The first known account of surfing was written during the 1640s in what is now Ghana. Surfing was independently developed from Senegal to Angola. Africa possesses thousands of miles of warm, surf-filled waters and populations of strong swimmers and sea-going fishermen and merchants who knew surf patterns and crewed surf-canoes capable of catching and riding waves upwards of ten feet high. Popular histories of surfing tell us that Polynesians were the only people to develop surfing, that the first account of surfing was written in Hawai‘i in 1778 and that Bruce Brown, Robert August and Mike Hynson introduced surfing into West Africa. All these claims are incorrect. This is according to Surfing.com by way of University of California history professor Kevin Dawson who writes about longstanding connection between African people and the ocean in Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora.
Black History 365 | # 169 Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is linked directly to the life and career of Benjamin O. Davis Jr. The son of an Army general and a 1936 graduate of West Point, Davis was a member of the first class of five cadets to earn their wings at Tuskegee. He was selected to lead the new 99th Pursuit Squadron, the Army Air Corps’ first all-black air unit. He was the first for a lot of things. He was the first Black military officer to attend any War College, graduating from the Air War College in 1950. After serving at the Pentagon for two years, the Air Force placed Davis in charge of a fighter wing stationed in South Korea. He was the first Black commander of an integrated fighter wing and proved that white pilots and officers could respect and take orders from a Black officer. After his success in Korea, Davis was promoted to brigadier general, making him the first Black general in the Air Force. Peace > War. But we can’t deny this major piece of Black history in America. Respect and thank you for your service.
Black History 365 | # 168 52 Blocks
There is a fighting style, known as 52 Blocks — according to Vice “…the term refers to a purported codified New York prison system-specific style of Jail House Boxing, aka Jail House Rock... The moves themselves supposedly reflect the prison environment. The idea is that the tight stances, lack of far-ranging movement, and emphasis on survival and defense were designed to function in the confines of a prison cell than a ring.” Defensively and offensively, the 52 never stops moving. The torso is constantly shifting and turning. The techniques have been handed down through word of mouth. So it’s history (much like many black histories) is a bit fuzzy. 52 Blocks scholar Daniel Marks, who first learned of the form from street savvy recruits while in the Army, refers in a brief monograph to the southern African American fighting of “Knocking and Kicking.” Frazier similarly connects Jail House Rock back to a “Virginia Scufflin” boxing practiced by slaves in the 1800s. The existence of enslaved bare knuckle boxers—like the famous Tom Molineaux—who were forced to fight for their masters’ entertainment, is documented in other sources, including the foundational early-1800s prize fighting account, Boxiana. Marks and Frazier both connect Southern African American fighting styles back to African martial arts, such as Hausa Boxing (also known as Dambe) in Nigeria.
Black History 365 | # 167 Korean Fried Chicken
The amazing fried delicacy we’ve come to love and is extremely popular in from Korea was actually taught by African-American soldiers during the Korean War. According to a Korean fried chicken and Yuri shop in Texas, most food historians would agree that these are the origins…yeah it’s like that!
Black History 365 | # 166 The Aeta People of the Philippines
The Aeta People are the descendants of the original African natives and inhabitants of the Philippines. It is said that “Aetas are found in Zambales, Tarlac, Pampanga, Angeles, Olongapo, Panay, Bataan and Nueva Ecija. But because of the Mount Pinatubo eruption, some of them moved to resettlement areas in Pampanga and Tarlac.” The Aeta receive little-to-no recognition and support from the government. They have lost much of their ancestral domain to land grabbers, loggers, and corrupt mining operations. Because they are usually spread out in mountainous areas, the Spaniards had a hard time introducing Catholicism to their population. They mostly resisted to change, which made it difficult for the Spanish to colonize their areas. This is also one of the reasons why they were able to preserve their cultural traditions and beliefs through to today.