#kent woodson

[kenttsterling]

#Colts re-sign Tyquan Lewis! Free agency frenzy? Not in Indy - again! #iubb wins draw - how can they avoid Kent State upset!

[ausetkmt]

February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring and celebrating the essential contributions of Black people in the story of America. National and local events and online celebrations will take place throughout the month to focus attention on Black people's achievements and history. 

Since 1976, the US has marked the contributions of Black people and celebrated the history and culture of the Black experience in America every February. Read on to learn more about Black History Month and the ways in which you can participate.

The story of Black History Month

Born as a sharecropper in 1875, Carter G. Woodson went on to become a teacher and the second African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. He founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 and eventually became known as the "father of Black history."

On Feb. 7, 1926, Woodson announced the creation of "Negro History Week" to encourage and expand the teaching of Black history in schools. He selected February because the month marks the birthday of the two most famous abolitionists of the time -- Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Feb. 1 is also National Freedom Day, a celebration of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the US.

By the 1940s, schools in Woodson's home state of West Virginia had begun expanding the celebration to a month, and by the 1960s, demands for proper Black history education spread across the country. Kent State's Black United Students proposed the idea of a Black History month in 1969 and celebrated the first event in February 1970. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 during the US bicentennial. 

The excellent history site BlackPast has a full biography of Carter Woodson and the origins of Black History Month. 

Visit a Black or African American history museum

Almost every state in the US has a Black history museum or African American heritage site. The country's first and oldest is the Hampton University Museum in Hampton, Virginia. Like many other museums, it offers a virtual tour and online exhibits.

One of the most famous of these museums is the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum, which is located steps away from where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, allows you to sit with Rosa Parks on the bus that inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, among many other powerful exhibits.

African-American heritage sites include historic parks and other significant locations and monuments in Black history. Some of the most popular include Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, the epicenter of US school desegregation. You could also consider visiting the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta.

If there's no museum or heritage site near you, keep an eye out for the Black History Mobile Museum, which traverses the country all month and through the summer. Throughout February you can find the mobile museum in several states, starting in New Jersey on Feb. 1 and making its way through 12 other states. See the full list of 2023 tour dates here. 

Learn about Black music history by listening online

Marley Marl and Mr. Magic were superstar rap DJs for WBLS FM in the 1980s. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

From spirituals and blues to the rise of jazz, R&B and hip hop, Black music has been entwined with American culture for centuries. 

There are lots of ways to learn about and experience the power of Black American music online. One of the most extensive and free resources is the Black Music History Library, created by Jenzia Burgos. The compendium includes an array of Black music sources, with links to music samples, full recordings and interviews, as well as books and articles.

Another remarkable Black music website is the #312 Soul project. Originally launched as a month-long series on Chicago's Black music from 1955 to 1990, the site publishes original stories from Chicago residents about their personal experiences creating and enjoying Black music.

For snapshots of Black music between 1982 and 1999, check out the Hip Hop Radio Archive, a collection of radio show recordings from commercial, college and independent hip-hop stations. Of particular note are classic radio shows from New York City's WBLS, featuring Rap Attack with Marley Marl and Mr. Magic.

Online streaming music services also curate collections for Black History Month -- Spotify has an extensive collection of Black music in its Black History is Now collection. Tidal and Amazon Music also include special Black music collections on their services.

Support Black-owned businesses and restaurants

Becoming a customer of local Black businesses helps protect livelihoods and supports Black entrepreneurs.

If you aren't sure which businesses in your area are owned and operated by your Black neighbors, several resources can help. Start off by learning how to find Black-owned restaurants where you live. 

Several directories have now been created to highlight and promote Black businesses. Official Black Wall Street is one of the original services that list businesses owned by members of the Black community.

Support Black Owned uses a simple search tool to help you find Black businesses, Shop Black Owned is an open-source tool operating in eight US cities, and EatOkra specifically helps people find Black-owned restaurants. Also, We Buy Black offers an online marketplace for Black businesses.

The online boutique Etsy highlights Black-owned vendors on its website -- many of these shop owners are women selling jewelry and unique art pieces. And if you're searching for make-up or hair products, check CNET's own list of Black-owned beauty brands.

Donate to Black organizations and charities

Donating money to a charity is an important way to support a movement or group, and your monetary contribution can help fund programs and pay for legal costs and salaries that keep an organization afloat. Your employer may agree to match employee donations, which would double the size of your contribution -- ask your HR department.

Nonprofit organizations require reliable, year-round funding to do their work. Rather than a lump sum, consider a monthly donation. Even if the amount seems small, your donation combined with others can help provide a steady stream of funds that allows programs to operate.

Here are some non-profit organizations advancing Black rights and equal justice and supporting Black youth:

Black Lives Matter 

NAACP 

Thurgood Marshall College Fund 

Color of Change 

Black Girls Code 

The Black Youth Project

Attend local Black History Month events

Many cities, schools, and local organizations will host events celebrating Black History Month in February 2022. Check your local newspaper or city website to see what events are happening in your area -- for example, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Baltimore and Louisville, Kentucky, have extensive events planned this month.

If you can't find anything in your area or don't want to attend events in person, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, is offering a handful of online Black History Month events throughout February.

Watch Black history documentaries and movies

Black is King is an elaborately staged musical directed, written and produced by Beyoncé. Disney

You can find movies and documentaries exploring the Black experience right now on Netflix, Disney Plus and other streaming services. 

The CNET staff has compiled a selection of feature films and documentaries for Black History Month 2023, including the wonderful Summer of Soul and Black is King. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu all have special collections of streaming movies and shows for Black History Month.

PBS also offers several free video documentary collections, which include smaller chunks of Black history for all ages. The collections include subjects like the Freedom Riders, the 1963 March on Washington and the Rise and Fall of Jim Crow.

Find Black authors and stories for yourself and your children

There are so many great books written by Black authors you should read -- not only during Black History Month but all year round. So, where do we start? Try your local library. Many will have Black History Month collections for both adults and kids.

Libraries will also often have Black History Month book recommendations by age. The San Diego Public Library, the Detroit Public Library and DC Public Library, for example, have programs and collections to browse for adults and children.

Next, try Black booksellers. The Noname Book Club, dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, has compiled a list of Black-owned bookshops across the US. The club also highlights two books a month by writers of color.

Dive deeper into Black history with online resources

The National Archives includes many primary resources from Black history in America. Rowland Sherman/National Archives

You can find remarkable Black history collections on government, educational and media sites. One of the best is the aforementioned BlackPast, which hosts a large collection of primary documents from African American history, dating back to 1724.

The National Archives also hosts a large collection of records, photos, news articles and videos documenting Black heritage in America. The expansive National Museum of African American History & Culture's Black History Month collection is likewise full of unique articles, videos and learning materials.

The New York Times' 1619 Project tracks the history of Black Americans from the first arrival of enslaved people in Virginia. The Pulitzer Center hosts the full issue of The 1619 Project as a PDF file on its 1619 Education site, which also offers reading guides, activity lessons and reporting related to the project.

You can buy The 1619 Project and the children's picture book version -- The 1619 Project: Born on the Water -- as printed books.

[professional-termite]

Mall Cop HM 2023 AU Characters List

(yes the 2 main stores, Hatbox Supplies and The Haunted Mansion Store, are in a mall. I'm keeping the name "mall cop au" because leota and harriet are security guards and I think it sounds silly.)

I might not actually write this thing, but I will talk about it and plan it and hyperfixate on it for a while. Anyways these characters are listed in the order of how much backstory I've invented for them in this AU. Also, I'm screwing around with the ages because I do what I want and canon can go die, this is my AU :D

Kent Owens (M54): The disgraced gay son of his hometown's priest, Kent has hit a rough patch in his life. Having just hit 54, he's decided to take a break from the constant scrutiny he was under as the "disappointment to the church and his family legacy" and drive down to New Orleans. Unfortunately, in the process he lost his job, his apartment, and the majority of his worldly possessions, which means he's now living in his car and constantly in and out of gas stations, making him a bit infamous in his part of the city. Despite this, he's managed to make quite a few friends, including Rea Soul, a German librarian who wakes him up whenever he spends the night parked by the library, in order to help him avoid getting towed, Jackson Lance, the local veteran-turned-scam-artist who's always willing to help Kent make a quick buck, and Eddie "E.W." Woodson, a new recruit to the New Orleans Police Department with a soft spot for middle aged guys down on their luck. Eventually, Jackson gets him roped in with Alistair Crump's plans to sabotage the Haunted Mansion Store, where he can make a quick buck--until he gets caught by Leota in the act, gets defended by and subsequently befriends Ben Matthias, and quickly gets roped into the drama of Hatbox Supply and Haunted Mansion's feud.

Ben Matthias (M45): Ben's entire life has been defined by tragedy. His parents died when he was 2 years old, leaving him in the foster care system for 3 years, until he was adopted by Professor Bruce Matthias, who became as good a father to him as any, despite his eccentricity. At age 12, Ben and his dad lost their home and had to move into a 2-bedroom apartment, where Ben stayed for the rest of his childhood, and all the way through college, as he went to the same college where Bruce taught. In his sophomore year, he met Alyssa Speir, whom he would eventually move in with and marry. However, after 13 years of happy marriage, Alyssa would get into a car crash and die, causing Ben to spiral into depression, quit his job, sell the house, and move back in with his dad at age 40. After 2 years of dealing with Ben, though, Bruce begins to encourage Ben to get back on his feet; and so, for the last 3 years, Ben has been bouncing between jobs, still unable to afford his own place. That is, until he meets Kent, and Leota, and slowly begins to make friends and pull himself out of the ditch he was in emotionally.

Bruce Matthias (M80): Eccentric, short, and surprisingly good with people, Bruce has spent most of his life feeling isolated. He's never given a straight answer as to why exactly he adopted Ben, although it may have had something to do with the fact that he had just broken up with another partner, or that he'd just gotten a raise, or that that he'd finally begun to acknowledge how quiet his house was. Either way, he'd become an adoptive father at age 40, and a darn good one at that. Even when he was getting evicted or when he was moving into an infinitely smaller apartment, he was cheering up Ben with wisecracks and jokes like no one else could. And when Ben told him he was planning on marrying Alyssa, he was ecstatic; Alyssa was just as much a daughter to him as Ben was a son. And when Ben called him in the middle of one of Bruce's lectures, sobbing, because Alyssa had gotten into a car crash and died, Bruce had dropped everything and driven the 3-odd hours to be a comforting shoulder to cry on. And when Alistair tries to force his history buddy William out of the shop business? Well. Bruce will make sure he doesn't come away unscathed.

Leota Curtis (F65): From a young age, Leota was obsessed with ghosts and the supernatural, and all of that junk. When she realized that that wouldn't make a viable career path in this day and age, she dropped all her crystal balls and mystical auras and trained from sunrise to sunset to be the greatest cop the New Orleans Police Department had ever seen. Local legend, hero, and arguably a godlike figure to many kids, some would be disappointed to know that she retired from the cop life at age 47 and has been working in security for the last 15 years. After losing her last job for being "too violent," she recently picked up work alongside Harriet Lee as a security worker in William Gracey's store, The Haunted Mansion Store, which has been harassed by local competitive grump Alistair "Hattie" Crump. She and Hattie have had a history in the force together, and after his seemingly harmless attempts at sabotage turn potentially violent, she teams up with what she can only describe as a group of idiots to finally put an end to Hattie's reign of terror.

Harriet Lee (F47): Harriet was always a fighter. Her older sisters often teased her for being "too rough" or "too boyish," but that was alright; someday, Harriet would show them all. Someday, Harriet would be a cop. Or so she thought. Because despite her skill in physical combat and the things she thought were important, she could barely pay attention during her law classes, and ended up flunking out of the police academy to work in security. Which is fine, completely, totally fine, at least in her book, because it ended up putting her in the same circle as Leota Curtis, as her hero's partner in crime solving, and surely that makes it worth it. Harriet sasses her way through every interaction, but secretly, she couldn't be more excited; just being near her idol is enough to make her run home every day and scream into her pillow out of pure joy.

Travis Hauss (M9): Travis has always had trouble making friends. Due to what himself and his mother recently discovered was undiagnosed autism, Travis isn't sure that the "help" he's getting is really helping. What does seem to be helping is hanging out in The Haunted Mansion Store, where Uncle Will and the sad man, Ben, will always stop by to say hello or play with his action figures. Travis spends almost all his time there, even more so since his father died; now that his dad doesn't live in his house, it doesn't feel like home anymore. However, being a kid has its perks, for instance, being in the right place at the right time, and being able to catch on to Alistair Crump's plans before anyone else. The only problem is getting the adults to listen...

Gabbie Hauss (F39): Despite being a widow, Gabbie is always strong. She's had to be her whole life; growing up relatively wealthy had made her constantly misjudged as someone who would buy their way through things. Nowadays, it's rare to see her spend on something more than the house she's bought and the groceries she buys from William Gracey. Now that her husband has passed, it simply doesn't seem right. And with Travis' recent diagnosis, the only thing she wants to do is work to improve the lives of herself and her son. But when Travis begins to insist that Hattie's originally harmless sabotage has become potentially deadly, she begins to reconsider her quiet lifestyle that she's built in New Orleans, and questions whether she should leave it behind entirely.

William Gracey (M48): Gracey is (slightly) more than a pompous rich freak. After losing his wife at a young age, and attempting several times to bring her back, he's given up and settled into the persona of the quiet, depressed store owner/surrogate uncle of Travis Hauss that everyone knows him by. Gracey loves his store almost as much as he loves his "sister," Gabbie, and "nephew," Travis, because that store is the one thing he has left that his wife bought specifically for him. To see it fall now would be a travesty--if he is to lose his store to Crump's meddling, he vows to go down fighting.

Alistair "Hattie" Crump (M67): Hattie is a miserable person. His mother died when he was young, his father abandoned him for being weak, and there's a few metaphorical and literal skeletons in his closet from his days as a party host, and his brief days as a cop alongside Leota. Now that he's older, he's begun to settle down...that is, until that meddling Gracey becomes involved. Stealing his customers, undercutting his prices, and deliberately sabotaging him--well, Gracey isn't the only one who knows how to play; Alistair has a few tricks up his sleeve. Of course, there's always the chance that once Gracey digs up a tiny bit of dirt on his past, the whole mountain of his wrongdoings comes into view...

Rea Soul (F24): Rea moved from Germany to New Orleans only for a study, but ended up falling in love with the library where she now works. Despite being a bit young for the job, she quickly begins climbing the ranks--and calling a few more shots, including about the sad man living in his car in the parking lot. Even if the library is a public space, and technically under the city's jurisdiction, not hers, she makes sure he's never towed, because surely if she's good to him, then her kindness will be repayed in some way.

Jackson Lance (M57): Jackson has never once seen active duty, but he sure talks like he did when he was in the military. Of course, since he was dishonorably discharged (something he neglects to mention very often), he's become a crime boss of sorts, the kind of guy you go to when you've been framed for murder. Jackson gives out information, illegal job offers...but everything you ask of him comes with a price.

Eddie "E.W." Woodson (NB??): E.W. is the newest trainee at the PD, and everyone makes sure they know it. Every time they do something slightly wrong, they're immediately chastised, ridiculed, and mocked, and they're sick of it. Maybe that's why they're so willing to pull strings for Kent, the one guy who's ever nice to them...at least he treats them like a cop (as he should. E.W. could TOTALLY arrest them if they felt like it.)

(yes, E.W. is based on me. No, I don't care that self insert characters are cringe or whatever. Also, not revealing my age, cuz uhh internet safety yadda yadda. Also E.W. is way more childish than I am, so they're not really me, they're just a cop that I gave my name to. And Travis gets diagnosed with autism because why not.)

- The main events of this take place during the summer, which is why Travis can spend so much time at the store. He kind of helps out, restocking stuff or showing people around if they need help. Also, he wears noise-cancelling headphones because I wear noise-cancelling headphones and I said so <3

- Leota was famous for being one of the youngest cops on the force and yet being the most fearless, rushing into scenes and risking her life to save other peoples'. Harriet was a massive fan when she was a teenager, so meeting Leota as an adult is literally a dream come true for her.

- Ben is a bisexual he/they in this because. Look at him. And Bruce is supportive and literally teases him about looking in the direction of any moderately attractive person, it's like a running joke between them. Dad Bruce is a goofy goober and I love him.

- Rea is based on @creative-soul-22 because she's really cool and helped inspire this AU, along with @youngstarfishphilosopher (who I might also make into a character since they made the original inspiration for this, if they're cool with that...)

Anyways I might write more for this AU later, but for now I'm tired so. No more...

[mccoppinscrapyard]

23 Books I'd Like to Read in 2023

* = owned

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni *

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake ✔️

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo * ✔️

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman *

Audacity by Melanie Crowder *

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde *

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay * ✔️

When You Ask Me Where I’m Going by Jasmin Kaur

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly ✔️

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin *

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum *

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw ✔️

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata ✔️

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai * ✔️

Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg

Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf

Girls That Never Die by Safia Elhillo ✔️

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse *

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant *

The Times I Knew I Was Gay by Eleanor Crewes* ✔️

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang ✔️

My general goal is at least 25 books. A lot of these have been on my TBR or shelves for a while... some are newer and I may not get through all of them but these are my tentative reading goals.

[its-kierce-sherman]

2020 What A Year.

Wow, it’s been a year and lots of things have happened. As a person I’ve changed a lot. I never liked hugs or spent so much money on something I didn’t need. Up until now I’ve lived my life without meaning or purpose. I never did anything for anyone if it was inconvenient to me or I just didn’t feel like it. I’d really only do things if I was paid to. I was pretty selfish and closed of and old me would say that it was in the name of not being hurt by other, but I think that’s a stupid excuse. I was a piece of garbage and I knew that back then but at the same time I didn’t know how bad I was. This year has picked me up and flipped me on my head and I’ve been completely forced out of the bubble I’ve been living and who do I have to thank for that? Well, a lot of people.

Warning, this will probably be long.

Honestly, it’s nice to be part of drama and not just reporting it which is something I thought I’d never say. I’ve always been more of a spectator, nothing happened to me I just witnessed everyone go about their days. I’ve lived that way for a long time despite Cal and Quinn’s efforts to include me and make life less dull and mundane. It’s really not their fault either. I chose that for myself, it was what I was used to and it made me feel comfortable despite also making me feel empty and bitter.

This is specifically to Callum, Quinn, Kent, and Francis (ig) I’m sorry. I didn’t appreciate the friendships I already had before this year, I realize that now. Truly, the times we spent together, though few, they mean a lot to me. Those few moments made life a little more bearable so thanks for still being friends with someone like me. I’ve probably pushed you away more times than I’ve been a good friend yet I still have your love, support, and time and I don’t deserve that. You guys are great and amazing and I’ll stop wasting your time and start making the moments we have together worth it. We’ve had fun this year so lets do it again.

To another person I wanna mention, Carol. At the start, when I witnessed you and Everett get married then divorce, I never thought I would get so involved as I did. It was a ride and a really fun one. Seeing you get with Lucas was sweet. I’m happy for you and it’s nice to see happy you are. I’ll admit your spontaneous nature has rubbed off on me a bit, I see life just a little bit different in a good way thanks to you. I honestly never expected anything to come from our friendship. At first I thought of it as just a shallow business friendship (but that’s mostly because I didn’t believe you actually wanted to be friends with me back then. It was nothing from you that made me think that way) I don’t believe that anymore of course, you have quickly become one of the best friends I’ve ever had and your support. I’m undeserving of it but it means a lot to me. 

Everett, thanks. I don’t really know what to say about you or too you but just thanks. You’re a pretty nice guy to be around sometimes.

Shiloh! Thanks for listening and supporting me even though 9 out of 10 times I didn’t even tell you what was troubling me but you knew anyway. Your advice, though sometimes useless, was very valuable to me and we’ve had a couple fun times together. You’re more like an employer than a friend but still, I hope we can continue working together.

Kam, you’re a great guy. I’d never have talked to you under normal circumstances but I’m sure glad I did. I hope you get what you want for Christmas.

Alrighty, here’s the part I’m not exactly able to deal with, Ben! Wow, I- I don’t know how to put this into understandable English or even a language but I guess I’ll just start with the basics. I’d completely given up on trying to find someone a long time ago. If someone came along and I liked them I’d just shrug it off, I mean, even if they felt the same way I do they’d be better off with someone else. You- I’m- Never would’ve thought I’d end up with someone as fun and bright as you. I don’t even have words for just how much you mean to me and how happy you just existing makes me. I’m a mess, I don’t sleep, sometimes I get too caught up in school or work to even think about others, I’m paranoid, and I keep a lot of things to myself. There is so much about myself that I haven’t told you yet and you’ve been nothing but open and forgiving and I don’t- I don’t deserve that. 

I honestly don’t deserve anything I cherish right now, I’ve done literally nothing to earn them, you guys, everything else! I’ve just been wasting my life worrying about pointless things and shutting myself off from everything in a pitiful attempt to fit in a mold I could never fit. Now that I realize what I have I’m so scared I’ll suddenly lose it all because maybe one day you’ll all- just disappear, but that’s not something I want to think about. I’d rather just think about the present.

So, I have changed a person. Is it the good kind of change? Yeah, I think so. I’m no longer worried about things that don’t really matter, I’m more focused on the things that matter now. I might not deserve your love, your friendship, your support, but I want to return everything you’ve given me. You’ve made my life so much more meaningful and if I can make yours even the littlest bit brighter I’m going to try. 

So thank you 2020, you weren’t all that bad and hello 2021, I hope that you’re even better.

[just-that-fabulous]

@kierce-sherman-reporting @there-is-no-i-in-party @the-tall-albino-kid @francis-wolfe practice is at 5:30 and I know none of you have a valid reason for being late so don't be. <3

[kagami-akiyama]

He's a mother

[bookfortunes]

New releases in fiction coming soon. Place a copy on hold today!

The Women of the Copper Country

Things You Save in a Fire

The Testaments

This Tender Land

The Oysterville Sewing Circle

Red at the Bone 

[chernobog13]

undefined

The opening sequence from Ruby-Spears’ Superman animated series (1988).

The 13-part series was broadcast on CBS in conjunction with Superman’s 50th anniversary.  This was the first Superman series after John Byrne completely overhauled the Man of Steel in 1986.

On paper, the series had a lot going for it: long-time comic book scribe Marv Wolfman, who was one of the architects of the new Superman mythos (he was writing the Adventures of Superman comic at the time, and changing Lex Luthor into a corrupt billionaire mogul had been his idea), was the story editor; comics legend and longtime DC artist Gil Kane was the production designer; the opening sequence narration was the same as that from the Adventures of Superman television series; Toei Animation was the company providing the bulk of the animation; and the producers had arranged to re-orchestrate John Williams’ iconic Superman the Movie musical score for the series.

In practice, this is hands-down the worst Superman animated series ever (not as bad as Super Friends, but that was a team show).

The stories were dull, trite, and plodding.  The dialogue was cringeworthy most of the time, and it always felt like everything was deliberately dumbed down because this was a Saturday morning kids cartoon.  

The opening sequence, unfortunately, is narrated by Bill Woodson, who was the narrator on the later seasons of Super Friends (”Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice...”).  Not only does his narration lack the power needed to do the sequence justice, Woodson’s voice is - for me at least - a terrible reminder of that earlier series (in case you haven’t figured it out, I really dislike Super Friends).

Then there was the inclusion of Jessica Morganberry, Luthor’s assistant, who was cast in the ultra-ditz mode like the female henchpeople from the films (Eve Teschmacher and Lorelei Ambrosia), who elicited groans every time she appeared on screen (even little kids didn’t find her amusing). 

Superman’s proportions seem to change from shot-to-shot, and there are times when Clark Kent is drawn so bulky his head is too tiny for his body.  And despite being the production designer, it’s difficult at times to spot any of Gil Kane’s influence.  That giant ape in the opening sequence, however, is pure Gil Kane!

And don’t even get me started on Superman’s Family Album, the four-minute segment at the end of each episode.  They were so cutesy and saccharine that I’m surprised everyone watching didn’t get spontaneous diabetes.

Thankfully, the advent of Superman the Animated Series in 1996 returned the Man of Steel to his proper glory.

[rainbowcafelgbtqcenter]

It’s Black History Month

So what is Black History Month? 

Black History Month can be dated back to 1925 here in the US, when Carter G. Woodson (the “Father of Black History”) and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week of February would be “Negro History Week,” - chosen because it coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

^(photo of Carter G. Woodson!) Woodson initially wanted to encourage the teaching of Black American history throughout all American public schools, which was met with a pretty…lukewarm response back in the 1920s. Despite this, Woodson’s mission gained momentum within Black communities and is credited for countering the “lost cause” myth of the Confederacy (which claimed Black Americans had been better off under slavery and well-treated). Black History Month was first proposed by educators and students at Kent State University in 1969.

^(photo of Kuumba House @ Kent State, where the first BHM celebrations took place!)

Within six years, Black History Month was being celebrated all across the United States within educational institutions and Black cultural and community centers. President Gerald Ford formally recognized Black History Month in 1976. The UK wouldn’t observe its first Black History Month until 1987, Canada until 1995, and Ireland until 2010. 

Black History Month is vital in celebrating Black empowerment and achievements as well as telling the real legacies of strength and struggle against racism. The theme for 2022 Black History Month is “Black Health and Wellness,” in an effort to both acknowledge the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners, but also foster good health within Black communities. Communities of color have always had HUGE disparities when trying to access medical care - from straight-up compulsory sterilization of Black women to not having their medical concerns taken seriously, the phrase, “when white folks catch a cold, Black folks get pneumonia” has real, deadly weight - especially during COVID.

[wolveswithoutteeth]

any book recs? ✨

of course! my goodreads has more recommendations and i’ve created shelves for certain themes/time periods/genres but here are some favorites:

fiction:

the secret history by donna tartt

the goldfinch by donna tartt

red, white & royal blue by casey mcquiston

the song of achilles by madeline miller

the hours by michael cunningham

tipping the velvet by sarah waters

deathless by catherynne m valente

the round house by louise erdrich

ghost wall by sarah moss

on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

if we were villains by m.l. rio

normal people by sally rooney (the tv adaptation is now available on hulu!)

conversations with friends by sally rooney

lie with me by philippe benson

girl with a pearl earring by tracy chevalier

homegoing by yaa gyasi

trumpet by jackie kay

tin man by sarah winman

little fires everywhere by celeste ng

everything i never told you by celeste ng

burial rites by hannah kent  

the remains of the day by kazuo ishiguro

the underground railroad by colson whitehead

americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie

young adult:

we are okay by nina lacour

everything leads to you by nina lacour

the grisha trilogy by leigh bardugo

six of crows by leigh bardugo 

the winternight trilogy by katherine arden

shatter me series by tahereh mafi 

i’ll give you the sun by jandy nelson

19th and 20th century american lit:

moby dick by herman melville

little women by louisa may alcott

behind a mask (and other stories) by louisa may alcott

cecil dreeme by theodore winthrop

the awakening by kate chopin

the house of mirth by edith wharton

ethan frome and other stories by edith wharton

giovanni’s room by james baldwin

all of toni morrison’s books! (i recommend reading her work in publication order if you can but my favorites are beloved and the song of solomon)

victorian:

the moonstone by wilkie collins

lady audley’s secret by mary elizabeth braddon

jane eyre by charlotte bronte

villette by charlotte bronte

wuthering heights by emily bronte

the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde

middlemarch by george eliot

bleak house by charles dickens

british modernism:

wide sargasso sea by jean rhys

good morning, midnight by jean rhys

voyage in the dark by jean rhys

mrs dalloway by virginia woolf

maurice by e.m. forster

the return of the soldier by rebecca west

collected stories by katherine mansfield

rebecca by daphne du murier

poetry:

devotions by mary oliver

crush by richard siken

war of the foxes by richard siken

collected poems by edna st. vincent millay

collected poems by christina rossetti

selected poems by edith wharton

undercurrent by rita wong

the wild iris by louise gluck

useless magic: lyrics and poetry by florence welch (if you’re a fan of florence + the machine, this hardcover book is beautifully published and includes poems, lyrics, illustrations, photography, etc.)

graphic novels:

all of isabel greenberg’s books!

through the woods by emily carroll (very spooky! and the art is beautiful!)

and the ocean was our sky by patrick ness 

short story collections:

the bloody chamber and other stories by angela carter

how to breathe underwater by julie orringer

by light we knew our names by anne valente

st lucy’s home for girls raised by wolves by karen russell

kissing the witch: old tales in new skins by emma donoghue

interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri

the thing around your neck by chimamanda ngozi adichie

the last animal by abby geni

nonfiction/theory:

upstream: selected essays by mary oliver

into the wild by jon krakauer

hunger by roxane gay

braiding sweetgrass: indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants by robin wall kimmerer

playing in the dark: whiteness and the literary imagination by toni morrison

in the wake: on blackness and being by christina sharpe

forms by caroline levine

touching feeling by eve kosofsky sedgwick

TBR books i’m excited to read as soon as this semester is over:

the starless sea by erin morgenstern

frankissstein by jeanette winterson

glass town by isabel greenberg

supper club by lara williams

the night watchman by louise erdrich

writers & lovers by lily king

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado

the library book by susan orlean

my life in middlemarch by rebecca mead

my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh

the lonely city by olivia laing

the women’s prize postponed their winner announcement to september so i’ll be reading from the longlist this summer (and some previous winners/longlisters to celebrate the prize’s 25th anniversary this year!) this year’s list is really strong but a few books i’m most excited about:

hamnet by maggie o’farrell

girl, woman, other by bernadine evaristo

a thousand ships by natalie haynes

weather by jenny offill

red at the bone by jacqueline woodson

lastly, support independent book stores (if you can!) i ordered two books last month that i’m excited to read:

crude by olivia laing

a little book on form by robert haas

[nathanhsantos]

Black Beauty

As a part of America’s Bicentennial in 1976, President Gerald Ford formally recognized Black History Month. The impetus for this month-long celebration began with educators at Kent State University in 1970, and the roots of this historical focus on contributions of people of African descent could be traced to the achievements of Dr. Carter G. Woodson.  

Woodson, only the second African-American (after W.E.B. Du Bois) to earn a doctorate from Harvard University championed the cause of researching and preserving the history of African-Americans, and among his many initiatives he launched the celebration of “Negro History Week” in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

The 1970s were rich with images of African pride, and establishing Black History Month at the start of the decade was apropos. The inertia of Black Pride would ultimately result in the historical inauguration of Barack Obama as President in 2009. Pop culture witnessed the popularity of Blaxploitation films such as “Shaft”, television situation comedies starring legendary comics like Redd Foxx, Bill Cosby, Jimmie Walker, and Richard Pryor, the immensely popular Soul Train created by Don Cornelius established an institution that chugged for 35 years, and Hank Aaron and Muhammad Ali hammered, floated, and stung as the most remarkable athletes of the 20thcentury.

undefined

The “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, saddened by the gang warfare in Compton and Watts, utilized his powerful influence to regain the pride that he felt had been lost in the urban community.  Penning what became the anthem of the Black Pride movement, “Say It Loud,” he articulated individual responsibility and the recognition that each person’s uniqueness could energize the whole if the energy directed towards elevation, not destruction. He and his musical collaborator “Pee Wee” Ellis created a musical approach that opened the way for the emergence of Hip-Hop, with their long, looping vamps, the emphasis of beat 1, rather than 2 and 4, the percolating semiquaver guitar and the thumping Fender electric bass soon to be revolutionized by Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins.

It was in this context that Miles Davis permanently separated himself from the traditionalists of modern jazz and fully embracing the zeitgeist. Although baffling the critics who seemed to be invested in jazz music remaining as an elite idiom, those who knew Davis would not be surprised that he supported the Black Power movement fully, and found inspiration in James Brown’s grooves, Richard Pryor’s uncompromising commentary, and the ferocity and cadence of Muhammad Ali. Urged by his young new bride, Betty Mabry, his departure into “Black is Beautiful” fashion was underscored by his fascination with looping funk grooves, inspired by Brown’s “Say It Loud” and his experimentation with electric instruments. 

One need only study the covers encasing his newest records of this period to see surrealistic depictions of counterculture Afrocentric expression as in Bitches Brew (1969), urban ghetto caricatures of prostitutes, gays, activists, winos, and drug dealers as utilized on the 1972 project On The Corner to know what Miles was communicating in these years building to the establishment of Black History Month in 1976.

In his final decade of life, Davis’s advocacy of the Black Pride did not abate. His first album on Warner Brothers Records was released in 1986 called Tutu, named for the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner, Bishop Desmond Tutu. The project was another bold step in a different direction, employing Marcus Miller’s many skills to place Miles’s voice into a synthetic, digital context, maintaining the muscularity of a Mike Tyson-like jab, pungent harmonies and the abstraction of random, fragmented solo voices that defined the 1980s. 

The follow up to this album was Amandla, a Zulu word for “power” used to bring down Aprtheid. His final collaboration with Miller, Miles explored an amalgamation of styles including West Indian zouk (inspired by Kassav), go-go, hip-hop, funk, and even straight-ahead jazz.  The album cover for this project was his own collaboration with his artistic and romantic partner, Jo Gelbard, depicting his self-portrait with a map of Africa embedded within.  

In Quincy Troupe’s newest publication, Miles & Me, he describes Miles as an “unreconstructed black man” with a fiercely tough and unapproachable demeanor, and an uncompromising champion of urban culture.  Critical of his heroes Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie for smiling, and emulating the boldness of Jack Johnson in an out of the boxing ring, he represents a figure who spent his life obsessively looking forward and challenging the world to keep up with him.  To understand Black History from 1926-1991, one need to look no further than the remarkable life of Miles Davis.

undefined

[its-kierce-sherman]

((Ask event!! Yay!! Until I say so this is officially a temporary ask blog for all my DTI bois so feel free to ask them whatever))

[zimzamkirsty]

Tactile Art

Adds an element of hands on interaction to the artwork which is really great because it is inclusive to many people  and those who have low vision or blindness. You start to use multiple senses which helps you to appreciate the artworks in new ways that maybe you hadn’t before.

I find that it has been ingrained in us not to touch artworks but to just look (this is mostly from my own experience from teachers from when I was younger). This is probably from a lot of gallery settings and art that I usually am exposed to, especially before university. So this is interesting as I have always had those urges to touch and feel a lot of artworks especially sculptures and basically any other types of work e.g. paintings.

The Woodson Art Museum in 2019 did an exhibition where they had touch tables where the art would be displayed. For this specific one they had avian inspired sculptures where people could go to experience the work through touch. This is just the beginning of many different sets of sculptures set for the exhibit or was as it was a few years ago. For avian sculptures they were done by the sculptor Ann Cunningham in her Artists Residency. Her practice was dedicated to using stone and metal in her sculptures that were intended to be touched by the audience so being inclusive of everyone was from the beginning which is cool. Because of her practice she helped to create education practices for people with low vision or blindness. Below is a couple of the avian sculptures in the first set for the exhibition:

Lee Osborne and Leo Osborne, The Ruse, 1987, Redwood

Kent Ullberg, Great Blue Heron (AP/20), 1982, Bronze.

https://www.lywam.org/collection_exh/in-touch-with-art-tactile-sculpture/

[alltribessf]

Tigers & Panthers ✊✊🏾 Posted @withregram • @rasun7sol LNY / BHM, Feb 1st, Historic* Black History Week — Created in 1928 as a three part celebration: One for clubs in schools which would study historical themes; Two, for community members to discuss economic and political imperatives and plans for the rest of the year; Three, to set a theme of reflection on the Black Experience for the Entire Year. Black History Month — An extension designed by faculty and students at Kent State University in 1970. Since 1976, each president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a theme — which duplicates what has been done by Carter G Woodson’s organization ASALH from 1928 - 2022 setting a theme for The ENTIRE YEAR. So those who complain about BH being all year, it’s a nonsensical and uninformed critique. The 2022 Theme is 2022- Black Health and Wellness and The 2023 Theme is Anti-Black Violence and Resistance in the Diaspora. — Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month actually ALSO began first as a week, in 1978 and became a full month celebration in 1990. Black Studies — In 1968, after a diverse multi-ethnic, student-led protest, San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University) founded the first Black Studies Department in The United States — now known as the Africana Studies Department. This was a result of work by the Third World Movement founded at UC Berkley, which included the Black Student Union, Asian American Political Alliance, Mexican American Student Coalition and the Native American Party. Their mission state included “zealously” pursue Black Thought / “Third World” Thought in the context of America as well as Social, Political and Cultural Unity. Asian American Studies — Created 1 year later, the first Asian American Studies were established at the University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University and the UCLA, in 1969. In 1987 the first Asian American Studies Program at an Ivy League university was founded at Cornell. https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcZ361v_n6/?utm_medium=tumblr

[your-instructions-from-moscow]

SMALL BOY DOWN A WELL: MANORVILLE SAVES BENNY

OUTSIDE the trim, grey ranch house in sleepy Manorville, N.Y., seven-year-old Benny Hooper and a playmate whooped and darted through the yard in the supercharged hour before bedtime. Turning his back on the children, Benjamin Kent Hooper, 32, was on his way to the house to get a pipe for the irrigation well he had been hand-digging for the vegetable patch. He heard a scurry, then a shriek: "Benny fell in the hole!"

Kent Hooper grabbed a flashlight and raced to the wellshaft. At the bottom, 21 feet down, his son was wedged feet first in a clammy cavity less than ten inches wide. Benny's red wool jacket had been jerked over his head by the fall; one hand was stretched pitifully upward. "Daddy," he whimpered.

Truck Driver Hooper lowered a rope, but Benny was not strong enough to hold on with one hand. Hooper hurried indoors to call police and the Manorville Fire Department. At the nearby Riverhead telephone exchange, the switchboard buzzed with a sudden burst of emergency calls. For 20 minutes Operator Borghild ("Betty") Hooper was kept busy handling them before it dawned on her that rescue workers were being directed to her home.

Benny's mother arrived home to find a town-strong task force deployed across her lawn. Firemen had lowered a hose to Benny and were pumping oxygen into the airless hole. In the eerie shadows cast by searchlights, trucks disgorged tools, timber, volunteers. Rescue workers were feverishly digging a pit ten feet from Benny's shaft and parallel to it. A power shovel clanked in to speed the digging, but had to give up only four feet down when the pit caved in. A dozen men stepped back into the hole with hand shovels, shoring up the crumbling walls every foot of the way. At 11 p.m., Benny's hand quivered in the light of a flashlamp trained down the well. It was his last movement. Dried out by the hissing oxygen, fine salt sand drifted softly over the child's head.

Through the long, cold night, more than 150 dogged men battled cave-ins and exhaustion. Time after time earth slides blocked their passage. By early afternoon Deputy Sheriff Philip Coros sighed: "This is a lost cause."

As the agonizing hours wore on, the groggy, red-eyed diggers received atomic-age assistance. From the AEC's nearby Brookhaven Laboratories came a set of tempered-steel tubes (used as gamma-ray shields) that telescoped one inside the other like a nest of cups; they were trip-hammered into the loft. wall that separated Benny from his rescuers. At 7:32 p.m., 23 hours and 48 minutes after Benny had plunged down the well, a wiry Negro construction worker named Sam Woodson wormed through the narrow pipe and touched Benny's hand. It was cold as death. Then, as Woodson scrabbled at the imprisoning sand, the boy groaned. Woodson pillowed Benny on his chest and was dragged back out of the pipe by his ankles. The incredulous cry, "He's alive!", swept through the crowd. Benny, who was found later to have contracted mild pneumonia in the 55° cold, owed his life to his jacket, which created an air pocket over his head, and to the skill and dedication of a community that was determined he should not die.

TIME, 27 May 1957