Gospel Music: I'm Alright Now

This song came to mind after I felt the earth shake here in Maryland today. Either way, it's going to be alright. By the way, this is a church in Williamston, N.C., which is located in Eastern Carolina. Enjoy. Peace~

Happy 90th Birthday to Grandpa Bess!

Happy 90th Birthday to my grandfather (seated left).  He definitely has a lot to do with who I am today.  God bless him. 
(Pictured left to right:  Grandpa -Tom Best, Stephen Bess, Great Aunt - Josephine)

Photograph by:  Mrs. Bess

George Moses Horton: The Black Bard

THE SLAVE'S COMPLAINT

Am I sadly cast aside,
On misfortune's rugged tide?
Will the world my pains deride
Forever?

Must I dwell in Slavery's night,
And all pleasure take its flight,
Far beyond my feeble sight,
Forever?

Worst of all, must Hope grow dim,
And withhold her cheering beam?
Rather let me sleep and dream
Forever!

Something still my heart surveys,
Groping through this dreary maze;
Is it Hope?--then burn and blaze
Forever!

Leave me not a wretch confined,
Altogether lame and blind--
Unto gross despair consigned,
Forever!

Heaven! in whom can I confide?
Canst thou not for all provide?
Condescend to be my guide
Forever:

And when this transient life shall end,
Oh, may some kind eternal friend
Bid me from servitude ascend,
Forever!

by: George Moses Horton (c.1797-c.1883)

Sources: poetryarchive.com and unc.edu, and ncarts.org

Happy Juneteenth Everyone!

Liquid Lunch Sample

Check out Wordrunner Press for information on Liquid Lunch and just a sample.

Old Window: A Look into the Past

This is a photo I took of a window in the back of my grandfather's childhood home. I was brave enough to step into that old house that felt like it was about to give in to the weight of my body. It made every sound you can imagine as it moaned with my every step. I can remember when the house still had a strong life force.

It was 1979 -- the year before my grandfather's mother died. Back then, there were still farm animals about the house, an old dog, and scattered remnants of the fall harvest when I looked across the field. great-grandma Alice was suffering from Alzheimers. From her window in the back of the house, she saw me running and playing with the various farm animals. She called me over to the window and asked me, "Who boy are you?" I told her and she smiled, "You a good looking boy." I said thank you and smiled shly as I ran off to play more.

I came across her window a second time and she called me over to ask the same question. I answered as if it was my first time hearing it. I was pre-warned to do so by my aunt. After great-grandma Alice asked me the same question for a third time. I ran off to play only in the front of the house. I was 12 years old.

*See more pictures on Flickr*

The Road Home

Soon, my wife and I will be taking a little trip south to see grandfather Bess. He's 89 years old and counting. I always enjoy my visits to North Carolina no matter how short and routine it may be. When I get home, we usually drive grandpa around town to see family and friends. He doesn't see them as often as he would like because most of them, including grandpa, no longer drive.

Then, we'll go over to Mr. Little's fish market. I went to high school with Mr. Little's son, David. Mr. Little gives me updates on how things are going with David and I'll listen and smile even though David and I were never really close in school. My grandfather will buy me a coke and we'll sit and talk to Mr. Little until they are both satisfied.

Then, we'll go back to the house. My aunts will have dinner ready and we'll talk until it's time for grandpa to go to bed. That's usually around 8 p.m.  On Sunday morning, I'll wake up and fix him some breakfast; He'll clean his plate and give me a compliment by telling me that I cook as good as a woman.  I'll laugh and tell him thanks for the compliment. 

Soon, I'll announce that it's time for us to head back to Maryland.  At this point, grandpa will estimate our time of arrival and wish us well.  Yes, it's all pretty short and routine, but I love it.  It's always good to visit home. 

Photo:  Bridge on Interstate 395 South.  By S. Bess

Get your Ripe, Juicy Watermelon Here!

I remember the watermelon man driving slowly through my small North Carolina town shouting, "Watermelon! Get your watermelon heah!" Folks would come out of their homes and buy them straight off the pick up truck including my grandfather. I remember he would buy a watermelon, put it in the cooler, and we would slice that baby open when the time was right. Yes, we would have ourselves a cool, sweet ol’ time. There is nothing like sweet, cold watermelon in the summertime. I know, black folks just love watermelon, right. Well, wait a minute because white folks love it too as well as Asians and Latinos -- everyone loves watermelon! Well, maybe not everyone but you understand.

The love for this famous melon dates back 5,000 years when Africans grew it along the Nile Valley (Today known as Egypt and the Middle East). African explorer, David Livingston (1813-1873), describe It as being abundant in the Kalahari desert where it was thought to have originated; there, it grows wild. In America, it arrived via the slave trade. Thomas Jefferson grew it and boasted of its sweetness as compared to his French counterparts. Confederate soldiers use to boil it down as a source of sugar and molasses.

In Africa, where it still grows, many tribes have used it for centuries as a source of water during times of drought. Enslaved Africans in America naturally loved its taste because many of them had it as a source of food in their homeland. Today, many of us get excited when we are in a foreign place and we see food familiar to us. I can imagine the Africans in America getting all excited when they were able to eat their native melon.

This, of course, made it easy for others to create negative stereotypes associated with that love for their native melon. Well, that is all I have to say about the native African vine (scientifically known as Citrullus lanatus). Go to your local market and grab yourselves a tasty watermelon or some other fresh fruit.

Note: Now, researchers have found that watermelon has a viagra like ingredient called Citrulline that increases sex drive. Well, like I said...

Get your ripe, juicy watermelon here!

Sources: darwin.nmsu.edu, capecodphotoalbum.com, yahoo news

Watermelon photo: Scotland Neck, N.C., Stephen Bess

Photography: The NC I See at Christmas

These are photos of Downtown Williamston, NC. I took these pictures on Christmas Eve. Downtown is equivalent to about two to four city blocks. I love it! Small towns have a certain charm about them during this time of the year. Otherwise, it was a great time spent with family and friends.

Williamston Downtown

Other sources: The Martin County Chamber of Commerce online

Soul Food: Cornbread, Mack, And Me

I wanted to share with you guys a little of my family life. Over the weekend, my family got together for a little reunion. My uncles, Mack and Carlton decided that the family doesn’t get together enough so they invited everyone over for some good ol' southern cooking. I’m talking they roasted half of a hog. You ever heard of a “pig picking?” I realize this may be disgusting to some, but some of y’all out there know exactly what I’m talking about. Yeah, Soul food!

There was corn on the cob, mac and cheese, cornbread, fried chicken, grilled chicken, ribs, string beans, collard greens, pasta salad, and baked beans with strips of bacon across the top! Haa haa!! I mean a real trip to the doctor, but it was so delicious! Oh, and you can't live in the DC/Maryland area without trying some of the Chesapeake Bay's finest crustaceans! Yes, Crabs!

This was also a chance for the family to meet my wife because I was just married at the end of 2005. They loved her and they loved the South African dish she fixed for the occasion. I learned some things about me as well at this family gathering. One of my younger cousins who attends FAMU (Florida A& M University) wanted some advice on what books to read. I suggested Aimé Césaire's book, Discourse On Colonialism. There was also a moment when we were all sitting in the family room just catching up. We were having discussions about current events and various topics. This sparked conversations about black history and culture. They started asking me questions and I gave my 2 cent. If I didn't know the answer they were surprised! In other words, I have a reputation of being the family smart guy. I honestly don’t know how I got this reputation? Perhaps some of the family are speaking well of me. Nevertheless, I like the reputation because I love to talk about history and culture. It’s the reason I first went into teaching. I was also told that I was a man who loves his family whether we’ve met or not. This is true. I've met more than a couple of cousins I’ve never met before and I embraced them instantly. It might be a different story if I had to live with them, but the love is there upon initial contact.

Overall, it was good to see everyone. I hope that you all get a chance to see and get together with your family this Summer. If you haven’t then maybe you should be the one to get everyone together. Peace and enjoy the rest of this Summer. It’ll be over before you know it.

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