Happy Thanksgiving

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Biko Agozino

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Nov 24, 2024, 3:07:37 PM11/24/24
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It is Thanksgiving week. It was first proclaimed as a public holiday by Lincoln in 1863 soon after the emancipation proclamation to end slavery and mobilize over two hundred thousand African Americans to help defend the Union. Was Lincoln thanking the Africans for helping to save the Union? Happy Thanksgiving, What are you thankful for this year?

Biko

Cornelius Hamelberg

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Nov 24, 2024, 9:21:44 PM11/24/24
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Happy Thanksgiving Biko !

Biko Agozino

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Nov 25, 2024, 4:25:43 AM11/25/24
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Same to you, Cornel. 

See the transcripts of Lincoln's Proclamation archived by Obama. It came 9 months after the Emancipation Proclamation and after the freed Black men changed the battle of the civil war over slavery. It started by urging Americans to show some gratitude for the sources of their food, (the labor of the enslaved). He did not make this explicit, of course, he was saying Graces and giving thanks to Providence the way you do even when you know that it was your papa and mama that provided the food. No mythology there.


Biko

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John Edward Philips (Yahaya Danjuma)

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Nov 27, 2024, 5:42:09 AM11/27/24
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I think Lincoln was unifying the nation by superceding state Thanksgiving days with a national one. Virginia had a Thanksgiving in 1619, before the Massachusetts one that figures in the US’s historical myth of Thanksgiving. And there were sporadic, impermanent national Thanksgivings in the years between. 

Christmas also became a national holiday as a result of the Civil War. Before then some states didn’t celebrate it. 

Thanks for remembering that this national holiday really goes back to Lincoln and the Civil War. Have a happy one. 


On Nov 25, 2024, at 03:47, 'Biko Agozino' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

It is Thanksgiving week. It was first proclaimed as a public holiday by Lincoln in 1863 soon after the emancipation proclamation to end slavery and mobilize over two hundred thousand African Americans to help defend the Union. Was Lincoln thanking the Africans for helping to save the Union? Happy Thanksgiving, What are you thankful for this year?

Biko

— 




John Edward Philips, Professor Emeritus 
International Society, College of Humanities, Hirosaki University
"Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto." -Terentius Afer

Biko Agozino

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Nov 27, 2024, 9:19:25 AM11/27/24
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Dear Yahaya Danjuma, Thanks for the history lessons: 'I think Lincoln was unifying the nation by superceding state Thanksgiving days with a national one. Virginia had a Thanksgiving in 1619, before the Massachusetts one that figures in the US’s historical myth of Thanksgiving. And there were sporadic, impermanent national Thanksgivings in the years between.'

Biko

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Dr. Oohay

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Nov 27, 2024, 12:15:54 PM11/27/24
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Yes, indeed, and ironically, in 1641, Massachusetts “became the first colony to legally recognize the institution of slavery.” 10 other colonies (including 4 Southern ones) followed.

Oohay



Emeagwali, Gloria (History)

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Nov 27, 2024, 12:16:01 PM11/27/24
to 'Biko Agozino' via USA Africa Dialogue Series

https://nativephilanthropy.candid.org/events/thanksgiving-day-massacres/


Connecticut massacre leads to
Thanksgiving.


Dr. Gloria Emeagwali
Professor of History/African Studies, CCSU
Chief Editor- "Africa Update"
https://sites.ccsu.edu/afstudy/archive.html
Gloria Emeagwali's Documentaries
www.vimeo.com/gloriaemeagwali
www.africahistory.net
Founding Coordinator, African Studies, CCSU
From: 'Biko Agozino' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2024 8:58 AM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Happy Thanksgiving
 

EXTERNAL EMAIL: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click any links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.

Cornelius Hamelberg

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Nov 27, 2024, 3:17:48 PM11/27/24
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I just obtained permission from the author, to share this 👍


David Kessler

18:55 (1 hour ago)

to me


Yes! It's "shareware" for all to enjoy!

The opposite of copyright!

David sipping coffee in bright sunlight!



THANKSGIVING GRACE 2024


Thanksgiving’s our foundational ritual.

Cranberries, turkey, the menu’s quite traditional.

Did that Pilgrim feast really happen, or is it largely fable?

Did Wampanoags truly welcome migrants to their table?

Toward the safety of these shores, refugees still stream,

Of a decent life for families, they desperately dream.

From climate’s deadly impact, from drought and flood they flee-

From genocidal armies without mercy.

They’re hungry for security and freedom to secure.

They risk their lives to reach our tarnished golden door.

Hondurans, Haitians, and Somalis now play the roles

Once filled by Jews and Irish, Sicilians and Poles.

Americans are forged from folks of every faith and hue,

Most of us descend from desperate migrants too!

So, Welcome them! In harmony all can thrive,

If we protect the Earth, our precious common hive.

Let’s lift our cups in Hope that freedom will endure

And though it seems impossible, let’s put an end to war.


  • David Kessler

Biko Agozino

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Nov 27, 2024, 5:52:00 PM11/27/24
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African Americans and Thanksgiving by Onwubiko Agozino

On Wednesday 27 November 2024 at 17:25:38 GMT-5, Biko Agozino <biko...@yahoo.com> wrote:


Cornel,

Kessler still managed to avoid mentioning the African forced presence in the Thanksgiving ritual. He has a poetic license to erase any allusions but historians also make the same flawed narrative that is blind to the Graces said by Lincoln to the source of food and industry - labor, free and unfree. Africans were at the center of that proclamation of 1863. You no gree?

Biko

Cornelius Hamelberg

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Nov 27, 2024, 7:14:45 PM11/27/24
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Re - “Kessler still managed to avoid mentioning the African forced presence in the Thanksgiving ritual.”


 Give  me a break ! He did not “ manage to avoid “ anything..He was not writing a campaign speech for Kamala Harris or a history tome to be examined by Molefi Kete Asante.


The man you mention ( David Kessler) himself is a mensch and perhaps / perhaps not he will address your concerns in person, because, as mensch he has taken Vayikra / Leviticus 19 :13 to heart : ”You shall not oppress your fellow. You shall not rob. The hired worker's wage shall not remain with you overnight until morning.”  - and by extension this clearly implies reparations / compensation / back wages, in line with The Staple Singers’ “When will we be paid for the work we've done?”


You are of course free to write your own ode

so am I

 so was Frederick Douglass on the 4th of July, here in prose 


To be fair to David, he cast his net even further, and for context, total transparency, here’s the whole conversation, so that you understand what I mean 


David Kessler

Thu 21 Nov, 14:34 (7 days ago)

to David, bcc: me


THANKSGIVING GRACE

 

Thanksgiving’s our foundational ritual.

Cranberries, turkey, the menu’s quite traditional.

Did that Pilgrim feast really happen, or is it largely fable?

Did Wampanoags truly welcome migrants to their table?

Toward the safety of these shores, refugees still stream,

Of a decent life for families, they desperately dream.

From climate’s deadly impact, from drought and flood they flee-

From genocidal armies without mercy.

They’re hungry for security and freedom to secure.

They risk their lives to reach our tarnished golden door.

Hondurans, Haitians, and Somalis now play the roles

Once filled by Jews and Irish, Sicilians and Poles.

Americans are forged from folks of every faith and hue,

Most of us descend from desperate migrants too!

So, Welcome them! In harmony all can thrive,

If we protect the Earth, our precious common hive.

Let’s lift our cups in Hope that freedom will endure

And though it seems impossible, let’s put an end to war.

 

-David Kessler

Missing in our recent election was recognition of the humanity of migrants at our borders.  Being the best cop isn't the only thing to address the issue.

Please let me know if you would like this grace as a WORD file. DK.  


Cornelius Hamelberg 

21 Nov 2024, 17:05 (7 days ago)

to David : 


The New Colossus sentiments are beautiful, but doesn’t David have any reservations about the influx of Central and South American Mafioso also only “yearning to breathe free” ? 


David Kessler

Thu 21 Nov, 17:17 (7 days ago)

to me :


Perhaps if we stopped arming them and left a little bit of the money we extract from many of their countries lying around for them, we might have less of a problem that way. But in any event, people can be vetted, imperfect as that might be.  We can't slam the door in the face of the genuinely endangered because of our own fears that can be exaggerated to serve the propaganda wishes of political actors.

But what I am saying is that realizing that these are human beings, and should be treated with respect not labelled en masse as criminals.

Thanks for paying attention, Corn, we will have to figure this out. Hope you are doing well! Stay warm up there!

David


Cornelius Hamelberg 

21 Nov 2024, 21:10 (7 days ago)

to David :


Got you right with ”Being the best cop isn't the only thing to address the issue.”


Confirmed and agreed : “But in any event, people can be vetted, imperfect as that might be. We can't slam the door in the face of the genuinely endangered because of our own fears that can be exaggerated to serve the propaganda wishes of political actors.”


 If only David Harrrison had emphasised this - not that it would have got his Kamala elected…


Over here gang criminality with immigrants that look like me, en masse, one tribe: niggers, criminals occupying the lower strata as errand boys and torpedoes is the basis of sympathising with the need for vetting where you are 


Over there in Gaza, a ceasefire would achieve the pikuach nefesh of the surviving hostages, so, why the delay? Because Netanyahu wants to postpone facing corruption charges? 


Cornelius Hamelberg 

24 Nov 2024, 23:06 (4 days ago)

to David :


Happy Thanksgiving !


Yes, it's a marvellous po-em says my Better Half and we would both appreciate it as a WORD file...


David Kessler

Attachments

Sun 24 Nov, 23:25 (4 days ago)

to me : 


Corn, it's a lovely sunny chilly afternoon here in Berkeley! Must be late on a dark night in Sweden.  As the world spins!

Here's the text, with a special bonus attachment! Enjoy!

David


( A photo of him & His Better Half ;  the poem 


Cornelius Hamelberg 

Wed 27 Nov, 18:44 (5 hours ago)

to David


Hi David Heraclitus 


Was wondering if I could forward you poem et ell to our forum to add the cream to this thread : 

https://groups.google.com/g/usaafricadialogue/c/0pr7I05ze2M


A yes would do, no is also Ok 


( David is also a specialist on Heraclitus, hence “ David Heraclitus )


David Kessler

Wed 27 Nov, 18:55 (5 hours ago)

to me :


Yes! It's "shareware" for all to enjoy!

The opposite of copyright!

David sipping coffee in bright sunlight!


Cornelius Hamelberg

27 Nov 2024, 20:30 (4 hours ago)

to David : 


Muchas gracias (as Herr Strehl the Sheikh of Cookery would say)

better still, toda raba - make your choice, it's the only staple on the menu. 

Almighty Compassion vs cruel-ty. David sipping coffee in bright sunlight: 

much too much Saul’s mighty weakness: too much chesed. 


Whoever said Heaven is cold, unlike the other place? 

BTW, Berkley, California Dreamin etc, I hate the Swedish Winter 

And with climate change it's getting nuclear.

Stockholm, winter of '72, I froze right to the bone

It was February, statistically the coldest month in heaven 

I walked from Reimersholme, where we lived, all the way

To central Stockholm, entered the shoe shop and the 

Shop Assistant kindly enquired,  " Can I help you Sir?"

David, I wanted to say something but like Christopher Columbus

It was at that moment that I discovered, not America 

I discovered my mouth was frozen

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