MARTY EMBRY ⚫ ON THE LEFT

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Sunday, May 5, 2025

Good Sunday morning to you all. I must reiterate that I write about things that piques my interest. I don't write based on trends, although I have, but today, as I played my gospel music, I thought about the history of that good old southern music that church folks love to sing! That would include me as well ...if I could hold a note! I know my limitations! 

So, here's some stuff that is rarely taght in school. A lot of this information is learned by simply being passed down generation to generation. I hope that it's not too long, but with me....you already know!

The Soul-stirring origins of African American spirituals is interesting to me. I found out before my aunt passed that Rosetta Tharpe, an old blues/gospel singer was related to us. I was floored but stay tuned for this one. I'm still researching it.

Have y'all ever wondered how some of the most powerful music in American history began with nothing but the human voice and an soul stirring  spirit? Come on and go with me! Let's take a musical journey back in time!

Picture this: 18th century America. No Spotify. No TikTok dance challenges. Not even a good old-fashioned sing off!! Yet somehow, a musical revolution was brewing that would influence everything from gospel to rock 'n' roll for centuries to come. Most music as we know it today is derived from some form of old spirituals..

African American spirituals weren't born with a single songwriter hunched over a piano thinking, "This is the one! This one is gonna top the charts!" 

Instead, they emerged naturally across the plantation South in such places as Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and the Mississippi Delta. That sound was creating a soundtrack of survival that no recording studio could ever replicate.

These spirituals were essentially the world's most meaningful musical mashup. Take traditional West and Central African musical elements. These were brought by people from regions like present-day Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and Angola. Then add European Christian hymns...and then then simmer under the harsh conditions of slavery. Now, you've got yourself a powerful new musical tradition.

Think of it as a cultural exchange program nobody signed up for, yet produced something extraordinary.

If you think your workout playlist helps you power through tough times, spirituals took motivation to a whole new level. These weren't just catchy tunes. They were lifesaving lyrics and ingenious when you think about it's true purpose. 

These were essentially secret communication networks. They told of when to run, what time, where to meet and a host of other hidden gems, keeping it all from plantation owners..

They were religious expression that blended old beliefs with new, meaning African and they're new religion that was thrust upon them.

It also served as hythmic companions for backbreaking labor. I know you've heard, from movies, how slaves had a certain rhythm that they'd sing to when working the fields.

These spirituals were also cultural anchors when everything familiar had been stripped away. They had to learn a new language but the rhythm never changed.

The coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia deserve a special shout-out here. The Gullah-Geechee communities preserved African musical elements with remarkable faithfulness. Their relative isolation from mainland influences created a cultural time capsule that musicologists still study today. It's like finding an untouched vinyl collection in your grandparents' attic, only infinitely more significant.

Next time you hear a choir director call out and the congregation responds, or catch yourself clapping on the off-beats, thank those early spiritual creators. A great example is simply listening to Kirk Franklin. That's a classic example of Call and Response. 

This early spiritual creators pioneered techniques like:

1. Call-and-response patterns (the original "you sing, I sing" before karaoke made it mainstream)
2. Polyrhythms complex enough to make modern drummers break a sweat
3. Blue notes that could express emotions no words could capture
4. Pentatonic scales that somehow made the hardest feelings sound beautiful. Pentatonic scales consist of five beats versus the normal seven. It's a classic church beat where you're clapping on the off beart.

These spirituals didn't just disappear when slavery ended. They evolved, transformed, and flowed into the mainstream, shaping everything from gospel to blues, jazz, R&B, and even rock.

 That's quite the musical family tree from songs that began with no instruments, no written notation, and certainly no recording contracts! Let me tell you! Our ancestors were amazing!

So next time you find yourself moved by "Wade in the Water" or "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," remember you're hearing echoes of one of humanity's most remarkable acts of cultural creativity and resistance. Talk about making something beautiful out of the darkest circumstances, now that's what I call true soul.

Happy Sunday, y'all! Keep being amazing! Your ancestors are watching!

READ TODAY'S MARTY EMBRY COLUMN

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Marty Embry is a former administrator in the Flint school district and an author of 10 books. He was the star center on two of the old Flint Central's state championship teams under legendary Coach Stan Gooch, then went on to star at DePaul University before playing professionally overseas.

Monday, April 21, 2025

Hey y'all. You got a second? Can we talk for a minute? There's been a lot of talk regarding birthright citizenship. I.just heard someone say that it was all about slavery. Welllll, that's not quite how it works but I'll share a lil bit of what I know about it. 

The origin and history of birthright citizenship isn't just about slavery or slaves.  So, birthright citizenship is  often referred to as "jus soli" (right of soil). It is the legal principle that grants citizenship to all individuals born within a country's territory, regardless of their parents' citizenship or immigration status.

It's origins had nothing to do with slaves. That only applies here because freed slaves were not considered citizens of America. The concept has roots in feudal English common law, where subjects owed allegiance to the monarch in exchange for protection. Under this principle, those born within the monarch's domain were considered subjects, creating a territorial basis for citizenship.

Development in the United States began towards the end of slavery. The most significant development of birthright citizenship in the U.S. came through the 14th Amendment in 1868, which states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." If you're born on American soil, you're American. 

The 14th amendment was primarily enacted to overrule the 1857 Dred Scott decision, which had denied citizenship to African Americans, both enslaved and free. After the Civil War, the 14th Amendment ensured that formerly enslaved people and their descendants would be recognized as U.S. citizens.

The Supreme Court affirmed this interpretation in United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), ruling that a child born in the U.S. to non-citizen Chinese immigrants was a U.S. citizen by birth.

The primary purposes of birthright citizenship were:

1. Creating clear citizenship rules: It establishes a straightforward, objective standard for determining citizenship, reducing ambiguity.

2. Preventing statelessness: It ensures that children born in a territory have citizenship somewhere, preventing them from becoming stateless.

3. Promoting integration: It helps integrate immigrant communities by ensuring their children born in the country are full citizens with equal rights and responsibilities.

4. Establishing national identity: It reinforces the idea that national identity is tied to shared territory and values rather than ethnic or ancestral connections.

5. Rectifying historical injustices: In the U.S. specifically, it was designed to correct the exclusion of African Americans from citizenship.

While over 30 countries worldwide practice some form of birthright citizenship, many nations have moved toward more restrictive models that require at least one parent to be a citizen or legal resident.

So, that's where America is heading. The proverbial melting pot apparently has runneth over!

READ TODAY'S MARTY EMBRY COLUMN

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Marty Embry is a former administrator in the Flint school district and an author of 10 books. He was the star center on two of the old Flint Central's state championship teams under legendary Coach Stan Gooch, then went on to star at DePaul University before playing professionally overseas.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Hey y'all, wait! Don't leave!! It looks long but it's just a chronological educational, political and business timeline! You'll scan over it in seconds!!!

 This isn't a Trump bash post. It's just a post to share their educational and political experiences because a friend said that Kamala Harris simply wasn't qualified to be president, which still floors me.  

The other day, one of my Trump supporting buddies spoke of Trump having all of this political experience and was more qualified to lead the country. I didn't agree! I shared that he had more BUSINESS experience but he was not even that good at business.

Well, that prompted me to do a bit of research because, well, that's what I do.

For folks that just don't know the educational, political and business background of Trump and Harris, here you go.   

Donald Trump's Educational, Business and Political Timeline  Early Education  

— 1950s-1963:  Attended Kew-Forest School in Queens, New York from kindergarten through 7th grade  

—  1959/1960: His parents transferred him to New York Military Academy at age 13, reportedly due to behavioral issues (Yea, even back then he had issues!)  Military Academy Years (1959/1960-1964)

—  1959/1960-1964, Attended New York Military Academy in Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY  

—  1964: Graduated from New York Military Academy

 — Attained the rank of captain during his senior year

 — Participated in baseball, football, and soccer teams.

  College Education

 — - 1964-1966: Attended Fordham University in the Bronx for two years.

 — 1966-1968: Transferred to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

 — 1968: Graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics  Regarding his academic performance, the public record is somewhat mixed:  Trump has described himself as "a good student" and "the best student" at various times. According to reporting by The Washington Post, Trump's academic records have never been released publicly (Makes you wonder why, huh?)

— Former Wharton Professor William T. Kelley reportedly described Trump as "the dumbest goddamn student I ever had," though this is a secondhand account 

— According to Gwenda Blair's biography, Trump did not graduate with honors from Wharton, suggesting his academic performance was not at the top of his class 

— The New York Times reported in 2020 that Trump's niece, Mary Trump, claimed in her book that Trump paid someone to take his SATs  Without access to his official academic records, which have not been made public, it's difficult to definitively assess his academic performance beyond these conflicting accounts.

Early Career and Initial Successes in business:

—- 1968: Joined his father Fred Trump's real estate company - 1971: Took control of company, renaming it The Trump Organization -

— 1976: Successfully renovated the Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt

- 1978: Launched Trump Tower project in Manhattan 

- 1983: Opened Trump Tower, which became a signature achievement 

- 1984: Opened Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City 

— 1985: Purchased Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida 

— 1988: Acquired the Plaza Hotel in New York 

— 1990: Faced severe financial difficulties as the real estate market declined 

— 1991: Trump Taj Mahal filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 

— 1992: Trump Plaza and Trump Castle casinos filed for bankruptcy 

— 1992: Trump Plaza Hotel in New York filed for bankruptcy

— 1994: Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino filed for bankruptcy again 

— 1995: Took Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts public 

— 1996: Acquired and developed 40 Wall Street 

— 1996: Purchased Miss Universe Organization 

— 1999: Established Trump Model Management - 

— 2001: Completed Trump World Tower in New York 

— 2002: Opened Trump Park Avenue 

— 2004: "The Apprentice" TV show launched, becoming a major success 

— 2004: Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed for bankruptcy 

— 2005: Launched Trump University (later faced lawsuits and settled for $25 million in 2016) 

— 2006: Launched Trump Mortgage (closed after a year) 

— 2007: Created Trump SoHo hotel condominium (later renamed) 

— 2009: Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy. Multiple licensing deals for Trump-branded products (water, steaks, vodka, etc.) with all of them failing. The water, Trump claimed was from a spring. In reality, it was from a faucet.

— Continued real estate development and licensing the Trump name globally  So folks, pay close attention here. In particular, from 1987 to 1999 and then in 2011. He changed political party affiliation multiple times until he found a way to "get in" and take over that particular party. He got political attention by questioning Obama's birthplace and his followers simply grew, based on his lies about Obama. His political career started on a lie that he perpetrated.  

Political Career 

— 1987-1999: Changed political party affiliations multiple times 

—1999: Briefly ran for president under the Reform Party

— 2011: Became prominent in politics by questioning President Obama's birthplace 

— 2015: Announced candidacy for president as a Republican 

— 2016: Won the Republican nomination and then the presidential election 

— 2017-2021: Served as the 45th President of the United States

— 2020: Lost reelection to Joe Biden 

— 2024: Won the presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris

— 2025: Inaugurated for second term as President on January 20, 2025

Kamala Harris: Educational, Professional, and Political Timeline  Education 

— 1982-1986: Attended Howard University, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics 

— 1986-1989: Attended University of California, Hastings College of the Law, earned Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree  

Early Career 

— 1990-1998: Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, California   - Prosecuted cases involving gang violence, drug trafficking, and sexual abuse  San Francisco District Attorney's Office -

— 1998-2000: Managing Attorney of the Career Criminal Unit at the San Francisco District Attorney's Office 

— 2000-2003: Head of the San Francisco City Attorney's Division on Families and Children  San Francisco District Attorney (2004-2011) 

— 2003: Elected as San Francisco District Attorney

 — 2004: Took office as San Francisco's first female, first Black, and first South Asian American District Attorney 

— 2007: Re-elected for a second term as San Francisco District Attorney - Notable initiatives:   - Created "Back on Track" program for first-time drug offenders   

— Increased conviction rates for serious and violent offenses  California Attorney General (2011-2017) 

— 2010: Elected as California Attorney General 

— 2011: Took office as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian American Attorney General of California 

— 2014: Re-elected for a second term 

Notable actions:   

— Secured a $20 billion settlement for California homeowners affected by the foreclosure crisis   - Refused to defend Proposition 8 (ban on same-sex marriage) in court   

— Created the Bureau of Children's Justice   - Established the Division of Recidivism Reduction and Re-Entry  U.S. Senator (2017-2021) 

— 2016: Elected to the U.S. Senate, representing California 

— 2017: Took office as California's junior Senator -

Committee assignments:

   — Senate Judiciary Committee  

— Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

— Select Committee on Intelligence

— Committee on Budget 

 Presidential Campaign (2019-2020):

— January 2019: Announced candidacy for President of the United States 

— December 2019: Ended presidential campaign  Vice President of the United States (2021-2025) 

— August 2020: Selected as Joe Biden's running mate 

— November 2020: Elected as Vice President - January 20, 2021: Inaugurated as the 49th Vice President of the United States   

— First female, first Black, and first South Asian American Vice TeachReach Educational Platform   Presidential Campaign (2024)  

—  July 2024: Became the Democratic nominee for President after President Biden withdrew from the race 

— November 2024: Lost presidential election to Donald Trump  Unlike Donald Trump, Kamala Harris has not had significant business ventures outside of her legal and political career. Her professional background has been primarily in public service and law enforcement.  So please, stop saying that Kamala Harris wasn't qualified. Obviously she was. 

Trump....ehhhh. Y'all read it and it's clear. He has the gift of gab and many fell for it, hook, line and sinker. 

READ TODAY'S MARTY EMBRY COLUMN

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Marty Embry is a former administrator in the Flint school district and an author of 10 books. He was the star center on two of the old Flint Central's state championship teams under legendary Coach Stan Gooch, then went on to star at DePaul University before playing professionally overseas.