Mothers and Mothers Day

Folks, as many of you know, I don't celebrate Mother's Day but I know many of you do. In your honor, I'm reprinting a post I did on Mother's Day. Enjoy!

Today is the 100th birthday of Mothers Day and the woman who started it all is barely remembered. We have instead turned this day into a profitable one for the card companies, florists, candy stores and restaurants. Yet the woman who started it all is merely a footnote in history and the original history of this day has been forgotten as well. Mothers Day is a holiday owing to strong feminist roots and the determination of one very special woman.

According to the National Geographic, in West Virginia in the 1850’s, a women’s organizer, Ann Reeves Jarvis, held mothers days work clubs to improve sanitary conditions and lower infant mortality by reducing milk contamination. The groups also tended wounded soldiers on both sides during the latter years of the Civil War. After the war, Jarvis and others organized Mother’s Friendship Day picnics and other events to create harmony. After Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter Anna began holding similar friendship days in her hometown of Grafton, WV. Due to her efforts, Mothers Day was observed throughout the country. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson set aside the second Sunday in May for the holiday. This was to be a day set aside not to celebrate all mothers but for people to celebrate the best mother they’ve ever known be it a mother, father or friend.

Unfortunately Anna Jarvis vision was bastardized by the card, candy and flower companies. This was hurtful and deeply troubling for Jarvis. She organized boycotts, threatened lawsuits and went after public officials she felt were destroying the original intent of Mother’s Day. Her fight continued well until she died in 1948, penniless and suffering dementia, in Philadelphia’s Marshall Square Sanitarium.

Today Mother’s Day continues to be of the most profitable holidays in the US. The National Retail Federation estimates $19.9 billion dollars will be spent this year. The National Restaurant Association states that Mother’s Day is year’s most popular day to dine out. Hallmark states Mother’s Day is the third largest card giving holiday after Christmas and Valentine’s Day. It is second only to Christmas as the most gifts giving holiday.

What started as an American holiday has spread to other parts of the world. The Arab world celebrates Mother’s Day March 21st. Panama’s celebration is December 8th and in Thailand, Mother’s Day is August 12 and Great Britain Mothering Day is celebrated the fourth Sunday during Lent. Anna Jarvis’ ode to her mother has become a worldwide phenomenon and a pantheon to consumerism. Not too shabby for a woman from West Virginia and not at all what she had in mind.

Personally I don’t celebrate Mother’s Day. There are two very important reasons why. First, I’m a mother 24/7. Just like I pray and thank God daily, I believe children should do the same for their mothers. Not a day goes by when I stop being a mother to my son. I’m special and I believe as such, I should be acknowledged on a day of my own, not one I have to share with women all over. You want to wish me Happy Mother’s Day? Do it on July 28th or January 17th or any other day I don’t have to share. Am I being ridiculous and selfish? Maybe. I don’t apologize for it because I’m a mother. I may never be some of the many things I want to be. But I will always be a mother. There are mothers all over the world and I applaud them. But I’m mother to my son and will be until death and beyond. I’ve earned that title and continue to earn that title because as a mother, I’m as infinite as time itself.

The other reason I don’t celebrate Mother’s Day now is because I never have. My mother died when I was six so there was never anyone I made homemade cards for or gift boxes or trays or any of the myriad homemade projects kids made in school. I had wonderful mother substitutes and my father was amazing. Every event a girl shared with her mother, I shared with my dad including the Mother-Daughter fashion show at Girl Scouts, buying a first bra and buying the first pair of heels and stockings. My grandmother was a wonderful substitute. I miss her every day but she had four children of her own, one of whom was my dad. She was there for many things like my dad but due to the age difference and points of reference, it was evident she wasn't my mother. My mother was an adventurer. My mother was a scientist. Those few memories I have are precious. My grandmother was wonderful but she was not my mother.

For those of us who grew up without a mother, this day is a painful reminder of what never was. My mother didn’t get to see me attend my senior prom, never see me graduate from high school or college, never saw me walk down the aisle, never experienced my pregnancy and never got to help me become the woman I am. For me, this day is a reflection of what never was and never will be.

For those of you who do celebrate this day, I hope it’s a good one. I hope you’ve shown your mothers just how special she is and what she means to you. If you have someone in your life that has been like a mother to you, I hope you’ve shared with that person what a wonderful inspiration she has been to you. I wish that each of you who celebrates with your mother or aunt or grandmother or special friend makes the time and the effort to show your love and appreciation every day. Life is too short for anything less.

In My Hood

My apologies to you for not posting the past month. Family obligations took their toll. Hopefully the worst is over and we can get back to the work at hand.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I went to the nail shop to get a manicure. There was a line formed out front that included several ladies who were checking their watches, wondering where was the owner and why the shop wasn’t opened on time. The shop is supposed to open at 10am but the owner and manicurists didn’t arrive until 10:30am.

We questioned the man as he unlocked the door about his tardiness and he was visibly pissed off that we had the nerve to question his. His answer was that it was snowing and he had to come from the north side. One of the ladies replied weather was no excuse. She would never be allowed to use the weather as an excuse for tardiness at her job and he shouldn’t either. One of the ladies remarked that he is always late on Saturdays and that maybe he should change his opening time to 10:30am since he never seems to arrive before then.

As we entered the shop, we began discussing boycotting the shop on an upcoming Saturday since that’s the busiest day at the shop. It was felt that if he felt the economic impact, he would value his customers and their time. I vowed never to return to his shop and told him I don’t do business where I’m not respected. He didn’t reply. I realized that he would never have done this if his business was on the north side. But it isn't and because he has no respect for my people, he felt it was okay to disrespect us. He knows his business will not suffer because he's late and openly disrespectful. But it should suffer and suffer mightily. Unfortunately it won't. I watched this level of disregard over and over again from business owners in my neighborhood.

At the core of this musing is the fact that I live in a Black neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. The homeowners are Black. The renters in the apartment buildings are Black. The students at the schools are Black. The CTA drivers are Black. Yet other than a couple of hair salons, barbershops, a beauty supply store, a florist and the Harold’s Chicken Shack across the street from my house, all the businesses are owned by other ethnicities.

If you visit almost any Black neighborhood on the south side of this city, businesses are owned and operated by Arabs, Chinese, Greeks and Koreans. Yet if you were to visit Chinatown, you will find there are no Black businesses there. I would imagine this to be same in the neighborhood commonly known as Little Arabia on the northwest side of the city. Devon Avenue on the city’s north side is known for a high number of people from India and Pakistan. Pilsen and Little Village are predominantly Mexican although Pilsen is in the midst of gentrification. This does not include those of Irish descent who populate Bridgeport, the Polish corridor along Milwaukee Avenue in Avondale, Little Italy on the near west side and Greektown on Halsted.

Many of these neighborhoods have undergone gentrification and the descendants of the original habitants of these neighborhoods are moving back into the city after a 25-year stint in the suburbs. Yet in each of these neighborhoods, the descendants of the business owners still reflect the makeup of that community. Not so in the many Black communities that make up the south side.

In her recently released book, The South Side (a great read), author Natalie Y. Moore, make the case that segregating Chicago’s Black residents was and still is intentional. Communities were allowed to openly discriminate that the Supreme Court of Illinois even upheld the rights of neighborhood residents to discriminate against Blacks. This legal discrimination coupled with redlining by banks has worked to keep Blacks in economically depressed neighborhoods.

Today no bank would openly admit to redlining yet there are very few Black owned businesses in Black communities. It seems racism is still the way of those entities charged with assisting the small business person. Even Black owned banks like Seaway and the South Side Community Credit Union are loathe to give loans to Black businesses. Thus money in my neighborhood is not reinvested in my neighborhood. None of these business owners live, shop or bank in the neighborhoods where they make money.

Why do so many people from other countries come to Chicago and open businesses in the Black community, communities they choose not to reside. Communities where they choose not to shop. Communities where they don’t do their banking. Because banks and other financial institutions make it easy for them to open businesses in my neighborhood as they make it difficult for me and others like me to create businesses. Because we shop in the stores, patronize the fast food joints. Because we go to the nail salon for service every Saturday. Because we have not demanded that our banks grant us loans for businesses the way they do Arabs and Koreans. Because we want to do business in our neighborhoods. Because we feel we don’t have a choice.

But we do have a choice. Start checking the number of business loans granted by your bank and see if those loans were given to Black owned businesses. Utilize services provided by Black businesses. Shop at Black owned stores as much as possible. Eat at restaurants owned by Black folks. Require those folks doing business in your community to treat you with respect. Finally remember your neighborhood is only as good as the folks who live in it. We can make a change but we have to do it together.

Let’s make change starting today!

No History Without Herstory

In honor of Women's History Month, I'm going to repost a piece from March 2014 of my female sheroes. There are a few changes but it's mostly intact. Enjoy!

March is Women's History Month. My union, the National Writers Union, celebrates annually with a Womanist Read-In. This year our read-in is actually in April but we're having it nonetheless. It is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity of planning and hosting this event. It gets better every year.

There has been an ongoing conversation about this month through the years. People often wonder why there is a women's history month at all. Or all the other months that celebrate the various ethnicities that helped to create this country. The answer is alarmingly simple. If there were no women's history month, herstory would never be told. No one’s story would be told. After all, history is written from the perspective of the winner and in this country, the winner is always a White male.

It is an undeniable fact that history is written by the winners. When we look at the history of the United States, it is filled with stories of White males. The rest of us are thrown in here and there. If any of us go back to our history books, we see White men triumph time and time again regardless of the contributions of women, Blacks, Native Peoples, Latinos or Asians.

The story of Christopher Columbus is all about the Europeans who came to this country. Although the Native people who were here are mentioned, they take a back seat to Chris and his gang of marauders.

The first Thanksgiving is supposedly a story of harmony and friendship but eventually the Native people are swindled, killed and moved off their land in the name of progress. Never do the English make good on any of their promises to share the land. The term "Indian giver" means someone who promises something or gives you something and then takes it back. The Native people were never Indian givers. They never took the land back. It was taken from them.

Even when someone else is victorious, the story is changed to favor the White male. Remember the story of Gen. George Armstrong Custer and his last stand? He and his army lost the battle. We all know Custer's army was slaughtered but history books proclaim no one survived. But someone did survive. The Lakota, the Northern Cheyenne and the Arapaho tribes led by Crazy Horse survived. Obviously their survival didn't count.

Blacks don't make an appearance until slavery except for that lone first soldier to die in the Revolutionary War, Crispus Attucks. If Attucks was there, wouldn't it make sense that other Blacks were there as well? But no. No other appearances by Blacks until slavery. After slavery, there is a brief mention of Blacks during the Reconstruction era but the only prominent Black person mentioned is George Washington Carver. But what of the other Blacks who made contributions during this crucial time. While cities were growing, there is no mention of Garrett A. Morgan who invented the stop light. There is no mention of Lewis Latimer who assisted Thomas Edison’s work with the light bulb. Black people make a brief appearance in history and then miraculously, we're gone until the Civil Rights era.

There is even less mention of Latinos and Asians other than a brief mention of the Asian contribution to the building of the railroads in the west. Very little is taught about the Latinos and Hispanics who are part of American history. Although Latinos founded cities like San Antonio and San Francisco, that contribution is no mentioned. Similarly like Custer’s Last Stand, a major battle is waged by Mexican forces at the Alamo. All 189 troops including Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie lost to that army led by General Santa Ana. Yet instead of recognition, we are left with the battle cry “Remember the Alamo” as if the Mexican army was little more than a fly flitting around the bigger picture of Whites once again taking land that was originally owned by others. Afterwards Latinos and Hispanics are not referenced until historians mention Cesar Chavez and the farm workers.

What of the many women, both White and of color, who contributed to the history of this country? What of herstory? Betsy Ross and the making of the first flag. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the suffragette movement. Florence Nightingale and her dedication to nursing the troops. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Pocahontas and Jamestown. Jane Addams and Hull House. Herstory is defined by these few mentions. History is loath to speak of the contributions of women to this country. The longest historical references in the history books are of the suffragette movement. Little attention is given to the work of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her many contributions nationally and internationally. What of Anna Dudley Broadstreet, the first published poet? Deborah Sampson was the only woman known to fight in the Revolution War. Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female doctor in America. What of the many women who made history by virtue of the work they did on behalf of women, children and the family? What of the women who were staunch abolitionists during the time of slavery? What of the women who assisted their husbands, fathers and brothers during the turbulent times of labor battles? Or the many women who worked in factories while men went off to war in Europe? What of the sacrifices made by the countless women who work, raise children, assist husbands, and care for the sick with little thought to their own needs. Sleeping like the dead only to awaken to do It all over again.

As we bid adieu to Women History Month 2016, maybe we should all give a shout out to the women who make up our own personal history. Although history is written by the winner, there is no winning history without herstory. Long may her story wave!

Pay the Writer!

For almost 20 years, I’ve been a member of the National Writers Union, UAW 1981. When I wear a union jacket or t-shirt, I’m often asked why would writers need a union. People are under the mistaken impression writers make a boatload of money and therefore have no need for a union. They don’t see writers as working people. Sometimes writers themselves don’t see they are working people. It never ceases to amaze me when people are referred to as working class because they are mechanics or plumbers or sanitation workers. If you receive a check from a company, corporation or small business, you are a worker and thus working class.

Writers need unions for the same reason other working people need unions – to fight for their rights as workers. Have no doubt, writers are workers.

There was quite a bit of hoopla several years ago when Ariana Huffington sold the Huffington Post (HuffPo) to AOL for quite a bit of money. It was hers to sell but the controversy was not about her selling as much as it was about the fact that she didn’t share the wealth with the many writers who made the Huffington Post what it is. My union was very vocal asking writers to demand that Ms. Huffington share her wealth or stop writing for HuffPo. Neither of these demands came true and HuffPo is just as profitable today as it was when it was sold to AOL. Even now, writers are still debating over the policies of HuffPo.

The Huffington Post has always stated writers who contributed would not be paid for those contributions. However, writers would be free to utilize the site for all manner of marketing. Many writers see that a HuffPo article is well worth foregoing getting paid. Many state that if you want to get paid, maybe you shouldn’t be a writer since writers are generally poorly paid. Something is really wrong with that sentiment. Would you tell your doctor that if he wanted to make money, he should have undertaken a different profession and walk out the door without payment? Of course you wouldn’t. Which is why it’s so puzzling to me that people including writers think it’s okay for us to work for free.

Being a writer is as worthwhile as being a doctor or mechanic or lawyer or electrician. Yet there is no other profession where people are constantly asking that you work for free. I believe that is because many believe writing is easy. Take it from me, it isn’t.

Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith, a Pulitzer prize winning sports columnist for the New York Times was reported as saying in an interview with Walter Winchell regarding writing that “You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins and bleed.” How easy is that?

Writing is hard work. You sit at your typewriter or your computer screen and you put words to the page. That is not easy. Sometimes the thoughts flow. Sometimes the words flow. Sometimes you stare at that blinking cursor and you dare words to come. They don’t. That’s if you’re doing your own novel or essay or poem.

Other times you’re writing on assignment for a publication. You have to do hours of research. You have to interview one or two or five people. You have to check your sources and your facts. After all that, then you have to write. No one considers the number of hours and the amount of time it takes to do research on a subject or on a person that has to be interviewed. Sometimes a person has to be interviewed several times before enough information is gathered for an article. Sometimes people are difficult and don’t really want to be interviewed. It takes research, skill and patience to get the information. It’s a time consuming and costly process.

Then comes the task of actually writing the article and submitting it for publication. Sometimes a writer may go through the editing process two or three times until the editor is happy with the final result.

Even if you write essays and blogs like I do which are my own thoughts and opinions, often it’s difficult for me. There are many things going on in the world that one could comment on and write about but it’s difficult to find that one topic a writer may want examine.

A great deal of time a writer’s time is spent getting assignments especially if you’re a freelancer. More time is spent trying to get work than actually. Next comes getting paid. Writers are often stiffed and have to spend more money trying to get paid for work they’ve already completed. That’s why I’m a member of NWU. The union goes after publishers who stiff writers. Sometimes it only takes a letter and a couple of weeks. Other times, it takes lots of letters and phone calls. And it can take a lot of time. Unlike credit card companies or utility companies or hospitals, writers are small business people who don’t have millions of dollars and can wait on their money. Sometimes not paying the writer means he or she will be behind in rent that month or unable to but a week’s worth of food.

There are those writers like John Grisham, Stephen King, Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, James Patterson who write either fiction or non-fiction and make serious bucks. There are a number of mid-range writers who make a profitable living writing. They may write technical manuals or instructions, do public relations or advertising. There are writers who create self-help books or write white papers or text books. There are journalists who write for daily newspapers or contribute to HuffPo or write for neighborhood papers. There are poets and essayists and bloggers. Directions on MapQuest, books on Kindle or instructions on putting together that piece of furniture you bought from IKEA, someone wrote it.

So let’s hear it for the writers. And if by any chance you owe a writer a check, pay up.

Politics as Eh

Election season is in full swing. The Iowa caucus has come and gone with Hilary Clinton winning the Democratic vote and Ted Cruz winning the Republican vote. New Hampshire is next. After New Hampshire, the next two Republican caucuses are South Carolina and Nevada. The next Democratic caucuses reverse the order with Nevada followed by South Carolina. The remaining states hold caucuses April through June.

There was a time when election season was interesting and electrifying. Everywhere you went, people were discussing the candidates. Now election season barely raises a blip on the attention meter. People are more interested in the next Ironman/Captain America/Avenger movie or what the Kardashian are doing or the next Air Jordan. Even older folks have forsaken political discourse in favor of conversations about retirement, 401K’s and body ailments.

Professor of Government at American University Jennifer Lawless’ new book, Running from Office: Why Young Americans are Turned Off to Politics, argues that the current political system discourages young people from running for office. Whether or not you agree, it certainly seems to be a plausible explanation as to why we are asked to choose between the lesser of two evils when it comes to candidates instead of having real choices for elected officials. Now only the rich or those who have access to serious money run for president. Candidates spend lots of time courting rich donors while giving the average voter short shrift. Voters are given sound bites on issues while candidates spend evenings in hotel dining rooms eating $500 a plate chicken while turning over our country to corporate CEO’s who think nothing of the rest of us.

The ill-fated Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Committee opened the floodgates and changed politics in the United States. Instead of making political funding more transparent, the Supreme Court insulted the public by maintaining that companies are protected by the First Amendment and could spend as much unlimited amounts of money on political activities. The court took the political process away from the voters and placed it squarely in the hands of corporate America.

This may or may not be the reason why there seems to be such apathy this election season. It could also be the candidates that are running for public office. For the first time in years, I find myself in the unenviable position of not liking any presidential candidate. More surprisingly, I’m unaware of candidates running for local offices which is a first for me. I can’t seem to work up interest let alone fervor about any candidate for any office and I’m not alone. Most people in Chicago have an inkling when the election will be held but it seems no one has a clue when our primary is going to be held. What’s worse is that no one seems to care. It would seem that as far as politics goes, our get up and go has got up and went.

The Lesson

Recently I experienced an event that gave me pause that I shared with family and friends. I’d like to now share it with you.

Friday afternoon I was on public transportation on running errands after a meeting. As the train approached 63rd Street, it stopped suddenly throwing all the passengers forward with a start. The train sat on the track and eventually the motor stopped and the lights went through the train until we could disembark at the front. There were about 15 other people on the last car with me. We got our things and began trudging forward complaining about the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority).

When we got off the train at the front, we were met with people on the platform pointing, talking and making an overall commotion. We began asking what was going on. It seems a man took a running leap and jumped in front of the train to his death. When we got off the front of the train and look down at the track, parts of him were visible and his blood was on the front of the train. Fireman, police officers, CTA officials were swarming the tracks moving us all along and telling us that shuttle buses would be taking us south. Northbound trains were stopped as well. Our train had to be backed up so this man's body parts could be removed. Needless to say, we were amazed, shocked and speechless. The poor train conductor was doing his job but you could tell he was barely keeping it together. I would imagine he won't be driving a train for quite some time, if ever.

This is the second time I've been on a train and someone committed suicide by jumping in front of it. I keep wondering what could be so bad that one would end his life. Then I think about the times I've considered suicide myself, when I was so low I had to reach up to touch bottom. I don't condone it but I understand.

This unknown individual made an impact on a lot of people today. Everyone on that platform was bidding goodbye to strangers, blessing each other and just being kind to each other. The last time I experienced something like this was Sept. 11th when I was living in NY and standing in the street when the second tower fell. All of us in the street that day were bonded by a shared tragedy. Friday felt like that.

We live in such a fast paced world inundated with noise and images. People sit across from each other and text instead of talking. Television babysits our children, news is more entertainment than actual news, people are famous just for being famous and we’re disengaging from each other. How can we know if someone is in pain? How can we know when we are in pain? We self-medicate with food, drugs, alcohol, sex, internet, texting and we don’t stop and listen. We don’t hear because so much of our time is taken up with the cacophony of the sounds around us. I didn’t know that man but I can imagine that he felt there was no one to hear him, no one to share his pain. So he did the one thing he knew would stop the pain. And I wonder if he thought as he leaped from the platform if maybe there might be another way. Now he will never know.

I’ve prayed for that man and his family every day since Friday. I think to myself what could have been so horrible that he would take his life. I realize that many of us have contemplated suicide on occasion. I certainly have. Then I thought about the people I’d be leaving behind and how much grief it would cause. Yes, we grieve when a loved one passes but we recognized death after a lengthy illness or a sudden accident. But how do you process suicide? You think how that person should have come to you. That person should have prayed or gotten counseling or maybe gotten drunk. There is just know way to understand why a person would take his life.

There are no answers. There are only questions that will never be answered. Still this experience has left me aware of how easy it is to take life for granted. It’s easy to look at someone and believe he or she has it all together. Take a moment to tell someone you love her today and then give yourself a great big hug. Reach out to someone you haven't spoken to in a while and catch up. You might be just what that person needs. And you may find that you may get something in return you didn’t know you needed. Someone will love you right back.

Calling It Out

The 88th Academy Awards ceremony will be televised Sunday, February 28th and I will be watching as I have for the past 50 years. There is a rule in my home that no one speaks to me once the show begins. I prepare special hors d’oeuvres, open a split of champagne and enjoy Belgium chocolates. This is one of my favorite events of the year.


13 Black men have been nominated for best actor. Four have won. 10 Black women have been nominated for best actress. There has been one win. 14 men have been nominated for best supporting actor. There have been four wins. 19 women have been nominated for best supporting actress. Six have won.

Three Black men have been nominated for best director. None has won. Four Black people have been nominated for best adapted screenplay. Two have won. There have been three nominees for best original screenplay. None have won. This year, the screenplay for Straight Outta Compton was nominated but it was written by four White people.

Even the music categories have been sparse. There have been eight nominations for best score and two wins. 27 nominations for best original songs with six wins.

The first Academy Awards were presented May 16, 1929. The awards show was first televised in 1953. The first Black person to be nominated was Hattie McDaniel who won the Best Supporting Actress award for the role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind. On the night of her greatest triumph, she still had to bear the insult of being seated in a segregated section. Although no longer segregated, not much has changed. Why would it?

After more than 400 years on this continent and all the contributions Black people have made here, we are still waiting for the White man’s approval and acceptance. At what juncture will we (Black people) recognize that neither is coming.

It has been made abundantly clear century after century, decade after decade, year after year, month after month and day after day that we are never going to be fully accepted. There is never going to be parity. We will never be treated equally and fairly. If we could accept that, we could go on about our business and stop pressing our face against the glass begging White society for a place.

Sounds harsh, I know. But even if we don’t acknowledge the history of Black people in the country, let’s take a look at today. Young Black men are being killed at an alarming rate by the police. Many of those police officers are being granted a pass by grand juries who say those officers were justified in killing unarmed Black men. 12 year old Tamir Rice was killed by a police officer while he was holding a toy gun. Would that police officer have shot a 12 year old White boy brandishing a toy gun? Absolutely not. Black males, no matter their ages, are seen as threats to society.

President Obama has been the most disrespected president in modern times. From a member of Congress shouting “You lie!” as he gave a State of the Union Address to the constant questioning of his birth, he has endured a level of insolence that no other president has had to endure.

Black people have only been voting less than 50 years without impunity and now several states are attempting to turn back the clock and make it difficult for Black people to vote. Schools in major metropolitan areas are merely pipelines to the prison industrial complex.

Black people have more health issues but less economic opportunities than Whites. Our image across the world is that of the thug Black man and the angry Black woman. Black men are viewed as the scariest and Black women are viewed as the most unattractive. With all this, why would we believe the Oscars would be any different?

It is time to stop. Every system in this country (economic, political, educational, and religious) was created by White people for White people and it’s about time we recognize that. If we recognize that fact, it would make life easier when there is disparity as with this year’s Oscar nominations.

Black people, I’m not advocating putting our heads in the sand. We should do everything possible to make sure laws are passed that ensures our civil liberties. We should protest when the police are granted a free pass to murder our youth. We should let this country and the world know that we will not stand for racism in any institution or system that we support with our money, our time and our votes. But we must stop begging White people to accept us and to play fair. It hasn’t happened in over 400 years and unless there is divine intervention, it isn’t going to happen anytime soon. We cannot change the racist institutions that run every aspect of this country. But we must be unashamed to call it out when we see it.

Remember sometimes it’s do-do, sometimes it’s ka-ka and sometimes it’s shit. Call it shit when it’s shit and do so loud and clear. You can only change a thing when you acknowledge a thing. It’s time for the U.S. to acknowledge its’ shit.

Naysayers Be Damned!

At the end of each year, we see lists from various media outlets naming the celebrities lost during that year. 2015 was the first year in recent memory that I didn’t attend a funeral for a family member. Instead I mourned the loss of someone so close to me, so dear to me that the words are difficult to write. I lost my dad.

My father is very much alive but suffering from dementia among other illnesses. In late October, I had to place him in a care facility because I could no longer care for him. Visiting him several times each week is unpleasant but very necessary. It helps the staff know he has family who cares about his well being and will be looking out for him.

Some days he’s in full control of mental faculties. Other days he thinks he’s in a prison and needs to escape or he’s in a casino with no money and wanting to gamble. No matter his mental state, it’s difficult to see the man I’ve worshipped my entire life unable to walk, unable to control his body and not in his right mind.

My husband is facing the same issues with his mother in Mississippi. He’s there back and forth staying months at a time caring for her, straightening out her finances and going back forth to the emergency room when necessary. This is no small feat given the closest real hospital is a little over 40 miles away from her home.

It's a very interesting turn of events when you as the child having been cared for by your parents now suddenly become the caregiver. There is no preparation for that transition. Even when you watch your parents become less mobile, you are unprepared when they become more childlike day after day.

My husband and I talk daily about our respective situations and wondering when situations will change. We are aware that neither parent is going to get better. We know that both parents could be in their current states for weeks or months or years. We know that it is important for us to keep communicating with each other, supporting each other and loving each other. And we know that we have to keep telling the naysayers to piss off when they start talking.

You know the naysayers. Those people who have no understanding of what’s going on but deride you for putting your parents in a home. Those people who won’t have to face similar circumstances but feel free to comment on your circumstance. Those people who don’t visit or rarely visit, don’t offer to help but are quick to ask why you can’t seem to find time for social gatherings or lengthy phone calls.

My dad has several friends who’ve visited him once since October. When I’m at the facility and calling them so he can converse, they shuffle him off the phone and then text me that they’re unable to talk. My cousins have also visited just once and when I ask about follow-up visits, the silence greeting my question is deafening. Yes, I know the excuses beginning with the ever present "I'm busy." Guess what, nobody is that busy. Is it difficult seeing someone who was once so vibrant sitting in a home in a wheelchair? Absolutely! But that no excuse either. Having visitors helps him mentally and physically. And if that person is important to you, you'll suck it up and find the time.

His wife sees him daily and often calls me to complain about how abusive he is when she visits. Of course he’s abusive. He knows he’s not at home. He knows that his independence is gone. He no longer has an edit button in his brain so he curses and fusses about his situation. He’s angry and he takes it out on the both of us. I’ve learned to not take it personally because he’s where he needs to be for 24-hour care. She, on the other hand, says she doesn’t have my strength, can’t let it go and ends each visit in tears. She says her doctor tells her to stop getting emotional or she’ll have another stroke. Me, I’ve already had one stroke and I’ll be damned if anyone including the father I love so dearly, will cause me to have another one.

In Mississippi, my husband is going through a similar situation. He has relatives who live two hours away but won’t come and relieve him so he can rest. When his mother gets sick, they call him knowing we live more than 800 miles away when they live the next state over. They won’t come and care for his mom so he can come home to make his doctor appointments. I’ve rescheduled doctor visits and medical tests. I pray he can come home before his health problems get the best of him. He had two seizures and the local hospital told me if it happens again to take him to the medical facility in Meridian. That’s the hospital more than 40 miles away. It was hard enough when I was with him. I fear for his health now that we in different states.

You may be wondering why I’ve decided to write such a personal blog post. I’m posting because I want others to know if they are in a similar circumstance to have the courage to do what is necessary even when the naysayers start talking. Do what you think is best and do it without guilt. It’s taken me these past few months to get over the guilt of putting my dad in a home. If I hadn’t, we’d both be in dire straits. There is nothing wrong with caring for yourself because you can’t help someone else if you’re not well. Realize that doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing you can do. Don’t apologize for your choices. Only you have to deal with them.

And tell the naysayers to go to hell.

2016 - It's Already Started

Happy New Year my friends!

We're only a few days into 2016 and already we've lost the unforgettable Natalie Cole and actor Wayne Rogers who played Trapper John on the TV show "MASH." We're wondering who is next since we all know celebrities go in threes. The Republican-led Congress wants to begin its session trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act and we in Chicago are hoping Rahm Emanuel leaves office quickly and quietly since he's been under fire since last month. The Midwest is in the grip of arctic temperatures while the South is battling floods. Oprah's partnership with Weight Watchers has sent WW's stock soaring. Awards season is officially underway. And we are now in the throes of presidential campaigns and primaries. Can you believe it's only January 3rd?

It's hard to know where to focus when so much is going on in so little time. Fortunately, we don't have to deal with it all right now or deal with any of it at all. We can't bring back the dead although we can surely mourn their passing. We certainly can't do anything about the weather so the best we can do is deal with it. Unless you're planning on joining Weight Watchers or you own stock in the company, Oprah partnering with them is good for her and for them but it doesn't mean a thing to the rest of the world (unless shadowing Oprah is part of your life). Awards shows are fun to watch but there's only one I watch religiously and that's the Oscars. That leaves the ever present, totally distasteful and reprehensible government posturing.

There's been a lot written about the Republican candidates for president. There is the very visible and vocal Donald Trump, the unpredictable underdog Dr. Ben Carson, the legacy candidate Jeb Bush, the underrated Ted Cruz and the establishment favorite Marco Rubio. There are other Republican candidates but these seem to be the current front runners going into the February primaries. The Democratic field is much less crowded with only two recognized candidates, Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. I don't know about you but I feel the pickings are slim. There's no candidate I'm impressed with. There's no candidate saying what I need to hear. There's no candidate who seems to care about the issues that are important to me. I'm as disheartened as I've ever been in a presidential election year. What scares me is that I'm not alone. There are millions who feel as I do. That bodes badly for the primaries and is downright scary when it comes to November's general election. Voter turnout has been low in recent years. In addition to apathy, there is the feeling that our votes don't count. However the most discouraging reason for low voter turnout is the poor selection of candidates we have to pick. People who need to run for office don't because it's become too expensive, media scrutiny has become intrusive and too much attention is spent on hype instead of substance. Could you imagine someone like Harry Truman being elected today? Not hardly. His plain spoken manner, his directness, his lack of a college education would make him undesirable in today's classist, racist, highly scrutinized world. Yet he has been widely recognized as one of our great presidents. It's a damn shame that we will not elect the president we deserve in November. Then again, maybe one of these wretches is precisely what we deserve.

Chicago has been making news year after year because of gun violence. However in addition to Chicago joining other cities in the total disregard for the lives of its Black citizens, scandal after scandal involving our police department made 2015 a banner year for horrendous headlines. Early this year, the Guardian, a British newspaper, broke a story about a secret warehouse that has been used as a secret detention center for Black Chicagoans. In late fall, a video was released showing a police officer gunning down an unarmed Black man in the street. 2015 ended with two people being shot in a domestic disturbance. The 55 year old grandmother was "accidentally" shot through the door just as she was about to open the door to admit the police. The second victim was a mentally ill 19 year old college student. Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy resigned amid protests by many are asking for the resignations of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and States Attorney Anita Alvarez. The U.S. Justice has begun an inquiry into the police department and Illinois state legislators are considering allowing recall attempts of the mayor. Politics in Chicago - you gotta love it.

Recently I heard tv talk show host Michael Strahan say he was taught to be a "when" guy and not an "if" guy be his father. Therefore in that spirit, I'd like to be a "when" woman and have high hopes for 2016. I expressed my doubt in the political process and what we have to look forward to in our presidential election. I'm clearly jaded about justice finding its way to Chicago. But hope springs eternal and I'm going to be that "when" woman. When we find that candidate who unites us all, when we find that person who embodies a real spirit of inclusivity, when Rahm Emanuel is gone and we get a mayor who believes in justice for every Chicagoan and not just those who live north of Cermak, when we learn that it doesn't hurt to treat each other with respect and not distain, what a wonderful world this will be.

May 2016 be your best year yet!

2015 - It's Almost Over. Thank Goodness!

2015 has been one hell of a year and I don’t know about you but I’m ready for it to come to a close. So much harm has been done throughout the world this year that it’s almost impossible to comprehend. Allow me to share with you why I’m so ready for this year to end.

From the murders of young Black men and women to the massacres at churches, schools and health facilities, White males seem to have gone on a murder spree. And make no mistake these seemingly random killings were perpetrated by White males. What’s even more disturbing is America’s silence about it all. We seem to accept these happenings with a nonchalance bordering on a collective blindness. We attempt to shush the voices calling for a change. We criminalize those who protest murder and we staunchly defend a Constitutional right that was not envisioned by its authors. I simply can’t take another report of wholesale death on the nightly news while our elected officials, the NRA and political candidates blather on about our thoughts and prayers while failing to move forward on finding solutions.

In my home town of Chicago, the jerk mayor, Rahm Emanuel, was re-elected. Karen Lewis, the dynamic head of the Chicago Teachers Union, was the popular favorite to oust Rahm. Health issues derailed her candidacy. Former alderman and former state senator Jesus “Chuy” Garcia was recruited by Lewis to run. A progressive movement was created by a number of coalitions including religious leaders, unions, teachers and countless Chicagoans in hopes of destroying machine politics in Chicago. Garcia’s numbers caused a run-off election that rocked the incumbent and made him campaign for mayor, something his predecessors almost never had to do. April’s run-off election gave us an opportunity to oust this bum but we blew it.

Planned Parenthood has always had its detractors but this year, the health organization has been under siege. Yes, it is a health organization. The vocal, uninformed group that has been attempting to destroy Planned Parenthood forgets that performing abortions is only one of the many health services provided. The group provides contraception, STD screenings, pap smears and breast and cervical cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood is funded under Title X, a federal grant program, the purpose of which is to help low-income and the uninsured get access to contraception and sexual health care. This is not an upstart organization but a nearly 100 year old nonprofit founded by Margaret Sanger in 1921to provide contraception services women who previously had none. PPFA is an affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and as such is the largest provider of reproductive services. If the ill-informed Congress has a clue, they’d be trying to increase funding for Planned Parenthood. Instead they spend countless hours and money attempting to do what they’ve been doing since the formation of this country: trying to rule the womb.

The terrorist attack in Paris that killed as many as 130 people was just one of many acts of violence around the world. From January through October of this year, more than 100 people were killed in attacks in Cameroon, Egypt, Iraq, Kenya, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen. International tourism has taken a serious economic hit and people are in fear going to seemingly peaceful locales like London or Brussels or Munich. Most of these terrorist attacks were committed by extremist Muslim groups but America has more than its share of home grown extremist Christian terrorists. Instead of pointing fingers at Muslims throughout the world, maybe we should begin rethinking what it means to be a card carrying, Bible spouting Christian right here at home. Extremism in any form hurts us all.

With all the intelligent, well-spoken and competent individuals in this country, we’ve been left with scum residue for presidential political candidates. If this were an SNL skit, it would be funny. Given this is real, it’s a damn shame. The Republican candidates amount to a group of isms masquerading as viable candidates for the most powerful position in the world. The Democratic candidates are not much better. I know many of you have high hopes for Bernie Sanders but so far, I’m not impressed. Hilary scares me as I believe she is as much a warmonger as any of the Republicans. Unfortunately I fear I have to choose between the lesser of two evils instead of the better of two candidates come November 2016. That scares the living piss out of me.

There have been some good things this year. Refugees have been taken in around the world. People have given money to help hurricane victims. A professor babysat with a single mom’s two kids so she could take her exams. McDonald’s customers are paying it forward. The price of gas is down to a reasonable price. Although climate change is bad for the environment over all, the warm weather in Chicago this December is great. Although eating bacon is bad (according to the latest report from the WHO), I discovered a new way to indulge my love for it (the maple bacon long john at Mariano’s). It’s so good that just writing about it makes me weak.

Normally years ending in “5” are great for me but 2015 was an exception. Besides those very public topics listed above, there were a number of personal issues that beset me this year. Maybe it’s been a better year for you than for me. All I know is I’m really looking forward to 2016. Although I fear there will be more of the same idiocy, more of the same destructiveness, more murderous rampages and more young Black people killed for no reason, I have to believe that next year will be better if for no other reason that it is a new year. We have an opportunity to make it better. Let’s not waste it making grandiose resolutions that never come to fruition. We can begin by following one simple rule. Let’s just be nice to each other. Make it a habit like brushing your teeth. Make the effort and change can happen. You can do it. I can do it. We can do it. Gandhi said you must be the change you wish to see in the world. Let’s be nice.

Well Thought Plan or Conspiracy, I'm Just Saying

I'd like to thank you for your well wishes as I worked through my health issues. They are not yet over but I'm on the mend and able to get back to writing.

Book TV (C-Span 2 on cable) had a panel discussion last night on ethnicity and race. The authors represented different communities of color: Bert Ashe, a Black man; Melody Moezzi, an Iranian-American woman; Wendy Ortiz, a Mexican-American woman; and Oksana Marafiotti, a Romani-American woman (otherwise known as Gypsy). Each talked about the difficulties they faced as marginalized people in the US.

Prof. Ashe spoke of the US as a country of diverse ethnicities but also related how often he hears White people at town hall meetings saying they want their country back. His immediate thought mirrored my own which was if you want your country back, you should go back to England, Ireland, Germany or your original country of origin. The only people in the US who should be wailing about wanting their country back are the Native Americans who have been silenced for centuries.

Ashe knows like me what White people mean when they bemoan the loss of "their country." They want us to go back to a time when the White man's word was law. There were few women in the workforce making advances or asking for equal pay or suing over sexual harassment. Women were quiet and subservient. People of color were subservient also, afraid to ask for better treatment out of fear of reprisal or worse. Big business was run by the Rockfellers, the Kennedys, the Vanderbilts - all well established White families. Television reflected the White ideal of servant mom, two obedient children and a well suited dad. Blacks and other minorities were in the background serving the family speaking only to say yes sir or no ma'am. The US was the big dog in the world. No country except Russia dared utter anti-US sentiment for fear our leaders would withhold all manner of aid. Having been born in the 1950's, I remember this US well.

Fast forward to 2015. The Civil Rights Movement ushered in a new age for not only Black people but other ethnic groups as well. The Feminist Movement catapulted women out of the kitchen and into the boardroom. Could you have imagined the US with a Black president? Could you imagine women sitting on the Supreme Court? Could you image a Hispanic-American Attorney General? Or an Indian-American Surgeon General. I never would have imagined it either were I not alive to see it. I rejoice at seeing the diversity of our nation and the heights to which people of my race and gender have reached. Yet I am disturbed by the silence of US citizens when another Black person is killed or when people are shot at a Planned Parenthood facility. It diminshes the accomplishments made by many, cheapens the sacrifices made by many and reminds me that many Americans are fine and even agree with these events.

Although I'm not given to conspiracy theories, I'm beginning to wonder if this targeting of young Black men for slaughter is not a plan for certain people to take back their country. At first thought, this may seem far-fetched or ridiculous but think about it for a moment. The majority of these crimes are committed by police officers, the people who are most likely to get away with murder because our society tells us the police are our protectors. So when the court upholds these shootings as justified, even when killing a young boy possessing a toy gun, is it so far fetched to believe there is a master plan here?

The same thought occurs to me when thinking about the battles being waged against women's reproductive rights. The rights of women to determine what should happen with their bodies is a battle to put women back in their imagined place. Consider the old adage "He who rocks the cradle rules the world." I would amend that to "He who rules the womb rules the world."

It's interesting to me, this convergence of violence again Black people and the government's interference with a woman's right to choose. It's interesting that the people who will benefit the most from these conflicts are White men. Regardless of the strides made by people of color and women, White males still rule this country in every aspect from business to entertainment to government. Even if you don't believe this particular conspiracy, you must admit it begs observation and serious thought. Remember that conspiracies like stereotypes have a kernel of truth.

Well thought out plan coming to fruition or conspiracy theory? I just saying.

Out of Pocket

Dear Readers,

Thank you for faithfully reading Caviar and Grits. Your comments have been especially appreciated.

I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I'll be out of pocket for the next two to four months. I'm having rotator cuff surgery and recuperation time is lengthy. Unfortunately I will be unable to use my hands to type and therefore will be unable to blog for a bit.

Thank you. I look forward to getting back to you by the end of year.

The Big Shutdown

This Labor Day weekend, I reprinting a post I wrote about two years ago regarding the impending government shutdown and our precarious national economy. We have seen workers across the nation trying to obtain economic freedom by demanding a fair wage. Hopefully this reprint will spur the rest of us to follow suit.

Today we are waiting breathlessly for the government to shutdown. We’ve been told it is going to happen at 12:01am Tuesday morning so the countdown has begun. The media pundit shows have House and Senate leaders pointing fingers at each other for this travesty and everyone is pointing fingers at the president. No one wants to take the blame for this mess but everyone is wrong. With the exception of children and the homeless, we are all to blame.

I know what you’re thinking. You‘re wondering how I have the gall to say that you and the rest of us in America are responsible for this debacle. I say it because I believe it to be true and I’m willing to call everybody including myself out.

The legislature and the president screwed around with the money needed to run our government by blatantly misusing funds in our name. They gave tax breaks to corporation and gave corporations the same rights as individuals all within our view. They waged war under the guise of national security and unashamedly gave themselves raises, pension increases and access to healthcare the rest of us would lose an arm for all while proclaiming they are working to make government better for us.

What were we doing while all this transpired? We were busy watching the Kardashians or the Housewives or never-ending sports competitions. We were tweeting and sitting for hours conversing on Facebook. We were acting as though we were doing God’s work by not engaging in politics. We were condemning workers for wanting an increase in the minimum wage while Corporate CEO’s make millions of dollars with the help of the government. We were busy telling each other that one person can’t make a difference. We were doing everything but what we should have been doing. We should have been paying attention. And we should have been objecting to everything the government has been doing in our name.

Like some of you, I believed in the fallacy that I was actually doing something. I’ve signed any number of email petitions. I’ve walked a picket line or two. I attended rallies in support of workers. I’ve gone to conferences and even facilitated an occasional workshop on worker rights. I’ve made some calls to my congressman. I’ve written essay admonishing those who have acted improperly. I’ve done what I thought I could do and patted myself on the back for my activism. But I was wrong. I have been blind to the real ills of our government. And because of my unwillingness to see what was going on, I have contributed to the upcoming fiasco.

So as we sit back and wait to see what’s going to happen as the government races towards shutdown, what should we do? The legislature certainly doesn’t seem to have a clue. They don’t have to worry really. Their pay and benefits will continue. The folks looking for their Social Security checks are worried. The war machine will continue but the troops may not receive their pay. The stock market is threatening to remain closed but corporations are still making money from those lucrative government contracts. So the only people who are losing in this shutdown are us, the “average American.”

The harangue is over. The questions for us are what do we do now? How do we do what needs to be done? Can we make things better? Can we fix things so this won’t happen again? Where do we go from here? Can I affect change?

I wish I had the answers to all these questions but I don’t. I do, however, have suggestions.

What do we do now? We start paying attention. We need to begin vetting our elected officials. We need to look at how they vote and ask them why they voted that way. We need to make them accountable for every action they make and every dime they spend. We need to remember that we have the power, not them. And then we need to start acting like it.

If we think we’ve reached bottom, you’re mistaken. Yes, we are in dire straits but things could get much worse. It is up to us to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Being vigilant is not merely being attentive to our government but being attentive to what we do as a country. We must insist that everyone have healthcare. We need to make sure everyone is fed, clothed and housed. We must do for others nothing less than we would do for ourselves. If we could all do just that, we can stand up to the bad times. By doing so, we do what needs to be done and we make things better for us all.

There must be parity. The rich and the corporations must pay their fare share. The government shutdown doesn’t seem to worry any of them because they are unaffected by the ebb and flow of government processes. They will not miss a meal. They have access to great healthcare. Their mortgages won’t be affected if FHA or Fannie Mae stops. Gas prices don’t bother their wallets. They will continue on as though nothing has happened because for them, nothing has. This has to change.

We have to find those family members and friends who keep saying one person can’t make a difference and show them otherwise. All of us know of the individuals who made a difference because they said enough. People like Marian Edelman-Wright who changed the lives of children by making them front and center in our collective consciousness. Ralph Nader who changed what information is imparted to us as consumers. Florence Nightingale who revolutionized patient care. Jonas Salk who created the polio vaccine is another. These are just a few of the lesser known people who have changed the world. There are so many more people who changed the way we think, feel, look and act more famous than those mentioned. People like Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King and Oprah Winfrey are just some of the well known individuals who have affected change in our world. All of them are individuals who decided they could make a change.

Finally we must remember that there is no them or they. There is only us. We are the United States of America not the Republic of Individuals Living Without Consequence. There are definite consequences in living like an island onto oneself. We are reaping the benefits of that view and I, for one, am surprised this has not happened sooner.

CNN.com declared today that “IT IS ABOUT YOU!” I beg to differ. It’s not about you. It’s about us and what we are prepared to do.

I’m ready. Are you?

The Cycle

The Cycle (www.thecyclefilm.com) had its Chicago premiere last night at Blue 1647 Innovation Center. The 11-minute film is a powerful cinematic endeavor meant to provoke a guttural reaction and stimulate conversation around the issue of violence in our communities. The ending was surprising but ultimately expected by those of us watching.

The group gathered for the film was intergenerational and diverse – a great representation of Chicago. Although diverse, the assembled viewers were unified by one idea, the violence in our community especially the violence between the Black community and the police department must end.

One of the themes of the film which is largely ignored by the media is the perspective of the police. Often it is assumed that the police are gunning for our young men. Many times that assumption is true. Other times, the police officer involved in a shooting is as much a victim as the young person shot. We do not generally hear that from the police department. Thus the officer involved is seen either hero or villain with nothing in between.

After the film aired, a panel was held consisting of the director/writer of the film, Michael Marantz, the film’s producer, a community activist involved in Black Lives Matter movement and a 25 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Many of the questions posed by the moderator were about the film, what the reaction to the film has been and what the creators hoped to accomplish. The film’s creators said their intent was to get people to think about themselves in regards to their neighborhood and to honestly think about their fears in regards to violence. They want to spur people to think, talk, debate and ultimately get involved in creating change within our communities.

This sentiment was echoed by both the community activist and the police officer. She mentioned how she was responsible and accountable to two familial units – the community and the Chicago Police Department. It was clear the officer knew she was going to take the brunt of the questions from the audience about police behavior. As she and the other panelists fielded questions from the moderator and the audience, it became clear that the film was doing its job. It spurred conversation and allowed those gathered to begin discussing what conversations needed to be had in the future along with possible solutions.
The phrase “Black on Black crime” was repeated often during the discussion. I detest this phrase. When Whites do wrong to each other, no one calls it “White on White crime.” It’s the same for the Hispanic community. Giving crime a name that is specific to the Black community makes it seem that crimes we commit against each other are worse than the crime being perpetuated by the racist institutions and organizations that do more harm in our community than we ever could. Crime is crime and it’s hurtful regardless of the race of the criminal. Instead of getting bogged down in supposed “Black on Black crime,” why don’t we work to eradicate crime in all its forms?

If the film comes to your town, please make a point to see it. Better yet, have a viewing party of your own. The film can be downloaded for free the website, www.thecyclefilm.com. Then spend the evening having the type of discussion needed to create change.

Regardless of whether you see the film at your local movie house or attend a home viewing, see the movie and begin the conversation. Every great movement starts with thoughts, conversation and then action. We can make a difference. We make a change. It starts with us. Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see.”

Let’s begin the conversation.

Karen Ford is the author of Thoughts of a Fried Chicken Watermelon Woman, a book of essays discussing race, gender, politics, religion and other current issues. It is available for purchase on her website, www.KarenFordOnline.com and Amazon.com.

Frederick Douglass and the Fourth of July

We’re nearing the end of a three day weekend celebration of the 4th of July. Friends and families gathered together to eat, drink, dance, play cards and enjoy having an extra day off work to enjoy a bright summer day. No one I know gives a whit about the meaning of Independence Day except to quote actor Bill Pullman as President Thomas Whitmore declare “This is our Independence Day.”

It’s interesting to hear that speech and listen to the plethora of speeches being made by politicians as they celebrate the birth of this nation. The speech that resonates most with me, however, is the one delivered July 5, 1852 in Rochester, NY by Frederick Douglass entitled “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

This inspired speech captures the hypocrisy of the U.S. government and the church as the nation celebrated freedom while millions were enslaved.

Douglass’ analysis of religion, the Constitution and the tyranny of slavery are as astute today as they were more than 160 years ago. The racism of this country, woven into its very fabric, is alive and well. The powers that be – business, government and the church – have profited and continue to profit greatly by the institution of slavery and its aftermath.

Those of us who are descendants of enslaved Africans recognize well the words spoken so eloquently by Douglass. We have watched America embrace immigrants from Asia, Europe and other countries while consistently treating Americans of color as less than worthy of the same. We have watched our officials all out human rights violations of other countries while refusing to acknowledge similar violations on our shores. We have endorsed war on other lands declaring we are bringing democracy to the masses even as we stamp out any vestige of democracy here at home. Douglass calls out America for the duplicity perpetuated upon Americans of color by the government and the church.

This oratory (www.thenation.com/article/what-slave-fourth-july-frederick-douglass/) is more than a worthy addition to the tradition of parades and barbeques to commemorate this day. It is a reminder of the legacy America espouses to the world but has yet to fulfill.

“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelly to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

Karen Ford is the author of Thoughts of a Fried Chicken Watermelon Woman, a collection of essays on race, gender, politics, religion and every day issues. It can be purchased on her website, www.KarenFordOnline.com.