Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 2-18-22

Editorial/Column
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In Search Of Your Ancestry?
hree years ago, I received one of the most heart- warming gifts for Christ-
mas, an Ancestry.com membership and DNA Test Kit. The test results were tremen- dously liberating.
Finally, knowing from where my roots originated felt as though I had been released from a spiritual and soul crushing prison and given wings to soar above all earthly and mental chains.
Imagine looking at a map and being able to say, “this is where my ancestors came from and being able to read about the history, culture and lifestyles of my people. The test results brought tears and showed that I am 34% Cameroon, DR Congo, and Western Bantu, 32% Niger- ian, 15% Benin, Togo, 6% Mali, 5% England, N.W. Europe, 4% Sweden, 2% Ivory Coast Ghana, and 2% Ireland.
Moreover, the test answered questions I had about my light- skinned, heavily freckled, gray- green eyes, red hair of my grandfather and one of his prac- tices. No doubt the English, Swedish and Irish genes were the source of his color, hair, eyes, and freckles. The test also con- firmed why my grandfather per- formed an interesting rite in the fields of our truck farm.
When, I was a little girl, my job was to carry a bucket of cool water and dipper to my grandfa- ther and uncles 4-5 times a day while they worked in the fields. Before my grandfather would drink from the dipper of water, he would always pour a small amount of water out on the ground. When I asked why he did that, he told me he did it be- cause his father did it when he worked with him in the fields. I was overwhelmed when I learned during a Black History class that my grandfather had practiced a West African tradi- tion of “libation.”
In African cultures, a libation is a drink poured out as an offer- ing to God or a spirit in memory of those who have died, and a calling of the ancestors to attend. Water, wine, olive oil, honey or alcoholic drinks are usually poured into specially shaped cups or gourds with distinct de- signs. The liquids are usually poured into or on an altar, the ground or other surface during a harvest festival, community gathering (wedding, birth of a baby, death, or rite of passage for coming of age). The tradition is also practiced in Sumer, Egypt, Ancient Israel, other parts of Africa, Ancient Rome (early Christianity) and other countries.
Some of the interesting things I found out about my an- cestry included finding out that my ancestors came from a stretch of African Countries 25 miles along the Atlantic Ocean that were bordered by countries of Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Gabon; that my ancestors lived in the second largest country on the African continent (DR Congo); and that the oldest in- habitants of Cameroon were pig- mies who lived in tribal bands. Interestingly, there were 200 different ethnic groups in Cameroon and three Banu lin- guistic groups.
Consequently, February is the perfect month to give our loved ones a Valentine DNA An- cestry kit or a birthday gift. DNA tests can trace your family back further than genealogy records, can give you a deeper detail of where your family came from, and when your family arrived in certain locations. All DNA tests are different. However, some can tell you more about who you are, give you important health information, discover relatives you didn’t know you were a part of, and let you know if you are descended from royal dynasties. Some tests can even give you an ancestry timeline.
I encourage you to feel the liberating effects of a DNA test. Some sources say that privately owned companies may be better for privacy of your information and in-depth tests. Searching your ancestry is more exciting when you Include other family members in your search. Best wishes in search of your ances- try. Harambee!
POSTMASTER: Send Address Change To: Florida Sentinel Bulletin,
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. 1930-2010 (1977)
Because They Can
f you are wondering how the Republican National
Committee can issue a statement saying the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States’ Capitol was “legitimate discourse,” it’s because the “silent majority” did not cry out against the “second biggest lie of the century.”
Thus, the Trump-supporting radicals and extremist Republicans feel that because they yell the loudest, then what they say is the truth. Wrong!
Since when is destroying federal property and hurting and killing law enforcement officers, “legitimate dis- course?”
Certainly, we missed the news wherein it is legal to smear, blood and feces on the walls of federal buildings.
Obviously, the RNC thinks it is appropriate to break down doors, smash windows, and steal property from fed- eral buildings. We wonder what realm of reality Republi- cans live in where the perpetrators of such acts are deemed to be engaging in “legitimate discourse.”
Moreover, they obviously support Trump’s promise to pardon the January 6th attackers as well. Therefore, every- body serving a jail sentence for destroying the property of others should be freed from jail.
By the way, remember the attackers were hunting Vice President Pence and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi to hang them or otherwise harm them. The RNC’s consid- eration of the attacks as “legitimate discourse” means any other group can do the same thing again next year if they disagree with the candidates the majority of the voters se- lect to represent the nation in Congress, and in 2025 when they decide the Electoral College votes should not be cer- tified.
Republicans refused to appear before the January 6th Commission after being subpoenaed because they were not interested in finding out who played a role in trying to overthrow the American government. In fact, the Repub- licans showed more interest in investigating how we left Afghanistan than they showed for finding out about the January 6th attempt to overthrow the government.
There is no doubt that the RNC and Republicans do what they can to overthrow our system of democracy sim- ply because they can do so. No one is protesting their be- havior, thus they do whatever they want to do.
We need to speak up against them and vote them out of office in November. As long as we are silent, they will think no one cares and eventually succeed.
Show them you care. Speak up and vote.
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PAGE 4-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022