Firefly
With the innocence of a child in summer,
Let me capture your light in a jar
So you can twinkle just for me.
I will not smother you,
But will answer your mating call with
My own fire.
Let us release ourselves to fly
Together in the balm of summer
Glowing for each other with the stars.
Wednesday, 04 August 2004
Tamara Dobson, star of Cleopatra Jones, dies
Tamara Dobson, the tall, stunning, model-turned-actress who portrayed a strong female role as Cleopatra Jones in two "blaxploitation" films, has died.
Dobson, 59, died Monday of complications from pneumonia and multiple sclerosis at the Keswick Multi-Care Center, where she had lived for the past two years, her publicist said.
At six foot two, Dobson was striking as the kung-fu fighting government agent Cleopatra Jones in 1973. She reprised the role in 1975's "Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold."
"She was not afraid to start a trend," said her brother, Peter Dobson, of Houston. "She designed a lot of the clothing that so many women emulated."
Dobson also appeared in "Come Back, Charleston Blue," "Norman, Is That You?" "Murder at the World Series" and "Chained Heat."
She had TV roles in the early 1980s in "Jason of Star Command" and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century."
Dobson lived most of her adult life in New York, her family said. She was diagnosed six years ago with multiple sclerosis.
Last Updated (Thursday, 12 October 2006 )As you know all well know, I'm all about the upliftment of people in less fortunate circumstances than average. So when I came upon this email from Daily Candy, I couldn't help but spread the word of this new organization that offers interest-free loans to women in developing countries start their own businesses. What's a more "me" topic than that?!?!?
Nesting Instinct
As a child, your piggy bank held a meager 38 cents (counting the few pennies stuck in the mouth). As an adult, your savings still reside in a pink ceramic pig.
New rule: No more frivolous shopping.
Loophole: Nest, the new nonprofit shopping site.
Nest provides interest-free loans to women in developing countries (like India and Madagascar) who are trying to start their own businesses. A co-op of sorts, Nest sells clothes, housewares, and jewelry made by both loan recipients and up-and-coming designers. Portions of proceeds then recirculate into the Nest community.
And the rewards for your charity are downright pretty: The Benefactress wristlet, which was designed in Istanbul, has gathered retro fabric adorned with an aquamarine charm. The cheery red and white Kukka (“flower”) throw, made of ecofriendly materials, is created in Lithuania.
It’s all guilt free, so go ahead and shamelessly spend what’s left in your piggy bank.
You’ve always been a big advocate for change.
The Most Important Lesson I've Learned in my Life
By Maurine Davis
The most important lesson I’ve learned in my life is to love each and every day as if it was the last day I'd have on this earth.
So true. She was one of the busiest women I knew who never had enough hours in her day. My grandmother lived her life to the fullest and traveled the world; she was making travel plans before he died. Maurine Davis was truly an exemplary woman, and I can only dream to follow her lead.
When I first saw this headline, the tiny hairs on my arms automatically began to raise. Then I read further and calmed down slightly. I received this bulletin a while back from iZania about an African, now American, named Manny Otiko, who has written a satirical comic strip exposing the idiosyncrasies he's observed in the African and African-American communities. I am always for the pointing out the silly things in our society and trying to make light of them while at the same time bringing them to light. If we take a closer look at our actions (as a whole, of course), I think we will realize some the stupid things we do and hence, discontinue some of them and eventually all. Initially, we never like it when someone holds a mirror to our flaws, but ultimately, with an open mind, we begin to appreciate the gesture.
Manny Otiko, creator of the urban satire Ghetto Fabulous is a firm believer in the old adage truth is stranger than fiction. Otiko, who created the comic strip which runs in several newspapers across the nation, now offers his creation to the iZania audience. The cartoon will run in the iZania Newsletter and on the home page.
Apart from commenting on hip hop culture and current events, the comic strip also deals with edgy subjects such as "“black names,"” tensions between African Americans and African immigrants, and racial profiling.
Otiko was raised in
Ghetto Fabulous is the brainchild of Manny and his brother Chris. They launched the strip about two years ago after conceiving the idea during a cross-country road trip to
"”Ghetto Fabulous started out as a satire on life in urban
Below, we will introduce you to some of the characters:
1,000 Voltt: (famous rapper who survived electrocution) He has a lightening bolt tattooed below his left eye; Corporate America loves him.
Chief Adedas: hard working Nigerian immigrant who works as a telemarketer and cab driver (at the same time): drives cab in bad neighborhood wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet; also has African magical charms for double protection. He is called Adedas because of the three tribal marks on his cheeks; was a doctor in his country and has three wives, and several family members to support.
Latrell Jackson: Part-time drug dealer, dog breeder, security guard, big-screen TV owner, who lives in mom's basement and dreams of "“making it big" in something; obsessed with Don Ravioli attire, and even has a gold tooth with the "“DR"” logo etched in it.
Trent Bagwell IV: a.k.a. T-Bag. White hip hop fan; yuppie by day, hip hopper by night.
Sharon (pronounced Sharone, not Sharon) Edwards: strong black woman. She is an over-worked public defender who'’s number one client is Latrell Jackson. Her husband looks like John Lennon/Jesus Christ with a head band, and is stuck in the 60s.
A Preacher ex-con who became born again in jail; still fighting the devils temptations: booze and women.
Lacreatia St. James: the single mom cashier who dreams of driving a Lexus. She has two kids, Shaqkobe and Klamideeya; grandma is from
Sports mad Dad (Jerome Jordan): wants his six-month old (Lyon
Below are excerpts from the press conference on August 30, 2006, ahead of the opening of Chicago Public Schools on September 5, 2006
For the second year, the funding for this national program is provided by a grant from the Schott Foundation on Public Education. Please see their work on high school graduation rates for Black male students in your packets.
For the first year of the Million Father March, we were in 25 cities, and we estimated about 35,000 to 40,000 men took their children to school across the country. Last year, the second year of the March, we were in 83 cities, including Auckland, New Zealand, and we estimated about 200,000 men took their children to school. This year to date, we are in 123 cities including London, England, and Tamale, Ghana, and we expect more than 350,000 men across the world, through this program, to take their children to school as we move towards the million father figure.
The honorary Chairmen for the March this year are Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., and Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan.
What if I told you that I knew of a proven way to get students to learn more, faster, and better? A way to help children get higher test scores, higher grade-point averages, better attendance, and a way to make them more likely to graduate from high school and to attend college? Many of you would say "What has Phillip been drinking before 12:00 noon? This sounds too good to be true."
And then if I went on to tell you that I know of a way to reduce discipline problems, suspensions and expulsion rates, to decrease dropout rates, to reduce violent behaviors in school and at home, to lessen the use of alcohol and illegal drugs by students, and to have fewer students engage in teen-age sex. You would want to know, wouldn't you?
Well I do have a solution. I do have an answer to these overwhelming problems in our schools and our society. It is simply getting men substantially involved in the educational and social developmental lives of their children.
And so today, we launch and celebrate the Million Father March 2006. Not men marching to
To this end, our volunteers and staff have gone door-to-door in the Dearborn and Ickes Public Housing Communities here in Chicago to remind fathers--and all parents -- to take their children to school on the first day, Tuesday, September 5, 2006. We have passed out flyers around the city at bus stops and train stops, at barber shops and beauty shops, and at grocery stores, night clubs, basketball courts, churches, and parks.
We have been on radio shows and television shows, and we have had great printed press on this event nationwide. In
On Tuesday, September 5, 2005, we are hoping for 100% attendance at every Chicago Public School and we want an army of strong positive men at every school because it will:
* jumpstart the academic learning for most
* generate much needed revenues for the schools
* connect men to children in a way that will improve our children's lives and make the world in which we live a better place.
So on the first day of school, we want men and women of all races, Asian, White, Latino, Native American, as well as African American, to be at a school on the first day and to take a child to school on the first day. Our motto for the Million Father March in
I especially want to thank the staff of The Black Star Project who manages the great programs of The Black Star Project such as the Toyota/Black Star Parent University, The Student Motivation Program, The Silas Purnell Destination College Program, and Men In Schools Program. They are Eleanor Perrone, Marques Williams, Briana Nichols, Catherine Jackson, Marcus Mundy, Abel Henry, Ivory Harris. And of course, I want to thank our fantastic Director of Operations who makes Black Star go, Kirsten Rokke.
Thank you for this time.
For more information about the Million Father March
or the programs of the Black Star Project, please call
312/842-3527, visit www.blackstarproject.org , or www.millionfathermarch.org
Knicks star Stephon Marbury is putting his name behind a pair of $15 basketball shoes that he's hoping will give underprivileged kids the chance to wear sneaks fit for the pros.
The black high tops drew rave reviews yesterday from the critics who matter most - young hoopsters.
"They're comfortable," said Mylique Owens, 13, a seventh-grader from midtown, after he tried on a pair of the sleek kicks at the famed basketball court on
Owens couldn't believe his ears when told the price of the lightweight sneakers.
"Fifteen? Not 5-0? 1-5?" he asked, incredulously. "This shoe could easily go for $70 to a $100."
The groundbreaking sneaker, the Starbury One, is Marbury's attempt at combating the trend toward astonishingly high-priced basketball shoes.
Air Jordans, the sneakers that revolutionized the industry, now go for as much as $180.
The Starbury Ones are far less expensive than even the second-tier
"I paid $130 for these Air Jordans that I bought four months ago," said Lenart Williams, a 20-year-old from
The sneakers, which will be sold only at Steve & Barry's sports apparel stores, will go on sale tomorrow.
Produced in
"[Marbury] had a vision. We had an expertise. And together it became a match made in heaven," Schacter said.
Marbury has vowed to wear the shoes he's hoping will enable disadvantaged kids to feel like stars.
The mercurial guard's benevolent intentions were not lost on the young players assembled at the W. Fourth St. court yesterday.
"I feel him for doing something like this," said Mamadou Harvey, 18, of the lower East Side. "Not everyone can afford $80 or $90 shoes."
View the article:New York Daily News
Sounds like a plan to me!
In Congress, members of the CBC and the civil rights community, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Urban League (NUL), led the effort in the passage of the VRA. The bill recently passed the U.S. House by a vote of 390 to 33 and the U.S. Senate by a margin of 98 to 0.
Amidst applause and a gathering of prominent Civil Rights leaders, President Bush signed the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 on July 27, 2006. This event passed quietly, like a private party, but has a tremendous importance and responsibility attached. Many young Black Americans were not born when this hard-fought victory was won. And many do not understand the significance of the renewal of certain provisions of this act, which were due to expire in 2007.
Why was the act renewed in 2006? It is a key mid-term election year. There are Governor’s races in
This is an opportunity focus on the national priorities of our Black congressional leaders.
SEPTEMBER 6 - 9, 2006
Changing Course, Confronting Crises, Continuing the
Our rights are only secure if you register and vote.
For more information, see:
CBC Foundation Annual Legislative Conference.
THE LITTLE BLACK MAN’S BOOK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The purpose of The Little Black Man‚’s Book is for parents to use the ten recommended strategies to assist with molding their man-child into a responsible and productive man. Moreover, this mini book assists parents to help their man-child focus on creating a positive mindset, reframing negative issues, and promoting high expectations. This mini book reaches out to the single female parent, who needs guidance, assistance, and the will to reclaim her man-child or foster strategies to keep him on the straight and narrow.
This is an excellent resource for parents; schools; parent educators; parent advocacy groups, mentor programs; youth groups; Upward Bound; and any TRIO programs.
What are people saying about The Little Black Man's Book?
"The Little Black Man's Book allows me to be interactive with my man-child through dialogue."
--Single-Female Parent
"AT LAST--a guide for single parents‚—especially single female parents as well as educators filled with easily accessible information on connecting with young African American males."
--Master Teacher
To place immediate orders for the book, a book signing, and/or interview contact:
Hamilton & Associates Consulting
PO Box 2627
Gardena, CA 90247
(323) 309-2502 Fax: (310) 538-0760
e-mail: johnphamilton@aol.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Press Contact
John Hamilton, Ed.D.
Website:www.hamiltonandassociatesconsulting.org
Let me know what you think, everyone! And remember, this is the same man who brought us "The Elevator Is Broken." Dr. Hamilton seems to be making very positive moves... Right on!
A Black Woman Speaks. . .
Of White Womanhood
Of White Supremacy
Of Peace
It is right that I a woman
black,
should speak of white womanhood.
My fathers
my brothers
my husbands
my sons
die for it; because of it.
And their blood chilled in electric chairs,
stopped by hangman's noose,
cooked by lynch mobs' fire,
spilled by white supremacist mad desire to kill for
profit,
gives me that right.
I would that I could speak of white womanhood
as it will and should be
when it stands tall in full equality.
But then, womanhood will be womanhood
void of color and of class,
and all necessity for my speaking thus will be past.
Gladly past.
But now, since 'tis deemed a thing apart
supreme,
I must in searching honesty report
how it seems to me.
White womanhood stands in bloodied skirt
and willing slavery
reaching out adulterous hand
killing mine and crushing me.
What then is this superior thing
that in order to be sustained must needs feed upon my
flesh?
How came this horror to be?
Let's look to history.
They said, the white supremacist said
that you were better than me,
that your fair brow should never know the sweat of
slavery.
They lied.
White womanhood too is enslaved,
the difference is degree.
They brought me here in chains.
They brought you here willing slaves to man.
You, shiploads of women each filled with hope
that she might win with ruby lip and saucy curl
and bright and flashing eye
him to wife who had the largest tender.
Remember?
And they sold you here even as they sold me.
My sisters, there is no room for mockery.
If they counted my teeth
they did appraise your thigh
and sold you to the highest bidder
the same as I.
And you did not fight for your right to choose
whom you would wed
but for whatever bartered price
that was the legal tender
you were sold to a stranger's bed
in a stranger land
remember?
And you did not fight.
Mind you, I speak not mockingly
but I fought for freedom,
I'm fighting now for our unity.
We are women all,
and what wrongs you murders me
and eventually marks your grave
so we share a mutual death at the hand of tyranny.
They trapped me with the chain and gun.
They trapped you with lying tongue.
For, 'less you see that fault
that male villainy
that robbed you of name, voice and authority,
that murderous greed that wasted you and me,
he, the white supremacist, fixed your minds with
poisonous thought:
"white skin is supreme."
and therewith bought that monstrous change
exiling you to things.
Changed all that nature had ill you wrought of gentle
usefulness,
abolishing your spring.
Tore out your heart,
set your good apart from all that you could say,
think,
feel,
know to be right.
And you did not fight,
but set your minds fast on my slavery
the better to endure your own.
'Tis true
my pearls were beads of sweat
wrung from weary bodies' pain,
instead of rings upon my hands
I wore swollen, bursting veins.
My ornaments were the wip-lash's scar
my diamond, perhaps, a tear.
Instead of paint and powder on my face
I wore a solid mask of fear to see my blood so
spilled.
And you, women seeing
spoke no protest
but cuddled down in your pink slavery
and thought somehow my wasted blood
confirmed your superiority.
Because your necklace was of gold
you did not notice that it throttled speech.
Because diamond rings bedecked your hands
you did not regret their dictated idleness.
Nor could you see that the platinum bracelets
which graced your wrists were chains
binding you fast to economic slavery.
And though you claimed your husband's name
still could not command his fidelity.
You bore him sons.
I bore him sons.
No, not willingly.
He purchased you.
He raped me,
I fought!
But you fought neither for yourselves nor me.
Sat trapped in your superiority
and spoke no reproach.
Consoled your outrage with an added diamond brooch.
Oh, God, how great is a woman's fear
who for a stone, a cold, cold stone
would not defend honor, love or dignity!
You bore the damning mockery of your marriage
and heaped your hate on me,
a woman too,
a slave more so.
And when your husband disowned his seed
that was my son
and sold him apart from me
you felt avenged.
Understand:
I was not your enemy in this,
I was not the source of your distress.
I was your friend, I fought.
But you would not help me fight
thinking you helped only me.
Your deceived eyes seeing only my slavery
aided your own decay.
Yes, they condemned me to death
and they condemned you to decay.
Your heart whisked away,
consumed in hate,
used up in idleness
playing yet the lady's part
estranged to vanity.
It is justice to you to say your fear equalled your
tyranny.
You were afraid to nurse your young
lest fallen breast offend your master's sight
and he should flee to firmer loveliness.
And so you passed them, your children, on to me.
Flesh that was your flesh and blood that was your
blood
drank the sustenance of life from me.
And as I gave suckle I knew I nursed my own child's
enemy.
I could have lied,
told you your child was fed till it was dead of
hunger.
But I could not find the heart to kill orphaned
innocence.
For as it fed, it smiled and burped and gurgled with
content
and as for color knew no difference.
Yes, in that first while
I kept your sons and daughters alive.
But when they grew strong in blood and bone
that was of my milk
you
taught them to hate me.
Put your decay in their hearts and upon their lips
so that strength that was of myself
turned and spat upon me,
despoiled my daughters, and killed my sons.
You know I speak true.
Though this is not true for all of you.
When I bestirred myself for freedom
and brave Harriet led the way
some of you found heart and played a part
in aiding my escape.
And when I made my big push for freedom
your sons fought at my sons' side,
Your husbands and brothers too fell in that battle
when Crispus Attucks died.
It's unfortunate that you acted not in the way of
justice
but to preserve the
and for dear sweet pity's sake;
Else how came it to be with me as it is today?
You abhorred slavery
yet loathed equality.
I would that the poor among you could have seen
through the scheme
and joined hands with me.
Then, we being the majority, could long ago have
rescued
our wasted lives.
But no.
The rich, becoming richer, could be content
while yet the poor had only the pretense of
superiority
and sought through murderous brutality
to convince themselves that what was false was true.
So with KKK and fiery cross
and bloodied appetites
set about to prove that "white is right"
forgetting their poverty.
Thus the white supremacist used your skins
to perpetuate slavery.
And woe to me.
Woe to Willie McGee.
Woe to the seven men of
And woe to you.
It was no mistake that your naked body on an Esquire
calendar
announced the date, May Eighth.
This is your fate if you do not wake to fight.
They will use your naked bodies to sell their wares
though it be hate, Coca Cola or rape.
When a white mother disdained to teach her children
this doctrine of hate,
but taught them instead of peace
and respect for all men's dignity
the courts of law did legislate
that they be taken from her
and sent to another state.
To make a Troy Hawkins of the little girl
and a killer of the little boy!
No, it was not for the womanhood of this mother
that Willie McGee died
but for a depraved, enslaved, adulterous woman
whose lustful demands denied,
lied and killed what she could not possess.
Only three months before another such woman lied
and seven black men shuddered and gave up their lives.
These women were upheld in these bloody deeds
by the president of this nation,
thus putting the official seal on the fate
of white womanhood within these
This is what they plan for you.
This is the depravity they would reduce you to.
Death for me
and worse than death for you.
What will you do?
Will you fight with me?
White supremacy is your enemy and mine.
So be careful when you talk with me.
Remind me not of my slavery, I know it well
but rather tell me of your own.
Remember, you have never known me.
You've been busy seeing me
as white supremacist would have me be,
and I will be myself.
Free!
My aim is full equality.
I would usurp their plan!
Justice
peace
and plenty
for every man, woman and child
who walks the earth.
This is my fight!
If you will fight with me then take my hand
and the hand of Rosa Ingram, and Rosalee McGee,
and as we set about our plan
let our wholehearted fight be:
PEACE IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS EQUALITY.
Beulah
1951
According to new research, the brain processes social outsiders as less than human; brain imaging provides accurate depictions of this prejudice at an unconscious level.
A new study by
Twenty four Princeton University undergraduates viewed a large number of color photographs of different social groups (including Olympic athletes, business professionals, elderly people, and drug addicts), and images of objects (including the Space Shuttle, a sports car, a cemetery, and an overflowing toilet) that elicited the emotions of pride, envy, pity, or disgust. The four emotions were derived from the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), which predicts differentiated prejudices based on warmth and competence. Warmth was determined by friendliness, competence by capability. The two emotional extremes were pride and disgust; pride elicited high warmth and high perception of competence, and disgust elicited low warmth and low perception of competence. Envy and pity were considered moderate prejudices; envy elicited low warmth and high perception of competence, and pity elicited high warmth and low perception of competence.
Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) brain imaging determined if the students accurately chose the correct emotion illustrated by the picture (according to pretest results in which a different group of students determined the emotion that best fit each photograph). The MPFC is only activated when a person thinks about him- or her-self or another human. When viewing a picture representing disgust, however, no significant MPFC brain activity was recorded, showing that students did not perceive members of social out-groups as human. The area was only activated when viewing photographs that elicited pride, envy, and pity. (However, other brain regions - the amygdala and insula - were activated when viewing photographs of "disgusting" people and nonhuman objects.)
Emotions themselves were not responsible for generating this brain activity. Rather, it was the actual image viewed that produced a response. The MPFC only showed significant activity when a person saw or thought about a human being. The authors conclude that this lack of MPFC brain activity while viewing photographs of people proves that "members of some social groups seem to be dehumanized."
Social out-groups are perceived as unable to experience complex human emotions, share in-group beliefs, or act according to societal norms, moral rules, and values. The authors describe this as "extreme discrimination revealing the worst kind of prejudice: excluding out-groups from full humanity." Their study provides evidence that while individuals may consciously see members of social out-groups as people, the brain processes social out-groups as something less than human, whether we are aware of it or not. According to the authors, brain imaging provides a more accurate depiction of this prejudice than the verbal reporting usually used in research studies.
The Elevator is Broken . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The purpose of The Elevator is Broken is to make students more productive in and outside of the classroom. Moreover, this journal/workbook assists students with not only identifying, but also developing their leadership and decision-making skills. Students will be able to identify leadership characteristics, use hip-hop to decipher positive and negative messages, discuss various cultures and subcultures, understand the purpose of setting goals, and examine their personal past and present experiences of leadership and decision-making with enriching scenario exercises.
The Elevator is Broken allows students to not only think about the skills they should possess, but articulate these skills as well. Lastly, this journal/workbook helps students with strengthening their study skills to be academically successful.
What does renowned psychologist, educator, and author Dr. Na’im Akbar have to say about The
Elevator is Broken? “At last a readable and doable manual to help young people learn leadership. In a language and with examples that fit their experience, through these exercises, young people can learn to lead before they are led away from their potential to lead themselves to success. These authors have fulfilled a great need in developing a tool to reach our young people before they go astray rather than trying to reform them after they have been misled. This workbook should be a course requirement for all young people (especially those most socially vulnerable) between Grade 3 and the college years.”
To place immediate orders for the book, a book
signing, and/or interview contact:
Hamilton & Associates Consulting
(323) 309-2502 Fax: (310) 538-0760
e-mail: johnphamilton@aol.com
"It All Starts At Home: 15 Reasons to Put Families First"
Fayetteville, NC - "“It All Starts at Home: 15 Reasons to Put Family First" (Revell/Baker Publishing) a classic family and parenting book by Larry C. Harris, M.D. written with best-selling author Cecil Murphey, is just what the doctor ordered.
A tribute to Harris'’ parents, with help from his siblings, "“It All Starts at Home" tells the inspirational story of Fred and Ruth Harris, uneducated African-American's who had ten children born in the south before the Civil Rights movement took hold. Remarkably, instead of the children becoming a product of their society, school dropouts to become lifelong welfare recipients, they all became well-educated and successful citizens with values and life principles that shaped their lives and made them productive members of society.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resting on the simple concept the family comes first, "“It All Starts at Home"” incorporates 15 lessons the Harris'’ taught their children. These lessons were common sense child-rearing attributes empowered with great wisdom, much love, and strong discipline influenced their children for a lifetime. Lessons included: honor your name; because mom and dad lived what they taught, we had no trouble following; each child is responsible for the next younger child; always be willing to give to those who are less fortunate than you are, any honest job is good, no matter what it is; and we'’re as good as anybody else, no one is inferior.
"”My parents may have been uneducated, but that didn'’t stop them,"” states Larry Harris, M.D. "“Dad earned his GED while he was in the army. He also received his bachelor'’s degree in business, but only after all of us had gone through college. Mom, who had quit school in the eleventh grade, went back and graduated from high school. Later she completed a college course in business machines at a community college . . . none of us have ever been on drugs or alcohol, been arrested, or involved in any kind of behavior to bring reproach on the family. Whatever we'’ve amounted to in this life it'’s because our family wisely and lovingly taught us the right way to go."
The testimonies the family endured of prejudices and racism through the Civil Rights movement, the endless sacrifices Fred and Ruth Harris made for their children, the life lessons forever earned is forthcoming in "“It All Starts at Home." It impacted this family and is sure to impact others for years to come.
Foreword by Dr. Ben Carson, author of "“Gifted Hands"” and college roommate of Dr. Larry Harris.
ISBN#: 0-8007-5908-7
Publisher: Revell/Baker Books
Price: $12.99, paper
Pages: 224
It was pretty crazy in the streets and everyone was super excited to be a part of sports history. I had a ball just getting stuck in traffic and walking with the celebrants up and down the overcrowded streets. Yet, even though I was happy and eager to participate in any festivities, the aftermath was a little anti-climactic for me. I know, people are probably like, "Is she nuts? How could it be anything but bananas fun?!?" Let me explain: I'm from Chicago, home of the legendary Chicago Bulls. I took part in each of the six, yes six, championship victories. So, I'm somewhat spoiled. Those days were utter chaos; no one knew how to handle such mobs, the city wasn't prepared for such riots after a simple little sporting event. Chicago paved the way for basketball celebrations in the streets, and also taught every other major US city how to prepare in the event some other team might eventually win... (Those were the days!)| Your Brain's Pattern |
 Structured and organized, you have a knack for thinking clearly. You are very logical - and you don't let your thoughts get polluted with emotions. And while your thoughts are pretty serious, they're anything from boring. It's minds like yours that have built the great cities of the world! |
Lucky Day
Looked at the sky, it was crystalline blue,
with pink cotton clouds that looked so sweet.
A stray black cat crossed over my feet,
but when I looked up I saw you.
I almost bought the whole rack.
When I got outside I stepped on a crack,
so I called my mom who laughed with unruffled sails.
A stranger bought me some lovely flowers.
I picked each of its petals for fun.
“Loves me not,” they said; you smiled like the sun.
That night, we star gazed and held each other for hours.
Before bed I looked in the mirror;
It shattered and my face turned bland.
But you entered the scene and took my hand;
now I see myself much clearer.
Hope you like it and that it conveys what I feel. Thanks for being in my life.
