Morphological Confetti

I had a chance to go back to my roots this weekend in North Carolina. It’s always a good trip because I am always able to learn something new about my people and about the state. Did you know that there is an area near Durham, NC known as Hayti? As a matter of fact, it was the first documented use of the name Hayti; the name was found on a land deed in 1877 for a lot sold on the southeast end of the city to a group of African American citizens. I’m sure you recognize the resemblance in spelling to the Independent Island nation of Haiti or Ayiti (Land of Mountains). The origin of this obvious dedication and admiration to the Island nation of Haiti is unknown, but it should be noted that US map makers as early as 1867 referred to all black settlements as Hayti. Some historians also feel that the newly freed Africans in America felt a kinship with the people of Haiti in their continued fight for freedom and independence. Definition: arbre de la liberté (Liberty tree) Information Source...

Last evening, I had the pleasure of seeing Paul Rusesabagina speak at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. Rusesabagina played a major role in saving over 1200 Rwandan refugees during the slaughter of what would become millions throughout the country. Rusesabagina’s bravery and dedication to saving the lives of his people inspired the 2004 award winning film, Hotel Rwanda, starring Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina. In this informative lecture, Rusesabagina gave a detailed account of what happened at the Hotel des Mille Collines in April of 1994 and the effects that it had on him as an individual. He spoke of the atrocities of genocide inflicted upon the Tutsis by the Hutu. He also spoke of the United Nations role in allowing these atrocities to happen and how the West chose to walk away from the situation. He went on to say that they could have, at least, silenced the radios in and around Rwanda that were spewing hate messages and fueling the already intense animosity the...