Mary Cummins Investigative Reporter Los Angeles, California: April 2024

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Pro Palestine Protest at USC Was AntiSemitic, Pro Hamas. Photos, Videos by Mary Cummins

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05/01/2024: The people arrested at these protests breaking the law are not students. They are anti-Jew anti-Israel agitators with criminal pasts. Look at the names, ages and mugshots of those arrested. They're not students.

https://nypost.com/2024/05/01/us-news/doctor-known-anti-israel-protester-among-the-282-arrested-at-columbia-city-college-of-ny/

The protests are being funded by groups getting money from Hamas. They're not even legal "charities."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13363943/Pro-Palestine-group-Columbia-University-protests-funding-linked-Hamas.html

The protesters were trained by outside groups with their own agendas. The few students involved in the protests were manipulated and used for propaganda and political purposes. SJP Students for Justice in Palestine which was formed in 1993 is funded partially by Hamas. These entities want the US and world to think the Hamas Israel war is similar to the US Vietnam war. It's not. Back then students were in the right to speak out against that senseless war. In this situation terrorists Hamas broke a cease fire agreement, invaded Israel, murdered, raped, tortured 1,200 innocent civilians, kidnapped over 300 innocent civilians and bombed Israel. Hamas along with Palestinians, PLO, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad did these things. They continue to launch missiles at Israel and murder Jews in Israel.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/student-campus-protests-veteran-activist-groups-17ccd094

04/29/2024: All gates at USC are still locked. Protesters who are not USC students still finding a way in. One of them graffiti'd Tommy Trojan statue. They may have to wrap it up like they do when USC plays UCLA. The protesters causing most of the problems are not USC students. I feel they are supported by some pro Hamas entities based on the fact they call Hamas "freedom fighters" and think October 7 was acceptable. They also don't talk or act like USC students. They don't know the campus and they definitely don't know the issues or history. I interacted with a few of them. I saw USC students telling them to get the hell out.

04/24/2024: I was at the pro Palestine protest at Alumni Park on USC campus April 24, 2024 from 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm. I was clearly there as an alumni to support Jewish people. From what I could tell the protesters were not USC students. They did not have USC ID cards which is why they were asked to leave. When they refused they were arrested for trespassing. USC is a private school on private land.

The USC students were mainly against the protesters. They gave them the finger and told them to go home, get the hell off campus. There was a ton of USC security and local LAPD. They taped off Vermont Ave from 27th to south of Jefferson around 36th street. I parked on Vermont and they had to lift the tape at two intersections to let me out. They also locked all the gates to the school campus. The main campus is about eight square blocks of private land. I had to walk way around to get to the main gate to get out. On my way out is when I saw the Palestine graffiti in green.

I spoke to two protesters. A young man maybe high school in Palestine headdress just came up and yelled "do you support the genocide." I said "I support the Jewish people and Israel's right to exist." He kept yelling "do you support the murder of women and children?" I said "do you support Hamas raping women and chopping the heads off babies." That was the end of that conversation.

A young woman came up and said she supports Jews but they are committing a genocide in Gaza. I told her the Holocaust was a genocide. Tell Hamas to free the hostages and Israel will cease fire. She said Israel has to cease fire first. I told her Hamas would then kill all the Jews and destroy Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself. Hamas has violated every cease fire including the one ended up October 7, 2023. That ended that conversation.

I spoke to some news crews, told them I was alumni and I support Jewish people and Israel's right to exist. I told them the protesters were clueless brainwashed kids.

For those that need basic Israel, Jewish facts, I wrote this short fact sheet.
https://marycumminsinvestigativereporter.blogspot.com/2023/12/false-claims-about-israel-jews-jewish.html

The protesters were chanting and marching in a circle in front of Doheny library. They chanted the following:

"From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." (Israel exists from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean sea. They want all Jews murdered and Israel destroyed)

"Disclose, divest, we will not stop we will not rest. If we don't get it, shut it down." (They want USC to divest of any pro Israel entities. If not, they will shut the school down? Many of USC's buildings were built from Jewish donor funds, i.e. Mark's Hall, Tennis Stadium, Michelson Hall... USC won't turn them back on major donors)

"Hey, hey, ho, ho, the occupation has got to go."

"What do we want, Justice, when do we want it, now." (When they yelled "what do we want?" I yelled "free the hostages!" When they yelled "When do we want it?" I yelled "Free them now!" After I did that twice they changed chants.)

"While you're learning, Gaza's burning."

"Israel is a settler state." (Israel has existed for over 3,000 years. They are not settlers.)

"Free, free Palestine, USC you can't hide, ...from genocide." (USC is not committing genocide. Neither is Israel. Hamas, Palestine broke a cease fire and invaded Israel murdering, raping, torturing 1,200 people and kidnapping over 300. Israel has the right to defend itself. Hamas hides in hospitals, churches using Palestinians as human shields.)

"Tuition, not ammunition."

VIDEO FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA

VIDEO DISCLOSE DIVEST

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate is a certified residential licensed appraiser in Los Angeles, California. Mary Cummins is licensed by the California Bureau of Real Estate appraisers and has over 35 years of experience.

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Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Who Owns That Hairstyle? Braids, Cornrows, Dreadlocks Throughout History by Mary Cummins

Who Owns That Hairstyle? Braids, Cornrows, Twists, by Mary Cummins. Photos Wikipedia.

Today we humans have many different hair types, colors and styles. The styles range from short straight bobs, crew cuts, and up-dos to cornrows, box braids and twists. Many different cultures take great pride in their traditional hairstyles. Some people take it a step further and claim to "own" certain general hairstyles exclusively such as cornrows, dreadlocks and box braids. If someone whom they believe is not of the same culture or race wears that style, they attack them and scream "cultural appropriation." Does any culture or race really own any general hair style exclusively? Hair archaeologists have shown these types of styles have actually existed independently in all cultures all over the world since the beginning of human kind.

The earliest humans first existed in Africa about 2.8 million year ago. Originally like our great ape ancestors we had short straight body hair over lighter skin like today's chimpanzees. We lost most of our body hair about 1.7 million years ago maintaining only hair on our head and certain other areas. Around 1.2 million years ago as humans moved from protected rain forests to more open savannas we developed darker skin and curly hair to protect us from the sun in Africa.

The hair on our heads only started growing longer in a population that left Africa 60,000 years ago and went to Eurasia. Part of that population returned to Africa which is why most have long hair today. The ones who stayed in Asia and Europe developed lighter skin to better absorb vitamin D. Hair also became straighter and some hair colors became lighter in Europe around 17,000 years ago through the process of natural selection.

Ever since we've had hair and it got longer we've styled it for form and function. Humans have been coloring, curling, pinning, cutting and braiding their hair for adornment for thousands of years. Hair was used to attract a mate or share social status. Braids of all types can be found in every culture and place on earth. Many of these braiding techniques are similar to rope, fabric and basket making techniques which are just as old. The earliest reproductions of braided hairstyles were about 25,000 to 30,000 years ago in figurines the Venus of Willendorf in Austria and Venus of Brassempouy in France. Obviously braids existed long before reproductions or written languages depicting and describing them.

Photo: Wikipedia

Cornrows, box braids and micro braids are most often associated with African culture. These same types of braids were also in Asia, Europe and the Americas thousands of years ago. Braids are found all over the world. "Where there is hair, there are braids." (Mary Cummins) Below are just a few examples of braids in different cultures throughout history.

Tibetan micro braids go back to at least 3500 B.C. and are "used to convey marital status, tribe, wealth, power, and religion. In Tibetan culture, braids can also indicate social rank and tribal affiliation." Micro braids are tiny box braids. (See top photo far right)

"Viking (Nordic) braids can be traced back to the Viking Age, but braids have been practiced in the parent cultures of the Vikings, the Danes and Scandinavians." Vikings had French, Dutch, cornrow braid styles along with dreadlocks. (I use French and Dutch braids to describe a style of braids and not a place of origin). Locks form naturally with both curly and straight hair. As a child with long straight hair I would have "neglect" locks if I didn't put my hair in a braid at night, while swimming or riding a bicycle. Many different cultures with straight and curly hair styled locks.

"According to The Celtic Fringe, both men and women of ancient Scotland wore their hair long, often braided or in curls. Women also wore their braids pinned to the head and also incorporated knots and buns in their hairstyles. The Romans described Celts as having ''hair like snakes''. That could be dreadlocks, could also just be many braids."

War spirits … ninth-century silver valkyrie pendants from Denmark. Photograph: The National Museum of Denmark. Cornrow, Micro braids

Pre-Incan, Andean cultures had micro braids and regular braids dating back thousands of years. The Incans believed that "hair was a source of spiritual power and that cutting it was sacrilege. Many Inca men and women grew their hair long and adorned it with braids, beads, and other decorations." Recently a 500 year old mummy La Doncella was found in the Andes with perfectly preserved micro braids.

La Doncella, Photo: Wikipedia

American Indians have been in the Americas for at least 35,000 years. They have a deep spiritual connection to hair. "In many Native American tribes, hair is considered sacred and represents an individual's cultural identity. Long hair is said to promote self-respect, pride, and a sense of belonging. It's also seen as a physical extension of one's hopes, dreams, thoughts, prayers, and experiences. For example, the Sioux and Cherokee believe that hair is a sacred part of the body and should never be cut without a specific reason." They believe the three strands of the basic braid represent mind, body and spirit. They wear all types of braids and locks.

Mexicans are part indigenous Native American with an influence from Spain and Europe. Indigenous braids or "trenzas" include French, Dutch, micro braids and plain large three strand braids woven with colorful fabric, ribbons, bows and flowers. Mexican hairstyles include Dutch milkmaid braids made famous by Frida Khalo which were adorned with flowers. I wore Mexican braids with colored ribbons as a Latina child.

Frida Khalo photograph or painting Wikipedia

Indians in South Asia have had braids for thousands of years. The Harappan civilization of South Asia was a Bronze Age society dating from 3300 BCE which wore braids. Some Indians don't cut their hair believing it honors God's gift. South Asians are known for beautiful hair jewelry intertwined with their hair.

Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Europeans have had all types of braids, twists, styles for thousands of years. The two Venuses above are but two examples. Egyptians had braids since at least 3500 B.C. in recorded history but probably since at least 6,000 B.C.. Egyptians are not Africans even though Egypt is located on the north west tip of the continent of Africa near the Middle East south of Turkey. Egyptians came from an earlier population that left Africa and then later returned to the area of Egypt around 6000 BC. Per DNA research "Ancient Egyptians were closely related to Anatolian and Neolithic European populations, as well showing strong genetic traces from the Levant areas in the near east (Turkey, Lebanon)." Middle Eastern people especially in Turkey have many braided styles.

"Although many cultures want to take sole credit for the braid, they cannot be traced to a single origin." Like how different versions of God are traceable to nearly every culture, braids, too, are polygenetic. "During the Bronze Age and Iron Age many peoples in the Near East, Asia Minor, Caucasus, East Mediterranean and North Africa are depicted in art with braided or plaited hair and beards. Similarly, the practice is recorded in Europe, Africa, India, China, Japan, Australasia and Central Asia."

Most of us have hair which we enjoy styling in different ways. Everyone should style their hair the way they enjoy. If someone with dark curly hair wants to dye it blonde and straighten it, fine. If someone with blonde straight hair wants to braid it in cornrows, also fine. Dye your hair, straighten it, braid it, shave it all off, or wear a scarf or a hat. All cultures have worn all types of styles since the beginning of human kind. We should all be accepting of other's hair style choices without attacking each other.

The subject of cultural appropriation is a sensitive and complex issue. We should honor and respect the cultural significance of specific hairstyles. It's also important to consider context and intention behind a person's hair style choice. If one is accused of cultural appropriation for wearing a certain specific or general style, it may reflect on the part of the wearer or the viewer. We should always engage in open and respectful conversations to understand all perspectives to work toward mutual understanding and respect for all cultures.

References

Most citations are hyperlinked above

Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org

"Where there is hair, there are braids." Mary Cummins

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Pro Palestine Protest at USC Was AntiSemitic, Pro Hamas. Photos, Videos by Mary Cummins

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Who Owns That Hairstyle? Braids, Cornrows, Dreadlocks Throughout History by Mary Cummins

Barbara Carrasco Mural LA History A Mexican Perspective at Natural History Museum by Mary Cummins

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