I didn’t know until recently that Smedley Butler had ever been to my town. Then I heard that he’d spoken at the University of Virginia here in Charlottesville in 1937. The University of Virginia had the speech tucked away in its stacks and was kind enough to dig it out. It’s pasted below.

If you haven’t heard of Smedley Butler and don’t know why he’s a major hero to Veterans for Peace and peace advocates in general (as well as having been a Major General), I can try to summarize his incredible life in a few sentences. The man ought to be a hero to opponents of fascist marches, which, by the way, have also come to Charlottesville.

Dear Editor:

Kylie Dreamz, LLC is a girl’s apparel and accessory line with the purpose of empowering little girls of color who are often underrepresented. The new business is owned by seven-year-old Kylie Scroggins; a second grader in Galloway, Ohio. Kylie officially launched her business on August 17, 2019.

According to Kylie, she “Does not see a lot of brown girls on shirts in the stores.” Kylie’s mother, Kortney Ester, also shares her daughter’s frustration with the lack of representation for girls of color and suggested to Kylie that she starts her own clothing line. Mainstream clothing lines are getting better with including African-American girls, however the race is so broad and unique in shades and features, that it seems that only the more popular characteristics make the cut, which is unfair  and sends a negative message to girls who have opposite features. Kylie is doing something about that.

While the exact origins of rap and hip-hop music are debatable, what was once an underground genre within New York City hit the mainstream in 1979 with the release of “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang. In the following four decades, rap music grew from relative obscurity into a cultural juggernaut, influencing everything from films to fashion.

Since 2017, when it pushed past rock ‘n’ roll to become the most popular genre in America, rap music has helped lead the charge in the realm of digital streaming. In 2018, rap and hip-hop made up 31% of the total streaming market, compared to rock’s 23%. And while strong beats and catchy lyrics are a cornerstone of the genre, so are political messages.