Tag Archive | "History"

Roots of the Steelband Rhythm Section


The Steelband was developed from the Tamboo Bamboo bands of Trinidad, players would hollow out Bamboo sticks and cut them to variouslengths to create a variety of different pitches, and these were beaten on the ground to pulsating percussive rhythms. Many of the bands would parade the streets at Carnival time. These bands had names like ...

Posted in Black History, Community, Education, Entertainment, MusicComments (0)

Croydon Celebrates Black History


Croydon Black History Site

Here at Black Presence we are always glad toreceiveinformation about black History Month Events. As Black History month approaches (October in the U.K) Councils and organisations are starting to send in their information. We will relay it to you as we get it. Croydon Celebrates Black History by: remembering people, places and events ...

Posted in Africa, Black Britain, Black History, Black History Month, Caribbean, Community, Education, Europe, EventsComments (1)

Ignatius Sancho


Ignatius Sancho

Ignatius Sancho was the first African prose writer whose work was published in England. Ignatius Sancho was the first African prose writer whose work was published in England. A former slave and renowned shopkeeper, Sancho came to England at the age of two, it was 1731. The Duke of Montague made him presents of books to ...

Posted in Africa, Black Britain, Black Writing, Books, Education, Men, Poetry, SlaveryComments (1)

Oak Bluffs – Summer’s Home For Elite Blacks


Home of the black elites

Washington Post Staff Writer DeNeen L. Brown wrote an interesting? August 20, 2009 About how Americas Elite blacks are flocking to Martha's Vineyard to take their annual holidays. Over the 4 page web article. Brown highlights the fact that this isn't a new phenomenon, but a generational thing. Black families have been attracted to the ...

Posted in African American, Black Blog Posts, Community, News, The AmericasComments (0)

High Flying, 15-Year-Old Girl Pilots a Plane Coast to Coast


Kimberly Anyadike

This July, 15-year-old Kimberly Anyadike finished a record-breaking flight across the country, becoming what is believed to be the youngest African-American female to pilot an airplane from coast to coast. The adventurous teenager flew from Compton Woodley Airport in Compton, CA, to Newport News, VA ,and back, making thirteen stops along the way. Her flight ...

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1955 Black History As Seen Through Magazines


Jet

Keeping my eyes open after a short time doing other things last week, hey, a boy has a life you know! I noticed this fantastic set of magazine scans from the 1950s. Whilst the magazines reflect the times,  I simply revelled in the photography and typographic layout, something many modern magazines seem to have forgotten about ...

Posted in African American, Arts, Beauty & Fashion, Blackpresence Supports, Education, Media, Men, News, The Americas, WomenComments (0)

Jamaican Easter Traditions Steeped In Culture and History


KINGSTON, Jamaica – While American families hide colored eggs and eat chocolate bunnies, Jamaica’s tradition of eating Easter bun and cheese, fortune telling and Carnival are the ways this island celebrates this holiday period. COMMON EASTER TRADITIONS Easter egg predictions One of Jamaica's long established practices is the setting of an egg to predict one's future. It is ...

Posted in AfricaComments (0)

Obama, race, reality and reconciliation


President Obama is beset with critics punching below the belt

Two months into the administration of the first African-American president, Liz Sidoti of the Associated Press takes a look today at some of the "old racial stereotypes and Internet-fueled falsehoods'' about President Barack Obama that have "flourished.'' There was that New York Post cartoon portraying the president as a monkey, that California mayor resigning after circulating ...

Posted in Africa, African American, Politics, Slavery, The AmericasComments (0)

Remembering John Hope Franklin


John Hope Franklin

Oklahoma and the country have lost a great man.John Hope Franklin, revered historian and tireless advocate for equality, died this morning of congestive heart failure. He was 94. FOX 23's Douglas Clark has more on Franklin's extraordinary life. Friends describe him as someone ...

Posted in African American, Community, Law and Order, Politics, Racism, The AmericasComments (0)

Exploring the life of an Afro-European Virtuoso through Verse and Violin


G.P Bridgetower

Listen to Beethoven’s famed Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47, commonly called the Kreutzer Sonata after the French violinist Rodolphe Kreutzer. It is sometimes assumed that Beethoven originally dedicated the sonata to Kreutzer. In reality, Kreutzer never could perform the sonata. Instead, he reportedly told Beethoven the piece was “impossible to play” — ...

Posted in Africa, Arts, Black Britain, Education, Health, MusicComments (0)

Black knights in Europe


Ever heard of the Black Knight? No, I don't mean that unfunny film with Martin Lawrence in it. I mean "The black Knight",? Did you ever stop to think where the tale of the black knight came from? Well, many historians have dismissed the stories as a knight who had a ...

Posted in Africa, Black Britain, Community, Education, Europe, ReligionComments (8)

Black Soldiers in the Polish Military


THE BLACK SONS OF POLANDby Capt. Zbigniew W. (Adalbert) GamskiRichmond, British Columbia, CanadaChairman of the Eng. Zglenicki Charity Foundation – PolandSource: http://forum.poland.com/index.php?showtopic=1566It was a 1920 Polish-Soviet War.A new country just freshly reborn after few centuries of occupation by Prussia, Russia and Austria was eager to show to the rest of the world it’s loyalty in ...

Posted in African American, Education, Europe, WarComments (3)

Memorial Plaque dedcated to Olaudah Equiano


About 300 people attended Monday night's dedication in St, Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey, of a memorial plaque to Olaudah Equiano (c.1745-97), the leading black abolitionist. Equiano had been baptised at the Church in February 1759. While people waited for the start of the service the Church organist played the 'Trumpet Voluntary' by John Stanley (1712-86) and ...

Posted in Africa, Black Blog Posts, Black Britain, Books, Caribbean, Community, Education, Europe, Events, Slavery, The AmericasComments (0)

Senegal – News Recap for February 09


Jatropha seeds: oil for fuel (Image: Alexandre Polack)

  Senegal-Bonus for rice farmers For Senegalese rice farmers like Pape Alioune Seck the food crisis is a blessing in disguise in a country that until recently imported three-quarters of this staple from Asia."Two years ago, the Senegalese rediscovered rice from the river valley," said the 32-year-old rice farmer. The change is answering the dreams of the domestic ...

Posted in Africa, Community, Education, Food, Health, StudentsComments (0)

John Blanke-A Trumpeter in the court of King Henry VIII


It appears that John Blanke, an African trumpeter, was a regular musician at the courts of both Henry VII and Henry VIII. Musicians' payments were noted in the accounts of the Treasurer of the Chamber, who was responsible for paying the wages. There are several payments recorded to a 'John Blanke, the blacke trumpeter'. This trumpeter ...

Posted in Africa, Black Britain, Black History, Black History Month, Education, Entertainment, Military, Music, WarComments (1)

African Sailors in Britain


Sailors from Africa, the West Indies and India have contributed to the life on board British ships during times of both peace and war. In times of conflict such as the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) and of large-scale international trade, large numbers of men were required to fight and work on board Royal Navy ships and ...

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John Alcindor-Physician (1873-1924)


Alcindor

John Alcindor (1873-1924) was a physician who was instrumental in the formation of the African Progress Union (APU). He was born in Trinidad and attended St Mary's College, a private school, in Port of Spain. Alcindor won one of the four Island Scholarships to attend medical school at Edinburgh University, Scotland from which he graduated ...

Posted in Africa, Black Britain, Black History, Black History Month, Caribbean, Community, Europe, Health, Politics, StudentsComments (0)

African Medicine; The E-book


African Medicine; Book Cover

AFRICAN MEDICINE The E-Book This holistic health guide is the first book ever to disclose the closely guarded healing secrets of Yoruba priests. It covers the history, methods, and healing treatments of a 10,000 year old West African Tradition. This amazing book consolidates African Spiritual Science and holistic healing into something comprehensive and usable everyday to help one ...

Posted in AfricaComments (3)

DR. ALEXA CANADY


DR. ALEXA I. CANADY (1950-) is the first black female neurosurgeon. Canady was born November 7, 1950, to Clinton and Elizabeth Canady. Her father was a dentist, and her mother served as president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, in addition to other civic affairs. The family lived just outside Lansing, Michigan. Canady and her brother were ...

Posted in African American, Community, Health, The Americas, WomenComments (1)

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-03-08


http://www.ondamoney.com/ http://tinyurl.com/akyq45 # Hot Digital Radio http://tinyurl.com/bv8n3m # Black Women In Europe http://tinyurl.com/auccek # Bienvenue sur Grioo Pour Elle, le site dédié à la beauté des femmes noires et métissées http://tinyurl.com/bxu2vo # Marie-Raphaelle Designs http://tinyurl.com/btu8um # Danielle Belton's The Black Snob - The Snob Blog http://blacksnob.com/ # Black Girl in London http://tinyurl.com/akfnn7 # AfroSpear http://tinyurl.com/add9lw # Morgan Tsvangirai survives car crash but wife ...

Posted in Africa, African American, Arts, Black Blog Posts, Community, Europe, Media, Music, Racism, Slavery, War, WomenComments (0)

From A London Diary 1942


For instance, a British soldier writes to complain that in an English port part of a well-known restaurant is barred to "coloured troops". ?He says that the employees of the restaurant disliked discriminating against coloured soldiers, and that a group of British soldiers near said what they thought about colour prejudice. He adds that his unit ...

Posted in African American, Black Britain, Black History Month, Europe, WarComments Off

Pioneering African American Cartoonists


spt_alston

During the segregated years of the 1900 through 1960s America, the Black Press offered comic strips that featured African American heroes & heroines in a wide variety of life situations. These characters were not confined to gritty 'inner-city' stories, poor 'ghetto' life or as one dimensional comic relief as today . Just as the 'mainstream' carried ...

Posted in African American, Arts, BooksComments (0)

Black Canadians – An overview


black Canadianhistory

Black Canadians in Canada: Total Population of Canada: 30+,000,000 Number of Black People living in Canada: 670,000 Percentage of Canadian Population that's Black: 2% Percentage of the Black Canadian Population living in: - Toronto - 47% - Montreal - 20% - Ottawa - 6% - Vancouver - 3% - Halifax - 2% Where Black Canadians ...

Posted in Politics, The AmericasComments (5)

Black British History – Some Light reading


* Staying Power-The History of Black people in Britain by Peter Fryer (Pluto Press 1984) * Black England-Life before Emancipation by Gretchen Gerzina (John Murray,1995) * Black Settlers in Britain 1555-1958 by Nigel File and chris Power (Heinemann,1981; reprinted 1995) * Black Edwardians-Black people in Britain 1901-1914 by Jeffrey Green (Frank Cass 1998) * Wonderful adventures of Mary Seacole ...

Posted in Black Britain, Books, EuropeComments (0)

Parallel Lives of Africans and African-Americans By Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo


African in America - Photo: William DarhyAfrican in America - Photo: William Darhy

A look at the position of the average African and average African-American revealed some surprising parallels. For the purpose of simplifying this piece, I will generalize even when I know there are exceptions. I also know Alexander Dumas warned that all generalizations are dangerous, so don’t snap as you read. Treat this as an honest start of an authentic dialogue which all Africans in the Diaspora must have.

Posted in Africa, African American, Community, Men, The Americas, WomenComments (0)

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