Favor8Art

Paid In Full: Sepia Souls

2011-08-24T17:53:00.001-07:00

Almost 161 years ago, this copy of receipt was written in reference to the purchase of a slave named Davy. The exact date as shown is September 28, 1850. Sold by a Virginia resident to a Florida resident for the amount of $765.00.

Slavery remains an undeniable stain on the fabric of the red, white, and blue.

Photograph of a receipt for the purchase of a slave named Davy, a photo by State Library and Archives of Florida on Flickr.

Earthquake By Northeast

2011-08-23T14:10:00.001-07:00

An earthquake measuring in the range of 5.9 to 6.0 hit the northeastern United States today, its epicenter in Mineral, VA. Washington, D.C. area in the news once again.

Sometimes life can be stranger than fiction.

Photograph of the Effect of Earthquake on Houses Built on Loose or Made Ground After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, 1906, a photo by The U.S. National Archives on Flickr.

Black Love and The Gold Standard

2011-08-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Nikolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, for many of us, are not a duo, but a solo act, comprised of two distinct and complimentary personalities. The loss Nikolas yesterday from a bout with cancer is a tragic end to one of the most documented love story of generations. They are the gold standard of music creators and in very rare company.

They didn’t just write songs, although it’s hard not to connect with The Boss, as performed by Diana Ross, or I’m Every Woman, classically written by them and made immortal by not one, but two vocal giants: Chaka Khan & Whitney Houston. They sold their songs and their message of eternal love through their lifestyle. They were the couple that loved love and being in love.

The last time I saw them, was in a ballroom surrounded by songwriters half their age, who just wanted to touch them, speak with them, and somehow, be anointed by them. They were warm and welcoming as always, and yes, still loving one another.

I was shocked and saddened to learn of Nick’s untimely transition. I wish Valerie a peaceful existence on her journey without Nick, and may God watch over her and the extended family during this time and going forward.

The Washington Family Picnic 2011

2011-08-22T23:19:00.001-07:00

A Fourth of July celebration, St. Helena Island, S.C. (LOC), a photo by The Library of Congress on Flickr.

On Saturday, August 20th, we held our family’s annual summer picnic: The Washington Family Picnic 2011. We are a Black family.

We come together to teach our children and their children how to be family.
We come together to remind ourselves that we are greater than the sum of our accomplishments, disappointments, and desires.
We come together so that we’ll recognize ourselves as we continue to grow.
We are together to have fun!

Our family is large and extended with varying belief systems, politics, life experiences, and future hopes.
We are vanilla, cocoa, dark chocolate, café au lait, and light chocolate.
We are close and sometimes not so close.
We are young and old, new and worn.
We recognize that our connection as family is greater than our disagreements.
We miss those who are not present.
We remember those who will attend no more.
We are a Black family and the blood of our creators proudly carries us on.

We go from table to table, connecting over ribs, hot dogs, fried chicken and hamburgers. Hot links, dip with potato chips, and a slew of six-packs are conversation starters.
We talk plainly: about the future, the past, and the present.
We share good and bad news.
We laugh often.
We laugh at our fears.
We laugh as we watch the kids playing.
We laugh at the antics of the elders.
We laugh at ourselves!
We listen and learn that our greatest joy and our most acute pain are shared.
We play games to bring us closer to one another.
We tell stories from years past so that those younger will remember from whom they came.
We finish conversations that took place the year before.

The architects of our family are Manuel & Lucille Washington, my Grandparents. Their commitment to one another and family brought forth seven children. Those seven children: Dorothy, Manuel Jr., Willa, Robert, Gloria, Mary, and Shirley, and their children, have created generations that continue to renew.

We are a Black family and we come together in love!

2011-08-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Again, some time has lapsed since my last post. Same plan as last time, to post more often in documenting my crazy life.

With a full day with no commitments today, I’m spending time cleaning and cooking. The dinner menu will include oven roasted spare ribs. I’m a barbecue freak and I can eat ribs practically every day given the opportunity.

With our annual Washington Family picnic coming up on Saturday, I thought I would get a jump-start on the feast!

Enjoy today!

2011-05-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Rest In Peace

Gil Scott-Heron

April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011

He was magical.

2011-05-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

According to Harold Camping, a California Christian radio broadcaster, today was the date of The Rapture. Through his network of radio stations, billboards, newspaper ads and teams of believers traveling through world, the date of May 21, 2011 has become synonymous with the end of the world.

If I am still on earth… have I been left behind?

Houdini he is not.

Harry Houdini, circa 1910-1915 courtesy Library of Congress via Flickr

2011-04-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Experienced a moment yesterday that almost paralyzed me: doubt.

Doubt, I believe is a symptom of fear, a very clever and jealous thief of time, creativity, logic, and success. Doubt impedes progress.

Faith won out.

2011-04-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Life is not always easily categorized… and neither is art. Occasionally we are just invited to observe.

Today, I will soak it all up and in!

Photo courtesy Flickr The Tyler Davidson Fountain, 1973

2011-04-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Bathing beauty. Spring has arrived.

Vintage swimsuit circa 1912.

2011-04-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

cul·ti·vate (verb)

According to Merriam-Webster Online:

to improve by labor, care, or study

Like the landowner in the photo… I cultivate.

Thirteen

2011-04-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attended a video* premiere for a new gospel music artist at the request of one of my best girlfriends. Why did I? Simply, because she asked me to.

Friends from the age of thirteen – our friendship is older than our oldest children, as we warmly remind them.

Now that’s beauty er, beautiful.

Two little girls in a park near Union Station, Washington, D.C., 1943

Library of Congress via Flickr

*The video for the song “Beautiful” is composed and performed by local independent artist, Kebra Harris-Moore. It is an inspiring and uplifting work addressing the issues of self-image and confidence, as experienced through the eyes of young men and women.

Friend her on Facebook.

2011-04-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Going to town on Saturday afternoon, Greene Co., Ga., 1941

Via Library of Congress/Flickr

Saturday. Day of leisurely pursuits.

2011-04-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Three days ago I paid $4.11 a gallon to fill up my car.

Driving is fast becoming a luxury activity. In sprawling Los Angeles with few transportation alternatives that are also time efficient - I am concerned about the residual effects of such pricing: increases in goods, services, and perhaps, unemployment.

Think conservation!

2011-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Receipt for love. Hilarious.

Inspired Success

2011-04-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to 'jump at the sun.' We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground. - Zora Neale Hurston

Young girl jumping on a trampoline at the Sarasota High School Sailor Circus, 1952

2011-04-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Coloured Idea Band of Sonny Clay arrives in Sydney, 1928 / Sam Hood

Dance girl!

It Wasn't Child's Play: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-04-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated as he stood on the balcony of the Loraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, April 4, 1968. Born January 15, 1929, he was 39 years old upon his death.

I remember when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. I was very young, but I remember the sadness, tears, and anxiety that covered our neighborhood during that time.

My parents, two older brothers and I were living on East 77^th Street right off Central Avenue in Los Angeles at the time. It was a neighborhood filled with transplanted Black southerners who knew too well the horrors of segregation, discrimination, and the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). They migrated from Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama, and they feared and prayed for Dr. King’s health and welfare, supporting the civil rights movement progress with cautious optimism.

We lived in a working class neighborhood where families were the norm: two parents, kids, and for some, grandparents. Our extended family lived within a three-block radius of our home.

I can still see our neighbors and family members gathered in small groups, talking on their front lawns or talking at the curbside in hushed tones. Everyone wore strained, confused and anxious expressions. Men were talking loudly, angrily even, and being shushed by the women because kids were within earshot. They killed Martin Luther King! I see it all now in dream sequences. It was April 4, 1968 and was real.

I wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would think about our fractured families, incarcerated men, three military engagements on foreign shores, record Black unemployment, homelessness, dissolution of unions, technological dependence, violent tendencies, and social ineptness. I could go on but I won’t. It is April 4, 2011 and it is also real.

If you care to review the history of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination, I found great archival coverage at this source:

Times Online UK http://tinyurl.com/3vd4xsj

Please support the building of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC here

Sunday Efficient

2011-04-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Circa 1910-1915

I am producing several projects simultaneously and will be working today from my home office.

A woman’s worth is her independence.

Happy Birthday Marvin!

2011-04-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sunrise: April 2, 1939 – Sunset: April 1, 1984

“There'll come a time, when the world won't be singin'

 Flowers won't grow, bells won't be ringin'  

Who really cares?” – Lyrics from Save The Children performed by Marvin Gaye

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. known worldwide as Marvin Gaye. A phenomenal artist, performer, songwriter, and composer, Marvin is celebrated as the embodiment of soul.

Lesser celebrated is his challenge to the world to treat the earth with kindness and respect… preserving the living right of our children to live and grow in a healthy and safe environment.

Watch the video of Save The Children here

I support Planet Lunchroom and their efforts to “greenovate” school cafeterias and invite you join me in supporting this organization.

The song, “Save The Children” is written by Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye & Renaldo Benson, from the Motown album “What’s Goin’ On

2011-04-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Happy April Fool’s Day!

August 11, 1909 – Library of Wales

2011-03-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I’m rushing now.

Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, circa 1973 (courtesy Environmental Protection Agency)

arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=556195

2011-03-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Headline news posted in the window = Vintage social media.

Photo courtesy of The Library of Congress

hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a33852

On Balance

2011-03-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Motorist fails DMV check - August, 1975

Yeah, well, balance is important in all things. Good news is not present for very long before you receive the bad news too. Balance is a persistent angel giving us perspective and the opportunity to challenge ourselves.

I received a bit of unwelcome news yesterday evening. After tugging on this news in mind for the rest of the evening, I awoke today with a clearer perspective. I looked at the issue from both sides, even did a bit more research, and recognized my obstacle. Lesson learned.

Photo: U.S. National Archives:
http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=557863

2011-03-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Rhododendrons-Golden Gate Park-San Francisco, California
(Oregon State University)

“You really are the brightest shining light in our family, so keep shining my sweets, keep on.” - Woneta Airhart (Note from my Aunt)

Three-Peat Ambition: Los Angeles Lakers

2011-03-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Will this be the year of the three-peat? I hope so.

16 championships and 57 playoff appearances indicate that history is on their side.

The LakeShow is selling out… LakerNation is electrified.

Let’s go Lakers!

Photo Source: Oregon State University Archives

Color: A Silly Saturday Post

2011-03-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Live life out loud and in color.

McCall Style & Beauty Cover

Jane Austen's Will

2011-03-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I am a Jane Austen fan and found this interesting.
A copy of Jane Austen’s will where she leaves everything to her sister.

2011-03-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

There's a storm blowing in... are you ready?

Farm in the vicinity of Wallagrasse, Aroostook County, Me. 1940 Oct.

2011-03-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATED 3/21: Philosophy responds - see below:

hi jeanie,

thank you for contacting philosophy! please know that discontinuing a product is not done at random. many reasons factor into why a product is discontinued. unfortunately, i do not have a specific reason why these products were discontinued. we appreciate your understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience.
kind regards,

amanda g.
philosophy: where there is hope miracles can occur

I am a huge fan of this scent and disappointed they no longer sell the Philosophy Luxurious Bubble Bath product. Not on the website, so I asked them about it. I'll update this post with their response when I hear back from them.

2011-03-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

September 12, 1930
"We have hit bottom and are on the upswing." - James J. Davis, Secretary of Labor.

Bayou Bourbeau plantation, Library of Congress

March 4, 2011
"An economy that was once shrinking is now growing again." - Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Labor

Thanks For the Opportunity Mel: Sadly We Blew It!

2010-07-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

“Be careful of the words you say, keep them soft and sweet

You never know from day to day, which one’s you’ll have to eat!” – Anonymous

After a week of national headlines, late night jokes, and broadcast news leads and sharp-witted cartoons, Mel Gibson has become a poster boy for unfiltered rage and abuse. His alleged rants during private telephone conversations with his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, are quickly slipping from our consciousness and the media’s “top stories” column. The abuse aspect of the Gibson rants remains under-reported and we should question the circumstances surrounding the media avoidance of this very serious topic.

Indeed, Mr. Gibson’s media profile, status, and wealth provide the public platform for us to re-ignite the dialogue with victims and survivors of domestic violence, and commit our support to the service organizations in our communities that serve them.

According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, abuse is defined as follows:

Abuse is physical, sexual emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or wound someone

A full transcript of Mr. Gibson’s remarks can be found at online at Salon. I have included a few of his remarks to demonstrate the absurdity of the media’s omission to address abuse. It is my hope that Mr. Gibson chokes on the bowl of regret now sitting before him.

“You insult me with every look…”

“… you go out in public and it's a fu**king embarrassment to me.”

“You need a fu**king bat in the side of the head.”

“You need a fu**king brain transplant.”

“You don't love me …”

If you know someone that is a victim of domestic violence or abuse, the National Domestic Hotline can be reached in confidence and anonymously 24-hours a day – seven days a week at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 1.800.787.3224 (TTY).

LeBron James: Are We Not Entertained?

2010-07-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

Update: “I think the major factor, the major reason, in my decision was the best opportunity to win, and to win now and to win into the future also," ... "Winning is a huge thing for me." – LeBron James on his decision to join the Miami Heat. (July 8, 2010)

With literally thousands of news articles, blog posts and counting, LeBron James, and the spectacle surrounding his decision for which team he will allow the privilege of paying him millions of dollars to entertain us, has reached a fever pitch. A self-anointed King, James has recently indicated through his newly acquired Twitter account, @KingJames, and perfectly timed self-named website launch, http://www.lebronjames.com/, that our appetite for the spectacular will be rewarded when he names the team he will join on Thursday, July 8^th.

A professional basketball player, with amazing athletic skills, an almost un-matched work ethic, and arguably one of the most recognized athletes on the planet, James will reveal which professional organization he will call home on ESPN (Entertainment Sports Programming Network), in a nationally televised one-hour special in the highly coveted prime-time slot.

As we watch, yes, I will be watching, we will not only bear “witness” to James announcement, but also the emergence of ESPN’s, ability to create and break news.

From the clever LeBron Tracker to the countless articles and tweets, ESPN has managed the marketing of the LeBron James free agency period less as a niche specific platform, choosing instead to go global as a “fan experience”.

James coming-of-age and ESPN’s behemoth influence on popular culture have converged to create the “perfect storm” of entertainment, sports, and economics. Among the teams in contention for LeBron’s services, are the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, and the Chicago Bulls. I expect, whichever team James selects, will be thrilled with the sustaining economic benefit, as well as the heightened interest and audience in all things ESPN and NBA.

James and his career curators have identified the non-profit organization, Boys and Girls Club of America as the recipient of all the sponsorship income generated from tomorrow’s broadcast. In a time of severe economic stress and fundraising challenges, this was an astute business decision, and will aid in extending the legacy and brand of LeBron James well beyond the court.

Do I really care where LeBron goes? Not really, I’m enjoying the spectacle of it all too much. An African-American from Akron, Ohio, grows up and conquers the business world with a basketball as his weapon. No one could have scripted this --- but here we are, caught up and participating in a real life game changer. Are we not entertained?

[Note to ESPN: The time is now to launch ESPNWomen]

Photo courtesy of @NBA _Photos

Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America (A Favor8Art Review)

2010-02-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

Did you get a chance to view VH1’s “Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America” the documentary last night? I sure hope so. Featuring footage from the long running hit series, this doc teases you with the promise of “more to come”, and archival footage would confirm it.

As a native of Los Angeles, it was impossible not to watch the program. You went to school, lived next door to, and often times, rode the bus with local Soul Train dancers. They were at the time, the “insiders inside”, and as stated in the film, you were indeed proud of them. Each weekend, we settled in to watch, my two older brothers and I, laughing and yes, dancing along as we watched. Now that I think about it, we didn’t often sit and watch Soul Train. We usually danced through it, as if we were dancers too, and only sat during the guest performances.

At 90 minutes long, Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America, is a priceless collection of r&b, soul, funk, rap, and dance performances, interviews and music. The featured clips, from the program archives, celebrate historical Black culture, community, and art. It’s only agenda: informative entertainment. It overwhelmingly succeeds.

Celebrating 40 years of Soul Train during Black History Month 2010 is appropriate, but anytime is a good time With its narration by Terrence Howard and special appearances by Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Smokey Robinson, and songwriters extraordinaire, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, it reassuringly shares the importance of this cultural phenomenon. From one generation to the next, Soul Train continued to define accomplishment, and encourage greatness. The center of the overall piece is subtly woven in the fabric of each shot: the vision of Don Cornelius, was formed by his pride as an African-American.

Soul Train was our all access pass to what was cool and hip, in music, in ads, in fashion, and in people.

An overdue thanks, to Don Cornelius, who dared to dream, despite the political and commercial hurdles of the time. He identified what television executives continue to seek: audience. Before MTV, BET, and even VH1, Soul Train and Don Cornelius had already proven the profitability, and popularity, of urban artists with the Soul Train Music Awards, and later, the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Many artists received their first industry recognition with these awards, before the American Music, and the GRAMMY awards that would come later.

In 2008, Cornelius sold the Soul Train rights to Mad Vision Entertainment, a Los Angeles based production company. Note to Mad Vision: The greatest lesson Don teaches is that it isn’t the television or music business…. the audience is the business. Now come find us!

The Ragin' Cajun 2005 and 2010: A Matter of Dignity

2010-01-18T02:22:00.000-08:00

"They went into stores to get food to stay alive. Looting isn't the right word. I call it survival."

- Retired LT. General Russel L. Honoré, US Arny

in response to looting coverage by mainstream media in New Orelans

post Hurricane Katrina, 2005

“It’s a shame that we pull pistols on people trying to get food.”

- LT. General Russel L. Honoré, RT

in response to military aggression as reported in Haiti

post 7.0 Earthquake, 2010

Photo courtesy of General Honore, LLC

A Sustainable Donation: Haitian Relief Efforts

2010-01-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the country of Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, brings images and real time footage of human loss and suffering, structural damage and regional ramifications too horrifying and complex to fathom as the search and rescue efforts continue.

I am proud of the American citizens, and Federal government response to this unimaginable disaster. Many want to do more and Desiree Adaway, a non-profit professional, urges us to wait in the blog post “Volunteering During Disasters”. I agree with her.

I believe, as do many, that the immediate relief efforts are just one piece in a large pie of needs that will exist in Haiti for possibly the next two decades. Our commitment and contributions should be sustainable. As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the complications will mount in an already difficult social, political and regional environment, and the media will not be there to capture it.

The road to recovery and reconstruction will be long and hard, and this is where we will be able to provide more than donations. The U.S. Haitian population is spread out widely across the nation. We can begin the work of contacting local organizations within our communities to volunteer our service. There are a few organizations listed below who work in Haiti long term. They will need our help to maintain their efforts now and when the mainstream media moves on.

· Direct Relief International – non-profit to help people who confront enormous hardship to improve the quality of their lives.

· Beyond Borders – non-profit for justice and peace out of devotion to Christ by fostering sharing and understanding across cultural and economic borders.

· Danita’s Children: Hope for Haiti Children’s Center - a non-profit organization with the intent of rescuing and caring for orphaned children, meeting their needs spiritually, physically, academically, emotionally.

Today in Los Angeles, a meeting will be held with Congresswoman Maxine Waters and The Coalition in Solidarity regarding the emergency relief efforts in Haiti. I will ask the question that will provide the most direct answer: How can I help you?

Please feel free to leave information on other organizations in or working directly in Haiti that you may have.

4½ Inch Heels: The New Shoe Game

2009-12-19T22:23:00.000-08:00

Fashion is like the id. It makes you desire things you shouldn't. ~Bob Morris

Why is it that every shoe that I crave, I mean really desire, comes with a 4½ to 5 inch heel?

I am curious as to why so many designers have chosen to take their shoes to such heights. The reluctant diva in me declares, "Embrace it... be fashionably glamorous!". That sounds very close to suffer for sexy, something I did when I was 20-something and actually believed a little discomfort was worth it.

From the age of 16, I've had an ongoing love affair with shoes, and notably, high heels. From platforms to chunky heels to stilettos, I've always loved elegant shoes with a high heel. Towering in at new elevations however, I'm unable to indulge this fashion "do" as a matter of personal comfort and challenged by the lack of heel options for many of the shoes that I would acquire given the advantage of choice.

For many women, this has become a growing issue and was addressed by shoeblog.com as recently. Hannelore Daniel, trend expert for the online shoe and handbag Web site Endless.com, explains designers have taken the sky-high route in heels because of what they've heard from women. "Women want to feel sexy and confident, and really high heels do that," she said. Maybe... but not all women equate their sexuality with the size of their heels. In fact, there are more articles on this subject as I happily discovered, creating a source of discussion which should, but does not, include the designers perspective.

A sliver of selections for the 40+ crowd cannot be considered smart marketing in a smart economy. Women within this age group, professionals and entrepreneurs are brand loyalists, and dare I say in this economy, financially independent consumers and curators of fine living. Likely influencers in their given communities and connected to most media and social sites, the brand that talks to this group will win big. Jimmy Choo: ✔ Christian Louboutin: ✔ Guiseppe Zanotti: ✔ Can I get these with 3¾" heels instead of 5?

While the designer is seeking a youthful showcase of their product, they need not exclude one demographic for another. Unsure about this strategy? See Michelle Obama, she is a grand participant in one of the hottest and heavily populated consumer bases: 40+ women in full. Her shoe game ain't bad either.

Invitation To Connect

2009-10-21T00:04:00.000-07:00

Today I had lunch with a former colleague who found me on LinkedIn. I remembered her fondly and was happy to accept her invitation to connect as well as to exchange current contact information. She invited me to lunch and we agreed upon a date.

Funny, upon receipt of her initial invitation, I had that feeling inside my soul that this connection, or reconnection was not only in my best interest, but was right.

After going to the wrong restaurant, there are two of them here, I arrived at the restaurant and we greeted one another as if we'd just seen each other last month, and not a year and half ago. My soul spoke: "She is good and this is right".

Over chicken salad and corn bread with my favorite, peach lemonade, we casually caught up with one another. Chatting about the economy and unemployment (they are a tag team), families, kids and motherhood, we shared laughs and inspiration. We talked of our former employer and that brought about an eruption of laughter, entertainment careers provide some of the best narrative and it's all true!

She was genuinely interested in hearing about me since my being laid off, expressed her utter surprise and disappointment upon learning the news and confirmed her good will towards me.

As our conversation continued, we both spoke of an opportunity that would allow for the use of my experience, knowledge and relationships as well as include some others who might be happy to share their expertise in building this project. My spirit spoke: "This is another opportunity...this is right".

As we were waiting for the check she said: "You have to be involved in making this happen. You are the inspiration for it."

Driving to my next meeting, I had one thought and I share it here: Don't ignore that "Invitation To Connect", you don't know what's on the other side of it.

The Vision of Sight

2009-10-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking….

Comfortably we live our entire lives looking through murky lens. Only in moments of honest reflection, are we able to receive to our individual gifts of sight. Sadly, these moments are fleeting, and it is rare when the mind, body and spirit are in concert creating a renewed vision of pure clarity and comprehension. We seem determined to be imprisoned by our false delusions. We despair, dismissing our periods of reflection and the revelations made truth. Sight remains, dormant and searching for the clarifying opening.

Age, culture, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, geography nor gender are prerequisites for visual clarity. A life of sacrifice and service or crime and punishment have the vision of sight in common. For each, that moment of definition, when it occurs will provide a platform of opportunity as they go forward. Both will profoundly experience that sight is infinitely more powerful than seeing, impacting the progression of their lives. Do you see?

As I travel along what I affectionately call my "path of challenges", it has been my profound joy and pain to learn that my sight has acutely affected my seeing going forward. The sight of my journey has allowed a glimpse of the use of my mind and reasoning in service, my body's nourishment in substance and science to insure my safe arrival and that my spirit receive the proper instruction to remain in divine order to keep me in peace, grace and faith.

I am conscious that seeing is not sight, and welcome the sight of my completed yesterdays, the urgency of all my today’s and the uncertainty of my tomorrows. My vision unblemished and my sight is good too. Be true to you, who you are and who you will become, quietly, embrace your sight.

How’s your vision? Post color correction, I'm better.

Nobel and Profound Recognition

2009-10-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

"For those of you still wondering if Obama has earned the Nobel Prize, please read Martin Luther King's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech" - Donna Brazile (American author, educator and political pundit)

The debate will rage on throughout various parts of the country and world as to the legitimacy of honoring our 44th President, Barack Obama, with the Nobel Peace Prize, is premature or justified.

I am attaching a copy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's. Acceptance Speech of the Nobel Peace Prize from 1964 as delivered in Oslo, Norway for your reading as well. This speech has served as a truth reminder for me and inspiration to continue my journey of achievement, service and equality.

I welcome your comments as always.

Martin Luther King Jr.
The Nobel Peace Prize 1964

Acceptance Speech

Martin Luther King's Acceptance Speech, on the occasion of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, December 10, 1964

Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when 22 million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award on behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice. I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs and even death. I am mindful that only yesterday in Philadelphia, Mississippi, young people seeking to secure the right to vote were brutalized and murdered. And only yesterday more than 40 houses of worship in the State of Mississippi alone were bombed or burned because they offered a sanctuary to those who would not accept segregation. I am mindful that debilitating and grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.

Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize.

After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time - the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. Negroes of the United States, following the people of India, have demonstrated that nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

The tortuous road which has led from Montgomery, Alabama to Oslo bears witness to this truth. This is a road over which millions of Negroes are travelling to find a new sense of dignity. This same road has opened for all Americans a new era of progress and hope. It has led to a new Civil Rights Bill, and it will, I am convinced, be widened and lengthened into a super highway of justice as Negro and white men in increasing numbers create alliances to overcome their common problems.

I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall overcome!

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally.

Every time I take a flight, I am always mindful of the many people who make a successful journey possible - the known pilots and the unknown ground crew.

So you honor the dedicated pilots of our struggle who have sat at the controls as the freedom movement soared into orbit. You honor, once again, Chief Lutuli of South Africa, whose struggles with and for his people, are still met with the most brutal expression of man's inhumanity to man. You honor the ground crew without whose labor and sacrifices the jet flights to freedom could never have left the earth. Most of these people will never make the headline and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing light of truth is focused on this marvellous age in which we live - men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more noble civilization - because these humble children of God were willing to suffer for righteousness' sake.

I think Alfred Nobel would know what I mean when I say that I accept this award in the spirit of a curator of some precious heirloom which he holds in trust for its true owners - all those to whom beauty is truth and truth beauty - and in whose eyes the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold.

From Les Prix Nobel en 1964, Editor Göran Liljestrand, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 1965

A Son In Full

2009-10-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

On October 9th, each year I celebrate the birth of my son and reflect on what I've learned from him, what we've learned together and praise the man that he is fast becoming. This year's lesson: listening.

As we approach his 23rd year, I can only marvel that he and I have a relationship that has weathered the storms from husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, friends, some family members and recently, employment. We are family and friends. As I sit and type this salute, I'm thinking back to the morning of his arrival , at 11:11am, 6 pounds and 7 ounces, , clean and smooth. He was all arms and legs, kicking and screaming, and I wanted to scream too. I didn't, he stopped crying, and instead acquainted ourselves with one another -- and then grew up together.

The years flew by, school for him, work for me and then before I knew it, his high school graduation. In the meantime though, there was the Tooth Fairy, Valentines Day, April Fools and St. Patrick's Day. Trips to Chicago, Seattle, New York, Atlanta and other places. He humored me as I celebrated each holiday , and treasured that Christmas holidays and his birthday were my personal blackout dates - no travel,or work, and each holiday and birthdate a fond memory that he recites with affection.

As he plans his own celebrations for his upcoming birthday, I am in awe of the person he's chosen to be, the intellect that cannot be contained, envious of the wit and charm that are so natural to him, appreciative of his friendship and respectful of his opinions. He has defied all the negative statistics and has become an exception to the rule and he's just getting started.

His name reflects my thinking at his birth, my son, my name, he is Jason, or if you will, J's son.

He is a son in full...honest, charming, sincere, creative and wise . Happy Birthday Jason...you are my Favor8Son and I love you!