You are beautiful (Tell yourself that)

A few days ago I returned from a trip to Puerto Rico with the Wifey. We visited Old San Juan, San Juan (proper), Loiza, Santurce, Ponce, and we had a ball. While in P.R. I promoted the Spanish version my line dance single 'La Cinturita'. Upon returning to Hampton Roads Virginia I met with some Special Event business owners developing a wedding event that we are holding. All of these business owners were women, all were African-Americans. One stated "Oh wow, I know you were staring at those Puerto-Rican women with your crazy self. Those Puerto Rican women are so pretty." I stated "Yea, I saw some gorgeous women....but I see fine women every day so I don't trip over that." She retorted "But they are so much more beautiful than we are...Aren't they ?.....Seko, women know women...them women are so pretty." I kinda' looked at her 'funny-like' and said "Sisters are fine, Spanish speaking and English speaking.. Sisters are damn fine." She said "You trying to be funny, you know that they women are prettier than normal 'Black' women......Right?..." The other women remained silent awaiting my answer.

Every morning I have my children say a 'mirror-mantra' which includes a statement about them being attractive. I have a particular concern for my daughter . As I noted on another blog I worry about her self worth. My daughter's hair is very thick, I tell her how regal and beautiful her "African" natured hair is. I learned this reading about Felipe Luciano, the New York born Puerto Rican of the Last Poets, who said in an article how his mother would constantly tell him how beautiful his "African" hair was. I loved the Last Poets growing up and Felipe had a poem that used to empower me named "Jibaro...My Pretty Nig##r". He says in the poem, "How times have changed men, how men have changed times." After studying the African presence in Puerto Rico about 11 years ago I found an article about Elder Felipe in Ebony magazine who discussed how some, I stress some, Latinos in New York looked down on people of African descent and how while on the bus his mother kept her mouth shut while she heard other Latina mothers say some very downing things about Blacks, then his mother would speak to Felipe and his brothers in Spanish to the amazement of the bus riders. The part of the article that has forever touched me was his description of how his mother constantly reminded him of the beauty of his tightly curled hair.

Brothers we have got to begin/continue/consider the way we deal with our women. Too many think that their features are of a lower caste. As I studied our African diaspora I have seen factors that are affected people of African connection that have either been colonized or enslaved. A "Perm" is seen as a necessity for beauty rather than an beauty style/enhancement, Bleaching/fading cremes were at one time very popular for darker women, "Blacks" live in areas that are not maintained very well, and these "Black" women find women that may be racially different from them as being more beautiful than they. I also find that in these studies and in my travels I realized that too many women of African descent suffer from self esteem and worth issues. In discussion with friends some have noted that these issues are prevalent with all women. However, I don't see that "White" women think that as a whole "Black" or "Mixed" women are in general more attractive than they are. I do see that paradigm as being solidly a "Black-Thing".

Now.... A truly funny aspect of "me-being-me" is that this revelation-of-sorts is occurring during a time in my life that I'm starting to find more "White" women as attractive. For a time in my life I didn't find a lot of "White" women's features as frequently as attractive as "Sisterly" or "Soulful" features. I was D.J.ing a wedding reception this weekend and thought too myself "Whoa, she's fine" as I watched a group of "White" women dance and say every word to "Baby Got Back" by Sir-Mix-A-Lot. I've always found it interesting that this song placing Sisterly features above "White" features seems to be a favorite and highly requested whenever I perform for a mainly "White" crowd.

I'm starting to believe that a person is who they consider themselves to be, and that the consideration is partly made up of how the world interacts with that person. While I was a school teacher (3 years) and a school counselor (11 years) for Portsmouth Public Schools I developed a habit of referring to the female students who didn't fit the 'mode' of being beautiful as "Pretty Girl." As I stated this the students who were nearby the student would say "You think she's pretty ?" I would always say "Yes" and then smile and say "I hope my daughter is pretty too when I have children." The child that I was referring too would often be as surprised as the other kids. I also would make a point to state that a child's mother or female guardian was beautiful when bringing up their parent, even after being cursed out by some of these female guardians. I developed the belief that if one knows better, they do better. If one feels better, they act better. If one understands more, they achieve more. I used to say "Know better, do better. Feel better, act better. Know more, do more." These students seemed to perform better when they felt good about themselves. The less inferior they felt, the less inferior they did.

During December of 2007 I put thoughts to paper and wrote the words "Black Improvement." I have been haunted by those words almost daily and am now driven to act on it to stop it from acting on me. One simple strategy I think will affect a change in people of African descent is to uplift our women, then uplift all women. Start with the women around you and uplift them. Tell them when they are right, compliment them, and encourage them. Tell them that they are beautiful.

She said "You trying to be funny, you know that they women are prettier than normal "Black" women......Right ?" I told her that she was beautiful, and we carried on with our meeting. She smiled the remainder of the meeting. She later told me, I wish I could see myself the way you see me. I thought to myself....."We need improvement."

Brothers, I direct you to encourage and uplift as many women as you can. This is the Black Improvement Movement signing on.

Seko VArner
The Imani Foundation

And a Child Shall Lead Them

"And a Child Shall Lead Them"
by Sheri Bailey

juneteenthva@yahoo.com

Listening in on a conversation between a couple of old heads about the times and it was their feeling that it's time to start talking about alternatives to capitalism and my immediate reaction was, it's a long way beyond time to start "talking" about alternatives to capitalism. We don't live in an "either / or" world. Fact is, the American poor already live in a socialist state and it ain't pretty. It's called public housing, public schools, medicaid or medicare. It is a system designed to keep poor people poor. And when the poor react against this system they are criminalized for things like non-payment of child support, traffic violations and drug addiction.

The majority of poor people are under age 18 and because they neither work nor vote they have absolutely no value in a capitalistic society. They are raised on a steady diet of materialism, sex and violence while at the same time told they are shallow for their desire to participate in the vacuous orgy that pop culture has become. And despite how the previous generations have failed them, these young people who are going to put Obama in the White House, are energetic and optimistic.

Of course, it is the fate of the young to not know how hard it is to light candles in bitter winds. Many of them will be voting for the very first time because it is the first time that they are old enough. Others will be voting for the very first time because a presidential candidate has ignited their dreams and aspirations. They are too young to know that it's been almost a half a century since the American people have experienced hope in a political leader. They think this is normal.

To the cynics who caution that one man alone can't change America young people are responding, "He is not alone. We are with him." And they also make the point that one person alone can indeed be the force behind monumental change in a country, a community, family or the world. History is full of such people. (Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Hitler, Elvis, Rosa Parks are among many who immediately come to mind.)

And finally, on the idea of change, Obama is not being asked to do the impossible. His job will be to help America live up to its vision of itself as a nation that offers each and every one of its citizens from the youngest to the oldest, regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream.

Obama's unwillingness to get down in the mud with the Republicans should be seen as a sign that he is sincere about real and genuine change. How can he be for change while resorting to plays from Karl Rove's handbook? His willingness to move to the center should be seen as his nod to the old guard that he understands their concerns as he seeks to put democracy and capitalism on a new dance card. Certainly, after eight years of George Bush and Dick Cheney America does not need four more of the same. But before we embark on exchanging one government-corporate system for another, let's follow the direction of our young and the rest of the world and give Obama a chance. We have nothing to lose except the very future of America. One hundred years from now our today will be defined as the moment when America boldly looked to the future or continued to keep its head buried in the sand. Like one of the credit card commercials tells us, "You decide."

Because he's White - Because he's Black

Voting for McCain Just Because He's White!
by Pearl Jr.

When the heck have White people told other Whites NOT TO VOTE for a person just because they are White? Has anyone dared say that to a crowd about John McCain to any White audience? Just today, there was a story in EURWEB.com that reiterated Marlon Wayans' comment to a group of college students to vote, but "don't vote for Barack just because he is Black", even though Wayans is an Obama supporter. That's a direct insult to Black decision-making that must be voided.

It's ironic that the very people who have voted for themselves (Whites) time after time are NOT under suspicion of race preference, but the people who have voted outside of their race (Blacks) are being treated as if they have a track record for exclusively voting in Black Presidents in the White House when the truth is exactly the opposite.

Barack Obama isn't Lil' Wayne for goodness sake! Barack Obama is a highly educated attorney, experienced community organizer, university professor, state senator, the only Black US Senator today, and has been the EXECUTIVE of the most successful presidential campaign in history. It's daring to accuse Blacks of such an outrageous, unfounded indictment, as if Blacks are stupid enough to elect someone who isn't qualified on the sheer basis of race and race alone?

It's White people whose biases should be under suspicion, not Blacks when it comes to electing Presidents. All 43 Presidents in the history of the United States have been White, without exception, and three out of four of this year's candidates are White. Twisting this reality and putting Blacks on public accusation for racial favoritism is racist manipulation at its core.

McCain and Palin don't add up when it comes to education; Obama/Biden both have law degrees and together have more political experience than their opponents. McCain nor Palin have a graduate degree, just undergraduate degrees. McCain entered the US Senate in 1987, while Joe Biden has been in the US Senate since 1973. Palin was the mayor of a town with less than 9000 people, while Obama has had more people watch him play basketball. But McCain/Palin are both White, therefore if they steal Obama's message of change, apparently, Whites will vote White, even when it is obvious the McCain campaign has put White faces on a Black man's ideas and imagery of celebrity as with the selection of Sarah Palin, who has peaked too soon.

Everyone MUST stop promoting ridiculous ideas like, "don't vote for Barack because he is Black"-it's pure nonsense. Black people have voted nearly 90 percent democratic for decades, despite the ethnicities of the candidate. After all, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Carol Mosley Braun didn't win and Cynthia McKinney isn't raking in the Black vote either.

A majority of Whites are the ones that must prove they are capable of voting for someone other than a White person. Everyone needs to tell Whites not to vote for John McCain just because he is White, because that is the only logical reason why a large group of people would vote for someone who has been attached to the most disastrous administration in American history whose policies are leading the USA towards socialism and have increased corporate welfare to levels never seen before. In addition, early on and during the set up of this financial downturn, John McCain was the Chairman of the Commerce Committee and has admitted that he is fundamentally against governmental regulations.

All the governmental takeovers/bailouts proves socialism is on the horizon if another deregulating republican president is elected. The US government will own and control what was once a plethora of private enterprises. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the two largest financial/mortgage institutions in America totaling more than $5.4 trillion of debt, which is nearly the same as the US publicly held debt, is now in the hands of government.

The economy in America seems to be collapsing: the bankruptcy of the 158-year-old financial giant Lehman Bros., Merrill Lynch's forced sale to B of A, the largest insurer, AIG, (who dates back to legalized slavery), is headed either towards a governmental takeover/bailout/bankruptcy is all a frightening reality. Over 33 percent of all mortgages are upside down, foreclosures at an all-time high adding 9,800 homes a day, outrageous gas and food prices, wealth redistribution to foreign nations, Wall Street losing trillions of dollars in less than one year, plus 401k retirement plans disappearing daily--someone please explain why anyone would consider another Republican President who is proving daily that since, he, John McCain is capable of outright lying about Barack Obama, he is ALSO lying to the American public about his promises as the US President to put "America First". This is especially troubling because lobbyists, who have been running Washington into the ground, run McCain's campaign. Furthermore, John McCain has voted with George Bush over 90 percent of the time-It has got to be John McCain's Whiteness at play, because nothing else makes much sense.

Even the future of CEO's huge salaries/bonuses is in jeopardy because most of the major corporations are losing money. Furthermore, John McCain wants to send more jobs overseas and give corporations tax cuts for doing so, when the US lost over 600,000 jobs since the beginning of 2008, then continue tax cuts for the rich when it is obvious that tax cuts don't trickle down to working-class people in the form of jobs, due to a corporation's greed by taking the profits for their personal benefits. Under Obama's plan, 95 percent of Americans will receive a tax cut.

Furthermore, a war with Iraq that was fought on proven faulty intelligence that is costing the US $10 billion a month, leading to a deficit that was a surplus before Republican President, George W. Bush took office. Plus, the admitted mastermind, Osama bin Laden, who was behind the 911 attacks, is still free to orchestrate another attack after seven long years.

Lest us not forget the failures of this republican administration in regards to protecting and helping its citizens due to the aftermath of Katrina's levee breaches.

Taking reality into consideration that all 43 US Presidents have been White, Whites need to prove they can vote for someone other than a White man for President. John McCain is biting off Obama's message of change and celebrity! And that brings to mind, Sarah Palin's female gender that doesn't fully account for change because she isn't running for President--just a running mate. Besides that, Sarah Palin is White, so the switch-a-roo, history-making mirage is just another illusion leading to the racist delusion that White is best no matter what!

The suggestion that Black people not vote for Barack just because he is Black is racist in and of itself, and belittles the fact that the Obama's are Black and have succeeded despite all the obstacles standing in their paths.

Contact Information
phone: 818-716-7838

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"Just Because He's Black"
Author unknown -

A white man asked his black friend, 'Are you voting for Barack Obama just because he's black?'

The black man responded by saying, 'Why not? Hell, in this country men are pulled over everyday just cause they're black; passed over for promotions just cause they're black; considered to be criminals just cause they're black; and there are going to be thousands of you who won't be voting for him just because he's black! However, you do not seem to have a problem with that! This country was built with the sweat and whip off the black slaves' back, and now a descendent of those same slaves has a chance to lead the same country, where we weren't even considered to be people, where we weren't allowed to be educated, drink from the same water fountains, eat in the same restaurants, or even vote.

So yes! I'm going to vote for him! But it's not just because he's black, but because he is hope, he is change, and he now allows me to understand when my grandson says that he wants to be president when he grows up, it is not a fairy tale but a short term goal. He now sees, understands and knows that he can achieve, withstand and do ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE HE IS BLACK!

Obedience - A message to men

(From Heath's weekly messages to men of Omega Psi Phi)
1 Samuel 15:17,22-23 (NKJV) ‘So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not the head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?”……So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.’

Brothers,
Some of you may remember the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and I am talking of the original one with Gene Wilder not the recent rock opera one with Johnny Depp. Nevertheless the premise of the movie was that Willie Wonka was looking for an heir apparent to his chocolate throne as a candy maker. He did not consider choosing an adult for as he put it an adult would not be obedient to following directions in how the factory should be run. So he decided to choose rather a child but not just any child but an honest child who would be obedient. If you remember there were four other children who were terribly spoiled and selfish. Due to their pernicious behavior they all got into ridiculous trouble that ruled them out for Willie Wonka choosing them to run the factory. Charlie however came from poverty but more importantly he was humble and honest and because of his humility, honesty and obedience he was chosen to be Wonka’s heir apparent.

This is an interesting story in the scriptures that has some connection to Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory except these verses do not have a happy ending particular for Israel’s first king Saul. In brief Saul had been commanded to wipe out a nation of “terrorists” (no pun intended). Apparently the Amalekites were a ruthless barbaric nation led by a barbaric king. Saul is commanded to destroy them but rather he opts to keep the king alive as well as some trinkets for himself. Now the purpose is not to argue whether they did or did not deserve to be destroyed. There are other directions that we could go with this passage and other passages were war was according to these texts initiated and encouraged by God but that is not the purpose of this discussion. This passage speaks to a greater issue of relationship, trust and obedience.

Relationships to all of us are important. On every level of our lives we have connections and covenants. Covenants that entail spoken or at times unspoken issues of understanding that should never be infringed upon but all of us have lived long enough to know that many times they are infringed upon whether by us or done to us in some way shape or form.

In short brothers all of us have broken vows of some kind in our lifetime. Some of us are repentant of what we have done, others of us have deluded ourselves to believe that what the other does not know will not hurt them or us and the rest of us have gotten ourselves so caught out there that we don’t know to get back on track. Apply that to any area in your own life experiences.

The issue here that we find is between Saul and God. In these opening verses Saul is reminded about his humble beginnings. Why do you think that is? Sometimes all of us need to be reminded where God has brought us from. There are times that monetary success and other worldly acknowledgments can cause our noses to rise higher in the air than they were ever intended to. Sometimes we forget that we are all responsible to someone as well as for someone.

Now brothers I will not engage you in your own personal walk with God. That is your walk whatever it is and if you have convinced yourself that you bear no responsibility in how you conduct yourself publicly or privately then that is between you and your understanding of who God is. But check on this, walking with God is about trust and understanding. The issue with Saul was not a matter of him not following orders but it was an issue of trust. He kept this wicked king alive as well as residuals from the battle after he was told not to because he did not trust that God would provide and keep him. It is like standing in front of someone you love and trust but you refuse to fall back because you are afraid that they won’t catch you.

What’s holding you back right now in your life from taking that next step with God? Are you going to bank on waiting until you can’t go and be out anymore when you are old and unable to do it or God forbid your health deteriorates and then you decide to trust in God? Let’s not simply call on God when we open or close a meeting or when we are doing a memorial service. Let’s get it right and keep it straight with God. Remember to say a prayer for those families who lost loved ones seven years ago and if you don’t know any families personally I ask that you pray for the family of Edna Stephens who was a member of my church who worked in the Pentagon and was killed on 9/11/01.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father,

We know where you desire us to strive to be in you and we know where we are. We have gotten so caught up in pleasing ourselves that it is only in moments of loss or death that we seem to attune ourselves to you. In our fun and frolic help us to be mindful of what our attainments are and lead us we ask to walk in them publicly and privately.

AMEN.

God bless,
Brother Heath Cheek
heathel7@hotmail.com

Fresh Water (September 11th)

In remembrance of the Human lives, the Diaspora lives, the American lives that became ancestors on September 11, 2001 we pay homage.

"Fresh water keeps me well, fresh water opens the way. Fresh water is my sustainer, fresh water is from above. We give homage and thanks to the fresh water in the form of the September 11th ancestors. We thank the almighty for fresh water in the form of the legacy these ancestors left behind. Ashee, ashee, ashee." Ray Charles sings America The Beautiful.