Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer. Nicknamed The Empress of the Blues, Smith was the most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s.^[1] She is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and, along with Louis Armstrong, a major influence on other jazz vocalists.^[2]

In 2002 Smith's recording of the single, “Downhearted Blues“, was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.^[23] The board selects songs on an annual basis that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”^[24] “Downhearted Blues” was included in the list of Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts in 2001. It is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock 'n' roll.^[25]

More here. (Note: One post throughout February will be dedicated to Black History Month.)

Law Professor Lea Vandervelde (University of Iowa) explains the U.S. Supreme Court's 1857 decision, based in-part on the Scott's time in Minnesota, and how the decision split the nation in two prior to the outbreak of war in 1861. Richard Josey (Minnesota Historical Society) focuses on Dred and Harriet Scott's time at Fort Snelling from 1836 to 1840.

More here. (Note: One post throughout February will be dedicated to Black History Month.)

From US National Park Service:

James dropped out of high school in 1919 and left Bentonia to work and live at a road construction camp near Ruleville. During the next two years he worked in various levee and lumber camps around the Delta. While working in a lumber camp James composed his first song, “Illinois Blues.” On weekends, he would pick his guitar for tips in the nearby towns of Drew, Louise, and Belzoni. In 1921, James moved to Weona, Arkansas, to work as a lumber grader at a sawmill camp. There he met pianist/pimp Will Crabtree. By James's account, Crabtree was a huge man from nearby Marked Tree, Arkansas, who influenced his piano playing and lifestyle. James remained in Weona until 1923, hustling women and working as a pianist. After a dispute with one of the women, James moved to Memphis, where he worked as a pianist at a brothel on North Nichols Street.

Hard time's is here
An ev'rywhere you go
Times are harder
Than th'ever been befo'

Um, hm-hm
Um-hm
Um, hm-hm
Um, hm-hm-hm

You know that people
They are driftin' from do' to do'
But they can't find no heaven
I don't care where they go

Um, hm-hm
Um-uh-hm
Mm-hm-hm
Um, hm-hm-hm

Well, you hear me singing this old lonesome song
People, you know these hard times can last us so very long

Hm, hm-hm
Hmm, hmm
Hm, hm-hm
Hm, hm-hm-hm

People, if I ever can get up Off of this old hard killing floor
Lord, I'll never get down this low no more

Um, hm-hm-hm
Hm, um-hm
Hm, hm-hm
Hm, hm-hm-hm

You know, you'll say you had money you better be sure
But these hard times gonna kill you just drive a lonely soul

More here. (Note: One post throughout February will be dedicated to Black History Month.)

Black history is made everyday with contributions from black people all around the world. In this episode of “Our History in Black”, we study the most famous, notorious, and unforgivable black man of his time. Jack Johnson Nicknamed the “Galveston giant”. The first black heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

More here. (Note: One post throughout February will be dedicated to Black History Month.)

Rare Soul:

George Johnson's song Whistling Coon was one of the most popular of the Coon songs of the 1850-90s. While the records and the imagery that goes along with them are offensive, these are pioneering African-American recordings and songs. The amazing thing about the earliest of Johnson's recordings is that each one was unique. Each record was recorded and cut ON THE SPOT, so he had to do each take perfectly, and was then paid for the session. He made a decent living, but there weren't any copyright laws, or even any recorded industry at this point. It's said he did this song 56 times in one day.

(Verse 1)
Oh I've seen in my time some very funny folks
But the funniest of all I know
Is a coloured individual as sure as you're alive
As black as any black crow
You can talk until you're tired but you'll never get a word
From this very funny queer old coon
He's a knock-kneed, double-jointed hunky-punky mook*
but he's happy when he whistles in tune.

(Verse 2)
Oh he's got a pair of lips like a pound of liver, split
And a nose like an india-rubber shoe
He's a limpy, happy, chuckle-headed huckleberry nig
And he whistles like a happy killy* loon
He's an independent, free-and-easy bad and greasy ham
With a cranium like a big baboon
Oh I never heard him talk to anybody in my life
but he's happy when he whistles in tune.

(Verse 3)
Oh he'll whistle in the morning through the day and through the night
And he whistles when he goes to bed
He whistles like a locomotive engine in his sleep
And he whistled when his wife was dead
One day a fellow hit him with a brick upon the mouth
His face swelled like a big balloon
But it didn't faze the merry happy huckleberry nig
And he whistled up the same old tune.

More here. (Note: One post throughout February will be dedicated to Black History Month.)

Note: For Abbas. CRISPR is one of the four most beautiful scientific discoveries of the last 100 years in biology and has entirely changed the direction of our research.