WE ARE A GENERATION THAT WILL NEVER COME BACK…..a generation that walked to school and then walked back…..a generation that did their homework alone to get out asap to play in the street…..a generation that spent all their free time in the streets with their Friends…..a generation that played hide and seek when dark…..a generation that made mud cakes…..a generation that collected sports cards….a generation that found, collected and washed & returned empty coke bottles to the local grocery store for 5 cents each…..then bought a Mountain Dew and candy bar with the money….a generation that made paper toys with their bare hands…..a generation who bought vinyl albums to play on record players…..a generation that collected photos and albums of clippings of their life experiences as a Kid…..a generation that played board games and cards on rainy days…..a generation whose TV went off at midnight after playing the National Anthem…..a generation that had parents who were there…..a generation that laughed under the covers in bed so parents didn’t know we were still awake…..a generation that is passing and unfortunately it will never return no matter how hard we try…..I loved Growing up when I did…..it was the best of times.
DICK GREGORY…….comedian and activist (Oct. 12, 1932 – Aug. 19, 2017)….. “Last time I was down South…..I walked into this restaurant…..this white waitress came up to me and said…. “We don’t serve colored people here”…… I said…. “That’s all right, I don’t eat colored people…..bring me a whole fried chicken.”….. about that time, these three cousins came in….you know the ones I mean Ku, Klux and Klan…..they said…. “Boy, we’re givin’ you fair warnin…..anything you do to that chicken….we’re gonna do to you.”…..so I put down my knife and fork….picked up that chicken….and kissed it.
THE SUDDEN DISSOLUTION……of the Knights Templar in 1312 remains one of history’s most dramatic and enigmatic events…..once the revered protectors of Christian pilgrims and guardians of immense wealth and power….the Templars became victims of betrayal and greed…..King Philip IV of France…..drowning in debt to the order…..conspired with Pope Clement V to orchestrate their downfall…..in a series of calculated moves….the Templars were accused of heresy, idolatry, and blasphemy….the charges many believe were fabricated under torture……their vast treasure vanished without a trace….fueling centuries of speculation and legend…..imprisoned, tortured, and burned at the stake….their leaders, including Grand Master Jacques de Molay met tragic ends…..their sudden disappearance left a void in history….igniting intrigue about their secrets and enduring legacy.
ON SEPTEMBER 7th……September 7th, in Black History……In 1944, 80 years ago Earl Manigault…….a street basketball player known as “The Goat”…..was born in Charleston, South Carolina…….and raised in Harlem, New York……Manigault grew up playing basketball and set the New York City junior high school record by scoring 57 points in a game in the late 1950s…..
Manigault was famous on the streets of New York for his signature move….the double dunk….he would dunk the ball…..catch it with his left hand…..switch it to his right hand….and jam it through again…..all done while still in the air on a single jump and without hanging on the rim……unfortunately, personal problems plagued Manigault….and he never played on the college or professional level…..he did play on the streets with some of the best players of his time…..including Earl Monroe, Connie Hawkins, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar…..in fact, when Abdul-Jabbar was asked who was the greatest player he had played with or against….he answered “that would have to be The Goat”…….much of Manigault’s later years were spent working with kids on the court…..including his “Walk Away From Drugs” tournament, to prevent them from making the same mistakes he had made…..in 1996, HBO aired a made-for-television movie about Manigault’s life entitled “Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault”…….Manigault died on May 15, 1998.
DURING THE 1936 BERLIN OLYMPICS……amidst the political tension of Nazi Germany…..Carl “Luz” Long, a German long jumper, defied expectations…..he wasn’t just competing for a medal……he was forging an extraordinary bond with his rival……American athlete Jesse Owens…….Long’s friendship with Owens became one of the most poignant symbols of unity during a time of widespread division…..while Owens clinched the gold,….Long’s silver medal was just the start of a story about respect, bravery, and camaraderie that transcended the competitive spirit of the games.
THE FORBIDDEN CITY……located in the heart of Beijing, China…..is a sprawling palace complex that once served as the imperial residence for Chinese emperors and their families…..
spanning over 180 acres…..it consists of nearly 1,000 buildings….and is a prime example of traditional Chinese palatial architecture…… surrounded by a large moat and defensive walls…the Forbidden City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remains one of the best-preserved examples of ancient architecture in the world….. it served as the political and ceremonial center of Chinese government for over 500 years…..from the Ming to the Qing dynasty.
BEFORE THERE WERE BLACK OPERAS SINGERS……such as Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price….there was a Black woman named Elizabeth Greenfield…..who was considered to be the best singer in the world during her time in the mid 1800’s……she toured and performed everywhere in front of majority White audiences that loved her singing…… however, it was difficult for racist Whites to accept such an angelic and beautiful voice coming from a Black woman…..her amazing talent and skills earned her the nickname “The Black Swan”…..she could sing soprano, alto, tenor and even bass….she also taught herself the harp and guitar…..Greenfield was praised by Queen Victoria of England….making her the first Black to perform at Buckingham Palace for the royal family.