I think this might be my thing. I won't drop Blogspot, but Tumblr is definitely where it's at. I can see myself being more consistent with my Tumblr blog.
Check it out...
XOXO
http://icurl4centricluv.tumblr.com/
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Monday, September 13, 2010
Smokey Robinson - Black American - Def Poetry
I found this to be VERY deep. This was selected by a classmate of mine in my PSYC 322 African American Psychology class and I just had to post this to my blog. I have always felt this way and though many will try to nit-pick for technicality, I say forget all that and LISTEN to what he is saying.
Below is the actual poem. I have no idea how he committed this to memory, but it's worth the listen and read.
I love being Black. I love being called Black. I love being an American.
I love being a Black American, but as a Black man in this country I think it's a shame that every few years we get a change of name.
Since those first ships arrived here from Africa that came across the sea there were already Black men in this country who were free.
And as for those that came over here on those terrible boats, they were called niggah and slave and told what to do and how to behave.
And then master started trippin' and doing his midnight tippin', down to the slave shacks where he forced he and Great-Great Grandma to be together, and if Great-Great Grandpa protested, he got tarred and feathered.
And at the same time, the Black men in the country who were free, were mating with the tribes like the Apache and the Cherokee.
And as a result of all that, we're a parade of every shade.
And as in this late day and age, you can be sure, they ain't too many of us in this country whose bloodline is pure.
But, according to a geological, geographical, genealogy study published in Time Magazine, the Black African people were the first on the scene, so for what it's worth, the Black African people were the first on earth and through migration, our characteristics started to change, and rearrange, to adapt to whatever climate we migrated to.
And that's how I became me, and you became you.
So, if we gonna go back, let's go all the way back, and if Adam was Black and Eve was Black, then that kind of makes it a natural fact that everybody in America is an African American.
Everybody in Europe is an African European; everybody in the Orient is an African Asian and so on and so on, that is, if the origin of man is what we're gonna go on.
And if one drop of Black blood makes you Black like they say, then everybody's Black anyway.
So quit trying to change my identity.
I'm already who I was meant to be I'm a Black American, born and raised.
And brother James Brown wrote a wonderful phrase, "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud! Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud!"
Cause I'm proud to be Black and I ain't never lived in Africa, and 'cause my Great-Great Granddaddy on my Daddy's side did, don't mean I want to go back.
Now I have nothing against Africa, it's where some of the most beautiful places and people in the world are found.
But I've been blessed to go a lot of places in this world, and if you ask me where I choose to live, I pick America, hands down.
Now, by and by, we were called Negroes, and after while, that name has vanished.
Anyway, Negro is just how you say 'black' in Spanish.
Then, we were called colored, but shit, everybody's one color or another, and I think it's a shame that we hold that against each other.
And it seems like we reverted back to a time when being called Black was an insult, even if it was another Black man who said it, a fight would result, cause we've been so brainwashed that Black was wrong, So that even the yellow niggahs and black niggahs couldn't get along.
But then, came the 1960s when we struggled and died to be called equal and Black, and we walked with pride with our heads held high and our shoulders pushed back, and Black was beautiful.
But, I guess that wasn't good enough, cause now here they come with some other stuff.
Who comes up with this shit anyway?
Was it one, or a group of niggahs sitting around one day?
Feelin' a little insecure again about being called Black and decided that African American sounded a little more exotic.
Well, I think you were being a little more neurotic.
It's that same mentality that got "Amos and Andy" put off the air, cause they were embarrassed about the way the character's spoke.
And as a result of that action, a lot of wonderful Black actors ended up broke.
When we were just laughin' and have fun about ourselves.
Why you keep trying to attach yourself to a continent, where if you got the chance and you went, most people there would even claim you as one of them; as a pure bread daughter or son of them.
Your heritage is right here now, no matter what you call yourself or what you say And a lot of people died to make it that way.
And if you think America is a leader on inequality and suffering and grievin', how come there so many people comin' and so few leavin'?
Rather than all this 'find fault with America' fuck you promotin', if you want to change something, use your privilege, get to the polls!
Commence to votin'!
God knows we've earned the right to be called American Americans and be free at last.
And rather than you movin' forward progress, you dwelling in the past.
We've struggled too long; we've come too far.
Instead of focusing on who we were, let's be proud of who we are.
We are the only people whose name is always a trend.
When is this shit gonna end?
Look at all the different colors of our skin...
Below is the actual poem. I have no idea how he committed this to memory, but it's worth the listen and read.
I love being Black. I love being called Black. I love being an American.
I love being a Black American, but as a Black man in this country I think it's a shame that every few years we get a change of name.
Since those first ships arrived here from Africa that came across the sea there were already Black men in this country who were free.
And as for those that came over here on those terrible boats, they were called niggah and slave and told what to do and how to behave.
And then master started trippin' and doing his midnight tippin', down to the slave shacks where he forced he and Great-Great Grandma to be together, and if Great-Great Grandpa protested, he got tarred and feathered.
And at the same time, the Black men in the country who were free, were mating with the tribes like the Apache and the Cherokee.
And as a result of all that, we're a parade of every shade.
And as in this late day and age, you can be sure, they ain't too many of us in this country whose bloodline is pure.
But, according to a geological, geographical, genealogy study published in Time Magazine, the Black African people were the first on the scene, so for what it's worth, the Black African people were the first on earth and through migration, our characteristics started to change, and rearrange, to adapt to whatever climate we migrated to.
And that's how I became me, and you became you.
So, if we gonna go back, let's go all the way back, and if Adam was Black and Eve was Black, then that kind of makes it a natural fact that everybody in America is an African American.
Everybody in Europe is an African European; everybody in the Orient is an African Asian and so on and so on, that is, if the origin of man is what we're gonna go on.
And if one drop of Black blood makes you Black like they say, then everybody's Black anyway.
So quit trying to change my identity.
I'm already who I was meant to be I'm a Black American, born and raised.
And brother James Brown wrote a wonderful phrase, "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud! Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud!"
Cause I'm proud to be Black and I ain't never lived in Africa, and 'cause my Great-Great Granddaddy on my Daddy's side did, don't mean I want to go back.
Now I have nothing against Africa, it's where some of the most beautiful places and people in the world are found.
But I've been blessed to go a lot of places in this world, and if you ask me where I choose to live, I pick America, hands down.
Now, by and by, we were called Negroes, and after while, that name has vanished.
Anyway, Negro is just how you say 'black' in Spanish.
Then, we were called colored, but shit, everybody's one color or another, and I think it's a shame that we hold that against each other.
And it seems like we reverted back to a time when being called Black was an insult, even if it was another Black man who said it, a fight would result, cause we've been so brainwashed that Black was wrong, So that even the yellow niggahs and black niggahs couldn't get along.
But then, came the 1960s when we struggled and died to be called equal and Black, and we walked with pride with our heads held high and our shoulders pushed back, and Black was beautiful.
But, I guess that wasn't good enough, cause now here they come with some other stuff.
Who comes up with this shit anyway?
Was it one, or a group of niggahs sitting around one day?
Feelin' a little insecure again about being called Black and decided that African American sounded a little more exotic.
Well, I think you were being a little more neurotic.
It's that same mentality that got "Amos and Andy" put off the air, cause they were embarrassed about the way the character's spoke.
And as a result of that action, a lot of wonderful Black actors ended up broke.
When we were just laughin' and have fun about ourselves.
Why you keep trying to attach yourself to a continent, where if you got the chance and you went, most people there would even claim you as one of them; as a pure bread daughter or son of them.
Your heritage is right here now, no matter what you call yourself or what you say And a lot of people died to make it that way.
And if you think America is a leader on inequality and suffering and grievin', how come there so many people comin' and so few leavin'?
Rather than all this 'find fault with America' fuck you promotin', if you want to change something, use your privilege, get to the polls!
Commence to votin'!
God knows we've earned the right to be called American Americans and be free at last.
And rather than you movin' forward progress, you dwelling in the past.
We've struggled too long; we've come too far.
Instead of focusing on who we were, let's be proud of who we are.
We are the only people whose name is always a trend.
When is this shit gonna end?
Look at all the different colors of our skin...
Monday, January 18, 2010
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Some Memorable Quotes:
"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think." -MLKJ
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'..." -MLKJ
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." -MLKJ
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom." -MLKJ
My Reflection:
If it were not for people like Martin Luther King, Jr., I would not be able to live as freely as I can now. Because of people like him, I can attend college and be what I desire to be. Because of people like him, I can have interracial relationships of all kinds and be treated with the equal respect a white woman would receive. It is people like him who put forth in motion the change needed to unite all races of people. If only this man had lived longer. As much as this man has sacrificed, I still feel that we as a people need to do better. If I were brought up back in the day just walking down the street I would have been verbally abused by white men...but it is as if the tables have turned because today if I walk down the street I get verbally abused by my black men. What's up with that? People talk about change being needed every day, but the truth of the matter is that we have to be the change we seek just as Mr. King would want.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Haiti Disaster Relief
My heart and prayers go out to those effected by this tragic event and as painful as it is to see these photos I'm hoping that as rich a nation that we are we can make a huge difference. I remember when my "okay" house burned down December 16th, 2008 we lost almost everything. But through donations, insurance, and restoration our house is better than it was before. My point is that sometimes it takes a disaster to open the eyes of others and to make a difference.
Click on this blog's title to get footage on what happened and what's going on. Also, you can click here as well:
Haiti Disaster Blog
Haiti Disaster Blog
How You Can Help:
The Red Cross started a program today allowing the public to donate $10 by texting “Haiti” to 90999. Music artist Wyclef Jean is also running a mobile donation campaign for his charity Yele. If you text ‘Yele’ to 501 501, $5 dollars will be donated. Both programs automatically add the charges to your cellphone bill.
Also, if you have clothing that you cannot fit or do not wear anymore please don't throw it away! Call the Salvation Army. What you may consider "trash" could be someone else's "treasure"
Please be careful of online relief and charity scams! It's sad that people would even try to take advantage of the disaster by running false charities.
Friday, January 01, 2010
ATE Clothing Online
Sooo I've been supporting ATE since my ending Freshmen year at VCU in 2008 because the mission behind it is sincere and the logo is pretty sweet. Plus the guy who began the ATE movement (Esmel Meeks) is pretty down-to-earth. I could sit here and type of a whole history of the line, BUT this excerpt from the Info portion of the site sums it up. Also, to go to the site just click the title of this post. =)
"ATE, the acronym for Ancient Thread Empire, is a newly launched high-end street wear brand that is rapidly making noise in both the local and mainstream fashion realms. Established by Esmel Meeks, a Virginia Beach native and a fashion entrepreneurship major at Virginia Commonwealth University, the ATE label aims to carry on the legacy of the pioneering street wear brands while encouraging an innovation and influential originality of its own. ATE prides itself on guaranteeing quality over quantity by taking calculated time to utilize only the finest threads, to hand-sew every tag, and to ensure all garments are printed in the United States. The fashion style of ATE aims to be the beacon of individuality, inspiration, and growth.
ATE is much more than a clothing line: Our mission is to not only provide the world with a fresh element of fashion by any means necessary, but to pursue philanthropy for the people with an equal amount of passion and dedication. With each transaction of ATE merchandise, a percentage of that sale will automatically be contributed to our very own Achievement Through Education Foundation, which provides tuition scholarship for underprivileged students. Our clientele look good but feel even better about our product knowing they benefited a powerful cause. In essence, ATE personifies the fusion of style, generosity, and education. We are the product of fashion’s ever-evolving, diverse culture and the influential youth of the past and present generations.
Inspiration: ATE’s conceptual roots originated from biblical scripture. When Eve “ATE” the apple in the Garden of Eden, Mankind and thus clothing were spawned.
Genesis 3:6-7, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ATE™ it. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they realized they were naked.”
Thanks, Eve!
Enjoy ATEclothing.com— the site of fashion, exclusive interviews with the artistically influential elite, updates of the brand’s charitable benefactions, and progress."
-Copyrights to ATEClothing.com
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Back on New Years Eve
Im off hiatus and Ive had a few random life experiences between May and December that made me consider putting this blog to use NOW. PLUS, I want to get one in before 2010 hits! But anyway, as time goes by I would like to use this blog to express who I am, my passion in helping others, and spreading the knowledge in whatever because Knowledge is POWER. You will find out why I have chosen to call this blog iCurl4CentricLuv soon...but for now Happy New Years! =P
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