Things I Think About

Season 3 of my podcast series is about to begin! Tune in for details on that and something else. (Wink) Find more great content like this at JimStroud.com.

On holiday break! Back in 2021

The modern image of Santa Claus was created in the late 1800s by American artist Thomas Nast in a series of cartoons for Harper's Weekly magazine. It became a staple of Christmas cards and advertising images in the early 20th Century, most notably a 1930s Coca-Cola commercial, which some believe popularized his distinctive red-and-white garb. However, the origins of this cultural icon run much deeper than that. In fact, it predates the inception of our nation, itself. I’ll share the true origin of Santa Claus and the secret history of Black Santas in America. Tune in for a very special episode. Please, please, please share this episode with with your network during this holiday season. 

Links related to this episode:

The origins of Black Santa Claus

History of Santa

Sorry, America, Santa Claus Wasn't Really White

What Is a Dowry?

Dowry on Wikipedia

The Real Face of St. Nicholas

The secret history of black Santas

'Black Santa' Helping Spread Christmas Cheer At MOA

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I stumbled across an article the other day about a black man firing a gun into a crowd of trump supporters. Regardless of someone's political leanings, I thought it was a relevant story; especially as massive rallies are still being held today. Yet, it was not a blip on the national news. It also did not go viral on social media, which I thought would've likely happened. And then I wondered if the story was trending on social media but was soon thereafter censored by big tech companies. 

"How does censorship work with big tech companies?" I wondered. So, I looked it up and will share with you what I found in this episode. | Special thanks to my sponsor Black History Quiz (www.BlackHistoryQuiz.com) Also, all tips are appreciated. ($jimstroud1) Details on how to sponsor this podcast are below. Thank you in advance.

So, I read this article from the Los Angeles Times called “'Why won't Black folks trust us' on COVID-19?” and I thought it was fascinating, yet obvious, in terms to the answer to that question. To quote, "The second option is to target Black people and roll it out in the neighborhoods that have logged the most cases. "But then," Cofer said, "people are going to say, ‘Oh, no! You're not gonna experiment on us like you did with Tuskegee.’" In this episode, I go into deeper detail on The Tuskeegee Experiment and other reasons why, I think, most African-Americans will not take the Covid-19 Vaccine when it debuts.  | Links related to this podcast can be found on my blog. Subscribe to my blog now! (www.JimStroud.com) 

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I read an article in USA Today entitled,  "What is systemic racism? Here’s what it means and how you can help dismantle it.” When I read it, a healthy skepticism triggered within me. There was a big emphasis on how systemic racism made it difficult for African Americans to succeed.  Yet,  I could name many successful African American celebrities, athletes, business people and politicians.  And that lead me to consider other questions. 

If systemic racism is such a problem today, why are so many minority groups doing better than whites economically? 

In the past, systemic racism was much more pronounced than it is today. That being the case, it would be impossible for African Americans to become millionaires after the Civil War and yet, there were several. Why? 

And if systemic racism is not the blame or at least, not the biggest impediment to African American progress, what is?

I mull over all these things in this episode of my podcast which is a condensed version of an article I posted on my blog earlier this year - "Its Color Not Culture That Holds Us Back." Read it on JimStroud.com. And last but not least, all tips are appreciated. Feel free to Cash App me anytime. ($jimstroud1) 

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According to the CNBC, the United States reported more than 195,500 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, a record-high spike less than a week before Thanksgiving, which public health officials are warning could further exacerbate the outbreak. Health warnings are being circulated on TV, radio and the internet. Eventually Thanksgiving, Christmas, Festivus, Kwanzaa and all other December holidays will be over. 2021 will emerge and with it, a return to the office. At least, some people think so and have made huge investments in returning to the office. They have also created some severe penalties. What do I mean by that? Its quite possible that unless you are vaccinated against Covid-19  you will be prohibited from working, traveling and interacting with society. Sound crazy? Its entirely possible based on what's already happening in Australia. (No jab. No job.) Tune into a very controversial episode. 

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One of my articles, “The Next American Civil War is Upon Us” has been growing in popularity on my blog – JimStroud.com. So much so, I decided to do this shortened podcast version here. Please check out the full version and subscribe to my blog while you’re at it. I will appreciate it. 

Here begins a short preview of what you will hear in this episode, "Yesterday, the media declared Joe Biden as President-Elect of the United States. People celebrated. People lamented. It was the very spark of a new civil war. You see, many are under the impression that the media calls out the winner of the election. They do not. When George Bush ran against Al Gore for the US Presidency, the media declared Al Gore as the winner. Yet, there were recounts and indeed George Bush was the winner, much to the chagrin of Al Gore supporters. Today, history is repeating itself before our very eyes. However, this time, I think the effects will be far worse for our country." 

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The article that inspired this podcast: https://blog.jimstroud.com/2020/11/08/the-next-american-civil-war-is-upon-us/

It is 3 days after the 2020 Presidential Election and that is simply unacceptable to me. With all of our technology and workforce available, there is really no reason why this should be the case. The skeptical side of me leans towards the notion that the complications in counting the votes is rooted in some nefarious intent. Whereas the more optimistic side of me suggests that I should not underestimate the potential of human incompetence. Either way, I see a simple solution for all of this. I am presenting them here with the hope that future elections do not suffer the foibles of this one. 

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In the last Presidential debate, President Donald Trump said, "...with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, no one has done more for the black community than Trump." As spirited as the debate was that comment resonated with me more than all the rest. It made me wonder. What has President Trump done for African Americans? If anything… Is he truly the greatest President for blacks since Abraham Lincoln? Is he as racist as so many people want me to believe? I wanted to know for myself so I did my own research. Tune in to hear what I found out. 

Links related to this episode can be found here: http://bit.ly/TrumpPodcast

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NOTE: In the thumbnail of this podcast is a picture of Donald Trump with Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali. Details can be found here: http://bit.ly/TrumpPhotoPodcast