February is not only the month of love, but also the annual celebration of African Americans’ achievements, more known as the Black History Month.
Throughout February, many events will be organized and activities outreached following a specific theme each year. As a month-long annual celebration, Black History Month is more particularly dedicated to honoring and promoting the achievements of Americans of color, and other people of African descent. At the same time, it is a real opportunity for the future generation to reflect the past towards understanding African American history and getting more involved into the observance. So, where does exactly the idea of celebrating Black History Month come from?
In fact, the answer always lies with Carter Godwin Woodson, the man known as the father of black history. He is also known as the founder of the “Negro History Week”, which is today’s Black History Month. Before initiating the Negro history week, Carter G. Woodson had primarily launched the ASNLH or the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” which focused on black studies field. He had, then, the idea to create a celebration week dedicated to spreading the field of black study and recognizing the long-standing accomplishments by black Americans, which coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (born February 12) and Frederick Douglas (born February 14).The event was, indeed, observed every second week of February. Both Lincoln and Douglas had played a major role in advancing black communities. Abraham Lincoln was most known for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and Frederick Douglass as an eminent abolitionist figure. They became a sort of symbol of freedom and liberation for black people. Long before the Negro history week was created, the two iconic figures had already been honored on their birthdays by African American communities for their contributions. It was several years later that most communities and institutions began to recognize the Negro History Week and then engaged in the week-long celebration. In the 1960s, thanks partially to the American civil rights movement and the awareness among African Americans, the Negro History Week shifted into a month-long recognition. In 1976, US President Gerald Ford officially dedicated February as Black History Month to honor legacies and great achievements of many important African American figures such as Frederick Douglas, MLK, Maya Angelou, and Harriet Tubman.
Sources: HISTORY / oprahmag.com
Black History Month has been the result of long-standing efforts and achievements of some notable Black American figures. One of these figures is Carter Godwin Woodson, an African American historian well known as the father of black history.
Carter Godwin Woodson is an outstanding historian and author born on December 19, 1875 in New Canton, Virginia. He grew up duringthe reconstruction era in the late 19thcentury, a period right after President Abraham Lincoln proclaiming all enslaved black people free, also known as emancipation proclamation. Woodson descended from enslaved parentage; both his grandfather and father were enslaved by the same owner in Buckingham Country. In his early life, Woodson had already been quite a special little boy as he was too obedient to his father who strongly taught him about sense of pride, hope, integrity, resilience and the importance of education. As a result, he exactly knew how he could excel himself through self-teaching. He used the bible and other learning tools and means to learn to read and write. As a teenager, he had first to work on farms to help his family; and when reaching the age of 20 he joined his brothers in coal miners in West Virginia. As from this time, he started to save money to enroll for a formal education at Frederick Douglass High School Huntington, one of the few black high school institutions at that time and the only one in West Virginia. After graduating he went to Berea College in Kentucky where he got a Bachelor degree in Literature. He then continued his studies at the University of Chicago where he earned his second bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, both in 1908. In 1912, he received his Ph. D. in History at Harvard University, where he became the second African American of enslaved parentage to earn a Ph.D. degree from one of the most respected US Universities.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Black History month
While studying at Berea College, Dr. Woodson had already become an educator, and had taught history at some high schools. These included a high school in Winona, West Virginia and Frederick Douglass High School later on, where he became the principal. His study choice had appeared an evidence for the move he was going to undertake; as if it was already his predilection domain to stand out for Black people lives and change forever the flow of story. In fact, after graduating in history at Harvard, he began to specialize in the field of black history by writing his first book associated with the topic. Shortly after his work came out in 1915, he took the initiative to found an organization aiming at studying and promoting the field of black American history and culture as well as their contributions in the formation of America. The organization he founded with four other men of colour is called Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Dr Woodson had been so optimistic in spreading Black influence through his work and his move as a black leader, driving him to create and sponsor the “Negro History Week” which is today’s Black History Month. Black history month has been officially recognized as a monthly annual celebration in the United States by the late 1960s.
Sources: ThoughtCo / National Park Service (nps.gov)
Who does not want to pursue study abroad, especially when it comes down to enrolling at the best colleges or universities?
However, it is not everyone who could afford the expensive costs required in attending classes in these institutions. Noticing this makes many schools worldwide to compete in offering grant or scholarship opportunities and programs to the best and skilled students who are eager in undertaking international studies or only a training program. This proves that education remains the best and the surest way leading to success. Fulbright is one of the programs which provide awards to foreign students with high performance to pursue study in a higher education institution in the US.
For a comprehensive understanding of how this scholarship works, it is always important to know first what it is exactly. So, it all started in 1945 with a US senator named J. William Fulbright who had a genius idea to introduce a bill in the United States Congress aiming at promoting international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture and science. It is on August, 1, 1946 that the Fulbright program was created after President Harry S. Truman signed the Bill into law; a program sponsored by the US government known as the flagship international educational exchange program (fulbrightonline.org). Since then, Fulbright has become the largest US exchange program offering opportunities to foreign students and granting about 2,000 awards annually in more than 140 countries.
Here we are with the 2022-2023 Fulbright foreign student program which has been launched a few weeks ago. The call for application is now opened for this 2022-2023 academic year for those who are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in their chosen field in a US higher education institution; and the deadline will be on March 19, 2021. To be eligible for this program as a Malagasy applicant, one needs first to be a citizen of Madagascar, residing currently here in Madagascar; then holding a “Maitrîse” degree, M-1 with a degree, or equivalent of a US bachelor’s degree in the field of specialization; mastering English language both in speaking, listening, writing and reading; having outstanding academic grades, references or experiences in the chosen field; being highly motivated and committed to completing the program and then returning home and the last one is to have no recent experience in the US. All the requirements are available here.
Here is a testimony from Lanto Fifaliana Ratodimahavonjy, a Malagasy woman who relates her incredible journey as a former Fulbright scholar.
“I was selected for the Fulbright scholarship’s 2017-2018 cycle to attend the Master of Laws (LLM) program at Duke University School of Law. When I submitted my online application in 2016, I did not know what to expect other than the selection process being long and multi-facetted. The advice that I would give the current or future Fulbright applicants is for them to keep their study and career objectives in mind throughout the process. They should keep in mind that the original goal of the Fulbright program was the “promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science”.
“Accordingly, they should give close attention to how their objectives would benefit Madagascar upon their return. The Fulbright scholarship is exceptionally competitive and the application cannot be done on a whim. Applicants should strongly consider preparing their application months in advance. Early preparation is particularly important while drafting the study objectives portion. Indeed, choosing the right track is one of the keys to a successful application as it needs to be coherent with your past studies and experiences. Before applying, applicants should ensure that they can trace a direct path from their background to their future goals and that the path aligns with the mission of the Fulbright program. I encourage every student who is eager for new opportunities to apply for the Fulbright scholarship. It is truly a life-changing experience! I learnt that I am more capable than I had ever imagined. Further, it presents an opportunity for applicants to experience world-class institutions. Duke University is a vibrant and multicultural institution with students from all across the world. Living in such a community enabled me to acquire social and professional skills that I would have never acquired otherwise, skills that I now apply to each project I undertake in Madagascar and abroad”, says Lanto Fifaliana Ratodimahavonjy, who is now a New York attorney and legal manager and co-founder of Women Lead Movement Madagascar.
Sources: fulbrightonline.org / EducationUSA
Last cases of wild poliovirus have been detected five years ago in some regions of Africa. The most recent case has been shown to occur in northeast Nigeria. However, since that incident taking place in 2016 up to the present day, no more new cases have been recorded and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that Africa is finally free from wild poliovirus. In fact, Africa owed this achievement to a long process of polio-eradication programme, from which a vaccination and immunization programme was developed to prevent the spread of the disease.
Despite such successful achievements in polio-prevention, vaccine-derived virus has still appeared to persist. Indeed, Africa’s fight against the virus seems not to be yet over. Since 2019, about 20 countries worldwide have been reported to have increasing cases of poliovirus due to vaccine-derived polio. 177 cases were estimated to be identified last year in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Angola (WHO). This has been, in fact, triggered by lack of further immunization or low immunization rates as still many communities are seen under immunized with poor sanitation, causing a new form of poliovirus. Polio vaccination that includes oral polio vaccine (OPV) can, in some rare cases, be the trigger factor of the outbreak of the virus regardless of how safe and effective the vaccine is. Used in some countries, OPV is done with oral drops which contain an attenuated form of poliovirus that activates an immune response in the body. When a child is immunized with OPV, the immunity is developed and antibodies are built up; in the meanwhile the vaccine-virus is also excreted. Then, this excreted vaccine-virus can, on rare occasions, spread in under-immunized populations and mutate into a strain that will cause paralysis; this is known as circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). This is why it is important to continue to vaccinate as many individuals as possible so as to eradicate this deadly infectious disease.
Thus far, two types of poliovirus were found: wild poliovirus (WPV) and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). Wild poliovirus can be defined as an infectious virus invading the nervous system and can cause death and paralysis; whilst cVDPV is a mutated form of WPV, which mostly emerges in under-immunized populations. In fact, there is no cure to poliovirus; yet vaccination remains the safe way to protect children for life. To stop transmission of WPV and cVDPV, countries or communities should be willing to accept to get vaccinated. As such, only two vaccines have been thought to be used to fight against poliovirus: the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). OPV is the most common vaccine used in some countries, which include African countries; while IPV is known as the only polio vaccine that has been given in the United States since 2000 (CDC). The difference between both vaccines is that IPV is given by shot in the leg or arm and essentially used to maintain population immunity levels as stated by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). GPEI also intends to take on a project aiming at using IPV in other countries.
Sources: World Health Organization (WHO) / The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
People of color have so long played a crucial role throughout American history. This role dated back to many centuries ago when the first African American servants arrived in the new land, the United States today.
African American people were first sent in the American colonies to serve as slaves to later become key-player figures in the history of America, to finally make huge impacts through their humble and successful contributions both nationwide and worldwide. They even continue to spread their influence until the present day. Among these outstanding Black American figures include:
African American History Month origin and celebration
Black History month is an annual observance that originated in the US. This is not viewed as a public holiday; instead, it is observed as a month-long annual celebration which runs throughout the month of February. The celebration that mostly aims at honoring and promoting the achievements by African Americans originally began with “the Negro History Week” initiated by Carter G. Woodson. Carter Godwin Woodson is an American historian who first popularized the Black studies field and introduced it into schools. He founded the ASNLH or “Association for the Study of Negro Life and History” in 1926 with Jesse E. Moorland and then sponsored a Negro history week, dedicated mainly to commemorating and promoting Black Americans’ accomplishments. This was chosen to be celebrated every second week of February which generally coincided with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln –the US President behind the emancipation proclamation during the civil war in 1863 – and Frederick Douglass. The event really instilled communities and institutions’ interest for the celebration, driving them to outreach activities such as black history clubs, performances and lectures.
Black History Month was then officially recognized by the late 1960s partially thanks to the Civil rights movement which was spurred by many Black Americans’ growing awareness; and since then, every American President has appointed February as Black History Month with a designated specific theme each year.
For 2021, the Black History month theme will be “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity”. To celebrate, ‘The American’ will share many relevant stories throughout the whole month of February.
Sources: HISTORY / Africanamericanhistory.gov
Finalists unveiled: Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will battle it out at the National Football League’s Super Bowl 55 on February 7?
The Super Bowl, known as the biggest annual sporting event followed by … almost everyone in America, takes place every first Sunday of February. Most Americans observe and treat it as a national day even though it is not set as an official holiday. As it is the most-viewed sporting event throughout the US, Americans celebrate it by getting together with family and friends for a party while not missing the broadcast live event. Super Bowl is indeed the final American football championship game of NFL and NFL kickoff game is what is called the first championship game. 32 teams play 16 games all along the year until the season ends in December or January to finally decide which six teams will be qualified for the playoffs. The playoffs are mostly played in three rounds: the Wild Card Round, the Divisional Round, and the Conference Championships. The winners of the Conference Championships go on to face each other at the Super Bowl.
Looking ahead to the 55th Super Bowl
Super Bowl does not only come down to sporting event, and it is not only limited to the game itself. One of the other biggest awaited moments is the Super Bowl “halftime show”. Last year, during the super bowl LIV held in Miami, two well-known pop stars were performing on stage: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. This year, Canadian singer and songwriter The Weeknd will heat up the stage of Raymond James Stadium at Tampa Bay. This is what The Weeknd said in an official release: “We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I’m humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year”. The game is apparently set to kickoff at 6:30 pm. E.T.
Super Bowl games have been also shown to be the United States’ most-watched television broadcast. This is partly due to the commercial nature of the big event, leading remarkable commercials to air during the game. Super Bowl advertisements have really turned out to be a real cultural phenomenon in America. It has even been said that many American people watch the Super Bowl only for the ads and the commercials. Currently amid the Covid-19 pandemic, viewers and commercials remain skeptical concerning the unfolding of this upcoming Super Bowl. Nevertheless, some of the most common Super Bowl advertisers are still committed to this 2021 event and have accepted to appear again. Among them are Pringles and Toyota. Furthermore, the NFL is reportedly planning to allow 20 percent seating capacity for the game at Raymond James stadium.
Things may be different this year, but Super Bowl is still on the spot. All American eyes will be on Tampa Bay, Florida. The game, The Weeknd’s halftime show and the highly expected Super Bowl commercials will be broadcast on CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) on February 7.
Sources: Sports Illustrated (SI NFL)/ Time and Date/ The New York Times
There is a forest in the south of Madagascar named after the supposedly original inhabitants of the land “Mikea”, translated as “Tompontany”. The Mikea forest is an immense semiarid forest located along the coast of the southwestern region of the Big Island. There inhabits a little-known group of primitive people, estimated to count between about 1,000 and 2,000 people (Stiles, 1998). Many researchers have so long overlooked the existence of this group, while believing that Mikea was only a pure fantasy and a myth. It is similar with most of the Malagasy population who still ignore it and/or do not view it as being a part of Malagasy peopling formation. Nevertheless, individuals from a variety of Malagasy ethnic groups turn out to be partially found among the Mikea.
History and Origins of “Mikea”
Due to the lack of investment in infrastructure and the poor condition of many roads of the Big Island, many areas remain unknown and undiscovered such as the case of the Mikea region, on National Road number nine (RN9), in the North of Tuléar. Consequently, Mikea people seem to live in remote areas that are hardly inaccessible and cut off the outside world. The Mikea forest along the west and southwest coast of Madagascar is apparently a spiny and dry forest between Morombe and the Mangoky river in the north and the town of Manambo in the south, an area with a dimension of about 2,000 sq. km. There are many assumptions around the origin of the Mikea that have been established according to archaeological, ethnological and linguistic evidence. The Mikea clans have been thought to originate in Sakalava ethnic groups and other groups who fled into the forest to escape domination and exploitation by the late 17th and 18th centuries Sakalava and Merina dynasties, and the 20th century French Colonists (Dina & Hoerner, 1976). As a matter of fact, there was still no evidence of human occupation in the Mikea forest at that time, namely, prior to the 17th century.
At the same time, many have come also to believe that the Mikeas are descendants of the “Vazimba”, the commonly known as the original inhabitants of the central Highlands, while some have proposed the Masikoro as being their true ancestors. However, Masikoro tribes also known as “inland people” are originally Sakalava people who live with a quite different lifestyle compared to its neighboring ethnic groups “Vezo” and the Mikea. The difference has been shown that Masikoro people are more of the land, Vezo of the sea and the Mikea of the forest.
A point to note is that the Mikea people are forest-dwelling and are fully recognized as among the Malagasy population. They are indeed foragers or hunter-gatherers who are usually described as primitive nomads wandering in the bush to pick up fruits, collect wild plants such as tubers and hunt wild animals including Tenrec – a mammal species endemic to Madagascar that looks like a mouse and a rat – as one of their main and most common animals to hunt.
Sources: Daniel STILES (1998). “The Mikea Hunter-Gatherers of Southwest Madagascar: Ecology and Socioeconomics”; African study Monographs. / Jeanne DINA & Jean-Michel HOERNER (1977). “Etude sur les populations Mikea du Sud-Ouest de Madagascar” ; Omaly sy ny Anio.
An ever-increasing number of influencers had been shown to rapidly grow over the last decade with the rise of social media. Numerous are young people who engage in influencer marketing seeking to share their expertise in their preferred field of knowledge and specific skilled topics in which they are much more likely at ease. This realm of social media has predominantly gained in popularity, giving an even wide-ranging of opportunities to individuals – consumers, firms, and brands to enter the market of social media influencer. This has undoubtedly become a common phenomenon touching nearly millions of people around the world. By only glimpsing the statistics published in the January 2019 “We Are Social” report, 3.484 billion people were estimated to actively use social media – or 45 percent of the world’s population. Therefore, this percentage inevitably shows that influencer marketing is growing rapidly in importance, and people may likely to rely more on influencers in social media to direct them in their decision making.
Influencers in social media are indeed people who have learnt to build some significant reputation, through what they feel passionate about, interested in, and where they find themselves more skilled and able. The first step for anyone who wants to become a social media influencer is to find their niche. For a more comprehensive knowledge on what truly is social media influencer and how it works more exactly, it is always important to get back to the root of the genuine influencer. Generally, an influencer is “someone who has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationships with his or her audience; and who has a ‘following’ in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages, and which the size of the following depends on the size of his/her topic of the niche” (Influencer MarketingHub).
Influencer people are not simply considered as marketing tools but are rather proven assets for the brand with which a real social relationship is established. As a result, this link will lead the brand to collaborate with the influencers and in return make it successfully reach its marketing purposes. In contrast, a social media influencer looks the same, except only that the take will go all online, more precisely on social networking platform such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. A social media influencer uses more online marketing strategies aiming at creating more compelling content to attract a large audience.
Considering the number of followers and social media consumers, with regards to social media influencer marketing, there are four types of influencers:
Becoming a social media star changes your life. Here is a testimony from one of the well-known Malagasy social media influencer Antso Bommartin about what it has changed thus far in her life when she became an influencer: “There are so many opportunities in being an influencer. To be honest, it is always pleasing to get paid for your efforts and hard work because it is not easy to keep creating contents and videos. That is why I am very demanding in terms of remuneration. As for the challenges, I find myself to be more careful and selective in what I utter, not to shock and offense the audience. I am really convinced that being an influencer highly requires intelligence and thoughtfulness because your sayings may easily be misinterpreted.”
Sources: Influencer MarketingHub / Forbes
Madagascar is home to more than 150 species of chameleon. About half of the world’s endemic chameleon species can be spotted on the Big Island. Chameleons essentially belong to the reptile family like snakes and lizards, more precisely to Chamaeleonidae family. The most common species are the Brookesia, Furcifer and Calumma chameleon. These constitute the three genera of chameleons present and endemic to Madagascar.
Calumma. This species includes a large number of chameleons dispersed around Madagascar and much more visible in the dense forest of the eastern coast of the island. Calumma Parsonii or Parson’s chameleon is one the world’s largest Calumma species. The body length of a Parson’s chameleon male could reach up to 70 centimeters. Parson’s chameleon regroups two distinct subspecies which are Calumma parsonii cristifer and Calumma parsonii parsonii. They are slightly different as regards their habitat choice.
Furcifer. This is a genus of chameleon species. Furcifer pardalis, also known as panther chameleons, are native to and are spread throughout the island, but much more abundant on the central-eastern, north-eastern, northern, and north-western coasts. This species mainly inhabits lowland and dry forests. Furcifer lateralis, known as the carpet chameleon, is a common chameleon species which measures 25 centimeters in length. It differs from other Furcifer species by the white line and the three dark circles drawn in the middle of its belly. This kind of chameleon can be found all around Madagascar except in the northern regions. There is a bigger chance to come across one of them in central Madagascar.
Brookesia. In 2012, researchers from Germany and America have discovered four new chameleon species located in Madagascar and ranked among the smallest reptiles of the world as it does not exceed 30 millimeters in total length, even at maturity. These chameleons belong to the genus “Brookesia”; also known as leaf chameleons or stumped-tailed, Brookesia chameleon lives in the remote forests of Madagascar. Brookesia Micra is included among these four world’s smallest chameleons found on the Island. Indeed, the genus Brookesia appears to be most commonly seen in a single location and tends to live with a very small range. That is the case for the Brookesia Micra, which is only visible on the Archipelago of Nosy Hara, an uninhabited small island located in the northwest coast of Madagascar. Due to the specificity of their location, they are considered as threatened species and are highly exposed to extinction, if any habitat depletion and disappearance occur. Like chameleons’ common features, dwarf Brookesia reptiles are diurnal and are also known for their ability to change colors. They are easily found at night sleeping on the leaves of small branches and generally feed on small insects.
Sources: Wildmadagascar.org/ animaldiversity.org/ the world
What to expect from the 2021 US Presidential Inauguration?
The US Congress finally announced on the 7th of January the victory of the President-elect Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump. The new elected President won the Electoral College votes with a clear score of 306 - 232. Following up the American tradition, the inauguration of Joe Biden and his teammate Kamala Harris – Vice President, will be held on the 20th of January in front of the Capitol building in Washington D.C.
Despite the drastic event that happened last week in the Capitol Hill from pro-Trump supporters to protest the victory of Bidden-Harris the day before the confirmation of the final results, the President-elect Joe Biden still remained confident with what occured. He appears to be impatient to take office and reunify America, as he has already planned, when the presidential run started. Under the theme “AMERICA UNITED”, the Presidential Inaugural Committee aims to keep with the existing tradition by transmitting the shared values that will instill an overall sense of unity and pride among all American citizens. The committee said that the theme “reflects the beginning of a new national journey that restores the soul of America, brings the country together, and creates path to a brighter future”.
The unfolding of the Inauguration Day on January 20
The 2021 Presidential inauguration will mark a new chapter for America, as it will be the day when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Keeping with US tradition, both Biden and Harris will take the inaugural oath of office in front of the US Capitol, before Biden assuming his duties and delivering a public address.
This 59th quadrennial presidential Inauguration is going to look less similar to previous ones. Attendees will be strictly limited in size for sanitary and security reasons. Measures have been taken to ensure the population’s safety during the ceremony: no festivity nor gathering is allowed.
In that case, the common usual parade will go virtual and nearly all activities will be held online. The ceremony will start at 11 am (4 pm GMT) and the parade is projected to occur at around 2-3 pm (7-8 pm GMT).
Well known singer Lady Gaga is set to perform the national anthem, and a lineup of famous artists is expected to deliver live performances during the ceremony: Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, and Ant Clemons.
Upon the inauguration day, the president-elect recites the oath of office as follows: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”. On the other hand, the elected Vice President will swear “to support and defend the constitution” and “faithfully discharge the duties of the office”. Just after they will have sworn in, the first day of “Biden-Harris” in office starts. Congratulations to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Congratulations to American people!
Sources: The Washington Post / the Telegraph / ShareAmerica
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