BLACK HISTORY FEATURE: Old House and Red Neckties ---A Powerful Memoir of Identity, Migration, and Resilience

Old House and Red Neckties 

by Grace Virtue (Author)

Paperback – July 25, 2024

5.0 out of 5 stars (28 reviews)

“Enlightening, poetically engaging, and deeply relevant to today's America, and for our world.” — Kirandeep Singh Sirah, Storyteller & TEDx Speaker

“A modern-day Jamaican DeTocqueville, Grace critiques political and civil society and helps us see them in revealing new ways.” — Matthew Creelman, Journalist

“A timely work that addresses the ways the construction of race goes beyond the Black-White dichotomies, particularly in the United States.” — Curdella Forbes, PhD, Professor of Caribbean Literature, Howard University

About the Book

In Old House and Red Neckties, Grace Virtue delivers a compelling and deeply reflective narrative that bridges Jamaica and the United States, past and present, home and displacement.

Rooted in her homeland of Jamaica, Virtue explores:

• The lasting legacies of slavery and colonialism
• Intergenerational poverty and systemic inequities
• Migration as both opportunity and upheaval
• The emotional and cultural costs of displacement

The “Old House” symbolizes heritage, identity, and belonging. The “Red Necktie” becomes a powerful metaphor for assimilation, power structures, and the complex realities of migration to America.

Through vivid storytelling and sharp social insight, Virtue confronts the construction of race beyond simplistic Black–White dichotomies and challenges readers to rethink how poverty and oppression are understood in contemporary society.

Why This Book Matters in 2024

In a time of intense conversations around race, immigration, and social justice, Old House and Red Neckties stands out as:

• A thought-provoking Caribbean memoir
• An immigration and diaspora narrative
• A social justice commentary
• An inspirational story of resilience and dignity
• A meaningful contribution to discussions about race in America

Grace Virtue’s journey is both deeply personal and globally relevant — a clarion call to authenticity, courage, and freedom.

Perfect For Readers Interested In:

• Caribbean and postcolonial literature
• Books about race and identity in America
• Stories of migration and cultural displacement
• Social justice and systemic inequality
• Inspirational memoirs by women of color

Old House and Red Neckties (Paperback, July 25, 2024) is more than a memoir — it is a lens through which we can examine belonging, power, and the enduring human spirit.

If you are searching for a meaningful, socially relevant book that combines lyrical storytelling with sharp cultural critique, this 5-star memoir deserves a place on your reading list.

 GET THE BOOK HERE: 👉 https://www.amazon.com/Old-House-Neckties-Grace-Virtue/dp/B0D56HJRNX

Black History Month Spotlight: Black Women Who Shaped World Cup History!

Black History Month Spotlight: Black Women Who Shaped World Cup History

By Norris R. McDonald | Sulfabittas News Syndicate @sulfabittas

Black History Month is a time to honor the lasting contributions Black people have made to American culture and global influence. In women’s world soccer, those contributions are undeniable.

With World Cup buzz once again capturing global attention, now is the perfect moment to spotlight the Black women soccer icons whose talent, leadership, and resilience reshaped the game—often while navigating exclusion both on and off the pitch.

“Black History Month is a time to spotlight what Black people have contributed to America.”
— Maya Stephens, sports writer

Kim Crabbe: The First Black Woman of the USWNT

Any discussion of Black history in American women’s soccer must begin with Kim Crabbe, the first Black woman called up to the United States Women’s National Team.

Raised in Reston, Virginia, Crabbe starred at George Mason University, where she helped lead the Patriots to the 1985 NCAA National Championship. In 1986, she made history by wearing the U.S. crest—opening doors that had long been closed to Black women.

Kim Crabbe didn’t just make history—she created access.

Crabbe’s impact continues today. As Outreach Program Director for the Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Football Club, she brings coaching and opportunity to youth from underserved communities, ensuring the next generation benefits from the path she forged.

Crystal Dunn: World Cup Champion, Cultural Truth-Teller

Crystal Dunn is one of the most accomplished and versatile players in women’s soccer history. A cornerstone of the USWNT, she helped secure the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and an Olympic gold medal, earning recognition as one of the world’s elite footballers.

Yet Dunn’s story reveals how excellence does not always shield Black women from marginalization.

“I feel like someone has dimmed my light in a sense.”
— Crystal Dunn, The Undefeated

Despite her accolades, Dunn has spoken openly about being undervalued, particularly as a dark-skinned Black woman in a sport shaped by Eurocentric beauty standards.

Talent alone does not guarantee visibility for Black women in soccer.

Identity, Representation, and the Cost of Conformity

Dunn has described growing up as the only Black girl on many of her teams—a reality that shaped both her athletic and personal identity.

“I was, for a very long time, the only Black girl on the team until I was about 15.”
— Crystal Dunn, CBS Sports

Research shows that athletes who align with white beauty norms receive greater marketing and sponsorship opportunities. For Black women, this often creates pressure to alter their appearance—from hair to expression—to be seen as “marketable.”

Visibility in women’s soccer is often filtered through Eurocentric standards.

Only later in her career did Dunn feel comfortable wearing her natural curls on the national stage, reclaiming space for authenticity.

Retirement and Legacy

In 2024, Dunn announced her retirement from professional football after an iconic career that spanned club and international success.

“I leave the game with a sense of peace.”
— Crystal Dunn

Now focused on her family, Dunn leaves behind a legacy defined not just by trophies, but by advocacy, honesty, and representation.

Eniola Aluko: Influence Beyond the Pitch

Former England international Eniola Aluko represents the evolution of Black women’s power in soccer. Playing for the Lionesses from 2004–2016, she later became the first UK woman athlete to sign a multi-year endorsement deal with Under Armour.

Today, Aluko is a sports commentator and investor, demonstrating that Black women continue shaping the game long after their playing days end.

Why Black Women’s Soccer History Matters Now

Studies show Black women face heightened scrutiny in behavior, appearance, and performance—and harsher consequences when judged. Dunn herself has acknowledged this reality.

“As a dark-skinned woman, I’ve always felt pressure.”

As World Cup excitement peaks during Black History Month, honoring figures like Kim Crabbe, Crystal Dunn, and Eniola Aluko reminds us that women’s soccer exists as it does today because of Black women’s courage, excellence, and refusal to disappear.

Black women are not side stories in soccer history—they are its foundation.

The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse: Religion, Race, and the Psychological Legacy of Slavery!

by Norris R McDonald (Author) 

Norris R. McDonald, DIJ CRT, Author, Economic Journalist, Poet, & Human Rights Activist 

Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse is a critical study of  phycological legacies of slavery and the role religion and race plays in reenforcing racist stereotypes. 

This book:

• Deconstructing the Curse of Ham, Colonial Lies, and the Struggle for Black Liberation
• How Slavery, Religion, and Myth Created Generational Trauma—and How We Break Free
• Unmasking Religious Racism and Reclaiming Black Spiritual Freedom

For centuries, Black people have been told that their suffering is divine punishment—ordained by God and passed down through a mythical “ancestral curse.”

In this powerful, eye-opening work, Norris R. McDonald, DIJ, dismantles one of the most enduring and damaging lies in Christian history: the so-called Curse of Ham.From the hymnals of colonial churches to the halls of modern academia, this myth has been used to justify slavery, colonization, and systemic racism.

With clarity, historical depth, and spiritual conviction, McDonald traces how scripture was distorted, how Black history was erased, and how liberation must begin with truth.

Drawing from the Bible, classical history, and Black theological thought, this short but impactful book challenges readers to confront religious indoctrination, reclaim their dignity, and break spiritual chains that have lasted for generations.
Whether you're a student of theology, an activist for racial justice, or a seeker of historical truth—The Myth of the Ancestral Curse will inspire, inform, and empower you.

The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse is a bold and revelatory work that exposes how colonial powers distorted Christian doctrine to justify the enslavement of Black people. From the Curse of Ham to papal decrees that sanctioned genocide, Norris R. McDonald, DIJ dismantles centuries of theological manipulation and calls for spiritual truth, historical clarity, and psychological healing.

This book is a journey—from ancient African greatness to colonial oppression, from religious lies to liberation theology. A must-read for seekers of justice, students of history, and defenders of faith rooted in freedom.

We are not cursed. We are called.
The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse is a bold and revelatory work that exposes how colonial powers distorted Christian doctrine to justify the enslavement of Black people. From the Curse of Ham to papal decrees that sanctioned genocide, Norris R. McDonald, DIJ dismantles centuries of theological manipulation and calls for spiritual truth, historical clarity, and psychological healing.

This book is a journey—from ancient African greatness to colonial oppression, from religious lies to liberation theology. A must-read for seekers of justice, students of history, and defenders of faith rooted in freedom.

Titled ‘The Myth of the Black Ancestral Curse: Religion, Race and the Psychological Legacies of Slavery’, this provocative and deeply researched essay confronts the historical and spiritual abuse of sacred texts that helped legitimise slavery, colonialism, and systemic racism.

“This is more than a critique – it is an act of intellectual liberation,” McDonald said. “The myth of a divine curse on Black people is not just false – it was fabricated to justify mass atrocities and to psychologically shackle generations of African descendants.”

The book pays special tribute to Professor Sheldon ‘Uwezo’ McDonald, a Caribbean legal scholar and revolutionary whose life and work inspired this essay. Drawing from Caribbean history, Pan-African philosophy, and biblical critique, McDonald examines how European empires - backed by religious institutions - constructed a theology of racial inferiority that lingers today in both church and state.