June 28, 2013

Dispatches from the Yardstick Festival: Lorna Goodison


"Let's just end this discussion about postcolonial literature," said Lorna Goodison, effectively dismantling entire departments in Caribbean studies.. I'm learning so much from her (again). Even her offhand remarks are gold.  

June 25, 2013

THE UNIA MARCUS GARVEY AWARDS CEREMONY



On August 17th in 1887, Jamaica's first National Hero was born. Marcus Mosiah Garvey would later emerge on the world stage as the founder of the largest Pan-African mass movement ever. The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) was founded in the city of Kingston in 1914 and became the platform from which Garvey commanded the attention of the world.  The confraternity launched a plethora of programs and ventures designed to inspire the race toward self-reliance and nationhood.  From agriculture and education to business and the arts, Garvey intended an African empire that would meet the challenge of the world industrially and socially while lending its protection to Africa's sons and daughters at home and abroad.

On  August 17th 2013, in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of our founder, the UNIA is proud to host the fourth annual Marcus Garvey Awards dinner and ceremony honoring ordinary Jamaicans who are accomplishing extraordinary things.  Join us at 7 p.m. on the East Lawns of Devon House in honour of our first National Hero in this our 50th year of independence as we recognize Jamaicans who have given unselfishly to improve the lives of their fellow countrymen.


All Proceeds to Charity

We invite you and your company to help bring change by supporting the social intervention programs established by the UNIA including literacy classes, African martial arts training, and a free music school. These programs are conducted at the organization’s Garvey House located inthe West Kingston community where Marcus Garvey lived and first established the UNIA. 

Our other community outreach activities include:

GARVEY HOUSE Kingston Restoration Project- Refurbishing UNIA HQ in downtown Kingston.

UNIA MUSIC & LITERACY PROGRAM – Free reading and music lessons 

GARVEYISM REHABILITATION OUTREACH (GRO) – educational prison program.

MCPHERSON HALFWAY HOME – Training house for young men out of state institutions.

Event Details: 

LOCATION: The East Lawns, Devon House

DATE:  Saturday 17th August, 2013 
Marcus Garvey (Jamaica’s first National Hero’s Birthday)

DRESS: Formal.  

COCKTAILS: 7pm   

AWARD CEREMONY: 8 p.m.

PERFORMERS: Surprise

AFRICAN CUISINE MENU: Cameroon, Gambia, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Congo, Tanzania

SPECIAL GUESTS: Private Sector, Government Agencies, African Ambassadors, Entertainers

TICKETS/COSTS: $5000 Single. $8000 Couples

AWARDS: Agriculture, Arts, Business, Education, Industry, Journalism, Music, Social, Trade

Past Performers: Queen Ifrica Etana, Tarrus Riley, Tony Rebel, Protoge, Jimmy Tucker, Perfect, Warrior King, Sharon Tucker, African Drum....Ensemble....


Register for this event now at :
http://uniamarcusgarveyawards2013-atom.eventbrite.com



Your kind support is greatly appreciated as we work together for a better Jamaica.


***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America 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.
.

My Books @Yardstick Festival


A few of my books  (and a couple in which my work appears) on display at the Yardstick Festival:








Visit my author page for the other books: 


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June 24, 2013

Lineup for the Yardstick Festival


Inshallah, I will be joining these talented writers for four days of literary bacchanalia at the Yardstick Literary Festival on June 27-30, 2013.

Lorna Goodison, 
Tanya Shirley, 
Geoffrey Philp 
Lemn Sissay 
Warsan Shire 
Mukoma Wa Ngugi 
Nick Makoha 
Leeto Thale 
Jamal Safari 
Emman Egya Sule 
Nii Ayikwei Parkes 
Dean Atta 
Chioma Okereke 

If you are anywhere in the British Isles (or even if you're not!), come and full-joy (as I&I would say) four days of poetry, storytelling and all round good times:  http://www.yardstick.org.uk/2013-programme/#.Uccl_fmshzI


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June 20, 2013

Now Accepting Entries: Jamaica 51 Essay Competition


The Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami is now accepting entries for its Annual Essay Competition to commemorate Jamaica’s Independence 51st Anniversary.
The competition is open to all Jamaican children, first and second generation, residing in Florida State, and forms part of the Independence celebrations across the Florida communities.

Eligible students can choose from a selection of topics related to the island’s cultural heritage some of which include community leadership, entertainment, education, history, cultural heritage, geography and national development.

Applicants must be between five and eighteen years of age, normally resident in the State of Florida, and submit entries in one of three age categories -  five to eight (5-8); nine to twelve (9-12); and thirteen to eighteen (13-18).

For more information, please follow this link:
J51 Essay Competition - Consulate General of Jamaica:

'via Blog this'




***


The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America 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..

June 19, 2013

Call for Papers: Islands in the Mainstream: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Caribbean Rhetoric



Proposals are sought from scholars, teachers, practitioners, and researchers in rhetoric, communication, literature, Caribbean studies, indigenous studies, diaspora studies, cultural studies, gender studies, and the visual and performing arts for contributions that explore aspects of Caribbean rhetorical expression from an interdisciplinary perspective. In particular, original essays are sought that will contribute to and fortify emerging work in the study of Caribbean rhetoric by envisioning the scope and dimension of what such work might entail. Such essays will engage, challenge, and move beyond the traditional perimeter of rhetorical analysis, encompassing the epistemic, pedagogical, and public work that occurs in a broad range of Caribbean texts: oral/aural, visual, scribal, tactile, digital, environmental, supernatural, etc.. Essays about the anglophone, francophone, and hispanophone Caribbean are strongly encouraged, though authors are asked to submit their proposals (and their essays, if accepted) in English, except in the case of specialized terms, phrases, and concepts (annotated accordingly).

The first of its kind to specifically consider the rhetoric of Caribbean cultural production from interdisciplinary perspectives, this collection will provide scholars, teachers, and students with innovative approaches for discussing the range of motives, histories, and social realities that necessitate inquiry and inclusion in rhetorical studies. Similarly, it will contribute to Caribbean studies and other disciplines represented in the volume by providing a dynamic set of robust rhetorical theories for reading Caribbean culture. In addition to defining theoretical parameters for reading Caribbean rhetoric and exploring areas of practice for further research, contributors will be encouraged to consider the pedagogical implications of their ideas. This can include developing curricula (introductory, intermediate, or advanced courses in rhetorical education among undergraduate writing majors, or courses that respond to particular writing-intensive programs, writing centers, or Writing Across the Curriculum), community literacy/publishing initiatives (ongoing or envisioned), or research studies (archival, ethnographic, qualitative, quantitative, etc.) on projects that engage students on matters of Caribbean import. Essays that are collaboratively authored by faculty and students and/or faculty and professionals are particularly welcome.

While the following list is not exhaustive, possible chapters may fall within these broad categories:
  • Carnival Theatre
  • Dance/Performance Art
  • Digital Humanities/New Media/Technology/Broadcast Media
  • Fine Art/Photography
  • Food
  • Geopolitics
  • Historiography/Interrogations of Historical Narratives
  • Labor Union/National/Political Parties
  • Literature
  • Music
  • National/Sub-Supranational/Transnational
  • Oratory/Public Address
  • Pedagogy
  • Postcolonial/Neocolonial
  • Public Archives/Public Memory/Concepts of Vernacular Memory
  • Race(d) Relations
  • Surveillance
  • Vernacular Bodies/Love, Sex, Sexualities
Please submit a proposal, approximately 500 words, that discusses the proposed chapter to the editor, Kevin A. Browne (browne@syr.edu). Questions and queries are welcome. The deadline for proposal submissions is November 1, 2013.

Celebrating Juneteenth 2013


We've freed our bodies, now it's time to free our minds. 

'"We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind."
 ~Marcus Garvey.

Juneteenth Facts

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America 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 suppor
t..

June 18, 2013

Interview With Jamaica Diaspora on Blog Talk Radio: Geoffrey Philp

Listen to internet radio with Jamaican Diaspora on BlogTalkRadio


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jamaican-diaspora-/2013/06/18/geoffrey-philp


***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America 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..

Global Writing Talent Heads to Bath for Major Literature Festival | Bath Business News


Businesses are being invited to support a festival that will bring an impressive array of international writing talent to Bath and Bristol later this month. 

A dozen of the best writers and performance poets from across the African Diaspora will take part in the Yardstick Festival from June 27 to 30.

Prestigious authors at the festival will include Lorna Goodison, Tanya Shirley, Geoffrey Philp (all Jamaican), Lemn Sissay (British Ethiopian), Warsan Shire (Somali), Mukoma Wa Ngugi (Kenyan), Nick Makoha (Ugandan), Leeto Thale (South African) and Jamal Safari (Congolese).

Also taking part will be Emman Egya Sule (Nigerian), Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Ghana), Dean Atta (British Jamaican) and Chioma Okereke (Nigerian)

Global writing talent heads to Bath for major literature festival | Bath Business News:

'via Blog this'


June 17, 2013

Feeling the Love at the Anancy Festival 2013



It wasn't Father's Day and they weren't my children, but I could feel the love at the Anancy Festival on Saturday at the South Regional/Broward College Library.




The workshop, Anancy Writes Poetry, and the reading from The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby were well attended.  I was happy that my friends, Andrea Shaw, Malachi Smith, and Michele Fievre--all published writers--participated in the workshop and read unfinished pieces for the audience.





The children, of course, stole the show with wonderfully imagined poems that they were able to write by the end of the workshop.










The reading from The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby was a success and fulfilled my mission for writing children's books: to get Jamaican parents and children together to read a book that has characters that look and sound like us. The parents readily appreciated the subtle irony of the title because of the associations of Dutch pots with Jamaican colorism in a story I like to call "the redemption of Dutchie."




The children loved the story and were in awe of the graphics. It felt so good to say, "My daughter drew all the pictures!" To which a young asked, "Is she in art school?"





Thank you to all the parents and children who came to the workshop and the reading. Thanks also to the organizers of the Anancy Festival, Andrea Shaw and Xavier Murphy, for inviting me to read and to conduct the workshop. I'd be remiss if I did not include Valrie Simpson and the South/ Regional/Broward College Library for opening their doors to the festival and providing a space for the community. Much blessings.





I'm looking forward to Anancy Festival 2014!



June 13, 2013

Anancy Festival: Common Core Standards



My upcoming contributions to the Anancy Festival may be of special interest to educators. The two activities, A Poet’s Toolbox and Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories, meet the Common Core Standards for Literacy and Multicultural Literacy:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy (RL.3.1CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.2CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.3CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.4CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.5CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.6CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.7CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.9CCSS.ELA-Literacy; RL.3.10)

(CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3a ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b ;CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3c ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3d ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.4 ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.5; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.6 ;CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7 ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8 ; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10 )

MulticulturalLiteracy (RL.9-10.6.;RI.9-10.7.;W.9-10.2.;W.9-10.4.;W.9-10.5.;W.9-10.6.;W.9-10.7.; W.9-10.8.;SL.9-10.4.;SL.9-10.5.;SL.9-10.6.;RH.9-10.6.;WHST.9-10.6.)

As a preview, Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories, which as a part of a bullying series on WAMC won  "Special Mention" from the Associated Press (http://www.wamc.org/post/wamc-wins-19th-annual-communicator-awards), is available for a free download until June 15, 2013.

Here’s the link for the free download of Grandpa Sydney’s Anancy Stories: http://goo.gl/kjUHP

Hope to see you there!

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June 12, 2013

Anancy Writes Poetry!



For the upcoming Anancy Festival, I’ve gone back into my folders from my days as a “Bicycle Poet” (see below) and updated an exercise that should enable parents and children to write a poem by the end of the presentation. The exercise should also be of interest to educators who are interested in meeting Common Core State Standards: Literacy and Multicultural Literacy.

I won’t tell you how it’s done—you’ll have to come to the festival for that--but the primary goal is to have parents and children working together on an imaginative project—which is what the Anancy Festival is all about: Family Fun!

Hope to see you there!



June 15th, 2013
Time: 12:00 noon – 5:00 pm
South Regional/Broward College Library
7300 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Admission: Free
Contact: Andrea Shaw (andreaeshaw@yahoo.com) or Xavier Murphy (info@anancyfestival.com)




June 11, 2013

ANNUAL SUNRISE CEREMONY REMEMBERS ANCESTORS AND MIDDLE PASSAGE




On Sunday morning, June 23, 2013, beginning at 5:45 a.m., Miami’s Annual Sunrise Ancestral Remembrance of the Middle Passage Ceremony will be held at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Drive (off Rickenbacker Causeway), on Virginia Key island.  (The entrance to the Historic Beach Park is a left turn at the second traffic signal on the island, just before the Bear Cut Bridge to Key Biscayne.  Gates will open at 5:30 a.m.)

Remembering and Giving Thanks

The Ceremony, now in its 24th year, pays tribute to all Ancestors who endured the Middle Passage (or so-called Atlantic “slave trade”): the millions of men, women, and children who senselessly perished, and those who survived to give life to present and future generations.  

It also honors and gives thanks to the Ancestors of these lands (including the three who were killed at this very site on the island during the Second Seminole War), through an “Opening of the Way” Native American ritual performed by Carib Tribal Indian Queen Mrs. Catherine Hummingbird Ramirez, a longtime advocate who was highly instrumental in saving the Miami Circle.

Historical Connections

The Annual Ceremony, which is held on the Sunday closest to the summer solstice, has come to be linked over the years with the growing nationwide observance of Juneteenth, the June 19 commemoration of the date in 1865 on which the last of the enslaved population in the US, in East Texas, received word of the Emancipation Proclamation, and therefore marks the true end of slavery.

It should be also noted that Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is a fondly remembered, recently restored environmental and historic treasure, which was once Miami’s only legal “Colored Beach” during the segregation era, which brought together all neighborhoods and social classes at a site of rare scenic beauty. 

All Are Welcome

Aside from the Native American blessing and the traditional African pouring of a libation, the Ceremony is a very informal gathering at which all are welcome to share thoughts, prayers, art and artifacts, performances, and offerings of fruits, grains, flowers, and other appropriate items which are carried out to the ocean to culminate the event.  Drums, music, and refreshments to be shared among participants are also welcome.

Admission is free and open to the public.  (There is a $1.75 toll per vehicle on Rickenbacker Causeway.)  For further information: 305-904-7620 or 786-260-1246.


***


The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America 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.


***

Image Source: https://secure.www.upenn.edu/themeyear/water/middle-passage-overview.html

Free Download: Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories


In celebration of the Anancy Festival 2013, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories is available for a #FREE download from June 11-15, 2013.

About Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to pick on Jimmy and the rest of the children. What’s worse, he begins to take away Jimmy’s snacks. Jimmy doesn't want to be a tattletale, but he also doesn’t want to be bullied. When Grandpa Sydney finds out that Jimmy is being bullied, he reads an Anancy story to Jimmy. Will the story help Jimmy to overcome Kevin's bullying?

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories  is available exclusively at Amazon.com: 

http://www.amazon.com/Grandpa-Sydneys-Anancy-Stories-ebook/dp/B009JYLDZO/ref=la_B001K819L0_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1349178428&sr=1-14

Please share the good news!


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June 10, 2013

An Open Letter to Senator Bill Nelson and Representative Frederica Wilson


Dear Senator Bill Nelson and Representative Frederica Wilson,

On January 6, 2013, the Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey began a petition drive with a goal of collecting 10,000 signatures:

On January 10, 2007, Representative Charles Rangel introduced H. Con. Res. 24 to the 110th Congress: "Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should grant a pardon to Marcus Mosiah Garvey to clear his name and affirm his innocence of crimes for which he was unjustly prosecuted and convicted." This bill didn't make it out of committee.

We, the undersigned, are requesting the assistance of our representatives in reintroducing the resolution with the following change in the wording: "Expressing the sense of the Congress that the President should exonerate Marcus Mosiah Garvey to clear his name and affirm his innocence of crimes for which he was unjustly prosecuted and convicted." We urge Congress to take action and reintroduce H.Con.Res. 24 to exonerate Marcus Mosiah Garvey.


In fewer than five months, we have reached our goal and would like to deliver the petition to you or your representative at an appropriate date and time during Caribbean –American Heritage Month.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours truly,
The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey

***
Urge Congress to Exonerate Civil Rights Leader Marcus Garvey

10,241 PEOPLE SIGNED THE PETITION*


To: Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America.

Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a leader in the human rights movement for people of African descent, was unjustly convicted for crimes he did not commit. Congress should correct this historic injustice and exonerate Marcus Garvey.
Location: Miami Gardens, FL

*May 31, 2013

***

The Coalition for the Exoneration of Marcus Garvey is petitioning Senator Bill Nelson, Representative Frederica Wilson, and the Congress of the United States of America 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..

June 5, 2013

Now in 8 Cities: Anancy Festival 2013


The Anancy Festival will be held in eight cities from the USA to Jamaica to Africa in June 2013. The event takes place in the following eight cities: Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, Washington DC, Atlanta, New York, Nairobi (Kenya), Accra (Ghana) and Kingston (Jamaica). The event will be simulcast between each city giving attendees an opportunity to see performances at different locations.

The Anancy Festival, named for Anansi, the West African trickster of folklore, is a celebration of Caribbean-American culture that’s geared toward children and teens. The festival provides a unique way for youngsters to learn about their cultural heritage and experience a rich collection of stories, music and dance. This year the film One People, a documentary celebrating Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence, will be shown at selected locations. 

Last year’s festival was held in 5 cities and drew over 600 attendants in Pembroke Pines FL.

For more information about the 2013 Anancy Festival visit the website at http://www.anancyfestival.com  or our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/anancyfestival.


For more information about the 2012 Anancy Festival visit the website at or our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/anancyfestival., 

June 4, 2013

1 Minute Book Review: Every Boy Should Have a Man by Preston Allen


Name of the book: Every Boy Should Have a Man

Author:   Preston L. Allen 

Publisher:  Akashic Books

What's the book about?

In a world where Oafs are at the top of the food chain and humans have become pets, what happens when a "female man" wanders into the life of a poor, young oaf?

Why am I reading the book?

Preston Allen is one of the most gifted writers working in Miami. Read all of his books. You will not be disappointed.

Quote from the book: [Description of the mans] "In color, they ranged from the crystalline pale of a sea bell to the golden yellow-brown of a burnt met stick...And their noses! They were generously bulbous, impertinently pointed, gallantly winged, impudently pugged, or nobly sloping like an oaf's."

Where to buy: http://www.amazon.com/Every-Boy-Should-Have-ebook/dp/B00CAZ49BE/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

Preston L. Allen grew up in Boston and Miami, where as a latchkey eldest brother of five he learned to tell stories to entertain the others and keep them from bouncing off the walls while their parents were at work.
A recipient of a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Fiction and winner of the Sonja H. Stone Prize in Literature, he is author of the short story collection Churchboys and Other Sinners (Carolina Wren Press 2003) and the novels All or Nothing (Akashic 2007) and Jesus Boy (Akashic 2010), which "O the Oprah Magazine" listed as one of "Ten More Titles to Read Now," Dennis Lehane called "a tender masterpiece," and about which the New York Times proclaimed, "no one does church sexy like Allen."

His short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals and have been anthologized in Miami Noir, Las Vegas Noir, Brown Sugar, Wanderlust, Making the Hook Up, and Here We Are: an Anthology of South Florida Writers.

His latest novel, Every Boy Should Have a Man, which has been called by Booklist "Imaginative, versatile, and daring," is about, well, boys in a fictive world who own men as pets.

He holds a BA in English from the University of Florida and an MFA in creative writing from Florida International University. He lives and teaches writing in South Florida.

***

I've modified this format from One Minute Book Reviews: http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/


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