Beginning on the first day of February 2019, I have been querying young people, primarily high school students as to "if they could tell me who Cardi B is?" Unanimously their answers were acceptable as to having sufficient, substantial knowledge of the celebrated Dominican/Trinidadian American rapper, singer, and songwriter.
However, when the same students were then asked if they knew who Carter G. Woodson is (or was), the vast majority--as of the present, all respondents had no knowledge of who Carter G. Woodson is/was.
Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950) was an African-American who was born and raised in the New Canton area of Buckingham County. He became a noted teacher, educator, and historian. He is best known for establishing Black History Week, which has evolved into Black History Month. Dr. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History. Never Remove the Cornerstone!
In 1926, Woodson pioneered the celebration of "Negro History Week", designated for the second week in February, to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. However, it was the Black United Students and Black educators at Kent State University that founded Black History Month, celebrated from February 2nd through February 28th, 1970.
President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976 during the Nations' Bicentennial, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Each U.S. President since Gerald R Ford has officially designated February as African American History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The theme for African American History Month 2019 is "Black Migrations." See: https://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/
To clarify my point, I did not mean to 'throw shade on Cardi B, as she has earned her rightful place in history an is amongst those to be celebrated as such, especially in month of February's Black History Celebration. Let us remember, however that there is no African American History Month Celebration had Carter G. Woodson not been! Okurrr!
Monday, February 25, 2019
Monday, February 18, 2019
Never Remove the Cornerstone Official Book Release and Signing Event
On Saturday, February 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the author will be hosting a book release and book signing event at:IHOP FAYETTEVILLE GA
705 Jeff Davis Dr N
Fayetteville, GA 30214
(770) 460-7550
The first ten of the author's visitors can enjoy IHOP's Original Short Stack Buttermilk Pancakes, courtesy of the author! Pre-order your signed copy of Never Remove the Cornerstone for pickup at the IHOP event at: https://neverremovethecornerstone.com/get-the-book
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Never Remove the Cornerstone Official Book Release and Signing Event
On Friday, February 15th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. the author will be hosting the first book release and book signing event at Orleans Brews & Beignets at 749 W Lanier Ave., Suite 134, Fayetteville, GA 30214.
Get a copy of 'Cornerstone', take a photo with the author and enjoy some Classic Beignets and the house coffee, compliments of the author. Pre-ordered and purchased books will be signed by the author for pickup. Note: Any pre-ordered books not picked up at the event will incur shipping charges.
There will be a limited number of non-reserved books available for sale, otherwise, orders can be placed for future event pick-up or by shipment.
Come on, my friend; Enjoy the journey!
Pre-order or purchase Never Remove the Cornerstone at:
https://neverremovethecornerstone.com/get-the-book
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Never Remove the Cornerstone is Published!
Officially, the long-awaited publication by Byron Coleman is available as of January 15, 2019!
You can now order your paperback copy at:
https://books.litfirepublishing.com/product/never-remove-the-cornerstone/
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Never Remove the Cornerstone is 'in publishing!'
The latest cover idea for 'Never Remove the Cornerstone' is in the hands of the publishers! I expect that the first printing will be available at the end of October 2018!
More of “So what is the deal with the two-dollar bill?”
Here are some of the replies I received when I asked: “What do you know about the two-dollar bill?
The replies are in order of frequency beginning with the
highest number of same or similar answers first and in descending order to the
least answers.
- “It’s lucky!” (Twenty-seven out of one-hundred different respondents surveyed insisted that owning a two-dollar bill brings ‘good luck’). Note: Only one respondent suggested that the “two dollar bill is unlucky.”
- “They’re rare!” (Twenty subjects indicated that the two-dollar bill is rare)
- “I got mine as a congratulatory gift (“the day of my confirmation”,
- “I use them as bookmarks!”
- “They don’t print them anymore!” (“They stopped circulation years ago!”) -- Not true.
- “The government paid some of the military in two-dollar bills up through 1965!”
- Two individuals suggested: “There is a black man on the two-dollar bill!”* -- Not true.
- Two dollar bills were used by individuals who gambled—$2 was the single bet unit at most (horse) race tracks.
- Two dollars was the ‘going rate’ for a prostitute in years gone by.
· In 2005, a man in Baltimore, Maryland, was jailed for
attempting to use $2 bills to pay a car stereo installation fee that Best Buy
originally agreed to waive in the first place.
See http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-03-08/news/0503080089_1_bolesta-pole-baltimore-county
In 2016, a 13-year-old girl in Texas was detained by police
at Fort Bend Independent School District's Christa McAuliffe Middle School and
prevented from eating lunch that day for attempting to use a $2 bill to pay for
chicken nuggets in the school cafeteria.
See http://reason.com/blog/2016/05/04/little-girl-detained-by-police-after-try
and https://abc13.com/news/lunchroom-lunacy-isd-cops-investigate-fake-money/1314203/
In 1989, Geneva Steel, an integrated steel mill, which
operated in Utah until November 2001, paid employee bonuses with $2 bills. As
the volume of bills flowed through town, the stunt demonstrated the plant’s
economic importance.
I commented that the two-dollar bill isn’t accepted in most
vending machines one day…
...later that day, one of my economics teachers, Marc DeCourcy, brought back evidence
of one vending machine, located in Padernales Falls State Park, Texas, which
accepts $2 bills. Thanks much 'Mr. D,' you're the best!
*My friend, Thomas helped solve the mystery of the ‘alleged’ black man on the two-dollar bill. In the article—The Truth About the Only Black Man On The Back Of The $2 Bill, the man in question is the Senator from Maryland, John Hanson, served as President of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
So what is the Deal with the Two-Dollar Bill?
Okay, I know that you are wondering; what in the 'Sam
Hill' is he squawking about now?
Well, shortly after my father ‘transitioned’ (Trish
and I use this term instead of ‘passed’) this year, my siblings and me were
faced with the task of cleaning out his storage shed. The small shed, not more
than seven feet by seven feet, held his lawn mower, string trimmers and various
and sundry tools--plus stuff that was obviously car parts, formerly belonging
to my brother, Ben's old Ford Pinto. Yeah, we all had those ridiculous Pintos back in the day! On the lone shelf, right in front of us, in full view from the
open she'd door, was a small plastic file box. On top of that container, was an
open billfold, probably placed there by our father the last time he mowed his
grass, which we surmised was some eight years earlier.
I called my discovery of that wallet to Ben and
passed it to him for inspection. Dad's drivers license and some expired credit
cards were among the items in the wallet, and, to both Ben and my surprise,
tucked in the paper currency compartment was fourteen, crisp two-dollar bills!
Now, my reaction to this small treasure was a bit
more dramatic--I blurted: "What the hell, man?" Ben calmly replied,
that's the kind of thing dad would do.
Danny and Dot are two of the finest people created
in this universe for which my wife, Janice and I met when we first moved to Georgia
more than twenty-eight years ago! Dot and
Danny were among the first of our friends we informed, as we have all grieved the
loss of parents together over the years.
We have been a comfort to each otheer in those very difficult times. Dot texted: “You sincerely have our
condolences. If your father is anything like you, he is a very good
person and very smart. May God bless you
and yours for having a father with a talent to be proud of.”
You see Tiffany, a person for whom I have the utmost
respect, thought that my dad must be smart—implied in that statement was that I
am smart! Dot has always said that of me—for
years! “Byron you’re a very smart person”,
she would say. A few kind words can ‘set’
a person for life!
You see, my friend Dot had sent me a lovely sympathy
card in early May that read:
Tucked in a slot behind those words was an unfolded
two-dollar bill!
Tell you how smart I am; when Ben counted fourteen two-dollar
bills from that billfold, I reasoned immediately that twenty-eight dollars won’t
divide equally by five (of my father’s children). Nevertheless, I was stuck on why did dad have
those two-dollar bills anyway? And moreover,
that was all there was in that
billfold—no other currency!
On the flight back home that Friday after cleaning
my father’s shed, it hit me—I had my third two-dollar bill for more than a month before
we discovered the twenty-eight dollars’ worth of two dollar bills!
If two-dollar bills are not such a big deal, then riddle me this,
why do they keep all of the two-dollar bills in a vault at Delta Community
Credit in my city? I asked Jade, my
Delta Community Credit representative today and her story is: I got my two two-dollar bills from my church
and Jamaica—I keep them for good luck!
So do I, Jade!
Send me your stories and comments about ‘Two Dollar
Bills’ via email to: byron.m.coleman@gmail.com
I will post the best ones, providing they aren’t ‘distasteful.'
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