Welcome!!! I have decided to take a journey deep into my inner self to discover a deeper sense of peace and maybe even to get some of life's most puzzling questions answered. Feel free to join me on this journey and leave your thoughts...
As I think about all of the people suffering globally during this economic recession I am reminded of my own pitfalls and sometimes I find myself feeling as if I just don’t measure up. I feel like a lesser version of the self I had planned to be and the self I am capable of being. There’s a part of me that feels like a failure.
But somehow, I know this isn’t the right mindset. Life is not about how much money you have, how much property you own, or who knows and respects your name. It just is… Despite hard times and struggle, I’m still me.
What remains the same? You might lose valued material possessions and you might even go without things you need, but there is still a part of you that is able to find joy, meaning, and hope, because you are the same, human, with or without material things.
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” –John Lennon
Sometimes I think about those people who, at the beginning of the current economic crisis, owned their own home, then abruptly lost it due to foreclosure, and are now homeless. Then I have in my mind the stories about visionaries who had that one wonderful idea then became rich! Then I think about all the people in Mexico who dream of coming to the United States with the hope of making a better life for themselves. Then I say to myself that none of it matters.
Whether I am a day laborer in India, a cashier at your local department store, a teller at a bank, or one of the un-named people in Bible stories who roamed around with Jesus and Moses all day, at the end of the day, none of those things are what life is all about.
Life is about living. Living is enjoying the smile on a baby’s face, the aroma of a pretty flower, the soothing sounds of nature, the kindness of a stranger, or the warmth of a friend. It's about taking a moment to lie down in the grass to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. It's about taking the time to listen to and enjoy complete silence.
Bask in the charm of the night sky. Look up and take into your being, the beauty of the moon and stars. Try to find the Big Dipper/Little Dipper. If it’s too cloudy but there’s a full moon, observe the way the light cuts in and out of the clouds in the night sky. Over time, these marvels of nature have not changed much and you can feel complete knowing that millions who lived before you looked up and saw the same thing. Just remember to breathe it all in. Forget about the madness in your life, the politics of the world, and lay the drama aside. Take a moment for yourself and be engulfed by the darkness, the oneness, and the stillness of nature.
Then sleep. Then wake-up. Then eat. Then work. Then play. But most importantly, live. Your existence on this earth is only fleeting and temporary. When you’re gone, your friends and loved ones will bury you in the ground and say good-bye, forever. Life as you knew it will truly be over. So today while you are alive, be sure to live. Time will keep ticking no matter how much you plan and no matter how much you worry.
So don’t ever lose sight of what LIFE is all about. It is about waking up in the morning and just being alive. We can’t really be sure of what the next month or year will bring or even certain that we will be here among the living. But at the end of the day, if you have food, clothing, shelter, and your health, you’re living a pretty good life.
And should you get sick and become unable to pay your medical bills, then you will eventually die as did billions of people before you. But until that sad day, what you have left is time. It's time to enjoy the rest of the life you have on this earth.
Meditation: Today I am grateful for every little thing, every peaceful moment, every opportunity.
Is the Devil Hijacking Black youth culture by way of media representation? And I'm not talking about no illuminati/cult/etc! Just Lucifer/Satan in the form of distorted reality, straight up and pure. What do you think? Think people, THINK!
Don't get me wrong, I believe in Freedom of Speech but I also believe in morality... They have the right to say it, but you can be moral and reject it!
If the KuKluxKlan released a white supremacy album that went platinum in 1 week, and the video got 1bil hits across Youtube and Vimeo combined, Black people would be marching in the streets! But you have Wiz Khalifa and Too Short release a hit song glorifying drug-abuse and drug-induced rape, and people say "Leave them alone! They've had a hard life."
Just think, what other heroes do little 10-yr old Black and Hispanic boys have? That is why this attitude has become our culture and continues to contribute to the association of racial and ethnic minorities with moral deviance. Simply put, in the words of Lil' Wayne, "This is a culture." (Click here to watch Lil Wayne's Public Service Announcement.)
In the 90s when Tupac was talking about drive-bys, I knew children who were killed due to drive-bys! I understand that "thug-life" may be the truth of their reality, but the glorification of it doesn't help those who are 1.) not making money off it, and 2.) wasting their money by buying it and/or seeking to imitate it.
I recently read an article from The Root titled, "Liberals Still Fighting Old Culture Wars" which discussed liberal groups' frustration and intolerance of Conservative Republican leader, Pat Buchanan. Pat Buchanan recently wrote a new book, "Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?" In it he claims that our nation, born a Western Christian republic, is becoming a "multiracial, multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic stew...that has no successful precedent in the history of the world." Could his concern be due to reports like these?
1.) Professor Tricia Rose, author of "Black Noise" discusses the corporatization of black culture and states that marketing, rather than creativity now drives the work of artists, drives the sexual exploitation of black women...Yet it's difficult to be critical of young black men.
** View the net worth of the Top-5 Richest Rappers of 2011. Lil Wayne does not make the Top-5 due to his net worth being only $85million in 2011.
** See what HipHop artists earned, according to Forbes, in the year 2011. "HipHop Cash Kings 2011"
I realize that some of the images of drug use may be triggers for some people (probably why they made it). I think we all know that there's something wrong with this kind of lifestyle/music. :-( Nevertheless, the music is catchy...sigh. How many kids will begin a lifetime of addiction after dancing to this I wonder?
[Wiz Khalifa - Verse 1] It's the champagne pourin' Big joint rollin' Bombay sippin' No blunt smoking Bad bitch gettin' Thick and she got some friends with her I take 'em out pourin' shots of liquor Drinkin' out the bottle, smiling in all my pictures The marijuana loud so them hoes follow like twitter nigga, you know everything Taylored Don't rush to the bar fool, if you ain't got no paper That's the rules, high as fuck, sloppy drunk when I'm passing through Rollin' doobies up, ya hoe who we pass 'em to Hit the club spend this money up, roll another one, drink, act a fool That's what I have to do
[Chorus] See after drinking champagne all night Never worry bout a damn thing, y'all might Homie I'm on my level (yeh) I'm on my level (yeah) I'm on my level (yeh) I'm on my level (yeaah)
So let me take one shot to the brain And I order three more shots I'm going in, ayy I'm on my level (yeh) I'm on my level (yeah) I'm on my level (yeh) I'm on my level (yeaah)
[Wiz Khalifa - Verse 2] Spent a couple dollars on my engine motor roaring when I back out the garage Gin got me drunk as fuck stumbling out the bar Plus I'm struggling tryna find the keys to my car Cause I be going hard, roll the camera Life just like a movie, I'm the star Wish you was in my position You too broke to play the part Of course I keep some bad women with me in the back Sippin' Rose with some hash twistin' All about a dollar, my team in the cash gettin' Straight out the burb, we drinking we smash niggas So when I say I'm balling, that don't mean that I'm playing mate All my diamonds talkin', you can see what they sayin' mayne
[Chorus]
[Too $hort] In the middle of the night, early in the mornin' From the streets to the sheets with some freaks, I ain't yawnin' I'm wide awake, we ain't eatin', we ain't sleepin' These bitches so high man, we ain't even speakin' We just freakin' You rollin' with short dog baby She was high on that pill so I fucked yo lady Come to my house I give 'em everything they want I might not dot it, but I give to ya women Cocaine, mushrooms, ecstasy, GHB, Marijuana She can suck it if she wanna I got tequila, Ciroc and two freaky friends and this a Wednesday night, this ain't the weekend
[Chorus]
[Bridge] Man I'm high as fuck Man I swear I'm on my level Man I'm sloppy drunk Man I swear I'm on my level I finna pass out man I swear I'm on my level A nigga get smashed out Man I swear I'm on my level
Man I'm high as fuck Man I swear I'm on my level Man I'm sloppy drunk Man I swear I'm on my level I finna pass out man I swear I'm on my level A nigga get smashed out Man I swear I'm on my level
[Woman on phone] “Hello Yeah I just walked in Yeah I’m good you still working? tonight, right now? ‘Did I go out’ yeah I went out I went, I went to a couple of clubs I never went to bed shit… wine or water you should see someone about a cold drink I don’t know, I’m delirious… night”
[Drake - Verse 1] Cups of the Rose Bitches in my old phone I should call one and go home I’ve been in this club too long The woman that I would try Is happy with a good guy
But I’ve been drinking so much That I’ma call her anyway and say “Fuck that nigga that you love so bad I know you still think about the times we had” I say “fuck that nigga that you think you found And since you picked up I know he’s not around”
(Are you drunk right now?)
I’m just sayin’, you could do better Tell me have you heard that lately? I’m just sayin’ you could do better And I’ll start hatin’, only if you make me
Uh, cups of the XO All my people been here I see all of her friends here Guess she don’t have the time to kick it no more Flights in the morning What you doing that's so important? I’ve been drinking so much That I’ma call you anyway and say
“Fuck that nigga that you love so bad I know you still think about the times we had” I say “fuck that nigga that you think you found And since you picked up I know he’s not around” (Are you drunk right now?)
I’m just sayin’, you could do better Tell me have you heard that lately I’m just sayin’ you could do better And I’ll start hatin’, only if you make me
I think I’m addicted to naked pictures And sittin talkin’ ’bout bitches that we almost had I don’t think I’m concious of making monsters Outta the women that I sponsor til it all goes bad But shit it’s all good We threw a party, yeh we threw a party Bitches came over, yeh, we threw a party I was just calling cause they were just leaving Talk to me please, don’t have much to believe in I need you right now, are you down to listen to me? Too many drinks have been given to me I got some women that's living off me Paid for their flights and hotels I’m ashamed Bet that you know them, I won’t say no names After a while girl they all seem the same I’ve had sex four times this week I’ll explain Having a hard time adjusting to fame Sprite in that mixture, I’ve been talking crazy girl I’m lucky that you picked up Lucky that you stayed on I need someone to put this weight on
[Drake and Woman on phone] “Well I’m sorry” – [Drake] “Are you drunk right now?” – [Woman]
I’m just sayin’, you could do better Tell me have you heard that lately I’m just sayin’ you could do better And I’ll start hatin’, only if you make me
[Drake on phone] “You’re not going to come?” “Guess I’m bout to just kick it here then…”
Just throw up while I hold your hair back Her white friend said “you niggas crazy” I hope no-one heard that I hope no-one heard that Cause if they did, we gon be in some trouble
When I first saw the advertisement for "The Help" I was on Facebook. I briefly glanced at it then said to myself, “Now why would anyone make a movie like that?” I just shook my head, clicked onto something else, and said to myself, “Definitely won’t be seeing that!”
It was just that simple. I didn’t know whether the movie was a comedy or a drama, and I didn’t even want to find out! Why not? Well from the cover I could see the implied racism with the two Black women standing in their maid uniforms while the two White women dressed in their Sunday best, sat on a park bench looking a little bit ditsy. The secondary status of the Black women is obvious and as if we needed some extra help, the title reads, “The Help.” Hmm... They pretty much spelled it out for us... The phrase, “the help” is most often used in a derogatory way to express the secondary status of domestic workers in relationship to their employers.
Well, a week after first becoming aware of the movie, I started to hear people talking about it. One of my Facebook friends said she thought it should be a movie that every black person sees. Also, the month before it came out, Viola Davis was featured on the cover of my favorite magazine, Essence. So basically this movie was brought to my attention over and over again in many different ways. I was getting the idea that it would contain important lessons about my history, African-American culture, so I went to go see it!
Background Info:
“The Help” was first a best-selling novel (2009) by Kathryn Stockett. According to Wikipedia, Kathryn Stockett was born in 1969 (she’s 42yrs old) and was raised by an African-American domestic worker. Although Ms. Stockett was born and raised in the deep south, she didn’t actually witness the Civil Rights Movement. Most likely, her earliest childhood memories are of 1973.
My thoughts and feelings while watching "The Help":
1.) Make no mistake. This movie is definitely about WOMEN. The men in it play tiny, unimportant parts. It is a story told about the lives of women through the eyes of a woman...and she covers just about everything a woman might experience in life.
What kind of women topics? Miscarriage, Domestic Violence, Marriage, Dating, Child-rearing, Fashion, Girl bullying, Family vs. Career... You name it, it's in there!
The Civil Rights theme is almost secondary to the Feminist History kinda theme...but they kind of move along together...as does real life.
2.) My only criticism is that there was so much going on, especially towards the end. At 1st it's easy to maneuver through, but towards the end, all of my emotions were conflicted. I didn't even know what I was sad about! :-(
I was being hit with such sentimental and emotional experiences, I probably said "Aww" 20 times! It is a tear-jerker, but really funny and heart-warming too!
3.) I’ve read a lot of the reviews but I am here to tell you that life in Mississippi is probably not a whole lot different than that today! I was actually surprised at how similar the movie was to my experiences living there!
4.) I did like the movie because I felt it was just funny enough not to cause anyone to have nightmares yet it didn’t gloss over the Civil Rights Movement like “Remember The Titans” did.
5.) One question I came away with, “Have we ever figured out how and why this type of hatred was able to exist? The movie doesn’t answer that question. However, it does show how delicate and unbalanced the Jim Crow situation had become and the lengths that many white people had to go to in effort to ensure that blacks remained in secondary status.
In the movie, all of the characters were being challenged. Blacks and Whites were being challenged to cross the line. It is as if boundaries were being set. It was almost like watching a dance occur, symbolic of the relationship between Blacks and Whites...they were carving it out and defining it.
Moving into the future:
Many criticisms that I’ve read about this movie suggest that it leaves the Blacks in secondary status as domestic workers, therefore doesn’t really support any real change. My opinion: If you look at the movie from the historic point of view you might walk away with that, but I challenge you to look at the movie and consider it from a present-day point of view. How do your thoughts change? Consider the fact that we still have minority race domestic workers who are treated as 2nd class citizens. Even worse, we now have domestic workers who are not even citizens!
It is one of my lifelong dreams to create a cultural diversity curriculum for elementary school children ages PreK-6th grade. It is my belief that teaching children the truth about their heritage while they are in their elementary school years will benefit them greatly for the rest of their lives.
My curriculum would focus on helping adults to help young children foster healthy self-esteem, cultural pride, and multi-cultural awareness. Ideally children would develop a joy of lifelong learning from a global perspective as well as interest in, tolerance of, and acceptance of the world’s cultures. Issues would be addressed such as negative images seen on television as well as any other experience they might have in which they are devalued or are made to feel less worthy because of the color of their skin, cultural beliefs, etc.
The Truth
For example, to teach young children, “Christopher Columbus discovered America” is not really providing them with accurate or culturally sensitive information. The truth is that Columbus discovered America for the Europeans who did not yet know about it. Somehow ths story is always told from the Eurocentric point of view, but do we ever ask ourselves what this image does to Native American and Hispanic children (basically any child with ancestors who were indigenous to the North and South American continents)? I would like to structure the dialogue in a way that it at least makes logical sense and reports accurate cultural information.
In my curriculum, Elementary School children would really start to learn about colonialism around the 4th grade, and I think they should learn the truth, not watered down versions or versions that show all people getting along or how that system worked well. Slavery is my history…it has shaped who I am and it has shaped America. Africa is my history, it has shaped who I am and it has helped to shape America.
It is important for all people to see value in people who look like them. 1.) I want to show children people who look like them, especially Hispanic and African-American children. 2.)I want to send positive and important messages to children about people who look like them daily. 3.)I would like to teach children the truth about people who look like them daily. So not just in February…and not just when celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, although those pieces of culture are important. I do not want any culture to be reduced to celebrations because there is more to it than that.
Global Awareness
When I was in the 6th grade, I remember taking World History. It was very sad that there was very little information there about my own culture, about people who looked like me.
Most educational programs nowadays try really hard to engage children in the learning process and encourage young children to become lifelong learners. My curriculum would focus on this as well but it would also help children learn about world events, and help them to develop a more global perspective so that the information learned and the excitement for learning is not lost as children transition into puberty.
So Geography would be a vital and neccessary part of this curriculum. In 4th grade, most children can name the 50 states but can they name any of the countries in Africa, countries in South America, or cities in Mexico? Do they know about Australia and India, as well as the European countries? Because that is what it means to be American. Being American means to draw upon different influences…to be a part of that melting pot or mixed salad so to speak, and in many ways, both.
The Social/Emotional Experience
So how do you explain colonialism to a diverse group of grade-school children without scarring them for life? The most important aspect of my diversity curriculum would be helping children/parents/teachers deal with the difficult emotions surrounding the issues. To be successful, the curriculum cannot neglect to help children start to understand the concept of White Privelege at an early age. So my curriculm would be social-educational in nature whereby we teach facts but we have to deal with social and emotional aspects. I would really prefer this to lying to them. Even if the curriculum is only used partially, it has to include the social/emotional supportive piece.
We don’t want to over-simplify facts, but we would want to help them to try to see the complexity in it all…because even as adults it is still all very complex. They, as do we, have to understand that everyone is going to view situations differently and have different experiences. But by the time these children reach middle school/high school they will have in their tool belt, the skills needed to combat hatred and to maintain healthy and diverse relationships with others. I think that after years of implementing this curriculum in Elementary schools, cliques in the secondary schools would dissipate, or at least not be represented in the way that they are today.
Every child should feel valued by their teachers, principals, parents, and peers...but does every child feel that their culture is valued?
My Motivation
One thing that inspired me to write this article is the issue of Colorism/Shadeism and the research that I've done regarding this topic.
Colorism or Shadeism is discrimination based on skin shade/skin tone vs discrimination based on race/ethnicity. I have compiled a playlist on youtube for anyone who would like to know more about the topic. This playlist features mostly video documentaries which address the issue of colorism/shadeism. At this point, even I have not watched all of them in entirety…overwhelming.
It's madness! Justification for an eye for an eye...celebrating a man's death...what have we become? We are no better than him and his crazy followers! One thing that kills me is how many stories there are about what actually happened to him... ????
And yet I understand why US officials chose to deal with him like that (because I watch Criminal Minds). He was nothing more than a crazy deranged serial killer and sociopath... Giving him a chance to live and speak, etc. would only add fuel to the fire allowing him to get more followers worldwide and incite more people to rage!
What we should be examining: Why is his WAY so appealing to so many? Is it that many crazies in the world? Is it just extremist religion? Well we all know that religion, and how it is expressed, is about people...beliefs guide thought and actions. But no matter what religion says, we all make our own choices. In other words, I'm sure no religion directly says to anyone, "Become a suicide bomber and kill innocent people!"
Whatever happened to Ghandi, Jesus Christ, etc... Peace ppl! Make love not war! <-- :-P JUST kidding! Does making love solve problems...I dunno, go ask a hippie! Lol!
Lets try hard to be rational + compassionate human beings...and just use some good ole fashioned common sense! Let's not act like monkeys. We have a higher calling than that!
When I write, I like to throw all of myself into my writing. My first step before I write anything is to determine how I feel deep down inside about the subject matter. This ensures that the message comes from the heart or that it is at least worth the time it takes to write about.
Lately, I am faced with the realization that it is easier for me to write about some topics than others... Just thinking about it, I am scared. I'm not only scared of sharing, journaling, or writing about my thoughts and feelings, but I'm afraid of even really exploring the ideas any further in my own mind. "Uh-oh," I said to myself. You have found a weak spot. You have found territory that you’re afraid to roam...a space that you don’t want to enter. And frankly, I’m a little bit surprised by the extreme emotional reaction of feeling the need to gag myself. That’s not who I am, right? But still, I’m not ready… I'm faced with the inner struggle to be myself.
One thing I can say now, is how oppressed I really am. I’m thinking about making up a new Facebook quiz titled, “How oppressed are you?” No, not really. But seriously, I realize that having to hide and suppress yourself in everyday life can take its toll.
I guess I’m afraid of hearing that I'm wrong...not that my opinion is wrong, but that who I am is wrong. What I think is wrong. What I feel is wrong. Who I am is wrong. That is the definition of shame.
noun \ˈshām\ Definition of SHAME 1 a: a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety b: the susceptibility to such emotion 2 : a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute : ignominy 3 a : something that brings censure or reproach; also : something to be regretted : pity b : a cause of feeling shame
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