Legs of Tornado: The Human Who Outran the Wind
Authored by Felicien Kanyamibwa

Long ago, the people of Rwanda suffered through a terrible famine. The rains did not come to help the crops grow, the grass withered, and the soil became so dry that it cracked. 

Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, known as the NASA mathematician, physicist, and scientist, used her math genius to guide to and land Apollo 11 on the moon and bring it back to earth (see AfroAmerica Network: Katherine Globe Johnson, Black Woman and NASA Scientist Depicted in Hidden Figures, Dies at 101).  As  NASA chief Charles Bolden, put it Katherine "advanced Human Rights with a slide rule and a pencil", and the "frontier of human achievement at the same time." Yet, she was only postumously awarded the Hubbard Medal, the National Geographic Society's highest recognition, for her extraordinary contributions in the fields of science and exploration, the  same medal as the one the astronauts she helped received 51 years ago.

Despite the delay, the medal is yet another sigh of how much she impacted Humanity and Human Rights, against all odds. At the time of her birth, on August 26, 1918,  the odds of reaching the  human achievements of her life,  were remote at the best, if not impossible. It was the time when women were not encouraged to pursue high degrees or math and sciences. Moreover, Katherine Johnson was a Black woman, born in a segregated America.  Yet, she overcame all these odds. 

Chadwick Boseman,  a Black american movie star, best known for playing Black Panther in the movie produced by  Marvel Studiis, has died of colon cancer. He was  43 years old. According to a statement posted on social media, Chadwick Boseman died at his home in Los Angeles ,  his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, and and his  family by his side. The sudden death shocked and stunned  the World, the film industry, and the Black community, in general.

The late African-American Civil Rights icon John R Lewis's funeral was held on July 30, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, US. The funeral and memorial service was attended by several high profile individuals, including Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, the US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, and the current Atlanta mayor Keisha Bottoms, among others. It was held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, formerly led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., at which John Lewis was a member.

A day after a landmark ruling cementing the foundation of Obamacare, the US Supreme Court handed yet another victory to
President Obama's administration by ruling that same-sex marriage is a civil right that states cannot ban.

Until recently, legalizing same-sex marriage was unthinkable in the United States. This did not deter gay rights advocates who have
continued their struggle, supported mostly by Democrats and Civil Rights activists. Several prominent business executives, such as 

Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act, PPACA or known as Obamacare, has once again survived the challenge from Republicans, after  a 6-3 decision ruling by the US Supreme Court, or SCOTUS.  Obamacare will be the health care law that will solidify President Barack Obama's legacy for generations to come.

The ruling was about the provision in the PPACA authorizing federal tax credits for eligible Americans, whether they live in states

"I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me, " Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in a letter written for Bloomberg Businessweek,  while  publicly coming out as gay and declaring his support for equality.

Tim Cook, though the CEO of perhaps the most prominent company in the World today, has managed to  keep a low profile on his personal life. In the letter he  says that his decision to publicly acknowledge his sexuality was  intended to "bring comfort to anyone who feels alone" and to "inspire people to insist on their equality."

Monday January 20, 2020 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tributes to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  is held in the Unites States nationwide. The day is usually marked by  massive commemorations including march protests to remember and celebrate the national civil rights leader who was instrumental in challenging the racial caste system that delineated how millions of Americans lived their lives. 

Ava DuVernay is director, producer, and screenwriter. She is known as the first Black woman to win the Best Feature Directing award at Sundance in 2012, the first Black woman to get a Best Director Golden Globe nomination, the first woman of color to direct a Oscar-nominated best picture film, and the first woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100 million domestically.

Julius Malema is young. Despite his youth, he is one of the top peaceful freedom fighters in Africa. He has been the leader of those seeking and struggling for social justice and equality. He is at the forefront of rejecting any form of discrimination, racism, and prejudice in South Africa. He has dedicated his life to fighting corruption. For that, he has called for a new revolution in South Africa and in Africa in general