Political Skinny
Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama II
Tree of Life
HERBS
GARLIC - Allium sativum
Garlic is nature's amazing and powerful antibiotic. It is a medicinal plant exclusively for disease prevention. Garlic boosts the immune system, stimulates the lymph system, and lowers the cholesterol by dissolving and loosening it out of the arteries. Garlic also lowers the blood pressure naturally by dilating the blood vessels.
NUTRITION: Allicin is the active ingredient in garlic. Its strong aromatic odor is due to sulphur-containing compounds that are activated by bruising (cutting). Garlic is high in phosphorous, potassium, sulphur and zinc. It contains moderate amounts of protein, calcium, magnesium sodium, iron, manganese, B complex, niacin, Vitamins A and C, selenium germanium, chlorine, and copper.
HISTORY: Garlic has been used in many cultures over the past 5,000 years. The Egyptians fed it to their slaves to keep them healthy and strong. They also used it for cooking, embalming, and as a form of money for slave trading (15 pounds for one slave), and they swore solemn oaths by it. Legend has it that, during the construction of the pyramids, the slaves' daily garlic ration was cut due to crop failure. The slaves were outraged over this, resulting in the world's first recorded strike. After Moses led the Israelites from Egyptian captivity, they complained of missing the finer things of life they had while in bondage, one of which was garlic. Garlic was also found in King Tut's tomb.
Garlic was used on the battlefield in both world wars to disinfect wounds and prevent gangrene before the availability of antibiotics. The Soviet army used so much garlic, it was nicknamed Russian penicillin. The Native Americans used it to treat cancer. Garlic was once thought to possess magical powers against evil and was used in charms and casting spells. Since 1979, Gilroy, California as been known as the garlic capitol of the world. Annually, a 3-day Garlic Festival is held the last weekend of July to celebrate its harvest. Over 140,000 people attend. Gilroy grows 90% of the USA's garlic crops. One medium clove of garlic is equal to 100,000 units of penicillin. ACTIONS: Anti-bacterial, anti-virals, anti-fungal, digestive aid, relieves gas, lowers cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, destroys some types of cancer cells, builds energy and endurance, rejuvenates cells, detoxifies, protects against infection, kills and expels worms and parasites, improves tones and strengthens entire physical condition, regulates blood sugar, and strengthens blood vessels.
AILMENTS: Abscesses, allergies, arthritis, arteriosclerosis (plaque), anemia, asthma, colds, mucous, flu, bronchitis, whooping cough, diabetes, hypoglycemia, hypotension, heart disease, emphysema, cancer immunity, diverticulosis, tuberculosis, stomach problems, dysentery, yeast infection, toxic metal poison, ear infections, fever, expels ringworms and thread worms, aids longevity, the lungs, the lymphatics and memory.
CAUTION: Ten cloves of garlic taken at one time can possibly produce an allergic or toxic reaction.
Ourstory
Video (AP): Atlanta Remembers Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in the Form of Service
President-elect Obama called for a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jrs. birthday. People came out throughout the country. The President-elect and the Vice-President-elect also showed up to lead by example. Obama said very matter-of-factly while he was working that it's critical that everybody get involved in the work. His campaign used the internet to raise money, but he doesn't want to use the internet just to raise money. Now that the campaign is over, he wants the internet to be used to keep us interconnected to make the work more manageable. He said, "I can't do it by myself. Michelle can't do it by herself." This kind of leadership is truly revolutionary. If it continues through the Obama term(s), we may actually see the CHANGE Obama promised during his campaign. What? An honest politician. Just when we were beginning to think that was becoming an oxymoron.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson: Great African Statesman
Father of Black History Month
by Vernon M. Butler (Founding Member Division 330 UNIA-ACL)
April 4th, 1983 for the African Heritage Journal
Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950), BA, MA, Ph.D., is truly a Black Hero whose philosophy and deeds should never be forgotten. He has proven to be one of the most important of the Black historians, authors, and social analysts of the 20th Century. He popularized Black History among the masses of people long before it was popular and valued. He recognized and acted upon the importance of a people having knowledge of its race and its contributions to civilization.
In June, 1909, Dr. Woodson moved to Washington, D.C. and found employment at the M St. High School, teaching French and Spanish. He moved to Washington so that he could be near the library of Congress and its vast resources. He located quarters at 1924 Eleventh St. N.W., for he was in the process of writing his dissertation to receive his Ph.D. from Harvard. Three years later, in 1912, Harvard University awarded Woodson his doctorate. His dissertation had been, “The Education of the Negro prior to 1861,” which became the nucleus of his first book, published in April, 1915.
Apparently, during this time Woodson became affiliated with the recently organized Washington, D.C. branch of the NAACP, and its Chairman, Archibald Grimke. On January 28th, 1915, he wrote a letter to Grimke expressing his dissatisfaction with the way things were going. Woodson made two proposals in this letter; first, that the branch secure an office for a center, to which persons may report whatever concerns the Negro race may have, and from which the Association may extend its operations into every part of the city. The second, that of which a canvasser would be appointed to enlist members and obtain subscriptions for the Crisis, the NAACP publication, edited by W.E.B. Dubois, Dr. Woodson then added the daring proposal of “diverting patronage from business establishments which do not treat races alike.” He wrote that he would cooperate as one of the twenty-five effective canvassers, adding that he would pay the rent for the office for one month. The NAACP did not welcome Dr. Woodson’s ideas.
In a letter dated March 18th, 1915, in response to a letter from Grimke’ regarding his proposals, Woodson wrote, “I am not afraid of being sued by white businessmen. In fact, I should welcome such a law suit. It would do the cause much good. Let us banish fear. We have been in this mental state for three centuries. I am a radical. I am ready to act, if I can find brave men to help me.” Apparently, his difference of opinion contributed to the short-lived affiliation with the NAACP.On September 9th, 1915 in Chicago, Dr. Woodson met with Alexander L. Jackson, Executive Secretary of the new Negro YMCA branch. In addition to Woodson and Jackson, three other gentlemen were present; George C. Hall, W.B. Hargrove, and J.E. Stamps. At this meeting they formed the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and appointed Dr. Woodson, Executive Director, which he held until his death.
The early years of the Association were difficult times, but it did not deter Woodson because on January 1st, 1916, he alone began to publish the Journal of Negro History, a quarterly publication. He distributed the first edition on his own initiative. The publishing of the Journal coincided with the year of the arrival of Marcus M. Garvey. In 1926, Woodson single-handedly pioneered the celebration of Black History Week, the second week in February, which has been extended to include the entire month of February. Because of Woodson’s belief in self-reliance and racial respect, it is only natural that the paths of Dr. Woodson and the Hon. Marcus Garvey would cross; their views were very similar. Woodson became a regular columnist for Garvey’s weekly Negro World.
Dr. Woodson’s political activism placed him in the eye of the storm and in contact with many Black intellectuals and activists of the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. He corresponded with men like W.E.B. Dubois, John E. Bruce, Arthur A. Schomberg, Hubert H. Harrison, and T. Thomas Fortune to name a few. Even with the monumental duties connected with the Association, Woodson still found time to write extensive and scholarly works such as The History of the Negro Church (1922), Miseducation of the Negro (1933), and many other books and articles as relevant today as they were when first published. He was never one to shy away from a controversial subject, and utilized the pages of the Negro World to add his contribution to the various debates in vogue at the time. One of these debates were over West Indian- Afro-American relations. Woodson summarized that, "The West Indian Negro is free." He felt that it requires time and realistic education to emancipate people. These opinions were the result of observing and approving the efforts on the part of the West Indians to inject Black materials into their school curricula. Woodson remarked that, "the highly educated Negroes thought that Woodson was wrong to invite attention especially to the race." They told Woodson that they were not Negroes or Africans, they were Americans. Woodson’s efforts to get Black culture and history into the curriculums of institutions were unsuccessful. This seems to be the reason why he left Howard University as its president.
Woodson was never deterred from his life’s work. He was truly a man of vision and understanding. He was a member of the highly EDUCATED element. The element to which he belonged by training, but not sentiment. Dr. Woodson spent his life introducing the Black race to it’s self. The Association which he started in 1915 remains today, with the Journal of Negro History still published as a quarterly magazine. Dr. Carter G. Woodson is a hero who must be canonized and remembered for generations to come.
Brother Vernon Butler went home and is an Ancestor today. We will always remember him for his positive contributions to the community and the building of the Woodson-Banneker/Jackson-Bey Division 330 of the UNIA-ACL. Now in our 19th Year we celebrate the works of Vernon Butler and Hon. Wm. Henry Jackson-Bey for their unselfish service and sacrifices. May God Bless both of their beautiful families.
Spiritually Speaking
Weapons For The Battle
by Norma Thompson Hollis
Spiritual Warriors are made once we are born. We all have the capacity, and many of us have the desire, to be spiritual warriors. It's really interesting how life in this society helps us to forget who we are, changes our perspective so that we care more about the money we can put in our pockets than the faith that we wear in our hearts. If we live in this society, we have to be concerned about money because we cannot eat, cannot have, shelter, cannot do any of the things that would otherwise come naturally because it takes money to attain them.
But spiritual warriors do not overly concern themselves with money and the things of this world because they are secure in their knowledge that God will provide for them. It is a knowledge that does not come easy, but comes, as one’s commitment to spiritual warriorship grows.
This commitment grows as we become more focused on God's plan for us. Isn't that what a spiritual warrior is? Someone who is acutely aware of God's plan for them. Our faith in God's plan for us is what propels us to work on God's behalf, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. says--as a drum major for God.
In Volume 3, No. 2, I talked about how spiritual warriors can build their armor by building a protective box around themselves that is composed of right living and surrounding oneself with right people. Once the armor is in tact, it is then time to establish a weapon system. Every warrior has weapons, and it is important that the weapon be accurate and effective. As we approach this spiritual war, which is growing, we cannot expect to win it through the weapons of warfare that are used by those who oppose us. The weapons of choice of our enemies are firearms of one form or another. These firearms have been in existence for many years and continue to be upgraded to bigger and more explosive--there is no way we can compete at that level. We can, however, compete on our own level, in areas where those who oppose us have no knowledge and no ability to overcome--on the spiritual battlefield. Our weapons of choice come from a different source and cannot be penetrated by the physical weapons of our enemies.
To prepare your arsenal of weapons, you focus on two areas, one comes from your head and one comes from your heart. So much of our life in this society is geared toward the use of our heads, our mental capacities to process, memorize and analyze information, and uses our reasoning abilities. But who we are, as humans and as children of God must also taken into account our hearts because it is through our hearts that the essence of which we are can shine. As spiritual warriors, one of our objectives must be to live through our hearts and to help others to do the same.
This is not to minimize the purpose of the head and its role in society, but if we focus on the head solely, and neglect our hearts and the marvelous role that our hearts can play in helping us to discern our roles and that of the people who surround us, we neglect our role as spiritual warriors.
So to prepare your weapons, you must prepare your head and your heart and blend the two together. From your head you prepare a plan, a thorough plan that gives you as much as a roadmap as possible to meet your goal. Your plan is based on knowledge, knowledge of yourself and knowledge of your mission. To attain this knowledge, you must look within yourself to know yourself. An old Ancient Egyptian saying, which was later repeated and made popular by Aristotle is to "Know Thyself.” This is as true today as it was many millennia ago.
To know yourself first, come to know your gifts. God puts each of us on this earth with the tools within us to accomplish the goals the Creator has set for us. Once you know your gifts you are closer to knowing your God-goals. Gifts generally fall within three categories--Gifts of Service, Gifts of Speaking and Gifts of Signifying.
Gifts of service focus on ministering to the need of others. If you are one who easily and naturally gives to others, shares generously, provides hospitality, administers easily, is a natural leader or missionary, you are probably gifted as a server. On the other hand, gifts of speaking refer to ministering through the spoken word--possessing the ability to share with others through prophecy, evangelization, teaching, exhortation, knowledge or wisdom. If you find yourself always with something to say and speaking on behalf of the common good, then you probably have a speaking gift. Finally, there are signifying gifts which represent ministering through producing “signs” of God's work. Included in this category are miracles, healing, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, intercessory prayer and exorcism. The signifying gifts are less common in today's society; the gifts of service are most common. Whichever are your gifts, it is wise to get to know them and then to develop them because your gifts are clues to the plan the Creator has for you to fulfill and to bring you closer to developing your weaponry.
If you do not know your gifts, there are two ways you can learn them. First, ask your friends, those who know you best, and your family, to tell you your best attributes. As you begin to see yourself as others see you, you will recognize certain patterns in the comments of others. These patterns need to be examined by you to determine the category under which they fall and this category represents your gifts. If you find this process difficult, call me and ask about the inexpensive spiritual gifts inventory which is available for purchase.
Next, your weapon is based on knowledge of why God sent you to earth--your purpose. Your gifts are the first step in knowing your purpose; the next step is to discern the patterns of your life. All of us have certain people, certain
experiences, certain words or numbers, certain activities that continue to repeat in our lives. For me, I always am put in a position of working for or with children. Whether in a paid position or in a volunteer position, children are usually involved in what I do. Now, as I move more and more to my spiritual nature, I find myself focusing on spirituality, developing spirituality and understanding all that I can about it. At one point, I had a strong discerning moment when I realized that part of my purpose in life is to bring awareness of children's spirituality. I did not know this ten or even five years ago. But when I stopped and looked at my gifts, at the patterns that kept recurring, at things I had written, places where I had been, people who kept coming into my life who also were focused on children and/or spirituality, one day it just hit me--this is what I am to do.
Take time, slow down from your busy life of chasing the paycheck of a full time job and look at the patterns in your life. Write them down. Keep a journal and review it in important periods. Consider the profession or perspectives of people who you come in contact with on a regular or unexpected basis. Look at the books you choose to read and the things that other people tell you--the messages you get from God's people. All of these will help you understand the patterns of your life, patterns created by God to let you know what you are to do.
Consider that this life is a jigsaw puzzle. Your weapon, as a spiritual warrior, comes from knowing how you fit into God's puzzle. We all are pieces of the puzzle. God knows how the puzzle pieces fit but they cannot come together until we do our part by knowing ourselves and putting ourselves where God would have us so that the entire puzzle can come together. Spiritual warriors know where they fit and they are constantly working toward getting to the place where they, as a puzzle piece, fit. Once more of us get our puzzle pieces fitting snugly, there is no weaponry that our enemies can use to thwart us--our success is guaranteed.
The final ingredient to your weaponry is love--unconditional love--the kind of love that we all want to receive, but you must give it to receive it. Remember the last time you saw a baby? Almost every human being loves babies. We smile at them, we tickle them, we try to get them to laugh, we kiss their soft and puffy cheeks. We just love them. We don't talk about them or get mad because they must use diapers, we understand that they have not grown to that ability yet. We don't criticize their personalities; we see the love in them and recognize that they also see the love within us.
As spiritual warriors we have to have that same type of love for each other and share it with each other. We must recognize that each of us is still on a path of perfection through God and that we can get to perfection faster through love than through criticism. By expressing unconditional love to your neighbor, loving them in spite of their faults, giving them the benefit of the doubt, being empathetic to their situations, providing support and encouragement rather than criticism and competition--these are the ways that we make love grow and win on the spiritual battlefield.
Norma Thompson Hollis, is the founder of Speakers Etcetera, Los Angeles, the speakers’ bureau where you learn to speak, get practice and get promoted. To get a speaker or be one, call 310-671-7136. Ms. Hollis is also a life coach to help you find your Authentic Voice™.
Daddy voted for you, too!!!
"...when i was a boy, Black people couldn't even vote..."
Cultural Resources
University of Florida Center for African Studies