Don’t get me wrong. As the son of a single mom, who gave everything she had to raise me with the help of my grandparents, I turned out okay. But at the same time, I wish I’d have had a father who was around and involved.President Obama • Speaking to a predominantly black high school audience at Hyde Park Academy in the South Side of Chicago today, with a slightly different angle on the pro-gun control rhetoric he’s been voicing of late — urging that positive examples in poverty-stricken communities, in family life as well as community life, are also necessary to reduce violence: “…it can feel like the future only extends to the next street corner or the outskirts of town… There are entire neighborhoods where they don’t see an example of somebody succeeding.” source
I just want to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who had something to do with rounding her or having something to do with who she was.Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, mother of slain Chicago teenager Hadiya Pendleton • Speaking at her daughter’s funeral on Saturday. Hadiya, who had performed at President Barack Obama’s inauguration just three weeks ago, was killed less than a mile from her home in a neighborhood park. First Lady Michelle Obama attended the teenager’s funeral, and many political figures, including the president and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have offered support to Hadiya’s family. Her godfather, Damon Stewart, made an effort to emphasize that her life shouldn’t be used as a political tool, but that her loss, like those of many others lost by gun violence, should be personal in nature. “Don’t let this turn into a political thing. Keep it personal,” he said. “A lot of politicians will try to wield it as a sword. They want to use it for votes.”
Ten-year-old Nathaniel Pendleton Jr. recalled the way his big sister Hadiya would often greet him with a few gentle slaps on his cheeks whenever she came home from school.
“She said it was with love,” he said.Nathaniel etched “I miss you” and “I love you” on his arm Wednesday, a day after losing his only sibling when a gunman opened fire on a group of students just blocks from King College Prep on the South Side.
While it’s hard to say any single death is more important than another (particularly in a place where young people are dying so frequently), we suspect that Hadiya Pendleton’s time in Washington D.C. last week will make her death an intense topic of discussion as the gun control debate continues around the nation. Our hearts go out to the Pendletons, and all of Hadiya’s other family and friends, during what we can only imagine to be one of the most difficult times of their lives.
HELLFREEZE A Chicago Fire Department lieutenant walked near an ice-covered warehouse that caught fire Tuesday night on the city’s South Side. Ice encased the building as firefighters battled the blaze amid freezing temperatures. (Photo: John Gress / Reuters via The Wall Street Journal)
Tough day in Chicago, all. Stay safe out there.
Obit of the Day: “Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany”
Hans Massaquoi was very disappointed when his teacher told him that he could not join the Hitler Youth. Massaquoi’s friends had all joined and he was enthralled with the uniforms, the parades, the camp-outs. But Hans’ desire to join was trumped by the color of his skin.
Born in 1926, Mr. Massaquoi’s parents were a German nurse and the son of a Liberian diplomat. He would grow up in Hamburg as the Weimar Republic was collapsing and the the Third Reich was building up.
When he was in second grade, Mr. Massaquoi was so taken with the Nazi imagery that, at his request, his nanny sewed a swastika to his sweater. Although his mother removed it when he returned home from school, a picture had already been taken. (See above.)
Mr. Massaquoi’s family lived in Germany for the duration of the war. According to Mr. Massaquoi’s memoir, Destined to Witness, he theorized that there were so few blacks living in Germany that they were a low priority for extermination. Eventually he would move: first to his father’s home country of Liberia and later to Chicago.
In the United States, although trained in aviation mechanics, Mr. Massaquoi would become a writer for Jet magazine and eventual move to its sister publication, Ebony, where he became managing editor.
Mr. Massaquoi, who passed away on January 19, 2013 on his 87th birthday, was encouraged to write down the story of his unusual childhood by his friend and author of Roots, Alex Haley.
Sources: L.A. Times and Chicago Sun-Times
(Image is from Mr. Massaqoui’s collection and copyright of William Morrow Paperbacks via spiritosanto.wordpress.com)
Fascinating story. Fascinating life. And a photo that sticks with you.
I scratched the ticket, then I kept on saying, ‘I hit a million!’ over and over again. I jumped two feet in the air, then ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100.46-year-old Urooj Khan • Discussing his initial joy after winning $1 million from a scratch-off lottery ticket. The joy turned into something sad and dark recently, after Khan was found to be fatally poisoned just a day after receiving his check. While coroners described his death as natural causes initially, investigators took a closer look at the request of a relative. “They had concerns that it was deemed a natural cause of death and wanted us to look harder,” said Cook County, Illinois, Medical Examiner Stephen Cina. “And we did.” After an investigation, they found that Khan had died of cyanide poisoning. The office may exhume his body as a result of the ne findings, which is now being reclassified as a homicide.
Edit: Paypal account has been corrected.
Donations can be made via paypal to melissa-harmeyer@uiowa.edu! If asked, please mark the purpose as being a donation or other to stop your donation from being taxed on Melissa’s end. The other option is gofundme, however, its fees include a few dollars from every donation which is why paypal is preferred.
Octavius Lamb was the student of Melissawrites. When she learned the news of Octavius’ death she wrote this post. Her school recently learned that there would be no funeral or proper burial, and Melissa has asked me to get Tumblr’s help:
Hi PPT,
I hate to reach out to you especially under these circumstances, however I don’t know anyone with a stronger voice.
As you read, one of my students was killed on New Year’s Day.
This is a student who was a leader in JROTC and student government at school. When I student taught at the school I am currently now employed at he started a petition to help get me hired. He once reported that someone stole a pop from a fundraiser to me. He was a good and honest young man.
His family cannot afford to give him a funeral. His mother is homeless, his sister (another former student of mine) just had a baby at 17 and is living with her boyfriend, his other brother (and yet another former student) is locked up for the next 15 years. This young man was his family’s only hope, as mentioned on my blog he had a full-ride to school and turned it down to take a job (as a dishwasher of all things) to help provide for his family. He was not gang affiliated.
As a school we are attempting to provide a funeral for him, because if we don’t, no one else will. If the funds are not raised in time he will be given as what’s known as a pauper’s funeral in Chicago which leave him with an unmarked grave and no service. He doesn’t deserve this.
I’m turning to you to see if you can help me put out a blast to raise the funds for this incredibly sad event. I know that you do so much in the Tumblr world, however I don’t have nearly the followers that you do. I hate having to turn and beg for something like this, but if you could help in any other way, it would really mean the world to me.
Thanks so much,
Melissa
Melissa, there’s no need to beg. This is how a community helps one another.
Melissa is under a very, very tight timeline. Her principal meets with the family on Monday. The cost of the funeral and burial is $5,000. Melissa’s goal to raise is $1,000 before Monday morning. I am hoping we can exceed it.
Donations can be made via paypal to melissa-harmeyer@uiowa.edu!. If asked, please mark the purpose as being a donation or other to stop your donation from being taxed on Melissa’s end. The other option is gofundme, however, its fees include a few dollars from every donation which is why paypal is preferred. Melissa realizes this means asking for a considerable amount of trust, but I can vouch for her honesty.
Even the smallest of donations will help. Octavius Lamb deserve a fair-well worthy of the life he lived. I believe that the magic and love of Tumblr can help accomplish this. Please show Melissa the same love and support you’ve shown me over the years. Spread the word, reblog (and reblog again) — using the text post so it shows all the info), post it on facebook, tweet it, and tell your mother.
Thank you.
Here’s a signal boost for this, all.
The Chicago Sun-Times’ newsmaker of the year is the gun. As we pointed out last week, the city hit 500 homicides this year, 87 percent of those committed with guns. (ht Newseum)
[It’s] an unfortunate and tragic milestone, which not only marks a needless loss of life but serves as a reminder of the damage that illegal guns and conflicts between gangs cause in our neighborhoods.Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel • Reflecting on the 500th homicide in his city this year, which took place on Chicago’s west side on Thursday. ”The brave officers of the Chicago Police Department work tirelessly to continually reduce crime, but this is not just a law enforcement issue,” Emanuel continued. It’s the first time the city has topped that total since 2008, when there were 512 murders.
I’m moving back to New York in a few days. Unlike past...
OMG. I got so...
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Here’s a hidden feature that shipped in...
They’re not happy with the agreement. They’d like it to be a lot better for us than it is.Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis • Discussing the union’s decision not to vote on the contract placed in front of them. Also among the concerns: The possibility of 120 school closings in the next few years. The decision means that teachers will remain on strike until at least Wednesday.
This is the man behind the “Rahm Emanuel likes Nickelback” sign at the Chicago Teachers’ Union strike. Mike Konkoleski is a tenth grade math teacher.
Expecting a denial from Rahm’s camp about this one, too.
Copyright 2009-2013 Ernie Smith • Ask us stuff! • E-mail us • Follow us on Twitter • Follow us on Facebook
