On October 30, 1980, I was born in the crazy borough of The Bronx, New York.
This past Sunday, I turned 25 years old. I named this post after a collection of essays by Nikki Giovanni when she turned 25, called "Gemini..."; I think it is fitting for a title of my own 25-year life.
If I was to tell a story about my life it would have to start with the interesting life of a black-sheep grandfather who separated himself from the rest of his siblings. It would then turn to a hard working mother who gave a lot so her only son could have an easier life.
My life has never been the smoothest of rides. Growing up without a father was never really a problem because I never had any problems with feeling unloved by the family and friends around me. However, when you don't have a lot of financial resources in your life, you're always wondering if you'll be able to achieve all the things you dream about. Therefore, most of the time I only think about the lack of a father when I'm broke. I understand that over the obstacles I've come a very long way... much longer than what was expected of me and much longer than most people who come from where I'm from. For this, I'm blessed.
This past year, my 25th year, has been an up and down year. I have probably never experienced so much loss and gain at any time in my life - Death came in threes
- A classmate of mine who I went to law school with was killed.
- A college classmate of mine was killed a month later.
- A distant cousin of mine was killed, execution style, in Jamaica.
At the same time, there were great things that happened - My best friend became a father and named me the godfather, I graduated from law school, I passed the bar exam, my cousin is going to college and he likes it!
But even with all that, trying to find work became a very stressful time to the point where I am starting to suspect that my eyebrow hair is falling out (I know that sounds weird, but I think it's true). Also, I think that I lost a friend, which is weird because she wasn't the friend I thought I was going to lose in the first place. And now I have these flashbacks of better times, smiling, laughing, and crying together.
Life is always a mix of comedy and tragedy; this past year I have experienced many emotions that fit into both categories. For goodness sake, I could have an emmy award winning tv show based on this past year. Not to mention that I have no love life to speak of, my bedroom apartment is in desperate need of repair, and I have shamefully become addicted to "America's Next Top Model."
I wanted to have a theme for my birthday weekend... I was going to go out, have fun, make a whole bunch of noise... But I realized that I'm too broke to do any of that stuff. But I still wanted a theme - "They didn't think we'd make it past 25, jokes on them we still alive-weekend" But the joke was on me - all I did was watch football and cook a boat load of pancakes for my Sunday breakfast. But I realize that I still enjoyed myself. I enjoyed myself because I appreciate everyday, and I appreciate all the good, the bad, and the ugly that I have had the ability to experience in this life. So I figure that as long as I don't catch the bird flu, I have a lot to be happy about... I have a lot to live for.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Million More Movement (Continued)...
Yes, I was there. I was at the Million More March.
It was beautiful to see so many of my people at one place, at one time, for one purpose - Liberation for the African, poor, and indigenous people of the earth.
It was beautiful to see so many of my people at one place, at one time, for one purpose - Liberation for the African, poor, and indigenous people of the earth.
These are my Thoughts:
The speakers seemed to have a focus on building on this event in a way where we would put together strategies to bring progress to people of African decent. I do think that there were some problems with the event.
For one, there really wasn't a true statement on what the focus of this movement is going to be. For example, we know that the issue of reparations is something we need to discuss and create a battle plan for attaining, but there was no one saying that reparations is a part of list of issues we need to address as a people. The speeches were great and they did mention our issues, but I don't think we got a direct list to work from.
I did appreciate Minister Louis Farrakhan discussing the various "Ministries" that the Black community need to address our issues (Ministry of Education, Agriculture, Defense, Spirituality, Health and Human Services etc.), and an independent political party. I think his speech was one of the most focused speeches.
On another note, I thought the ramblings of Erykah Badu left much to be desired. Erykah made some good points, she even knew how to speak slowly so her voice would not be garbled by her echo. But she then became repetitive and started to wander.
I also thought that having Jim Jones (?) of the Diplomats perform made no real sense. Not that his song wasn't good (even though it was cut short due to technical difficulties), he is not a guy who I would say represents an image in Hip Hop that should be represented at the MMM. Where was Kanye West? Where was Talib Qweli? Where was Mos Def?!!! On the other hand, Wyclef Jean was very good, and he got the crowd going with his carnival inspired tribute to New Orleans.
I also had some problems with the way certain people were rushed, while others were given all day to speak. Dorothy Height, bless her little heart and her trademark hat, was able to take her time. On the other hand, when the coalition of representatives from youth groups came to the stage, they had to beg for time to give their message. I see this as a problem. No movement can be successful without our young people.... No movement can work if young people are not at the forefront! Thus, it would make sense that young people are able to participate in discussing their plans and concerns without being rushed off because grown folk have to talk. Erykah Badu should have been rushed off (I really do love Erykah, but she could have been two minutes shorter).
Then there were problems with who did not get to speak. Apparently, someone representing the gay and lesbian community was not able to speak. It has also been said that Mumia Abu Jamal had recorded a taped message that was due to be played at the event. This is crazy. The gay and lesbian thing is predictable since Black folks have yet to truly deal with issues of homosexuality in our communities. We can't marginalize our gay and lesbian siblings; it is self-destructive. The Mumia thing is ridiculous! Mumia is one of our most important political prisoners. And though many speakers gave lip service to the freedom of our political prisoners, having a message from Mumia would have been so poignant and powerful for all those in the audience who have yet to hear this amazing man's voice. In addition, no one from the various reparations organizations spoke. This also makes no sense since that topic came up so many times during the day, why not have someone who has actually been on the forefront of fighting for this issue speak to the people.
Given all the criticisms that I have and that others that I read have, this was still a momentous occasion. I enjoyed my day so much and felt filled with so much pride that so many people from all over came out to celebrate each other and to hopefully build with each other.
It's funny, a lot of people have come away saying that they wished that we came up with a detailed strategy of how we are going to achieve all the things we need. I don't know why people are saying this... it is not possible to come up with a detailed plan in such an atmosphere. An event like this is not the place to come up with a detailed plan. Detailed plans need to happen where you get a whole bunch of like-minded people together, where we can brainstorm, suggest ideas, suggest changes, come up with critiques, actually organize and assign jobs for everybody to do individually and in groups in and around our communities.
October 15, 2005 was an event. The reason I'm glad they called it the Millions More MOVEMENT, is because we can't stop at October 15, 2005. We have to keep moving, keep coming up with ideas, plans, strategies, organizations, coalitions etc. to progress. Right now, if we're going to be too focused on the event, we have already failed. It's like a marriage - sometimes we get too focused on the event (the wedding) and we don't think about the process of staying in a marriage, staying a family, staying in love. A lot of people plan the dress and tuxedo they will wear, how many people they will invite, what will be the first song they'll dance to, what the flavor of the cake will be etc. However, people do not put as much energy in the marriage relationship itself.
Similarly, we need to think beyond the event of MMM on 10/15/05. It is done, but our movement is not. The movement needs to continue. We need to focus our energy and the energy we received on that day and put it into building this movement. So in the words of Wyclef Jean, "we buiding more than a march, we're building a movement, a million more movement." So, let's build!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Monday, October 10, 2005
So....
I'm working now... sort of. The temp agency did take me on, but I haven't gotten a gig that lasts for an extended period. Last week I got a gig that lasted two days. I'm hoping to get a 4 week gig soon; the bills are starting to pile up and I need to eat every once in a while.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Indigenous peoples urge action on Arctic thaw
OSLO (Reuters) - Indigenous peoples urged tougher action to slow global warming on Thursday after a U.S. report showed the Arctic icecap had shrunk to its smallest in at least 100 years.
The U.N. Environment Program also said the shrinking ice was yet more alarming evidence of an Arctic thaw that could portend worldwide disruptions including stronger hurricanes, desertification and rising sea levels.
"This is a another reminder" of the fast melt in the Arctic, said Alona Yefimenko, acting head of the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat in Copenhagen.
"All the indigenous political leaders are trying to bring this message to reduce (greenhouse gas) emissions, not only in the United States but also in Europe," she said.
Scientists at
NASA' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said on Wednesday the Arctic ice shrank this year for the fourth year in a row to the smallest area since measurements started 100 years ago.
Yefimenko said shrinking ice was threatening traditional lifestyles. Hunters of polar bears or seals risk falling through thinning ice. Reindeer herders often find reindeer struggling in mud on what was once permafrost.
And Arctic leaders especially want the United States, the world's biggest polluter, to cap emissions of heat-trapping gases from power plants, factories and cars blamed by most scientists for global warming.
Almost all other rich nations have agreed to curbs under the
United Nations' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> United Nations's
Kyoto protocol' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Kyoto protocol.
BUSH PULLOUT
NASA and NSIDC said the rising temperatures seemed linked to a buildup of gases from human sources.
President George W. Bush' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> President George W. Bush pulled out of Kyoto in 2001, saying it would be too costly and wrongly excluded developing nations.
Indigenous leaders dismiss Bush's view that more research is needed, saying climate change is already happening.
"In Alaska, for instance, you can't take snowmobiles across lakes and be sure of reaching the other side," said Yefimenko, who is from the Russian far east.
"Around the Arctic, water flows in rivers are unpredictable. It's very difficult for reindeer herders to cross rivers."
The U.S. findings backed a report by 250 experts last year that forecast that the Arctic ice could disappear in summers by 2100, driving polar bears toward extinction.
The impact would be largely negative but could open the Arctic to exploration for oil and gas, mining, logging or trans-polar shipping routes between the Atlantic and Pacific.
"The documentation is getting stronger," said Paal Prestrud, a vice-chair of last year's Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) and head of the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo.
According to the ACIA report, the Arctic melts faster than the rest of the globe because darker water and ground, once exposed, traps heat far more than ice and snow.
The U.S. report "is yet further evidence that climate change is not a prediction for the future but a phenomenon that is happening now," said Nick Nuttall, spokesman of the U.N. Environment Program.
And he said the world might risk catastrophic, abrupt changes unless it acted quickly.
"An already very bad trend seems to be getting worse," said Steve Sawyer, head of climate and energy policy at environmental group Greenpeace.
Apart from the Arctic sea ice, he said there were worrying signs of a melting of the Greenland icecap. If all the Greenland icecap melted, the world's oceans could rise by 7 meters.
The U.N. Environment Program also said the shrinking ice was yet more alarming evidence of an Arctic thaw that could portend worldwide disruptions including stronger hurricanes, desertification and rising sea levels.
"This is a another reminder" of the fast melt in the Arctic, said Alona Yefimenko, acting head of the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat in Copenhagen.
"All the indigenous political leaders are trying to bring this message to reduce (greenhouse gas) emissions, not only in the United States but also in Europe," she said.
Scientists at
NASA' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said on Wednesday the Arctic ice shrank this year for the fourth year in a row to the smallest area since measurements started 100 years ago.
Yefimenko said shrinking ice was threatening traditional lifestyles. Hunters of polar bears or seals risk falling through thinning ice. Reindeer herders often find reindeer struggling in mud on what was once permafrost.
And Arctic leaders especially want the United States, the world's biggest polluter, to cap emissions of heat-trapping gases from power plants, factories and cars blamed by most scientists for global warming.
Almost all other rich nations have agreed to curbs under the
United Nations' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> United Nations's
Kyoto protocol' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Kyoto protocol.
BUSH PULLOUT
NASA and NSIDC said the rising temperatures seemed linked to a buildup of gases from human sources.
President George W. Bush' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> President George W. Bush pulled out of Kyoto in 2001, saying it would be too costly and wrongly excluded developing nations.
Indigenous leaders dismiss Bush's view that more research is needed, saying climate change is already happening.
"In Alaska, for instance, you can't take snowmobiles across lakes and be sure of reaching the other side," said Yefimenko, who is from the Russian far east.
"Around the Arctic, water flows in rivers are unpredictable. It's very difficult for reindeer herders to cross rivers."
The U.S. findings backed a report by 250 experts last year that forecast that the Arctic ice could disappear in summers by 2100, driving polar bears toward extinction.
The impact would be largely negative but could open the Arctic to exploration for oil and gas, mining, logging or trans-polar shipping routes between the Atlantic and Pacific.
"The documentation is getting stronger," said Paal Prestrud, a vice-chair of last year's Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) and head of the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo.
According to the ACIA report, the Arctic melts faster than the rest of the globe because darker water and ground, once exposed, traps heat far more than ice and snow.
The U.S. report "is yet further evidence that climate change is not a prediction for the future but a phenomenon that is happening now," said Nick Nuttall, spokesman of the U.N. Environment Program.
And he said the world might risk catastrophic, abrupt changes unless it acted quickly.
"An already very bad trend seems to be getting worse," said Steve Sawyer, head of climate and energy policy at environmental group Greenpeace.
Apart from the Arctic sea ice, he said there were worrying signs of a melting of the Greenland icecap. If all the Greenland icecap melted, the world's oceans could rise by 7 meters.
Random Question...
If there are any meteorologists out there in blogger world, is it usual for two category 5 hurricanes to go through the same area within three weeks of each other, or is global warming a reality despite Dubya's ignorance?
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Malcolm X quote of the day #2
"Is white America really sorry for her crimes against the black people? Does white America have the capacity to repent - and to atone? Does the capacity to repent, to atone, exist in a majority, in one-half, in even one-third of American white society?
"Many black men, the victims - in fact most black men - would like to be able to forgive, to forget, the crimes.
"But most American white people seem not to have it in them to make any serious atonement - to do justice to the black man.
"Indeed, how can white society atone for enslaving, for raping, for unmanning, for otherwise brutalizing millions of human beings, for centuries? What atonement would the God of Justice demand for the robbery of the black people's labor, their lives, their true identities, their culture, their history - and even their human dignity?
"A desegregated cup of coffee, a theater, public toilets - the whole range of hypocritical 'integration' - these are not atonement."
"Many black men, the victims - in fact most black men - would like to be able to forgive, to forget, the crimes.
"But most American white people seem not to have it in them to make any serious atonement - to do justice to the black man.
"Indeed, how can white society atone for enslaving, for raping, for unmanning, for otherwise brutalizing millions of human beings, for centuries? What atonement would the God of Justice demand for the robbery of the black people's labor, their lives, their true identities, their culture, their history - and even their human dignity?
"A desegregated cup of coffee, a theater, public toilets - the whole range of hypocritical 'integration' - these are not atonement."
New days, new things
I finished reading Malcolm X on Tuesday. It always astounds me how no matter how many times you read a book or see a movie, you always see something you didn't see before. Like I said in my last post, I think Malcolm's autobiography is the most significant work I have ever read. I also think it is one of the most important books in Africana literature; not because of the person who it is about, but because it represents what we should aim for - standing and working for the betterment of our people with no apologies.
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I have another interview with a legal temp agency next Tuesday. I'm hopeful that I might be working soon. I'm just so incredibly broke that I don't know how much more patient I can be....
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I have another interview with a legal temp agency next Tuesday. I'm hopeful that I might be working soon. I'm just so incredibly broke that I don't know how much more patient I can be....
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Reading and Meditating on...
I'm reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. I'm almost finish (I have one more chapter and the epilogue left). This is the second time I've read this book; the last time was six years ago. It is amazing how relevant this work is. I still think that every person of African descent in this world should read this book. Malcolm is so deep that I don't think a lot of people, even now, are ready for the knowledge he was spitting. This book is the most significant book I have ever read. It is my favorite, and I believe it is the book that has made me the person I am today.
Malcolm X quote of the day
"I'm not anti-American, and I didn't come here to condemn America... I came here to tell the truth - and if the truth condemns America, then she stands condemned!"
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Hurricane Katrina and racism
Hurricane Katrina has pulled away the curtains on some of america's dirty big secrets. One of them being racism. It is very true that classism has also been revealed in all of this, but that is a given in a capitalist society.
Lately, there has been a lot of "controversy" over Kanye West's remarks saying that George Bush doesn't care about Black people. Now, some people are saying that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue. NO! This is a race issue. It is an issue of how, in this country and in this world, race and class continue to intermingle.
Whether Bush cares or doesn't care about Black folks means nothing to me. However, it needs to be said that race is part of the reason that the people of New Orleans were not helped out faster. Sure, many of us, including so-called people of color, would like to believe that if eighty percent of the people trapped in the dark dome, the filthy convention center, sleeping under highway underpasses, and waiving "help us" signs on roofs were white, it would take the government five days plus to evacuate people from the city. But can we really look at ourselves and the history of this country and actually believe that. And if this was just a poverty issue, is that something we should be celebrating? - Yay, poor white people are treated just as badly as poor Black people... glory, glory hallelujah!
It doesn't make any damn sense. We live in a white supremacist and classist society, but these things are not separated from each other. Classism feeds off of racism. Racism empowers classism. And when I say racist I am not talking about any person calling me nigger, or not being able to sit in the front of the bus, or being able to go to a majority white school, or live in a majority white neighborhood. When I speak of racism, I am talking about institutional racism. Institutional racism is much more powerful than the racism battled against by the so-called civil rights leaders of the '60's.
Institutional racism is the disproportionate amount of Black people who live way below the poverty line; the disproportionate amount of Black men and Black women who are in the prison industrial complex and on death row; Black people being less likely to have proper healthcare and access to healthcare; Black people being less likely to be in adequate public schools; Black people being in neighborhoods where toxic dump sites are present (environmental racism). I could go on and on, but I would just get a hand-cramp from all of the writing. And yes, many of the policies of George Bush and the Republican party has had a detrimental effect on Black folks and other "people of color." And that's not to say that the Democrats have been that much better, because they really haven't, but that is another story for another post.
What bothers me is that it has become "chic" for people to say that something is about "class" and poverty rather than "race." This is problematic. It's problematic because it takes away from the reality that racism (white supremacy) is still one of the biggest problems that this country has yet to deal with. And it is about time that people, my beautiful Black people in particular, stop letting the white establishment off the hook by saying everything is about class. Let us stop these games with the truth. Too often Black people have dealt unintelligently with the truth; we have been walking around it like it is a game of "ring-around-the-rosy" (I think that is the name of the game). And I don't know if we do this so that we don't hurt white people's feelings or because we don't want to endanger our earning potential, or because as the Last Poets said, "Niggers are Scared of Revolution." See, the truth is revolutionary, and a lot of us are too scared to start a revolution.
Malcolm X said that he had made the decision to tell the white man the truth about himself or die. It is time that we decide to live with the truth and live for the truth. Black people, we need to speak the truth when necessary, as necessary, because it is necessary!
Lately, there has been a lot of "controversy" over Kanye West's remarks saying that George Bush doesn't care about Black people. Now, some people are saying that this is not a race issue, but a poverty issue. NO! This is a race issue. It is an issue of how, in this country and in this world, race and class continue to intermingle.
Whether Bush cares or doesn't care about Black folks means nothing to me. However, it needs to be said that race is part of the reason that the people of New Orleans were not helped out faster. Sure, many of us, including so-called people of color, would like to believe that if eighty percent of the people trapped in the dark dome, the filthy convention center, sleeping under highway underpasses, and waiving "help us" signs on roofs were white, it would take the government five days plus to evacuate people from the city. But can we really look at ourselves and the history of this country and actually believe that. And if this was just a poverty issue, is that something we should be celebrating? - Yay, poor white people are treated just as badly as poor Black people... glory, glory hallelujah!
It doesn't make any damn sense. We live in a white supremacist and classist society, but these things are not separated from each other. Classism feeds off of racism. Racism empowers classism. And when I say racist I am not talking about any person calling me nigger, or not being able to sit in the front of the bus, or being able to go to a majority white school, or live in a majority white neighborhood. When I speak of racism, I am talking about institutional racism. Institutional racism is much more powerful than the racism battled against by the so-called civil rights leaders of the '60's.
Institutional racism is the disproportionate amount of Black people who live way below the poverty line; the disproportionate amount of Black men and Black women who are in the prison industrial complex and on death row; Black people being less likely to have proper healthcare and access to healthcare; Black people being less likely to be in adequate public schools; Black people being in neighborhoods where toxic dump sites are present (environmental racism). I could go on and on, but I would just get a hand-cramp from all of the writing. And yes, many of the policies of George Bush and the Republican party has had a detrimental effect on Black folks and other "people of color." And that's not to say that the Democrats have been that much better, because they really haven't, but that is another story for another post.
What bothers me is that it has become "chic" for people to say that something is about "class" and poverty rather than "race." This is problematic. It's problematic because it takes away from the reality that racism (white supremacy) is still one of the biggest problems that this country has yet to deal with. And it is about time that people, my beautiful Black people in particular, stop letting the white establishment off the hook by saying everything is about class. Let us stop these games with the truth. Too often Black people have dealt unintelligently with the truth; we have been walking around it like it is a game of "ring-around-the-rosy" (I think that is the name of the game). And I don't know if we do this so that we don't hurt white people's feelings or because we don't want to endanger our earning potential, or because as the Last Poets said, "Niggers are Scared of Revolution." See, the truth is revolutionary, and a lot of us are too scared to start a revolution.
Malcolm X said that he had made the decision to tell the white man the truth about himself or die. It is time that we decide to live with the truth and live for the truth. Black people, we need to speak the truth when necessary, as necessary, because it is necessary!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Beauty and Music
I just wanted to dedicate this blog post to a few of the women in music who I really have mild crushes on:
Les Nubians - I think these two are so beautiful, and what makes them even more sexy... they speak French. Their songs are so smooth and dynamic.
Vivian Green - I like her music, she makes music that is honest about love and life. She is also absolutely stunning. Her new album sounds pretty good.
Lauryn Hill - I have loved this woman since 1998. I appreciate her talent as an artist. Her lyrical abilities have always been amazing. She has a great voice and is an underestimated emcee. Most interesting about Lauryn, she was one of the first mainstream Hip Hop/R&B female artist to wear her hair naturally - this was before india.arie and Jill Scott and Erykah Badu still had her head wrapped. Even though it became the "in-thing" to wear hair naturally, Lauryn represented to the fullest, and was stunning with every loc'd strand of hair. Beautiful.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Kanye West speaking from the heart
- "George Bush doesn't care about black people." -
It seems that there has been a lot of "controversy" over what Kanye West said about George Bush last week. First of all, he is absolutely RIGHT!!! Bush doesn't care about Black peeople... unless they agree with everything he says and does. For example, Condoleezza Rice. Notice that Dr. Rice is one of Dubya's favorite so-called Negroes. But I must admit, Bush is "fair."
See, he allows people to have one disagreement with him - Dr. Rice disagreed with him about affirmative action; Alberto Gonzales is not totally against abortion. But if you disagree with him more than once, you're done - Colin Powell disagreed with him on affirmative action and he admitted that the administration misled the world about weapons of mass destruction. Thus, Colin Powell no longer has a job.
The Hurricane Katrina aftermath has proved a lot of things. Poor people are always on the bottom of the list of people to be cared about. Second, Black poor people are in even worse regard. It has pained me the last couple of weeks to see all my people sleeping under highway underpasses or being stuck in convention centers and football domes that have now become waist stations for the dead.
All George Bush has done is tried to get in some photo opportunities, but he has been so slow to react. This country's government has been so slow to react. It doesn't matter who is responsible (we know who is responsible Mr Commander-in-Thief); what matters is how are they going to fix this... for the hundreds of thousands of people who are now homeless and in ill condition. And to think, they were considering cutting funds for medicaid today....
It seems that there has been a lot of "controversy" over what Kanye West said about George Bush last week. First of all, he is absolutely RIGHT!!! Bush doesn't care about Black peeople... unless they agree with everything he says and does. For example, Condoleezza Rice. Notice that Dr. Rice is one of Dubya's favorite so-called Negroes. But I must admit, Bush is "fair."
See, he allows people to have one disagreement with him - Dr. Rice disagreed with him about affirmative action; Alberto Gonzales is not totally against abortion. But if you disagree with him more than once, you're done - Colin Powell disagreed with him on affirmative action and he admitted that the administration misled the world about weapons of mass destruction. Thus, Colin Powell no longer has a job.
The Hurricane Katrina aftermath has proved a lot of things. Poor people are always on the bottom of the list of people to be cared about. Second, Black poor people are in even worse regard. It has pained me the last couple of weeks to see all my people sleeping under highway underpasses or being stuck in convention centers and football domes that have now become waist stations for the dead.
All George Bush has done is tried to get in some photo opportunities, but he has been so slow to react. This country's government has been so slow to react. It doesn't matter who is responsible (we know who is responsible Mr Commander-in-Thief); what matters is how are they going to fix this... for the hundreds of thousands of people who are now homeless and in ill condition. And to think, they were considering cutting funds for medicaid today....
I finally have an interview
My goodness,
It has been such a long time since I have been able to be excited about something. Tomorrow I have an interview with the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development. Hopefully, everything will go well and I will have somewhere to go in the mornings. Idleness has its qualities, but damn, I'm getting tired of all the damn tv courtroom shows.
It has been such a long time since I have been able to be excited about something. Tomorrow I have an interview with the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development. Hopefully, everything will go well and I will have somewhere to go in the mornings. Idleness has its qualities, but damn, I'm getting tired of all the damn tv courtroom shows.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
I have to say that I have no words that can describe the devestation of Hurricane Katrina. I really am so sad for the people who lost their homes in the hurricane. Even worse, those people who lost family members in those areas. It is one of the saddest things I had ever seen.
Another thing that struck me about the whole hurricane thing is the reporting. Not necessarily the reports themselves, but the reporters who were down there in Mississippi and Louisiana. I don't know how to feel about these people. On one hand, they were pretty brave to be in the middle of a hurricane and still do their job of reporting. On the other hand, what the hell were they trying to prove? One of the greatest storms in United States history, and there the reporters are, in the middle of the streets, in the middle of 150 mph winds and heavy rainfall. What the hell?!!! I do have to say that if they weren't there, viewers would not have the true understanding of what a hurricane feels like. But still...
My thoughts and prayers are with the people who live in those areas and their families everywhere.
Another thing that struck me about the whole hurricane thing is the reporting. Not necessarily the reports themselves, but the reporters who were down there in Mississippi and Louisiana. I don't know how to feel about these people. On one hand, they were pretty brave to be in the middle of a hurricane and still do their job of reporting. On the other hand, what the hell were they trying to prove? One of the greatest storms in United States history, and there the reporters are, in the middle of the streets, in the middle of 150 mph winds and heavy rainfall. What the hell?!!! I do have to say that if they weren't there, viewers would not have the true understanding of what a hurricane feels like. But still...
My thoughts and prayers are with the people who live in those areas and their families everywhere.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters
Butterscotch & Now-and-Laters
by J. Grant
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters for 25 cents at the corner candy store
Six years old without a care in the world
Planning our strategy in freeze-tag
Because we were too cool for dodge-ball
And too fly for hide-and-seek
Our claim to fame was being masters of the open fire hydrant
Champions of “Connect Four”
This was our little world…
Our little universe…
Of handball and “suicide”
While the big kids played “craps” and blackjack
We survived on “Uno” and “I declare war”
Three o’clock meant more than the end of the school day
It signified the afternoon main event
“Which heavyweight bully would challenge the unsuspecting lightweight nerd in the battle for elementary school supremacy?!!!”
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters were our candy of choice
Jolly ranchers and jawbreakers not too far behind
As we sat, reciting the words to “Beat it” and “Billie Jean”
Moonwalking on concrete
Spinning on the pavement
Watching the big kids play football in between traffic and parked cars
While we took turns trying to outrun every car that sped down the block
Waiting for the unforgettable tune of the Mister Softee Ice Cream truck to pass through
Begging our less than pleased parents for one dollar to buy an ice cream cone
I never liked sprinkles, but most kids did…
Not too far behind Mister Softee was the Italian Ices man
Just in case you couldn’t get the dollar from your mom fast enough to catch Mister Softee, the Italian Ices man was there to fulfill your craving
This was our world…
Watching it all from the front of our six floor apartment building…
Or the better view from our third floor fire escape…
Six years old without a care in the world…
This was our universe…
We didn’t have pool parties at the neighbors
We had block parties and “party at Janet’s crib”
While the latest hot records blasted from Tony’s boombox…
Or from every other car that rolled through the avenue…
And all we could do is smile and laugh
Because… we had it all
by J. Grant
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters for 25 cents at the corner candy store
Six years old without a care in the world
Planning our strategy in freeze-tag
Because we were too cool for dodge-ball
And too fly for hide-and-seek
Our claim to fame was being masters of the open fire hydrant
Champions of “Connect Four”
This was our little world…
Our little universe…
Of handball and “suicide”
While the big kids played “craps” and blackjack
We survived on “Uno” and “I declare war”
Three o’clock meant more than the end of the school day
It signified the afternoon main event
“Which heavyweight bully would challenge the unsuspecting lightweight nerd in the battle for elementary school supremacy?!!!”
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters were our candy of choice
Jolly ranchers and jawbreakers not too far behind
As we sat, reciting the words to “Beat it” and “Billie Jean”
Moonwalking on concrete
Spinning on the pavement
Watching the big kids play football in between traffic and parked cars
While we took turns trying to outrun every car that sped down the block
Waiting for the unforgettable tune of the Mister Softee Ice Cream truck to pass through
Begging our less than pleased parents for one dollar to buy an ice cream cone
I never liked sprinkles, but most kids did…
Not too far behind Mister Softee was the Italian Ices man
Just in case you couldn’t get the dollar from your mom fast enough to catch Mister Softee, the Italian Ices man was there to fulfill your craving
This was our world…
Watching it all from the front of our six floor apartment building…
Or the better view from our third floor fire escape…
Six years old without a care in the world…
This was our universe…
We didn’t have pool parties at the neighbors
We had block parties and “party at Janet’s crib”
While the latest hot records blasted from Tony’s boombox…
Or from every other car that rolled through the avenue…
And all we could do is smile and laugh
Because… we had it all
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Dumb-ass Pat Robertson
Televangelist Calls for Chaves' Death Source: Associated Press 08/23/2005
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."
"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club.""We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him.
U.S. officials have called the
accusations ridiculous."You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
Robertson, 75, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.Robertson has made controversial statements in the past.
In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
==========
Okay, I already knew that Pat Robertson was crazy fanatic who uses Christianity to make everyone on earth who isn't a "Jesus freak" like him miserable.
But calling for the assassination of the president of Venezuela? Diablo!!!
Pat Robertson and Jerry Farwell are both jack-asses who say stupid stuff in the name of evangelism. It's pitiful that these people actually have faithful followers of their rhetoric... At the same time, it is necessary to have those in opposition of these fools to gather their strength to battle the ignorance that Farwell and Robertson preach.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."
"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club.""We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him.
U.S. officials have called the
accusations ridiculous."You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."
Robertson, 75, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.Robertson has made controversial statements in the past.
In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
==========
Okay, I already knew that Pat Robertson was crazy fanatic who uses Christianity to make everyone on earth who isn't a "Jesus freak" like him miserable.
But calling for the assassination of the president of Venezuela? Diablo!!!
Pat Robertson and Jerry Farwell are both jack-asses who say stupid stuff in the name of evangelism. It's pitiful that these people actually have faithful followers of their rhetoric... At the same time, it is necessary to have those in opposition of these fools to gather their strength to battle the ignorance that Farwell and Robertson preach.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Honestly...
I think I have trouble with criticism. It seems if someone doesn't think something I do is really good, I get moody.
I'm going to work on this... really.
I'm going to work on this... really.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Israeli Pull-out of Gaza
Okay, I just had to speak about the situation in Gaza.
First, I admit that, even though I am for Israel getting out of Gaza, it is really hard to watch people being dragged from their homes. However, the land belongs to the Palestinians, and the only way that area can move towards some sort of peace is for Israel to stay in Israel and stay out of Palestine unless invited.
Second, I am tired of people who say that what is happening in Gaza should be compared to what happened in Nazi Germany. THAT'S BULL!!! The holocaust was brutal, inhumane etc. This is Israeli soldiers doing what the majority of Israelis agree is the only way to start on the road to peace. Damn Benjamin Netanyahu!
Third, Palestinian statehood needs to happen quickly or the pulling out of Gaza will be irrelevant to the peace process.
First, I admit that, even though I am for Israel getting out of Gaza, it is really hard to watch people being dragged from their homes. However, the land belongs to the Palestinians, and the only way that area can move towards some sort of peace is for Israel to stay in Israel and stay out of Palestine unless invited.
Second, I am tired of people who say that what is happening in Gaza should be compared to what happened in Nazi Germany. THAT'S BULL!!! The holocaust was brutal, inhumane etc. This is Israeli soldiers doing what the majority of Israelis agree is the only way to start on the road to peace. Damn Benjamin Netanyahu!
Third, Palestinian statehood needs to happen quickly or the pulling out of Gaza will be irrelevant to the peace process.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Playas, Pimps, and Posers
Playas’, Pimps, and Posers
By Jason Grant
What up pimp?
What up playa?
See, in this game of life…
You have your playas’…
Your pimps…
And your posers…
But really, they’re all the same
Dig it, brothas and sistas…
Pimps pimp to make money off of others
Playas play to make enamored fools out of the unsuspecting
But they all pose like they have power…
When all they have is temporary…
Temporary money
Temporary booty
Temporary influence
They pose strength…
But without their victims, their weak
To eliminate their weakness they reproduce others…
Others to follow in their poser-footsteps
You can see them all over
Don’t fall for the typical image of fur coats…
Shiny snakeskin shoes…
And “pimp hats”
Playas and pimps pose in “wifebeaters”…
Blue jeans…
Air Jordans’…
And doo-rags
Grabbin’ their nuts to hold up their lack manhood
Celebrating themselves on street corners and boardrooms…
Red carpets and project hallways…
Laughing all the way to the poser hall of fame
By Jason Grant
What up pimp?
What up playa?
See, in this game of life…
You have your playas’…
Your pimps…
And your posers…
But really, they’re all the same
Dig it, brothas and sistas…
Pimps pimp to make money off of others
Playas play to make enamored fools out of the unsuspecting
But they all pose like they have power…
When all they have is temporary…
Temporary money
Temporary booty
Temporary influence
They pose strength…
But without their victims, their weak
To eliminate their weakness they reproduce others…
Others to follow in their poser-footsteps
You can see them all over
Don’t fall for the typical image of fur coats…
Shiny snakeskin shoes…
And “pimp hats”
Playas and pimps pose in “wifebeaters”…
Blue jeans…
Air Jordans’…
And doo-rags
Grabbin’ their nuts to hold up their lack manhood
Celebrating themselves on street corners and boardrooms…
Red carpets and project hallways…
Laughing all the way to the poser hall of fame
Monday, August 15, 2005
Reading and Listening
I'm currently reading "The Prosaic Soul of Nikki Giovanni." It's a collection of her essays. It's really interesting to read essays by Nikki Giovanni because she's very honest with herself and with what is going on around her. Stuff she wrote in the sixties are the most powerful because the essays are so raw and brutal to "the establishment." I don't think I have read a book that had the word "cracker" appear so many times.
-----
So I'm trying to listen to radio a little more the last couple of weeks, for the purpose of staying slightly relevant.
Okay, I still don't like this Mike Jones brother.... I'm not a fan of Young Jeezy, though the song he does with Jay-Z is pretty tight.
Will someone stop all these people who have the word "Lil'" as part of their names: Lil' Scrappy, Li'l Wayne, Lil' Jon - It gets on my damn nerves. Basically, if you have "Lil'" attached to your name, you're likely to suck. I think that 's the real reason Bow Wow cut that from his name.
Speaking of Bow Wow - okay, I have to admit I kind of like that song with Ciara, "Like You." It's a cute song, and I like the way they do the hook, even though it sounds like they mumble it all the way through.
I'm feeling that Teiarra Marie joint.... The two songs I've heard from Bobby Valentino sound the same, but I can't say I don't turn up the radio when I hear either of them.... I shamefully on occassion have enjoyed the song "Naked" by Marques Houston; I don't know why, it just happens.... I also like the Damian Marley "Welcome to Jamrock" - "out in the streets they call it murdaaaaaa!"
People not getting played enough on radio right now: Teedra Moses, Common, and Goapele.
People getting played too damn much: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"; Pretty Ricky, "Grind wit me"; anything by the Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Tony Yayo (what kinda' stupid name is that), and Young Jeezy.
-----
So I'm trying to listen to radio a little more the last couple of weeks, for the purpose of staying slightly relevant.
Okay, I still don't like this Mike Jones brother.... I'm not a fan of Young Jeezy, though the song he does with Jay-Z is pretty tight.
Will someone stop all these people who have the word "Lil'" as part of their names: Lil' Scrappy, Li'l Wayne, Lil' Jon - It gets on my damn nerves. Basically, if you have "Lil'" attached to your name, you're likely to suck. I think that 's the real reason Bow Wow cut that from his name.
Speaking of Bow Wow - okay, I have to admit I kind of like that song with Ciara, "Like You." It's a cute song, and I like the way they do the hook, even though it sounds like they mumble it all the way through.
I'm feeling that Teiarra Marie joint.... The two songs I've heard from Bobby Valentino sound the same, but I can't say I don't turn up the radio when I hear either of them.... I shamefully on occassion have enjoyed the song "Naked" by Marques Houston; I don't know why, it just happens.... I also like the Damian Marley "Welcome to Jamrock" - "out in the streets they call it murdaaaaaa!"
People not getting played enough on radio right now: Teedra Moses, Common, and Goapele.
People getting played too damn much: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"; Pretty Ricky, "Grind wit me"; anything by the Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Tony Yayo (what kinda' stupid name is that), and Young Jeezy.
Still Jobless and other going-ons...
Sooooooo... Still ain't got a job. Can't even seem to get an interview. But it has only been two weeks. Still, Juris doctorate and still jobless... makes me listen to Kanye West's "College Dropout" CD with a whole new energy.
Y'all, if I end up at the Cheesecake Factory as "a mutha-f%@*in' waiter there," than I have truly slipped.
-----------
So, last week had to be the most rollercoaster-like week I have ever had.
A friend, who I thought I was losing, was actually happy to hear from me when I called last Wednesday. It was great. We had a good little conversation. She told me she had been meaning to call me and I told her I missed her ("Awww, you're so sweet.").
But then I received a call that same day that made the whole week go to garbage. Another friend of mine called me late that night crying. She asked if she could stay with me for the night. Now this seemed very strange since she had an apartment and she also had a fiance who she could stay with. So, of course all types of things are running into your head - was she hurt? did someone break into her apartment? did her fiance hit her? By the time I asked her what had happened she decided that she should not stay with me for fear that she would get in my way. I begged her to stay with me (note: I have never begged a woman to stay in my home ever before; even better note: I have never had a woman call me asking to stay the night with me), but she said no, she didn't want to inconvenience me. Then she hung up on me. I haven't heard from her since.
I have never felt so useless and helpless in my life. Here is my friend, in need of help, and I can't help her. That is not a good feeling. I'm really worried about her. I hope I hear from her soon.
What a bad week....
Y'all, if I end up at the Cheesecake Factory as "a mutha-f%@*in' waiter there," than I have truly slipped.
-----------
So, last week had to be the most rollercoaster-like week I have ever had.
A friend, who I thought I was losing, was actually happy to hear from me when I called last Wednesday. It was great. We had a good little conversation. She told me she had been meaning to call me and I told her I missed her ("Awww, you're so sweet.").
But then I received a call that same day that made the whole week go to garbage. Another friend of mine called me late that night crying. She asked if she could stay with me for the night. Now this seemed very strange since she had an apartment and she also had a fiance who she could stay with. So, of course all types of things are running into your head - was she hurt? did someone break into her apartment? did her fiance hit her? By the time I asked her what had happened she decided that she should not stay with me for fear that she would get in my way. I begged her to stay with me (note: I have never begged a woman to stay in my home ever before; even better note: I have never had a woman call me asking to stay the night with me), but she said no, she didn't want to inconvenience me. Then she hung up on me. I haven't heard from her since.
I have never felt so useless and helpless in my life. Here is my friend, in need of help, and I can't help her. That is not a good feeling. I'm really worried about her. I hope I hear from her soon.
What a bad week....
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Finding a J-O-B
You know what, it never amazes me that finding a job can be very difficult when you need it the most. How do people find work these days?!
Clearly, that "it's who you know" idea is really true.
I've gotten so desperate that I have applied for a job with BET... BET... goddamn BET!!!
Clearly, that "it's who you know" idea is really true.
I've gotten so desperate that I have applied for a job with BET... BET... goddamn BET!!!
Friday, August 05, 2005
Michael Jackson Racism?
Michael Jackson racism rears its head in Georgia
Date: Monday, August 01, 2005By: EURweb.com
"Is Michael Jackson not guilty because he is a nigger or [because he has] money?"
This statement appears on a sign that greets patrons outside a bar in Paulding County, GA. The owner, Patrick Lanzo, says the First Amendment protects his right to have the sign up. The NAACP quickly pounced on Lanzo, launching a petition to urge District Attorney Drew Lane to enact legislation that would force the sign’s removal.
“The sign is racist, hateful, and disrespectful, not only to the African American community, but to all of us who cherish equity and unity in our one human race,” reads a statement accompanying the online petition. “In addition to that, the sign is also a direct slander of Mr. Michael Jackson. No American should have to feel offended, or threatened as they travel through, or within, your county.”
Lanzo, who has a number of racist images in his Georgia Peach Museum bar (including cartoons of Klan members lounging on lynched black men and items disparaging Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), has been putting up signs for the past 10 years that pose questions about celebrities in the headlines. When asked why he chose to use the N-word on the sign, he said: “Because it’s my choice of word.”
====================================
Clearly, this is crazy. And people wonder why I always say that Michael Jackson cannot stop being Black just because he's pale. It's because of stuff like this. I would love to roll up into this bar with about 60 angry Black people and see how brave Mr. Lanzo would be then.
Anyway, I'm glad I'm not in Georgia... I might be tempted to burn some stuff down.
Date: Monday, August 01, 2005By: EURweb.com
"Is Michael Jackson not guilty because he is a nigger or [because he has] money?"
This statement appears on a sign that greets patrons outside a bar in Paulding County, GA. The owner, Patrick Lanzo, says the First Amendment protects his right to have the sign up. The NAACP quickly pounced on Lanzo, launching a petition to urge District Attorney Drew Lane to enact legislation that would force the sign’s removal.
“The sign is racist, hateful, and disrespectful, not only to the African American community, but to all of us who cherish equity and unity in our one human race,” reads a statement accompanying the online petition. “In addition to that, the sign is also a direct slander of Mr. Michael Jackson. No American should have to feel offended, or threatened as they travel through, or within, your county.”
Lanzo, who has a number of racist images in his Georgia Peach Museum bar (including cartoons of Klan members lounging on lynched black men and items disparaging Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), has been putting up signs for the past 10 years that pose questions about celebrities in the headlines. When asked why he chose to use the N-word on the sign, he said: “Because it’s my choice of word.”
====================================
Clearly, this is crazy. And people wonder why I always say that Michael Jackson cannot stop being Black just because he's pale. It's because of stuff like this. I would love to roll up into this bar with about 60 angry Black people and see how brave Mr. Lanzo would be then.
Anyway, I'm glad I'm not in Georgia... I might be tempted to burn some stuff down.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
What's up with music these days?
Why is music so bad? If you listen to the radio these days, all that is on is stupidity. From Mike Jones to Lil Jon, it's all bad.
A friend of mine from the south asked me if I was one of those people from the north who didn't like southern rappers because they "are making all the money."
First of all, I could care less if southern rappers are making money. Of course they're making money, people will invest in crappy music because it apparently sells. I mean think about it, music that promotes ignorance (particularly in hip hop) seems to be on the top of the charts. But is that because people like crap, or is it because crap is easier to listen to, because you don't have to think about it too hard. I mean, when you listen to Talib Kweli or Dead Prez or The Roots or Common, you actually have to think. When you listen to the Ying Yang Twins, there is not much cerebral activity necessary.
Secondly, even if bad music was being made in the north (which there is too - 50 Cent, for example), I wouldn't support it either. If the music is stupid, I'm gonna say its stupid, can you dig it?
There needs to be better music for people to listen to. Some of this stuff is almost like poison to the mind.
A friend of mine from the south asked me if I was one of those people from the north who didn't like southern rappers because they "are making all the money."
First of all, I could care less if southern rappers are making money. Of course they're making money, people will invest in crappy music because it apparently sells. I mean think about it, music that promotes ignorance (particularly in hip hop) seems to be on the top of the charts. But is that because people like crap, or is it because crap is easier to listen to, because you don't have to think about it too hard. I mean, when you listen to Talib Kweli or Dead Prez or The Roots or Common, you actually have to think. When you listen to the Ying Yang Twins, there is not much cerebral activity necessary.
Secondly, even if bad music was being made in the north (which there is too - 50 Cent, for example), I wouldn't support it either. If the music is stupid, I'm gonna say its stupid, can you dig it?
There needs to be better music for people to listen to. Some of this stuff is almost like poison to the mind.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Now That the Bar Exam is Done...
... it's time to get back to the stuff that has been on my mind the last couple of months.
1) There has been a lot of talk about relieving Africa's debt. The G8 conference apparently came up with a plan to relieve much of the debt owed by the African continent. Unfortunately, the agreement is laced with incentives for "Western" countries, not Africa. But, I guess that is to be expected.
2) I never really liked Sandra Day O'Connor (first female on U.S. Supreme Court), but dangit, I kind of regret that she is leaving, given the replacement that "country-bumkin Bush" picked as her replacement.
3) On a lighter note, I heard about The Fugees performing on the BET Awards. The world would a better place if The Fugees got back together... Well, at least Lauryn Hill and Wyclef. Pras is just "collateral."
4) Did you here about the department store in France that didn't let Oprah Winfrey in the store? Oprah said that she had a "Crash" experience. "Crash" is a movie that came out a couple of months ago about race relations in Los Angeles (my man Don Cheadle starred in it.). Anyway, it's funny how you can be the richest woman in the world and still be reminded that your just a nappy-headed little Black girl from the south. I do think there are much worse things happening to Black people in this world that makes Oprah's incident of not being let into a store that was a few minutes from closing look... well... unimportant. I know, I know, hell would freeze over the day something that happened to Oprah would be unimportant....
5) Oh, I have to openly admit to all of you... I, too was happy that Michael Jackson was freed. And yes, I have no shame. Another thing to anger Oprah ;-)
6) What the hell is up with Mike Tyson? It seems his career is over, but he still has to fight because he's millions of dollars in debt. Pitiful.
7) I'm sure the people in London are not too excited about using the subway nowadays. It is crazy that something like that could happen twice within two weeks. And now they're doing "random" checks of people's bags in New York. This is a scary new world we're living in.
8) Condoleezza Rice has created an interesting dilemna for me. It has been rumored that she might run for president in one of the next two elections. Now, I never thought that I would be thinking about voting AGAINST a Black woman presidential candidate, but anyone who is that loyal to Bush and his kin, is not ideal for me. I do think if she were to win, the Republican Party would get a surprise - Condoleezza gettin' "street" on Karl Rove. ;-)
9) Why is McDonalds working so hard to be "hip"? They are spending millions of dollars to have new commercials geared towards the hip hop community, as well as having urban fashion designers design the new McDonalds uniforms. Is this just another attempt to make young Black and Latino people fat, diabetic, and hypertensive?
10) On a sad note, two people who I went to school with were murdered within a month of each other - Elton (Howard University School of Law) on June 3rd, and Jamal (Syracuse University) on July 2nd. The similarities are that they were both killed in Black neighborhoods for NO DAMN REASON! I'm tired, and not tired in the Bill Cosby way. I'm tired because we just don't seem to learn.
Bill Cosby (and others) walk and talk about how Black people need to do this and that; and Black parents need to do this and that. Don't you think that Elton and Jamal's parents tried to do everything for them to make sure they walked a straight path? Do you think that they raised their children to go to college, and in Elton's case go to law school, to get shot and killed? -No. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad parenting going on, but it's more than the parents, it's us. It's what we're doing and not doing in this world that allows our community to go to waste.
I've used this quote before, but it is even more relevant now -
"I laugh when I hear people say that it is the parents who are to blame. It’s not the parents, it’s the society, stupid (emphasis added). The society with its venal, backward, and predatory values. This is what must be changed.” - Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)
Just some stuff I had on my mind...
"I'm Back!"
1) There has been a lot of talk about relieving Africa's debt. The G8 conference apparently came up with a plan to relieve much of the debt owed by the African continent. Unfortunately, the agreement is laced with incentives for "Western" countries, not Africa. But, I guess that is to be expected.
2) I never really liked Sandra Day O'Connor (first female on U.S. Supreme Court), but dangit, I kind of regret that she is leaving, given the replacement that "country-bumkin Bush" picked as her replacement.
3) On a lighter note, I heard about The Fugees performing on the BET Awards. The world would a better place if The Fugees got back together... Well, at least Lauryn Hill and Wyclef. Pras is just "collateral."
4) Did you here about the department store in France that didn't let Oprah Winfrey in the store? Oprah said that she had a "Crash" experience. "Crash" is a movie that came out a couple of months ago about race relations in Los Angeles (my man Don Cheadle starred in it.). Anyway, it's funny how you can be the richest woman in the world and still be reminded that your just a nappy-headed little Black girl from the south. I do think there are much worse things happening to Black people in this world that makes Oprah's incident of not being let into a store that was a few minutes from closing look... well... unimportant. I know, I know, hell would freeze over the day something that happened to Oprah would be unimportant....
5) Oh, I have to openly admit to all of you... I, too was happy that Michael Jackson was freed. And yes, I have no shame. Another thing to anger Oprah ;-)
6) What the hell is up with Mike Tyson? It seems his career is over, but he still has to fight because he's millions of dollars in debt. Pitiful.
7) I'm sure the people in London are not too excited about using the subway nowadays. It is crazy that something like that could happen twice within two weeks. And now they're doing "random" checks of people's bags in New York. This is a scary new world we're living in.
8) Condoleezza Rice has created an interesting dilemna for me. It has been rumored that she might run for president in one of the next two elections. Now, I never thought that I would be thinking about voting AGAINST a Black woman presidential candidate, but anyone who is that loyal to Bush and his kin, is not ideal for me. I do think if she were to win, the Republican Party would get a surprise - Condoleezza gettin' "street" on Karl Rove. ;-)
9) Why is McDonalds working so hard to be "hip"? They are spending millions of dollars to have new commercials geared towards the hip hop community, as well as having urban fashion designers design the new McDonalds uniforms. Is this just another attempt to make young Black and Latino people fat, diabetic, and hypertensive?
10) On a sad note, two people who I went to school with were murdered within a month of each other - Elton (Howard University School of Law) on June 3rd, and Jamal (Syracuse University) on July 2nd. The similarities are that they were both killed in Black neighborhoods for NO DAMN REASON! I'm tired, and not tired in the Bill Cosby way. I'm tired because we just don't seem to learn.
Bill Cosby (and others) walk and talk about how Black people need to do this and that; and Black parents need to do this and that. Don't you think that Elton and Jamal's parents tried to do everything for them to make sure they walked a straight path? Do you think that they raised their children to go to college, and in Elton's case go to law school, to get shot and killed? -No. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of bad parenting going on, but it's more than the parents, it's us. It's what we're doing and not doing in this world that allows our community to go to waste.
I've used this quote before, but it is even more relevant now -
"I laugh when I hear people say that it is the parents who are to blame. It’s not the parents, it’s the society, stupid (emphasis added). The society with its venal, backward, and predatory values. This is what must be changed.” - Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)
Just some stuff I had on my mind...
"I'm Back!"
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Monday, July 11, 2005
15 Days till the Bar Exam
The countdown till showtime is starting to begin and I'm partly excited and partly nervous. I don't know what awaits, but it seems like I am in that Bar exam brain cramp mode, which might be a good thing because now I feel like a person who is about to take one of the most important test in my life. It will be interesting, because so much is riding on this. I need to stay focused and patient, but I am also eager for this to get over with so I can resume a normal existence.
Anyway, I hope I'll survive the craziness over the next couple of weeks - "the time for trying to be cute has ended!"
Anyway, I hope I'll survive the craziness over the next couple of weeks - "the time for trying to be cute has ended!"
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
So, they done freed Michael Jackson
So, this whole Michael Jackson thing has finally ended. All I really want is for MJ to leave the kids alone as far as the sleepovers. It just doesn't look right.
Secondly, I can't say that I wasn't a little happy about Mike being free. I think this case had too many holes in it to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt - the mother lied under oath before, the boy lied under oath before, and the prosecution just could not get anything that related to this case to work for them. Additionally, anytime a famous Black person is on trial there is always some interesting drama surrounding it. I think that folks are never as outraged by white people being acquitted, but Black folks not going to jail gets people up in arms.
This whole case was really freaky. I hope Michael just disappears for a couple of years and stays out of trouble. And then, hopefully, he can make good music again.
Secondly, I can't say that I wasn't a little happy about Mike being free. I think this case had too many holes in it to convict him beyond a reasonable doubt - the mother lied under oath before, the boy lied under oath before, and the prosecution just could not get anything that related to this case to work for them. Additionally, anytime a famous Black person is on trial there is always some interesting drama surrounding it. I think that folks are never as outraged by white people being acquitted, but Black folks not going to jail gets people up in arms.
This whole case was really freaky. I hope Michael just disappears for a couple of years and stays out of trouble. And then, hopefully, he can make good music again.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Who's Revolutionary?
"...I think we need to openly name the dangers of condoning the tendency on the part of a person, or people who relegate themselves the authority and exclusive right not to just define the revolution and its practice, but to determine who is a revolutionary and who isn't..."
- Micere Githae Mugo
- Micere Githae Mugo
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Mexico's President and his remarks about Blacks
Mexico's Fox Defends Comment on Blacks
Source: Associated Press by TRACI CARL 05/16/2005
MEXICO CITY - President Vicente Fox refused to apologize Monday for saying Mexicans in the United States do the work that blacks won't - a comment widely viewed as acceptable in a country where blackface comedy is still considered funny and nicknames often reflect skin color.State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City had raised the issue with the Mexican government. "That's a very insensitive and inappropriate way to phrase this and we would hope that (the Mexicans) would clarify the remarks if they have a chance," Boucher said.Fox's spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, said the remark has been misinterpreted as a racial slur. He said the president was speaking in defense of Mexican migrants as they come under attack by the new U.S. immigration measures that include a wall along the U.S.-California border.
Stung by the U.S. crackdown
on illegal immigrants, many Mexicans - including Mexico City's archbishop - said Fox was just stating a fact."The president was just telling the truth," said Celedonio Gonzalez, a 35-year-old carpenter who worked illegally in Dallas for six months in 2001. "Mexicans go to the United States because they have to. Blacks want to earn better wages, and the Mexican - because he is illegal - takes what they pay him."But the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, two black U.S. civil rights activists, said Fox should apologize. "His statement had the impact of being inciting and divisive," Jackson said.Lisa Catanzarite, a sociologist at Washington State University, disputed Fox's assertion. She said there is intense competition for lucrative working class jobs like construction and that employers usually prefer to hire immigrants who don't know their rights."What Vicente Fox called a willingness to work ... translates into extreme exploitability," she said.
Fox made the comment Friday during a public appearance in Puerto Vallarta, saying: "There's no doubt that Mexican men and women - full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work - are doing the work that not even blacks want to do in the United States."Responding to the criticism Monday, Aguilar read a statement expressing Fox's "enormous respect for minorities, whatever their racial, ethnic or religious origin.""The purpose (of the comment) was none other than to show the importance Mexican workers have today in the development and progress of U.S. society," Aguilar said, repeating a statement released Saturday.He refused to comment further, saying only that Fox would "intensify his diplomatic efforts to protect the integrity of the Mexicans living in that country."The dispute reflects Fox's growing frustration with U.S. immigration policy and deteriorating relations between the two nations.The Mexican government was expected to send a diplomatic letter to the United States on Monday protesting recent measures that include requiring states to verify that people who apply for a driver's license are in the country legally, making it harder for migrants to gain amnesty, and overriding environmental laws to build a barrier along the California border with Mexico.The measures have been widely criticized in Mexico, where residents increasingly see the United States as adopting anti-migrant policies.Even Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the archbishop of Mexico City, criticized the U.S. policy as ridiculous and defended Fox's comments, saying: "The declaration had nothing to do with racism. It is a reality in the United States that anyone can prove."Gilberto Rincon, president of the National Council to Prevent Discrimination, said the statement was "unfortunate." But, speaking after releasing a report on racism in Mexico, he said it reflected outdated language more than a racist attitude.Fox has championed the rights of minorities and the disabled and has led a successful campaign to amend the constitution to make discrimination a crime. George Grayson, a Mexican expert with the College of William & Mary in Virginia, said the dispute will hurt Fox's campaign to liberalize immigration laws, adding that it shows "once again how tone deaf Mexico's president is with respect to the United States."
While Mexico has a few, isolated black communities, the population is dominated by descendants of the country's Spanish colonizers and its native Indians. Comments that would generally be considered openly racist in the United States generate little attention here. One afternoon television program regularly features a comedian in blackface chasing actresses in skimpy outfits, while an advertisement for a small, chocolate pastry called the "negrito" - the little black man - shows a white boy sprouting an afro as he eats the sweet. Many people hand out nicknames based on skin color. Victor Hugo Flores, a 30-year-old bond salesman, cringed when asked what he thought of Fox's comment, but said it isn't too different from popular sayings celebrating what Mexicans see as a strong work ethic among blacks. "It was bad, but it really isn't racist," he said. "Maybe the president shouldn't have said it. But here we say things like, 'He works like a black person,' and it's normal."
___ On the Net: http://envivo.presidencia.gob.mx/?NLangen ___
National Writer Erin Texeira contributed to this story.
==============================
Now, it is always interesting to me when I hear opinions on Black Americans from people from different countries. It always seems to contain some negative ideas that imply Blacks some how being on the bottom of the "racial" and ethnic ladder. The seeds of division that permeate through relations between African and Indigenous people worldwide are amazing to witness. The dissension sprouts so well, that it does not need the "fertilizer" of the Western European world to assist in its growth.
It is unfortunate that Vicente Fox said this, but it is not surprising. Images put out into the rest of the world of Black people are negative, and in many ways have been reinforced by Black people themselves. The fact that Fox thinks that Blacks are so low on the totem pole that only they would even come close to taking the jobs that illegal immigrants are many time forced to take, just shows how Black Americans are regarded in this world. It's terrible, but it is real. Let's get free and let's control and own our image!
Source: Associated Press by TRACI CARL 05/16/2005
MEXICO CITY - President Vicente Fox refused to apologize Monday for saying Mexicans in the United States do the work that blacks won't - a comment widely viewed as acceptable in a country where blackface comedy is still considered funny and nicknames often reflect skin color.State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City had raised the issue with the Mexican government. "That's a very insensitive and inappropriate way to phrase this and we would hope that (the Mexicans) would clarify the remarks if they have a chance," Boucher said.Fox's spokesman, Ruben Aguilar, said the remark has been misinterpreted as a racial slur. He said the president was speaking in defense of Mexican migrants as they come under attack by the new U.S. immigration measures that include a wall along the U.S.-California border.
Stung by the U.S. crackdown
on illegal immigrants, many Mexicans - including Mexico City's archbishop - said Fox was just stating a fact."The president was just telling the truth," said Celedonio Gonzalez, a 35-year-old carpenter who worked illegally in Dallas for six months in 2001. "Mexicans go to the United States because they have to. Blacks want to earn better wages, and the Mexican - because he is illegal - takes what they pay him."But the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, two black U.S. civil rights activists, said Fox should apologize. "His statement had the impact of being inciting and divisive," Jackson said.Lisa Catanzarite, a sociologist at Washington State University, disputed Fox's assertion. She said there is intense competition for lucrative working class jobs like construction and that employers usually prefer to hire immigrants who don't know their rights."What Vicente Fox called a willingness to work ... translates into extreme exploitability," she said.
Fox made the comment Friday during a public appearance in Puerto Vallarta, saying: "There's no doubt that Mexican men and women - full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work - are doing the work that not even blacks want to do in the United States."Responding to the criticism Monday, Aguilar read a statement expressing Fox's "enormous respect for minorities, whatever their racial, ethnic or religious origin.""The purpose (of the comment) was none other than to show the importance Mexican workers have today in the development and progress of U.S. society," Aguilar said, repeating a statement released Saturday.He refused to comment further, saying only that Fox would "intensify his diplomatic efforts to protect the integrity of the Mexicans living in that country."The dispute reflects Fox's growing frustration with U.S. immigration policy and deteriorating relations between the two nations.The Mexican government was expected to send a diplomatic letter to the United States on Monday protesting recent measures that include requiring states to verify that people who apply for a driver's license are in the country legally, making it harder for migrants to gain amnesty, and overriding environmental laws to build a barrier along the California border with Mexico.The measures have been widely criticized in Mexico, where residents increasingly see the United States as adopting anti-migrant policies.Even Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the archbishop of Mexico City, criticized the U.S. policy as ridiculous and defended Fox's comments, saying: "The declaration had nothing to do with racism. It is a reality in the United States that anyone can prove."Gilberto Rincon, president of the National Council to Prevent Discrimination, said the statement was "unfortunate." But, speaking after releasing a report on racism in Mexico, he said it reflected outdated language more than a racist attitude.Fox has championed the rights of minorities and the disabled and has led a successful campaign to amend the constitution to make discrimination a crime. George Grayson, a Mexican expert with the College of William & Mary in Virginia, said the dispute will hurt Fox's campaign to liberalize immigration laws, adding that it shows "once again how tone deaf Mexico's president is with respect to the United States."
While Mexico has a few, isolated black communities, the population is dominated by descendants of the country's Spanish colonizers and its native Indians. Comments that would generally be considered openly racist in the United States generate little attention here. One afternoon television program regularly features a comedian in blackface chasing actresses in skimpy outfits, while an advertisement for a small, chocolate pastry called the "negrito" - the little black man - shows a white boy sprouting an afro as he eats the sweet. Many people hand out nicknames based on skin color. Victor Hugo Flores, a 30-year-old bond salesman, cringed when asked what he thought of Fox's comment, but said it isn't too different from popular sayings celebrating what Mexicans see as a strong work ethic among blacks. "It was bad, but it really isn't racist," he said. "Maybe the president shouldn't have said it. But here we say things like, 'He works like a black person,' and it's normal."
___ On the Net: http://envivo.presidencia.gob.mx/?NLangen ___
National Writer Erin Texeira contributed to this story.
==============================
Now, it is always interesting to me when I hear opinions on Black Americans from people from different countries. It always seems to contain some negative ideas that imply Blacks some how being on the bottom of the "racial" and ethnic ladder. The seeds of division that permeate through relations between African and Indigenous people worldwide are amazing to witness. The dissension sprouts so well, that it does not need the "fertilizer" of the Western European world to assist in its growth.
It is unfortunate that Vicente Fox said this, but it is not surprising. Images put out into the rest of the world of Black people are negative, and in many ways have been reinforced by Black people themselves. The fact that Fox thinks that Blacks are so low on the totem pole that only they would even come close to taking the jobs that illegal immigrants are many time forced to take, just shows how Black Americans are regarded in this world. It's terrible, but it is real. Let's get free and let's control and own our image!
a note on friendship
You know, friendship is a weird thing. It can be very delicate or very strong. I think for some people friendship is about calling each other on the phone everyday, going out with each other every weekend, and stuff like that. But really, isn't friendship more about being counted on when needed. Whether it's the big things or the little things, friends are there when you need them. There was a girl in college who told me that "You're always on time." I guess that's what being a friend is, it's like that damn Ja Rule song, "I'm not always there when you call, but I'm always on time."
Unfortunately, I think I have failed to be "on time" enough for one of my friends... Though she hasn't told me anything, I can feel her slowly drawing away. The funny thing is that when I really needed her I never called on her. Not because I didn't think she would help me, but because she was always my ace in the whole, and I never wanted to bother her with anything trivial because I knew if I needed anyone for a big favor, she would be the first person I knew would come through for me. It is actually kind of weird when you think about it. I probably value her friendship the most of any person I have met the last three years or so, yet I may lose her friendship so quickly.
I guess that is just another lesson in life...
Unfortunately, I think I have failed to be "on time" enough for one of my friends... Though she hasn't told me anything, I can feel her slowly drawing away. The funny thing is that when I really needed her I never called on her. Not because I didn't think she would help me, but because she was always my ace in the whole, and I never wanted to bother her with anything trivial because I knew if I needed anyone for a big favor, she would be the first person I knew would come through for me. It is actually kind of weird when you think about it. I probably value her friendship the most of any person I have met the last three years or so, yet I may lose her friendship so quickly.
I guess that is just another lesson in life...
"I Am Africa"
For every poem, or anything else I write, there is always a story behind it. This poem, "I Am Africa," comes from the different experiences and conversations I have had with people. Now, a lot of times when a person like myself is very self-affirming, as far as culturally and consciously, there is a tendency to romanticize the African continent. I would hope that this poem does not do that, but does justice to our cultural roots.
I Am Africa (I Am The Motherland)
I am...I am the mother...I am the mother of existence...Of Civilization.My children are kissed by the sun...Caressed by beauty.Yet many of my children fail to acknowledge me.
I am Africa
I am the motherland.I was the mother even when I was... Named something else... Before someone decided to call me Africa. My children are spread all over the world.And they crossed oceans before anyone else ever crossed them. Explored valleys before anyone else ever explored them.Created what no one else could ever create. But my children were never rewarded.Many of my children were ripped away from me. Locked, chained, sold, tortured, raped, and executed...For profit. Robbed, massacred, exploited, exiled, imprisoned, and disenfranchised... For the sake of "manifest destiny."Some of my children even helped in the terror.And they don`t remember...They can`t. My children have been conditioned to forget...Taught to vilify me. Many of those who have been reminded, don`t want to remember.But I am still The Mother.The Olmecs (Ulmecs), the Mayans, the Aztecs, the Incas, Teotihuacan, Yoruba, Ibo (Igbo), Bantu, Berber, Nilotes, "the Aborigines."(My children)Haiti to Mali, and Nigeria to New York, and Grenada to Ghana.From South Carolina to South Africa.From Cuba to the Congo.Mexico to Mozambique. California to Cameroon.Massachusetts to Madagascar. Libya to Louisiana.Brazil to Botswana. Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic to Ethiopia and Sierra Leone.Jamaica to Kenya. From D.C. to Guinea. Tunisia to Tennessee. Belize to Benin.Ecuador to Egypt... Yes, Egypt, too. I am the Mother, the Father, the Children. I am the roots of humanity.
I AM AFRICA!
2003 J.A.G. & Eastside Productions (c) Black/Latino/Aboriginal Thoughts Unlimited (c)
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
My Last Will and Testament for HUSL 2005
I leave my hope for the future of the law school to Angela A. (Class of 2007) – thank you Angie for reminding me of why I came to the HUSL – you are special! Always keep me in touch. I bequeath “my office” (the Rhatt) to Keitha J, Princess W (both Class of 2006) and Rosalyn R; please cherish it in all your days here.
To Yaida (What up, Yai?!), I leave a big pot of Jerk Chicken (smile) – You have been a true blessing this last year; you are an embodiment of grace. To my favorite Scorpio home girl, Shayla S, I bequeath those weird chairs in Classroom 3 that had us attached like Siamese twins during Sales – thanks for everything you’ve done for me – I’m sure we were twins in a previous life.
To Lisa, Tiffany, Monika, Jeremy, and Liz, I leave a gold plated replica of our table in the Rhatt during our first year… those were the days… I have a lot of love for y’all.
To Raina J (Class of 2006), I leave the gifts and virtues of PATIENCE and POSITIVITY, and I promise to cook dinner for you on your next birthday if you promise to add more food to your diet – you were a great adopted mentee; I luv ya, “Rains.”
To my closest buddies, Kayonia and Alexei, thanks for the great times filled with music, love and food – we were an interesting trio (the cynical Russian, the Afro-centric radical, and the choir director); love you both. Kayonia, you are the dearest person I have ever met; thanks for always looking out for me.
To Joel B, thanks for the laughs and insight, brother; take care of your beautiful daughter.
To Professor Dark, I leave you your very own video projector to do PowerPoint presentations so your lesson plans are never spoiled again; thanks for everything in helping me become a better student.
To Onjil, thanks for allowing me to be your confidant in all things – don’t turn the page without me being in the next chapter – you know what I mean.
To Section 3, much Love!
To the men and women of Class of 2006, 2007, and 2008, I leave LOVE – Love each other, love with each other, love for each other – we will not progress as a community if we are at each other’s throats.
- Jason Grant
To Yaida (What up, Yai?!), I leave a big pot of Jerk Chicken (smile) – You have been a true blessing this last year; you are an embodiment of grace. To my favorite Scorpio home girl, Shayla S, I bequeath those weird chairs in Classroom 3 that had us attached like Siamese twins during Sales – thanks for everything you’ve done for me – I’m sure we were twins in a previous life.
To Lisa, Tiffany, Monika, Jeremy, and Liz, I leave a gold plated replica of our table in the Rhatt during our first year… those were the days… I have a lot of love for y’all.
To Raina J (Class of 2006), I leave the gifts and virtues of PATIENCE and POSITIVITY, and I promise to cook dinner for you on your next birthday if you promise to add more food to your diet – you were a great adopted mentee; I luv ya, “Rains.”
To my closest buddies, Kayonia and Alexei, thanks for the great times filled with music, love and food – we were an interesting trio (the cynical Russian, the Afro-centric radical, and the choir director); love you both. Kayonia, you are the dearest person I have ever met; thanks for always looking out for me.
To Joel B, thanks for the laughs and insight, brother; take care of your beautiful daughter.
To Professor Dark, I leave you your very own video projector to do PowerPoint presentations so your lesson plans are never spoiled again; thanks for everything in helping me become a better student.
To Onjil, thanks for allowing me to be your confidant in all things – don’t turn the page without me being in the next chapter – you know what I mean.
To Section 3, much Love!
To the men and women of Class of 2006, 2007, and 2008, I leave LOVE – Love each other, love with each other, love for each other – we will not progress as a community if we are at each other’s throats.
- Jason Grant
Monday, May 16, 2005
Graduating from law school
So, I just graduated from law school and it's crazy that I am actually a juris doctorate. It feels kind of weird; it hasn't even really set in yet. I'm still getting used to not doing anything for a couple of days. My graduation was really lovely, and I'm glad that I will have such great memories from it all.
Now the key for me is the bar exam and finding what will be my passion for my career. It's crazy, I've been in school for the last 20 years of my life, and now I almost don't know what to do with myself. But "whatever it is, it's got to be funky."
Now the key for me is the bar exam and finding what will be my passion for my career. It's crazy, I've been in school for the last 20 years of my life, and now I almost don't know what to do with myself. But "whatever it is, it's got to be funky."
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