AQIYL'S FORUM

New Blog Post: "Small of My Back" by Consciousskillz

2012-01-13T04:11:00.000-08:00

In my life time I've often heard the phrase "Behind Every Great Man,is a Good Woman." I've looked at this thing from many angles, culturally, traditionally, religiously and from a physical standpoint found it hard to understand why the woman was relegated to a position that from my limited understanding seem to be of one of a second class citizen. Now it's understood that we exist in a very patriarchial society that at times is very misogynistic,objectifying and disrespectful at best, however if we look at history we have so many shining examples of women who have not only done their part but have been difference makers.

So let's delve into this a little further. As I've stated I've learned about different religions and cultures where the woman has to walk at least 5 paces behind the man, can't accompany them to houses of worship and things like that. However as a Black man I want to look at this from a different perspective based upon my experiences and life lessons. In the community I'm from it quickly became apparent that the women in my circle we're very strong, principled, family oriented women who did what was necessary to make sure that their families had what they needed. As far as tradition goes, it's a common notion that the man is considered to be the head of the house, but what's not spoken about much is the neck that turns that head, "the woman"

From the beginning of time, thru slavery and up until this present day women and especially the black woman has endured much pain, mysery and suffering due to the circumstance of life and those that we as black have help create. However, the one thing that is undeniable is without them many homes would worse off, many doors to masjids, churches and synagogues would be closed and communities would have sunken into to complete decay without their strength and presence. So the question remains "Why Behind?" Well, I look at it from this perspective. The woman's place is not to stand behind but to stand next to. However, there are times in life that these same men who were carrying the burdens of the world on their shoulders, whether it was coming home from prison, losing a job, starting a nation or changing the world sometimes the weight became heavy and they turned to the closest person to them for counsel, guidance and strength.

See, there are times that sisters had to get behind us and place her strong hands in the small of our backs for not just support but to literally hold us up so that we didn't crumble from the weight of the things we encountered on this journey. So yes, sometimes it's necessary to stand behind the man or the men in your life to be that anchor, that support and strength, but it's not your permanent position. I for one am grateful for all the women (mother, sisters, friends, loved ones) who at one time or another found it necessary to stand behind me, hold me up, then give a firm nudge so that I can continue on this journey. And for that I will forever be grateful.

Even if It's Meant...There's Still Work To Do by @consciouskillz

2011-10-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Destiny itself is such a funny topic. From birth so many of us have been told that we were destined to do and be great. To bring forth things that the world we live in would be able to use and benefit from. On the other hand alot of us have been told that it we weren't shit, never gonna be shit and that would be blight upon our family and society as a whole. Then there are the matters of the heart. People meet daily and make connections with people who based upon the interaction and the things shared come to the conclusion that they are "soul mates" or they are meant to be.

Even with all that being said no matter what scenario fits your situation there is still going a be a significant amount of work to acheive or manifest the end results of which may or may be your destiny. Just being intelligent, skillfull or knowledgeable has ever been enough to achieve the things in life we seek. Having the theory is good but putting it to work is where it really counts. Working hard towards a goal makes the acquiring of it that much more sweeter to enjoy. If a college degree is something that I wish to attain and it's my destiny to have one then I must do all that is necessary to achieve it, including jumping over, going around all the obstacles within myself and outside of myself that will seek to hinder me.

Conversely, meeting someone, acknowledging the physical attraction that is shared is not nearly enough to manifest the destiny that may lie between the two of you because between the destiny that lies between the two of you is the road, the path and the obstacles that litter it. It is on that path that one finds out very quickly that manifesting said destiny is not going to always be easy. In my own experiences I've learned that knowing something should be is not nearly enough for it to be. It is the work, it is the staying focused upon the goal that will always aid one in attaining the goal and bringing that destiny to fruition.

It's never been my experience to not have to work for or towards something or someone if that was my desire or aim. What I have learned that if something is truly meant for me, then I must not only "plan the work, but I must work the plan." Be steadfast and honest about how I'm going to go about it and be realistic about how possible attaining this thing really is. Fully knowing that the obstacles will come but am I strong enough, focused enough, sincere enough to withstand all that may come and still keep it moving. Yeah, something may be your destiny, but are you, am I willing to do the work necessary to manifest it? Just a question.

FlashBack Joint of The Day: Faith Evans "Aint Nobody"

2011-10-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Poetic Prose Of The Day - Epiphany

2011-10-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Epiphany

Your sweet whispers saturate my soul with pleasure as passion pulsates around the private places where kisses and climaxes come and go. You tastefully tease me with touches that tantalizingly tingle my mind as well as my spine.

Our bodies intertwine and intermingle while blending a confectionary concoction, lustful libation, an enticing elixir of syrupy sweetness that defies any label you could ever put on it. Fingertips, tongues, lips and gyrating hips hypnotically hold me hostage within your silky softness. Erotic escapades of ecstasy fuel this love jones that joins our bodies in the delectably decadent domain of desire and all I want is you.

As I delve into the epicenter of your pleasure principle, freaky fantasies frequently fill my thoughts and consume my very being. Late night love bites, low moans and groans provide the sensuous tones in this carnal rhapsody of ours. Scented candles and late night bubble baths turn into early morning giggles and laughs. Girl, there’s so much I want to do to you if you only knew the half.

I’m perplexed by the power u have over me. I pause for moments at a time pondering the way you scintillate my senses and set my body aflame. Insatiable interludes intersect with my innermost thoughts as I silently succumb to you seductions.

And what’s worse I try to understand l this but the words fall short. I give into the passion and lose my train of thought. My mind is tormented and twisted but my body is caught, caught up on this journey that leads me straight to you. And now that I’m here how to handle this situation I aint even got a clue. Epiphany

Love Joint of The Day: The Floacist feat Musiq "Forever"

2011-10-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

Truth, Reality...Sometimes You Just Can't Ignore It @consciousskillz

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Life often sends reminders to bring to our attention the things that may need our utmost attention. Life is an evolutionary cycle in which change is ever present, always doing what it does. Truth, reality and it's perception of those things are often rooted in so many different things, like background, upbringing, religious or non religious affiliations.

How they are seen and pontificating about who is seeing it the right way and things like that are so crazy to me.Is how I perceive truth, how I perceive my reality any less meaningful then the next persons? Can I really in good sense sit and debate with another about their experiences and at the the same tell them they are wrong for seeing it that way? Unfortunately compulsion or lack of tolerance is so much of a part of sharing information, concepts and ideas that people will literally want to harm you if you don't agree with them.

However there is another aspect of dealing with truth and or reality that is not spoken about that much and that is how we deal with or cope with these principles. I've often said that "Avoidance of a thing will never aid in it's disappearance" because at some time we will have to deal with the things that are placed in front of us. However, what I've always marveled at was the way the brain assisted us in the handling of these situations. The brain is such a brilliant piece of equipment that it has the ability to sense when and where we have the ability and the capacity to deal with things and if not it will protect you from the full reality of what it is that we're facing.

Coping mechanisms,in my opinion aid and assist us and help get us from one place to another, but when those things that are calling out for you to resolve, change, get rid of sometimes the initial response is denial. However even with denial that can only last but so long. Work situations, family relationships, love, it doesn't matter, "If nothing changes, nothing changes." For me, the uncomfortability of staying still and sitting in a place or living within a reality that no longer suits me propels me to not only look at the situation but doing something. There are things within my reality right now that need my immediate attention, and decision. Can't run from it, dodge it make believe it doesn't exist because is not going to help. Yeah, life has a way of showing up and showing us that until we see things in a more conducive light, or stop ducking our reality then they will continue to repeat and replay themselves in our lives. Don't know about you but I don't like reliving the same thing over and over. My life is not "Groundhog's Day."

Poetic Love Connection : "Relaxation" by @consciousskillz

2011-10-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Relaxation
Many hours of my day are spent mentally obsessing on the fact that I can’t get the visions of you seductively undressing out of my mind. I’m beginning to wonder if this is a curse or a blessing and if I can undo this sexual voodoo. My brain won’t let me refrain from thoughts of us and with all the discipline I have I’m quickly losing the battle to lust.

Jasmine scented candles, a hot bubble bath with beads and eucalyptus leaves; sipping on champagne and eating strawberries while I bathe you from head to toe. Getting familiar with your body and imagining all the places my hands, my lips, and tongue will go. Your physical is quite exquisite and trust me it’s someplace I want to stay, not just visit, but tonight I want to see this through so sit back, relax and let me pamper you.

As I lay you on the bed and begin to oil your body down feelings and emotions in my mind are causing a commotion. I feel like I’m being pushed to the end of a cliff, but all I really want is to feel you under me so we can make the earth shift as I impale your body and soul with my most sensual gift. While planets rotate, our bodies gyrate to the beat of this erotic rhapsody as liquid explosions and implosions take us to the point of no return.

I’m spinning out of control as each escapade takes hold of my body and soul. Fantasies and desires unfold in a maze of eroticism that can only be described as brazen and bold. Position after position leads to dominance and submission as we go on a mission to see if we can transcend the physical and let our souls take flight to a dimension that can only be seen in our minds eye.

I can’t front baby, you’ve got me bent and if things between us get heated. I know you’ll leave me drained and spent but I can’t help being mesmerized by the body chemistry of your scent. I long to hear you call my name and say yes, the sweet way you, but tonight it aint about me so just sit back, relax and let me pamper you.

Conscious Elements
Cipha Publishing © 2k10

New Blog Post:ConsciousPoetics "Can You Still Hear It?"

2011-08-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Can You Still Hear It?

Chants of our ancestor’s guidance, directions, trials, tribulations, admonishment, as cries for freedom, justice and equality fill the air upon which we depend upon for our very own survival. Tastes of the libations of centuries secrete the very liquid that we contain in our mouths and we wonder why hate, injustice and hatred are the very things that have become to be part of our recommended daily allowance just to live on this plane.
The winds of change carry the prayers, supplications and spiritual incantations of yesterday and place them within the cumulous clouds of tomorrow’s precipitation of blessings and love that will shower down upon the minds and hearts of those of us who are receptive.

The light of our ancestors shine brightly amongst the Sankofa inspired beings that overstand yesterday had to be for today to be made manifest. Whispers of tribal chants envelope every corner of our Diaspora, only the language is often filled with pain, misery and suffering. Buffering the anguish with substances that have none; chemically manufactured death disguised in the so-called times we call good.

Our souls have become like the ghettoes filled with despair and noise. Voices of ancestor’s and elders drowned out by the cacophony of dissonance, the loud pounding beat of self hatred that unfortunately has us dancing to a common beat that advocates no unity.

As the voices of our ancestor’s and elders dissipate, the never ceasing sounds of frustration, anger and helplessness emanate from the bowels of the disenfranchised, and the impoverished. Screams in octaves to high for an animal to hear but low enough for us to revert to our most primal stages. Can you still hear it? Is it too late to look back only to have to still move forward? Can you hear it?

If we could still hear them then we would know that they endured and it is within us to not only endure but to strive. Within those voices contain the very antidote, the remedy for any and every situation imaginable. Only thing is, ADHD has gripped our mentality and we’re too distracted, too confused to pay attention and listen to faint whispers of love that permeate every space we exist in.

It is in the stillness, those moments where we are in tune with ourselves and everything around us that we can actually hear those voices. Too bad it seems that they don’t seem to matter any more.

Conscious Elements
Cipha Publishing
2K11

Conscious Poetics "WordPlay"

2011-08-18T04:28:00.001-07:00

Word Play
Visionary style spitter with imperial diction; here to drop facts not pulp fiction as words enter the ear causing irritation and friction when lies meet truth and self conviction. Divine syntax when my pen claps words of direction for dead mind state resurrection. Messages sent across synapses every borough and section; you say you’re not feeling this, you might need to check your connection.

Mind boggling soliloquies, airing you out like a cool breeze never know what to expect as I detonate and paralyze your cerebral cortex. In other words I blow your mind while you seek to make comparisons with me and others that are hard to find. So if you must critique that which I speak just know there’s only one me and that makes me rather unique.
Lyrical lightening rods manifesting and building with the gods. If you put a beat to this… you damn right your head nods. Verbs, nouns, and adjectives running through your consciousness like a laxative. Sentences of sound bites to bring light like a color prism to free you from all the isms, capital, imperial, colonial and material.

See, this here is the truth and I be’s the living proof and if I have to shout it from every roof…top, I will because I won’t stop. I’m the leader of this mission, not hoping or wishing but verbally all the lies in front of my eyes; yeah all three of them. While always opposing and verbally exposing any and all falsehoods chosen.
See, on the road less traveled it’s easy to stray when lies and deceptions are used to misconstrue the message I convey. So from now on I’ll be poetically bombing while I give you a taste, a sample. Not impressed by these words then watch for the example. And until the breath in my body can no longer stay just know and understand I’m serious about what I do and what I say, because when it comes to these words yo, I don’t play. Word Play
Conscious Elements
Cipha Publishing 2k10 ©

Food for Thought Poetics - Speak On It.

2011-08-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

Speak On It

As words from our mouths emanate it’s in the universe that they resonate, but these words are often senseless and really carry no weight. We raise our voices to demonstrate and perpetuate hate instead of using them as a gift to uplift minds and souls and dispel fallacies and myths.

We dwell on, and then speak on the inane and insane spewing diseased malignant words that maim and bring pain. We speak death into our existence with undaunting persistence and have the nerve to put up resistance when the reaper comes to collect his debt with interest.

We engage in conversations that offer no help, charity or benevolence. We’d rather expound on matters that in life have no relevance and pollute our ears with bullshit and nonsense. We seem to lack common sense, but it guess all sense is not really that common.

Verbal destruction can only lead to spiritual corruption. We speak negatively without apprehension never realizing that once they’re out we can’t take them back and of us they become an extension. See, the coming together of nouns, verbs and adjectives to form sentences can carry a lot of clout so be careful how you put them together because life and death comes from the mouth.

Conscious Elements
Cipha Publishing © 2k4

New Blog Post "Advice, Opinions, Schools of Thought"

2011-08-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Advice, opinions, schools of thought. Daily we are inundated with the ideals, concepts, principles of so many different ways of thinking that we often become convuluted in our own. Reason being is because we are not firm within our own way of life that when something that comes along that is either the complete opposite and something that we see is missing within self it often shakes us. I for one am not an advocate of compulsive methods when it comes to share the things that have been made known to me.

I have learned that as many people as there are on the planet, there are just that many different ways to see the same exact thing. From my own experience, I've been so locked and loaded within one way of seeing or living within something that it made it possible to embrace a more universal way of dealing with it. I've judged, I've been closed minded and stubborn even in the face of information that I knew was right and exact. All because what I was holding onto was more comfortable and fit my emotional and mental disposition.

My efforts to move away from that have been both fruitful and fruitless. Sometimes what is I just have to let be. This is a lesson that I am relearning because evidently I haven't gotten yet. However the one lesson that I have learned my view of being an aware or conscious individual has less to do with the books I read, conversations that I have. It's more to do with being aware who and am and who I am not. Being aware of my weakness and strengths, my abilities and my flaws. Being aware of my responsibility to myself and those around me. That's where it is for me. Awareness is not restricted to color, class or gender. It's a concept that actually transcends most of what we think of feel.

Being aware of the universe, the nature that exists within it and your relationship to that is like the supreme awareness because if one can understand that then he/she knows how to govern or act within just about any and every situation. So don't beat down another about their opinion or the advice they share with another. They are speaking from their own experience and really that's all we have to go on, even if it is not palatable to you. Peace

Guest Blog by Theresa Willams aka TT (My Wife) "I Believe I'll Run On"

2011-08-04T06:05:00.001-07:00

I believe I'll run on...

I just attended the memorial service for Rev. Howard Creecy Jr. latest President of the SCLC. As I sat there across the street from the National headquarters on my stoop (yes stoop) I couldn't help but feel the folks of our past. They were everywhere, Martin, Ralph, Joseph, their families and the folks who resided where I reside now.

As I sit looking at the most influential social activist agency created by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others I was moved at the blessing of such an opportunity to witness the longevity of this agency. Though marred by controversy and scandal in some cases I had the ability to see the real picture. The strength of our forefathers’ prayers prevailing, witnessed by one such as I. The SCLC lives.

You see Rev. Creecy was newly inducted as President of the SCLC just this January. A commenter mentioned that as soon as he took office he moved with a sense of urgency. He was about the business of bringing the SCLC back to its rightful position as a change agent whose legacy would not be extinguished by shortsighted individuals, hidden agendas or self seeking strategy. He was doing so, quietly but swiftly. Dr. Creecy went to sleep a couple of nights ago and did not wake up. I wonder if he knew.

I sat on this stoop with a drug dealer who professed he was going to retire from the game. We dialogued about life. I shared my experience strength and hope from a place of love not judgment. It was received. He wanted more. I wondered if he knows. As they passed the candles in preparation for the closing prayer, to my right a seven year old black princess sat and asked what was going on. I tried to explain as best I could, she surprised me when she said “I know about Martin, he passed away too”. She then suggested that Rev. Creecy was doing the same thing Martin was doing, fighting for what was right. Her face was that of an angel, she expressed compassion with lowered head and tear filled eyes. She provided me with further evidence that the dream never dies it is traveling on wings through time and space finding its way to pure hearts and open spirits.

I myself have been struggling with wanting to see around the corner, but I forget about the immense amount of grace and mercy there is in not knowing. The passing of Rev. Creecy and this service though painful for his widow and family moved me to a different place. (May God grant them peace ) The service was a blessing for me. For in this moment I know God loves me. He is allowing me to walk the streets where Saints have trod. Saints, not flawless images of perfection, but scarred, bruised and battered, both from self inflicted wounds and that of the enemy just tryin’ to make it in. I do not profess sainthood but I am comforted in knowing that He loves me still and I am of some use to Him.

Lastly, I took a picture with Martin Luther King III, I wept at the opportunity, not because of whom he is or whom his father and grandfather were, but because I know that the same passion runs through my veins. My audience may not be as large but I am a change agent and my tests are my testimony. Perseverance, diligence, compassion, love and an insatiable desire to hear "Well done my good and faithful servant, well done" are what I aspire to.

Ramadan, The Blessed Month by Aqiyl Qasim and Azizza

2011-08-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

Once a year the month of Ramadan rolls around and worldwide both Muslims and non-Muslims participate in the fast for 29-30 days.The Holy month of Ramadan is is the spiritual fasting, purification period between sunrise and and sunset. Ramadan is the Holiest month of the Islamic calendar and it consists of divine prayer, reading of the Queran, fasting, doing good deeds meditation. After the pillar of salat (prayer) this may be the pillar that has the most significant greatest of the five pillars of Islam. Ramadan is not the fast, but month in which the fast takes place. The literal meaning of the word Ramadan means to burn off. It's comes from when the Arabs would ride in the desert on their camels and when the heat would get unbearable they would tie rags around the hoofs of the camels. However they would eventually get hot and then what, burn off.

This month is designed to not only improve your conscious contact with the Creator of all things in existence, but to burn off the foolishness, the negativity, the things that have become a detriment to you and are hindering you mental and spiritual growth process. Even though there are other individuals other than Muslims who take part in this ritual, if you are sincere about what your intentions, then that's what you'll get our of it. However, for the Muslim it is an obligation to participate in the fast if you are physically and mentally capable. The concept of fasting is not a new development within the annals of time. Allah (SWT) states in the Holy Qur'an in Surah 2:183 "That fasting prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for thos before you." This month is a month for reflection, self contemplation and honesty in regards to oneself. It is a time to regain some discipline through not only physical means, but mental and spiritual as well. Most importantly, the purification process may start out physical, but as we eat less, we should increase our reading of material that is uplifting; we should offer prayer, supplication, meditate more.

Lastly, be more mindful of the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us, and remember that others wish they could eat the little that we eat during this month. Although this is not the first Ramadhan for either myself or sister Azizza, but it is her first as a Muslim so I pray for her and all those who are participating that you come out of this month much wiser, more inclined to adhere to your natural nature and a better individual all together. As Salaam Alaikum
‎”Those men and women who engage much in Allah’s paise. For them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” -(The Quran, 33:35)

Suggested reading during Ramadan: http://blog.iloveallaah.com/2010/08/suggested-program-for-the-muslim-during-ramadaan/
http://ramadanprayerline.com/Ramadan_Prayer_Line/Welcome.html

The Physical Benefits of Fasting

2011-08-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

There has been much contention in the scientific field about whether or not fasting is beneficial to one's health. Fasting is an integral part of many of the major religions including Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Many are dubious as to whether the physiological effects are as beneficial as the spiritual promoted by these religions. There is a significant community of alternative healers who believe that fasting can do wonders for the human body. This paper will look at the arguments presented by these healers in an attempt to raise awareness of the possible physiological benefits that may result from fasting.

Detoxification is the foremost argument presented by advocates of fasting. "Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands, and skin. This process is precipitated by fasting because when food is no longer entering the body, the body turns to fat reserves for energy. "Human fat is valued at 3,500 calories per pound," a number that would lead one to believe that surviving on one pound of fat every day would provide a body with enough energy to function normally. These fat reserves were created when excess glucose and carbohydrates were not used for energy or growth, not excreted, and therefore converted into fat. When the fat reserves are used for energy during a fast, it releases the chemicals from the fatty acids into the system which are then eliminated through the aforementioned organs. Chemicals not found in food but absorbed from one's environment, such as DDT, are also stored in fat reserves that may be released during a fast. One fasting advocate tested his own urine, feces and sweat during an extended fast and found traces of DDT in each.

It is believed that many of the health benefits of fasting come from giving your digestive system a break from its work of breaking down foods. Through the practice of fasting, the digestive system also gets a break from combating the toxins that enter the body in the form of the highly processed foods that made up the majority of our modern diets. Since the body is not expending energy in the digestive process, this energy can be used for other purposes such as allowing the body to heal itself. Also, since the body's immune system is not busy fighting of bacteria and other toxins that enter the body through the foods we eat, the immune system can concentrate on healing what diseases and sicknesses in the body.

Recorded since the beginning of time, fasting is a practice that has many benefits for the body. Not only does it give the body a chance to heal itself, it also cleans all the toxins and poisons from the body. The health benefits of fasting can leave you feeling more energized and more physically fit that ever before.

This post is a combination of excerpts from "Benefits of Fasting, by Health Insider and "The Health Benefits of Fasting by Serendip

Patience Takes Courage by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

2011-08-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

	Patience Takes Courage // By Shaykh Hamza Yusuf .mp3

	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Guest Blog Post by @DiverseGems "Maturity"

2011-07-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Maturity is the ability to think, speak and act out your feelings while still maintaining your dignity. Your maturity is measured by your character in the midst of your frustrations. We often get so caught up in our emotions that we find it difficult to express ourselves. That's why it is important to think before reacting. The best decisions I have ever made have been made after taking my time to think about what I was doing. When you are patient, you can take your time to look at a situation from every possible angle. When you make hasty decisions, or have hasty reactions, you miss something. Things usually end up worst than they first started. Although committing one immature act does not make a person immature, you can still be seen that way, depending on the situation. Once things are said and done they cannot be taken back. The only difference between a mature act and an immature act is how we handle our emotions. Age is not a factor, nor is it an excuse.

Thoughts, Opinions and Emotions

2011-07-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

After having a conversation with my sister I decided to express some thoughts about some things. One of the things that I learned very early in life is that "we are all not the same". The way we think, our experiences, what our opinions are rooted in. The filters that we use when dealing with people, conversations, knowledge, religion, etc.... we all have a way of processing all of this, thinking about and forming opinions about or feeling a certain way about it.

When it comes to life and social media sites alot of talk is based upon the thoughts that we have and then the opinions we have formed whether informed or uninformed about the information we are either reading or relating. How we think is the direct result of our experiences, the experiences of those around us, the information we have attained and how it relates to how we live.
It is a rare occurence that people will relate or share their experiences with you. It would seem that we are more incline to share an opinion before anything as oppose to a well thought out factual based thought. Opinions can be kind of tricky because when we offer them most of the times they are deeply rooted within misconceptions, precondtioned notions and lastly....feelings.

It is through our thoughts, opinions and feelings alot of us express ourselves whoever it is sometimes the attachments to those thoughts, opinions and feelings that not only create conflict within us but other we come in contact with who have opposing views on a subject. When one holds tightly to what he/she believes, supposes or even feels is the truth, when new information, another way to side a thing is not even considered and in most cases the person feels the need to not only defend their postition, but hole onto it despite the fact that they may recognize that the other individual has a valid point.

Debating an opinion is an inexact science because if there is no facts or truths encased with that opinion, what are we really talking about? We all have opinons about alot of things, whether they are based in truth, facts or even reality for that matter we often find ourselves trapped in a debate about something that is actually meaningless. Thoughts, opinions and feelings are universal elements that all beings possess and to actually get heated about a subject that neither person or the people involve know to be actual and factual is self defeating.

Now, if debating and arguing and being opinionated is your thing then Twitter is fodder for those types of people to pick and choose who can argue or even bully into thinking their way. On the other hand, when engaging someone in a conversation that you find yourself on the opposite sides of the coin, remember that if it's about your thoughts, opinions and emotions, they all change depending upon what is going on with you so don't be so quick to hold onto to them. Life is about learning and within that process you may have to let some things go so that you can allow something new and more beneficial in your life.

Conscious Poetics "Destiny" by Consciouskillz

2011-07-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Destiny

Reflections become a collection of memories that allow me the chance to look back, retrace and come to grips with the fact that my whole life has been spent trying to find you. Many days were spent searching different places, replacing one too many faces that over time became a collage of failure.

I allowed the tastes, the influences of others to taint not only my eyesight but my spiritual navigation system. See, I had this package constructed in my mind, café au lait a nice set of breasts and a banging behind. I couldn’t see the goodness in a sista due to the eclipse of my third eye. All I knew was I was trying to reach the heart of a sista by tunneling through her jewelry box of pleasure.

And pleasure was given and granted; often left me standing up crooked, gasping for air and panting. But even that wasn’t enough. Trying to seek completion through the insatiable appetite of a one eyed dude, who had no sense of direction, had no course of action. Who’s only recourse was to find the next place to rest only to find that rest would never come.

Lying and selling false dreams became my mantra, my primary form of communication. Self deception became my drug of choice because in order for you to believe what I said I had to test the dope and make sure it was right before I could sell it to you. Then one day it all came to a crashing halt. The need to find you died because the need to rescue myself became self evident.

Thing is, the day I stopped looking you appeared and I had no idea it was you. Couldn’t deny the attraction, but didn’t want to go down the path that would lead me to distraction. But something began to happen that even I couldn’t have expected. Anticipation began to take hold and I longed for those brief moments that we began to share to become more frequent.

Had no idea that our souls had began a conversation that neither one of us could understand or speak and it was at that time that I realized what I had been chasing was suddenly in my face and as if the stars and planets suddenly aligned I was suddenly filled with clarity of thought and mind and the realization it was really you.

Your love has become music that provides the soundtrack to my life. We dance to the syncopated beat of two hearts that have found the ability to beat in unison. Our pace, our rhythm is divinely constructed and intertwined with the unbreakable strands love, passion and respect. No one can come between this but us, however because this is our destiny I don’t think even we could mess it up. Destiny

Conscious Elements

Cipha Publishing 2k10

Dedicated to TT.

Mindspray of The Day - Mysogynistic Mannerisms

2011-07-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Misogynistic Mannerisms

There was a time in my life that I thought whenever I would hear a woman speak about mysogyny I always that it was the wailings of a bitter, unfulfilled feminist who had nothing better to do because she couldn't get a man. All praises due for information and elevation because that is not where I am today. There are alot of conceptions and misconceptions about the meaning of this word, much less the mindset so let's clear some things up. Misogyny is defined as hatred (or contempt) of women or girls. Misogyny comes from Greek misogunia (μισογυνία) from misos (μῖσος, hatred) and gynē (γυνή, woman.

In a patriarchal society such as the one we live in the vast majority would be quick to point out that women have just as much opportuinites to advance, socially, economically, culturally as men do, but how true is that? Let's look at a couple of things; money or holding "so-called posiotns of power is not the problem. Everyday on television, media print we see the objectification of woman scantily clad to promote and sell items. We understand that sex sells but it's the pimp vs. whore complex from Madison Avenue to the neighborhood. Mysogyny is not a just a pervasive way of life but it is a mindset that will not allow the individual to see a woman like an equal. Yes, they find the fullfillment of their physical needs in a woman, but other than that their treatment, their views of woman remain deeply rooted in contempt and a second citizen type of mindset.

Unfortunately, this type of behavior has not missed our community. In fact the mindset of a lot of black men tdoay speaks very strong to it. You know that it has become a very sad situation when during a basic conversation a black woman is referred to as a bitch or hoe 10-15 times within a couple of minute. Now what has changed is that there was a time that only a woman living a certain lifestyle would be labeled with these words, but today everyday woman it seems is freely given this label without a second thought. Recently I asked a young brotha why he referred to sistas in this manner? His response was "They all bitches or have been bitches at one time. From Grandma to Mama to sisters. It don't matter. A woman has always been a bitch to me."

That's a sad and maddening statement for the simple fact that without that black woman you wouldn't even be catching breath. To hate where you come from and be disillusioned to think that type of mindset is normal, something is wrong. But the sickness goes even deeper than that when you have woman who openly refer to themselves and other women in the same manner. I't often said that it's not meant in that context but it's not so much what is meant as oppose to the choice of words used. When woman use these terms to converse, describe and label each other not only has the trend switched, but now it has become self perpetuation. You would think that only men can be misgynistic, but it stands to reason that with the attitude of self hatred that some sisters exhibit it wouldn't a be a long stretch of the imagination to think that a woman could have the same disdain and contempt for another woman.

I understand that my viewpoint is that of a man who doesn't always have the same traditional thoughts and viewpoints of most men. Through my experiences I learned that just because I see something one way doesn't mean that's the way it is. Nonetheless, misogyny seems to be a monster that is not only being fueled by the male of the species but the practice is being picked up by the sisters. Within this post it wasn't my desire to harp so much on the negativity that surrounds this behavior but to touch upon th fact that this pervasive, crippling mindset has become more aof a way of life in not just general society, but the business, cultural and religious world as well. Will it change? Can't say, but what I will say is some traditons and that's what it seems to be, are here but the energy we give to them decides whether the will wither away or continue to be a destructive force within the societies that we live in.

Mind Spray Of The Day - "Justice", the Invisible Axiom of The Judicial System

2011-07-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Justice..... What is Justice? Do it mean the same to everyone? Is it a myth, a socially accepted fabricated principle based upon an astrological scale that never seems to balance itself out? Justice for all intents and purposes is the exacted measurement of righting a wrong and bringing some sort of satisfaction to and for the principles involved in a conflict, whether it be legal or otherwise. According to Wikipedia Justice is defined as the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, fairness, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics.

Alright, so let's delve into this a little deeper. "The concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationalilty, law, natural, fairness or equity along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics. Right off the bat the first thing that stands out for me is having the words law and fairness in the same sentence because it comes off as the ultimate oxymoron. Now, the average person may think that I'm being a bit melodramatic in my surmation, but thank Allah that I'm not the average person. See I'm speaking from a platform of a man who still has a very sour taste in his mouth after serving a 10 1/2 year sentence in the penal system

However this is not my story, well not entirely. When I was a young kid I can remember seeing pictures of Emmet Till in his casket and could not for the life of me understand how his mother allowed her son to be viewed like that. I've grown and changed my stance on that issue. But let's get back to justice. History has shown that individuals who didn't appear to have a voice or any "so called" rights always cried out for Justice to be served whenever their, not civil, or human, but inalienable rights were infringed upon. For centuries those same cries have echoed and resonated throughtout galaxies and universe throughout the Solar system unanswered because those who are impoverished, disenfranchised, and have darker hue skins containing mass amounts of melanin are still looking for this ghost to appear.

It has become a practice to provide protection upon things and or people that have value and if there is so type of infraction then those who violate will penalized to the fullest exent of the law. For a lot of us justice is the not the entity that "prides itself on moral rightness." No justice is the dark cloak reaper who moves across the face of the earth with a hood and a face that has never been seen to bring more and more pain, misery and suffering to anyone that crosses it's path. Was justice served when Michael Stewart was killed in a NYC transit station for tagging or spray painting graffiti on the wall. Was Amadou Diallo given justice when he was gunned down for reaching for a wallet to show ID he was asked to produce. If justice is the scale that the moralilty, law, natural law, and fairness is placed upon then explain to me why is it so evasive and why won't it show it's face to us?

The holders and makers of the law are quick to tell us just how right and fair this system is but the "Standard Business Procedures" that these laws are encased in speak to the contrary. Now, I'm not going to bore you with loads of statistics and cases to coroborate my position. No, I'm speaking strictly from a moral principal that has us living in a country that has a constitution and a set of laws that were written for a select group of people and we wonder we protection isn't given. Why the phrase "fair trial" is like going to a vegetarian restaurant and asking for a hamburger. It's ludicrous.

And today is no exception. Most of us know about the Oscar Grant trial and were outrage by the outcome of the sentencing, however when you look at from the reverse angle you will see that according the morals and ethics of those who wield the power justice was served. See when you stand in front of a person or people who don't see you or value you as a human being then it makes it easy to discard you and your existence. The police officer is valuable to those in power because they would rather slap one of their "overseerers" on the writst for doing what they told him to do in the first place, then to give justice to the family of the man he is charged with seeing over.

Yes, I'm talking about slavery, but from a different perspective, however the way punishment is metted out hasn't changed much. So, if you're expecting justice to become courageous and show his face to you, forget it. However rest assure that if it is deemed that you have fallen outside of his "moral rightness" then his face will no longer be an issue, but his wrath, well that's a whole other story. In the end the sad part in all of this is we keep getting shown that all we have is JUST US and we still won't come together. Rest In Power Oscar Grant.

Guest Blog by @ahbseenkwestion and @khairiakili "Stolen Piece"

2011-06-14T14:10:00.000-07:00

Many people on twitter know me as @ahbseenkwestion. Some know that I am a Graphic Designer, others think I'm just some dude that rants from time to time. I'm both of those and more. As of late, I have tilted my design hat in the direction of apparel.The result is STOLEN Outfitters.
Born out of the need for examples of black entrepreneurship and a sincere passion for fly vines, I started to sculpt STOLEN from my own personal philosophies and ideologies about the evolution of the human mind....that has been stolen. Through the use of simple symbols, not unlike hieroglyphics, I find that you can convey a myriad of concepts that may embed themselves in the human psyche. Modern Mass Media does this successfully, and to the detriment, of the general public. STOLEN is a response to these subliminal acts of corporate colonization. We don't want to build consumers. We want to build connoisseurs. Not just of textiles either, but of life and all of it's associated lessons.

Sure, skeptics will be like, "You plan to do this with T shirts?" Little do they know, we encourage that line of questioning. Within those lame inquiries that reveal several degrees of preprogrammed suppression of initiative, we can find what prompted STOLEN to come into being. When you are better equipped to question change than make it, it doesn't spare you from having to or wanting to spend money or specifically to spend money to clothe yourself. This means we can sell shirts to people who see eye to eye to eye with our ideology and those that just like the product. They both will spend the same money. The both will promote the same message. Most importantly, we can direct the funds towards projects that improve the quality of life for our community without the need for consistent and nominal donations. Projects that will be explained as STOLEN gains traction.

My role as designer is to ensure the viability of the product. I have to keep the product's value up. I love the flea market but this isn't flea market fare. This is boutique level merchandise that reflects our origination in wealth and abundance. That is not meant to be excessive or exorbitant but secure in the understanding that pettiness is new to us. It is the result of being left the scraps to hone our ingenuity with. Instead of anchoring this condition further into our beings, we seek to illustrate that ingenuity by changing problems to products.
I spend much of my time building graphics, corralling vendors and authoring quotes with my Operations Manager, @khairiakili , to make STOLEN Outfitters a brand worth mentioning and supporting. The visuals are designed to inspire thought, spark conversation and to connect people through a brand.

Each product will come with an explanation of the philosophy behind it's design. This will effectively keep the patron from having to guess what their shirt is saying. No flaming skulls and grim reapers without a synopsis of what they represent. This functional mind fashioning is part of our enlightened entertainment platform. Every step of this platform is being developed to usurp the community's attention from Mass Media and redirect it back onto the community itself. We should advertise our brands, support our kids and celebrate a culture of enlightenment not disconnected, discontent zombie-isms.
We're happy to announce our first shirt, Stolen University, is available for purchase. Three more designs will be available in two weeks. We are currently gathering photos and are asking customers to take pictures in their STOLEN shirts so we can cross market you and our product on our twitter page: @SToutfitters.
We urge you all to rock with us. Our vision is broad. Broad enough to encompass entrepreneurial and trade education, manufacturing aspirations and all associated hiring potentials. On top of that, the shirts are hot, so get your cool and your jewels up. Uhuru!

@khairakili:
When I was first approached about creating Stolen Outfitters, it immediately struck me as a necessary addition to the community, a feeling that has continuously grown as our vision has progressed and been refined throughout the creation process. As a member, supporter and student of a wide range of afrikan-based social movements, the well-deserved admiration for Marcus Garvey within the struggle is as prevalent as the lack of concise plans for economic development,which has been increasingly troubling to me. The church-like collection plates but lack of products and services are equally disturbing. So when presented with
an opportunity to create products that raise consciousness to in turn use the funds generated to support movements for the people, I recognized that this was a first step in filling a void. Not only are we attempting to steal back the minds of the people through our own branded materials but we are reaching out to the movements of the masses to design and provide product for them to raise awareness and jump starttheir own economics. We are also in support, not competition, with other upstart and established entrepreneurs, especially those that have some concept of community-building. We impart goods but also provide the services of modernizing marketing tactics and maximizing social media through workshops and webinars. The aim of all this is to create an economic network which can increase the power of the people. It has been shown and proven that corporations have a larger reach than individuals and we are adding this weapon to our arsenal and trying to help others do the same.

The core problem for anything stolen is the lack of power to determine its own future. This is especially true within our communities. One of the main methods used to control our power is through employment and this is where we would like to make headway. Selling merchandise is good but the ability to hire and then teach the process to someone else is powerful. The creation of alternative methods of dressing, working and interacting with each other are necessary aspects of transitioning from Stolen to Sovereign and there
can be no goal more admirable than that. Uhuru.

Guest Blog by The Queen Christel Rush @CNRush

2011-06-13T19:49:00.001-07:00

I was reading Death Blossoms yesterday and came across the section/chapter/essay entitled “The Faith of Slaves”. In it, Mumia begins with how Christianity was a means of controlling and/or brainwashing the enslaved Africans… which is not new information by any stretch of the mind. However, the perpetual manner in which politicians continue to utilize religion to control blacks is astonishing.

With respect to church being one of few “freedoms” of enslaved Africans, Mumia wrote:

“It was a useful allowance, for an obeisant minister - especially one who believed in the efficacy of long-suffering over rebellion - could exercise tremendous influence over his fellow captives and save his white “Massa” countless difficulties.”

To its continuing effect, he writes about a gubernatorial race in which it was alleged that the Republicans had payed New Jersey’s black preachers to convince their congregation not to exercise their right to vote. I had heard nothing about this prior to this reading… because I was a small child when this occurred and it has been effectively repressed from any mention in schools or by either major political party. In looking it up, I was able to find a couple of archived NYTimes articles.

Read More after the jump.Black Clergy Payed to Control Their Congregations

Damage Control

The Truth In Ed Rollin’s “Lies”

All of this happened in 1993. Now, you may say to yourself “that was still almost 20 years ago”. To that, I say “you are incredibly naive”. But, more importantly, I implore you to reflect on the 2004 Republican campaign. You do remember that, don’t you? That was the campaign in which Republicans used Christian blacks as complete puppets. With everything that was going on in this country that pertained specifically to the black community — higher percentage of people fighting in a war with no apparent aim or end, higher unemployment rates, lower education levels, poorer schools, racist legislating (cocaine gets much less time than crack), little-to-no police protection for blacks in poorer neighborhoods — Black preachers throughout the South (I chose the south because that’s where I’m from) were telling their congregations to vote for the Republicans and keep George W. Bush in office because …. wait for it…. “They are going to stop Gay Marriage and do the work of God”.

So… they did. Bush won. What happened? Nothing to be proud of… The war continued. We lost thousands upon thousands of more lives. We ended up in a horrendous recession which, naturally, led to more violence within the country because that’s what the opulent do when the money runs out… they kill people (wife, kids, husband, granny, the girl scout selling cookies, themselves, etc.). Bank bailout. Wall Street bailout. “Too big to fail”. More assaults on the poor. They didn’t even do what they told the Christians they would do. No Federal Amendment was passed that prevented Gay Marriage. Even if it could have/would have, what is the purpose? Gays are still gay whether they marry or not. That’s simple logic. So what really occurred here? Politicians manipulated a segment of the black community using religion. They used our faith to quell our minds and independent spirits.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson Jr., Minister Malcolm X, Minister Louis Farrakhan… do you think this was by accident? Most black leaders come from the pulpit. We rarely have secular leaders who aren’t murdered or imprisoned on questionable or completely fabricated evidence- Nat Turner, Huey Newton & most of the Black Panther party. Even with the religious leaders, if they cross a certain line, they are taken out. And that line appears to be “instead of suffering it out and hoping for the best (the meek shall inherit the Earth, your reward for suffering is waiting for you), we’re going to fight for our human and civil rights immediately”.

Do you all realize that MLK was considered a radical? Why? Because he wasn’t saying just wait it out; it will be okay. The great racists will learn to love us soon enough and treat us like humans or either, you know, God will repay us for having to live like this. No. Instead he was saying God helps those who help themselves. We have to fight for our rights and freedom from oppression just like the Jews from the Pharaoh. He wasn’t willing to accept the status quo. He even wrote a book called “Why We Can’t Wait”. And for this “radical” nature, he was murdered. He got out of hand. He didn’t take the bait that God wants us to quietly sit back and take the injustice, just waiting on Him to come down and save us while doing nothing to aid in our own liberation. He was actually using their own tool against them. (The NERVE, right?)

But, you may ask, why were he and Minister Malcolm killed but not the others? Consider what they were doing that the others on the list haven’t done / aren’t doing. 1) They were appealing to more segments of the population than downtrodden blacks. 2) They had a large international appeal… other countries were starting to see America for what it was. 3) (MAJOR) They couldn’t be bought. There was no amount of giving to their organization or appeasing them with empty gestures that was going to make them slow down or give in. You couldn’t shut them up with money, or air time, or a big house and you couldn’t discredit them …. even though many have tried to do so posthumously. And for that, for their religious incorrigibility, they had to die.

The sad thing is… much like most of the divisions that were created at that time — color (light vs dark), hair (bad vs good), sex (we STAY at odds with each other, we love sons but raise daughters in fear that our men will be taken, men feel attacked by women, women don’t feel protected by the men, women feel the need to run the house because the men won’t be there, men don’t know how to be there because they’re father wasn’t there - sold/lynched/jailed) — this behavior has become self-preserved. We continue to perpetuate it with little-to-no interference most of the time. We control our own minds, vanquish our own spirits, subdue our own logic, and viciously attack those who dare to diverge from that march towards the promised land that requires you never take a look at (let alone try to change) what’s happening around you.

For examples of this behavior, you merely need to look at those who will choose to ignore mountains of evidence because “dinosaurs were never explicitly mentioned in the Bible” yet ignore other facets of missing information such as Jesus ages 13-31. They will base an intense hatred of another human being who has done nothing to them on one line in one book in the Old Testament. They will allow pedophiles (as long as they’re in the pulpit) to tell them AIDS is a punishment from God and we shouldn’t be looking into saving people who are suffering from this disease even though people of color and the poor die from it more than others. They increasingly treat leaders, many self-appointed, as extensions of God who consequently cannot be questioned, whose motives are not to be second-guessed. So whatever they say or do goes.

And this, of course, makes these faux-leaders prime targets (or conduits, even) for politicians or anyone who wishes to control the black community… just go through the church…

So, you’re probably assuming I’m an atheist at this point. You could not be further from the truth. However, the spell of “everything about my religion is right and from God, not Man” was broken a long time ago… in childhood. So, I’m able to take a step back sometimes and say What is going on here? Who benefits from this? More often than not, I’m finding that politicians and others seeking fame, glory, money, power, or any combination thereof are the answer to the latter. Because of that, I find myself more and more frequently saying “I am a follower of Christ” rather than “I’m a Christian” because what being Christian has come to mean through all of its adulterations, manipulations, and misconstructions is not what I ascribe to the Word or aim of a deity but of Man. As a result, it is a malleable tool for those who wish to gain some form of compensation or credibility - whether it be financial, political, or personal. It’s the classic wolves and sheep dichotomy and unfortunately many believers (not all) have become willing sheep, due to their willful ignorance. I am not one of them. Are you?

Guest Blog: Farlu and Jeflante: Necessary Factors in Afrikan Centered Realities by @IyaAdjua

2011-05-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Farlu and Jeflante: Necessary Factors in Afrikan Centered Realities

The Afrikan word Farlu (far-loo) means dedicated and the Afrikan word Jeflante (Jeh-flahn-tay) means reciprocal relationship (Online Wolof Dictionary, 2008). The conceptual meanings of these words, the adherence to and practice thereof are mutually necessary for Afrikan people. Mentally, physically and spiritually we need Farlu and Jeflante to maintain an Afrikan centered reality. The ideas derived from these words are not temporary, short lived or unstable. For Afrikan people Farlu and Jeflante are mandatory in that they are complementary to the establishment of life long cycles necessary to our human existence, for our Afrikan Centered Realities.

In regards to the human existence of Afrikan people, we remain collective in nature (Naim Akbar, 2004; Katherine Bankole, 2001; Wade Nobles, 2006), hence, Farlu and Jeflante are one with the other. These ideas are equally necessary to complete a cycle of knowing thyself, loving thyself and the continuing nurturing of Afrikan people. In a world of hostility that remains in existence for a majority of Afrikan people, we all need one another to survive and continue the proliferation of our worldwide existence. Farlu and Jeflante are mandatory in this regard.

With Farlu and Jeflante at the center, Afrikan people can attain life expriences of multiple dimensions. We can access many avenues to achieve our life goals as long as it includes the collective. Specifically, the concepts of, Farlu and Jeflante empowers the building of more extensions onto life journeys that are inclusive of Afrikan people as happy, loving and worthy. Farlu means dedicated and Jeflante means reciprocal relationship and Afrikan people who are unsure of where they belong in the human family struggle with these ideas due to a confusion derived from an “I, Me and Mines” mentality. This is not our Njia, our pathway (Molefi Asante, 2003), the possession of an “I, Me and Mines” mentality requires being Farlu (Jeflante cannot apply here as there’s never any reciprocity in this kind of relationship) to another set of people different from our Afrikan ancestors who left legacies, who lived, who struggled, who died, for our existence.

It is a voluntary betrayal of our Afrikan humanity to practice the ideas of Farlu and Jeflante towards our fellow human groups because doing so is usually to the detriment of our own Afrikan selves. The dilemma for many Afrikans is the belief in a false universal that glorifies Europeans as the ulitmate human. The actuality is that humanity has no ultimate universal being because the human is a part of the living being family and Afrikans are human too.

In seeing the whole picture of Afrikans as humans too, equality must emerge as a significant aspect and this is where Farlu and Jeflante are central to our Afrikan realities. Many Afrikan people think that being Farlu and having Jeflante only towards our fellow human groups is more valuable than a primary orientation towards our Afrikan selves. However, such thinking is the furthest from the truth because Afrikan people have always been a part of the human family. Our allowance of expendability is precisely why we need Farlu and Jeflante in our lives as a permanent way of thinking. These kinds of thoughts are essential to our Afrikan being and contributes greatly to our continuing existing within the human realm. Since Afrikan people are still here we must decide what kind of existence will we manifest during our mortal reality. I contend that it must be one that is inclusive of Farlu and Jeflante for a continuing Afrikan centered reality.

Iya Adjua, PhD www.wehemymesu.com

Guest Blog: "The Power of ONE" by @Be_Pure

2011-05-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Power of ONE

Being requested as a guest for an event or blog is always a rewarding and humbling experience. One that is followed almost immediately by the question: how can I best serve both message and audience? I guess, for me, it is especially difficult, since I stay on specific soapbox the majority of the time: parenting and early childhood development. I’d hate to always speak on the same things. Then again, until we get it right, why speak on something else? Novelty for novelty’s sake doesn’t serve the message. As it relates to babies, my heartsong is fierce. Here is a summary: http://www.scribd.com/doc/53318308. Under normal circumstances, I’d stay on that soapbox but recent events will have me adjust it, just a tad.
Here’s my thing. I am an excellent mother. Perfect? Hardly. Excellent? Absolutely. I need no more validation than the one I get daily, moment by moment, from my three year old prince. But that is simply not enough. It is not enough for my child to know the difference between a single unit, ten, one hundred, and one thousand, or that he know the continents, or how a flower grows, or how to decode words in two languages, or how to do yoga poses, or say affirmations, or, or, or! As much as this satisfies me, it is simply not good enough.
As community, we must stop believing that the well being of our children is our sole responsibility. We must also stop believing that “those” parents and “those” children, whose brokenness, we refer to in contrast to our own are incorrigible, unreachable, or even that distant. They are us. We are them. And it is really that simple. The things that affect me as a mother, affect my sister, neighbor, friend, cousin. And the things that affect my child affect her child. In reference to a healthy development, what works with my preschooler, most likely, works with her preschooler and so on.
Here is where I am going. When people read my book (link above) they contact me and ask “what’s the next step?” My answer is always the same: begin to look at young parents and caregivers as the keepers of your hope. Then, share the information with compassion as often as needed. When we do this, systematically and effectively, we win. There lies the power of ONE. One person sharing with one other person in, which they see and feel a common interest is all that is required to create change.
Rooted in my belief that what is good for my prince is good for all babies, I recently contacted the organization whose early literacy curriculum I use and asked them to travel to Puerto Rico in order to somehow device a plan and get this curriculum in the hands of low income parents and their babies; however many we could reach. The founder of Souns (www.souns.org) came and after legwork, we ended up with the city of San Juan buying into the idea of implementing the curriculum in all the EarlyStart and HeadStarts of the region. Based on the results of that program, other municipalities will follow. There are 5k babies under 5 in that program, San Juan being the host of some of the poorest and historically oppressed communities on the island. Additionally, I’ve started 4 (and counting) parent led community groups that will use and teach the curriculum with their babies, all of which include mothers living in public housing, one in a rural neighborhood where illiteracy is the norm, and one through the Children’s Museum. These children will read and write before they ever set foot inside a public kindergarten. This much I KNOW. I also know that without this initiative they wouldn’t have. That’s significant. By the way, I hold no financial interest in the matter, I’m not getting a cent for this project, and the city will not pay for the curriculum; it is being funded through Rotary and Lions.

Here is the lesson I really wish to share: I didn’t do anything more than exercise the power of ONE. I made a call. I sent a tweet. I asked the question. Had I only gotten a YES for ONE mother and child I would have been elated just the same. But I was only able to impact over 5k children (this month) because I was willing to make a call for ONE. In a way, this post is more a plea than it even is a post. Whatever it is that you came here to find, peace, wealth, growth, advice, knowledge, health…those are the very things your brother is missing. As you receive, cry out for him, exercise the power of ONE so that he too will receive. You are not powerless but powerful and until we each realize this, we are just reading, we are just tweeting, we are just talking. And with that, you have just heard my soulsong.

Guest Blog: "The Gift of Hope" by @authoresskimani

2011-05-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Gift of Hope

Hope is when you have something positive to look forward to. It is the heart’s desire for the eyes to see and the entire being to experience good things. One should always have, build, and rely on hope. Build it in yourself as well as others. Rely on it because it’s all you have. We live in a bleak, dreary world. There are always complaints of everything going downhill except gas prices. When you have the ability to live for something positive, why not do it with all that make you?

It saddens me that instead of hope our people allow despair to dictate how we get through life. Our current circumstances by no means foreshadow what is to come. It is how we react to them that determine how far we go. So why do we allow what others stereotype us as to always be our truth? We do not have to be slaves to anything or anyone. We do not have to struggle. We do not have to work two and three entry level positions just to get by. We can live life to its fullest and enjoy everything that comes with it. No, better things won’t come immediately, but holding onto hope while actively pursuing better will always get you to where your heart desire to be. But first your heart needs to develop a desire…

In my everyday travels I can’t count how ay times I hear the phrase, “That’s only for white folks.” My heart tears every time this is said. There are black adults living by this creed. People who have traveled the world, fought in multiple wars – the result of which affected them in absolutely no way – have learned nothing during their lives’ span. It is disheartening to hear that even though times have changed their hearts and minds have not.

Says a retired veteran, a man whose life spans from seeing Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X assassinated to the first black president getting elected, to me: “I know you’re trying to be a nurse and everything, but you’re in Memphis now. Your dream are only shit you talk about. Nobody here actually fulfills them.”

Sadly, this way of thinking is shared with many. This is why there are so few of “us” seen in top positions. Many of “us” simply don’t believe “we” belong there. This is where the crabs in a barrel syndrome comes into play. The minute one of “us” begins to rise someone has to pull him or her down with the painful reminder that “our people” live by what it looks like rather than what it could be.

My rant does come with a solution: First, start within. Force yourself to think about what you want to accomplish. Be selfish with it. Look at it with eyes that believe you can do anything. Next, work on discovering your purpose. Up until now you have been a slave to current condition. Free yourself by setting your mind on the fact that you were created for a reason. Stay free by constantly working toward your purpose. Last, be an example of encouragement. Working on yourself is not enough. Help others to realize there is life beyond existence. No one is bound to right now. There is future. Make it flourish from seeds of hope. You have the ability to live for something positive. Use that ability to its fullest extent.

Kimani Lauren

www.twitter.com/authoresskimani

kimanilauren.com

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Guest Blog Post by "The Broken Rib Syndrome" _TheInfluencer

2011-05-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

“I want a man who drives a Mercedes, makes six figures or more, and has good credit, his own house, and no baby mommas.”

Sadly, I’ve heard this statement come out of women’s mouths too many times and I shake my head each time I hear such foolery. Of course, you wonder why I consider that statement to be full of venom; I’ll explain. Where in that statement did you hear any question of the man’s spiritual base? How he would treat said woman in a relationship? Is he a nurturer? Will he come home at night? Can we have a decent conversation? Is he abusive? How will he treat my children? How does he treat his children? Can we build a real future together? In this blog posting, I will give my opinion on Love versus Money.

“I mean girl I know he has his side bi*ches, but look at my new Gucci purse and my brand new BMW, that was a small price to pay.”

I heard that one firsthand one day in the mall while in line making a purchase. Ladies why has your worth gone so low? I have several theories and they begin with the Willie Lynch letter. For those not in the know, the Willie Lynch letter was an alleged training given to slave masters in 1712. In this speech there were guidelines on how to break up Black families, pit dark complexion people against their lighter counterparts, and make the Black women not be able to depend on the Black man. These ideas were imbedded into our people YEARS ago and sadly, almost EVERY aspect of the Willie Lynch letter holds true in 2010. In regards to relationships, a lot of women have sacrificed morals and values for material benefit. Why is it more important for him to have a luxury car over intellect? How can the size of his bank account mean more than the size of his heart?

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?!?!?!?! That’s the same thing (insert ex boyfriends name here) did when he was out screwing other women!!!!! Are you f*cking someone else?!?!?! Who is she?!?!?!”

I heard this one in a past relationship and it blew my mind. Ladies and gentlemen, past baggage in relationships will kill your new relationships EVERYTIME!!!!! There is NO room for it. As Musiq Soulchild said in “Previous Cats”, “I’m not to blame for the pain that was caused by Previous Cats, you gotta see me for me.” It’s only fair and even though it’s hard to do at times, we have to let go of our past to allow our future to grow. Baggage leads me into my next topic of “How to get over Letdown”.

Black men we have systematically abused and let our women down. Yes, I said it. Between infidelity, not being the primary breadwinner, verbal and physical abuse, we have damaged our women and it’s up to us to elevate our queens back to their righteous place. STOP taking your women for granted. She should not be supporting you while you play Xbox all day. That is NOT a man’s role. You shouldn’t be laying up in her section 8 housing and selling drugs to make a living. That is NOT a man’s role. Her credit CANNOT be the only way that you can get a home, cell phone, car, credit card. That is NOT a man’s role. A man’s role in the home is to be a PROVIDER, a NURTERER, and most important a LEADER. Period. No excuses, justifications, or anything else. To the brothas who are out there doing those things, kudos to you, even though men who exemplify that example don’t do it for a pat on the back or accolades; they just do it because it’s second nature to them. To the brothas that are lacking, step your game up and immediately, because our women are turning to other races and even other women for our shortcomings. It’s sad when I can a beautiful sista say that she is no longer interested in dating black men because we always far short. We weren’t designed in that manner and we shouldn’t be disrespecting our ancestors with these kinds of actions.

Ladies, don’t think that you are off the hook because you aren’t. Stop counting how much money a man has and count how many books of substance he has read in the past month. Have realistic expectations. You don’t have a right to expect a man to be driving a new Mercedes and you have a 88 Nissan. Be for real. Material items will never take the place of a man that loves you unconditionally, cherishes you and the time you share, and material goods will not compare to that feeling of knowing you have a good man in your life who worships the ground you walk on. Also ladies, stop blaming us for what “he” did. Give us our own chance, without the baggage. Trust us until we give you a reason not to, don’t come in thinking the worst because the laws of attraction will give you exactly what you want.

To close, we have a lot of discussion and repair to do in our communities to change the vast levels of failure in Black relationships. Black men and women have shortcomings, baggage from past relationships, and poor examples of what relationships are supposed to look like. The media has portrayed us in a negative light for years outside of the “Huxtables” so we need to re-write our distorted history. Action is bigger than speech, so share this article, discuss it amongst your peers, but more importantly, make sure that you implement change in your personal life so the changes can spark changes for someone who sees what you are doing.

Prolific Poetics Guest Blog: "Black Love" by jay_poetry_21

2011-05-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Black Love

Do not cast me off on your ancestors like a shadow in the night never to been or spoke of
For in the light I am constant, endearing and beautiful like the flight of the purest doveI have been confined in the 4 walls of hatred, resentment, impostors and lies
My truth and purity is still alive no matter how hard pain triesI was there that day the small town business became major

The support and faith that kept pushing it on was birthed in the words "I do" and "ill love you forever more"
A story rarely told but often seen with eyes of ignorance
Mistaken as just ordinary love I am much more by second glance I am black love
When my man is weary and sore to the mental touch as his mind can bare no more burdens I give him rest I openly and graciously give him nourishment for his body, soul and mind
His knowledge allows me insight into realms I did not define before I linked my soul to him
My children born from my womb and those who were not calm by my touch and plant seeds of love from my nurturing
I am black love the woman the mother of all nurture my children elevate to greatness when I do and my children too perish when my efforts do
I am black love the man the head of all of creation the nation steps according to my own foot prints in fear of me they set to destroy me but my womans love is a shield and my child a continuation of my legacy

I am royalty, I am the first to kiss the earths core and I will be the last to cultivate her land

Embrace me, uplift me, innerstand me and help me to strive on and I will enrich your life like nothing before I am black love..

Prolific Poetics "Black is Still Beautiful" by @consciousskillz

2011-05-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Black is Still Beautiful

I’ve taken it upon myself to address this insane concept that we as a people because of our skin color live under a curse. It seems we’ve lost the knowledge of our true selves and believing such nonsense has only made it worse.

So on you let me drop this small lesson in hopes you’ll understand that to be in the skin we’re in is a supreme blessing. Nowadays we spend too much time stressing, committing crimes against one another and transgressing. Instead of basking in the regalness of our epidermal dressing.

See, you and I didn’t have to buy a tan in a can to turn our skin cocoa brown or butter pecan. We’ve been blessed to have what it takes naturally to produce that effect when the sun interacts with the cells of our bodies to activate that special thing called melanin.

Black, it’s not just a shade or a color but a higher level of consciousness that enlightens the individual three fold. Through the manifestation of truth and actual facts it provides my brothers and sisters with knowledge, wisdom and understanding for the mind, body and soul.

You and I already know the history behind our various hues, shades and complexions, yet this learned behavior called self hatred has us running around trying to be what we’re not; forgetting our heritage and trying to assimilate without detection.

It’s by divine design that your skin tone and complexion is similar or the same as mine, so no more talk of skin bleaching or wearing blue eyed contacts. Our heritage and culture is majestic and knowledge of this we no longer lack. And contrary to popular opinion, untruths and backwards facts you and I are what we’re supposed to be and if nobody told you today, yes it’s still beautiful to be BLACK.

Guest Blog Post: My Way Of Life by @wiseservant

2011-05-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

I am muslim, have been for a while and since the day after September 10, 2001 my way of life has been under extreme scrutiny. There has been an open war on Islam from the west with prejudice growing each and every day for those of us who practice this. So here I am, born here from a people who where enslaved, black in a white man’s world and muslim. Triple conscience. Striving on these different levels to secure my identity while presenting an aura that is both receptive and protective. Seeing ignorance run rampant in an induced fear from the psychological trauma that was placed on the American public that day. Seeing people talk about Islam looking from the outside in, not knowing what they are talking about and making more confusion. The funny thing about all of this is that this is the same historical reaction to black people, with the same approach that was taken to race early this century in the post reconstruction period. It is the same thing when the emotive black man who is out of control full of hatred and anger is constantly promoted through media into the American conscience time and time again. It is the same blanked depiction of a people that places everybody in the same boat never leaving room for nuances and natural human differences. It seems it feels that same way it did in the sixties when every body was labeled black radical just for having after- school programs or breakfast programs in their own neighborhoods. If somebody had a legitimate criticism of this society then all of a sudden they where labeled dangerous while also being un American(whatever that means). So do I have to explain myself on all this levels? Forced to explain what being muslim means and how we are not what the media or the average person on the street feels we are. But wait I am also black with all of those cultural leanings as well. What does this mean? That I can be complex and complicated, while living in this country that sometimes wants you to be plain. That I can be all of this things while still having that underneath influences of my early MTV years, yeah I like the Police and uh, U2 as well, might as well through Nirvana in there too. With all of that said Islam comes first for me each and every day, it is the ultimate viewpoint of how I shape my view points, moral outlooks, ethical decisions, and my over all character enhancement. As the great scholar from Nigeria stated,” Knowledge is universal and eternal but it has a social and cultural stamp. It also has a purpose and a commitment to a particular world view there fore cannot be neutral.” Islam is like a river the flows over the particular culture washing away the impurities but keeping it intact. So I have long conducted my blackness in the universality of Islam. I have found my historical continuity with being born black in America and by choice accepting Islam. My lens is colored and it is full of historical figures and instances I can rely on to constantly build foundations for my identity. The fusion of the two has happened naturally with no problem at all when I looked into Islamic Africa knowing full well I am connected to that history. The issue comes when looking at America and how it views my islam and my blackness with the same critical eye. In America I must shy away from the 2 by making both of them more accepted or cross over to the “mainstream”(whatever that means). I have to down play this uniqueness about me by making myself acceptable by being regular or sticking to the script that has been passed down for years. To be a good ole boy or girl in America you must at all times act white. You must be educated in those schools be able to look at the accommodate white people by having your world view match their’s because if it doesn’t and by some way you think differently then you are trouble. Automatically, you must know that the white way is the only way to think, see, move in this world that they have created. The funny thing about it is that world is cracked with huge imperfections. It seeps with moral and ethical issues by forcing contradictions down the people throats. So a black person must play it this way to succeed as well as a muslim in this terror watch society. How can you comprehend all of this? Raise a family in all of this so that they can be culturally component why maintaining their proper identity? Can these 3 with historically diametrically viewpoints co exist? I say yes!

A ancient spiritual saying is that everything is hidden in its opposite; that the cure for the thing that is ailing is in its opposite. This society is still looking to formulate itself and tricks the people into thinking it has garnered a national identity. While there are cultural residues that come with being raised in this society the identity of this place is still taking shape. The real America hasn’t even taken hold yet in its over 230 or so odd years of real existence. There have been constant cultural upheavals that have left America in identity crisis after crisis and we are witnessing one right now. To heal this is to delve into the people who have been constantly franchise, not just black people but people of color. To look at the very thing that has been made horrific in this society, Islam. To not only fully understand these two dynamics within’ our society but embrace it. I was talking to an comrade of mine and we where coming to the conclusion that this was the era of black men. Meaning that if you as a black man have there stuff together no matter what your back ground is if you can present yourself with all of your splendor you will be successful. The only thing is that you have to be able to express yourself, have to be able to articulate the argument while maintaining that middle way, that balanced way. The same thing with Islam, with all that it offers, with all of the awakenings that can occur in it, all of the service, good manners, elimination of blameworthy characteristics and the acquiring of praiseworthy characteristics . How it deals with justice, while at the same time gives you the blue print on how to deal with your neighbors. How is holds at is foundations one of the most brilliant languages one can study in Arabic. How ones heart opens to become soft and full of love that it pours all over the being. How it has you go to battle each and every day with your ego so at to bring it to submission. To restrain your destructive passions in such a way that gives you a true sense of what being a human being is all about. How it guards your modesty while letting you become fully aware of your senses. How it creates the process of wanting for other people what you what for yourself. How it makes you constantly re check you intentions over and over again for the most minuscule thing to the biggest. How it takes the I that is in you and pushes it away from you having you always think of other people before you think of yourself(the thing that makes America destructive). How it has you look at the material allowing you to have wealth but never putting it in your heart. Having you look at diamonds and mud the same way. Yes, there are people in this world who act like this, are this in there state. Some of them are languishing in these society penitentiary system. This is the beauty that is never talked about of often seen. This walking miracles that exist in our streets, schools, and workplaces of thousands and thousands of stories on how lives have been changed as a result of embracing this way of life. When these complexities are fused the complexed blackness with the graciousness of Islam you have something that is so interesting bursting with flavor it has to be giving grand opportunities for achievement.

Also, for better cultural understanding and awareness that makes a society like this more appealing within’. These are the inner working of Islam that many miss out own because of the propagated factions that are spewed all over the place. The same can be said about first, the long lasting contributions that black folk have given this society over and over again. Secondly the vastness cultural awakening that is Africa with its many lessons that are still being discovered one being Arabic manuscripts which has become the western university keys to the future of there own existence as academic institutions.

Self determination should not be something that the dominate culture should fear from its sub culture. In fact it is the very thing that allows for a group of people to not only fully understand what they are and who they are to become. It gives them a measuring tool as to how they are going to contribute to humanity. Not only what they are going contribute but how and in what manner. It gives them a strong sense of self worth that allows them to see value within themselves. This in turns gives them the necessary tools to constantly contribute to society that enhances the culture through the sub cultural expressions. Just look at the confidence of black music and how it has given this western culture a sense of humanity through the artistry of the musical lineage. Just imagine that type of unique contribution at every level not just music and how we would add to the society. America is very subtle in its notion of allowing free expression of race, and religion only it gives the parameters that throws up barriers to the type of expression. If it goes in and out of this boundaries that are up then that expression is considered un american or dangerous to the very notion of what america is. This is at the heart of the conscience that pervades this society which allows for the dominant culture to feel safe and secure in there own identity. At the crux of self determination with all of its expressions is healing food for the combat the multiple conscience existence provides. Each and everyday your self worth is being bombarded with the dominant culture worldview fill with necessity of your and yours seeing it the same way. What self determination does is lift that veil of the dominant culture allowing you to see the world from your perspective which gives you the proper mechanics to deal with the dominant psychologically. So in essence the way to fight the overall intrusion of the having to live out your life in multiple stages of consciences is to find your central purpose in your culture and spiritual makeup. To be able to be in a position to express this point of view in all settings while maintaining a strong sense of self. Just think the challenges that lie for any black family with the added pressure of being muslim? They have to raise children here in America with certain social reality while knowing who they are culturally while maintaining this Islam in a place that is openly hostile to it. This is what is in front of most black people who happen to follow this religion most by choice who are raising families according to the rules and regulations of society. While the biggest hurdle to over come in these borders are the social pressures that come with not being white and Christian. You are automatically labeled different with barriers to break through and hills to climb. The way to do it is through the moniker of determining for self what one identity is through the ocean of religious and cultural references that are at the disposal. While adopting the growing throughout this particular point of view then one can adopt an American culture that is full of contributions from one said group. Case in point, when it comes to the world contributions of Jazz from the mid twentieth century and hip hop later in the same century. It comes from a full realization of who we are as a people and the expression is centered on that type of communication. When you add Islam to the already diverse mix of rich Afro- American history then connect it directly back to west Africa where most of our enslaved ancestors where brought from. Now you have an unique experience that is full of stories of struggle that define us, gives us perception, and creates a bigger world view through this particular eye of self determination.

This is the key that opens up the world to someone who may have it closed to them other rise. That middle ground that I’ve been expressing is the only way to deal with all of this pain, rejection, and seeing your people lose all the time. This is what carries me through the days when it seems like racism and ignorance rules. Not to get to anger or be to calm, better yet to be angry when the time calls for it, to be calm when the time calls for it. Meeting the moment with the exact countenance for that selective time that will gain acceptance of what you are trying to express. Being black, muslim and living in America will create climatical challenges like how to raise children to be full of love for their religious in a place that is so critical from a standpoint of ignorance while having a strong sense of self worth while being able to navigate through the terrain a America. Tuff duty even for adults while adding having to protect and guild a family through all of this. This is what millions and millions of us are going through daily, this triple conscience that has been introduced in this new century that can create the ultimate psychosis.

Guest Blog:Looking Over My Life—the Forecast Calls for Better Days by @SereneBridgett

2011-05-27T05:03:00.000-07:00

Looking Over My Life—the Forecast Calls for Better Days

Serene Bridgett Hollingsworth
What happens when we look over our lives, realize we haven’t done or been our best in a particular area, and it appears it’s too late to make a difference, change, or have a positive impact? That is the question I’ve been wrestling with of late, and I must admit much angst has come with it. Is it too late for me? Have I blown it? Yesterday, I intentionally or accidentally hit replay, and I heard the words of my accuser—it’s a wrap, you’re done, she’s too old now, or it’s too late for that. Pause!
I think like many, I’ve moved through life doing what I believed was my best or wanting to believe it was my best. You know the best with what I had, with what was presented to me, or with what I’d created; but did I really give enough? Was it really my best?
Motherhood brought me to this question
I am not the first to seek an answer to these questions, and I am sure these queries loom overhead awaiting a timely response, as I prepare for my oldest daughter’s high school graduation on Tuesday. Like many parents, I wonder if she’s prepared for the life, which awaits her? I don’t know. Have I done enough to develop, nurture, and protect her? No. Have I prayed enough for her? No. Have I mirrored the life I would like her to live? No. Not always. As I sit here—still, listening to the hum of my small fan, which is neatly tucked in my North office window where it’s doing very little for the heat and humid air, I hear the distant thunder, and I am not certain I gave motherhood my best though I wanted it most. I’ve been quoted as saying, “Always becoming a mother, daughter, sister, and friend; and the most challenging of these: Mother.” Oh, how true so true for me.
From a young girl in grammar school I’ve wanted to be a mother. I knew I would have daughters, and I wanted them. I didn’t think much about what motherhood meant then. I just knew motherhood was what I aspired to. I thought of motherhood more than education. Was I strange? I didn’t read the motherhood job description or journal. I didn’t know how much motherhood paid. I certainly didn’t know the cost of motherhood. What I did know is I watched my mother and countless mothers make it look beautiful and effortless, but had I? The mothers I knew did it without complaint, but had I? This isn’t an article about motherhood, because the truth is my conundrum can apply to many areas in our lives—marriage, education, career, or relationships of any kind.
And so life comes with some: Disappointment
n. the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations. Maybe in your life it’s the career you missed out on? Maybe you never finished school, never got married and you’re still waiting on the love of your life? Perhaps you let the one get away, ended a friendship too suddenly, got in trouble with the law, didn’t take that trip, never had children, never wrote that book, didn’t start that business, didn’t make the phone call, divorced, gained too much weight, never healed the relationship with your children, got married, or maybe you just gave up on living? Yes, maybe you just opted out on life altogether. Like many existing today I too opted out. I was just…I was just existing. That certainly wasn’t my best. Perhaps you also saw living as highly overrated, difficult, unfair, and plagued with too many heartaches, hurdles, and failure. Yes, maybe like me you were disillusioned and disappointed, because things simply weren’t going your way?

The good news
When I think over my life decisions or doing my best, I know nothing I’ve done has taken away God’s love for me. My less than stellar moments actually drew me closer to him. The choices I’ve made have not removed his power to heal, restore, and transform my life, the lives of those I love, or touch on a daily basis. He is still God. Neither has he removed my ability to reconcile relationships, make better choices, open new doors, and live a better today than yesterday—my best life now! Yes, I said it. We can live a better today than we did yesterday regardless of the decisions we’ve made or how ineffective we were, and it only takes a moment from our lifetime to make the decision. We can release yesterday, make the necessary corrections, and live FREE of guilt, shame, fear, and condemnation, if we choose by receiving forgiveness and offering it to others.
It’s easy to look at yesterday using the power of hindsight, the helping thoughts, and comments from “friends” and family and get down on ourselves, “that wasn’t my best, all is lost, they don’t love me, or I am too old now.” It’s easy to turn on the programming of the enemy of our souls. But what is most powerful and advantageous for us is looking at this moment, our internal greatness, and resolve once and for all that the choices, places, and stations in our lives have all been carefully and strategically designed and allowed to bring us to this hour, and this season on our journey. We must believe that nothing not one single thing has escaped the eyes of our loving God. Not one decision I’ve made has caught God by surprise. Not one choice or lack luster performance can shake God and cause him to reexamine his love or thoughts toward us. Nothing I’ve done or haven’t done has nullified his promises to me or my family.
I am convinced not only is my daughter’s forecast bright, but also my own, and yours too. Maybe yesterday wasn’t our best look? That’s okay, because we can deny negative life events and poor choices access to our souls. This paradigm shift allows us to press forward even if we’re not at our best knowing God is directing and governing affairs we cannot see.
So the question I’ve been wrestling with has been answered. My angst has been removed. It is never too late not as long as I am breathing. His grace and tender mercies, they are sufficient for me on my worst days. They are enough for my daughter. They are enough for you. The forecast—it’s good. It’s my best look yet!
Serene Bridgett Hollingsworth is unapologetically black and Christian. She writes short stories and has many celebrity interviews to her credit; however her first loves are her beautiful daughter’s 18, 16, 15, and 11 followed by her inspirational writing. She is the former publisher and founder of Bahiyah Woman magazine, Bahiyah Affirmations, and Black Girlz magazine. This summer she introduces her highly anticipated blog SereneB at SereneB.com. Serene resides in Chicago with her daughter’s.

Guest Blog:Baptism: As a Man Thinketh So Is He by @Artiium_X

2011-05-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

Baptism: As a Man Thinketh so is He

I would like to personally thank my Brotha, for allowing his blog to be a platform to spread truth! May God continue to bless you sir!
The inspiration behind this post came from different pieces from several different sources; (Thanks to Tiffany and Chrystal) then I had a flashback I would like to share and discuss.

Awhile ago, I volunteered and went to one of my PBM bruh’s church to receive spiritual nourishment. When the service concluded, the Pastor asked, “If you were to die tomorrow, how many of you know your going to heaven because your baptized and saved?” (We all had our eyes closed and head down) I didn’t raise my hand (Knowing my past and how I been, I wasn’t sure if I would make it to heaven), so I assumed I was the only one who didn’t have their hand raised, because the Pastor responded, “I see everybody hand isn’t raised”. I have never forgotten that day, not because of what was said, but because I knew there had to be a deeper meaning, or another side to the story.

It is known that each religion has its’ rituals. A ritual, according to the dictionary, is “any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner”. The ritual’s in each religion symbolizes a certain principle that the believer should obtain and live by. In Christianity, the baptism is a beautiful ritual; it symbolizes washing away your sins in your journey to be Christ-Like. The water is prayed over and the believer is dipped in the water, as once done by Jesus himself. The principle behind the baptism is what makes the baptism a wonderful experience. The question I asked myself was, where does the Baptism start?

I believe, the first process of the Baptism really starts in our minds. All things are thoughts. Our actions and behavior is the manifestation of our thoughts. In the Bible (Proverbs 23:7) it says, “As a man thinketh, so is he”. The water by which the person is dunked in represents life, a fresh start. Water is the element by which life is sustained. Water is the life vessel of the human being and without it we can only go so many days before we die. This cleansing of our thought process leads us to be a living example of Christ. So, as we “dunk” ourselves in purified thoughts, then our actions will reflect a person that is striving to be pure and a reflection of the God we believe in.
Once we have purified our thoughts and make a commitment to live and be a better individual, then we have initiated the baptism process, which is symbolized by being dunked in water. This baptism is a daily lifestyle for us all. Everyday I face different temptation, some I fall to, others I see that I’ve gained strength to overcome. As we take our steps in becoming better Christians, Muslims, Jews, or whichever declaration of Faith, let us all be Baptized in HIS spirit and thoughts. In turn, we will be the reflection of Jesus, Abraham, Muhammad and all of God’s worthy servants!

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I welcome all comments that you would be so kind to provide. I hope in some way or another I have helped you and I ask you to help me by adding your comments or thoughts!
Seeker of truth and knowledge,
~Artiium

Guest Blog: Give Of Yourself by @theredpillpusha

2011-05-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Gratitude is so important. I speak on it so much, because it is the very thing that will bring more into your life. To be thankful for all the many blessings you NOW have is utterly important. I am thankful for all of the LOVE I feel (literally) from you. I am thankful that you guys keep me on my toes with writing (Keya was responsible for this one)...I am thankful for LOVE & LIGHT and everything in between including the darkness.
I sent out a text message yesterday talking about giving back. It read:

"Don't be one of the "takers" of the world. You're not here to take, or to be consumed with "THINGS"...NO. You are here to give, to 'be in service, to help your 'brothers' by sharing your gift to the world. Be aware of this & help someone whole hearted, even if all you can offer is an open ear and a smile."
It's important that we don't go around with this human mentality that everything is ours for the taking. That's a huge lie in our world. The truth is,EVERYTHING IS YOURS FOR THE GIVING! To have all is to give all away. You will not flourish in life by hoarding. You will not flourish in life by having a "mine" mentality. That was never any of our purpose.

You are so special, equipped with a certain gift that this world needs at this time. You can not share that gift if you are continuously consumed with losing anything. Everything you will or could ever need is already yours. YOU WILL BE SUSTAINED in giving. You may be moved around, shifted to where you are needed, and this may seem like a trial, but trials are merely lesson that you neglected to learn the first time around. They are brought back to you so that with the new knowledge you absorb, you are able to make a new choice.
Just be thankful for it all. The good, the bad, and the in between. You are capable of shifting any bad situation into something good if you so choose. Life was never meant to be this hard uphill battle no matter what you once believed. Life was meant to be abundant, and abundance was meant to be shared. So reach out to another, and give something of yourself. Whether it's financial support, forgiveness, a smile, or an open ear....just give something. And when that moment of giving is over...give again and again, and watch how your life is taken to a whole new level of greatness.
YOU ARE A BRINGER OF LIGHT! The moment you realize it, the brighter you will shine.
Don't believe me, just try it and see for yourself.

LOVE & LIGHT

Guest Blog: A Letter To My Future Children by @Coreman2200

2011-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know you, yet..

If anything goes according to my hopes or expectations, I won't know you for quite some time.. Should I any sooner than far, far later, then I am made accountable for my actions and for not being a bit wiser in my decisions. But I will never call you a mistake ~ a 'mistake' implies that something is an accident... And there are no accidents. You could never be anything less to me than a wonderful blessing. All the same, I write this to you, today, because as far away as I envision you in my future, I think about you often. I think about you enough, at times, to wish I already knew you.. I think about you enough to already Love you... and to know that I always will. There may be a time when you aren't as sure of this, because there are seldom words enough and there is Never time enough for one to express this Truth to another - and if my relationship with My father is any indication, I can be almost assured that the words won't ever be said as much as they are meant - but when those times present themselves, this letter is the song I sing to you with the same amount of Love & Truth at any and every moment.
I think about the world I will leave to you, and the worries you will know. The fears you will face. I will tell you of my experiences - about the poverty that I now know that I can only hope won't be Your experience, come your time. I will tell you of the world's ugliest in as delicate but honest a voice as possible. I will praise loud and verbosely the world's best and shining moments.. I already suspect that you will be one of those which I sing the loudest praises. If it is in fact the case that I have not changed the world for even slightly better (besides with you, of course), then I owe you my apologies for you having to suffer the consequences of that. Know that from when and where I stand, right now, I am making an effort and I am doing what I can. I want you to know that that is all one can ever do. When you feel that there is more that you can or must do, just know this - that for whatever you are doing, wherever, you will have a Proud Dad. Take a breather when necessary - enjoy the warmth and pleasantry of the world whenever you can. Or take a knee if you have to - there are just gonna be some days that put everything into knocking you over.. But Never Give Up.

The world, your teachers, your friends, and yes, even at times your own parents, will try to push you left and push you right. Will tell you "this is how things are" and how you should be. Sometimes these people will tell you these things to protect you.. Other times they will do this to protect their interests or their expectations or their world view.. I imagine all of these are inline or much the same.. You will find your own Truth over the years - you will find people with good advice and others with bad. You may lose your step and your way often enough.. But for whatever you are told, have faith the absolute Most in yourself. The world will tell you how to be every single day - but just Be, in accordance with your view and your morality and your Love, and you will know a gracefulness and happiness that most who walk this Earth can't even imagine. Never be afraid to grow or change or evolve - even the dead change - but you and you alone will always have the greatest sense of who you are and what is and is not for you - the world will seem to do all that it can to have you forget this, but I pray you will not. Be effortlessly You, and in that truthful space all else falls around it in its rightful place.
As I have known racism in this lifetime, I am afraid that you, too, will know it - I am sorry, but there is seemingly no way around this. I think that the first time I was ever called a 'nigger' was on the jungle gyms by some other kid at school in 2nd or 3rd grade. I remember it hurt, for reasons I at that time did not understand. I suspect that this could happen to you, some time in your life, too.. And I suspect that, as I often did in my own youth, you won't tell your mother or me about it - if you inherit this trait from me, the case was that I do not often like to share my hurts or embarrassments. I didn't imagine my parents would do much to take that pain, whatever it was, away - or in the end make it worse by speaking out. I have two very important things to say about this.
For one, I had a dream last night, that I think may be very appropriate to share, here. I was walking down a street, and coming towards me was this obnoxious little kid and his mother. The kid was chiding me, saying things to me to get my attention, and then insulted me! This little asshole! ha The mother was largely oblivious, as parents often are towards their children - she saw him saying something amongst his barrage of affronts, something that wasn't as inflammatory as the rest of his words, and expressed amusement at this. I got the sense in this dream that she was just enamored with her son, in having a more verbose and expressive demeanor than she herself possessed. She was happy to have a child that is willing to speak with no fear, meanwhile she would not - she'd more likely keep her head down and keep moving. I think some many parents, in seeing just that small expression of their child, would be similarly prideful.
Anyway, as he was passing by and as the mom stopped paying attention, again, he said something along the lines of, "I hope you are a failure, forever." or "I hate you" ~ something to this end, I am sorry that I cannot recall the words so much as the understanding that the words were intended to be cruel and were deeply negative. My response, I recall, was long winded (my apologies by the way if, as your father, I am much the same - I am hoping that it tones down with age ha) considering the brevity of this passing. But I wished that little kid Peace. I said to him that I hoped he would grow up to understand that such random and unnecessary hatred is unbecoming and in the end, only ever self-inflicting. I said that I knew his life would either teach him this lesson quickly or painfully and repeatedly, and I hoped for his sake it was the former and not the latter. I said all of this with a smile that started in my heart, first.
My point in sharing this dream is what I felt here, and what I pray I am strong enough to pass on to you. I felt not anger, not hatred, not even pity or shame for that kid and his words - what I felt was a need to better that child by sharing the love that he lacked. I saw a child - no, I saw a Person - that couldn't possibly know better, and judging from the inattentive mother, wasn't being acknowledged enough to have been shown better. I thought, with regards to his attacks on me, that they did not Reflect me, and that they could Never reflect me - as much as they would that child.. He who speaks with such hatred or ignorance speaks from a hollow space.. In the process of bettering the world around us, we must always seek to fill that void with a reflection of the love we have for ourselves. But most importantly - and I Must stress this to you, my Future - we are fully accountable for how we let others make us feel. I could have looked at the child and felt all the pain he wanted me to feel (often, again, his way of reflecting onto someone else how he himself feels), or I can acknowledge his soreness and/or his ignorance, and fill it with the Truth of who I Am. The world hurts just as much as you let it... Sometimes you just have to take credit for how you feel.
Which leads to my second point (briefer, I promise) - Never deny yourself your Expression. If you feel a way then feel a way - enough, so, that you can understand it, influence it, explore it. But don't try to hide it from yourself just because you feel that is what the rest of the world expects of you. Never silence yourself if your heart has something to say. Don't be afraid of the waves you can make - just acknowledge that whatever you express you must be accountable for. Responsible for. Not to speak out and let the universe know how you feel is to deny yourself your very right to exist. You may not always receive in return what you expect to - but I can Promise you, that you can do no better than to express your own Truth. That is what love is. You'll have seen Disney movies or shows on TV or movies somehow or another that tell you otherwise (that love is trinkets or lust or longing or hurt), but this is not so. Love is being Absolutely You, and letting the world around you relish in this.
I don't know how to end this.. Other than to say that I hope Life, your mother, and I can raise a bit of brilliance that at some point - any point in their lives can fully receive this letter... Each word herein is meant to show you just how much I Love you. I hope you can read a reflection of this in my eyes, every day. I hope you can see it reflected in every action towards you... I hope that you know Love through my example.
Your Loving father-to-be,

Cory

Guest Blog:What do you consider a life of purpose? by @yogidred

2011-05-27T04:59:00.000-07:00

The shift
What do you consider a life of purpose?
This has been a question that has sat on my spirit over the last year. Today, the answer became apparent to me and it caused a shift in my existence. My purpose was revealed to me and it shook me to my core. The sad fact is I have known my purpose all along but I saw it as a burden and I often found myself struggling not to acknowledge it. I would play the victim when I felt that my purpose overwhelmed me. I learned today that I have been going against the grain, essentially making things harder than they needed to be. I embraced lack and hardship as merit badges...playing the victim made me credible in my mind. After all, I am a conduit of healing...how can I assist others in their healing if I had not been tested? How foolish of me... sigh... all along a shift was occurring inside of me...I was being elevated into my rightful place in this universe...I saw this as punishment and not growth...
I saw a movie today called The Shift: From Ambition to Meaning by Dr. Wayne Dyer.... this movie really touched my heart... I won the DVD and the accompanying book and it has sat on my bookshelf for over six months now...it was only today that Spirit has moved me to watch it...and I am so glad that I did...
Last week I lost one of the two jobs I have here in Florida....it sent my world into a monumental whirlwind, for you see I live like millions of others in this country, paycheck to paycheck with no savings, barely straddling the line of homelessness and hunger. Many don't know this truth about me, but it is my reality. The beautiful thing about this truth is that I have caused this on myself... living below my potential, doing just enough to get by and playing the victim. All my life I have given my all to others, often denying and depleting myself. This has become a habit for me, one that I embraced and wore like a badge...I call it the wounded healer. But today, this movie made me see that I was just existing and not truly living up to my purpose. Yes, I am suppose to give of myself...but I also have to give to myself. It was such a subtle reminder that it brought me to tears... not tears of disappointment but those of surrender...I felt the shift... I am no longer a victim...I no longer have to struggle....I no longer exist in lack...my life has meaning and having to start my life over is not a bad thing..but a welcomed shift....

You see, because of my lack of funds I have to move back into my mother's house at age 36 next week, and just a few days ago I cried my eyes out over that fact. My heart was gripped with fear and disappointment, as the tears flowed I blamed myself for failing here in florida... I was embarrassed about the fact that I now have to ask for help...that I needed a helping hand. I didn't feel worthy... even though I have given to people all my life... even when they were ungrateful and took advantage of me. I blamed everyone who ever hurt me here in florida, but I refused to take credit for what I didn't do.... and that was to walk in my purpose with my head held high....
So as I continue to pack this week for my return HOME, I am reminded by this movie that I am now embarking on a shift from a human doing to a human being.... that what I manifest now is in direct proportion to the new direction I seek in my life. That I was called home to fulfill the desire of my authentic self....that a life of meaning and purpose is mine to have, to share, and to embrace. This reminds me of the African spirit of sankofa.... that I can do an about face and head back to the place of spirit where I am embraced, loved, supported, and nurtured.
We learn and develop strength from being exposed to the world..and I am grateful for my florida season( the good and the bad) ... Sometimes it takes everything we have to make it through a test, I know now that I have what it takes to endure to the end and that the Divine is always with me. It took having to get a blood transfusion earlier this year to illustrate to me my strength, and how much I needed to let go and be taken care of. The universe has made me aware of the fact that I now have to conserve my energy for things that will empower me to live out my destiny...and moving back home and not having to struggle to maintain a daily existence will allow me to do just that. This is not a set back but a set up for bigger and grander things Today I honor my shift, I affirm my divinity, I align with the Divine and open my mind, body and spirit to abundance, peace and prosperity. I can see my truth, my way is clear, my heart is pure and I am free.... Today I truly walk in my purpose....will you?
Khetnu Nefer (@yogidread)

Guest Blog: Caught Up In The Rapture of Hate? by @Sekhmetaatankhet

2011-05-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

Caught Up In The Rapture of Hate?

May 21st rapture: A no show. Many took to Twitter, and other social networks to discuss the failed prediction. From fake disappearances, to tweets from “Jesus” stating he changed his mind, people spared no expense making fun of the 5/21 rapture believers – as well as Christianity. Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster, predicted the world would end May 21st, 2011 beginning at 6pm EST. Camping claimed the world would be rid of non Christians by October 21st, 2011. Here's a sample of the tweets regarding the rapture:
“People actually gave their life savings to Camping and his crazy Rapture prophesy!? Are religious people that dumb?...oh wait...”
“Anybody who thinks some white man is coming from the clouds to save they a** should kill themselves.”
Check out this link: Rapture joke provokes heart attack. http://articles.exchristian.net/2003/07/rapture-joke-provokes-heart-attack.php
Sure, we can disagree with a belief system. However, can religious jokes go too far? Not only did people accuse them of hating Christianity, but also the parishioners
“You should be ashamed of yourself making fun of Christians. May God have mercy on your soul.”

“No man knows the hour when He [Jesus] is returning.”
“Why do you hate Christians?”
During the past 2 years of my Spiritual journey, I've realized most religious debates are not productive and wastes energy. There are more effective, positive ways to share knowledge to aid in personal growth and obtain a deeper understanding.
After changing my name to Sekhmet-AatAnkhet, I've experienced the so-called “harmless” jokes from strangers, colleagues, friends, and family – jokes about my Kemetic Spirituality, the pronunciation of my name, and the straight to the point questions, “Do you worship the Sun or the devil? “Are you a Witch? Do you practice Voodoo?” And yes, my personal favorite: “You're possessed and going to “hell.” Am I hated because of my African Spirituality? Are people just “having fun?” Maybe they're simply blinded by their doctrine. All of the above could be true. However, through growing pains, I've learned to use religious Q and A segments to share knowledge, rather than hit below the belt.
When we use our energy to make fun of others, let's remind Self of our current, and past journeys. Did we change our permed hair, stop wearing colored contacts, clean up our diet, or change religion simply because on jokes? Is it cool to joke about obesity? What if someone is an alcoholic, or abuses drugs? Could we “joke” them into sobriety? How does it feel when our personal belief system and culture is compiled into a #TrendingTopic on Twitter? ImHotep. --Sekhmet-AatAnkhet

Guest Blog : Who Forgot To Culitvate? Pt1

2011-05-24T20:09:00.001-07:00

Who forgot to cultivate? Pt. 1

By Imani A (@AfroBella_360)

“A tree cannot stand on the ground without its roots” African Proverb

In the absence of roots, trees are not of existence. Trees represent life, freedom, foundation, and protection; synonymously related to the components of a community.

We must cultivate to rise as a one.

Cultivation 101.

Webster’s New World Dictionary provides three definitions for the word cultivate:

1. To prepare land for growing crops; till

2. To loosen the soil and kill weeds around

3. To grow

4. To develop or improve

5. To seek to become familiar with

I have notice that within this generation we are the furthest disconnected from our parents, elders, and ancestors than ever before. We just exist as groups of the same people who do not want to interact with each other because of arrogance and age. What happened? I recollect to the African proverb and noticed that someone before me planted the seeds, watered them ONCE, and never came back to cultivate. The stagnation of developing roots.

Being 23 years old, I believe those born in my generation and those after me catch the most critique from our elders. Constantly criticized for our character, morals, mistakes, education, media, spirituality, clothes, language, etc, there are often no solutions presented just opinions and twisted facial expressions. We hear the rants of:

“What’s wrong with them damn kids?”

“Kids these days are so lost.”

“They don’t respect nobody. YO generation is terrible!”

All these statements could’ve been counteracted with guidance from previous generations. Children’s respect for themselves and life took a detour when generations beforehand took the same route by neglecting to teach the importance of self-love and respect for their brothers and sisters.

How can the elders expect for the younger generations to evolve when they did not make an investment in their communities’ greatest asset, the children. When you do not prepare the children you participate in the destruction of your own people. This builds and adds a larger cycle of a deteriorating community and it becomes just a group of individuals who live in the same neighborhood and become enemies. The evolution of an Ego Battleground. The Ego does what it needs to survive and the true purpose of living is nonexistent. Elders feel that there is a need to make a change but they do see that they are the NEED. Until then, there will just be a mass movement of young egos continuously corrupting the world.

Children are not only a direct reflection of the people but they reflect their environment. Mirrors reflected on any inner city neighborhood we will see confusion, pain, struggle, fear, purposelessness, death, and crisis. Is that what we want reflected? Some elders have decided to take a back seat and expected a white supremacists government to raise their communities but in turn they have metamorphosed into areas housing zombies who only have a sense of Ego has oppose of Self. Without the sense of Self there is no knowledge of community or the realization of “We Are, therefore I Am.”

So why do the parents and elders like to immense in the emotion of shock? Let’s be real. The community stopped putting the community first. The elders stopped putting the community first. The community stopped putting the children first. Parents have a notion of what a community is but do not want to implement it. Children cannot identify what a community is and when any form of it is shown it is looked upon as a foreign language. Elders and children are two important components in our communities’; they are the life and rebirth of infinite love for the people. Love is the new foreign language. Community is the new theory that we as a people do not want to study. The community is built on nurturing and love. Children cannot identify with elements they are not exposed to. No exposure no resonance. The children are cold because the elders are freezing.

Elders are the roots. They are the foundation that is needed to uplift this community but they too are confused about their role. They feel entitled to judge but not compelled enough to help. The irony. Often I feel that I have to play Where’s Waldo to find elders in my community. Why is that? They often stay in the same circle and do not want to reach out to make the cipher stronger. Is that a community I want to be apart of when I am older? Absolutely not. We all possess talents, gifts, and knowledge that is meant to be shared, none of that is to remain idle. I might be giving “the elders” too much credit, how I just call them old people until they evolve into being elders. No need to have a title if you do not want the role. The same applies to any man or woman who wants to be considered a Queen, King, God, or Goddess. You must earn those titles and live with them through purpose.

The intention is not to bash elders because I have encountered some through my lifetime that have dropped jewels that will be used forever and throughout, but simply saying that everyone plays a part in the destruction/rebuilding of our community. Generations before me have been given free passes of this destruction simply because of age while my generation receives VIP recognition in the turmoil that we are all trying to rebuild. Where do you think it stemmed from?

Let’s elevate in love, continue to expose truths and be held accountable.

Peace.

Guest Blog: Rapture, Raptors and Respect by @TrueOmegaNexus

2011-05-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

So, it's another week of life on this planet earth. Lo and behold no planet shattering earthquake and no mass exodus of faithful followers into another realm of existence. This past Saturday as many people know was supposed to be what we of the Christian faith call the Rapture....well that's if you believed the specific teachings of certain preachers. Personally, I never subscribed to the May 21st ideas so It was really more of serious period of observation for me. The time leading up to the date in question allowed me to again view my peers as they expressed themselves concerning the upcoming Apocalypse.

To no real surprise the Internets were over flowing with "humor" and crude views on the Rapture topic. Many comical images and plays on the word rapture were popping up on blogs and tumblr sites. "Fear the Raptor", "The Raptor is Coming", etc, etc....those were cute but in addition to the jokes were those who saw this as merely another opportunity to bash the Christians. I'm not here to rally for my faith as truthfully no one disrespected me personally but on a whole I don't get the tone that overtakes so many when they log on. I have a simple Respect law. Watch your words towards Family, Friends & Faith. Those 3 F's are areas that I think as thoughtful adults you should show a a level of respect towards until your given a legit reason not to.

Is it because you can't physically see this higher power that folk degrade God. No matter what or whom you pray towards, I think it's one of the ultimate levels of tastelessness to act in such a manner. Maybe I'm just getting older and everything can't simply be excused as "jokes." When the basis of a whole faith/religion is the punchline of the joke it rarely THAT funny. That's not to mention the "Rapture" parties that were taking place to mock the the idea of what may have occurred. It kind of reminded me of Will Smith classic movie Independence Day where the people of the Invaded cities throw rooftop parties right under the Alien ships. It was fun to mock the situation until it got real. It all makes me wonder what is sacred in this society anymore. Everyone claims to "Not give a f**k." Is that true? Is existence really just one big punchline?

To all folk that matter to me I ask "What do you stand for?" "What is it that you represent?" There's never a comedic reply to that because while we all need laughter, we also need balance and respect. Don't we???

Guest Blog: Yes, But How Do I Start by @conduitofhealing

2011-05-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, but, HOW do I start?

Everyone keeps telling you to wake up, don't they? Wake up! 11:11, wake up! Wake up!!! But, they aren't always telling you how. And, sometimes, a person needs their "how" answered before they can do. Perhaps, I can help.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose the fairest soul of all? Well, in this case: you. And, in the attitude of oneness--us. As you, we, and I are one. So, let's start in the mirror. I ask that you spend a lot of time in your mirror. --Not to pick yourself apart, but, to connect with the soul behind those eyes you claim to see from. Are you really seeing? The information you get from the mirror, is it your own, or, is it someone else's information working through you?

Look into your own eyes. Blink, yes, but, do not look away. Do not avert your own gaze as you search for the soul within and connect to it. I promise you--this works. In fact, if you do this for any extended period of time--yes, even as little as 30 seconds, you WILL connect to your soul. Why??? Simple: it's been waiting for you to find it. At first, it may seem unnatural, feel weird, and you may feel extremely naked. And, you are naked, but, there is nothing unnatural about it, its only knowledge that has been lost, and now you're beginning to remember it, by remembering YOU.

Doing the mirror exercise is like a double edge sword--As, you are reflecting, you will see all of your physical attributes, which can be distracting at best, but, if you look deeper you will see who you truly are, which is far beyond, a perceived blemish, or whatever judgement you have of yourself. You will discover the true beauty of the soul. And, once this connection is made, and practiced, you will find yourself waking up to how the entire world as we were taught, can be seen in truth, by owning and living your own truth.

In a lot of ways, self-reflection is meditation. You (mind), silences itself in the mirror, and just observes what your soul would like to share. No judgement, no arguing, just listening. Listening with passion and vigor. Listen as you would your dearest friend, or loved one--be for yourself, as you would be for someone who asked for your help. Because it's you that's asking, and its all of us that benefits.

Your soul will report, all the hurts, the love, the joys, the pain that you've endured and have either forgotten, or hidden from yourself. And, when the emotions come, which, yes, they will---experience them, so they can be transformed into useful energy. Yes, it's energy...it's all energy, but, when you're awake, you can decide if the energy you allow into your life is for your highest good, or does it hinder your life experience.

It's quite possible, at first, that you won't want to talk about your self-reflection mirror exercise. And, that's okay, but, the energy will need to come out. I'm avid fan of journaling--I've been doing so since the age of 13, I'm 36, now. Journaling allows you to transfer energy from yourself to a page. And, it too, can be a place of reflection, of analyzing, and of remembrance. Whenever I go back and read old journals, I'm profoundly grateful for what I've overcome to be who I AM. ;-)

Once you get in the habit of connecting with yourself, with reflecting, understanding and using your power of choice. You will look up, one day, a very ordinary one probably, and realize something--the world just changed. Why? Because you have. ;-) Perception is reality, remember? Knowing who you are changes your core, and once that has been established, that connection is something you will begin to cherish, love and guard with all you have--and, that's a lot more than you know. Once you make that connection, your thoughts are you own to discover. Your opinions, become yours to believe, with no need, nor desire to impose them on someone else. Why should you? You are you, and while you are one with all, you are a unique part of that all.

That's one way to start, but, no matter the road you take--your awakening will always have YOU at its beginning, YOU at its center, and yes, YOU at the end. So... you ready?? Time to wake up! :-)

Love Peace Happiness N One,

Monica

_____________________________________________

*Monica P. Hall, is a Psychic-Medium, Reiki Master Teacher. Her services, and thoughts (blogs) can be found at: www.conduitofhealing.com

Guest Blog:True Repentance, from a so-called Virgonians perspective by @AllEyeCeeing

2011-05-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Eye get accused of playing with words sometimes just because eye make them make sense; but eye can't help it if they do what eye tell them to do, that's their nature to do as they are told...LOL!!! Words don't lie, it's the one who uses them that lies, and since eye don't lie every word that comes out of my mouth is THE TRUTH.
Right along with being accused of playing with words, eye've been accused of being an over-analyzer, but believe me eye'm not. Eye just choose to see everything for what it's worth because eye deal with root knowledge and not branch knowledge. Hence, the title of my blog THE-ALL-EYE-SEEING http://the-all-eye-seeing.blogspot.com/.
Not being one who turns himself completely over to the science of astrology, but being one who takes the best part from whatever eye lend vibration to; given my study of astrology one thing that eye find consistently said amongst astrologists and even those who have a novice or beginners knowledge of astrology is that when describing the zodiac sign Virgo that eye am said to fall under,they all generally say that Virgo's are some very analytical people
Now eye can't speak for any other so-called Virgos because eye know that there are Virgos on welfare and Virgos on Wall Street, but when it comes to me this assertion is 100% Right and Exact. Have you ever been in a crowded room and felt as though someone was looking at you or watching you? Well, the chances are that it was probably me or someone like me who observes everything and everybody.
With all of that being said eye'm going to tackle a word considered by most to be a religious term and eye would suspect that that plays a major part in the equation as to why it's misunderstood mostly by the religious. The word that eye'm speaking of is the word 'REPENT'.
Now eye know Mr. Webster and Mr. or Mrs. Funk & Wagnall may overcast the definition of 'repent' with religious connotations, or simply say that it is to be remorseful or contrite in regards to what one has done; but their definitions do not get to the root of what it is to 'repent' and does not give insight into what it truly means to repent so that one may yield power from it.

What eye'm going to do is issue and advance my understanding of the word 'repent' and if you find any value in it, lay hold to it; but if not you should REPENT! YOU OL' FISH-EYED FOOL...LOL! (bless the dead). You've got to pardon me but eye loves me some Sanford and Son. The battles between Fred G. Sanford and Aunt Esther were classic., and by the way the G does stand for God.

Everyone knows the prefix 're' means- again, to do again, or to do over yada yada yada. The word 'pent' is the past tense of the word 'pen'. Not a 'pen' that is a writing instrument nor 'pen' as in writing or authoring a book; but a 'pen' as in an enclosure or something that confines animals such as a bullpen, a hog or pigpen, and even penitentiary or penal system.

My great-grandmother who is still living loves watching wrestling and seeing The Smackdown; but her favorite wrestler was The Junkyard Dog and she use to love seeing him use his finishing move called THE THUMP and 'pen' his opponent on the canvas. Again 'pent' is the past tense of the word 'pen', so he penned or pent his opponent on the ground, against the ropes, or on the wall. So bascially we are dealing with confinement.

When an animal is not confined it is wild and free to roam and wander(wonder) like a vagabond, and has to fend for himself and secure its own food and protection unlike a confined animal who is provided for and taken care of.

The universe has laws that govern it and the laws that govern the universe are wrapped up in the very nature of you and eye; so when we break or attempt to break the law we are acting against ourselves and there are penalties when one breaks the law, just as there are rewards for obeying the law. NO ONE GETS AWAY WITH ANYTHING! It doesn't matter whether anyone sees you or not, if no one else sees you, you see you and that has its effects whether you know it or not.

The law of gravity doesn't care whether you are a Christian, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, believer, disbeliever, or hypocrite. If anyone of them go and jump off of a skyscraper they're all going to fall at the same rate of speed.
So to 'REPENT' transcends the thought alone of worshipping or following some ethereal being; and it goes beyond just merely feeling remorseful, getting on your knees, throwing your hands up, asking for forgiveness, or doing however many Hail Mary's.

So what does it mean to repent? To 'repent' means to come back under the confinement or back in harmony with the laws that govern existence or that which promotes life and not death. You can call it what you want to: the laws of God, The laws of Nature, or The laws of Being; but no matter what you call it you must be in harmony with it to avoid a premature death.

Love, Peace, and Happiness!!!

Eye

Guest Blog "Helping vs. Enabling by @TruthSpeaker

2011-05-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

There is a fine line between helping someone, and enabling them. You can't carry people forever and expect them to know how to walk when you put them down. I had to learn that the hard way. I was an unintentional enabler. You have to draw the line when helping people. Some people want you to do things for them rather then help. When you see someone close to you that needs help, you have to first make sure they are willing to do the same things you are willing to do for them, themselves. Otherwise they will become dependent on your support and may never learn how to do things for themselves. I have seen this happen as well as experienced this far too many times. Enabling a person actually hurts them more than helps them. So you have to be very careful when extending a hand, even for those you love. Now I only help those that are willing to help themselves. There's nothing worse than a helpless adult!

Guest Blog: Good Enough Dammit! by @FlyWiditCustoms

2011-05-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Good Enough, Dammit!

I can remember very little about my years in high school. Other than playing team sports, teenage hormones, and art, it wasn't a choice for me not to graduate. I didn't quite understand how minimum wage worked, but I saw that fast food didn't lead to wealth. And as a kid, there were a lot of things I wanted!

I'm unsure where, or when, I developed this early understanding of the socioeconomic status, but I just knew I wanted more. To get more, meant to graduate with a decent GPA and score well enough on the SATs to get into a college. I wasn't sure what I would major in. I just wanted to live better and had an understanding that education would help me achieve my goals.

It's still unclear what motivated me more – the fear of poverty or the propaganda surrounding the educational system in the U.S. We are taught the importance of education at a young age, yet we rarely question what we learn. We are taught that without more than a diploma, or General Education Degree, it is going to be more difficult for us to receive a comfortable income. There is little argument to the importance of education, but has this technique of propaganda created a continuous stream of robots?

Having a degree in a particular field doesn't necessarily mean you are overly talented, or knowledgeable, in that industry. It is a representation of acquiring a basic understanding of your chosen field. However, specialized knowledge is what an individual gets paid more for. Specialized knowledge is generally more hands-on, such as on-the-job training, an apprenticeship, or even a paid intern. Despite a recent graduate's degree, they still may lack the experience to properly compete in this job market. This inexperience, despite completing years of higher education, doesn't guarantee quality employment. So, why are the cost of “higher education” so expensive?
It is no mystery that education has become big business. This can be seen in the continuous rise of online courses and the creation of private institutions of learning. Yet, the quality of education provided often doesn't match it's monetary value. This is what I feel is the basis of the educational pyramid scheme in the U.S.
In a failing job market, promoting and exaggerating the power of a degree is destructive to our society and it's economy. Recent graduates have roughly six months before they are obligated to discuss or begin making repayments on their undergrad or graduate loans. In the current job market, many individuals have been unemployed for periods up to a year, if not more. Flood the job market with hungry and optimistic grads with varying levels of education, and they are now in a competitive cycle for financial stability. A cycle that seems to appear more, if not just as competitive, as the remaining individuals without a diploma or G.E.D.. So which is better off?

Yes, there are a lot of positives to attending a college and opening your mind to new and influential opportunities, yet college is not the only place this opportunity is accessible. Many opportunities can surface merely by one facing their fear of change. An aggressive, yet unadvised, method of facing this fear is to dropout and force yourself to succeed in what you are passionate about. This is possibly why some dropouts have discovered success and influence through this practice such as Bill Gates, Russell Simmons, Kanye West, Maya Angelou, and Malcolm X. Even Madame C.J. Walker, who dropped out in elementary school, went on to invent hair care products to become the first female millionaire. Despite her lack of education, she serves as an example that determination, hardwork, initiative, and a strong will for success is “good enough, dammit!”

R. Herod
FlyWidit Customs
http://www.flywiditcustoms.com/

--

Revolutionary Reflection of The Day- Deferred Dreams and Potential

2011-05-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's not like this subject has not been banded about for the last few decades in regards to the Black man. Every city, every neighborhood has stories of a young black man with promise, poised to make his mark in the world and suddenly by fate or chance something happnes to derail him/her and all we are left with is the memories that the stories produced. Now, all too often we like to blame others for what happens in these situations but not me. Today I'm talking about the fact that so often it is us not participating in our own survival, so then we become complicit in our own demise.

We can talk about pharmaceutical death that dispensed on the corners, we can talk about alcoholism, domestic abuse, child abuse, AIDS and other the other maladies that plague our community. We can talk about so many of the negatives that we live with, but for some reason we never want to address the fact that there are things we have done as a people in the past and what we're doing now that are directly proportionate to what is going on today. Today, dreams and potential are often deferred because our parents had theirs deferred and didn't feel it necessary to impart certain information that would be necessary for the kids to have a dream, work towards a dream and then manifest the dream. Some of our parents did the best with what they had, but what happened to the mentors and all the other elders in the village?

Bottom line is we are in trouble. Despair and depression over run our communities and that makes it seem like there is no hope, but there are still diamonds in the rough in the hood. There are miracles being produce daily. Yes things are rougher than ever, but it is not impossible, but it starts with the parents, leaders and elders. We can't give up on ourselves and we can't give up on each other, after all we're all we got.

Respectfully Submitted
@consciousskillz

Guest Blog Week

2011-05-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

Peace and blessings. Well family it's that time again, Guest Blog Week. I may have not instituted the tradition of Guest Blog Week but when I did for the first time on my blog approximately 6 months ago it was such a success I knew that I had to do it again. For me, the purpose in doing this is about sharing. Sharing the words and viewpoints of people that I have linked and bonded with on my "Skyline" and share them with those who read my blog. 140 characters isn't always enough to get to know just how one may think and feel about life, the people in it and the things that go on in it.

We all come from different places, have different experiences, backgrounds, etc... however the one thing we do have in common is that our interaction was created within the social media realm but often times it has extended past that. In closing, the submissions that you will read have not been sensored, altered or changed. Just as the author submitted it, that's how I posted it. You may not agree or even like what is being said but the motto on my blog states "Where Freedome of Expression is Applauded" and it is in that spirit I bring to you my family. Enjoy, learn and grow. Peace

Where Love and Injustice Meet by Elizabeth Renter

2011-05-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

Where Love and Injustice Meet

There’s something powerful when a government has the ability to take away, not just your constitutional rights, but your human rights. Your right to come and go as you please, to form relationships with whom you please, and to reach for goals like home ownership, employment, and entrepreneurship. When all of that can be taken away with the strike of a gavel (which it can and does), that gavel and the people standing behind it hold great power indeed.

In daily conversations, tweets, and even my only two personal blogs I waver between promoting extreme positivity and enlightenment, and uncovering injustices and outrage at the Babylon system. I’ve had the twisted-privilege of covering some fairly high profile stories and interviewing mothers whose sons were taken away by police brutality. I was never a victim of crime and I never had anyone close to me spend time in prison growing up. But from the time I was a child, the balance (or imbalance) of power between the people of this country and those said to protect and serve them has fascinated me.

When I speak of the “government” the “Babylon system”, I’m talking about every person and agency that could ultimately play a role in stripping someone of their rights. This is the lawmakers, the judges, the police, the prosecutor, the prison administrators, and everyone in between. They are all cogs in a broken machine and while the individuals may not be all-bad they help perpetuate a system flawed to its very core.

I guess I have an extremely optimistic view on life. I really believe that the Divine love within us all makes us inherently good. But it’s the ego, the flesh, and the human-ity of us that causes us grief. This ego, when fed with power, has the potential to override any feelings of love and goodness for our fellow man. And when a machine is designed to remove power or human rights from one set of people and hand the power to another, the collective ego of that machine becomes a monster.

It’s not a reach to surmise that we spend more on prison uniforms than school books. We hear about failing schools on the news and see it in our children, all the while the government invests millions in state of the art prisons. Our priorities as people have become so out of whack that we are more interested in the feeding the hungry prison system than feeding the minds and spirits of our youth.

At any given time in your hundreds of channels, you can likely find dozens of shows regarding the criminal justice system. COPS, Cold Case, Jail, America’s Most Wanted, The First 48, Law & Order, CSI, and nearly every Lifetime movie—they all play to our fear of crime, our need to see how both the “bad guys” and the “good guys” operate. We thrive on the drama. But all of this “entertainment” has a disastrous effect. We live in fear that we might be the next victim—to the point where we don’t speak to our neighbors or smile at strangers. And we are more likely to be okay with tougher sentencing laws and questionable practices by the police and courts—anything to keep us “safe”.

Over the years we’ve created a crime culture that’s done nothing but divide the community and empower the system. All in the name of safety, we are destroying our society.

The United States is the most incarcerated nation in the world. In the entire world. Per capita, we imprison more of our people than any other nation, even those considered war-torn and third-world. Ironic for the “Land of the Free”, don’t you think? And to the surprise of many, crime has been falling for the last few decades. Some cities are reporting their lowest violent crime rates since the 1960s. (You wouldn’t know that by watching television.)

It’s particularly interesting to me that the current recession is leading some states to reconsider their sentencing laws and the tough-on-crime policies written in the 1990s. We even have Republicans (known for the lock ‘em away rhetoric) reconsidering prison time for nonviolent offenses. But what’s interesting about this is that it’s only the recession that’s spurring change. Sure we can be happy that some change is on the horizon anyways but it hurts me to the core that the immorality of the current state of our criminal justice system doesn’t make lawmakers blink. Not once. Despite what they may say pre-election, once they are handed the power most don’t care about the racial imbalances, the destruction of communities, or even the causes of the criminal behavior they are so worried about punishing. No, they’re worried about the cash.

I am no longer shocked about the cases of unarmed black men being killed by police. When I read about a man wrongly incarcerated for his entire adult life and then freed, released to a community that’s moved on without him, I don’t bat an eye. I am hurt but not surprised when cops raid a home and kill a sleeping 7 year old girl. These things don’t shock me anymore but they anger, sadden, and motivate me. I get that some people have just grown accustomed to it; they’ve accepted that this is how things are. But I refuse. Acceptance of this perversion of humanity is a perversion in itself. If you’re okay with saying “but that’s how it’s always been” or you don’t want to talk about it because “it won’t change anything” then maybe you’re to blame too.

Apathy is a disease. Sure talking or writing may not have the same impact as getting out there and getting involved. But sitting there and saying nothing is inaction at its finest. Without awareness there can be no change. Without knowledge there can be no action. Until we accept that the status quo isn’t working and make a collective effort to inform the masses, we can never expect it to deviate from the twisted norm. How can I come from a place of positivity and love while promoting revolutionary thoughts and discussing the virtual raping of a people? Because love won’t let me sit back and allow it to happen. Because love isn’t just a thing—it’s a verb. And action without love isn’t just uninspired, it’s ultimately ineffective.

Casualties of War: "The Internal Battle" by Erick The Third Eye

2011-05-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

CASUALTIES OF WAR: THE INTERNAL BATTLE

There are many battles being fought right now; both external and internal. The number one offender of these outbreaks; in my humble opinion is the EGO. "My cause is greater than yours", I'm right you're wrong", "My religion & God is the CORRECT way to salvation" and so on. Simply a blame game and finger pointing justice without accountability or discernment. As always I must define that in which I have targeted to keep us on the same vibrational wave and you YOURSELF may come into yourOWN overstanding & conclusion.
Your thinking, the content of your mind, is of course conditioned by the past: your upbringing, culture, family background, and so on. The central core of all your mind activity consists of certain repetitive and persistent thoughts, emotions, and reactive patterns that you identify with most strongly. This entity is the EGO itself.
A NEW EARTH Awakening to Your Life's Purpose pg 59-60:

by Eckhart Tolle

EGO: 1) The"I" of self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.

2) Psychoanal. the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment

3) egotism; conceit; self-importance

4) self-esteem or self-image; feelings

(Online dictionary-DICTIONARY.COM)

I was entering the Decatur Train Station one morning, I observed a young mother with two children entering the fare gates. The mother and the oldest child; maybe 5 or 6 yrs old had enter the gate and the little girl about 3 or 4 yrs old was trailing behind as the automatic gate was about to close. The mother was screaming at the little girl to hurry, but she was being nonchalant. When she made it through the fare gate the mother PUNCHED this child to the floor! She then snatched her up by her coat with whiplash force and screaming at the top of her lungs about her moving to slow. I was unable to bite my tongue and yelled at her "Are you SERIOUS?" "Was that necessary for walking to slow?" It became confrontational and combative with us both "expressing" our take on the situation. We went our separate ways and I was left with my emotions and feelings to sort out. After about 20 minutes of just being furious of the scene I witness I had to begin the process of putting things in perspective. I searched to find an understanding to this behavior without personalizing it (yeah right) . It is quite obvious that her reactionary response may be the result of some unresolved issues and/or unexpressed feelings; when viewed on much more than a surface level. This is the internal war I'm referring too.

WAR: (noun) 10. A state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility

(Verb) 2. To make war; to invade or attack a state or nation with force of arms; to carry on hostilities; to be in a state by violence

3. To contend; to strive violently; to fight.

4. To make war upon; to fight.

5. To carry on, as a contest; to wage

(Websters Online Dictionary)

Weapons Of Mass Destruction also known as Character Defects and Shortcomings within the human character. A character defect would be a flat tire. The shortcoming would be riding on it.Fear can be mistaking for anger. Anger turned inwards becomes Depression. Always remember that HURT PEOPLE; HURT PEOPLE! If I truly know what it feels like to be loved, then showing love to others is not a challenging task. There are trials, events and tribulations in our lives that rob us of the ability to be compassionate to one another. There are some who have never experienced anything close to love. Perception becomes distorted when mismanaged emotions begin to override the thought process and decision making. I, myself have been shown love throughout my life, however I didn't always recognize it as being love. If you didn't show me the affection the way I wanted it; I rejected your attempts of kindness. Yes, I was one SELF-CENTERED BASTARD! I began using others not even aware of my actions. I had "stinking" thinking and disillusioned concepts of relationships. I so badly wanted to do right, however I had no understanding of what a healthy relationship was. My surroundings and belief system was dysfunctional, but since that's all I knew it was "normal".

Thus begins "The Internal Battles" of good vs. evil, right and wrong or to live or die (Death is not always physical)! Being unaware of my actions, thoughts, and ideas caused great discomfort and strife through the years. There were times when I had "moments of clarity", which were indicators that there were "glitches" in my MATRIX. It's like running a computer program(thinking, perceptions) and realizing that it has a virus(distorted, misinformed). You then see that the computer has been running & downloading slow with numerous pop-ups. When you've been running on an infected program for so long it is now YOUR "normal". You know you have issues/problems, but have no idea or direction on what to do about your programming situation. All you have is old information to deal with an ongoing dilemma. I so badly want to do right, however I just didn't know what to do. Denial sets in and I ignore my issues, then begin pointing fingers at who or whatever is within my line of fire. Now, frustration, anxiety, anger, hopelessness and fear consumes my character. Now my child is walking to slow and I punch her to ground screaming at the top of my lungs!
As bad as I want to go in on Homegirl; I know I would just be judging her according to my understanding, beliefs, standards and/or perception. My ego will quickly prosecute her actions as wrong, so I can be right and feel superior and self-righteous. I'm a conscious minded thinker, which means I have to be able to recognize the unconsciousness in another without reacting unconsciously. Honestly speaking; that morning I acted a pure donkey! It was all emotions with no thought process to found. I quickly observed the same reactionary response she displayed in myself. Mine was worst than hers? How is that; when I didn't lay a hands on a child? As previously stated I consider myself to be conscious minded (aware) and I showed none whatsoever. Upon this realization, I analyzed my behaviors, which in turn would give me some insight of the young woman's conduct that I found so disturbing to me. On the surface we all differ in many ways, but below the surface we all suffer from some of the same deep rooted issues that are universal to the human existence.

CAUSALITY: the relation between a cause and its effect or between regularly correlated events or phenomena

We are all; in some way somehow causalities on a greater scope of things. There are numerous equations and factors in our existence that cause us to act, respond, protect, isolate, and think the way we do; as individuals and collectively, which in turn effects our way of life as human beings searching for purpose with meaning. There has been ripple effects in my life caused by my unawareness, which has been the source of my frustrations, pain, mis-guided decisions, and hopelessness. My family, friends, co-workers, courts, jails, strangers, etc have been causalities of my ignorance (unconsciousness). I was clueless of how I impaired the lives of others due to my self centeredness. Because I was unable to identify with my Internal Battles I was inflicting havoc on those closest to me.

If I never wake up and redirect my consciousness it can have a life long effect for example on my daughter. It is quite possible that she will fall prey to the generational cancer; the one that spiritual and emotionally impeded myself a connection to a Source of Higher Consciousness. I rotated for years in the same vicious cycle of living as those before me. I made life choices based on what I was shown, taught, and understood. Now my daughter's mother and I will be the sound reasoning and trustworthy activist in her life. She will learn and maybe live by our understandings and actions until she can develop her own. Now, if our lives and thinking are dysfunctional; it is quite possible that she may struggle for years before coming into her own.
All this from a young mother's paroxysmal explosion towards her child walking to slow for her at that time. For me it is important to understand versus judging others from my single point of view. I have learned that we are connected by a Greater Source/Higher Conscious/Infinite Mind/God. So that alerts me to the fact, once connected with this force we can relate to anyone on a Emotional, Mental and Spiritual region of activity. Since we are all connected, I should be conscious enough to see myself within any individual without placing labels on them or putting them in "MY SELF RIGHTEOUS" categories. If taking the time I can discover myself through actions of others and not condemn them. Because no one should be involuntarily enlisted in my INTERNAL BATTLES causing them to be CAUSALITIES OF WAR

BY: Erick ThirdEye
ThirdEyeView

Feel Good Song of The Day: Anthony David feat Algebra and Phonte "Forever More"

2011-05-23T04:18:00.000-07:00

Sensual Poetics "He Comes Alive" by @PoeticHeroin

2011-05-23T04:17:00.000-07:00

He Comes alive inside of me. Exploring every twist and turn.

The opportunity to dive into my abyss has been earned.

I'm pretty sure he'll meet the other parts of me along the way.

Each has her own presentation set up to entice him to stay.

Enter a realm of where nothing becomes something, and something strives to maintain.

Where passion pricks the skin and flows freely throughout my veins.

Such a dope depth you can simultaneously get high to.

A euphoric mixture of crazy, sexy, cool.

Stretched out on a bed of uncertainty. I expect the sheets to cheat. Sneak & tell tales of how dried desires, convoluted conversations, and smothered moans meet. A menage' of melted energy, that feeds their curiosity.

The hunger for more is embellished yet unique.
It's impossible for me to be consumed in one sitting.

The deeper he goes, the desire to live here increases.

There's so many different parts of my body where he can fit in.

Break down the sections before savoring all of my pieces.

My name lingers on his tongue, long after his thirst has been quenched.

Fina's waters leaves his entire soul drenched.

Every time he breathes, I feel it upon my fingertips. That exhale inspires me.

Furiously, I write and write, hoping to mimic the exact emotion his existence pulls from me.

Careful which end is chosen to be the entrance. I prefer his thoughts slip through the cracks in my cranium, so I can enjoy another way of getting brain from him.

Although we both know the silky solitude between my thighs is what really makes him rise.

Intense, pulsating persuasion? That's what I call my whispering eye.

Sometimes I swallow him whole so he can swim in the belly of the beast.

My beauty captured him, now he's addicted to the feast.

Delectable dining, serving him until Infinity. Now that you've dove to the bottom, why wouldn't YOU want to be IN to me?

Guest Blog Post: When Will We by @CharmingJerk

2011-05-23T04:16:00.000-07:00

When Will We

When will we stop judging one another and start loving one another

Fathers, daughters, sisters, sons, brothers, and mothers

When will we start teaching our youth

Instead of fairy tales of Santa Claus and Tooth Fairies, start teaching them truth

We let religion persuade our decisions but all it's caused was division

Eyes wide open, but we are blind to reality and the vision

It takes a village to raise a child. Yet, fathers are missing from the homes

Mothers are getting younger by the year, just another sad poem

Pills are the new crack and the Internet is the new train tracks

We've been derailed for so long, when will we ever get back

Hidden agendas have been enacted since before we were here

Still, the power is in our minds, so no evil we shall fear

When will we start building foundations and destroying negative habits

Neutralizing our gifts and talents, we're just that old silly rabbit

Still dealing with tricks as if we can get far with a bowl of them

When will we recapture of minds and get back control of them

When will we

When will

When

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What will it take for us to get back to our original minds? They say that everything happens for a reason. Well, what was the reason for the design of the enslavement of the black mind? How was it able to take into effect? How long will it last? Ponder on this for a moment; does it even exist? We as a people, Africans in America, have been misguided, mislead, miscommunicated, misinformed, and just been plain missing from the trails that our beloved ancestors created for us.

Was it greed that put us into this predicament centuries ago? Was it naivety that allowed us to put our guards down? How is that a people who created extraordinary civilizations, way before Rome, were able to be swindled so easily? When will we start taking responsibility for our thoughts and start taking accountability for our brothers and sisters? We've come so far, but we've really been going nowhere. Have we failed as a people? If we were to assess ourselves on a grand scale, what grade would we place upon our charts? What grade would you give yourself?

It's time that we start cooperating with each other. It's time for the youth and the elders to start learning from one another. It's time for the educated and uneducated to start discussing ideas. It's time for us to acknowledge our problems, focus on solutions, and actually enable these answers. If not know, when?

Guest Blog Post: We Already Have Eternal LIfe by @MetuNeter

2011-05-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

BEING TOLD BY THE BIBLE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE A SIN FREE LIFE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN ETERNAL LIFE,IS PURELY NONSENSE. BY SIMPLY STUDYING THE NATURAL WORLD YOU CAN GAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ETERNAL LIFE WE ALREADY HAVE. BEFORE A BABY COMES TO THIS WORLD WHERE DOES IT COME FROM ,AND WHY IS IT WE HAVE A CHOICE OF TWO DIFFERENT PLACES TO GO AFTER DEATH? YOU HAVE THE CHOICE OF HEAVEN OR HELL. SO DOES A NEW BORN BABY COME FROM HEAVEN OR HELL BEFORE COMING TO THE PHYSICAL WORLD?

IF THIS WERE TRUE,THEN THE CHILD YOU RECEIVE WOULD BE A TOSS UP AS TO HOW THEIR BEHAVIOR WOULD BE.YOU COULD RECEIVE A DEMON SEED OR THE NEXT CHRIST, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOW WAY OF KNOWING.I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT EVERY NEW BORN IS JUST THAT,A "NEW BORN",HAVING KNOW PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF GOOD OR BAD. WITH THIS BEING UNDERSTOOD, IT STANDS TO REASON THAT IF WE ALL COME FROM THE SAME PLACE THE "SPIRITUAL REALM",(JUST AS THE SUN RETURNS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PLANET WHEN IT RETURNS THE FOLLOWING DAY),THEN WHEN WE DIE WE TO ALL GO TO THE SAME PLACE THE "SPIRITUAL REALM",THE PLACE OF NO PHYSICAL MATTER.

THE SAME PLACE YOU GO TO EVERY NIGHT WHILE SLEEPING, THE "DREAM STATE".AT THE MOMENT OF PASSING YOU BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY OF RETURN TO THE PHYSICAL PLAIN,THROUGH REGENERATION,JUST AS YOU DO WHILE SLEEPING. DAY TO DAY LIVING IS A MICRO EXAMPLE OF THE MACRO LIFE,DEATH & REBIRTH.THIS IS PROOF OF OUR ETERNAL EXISTENCE.

MindSpray Of The Day- Not Everyone Is Going To Get It

2011-04-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

In the social media realm we encounter many different people from all over the world, who come from different backgrounds, have different views on life and such. Just like in the real world, in the social media our interaction a lot times is based upon our interests, alliances, proclivities that are centered in and around our preferences, music, habits, etc. The thing is, within all of that I do my best to not conform to the ideas and perceptions of people who think because they can read something that you tweet it gives them an intimate look into the person that you are.

140 characters is just that, a sum of the entire thought process of the individual who uses this media. You have people who seek to enlighten and be enlightened, you have those who use the media for business, romance, to link people with each other, etc. The irony of it is not all are mature enough to handle the things that go on with Facebook and Twitter. So many take personal the things that people may say that have nothing to do with you but something they say strikes a cord and taking it personal is what happens.

If for some reason you forget the reason that you partake in this media you may tend to not start taking everything personal, but lose focus on just what it is your doing yourself. Invariably, it may not matter what it is that you decide to say it will enrage, offend and alienate the most sensitive of people and it's not that it's your fault but that's just the way it goes. One of the biggest forms of miscommunication in this media is mistaking kindness for interest. It's a fact that people hook up on this media outlets, but not everyone is there for that. Unwarranted attention, ingratiating yourself with someone you have just encountered is often uncomfortable as well as disrespectful.

Yes, the follow and unfollow, or friend button are equal opportunity button and should be used at your own discretion, because your within your right to do so. Your style of tweeting of FB'ing may not be understood by everyone, but Twitter beefs, going in on someone who have hurt your feelings or because they don't agree with you views is a waste of time. No matter where we find ourselves, even after explaining our positions, setting boundaries some are still not going to get. Your method, your style, everyone is not going to get it. Your views, your thoughts, not everyone is going to support it.

At the end of the day, if the machinations that go on within these media outlets are too much for you then removing yourself is always an option to take because not everyone takes kindly to abuse, unwanted attention and we may not like the response to such behavior. Twitter and FB can be as beautiful as the people you interact with but the face on the other side of the coin can be quite scary.

Neo Soul Joint Of The Day- Anthony David feat Algebra and Phonte

2011-04-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Conscious Thought of The Day- Whether or Not America Was Ready She Has A Black President

2011-04-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

The election of Barak Obama was indeed a history making event that was celebrated around the world by millions of people, however that celebration was most definitely short lived. It was the coming together of people from diverse backgrounds, communities and ways of life that made the event possible. However two years into his election I've never witness the opposition, the rancor, the disrespect heaped upon a President in the history of this country. On the other hand should we be surprised by the actions of those who control the media outlets, magazine publications and the general public on the whole?

In a country that says it was built upon the premise that everyone is created equal has often proven that equalilty is nothing it knows anything about. Was Amerikkka really ready for this? Can't say one way or the other but what I can say is it doesn't look like it's happy about it. The daily scrutiny, the blame for a budget that was inherited from a regime that didn't give a damn about the common man or anyone else for that matter has become common place and an everyday occurrence that people only join in happily.

Now, just like alot of people didn't like the Preisident before President Obama, they are within their rights to spew venom, hate and lies. That has become the American way. My thing is how do we expect a country to be so accepting of a descendant of the very people that they have enslaved, battered, raped and mutilated and have shone to have a very healthy amount of disdain with to this very day.

No, I don't think Amerikka was ready, nor do I think it will ever be ready. Granted there are small pockets of people who know how to look past hues, religion and other things to come together for a common goal and to bring about a change. However, in my opinion that is not the feelings and thoughts of the majority at least from what I see. Personally, I wish those small pockets of people had a much stronger influence so that the world can see that people can come together to get things done despite the obvious differences. I guess that's why they say that the only thing that comes to a dreamer is sleep

Conscious Thoughts- "Embrace Struggle"

2011-04-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

Embracing Struggle
If often difficult to speak or even address a talk or article dealing with the youth without sounding like you’re preaching or telling them what to do. Truth is whether you’re an adult of a child, no one likes to be talked at. Youth of the day are not much different from when I was young accept for they have more toys and more distractions to deal with. In the communities most of us live in the same struggles are going on, from incarceration, police brutality, hunger, abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, etc…. I state that because I want the young brothers and sisters to know that unfortunately this is nothing new in our community.

We as a people have been dealing with struggle for centuries and we have come to under and overstand that struggle is a part of the life cycle. Now what separates those who make it from those who don’t is whether they respond or react to this struggle. Personally, I was raised in the streets of NY city in a middle class family but I know what it’s like to be hungry, not have much of anything, maybe except the love of a mother, auntie, grandmother. I know what it’s like to not only work and still fall victim to the call of the streets. Where it seems like going to prison was not only a rites of passage but the one sure thing I had to look forward to for that became my reality as well. However it doesn’t have to be yours.

All of our lives we heard that education is the key. Okay, if it is the key what door is it opening? See the thing about education is it’s a way to a means. It is not, I repeat it is not the be all to end all. Why do I say that? Simple, having all the education in the world does not guarantee you success. Oh it well help tip the scales a bit but it doesn’t insure success. Brother Malcolm X stated about education “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow is for those who prepare for it.” My point being, you have to do more than get the book information to be successful. There’s a certain amount of endurance, preparation and planning that comes with the information. When you plan and prepare, then what you’re trying to accomplish no longer stays a dream or a wish because with your planning and preparing you have chosen to put with it action with it and action aligned with purpose is what brings the success.

Yes, the times are harder than ever. Yes the economic climate is at an all time low, but ourstory teaches me that it was out of these conditions some of our greatest minds and leaders came from. I’m not trying to trick you into believing what I’m saying. What I want you to see in your own selves is you have the ability to see the possibilities if you open your mind to the fact that your circumstances do not define who you are. After 10 and a half years in prison I find myself in a similar position as a lot of you and yet my principles, the knowledge that I have and my relationship with the Creator will not let me fail and as a result I have been fortunate to have been blessed with not one, not two, but three jobs in the last week; and that’s after being home 12 months without a job. Don’t believe the hype. If no one believes in you, believe in yourself. No that this is possible because there have been those who have done it before you and you will be able to tell someone how you did it that will come after you. Peace

HIp Hop Joint of The Day- Little Brother "The Honorable"

2011-04-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

Conscious Poetics- Confusion

2011-04-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

Confusion

We walk around blind and can’t seem to open our eyes while playing a part in our own demise. Keeping the company of idiots and fools instead of chillin’ with elders and those who have knowledge and are civilized, but death comes to us quickly and it’s no surprise if all we go on is deceptions and lies.

My brain fries, my soul cries, not living up to my expectations of being a man so to the black woman I apologize. The truth was planted behind the sockets of my eyes, but I didn’t do the knowledge and analyze so now I live destitute and scandalized. Dwelling n a state of confusion brought on by falsehoods and delusions.

Spiritually I’m paralyzed, can’t identify with a God with blond hair and blue eyes feeling left out and stigmatized while giving away 10% of my money to one who tends to overdramatize the scriptures and paint inaccurate pictures making the truth even harder to surmise.

I’m lost, I don’t remember who I am. Son of Osiris, Adam, Moses, Japheth or Abraham; Cultural dyslexia has me unable to decipher the words about us that were prophesized so we live reckless, being brutalized and ostracized. Standing on corners hypnotized while we sell death to our brothers and sisters, Moms and Misters who have direct links to those who built the pyramids, gave us science and the sphinx.

The windows of my soul are dormant, vacant and cold because this thing called ignorance has taken hold. I exist in a zombie like state fueled and charged by hate wondering is this my fate or is my destiny to live and be great. I’m sick and tired of being tired and sickly but death still doesn’t come for me quickly and I know that whatever to be is meant. I just pray this isn’t the way I’m supposed to live and the way my life is supposed to be spent, confused.

Conscious Element
Cipha Publishing © 2k4

Conscious Lecture of the Day- Dr Asa Hilliard "Sankofa"

2011-04-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

Black History Mind Spray

2011-02-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Once again Black History Month is upon us and even though all of us have many different opinions on the subject the one thing that can't be disputed is it is still very important to acknowledge the part people of African descent has played in the formation of the world but to celebrate as well. As a people that are many acheivements that have been acredited to us and many that should have been but haven't. However it would be a travesty on our part if we didn't learn this information and then teach. That's what culture is all about. If a people has no culture, then they have no traditions. If a people have no culture or traditions then they have no legacy to leave for their children to teach their children. Black History is more than slavery, more than the Civil Rights Marches, not to say that they weren't important because they were. No, what I'm proposing is learn more about the struggles and triumphs of people they don't teach in the school curriculums or colleges.

Find out about someone, do some research and add the knowledge to what you already know, and then teach someone else. That's what culture is all about. Sharing the information, the circumstances, the disappointments, the triumphs of a people that for all intents and purposes could have been long extinguished because it is in us to not only strive but thrive we continue to press on despite all that has happened us and is still happening. Celebrate the legacy of "OUR" forefathers and Queen Mothers who often made the ultimate sacrifice so that you and can do and be what we are today. Never forget because to forget is to die a cultural, ancestral, mental and spiritual death. Peace and Blessings to all the elders and ancestors upon whose shoulders we stand upon today. What are your thoughts or comments about Black History Month?

Black History Month Person Of The Day- Abu Jamal Mumia

2011-02-09T03:58:00.000-08:00

Mumia Abu-Jamal is a renowned journalist from Philadelphia who has been in prison since 1981 and on death row since 1983 for allegedly shooting Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. He is known as the “Voice of the Voiceless” for his award- winning reporting on police brutality and other social and racial epidemics that plague communities of color in Philadelphia and throughout the world. Mumia has received international support over the years in his efforts to overturn his unjust conviction.

Mumia Abu-Jamal was serving as the President of the Association of Black Journalists at the time of his arrest. He was a founding member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Black Panther Party as a teenager. Years later he began reporting professionally on radio stations such as NPR, and was the news director of Philadelphia station WHAT. Much of his journalism called attention to the blatant injustice and brutality he watched happen on a daily basis to MOVE, a revolutionary organization that works to protect all forms of life--human, animal, plant--and the Earth as a whole.

The prosecution claimed that the shot which killed Faulkner came from Mumia Abu-Jamal’s legally registered .38-caliber weapon, contradicting the medical examiner’s report that the bullet removed from Faulkner’s brain was a .44-caliber. One of the most damning prosecution claims was that Mumia confessed at the hospital. However, this confession was not reported until nearly two months after December 9th, immediately after Mumia had filed a brutality suit against the police. One of the officers who claims to have heard the confession is Gary Wakshul. However, in his police report on that day he stated, “the Negro male made no comments.” Dr. Coletta, the attending physician who was with Mumia the entire time, says that he never heard Mumia speak.

Due to police manipulation of witnesses, fabrication of evidence, and the rights of the defense severely denied, Mumia was found guilty. He was sentenced to death during the penalty phase based solely on his political beliefs. Mumia has been unjustly separated from his family for twenty-two years, with the threat of death looming over his head.In 1999, Arnold Beverly confessed to killing Officer Faulkner. This confession is validated by a lie detector test administered by eminent polygraph expert Charles Honts. Despite concrete evidence supporting this confession, the Philadelphia District Attorney has refused to investigate, and the courts have not even allowed it to be heard. The injustice continues . . .This is not justice. There is massive evidence of Mumia’s innocence and he should be absolutely free. Mumia’s legal team filed an appeal of this decision in January of 2002. Mumia remains on death row until
all appeals by both sides are heard.
Excerpts used from Free Abu Jamal Coalition of NYC webpage.

Spoken Word Joint Of The Day- Saul Willams "Coded Language"

2011-02-09T03:56:00.000-08:00

Poetic Prose Of The Day- What Happened

2011-02-09T03:55:00.000-08:00

What Happened

Fly, fly, fly cats talking like they’re the new and improved mack; trying to play us like hoes feeding us the superficial and wack. But they can’t lead us back; back to the days of prominence, self mastery and dominance amongst those on this planetary surface.

So what’s the purpose? What does it profit a man to gain these streets that are crack infested? Blocks upon blocks that have long been raped and molested and littered with stench and defeat. See, feeding you poison doesn’t make him lose his appetite as he sits down at his own table to eat.

Yo, but that’s the life of the neighborhood crack slinger, fake dream bringer ridin’ around town in the latest whip with his on his chest, wrist and finger. The same dude ya Moms use to give food to when he sat at your table. Now she’s hooked on it, getting treated like a trick while getting hit on, spit and shit on.

Crack sales and fully stocked prisons and jails have become our tradition or maybe just another unfortunate condition we can’t recover from. Is it me or am I the only who can see through all the bullshit trying to pull shit together but it’s hard because we aint moving forward we’re moving blackwards into the back woods where nobody wants anything and they’re still content.

I don’t know about you but that’s not how my life is meant to be spent. We aint never gonna get the 40 acres and the mule so if you’re still looking for it you’re a damn fool. We’re supposed to be first but we won’t get off our ass, then we got the nerve to complain about being last. How do you expect the change that’s gonna come to start if you don’t change the condition of your mind and heart?

Yo, we F’d up yall and hoods are like cancer and you know for that disease there is no cure or answer. It’s like we’re under some sort of curse of voodoo hex that has us in a state of perpetual nappin’. Maybe when we roll over during our slumber and see just how bad it is out there we get frustrated, turn back over in massive numbers and say the hell with this. Yeah, that's probably what happened.

Conscious Elements
Cipha Publishing © 2k5

Black History Lecture of the Day - Dr Yosef Ben Johcannan "Teach Our Children Our History"

2011-02-09T03:54:00.001-08:00

Mind Spray Of The Day- Who Is Raising The Village

2011-02-09T03:50:00.000-08:00

Most of us know the African Proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" and have seen the effects of that in our own lives and the lives of those close to us. However something has been happening and is happening within our community that is really making that concept obsolete. I mean how can the village raise the children and the village itself is in the worse condition seen in a while. As parents and elders it is our duty to pass on to the children not just a legacy of traditions and culture but to educate them and equipt them with the necessary knowledge that will help them as they grow and become adults so that they too can do the same thing.
However, the dilema these days is the parents are not educating themselves so there is no way its possible to educate the babies. In the last twenty years or so there's been this new kind of energy that promotes selfishness, self centeredness that only feeds a behaviours that do not promote unity and community life. Our children our suffering becasue the village is suffering. If the village is sick then it will only produce sickness and nothing else and like any virus or disease if it can feed on anything it begins to feed on the host; and that's what we do to each other because we are so infested and infected this has become the only way we know how to live.
Even though it is an old and used cliche, the only way to combat ignorance is through not only teaching or adding on with knowledge but to implement that knowledge. Those of us who make up the village must take our rightful positions and leaders, teachers, care takers, educators and nurturers of the inhabitants of the village because if we don't, it's only going to get worse. See it is us who have done a disservice to our children by allowing ourselves to be distracted by things outside of ourselves. Our children are literally dieing as the Book says because of lack of knowledge, but how can we give something we don't posses ourselves. Just a question, tell me what you think. Peace

Black History Song of the Day - Marvin Gaye "What's Goin' On"

2011-02-09T03:40:00.001-08:00

Song Of The Day- Marvin Gaye "What's Going On"

2011-02-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

Black History Month- Carter G Woodson

2011-02-02T04:55:00.000-08:00

Carter Godwin Woodson “Father of Black History,”

Woodson (1875-1950) was the son of former slaves, and understood how important gaining a proper education is when striving to secure and make the most out of one’s divine right of freedom. Although he did not begin his formal education until he was 20 years old, his dedication to study enabled him to earn a high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor and master’s degrees from the University. Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Dr. Woodson’s legacy.
In honor of all the work that Dr. Carter G. Woodson has one to promote the study of African American History, an ornament of Woodson hangs on the White House's Christmas tree each year.

Black History Person Of The Day- Assata Shakur

2011-02-02T04:36:00.000-08:00

Assata Shakur (born Joanne Deborah Byron Chesimard)

On May 2, 1973, Shakur, at the time a member of Black Liberation Army and no longer a member of the Black Panther Party, was stopped on the New Jersey State Turnpike by State Troopers James Harper and Werner Foerster, along with two Black Panthers: Zayd Shakur and Sundiata Acoli, for driving with a broken taillight. According to police records, Assata opened fire on the troopers, and a gunfight ensued, during which Zayd Shakur and Trooper Foerster were killed, Assata Shakur and Trooper Harper injured. Assata is said to have taken the service weapon of the then wounded Trooper Foerster, and shot him twice in the head.

The three then got back into their car and escaped. Eight miles away, Sundiata abandoned the car holding the wounded Assata and the dead Zayd to flee into the woods, and was captured after a manhunt the following day.

Over the next two-and-a-half years Assata Shakur was incarcerated while tried in six different criminal trials. Shakur alleges that she was beaten and tortured during her incarceration in a number of different federal and state prisons. The charges ranged from kidnapping to assault and battery to bank robbery. Shakur was found guilty of the murder of both Foerster and her companion Zayd Shakur, for her involvement at the gun battle, despite physical evidence that she could not have fired a weapon during the incident (Felony murder). In 1979 she escaped a maximum-security prison in Hunterdon County and lived as a fugitive until 1984 when she fled to Cuba where she was granted political asylum.

At this time I'd like to say a few words especially to my sisters: SISTERS. BLACK PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE FREE UNLESS BLACK WOMEN PARTICIPATE

IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR STRUGGLE, ON EVERY LEVEL OF OUR STRUGGLE.I think that Black women, more than anybody on the face of the earth, recognize the urgency of our situation. Because it is We who come face to face daily with the institutions of our oppression. And because it is We who have borne the major responsibility of raising our children. And it is We who have to deal with the welfare systems that do not care about the welfare of our children. And it is We who have to deal with the school systems that do not educate our children. It is We who have to deal with the racist teachers who teach our children to hate themselves. It is We who have seen the terrible effects of racism on our children.
Excerpt from Assata Shakur.org

Malcolm X - Who Taught You To Hate Yourself

2011-02-02T04:35:00.000-08:00

Militant Mind Set Piece Of The Day- Hatriotic

2011-02-02T04:33:00.000-08:00

Hatetriotic

So now everybody wants to be patriotic; I guess because things around here have become a little chaotic. In this country that’s not a new development, elections won, lost even stolen; innocence is a thing of the past as chickens come home to roost with a jet fuel boost as buildings tumble and lives crumble. Cries of why, while politicians feign ignorance so they just continue to bullshit and mumble.

Flags wave from buildings, cars and schools where all of the sudden praying is cool. So now everybody want to be patriotic like everyday is the Fourth of July while you and I still fight to make our own Declaration of Independence. Red, White and Blue aint the colors for you and me; spilled blood, painted faces with fake smiles and knives in hand while the blues is the only thing I’m left to sing.

Nuclear armaments stockpiling, police steady racially profiling. I’m still waiting for freedom to ring, visions of Amadou Diallo and Rodney King, can’t we all just get along? Hell no, too busy policing the world as you neglect your own borders. Days and nights of anguish for our grandchildren, sons and daughters.

Foreign governments overthrown so I guess to the victor goes the spoils. Pipelines built on foreign soil so they can control not some, but all of the oil. While the one eyed monster spews it’s hypnotic rhetoric, proud to be an American? Don’t you get it yet?

In this land of the so-called free, being equal is a long stretch of the imagination for me especially with blue lights always flashing in my vicinity. Besides, the only reason you even stopped me was because I was driving alone, DWB. Physical detainment, night court and arraignments; army says be all you can be so you get tricked into a 7 year hitch. Static in my reception, is the Matrix broken , is there a glitch?

Promises broken, responsibilities for actions are words seldom spoken. At times this country is a beautiful place to live or maybe I need to change the tint on my ghetto colored glasses. Change is slow as molasses as they continue to push our lips to their asses. This might not mean much to you but to me it’s symbolic. The more things change, the more they stay the same, that’s why I don’t give a damn about being patriotic.

Conscious Element
Cipha Publishing © 2k3

Black History Hip Hop Joint of The Day Common- Song For Assata

2011-02-02T04:31:00.001-08:00

Mind Spray Of The Day "Conformity verses Individuality"

2011-02-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

This is a topic that I have been putting on the self because I wasn't sure if I had the right words to convey what needs to be conveyed, however I see no better time then the present to express my viewpoint on this subject matter. First off let's take the two words separately and define just what they mean. Conformity, according to Wikipedia " is the process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are conditioned by what is conceived to be what other people might perceive." So now let's look at individuality. Individuality,is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires.

From the definitions alone we see the vast difference between the two words. Where it takes movement and action to be and individual, to conform only takes riding on the coattails of another's thoughts, beliefs and ideals. So why discuss this? Easy, we find ourselves in a time which no longer celebrates the individualistic spirit, that so many of our predecessors embodied before us. At one time it seemed like every community in the inner city had one goal for the young men and women in their area and that was for them to be leaders. However, that is no longer the case because the power machine tends to try to make us believe that it would be more beneficial for the greater good if we not only we became one, but if we all thought along the same lines, believed along the same line, all the while telling us that we have the right to be individuals and live our own lives.

That vein is thinking is a living and breathing oxymoron because how can you inundate people with the we are one talk, but say oh yeah, if you want to be yourself it's cool, but when you get with us you don't have to worry about that. We'll take care of it, you just be yourself. That's crazy. The reason we don't have the amount of leaders like in the past is the very subtle extinguishment of the individuality. It's easier to get a people to conform and go along with your program if you have them, fearful, confused, existing in a perpetual state of apathy and hopelessness. Steve Biko put it best "The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppress.

When we think of oppression many things come to mind for many people, for some only one thing comes to mind, living beneath your means and your right. See and oppressed mind is one that has succumbed to conformity because now they allow someone to not only think and make decisions for them but if they could they would let them breathe for them. One who possess the spirit of individuality knows within themselves that to allow someone to do for them what they can do for themselves is demeaning. Those who operate from this spirit look to take on responsibility and look to champion causes for themselves as well those who may not have the strength or the gumption to do for self. Malcolm, Huey, Assata, Martin, Marcus, (the list could go on forever) overstood that if they couldn't live and breathe as individuals with the divine right to think and do for themselves then life would be a very hollow existence. Some might even liken the individual to the revolutionary spirit. I don't know, you tell me how you feel about it.

However there is one thing that I am certain, the bell is ringing loudly for the end of individuality because the more they tell you to be yourself, the come and strip what little rights we have left, at the same time saying "It's for national security" Are they protecting us from an enemy that doesn't exist? Or are they the spook that sits behind the door ready to pounce when the time is right? I'll end this post with a quote from our esteemed elder and ancestor Dr. John Henrik Clarke and you tell me what you think.

"Powerful people never educate powerless people in what they need that they can use to take the power away from powerful people; it's too much to expect. If I was in power, I would not educate people in how to take my powers away."

Dr. John Henrik Clarke

Spoken Word Joint of The Day- Malik Yusef "I Spit"

2011-02-02T04:26:00.000-08:00

When Perception Becomes Reality

2011-01-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

The line between perception and reality is thin and at times very blurry for many reasons. One of the main reasons is our propensity as a people to not only shy away from the truth, but run from it especially when it conflicts with the things that we have become comfortable with that assuage not only our conscious but our temperment when it comes to living life on life's terms.

For example, the perception of the black community for some who have never lived in one, or near one is MTV, FOX News driven so whatever these "media outlets" spew upon the screen is not perceived as truth but reality. Now, is there some truth to what is seen? Yes, there are statistics, news reports and documentaries that will substantiate alot of these findings. However is it the total reality? No it is not.

How can something like the black community constantly and consistently be portrayed in such a negative light and be considered the total reality. If you understand the law of reciprocity you understand that positive must be in the equation somewhere to provide the proper balance necessary to maintain order.

Perception becomes reality when those individuals, myself included do not take the time to sift through the muck and mire of statistics, exposes and slanted media reports to come to understanding that this maybe one person view of what is seen, but it doesn't mean that it is accurate.

In my experience, perception can't be all that we go by to understand and my observations about things. Why? because our perceptions are linked to our feelings and belief system and if those change so will our perceptions. It is best to know that something is accurate then to perceive it. You may not agree with this posting but give it some thought and let me know what you think about it. Looking forward to your comments.

Poetic Flow- Free Flow

2011-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

Free Flow

As the neurotransmitters in my mind snap to attention words explode in an array of shapes, moods and colors that paint a picture; better yet give an accurate depiction of what I’m thinking. Like CPR I bring ides to life that rise like yeast from the inner most corners of my being and no matter how abstract the concept, deliberate and slow is the way I flow.

My thoughts are unencumbered and refuse to be numbered. They remain boundless and unrestricted like water and even though there were times I fell victim to the lies that come out scrambled as world leader’s bullshit and ramble useless rhetoric designed to infect my mind and make me sick.

Like a dam trying to hold back water, I spit darts for the sole purpose of forming ideas too complex for the mundane and brainless as my words slice through your consciousness like a knife made from steel that’s stainless. It’s hard to surmise even though it shouldn’t come as a surprise how you can see the truth, but don’t recognize the lies have you lobotomized.

I verbally born gifts, give minds much needed lifts. Don’t know what math they used to come up with 3/5’s cause from the bottom of my feet to the depths of my soul I’ve always been a man complete and whole. The foundation of my existence is love, peace and equality even though they crafted Declaration that mentions we I’ve always known they weren’t talkin’ about me.

People often ask me why I do what I do and I simply remind them many are called but the chosen are few. You ask can I describe this flow in one word but that would be astronomically absurd to try to define and confine this offering and place it in a box. However if I had to choose one word to describe this, to describe me that I without a shadow of a doubt that word would have to be free.

Conscious Elements

Cipha Publishing © 2k5

Mind Spray- Scholastic Indoctrination: In Search of Self

2011-01-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

Over the years there have been many conversations and discussions on or about our-stort, his-story and knowledge of self. Clinically speaking the definiton of self is the union of elements(emotion, thoughts and sensations) that contribute to the individuality and identity of a person. So if we have a basic understanding of this entity called self when we learn about self we should be able to indentify with the information that is being dispensed. However, that is not the case in the schools systems in this country. How do you a expect a black child or a Hispanic child from the inner city to be able to identify with history when it's taught we are not contributors or really have nothing to do with it unless it is of a negative connotation.

Many cultures exist and thrive today because of three basic things: They learned the culture from their elders, they preserve the knowledge and then they taught it to the children. We know that as a people we were uprooted and taken away from our languages, customs and rituals and made to adapt to a way of life that to this day is foreign to us. This type of indoctrination was coined by Dr. Carter G. Woodson as "miseducation." We are taught the philosophies of Plato, Socrates and others, but not taught they themselves were educated in places like Timbuktu and Egypt because they were the learning centers of the world. Even in current society our children are not taught that just about every so-called modern convenience that is used today, from the refrigerator, filament in the light bulb, the traffic light, the broom, comb and brush, was invented by a person of color. Now don't get me wrong learning about other cultures makes for a more well rounded individual, but at the expense of not learning your own will make you an unbalanced individual.

The Eurocentric way of living is designed to further separate you from not only your "history" but your greatness. Think about it; if we new growing up that people of African descent was responsible for some many things imagine the self esteem that would provide a child knowing that he comes from that. Instead we are taught to assimilate and adapt something that is the total opposite of us and we wonder why so many of us are confused. It is our duty to first educate ourselves, then our children because to educate is to empower for when one is empowered is ability to decipher the truth from falsehood it enables them to see how this information directly or indirectly relates to them. Truth seeks out truth and it is in the core (heart) of the human being where it is recognized. So remember that Positive Education Always Corrects Error and it is in that spirit that I end this missive. Peace.

Education and Why Isn't The Truth Known?

2011-01-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

When the subject of the history of education comes up some people look at the so-called called Greek schools of Philosophy and science as the jump off point for what we have learned to where knowledge started. However there a great of people who will admit that Egypt was not only the cradle civilization but the place where these same Greek scholars came to learn and study. But often there is one city that is left out of the equation. That city is Timbuktu, where the University of Sankore, which at its height had 25,000 scholars. An army of scribes, gifted in calligraphy, earned their living copying the manuscripts brought by travelers. Prominent families added those copies to their own libraries. As a result, Timbuktu became a repository of an extensive and eclectic collection of manuscripts. “Astronomy, botany, pharmacology, geometry, geography, chemistry, biology,” said Ali Imam Ben Essayouti, the descendant of a family of imams that keeps a vast library in one of the city’s mosques. “There is Islamic law, family law, women’s rights, human rights, laws regarding livestock, children’s rights. All subjects under the sun, they are represented here.”

Before the European Renaissance, Timbuktu flourished as the greatest academic and commercial center in Africa. Great empires such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai were proofs of the talents, creativity and ingenuity of the people. The University of Timbuktu produced both Black African scholars and leaders of the highest rank, character and nobility.

By the 12th century, Timbuktu became a celebrated center of Islamic learning and a commercial establishment. Timbuktu had three universities and 180 Qur’anic schools. These universities were the Sankore University, Jingaray Ber University and Sidi Yahya University. This was the golden age of Africa. Books were not only written in Timbuktu, but they were also imported and copied there, in an advanced local book copying industry in the city. The universities and private libraries contained unparalleled scholarly works. The University of Sankore curriculum was divided into four phases that (primary degree, secondary degree, superior degree, circle of knowledge) and the courses were taught at the the three masajid or mosques in the city. (Sankore, Jingaray, Sidi Yahya).

However, it was the manuscripts the amassing and producing of sacred manuscripts within the libraries that brought the university it greatest notice. There are an estimated 70,000 manuscripts that exist within the libraries of Timbuktu and neigboring cities. That in itself is a great accomplishment but as time passed on the city fell under the colonialization of France and even today so many of these manuscripts are found in French museums and private collections.

We are all taught that Africa is "a dark continent" but I propose a question. If it was and is so dark, why did so much light (knowledge) emanate from this dark crater of dirt, mountains and caves? How is it that so much of the information we rely on today in some many different genres of learning have their origins within this "dark" contnent? Sad part in all of this not only do we not know, but when the information is spoken about we seem to think that it serves no purpose in this day and age, but I disagree. If we choose not to know, then blatant miseducation will just continue. There have been many great discoveries, many great institutes of learning that have been created and are flourishing, however to not give this place, this university, this culture, these people, it's rightful place within the annals of history was then and still is a crime.

Conscious Poetics- Even Stranger Fruit

2011-01-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Even Stranger Fruit

I never liked what they tried to feed me; whether it was food used to dilute and pollute making us think if we relax our hair and dress real cute or put on a $1000 Brooks Brothers suit. Telling me lies about the color of the Creators eyes, quoting scriptures and verses that supposedly support generational curses.

Trying to feed us fruit that further disconnects us from the root, the foudation of our past as we succumb real fast to their devious plot. Separating us from the true essence of ourselves as we dwell in this imperial hell while the majority of us don't knw or have forgotten that when we got here we didn't go to church; we bowed our heads 5 ttimes a day to offer salat.

I look back and I can still hear the sound of the whip crack and see the remnants of scars left on many souls and backs. See I know I'm not the only one who has a problem with the way things are being done. It leaves a vile and bitter taste in my mouth, a pain and cancerous hate in my heart but that's not the end of it, just the start.

The snakes have become master chefs trying to season, simmer and saute ideas that produce nothing but submission and fears; trying to tell me it's good for me all the time knowing it's poisoning my system and trying to change my thinking that will end up leaving me dead and stinking.

So be careful because the taste is so seductive and if taken repeatedly it can be quite destructive. Lulling you into a false sense of security with its smooth texture and semblance of purity as if it was picked from the Garden of Paradise. However, lately I've been trying to think twice to come up with a solution that's absolute and no matter what you say and how much you try to make me eat know for a fact something is definitely strange about this fruit.

Conscious Elements
Cipha Publishing 2k4 ©

Mind Spray Of The Day- Brotherhood

2011-01-06T06:13:00.000-08:00

Brotherhood, what is brotherhood. Depending who you ask the answer may vary from person to person. The concept of brotherhood as it was in the 60's and in this millenium has shifted greatly. It was nothing to call another blackman you had never seen before to call him brotha or shake his and engage him in conversation. Today, when we see each other the only thing that comes to mind in most cases is trying not to get hurt or hurting that man. So what happene? How did the concept of brotherhood just shift so drastically from embracing your brother to hating him?

It's easy to talk about the outside forces, the psychosocial, socioeconomic disparities and all of the things that affect us a men. However, the bottomline is even with all those things going on we have consciously choosen to not only participate in the erosion of our brotherhood, but we made an even bigger mistake. We allowed someone outside of us to tell us that we weren't anything, that we are most dangerous to and for each other and that we are our own worst enemies. Once we started believing this, it open the door to everything else that has befalled us.

So how do we get back to how things use to be? First know and understand that we as men are responsible for ourselves and the well being of each other. There is no way a village will ever stand if the men in the village are not unified. I'm not saying that we won't have different methods, ideals, thought patterns or schools of thought. No, what I am saying is that despite those differences we still need to band together for the survival and upliftment of our community. It makes no sense to me to rehash what is wrong because we already know what alils us. We need to fix it, we need to take back to when we showed each other love, instead of animosity. Cared about each other and their families, not covet what you have and take it by any means necessary. We need to remember that no matter what I am Still My Brother's Keeper.

MindSpray of the Day- My, How Things Have Changed

2011-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

I can remember growing up in the empowerment era, where it was common to see brothas and sistas on the corner dropping science on the tricks of the government, trying to get people to know and understand their own self worth. Where you would see the brothas from the NOI posted up on the corner selling Muhammad Speaks, bean pies and patroling the block. Where it was common to see brothas in a cipha discussing today's mathematics and building positively.

Today, some of those things still persist and if you live somewhere where it is happening like that then you are fortunate to witness it and perhaps be a part of it. However, it has become more of the norm, more of a way of life to not be conscious of your surroundings, to be unaware or even non caring about your brotha and sista who may live next to you with kids who may be struggling. The negative energy that has become so pervasive in the last 10-15 years has become the way people have chosen to see things and live their lives.

Where it was cool to be "conscious" and have discussions world and local issues. Where aligning yourself with organizations that were designed to effect change was the only and true way to give back to your community. Now I'm not saying these things don't still go on today because they do and I myself belong to two different grassroots organizations that work diligently amongst the HIV community. What I am saying is more and more people find it easier to be naysayers and critics of those who do these things as oppose to joining in and helping.

As a member of the social media community, like many of you are there are a lot of brothas and sistas who exist within this community that are very aware, very community conscious, very knowledgeable about a myriad of subjects with a vast amount of experience in a lot of different areas. In most cases you would think a person would want to be surrounded by individuals of this magnitude, but that negative pervasive exists even stronger within Twitter, Facebook, etc... I witness daily the side ways attacks of someone just sharing their strength, experience and hope in regards to life and then get smashed for it be someone who within themselves as told themselves that they are lest then because they may not know something.

On the flip side, I've seen some of these same people try and beat and abuse people for not knowing something that others don't know. For being in a place mentally, spiritually and emotionally that they're not, for having the information, experiences that they don't have. Conscious snobbery is and has always been a fact within our community, it's just so much more noticeable within social media these days. What we have to remember is that we were once in the state of unawareness and someone had to come and impart knowledge so that we could become more aware of life and how it relates to us. Remember, this knowledge is to be shared and if it isn't accept or if it's rejected we still have a duty to share it and keep it moving.

Guest Post by @zqclay "Chairman Fred and Jay-Z: Bridging the Chasm"

2010-12-05T20:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an important day in the time continuum of the American Black. The laity of said group will be shouting from the top of the lungs and fingertips, “Happy Birthday Hov” and maybe a little “Rest in Peace” love to Chad Butler (better known as Pimp C of UGK). The more esoteric of said group will be remembering the ill-investigated, instigated and invigorated Fred Hampton.

Hampton was sniped by the F.B.I. and CIA and Chicago Police Department at the age of 21 on December 4, 1969. Jay-Z was born on December 4, 1969. As one went out, one came in.

While there’s a throng that will assert that the two figures couldn't be any different (and they certainly have their differences), there is an astute connection between the two icons in Black History.

For those not familiar with the story of Hampton, please check this and watch this video:

His expiration was nothing short of treacherous, telling and tragic. It represented the worst of the human power pursuit. Hampton decided at an early age to not only share a corner of the human experiment with people who shared lineages and plights with him, but to fight tireless to improve it. For his efforts, he was spied on and ultimately done in by a group of government bureaucrats known to the collective as COINTELPRO, which was incorporated to protect the internal security interests of the United States. To the government, a group espousing Black independence from a system that wanted their dependence is and was a threat.

The nexus between Shawn Carter and Hampton isn’t as stark as much as it is dubious. Jay-Z made a living - and a nice one, too - adroitly projecting the image of a corrupt (or chosen) hustler who parlayed his street smarts to copious currency while admitting to dumbing “down for my audience and doubled my dollars.”

His record on playing the proletariat role – which Hampton did in spades – is scant. He is a business magnate now. This is not to say that S Dot doesn’t donate his money and time to philanthropic endeavors; in fact, his charity has been well-noted. From his quest to end the world’s water shortage to setting up a fund for Sean Bell’s children he plays the role of the willing giver well.

He is one of the most successful stories of the American empire, while Hampton is relegated to the fringes by not only mainstream media, but by melanated souls who should know better. Hampton, along with Mark Clark, 22, and six other Black Panther members were ambushed and shot. Only Hampton and Clark made it out dead.

Hampton couldn’t even glimpse sunlight before he was shot.

While Jay-Z claims to represent the “seat where Rosa Parks sat, Where Malcolm X was shot, where Martin Luther was popped,” his image and actions represent the best of what Hampton fought against: unbridled capitalism. This isn’t a jab against the Brooklyn native; this is, rather, a bridge to the two legacies. Hip-hop was inspired by the militancy of the Black Panther Movement and was in its nascent stages when Hampton was murdered.

Jay-Z picked up that baton and ran with it. He is the emblem of a multibillion-dollar worldwide industry that is now ran by corporate heads that would rather disseminate apolitical and consumerist chants than self-empowerment and cosmopolitan awareness. This isn’t Jay’s fault, nor is he completely absolved of his part in this machination.

From a movement rooted in the spirit of the Black Panther movement, hip-hop has evolved –or devolved, depending on who you ask – into a movement brimming with escapism run amok. This isn’t a subjective claim; it’s apparent from a cursory viewing of “The Station That Shall Not Be Named that building Isises and Horuses – or even models of Jesus – isn’t in the forefront of the hip-hop agenda.

It’s only business, right?

While Jay-Z touts his accomplishments and getting his "by any means on,” he is, in many facets, a man who is a victim of circumstance. His catalog shows signs of uplift and urban storytelling that inspires (Dope Man and Meet The Parents, for example). You get a sense that he wants to pander more to a socialist ideal, but can’t figure out how to do that and keep fat coffers.Which results in the following: He isn’t providing resistance of the current hip-hop machine as much as he is riding the currents of it.

Hampton resisted the machine. And was merked by the three letter assassins for his efforts. Efforts that were held with me, you and even Shawn Carter in mind. Coming from a person who shares a birthday with Emmett Till, I don’t let “coincidences” pass without realizing that, um, nothing is a coincidence. They were created by the same social forces.

Jay-Z and Fred Hampton are more connected than most would care to realize. The socialist and capitalist agenda hold permanent places in the struggle for Black rights in this country, with these two figures holding the torch for both ends.

Doing Sakhu Through Sankofa To Remind Our Souls by @IyaAdjua

2010-11-24T06:25:00.000-08:00

Doing Sakhu Through Sankofa To Remind Our Souls
To do Sakhu is to illuminate the spirit (Wade Nobles, 2006) of our Afrikan ancestors. Sankofa means to return to the source of our origins (Marimba Ani, 1980). We need Sankofa to remind our souls of the efforts of our ancestors and elders who are responsible for our very existence today. Definitely we need to be asanteful (thankful) for the powerful life achievements and accomplishments of a multitude of our ancestors
like Anna Julia Cooper, Septima Clark and Nannie Helen Burroughs who cared enough to sacrifice their daily lives to educate black women in our communities.

We need to also know of the lives and say the names of Asa Hilliard, Ivan Van Sertima and Jacob Carruthers who valiantly cried forward for our need to reclaim the minds of our Afrikan youth, notifying us that we have been and remain at war in this regard. As I could do an extensive document in the above regard, the idea of this essay is for Afrikan people, to do Sakhu via Sankofa in order to remind our souls daily of why we are here on this planet, of why we were chosen to mortify into this realm we call life.

To achieve the aforementioned, we must know of our ancestors and their life efforts, we must do Sakhu, illuminate their spirits via Sankofa, return to the source of our origins so we can optimally remind our souls of the efforts and life experiences of Afrikan people. We need remembrance so that we don’t allow their lives to go unnoticed, in vain, and becoming obsolete, or “something that happened long ago” which is something often said when it comes to Ourstory. The only way we can overstand who we are, where we are and why we are here on this planet is to do Sakhu, Sankofa and remind our souls.

Surely we are sent here in the physical from the metaphysical realm to continue the life cycles of our ancestors and elders who created us, it is they who are our Creators, our Gods. Therefore we must connect to those who have gone before, those who have tried and succeeded in making a difference in the lives of Afrikan people. When we learn of and acknowledge the life efforts of our Hatshepsuts, Aramintas, Kentakes and Nzinghas, we must commit to continuing their Sakhu (Nobles, 2006) via Sankofa (Ani, 1994).

The only way to do Sakhu, illuminate the spirit of our Afrikan ancestors is to Sankofa via learning of then practicing Afrikan Value Systems (AVS). AVS such as the Afrikan Worldview, the Neteru, the DWAT – Deep Well of Afrikan Thought, and Kwanzaa permits a constant reinforcement of the power and beauty of being Afrikan. The Afrikan Worldview is a system of guidelines for living based on the life experiences
and practices of our Afrikan ancestors (Carruthers, 1994). The Neteru (Maulana Karenga, 2006) is a comparative of the ‘Complementary Pair’ also know as Maat and Djhuti. The DWAT (Asa Hilliard, 1998) is a circular script of Afrikan terms relative to Afrikan life experiences and Kwanzaa (Karenga, 1966) is a system of values based on the Nguzo Saba (seven principles) that Afrikan people can and should practice on a daily basis.

These AVS permit and reinforce the life goals of Afrikan people to attain a daily reminder to our souls to continue the life work of our ancestors thereby achieving our humanity. We succeed in doing the life work in which our ancestors sent us here to complete in this realm of our existence. In completing this most deserved task called life, we must do Sakhu and Sankofa, we must remind our souls by doing Sakhu, by calling the names of our ancestors, learning of the lives of our ancestors, following the traditions of our ancestors and continuing the work of our ancestors. This too is how we claim our Afrikan agency (Asante, 2001) via giving voice to the life experiences of Afrikan people knowing that such a claim cannot be fulfilled without knowledge of the life experiences of Afrikan people.

The knowledge and practice of Afrikan Value Systems (AVS) allow us to remain connected to our ancestors continuously illuminating their spirits and maintaining Afrikan agency. Through the practice of AVS that we learn of and then model the powerful life efforts and achievements of our Afrikan ancestors and elders. We do Sakhu to Sankofa and remind our souls of the imperative need to become a part of the cycle of the lives of Afrikan people. We remind our souls via Sankofa but first we absolutely must do Sakhu.

Doing anything else is living in limbo as a disconnected Afrikan person who is not apart of their ancestor given collective. You exist as a person who is living in the life experiences of people who are not culturally connected to the life experiences of your Afrikan ancestors. You become yurugu – an incomplete being (Ani, 1994).

Iya Adjua Zauditu Mandikizela Hetheru Zenzile, PhD
Independent Scholar and Edupreneur

New Guest Blog Post: "The Devil You Kno" by @SaintAndres

2010-11-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Devil You Kno...In regards to the Symbol of the Baphomet the initial matter of importance which must be addressed iz that of fear... In many ways this iz the true "devil" which must be rooted out & rebuked... As opposed to some "outside" Mystery/Mystical Entity of "evil"... to accomplish the task of "castin out" this "devil" of fear... it must first be examined... HONESTLY... by You... So Ask YourSELF... "wha iz it that I'm affraid of" "wha iz this fear based on" "wher does it get its origin" We seldom tak the time to ask thes questions of OurSelves... And perhaps that's due to the nature of the answers that may be found withIN...

However theses ANSWERS are the foundation in many respects to the destroyin/rebuildin of Who You are... These are questions that only You can answer for YourSELF... No One else can give them to You... They are a part of Your Journey & Your Unique Path... The Path to discoverin Who You Truly ARE... SELF Examination iz the spring board upon which One dives into the Glorious Ocean of SELF LOVE & WHOLENESS... One must be careful not to take refuge in any delusion... - James A. Baldwin “True Happiness should not rest on praise or abuse... both are verbal delusions and your true "self" is beyond qualities & change.. - @rockhill_EReveal YourSELF to YourSELF... - @skinnyjeaniusRebellion is the fire, passing through which one gains freedom, individuality, integrity. Only after that can one relax and be Oneself. - OSHO

Guest Blog by @Pasch X "Never Know Who's Watching

2010-11-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

Bare with me, Por Favor, I am still trying to find my voice as a writer. I wasn't motivated to do this by any particular angst or cause; no one, or multiple injustices (there are so many to chose from) spurred me on, so this may not be as focused, concise, or precise as others who have contributed to this forum. Please believe, there are many things that raise my personal banner of protest and indignation. I sometimes find awareness to be a burden, particularly when you can see Imperialism in all of it's various forms, & the many places it may manifest.
But my motivation for this contribution was because someone whom I've never actually "met", but I consider a friend, simply asked. An individual who, despite the high probability that I am older than him (I say this because in our common cipher, I tend to be older than most people I interact with, by on average 10 years), I consider him a Sempai to my Kohai, particualrly when it comes to this craft of writing. My friend is acomplished, & very noteworthy by our peers, & the idea he would approach me to contribute to his forum, is simultaneously humbling & empowering.
Even as I'm writing this, I fight to maintain some sort of focus & direction. Whenever I sit to infuse my energy into the written word, I try to impart something of value. I find it's not necessary to always get deep; a light hearted affair can heal a soul. But for me,"value" is the key word, or the words turn into a collection of a beautiful nothing; aesthetically pleasing, but containing no intrinsic value. So far this piece may qualify as such, but as I said before, I'm still trying to find my voice.
As I write this, I'm starting to get the sense that this was meant as a lesson for me to learn, as oppossed to me dropping anything heavy on the people. That seems to be the mantra of most bloggers (the aformentioned "heavy drop"). Even the so called "enlightened" (me) feel peer pressure, I suppose.

Reading the post of other "friends" who have made their contributions gives me a little pause. This piece isn't well researched & fact checked & is basically off the cuff. I don't even know if I'll submit it. But I've been telling myself to be more bold in life; nothing is ever gained by inaction. Intellectually I know this, but emotionally...well, let's say that old paradigms tend to die hard. If you are reading this, then I will have won my battle with doubt & indecision.
Maybe the overall lesson to be learned here is what the power of connection can do to uplift. I read about the guest blogs on Twitter & remember thinking what an honor; to be thought of as your words & thoughts having enough value to someone, they would want you to contribute something to their world. Never once did I think that I would qualify. And yet, here I am. It's funny what happens when you think no one is paying attention. Consider me uplifted.
My only wish is to have added something of value to whoever reads this. I promise, If I'm ever asked to contribute again, I'll make my post a bit more subjective in it's focus. Thank you, Aqiyl !! It was an honor to be considered for this. Hotep to all!

Guest Post "Double Consciousness" by @Earth_Be

2010-11-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

On “The Double Consciousness”—A Call to Black Educators

As an educator in the Chicago Public Schools system (five years as an English teacher, four years as an assistant principal, and currently a principal in the same system) I have observed that many of the programs, interventions, and “solutions” to the huge achievement gaps between students of color and their white peers is a direct reflection of WEB Dubois’s theory of “double consciousness.” In his work, “Souls of Black Folks,” Dubois speaks of the “twoness” of being an American, and a Negro; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” As a result, many interventions begin with teaching students the value of obtaining an American education. Programs stress the value of being a good, educated “Negro,” or “American.” To no one’s surprise, this model and approach to education has failed. Only thirty percent of students in the Chicago Public Schools system read, write, and perform basic math at grade level, and the drop-out rate is over fifty percent. With outcomes such as these, I began to ask myself, “What is the professional challenge that we as Black educators have, knowing that most of our children will attend traditional public schools?” I propose that our job is not to focus on the “double consciousness.” Instead, our professional challenge is to teach students of color about themselves in a system that attempts to erase them.

The first lesson that we must teach our students is that civilization began with the brilliance and intellect of people who looked just like them. With their wide noses, full lips, and dark skin, Africans were the first to discover principles of mathematics, science, and philosophy. Pyramids, for instance, did not build themselves. They were built by brilliant mathematicians who intuitively knew the value of slopes and other algebraic equations. Teaching students that they are the foundation of civilization will increase their confidence in their ability to acquire new information. And because there is a direct correlation between student achievement and self-confidence, teaching them about their history will increase their performance.

Yet another concept that we must teach our babies is that of the “collective conscious.” This theory suggests that there is a single, original consciousness that exists among people of color. This collective “mind,” “intelligence,” or body of knowledge is not one that is limited by time or space. Instead, it is one that they can access by tapping into the recesses of their spirit, or energy. When students begin to see themselves as connected to and one with Africa and the ancestors, they will understand that intelligence, creativity, and ingenuity are hardwired into their DNA. Having the ability to access it at will, students will perform at optimal levels.

There is one lesson that is often lost in translation. That is, while we teach students to master the essential aspects of American culture-- its language, its laws, and its political and financial systems-- it is no way to superior to what is original. This, indeed, must become the third lesson that we teach. Understanding the vital elements of any culture gives one access to that culture and its currency. However, as educators, we must be careful to reject the underlying message that is often communicated—that a “formally educated Black person” is in some way superior to one who is not. This lesson will allow students to properly contextualize the value of a formal education, and as result, increase their ability to use it as a tool by which they navigate through a specific culture—the American one.

In short, the responsibility of every Black, so called “educator” is not to teach students how to grapple with a “double consciousness.” On the contrary, it is to reach students, to remind them of who they are, to teach them how to access their original consciousness, and to teach them to navigate through a foreign culture without losing knowledge of self.

Guest Blog "How Many Fingerprints Are On Your Windowpane" by @NubianSymphony

2010-11-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

How Many Fingerprints Are On Your Windowpane

Think for a minute to your younger years. How many people have you allowed into your cipher that simply should’nt have been? How many, after tasting your essence, left you void of any sustaining joy? If your yoni or manhood was a windowpane, how many filthy fingerprints have you allowed to smear it? We live in an age where promiscuity is being promulgated abhorrently creating difficulty in identifying destructive behavior. Taking the time to self evaluate can help to root out many demons that spring from unhealthy interactions. Of course, we can’t limit the harm done to just our interaction with the opposite sex (or the same sex for some) but it is a great place to start. The amount of filth you allow on your windowpane dictates your self-worth, your health, and your relationships.

Lady Z announced that she is in love after a year of being single. The man that stole her heart is a fiery flame. Yes, he is uranian. She knew this and accepted him regardless. You see he’s also a devote Pentecostal who believes being gay is an “abomination.” He finds himself living a straight life on a crooked road. Two months later, she announced that she just can’t do it anymore. Entering into a relationship with someone whose orientation is contrary to yours seems farcical; at least to me. He was the first man to treat her nicely and that was her simple yet complex reason. How many of us give our essence away without even the expectation of courtship. After speaking to a great many I was left dumbfounded by the actual number. The continual exchange with unexceptionals robs us of that self-worth. It leaves us void and forgetting what true mutual exchange looks like.

I can recall the exact date I met Lady M. I landed a wonderful job in Midtown, Manhattan. Lady M was my client. Lady M was beautiful and never met a man she could’t have. The day she received her HIV diagnosis was difficult to digest for me. I thought the news would make her upset, outraged, remorseful of her part, downtrodden even. She was none of the sort. Instead, Lady M looked at me and vowed that she would infect as many people as she possibly could. Her nonchalant attitude towards it all gave me chills--and does to this day. What a way to learn that lovin’ for the moment can change you for a lifetime.

Please don’t mistake my meaning. By no means am I advocating that adults should abstain from sex. I don’t believe in suppression. I’ll need another blog to talk about the problem with sexual suppression (from the priest/pastors to the church girls). What I am saying is that as adults we really need to take time to evaluate our interactions with our interests. Take a moment to come to a wise decision about what you are doing. Make sure you will be comfortable in the morning. Remember the next person to enter your life shouldn’t have to get low self-worth, poor health, and failed relationships hurled at them.

Obliterate vile fingerprints from your windowpane. Replace them with self-love and confidence and experience your inner splendor as you shine luminously.

It Saved us by @IamRah

2010-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

IT SAVED US

By Rasheedah Carty

We piously chanted to please our gods and goddesses. We drummed elaborate messages that connected and continued village after village. We hummed from the bowels of death vessels when no words could express our anguish and anger. We sang dangerously coded songs while we sweat in hell fields and swamps. We belt gospels and moaned blues til we were “free.” Our words weaved beautiful, spiritual, painful, political meaning that we set to music so our dreams could flow. Music was our heartbeat. It saved us.

We strummed, blew, beat, our jazzy desire demanding the world to recognize our presence. Our Brothers and Sisters spoke words above percussion to convey the thoughts of our revolution. We crooned, belted, and harmonized love promises to slow and swift melodies and beats created from ugly despair and beautiful love. From our bottomless creativity, we began rapping circumstances to thumping bass and scratching vinyl.

We are the original--the most spiritual and powerful of all. We’ve mastered and seemingly dominated all music. So why aren’t we in control of our music? Why are we producing songs titled, “I’ll Beat That Bitch With A Bat,” “I Get Money,” and “Don’t Cum In Me?” (Shocking and disgusting, huh?) Where were we when the media brainwashed our youth and diminished our lives into violence, money, and sex. Somehow, we dropped the ball and didn’t teach them of our power. Subsequently, our wonderful art has been ravaged by opportunists who know and care nothing of it. Our demise is now being recorded in our music.
How can we use music to help save us again? How will we become independent and regain our power? We begin by teaching our people our rich culture and history; feeding them positive images and powerful knowledge; emphasizing the importance of unity and ownership. When we truly know and respect ourselves, we can use our power collectively. Working for people who don’t overstand or respect our art will not be tolerated. Selling our souls for money shall no longer be an option. We must create our own labels so our music can be expressed genuinely and positively. The soulless garbage fed to us while pockets are being fattened with our blood is unacceptable. Stop giving away our power and letting our music be exploited. Give independent labels and artists your support. Positive, independent music artists with good music do exist. Dynamic Certified represents on the West Coast (dynamiccertified.blogspot.com/). Viva Fidel represents in the Central Region (www.facebook.com/vivafidel). Khadafi Dub represents on the East Coast (www.facebook.com/khadafi.dubstep). All distinctively different sounds, yet undeniably connected through skill, creativity, and consciousness.

An African proverb says, “When the music changes, so does the dance.” Well right now, we need to change our dance to reclaim our music.

Guest Blog: 2010 The Year of Real Change by @SimplyMilele

2010-11-21T06:59:00.000-08:00

2010 The Year of Real Change

Having had several things in my life come full circle these past few months led me to a state of resolve and understanding. Entering my First year of completing my book, third year of coming forth, fifth year of marriage, eighth year as a mother, 12th year as an initiated woman, 17th year as a mentor and 33rd year on this planet I have nearly 80 years of experience under my belt.
My realization for this half year (Ancient Kemet celebrates the new year in July after the Sirius star returns and marks the calendar as 6251 After founding of Kemet AFK) is that we all deserve better than what we have, what is offered and what is considered acceptable.
We have to let ourselves and other evolve past what is comfortable and familiar. Often we are limited by our own limitations. We must let go of the "always has been, that's just how it is, that's all I know, people can't change, can't teach an old dog new tricks, something’s never change" mentality.

The truth is EVERY thing/one MUST evolve, adapt, grow, develop or die. We all have the capacity to change at a moments notice if we choice and decide. No one of us has the right to limit, stunt, control, ignore, belittle or prohibit the progress of another whether by thought or action as long as it is no encroaching upon our rights to the same.

We must all move beyond ourselves into a higher more divine state of living where we are more in tune with ourselves and others and operate from a state of grace, love, light, understanding and working for the greater good for ALL people.
Now is the time to let go... Be and do those things that you feel deeply that bring YOU joy and closeness to The Creator. I know I will be, which means I will be letting go, improving, working hard, forgiving, making amends, strengthening my relationships, aligning myself and encouraging all those around me to do the same.

Demand more of/for yourself and those you care for.
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:
DON’T
Settle for less

Accept/seek less

Do the minimal possible

Allow others limited standards to define you

Do things that bring chaos and negativity

Deny your connections to the creator

DO
Be sensitive to your needs and the needs of others

Work hard for those things you believe in

Align yourself with The Creator’s plan

Demand more and better relationships and conditions for yourself and others

Enjoy life

Celebrate yourself and culture

Keep going no matter what life throws at you

Consistently improve the state of existence for all things
A lioness does not need to roar to keep the crowd in awe!

Guest Post: "The Babies" by @Be_Pure

2010-11-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

We are living in the most critical of times, times where the illusion of the “safety net of the black and Latino middle class” has proven itself to be even unsafe for the members who one day took refuge in it. Times where the historically black oppressed poor community can recognized with palpable reality that hope or its very idea, does not so much as reside in its hood. Yes, these are critical times. Yet, change can’t happen when the water is still. Therefore I am grateful for our collective pregnancy and pray the labor pain births revolutionaries.

I speak of revolution to remind you of what it is that motivates us all. I speak of babies because the urgency of their care continues to go unattended as if we have yet to realize that we can’t start, sustain, or succeed in any revolutionary agenda without warriors and warriors come into this world as babies.

As revolutionaries and concerned parents, we speak of a black male academic crisis. We speak of an education system that strips us of self-concept and robs us of our right to achieve. We speak of children in repeating the kindergarten, expelled in the first grade, and taken in handcuffs by the third. We speak of our 5th graders becoming parents. We speak of a school to poverty and prison pipeline. As we should.

But when will start talking about babies? Brethren, our children aren’t just failing in Kindergarten. Our black boys aren’t falling behind by 1st grade. Our kids aren’t showing of aggression and depression at 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade as a result of the education system alone. The truth is we are failing our children starting in the womb.
Science proves with certainty that brain development and brain wiring starts soon after conception and is permanently marked the first 6 months-18mnths, and months thereafter leading up to 5 yrs. Operative word: permanently. The same circuits that are developed the first 5 years to feel and understand empathy is the very same circuits used by the brain after year 5 to exert and process violence for life. The same circuits that are developed to process spoken language in a child by year 3 are the ones used by the brain to process written language and therefore literacy, after year 5 and for a lifetime. Circuits developed the first 6 to 18 months affect our lifetime’s mental health. And so forth.
The Establishment has known for decades that the way to break cycles of poverty is to change our approach to nutrition and education of babies ages 0-5. Their response? WIC, Food Stamps, State-paid daycare (no comment).
The way we think, feel, react, our ability to learn, manage stress, fight disease, and much more is permanently developed through our experiences ages 0-5. Our kids are going into school and life on day one not just ill-equipped, but unable to step into extraordinary achievement because of what we have done and not done to and for them, their first 5 years.
I can’t break down early childhood education and its social implications in one blog post, much less, as a guest. But I will say this, we can not sustain any revolution without putting an end to the feeding frenzy the system has on our community with every 5 year cycle. Our babies are systematic casualties of war, killed by friendly fire. Wiring babies for success is cheaper, simpler, and easier than mobilizing the public school system, though that also is necessary. It will not require school board meeting or overturning elected officials. It will not take bills passing House, Senate, and the Oval Office. It just requires us as a collective, taking the time to understand what to do, how to do it, and sharing it with young mothers and fathers.
Any takers? I’m here and ain’t going nowhere.

Conscious Elite by @KhairiAkili

2010-11-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

"CONSCIOUS ELITE"

When I first started to come into knowledge of myself, which was really less than 2 years ago, the people that I built most were online. I brought to this medium a naivety that didn't extend to my physical interactions. I was enamored by these conscious people of great wisdom. In actuality, they helped my growth tremendously but once I began to convene more with conscious people offline, the more I could see that they were saddled with the same issues as those that many of them look down upon. The traits of the dreaded "unconscious". The same people that they were but a short time ago. The same people we live amongst. The same people we will die with or for whether oppressed or free. The People. Our People. I've grown increasingly aware of a "conscious elite" class and increasingly disturbed by the group. The "conscious elite" is a group of people that manifests its elitism in distinctly different ways. Some become bullies, some opportunists while others become cowards and at times these subgroups overlap. This is by no means definitive, merely the observations of a young man.

The bully role seems often to be the companion of egomania. Differing opinions are not to be tolerated. In fact, if challenged or if perceived to be challenged the bully will discredit, dismiss or just try to out talk who ever insulted their being by disagreeing. This role is sad because these people are usually some of the most knowledgeable. Education + ego= the worst kind of ignorance. The moment you allow your ego to control your teaching methods, you are no longer a teacher.

The opportunist will use his/her knowledge to sell out the people for his/her personal gain/”glory”. They realize that being able to quote leaders and some statistics will give them instant credibility in the eyes of some. They will use subtle means to gain attention for themselves in order to cash in at some point. These folks are dangerous; not to be trusted. They have knowledge but shaky principles. Vision but ulterior motives. They will prey upon the unsuspecting and the ignorant.

Some people have allowed their elevation to be a means to excuse themselves from defending themselves and their people. Their head is so far in the clouds that they cannot see the war going on around them. That’s not being spiritual. That is setting yourself up to be a casualty. They say that fighting is dealing in their “lower self” and they are beyond that. Bullshit! They are scared. Simple as that. Maybe they should astro-project back to a time when they had a backbone. Damn, at least bring us back some intel on the enemy after one of the out of body travels. These people also tend to be the social-network crew that is tweeting/facebooking when events are happening in their city. They “love” the people but are never among the people.

At varying points in my development, I’ve exhibited some of these traits. I let my ego run wild when I first started learning. I was battling people all day. Went especially hard on the religious folks. I also used my so-called elevation as an excuse for being active. However, now that I have become more conscious to these behaviors, I do my best to avoid them. I recognize that there is only growth through humility and that being active in the community is a spiritual act and furthers my elevation. These are just a few of the things I have learned in my short journey.

Once Upon a Time by @satori06

2010-11-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

ONCE UPON A TIME

An estimated 85 percent of American four-year-olds believe in Santa. Studies show that parents tell at least 3000 "white" lies to their children. The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Boogie Man, and even religious myths are a few examples of the socially accepted untruths we pass down to our children. What are the ramifications of these so called harmless stories we tell them? Like many parents, there was a time I didn't consider the effects of this practice until I came into the understanding of the mental conditioning I was preparing him for.

I was also unintentionally teaching my child to ignore his reasoning skills and that those in authority should be believed no matter how fantastical or ridiculous the story might be. Just consider the story of the Tooth Fairy. We teach our children that when a tooth falls out they should hide it under their pillow, expect a stranger to break in the house to exchange the tooth (which has no value) for some kinda currency ( that you provided). hmmmmmmm.

Studies have found most kids feel a sense of pride: "Figuring out" the truth about Santa Claus and the tooth fairy. This knowledge makes them feel older. I guess kinda like how some of us who have come into various stages of enlightenment felt.

The result of these lies that appear so innocent is actually a trained mind that teaches our children to accept false claims with out question and eventually instead of those lies coming from us as parents they come from the government and the church. The eventual acceptance of the illusion of freedom and democracy becomes as easy to to "believe" in as a toothfairy. Our children become handicapped by early indoctrination and turn into the "swag" zombies we see now. Growing into the adults who are willing to fight and DIE for the higher authority of government or in the name of a religious daity ( take your pick of ) despite the evidence or reasons for a war. We are losing our children every day to a war created under a fairy tale about weapons of mass destruction. People accept this fable despite a lack of credible supporting evidence. Our society is made up of adults who are hard wired to to not question claims made by authority figures.Just like we never questioned an Easter Bunny who laid eggs.

We have all learned that we cant trust this government. It constantly tells us stories & fairytales. Terrorism is the boogie man for grown ups! We used stories like that to manipulate our our children into doing what we want by fear and the government uses the same tactics. We are preparing our children for a life of mental enslavement. Fear is a means of control. Control is enslavement.

We must begin training and educating our children that trust is precious and not to be given away easily. Trust is not absolute and is a continuos reconsideration during a relationship. Including a relationship with authority!

We can change this cycle. The power is ours. All power to the people.

We Do So Much For Political Reasons by @OwlsAsylum

2010-11-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

We do so much for political reasons.
I often wonder if the purpose of life is to serve your fellow person without losing complete control of the qualities and characteristics that make you...well, YOU. Your Self is the mighty interaction of rna, cells, organs, neural interplay, and experiences synthesized. The need for order of some sort is often a complicated discussion. The western world's Plato seems to believe that their is a hegemony of more important elements of the human inner construct. That the thoughts are more important than the emotions. I tend to approach the matter from a more wholistic approach: each brick is just as important as the purpose for the brick. My feet are designed for balanced, and you really have to consider the original architect who figured the mathematics out. Who would have imagined two planks of bone, gristle, and flesh attached perpendicular to another slab of bones and flesh for the purpose allowing the whole form to stand erect with balance? Less than one third of the body is crafted to balance the whole.

So, why would I think any different of my passions? Why would I fail to recognize that the parts of my character that make me unique are not the very same reasons for my purpose here among society? At what point should I take my machete and begin to hack away the dimensions of my Self that are unappealing to others? At what joint of my character should I begin to sledge hammer in order to separate it from my whole?

And yet, this is what we do.

I agree that tact is necessary, and common courtesies are an oil placed on the gears of communication that allow society to be. And yet how often are we asked to conform to dispositions that simply aren't necessary for the functioning of the whole? How many slaves would have remained on the plantation if the passions of Harriet Tubman were to have been warped into a mathematical function, solved for the most probable outcome, and acted on based on that solution? How often has the coward analyzed a situation based on illusive equations and failed to rise to their highest potential? How often has the introverted genius been overlooked simply because they formed a conclusion based on a premise that stated that no one paid any attention to them in the past? How often do we hide the one element of our character that was developed for the purpose of assisting the whole?

Every time we hold back certain beliefs, thoughts, and deeds with the intention of appeasing others to the detriment of our true expression, we rob the world. This is not a promotion of reckless communication, yet there is a degree of our Self expression that is necessary for the growth of the whole. To be aware is to be alive and we are all conduits of some sort of awareness, it is typically to our benefit to express that awareness. I don't have to be rude when I tell you that your breathe stinks...but guess who loses if I don't...

Dirty Cop by @luvalution

2010-11-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

To my folks up on the hill, With the cake and dollar bills, You need to watch da dirty cop, Dey the one you need to watch, I’m talking ‘bout the dirty cop, Dey the one you need to watch. – From Soldier by Erykah Badu

This blog is my first true meaningful entry and it’s written to honor a young man that I never had the pleasure of meeting personally but impacted me in a transformational way…Oscar Grant.

I will always recall the feelings of outrage, pain, heartbreak, and disbelief all at the same time when I saw the video clip of his murder. How could this unarmed, handcuffed man just get shot in the back by this cop? In front of all of these people…Really? It was so hard to comprehend. I must have sat frozen for several minutes, mind reeling about what I had just witnessed.

Then…I wept.

I wept for the thousands of young black men, women and children that die at the hands of police when no one is watching. I wept for all of the young black men Oscar represented. I wept for his family. I wept for his friends sitting beside him on that train platform. My Spirit wept for us All.

In honor of Oscar….below are some of my thoughts on the concept of a ‘dirty cop’.

We’ve all heard it for years…as if there are just a few bad ‘apples’ in the bunch. I used to believe that; however, my truth seeking journey has led me to the realization that it’s not just a few dirty cops. This corrupt system of terror, imperialism, was designed to confine, oppress and ultimately eliminate the Africans in this stolen land and eventually worldwide. The main purpose of their police is not to protect & serve as we've been brainwashed to believe. That’s just another trick to have the oppressed peoples trust the system. The role of the police is to be the foot soldiers of imperialism. Point. Blank. Period.

Whether overtly or covertly, strategies are developed to eliminate black people, primarily black men and the police are given orders to implement those strategies however that cop deems appropriate. It’s that simple!!! All any sensible person has to do is look the hell around. Prisons are overflowing with black men and built in predominantly white areas to employ predominantly white corrections officers. As a white woman living in a racially diverse community…I see the shit every day! I see and have lived in the poor neighborhoods not getting the resources they need for better schools, roads, etc. I see the fatherless children. I see the young men on the street with no direction. I look around and wonder if I’m the only one seeing this happening. Am I?

When I first heard Empress Badu sing that the dirty cops are the ones they need to watch. I was like “right on, Sis…f**k the police”. After deeper reflection those “up on the hill, with the cake and dollar bills” could actually care less about what the cops are doing to black people in U.S. cities/towns and even beyond the U.S borders. They want their foot soldiers to continue the attacks on the black neighborhoods. The imperialists know the true power that Africans hold. It goes farther back than you or I or anyone we know living today. As the original people of the World, Africans hold the keys to so much intellectual and spiritual Power and that is what threatens the very nature of this corrupt racist system. They know the true history that they withhold from the masses and they also know if it’s released more Minds will wake up and rise up against this oppression. I will that anyone reading this opens their mind to the Truth much sooner than later.

This system of terror has been successful in oppressing the Africans in this country through hundreds of years of oppressive strategies: slavery, Jim Crow, de-segregation, police brutality, institutionalized slavery, etc. The system was also designed to keep the non-blacks (whites) oblivious to the Truth. The good news is…Minds of all hues are waking up!

This brings me to the transformational changes that the murder of Oscar Grant has brought into my own life. The most significant is the unity among people that, I believe, were divinely connected to do important work in the name of Freedom. I personally have witnessed Muslim, Christian, Atheist, Blacks and Whites of all ages and walks of life come together to honor Oscar’s life and begin to discuss solutions. Tell me that’s not Powerful transformation?!? His murder has brought together spiritual forces, that i believe, make up the perfect recipe for true Freedom.

Although his death was unjustifiable and the dirty cop will most likely be set free by this imperialistic nation we call Amerikkka, may Oscar Grant’s death not be in vain. Not now. Not ever.

Uhuru…Peace…and Power to the People!

Poetically Speaking: Uniting Illusion by @Ai808

2010-11-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Uniting Illusion

by Anani Inaru

ive been perched on this plastic branch

drinking from your plastic container of freedom

nibbling from your barely alive collection of love

when I arrived you raved about my song...

brought over guests to stare at me...

now my chirps annoy you and the flapping of my clipped wings

reminds you of the freedom you do not have...

of the places you've never gone...

the dreams you have chosen to fold away with childhood
you despise me for all the same reasons you yearned for me with...

I remind you of what you are not

you remind me of where I am not

we remind each other of our desperate existence...

In your depression you swoon over my cage telling me how lucky I am

to be:

so beautiful

free

exotic

In my confusion

I envy the outside of my cage

which seems like freedom

but really, it's only the inside of your cage

perception is our uniting illusion.

as I sing

you cry and we both

chase freedoms

waiting for something to change...

I watch the bars rust

your soul

my voice
our uniting illusion

we chase freedom

to only realize we belong to everything

I belong to the air I breathe...

to the song I sing...

to your heart...

to our light...

together

united

in this illusion

things become real...

real hard to believe in...

at the border of my faith...

setting myself free from the need to be released

I find happiness in my bondage to you

to this life

I search for purpose

to these times

play the role...finding my place...

I remind you of freedom...

you remind me of servitude

in our uniting illusion

"We give little when we give of our possessions. It is when we give of ourselves that we truly give." - Khalil Gibran

Guest Blog Week Continues- Spiritually Minded

2010-11-19T04:18:00.000-08:00

In the world over the way that religion and spirituality is seen if often very different. From Friday to Sunday different cultures observe days of worship or gathering to pay homage or give thanks to the Creator of all things in existence. When it comes to spiritual matters, cultures, religions often clash amongst the dogmatic teachings and perceptions of those individuals who adhere to the edicts and principles of that particular way of life. With today being Friday or Yawma Jumu'ah (The Day of Gathering) in the Islamic world I've decided to focus on two parts of the human being that play a large part within the existence of the human being. Two featured blog posts today will focus upon the heart and the mind, the seats of intellect and emotions. You may not agree with the information or it may be something that is new to you. At any rate, sit back relax, open your mind and take the opportunity to learn.

Guest Blog Post: by @BLAKOBEN "The Lost Knowledge of the Fu’ad-Our Inner Heart "

2010-11-19T04:10:00.000-08:00

The Lost Knowledge of the Fu’ad-Our Inner Heart

1. Have you ever thought about how the flowers you see everyday evolve out of pure blackness, muddy soil with fragrant smells and are as colourful as YOU ARE?

2. Have you ever thought about how the peels of fruits such as bananas, watermelons, melons and oranges serve as wrappings of protection from its beautiful inner fruit, and how that beauty, as a result of those wrappings, maintain their taste and fragrance?

3. Have you ever thought about the possibility that while you are asleep a sudden earthquake could demolish your home, office, and/or your city to the ground, and that in a few seconds you could lose every material thing you possess?

4. Have you ever thought of how your life passes away very quickly, and that you will grow old and become weak, and slowly lose your beauty, health and strength?

5. Well, have you ever thought about why people are so attached to the material possesions of this external world from which they will soon depart instaed of striving to awaken the inner world of God Consciousness.

The Hue-Mind being whom the Creator of all the worlds of knowledge, science & mathematics; seen & unseen has furnished them with the faculty of deep thought. However, most people are so distracted with external material posessions that they never even utilize this very important faculty as they should. In fact, most almost never think.

In truth, each Hue-Mind being possesses an innate capacity for deep thought to which most are unaware. Once the Hue-Mind being re-learns to utilize their divine capacity for deep thought, facts & truths to which they have been unable to realize will begin to be uncovered for them. The deeper we learn to go in reflection, the more our divine capacity to think improves, and this is possible for everyone. One just has to realise that one needs to reflect and then to strive hard. How does one do this is the 1st question that comes to ones mind. The answer lives within the Re-Awakening of the Inner Heart.

Our hearts have been deadened by the distractions & materialism of the non living physical world. We must begin excercising our inner heart to once again regain our TRUE SIGHT,our INSIGHT. That inner mechanism which filters the material constructs of man to SEE the true beauty of our beingness. Our inner heart is our REAL EYES, and only through accesing that we can REALIZE real truth over REAL LIES.

About 20 years ago I began researching Mansa Musa & the city of knowledge, known throughout the world a Timbuktu.This study drove me to begin studying Arabic, or better yet what is called Arabiyan Fusihah (High Classical Arabic) the REAL language the Quran was translated in. WHY; you might ask.

If one was to go up to the north of Africa, Morocco to be exact, you will find a sign post which says, "52 days to Timbuktu". Which actually means it takes a minimum 52 days on camels back through the intense heat and torture of the desert to get down south to Mali, which use to be one of the most important trading centers of the world. And what were they trading? They were trading material goods, in exchange for the KNOWLEDGE, SCIENCE and MATHEMATICS of the physical, as well as metaphysical world, which our ancestors had translated in Arabic in one of the great learning centers called Timbuktu. People use to risk life & limb just to get to study at the feet of afrikan warrior scholars, who took the knowledge of our ancestors far away into the desert & built an instution which was rivaled by no one at that time since the pillage & destruction of our great libraries at Kemit (Iput Isut), Jenne, Carthage, Waset and elsewhere. My life’s mission is to be able to read & study these great manuscripts, I haven’t made it to Timbuktu YET, however, I have mastered the ability to Read & Translate high classical Arabic, I have collected, studied & translated some ancient text and discovered a multitude of Lost Jewels. It is in this light that I wish to share with you today on the importance of the INNER Heart . Hopefully, on a later post I can return to this issue of our lost & stolen manuscripts and our responsibility to recover, deconstruct, reconstruct & construct again the universal study habits of our ancestors which invaders risked their lives to learn, stole, remixed & wrote us out of history. Commonly known as Psychology, Astrology, Mathematics, Science, Dialectics kwk..and its connection to us on this planet.

The Inner Heart – Fu’ad

In Arabiyan Fusihah (High Classical Arabic) The fu’ad, or ‘inner heart’, is often synonymous with qalb = The heart. However, while qalb = The heart calls to the mind an internal feeling of change, fu’ad = Inner Heart pulsates with self-expression, self-realization, self-unfoldment, kwk.. and elevates the hue-mind intellect towards pure inspiration. ‘The fu’ad does not lie’ (Qur`an 53:32). The word is derived from the root verb, fa’ada, to feel intensely in the heart, and tafa’ada, to be excited with passion, love, zeal, fervor, enthusiasm kwk… to be in motion, movement, and becoming kwk.

The original intent of the Qur`an in its high classical sense indicates that the purpose of revealed knowledge is to strengthen our inner hearts (fu’ad) and to show us how it experiences life and gives meaning and direction to it. With the transformative knowledge that is revealed to our inner hearts we are able to recognize, realize, differentiate & discern the differences between the inner reality and the outer mirage, separate that which is pure and crystal clear from that which is subject to impurities and confusion. Without the fu’ad = Inner Heart we would not be unable to detect if our qalb = Our Heart is metaphysically dead, alive, angry or tarnished. The fu’ad = Inner Heart never lies; it is our most valuable jewel or asset. The fu’ad = Inner Heart confirms through the signs of pain and/or pleasure that our main purpose here on earth is to acknowledge our Source (God Consciousness) align ourselves with that source, The ALL. Striving to realign ourselves with that ever present source which feeds, nourishes, sustains, evolves, unfolds & provides everything you need to be YOU. i.e. Air, Water, Oxygen, Food, Minerals, Vitamins, Herbs etc. ALL of which hue-mind beings NEED, but cant & don’t create. This acknowledgement is what is meant by Worship through God Consciousness & surrendering oneself to that fact & that essence.. The fu’ad = Inner Heart helps us to activate our MIND to come to KNOW that ever present source & to realize our Highest self is the presence of that source within US & everything living. Re-alignment with the ALL brings us back into onesess, GOD CONSCIOUSNESS and utilization of its attributes; through sight and insight; the physical and metaphysical

. The divine nature of the fu’ad = Inner Heart act in such a way that is always receptive to divine knowledge & insight, always clear like a crystal. The Qur'an speaks of a particular story about the the Black Prophet Musa’s (Moses’) Afrikan mother, who listened to her divine nature, contrary to the backward social customs at the time, fearing her childs life, had no choice but to put her baby into a basket and set him afloat down the mystical Nile River Waters to her Kemetic Ancestors to save him from the egotistical, murderous Pharaoh of that time. In doing so she acted contrary to her social customs as a mother. Divine Inspiration tells us that she was only able to do so because her fu’ad = {Inner Heart} was ‘empty’ (Qur`an 28:10). Thus the light of The ALL Infinite Intelligence gave her the clarity and courage to act.

With an awakened & healthy qalb = Heart and an empty fu’ad = Inner Heart, we are told by Divine Inspiration from Infinite Intelligence that we may have a taste of real gratitude {Shakur}, to The ALL. ‘...God has given you faculties of hearing, seeing and the fu’ad = Inner Heart , so that you may be thankful = Shakur’ (Qur’an 16:76). If we are in true gratitude = Shakur, then we wont have any false desires or destructive false needs. Our fu’ad = Inner Heart reveals to us that The ALL source of our provisions comes through our GOD CONSCIOUSNESS & Oneness with Ar Razzaaq (The ALL Provider) and that we REALLY have no need to desire anything false outside of the one true source that provides us everything tangible we REALLY need. The Re-Awakening of Our GOD CONSCIOUSNES, that very source of HOTEP, PEACE (Salaam) tranquility (Sakina) that we so covet, which makes our physical and spiritual faculties balanced and at their most competent level, there by granting us growth & development in everything we undertake. Infinite Intelligence is constantly showing us that very few of us achieve that state of HOTEP, PEACE (Salaam) & GRATITUDE (Shukr),teaching us that most hearts are not healthy.

If we would re-learn how to allow our hearts, the qalb = Heart to fulfill its role as the inner reflector of the truth; then through pure awareness of our divine state of GOD CONSCIOUS witnessing-(shahada), that inner light will reveal all relevant knowledgeto us. This is what is truly meant by "I have eyes in the back of my head." The shahid = {one who witnesses} within us; becomes an accurate witness; it sees our intentions and our actions and captures them all for us instantly, like a snapshot. For example, when we are faced with a dilemma of whether or not to undertake a certain action, we exercise our intellect and reasoning to its limitation and then we surrender the sneaky whispers of the tricky ego to let the fu’ad = inner heart reflect or indicate what course of action needs to be taken. We must, however, train ourselves to be able to discriminate between the shahid and the false fears, doubts & desires of our ego. Once one achieves this state,they are then rewarded with constant shahada. Then, quite naturally, we nurture and revitalize our inner faculties, as these will enable us to interact properly in this world with our brothers & sisters with the heart open to the seen & unseen.

In the spirit of our Ancestors let us once again reflect on the importance of our Inner Hearts, begin again to witness the beauty of infinite intelligence, surrender to that source, re-awaken our GOD CONSCIOUSNESS & regain oneness with The ALL.

Your brother in the struggle for Peace, Freedom, Justice & Equality
Coach Bilal Sankofa A.Salaam Transformational Behavior Coach President/CEO of Ankh Services Inc.

Guest Blog Post: by @AllEyeCeeing "MAN: THE UNDERESTIMATED WORD OF GOD"

2010-11-19T04:08:00.000-08:00

MAN: THE UNDERESTIMATED WORD OF GOD

I break words down like they should be broken down in order to as some of the old folks say down south "get the goody out of it." An example of how I break'em down can be compared to how a slave-master breaks down his slaves. He separates and divides them from their SELF&kind and deprives them from foreign contact; therefore this renders them helpless and dependent upon him alone to give them their mental & physical foods; and this in turn bottles up the inspiration, interpretation, and meaning to their life, and from there they are auctioned, sold & traded off to any person who is willing to buy them. And believe me people will buy damn near anything nowadays including nothing; and there's hardly any way possible to convince them that the something that they think they have is really nothing.

Yeah I know that sounds crazy but the mental condition that 85 to 95% of the population of the Planet Earth is in right now despite this being a predominantly religious environment is even crazier. In truth, religion and religious people are partially yet heavily responsible for the shape that the world is in right now, but that's another subject for another time. Now I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with religion or religious people, and I'm not saying there's not anything wrong with religion or religious people; but I will say that I'm quite sure that many of the former prophets and messengers of God would be very disappointed and upset if they knew that their good names have been used to shield the dirty practices of some who have manipulated and used the minds & bodies of the human family as tools and slaves.

You often hear people talk about 'The Word Of God' as if they are so in tune with the word of God that they can tell the whole world what the word Of God is. That's not to say that none can't but most people don't even have a thorough knowledge of themselves or SELF so how can they say that they know God or the word of God when there's a vast difference between 'knowing God' and 'knowing of God'. I'm here to tell you that you cannot tell anyone what the word of God IS if you do not know what the word of God IS NOT
God has two kinds of WILL, an active will and a permissive will. Gods' active will is that in which Gods' hand is directly involved in, and Gods' permissive will is that which God allows. So whether or not Gods' hand is directly or indirectly involved everyTHING(that which is) is a word of God because God said "BE, and it is". Therefore since no word or scripture is private of interpretation(2Peter1:20) I can boldly state THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT IS NOT THE WORD OF GOD!... The only thing that is not the word of God is that which is non-existent. Why do I say that? Because that which is non-existent doesn't exist which means that God did not say BE so therefore it ain't(yeah I said ain't)...LOL

Let me further explain my reasoning for stating such. You do(some may not) agree that there is a such thing as a 'devil' or a 'lie' right? The fact that there is a devil, a lie, or even the concept of them both speaks volumes and lets us know that they are ordained by God to BE since an All-Powerful God has the power to rid the Earth of them. Now what's not a word of God is what the lie or the liar implies. EXAMPLE: If I came up to you and said, you know my cousin Joe who got killed 10 years ago? Well he came back to life last week...... The fact that I told a lie was a reality that God allowed but what the lie was implying is a non-reality or non-existent which means that it's not a word of God by no stretch of the imagination.

Some people have the nerve to go so far and try to relegate 'The Word Of God' to one particular book like The Bible or Holy Qur'an. You may have heard some of our Christian brothers & sisters state that the Bible is the infallible word of God, and that it's the best book in the world when they haven't read every book in the world; so that disqualifies any merit given to that statement. HELL!!! The majority of those who've made that statement haven't even completely read the bible. I've even heard a man who couldn't even read make that foolish claim. These kinds of statements are mostly based on tradition, popularity, or the fact that the Bible has been perennially a top-seller for years. Well, Michael Jackson sold more records than anybody else but that doesn't make him the best singer!!! What's popular is not always the truth and the truth is not always popular. Some of our Muslim brothers & sisters make these same kinds of statements about the Qur'an but the same can be said for them as well.

The Bible suggests it too but The Holy Qur'an plainly states that if all the trees were pens and all the water was ink you could never exhaust the wisdom of Allah(God), so that should let us know that there is more to come from God than in those books. So yes the Bible, the Holy Qur'an, the Torah, the Vedas and so-forth & so-on contain SOME of the word of God but YOU yes you contain them ALL. All of the above-mentioned books and sacred texts came from Man whether we want to say they were divinely inspired or not. We all must face the fact that everything we know right and wrong we learned it from another man, and when I say man I'm talking man & woman. Every concept, thought, and idea that we have can somehow or in someway be linked to another man, and there's just no way to escape that.

It's funny to me to hear people say things like "I'm not following no man" one minute and then turn around and call God 'the man up above' the next. Man has fallen and we've allowed the standard of what it takes to be called a man to be lowered. When a man is operating in his right or original mind he's operating from 'the mind of God', and thats the man up above. Your higher SELF, your higher consciousness, nature or state of being. I've never been an advocate of labeling something 'man-made' because when your knowledge is derived from fallen man(mankind) you don't know what's all man-made because your knowledge is limited, and your mind is denied access to the original mind of man which is the mind of God. Do you mean to say that a so-called man can make what is called a man-made lake but he can't make an ocean!?! NIGGA(not black people) PLEASE!!! I hardly believe that unless I am blind, deaf, and dumb. There's only one written account that contains the 100% Right & Exact 4-1-1 on The Creator & Creation and that is the Blackman&Womans(The Original Man) DNA. FROM ONE CAME ALL!
"Be mindful of what you write on your mind because what you write on the mind doesn't erase so easy".- Eye
http://the-all-eye-seeing.blogspot.com
Love, Peace, and Happiness upon you!!!

EYE

Prolific Poetics - When God Died by The Poet Award

2010-11-19T04:07:00.001-08:00

The Concept of Deity- Dr. John Henrik Clarke

2010-11-19T04:07:00.000-08:00

"To hold a people in oppression you have to convince them first that they are supposed to be oppressed."

When the European comes to a country, the first thing he does is to laugh at your God and your God concept. And the next thing is to make you laugh at your own God concept. Then he don't have to build no jails for you then, cause he's got you in a jail more binding than iron can ever put you.
Anytime you turn on your own concept of God, you are no longer a free man. No one needs to put chains on your body, because the chains are on your mind.

Anytime someone say's your God is ugly and you release your God and join their God, there is no hope for your freedom until you once more believe in your own concept of the "deity."
And that's how we're trapped. We have been educated into believing someone else's concept of the deity, and someone else's standard of beauty. You have the right to practice any religion and politics in a way that best suits your freedom, your dignity, and your understanding. And once you do that, you don't apologize.

Nothing the European mind ever devised was meant to do anything but to facilitate the European's control over the world. Anything that you get from Europe that you are going to use for yourself, remake it to suit yourself. Where did we go wrong educationally? After the Civil War, the period called reconstruction, a period of pseudo-democracy, we began to have our own institutions, our own schools. We had no role model for a school... our own role model. So we began to imitate White schools.
Our church was an imitation of the White church. All we did is to modify the old trap. We didn't change the images, we became more comfortable within the trap. We didn't change the images, we changed some of the concepts of the images, but the images remained the same. So the mis-education that gave us a slave mentality had been altered. But it remained basically the same.

The late Dr. John Henrik Clarke, a pre-eminent African-American historian, author of several volumes on the history of Africa and the Diaspora, taught in the Department of Black and Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College of the City University of New York.
Article taken from http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/blpr/Clarke/Deity.shtml

Quotes About Spirituality

2010-11-19T04:06:00.000-08:00

You pray in your distress and in your need. Would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy
and in your days of abundance. ~ Kahlil Gibran ~

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is"Thank You", it will be enough.
~ Meister Eckhart

Men will wrangle for religion, wite for it, fight for it,anything but live for it.
~ Author Unknown ~

The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a state of mind.
~ John Burroughs, Naturalist

Poetic Prose Of The Day- "Gods To Niggas" by @consciousskillz

2010-11-19T04:05:00.000-08:00

God’s To Niggas

I reminisce about basking in the suns radiant rays on the Golden coast of African shores; me the original Asiatic black man, proud African, ascendant of the Moors. God’s we had dominion over everything as far as the eye could see and everything I saw was beautiful because it was a reflection of me.

Philosophy, the arts and science were born into existence through our divine lineage, while we built Kingdoms and nations other only dared to dream about or fantasize. They say they came to teach us, but how can you teach the already civilized and all wise? So they came with a plan that brought division, then destruction to our tribes as they made plans to divide up Africa and colonialize.

Like magic we were here one minute and then poof, gone the next. From being draped in the finest silks and linens, chillin on riverboat barges as they floated down the Nile, to being dropped on floating grave yards of purgatory, that dropped us off like garbage on the shores of this imperial hell. Forced to build this country on the small of our backs to the sound of whip cracks, while at home our way of life, our civilization fell.

Of our former selves today we are only a shell as our streets and intersections are filled with black on black insurrections boiling over from a pot of self hate making for a very sour confection. What’s worse, our tribal connections are quickly dying from a cancerous infection called ignorance

Street corner pharmacist chemically dispense genocidal death from block to block, door to door. Young girls lose their innocence from hearing it so much, now they think their names are bitch and hoe. Back then and even today they call us savages and we seem to play that part. Forgetting who we are, where we come from, our spiritual foundation and the knowledge that God and us are synonymous, never apart.

However it seems to me by the way we act they might be right, go figure. Nowadays the word God seems to be just a three letter word, maybe that’s why we can’t help but act like niggas, my how the might have fallen.

Conscious Elements
Cipha Publlishing © 2k3

Guest Blog Post: Girls Behaving Badly by Davica Williams, M.DIV @daidaglamazon

2010-11-18T04:15:00.000-08:00

Over the past twelve days, women of color have been on an emotional rollercoaster as the premier of Tyler Perry’s remake of Ntozake Shange’s play Four Colored Girls and BET’s Black Girls Rock Awards Show. These projects have explored the various dynamics that affects the livelihood of women of color and their spirit of resilience to overcome odds in extreme adversity. Watching Black women sojourn from brokenness to healing, wholeness, restoration and reconciliation of self has been at the forefront of kitchen and coffee table discussions.
However, outside of these projects depictions of women of color and Black women in particular on TV is not always so empowering or transformative. Tonight at 9pm, the airing of Oxygen’s Season 5 of the Bad Girls Club Reunion reached millions of homes and women and girls alike were glued to the TV set to view “Girls Behaving Badly”. I must be honest; I have become smitten by this debauchery of malicious, filthy mouthed, sexually explorative young women.

Let’s be clear, by no means am I advocating for women to mistreat and disrespect each other nor degradation of women’s bodies and images on TV. Nonetheless, I feel that these images of womanhood need to be explored and critiqued. When these images go, un-critiqued viewers may feel that behavior being illuminated is acceptable.
Thus, as a mentor of teenage and young women, I have become aware of whom they identity with in all forms of media and society. Many of these young women idolize these female caricatures portrayed on this show as well as the Housewives of Atlanta, Beverly Hills and Jersey, For the Love of Ray J etc. Reality TV is plaguing cable and satellite airwaves and captivating the attention of our younger women. There are a slew of young girls and women wanting to be the fashionista, socialite, and bad girl prototypes. The women portrayed behaving badly are not just your late teens and early twenties women, rather they are adult women in their late 30’s to early 50’s acting juvenile and reckless. To be quite honest it is rather disgusting to see wealthy adult businesswomen regressing to rebellious adolescent behavior.
As an avid supporter of fostering healthy relationships amongst women of color across generations, watching these reality shows make my task arduous. I strongly feel that these images are creating of sub-culture of women and girls disrespecting themselves and their fellow female counterparts. For those of us in the community fighting to foster healthy relationships between women may feel that this is a daunting task to accomplish especially amongst adolescent and young adult women. Girls behaving badly are glorified just as misogyny, violence and drug dealing is to hip-hop. This new sub-culture is shaping and cultivating personhood of girls and young women alike.
I am glad that BET attempted to counter-act negative images of girls and young women in Black Girls Rock. Black Girls Rock was a great starting point to bring black women in all spheres of life into awareness and conversation of honoring ones own authentic creative genius. The calling forth of Black girls and young women to be all that the divine created them to be despite systematic oppression is the message we need in our communities. It is vital that generations of women and girls take accountability over our relationships with each other with nurture and care. It is imperative that we sustain and maintain sisterhood beyond sororities and professional associations. Women of color have seen and encountered enough of self-hate projected onto each other due to a myriad of socio-cultural and historical factors. I hope this blog post will get young girls and women of color to begin self-exploration and to seek out positive images of womanhood.