\, growing up in the city of York.\n\n♪ [Bells tolling] ♪ Amazing.\n\n♪ This is Saint Michael Le Belfrey Church\, which has been a ctive for nearly 500 years.\n\nIt's currently undergoing a major renovatio n\, but I've been allowed to come in to take a look at the church records. \n\n♪ This book contains the first written record of Guy Fawkes.\n\nHere he is\, the third one down.\n\nIt says\, \"Guy Fawkes\, the son of Edward Fawkes\, was christened\,\" here in this church in 1570.\n\nBut there's s omething else I want to look at in this book to get a sense of Guy's early life.\n\nOh\, yes!\n\nHere it is.\n\nA list of burials from 8 years later \, 1578\, and among the people who've died is...Edward Fawkes.\n\nThat's G uy's father\, so Guy lost his father when he was still a child\, and there 's something else here\, too.\n\nIt's quite tricky to read\, but it says h e was registrar and advocate of the consistory court of the cathedral\, so that means he was a lawyer working in the church court.\n\nThat would hav e been dealing with cases like the annulment of people's marriages\, that sort of thing\, and it's interesting because it means that Guy's father wa s working for the church\, and at the time\, that meant the Protestant chu rch.\n\n♪ So Guy\, who will ultimately die for a Catholic cause\, is bor n a Protestant.\n\n♪ In the late 16th century\, faith had the power to d ictate life on Earth and beyond.\n\nProtestants and Catholics disagreed on the route to salvation.\n\nPicking the wrong side meant the difference be tween heaven and hell.\n\n♪ In the 1580s\, Guy's mother remarried into a Catholic family.\n\nAround this time\, Guy became a convert.\n\nWhen Guy converted to Catholicism\, he must have felt that this was the only way to obey God and ultimately to go to heaven\, but in the eyes of the state\, he was utterly wrong.\n\nThe Protestant Queen Elizabeth was on the throne\ , and by the 1580s\, when the young Guy was walking these streets\, Cathol icism was effectively banned.\n\nNot going to Protestant church could mean fines or even prison.\n\nCatholic priests were outlaws\, and protecting p riests meant real danger.\n\nWhen Guy was in his teens\, a local woman cal led Margaret Clitherow-- she was the wife of a butcher-- was accused of hi ding priests in her house.\n\nAs a result of this\, she was brought to the middle of York\, and she was very publicly killed.\n\n♪ I want to know what effect this event might have had on Guy Fawkes and the other York-bas ed conspirators\, the Wrights\, who were from a known Catholic family\, an d there's a tantalizing clue in the city's Bar Convent.\n\n♪ Worsley: Ha nnah\, what is this completely extraordinary object?\n\nSo we are looking at the hand of Margaret Clitherow.\n\n-The hand?\n\n-The hand.\n\n-The hum an hand?\n\n-The human hand.\n\nThis is a relic taken at some point by her followers so they had something to remember her by\, to keep safe.\n\nCan you tell me a bit of Margaret's story?\n\nShe's somebody who converts to Catholicism in her 20s\, and then she runs runs a sort of secret Catholic network\, safe homes for priests.\n\nShe's imprisoned 3 times over a 7-yea r period\, and then in 1585\, the law changes\, and it makes it a capital offense to harbor a priest\, and then under that law\, she is prosecuted\, so she refuses to plead guilty or not guilty to protect people around her .\n\nSo the sentence that's actually passed on her is to be crushed until she enters a plea or until she dies.\n\nTo be--to be what?\n\n-To be crush ed?\n\n-Crushed?\n\n-Yes.\n\nYes.\n\n-Ohh!\n\nThat is terrible.\n\nYeah.\n \nIt's a particularly brutal death.\n\nThere's a sharp stone put under her back\, a door is laid on top of her\, and then heavy weights are put on t op of the door\, so they're constantly added\, so it gets heavier and heav ier\, and obviously\, naturally\, I think she lasts about 15 minutes.\n\nI t's a particularly horrific way to die\, very public\, quite undignified.\ n\nSo she's stripped.\n\nShe's just in her kind of linen shift.\n\nAnd peo ple are watching this.\n\nPeople are watching.\n\nThere's a huge crowd wat ching it.\n\nIs it possible that Guy Fawkes was present at this public spe ctacle of execution?\n\nIt's very possible.\n\nA lot of the Catholics in t he city were there.\n\nWe know that there are accounts of there being a re ally large crowd.\n\nSo even if they weren't there necessarily in person a t the execution\, then we know they would have heard about the story.\n\nS o we've got the manuscript biography of her life\, which was circulated am ongst the Catholic community\, and then we've got a little sort of picture \, as well\, which does a similar job.\n\nSo it's a little engraving of he r execution\, so the death is happening here at the background.\n\nAnd the y're putting the weights on.\n\n-Putting the weights on.\n\n-Gosh.\n\nAnd again\, you could pass this around the community.\n\nYou could share the s tory.\n\nThat's such a powerful image\, isn't it?\n\n\"This is what those Protestants have done to us.\"\n\nIt must have been a hugely\, viscerally distressing experience for everybody.\n\nI think it must have had a massiv e impact.\n\nThe two other gunpowder plotters\, John and Christopher Wrigh t\, they were possibly there\, as well.\n\nSo the men that were to later o n become the Gunpowder Plotters\, you know\, they're in their teens at thi s point\, and then this story becomes a sort of what if that was my mother \, or what if that was our family?\n\nChanges their whole world to be labe led as a Catholic.\n\nIt's not just a case of where do they go to church o n a Sunday.\n\nIt's a real sort of everyday struggle.\n\nThere's constant persecution.\n\nI'm thinking if I were a Catholic this might well make me paranoid\, but in a sense that paranoia is completely justified.\n\nThere are people out to kill them.\n\nYeah\, absolutely.\n\nIt is a stark remind er of the realities of what they're doing.\n\n♪ Worsley: The violent dea th of Margaret Clitherow must have had a seismic effect on the community h ere in York\, where Guy Fawkes and some of the other future plotters were teenagers.\n\nThis was an impressionable age for them\, and I can imagine that if you were recently converted to Catholicism or thinking about becom ing a Catholic\, then this must have had a real impact.\n\nI'm not saying that watching somebody being killed for their religion justifies the killi ng of other people.\n\nAbsolutely not\, but I think I can begin to glimpse the sort of effect it might have had on Guy Fawkes.\n\nTo him\, religion must have started to feel like it was a matter of life and death.\n\n[Bell s tolling] We can never know exactly what the young Guy Fawkes thought abo ut his home country and the ruling regime at this time... [Water sloshing] but we do know he decided to leave.\n\nIn his early 20s\, Guy went to Eur ope to fight for Catholic Spain in its wars against the Protestant Dutch.. . ♪ but he was becoming a soldier.\n\nHe's not an extremist yet... ♪ a nd although Guy has today become the face of the Gunpowder Plot\, it wasn' t his idea.\n\nTo understand what drove this plan for radical violence\, I 'm going to have to follow a different line of inquiry to look at the man credited with coming up with the plot\, the ringleader Robert Catesby.\n\n ♪ I've come to Ashby Manor in Northamptonshire\, which belonged to the C atesby family.\n\nAshby is mentioned in letters between the conspirators a s a base where they could meet\, and hidden away here is the perfect room. \n\nThis is the gatehouse.\n\nIt's supposed to be a good place for plottin g because it's at a distance from the main house over there.\n\nThat's so Robert Catesby's mum didn't need to know what was going on\, and it's here they had some of the meetings to plan the gunpowder attack on Westminster .\n\n♪ [Hushed] It happened here.\n\n♪ The other conspirators later ta lked about Catesby as a charismatic man who drew them into the Gunpowder P lot... but this wasn't the first uprising Robert Catesby had been involved with.\n\n[Priest speaking Latin] 4 years earlier in 1601\, Catesby had jo ined an attempted coup known as the Essex Rebellion.\n\nThis wasn't a Cath olic plot\, but a power grab within the court of Elizabeth I\, which attra cted a range of disaffected groups.\n\n♪ To try to understand Catesby's motivations\, I'm meeting a historian who studied the evidence for his lif e.\n\nWe're sat here in one of the Catesby family's homes.\n\nCan you tell me a bit about Robert's background?\n\nWell\, he's from a prominent gentr y family\, who are descended from one of the cronies of Richard III\, but by the 1580s\, Catesby's father is known as one of the kind of leading Cat holic gentlemen in the area.\n\nHe is somebody who we call a recusant\, wh o pays fines for not attending the Church of England services\, and he's s een as potentially troublesome to the regime.\n\nSo like father\, like son \, there's a history of being a Catholic agitator.\n\nYeah.\n\nCatesby's f ather William Catesby\, as far as we know\, did not get involved in any sc hemes that involved violent action\, and he declared that he was a loyal s ubject of the Crown\, just not of the church.\n\n[Indistinct voices] So in that sense\, Robert Catesby is of a generation that has decided that viol ent action is now necessary because they can't see that their situation an d the situation of those who are suffering for their religion is going to become any better.\n\n[Indistinct voices] For Catesby\, the outlawing of h is religion meant you're not really-- you can't participate in the state.\ n\nYou're not anything we'd call a citizen\, and for a member of the gentr y\, that means really\, you can't live the kind of life to which you are b orn properly.\n\nHe seems to have been extremely ambitious but also posses sed of this kind of desire for action.\n\nWe have records of him in conver sation with Catholic priests saying\, \"I cannot wait.\n\n\"I cannot wait for Catholicism \"to be restored by Providence.\n\nI have to act now.\"\n\ n-He's an action man.\n\n-He's an action man.\n\nAlexandra\, what happens to the people who were involved in the Earl of Essex's rebellion?\n\nWell\ , Essex himself\, with a handful of his really close conspirators are exec uted.\n\nThey're beheaded\, but a much larger number of them are imprisone d and fined quite significantly.\n\nThis document says\, \"The names of th ose that are fined and reserved to Her Majesty's use\,\" and here we see t he name of Robert Catesby.\n\n4\,000 marks.\n\nThat's a pretty big fine.\n \nIt's difficult to make these kinds of calculations\, but we think that's \, at a very low estimate\, at least £4 million today.\n\nGosh.\n\nAnd wh at does it mean to be reserved to Her Majesty like that?\n\nThat means\, t heoretically\, to be imprisoned or to be placed under some kind of close c onfinement -such as house arrest?\n\n-Gosh.\n\nHe's certainly\, from this point\, on the radar of the Privy Council and the Crown as somebody who mi ght be a potential threat.\n\nJust before Elizabeth's death\, he's one of a number of Catholic gentlemen who are placed under some kind of confineme nt and watch.\n\nThey're described as hunger starved for innovation.\n\nTh at means that they're seen as seditious.\n\nThey want some kind of change\ , and he's seen as a kind of turbulent spirit\, who might be dangerous.\n\ n♪ Worsley: It seems to me that Robert Catesby was a desperate man... so keen for change that it was already landing him in trouble.\n\nElizabetha n rule had been hard on these Catholic families.\n\nThere was a mood of an ger... ♪ but I want to examine why that anger then grew into extremism u nder a different monarch... ♪ because the Gunpowder Plot took place two years after the death of Elizabeth.\n\nIn 1603\, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England.\n\n♪ Catholics like Robert Catesby coul d find reasons to be optimistic.\n\n♪ King James was Protestant\, but hi s mother had been the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots\, and James' own wife h ad converted to Catholicism\, suggesting his children could be brought up in the faith.\n\n♪ James was the leader many Catholics had hoped for.\n\ nIn fact\, one of the plotters-- Thomas Percy was his name-- had even met up with James before he'd taken the English throne in order to discuss tol eration for Catholics.\n\n♪ So why would the plotters turn from being ho peful about the new king to wanting to kill him?\n\nJames' biographer beli eves that a book written by the king himself reveals a reason why the plot ters might have felt betrayed.\n\nSo this is James' \"Basilikon Doron\,\" or \"The Kingly Gift\,\" and it's a sort of how to be a king that James ha d written to his son Prince Henry\, and it was first written in 1599 when he was King of Scotland but then became a mammoth bestseller in England up on his accession to the English throne in 1603.\n\nWhat kind of insights d o we get from the book then?\n\nWe get some quite surprising insights into how James might have operated.\n\nOne of those is the idea of being econo mical with the truth.\n\nIs that OK?\n\nWell\, for James it is at times.\n \nSo in this passage in the 1603 edition\, he says that \"it may be though t a point \"of imbecility of spirit in a king to speak obscurely\, much mo re untruly.\"\n\nSo that means you've got to be a straight talker -to be a good king.\n\n-That's exactly right.\n\nIn the 1603 edition.\n\nIn the ea rliest forms of the text\, however\, in 1599\, it's a little bit different .\n\nNo way.\n\nWhat does he say?\n\nSo I've got here the older Scottish v ersion from 1599.\n\n\"The king must not speak obscurely\, \"much more unt ruly\, except some unhappy mutiny \"or sudden rebellion were blazed up.\n\ n\"Then indeed it is a lawful policy to bear \"with that present fiery con fusion by fair general speeches.\"\n\nWhat a dirty devil!\n\nSo he's sayin g\, if there's a crisis going on\, it's OK not to tell the truth.\n\n-Abso lutely.\n\n-To say things that are kind of meaningless just to-- just to s mooth things over.\n\nYes.\n\nThat's right\, and indeed\, he goes on to sa y\, \"keeping you as far as you can from direct promises.\"\n\nSo give the m the brush off.\n\nSo if that's his true thought-- and I can imagine him coming to England and saying all of these kind things about the Catholics- - -Mm.\n\n-is that how they got the idea that he was going to tolerate the m.\n\nUh\, yes\, on one level\, I think that is true.\n\nBefore he is safe ly ensconced on the English throne\, he is trying to appeal to different a udiences who might be useful to him in bringing about a smooth course to s ucceed to Elizabeth's throne\, almost like a politician seeking election\, and when James came south in the spring of 1603\, things did get lighter for Catholics.\n\nFines on Catholics for nonattendance at church were grea tly alleviated\, so James gives off these signals.\n\nHe's able to leave p eople thinking that they have been listened to.\n\nIn that sense\, he's a slippery character at times\, but that does then pose some problems becaus e the hopes that they had in him turn out not to be quite what they had th ought.\n\n♪ Worsley: The king's attitude towards Catholics soon hardened .\n\nIn March 1604\, James made a proclamation to Parliament\, making it c lear he was never going to tolerate Catholicism.\n\nHe ordered the deporta tion of Jesuit priests\, accusing them of being a malevolent foreign influ ence.\n\nThe fines Queen Elizabeth had established for not going to church were soon reintroduced and backdated.\n\nThere was a sense of doors closi ng.\n\nThe options for toleration were shutting down.\n\n♪ For an alread y frustrated man like Robert Catesby\, all this must have felt like a real blow\, perhaps even a provocation... ♪ but while these events were unfo lding in England\, Guy Fawkes was hundreds of miles away.\n\n♪ So how fa r down the road to extremism was he?\n\n♪ When King James came to the th rone\, Guy Fawkes had been in Europe for about a decade\, fighting for Cat holic Spain.\n\n♪ His name appears on lists of soldiers\, but there's ve ry little detail... ♪ but to get a sense of how Guy was feeling about ev ents in England... ♪ I tracked down some evidence in a Spanish historica l archive in Simancas.\n\nThis is a document that's supposed to be written rather excitingly by Fawkes himself.\n\nNow it's in Spanish--ahh!\n\nAnd I can see what he's done.\n\nHe's changed his name to the more Spanish-sou nding Guido.\n\nHe's become Guido Fawkes here.\n\nIt's from 1603\, and Gui do Fawkes is reporting news to the royal court in Spain.\n\n♪ The subjec t is the new King James\, and this English translation exposes the true na ture of Guy's position.\n\nIt says here that James is a heretic and that h e's determined to \"tyrannize\" the English Catholics.\n\nThat's a strong word.\n\nGuy goes on to claim there's infighting in James' court.\n\nIt ap pears he's deliberately undermining the new king.\n\nHe's telling the Span ish that England is not a happy place\, especially for Catholics.\n\n♪ I t's likely that by spreading these stories Guy was hoping Spain would step in and help.\n\n♪ Spain had been at war with England since the mid 1580 s.\n\n[Men shouting] [Explosions] In 1588\, the fleet of the Spanish Armad a had attempted to invade England.\n\nEver since\, English Catholics had l obbied Spain to try again or at least support a rebellion.\n\n♪ And ther e's another document here that I think suggests just how desperate for cha nge Guy was.\n\nHmm.\n\nThis is--this is amazing.\n\nThis is Guy imagining the future.\n\nHe's drafted a proclamation that's to be handed out to Eng lish people after an imaginary future foreign invasion\, so he's literally making plans for there to be a new regime in England\, and hidden inside what he's written is this fascinating point.\n\nHe says that God is going to be OK if you use violence\, provided you've been oppressed and when no other remedy is offered.\n\nSo what he's saying is that when there's no ot her option\, violence is justified in the eyes of God.\n\nGuy's ready to f ight back.\n\n♪ Guy wasn't the only person hoping Spain would help the E nglish Catholics.\n\nCatesby and other plotters\, too\, appealed to the Sp anish for aid.\n\nIt was their last big hope\, but Spain was short of cash .\n\nWar was expensive\, So in 1604\, Spain and England signed a peace tre aty.\n\nThis must have left the English Catholics feeling alone.\n\nThe ca valry were not coming\, and perhaps this was the final twist in the screw that made Catesby and the other conspirators feel that it was down to them .\n\nNobody was going to help them.\n\nThey must take drastic action.\n\ n♪ Within a year of James' coronation\, Catesby had begun to gather a sm all group of men to plot a major uprising.\n\nJohn Wright had grown up in York and\, like Catesby\, had been part of the Essex Rebellion.\n\nThomas Wintour was Robert Catesby's cousin and a relative of one of the priests h idden by Margaret Clitherow.\n\n♪ To get inside the heads of these plott ers as they made their early plans\, I've come to Hatfield House\, built b y Robert Cecil\, the Secretary of State\, who oversaw the Gunpowder Plot i nvestigations.\n\n♪ Among Cecil's papers here are the confessions of cor e conspirator Thomas Wintour.\n\nThese are key\, key sources for what happ ened in the Gunpowder Plot.\n\nA lot of the detail comes out here about wh at was happening in the room when the conspirators were actually having th ese dangerous conversations.\n\nIt's like being a fly on the wall.\n\nWint our talks here about the first time Robert Catesby told him he'd thought o f a way to bring back the Catholic religion to England.\n\n\"In a word\,\" Catesby says\, \"it was to blow up the Parliament House with gunpowder.\" \n\nThere it is.\n\n\"In that place have they... done...us all the mischie f.\"\n\nSo he means \"in that place\, the Parliament\, they have done the bad things to us Catholics\,\" and--oh--this is-- it turns very dark here\ , And he says\, \"Perchance God \"has designed that place for their punish ment.\n\n\"For what they've done \"to the members of the Catholic faith\, these people in the Parliament have to die.\"\n\n♪ In a single blast\, t hey would take out the entire structure of power.\n\nTargeting the opening day of Parliament meant the king and most of his family would be at Westm inster.\n\nSo would members of the House of Lords and MPs\, who all had a say in making the law\, but there has to be more to the plot than this.\n\ nThe explosion was supposed to cause huge confusion in London\, and the pl otters were going to go galloping up to the Midlands to rouse their suppor ters for a rebellion.\n\nThey were also going to kidnap the king's daughte r\, his little girl\, and set her up as a Catholic puppet queen.\n\nSo thi s was supposed to be regime change\, new monarch\, new government.\n\nCate sby was building his team and knew exactly who he needed.\n\nDown here\, w e get for the first time the mention of a very significant name in connect ion with the plot.\n\nCatesby tells Wintour to go abroad\, to go to the Sp anish Netherlands\, and to bring back with him \"some confident gentleman. \"\n\nThat means a gentleman he can trust\, \"such as you shall understand best able for this business and named unto me Mr.\n\nFawkes.\"\n\n♪ So why was this Guy Fawkes the best man for the job?\n\n♪ By the time Winto ur went to recruit Guy Fawkes\, Guy had been a soldier fighting in a holy war for most of his adult life.\n\n♪ That must have given him a key prac tical skill.\n\n♪ He was likely to have worked with gunpowder.\n\nThis w asn't a suicide mission.\n\nThe plan was to light the fuse and escape.\n\n Guy Fawkes should have had the know-how to do just that... ♪ but I'm int erested in how else Guy's experience abroad might have influenced him.\n\n Now\, even though there's a great mass of 17th century documentation about the Gunpowder Plot\, it's still quite hard for me to grasp what pushed Gu y over the edge\, what turned him from being a rebel who wanted change int o an absolute radical willing to kill?\n\n♪ I'm intrigued.\n\nif modern knowledge of extremism can help me understand the lengths to which Guy was willing to go\, so I've enlisted the help of a journalist and author who' s written extensively on terror\, and particularly al Qaeda.\n\nJason\, wh y do you think the plotters go abroad to recruit Guy Fawkes?\n\nBecause it 's abroad that they'll find exactly the person they need.\n\nThe one thing that's really clear about more recent plots\, those in the last few decad es\, is that spending time overseas and then coming back is absolutely cru cial.\n\nIf they're overseas or\, in fact\, if they're just a long way fro m home\, they can be kept in an environment where the radicalization proce ss is really very intense.\n\nThere are no other influences getting in.\n\ nIt's just the group\, the ideology\, the other people in that group.\n\nS omeone who's involved in terrorist training said to me once that the only way that he could take a teenager and turn them into the kind of extremist actor that he wanted was by taking them away from their home\, and you pu t them in a kind of camp somewhere in a particular environment where you'r e surrounded by people who are committed to the same cause.\n\nThat will w ork.\n\nI mean\, he said to me\, \"If they go back to their mum every nigh t\, forget it.\n\nThat's not gonna happen.\"\n\nIf a if they're in an envi ronment that's outside their own kind of domestic environment\, then you c an really see that the radicalization processes will happen quite fast.\n\ nDo you think it's significant that Guy Fawkes himself had been working as a soldier?\n\nOh\, yeah\, very much so.\n\nIn that real kind of hothouse environment\, his commitment and his tolerance for violence\, also\, will be reinforced\, get higher and higher and higher\, so I think it's really important that he was what we would now call a foreign fighter.\n\nHe got skills\, got psychologically hardened there\, was exposed to some probably quite traumatic experiences\, and then came back and is absolutely perfec t to fit into this plot that is preexisting.\n\nJason\, do you have any in sight into what makes a person willing to go all the way and kill loads of people?\n\nThe whole thing about terrorism is it's not a science.\n\nWhat you can say is that whoever does it... needs to believe that it is the on ly thing they can do in those circumstances.\n\nThey're very often seeing their community or the people they identify with as under threat.\n\nNow\, that might be wrong.\n\nOften is\, but that's what they see\, and then th at then justifies what they think they have to do.\n\n-No alternative.\n\n -There's no alternative.\n\nIt is now\, it is urgent\, and they have to be the ones who will do it.\n\n♪ Worsley: In May 1604\, the core plotters came together to take an oath of secrecy and make plans.\n\n♪ While Cate sby was known to the authorities\, Guy Fawkes wasn't.\n\nHe was able to mo ve around without suspicion.\n\n♪ Thomas Percy also now joined.\n\nHe wa s the brother-in-law of John and Christopher Wright\, but crucially\, he w as also a member of the King's Bodyguard.\n\nWith easy access to Westminst er\, he rented the cellar beneath the parliamentary complex\, where the gu npowder would be hidden.\n\nPreparations would take more than a year.\n\nM eetings of Parliament were postponed\, so the date slipped.\n\nPlans were carefully made for the Midlands part of the rebellion.\n\nFunds had to be raised.\n\n♪ That meant the network of conspirators grew.\n\nThese were cousins\, brothers\, friends.\n\nIt was a cell of mostly wealthy men hopin g for more power under a regime change.\n\nOn the 4th of November\, 1605\, the stage was finally set for attack.\n\n[Bell tolls] The following day\, the king was due to open parliament\, but underneath the parliament-- in the old building\, not this one-- Guy Fawkes was waiting with his 36 barre ls of gunpowder... ♪ but now the plotters' network had widened\, there w as a leak.\n\nAn anonymous letter had been sent to a Catholic peer\, warni ng him not to go to the opening of Parliament.\n\nThat letter was passed o n to the authorities.\n\n[Wind blowing] On the night of November the 4th\, with conspirators poised for rebellion around London and in the Midlands\ , Guy Fawkes waited for his big moment\, but the king had ordered two sear ches of the cellars beneath Parliament\, and in the early hours of the fif th... [Strike\, fuse sparking] [Cawing] Guy was discovered.\n\n♪ The mos t radical part of their plot had collapsed\, but some in the group believe d the rest of the uprising might still succeed.\n\n♪ Guy was brought to the Tower of London to be interrogated.\n\nThis was now a race against tim e.\n\nOn the one hand\, the authorities wanted to know who is this man\, w ho else might be involved\, what else might be planned?\n\nOn the other ha nd\, Guy Fawkes wanted to stall for as long as possible.\n\nIf this rebell ion was going to succeed\, then Catesby and the rest of them needed time t o rouse up their supporters.\n\n♪ Catesby had built a cell of men willin g to go to extremes.\n\n♪ He must have felt like their future now hinged on Guy's interrogation.\n\n♪ I want to know exactly how committed Guy w as to this plot.\n\nRecords from the time tell us what was said in the int errogation\, but a modern perspective might help me delve into Guy's state of mind under pressure... ♪ so I'm meeting a psychologist who works as a registered intermediary in police interviews and has designed an app to evaluate interview technique.\n\n♪ Laura\, this is the actual room where Guy Fawkes was questioned.\n\nYou spend a lot of your time in investigati ve interview situations\, don't you?\n\n-Yes\, I do.\n\n-Bit different to this.\n\nVery different.\n\nThis is a very grand room.\n\nI guess the idea was these are really grand surroundings.\n\nThis represents the majesty o f the king\, and you're just a little worm.\n\nYeah\, definitely.\n\nYou'r e meant to feel intimidated when you walk into an interrogation room.\n\nA nd how does Guy Fawkes stand up to the questioning?\n\nYeah.\n\nSo what th e app allows us to do is see when there are significant turning points in an interview or an interrogation\, so this here maps out the interrogation on the second day with Guy Fawkes.\n\nIn the early stages\, he's very hap py to answer questions about facts that are probably known.\n\nFor example \, \"Whether did you convey yet in barrels or otherwise?\"\n\nHow he carri ed the gunpowder\, and then he says in barrels\, so he's answering those q uestions.\n\nHe's given them that information\, but it's clear to everybod y it was in barrels because he was caught there.\n\nHe's merely confirming the details -that are already known... -Yeah.\n\nbut we do see a switch a s the interrogation goes on.\n\nWhat this app allows us to see is that he then closes down.\n\nHis responses drop down to the red.\n\nSo the first o ne is when they start demanding where he was in the nights leading up to t he actual plot.\n\nAnd they don't know that information.\n\nAnd they don't know that information.\n\nAnd what does he say?\n\nHe says he has forgott en.\n\nHe's forgotten?!\n\nAnd you can see it all the way through the inte rrogation.\n\nWhen they are asking him questions about facts they do not k now\, such as his location or the other conspirators\, he does not give th em any information.\n\nSo as the questions get more important\, as it were \, he's basically saying\, \"Up yours.\n\nI'm not telling you anything.\"\ n\nAbsolutely\, and he seems-- when you read through this interrogation\, he seems very much in control.\n\nHe's obviously an extremist\, and there are two main schools of thought around why they engage with that type of b ehavior.\n\nThe first one is that there are mental health problems\, they are delusional\, and they are going through with these acts in a chaotic s tate of mind.\n\nI don't necessarily see that in the interrogations with G uy Fawkes.\n\nHe actually appears to be quite the opposite\, which leads u s nicely on to the second school of thought that actually it's because the y are very controlled.\n\nThey have this duty\, and they won't stop at any thing to do it.\n\nand when Guy Fawkes is caught red-handed\, when he's in terrogated\, you can see that he remains that composed state.\n\nHe's not given erratic information.\n\nHe's actually been very controlled and very careful with what he is providing to the interrogators.\n\nI think he give s us a clue here into his source of strength because he says to the questi oners\, \"You would have me betray my friends.\"\n\n-Hmm.\n\n-\"My friends .\"\n\nHe's got friends.\n\nHe's part of something social.\n\nHe sees hims elf as part of a social group.\n\nIn his head\, you know\, he knows that h e's been caught\, but he's very much hoping that the plot will still go ah ead\, and so he's not giving away any information that will jeopardize tha t.\n\n♪ Worsley: It seems to me that Guy's belief in the plot was extrem ely deep... ♪ but I've come to the National Archives to examine the evid ence for what it might have taken to make him crack.\n\n♪ Now\, this com pletely astonishing document is in the king's own handwriting\, so it's a little window into his mind\, and it explains how the king wants the inter rogation done.\n\nHe says\, \"If Guy Fawkes won't confess\, then the gentl er tortures\"-- tortures-- \"are to be first used unto him.\"\n\nAnd then after that\, the king actually goes into Latin because what he's saying is so dark and serious.\n\nHe says\, \"et sic per gradus ad ima tenditur.\"\ n\nThat means the tortures are to be increased little by little until you get to the very worst.\n\n♪ Torture was technically illegal\, but the ki ng would sanction it to bring down the plotters.\n\nThis document is a rec ord of what Guy Fawkes said in his interrogation.\n\nThis is the 7th of No vember\, and at the end of the session\, they got him to sign his name\, s upposedly to show that it was an accurate reflection of his words\, but wh en we fast forward two days\, you can see he's finally cracked because at the end of this session where they've asked him to sign his name\, he can hardly write\, which suggests--and this is really brutally awful-- that du ring those two days he's been tortured so badly\, whether using the thumbs crews or the rack or whatever\, that he's lost the use of his hands.\n\n ♪ Despite all of his confidence and his ability to withstand interrogati on that he showed earlier on\, he's finally broken.\n\nBut the irony is Gu y's naming of his accomplices was irrelevant.\n\n[Groaning] ♪ While Guy was being questioned in the tower\, the authorities were already hunting f or known Catholics who had left London suddenly.\n\n♪ On the 5th of Nove mber\, hearing Guy Fawkes had been caught\, Catesby sped here to the Midla nds\, still determined he could start a rebellion... ♪ but in reality\, support was dwindling.\n\n♪ Within days\, the authorities had the plotte rs surrounded in a Catholic safe house in Staffordshire.\n\nI've got an ac count here by Thomas Wintour\, who was holed up in the house with them\, a nd it's brilliant because he takes us right into the drama of the situatio n.\n\nIt says here that Wintour asked them\, the others\, \"what they reso lved to do\,\" and they answered\, \"'We mean here to die.'\"\n\nWintour's confession gives us the detail of Catesby's last minutes.\n\nHe says he a nd Catesby were standing \"before the door they were to enter.\"\n\nThat's the authorities.\n\nThey're just about to burst in\, and Catesby said\, \ "'Stand by me\, Tom\, and we will die together.'\"\n\n♪ Catesby\, Thomas Percy\, and the two Wright brothers were shot and killed on the 8th of No vember.\n\nIt's hard not to feel emotional at the thought of these loyal f riends dying together.\n\nCatesby was willing to take a bullet\, a lethal bullet\, for his beliefs\, but don't forget\, he was very willing to kill other people for his beliefs\, as well.\n\nHe was willing to take the live s of hundreds\, if not thousands\, of people.\n\n♪ 4 men were dead\, but the surviving plotters would face the consequences of their actions.\n\ n♪ The trial of Guy Fawkes and the other remaining conspirators was held here in Westminster Hall on January the 27th\, 1606.\n\nThis is one of th e few parliamentary buildings that remain from the time.\n\nThis whole vas t hall was full of a crowd\, who'd paid to get in.\n\nThere was a real squ eeze on space.\n\nSome members of Parliament complained that they hadn't b een able to get decent seats.\n\nGuy Fawkes and the other conspirators wer e up on a little platform\, and there was even a rumor that the king himse lf was present\, hidden away\, secretly listening in.\n\n♪ This was a sh ow trial lasting just one day.\n\nIt was used to target the conspirators' priests\, suggesting they'd encouraged the plot.\n\n♪ Just a few days la ter\, Guy Fawkes and some of the other plotters were taken to the yard out side the Palace of Westminster\, and they were brutally executed.\n\n♪ I n 1605\, Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators were united by a very speci fic desire for change... ♪ but now Guy's face has been transformed into a broader symbol of protest and rebellion with little connection to the or iginal deadly plan.\n\n♪ The radical violence at the heart of the plot s eems forgotten\, yet I think it's the journey to extremism that's worth re membering.\n\nThe Gunpowder Plot happened at a time of deep divisions and high stakes.\n\nPeople had strong beliefs that sometimes led to extreme ac tions.\n\nTime gives us perspective and the space to start to understand t he motivations of both sides\, but perhaps we should be mindful about what and who we choose to celebrate.\n\n♪\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250123 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Madness of King George from Lucy Worsley  05/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250522T163357Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:277-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Madness of King George from Lucy Worsley \n\n https://ww w.pbs.org/video/madness-of-king-george-jpamkt/\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\ n\n PREVIEW\n\n\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/episode-2-preview-madness-ki ng-george-wdz8ar/\n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT full review\n\n\n\n [ Suspenseful mus ic plays ] -Winter\, 1788.\n\nThe British king\, George III\, is hallucina ting\, violent\, and abusive.\n\n-Out of my sight!\n\n♪♪ -He's losing control -- of himself and the country.\n\nAt a time of upheaval\, Britain can't have a mentally ill king.\n\n♪♪ As a last resort\, a medical mav erick\, who runs an asylum\, is summoned.\n\n♪♪ Can he save the king?\ n\n-[ Shuddering ] ♪♪ In this series\, I'm reinvestigating some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.\n\n♪♪ It wasn't just one generation.\n\nIt was three generations losing their lives\, bam \, bam\, bam.\n\nThese stories are epic and legendary and they all have fa scinating mysteries at their heart.\n\nIt's chilling to think that this co uld actually be evidence in a murder investigation.\n\n♪♪ I want to lo ok at them from a fresh and modern perspective to try and unlock their sec rets.\n\n♪♪ It's a horrible psychosexual form of torture\, this\, isn' t it?\n\n-Absolutely.\n\n♪♪ -By uncovering forgotten witnesses\, reexa mining old evidence\, and following new clues\, can I get closer to the tr uth?\n\n-It is one of the great British mysteries.\n\n-It was one of those moments\, I'm afraid\, for a historian\, that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.\n\n[ Cawing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -I'd say I know a fair bit about George III\, but\, I don't know nearly enough about his m ental health and now's the perfect time to take a look at it because new e vidence has come to light.\n\nJust a few years ago\, the royal family gran ted unprecedented access to his personal papers.\n\nThis treasure trove of documents is stored at Windsor Castle.\n\nA residence of the British roya l family for more than 1\,000 years.\n\nSo far\, 225\,000 documents -- dia ries\, letters\, medical notes -- have been published online.\n\nBut there are still more secrets to be revealed.\n\n♪♪ I've been here to the Ro yal Archives before\, but this is the first time I hope to get my hands on documents that will take me behind the scenes\, into 1788\, when the king fell ill.\n\nI've asked the royal archivist to bring out a unique private diary.\n\nIt's an eyewitness account of George III's illness as it escala ted.\n\n-There we are.\n\n-Thank you ever so much.\n\nThis is great\, than ks.\n\nThis is an amazing thing to get to see.\n\nIt's the diary of Robert Greville\, \"Journal of His Majesty's most serious and afflicting illness .\"\n\nHe was one of the king's equerries\, which means he spent a lot of time with the king.\n\nAnd\, on Sunday\, the 9th of November\, he's writin g about\, \"Great agitation &\; much incoherence in thought &\; expr essions.\"\n\nIt's fascinating that he's actually with the king.\n\nThis i s like a frontline report from the king's bedside.\n\nWhat else are we goi ng to learn?\n\nOh\, finally\, he goes to sleep\, after having \"talked fo r 19 hours without scarce any intermission.\"\n\n♪♪ Poor man.\n\nWhat' s happening on November the 24th?\n\n\"We found the king violently agitate d and very angry\, but more particularly with Dr Warren\,' one of the medi cal advisors.\n\n\"The king advanced up to him and pushed him.\"\n\n♪♪ So\, Greville's getting pretty upset\, actually.\n\nHe says that\, \"the general conduct of the physicians has not been...decided or firm.\"\n\nThe y simply don't know what to do.\n\n\"They appear to shrink from responsibi lity.\"\n\nGreville says here that\, \"a report has been sent to Mr Pitt\, \" the prime minister\, \"stating that [His Majesty] had passed a quiet ni ght\, but that he was entirely deranged.\"\n\n♪♪ George had at least f ive personal doctors and they were all mystified.\n\nIn the 1780s in Brita in\, the medical profession still clung to a centuries-old notion about me ntal illness.\n\n♪♪ When George fell ill in 1788\, his doctors\, at fi rst\, still believed they needed to get this disease out of his body.\n\nT hey gave him drugs to make him vomit.\n\nThey used blisters to draw out wh at they thought was bad blood from his body.\n\nAnd they used these little suckers.\n\nGot these off the Internet.\n\nI love the way they're actuall y called...\n\nThese are leeches!\n\nLook at them wiggle.\n\nThey're just like tiny\, little monsters.\n\nOoh!\n\nHe's sucking the side there.\n\nAn d the idea was that these would be applied to George's temples and that th ey would suck the madness out of his brain.\n\n♪♪ The king is bled\, b listered\, and purged.\n\nNothing works.\n\n♪♪ His baffling illness co uld not have struck at a worse time.\n\n♪♪ In the 1780s\, Europe is a tinderbox.\n\nPeter III of Russia has been murdered\, France is on the bri nk of revolution\, and the American colonies have all but won the war for independence.\n\n[ Thud ] ♪♪ George was ill at such a crucial time in history.\n\nThen\, and since\, there's been a keen interest in working out what was wrong with him.\n\n♪♪ And it seems to me that George's illne ss wasn't just misunderstood in his own lifetime.\n\n♪♪ This essay was published in the British Medical Journal in 1966.\n\nIt's by a couple of psychiatrists\, Macalpine and Hunter.\n\nThey looked at George's medical r ecords and argued that he had a rare genetic blood disorder called porphyr ia.\n\nThis idea really stuck\, notably\, in the stage play by Alan Bennet t.\n\nWhen this was turned into a film\, there was actually a caption onsc reen suggesting that George had porphyria.\n\nBut\, historians have been d ivided about this and now\, there's a rival diagnosis.\n\n♪♪ I'm going to speak to one of the UK's most eminent psychiatrists\, to see if he can shed some light.\n\nHe's also been examining the papers from the Royal Ar chives.\n\n♪♪ Can the new evidence settle the question of what was wro ng with George\, once and for all?\n\n♪♪ Simon\, how do you feel about \"diagnosing\" dead people?\n\nThere are some concerns here\, aren't ther e?\n\n-Oh yeah\, very much so.\n\nIn medicine\, in general\, and psychiatr y\, it's a very dangerous thing to do.\n\nThe only reason that we can do t his with George is because the documentation's so extraordinary.\n\n-Why d o you think that porphyria was so warmly welcomed as a theory in the 1960s ?\n\n-Macalpine and Hunter were\, it now turns out\, ardent monarchists\, and they wanted\, really\, to remove the taint and the stigma of mental il lness from the royal family.\n\nAnd porphyria did run in the royal houses of Europe\, by the way\, it just didn't affect George.\n\nBut they wanted to kind of help the queen out by taking away the taint of mental illness.\ n\n-What was really the king's condition\, do you think?\n\n-The best evid ence we have from George is the observations of his behavior.\n\nWe've had \, for some time now\, what we call diagnostic criteria\, in which you can fill in a computer program and that will then tell you what is the most l ikely diagnosis.\n\n-So\, you have your computer program and you can put G eorge into it and see what comes out?\n\n-You can\, indeed.\n\n-Employment : king.\n\n-Employment: king.\n\n[ Laughter ] Residence: Windsor Castle.\n \nGrandiosity.\n\nBit difficult\, in a king\, to diagnose that\, actually. \n\n-Excessive self-reproach.\n\nHe was a great one for beating himself up .\n\n-Poor sleep -- very\, very common.\n\nReduced need for sleep\, reduce d appetite.\n\n-He's having hallucinations.\n\n-Yes\, there we are\, he's having some hallucinations\, which is common in very severe mania\, the ti mes when he had to be restrained\, for example.\n\nThere was also a lot of violence and things like that.\n\nAnd so\, now\, they've ticked what the diagnosis is and it comes up as the most probable diagnosis is what we now call bipolar disorder.\n\n♪♪ Not a concept they had.\n\n-At the time. \n\n-No\, not at all.\n\nAny doctor reading that now\, it would just shout \"bipolar\" at you\, it really would.\n\n-I'm convinced.\n\n-[ Laughs ] Y es.\n\n-But can you tell me what causes it?\n\n-I wish I knew.\n\nI don't. \n\n-Yeah.\n\n-Nobody knows.\n\nWhat we do know is there's very compelling evidence that what we call life events\, major traumas in your life -- be reavement or being a victim of crime or\, you know\, divorcing\, something like that -- it doesn't cause bipolar disorder\, but what it does do\, it will then trigger an episode and you'll have a full-blown illness.\n\nSo\ , it's sensitive to what's going on in our environment.\n\n♪♪ -If epis odes of bipolar disorder can be triggered by traumatic events or extreme s tress\, what was happening in George's personal life in the run-up to '88? \n\n♪♪ There's something I want to see at the Royal Academy\, an art s chool and gallery founded by George III in London.\n\n♪♪ By 1783\, Geo rge had 15 children.\n\nThe older ones\, particularly\, the Prince of Wale s\, were causing him all sorts of trouble with their overspending and thei r womanizing\, but he really doted on the two littlest boys.\n\n[ Melancho ly tune plays ] Tragically\, George's toddler\, two-year-old Alfred\, died suddenly.\n\n♪♪ Then\, eight months later\, four-year-old Octavius di ed\, too.\n\n♪♪ Infant death was common\, so you might think parents w ere used to dealing with this kind of loss.\n\n♪♪ This is such a poign ant image.\n\n♪♪ It's an engraved copy of a painting George had done t o commemorate his two lost little boys.\n\nThis is Prince Alfred\, who die d first\, and he's in heaven already\, and he's welcoming in his brother P rince Octavius.\n\nOctavius dies\, and this angel's here to look after the m both.\n\nGeorge had the original of this on the wall of his bedchamber\, so that\, when he woke up in the morning\, the first thing he'd see were his lost sons.\n\nThat\, alone\, I think\, speaks volumes about what this loss meant to him.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ It seems to me that this could have be en a trigger for his breakdown in 1788\, but to prove it\, I need a window into George's mind.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] ♪♪ You might think that's impossible\, but I've come to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew\, w here Octavius and Alfred once played\, to meet a professor who's doing som ething unique -- he's examining George's hallucinations and delusions.\n\n How do you know what the king's delusions were?\n\n-Well\, we have very fe w direct records of what the king said\, but we do have what the pages\, t he attendants\, who were looking after the king when he was asleep or in t he night told the doctors the next morning.\n\nFrom those\, you get these often very brief references to things that he is said to have believed or imagined\, but which\, when you put them all together\, is quite a substan tial body of material that just lets you see inside the king's mind\, real ly.\n\n-And do you think you can see evidence of specific trauma\, bad thi ngs that happened to him in his life\, that you see sort of being processe d through these delusions?\n\n-Well\, there are particular instances relat ing to his children.\n\nHe was a very devoted father and\, when they were lost\, at different stages of his life\, they then reappear to him in his delusions\, in\, really\, very moving ways\, actually.\n\n-What sort of de lusions is he having about his lost children?\n\n-There's a very particula rly moving instant that takes place on Christmas Eve 1788.\n\nOn this part icular night\, what the king records is thinking that the pillow of his be d is Octavius\, -Oh!\n\n-who's come back and... -This is so awfully sad.\n \n-...it's all then described here.\n\n-It says\, \"He had the pillow in t he bed with him\, which he called Prince Octavius\, who he said was to be new born this day.\"\n\nThe reason this is so upsetting is because you jus t have the image of him holding the pillow like it was the baby.\n\nOh.\n\ n-That's the recurring trope\, actually\, for the king because\, when his daughter Amelia dies from TB\, after she's dead\, he begins to imagine hav ing conversations with her and that she's had holes drilled in her coffin and\, in fact\, survived burial and has come back to talk to him after tha t.\n\nThat's a very strange delusion\, which\, again\, echoes this earlier incident with Octavius.\n\nThe fact that this comes up in his delusions\, not only in this illness\, but in his later illness\, too\, suggests that that's the trigger.\n\n-Arthur\, do you feel that this research is giving you a really extraordinary insight into the mind of a king?\n\n-There's a sense in which one of the things that's happening to him in his illness i s he becomes disinhibited and will actually\, perhaps\, articulate things that he otherwise has been suppressing or repressing in his mind.\n\n-And\ , in a way\, it's his illness\, it's his so-called madness\, that allows u s to know him.\n\n-Absolutely.\n\nWe don't get to those bits of his mind o therwise.\n\n-Hm.\n\n♪♪ I've been left feeling really sad about what A rthur had to say about George's love for his children and his grief for th eir loss.\n\nIt's easy to forget that he wasn't just a king\, he was also a human being.\n\n♪♪ Because the children were so young\, their deaths weren't marked in the formal way a royal death normally would be\, so\, G eorge doesn't have these rituals to help him deal with his loss.\n\nI thin k he must have repressed his grief and it burst out during episodes of man ia.\n\n♪♪ [ Suspenseful music plays ] It's clear to me there's concret e evidence of personal trauma which could've triggered a bipolar episode.. . ♪♪ ...but I also want to look at the political pressures on George\, too.\n\nI know it was a tricky time to be the British king.\n\nGeorge was facing problems at home and abroad.\n\n♪♪ \"An account of the rise an d progress of the late tumults.\"\n\n♪♪ Dead bodies in the streets of London.\n\nThis is serious stuff.\n\n♪♪ Newspaper headlines from the 1 780s reveal a time of huge turmoil.\n\n♪♪ George decided to grant some new rights to Catholics.\n\nIt seemed like a generous and liberal thing t o do\, but it went horribly wrong.\n\nThere were anti-Catholic riots and s ectarian violence on the street.\n\nThis newspaper article here describes a Roman Catholic chapel being set fire to.\n\nWhat they call the mob are o ut on the streets.\n\nThey're waving revolutionary flags\, actually.\n\nTh ings are on the brink of enormous trouble.\n\nThis era was marked by revol ution\, and it wasn't just Britain on the brink.\n\nThe French king faced an assassination attempt and the bloody American War of Independence was a bout to end almost two centuries of British rule.\n\nHere's Cornwallis\, d efeated at Yorktown\, doing the walk of shame.\n\nThey're taking down the British flag and they're putting up the American flag in its place.\n\nSo\ , George would've hoped to have added to his empire\, but\, instead\, he m ust've felt that he had\, effectively\, lost America.\n\n♪♪ These cris es coincided with the start of the mass news era.\n\nGeorge had nowhere to hide.\n\nHe was exposed.\n\n♪♪ And I've found an extraordinary letter which suggests George was afraid he was failing as a king.\n\nNow\, this is just the most fascinating document from the Royal Archives of 1782.\n\n It's a letter that George III has drafted\, saying that he's going to hand in his resignation.\n\n\"I am therefore resolved to resign My Crown.\"\n\ nExtraordinary.\n\nNo king had abdicated for a thousand years.\n\nAnd just think of the huge stink that there was when Edward VIII abdicated in the 20th century\, at a point when the monarchy was much less politically sign ificant than it was here in the 18th century.\n\nGeorge has clearly agoniz ed over his decision.\n\nThere's all sorts of crossings out and underlinin gs in his letter.\n\nAnd there's a real sense of alienation here\, and dis illusionment.\n\nNow\, he never actually sent his letter of resignation to parliament\, but it shows the mind of a king in turmoil.\n\n♪♪ George is under extreme pressure to make monarchy work in this new era.\n\nHe mu st evolve or perish.\n\n♪♪ George styled himself as a new\, slightly m ore accessible\, kind of a king.\n\nHis line was that he was going to list en to people's grievances and respond to them.\n\nNow\, ordinary working p eople didn't have the vote\, but they could make political points through giving the king petitions.\n\nThey were able to take their problems straig ht to the top.\n\n♪♪ Crowds gathered at the gates of the royal palace of St James\, waving their petitions\, begging the king for help.\n\nAnd\, in August 1786\, something happened that I think must've increased the pr essure on his already vulnerable mind.\n\nAs it says in the newspaper\, \" His Majesty was stepping out of his post-chariot at the garden entrance to St James's\,' just over there\, \"when the attack was made upon his life. \n\nThe woman by whom the desperate attempt was made\, had been observed w aiting the King's arrival for some time.\"\n\n♪♪ -The woman advanced f rom the crowd and presented a paper folded in the form of a petition.\n\nT he woman aimed a blow with a knife... -...at his majesty's breast with a k nife concealed in a piece of paper.\n\nThe knife cut the king's waistcoat. \n\nAccounts -- The knife was instantly wrested from the woman.\n\n-And he hastened into the palace.\n\n-The woman was immediately taken into custod y and\, on examination\, appears to be insane.\n\n♪♪ I'm fascinated by this assassination attempt\, when a mentally ill woman and a soon-to-be m entally ill king came face-to-face.\n\nWho was she\, and how did George re act?\n\n♪♪ -This is a woman called Margaret Nicholson.\n\nShe's a 36-y ear-old spinster and needlewoman and she felt that something needed to be done to improve her life.\n\nSo\, she petitions the king\, so -- -So\, she 's writing him letters\, saying\, \"Dear King\, I want you to do this for me.\"\n\n-Well\, yeah\, well\, you know\, if only it was that clear.\n\nSh e wrote a -- [ Laughs ] -What sort of things?\n\n-So\, here's one of Marga ret's petitions.\n\nShe thought she was due a property settlement of some sort.\n\nShe thought she was due a decent marriage\, possibly to the king himself\, if only he'd rid himself of his ghastly foreign wife.\n\n-Do you think that she was suffering from some sort of mental health issue?\n\n-W ell\, that's an interesting question.\n\nShe petitions the king something like twenty times\, just between April and August of 1786\, by her own tes timony.\n\nOn the 2nd of August 1786\, she's clearly had enough\, so she t urns up one more time.\n\nThe king gets down out of his carriage.\n\nShe's ushered towards the king.\n\nI expect they've all seen her before\, they know who she is\, and she's got her little piece of paper again\, but the piece of paper\, this time\, conceals a dagger.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-And then\, i mmediately -- this is the interesting thing\, I think -- he immediately sa ys\, \"The poor woman is mad.\n\nDo not hurt her.\"\n\nAnd we know he said that straightaway because\, just about two hours later\, one of the young pages who'd been attending the king testifies these were the words the ki ng used.\n\n-Do you think that\, when he gave this compassionate reaction towards Margaret Nicholson\, \"Don't hurt her\,\" do you think that he saw a fellow sufferer?\n\n-He immediately identifies what's wrong with her\, so\, whether or not\, yeah\, it's a little bit close to home for him or he recognizes a fellow sufferer\, the incident provoked a huge public conver sation\, in the newspaper press and elsewhere\, about whether or not Marga ret Nicholson was mad.\n\nBecause\, if she's going to be put before a law court\, it's going to have to be on a charge of high treason.\n\n♪♪ -G eorge's words\, \"Do not hurt her\,\" became iconic.\n\nThey were in newsp apers\, in prints.\n\nIt was wonderful PR for the king.\n\nHis compassion towards Margaret brought mental illness into the open.\n\nBut what happene d to her?\n\nWas she treated kindly\, as he'd asked?\n\n♪♪ There's no evidence of a public trial\, but there is a folder in The National Archive s with her name on it.\n\nMargaret's case went right to the top.\n\nIt was the Privy Council\, the king's advisors\, who decided her fate.\n\n♪♪ Oh\, yes!\n\n♪♪ Look at all of this!\n\nSo\, it's clear that they've done a pretty thorough job.\n\nThey've examined Margaret herself.\n\nShe h as -- Oh!\n\nShe said here that she never meant to kill the king\, but jus t wanted to get his attention.\n\nAnd they've also talked to her brother.\ n\nHe says that she came to London twenty years ago and that she'd worked as a housemaid\, but she'd been sacked from that job and she had been ill. \n\nHe says that she's been \"breaking out into fits of laughter in the ni ght.\"\n\nAnd the brother also says this.\n\nIt's extraordinary.\n\nHe say s that\, \"reading Milton's Paradise Lost and such high style Books... had contributed to turn her Brain.\"\n\nThat's such an 18th-century thing\, i sn't it\, to imagine that reading fancy books can make a woman mad?\n\nSo\ , what are the Privy Council going to do?\n\nWhat she'd done\, an assassin ation attempt\, was treason.\n\nShe could've faced the death penalty.\n\nB ut they didn't go down that route.\n\nSo\, instead\, they turned to the Va grancy Act and they used that to have her shut up in Bethlem\, better know n as Bedlam.\n\nThis is Georgian England's most notorious madhouse.\n\nThe y get her assessed by one of the doctors from Bedlam.\n\nThis is Dr. John Monro and he says that never in his life had he seen a person more disorde red.\n\nBut that's really quite a strong statement\, isn't it\, from the m an who runs England's most notorious madhouse\, that he'd never seen a mad der person than Margaret?\n\nMakes you wonder if he's overstating the case \, so that they can all\, with good conscience\, lock her up.\n\n♪♪ [ Clang\, keys jingling ] And she's not the only one.\n\n♪♪ In November 1788\, George succumbs to all the political and personal pressure and beco mes seriously ill. ♪♪ After weeks of failed treatment\, his doctors ta ke an unprecedented step and secure him.\n\nNot in Bedlam\, of course\, bu t in Kew Palace\, just outside London.\n\n♪♪ The king's eldest son sen ses an opportunity.\n\nHe tells everyone his father is unfit to rule and p ositions himself to seize power.\n\n♪♪ Daily bulletins are tied to the gates of Kew Palace\, but they are heavily censored and don't explicitly mention madness.\n\nSpeculation runs rife.\n\n♪♪ So\, here we have two infamous so-called mad people\, a seamstress and a king\, tied together b y this assassination attempt.\n\nI'm so intrigued!\n\nAnd it was the same with the public back then -- they couldn't get enough of the story.\n\ n♪♪ -These are just a small snapshot of the many\, many different imag es that were being produced.\n\nA lot of the facts were few and far betwee n and a lot of embellishment was going on.\n\nSo\, here we have Margaret i n Bethlem.\n\n-Oh\, my goodness!\n\nIs that her there?\n\n-That's supposed to be her -Oh wow.\n\n-and this image is kind of extraordinary.\n\nIt sho ws this violent\, strange\, terrifying figure.\n\nShe's clutching straw.\n \nStraw was used as bedding in asylums.\n\n-Ah!\n\n-She's kind of involved with these two figures\, two of the leading revolutionaries of the day.\n \n-So\, here we've got rational masculinity -Mm!\n\n-and here she is looki ng -- well\, this is the archetype of the madwoman\, having crazy hair.\n\ n-Exactly\, kind of Medusa-style.\n\n-Yeah.\n\nClearly\, people are making money out of Margaret Nicholson.\n\nWas there a real market for this?\n\n -Absolutely.\n\nWaxworks were being made.\n\nPeople would pay to see waxwo rks and her lodgings were described as being besieged.\n\n-When the king h imself became ill\, how was he treated by this sort of media of the 18th c entury?\n\n-I think one of the really striking and surprising things is th at there was very little cultural treatment of the king.\n\nSo\, one of th e very few images we have of the king when he went mad is this one\, Filia l Piety\, and it shows the king looking\, perhaps\, ill\, but none of the kind of typical iconography about madness is being applied to him.\n\nOn t he left-hand side\, we have the Prince of Wales\, who's sort of obviously drunk.\n\nWe've got the kind of political backdrop of the regency crisis i n 1788.\n\n-I suppose here\, what's really going on is that they're using the situation to make the Prince of Wales look bad.\n\n-Exactly.\n\nThe ma dness of the king is being downplayed.\n\nI think it's a bit of a no-go ar ea.\n\n♪♪ -The press show some respect when reporting the king's illne ss.\n\nBut for Margaret\, not only poor\, but also a woman\, they show no such restraint.\n\n[ Creaking ] She even became a spectacle.\n\nThe upper classes could go and ogle her in her cell at Bethlem.\n\nIt all smacks of double standards.\n\nI think\, if I really want to get a full picture of m ental illness at this time\, I need to investigate Margaret's experience\, too.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ These two statues are the very last surviving bits of the Bethlem Hospital\, where Margaret was incarcerated.\n\nIt was demol ished in 1815.\n\nThey represent the different types of madness that peopl e believed existed in the 18th century.\n\nThis one is melancholy madness. \n\nHe's calm and still.\n\nAnd this one is a raving madness.\n\nHe's tryi ng to burst out of his chains.\n\n♪♪ These two were over the entrance when Margaret arrived.\n\nNot exactly a warm welcome.\n\n♪♪ In the 178 0s\, doctors still thought they could treat people with mental illness by purging it from the body.\n\nI'm hoping that Bethlem's archivist can help me uncover the details of Margaret's treatment.\n\n[ Rattling ] -We actual ly have her admission record here\, which would've been created when she f irst came in to the hospital.\n\nWe can see Margaret's name.\n\n-Margaret Nicholson\, there she is.\n\nDo you know how they would've diagnosed her\, what sort of an illness they thought she had?\n\n-The hospital would've b een split into male and female wings and it would've been split into melan cholics and ravers.\n\n-And where do you think she fitted into that?\n\n-I mean\, I think\, generally\, she's described as quite a quiet... -She's q uiet.\n\n-...withdrawn patient\, I think\, a lot of the time\, so I'd be s urprised if she was moved apart from the melancholy patients.\n\n-These ca tegories are not super subtle\, are they?\n\n[ Laughs ] -No\, they really aren't.\n\n-What were the conditions like in the hospital?\n\n-They were p robably not very good.\n\nSo\, people were bled\, people were given medica tion that would make them vomit or purge themselves in other ways.\n\n-Mm. \n\n-It was known -- round about this sort of time there's a new strain of thought that's saying this isn't working\, but Bethlem is still persistin g in this.\n\n-So\, is there some information about what happened next to Margaret?\n\nDoes she appear again?\n\n-Yes\, so we will see her again in the incurable admission register.\n\nSo\, the incurable ward would've been the long-stay section of Bethlem.\n\n-You say that\, but the name\, it's a very depressing thought\, isn't it?\n\n-It is\, yes.\n\nYou know\, these are people who were -A long stay.\n\n-probably lifers... -Mm.\n\n-...by t his point.\n\nNote says a motion was made \"that Margaret Nicholson be no longer confined in her cell by a chain.\"\n\n-Oh!\n\nSo\, what year is thi s?\n\n-This is 1791\, so this is four years.\n\n-So\, she's been in chains for four years?\n\n-She is regularly clapped in irons\, yes.\n\n-Goodness me.\n\nI'm thinking what this means.\n\nDoes this mean that the hospital committee have decided that she's so peaceful and not hurting herself that they don't need to bother doing that?\n\n-Yes\, yes\, but what is also in teresting in this is the implication that she is well enough to be unchain ed\, but she's still in the incurable wing.\n\n-And that might be because she's this special patient.\n\nWhat she did received national attention\, therefore\, the bar for her recovery is higher than it is for anybody else .\n\n-It also\, perhaps\, implies that the hospital has been told not to r elease her -Not to release her.\n\n-in any circumstance.\n\n-Oof.\n\n-Mm.\ n\nShe has been\, if you like\, disposed of by the state.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ -It's pretty clear that\, at Bethlem\, they were still committed to doing things the old way -- patients in cells\, chains.\n\nAnd it's rather deva stating to think of Margaret being written off\, almost\, with that word - - incurable.\n\n♪♪ In 18th century Britain\, madhouses\, or asylums\, were a law unto themselves.\n\nBethlem hadn't updated its treatment plan i n 100 years.\n\nBut there was a new school of thought that mental illness was an illness of the brain\, that needed to be treated in its own way.\n\ n♪♪ Some of these new ideas were to be found in this book.\n\nIt's the first proper book about madness as a mental illness.\n\nIt's called \"A T reatise on Madness\,\" by Dr. William Battie.\n\nThis was really radical s tuff and he suggested that it was wrong to chain up mentally ill people.\n \nNor was he in favor of shock treatments\, things like making people vomi t.\n\nInstead\, he proposed quiet\, and fresh air and exercise\, which sou nds extraordinarily modern\, doesn't it?\n\nThat's what people are still r ecommended to do to this day.\n\nBattie's book was published in 1758\, so that's 30 years before the king got ill\, but it was George's illness\, an d Margaret's\, too\, that raised the profile of his work.\n\nIt went mains tream and people started to implement it.\n\n♪♪ So\, while Margaret wa s written off as incurable\, did these new ideas reach George?\n\n♪♪ I n winter 1788\, George is delusional\, aggressive\, sleepless\, and time i s running out.\n\n♪♪ A regency bill has been prepared.\n\nIf the king is not better in three months\, his son will take over.\n\n♪♪ In Decem ber 1788\, the royal family make a bold decision.\n\nThey summon a man cal led Francis Willis\, who runs a madhouse in rural Lincolnshire\, to come h ere to Kew.\n\n♪♪ Private madhouses begin to spring up from the 1750s onwards\, as new treatments are pioneered.\n\nWillis is one of a band of s o-called mad doctors\, or\, to you and me\, early psychiatrists.\n\nLet me introduce you to Dr. Francis Willis.\n\nI'm calling him Dr. Willis\, but\ , I do know that his contemporaries might not have agreed with me in doing that because they didn't yet have the idea of a doctor of the mind.\n\nMe mbers of the Royal College of Physicians\, for example\, would've said\, \ "No\, he's just the keeper of a madhouse.\n\nWe don't count him as one of us.\"\n\nSo\, I think it's quite an exciting decision that the royal famil y have called him in.\n\nIt's...a sign of how desperate they were\, I thin k.\n\nHe's a maverick.\n\n♪♪ This is a make-or-break moment\, for him and for his nascent profession.\n\nThere's no higher-profile patient than this.\n\nWhat on Earth is he going to do?\n\n♪♪ George was treated by Willis here at Kew.\n\nThe king's tin bath still survives.\n\n♪♪ This source is key to what happened to him.\n\nIt's a diary by Francis Willis a nd his son and they start off explaining what the previous doctors had giv en the king.\n\nThe answer is really powerful sedatives.\n\nHere\, he's be en prescribed 30 drops of laudanum.\n\nNow\, that is opium dissolved in al cohol.\n\nIt's not a sustainable strategy.\n\nIt's not going to make him b etter.\n\nIt might even get him addicted.\n\nIt's kind of like prescribing the king heroin.\n\n♪♪ Willis decides to put a stop to this and he ra dically reduces the dosage.\n\n♪♪ He also makes a bold decision -- to treat George just as he would any other patient in his asylum and bend the king to his will.\n\n♪♪ Oh\, wow!\n\n-I've got a straitjacket for you .\n\n-My goodness!\n\nWhat?!\n\n[ Laughs ] -It keeps on giving.\n\n-What i s with these arms?\n\nThey're so long.\n\nHow does it work?\n\n-Here's the back.\n\n-It buttons up the back\, so you put your arms in like that and it's done up.\n\nWhy are the sleeves so immensely long?\n\n-So\, you put y our arms in there and then you hug yourself and then you get tied round th e back.\n\n-Oh.\n\nSo\, it forces you to go like this\, to give yourself a hug?\n\n-Yes.\n\nOnce you've no longer got the use of your hands\, your f light-and-fight mode is turned off\, so that it could then support you to calm yourself down.\n\n-I was expecting something barbaric\, something tha t was to do with restraint.\n\n-Compared to the manacles\, which was what people were using before\, this was really soft -Oh!\n\n-and kind.\n\n-Thi s is a big step forward.\n\n-Certainly\, when I first looked at this\, I h ad the same feelings as yourself.\n\nIt's like really scary\, the idea of being\, you know\, tied up\, really\, but this is a treatment and most ill nesses\, you know\, most treatments are scary.\n\n-Let me show you some of the ways in which Dr. Willis used the straitjacket.\n\nWell\, he doesn't actually call it a straitjacket.\n\n\"The strait waistcoat was taken off f rom his majesty at morning yesterday\, but was put on again soon after two o'clock &\; was not taken off till nine this morning.\"\n\nGoodness me \, so he was kept in his strait waistcoat for the whole of this particular night.\n\n-Nowadays\, we use drugs\, and that's a chemical restraint.\n\n -Yeah.\n\n-Sometimes that's not appropriate\, either\, because it's just t reating the symptom.\n\nIt's not allowing your brain to rebalance and sort itself out.\n\n-That's really interesting\, that you're using the word re balance the brain.\n\nThat's the language that Francis Willis used in the 18th century.\n\nNow\, even if Francis Willis had the best intentions in t he world\, I do feel sorry for the poor king because it says here\, \"They beat me like a madman.\"\n\n♪♪ -The king doesn't escape the brutal re medies of purges and ice-cold baths\, but there were also new ideas at pla y.\n\nWillis is clearly picking up on the progressive approach of William Battie.\n\nWhile Margaret\, in Bethlem\, is chained and left to rot\, Will is is encouraging George\, at Kew\, to take the air.\n\n[ Birds chirping ] And even though George does try to scale the giant pagoda\, a 50-meter st ructure\, Willis is confident his strategy is having some success.\n\n ♪♪ If you leave it untreated\, an episode of mania can last between da ys or months and\, to this day\, doctors don't really know why they come t o an end.\n\nBut\, on the 26th of February 1789\, a bulletin appeared on t he gate of Kew Palace.\n\nThree months after he'd arrived\, Dr. Willis has able to announce the entire cessation of his majesty's illness.\n\n♪♪ Assuming he had bipolar disorder\, it could simply be that this episode h ad run its course.\n\nBut it appears that Dr. Willis has cured the king.\n \nAnd not a moment too soon.\n\nThe government bill that would hand power to his son is only days away.\n\nAfter months of political uncertainty\, G eorge is\, once again\, ready to be king.\n\n♪♪ [ Chorale plays ] ♪♪ On St George's Day\, there was a huge celebration of the king's rec overy\, here at St Paul's Cathedral in Central London.\n\nNow\, the Archbi shop of Canterbury recommended that George himself shouldn't attend.\n\nHe thought the excitement might bring on a relapse.\n\nBut George had other ideas.\n\nHe said\, \"No\, I'm going.\"\n\n\"My Lord\,\" he said to the Ar chbishop of Canterbury\, \"I have twice read over the evidence of the phys icians on my case and\, if I can stand that\, I can stand anything.\"\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] Thousands lined the route to St Paul's and meda ls were struck to commemorate the occasion.\n\nAnd here is one of them.\n\ nThey're not actually that hard to find because so many of them were made. \n\nThis one came off eBay.\n\nAnd on one side we've got George's little f ace.\n\nThere he is\, looking alive and well.\n\nAnd\, on the back\, the e xciting story of what's happened.\n\nIt says\, \"Lost to Britannia's hope but to her prayers restor'd.\"\n\n♪♪ George's illness appears not to h ave destabilized the nation\, after all.\n\nIf anything\, it humanized him in the eyes of his people.\n\nThe irony is that King George III was virtu ally the only monarch left standing in Europe by the end of the 18th centu ry.\n\n♪♪ But the story doesn't end there.\n\nThere's another meda l.\n\n♪♪ Dr. Willis had his own medals struck.\n\nHe paid for these hi mself.\n\nThey're a different grade.\n\nThis is the cheaper\, copper\, ver sion and this is the deluxe\, shiny\, tin model.\n\nYou've got a picture o f Dr. Willis on the front and\, on the back\, it says\, \"Britons rejoice your king's restored.\"\n\nThe message is\, \"I'm Dr Willis.\n\nI restored him.\"\n\nIt's the most fantastic bit of self-promotion\, a bit like an a dvert\, really\, for this man you might almost call a psychiatrist.\n\nAnd I think the significance is that this profession of psychiatry is coming out of the shadows.\n\nIt's getting respectable.\n\nThis is its moment of triumph\, if you like\, captured in tin.\n\n♪♪ George may be restored to health\, but Margaret gets no medal and no redemption.\n\n♪♪ It wou ld be 25 years before the British government began to tackle the horrific conditions inside public asylums.\n\n♪♪ During that time\, the king ha d further episodes of illness\, both in 1801 and 1804.\n\n♪♪ He conval esced for a time in the home of a friend\, an MP\, called George Rose.\n\n ♪♪ Witnessing the king's illness gave Rose real insight and\, in 1815\ , he led a government investigation at the Bethlem asylum.\n\n♪♪ These are the minutes of this parliamentary committee that's looking into \"the Better Regulation of Madhouses in England.\"\n\nThey're calling all sorts of witnesses to give evidence and a very dark picture's being painted of existing conditions.\n\nThis part's really distressing.\n\nWe've got a wit ness who's seen unfortunate women locked up in their cells\, naked and cha ined on straw\, with just one blanket for a covering.\n\nNow\, George Rose clearly suspects that there have been male keepers looking after female p atients\, which is inappropriate.\n\nPower could've been abused here.\n\nA nd he's really going after Dr. Monro\, who's in charge of the Bethlem Hosp ital.\n\nDr. Monro says\, \"In Bethlem\, the restraint is by chains.\n\nTh ere is no such thing as chains in my private mental hospital.\"\n\nAnd he' s asked about this.\n\n\"Why?\n\nWhy the difference in standard?\"\n\nAnd Dr. Monro says\, \"Well\, it's because chains are fit only for pauper luna tics.\"\n\nIsn't that shocking?\n\nHe says\, \"If a gentleman was put in i rons\, he would not like it.\"\n\nToo right!\n\nI don't think Dr. Monro re alized how much he was going to damn himself by this statement.\n\nIt caus ed a scandal!\n\nPeople were offended by this idea of a double standard fo r rich and for poor.\n\nThe fallout of this was so bad that Dr. Monro had to resign.\n\n♪♪ This committee exposed the sexual abuse and excessive restraint that had been rife for decades.\n\nIt was a watershed moment.\n \nA process of reform had begun.\n\n♪♪ Fearing further censure\, Bethl em started keeping individual patient notes.\n\n♪♪ Now\, these books a re from after 1815\, when they had to keep fuller records\, so I'm really hoping these might shed some more light on Margaret.\n\n♪♪ Because of the king's illness and the reform that followed\, I can now\, at least\, f ind her in the records.\n\n♪♪ Oh\, look at this!\n\nIt's progress repo rts in 1816\, 1817\, 1819.\n\nBy this time\, she's been in the hospital fo r nearly 30 years.\n\nIt says here\, \"She is now in an advanced stage of her life and is perfectly deaf... She's decent in her appearance and quiet and civil in her demeanor.\"\n\nIt sounds to me like she's better.\n\nAnd then the records stop.\n\nIt's really fantastic to get a glimpse of a rea l person here.\n\nAnd she doesn't seem like either a criminal or a patient anymore.\n\nShe's just a quiet old lady.\n\nDo you know what?\n\nI've got a little tear in my eye.\n\n♪♪ Reform really came too late for Margar et Nicholson.\n\nShe was incarcerated in Bethlem for 42 years and died on the 14th of May 1828.\n\n♪♪ George III was suffering from chronic mani a and dementia when he died\, on the 29th of January 1820.\n\n♪♪ This encounter between George and Margaret happened at -- in fact\, it fed into -- this key moment of change for the science of psychiatry and for the re form of psychiatric asylums.\n\nThere's still so much more to learn about the complexities of mental illness\, but this was the starting point.\n\n- \"Lucy Worsley Investigates\" is available on am*zon Prime Video.\ n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250522 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The Witch Hunts from Lucy Worsley  05/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250522T162116Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:276-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n The Witch Hunts from Lucy Worsley \n\n https://www.pbs.o rg/video/the-witch-hunts-xkubjt/\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Preview Li nk\n\n\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/imprisonment-agnes-gzj5ww/\n\n\n\n TR ANSCRIPT to full show\n\n\n\n [ Bird cawing ] -Scotland\, 1591.\n\nA woman is about to be executed.\n\nHer crime?\n\nShe is a witch.\n\n-Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.\n\n-She's been int errogated and tortured\, and now she'll be strangled and burnt at the stak e.\n\nThis woman met her death a century before the notorious witch trials in Salem\, Massachusetts.\n\nI want to know how her execution sparked ter rifying witch hunts across Britain and America\, leading to the death of t housands more like her.\n\n-The ungodly are not so!\n\n♪♪ In this seri es\, I'm reinvestigating some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.\n\n♪♪ It wasn't just one generation.\n\nIt was three generations losing their lives\, bam\, bam\, bam.\n\nThese stories are epi c and legendary\, and they all have fascinating mysteries at their heart.\ n\nIt's chilling to think that this could actually be evidence in a murder investigation.\n\nI want to look at them from a fresh and modern perspect ive to see if I can unlock their secrets.\n\n♪♪ It's a horrible psycho sexual form of torture\, isn't it?\n\n-Absolutely.\n\n-By uncovering forgo tten witnesses\, reexamining old evidence\, and following new clues\, can I get closer to the truth?\n\n-It is one of the great British mysteries.\n \n-It was one of those moments\, I'm afraid\, for a historian\, that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.\n\n[ Bird cawing ] ♪♪ [ T hunder rumbling ] ♪♪ -Today when we think about witches\, we think abo ut old hags with pointy hats and broomsticks and black cats.\n\nBut witche s have a history that's long\, sinister\, and very real.\n\n400 years ago\ , thousands of ordinary women were tortured and executed in witch hunts.\n \nI want to know who these women were and why they were killed.\n\n♪♪ This story begins 400 years ago in Scotland\, near Edinburgh\, in a small seaside town called North Berwick.\n\nWhat happened here would start a cra ze for witch hunting that would spread across the country and to North Ame rica.\n\nI'm heading to the scene of the crime\, the Old Kirk\, or church\ , of St Andrew.\n\nThough it looks a bit like a small hut.\n\n♪♪ Today \, this is all that remains of a once-sizable church.\n\nAnd it was here o ne night in October 1590 that a group of witches supposedly gathered.\n\ n♪♪ What a great place for a witches' meeting\, right on the edge of t he sea with a huge\, craggy\, devilish looking rock in the background.\n\n In 16th century Britain\, everyone believed in witchcraft.\n\nThis was the story told about what supposedly happened here.\n\n\"On the night of All Hallow --\" That means Halloween\, the perfect time for some witchy busine ss... ♪♪ [ Women singing indistinctly ] ...there were a great many wit ches to the number of 200.\n\nAnd it says that they had flagons of wine\, they were making merry and drinking\, and that they were singing all with one voice.\n\n♪♪ The story goes that the devil was here.\n\n[ Distorte d singing ] And these witches were concocting dangerous spells.\n\n♪♪ [ Women singing indistinctly ] They took a cat and christened it and after ward bound to each part of that cat the chiefest parts of a dead man.\n\nA nd the said cat was put in the sea.\n\nAnd then there did arise such a tem pest in the sea as a greater hath not been seen.\n\n[ Thunder crashes ] Th is storm had been conjured for one purpose -- to kill the king of Scotland .\n\n♪♪ James VI had been returning by ship from Denmark and was lucky to survive.\n\nIt all sounds absolutely bonkers.\n\n[ Laughs ] But it all \, uh...\n\nIt makes a crazy sort of sense.\n\nThis is exactly the sort of thing that witches are supposed to do\, isn't it?\n\nThey're supposed to play around with corpses and cats.\n\nWitches are supposed to be able to c ontrol the weather.\n\nIt's one of their powers.\n\n♪♪ It might sound like a fairy tale\, but what happened here set off a devastating chain of events.\n\nDozens were executed for this alleged plot\, and it triggered a century of persecution across the British Isles and beyond.\n\nThousands more would be killed for the crime of witchcraft\, some of them men\, the majority women.\n\n♪♪ [ Bell tolling ] To understand why this story ha d such impact\, I want to see the original text for myself.\n\nIt's held h ere at the University of Glasgow archives.\n\nIt's a pamphlet printed in L ondon called \"Newes from Scotland\,\" and it gives a full account of this plot against the king and the trial of those held responsible.\n\nOnly a very few of these pamphlets survive.\n\n♪♪ This little book is more th an 400 years old.\n\nIt's an account and quite -- in fact\, it's quite a s ensational\, tabloid-y account of the first major witch hunt in Scotland.\ n\nIt was written in 1591\, shortly after the events it describes.\n\nI-I have picked up many\, many old books\, and it never gets old.\n\nIt's a pl easure every single time.\n\nYou can't open it too wide.\n\nDon't want it to snap.\n\nHere's a little summary.\n\nIt's \"a true discourse of the app rehension of sundry witches lately taken in Scotland\, whereof some --\" w hew -- \"are executed\, and some are yet imprisoned.\"\n\n♪♪ These mus t be the witches.\n\nThey're all bustling along in a sort of girl gang.\n\ nAnd it's pretty clear that they are witches\, because here is the devil.\ n\nHe's in a pulpit.\n\nHe's making a sermon like a priest would do.\n\nBu t he's the flipped image of a priest.\n\nHe is\, in fact\, the devil.\n\nA nd these witches here at the top\, they are working magic with their cauld ron.\n\nThey have cooked up a storm that has destroyed His Majesty's ship. \n\nYou can see it's been wrecked.\n\nPeople are falling into the waves.\n \nAnd these are the witches who disrupted the king's journey back from Den mark.\n\n♪♪ This pamphlet was commissioned by King James himself.\n\nI t was distributed in England to tell the story of his triumph against the witches' wicked plot.\n\nIt's clearly designed to be dramatic.\n\nMm\, so\ , this is quite emotive language here.\n\nThey're not just witches.\n\nThe y are wicked and detestable witches.\n\nThey had seduced by their sorcery a number of others to be as bad as themselves.\n\nSo\, this is a problem.\ n\nThe number of witches in Scotland is growing.\n\nThere are more and mor e of them every day.\n\nWe should be very afraid.\n\nThe author tells us t hat God hath lately overthrown and hindered the intentions and wicked deal ings of a great number of ungodly creatures no better than devils.\n\n\"Ne wes from Scotland\" paints witches as a serious threat to order and stabil ity and the witch hunt as the necessary means by which the godly can preva il.\n\nBut why was the Scottish king so eager to tell the English about hi s triumph over evil?\n\n♪♪ Son of the infamous Mary Queen of Scots\, h e became king at a time of great change in politics and religion.\n\nThe R eformation was sweeping across Europe\, as Protestants rejected the Pope's authority and centuries of Catholicism.\n\nHere in Scotland\, James was t he figurehead for this new Protestant church\, but he also had his eye on the English throne.\n\nQueen Elizabeth I was getting older.\n\nShe had no children.\n\nJames was positioning himself as a strong and godly ruler\, a s a worthy successor to the crown of England.\n\n♪♪ I wonder if the Sc ottish King's desire for the English throne played a part in the ramping u p of a war against witches.\n\nI want to find out more about him.\n\nSo I' m meeting an expert at Edinburgh's National Portrait Gallery.\n\n-James ha s just turned 24.\n\nHe's already had two decades of his reign\, and a ver y turbulent reign it has been.\n\nRemember\, he's still quite a young king \, sort of dealing with noble factions and quarrels\, and he doesn't have the all-important heir.\n\n-So\, am I right that in 1590\, James has just got married?\n\n-Yes\, he's just got married to Anna of Denmark.\n\nShe's just a teenager.\n\nShe is his new bride.\n\nAnd of course\, now James has the hope that they're going to have children\, they're going to produce h eirs.\n\n-But there have been a few problems in getting her from Denmark t o Scotland\, haven't there?\n\n-Anna's meant to be coming to Scotland\, bu t there are these terrible storms\, and her ship springs a leak\, and the admiral in charge of the fleet says\, \"No\, we have to turn back.\"\n\nAn d James makes a decision.\n\n\"I'm going to go to Anna.\"\n\nOriginally\, he's driven back by storms.\n\nHe has to go back into one of the five port s and then try again.\n\nBut eventually\, they make it through\, but he's had to leave his country.\n\nI mean\, okay\, he has taken a lot of his nob les and gentlemen with him\, where he can keep an eye on them\, but he has had to leave Scotland.\n\n-It's a risk.\n\n-Yes.\n\n-So these storms\, th is business of the weather in the North Sea\, is psychologically onerous t o him.\n\nIt's more than inconvenient.\n\nIt's dangerous.\n\nHe's had to t ake risks to his personal safety to overcome it.\n\n-Yes.\n\nAnd remember\ , we've only James.\n\nThere's no heir.\n\nIf James goes down with the shi p.\n\nScotland is plunged into chaos.\n\n-Louise\, how familiar do you thi nk James was with the idea of witches and witchcraft?\n\n-Witchcraft has b een around in Scotland from before the Reformation.\n\nThe important thing is that people believed that witchcraft is real.\n\nAnd it's also about l iving in a providential world where you believe God is looking over everyt hing.\n\nSo if the king is godly\, then God blesses him.\n\nGod blesses hi s rule.\n\nGod blesses his country and people.\n\nNow\, if you annoy God b y letting sinners like witches go unpunished\, well\, that's when God migh t visit your country with famines and plagues and losses in battle.\n\nSo\ , you know\, to show you're a good\, strong king\, you must show you're a godly king upholding God's law and especially against the enemies of God\, the witches.\n\n-I think King James had found a way to show the English h e would be a righteous and godly king\, by winning a face-off with witches .\n\nThat pamphlet\, \"Newes from Scotland\,\" was clearly good spin for J ames.\n\nBut who were the real women from North Berwick in rural Scotland who were branded as witches\, strangled\, and burnt at the stake?\n\n♪ ♪ I want to find these women\, but it won't be easy.\n\nThey would have been illiterate and left no writing of their own.\n\nAnd many documents fr om the witch trials have been lost.\n\nThis book is a history of King Jame s VI.\n\nIt's contemporary.\n\nIt was written in his lifetime\, and there' s a whole section in it about witches.\n\nAnd there should be a reference to the very first woman to be executed in the North Berwick witch hunt.\n\ nAnd here\, I think -- Yes -- is her name.\n\nAgnes Sampson.\n\n♪♪ Agn es Sampson\, \"grace wyff.\"\n\nThat means midwife.\n\n♪♪ Somebody who brings you God's grace when you're giving birth.\n\n♪♪ And it says \" alias callit\,\" which means \"otherwise called\,\" \"the wyse wyff of Key th.\"\n\nThat means a wise woman\, a-a folk healer\, somebody with slightl y mysterious powers.\n\nAnd it looks like she's from Keyth.\n\n♪♪ So h ow on earth did Agnes Sampson\, midwife and folk healer\, get caught up in this brutal witch hunt?\n\n[ Baby coos ] ♪♪ The answer could lie in t he role she played in her community and in the tools of her trade.\n\nHidd en away in the storerooms of the National Museum of Scotland is a unique c ollection of everyday objects with magical powers.\n\n♪♪ -Well\, what we have here is a selection of some of our large collection of charms and amulets which are reputed to have superstitious powers.\n\nSo\, these were objects put to protect you\, and they are also curative.\n\n-So\, what so rt of a world are we looking into here\, then?\n\nOne where people probabl y believed in God but also believed in a load of other sorts of supernatur al powers?\n\n-Yes.\n\nWe have religious belief\, belief in God\, that is able to coexist in their mind quite happily with the supernatural\, so\, a belief in fairies\, malevolent elves\, evil witches.\n\n-What's this neat \, little black one that looks like a Christmas pudding tied up with a rib bon?\n\n-This is a seed pod... -Oh\, is it?\n\n-...that's come all the way possibly from the Caribbean.\n\nAnd it's floated on the Gulf Stream.\n\nS o\, local people\, ordinary people\, would pick them up off the beaches an d use these to help them during childbirth.\n\nAnd as a result\, they are called Mary's Nut.\n\n-Mary's Nut.\n\n-Yes\, or St. Mary's Nut.\n\nSo it's really Mother Mary's protection in childbirth.\n\nSo it's that combinatio n of a religious belief allied to something that is more of a folk belief and a superstitious belief.\n\n-And is it the sort of thing that you'd len d to your friend when she was pregnant?\n\n-Yeah\, I think you could.\n\n- And then pass it on?\n\n-Yeah.\n\nBut you'd probably want your own one any way\, 'cause you're probably giving birth quite a lot.\n\n-Oh\, many times .\n\nYes.\n\nA lot of -- A lot of use for the Mary's Nuts.\n\n-Yes.\n\nYea h.\n\n-This one catches my eye.\n\n-Well\, this little cross is a wonderfu l example of something everyday that anyone could have owned.\n\nIt's made from rowan\, and the rowan tree is supposed to be protective against evil spirit.\n\nSo you might just carry this.\n\nYou could have it on your per son\, or you could have it under your pillow.\n\n-Mm-hmm.\n\n-And you plan ted rowan trees in your gardens to keep away the evil spirits.\n\n-So\, ho w does a folk healer fit into this world of the amulets and the charms?\n\ n-So\, you'll have had these as your everyday item for everyday protection .\n\nAnd you would bring in someone like a healer\, a wise woman\, when so mething has gone really badly wrong.\n\nShe will have had knowledge of her bs and so on like a homeopath today.\n\nBut they're also presumed to have magical powers.\n\n-This sounds like witchcraft.\n\nWhat's the difference between folk healing and witchery?\n\n-The witch is living within the comm unity and associated with evil things\, evil spirits\, nasty things happen ing -- disease\, crops failing.\n\nThe folk healer is associated with good things.\n\n-So\, the folk healer is on your side\, and the witch is again st you.\n\n-Yes.\n\nIndeed\, she's a witch buster\, because she's associat ed with getting rid of those evil spirits.\n\n♪♪ -As a midwife and hea ler\, Agnes would have been important to her community.\n\n♪♪ But she' d have walked a fine line between helping people and being blamed when thi ngs went wrong.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ It makes me wonder what triggered the fir st accusation against Agnes.\n\nThe pamphlet \"Newes from Scotland\" says a servant girl called Geillis Duncane was the first to say that Agnes was a witch.\n\nBut I can't find any evidence to back that up.\n\nWhat I have uncovered is this document describing a church leaders' meeting.\n\n15th o f September\, 1589.\n\nThe minutes at the synod say they've ordered the Pr esbytery of Haddington -- That's the local church committee in Haddington -- to summon before them Agnes Sampson\, suspected of witchcraft.\n\nSo he re it is in black and white.\n\nOn the 15th of September\, 1589\, we have the first reference to Agnes Sampson in connection with witchcraft.\n\ n♪♪ So Agnes is under suspicion\, and church leaders want to question her.\n\nAnd all this happened a year before the North Berwick trial.\n \n♪♪ By this time\, the Scottish Church was in the hands of radical Pr otestant reformers who'd been led by John Knox.\n\nKnox had wanted to crea te a new godly state based on the pure message of the Bible\, obedience an d discipline\, ushering in a new age of religious puritanism in Scotland.\ n\n[ Bird caws ] ♪♪ This is St Mary's Church in Haddington.\n\nNorth B erwick and Agnes' village both came under its jurisdiction.\n\nThe Protest ant elders of this church were keeping a close watch on suspected witch Ag nes.\n\n♪♪ Hello?\n\n♪♪ And this church was also at the forefront of religious change sweeping the country.\n\n-Hello.\n\nWill you be Stewar t?\n\n-Hello\, I'm Stewart.\n\nYes.\n\n-It's really nice to meet you\, Ste wart.\n\n-Nice to meet you.\n\nWelcome to St Mary's.\n\n-Thank you for hav ing me.\n\n-Not at all.\n\n-Now\, I know -- Every historian knows -- that in the 16th century\, the big thing that happens in Scotland is the Reform ation\, which is led by John Knox.\n\nHe's -- He's a Haddington boy\, isn' t he?\n\n-Well\, John Knox was born about 200 yards from where we're stand ing on the other side of the river.\n\nAnd he was almost certainly baptize d in this church.\n\n-Oh\, wow.\n\nSo\, this church -- Well\, he was bapti zed here.\n\nThis is right at the cutting edge of the Reformation\, then\, this place.\n\nAnd how would you characterize this -- this Scottish Refor mation religion that John Knox was keen on?\n\n-'Course\, it was a much si mpler\, stricter\, and very -- in some ways\, very harsh religion.\n\n-So\ , what kind of behavior did the Reformed Scottish Church disapprove of?\n\ n-What we might describe as frivolous behavior -- singing\, dancing\, drin king\, and of course fornication.\n\nYou could be called up in front of th e congregation if you're misbehaving in some way.\n\n-And that's because t he devil is just around the corner\, and your soul is at risk of eternal d amnation if you step out of line.\n\n-Yep.\n\n-And John Knox didn't approv e of women\, did he?\n\n-Well\, he didn't approve of women being in positi ons of authority.\n\n-Mm.\n\nSo\, if the new church did not like to have w omen in positions of authority\, someone like Agnes\, who was a wise woman \, who had the trust of the community\, do you think maybe they felt threa tened by that?\n\n-That's quite possible\, yes.\n\n[ Bell tolls ] -I wonde r if Agnes was aware that she was being watched by the church as she went about her business as a midwife and a healer.\n\nIt's starting to look lik e there's no place in this new Protestant order for women like her.\n\nShe is a woman in a position of authority.\n\nShe's got this power of healing .\n\nPeople in the community trust her\, need her\, look up to her.\n\nDo the church authorities feel a bit threatened by that?\n\n[ Bell tolls ] Ag nes' fate now lay in the hands of these fervent Protestants.\n\nAnd these religious leaders were absorbing new ideas circulating in Europe about the nature of witchcraft and how to deal with it.\n\nThey were laid out in a book written by two German Catholic theologians in the 15th century.\n\nTh is is a direct translation of a text that's more than 500 years old.\n\nIt 's called \"Malleus Maleficarum\,\" \"The Hammer of Witches.\"\n\nAnd it's a sort of a manual of how to spot a witch and what sort of things they're going to get up to.\n\nDemonology books like this made it clear the devil was specifically recruiting women to do his evil bidding.\n\n\"Why is it that more witches are female than men?\"\n\nI'm quite interested in what t hey're going to say about that.\n\nWell\, it's basically because of the wi ckedness of women\, as spoken of in the Bible.\n\n\"In Ecclesiasticus 25 - - There is no wrath above the wrath of a woman.\n\nI had rather dwell with a lion and a dragon than to keep house with a wicked woman.\"\n\n[ Woman moaning\, echoing ] \"All witchcraft comes from carnal lust\, which is in women insatiable.\"\n\nAnd that's why the devil's able to recruit them mor e easily.\n\nThey're so desperate to fill their wombs that they will conso rt even with devils.\n\nYou know\, if there aren't enough men to go around \, devils will do.\n\nThe witches meet together in conclave on a set day.\ n\nAnd the devil appears to them in the assumed body of a man.\n\nAnd he s ays to them\, \"Look\, if you have sex with me\, ladies\, I will give you long life.\"\n\nThat is the deal.\n\nAnd this witch is showing her allegia nce to the devil by kissing his backside.\n\n[ Laughs ] Oh\, dear.\n\nWhat has surprised me reading through this book -- And I really wasn't aware o f this -- was just how much witchcraft and sex seem to be mixed up togethe r.\n\nFear about sexual matters and the lust of women seems to be absolute ly fundamental.\n\n♪♪ So\, poor Agnes.\n\nShe's had the bad luck to be born at a really bad time.\n\nIt's like the end of days.\n\nIn the 16th c entury\, everybody gets utterly obsessed with the devil.\n\nPeople now gen uinely believe that witches are largely female\, that they gather in group s\, that they have this kinky sexual pact with the devil\, and that their number is growing.\n\nMore and more witches are being recruited.\n\nSo wha t are the authorities going to do to deal with these wicked women?\n\n ♪♪ For centuries\, accusations of witchcraft had largely been settled within the local community.\n\nBut if these witches were the devil's agent s\, the authorities had to do something and crack down.\n\n♪♪ Well\, t his is the Scottish Witchcraft Act.\n\nSo\, this act was drawn up by Scotl and's Protestant reformers.\n\nJohn Knox may even have had a hand in it.\n \nIt is statute and ordained that no manner of person or persons of whatev er estate\, degree\, or condition is to use any manner of witchcraft.\n\nA nd if you do do that\, they'll be under pain of death.\n\nIt actually says under the pain of \"deid\,\" but that means death.\n\nYou will be killed. \n\nIt has become a capital offense for the first time.\n\nSo the Act is r eally clear that the whole weight of the law is going to come down on anyb ody doing witchcraft.\n\n♪♪ But there's a -- It seems to me there's a huge problem here.\n\nIt doesn't actually say what witchcraft is.\n\nSo wi tchcraft is open to interpretation\, and that means the law is open to int erpretation\, and that seems to me to be very dangerous.\n\nWhat the Witch craft Act provided was a legal framework for the prosecution of witches.\n \nNow if enough evidence could be gathered\, a suspected witch could be tr ied in the courts and sentenced to death.\n\n♪♪ By autumn 1519\, the c hurch elders in Haddington had been investigating and building a case agai nst Agnes for more than a year.\n\nI'm told that very few witch trial docu ments still exist\, but remarkably\, Agnes' have survived.\n\nI can't acce ss the originals in the National Records of Scotland\, but the history cen ter in Haddington has a copy.\n\nIncredibly\, they include detailed transc ripts of the evidence against Agnes.\n\nIt says here\, \"Here follows the articles of her Dittay\, whereof she was convicted\, by number\, 53.\"\n\n Now\, a Dittay -- It's from the French\, Dittay meaning \"said.\"\n\nThese are the things that were said against her\, and there were 53 charges.\n\ nThat's quite a lot\, isn't it?\n\nOkay.\n\nHere\, she's charged with usin g of witchcraft in healing of John Thomson in Dirletoune\, who remained -- Oh\, I see what she's done.\n\nShe's -- She used witchcraft to heal John Thomson.\n\nBut he remained crippled -- that's crippled -- notwithstanding thereof.\n\nI can see that if you'd booked Agnes to heal you\, and then i t failed\, then he'd want his money back\, wouldn't he?\n\nYou might be so cross that you reported her to the authorities.\n\nLet's have a look at t his one.\n\nItem\, for coming to Bessie Aitkenhead and using her prayer an d devilish charms for the recovering of her health to her.\n\nWell\, here' s someone who's pleased.\n\nBessie -- Bessie Aitkenhead has been cured.\n\ nSo\, when I look at the list of people who've been either cured or not cu red by Agnes\, it's a bit confusing\, 'cause you can't see what the proble m is.\n\nShe's sort of going about her business as a healer.\n\nBut perhap s the problem is that this old\, traditional way of doing things\, of heal ing people\, has now become suspicious\, because people are increasingly w orried about witches.\n\nThere's a lot of talk here about witchcraft and p rayers to the devil.\n\nI mean\, I cannot know whether all of these people who were Agnes' clients\, whether they really said these things\, or were these important people who were determined to catch a witch\, were they t aking the evidence and twisting it and putting on this whole witchy layer? \n\nI can't rely on this document for hard facts\, but it does offer a tan talizing glimpse of Agnes herself.\n\nWe're told that she's a widow and ha s children and that she learned her folk healing skills from her father.\n \nSo I love the way that\, hidden within this formal document written by m en who had it in for Agnes\, we're actually meeting the real person.\n\nAn d then here\, now\, this is really extraordinary\, because this is just wh at you don't normally get.\n\nYou do not normally get the recorded words o f somebody living in a tiny village in remote Scotland in the 1590s.\n\nTh at's not somebody that we normally hear from in history.\n\nBut here we do \, because recorded here\, are the words to Agnes' prayer to her patients for life or death.\n\n\"All kinds of ills that ever may be\, in Christ's n ame\, I conjure thee.\n\nI conjure thee both more...\" -I conjure thee bot h more and less with all the virtues of the mass.\n\nAnd right so the nail s sore that nailed Jesus and no more.\n\nAnd right so the same blood that reeked o'er the ruthful rood.\n\nForth of the flesh and forth of the bone and in the earth and in the stone\, I conjure thee in God's name.\n\n-Thes e are supposed to be her very words.\n\nIt's like she's speaking to us.\n\ n♪♪ It gives a wonderful\, tingly feeling.\n\nThis is -- This is -- Th is is why we do this\, to bring people back from the dead.\n\nBut one thin g is clear.\n\nEven if some of Agnes' clients were grateful for her powers of healing\, and even if she claimed that her prayer was to God\, the aut horities were intent on painting her as a witch in league with the devil.\ n\nAnd there's something else in here that's really intriguing.\n\n♪♪ People are summoning her from far and wide\, and it's not just villagers w ho are after her services.\n\nIt's -- It's the toffs.\n\nPosh people are a fter her\, too.\n\nPerhaps her far-reaching reputation as a healer helps e xplain why\, when the king was looking for a scapegoat for the storms that beset his ship\, Agnes Sampson was a ready name on people's lips.\n\n ♪♪ In the fall of 1590\, just weeks after the alleged witches' gatheri ng at North Berwick\, Agnes was arrested and imprisoned in Scotland's capi tal city\, Edinburgh.\n\nAnd in early December\, she was brought here to b e interrogated.\n\nThis is the Palace of Holyroodhouse.\n\nThis was the ho me of King James VI.\n\nThis part of the palace here has been altered\, bu t this part is the original palace that Agnes would have seen.\n\nShe woul d have set eyes on these two rather sinister-looking turrets.\n\nSo I real ly am walking in Agnes' footsteps at this moment.\n\n[ Door clanks ] ♪♪ ♪♪ This is the actual chamber in which James VI received vis itors.\n\nHis bedchamber is just through there.\n\nAnd it was here in this room\, to the best of our knowledge\, that Agnes came face to face with t he king.\n\n♪♪ What an extraordinary encounter.\n\nA woman from a tiny rural village brought before the king.\n\nA Protestant monarch determined to prove he had the power to drive out the devil.\n\nSo\, what on earth h appened in this room?\n\n\"Newes from Scotland\" offers this account.\n\nA gnes Sampson was brought here to Holyroodhouse before the King's Majesty a nd sundry other of the nobility of Scotland.\n\nBut it says here she stood stiffly in the denial of all that was laid to her charge.\n\nSo she stood up to them.\n\nThis is a fearsome situation to be questioned by the king himself in his royal palace.\n\nBut she wasn't giving way an inch.\n\n ♪♪ Despite this\, at some point\, Agnes cracked and confessed.\n\n ♪♪ It's chilling to realize that all the detail of what happened in No rth Berwick\, as recounted in \"Newes from Scotland\,\" actually comes fro m the confession Agnes made right here in Holyrood Palace.\n\nIt was Agnes who said 200 witches gathered together and used a dead man and a christen ed cat to raise the storm that almost killed the king.\n\nThis is her stor y.\n\nBut why would she say all these things?\n\nReading on\, I think I ca n see why.\n\nAgnes Sampson has all her hair shaven off in each part of he r body and her head \"thrawen\" with a rope.\n\nBut during this time\, she would not confess anything until the devil's mark was found upon her priv ities.\n\n♪♪ Now\, to my mind\, this is -- this is torture of a really horrible\, sexual nature.\n\n♪♪ It's a sort of a sexual assault.\ n\n♪♪ And then when this -- when this happened\, when they did this to her\, she immediately confessed whatsoever was demanded of her.\n\nAnd\, goodness me\, I'd do exactly the same thing.\n\nPoor Agnes.\n\n♪♪ It's hard to be sure whether these descriptions of torture are true.\n\nWas th is the sort of treatment inflicted on women like Agnes?\n\n♪♪ To find out\, I'm traveling to the small Scottish town of Forfar.\n\nWhen a witch hunt happened here in the 1660s\, more than 50 women were accused from thi s small town alone.\n\n[ Gasps ] It's Judith.\n\n-Hello!\n\n-I meet you in the flesh at last.\n\n-I know.\n\n-One local historian has been doing gro undbreaking research into the experiences of these so-called witches.\n\nS he's uncovered shocking new evidence of their interrogation from unlikely historical documents\, the town's financial records.\n\n-\"Accounts of the town officials\" sounds a bit dull.\n\n[ Chuckles ] -Yes\, it does\, if y ou -- if you don't realize what's going on.\n\nAnd what's going on in Forf ar at that time is a witch hunt that's been described as being like no oth er in Scotland.\n\nAnd when you follow the money\, you find some really in teresting things.\n\nOkay\, on the first page\, the first section\, \"ye e xaminer of Girsell Simpson.\"\n\nShe was a suspected witch\, but she was a rrested\, and she was put in a tollbooth.\n\nIt says an item to Andrew Tay lor for closing of the high tollbooth yea time that Girsell Simpson was th erein and for taking down of them again.\n\n-Oh\, so when the suspected wi tch was in the prison\, they closed up the windows.\n\n-Yep.\n\n-And then when she had been executed\, they opened up the windows again.\n\n-That's right.\n\n-And that would be to keep her in the dark?\n\n-Well\, it's the devil\, and you don't want the devil cursing the people in the street when they walk by.\n\n-Wow.\n\nOh\, look at this!\n\nFor the making of two pai rs of stocks for the witches.\n\n-Oh\, yes.\n\nSo\, the stocks are really interesting\, 'cause stocks sound like they are quite innocent.\n\nYou kno w\, we have images of people in the stocks outside.\n\n-Being hung up like this\, and people throw eggs at them.\n\n-That's not what's happening her e.\n\nIn Scotland at the time\, stocks were used on the accused witches as a form of torture.\n\n-It says here that candles are bought for those who did watch Girsell Simpson\, who's the suspected witch.\n\nWhat does that mean to watch her\, do you think?\n\n-Watching usually comes with waking.\ n\nSo watching and waking was a form of torture in itself.\n\nIt's sleep d eprivation.\n\nLater on\, we'll see that there -- There are other prisoner s in.\n\nThey're male prisoners\, and they're murderers\, and they're not being watched.\n\nThere's no -- There's no candles being paid for for them .\n\n-Mm.\n\nSo the suspected witch is treated worse than the murderers.\n \n-Yes.\n\n-Wow.\n\n-Absolutely.\n\nThese women\, they're a danger because they endanger the whole of society.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-They put the idea of th e godly society at risk.\n\nIf you go down to the 13th of September... -Ye s.\n\n-...John Kincaid and David Cowand come to Forfar.\n\nSo\, John Kinca id is the famous witch-pricker.\n\n-The witch pricker.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-That' s a very resonant phrase.\n\nWhat exactly does that mean?\n\n-Well\, they pay for two -- \"twa preens\" for him.\n\n-Here it is.\n\nThis is the purc hase of two preens for the pricking of Catherine Porter.\n\n-Preens are pi ns.\n\nThey're made of iron\, and they're usually about 3 inches long.\n\n Or some people would say -- -3 inches.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-Oh\, not tiny\, littl e dressmaking pins.\n\nBig things.\n\n-Big pins.\n\n-And what ex-- Why -- Why do they want to stick these pins into the suspected witches?\n\n-They' re trying to find the devil's mark.\n\n-What's that?\n\n-It was usually th ought to be a blue mark.\n\nIt could be a mole.\n\nIt could be an extra ni pple.\n\nIt could be scars.\n\nAnything that they thought was unusual on a woman's body that doesn't respond to pain or doesn't bleed.\n\nThat was e vidence\, pure and simple\, that you had convened with the devil.\n\nSo wh at they would do was they would -- they would shave the woman.\n\nThey wou ld shave all her hair.\n\nAnd they would -- She would be naked.\n\nShe's i n front of a panel of men\, and she's having these pins stuck in all over her body.\n\nAnd they would prick people for hours.\n\nThere's mention in one of the Privy Council documents of a woman dying from witch pricking.\n \n-It's a really -- It's a horrible psychosexual form of torture\, this\, isn't it?\n\n-Absolutely.\n\n-What really shocks me\, Judith\, is that the evidence is here\, that they've recorded it for us to see.\n\n-Indeed.\n\ nWhen I read these treasurers' accounts\, and I've read them many times\, the hairs never cease to stand up on the back of my neck.\n\nAnd I think\, how could they have treated people like this?\n\nAnd then you have to rem ember what they had in their mind.\n\nAnd in their mind\, they were absolu tely convinced that they were not people.\n\nYou know\, they -- -They were devils.\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-Inhuman.\n\n-They are the devil.\n\n-How long have you been trawling through all of these records\, Judith?\n\n-About 10 year s.\n\n-Oh\, wow.\n\n[ Chuckles ] -At least 10 years.\n\n-And what -- what motivates you to do this?\n\n-Well\, um\, one\, it's just so incredibly in teresting.\n\nAnd\, two\, there's the real sense of injustice.\n\n♪♪ - Judith's fascinating research shows how the authorities devised a system f or rooting out witches.\n\nTorture was an acceptable means to elicit a con fession.\n\nAnd the so-called devil's mark\, which wasn't too hard to find \, provided undeniable proof.\n\nUnder this kind of duress\, in December 1 590\, Agnes made her confession.\n\n♪♪ Remarkably\, the National Recor ds of Scotland holds an account of what was said during Agnes' actual inte rrogation.\n\nIt also offers clues as to why Agnes' case triggered a terri fying craze for witch hunts that tore across Britain and reached as far as Salem\, the fledgling Puritan colony of Massachusetts.\n\nIs this word fo r word\, then?\n\nWas there someone in the room making notes?\n\nHow -- Ho w was it put together?\n\n-This has been written up afterwards.\n\nThere w as probably a scribe in the room at the time jotting down a few things.\n\ nBut this isn't a transcript of her actual words.\n\nThis is a summary in the third person\, you know.\n\nYou know\, \"She confessed that\, she deni ed that\,\" and so on.\n\nAnd we see breaks in the document where perhaps she was tortured.\n\nIt's hard to tell.\n\nWe do know in general terms tha t she was tortured.\n\nAnd we can see this text as a kind of negotiation\, because Agnes probably didn't know anything about those storms at the tim e\, but they're asking her about it\, so she knows she can't just remain s ilent.\n\nShe has to tell a story.\n\nOtherwise\, she'll get tortured more .\n\n-Do you think that the interrogators were asking what we might call l eading questions to get a particular answer?\n\n-Oh\, undoubtedly\, yes.\n \nYou know\, \"Tell us about when you met the devil\,\" and\, \"How does o ne worship the devil?\"\n\nAnd so\, one of the things that witches do is t hat they kiss the devil's ass.\n\nThat is -- -Does it say that in her actu al confession?\n\n-It actually says.\n\nYes.\n\n-\"Before they departed\, they all kissed his ass.\"\n\nThat almost certainly comes from a leading q uestion from somebody who has come across the European learned idea of how witches worship the devil\, and Agnes has been made to say it.\n\nIf peop le torture you enough\, you do get so confused that you lose confidence in your own memory and you start thinking\, \"The interrogators are right\, and perhaps I'm a witch after all.\"\n\n-That's awful.\n\nThey're breaking her body\, but they're also trying to break her mind at the same time.\n\ n-Yeah\, I'm afraid so\, yeah.\n\n-Really\, it seems to me that they're fi tting her up.\n\n-You certainly could say that.\n\nI mean\, they're doing it unwittingly.\n\nThey're terrifyingly sincere\, these guys.\n\nYou know\ , they think they're getting the truth.\n\nThey are trying to save themsel ves and everybody from the terrifying power of the devil.\n\nAnd\, you kno w\, it certainly by this time has become a conspiracy.\n\nThey -- They thi nk it isn't just one witch.\n\nYou know\, it's a group who has done this.\ n\nAnd this is what the elite understand that witches will do.\n\nThey wil l gather in groups.\n\nSo they're asking Agnes\, you know\, \"Who else was there?\"\n\nYou know\, whether these were names that she gave or names th at were fed to her and then she repeated\, you can't always tell.\n\nYou a sk for names of accomplices\, and you get a sort of snowball effect.\n\nAn d once you've got one witch\, you can then go to another and another and a nother.\n\nAnd\, you know\, the snowball can go on getting larger until ev eryone's sick of it.\n\n-How any people eventually get pulled into the who le thing?\n\n-How many people ultimately is one of the very difficult ques tions to answer.\n\nAlmost certainly dozens\, probably hundreds\, but\, yo u know\, many of the records have disappeared.\n\nIt's very hard to put nu mbers on it for that reason.\n\n-Julian\, why is the North Berwick Witch H unt in particular so important?\n\n-There have been earlier trials with in dividual witches\, but they never get into large numbers.\n\nThey don't ma nage to interrogate them properly\, and it all fizzles out.\n\nThis is the first big\, successful one where we see the witch hunters really working out how to do it.\n\nSo this provides a sort of blueprint for how to have what you might call a successful witchcraft panic that actually leads to l arge numbers of executions.\n\nAnd versions of that then get repeated time and again over the next 100 years or so in Scotland.\n\n♪♪ -What's so horrifying is that\, clearly\, if you torture someone\, they'll say anyth ing to make it stop.\n\nIt's this that made Agnes into a witch and\, in a final tragic irony\, offer up the names of 59 other people\, too\, who'd g o on to face the same fate.\n\nBut here's the problem.\n\nShe's now \"offi cially confessed\" to causing storms and to conspiring to kill the king.\n \n♪♪ Six weeks after her confession\, Agnes was put on trial in Edinbu rgh.\n\nThe building Agnes' trial took place in stood right here.\n\nIt wa s in the shadow of the great cathedral.\n\nShe would have been the only wo man in a courtroom full of men.\n\nThe trial took one day\, and the verdic t was guilty.\n\n♪♪ The following day\, the 28th of January\, 1591\, A gnes was brought here to Castle Hill.\n\n♪♪ She was to be strangled an d burnt at the stake\, a sentence reserved only for the most dangerous of heretics.\n\nI can't begin to imagine how petrified she must have felt as she was being brought here\, knowing what was going to happen.\n\n[ Bird c aws ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly\, nor standeth in the way of sinners\, nor sitteth in the sea t of the scornful.\n\nBut his delight is in the law of the Lord.\n\nOn his law doth he meditate day and night.\n\n-In this moment\, religious zeal\, fear of the devil\, and an ambitious king had collided to create a system of persecution from which there was no escape.\n\nAnd Agnes Sampson paid the ultimate price.\n\n♪♪ [ Bird cawing ] ♪♪ This event\, it makes me angry.\n\nIt seems like a terrible\, tragic miscarriage of justice.\n\ nThis is a woman who tried to help people but who ended up being punished for it.\n\n[ Bird cawing ] ♪♪ King James got what he wanted and became king of England.\n\nAgnes' execution set a blueprint for a century of wit ch hunts across Britain and America\, leading to the trial in 1692 of 200 suspected witches at Salem and the hanging of 19 people.\n\nBut it was Sco tland that would have one of the highest rates of witch killing anywhere.\ n\nIn total\, 2\,500 people would be executed\, the vast majority women.\n \nAnd imagine what it was like for other women in this society\, the fear they must have felt that they could be next.\n\nThe only national monument in Scotland to the thousands killed is this small drinking fountain known as the Witches' Well.\n\nBut a campaign is now under way for a larger-sca le memorial and an official pardon.\n\nIt's hard to know what to do with t hese dark chapters from our past.\n\nSeems to me there's a double injustic e for the women caught up in the witch hunts.\n\nThey were wrongly convict ed\, but on top of that\, their stories have been forgotten.\n\nThey've be en buried under a pile of stereotypes.\n\nNow is the time to restore the v oices of women like Agnes Sampson and to make sure they're heard.\n\n-\"Lu cy Worsley Investigates\" is available on am*zon Prime Video.\ n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250522 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:BREAKING the DEADLOCK: A Power Play 05/22/2025 DTSTAMP:20250522T160610Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:275-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n BREAKING the DEADLOCK: A Power Play\n\n https://www.pbs.o rg/video/breaking-the-deadlock-a-power-play-14yofj/\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n If you don't rein in executive powe r when it's your guy in office\, then we're just on this never-ending cycl e.\n\nRight now\, we have a system that's electing performance artists in the highest levels of government.\n\nTIM RYAN: We need leaders with guts.\ n\n\"Can\" does not mean \"should.\"\n\nI've been in the Oval Office befor e with a resignation letter in my pocket.\n\nIt's not easy.\n\nDon't you h ave a responsibility to hold up your institution?\n\nJust do proximate jus tice.\n\nJust try to get in the ballpark.\n\nThe oath that I took put my a llegiance to the Constitution of the United States\, not to any one partic ular elected president.\n\nI am salivating at the subpoena power.\n\n(laug hter) Consider your political position before you step out here and cause a problem for yourself or the president.\n\nALLYSON K. DUNCAN: Criticism i s legitimate.\n\nThreats are not.\n\nI've had death threats.\n\nPower is s o intoxicating.\n\nJON TESTER: You've got to start talking to one another and you've got to develop trust.\n\nAnd you use the Constitution as the fo undation for moving forward.\n\n♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: This program is made po ssible in part by viewers like you.\n\nThank you.\n\nLocation furnished by The New York Historical.\n\nANNOUNCER: Introducing \"Breaking the Deadloc k\" is Katie Couric.\n\nIn September 1787\, at the end of the Constitution al Convention\, Benjamin Franklin was confronted with a question.\n\n\"Wel l\, Dr. Franklin\,\" he was asked\, \"do we have a monarchy or a republic? \"\n\nFranklin responded\, \"We have a republic-- if we can keep it.\"\n\n Franklin and the other founders understood that this experiment in democra cy wouldn't be easy.\n\nTheir instruction manual for us-- that's the U.S. Constitution-- laid out the duties and powers of each branch of government .\n\nBut they understood that whether or not it would work would depend on our ability to find and respect common civic norms and values.\n\nSo\, wh ere are we today?\n\nWhat do we agree on?\n\nAnd what values can we share? \n\nIn this program\, we challenge a group of panelists to wrestle with th e same basic questions about power-- power to determine how we live\, work \, and think\, and whether the people would rule or those in power would r ule us.\n\nNow we go to Professor Aaron Tang and our hypothetical scenario : A Power Play.\n\nAARON TANG: Welcome.\n\nThis is a story about power.\n\ nWe begin in the state of Middlevania\, during the first-term presidency o f a person that many of you voted for.\n\nPaul Powerton.\n\nNow Powerton i s getting to work\, and he's wielding presidential power in some bold ways to do it.\n\nIt's gonna lead to some hard questions\, starting with one f or you\, Jon Tester.\n\nFor generations\, your family has owned a farm her e in Middlevania.\n\nBut now that farm is about to go under\, all because President Powerton canceled a major federal grant program\, and it's left you\, Jon Tester\, and thousands of other small business owners deep in th e hole.\n\nHow does it feel knowing that you might lose the family farm?\n \nWell\, it feels pretty bad.\n\nMy grandfather came out to the farm and h omesteaded that place\, uh\, when there was nothing but grass there.\n\nIt 's part of my person.\n\nIt's part of what I've done my entire life.\n\nUh \, and\, uh\, to lose that\, is losing a part of yourself.\n\nAnd if the f arm goes under\, are you the only one\, you and your wife\, who'll be affe cted?\n\nTESTER: Yeah\, probably not.\n\nTANG: Your community?\n\nThe fact is that rural America will be affected.\n\nIf I'm\, if I'm going under\, it's probably a lot of others going under\, too.\n\nAnd then the community gets smaller\, Main Street gets smaller\, the schools get smaller\, and r ural America continues to dry up.\n\nSo it's bad all the way around.\n\nTA NG: Option number one\, you could take out a second mortgage on your home\ , go further into debt and maybe things will get better.\n\nIf they do\, y ou might save the farm.\n\nBut if they don't\, you'd lose it all-- the far m\, your house\, your savings.\n\nOption number two\, you could sell the f arm.\n\nI think I would try to keep the farm under all\, all options.\n\nI f you sell the farm\, I mean\, you've literally let down generations of yo ur family\, uh\, and you failed them.\n\nAnd you failed your kids and your grandkids\, too.\n\nTANG: Hard decisions like this are happening at kitch en tables around the country.\n\nBut Jon\, like generations of Testers bef ore you\, you steel yourself\, and you forge ahead\, because today is goin g to be a special day.\n\nIt's your favorite day of the year\, the annual family barbecue.\n\nDave Brat.\n\nDave\, you are a retired United States c ongressman.\n\nYou're also Jon's closest cousin.\n\nPractically like broth ers.\n\nHere's what's going through your mind as you head over to the farm .\n\nYou've got mixed feelings.\n\nYou know this could be the last barbecu e at the farm.\n\nAnd you know it's all because President Powerton cancele d that major grant program.\n\nAnd by the way\, the name of the grant-maki ng agency that President Powerton has canceled is the Green Business Burea u\, GBB.\n\nIt provides grants for clean energy\, environmental projects f or small businesses.\n\nFor Jon's farm\, it was solar panels.\n\nSo\, here 's the question.\n\nWhen you see Cousin Jon\, are you gonna tell him what you believe\, which is that the president was right to cancel the Green Bu siness Bureau even if it destroys the farm?\n\nBRAT: I'm very sorry to hea r about the\, the grant and the impact that's gonna have on your farm.\n\n But we have $37 trillion in debt.\n\nWe've fired five million manufacturin g folks.\n\nSo we feel bad for a lot of people in the country right now.\n \nAnd\, uh\, how do you look at this?\n\nI thought that grant would do\, u h\, some things to help do my part in\, in the climate change fight.\n\nTh e bottom line is\, though\, is that\, uh\, in the end\, uh\, we lose the f arm.\n\nAnd that...\n\nI don't think that's a good thing for me\, uh\, my family or the community.\n\nAnd I don't think it's a good thing for societ y either.\n\nYou're talking in the front yard when you hear another truck pull up\, and you turn and you look and you both smile because it's your f avorite niece\, Sarah Isgur.\n\nYour uncles call you over.\n\n\"Sarah\, Sa rah\, we're having a debate.\"\n\nYou\, you know about the farm.\n\nYou kn ow it might be lost.\n\nWhat would you say to your Uncle Jon?\n\nI'd say\, I think you're making all the right decisions.\n\nYou know\, you took the grants because you thought it would provide a little extra income even th ough you kinda knew you didn't want to.\n\nIt didn't pan out.\n\nI think t he delay would've been nice.\n\nIt's not what happened.\n\nUh...\n\nI cert ainly would want to look at some legal options for how that grant got canc eled.\n\nI'm curious about President Powerton's powers to unilaterally can cel that.\n\nBut\, uh\, but I support the second mortgage.\n\nDon't give u p the farm yet.\n\nTANG: All right.\n\nIt's a good niece.\n\nTANG: It's a good niece.\n\nIt's a good niece.\n\nAs you're talking in the front lawn\, a family member calls out from inside the house.\n\n\"Hey!\n\nIt's a brea king news story.\"\n\nYou look up at the TV and there's a special press ev ent about to start at the White House.\n\nSo let's go to Washington\, DC\, now where one of you is in charge.\n\nScott Jennings\, you are President Powerton's press secretary.\n\nAnd he's put you in charge today with a sim ple goal-- \"Communicate to the American people how great it is \"that I a m shutting down the Green Business Bureau.\n\n\"Billions in dollars in gra nts for solar panels and windmills.\n\n\"Because of me\, this executive or der I've issued\, we're saving all of that money for the American people.\ "\n\nSo\, are you excited to communicate that message today?\n\nAbsolutely .\n\nBecause it's what President Powerton ran on and was elected to do.\n\ nAnd the truth is\, what we've uncovered in our investigation since we've taken office\, is that billions upon billions of dollars that we don't rea lly have\, that we borrow from China\, have been spent on political cronie s and technologies and unproven ideas.\n\nAnd so what we're doing is we're canceling these grants.\n\nAnd it's unfortunate that there are going to b e some people who are going to feel some pain.\n\nTANG: You have wisely br ought three prominent leaders from your party to join you today to help yo u spread this message to the American people.\n\nShould we meet them?\n\n- Absolutely.\n\nTANG: All right.\n\nChris Christie.\n\nYou are a United St ates Senator from Middlevania.\n\nYou are a maverick\, not afraid to tell it as it is.\n\n(chuckles) Marc Short.\n\nYou are a representative in the United States House of Representatives.\n\nIn fact\, the Speaker of the Ho use.\n\nYou have a reputation in Powerton's party for getting things done. \n\nRoger Severino\, you're at the press event\, too.\n\nYou are a close a dvisor to the president and the former head of a think tank that is very p opular with the president's base.\n\nCongress\, in the past\, has debated bills\, considered bills to eliminate the Green Business Bureau\, to defun d the Green Business Bureau\, but Congress didn't have the votes.\n\nSo no w President Powerton is doing\, through an executive order\, what Congress couldn't do.\n\nSo you're each gonna have an opportunity to get on nation al TV and thank President Powerton for standing up in Congress's place.\n\ nSenator Christie\, any qualms about standing up on that stage and thankin g the President?\n\nWell\, I'm a little concerned about whether the presid ent has the authority to do that\, take away\, um\, monies that were alrea dy appropriated by the House and the Senate.\n\nProbably are going to want to talk to the president about whether or not there might be another way to get done what he wants to get done.\n\nSo\, um\, as most of my colleagu es in the Senate often do\, I'll wait and see.\n\nOkay.\n\n(laughter) JENN INGS: Senator\, consider your political position and consider what the Ame rican people asked us to do last November\, uh\, before you step out here and cause a problem for yourself or the president.\n\nDon't be on the wron g side of history.\n\nSave the republic's fiscal situation.\n\nCHRISTIE: W ell\, while I often take advice on history from press secretaries\, um... (laughter) ...I\, I\, I would\, I would\, with\, with all due respect to\, to Mr. Jennings\, say that\, you know\, the oath that I took as a United States senator um\, put my allegiance to the Constitution of the United St ates\, not to any one particular man or woman who happens to be elected pr esident or at any other position.\n\nAnd\, um\, if they're uncomfortable w ith me saying that this is something that I'm gonna have to really think a bout\, then they could just take me out of the press conference\, and I'll hold my own press availability\, you know\, in front of the West Wing.\n\ n- Well... - Wow.\n\n(laughter) Do you mind\, do you mind if I call the Se cret Service and have his\, uh... (laughter) - Credentials.\n\nJENNINGS: . ..credentials revoked for the day\, or...?\n\nTANG: Senator Christie\, Mr. Jennings' history lesson wasn't persuasive.\n\nHis political appeal... CH RISTIE: It could be persuasive.\n\nNo\, no\, I... as with many of my colle agues\, I just haven't made up my mind yet.\n\nTANG: Yeah.\n\nAnd I don't think that I should go out there and just read a position of talking point s that was written by the White House.\n\nI was elected by the people of M iddlevania\, and I took an oath to the Constitution.\n\nAnd those two thin gs are my most important constituencies.\n\nTANG: Will you be willing at l east to stand at the press conference but not speak?\n\nNo.\n\nSo you're g onna leave?\n\nCHRISTIE: Well\, if that's the choice I'm given.\n\nI'd lik e to go and say\, \"I'm willing to work with the White House \"along with my colleagues in the Senate to try to get to a legal and appropriate resol ution.\"\n\nAre you okay with him saying that?\n\nWell\, I'm\, I'm okay wi th him saying that he supports the president's mission.\n\nI am not okay i f he wants to stand at our press event and call into question the presiden t's motivations or\, uh\, authority to do it\, because we obviously have a different view on that.\n\nDon't want to have a public debate at our pres s event over method\, if that's something that we can work out in private later.\n\nCHRISTIE: Well\, I mean that's okay.\n\nI got invited to the pre ss event\; I didn't ask to be there\; if they're now rescinding the invita tion\, based on the fact that I can't speak my mind\, that's their\, that' s their right-- it's their White House.\n\nYou could be sure\, though\, th at I'll have a press event someplace else.\n\nSo... SEVERINO: If I could j ump in.\n\nSenator\, the problem is that Congress has not cut this program \, which requires a president to step in.\n\nWhen there's a vacuum of lead ership\, the president has the authority to say we're not gonna be spendin g the money on the Green Business Bureau.\n\nAnd I know there's people tha t are hurt by this\, but there's another side to this equation\, the Ameri can taxpayer.\n\nAnd the authority of the president to say\, \"Look\, \"th is is what is best for the American people.\n\n\"The president ran on this .\n\n\"We're gonna cut the waste.\n\n\"We're going to cut the cronyism \"w ith this Green Business Bureau.\n\n\"And Congress was unwilling to act.\n\ nSo that's why we're in the situation we're in.\"\n\nThose are really all good think tank points.\n\nBut they\, they don't\, they don't take into co nsideration the Constitution\, which they may have misplaced over there at the foundation.\n\nUm\, the fact is that Congress has the power of the pu rse.\n\nUm\, the president is not permitted to just unilaterally take away spending that has been appropriated in a budget that was signed by a pres ident.\n\nBut the foundation did not misplace the Constitution.\n\nCHRISTI E: Maybe just didn't... Maybe just didn't read it\, I don't know.\n\nWell\ , let's see.\n\nTANG: All right.\n\nSpeaker Short.\n\nAre you a thumbs up to speak at the event?\n\nWhile I would encourage the executive branch for what they're doing\, would want to stand behind it... - Uh-oh.\n\n- Senat or Christie\, I think\, is\, is correct that the power of the purse belong s with Congress.\n\nAnd if the courts decide that the executive branch can unilaterally eliminate these programs\, then the next time you elect a le ft-wing president\, he can unilaterally restore these programs.\n\nTANG: W ow.\n\nScott\, some tough calls.\n\nSo I think\, I think I'm okay with the speaker because he obviously shares the president's vision about what the outcome needs to be.\n\nAnd we actually do agree\, uh\, that we would lik e to see some permanency in the restoration of fiscal sanity to the nation al budget.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\nFolks\, the press starts to enter the room\, and one of our members of the press is Lesley Stahl.\n\nYou are the senior White House correspondent for the Global News Network\, GNN.\n\nAs you ar e walking in\, you get a phone call.\n\nYou look down at your phone\, and it's from corporate headquarters... Ooh... TANG: ...parent company of GNN. \n\nAnd somebody at the parent company says\, \"Lesley\, you know we are o n thin ice \"with the Powerton administration.\n\n\"This might be our last press conference \"if we don't get this one right.\n\n\"So\, please\, if you get a chance to ask a question\, \"make it a softball\, \"something th at will make President Powerton look good \"or at least okay.\n\nWill you please do that?\"\n\nI\, I hear what you're saying\, but I have to do my j ob.\n\nThis is what I was hired to do... TANG: Fierce.\n\n- ...ask tough q uestions.\n\nThat's my role in society.\n\nTANG: So it's not a hard call f or you\, what you say.\n\nBut I have to ask you this\, Lesley\, if this is \, in fact\, your last press conference in that seat\, who do you think th e administration will put in the seat at the next press conference?\n\nIs it a media outlet that will scrutinize the administration the same way tha t you and that GNN would?\n\nNo.\n\nBut to be honest\, I don't think you h ave to be sitting at the White House to cover the president.\n\nAnd I thin k you're freer to cover the president in the way I think the press should handle these tough issues... TANG: Okay.\n\nSTAHL: ...from outside because you can become a captive when you're inside the gate.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\nM r. Jennings\, do you want to kick off the event?\n\n- Absolutely.\n\nTANG: Who are you gonna call?\n\nIs your hand up\, Lesley?\n\nSTAHL: Oh\, yeah. \n\nTANG: Who are you gonna call?\n\nIs there only one journalist...?\n\n( laughter) Yes\, I'm willing to call on Lesley Stahl.\n\nTANG: Lesley.\n\nS TAHL: My question is about the farmers.\n\nThis is a huge\, important\, uh \, block within your constituency\, um\, and I know that they are not at a ll pleased.\n\nSo please address the problems that the farms are having.\n \nJENNINGS: President Powerton loves farmers.\n\nWe know that.\n\nAnd ulti mately what we think we're gonna be able to do is give them better economi c opportunities to make a living without having to have artificial income supports from the federal government.\n\nSTAHL: But why aren't you leaving this up to Congress?\n\nI mean\, to the speaker\, this whole structure th at the founders organized is crumbling.\n\nDon't you have a responsibility to hold up\, as Nancy Pelosi used to say all the time\, to hold up the po wer of your institution?\n\nLesley\, appreciate the question.\n\nUh\, Spea ker Pelosi's not the model that I'm looking to follow\, but\, um\, nonethe less\, I think that it is our job in the legislative branch to\, uh\, figh t for the power of purse.\n\nAnd we're the ones that allocate the resource s.\n\nAnd it's also our jobs to pass legislation that cuts these programs. \n\nCongress has an essential role.\n\nIt's the role of the purse.\n\nSEVE RINO: But Congress has refused to act.\n\nThe\, the budget is out of contr ol.\n\nThe American people spoke loudly.\n\nAnd may I add\, the only perso n who has the weight of the entirety of the American people behind him is the president.\n\nEverybody else gets elected by constituents or a state.\ n\nOnly the president speaks for the entirety of the American people.\n\nA nd the American people have said\, \"Enough is enough.\n\nWe have to cut t he spending and give it back to the Americans.\"\n\nTANG: Let's get some q uotes from the opposition party\, who hasn't had a chance to chime in yet. \n\nWe have Senator Tim Ryan\, United States Senator\, in fact the Senate minority leader.\n\nAnd we have Middlevania's very own attorney general\, elected attorney general\, Dan Goldman.\n\nWho are you gonna call first?\n \nI c...\n\nI would call the senator first.\n\nRYAN: Good to be a senator\ , I guess.\n\n(laughter) STAHL: Um\, I assume you saw the press conference from the White House.\n\nUm\, what do you think about the\, the legal iss ue\, and what do you think about the power of Congress?\n\nI would like to challenge the Speaker of the House\, the president of the Senate\, to sta nd up for the Constitution.\n\nThe founders\, who were breaking free from a king\, wanted the people to have the power and the authority.\n\nTo acqu iesce to the president\, I think is\, is tragic\, uh\, and completely unde rmining our democracy.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\nLesley\, do you have a question f or Attorney General Goldman?\n\nSTAHL: Given the legal issues involved her e\, and the fact that you are the attorney general of the farm state\, whi ch will be hurt dramatically\, is there anything you can do um\, to get th at money back for your farmers?\n\nYes.\n\nI'll immediately be filing a la wsuit\, uh\, for a violation of the Impoundment Control Act.\n\nIt does no t allow for a president to unilaterally\, uh\, cancel appropriated funds.\ n\nIt is\, uh\, the law of the land.\n\nAnd we will protect our farmers at any cost.\n\nWe have heard a very forceful case for the president's power to save this money for the American people.\n\nAnd we've also heard some competing arguments.\n\nLet's return to Middlevania\, to the Tester family farm.\n\nFarmer Jon\, I heard you have that big audience on the YouTube w ith the tractor repair videos\, you know the ones?\n\n300\,000 subscribers \, right?\n\nWill you make a video and tell your people what's really happ ening to us with this GBB thing?\n\nWhat I would say is\, is\, uh\, I will \, but there's got to be more than just me.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\n- There's go t to be more people so that it\, so that it looks as broad-base of a probl em as what I and you think it is.\n\nTANG: Are there any risks?\n\nSarah\, will you tell your uncle is there anything he should worry about before h e posts this video on his tractor channel?\n\nSure.\n\nI mean\, anytime yo u're calling attention to yourself in the political arena\, uh\, there's h uge risks within your community\, within your church.\n\nYou could get thr eats.\n\nYou could have people\, um\, coming to protest your farm or vanda lize your farm.\n\nAnd that can be really dangerous.\n\nTESTER: I'm willin g to take the risk.\n\nBut there needs to be more than just me.\n\nTANG: O kay.\n\nYou get a phone call from Middlevania's attorney general\, Dan Gol dman.\n\nHe is gonna file a lawsuit for the farmers of Middlevania\, and h e wants to know if you will join him.\n\nAbsolutely.\n\nTANG: Attorney Gen eral Goldman\, you have sued\, asking a court for an order that the presid ent cannot unilaterally shut down the Green Business Bureau and defund it without Congress.\n\nYes.\n\nUh\, Article One makes it very clear that Con gress has the power of the purse.\n\nThe president can come back to Congre ss with any recommendation to cut the GBB\, but the president cannot do it unilaterally.\n\nTANG: Okay\, so you filed this lawsuit.\n\nYou're asking for a court order that the Green Business Bureau be reopened.\n\nWho's th e defendant in that lawsuit?\n\nIt's you\, Roger Severino.\n\nThe presiden t was so pleased with your performance at the press event that he fired th e old GBB director\, and he put you in charge.\n\nYou're the new acting di rector.\n\nAnd as he gave you that job\, he winked at you.\n\nAnd he said\ , \"Roger\, you know the assignment.\n\n\"We've got to shut this thing dow n for the American people.\n\n\"And after you do that\, I've got your back .\n\nAny job you want in my administration\, it's yours.\"\n\nBut unfortun ately for you\, the federal judge in the district where Attorney General G oldman chose to file this lawsuit has issued an order requiring Director S everino to reopen the Green Business Bureau offices nationwide.\n\nNow\, R oger\, it's a moment of truth.\n\nYou have a mandate from your president.\ n\nYou have a core value about returning money to the American people.\n\n But you have a federal court order telling you you can't do it.\n\nWhat ar e you gonna do?\n\nSEVERINO: Well\, you can't have single judges dictating what a federal agency can or cannot do within the scope of the authority of the president.\n\nTANG: You need to make a decision.\n\nAre you going t o comply with the district court's order and reopen the Green Business Bur eau?\n\nWell\, if this single district judge wants to run my department\, we'll see how\, how well that goes.\n\nTANG: What does that mean\, Directo r Severino?\n\nAre you going to say\, \"No\, I'm not complying with this o rder\"?\n\nIs that what you're saying?\n\nAre you gonna... SEVERINO: No\, no.\n\nWe're\, we're gonna see how much stomach this judge has for this so rt of fight.\n\nBecause I think the Supreme Court will back us all the way .\n\nAnd if this judge wants to run my department\, have at it\, good luck with that.\n\nTANG: Okay\, folks.\n\nA week goes by after the federal jud ge has issued her order.\n\nTwo weeks.\n\nFolks like Jon are still not get ting their grant checks.\n\nAnd the American people don't know what to mak e of it.\n\nThey're looking around for somebody in the room to make a deci sion as to what is gonna happen when we've got a dispute over power betwee n a federal judge and the president's administration.\n\nAllyson K. Duncan \, You are the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.\n\ nWhat's going through your mind?\n\nAre you worried to be watching a distr ict judge battling with the president's administration\, arguing about who 's gonna follow the law\, what the law is\, like this?\n\nIs that concerni ng for you?\n\n- I worry about everything that affects the integrity of th e court and the way in which it is regarded.\n\nThe federal judiciary\, th e judiciary\, is the weakest branch of government.\n\nIt lacks the power o f the purse\, which Congress has\, and the power of the sword\, which the president has.\n\nTANG: Are you worried that Director Severino hasn't full y complied with this order right away?\n\nDoes that worry you?\n\nIt certa inly worries me.\n\nIf the money leaves the gate\, we're not getting it ba ck.\n\nThat's the fact.\n\nThe president was elected to end the wasteful s pending.\n\nIf we reopen it\, that money's gone forever.\n\nWe're not gett ing it back.\n\nAnd that's hurting the American taxpayer.\n\nTANG: Attorne y General Goldman\, should those checks be going out the door while the fu ll case makes its way up?\n\nAbsolutely.\n\nAnd while I appreciate that th e president thinks that every single thing he does is valid because he won an election\, unfortunately\, every president wins an election.\n\nSo tha t's not actually a grounds to stop the payment.\n\nTANG: So\, Chief Justic e Duncan\, there is a person on this panel\, in fact\, who you know very w ell.\n\nThey're a former law clerk of yours\, smartest law clerk you've ev er had.\n\nYou trust her judgment implicitly.\n\nIt's Sarah Isgur.\n\nWoul d you give Sarah a call and ask her to help think through this case with y ou\, how you might approach it?\n\nAbsolutely not.\n\n(laughter) She's not working for me now.\n\nShe is\, she is not-- we are not in confidential r elationship with one another.\n\nShe can clerk for me now.\n\nYou can come back and clerk for me now.\n\nTANG: Would you clerk for her now\, or do y ou want to use a different...\n\nI've already clerked for her\, yes?\n\nTA NG: You've already clerked for her once.\n\nYeah.\n\n- Yeah\, I'm not goin g back.\n\nTANG: You're not going back.\n\n- (laughter) TANG: What a lonel y job\, Chief Justice Duncan.\n\nFortunately\, Sarah\, you have a platform of your own.\n\nYou are\, in fact\, a prominent social commentator.\n\nYo u've got a podcast.\n\nAnd Chief Justice Duncan is a big fan of the podcas t.\n\nSo you can say what you think about this case and maybe she'll hear it.\n\nWho should win?\n\nShould attorney general win\, and these checks g o out the door\, or should Director Severino?\n\nISGUR: Yeah\, I don't thi nk this is a close call.\n\nFor many of the arguments that the attorney ge neral has made\, this is simply not within the powers of the president.\n\ nAll the more so because Congress debated this\, had bills in front of it\ , and rejected them.\n\nThey didn't have the votes.\n\nThe process is supp osed to be exactly that.\n\nAnd if you don't have the popular political wi ll to pass it through Congress\, which is meant to be hard and annoying an d long and compromising\, then you don't get to do it.\n\nAnd just because you were elected president of the nation\, I don't give two anythings abo ut who elected you or by how much.\n\n(laughter) So Chief Justice Duncan.. . - Yes.\n\nTANG: ...we've heard the arguments.\n\nAnd you do have to cast a vote in this very hard case.\n\nDUNCAN: Okay.\n\n- What's it going to b e?\n\nI\, I vote that the president does not have the authority to cancel. \n\nTANG: The Supreme Court has spoken.\n\nLet's call it a five-four vote. \n\nDirector Severino\, what are you gonna do?\n\nYou have to comply with that order.\n\nAs erroneous as it may be.\n\n(chuckling) We get that half the time.\n\nUh\, it was close\, unexpected\, five-four.\n\nBut it's one o f those things where\, if the court has spoken in this sense... ...we'd ha ve to comply with it.\n\nNow\, doesn't mean it's the end of the fight.\n\n We will show how extraordinarily harmful this will be to the American peop le.\n\nI want to come to Senator Christie for a comment.\n\nYou maybe call ed it.\n\nYou could have an \"I told you so\" moment.\n\nDo you go to the press and comment on this order?\n\nNo.\n\nI\, I go to the president.\n\nA nd I'm part of his party.\n\nUm\, I have the president's cell phone number \, and I call him.\n\nUh\, I'd go around Jennings and call him.\n\nI'd say to him\, \"You know\, Mr. President\, \"I'd like to cut Tester's funding\ , too.\n\n\"But I\, I want to cut it in a way that makes sense...\" TANG: Okay.\n\n...and that doesn't get overturned by the court.\"\n\nI wouldn't go to the press.\n\nThe press all knows I was right already.\n\nSo there's no reason for me to go back and reiterate it.\n\nTANG: All right.\n\nLesl ey Stahl.\n\nThe American people are very confused.\n\nThere's been a lot of orders\, questionable compliance.\n\nThe people are looking to you for clarity.\n\nWhat's your headline?\n\nHow are you covering this?\n\nSTAHL: Well\, the first thing I would do is that\, uh\, I would call Chris Christ ie and encourage him to leak to me every little thing that's going on.\n\n TANG: Senator Christie would never leak anything to you.\n\nYou don't know him very well.\n\n(laughter) Do you see what I'm dealing with every day?\ n\nI guess the headline is that\, uh\, \"The President Loses.\"\n\n\"Presi dent Loses.\"\n\nScott Jennings.\n\nLet me tell you something\, the presid ent didn't lose.\n\nThe American people lost.\n\nBut that's okay\, because we think we have enough allies in Congress to ultimately get what we want \, even if it's on delay.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\nFolks\, we've had a big battle .\n\nCongress passed the law appropriating money for the Green Business Bu reau.\n\nThe president tried to cancel it.\n\nAnd the Supreme Court has ru led for Congress.\n\nPresident Powerton\, as you might expect\, is not hap py.\n\nHis supporters are not happy.\n\nThey're criticizing federal judges .\n\nCriticism is part of our tradition.\n\nThat's what democracy is.\n\nO kay\, so you're comfortable with criticizing federal courts.\n\nSenator Ry an\, is it appropriate to criticize federal judges?\n\nRYAN: Absolutely.\n \nAbsolutely.\n\nHave you criticized federal courts from time to time?\n\n RYAN: From time to time.\n\nTANG: Sounds like folks are very comfortable w ith criticism of judges.\n\nIt's American.\n\nRight to free speech.\n\nDUN CAN: Criticism is legitimate.\n\nThreats are not.\n\nSo will you make a pu blic statement?\n\nI will\, because I believe that this is important.\n\nI 've had death threats.\n\nI know what it's like to have my name and face a ppear on a program with a death threat from someone who didn't even unders tand the reading.\n\nThank you\, Chief Justice.\n\nFolks\, let's go back t o the White House.\n\nThe president can't believe that the Supreme Court h as ruled against him.\n\nBut he's got an idea.\n\nHe's got an idea for how he's going to fight back.\n\nAnd so he calls you into his office\, Albert o Gonzales.\n\nYou are now the United States Attorney General.\n\nPresiden t Powerton calls you in and says\, \"Mr. Attorney General\, priority numbe r one\, investigate Dan Goldman.\"\n\nYou'll do that\, right?\n\nInvestiga te Middlevania's attorney general\, Dan Goldman.\n\nWhat do you say to him ?\n\n\"Obviously\, this is a great concern to you\, \"Mr. President\, and\ , and we'll look at it.\n\n\"But I'm going to only move forward in an inve stigation \"and prosecution if\, in the judgment of my team\, we believe t hat something illegal has\, has occurred here.\"\n\nThe president says\, \ "Some of my loyal followers \"have been taking pictures\, photographs\, \" of Mr. Goldman's home.\n\nAnd it looks like he's gotten some fancy upgrade s lately.\"\n\nYou know\, of course\, that Mr. Goldman is now running for the United States Senate in Middlevania.\n\nThere's an open seat\, it's no t Senator Christie's seat.\n\nYou're good.\n\n- Thank you.\n\n(laughter) T oo bad.\n\nTANG: But the other seat is open\, and if he is using campaign funds to upgrade his house\, that would be illegal.\n\nSo you'll investiga te him now\, won't you?\n\nWe might-- we may look at that.\n\nYes\, we may look at that\, but without\, without it becoming public.\n\nThe president is looking at you and says\, \"I'll tell you what\, Mr. Attorney General\ , \"I want to make a statement to the press that the attorney general\, Mr . Goldman\, is under investigation.\"\n\nI would urge you\, Mr. President\ , not to make that statement.\n\nWe don't talk about pending investigation s publicly.\n\nTANG: What is driving you to resist the president's request ?\n\nIt's not the law.\n\nI don't hear you saying it would be illegal or u nlawful... Because we keep politics... if this is driven by politics\, we absolutely are not going to engage in any kind of investigation\, prosecut ion of our political enemies.\n\nWe don't do that.\n\nTANG: Would you call it... Would you call it a norm?\n\nWhat?\n\nThat we... TANG: That we don' t investigate our political enemies.\n\nAb... absolutely.\n\nTANG: You can tell president's not very happy with your answer.\n\nHe wanted you to be on his side.\n\nGONZALES: I've been there.\n\nI've been there.\n\nTANG: Ok ay.\n\nDecision time.\n\nThe president says\, \"I'm going to issue this pr ess statement.\n\n\"I've changed my mind: it's not seven days\, it's 24 ho urs.\n\n\"And I need to know if you will sign it\, \"as my attorney genera l\, that we are investigating \"Dan Goldman for campaign finance violation s.\n\nCan I put your name on it?\"\n\nFirst of all\, I would try to talk h im out of this.\n\nYou've tried.\n\nHe's very stubborn.\n\n(chuckling) GON ZALES: Then I would tell the president\, \"Mr. President... \"I can't sign this statement.\n\n\"And if that means that you would like me to resign\, then I will... then I will resign.\"\n\nI\, I've been in the Oval Office before with a resignation letter in my pocket.\n\nIt's not easy.\n\nTANG: It's not easy.\n\nBut you have to do what you believe is right in the inte rest of justice.\n\nOkay.\n\nI'm sorry to tell you\, you are no longer the United States Attorney General.\n\n(laughter) Mr. Severino.\n\nSEVERINO: The resignation is the proper course if you cannot execute it.\n\nBut the president is going to find somebody that will eventually follow his orders .\n\nHe wants to know if it'll be you.\n\nHe wants to know if you will inv estigate a person-- there is plausible evidence.\n\nWe've got the photogra phs.\n\nYou were good on the Green Business Bureau.\n\nWould you?\n\nYeah\ , if there's enough there there\, then I would investigate.\n\nTANG: You w ould investigate.\n\nThere would have to be sufficient suspicion.\n\nTANG: Well\, that's what we're finding out\, to find... SEVERINO: Right.\n\nLoo k\, we're not like the communists-- \"Show me the man\, I'll show you the crime.\"\n\nRight\, we don't do that in the United States.\n\nBut if there is enough there\, there... TANG: Yeah.\n\n- Then I would be able to inves tigate.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\nIt all depends on the facts.\n\n- Yes.\n\nSEVERI NO: But the president does get to say\, \"We ought to look into this area. \"\n\n- Okay.\n\n- Look\, if the president says we're going to take down t he mob in New York... - Yes.\n\n- ...you go to New York and you shake down mobsters\, right?\n\nSo\, the president can order the attorney general... - Congratulations\, you are now the Attorney General of the United States .\n\n(laughter) CHRISTIE: Not so fast\, because I think Ryan and I have so mething to say about that.\n\nAnd if Gonzales resigned because he felt he was asked to do something by the president of the United States that was u nethical\, you can imagine that would be questions one through 50 for Seve rino at his confirmation hearing.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\n- So\, not so fast.\n\ nTANG: Not so fast.\n\n- Not so fast on the attorney general... TANG: Acti ng Attorney General of the United States\, Roger Severino.\n\nAnd the pres ident says... \"Priority number two\, investigate that farmer guy who's on TV criticizing me.\"\n\nWill you do that?\n\nThere would have to be some basis.\n\nTANG: Oh\, he says... SEVERINO: ...to suspect A crime was done\, a federal crime.\n\nTANG: Totally.\n\nHe's looking on his desk\, he's lik e... \"He's got that tractor side hustle.\n\n\"You know people like this\, they don't report their income\, taking deductions.\"\n\nIRS\, everybody' s committed a little bit of tax fraud.\n\n(chuckling) TANG: Will you inves tigate Farmer Jon?\n\nFor tax fraud?\n\nThat would be a tough one.\n\nTANG : That would be a tough one?\n\nBecause I\, I know the context\, you see.\ n\nAnd I would go through the same thought process as my predecessor attor ney general\, that we should not be targeting our political enemies and se lectively enforce our law.\n\nSo you agree with the norm\, we should not u se the power of prosecution against a political enemy.\n\nThat should not. .. that should not be the way the law enforced... the law is enforced.\n\n No\, we are\, we are better than that as a nation.\n\nOkay.\n\nSo... You'r e not the attorney general anymore\, and Mr. Severino is no longer the att orney general\, either.\n\n(laughter) - Resigned.\n\nTANG: The president f inds another acting attorney general who will investigate Farmer Jon.\n\nM r. Tester\, you are under the most intrusive level of audit that the IRS c an perform.\n\nAnd I'm curious\, what's happening in your life now that yo u've been targeted in this way by the president?\n\nAre your kids\, your s pouse\, are they affected?\n\nYou've got to defend yourself.\n\nThat's add itional resources that are going out the door\, in a marginally... uh\, fi nancial situation.\n\nTANG: Yeah.\n\nSo\, it would probably push you over\ , you'd lose the farm quicker.\n\nYou mentioned your bank account.\n\nTEST ER: Yeah.\n\n- With lawyers' bills... TESTER: Yeah.\n\n- You've hit empty. \n\nYeah.\n\nTANG: So you call your niece\, who is\, after all\, the great est niece in the world.\n\nSarah\, you call around to some law firms.\n\nA nd crickets.\n\nNo one is willing to represent the farmer who is the presi dent's outspoken critic.\n\nWhat's happening?\n\nWhy not?\n\nObviously\, t he president's threats have worked and it's chilling people from wanting t o stand against the administration.\n\nIs that a problem?\n\nYeah.\n\n(lau ghter) TANG: But why?\n\nI mean\, are we really worried about elite DC\, N ew York\, San Francisco lawyers who are being cowed into silence?\n\nThey' re going to be fine\, they're rich.\n\nHow does it affect Americans?\n\nLe gal representation is at the foundation of our adversarial system.\n\nIf y ou're being accused of a crime under investigation\, just being under inve stigation alone will really require having legal representation.\n\nGreat legal representation\, ideally.\n\nAnd so\, if lawyers don't feel free to take on unpopular clients because of the political atmosphere\, then we've lost what we founded this country to do.\n\nTANG: Mr. Brat\, one final wo rd.\n\nBRAT: Yeah\, I just want to weigh on this... this-- the moral issue here and the legal issue is clouded by the fact that this President Power guy was targeted back in '16.\n\nYou have some concerns.\n\nBRAT: A few.\ n\n- About the other side... BRAT: Yes\, yes.\n\nTANG: ...using prosecutor ial power.\n\nThis is nothing new\, in other words.\n\nTANG: I understand. \n\nYes.\n\nWe're going to fast forward a little bit\, because I have some news.\n\nThere's a special election in Middlevania.\n\nAnd our winner of the election is none other than Attorney General Dan Goldman.\n\nSenator G oldman\, congratulations.\n\nThank you so much.\n\n(laughter) TANG: So\, t he House and the Senate were under control of the Powerton party by the sl immest of margins\, and the Senate was 50 to 50.\n\nSo that one election f lips control.\n\nWhich means\, Senator Ryan\, congratulations.\n\nYou are now the Senate majority leader.\n\nYou've got power\, maybe you've got som e options.\n\nso you are hosting a strategy call with some other prominent members of your party.\n\nIt's on Zoom.\n\nSenator-elect Goldman has join ed the Zoom call from his phone.\n\nMr. Tester is on the call.\n\nHe is ga ining some prominence in the party\, considering a run for public office h imself.\n\nHelp us think through what the opposition party's strategy shou ld be.\n\nShould you resist President Powerton at all costs or try to reac h across the aisle and find common ground?\n\nFrom kind of the power strug gle that we were talking about here earlier\, I think it would be construc tive.\n\nI think the American people want to see us working together.\n\nT ESTER: Absolutely\, unequivocally.\n\nYou reach across the aisle\, you try to find people that you can work with on the other side of the aisle and within your own party to retake the legislative branch's... power.\n\nTANG : Hold on\, I'm sorry.\n\nHold on.\n\nYou were under investigation... TEST ER: Yeah.\n\nFrom President Powerton's Department of Justice.\n\n- Yep.\n\ nTANG: An IRS audit.\n\nYou were almost bankrupted\, you almost lost the f arm.\n\nYeah.\n\nTANG: And now you want to work together?\n\nYeah.\n\nWith his administration\, his party?\n\nI\, I work with the people in the Cong ress to come up with a plan to take the power back that the executive bran ch has taken from the legislative branch.\n\nTANG: Wow.\n\n- Absolutely.\n \nIf\, if you go in with personal axes to grind\, and\, \"I want to just g rind this ax\,\" totally ineffective.\n\nAnd I want to be effective\, I wa nt to make sure this democracy works the way the forefathers intended.\n\n TANG: Senator-elect Goldman\, are you in agreement?\n\nNo.\n\n(laughter) I am salivating at the subpoena power.\n\n(laughter) TANG: You want to take it to the president?\n\nGOLDMAN: Well... You don't want to cooperate?\n\n I think you go on two different pathways.\n\nUm...\n\nThe abuse of power t hrough executive orders has to be reckoned with through oversight and\, if necessary\, through the subpoena power.\n\nTANG: The strategy call is dif ficult.\n\nYou can see the opposition party struggling with the weight of governing.\n\nBut while the Zoom strategy call is happening\, all of a sud den... loud boom.\n\nThere has been a terrible car accident.\n\nSomebody s lammed into Senator-elect Goldman as he was getting out of his car.\n\nHe' s in the hospital.\n\nHe's been badly injured\, but he will survive.\n\nTh e driver of the vehicle was a 28-year-old man named Kent Knightley.\n\nHe says it was an accident.\n\nKent Knightley is tried\, convicted of felony assault.\n\nPresident Powerton's most fervent supporters are sharing memes saying \"Pardon Kent Knightley.\"\n\nNow\, many of you are at a meeting w ith the president when he brings this up.\n\n\"Have you guys heard how the y're calling \"this Kent Knightley kid a hero?\n\n\"I think they might be right.\n\nI think I'm going to pardon him.\"\n\nSenator Christie?\n\nI wou ld advise the president that\, you know\, he should look very carefully at the factors that are considered historically for these type of pardons to be granted.\n\nI would say to him\, you know\, it would be a very\, very unpopular decision to do that.\n\nBut it's his call.\n\nIt's...\n\nIt's th e president's judgment.\n\nThat's why we need to elect presidents with jud gment.\n\n(laughter) TANG: We've got something really interesting happenin g over at this table.\n\nConstitution of the United States is out on the t able.\n\nChief Justice Duncan\, Mr. Severino\, working together\, despite being on opposite sides\, looking at the Constitution.\n\nAny thoughts?\n\ nSEVERINO: Well\, yeah\, it goes back... DUNCAN: Excuse me\, I'm not on a side.\n\n(chuckling) Fair enough.\n\nSEVERINO: On the side of the Constitu tion.\n\n(applause) - Touché.\n\nTouché.\n\nSEVERINO: So\, it goes back to an earlier point: can you weaponize the justice system?\n\nAnd some pol itical parties do\, and some presidents do on occasion.\n\nVery recently\, we've had that experience of weaponization.\n\nThe pardon power is actual ly a check on that weaponization.\n\nIf one president goes too far\, the n ext president could pardon the people who are unjustly prosecuted for poli tical reasons.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\n- Yeah.\n\nTANG: The president likes what he's hearing.\n\nThe president says... \"Roger\, absolutely.\"\n\nThe oth er side\, right\, they... Maybe he should have kept him as attorney genera l.\n\nTANG (laughing): Maybe... he's rethinking it.\n\nJENNINGS: Well\, th e discussion in the room among the president's advisors is very simple.\n\ n\"Can\" does not mean \"should.\"\n\nAnd as a political advisor to the pr esident\, the correct thing to say here is\, \"You can do this\, \"but you have to ask yourself whether you should do it \"as it relates to your own personal political influence in this country and your legacy.\"\n\nTANG: The president listens to everybody.\n\nHe really appreciates what you said \, Roger\, and he says to you\, \"You know what?\n\n\"The other side did t his.\n\n\"They were out there pardoning friends\, family members.\n\nI'm p ardoning Kent Knightley.\"\n\nFolks\, the Powerton administration continue s.\n\nIt's a bumpy ride\, but eventually he has to run for re-election\, a nd ladies and gentlemen\, he loses.\n\nHe loses to a firebrand young gover nor named Dana Novo.\n\nDana Novo is the president of the United States.\n \nHer vice president is somebody who's in this room\, a citizen whose plai n-talking style has connected with the American people.\n\n(laughter) Gold man.\n\n(laughter) TANG: Congratulations\, Mr. Tester\, you're now the vic e president of the United States.\n\n- Perfect.\n\n(applause) - God\, what a country.\n\nCHRISTIE: So sorry.\n\nI'm so sorry\, Jon.\n\n- Yeah\, I kn ow.\n\nTANG: Only in America.\n\n- What was that about a warm bucket of sp it?\n\n(laughter) TANG: You're going to have a chance\, Mr. Vice President \, to give some advice to your new president\, President Novo\, but right now she's on TV.\n\nShe's on TV giving a speech.\n\nIt's her first week in office\, she's rallying the base.\n\nSo here's what she says.\n\nShe says \, \"We fought against \"President Powerton's overreach at every turn.\n\n \"There were no limits on what President Powerton could do.\n\n\"Well\, tu rnabout is fair play.\n\n\"I am going to \"defund an institution\, an agen cy \"that we all know is wasteful.\n\n\"It's the Department of Defense.\n\ n\"$800 billion it spends.\n\n(panelist chuckling) \"I'm issuing an execut ive order\, \"cutting spending by 20%.\n\n\"The waste\, we're going to fin d it\, \"and we're going to cut it\, \"and here's what we're going to do w ith it.\n\n\"We're going to spend that money on the true source of \"Ameri can national security\, our public schools.\n\n\"We're going to buy books\ , not bombs.\n\nI'm calling it Operation Education.\"\n\nSenator Christie\ , you\, at the very beginning\, made a comment that predicted a lot of thi s.\n\nYou said\, \"You want to reduce funding at a federal agency\, go thr ough Congress.\"\n\nNow\, a president of the opposing party wants to do th e same thing.\n\nYou could run a victory lap.\n\nYou could tell us\, \"I t old you so.\"\n\nIt would be appropriate.\n\nAnything you'd like to say?\n \nYeah\, well\, now you do a press conference.\n\n(laughter) Sure\, now yo u definitely do a press conference\, and\, and you go after the current pr esident for\, I'm sure\, that the current president had negative things to say about President Powerton trying to cut the GBB.\n\nSo I would have my staff go and find those comments.\n\nAnd I would say\, you know\, the pre sident is a hypocrite.\n\nTANG: Okay.\n\nCHRISTIE: That the current presid ent isn't the flaming star you talked about\, but is a flaming hypocrite.. . TANG: Is a hypocrite.\n\n- ...for\, you know\, having prosecuted the cas e against the GBB\, but now is trying to do what I consider substantively the same thing.\n\nTANG: Mr. Severino\, do you agree that President Novo d oes have the legal power to cancel spending at the Department of Defense?\ n\nCancel\, yes.\n\nReallocate spending that was appropriated is a differe nt question.\n\nTANG: Got it.\n\nSo you would tell members of Powerton's b ase that\, yes\, she can cut $160 billion in defense spending.\n\nWhat you can't do is buy your kids books or good teachers.\n\nWouldn't frame it th at way.\n\n(laughter) TANG: Do you have any regrets about making such bold claims to presidential power when Powerton was in office now that the sho e is on the other foot?\n\nSEVERINO: No\, you have to be consistent about it.\n\nNow\, unfortunately\, we lost the Supreme Court\, so now they have to apply by those exact same rules-- play by those same rules\, so.\n\nTAN G: Oh.\n\nIs that what you were going to say\, Mr. Jennings?\n\nAbsolutely .\n\nWe had a legal point of view on it at the time\, we lost.\n\nWe tried to work with the Congress on it.\n\nThe new administration-- by the way\, I'd just like to get a little sympathy for Roger and I being unemployed a t this point.\n\n(laughter) And... and that\, you know\, that's the rules of the road.\n\nNow you got to play by the\, by the Supreme Court ruling.\ n\nAre you a little bit grateful now that the shoe is on the other foot\, that the Supreme Court\, our third branch of government\, has ruled agains t you on the first case?\n\nI'm neither grateful nor ingrateful.\n\nI just react to the circumstances as they exist in the moment.\n\nAt the time\, I was the president's spokesperson.\n\nWe had a point of view\, we lost\, and now I expect every subsequent administration to abide by that or have their own point of view.\n\nAnd when I'm\, you know\, the next administrat ion's spokesperson\, I'll... (chuckles) I'll abide by their point of view at that time as well.\n\nHe's enjoying his time in the private sector righ t now.\n\n(laughter) TANG: Chief Justice Duncan.\n\nAs you know\, the Supr eme Court establishes precedent in every case.\n\nIt's not necessarily bou nd\, except to the extent that it wishes to be viewed as consistent by wha t prior Supreme Courts have held\, but they are very clear about the facts of a case and whether those facts are on all fours.\n\nSubsequent facts.\ n\nJENNINGS: I will give you some political advice\, though\, which is tha t there's a big darn difference between canceling Farmer Jon's solar panel s and turning off the national security of the United States.\n\nAnd I do appreciate that\, and if I took political advice\, I would value it.\n\n(l aughter and applause) TANG: Senator Ryan\, Vice President-elect Tester\, S enator Goldman\, you are sitting in the Oval Office when President Novo co mes into the office after the speech\, and she's looking for high-fives.\n \n\"We did it.\n\nWe took it to them.\n\nEverything Powerton did\,\" right ?\n\n\"We're using it on him now.\n\nThis is great.\n\nIt's our moment.\"\ n\nSenator Goldman\, would you support her effort to use bold claims about presidential power for what she believes is good?\n\nNo\, I\, I think tha t you've got to follow the law.\n\nAnd that the law has to be adhered to\, regardless of which party.\n\nAnd unfortunately for our party\, we genera lly take the high road and make sure that we follow the law\, whereas... s ometimes that's not always the case in President Powerton's party.\n\nThat 's why he's the junior senator from our state.\n\n(laughter) TANG: Mr. Vic e President.\n\nThis country's been around for nearly 250 years and\, and we've got a constitution that is really the basis for this country moving forward.\n\nFollow the Constitution.\n\nMr. Vice President Tester has made a powerful plea to his president\, \"Please don't do this.\"\n\nIs that w hat you're saying?\n\nThat's exactly correct.\n\nTANG: Please don't do thi s.\n\nI am president of the Senate\, as vice president\, so yes.\n\nTANG: You are president of the Senate.\n\nPresident Novo looks at you and she sh akes her head.\n\nShe says\, \"No\, this is the way the game is played now .\n\nAnd as you shuffle out of the Oval Office\, you hear her call out som ething that sends shivers down your spine.\n\nShe says\, \"Bring me my att orney general.\n\nI've got a long list of political enemies.\"\n\nWe have one more question for all of the panelists.\n\nWe've seen a lot unfold tod ay.\n\nSome bold claims to power by presidents from two very different par ties.\n\nMaybe you were okay with some of those power plays.\n\nBut maybe you were deeply troubled.\n\nMy question for you is this: is there anythin g that we can do better\, anything we can agree on for how to move our cou ntry forward?\n\nISGUR: The source of a lot of these problems is Congress has dwindled in power and prestige.\n\nThe American people should be holdi ng Congress accountable for actually doing their job\, whether it's passin g appropriations\, reining in executive power\, insisting that their laws be actually passed\, holding investigations when they're not.\n\nNone of t hat is happening.\n\nAnd if you don't rein in executive power when it's yo ur guy in office\, then we're just on this never-ending cycle.\n\nTANG: Se nator Ryan.\n\nI think we need leaders with guts.\n\nLike we need leaders with\, with courage that are able to not just tell the opposition no\, but to tell your own party\, sometimes\, no.\n\nNo\, you're crossing a line.\ n\nTESTER: You've got to start talking to one another\, and you've got to develop trust.\n\nAnd that's how you do it\, and you use the Constitution as the foundation for moving forward.\n\nCongress can't be AWOL.\n\nGOLDMA N: I think the Senator Tester is correct that we have to be able to... TES TER: Vice President\, please.\n\n(laughter) RYAN: Way to go\, Jon.\n\n- So sorry.\n\n(laughter) That's why he's a freshman.\n\n(laughter) I...\n\nI think Mr. Vice President Tester is correct that we do need to be able to s it down and figure out a solution.\n\nBut before we get there\, we need ev erybody to commit to wanting to find a solution.\n\nSHORT: Strongly agree that Congress has abdicated a lot of responsibility.\n\nBut\, you know\, n ext year\, we celebrate 250 years of our country.\n\nAnd I think that we d on't often appreciate what an amazing system our founders created.\n\nBut our founders also said it's for a moral and highly educated people.\n\nAnd I think that\, right now\, we have a system that's electing performance a rtists in the highest levels of\, of government.\n\nAnd until the American people reclaim that responsibility\, I think you're going to continue to have challenges.\n\nAnd I think it\, it ultimately-- the system is working the way our founders intended\, but it's the responsibility of the Americ an people and the voters to elect people of high moral character who honor their oaths.\n\nYou know\, power is so intoxicating\, as we know.\n\nAnd so\, to place that power in someone who doesn't have the character to exer cise it responsibly\, as the president of the United States\, this is very \, very dangerous.\n\nOne last question.\n\nFolks\, is there any reason fo r hope?\n\nJENNINGS: I'm hopeful.\n\nAs long as we can speak and speak to each other\, and debate each other\, and vote and then do it all again two years later... it will-- it will all work out\, because this experiment i s working\, in my opinion\, even through troubled times.\n\nSTAHL: I'm not hopeful.\n\nTANG: You're not hopeful?\n\nSTAHL: I look at our institution s\, all of which have lost the respect and trust of the public.\n\nI worry about the future of democracy\, obviously.\n\nAnd I don't see the path ou t.\n\nSo\, I'm kind of down.\n\nTANG: Roger Severino.\n\nWell\, I'm hopefu l because the American people\, you never want to bet against them.\n\nAnd our system allows course correction.\n\nWe've gone through a massive cour se correction\, so I'm much more hopeful now than I was just a few months ago.\n\nAnd that really goes to the genius of our system.\n\nYou knew what you're getting once\, you try it out\, you see something different\, you don't like it\, you switch back.\n\nWhat really gives the\, the fundamenta l hope for us being able to go through all these problems\, still go home as Americans united because we know our democracy is what holds us togethe r.\n\nThis democracy is exactly what our founders represented it to be\, w hich is not perfect.\n\nAnd they say it right in the beginning of the Cons titution\, it was an effort to form a more perfect union.\n\nAnd so\, to m e\, I'm hopeful\, because I look at all the other alternatives out there-- I'm not moving.\n\nTANG: John Tester.\n\nThe young people that I've been around are going to do a hell of a lot better job of running this country than my generation.\n\nAnd I firmly believe that.\n\nAnd I think\, I tell them all the time\, \"Make a difference.\n\nRun for office.\n\n\"And then when you get in\, follow your gut\, because you got a better one than my g eneration has.\"\n\nTANG: And with that\, folks\, we bid farewell to Middl evania\, until the next time.\n\n(applause) - Thank you.\n\n- Thank you.\n \n- Appreciate it\, thank you.\n\n- Thank you so much.\n\n- Thank you so m uch.\n\nThank you.\n\nThank you\, Roger.\n\nAppreciate it.\n\nThank you.\n \n♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: For more about \"Breaking the Deadlock\,\" visit us a t pbs.org/deadlock.\n\n♪ ♪ \"Breaking the Deadlock\" is available on a m*zon Prime Video.\n\n♪ ♪\n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250522 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MISS SCOTT 02/23/2025 DTSTAMP:20250223T164933Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:203-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MISS SCOTT\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n MY THOUG HTS\n\n\n\n I love that Billie Holiday set up Hazel Scott to have a huge g ig\, she saw her talent and protected her. \n\n Funny how Adam Clayton Po well wanted to go to Congress before he married Hazel Scott\, in his mind she was bigger than him.\n\n I quote Hazel Scott\"The Fighters For Freedom Need Encouragement...\"\n\n Powell should had stood up to the black churc h and demanded his wife be the first lady of the church and play nightclub s. \n\n MLK jr said the first time he sat in a non segregated concert in the south was during a Hazel Scott concert\n\n Max Roach on Drums\, Charle s Mingus on Bass was the band for the Hazel Scott show. \n\n Lena Horne/L angston Hughes/Hazel Scott \n\n Adam Clayton Powell jr was correct that s he couldn't win but he needed to figure out how to help her. In the end of the day he was the husband of Hazel Scott for me. \n\n I quote Hazel Sco t: \"What you thought was commanding was mere bullying ... forever was ver y short\"\n\n Her son said she enjoyed performing in Europe\, the audience was better\, they knew music better. \n\n I paraphrase Hazel Scott: \"I was performing overseas\, and just as things were getting better\, I had t o come back... I have a terrible temper\, and I make a very poor doormat\"  \n\n Adam Clayton Powell jr is smarter than he looked\, he realized Haze l Scott was tired of the USA\, I love her. \n\n I paraphrase Hazel Scott: \"My years out of America was much needed rest... My paris is like the ver y first time you realize you are in love\"\n\n It's funny\, I knew about H azel Scott being from Trinidad\, a legendary pianist\, first black person with their own show\, but I never knew she tried to commit suicide. Adam C layton Powell jr is a legendary Black leader but like Mandela with Winnie \, I am not happy with him as a man. \n\n She is correct\, one big proble m with the youth movement in the black populace in the 1960s and i argue w ith black musical artist in the 1960s was how little they connected with b lack artists of the 1940s and 1950s. You are a superstar in the 1960s why can't you make a album with all these black musical legends of the 1940s a nd 1950s ahhh come on. \n\n I love her\, when she said :\"I have been bra sh my whole life\" \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n SOME MUSIC OF HAZEL SCOTT\n\n Round Midnight from the \"Piano Essentials\" album from Hazel Scott\n\n https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU2QFaH6yc4\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Hazel Scot t album \"Relaxed Piano Moods\"\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list= PLarS3CmQuEHuY1S2v3YE8MwOoqOtXyu8E\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Swinging th e Classics album\, Haze Scott\n\n https://youtu.be/iFHIAhBMEWY?si=ASFMg0H8 3VbyFrIc\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n UNIFORM RESOURCE LOCATOR\n\n https://ww w.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/hazel-scott-documentary/35137/\n\n\n\n VIDE O\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n ♪♪ -Just a minute.\n\ nWho do you want to see?\n\n-I'm Hazel Scott.\n\nWe're here for the auditi on.\n\n-Oh\, Miss Scott.\n\nYes\, they're waiting for you.\n\nGo right in. \n\n♪♪ -It's always bold for an artist to say that they want to step o n the front line or be in the back of the line that urges the crowd to mov e forward.\n\nAnd Hazel was always ahead of this curve\, too.\n\n-When I t hink of Hazel Scott\, I think of her as a pianist\, think of her as an act ress\, think of her as a singer\, think of her as an activist.\n\nAnd you add all those things up\, she's absolutely unique.\n\n♪♪ -You have som eone\, some 70\, 80 years ago\, who challenged the way blacks were portray ed in media\, in Hollywood.\n\n-She's at the forefront of what would happe n in later decades with the civil rights movement.\n\n-There had never bee n a black performer who had their own show ever in television.\n\nAnd here 's this glamorous black woman who's breaking all of these barriers with th is one TV show.\n\n-♪ Let me sing a lullaby ♪ ♪ A lullaby ♪ ♪ Of Birdland ♪ -She had incredible confidence\, and that would sometimes ge t her in trouble.\n\n-♪ Lullaby of Birdland\, that's what I ♪ -She was targeted because of her outspokenness on civil rights.\n\n-♪ ...could t here be ways to reveal ♪ -She ripped them to shreds.\n\nAnd it cost her everything.\n\n-If you fight the establishment\, you're not very popular w ith it.\n\n-Meeting will come to order.\n\n-And everything is done to remo ve you from public memory.\n\n-♪ And there's a weepy old willow ♪ ♪ He really knows how to cry ♪ -Well\, I'm kind of embarrassed to even say this.\n\nBut the first time I really heard of Hazel was during Alicia Key s' tribute at the Grammys when she was playing the two pianos.\n\n[ Pianos playing ] -I've been thinking so much about the people and the music that have inspired me\, and I want to give a shout-out to Hazel Scott\, 'cause I always wanted to play two pianos.\n\n♪♪ -I spent the last 15-some-o dd years learning about music\, and this was the first time I ever even ca me across her just by randomly seeing her video online.\n\nAnd she just bl ew my mind.\n\n-And I think that that really speaks volumes to what this d ocumentary is really about.\n\nIt is always just so distressing to me the amount of hidden figures that we have within black America and its history .\n\n♪♪ [ Applause ] [ Down-tempo piano music plays ] ♪♪ ♪ ♪ ♪♪ -After my mother died\, in her apartment\, we discovered legal pads.\n\nIt must have been 12\, 15 legal pads full of notes about her life \, about her friends\, about those who were not her friends.\n\nShe was si mply writing down things as she remembered them or as she experienced them .\n\n-They say I'm impossible.\n\nI won't conform.\n\nI've been heckled by some people who find it difficult to relate to a woman who insists on bei ng herself.\n\nA great many misconceptions are floating around\, and I'd l ike to clear them up.\n\nI think the time is right for me to say a few wel l-chosen words on the subject of Hazel Scott.\n\n♪♪ [ Applause ] -\"Di al M for Music\" presents Hazel Scott.\n\nAnd today's host\, Father Norman J. O'Connor.\n\n-After more than five years in France\, Hazel Scott is at last back home\, and we're delighted to have her and to welcome her to \" Dial M for Music.\"\n\nWhere did you come from originally?\n\n-I was born in Trinidad.\n\n-One of those guys.\n\n-I'm a West Indian\, yeah.\n\n[ Lau ghs ] ♪ Light among you ♪ ♪ Now your name gone abroad ♪ -She alway s loved Trinidad.\n\nShe left Trinidad when she was 3 years old\, but she always thought of it fondly.\n\n-Hazel was born into a very musical househ old\, growing up with calypso music on the street and classical music in t he house.\n\n-I'd really like to go back a little ways and -- quite a way\ , actually\, and ask you how you got started.\n\n♪♪ -♪ Take me\, t ake me ♪ ♪ Handle with care or break me ♪ -You know\, they tell me I used to use my potty chair.\n\nI'd sit on the floor and play on the potty chair.\n\nAnd so -- -Now\, that's a new one.\n\n-[ Laughs ] I had to be y oung\, right?\n\nMy mother was a teacher of piano\, and it's a little sad because she was preparing to be a concert pianist.\n\nShe didn't know unti l she actually concertized for the first time that her wrists couldn't hol d up for an entire concert.\n\nThey were too small\, and she said\, \"Well \, if they won't hold up\, they won't hold up.\n\nNo tragedy.\n\nI'll just have to teach.\"\n\n-What tunes did you play then?\n\n-Because it was Tri nidad.\n\nI started playing all the popular songs of the day\, you know\, all the little calypsos.\n\nAnd then\, of course\, I couldn't reach the pe dals\, so it was all very percussive.\n\n-There's a picture of her at age 3\, and she has this expression on her face that's as if\, you know\, \"De al with me.\n\nI'm here.\"\n\nThere she is at age 3.\n\nIt's already there .\n\n-♪ You'll love the lady from Trinidad ♪ -You started when you wer e about 5\, didn't you?\n\n-No.\n\n-Didn't you?\n\n-I was a vet when I was 5.\n\nI started playing at 2... -You started before that?\n\n-...and play ing in public at 3.\n\n-My golly\, and you were\, I guess in a professiona l sense\, 5.\n\nSo you have been at it for a while.\n\n-Mm-hmm.\n\nI was t erribly secure.\n\nI was very fresh.\n\nI think a child prodigy is a -- is a little monster.\n\nI was.\n\n♪♪ -Her mother moves her to Harlem ear ly in the '20s.\n\nIt's the height of the Harlem Renaissance.\n\nAnd she's growing up in this community where there are artists\, musicians\, writer s\, poets\, politicians\, intellectuals.\n\n♪♪ -You had black business es.\n\nYou had entrepreneurs.\n\nYou had a black professional class.\n\nYo u had a working class.\n\n-An incredible\, uh\, powerful\, contagious\, el ectrifying blackness that was being shared\, promoted\, articulated\, and promulgated from pulpits to street corners.\n\n-You had the Cotton Club\, where Duke Ellington is performing.\n\nYou had so many musicians that she could surround herself with that could help nurture her talent as a child prodigy.\n\n♪♪ -Alma became her teacher and cultivated the gift.\n\nSh e always said that her mother was the single most important person in her life.\n\n-Alma was a proud West Indian.\n\nShe never accepted the idea of segregation and taught me to have nothing but contempt for its practitione rs.\n\nShe was fond of saying\, \"Let's see just how inferior we really ar e.\"\n\n-How about your dad?\n\nWhat was he doing with us?\n\n-He's a squa re.\n\nMy father's terrible.\n\nHe was an academic sort of man.\n\nHe -- W ell\, he taught English\, you know.\n\nAnd he had to be very -- Oh\, he ha ted my English.\n\nMy English was always incorrect.\n\nMy grammar made him just cringe.\n\n-Her father was there for a while\, but the family was es tranged.\n\nSo when he would come to visit Hazel at the family's brownston e\, um\, instead of taking her to the park or\, you know\, to the zoo\, he would take her to Garvey meetings at Liberty Hall in Harlem.\n\nShe's 4\, 5\, 6 years old and listening to all of these speeches about black uplift and civil rights and social justice and what his aspirations were for his people.\n\nAnd that was her first introduction to sort of a political con sciousness that stayed with her throughout her life.\n\n♪♪ -When I cam e here\, I started playing in public immediately\, all little concerts and things.\n\nThen when I was 8\, my mother took me to Juilliard\, 'cause sh e said\, \"I can't teach you anymore.\"\n\n-Hazel was about 8 years old.\n \nAlma marches her into Juilliard and says\, \"You need to hear my daughte r play the piano.\"\n\nThey said\, \"Well\, students have to be 16.\"\n\nS he goes\, \"No\, you need to hear her.\"\n\n-I had the Rachmaninoff Prelud e in C-sharp minor.\n\nI couldn't stretch an octave.\n\nI could only reach six notes.\n\nSo I had redone all the harmonies so that\, you know\, I co uld do it with six notes instead of eight.\n\nAnd suddenly the door bursts open\, and here's this man in an absolute rage.\n\nHe says\, \"Who is par aphrasing Rachmaninoff?\"\n\nAnd it was Walter Damrosch.\n\n-How did you d o it?\n\nHow did you paraphrase it?\n\n-Instead of... [ Piano plays ] I di d that.\n\nI made the six.\n\n-Oh\, wow.\n\n[ Piano playing ] -I put -- I put the sixth.\n\nHe was furious.\n\nThen he said\, \"Oh.\"\n\nAnd he said \, \"Alright\, go over there.\"\n\nHe started training me immediately.\n\n -Rachmaninoff\, it starts with a kind of space.\n\nBom...bom...bom.\n\nRig ht?\n\nLike\, it just starts there [ Piano playing ] Rachmaninoff's C-shar p minor prelude is one of the most pivotal pieces of piano history.\n\nAnd it's difficult.\n\nIt's a difficult piece to play.\n\nRight?\n\nSo the ha nds are going like this.\n\nUnh\, unh\, wah\, wah.\n\nAll on top of each o ther.\n\nSo her 8-year-old hands can't quite do that.\n\nSo she does a par aphrased version to play it like this.\n\nSomething like this.\n\n ♪♪ ♪♪ So much more soulful\, actually\, to play it like that.\n\n- My mother was a musician.\n\nShe was a pianist.\n\nAnd she taught herself how to play the tenor saxophone.\n\nAnd she formed an all-jazz band.\n\n-I s that right?\n\n-Yeah.\n\n-Was this here in the States at the time?\n\n-S ure\, sure.\n\n-Here in New York?\n\n-Mm-hmm\, and I used to\, uh -- After school\, I'd go play with the band.\n\nThey couldn't get rid of me.\n\nI was hanging around\, you know.\n\n-You had the mother playing jazz saxopho ne.\n\nYou had the little daughter playing piano\, and the two of them jus t became a force of nature up in Harlem at the height of the Harlem Renais sance.\n\nIt was the two of them against the world.\n\n-Alma starts to dev elop a relationship with a number of all-female bands that were very popul ar at the time.\n\nAnd then she creates a band of her own that is all wome n.\n\nHer mother being part of the music community at the time\, her mothe r also being an incredible cook\, the door was always open at the Scott fa mily residence to Billie Holiday and Lester Young\, Art Tatum and Fats Wal ler.\n\n-♪ Got my fingers crossed ♪ ♪ Not that I'm superstitious ♪ ♪ I'm afraid it's too good to be true ♪ -Well\, my idols were Fat s Waller\, Art Tatum\, of course.\n\nWell\, Art Tatum was papa daddy.\n\n- To be sitting as a young pianist\, and then you see these artists sit at t he same piano you practice on and all of a sudden make it sound like it's\ , you know\, falling diamonds from the sky.\n\n♪♪ -It's in her mother' s band that Hazel starts to figure out how to work the stage\, the stagecr aft of her career.\n\nShe's a bit of a ham\, and her mother has to kind of \, like\, scold her and bring her back from trying to steal the spotlight\ , because you're part of a band.\n\n-Her mother had upped her age at the l ocal musicians' union so that she could perform at jazz clubs.\n\n-♪ I'm not attractive\, not so well known ♪ ♪ Not even active when we're a lone ♪ ♪ I've got a man ♪ -For a 15-year-old girl\, 52nd Street was a miracle.\n\nTo be playing the piano between band sets was to be the lowe st one on the totem pole\, but it allowed one to be present at some fairly exciting goings-on.\n\n-She's on 52nd Street playing as an intermission p ianist\, and the headliner was Frances Faye\, the vocalist.\n\nShe started playing different jazz standards\, and then every time she would start a song\, the waiter would come and whisper in her ear\, \"You can't play tha t.\n\nFrances Faye -- Miss Faye does that in her show.\"\n\nSo then she'd start playing another tune.\n\nThey said\, \"No\, you can't play that\, ei ther.\n\nMiss Faye does that in her show.\"\n\nHe did that three or four t imes.\n\n-So finally I sat there one night and I said\, \"She is really gi ving it to me.\n\nHow can I get her?\"\n\nI said\, \"I know how.\n\nI'll d o the Bach inventions\, the two- and three-part inventions\, and I'll sync opate them and see if she does that in the show.\"\n\n-Do a little bit of what you did.\n\n[ Piano playing classical music ] -I'd play it all the wa y through straight\, and then I'd go... [ Piano playing up-tempo classical music ] You know\, up\, really up-tempo.\n\nAnd people started looking ar ound\, and she looked bewildered.\n\nMy mother hated it because she was a purist.\n\nShe liked her jazz straight\, and she liked her classics straig ht.\n\nAnd she said\, \"What are you doing?\"\n\nAnd I said\, \"Well\, thi s is self-defense.\"\n\n♪♪ -And that began her start of swinging the c lassics.\n\n-One of the things that strikes me about Hazel Scott is the sp eed in which she plays a lot of these pieces that involve jazzing the clas sics and then how seamlessly she shifts into that improvisation.\n\n-She h ad complete command of her instrument but then also her wit of being able to pull in those nuances that she would use in the classical context but t hen also at the same time take something in the jazz context and -- and fi nd a way to cross over these things.\n\n-It really places her into a conve rsation about virtuosity that doesn't surround women performers.\n\n♪♪ -I started hanging around Billie Holiday after work instead of going stra ight home.\n\nBillie tolerated me and watched over me when the musicians b egan to hover too closely.\n\n♪♪ -♪ My man don't love me ♪ ♪ He treats me\, oh\, so mean ♪ -One night\, Billie phoned to invite me to he r birthday party.\n\n-♪ He don't love me ♪ -She was appearing at a pla ce called Café Society in Greenwich Village.\n\nThe birthday girl was in rare form and sang her heart out.\n\n-♪ He's the lowest man ♪ ♪ That I've... ♪ -Café Society is the first integrated club in downtown Manha ttan that really focuses on that idea\, that its priority is the idea of i ntegration.\n\n-Barney Josephson\, who owned Café Society\, decided that black music was going to be the center of what he put on.\n\n-Now\, they c ould have been a wonderfully socially innovative place and had bad music o r even had mediocre music.\n\nThey had the very best.\n\n-♪ Southern tre es ♪ ♪ Bear a strange fruit ♪ ♪ Blood on the leaves ♪ ♪ And bl ood at the root ♪ -It was the first time I heard the song \"Strange Frui t.\"\n\nAs she sang\, a picture took shape in front of me\, a chilling por trait of a lynching.\n\nIt was a moment I can never forget.\n\n-Billie Hol iday and her performances of \"Strange Fruit\" kind of helped put Café So ciety on the map\, but in a very short order\, she has to leave.\n\n-And w hen Billie Holiday wants to take off\, she makes sure that Barney Josephso n calls Hazel Scott.\n\nSo for the young\, still teenaged Hazel Scott to t ake Billie Holiday's place at the number-one club in the world\, actually\ , with that kind of social and historic cachet\, you can't exaggerate.\n\n That gig\, that's a huge one.\n\n[ Piano playing ] -He offered me the sala ry of $65 a week.\n\nHaving just closed at a club on Broad Street in Phila delphia where I had earned $100 a week\, my shock was evident.\n\nWhen he saw my reaction\, he declared\, and I quote\, \"$65 a week is what I paid Billie Holiday.\n\nDo you think that you are worth more than she is?\"\n\n I pounced.\n\n\"Do you think that Billie Holiday is worth only $65 a week? \"\n\nIt was not until many years had passed by that I learned that she ha d deliberately quit in order to create the job for me.\n\n-Hazel Scott and Billie Holiday\, they considered themselves family.\n\nShe was a mentor t o Hazel\, yes.\n\nShe was almost like a big sister.\n\nThey were only five years apart.\n\n-In an industry where there is so few of us\, to have tha t support\, to go into rooms where you may be the only one\, because so of ten we're not seen\, but we see each other\, and that's something that's u nmatched.\n\n-And here is that promised piano and a selection you have hea rd many times before but never like this\, Mademoiselle Hazel Scott brings us her own Café Society bounce version of Percy Grainger's \"Country Gar dens.\"\n\n♪♪ -By 1939\, she's the main breadwinner in the Scott famil y.\n\nShe's the one taking care of her mother\, her grandmother\, the whol e family.\n\nThey bought a brownstone in Harlem\, and she's really coming into her own.\n\nAnd she's only 19 years old.\n\n-She had started recordin g\, so people were able to buy her records.\n\n-On one of my travels to a secondhand store on a Saturday afternoon\, I came across one of her Decca recordings.\n\nHere was Miss Scott playing a style of music that really ha rkened back to the stride piano and boogie-woogie of the 1920s and early 1 930s.\n\n-Sometimes there is a mischaracterization of what Hazel does.\n\n So when you hear sometimes people talk about her doing boogie\, what she i s actually doing is stride.\n\n-Stride starts to go\, womp\, whop\, womp\, whop\, womp\, womp\, womp\, whop\, womp\, whop\, womp\, whop\, womp\, who p.\n\nAnd it makes the piano sound like a drum\, like a bass drum and a sn are.\n\nBoom-tap\, boom-tap\, boom-tap\, boom-tap.\n\nBoom-clank\, boom-cl ank\, boom-clank.\n\nSo the piano then becomes like a full band in that mo ment.\n\nBut then when we're playing boogie-woogie\, the hand is staying k ind of in one place.\n\nBom-bee-dubba-dubba-dubba\, bom-bee-uddle-uddle\, ompee-ompee-uddle-ee-up.\n\nOr bum-ba-doddy umpa-doddy umpa-dubby umpa-dub by.\n\nThe left hand can be all of the landscape.\n\nAnd the right hand is all the people\, all the stories.\n\n♪♪ Ah!\n\nI can't actually do it .\n\nI can't actually do what she -- what she does because she maintains a kind of freedom in her right hand and with a totally churning\, totally g rooving rhythm in her left hand.\n\nAnd it takes the brain to be so soft a nd to make sure new neural paths are made for it to actually work together .\n\nI can't do it\, but that's my attempt at it.\n\n♪♪ -Café Society \, in many ways\, became the wheels for Hazel Scott's journey.\n\nShe was making a lot of money.\n\nShe was meeting the finest people in New York.\n \nAnd what had started out to be\, I think\, a one-week engagement turned into her being called the Queen of Café Society.\n\n♪♪ -During the wa r years\, there was a series of films put out by the armed forces that was shipped overseas for the morale of soldiers.\n\nAnd there were various st ories\, and one of them\, very often\, was a musical piece.\n\n-Hello\, fe llas.\n\nI'm glad we could get together like this\, because I have a song I want you to hear.\n\nIt's an awfully good song.\n\nYou men are writing n ew music to it\, and the lyrics are in the headlines.\n\nThe bazookas sing it.\n\nIt's part of every longtime sonata you guys in the field artillery are writing all over Europe.\n\nIt's your song.\n\nSo listen to it\, will you?\n\n♪♪ ♪ When you're down and out\, lift up your head and s hout ♪ ♪ There's gonna be a great day ♪ ♪ Angels in the sky promis e that by and by ♪ ♪ There's gonna be a great day ♪ -Miss Scott was an entertainer whose music would speak to black and white audiences alike. \n\nAnd her fame was such that she was invited to perform in one of these wonderful film shorts.\n\n-♪ Every chance we get makes it a sure bet ♪ ♪ There's gonna be a great day ♪ -She's encouraging our African-A merican soldiers to fight on despite Jim Crow segregation\, despite lynchi ng.\n\n-Many African-Americans made a concerted effort to express their pa triotism and their devotion to the United States as a strategy for securin g civil rights.\n\n-So her and Lena Horne are visiting army bases\, encour aging soldiers to fight.\n\nThey reflect true patriotism\, black patriotis m.\n\n-♪ Hey ♪ [ Song ends ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Her name rec ognition was slowly becoming broader and broader.\n\nSo Barney decided to open a second club called Café Society Uptown.\n\nThat became Hazel's clu b.\n\nSo when she goes to Café Society Uptown\, that's when Hollywood cam e calling.\n\n♪♪ [ Applause ] -Thank you\, thank you\, thank you.\n\nA nd now\, ladies and gentlemen\, you're going to see \"A Night in Café Soc iety\,\" starring the dynamic Miss Hazel Scott with Teddy Wilson at his ba nd.\n\n[ Applause ] ♪♪ -Harry Cohn\, the head of Columbia\, said\, \"S end for her.\n\nI want to see more of her.\n\nEnlarge her part.\"\n\nThe p icture was \"Something to Shout About\" about a group of vaudevillians.\n\ n-During the 1930s and '40s\, there was a glass ceiling.\n\nAnd\, boy\, it was a thick pane of glass that not only prevented black artists from achi eving their full potential on film\, but black women in particular.\n\n-Ju st a minute.\n\nWho do you want to see?\n\n-I'm Hazel Scott.\n\nWe're here for the audition.\n\n-Oh\, Miss Scott.\n\nYes\, they're waiting for you.\ n\nGo right in.\n\n-Hazel is offered four different roles in movies\, and they're all servant roles.\n\nAnd she says no to all of them.\n\n-She had in her contract that she could only perform as herself or as a patron.\n\n She wasn't going to play a tramp\, a whore\, a vixen\, a temptress\, a pro stitute.\n\nShe was going to play herself.\n\nShe was going to play someon e who's intelligent\, who has a wonderful skill set\, someone who deserves respect and demands respect.\n\n-We've always been told as an actor in Ho llywood that\, \"Well\, you're lucky to be here.\"\n\nYou know\, \"You're lucky to even be considered for this.\n\nTake whatever they're giving you. \"\n\nBut the fact that this woman in the '40s was like\, \"That's not the case for me.\n\nI will look glamorous and beautiful and feature all of my talents the way I want to feature them\, and you're going to pay me for i t.\"\n\n[ Applause ] -How's the piano\, Hazel?\n\n[ Piano notes play ] -I guess it'll hold up.\n\n[ Notes play ] -For someone like Hazel Scott to br eak through\, and to be very specific about the ways that she\, as a black woman\, wanted to be treated as an artist as well as represented to the l arger public is radically important.\n\nShe believed that if people saw th e richness of black culture and the incredible talents that they brought t o the stage and to film\, then perhaps there would be a move to change the way that black people are treated in everyday life.\n\n♪♪ -It's repre sentation.\n\nAnd as we say\, representation matters.\n\nIt creates a new lane for black women.\n\n♪♪ [ Applause ] -These are demands that a lot of people are afraid to make to this day because of the fear that they're going to get blacklisted or they're going to be called difficult or they' re going to be called divas.\n\nBut ultimately\, she was making these dema nds because you have to determine your own narrative as a black woman\, or else it will get written for you.\n\n♪♪ -What other entertainer durin g that time could have that written into their contract?\n\nI'll wait a se cond.\n\nNo other.\n\nNo other.\n\nNo other entertainer at that time.\n\ n♪♪ -In that time where there was still so much racism and -- and segr egation\, it just showed that her talent... ...made everybody forget every thing [Chuckles] and give her what was due for her.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ [ App lause ] ♪♪ -Hazel Scott really burns the piano up.\n\nWhen you watch h er play\, then you understand that what she accomplishes at the instrument was not actually possible.\n\n-In that scene where she's going back and f orth between the two pianos\, she's doing so much political work\, cultura l work\, ideological work.\n\nIt's just amazing to watch her handle all of that at once.\n\nAnd she's singing ♪ When the black keys meet the white keys on Piano Avenue ♪ -♪ Do they music?\n\nThey do ♪ ♪ They swin g it in G corner of Keyboard Street ♪ ♪ The black and the whites do it all right ♪ ♪ Oh\, yeah ♪ -She used every tool in her toolbox as kn owingly as -- as anyone could to get the message across that she wanted to get across and to reach the goals that she wanted to reach.\n\n-♪ The b lack and the whites do it all right ♪ ♪ Oh\, yeah ♪ -It's really iro nic that today\, because of social media\, the one clip that is the most p opular clip of Hazel Scott is her playing the two pianos.\n\nThe film \"Th e Heat's On\" -- That was where she had the worst experience in Hollywood. \n\n♪♪ -♪ Over hill\, over dale\, we have hit the dusty trail ♪ -T he trouble didn't start until the scene where the women were saying goodby e to their husbands as they went off to war.\n\n-Attention!\n\n-It's a seg regated army at that time.\n\nSo all black soldiers and their wives and gi rlfriends are there to see them off to war.\n\nThey've done the rehearsals \, the scene's ready to shoot.\n\nShe walks onto the sound stage and an as sistant director decides to change the costume.\n\n♪♪ -And she notices that the black women have on soiled aprons.\n\nAnd she goes\, \"What is w rong with their costumes?\"\n\nSo the choreographer says\, \"Well\, we spr ayed a little oil on them and so they look more authentic.\"\n\n-The blood rushed to my head.\n\nAm I to understand that these young women are to se e their sweethearts off to war\, wearing dirty Hoover aprons?\n\nThe chore ographer bellowed\, \"Why do you care?\n\nWhat's it to you?\"\n\nWith that remark\, the lid blew off and I went absolutely mad.\n\nThe next thing I knew\, we were screaming at each other and all work had stopped.\n\n-The d irector was like\, \"How the other women are dressed on set is none of you r business.\n\nYou can only control how you are dressed.\n\nThat's in your contract.\"\n\nAnd she said\, \"Well\, actually\, I can control how you d ress the other women because I'm not coming to work.\"\n\n-So she stages a strike and all of the women follow her lead and she goes\, \"We're not co ming back until this is fixed.\"\n\n-Word gets up to the president of the studio.\n\nNot that Hazel Scott is objecting to the maids uniforms.\n\nNot that Hazel Scott is saying that black actresses are not being treated wel l.\n\nThe word is \"Hazel Scott is holding up production.\"\n\nWell\, that 's one of the deadliest phrases in Hollywood.\n\nAnd he said\, \"That's it .\n\nShe's not going to make another movie as long as I live.\"\n\n-Today\ , when pride in our blackness has become the order of the day\, it is a bi t difficult for me to make you understand how lonely it was then.\n\nUntil my fight at Columbia\, no black person had ever dared to oppose the estab lishment.\n\nNo one was there to back me up.\n\nThere I was\, out on the l imb of race pride\, and Harry Cohn swore that he would chop it off.\n\n-Sh e very much so was the only woman doing what she was doing the way she was doing it.\n\nAnd she could have very much so just hoarded all that succes s to herself.\n\nBut in times that she didn't have to\, she advocated for -- for black women.\n\n-After three days of strike\, they gave in.\n\nThe chance to see our people portrayed on screen as they never had before was heady wine for a 22-year-old crusader.\n\nI told the girls\, \"Tonight\, I want every one of you broads into the hairdressers tomorrow morning at ni ne.\n\nI want you on this set immaculately turned out.\"\n\nAs the young w omen left my dressing room\, they had an air of people passing a beer\, vi ewing my last remains.\n\n[ Up-tempo music plays ] -In the movie\, you'll see these women in these beautiful floral dresses doing a dance number\, a nd it's gorgeous.\n\nAnd she stood up for them\, but it cost her her entir e movie career.\n\n-♪ Attention ♪ -And it's just staggering to me that they did that to her.\n\nOh\, it makes me so mad.\n\nIt makes me so mad.\ n\n[ Slow music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -If it became a question\, as it did \, of fame and fortune through acceptance of existing standards or oblivio n due to my embattled stand\, there was no contest.\n\nThere was never and there could never be enough money in the world to compensate for the loss of one's dignity.\n\n-I think a lot of people think the civil rights move ment\, like\, started in the '60s and ended in the '60s\, and it's like\, no\, that was the culmination of decades\, of centuries of people chipping away and chipping away in ways that people don't even realize.\n\nHazel m aking this decision was her own civil rights movement built into her work. \n\n♪♪ -Is this the land of the free and the home of the brave?\n\n[ C rowd shouting \"No\" ] Is this a land with liberty and justice for all?\n\ n-No!\n\n-Is this one nation\, indivisible\, under God?\n\n-No!\n\n-Either let us practice the democracy we are preaching or shut up!\n\n-Adam Clayt on Powell -- dashing\, handsome\, articulate\, fearless\, in-your-face bla ck politician.\n\n-The first time I heard Adam Clayton Powell Jr. exhort a crowd\, I tingled from head to toe and realized that I was in the presenc e of greatness.\n\n-Adam Clayton Powell was an extraordinarily dramatic fi gure who\, before Martin Luther King Jr.\, who\, before Malcolm X\, was co njuring rhetoric and controlling the masses of black people in terms of en couraging them to vote\, to resist\, to speak up for themselves and to con stitute a force for progressive social change for black people in America. \n\n-Son of the pastor of one of the most important congregations\, Abyssi nian Baptist Church\, he would later inherit that pulpit.\n\nHe was an act ivist\, challenging the lack of black-owned businesses\, or that black peo ple could shop on 125th Street but couldn't work there.\n\nHe was very han dsome.\n\nHe married an actress and he was considered a kind of playboy.\n \nHe was a celebrated man about town.\n\n♪♪ -By the time Adam came cal ling\, Hazel was at the height of her fame.\n\nShe had just come back from Hollywood.\n\nSo people came from all over the world to hear Hazel Scott swing the classics.\n\nAnd then in walks Adam.\n\n-I met him on several oc casions\, but in 1943\, I really caught his eye.\n\nI think mainly because he hadn't caught mine.\n\nWomen made such total idiots of themselves over him.\n\nIt was refreshing\, you know.\n\nAnd that was what started the wh ole thing.\n\n-I should try to cut my remarks down.\n\nBut after all\, I'm a Negro Baptist preacher\, you know.\n\n[ Laughter ] Nobody can control t he Negro Baptist preacher.\n\nEven God sometimes can't.\n\n[ Laughter ] Bu t nevertheless\, I will try to make them like a woman's skirt -- long enou gh to be respectable\, but short enough to be interesting.\n\n[ Laughter ] -Their love affair was something of a scandal when it was happening.\n\nH e was still married to Isabel Powell\, and the two of them used to come to Café Society to see her shows.\n\n-I'll never forget this.\n\nHe came in with his entourage and everything\, and my son's godmother\, Mabel Howard \, told me that he stood in the corner with her and he said\, \"I'm going to marry that girl\, but I'm going to go to Congress first because no one will ever call me Mr. Hazel Scott.\"\n\n-Wow.\n\n-Isn't that interesting?\ n\n♪ Who hit me ♪ ♪ Where am I and what's happened?\n\n♪ ♪ I can 't recall a thing since you came in view ♪ -They were the most high-prof ile black couple in America.\n\nTheir wedding in August of 1945 was covere d by Life magazine\, which was a major thing for a black couple in America at that time.\n\n-They are aspirational.\n\nThey are beautiful.\n\nThey a re smart.\n\nThey're sophisticated.\n\nThey're hip.\n\nThey're glamorous.\ n\nThey are challenging every stereotype about what black Americans are.\n \n-It was also incredibly important for their marriage to also represent t he possibilities of the arts and politics coming together in a dynamic way to think about what was next for black America.\n\n-Not only was black Am erica fascinated with them\, but also white America.\n\n-Here is one of th e very fine artists of the American stage.\n\nHazel Scott.\n\nLet's have a nice hand for Hazel Scott.\n\n[ Applause\, up-tempo music plays ] Let's t ake a little peek.\n\n-♪ If I am fancy free and love to wander ♪ ♪ I t's just the gypsy in my soul ♪ ♪ There's something calling me from wa y out yonder ♪ ♪ It's just the gypsy in my soul ♪ -It's significant that it's not just she's the wife of a great man.\n\nHe's also the husband of the supremely gifted pianist and all the things that she is.\n\n-♪ I t's just the gypsy in my soooooooooul ♪ [ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -Ther e's a deep poignancy that this couple experiences after Powell is elected to Congress.\n\nHe makes history when he comes to Washington\, being elect ed from the northeast as a black congressman\, and he is reminded that he is still a black person and he cannot enjoy the fullness of Washington\, D .C.\, because of segregation\, nor can he enjoy all of the privileges of b eing a member of Congress.\n\n-She admired what he was trying to accomplis h in the House of Representatives\, but as a town she thought\, \"How can this city represent itself as the epicenter of democracy when we can't eve n get into a restaurant?\n\nWe can't even go someplace and have dinner bec ause it's a segregated town.\"\n\n-When you think Adam Clayton Powell\, a warrior\, a word warrior\, a spokesman\, a leader for black America\, coul dn't go to the barbershops\, couldn't go to many of the clubs in Washingto n\, D.C.\n\nHe fought that tooth and nail.\n\nHe didn't take it lying down .\n\n-Adam was chairman of House Education and Labor.\n\nAnd he said\, \"S am Rayburn took me aside and said\, 'Well\, Powell\, I know you're not goi ng to offend any of our delicate sensibilities by coming into our barbersh ops and our restaurants and things.'\"\n\nHe said\, \"I just patted him on the back just as he patted me on my back for luck.\n\nI patted him on his for my share of luck\, and walked away and decided to take 15 of the blac kest men I could find into the Congressional Restaurant.\"\n\n♪♪ -They were black elites.\n\nThey were the black blessed and the black fortunate .\n\nAs such\, they took seriously their responsibility to do something fo r the masses.\n\n-The fighters for freedom need encouragement.\n\nFor now\ , as I write this\, the forces of reaction\, those who preach hatred of ma n are becoming bolder with each new day.\n\nThose who are for the right mu st take heart.\n\nThere is no need to falter.\n\nThere is no place for sel f-doubt.\n\n♪♪ -A year after their marriage\, Hazel becomes pregnant w ith their son\, Adam Powell III\, who they called \"Skipper\,\" and that w as the joy of her life.\n\n♪♪ Adam asked her to give up clubs.\n\nChan ged her entire career.\n\n♪♪ He said\, \"It's the church.\n\nThey don' t want the first lady of the church to perform where people smoke cigarett es and drink alcohol.\"\n\nAnd she thought\, \"Well\, that's the height of hypocrisy because when do you not have a cocktail in your hand?\n\nAnd yo u met me in this very club.\"\n\nShe said\, \"I had to brush up the classi cs again because I had to start playing classical music just as much as I was playing jazz and really expand my repertoire so that I could appeal to a larger audience.\"\n\n♪♪ -And so I went on concert tour after I lef t Café work.\n\nI insisted on going south because we were a concert too.\ n\nYou just can't stay in the north.\n\nYou've got to go south\, right?\n\ nSo I went south.\n\n-You know\, people were still being lynched in the So uth\, and there was that famous flag that waved in Harlem that would tell the number -- you know\, \"30 people were lynched today\,\" or\, you know\ , it was like an update to the community to let them know what was happeni ng down south.\n\n-Oh\, well\, all are equal in the eyes of God.\n\nHow si lly can you get?\n\nChrist himself was the greatest teacher of segregation .\n\nYou never yet found a blackbird in a bluebird's nest unless he was th ere to steal the eggs.\n\n-She is not traveling in a very welcoming Americ a at all.\n\nIt's hard for us to imagine it right now\, but every little t own was a potential sore spot for someone like Hazel Scott and her band me mbers\, and it's not a given that the legal establishment would have prote cted them.\n\nYou know\, the police would have been on the side of the mor es of the communities that they traveled to.\n\n-You had to make sure that you knew where you were going to stay\, that you knew where you might be welcome\, that you knew which roads you would be traveling on\, because it could be very dangerous.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ -She's sort of emboldened to ch allenge many of those things that are traditional or even legal.\n\nShe's challenging them with her very being every time she steps into some of the places that she travels to.\n\n-I tell you that I would break the law and have a non-segregated audience because I had the clause in my contract th at if they segregated the audience\, they would forfeit half my fee and I would not have to go on.\n\nDr. Martin Luther King told me that the first time he sat in a non-segregated audience in the South was at my concert.\n \n-Because she would never perform before a segregated audience\, it force d a number of venues to desegregate for the first time.\n\n-To have the au dacity to stand up for yourself 10 years before the bus boycotts\, before the civil rights movement as we know it\, for her to have that kind of sen se of self-worth... Amazing.\n\n-I had no trouble until I got to Austin\, Texas\, and sure enough\, I was asking\, \"Is the microphone alright\,\" o r \"Is the piano fine?\"\n\n440 concert pitch.\n\nFine.\n\nThe spotlights and the audience\, of course\, is not segregated.\n\nWhat do you mean?\n\n I said\, \"Oh\, Lord.\"\n\nAnd they said\, \"Well\, there's only a red car pet down the center aisle.\"\n\nI said\, \"How wide can the carpet get?\n\ nNow\, how is somebody going to object to sitting next to somebody who loo ks just like me and paid good money to hear me play?\n\nWhat is that?\"\n\ nAnd they said\, \"Well\, you know\, well\, alright\, we'll have to cancel .\"\n\nI said\, \"Beautiful.\"\n\nAnd that night 7\,500 people had had the ir money returned\, plus the 200 standees.\n\nAnd the students at the Univ ersity of Texas marched out and lit a bonfire and burned the demon effigy. \n\nThat was 1948\, and an out-of-town agitator named Scott got out of tow n in a hurry because I didn't want to go to jail.\n\n-Once again\, here wa s Hazel Scott using her celebrity\, using her notoriety to shine a light o n discrimination in the United States.\n\n-This is a time when black peopl e were still not seen as full human beings.\n\nThis is a time where slaver y is a memory.\n\nIt's not something that we're looking at in history book s.\n\nThis is the time when people's grandfather was an actual slave.\n\nS he showed other folks\, \"You can fight.\n\nYou can do this\, too.\"\n\n-P eople asked\, in all sincerity\, what I hoped to accomplish by deliberatel y flouting the law of Southern states for a temporary victory of an integr ated audience for one night.\n\nMy reply was simple.\n\n\"It was necessary to begin somewhere with someone.\"\n\n-She modeled for so many women who\ , in the '60s\, fell into that same role -- using their music\, using thei r celebrity\, having relationship with movement organizations.\n\n♪♪ - This is the DuMont Television Network.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ -Hello there.\n\nI 'm Hazel Scott.\n\n♪ I was a stranger in the city ♪ -She was the first person of African descent to have a television show.\n\nA lot of people d on't know that.\n\nWe talk all the time about Nat King Cole being the firs t person to have an actual TV show.\n\nIt was Hazel Scott.\n\n-♪ A foggy day in London ♪ -It was amazing that a black woman could have a televis ion show in 1950\, and that she was hosting it.\n\n-This was a time when t here was a black person on TV\, you called all your family and said\, \"Th ere's one black person on TV.\"\n\n-It wasn't a variety show.\n\nThere wer en't any other acts.\n\nIt was just Hazel at the grand piano\, swinging th e classics\, playing classical music straight\, playing jazz straight\, sw inging them when she wanted to.\n\nAnd then her house band was none other than Max Roach on drums and Charles Mingus on bass.\n\nSo not too shabby.\ n\n-It allowed African-Americans the opportunity to see themselves in a re alistic light.\n\nIt received critical acclaim.\n\nIt was the dignified\, intelligent and respectable representation of blackness that was missing o n television.\n\n-Just as soon as she thought\, \"I've got the dream gig\, I can see my little boy\, I can have the happy home\, I can cook dinner f or my husband\, I can have this perfect life\, still play music\, have a g reat show and have this wonderful life\,\" enter McCarthyism and the black list.\n\n-In recognizing a communist\, physical appearance counts for noth ing.\n\nIf a person supports organizations which reflect Communist teachin gs or organizations labeled communist by the Department of Justice\, she m ay be a communist.\n\n♪♪ -A group of former FBI agents published a boo k called \"Red Channels.\"\n\nIn it\, it had a list of entertainers or peo ple in the entertainment industry that were considered to be subversives.\ n\nAnd it just so happens that Hazel Scott was listed in \"Red Channels\" and that she was attached to at least 10 or more subversive organizations. \n\n-Black politicians\, black activists\, black artists were always vulne rable to the accusations that they were communists\, not because of their political ideologies\, but because of the threat that their demands for ch ange inspired in the very forces that were trying to suppress black politi cal and economic power.\n\n-They were very committed to policing the color line in television in those early days of the medium.\n\nShe was black\, she was brilliant\, and she was brave.\n\nAnd that was a heady mix in 20th -century America and very threatening to people who wanted to uphold the r acial status quo.\n\n-Fear of communists' subversive activities has develo ped into hysterical frenzy\, which grows daily.\n\n-If I had my way about it\, they'd all be sent back to Russia or some other unpleasant place.\n\n [ Applause ] -She said\, \"I've worked all my life on my career.\n\nMy nam e is all I've got\, and I'll be damned if these people are going to scanda lize my name.\"\n\n-Over my father's objections\, she was determined to go public with statements\, plural\, including a statement in front of the H ouse un-American Activities Committee.\n\nAnd my father said\, \"You're cr azy.\n\nYou can't win.\n\nYou can't win with these people.\"\n\n-If I beli eve that I'm in the right\, I will die before I allow myself to be dissuad ed.\n\nIt has never been my practice to choose the popular course.\n\nWhen others lie as naturally as they breathe\, I become frustrated and angry.\ n\n-Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?\n\n-I have told yo u that I will fight for my beliefs\, my affiliations\, and I shall... -Sta nd away from the stand!\n\n-...fight for the Bill of Rights\, which you ar e trying to destroy.\n\n-Officer\, take this man away from the stand.\n\ n♪♪ -Hazel was nothing if not sure of herself\, and if she thought she was right about something\, she would follow through that conviction\, ev en if it was not politic to do so.\n\n[ Gavel bangs ] -Meeting will come t o order.\n\n-She wrote a 50-page statement explaining to them who she was\ , what she did for a living\, that she was not a communist\, that she was not a communist sympathizer\, and she did not appreciate being called eith er.\n\n-This is the day for the professional gossip\, the organized rumorm onger\, the smear artist with the spray gun.\n\nA few cunningly contrived lies\, some false statements\, an impressively long list such as \"Red Cha nnels\" and the years of preparation\, sacrifice\, and devotion are killed .\n\nWe should not be written off by the vicious slanders of little and pe tty men.\n\n♪♪ -One of the mistakes that Hazel Scott made was voluntee ring to appear before HUAC.\n\nShe wanted to clear her name\, but they had already made up their minds.\n\n-I don't think that anyone at that point in time understood the connection between the people who had created the t ract \"Red Channels\" and the House un-American Activities Committee.\n\nT hey shared the same belief in what they called 101% Americanism\, which wa s basically the racial status quo.\n\n♪♪ -She came back from testifyin g in Washington.\n\nHer audience and the ratings was very good.\n\nThe rev iews were very good.\n\nIn fact\, the audience may have been growing\, but the sponsors were nervous and the network was nervous\, and they eventual ly canceled the show.\n\n-If you fight the establishment\, you're not very popular with it\, and everything is done to remove you from public memory .\n\n-One of her real regrets was learning that the network tried to destr oy all the copies of the show\, and she was told\, dumped in the Hudson Ri ver.\n\n-It became kind of lost to history.\n\nI mean\, people in the indu stry knew that Hazel Scott had had the first nationally syndicated show.\n \nAnd\, you know\, as many historians would say\, could have changed the c ourse of television history too.\n\n-The shorthand way of saying what happ ened was that Hazel Scott was blacklisted.\n\nHazel Scott couldn't get a j ob in show business.\n\nAnd this was a very real problem.\n\n-And instead she toured.\n\nShe played in concerts all over the country.\n\n-This is a lovely tune by Prevert and Kosma\, and it's known in America as \"Autumn L eaves\" and in Europe as \"Les Feuilles Mortes.\"\n\n♪♪ ♪ Oh\, je vo udrais ♪ ♪ Tant que tu te souviennes ♪ ♪ Les jours heureux quand n ous etions amis ♪ -What she would do each week -- have her schedule type d up\, and she would post the carbon copy on the kitchen cabinet next to t he phone\, so I could always come home from school and look up and see whe re she was that day.\n\n♪♪ -Having to do more travel really pushes Haz el and Adam apart in some ways\, because she's not spending as much time a t home.\n\n♪♪ -When a love affair begins to fall apart\, you look at y our beloved and he literally comes unglued in front of your eyes.\n\nWhat you once thought was commanding becomes mere bullying.\n\nInside of your v oice is saying forever was very short.\n\n-Thank you.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ -Th is is Bill Blitzer speaking to you from Paris.\n\nThe divider is one of th e world's most beautiful nightclubs\, and it's here that America's own Haz el Scott has been playing for the Parisian public.\n\nNo need to tell you that Hazel Scott has been a sensation here in the French capital\, as she is in her own USA.\n\nFirst of all\, Miss Scott\, is this your first appea rance in France?\n\n-Yes\, this is the first time in Europe for me.\n\n- ♪ Si tu viens dans ma danse\, si tu me prends bien la main ♪ ♪ Tu me porteras chance et nous irons tres loin tous les deux ♪ -For the summer s of 1951\, '52\, '53 and '54\, we went to Europe.\n\nCongress would go ou t of session in May.\n\nMy mother would have concerts booked in Europe.\n\ nBig venues in France and Italy.\n\nAnd my father would do surprise inspec tions of American military bases.\n\n-♪ Viens danser ♪ [ Singing in Fr ench ] -Tell us one other thing\, Miss Scott.\n\nHow about Paris itself?\n \nHow do you like being here?\n\nHow do you like it?\n\n-Good heavens\, I wish I could stay for a long time.\n\nIt's wonderful here.\n\n♪♪ -She really enjoyed performing in Europe.\n\nShe thought that the reception was better\, that the fans were better\, that racism was different.\n\n-I was in the middle of an unhappy marriage.\n\nI'm an independent person.\n\nEv ery year I'd go overseas\, and just as it was getting interesting\, I'd ha ve to come back.\n\n-There was a grapevine\, and she heard things.\n\nAs t he rumors of infidelity increased\, she became more and more disenchanted with the marriage.\n\n-I have a terrible temper and I make a very poor doo rmat.\n\nOur marriage had become very physical\, very early.\n\nHe went to wife-beating school.\n\nLumps flew with regularity\, and a great deal of precious china was destroyed.\n\n[ Scoffs ] Whenever Adam flaunted a woman publicly\, he was really attempting to prove just how little he cared tha t I had turned him out of the conjugal bed.\n\n-The fights\, she said\, we re just nonstop.\n\nYou know\, they were really going at it.\n\nAnd she ad mitted that\, you know\, a lot of their fights were fueled by alcohol.\n\n -♪ Quand elle s'ennuie dans sa mansarde\, Lola vient écouter ♪ ♪ Le murmure des fontaines qui bavardent a travers ♪ ♪ Les prés et les ro saies ♪ -In the summer of 1954\, my mother's European manager said\, \"H azel\, let your husband and your son go home.\n\nStay one more week.\n\nI can get you Salle Pleyel\,\" One of the big\, big venues in Paris.\n\nHuge \, huge venue.\n\nIt'd be a lot of money.\n\nShe said\, \"Okay\, I'll stay another week.\"\n\n-♪ How do you translate ♪ ♪ N'oublie pas les par oles?\n\n♪ ♪ Lullaby of Birdland ♪ ♪La légende du pays aux oise aux ♪ -So she would send telegrams.\n\n\"Felix wants me to stay another week.\n\nHe can get me this.\n\nFelix wants me to stay another week.\n\nHe can get me this.\"\n\nAnd finally\, my father said\, \"Son.\n\nI don't th ink your mother's coming back.\n\nBecause look at the telegram she just se nt.\"\n\nIt was a telegram asking to ship her piano to Paris.\n\n-♪ I'm in love\, I'm in love\, I'm in love\, I'm in love ♪ -[ Speaking French ] -♪ Lay the branches down along the ground ♪ ♪ And cover me ♪ [ Co nversing in French ] ♪♪ [ Singing in French ] -And she was wildly popu lar all over again in Paris.\n\nSo she was able to live her life out loud in Paris in a way that she couldn't here anymore.\n\n♪♪ -And of course \, the French\, they loved that she could perform and speak to them in the ir language.\n\nShe said\, \"My goodness\, here in Paris\, I'm a queen.\n\ nThey treat me royally.\"\n\nWhich\, of course\, she felt was only her due .\n\n-My years out of America were years of much needed rest.\n\nMy son be came proficient in French.\n\nHe enjoyed life in France and we enjoyed our apartment together.\n\nMy Paris is like the very first time you realize y ou're in love.\n\n-[ Singing in French ] ♪♪ -She's trying to reassess and -- and start this new life.\n\nAdam shows up and he says\, \"You know\ , we need to give this another try.\"\n\nAnd so he tries to rekindle the r omance and the marriage.\n\nAnd for a hot minute\, it worked.\n\n-I guess I'm not entirely surprised that my father would fly to Paris and try to ha ve a reconciliation.\n\nThey told me they were trying to have another chil d and I'm thinking\, \"Hmm.\n\nDoes this compute?\"\n\n-As they started sp ending time together in Paris\, some of the old hurt and the old pains and the old accusations of infidelity\, all of that stuff started to come to the surface\, and all of the old arguments began anew.\n\nAnd by the time he left Paris\, she was completely distraught\, and it was at that time th at she attempted suicide.\n\n[ Engine buzzing ] [ Siren wailing ] ♪♪ - One has to be driven by an inordinate sense of guilt and self-hate in orde r to resort to such desperate and final measures.\n\nMy inability to face a return to that home created a huge guilt within me\, with which I was to tally unable to cope.\n\nMy son wanted it.\n\nMy husband wanted it\, and I knew that I would rather die first.\n\n-Now I know how much she did strug gle emotionally.\n\nAt the time\, she did her best.\n\nIt was pretty good to keep that from me.\n\n-When she came out of that experience\, Billie Ho liday\, who had always been\, you know\, her right hand -- she was always her big sister.\n\nBillie came to her and said\, \"Look\, get it together. \n\nBecause if nothing else\, you've got your son.\"\n\n♪♪ [ Woman spe aking French ] [ Applause ] [ Woman speaking French ] ♪♪ ♪ Mon espoi r et ma crainte ♪ ♪ C'est ton pas dans la rue ♪ ♪ Mon amour vi endra tu ♪ ♪ C'est toujours viendras tu ♪ ♪ Et j'en fait ma comp lainte ♪ [ Singing in French ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Applause ] -[ Spea king French ] ♪♪ -[ Singing in French ] ♪♪ -She was watching the c ivil rights movement unfold while living in Paris\, and she had a tremendo us amount of guilt about being away from the fight\, as she called it.\n\n -You see\, when Dr. Martin Luther King came backstage to see me many times in Europe and he would say\, \"Hazel\, come home because there's another generation growing up that knows nothing about what you did.\"\n\n♪♪ T his is where I got a prominent knot in my stomach.\n\n♪♪ -Last summer\ , we took the show over and did it from the Cannes Film Festival in the so uth of France\, and at the same time discovered a gal was in town that I h adn't seen or really heard of in years.\n\nAlthough I'd had been a great f an of hers\, and I'm proud to say she's back now in America and here she i s\, live on our stage.\n\nHere's Hazel Scott.\n\n[ Applause ] -There was p rofound transformation in the society by the time she returns in '67.\n\nI t was a dramatically different America.\n\n-Gosh\, we missed you.\n\nAnd i t was such a nice surprise to see you.\n\n-That was wild\, wasn't it?\n\n- Yeah.\n\nWhat did you go over to France for in the first place?\n\n-For th ree weeks.\n\n[ Laughter ] ♪ There's something about New York ♪ ♪ Th at explains the way I feel ♪ ♪ There's something about New York ♪ ♪ There's good reason for all that talk ♪ ♪ If you knew her\, you wo uld love her as I do ♪ -By the mid to late 1960s\, we have a rise of a n ew generation\, a militant generation\, a generation that is not always ki nd to its predecessors because they want to be seen as the first ones to m ilitantly confront American racism.\n\nIt's a generation gap\, a big diffe rence.\n\n-We want black power.\n\nWe want black power.\n\n-She had a part icular kind of sensitivity about anybody that thought her becoming an expa triate\, that she was running away from the fight.\n\n-25 years ago\, when I put myself out of work\, when I was called\, among some other kind of t hings\, a black Joan of Arc\, a communist\, a radical\, a professional bla ck lady\, an apologist for my race.\n\nI was told that I waved my color li ke a banner.\n\nI'm not about to sit still now and let anybody tell me tha t nothing has been done until these new Negroes started letting their hair grow long.\n\n♪♪ -♪ My ship has sails ♪ ♪ That are made of si lk ♪ -Music had changed.\n\n-In the number 10 spot\, The Mamas &\; th e Papas\, Peaches &\; Herb\, The Doors\, the Soul Survivors.\n\nNumber 6 is Neil Diamond.\n\nThe Temptations\, the Cowsills.\n\nStevie Wonder hol ds number 3.\n\nStrawberry Alarm Clock moving to number 2.\n\nAnd this is the number 1 record.\n\n♪♪ -♪ Looking out on the morning rain ♪ -T here's all these new sounds that are popular\, and her sitting behind a gr and piano singing jazz standards was just not the order of the day.\n\n[ P iano playing rapidly ] -You've been away too long.\n\n-I agree.\n\n-You've been -- Where are you now\, at the Playboy?\n\n-Yes\, I'm at the Playboy in Hollywood.\n\n-How much longer will you be there?\n\n-Through Saturday night.\n\n-It was a different life.\n\nIt wasn't the concert hall.\n\nIt w as clubs.\n\n-And to just come back to America to find an industry that ha d dried up for her.\n\nA woman who literally stuck to her principles so mu ch that it actually cost her her place in history is so incredibly sad.\n\ nI feel like it was a -- a perfect storm of erasure.\n\n♪♪ -Hazel Scot t's career is\, sadly\, interesting in that it has a trajectory that goes up and sort of stops with her political blacklisting\, and certainly in th is country\, it never really recovered from that stop.\n\nIf she harbored any resentment or bitterness about her treatment\, especially her blacklis ting in the 1950s\, she never let it show.\n\n♪♪ -She made a lot of re cords as a singer\, as a pianist\, with some great musicians and great orc hestras.\n\nBut I would go back to \"Swinging the Classics\,\" that very f irst album\, because that's really the one that ignited the fuse to let th e world know that there was a Hazel Scott.\n\n-One of my favorite albums o f hers is \"'Round Midnight.\"\n\n♪♪ \"'Round Midnight\" has been reco rded by many\, many people.\n\nBut her interpretation of \"'Round Midnight \" has to be a classic in her repertory.\n\n-I was listening just today to one of my favorite albums\, whether I'd known Hazel or not\, \"Relaxed Pi ano Moods\,\" and she's playing with two of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz\, Max Roach\, the drummer\, and the bassist Charles Mingus .\n\nTo play at that level\, she had to have not only the chops\, but she also had to have the intellectual and emotional range to work with them.\n \n♪♪ -Max Roach and Charles Mingus in '55 -- They learned from her mod el about what it is to be activists\, what it is to stand up and be proud and proclaim something.\n\nIt's heard in her touch alone.\n\n♪♪ A kind of defiance\, a kind of boldness\, a directness.\n\nAnd that is threateni ng to people.\n\nIt's threatening when you hear someone who is unshakable\ , and she is unshakable.\n\n♪♪ -Would you ever have any plans to retir e from what you're doing or not?\n\n-I can't even understand that word.\n\ nFirst of all\, everyone I ever knew that retired died six months later.\n \n♪♪ -So\, she called me at my office and said that \"Your mother has her dream job.\n\nIt's going to be a club off Times Square.\n\nI can perfo rm there 30 weeks a year\, 40 weeks a year.\n\nI'll be here all the time a nd I'll be home.\"\n\nAnd then she paused.\n\n\"Oh\, no.\"\n\n\"What's the matter?\"\n\nShe said\, \"The show business superstition.\n\nDon't you kn ow the show business superstition?\"\n\nI said\, \"What's the superstition ?\"\n\n\"When you get your dream job\, you're about to die.\"\n\nI said\, \"Oh\, come on\, you're -- You're not going to die.\n\nYou're in great sha pe.\"\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ The last of her friends to come and see her was Diz zy Gillespie.\n\nAnd he put a mute in his trumpet\, and he played her favo rite song.\n\nSo you hear bleep\, bleep.\n\nAnd he finishes playing the so ng.\n\nAnd she opened her eyes and smiled and closed her eyes.\n\n[ Imitat es flatline ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -She was only 61.\n\nShe died tonight at Mount Sinai Medical Center.\n\nShe had cancer.\n\nHazel Scott was a well-known jazz pianist.\n\nShe had appeared at the old Café Society downtown in Gre enwich Village.\n\nShe was also in movies and on Broadway.\n\n♪♪ ♪ ♪ -We're in a new moment of civil rights and women's rights and\, you kn ow\, now speaking up and being political is the norm.\n\nNow\, because we have social media\, online activism is very kind of easy to do.\n\nShe was doing it when it wasn't easy.\n\nAnd I think that we owe so much to her w ithout even knowing it.\n\n-She teaches us to not put boundaries or barrie rs among the various parts of who we are\, that when you integrate them an d when you make them full\, that you can make an incredible difference.\n\ n-What we do as artists\, we can't just take it lightly.\n\nIt's not about us.\n\nIt's about something bigger and beyond us.\n\nAnd if the art is no t serving that purpose\, you're wasting your time.\n\n-Generations that fo llow her have to re-establish her significance\, her importance\, and see the way she really does lay the groundwork and is a foremother for an Alic ia Keys\, for young women musicians who are also trying to make it in the entertainment industry.\n\n-Don't let anybody ever dim your light.\n\nThat 's what we can take from Hazel Scott.\n\nTo be an activist\, even in a sma ll form and making black people feel seen\, that is how you can learn from Hazel.\n\n[ Applause ] -Do you know a little girl by the name of Skippy P owell?\n\n-A boy!\n\n-A little boy rather.\n\n-You did that on purpose.\n\ n-No\, I didn't.\n\nI just wanted to get the extra line in.\n\nUh\, he jus t called up.\n\n-He did what?\n\n-He said he was watching his favorite mot her playing on \"Toast of the Town.\"\n\nHe wanted to know if you would pl ay for him and the audience two choruses of \"How High the Moon.\"\n\n-Oh! \n\n-Would you do that?\n\n-I'd be very happy to.\n\n-This is for her litt le boy.\n\n[ Applause ] -Each day that I have lived thus far has taught me something.\n\nThe sharing of pleasure.\n\nThe loneliness of pain.\n\nThe long hours of waiting for evidence of love.\n\nThe brief bitter horror of hate.\n\nThe fact of my own fallibility.\n\nThe greatness that has momenta rily been mine.\n\n[ Chuckles ] I've been brash all my life\, and it's got ten me into a lot of trouble.\n\nBut at the same time\, speaking out has s ustained me and given meaning to my life.\n\n♪♪ -If you were to ask he r what her legacy was\, I think she would say something which she said oft en to me\, which is\, \"If you're right\, don't back down.\n\nIf you're ri ght\, fight for what is right.\"\n\n[ Applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250223 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Nina Simone Born 1933 DTSTAMP:20250222T031103Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:198-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Nina Simone music\, if bold it is a cover to a white writ ten song. if underscore it is a cover of a black song. Comprehend\, covers are unique things\, it matters who sings and provides instrumentals to an y music. Don't anyone tell you otherwise.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n I Loves You P orgy\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I Put A Spell On You - complete album\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n My Baby Just Cares For Me\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Little Girl Blue \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n NOTE: Because she had sold her rig hts outright for $3\,000\, Simone lost more than $1 million in royalties (notably for the 1980s re-release of her version of the jazz standard \" My Baby Just Cares for Me\") and never benefited financially from the albu m's sales\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Brown Baby\n\n\n\n Brown Baby\nOscar brown jr \n\nBrown baby brown baby\nAs you grow up I want you to drink from the ple nty cup\nI want you to stand up tall and proud\nAnd I want you to speak up clear and loud\nBrown baby brown baby brown baby\n\nAs years go by I want you to go with your head up high\nI want you to live by the justice code\ nAnd I want you to walk down freedom's road\nYou little brown baby\nSo lie away lie away spleeping lie away singing\nLie away sleeping lie away safe in my arms\nTill your daddy and you mama protect you? nd keep you safe fr om harm\nBrown baby\n\nIt makes me glad you gonna have things that I never had\nWhen out of men's heart all hate is hurled\nSweetie you gonna live i n a better world\nBrown baby brown baby brown baby\n\n\n\n Lyrics by OScar Brown\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Sin and Soul full album of OScar Brown\n\n\n\n \n\ n\n\n \n\n\n\n Zungo\n\n\n\n Someone please find them\, he is speaking a n igerian tongue\n\n\n\n  by Michael Olatunji\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Afro PErcuss ion full album by Michael Olatunji\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Mississippi Goddam\n\n\n\n Mississippi Goddam\n\nAlabama's gotten me so upset\nTennes see made me lose my rest\nAnd everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam\n\n Alabama's gotten me so upset\nTennessee made me lose my rest\nAnd everybod y knows about Mississippi Goddam\n\nCan't you see it\, can't you feel it\n It's all in the air\nI can't stand the pressure much longer\nSomebody say a prayer\n\nAlabama's gotten me so upset\nTennessee made me lose my rest\n And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam\n\nIf you know this song\nYou can join in with us\n\nHound dogs on my trail\nSchool children sitting in jail\nBlack cat cross my path\nI think every day's gonna be my last\n\nLo rd have mercy on this land of mine\nWe all gonna get it in due time\nI don 't belong here\, I don't belong there\nI've even stopped believing in pray er\n\nDon't tell me\, I tell you\nMe and my people just about due\nI've be en there so I know\nThey keep on saying \"Go slow!\"\n\nWell\, that's just the trouble\n\"Too slow\"\nWashing the windows\n\"Too slow\"\nPicking the cotton\n\"Too slow\"\nYou're just plain rotten\n\"Too slow\"\nToo damn la zy\n\"Too slow\"\nThinking's crazy\n\"Too slow\"\n\nWhere am I going\nWhat am I doing\nI don't know\nI don't know\n\nJust tryin' to do my very best\ nStand up be counted with all the rest\nCause everybody knows about Missis sippi Goddam\n\nYou afraid of that word?\n\nPicket lines\, school boy cots \nThey try to say it's a communist plot\nAll I want is equality\nFor my si sters\, my brothers\, my people and me\n\nYou lied to me all these years\n You told me to wash and clean my ears\nAnd talk real fine just like a lady \nYou'd stop calling me Sister Sadie\n\nOh but my country is full of lies\ nYou're all gonna die and die like flies\nCause I don't trust you any more \nYou keep on saying \"Go slow!\"\n\nThat's just the trouble\nToo slow\nDe segregation\nToo slow\nMass participation\nToo slow\nReunification\nToo sl ow\nDo things gradually\nToo slow\nBut bring more tragedy\nToo slow\n\nWhy don't you feel it\nWhy don't you see it\nI don't know\nI don't know\n\nYo u don't have to live next to me\nJust give me my equality\n\nCause everybo dy knows about Mississippi\nEverybody knows about Alabama\nEverybody knows about Ronald Reagan\nEverybody knows about Margareth Tatcher\nEverybody k nows about Ronald Reagan\nEverybody knows about Jesse Jackson\nEverybody k nows about Michael Jackson\nEverybody knows about\nEverybody knows about M ississippi Goddam\nGoddam\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lyrics by Nina Sim one\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Nina Simone In Concert Full Album \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Four Women\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n My skin is blac k\nMy arms are long\nMy hair is woolly\nMy back is strong\nStrong enough t o take the pain\nInflicted again and again\nWhat do they call me?\nMy name is Aunt Sarah\nMy name is Aunt Sarah\, Aunt Sarah\n\nMy skin is yellow\nM y hair is long\nBetween two worlds\nI do belong\nMy father was rich and wh ite\nHe forced my mother late one night\nWhat do they call me?\nMy name is Saffronia\nMy name is Saffronia\n\nMy skin is tan\nMy hair is fine\n\nMy hips invite you\nMy mouth like wine\nWhose little girl am I?\nAnyone who h as money to buy\nWhat do they call me?\nMy name is Sweet Thing\nMy name is Sweet Thing\n\nMy skin is brown\nMy manner is tough\nI'll kill the first mother I see\nMy life has been rough\nI'm awfully bitter these days\n'Caus e my parents were slaves\nWhat do they call me?\nMy name is Peaches\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Lyrics by Nina Simone\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Ain't Got N o\, I Got Life\n\n\n\n NOTE: A medley of two songs \"Aint Got No\" + \" I Got Life\"\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n To be Young Gifted and Black\n\n\n\ n  \n\n\n\n Young\, gifted and black\nOh what a lovely precious dream\nTo be young\, gifted and black\nOpen your heart to what I mean\n\nIn the who le world you know\nThere's a million boys and girls\nWho are young\, gifte d and black\nAnd that's a fact!\n\nYou are young\, gifted and black\nWe mu st begin to tell our young\nThere's a world waiting for you\nYours is the quest that's just begun\n\nWhen you feel really low\nYeah\, there's a grea t truth that you should know\nWhen you're young\, gifted and black\nYour s oul's intact\n\nTo be young\, gifted and black\nOh\, how I've longed to kn ow the truth\n\nThere are times when I look back\nAnd I am haunted by my y outh\n\nOh but my joy of today\nIs that we can all be proud to say\nTo be young\, gifted and black\nIs where it's at\n\nIs where it's at\nIs where i t's at\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Lyrics by Nina Simone + Weldone Irvin e\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n LIVE 1969 - She  introduced the song on August 17\, 1969\, to a crowd of 50\,000 at the Harlem Cultural Festival\, captured on broadcast video tape and released in 2021 as the documentary film Su mmer of Soul.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n I admit I like this song\, lets have anothe r live recording\, Nina Simone was done with the recording industry anyway \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Audio Recording\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Yes\, I can' t listen to be young gifted and black and not shed a tear thinking on blac k people the world over against the various whites\, and one more tear for my own tribe in the village in their naturally dangerous peccadillium/pl ace of sin/U.S.A.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Nina Simone on Malcolm X\n \n Malcolm X to me\, was the most important \, the most important spokesma n we have ever had\, in this country for black people\, bar none\, and eve rything he said i agreed with\, everything he said\, i agreed with\, and I was absolutely... I am still not over the fact that he is gone\, and I re ally would like to say that I think it is black people's fault that he is dead\, just as it is black peoples fault that martin luther king is dead\, they didn't give them any protection\, they ran them away\, they followed them\, but they didn't protect them\, they willing to die but they not wi lling to kill\,  hey man\, I get upset when I think about it\, I get upse t\, and that is one of the reasons I don't live in this country\, cause th ere is no protection\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/afriblaq/7641522973559 84896\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/afriblaq/764152297355984896\n\n\n\n\n my thoughts\n\n Can I get an Amen. But Nina Simone's point is huge here. What Nina Simone is really saying is the Black Church\, Historical Black C olleges+ Institutions\, Black elected officials\, Black business owners di dn't protect Black advocates or black artists\, and she is correct. \n\n I love how she said black people ran both Malcolm + martin away which I kn ow from black people who lived in the 1960s is true\, but you never hear f rom black people alive then in media today. The only two groups that hones tly talked of honest protection were the panthers+ nation of islam. but th e nation of islam outside Malcolm's leadership did it only for members. Wh ile the panthers were criminalized by black churches/black elected officia ls/black business owners for their stance on defense. So many black artist + advocates were injured or attacked in the usa and never had any protecti on\, and the black church being the most important black institution had t o be most responsible. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250221 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Roberta Flack born 1937 DTSTAMP:20250224T192157Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:204-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n Everybody black love's roberta flack. \n\n\n\n Her first album's first song is written by a Black man \, the odd thing is \, the album became financially viable because it was used in the Clint Ea stwood film Play Misty for Me which is a psychological thriller\, specific ally the song \"the first time I ever saw your face\"\, he only spent two thousand dollars for the rights\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n COMPARED TO WHAT\n\n\n\ n I love to lie and lie to love\nI'm hangin' on they push and shove\nPosse ssion is the motivation\nThat is hangin' up the goddamn nation\nLooks like we always end up in a rut\nEverybody now\nTryin' to make it real compared to what\n\nSlaughterhouse is killin' hogs\nTwisted children killin' frogs \nPoor dumb rednecks rollin' logs\nTired old ladies kissin' dogs\nI hate t he human love of that stinking mutt\nI can't use it\nTryin' to make it rea l compared to what\n\nPresident he's got his war\nFolks don't know just wh at it's for\nNobody gives us rhyme or reason\nHave one doubt they call it treason\nWe're chicken feathers\nAll without one nut goddamn it\n\nTryin' to make it real compared to what\n\nChurch on Sunday sleep and nod\nTryin' to duck the wrath of God\nPreachers fillin' us with fright\nThey all tryi n' to teach us what they think is right\nThey really got to be some kind o f nut\nI can't use it\nTryin' to make it real compared to what\n\nWhere's that bee and where's that honey\nWhere's my God and where's my money\nUnre al values a crass distortion\nUnwed mothers need abortion\nKind of brings to mind old young King Tut\nHe did it now\nTried to make it real compared to what\n\nTryin' to make it real compared to what\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Song writers: Gene Mcdaniels.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n The First TIme I ever saw your face\, written by Ewan Mccoll\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n the end credits t o the film sudden impact\, i admit\, i like clint eastwood as an actor or director but i have never ben a fan of cop films or shows. he had to reque st this\, the studios didn't want it\, it shows how film studios essential ly blockaded black artist from soundtracks even though black artists were financially successful or popular in the field\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Her A capella Oh Freedom\n\n\n\n https://youtu.be/kVvqvTzR94c?t=242\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n WHERE IS THE LOVE\n\n\n\n Whe re is the love?\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is the love ?\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is th e love?\nYou said you'd give to me\nSoon as you were free\, will it ever b e\nWhere is the love?\nYou told me that you didn't love him\nAnd you were gonna say goodbye\nBut if you really didn't mean it\nWhy did you have to l ie?\nWhere is the love?\nYou said was mine all mine\, till the end of time \nWas it just a lie\nWhere is the love?\nIf you had\, had a sudden change of heart\nI wish that you would tell me so\nDon't leave me hangin' on the promises\nYou've got to let me know\nOh\, how I wish I never met you\nI gu ess it must have been my fate\nTo fall in love with someone else's love\nA ll I can do is wait\nThat's all I can do\nYeah\, yeah\, yeah\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is the love?\nWhere is the love?\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n FEEL L IKE MAKIN LOVE\n\n\n\n [Verse 1]\nStrollin' in the park\nWatchin' winter t urn to spring\nWalkin' in the dark\nWatchin' lovers do their thing\n\n[Hoo k]\nThat's the time I feel like making love to you\nThat's the time I feel like making dreams come true\, oh baby\n\n[Verse 2]\nWhen you talk to me\ nWhen you're moanin' sweet &\; low\nWhen you touch me\nAnd my feelings start to show\, show\, oh\n\n[Hook x2]\nThat's the time I feel like making love to you\nThat's the time I feel like making dreams come true\, oh\n\n \nThat's the time I feel like making love to you\nThat's the time I feel l ike making dreams come true\, oh baby\n\n[Verse 3]\nIn a restaurant\nHoldi n' hands by candlelight\nWanna touch you\nWantin' you with all my might\, yeah\n\n[Hook x2]\nThat's the time I feel like making love to you\nThat's the time I feel like making dreams come true\, oh\n\nThat's the time I fee l like making love to you\nThat's the time I feel like making dreams come true\, oh baby\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n written by Eugene McDaniels\n\n\n\n \n\ n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THE CLOSER I GET TO YOU \n\n\n\n The closer I get to you \nThe more you'll make me see\nAnd giving me all you've got\nYour love has captured me\nOver and over again\nI tell myself that\nWe could never be m ore than friends\nAll the while inside\nI knew it was real\nThe way you ma ke me feel\, oh\nI'm lying here next to you (oh\, baby)\nAnd time just see ms to fly\, right over\, right over\, right over\nI'm needing you more and more\, more\, baby\, more\, baby\, more\nSo\, let's give love a try\nHey\ , sweeter than sweeter love grows\nAnd heaven's there for those\nWho fool the tricks of time\nAnd in our hearts the love we find\nTrue love\nIn a sp ecial way\, oh\, baby\, baby\, baby\nThe closer I get to you\nThe more you make me see (all that I make you see\, yeah)\nPull me closer\nSweet as th e gravity\nI wanna be close to you\, baby\nSweet as the gravity\, oh\nSwee t as the gravity\, yeah\, yeah\, yeah\nSweet as the gravity\nI want to be close to you\nSweet as the gravity\n\n\n\n \n\n  James Mtume and Reggie L ucas\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TOnight I celebrate my love for you\, wri tten by Gerry Goffin +michael masser\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Roberta F lack is amazing\, she doesn't have one song in any of her albums written b y her exclusively. She is a very nice person. She gave so many black write rs opportunity. \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250210 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Al Jarreau born 1940 DTSTAMP:20250331T031319Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:228-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Al Jarreau born 1940\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Legendary vocaleze artist\, scatting is when you make instrumentation sounds\, vocaleze is wh en you are saying words but in an instrumentive way. It is a style of sing ing\, so all songs with a vocaleze artist are interpreted in a unique way.  \n\n\n\n single If I ever lose this heaven\n\n Duet with Minnie Pippingt on\n\n \n\n \n\n Listing- from Body Heat album by quincy jones\n\n https:/ /www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb72gFQdbjPmLFzIx1JeLvgJtSVj9m0tb\n\n IF I EVER LOSE THIS HEAVEN\n\n\n\n If you're foolin'\, only foolin'\nAll I ask is why?\nIf you're playin'\nAll I'm sayin' is feelin's sure can lie\nIf y ou're lyin'\, keep on lyin'\nDon't tell the truth\nDon't you dare (don't y ou dare)\nYou can't drop me\n'Cause you still got me\nAfter takin' me way up there\nWhoa-oh-oh-oh-oh\nIf I ever lose this heaven\nIf I ever\, ever\, ever lose this heaven (hoo!)\nWhoa-oh-oh-oh\nI'll never be the same\nWhoa -ho-ho-ho-ho\nIf I ever lose this heaven\nIf I ever\, ever\, ever lose thi s heaven (hoo!)\nWhoa-oh-oh-oh\nI'll never be the same\nWhen you're kind\, extra kind\nThen suddenly\, you'll cross\nYou're so moody\nYou get to me\ nStill can't turn you off\nYou're fascinating\nMore fascinating than the d ark side of the moon\nYou're so exciting\nThat I'm rewriting the book of l ove called You\nWhoa-oh-oh-oh-oh\nIf I ever lose this heaven\nIf I ever\, ever\, ever lose this heaven (hoo!)\nWhoa-oh-oh-oh\nI'll never be the same \nWhoa-ho-ho-ho-ho\nIf I ever lose this heaven\nIf I ever\, ever\, ever lo se this heaven\nWhoa-oh-oh-oh\nI'll never be the same\nWhoa-ho-ho-ho-ho\nI f I ever lose this heaven\nIf I ever\, ever\, ever lose this heaven (hoo!) \nWhoa-oh-oh-oh\nI'll never be the same\n\n\n\n We Got By album\n\n single We Got By\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playl ist?list=PLjdk7cnkokSYPSVpkPWDfFczUBEjjB-x_\n\n We Got By \n\n\n\n I hard ly had a bellyful\nNever knew a new bicycle\nHand-me-down books and shoes\ nThey brought the yule tides in July\nI rode a bus\, a train and sometimes \nStrolling for miles to a movie show\nSinging a song \"Shoobedoo\"\nWhile birds and rich folks flew right on by\nBut we got by\, we got by\nWe got by\, Lord knows we got by\nWinter wishes wait till June\nWe brightened Jul y with that hot dog fun\nTell your mama you're with Sue\nYou bring the bea ns and I will find the wine\nThem neon lights were bright till 2: 00\nAnd sneaking back home with this girl named Jo\nI hurried down to say I do\nAn d stared my first man-child in the eye\nBut we got by\, we got by\nWe got by\, Lord knows we got by\nSometimes I say\nAnd now baby's got his bellyfu l y'all\nAnd finally here's that new bicycle\nWorking\, praying\, June to June\nAnd mama's got L.A. gleaming in her eye\nAnd we got by\, we got by\, yeah\nWe got by\, Lord knows we got by\nSee we kept on walking and talkin g and hawking\nAnd ooing\, and cooing\, and wooing\nLoving\, and tugging\, and hugging\nAnd a rubbing and sugging\, and fugging\nLaying\, praying\, swaying\, letting\nAnd fretting\, and betting\, begetting\nLying\, and fly ing\, and trying\nAnd dying\, and sighing\nWe got by\, yes\, we got by\nWe got by\, yeah\, let's now help me sing\nBy and by\, by and by\nBy and by\ , by and by\nOh\, we gonna sweet\, sweet by\, and didn't we get there?\nBy \, by\, by\, by\nThank you mama provided\, thank you papa\n'Causing me to tremble\n\n\n\n Glow album\n\n single Rainbow In Your Eyes written by Leon Russell\n\n \n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P Ljdk7cnkokSbsAc8sywATxAdIYqbL2mjC\n\n\n\n Breakin Away\n\n element Roof Ga rden\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?li st=PLql5iS_v4447oaNOsC3SOntYhXwz59lVB\n\n ROOF GARDEN\n\n\n\n Oh\, yeah\,\ nThat's it\, that's it\, that's it\nThat's it that's it that's it baby\nWh at your mama gonna say when she finds that you party like this girl?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wann a go dance up on the roof?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\n Does anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nOn the town\nS equins\, evening gown\nClimb those stairs\nTo that ballroom in the air\nGe t to poppin'\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wa nna go dance up on the roof?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden? \nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzin g in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nIf you dare\ nDream of yesteryear\nIn the air\nDo a step with Fred Astaire\nGet your to p hat\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nYou can be\nWhat you want to be\nCome and waltz lik e me\nOr a hot steppin' boogie\nFunk in the pocket\nDoes anyone wanna go w altzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nDoes a nyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on t he roof?\nDoes anyone wanna go waltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nNo one stays\nIn downtown these days\nCountry ca lls\nGot us one and all\nBefore we end\nLet me recommend\nWhat to do\nWhen your heart is light or blue\nYou get to steppin'\nDoes anyone wanna go wa ltzing in the garden?\nDoes anyone wanna go dance up on the roof?\nCome on let's party\, my good friends.\nParty\; come let's party.\nParty\; come l et's party\, now.\nParty\; come let's party.\nParty\; come let's party\, n ow.\n\n\n\n (1981)\n\n Songwriters: Tom Canning\, Al Jarreau\, Jay Graydon \n\n\n\n 1965 album\n\n element My Favorite Things from  Rodgers and Hamm erstein \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playli st?list=PL0y6vXVSWPiQSINGm53RZdX8e8iFF1juQ\n\n\n\n Jarreau album\n\n eleme nt Boogie Down\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n element  I Will Be Here for You (Nit akungodea Milele) from Richard James Page\, John Ross Lang\, Steve George\ n\n \n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjdk7cnko kSYBVNeZO8SO9pobi7G61Vav\n\n\n\n BOOGIE DOWN LYRICS\n\n\n\n I can be what I want to\nAnd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nI can be what I want to\nAnd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nYou can be what I want to\nY ou know all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nYou can be what I want to\nA nd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nI got my certain and my sure 'nou gh on\nAnd I'm puttin' on my really for real\nYou face that curtain with y our best stuff on\nYou are the winner and you're gonna feel\nYou can be wh at you want to\nAnd all you need is to\nGet your boogie down\nI can be all I want to\nAnd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nI got my certain and my sure 'nough on\nAnd I'm puttin' on my really for real\nYou face that c urtain with your best stuff on\nYou are the winner and you're gonna feel\n (You're gonna feel)\nOoh\nYou can be what you want to\nAnd all you need is to\nGet your boogie down\nYou can be all you want to\nAnd all you need is to\nGet your boogie down\nNow you go one and two and three\nHere's a litt le step for you and me\nCome and strut your stuff but leave enough\nFor th e nearest boogie and truest boogie woogie\nI can be what I want to\nAnd al l I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nI can be what I want to\nAnd all I nee d is to\nGet my boogie down\n(Get my boogie down)\nI can be what I want to \nAnd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nI can be what I want to\nAnd a ll I need is to\nGet my boogie down\n(Get my boogie down)\nI can be what I want to\nAnd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\nI can be what I want t o\nAnd all I need is to\nGet my boogie down\n(Get my boogie down)\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Songwriters: Al Jarreau\, Michael Omartian.\n\n\n\n Moonli ghtig Theme from  Alf Clausen\, Lee Elwood Holdridge\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \ n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n HEart's Horizon\n\n entry All Or Nothing At All from Bo bby Caldwell\, Dennis Matkosky.\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n entry So Good from Miles Waters\, Peter Benson Vale\, Sue Shifrin\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n List ing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjdk7cnkokSah3D5MRmMzzjb16t Drqtse\n\n\n\n Tenderness - live album\n\n element Mas Que Nada\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n \n\n entry Summertime from gershwin\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n Listing\n \n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7gp579CMkT8kvW9agRTRRO3BeBEIOtm l\n\n Mas Que Nada \n\n\n\n Ô\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nMas que nada\nSai da minha frente\nQue eu quero passar\nPois o samba está animado\nO que eu quero é sambar\nEs se samba\nQue é misto de Maracatu\nÉ samba de Preto Velho\nSamba de pret o tu\nMas que nada\nUm samba como esse tão legal\nVocê não vai querer\n Que eu chegue no final\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nÔ\, ari á\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nEsse samba\nQue é misto de Maracatu\nÉ s amba de Preto Velho\nSamba de preto tu\nMas que nada\nUm samba como esse t ão legal\nVocê não vai querer\nQue eu chegue no final\nÔ\, ariá\, ra iô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nSongwrit ers:  Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes\nTranslated lyrics\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\ nObá\, obá\, obá\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nBut that's no thing\nGet out of my way\nI want to pass\nBecause the samba is lively\nWha t I want is to samba\nThis samba\nWhich is a mix of Maracatu\nIt's a samba of Preto Velho\nSamba of black you\nBut that's nothing\nA samba like this so cool\nYou don't want\nMe to get to the end\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\ , obá\, obá\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nThis samba\nWhich i s a mix of Maracatu\nIt's a samba of Preto Velho\nSamba of black you\nBut that's nothing\nA samba like this so cool\nYou don't want\nMe to get to th e end\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\, obá\, obá\nÔ\, ariá\, raiô\nObá\ , obá\, obá\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n Songwriter Jorge Ben\n\n\n\n Mas Que Nada Jorge Ben- after listening\, do you comprehend vocaleze now as an ar t form\n\n \n\n \n\n Listing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV nkoLiLMTm4nHQm47nAu-i3LY5_hpxkO\n\n\n\n Tomorrow Today album\n\n element J ust To Be Loved By You from Bill ChamplinGreg Mathieson\n\n \n\n \n\n List ing\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjdk7cnkokSYyHkYaXGSnXvE-u8 3o_6wi\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n a twist of jobim album\n\n element\n\n Waters of MArch Al JArreau side Oleta Adams\n\n \n\n \n\n check out Dindi cover by El Debarge\n\n LIST\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8633AC31FD CAC018\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n In the 1960s he was part of the Georg e Duke trio\n\n\n\n I Love You More 1979\n\n \n\n \n\n which inspired\n\n Daft Punk in their song Digital Love\n\n \n\n \n\n List full film [ I love this!]\n\n https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTT7zbo_Fv8olwazusz7kbZ yDf5Oj6FNz\n\n\n\n Sweet Baby side Stanley Clarke\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n Sweet B aby\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n When I think about your lovin'\nThe Sunday evenings \, the fun we used to share\nLooking through the memories in my mind\nSinc e I've laughed and cried and thought it over\nI finally realize that it's never over\, it's only set aside\nHoney it's you\, sweet baby\nI will neve r be free from your embrace\, sweet baby\nOnly hoping it's not too late to try again\nHoney it's you\, sweet baby\nEver lost and captured by your sm ile\, sweet baby\nI will always be right there by your side\nRight by your side\nLying here alone I'm dreaming\nMy mind keeps wandering\, my thought s are only you\nLooking through the memories in my mind\nHow could love so real have turned so empty\nI just keep wondering why\nWill I ever find th e love we shared together\, you and I\nGirl it's you\, sweet baby\nThough we had such a long hard road to climb\, sweet baby\nOnly hoping it's not t oo late to try again\nIt's you\, sweet baby\nWon't you try belivin what i say\, sweet baby\nI will always be right there by your side\nRight by your side\nI will always\, I will always\nI will always be right there by your side\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Songwriters: George Duke\n\n\n\n \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250312 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Black Death from Lucy Worsley 05/12/2025 DTSTAMP:20250512T145941Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:274-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Black Death from Lucy Worsley\n\n https://www.pbs.org/vid eo/the-black-death-nr73de/\n\n\n\n VIDEO- FULL\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n TRANS CRIPT- FULL VIDEO\n\n\n\n ♪♪ -In 1348\, the Black Death struck the Bri tish Isles and spread like wildfire.\n\nIt's believed to be the most deadl y pandemic in history.\n\nBefore the Black Death\, the population of mainl and Britain was around 6 million.\n\nTwo years later\, only an estimated 3 million were left alive.\n\nWhy did this disease claim so many\, and how did the awful death toll change Britain?\n\nIn this series\, I'm reinvesti gating some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history.\n \nIt wasn't just one generation.\n\nIt was three generations losing their lives.\n\nBum\, bum\, bum.\n\nThese stories are part of our national mytho logy\, harboring mysteries that have intrigued us for centuries.\n\nIt's c hilling to think that this could actually be evidence in a murder investig ation.\n\nBut with the passage of time\, we have new ways to unlock their secrets using scientific advances and a modern perspective.\n\nIt's a horr ible psychosexual form of torture.\n\n-Absolutely.\n\n-I'm going to uncove r forgotten witnesses\, re-examine old evidence\, and follow new clues to get closer to the truth.\n\n-It is one of the great British mysteries.\n\n -It was one of those moments\, I'm afraid\, for a historian that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.\n\n[ Crow caws ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -B ubonic plague\, the pestilence\, the great mortality.\n\nThere's lots of d ifferent names for the Black Death\, infamous for the horrible boils or bu boes that break out on peoples' skin.\n\nIt struck Britain many times\, fa mously in London in 1665.\n\nBut I'm interested in the first and the worst outbreak in 1348 when something like half of the population got wiped out .\n\nI want to investigate how the Black Death transformed society\, what happened to it during and after this terrible medieval pandemic.\n\n♪♪ First\, I want to understand what the Black Death was and why the outbrea k in Britain in 1348 was so deadly.\n\nAfter all this time\, science is st ill uncovering new clues.\n\nStored in this underground vault in London ar e 600 skeletons.\n\nEach box contains the bones of someone buried in a mas s grave at the height of the plague outside the old city walls.\n\nThis pl ague pit was unearthed in the 1980s during building work and excavated by archeologists.\n\nStrangely beautiful thing.\n\n-It is.\n\n-His teeth.\n\n Look at his teeth.\n\n-I know\, they're fantastic\, aren't they?\n\n-Osteo logist Jelena Bekvalac is curator of this collection.\n\nThese are definit ely Black Death victims.\n\nBut for centuries\, science was uncertain what caused the disease.\n\nThen in 2011\, DNA taken from the teeth of these s keletons confirmed what had actually killed them.\n\nThis has been a great mystery\, hasn't it\, for 700 years\, at least.\n\n-Yeah\, we had these i ndividuals\, and then scientists used the DNA analysis recreating and reco nstructing an ancient genome.\n\nAnd by doing that\, they were able to ide ntify that the actual causative agent was a bacteria and it was Yersinia p estis.\n\n-What did you say?\n\n-Yersinia pestis.\n\n-Yersinia pestis.\n\n -Pestis\, yes.\n\n-And why was this particular bacterium quite so dangerou s?\n\n-This one was particularly virulent to us because we\, as a populati on at that time\, had never been exposed to that bacteria.\n\nSo there was no immunity within us.\n\nAnd therefore\, when you're exposed to somethin g that's new\, it really then impacts onto the population.\n\nAnd subseque ntly\, after that episode of the Black Death that we know killed so many p eople\, there were other outbreaks\, but it didn't have that same impact.\ n\n-Because of herd immunity.\n\n-Because of herd immunity\, yes.\n\nSo yo u're building up that lovely sort of immunity to it.\n\n-We all know what herd immunity is now.\n\n-[ Laughing ] Yeah\, yes.\n\n-So just at the mome nt he was going into the plague pit to be buried\, I imagine that he would have had big swelling buboes on him.\n\nIs that right?\n\n-Yes\, that wou ld be where you get the swellings in the armpits and the groins.\n\n-What is that exactly\, these swellings?\n\nWhat was it?\n\nIs there something i nside them?\n\n-Well\, there'd be nasty\, dead cells and pus and poison.\n \n-Ah.\n\n-So very uncomfortable\, be very sore\, probably have horrible h eadaches\, feel very sort of fatigued\, might feel sick\, sweats.\n\nYou'd feel really\, very\, very unwell and under the weather.\n\n-And where did this particular bacterium come from?\n\n-Well\, they believe that it prob ably came from Central Asia and then it would travel across\, because also we have to remember at this time that you've got trade routes and people are moving around\, so you've got quite a lot of movement of people.\n\nSo it probably started from there.\n\n-Emerging global trade routes in the 1 4th century exposed Britain to a deadly new disease.\n\nIt had raged throu gh Asia and Europe\, wiping out millions before arriving on these shores.\ n\nCatch it and you could be dead in days\, even hours.\n\nSo how did this bacterium spread so aggressively and kill so many people?\n\nThere are so me images of life in London that got burned into my mind at an early age\, and this is one of them.\n\nIt's a scene from the kiddie version of the s tory of \"Dick Whittington and His Cat.\"\n\nDick Whittington\, being a la d who came to London to seek his fortune\, but who had to sleep in a horri ble attic infested with rats.\n\nHere they all are running over his bed\, climbing out of the window.\n\nAnd I'm pretty sure it's images like this\, if not this very one\, that made a link in my mind between the spread of the plague and rodents.\n\nBut I agree this isn't exactly solid scientific or historical evidence.\n\nI'm going to have to do better than the Ladybi rd version.\n\nWhat can the latest science tell me about how this disease might have spread?\n\nA study from 2018 argues that the Black Death was al so spread by human fleas and lice\, infecting people as they bit into thei r flesh.\n\nOne of the researchers was epidemiologist Dr. Fabienne Krauer. \n\nShe's in Switzerland\, so this will be an online consultation.\n\nSo\, Fabienne is in my waiting room.\n\nLet me admit her.\n\nThere she is.\n\n Fabienne.\n\nSo there's these human fleas that can take the plague from on e human being to another human being.\n\n-Yes\, it's interesting.\n\nLice and fleas were very common in the 14th century.\n\n-So\, would that be thr ough people's bedding or their clothes\, or how can you see that working?\ n\n-Yeah\, so body lice and human fleas\, they typically live in clothes\, in the seams or in the foldings of clothes.\n\nSo we know that in the 14t h century\, the handing down of clothes\, that was a real thing.\n\nAnd we think that this is how the plague could have spread\, because people were passing on clothes of someone who died of plague\, and then they got them selves infected.\n\n-Mm.\n\nThis is so heartbreaking because people wouldn 't have known\, would they?\n\nThey wouldn't have known that this is how t hey were actually killing their friends and relatives.\n\n-No\, people had no idea.\n\nBut there are also other forms of plague\, such as pneumonic plague\, which is transmitted directly between people through coughing\, t hrough infectious droplets.\n\n-Sorry\, sorry\, sorry.\n\nFabienne\, just for a second\, 'cause this is all so new to me.\n\nYou're taking me into n ew ground here.\n\nDid you call it the pneumonic version of the disease\, like pneumonia?\n\n-Yes\, exactly.\n\nSo pneumonia happens when someone wh o has a plague infection\, when these people cough\, they expel infectious droplets.\n\nAnd these can be inhaled by other people\, which cause prima ry pneumonic plague in these people.\n\nAnd that's a very fatal and rapidl y progressing disease.\n\n-So it spreads -- it can also spread through the air from someone you're living with\, someone you're in the same room as\ , and it's to do with breathing the disease\, one person to another?\n\n-Y es\, it requires rather close contact.\n\nSo it's usually people within th e same household that are infected\, or people who care for someone who is sick.\n\n-That's a horrible idea\, isn't it?\n\nSomeone who's taking care of somebody could be infecting themself through their compassion.\n\n-Yea h\, that's -- that's indeed horrible.\n\nAnd if someone had pneumonic plag ue\, then their fate was basically sealed.\n\nSo they were going to die\, for sure.\n\nAnd the fatality for pneumonic plague was about 100%.\n\n-100 %?\n\n-Yeah.\n\n♪♪ -So much new information here.\n\nI hadn't realized that there were these different variants within plague.\n\nThere's the bu bonic plague\, where you get the swellings in the armpits\, but also the p neumonic plague\, which is lung to lung.\n\nAnd Fabienne's talking about s o many different vectors of transmission.\n\nWe've got the rats and the fl eas.\n\nThere's also body lice and the secondhand clothing and just being together in a small space.\n\nNo one was immune to this disease.\n\nRich o r poor\, young or old\, the Black Death ripped through all levels of Europ ean medieval society.\n\nNow\, what I do know about medieval society is th at at the top of it\, we have the king\, and then below him we have his kn ights.\n\nHere they are.\n\n[ Imitates galloping ] These gentlemen give hi m their loyalty.\n\nHe gives them their land.\n\nBut the vast majority\, 9 0% of the population\, are in fact made up of all these guys\, the peasant s.\n\nAnd most of them aren't free.\n\nThey're tied to the land from which they scratch a living\, land that's owned by the local lord of the manor\ , and the whole of the social structure is reinforced by the church.\n\nEa ch Sunday\, the priest preaches to his parishioners that this is the way t he world is.\n\nThis is God's grand design.\n\n♪♪ How did the Black De ath transform this rigidly structured society?\n\nI want to investigate th e world of the vast majority of its victims\, the rural peasants.\n\nBut c ontemporary descriptions of how they lived can be misleading.\n\nAccording to these images\, it looks rather lovely.\n\nHere's a happy agricultural worker enjoying the spring air\, sowing his seeds in the ground\, surround ed by birds and leaves.\n\nAhh.\n\nAnd here are some farmers bringing in a wonderful crop of corn.\n\nLooks blissful.\n\nBut these images are from t he \"Luttrell Psalter.\"\n\nIt's a really fantastic illuminated manuscript commissioned by Luttrell himself\, a landowner.\n\nHe wanted to make livi ng on the land look like it was a lovely thing to do.\n\nI'm not sure how reliable these images are as a guide to everyday life.\n\n♪♪ Firsthand accounts of 14th century peasant life don't exist.\n\nMost people were il literate.\n\nThere were no gritty life stories to consult.\n\nThough they did pay taxes and rent to their noble overlords.\n\nTo understand how the majority lived 700 years ago\, you follow the money.\n\nIn 14th century En gland\, rural peasants were summoned before a court of the manor on which they lived and worked to pay rent and tax.\n\nThese transactions were reco rded in court rolls\, and they covered every aspect of peasant life.\n\nFi nes were paid for disobedience of any kind\, like leaving the manor withou t permission.\n\nTax was paid on crops grown on the parcel of land you lea sed from the Lord.\n\nWhen you died\, your family paid a death tax to inhe rit the lease on that parcel of land.\n\n♪♪ In the county of Suffolk i n a temperature-controlled vault are some of Europe's rarest medieval manu scripts.\n\nThey're the court rolls of a small Suffolk village called Wals ham le Willows.\n\nI do know my way to the Suffolk Archives 'cause I've be en there before\, but the stuff I normally look at is much later than this .\n\nThese court rolls cover the period before\, during\, and after the Bl ack Death struck England in 1348.\n\nWhat can they tell me about the peasa ntry and the impact of the pandemic on their lives?\n\nOh\, wow\, look\, t hey're all out on the table for me already.\n\nOh\, and aren't they fantas tic?\n\nSo we're looking at lots and lots of very neat Latin here.\n\nIt's so neat\, it's got a sort of Excel spreadsheet quality to it.\n\nBut I kn ow that buried underneath that are real human beings\, even if they're tre ated here as units of taxation\, almost.\n\nNow\, I know that this set of documents is so important because it's so comprehensive.\n\nIt goes on for years and years and years in the same village\, and you don't normally ge t that sort of longitudinal view into the life of a community because one bit might survive\, another bit not.\n\nSo this is just remarkable this\, the completeness of this record for 14th century Walsham.\n\nThe rolls are written in medieval Latin.\n\nFortunately for me\, there's an English tra nslation.\n\nMm\, I did study medieval Latin\, but a long time ago and not very seriously.\n\nSo I'm having to rely on my translation here.\n\nThe p opulation of Walsham prior to the Black Death was around 1\,200.\n\nPlague strikes the village in June 1349.\n\nThe court session for that month sho ws a huge spike in death tax being paid.\n\nAnd it was a very busy court s ession because basically 103 people have all died.\n\nSo that's in the las t three weeks in this particular sitting at the court.\n\nThey had to deal with the business of 103 deaths.\n\nIt's extraordinary.\n\nAnd you can se e that the clerk has run out of room.\n\nHe's gone down the first piece.\n \nHe's had to attach another one to keep going.\n\nAnd what's kind of chil ling is that he doesn't care that these people have died.\n\nWhat he cares about is that there's business to be done\, because every time you die\, when you are a serf\, your family has to pay a tax to the landlord.\n\nAnd that tax is called a heriot.\n\nAnd in some cases\, the heriot is a horse .\n\nAnd in other cases\, it's a yew.\n\nSo basically\, when your father d ies\, you have to give the landlord one of your animals.\n\nThere's clearl y good money to be made.\n\nBut the 103 deaths listed in this court sessio n are just the heads of families.\n\nYounger men\, women\, and children\, a good 80% of the community\, aren't recorded.\n\nThey're not economically relevant to the records.\n\nFactor them in\, and the deaths must number c lose to 600.\n\nSo that's half of the village dying of plague\, matching e stimates for the whole country.\n\nThese rolls of a micro study for all of Britain during the pandemic.\n\nAnd here's a particularly interesting fam ily who are marked out with a cross for some reason.\n\nI can make out the ir name is Cranmer.\n\nThat's William Cranmer\, who's the patriarch of the family.\n\nHe's the granddad.\n\nAnd he held a messuage -- that means a p iece of property\, possibly with a house on it.\n\nAnd it says he also hel d a tenement\, and he's died\, and he has to pay a heriot\, the death tax. \n\nThen his son and heir\, a second generation\, he dies.\n\nAnd then the re's -- and a third generation who die.\n\nHis son Robert dies\, and the h eriot has to be paid.\n\nBut this time\, they haven't got any horses left. \n\nThey have to pay a cow.\n\nIt's a less good animal for that because th e lord's already got the two horses.\n\nThis particular family\, the Cranm ers\, they stand out here because of the awfulness of what happened to the m.\n\nIt wasn't just one generation or two generations.\n\nIt was three ge nerations losing their lives.\n\nbum\, bum\, bum\, all within the same few weeks in the same -- in the same village.\n\n♪♪ The Cranmer clan seem like a typical peasant family.\n\nI want to investigate their life experi ences to understand how Britain was changed by the plague.\n\nArmed with m y copy of the court rolls\, next stop for me is Walsham le Willows.\n\n20 miles inland from the Suffolk coast\, the present day village of Walsham s till clusters around the local church\, Saint Mary's\, just as it did 700 years ago.\n\nSo far\, I've looked at Walsham during the time plague struc k the village.\n\nBut now I'm going to wind the clock back to the years ju st before the Black Death.\n\nWhat was pre-pandemic life like for the Cran mers?\n\nAnd is there any surviving trace of them left today?\n\nI need so me local knowledge.\n\nOh\, hello\, Frances.\n\nIt's Lucy here.\n\nI am in Walsham.\n\nLeft\, and look for the school.\n\nI'm off to see a lady call ed Frances Jenner.\n\nShe's the chairperson of the local history society\, and she's one of those people who says\, \"Oh\, I'm only an amateur histo rian\,\" but actually\, I suspect that she knows everything that there is to know.\n\n♪♪ Like me\, Frances is fascinated by the court rolls of W alsham\, and she's been studying them for years.\n\nIt was pretty agricult ural in the 14th century.\n\nIs it still quite agricultural around here?\n \n-It is very much so.\n\nStill a very rural community.\n\n-So where are y ou bringing me\, Frances?\n\n-I'm bringing you to Cranmer farm.\n\n-Oh\, m y goodness!\n\n-Yes.\n\n-Cranmer farm.\n\nStill got their name on it.\n\n- It does\, yes.\n\n-700 years later.\n\n-It does\, yes.\n\n-Though it's bee n rebuilt since.\n\n-It has.\n\nIt's been rebuilt later\, but they would h ave had a dwelling here\, and they farmed the lands around here.\n\n-Do yo u think they farmed in this very field\, then?\n\nWe're totally in their n eck of the woods?\n\n-Quite possible that they did and that we are actuall y walking on where they farmed and lived.\n\n-Excellent.\n\nAnd having spe nt a lot of time combing through the court rolls\, have you developed in y our mind the character at this William Cranmer\, the eldest one\, the gran ddad of the family?\n\n-I have\, because actually\, if you look at him\, h e actually has more entries than anybody else.\n\nAnd there are lots of in stances of him being fined for various breaches of grazing too many sheep on the verges and all sorts of things.\n\nAnd I just get the impression th at he was a bit of a one\, really.\n\n-Oh\, really?\n\n-I do.\n\n-A sharp operator?\n\n-I think so.\n\nYes\, definitely.\n\nThat's what we would cal l him today.\n\n-Yes.\n\nAnd how hard or difficult do you think the lives of the Cranmers were living here?\n\n-Prior to the Black Death\, there'd b een seven years of famine due to the unseasonably odd weather conditions.\ n\n-Ah.\n\n-Excessive rain storms\, and we have to also remember that in t hose days\, the wheat wasn't the wheat that we know today.\n\nIt was reall y tall\, so storms would basically flatten it and then it would just rot i n the fields.\n\nSo that would mean hardship.\n\nThat would mean no food\, no crops to sell.\n\nThey would still have to pay the taxes to the lord o f the manor.\n\nSo they were being squeezed basically from both sides.\n\n They weren't actually making any money\, but they still had to pay their t axes.\n\nSo life would have been hard.\n\nThey would have been hungry.\n\n They would have been poor.\n\nLife really would have been pretty miserable .\n\n♪♪ -In these years of pre-pandemic hardship\, old William Cranmer is frequently fined for keeping more animals than permitted\, for taking firewood without permission\, even for not informing on a neighbor when th ey break the rules.\n\nWilliam might have a few acres of land\, but there' s three generations\, his son\, his grandson\, and their extended families \, all living on it.\n\nPerhaps there's just too many of them for the land to support.\n\nThe Walsham court rolls list numerous villages in the same situation.\n\nWhile they struggle\, they're also duty bound to work the l ord's personal farmlands as well as their own.\n\nIt's the same across swa thes of Britain\, but as I work through the court rolls\, I come across an other strain on the Cranmer clan's hard-pressed resources.\n\nYou don't of ten get women mentioned in these court rolls because it's mainly about the tenants.\n\nBut if you travel back in time\, we seem to have a granddaugh ter of wily William Cranmer\, the grandfather of the family.\n\nHer name's Olivia.\n\nAnd the reason that she comes up in the court records is becau se of a scandal.\n\nShe's had to pay a child wite\, which is a special fin e of two shillings and eight pence\, and she's had to pay this because she gave birth outside wedlock.\n\nShe's had an illegitimate child.\n\n♪♪ Having a child out of wedlock in medieval society was condemned by the ch urch\, but it wasn't uncommon.\n\nThe problem was more practical.\n\nIt wa s another mouth to feed.\n\nWho would provide?\n\nIn Olivia's case\, it wa s swiftly solved.\n\nShortly after she's fined\, the court rolls record Ol ivia marrying a Robert Hayes\, a peasant with his own land holdings.\n\nWa s Roberts the father?\n\nWas this a forced marriage?\n\nThe rolls make no mention.\n\nNow that I've learned more about the Cranmers\, I'm intrigued to know how they and so many like them reacted as plague approached Britai n.\n\nIn the summer of 1348\, plague had spread across the English Channel aboard trading ships.\n\nContemporary accounts agree that the first outbr eaks in Britain were in Weymouth and Bristol.\n\nThe disease caught fire a nd spread from the coast into the countryside.\n\nNow\, Walsham might feel like it's in the middle of nowhere\, but it isn't\, and it wasn't in the 14th century either.\n\nIt was connected\, as the world was\, through glob al shipping routes.\n\nWalsham is 100 miles away from London\, but crucial ly\, it's only 26 miles\, or a day's walk\, from the international port of Ipswich.\n\nIpswich was just a day's sail from France.\n\nNews of the Bla ck Death's horrors found their way across the channel.\n\nMost accounts co ming from Europe were utterly apocalyptic.\n\nAnd this sounds frankly impl ausible.\n\nHe describes here a rain of frogs\, snakes\, lizards.\n\nand s corpions\, thunderbolts and lightning.\n\nThis sounds like crazy pub talk\ , but then\, much more believably\, he talks about the plague traveling vi a Genovese ships to Marseilles and then to Avignon\, where... Oh\, golly\, where half the people have died.\n\nSo once he's got to France\, that's r oughly only 24 hours journey away from this village\, from this pub.\n\nYo u can imagine people here laughing\, maybe\, speculating\, maybe really fr ightening themselves as they talked about it on a Friday night.\n\n♪♪ Accounts like this reached Britain throughout 1348\, well before the Black Death struck Walsham.\n\nBut is there evidence in the court rolls that ev en rumors about plague changed people's behavior?\n\nHere's a meeting of t he court from the autumn before the Black Death.\n\nAnd here we've got -- how many men?\n\nI think it's -- yes\, it's 11 men in total who are in tro uble 'cause they've not turned up to work.\n\nThey get fined for not doing their duties\, including William Cranmer\, actually.\n\nWhat might they h ave been doing instead?\n\nWell\, this might be in my imagination\, but ju st up here\, we've got some other men who were fined\, who were punished\, for brewing and selling ale in breach of the assize.\n\nI am tempted to t hink that these 11 men thought\, \"Right\, the plague is coming.\n\nWe're jolly well not going to go to work.\n\nWe're going to go to the pub instea d.\n\nLet's make merry\, because tomorrow\, we die.\"\n\n♪♪ It might h ave seemed to many that doomsday was approaching.\n\nHow did those in powe r try to prepare the population for what was coming?\n\nWhat was their mes sage to the people?\n\n♪♪ [ Bells tolling ] Belief in God was central to life in medieval Britain.\n\nEveryone attended church to be guided in a ll things\, both on Earth and spiritually\, by their local priest.\n\nWith rumors of bodies piled up in the streets in the west of England\, in the autumn of 1348\, an official Black Death briefing was made from church pul pits.\n\nThe king\, Edward III\, tells the Archbishop of Canterbury to wri te a letter with instructions for the people.\n\nIt's to be read out from the pulpit across the country.\n\nAnd historians usually called this lette r after its first word\, which is \"terribilis.\"\n\nTerrible.\n\nThis was a mass communication filtered down from king to bishop to priest to peasa nt.\n\n\"Terrible is God towards the sons of men.\n\nHe allows plagues to arise\, to torment men and drive out their sins.\n\nIt is now to be feared that this kingdom is to be oppressed by the pestilence and wretched morta lities which have flared up in other regions.\"\n\nThe message is it's rea l.\n\nIt's here.\n\nIt's coming to get us.\n\nAnd it's coming because you' ve all sinned.\n\nThis announcement affected everyone.\n\nEveryone sinned. \n\nBreaking any of the Ten Commandments was a sin\, but the medieval chur ch was particularly obsessed with fornication.\n\nOlivia Cranmer was fined and would have served penance for having a child out of wedlock.\n\nThere were tens of thousands like her across the country.\n\nThey were an easy target.\n\nSome clergy were quick to blame plague on immoral women and the ir choice of dress.\n\nOkay\, here we got some very naughty\, sexy 14th ce ntury ladies who have got slashes in their dresses\, revealing their figur es and what they've got on underneath.\n\nAnd this lady here\, her robe ha s got great big holes\, enormous arm holes in it\, so you can see her shap e through it.\n\nAnd [laughs] the name of these holes is brilliant.\n\nThe y were known as windows into hell.\n\n♪♪ The Church maintained that on ly prayer could quell God's wrath and stop the pestilence.\n\nBut no amoun t of praying could halt the progress of this terrible disease.\n\nBy Novem ber 1348\, the plague had spread east across England.\n\nAccounts claim th at in Bristol\, only 1 in 10 survived.\n\nPlague had struck London and bro ken out in York.\n\nEverywhere\, communities were decimated.\n\nChurch cem eteries overflowed.\n\nAcross the country\, plague pits were dug.\n\n♪ ♪ This is just the most heartbreaking image.\n\nIt's one of the very ear liest depictions\, it's from 1349\, of a plague pit.\n\nHere are bodies be ing buried.\n\nLook at the grief on the face of this man here with the spa de.\n\nAnd here are crowds of new coffins being brought.\n\nAnd this would have been the scene all over Britain\, all over Europe\, where the plague spread.\n\nAnd to these poor people\, it must have felt like the end of t he world.\n\n♪♪ Getting a decent burial was a hugely important medieva l ritual.\n\nSo plague pits were a shocking and sudden change in this soci ety.\n\nWith people surrounded by so much death\, surely their spiritual b eliefs were shaken.\n\nHow did the church cope during the crisis?\n\nMedie val historian Dr. Claire Kennan specializes in the impact of the Black Dea th on faith and the Church in Britain.\n\nSo Claire\, explain this to me.\ n\nPeople are suffering\, they're praying.\n\nThe prayer isn't working.\n\ n-Mm-hmm.\n\n-But they still go on doing it.\n\nWhy is that?\n\n-So\, in t he 14th century\, everyone's very concerned with the health of their souls .\n\nAnd the belief is that when you die\, you will inevitably spend some time in purgatory\, which really isn't a very nice place.\n\nSo what peopl e want to do is really lessen the amount of time they're going to spend th ere\, and they do that through prayer\, through acts of repentance\, and t hrough giving money to the church.\n\n-So people are saying prayers\, not necessarily to save their life\, but to have a better death?\n\n-Exactly.\ n\n-When the Black Death happens\, then\, how is the church going to respo nd?\n\nWhat are they going to do?\n\nObviously\, you've got a clergy who a re effectively at the front line of this disease.\n\nThey are working with people who are dying from a very\, very transmissible illness.\n\nThey're getting in very close contact.\n\nThey're leaning in to listen to that la st whispered confession.\n\nAnd so we do see a huge number of clergy dying \, approximately 50% generally.\n\nBut in some places\, this is much highe r.\n\nAnd\, of course\, this leads to extreme shortages.\n\n-So there's a big problem here for the church.\n\nHow are they going to solve it?\n\n-Th e church brings in some really interesting emergency measures\, and what I 've got here is actually a papal license\, which is granted to the archbis hop of York so that he can recruit more priests.\n\nAnd it says\, \"Becaus e of the mortality from plague\, which overshadows your province at this t ime\, not enough priests can be found for the cure and rule souls or to ad minister the sacraments.\"\n\nAnd this is actually a list of novices who a re currently being pushed through the system\, if you will.\n\n-So it's so rt of like sending through the medical students to do the work of doctors. \n\n-Exactly\, and what happens is that we actually get quite a lot of com plaints about these new priests.\n\nOne chronicler even says quite scathin gly that they're no better than laymen.\n\nBut it's important to remember that this isn't everyone's experience.\n\nAnd actually what we see during and after the Black Death is people turning to the church\, possibly more than before.\n\nSo we have lots of people going on pilgrimage to earn what I like to think of as brownie points so that when they do die\, they're n ot in purgatory for too long.\n\n-By New Year of 1349\, plague had infecte d so many in London that the English Parliament was prorogued.\n\nIt was s hut down.\n\nFor a moment\, no one\, it seems\, had oversight of the count ry as the Black Death ripped through England.\n\nBy spring\, plague had re ached Wales.\n\nThe cities of Leicester and Lincoln had been struck.\n\nEs timated casualties in Norwich were horrendous.\n\nEvery day\, it was getti ng closer to Walsham.\n\n♪♪ The court rolls suggest plague finally rea ched the village of Walsham in April 1349.\n\nAmong the first to die is Wi lliam Cranmer the elder\, Olivier's grandfather\, swiftly followed by Oliv ia's father and her brother.\n\nThree generations of Cranmers dead in a ma tter of weeks.\n\nFor two months\, the Black Death tore through Walsham.\n \nFamily after family lost loved ones.\n\nAt some point\, Olivia's husband \, Robert\, also succumbs.\n\nBut I can find no mention in the court rolls during these terrible months of Olivia dying along with hundreds of other victims in Walsham\, younger men\, women\, and children.\n\nHer name simp ly isn't mentioned.\n\nIt was a new bacterium.\n\nThere was no herd immuni ty.\n\nPeople didn't really understand how it spread.\n\nBut in any case\, there was no escape.\n\nIf you were a peasant\, you could not leave your community without the permission of your lord.\n\nYou literally had to sta y there\, working the land\, paying your tax\, waiting to see if you'd liv e or die.\n\nBy autumn 1349\, the Black Death was raging in Ireland and No rthumbria.\n\nThen the Scots invaded England\, believing that God had sent the pestilence to punish their English foes.\n\nUnfortunately\, they may have taken plague back to Scotland with them\, where the disease flared up soon after.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ In 1350\, the Black Death finally died out i n the British Isles.\n\nIn two years\, the pandemic had claimed the lives of up to half the population.\n\nBut eyewitness accounts of what life was like in the immediate aftermath of plague are scant.\n\nThose that survive d are mainly written by clerics.\n\nAnd these rare fragments hint at a ser ious breakdown in society.\n\nNow\, this is one of the best of them.\n\nIt 's by a monk from Rochester.\n\nHis name is William Dean\, and he's writin g in 1350\, so only just after the Black Death.\n\nHe's still very close t o it.\n\nHis work's in Latin\, but here's the translation.\n\nAnd this bit says\, \"Mortality destroyed more than a third of the men\, women\, and c hildren.\n\nAs a result\, there was such a shortage of servants\, craftsme n\, and workmen and of agricultural workers and laborers that a great many lords and people all very well endowed with goods and possessions\, were yet without all service and attendants.\"\n\nWith millions of workers dead \, I want to find out what effect that had on society once the plague had passed.\n\nProfessor John Hatcher is an economic historian at Cambridge sp ecializing in how the Black Death transformed Britain.\n\nJohn\, can you t ell me what happens when potentially nearly half the population of a count ry dies?\n\n-Well\, it's a very special country at the time because of how agricultural it is.\n\nThe land becomes abundant and people become scarce .\n\nSo wages rise because workers are scarce.\n\nAnd the consequence of t hat\, of course\, is the landowners have the threat of a disorderly peasan try demanding far more in pay\, but also they're demanding freedom from se rfdom.\n\nAnd just to quote one of the commentators of the period\, his wo rld was turned upside down.\n\n-You'd think that it would cause total soci etal breakdown and chaos\, but it doesn't really\, does it?\n\n-No\, it do esn't.\n\n-Why?\n\nWhy is that?\n\n-If you compare it with modern times\, what you've got is people\, the bulk of the population\, 80%\, producing t heir own food.\n\n-Oh\, so they -- -They have to plow the land.\n\nThere m ay be death and destruction all around them.\n\nThey have to keep supplyin g their own land.\n\nYou haven't got huge supply lines for the majority of people today.\n\nSociety would collapse because you've got so few people who are actually producing their own subsistence.\n\n-Yes.\n\n-But in thos e days\, of course\, the situation is very direct.\n\n-And what evidence i s there that these people in the labor market were demanding higher wages? \n\n-So\, the scarcity of labor makes itself felt immediately.\n\nPeople c an get work anywhere.\n\nThey can demand the wages that they want\, and th ere's a splendid description of a plowman plowing in the finery of a noble .\n\nHe's been given it.\n\nIt's got a few holes in\, but nevertheless\, t here is\, with his plow in the mud\, wearing the clothes of a nobleman\, a nd the clothes have been handed to him as a bribe to stay in work\, to kee p working.\n\n-Wow.\n\nSo if I were at the peasant level of society\, iron ically\, the Black Death might be good for me if I survived because I'd ha ve more access to more food.\n\n-Yes\, absolutely.\n\nAnd also\, of course \, you inherited the property of your family.\n\nSometimes a large number of family members would die in succession\, leaving a single person with t he property of five or six people beforehand.\n\nIt was a transformation.\ n\n-So did this new normal last?\n\nPerhaps\, as you might expect\, the ru ling classes in England at least tried to make sure it didn't by rushing t hrough a new national statute or law.\n\nThis great long thing here is a c opy of the Statute of Labourers from 1351\, so just after the plague.\n\nT he translation here tells us what it's all about.\n\nIt says\, \"The king and the nobles have passed the statute against the malice of employees who were idle and who were not willing to take employment after the pestilenc e unless for outrageous wages.\"\n\nIt says that they have to take employm ent for the same wages as before\, or else they were going to get imprison ed.\n\nHmm.\n\nAlso says that you're not allowed to leave the town where y ou work to go and work elsewhere in the summer.\n\nBut then they admit tha t this isn't going to work.\n\nYou can go to help with the harvest if you live in Staffordshire\, Lancashire\, Derbyshire\, Wales\, or Scotland.\n\n That is going to be needed to make the country work.\n\nWith the ruling cl asses trying to reinstate the old social order\, but with the peasants gai ning opportunities for a new life\, what does this mean for farming commun ities like Walsham?\n\nAnd what happened to Olivia Cranmer?\n\nI know that all the male members of her family are dead.\n\nBut Olivia survives.\n\nA single entry in the Walsham court rolls describes her fate.\n\nThe lord o f the manor wants rent and tax from the Cranmer lands.\n\nSo a radical dec ision is made.\n\nOlivia is listed as heir and granted tenancy of around 4 0 acres of the Cranmer holdings.\n\n♪♪ Now\, I had been thinking of Ol ivia as a sort of a freak accident.\n\nIf this were a newspaper headline\, it might say\, \"Amazing -- Walsham woman does well out of Black Death.\" \n\nBut have a look at this.\n\nYou go through the court rolls\, there are lots of other examples of women inheriting land from men.\n\nHere we've g ot Agnes Wodebite and Catherine Dethe\, and over here we've got Alice Ramp olye\, and these women's names were appearing for the first time because f or the first time\, they're economically relevant.\n\nAnd I'm wondering if this is happening on a super local level in Walsham\, what's happening ac ross the nation?\n\nIs it possible there's evidence for other women coming out of the shadows\, if you like\, in the wake of the Black Death?\n\nPro fessor Caroline Barron has done extensive research into opportunities for women in post-plague London.\n\n-Inevitably\, there was a great deal of co nfusion afterwards\, but gradually\, what you see is that women are emergi ng\, holding down jobs\, being apprenticed as girl apprentices to men and to women\, taking over workshops and running them as successful enterprise s after the Black Death.\n\n-So where a business owner had died\, his wife might sort of be forced economically to take it over.\n\n-Yes\, and you f ind after the Black Death that the city expects a widow to continue to tra in her husband's apprentices\, and they encouraged her to run his business .\n\nAnd in fact\, they actually made it possible for a woman who was a wi dow to become a free woman of London and have the economic privileges that a freeman of London would have had.\n\n-Interesting.\n\nAre there specifi c women that you've been able to research?\n\n-Well\, in the immediate aft ermath of the Black Death\, quite interestingly\, William Ramsay was the c hief mason of the king\, the master Mason.\n\nHe died in the Black Death\, and his daughter\, called Agnes\, clearly took over the business from him .\n\nWe find her running his workshop\, and although she was married\, she kept her own name\, or her father's name\, and ran the father's business. \n\n-Wow.\n\n-And she is called Dame Agnes Ramsay in the records.\n\n-That 's extraordinary.\n\n-They sort of recognize this position that she's achi eved.\n\nSo it shows you that women could do things.\n\n-Amazing.\n\nWhat' s this record you've got here?\n\nDoes this tell one of their stories?\n\n -Yes.\n\nThis is the indenture of Margaret\, the daughter of Richard Bisho p of Seaford\, near Lewes.\n\nAnd she's apprenticing herself to a man call ed John Pritchett\, citizen and tollester\, which means a toll collector\, of London\, and burgher.\n\nHis wife\, a tilde maker\, which is a tent ma ker.\n\n-A tent maker.\n\nShe's going to learn to be a tent maker.\n\n-She 's going to learn the craft of the said burgher\, so it's quite specific.\ n\nAlthough she's apprenticed to the husband and wife\, it says she's goin g to learn the craft of the wife and to be the apprentice.\n\n-Was this a bit like during the World Wars of the 20th century?\n\nThe men weren't the re and the women had to take over?\n\n-Absolutely.\n\nIt's like the muniti ons factories in the First World War or Rosie the Riveter in the Second Wo rld War in America.\n\nIt's all to do with a shortage of population.\n\n-A s a new disease\, the Black Death's impact was horrific.\n\nAnd for a shor t while\, the death of half the population saw social order upended.\n\nBr itain's peasant class tasted freedom and empowerment\, and despite efforts to return things back to pre-plague conditions\, many had seen their pros pects change fundamentally\, none more so than Olivia Cranmer.\n\nShe does well enough out of her inherited land to retire with a pension in later l ife.\n\nShe never remarried.\n\nThe court rolls now name her Olivia of Cra nmer\, and it looks like she may have lived into her 60s\, a ripe old age for the 14th century.\n\nPlague would return to 14th century Britain.\n\nW ith each new wave\, herd immunity built up\, but it took 300 years for Bri tain's population to get back to pre-pandemic levels\, and the psychologic al impacts of the Black Death lasted generations.\n\nThis image is the \"D anse Macabre.\"\n\nIt's one of the iconic images of the Black Death\, isn' t it?\n\nSkeletons enjoying themselves.\n\nIt's really striking to me that it dates from well over a century after the Black Death of 1348.\n\nI thi nk it shows the lasting psychological impact of the plague\, which kept co ming back and back again\, and it made people re-evaluate life.\n\nIf life was a dance with death\, if death could come and take you at any moment\, well\, then better enjoy life while you can.\n\n-\"Lucy Worsley Investiga tes\" is available on am*zon Prime Video.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪\n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250512 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:KWL Live Q&A – Planning Your Books and Setting your Goals with Sarra Cannon 05/11/2025 DTSTAMP:20250511T230408Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:273-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n KWL Live Q&\;A – Planning Your Books and Setting you r Goals with Sarra Cannon [ youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@Hea rtBreathings \; B6 notebook : https://heartbreathings.com/my-new-b6-stalog y-writing-notebook/ \; ]\n\n\n\n URL\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N kpvGXVpAF0\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n THOUGHTS AS I VIEWED\ n\n\n\n 00:01:00\nthe winds in nyc\, between skyscrapers\, feels colder th an the north pole at places\n00:03:00\ncongrats\,great experience [ https: //www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-disappearance-of-vanessa-shaw ]\n00:04:00\n I concur\, a year review is a good thing[ https://rmnewsletter.over-blog.c om/2023/02/2023-art-summary.html] \n00:05:00 \nAsked You didn't preorder i t?\nShe admitted she missed preordering dates\, pre order is best practice \, but what works for her wasn't preordering\n00:08:00 \nWhat planners do you have in the works for 2025?\n00:15:00\nA5 planners\, add pages\n00:17: 00\nPlans tend to be what we want to add. We can't be productive every day \n00:19:00 \nHow to help indie authors use planners?\nAsk what do I need t o track in my planner.\ncoil planners can take up less space. think on how your planner will be used.\n00:22:00 \ndo you put notes in your planner?\ nno she doesn't\n00:28:00\nshe doesn't like writing on the slick surface\, she prefers typing. she likes writing on the kobo device that is rougher\ nKobo journals you can use in the newest\, 2024 \, models [ https://www.k obo.com/ca/en/search?query=kobo+originals+journals&\;fclanguages=en] \n 00:31:00 \nwhat trends should authors be prepared for in the planning?\nMo re authors going wide\, more authors going into audio\, she has been aroun d since 2010\, and she has only three audio books but she is getting audio books of her best sellers done. So many \, direct sales on their own webs ite.\nhow can diversify? sell as in many places as possible. Or do i want to shut out the noise for everyone diversifying and how do i sell my books . \nYou have to plan goals but you have to be yourself\nShe ha a course co ncerning game board strategy\nShe recalls a year she set up three preorder s\, and it didn't work out for her. So she syas who does she really want t o be as an author. Does she want to write every day. Do I want to put out as many books as possible and do i need to relax from burnout. \nShe admit s \,she want a tv show someday. She ask what does that version of me have that she doesn't have now. \n00:37:00\nIt is great saying what you want ou t loud. If you want to know where to start with indie publishing \nEmail u s at writinglife@kobo.com They also have a great help center here: https: //kobowritinglife.zendesk.com/hc/en-us\n00:38:00\nany methods to track a p lan? How to make sure you are still on track?\nQuestion yourself\, why is this going wrong? Biggies tool is review. Usually a couple of culprits. \n Do you like what you write? Have you listened to others and acting on what others want? Maybe your plate is to big and you are burned out?\nHave the courage to be honest with one self.\n00:42:00\nIs their pressure to jump into something new?\nyes\, if i dont do this will i miss that chance. she gives examples where at conferences\, where they did translations and it w orked or kickstarter and it worked. \nso people start to think one has to do all and all gets executed poorly.\nThe ebook is where we tend to start\ , so start there.\nShe knows so many people who are six figure authors and they say\, they are burned out.\nand it is ok\, to nt work yourself to de ath\n00:48:00\nDo you have an example of a milestone you achieved where a planner helped?\nshe has run different courses this year\, she is raising kids\, running courses\, and writing and none of this would had happened w ithout the planner. \nI SAY [ you need to know what tools or strategies ot hers are using but you need to master yourself ]\n00:52:00 \nTalk about yo ur rough draft challenge?\nApril it will be another challenge\n00:56:00 \n great show\, planned well:) \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n her websites [ https://sar racannon.com/ \; https://heartbreathings.com/ \; https://www.youtube.com/@ HeartBreathings \;  https://www.youtube.com/@SarraCannon] \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250511 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Tombs of Amun 05/11/2025 DTSTAMP:20250511T224841Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:271-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Tombs of Amun\n\n URL\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/egypt s-tombs-of-amun-uggfz5/\n\n\n\n VIDEO \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSC RIPT\n\n\n\n ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ NARRATOR: In Egypt\, a team of archaeologists has made an extraordinary discovery.\n\nZAHI HAWASS: I never thought that anything like this would be discovered.\n\nNARRATOR: A cemetery hidden fo r millennia.\n\nAFIFI ROHIM: We can see the burial chamber.\n\nNARRATOR: N o one knew of its existence.\n\nWe are in front of a sealed tomb.\n\nNARRA TOR: How many tombs will they find?\n\nThis is really exciting.\n\nNARRATO R: What lies within?\n\nROHIM: We are sure that this tomb intact tomb.\n\n NARRATOR: Now\, from the Egyptian desert\, incredible artifacts emerge.\n\ nHAWASS: Beautiful-- this is the first time I see something like this.\n\n NARRATOR: Who was buried here?\n\nThese individuals were wealthy.\n\nNARRA TOR: Now these lost tombs are revealing a unique period in Egyptian histor y\, when kings from the south conquered and ruled Egypt and Egyptian women had more power and prestige than ever before.\n\nJULIA BUDKA: The god's w ife of Amun was really the female substitute of the king.\n\nMARIAM AYAD: The god's wife of Amun was as important as a medieval pope.\n\nNARRATOR: W ho were these outsiders who ruled Egypt?\n\nAnd how did they help women ri se to such heights?\n\n♪ ♪ \"Egypt's Tombs of Amun\,\" right now\, on \"NOVA.\"\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ NARRATOR: Ancient Egypt\, a civilization that lasted for more than 3\,000 years.\n\nFrom towering pyramids to palatial rock-cut tombs\, from sprawling temples to soaring obelisks\, its long his tory is meticulously recorded on the walls of Egyptian temples\, colossal statues\, and the artifacts the Egyptians buried in their tombs.\n\nLeadin g the Egyptian people was a succession of about 300 rulers\, divided into 31 dynasties lasting from around 3200 to 300 BCE.\n\nThese were the pharao hs\, who were both heads of state\, as well as divine intermediaries betwe en the people and their gods.\n\nMost of the history of Ancient Egypt unfo lds over three major periods of unity and prosperity.\n\nThe Old Kingdom\, the era of the pyramids.\n\nThe Middle Kingdom\, a classical age\, when l iterature and the arts flourished.\n\nAnd the New Kingdom\, when Egypt ext ended its control beyond its borders and became an empire.\n\nAs well as t hree periods of instability in between\, called the First\, Second\, and T hird Intermediate Periods.\n\nThe New Kingdom is probably the best-known p eriod in Ancient Egypt because we have all those temples\, we have huge am ounts of royal stelar texts and inscriptions.\n\nEgypt was completely conn ected with the Mediterranean\, with the Near East\, with the south.\n\nIt' s really the first evidence for globalization in our history.\n\n♪ ♪ P eople were living together\, people were copying things\, they're creating something new.\n\nNARRATOR: The New Kingdom is considered Egypt's golden age\, a time of wealth\, prosperity\, and power.\n\n♪ ♪ Pharaohs like Ramesses II and Hatshepsut build magnificent temples\, and incredible trea sures\, like the ones found in the tomb of Tutankhamun\, are produced.\n\n But after nearly 500 years of splendor\, things start to change.\n\nThere were internal political problems\, economic problems\, periods of hunger\, civil wars.\n\nNARRATOR: During this time of declining prosperity\, the s tate collapses\, allowing self-proclaimed regional rulers to grab power an d divide the country.\n\nAfter the fall of the New Kingdom\, Egypt fell in to a dark\, dark\, dark age of political fragmentation.\n\nIt's known as t he Third Intermediate Period.\n\nNARRATOR: Starting in 1069 BCE\, the Thir d Intermediate Period lasts for more than 300 years.\n\nThe archaeological record from this period of Egyptian history is fragmented.\n\nThe story o f the people who lived during these times is largely unknown.\n\nBut now n ew information is being uncovered 400 miles south of Cairo\, in an excavat ion happening in Egypt's richest archaeological area: Luxor.\n\nBUDKA: The modern city of Luxor was the ancient Thebes\, and for centuries\, it was the religious capital of Egypt.\n\nNARRATOR: Some of the most famous ancie nt sites are here: temples to the most important gods on the East Bank of the Nile\; the funerary temples of the pharaohs and the vast Necropolis\, or city of the dead\, to the west.\n\nThe popular belief is\, we know alre ady everything.\n\nWe have deciphered the hieroglyphs.\n\nWe have so many temples and tombs.\n\nWe know what happened.\n\nThis is actually not the c ase.\n\nAnd every single archaeological dig can teach you a lot.\n\nNARRAT OR: In September 2020\, a team of Egyptian archaeologists led by Zahi Hawa ss started excavating a new site there\, on the West Bank of the Nile\, an d discovered a long-lost city.\n\nWe discovered one house\, and this house led us to this major important discovery.\n\nThe lost golden city.\n\nNAR RATOR: Built by Tutankhamun's grandfather Amenhotep III in the 14th centur y BCE\, the lost city is a sprawling maze of serpentine walls\, houses\, w orkshops\, and administration buildings.\n\nFor centuries\, no one knew of its existence.\n\nThe lost city is built on prime ancient real estate in the area known as Medinet Habu on the West Bank of the ancient city of The bes.\n\nIt took the archaeologists nearly two years to fully excavate it.\ n\nHAWASS: When we found the lost golden city\, I really wanted to extend the area in the north.\n\nThis is known in the map as the Triangle.\n\nThi s area is empty-- no one really ever excavated it.\n\nNARRATOR: For decade s\, it's been just a patch of desert next to the main tourist route.\n\nEv ery morning\, dozens of buses whiz past on their way to the famous sites.\ n\nHundreds of tourists take to the sky on hot air balloons.\n\nIt would s eem an unlikely place for a big discovery.\n\n♪ ♪ In September 2022\, two years after the lost city was discovered\, the team starts excavating the Triangle.\n\nAs soon as the archaeologists remove the first layer of s and\, they uncover mud bricks-- evidence that there might be more to be fo und.\n\nZahi decides to concentrate the team's efforts in this area.\n\nWi thin days\, they uncover a row of large pottery vessels.\n\nRemarkably\, t hey are still sealed.\n\nAs they open one\, they are about to find somethi ng very telling: a clear indication of what this site once was.\n\nHuh.\n\ nWhat's this?\n\nIt's kind of plants.\n\nNARRATOR: The plants appear to ha ve been burned.\n\nWhat's this?\n\nROHIM: Linen.\n\nLinen?\n\nAnd we will take all the filling outside to be sure what's behind this.\n\nHAWASS: Oh! \n\nBroken pottery!\n\nThis is a ritual.\n\nNARRATOR: The contents of the pots all relate to a funerary ritual.\n\nBUDKA: During mummification\, the embalming workshops produced leftovers that was regarded as something imp ortant.\n\nThey were not just put somewhere as trash\, but they were arran ged in deposits.\n\nSometimes they deposited linen\, organic remains\, bot anical remains.\n\nVery often\, we find broken pots inside the vessels.\n\ nAnd this is what in general we call embalming cache.\n\nNARRATOR: An emba lming cache is the collection of the precious leftovers of materials used during the mummification process.\n\nBUDKA: Finding a cache of embalming m aterial tells you immediately that you have found something associated wit h a cemetery.\n\nAnd you should probably look for a tomb nearby.\n\nNARRAT OR: This is a momentous find.\n\n♪ ♪ Is the team on the verge of a new important discovery?\n\n(people talking in background) Excited\, they spl it into groups\, each tackling a different corner of the Triangle.\n\nSoon \, they uncover evidence of several tombs.\n\nThe archaeologists are stand ing on a previously unknown burial ground.\n\nIt's not every day that you find a brand-new cemetery.\n\nSo this is really exciting.\n\nNARRATOR: Whe n was this cemetery built?\n\nAnd who was buried here?\n\nHAWASS: Work in this big\, large cemetery\, it's a challenge.\n\nIt needs to be excavated completely to understand the date.\n\nThe excavation will give us more inf ormation about the people who are buried in this large cemetery.\n\nBUDKA: The burials are located on the West Bank\, because in the Egyptian concep t of the netherworld\, the entrance to the netherworld is on the west.\n\n The sun rises in the east and sets in the west\, and this is what a human life should repeat.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRATOR: The Ancient Egyptians invested va st amounts of wealth and energy preparing for life after death.\n\nThe bel ief of the afterlife built Egypt.\n\nThat belief made the Egyptian to buil d pyramids\, tombs\, and temples.\n\nNARRATOR: They believed that life con tinued after death\, and the tomb was considered the house for eternity.\n \nFor those who could afford it\, the mummified body would have laid to re st inside beautifully decorated tombs.\n\nBUDKA: There's the popular belie f that the Ancient Egyptians were obsessed by death\, and that they were o nly caring about life in the netherworld.\n\nThis is\, of course\, definit ely not the case.\n\nThe Egyptians were people like us\, so they wanted to live.\n\nMortuary rituals is actually something that helps the living to overcome\, um\, their sorrow\, their grief.\n\n♪ ♪ What you find in to mbs tells you so much about society and about the living.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRA TOR: Tombs are time capsules that can preserve information about ancient p eople for millennia.\n\nHAWASS: You can gain a lot of knowledge and inform ation about burials\, and that's why this cemetery needs more excavation.\ n\nNARRATOR: The tombs in the Triangle are all different.\n\nSome have a s haft dug straight into the ground.\n\nAnd at the bottom\, they open up to the burial chamber.\n\nSome have grand entrances\, complete with a stairca se\, and more than one room carved into the rock.\n\nArchaeology is danger ous for archaeologists.\n\n♪ ♪ It's hard work.\n\n(man grunts\, people talking in background) It's to live dangerously.\n\nBut to live dangerous ly\, it's fun\, also.\n\nIt's amazing when you make a new\, important disc overy.\n\n♪ ♪ You completely forget dangers.\n\nArchaeology is like a box of chocolate.\n\nWhat is this?\n\nYou never know what you get.\n\nLook s like part of a necklet.\n\nNARRATOR: Four months into the excavation\, a nd the archaeologists haven't found any mummies yet.\n\nBut intriguing art ifacts emerge from the tombs.\n\nROHIM: Here I found a metal eye used in w ooden coffins.\n\nWow!\n\nNARRATOR: A gold ring with a carved carnelian.\n \nAmulets believed to protect the deceased with their magical powers.\n\nA nd shabtis\, images of the tomb owner\, who the ancient Egyptians believed did all the manual labor in the netherworld.\n\nWith only one month left before desert temperatures rise and work must stop\, site director Afifi R ohim starts working in tomb number six\, one that he finds most promising. \n\nThe cut in the mountain is very good.\n\nWe have a staircase and we ha ve this corridor.\n\nTill now\, most of the debris is still original debri s.\n\nMm.\n\n(speaking Arabic) (Ahmed El Nasseh speaking Arabic) ROHIM: (B aghdadi speaking Arabic) ROHIM: Mm.\n\n(others speaking Arabic) ROHIM: BAG HDADI: ROHIM: BAGHDADI: ROHIM: Mm.\n\nNARRATOR: Most tombs discovered in E gypt have been looted in antiquity.\n\nIf there are no objects mixed in th e sand\, it could mean two things: either the tomb is unfinished or no one has entered it since it was sealed thousands of years ago.\n\nHAWASS: The re is no tomb that could be looted if\, in a shaft\, you have clean sand.\ n\nNARRATOR: This is tantalizing evidence that tomb number six might be in tact.\n\nThe workers remove bucket after bucket of sand.\n\n♪ ♪ Then\, suddenly\, the density of the sediment changes.\n\nROHIM: He start to fin d very compact layer.\n\nLooks like mother rock.\n\nAnd this means that al l this layer was the original layer\, which\, in the ancient time\, they m ake it the filling for the shaft.\n\nIf it is\, it will be really untouch. \n\nNARRATOR: What drives archaeologists to endure the hot desert environm ent is the promise of revealing long-forgotten histories and\, sometimes\, the chance to come face to face with an Ancient Egyptian.\n\nIn tomb numb er six\, skilled worker Baghdadi is getting closer to the bottom of the sh aft.\n\nFor archaeologist Ahmed El Nasseh\, this tomb is puzzling.\n\nEL N ASSEH: We are still confused because we have natural layers\, the compact layer\, similar to the bedrock\, and below\, we have sandy layer\, which i s loose.\n\nWe will follow the bedrock to find the limit of the burial sha ft.\n\n(Baghdadi and El Nasseh speaking Arabic) EL NASSEH: He found mudbri ck\, so\, I think we are in front of the blocked doorway.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRA TOR: It's exciting news.\n\nThere's a good chance the burial chamber has n ot been opened since it was originally sealed with mudbrick thousands of y ears ago.\n\nGood news at the end of the day.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRATOR: The fol lowing day at the excavation site\, it all looks like a normal morning.\n\ nBut just below the surface in tomb number six\, the expectations are high .\n\nAfifi is checking the mudbricks that block the entrance to the burial chamber.\n\nROHIM: The seal of the doorway is just directly under the mot her rock.\n\nIt means that it\, it never open before.\n\nThis tomb was con fusing for us.\n\nIn the beginning\, we thought there's nothing here.\n\nW as thinking that\, stop the work and leave the shaft.\n\nNARRATOR: And Afi fi is also concerned about the safety of the crew working in the tomb.\n\n The mother rock is not straight\, so I try to check if it is still in orig inal situ or just fall down.\n\nNARRATOR: On closer inspection\, Afifi not ices that a couple of the mudbricks have collapsed under the weight of the rock above\, leaving a small opening.\n\nOver time\, the sand has seeped through.\n\nWith great anticipation\, Baghdadi starts removing the mudbric ks.\n\nOnce the passage is cleared\, work inside the chamber begins.\n\nAt first\, it's just clean sand.\n\nBut soon\, artifacts emerge.\n\nHAWASS: Is this amethyst?\n\nHuh?\n\nROHIM: Yeah\, could be.\n\nOh\, oh!\n\nBeauti ful vase-- God!\n\n(chuckles) Hm.\n\nThis is not Egyptian.\n\nThis is so s trange.\n\nDoesn't looks Egyptian-- even the colors.\n\nNARRATOR: The styl e of this tiny pot is nothing like any artifact the team has found before. \n\nWas it imported from a distant land?\n\nHAWASS: This is a very importa nt discovery.\n\nThe artifacts are now really unique.\n\nVery happy.\n\nNA RRATOR: Then Zahi comes face to face with a special object.\n\nHAWASS (spe aking Arabic): This is the first time I see something like this.\n\nThe la dy is seated\, having a gazelle on her hand and holding her son on the bac k.\n\nCan you hold this?\n\nThis is another one.\n\nShe is standing\, and on her back\, she is holding a child.\n\nThis could be someone from outsid e Egypt.\n\nNARRATOR: The statuettes confirm Zahi's hunch.\n\nThe style of the artifacts is not traditionally Egyptian.\n\nThe depiction of the face hints at people originating from beyond Egypt's borders.\n\nAnd then ther e's the speckled texture.\n\nThe distinctive spotted look\, combined with the shapely woman's frame\, was only produced during a crucial moment in t he history of Egypt\, when the country is ruled by foreigners: the 11th ce ntury BCE\, the start of the unstable Third Intermediate Period.\n\nEgypt had economic problems\, only very short-lived kings\, quarrels about the i nheritance of the throne.\n\nEgypt was vulnerable.\n\nNARRATOR: But this c hanges when Egypt's southern neighbors\, the Kushites-- also known as the Nubians-- take advantage of Egypt's weakness\, and\, in 712 BCE\, they mov e in and conquer the Land of the Pharaohs.\n\nWe refer to the Kushites as the kings of the XXV dynasty.\n\nAnd this dynasty was originally coming fr om modern Sudan.\n\nNARRATOR: Known for rich deposits of gold\, Nubia is h ome to some of Africa's earliest kingdoms.\n\nThe Egyptians first called N ubia Ta-Seti\, the Land of the Bow\, highlighting the skill of Nubian warr iors.\n\nBUDKA: When the Kushites invaded Egypt\, they erected a very\, ve ry powerful and very successful empire for roughly 70\, 80 years.\n\nAYAD: The Nubians were restorers.\n\nAfter things were destroyed and the temple s were neglected\, the Nubians were now going to take care of everything\, put everything back in order.\n\nNARRATOR: Egypt is prosperous again.\n\n ♪ ♪ BUDKA: They made themselves kings of both Egypt and Kush.\n\nThe E gyptian culture was part of their own heritage\, because\, in the New King dom\, Nubia was an Egyptian colony.\n\nNARRATOR: Few written records or ar tifacts of the people that lived under Kushite rule in Egypt survive today .\n\nWhich makes what the team is unearthing in the Triangle especially ra re.\n\n(speaking Arabic): I really could not believe that statues like thi s could exist.\n\nIt's unique.\n\nThe color.\n\nThey are very realistic.\n \nNARRATOR: Not only do the two statuettes both show a woman\, but some of the small pots that have been found are for makeup.\n\nThis tomb for sure belonged this woman.\n\nNARRATOR: Women in Ancient Egypt have the right t o buy and inherit property.\n\nThey can represent themselves in court\, ow n a business\, and get divorced.\n\nBut it isn't exactly an egalitarian so ciety.\n\nBUDKA: There was a small percentage of women who were highly pri vileged\, but nevertheless\, there was a gender bias in Ancient Egypt.\n\n This is why I think it's not fair to say it's a paradise for women in the ancient world.\n\nNARRATOR: But when the Kushites take over Egypt\, they b ring with them a Nubian culture in which women have power.\n\nIn the Kushi te time\, women had a different status than before and after.\n\nThere is a matrilineal system for the Kushite kingdom.\n\nIt was more important who was your mother than who was your father.\n\nAnd this might be the main d ifference between Egypt and Kush.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRATOR: Mariam Ayad has spe nt her entire career studying Ancient Egyptian women\, and especially the women of the XXV dynasty.\n\nZahi has invited Mariam to see the objects fo und in tomb number six.\n\nHAWASS: This tomb was really unique.\n\nWe foun d some very impressive artifacts.\n\nIf you look at the face... AYAD: Yeah ?\n\n...it looks Nubian to me.\n\nIt does look Nubian\, for sure.\n\nThis body type of the standing woman... Yeah.\n\nThat body type we find a lot d uring the XXV dynasty.\n\nYes.\n\nThe heavier lower body\, the heavier hip s.\n\nI have never seen statues like this.\n\nI don't think there's ever s tatues of that type ever produced before or possibly even after.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRATOR: When the Kushites conquer Egypt around 700 BCE\, they decide to embrace the Egyptians' religious customs and beliefs.\n\nBUDKA: In Anc ient Egypt\, we cannot separate kingship from religion.\n\nPharaohs invest ed so much in the religious landscape of Thebes.\n\nNARRATOR: And this str ategy is best seen at Karnak\, a vast temple complex where pharaohs dedica ted great building projects to Amun\, the king of the gods.\n\n♪ ♪ Whe n the Kushite kings arrive\, they\, too\, make their marks here.\n\nOne of the monuments\, built by Kushite king Taharqa\, reveals a new and distinc tive level of power for women in Egypt.\n\nAYAD: We're here by the edifice of Taharqa at the sacred lake.\n\nWe can't call it the temple\, because i t doesn't have some of the main features we associate with temples.\n\nThe only part of the building that survives is the subterranean chambers.\n\n NARRATOR: What's special about this monument is a relief on a wall hidden from view.\n\nAYAD: And because there's no proper entrance\, we'll have to climb up.\n\nIt's a part of the building with ritual scenes that are uniq ue and not found elsewhere.\n\nNARRATOR: The scene Mariam is looking for i s one-of-a-kind.\n\nIt depicts two figures protecting a sacred tomb.\n\nAY AD: On either side\, the figures are facing outward as a way of protecting it.\n\nIn Egyptian art\, it's very rare for figures to be facing outward and not toward the center.\n\nThe king is throwing four balls\, and he's a iming at four targets-- east\, west\, north\, and south.\n\nNARRATOR: Oppo site the king\, a female figure.\n\nAYAD: She is complementing his actions \, asserting the royal dominion over the four extremities of the Earth.\n\ nShe is drawing an arrow through a double-arched bow\, and this is very ra re\, to find a woman actively arching.\n\nVery rare.\n\nEven the goddess N eith\, who's known as the goddess of war\, and who's often called the mist ress of bow and arrows\, she's mostly holding them in her hand.\n\nAs far as Egyptian iconography is concerned\, this is a unique representation of female power.\n\nNARRATOR: Who is this woman?\n\nHer title is god's wife o f Amun.\n\nTo understand how a woman might attain such power in Egypt\, we need to go back 800 years\, when the title of god's wife of Amun first ap pears.\n\nCarved on a stone slab\, or stela\, is the title's earliest evid ence.\n\nThis is the Ahmose Nefertari's donation stela.\n\nAhmose Nefertar i was the wife of King Ahmose\, the founder of the XVIII dynasty.\n\nAs pa rt of his larger state policy to put trusted family members in key positio ns around the realm\, she was appointed as the god's wife of Amun.\n\nAs f ar as we know\, she's the first woman to hold that title.\n\nNARRATOR: Wit h this stela\, King Ahmose establishes the estate of the god's wife as a s ource of revenue for his queen.\n\nThe stela records large amounts of gold \, silver\, and copper\, as well as servants and land.\n\nAYAD: On the don ation stela of Ahmose Nefertari\, there is a very telling line.\n\nIt says \, \"No future king shall ever revoke the estate of the god's wife of Amun .\"\n\nNARRATOR: With this line\, Ahmose makes sure that this newly establ ished estate will last in perpetuity.\n\nAYAD: The women who held that tit le remained financially independent\, and it seems plausible to suggest th at it's because of that initial endowment.\n\nNARRATOR: Although the title of god's wife of Amun first appears during the New Kingdom\, over time\, the position becomes less relevant.\n\nBut then\, during the Kushites' rei gn\, this role takes on a completely new and powerful meaning.\n\nAYAD: Wh en the Nubians invaded Egypt\, they were quick to recognize the political value of having that institution.\n\nThe office was resurrected after cent uries of oblivion.\n\nSo Amenirdis I becomes the first Nubian woman to bec ome a god's wife of Amun.\n\nNARRATOR: The Kushite princess Amenirdis is t he sister of Pianky\, the first king of the XXV dynasty.\n\nOn becoming th e god's wife of Amun\, Amenirdis effectively takes control of Thebes.\n\nA YAD: Her installation served to achieve a smooth transition of power from the preceding dynasty to the Nubian rule in Egypt.\n\n♪ ♪ Amenirdis pa rticipated in rituals that no other woman was allowed to participate in be fore.\n\nBUDKA: In the XXV dynasty\, the god's wife of Amun was much more important than in previous times.\n\nThe god's wife of Amun was the female substitute of the king.\n\nAYAD: The god's wife of Amun was as important as a medieval pope in terms of the temporal and religious power that she h eld.\n\nNARRATOR: In a side corridor at the Cairo Museum\, a statue found in Karnak Temple reveals how much power the god's wife of Amun\, Amenirdis \, really had.\n\nIt's carved from alabaster\, a soft\, translucent form o f gypsum rock.\n\n(sighs) The one and only Amenirdis I\, royal princess.\n \nIt's not very common to find statues of that size in alabaster.\n\nShe l ooks exactly like an Egyptian queen.\n\nThe headdress\, the modius crown o n her head\, but she has that pendant of Amun\, and that might be a Nubian feature.\n\nOn the back pillar\, she asserts her moral character.\n\nShe gave bread to the hungry\, water to the thirsty\, and clothes to the naked .\n\nNow\, this is significant\, because if you are giving food to the hun gry\, water to the thirsty\, you have agency.\n\nIt's not just about gener osity\, it's also about having the means to do so and having the autonomy to do so\, and to have a woman have that kind of inscription is very rare. \n\nNARRATOR: Back at the site\, the statuettes from tomb number six signa l a burial of the XXV dynasty\, the period when Amenirdis was the god's wi fe of Amun.\n\n♪ ♪ Now archaeologists are on the hunt for more clues t hat might reveal the identity of the woman buried in tomb number six.\n\nB ut the excavation season is coming to an end.\n\nWith summer approaching\, the soaring temperatures would make work in the tombs impossible.\n\n ♪ ♪ With only a couple of weeks left\, Afifi has found a vessel.\n\nRO HIM: We found one of the canopic jars.\n\nIt's from fine limestone.\n\nAnd even the sculpture of the face is\, is so good.\n\nNARRATOR: During the m ummification process\, the organs of the deceased would be removed and pla ced in these containers.\n\nThey are known as canopic jars.\n\nROHIM: Each burial have four canopic jars-- four organs of the deceased.\n\nNARRATOR: Each jar is topped with a different symbolic sculpture.\n\nThe heads repr esent the four sons of the god Horus.\n\nEach was responsible for protecti ng a particular organ: the jackal for the stomach\, the human head for the liver\, the baboon for the lungs\, and the falcon for the intestines.\n\n ROHIM: It's empty.\n\nNARRATOR: Afifi is looking for any inscription which could give us the name of the owner of this tomb.\n\nJust behind the firs t jar\, a second one appears.\n\nI want to take the body first.\n\nOh!\n\n It's nice inscriptions.\n\nYes\, yes.\n\nI am not specialist in Ancient Eg yptian language\, but I can read\, \"Osir... ...djer\,\" or\, \"djerek saa .\"\n\nMean something related to Osir.\n\nNARRATOR: The inscription is a p rayer to the god Osiris\, ruler of the underworld.\n\nI see the base of th e lid.\n\nIt's complete.\n\nNo cracks-- nothing.\n\nIt's baboon.\n\n(blows out) Now we have to consolidate the writing.\n\nNARRATOR: The jars have b een hiding in the tomb for nearly 3\,000 years.\n\nBefore they can be take n out\, conservator Seham Abdelazeim needs to carefully protect this ancie nt writing with a water-soluble cellulose binder.\n\nThe jars don't reveal the name of the deceased\, but Afifi believes there are more artifacts wa iting to be found.\n\nBut before he continues to excavate\, he needs to se cure the tomb.\n\nThis layers of sediments is\, is not strong and it is no t safe for working\, especially when you open it and the fresh air gets in side.\n\nSo it's decayed\, and start to dry and fall down.\n\nSo we need t o make all this support and\, to continue our work.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRATOR: T he excavation season has come to an end.\n\nThe workers prepare supports i n an effort to secure tomb number six.\n\nOnce ready\, Afifi locks it with a metal gate.\n\nThe team needs to wait until September\, when the excava tion will resume.\n\n♪ ♪ When you discover something interesting\, you can feel happy.\n\nOf course\, I have to be more patient\, and...\n\nWhen we stop excavation in the site\, doesn't mean that the work stop.\n\nBeca use we continue working\, in writing the general report\, make analysis fo r the object\, and still thinking about the future season.\n\n♪ ♪ NARR ATOR: Five months later\, the heat has come and gone.\n\nThe archaeologist s return to the excavation site\, eager to pick up the work from where the y left it.\n\n♪ ♪ As Afifi and Ahmed reenter tomb number six\, somethi ng does not look right.\n\nROHIM (speaking Arabic): EL NASSEH (speaking Ar abic): ROHIM: ROHIM: All the tomb collapsed.\n\nAll the roof collapsed.\n\ nAnd there are cracks everywhere inside the tomb.\n\nNARRATOR: The ground above has caved in\, filling the deep shaft that the team spent days excav ating.\n\nAnd now\, it's too dangerous to clear the debris.\n\nI think we lost this tomb.\n\nWe can't remove the debris.\n\nWe can't even just get i nside to check it\, because the cracks in the roof and the walls everywher e.\n\nIt's not safe for the workers and for my team\, and this is our job in archaeology.\n\nNothing to do.\n\nMoving to the next stop.\n\n(speaking Arabic): NARRATOR: With sadness\, the team has to give up on ever finding the woman who was buried here.\n\nShe will likely remain in her tomb for eternity\, just as she originally planned.\n\nThe Ancient Egyptians record ed everything\, especially on their burial goods.\n\nThousands of years la ter\, the archaeologists are on the hunt for clues that might reveal detai ls of long-lost lives.\n\n♪ ♪ At the southern edge of the Triangle\, i n tomb number nine\, the archaeologists haven't found any mummies.\n\nBut sunk into the floor of the burial chamber\, the lids of four canopic jars appear.\n\nROHIM: We found this set of four canopic jars here\, underneath the floor.\n\nI have to take it out.\n\nNARRATOR: Afifi examines the vess el in the hope it will reveal the name of the person who was buried here.\ n\nThere is no text\, just black decoration.\n\nSomething strange for me-- the body is made from alabaster\, but the head from limestone.\n\nNARRATO R: He carefully removes the second jar.\n\nOh\, it's different.\n\nIt's ma de of alabaster\, but it has a stand made of limestone.\n\nIt's rare to fi nd canopic jar with a stone stand like this.\n\nAnd I think it has some in scriptions.\n\nNARRATOR: The inscription is lightly carved\, but since ala baster is translucent\, Afifi tries to read it using a small light.\n\nI c an read the text now.\n\n\"Djet medu Duamutef.\"\n\nIt means \"offering to Duamutef\,\" one of four son of Horus.\n\n\"Satirdis.\"\n\nHer name is Sa tirdis.\n\nSo it's for a woman\, and she was a female singer in Amun house .\n\nNARRATOR: Finally\, the team has a name for the owner of the tomb: As etirdis\, the singer\, or chantress\, in the Temple of Amun.\n\nAYAD: The god's wife had chantresses in her entourage.\n\nChantresses were very prom inent in Theban society.\n\nIn temple ritual\, we would see women chantres ses making music to the gods.\n\nIt makes a lot of sense that chantresses in the House of Amun would be buried just outside the temple at Medinet Ha bu\, because that was thought to be the place of the primeval mound.\n\nNA RRATOR: In Egyptian mythology\, the primeval mound was the first piece of land to emerge from the watery chaos-- where life was first created.\n\nAY AD: The god Amun would come across the river aged\, tired.\n\nHe comes bac k to this primeval place\, where he would commune with eight primeval gods .\n\nHe would go back rejuvenated and youthful again.\n\nNARRATOR: The tom bs in the Triangle are located on this sacred land.\n\nThe people buried h ere could have a close connection to the god Amun.\n\nThe people who are b uried here could be working in this great institution\, the office of the god's wife of Amun.\n\n♪ ♪ NARRATOR: And in the heart of this holy pla ce\, the god's wife\, Amenirdis\, has her own funerary chapel.\n\nAYAD: We are at the great temple of Medinet Habu\, and everyone knows it for the f unerary temple of Ramesses III\, and they walk just straight past this won derful chapel of Amenirdis.\n\nEven though the façade itself has wonderfu l inscriptions\, no one ever stops to look at them.\n\nHere we have Amenir dis offering Maat\, which is the concept of truth and harmony and global o rder\, to Amun and his divine consort\, Mut.\n\nThis representation is uni que for a woman.\n\nIt's unique because it's the prerogative of the king o nly\, who is seen as the ultimate preserver of Maat.\n\nAnd we don't see t hat any time before that period.\n\nNARRATOR: In the XXV dynasty\, the god 's wife of Amun has a much more active and visible role than ever before.\ n\nOnly the king can build on sacred land\, so the fact that Amenirdis has a large stone monument here is meaningful.\n\nAYAD: Construction of funer ary chapels\, any kind of temple\, is the royal prerogative\, and only the king could do that\, but repeatedly\, we see the god's wife erect chapels on their own.\n\nTo anyone\, even those who could not read\, the iconogra phy itself told any bystander that these women were as important as the ki ng.\n\nNARRATOR: And historians believe that this level of prestige for wo men was only attained when the Kushites from Nubia ruled Egypt.\n\nBUDKA: I believe we have a certain difference in the importance of women during t he XXV dynasty\, because they were just importing their role from Kush to Egypt.\n\nThe role of women was different in the Kushite culture.\n\nThe r oyal women had much power\, and part of this was imported to Egypt.\n\nI d on't think it's a coincidence that this office of the god's wife really fl ourished under foreign rule.\n\nNARRATOR: Since excavation began in the Tr iangle\, the team has uncovered several tombs.\n\nOne has an impressive wi de staircase.\n\nWith a large quantity of debris removed\, the archaeologi sts can now access the burial chamber.\n\nWe remove all the debris from th e room itself until we found a group of coffins.\n\nNARRATOR: The human re mains are in a very bad state of preservation\, the mummy wrappings and wo oden coffins completely decayed.\n\nOnly the bones of these individuals su rvive.\n\nEL NASSEH: Maybe it's a family tomb\, and now we are working to find some object dating this tomb\, like canopic jars with the titles and the name of the owner.\n\nNARRATOR: Skilled excavator Badawi carefully wor ks around one of the coffins.\n\nSoon\, the top of a canopic jar appears.\ n\nHAWASS: The canopic jars have some inscriptions.\n\nIt needs to be clea r more.\n\nWe still have to look for the other three.\n\n(speaking Arabic) : ♪ ♪ NARRATOR: A second jar.\n\n♪ ♪ And soon a third.\n\nHAWASS: Beautiful!\n\nThis person has to be elite\, an important person.\n\nIt's r eally well done\, modeled.\n\nThe workshop that made this canopic jars are really perfect.\n\nNARRATOR: And finally\, on the fourth and last jar\, t he name of the owner can be read.\n\nThis is the name of him.\n\nROHIM: Hi s name is Mere.\n\nThe name Mere Ren-Amun\, the singer of the god Amun.\n\ nThis is really wonderful.\n\nThis person was part of this important offic e.\n\nThose people\, one day\, were working\, singing\, dancing behind the great god's wife of Amun.\n\nNARRATOR: But the style of the canopic jars is different from the others found in the Triangle.\n\nHAWASS: As an archa eologist\, you can look at canopic jars and know the period exactly.\n\nTh e modeling of the faces show 500 BC\, the XXVI dynasty.\n\nThrough the arc haeological evidence\, you can say that the big large cemetery\, it starte d in the north\, in dynasty XXV\, continued to the edge of the city\, know n as the golden lost city.\n\nThe tombs here dated to dynasty XXVI.\n\nNAR RATOR: When Mere was alive\, the Kushites of Nubia were no longer ruling E gypt\, yet he is buried next to the people of the XXV dynasty.\n\nAYAD: Fo r the Theban elites\, this was a good burial ground.\n\nIt mattered very l ittle who the ruling king was and from which dynasty.\n\nBetween the XXV d ynasty and the XXVI dynasty in Thebes\, there is no material break.\n\nIt' s a continuous move from the one dynasty to the other.\n\nAYAD: The Theban people are Theban people\, so there are generations of the same families living under different kings.\n\nNARRATOR: The reign of the XXV dynasty en ds around 653 BCE.\n\nThe new royal family that establishes the XXVI dynas ty comes from the north of Egypt\, from a city called Sais.\n\nBut a new k ing doesn't mean that everything changes.\n\nAYAD: The transition from the XXV to the XXVI dynasty is very interesting.\n\nWe have someone like Mont uemhat\, who was really a man for all seasons.\n\nHe was already the mayor of Thebes under the Nubian rulers\, he continued to be the mayor of Thebe s under the new rulers\, and all the while\, he took part in the transitio n in the office of the god's wife\, helping establish the new god's wife i n place.\n\nNARRATOR: A new pharaoh.\n\nA new god's wife of Amun.\n\nAnd t he people associated with this office keep Medinet Habu as their chosen bu rial ground.\n\nBUDKA: The title god's wife of Amun lasts until the end of the XXVI dynasty.\n\nAYAD: At the end of that time\, Egypt is invaded by the Persians.\n\nAnd everything changes.\n\nNARRATOR: After the Persian in vasion\, evidence of the god's wife of Amun disappears.\n\nLasting for mor e than a millennium\, the title of god's wife of Amun was created in the X VIII dynasty.\n\nBut it's 800 years later\, in the XXV dynasty\, with the help of the Kushite pharaohs from Nubia\, that the institution reaches its zenith\, Amenirdis's legacy forever imprinted on the artifacts and monume nts she left behind.\n\nThe archaeologists have unearthed buried treasures of a very special period of Egyptian history\, when the Kushite pharaohs of the XXV dynasty rose to power and wrote a new chapter into this rich ci vilization.\n\nThey embraced Egyptian culture and beliefs\, but also broug ht elements of their own culture\, where women were financially independen t and the power of the god's wife of Amun rivaled that of the king.\n\nAYA D: The god's wife of Amun is very inspiring and empowering to modern women today.\n\nThe fact that they're not as well known to the public as Cleopa tra or Nefertiti is just the sad reality of modern pop culture.\n\n♪ ♪ HAWASS: A unique cemetery to bring more information about this period.\n\ nOh!\n\nWe are making history.\n\nNARRATOR: Like the shifting sands of the desert\, history is never static.\n\nIt is a quest for understanding who we are\, where we've been\, and where we're going.\n\nAYAD: People looking at us from even 200 years from now\, or 2\,000 years from now\, how they perceive women today is dependent on how much evidence do we leave behind. \n\n♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪\n\n\n\n  \n\ n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250511 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:SKIN OF GLASS - the Pele de Vidro in Sao Paulo Brasil 05/11/ 2025 DTSTAMP:20250511T224307Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:270-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n SKIN OF GLASS - the Pele de Vidro in Sao Paulo Brasil\n\n \n\n U.R.L.\n\n https://www.pbs.org/video/skin-of-glass-3uc64q/\n\n\n\n VI DEO FULL VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n VIDEO EXCERPT\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n TRANSCRIPT FULL MOVIE\n\n\n\n ♪ [Water bubbling] ♪ ♪ [Denise Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Wind blowing] Zmekh ol: I left Brazil for a new life in California... with only memories of my father-- the bitter and the sweet... ♪ but now so many years later\, ne ws arrives about my father's legacy that reopens childhood wounds and call s me back home to São Paulo... ♪ searching for my father in the work he created.\n\n♪ ♪ This is what brought me back.\n\n♪ It's shocking to see what's happened to my father's architectural masterpiece\, knowing wh at it once was.\n\n♪ ♪ [Man speaking Portuguese] [Woman speaking Portu guese] ♪ [Man speaking Portuguese] [Man speaking Portuguese] ♪ [Man sp eaking Portuguese] [Woman speaking Portuguese] [Man speaking Portuguese] ♪ [Woman speaking Portuguese] ♪ Zmekhol: A vision of the future 24 st ories above São Paulo\, the Pele de Vidro-- Skin of Glass.\n\nMy father d esigned it in the 1960s\, and I was conceived at the same time as this bui lding.\n\n♪ My father was everything a daughter could have dreamed of-- playful\, charming\, affectionate.\n\n♪ He was born in Paris to parents who immigrated from Syria and then made their new life in Brazil.\n\n♪ C urious\, determined\, the top of his class\, he became a prolific architec t as soon as he graduated... ♪ but who was my father as a young man?\n\n Going through these photos makes me realize how little I know about his pa st.\n\nWe never got a chance to talk about his early years.\n\nAt 29\, he met my mother Graca\, like him\, a child of Syrian-Lebanese immigrants\, a nd together\, they began building dreams.\n\n♪ By their wedding day\, my father had already designed our family home.\n\n♪ ♪ [Man speaking Por tuguese] Zmekhol: Everything felt possible in those days.\n\nIt was a time of great hope and optimism in Brazil.\n\n[Astrud Gilberto singing in Port uguese] ♪ [Lores speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ [Woman speaking Portug uese] Zmekhol: Brasilia\, the new capital city\, was built from the ground up in 3 short years.\n\n♪ Our country was moving toward modernization a nd social reform after centuries of extreme inequality.\n\n♪ My parents visited Brasilia during construction.\n\n♪ I can only imagine how this e pic project inspired my father.\n\n♪ At the age of 32\, he was beginning the most significant work of his lifetime\, the Pele de Vidro.\n\n♪ [Me yer speaking Portuguese] [Man speaking Portuguese] ♪ [Man speaking Portu guese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ [Gunshot] [Screaming] [Shouting] Construction of the Pele de Vidro was almost finis hed in 1964 when Brazil's military staged a coup with backing from the Uni ted States.\n\nIt was the height of the Cold War\, and the U.S. feared tha t Brazil was leaning toward communism.\n\n21 years of dictatorship followe d\, brutally ending Brazil's hopes for social reform.\n\nOur promising\, t ropical democracy vanished... ♪ but I was living in a child's world\, sa fe in the home my father built\, surrounded by family and friends.\n\n♪ Yara\, our closest neighbor\, was like another mother to me.\n\n♪ ♪ [Y ara speaking Portuguese] Yara: Heh!\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ [Man singing in Portu guese] ♪ [Rumbling] [Whistle blows\, explosion] ♪ [Explosion] ♪ [Exp losion] ♪ [People screaming] ♪ Zmekhol: In time\, I began to understan d what was really going on.\n\nThe military censored the media and torture d\, killed\, and exiled people they said were communists.\n\n♪ My father 's colleagues at the school of architecture remember that time well.\n\n ♪ ♪ ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] [C hico Buarque's \"Apesar de Voce\" playing] [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ As a child\, I often passed by the Pele De Vidro\, but I neve r went inside.\n\nNow I come here hoping to meet the people who have made this place their home... but I can't get in.\n\nI need the approval of the occupation leaders.\n\n[Man speaking Portuguese] Zmekhol: So I wait\, loo king in from outside.\n\nI hear Portuguese\, Spanish\, French\, kids playi ng... a mother calling her child.\n\nI'm so curious about the lives within my father's creation.\n\n♪ People were at the heart of his work.\n\n♪ He designed the Pele de Vidro with great care for the life inside.\n\nAt a time when most offices were dark and closed\, he created a space of ligh t and transparency\, a structure open to the world around it.\n\n♪ This is the only photo I ever found of my father at the Pele de Vidro\, standin g on the rooftop\, about to transform the skyline of São Paulo.\n\n♪ [W oman speaking Portuguese] [Wisnik speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ [Botti spea king Portuguese] ♪ [Woman speaking Portuguese] Zmekhol: Finding my fathe r's drawings at the School of Architecture is a revelation.\n\nI had no id ea how much was here.\n\n[Ferreira de Brito speaking Portuguese] [Paper ru stling] ♪ ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Camera shutter clicks] Zmekhol: Gal was one of my father's students.\n\nTogether\ , we go around São Paulo visiting the buildings my father designed.\n \n♪ ♪ ♪ [Rapid clicking] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Zmekhol: And finally\, the house my father built for our family.\n\nIt feels so strange that it's now someone else's home.\n\nZmekhol: This garden\, so full of memories.\n\nRu nning in circles with my brother... summer dinners with neighbors and frie nds... but there are shadows here of harder times.\n\n♪ When I was 11\, I began to sense a growing tension between my parents.\n\n♪ Some nights\ , lying in bed\, I could hear my mother crying.\n\n♪ ♪ [Yara speaking Portuguese] ♪ Zmekhol: And then one day\, my father left.\n\n♪ ♪ [Sp eaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I've been waiting 6 weeks.\n\nThe o ccupation leaders say they're asking the residents for permission to let m e in... but then\, they stop returning my calls.\n\nWatching the people\, I begin to recognize faces and feel the rhythms of their lives.\n\nWe are separated by distance and privilege\, yet\, in a strange way\, bound toget her by what we share-- a home made by my father.\n\n[Man speaking Portugue se] Zmekhol: The Pele de Vidro is one of over 70 buildings downtown occupi ed by people who need homes.\n\nThe housing crisis has sparked a movement. \n\n[Loud banging] [Indistinct chatter] [Cheering] [Man speaking Portugues e] [Indistinct chatter] [Chucre speaking Portuguese] Zmekhol: Péricles is helping me negotiate with the leaders of the Pele de Vidro\, and he takes me to one of the occupations he organizes.\n\n[Child speaking Portuguese] [Péricles speaking Portuguese] [Woman speaking Portuguese] [Ribeiro spea king Portuguese] [Péricles speaking Portuguese] [Mendes da Rocha speaking Portuguese] [Meyer speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ [Acayaba speaking Por tuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] [Yara speaking Port uguese] ♪ ♪ Zmekhol: At my father's funeral\, I felt like a stranger.. . our angry last words still stinging my heart.\n\nEven with Yara there\, I felt totally alone.\n\n♪ [Sirens] Zmekhol: A few years after my father died\, the federal police made the Pele de Vidro their headquarters... a place for censoring journalists and artists.\n\n♪ My father's creation o f openness and light became a center of fear and surveillance... [People c lamoring] but the dictatorship was faltering.\n\nPeople across the country were demanding free elections.\n\n[Cheering and applause] After two decad es of struggle\, democracy was restored.\n\nThe federal police\, now worki ng under a democratic government\, stayed in the Pele de Vidro.\n\n[Indist inct chatter] [Cameras clicking] They made international headlines identif ying the remains of the Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele.\n\nThe federal po lice left the building in 2003... and for years\, the Pele de Vidro stood empty and neglected.\n\n♪ ♪ [Lores speaking Portuguese] [Rain falling] [Man speaking Portuguese] ♪ Zmekhol: It would break my father's heart t o see his Pele de Vidro like this\, as it does mine... but I see this plac e has become a shelter\, its walls protecting so many\, and this touches m y heart.\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ [Péricles speaking Portuguese] Zmekhol: I've trie d so hard to get inside the Pele de Vidro\, but after so many months of ne gotiations\, the door is closed... but I am not giving up.\n\nI go to my f ather's birthplace... the city he loved and would visit often.\n\nI'm here to meet an architect with a deep connection to the Pele de Vidro.\n\n[Spe aking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Zmekhol: Pablo's dream c ame to an end\, and the building remained empty... ♪ but a few years lat er\, the Skin of Glass became a canvas for another vision\, a radical stre et art called pixacão.\n\n♪ Zmekhol: When I first met Rafael\, he was v ery guarded\, not sure how I felt about his art on the Pele de Vidro.\n\nI wasn't sure either.\n\n♪ [Rafael speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Zmekhol: A few months after Rafael's pixacão\, people occupied the P ele de Vidro for the first time.\n\nA local filmmaker documented them movi ng in.\n\nFinally\, a window inside.\n\nAll this time I imagined if I coul d only get into the Pele de Vidro\, I would find my father there... ♪ bu t I'm grateful to see this glimpse of life inside.\n\n♪ ♪ [Pablo speak ing Portuguese] [Distant sirens] [Low rumbling] [Sirens growing closer] [O verlapping sirens and horns] [Fire roaring] [Radio chatter] [Glass shatter ing] [Woman speaking Portuguese] Hey\, hey\, hey!\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ [Woman speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ [Indi stinct chatter] ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ Zmekhol: The gov ernor\, the mayor\, even the president appear for the cameras... but none of them meet with the survivors just one block away.\n\n[Indistinct chatte r] [Barbosa speaking Portuguese] [Speaking Portuguese] [Indistinct chatter ] ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ [Speaking Portuguese] [Ind istinct chatter] [Speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ [Woman speaking Portuguese] [Indistinct chatter] [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] [Indistinct chatter] [ Speaking Portuguese] Zmekhol: This is one of the leaders who kept me out o f the Pele de Vidro\, who abandoned the survivors after the fire.\n\nSoon after he and the other Pele de Vidro leaders were questioned by the police \, they went into hiding.\n\nMonths later\, the camp is gone without a tra ce\, shut down by the city\, the survivors scattered throughout São Paulo \, looking for shelter.\n\nMany simply vanished into the streets.\n\n[Man speaking Portuguese] [Péricles speaking Portuguese] [Speaking French] Zme khol: Pablo and Philippe have come from France to honor my father's dream and their own.\n\n♪ ♪ ♪ [Philippe speaking French] ♪ Zmekhol: This drawing will never be more than a dream\, a vision of what might have bee n.\n\n♪ Pablo and Philippe invite Rafael\, the pixacão artist\, to join them.\n\n♪ [Rafael speaking Portuguese] ♪ [Pablo speaking French] ♪ ♪ [Alves speaking Portuguese] [Speaking Portuguese] Ha ha ha!\n\n[S peaking Portuguese] ♪ Hmm.\n\n♪ [Man singing in Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ [Zmekhol speaking Portuguese] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250511 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Secrets of the Dead Egypts Darkest Hour 05/11/2025 DTSTAMP:20250511T225537Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:272-7-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Secrets of the Dead Egypts Darkest Hour\n\n As I have alw ays said\, the Nilotic word\, is connected. For me the idea that Kemet/Nub ia/Aksum are disconnected is untrue\, like Scotland/Ireland/England while each is separate they have been intermingled from ancient times\, they are Nilotic\, and based on Narmer it is clear that the boundary between  Kem et side Nubia  is like the historic boundary between usa side Mexico\, at one time\, most of the usa known in 2025 was Mexico. \n\n\n\n UNIFORM RE SOURCE LOCATOR\n\n https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/egypts-darkest-hour-eg ypts-darkest-hour-about-the-film/4097/\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n \n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n -High in the cliffs near Luxor lies a mysterious mass grave.\n\n-Filled with bodies.\n\nWow.\n\nWhat a nice foot.\n\n-Who were these people?\n\n-Generally\, you don't get mass graves in Ancient Eg ypt.\n\nIt's a very rare thing.\n\n-And how did they end up here?\n\n-Some thing like a mace struck him on the side of the head.\n\nThese people have died bloody fearsome deaths.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] -Now\, archae ologists and scientists from around the world scour through the sands in s earch of clues to solve this mystery.\n\n-It's great.\n\nFor me\, it's gre at because it's the first time for me to get inside this pyramid.\n\nReall y exciting.\n\n-From the Great Pyramids at Giza [ Wind whipping ] to the g laciers of Mount Kilimanjaro... -The fact that the pyramid was robbed mean s the government was losing control.\n\n-...a series of political crises.. . -Setting fire to a temple\, a sacred place belonging to the king shows a direct attack against Pharaoh.\n\n-...and environmental catastrophes... - This represents a major drought.\n\n-...plunged Egypt and its people into anarchy... -If anything goes wrong with the Nile\, then it would be famine and chaos.\n\n-...and triggered a dramatic civil war which would last alm ost 150 years.\n\nWere these mysterious bodies casualties of this war?\n\n If so\, who were they fighting for?\n\n\"Egypt's Darkest Hour.\"\n\n[ Susp enseful chords striking ] ♪♪ [ Suspenseful music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ -The desert cliffs of Luxor\, in Southern Egypt... -[laughing] As-salamu alaykum.\n\n-...are home to an exceptional tomb.\n\n♪♪ Dating back mor e than 4\,000 years\, long before Cleopatra\, before Tutankhamun and Ramse s\, it's a rare mass grave.\n\nFirst discovered in 1923\, it was sealed of f and very few people have entered since.\n\nBut\, today\, this unique gra ve is being opened for archaeologist Salima Ikram.\n\n-It's amazing to be able to go into this tomb.\n\nIt's a huge privilege.\n\nNo one's been allo wed to go in for a long time and I've always wanted to go in since I was a baby Egyptologist\, so this is a real treat.\n\n♪♪ -Little is known a bout this burial site and Salima wants to find out who is inside\, and why .\n\n-Door's open\, but we have to wait for the air to clear a bit.\n\nThe re's still a lot of dust and there's still a lot of dead stuff.\n\n♪♪ [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] ♪♪ -After half an hour\, it's safe for S alima to enter.\n\n-Light saber.\n\nFinally\, we can really go in and see this tomb for the first time.\n\n♪♪ Shukran.\n\nWow!\n\n-Carved out of rock by hand\, the tomb consists of 200 feet of branching tunnels that re ach back deep into the cliff.\n\n-It's like a labyrinth in here.\n\nIt kee ps on going.\n\nThere are rooms and twists and turns and tunnels.\n\nIt's fantastic!\n\n♪♪ And it's filled with bodies.\n\nWow!\n\nAnd lots of b andages.\n\n♪♪ [ Grunts ] Here's a shoulder.\n\nYou can see the scapul a\, a little bit of scapula here\, and here's a humerus.\n\nSo\, so\, it'd sorta be like this.\n\nYou can see whoever it was was taller than I am\, quite robust\, probably male.\n\n♪♪ Here\, you can see all the folds o f flesh.\n\n♪♪ And over here\, we have someone's leg.\n\n♪♪ All th ese bandages would've been wrapped around the bodies\, protecting them\, a llegedly\, for eternity.\n\n-The tunnels contain the remains of least 60 p eople.\n\n♪♪ -Just keeps on going.\n\n♪♪ Oh!\n\nWhat a nice foot.\ n\nLeft foot with his big toe intact.\n\nSmall toes have fallen off.\n\nQu ite a large foot.\n\nIt's probably male.\n\n-To add to the mystery\, all t he bodies seem to be male.\n\n-And here's its mate.\n\nThey're all intact. \n\n♪♪ -This grave is extremely unusual for Ancient Egypt.\n\n-There a re huge numbers of bodies in here and\, generally\, you don't get mass gra ves in Ancient Egypt.\n\n-Normally\, Egyptians were buried alone\, or with their family.\n\n-But it's only when you have plagues or battles\, where you might have a mass grave\, like this one.\n\nIt's a very rare thing.\n\ n-Can science provide the identities of these bodies?\n\n♪♪ French arc haeologist Audran Labrousse is an expert on this period of Egyptian histor y\, known as the Old Kingdom.\n\nTo find out who these people were\, he be gins with an ancient text.\n\nWritten by the poet Ipuwer\, it's thought to describe Egypt at the time leading up to the mass burial.\n\nAnd Ipuwer's poem suggests something terrible happened to Egyptian civilization.\n\n-S ee now\, the land is deprived of kingship.\n\nThe king has been robbed\, d eposed by beggars.\n\nEvery town says\, \"Let's expel our rulers.\"\n\nThe people of the land weep because their enemies have entered the temple and burned the images.\n\nUpper Egypt becomes a wasteland.\n\n♪♪ -Accordi ng to the text\, Egypt was in total chaos\, which could help explain the d ead in the mass grave.\n\nSome historians doubt the veracity of Ipuwer's t ext\, rejecting it as exaggeration or pure fiction.\n\nHowever\, Audran th inks there may be some truth to what the ancient poet wrote.\n\n♪♪ Tog ether with his colleague Philippe Collombert\, he's come to Saqqara\, wher e the pharaohs were buried in their pyramids\, just south of Cairo.\n\ n♪♪ Between them\, Audran and Philippe have spent more than 50 years s tudying the pyramids.\n\nToday\, they've been given permission to open a v ery special pyramid they believe contains evidence explaining why the bodi es were interred in the mass grave.\n\n-We're going now to the pyramid\, t he last pyramid\, of the Old Kingdom and we're quite excited because we'd like to open it and to see exactly what is inside.\n\n♪♪ -It will be v ery interesting to get inside the pyramid.\n\nIt has been closed for years .\n\nAnd we have the luck\, the chance\, the privilege\, to get to the sar cophagus and make a complete study of the monument.\n\n♪♪ -It's just o ver there.\n\nYou can see it in the background.\n\n♪♪ And here we are. \n\n-Yes\, the pyramid.\n\n♪♪ -So here it is and it belongs to the Pha raoh Pepi II.\n\n-The story of the bones in the tomb starts with the end o f Pepi's reign.\n\nWho was Pepi II?\n\nPepi II came to the throne around 4 \,300 years ago\, at the age of just six\, 250 years after the Great Pyram ids and the Sphinx were built.\n\nBy this time\, the pharaohs had ruled Eg ypt for about 700 years.\n\nThis great civilization extended from the Medi terranean to Aswan.\n\nAs pharaoh\, Pepi was believed to be the son of a g od and he ruled for at least 60\, some say even 90\, years\, the longest r eign in Egyptian history.\n\n♪♪ His long reign gave him plenty of time to build a magnificent pyramid.\n\nIts grandeur demonstrates the extent o f his wealth and power.\n\n-The main masonry of the pyramid is made of sma ll stones cemented with mud\, as to form a huge staircase toward the sky.\ n\nAgainst these small stones\, you had a thickness of about 5 meters of h uge limestones blocks.\n\n-And\, finally\, on top of this\, the outer laye r of the pyramid\, made of the finest\, whitest\, limestone in all of Egyp t.\n\n-This casing covered the pyramid on 50 meters high and a golden top was added.\n\nIt must have been a very impressive monument.\n\n♪♪ -The funerary complex had a temple dedicated to Pepi and included small\, sate llite pyramids for his spirit and three medium-sized pyramids where his wi ves were entombed.\n\nBut this magnificent pyramid was to be the last of t his golden era.\n\nAfter Pepi's death\, around 4\,200 years ago\, traces o f the Old Kingdom disappear into the sand.\n\nPerhaps the turmoil written about in Ipuwer's ancient poem was real.\n\n♪♪ [ Conversing in Arabic ] Audran and Philippe are entering the pyramid to find out what was happen ing in Egypt at this time.\n\n-[ Speaking in Arabic ] -Audran mudir!\n\n[ Conversing in Arabic ] -But the pyramid isn't giving up its secrets easily .\n\n-So we're in it now.\n\nWe're approaching the entrance of the Pharaoh Pepi II.\n\n[ Suspenseful chord strikes ] ♪♪ -It's taken the workers more than four days to dig down through nearly 15 feet of sand.\n\n♪♪ -We are nearly coming to the end of the work.\n\nWe still have some bit of sand to take out of the entrance and we will be in it.\n\n-Finally\, the sealed entrance to the pyramid is revealed.\n\n-So\, now\, we're ready to start.\n\nWe're gonna break the cement.\n\n♪♪ -The pyramid was last st udied in the 1930s and hardly anyone has had the privilege of entering it since.\n\n♪♪ It is an amazing opportunity for Audran and Philippe. \n\n♪♪ -It's great.\n\nFor me\, it's great because it's the first time for me to get inside this pyramid.\n\nReally exciting.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ - The passageway descends steeply and then levels off\, continuing for about 85 feet directly into the heart of the pyramid.\n\n-Well\, now\, we're in the passage and just leading to the burial chamber.\n\n-At the very cente r\, they reach the antechamber\, which then leads to the burial chamber\, where the pharaoh was laid to rest.\n\n-[gasp] Ooh la la la.\n\nPssh!\n\nT his is really amazing\, amazing.\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I'm really amazed by the state of preservation of this pyramid\, with all these marvelous t exts all around.\n\nIt look like the painter just left yesterday and we're just coming afterwards.\n\nYou see the green color and the white surface\ ; even the line here\, the black line\, are still present.\n\n♪♪ And\, here\, we have the sarcophagus with the inscription with the name of Pepi II.\n\nThis sarcophagus is the master piece of the Old Kingdom.\n\nIt's r eally huge and magnificent\, really nicely done.\n\n-This massive stone sa rcophagus weighs 11 tons.\n\n-The sarcophagus is made of a black stone but you have to imagine that it was covered of gold.\n\nThe inscription was i n gold and inside it was a thick\, gold leaf.\n\nAnd you have also to imag ine in front of the sarcophagus\, filling the room\, all the golden furnit ure\, the vases\, everything that the king needed in his afterlife.\n\n-An d the walls of the chamber are covered in hieroglyphs of ancient Egyptian religious texts.\n\n♪♪ -All these texts are ritual texts for the rebir th of the king in the afterlife.\n\n-For Audran and Philippe\, the interio r of the pyramid reveals the state of the country during Pepi's reign and the events leading to the mass grave.\n\n-When you see the sarcophagus\, w ith all these marvelous texts all around\, that shows that\, at the beginn ing of the reign of Pepi II\, the state is still really powerful.\n\n-Egyp t is triumphant.\n\n-But Philippe and Audran have spotted signs that thing s changed.\n\nFor one\, the pyramid was looted.\n\n-As you can see\, the s arcophagus has been opened up and all that was inside has been robbed and taken out.\n\n-Including Pepi II's mummy\, which has never been found.\n\n -When the robbers arrived\, they pushed the lid of the sarcophagus\, opene d the coffin\, took the royal mummy\, throw it away.\n\nAnd\, of course\, all this gold\, it was fabulous.\n\nThey took everything out and the archa eologists found absolutely nothing in this room\, unfortunately.\n\n[ Sini ster music plays ] -Back at the entrance tunnel\, Audran is studying evide nce which shows that the pyramid must've been robbed shortly after Pepi's death.\n\nAfter Pepi was buried\, the original passage was sealed with mas sive stone blocks\, but the looters found a way around them.\n\n-Here\, we see the evidence of the pillaging of the pyramid.\n\nThe looters break th e façade.\n\n-They then dug through the limestone brickwork\, until they bypassed the stone blocks.\n\n-The looters cut the lintels and went into t he descending passage.\n\n-Farther on\, they dug a second tunnel above the main passage.\n\nIt's now been filled\, but Audran has found traces of it .\n\n-The looters arrived to this lintel.\n\nThey break it.\n\nYou can see some traces above.\n\n-Why did they dig this second tunnel?\n\n-The passa ge was blocked by three unpenetrable granite portcullis.\n\n-Today\, they are raised\, but\, at the time\, these massive\, granite blocks barred the way.\n\nThe looters had to dig through the softer limestone to get around them.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] ♪♪ -They came down here\, after the third portcullis\, and then\, their passage was clear to the funerary chamber.\n\n-The efficiency of the looters' route belies when they broke i n.\n\n-It means that the looters knew perfectly the plans of the pyramid.\ n\nThey had in their crew somebody who had built the monument and it shows that this must have happened shortly after the death of Pepi II.\n\n[ Sin ister music plays ] -Looting the pyramid so soon after Pepi's death is a s ure sign the country was in turmoil.\n\n-When they took out the mummy of P epi II\, first\, of all\, it was a very big sacrilege.\n\n-Ancient Egyptia ns believed they needed their body to live again in the afterlife\, which is why mummification was so important to them.\n\n-Destroying his body mea ns that Pepi II will never be able to live again.\n\nThat's real death for the pharaoh.\n\n-Protecting the pharaoh's mummy was a critical task.\n\n- The pyramid was closed after the burial of the king and it was guarded by a lot of people around the pyramid\, so nobody could approach.\n\nThe fact that the pyramid was robbed means that the state\, the government\, was n ot controlling anything here.\n\n[ Suspenseful music climbs ] [ Suspensefu l chord strikes ] -And that's not all.\n\nNearby\, next to Pepi's father's pyramid\, Audran has found more evidence that the country was in trouble shortly after Pepi II died.\n\n-We are here in one of the storerooms of th e temple of Pepi I.\n\nAnd you can see that the stones are black\, they ar e burned\, and it shows a very violent and destructive fire.\n\nThe fire\, of course\, was deliberate.\n\n-Crucially\, Audran's team was able to dat e this fire.\n\n-We were able to date the fire by radiocarbon and it dates from the end of the Old Kingdom.\n\n[ Flames crackling ] -The date of the fire supports Audran's theory: that Pepi II's pyramid was pillaged not lo ng after his death.\n\n-Setting fire to a temple\, a sacred place\, belong ing to the king\, shows a direct attack against power\, against royalty\, against Pharaoh.\n\n-Shortly after he died\, law and order broke down to s uch an extent\, his pyramid\, and those of his family\, were robbed and de secrated.\n\n[ Flames crackling ] More evidence to suggest Ipuwer may have been telling the truth.\n\n-The king has been robbed.\n\nThe people of th e land weep because their enemies have entered the temple and burned the i mages.\n\n♪♪ -What happened?\n\nHow and why did the pharaohs lose cont rol and how did this lead to the dead in the mass grave?\n\nAll over Egypt \, archaeologists are finding signs of the growing political problems that were festering before Pepi II's death.\n\n♪♪ As Pepi's reign continue d and he grew older\, he began ceding more and more power to his provincia l governors.\n\n♪♪ 500 miles south of Saqqara\, on the banks of the Ni le\, lies the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa.\n\nIt's here that the governor s of Southern Egypt are buried and\, with them\, striking evidence of thei r growing influence.\n\nArchaeologist Martin Bommas -As-salamu alaykum.\n\ n-has been digging here for three years.\n\nComparing the tombs of governo rs from the start and end of Pepi's reign\, he points out signs that their authority was increasing over time.\n\n[ Suspenseful chord strikes ] -Her e we are\, right at the entrance into the Tomb of Harkhuf\, the governor o f Upper Egypt\, at roughly the time when Pepi II was a child and\, as part of his role\, he went to Nubia four times\, to bring back exotic goods\, like leopard skin\, elephant tusks\, and so on.\n\n♪♪ [ Suspenseful ch ord strikes ] ♪♪ He was sent out by the king\, obviously.\n\nThe king financed all these expeditions.\n\nWhat is really interesting is that\, al though Harkhuf was one of the most important men in the region\, really ru nning the business here\, he still had to ask Pepi II for permission to bu ild his tomb.\n\n-At the start of his reign\, Pepi II was very much in con trol of the country.\n\n-When we look into the political situation of Egyp t at this point in time\, we see that the king is still very strong.\n\n-B ut during the course of his long reign\, things changed and those changes are reflected in the style and construction of the governors' tombs.\n\nBe cause\, as grand as this grave is\, it's nothing compared to the tombs of two governors from the latter part of Pepi's life\, which are at the far e nd of the necropolis.\n\nThe first one belonged to a governor of Elephanti ne.\n\n-Look at the size of this tomb and look at the columns\, how high t hey are.\n\nThat gives us an idea about the importance of the governor of Elephantine.\n\nEighteen columns here.\n\nIt's almost like a forest of col umns.\n\n-The majesty of this tomb illustrates Pepi II's weakened authorit y\, while the regional governors were becoming increasingly important.\n\n And the adjoining tomb\, belonging to his son\, is even more elaborate.\n\ n-Now\, look at this lavish painting here\, that shows Sabni on a boat\, o n a river\, but not during this life.\n\nIt's the next life.\n\nIt's the b eyond.\n\n-The painting\, together with the sheer size of the tomb\, tells a story of wealth and influence.\n\n-If we relate what we see here to the beginning of the reign of Pepi II\, like what we've seen in the tomb of H arkhuf\, this clearly points out that\, by the end of Pepi II's reign\, wh en he was an old man\, local governors had more power.\n\n♪♪ -And this situation was replicated across Egypt.\n\nPepi II gradually relinquished more power and control to the local governors.\n\n-Suddenly\, local govern ors had too much power\, compared to the power that was decreasing in the capital.\n\n-A political crisis was brewing.\n\nThen\, at the age of 94\, Pepi II died\, and the fragile political situation finally unraveled and s o began a series of events that led to the remains in the mass grave.\n\n[ Flames crackling ] ♪♪ There are hardly any traces of Pepi II's succes sors.\n\nAudran has been searching for these kings for years.\n\nOne of hi s few sources of information provides insight into the leaders who followe d Pepi.\n\n-We are lucky enough to have the list of Abydos.\n\nIt is a lis t engraved on a temple\, giving the names of all the kings of Ancient Egyp t.\n\nAnd we have the names of five sons of Pepi II.\n\n-None of Pepi II's five sons reigned for very long.\n\n-The first successor of Pepi II was c alled Merenre II and we know\, according to the Greek historian Herodotus\ , he was murdered after a very short reign of two years.\n\n♪♪ -And hi s brothers didn't last much longer.\n\n-We know that Pepi II has a very lo ng reign\, between 60 and 90 years.\n\nSo\, his sons were very old when th ey arrived at the throne.\n\nPerhaps they just die because they were too o ld.\n\n-After his five sons\, the crisis worsened and the Abydos list show s 13 more kings in quick succession.\n\nThat's 18 kings in roughly 50 year s.\n\nThe Old Kingdom was clearly in freefall.\n\n♪♪ To this day\, arc haeologists have not been able to find any physical evidence related to th ese kings.\n\nWith the exception of one.\n\nIt might not look like it\, bu t this uninspiring pile of rubble is actually the remains of a pyramid.\n\ nIt belonged to Qakare Ibi\, the fifteenth king after Pepi II.\n\n♪♪ A nd it's tiny: less than half the height of Pepi's pyramid.\n\n♪♪ The s mall size of Ibi's pyramid illustrates how weak the royal authority had be come following Pepi II's reign.\n\nAnd\, after Ibi's\, it seems\, no pyram ids were built for about 200 years.\n\n♪♪ [ Horn toots ] [ Poignant tu ne sweeps ] What was happening in the rest of the country\, while the powe r of the pharaoh was waning?\n\n400 miles to the south lies El Mo'alla.\n\ n♪♪ Once again\, the style of a tomb signifies how the local governors responded to this succession of ephemeral kings.\n\nArchaeologist Antonio Morales explains.\n\n-This is Ankhtifi\, the owner of this tomb\, the loc al ruler of Hefat\, the third province in Upper Egypt.\n\n-Ankhtifi govern ed in the tumultuous years between Pepi II's death and the creation of the mass grave.\n\n-These inscriptions tell us a lot about social disruption\ , civil war\, conflict\, lack of order or control by the central administr ation.\n\nThere was a big gap of royal control of the country.\n\n-Most to mb walls are covered with references to the ruling king\, but not here.\n\ n-This is the only place in the whole tomb where Ankhtifi mentioned the na me of a king.\n\nThe rest of the tomb does not have a single mention to an y king\, which probably means that\, with the passing of time\, the centra l government lost control of the country and Ankhtifi felt that he was the single power in his province.\n\n-And\, on his tomb walls\, he's portraye d himself as king and ruler of his province.\n\n-He used kinds of phraseol ogy\, expressions\, and even iconography that usually was used during the Old Kingdom\, only by the kings.\n\nThis section of the inscription says \ "I am taking care of the orphan.\n\nI am giving a boat to the one who cann ot cross the Nile.\"\n\nBy doing this\, he was somehow comparing himself t o the king\, since these kinds of expressions referred to the capacity of the king to provide for his people and his country.\n\n-It seems that\, af ter Pepi's death\, rather than submitting to a rapid succession of weak ph araohs\, the local governors\, like Ankhtifi\, decided to rule for themsel ves.\n\nThe regional governors began jockeying for power and the inevitabl e consequence was civil war.\n\n-Some of the inscriptions in the tomb of A nkhtifi talk a lot about civil war.\n\nHere\, for example\, we have the ve rb \"to attack\, to fight\,\" and includes the determinative of man with a stick and he's expressing how he was going to attack the Theban province. \n\n♪♪ So\, we have a situation of social disruption\, civil war\, con flict.\n\n♪♪ [ Tranquil tune plays ] -All of this supports what the an cient poet Ipuwer's work described.\n\n-The land is deprived of kingship.\ n\n-Pepi II's heirs lost their grip on the country.\n\nEgypt split apart a nd plunged into chaos and war.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] Salima think s it's possible that the bodies found in the mass grave near Luxor perishe d in the civil war.\n\n-I've got some photos of men who were inside the to mb and a lot of them had horrible trauma.\n\nYou can see\, over here\, the re's a hole here and he's probably hit by\, you know\, a rock from a sling shot.\n\nThis one's even worse\, 'cause you can really see that there've b een attacks here\, on both sides.\n\nSo\, this is quite possibly something like a mace struck him on the side of the head and blew it out and killed him rather viciously.\n\nSo\, this was not someone who died in bed.\n\nTh is was someone who died in battle.\n\nAnd some of them actually had arrows going through their bodies.\n\nSo\, here's the arrow and so he was pierce d through and he would've been lying\, bleeding\, on the battlefield\, pro bably waiting to be rescued or slowly dying and having birds pecking at hi m.\n\nThese people have died bloody fearsome deaths.\n\n[ Voices shouting ] -In addition to the brutal manner of their deaths\, there are other clue s to their identities.\n\n-They were buried with their bows and arrows.\n\ nSo\, we have those.\n\nAnd this is really the clincher.\n\n♪♪ This on e's got a wrist guard that goes all the way up and that's what archers wor e to protect themselves from the bow's recoil.\n\nSo\, these people were a rchers themselves.\n\nSo\, all the evidence points to the fact that these were soldiers who died in battle.\n\n♪♪ -But who were these soldiers f ighting for\, and why?\n\n♪♪ ♪♪ The hieroglyphs on Ankhtifi's tomb reveal a catastrophic event that might explain.\n\n-Here\, it says the wh ole southern country was dying of hunger\, so that every man was eating hi s own children.\n\n♪♪ Also\, in this section of the inscription\, it s ays\, the whole country has become like a starving locust.\n\nThat is a cl ear way for Ancient Egyptians to express that there was a dramatic famine in this section of the country.\n\n♪♪ -Already politically weakened by the rise of the governors and the succession crisis after Pepi's death\, a famine could have been the final blow that brought down the Old Kingdom. \n\n♪♪ There is mounting evidence from all over the world that planeta ry forces could have caused such a famine.\n\n♪♪ Scientists are discov ering that\, long before Pepi\, Egypt wasn't the desert it is today.\n \n♪♪ Back in Saqqara\, Audran has found something revealing on the pat hway leading to another pyramid\, that of Unas\, Pepi II's great-great-gra ndfather.\n\n-The wall of the causeway were covered with reliefs.\n\nAmong them\, one is specially interesting.\n\nWhat do we see?\n\nWe see various animals.\n\nWe see antelopes\, oryx\, gazelle\, and among them there are small bushes and we see\, for instance\, here a very small gazelle\, more or less sleeping among bushes.\n\nIn fact\, it's the representation of a s avanna.\n\n-Audran believes these carvings show that Egypt once had a very different climate than it does today.\n\n-It means that\, at the time of the Old Kingdom\, the pyramids were not surrounded by a desert.\n\nThey we re surrounded by a savanna\, very close to what we found now in Kenya.\n\n The necropolis was not a place of death.\n\nIt was a place of life.\n\n-Bu t are these decorations enough to prove these animals lived nearby and tha t the climate was so different?\n\nOr are these carvings simply fanciful i llustrations of animals seen while on expedition?\n\nThere should be scien tific evidence\, if Egypt's environment was radically different in the pas t.\n\nThat evidence comes from a very unlikely source: crocodiles.\n\n ♪♪ To find out more\, Salima has come here\, to Kom Ombo Temple\, wher e Ancient Egyptians worshipped the god Sobek\, who had the head of a croco dile.\n\nShe's here to examine an altogether different type of mummy.\n\n- One of the most important gods in Ancient Egypt was the crocodile god Sobe k and\, as a result\, priests actually raised crocodiles\, so you have pla ces where you have hatcheries for the eggs and then they also would have n urseries for the baby crocodiles and sometimes these were killed deliberat ely\, with their heads being bashed in so that they could then be mummifie d and be given to Sobek as an offering.\n\n♪♪ The ones that were recog nized by the priests as having the divine spirit in them were allowed to g row to their full length\, 5\, 6 meters\, and\, during the lifetime of tha t animal\, he would be fed and revered and looked after and spoilt rotten\ , in general.\n\nSome of them\, according to the Greek writers\, had earri ngs of gold and bracelets made of gold put on them\, so someone had to be very brave to go and do this to the god.\n\n♪♪ -And\, after their deat h\, the crocodiles were carefully mummified.\n\n♪♪ Surprisingly\, thes e sacred crocs can provide details on Ancient Egypt's climate.\n\nIn 2003\ , zoologists studied crocodiles living in isolated pools in Mauretania and Chad.\n\nThese West African crocs are smaller and more docile than the mo re familiar Nile crocodiles found in East Africa today.\n\nAnd DNA analysi s has revealed these smaller animals are\, in fact\, a separate species\, called Crocodylus suchus.\n\nThe DNA analysis also revealed they're the ex act same species as the sacred Ancient Egyptian crocodiles.\n\n-Recently\, we've been doing DNA on mummified crocodiles and the results have been tr uly spectacular because we did a huge crocodile from Kom Ombo and it turne d out to be Cr ocodylus suchus\, which is a desert crocodile.\n\nIn a way\ , it makes sense that these nicer\, kinder\, gentler ones were allowed to grow and sort of co-habit with humans and be the benign version of the cro codile god.\n\n-How did the pharaohs' sacred crocodiles end up on the othe r side of the African continent and what does that mean for Ancient Egypt' s climate?\n\n-So we know that we have mummified suchus in Egypt and we kn ow that we have living suchus\, quite a few of them\, in fact\, in the des erts of Mauritania\, as well as in Chad.\n\nSo here we've got these popula tions that are quite far apart\, but they're the same animal.\n\nSo what w as going on here?\n\nWe started to look for fossils\, to see if we could f ind any other evidence that could link these different populations of croc odiles together.\n\nAnd\, throughout the Sahara\, we've\, in fact\, found lots of fossils of crocodiles\, in Libya\, Niger\, in Mali\, throughout Al geria\, and also in Morocco.\n\nSo that means that\, in ancient times\, al l of the space must've been connected by a series of waterways\, for the c rocodiles to move to and fro\, and it wasn't always the desert that it is today.\n\n♪♪ -5\,000 years ago\, the Sahara Desert was actually a sava nna\, crisscrossed by a network of interconnected waterways\, which allowe d crocodiles to move freely throughout North Africa.\n\nThe carvings on Un as's causeway reflected reality.\n\n[ Birds chirping ] When the pyramids w ere built\, they were surrounded by savanna.\n\n[ Insects chirping ] But\, when did Egypt dry out and become a desert and could this have played a p art in the demise of the Old Kingdom and led to the mass grave?\n\n♪♪ Elephantine\, in the middle of the Nile\, between Qubbet el-Hawa and Aswan \, can shed some light.\n\n♪♪ The ruins here show what was happening t o Egypt's climate.\n\n♪♪ Archaeologist Miroslav Barta describes the ch anges.\n\n♪♪ -This is a fortress dating back to 3\,000 BC.\n\nAt the t ime\, the island of Elephantine consisted of two separated islands: the ea stern one and then the western island.\n\n♪♪ The fortress is located i n here\, on the eastern island.\n\n-The fortress was built on the highest ground\, 315 feet above sea level.\n\n-The reason was that the Nile flood at the beginning of the Old Kingdom was very high.\n\n♪♪ -But the buil dings surrounding the fortress show that the level of the Nile began to fa ll.\n\nAnd\, as the water level fell\, the city expanded over the rest of the eastern island\, which had been partially submerged.\n\nAnd there are even ruins from the lowest part of the island\, where the Nile once flowed \, that date from after Pepi II.\n\n♪♪ -Now\, we stand in the middle o f the original depression that was separating the eastern and western isla nd of Elephantine.\n\nAnd\, as we can see here\, the ancient Egyptians wer e able to use up the original depression to construct their houses over it .\n\n-After Pepi II's death\, the level of the Nile had dropped so signifi cantly that the two islands merged into one and the city expanded onto wha t had previously been the marshes in between.\n\nHere is evidence that Egy pt's climate was gradually changing and becoming drier during the Old King dom.\n\n[ Triumphant music plays ] But things would get worse\, much worse .\n\n[ Foreboding music plays ] [ Wind blowing ] The key to understanding the collapse of the Old Kingdom\, and the reasons for the mass grave\, lie s almost 2\,000 miles away\, in the glaciers of Mount Kilimanjaro.\n\nIn 2 000\, an expedition of American glaciologists\, led by Professor Lonnie Th ompson\, discovered proof of a global climate catastrophe.\n\n♪♪ An ic e cap is built of layers and layers of snow gradually piling up that are t hen compressed into ice.\n\nBy extracting cores from the ice\, Lonnie is a ble to look back in time.\n\nThe ice captures a record of what was in the air at the time it was laid down.\n\nStudying this ice back in the lab\, L onnie can reconstruct the past climate.\n\nThese precious cores are preser ved in Lonnie's freezer at Ohio State University.\n\n-We have over 7\,000 meters of ice cores collected from around the world.\n\nWe have\, on this particular rack\, those cores which we recovered from Kilimanjaro in 2000. \n\nIt dates back 11\,700 years and\, in that record\, about the depth of 33 meters\, we would find the time that corresponds to the Old Kingdom in Egypt\, so we'll take this out and examine it on the light table.\n\n-This piece of ice holds a unique record of the climate around the time the Old Kingdom fell apart.\n\n-This is what's left after all the measurements ha ve been made on the core\, so.\n\nAnd this record starts about 5\,000 year s before present\, so we're coming forward in time and you see this very d istinct band.\n\n♪♪ And it was really amazing\, in the field\, when th is thing showed up\, yeah.\n\nThere's a lot of excitement because you know you have something.\n\nIt's gonna take you a while to figure out.\n\nNo\, it's very exciting.\n\n-This ominous\, dark layer is the result of the dr amatic climate change that led to the collapse of the Old Kingdom.\n\n-Thi s black line that you see here in the core is a layer of dust\, windblown dust\, that accumulated on the ice field.\n\nThis is the largest dust even t we've found in an ice core\, so it's very\, very highly concentrated.\n\ nIt would suggest that there was a massive drought throughout this region. \n\n-And Lonnie has found more physical signs of this drought\, on the oth er side of the world.\n\n-In the same time period\, we have found a simila r layer in the Huascarán ice cores in the Andes\, in Peru.\n\nWe also see it over in the Himalayas\, which suggests that there was a major drought throughout the tropics.\n\n♪♪ -Crucially\, he was able to date this dr ought.\n\n[ Music intensifies ] -Based on our Kilimanjaro timescale\, we e stimate the event occurs around 4\,200 years ago\, the time of the collaps e of the Old Kingdom.\n\n♪♪ -Could this massive global drought have be en what brought the Old Kingdom to its knees and led to the death of the s oldiers in the mass grave?\n\n[ Suspenseful music climbs ] [ Suspenseful c hords striking ] [ Foreboding music plays ] Over the course of the Old Kin gdom\, Egypt was gradually turning from savannah into desert.\n\nAgricultu re was entirely dependent on the annual flooding of the Nile.\n\nEach summ er\, the rains falling on the highlands of Ethiopia flow into the Nile\, c ausing it to overflow its banks\, flooding the fields and depositing rich soil which fertilizes the crops.\n\n[ Suspenseful music plays ] If Lonnie is right\, this climate spike would have had a disastrous impact on the Ni le floods and the people of the Old Kingdom.\n\n[ Wind blowing ] Back in E gypt\, geologist- turned-archaeologist Professor Fekri Hassan has been loo king for proof that this global calamity did\, indeed\, hit the land of th e pharaohs.\n\n-There were indications that there are problems in other pa rts of the world at that time\, caused by climate change.\n\nIt was tempti ng to think that this might be the case in Egypt as well.\n\n-But\, in Egy pt\, there is no ice.\n\nHe's had to find another way of seeing into the p ast: mud.\n\nHe takes cores from the bottom of Lake Qarun\, just south of Cairo.\n\nThe lake is fed by the Nile\, which deposits layers of sediment on the bottom\, and\, just like ice\, these layers hold a record of the pa st climate.\n\nBack in the lab in Cairo\, Fekri has analyzed the cores.\n\ n-These were the cores we got.\n\nIt consisted of a sequence from the bott om of the lake that spans 10\,000 years.\n\nThese are the oldest ones\, th at were before the rise of civilization\, where the lake was quite deep an d\, as we move to this way\, this part it the Old Kingdom.\n\nThis is the whole history of the Nile floodplain over the last 10\,000 years.\n\nIt's never been available before.\n\n-The core reveals that\, during the Old Ki ngdom\, the lake was much larger and deeper than today... ♪♪ ...its de pth fluctuating around 200 feet.\n\n-This part of the core here is the par t that represents the Old Kingdom.\n\nWhat is amazing in this part is this break\, where we had the presence of a thick layer of gypsum\, the whitis h material.\n\nThis is a mineral\, which forms under shallow water conditi ons and evaporative conditions.\n\nMixed with the gypsum\, we have the dep osits of the iron oxide\, the reddish material.\n\nIron oxide usually form under very shallow water conditions\, where oxygen is present\, either ve ry\, very shallow water or almost no water.\n\nThat would mean that the la ke was almost dry\; if not bone-dry\, just extremely shallow pools.\n\n[ E thereal vocals join ] -The layer of gypsum and iron ore shows that this de ep\, freshwater lake dried up\, leaving behind just a few ephemeral pools of water.\n\n-You know\, maybe 60\, 70 meters of water disappeared.\n\ n♪♪ From the different radio carbon age determinations of the core\, w e were able to determine that this layer here represents time around 4\,20 0 years ago\, which correlates to the end of the Old Kingdom.\n\n♪♪ -F ekri's discovery confirms that the global drought seen in the ice cores al so hit Egypt hard\, just at the time the Old Kingdom collapsed.\n\n-We wer e able to find the smoking gun.\n\nThis is the hard evidence for this even t\, this catastrophic event.\n\nThe thickness of this layer and the fact t hat the very deep lake had to dry up\, it would indicate that we are deali ng with no less than 20 years of reduced Nile floods.\n\n-This disastrous drought was the knockout punch which pushed Egypt into chaos.\n\n-I think climate change leading to a reduction of Nile floods is the cause of the c ollapse of the Old Kingdom.\n\nEgypt depends on the Nile.\n\nIf anything g oes wrong with the Nile\, then it would be famine and chaos.\n\nIf the Nil e is low for 20 years or even more\, it means that agriculture production would stop.\n\n-Ankhtifi\, the local governor\, was right: the whole of Eg ypt would've been like a starving locust.\n\n-That means that the king doe s not have enough revenues\, not even for his own household\, not to menti on for the viziers and the managers and people engaged in the governments\ , so\, the whole civilization comes to a stop.\n\n[ Suspenseful music clim bs ] It's a great lesson about how abrupt climate change can be and how ci vilizations\, no matter how mighty they are\, can really suffer from event s like that.\n\n[ Outro plays ] -This terrible climate crisis\, combined w ith the underlying political problems\, created the perfect storm\, which destroyed the Old Kingdom and ultimately set the stage for the mass grave. \n\nIn the face of famine and economic crisis\, Pepi II's politically weak successors lost control of the country.\n\nEgypt fractured into city-stat es.\n\nBut the turmoil and violence would last far longer than the drought itself.\n\n[ Swords clinking ] Even as the 20-year drought ended and the Nile level rose\, Egypt remained divided and vulnerable.\n\nAs prosperity gradually returned\, it wasn't long before the regional governors\, like A nkhtifi\, developed ambitions to conquer the whole country.\n\nThe consequ ence was war for 130 years.\n\n[ Shouting\, swords clinking ] The soldiers in the mass grave likely died\, not in the initial chaos caused by the fa mine\, [ Poignant tune plays ] but right at the end of the protracted civi l war that followed.\n\nRoughly 40 years after the drought ended\, the rul ers of Thebes\, modern-day Luxor\, took control of the South and the locat ion of the mass grave near Luxor suggests the soldiers were Thebans.\n\nMe anwhile\, another family of local rulers\, from a town called Heracleopoli s\, had taken control of the North.\n\n[ Sinister music plays ] Egypt was split in two and both sides wanted control of the entire country.\n\nIn 20 40 BC\, the Thebans captured most of the North and they reached Heracleopo lis itself.\n\nThey were led by a king named Mentuhotep II.\n\nHe was a gr eat general.\n\nHis name even means \"Montu the god of war is satisfied\,\ " and he finally conquered Heracleopolis\, [ Shouting\, swords clinking ] in a bloody siege.\n\n[ Suspenseful music climbs ] [ Cheering\, swords cli nking ] [ Wind whistles ] Salima believes it's possible that these soldier s\, now more than 4\,000 years old\, took part in this final battle.\n\n-A mongst these bodies\, there was a lot of linen and some of the linen had m arks on it.\n\nAnd these are actually associated with the temple of Mentuh otep II.\n\nThis\, together with the fact that the temple is right there\, underneath his tomb\, means that the soldiers were fighting for Mentuhote p II.\n\n[ Sinister music plays ] -And that's not all.\n\nClose analysis o f the injuries provides more details about what caused them.\n\n-Looking a t these arrows that went into the necks of these soldiers\, you can see th at the trajectory is from above and it's the same thing with all of these head wounds.\n\nIt's like someone was hitting them from above.\n\nSo\, cle arly\, it would seem that these soldiers were up against an enemy that was higher than they were\, as if they were in a fortress\, as if there were some sort of siege situation\, and that these soldiers of Mentuhotep were attacking some kind of fort and people were hitting them from above\, rain ing down arrows\, throwing rocks.\n\nAnd\, maybe\, when they came too clos e\, hitting them hard with clubs and maces.\n\n[ Suspenseful chords strike ] -It would seem these soldiers were fighting for Mentuhotep in the decid ing battle of the civil war.\n\n-All of this put together makes us think t hat these soldiers were fighting at the siege of Heracleopolis.\n\n-After the battle was won\, Mentuhotep II declared himself king of the entire cou ntry\, reunifying Egypt at last\, and he is believed to have had the soldi ers buried above his own mortuary temple as a sign of honor.\n\n-It's a hu ge honor for anyone to be buried that close to the king\, so\, clearly\, h e valued them and he\, himself\, must have paid for the funeral\, with all of these temple linens being used.\n\nSo\, obviously\, he valued their wo rk and their loyalty and their bravery and kept them near him so that they would be united for eternity.\n\n[ Suspenseful chords striking ] [ Suspen seful music climbs\, chords striking ]\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250511 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Book Review: A Gardin Wedding: A Gardins of Edin Novel 05/06 /2025 DTSTAMP:20250510T011631Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:269-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n \n\n\n\n Book Review: A Gardin Wedding: A Gardins of Edin Novel\n\n by Rosey Lee\n\n List Price: $17.00\n\n WaterBrook Press (May 1 3\, 2025)\n\n Fiction\, Paperback\, 272 pages\n\n ISBN: 9780593445518\n\n Imprint: WaterBrook Press\n\n Publisher: Penguin Random House\n\n Parent C ompany: Bertelsmann\n\n Book Reviewed by Richard Murray \n\n Book Review Text Edited by Microsoft Copilot\n\n Review URL  [ https://aalbc.com/book _review/9780593445518 ]\n\n Buy from AALBC [ https://store.aalbc.com/cart. php?action=buy&\;sku=9780593445518&\;source=buy_button ]\n\n Buy the Audiobook [ https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780593791820?bookstore=aalbc ]  \n\n Borrow from Library  [https://search.worldcat.org/title/1452959967?o clcNum=1452959967]\n\n Rosey Lee Author Page [ https://aalbc.com/authors/R osey+Lee ]\n\n Richard Murray Book Review Page [ https://aalbc.com/authors /Richard+Murray ]\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n burkins machine gun\n\n https://theblackhistorychannel.com/2013/eugene-burkins-inventor-wi th-a-vision/\n\n\n\n Webpage article transcript\n\n\n\n Eugene Burkins\, I nventor With a Vision\nBy RitaLorraine -July 5\, 2013\nInvention: Automati c Machine Gun\nPATENT #649\,433\, May 15\, 1900\n\nMeet Eugene Burkins\, i nventor of the “Burkins Automatic Machine-Gun.”\nOther than learning t o read and write\, Eugene never had much education and once worked as a “bootblack\,” cleaning and polishing shoes for a living. He had never been a soldier\, or even had any experience with guns of any type or descr iption\, and it is these facts that make his invention all the more brilli ant in nature.\n\nAfter seeing a picture of the guns on the Battleship Mai ne in the local newspaper\, hestudied the pictures and imagined ways in wh ich he could improve the machine gun and increase its firing capacity.\n\n Eugene made his first working model with a pocket knife. However\, word so on spread about his brilliant endeavor and some of the leading African Ame ricans of that period helped him secure his patent.\nA Mr. Madden\, a weal thy Black businessman in Chicago\, invested over $3\,000 (equivalent to ov er $62\,000 by today’s standards) to make a perfect model of the inventi on.\n\nThe result was a machine gun that fired seven times more bullets a minute than the Gatling gun from the Battleship Maine.\n\nSeveral foreign countries quickly offered large sums of money for the rights to manufactur e Mr. Burkins’ gun for their own naval departments\, but Eugene and his partner\, Mr. Madden\, decided to try to control the manufacturing interes t in the United States.\n\nAdmiral George Dewey\, a famous Naval military figure in American history\, was quoted as saying: “Burkins’ Machine G un was by far the best machine-gun ever made.”\n\nBest wishes and happy inventing\,\nRita Lorraine\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250506 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Mermaid trio 05/08/2025 DTSTAMP:20250508T070011Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:268-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Mermaid trio 05/08/2025\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/ri chardmurrayhumblr/782957995293376512/concurrently-from-aquasonic\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Referral\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/ richardmurrayhumblr/782957995293376512/concurrently-from-aquasonic?source= share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n mermaid [ seahorse style] for deviantart color me club \n\n https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/mermaid-hippocamp-sty le-1192254228\n\n\n\n \n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n Ethiopian jazz music\n\n h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo5QywHt5fo\n\n\n\n VIDEO\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n TRANSCRIPT\n\n\n\n 0:01\n[Music] hey this is ed from the gray area welcome to through the years an ethio\n0:07\njazz special [Music]\n0:47\nu m [Music]\n1:25\nhey\n1:30\n[Music]\n1:53\nuh [Music]\n3:05\ndo [Music]\n3 :45\nhmm [Music]\n4:05\n[Music]\n4:33\nhmm\n4:39\n[Music]\n4:45\n[Applause ] [Music]\n5:24\nour journey begins actually way back before ethio jazz wa s even an idea\n5:29\nwe look back to nurses nalbandian composer and condu ctor of armenian heritage\n5:35\nhis family fled the genocide in turkey ar ound 1915 and settled in ethiopia where his uncle kurvok nalbandian became \n5:42\na renowned musician nurses took over the mantle of head of nationa l opera and his uncle retired and\n5:48\nemperor haile selassie tasked him with composing music for the national theatre\n5:54\nnurses wanted to tak e local music to the stage with a big band sound without losing its authen ticity\n5:59\nit was solving this problem way back in the 1950s that laid the groundwork for what was to come\n6:06\n[Music]\n6:19\nso now we move o n to ethio jazz proper what better place to start than the father of the s ound mulatto estate\n6:26\nborn in 1943 in jimmer he took up studies in wa les of all places where he discovered a passion for music and the\n6:32\na rts he then went on to study classical music at trinity college london wor king with the best and brightest of the uk jazz\n6:38\nscene at the time h e wanted to promote and share ethiopian music though whilst also delving d eeper\n6:44\ninto this newly discovered jazz music he eventually moved to america and went to the berkeley college of music in\n6:50\nboston where h e forged the blueprint for the ethio jazz sound merging western 12-note ha rmonies and instrumentation\n6:57\nwith the traditional ethiopian pentaton ic scales [Music]\n7:05\nin the 1960s he moves again this time to new york and this is where ethio jazz was really born\n7:11\nestablishing an ethio pian quartet and recording three albums the first two more of a latin infu sed\n7:17\naffair but 1972's mulatto of ethiopia gave birth to the sound w e now know and\n7:22\nlove let's take a listen to chiffada taken from the milata of ethiopia lp\n7:27\na track where you can very much still hear th at latin influence particularly in the introduction [Music]\n7:45\n[Applau se] [Music] so\n7:51\n[Music]\n8:01\nso [Music]\n8:32\nso [Music]\n9:00\ns o [Music]\n9:39\n[Music]\n9:54\nuh [Music]\n10:31\nbye [Music]\n11:05\nso [Music]\n11:48\nso [Music]\n12:00\nso [Music]\n12:23\noh [Music]\n12:34\n[ Applause] [Music]\n12:44\nhey [Music]\n13:00\nah\n13:05\n[Music]\n13:18\n[ Music]\n13:58\nnot too much later mulatto decided to return to addis ababa and brought with him this new genre of music but was met\n14:04\nwith res istance one of only two african nations never to have suffered colonisatio n the people of\n14:10\nethiopia were suspicious of any form of cultural c ontamination and as such weren't sure about step k's\n14:16\nbrand of west ernized ethiopian music but with enough determination and insistence on th e virtuoso's part the nation soon\n14:23\ncame to accept it with open arms a new sound for a modern ethiopia\n14:28\nyakatit ethio jazz was his firs t album recorded in addis and features an incredible collection of musicia ns\n14:34\nfercado amde mezcal and mogus hate on saxophone rhodesian born andrew wilson and fellow\n14:40\nethiopian giovanni rico on guitar tamare harigu on drums and johannes te kola on\n14:47\ntrumpet te kola would go o n to lead the walia's band the backing group for hailu mergia\n14:53\nmore on him later for now let's have some more music this time from the yakiti lp\n14:58\na smoky mystical number by the name of gobelier [Music]\n15:32 \nforeign [Music]\n15:44\nso [Music]\n15:55\nso [Music]\n16:21\nmy [Music] \n17:13\n[Applause] bass\n17:20\n[Music]\n17:36\nso\n17:43\n[Music]\n18:03 \nso [Music]\n18:29\nso [Music]\n18:44\n[Applause] [Music]\n19:04\nso [Mus ic]\n19:13\nwhilst a hugely important figure in the scene of course mulatt o isn't the only ethio jazz musician of note of the\n19:19\nall-time great s of worldwide renown includes saxophonist getachew mercuria as well as vo calists mahmoud ahmed and\n19:25\nalameo shetty but of course there are pl enty more unsung heroes who perhaps haven't\n19:30\nachieved the same leve l of international success let's hear from one of those here played in a c lapper style is seifu\n19:37\njohannes with melamela\n19:55\n[Music]\n20:0 3\nforeign [Music]\n20:27\n[Applause] [Music]\n20:40\nforeign [Music]\n20: 53\nforeign [Music]\n21:06\nforeign [Music]\n21:16\nme\n21:29\n[Music]\n21 :46\n[Applause] [Music] [Applause]\n21:54\nah uh\n21:59\n[Music]\n22:16\ns o let's now take a moment to discuss mahmoud ahmed one of the first singer s to embrace this new western sound brought by mulatto to\n22:23\nethiopia the release of his ear melamela album is a landmark in the genre\n22:28\n featuring the previously mentioned mezcal enrico as members of ibex band m ahmoud's voice rings out with a\n22:34\nspiritual fervor sometimes deep an d hypnotic and at times soaring and empowering\n22:39\nhe's my personal fa vorite artist from the genre so i'm going to take this opportunity to play a couple of tracks back-to-back to begin to demonstrate the\n22:46\ndiver sity of his performances first up from his 1973 self-titled lp\n22:52\ncol umn then we'll follow up with something from later 1978 the deeply spiritu al sounding\n22:59\nfetsum dinklage\n23:11\n[Music]\n23:31\nwhoa\n23:37\n[ Music]\n24:03\nforeign [Music]\n24:31\nmy [Music]\n25:00\n[Music]\n25:09\n [Music] a\n25:16\n[Music]\n25:41\ni [Music]\n25:59\nforeign\n26:14\ndo [Mu sic]\n26:30\ngo [Music]\n27:09\ndo\n27:29\nis [Music]\n28:08\n[Music]\n28: 21\nforeign [Music]\n28:39\n[Music]\n28:53\n[Music]\n29:02\n[Music]\n29:08 \n[Music]\n29:17\n[Music] me [Music]\n29:36\noh [Music]\n29:54\n[Music]\n3 0:07\n[Music]\n30:17\nshe [Music]\n30:24\nso [Music]\n31:27\n[Music]\n31:3 9\n[Music]\n31:58\n[Music]\n32:05\nso we're next going to take a look at a nother infamous ethiopian singer alamel\n32:11\nknown by many as the ethio pian james brown but also linked to elvis and sinatra though i personally find these\n32:16\ncomparisons a bit more tenuous eshete was a huge part o f the swinging addis scene and took more of a funk\n32:23\napproach to eth iopian music his huge personality cannot be denied on every one of his tra cks like this\n32:31\n[Music]\n33:28\nme [Music]\n33:40\n[Applause] [Music ]\n33:45\n[Applause] [Music]\n33:57\nyes [Music] [Applause] [Music]\n34:12 \num\n34:23\n[Music]\n34:37\n[Music]\n35:17\n[Music]\n35:28\nplan [Music]\ n35:34\nuh\n35:48\n[Music]\n35:54\nis [Music]\n36:23\nme [Music]\n36:40\n[ Applause] [Music]\n36:46\nme [Music]\n36:55\nso this golden era of ethiopi an music also known as the bell epoch which began in the late 1960s ended all of a sudden\n37:02\nin 1974 with the arrival of the durg the marxist r egime of mengistu\n37:10\nlike many other marxist and communist regimes su ppression of western and liberal ideas was a mainstay\n37:16\nincluding un fortunately ethio jazz many musicians fled the country or simply stopped p erforming altogether\n37:23\nthankfully the downfall of the soviet union m eant the communist regime in ethiopia lost their biggest supporter\n37:29\ nand was soon overthrown a democracy was installed and the revival of ethi opian music started in\n37:34\n1991. i'm now going to play one of my favor ite pieces of ethiopian music for you by an artist known as a gutter made\ n37:40\nbayonet i love the vocals on this track the enunciation of some of the sounds of the language just really pop\n37:46\nthe track is entitled bae manesh\n37:52\n[Music]\n38:16\nis [Music]\n38:42\nis [Music]\n39:12\nf oreign [Music]\n39:27\n[Music]\n40:14\ndo\n40:22\n[Applause] [Music]\n41:0 4\n[Music]\n41:11\n[Music]\n41:18\n[Music]\n41:30\non the subject of music ians that left their homeland of ethiopia i'd like to touch on the story o f a washington-based taxi driver a man i mentioned toward the\n41:37\nstar t of the show haile murguia his way around censorship by the derg dictator ship was to produce instrumental\n41:44\nworks as it tended to be lyrics t hat drew the attention of the government to the music however during a tou r of the us in the\n41:50\n1980s hailu and many of his walia's band decide d to stay in america effectively\n41:55\nending the band for good hailu st ill wrote and recorded some music in the years to follow but was effective ly lost\n42:00\na time until the rediscovery of his music in recent years by the awesome tapes from africa record label reissues\n42:06\nof his work s have now seen him step back into his role as a musician and he tours the world again playing to a new\n42:12\ngeneration of fans i had the pleasur e of djing alongside him a few years ago and his humility and kindness was \n42:17\nheartwarming to see here is his track batibati from the way they had guzzo album\n42:28\n[Music]\n43:01\nso\n43:06\n[Music]\n43:29\nso [Mus ic]\n43:44\nso [Music]\n43:58\nso [Music]\n44:38\nso [Music]\n44:51\n[Musi c] so [Music]\n45:19\nso [Music]\n45:35\n[Music] so [Music]\n45:58\nmy [Mu sic]\n46:58\n[Applause]\n47:16\nme [Music]\n47:43\n[Music]\n48:16\nme\n48: 25\nforeign\n48:30\n[Music]\n48:36\n[Music]\n48:42\n[Music]\n48:53\nhuh\n4 9:00\n[Music]\n49:10\naha [Music]\n49:28\nhey\n49:35\n[Music]\n50:00\n[Mus ic] foreign\n50:06\n[Music]\n50:23\nthank you\n50:30\n[Music]\n50:38\nfore ign following that piece from hailu we heard from muluken malesey with ten esch kelebe\n50:45\nlai now let's contrast that with something much slower getting right back into it with another piece from the heart of\n50:51\ng arame this time arranged by mulatto estate himself with the track set\n50: 56\nalamene [Music]\n51:18\nschool\n51:24\n[Music]\n51:34\nforeign [Music] \n51:42\nforeign\n51:50\n[Music]\n52:02\nis\n52:09\n[Music]\n52:24\n[Music ]\n52:30\nlovely\n52:38\n[Music]\n52:57\nsalazar [Music]\n53:14\n[Music]\n 53:21\n[Music] a\n53:35\n[Music]\n54:28\n[Music]\n54:48\num\n54:55\n[Music ]\n55:04\nyo [Music]\n55:16\nforeign [Music]\n55:32\nforeign [Music]\n55:5 1\n[Music]\n55:59\n[Music]\n56:04\n[Music]\n56:13\nmy now it only seemed r ight before the end of the show to touch on the ethiopic\n56:20\nseries st arting in 1997 francis farcetto a frenchman who traveled to ethiopia and\n 56:26\ndiscovered so much of the music that we now know as ethio jazz brou ght it to a western audience\n56:32\nnow a series of 30 cds exploring both ethiopian jazz and traditional styles of music from the country as well a s\n56:38\neritrea he really did bring this music to a global platform the ethiopic cd series was my personal\n56:45\nintroduction to not only ethiop ian jazz but actually music from outside of europe in general\n56:51\n[Mus ic] many thanks if you've been listening i hope you found this educational a little\n56:58\nbit more formal than my usual shows something a bit diff erent and to finish off\n57:04\nanother favorite of mine and an absolute b arn burner from teshome metaku this is his track hasabe\n57:10\nonce again thanks for listening this has been through the years i've been aired from the gray area i'll catch you on the\n57:16\nnext grey area show you've be en locked into newsradio take care of yourselves see you next\n57:21\ntime [Music]\n57:36\n[Music]\n58:02\nforeign [Music]\n58:10\n[Applause]\n58:18 \n[Applause] [Music] uh\n58:25\n[Music]\n58:40\nforeign [Music]\n58:48\n[M usic] oh\n58:54\n[Music]\n59:02\n[Music]\n59:07\nme [Music]\n59:56\nnews\n \n\n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250508 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Chili Skype Goodbye DTSTAMP:20250508T060724Z SEQUENCE:0 UID:267-5-c3fe8195a3dde498d013e477e2142422@aalbc.com ORGANIZER;CN="richardmurray":noreply@aalbc.com DESCRIPTION:\n Chili Skype Goodbye 05/08/2025\n\n\n\n https://www.tumblr .com/richardmurrayhumblr/782953489759404032/chili-skype-goodbye-chili-is-f rom\n\n\n\n\n \n\n Referral\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/richardmurrayhumblr /782953489759404032/chili-skype-goodbye-chili-is-from?source=share\n\n\n\n Black Artist of Tumblr post\n\n https://www.tumblr.com/communities/black- artist-on-tjambler/post/782953486245576704/chili-skype-goodbye-chili-is-fr om?source=share\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n IN AMENDMENT\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n Studio Ponoc Ten YEar Anniversary \n\n\n\n \n Today Studio Ponoc proudly celebr ates ten years of filmmaking! 🎉 Check out this video to experience some of the excitement of a decade of hand-drawn\, hand-painted animation brou ght together in a dynamic look at Studio Ponoc’s films. pic.twitter.com/ H1lQaLg0c8\n \n — Studio Ponoc Int'l (@ponoc_intl) April 15\, 2025\n\n\n \n\n  \n\n DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250508 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;INTERVAL=1 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR