#African American Travel. Black Travel

[notjustpictures]

Me and Thuli in Yerevan Armenia 🇦🇲 . Thankful for the love I share with my friends. Today is Armenian genocide Remembrance Day.

[rabbitcruiser]

Turtle Adoption Day 

Turtle Adoption Day is a "day of action for the protection of endangered reptiles." Specifically, the day supports the welfare of turtles. It appears to have been created by a woman named Christine Shaw, who made a blog post on November 25, 2011, on the website of Found Animals, an animal welfare organization that works to find new homes for distressed and abandoned animals. The day was first observed two days later.

Having a turtle as a pet is a large undertaking and can be a lot of work. Turtles have a long lifespan, meaning having one as a pet is a long-term commitment. This may not be ideal for many prospective owners. Turtles also need specialized—and many times expensive—care when it comes to their food, water supply, and cages, which also may not make them ideal pets for many. Additionally, turtles are often carriers of salmonella. Generally, conservation organizations take the view that turtles belong in the wild, not in homes as pets.

Still, many people do get turtles as pets, and Turtle Adoption Day is about reacting positively to some negative decisions others have made in this regard. Some people who get turtles as pets treat them like throw-away pets: they purchase baby turtles, view them as mini-turtles, and give them away or release them into the wild when they grow. When turtles are released into the wild, their chances of survival are slim. Additionally, many turtles are endangered species and are hunted by humans and have threatened habitats. Turtles released in the wild can also become invasive species. They can multiply, and may then damage flora and fauna. But, some turtle owners take them to animal shelters when they get bigger and they don't know how to care for them, instead of releasing them into the wild. It is these turtles that Turtle Adoption Day works to protect.

Turtles live in almost all climates around the world, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Most species are found in southeastern North America and South Asia. Only five species can be found in Europe. Turtles are part of the order of Testudines, an order that also includes tortoises and terrapins. Testudines are split into two suborders: Cryptodira and Pleurodira. Most turtles are Cryptodira. The main difference between the two is that Cryptodira retract their heads straight back into their shells, while Pleurodira fold their necks to the side when they retract their heads. However, sea turtles, which are Cryptodira, are unable to retract their heads into their shells. Turtles are then split into 13 families and 75 genera, and there are over 300 species in total.

Turtles spend most of their time in the water. Freshwater turtles live in ponds and lakes, coming on land to bask in the sun. Sea turtles spend most of their time in the ocean, coming onshore to lay eggs on the sand. Most of these webbed-feet reptiles have hard shells that protect them from predators. The top part of their shell is called a carapace and the bottom is called a plastron. The carapace is made up of about 60 bones, and is covered with plates made of keratin called scutes. Besides hard-shelled turtles, there are are also soft-shelled turtles and leatherbacks, which have a thick skin covering their carapace.

Turtles are not very social animals. They are most active during the day, when they spend their time searching for food. Most are omnivores, eating animals such as fish, insects, mollusks, crayfish, snakes, frogs, worms, clams, and other turtles, as well as grasses, algae, and other plants. Their diet varies depending on their species, with some subsisting on a mostly vegetarian diet.

Like birds, turtles have beaks and no teeth. They also are egg-laying animals. After digging a nest on land in sand or dirt, they lay their eggs and leave; they don't nurture their young once they are born. Turtles lay between 20 and 200 eggs at a time, depending on their species. Most of their eggs are eaten by carnivores before they hatch, and many are eaten after they are hatched, as the baby turtles do not yet have fully-developed shells to protect themselves.

Turtles vary in size, but some may grow very large. The largest freshwater turtle in North America is the alligator snapping turtle, which can grow up to 2.5 feet in length and weigh up to 200 pounds. The largest sea turtle is the leatherback turtle, which can grow to about 4.5 to 5.25 feet in length and weigh between 600 and 1500 pounds. The largest soft-shelled turtle is the Yangtze giant softshell turtle, which can grow up to 3.6 feet across and weigh as much as 309 pounds.

Many species of turtles are threatened, endangered, or critically endangered. Additionally, many turtles who were once pets have ended up in shelters because their owners weren't able to properly care for them. This makes it even more necessary that there is a day dedicated to caring for and protecting turtles. Today, on Turtle Adoption Day, we do our part to protect turtles by adopting those without homes.

How to Observe Turtle Adoption Day

The most appropriate way to observe the day is to adopt a turtle that was once someone's pet. Turtles can be adopted through Found Animals or Petfinder, or through a reptile rescue organization. They can also be found in local listings such as Craigslist, as well as at local animal shelters. By giving them a new and proper home, you can help preserve one turtle's life, and help protect turtles in general, many species of which face endangerment. If you can't provide a home for a turtle, you could donate to a reptile rescue organization.

Before you adopt a turtle, it is imperative that you are prepared to do so. You must make sure you know what type of environment turtles need in order to live in captivity, and you must have a large enough habitat for your new turtle to live. For example, turtles need at least ten gallons of water per one inch of shell, and for each additional turtle, you need another ten to twenty gallons of water. They need a dry basking area where they can crawl around and dry off, they need access to lamps that give off heat and UVA and UVB rays, they need a submersible heater to keep water at a warm enough temperature, and they need a water conditioning solution and a filter. When adopting a turtle you must also remember that having one as a pet is a long-term commitment, they can be a lot of work, they can take up a lot of your time, and they can be expensive.

Source

[gent-illmatic]

Today was a Good day …

[effeminateebony]

Finding A Life Partner

[oobxlr8r]

Week 13

Week 13

[ausetkmt]

The alerts from groups representing Black and Latino Americans come as the state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, is expected to enter the 2024 presidential race with a campaign built on tenets of the conservative agenda he’s fostered in Florida.

The NAACP issued a travel advisory for Florida “in direct response to … DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools,” the group said Saturday in a statement.

“Beware that your life is not valued,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson told CNN on Monday. He cited a new DeSantis-backed law allowing gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, as well as education policies that include a ban on teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation through 12th grade.

The announcement came days after LULAC – the League of United Latin American Citizens – issued a travel advisory for Florida after DeSantis signed a new immigration law that will go into effect in July.

Both LULAC and the NAACP say actions under the DeSantis administration are “hostile” to their communities.

“Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the NAACP said. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

Under DeSantis, Florida has banned the teaching of critical race theory, which acknowledges systemic racism is a part of American history and challenges the beliefs that allowed it to flourish. The governor said the concept would teach children “the country is rotten and that our institutions are illegitimate.”

DeSantis has supported legislation barring instruction that suggests anyone is privileged or oppressed based on their race or skin color. His administration also blocked a preliminary version of a new Advanced Placement course for high school students on African American studies, with Florida’s Department of Education saying it “significantly lacks educational value.”

The NAACP said DeSantis’ actions are “in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon.”

“Let me be clear: Failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” said Johnson, the NAACP president.

CNN has sought comment from DeSantis’ office.

After the DeSantis administration rejected the AP African American studies course, the NAACP distributed 10,000 books to 25 predominantly Black communities across Florida in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers’ Reading Opens the World program, the NAACP said.

The majority of the books donated were titles banned under the state’s increasingly restrictive laws. The NAACP continues to encourage local branches and youth councils to start community libraries to ensure access to representative literature.

The NAACP also decried Florida’s new concealed weapon law, which also states gun owners no longer have to take any training before carrying a concealed weapon outside the home. It goes into effect July 1.

The NAACP president said such measures are “not business-attractive policies” and urged members to consider holding conventions outside of Florida.

“The policies that he has put in place are harmful policies to far too many individuals,” Johnson said.

This isn’t the first time the NAACP has issued a travel advisory for a state. In 2017, the NAACP warned people of color about traveling to Missouri after the state passed Senate Bill 43, which made it more difficult for employees to prove their protected class, such as race or gender.

While the governor said the new law put Missouri’s standards for lawsuits in line with other states, the NAACP said it allows unlawful discrimination.

[biprotagz]

ive gotta read more Black thought books bc. my brain won't stop thinking about the cultural condition (detachment, alienation) of the african american.

[goingplacesfarandnear]

New York State Launches I Love NY Black Travel Initiative

I LOVE NY Will Promote Black Travel Destinations, Events and Cultural Attractions to Encourage Black Travelers to Explore New York State Builds on I LOVE NY LGBTQ and Accessible NY Programs to Boost New York Tourism Among Diverse Populations I LOVE NY’s Black travel initiative will be a comprehensive program that promotes New York State as a great vacation destination for Black travelers. New…

[nobossinc]

The Transformative Power of Travel for Black Americans

Fueling a Global Black Experience In a world that is more interconnected than ever, travel can be a transformative force, especially for Black Americans who may still feel the weight of historical oppression in the United States. The American Dream promised a good job, homeownership, and a safe community to raise our children. Yet, for many, this dream has been elusive, clouded by a legacy of…

[karenpulferfocht]

The Stax Documentary

A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOR STAX

STAX ARTISTS THROUGH THE YEARS

SOULSVILLE: The neighborhood around Stax, and home to many musical greats!

It’s no secret that what made me fall in love with Memphis and made me want to stay in Memphis for so many years was the music. The people, yes, the warm climate, yes, the fantastic professional opportunities, yes, the central location, yes and the low cost of living, yes. But the music-- absolutely yes!

I‘ve always loved jazz and the blues. My father entertained me with silly songs any child would love, like Slim Gaillard- Potato Chips and “Flat Foot Floogie.” He went to an elite school in the northeast and had to listen to this “race” music secretly, as it was frowned upon.

Memphis is home to The Blues Foundation because of the rich blues musical history and heritage. Memphis and the Mississippi Delta are like Mecca for blues fans and blues pilgrims.

As long as I’ve lived here, I have noticed that Europeans were very knowledgeable about Memphis music, much more so that many Americans. Americans came to Memphis to see Graceland.  But it’s always been the Europeans who were savvy on the blues, R&B, and the soul music that has its roots in Memphis. The Stax Documentary explains this.

There is the Poretta Soul Festival, in Rufus Thomas Park the third week of July, every year, in Porretta Terme, province of Bologna. Graziano Uliani, frequently comes to Memphis seeking out new local talent for his festival.

I have a vivid memory of Rufus Thomas telling me how excited he was that they were naming a park after him.

It’s the music created here in this region that draws people from all over the world, to Memphis.  

In the last decade, Memphis has risen to the top of places to visit by influential travel magazines like National Geographic and Condé Nast . “Memphis is one of two destinations from the U.S. highlighted in Condé Nast Traveler's “23 Best Places to Go in 2023,” which covers 22 countries and six continents,” a Commercial Appeal story reported.

I got to know Stax artist Rufus Thomas when I first moved here from Chicago. Rufus captivated me right away and quickly became of of my favorite entertainers. He was SO MUCH FUN! He was an amazing entertainer with roots in vaudeville. He could still get a crowd going with Funky Chicken and Walking the Dog, into his 80’s. I have many fun memories of seeing him perform on Beale Street. He used to say, “If you could be black for one Saturday night on Beale Street, never would you want to be white again.”

His daughter Carla, who still lives in Memphis, was also a successful Stax artist. You can still find Carla out buying flowers, or as a guest at one of the many Memphis music events held over the years. Carla is Stax royalty. She had the good fortune to record with Otis Redding before he was killed in a plane crash in 1967.

Redding’s music is so soulful, it just pierces right into your heart.

As with many great artists, he died way too young at age 26.  Stax music was experiencing some real success when Redding and many band members died in a plane crash.

As a photojournalist in Memphis, over the years I covered the only survivor of that plane crash, Ben Cauley.  Other influential Stax artists like Booker T. and the MG’s, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Marva Staples, David Porter, Steve Cropper and Sam Moore have all been in my camera’s viewfinder.

The documentary goes into the run of bad luck that followed Redding’s death, the assassination of MLK in Memphis and the signing of a bad contract by Stax owner Jim Stewart, who in a very Memphis way, trusted the people he was working with.

By the time I had come to Memphis, Stax had closed. But there was an appreciation for the Stax contribution to Memphis music legacy.

The documentary helped me appreciate more deeply the people, their experience and the music that is so deeply woven into the fabric and culture of Memphis.

I covered the opening of the Stax Museum and the music programs they had for the kids of Memphis. These programs are still teaching our city’s youth about the magical musical legacy here while cultivating the next musical generation. I went to New York City to cover the Stax Kids when they played at Lincoln Center and I also was on assignment when Memphis Music, including several Stax artists, Justin Timberlake and harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite were honored at the White House by Michelle and President Obama.

Wayne Jackson , and his wife Amy, were good friends of ours. He was one of the Memphis Horns.  Jackson and partner Andrew Love were on hundreds of Top Ten and Number One hits, gold and platinum records. They were considered the Rolls Royce of horn sections. Jackson fully appreciated the experience and he tells about it here in this short video I did before he passed away.

Memphis is just such a musical treasure box that never ceases to amaze and entertain me. Living here you run into these folks here and there. Most of them have always been very accessible.

“Indeed, many musical luminaries either hailed from or resided in the Soulsville neighborhood,” writes Alex Greene in Memphis Magazine.

Even though I felt like I knew the Stax story and many of the players and much of the music, the Stax documentary opened my eyes with more intimate details, historical glimpses, and great storytelling to help me appreciate what the artists and producers went through, good and bad to create and capture the “Memphis sound.”

By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2024

Memphis Photojournalist

https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/waynejackson-memphishorns

[lifewithaview]

Hill Harper and Vincent Ventresca in The Twilight Zone (2002–2003) Shades of Guilt

E3

A black man begs Matt McGreevey for a ride in his car since he is being pursued by someone, but Matt refuses and drives on, and sees him being attacked by a gang behind him. That night, Matt suffers several wounds he can't explain to his wife, and the next morning appears to have gained a tan overnight and learns that the man, a college professor named John Woodrell, was beaten to death in a hate-crime. His family and friends point out he didn't know who the man was or why he was running, but Matt, defensive about not being racist, still regrets not helping him since he knows why he didn't stop. It may be too late, though, since his skin continues to darken until he's mistaken for a mixed, then an African-American, man, then he looks exactly like the victim...

[ngosikadzistyle]

Ankara Fabric: How to buy it and the different types

HARARE – Ankara fabric got its name from a mispronunciation of the Capital or Ghana ACCRA which was central in popularizing this Dutch wax fabric. The fabric was trying to enter Indonesian markets and created a cheaper one, which was rejected by Indonesians but made its way into West African upper class and middle class culture. Beyoncé Knowles Carter in an Ankara designer suit Continue reading…

[usnatarchives]

Dr. Mae Jemison was the first African American woman to travel in space. Born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Jemison’s journey into the stars is a testament to the power of dreams and determination. 🚀

[musiqjukebox]

Tiffany Heard, Founder of Hues of Africa: Journey Between the Lines & Hues of HBCUs

Tiffany Heard is from Los Angeles, California and is a proud graduate of Howard University, where she obtained a Masters of Social Work. She has currently traveled the world to over 20 countries and gives back selflessly by volunteering abroad. Ms. Heard is a content creator who discusses and documents her solo vacations on the travel blog. Tiffany is the author of Hues of Africa: Journey Between…

[icanseethefuture333]

Whenever I hear other African Americans say they're not black but indigenous/aboriginal a part of me dies

[readersmagnet]

Sparrows of Senegambia: A Memoir by Charles Sampson, Ph.D.

“Sparrows of Senegambia: A Memoir” by Charles Sampson, PhD is a powerful memoir that explores the historical significance of Senegambia, a region in West Africa, and the author’s personal journey of self-discovery. Drawing inspiration from the resilient sparrow, Sampson shares the invaluable lessons he has learned and how the flight of the sparrow empowers one to rise above adversity.

Change your perspective on the world. Grab a copy at www.charlessampsonbooks.com.