HONORING the AFRICANS of the MIDDLE PASSAGE at REMEMBRANCE

B.Y.O.T. Bring Your Own Testimony

I was invited to give a talk at the B.Y.O.T. Inaugural Event organized by Amira Michele Management.

She Calculated the Math to the Moon-- Dr. Katherine G. Johnson

SANKOFA reminds us that in order to know where we are going, we must know where we come from. On

Monday, February 22, 2016, we took a step back in time to honor one of our greats. The National Technical Association and The Sankofa Projects hosted a private, intimate reception reception and unveiling in honor of NASA Mathematician and NASA Pioneer Dr. Katherine G. Johnson to acknowledge the invaluable contributions she made to our community, NASA and to our Nation. In attendence at the reception which was held in partnership with the Virginia Air and Sopace Center was her family, her closest friends NASA colleagues, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members, church members, city officials and council people and Astronaut Leland Melvin, Congressman Bobby Scott, Mayors Wallace and McKinley Price and NASA Langley Research Center Director Dr. David Bowles and Violist Barbara Kane Baker all gathered to acknowledge her. Dr. Johnson broke racial and gender barriers, intergrated West Virginia University, was among the first women and among the first African Americans to work at NACA now NASA. She is responsible for calculating the trajectories which put the first man in space and her calculations put Neil Armstrong on the moon. It is said that Armstrong specifically asked for Dr. Johnson to check the computers calculations and if Johnson said it was accurate. he trusted it! Now that genius is impressive!!! The NTA and Sankofa unveiled a metal bench which will be installed and dedicated in a public reception in the Spring 2016 in Carousel Park in Hampton. We will keep you posted on details for this public event. Thank you Ronald Orme, Chester Eugene Williams and Anita Holley for these images. More images and video to come. Bill Thomas​ of Thirdiimage Event and Location Photography​.

President Obama mentions Katherine Johnson in the State of the Union address

97 years young, was one of three students who integrated West Virgiia Univeristy, numeous honoroary doctorates, broke gender and racial barriers as one of the few women and African Americans working for NASA (formerly NACA) in the 1950's, known as a mathematocal genius as her calculations were legendary. She is responsible for calculating the trajectories for major space flights; including Neil Armstrong historic flight to the moon and Alan Shephards orbit around the Earth. In November 2015, Dr. Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama and this evening the POTUS mentioned her again in his State of the Union. Go Dr. Johnson...who was named the West Virginian of the Year and is also a Diamnond Soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. YES!!!! #SoProudOfHer http://www.bustle.com/articles/135240-who-is-katherine-johnson-obamas-state-of-the-union-shows-love-to-the-famed-nasa-scientist

The Sankofa Projects on Round Robin

From NASA to the Moon to the White House- Dr. Katherine G. Johnson honored at the White House

NASA Pioneer and NASA Mathematician, Dr. Katherine G. Johnson was awared the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama yesterday, November 24th at the White House. Dr. Johnson broke racial and gender barriers by being among the first African Americans and women to work at NASA in 1953. Dr. Johnson worked as a Mathematician and was known as a "Human Computer" when computers wore skirts. She is reponsible for every major space flight including calculating Alan Shepard's orbit of the Earth in 1961, which put the first American in Space and Apollo 13's Flight to the Moon in 1969 putting the First man on the Moon. It is said that Neil Armstrong specifically asked for Dr. Johnson to calculate the trajectory to the moon because her calculations were so precise. She is a West Va Native and a life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.(notice her Kelly green AKA blanket on her lap) Dr. Johnson is a beautiful human being and because of her....we can. Dr. Johnson is sitting next to Willie Mays who also received an award. Thank you Dr. Johnson for inspiring us to reach for the stars and also the moon. #AmericanHistoryMade ‪‬

Not FORGIVEN

NO, I don't forgive you for the thievery, for forging my name for the sake of Unity, for raping the girls in Nigeria, for killing Travyon and Eric and Rekia and Tamir, and Amadou and Eleanor and Sandra, for shooting down the loving and prayer filled church members of the AME church in Charleston, you are not forgiven for disrespecting the ancestors, for disrespecting the culture, NOT forgiven for slavery, NOT forgiven for rescinding on our 40 acres and a mule, not forgiven for redlining, lynchings, floggings, burning at the stake, for gentrification, not forgiven for Wounded Knee, the Holocaust, for appropriation, for Tuskegee, for Jim Crow, for the rapes and experimentation on African women, for selling the children, not forgiven for Ota Benga and the one you called Hottentot-- you are not forgiven for sitting comfortably in your privilege while people are dying. Why have you not raised your voice against the injustices against the humans you SEE everyday in your communities and cities. I am not interested in holding hands with you while you sing "Amazing Grace." I don't do that. I have work to do so move aside if you are not willing to get your hands dirty and fight the good fight. It will be worth it- I assure you- for all of our sakes. I have no time for colored meetings or tea parties or ignoring the pink elephant in the room. There is work to be done and I am committed to creating a safer, more humane, more loving world for my children and the other babies whom you ignore. They and the elders are my focus. So I have dried my tears and in the words of my Ancestor and Queen Mother Zora Neale Hurston, "No, I do not weep at the world. I'm too busy sharpening my oyster knife."