Cory Booker Announces 2020 Presidential Run

Cory Booker announced on Friday February 1 (the beginning of Black History Month) that he is running for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020. The 49-year-old, vegan, bachelor junior U.S. senator from New Jersey joins the most diverse presidential aspirant field ever. It already features Kamala Harris (U.S. Senator from California), Kirsten Gillibrand (U.S. Senator from New York), Elizabeth Warren (U.S. Senator from Massachusetts) and Julian Castro (former secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration).

GODLESS WEDNESDAY: WATCH How Neil DeGrasse Tyson Explains His Godlessness

Neil deGrasse Tyson on God, religion and reality pic.twitter.com/aedtBERl7O

— Atheist Republic (@AtheistRepublic) February 6, 2018

Today's Godless Wednesday post is just a short video of Astronomer and Science evangelist Neil DeGrasse Tyson explaining why a lack of evidence explains why he is godless.

EYE CANDY: Anthony Webster (3rd time!)

Anthony Webster has appeared as Eye Candy twice before (April 25, 2016 and May 30, 2016). Today he makes a 3rd appearance. Anthony has a great Instagram page (@annthonywebsterr) with about 12,000 followers (I'm surprised it is not 10x as many, honestly). Maybe if he posted more like the pictures above that would happen.

Enjoy!

EYE CANDY: Justin Jasper (2nd time)

Justin Jasper is a model  from Miami who has appeared as Eye Candy (January 9, 2017). He has an Instagram account (@justinjasper22) and has been featured at Pop Glitz.

#OTD 10 YEARS AGO: Barack Obama Announces Presidential Bid

On this date 10 years ago, on February 10, 2007 Barack Obama, United States Senator from Illinois, announced his presidential bid at the state capitol in Springfield.

EYE CANDY: Simeon Panda (in black/white)

Simeon Panda is a bodybuilder and model who has appeared as Eye Candy multiple times (July 11, 2012; August 6, 2012, September 23, 2013; January 6, 2014). He is now an industry, with 2.8 million Instagram followers (@simeonpanda), his own website (simeonpanda.com) and brand: JustLift. Simeon was born May 28, 1986 and is 6-foot-1. His weight varies depending on whether he is in competition or not, but he is typically listed as 225 pounds. His Facebook page has over 5 million "Likes."

I think he is probably my favorite male model. Is he yours?

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Katherine Johnson, Legendary NASA Mathematician, Turns 98 Today

Katherine Johnson is an African-American mathematician who is famous for contributing calculations to several landmark NASA missions. Johnson turns 98 today, and was awarded the National Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in November 2015. In May 2016, NASA named one of its buildings at the NASA Langley Research Center the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.

Johnson worked at Langley from 1953 until her retirement in 1986, beginning as a research mathematician -- part of a pool of women hired to perform mathematical equations and calculations by hand for engineers. She quickly distinguished herself and was permanently assigned to the branch that would later calculate the launch windows for NASA’s first Project Mercury flights. 

Notable accomplishments include her computation, by hand, of the launch window and trajectory for Alan Shepard’s maiden space voyage aboard Freedom 7 in 1961, and verification, also by hand, of calculations made by the first computers for John Glenn's history-making orbit around the Earth in 1962. She also calculated the trajectory for the historic Apollo 11 first moon landing flight in 1969.

In January 2017, a big-budget Hollywood movie titled Hidden Figures starring Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons based on the real-life story of Johnson and other Black women who worked for NASA will be released in theaters. See the trailer below:


Happy Birthday Katherine Johnson!

ACTION: Advocate For A U.S. Stamp Honoring Black LGBT Hero Bayard Rustin!

The National LGBTQ Task Force is promoting an action which
encourages people to advocate for a U.S. postage stamp recognizing  Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Bayard Rustin.

They are encouraging people to write letters to the U.S. Postal Service which advocate for the creation of a stamp that would honor the life and work of this openly gay, African-American civil rights pioneer.

As the Task Force puts it:

Bayard Rustin was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, who was an openly gay man and an LGBTQ activist. In 2013, Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In awarding the medal, the President said, “For decades, this great leader, often at Dr. King’s side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay.”

Here is a sample text of a letter that you can contribute to the campaign::

(Insert your address)

Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
C/O Stamp Development 
US Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

To whom it may concern,

I write to commend one of the most significant and yet unsung heroes of the civil rights movement for the honor of a commemorative US postage stamp.

This person is Bayard Rustin, the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, who was an openly gay man and an LGBTQ activist.

In 2013, Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In awarding the medal, the President said, "For decades, this
great leader, often at Dr. King's side, was denied his rightful place in history because he was openly gay."

No we have the chance to help right this wrong. With this commemorative stamp, we can give Rustin and his legacy the public
awareness and recognition they deserve. 

It’s time to honor a true hero of the on-going fight for civil rights.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours faithfully,

I'm going to write a letter, are you?

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: 25 Years Ago, NYT Noted "First Black Elected To Head Harvard's Law Review"

25 years ago today the New YorkTimes ran an article about Barack Obama, the first African-American elected to head Harvard's Law Review. Interestingly, in the very first paragraph they mention he was born in Hawaii and the races of his father and mother.

Hat/tip to Wonder Man

Science Fiction Authors Featured For Black History Month

This is an interesting video which somehow I missed last year which is perfect for celebrating Black History Month. The video discusses the contributions and accomplishments of science fiction authors who happen to be Black or African-American, including some I have heard of like Octavia Butler, Walter Mosley and Samuel Delaney and some I had not, like Virginia Hamilton.

Noted fantasy author N.K. Jemisin (The Inheritance trilogy) is quoted in the video saying:

“When there were people of color in these books, they were in the background, or they died quickly, or any number of other stereotypes. For the most part, they just weren’t there. And in Octavia Butler’s works, they not only were there, they were prominent; they were protagonists.”

Enjoy the video, and Happy Black History Month!