Monthly Archives: June 2020

Britain's history of slavery and colonialism has become a national talking point following the Black Lives Matter protests and the toppling of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol.

Truro was once a bustling port and destination for slave ships. It was in the city that one African slave found freedom and nationwide fame after he was unceremoniously dumped in nearby Falmouth by a British admiral.

The story of Joseph Antonio Emidy has now become a modern legend thanks to a successful play and a commemoration at Truro Cathedral.

Slavery took him from Guinea to Brazil, to Portugal and the Lisbon Opera, before being abandoned in Falmouth and becoming Cornwalls top violinist and the leader of Truro Philharmonic Society.

Emidy was born in West Africa in 1775 and spent his early years in slavery in Brazil after being captured on the Guinea Coast as a child by the Portuguese.

It is believed his slave master taught him how to play the fiddle, which changed his life.

His talents led to him being taken to Portugal, where he was soon playing violin with the Lisbon Opera Orchestra. But his freedom was short-lived when British Admiral Sir Edward Pellew heard Emidy play, he was so impressed he had him kidnapped to play aboard his ship, the Indefatigable, and kept him in slavery for seven years before dumping him in Falmouth.

However, Emidy made the most of his new situation, settling in the port and making a living by teaching, performing and composing. He eventually became the leader of Truro Philharmonic Orchestra after marrying a Falmouth girl and starting a family.

During his 30 years in Cornwall he was by far the best known composer, violinist and teacher in the region. It is known that some of his music was taken to London by Cornish-born anti-slavery activist James Silk Buckingham and given a hearing by music critics.

However, while many were impressed by the work, Buckingham was advised that Emidy should remain outside capitals music circles because of his colour and background.

Londons loss and racism was Cornwalls gain, and as well as work in Truro and Falmouth, he had connections with Helston, Lostwithiel and Bodmin.

His advertisement in the West Briton of December 1820 gives some indication of the nature of his work in an area where travel was not easy. It read: Violin, Tenor, Bass-Viol, Guitar, and Spanish Guitar taught, balls and assemblies attended, harps tuned and piano-fortes buffed, regulated and tuned.

Music historian Jon Rose said: Various artefacts, including concert advertisements, press reviews and his gravestone in Truro, attest to the existence of Joseph Emidy but not a note from his scores has ever been discovered.

While his music symphonies and concertos may have perished, his genes live on.

His grandchildren emigrated to the USA, where their children and childrens children were involved in The Howes Great London Circus and Sangers English Menagerie of Trained Animals.

Many of his descendants have become musicians, including acclaimed free jazzer and champion of Indian rights, Mixashawn Rozie.

Joseph died in 1835 and is buried in Kenwyn churchyard in Truro.

His obituary in the West Briton read: His talents as a musician were of the first order and he was enthusiastically devoted to the science.

"His talents may be said to have ranked under the first order while his enthusiastic devotedness to the science has rarely been exceeded.

"As an orchestral composer his sinfonias may be mentioned as evincing not only deep musical research, but also those flights of genius which induce regret that his talents were not called into action in a more genial sphere than that in which he has moved.

However, the legend of Emidy appears to be immortal. In 2008 Cornish theatre company BishBashBosh Productions toured excellent play The Tin Violin about his life.

Written by celebrated Cornish playwright Alan M Kent, the play starred Mbuguah Goro and was a hit with audiences in the region.

It returned in a revised version in 2012, this time starring Oraine Johnson as Emidy and directed by Cornish actor Dean Nolan.

Music expert Gareth Henderson has said of Emidys music: It must be that somewhere Emidys music exists. He distributed music around the musical societies, some of it was sent to London to the great impresario Johann Salomon. It must have been distributed.

People may have some stuff in their attic, there might be some loft of a town hall or assembly hall that has got some music in there and it could be that they have got some music of Emidys. It could be in the Westcountry.

"He would have played and written a great deal. There are lots of reports of a new symposia by Mr Emidy, so where the hell is it?

Emidy could, says Mr Henderson, have established himself in London, but he had perhaps become too attached to Cornwall to want to uproot himself.

There is something about the independent spirit of Cornwall that must have absorbed him. Somebody of Emidys versatility he played for the sailors on the ship and he had lived in Brazil must have been a captivating and fascinating person in whose company to be."

TuroLive is an exciting new digital title from Reach PLC dedicated to providing up-to-the minute coverage of the latest events and news from the Duchy's capital. A spin off of CornwallLive, its your companion to life in Cornwall's city, bringing you the best Truro has to offer.

Whether you live in the city, commute in for work or visit occasionally, youll find out everything you need to know about your area. Were a one-stop shop for the best in Truro, and were always here to help you decide where to go to spend your hard-earned cash, showcase the best bars and restaurants, help you entertain the kids and let you know about the latest exciting events.

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If you have any feedback, tips or suggestions - or simply want to make your opinion heard- please send us a DM and well get back to you ASAP. In short, were here to start conversations, get you talking and connect you to the people and issues in the best place to live in the UK. Get involved in the conversation.

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Mr Henderson added: He found a security in the Westcountry, a group of friends and a livelihood, and he didnt want to upset that, so he was never tempted away to the bright lights of London.

The life and work of the African violinist was permanently commemorated in Truro Cathedral in 2015. Emidy was the subject of a new architectural boss which was carved with a violin and a map of Africa by Peter Boex, of Wendron.

The Joseph Emidy boss, in the ceiling of St Marys Aisle, was officially dedicated during an evensong at the cathedral. The service featured Truro Cathedral Choir and music performed on the kora, a stringed instrument from West Africa.

Almost 200 years since his death, the legend of the remarkable Joseph Emidy refuses to die.

Excerpt from:

The African slave who found freedom and fame in Cornwall - Cornwall Live

New wellness video series available online to help women relieve stress & anxiety.

COVID-19 left millions stressed and uncertain of their futures. The police killing of George Floyd left America battling heightened racial tensions. And quarantine lockdown disrupted normal routines to tackle stress, leaving many ill-equipped to combat anxiety, sadness & frustration from the confines of their homes. Freedom At The Mat, a New York City-based, class experience for women only, partners with ANEW Network to offer support during these trying times and beyond. ANEW is a digitally native media platform that offers lifestyle programming for contemporary women of color to engage, share, and be entertained by content reflecting the fullness of their lives.

Since 2017, Freedom At The Mats in-person classes have attracted women ages 25-54 desiring wellness beyond physical aspects. Through the strategic combination of mental, physical, and spiritual practices into under 10-minute mindfulness, journaling & affirmation sessions & under 30-minute full-length integrated wellness videos including yoga asana, Freedom At The Mat Online makes self-care more readily accessible to women globally. Classes are themed, and include a thought-provoking reading, mindfulness, journal prompt, yoga asana and a verbal affirmation.

Wellness is critically important now more than ever to women of color, especially with how COVID-19 hit the African American community. COVID-19 coupled with racial tensions have left many feeling as if they have no outlet. Adding Freedom At The Mat to our programming roster is our way of inviting women of all ages, ethnicities, shapes and beliefs to integrate wellness into their lives from the comfort of their homes, with a trusted and relatable teacher Olivia, says ANEW President and Founder Lynne McDaniel.

Wellness is more than physical. It involves mind, body & spirit. We proclaim the mat as a symbolic destination for women to ground themselves, reconnect with their inner divine and life purpose. Were humbled and excited to be a vehicle to transform more womens lives through our ANEW Network relationship and YouTube, says Olivia Scott, Creator of Freedom At The Mat.

Scott is a 25-year marketing executive - including Carols Daughter CMO, NYU Adjunct Marketing Professor, and Founder of Omerge Alliances marketing consultancy, which leads wellness initiatives for clients such as ESSENCE Wellness House, BRWL and others. Yoga was a saving grace for Scott while climbing the corporate ladder, and she is now dedicated to making wellness more accessible to women as they seek life balance and calm.

Freedom At The Mat in-person classes are 75 minutes and featured at various womens conferences, churches, retreats, workplaces and nonprofit organizations. Virtual classes via Zoom are held on Sundays at 3 pm EST and with partners Dream Center Harlem & Project Peaceful Warriors.

Learn more at freedomathemat.com.

Freedom At The MatFreedom At The Mat is for women who need a moment. Live, virtual and pre-recorded classes are designed to comprehensively integrate multiple wellness modalities to maximize time and deliver self-care opportunities to time-starved women.

Original post:

Wellness Experience Freedom at the Mat Launches Online with ANEW Digital Network to Help Women Combat Stress & Anxiety - PR.com

Journal-Courier staff, dbauer@myjournalcourier.com

To the editor:

Terrorists are hiding in protest marches.

Protesters have their freedom of speech to march peacefully. Protesters dont steal, kill, loot or burn buildings down in their marches.

Terrorists kill, loot and burn buildings for their plans to destroy the republic of the United States of America.

These are people who hate the United States and U.S. President Donald Trump. They want to destroy our freedoms and the U.S. Constitution.

President Trump is right to use military to stop the killing. Looting, destroying, stealing is out of control.

The Democrat governors in the United States are standing down for the dirty political reasons for President Trump to lose the presidential election.

This is Bible prophecy being fulfilled and Jesus is knocking on the doors of the United States to return soon. Only Gods remnant will survive until Jesus returns.

George Culley

Pinckneyville

See more here:

Letter to the editor: Looting, killing are not freedom of speech - Jacksonville Journal-Courier

Contrary to the line from the Kris Kristofferson classic, Me and Bobby McGee, freedom isnt just another word for nothing left to lose.

Instead, freedom is the primary value worth fighting for, because without freedom in all of its various forms, every other value is impossible. It is for this reason that I am such an advocate of freedom, and why I participate in and promote the largest annual gathering of free minds each year, FreedomFest, throughout my various publications.

This year, freedom has faced an acute and grave threat via the government lockdown and shelter-in-place orders. And while one can argue whether or not the virus mitigation orders that were imposed by government were warranted, nobody can argue that these orders havent had a pernicious effect on our economy.

Moreover, its quite evident that the pandemic has been a boom to one actor in our collective drama big government.

The pandemic of COVID-19 coronavirus threatens a world-wide wave of sickness, but its the healthiest thing to happen to government power in a very long time, writes J.D. Tuccille, contributing editor for Reason.com. As it leaves government with a rosy glow, however, our freedom will end up more haggard than ever.

Some of that government intervention includes more than $6 trillion in various spending bills, and that number is likely to continue to get bigger and bigger before the COVID-19 crisis is over.

Then theres the Federal Reserve, which just today confirmed what the market bulls wanted to hear, i.e., that it would continue to keep the money spigot wide open by continuing to keep interest rates at zero, not just for the rest of 2020, but also through 2022.

Heres the money quote from the Feds policy statement released just today:

The ongoing public health crisis will weigh heavily on economic activity, employment, and inflation in the near term, and poses considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term. In light of these developments, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent. The Committee expects to maintain this target range until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve its maximum employment and price stability goals.

Translation: The Feds got your back, baby.

Given the boom in big government, which is being facilitated by its handmaiden, the Federal Reserve, you can bet that one big unintended (or perhaps very much intended) consequence of it all will be a bigger government and a small individual citizen.

Thats unfortunate, too, because despite the widespread stay-at-home orders that were imposed by so many states, the worst of the economic damage is starting to subside.

We saw that in the May jobs report, which came in at an estimate-crushing 2.5 million new jobs created vs. expectations for job losses of 7.7 million. Thats a 10 million job swing! Yet even here, politicians from both sides of the aisle are claiming credit for the job gains by saying that it was the Paycheck Protection Program that allowed companies to rehire workers.

Heres a personal maxim that I recommend you keep in mind: Always be skeptical of people who run out to claim responsibility for something that others actually do. A corollary to this maxim is to always be skeptical of those who claim to have all the answers to complex problems.

Another way to think about it is like this: In the name of public health, the government shut down the economy. Then, the government stepped in to save the day with massive stimulus stimulus that represents a growing and pernicious debt that is owed by each citizen. Now, the government is claiming victory and taking credit for a rescue from the clutches of depression.

So, I ask you, can you not see something afoul in this?

Finally, I will say that, in keeping true with my aforementioned maxims, I do not claim to have the answers to the complex problem of combating a global pandemic. I also understand human fallibility and that inevitably, government, scientists, medical professionals and citizens are going to get some things right and others wrong.

Yet, what we also need to keep firmly in the forefront of our minds is that freedom is the best disinfectant for any viral plague be that a literal viral plague, as in the case of COVID-19, or a philosophical plague consisting of pell-mell bad Keynesian economic stimulus and the imposition of draconian lockdowns on the rights of citizens to engage freely in the commerce of their choice.

So, you see, freedoms not just another word for nothing left to lose its the only word that matters. It also is the best disinfectant to bad ideas.

*********************************************************************

Remembering a Personal Hero

Mans proper stature is not one of mediocrity, failure, frustration, or defeat, but one of achievement, strength, and nobility. In short, man can and ought to be a hero.

Mike Mentzer

Its not often that someone or something you discover in your teen years continues to be a constant source of pride, pleasure and discovery well into your fifties. Yet, thats precisely what the work and life of the late and great Mike Mentzer has done for me. Mentzer was a brilliant man and a pioneer in the sport of bodybuilding. He was someone who used a honed sense of reason and an independent mind to help countless aspiring bodybuilders discover the most rational way to build lasting muscle mass.

Me with my copy of the highly recommended, High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way.

Sadly, Mentzer died nine years ago today (June 10, 2011) of heart complications. He was just 49 years old. And in a sad and strange twist of fate, Mikes younger brother, Ray Mentzer, who was also a personal hero, died just two days later.

Though both men have been gone since 2011, their legacy of applying reason, science, principles of logic, and a heroic worldview to their lives and work will always be a source of inspiration to me, and to the countless fans of their work around the world. So, heres to a heroic sense of life may it live on in the best within us all.

Wisdom about money, investing and life can be found anywhere. If you have a good quote that youd like me to share with your fellow readers, send it to me, along with any comments, questions and suggestions you have about my newsletters, seminars or anything else. Click here to ask Jim.

In the name of the best within us,

Jim Woods

Read more here:

Freedom is the Best Disinfectant - Stock Investor

Almost 30 years ago, I sat with my parents in front of the television and watched one of the last mass actions that marked the end of state socialism in Europe: the toppling of the statue of Enver Hoxha, the historic leader of the Albanian Communist party. Transfixed by the live images of tens of thousands of people taking turns to pull ropes, I saw the gigantic bronze figure of a man whose portrait still adorned my school walls tilt slightly left and then right, before losing its balance and collapsing to the ground. The statue was dragged into the main square of the capitalTirana, followed by chants of Freedom, Democracy, and The police are with us.

The police were indeed with the protesters, but not out of sympathy for their cause. TheCommunistparty,at that point still in power,had given them orders not to intervene. During the preceding weeks of protest, high-ranking officials had realised that a system that had lost legitimacy in the eyes of the majority could no longer demand their compliance. Foreign news channels celebrated the birth of freedom in what they called the last dictatorship of Europe.

I recalled these events as I listened to Priti Patels remarks about the thuggery of the criminal minority who rolled the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston into Bristols harbour. I smiled at Keir Starmers sharp words lamenting the lawlessness of these actions and condemning them as completely wrong. They reminded me of state propaganda on Albanian television, how protesters were branded as hooligans, their actions labelled as vandalism.

If the differences between these two moments were the characters of these memorialised individuals, or the respective merits of their views,Edward Colston and Cecil Rhodes should have gone long before Enver Hoxha.Revisionist histories of British colonialism like to emphasise howit gave railroadsto its dependent territories.Socialism, while its legacy has been contested,gave Albaniaroads,railways,electricity,universal suffrage,free healthcare and mass literacy.When, as a primary school student, I was first taught to sympathise with anti-apartheid struggles in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was still considered a terrorist by many liberal states.

Patel and Starmer both declared themselves in agreement with the aims of the protests but objected to their methods: the sheer vandalism of hooligans, as Patel crisply put it.When victims of oppression descend on the streets rather than waiting patiently to vote in elections, when they take direct action to destroy statues rather than waiting on authorities to decide, they are drawing attention not to past injustices but to its continuing legacy in the present. They are telling us that we need civil disobedience because civic reciprocity is broken.

But there are also risks involved with allowing the question of statues and monuments to dominate public debate. On the evening we watched Hoxhas statue fall from its plinth, my family enthusiastically declared in front of the TV: We are free! Fast forward 30 years, and they regret their words. Albania now has political pluralism and free markets, but life expectancy and standards of literacy have declined. Young people leave in droves to find work elsewhere, while social inequality is rising. Toppling statues marked a break with the past, but made it more difficult to learn from it.

Conversations about the symbols of historic injustice make sense if they are framed as debates not about the legacy of the past, but about how that legacy still shapes the present. While colonialism is formally over, neocolonial relations pervade the current global order, from the balance of power in international institutions and trade negotiations to interference in the affairs of former colonies.

Britainmay no longer engage intheslave trade, butitstill exploits labour from the global periphery.Itmay no longer extract resources and ship them through the likes of the East India Company, but todays most powerful corporations followmuch the same model.The countries that were previously considered uncivilised are now merely developing. What used to be called colonial exploitation hasbecome migration management.Former colonial dominions are now termed failed states.

The removal of the symbols of colonial violence risks becoming a pyrrhic victory if its aims are reduced to a campaign for rectifying historical injustices. Focusing only on whether statues should stay or go obscures how unjust histories are still borne by current structures. The struggle is broader than toppling offensive monuments and removing problematic traces of the past. Decolonising the curriculum in schools and universities, revisiting how history is taught and how migrants are asked to learn it when they take naturalisation tests in host states (often their former colonial masters) are equally important components of that struggle. If we scratch the surface, we may discover that since capitalism has historically relied on colonial structures to survive, it may be difficult to demand the end of one without demanding the end of the other.

That wider struggleis one thatfew political parties are prepared to endorse. Discussing historic symbols of violence is more straightforward than acknowledging that colonial injustice continues in the present. It becomes easier to reduce this truth to a set of platitudes about what culture is made of, and how memory must be preserved. It is easier to claim victory by simply displacing a block of stone. With the removal of statues, the past no longer haunts.

In Albania, toppling the statues has only served to give the illusion of freedom, to clean up the mess only on the surface. Statues were removed, schools and roads were renamed, Marxist books were burned. The elimination of cultural markers buried the responsibilities of hundreds of thousands of citizens on whose complicity a system relied to survive. It was simpler to condemn our history, to pretend we had all been oppressed. Concentrations of power, nepotism and violence persisted, and in a newly capitalist society they found fertile ground. But there was no alternative. By declaring ourselves victims of history, we made it impossible to be agents. And since humans had already settled accountswith their past, it became fashionable to say that, in the future, only a God could save us.

Lea Ypi is a professor in political theory in the government department at the London School of Economics

Link:

By tearing down our statues, Albanians stopped learning from the past - The Guardian

What has Happened to the Adults in City Hall?

But first let me say, I hope all the citizens are coping with this Coronavirus pandemic.

To the heroes, the front line workers, the store clerks and others, you need a heartfelt thanks and our support for the courage that puts you in harms way daily during this pandemic the city is blessed to have you as neighbours.

I want to thank The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com team that continues to put out a paper to let us know whats going on in our city, thank you.

Now heres thebut; not all the citizens are happy with TheMoose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com because of the coverage that isnt always flattering to some at city hall.Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Fundamental Freedoms

Marginal note:

Fundamental freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and(d) freedom of association.

For those on council or senior managers who think trying to muzzle the press is acceptable, the answer is no, it is a fundamental right.For the councillors and senior managers that think the council chamber belongs to them, let me remind you the citizens of Moose Jaw own all assets of the city.The citizens trust and expect that the mayor and council are holding all senior managers accountable, including the actions of all city employees. If not, they are replaced.As a citizen of Moose Jaw, I too have an opinion and Ive expressed it thanks to The Moose Jaw Express/MooseJawToday.com, allowing my editorials to be published in their publications. -- Carter Currie

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.

Continued here:

Letter to the Editor: City Hall wake up there is Freedom of the Press - moosejawtoday.com

Srinagar: Terming new media policy for Jammu and Kashmir as an attempt to throttle freedom of speech and expression, Communist Party of India (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said it has spread unease amongst the journalists working in the region.

Mr. Tarigami lashed out at the J-K administration, saying that their ideas of democratic governance are very different from what the Constitution of India promises.

The framers of this policy have given a clear picture that they dont want journalists answerable to their readers and editors, but to bureaucrats and security officials, who will have the powers to decide which news item is fake, unethical, plagiarized or anti-national, he said. The policy has been framed with an aim to give the government a free hand to muzzle freedom of press.

He further added that this is the first time that a government has come up with a policy that authorizes its own officers to decide on what is fake news and proceed against journalists and media organizations.

Overtly and covertly media persons have been pressurized in Kashmir for long, said Mr. Tarigami. But since August 5 last year, attempts to muzzle the freedom of press by the authorities have been on rise.

Demanding to roll-back of the policy, he added that the government must immediately stop intimidation of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. A free media can help the government take the right actions more effectively than sunshine stories, he said.

now, more than ever to give a voice to the voiceless. The press in Kashmir has operated under tremendous pressures of reporting from a conflict zone but since August 2019 we find ourselves in unchartered territory. The Kashmir Walla is among the oldest independent media outlets in Kashmir and has withstood successive lockdowns as well as attempts to suppress us, fighting back with authoritative ground reports based on facts.

We need your solidarity to keep our journalism going. Your contribution will empower us to keep you informed on stories that matter from Kashmir. Show your solidarity by joining our community. Kashmir thanks you.

Link:

Media policy aimed to give govt free hand to muzzle press freedom in Kashmir: CPI (M) - The Kashmir Walla