Sunday, May 15, 2016

Susannah Mushatt Jones, world's oldest person dies at age 116

The world's oldest living person, 116-year-old Susannah Mushatt Jones, died on Thursday in New York City, a research group said.

Jones' death makes Emma Morano-Martinuzzi, a 116-year-old woman in Italy, the oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

Jones, who was born in the southern U.S. state of Alabama in 1899, was the daughter of sharecroppers and granddaughter of slaves.

After graduating from high school she moved north in 1922 to New Jersey and then New York, where she worked as a housekeeper and childcare provider, according to Guinness World Records and the Vandalia Senior Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, where she lived.

Jones, who retired in 1965, had said that lots of sleep is the secret to her longevity and that she had never smoked or drank alcohol.

The oldest verified person was Jeanne Calment of France, who died in 1997 at 122 years and 164 days, the research group said.

[SOURCE]

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Mother of Michael Brown releases book about son's death and its aftermath

Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil: The Life, Legacy, and Love of My Son Michael Brown

The revelatory memoir of Lezley McSpadden—the mother of Michael Brown, the African-American teenager killed by the police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9, 2014—sheds light on one of the landmark events in recent history.

“I wasn’t there when Mike Mike was shot. I didn’t see him fall or take his last breath, but as his mother, I do know one thing better than anyone, and that’s how to tell my son’s story, and the journey we shared together as mother and son." —Lezley McSpadden

When Michael Orlandus Darrion Brown was born, he was adored and doted on by his aunts, uncles, grandparents, his father, and most of all by his sixteen-year-old mother, who nicknamed him Mike Mike. McSpadden never imagined that her son’s name would inspire the resounding chants of protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, and ignite the global conversation about the disparities in the American policing system. In Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil, McSpadden picks up the pieces of the tragedy that shook her life and the country to their core and reveals the unforgettable story of her life, her son, and their truth.

Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil is a riveting family memoir about the journey of a young woman, triumphing over insurmountable obstacles, and learning to become a good mother. With brutal honesty, McSpadden brings us inside her experiences being raised by a hardworking, single mother; her pregnancy at age fifteen and the painful subsequent decision to drop out of school to support her son; how she survived domestic abuse; and her unwavering commitment to raising four strong and healthy children, even if it meant doing so on her own. McSpadden writes passionately about the hours, days, and months after her son was shot to death by Officer Darren Wilson, recounting her time on the ground with peaceful protestors, how she was treated by police and city officials, and how she felt in the gut-wrenching moment when the grand jury announced it would not indict the man who had killed her son.

After the system failed to deliver justice to Michael Brown, McSpadden and thousands of others across America took it upon themselves to carry on his legacy in the fight against injustice and racism. Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil is a portrait of our time, an urgent call to action, and a moving testament to the undying bond between mothers and sons.

BUY THE BOOK

HARDCOVER_______KINDLE

Friday, May 13, 2016

West Point clears black cadets over raised-fists photo

Inquiry concludes cadets just wanted to show unity

The 16 female, African-American cadets who appeared in a photograph with raised fists in uniform will not be punished for their controversial "Old Corps Photo."

The U.S. Military Academy announced Tuesday that no punitive action will be taken against the cadets, according to a school press release.

The official inquiry concluded the photograph did not violate any Army or Department of Defense regulations and was only intended to demonstrate unity and pride.

"As members of the Profession of Arms, we are held to a high standard, where our actions are constantly observed and scrutinized in the public domain," said academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., in a letter.

In addition to finding no official violations, the findings stated that no one in the photo intended to show support for a political movement, said the release.

"We all must understand that a symbol or gesture that one group of people may find harmless may offend others. As Army officers, we are not afforded the luxury of a lack of awareness of how we are perceived," Caslen said.

[SOURCE]

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

First look inside the National Museum of African American History & Culture

Thanks to the Washington Post we can all take a sneak peek at the inside of the unfinished National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is set to open September 24, 2016. Watch the video below.

Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson Endorses Donald Trump

Monday, May 2, 2016: At a Donald Trump for President rally in Carmel, IN, former football star and actor Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson announced his support for Donald Trump. Watch his endorsement below.