March 06, 2006
"I Believe That Children Are Our Future.."
Bullshit! I swears 'fore Gawd! I ain'ts never havin' no chil'ren!
Kevin So News
Recent info from NuSoul sensation Kevin So's own mouth:
"KEVIN'S SHOW" at TEABAG, CHINATOWN, NY
Yes ! I'm going to be performing SOLO on certain Sunday evenings 7-9pm in Chinatown - with special surprise guests. More info coming really soon. For now, check out what's happening there most of the week.
Kevin's Teabag schedule:
MARCH 19TH & 26TH
APRIL 16TH, 23RD & 30TH
MAY 7TH, 21ST & 28TH
Kevin passed along some bad news however: His March 10th performance at Club Passim in Massuchesetts (see flyer at the end of this post) won't be a CD release celebration. So rejoice in this bit of good news:
THE BROOKLYN SESSIONS EP - a four song EP will be soon available at all upcoming shows beginning on MARCH 22nd 12:00 Midnight at the Rockwood Music Hall. Yes - this is NOT the official release of "A BRIGHTER DAY" - the full length album, but you will finally have new music to enjoy.Songs are:
1. NEW YORK CITY
2. A BRIGHTER DAY
3. DANGEROUS MAN
4. ALL I NEED IS YOU
The first three are some of my fav KS material. Hoping to finally make it to one of his performances. It looks like I may be going to one of the Teabag solo shows. Let me know if you want to join me for some Sunday Soul.
March 07, 2006
Renaissance Man Gordon Parks Dead At 93
I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Gordon Parks in the winter of 1999. I was working at the Guggenheim and just earlier that week was telling a co-worker new to photography about this great man. Just went out to get a tea with lemon to combat my bad cold and she grabbed me and insisted we go talk to him. He was gracious and allowed us to speak to him. I didn't want to interrupt his time with his beautiful former wife, but he insisted we walk with them to the rotunda.
We answered some of his questions about the exhibits and I later treated the couple to lunch in the cafe. His former wife was a gem. We took pics with the icon and his former wife even suggested my friend apply to be his assistant.
Filmmaker Gordon Parks Dies at 93
NEW YORK (AP) -- Gordon Parks, who captured the struggles and triumphs of black America as a photographer for Life magazine and then became Hollywood's first major black director with ''The Learning Tree'' and the hit ''Shaft,'' died Tuesday, a family member said. He was 93.
Parks, who also wrote fiction and was an accomplished composer, died in New York, his nephew, Charles Parks, said in a telephone interview from Lawrence, Kan.
''Nothing came easy,'' Parks wrote in his autobiography. ''I was just born with a need to explore every tool shop of my mind, and with long searching and hard work. I became devoted to my restlessness.''
He covered everything from fashion to politics to sports during his 20 years at Life, from 1948 to 1968.
But as a photographer, he was perhaps best known for his gritty photo essays on the grinding effects of poverty in the United States and abroad and on the spirit of the civil rights movement.
''Those special problems spawned by poverty and crime touched me more, and I dug into them with more enthusiasm,'' he said. ''Working at them again revealed the superiority of the camera to explore the dilemmas they posed.''
In 1961, his photographs in Life of a poor, ailing Brazilian boy named Flavio da Silva brought donations that saved the boy and purchased a new home for him and his family.
''The Learning Tree'' was Parks' first film, in 1969. It was based on his 1963 autobiographical novel of the same name, in which the young hero grapples with fear and racism as well as first love and schoolboy triumphs. Parks wrote the score as well as directed.
In 1989, ''The Learning Tree'' was among the first 25 American movies to be placed on the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The registry is intended to highlight films of particular cultural, historical or aesthetic importance.
The detective drama ''Shaft,'' which came out in 1971 and starred Richard Roundtree, was a major hit and spawned a series of black-oriented films. Parks himself directed a sequel, ''Shaft's Big Score,'' in 1972, and that same year his son Gordon Jr. directed ''Superfly.'' The younger Parks was killed in a plane crash in 1979.
Parks also published books of poetry and wrote musical compositions including ''Martin,'' a ballet about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Parks' Career Stretched Across Genres (AP)Some highlights of photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks' career:
Photojournalism:
Life magazine, 1948-68
Films:
Flavio, 1964 (short documentary)
The Learning Tree, 1969
Shaft, 1971
Shaft's Big Score, 1972
The Super Cops, 1974
Leadbelly, 1976
Solomon Northup's Odyssey, 1984 (TV film)
Books:
The Learning Tree, 1963
A Choice of Weapons, 1966
Voices in the Mirror, 1990
Half Past Autumn, 1997
A Star for Noon, 2000
A Hungry Heart: A Memoir, 2005
Eyes With Winged Thoughts, 2005
Other:
Martin, 1989 (Ballet)
Parks was born Nov. 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kan., the youngest of 15 children. In his 1990 autobiography, ''Voices in the Mirror,'' he remembered it as a world of racism and poverty, but also a world where his parents gave their children love, discipline and religious faith.
He went through a series of jobs as a teen and young man, including piano player and railroad dining car waiter. The breakthrough came when he was about 25, when he bought a used camera in a pawn shop for $7.50. He became a freelance fashion photographer, went on to Vogue magazine and then to Life in 1948.
''Reflecting now, I realize that, even within the limits of my childhood vision, I was on a search for pride, meanwhile taking measurable glimpses of how certain blacks, who were fed up with racism, rebelled against it,'' he wrote.
When he accepted an award from Wichita State University in May 1991, he said it was ''another step forward in my making peace with Kansas and Kansas making peace with me.''
''I dream terrible dreams, terribly violent dreams,'' he said. ''The doctors say it's because I suppressed so much anger and hatred from my youth. I bottled it up and used it constructively.''
In his autobiography, he recalled that being Life's only black photographer put him in a peculiar position when he set out to cover the civil rights movement.
''Life magazine was eager to penetrate their ranks for stories, but the black movement thought of Life as just another white establishment out of tune with their cause,'' he wrote. He said his aim was to become ''an objective reporter, but one with a subjective heart.''
The story of young Flavio prompted Life readers to send in $30,000, enabling his family to build a home, and Flavio received treatment for his asthma in an American clinic. By the 1970s, he had a family and a job as a security guard, but more recently the home built in 1961 has become overcrowded and run-down.
Still, Flavio stayed in touch with Parks off and on, and in 1997 Parks said, ''If I saw him tomorrow in the same conditions, I would do the whole thing over again.''
In addition to novels, poetry and his autobiographical writings, Parks' writing credits included nonfiction such as ''Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture,'' 1948, and a 1971 book of essays called ''Born Black.''
His other film credits included ''The Super Cops,'' 1974; ''Leadbelly,'' 1976; and ''Solomon Northup's Odyssey,'' a TV film from 1984.
Recalling the making of ''The Learning Tree,'' he wrote: ''A lot of people of all colors were anxious about the breakthrough, and I was anxious to make the most of it. The wait had been far too long. Just remembering that no black had been given a chance to direct a motion picture in Hollywood since it was established kept me going.''
Last month, health concerns had kept Parks from accepting the William Allen White Foundation National Citation in Kansas, but he said in a taped presentation that he still considered the state his home and wanted to be buried in Fort Scott.
Two years ago, Fort Scott Community College established the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity.
Jill Warford, its executive director, said Tuesday that Parks ''had a very rough start in life and he overcame so much, but was such a good person and kind person that he never let the bad things that happened to him make him bitter.''
------
Associated Press writer Garance Burke in Kansas City, Mo., contributed to this report.
Also see:
For Gordon Parks - Black Photographers Pay Tribute to Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks, Half Past Autumn - Half Past Autumn: the Life and Works of Gordon Parks.
March 09, 2006
FYI: GMAD's PULSE Magazine Needs Interns
PULSE Magazine, the quarterly magazine published by Gay Men of African Descent is being re-formatted and re-launched for a Memorial Day Week-End Launch.
PULSE Magazine will be the "Heartbeat of Black Gay America" along with special sections dedicated to the Lesbian and Trans Community.
I am seeking (2) interns to assist the Editor-In-Chief here at the Gay Men of African Descent office here in New York City.
Editor-In-Chief Interns will consist of the following...
-Research Material
-Be responsible and maintain the Source page
-Be Computer Literate
-Run Errands
-Oversee/attend photo shoots, if schedule permits
-Contact modeling agencies to book models
-Proofread
-Be able to work flexible hours
It is preferred that the intern be a Black Gay Male or Lesbian Female who is a Journalism major and/or one who possesses a journalism background.
At present this is a non-paying internship but you will be compensated for travel along with the experience of working for a magazine.
Please forward your resume to jhall@gmad.org
Thank You + Regards,
Justin Hall
Executive Editor
PS...We are also seeking an intern for the Managing Editor and I will revert with the requirements of this intern soonest.
Gay Men of African Descent
103 East 125th Street
Suite 503
New York, New York 10035
212.828.1697
www.gmad.org (email for info)
March 11, 2006
Purple Funk!
This is a nice way to (re-)introduce yourself to the music of one Prince (Rogers Nelson):
Housequake's Purple Record Contest
Universal Holland just gave us 5 Purple Promo Vinyls for a Housequake.com give-away! The Purple Promo Vinyl has "Black Sweat" on the A-side & "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed" by Tamar & Prince as a B-side. We will soon announce through an e-mail and our forums, with an explanation & when the contest will start.
The "Purple Record Contest" will contain 5 questions, that with some research will be easy to answer. The 1st, 25th, 50th, 75th, & 100th Housequake member with the correct answer sent in, gets a free Purple Record send home to his address. Be a good sport, only enter this contest if you really want to have this for your own collection!
You can apparently preorder and get not only the 3121 CD, but a custom lapel pin -- the lapel pin is 1", features 3121 cover art, and has a polished gold finish. This pin is available only through NPGMC.
March 12, 2006
Ali Farka Toure: 1939 - 2006
Via Black Looks
Ali Farka Toure: 1939 - 2006
We have lost one of Africa's greatest ever musicians - Ali Farka Toure who passed away this week after a long battle with cancer. Toure brought the blues of Mali to the world but never forgot his home and spent much of the last 20 years in Mali.
March 15, 2006
Maybe The School Should Be Renamed 'Bullshit (Piled) High'
All those wasting time, energy and money because "Brokeback Mountain" lost the Best Picture Oscar should perhaps refocus on this:
Oregon student dismissed over student film 'Brokeback High'
A straight student says he was expelled Monday from West Linn High School in Oregon for showing a student film, which he had been assigned to make, titled Brokeback High. The film is a "gay love story" based on themes from Brokeback Mountain but set in a modern-day high school.
Brandon Flyte said on his Web site Tuesday that the school is not calling the dismissal an expulsion. He has been transferred to nearby Clackamas Community College, where he will spend the last two months of his senior year, but will be allowed to walk with his high school class at graduation and attend the prom as a guest, "depending on behavior this spring related to West Linn High School."
Flyte says that before he showed his film to the English class in which it had been assigned, he was required by the administration to edit out a scene of the two lead male characters snuggling together shirtless in bed. But then he also showed the film to his marine biology class with the disputed scene left in. "Apparently the administration thought that this was a big enough violation to warrant an expulsion," he said.
UPDATE: Apparently the school has reinstated Flynt after saying the "transfer was done with his best interests" in mind. Yeah right!
March 18, 2006
How To Be a "Suck Down" Artist
As a customer service manager, I agree whole-heartedly with Guy Kawasaki:
The Art of Sucking DownOne of the great misconceptions of selling, pitching, and partnering--basically, any time you want to get someone to do something for you--is that you should suck up to the people with the big titles and "A list" designation. Sometimes you do--as you've already read in this blog, but the ability to suck up to the folks who don't have big titles but make the world run is more useful.
Hell, as a decent human being that wants to always remain level-headed I agree with that. Much more at the link. It should be required reading/posting for many managers and supervisors and those that think they're "A-Listers."
And please use the last point for everything in life! (Including you parents out there.)
Accept what cannot be changed. Sometimes things are just not meant to be: there are no more aisle seats, all the outside tables are taken, and the boss doesn't want to talk to any sales reps. If that's the case, shut up, and go on with life. Don't flatter yourself and believe that the airline is out to get you by assigning all the aisle seats to others. Life is too short to get upset by things like this.
Amen.
March 19, 2006
Brandon Flyte Responds
After the Oregonian printed a slanted, "libelous" story, many have turned against the teen. I find it curious that so many initially supported the teen, then just as suddenly disbelieve him and his story. For what it's worth, I believe his side and see the administration -- essentially in the form of district superintendent Woehl -- as trying to cover their collective ass.
From Queerty:
Queerty Query: Brandon Flyte / Queerty
I've been accused of lying about my expulsion, but that has never been the case. The school never actually called it an expulsion and I acknowledged that from the beginning (see the introduction on my site). I just believe in calling things what they are, and whether you call it a transfer or an expulsion, I haven't been permitted to attend classes at West Linn High for almost three weeks.
I was asked to edit out the 'snuggle scene' as part of the assignment for my English class, and although I don't and didn't feel that what I had made violated the no sex/no nudity rule, when I showed it in English I complied with that request. It was in a different class -- which had ASKED for me to show my film -- where I showed the complete film and got in trouble. Also, due to the poorly written nature of the Oregonian article, it is structured to appear as though I was responsible for the threatening e-mails written to the school. Those e-mails were not written by me, nor at my request. I would never encourage threats or violence toward someone you disagree with. That's the whole point of the film I tried to make, after all.
There's much more at the above link and on Brandon's own site and Queerty.
FYI: The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship
From the Black Looks blog:
The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship will enable writers of color to attend one of the Clarion writing workshops, where Octavia got her start. It is meant to cement Octavia's legacy by providing the same experience/opportunity that Octavia had to future generations of new writers of color. In addition to her stint as a student at the original Clarion Writers Workshop in Pennsylvania in 1970, Octavia taught several times for Clarion West in Seattle, Washington, and Clarion in East Lansing, Michigan, giving generously of her time to a cause she believed in.
Also of note:
Weblog of the Carl Brandon Society, dedicated to improving the visibility of people of colour in the speculative genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, etc. (moderated jointly by CBS Steering Committee members).
March 20, 2006
A New Lead In The Rashawn Brazell Case?
This looks promising, but sketchy. Not just because it's coming from the NY Post, but because one would think this would have surfaced some time ago. Let's hope the trail isn't too cold
Gay Beau Sought In Body-Chop SlayThe gruesome slaying of a gay Brooklyn teen whose dismembered body was found in a subway tunnel - once sparking fears of a transit-worker killer - had an older lover whom cops now want to grill.
Investigators recently discovered that tragic aspiring Web-site designer Rashawn Brazell, 19, had a boyfriend who rented a room around the corner from Brazell's Gates Avenue home in Bedford-Stuyvesant, law-enforcement sources told The Post.
The older man - described by cops only as in his 30s and living on welfare - hasn't been seen since the death of Brazell, who vanished on Valentine's Day 2004, the sources said. The man is believed to have moved somewhere down South.
Of course, leave it to the NY Post to twist it with that tacky-assed, tasteless headline.
Kevin So Plays Hong Kong (March 31 & April 1st)
Direct from Kevin So:
Dear Family, Friends, and Fans alike!
I'll do my best to make this as brief as possible. But as many of you know, there's a lot going on right now. I'm heading to Hong Kong next week to do a couple of gigs, including a full 45 minute set at CLUB EDGE on March 31st, which marks my very first public performance in Hong Kong! I'll be sharing the evening with rising star VUDOO SOUL who is also coming to Hong Kong for both appearances (3/31-4/1). It's an honor and a privilege to be a part of this - and part of this life long journey that has taken me to many places throughout the US and around the world - Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Amsterdam, Denmark, Paris, London, and now for the first time Hong Kong - where my parents met and subsequently married. So this is a special trip without a doubt. I've attached the flyer for those of you who are interested in spreading the word!
But before I head out, I'm playing a MIDNIGHT SHOW this coming Wednesday night 3/22 at my favorite venue in NYC currently - called the ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL. This will be a special evening coz I'll have on hand what turns out to be my 10TH CD - in ten years - titled "THE BROOKLYN SESSIONS EP" - a 4 song LIMITED EDITION CD (only 1000 printed) - featuring the video length version of "A BRIGHTER DAY" (sorry, no 3rd verse). If you still have yet to see my music video for "A BRIGHTER DAY," you can check it out here.
I do hope to see each and every one of you there ! CDs will only be 5 bucks ! Please come out and get your "midnight snack"!
Peace & Purple,
ks
Details:
*** KEVIN SO - CD RELEASE of "THE BROOKLYN SESSIONS EP" ***
WEDNESDAY NIGHT MARCH 22 - ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL 12 Midnight showtime
196 ALLEN ST (btw Houston and Stanton)
NO COVER
March 21, 2006
FYI: Hot Feet, An Earth, Wind & Fire Musical
An Earth, Wind & Fire Musical!! Who knew? Of course, Bernie does:
Feet Get Hot as Broadway-Bound Earth, Wind & Fire musical Begins DC Engagement March 21
Hot Feet, the new Earth, Wind & Fire musical, will begin its only pre-Broadway run March 21, at Washington, DC's National Theatre. This work is expected at Broadway's Hilton Theatre on April 18.
The DC engagement will last until April 9. April 30 is the official opening night on Broadway.
Hot Feet — the fourth "jukebox" musical to land on Broadway this season, after Lennon, Jersey Boys and Ring of Fire — is the new dance musical directed and choreographed by Maurice Hines, and featuring the music of Earth, Wind & Fire.
Hot Feet features a book by Heru Ptah and music and lyrics by Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire fame.
The show's leads will be played by Vivian Nixon, Keith David, Ann Duquesnay, Allen Hidalgo, Wynonna Smith, Michael Balderrama and Samantha Pollino.
March 22, 2006
Steve Didn't Ask Me, But...
Here are five things I expect on or around Apple's 30th Anniversary on April 1st, and four to six weeks afterwards (in the order of appearance):
1. MacBooks - replaces the ever-popular iBook. With the educational market looking to complete purchases for the 2006-07 school year, this is a given.
2. Prosumer portables - bigger and more powerful than a MacBook, but not as powerful as a MacBook Pro. The long-rumored 13.5" laptop maybe? forget about an Apple tablet though. Well, at least for now.
3. A true Video iPod (iPod AV?) - this may actually be the first surprise around the 30th anniversay; content deals and manufacturing schedules will be key. With rumors that this product is ready but being put off due to haggling with studios, maybe the Pixar-Disney deal and Steve Jobs' desires will force a release.
4. Across the line inclusion of Front Row, including the Apple Universal Remote, and the Bonjour instant networking scheme. Apple entrenches the Mac even deeper in the living room, preparing for a complete takeover beginning with Mac World San Francisco 2007.
5. Upgrade to the iLife suite - the introduction of a mid-level app. Wildcard: Windows versions. Of course, I'm probably only dreaming about the latter item. This would, however, be a great tool to entice even more switchers to the good side.
My predictions are almost always complete junk, but I expect at least two of these to pan out before June of this year. Less than ten days to go to see what comes of the 30th anniversary of Apple.
March 23, 2006
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund Responds to the NY Post's Tacky 'News' Article
A heads up from Mervyn Mercano, co-founder of the fund:
On the New York Post Article: A Message from the RBMF
On March 20, The New York Post ran a story on a "new lead" in the investigation into Rashawn Brazell's murder. Because the RBMF shoulders the responsibilty of monitoring the case, as well as the coverage of his life and murder, we thought it was important to respond to what we see as poor journalism.It comes as no surprise to those who follow Rashawn's story, and most New Yorkers for that matter, that the New York Post chose such a sensational title for its story ("Gay Beau Sought in Body Chop Slay"). By now, our frustration with the way the Post treats subjects who stand at the intersection of marginal identities has become commonplace. Are men who are suspected of murdering their girlfriends identified as straight in the headlines accompanying their stories? Of course not, but the Post keeps its circulation numbers up by concocting salacious headlines that normalize racism and homophobia.
While we aren't pleased with the article, we are even more troubled by its timing, and the implications therein. In monitoring the coverage of this case, we pay close attention to who covers Rashawn's story. This most recent story comes from Larry Celona, a Post reporter who covers grisly crimes across the city. He cites his source as a police representative, but for reasons unknown to us, the source seems to want to remain anonymous.
Because we are all too aware that many similar stories never get discussed in a newsroom, we remain encouraged that Rashawn's case still garners some coverage. But we must ask, why now? It is clear to us and to Desire Brazell, Rashawn's mother, that this information is not new. In fact, the police were told about the man in question within weeks of Rashawn's dissapearance last year. Surely, the police must have wanted to bring the man in for questioning at the time Rashawn's body was found. If not, that would highlight, at the very least, a serious lapse in judgment, if not responsibility, on the NYPD's end.
We also know that Ms. Brazell is planning a march on Rashawn's birthday (April 15) to the 79th precinct station house to demand answers about her son's murder. The police have asked her to cancel her march. To us, it seems all too convenient that the police would suddenly have a lead that necessitated communication with the New York Post, and not the mother of the victim. While that lead may be new to the reporter and the Post, it is all too old for Ms. Brazell and indeed the NYPD.
This leaves us with many questions and not too many answers. We at the RBMF, along with all of you who have taken an active interest in Rashawn's case, are committed to ensuring his story is told in the most straightforward and accurate manner. We also hope that the police are keeping their priorities in order and that they are not engaging in stealth PR tactics, which only serve to bolster the NYPD's cracking facade. As the cases of Immette St. Guillen and Nicole DuFresne received the appropriate amount of resources from the NYPD, we demand the same for the case of our brother, Rashawn.
Larry Lyons & Mervyn Marcano
Founders, RBMF
Dwan Prince Faces His Attacker In Court
In a slurred, dignified voice, a gay man who uses a wheelchair told a Brooklyn jury that his last memory before a savage beating was saying goodbye to his brother and the first one after it was waking up paralyzed in a hospital bed.
Dwan Prince, 28, testified in the attempted murder and assault trial of Steven Pomie, accused in one of the city's most shocking allegedly hate-motivated crimes.
The soft-spoken victim recited an excruciating legacy of surgeries, physical therapy and pain that Pomie and accomplices allegedly inflicted on him when they beat him, stomped him and left him for dead on June 8, 2005 - just for being gay.
So begins a Daily News article on the Dwan Prince case. It's been almost forgotten in the nine months since his senseless beating.
March 24, 2006
More On The Dwan Prince Gay-Bashing Trial
Gay City News reports on the Gay Bashing Trial. Focusing on survivor Dwan Prince's testimony:
Trial in Brutal Bklyn. Attack Underway
Seated in a wheelchair, Dwan Prince, a gay man, testified at the trial of Steven Pomie, the man who is alleged to have committed the assault that put Prince in that wheelchair.
"I lost everything that night," Prince said in a slightly slurred voice during his March 22 testimony. "I'm paralyzed the entire left side of my body, even my face... I can barely walk now. I used to be able to run fast."
Since the June 8, 2005 assault in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Prince, 28, has had three surgeries to repair damage to his brain, though Dr. Gordon Anderson, the neurosurgeon who performed one of those operations, testified that Prince will never fully recover.
NYPD On NY Post's Rashawn Brazell 'News' - 'Total BS!!'
If I had to choose the liar in this situation, it would mos def have to be the NY Post:
Rashawn Brazell Murder Progress Discounted
Police challenge Post account; victim's mother expresses anger, doubtBy Paul Schindler
A March 20 published report that police investigating the gruesome February 2005 murder and dismemberment of Rashawn Brazell — a 19-year-old African-American gay man from Bushwick — are trying to find a former neighbor in his 30s who was the victim's lover, has drawn a firm denial from the NYPD and created confusion and anger for the young man's family.
"They didn't get that from us," a spokesman for the NYPD's deputy commissioner for public information said of a story Monday in the New York Post. "We are not saying that we are looking for somebody with whom the victim was acquainted."
The DCPI spokesman added, however, "For us to say we are looking for somebody makes it that much harder to find them."
That statement suggested that there could be police interest in a person not yet located.
Another police source told Gay City News that the thrust of the published report was "total BS," but that "there is someone who needs to be spoken to." That source emphasized that the man in question is not a suspect, and that while he is "an acquaintance [of Brazell's], I wouldn't even say he is a boyfriend. That is unknown."
April 15th At 12 Noon, Rashawn Brazell Memorial March
April 15th, Rashawn Brazell Memorial March, uploaded by ronntaylor
Please join me, other concerned citizens and members of the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund for this important event:
Rashawn Brazell Memorial March
From Nostrand Avenue Station stop (at Fulton and Nostrand) to the 79th Precinct (263 Tompkins Avenue Brooklyn)
When the NYPD investigated the murders of Immette St. Guillen and Nicole DuFresne, they left no stone unturned. Each case was afforded an appropriate amount of resources from the department. Desire Brazell-Jones has one simple question: Why should the investigation of her son's murder be treated any differently?
On Saturday, April 15, the day that would have marked Rashawn Brazell's twenty-first birthday, Desire Brazell-Jones will demand an answer from the NYPD's 79th precinct.
The Rashawn Brazell Memorial March will begin at the Nostrand Avenue station stop at 12pm. The procession to the 79th precinct station house will begin at 1pm. There, Mrs. Brazell-Jones, along with invited guests, will demand that the police devote the maximum amount of resources available to the year-old investigation of her son's murder.
Scheduled Speakers:
Eric Adams, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care
Letitia James, Council Member — District 35
Hameed (Herukhuti) S. Williams, Ph.D., M.Ed.
[ Technorati tags: Rashawn Brazell, Desire Brazell-Jones, Rashawn Brazell Memorial Fund, Rashawn Brazell Memorial March, RashawnBrazell.com ]
March 27, 2006
It's More Like "Punks Out"
I'm not entirely surprised. Given that he barely won four years ago with all of the shenanigans his campaign and the Dems pulled, James didn't want to look like a fool losing to such a tool as Cory Booker. The only questions that remain are: Will the Dems get a viable shot at the Mayor's office? And will the Repugnants regret Booker should he win? We'll see if he's truly committed to the citizens of Newark or just a ploy of the GOP/Far Right.
Sharpe James Drops OutSharpe James entered his sixth race for mayor 11 days ago with the flourish of a Las Vegas heavyweight, arriving at City Hall to deliver his petitions in gym shorts, astride a police bicycle.
About an hour ago, he dropped out of the race with a letter to the City Clerk's Office, withdrawing his name only hours before the ballots were to be sent to the printer. Copies of the letter were delivered to reporters shortly before 5 p.m.
What a punk move Mayor James.
March 29, 2006
FYI: IFBP 2006 Official Calendar of Pride Events
International Federation of Black Prides 2006 Official Calendar of Pride Events
ABOUT the IFBP: The International Federation of Black Prides is a coalition of Black Pride organizers formed to promote a multinational network of LGBT/SGL (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Same Gender Loving) Prides and community-based organizations.
My Beloved Brooklyn is the home of Black Pride NYC:
NEW YORK CITY/BROOKLYN, NY
PRIDE IN THE CITY
AUGUST 3 - 6, 2006
CONTACT: George B. Gates - POCC
Phone: 718-230-0770, ext 234
Email: poccgen@pocc.org
www.prideinthecity.com
And it would great to make this right after:
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
TORONTO BLACK PRIDE
AUGUST 4 - 12, 2006
CONTACT: Michelle Mapp
34 Davis Road
Aurora, Ontario, Canada C4G 2B6
Phone: 905-726-1615
Email: info@torontoblackpride.com
www.torontoblackpride.com
I'll have more information about my participation, as well as official dates and events for the two above Prides. And don't be surprised if I announce a Black Pride Tour.
March 30, 2006
Apple Cell Phone?! Only If...
Introducing the iTalk. Nah. Just a concept Apple cellie posted by the folks at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).
Shine Some Light & Love Harmonica Sunbeam's Way
Heads up from Donald (see end of post for important fund-raising information from Mr. Agarrat):
Important Message From Harmonia Sunbeam
TODAY IS THE DAY I REALIZED I COULD NO LONGER BE THE TEA DANCE HOSTESS. AS MUCH AS I WANT TO COME OUT, GET BEAUTIFUL AND ENTERTAIN YOU, I HAD TO FACE REALITY. EACH WEEK I FOUGHT A PERSONAL BATTLE TRYING TO MAKE IT IN TO WORK AND SEE YOUR SMILING FACES BUT I WAS JUST TOO WEAK AND TIRED TO DO SO. THE ONLY WAY I COULD RELIEVE YOU, MY BOSS AND SUGGA PIE IS BY OFFICIALLY LEAVING SO IT WOULDNT BE A QUESTION EVERY WEEK AS TO ME SHOWING UP. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT DECISION FOR ME TO MAKE.
THERE ARE MANY RUMORS OUT THERE AS WE SPEAK BUT TODAY I WILL TELL YOU THE DEAL. FOR THE LAST 8 MONTHS I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING A VICIOUS BATTLE WITH HIV/AIDS. AT THE CURRENT TIME THINGS ARE SOMEWHAT BLEAK BUT I'M SURE GOD WILL SEE ME THROUGH THIS AND BRING ME BACK TO THE STAGE AND THE LOVING ARMS OF MY SUPPORTERS IF THIS IS HIS WILL.
BEFORE THIS GETS TOO MUCH EMOTIONAL FOR ME I WILL CLOSE THIS MESSAGE AND ASK THAT ANYONE WHO READS THIS TO SAY A PRAYER FOR ME. I LOVE YOU AND WILL SEE U. REAL SOON.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CORRESPOND WITH ME VIA EMAIL FEEL FREE TO DO SO AT TRAKK13@AOL.COM. I ONLY ASK THAT YOUR MAIL BE SHORT AND SWEET AND ON AN INSPIRATIONAL LEVEL (NO DIRTY PICS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE).
PEACE AND BLESSINGS
HARMONICA SUNBEAM
Donald does what he can to support Harmonica:
Art For HarmonicaTo concentrate on her healing, The Queen of Comedy Harmonica Sunbeam has gone on hiatus from her legendary stint as the hostess of Escuelita's Sunday Tea Dance. She also has a blog, so you can comment and leave your best wishes.
I would like to sell some art to fund a very specific need she has. I'm offering 11x14 digital c-prints for $50 to the first 10 people who respond. You may choose from any of my photos. If you are interested, e-mail me with a link to the photo you'd like printed. I'll reply with a confirmation that will include a link to my PayPal account. I'd like to get the prints done all at once, so please respond as soon as possible.
March 31, 2006
Memory Lane: Apple Computer At 30
In a garage in Los Altos, California, in 1976, two young college dropouts and some friends assembled and soldered 500 motherboards by hand to be sold by a local hobbyist electronics shop. Thirty years later, Steve Jobs' and Steve Wozniak's Apple Computer has produced hundreds of computer models, and introduced to the world a string of groundbreaking products, from the first PDA to the iPod.
So begins Wired News' look at 30 Years of Apple Products, with an accompanying photo gallery.
I'm not even trying to blog Apple's birthday beyond this post. You know, April Fool's Day and all.
Bonus: Apple's legendary (and somewhat controversial) 1984 commercial.