Arturo (Arthur) Alfonso Schomburg

Arturo (Arthur) Alfonso Schomburg
A black Puerto Rican scholar and an intellectual figure in the Harlem Renaissance

"America must face its past in order to see its future" – Arturo Alfonso Schomburg

 Who was Arturo Alfonso Schomburg?

Known as the Father of Black History, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was a curator, writer, historian, Pan-Africanist and activist in the U.S. civil rights movement.

 Life of Schomburg:

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was born on January 24, 1874 in Puerto Rico. His primary education was in San Juan where he studied penmanship, church history, arithmetic, Spanish grammar, agriculture and commerce. He later studied Negro literature in the Danish-ruled Virgin Islands.

During grade school, one of his teachers stated that "Black people have no history, no heroes, no great moments." This false claim led to Schomburg's thirst for knowledge and his life-long quest to record the achievements of African Latinos. "I depart now on a mission of love to recapture my lost heritage," he wrote. Schomburg participated in the school history club. By age 23, he had collected letters, prints, playbills, paintings, literature, art, manuscripts, etchings, memorabilia and slave narratives of the people of African descent.

Subsequent to his 1891 immigration to New York, where he encountered racial discrimination, he became a self-described "Afroborinqueño" (Afro-Puerto Rican). He soon become a member of the "Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico" and actively participated in the fight for the independence of Cuba and Puerto Rica.

Works of Schomburg:

In 1896, he began teaching Spanish. After working as a messenger, clerk and supervisor, he wrote his first known article, "Is Hayti Decadent?", which was published in 1904 in The Unique Advertiser. He next wrote "Placido, a Cuban Martyr," a short pamphlet about the poet and freedom fighter Gabriel de la Concepción Valdéz in 1909.

In 1911, Schomburg and John Edward Bruce co-founded the Negro Society for Historical Research to create a foundation of intellectual efforts. He later became the President of the American Negro Academy, which advocated black history and literature. He also became involved in the Harlem Renaissance to combat racial prejudice by providing proof of the extraordinary contributions of the people of African descent. This renaissance spread to other African-American communities throughout the country.

Schomburg co-edited the 1912 edition of Daniel Alexander Payne Murray's Encyclopedia of the Colored Race. He wrote the essay "The Negro Digs Up His Past," which was published in the Survey Graphic of Harlem in March, 1925.

In 1926, the New York library published Schomburg’s extensive collection of rare books, artifacts and historical data. This library was later renamed the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In 1931, he served as a curator of the Negro Collection at the library of Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee.

Schomburg married twice and had five sons. He fell ill and died following dental surgery in New York on June 8, 1938.

In Schomburg’s own words:

"The American Negro must rebuild his past in order to make his future. Though it is orthodox to think of America as the one country where it is unnecessary to have a past, what is a luxury for the nation as a whole becomes a prime social necessity for the Negro. For him, a group tradition must supply compensation for persecution, and pride of race the antidote for prejudice. History must restore what slavery took away, for it is the social damage of slavery that the present generation must repair and offset.”

Eulogy

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "What should they eulogize? Write the perfect funeral speech for your own funeral."

Excerpt from Turn Again To Life
By Mary Lee Hall

If I should die and leave you here awhile,
Be not like others, sore undone, who keep
Long vigils by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake—turn again to life and smile,
Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
Something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete those dear unfinished tasks of mine
And I, perchance, may therein comfort you.

It is extremely difficult to pen down one’s own eulogy. Filled with grief, heartfelt to the core, eulogies though can be beautifully crafted. When I die, I wish that people remember me as a good human being. For now, I want to contribute my services to the well being of the society and help uplift the lives of many who need help, courage and support.

My eulogy must contain the above mentioned poem. And –

 We are all here to say a final goodbye. She was a loving daughter, wife and a mother. She imparted love and happiness to all in her own small ways. She not only took care of her children but also of some others who had been left stranded on the roads of nowhere. Her presence made a smile appear on everyone’s face whom she met. A strong support in tough times and worry, she always showed the path and strengthened the trust in God, and believed that everything will be alright. Things may take time to work, but eventually they will and whatever happens, happens for the best was always her mantra. A kind, loving and trustworthy soul, her absence will be felt and she will be always missed.
We will remember you always…

Ghrelin & Parkinson's disease

Stomach hormone related to Parkinson’s disease
A new found way to slow the advancement of Parkinson disease

A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience reveals that ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach, may be used to slow the onset of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system leading to the degeneration and impairment of sufferers' motor skills, speech, and physical movements. It occurs due to the loss of nerve cells in a part of the brain known as the substantia nigra.
Neurons in the midbrain produce a chemical known as dopamine, which allows messages to be sent to parts of the brain that synchronize movement in the body. When the dopamine-producing cells fail, leading to a typical loss of about 80% of the dopamine, the symptoms of Parkinson’s appear. Parts of the brain are unable to function normally, thus gradually leading to deterioration in the function of the body.
The first symptoms include tremor in one hand, followed by slowness of movement (bradykinesia), difficulty in initiating movements, and muscle stiffness. Further symptoms include stress, decreased arm swing, impaired balance, gait freezing, sleep disturbances, urinary problems, constipation and depression.

Ghrelin

Ghrelin, a hormone produced in the stomach, has been associated with growth hormones, learning and memory, and is known to stimulate the appetite centers in the brain. Its function is to tell the brain that the body needs food, and its secretion regulates food intake. Ghrelin also activates the concentration of dopamine in the substantia nigra. Hence, ghrelin has may prove useful in slowing the onset of Parkinson's disease.
Ghrelin's influence was shown in a study conducted by Yale School of Medicine (YSM) researcher Tamas Horvath and colleagues. Ghrelin supplements were given to healthy mice and mice that were deficient in ghrelin hormone and in the ghrelin receptor. When compared to controls, mice with impaired ghrelin action in the brain had a higher loss of dopamine. Horvath, professor of comparative medicine, neurobiology and obstetrics & gynaecology, says the results could be easily translated to human use because the ghrelin system is replicated in the human body.

Conclusion of the study

Although it is unknown why and how the dopamine cells begin to decrease, researchers claim ghrelin supplements may offer a way to slow the advancement of the disease, if not eradicate it completely.
"Because this hormone originates from the stomach, it is circulating normally in the body, so it could easily be used to boost resistance to Parkinson's or it could be used to slow the development of the disease,” Horvath says.

The color of Poverty

Prompt: The Daily Topic: What color will you use? Practice written synethsesia today by giving something colorless (hunger, panic, laughter, etc.) color, and describing it.

 Poverty – color – Brown

 Though the color brown denotes encouragement, hope and faith, the origin is from a dark and dusky shade. Poverty, too, implies darkness. Poverty stems from a condition of obscurity – for humans in poverty have no access to water, food, clothing and shelter. Hence, poverty is being given the colour brown – that someday things will change, and people in poverty will have access to the basic needs. With the support and collaboration of numerous organizations helping and reaching the poor in the form of providing funds and basic needs, education and employment, many will move above the poverty line. The spiral of lack of money, therefore no means to buy food to feed the stomach, many children go hungry. But the food and education programs led by the UN for children and adults, will lead to an escape from hunger and poverty.

Fond memories

Prompt: The Daily Topic: Who taught you the best? Write a memory involving your favorite teacher.

I have never had any favourite teacher but I do remember two teachers from childhood who have been especially nice to me in those growing years.

One was Mrs. N. Sen and the other was Mrs. L. Chandra. I remember Mrs Sen because she gave me a big zero in one of my class tests. When my parents went to find out the reason, she simply said, Payal helped someone else copy from her. She completed her test and then helped another student which was wrong. Though I was innocent, she wanted me to understand that copying and helping someone else copy is wrong. To this day, I remember this incident. I still help friends but yes, not for tests anymore…
 Mrs. L. Chandra was a very sweet person. She helped me when I did not understand anything. Once when I was ill, she was more worried than anyone else. She helped me get home and asked about me from my parents for a very long time till I completely recuperated. She had a heart of gold and was always in reach whenever I needed anyone in school for help.

Though I don’t know where my teachers are now, I do remember them with immense fondness, love and respect.