Born in Harlem and raised in Jamaica, Harry Belafonte is legend for his artistic work as a singer, stage and screen actor, and producer. His RCA album “Calypso” made him the first in history to sell more than one million LPs, his first Broadway appearance in “John Murray Anderson’s Almanac” won him the Tony Award, and as the first black producer in television, he won an Emmy for his CBS production of “An Evening with Belafonte.” In cinema, “Carmen Jones” took top critical honors and attracted Oscar nominations. But he is equally known for his work for equality, peace and justice. A close friend of both Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, he was prominent in the struggle against apartheid and the freeing of Mandela from prison. He has served as the cultural advisor for the Peace Corps, and was named the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and set in motion the wheels for “We Are the World.” He has received numerous awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors for excellence in the performing arts, the 1994 presidential National Medal of Arts, and those from a wide variety of cultural and religious groups. He holds honorary degrees from numerous colleges and universities.
Addressing a packed conference room at the Kellogg Center, the actor-singer-activist slammed the American culture of greed and accused colleges and universities of turning their backs on the humanities.
“Once [colleges] gave us the gift of genius, understanding, analysis,” he said. “Now the curriculum is totally empty. Much of what (students) talk about is how to prepare themselves for the gift of money.”
The humanities, Belafonte said, have paid a “terrible price.”
“We do not see the lust among students to answer the big questions,” he said. “What is love? What is truth? We assume the good Earth is something we can rape and exploit.”
“We are numb to our deeper humanity,” he said. “Why must power suffocate us so easily?”
Decrying a 21st-century vacuum of “courage and leadership,” he invoked giants of the 20th century, including his close friend Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois and Franklin Roosevelt, as leaders who advanced human rights and economic equality. He cited federal programs such as Social Security and the Works Progress Administration and laws like the Voting Rights Act.
“Somewhere along the line, all that disappeared,” he said. “Now we´re just about nothing.”
For the full article, see Lawrence Cosentino, “Now we´re about nothing´; Harry Belafonte brings down the hammer in passionate MSU lecture”, Lansing City Pulse, February 18, 2015.
Archie A. Van Elslander, who was known as “Mr. Van” and founded what became one of the largest independent furniture retailers in the United States, passed away on February 12, 2018, at the age of 87, surrounded by his family.
Born in 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, Mr. Van Elslander was the son of a Belgian immigrant. He grew up in Detroit, peddling papers and working in his father’s bar as a young boy. At age 14, he discovered his love of fashion when he took a job working at a local haberdashery, Square Menswear. After graduating from Denby High School in 1948 and serving in the U.S. Army, Mr. Van Elslander married, started a family and took a job at Gruenwald Furniture.
He opened his first store in 1959, the sole proprietor of a 4,000 square foot shop on Gratiot Avenue in East Detroit, and ultimately grew Art Van Furniture to nearly 4,000 associates and over 100 Art Van Furniture locations throughout the Midwest before selling the business in early 2017.
A pioneer retailer and master promoter, he was widely respected in the furniture industry for his creative approach to marketing. Mr. Van Elslander’s awards and recognitions are many, with his generosity and business acumen regularly acknowledged.
With a seemingly limitless capacity for giving, Mr. Van Elslander was one of Michigan’s most generous and beloved philanthropists. When Detroit’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade was in financial peril in 1990, Mr. Van Elslander made an historic donation that saved this cherished tradition. For the next 25 years, he personally rode in the parade, waving to crowds along the route.
He was a major benefactor of countless charities, including St. John Providence Health System, Focus:HOPE, Forgotten Harvest and the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. He leaves behind an indelible print on the hearts of many, and will be sorely missed.
Source : Frank Witsil, “Art Van Elslander, founder of Art Van Furniture, dies at 87“, Detroit Free Press, February 12, 2018.
Say goodbye to the Year of the Rat and hello to the Year of the Ox.
Lunar New Year – also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival – began Friday, February 12, 2021, ushering in the second animal on the Zodiac with the second new moon after the winter solstice.
When does Chinese New Year start?
Because the holiday is tied to the year’s first new moon, the timing will vary. It can fall in January or early February.
In China, the festival lasts 15 days, starting with a feast the night of New Year’s Eve and ending this year with the Spring Lantern Festival on Feb. 26.
On Feb. 13, 1855, the Michigan Legislature moved to protect escaped slaves. To counter the harsh provisions of the 1850 federal Fugitive Slave Law, which forced the return of African Americans who had escaped the horrors of slavery, the Legislature prohibited the use of county jails for the detention of escaped slaves. The measure also directed county prosecuting attorneys to defend the recaptured slaves — a provision that had been denied the slaves in the 1850 law.
An abolitionist cartoon takes to task Northern states that complied with the Fugitive Slave Law.
For more information about Detroit and the Underground Railroad during this period, see the Detroit Historical Museum’s Doorway to Freedom – Detroit and the Underground Railroad exhibit.
Sources :
Michigan Historical Calendar, courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University.
Detroit Historical Society Facebook Page
Abolitionist cartoon reposted from Michigan House Democrats Official Blog, February 13, 2017.
Lansing experienced the worst flood conditions in two decades after a six-hour deluge….
Scores of intersections were flooded, the depth of the water measuring from a few inches to five and six feet.
Lightning struck four dwellings, causing considerable damage. Basements were flooded, furnace fires extinguished, hundreds of automobiles were stalled. … Water flowed among many streets of the city as though they were rivers.
Source : Lansing State Journal, February 13, 1938
Ann Arbor bar patrons reacted to a new statewide ban on two-for-one drink specials during happy hours. The state originally passed the ban to cut down on the number of drunken drivers.
“If they’re going to drink and drive, they’re going to drink and drive no matter how the drinks are,” said Diane Warmington, a bartender at Rick’s American Café.
But some students said the law would prevent patrons from buying more alcohol.
“If you stick it in front of someone, they’ll drink it,” said Steve Gasser, a customer at Good Time Charley’s restaurant.
Source : “This Week in Daily history”, Michigan Daily, February 11, 2004.
The Motown songwriting/producing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland (comprising Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland) were honored Friday morning with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. H-D-H, all products of Detroit schools, were famous for writing and producing hits such as such as “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love” and “Stop In The Name Of Love” for the Supremes; “(Reach Out) I’ll Be There,” and “Bernadette” for the Four Tops, and many others for The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha & the Vandellas, etc.
Source : “Grapevine: The Times’ Carr dies; Mei Lin is Top Chef”, February 13, 2015.
PUBLIX FIELD AT JOKER MARCHANT STADIUM, Lakeland, Florida
Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers will report Tuesday, February 13, 2018, and participate in their first official workout on Wednesday. The rest of the squad is due five days later.
The Tigers are beginning their 82nd season in Lakeland, the longest current relationship between a Major League team and a spring training host city. This will be their 53rd season at Joker Marchant Stadium, also now called Publix Field after extensive renovations before last spring.
If you’re visiting Lakeland, Florida, you can purchase tickets at the Tiger Town box office. Call the ticket office at (863) 686-8075 for more information.
MLive will have daily on-site coverage from Tiger Town in Lakeland throughout the spring.
KEY DATES
Feb. 13 — Pitchers and catchers officially report
Feb. 14 — First official workout
Feb. 18 — Rest of squad officially reports
Feb. 19 — First full-squad workout
Feb. 22 — Exhibition opener against Florida-Southern College in Lakeland
Feb. 23 — Grapefruit League opener against the Yankees at Tampa
Feb. 24 — Grapefruit League home opener against the Blue Jays in Lakeland
For more coverage visit MLive.
The suspect who shot eight Michigan State University students — three fatally — on Monday evening had no evident ties to campus, police said at an 8 a.m. press conference.
Police are still searching for why Anthony McRae, 43, allegedly walked into two campus buildings and opened fire. He had no known current or past ties to the university, police said. After police published a photo taken from a security camera of McRae, a member of the public phoned police with a tip on where he was. Shortly after police made contact with him, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot.
Three victims died on campus, two in Berkey Hall and one in the Union on the northern edge of MSU’s East Lansing campus, on the border with downtown East Lansing. The remaining five victims were transported to Sparrow Hospital. Four of the five required surgery last night and all are listed in critical condition.
Source : David Jesse, “Police: Suspect in Michigan State shooting had no clear ties to university”, Detroit Free Press, February 14, 2023.
Video Note: Commentator Mo Rocca traveled to Hamtramck for CBS Sunday Morning to get this report on Pazcki Day.
It may be Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but in Michigan its called Pazcki Day. Paczki Day Music.
Be sure to wear your stretchy pants so you can indulge in those plump, fruity, calorie- and fat-laden paczki!
Local bakeries will be jammed with paczki lovers this coming Tuesday. The wait can sometimes stretch for over two hours. You can beat the rush on Paczki Day by picking up your dozen on Monday. Source : Paczki Day brings out the Mardi Gras spirit in Hamtramck from the Hamtramck Review.
Here are 10 things you should know about paczki:
1. The name paczki translates to “little packages.”
2. “Paczki” is pronounced POONCH-key and is plural; one pastry is a paczek (POON-check).
3. The paczki is thought of as a way to use up fatty ingredients like lard and butter, as well as sugar, eggs and fruit before Lenten fasting begins.
4. Don’t call paczki jelly doughnuts. They have a much richer flavor because the yeasty dough is made with more eggs. They are also bigger and plumper; the shape is more like a sphere.
5. In Poland, the last Thursday before Lent begins is called Fat Thursday. So the splurge day would not be today, it would have been Feb. 23 this year.
6. Paczki in Poland “are much smaller, about half the size. There’s also a lot less filling, only about a teaspoonful,” according to Bittner.
7. A small amount of grain alcohol is added to paczki dough before cooking. As the alcohol evaporates, it prevents the absorption of oil deep into the dough so the pastry is not greasy.
8. Filling flavors range from a slew of jams, including the traditional rosehip jam, to custard and more. Some bakeries make up their own specialty fillings each year. Some paczki are dusted with powdered sugar, others are covered with icing or glaze, some are drizzled with chocolate. Some have bits of dried orange zest on them.
9. Paczki prices vary widely, depending on the source.
10. Calorie and fat? Brace yourself. Depending on the size, paczki can have as many as 400 calories and more than 20 grams of fat.
Source : Susan Selasky, “It’s Fat Tuesday! What Detroiters should know before eating paczki“, Detroit Free Press, February 28, 2017.
Here’s more information reposted from the Hamtramck Paczki Day page :
Pączki (Polish: pączki) are traditional Polish doughnuts. Pączki is the plural form of the word pączek in Polish, but many English speakers use paczki as singular and paczkis as plural. A pączek is a deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a flattened sphere and filled with Plums or other sweet filling. A traditional filling is marmalade made from fried rose buds. Fresh paczki are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing or bits of fried orange zest. Pączki have been known in Poland at least since the Middle Ages. Jędrzej Kitowicz has described that during the reign of the August III under influence of French cooks who came to Poland at that time, pączki dough baked in Poland has been improved, so that pączki became lighter, spongier, and more resilient Pączki Day Traditionally, the reason for making paczki has been to use up all the lard, sugar and fruit in the house, which are forbidden during Lent. They are eaten especially on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent (Polish: Tłusty czwartek, not to be confused with Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday). In Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and South Bend Paczki Day is more commonly celebrated on Fat Tuesday instead of Fat Thursday.
Although Bismarcks and Jelly-filled doughnuts are the more commonly used names for the pastry in the United States, Polish immigrants have popularized this type of preserve-filled doughnut in some parts of the country, especially in Hamtramck, an enclave of Detroit. Hamtramck is known to be the only U.S. city to organize an annual Paczki-Day (Fat Tuesday) Parade, and lines can be seen up to 24 hours before the deep-fried delights go on sale at the numerous local bakeries. Many bars in town open early in the morning, and provide free entertainment, a party atmosphere, and even Paczki-clad mascots. The Paczki-Day celebration in this town is even larger than many areas have for St. Patrick’s Day.
Here, prunes are considered the traditional filling, but many others are used as well, including lemon, strawberry, Bavarian cream, blueberry, custard, raspberry, and rarely apple. Due to French influence, paczki are eaten on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) rather than on Fat Thursday. In the large Polish community of Chicago, and other large cities across the Midwest, paczki day is also celebrated annually by immigrants and locals alike. Home-made paczki glazed with fondant. Home-made paczki glazed with fondant. Another cultural phenomenon is the emergence of the “Pączki Challenge.” A eating contest in which individuals attempt to race from one side of a room (non – standard) while eating as much or as many Pączki as they can before reaching the other side. The person to reach first and having eaten the most Pączkis wins. Typically a ratio of 1 Pączki for every 10 steps is considered competitive.
Paczki stories in the Google News archives
Need to track when the next Paczki Day falls?
Paczki Day, Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday is exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, a moveable feast based on the cycles of the moon. The date can be anywhere between 3 February and 9 March inclusive. Here’s a table provide by wikipedia:
- 2018 – 13 February
- 2019 – 5 March
- 2020 – 25 February
- 2021 – 16 February
- 2022 – 1 March
- 2023 – 21 February
- 2024 – 13 February
- 2025 – 4 March
- 2026 – 17 February
- 2027 – 9 February
- 2028 – 29 February
- 2029 – 13 February
- 2030 – 5 March
- 2031 – 25 February
- 2032 – 10 February
- 2033 – 1 March
- 2034 – 21 February
- 2035 – 6 February
- 2036 – 26 February
- 2037 – 17 February
- 2038 – 9 March
- 2039 – 22 February
- 2040 – 14 February
- 2041 – 5 March
- 2042 – 18 February
- 2043 – 10 February
- 2044 – 1 March
- 2045 – 21 February
- 2046 – 6 February
- 2047 – 26 February
- 2048 – 18 February
- 2049 – 2 March
- 2050 – 22 February
- 2051 – 14 February
- 2052 – 5 March
- 2053 – 18 February
- 2054 – 10 February
- 2055 – 2 March
- 2056 – 15 February
- 2057 – 6 March
- 2058 – 26 February
- 2059 – 11 February
- 2060 – 2 March
- 2061 – 22 February
- 2062 – 7 February
- 2063 – 27 February
- 2064 – 19 February
- 2065 – 10 February
- 2066 – 23 February
- 2067 – 15 February
- 2068 – 6 March
- 2069 – 26 February
- 2070 – 11 February
- 2071 – 3 March
- 2072 – 23 February
- 2073 – 7 February
- 2074 – 27 February
- 2075 – 19 February
- 2076 – 3 March
- 2077 – 23 February
- 2078 – 15 February
- 2079 – 7 March
- 2080 – 20 February
- 2081 – 11 February
- 2082 – 3 March
- 2083 – 16 February
- 2084 – 8 February
- 2085 – 27 February
- 2086 – 12 February
- 2087 – 4 March
- 2088 – 24 February
- 2089 – 15 February
- 2090 – 28 February
- 2091 – 20 February
- 2092 – 12 February
- 2093 – 24 February
- 2094 – 16 February
- 2095 – 8 March
- 2096 – 28 February
- 2097 – 12 February
- 2098 – 4 March
- 2099 – 24 February