Freedom Train Presents: On the Shoulders of Giants

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>In a village named St. Marc on the island of Saint Dominique, which is now Haiti, Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable was born around the year 1745. DuSable’s mother was an African woman who was formally enslaved and his father was a French sailor; because Dusable’s mother was free at the time of his birth he was born free of enslavement. DuSable would eventually travel throughout the world with his father being educated and even spending a few years learning in France. Gaining his traveling education DuSable learned to speak several languages and dialects including French, English, Spanish, Pidgin languages, and several Indigenous American dialects. Sources suggest that DuSable began traveling with his father because his mother was killed when their boat was raided by the Spanish. In 1765, traveling on his father’s ship from Saint Dominique to New Orleans the ship crashed injuring Du able and causing him to lose his identification papers. DuSable’s injuries were severe and took some time to heal, during his recovery he was almost enslaved because he did not have his identification papers, what saved him was several French Jesuit Priest protected him until his wounds healed.OTSOG on PatreonJean Baptiste Pointe Dusable the Founder of Chicago.mp3File Size:8040 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>I bring back Baba Samuel Olusegun for Kujichagulia Mentality Part 2, where we focus on the story of High John The Conqueror, plus much more.

#OTSOG #Kujichagulia #oraltradition #blackhistory #babaolusegun #youtube #highjohntheconqueror

Baba Olusegun IG: @baba_olusegun

Educator, Folklorist, Historian, Musician, and Storyteller.

Baba Olusegun Samuel G. Williams grew up in Atlanta. He is a 1968 graduate of Morehouse College, where his father was chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religion and was a teacher/mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Olusegun was one 12 African American men who became commissioned officers in the US Coast Guard in 1969, thus increasing the number of black commissioned officers in the Coast Guard from two to twelve. Before receiving his commission, he was part of the military honor guard on the platform at Richard Nixon’s first term inauguration in January 1969. His last official duty before leaving the Coast Guard in 1971 was to be the military escort to Cherie Creque, the first black woman to reach the semi-finals in a Miss Universe Pageant. He is also a founding member of the M Ensemble Co., Inc. in Miami. It is Florida’s oldest continuously operating theater company, celebrating 50 years of operations in 2021.

Since moving to Tallahassee in 1987, Olusegun has been an integral part of Tallahassee’s cultural community in the area of African drumming & dance, and theater. He has been affiliated with FAMU’s Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theater and the Essential Theater as well as the African Caribbean Dance Theater. He was the organizer of Phoenix Uprising Reggae Band, one of Tallahassee’s most popular bands during the 1990s. Bob Marley’s mother, Cedella Booker, invited the band to be a part of the 1994 Bob Marley Festival Tour.

Other areas of interest to Olusegun include African Religions, Astronomy/Astrophysics, Aviation, Bicycle Racing, Camping, Egyptology, Genetics, Neuroscience, Photography, and Sailing.
 
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Click the link to get your copies of the On the Shoulders of Giants book series Volumes 1,2,3 http://ontheshoulders1.com/store/
Click the link to get your Amazon Kindle version https://www.amazon.com/Shoulders-Gian...OTSOG on PatreonKujichagulia Mentality Pt2 High John The Conqueror.mp3File Size:74489 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>Joseph Ward and Baba Olusegun Williams have a discussion about Kujichagulia Mentality and, the importance of African oral traditions.

#OTSOG #Kujichagulia #oraltradition #blackhistory #babaolusegun #youtube

Baba Olusegun IG: @baba_olusegun

Educator, Folklorist, Historian, Musician and Storyteller.

Baba Olusegun Samuel G. Williams grew up in Atlanta. He is a 1968 graduate of Morehouse College, where his father was chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religion and was a teacher/mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Olusegun was one 12 African American men who became commissioned officers in the US Coast Guard in 1969, thus increasing the number of black commissioned officers in the Coast Guard from two to twelve. Before receiving his commission, he was part of the military honor guard on the platform at Richard Nixon’s first term inauguration in January 1969. His last official duty before leaving the Coast Guard in 1971 was to be the military escort to Cherie Creque, the first black woman to reach the semi-finals in a Miss Universe Pageant. He is also a founding member of the M Ensemble Co., Inc. in Miami. It is Florida’s oldest continuously operating theater company, celebrating 50 years of operations in 2021.

Since moving to Tallahassee in 1987, Olusegun has been an integral part of Tallahassee’s cultural community in the area of African drumming & dance, and theater. He has been affiliated with FAMU’s Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theater and the Essential Theater as well as the African Caribbean Dance Theater. He was the organizer of Phoenix Uprising Reggae Band, one of Tallahassee’s most popular bands during the 1990’s. Bob Marley’s mother, Cedella Booker, invited the band to be a part of the 1994 Bob Marley Festival Tour.

Other areas of interest to Olusegun include African Religions, Astronomy/Astrophysics, Aviation, Bicycle Racing, Camping, Egyptology, Genetics, Neuroscience, Photography, and Sailing.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ontheshoulders1
Visit us at www.ontheshoulders1.com or www.ontheshoulders.org
Visit www.ontheshoulders1.com to download out African history curriculum app
Like us on Facebook: On the Shoulders of Giants
Follow on Tiktok: @thejoeward
Connect on LinkedIn: Joseph Ward
Click the link to get your copies of the 3 volumes of the On the Shoulders of Giants book series:  http://ontheshoulders1.com/store/
Click the link to get your Amazon Kindle version https://www.amazon.com/Shoulders-Gian...OTSOG on PatreonKujichagulia Mentality ft Baba Samuel Olusegun.mp3File Size:104762 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>This is a story about women who ruled the Limpopo Province of South Africa, the only matrilineal monarchy in the world; I introduce to you the Modjadjis or Rain Queens of Balobedu. Two stories exist that tell the origins of the Rain Queens, the first is in the 16th century, the Chief of Monomotapa was told his daughter Dzugundini could gain rain making skills if he impregnated her. The second story is that Dzugundini was impregnated by her brother but was able to flee to the Sotho region of South Africa. Dzugundini eventually went on to found the Balobedu Kingdom of South Africa, which at the time had a male ruler. As warfare increased so did problems within the Balobedu Kingdom, the Mugudo or male ruler of Balobedu wanted to restore peace within his kingdom so he impregnated his daughter, the child was the first Modjadji or Rain Queen. The succession of Rain Queens are as follows; Rain Queen I was Maselekwane Modjadji who ruled from 1800 to 1854, Rain Queen II was Masalanabo I Modjadji who ruled from 1854 to 1894, Rain Queen III was Khesetoane Modjadji who ruled from 1895 to 1959, Rain Queen IV was Makoma Modjadji who ruled from 1959 to 1980, Rain Queen V was Mokope Modjadji who ruled from 1981 to 2001, Rain Queen VI was Makobo Modjadji who ruled from 2003 to 2005. From 2007 to 2018 Prince Regent Mpapada Modjadji led the Balobedu Kingdom.

Click the link to get your copy of
On the Shoulders of Giants Vol 3: South America. http://ontheshoulders1.com/store/
Click the link to get your Amazon Kindle version https://www.amazon.com/Shoulders-Gian...
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Visit www.ontheshoulders1.com to download our African history curriculum appOTSOG on PatreonThe Rain Queens of South Africa.mp3File Size:5141 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>On April 27, 1945, Frederick August Kettel, Jr. was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to parents Frederick August Kettel, Sr. and Daisy Wilson. His father was a German immigrant who worked as a baker, his mother was a black woman from North Carolina who was a domestic worker. August was the fourth of six children who were raised mainly by their mother in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. In the late 1950s, Daisy Wilson remarried a man named David Bedford, the family then moved from the predominantly black Hill District to the predominantly white Hazelwood neighborhood. Being biracial in the Jim Crow era was difficult for August, he was often harassed in his neighborhood and at school because of his complexion, finding a space where he felt he belonged did prove to be difficult. 1959 was also August’s first year of high school. He was one of fourteen black children attending Central Catholic High School, unfortunately, he faced racist acts so often it drove him to drop out of school. He later enrolled in Connelley Vocational High School but again dropped out because he wasn’t learning anything. August had a thirst for knowledge but the educational institutions he attended were not adequate to intellectually stimulate him. He gave receiving a formal education one last try before dropping out again after he was accused of plagiarising a paper he wrote about France’s Napoleon I. His teacher was not smart enough to realize she had a literary genius in her presence.   

Click the link to join the OTSOG family and get a free copy of On the Shoulders of Giants Vol: 1 North America https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/hw0ooWy 

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Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ontheshoulders1

Visit us at www.ontheshoulders1.com or www.ontheshoulders.org

Visit www.ontheshoulders1.com to download out African history curriculum app

Like us on Facebook: On the Shoulders of Giants

Follow on Tiktok: @thejoeward

Connect on LinkedIn: Joseph Ward

Click the link to get your copy of On the Shoulders of Giants Vol 3: South America. http://ontheshoulders1.com/store/

​Click the link to get your Amazon Kindle version https://www.amazon.com/Shoulders-Gian...
OTSOG on Patreonaugust_wilson_the_man_behind_the_plays.mp3File Size:9706 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>Joseph Ward is interviewing Dr. Gerri Seay about the African American contribution to the building of the Ledo Road. During WWII the Ledo Road was built by 6,000 men, 65% of the men building the road were African American soldiers. The road was 1079 miles long and served as a supply route to China. Join us as Dr, Seay breaks down the history of the Ledo Road, how black soldiers were the driving force behind the building of the road, and how the African American contribution was forgotten.

To learn more about the Ledo Road click the link https://www.ledoroad.org/
Connect with Dr. Gerri Seay on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/geraldine.seay
Email: [email protected]

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OTSOG
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ontheshoulders1
Visit us at www.ontheshoulders1.com or www.ontheshoulders.org
Visit www.ontheshoulders1.com to download out African history curriculum app
Like us on Facebook: On the Shoulders of Giants
Follow on Tiktok: @thejoeward
Connect on LinkedIn: Joseph Ward
Click the link to get your copy of
On the Shoulders of Giants Vol 3: South America. http://ontheshoulders1.com/store/
​Click the link to get your Amazon Kindle version https://www.amazon.com/Shoulders-Gian...OTSOG on PatreonInterview with Dr. Gerri Seay.mp3File Size:58328 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>When we think about the Wild West, the cowboys and the lawman that existed in that era, they are always white heroes. It has been proven that our black figures are left out of history even though they made great contributions to America over the centuries. The Lone Ranger character has its roots in the tale of a man named Bass Reeves who literally was the most feared man in the West. Bass Reeves was born into slavery in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, on a plantation owned by the farmer and state legislator William Steele Reeves. Bass Reeves was named after his grandfather Basse Washington but was given the last name of his slave master William Reeves. In 1846, William Reeves moved his family and businesses to Grayson County, Texas while Bass was still a young man. Bass worked on the Reeves plantation as a water boy until he was old enough to work as a field hand. William Reeves was the principle owner of his plantation and the slaves but his son George R. Reeves was given ownership of Bass. George Reeves served as a sheriff, legislator and a Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

Bass grew into a fine well-mannered young man standing six feet two inches tall, but his reputation was about to change and he was about to become an American legend. During the Civil War Bass was able to free himself from the ownership of George Reeves because he beat up George after a card game. Information also suggests that Bass ran away from slavery after he learned about slaves receiving their freedom. Bass escaped into territory controlled by the Creek, Cherokee and Seminole tribes. While living with the various tribes he learned how to speak several tribal languages, track his targets, master the rifle, master the pistol, and improve his hunting skills. He became so accurate with his rifle that he was prohibited from participating in shooting competitions. After the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment slavery was legally abolished in the United States; these changes meant that Bass was no longer a slave and a fugitive of the law.

Listen in to learn more!!!!
Bass Reeves the True Story of the Lone Ranger.mp3File Size:11910 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thank you for Listening Please Share <\audio>​Thomas Sankara was born on December 21, 1949 in Yako, French Upper Volta, French West Africa, which is modern day Burkina Faso. Sankara attended high-school in a city named Bobo-Dioulasso; after he graduated his parents wanted him to become a Roman Catholic Priest. Sankara entered the military in 1966 at the age of 19, at the age of twenty he was shipped to Madagascar for officer training. While in training he witnessed several uprisings against the government in 1971 and 1972, which would help shape his future. He began reading the works of Carl Marx and Vladimir Lenin; there influence on him would show in his views towards politics. In 1972 Sankara returned home to Upper Volta but his military life would follow, he was involved in a border war against Mali in 1974. His show of military brilliance would earn him fame, but he would later reject his fame and involvement in the war as a result of a paradigm shift. He would become commander of the Commando Training Center in the city of Po.Thomas Sankara.mp3File Size:6892 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thanks for listening.​Alexander Pushkin was born June 6, 1799 in Moscow, Russia to a family of Russian nobility. His great-grandfather on his mother’s side­-Abram Gannibal- was brought from Africa as a slave and rose to become an aristocrat. At the age of fifteen Pushkin published his first poem, and upon graduating from grade school he gained notoriety for his literary talents. His graduating class was the first graduating class of the Imperial Lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo. In 1820 he published his first long poem titled Ruslan and Lyudmila a poem that sparked much controversy. He became a mainstay within the literary scene of St. Petersburg, Russia; his stance on social reform made him an opponent of the Russian Government. In 1820 he was transferred from St. Petersburg to the Caucasus, then to Crimea, then Kamenka, and Chisinau, while in Chisinau he committed himself to freemasonry. Pushkin aligned himself with a secret organization called Filiki Eteria; the group was created to overthrow the Ottoman rule of Greece. When war was waged against the Ottomans, Pushkin kept a diary of the events.  Pushkin left Chisinau in 1823 but not before he wrote two romantic poems that brought him national acclaim. The two poems were titled, The Captive of the Caucasus and The Fountain of Bakhchisaray. In 1823 while in Odessa Pushkin was again exiled by the government until 1826, while in exile he wrote love poems to Elizaveta Vorontsova the wife of the General-Governor.Alexander Pushkin.mp3File Size:7730 kbFile Type:mp3Download File

Thanks for listening.Miriam “Zenzi” Makeba was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1932 to parents Caswell and Christina Makeba. During the time of her birth the country was facing an economic depression and apartheid. At the age of 18 days Miriam and her mother were imprisoned for illegally brewing beer; her mother was only trying to make sure her children had food to eat. In 1948 South African Prime Minister Daniel Malan made segregation legal, which was oppressive to the South Africans in their own land. Makeba’s father moved their family to Prospect Township which is located just outside of Johannesburg. The Township was rundown without electricity and mostly populated with poor people.Miriam Makeba aka Mama Africa.mp3File Size:9328 kbFile Type:mp3Download File