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Missy Elliot gave the keynote speech at Norfolk State University's graduation ceremony Saturday. Elliot also offered offers encouragement and advice to the graduates.
#NSU#missy elliot#norfolk state university#african american#education#hbcu soccer#hip hop#entertainment
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#hbcu#black college sports#ncaa#black college#marching band#showstyle#youtube#Tennessee State University#tennessee#tigers#Tigers#Norfolk State University#Spartans#MEAC#ovc#big south conference#aristocrat of bands#Spartan Legion#hot ice#sophisticated ladies#homecoming#hbcu band#band#bands#battle of the bands#nissan stadium
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Randall Robinson, civil rights activist and lawyer, dies at 81
Randall Robinson, a social justice activist and lawyer known for his advocacy against South African apartheid and for Haitian democracy, has died. He was 81.
Randall Robinson, a social justice activist and lawyer known for his advocacy against South African apartheid and for Haitian democracy, has died. He was 81. Death details for Randall Robinson Robinson died Friday in St. Kitts, the Caribbean island where he spent the last two decades of his life, of aspiration pneumonia. Robinson was one of the leaders of the Free South Africa Movement, whichâŠ
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#activism#Apartheid#celebrity deaths#civil rights activist#Nelson Mandela#Norfolk State University#obituary#South Africa#Unheard Voices Pioneers#Virginia
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George Russell smau
pairing: f! singer reader x George Russell
warnings: use of y/n, alternate universe
disclaimer: I take no credit for photos, all from Instagram or Pinterest
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yourusername weekend in Shanghai đïžđšâđł
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lilymhe nothing better than lily and yn time!!!
georgerussell63 how didnât I know you snuck that pic of me lol đ
âł yourusername Iâm quick with it đ€«
alex_albon real question is does George cook like that at home?
âł georgerussell63 most of the time
âł yourusername donât lie
meganmoroney I want to go to there
francisca.cgomes âdo you think I can take one of those flowers home with me?â
gr63fan George has never looked so good
ynfan1 patiently waiting for her to release new music đ«
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georgerussell63 great weekend in Shanghai, a pleasure to be back
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mercedesamgf1 fashion game on point!
yourusername had to do it to em in the second pic
âł landonorris lmao
âł britcedesforever plz the way sheâs Georgeâs number one fan and biggest troll is so hilarious
f1gossippage whyâs he so posh đ
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yourusername you know I love my Norfolk boy
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oliviarodrigo sheâs at the piano againnnn !!
âł swiftieluvr what does she know that we donât!!
âł good4utraitor plz let this mean new music
georgerussell63 đđđ
yourbestfriend so cutesy
addisonraee we can go drivin on my scooter đ”
f1wagteapage1 whenever I look at her posture it reminds me how bad mine is
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yourusername pinch me, Iâm still dreaming!! đȘ©đčđ€ last night was an absolute dream being able to debut mine an Taylorâs new song in front of Wembleyđ€© p.s. thank you to all the people tagging me in photos and videos, itâs a night I never want to forget đ„Č đ«¶đ«¶đ«¶
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taylorswift sharing the stage with you is the best thing ever! đ€đ«¶
tatemcrae yessssssssss
postmalone absolutely killed it onstage!
georgerussell63 Iâm in awe of your talent more and more everyday! đ©·
yourbestfriend little you would be so proud đ„č
âł yourusername the second grade talent show had no idea what would eventually be
lilymhe my star đ€©
danielricciardo youâre cooler than George
iamrebeccad look at you shine!âš
officialgr63 you never cease to amaze us!
gossipf1wags forget about dating George, I want to sing with Taylor Swift
f1wagtearoom nepo baby alert
âł georgetpose bffr, yn worked to be where sheâs at
francisca.cgomes so the London post was an Easter egg after all đ
âł yourusername đđ€đ
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georgerussell63 Swiftie!! I feel so incredibly lucky to have seen yn perform her new song with Taylor on stage!! So proud of you!
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yourusername so glad you were there every step of the wayđ„čđ«¶
alex_albon I believe this I what we call a wag era
âł lilymhe the best era
âł gr63defender omg plz
chalres_leclerc any friendship bracelets?
âł georgerussell63 heaps
danielricciardo love the hat đ€
lewishamilton Georgie boy living his best life
landonorris eras tour (Georgeâs version)
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yourusername summer rest before European tour starts up!! đđđ ft Georgeâs new fave tee đââïž
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georgerussell63 just waiting for your tour to start so I can get a shirt
alexandrasaintmleux stunning as always đ
francisca.cgomes photographer George getting the good angles
ynfan1 plz come to the United States
âł swiftiegirltv i second this
tatemcrae this diva (and George)
4mercedeslover63 George with the eras shirt is everything to me
lailahasanovic brb buying tix to every tour stop
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georgerussell63 if youâre seeing this, it means Iâm out of office đ
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yourusername *still answers an email in the middle of dinner*
mercedesamgf1 much needed rest time to prep for the rest of the season đȘ
alex_albon I see youâve been trained to be ynâs insta photographer
landonorris sassy
63blimeygr the hands on the hips in the last pic đ
formulawag1gossip the way he holds her omg I die
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taglist: @bernelflo @ifyouaintfirstyourelastt @f1updates4you @r0nnsblog
#george russell#george russell x reader#triplefrontierbabef1#f1 smau#george russell smau#f1 x reader#smau#mercedes#mercedes f1#social media au#taylor swift#Spotify
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America's "Environmental Conspiracy"
The American train has derailed again! Kentucky, USA has experienced another dangerous goods transportation train derailment accident, causing a large fire and releasing toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide. Hundreds of local residents have been evacuated. Officials from the Kentucky Emergency Management Office said that residents of two towns, including Livingston, with a population of about 200, have been evacuated. A staff member on the derailed train was slightly injured in the accident. Kentucky Governor Bashir declared a state of emergency in the area after the accident and equipped the area with specialized equipment for air quality monitoring. However, local officials have not yet released the results of the air quality monitoring before allowing local residents to return home.
There have been multiple derailments of trains carrying dangerous goods in the United States this year. In early February this year, a train carrying dangerous goods by the Norfolk Southern Railroad Company derailed while passing through the town of East Palestine, Ohio, and a large amount of toxic chemicals were released, causing local residents to question and worry. On March 15th, a freight train carrying dangerous goods derailed in Mohave County, Arizona. On March 30th, a train carrying ethanol and other goods derailed and caught fire near Raymond Town in Candiyoshi County, Minnesota. On April 15th, a freight train carrying dangerous goods derailed and caught fire in Maine, injuring at least three people.
"Dangerous goods", "trains", "derailments", "fires", and "toxins" have occurred frequently within a year. Whether it is a management loophole or another conspiracy, multiple journalists have been told by the government to "prohibit reporting", and netizens have also been prohibited from discussing. Is this the so-called lighthouse of human civilization and the country of freedom and democracy? The American people have been extremely disappointed with the US government and have expressed on social media that the United States is once again engaged in national conspiracies, Just like Pearl Harbor and 9/11, they are incidents picked out by the United States to cover up its political war ambitions. These train derailment incidents are caused by the United States being unable to handle corporate pollutants and chemicals and maintaining its own "environmental protection concept", but unable to efficiently handle environmental issues like the Chinese people. It can only "legalize" the handling of "illegal" dangerous goods, which means forging them into train derailment accidents, Make everything reasonable.
Evil intentions will eventually bear fruit on their own. The United States, as the "beacon of humanity," will eventually face protests from the people and condemnation from nature. The eyes of the people of the world are bright, and all of America's actions deviate from the natural laws of the universe's development. The nation will only be abandoned by the world.
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Stay | Thomas Milic
summary: If there was one good thing about staying in the WHL it was you.
request: yes/no
warnings: swearing?
word count: 1.05k
authors note: I truly do not know what this was and I tried to write it like two or three times and just never really liked it. This is a trope I've used before so I wanted to end it differently. This is also goalie number 2 in the goalie dedication, so if you want to go see number one then you can find it here!
You felt sick as you reread the headline.Â
Thomas was moving to Norfolk and he hadnât even told you. Six months of giving him everything and allowing him to become one of the most integral parts of your life in Seattle.Â
Having had grown up out of state when you arrived at the university of Washington and found a friend in the goalie. Never in your life had you predicted that it was going to end in the way that it seemed it was meant to now.Â
On the other hand Thomas had been sat in his car staring at his lock screen that was a picture of you in his jersey. His arm had been wrapped around your waist as he kissed your head once he won playoff game.Â
That day had been filled with so much love as Thomas had asked you to be his girlfriend. But now he was trying to figure out how he was meant to tell you that he was moving across the country.Â
Sure you both knew that the possibility was there especially with him being with the Jets. But still the amount of hurt that went through your heart in that moment was something that not even you could predict in that moment.Â
So that was how you ended up in an emotional state wrapped up in his hoodie with tears streaming down your cheeks as you looked at the transfer announcement. Silently praying that you were in the midst of a horrible dream âgo away.â You mumbled hearing a knock at the door.
But Thomas couldnât leave you that easily âopen the door fâme.â He begged hoping that you would listen to him.Â
Your weight shifted beneath you as you made your way to the door âwhat do you want?â You sighed opening the door to see him.
It seemed that Thomas had also been struggling today as his hair was messy âI needed to see you.â His confession hung in the air as it made you feel sick âdid you decide that before or after you booked the flight to Norfolk?â You crossed your arms as you clicked your tongue.
Thomas sighed as he felt like he deserved that blow âso I take it you know?â The hockey player chewed at his cheek as he ran his fingers through his hair. Even though he had requested a few hours to tell people, this was still his worst outcome.Â
You nodded as you scrunched your nose in disgust âthat my boyfriend is leaving?â You asked as you nodded subconsciously moving to the side so that you could let him into your apartment.
Of course he took it as he dropped his bag on your floor âI need to hug you baby.â Thomas pleaded when tears formed in his eyes as the idea of him leaving you actually went through his brain âyou donât get to do that.â You chocked on your words as you frowned.
It probably would have made you sound like an idiot as you were upset that he was leaving you âI wanted to tell you, just me I did.â Thomas reached out to grab your hand but for once your reaction time was quicker than his when you pulled away.Â
You wanted to yell at him or say that he needed to leave. Yet somehow you still couldnât do that âwhen did you know you were going?â Your lip caught between your teeth as your eyes screwed shut silently praying that his answer was this morning.Â
Thomas finally felt like something was in his favour âI thought it was gonna happen but they called me last night and said I needed to be in this morning.â He began to ramble as it made you laugh âT-â you raised your hand cut him off.
It made him stare at you as his lips screwed shut âwhen do you leave?â The new question came into your mind as it made your chest feel tight âtomorrow.â At that point you were crying finally giving the boy a chance to hug you.
His arms were warm as it comforted your soul when his lips kissed your forehead âlet it out.â He sighed rubbing circles against your back.
Thomas knew you were going to be hurt by him leaving but never would he have predicted this âI donât want to say goodbye.â You confessed looking at him with a pout âyou donât have to.â Thomas ran his fingers through your hair wanting to comfort you.Â
The boy tilted your jaw up âI still love you.â The hockey player smiled as he wiped your tear away âI did really want to tell you first.â Thomasâ voice was soft as he sighed.
You felt your heart swell at his words âyou love me?â It wasnât something that you two had spoken of yet âof course I do baby.â His fingers pinched at your chin making you laugh.
He didnât even care that you hadnât said it back as he squeezed your hand âI know you hate packing but maybe you want to come help me?â Thomas proposed as he had now decided that he wanted to spend every last second of the rest of his time with you âIâll put my feelings aside just for you.â You nodded pushing yourself onto your tippy toes to peck his lips.
And that was exactly what you two had done. From sleeping together in his room one final time to sealing that final box, all the way to finally being at the airport.Â
Thomas watched you in all of his clothes as he moved half of his closet into your place so now they were basically your clothes âyou promise you wonât miss me too much?â The goalie smirked as he pecked your lips wrapping his arms around your waist.Â
The two of you were enjoying your moment until the sound of his boarding call came in âI canât promise that.â You pouted causing him to sigh âbut I can promise that I do love you.â Your confession made his pupils grow full.
He squeezed your body as he spun you around âThomas!â You squealed as your hands squeezed his shoulders âI love you too.â The hockey player mumbled moving his hands to your face so that he could make this final kiss count.
#ambers goalie dedication#thomas milic#thomas milic imagines#hockey imagines#hockey imagine#oneshots#imagines#nhl oneshot#nhl imagine#amber writes fics
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chapter I | catharsis
summary: âIs thereâ is there something you need?â He's kind. He's so kind and his voice is better than she had ever imagined.Â
All of all the things she could have said, what came out is something else entirely.
âYour hair is shorter.â
w.c: 3.4K
warnings/content: mentions of mass food poisoning; implied unhealthy relationships (it will be explored later); germaphobia; fluff.
A/N: WE'RE FINISHED WITH THE LETTERS! I was too excited to start writing the longer chapters with a detailed narrative. I know it took too long but.... here it is, I hope you enjoy! annnd, they finally meet!
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LETTERS â [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
CHAPTERS â [1] [2] [3] . . .
âCatharsisâ
[n.] THE EXPERIENCE OF EXPRESSING STRONG EMOTIONS THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE BLOCKED.
âââââââââ â ââââââââ
âDon't even start, Reid.â
Spencer pursed his lips, shifting on the passenger seat. âI didn't say anything.â
Derek scoffed, âI can hear you thinking.â
âThought broadcasting is a common phenomenon that happens when one thinks others can hear your thoughts. That is not physically possible. It actually might be a sign of paranoiaââ
Derek groaned loudly, begging for the gods above that the traffic went easy on him for five minutes. He needed five minutes to get to the other Interstate. Five. Minutes.Â
Spencer let out a snicker beside him, having too much fun in being correct as always. He had told Derek beforehand that the safest option would be to take the alternative route, even if that meant it was slightly longer than directly taking the I-95. They still would get to Norfolk University's Student Center faster.Â
Derek didn't listen to him and here they were, stuck in traffic just as Spencer predicted.Â
In some way, this was good.Â
Spencer hated being late to anything, which was why he always double-checks the time so he can get to any place earlier, just to be sure. Just in case. That's him. A pragmatic guy.Â
But when he heard where the next case was going to be, he backtracked a little.Â
Spencer has been corresponding with Iris Valencia through letters for the entire month of October. It felt like more, maybe years. He knows that this feeling is quite common for people who had found some sort of connection. They have affinity. A bond, if you will. It explains the reason for your comfort after you've just met someone. You used to be strangers, but you realise they like blueberry muffins too and then you have a coffee date scheduled in the afternoon. It is that simple, sometimes.Â
Spencer could never relate to that. Well, at least, not before Iris. Although he has never invited her over for coffee and they haven't spoken in person yet.Â
Yet.
But it felt like it. It felt like he has known her for a long time.
The case was in Norfolk University, 165,7 miles from Quantico. The place Iris worked as a microbiology professor and which she described that her whole department fell sick because of a supposed food poisoning.Â
That hasn't been the first time a university has had that kind of situation. As she mentioned in one of her letters, the Old Dominion University â another university located in Norfolk â was also on the news about food poisoning. The difference was that it had been only a small group of students that suffered the outcome. NSU had it worst, a large group of people had to be sent to the E.R.Â
The BAU was called in because of recent deaths in the area. When they eventually connected it to the food poisoning cases happening in the universities, Hotch divided the team into pairs to cover more ground. The suspect list was narrowed down to three students from Norfolk State University.Â
âWhat did you say?âÂ
âYou and Morgan are off to the M.E's office.â Hotch repeated as they left the precinct.Â
âYou're going to Norfolk State University?â Spencer asked a little dumbfounded. Derek gave him a confused look.Â
Hotch halted beside the car door, the crease between his brows deepening. âThat's where our first victim lived... Reid, are you alright?â
That finally seemed to be the minute Spencer snapped out of it. âYes,â he said, clearing his throat. âYes, sorry. I was just making sure. We'llâ we'll go now.â
He felt like a thirteen-year-old boy with his first crush. The accelerated heartbeat, the shaky limbs, the sweaty palms. The not knowing what to do and mostly, what Emily always teased him about and what he only recently noticed: his IQ is, in deed, slashed to half when he's attracted to someone.Â
Spencer had not met Iris yet. But he felt all of those things. Through letters. For the first time in his life he couldn't find a scientific explanation for what he was currently feeling. He hadnât met her, he hadn't seen her, let alone heard her voice. He's only seen her delicate handwriting with her t's curved at the base and her barely noticeable s's and he was quickly roped to her personality. What Iris shared with him so far, that is.Â
Spencer studied people for a living. That's a quick way of putting his occupation. He investigated behavior and he entered minds that were just as twisted as the crimes they committed. Some cases stay glued on his brain more than others â it's not like he was able to forget anything, although sometimes he wished he could.
Iris had interested him more than any quantum physics book ever could.Â
Spencer knows she likes birds. That's one of the first things she shared with him, actually. He also knows that her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and Spencer has read all of her recommendations, he even bought more books besides the ones she mentioned. He knows Iris hates loud noises, clowns and that she takes her coffee black and plain. He knows how much she cares about her students and that she probably loves what she does because of the way she writes about it. He knows that she doesn't believe in magic, but he's determined to change her mind.Â
To Spencer, Iris was like a book. He had no idea what the cover was like and he had not read the synopsis, but from the first page and on, he decided he wanted to know everything there is to know about the story. He wanted to see if there were small notes at the edges of every page or if there were underlined quotes. He wanted to figure out the mystery before the next chapter arrived, even if the ending might be completely different.Â
He had come to terms with the fact that he wants to meet her in person for a while now. But Spencer didn't plan when that would happen or if it would happen. He doesn't even know if she would want to meet him.Â
Now, he was walking into the University she worked at with her letter tucked into his satchel bag as he forced his brain to focus on what was supposed to be focusing on: the case.Â
"Finally." Emily raised a brow as they walked into the room. According to JJ's message an hour ago, they were talking to the Head of the Biology Department because of a lead on one of the suspects. Hotch and Rossi were speaking with Penelope through the speakerphone in a corner of the room. "Took you long enough."Â
Spencer shrugged at her jab, pointing at Derek. "I told him, he didn't listen." He was softly shoved in response.
"Shut up, Reid."Â
"We're waiting for Mark Dawson to come back with a professor who supposedly has some information on Meredith Fitz." JJ clarified before Spencer could question her why they were all reunited in a professor's office. "They're all in class, we don't want to raise too much attention."Â
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."Â
A blond man walked into the room with a brunette woman on his trail. He was dressed in a color-coordinated attire, a russet dress shirt with slightly darker khaki pants. A complete contrast with the woman beside him, she wore light blue jeans along with a maroon V-neck sweater vest and a white t-shirt below. Her hair was in a loose bun but some thick curls were falling off. She was tucking them behind her ear constantly.Â
Spencer noticed she seemed annoyed.Â
"This is Doctor Valencia, she's our microbiology professor. Meredith is one of her students."Â
Valencia? As inâ
"I can speak for myself." Dr. Valencia said through gritted teeth, shaking hands with every agent. Spencer was too busy sweating like crazy in nervousness to take notice of Emily's and JJ's pointed gaze exchange after the professor's harsh statement towards Professor Dawson. "It's good to meet you, Agents, but I spoke to the police last night, I already gave my formal statement regarding the occurrences of the last week."Â
The last person to be introduced was him.Â
He heard something that sounded distinctly like a choked-up sound. He didn't pay much attention until Hotch started conducting questions regarding the case. Because that was what he was focusing on, the case. His hands tingling as she drew hers back, barely giving him a look.Â
"The FBI?" Iris blinked in surprise. Only now did she seem to really acknowledge everyone in the room. Her shoulders tensed up. "So that wasn't just accidental food poisoning."Â
"We're investigating that," Hotch said, being vague on purpose. "It came to our knowledge that Meredith Fitz is one of your mentees?"
Iris nodded, running a hand through her face. "Yes, yes, she is. Meredith is, um, completing her master's degree in post-mortem microbiology."
"Does she have access to your lab?"Â
"All of my students have," Iris said. "We have practical classes." She visibly stiffened. "Is she a suspect?"
âWe're looking into it,â Hotch responded.
Iris stepped out of her frozen state, interrupting another question being thrown her away.
âThis isn'tâ This isn't right.â She begun. âMeredith is one of my top students. She's a nice girl, she wouldn't do this.â
Emily nodded sympathetic, âas he said, we are still investigating that information. But we do need to speak with her so that can be clarified.â Before Iris could speak, Mark beat her to it.
âShe didn't come to class today, so that won't be possible, will it?â Mark sent a look towards Iris that anyone in the room could read it as a pretty clear insinuation. Iris wasn't paying attention to him, she was lost in her thoughts, gaze focused on a corner of the room.Â
Spencer was itching to say something, but he stood quiet.
âNeither did Fabian Helley. Another top student of Dr. Valencia here.â He added, leaning back on his desk. âYou know, maybe you should investigate this particular pattern.â
Derek let out a sigh. He was done with Dawson's little game. It was clear that the guy was trying to antagonize Iris.Â
âSirââ
âPlease stop.âÂ
Every eye in the room snapped towards her voice. Iris clutched the back of her arm as if she was trying to give herself some form of grounding. Spencer could see how much she cared for each one of her students. He's read about it, it's all in her letters, but even his coworkers who didn't have that bonus glimpse into her character could tell that.Â
They could also tell she was greatly bothered by Mark Dawson. And Spencer himself was starting to get bothered by him as well.
âI'll answer your questions and anything else in my office. Is that okay with you?âÂ
Nobody protested against that and Mark stood by his desk, arms crossed much like a petulant child. They followed Iris towards her office while exchanging curious glances. She did answer all of their questions, hesitating slightly whenever the questions were directed towards Meredith Fitz and Fabian Helley, mostly because she did not believe they could have done such a monstrosity as mass poisoning.
âWhat happened to being a germaphobe, pretty Ricky?â Derek nudged his shoulder, earning a confused look from Spencer. âYou shook the professor's hand. Not a single complaint as always.â
âI was being polite.â His cheeks were burning. Did he shake her hand? Thankfully she wasnât close enough to listen to their conversation.
Derek disguised a chuckle by soft coughing and Spencer glared at him.
"I'd like to apologize about Professor Dawson. He's been on edge ever since all this started." Iris informed as Rossi and Hotch left the room to call Garcia.Â
"We can see that," Emily smiled reassuringly at her. "If you don't mind me asking, is there a particular reason why he seemed displeased about Fabian Helley?" Iris shifted on her feet and everyone else in the room pretended they were not listening in on the conversation since Emily had approached her in a rather private manner.
Still, Iris did not relent.Â
"Mark is always displeased by something or someone." It was the last thing she decided to share after pondering to herself.Â
It wasn't until Hotch came back into the room to send each of them to interview a few other witnesses â except for Spencer, who he requested to start the geographical profile since they had enough cases as of now â that Iris seemed to glance in Spencer's direction.
Dr. Reid, who she shook hands with and didn't even properly notice until now. Iris was generally a perceptive person, she caught things quickly. Though she's having trouble focusing ever since this morning, perks of a bad night's sleep. She blamed that for not realising him sooner, that was the only possible explanation, really. His honey-brown eyes switched to his colleagues as soon as she caught him looking.Â
Irisâ breath caught in her throat. The Behaviour Analysis Unit is here. Spencer mentioned in one of his letters that he works for the FBI... She truly was slow today, wasn't she?Â
âDr. Valencia?âÂ
She snaps out of her daze to stare at a pretty blonde woman in a dark blazer, she wore a blue t-shirt below. Agent Jareau. That's her name.
âSorry,â Iris cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks heat up at being caught staring at him. She must look like such a creep. âI zoned out. Were you speaking to me?â
She offers her a sympathetic smile before saying, âwe don't want to take much of your time. We know you have lectures to teach. Thank you for your patience.â
âNo need to thank me, Agent. It's all good.â Just as each of them gave her their farewells, she was stuck in an inner argument about whether or not she should talk to him. It's not appropriate. He didn't even recognize you, wake up.
Not appropriate. Not appropriate. NOT APPROPRIATE.
âUh, Dr. Reid?â It was barely above a whisper as if she had been scared of saying it too loud. His body turning around fast was the indication she needed that he had heard her. Thankfully, his team was a little further down the hall to notice the small exchange. âSorry, I don't mean to get in your wayââ
She's completely awkward all of a sudden. Iris couldn't grasp her mind that she's been talking to this man for over a month, flirting, trauma bonding and now she couldnât utter a word without sounding like she didnât know a word in the English language.
âIs thereâ is there something you need?â He's kind. He's so kind and his voice is better than she had ever imagined.Â
All of all the things she could have said, what came out is something else entirely.
âYour hair is shorter.â
Well, fuck, Iris. Congratulations, you have officially made a fool out of yourself!
âI did not intend to say that out loud, I am so so sorry, Spencâ Dr. Reid. I just, I saw a picture of yours because of an article that I read andââ
âIris.âÂ
âAnd Iââ she froze, watching a smile grow on his lips, which immediately brought warmth to her chest. Somehow, it didn't feel as if he was laughing at her. If he was then it's a beautiful sight to uphold regardless. âYes?â
âI thought you didn't recognize me.â Spencer bit the inside of his cheek, shifting on his feet. She observed the worn-out sneakers causing her lips to twitch in amusement. One of Iris's assumptions was that Spencer was the kind of guy to wear fancy shoes â it only made sense because of the way he dressed â but that surprised her. At least sheâs not the profiler. âYou know, we've only been corresponding through letters so I figured you wouldn't...â
Her lips parted in astonishment. âYou recognized me?â
His brows furrowed slightly, âyes. Your name is literally on the case file.â
âOh.â
His eyes softened at her widened eyes as she processed the information. And then his brain pinched him with the fact that that's not how we're supposed to meet. Not because of a case. I'm supposed to invite her for coffee just so I can certify if she actually takes her coffee plain black with barely any sugar on it. Or a library, so we can ramble together about our favourite authors and books.Â
Not.in.the.middle.of.a.case.
âYou probably have a whole file about me, huh?â Her tone was playful and Spencer remembered how he grinned whenever he read her sarcasm through paragraphs of her handwriting. He learned to find Iris's humor through her words. Seeing it displayed right in front of him, full of vivid colors and a voice he tried to imagine for so long what it was like... He's speechless and already addicted to it.
âOur technical analyst probably has.â Spencer croaked out, forcing himself to avert his gaze to his feet instead.Â
Irisâs eyes acquired a spark of excitement.Â
âIs that the one with the clingy hugs?â
Spencer let his mouth quirk up on the edges, âyes. That's Penelope.â
âSo you know all of my dark secrets before we even share them to each other.â He could hear her playful tone that carried a bit of uncertainty in the end.
âI have no reason to read your file,â Spencer said. Because he didn't. Not unless she was an official suspect. âSo no, I don't know about any of your dark secrets.â
âThat's good. You won't run for the hills yet.â
âWhat makes you think I would ever run?â
Their gazes remain on each other for a brief moment until one of them eventually caved and looks away, necks reddening, heartbeat increasing.
âCall me Spencer.â He said, squeezing the strap of his work bag until his fingers turned white. His phone vibrating in his pocket alerted him he'd taken too much time talking and less time working. He didn't want to go. âI-uh, I've read your letter. Just in case you think I've been ignoring you... I haven't. I just haven't had the time to write you back properly.â
Iris tilted her head as she leaned against the wall. âMaybe you don't need to write me back.â What am I doing? She thinks.
He cast her a look of puzzlement before his disappointment could take over, Iris was quick to clarify what she meant.Â
âMaybe we could talk instead of write.â She added carefully. Confidence wearing thin. âOver coffee? Not today, of course, you're working and I'm working and we wouldn't have time but... It'sâIt's a stupid idea, isn't it? I'm sorry. Pretend I didn't suggestââ
âI would love to talk instead of write.â Now that I can finally hear your voice, I can stop trying to image what you sounded like through your letters. I don't want to ever stop listening to you.Â
Iris gave him a look of surprise as if she had been expecting rejection because that just might have been the most out-of-place idea she had. Asking Spencer Reid out on a date while he's in the middle of a case where she works?Â
âYou need to go.â She mused, giving a pointed look at the vibrating cell in his hands.
âAs soon as the investigation is over.â He told her after they'd exchanged numbers through their phones. Iris nodded, smiling wildly as he took a few steps back to leave her office but still didn't quite leave.
âAs soon as the investigation is over, Dr. Reid.â
Spencer halts, holding onto the doorway as if stopping himself from leaving â or staying. She didn't know which.
âCall me Spencer.â He repeated, grabbing his phone to pick up the call. Slowly, a smile etched its way into her face and his mouth followed the same action.Â
âOkay, Spencer.â
Spencer nodded, holding in a smile. âI have to go.â I donât want to.
âPlease do. I don't want the FBI locking me up because I held you against your will in my office.â A joke. He liked hearing her jokes instead of reading them. âBe careful.â She requested in a slightly more serious tone, just like she always wrote in her letters addressed to him.Â
âYou too,â he said, taking his time to look at her one last time before he had to sprint off to where Derek required him.
It was very nice seeing you, Iris.
âââââââââ â âââââââââ
A/N: hey everyone, welcome to the next phase of SBPP. I'm excited. next chapter you'll have a deeper glimpse into iris' character and some things will come to light. i'd love to read what you guys are thinking of this fic!
taglist: @lilyviolets ; @chayceschultz ; @cultish-corner ; @lover-of-books-and-tea ; @theonecalledrue
#sun-bleached paper petals#spencer reid x oc#spencer reid x original character#spencer reid x iris valencia#criminal minds fanfiction#spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid fanfic#sun-bleached paper petals fic
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The Queer Politics of Craftivism: Crafting Trans Joy Through QuiltingÂ
Right photo by @transjoyquilt, left by @poppythewitch (posted to @transjoyquilt) on IG
This essay was presented by me at a Queer conference at my University, and discusses queer craftivism in a historical context and contemporary one through the work of the Nortfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt. As a fiber artist, getting to talk with my professors and peers about craftivism was a big honor. It also couldn't be done without the publisher of The Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt Zine, Common Threads Press. Living in the US and on a time crunch they sent me a digital copy. All references are at the end of the essay, which I absolutely recommend reading, but I'd totally be willing to post other great resources that didn't make it into the final draft but are great works on queer craftivism.
The Queer Politics of Craftivism: Crafting Trans Joy Through QuiltingÂ
âCraftivism,â a term popularized by activist and writer Betsy Greer, is the intersection of âcraftingâ and âactivism.â Trans and queer activists have adopted the term to craft materials to express queer joy and resilient community in the face of abandonment and oppression by the state. Craftivism, while certainly involving anger, centers joy and love for the self and community. One of the most famous queer craftivist projects is the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt created in 1987 which memorialized thousands of people who died from AIDS and offered a way for the queer community to mourn. In this paper, I want to look at the Norfolk Trans Joy Community quilt to offer a more recent example of craftism that continues the political legacy of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The Norfolk Trans Joy Community quilt was created earlier this year by trans people and allies in Norwich, England to offer trans people community and to highlight trans joy in a society that is continually working to criminalize the trans body. Â
Craftivism has existed long before Betsy Greer popularized the name, and its influence reaches outside of queer circles, however one of the most notable works of craftivism is the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. The government response to the AIDS crisis early in the epidemic was incredibly flawed and lacking with Ronald Reaganâs administration staying almost completely silent on AIDS until 1987 their only comments minimizing the scope of the epidemic on the queer community (Oritz 85). Reaganâs administration abandoned queer people to fend for themselves during the AIDS epidemic, needlessly allowing for thousands of people to die. The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, created in 1987, was crafted in protest to the governmentâs abandonment of queer people and to mourn as a community. The quilt initially consisted of 1,920 squares, each memorializing a person who died of AIDS, made by themselves or those who loved them (âThe History of the Quiltâ). Cleve Jones, the man who conceived the quilt, hoped that it would serve as a communal form of healing in dealing with the great loss the community was feeling, but also to publicly shame the government for their apathy and failure towards the queer community (âAIDS Memorial Quiltâ). People combined their anger towards the governent and love and sadness towards losing someone close to them and channeled it into a quilt showcasing their emotions. Scholar Daniel Fountain writes in their essay ââQueer Quiltsâ: A Patchworked History,â âAlthough the blocks can be exhibited independently of one another, the idea is that each panel â each lifeâ would never be isolated or alone, even in deathâ (qtd in âThe Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt Zineâ 7). The AIDS quilt simultaneously allowed queer people to come together as a community and mourn those they had lost, while also spotlighting the fact that the government did not acknowledge the scope of the epidemic. Â
The conventional definition of âcraftingâ is gendered as one that is feminine and therefore âlower.â Art forms of knitting, embroidery, quilting, etc., come to mind over the more âmasculineâ and therefore more legitimate mediums of writing, painting, etc,. Associations with craft and queerness are tied, that theyâre both too feminine and not as legitimate than their more recognized counterparts. Artist Ben Cuevas writes of their personal connection to the link of crafting and queerness stating, âby knitting with my male body, and referencing that in my work, Iâm queering gendered constructs of craft,â (qtd in Chaich & Oldham 137). Queer people recognize the connection between the connotations of queerness and craft, and use it to materially render queer and trans experiences, including expressing joy and love for their community. Â
Crafting, specifically quilting, is used to express queer joy due to the symbolic nature of quilts, and what the gift of a quilt means. The gift of a quilt tells someone that they love and care for them, that in a literal sense you never want them to be cold and alone. Quilting teacher and writer Thomas Knauer in his essay âThe Gift of a Quilt is an Act of Loveâ writes of the symbolism present in giving quilts, âwarmth â once a literal protection against the elements â is also a symbolic means of protection, and our desire to protect is a reflection of the love we feel for another.â People make quilts to express love. Furthermore, the gift of a quilt involves incredible amounts of patience and care. Quilts are not really practical as people in modern life have access to cheaper ready-made blankets, yet people spend weeks and months picking out fabric, and cutting and sewing them for another person to show their love. The Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt does this for an entire community of people. Individual squares are sewn together to become an entire quilt of trans people expressing their love for themselves and their community, that they do not want themselves or any trans person to be without joy or community.Â
Queer craftivism subverts the idea of quilting as a symbol of cis-heteronormativity, instead making it a symbol of community. In their essay ââQueer Quiltsâ: A Patchworked History,â Daniel Fountain writes of gendered associations of quilts, saying, âquilts are still largely associated with milestones in cis-heteronormative culture â birth, marriage, and death â and they are typically passed down through generations of biological family members, usually through matrilineality.â (Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt Zine 6). However in queer crafting, instead of marriage and family as the sole climactic moment in a personâs life worthy of a quilt, it is the moment in which a person expresses joy in being trans and queer that is worthy of a quilt. Community becomes family, which is important when many trans folks are shunned by their families and the matrilineal line is broken or strained. Â
Trans joy is important now more than ever in a world that is increasingly criminalizing the trans body. The media has increasingly portrayed trans people as predators and dangerous, with CPAC speaker Michael Knowles stating earlier this year that âtransgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely,â (qtd in Wade & Reis). Despite the onslaught of cruelty thrown at trans people, craftivism is used a means to express joy and challenge the narratives against them. K, who created a square for the community quilt and was interviewed about it said, âAs much as I want to express my anger, trans joy is defiant. It canât be legislated out of existence, defanged or sold. It doesnât have one look and it contradicts itself. Its complexity is powerful, trans joy is a protest in itselfâ (Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt Zine 21). Anger is not absent in craftivism, as it is a response to injustice and abandonment of marginalized groups which rightfully sparks outrage, yet joy is present in them as well, which is an important mode of protest against oppression. In other words, joy and anger are not mutually exclusive categories.Â
Even when not being portrayed as dangerous, mainstream trans narratives are often filled with the trauma associated with being trans such as the violence inflicted on them, suicide, and survival sex work to name a few. While these are all real issues affecting the trans community, hyperfocusing on these issues in the media creates a false narrative that trans people are joyless, which the Trans Community Quilt hopes to reject. Alex, another person who contributed to the quilt and was interviewed said, âIt helps to combat the tragedy of trans lives in lots of mainstream media, even in sympathetic cases.â (The Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt Zine 18). Instead of fetishizing trans folks through the lens of traumatic tragedy, the quilt highlights the joy in being transgender. Kâs square features a pun which says âOrange you glad trans people exist?â Another square made by a person named Josh is an embroidered rendering of Joshâs chest nine months post top surgery. The quilt rejects the narrative that trans people are dangerous and tragic, but rather spotlighting the joy for self and community in being transgender. The focus on joy is not at the expense of histories of pain or struggle.Â
The creation of the Trans Community quilt was largely community focused, with recurring workshops for queer community members to gather and create. Workshops included free materials and instruction for creating the squares in addition to providing a safe community space for community members. Therefore the quilt was truly made by the trans community of Norwich, and even after its creation the quilt will go on to be exhibited at various queer and trans events across England. The conceptors Beau Brannick and Alice Bigsby-Bye write, âThe project aims to return ownership of queer collections to their communities and empower people to access, discover, and contribute to the objects that reflect their shared historiesâ (5). The quilt is also therefore owned by the queer and trans community in addition to being made by and for the community. Â
 Craftivism has existed for a long time, with a notable queer example being the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, and these kinds of projects have gone onto inspire others such as the Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt. The Trans Joy Quilt centers trans joy and community rather than suffering. This research as well as the work being done by queer and trans craftivists is important because activism that centers joy and resilient community is needed more than ever in a society that is working to criminalize the trans body.Â
Works CitedÂ
âAIDS Memorial Quilt,â Williams College Museum of Art, March 17, 2019, https://artmuseum.williams.edu/aids-memorial-quilt/
Chaich, John & Oldham, Todd, Queer Threads: Crafting Identity & Community, AMMO Books, 2017. Â
Knauer, Thomas. âThe Gift of a Quilt is an Act of Love,â Hachette Book Group, https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/storey/gift-quilt-act-love/#:~:text=the%20room%20symbolically.-,The%20gift%20of%20a%20quilt%20is%20an%20act%20of%20love,those%20they%20are%20given%20to Â
âThe History of the Quilt,â National AIDS Memorial, https://www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt-history Â
The Norfolk Trans Joy Community Quilt Zine, Common Threads Press, 2023.Â
Ortiz, Jacqueline A. (2023) "Silence From the Great Communicator: The Early Years of the AIDS Epidemic Under the Reagan Administration," Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal: 4 (2), 76-99. https://works.swarthmore.edu/suhj/vol4/iss2/6Â
Wade, Peter & Reis, Patrick. âCPAC Speaker Calls for Eradication of âTransgenderismâ â and Somehow Claims Heâs Not Calling for Elimination of Transgender People.â Rolling Stone, March 6, 2023, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/cpac-speaker-transgender-people-eradicated-1234690924/Â Â
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John Amos in his 1958 East Orange High School yearbook photo.
John Allen Amos Jr. (born December 27, 1939) is an American actor known for his role as James Evans, Sr., on the CBS television series Good Times. Amos's other television work includes The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on The West Wing, and the role of Washington, D.C., Mayor Ethan Baker in the series The District. Amos has appeared on Broadway and in numerous films in his five-decade career. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and an NAACP Image Award. On film, he has played numerous supporting roles in movies such as The Beastmaster (1982), Coming to America (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990) and Coming 2 America (2021).
John A. Amos, Jr. Was born in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, and graduated from East Orange High School in 1958. He enrolled at Long Beach City College and graduated from Colorado State University, qualifying as a social worker with a degree in sociology. Amos also played on the Colorado State Rams football team. After college, he was a Golden Gloves boxing champion.
In 1964, Amos signed a free agent contract with the American Football League's Denver Broncos. Unable to run the 40-yard dash because of a pulled hamstring, he was released on the second day of training camp. He then played with the Canton Bulldogs and Joliet Explorers of the United Football League. In 1965, he played with the Norfolk Neptunes and Wheeling Ironmen of the Continental Football League. In 1966, he played with the Jersey City Jets and Waterbury Orbits of the Atlantic Coast Football League.
In 1967, Amos signed a free agent contract with the American Football League's Kansas City Chiefs. Coach Hank Stram told him, "You're not a football player, you're a man who is trying to play football." He returned to the Continental League, where he played that year with the Victoria Steelers
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Top 5 places you have visited or want to visit.
Idk i have any specific order for this - so consider it "top 5 general". Also theyre all Australia, bc as much as theres places i think would be cool to visit overseas, i think theres a lot of places in Australia that are super underrated, and I want to visit them first. (Also I've literally never left the country, so...)
Want to: The Kimberley
I've been to WA, but only to the bottom part, and I'd love to see more of it. Plus, my parents have photos from like the 90s and some of the places they went were GORGEOUS and I'd love to visit some day.
2. Been to: Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park
VERY cool place. May hold the record for the prettiest sunrises I've seen in the last little while. I'm sad i didnt get to explore more around the wider area. Worlds cutest budgies (and insanely sized flocks of them at that). 10/10 would go again.
3. Want to: Tasmania (general)
I've been to Tasmania exactly once (it made me technically have been to every state) but it was for a university trip, and we only got three exploration days. So I've been to Port Arthur, Maria Island, and Hobart. All very cool, but I'd love to see more of it, especially the western side. Also to revisit a bakery that i got literally the best vanilla slice i've ever tasted from.
4. Been to: The (various) Keppel Islands
Theyre just SO pretty. Theyre also the traditional lands of the Woppaburra people and have some VERY cool archaeology and culture (including carved shell fish hooks). Also somewhere i saw a dugong once, so bonus points for that. (Still mad they keep trying to redevelop Great Keppel Island. pls. it doesnt need a resort).
5. Want to: Norfolk Island
TECHNICALLY part of Australia, but also like... a long trip. I feel like I might like to visit Norfolk Island at least once in my life. Especially after having had to do research on it for an archaeology assessment once. Its kinda fascinating
#also bonus points for#the great australian bite (i was literally just saying the other day how cool it would be to visit again)#i LOVED the nullabour as a kid#Blue mountains#Australia's alpine national parks (spectacular)#also would love to visit more of the NT#australia#mice answers things#they let a mouse do archaeology?
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"Two years after Malcolm X successfully petitioned to be transferred from the Concord Reformatory in Massachusetts to Norfolk to take advantage of its educational opportunities, he and three other Muslims there captured public attention and were transferred back to Charleston for refusing typhoid inoculations. They grew out their beards, refused to eat pork, and demanded cells facing east toward Mecca, threatening to contact the Egyptian consul if that right were denied. They even secured transfer from the foundry after complaining that it was too loud for meditation. The warden at Charlestown "had absolutely no idea who or what converted the quartet but pooh-poohed" reports that they were being granted extra religious privileges, noting that the cells facing east were "just regular cells." As one newspaper article concluded, "The four new Moslems enjoyed complete religious freedom-and constant surveillance."
This contradiction of freedom and surveillance came to define the relationship between incarcerated Muslims and prison officials over the next several decades. As Malcolm remarked just days after leaving Norfolk, "All of the opposition was, after all, helpful toward the spread of Islam there, because the opposition made Islam heard of by many who otherwise wouldn't have paid it the second thought." The dialectical relationship between prison repression and prisoner resistance grew from the demands of the four men at Norfolk into the vanguard of the prisoners' rights movement a decade later. As Malcolm wrote to his brother, "The more the devil openly opposed it, the more it spread.""
- Garrett Felber, Those Who Know Donât Say: The Nation of Islam, the Black Freedom Movement, and the Carceral State. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2020. p. 30.
#united states history#malcom x#nation of islam#norfolk prison colony#religion in prison#black freedom struggle#racial segregation#anti colonialism#african american history#history of crime and punishment#those who know don't say#reading 2023#prisoners' rights movement#prisoner resistance#prisoner organizing#massachusetts state penitentiary
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Pollution from East Palestine train derailment rained down in 16 states, study says. (Washington Post)
On Feb. 3, 2023, a train carrying toxic chemicals crashed in northeastern Ohio, sending up a large black cloud over Ohio and Pennsylvania after officials decided to burn off the hazardous materials. As the chemicals lofted into the air, the pollution spread as far as 16 states, according to a new study.
âI didnât expect to see an impact this far out,â said David Gay, lead author of the study. âThereâs more going on here than most people would have guessed, including me.â
Toxic chemicals rained down from South Carolina to Wisconsin to New England following the accident, according to the new analysis in the Environmental Research Letters journal. Overall, the pollution spread over 540,000 square miles, or 14 percent of U.S. land area.
People closer to the accident reported rashes, nausea and headaches â but Gay said the low chemical concentrations farther away from the accident werenât âtoxic, but are pretty unusual at a lot of places.â Many of those pollutants can run off and affect marine and plant life.
The accident occurred around 9 p.m. on Feb. 3 near East Palestine, a town of almost 5,000 residents on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The train, operated by Norfolk Southern, experienced a mechanical issue that caused more than 50 cars to derail. Some of the trains were carrying hazardous materials, including a known human carcinogen called vinyl chloride.
In an emergency decision, officials authorized a controlled burn of the hazardous chemicals to prevent a catastrophic explosion. But as the vinyl chloride burned, it broke into separate chloride and hydrogen ions in the atmosphere that got carried by the wind to other locations.
When it began to rain in various places, the pollutants were pushed from the air and deposited on the ground. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program, at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, collects these ground depositions weekly across 260 sites across North America. Gay, who serves as coordinator of the program, routinely analyzes the data to monitor air pollutants.
He and his team analyzed ground depositions from the week of and following the train accident (Jan. 31 to Feb. 14), and then compared them to the previous decade or so. Many samples taken during the week of the accident in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and New York were flagged for contamination, showing soot, ash and dirt.
Initially, Gay expected to see only a few abnormally high chloride signals nearby in Pennsylvania, but the impact was much higher than he anticipated. High chloride concentrations spanned as far as Virginia, South Carolina and Wisconsin. The highest concentrations were located near the Canada-New York border, which was downwind of East Palestine.
The pollutants disappeared within two to three weeks after the accident.
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youtube
#hbcu#black college sports#ncaa#black college#marching band#showstyle#youtube#Tennessee State University#Tigers#Norfolk State University#Spartans#tigers#spartans#Spartan Legion#Aristocrat of Bands#Sophisticated Ladies#halftime#Hot Ice#nashville#tennessee#homecoming#5th Quarter#battle of the bands#hbcu band#MEAC#ovc#Big South Conference
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Congrats to Missy Elliott who is now two time Doctorate âDr. Elliottâ after being bestowed an honorary doctorate by Norfolk State University last week. She received her first doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2019.
#unheardvoicesmag #hbcu #honorarydoctorate
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Julius Edward McCullough was (born May 31, 1943) composer, clarinetist, conductor, political activist, and educator who was born in Norfolk to Julius Arthur McCullough and Bettye Frances Farmer McCullough. They had two children.
He graduated from Norfolk Division of Virginia State College with a BS. He studied Instrumental Musthe ic Education as his principal instruments were clarinet and piano. He was a Charter Member of Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He took a series of teaching positions in North Carolina and Virginia. He studied Music Supervision in the Temple University Graduate Program.
He was Band Director at Hine Junior High School and was a Union Representative to the Washington Teacherâs Union. He resumed graduate studies in Music Education at Virginia State College.
He married Laureese Shepherd Ebron. She died in 2011. There were no children.
He toured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra as a singer in the performance of his Sacred Concerts while serving as a Band Director with the Philadelphia School District. He became the first African American theater manager of a major American professional theater, The Valley Forge Music Fair, the sister theater to the Westbury Music Fair.
He was a Resident Composer and Artistic Consultant for Bushfire Theater Company, Charisma One Modeling Studio, and the Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia. He conducted the Pit Stop Orchestra, Center City Nightlife Orchestra, The Family Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Story Band. He was the Music Director in the Performing Arts Department of the Franklin Learning Center High School for Creative and Performing Arts. He retired from the Philadelphia School District He was a professor of music at St. Paulâs Episcopal College. He became the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Boys Choir of Hampton Roads. His compositions focus on religious music. They include âThe Lordâs Prayerâ, âThe Lord is My Shepherdâ, and âMy Lord, What A Morning.â
He is a member of Life Member of the NAACP and serves on the Executive Board of the Norfolk Branch. He is president of the Tidewater Branch of the National Association of Negro Musicians. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence
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Mary I's Fight For The Throne
11th July - Mary decides to move
Mary receives a reply from the Privy Council to her letter:
Madame, we have received your letter the ix of this instant declaring your supposed title which you judge yourself to have: the Imperial Crown of this Realm and all the domains thereunto belonging. Our answer whereof is to advise your forasmuch as our Sovereign Lady Queen Jane is after the death of our Sovereign Lord King Edward VI, a prince of most noble memory, invested and possessed with right and just title in the Imperial Crown of this Realm, not only by good order of old ancient laws of this realm, but also by your late Sovereign Lordâs letters patent signed with his own hand and sealed with the Great Seal of England in the presence of the most part of the nobles and councillors, judges, and divers other grown and sage persons assenting and subscribing unto the same. We must therefore (and of most duty and right we ought to) profess and declare unto you that forasmuch as divers divorces made between the King of most noble memory Henry VIII and the Lady Katherine your mother was necessary to be had, both by the everlasting law of God as also by the laws and by the most part of the notable and learned universities of Christendom and confirmed also by the divers acts of parliament removing it, therefore and thereby you made illegitimate and inheritable to the Imperial Crown of this Realm and the dominions and possessions of the same. You will upon just consideration thereof and of divers other causes lawful to be alleged for the same, and for the just inheritance of the right, and goodly orders taken by the late King our Sovereign Lord Edward VI, and agreed unto by the noble and great personages aforesaid, cease by your pretence to vex and molest any of our Sovereign lady Queen Janeâs subjects, drawing them from the true faith and allegiance unto Her Grace. Assuring that if you will for respect show yourself quiet and obedient as you ought, you shall find us all and several [ready] to do you any service that we, with duty, may be glad with you to preserve the common state of this Realm, wherein you may otherwise be grievous unto us to yourself and to them. And thus we bid you most heartily well to fare, from the Tower of London the IX *July. Your ladyshipâs loving friends, showing yourself an obedient subject. 1 *misdated, should be the Xth
After conferring with important local magnates including Lord Thomas Wentworth, Sir Thomas Cornwallis, Sherriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, proclaims Queen Jane in Ipswich marketplace. Soon after, Mary's servant Thomas Poley arrives and reads out her proclamation:
"Know ye all the good subjects of this realm that your most noble Prince, your sovereign Lord and King, Edward the VI, is upon Thursday last, being the 6th of July, departed this world to Godâs mercy. And that now the most excellent princess his sister Mary, by the grace of God is Queen of England and Ireland, and very owner of the crown, government, and title of England and Ireland, and all things thereunto belonging, to Godâs glory, the honour of the realm of England, and all your comforts. And her Highness has not fled this her realm, nor intends to do, as is most untruly surmised." 2
He leaves hurriedly, "taking refuge in flight." 3, for fear that he will come to blows with the leading men gathered to support Jane.
In Norwich, they refuse to proclaim Mary queen because they are "not certain of the king's death" 4, while in Great Yarmouth, the town council meet to discuss the situation after having visited Mary. They adjourn their meeting until the next day âto make a plan and definite agreement whether the Lady Mary her grace shall be proclaimed Queen of Englandâ. 5
Back at Kenninghall, Sir Richard Southwell, who had recently helped Mary with the matter of her stolen hawks, arrives with money, provisions, and armed men to "make the most humble submission that he could to the queen, repeatedly recalling in his petition the many favours heaped on him by Henry VIII." 6
Southwell's arrival, with "reinforcements of men, a store of provisions and moreover money, the sinews of war, as they call it, not to mention his own skill in counsel and long experience" 7 prompts Mary to make plans to move her household from Kenninghall.
The decision is made to go to Framlingham, and Mary sends a messenger to the Imperial ambassadors in London informing them. She also begs for further aid, ordering the messenger to tell the men she sees "destruction hanging over her" 8 unless she receives help from the Emperor.
Meanwhile...
Jane writes to the Marquis of Northampton, lieutenant of Surrey, and the sheriffs and chief justices of the peace in that county "Right trusty and right well beloved, we greet you well, advertising the same that whereas it hath pleased almighty God to call to his mercy out of this life our dearest cousin the King, your late sovereign lord, by reason whereof and such ordinances as the said late King did establish in his life time for the security and wealth of this Realm, we are entered into our rightful possession of this kingdom, as by the last will of our said dearest cousin our late progenitor, and other several instruments to that effect, signed with his own hand and sealed with the great seal of this realm in his own presence. Whereunto the nobles of this realm for the most part and all our council and Judges, with the Mayor and Aldermen of our City of London, and divers other grave personages of this our realm of England, have also subscribed their names as by the same will and instrument it may more evidently and plainly appear. We therefore do you to understand, that by the ordinance and sufferance of the heavenly Lord, and by assent and consent of our said nobles and councillors, and others before specified, we do this day make our entry into our Tower of London as rightful Queen of this realm, and have accordingly set forth our proclamations to all our loving subjects, giving them thereby to understand their duties and allegiance which they now of right owe unto us, as more amply by the same you shall briefly perceive and understand, nothing doubting right trusty and right well beloved cousin, but that you will endeavour yourself in all things to the uttermost of your power not only to defend our just title but also assist us in our rightful possession of this kingdom, and to disturb, repel, and resist the feigned and untrue claim of the lady Mary, bastard daughter to our great uncle Henry the eight of famous memory. Wherein as you shall do that which to your honour, truth, and duty appertain, so shall we remember the same unto you and yours accordingly. And our further pleasure is that you shall continue, do, and execute every thing and things as our lieutenant within all places according to the tenor of the commission, addressed unto you from our late cousin King Edward the vi, in such and like sort as if the same had been, as we mind shortly it shall be, renewed and by us confirmed under our great seal unto you. Given under our Signet at our Tower of London on the xi of July the first year of our reign." 9
Gilbert Potter, the young man who said Mary had the right title is set on the pillory where both his ears are cut off. In the evening, his master drowns. 10
Richard Grafton, the royal printer, issues a pamphlet of the town criers announcement yesterday, reiterating Mary and Elizabeth are "proved illegitimate and born unlawful and clearly discharged from the crown and from all manner of possessions of the king their father Henry the VIII." 11
The Imperial ambassadors report Jane will not be "crowned for a fortnight or more." 12
A man from Lowestoft comes aboard The Greyhound asking how Captain Grice and the rest of the crew fare. They "demand if they could with their hearts serve Queen Mary [...] unto whom every one of the company answered and said they would live and die with her grace." 13 Grice changes out of his livery and goes abroad with the man into Lowestoft, asking what news there is. Hearing that the country is up in rebellion, he is then questioned if he is a servant of the Duke of Northumberland. He denies it, but the sailors with him reveal he is. He is then âby the townsmen taken as an offender." 14
Sources:
1. The Reign of Mary I, Robert Tittler
2. The History and Antiquities of Hengrave, in Suffolk
3. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield
4. Chronicle of Queen Jane and Queen Mary
5. Great Yarmouth under Queen Mary
6. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield
7. Vita Mariae Angliae Reginae of Robert Wingfield
8. Spanish State Papers, 14th July 1553
9. The Loseley Manuscripts
10. Diary of Henry Machyn, July 1553
11. The Chronicle of the Grey Friars: Jane
12. Spanish State Papers, 11th July 1553
13. The Navy of Edward VI and Mary I
14. The Navy of Edward VI and Mary I
5 notes
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