Morphological Confetti

In honor of Black History Month I wanted to post a little note that I left on the Roberson Family guestbook. The Roberson family owned my ancestors who were slaves on the Cross Roads Plantation in Martin County, North Carolina. This fact is known because my family never left that region after slavery and still reside there today. As a matter of fact, my grandmother was raised on the same plantation her grandfather worked as a slave. Her great uncle is the late Rev., William Drew Robeson, who is the father of actor, activist, and singer, the late Paul Robeson. This is a part of my history that I continue to study and I am finding out more and more as time goes on. I hope that you will find this as interesting as I did. I wasn't angry at them for their part in history. I just wanted them to know the names of those people who were affected/infected by their part in history. The note: Stephen Bess Tuesday, 12/23/03, 8:07 AM Happy holidays!! I am a descendant of Ezekiel Roberson who wa...

I'm am re-posting this poem that I originally posted in April 2005 when I first began blogging. Bougie Black Boy discovered it in my archives and thought that readers would be interested. Thanks Bougie! I read this poem for the first time in months and decided to change the title. This poem came to me as I was getting off of the subway train (originally posted: 4/17/2005) I am Ghetto I am Bourgeois I am Elitist I am Sexist I am Voyeuristic I am Spiritual I am demonic I am racist I am Capitalist I am a purist I am all these things in alchemy Forming a cosmic blend of Native-Afro-Neo-Euro-Old soul-Negro Rising above stereotypes and perceptions Frequent erections remind me of my potent nature Spewing fertile life producing seedlings that grow Following the aftermath

El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X) died on this day in 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in NYC. It was a Sunday afternoon in February. The time of death was 3:10 pm. His death really resonates with me this year because he was only a few months older than me when he was shot and killed on that Sunday afternoon. I've never been shot(thank God), but I can only imagine his thoughts as he was taking his final breath. He must of thought of his wife and children. He thought of his hopes and his dreams that he would no longer be able to pursue. Finally, he must of thought of rest and to never again have to await this impending doom.

Do you ever think about the fact that you don't have total control of your life? Perhaps you do? Oh, we'd like to think that we have it together and that we're in complete control of our lives, but are we? I'm thinking this because I know that there are plans and activities that I have in my mind to execute, but my body and spirit won't budge??? This leads me to believe that there is an opposing force holding me back. Perhaps it's just me?

I wanted to give readers something to ponder as they start their weekend journey. Be safe. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. --Lao Tzu Common sense is very uncommon. Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. If you wish to succeed, consult three old people. Those of you who think you know everything are annoying those of us who do. Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone. and finally... If you wanna feel funky, feel free. But please don't spread that funk on me! Have a great weekend!

I think that I am getting an overdose from chocolate. I can never get enough. Women speak of her pleasures all the time but I'm one of her biggest fans from back in the day. When I was in high school I would hang out after school indulging in a chocolate medley that I still can't shake. I could never eat her fast. Uhh uhh...I would suck and lick until my heart was content. I can still taste remnants of her on my lips as I lick. I'm hooked for life and geekin' right now! I'll never let her go She is forever my concubine

I am so happy that it's Friday! I have no plans yet, but sometimes that's a good thing. I have to clear out of my place by the end of the month so I'll be wrapping things up on that end in DC. I've had to make a lot of adjustments for the last couple of months, but things are running smoothly. I've made some important decisions lately conerning my career and school. I've decided that I am definitely going back into the classroom to teach. I was teaching high school English before I started working at my current job (I currently work in publishing and it has reminded me of why I left a corporate setting in the first damn place! What in the hell am I doing here?) Anyway, it is definitely time to get back to what I need to be doing...teaching. I feel that I definitely needed this break though. I've accomplished many of my personal goals while working in publishing. I've also made a solid decision to pursue my writing as more than just a hobby! So, I am loo...

This is a poem that one of my good friends in Georgia wrote yesterday. I call him the Fresh Prince of the town that he lives because of his name, Will Smith. :) We were tighter than Thelma's pants on Good Times when we were in college at Savannah State. Now, we're brothers and most of all family. This is his poetry dedicated to Black History and the Black experience. BLACK ALL THE TIME 38 YEARS HAVE PASSED ME BY STILL THE SAME COLOR, I USED NO DYE I CELEBRATE MY HISTORY 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR I AM STILL BLACK WITHOUT ANY FEAR EVERY HOUR, MINUTE AND SECOND OF THE DAYS I WILL STAY STRONG AND TRUE TO MY BLACK WAYS NO ONE CAN PUT A TIME FRAME ON WHEN TO CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY THEREFORE, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS LET US REJOICE BEYOND FEBRUARY BORN BLACK WITH A PURPOSE AND PROUD TO BE DOWN GLAD TO LET THE WORLD HEAR MY CRY AND HEAR MY JOYOUS SOUND BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, BLACKNESS IS MINE SO DON’T LOOK AT ME WITH CROSSED-EYES… I AM BLACK ALL THE TIME. WILL SMITH FEBRUARY 8, 200...

No more Sunday football ???? AAUGH!! I know that I never talk about it on my blog, but I love football. **sad face** Stop hatin' Lucy! Also, congrats to Pittsburgh Steeler fans!

Friday is finally here. It's a sort of a rainy Friday here in DC, but that's cool. The temperature is really mild for this time of year so I wore the light jacket and hat that you see on my photo. I'm a man of many hats and jackets. I have to keep this bald head warm in the Winter. However, I do like the occasional feel of a cool rain on my head. :-) I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend and, of course, watching the Super Bowl. I think that I'm going with Pittsburgh?? I'll decide while the game is in progress. It'll depend on my mood. I think that I will just watch it at home with family instead of a party or sports bar. Anyway, happy Friday and I hope that it's not raining where you are, but maybe you're like me and you don't mind the rain. Rainy days always remind me of Marvin Gaye's (DC's Own) album, What's Going On . Yes, the entire album. I say album because if you get a chance to see the original album there's a picture...

Did you know that Uncle Ben was a real person? We really don't care who is fact or fiction when we want some rice to go with those red beans or peas. We just want to eat, right? Well, Uncle Ben was a African American rice farmer from Texas who won many prizes for his methods and quality in growing rice. I know that most of us think of Asia when it comes to the cultivation and quality of rice, but there was a region in West Africa that Europeans called the "Rice Coast" near Sierra Leone. That area was a strategic focus during the slave trade in the late 1760's because rice was becoming a fast growing industry in America. Uncle Ben's ancestors were most likely victims of the rice boom. Anyway, Uncle Ben's reputation grew and his rice soon became the standard in which all rice would be measured. How di d his face get on the box? Did he start his own company? Well, no. That's not even his face on the box. The face on the box was a man from Chicago named Frank ...