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@virtuenvictory

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Repost from Historic Ethiopia Through the camera lens:

The Ethiopian World Federation in 1938

የጸረ #ፋሺዝም ትግሉን በበአሜሪካ ሆኖ ሲያስተባብር የነበረው የኢትዮጵያ ዓለም አቀፍ ፌዴሬሽን አባላት በኒውዮርክ/ሐርለም - 1930 ዓ.ም

The Ethiopian World Federation was founded in Harlem/New York in 1937. Its preamble reads:

"We the Black People of the World, in order to effect Unity, Solidarity, Liberty, Freedom and self-determination, to secure justice & maintain the integrity of Ethiopia, which is our divine heritage, do hereby establish & ordain this constitution for The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated."

Dr Melaku E. Bayen (2nd from L) was mandated by Emperor Haile Selassie to help establish the organization. In this 1938 picture, members welcome Lij Araya Abebe- cousin of the Emperor, & his wife

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Cultures- the New York Public Library- Photographs & Prints Division:
http://exhibitions.nypl.org/africanaage/images.html

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Stop by the STRAINS FOR LIFE DISPENSARY in Harlem because Styles and O want to roll out the GREEN CARPET for the "12 Weeks of Pif-Mas". Spend $50 or more and you get entered into a drawing for a 4PACK to the almost sold out Jingle Ball at Madison Square Gardens ....

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OUR ELDERS HAVE A STORY TO TELL, AND WE NEED TO LISTEN!

As I travel around the country sharing my research into OurStory, Not History, I often make it a point to sit down with our elders, listen to their experiences, and learn from their wisdom.

One thing I hear over and over again is how many of our people once worked with their hands. We were mechanics, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders, homebuilders, and business owners. We repaired our own cars, built and maintained our homes, and passed those valuable skills down to the next generation.

But what really gets my attention is when the conversation shifts to how those trades and opportunities gradually disappeared from our schools, neighborhoods, and communities.

We start discussing what changed, who benefited, and how losing access to those skills affected our ability to create businesses, jobs, property ownership, and generational wealth.

This is why my research into Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee Institute, C.R. Patterson & Sons, and the Industrial Revolution is so important to me.

Our elders remember a time when knowing a trade wasn’t just about getting a job. It was about independence, ownership, survival, and building wealth.

We can’t afford to let that knowledge disappear with the generations who lived it.

OurStory isn’t just about remembering what we accomplished. It’s about understanding what we lost, how we lost it, and what we must do to rebuild it!

— TJ Loftin
Automotive OurStorian | Economic Futurist | Author | Filmmaker

www.TJLoftin.com

#OurStoryNotHistory #TJLoftin #WorkingWithTheHands #SkilledTrades #BookerTWashington Tuskegee GenerationalWealth BlackHistory EconomicEmpowerment

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Peace and Pan Africanism

Day one of @blackcannabisweek has revealed an ancestral door.

Thank you to the our organization for platforming such powerful speakers with important messages.

I was able to capture nearly an hour of @drumarjohnson

Stay tuned. I will be dropping it soon.

Give thanks and praise to @virtuenvictory and Queen Mother @empressimaethiopia

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The Oaks can be viewed not simply as a symbol of Washington’s success, but as a demonstration of Tuskegee’s industrial education system.

Black students learning trades.

Black students producing.

Black students building.

Black people developing the skills necessary to create their own economic infrastructure.

Washington went from being born enslaved to becoming one of the most influential men in America—and living in a remarkable home that Tuskegee’s industrial training program helped construct.

So maybe the question we should be asking isn’t simply, “Was Booker T. Washington an accommodationist?”

Maybe we should also ask:

Who taught us that interpretation, what evidence did they emphasize, and what parts of Washington’s economic strategy were left out?

The more time I spend researching Washington and Tuskegee, the more I realize there is another story waiting to be told.

We’ve learned History. Now it’s time to learn OUR STORY.

— TJ Loftin
Economic Futurist | Automotive Historian | Filmmaker
Creator of Working With The Hands Documentary & TJ’s Toolbox

#tjloftin #BookerWashington #bookertwashington #Tuskegee #tradesmen

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PHILADELPHIA, I’M COMING BACK!

I’m honored to be returning to the 3rd Annual Pan-African Thought & Black Cannabis Week Symposium in Philadelphia on September 24, 2026.

This year, I’ll be speaking on my recent findings surrounding Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington, and their connection to the Industrial Revolution—including Black business, skilled trades, manufacturing, economic independence, transportation, and the movement to build industries of our own.

What makes this moment even more special is that I’ll be presenting this research in front of members of Marcus Garvey’s own organization, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

I believe the connection between Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and the Industrial Revolution is one of the greatest stories never told. Their stories are often taught separately, but when we begin putting the pieces together, we uncover a much larger story about industry, ownership, skilled labor, manufacturing, transportation, institution-building, and Black economic independence.

For generations, we’ve heard History.

Now it’s time to learn OUR STORY.

I look forward to returning to Philadelphia and sharing research that connects pieces of our economic and industrial story that have been separated for far too long.

September 24, 2026 | Philadelphia, PA

TJ Loftin
Automotive Historian • Award-Winning Filmmaker
Working With the Hands Documentary

We’ve heard History. Now it’s time to learn OUR STORY.

#tjloftin #drumarjohnson #bookertwashington #marcusgarvey #tuskegeeuniversity

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“We all have a contribution to make. Some of us made it before, and then some of us have to make it after.” 🎙️

In this conversation from the OH-HighYo! Podcast archive, Esq. Scheril Murray-Powell (@virtuenvictory ) speaks on the responsibility that comes with opportunity—and the importance of recognizing the people who helped open doors before us.

Whether that contribution comes through advocacy, investment, mentorship, or creating opportunities for someone else, the work doesn’t stop when we get our seat at the table.

When the door opens for you, how are you helping open it for someone else?

More conversations from the OH-HighYo! archive. 🌿

#OHHighYoPodcast #OHHighYoMedia #CannabisIndustry #CannabisAdvocacy #CommunityBuilding Leadership CannabisCulture

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HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY, BROOKLYN BOURNE. 💛🎉

ITS OUR BIRTHDAY!! 💛🥂Two years strong! powered by community, driven by culture, and built by the people who’ve rocked with us from the beginning.

The Block Built Bourne.

Tonight we celebrate at BOURNE Awards Night:
🏆 Awards begin 4 PM
📍 2225 Church Avenue
🎟️ RSVP on Eventbrite
✨ Dress to impress

Thank you, Brooklyn. 💛

#BrooklynBourne #BuiltBourne #TwoYearsStrong #BourneAwards #BrooklynCommunity

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The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated Annual Convention July 2026 in #harlem #nyc In person Representation and collaboration from Local 1, 2,3,5,12,26 and 49 Doing Jah’s work 💚💛❤️👑🧬♾️ #tewfinc #ethiopianism #rastafri @local49media @wetheblackpeoplesoftheworld

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Join me on Lion Talk (youtube) tonight at 9pm EST. I will be discussing the multi-century movement called Ethiopianism and why it is critical for progress today....

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Friday night football fun....Jets v.Giants 💚🤍 ❤️💙

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I spent today volunteering at the Immigration Hotline #KeepingFamiliesTogether #JahsWork

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