Did you know?

Claude Mckay, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen were three of the leading black poets during this time. Mckay was best known for his poems of social protest. Hughes produced poems about black life that experts now say are among the greatest American poems ever written.

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg

A Puerto Rican historian, writer, and activist in the United States who researched and raised awareness of the great contributions that Afro-Latin Americans and Afro-Americans have made to society. Aurthur was known as the “Sherlock Holmes” of Black History, and he was an important intellectual figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

Mel Blount

A prototype cornerback of his era and a major reason why the Steelers were the dominant team of the National Football League in the 1970s. A third-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1970, he had ideal size, speed, and quickness, plus the toughness and mental ability to adjust his coverage tactics to rule changes that favored receivers. A Pro Scouts All-America as both a safety and cornerback at Southern University, Blount became a starter in the Steelers secondary beginning in 1972. That season, he didn’t allow a single touchdown. A fixture at right cornerback, Mel was equally effective playing either zone or man-to-man defense. Known for his rugged but clean style of play, his specialty was the “bump-and-run” pass defense. Because of his size and speed, he literally overpowered pass receivers. Midway through his career, however, the rules were changed making such harassment of a receiver illegal. Blount, a native of Vidalia, Georgia, wound up his career with 57 interceptions which he returned for 736 yards and two touchdowns. He intercepted at least one pass in all 14 NFL seasons and led the league in interceptions with 11 in 1975. Blount also was used as a kickoff returner early in his career. He wound up with 36 returns for 911 yards and a 25.3-yard average. He also recovered 13 opponents' fumbles, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Blount, who was named the NFL's most valuable defensive player in 1975 by the Associated Press, earned all-pro acclaim in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1981. He also was a four-time All-AFC selection and played in five Pro Bowls. His fumble recovery in the 1979 AFC Championship Game led to the Steelers' winning touchdown in a 27-13 victory over the Houston Oilers. A season earlier in Super Bowl XIII, Blount's interception ignited a Pittsburgh drive that resulted in a go-ahead touchdown in a 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He started in four Steelers' Super Bowl victories (IX, X, XIII, and XIV).

Who was the 1st African-American to earn a PH.D and to head a primarily white university?

Patrick Francis Healy (02/27/1830/1834 - 01/10/1910), as he was known, was born into slavery in Macon, Georgia, to the Irish-American plantation owner Michael Healy and his bi-racial slave Mary Eliza. Because of the law of slavery that children took the status of the mother, Patrick and his siblings were legally considered slaves, although their father was free and they were three-quarters or more European in ancestry.
Patrick was the third son of Mary Eliza and Michael Morris Healy, who had joined in a common-law marriage in 1829. After Patrick's father Michael bought his mother Mary Eliza, he fell in love with her and made her his common-law wife. Discriminatory laws in Georgia prohibited the education of slaves and required legislative approval for each act of manumission, so Michael Healy arranged for all his children to leave Georgia and move to the North to obtain their educations and have opportunities in their lives. They were raised as Irish Catholics.
Micheal Healy sent his older sons first to a Quaker school in Flushing, New York. Patrick Healy became ordained as a Jesuit priest, and taught at Holy Cross for a time before traveling abroad for further study. In 1865 Healy received a PH.D from the University of Luvain in Belgium and joined the faculty of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.. In 1873 he was named the 29th President of Georgetown University. He was the 1st African-American to head a primarily white university. Healy was buried on the school's campus after his death in 1910.

Side Note: His brother James Augustine Healy became the country's 1st African-American Catholic bishop.

Did you know?

MACON WAS ONCE BURIED IN 16 INCHES OF SNOW

In February of 1973 the Piedmont region of Georgia was hit by one of the biggest snowstorms of all time.Macon was buried in 16.5” of snow and with little or no ability to move that amount of snow the city was paralyzed. The storm was blamed for 31 deaths and the blizzard of ‘73 has since became folklore to those Maconite’s who lived through it.   

All The World's A Stage

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

By: William Shakespeare

Baklava

A rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, but is also found in Central and Southwest Asia.

Peppermint

    Peppermint is a natural hybrid of water mint (Mentha aquatica ) and spearmint (Mentha spicata ) and was first cultivated in England in the late seventeenth century. The herb has been used as a remedy for indigestion since Ancient Egyptian times. In fact, dried peppermint leaves were found in Egyptian pyramids dating back to 1000 b.c. The ancient Greeks and Romans valued it as a stomach soother. During the eighteenth century, peppermint became popular in Western Europe as a folk remedy for nausea, vomiting, morning sickness , respiratory infections , and menstrual disorders. Peppermint was first listed in the London Pharmacopoeia in 1721. In modern times it appears in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a remedy for intestinal colic, gas , colds, morning sickness, and menstruation pain.

     Peppermint (Mentha piperita ) is an aromatic perennial plant that grows to a height of about 3 ft (1 m). It has light purple flowers and green leaves with serrated edges. Peppermint belongs to the Lamiaceae family and grows throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. There are more than 25 species of true mint grown throughout the world. The plant is harvested when the oil content is highest. When ready for harvest, it is always collected in the morning, before noon sun reduces the leaf essential oil content. This generally takes place shortly before the plant blooms, which occurs in the summer (July through August) or during dry, sunny weather. The United States is responsible for producing 75% of the world's supply of peppermint.

Magnolia Flowers

   Magnolias are a striking variety of flower because the magnolia blossoms are so large. The flower is associated with nobility, perseverance, dignity and a love of nature. The magnolia tree is a symbol of magnificence because of its impressive height and enormous flowers. The magnolia tree was named after the French botanist Pierre Magnolia in the 1600s. The flowering tree has more than 80 varieties including a striking yellow blossom, the goldfinch, or the popular white blossom, Magnolia grandiflora. The scent of the flower varies depending on which variety is used. Each color leads to a different meaning. The white magnolia flowers stand for purity and perfection. The pink magnolia flowers symbolize youth and innocence together with joy. The green magnolias represent joy coupled with health and good fortune. The purple magnolias send out vibrations that support your wishes for alignment with your truth and physical wholeness (health).
   A "steel magnolia" is a popular phrase denoting the strength a Southern woman possesses. This phrase was popularized by the 1989 movie "Steel Magnolias" in which six Southern women endure various hardships but rise above them. The term refers to the delicate yet strong nature women have.
In art, specifically Chinese art, the magnolia is used as a symbol of feminine sweetness and beauty. In China, magnolia flowers are symbols of purity and nobility. In Japan, the magnolia is used as a medicinal and ornamental plant. The flower is called Hanakotoba in the Japanese system of flower symbolism. This means that the flower is sublime, natural and shows love for nature. Magnolias are associated with the life force and are often presented at births.

Mint

        Mint is as tasty as it is healthy. Its essential oil is widely used in manufactured products such as toothpaste, shower gel and medicines for its naturally antibacterial and cooling qualities. In cooking, mint sprigs can be added to cooking water or the chopped leaves incorporated into a dish to make the most of this herb’s aromatic, flavoursome and digestive abilities. Originally taken as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, it is to this day the most called upon herb for soothing a great deal of ailments from indigestion to heartburn and the common cold to bad breath. That's not all; mint can also provide a cooling sensation to the skin helping to treat minor burns and skin irritations due to its anti-inflammatory properties and it can ease and unblock the breathing and respiratory passages as well as relieve headaches; cup of mint tea anyone?

       Known to have originated in Asia and the Mediterranean region, mint has been known for its many benefits throughout history. Greeks used to clean their banqueting tables with the herb and added it to their baths to stimulate their bodies, whilst Romans used it in sauces, as an aid to digestion and as a mouth freshener. Medieval monks drew on the herb for its culinary and medicinal properties. In many cultures, mint symbolised hospitality and was offered as a sign of welcome and friendship to guests. Mint derives its name from the ancient Greek mythical character Minthe. According to Greek myth, Minthe was a river nymph. Hades, the God of the Underworld, fell in love with Minthe and when Persephone, Hades's wife, found out, she turned Minthe into a plant, so that everyone would walk all over her and crush her. Unable to undo the spell, Hades gave Minthe a magnificent aroma so that he could smell her and be near her when people trod on her.

      Away from this mythical world, we know that mint gets its tell tale enticing aroma from menthol, an essential oil present in its leaves. Mint contains a number of vitamins and minerals which are vital to maintain good health. Rich in Vitamins A and C it also contains smaller amounts of Vitamin B2 and minerals including calcium, zinc, copper and magnesium. And even though mint is mostly consumed in small quantities, the vital nutrients obtained are still beneficial and shouldn’t be underestimated.