It’s Thursday night, so that means that I am enjoying a few adult beverages as I do weekly. Tonight I am relaxing with a chilled bottle of Hess Chardonnay (one of my favorites) & snaking on white cheddar cheese puffs (talk about a fucked up combination). Anyway while I was on AOL Black Voices tonight, I ran a POSITIVE story about a Black man that somehow slipped passed the mainstream media.
The story is about reformed homophobe Isaiah Washington & a donation that he made to an animation project that will take on the issue of the west coast African Slave Trade.
Apparently he had a DNA test that revealed that he has roots in Sierra Leone. It also needs to be known that he started a non-profit last year to assist the people of Sierra Leone.
I wonder, just wonder a little if this did not make the news because it was a very glowing story of how a Black man traced his roots to a place where his ancestors were stolen & is now working to help empower the people.
This is why America is so fucked up. They love to show a Brotha down but will not lift him up when the time is at hand. Isaiah mos def needs mad props for these efforts.
I mean, a nigga said faggot & the media/white America was out to hang him figuratively & possibly literally. He works to save people of his true homeland & it goes virtually unspoken.
Suite Suzy jokes about how I am Addicted to Race all the time & this is a good example of why I & so many other people are.
Anyway, let me get of this damn soapbox cuz my ankle is starting to hurt LOL.
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‘Grey’s’ Star Washington Makes Donation
LOS ANGELES – Isaiah Washington, who traced his ancestral roots to Sierra Leone through DNA testing, has donated $25,000 to a computer animation project that aims to detail the Atlantic slave trade.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” star started a nonprofit foundation last year to improve the lives of people in the West African nation.
“The stories of innumerable Sierra Leoneans that were forced into slavery have yet to be extensively told,” Washington said in a statement. “I believe this project will begin to shed some much-needed light on the region, both past and present.”
The computer project focuses on Bunce Island, an 18th-century slave-trading castle that sent African captives to North America. Joseph Opala and Gary Chatelain, professors at James Madison University in Virginia, are directing the project, which will show the castle as it appeared in 1805.
They hope to create an educational CD that will let students to look at the castle and its details to see what Africans experienced 250 years ago.
“Our computer animation project will allow us to go beyond the imagination, and actually see how the Atlantic slave trade was carried out,” which is crucial because events then could not be documented by photography, Opala said in a statement.
Washington’s donation was made through his Gondobay Manga Foundation and the Friends of Sierra Leone, a spokesman said Wednesday.
The star of ABC’s hit medical drama came under fire this year for using an anti-gay slur, for which he later apologized. (Source | AOL Black Voices)
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If you want to see & hear other positive stories about our Brotha’s check out these sites:
aulelia / March 19, 2007
I commend IW especially for wanting to find out his roots. But let me play devil’s advocate — was this spurred by the -ve publicity he got?
asabagna / March 20, 2007
Nice post man!
Asa
Cluizel / March 21, 2007
Oooohhhh…I am waiting on my results from the test…I wish they would have broadcast this because it would have been nice to give the African American owned company that does the DNA testing some love.
Bygbaby / March 21, 2007
Aulelia – I am not sure of the time frame for this but I am sure that if it was during the time, it may have been coincidental & besides the press would have never pumped this up. The only thing they care about in regards to Africa is white celebs saving African children for a “”horrible life”
Cluziel – Did you get tested??? If so what was it like & when will you know???
Peace,
Bygbaby
Cluizel / March 21, 2007
It was pretty cool actually…They just fed ex a package to you…you swab both cheeks with the supplies they send and you return it in a prepaid envelope…I should get my results any day now since I did it in early February…its takes like 4 to 6 weeks.
I heard about it on VH1 Soul…not the cheapest thing in the world…but I figured since my dog has a pedigree I should at least know where I come from…
http://africanancestry.com/
Bygbaby / March 21, 2007
OMG, that is AWESOME!!! I look forward to hearing about your results soon. I checked out the site & one of my goals this year is to find out where my DNA starts. After going to the site, I am not sure what to get, the matriarchal or patriarchal DNA test. Which did you do or did you do the “Family”?
Cluizel / March 22, 2007
I got the matriarchal…I didn’t feel like knocking my brother on the floor and swabing his cheeks. lol. And I can pretty much assume my paternal side will be from Europe…but if a few hundred fall into my lap I may do it later…maybe
I am gonna blog about my results when I get them 🙂
Bygbaby / March 22, 2007
OK, I guess I misunderstood, doe this mean that I would get the patriarch testing done? Hope that I am not looking to duh!!! LOL
Cluizel / March 23, 2007
Lol. No…you could get both done if you wanted too…only men can test the patriarcal side since they have the X & Y chromosome…since I only have XX I can only take the matriarch. If I wanted to know the patriarch, my brother would have to do it for me
Bygbaby / March 24, 2007
OK, I now understand. Just so that you know, You have inspired me to have y testing done for my 33rd b-day which is Sept 19th.
Peace,
Bygbaby
Cluizel / March 24, 2007
Awwwwww…yeah! 🙂 Congrats!
I always get myself something for my birthday. Last year it was Sisterlocks. I need to start thinking about my own birthday present to myself (ugh….25)
I hope I get my results soon…they had a special in the month of February so they are probably flooded…poo
Cluizel / March 24, 2007
Hey! Got my results…posted a blog.