Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Falola, The Great

Adeyemi Bukola Oyeniyi has said it right, and said it well. If I may just add a word to it, I would simply say that some are given honors, others are bestowed with honors; but there is a small group that constitutes the seed on which honors germinate and yield their fruits; and that, in my mind, is the group the Falolas belong.They are a rare breed of humanities and deserve to be honored at any and all levels that life may choose to celebrate them.  They have grown a tree of honors on whose stem branches of honors have grown, flourished, flowered and fruited. "If one's daughter is beautiful," as the saying goes, "why not declare it in the open?" For their meritorious services to humanity, relentless pursuit of excellence, unfathomable hard work, and unexerggarated style of living, may I join other well-wishers to say, "Oye A Mori o" (May the wreath of honor befit your heads).  The writer of the Book of Proverbs said it all in (22:29) that, "Have you seen a person who is diligent in service? He shall stand before kings and not before men of low reputes." Congratulations are therefore in order, Chief and Chief (Mrs.) Falola. If one's family masquerade dances well, it invokes gratification in one's psyche. Thanks for making all of us proud again. Stay well and keep climbing.

Michael O. Afolayan
From the Land of Lincoln

On Saturday, April 19, 2014 6:43 PM, adeyemi bukola oyeniyi <oyeniyib@gmail.com> wrote:

Falola, The Great

 

Today, the evergreen statement of William Shakespeare on greatness  reinvented itself, as the Olubadan of Ibadanland invested Professor Toyin Falola and Dr. (Mrs.) Bisi Falola as Bobapitan and Yeye Bobapitan of Ibadanland. Professor Toyin Falola, born in Ibadan over sixty years ago, rose from relative obscurity to limelight by sheer enterprise and rugged determination, which saw him meandering through life from Ode-Aje and Molusi College to Obafemi Awolowo University and the University of Texas at Austin.

As William Shakespeare brilliantly warned: "Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them". Unlike many, Professor and Dr. Toyin and Bisi Falola were not born into any affluence or politically notable families. Toyin Falola was the son of an ordinary tailor. He dropped out of school when his father died. Besides completing his elementary school, he had just a few years of secondary education before gaining admission into the university. He entered the Obafemi Awolowo University, where he later worked and became a professor. It was from Ife that he joined the University of Austin at Texas.

Undoubtedly, Professor Falola earned and achieved greatness. He has authored, co-authored, edited and co-edited more than 150 books on Black History, African-American History, and Diaspora Studies.

Today, I join millions of admirers and well-wishers to congratulate Professor and Chief Toyin Falola and Dr. and Chief Mrs. Bisi Falola for this feat. As the Holy Bible puts it: "sound of joy shall not depart from the abode of the faithful".

 

Congratulations, oga.

 

Bukola Adeyemi Oyeniyi

Department of History

Strong Building, Room 440,

Tel: 417-836-6959

Mobile: (+1) 832-211-8921

Missouri State University

901 S. National Ave.

Springfield, MO 65897

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.