Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

Michael Jackson was so much more than an eclectic and consummate entertainer. He was an extremely generous humanitarian and would no doubt like for people to remember his love and genuine care and concern for children.

“HEAL THE KIDS” SPEECH at OXFORD UNIVERSITY 2001(Excerpt):

As you all know, our two countries broke from each other over what Thomas Jefferson referred to as “certain inalienable rights”. And while we Americans and British might dispute the justice of his claims, what has never been in dispute is that children have certain inalienable rights, and the gradual erosion of those rights has led to scores of children worldwide being denied the joys and security of childhood. I would therefore like to propose tonight that we install in every home a Children’s Universal Bill of Rights, the tenets of which are:

1. The right to be loved without having to earn it

2. The right to be protected, without having to deserve it

3. The right to feel valuable, even if you came into the world with nothing

4. The right to be listened to without having to be interesting

5. The right to be read a bedtime story, without having to compete with the evening news

6. The right to an education without having to dodge bullets at schools

7. The right to be thought of as adorable – (even if you have a face that only a mother could love).

Black in Time | Online Resource for Black History

Although February has been officially designated as Black History Month and is observed in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, Black In Time is an excellent online resource for black history and culture all year-round. The tagline for the website states its purpose succinctly: Celebrating Who We Are By Honoring Who We Were. Brief biographical snapshots and historical accounts are presented by way of A Moment in OUR History links that acquaint us with Americans of African heritage - such as: 

Bessie Coleman, the first licensed black pilot in the United States (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

- Bessie Coleman (1922, successful female pilot who broke through racial and gender barriers), 

- Henry O. Flipper (former slave who realized his childhood dream by graduating from The West Point United States Military Academy in 1877), 

- Garrett A. Morgan (invented and patented the gas mask; became a national hero in 1916 when he donned the breathing device and led a rescue team into a tunnel to save 30 workers trapped there after an explosion), 

- Dr. Carter G. Woodson (scholar, historian, educator and author, honored as The Father Of Black History; in 1926 he created what is known today as Black History Month). 

Portrait of African-American historian Carter Godwin Woodson as a young man. Courtesy of the New River Gorge National River website, National Park Service, Dept of the Interior, US Gov'. (Wikipedia)

This site is a research and reference tool intended to assist those interested in tracing the steps of generations from the days of slavery to the present; and its goal is to motivate anyone to create positive, unique stories within their own lives.

Hugh Gaddy is Founder and President of Black In Time Enterprises. You can view his public profile on LinkedIn.com. When asked if there was any one historical personality in particular that really motivated and inspired him, Mr. Gaddy responded: Without question, Malcolm X!! I read his autobiography when I was 15 and it changed my life!!

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Do you get inspired by reading
biographical accounts or personal memoirs?

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