In the name of God, the merciful the gracious. God grant his blessing upon our Prophet Mohammed. Blessed be He in whose hands is the Kingdom and who is Almighty; who created death and life that he might test you; for he is exalted; he is the forgiver (of sins), who created seven heavens one above the other. Know the name Omar Ibn Said. His name is a testament to how important reading and writing is. Also a reminder of how evil one must be to outlaw reading and writing. To be found doing so would result whippings and even death. Omar Ibn Said wrote in Arabic his life before and during slavery. Born in a wealthy family in Futa Toro along the border of present-day Senegal and Mauritania. He was a member of the Fula ethnic group of West Africa who today number over 40 million people in the region extending from Senegal to Nigeria. Omar Ibn Said writes that as he grew older he sought knowledge in Bundu, an area in Senegal today that had historically been controlled by another ethnic group, the Mande people, until the Muslim Fulas conquered the region in the second half of the 17th century. In Bundu he studied under his own brother Sheikh Muhammad Said, as well as two other religious leaders and "continued seeking knowledge for twenty five years." He then returned to his own town and lived there for another six years, until a "big army" came "that killed many people," captured him and sold him to a man who took him "to the big ship in the big sea." After sailing for a month he arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was bought by a man called Johnson, who apparently was cruel to him. So he escaped, was captured and landed in jail in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he spent 16 days. That is where he began writing in Arabic on the walls of his jail, and where he was discovered and eventually taken into the household of Jim Owen and his brother John Owen, the Governor of North Carolina (1828-1830) with whom he remained until his death in his late eighties. THIS is a reminder to read and write. Never stop reading and writing. Bless.
Black History 365 | # 278 Dr. Mutulu Shakur
We must all acknowledge and treat the Shakur family as American royalty. This is Mutulu Shakur. Stepfather of Tupac Shakur — Dr. Mutulu Shakur was an acupuncturist, political theorist, & revolutionary. And after 37 years incarcerated as a political prisoner, Dr. Shakur spent just seven months free after his release in December of 2022 before he transitioned July 7th, 2023. As a part of several revolutionary movements, he became a target of the illegal Counterintelligence Program carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (COINTELPRO). This was a secret police strategy used in the U.S. starting in the 1960s to destroy and neutralize progressive and revolutionary organizations. Dr. Shakur has six biological children and several grandchildren who he maintains loving relationships with. He was an inspiration for many of the positive messages in his late adoptive son, Tupac’s, musical work. Dr. Shakur became a federal prisoner in 1986. The acts of which Dr. Shakur was convicted some thirty years ago were committed in the context of a movement seeking equal opportunities for Black people who, it is widely conceded, were suffering catastrophically from disenfranchisement, segregation, poverty and exclusion from many of the fundamental necessities that make life worth living. Dr. Shakur participated in civil rights, Black liberation and acupuncture healthcare all as part of movements of the late 1960s to the 1980s. Dr. Shakur received his tenth parole denial in March 2022. After being diagnosed with life-threatening bone cancer yet denied compassionate release, his lawsuit against the US Parole Commission and the Bureau of Prisons for unjust denials was expedited ultimately granting him a new hearing with the Parole Commission court-ordered to follow their own guidelines. He was finally released on parole on December 16, 2022. Rest in power.
Black History 365 | # 277 Pauli Murray
Peace to Pauli Murray, she was quite the pioneer. A lawyer, activist, scholar and priest. Pauli Murray was first in her class at Howard University Law school and the only woman. She is the first African American to earn a J.S.D. from Yale Law School and a co-founder of the National Organization for Women. She wore many hats and according to The Pauli Murray Center, she didn’t conform to biological sex. “Throughout the 1930s, Murray actively questioned his gender and sex. He repeatedly asked physicians for hormone therapy and exploratory surgery to investigate his reproductive organs, but he was denied gender-affirming medical care.” In 1965, Pauli became the first African-American to receive a JSD degree from Yale Law School. Murray’s accomplishments are abundant and extraordinary. Not only was Murray one of the first black women to practice law, in 1977, she became the first black female ordained priest in The Episcopal Church. Moreover, she was a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt and advisor to presidents Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. In all regards, Pauli Murray was highly impressive and clearly ahead of her time. In fact, she was so ahead of her time that her importance often goes unrecognized and excluded from the popular narrative of the Civil Rights Movement. Salute!
Black History 365 | # 276 Jack Patterson
Meet Jack S. Patterson. In 1945, he became the first African-American hired by the Wisconsin Electic Railway and Transport Company (now known as MCTS). What an honor for them to be on the right(ish) side of history. Shoutout to Mr. Patterson and several others who were pioneers for this time, they really added true value to these companies. After working as a bus operator for 30 years he went on to train new bus operators for the next three years. He retired at age 65 in 1978. Salute!
Black History 365 | # 275 Terence "Bud" Crawford
The utmost respect is needed on Bud’s name. Salute to the legend! Crawford now is the unified super middleweight champion. He became the first male boxer to capture three unified division titles when he defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision. Crawford, who moved up two weight classes, went down to a knee even before the decision was announced and then wept after he was named the winner. Crawford was quoted as saying, “I was stronger. I punched harder…I felt like I was in control,” Crawford said. “I think he was trying to figure me out.” He couldn’t crack the code. Congrats to Terence Crawford.