Another Dead Language

Before we begin, I want to call attention to

those who gave their lives for their (my) country so we can be free.  That includes those who died in the January 6 insurrection on our Capitol.  Please honor those dead soldiers on this national holiday today.

Recently there was talk about dead languages and how many of them no longer existed.  

Therefore, I am once again joining Elle from Empire of the Cat, our host this month at Art Journal Journey because I believe I have found yet another dead language.  This will be my final entry at AJJ this month.

Can you decipher this?

Do you know anyone who can decipher this?  Is there even such a thing as "Secretarial School" anymore?

Or is this truly another dead language?

I began by creating a background on 110 lb cardstock which consisted of 91% isopropyl alcohol and two colors of Staz-on reinkers.  Once dry, which takes little more than a minute for the alcohol to evaporate, I sewed two pages from an old Gregg shorthand manual I had been given to the background.  Next, I scuffed up the edges of the card stock.  Finally, I stenciled the letters to the pages.

 

I had hoped to find my book on sign languages,

but have to settle for showing a spread I created in my Hands altered book in 2020.  This is definitely NOT a dead language!

Thank you ever so much for joining me today.  Bleubeard and I also hope to see you at Art Journal Journey.  We would both also like to thank Elle for hosting during the month of May and giving us so many wonderful takes on Language.

 

Before you leave, I want to call your attention to 

the 100th anniversary of the worst race riots ever in the United States which is known as the Tulsa massacre.  The Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma was one of the most successful Black communities in American history. At that time, the area was commonly referred to as “Black Wall Street.”  However, most of the businesses and homes were burned to the ground in the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921.

This shows how sons and daughters of poor Blacks, many of them a generation beyond slavery, created the richest area in the country.

This suburb of Tulsa was created specifically by and for Blacks.

 

The bank, libraries, and post office were for Blacks who lived and worked among themselves.  The money made and saved stayed in the community.

These Blacks owned anything and everything they could ever want.  Many were considered middle class, but most would be considered what we call upper class today.  Although the entire state of Oklahoma had only two airports, six Black families owned their own planes. 

 

Then on June 1, 1921, their world came to an end when the white racist, terrorist hate group known as the Ku Klux Klan, out of jealousy, decided to burn Greenwood and kill its residents.  There are no real numbers of how many people died, but according to several reports, an estimated 10,000 Blacks were left homeless, over 800 were admitted to several hospitals, 35 city blocks which included 1,256 residences were destroyed, and 600 successful businesses were burned to the ground.  The riot lasted 16 hours before the Ku Klux Klan got tired and went home. 

Thanks for sticking around today.  If you live in the states, please don't forget to take a moment at 3 pm your local time, to put down your hot dogs and drinks and take that moment to thank our men and women who died to keep us safe.