The picture that I took was at John Paul Jones Park, which is located at 101st Street, Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, New York. This park is named for ab American Patriot and Naval hero John Paul Jones (1747-1792). He was the first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. The monument that brought my attention in this park is the Dover Patrol Monument. This monument is a war memorial designed by an English Architect Sir Aston Webb to commemorate the Royal Navy’s Dover Patrol of the First World War. It was erected in 1931. There are two similar Dover Patrol Monuments located in Dover, Great Britain and Calais, France and were erected in 1921 and 1922.

I honor such people who sacrifice their lives for peace and virtue of the country. This monument reminds people how it was hard to get a peace in the world.

During my trip over the spring break to my home country, Kazakhstan, I had a chance to visit a famous sculpture “The Beatles Bench” which is located on Kok Tobe Park in Almaty city.  Kok Tobe in Kazakh language means “Green Hill” a mountain which is the highest point of Almaty.

The grand opening of “The Beatles Bench” sculptural composition was in May 15^th of 2007. This is the first Sculpture in the world with the all members of the Fab Four in full length. The idea of building the bronze sculpture in Almaty was made by a group of enthusiasts, admirers – “beatlemaniacs”. Two of these admirers are Rinat Shayahmetov and Arsen Bayanov.  In October, of 2002 Rinat became a witness of John Lennon’s 60^th birthday celebration in New York, where he visited John Lennon and the Beatles memorial places. In the same year of 2002, Arsen Bayanov , a journalist and a prose writer from  Almaty , former drummer of the famous Kazakh band “Dos Mukasan” ,wrote to the “Arguments and Facts “ newspaper:” And though we haven’t got such holy places where Lennon’s ,McCartney’s , Harrison’s and Ringo Starr’s foot would thread , however in Almaty are saturated with their spirit. Why don’t we give one of them  a name after this Fab Four?”

In 2003 Bayanov and Shayahmetov made an initiative group that consisted of people that had a big desire and believed that this monument should be definitely executed.  Non-commercial charitable Social Seimar Fund obtained an official permission to build the monument from Frank Roderick , the mayor of Liverpool, from Apple Corp , the Beatles brand right holders from cult musicians – Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and from John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono and Harrison’s relatives. Also this Social Seimar Fund organized a competition among sculptors and architects of Kazakhstan who will execute “The Beatles Bench” monument. The famous sculptor of Kazakhstan, Eduard Kazaryan won this contest and executed this beautiful monument.

I am very glad that I had this opportunity to see and take a picture of this amazing sculpture. Personally, I enjoy listening to “The Beatles” songs to this day. I wish I was born earlier and watched their live concert.

The photo that I took was at the Holocaust Memorial Park, which is located at the edge of the canal in Brooklyn, Sheepshead Bay .The Park was created in 1985 through the efforts of the Holocaust Memorial Committee with the support of the community leaders and legislators.

This park honors renowned leaders, educators and heroic figures as well as millions of lives including men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. I respect those people who fought for their freedom and their rights.

This is a picture of Raoul Wallenberg of which was taken at Washington D.C. Wallenberg was responsible for saving thousands of lives during the Holocaust. He was described as a shining light in a dark and depraved world, and proved that a single person with courage to care can make a difference in the world. He was born on August 4^th, 1912 and went missing never to be found again on January 17, 1945 when detained by German forces suspected of espionage. His career path included that of an architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian. He saved many Jewish people by issuing them protective passports and providing them with shelters. In Honor of his memories a “Raoul Wallenberg Committee of the United States” was create in 1981 to promote the humanitarian ideals and the nonviolent courage of Wallenberg. He was praised as a wartime hero. In October 2016, nearly 71 years pursuant to his disappearance, he was finally declared dead by the Swedish Tax Agency. Interestingly, in his youth Wallenberg although his parents were rich preferred to travel on his own and take on odd side jobs. He is said to have written to his grandfather that “when you travel like a hobo, everything’s different. You have to be on the alert the whole time. You’re in close contact with new people every day. Hitchhiking gives you training in diplomacy and tact.” I find this interesting because there is much truth to it. By travelling like an ordinary person, you become more exposed to others and notice things that you would have otherwise not have been able to.

Raoul Wallenberg was quite the interesting fellow. He grew up filled with intrigues and did not want to use his parent’s money. He was quite self-independent. Furthermore, he went on to become a war time hero who aided thousands of Jewish people in their desperate time of need. Wallenberg was quite extraordinary as far as I can tell and deserved to be commemorated for the achievements that he has made in little time on earth. However, I am left with the big question of what has happened to him after his disappearance and why it took someone 75 years to be presumed dead after his disappearance.

Citation: Raoul Wallenberg and the Rescue of Jews in Budapest, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005211 (last visited May 24, 2017).

This is a picture of Sojourner Truth which was taken in Washington DC. She was born in the year 1797 and died in the year 1883. She was a prominent abolitionist and women’s right activist. She was born a slave in New York State. Unfortunately, she had to experience three of her children sold away from her. After a successful escape from slavery, she turned to religion and became involved in moral reforms and abolitionist work. She was known to be a powerful and passionate speaker and is best known for “Ain’t I a Women” speech in 1851. She had no formal education but was a powerful force in the era in which she lived. She even was said to have challenged Fredrick Douglass on the issues of violence against slavery. During the Civil War, she was as brave as to walk the street collecting food and clothing for the black regiments. She was a big activist for educating children. She was said to have denounced racism stating that “it is hard for the old slaveholding spirit to die, but die it must.” This shows that she is looking towards the future and will not be filled with regrets. She died of old age in 1883 having quite a large funeral.

Sojourner Truth was a woman of strength. She was born into slavery but did not let that break her and cause her to doubt herself. She mustered the courage to escape but then became a vital part of a community which supports women’s rights and aimed to end slavery. She had no formal education but seemed to be a quick learner. She was outspoken and a great speaker. This is a trait in which I admire about her. Coming from her background one would expect her to have difficulties presenting her emotions and thoughts. However, she does not give in and does her best to show the world that she can make a difference and in fact she has. Truth is a brave woman from a time of which brave women were much needed. She duly deserves this commemoration of hers. She was a very interesting individual and will forever be a part of America’s history.

Citation: History.com Staff, Sojourner TruthHistory.com (2009), http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/sojourner-truth (last visited May 24, 2017).

William Cullen Bryant was born on November 3, 1794 near Cummington, MA, but moved with his family to a new home when he as just two years old. He developed an interest in poetry in his youth, but unable to finance a Yale education, he was guided to pursue a legal career. He studied law in Massachusetts and was admitted to the bar in 1815. On January 11, 1821, Bryant married Frances Fairchild. From 1816 through 1825, he practiced law in Great Barrington, MA, but moved to New York City in pursuit of a literary career. In late 1825, he became editor of the New-York Review. He also moonlighted with the New-York Evening Post where he rose to the position of Editor-in-Chief and later co-owned the newspaper.

Over the next few decades, Bryant became one of the more liberal voices of his time. He was and early and avid supporter of organized labor, defended religious minorities and immigrants, and promoted the abolition of slavery. He plunged into the foreground of the battle for human rights and continued to speak out against the corrupting influence of certain bankers in spite of numerous threats to his financial status.

He died in 1878 of complications from an accidental fall he suffered after participating in a Central Park ceremony honoring Italian patriot Giuseppe Mazzini. He is buried at Roslyn Cemetery in Roslyn, NY.

In his Give Us the Ballot speech, Martin Luther King Jr. quoted Bryant saying “there is something in this universe which justifies William Cullen Bryant in saying: [Truth crushed to earth will rise again.]”

Bryant is memorialized in several ways and in different locations within New York City. His name is born by Bryant Park, which is adjacent to the New York Public Library. Also, to further honor his contribution to New York, a public high school located in Queens, NY was named after him.

The street sign located in front of was is now known as Bryant High School bears the name of this outstanding New Yorker.

It was April 28, 2017, I was at home in Brooklyn. talking to dad and he began to tell me explain to me; what happened to my little brother at his school. He was sent home with a permission slip asking permission to take a test for STD. It just so happened that my brother never got his permission slip signed and ended up getting tested at his high school anyway without his parent consent for the purposes of statistics between 15-18 year olds in mostly dominant African American school. As a school there responsible for whatever goes on with my little brother between 8:15 a.m to 3:50 p.m. I believe this was due to racial profiling; which led me to write about him.

Michel Brown an 18 year old African American man who was shot by a police officer on August  9, 2014 in Ferguson Missouri. However the way that he died was unfair to me and the others who have been protesting on his behalf. He was being honored because he was a young black teen who was also unarmed but still killed.He had no weapon but he was gunned down similarly to trayvon Martin who was also gunned down unfairly for just wearing a hooded sweater. Michel Brown’s 2-3 year anniversary of his death was being honored in Brooklyn New York. I liked this commemoration because it remind me of the young black teenagers in our community that still face this problem today like my brother. This photograph came from this website http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/michael-brown-sr-helps-take-apart-worldwide-symbol-his-sons-legacy#stream/0 . Listen Live St. Louis Public Radio.

          While I was walking to my school I found Christopher Columbus  statue. The monument at this one in front of the Kings County Supreme Court , created by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo, was erected as part of New York’s 1892, the sculpture was a gift to the city in 1892, paid for by public subscription. The funds were collected in 1892, but the sculpture was not installed until two years later. It is a copy of a work located in Madrid.  The monument consists of a marble statue of Columbus atop a 70-foot (21 m) granite rostral column  decorated with bronze  reliefs representing Columbus’ ships.

      This sculpture has been described as representing the navigator “standing upon the deck of a ship alone…before the West Continent burst into view,” ship’s tiller in hand, as his “mutinous crew have all deserted him.” Emma Stubbiness (1815–1882) carved this colossal marble sculpture in the late 1860s. She was one of several female expatriate artists living in Rome at the time whom author Henry James dubbed “the white marmorean flock.” The sister of Park Board President Henry Stubbiness, she is best known for creating the bronze statue of the Angel of the Waters at the center of Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain.

       While I walking to my school I saw this statue of Beecher sits in Columbus Park in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall. Beecher was born on June 13, 1813 in Litchfield, Connecticut, and was the son of a well-known Presbyterian minister, Lyman Beecher (1775–1863). Among Henry Ward’s ten siblings was his sister Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896), author of the classic anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin first published as a serial in 1851–52. The figure was designed by John Quincy Adams Ward he is the best known for his George Washington in front of Federal Hall and dedicated in 1891, just four years after Beecher’s death.

           Later referred to as “the Dean of American Sculptors,” Ward contributed nine sculptures to the parks of New York, among them Horace Greeley (1890) now in City Hall Park,  he was chosen to make Beecher’s death mask, and then selected by the memorial committee to sculpt his full-scale bronze effigy. In 1847 Beecher took charge of the newly formed Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn Heights.  Beecher was an inspirational spiritual leader, and an outspoken and eloquent commentator on issues of the day, opposing slavery and supporting women’s suffrage, and through his sermons, lectures and writings attained broad influence on popular opinion.