Morphological Confetti

I want to share with you today my memories of dance. It must have happened when I was an infant watching my parents dance. No, I don’t remember seeing my parents dance, but I can just imagine how beautiful the moment must appear to a child. For the first time, the child is witnessing the movement of limbs and hips in harmony with the beat of the music. As older children, my brothers and I would play for most of the day in front of our apartment building, but sometimes my mother would gather us in the house with our friends and turn on her record player. The song that comes to mind in memory is “ Car Wash ” by the R&B group, Rose Royce. I remember we would all take turns dancing in the middle of the circle. When my turn came up, I would close my eyes and just allow my body to flow with the rhythm of the music. I remember the exhilarating feeling and laughing as my mother cheered me on, "Go head Stevie!" The moment left an indelible impression on my mind. It influenced ...

This post is in honor of Memorial Day . This is a list of a few good men from my days in the Navy (1985-1988) stationed aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). We were part of the ships first crew when it was commissioned in October of 1986. This is what I remember about those men: TR underway Plankowner…arriving Msg to James Wormick and his brother from Chicago, IL: James, I can’t remember your brother’s name, but I do remember that you all treated me like I was your brother. I remember your brother’s wife too, but not her name. I hope all is well with the both of you. The moment I remember the most is the time we both danced to Eric B and Rakim’s song, Eric B is President . You remember the lyrics: “…I'm scheming like I'm dreaming on a couch wit my feet up You scream I'm lazy, you must be crazy Thought I was a donut, you tried to glaze me” I miss you man! Peace~ Msg to Reginald Davis of Reading, PA: Reg, you are the only brother I am in touch with from th...

"One and God make a majority"~ Frederick Douglass "I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs"~Frederick Douglass Who is Frederick Douglass? These photos were taken over the weekend at the Frederick Douglass Isaac Myers Maritime Park in Baltimore, Maryland. We gathered there to celebrate my great-aunt's 80th birthday. I'll have to go back to Baltimore to take a closer look at the exhibit real soon. Happy birthday aunt Pearline! Photos: Douglass memorial bust, Mrs. Bess and Douglass, Stephen Bess and Douglass (The photos feature quotes by Frederick Douglass on prayer and God) Book on Subject: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, by Himself

Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, is financing two films by close supporter and actor, Danny Glover. I am particularly excited about his film, Toussaint , which chronicles the life of the Haitian revolution leader, Toussaint L’Ouverture . It’s long overdue!!! Toussaint’s life is a wonderful and courageous story that the world should know about. So, God bless Danny Glover for stepping up to tell “our” story because no one else will. I want to give a big thank you to Mr. Glover and Mr. Chavez. Many blessings to you. Check out the article . Peace~ Sources: Wikipedia.org/Comcast news/Blackvoices.com

In celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage Month and in coordination with Akashic Books and Jamaicans.com , Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot will be hosting a book giveaway contest on the theme, “Caribbean-Americans and the 'American Dream." If you're like me, the thought of free books makes you very happy. Go!! Check it out for more details about how to win. Enjoy your weekend. Peace~

Stokely Carmichael [aka Kwame Toure 1941-1998 ] Quote taken from Boogie Down Productions/Edutainment 1990 "History can never be made by one man, we must smash this one quickly. History is made only by the masses of the people, this is clear. Even a cursory glance at the fallacious presentation Of History by the American Capitalist system, will demonstrate just this. Take George Washington, as bad as he is... put him in the middle of Valley Forge, by himself, surrounded by the British, he can do nothing. Take Martin Luther King as righteous as he is... put him in the middle of Birmingham by himself, speaking out against racism, he would be lynched. But you take this same King, you take this same Washington put them in Valley Forge, put them in Alabama surround them with thousands of people who have the same ideas they do, willing to make those ideas reality and the situation changes drastically." Photo and info source: sunyulster.edu and wikipedia.org I was just feeling a l...

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of seeing a couple of live bands play at Ellington’s on Eighth . Ellington’s on Eighth has been located on 8th Street in Southeast Washington near the Marine Barracks since Mother’s Day in 1998. Saturday’s performances were by Nigerian singer and songwriter, Kuku and South African band, Mahala featuring the magical guitar on Mongezi “Chris” Ntaka. It was a real treat. Now, top that off with an international buffet featuring West African/Caribbean cuisine and great conversation, then you have a typical evening at Ellington’s on Eighth . This cozy little champagne lounge and garden café was started by two sisters from Iowa name, Marsha and Annette Martin. They saw Ellington’s as an opportunity to serve and give back to the community. As a matter of fact, Ellington’s staff was chosen through referrals from places like DC Central Kitchen . This fit in well with Annette’s background in Social Work. She could serve the community as a business owner a...

Today in history: May 11, 1741 The execution of 31 Blacks and 4 Whites begins for their alleged conspiracy in the “Negro Plot”. 70 other enslaved Blacks are transported out of New York City. Book on Subject: The Great Negro Plot : A Tale of Conspiracy and Murder in 18th-Century New York by Mat Johnson (2007). I own a signed copy of Mat Johnson's book. I had a chance to attend his book reading in early spring. He seems like a really nice guy and I'm looking forward to reading his book. It's part of my summer line up. I have an idea of what I'll be reading this summer, but I need to "line" them up and get started. If you're like me you like to stay on the subject. In other words, if I'm reading about slave mutiny then I'll read about three other books on the subject. I don't know...I guess I'm hooked on African American history and the past. I mean, just look at my screen background at work. Yes, a field of good ol' southern cotton. I d...

United House of Prayer Mural for Million Family March Men's Fashion Center A closer look Young and hip in DC 90 Bus headed southeast on H St. Flyer I saw on a pole H street was one of the hardest hit areas during the riots of 1968. It has deteriorated a great deal since 1968, but efforts are underway to revitalize this part of DC. It's a straight shot to downtown so developers are erecting condominiums and lofts to attract money. The Victorian style homes that surround the H street neighborhood are also being revitalized.

I have been tagged by Geoffrey Philp concerning the “great imperative.” He is asking the question, what is the great imperative of my life? This is a great meme because it really made me think. As Arsenio Hall would say, it’s one of those things that make you go…hmmmmmm? Well, everyone gather around. My greatest imperative in life has always been knowledge of self. I have always wanted to know who I am. This quest for knowledge started as a child when I would ask my grandmother dozens of questions about our family and the existence of God. My grandmother could talk about God all day, but family knowledge went back only a few generations. I would gain knowledge of and fall in love with the knowledge of my African ancestry after I was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1988. I was living in New Haven, Connecticut in the spring of 1988 when I entered a shop that sold African inspired books, incense and art. I inquired about some of the things I saw there and the shop attendant began to...

Untitled Colored pencil and graphite drawing Today, I want to share some of my art collection with you all. The featured artist is African American sketch artist, Sam Fuller Jr. I met Mr. Fuller in the Fall of 2005 at DuPont Circle Park here in DC. It was autumn, so the weather was still fairly warm. I took daily walks during my lunch hour near Dupont Circle; one afternoon, I observed Mr. Fuller in the park selling his art. I didn't bother him that day, but I noticed him the next day as well, so I decided to approach him to take a closer look at his work. He sat quietly on the park bench while sketching one of his upcoming pieces. As I walked closer, I noticed that he wore jeans and a starched white shirt that appeared very bright in the sunlight. I introduced myself and asked if I could take a look at some of his artwork. He showed me his work and also shared works in progress. I visited with him the rest of the week at the park during my lunch hour. We talked about his career as...