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. 

Monday, January 18, 2021 is  Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tributes to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  are 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 and promoted racial injustices targeting minorities, especially Blacks.  This  year is unique:  Rev Martin Luther King Jr.'s  the birthday falls in a period of major political changes, including transition to a new presidency, and racial tensions in the United States and in the middle of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

Kamala Harris, the US Vice-President elect, is currently California Senator and served as former district attorney and California State Attorney General. She is the first Black woman to be on a U.S. presidential ticket, hence will be the first Black Woman to be US Vice-president.

Marcel Theo Hall, known professionally as Biz Markie, was a pop culture star.  He died on July 16, 2021 in Baltimore, MD, USA. He was 57 years old An AfricanAmerican rapper, he was also a renown DJ, record producer, writer, singer, actor, and comedian.

Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) died on Sunday, July 11 in Paris, France. He was 81 years old.  Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, known to be close proche du Pope François, was a tireless fighter for peace in his country.

Zaila Avant-Garde, 14 years old,  won the Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship on Thursday, July 8, 2021. She was the first African American and the second Black to win the championship in the Scripps National Spelling Bee's 96-year history. The only previous Black winner was Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica.

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."