History teaches us a dictator has superpowers and is invulnerable to opposition ONLY until the moment he is not. After his downfall, the collapse =always= looks inevitable. He is only as powerful as the citizens he is oppressing believe he is. Learn. This. Lesson. Now.

THREAD #OTD On January 26, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff. Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher, would have been the first civilian to travel to space. Don't know about the Challenger disaster? Glad you asked.

THREAD 🧵"Negroes are human, not superhuman. Like all people, they have differing personalities, diverse financial interests and varied aspirations. There are Negroes who will never fight for freedom. There are Negroes who seek profit for themselves alone from the struggle." 1/4

THREAD 🧵"It’s time now for you and me to become more politically mature and realize what the ballot is for; what we’re supposed to get when we cast a ballot; and that if we don’t cast a ballot, it’s going to end up in a situation where we’re going to have to cast a bullet." 1/2 Malcolm X

"I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land can never be purged away but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed it might be done."

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio) The Boss has something to say. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKS...

THREAD🧵Author and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux was born January 22, 1884. He was the first Black person to write, produce, direct and own a film company, starting out with the novels he wrote. Don't know about Oscar Micheaux? Glad you asked.

THREAD On January 23, 1870 the US Army led by Major Eugene Baker massacred over 150 Blackfeet—most of whom were women, children, the elderly, and those suffering from disease— during the Bear Creek/Marias River/Baker massacre in Montana. Don't know about this massacre? Glad you asked.

I am damn proud of Minneapolis and Minnesota. I lived there for forty years. They are not complying. Minnesota will prevail. Trump and Noem will lose. #ICEout.

THREAD🧵On January 14, 1963, after an overwhelming victory by Alabama voters, infamous racist and segregationist Gov. George Wallace, in his inaugural address, calls for "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever." Don't know about Gov. George Wallace? Glad you asked.

THREAD🧵On December 21, 2025 Dr. Renfrew Christie, whose undercover work for the African National Congress was CRITICAL in destroying the apartheid regime's ability to make nuclear bombs, died. Who was Renfrew Christie? Glad you asked.

Martin Luther King, Jr. "On Service," an excerpt of his famous "Drum Major" speech. youtu.be/WkRdj9L3wyE?...

After a day of service, nothing like going to SOLD OUT Burr Stadium at The Mecca, Howard v. Morehouse. (Howard won!) There's nothing, absolutely nothing, like the HBCU experience. #HU #YouKnow

@rwack.bsky.social @dcpetterson.bsky.social @almasuono.bsky.social @kitterface.bsky.social @harlinkearsley.bsky.social @deniseoliver-velez.bsky.social #History #OTD #BlackSky

I want everyone to google "night and fog." This is where we are.

MLK Day is the one day each year Republicans pretend they don't hate everything about Black people.

THREAD 🧵On November 14, 1960 six-year-old Ruby Bridges was escorted by federal marshals in order to integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, LA. This was done in the wake of SCOTUS Brown v. Board decision that mandated integrated schools. Who was Ruby Bridges? Glad you asked.

THREAD 🧵On December 11, 1917, the U.S. Army executed 13 Black soldiers who were court-martialed + denied an appeal. July 1917, the all-Black 3rd Infantry Battalion was stationed at Camp Logan, near Houston to guard white soldiers headed to Europe. What was this mass execution? Glad you asked.

Emperor Donald Nero wants to put his face on dollar coins. I'm serious.

THREAD 🧵 December 6, 1915, SCOTUS upheld the racist Expatriation Act of 1907 = stripped American women of their citizenship b/c they married a non-citizen. This law was targeted toward Asian Pacific Islanders; the case was Mackenzie v. Hare. Don't know about the Expatriation Act? Glad you asked.

THREAD🧵On On December 3, 1970, human rights fighter Cesar Chavez was jailed for his refusal to end a boycott on farmers who engaged in coercive, violent, and unjust labor practices against Latino migrant farm workers. Who was Cesar Chavez? Glad you asked.

"I cannot, in good conscience, authorize or execute orders that risk innocent lives and compromise the principles I swore to uphold." No surprise here Adm. Alvin Holsey, who retired recently just a year in his new command, is an HBCU graduate. Thank you for your moral courage, sir.

Brain Worm Guy wants to kill your children.

Trump is blocking federal release of jobs data. Here's the Nov number from ADP, a private firm which does nearly as good with these numbers as the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 32,000 jobs lost in Nov is private sector only. Doesn't include federal layoffs. mediacenter.adp.com/2025-12-03-A...

This Lincoln Project video is a killer. It's from three years ago. It is terrifying how closely Piggyman is following the playbook. Please. watch and spread this video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Y-...

On November 26, 1972 journalist, sports columnist and civil rights fighter Wendell Smith made his transition. He was also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and was a key factor in the integration of baseball. Don't know about Wendell Smith? Glad you asked.

THREAD 🧵On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II kicks off the Crusades by calling all Christians in Europe to war against Muslims in order to reclaim the Holy Land, with a cry of “Deus vult!” or “God wills it!” Don't know about the Crusades? Glad you asked.

In case my followers didn't know, my good friend here used to do these Glad You Asked threads on another platform. He's re-stared the series here. The threads are ALL worth reading. Prepare to learn and to be amazed. Thank you, my brother!

🧵THREAD On December 1, 1955 secretary, investigator and founder of Alabama's NAACP Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery. This is often considered the start of the modern civil rights movement. Don't know about Rosa Parks? Glad you asked.

Dementia Don is so deep into the sundowning part of his cognitive decline that he fell asleep during his live Cabinet Apprentice show today, even while all the contestants were praising him.

Seven years ago this week, the Trump 1 Administration fired tear gas from within the United States across the border into Mexico--thus executing an illegal international chemical weapons attack against women, children and babies seeking asylum in the US. It got memory holed.

This is what fascism looks like. The Trump Reich wants to call retired US Navy Captain, and now Senator, Mark Kelly back to active service so they can court martial him for reminding servicemembers that they swore an oath to not obey illegal orders. www.cnn.com/2025/11/24/p...

Republicans want to destroy democratic government, because only democratic government can prevent them from preying on you. That's why they've been trying, for decades, to convince you that government is the enemy. Because government is =their= enemy.

We got a light sprinkling of snow last night. The view this morning looks awesome. This is an unenhanced and unretouched picture off my back deck.

THREAD 🧵On November 19, 1985 Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry died in Woodland Hills, CA. The first Black millionaire movie star, he is best known as the character of "Stepin Fetchit", a befuddled, mumbling, shiftless fool. Who was "Stepin Fetchit"? Glad you asked.

The problem we face is that Americans lose interest if you don't say something inflammatory by halfway through the

-- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln November 19, 1863

THREAD 🧵On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, PA during the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address. In fewer than 275 words, Lincoln brilliantly and movingly reminded a war-weary public why the Union had to fight, and win, the Civil War.

Robert F. Kennedy (the real one) was born on this day in 1925. Today marks his 100th birthday. He was a giant.

THREAD 🧵On November 11, 1969 Dr. George Carruthers patented an Image Converter that detected electromagnetic radiation. He also designed and invented a spectroscope that was placed on the moon and STILL WORKS TODAY. Who was Dr. George Carruthers? Glad you asked.

The war crimes court of Bangladesh has just sentenced the country's former prime minister to death for crimes against humanity. Let this be a precedent. Some crimes are too great to ignore. www.cnn.com/2025/11/17/a...

THREAD 🧵Rep.-elect Adelija Grijalva (D-AZ) will be sworn in prior to final passage of the continuing resolution. She is expected to become the 218th signature on the discharge petition directing the Department of Justice to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. What happens next?

THREAD 🧵On November 12, 1969 reporter Seymour Hersh, aided by Vietnam veteran Ron Ridenhour broke the story of the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam. This war crime on March 16, 1968 was the mass murder of unarmed civilians of at least 347 and up to 504 almost all women, children + elderly men.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days. Black people walked, rode bikes, car pooled or took cabs but they did not ride the bus. They suffered, sacrificed and endured. There was personal and professional pain. For 381 days. These eight Senators didn't last 41 days.

A neighbor just sent me this. I went outside to look, and it is awesome, but she got a great picture. The Northern Lights as seen from the mountains of central Colorado.

Excellent analysis here by Lawrence. None of the pundidiots bloviating about the compromise bill have any knowledge of anything they're blarting about. Lawrence has been in the room more times than we can count. Not one of the handwringers ever have. Democrats won this battle.

-- Trump lets Americans starve before releasing SNAP benefits; -- Most military officers fired have been Black and/or women; -- Spends > tax $ on golf trips than on childhood cancer; -- Muslim becoming Mayor of NYC is a problem but Muslim nation owning an air force base in ID OK; -- It's only 4PM.

As a timeline cleanser to briefly interrupt your doomscrolling: We live 30 miles from the nearest town. A year ago today, we lost power in a snowstorm for most of of the night. Scary thing. This was the view from our back deck the next morning. Never surrender to the darkness.