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The Angry Souls Of Black Folks
s Hurricane Irma
bears down on Florida and the country braces for yet another immense storm, that has the potential to take nu- merous lives and cause bil- lions of dollars in damage, I can't help but reflect on the irony that surrounds these re- occurring events.
Like every other hurricane that has battered the western hemisphere, Irma formed off the west coast of Africa, came across the Atlantic and let loose its rage on several Caribbean islands before tak- ing aim at the U. S. mainland. While any meteorologist will explain the system's move- ment as part of a typical pat- tern resulting from atmospheric pressure, it's hard not to notice that the path is also eerily similar to the one taken by ships carry- ing human cargo during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade two centuries ago.
Back then slave ships with names like "Jesus" and "Salvation" would take Africans from the slave cas- tles off the coast of Ghana and deposit them on islands such as Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic), Jamaica, Barbados and Cuba.
Once there these free- born Africans would be bru- tally broken before being sent to cities like Charleston, South Carolina, St. Augus- tine, Florida and Jamestown, Virginia where they were auc- tioned off on the open mar- ket.
During this process an es- timated 20 million Africans lost their lives while travers- ing what is commonly re- ferred to as the Middle Passage. Twenty million souls who either died of disease, starvation or who were tragi- cally murdered for the sake of profits.
It would be easy to write these violent storms off as normal weather manifesta- tions. But, if that's indeed the case, it makes you wonder why, when these storms form, they only seem to go in one direction?
You never hear of any of these hurricanes striking Liberia, Senegal, Ghana or the Ivory Coast. In fact, since they began tracking these storms in 1881, not one has ever touched down on any West African nation (do your own research).
It is almost as if these storms have minds of their
own. They could be guided by a natural phenomena, but, then again, there could also be something else... The spir- its of our ancestors complet- ing their journey.
While it may sound like some form of spookism or science fiction, it's hard to discount the parallels. I mean, as large as the Atlantic Ocean is and with as many land masses they could strike, why don't these storms ever go anywhere else?
The hurricanes seem deter- mined to destroy every har- bor that ever welcomed Africans who were held in bondage. Their anger not only directed towards the de- scendants of those who placed them in chains, but also appears to be aimed in the direction of their own de- scendants who've forgotten their pain.
Irma, like the hurricanes before, may not have arisen by chance. It could be just the latest soul to return in order to seek revenge.
And, with so many more waiting for their opportunity to wreak havoc on the lands that benefited from the blood, sweat and tears of their off- spring, I think we can look forward to experiencing the wrath of these angry Black folks for years to come.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bul- letin Publishing Com- pany. You can write to Mr. Barr at: Clarence Barr 43110-018, Oakdale F. C. I., P. O. BOX 5000, Oakdale, LA 71463.
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Hurricane: The Great Equalizer
orget racism, sexism, neo-Nazism, Ku Klux Klan,
Confederate flags, swastikas, and look to the sky ... the southeastern Atlantic sky to be exact. And what you will see, making its way through the Caribbean is the third largest storm in the history of the Atlantic Ocean.
Indeed, the immensity and severity of this act of na- ture boasts wind gusts of up to 180 miles an hour... powerful enough to topple even the hardiest Confeder- ate statue or rip to shreds, not only a three-story tall Confederate battle flag, but any banner, hate or vio- lence that gets in its way.
Trembling like a deer staring down the muzzle of an elephant gun, the entire State of Florida prepares for what might be a nightmare that equals in severity the monster Hurricane Katrina.
But, we here in Tampa-Hillsborough County have stared into the abyss before. Reporters say, last year, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn stood on the corner of City Hall, and prophesied about his city. “Where you’re standing now, will be 15 feet under-water,” (in the fu- ture).
However, Mayor Buckhorn’s prophecy was nine years late when in 2007, Tampa Poet Laureate James Tokley, in a poem entitled, “Tampa 2037,” predicted, “Will the (Tampa) Riverwalk where we once strolled by the riverside, be swallowed whole,’ or years to come, may divers swim down Bayshore Boulevard with aqua lungs?”
So, with Hurricane Irma bearing down on us with nuclear-bomb ferocity and the possibility of our de- struction approaching Biblical 40-day and 40-night proportions, we have yet come to realize that our great- est dilemma is the fact that we human beings somehow hate the idea of living together in peace.
So, we settle our differences with make-believe in- equality and cardboard Confederacies. Meanwhile, Noah’s ghost can only shake his head. For, this time, there may be no rainbow.
Expect Excellence 5 S.T.E.P.S. To Success
Part 4
Before we can exceed the expectations of oth- ers, we must first raise ex- pectations of ourselves.
mpowered Greet-
ings.
The above quote leads me into our focus this week which is to expect excellence. This is the third step to success as we continue the series. Expect Ex- cellence and settle for nothing less than the best. In life, you will get out of it what you ex- pect.
Expect things to work in your favor and eventually they will. This is a reminder of why
your thoughts are important and why you must take control of them, in order, to control your destiny to success, as we discussed in Step 2. Raise your expectationsby elevating your mind beyond the limits of mediocrity.
“He who aims at excel- lence will be above medi- ocrity; he who aims at mediocrity will be far short of It.”
-Burmese saying
Frankly speaking, being good enough to get by is no longer good enough. You were made by an excellent creator, in the image of excellence. So, you should be striving for nothing less than to be EX-
CELLENT! Be EXCELLENT in your speech! Be EXCEL- LENT in your character! Be EXCELLENT in your inter- actions with others! Be EX- CELLENT in your family! Be EXCELLENT as a parent! Be EXCELLENT as a student and lifelong learner! Be EX- CELLENT in your entrepre- neurial endeavors! Be EXCELLENT and sanctify yourself Holy in ministry! Strive to Be EXCELLENT in everything you do.
Until next week, when we move to Step 5: Prepare. Be empowered to Be EXCEL- LENT!
Stay connected to Selphenia for more tips, tools and strategies for your success. Follow her on Social Media. Face- book: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women; Instagram: @selphenia; Twitter: @queenofsuccess1; or Call: 813-603-0088 to re- quest Selphenia to speak, MC or train at your next event.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 5-A
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