Q1: What are the people, experiences and commitments that created positive feelings, energy and memories for you this year?

Q2: What are the people experiences and commitments that triggered negative feelings, energy and emotions for you this year? 

Q3: What did you learn about yourself this past year?

Q4: What are you going to stop doing this year?

Q5: What are you going to start doing this year?

Q6: What are you going to continue doing this year?

Q7: What can you do today to take the first step in the direction toward making 2025 your best year?

1. Self Check In: Have you been eating well? How have you been sleeping well? How do you feel?
2. Change Up Routine: If you go for daily walks, change the route. 
3. Give yourself something to look forward to: Schedule an extra date night. Ice cream treat
4. Re-Align: Finding your purpose...have you drifted from your purpose? If you journal, re-read some of your earlier entries to remind you why you do what you do and it's importance. If you have a vision board, look at it to help you remember.

Jerome Foster II

Video: “Your Attention Please” (Hulu and YouTube) https://youtu.be/l6EjOq1N84gWebsite: Climate Reporter: https://medium.com/the-climate-reporter/news/home

**Also, if you would like to ask Jerome a question or you would like to contribute in writing future articles for the Climate Reporter. Please email the him, Jerome Foster II, at: foster2.jerome@gmail.com

https://www.stress.org/stress-level-of-americans-is-rising-rapidly-in-2022-new-study-finds

Stress Relief: 18 Highly Effective Strategies for Relieving Stress (verywellmind.com)

Joy vs Happiness : 10 Key Differences - Minimalism Made Simple

1. Be clear that you want honest feedback. Let people know they’re doing you a favor by being truthful. “Don’t be nice,” you can tell them. “Be helpful.” Explain that you want to get the most out of the conversation, and it won’t work if they hold back.
2. Focus on the future. Ask what you can do better going forward as opposed to what you did wrong in the past. When you ask people what you can do to be more effective in the future, they tend to be more honest.
3. Probe more deeply. Don’t just ask once. Give people multiple opportunities to give you real feedback, to increase the chances they’ll feel comfortable doing so. It can be helpful to ask about specific situations — for example, what could you have done better in a particular meeting?
4. Listen without judgment. Try not to judge any feedback you receive, whether it’s positive or negative. Thank people for being honest with you and let them know that you find their observations and opinions helpful. If they think that you really want the truth and you won’t react poorly to negative feedback, they’ll be more willing to be completely honest. If you get defensive about anything, they’ll stop and be polite.
5. Write down what they say. This tactic accomplishes two things. A little silence communicates that you’re taking feedback seriously and it gives those offering it time to think about what else they might say. Often they’ll volunteer a second — and very important — thought while waiting for you to finish writing.

1. Give yourself permission to be happy
2. Give yourself permission to let go of being perfect
3. Give yourself permission to succeed
4. Give yourself permission to be yourself
5. Give yourself permission to be ok with not being ok

A helpful resource around how to self promote can be found here.

1. Amy Cuddy: Power Poses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phcDQ0H_LnY
2. McKinsey/LeanIn.org Women In the Workplace Report: https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace-report-2021/introduction

Did you know that an all-Black Women's Army Corps unit  sorted millions of pieces of mail in unheated warehouses during World War II.  According to the Department of Defense, unit Six Triple Eight was made up of about 850 Black women who were tasked with overcoming a massive backlog of mail - sorting millions of pieces of mail for frontline soldiers during World War II. They traveled to Great Britain in 1945, surviving encounters with Nazi U-boats and a German rocket explosion along the way, before spending months sorting through mail and packages stacked to the ceiling in unheated warehouses.

However, they unit set up a new mail tracking system and cleared the six-month backlog of mail in just three months. By the end of the war, the unit processed about 17 million pieces of mail. The "Six Triple Eight" was tasked with.

Like much of the country, the military was segregated throughout World War II. Black service members faced continuous racism, and the women of the 6888th have sharp memories of being segregated on trains, spat at and demeaned by White men and women.

The unit later was moved to France and then ultimately disbanded without any fanfare in 1946. There were no commemorative ceremonies for members when they came home at the end of the war.

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on March 14 that awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight." The honor was granted "in recognition of their pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and contributions to increase the morale of personnel stationed in the European theater of operations during World War II." 

Some of her pieces can be found at:

Howard University Gallery of Art

Detroit Institute of Arts

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Baltimore Museum of Art

Check out how Google honored her via the  Google Doodle . The doodle pictures her working on The Death of Cleopatra

Dorothy Height: Dorothy Height - Wikipedia  / Dr. Dorothy Height Biography (womenshistory.org)

Ruby Bridges: Ruby Bridges | National Women's History Museum (womenshistory.org) / Ruby Bridges - Wikipedia

Raphael Warnock: Raphael Warnock - Wikipedia / About The Senator » Reverend Raphael Warnock (senate.gov)

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett: Kizzmekia Corbett - Wikipedia / TIME names Kizzmekia Corbett one of four heroes of the year | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

It’s true!

As humans, we tend to:

• Remember traumatic experiences better than positive ones.
• Recall insults better than praise.
• React more strongly to negative stimuli.
• Think about negative things more frequently than positive ones.
• Respond more strongly to negative events than to equally positive ones.

For example, you might be having a great day at work when a coworker makes a snarky/backhanded compliment/passive aggressive comment. You then find yourself stewing over their words for the rest of the workday. Then, when you get home from work and someone asks you how your day was, you reply that it was terrible—even though it was overall pretty good despite that one negative incident.

So, here’s one of the many studies on our negativity bias. Research shows we focus on the negative and are hardwired with negativity bias. As provided in the sample scenario above, even if 3x more positive things happen throughout the day we will tend to ruminate and focus on that one negative thing that happened.

Try to disrupt negativity bias by being more aware of this human tendency and instead celebrate what’s going well.

Living intentionally doesn't happen overnight. So, how to start? One way could be to start  is to identify what your core values are and then ACT in congruence with those values. Here are some questions you could use to help get your started: 

1. What do you want more of in your life? What are the things I love? Explore the things you love (what do you love? What comes easily to you?)
2. What do you want less of in your life?
3. What do you want to experience?
4. How do you want to feel?
5. What matters to you?

It's a process and a journey and the only thing you need to do is take the first step!

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Here are 5 things you can do to start the first step of unlocking your potential journey:

(1) Focus on your strengths

(2) Focus on today because yesterday ended last night. It doesn’t matter if it was good or bad – don’t’ get stuck there

(3) Focus on your priorities by protecting your time and calendar

(4) Focus on your results; remember the 3 questions Yvette asks herself every day. What am I working toward? Why am I trying to achieve it? Why does it matter?

(5) Focus on your contribution to the world, because the best version of yourself will emerge when YOU decide to use your potential to make the world a better place.

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There’s a wonder retrospective on the history of East New York Farms! located here: https://prezi.com/337psrrp8ooi/copy-of-enyf-retrospective-case-study/

For more information about East New York Farms! Head to their website: https://ucceny.org/enyf/

Yvette covered the following ways listeners can get started exercising the “no” muscle.

10 WAYS GETTING TO NO

1. First, be sure where you stand i.e., whether you want to say yes or no. If you’re not sure, say you need time to think it over and let the person know when you will have an answer.

2. Ask for clarification if you don’t fully understand what is requested of you.

3. Be as brief as possible, i.e., give a legitimate reason for your refusal but avoid long elaborate explanations and justifications. Such excuses may be used by the other person to argue you out of your “no.”

4. Actually use the word “no” when declining. “No” has more power and is less ambiguous than, “Well, I just don’t think so…”

5. Make sure your nonverbal gestures mirror your verbal messages. Shake your head when saying “no.” Often people unknowingly nod their heads and smile when they are attempting to decline or refuse.

6. Use the words “I won’t” or “I’ve decided not to” rather than “I can’t” or “I shouldn’t.” this emphasizes that you have made a choice.

7. You may have to decline several times before the person “hears” you. It is not necessary to come up with a new explanation each time, just repeat your “no” and your original reason for declining.

8. If the person persists even after you have repeated your “no” several times, use silence (easier on the phone), or change the topic of conversation. You have the right to end the conversation.

9. You may want to acknowledge any feelings another has about your refusal, “I know this will be a disappointment to you, but I won’t be able to…” However, you don’t need to say “I’m sorry” in most situations to apologize for your refusal. Saying “I’m sorry” tends to compromise your basic right to say “no.”

10. Avoid feeling guilty. It is not up to you to solve others’ problems or make them happy.

Yvette and Ericka talk about what healthy means to them and what their individual journeys looked like to get to maintaining healthy relationships with their friends, partners, work colleagues and family.

This episode was also video recorded. To watch this episode, head over to The Melanin Pearls Podcast YouTube Channel to watch episode 15 as well as other video recorded episodes.

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With little money to spend on food, you need to stretch the dollar on food as much as possible. But if you live in a food desert, which is an area that lacks access to healthy affordable food your cost effective options are limited to fast food restaurants, convenience stores and bodegas – all of which chock full of cheap, high calorie and unhealthy options. This is a food desert. And whenever there is a food desert there is a food swamp. A food swamp is a place where unhealthy foods are more readily available than healthy foods, which most always exists in food deserts where there are limited options for purchasing healthy foods. Food deserts generally exist in urban areas— predominantly inhabited by nonwhite people— which is why Black people are disproportionately affected by diet-related health conditions.

In NYC, the highest quantity of fast food chains is not where you would think. It’s not Times Square or even Midtown. It’s in the low income outskirts of Brooklyn, New York.

Let’s take a look at East New York, Brooklyn (specifically zip code 11207)

Population: 173,700

33% foreign born and mostly younger

50% Black

39% Latinx

34% of all residents are living below the poverty line

8% of residents over 25 have a college degree

The health of this community is abysmal

• 37% of the residents are obese
• 18% of the residents have diabetes (diabetes is common in food swamps)
• 34% of the residents have hypertension

All higher than the rest of NYC

The average life expectancy in East New York is 78.6 years which is SHORTER than the rest NYC.  But, this is not the shortest. If you live in the Morrisana/Cortona area of the Bronx, the average life expectancy is 76.2 years. Compared with the UES, Greenwich Village/Soho and UWS where the average life expectancy is 85.9 years, 85.8 years and 84.7 years respectively.

Yvette’s List

• Portable Charger Solar Power Bank: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CV72B9N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Mented Cosmetics (Also Available at Target): https://www.mentedcosmetics.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=mented%20cosmetics&utm_campaign=branded&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2NyFBhDoARIsAMtHtZ6o4viIR8VxElDcjWVS5DVoA0AmYdNv8JSDDvwGflRhhMS0SC1zSNAaAqlfEALw_wcB
• Pat McGrath Labs (Also Available at Sephora) https://www.patmcgrath.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=sw_2020_q4_brand_core_terms_exact&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2NyFBhDoARIsAMtHtZ4ZNqLmAHAXM5FQusGZGF5-bEsmS1GkRsUE_DJhgX8hrdrh9x_FwpQaAiL8EALw_wcB
• Apple Magic Keyboard:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QO64FI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Akamai Computer Privacy Screen: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZE0636G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ericka’s List

• Lip Bar: www.thelipbar.com
• Walker's Apothecary: www.walkersapothecary.com
• Lose It App: www.loseit.com
• Fitiit: www.fitbit.com
• Brooks: www.brooksrunning.com
• Old Navy: www.oldnavy.com
• Yeti: www.yeti.com
• Oversimplified:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNIuvl7V8zACPpTmmNIqP2A

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You can peep the entire list on the Voting Rights Alliance website: https://www.votingrightsalliance.org/forms-of-voter-suppression

Here’s the data:

• 2008 election was the first presidential election in American history in which voters of color constituted one quarter of the nation’s eligible electorate. That election also saw a massive shift in the racial composition of early in-person voting, with Black voters casting their votes early in person more frequently than white voters (an estimated 24 percent to 17 percent nationally).
• This record turnout was followed by an unprecedented effort to cut back early in-person voting in states including North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida — which notoriously tried to ban voting on Sundays, a move that would have effectively eliminated Souls to the Polls efforts by Black churches.

We are witnessing a rerun. The 2020 presidential election saw more than 159 million votes cast — shattering the record for the most voters to ever participate in an election in American history by more than 20 million voters. It had the highest turnout rate since the 1900 presidential election.

• Seven of the 10 states where turnout rose the most conducted their elections entirely or mostly by mail.
• The percentage of Black voters casting their ballots by mail more than doubled from about 18 percent of Black voters in 2016, to an estimated 38 percent in 2020.

Now, like clockwork, we are witnessing an onslaught of legislation to cut back voting by mail, including in states like Arizona, Iowa, Florida, Wisconsin — and most notoriously, Georgia.

• In Georgia, pending legislation would require voters to submit photocopies of their identification twice when seeking to vote by mail; bar elections officials from affirmatively mailing absentee ballot applications to voters; reduce the window for requesting absentee ballots; place restrictions on drop boxes for returning ballots; and eliminate no-excuse absentee voting altogether.

One reform that would do the most to combat it is Election Day Registration (EDR), which allows eligible voters to register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time on Election Day, effectively eliminating earlier registration deadlines. 

• 10 states with the highest turnout in 2020 all had same-day registration, with nine of the top 10 offering same-day registration on Election Day (one of the top 10, North Carolina, only offers same-day registration during its early voting period). The consensus among political scientists is that EDR boosts turnout by two to 10 percentage points, with particularly strong gains among historically lower-turnout or disenfranchised groups like young, lower-income, and Black voters.

How EDR helps:

1. Allowing registration and voting on the same day reduces the logistical hurdles associated with voting by simplifying a two-step process into a single trip to a polling location.
2. EDR also allows voters to update or correct their registrations on Election Day, which prevents the disenfranchisement of those who have recently moved or who have been erroneously purged from the rolls.
3. And perhaps most significantly, voter interest is at its highest once voting has commenced; EDR capitalizes on that interest to bring new voters into the process.

Check out one of Julie's classes! Visit www.meditationinnewyork.org  for additional information and class schedules.

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Dr. Lauren provided a lot of resources to help you get started on your personal self-care journey. Go to the Resources section of The Melanin Pearls website www.melaninpearls.com for a complete listing.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

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It takes discipline to do the things that are good for us instead of what feels good in the moment. It takes even more discipline to refuse to take responsibility for other people’s emotional well-being. And it takes discipline to take full and complete responsibility for our own well-being. And that’s the foundation of self-care. Join us and our special guest Jamie Lauren, DSW, LCSW as she helps us unpack self-care and why it’s super important.

Self-care is a discipline because it’s not something you do once in a while when the world gets crazy. It’s what you do every day, every week, month in and month out. It’s taking care of yourself in a way that doesn’t require you to “indulge” in order to restore balance. It’s making the commitment to stay healthy and balanced as a regular practice. When you truly care for yourself, exercising all the discipline that requires, you are actually in a much stronger place to give of yourself to those around you. You will be a happier parent, a more grateful spouse, a fully engaged colleague. Those who take care of themselves have the energy to take care of others joyfully because that caregiving doesn’t come at their own expense. And those who take care of themselves also have the energy to work with meaning and purpose toward a worthy goal. Which means they are also the people most likely to make the world a better place for all of us.

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1. Katherine Johnson: One of NASA’s brightest “computers”
2. Bessie Coleman: First black woman to earn a pilot’s license
3. Audre Lorde: Lesbian, Black, female poet
4. Alice Dunnigan: First black woman white house correspondent
5. Claudette Colvin: Teenage Civil Rights
6. Althea Gibson: First African American to win a Grand Slam title (the French Championships)
7. Patricia Roberts Harris: First African American woman to serve in the United States Cabinet, and the first to enter the line of succession to the Presidency
8. Gail Pankey-Albert: First African-American female New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) seat holder in 1981

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Oniki Hardtman, Founder and Creative Director of Oniki Occasions and Petite Palm Beach Weddings

www.petitepalmbeachweddings.com

www.ohnikioccasions.com

Danielle Williams, Celebrity Hair Artist

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Melanin Pearls Podcast on Spotify and iTunes.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

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The Black History Game Changers covered during this episode:

Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. is an American aerospace engineer, retired U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, who is the first African American and the second person of African descent to go to space.

Bayard Rustin (1912-1987). Bayard Rustin was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement years before it started garnering the attention that it did. He instigated one of the first Freedom Rides back in 1947 and was one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). One of Martin Luther King, Jr’s most important advisors, Rustin has often been overlooked because he was an openly gay man at a time when it was considered unacceptable.

Lewis Latimer (1848-1928). You know that Thomas Edison created one of the first light bulbs to work. But did you know that originally his bulbs would only last a few days? This was definitely not long enough to be practical. Enter Lewis Latimer, the son of escaped slaves and an inventor in his own right, who created a filament that extended the life of the bulb. This made the light bulb cheaper and more efficient, making it possible for them to be used on the streets and in the average person’s home.

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926). One of 13 children born to sharecroppers in 1892, Bessie Coleman took an interest in flying after hearing the stories of pilots in WWI. Being both female and African American, she found it difficult to find anyone to train her in the US. This did not stop her, however. She simply went to France and trained there. She ultimately became the first African American woman to get both a national and international pilot’s license.

Jane Bolin (1908 - 2007). A pioneer in law, Jane Bolin was the first Black woman to attend Yale Law School in 1931. In 1939, she became the first Black female judge in the United States, where she served for 10 years. One of her significant contributions throughout her career was working with private employers to hire people based on their skills, as opposed to discriminating against them because of their race. She also served on the boards of the NAACP, Child Welfare League of America, and the Neighborhood Children’s Center.

Additional Game Changers:

Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977). A voting rights advocate, Fannie Lou Hamer was fired from her job for trying to register to vote and was nearly beaten to death by police. This did not stop her, however, from helping to organize Mississippi’s, Freedom Summer. She also became vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party that attended the 1964 Democratic Convention in an attempt to challenge the all-white, anti-Civil Rights official delegation. Her speech to the credentials committee was carried to many parts of the country and led to more widespread support for the cause.

Dorothy Height (1912 - 2010). Hailed the “godmother of the women’s movement,” Height used her background in education and social work to advance women’s rights. She was a leader in the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and the president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for more than 40 years. She was also among the few women present at the 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Ethel Waters (1896 - 1977). Waters first entered the entertainment business in the 1920s as a blues singer, but she made history for her work in television. In addition to becoming the first African American to star in her own TV show in 1939, The Ethel Waters Show, she was nominated for her first Emmy in 1962.

Gwendolyn Brooks(1917 - 2000). Today, Brooks is considered to be one of the most revered poets of the 20th century. She was the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for Annie Allen, and she served as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress, becoming the first Black woman to hold that position. She was also the poet laureate of the State of Illinois, and many of her works reflected the political and social landscape of the 1960s, including the civil rights movement and the economic climate.

Alice Coachman (1923 - 2014). Growing up in Albany, Georgia, the soon-to-be track star got an early start running on dirt roads and jumping over makeshift hurdles. She became the first African American woman from any country to win an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She set the record for the high jump at the Games, leaping to 5 feet and 6 1/8 inches. Throughout her athletic career, she won 34 national titles—10 of which were in the high jump. She was officially inducted into the National Track-and-Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.

Maria P. Williams(1866 - 1932).Thanks to the early accomplishments of Williams, as the first Black woman to produce, write and act in her own movie in 1923, The Flames of Wrath, we have female directors and producers like Oprah, Ava DuVernay, and Shonda Rhimes. Beyond film, the former Kansas City teacher was also an activist, and detailed her leadership skills in the book she authored, My Work and Public Sentiment in 1916.

Marsha P. Johnson(1945 - 1992). Before the Netflix documentary brought Johnson's story to life with the documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson by David France, many people were unfamiliar with the influential role she had on drag and queer culture. Johnson, a Black transwoman, and activist, was at the forefront of the LGBTQ movement. In addition to being the co-founder of STAR, an organization that housed homeless queer youth, Johnson also fought for equality through the Gay Liberation Front.

Ruby Bridges (1954 - ). Bridges probably had no idea that the bold act she committed in 1960 would set off a chain reaction leading to the integration of schools in the South. She was just six years old when she became the first African American student to attend William Frantz Elementary in Louisiana at the height of desegregation. She is now the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which was formed in 1999 to promote "the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences."

Mae Jemison (1956 - ). Mae Jemison wasn’t just the first African American woman who orbited into space aboard the shuttle Endeavour. She's also a physician, teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, and president of a tech company, the Jemison Group. She continues to work towards the advancement of young women of color getting more involved in technology, engineering, and math careers.

Alvin Ailey(1931-1989). Ailey was an acclaimed dancer and choreographer who earned global recognition for his impact on modern dance. After honing his technique at the Lester Horton Dance Theater—and acting as its director until its 1954 disbandment—Ailey wished to choreograph his own ballets and works that differed from the traditional pieces of the time. This inspired him to start the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, a multiracial troupe that provided a platform for talented Black dancers and traveled around the world. His most popular piece, "Revelations," is an ode to the Southern Black Church. Ailey died of an AIDS-related illness at 58, but the company still exists today in New York City.

Rose Marie McCoy (1922 - 2015). McCoy’s name may not be instantly recognizable, but she wrote and produced some of the biggest pop songs in the 1950s. In an industry dominated by white males, McCoy was able to make her mark through her pen, even if she couldn’t through her own voice. Her songs, “After All” and “Gabbin’ Blues” never quite took off on the charts, but she was courted by music labels to write for other artists, including hit singles for Big Maybelle, Elvis Presley, and Big Joe Turner. So now when you hear Presley’s “Trying to Get You,” you’ll remember the name of the African American woman who wrote it.

Phillis Wheatley(1754 -1784). The West African-born poet spent most of her life enslaved, working for John Wheatley and his wife as a servant in the mid-1700s. Despite never having received a formal education, Wheatley became the first African American and third woman to publish a book of poems, entitled, Poems on Various Subjects. However, she died before securing a publisher for her second volume of poetry and letters. You can see the monument erected for her at the Boston Women's Memorial.

Benjamin O. Davis Sr. (1880-1970). Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first Black general in the American military. He served for 50 years as a temporary first lieutenant at an all-Black unit during the Spanish-American War. Throughout his service, Davis Sr. was a professor of military science at Tuskegee and Wilberforce University, a commander of the 369th Regiment, New York National Guard, and special assistant to the Secretary of the Army. When he retired in 1948, President Harry Truman oversaw the public ceremony. Davis Sr. is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

References:

Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.com)

26 Little Known Black History Heroes - Famous African Americans (oprahmag.com)

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

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Below, please find the content with links to references shared during the episode.

Queen Kandake Amanirenas of Kush

Queen of Kush from c.40 BC to c 10BC. When the Prefect Aelius Gallus of Sudan went out on a campaign in Arabia 24 BC, Queen Amanirenas strategically launched an attack on Sudan and defeated Roman forces at Syene and Philae. She led the capture of a series of Roman forts in South Sudan in 25BC and her army returned with the bronze depiction severed head of the Roman Emperor and she buried the severed head at the steps of a temple dedicated to victory. That head was found in Meroe in 1912 and is now prominently displayed in the British Museum.

Women Warriors

The frontline soldiers of the West African empire the Kingdom of Dahomey that existed from 1625 to 1894 were all black women. This all-female army was so fierce and ruthless that European colonists call the Amazons after Greek mythical warriors. 

Queen Asantewaa

Born in 1840 she led the Ashanti rebellion against British colonialism. She was the first and only example of a woman to be given the role of war leader in Asante’s history. Under her rule, she promoted women's emancipation and gender equality.

Architecture

From 2500 BC to 300 AD so far, more than 225 were discovered in present-day Sudan. They were constructed over a period of a few hundred years to serve as tombs for kings, queens, and wealthy citizens. 14 pyramids were constructed for renowned warrior queens. Now, the history taught only talk about the ~120 much larger pyramids constructed in Ancient Egypt that was built over a period of 3000 years. Facts! These pyramids still stand today and are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Great Wall of Benin

Deemed one of Africa’s ancient architectural marvels. It was described by Fred Pearce in a science magazine called the New Scientist as “In all, they are four times longer than the Great Wall of China and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops. They took an estimated 150 million hours of digging to construct and are perhaps the largest single archaeological phenomenon on the planet.”  The Walls of Benin were destroyed by the British in 1897 which in essence destroyed more than a thousand years of Benin history of some of the earliest evidence of rich African civilizations. 

Ron Eglash, an ethno mathematician (the study of the relationship between mathematics and culture stated the following “When Europeans first came to Africa, they considered the architecture disorganized and thus primitive. It never occurred to them that the Africans might have been using a form of mathematics that they hadn’t even discovered yet.” (Source: https://thisisafrica.me/politics-and-society/african-marvels-the-walls-of-benin/)

Education

The first university in the WORLD was the Sankore University in Timbuktu. Founded in 13 BC it’s the OLDEST University in the world. The Sankoré University was capable of housing 25,000 students and had one of the largest libraries in the world with between 400,000 and 700,000 manuscripts.

Many of the math concepts learned in school today were developed in Africa. Over 35,000 years ago Ancient Egyptians scripted textbooks about math that included division, multiplication of fractions, and geometric formulas (err go geometry) to calculate the area and volume of shapes.

Medicine

In Western society, women for the most part were barred from carrying out C-sections until the late nineteenth century, because they were largely denied admission to medical schools. The first recorded successful cesarean in the British Empire, however, was conducted by a woman. Sometime between 1815 and 1821, James Miranda Stuart Barry performed the operation while masquerading as a man and serving as a physician to the British army in South Africa. (Source: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/cesarean/references.html)

Surgical Procedures

Egyptian medicine influenced the medicine of neighboring cultures, including ancient Greece. From Greece, its influence spread onward, thereby affecting Western civilization significantly. The oldest extant Egyptian medical texts are six papyri: The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus and the Ebers Medical Papyrus are famous. These are the oldest known surgical text in the history of civilization. 

Vaccinations

The knowledge of inoculation goes as far back as the 1600s in West Africa. Black people were inoculating themselves with smallpox back then but when you look up the history of smallpox, none of that is referenced. It wasn’t until the late 19th century when the “vaccine” was deemed official. Cotton Mather who lauded who is known in history for his scientific and literary works learned about inoculation from a slave named Onesimus. It’s been reported he told people he received the information from “Africa.”

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

The article referenced during the show can be found at the following link: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201904/develop-authenticity-20-ways-be-more-authentic-person

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

The 8 main causes of weight gain are:

1. Depression
2. Hypothyroidism
3. Lack of Fiber
4. Vitamin Deficiencies 
5. Excess Stress
6. Age 
7. Cushing’s Syndrome
8. Pregnancy

The most common diseases associated with excessive weight include hypertension, cardiovascular problems, Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis. There are also some forms of cancer that increase incidence in patients who struggle with weight like breast cancer and colon cancer. All of which make you at increased risk of getting severely ill if you do get COVID. And if you are black, the outlook is extremely grim for the black community. Black people continue to get infected and die from COVID-19 at rates more than 1.5 times their share of the population. For example, Black people make up 12.3% of the US population but 21.1% of all COVID deaths and 18.7% of COVID cases.

Per the CDC (cdc.gov), the leading causes of death in the black community is cancer and heart disease and black people are more likely to die at early age because of high blood pressure, diabetes or stroke. What is very scary, younger Black people are living with diseases more common at older ages (i.e., high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke). Taking care of yourself is the linchpin to living a healthy lifestyle. Being fit on the outside can only happen when you are “fit” on the inside. A healthy lifestyle is not limited to eating right and working out, it’s about changing your mind, changing your narrative and your attitude. Remember, nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

Make a plan that works for you! Start small, show yourself some compassion and get moving today.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

The call to action and key takeaways are to know who is representing you because this is the most important step in getting involved and demanding accountability. Websites like govtrack.us allow you to easily monitor bills your representative sponsors as well as the votes they cast. For example, who is your representative beholden to? Did they take money from PACs (Political Action Committee)? Did they run a grassroots campaign?

Getting the answers to these questions will help you understand the type of politician you are dealing with. If your representatives aren’t respecting ALL of their constituents, lift up candidates who will. 

If your representatives are letting you down, let them know and then replace them. You can do this by galvanizing local activists and lift up people aspiring for higher office. Help build grassroots movements in YOUR community. Create community demands – on a local level understanding what you and your neighbors want from your representatives are super important in order to ACTIVELY hold your representatives accountable.

Remember, settling for crumbs doesn’t keep you fed, it keeps you starving

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

We are not powerless, in fact, we are powerful. Thousands of people sacrificed their lives for justice and rights not only for themselves but for everyone that followed. We cannot be passive - we must vote! Because our lives actually depend on it! Deciding “not to vote” out of protest does not hurt them it hurts all of us. It’s not a protest, it’s a surrender.

Plan for long lines and come prepared with a chair, water, reading material, snacks and your phone charger! Remember to check the location of your polling place because changes are likely at the last minute due to COVID-19 or poll worker shortages. Check out www.vote.org to locate and confirm your correct polling location. There’s tons of information there as well - from checking your state’s voter ID laws to who’s on the ballot. Remember each state has a different ballot. Visit www.ballotpedia.com to request a sample ballot from your state. Be diligent and make sure you are completing your ballot correctly (to prevent it from being rejected/disqualified).

Below please find a few links to information referenced during the episode. This list is not all inclusive but it’s a really good place to start.

Five Ways to Vote in NJ's Nov. 3rd Paper Ballot Election

https://www.njisj.org/vote

New Law: 83,000 people on probation and parole can now vote in New Jersey:

https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/njisj/pages/1356/attachments/original/1599673023/NJISJ_Rights_Restoration_Double-Sided_flyer.pdf?1599673023

The median net wealth for Black and Brown individuals 15+ in New Jersey is just $179:

https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/njisj/pages/689/attachments/original/1603320237/Black_and_Brown_in_NJ_Final.pdf?1603320237

If you have questions or need help during and after the election, you can contact Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE to speak to a live person if you have questions or concerns about voting.

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.

Yvette and Ericka provided a brief history of voting in America for women and black people. From the Civil War Amendments starting in 1865 to the Voters Right Act of 1965 to the  2013 Supreme Court ruling that struck down two key provisions, Section 4(b) and 5 of the Voting Rights Act, ruling 5-4 in Shelby County v. Holder.

Thousands of people sacrificed their lives for justice and rights not only for themselves but for everyone that followed. We can not be passive - we must vote! Because our lives actually depend on it!

Make sure you are registered to vote and PLAN your vote! Check your state's vote by mail and early in person voting deadlines: https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/plan-your-vote-state-by-state-guide-voting-by-mail-early-in-person-voting-election/?fbclid=IwAR1vfLC7sg9uaNfMaOvS0-n79gB13xcDSLlkT0R9qTC1sXUafDQ5KTyMiE4

Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to check out upcoming episodes.