Lift Him Up!

I've always been an aviation buff. Since I was a kid, I've been able to visually name most types of civil (passenger) and military aircraft from around the world, but I never transformed that love of aircraft into a passion for flight itself. That's why I'm glad there are young men like Barrington Irving around.

Mr. Irving just completed a solo, round-the-world airplane flight. He's the youngest to ever do so, and the first Black. His itinerary brought him to Houston yesterday, and his trip concluded in Miami today. Why did he do it? Well according to the website of his nonprofit organization, he was motivated to attempt the journey because of;

"...the hopelessness and negative influences in my community! I was born in Kingston, Jamaica but have lived in inner-city Miami since I was 6 years old. When I was a teenager, there was little incentive for me or my classmates to get off the streets and pursue real careers. And the situation hasn't improved: in the neighborhoods between my home and high school, more than 24 kids under the age of 21 were murdered by other kids under 21 in the past year alone. I believe part of the reason for this is the lack of hope inner-city youth see for their futures—I want to show them they can do more with their lives than resort to violence! I'm also motivated to show the few people who doubted what I could do that anything is possible—they said I was too young and had no money, but that hasn't stopped me."

No doubt. When he couldn't find a sponsor willing to donate, lend, or lease him an aircraft for the journey, he;

"...went to manufacturers of the individual components such as the engine, cockpit system, seats, tires, and so forth. The plane, a Columbia 400, was manufactured by Columbia Aircraft in Bend, Oregon using donated parts from Teledyne Continental Motors, Avidyne, Kelly Aerospace, Precise Flight, S-TEC, Oregon Aero, Goodyear, and Seamech."

Impressed yet? Well, as I said earlier, he's also formed a non profit organization to

"...to encourage youth to pursue careers in aviation. The industry itself faces a shortage of qualified personnel for at least the next 10 years, and these youth have the potential to fill those jobs. They just need to know how and where they can get the necessary training, and more important, they need to believe they have the potential to succeed.

His plane is named Inspiration, and you can view his flightpath here, or go here to read his blog of the trip.

Inspiration indeed.

Juneteenth, or Know Your History (And Their's Too)

It's Juneteenth again; time to celebrate the culmination of the centuries long struggle our people underwent against the slaveholding system that the American nation was pretty much built upon.

Taking inspiration from some of the brilliant writing I've been reading lately in the Afrospear/Afrosphere, and noting the fact that my ancestors here in Texas were the last group of American slaves to hear of the Emancipation Proclamation, I've taken the liberty to draft this abrogated history of my home state and it's pivotal role in OUR history.

Now, I'm a native Texan. What that means is that I was born in the state and have lived here for a good portion of my life. It also means that I attended the public schools here, which means that I am well versed in at least what is called Texas history. You've all probably heard some of it: Rugged pioneers immigrated in to claim free land offered by the Mexican government (which possessed Texas at the time). Said Mexican government begins to infringe on the rights of the aforementioned settlers, who began a fight for independence. That fight led to the establishment of Texas as an independent nation in April 1836, and later joining the United States in 1845.

The two major battles that illustrate the Texas War of Independence took place at the Alamo in San Antonio, and San Jacinto, near present-day Houston. The Texians (as they called themselves) were defeated at the Alamo, although you would never be able to tell from the historical embossments and myriad theatrical retellings of that 13-day siege that ended up with everyone inside dead. The second battle was at San Jacinto a few days later, where the main Texian army under Gen. Sam Houston caught the Mexican Army by surprise and routed them in a matter of minutes, leading to Texas independence. Legend has it that the presence of a Black woman in the tent of the Mexican Army commander (and President) Gen. Santa Anna, the so-called "Yellow Rose of Texas," was a major reason why the Mexican Army was not exactly on high alert at the time of Houston's attack. The Yellow Rose was one Emily West, and you can read more about her here.

Ms. West's role notwithstanding, the Battle of San Jacinto signified a major shift in the balance of power on the North American continent. Within 15 years, the United States had taken possession of nearly half of all Mexican territory. This was accomplished after a devastating war during which the United States invaded to secure Texas' right to be annexed, and to establish its southern border at the Rio Grande River. The resulting peace treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded all Mexican claims to Texas, New Mexico, and California.

Think about that for a minute. Before the Mexican-American War, Mexico and the United States were about the same size, and had approximately the same number of people. Afterwards, well, you know the rest. Here's a visual.



The great untold truth in regard to Texas independence, and later annexation, is the role of slavery. In fact, slavery had been abolished by most of the former Spanish colonies upon independence, and in Mexico specifically by 1829. After multiple legislative sessions focusing on the slavery question, The Mexican Congress issued a decree on July 13, 1824 that;

...left no room for doubt as to the attitude of that body towards at least one phase of the slavery question. It prohibited the slave trade, domestic and foreign, in the most positive terms. Infractions of the law were to be punished with the greatest severity: any vessel engaged in this traffic, which brought slaves to Mexico, was to be confiscated with its cargo; and the owner, purchaser, captain, master and pilot were to be condemned to a year's imprisonment. Slaves brought into the country by such trade recovered their freedom the moment they touched Mexican soil.

The decree made no provisions for the removal of slaves already in bondage, and allowed an extension of penalties for six months in favor of those colonists who might wish to land slaves in the recently created province of Itsmo (Texas and Coahuila). These slavery debates in the Mexican Congress, as well as the lobbying efforts of Americans settling the Mexican territory of Texas are a fascinating study in themselves. However, despite it's intent with the decree of 1822, the Mexican government;

...while all buoyant with the hopes born of the Revolution and moved by theories of the equality and brotherhood of man, authorized the introduction of negro slavery into one of its fairest provinces, while it deluded itself with the belief that it was providing for the almost immediate extermination of the abhorred institution.

Most of the settlers who came to Texas were from slaveholding southern states. These people were not interested in settling a new territory unless provisions were made for their slaves as well, and were willing to fight to maintain that right. This led to a prolonged discourse within the Mexican Congress that persisted through multiple changes of government, coups, and finally, revolution. I could go on, but the end result dramatically altered the balance of power on the North American continent, and helped to solidify the institution of slavery in Texas until Union Gordon Granger landed at Galveston in 1865 with news of the two-year old Emancipation Proclamation and our right to henceforth and forever annually barbecue chicken and ribs in commemoration.

Happy Juneteenth Y'all!

Happy Father's Day

That fine looking gentlemen is my Daddy, holding my baby girl (when she really was a baby girl). I lost him quite a few years back, a few months after this picture was taken as a matter of fact; but not before he transferred a lifetime of wisdom to my brothers and I, most of the time without us even knowing it was going on.

This man grew up in segregated east Texas but went on to serve this country honorably during World War II as a Red Ball Express driver in both the North African and European Theater of Operations, facing more racism and disdain from his fellow American soldiers than from the Germans they were all over there to fight.

Coming home, he settled back in east Texas and worked for city government before starting his own business hauling trash, on which he raised a family of six kids.. The business grew to hundreds of customers, and exists to this day run by my cousin. There's a lot more I can tell but I won't here. Suffice it to say, I miss my Daddy and wish I could get the chance to talk with him a few more times now that I have a little more sense in my head.

Happy Father's Day.

R.I. P. Steve Gilliard

I didn't know Steve at all but I feel his loss deeply. His The News Blog was one of my go-to sites when searching for news analysis from an African-American's perspective, and that analysis always provided insight and thoughtful details that have been missing from the corporate media for years. In fact, I linked to an old post of his regarding military logistics in Iraq just yesterday.

Steve, you will definitely be missed. Our prayers and condolences to the family.

Oops, There Goes Another One.

Yet another bridge destroyed in Baghdad.

Iraqi police say insurgents have destroyed a major bridge that connects the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, with the northern cities of Kirkuk and Arbil. They say the insurgents used explosives to destroy the Sarha Bridge, near the town of Tuz Khurmato on the Chinchal River, 150 kilometres north of Baghdad. The blast severely damaged the bridge, forcing motorists into detours and traffic jams.

Several bridges have been targeted in Iraq, most notably the popular Sarafiya Bridge which was destroyed in April in a truck bombing that sent large sections of the steel structure crashing into the Tigris River in central Baghdad.

To me, it's starting to look more and more like the insurgents are working towards cutting off American forces in the city from their supply routes in order to force a decisive, Dien Bien Phu type battle. Steve Gilliard posted a detailed analysis of the supply chain situation back in February. Definitely worth another look. And for a closer look at how the military supply chain in Iraq works, here's an article from August 2005 that was also linked from Gilliard's original post. Key points:

Iraq’s roads are critical ground. The country’s network of railroad lines are not functional, mainly because of old infrastructure and a successful intimidation campaign against the families of the Iraqi civilians who run the trains, according to Chambers. “Reinvestment would not be worth it at this time,” he added, “but it’s something we may do in the future.” That left the roads, and weeklong convoy missions, as the way U.S. and coalition forces were kept in operation.

The route from south to north runs through the “Sunni triangle,” where insurgent attacks on truck convoys are daily, dangerous occurrences. Insurgents were clearly targeting the coalition supply line, but U.S. military officials did not believe their enemy had the acumen or organization to sever it. They were proven wrong in early April 2004.

The tactic described by Chambers was simple: “They went after our bridges.”

Call Me Mister

Received this through my day job, but it definitely applies to the Afrospear. We need more Black Male teachers at the elementary school level and this organization based at Clemson University is working to meet that need by providing full scholarships. Here's the Student Vision Statement ...

"I am a young, strong African American male, dedicated to perpetuating a sorely needed concept—men as role models in elementary schools. I am devoted to planting seeds of dignity and respect in children and inspiring them to cultivate those seeds producing a crop of unprecedented success. I will teach reading, writing and arithmetic and progress to self-esteem, imagination and determination. Because of my immeasurable promise, not only have I earned your respect, I demand it! A title is only important if ones' character and integrity dictate its use. When you address me, please verbalize my destiny….please do not call me by my first name….call me in reference to my great vision….CALL ME MISTER!"

Young? Black? Male? Wondering how you're going to pay for college? Think you have what it takes to help educate the next generation? Apply.

When Only The Best Will Do

A quick poll, how many of you know anyone who used a relative or friends address so their kids could attend a better school? Chances are the number is quite high. The quality of schools and districts is anything but equal, and as long as that's the case, you're going to have situations like this.

Mom clear in school flap: Jury sides with woman who fought felony charges over whether kids belonged in Marietta schools.

Jeanine Echols says she wanted the best schools for her three kids. The city of Marietta says it wanted Echols to live in the city or pay the school system that educates her children. The clash led prosecutors to file 16 felony charges against Echols, alleging that she lied about where she lived so her children could attend Marietta schools. Echols faced up to 80 years in prison, but jurors in Cobb County found her not guilty of all charges Friday.

What's Really Going On?

I've been meaning to post on this subject for awhile. Has anyone else noticed that the insurgents in Iraq have began to seriously target bridges into (and out of) Baghdad lately? Almost like they have a strategy to cut off American forces from supply and reinforcement, and to make any withdrawal (tactical or strategic) a much more difficult process. The latest from about a week ago:

Iraq bridge attacks: Truck bombs exploded on three important bridges near Baghdad on Friday, killing 26 people and damaging two of the spans in an apparent attempt by insurgents to paralyse road links to the Iraqi capital.

And on the other side of the city: Iraqi police say suspected insurgents set off a bomb near a bridge in southeastern Baghdad today, killing at least two civilians. It's the second attack on the bridge within one week. On May 11, a large fuel truck drove toward a checkpoint at the new Diyala Bridge and the driver blew up his vehicle, killing about a dozen people.

From April: A suicide truck bomb killed at least ten people on a major bridge in Baghdad this morning, wrecking the structure and sending several cars plunging into the river Tigris below.

And ...a car bomb exploded on the Jadriya bridge, which spans the Tigris River in southern Baghdad, killing at least 10 people and wounding 15 others, Iraqi police said. It was not immediately clear how badly the bridge was damaged. The Jadriya bridge attack came two days after a suicide car bomb detonated on the Sarafiya bridge, which crosses the Tigris in northern Baghdad, also killing 10 people. Eleven major bridges cross the Tigris River in Baghdad.

I'm just saying y'all, something to think about.

Hey, I'll Take It.

Some Good News from TSU: Golfers make NCAA tourney for first time

TSU is just the second historically black university to make the NCAA field. (It was not until eight years ago that the SWAC began receiving an automatic bid.)

But not to be overlooked is the positive news generated for a school that has had more than its share of negative coverage in the past year with the ouster of its president, the dismantling of its board of regents and, most recently, the five letters of warning from the NCAA resulting from academic shortcomings in the athletic department.

You.Must.Learn

Here's a bit of the history we all should know from over at the Electronic Village:

...The RED, BLACK and GREEN Flag was unveiled to the world by the Honorable Marcus Garvey and the members of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League at it's first international convention on August 13, 1920.

...Today there are many African nations that have adopted the colors Red, Black and Green after the great Marcus Garvey and his program of African Redemption. Read more...

A Moment Please

But, Uh, Do You Really Mean It?

From today's Houston Chronicle we learn that State Senator Rodney Ellis is trying to get a statement of 'profound regret' over slavery from the state of Texas. This seems to be part of a national trend of states apologizing (or coming close) for their role in slavery. Admirable, but I'm from the actions speak louder than words category. The damage wrought by slavery and its aftermath are definitely still with us to this day, and inform the actions of most people in some way or another.

Reparations anyone?

But hey, I give Sen. Ellis props for putting it out there, even in a watered down fashion...

State Sen. Rodney Ellis is seeking a statement of "profound regret," rather than an apology, for the role Texas government played in the institution of slavery, hoping it will produce less resistance to the symbolic gesture.

"This is about putting the Legislature on record, making a direct moral judgment instead of an apology, which some people believe is an admission of personal responsibility," Ellis, D-Houston, said during testimony in the State Affairs Committee on Thursday.

"I'm sensitive to that concern, so, rather than have that serve as a barrier, I'm seeking an expression of regret for the role of government in establishing and maintaining the institution of slavery."

But this is Texas y'all, so you know the resistance will come fast and furious, including the old standby, this time delivered courtesy of Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville.

"As we look back on history there's a lot we can have regrets about. Slavery ended over 140 years ago. Why should Texas Legislature say something about it now?"

But politics makes for strange bedfellows, as evidenced by a companion bill presented in the House by State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, that was referred to committee but never received a hearing. That bill was cosponsored by:

Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville, who earlier this session sought to preserve some Confederate statues on state property such as the University of Texas, signed on as a joint author to Thompson's measure.

Sounds like a quid pro quo; you acknowledge our history of being enslaved and oppressed, we'll acknowledge your traitorous, slave-holding ancestors. By any means necessary indeed. You can read the entire article here.

About That Food Supply

I'm a little late on this but still think it's very important. Turns out pets weren't the only animals eating melamine contaminated food imported from China.

A senior U.S. Department of Agriculture official confirms that as many as 20 million chickens may have eaten feed contaminated with melamine, the chemical added to protein shipments from China that has killed U.S. pets. The chickens are still on U.S. farms in several states. The USDA has ordered the birds to be held out of the human food supply until testing can be completed to confirm suspicions that the birds actually ate any of the tainted feed.

This is in addition to hogs from several states that were found to have consumed these food products. Though most have been quarantined and euthanised, several hundred entered the human food supply chain.

So how did this happen? According to the Chinese government;

...the contaminated vegetable protein slipped past customs because neither company declared them for use in pet food. Instead, the companies marked the shipments as products that did not need inspection.

I know I talk quite a bit about the quality of the foods we consume, but really, everyone should be on this bandwagon. At the turn of the 20th century the food processing, especially the meat packing industries were forced to place labels on their products detailing everything in the can. The call for regulation came about after tainted meats killed more American troops fighting overseas in the Spanish-American War than did enemy combatants; and with the release of Upton Sinclairs expose' of the meatpacking industry in his novel, The Jungle. This led to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, which in turn led to the formation of the Food and Drug Administration.

An argument can be made that there are more potential dangers to the food supply now than then. With the industrialization of food production and globalization of the supply chain, we're seeing more and more incidents of this type, including Mad Cow's Disease, and Bird Flu. We're paying a lot closer attention to what we eat; buying organic vegetables and meat whenever possible. With this era of deregulation still without an end in sight, it might be something for all of us to think about.

21 Biggest Technology Flops

We talked about the Most Annoying Technology Products in an earlier post, but here, according to Computerworld, are the Most Hyped Technology Flops. Apple Newton; O/S2; Net PC; Sega Dreamcast, the Dot.Bombs. Were these the worst technology flops of all time? Can you think of others?

Sometimes You Don't Need a Survey

The Boston Globe reports surveys have revealed that Black soldiers are not that enthusiastic about the current never-ending war in Iraq, and recruitment numbers are starting to reflect it.

Gregory Black, a retired Navy diver who last year started the website BlackMilitaryWorld.com, said that... "African-Americans detest this war. Everybody kind of knows the truth behind this war. It's a cash cow for the military defense industry, when you look at the money these contractors are making. African-Americans saw this at the beginning of the war and now the rest of the country has figured it out. It's not benefiting us in the least."

"It's basically about oil, basically about money. Read more...

This of course has affected military recruiting.

...the enrollment of African-Americans in the military may be at its lowest point since the creation of the all-volunteer military in 1973. In 2000, 23.5 percent of Army recruits were African-American. By 2005, the percentage dropped to 13.9 percent. National Public Radio this week quoted a Pentagon statistic that said that African-American propensity to join the military had dropped to 9 percent.

Which is a reflection of the opinion of the war among African-Americans in general who;

...by far lead the way in calling the war a mistake. According to Gallup, 85 percent of African Americans say it was a mistake, compared to 53 percent of white Americans. According to Pew, a plurality of white Americans, 49 percent, still say it was the right decision to invade Iraq, compared to 21 percent of African-Americans.

"African-Americans are always more sensitive to anything that smacks of neocolonialism, which this war did smack of," said Joint Center political analyst David Bositis.

Really, you knew this already, right? The military has provided an option for Blacks over the years to advance their careers and education, and throughout American history, our people have nobly served in all of this country's wars. But give us some credit for having both patriotism and good sense. With open-ended commitments to dubious war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a certainty of being deployed to increasing more lethal combat zones, and the prospect of little to no support upon your return back home, is it really a surprise that many young Blacks have decided that joining the military at this time might not be such a good idea?