#alberta williams king

[valkyries-things]

ALBERTA WILLIAMS KING // ACTIVIST

“She was an American civil rights organizer best known as the wife of Martin Luther King Sr., and as the mother of Martin Luther King Jr. She was the choir director of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. She was shot and killed in the church by 23-year-old Marcus Wayne Chenault six years after the assassination of her eldest son Martin Luther King Jr.”

[kosmik-signals]

Keep in mind, as (suspicious) (and ignorant) people recognize Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, that at no time during his life did a poll reflect an approval rating above 30%. 70% were opposed. King’s legacy has been whitewashed to make it more palpable to the concocted national mythology, thus to fit in. Neither Martin Luther King, nor Rosa Parks fit into the mythology of nationalistic identity created (in storybook style) to justify specific (approved) behaviors and actions. 

Article below is worth reading, particularly because it provides links to primary sources (Papers).

Side Note: his mother, Alberta Williams King was assassinated while playing the organ during church in 1974.

Remark to the entire story/stories: ?????

(via King, Alberta Williams | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute)

[beardedmrbean]

TIL during a wiki black hole, Alberta King, Dr. King jr's mother, was also murdered. A young Black Hebrew Israelite, name Marcus Chenault, believed Civil Rights activists and Christians were a hindrance to black progress. Like any other young fool, he thinks eliminating the opposition will give the desired outcome. Chenault went to the church the Kings attended, with the intent of shooting King sr. However Mr King wasn't present, so instead he shoots at Mrs King, who sat at the organ. He was sentenced to death, but the Kings opposed death penalty, so Chenault served life in prison (he died from health complications). I think it's incredible, especially after all the hardship the family went through, the King family stuck to their integrity.

Hope you enjoyed that wall of text.

Wiki link

This isn't one I'd heard, the black hebrew israelite bit that is, other stuff I vaguely remember hearing.

They didn't just maintain their integrity by being opposed to the death sentence, looks like they actively lobbied to get that changed.

today I learned, sad to see the bhi have been out acting like garbage for this long tho.

[alexandramrobertson]

An Annotated Northwest Passage

Are you a Due South fan? Do you wonder about all the references in Stan Rogers’ song “Northwest Passage”? Sure you do! So here are your annotated lyrics!

Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea

In 1845, Captain John Franklin’s expedition set out from England to find the Northwest Passage: a sea route from Europe to Asia via the Arctic. His ships were trapped in ice and all aboard died.

You probably knew that, but did you know that the Beaufort Sea is the part of the Arctic Ocean that lies north of the Yukon and Alaska, at the western end of the Passage?

Westward from the Davis Strait 'tis there 'twas said to lie The sea route to the Orient for which so many died Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered, broken bones And a long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones

Davis Strait lies between Greenland and Baffin Island, south of Baffin Bay. Franklin sailed through it into Baffin Bay and then north of Baffin Island into the Passage.

The “cairn of stones” likely refers to the cairn on King William Island where Franklin’s crew placed the Victory Point note. The only written record of the lost expedition, it was depicted in The Terror TV show.

Three centuries thereafter, I take passage overland In the footsteps of brave Kelsey, where his Sea of Flowers began Watching cities rise before me, then behind me sink again This tardiest explorer, driving hard across the plain

Henry Kelsey was a 17th century fur trader working for the Hudson's Bay Company. He was likely the first European to visit the present day prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta.

I have no idea where "Sea of Flowers" came from, but it's a lovely way to describe the prairies.

Canada’s Great Plains are incredibly flat. Cities really do appear to rise up and sink as you cross them, due to the curvature of the earth.

And through the night, behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me To race the roaring Fraser to the sea

Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson, and Simon Fraser were all explorers who travelled what is now Western Canada. They were all instrumental in finding routes through the mountains to the sea - routes we still drive today!

Mackenzie completed the first recorded transcontinental crossing north of Mexico in 1793, 12 years before Lewis & Clark. When he arrived in what is now Bella Coola, BC, he wrote an inscription on a rock that said he came "from Canada by land".

Thompson mapped almost 5 million square kilometres of western North America. He found routes through the Rocky Mountains and was the first European to travel the entire length of the Columbia River.

Fraser was in charge of the North West Company's fur trading operations west of the Rockies.

And they all had rivers named after them!

The Mackenzie River flows north from Great Slave Lake to the Beaufort Sea. The Mackenzie has the second largest drainage basin of any river in North America. You've probably never heard of it, but it flows right past Inuvik.

The Thompson River flows through the valleys and canyons of southern British Columbia to Lytton, where it meets with...

The Fraser River! The longest river in British Columbia meets the ocean just south of Vancouver, where it forms an enormous delta. Though it seems placid, if you travel upstream beyond the city you'll find a turbulent - well, roaring - canyon. If you drive the Trans-Canada Highway to Vancouver, you'll travel through the Fraser Canyon.

How then am I so different from the first men through this way? Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men To find there but the road back home again

While Franklin lost his life, Kelsey, Mackenzie, Thompson, and Fraser all survived their journeys. They all returned to a "settled life" after their adventure. They went home, wherever that happened to be.

[kateshistoryspot]

The Terror: The Show, The History, The New Findings

On March 25th, 2018, AMC premiered the show "The Terror" to captivated audiences. The first season of the show follows the crew of The HMS Erebus and HMS Terror: two exploring ships hoping to find the Northwest Passage. Following the plot of Dan Simmon's 2007 novel of the same name, the crew falls victim to supernatural happenings, as well as the naturally occurring ones happening both inside and outside of the ship. Yet, who were the men of the Franklin Expedition, and what do we know now?

The Franklin Expedition was a Victorian exploration party, named for one of the captains, Sir John Franklin. Setting out from England, they stopped by Greenland and then headed north past Baffin Island, looking for King William Land. Other than Franklin, the two other captains were Francis Crozier of Terror and James Fitzjames of Erebus. These two men were put in charge upon the death of Sir John in 1848. However, such was for naught, as the expedition party disappeared without a trace, along with their ships.

For years, all that remained of the Franklin Expedition were papers, tin cans, three mummified corpses (none of which were the captains), and the testimony of the Inuit. Terrifying stories were recounted of a party finding a massive corpse with teeth like a rat's (although the testimony has been questioned by historians and buffs alike).

Interest in the ill fated ship failed to waiver: search parties were turning up, looking for survivors. Stories of a lone survivor, named Aglooka, were passed down. Yet, it wouldn't be for another hundred some-odd years that further evidence would be found, and the pieces would come into place.

In 1981, the FEFAP project was launched by Owen Beattie, who was at the time a professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta. They planned to walk the western coast of King William Land in hopes of finding evidence of what happened. Artifacts were located, as well as desiccated human remains that not only showed signs of scurvy, but of cannibalism. Cut marks were found on bone fragments on the site, as well as suggestive signs of decapitation.

Testing discovered something else that was shocking: many of the bones found had very high levels of lead in them, suggesting that a number of the men had suffered from acute lead poisoning.

In 1982, Beattie returned with a number of students to walk the path again, and this time found the "Boat Place," along with the remains of 6-14 men, and a boot sole with cleats.

Due to the concerns of lead poisoning, the remains of the three men buried at Beechy island were exhumed and tested, all of which showed high levels of lead. Beattie believed this was due to the canned goods brought on the ship, which were improperly soldered shut, and allowed for lead to leech into the food, as well as spoilage.

In 1992, ten years after the second expedition, Barry Ranford, a Franklin scholar, discovered human remains near the boat place. 400 bones and fragments, clay pipes, buttons, etc. were found. Like the remains found before, these bones also showed signs of cannibalism, except these had suffered a phenomena called "pot polishing," where the ends of the bones rub against the pot while cooking. There were also signs of end-stage cannibalism: that the survivors were breaking open bones in hopes of finding the marrow within.

For the next twenty years, minor artifacts would be found, but no leads. It wouldn't be until 2014 that Erebus would be found, at the bottom of Queen Maud Gulf. Sonar showed the condition of the ship, which was quite good, yet quickly deteriorated. The UK claimed the first 65 artifacts brought up from the ship, while the ship itself is joint owned by the country of Canada and the Inuit.

Two years after the wreck of Erebus was found, Terror would be found as well. Found in the aptly named "Terror Bay" in 2016, it was declared to be in "pristine" condition, and videos were taken of it from a ROV.

In 2021, the body of John Gregory was identified, after nearly 200 years of mystery. Although found in 1859, the body wasn't identifiable due to the wear and tear it had been through. With the help of DNA from his great-great-great grandson and namesake, Johnathon Gregory, the bones were identified.

Yet, the most recent discovery was a mere few days ago: James Fitzjames, the third in command and captain of Erebus, was identified. First found in 1861, the remains were found near a boat, where the Inuit had described cannibalism having taken place. All that was left of him was a mandible, which was DNA tested in 2024 and confirmed to be him. It was also confirmed that Fitzjames corpse had been consumed by survivors.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR AMC'S THE TERROR SEASON 1

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In the show, the crew's demise is caused by a combination of the elements, lead poisoning, and attacks from the demon polar bear Tuunbaq, a creature based off of the Inuit mythological creature Tupilaq, which is a creature of divine vengeance. The Tuunbaq hunts the crew during their time on the ice, tundra, and even in the wasteland, eating their souls and corpses. It is Doctor Goodsir, the favorite of many show watchers, who takes it down: by poisoning himself while in the cannibal encampment, which poisons the cannibals, who are eaten by the Tuunbaq, who dies. It is Crozier in this version who is the lone survivor, and who is named as Aglooka.

.

.

.

.

.

End of Terror Spoilers

.

.

.

In real life, the crews only dealt with the harsh environment that they were traversing, alongside starvation. There is contention about the lead poisoning hypothesis, and although I believe it, other historians do not. We do not know who the last man standing was, and we do not know the timeline that accompanies the deaths. All we know was that there was starvation, and mass demise.

I loved Terror Season 1: the sets and designs were historically accurate, and the show handled portraying the Inuit better than the book did. Jared Harris is becoming one of my favorite actors, because of how many period dramas he's in, and how amazing an actor he is. He nailed the character of Crozier, portraying him sympathetically. Ciaran Hinds was spectacular as always (he never has a bad role), and it was wonderful to see Tobias Menzies outside of Game of Thrones (I haven't watched much Outlander, but it's on the list). I would definitely recommend this show, definitely for Halloween, and definitely for the period buff itching to watch something scary and mid-Victorian.

[xkittzkornerx]

it’s Martin Luther King Day! 🫶🏻 (history & learning resources)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born Michael Luther King, Jr., was an American human rights activist, political philosopher, Baptist minister, and one of the most notable pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1964) in the United States during the Jim Crow Era of law, which legalized segregation of Black folks from White ones, and bred many acts of hatred, ostracism, and frequent violence against Black Americans.

King was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15th, 1929, to his mother, Alberta Williams King, and his father, Martin Luther King, Sr. (then Michael Luther King, Sr.). a young woman by the name Coretta Scott would be attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, the same time that King was studying at Boston University. they soon fell in love, married on June 18th, 1953, and in September 1954, settled down in Montgomery, Alabama.

Coretta gave him four children: two sons, Martin Luther King III (Oct. 23rd, 1957 - present) and Dexter Scott King (Jan. 30th, 1961 - Jan. 22nd, 2024), and two daughters, Yolanda Denise King (Nov. 17th, 1955 - May 15th, 2007) and Bernice Albertine King (Mar. 28th, 1963 - present).

on Nov. 2nd, 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law. this made the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of King and his work. it would take fifteen years for the holiday to be approved by the federal government, and seventeen more for it to be recognized in every state. (that’s a total of thirty-two years spent by activists, fighting for it to be in all fifty states!)

from the Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture | a pin-back button promoting Martin Luther King Day 1982 (source)

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.… We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." — MLK, Jr.

from naacp.org:

“In 1963, King and the SCLC worked with NAACP and other civil rights groups to organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which attracted 250,000 people to rally for the civil and economic rights of Black Americans in the nation's capital. There, King delivered his majestic 17-minute "I Have a Dream" speech. Along with other civil rights activists, King participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery march in 1965. The brutal attacks on activists by the police during the march were televised into the homes of Americans across the country. When the march concluded in Montgomery, King gave his "How Long, Not Long" speech, in which he predicted that equal rights for African Americans would be imminently granted. His legendary words are widely quoted today: "How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Less than six months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act banning disenfranchisement of Black Americans.”

in the spring of 1968, Black sanitary workers went on strike in Memphis, Tennessee. these works were protesting their racist White employer’s behaviors: low pay, abusive working conditions, unsafe work environments, and union busting. King arrived in Memphis on April 3rd, to prepare for a march in support of the workers.

around 6pm CST, on April 4th, 1968, on the balcony of his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel, Dr. King was shot by a White supremacist. his advisor and close friend, Ralph Abernathy, ran to King’s side and cradled his head.

paramedics rushed him to St. Joseph’s Hospital where at 7:05pm CST, he was pronounced dead.

from kinginstitute.stanford.edu:

“President Lyndon B. Johnson called for a national day of mourning to be observed on 7 April. In the following days, public libraries, museums, schools, and businesses were closed, and the Academy Awards ceremony and numerous sporting events were postponed. On 8 April King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, and other family members joined thousands of participants in a march in Memphis honoring King and supporting the sanitation workers. King’s funeral service was held the following day in Atlanta at Ebenezer Baptist Church. It was attended by many of the nation’s political and civil rights leaders, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and Ralph Bunche. Morehouse College President Benjamin Mays delivered the eulogy, predicting that King “would probably say that, if death had to come, I am sure there was no greater cause to die for than fighting to get a just wage for garbage collectors” (Mays, 9 April 1968). Over 100,000 mourners followed two mules pulling King’s coffin through the streets of Atlanta. After another ceremony on the Morehouse campus, King’s body was initially interred at South-View Cemetery. Eventually, it was moved to a crypt next to the Ebenezer Church at the King Center, an institution founded by [Coretta Scott King].”

today, and tomorrow, and all days following, we remember, thank, and honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for a better tomorrow.

sources

Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture - The 15 Year Battle for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Stanford University Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute - King, Coretta Scott

Stanford University Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute - the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The King Center - About Mrs. Coretta Scott King

New England Conservatory - Celebrate Boston’s Greatest Love Story: A Look Back at Coretta Scott King ’51, ’71 Hon. DM and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Historic First Meeting

extras/learning material

The King Center - About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

National Education Association (NEA) - Lesson plans, activity ideas & other resources for teaching MLK Day

PBS - Martin Luther King Jr. Day classroom resources

We Are Teachers - 30 Meaningful Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for All Ages

Civil Rights Teaching - Teaching King Beyond “I Have a Dream”

Louisiana State University Libraries - Martin Luther King, Jr. timeline

Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture - Gestures of Solidarity in African American Culture

UNICEF USA - 5 Ways to Stand Up Against Racism and Injustice

Richton Park Public Library District - 11 Speeches by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Cross Cultural Solidarity - MLK: Speeches, Sermons, Essays, & Interviews

[petervintonjr]

"Our mother has also behind the scene setting forth those motherly cares, the lack of which leaves a missing link in life."  --Martin Luther King, Jr., from a 1950 essay while at Crozer Theological Seminary

It occurs to me that no comprehensive observance of Martin Luther King Day is truly possible without at least some understanding of the man's formative years. Accordingly I'm devoting today's lesson to the study of --and deep appreciation for-- the life and the accomplishments of his mother, Alberta Williams King. The dual tragedies of both her son's murder and her own, often cloud the merits of the lives that came before.

Born in 1904 Atlanta, Georgia, Alberta Christine Williams was herself the only surviving child of Jennie Celeste Williams and the Rev. Adam Daniel Williams of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta (yes, that very church, which probably merits an entire entry of its own). Alberta earned a teaching certificate from what is now known as Hampton University in 1924, and married her longtime boyfriend Michael (later Martin) King, Sr. on Thanksgiving Day, 1926. She had intended to embark on a career in teaching but, at the time, the local school board did not permit married women to teach. The couple lived in the Williams home and had three children: Willie Christine (later Farris), born in 1927; Michael (later Martin) Jr., in 1929; and finally Alfred Daniel ("A.D."), in 1930. Martin Jr., would later write at length about his close bond with his mother, and also about the unusual closeness to his two siblings, and would even playfully recollect that his father Martin Sr. "happens to be the kind who just won't argue." While justifiably proud of her children, Alberta was by no means content to settle solely into the life of a mother, and earned her BA from Morris Brown College in 1938. By this time her husband had succeeded his father-in-law as the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist, and had begun using the name Martin --as did his namesake. Alberta had confidently stepped the role of a pastor's wife and not only directed the choir but would also serve as its organist, from 1932 to literally the rest of her life.

Perhaps more significantly than even her church life, though, was her active membership in the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. No stranger to the cause of civil rights, Alberta and her husband marched as early as 1930, in protest against segregation laws and Black voter suppression. It is sometimes asserted (even today!) that "true Christians" by definition cannot possibly be advocates for social justice because that would conflict with their beliefs --a bad-faith and frankly racially-motivated argument; one usually put forward by white people whose status quo is being inconvenienced, or who are having their narrative challenged. Alberta was having NONE of that, and her commitment to equal justice under the law clearly had an impact on her children --particularly her eldest son! In the years following Martin, Jr.'s ordination and his emergence into the public spotlight, Alberta frequently appeared alongside her famous son at many of his public appearances, became a target of many of the same threats, and unapologetically advocated for improved voting rights and an end to segregation.

This instillation was clear in her Alberta's other two children as well --perhaps to the surprise of no-one, in the wake of his older brother's April 4, 1968 assassination, youngest sibling Rev. Alfred Daniel (A.D.) solemnly stepped into the role of pastor of Ebenezer Baptist, but horrifyingly this tenure would not last --A.D. drowned in a swimming pool accident a mere fifteen months later. Thus bearing the agonizing weight of now having buried both of their sons, Alberta and Martin Sr. quietly began to step away from public life, but renewed their commitment to their church and of continued service to humankind.

But worse was still to come.

\While playing the organ during Sunday services at her beloved Ebenezer Baptist, on June 30, 1974, Alberta was shot (martyred, really) by a self-proclaimed "Hebrew Israelite" assassin with an unreasoning hate for Black ministers. She, along with another church deacon, died later that day at Grady Hospital. She was just shy of the age of 70. "I thought I had made it through the worst days of my life, recounts daughter Christine King Farris. "I was wrong."

Now more than 40 years after her murder, there has been a renewed interest in Alberta' role as the "First Lady" of civil rights, and a desire to not gloss over her legacy, and what she represented. Visit Alberta's page at the Martin Luther, King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, at: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-alberta-williams

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Victoria Spivey

Victoria Regina Spivey (October 15, 1906 – October 3, 1976), sometimes known as Queen Victoria, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and record company founder. During a recording career that spanned 40 years, from 1926 to the mid-1960s, she worked with Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Clarence Williams, Luis Russell, Lonnie Johnson, and Bob Dylan. She also performed in vaudeville and clubs, sometimes with her sister Addie "Sweet Peas" (or "Sweet Pease") Spivey (August 22, 1910 – 1943). also known as the Za Zu Girl. Among her compositions are "Black Snake Blues" (1926), "Dope Head Blues" (1927), and "Organ Grinder Blues" (1928). In 1961, she co-founded Spivey Records with one of her husbands, Len Kunstadt.

Born in Houston, Texas, she was the daughter of Grant and Addie (Smith) Spivey. Her father was a part-time musician and a flagman for the railroad; her mother was a nurse. She had three sisters, all three of whom also sang professionally: Leona, Elton "Za Zu", and Addie "Sweet Peas" (or "Sweet Pease") Spivey (August 22, 1910 – 1943), who recorded for several major record labels between 1929 and 1937, and Elton Island Spivey Harris (1900–1971). She married four times; her husbands included Ruben Floyd, Billy Adams, and Len Kunstadt, with whom she co-founded Spivey Records in 1961.

Spivey's first professional experience was in a family string band led by her father in Houston. After he died, the seven-year-old Victoria played on her own at local parties. In 1918, she was hired to accompany films at the Lincoln Theater in Dallas. As a teenager, she worked in local bars, nightclubs, and buffet flats, mostly alone, but occasionally with singer-guitarists, including Blind Lemon Jefferson. In 1926 she moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she was signed by Okeh Records. Her first recording, "Black Snake Blues" (1926), sold well, and her association with the label continued. She recorded numerous sides for Okeh in New York City until 1929, when she switched to the Victor label. Between 1931 and 1937, more recordings followed for Vocalion Records and Decca Records, and, working out of New York, she maintained an active performance schedule. Her recorded accompanists included King Oliver, Charles Avery, Louis Armstrong, Lonnie Johnson, and Red Allen.

The Depression did not put an end to Spivey's musical career. She found a new outlet for her talent in 1929, when the film director King Vidor cast her to play Missy Rose in his first sound film, Hallelujah!. Through the 1930s and 1940s Spivey continued to work in musical films and stage shows, including the hit musical Hellzapoppin (1938), often with her husband, the vaudeville dancer Billy Adams.

In 1951, Spivey retired from show business to play the pipe organ and lead a church choir, but she returned to secular music in 1961, when she was reunited with an old singing partner, Lonnie Johnson, to appear on four tracks on his Prestige Bluesville album Idle Hours.

The folk music revival of the 1960s gave her further opportunities to make a comeback. She recorded again for Prestige Bluesville, sharing an album, Songs We Taught Your Mother, with fellow veterans Alberta Hunter and Lucille Hegamin, and began making personal appearances at festivals and clubs, including the 1963 European tour of the American Folk Blues Festival.

In 1961, Spivey and the jazz and blues historian Len Kunstadt launched Spivey Records, a low-budget label dedicated to blues, jazz, and related music.

In March 1962, Spivey and Big Joe Williams recorded for Spivey Records, with harmonica accompaniment and backup vocals by Bob Dylan. The recordings were released on Three Kings and the Queen and Kings and the Queen Volume Two. Dylan was listed under his own name on the record covers. A picture of her and Dylan from this period is shown on the back cover of the Dylan album, New Morning. In 1964, Spivey made her only recording with an all-white band, the Connecticut-based Easy Riders Jazz Band, led by the trombonist Big Bill Bissonnette. It was released first on an LP and later re-released on compact disc.

Spivey married four times; her husbands included Ruben Floyd, Billy Adams, and Len Kunstadt.

Spivey died in New York on October 3, 1976, at the age of 69, from an internal hemorrhage.

[wessexroyalfamily]

{Location: Fogmorre Castle, White Drawing Room}

Crown Princess Margaret of Wessex: Now, Richie when we get inside, remember to mind your manners.

Prince Richard of Wessex: "tokay" mommy.

Queen Anne II of Wessex: Awe, there's my handsome man.

Prince Richard: granny! granny!

Anne II: How much I've missed you. And look at how you've grown! Papa will be so excited to see you.

Margaret: Richie go over and give Granny a hug.

Richard: where is papa?

Anne II: Papa went down to the village for bit with uncle George and aunt Alberta.

Margaret: George and Albie have made it here then?

Anne II: They just arrived a bit ago. And dear how are you? I surprised you arrived so early.

Margaret: I wanted to get a head start and beat the holiday traffic.

Anne II: You drove all the way from Dorset? We would have sent one of the choppers to get you two…or three.

Margaret: Just two, the Watcher only knows where your son is.

Anne II: (brief pause) … Well, yes… I’m just glad you both made it.

Anne II: How are things in Dorset? I hear you've re-planted the garden at Aldridge Lodge.

Margaret: You’ll have to come see it. The rose garden should be beautiful in the Spring.

Anne II: That would be nice. And the last time I talked to William you two were thinking about schools for Richard?

Margaret: umm, yes. I think Yeovil Boys Day School. But I’m not sure where that stands or where we stand at the moment. I’m sure you’ve heard that things had been err strained between William and I.

Anne II: (uncomfortable) Well I wasn't going to pry, but since you brought it up. Staff does talk amoungst themselves, and certain things have gotten back to me.

Margaret: I rarely see him any more. He spends so much time at that social club of his or out on meetings.

Anne II: Meetings about what?

Margaret: He doesn’t tell me. Nether what they’re about or who they’re with.

Anne II: And the club you’re referring to is the same one he goes to with David?

Margaret: Yes, that's the one.

Anne II: Well I think it’s time you two come to some kind of accordance.

Margaret: What do you mean?

Anne II: Think, you two are not just raising a son, but a future King. I was never expected to wear the crown and didn't recieve the same education or preparation as my elder sister. You two have the opportunity to start from scratch. But of course you can’t do that if you both aren’t on the same page.

Margaret: We always put Richie first.

Anne II: A child shouldn’t grow up in a home full of rancor.

Margaret: Maybe you’re right.

Anne II: With time these things tend to sort themselves out.

Anne II: Well I won't keep the two of you. We should all get ready for dinner soon.

Beginning | Start of Current Chapter | Previous | Next

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in June 2023

01/06 As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, Princess Anne attended the Freedom of the City of Winchester Parade at the Guildhall to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Corps, followed by a Service of Thanksgiving in Winchester Cathedral. 🫡

03/06 Princess Anne departed from Heathrow Airport for Canada and was received at Calgary International Airport by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. 🇨🇦

As President of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conferences, HRH met with delegates and later attended a Dinner at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. 🌍

04/06 As President of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conferences, HRH attended the Opening Plenary of the Commonwealth Study Conference. She departed Calgary Airport for the United Kingdom and arrived back on 05/06 🇨🇦

06/06 As Royal Patron of Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended a Care Forum at Boughton House, Kettering. 🦠

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, HRH attended a Younger Brethrens’ Dinner at Trinity House, Tower Hill, London EC3. 🍽️

07/06 As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, HRH attended the Trinitytide Anniversary Annual Court Meeting, Church Service and Luncheon at Trinity House. 🥗

The Princess Royal attended the Canadian Armed Forces Day Reception at the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom, Canada House, Trafalgar Square. 🇨🇦

08/06 The Princess Royal, as Honorary Air Commodore of Royal Air Force Brize Norton, attended a Parade to mark the retirement of C-130J Hercules and the disbandment of 47 Squadron at Royal Air Force Brize Norton. ✈️

Her Royal Highness, As Royal Patron of the Security Institute, HRH attended a Careers Fair at the Victory Services Club 💼

As Patron, International Students House, attended a Reception. 👨‍🎓

12/06 As Patron, of the British Nutrition Foundation, Princess Anne visited Washingborough Academy in Lincoln, to mark the 11th Healthy Eating Week for Schools. 🍎

As President of Carers Trust, HRH visited the new Facilities for Carers at the Carers’ Support Service at the Old Waterworks Office in Grimsby. 🩺

As Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, HRH held a Dinner at St James’s Palace. 🍽️

13/06 Held an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace. 🎖️

The Princess Royal, As Chairman of the International Olympic Committee Members Election Commission, held a Members Election Commission Meeting. 🤸‍♀️

14/06 Held two Investiture ceremonies at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

Received His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams (Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda) and Lady Williams. 🇦🇬

15/06 The Princess Royal as Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) carried out the following engagements;

Attended the parading of the new Sovereign’s Standard to the Regiment followed by a Reception at Hyde Park Barracks.💂‍♂️

Attended a Household Cavalry Council Meeting at Hyde Park Barracks. 🐴

The new Sovereign’s Standard to The Blues and Royals was presented by HRH to HM in the Quadrangle of Buckingham Palace and was received with a Royal Salute. After the new Standard was consecrated, The Parade subsequently ranked past HM and HRH. 🚩

As President of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, attended the Fellows’ Reception at the Royal Geographical Society. 🌍

16/06 The Princess Royal, as Colonel of The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), presided over a Conference attended by the Colonels of the Regiments of the Household Division. HRH subsequently attended the Senior Colonels’ Dinner at Clarence House. 🫡

17/06 In her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Blues and Royals and Gold Stick in Waiting, the Princess Royal along with Sir Tim and other members of the royal family attended King Charles first Trooping the Colour Parade as monarch. 💂‍♂️

His Majesty was followed by The Prince of Wales (Colonel, Welsh Guards), The Princess Royal (Colonel, The Blues and Royals, Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) and The Duke of Edinburgh (Royal Honorary Colonel, 1st Battalion London Guards) on horseback down the Mall towards Horse Guards Parade. Duchess Sophie, Sir Tim and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester travelled in carriages and the Duke of Kent (Colonel, Scots Guards) followed by car. 🐎

The troops on Parade, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Livesey, Welsh Guards (Field Officer in Brigade Waiting), received The King with a Royal Salute. 🫡

After the Parade, the RF rode back to Buckingham Palace on horseback, in carriages and by car. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery ranked past The King on arrival at Buckingham Palace. 🐴

The royal family stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and witnessed a fly-past by aircraft of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. ✈️

19/06 The Princess Royal and Sir Tim with other members of the royal family and other members of the Garter attended a Chapter of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in the Throne Room, Windsor Castle.

They all later attended a Luncheon Party for the Companions of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. 🥪

An Installation Service was held in St George’s Chapel at which two new members were installed in the order. 🪶

20/06 As Colonel, The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons), attended a Dinner at Drapers’ Hall. 🍽️

Unofficial Attended day one of Royal Ascot with Zara and Mike Tindall, Peter Phillips and Lindsay Wallace 🐎

21/06 Unofficial Princess Anne, Sir Tim, Zara & Mike Tindall and other members of the RF attended day two of Royal Ascot. 🐴

22/06 Unofficial Princess Anne, Sir Tim, Zara & Mike Tindall and other members of the RF attended Ladies Day, day three of Royal Ascot. 🐴

23/06 Visited the Royal Highland Show at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh where she met exhibitors, farmers, animals and sampled local food and drink. 🐮🐑🧀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

24/06 Attended the Icelandic Horse Society British Championships and Summer Festival at Washbrook Farm, Aston le Walls. 🇮🇸🐎

27/06 Attended the opening ceremony of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen, Germany. 🇩🇪🐎

28/06 Toured behind the scenes and met team GB at the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen, Germany. 🇩🇪🇬🇧

29/06 The Princess Royal, as President of Carers Trust, accompanied by Sir Tim, attended a Reception in London SW1. 🦽

Princess Anne as Patron of United Kingdom Sailing Academy, accompanied by Sir Tim, attended a Founders’ Club Dinner at the Corporation of Trinity House. ⛵️

30/06 The Princess Royal presented Prize Day awards at the Royal School Haslemere. 🏆

Total official engagements for Anne in June: 40

2023 total so far: 262

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in June : 6

2023 total so far: 56

[fatehbaz]

After the closure of their flagship shopping location in Winnipeg in 2020, what’s going on with Canada’s beloved retail department store, the former fur trade monopoly leader, once a central force in the British Empire’s control of North America, the Hudson’s Bay Company? The empire lives on, continuing to control land through Canadian and US real estate companies. Liquidating real estate can keep the money and keep the land in the same hands.

Regarding the decline of the oldest European company in North America, and “new” manifestations of imperialist conceptions of land: I wanted to summarize the reporting work of Don Gillmor, in an article for The Walrus published in January 2023. (Credit to Gillmor for piecing together these threads of thought and framing the story, here.)

So the “oldest company in North America” is the Hudson’s Bay Company. After chartering in the 1670s, HBC “owned” vast stretches of land and was central to British and later Canadian control of “the West,” and then enjoyed decades of celebration in the twentieth century as a retail department store chain. HBC’s flagship store in Winnipeg was finally closed in November 2020. At the time, commercial real estate firms “valued the building at $0.” As Gillmor puts it: “Millions of Canadians grew up with the Hudson’s Bay Company as a place to buy towels and clothes, but land has always been at the heart of HBC. Canada’s oldest company began as a land deal (at least from the European perspective) during an outbreak of the bubonic plague and may end as a real estate deal in another plague.”

---

In 2022, as part of what many observers and some Indigenous critics considered a superficial public relations campaign, HBC “gifted” the 500,000 square-foot downtown Winnipeg building to the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, an “alliance of southern First Nations communities in Manitoba.” Critics haven’t all been impressed.

Here, Gillmor cites some local commentary: “[A]n episode of Media Indigena, a podcast broadcast from Winnipeg by journalist Rick Harp, [...] offered another perspective. A guest, Kenneth Williams, an assistant professor with the University of Alberta’s department of drama, suggested that, as reparations, it wasn’t enough. HBC exploited Indigenous people for centuries [...]. And the Winnipeg store was ground zero for this trade, with the largest fur storage facility in western Canada, a vault that could hold 12,000 furs. Williams suggested ‘the inspired act of reclamation’ was merely HBC getting rid of a toxic asset.”

Current HBC governor and chairman, Richard Baker, seems to be purposely liquidating HBC’s assets, to cash out, so to speak. In a 2020 interview, Baker said: “We’re not a department store chain. We’re a holding company that owns many billions of dollars of real estate.”

---

Since inception, it been all about land.

So the “company’s roots can be traced back to 1665″ when Pierre-Espirit Radisson traveled to London to ask for the financial backing of King Charles II. This was the same year that up to one-fifth of London’s population had died during an outbreak of bubonic plague. By 1670, King Charles II “granted the charter that started the Hudson’s Bay Company, but the ownership of the land was largely an abstraction. He had no idea of its size and viewed it as a commodity. [...] The imbalance of power meant that the colonizer’s mercantile philosophies” including apparent human detachment from and lordship over land “became the foundation” for British imperial power in Canada.

---

In 1867, “the Dominion of Canada was formed, but much of the west was still controlled by HBC.” In that same year, “the Americans bought Alaska from the Russians,” and so, to compete with the United States, both the British government and infamous Canadian prime minister Macdonald pressured HBC to sell much of western North America to the Canadian government at a discount price, giving Canada so-called “ownership” of a massive stretch of land "twice the size of Alaska.”

---

And now, the chairman of HBC is cashing out. And the Empire’s found new ways to mask its activities while still keeping land in the same hands.

According to Gillmor: “In 2012, he took the company public and acquired the upscale department store Saks [...]. In March 2020, [...] Baker won his bid to take the company private once more [...]. In Canada, the last of the big homegrown department stores (Simpson’s, Eaton’s, Sears, and Zellers) were all gone. In the US, Macy’s was closing stores; Neiman Marcus, Barneys, JCPenney had all filed for bankruptcy [...]. Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia University and a former CEO of Sears Canada, saw it as a thinly veiled strategy to strip the assets of HBC so only the real estate remained [...]. ‘It’s a ­financial play,’ he said, ‘which gives him the ability to manipulate the real estate assets of Hudson’s Bay, both in Canada and the US.’ [...] ‘Baker will liquidate the Bay,’ Cohen predicted. ‘He will liquidate.’ If he does -- its Bay Days sales and Stanfield underwear finally gone -- all that will be left will be the land. Currently, it is controlled by deeds, leaseholds, and leases that are shared by Baker, venture capitalists, equity partners [...].”

Meaning that the future of the HBC stores and other properties across North America remains similar to the initial colonization project. Again from Gillmor: “[T]his version of the land echoes that of the seventeenth century: its ownership [...] complex [...] and profiting someone in another country.”

Land profited kings. Land now profits CEOs and venture capitalists and property management companies.

---

All quotes above were excerpted from Gillmor’s article: Don Gillmor. “Why Hudson’s Bay Company’s Future Is in Question.” The Walrus. 4 January 2023. [Bold emphasis added by me.]

---

Related.

In an article from October 2020, on the eve of the Winnipeg store’s closure, Manitoba-based reporter Niigaan Sinclair offered some commentary. Following quote from: Niigaan Sinclair. “Right place, right time: Downtown Bay building a monument to colonization’s brutality, but it could be transformed into a place of Indigenous positvity, reconciliation.” Winnipeg Free Press. 5 October 2020.

Three-and-a-half centuries after Hudson’s Bay Co. received its first charter -- giving Prince Rupert and his “Company of Adventurer’s of England” an exclusive trading monopoly over the entire Hudson Bay drainage basin -- it’s biggest symbol of colonization is coming to an end. [...] [T]he company plans to close its six-storey flagship store at Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard, literally Canada’s gateway to the West. So this is how colonization ends. The people who profit the most take all they can from the land and people within it, and then quietly leave when there’s nothing left to take. Soon, all that will be left is an empty [...] pile of plaster and metal that will cost millions to repair or remove for those who actually live here. Really, though, this is how colonization continues. HBC is not a retail empire -- never really was -- but a massive real estate company. Just as King Charles II gave Prince Rupert lands that were not his to give, HBC holds deeds to billions of dollars of global property [...] and will march on. [...] HBC’s legacy of exploitation, violence and theft is permanent, though. HBC began with profits from the slave trade and cheap goods from the British colonies. It was instrumental in manufacturing goods for the Commonwealth [...]. Alongside were billions built off Indigenous lands and resources.

[lboogie1906]

Yolanda Denise King (November 17, 1955 – May 15, 2007) was an activist, actress, and first-born child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King who pursued artistic and entertainment endeavors and public speaking. Her childhood experience was influenced by her father’s highly public activism.

She experienced threats to her life, designed to intimidate her parents, and was bullied at school. When her father was assassinated, She showed her composure during the public funeral and mourning events. She joined her mother and siblings in marches and was lauded by such figures as Harry Belafonte, who established a trust fund for her and her siblings. She became a secondary caregiver to her younger siblings.

She became a leader of her high school class and was covered by the magazines Jet and Ebony. Her teenage years were filled with more tragedies, specifically the sudden death of her uncle AD King, and the murder of her grandmother, Alberta Williams King. High school, was the first and only institution where she was not harassed or mistreated because of who her father was. She was still misjudged and mistrusted because of her skin color, based on perceptions founded solely upon her relationship with her father. She managed to keep up her grades and became involved in high school politics, serving as class president for two years. She aroused controversy in high school for her role in a play. She was credited with having her father’s sense of humor.

She supported a retrial of James Earl Ray and stated that she did not hate him. Her acting career took off as she appeared in ten separate projects, including Ghosts of Mississippi, Our Friend, Martin, and Selma, Lord, Selma. She became a supporter of gay rights and an ally of the LGBT community. She was involved in a sibling feud that pitted her and her brother Dexter against their brother Martin Luther King III and sister Bernice King for the sale of the King Center. She served as a spokesperson for her mother during the illness. She outlived her mother by only 16 months, succumbing to complications related to a chronic heart condition. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[ptseti]

Yall need to listen to this story:

‘BLACK STORIES We Should All Know’ 👉🏾ALBERTA WILLIAMS was SPIRITUAL, an ACTIVIST, an EDUCATOR, and a talented MUSICIAN 👉🏿She was focused on helping her community and studying to become a teacher👩🏾‍🏫 🏡she was home visiting her parents sitting on the porch reading and MICHAEL KING stopped to talk to her 👉🏾Her parents wanted her to focus on her education and not be distracted with romance/marriage 🗣️”No spare rooms in the house for broken hearts.” - Alberta’s father to Michael 😳😳😳 (source: The Three Mothers by Anna Malaika Tubbs / p. 70) 👉🏾Michael had been watching Alberta and had already fallen in love with her 👉🏿Her family sent her to Virginia to get her teaching certificate plus it was a way to test if their love was real ✍🏿✍🏿✍🏿 Alberta & Michael wrote letters to each other for a year and a half 💌💌💌 🩷🩷🩷 The courtship was about six years and they married on THANKSGIVING DAY 1926 👧🏾 a year after marrying they welcomed a baby girl (WILLIE CHRISTINE 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿) 👶🏾 after Willie Christine on JANUARY 15, 1929 they had MICHAEL KING, JR ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿We know him as DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

POWERFUL

[ofcalcbs]

✦ JACK MULHERN, CIS MAN, HE/HIM ✦ CALEB WILLIAMS the TWENTY SEVEN year old has been in willow’s edge for FOUR YEARS and was a BOYFRIEND to JUNE, the deceased family. whispers on the streets are that the VALET at THE GRAPEVINE who lives in WILLOUGHBY COMPLEX are said to be EMPATHETIC and UNMOTIVATED but i guess we’ll find out for ourselves.

basics.

full name: caleb joseph williams

known as: caleb, some family members call him cj

age: twenty seven

pronouns: he/him

gender: cis man

hometown: calgary, alberta

current residence: willoughby complex (current roommate: levi towsley)

occupation: valet at the grapevine

connection to the willows: june's boyrfriend

zodiac: pisces king

vibe: kind hearted intention vs impulsive action

fc: jack mulhern

a lil more.

caleb spent most of his childhood just outside of calgary, alberta living a relatively mundane life. a simple working class family that was doing everything it could to teeter its way into middle class.

he has one older brother, jackson, who was as good and as mean as older brothers can sometimes be. but regardless caleb idolised him from a young age. he wanted to be just like him even when, and maybe especially when, it annoyed him.

which is how he ended up getting into hockey. he was copying jackson, and this was one of the times where it annoyed the absolute shit out of him. and in the beginning, that was why he stuck with it. but turns out he really enjoyed it and was pretty dang good at it too once he was in it for the game and not pissing off his brother. also might have helped that his brother quit a couple years later too.

ever since he was a kid he's had this sort of energy that invites conversation, that invites vulnerability. a kindness, a casualty to his being. and maybe that's why he was the first to figure out his parents were headed towards divorce. long drives with just his dad to away games, he was probably told far more than a teenager should be told about his parents problems and specifically his dad's frustrations. but he heard them all the same, turning to take whatever emotion it made him feel out on the ice

trying to avoid talking a shit load about hockey so basically: ended up entering junior leagues during his parents divorce, a very convenient excuse to get out of the house and live with different billet families during his final years of high school lmao. but the further he got into serious hockey playing, the further self doubt started to seep in. realistically professional sports was an insane thing to try and make a career in, but he'd never thought of anything else either. so he pushed through the self doubt for years. trading around, moving around, just going through the motions. doing what he was told, and trying not to let go of that tiny hope that one day he'd make it.

but eventually he did let go. earlier than some, later than others, caleb quit hockey at the age of 23. sick of not having any sort of permanency to his life, feeling like he had no solid connections with anyone, etc etc. riding that impulsive decision making he took his mom's first suggestion to go stay with his uncle in south carolina. something about not wanting to get stuck in a slump in calagary but also just it was a place he'd never been before so fuck it why not. he stayed with his uncle for his first year in willows edge while he found his feet, before moving out to an apartment of his own in the willoughby complex.

it was also around this time he first met june. he'd of course heard of the willows, their name was literally on everything. but he'd avoided actually interacting with the big names where he could. at first he didn't realise she was a willow. she was just a girl with a flat tire, someone that needed help and he didn't see any sense in letting her call someone when he could do and he was right there.

they continued to run into each other, and admittedly some of it might have been purposeful on caleb's part. she was a captivating girl, there was no denying it. they became closer over time, until eventually caleb made another impulsive decision to ask her out. in the same decision he decided maybe he would stick around willows edge just a little longer.

their relationship was good, it was fun, and caleb loved having someone around like her. he'd do anything and everything she wanted, anything to support her, anything to love her. truthfully he adored her, but similarly to how he felt about hockey, didn't feel like he was all he needed to be to be in her life forever. sometimes the fact that she was dating him, that she liked him, loved him even maybe, was surprising to him. he wasn't anything great, so how did he deserve this? most of the time june quelled his doubts, made him feel better, motivated him to do things that made him feel better too. but that didn't mean the doubt wasn't still deep in his stomach.

maybe that's why he kissed june's friend, iris. just to ruin a good thing so he could stop feeling like he didn't deserve it. or maybe it was because he had feelings for iris too, maybe he'd had them for a while. he didn't know. and he didn't know what he would tell june but he knew that he should – but too little too late it seems.

tldr: mood when u quit the only thing you know because you realise you're probably never gonna go pro and don't know if you ever wanted to and now have no real drive in life but you meet a girl and you really like her and little by little that motivation comes back but then she dies ?!?!??!! anyway now you're back to no motivation bc that sucks oops

pinterest.

[afrotumble]

A family portrait of the Kings, taken in 1939.

Clockwise: King Sr.; mother-in-law, Mrs. Jeannie C. Parks Williams; son Martin Luther King, Jr.; daughter, Christine; younger son, Alfred Daniel, and wife, Alberta Williams King.