http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 28, 2013
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Fear
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 27, 2013
An Evening of Music, Poetry & Prose @ MDC, North
In
celebration of Black History Month, the English and College Prep Departments, Miami
Dade College, North Campus, in association with the Black History Month
Committee, present an evening of music poetry and prose at the William Lehman
Theater at 6:00—8:00 p. m. on February 28, 2013. The featured performers
include Emmanuel Aderele, Preston Allen, Alexis Caputo, Kiki Sanchez, Donna Aza Weir-Soley,
Malachi Smith, Joseph McNair, Sound Theory, and Charles
Austin.
“It will
an evening of celebrating the resilience, beauty, and joy in the contributions
of some of the most exciting artists working here in Miami,” said Professor
Geoffrey Philp, chair of the College Prep Department. "The concert promises to
be one of the most exciting events that we have hosted during Black History
Month.”
MDC,
North Campus Black History Month Committee presents “An Evening of Music,
Poetry and Prose.”
WHEN:
Thursday, Feb. 28, 6:00 PM – 8 PM
WHERE: MDC North Campus – Lehman Theatre, Room
5120 11380 N.W. 27 Ave.
Admission is free.
For more information, please contact Professor
Geoffrey Philp at 305.237.1267
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Economics
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 26, 2013
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Duty
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 25, 2013
Black History Month; John Edgar Wideman
February 22, 2013
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Destiny
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 21, 2013
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Chance
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
Bob Marley: "Overcome the devils with a thing called love."
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
Free Valentine's Day Ebook from Peepal Tree Press
Peepal Tree Press has a belated Valentine's Day gift for poetry lovers--a FREE ebook available in EPUB (iPad, Nook, Kobo and Adobe Digital Editions) MOBI (Kindle), and PDF formats.
Poems for Valentine's Day includes the work of contemporary Caribbean poets, many of whom have been featured on this blog:
Opal Palmer Adisa
Edward Baugh
Jacqueline Bishop
Christian Campbell
Kwame Dawes
Marcia Douglas
Kendel Hippolyte
Lelawattee Manoo-Rahming
Shara Mccallum
Mark Mcwatt
Geoffrey Philp
Velma Pollard
Jennifer Rahim
Dennis Scott
Tanya Shirley
Dorothea Smartt
Ralph Thompson
Aza Weir‐Soley
Here's the link:
Enjoy!
February 20, 2013
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Boundaries
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 19, 2013
A Marcus Garvey Primer: Ambition
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 14, 2013
RETHINKING GARVEYISM IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
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The overwhelming support of President Barack Obama by the Black community in the recent presidential election demonstrates the necessity of continuing Marcus Garvey's legacy. On February 14, 2013 at the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center, Professor Geoffrey Philp will explore Garvey's personal and communal values in “Rethinking Garveyism in the Twenty-First Century." The presentation will culminate in a call to action for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey.
"In a time of climate change and other vexing social issues, many have questioned the relevance of exonerating a man who has been dead for almost seventy years," said Professor Philp. "My answer remains the same. Values. Everything begins with how we think about ourselves and our community. Garveyism changes how we think about ourselves and our community. At every juncture of Black history in the Americas whenever the values that Garvey espoused, RESPECT (Redemption, Education, Self-Reliance, Purpose, Economics, Community, and Tradition) have been embraced, we have experienced a renaissance."
“This discussion underscores what the Entrepreneurial Education Center is all about and highlights the work of two of our country’s most important leaders – Marcus Garvey and his “mentor” Booker T. Washington," said H. Leigh Toney, Executive Director of the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center. "Garvey’s vision of an educated, self-reliant and entrepreneurial black community remains a critical aspect of our work today.”
February 14, 2013
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center
6300 NW 7th Avenue
Miami, FL 33150
After the presentation, there will be a Q&A session. The lecture is free and open to the public.
###
The Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center (EEC) is a major outreach center of Miami-Dade College North Campus, founded in 1989. The mission of Miami-Dade College is to provide accessible, affordable, high quality education by keeping the learner's needs at the center of decision-making and working in partnership with its dynamic, multicultural community. The MEEC Center’s supports this mission in addition to our specialized focus on entrepreneurship, economic and community development.
H. Leigh Toney is the Executive Director of The Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education Center .
Geoffrey Philp is a poet and fiction writer who teaches English at Miami Dade College, where he also chairs the College Preparatory Department. He is the spokesperson for the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey.
***
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 11, 2013
Sinead O'Connor Supports the Petition to Exonerate Marcus Garvey
A few months ago, I received an email from Sinead O’Connor who wanted to help with the petition to exonerate Marcus Garvey. At first, I thought it was a hoax, but after exchanging several emails and checking the signatures, I realized that it was the real Sinead.
Today, she has posted the link in support of the petition:
One Love
***
http://www.causes.com/actions/1722148-urge-congress-to-exonerate-civil-rights-leader-marcus-garvey
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
http://signon.org/sign/exonerate-marcus-garvey?source=c.url&r_by=4631897
Thank you for your support.
February 6, 2013
Happy Earth Strong, Brother Bob!
Happy Birthday, Brother Bob.
As a special tribute, here are my Top Ten posts on Bob Marley:
Man Up! 5 Lessons on Manhood from Bob Marley's Music
The Day the One-Drop Ended
What Can Bob Marley Teach Bloggers?
"Could you be Loved?": Human and Divine Love
Bob Marley and the Hero's Journey
“So Jah Seh”: Telling I-Story Inna Babylon
“Get up, Stand Up”: The Noble Truth of Rastafari
Bob Marley and the Seven Chakras
The Meaning(s) of Bob Marley's Songs
Meeting Bob
Enjoy!
***
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
KICKOFF FOR "RESPECT GARVEY" CAMPAIGN
KICKOFF FOR "RESPECT
GARVEY" CAMPAIGN
Miami, Florida
(February 4, 2013)—As part of their Black History Month education series, on
Thursday, February 7, 2013, the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey
will kickoff the first phase of the "RESPECT Garvey" campaign with
memorable quotes of Marcus Garvey on their web site, Exonerate Marcus Garvey.
The daily quotes, culled from The
Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, will highlight the values that
Garvey espoused throughout his career: Redemption, Education, Self-Reliance, Purpose,
Economics, Community; Tradition.
The series, which
includes a lecture by Professor Geoffrey Philp, "Rethinking
Garveyism in the Twenty-First Century," at the Carrie P. Meek Entrepreneurial Education
Center on February 14, 2013,
from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., will culminate in a call to action for a
petition to exonerate the Right Honorable Marcus Garvey, Jamaica's First
National Hero:
To: Frederica Wilson, Congressional
Representative and the Congress of the United States of America
###
For further information about the RESPECT Garvey campaign, visit the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus
Garvey's web site at exoneratemarcusgarvey.blogspot.com
or call (786)-556-7192.
***
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
February 5, 2013
Marcus Garvey: Confidence
CONFIDENCE
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
February 4, 2013
Marcus Garvey on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM)
The
principal aim of Marcus Garvey's foundation, The Universal Negro Improvement
Association, was Black upliftment through education. In his travels through
North, Central, and South America, Garvey witnessed the effects on his people,
who had accepted the racist meme that Black people were "lazy, ignorant,
and shiftless." In his lectures, he had to remind his audiences about the
great civilizations of Africa that had excelled in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM).
Seventy-three
years after Garvey's death, the effects of those crippling, racist ideas have
not been eradicated. Many of our young people still believe that they are
genetically incapable of excelling in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art,
and Mathematics (STEAM).
But Garvey
knew better. Here are a few selected quotes from his writings:
"Africa
was peopled with a race of cultured black men, who were masters in art, science
and literature; men who were cultured and refined; men who, it was said, were
like the gods. Even the great poets of old sang in beautiful sonnets of the
delight it afforded the gods to be in companionship with the Ethiopians."
"This
race of ours gave civilization, gave art, gave science; gave literature to the
world. But it has been the way with races and nations. The one race stands out
prominently in the one century or in the one age; and in another century or age
it passes off the stage of action, and another race takes its place. The Negro
once occupied a high position in the world, scientifically, artistically and
commercially, but in the balancing of the great scale of evolution, we lost our
place and someone, other than ourselves occupies the stand we once held."
"The
power and sway we once held passed away, but now in the twentieth century we
are about to see a return of it in the rebuilding of Africa; yes, a new
civilization, a new culture, shall spring up from among our people, and the
Nile shall once more flow through the land of science, of art, and of
literature, wherein will live black men of the highest learning and the highest
accomplishments."
"3,000
years ago black men excelled in government and were the founders and teachers
of art, science and literature. The power and sway we once held passed away,
but now in the twentieth century we are about to see a return of it in the
rebuilding of Africa; yes, a new civilization, a new culture, shall spring up
from among our people, and the Nile shall once more flow through the land of
science, of art, and of literature, wherein will live black men of the highest
learning and the highest accomplishments."
"No
Negro, let him be American, European, West Indian or African, shall be truly
respected until the race as a whole has emancipated itself, through
self-achievement and progress, from universal prejudice. The Negro will have to
build his own government, industry, art, science, literature and culture,
before the world will stop to consider him. Until then, we are but wards of a
superior race and civilization, and the outcasts of a standard social
system."
The race
needs workers at this time, not plagiarists, copyists and mere imitators; but
men and women who are able to create, to originate and improve, and thus make
an independent racial contribution to the world and civilization."
"During
the last century, a mighty revolution of mind has been made in the civilized
world. Its effects are gradually disclosing themselves, and gradually improving
the condition of the human race. The eyes of all nations are turned on these
United States, for here that great movement was commenced. Africa, like a
bereaved mother, holds out her hands to America, and implores you to send back
her exiled children. Does not Africa merit much at the hands of other nations?
Almost 4,000 years ago, she, from the then rich store house of her genius and
labor, sent out to them science, and arts and letters, laws and
civilization."
"The
hope of the Black race lies in our new blood -- the New Negro -- who is already
rising to the heights of nationhood. He is the man of the future. By science,
art, history, politics, industry and religion, he will rise above his
environments and in another hundred years shall have laid the pillars of the greatest
civilization the world ever saw."
"Every
student of Political Science, every student of Economics knows, that the race
can only be saved through a solid industrial foundation. That the race can only
be saved through political independence. Take away industry from a race; take
away political freedom from a race, and you have a group of slaves."
"It is
the commercial and financial power of the United States of America that makes
her the greatest banker in the world. Hence it is advisable for the Negro to
get power of every kind. POWER in education, science, industry, politics and
higher government."
Garvey, Amy
J., ed. The Philosophy and Opinions of
Marcus Garvey. Dover: The Majority Press, 1986. Print.
"When
I undertook the responsibility of projecting big commercial corporations the
same Negroes used the force of government to smash me. They could not
understand that the future, which is part of today, calls for the preparation
of the race to meet scientific competition whether on the battlefield, in the
laboratory or other walks of life"
Clarke,
John H., ed. Marcus Garvey and the Vision
of Africa. Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1974. Print.
Let's remind
our children each day about the work of Marcus Garvey, a visionary leader and
educator, who appreciated the value of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art,
and Mathematics (STEAM) and urged his people to excel in these disciplines.
***
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
February 3, 2013
That Funny VW Ad
By now nearly everyone on the planet has
seen that VW ad:
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding
this ad. NY Times's Charles Blow weighed in on the Jamaican accent with charges
of racism and “Blackface with voices.” This was countered on CNN by Roland Martin, Erin Burnett and Reihan Salam who disagreed and cited the island’s
racial demographics.
I thought
it was hilarious that Erin Burnett was left speechless for a few minutes, and blurted
out that Roland Martin and Reihan Salam were “men of color.”
Finally, members
of the Jamaican government came to VW’s rescue by saying that the ad wasn’tracist. For my Jamaican challenged readers of the American persuasion, that’s
like Republicans and Democrats agreeing on motherhood and apple pie.
All I can
say that I was not offended by the VW ad. When I first saw the ad, I laughed my
ass off. When I watched it again, I realized it was a very smart ad. Very smart.
Through the images and dialogue, it equated the pinnacle of happiness with
being Jamaican.
Happiness=
Jamaican
And who
can argue with that?
Then,
using the only metaphor that Americans can equate with being happy (other than being
a Jamaican or trying to talk like one) the ad makers substituted driving a VW. It's the next best thing.
Happiness
is being Jamaican
Jamaicans
(or fake ones) drive VWs
Happiness
is driving a VW
BTW, even
the great Bob Marley who sang, “I’m a happy inside all, all of the time,” in "Satisfy
my Soul,” drove a VW.
It’s the
happiness bug.
Marcus Garvey: Success
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
February 2, 2013
Marcus Garvey: Preparedness
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
February 1, 2013
African-American History Month 2013
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The flag of the The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL) will be sprouting ubiquitously all over these United States during African-American History Month without the mention that the founder of the UNIA-ACL, Marcus Garvey, is still considered a criminal by the US Justice Department.
Talk about knowing your history!
"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and
culture is like a tree without roots." ~ Marcus Garvey.
culture is like a tree without roots." ~ Marcus Garvey.
***
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is
petitioning Frederica Wilson, Congressional Representative and the Congress of
the United States of America for the exoneration of Marcus Garvey:
We are also petitioning President Barack Obama to
exonerate Marcus Garvey:
Thank you for your support.
Book Review: A Question of Freedom by R. Dwayne Betts
Why Did You Do It, Son?
Forget Stephen King! As a father and mentor, A Question of Freedom by R. Dwayne Betts is the scariest book I’ve read in a long time. Part cautionary tale, part story of redemption, A Question of Freedom is a riveting memoir about “a moment of insanity” that resulted in a nine year prison sentence for the author in the Virginia penal system.
The memoir starts with the poem “Shahid
Reads His Own Palms,” written by Betts, which makes it immediately clear that
the author possesses a keen literary imagination. Then, the first chapter, ”Thirty
Minutes,” describes his arrest and descent into prison life in chilling
detail. From his dehumanizing entry into
prison life, “My state number. It was a five digit number I soon learned meant
more than my name,” we witness the author, who was sixteen at the time of his
arrest, beginning his adaption to his changed circumstances:
On my lips and in
my head was the start of a new language defined by the way words changed
meanings, all because I’d decided to make a man a victim. New words like inmate, state number and juvenile certification had crept into my
vocabulary (6).
A far cry from when he was taking cases
such as “Pre-calculus, physics, honors English, AP U.S. history, French 4 and
computer math” as an honors student and class treasurer at Suitland High School
(55).
With no prior arrests or any trouble with
the law, Betts is transformed from a sixteen year old kid who wears glasses
(and braces for Chrissakes!) into a “menace to society.” The presiding judge tells
him, “I don’t have any illusions that the penitentiary is going to help you,
but you can get something out of it if you want to” (79).
As he continues his journey through the
penal system, the facts surrounding his case are revealed. Betts was arrested
for carjacking: “Which is the stupidest crime you can commit. There’s no money
in it. Just glorified joyriding” (201). This is not the only twist in his
story:
Two years before my
crime I read Nathan McCall’s Makes Me
Wanna Holler, the kind of book black women give their sons when teachers
begin to call home too often, or when the police show up at the door to give a
warning or when the word truancy becomes a word to be said at the dinner table
(94).
Makes
Me Wanna Holler—one of the books I’ve used in
mentoring-- should have been a deterrent. But it wasn’t. Plus, it wasn’t the
only media to which Betts had been exposed. At the time of his arrest he
admits, “There were titles of movies and books on my mind: Shawshank Redemption; American Me; Blood In, Blood out; Makes Me Wanna
Holler; Racehoss; The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (3-4).
Coupled with his honesty, one the most disturbing
aspects of Betts’s story is his naiveté: “I thought it was possible to confess
to carjacking and have a court let you walk away with a my bad” (13). As he later confesses, “Maybe there is no real why,
no one definitive answer to give when they ask “Why did you do it?” After eight
years in prison answers didn’t come any easier” (232).
What’s shocking—Betts is old enough to be my son—is that his crime and incarceration did not have to happen.
Dwayne was a good student with a loving mother who did everything to make sure
that he would never suffer the fate that he did. Still it happened. Armed with
a gun—he had never held one before—Dwayne
entered a mall and looked “for someone to make a victim” (65).
If Dwayne Betts, honors student and class
treasurer, can be seduced into committing a criminal act, what hope can I have
for my children and my mentees who have yet to realize their talents?
Even though Betts says the “answers don’t
come any easier,” I hope I will have the opportunity to ask him the question
when he comes to the African American Read In at the Lehman Theater, Miami Dade
College, on February 4, 2013. Until then, I’ll be praying a little harder for
my children---all of them.
***
Live webcast of R. Dwayne Betts at Miami
Dade College, North Campus on February 4, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.: http://www.mdc.edu/north/live/
Here’s
a video clip of Mr. Betts from C-SPAN’s video library: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/306453-8
BookTV: Dwayne Reginald Betts, "A Question of Freedom": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_iLRYYOfE
BookTV: Dwayne Reginald Betts, "A Question of Freedom": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD_iLRYYOfE
***
A
Question of Freedom by R. Dwayne Betts
At the age of sixteen, R. Dwayne Betts—a
good student from a lower-middle-class family—carjacked a man. He had never
held a gun before, but with this first offense he’d committed six felonies
within minutes. A Question of Freedom
chronicles Dwayne’s years in prison, as he reflects back on his crime and makes
a decision about how a “moment of insanity” would—or would not--define him.
This book is about a quest for identity, one that guarantees a young man’s
survival in a hostile environment. As Dwayne writes, “It’s the story of the
thirty minutes it took me to shatter my life into the memory of one cell after
another, and the cost of walking away from a bad idea a minute too late.” But
finally, and most poignantly, this story is about the many ways that books and
a passion for writing helped a young man find his way back to the life he’d
lost. In 2011 Betts was awarded a Radcliffe Fellowship to Harvard University’s
Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies and continues to share his story of
empowerment and resilience all over the nation.
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