ALelia Walker - Joy Goddess of the Harlem Renaissance

ALelia Walker - Joy Goddess of the Harlem Renaissance ALelia Walker Quick Facts Known for: patron of Harlem Renaissance artists; daughter of Madam C. J. WalkerOccupation: business executive, art patronDates: June 6, 1885 - August 16, 1931Also known as: Lelia Walker, Lelia Robinson, Lelia McWilliams Biography ALelia Walker (born Lelia McWilliams in Mississippi) moved with her mother, Madam C. J. Walker, to Saint Louis when ALelia was two years old. ALelia was well-educated though her mother was illiterate; her mother saw to it that ALelia attended college, at Knoxville College in Tennessee. As her mothers beauty and hair care business grew, ALelia worked with her mother in the business. ALelia took charge of the mail order part of the business, working out of Pittsburgh. Business Executive In 1908, mother and daughter set up a beauty school in Pittsburgh to train women in the Walker method of hair processing. The operation was called Lelia College. Madam Walker moved the business headquarters to Indianapolis in 1900. ALelia Walker set up a second Lelia College in 1913, this one in New York. After Madam Walkers death, ALelia Walker ran the business, becoming president in 1919. She renamed herself about the time of her mothers death. She built the large Walker Building in Indianapolis in 1928. Harlem Renaissance During the Harlem Renaissance, ALelia Walker hosted many parties that brought together artists, writers, and intellectuals. She held the parties in her New York townhouse apartment, called the Dark Tower, and at her country villa, Lewaro, originally owned by her mother. Langston Hughes dubbed ALelia Walker the joy goddess of the Harlem Renaissance for her parties and patronage. The parties ended with the beginning of the Great Depression, and ALelia Walker sold the Dark Tower in 1930. More about ALelia Walker The six-foot-tall ALelia Walker was married three times and had an adopted daughter, Mae. Death ALelia Walker died in 1931. The eulogy at her funeral was delivered by the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. Mary McLeod Bethune also spoke at the funeral. Langston Hughes wrote a poem for the occasion, To ALelia. Background, Family Mother: Sarah Breedlove Walker - Madam C. J. WalkerFather: Moses McWilliams Marriage, Children husband: John Robinson (divorced 1914)husband: Wiley Wilson (married 3 days after her mother died; divorced 1919)husband: James Arthur Kennedy (married early 1920s, divorced 1931)daughter: Mae, adopted 1912

Habits and Traits of Bess Beetles

Habits and Traits of Bess Beetles Bess beetles live together in family groups, with males and females sharing parenting duties. They go by quite a few common names: bessbugs, patent leather beetles, horn beetles, Betsy beetles, and peg beetles. Bess beetles belong to the family Passalidae and share certain habits and traits. Physical Characteristics Bess beetles can be quite large, measuring up to 70 or 80 mm in length. Theyre shiny and black, which is why some people refer to them as patent leather beetles. Youll notice a pronounced gap between the deeply grooved elytra and the pronotum. A single groove divides the pronotum in two. To distinguish bess beetles from other similar beetle families, youll also need to examine the head, mouthparts, and antennae. The bess beetles head will be narrower than the pronotum, and the mouthparts project forward. The antennae have 10 segments, and are not elbowed. They terminate in a 3-segmented club. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum:Â  ArthropodaClass:Â  InsectaOrder:Â  ColeopteraFamily:Â  Passalidae Diet Both adults and larvae feed on decaying wood. Both male and female bess beetles prepare the food by chewing it before feeding it to their young. Adults and larvae also feed on adult feces, which is predigested by microorganisms that break down cellulose. Life Cycle Bess beetles undergo complete metamorphosis. Adults mate within the tunnel system they excavate in a rotting log. The female lays her eggs in a nest made of masticated wood. Bess beetle larvae prepare to pupate about two months after eclosure from the egg. With the help of adults, the larvae constructs a pupal case made from frass. The larva works from the inside, and the adults from the outside. Adult bess beetles may live for over two years. Special Adaptations and Defenses Kids often like bess beetles because they squeak when you disturb them. Adult bess beetles stridulate by rubbing the undersides of their wings across their abdomens. Larvae can talk, too. Bess beetles have a remarkably complex language, making 14 distinct sounds. Home Range Entomologists list over 500 species of bess beetles worldwide, most living in the tropics. Just two species inhabit the U.S.