Last night I attended the opening of the Spelman Museum of Art and their show Undercover: Performing and Transforming Black Female Identities. It was a great collection of work that left me breathless as I enter and saw an original print of Gordon Parks‘ famous shot of the women of the Nation of Islam. It literally gave me chills. What he accomplished through his work is such that I attain for and more.

The exhibit includes many different mediums of art such as film, sculpture, paints, mixed media, photography, sketches, etc. It was definitely a place to experience the various identities black women have taken shape in the past 80 years. It is amazing to see in real life some of the things that we endure when we wake our eyes every morning. Bittersweet if you ask me. If you are in the Atlanta area, I definitely recommend checking it out between now and December 10, 2009.

One of my favorite photographers, Renee Cox was included in the exhibit. Check out some of the images that were on display at the exhibit.

As a lay in bed listening to Obama give his speech, I fade in and out and thing about my own personal journey with the healthcare system. How I’ve been caught up in a profitable war that has nothing to do with the sick and their well being, just like millions of others. I listen and wonder if universal healthcare is going to even work effectively like we hope. Will this make us trust our doctors more? Will this make the pharmaceutical industry be honest? Will our outlook on health change nationwide? I’m not sure if I hold the answer to that question, but I don’t think this is something the country has put into motion. Universal healthcare isn’t going to fix it all. We have to fix ourselves first.

And Joe Wilson just couldn’t help himself huh? If he is right and Obama does lie, (which I’m sure he does. He’s a politician) how would he be any different from our last handful of presidents and beyond? Lying comes with the job description.

Let’s just say Obama is one hell of an actor. Don’t be surprised if he mysteriously slips up and wins an Oscar for Best Actor.

And the winner is……..

Last night, went to a dinner and discussion about the truth of the military. It was of interest to me because i am definitely not a supporter of the military and its practices. i learned a lot about the movement against recruitment and am getting involved through A.C.A.P, a local Atlanta chapter committed to providing alternative career choices besides the military.

I learned that since the No Child Left Behind Act (a complete bullshit act) the military has access to every child’s information in the public school system. Which explains their excessive calls and monitoring that happens when they are in recruitment, also known as, enslavement. It was good hearing everyones different story regarding the military and they weren’t exactly the best examples. I’m sure some good can come out of serving in the military … not exactly sure what they are, but they must exist somewhere!

I am for sure going to be involved because I know that people access the military mostly out of desperation and the comfortableness of having someone else pay and feed you, all at the small risk of life (?) Different and BETTER opportunities exist out there. There just needs to be a movement to make those options accessible. Just as accessible as those obnoxious Army commercials.

p.s. “What are we fighting for?”

i’ve been away, planting some seeds and watching them grow. hoping to build a garden of plentiful resources and the road has been interesting. i am happy to share those things with you.

What this picture means to me:

“Kneel to below, for the saviour and light is within.”

Source: LA Times

Hmmm, I’m not a political analyst or anything of the such, but what are you trying to say Obama? Only [gay] people in the Fed matter? Or are you trying it out first to see how it will look on the rest of us? Or are you just trying to please gay activists?

Whatever this tactic, I’m not pleased. You’re going to have to go hard or go home. This half-ass shit isn’t working quite well.

Supreme Court Nominee

President Obama: “After completing this exhaustive process, I have decided to nominate an inspiring woman who I believe will make a great justice: Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the great state of New York. Over a distinguished career that spans three decades, Judge Sotomayor has worked at almost every level of our judicial system, providing her with a depth of experience and a breadth of perspective that will be invaluable as a Supreme Court justice.”

The fifty-four-year-old Sotomayor is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents who raised her in a public housing project in the Bronx. If confirmed, she would become the nation’s 111th justice and the third woman to hold a seat on the court. Sotomayor is Obama’s first appointment of a new justice since taking office. The vacancy opened up with Justice David Souter’s pending retirement at the end of the Supreme Court’s term next month.

Source

Democracy NOW! provided video from John Legend’s commencement address to his alma mater, University of Pennsylvania. He is a very strong public speaker and has become very active in using his social status as a catalyst for social change. I admire that in artists who don’t lose sight of the cause and get caught up in the mass hoopla.

“From the war in Iraq to credit-default swaps to the internet bubble to the real estate bubble, too often we got caught up in the hype and fail to see the real truth too often, we become apathetic. We see the lies, we see the obfuscation, the deception. And we fail to point it out. Were afraid to rain on the parade, afraid to rock the boat, afraid to pursue the truth.” -John Legend

Watch for yourself.

Part 1

Part 2

Hey everyone, 

I was inspired by the Freedom to Marry contest to try and reveal the real problems about why the freedom to marry is so important to the equality of us all.  The contest said:

“Grab a camera and make a short video about why marriage matters to you.” 

So, we came up with the idea to have a loved one lost and how blatantly unfair it is because of the beliefs of the “powers that be.” There are more than 1,138 benefits that legally married couples have accessible to them and that those who aren’t legally able to marry. 

It’s not rocket science, injustice is injustice.

This short is an example of just one of the injustices.

visit the site Freedom to Marry to learn how you can help to end this injustice.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”