Humankind is susceptible to 2 types of sin: (1) The State Of Sin that originated from the fall of Adam and Eve; which we are all born into. (2) The Acts Of Sin which we as imperfect mortals tend to commit everyday. This is why God The Father, bestowed His mercy and grace upon us and sent Christ, in the flesh, to save us. For God knew that without Jesus we would all be doomed by either our State Of Sin or our Acts Of Sin. Christ's death on the cross symbolized the death of our State Of Sin; that we could (through The Son) become acceptable in the eyes of The Father again. Through Christ's sacrifice of His Blood our random Acts Of Sin ( through genuine repentance) are washed clean everyday by that same Blood. We must acknowledge that only through the sacrifice of Christ could our Salvation ever become possible. Without Jesus Christ we would remain in a State Of Sin too unclean to approach The Father God. This is why we pray in the name of Jesus. Without Jesus Christ our Acts Of Sin would cling to us like filthy rags and drag us to certain doom. God loves us so much that He provided The One Way for a man or woman to once again achieve acceptability in His Eyes. Spiritual Salvation through Jesus Christ takes a personal and individual effort but it is there for everyone to grasp. Accept Christ so that He will know and accept you. Surrender to Christ so that He will save you. Believe with all your heart that you cannot do it without Him...Accept Him as The Only Begotten Son of God...Believe that He truly is your Saviour... Don't be afraid or ashamed to say this out of your mouth to anyone...Keep Him as the Head of your life...Acknowledge, praise and worship Him and His amazing Power...Give Him the credit for every blessing that you give and receive...and just as He rose up from the grave to live forever....Through your devotion and faith in Jesus Christ...
SO SHALL YOU!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The 10th Anniversary Of The 911 Attacks... Terrorism Is No Stranger To Black America
We are coming up on the 10th anniversary of the 911 World Trade Center Attacks. This was a tragic moment in American history, but it was no more tragic than the bombing of the 16th St Baptist Church in Birmingham 1963 which killed 4 young black girls, or the beatings and wrongful imprisonment of the Freedom Riders in 1961, or the assasination of Medgar Evers and Dr King, or the 1964 murders of the 3 "Freedom Summer" civil rights workers in Neshoba County Mississippi, or the police brutality and killings of young students and protesters in Birmingham 1963, or all the unresolved and unpunished terrorism and murders of blacks by the KKK, or the unbalanced lack of employment oportunities for black people right now (today), causing greater poverty in our neighborhoods which in turn causes more crime which in turn places an uneven percentage of black people in American jails and prisons. The list goes on and on and on! Yes, 911, on a grand scale, was undoubtedly a horrific tragedy and a legitimate reason for mourning. However, it was nothing that we, as black people, were not already used to. If we address one act of terrorism, on American soil, then we must address them all. There is no difference between a so-called Muslim wearing a turban or kufi planting a bomb or a so-called Christian wearing a hooded robe or para-military camouflage planting a bomb; when the end results is to cause the pain and death of innocent people (No matter what race, religion, creed or nationality) due to some type of misguided and sociopathic hatred. A lot of innocent lives were lost on September 11, 2001. But, if we total it all up, even more innocent lives have been destroyed or lost due to the injustices setforth upon black people (just for being black) by terrorist born right here in the USA.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
"Family Of The Bush" by Carl G. Brown (Exclusive-No Prints Available On Website)
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 30"x40" Stretched Canvas
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
"I HAVE" (A Spiritual Poem) by Carl G. Brown
I have stories to tell about things in my life that really happened
About things that taught me what to do
I have a testimony to give...poetic words of instruction
Comes from the scars and pain of learning the hard way what not to do
I have walked down many of life’s dead-end streets for I am a sinner
I have survived some dismal scenes and schemes...only by the grace of GOD do I still live
I have to remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus suffered for all of us
And have the courage to make a sacrifice whenever it’s my turn to give
I have to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground
My mind must never float off into the moon...the stars...the sun
I have to keep my thinking unclouded by evil and steadfast on Christ
Or no one will believe or understand where these spiritual messages are coming from
I have real words of truth from my real life experiences
Fiction may be cool for some…but how full does something unreal fill a cup?
I have to truly believe that I can lose no spiritual battles
If I keep serving The Lord by standing firm in my Faith and never giving up
I have to tell the GOD sent truth because there is no victory in lies
I will have nothing to regret if my heart remains obedient to GOD and true
I will continue to worship The Lord in good times and in bad times
I will continue to give Jesus Christ the credit for every righteous thing that I do
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
"Three Versus Three" a poem by Carl G. Brown 03/16/2006
The Devil, the World and the Flesh
The three diabolical enemies of man
Most invincible in their combined attacks
The axis powers of a satanic plan
The Devil…the arch angle of Almighty GOD
The World…so saturated with sin
The Flesh…which makes us weak and mortal
How can we humans ever win?
Win this fight between good versus evil?
Win this battle between heaven and hell?
Win this conflict between the blessed and the damned?
In our mortal weakness we will most certainly fail
The demonic three are most powerful
All alone we stand not a chance
It is their mission to destroy our hopes for Eternal Life
For it is everlasting death they romance
The total destruction of all that is pure and good
The annihilation of GOD’s Kingdom itself
Through temptation, sin and faithlessness
They will not relent until only evil is left
Many men and women will turn away from God
Surrendering to evil in cowardly submission
They will refuse to have faith in the only solution
That can resolve this very grave spiritual condition
In their doubt and spiritual weakness
They will neglect to wear the full armor
Their souls will become the helpless prisoners
Of the World, the Flesh and the "Crafty Charmer"
They will succumb unto a dark eternity
Of torture within the flames of Hell’s fire
Becoming the slaves and beaten captives
Of the Murderer, the Thief and the Liar
But, the few that are saved by the Blood of Christ
Those obedient and faithful few
The valiant soldiers of GOD’s hallowed army
We understand what the evil trio will do
Many a disbeliever will say the words
Yes...many will smoothly talk the talk
But in this war to end all wars
We must cease talking and walk the walk
We must be students and well trained soldiers
In this engagement against the ruthless three
We must call upon a Three of our own
We need The Holy Trinity
Through the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
Through prayer, meditation and good works
Through learning the Word of GOD and passing it on
We shall inherit a peaceful Earth
The Father…our omnipotent Creator
The Son…who perished and then arose
To wash us clean of our sins and offer Eternal Life
The Holy Spirit… to fill our souls
There is no weapon formed of polluted evil
Neither the Devil, the World or the Flesh
That can hurt or destroy a true child of GOD
For we are protected in our faithfulness
We proclaim Jesus Christ to be our Savior
That He is the only begotten Son of GOD
That He shed His Blood to guarantee our lives
And resurrected for our greater regard
If you should worship GOD, the Father
If you truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
If you be filled with the Holy Spirit
Your personal battles with evil will then be won
As it is written...Your battles will be won
With the Holy Trinity by your side
The Grace of the Father…the Sacrifice of the Son
The Holy Spirit as your guide
Without the awesome powers of our GOD
Humankind could never be free
From the Devil, the World and the Flesh
Our most diabolical and deadly enemies
Friday, June 17, 2011
"Eye Of The Storm" by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
www.cbrownartprints.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011
"GOD" a poem by Carl G. Brown 02/21/2008
GOD...is in the crack houses
With crack smoke thick in the air
Touching an addicted soul
To pull them out of there
GOD... is in the street gangs
With the menaces of society
Touching a wayward soul
To turn a life back to legitimacy
GOD... is in the prisons and jails
With the killers, drug dealers and thieves
Touching a convicted soul
To give them His true reprieve
GOD... is on the battlefields
With the machine gun fire and bursting shells
Providing strength and courage
To the troopers trapped in a living hell
GOD... is under the bridges
Where the homeless lay to rest
Touching a penniless soul
Giving them a new will to be their best
GOD... is in the abusive homes
Where battered wives and children are not secure
To protect an innocent soul
From the torture that they endure
GOD... is in the schools
Where the young ones go to learn
Giving them the wisdom
To pass on the knowledge when comes their turn
GOD... is in the ghettos
Where there is not a dime to spend
Giving the poor a spiritual richness
That will never come to end
GOD... is with the single parents
Who are raising their kids alone
Giving His helping hand
To teach the children right from wrong
GOD... is in the hospitals
Where the sick and the dying lay
To heal them from their illness
Or to comfort them along their way
One thing you must know of GOD
He never ceases to care
And God is always by your side
For GOD...is everywhere
"Life In The Hood" a poem by Carl G. Brown 03/10/1999
Tear stained traces
On solemn faces
From desperate places
On the block
Thugs and G's
Kneeling on one knee
Dice four...dice three
With them pistols cocked
On street corners they hang
Sellin' that thang
Or those pimps will bang
Up on them heads
It's understood
That in the ghetto hood
Their hustle best be good
Or they might be dead
In tiny plastic sacks
Small rocks called 'Crack'
They step way in the back
To take a blast
Dope fiend not sure
If the dope is pure
Might be his cure
Might be his last
Bills must be paid
But they're earning minimum wage
So they live in rage
And resort to crime
As blue lights flash
A father stole that cash
Then he made that dash
But now he's making time
The cement floors
The iron doors
The mosquito sores
On tiny legs
With bellies tight
They will not eat tonight
Perhaps they might
Get out and beg
While jobs decline
The unemployment line
Is doing real fine
And growing stronger
Feels like they've flunked
So they get high...they get drunk
Their faith has sunk
Don't care no longer
The sirens blare
The fires flare
But no one cares
When they come 'round
The can't relate
They won't debate
The ghetto's fate
Won't make a sound
There is no grass
Just broken glass
And painful pasts
Misunderstood
A gun acquired
A shot is fired
Young man dead and expired
Life in the 'Hood"
"The Game Of Life" a poem by Carl G. Brown 07/14/2005
Sometimes in life
We take spills...we take falls
The valiant get back up to their feet
They dust off...and they stand up tall
They grab that bull called " Living"
Back by the horns
And they ride that unpredictable beast
Until its tired...until its worn
You see...it's alright to give
But never Give Up
For up ahead
May lie your Golden Cup
Keep moving straight forward
Do not look back
Because reality is tight
There is no room for the slack
The strong will win
The weak will lose
The road that you travel
Will be the road that you choose
Whether you choose the bottom
Or whether you choose the top
Time will not wait
The grind will never stop
This is a very cruel world
But we are stuck here in it
So...if we are playing this game called "Life"
We might as well walk with Christ...and win it
Monday, June 13, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
"The Right Call" by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
This piece was inspired by my admiration of the accomplishments and hard work of my friend ,of almost 40 years, NBA Referee Derrick Stafford.
Monday, June 6, 2011
"Moses Parts The Sea" (Exodus 14:21) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Exodus 14:21
King James Version (KJV)
21And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
"The Furnace" (Daniel 3:25) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Daniel 3:25
King James Version (KJV)
25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
"The Hammer, The Nail &The Blood" (Mark 15:25) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Mark 15:25
King James Version (KJV)
25And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
"Noah's Ark" (Genesis 7:7-9) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Genesis 7:7-9
King James Version (KJV)
7And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
"The Creation Of Woman" (Genesis 2:21-22) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Genesis 2:21-22
King James Version (KJV)
21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Immigration...The American Paradox by Carl Brown
Many Mexican and El Salvadoran people have come here and discovered that the "American Dream" can become a nightmare when America is rubbed the wrong way. As a black man, born in the 1950's, I have also experienced the uglier side of America. African-Americans are the only race of people in the United States whose ancestors did not immigrate here of their own free wills. However, the majority of people who make up America all have an ancestral history rooted in voluntary immigration. Every person of Irish, Italian, German, Greek, Asian, and Russian decent have relatives who came here in search of a better life. America has always been touted as "The Melting Pot". Even the indigenous American Indians' ancestors migrated here from Siberia through the Barren Straits. No one here is originally from here no matter how they got here or how long they have been here. As a matter of fact, the Mexicans were here, out West, before the West was even America. Now, many of them, have created a socio-economic problem for America and they must bare their share of the blame and help correct this growing concern.
Here is the paradox. Although one of America's founding principals was based on immigration. We cannot leave out the adjective "LEGAL" immigration. When someone comes here illegally their first act here is a criminal one. Unfortunately, common sense dictates that if someone was willing to commit one illegal act, for whatever reason, they would most likely be willing to commit more illegal acts. Most immigrants, legal or illegal, come here to better their economic situation. This means that when they get here they will, most likely, need to take advantage of social assistance such as food stamps, public housing and indigent medical care. Legal immigration does not place a great strain on the funds in the state and federal coffers targeted for these programs because more people are paying into the programs and the states are aware of the population increases and can justify increases in the financial budgets supporting these programs. This next point goes back to the notion that if one crime can be committed so can another. Many illegal immigrants also possess illegal identification and documents that allows them access to public assistance causing an imbalance in the inflow and outflow of the funds intended for the citizens and legal aliens in need of the help. Funding will always be inadequate as long as so many unaccounted people are taking out. The huge overflow of people abusing or misusing these programs through illegal means has made it extremely difficult for the legitimate families (many single parented and low income) that need these social services and may at some point have helped pay into them. The strain on these programs, due to more resources going out than coming in , is in part, the cause and effect of an increase in fraudulent enrollment by unaccounted people using counterfeited or illegally obtained documents.
Legal immigration allows for monitoring in an effort to prevent criminal fugitives from fleeing justice into America or allowing known criminal elements from taking up residence. Legal immigration allows monitoring in an effort to prevent communicable diseases, long wiped out from the American population, from becoming a national threat again. Legal immigration allows a person to become a law abiding participant in the social taxation structure of this country and not someone who has come here to drain it's resources without giving back.
The Mexican and El Salvadoran immigrants are vital to our agricultural and construction industries and we can ill afford to lose them. To banish them from this country would be to banish ourselves. Several American businesses depend on their skills and wills to work. Not too many Americans pick anything but their noses and toes. Who do you think picks our delicate crops that a machine would ruin?
My only objection is that too many of our friends south of the border take the illegal way out. I cannot justify or condone any illegal act to reach a means, no matter how good intentioned, when there is a legal recourse available. I would not have approved of the Civil Rights Movement if it was founded on illegal and violent principals. That is why it was not. It was done by the rules set forth for all people in this country. It was not easy but it opened the door for national support for a good and just cause. So must our Hispanic brothers and sisters address this issue of immigration...by the rules. Supporting illegal immigration would be like supporting the riots in the 60's that decimated many black communities. It was wrong and in the long run worse for the people who were doing it. Illegal immigration opens a legitimate platform for the bigots and racists to spout their hatred to people who under normal circumstances would not listen. You cannot do something wrong and make it seem right. If you try to do that...if you fight to support breaking the law and cheating... you will look like a hypocrite. One great American principal is..."Play by the rules!" That will never change. It is not a good idea to enter this country by breaking the rules and expect the law abiding citizens to accept it or put up with it.
In closing, I think most Americans, no matter their ethnic origin, feel as I do and that is not to discourage or block people from coming here to find a better life, as millions have before them, but to discourage those
people who choose to come from entering into America illegally.
Here is the paradox. Although one of America's founding principals was based on immigration. We cannot leave out the adjective "LEGAL" immigration. When someone comes here illegally their first act here is a criminal one. Unfortunately, common sense dictates that if someone was willing to commit one illegal act, for whatever reason, they would most likely be willing to commit more illegal acts. Most immigrants, legal or illegal, come here to better their economic situation. This means that when they get here they will, most likely, need to take advantage of social assistance such as food stamps, public housing and indigent medical care. Legal immigration does not place a great strain on the funds in the state and federal coffers targeted for these programs because more people are paying into the programs and the states are aware of the population increases and can justify increases in the financial budgets supporting these programs. This next point goes back to the notion that if one crime can be committed so can another. Many illegal immigrants also possess illegal identification and documents that allows them access to public assistance causing an imbalance in the inflow and outflow of the funds intended for the citizens and legal aliens in need of the help. Funding will always be inadequate as long as so many unaccounted people are taking out. The huge overflow of people abusing or misusing these programs through illegal means has made it extremely difficult for the legitimate families (many single parented and low income) that need these social services and may at some point have helped pay into them. The strain on these programs, due to more resources going out than coming in , is in part, the cause and effect of an increase in fraudulent enrollment by unaccounted people using counterfeited or illegally obtained documents.
Legal immigration allows for monitoring in an effort to prevent criminal fugitives from fleeing justice into America or allowing known criminal elements from taking up residence. Legal immigration allows monitoring in an effort to prevent communicable diseases, long wiped out from the American population, from becoming a national threat again. Legal immigration allows a person to become a law abiding participant in the social taxation structure of this country and not someone who has come here to drain it's resources without giving back.
The Mexican and El Salvadoran immigrants are vital to our agricultural and construction industries and we can ill afford to lose them. To banish them from this country would be to banish ourselves. Several American businesses depend on their skills and wills to work. Not too many Americans pick anything but their noses and toes. Who do you think picks our delicate crops that a machine would ruin?
My only objection is that too many of our friends south of the border take the illegal way out. I cannot justify or condone any illegal act to reach a means, no matter how good intentioned, when there is a legal recourse available. I would not have approved of the Civil Rights Movement if it was founded on illegal and violent principals. That is why it was not. It was done by the rules set forth for all people in this country. It was not easy but it opened the door for national support for a good and just cause. So must our Hispanic brothers and sisters address this issue of immigration...by the rules. Supporting illegal immigration would be like supporting the riots in the 60's that decimated many black communities. It was wrong and in the long run worse for the people who were doing it. Illegal immigration opens a legitimate platform for the bigots and racists to spout their hatred to people who under normal circumstances would not listen. You cannot do something wrong and make it seem right. If you try to do that...if you fight to support breaking the law and cheating... you will look like a hypocrite. One great American principal is..."Play by the rules!" That will never change. It is not a good idea to enter this country by breaking the rules and expect the law abiding citizens to accept it or put up with it.
In closing, I think most Americans, no matter their ethnic origin, feel as I do and that is not to discourage or block people from coming here to find a better life, as millions have before them, but to discourage those
people who choose to come from entering into America illegally.
"Adam" & "Eve" (Genesis 2:23-25) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Genesis 2:23-25
King James Version (KJV)
23And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
"Casting Out Demons" (Matthew 8:28-32) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Matthew 8:28-34
King James Version (KJV
30And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
31So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
"The Creation Of Man" (Genesis 2:7) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Genesis 2:7
King James Version (KJV)
7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
"JAH Love" (Psalm 68:4) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Canvas
Psalm 68:4
Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
"Moses And The Burning Bush" (Exodus 3:2-6) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Exodus 3:2-6
New International Version (NIV)
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
"Peace...Be Still" (Mark 4:39) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Mark 4:39
King James Version (KJV)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
"George Washington Carver" (Agricultural Genius) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on Strtetched Canvas
George Washington Carver was born into slavery in 1864. Since slave births, as a practice, went undocumented the actual date of his birth is unknown. Some sources note January 1864 and others note July 12, 1864 as possible birth dates.
Carver was born on the Moses Carter Plantation, in Diamond Grove (today known as Diamond), Missouri. It is said that Moses Carter treated his slaves as decent as a man who upheld the institution of slavery could. Young George was sickly and frail. The Carter family developed a strong affection for him. Due to his ill health, he was not required to work in the cotton or crop fields. However, it was while playing in the fields of the plantation that he first showed an affinity and aptitude for plant life. Young Carver's interest in plant life earned him the nickname, "The Plant Doctor".
Carver's father died shortly after he was born. Tragically, when
he was still an infant George and his mother were both stolen off the plantation by thieves. The Carter family loved baby George so much that they got him back by trading a race horse for him. Unfortunately, Carver's mother was never recovered. From this point on, Moses Carter and his wife raised George as their step-son and allowed him priveledges beyond that of a slave, eventually granting him his freedom.
In 1874, around the age of 10, George left the Moses Carter Plantation in search of the formal education that was prohibited to African-Americans in Diamond Grove. At the age of 12 he was finally accepted at a one-room school house in Newton County, Missouri, where he traded farm labor for an education. After seeing a black man beaten to death in the streets of Newton County, Carver left the state of Missouri for good. He move to Minneapolis, Kansas and graduated from Minneapolis High School.
Carver's goal was to attend college but he had been turned down by several scholastic institutions because of his race. Finally in 1890, Carver was accepted at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, where he excelled in fine art. It was George's love for plant life that gave reason for him to transfer to Iowa Agricultural College (today known as Iowa State University). He graduated with a bachelors degree in 1894. This was a profound feat for a black man in the 1890's.
Carver's accomplishments at Iowa Agricultural College so impressed the Board of Deans that they offered him a position to teach there. He became the first African-American to hold a position on the faculty of Iowa State University. He was authorized to use the school's laboratory and greenhouse facilities often as needed. and he took full advantage of this opportunity.
Carver undertook advanced researches in botany and agricultural sciences while also teaching and working on his Masters Degree at the University. In 1895, he collaborated on a study about the prevention and cures of cherry plant fungi that was published and released in professional journals. In 1896, George Washington Carver earned his Masters Degree in agriculture from Iowa State University. Through his research, while there, he discovered two previously unknown strains of fungus that were named in his honor.
In 1897, Booker T. Washington, president and founder of Tuskegee Institute, an all black university in Tuskegee, Alabama, convinced Carver to accept the position as Head of the School of Agriculture. While teaching at Tuskegee Institute (today known as Tuskegee University) Carver began a personal investigation of the mounting problems facing the share croppers and poor farmers of the early 20th century deep South. This was a subject he was self-driven to resolve
Prior to Reconstruction, cotton had been the staple crop for southern farmers. Years upon years of planting the nutrient depleting cotton had severely damaged the soil. It yielded less and less healthy crop each year. Compounding the problem, was the onslaught of the boll weevil plagues of the early 1900's. This served as the knock-out blow for the cotton industry. Cotton was no longer a viable crop for the small farmer. Carver stepped in and convinced the independent farmers and share croppers (many African-American) to consider planting alternative crops to cotton. He educated them on crops such as peanuts, sweet potatoes and soy beans. These type crops would replenish the soil nutrients depleted by the cotton plants. He taught them that these plants would not only repair the soil but also feed their families while providing an income. Carver then educated them on the proper methods of crop rotation. This prevented the soil from ever incurring any further depletion of its nutrients. While at Tuskegee Institute, Carver wrote 44 farming bulletins to aide and educate the small farmers and share croppers.
Carver's enthusiasm for agricultural sciences led him to many discoveries in that field of study. Using the inadequate and antiquated equipment available to him at Tuskegee Institute, George Washington Carver was still able to develop 105 recipes using the peanut. He also created and invented over 100 different products from the dissemination of the peanut, sweet potato and soy bean. Products such as, paints, dyes, plastics, cosmetics, fuels and even explosives, to name a few.
In 1937, while attending a conference in Dearborn, Michigan, Carver was introduced to, automobile mogul, Henry Ford. The two soon became close friends. With the backing of Ford, Carver invented a tough and durable plastic from the soy bean that is still, in principal, used in the automotive industry today.
in his small quarters on the college campus, close to his laboratory. He wore the same clothes and was often criticized by his African-American peers, including Booker T. Washington, for not presenting a higher station in life. They didn't realize that George Washington Carver was a very simple man whose goal was to remain living the simple life. No amount of fame or money could alter his determination to keep his life as stress free and normal as possible. Many today could learn from that philosophy.
Carver's most important and his proudest accomplishment was disproving the stereotype that portrayed African-American people as intellectually inferior and incapable of anything except menial labor or providing musical or comical entertainment. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for showing the world the magnitude of intellectual ability an African-American mind could achieve when given the opportunity. This was the primary reason why Mr Carver remained teaching. His goal was to nurture the minds of our young African-American students and instill in them the belief that if they worked hard and strived for it, they too, would have the opportunity to show that they could be something other than porters, maids, comedians and minstrels. They could compete with the strongest intellectual minds of the world.
George Washington Carver died at the age of 73, on January 5, 1943 due to complications from a severe fall he incurred while on campus. He died doing the thing he most loved to do. He was buried next to Booker T. Washington on the campus of Tuskegee University.
Written by Carl G. Brown
Friday, May 13, 2011
"Dr Charles Drew" (Blood Plasma Pioneer) by Carl Brown
Medium: Brushed Acrylic on 16x20 Stretched Canvas
Charles Richard Drew was born on June 3, 1904, in Washington, D.C..
Drew attended undergraduate studies at Amherst College, in Amherst, Massachusetts, and graduated in 1926. In 1933, he received his medical degree from McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. In 1940, as Dr Drew, he earned a PHD in Medical Research,at Columbia University, in New York.
In the 1930's, while still an intern working on his doctorate in the study of the properties and preservation of blood plasma, at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital , Dr Drew discovered that the long term storage of blood plasma could be achieved. Prior to this, whole blood could only be stored for a few days before it broke down and became unusable. By running whole blood through a centrifuge (centrifugal force) the heavier red blood cells, which deteriorated within a week, could be separated from the lighter blood plasma, which held all the life saving antibodies and clotting agents necessary in blood transfusions. The durable blood plasma could then be freeze died and stored for a much longer time than whole blood and reconstituted as needed.
Dr Drew was the foremost authority, of his time, on the processes of retrieving and storing blood products. During World War II he was assigned as Director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank. Under his direction blood banks were developed on a vast scale and thousands of units of blood products were made available to the soldiers and war victims in England.
After persistent pressure from Dr Drew, U.S. military authorities ceased the policy of prohibiting the blood products of African-Americans from being admitted into blood banks. However, he resigned his post as a Red Cross director when the U.S. military ruled that African-American blood products could be used but must be stored separately from the blood products of white donars.
After resigning from the Red Cross, Dr Drew accepted a position as a surgeon at Freedmen's Hospital, in Washington, D.C.. From 1942 to 1950 he also held the position of Professor of Medicine at Howard Univeristy, an African-American institution of higher learning, in Washigton, D.C..
On April 1, 1950, Dr Charles Richard Drew died in a fatal automobile accident, in Burlington, NC, while traveling to a medical convention in Tuskegee, Alabama. Urban legend has it, that Dr Drew bled to death after being refused admittance by a 'white only" North Carolina hospital, being denied the very medical procedure that he pioneered. For the record, this is not true. Truth is, the physicians traveling with Dr Drew did as much as they could to save his life and the hospital did admit him. Unfortunately, due to massive arterial lacerations and irreparable damage to his internal organs there was nothing that could be done to save him.
Written by Carl G. Brown
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