184th birthday of James Beale Africanus Horton

(Born 1 June 1835, Gloucester, Sierra Leone)

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

PHYSICIAN, first Igbo and African graduate of University of Edinburgh Medical School (August 1859), prolific author of the sciences and history, distinguished officer of the British army medical corps, visionary of freedom and restoration-of-African-independence and transformation of African fortunes in the world after centuries of European World enslavement, conquest, occupation and expropriation; entrepreneur and banker

(Wynton Kelly Trio with George Coleman, “Mr P.C.” {composer: John Coltrane} [Kelly, piano; Coleman, tenor saxophone; Paul McLure, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums; recorded, live, Left Bank Jazz Society, Baltimore, Maryland, US, 22 September 1968])

*****Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe is the author of The longest genocide – since 29 May 1966 (2019) and co-author, with Lakeson Okwuonicha, of Why #DonaldTrump is #great for #Africa (2018)

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

114th birthday of Charles R Drew

(Born 3 June 1904, Washington, DC, US)

PHYSICIAN, academic, distinguished researcher in medical sciences, directing, soon after his doctorate degree in Columbia University Medical School in 1940 (first African American, had earlier on in 1933 received his MD and Master of Surgery degrees at McGill University), the special New York-based blood transfusion service for Britain, set up in response to the acute blood supply shortages in the country, for both civilian and military, during these early months of the Second World War, named after the Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, California

(Billy Strayhorn Quintet, “Upper Manhattan Medical Group” [personnel: Strayhorn, piano; Clark Terry, trumpet; Bob Wilbur, clarinet, soprano saxophone; Wendell Marshall, bass; Dave Bailey, drums; recorded: ?, 1965]) 

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

183rd birthday of James Beale Africanus Horton

(Born 1 June 1835, Gloucester, Sierra Leone)

PHYSICIAN, first Igbo and African graduate of University of Edinburgh Medical School (August 1859), prolific author of the sciences and history, distinguished officer of the British army medical corps, visionary of freedom and restoration-of-African-independence and transformation of African fortunes in the world after centuries of European World enslavement, conquest, occupation and expropriation; entrepreneur and banker
(Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe)

(Red Garland Quintet, “All mornin’ long” [personnel: Garland, piano; Donald Byrd, trumpet; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone; George Joyner, bass; Art Taylor, drums;  recorded: Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, US, 15 November 1957]) 

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

203rd birthday of Martin Delany

(Born 6 May 1815, Charles Town, Virginia, US)

INFLUENTIAL African freedom nationalist, physician, writer, who notes, memorably, “every people should be originators of their own destiny” – the very breathtaking resilient resolve that powers the ongoing Biafra freedom movement in southwestcentral Africa

(Charles Mingus Sextet – with Eric Dolphy, Cornell University 1964, “Meditations” [personnel: Mingus, bass; Johnny Coles, trumpet; Dolphy, flute, bass clarinet; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard, piano; Dannie Richmond, drums; recorded: live, Cornell University, 18 March 1964]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

95th birthday of Agostinho Neto

(Born 17 September 1922, ĺcolo e Bengo, Angola)

Physician, poet, co-founder of Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, and first African president of Angola, November 1975, after the people’s victory terminating 400 years of the Portuguese conquest, occupation and immiseration

(Sonny Clark Trio – with Max Roach and George Duvivier, Rare session [41.46 mins] includes  “Minor meeting”, “Nica”, “Sonny’s crib”, “Blues blue” and “My conception” [personnel: Clark, piano; Duvivier, bass; Roach, drums; recorded: AllMusic, New York, US, 23 March 1960])

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

113th birthday of Charles R Drew

(Born 3 June 1904, Washington, DC, US)

Physician, academic, distinguished researcher in medical sciences, directing, soon after his doctorate degree in Columbia University Medical School in 1940 (first African American, had earlier on in 1933 received his MD and Master of Surgery degrees at McGill University), the special New York-based blood transfusion service for Britain, set up in response to the acute blood supply shortages in the country, for both civilian and military, during these early months of the Second World War, named after the Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, California

(Billy Strayhorn Quintet, “Upper Manhattan Medical Group” [personnel: Strayhorn, piano; Clark Terry, trumpet; Bob Wilbur, clarinet, soprano saxophone; Wendell Marshall, bass; Dave Bailey, drums; recorded: ?, 1965]) 

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

202nd birthday of Martin Delany

(Born 6 May 1815, Charles Town, Virginia, US)

INFLUENTIAL African freedom nationalist, physician, writer, who notes, memorably, “every people should be originators of their own destiny” – the very breathtaking resilient resolve that powers the ongoing Biafra freedom movement in southwestcentral Africa

(Charles Mingus Sextet – with Eric Dolphy, Cornell University 1964, “Meditations” [personnel: Mingus, bass; Johnny Coles, trumpet; Dolphy, flute, bass clarinet; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Jaki Byard, piano; Dannie Richmond, drums; recorded: live, Cornell University, 18 March 1964]) 

Twitter@HerbertEkweEkwe

Will Smith’s interview in the Daily Telegraph as Concussion opens in British cinemas this weekend

(Will Smith)

Award-winning actor Will Smith who plays physician and neuropathologist Bennet Omalu in the movie, Concussion, is interviewed here by Brian Moore and Susanne Reid, Daily Telegraph, London, Thursday 11 February 2016

Smith: “ … I met with Dr Omalu, and he is such a special human being. He has eight degrees and is one of the most brilliant people you’ll ever meet. But at the same time there is almost a childlike naivety about him. He expects people to be good, and he’s shocked when they are not – he really doesn’t understand how not knowing something is better than knowing … ”

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/americanfootball/12152712/NFL-players-would-call-to-see-the-movie-for-information.html, accessed 11 February 2016)

(Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu)

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe