Stefan

Wait a minute. No one thinks this historical advancement is newsworthy? No one thinks it is another feather in our cap? More proof of our awesome physical and mental talents?

Troy, There are some Black anti-Vaxxers, too. Many such folks truly believe that any vaccine causes Autism. I've met a few Black anti-Vaxxers online and a few of them are truly hateful. To their own people who want to stay alive. They find every excuse to label government-run health agencies and pharmaceutical companies as killers. They attack anyone who wants to wear a mask and they view as stupid any parent who wants their child to receive childhood vaccinations. If I didn't know better, I could imagine some of these Black anti-Vaxxers picking up an assault rifle and shooting anyone in the Black Community who advocates wearing masks and taking safe vaccines. I am not certain the Covid-19 vaccines are safe. I've adopted a wait and see attitude. We know individual patients may develop side effects and some suffer from the vaccines. Even medical experts have said this. But that does not mean we should eschew every vaccine and simply let the Covid-19 virus run amok. Because that is what anti-Vaxxers want. They want to use their rights to debate personal freedoms in a crusade to end yours. If they have the right to refuse medical care, what gives them the right to order everyone else to do the same?

Troy, I am hoping the enthusiasm for reading Our history remains high.

Major League Baseball on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020 recognized the Negro Leagues as a major league and will now count the statistics and records of thousands of Black players as part of the game's storied history. The move officially puts Negro League stats into the record book and gives thousands of Black players the official designation of being major-league baseball players. According to ESPN, Willie Mays will add some hits to his record, Monte Irvin's big league batting average should climb over .300, and Satchel Paige might add nearly 150 victories to his total. Josh Gibson, the greatest of all Negro League sluggers, might just wind up with a major league record too. The statistics and records of greats such as Gibson, Paige and roughly 3,400 other players are set to join Major League Baseball's books after MLB announced Wednesday that it is reclassifying the Negro Leagues as a major league. ( End ESPN snippet ) This is just unbelievable! I am thrilled! That's mighty Josh Gibson below.

I have zero Buyers' Remorse. Donald Trump is a dangerous demagogue who managed to get millions of his hateful supporters to actively participate in acts of violence and voter suppression. If you believe so many have the same feeling of loathing for both Trump and Biden, you may want to rethink your hypothesis. Because Biden crushed Trump by seven percentage points. That is near landslide territory and the same percentage with which Barack Obama whupped John McCain. And voting for third party candidates who have no chance of winning is a foolish strategy. Butt hurt Bernie Sanders pulled this nonsense in 2016 and their refusal to accept defeat graciously led to Trump coming to power. And what has Trump done? Constantly maligned Black Africa, undercut the Poor, the Disabled, the Elderly and the Ill at home. Started an unwinnable trade war with China, insulted NATO allies, used our military to help assassinate Muslim generals and nuclear scientists. Oh, what happened to ISIS? It's still hale and hearty despite Trump's promise to destroy the group within a month after taking his oath. So is Covid-19 is also still active which Trump swore was going to disappear in the summer of 2020. This is what happens when people do not think about the consequences of voting for third party candidates. There was no alternative for Black people, but Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Our survival was at stake. We are still not out of the woods yet because our Community has been one of the hardest hit in this pandemic. And anyone who thought Trump was going to look out for folks in Blue States must be smoking some real good dope. Trump has always been a coddled and protected clown. Smart he is not.

Congratulations on AALBC's growing sales.

The Pfizer medicine has been put through stringent and supervised medical trials. So it is neither untested, nor should it be called a cure. It is simply a vaccine, one of three possible vaccines that might make a difference in any unfortunate who contracts Covid-19. If you are philosophically against Pfizer, then you can always wait for the vaccine being tested by Moderna or Astra-Zeneca. It's up to the individual. But one thing is certain, Vaccines do work. Do you know anyone who has contracted Smallpox, a disease that has been around for at least 3,000 years? Probably not. Because vaccines have practically eradicated this once feared disease. The last known natural case was in Somalia in 1977., the World Health Organization said. Know anyone that has Polio? Nope. Know why? Childhood vaccines eliminated this malady in the U.S., even though individual cases pop up time to time in Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan, according to the World Health Organization. Unfortunately, we are going to hear a lot from anti-Vaxxers, many of whom are against childhood vaccinations that can save the lives of two to three million youngsters who die from preventable diseases each year. The numbers of unvaccinated children has quadrupled since 2001, according to the Centers of Disease Control. Why? Because what began as attempts to prove Autism was linked to vaccinations, has become an anger filled personal freedom debate, said The Nautilus, a publication of Texas A&M University at Galveston. Thus, in many online forums, you’ll be treated to unhinged rants from people without medical degrees that may devolve into demands to accept questionable research. Vaccines do not cause Autism, a claim which has been widely debunked as false. But you're now hearing are the howls of rage and derision from anti-Vaxxers as Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine has begun to be distributed. One last time: Do you know of anyone who has Smallpox? Thank vaccine makers for this.

I posted several links to news websites which proved my contention. It is amazing a grown azz man cannot read and uses this lack of ability to disbelieve what is front of him. More Blacks did support Trump this time around. I will post yet another link. Know what is so silly about you, dude? Troy once claimed that you "write with authority." I'd like to know what authority because most times you sound out to lunch. Launching personal attacks against someone you don't know? Oh, what brains it takes to do that. Here is the link - and again, more proof of what I claimed. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54972389 And here is another link proving that more Blacks supported Trump in the 2020 election that they did in 2016. I can prove my contentions: https://thecincinnatiherald.com/2020/11/one-in-three-black-men-backed-trump-in-blue-wall-states/

There are some who believe that only one male is speaking in the Song of Solomon. And that man is Solomon himself. But they would be wrong. There are two men speaking in the Song of Solomon, the King and the shepherd boy. Both are trying to woo the Shulamite maiden. And it is King Solomon, who already had many wives and concubines, who speaks for himself all through the love poem. The Shepherd only speaks through the thoughts of the Shulammite Maiden. King Solomon could not have been White. Since he lived in ancient Israel, he was the same color as others who were born and lived their lives in that region. And it's likely King Solomon had a similar complexion to modern-day Palestinians.

Some people are so deluded, they believe they are right about everything. Just because a person is interested in history does not mean they worship or even admire the characters mentioned therein. And so it is with anyone who studies the classics, ancient writings, beliefs, customs or a people's history. Just because you've studied and know a subject fairly well does not mean you believe it. When you read a lot, you learn about a great many things. You discover the world is full of possibilities. You can always tell when you run into a person who hasn't read a lot: They are usually negative and always have something nasty to say.

6) In the Bible, Hagar is described as Sarah’s Egyptian maidservant; and later, Abraham’s concubine and the mother of Ishmael. Again, some Black people are taking much liberal license by claiming everyone in Egypt was Black. Remember, the Bible identifies Egypt and Ethiopia separately. 7) Asenath, is supposed to be the daughter of an Egyptian priest. Again, no description of this woman is given in the Bible. So, one cannot call her Black. Tirhaka, also known as Taharga, was indeed Black and he did have an army of chariots who came to the aid of Israelite King Hezekiah. The Jewish king had launched a revolt against Assyrian King Sennacherib. But Tirhaka is also identified as Pharaoh Taharqa, so he was linked to Egypt. By the way, the revolt failed. Sennacherib's forces kicked the living crap out of Hezekiah's and Tirhaka's armies, according to the Bible. An Assyrian inscription, though not mentioning Tirhakah, indicates that Sennacherib defeated the forces that came from Egypt and captured “the charioteers of the king of Ethiopia.” The next Assyrian king, Esar-haddon, boasted about his conquest of Egypt, saying: “Its king, Tirhakah, I wounded five times with arrow shots and ruled over his entire country.” During the reign of Esar-haddon’s son and successor Ashurbanipal, Tirhakah revolted against submission to Assyria. But, according to Ashurbanipal, “the terror of the (sacred) weapon of Ashur, my lord, overcame Tirhakah where he had taken refuge and he was never heard of again.”—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. Pritchard, 1974, pp. 287, 288, 290, 295. 9) Zerah, the Cushite. Zerah is called by the Bible to be an Ethiopian, or Cushite, who led a huge army of a million men and 300 chariots into Judah during Asa’s reign, in 967 B.C.E. However, Zerah was defeated, and his fleeing forces were pursued and slaughtered “as far as Gerar.” (2nd Chronicles 14:1, 9-15) 10) Eded-melech was an Ethiopian eunuch in the house of King Zedekiah. Though Ethiopian, Ebed-melech worshiped the God of the Israelites. When the princes of Judah falsely charged the Prophet Jeremiah with sedition, Zedekiah threw him into a cistern to die without food. Ebed-melech appealed to Zedekiah to save Jeremiah and later with 30 men, he pulled God’s prophet from the cistern and saved his life. God told Ebed-melech he would not die in the coming siege of Jerusalem by Babylonian forces, but would escape. 11) ) Symeon is another Black man in the Bible. He was from Niger, which is a Black area of Africa. (Acts 13:1). Symeon was an early believer in Jesus, the Christ. There is no indication that Symeon carried the wood that Jesus was impaled upon. Symeon is also one of the prophets and teachers of the congregation in Antioch, Syria, who laid their hands on Barnabas and Paul after the Holy Spirit had designated these two for missionary work. Symeon’s Latin surname was Niger. Have you heard of other folks who are Black and who are Bible figures? We all would like to learn about them.

Over the years, I've encountered many individuals who remain curious about who was Black in the Bible. A lot of them spout legends and myths are absolute falsehoods. Some even mention individuals who actually never appear in the Scriptures. So I did research and here are my findings. When compiling this data, I incorporated the claims made on different Websites and by many individuals. I chose to stick with only what I found in the Bible. This way, I would not codify legends, myths and feel good tales. That's how we ended up with a White Jesus. One thing I discovered is that the Bible rarely mentions the skin color of those in the Scriptures. 1) Some believe the Queen of Sheba was named Makeda and that she was Black. But here is no mention of Makeda in the Bible. The Queen of Sheba is indeed mentioned in the Bible, but she is neither identified, nor described. 2) Zipporah was definitely Black and she was the Cushite wife of Moses. How do we know Cushites were Black? Well in the Bible Book of Numbers, the brother and sister of Moses took issue with Moses' choice of a wife. "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married: For he had married a Cushite woman." (Num. 12:1). Some translations use Ethiopian instead of Cushite. I also believe this is the first Biblical reference to an interracial marriage. At Jeremiah 13:23, it reads: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" Judging from the color of a leopard's spots, it is easy to discern that the skin color Jeremiah is referring to is Black. 3) The claim that Pharaohs were Black cannot be proven. Because the Bible never identifies the skin color of Egyptians during the time of Exodus. If you run into anyone who claims the Bible does this, ask them to show you the scripture. The oft-repeated claim that Egypt and Ethiopia are one is untrue. The Bible does indeed mention Africa, but it does so by specifically noting exact regions of the continent, such as Egypt or Cush. And remember, the Bible rarely identifies skin color. The Bible usually denotes a geographic area, tribe or lineage. Notable exceptions include the young man from the Song of Solomon who fell in love with a Black girl. The young man is identified as having a ruddy complexion. (Song of Solomon 5:10) 4) When it comes to Ham, take care to recall that the Bible rarely identifies skin color. And so it is with Ham, one of the three sons of Noah. Ham's complexion is never noted in the Bible. So, how could someone claim he was Black, like many White Supremacists and the Mormons do. Now, Cush, a grandson of Noah, and a son of Ham, is thought by serious Bible scholars to be the Father of the Black race. I will also note that it was Caanan and not Cush, who was cursed by Noah for uncovering his grandfather's nakedness. (Gen. 9:24-26) 5) Nimrod was described in the Bible as "a mighty hunter in opposition to the Lord." He is a Son of Cush. (1st Chronicles 1:10) There is so much confusion among some Blacks over Nimrod. Some think of him as a hero. However, the rabbinical writings derived the name Nimrod from the Hebrew verb ma•radhʹ, meaning “rebel.” Thus, the Babylonian Talmud (Erubin 53a) states: “Why, then, was he called Nimrod? Because he stirred up the whole world to rebel (himrid) against His [God’s] sovereignty.” — Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, by Menahem M. Kasher, Vol. II, 1955, p. 79.

I also can make a case for George Floyd to be named Time's Person of the Year. His death was minutes long and it was filmed so those who wanted to could watch the entire murder video. But the death of George Floyd did not have a lasting effect all over the country for the full year. It's horror was subtly eclipsed by the presidential campaign, an active and devastating hurricane season and of course, the Pandemic. Some Blacks may rage at this notion, but it's true. Many legal experts have dissected the Floyd murder and agree that true justice will not prevail. Now as far as Emmett Till, it was not the young man, but the photos of his corpse that shocked the world. The quiet dignity and iron will of his grieving mother crystallized this event for many. Joe Biden's greatest appeal is that he is a Democrat and the former Vice President of the Obama administration. Many Blacks made hay out of Biden's comments from when he was much more conservative and tone deaf to the suffering of Blacks. Thus, his victory can be ascribed to his willingness to apologize when he knew he was wrong. George Floyd's murder pierced the composure of the U.S. by hardening the attitudes on both sides. Whites expressed disdain because they believed Floyd a career criminal. While outraged and grieving Blacks and their allies received further confirmation that this country is intractably racist, even when being filmed.

Reparations will be for centuries of unpaid labor which made millions of Whites rich and paved the way for the U.S. to become an economic power sooner than ordinarily possible. If Reparations were ever to be paid for pain and suffering, then the galaxy itself would have to be presented to the descendants of Black Slaves.

The Bible was written in ancient Hebrew and Aramaic, (the language of the Persian Empire and which some believe was the language Jesus, the Christ). The books of the New Testament, also called the Greek Scriptures, were written in Koine Greek, which was spoken in the Mediterranean thanks to the conquests of Alexander the Great. Skin color or skin hue was rarely mentioned in the Bible. Instead, geographic regions are used.

Sometimes, the news out of Africa is sickening and motives behind armed groups' behavior are stomach churning. At least, the news does get out. Even if it is bad. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security-kidnappings/boys-escaped-through-forest-after-gunmen-abducted-their-friends-at-nigeria-school-idUSKBN28O26V

The editors at Time Magazine chose correctly. The choice of Person of The Year is determined solely by the amount of influence they had on the events of the year. While there is an actual online poll, whomever wins that does not necessarily mean they will chosen. And that is a good thing because emotion cannot get in the way of historical analysis. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris did have the most influence over events in the U.S. Moreover, they will continue to shape the future of this country and this planet for the next few years. I offer everlasting respect and condolences to the memory, family, friends and supporters of George Floyd.

Well, it looks as if Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have defeated would-be dictator Donald Trump yet again. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, Dec. 12, swatted aside the Trump campaign’s desperate attempt from the Texas Attorney General to invalidate the 2020 election. In effect, legal experts concluded that Justices determined Texas has no business trying to dictate how other states conduct their elections. According to the NBCnews Website: “Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said the court had no authority to refuse a case filed on its original docket, where one state files to sue another. But they said they would not have granted Texas any other relief and expressed no view on any of the issues raised in the lawsuit.” This means the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s hopes by a 9-0 margin. Of course, this will not stop the most ardent, angry and heavily armed Trump acolytes who have sworn vengeance on those who promote and believe in Free and Fair elections. Already, there is slowly coalescing movement for some Red states to secede. And guess who is the leader of this clown movement in Texas? Former Army Lt. Colonel and House Representative Allen West. I am certain Moscow and Beijing are watching this mess with keen interest and barely suppressed laughter.

Delano, I believe that nothing is going to change this economic system except a sustained push for fairness. An honest reckoning of this country's awful history and serious attempts at redress. Whites control most of the property, they control the currency and can alter its value when they want to. Our people have yet to survive Trump because he deliberately ignored how this pandemic was ravaging minority and poor communities. Our death toll is not final. And it may not be for many more months. What Biden and Harris can do is ease up on the pounding that has been delivered by Trump and his racist supporters. But permanent damage has been done. And it's not over. We could still be facing organized violence from die-hard Trump supporters who believe they can secede.

Delano, "Speculative Fiction." Never heard that phrase used to describe Sci-Fi. But it is a cool definition.

Pioneer, You sound quite disturbed.

Delano, I always think of the poor, the homeless and the downtrodden. Being in financial journalism for 10 years solidified my belief that too many of the needy are really decent people. I am not a Socialist. And I will forever despise the idiots who were too butthurt to accept Bernie's loss for the Dem Party nomination in 2016. Because they decided to vote for third party candidates who had no chance of winning. Their stunning immaturity and betrayal is what helped elect Trump who preceded to make things ten times worse for the decent. We are stuck with the economic system that we have and it's not going to change anytime soon. And since so many Blacks are of the belief this Covid-19 vaccine is the result of racism, (meaning it's guaranteed to kill us), we're going to lose thousands of good, intelligent and hard working people from our community. We cannot change the system from without. Those who hoard the wealth control the news media and will never be shy about using unequal distribution of resources, legal discrimination or riot police to keep themselves on top. I taught for one reason: To teach Blacks, Latinos and Asians who somehow got through their young lives without properly learning how to write. I showed them through examples why is it is necessary for them to learn to write. If they join the corporate world, I cautioned my students, they may find themselves asked to respond to a customer complaint by email, a query from upper management in writing or they may want to author a memo carefully laying out why their proposal is a good one. I volunteered to write resumes and cover letters, used my photography talents to replace photos of some families who had lost all of theirs due to evictions or fire and tutored my students until they were ready to take their finals. One cannot do that if they're going to quote their boss all of the time. I believe in helping and not criticizing those who are in need. Blacks are not necessarily going to do so much better economically under Biden and Harris. But at least we won't be facing a continuous barrage of racist and unfair government policies from a president who never thought much of us.

Now if we can get back to the subject matter of this thread and end this long-winded polemic against me, I believe many Blacks many not be in a position to do well under a Biden administration. Since millions face an end to pandemic financial relief programs during the last week of the month, hundreds of thousands of families face eviction for failure to pay rent, an end to beefed up unemployment benefits and an economy that is still moribund and in some places still sinking. My immediate thoughts are how can we help those who are in desperate straits.

I do not know why Biden failed to choose a civilian. But it might have something to do with trying to find a competent and acceptable civilian who is immune to criticism from Israel. While a POTUS ultimately makes the big foreign policy decisions, Israel is a constant thorn in the side of the U.S. government because of its incessant demands more aid and political cover for its assassinations and attacks against its neighbors. Picking a fight like this spells trouble for the incoming Biden administration.

Ad hominen personal attacks are for the lazy, the desperate and the jealous. No one forced me into retirement. I declined to keep working full-time and used the extra time to volunteer. I was also a photographer. But keep up your insipid envy.