Photography: Bar Nun from inside out

Excuse me, but which one is the Champayne Room?

Actually, this a picture from inside the Bar Nun Lounge & Night Club on U Street in DC. As you can see I was there way before the party started. I'm meeting my cousin out tonight for a little fun on the town. Maybe I'll end up on U street at some point. It should be cool. Enjoy your weekend! Peace~

Poetry: Quiet Lust

Quiet Lust

A young woman sits on the subway train
Insecure
possessing beauty and precociousness that only God could form
Grown men
stare in blank disbelief at this quiet beauty of womanly proportions
Businessmen and proletariat alike all smile and nod as they imagine her in their beds
She would learn how to use her beauty in coming years
but for now it was a burden
The look of discomfort and shame she displayed
Made me want to protect her, hold her
and keep her for myself

Freedom or Death: The Prosser Rebellion of 1800

One can only imagine the patriotic climate in America between the years of 1776 and 1800. 1776 was, of course, the year that America won its Independence from England in the Revolutionary war. America was now free! Crispus Attucks was now dead. Now, it’s time to build. America was finally free from the grips of British rule. Yes, freedom was the word of the day. Freedom for all citizens! Well, freedom as long as you were not of African descent. Gabriel Prosser was born that same year of 1776, a slave to Thomas Prosser on the Brookfield Plantation in Henrico County, Virginia. Gabriel was of African descent. In fact, he was an African born under the American system of slavery!

However, it seems that his owner, Thomas Prosser, was somewhat of a "liberal" master and allowed the young Gabriel to be educated. Yes, Gabriel learned to read and write. Prosser also allowed the young and growing Gabriel to learn the trade of Black Smith. This skill would be a benefit to Gabriel because this allowed him to be hired out to different plantations for work. Gabriel worked and he learned. He learned and he worked. He began to hear that there were black people in other parts of the world who were also oppressed as he was. He heard of a man named Toussaint L'Overture, who led the Haitian people to Independence in 1790 after defeating the French. Gabriel also heard of the French Revolution that followed. He saw that people all over the world were fighting and dying for freedom at any cost. Gabriel Prosser began to think about freedom.

The year is now 1800 and Gabriel is 24 years old. It was time for freedom! He began to talk to other slaves and he spoke to them about revolution. He spoke of Toussaint and what he did in Haiti. Gabriel urged them all to join with him to take back their God given rights as men. His support grew. They were mostly slaves, but some were also freeman, white artisans, religious supporters, and French sympathizers. Gabriel soon had his army, which included the support of over 1,000 slaves.

The Plan

The event was planned for August 30, 1800. Slaves from adjoining counties would all meet just north of Brook Bridge on Brook Turnpike. They would immediately kill all plantation owners in the area to secure the secrecy of their plot. The rebels would then proceed towards Richmond and meet in Petersburg. The plan was to take over the capital city of Richmond, kidnap Governor James Monroe, and persuade him to accept their demands.

The rebels set out on their mission on August 30th, but torrential thunderstorms and downpours washed out key bridges and delayed their plan of attack for one day. The delay proved to be costly for Gabriel and his band of slaves. 27 of the alleged co-conspirators were captured, tried, and hung. Governor, James Monroe soon put out a description of Prosser and a reward offer:

"...Gabriel is a Negro of a brown complexion about 6 feet 3 or 4 inches high, a bony face, well made, and very active, has two or three scars on his head, his hair is very short...He can read and write, and perhaps will forge himself a pass, or certificate of his freedom..."

Reward Proclamation

September 9, 1800

James Monroe, Governor

The young general, Gabriel Prosser, was captured and executed on October 10, 1800 at the city gallows. His adopted battle cry of “liberty or death” forged him a place in black history. It was the battle cry which led Toussaint's army in 1790. Ironically, it was also the battle cry of Virginia’s first governor, Patrick Henry, as he addressed an audience in Richmond at the Virginia Revolutionary Convention, March 23, 1775. Today, there are no statues or memorials dedicated to Gabriel Prosser in Richmond, VA. He is said to have planned the first mass black insurrection against the United States government. In the end, Gabriel was one of the greatest patriots of African descent. In fact, he was an African born under the American system of slavery. He died trying to free himself from that system. Gabriel Prosser spoke of revolution and now he is finally free!

Sources: http://www.csusm.edu/, hartford-hwp.com

Photography: DC Living

You gotta transfer?

Insurrection or Insanity

I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but I am also looking forward to a little research. I am focusing on black resistance in the diaspora next week. Nat Turner led an insurrection against slavery in August of 1831 that left over 50 whites dead. Women and babies were not exempt from the carnage. He said that it was a mission ordained to him by God. This horrific deed that cost the lives of innocent babies and human lives was meant to send a message -- Let my people Go! This band of more than 75 black men wanted freedom at any cost. They were eventually caught and put to death for what they beleived. Nat Turner was said to unmoved by his fate. Today, these men would be called terrorist, but were they really? Some might say that living under the conditions of forced servitude drove Nat Turner into a murderous mission for freedom. Well, I'll let you decide. Was it insurrection or insanity?

Coming Soon: "The Birth of a Nation" (2016) Directed by Nate Parker

Source: teachingamericanhistorymd.net

Photography: DC Local Wildlife

Orinthology: Bebop

Northern Black Squirrel

If you live or work in the city then you know that squirrels can be very curious. They are not at all shy like their suburban or rural cousins. They will carefully approach when there is the possibilty that you have something to share with them. I had nothing but my camera. **smile**

Juneteenth: The reason behind the reason

Today is June 19th and some of you know what that means -- that's right Juneteenth! Now, some of you may not know what Juneteenth is all about, so I'll give you a brief knock down. First, the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. There are varied theories as to why he issued this emancipation for slavery, but that's another blog. Anyway, the Emancipation Proclamation only related to areas under the control of the Union. This proclamation did not include slaves in the border states (Galveston, TX) and southern states that were under the control of the Confederate States of America . This would soon lead to 13th Amendment to the Constitution on December 18, 1865 which "ended" slavery in all parts of the United States. So, on June 19, 1865, the Union General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, TX to inform the inhabitants of the news.

Side note: In reality blacks in the United States would continue their struggle for freedom for the next one hundred years. This would eventually bring us to The 1965 Voting Rights Act that outlawed the requirement for a literacy test to meet voting qualifications. Unfortunately, today the struggle continues. Happy Juneteenth! Peace~

Youth Day: 30th Anniversary

Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Soweto riots where 700 people, many of them children, were killed for standing up for their rights as human beings. I want to dedicate my blog today to the memory of those students and others who have put their lives on the line for what should be basic freedom. This is for you Ntshiuwa. Amandla!!!! Awetu!!!!
Peace to everyone~
Please click title to find out more about Youth Day in South Africa.

Poetry and Photography: Tired, Tired, Tired

I don’t know how long I will ride?
I’m tired, tired, tired
Jus’ might ride this train to the end of the line
I hope thats not too soon because this rest is mighty fine
I’ll get off at the end and pedal my bike uptown

or
maybe I’ll get on another train and ride this sucka back downtown

Either way

I’m tired, tired, tired
And this rest is mighty fine

Side note: This man had no idea that he inspired someone to take his picture and write a poem about him today. This proves that we never know who is watching us or who we're an inspiration to.

Photography: Point Of View

Alley cat point of view

Contemplating real joy: Rebirth

My Amanita

She was my grandmother's older sister. Amanita was born and raised right here in Washington, D.C. My grandmother described her as the "party" sister or at least the more adventurous one. She hit all of the hot spots as a young woman in DC during the 1940’s. Her favorite hang out spots were places like, The Howard Theater and bars like The Casbah on U Street. She would outgrow the DC scene and move to Chicago sometime in the 1950’s. She lived on the South Side of Chicago for almost 20 years before moving back to DC in the late 60’s. By the time I came along Amanita had lived most of her life. She settled down into an apartment on E street in Northeast DC. As a matter of fact, her apartment was right across the hall from my grandmother’s place.

Amanita would get me dressed every morning for school when I began kindergarten at Gibbs Elementary in 1972. She would fuss and tug as she tried to get me ready for school in the morning. I would always asked her for some pickles because I could smell them on her breath early in the morning. She would fuss and tell me that she didn’t have any pickles as she put on my jacket to walk me down the street to school. I always wondered why she wouldn’t let me have any pickles? Eventually, I became old enough to walk to school by myself and Amanita would be on the front stoop everyday when I came home. She would be fussing about something because she was always fussing. Maybe my shirt wasn’t tucked in or I had dirt on my face from recess. She always had a ready thumb full of pickled saliva to wipe away any evidence of dirt. I hated that!

I was sent to North Carolina for school at age 12 and I only came home to DC during the summer months. Surprisingly, I missed Amanita and all her fussing. I would always go by to see her whenever I came home. She would give me that big, wet auntie kiss and we would catch up on what’s been going on. Well, years passed and Amanita died in 1984 when I was in the 11^th grade. For some reason, I wasn’t able to attend her funeral? It took me a week to actually mourn her death. It was one day after school that I began to cry while doing my homework at the dinner table. I realized then how much I loved my Amanita.

In the end, I found out that Amanita’s name was really Juanita. When I was a child I called her exactly what my older, southern cousins called her, which was "Ama-nita" or "Ama-needa" (Aunt + Juanita = Amaneeda). I also found out that she didn’t eat pickles at all. Aunt Juanita liked her Gin. God bless Amanita. Smile

Paul Robeson Jr

I got an email yesterday informing me that Paul Robeson Jr. will be speaking at the Prince Georges County Memorial Library in Oxon Hill. I immediately switched all of my plans for the evening. I’ve only seen Mr. Robeson speak once and that was almost 6 years ago. The event was hosted in conjunction with Vertigo Books. Mr. Robeson was there to speak and promote his new book, A Black Way Of Seeing: From “Liberty” To Freedom. I was running late and still on the beltway when I thought the program had already started. The event was scheduled for 7pm, but I was delighted to find out upon arrival that it had been delayed because Mr. Robeson was stuck in traffic. I didn’t miss a thing! There was a scattered crowd of about fifty sitting in the small auditorium when I walked in. I saw that there were available seats in the front so I went straight for one. Mr. Robeson arrived a little past 7:30 and apologized to the crowd for his tardiness. He stated that he didn’t have any excuses, but that he could offer an explanation. The crowd smiled and applauded as the host formally introduced him as the night’s speaker.

He started off evening reading from the introduction to his book:
“I am a free Black American. I have a distinct culture. It derives from the traditional culture of African field slaves in the South. I identify with that culture by capitalizing the “B” in Black.”

Mr. Robeson stated that Americans should stop pretending that black people and white people are the same in this country. He said that an example of our differences was evident in the 2000 presidential elections when 92% of black voters were against the Bush campaign while 55% of white voters were pro-Bush. This same pattern continued in the 2004 elections that showed 91% of the black voters still against and around 58% of the white voters. This indicates a very clear divide concerning the thinking and overall outlook between black and white citizens in this country.
Mr. Robeson spoke to the crowd candidly and expressed his delight in addressing a crowd of “just plain folk” as he gave his “humble opinion.” He stated that he no longer enjoyed speaking in the halls of Harvard, Princeton, Yale and other Ivy League institutions. “They wouldn’t want to hear what I’m saying tonight anyway,” he chuckled. He wanted to be among “his people” in community centers and libraries that are located in the black community.

Overall, the lecture was refreshing coming from a man of almost 80. A table was set up for him to sell and sign copies of his book. The small turnout opened the door for small lectures as people were getting their books signed while asking questions. I was one of the last in line and step up to get my book signed. He smiled as I shook his hand and expressed how much I enjoyed the lecture. He began to sign my book. I then informed him that I am a descendant of Ezekiel Robeson. Ezekiel Robeson was William Drew Robeson’s older brother. William Drew Robeson is Paul junior’s grandfather and Paul Robeson’s father.

Brief history:
Ezekiel and William escaped slavery together from the Cross Roads plantation in Martin County, North Carolina, but my great-great-grandfather, Ezekiel, returned to his family on the plantation after the Emancipation Proclamation. William would never return to the Cross Roads of Martin County, North Carolina and the late Paul Robeson would never get to know any of his cousins from that region before his death in 1976.

Paul Robeson Jr. was happy to find out that I was his distant cousin and I was happy that I wasn’t just brushed off. He confirmed things by asking questions about family history that I was able to answer. He smiled and just said, “wow!” Well, It was after 9pm and the library was closing. He signed my book and we exchanged information. I went away satisfied that I mentioned my connection to him. I had failed to mention it the last time that I saw him almost 6 years ago. I was determined this time. It was a very nice and enlightening experience. Peace

Photography: I see...

I love the moment right before a Spring storm. It can be both frightening and beautiful. It's a testament signifying the greatness of the Creator. (This photo was taken in Silver Spring near New Hampshire Ave.)

It's always great to observe the public during my commute on the subway. This woman seems to be staring at her book while daydreaming.

I have finally recovered from the cold bug! I intend to fall back into my routine of writing and taking photos. Thank you all for your well wishes. **smile** Peace~