Morphological Confetti

Ahhhh....Friday is here and I am so glad! My brother Thomas is here visiting from Atlanta. Our weekend started last night with some dinner at busboys and poets. We also hung out in and around Adams Morgan. I'll tell you the rest on Monday. :) Have a great weekend!

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a program at the Lincoln Theater. The Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute under the directorship of Abdur-Rahim Muhammad put together this wonderful event that was hosted by award winning WUSA 9 News anchor, Tracey Neale. The program was appropriately called, An Unforgettable Evening With Dick Gregory . The father, comedian, author, and civil rights/social activist, Dick Gregory was presented with the Here I Stand award in honor of Paul Robeson. This award is presented annually to an individual who has “committed his or her life to excellence in their chosen field and has demonstrated and equal commitment to activism for progressive causes.” This was my first time attending any event at the Lincoln Theater. I was very impressed with the atmosphere that has been restored to its early 20th Century grandeur. I heard some people in the back of me compare it to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. I’m not sure because I’ve never been to the Apollo in...

Good morning, What can I say....it Friday!!!! I'm always happy on Friday. I'm looking forward to this weekend. There are a few functions that I will be attending here in DC. Most of it will be taking place on historic U Street. I recently mentioned U Street in a post concerning another spot near (Busboys & Poets). U Street is a classic spot here in DC. It was called "Black Broadway" when my grandmother was growing up here in Washington. It's near the Shaw section of Washington that saw the brunt of the riots in 1968, but with the help of gentrification it is now too expensive for words. *sarcastic grin* Anyway, I should still enjoy myself. Peace to you and have a great weekend!!

I was invited to be a guest blogger on Bougie Black Boy's blog today. He is on Sabbatical and has invited different bloggers to post and I was one of them. So, I posted some poetry that I wanted to share with his readers. It's all about the subway. Check it out! Click title here : Subway Poetry: DC

Welcome to Dixie! The Home of Piggly Wiggly

© Stephen Bess 2006 I hope that everyone has a safe and wonderful Easter Holiday. Don't forget the true meaning for this time of the year. I am reminded everytime I look into the sky. I think about it everytime I look at a flower or the moment a newborn smiles at me. I think about it when I see people showing each other love and respect. © Stephen Bess 2006 I am also reminded when I observe a bird in tree. It seems at peace as it too beholds that which is greater than all of us. It is perched high on a branch as it thanks the creator for it's wings and for the breeze that it floats on. it thanks it's provider for the food that it was given and the chance to soar another day. Amen. Happy Easter!!

This was a question on another blog that I visit occasionally. It made me think of things that I haven't thought about in years. The person wanted to know what your favorite things were at the listed ages. These were my answers:  Four? It was a rocking chair that was next to my bed.  Seven? A favorite shirt that I wanted to wear with everything. I also loved my marbles game.  Nine? Huffy bicycle with the banana seat. Everybody tried to steal it! I lived in a bad neighborhood. Eleven? An electric race car track and electric football game.  Thirteen? My dog. He was a black Lab and shepherd mix named "White toe." Why that name? I was fascinated with Native Americans at the time. :)  Fifteen? My hair brush and du-rag. I was trying to look cute by then. I had to have the waves going to the side. It was 1983! That was fun! I haven't thought about some of these things in years.

© Stephen Bess 2006 This is a view of the Pentagon and the monument from Pentagon City. The zoom function on my FinePix camera doesn't seem to take clear pictures from a distance. I think that I need to refer to the manual some more. I know...I'm turning this into a photo-blog. :) It's all good.

Last evening, I had the pleasure of seeing Paul Rusesabagina speak at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. Rusesabagina played a major role in saving over 1200 Rwandan refugees during the slaughter of what would become millions throughout the country. Rusesabagina’s bravery and dedication to saving the lives of his people inspired the 2004 award winning film, Hotel Rwanda, starring Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina. In this informative lecture, Rusesabagina gave a detailed account of what happened at the Hotel des Mille Collines in April of 1994 and the effects that it had on him as an individual. He spoke of the atrocities of genocide inflicted upon the Tutsis by the Hutu. He also spoke of the United Nations role in allowing these atrocities to happen and how the West chose to walk away from the situation. He went on to say that they could have, at least, silenced the radios in and around Rwanda that were spewing hate messages and fueling the already intense animosity the...

I absolutely love African/African American/Caribbean art and ethnic art! I have accumulated quite a collection over the years. I owe it all to my father that introduced me to art as a child. It's not often that I purchase because that can be quite expensive. I wanted to show off the latest piece from my collection. This is a recent work that I purchased from the Bougie Black Boy out of NYC. He is a blog friend and a very talented painter and writer. this piece is currently nestled beside my bed until I get if framed and hung on the wall. I call this piece "Mosadi" which is Sesotho for woman. I absolutely love this piece! Thanks again Bougie! :) This is one of my favorite wood carvings that I bought in the Caribbean while on vacation in the Bahamas in 2000. I had to have this piece! I was only able to purchase it after winning some money on the dollar slots at the Atlantis resort. I hit it big for $300.00 and went straight back to purchase this ( I'm not a gambler so...

© Stephen Bess 2006 Picture taken while sitting on a bench at the edge of Georgetown. (Washington, D.C., March 2006) By the way, I've failed to mention that Tuesday, April 4, 2006 was my 1st year anniversary on blogger! Yea!!!! :) © Stephen Bess 2006

I was among many to be tagged by ProfessorGQ concerning the following questions. This probably my first and last tag. :) Questions from the Professor: If you were to be the opposite sex for one day, what would you do? Go to the gym. Just jivin' baby. :) If you had to name the most difficult thing about being a teenager today, what would you say? Peer pressure is on the next level. If you had to name the most embarrassing moment of your life, when was it? That would probably be the time that I ask my 4th grade teacher if I could use the restroom and she said no. The rest was a bit sloppy. If you had to name the most overrated actor in Hollywood, who would it be? Tom Cruise If you had to name the one personality trait that you have tried the hardest to change in yourself, what would you say? Indecision If you could go back for one minute to the Garden of Eden and give Adam advice, what would you say? See if you can get two of them If you were to name the best “I told you so” you...

© Stephen Bess 2006 April 5, 1951 - Washington, D.C. Municipal Court of Appeals outlawed segregation in restaurants. I'm happy that our forefathers and foremothers paved the way because I really love the spinach dip with bow tie pasta at Copeland's. Yum! :) Source: http://www.theblackmarket.com

I had a conversation with an older Jamaican woman last week about our kids today. She went on and on about how Jamaican kids and other immigrant children come to America and become corrupted by our young black Americans. She spoke defiantly in her Jamaican accent, "These chil'ren have no respect and they don't respect their parents! They put their hands in ya face and say, 'whatever, whatever.' I'm telling you that they are not like us Jamaican people." Now, keep in mind that her experience in the states has been limited to the Washington, D.C. and New York. Well, I tried to give her my perspective on young black America since I grew up here and spent time living both north and south. I explained to her that while black children in/from the city are not always respectful to people outside their home, very few act that way around their parents. I know this from my own family and from teaching in predominantly black neighborhoods. The worse children will cla...

James Weldon Johnson & J. Rosamond Johnson Written in 1900 Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; let our rejoicing rise, high as the list'ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won. Stony the road we trod, bitter the chast'ning rod, felt in the day that hope unborn had died; yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet, come to the place on witch our fathers sighed? we have come over a way that with tears has been watered, we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last where the white gleam of our star is cast. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far on the way; thou who has by thy might, led us into...

© Stephen Bess 2006 I just thought that this was a lovely image. It was nature in harmony. I took this picture yesterday at a park in Silver Spring, Maryland. I was surprised that the duck and the turtles let me get this close. They must be used to people. I think that the turtles must be in love. What do you think? © Stephen Bess 2006