I agree with Marian Wright Edelmen, who spoke recently with Tavis Smiley about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, beyond the 60s: “We love our prophets, we love the dream, but we don’t love the bounced promissory note.” On a personal level, I look at how far we have not come since the… Continue reading Education Under Arrest
Category: Fleshing It Out
The March ~ Film narrated by Denzel Washington
I hope you found profound ways to mark today—being the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. In deciding how to celebrate on my blog, the answer came tonight after finding this film on the PBS website: THE MARCH The vital story of the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.… Continue reading The March ~ Film narrated by Denzel Washington
Movie ~ The Butler
The story deftly barrels through history and emotions, exploring many of the themes I take on in Peach Seed Monkey. Bypass the media hype and reviews. Go straight to your seat and judge for yourself. Director Lee Daniels,
Join the New Civil Rights Movement
MoveOn is hosting a Google Hangout: Tuesday, July 30 (tomorrow) at 8:PM ET. I’m joining NAACP’s Jotaka Eaddy, Colorlines.com’s Rinku Sen, Dream Defenders’ Ciara Taylor, 18MillionRising’s Christina Samala, and We Are Not Trayvon Martin’s Joseph Phelan in a special roundtable broadcast live online, to talk about how we can work together to grow this new… Continue reading Join the New Civil Rights Movement
All Things are Linked
As I wrote this post, my heart reached out to the families in Newtown, Conn., steeped in grief and looking for their next steps. May they soon find that—even in suffering— peace is every step…
Harlem, Albany, GA: Then and Now
It’s been a while since I posted, and for good reason. The “possible editor” I mentioned in a recent post is now my very real editor/coach A.J. Verdelle! So I’ve been working hard getting the Peach Seed Monkey manuscript off to her yesterday! (390 pages, 95,133 words). This has been a long time coming and… Continue reading Harlem, Albany, GA: Then and Now
Character Interviews (i.e.,talking to myself)
For years on my daily morning walks I carried small notebooks and a pen for ideas about stories, homeschooling, etc. Even though I obviously know the value of the spoken word, (being an oral tradition storyteller), for some reason I felt better about writing the notes. Until one day
Jim Crow ~ by any other name
Jim Crow ~ still around. Lucky for us some really smart people continue to wrap their brains around racism—still so pervasive in America, and in some cases on the rise BECAUSE we have a black man in the White House. Remember ~ the bigots are procreating, too, so let’s keep the conversations/actions going.
Freedom Singers Performance at the White House in 2010
I’m betting you didn’t catch this two years ago. Left to Right: Toshi Reagon on guitar joining her mother: Bernice Johnson Reagon, Charles Neblett and Rutha Harris: three of
Head Off and Split ~ Poems by Nikky Finney
A while back in my Skinny Widget, I posted video of Nikky Finney—born Lynn Carol Finney—accepting the 2011 National Book Award for Poetry, her speech —a poem itself—is already legendary for its power and originality. (Scroll down to see it). Many of you missed that Skinny so I’m back to bring more attention to her… Continue reading Head Off and Split ~ Poems by Nikky Finney