Mauna Kea (Sacred Mountain) on Hawaii Island (Big Island), one of a few remaining sacred monuments in Hawaii under threat of desecration by the greed of capitalism and control of colonialization. As Kia'i (protectors) of Mauna Kea, we succeeded in suspending (temporarily) construction of a Thirty-Meter-Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea's zenith and downward into her soul.
I have ancestors who came from Marydel, which is only 36 miles from Towson. I am wondering if anyone knows where one could find the names of the "Towson Boys" whose names were connected with the statue that was removed? I would like to see if any of my ancestors were among the "Towson Boys". I've already verified that another wing of my family held slaves in Ky. This MD. story only adds to the pain of emotions I already feel about our unfortunate racial history.
On the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas, Venezuela is the statue of Maria Lionza. She is naked and riding a tapir with a pelvic bone held above her head. She is believed to be the daughter of an indigenous leader and she was born with green eyes (an indication that she was mestizo...the new race). When l moved to Venezuela, it was reported that Caracas was the most "secular" city in Latin America. Not so! The Maria Lionza spirituality was alive and well. There were other attempts to integrate the religions of the Spanish conquistadors, the African slaves, and the indigenous Venezuelans. In Coro, I discovered a wooden Virgin Mary statue that had a spinning mechanism which allowed the worshiper to chose one of three faces: the White Virgin, the Black Madona, or the Brown Goddess. But Maria Lionza was the real spirit of the country. In 2022, it was relocated to the Sorte mountains, where there is an important pilgrimage every October.
Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was beaten and whipped by various enslavers as a child. Early in life, she suffered a traumatic head wound when an irate overseer threw a heavy metal weight, intending to hit another slave, but hit her instead. The injury caused dizziness, pain, and spells of hypersomnia, which occurred throughout her life. This a Wikipedia quote. But she preserved and did everything she could to change the situation for many slaves.
Clara Barton also needs to be brought back into the consciousness of the general population.
You may be interested in a Peace Bell in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The story is attached. Seems it was not without controversy, like the statue you describe in today’s article. It is , however, an example of a monument standing for international peace!
Cumming, Ga where I live, in 1912 there was a lynching and subsequence expulsion of all black residents from the county. The Klan was entrenched since. Oprah Winfrey did a show about our county in the 80's. FINALLY in the past 10 years the town put up a plaque to acknowledge the event (AMAZING) and is offering full scholarships to children of the descendents of those whose land and homes and lives were taken. A major step in the right direction for such a red red place. I would upload a picture but I don't see that option.
Here is a book based on what happened when a southern church took a closer look at its memorial windows dedicated to Confederate leaders: https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5909/
There was a painting, likely graffiti, on the side of a white cinder block building in Havana - not sure where exactly, but I snapped a photo. It's a painting of a humanoid figure eating a blueberry - being held down by weak tethers marked at the grounding point as 99%. The humanoid is 1% eating the 99% while weakly tethered. No, not cheerful. But for me, a criminal defense attorney who sees the worst every day, this represents the identification of the problems we face. We cannot begin to have hope when we cannot countenance the problems. It's not one system or the other - it's all the systems working in conjunction to depress the resistance. This gnarly landscape provides a clear image of the problem. For me, once I've identified the problem - it's easier to work toward a remedy.
The LOVE sculpture in LOVE Park in Philadelphia.
Mauna Kea (Sacred Mountain) on Hawaii Island (Big Island), one of a few remaining sacred monuments in Hawaii under threat of desecration by the greed of capitalism and control of colonialization. As Kia'i (protectors) of Mauna Kea, we succeeded in suspending (temporarily) construction of a Thirty-Meter-Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea's zenith and downward into her soul.
The Martin Luther King Memorial Monument in Washington, DC. It gives me hope for the future of America and the Church in the world.
I meant to say Easton and not Towson in my comment below.
lol
I have ancestors who came from Marydel, which is only 36 miles from Towson. I am wondering if anyone knows where one could find the names of the "Towson Boys" whose names were connected with the statue that was removed? I would like to see if any of my ancestors were among the "Towson Boys". I've already verified that another wing of my family held slaves in Ky. This MD. story only adds to the pain of emotions I already feel about our unfortunate racial history.
Hi Terry -- This is about Talbot County, not Towson. Talbot County is on the Eastern Shore, while Towson is just a few miles north of Baltimore.
Diana, I think I'm losing it as I could not even correct it when I saw my problem!
You can see the names here: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=197526
Thank you for the list; having gone over it, no family names show up. But those on the list did their damage anyway!
On the Francisco Fajardo highway in Caracas, Venezuela is the statue of Maria Lionza. She is naked and riding a tapir with a pelvic bone held above her head. She is believed to be the daughter of an indigenous leader and she was born with green eyes (an indication that she was mestizo...the new race). When l moved to Venezuela, it was reported that Caracas was the most "secular" city in Latin America. Not so! The Maria Lionza spirituality was alive and well. There were other attempts to integrate the religions of the Spanish conquistadors, the African slaves, and the indigenous Venezuelans. In Coro, I discovered a wooden Virgin Mary statue that had a spinning mechanism which allowed the worshiper to chose one of three faces: the White Virgin, the Black Madona, or the Brown Goddess. But Maria Lionza was the real spirit of the country. In 2022, it was relocated to the Sorte mountains, where there is an important pilgrimage every October.
Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was beaten and whipped by various enslavers as a child. Early in life, she suffered a traumatic head wound when an irate overseer threw a heavy metal weight, intending to hit another slave, but hit her instead. The injury caused dizziness, pain, and spells of hypersomnia, which occurred throughout her life. This a Wikipedia quote. But she preserved and did everything she could to change the situation for many slaves.
Clara Barton also needs to be brought back into the consciousness of the general population.
Kehinde Wiley’s “Rumors of War” is arresting.
Dianna,
You may be interested in a Peace Bell in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The story is attached. Seems it was not without controversy, like the statue you describe in today’s article. It is , however, an example of a monument standing for international peace!
Shari
https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/oak-ridge-international-friendship-bell/
That’s a great story.
Cumming, Ga where I live, in 1912 there was a lynching and subsequence expulsion of all black residents from the county. The Klan was entrenched since. Oprah Winfrey did a show about our county in the 80's. FINALLY in the past 10 years the town put up a plaque to acknowledge the event (AMAZING) and is offering full scholarships to children of the descendents of those whose land and homes and lives were taken. A major step in the right direction for such a red red place. I would upload a picture but I don't see that option.
Here is a book based on what happened when a southern church took a closer look at its memorial windows dedicated to Confederate leaders: https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/5909/
(Yes, this is shameless self-promotion.)
I now own it!
Thanks!
Thank you very much!
Paddy looks adorable. :).
And happy early birthday to your newsletter.
Isn't Easton also where the Third Haven Friends meeting house is located?
Yes, it is.
Loved empty altars, do draw on that. For us in this area, the most sacred monument is the land that belonged to Pomo and Miwok people.
The windows designed by Marc Chagall at the Reins cathedral
A Russian Jew who had to flee the Nazis occupation of France
He returned and here his art triumphed over hate
There was a painting, likely graffiti, on the side of a white cinder block building in Havana - not sure where exactly, but I snapped a photo. It's a painting of a humanoid figure eating a blueberry - being held down by weak tethers marked at the grounding point as 99%. The humanoid is 1% eating the 99% while weakly tethered. No, not cheerful. But for me, a criminal defense attorney who sees the worst every day, this represents the identification of the problems we face. We cannot begin to have hope when we cannot countenance the problems. It's not one system or the other - it's all the systems working in conjunction to depress the resistance. This gnarly landscape provides a clear image of the problem. For me, once I've identified the problem - it's easier to work toward a remedy.