Disney did something that legitimately shocked and surprised me. One of their cartoons actually had the nerve to mention reparations and calling white supremacy by name in an episode! This isn’t any irony or satire. I’m legitimately dumbfounded that the Mickey Mouse corporation would try that for one of their shows. In this case, it’s the new iteration of The Proud Family. I saw the original version of that show when I was a kid, and I had mixed feelings about it. While it was good to show a Black family that’s not from the ghetto, and there were some funny moments, I wasn’t a fan of showing Oscar Proud (the dad) as a buffoon or how his wife Trudy suffered from protagonist-centered morality partially because of her getting away with things men can’t get away with in fiction or real life, but that’s a rant for another day. In the sequel/remake Louder and Prouder, they actually did an episode where Penny and her friends have a moment talking about Juneteenth, systemic racism, slavery, and the other original sins of America. Not surprisingly enough, you have racist idiots in and out of the Disney fanbase outraged. If people had their jimmies rustled by Halle Bailey playing Ariel, then this episode would’ve given people heart attacks. I saw the clip in this news video, and even someone who’s a prominent critic of Disney didn’t see any lies told. If anyone has a problem with what was said, then they’re bigots, and they probably use the word “woke” as a dog whistle.
Don’t get me wrong, having an episode addressing reparations and white supremacy doesn’t mean I’m getting myself a Disney+ account. They have to do a lot more to show me they don’t want to do any anti-Black racist crap, and they still have to answer to different things they’ve done instead of being selective at best. Sure, they’ll own up to the portrayals of the crows in Dumbo, but they haven’t dropped the trademark of THAT Swahili phrase or credited Solomon Linda, for example. I would like to call this moment from The Proud Family a start, but I’m still skeptical about it. With that said, this moment proves me right even more that you have racist imbeciles in the Disney fandom, and they need to be called out.
Also, reparations aren’t a handout. They are a debt owed to the descendants of those who built this country with their unpaid labor. However, if you have no issues with Ukrainians and Afghans getting money but have a problem with the possibility of American descendants of slaves getting cash payments, then you’re a hypocrite.
Tag Archives: Slavery
Nestle and Cargill financing child slavery for their chocolate industries, yet SCOTUS rejects a lawsuit to stop them from getting sued by those formally enslaved.
I know Nestle has done really bad things in the past like that heinous baby formula fiasco story my mom told me about when I was a child, but this is just plain sick. So apparently, Nestle and Cargill have financed their chocolate businesses by using child slaves as young as 5 years old in Cote D’Ivoire (or Ivory Coast if you prefer) and Mali for 12-14 hours a day under abusive conditions like getting beaten, starved out, and under armed surveillance among other ghastly things. The formally enslaved people tried to make a lawsuit against these companies for human rights abuses and who can blame them? However, the Supreme Court in America denied the lawsuit from an 8-1 majority (Yes, both Republicans AND Democrats voted to reject the suit) because this happened outside of America. So let me get this straight. People can be arrested for sexual assault or being a Nazi outside of the country even if it was outside the nation as they should be incarcerated, but for being involved in child slavery isn’t good enough to throw the book at the companies and their accomplices? Unbelievable! Do your jobs, SCOTUS!
Me being offended about this happening isn’t just on principle in my case, but this offends me as a human being. While Nestle and Cargill deserve to be boycotted and charged with slavery, the accomplices directly in those African nations need to be locked up as well. This is hardcore selling out on so many levels and those governments should rescue the enslaved and shut down these plantations. Slavery is still going on in the world, but sadly not many people still realize this.
If you do buy chocolate, then please do your research on the companies like if they’re fair trade for example. For me, I won’t be buying anything from these companies.
Don’t just focus on the Crunch Bars, NesQuik chocolate milk, or NesCafe coffee. Here are other brands that each respective company owns.
Nestle:
Gerber
Tombstone pizza
Perrier
San Pellegrino
Cheerios
Nestle Pure Life
NaturNes
Cerelac
Fitness cereal
Lion cereal
Nespresso
Hot Pockets
Stouffer’s
Herta
Buitoni
Lean Cuisine
Maggi
Thomy
Carnation
Coffee-Mate
Nido
La Laitiere
Nestea
Milo
Chef
Chef-Mate
Minor’s
Sjora
Boost
Nutren Junior
Peptamen
Resource
Dreyer’s
Extreme
Haagen-Dazs
Movenpick
Nestle Ice Cream
Alpo
Bakers Complete
Beneful
Cat Chow
Toll House
Kit Kat
Chef Michael’s Canine Creations
Dog Chow
Fancy Feast
Felix
Friskies
Gourmet
Purina
Pro Plan
DiGiorno
Starbucks Coffee at Home
Cargill:
Ambrosia Chocolate
Gerkens Cocoa
Merckens A Rainbow of Possibilities
Peter’s Chocolate
Wilbur
Hopefully this helps for anyone who actually cares about this issue. The fact that slavery hasn’t ended in 2021 makes my blood boil.
Zimbabwe, don’t turn your country into Rhodesia 2.0 even if the colonizer is of a different race
I found out about this story not long after this video was first uploaded and I was seething with rage. Apparently, this Chinese company has been enslaving Zimbabweans and doing all types of cruel things to the Africans in that country. This is just sick. In the thumbnail, you could see them moving sick women with a FORKLIFT and not stretchers. There is a chemical used that’s been knocking out the women workers which is dangerous as well as very suspicious. I seriously hope they aren’t taking sexual advantage of them. Thankfully, the workers have spoken up and collecting receipts of these gross violations. I hope these devils get jail time. You don’t see Africans enslaving Chinese people, much less the Asian community, and this needs to be stopped.
I just had to talk about this issue with how infuriated I was with this news story. Why isn’t this hitting worldwide news channels? Oh, I have a few guesses why. I felt compelled to share this with everyone.
Finally an Official Holiday, But There Should Be More (Juneteenth)
Tomorrow would be the first time it became federal
This 2nd Independence Day of sorts had every right to be known
156 years too long
For all to know about that important day
The papers were signed and the calendars will have it for future generations
While a federal holiday was a good gesture
Bigotry didn’t and wouldn’t stop there
The hatred towards those descended from the emancipated was still at a fever pitch
The denials of American history become stronger
Attempting to burn the books despite the net existing
Was freedom truly free?
Was there a pure jubilation in sight?
After the last one was found in Galveston all this time
Would “All people are created equal” actually mean what is says on paper?
Too Many Vices, Too Many Frustrations
Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the chaos
2021 certainly has it’s issues to say the least
Tension is still fraught and the year isn’t half done yet
This won’t go away with a light switch
The pressure was too far to even allow a finger to turn positivity on
Hatred still permeates
Teachers take pictures of their feet on the necks of 10 year olds
People figuratively and literally push each other with prejudice
Petty arguments pile up online or offline
Social media slave auctions occur in schools
With little punishments happening
Bone rooms become exposed in universities
How far has society truly progressed?
It’s a deluge of sorrows and paranoia
In the crosswinds of division
When the heart is pumped with gloom from the earth
Ospreyshire Origins: Scraping for Blanched Crops
Lyrics:
There was always a lie
That someone of my complexion never invented anything
They surely never met me
I was known only as Ned
I created the cotton scraper
Much like how my master took humans like me, he took my invention
So, Stewart. How did you come up with my scraper again?
Even the patent office rejected you again and again
You’re so typical in your laziness
When I cried, sweated, and bled more than you could imagine
This would certainly count for a good portion of the previous tracks on Dear Innovare, but this is still a good way to honor an unknown inventor to kick off Black History Month!
Even though he would only be known by the name “Ned”, I’m still going to give him credit and recognition when most people won’t. Ned was a slave who invented a cotton scraper. Think about it, cotton was king in the south which made the plantation owners multi-millionaires. Too bad their lazy butts couldn’t innovate let alone work on their own, so guess who had to do everything and not get the credit? His captor Stewart literally stole Ned’s idea and tried to patent it himself. This was during the time where black people couldn’t patent anything legally in America (expect this to be a common motif), but Stewart couldn’t prove that he invented this money-making machine. Shame how much money was denied for Ned who was the REAL inventor of that agricultural device.
Here’s a fun fact about recording: I actually used a fork to scrape against a vent for the acousmatics.
Ospreyshire Origins: About A Benjamin II: Montgomery
Lyrics:
Born into chains and auction blocks
I was under the eyes of the Davis family
I vowed not to be chattel and kept myself learned
Those steamboats in the South enraptured me
Yet they could only do so much
One bad turn and a famine or shortage can occur
No need to steer people wrong and I would figure the right angles for this problem
Enter the propeller! (X4)
My design made these steamboats faster, more efficient, and had better navigation
Shame how my patent was denied (X4)
My former captors including the president of the South tried and failed to credit themselves for what I made
I dreamed of more despite my heartbreak
Isaiah, the rest is up to you.
On Wednesday, I gave a crash course on my Art Theft tracks, but today we’re going to focus on my About A Benjamin series on Dear Innovare. Part II involves the inventor Benjamin Montgomery. His biggest claim as an inventor is creating the steam-powered propeller. Sure, we don’t hear about that propeller that much in 2020, but this was an archetype for controlling boats. Back in his day, he was in the South, so you had all these steamboats around, but they didn’t have any control as they do now when it comes to aquatic transportation. These boats would ship medicine, food, clothes, and other important things. One wrong move, and people will lose major business at best…or die from sickness or famine at worst. Montgomery grew up as a slave, but he was able to make this propeller which causes the boats to actually steer and maneuver in different ways. However, when he made the propeller, it was around the time when black people legally couldn’t patent anything and white people would steal the patents and get all the credit.
This is part of American history, warts and all!
Montgomery’s captors and patent thieves were the Davis family which also involved Jefferson Davis. Yes, the same person who was the president of the freaking Confederacy tried to steal his invention! I’m sick of this thievery and this notion that black people can’t invent anything which sadly people still think about that fallacy even today. Show them this fact and call it a day.
The image of Benjamin Montgomery is from Black Inventor Online Museum.
Ospreyshire Origins: Boyd Bedsteads
Lyrics:
An unmarked grave is where my mortal frame rests, yet my inventions let people sleep in style
Wooden frames and canopies were built for luxury and durability where commoners can sleep like kings and queens even to this day
While Ohio and Kentucky weren’t always kind to me, I knew I had to have a twin set of endurance
My ethic, diligence, and carpentry had to see me through and spring into action
Brothers, sister, your freedom was paid for from my classy beds patent or not
They saw my name on every frame
I wish my company would’ve withstood the flames of envious arsonists
I would free those who were like me
My life has been used for the greater good
Let me rest
Here’s another case of a former slave doing for self. This is Henry Boyd. The Kentucky-born and later Ohio-based man would become a carpenter/furniture maker in his own right. He crafted some of the fanciest beds around that nowadays are worth a pretty penny in antique form. However, he deserved better. His businesses went ablaze by jealous racists. I would bet you those same people would be the ones to tell black people to pick themselves up by their bootstraps (how ironic and fallacious).
Here’s a fact about the acousmatics of this piece. I used a pair of drumsticks to hit different parts of my own bed and mattress to create the percussive soundscapes before multitracking them.
The photo of Henry Boyd is from the Northern Kentucky Tribune.
Ospreyshire Origins: T. Jennings: Cleaning Up the Patent Competition
Lyrics:
America, you needed to be cleaned up in so many ways
I was only one man, but I had to make things right on a twofold account
I started with your laundry
There would be a new kind of care for your clothes and I did it in a dry fashion like you’ve never seen before
Millions of businesses would be created because of me
Next came real freedom fighters
The bread I got from my invention
Went towards those who wanted every man, woman, and child
To be free and equal
Its more than what a piece of paper could say
I hope they keep on fighting
How does it feel seeing a man like me being the first of his community to own a patent?
Dry cleaning isn’t the most exciting thing to talk about which we can all agree on. What did get fascinating was who invented that form of laundry maintenance and how the funds were used afterwards. This is Thomas Jennings. He was a freeman who mainly worked as a tailor. He created a method called dry scouring which is the archetype for dry cleaning. He actually used the money to buy the freedom of other slaves in America which I massively respect on so many levels. Imagine how many businesses were and still are created today. Also, Thomas Jennings is the first African-American to receive a patent which is even more important in hindsight because he did this before it became illegal for black people to get patents (we’ll talk about that in other posts) before it was reinstated that anyone can make a patent regardless of ethnic stock.
Think about these things the next time you have to get your fancy suits or dresses to the dry cleaning shop.
The image of Thomas Jennings is from Post News Group.
Ospreyshire Origins: Onesimus the Unsung Hero
Lyrics:
Bodies kept dropping in Boston
In the century of their so-called Lord in the 18th century
While I wasn’t the same as the saint of the Byzantium,
We were both in bondage
My master begged me to save him and the city
With my memory from the motherland before I was chained
Once I was useful like my enforced foreign namesake, more kept breathing
All I want is credit and freedom, doctors
I don’t know about their originator, but I had stubbornness to accept the faith of those who captured me
Shame on me
Boston would’ve been a ghost town without my medical services
Happy New Year, everybody! This is the first new post of the new decade!
Anyways, let’s get to the subject at hand. This track is about the invention of medical inoculation. It was an invented by a slave named Onesimus who lived in Boston, MA hundreds of years ago. People were dying wholesale as smallpox ravaged this New England city. He managed to save thousands of lives with this medical technique that is still used to this day albeit modernized. It’s frustrating that this man never gets credit for his innovation in literally saving lives. One parallel that some Bible readers might notice would be the character of Philemon of the same name who was also a slave. I didn’t know about Onesimus until just a couple of years ago. He should be more renowned and I had to be the one to do it in spoken word form. https://face2faceafrica.com/article/this-slave-curbed-the-smallpox-epidemic-in-boston-in-1721-with-an-african-technique.
The image of Onesimus is from Face2Face Africa.
Ospreyshire's Realm 