#wilberforce

[arielleshaina]

Ghost rats for Inktoberandco day 26!

[thegentlemanhedgehog]

[petervintonjr]

This Decoration Day/Memorial Day we examine the remarkable life and career of Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first Black man to attain the rank of General in the U.S. Army. Born in Washington, D.C. in either 1877 (his assertion when he enlisted) or 1880 (the more likely date), Davis attended the famed M Street/Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, where he excelled academically, enough to be able to attend classes at Howard University during his senior year. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1898 and almost immediately saw action in what would later be known as the Spanish-American War, as part of the 8th United States Volunteer Infantry (an all-Black regiment).

After the war the 8th Infantry disbanded and Davis joined the 10th Cavalry (aka, the Buffalo Soldiers), and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major. One of Davis's mentors at the time was Col. Charles Young, himself one of West Point's first Black graduates and the first-ever Black man to reach the rank of Colonel (and almost certainly the topic of a future lesson in this series). With Young's recommendation, in 1901 Davis received a field officer's commission and became a Second Lieutenant. Over the course of the next few decades he served in a number of distinguished positions, to include teaching roles at Wilberforce University and also Tuskegee (for the duration of World War I). He married Elnora Dickerson in 1902, with whom he would raise a son and a daughter. By 1920, while stationed in the Philippines, Davis attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He made full Colonel in 1938, assuming command of the 369th Regiment (the "Harlem Hellfighters"), and in 1940 was appointed to the rank of Brigadier General.

By the time World War II was underway, Davis was nearly into his sixties when he was at last promoted to the rank of General. While he was stationed in Europe, he himself saw little action --relegated mostly to an inspection role-- but he made use of his elevated rank to push for desegregation amongst the units. After World War II he was appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, and in 1948 at last retired from military service in a ceremony presided over by President Truman. General Davis died in 1970 and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Significantly,

Davis's son Benjamin O. Davis Jr. would one day himself break barriers by becoming one of the very first Black men to attain the rank of General, in the U.S. Air Force.

[waywardsoldier88]

Love him

[theevieee]

For the people like me who need motivation

[white-winter-hymnals]

you know who had the fucking dynamic of all time? jeeves and wooster. helpless twink meets snide manservant. brown/black color aesthetic. bertie always needing jeeves to save him from marriages to strong women. uproariously funny slapstick humor and dialogue. rampant homoerotic undertones. why is tumblr not all over these guys

[aragarna]

Wilberforce chopping wood in the rain, as requested by Anon. - Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce in the movie Amazing Grace.

[darwuzhere]

I KNEW I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT OF THIS!!

Bug from show that airs at 3 am :P

[my-pal-bertie]

Announcing a new Jeeves and Wooster Email Project - My Pal Bertie

Remember the good old days, when we were waiting for letters from our friend Jonathan (via Dracula Daily)? Prepare to experience the thrill again…

From 1st March onwards this substack will send regular updates from P.G Wodehouse’s novel, The Inimitable Jeeves.

Bertie Wooster, the hero and narrator, writes in a friendly first person style that will soon feel like missives from an old and chatty friend.

Subscribe below to get your first letter from your new pal Bertie!

Subscribe Here

[thegentlemanhedgehog]

[100gayicons]

John Inman is widely recognized for his portrayal of Mr. Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries in the BBC series “Are You Being Served?”

During the recording of the pilot episode in 1972, David Croft, one of the show’s creators, suggested to Inman that he "camp it up" his performance. However, a senior BBC executive subsequently ordered Croft to remove Inman’s character from the series. Croft threatened to resign from the BBC if compelled to comply.

Inman’s portrayal of Mr. Humphries appeared in all 70 episodes of the original series, the 1977 film adaptation, the 1992 spin-off, and an Australian remake of the original show. In 1976, Inman received the BBC Television Personality of the Year award and was voted the most humorous television personality by readers of TV Times.

Inman acknowledged that during the early production of the show, members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality picketed in protest, asserting that Mr. Humphries perpetuated a negative stereotype of homosexuals.

Inman responded, stating,

“They believed I was exaggerating the gay character. However, I do not believe I am. In fact, there are individuals far more effeminate than Mr. Humphries who traverse this nation. Furthermore, I am certain that a substantial number of viewers appreciate Mr. Humphries and are indifferent to his campy nature. In contrast to potentially harming the homosexual image, I believe I may be contributing positively.”

Following the conclusion of the series, Inman became popular through his performances in over 40 pantomimes across the United Kingdom. Pantomimes are elaborate musicals designed for families, typically performed during the Christmas season. Inman’s notable role was as “Ugly Sister,” exaggerated drag characters commonly featured in fairy tales.

Throughout his career, Inman maintained a private life, and didn’t discuss his personal life. However, in 2005, to the joy of his friends and fans, Inman married his long-term partner, Ron Lynch, in London. At the time, they had been in a committed relationship for an impressive 33 years.

Inman’s final years were marked by a struggle with chronic hepatitis. He passed away in 2007, leaving behind a substantial estate valued at £2.8 million, which was bequeathed to Lynch.

[darthlenaplant]

Sadly I'm not really good at any realistic style but I HAD to bring my pen to paper for today I dreamt of Jeeves looking inexplicably like THIS:

Then I turned around and saw Bertie looking like THIS:

(The lighter bits of hair are supposed to be varying between reddish brown, ginger and dark blond, so he essentially looks like a Calico cat)

When I saw Bertie I laughed so hard I woke up LMAO

[majestativa]

A day of Silence Can be a pilgrimage in itself. A day of Silence Can help you listen To the Soul.

— Hafez, I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy, renderings by Daniel Ladinsky, transl by H. Wilberforce Clarke et. al, (2006)

[kemetic-dreams]

The 1815 Igbo conspiracy in Jamaica’s Saint Elizabeth Parish, which involved around 250 Igbo slaves, described as one of the revolts that contributed to a climate for abolition. A letter by the Governor of Manchester to Bathurst on April 13, 1816, quoted the leaders of the rebellion on trial as saying “that ‘he had all the Eboes in his hand’, meaning to insinuate that all the Negroes from that Country were under his controul”. The plot was thwarted and several slaves were executed.

The 1816 Black River rebellion plot, was according to Lewis (1834:227—28), carried out by only people of “Eboe” origin. This plot was uncovered on March 22, 1816, by a novelist and absentee planter named Matthew Gregory “Monk” Lewis. Lewis recorded what Hayward (1985) called a proto-Calypso revolutionary hymn, sung by a group of Igbo slaves, led by the “King of the Eboes”. They sang: Oh me Good friend, Mr. Wilberforce, make we free! God Almighty thank ye! God Almighty thank ye! God Almighty, make we free! Buckra in this country no make we free: What Negro for to do? What Negro for to do? Take force by force! Take force by force!

“Mr. Wilberforce” was in reference to William Wilberforce a British politician, who was a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. “Buckra” was a term introduced by Igbo and Efik slaves in Jamaica to refer to white slave masters.

[crocomom]

Love the way the Downing Street cats are talked about on official pages

[foppishaplomb]

haven't drawn these boys in ages but they're still near and dear to my heart